The Language of Jesus in Germany

Linda Guven. It is, says Linda Guven, a colorful community. "Secularly colorful," she stresses. The 35-year-old teacher belongs to the Syrian Orthodox church congregation "Mor Petrus and Mor Paulus" in Bietigheim-Bissingen, a town in Baden-Wurttemberg, about 20 kilometres north of Stuttgart. The congregation was able to inaugurate an impressive church building in 2019. This resulted in a dream that has been cherished for decades.

"We have believers here who came here as young guest workers over 50 years ago," explains Guven. "But there are also people who had to leave home in the 1990s. And now refugees who have come to us from Iraq or because of the civil war in Syria over the past ten years."

Broken German and Swabian

For a long time, the Syrian Orthodox Christians from Bietigheim-Bissingen and some neighbouring villages have had their common meeting place on the edge of a commercial area. The municipality invites you to a pensioner's meeting once a month. The youngest come to the Krabbel group on Sunday after Sunday, and there is a lively youth work.

The old community members may only speak broken German. With some of the younger ones, Swabian sounds mingle with the perfect High German Swabian tones. "Anyone who has lived here for two or three generations is often established and has studied. We have doctors, lawyers, teachers in the community," says the teacher.

Syriac Orthodox Christians, according to Guven, always relied on the Church. "We have no consulate, no representation abroad, because we have no state. The first port of call remains the church. There is a halt searching. And therefore, the clergymen also tried to help and mediate with the communities."

The region of origin of the Syrian Orthodox Church is today's Antakya in Turkey. A city where a Christian community emerged very early after the death of Jesus, one of the first ever. This region in south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria is originally home to the Syrian Orthodox Church. Jesus spoke Aramaic

Their language shows how old their tradition is. For the members of this Church speak among themselves and also in the liturgy of Aramaic. Internationally, Aramaic has long been part of the group of endangered languages.

It is considered - scientifically assured - as the language of Jesus: Thus spoke the man from Nazareth, who became the founder of religion. The Gospel of Matthew and Matthew quote in the description of Jesus' death as his last word on the cross a desperate exclamation, in Greek Scripture, but remarkably in Aramaic language: "Eloi eloi lamma sabachthani - my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

The story of the Aramaic Christians could be told worldwide. Only a few tens of thousands of them live in the old homeland, in the mountainous region of the Turabdin in south-eastern Turkey. Today, the approximately five million members of this church live literally scattered around the world: in Australia, India or the USA, in Latin America and European countries. This is due to many waves of persecution by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 onwards, to which well over a million Christians fell victim, including hundreds of thousands of Syrian Orthodox Christians. Aramaic communities throughout Germany.

The first Syrian Orthodox textbook in German.

It is possible that there are more than 120,000 speakers in Germany today. The larger West German federal states have legally recognised the Syrian Orthodox Church and, for example, enable religious education. And while Catholics and Protestants report hundreds of thousands of church leave year after year and give up church buildings due to falling membership numbers, Orthodox and oriental churches from the Middle East are establishing themselves.

In many towns and municipalities, predominantly in the western federal states, there are a good 60 Aramaic-speaking parishes. Her Archbishop Mor Philoxenus Mattias Nayis resides in Warburg in Westphalia. The Syro-Aramaeans adopted an earlier Catholic monastery decades ago.

Linda Guven has a mission. The trained teacher is not only allowed to teach English, history and Catholic religion. She was also trained in the specialist theology and religious education for the Syriac Orthodox Church at the Schwabisch Gmund University of Education, which has been offering a corresponding degree course since autumn 2021. Until now, priests of the church, who mostly had learned decades ago in the Turabdin, gave religious education to school. Now there are teachers trained in Germany.

Since the middle of 2023, Guven has been the first state-approved religion teacher for Syrian Orthodox children in Germany. It proudly shows the book On the Way to the Syrian Orthodox Orthodox Church in the German language by the religious pedagogue Josef Onder with students in German language : "The first Syriac Orthodox religious book for schools in the world, which was developed according to an educational plan."

Many pictures in the textbook show simple scenes of country life. "This is what makes us apart when you go back to the roots," explains Guven. "Our parents or grandparents were in many cases shepherds or farmers. The Turabdin - this is an agricultural region." The students would have access to this world of images.

When Guven tells, you can feel her enthusiasm. "I'm burning for the thing, because it's simply a matter of concern to me." She wants to religiously "provide children a home" and "strengthen them in their identity". This also includes the Aramaic, "the language is part of our identity." If they earn religious education, start every hour with a prayer of the "Our Father" in Aramaic language.

So far, Guven has taught pupils from several classes at two schools who come together in groups. "80 to 85 in total from different years," she says, "Tendent increasing."

She has set herself a new goal: Guven wants to write a doctoral thesis soon. In this way, she also wants to provide scientific work on her religion in school and community.
Flood situation in India's Assam turns grim as death toll reaches 35

Xinhua) 10:06, July 03, 2024

NEW DELHI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The flood situation in India's northeastern state of Assam turned grim on Tuesday as more than half a million people were rendered homeless after flood water entered their homes, said a state government official.

Major rivers in the state were said to be flowing much above their normal levels. According to media reports, as many as 35 people had died this year alone in the state so far in flood-related incidents. Nearly 19 out of the total 35 districts in the state have been affected by the floods.

Indian Air Force (IAF) choppers were pressed into service to rescue people stuck in the flood-affected areas. In one such rescue operation on Tuesday, a Mi-17 IV helicopter of the IAF rescued 13 marooned survivors from a small island in the flooded river Brahmaputra, north of Dibrugarh in Assam, said the state's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in a post on X (Twitter).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Assam chief minister on Monday and enquired about the flood situation. "He assured me of full cooperation from the Government of India in this hour of crisis," said Sarma.

A report by The Indian Express newspaper said the floods affected 640,000 people from 1,275 villages across 19 districts in the state as of Monday evening.

"The displacement brought about by the floods has resulted in 8,142 people taking shelter in 72 relief camps across 11 districts," the report said, adding "As many as 35 people have lost their lives to flood-related incidents so far this year."

According to the report, different rivers running through Assam such as Brahmaputra, Desang, Subansiri, Dikhow, Buridehing, Beki and Barak were flowing above normal levels.

Meanwhile, several areas in the country's western state of Gujarat also faced a flood-like situation after receiving heavy rains over the past 24 hours. A couple of major roads were shut for traffic due to severe waterlogging.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for some districts in Gujarat, predicting extremely heavy rains over the next two days.

A similar forecast was made about heavy rains in Delhi and surrounding areas and the northern state of Uttarakhand on Tuesday.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Quoting local sources, Mirza identified the escapees as Ghazi Shahzad, Usman, and Baitullah, imprisoned on terrorism charges, and Tamaz, Safeer, Saqlain, Sohail Rashid, Asif Dal Muhammad, Faisal Hamid, Saqib Majeed, and Osama, serving sentences for murder.

Mirza confirmed that one of the escapees, Shahzad, is reportedly an ex-Pakistan army serviceman who had previously threatened India over hindering the G20 summit last year.

Shahzad is also known as a leader of the newly formed terrorist organization Janbaz Force (veteran force), allegedly recruiting innocent youth for anti-India activities.

Activist Amjad Ayub Mirza claimed, "Pakistan has opened a new anti-India front since June 9, 2024, amidst economic chaos and the growing unpopularity of its military among civilians."

Regarding the incident, Samaa TV reported that the local administration dismissed the Inspector General and arrested seven PoJK defence officials, launching an internal inquiry.

ARY News confirmed heightened security across PoJK prisons, with Rawalakot Jail's Superintendent and staff suspended for negligence. Most escapees had received life imprisonment or death penalties.

Mirza previously urged India to address the deteriorating situation in PoJK, where youth confront Pakistani forces.

He stated, "India cannot ignore the situation in Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir. Our people are fighting; the region is in turmoil with peaceful protesters being assaulted and shot by Pakistani and PoJK Police."

He added, "The situation demands India's focused attention to facilitate independence for Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, including Gilgit-Baltistan." (ANI)
https://x.com/rusembindia/status/1808422025712500823?s=46&t=TbrKHKgG29uXA1CMFN38Pw

"President of #Russia Vladimir Putin sent a condolence message to President of #India Droupadi Murmu & Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi over the tragic stampede in #UttarPradesh," Russian Embassy in India wrote on X

"Kindly accept the most sincere condolences over the tragic accident in Uttar Pradesh," the Embassy added.

The stampede occurred at a religious event in Hathras on Tuesday, in which 121 people were killed and 35 people were injured, officials said.

On this tragic incident, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also offered condolences on the loss of lives in the stampede in UP.

He expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

"Deeply distressed by the tragic loss of lives in a stampede in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. Sincere condolences to the bereaved families. Pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," EAM Jaishankar said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, police conducted a search operation at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district in search of 'Bhole Baba', who conducted a Satsang in Hathras where a stampede took place on Tuesday.

Speaking on the search operation, Deputy SP Sunil Kumar said, "We did not find Baba ji inside the campus...He is not here..."

Aligarh Inspector General Shalabh Mathur said that the dead bodies have been sent for post-mortem.

He also said that the FIR will be registered against several people including the organisers of the event, as more than the permitted number of people were attending the event.

The Uttar Pradesh government has announced Rs 2 lakh compensation to the kin of those who died in the incident.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also ordered a thorough investigation into the incident. (ANI)
Dubai [UAE], July 3 (ANI/WAM): Emirates Nature-WWF has launched its second free summer training series called 'Nature's Resilience' to upskill the UAE community on nature and the environment. Organised as part of the Leaders of Change programme, the series equips nature lovers and change-makers with knowledge about environmental issues and conservation solutions that contribute towards a sustainable future. Through 10 engaging sessions, Nature's Resilience offers a virtual exploration of the rich tapestry of life in the UAE. From the expansive desert sands and hidden oases to freshwater habitats and coastal regions, participants will get to know local nature like never before and learn about the intricate link between biodiversity, climate change and our own well-being. Through an interactive series of masterclasses and expert-led workshops, participants will gain a deep understanding of the importance of biodiversity conservation and sustainable stewardship practices, when mitigating climate change and preserving the UAE's natural heritage. In addition, participants will gain a better understanding on how they can support environmental experts and local conservation efforts. Participants who complete a minimum of seven sessions will earn a certificate recognizing their commitment to environmental conservation in the UAE. "We are delighted to launch the Nature's Resilience series, which builds upon the success of last summer's climate training series. Over ten weeks, we will explore the magnificent diversity of life that has adapted to thrive in UAE's arid deserts, rocky mountainsides, winding wadis and vibrant coastal lagoons - and how we can safeguard these beautiful, fragile places and the wildlife that calls them home," explained Arabella Willing, Head of Conservation Outreach and Citizen Science at Emirates Nature-WWF. "This series is very action-oriented, and it prepares the community to drive positive impact through citizen science and conservation field trips which will resume after the summer." The series builds upon the popularity and success of last year's Climate and Nature Series, which upskilled nearly 1,000 individuals on key environmental issues and achieved an exceptional satisfaction rating of 98%. Participants took part in seven events that were led by experts and guests from Emirates Nature-WWF, the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi and other organisations, contributing a total of 1,224 hours for nature. While last year's series featured sessions such as Climate Fresk, Food for Thought and the Planetary Boundaries, the focus this year will be on UAE's unique biodiversity. The series will spotlight rare and endangered species, pollinators, migratory and resident birds, and desert dwellers who play an invaluable role in keeping their respective natural ecosystems healthy and functional. (ANI/WAM)
Marri, known for his advocacy of Baloch independence, alleged that the operation was being conducted on the orders of China to protect its economic interests in Pakistan.

Marri posted on X, "A new military operation is being planned by #Pakistan on #Chinese orders against the Baloch and #Pashtun, known as #Azmelstehkaam (Resolve for Stability). That's Azm-e-Istehkam for #China and #Punjab, not for the Baloch and Pashtun people."

He further criticised the operation as benefiting "Punjabi hegemony" while causing "chaos and death" in Balochistan and Pashtunistan.

Marri also expressed concern over the involvement of Pashtuns in the Pakistani army, accusing them of being used to suppress their own people's aspirations.

He urged them to prioritise the protection of their homeland, Pashtunistan, rather than serving what he described as Punjabi interests.

https://x.com/hyrbyair_marri/status/1808425093002936772

The military operation has sparked widespread condemnation from Baloch and Pashtun communities, who have historically resisted Islamabad's authority and expressed grievances over issues including sovereignty and rights.

The regions, which have seen unrest for years, have been focal points of resistance against Chinese investments in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

China's substantial investments in Pakistan, particularly in infrastructure projects in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have faced opposition from local populations.

Incidents such as the recent attack on a convoy of Chinese engineers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in casualties, underscore the security challenges faced by Chinese nationals in the region.

During recent high-level visits between Pakistani and Chinese officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir, the security of Chinese interests in Pakistan was prominently discussed.

Senior Chinese official Liu Jianchao reiterated the importance of safeguarding Chinese investments and personnel in the country.

As tensions escalate, hashtags like #ExpansionistChinalnstigatingBalochAndPashtunGenocide and #StopBalochAndPashtunGenocide have gained traction on social media, reflecting growing international attention to the situation.

The situation remains fluid as stakeholders navigate complex geopolitical dynamics amidst ongoing resistance and security challenges in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. (ANI)
According to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND), of the 22 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 20 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered the northern, southwestern, and southeastern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

According to Taiwan News, the aircraft closest to Taiwan was a helicopter detected in the southwestern ADIZ about 81 km (44 NM) southwest of Eluanbi.

https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1808306809805197620

In a post on X, MND said, "22 PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 20 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern, and southeastern ADIZ. We've monitored the situation and responded accordingly."

The ministry monitored the situation with its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems and scrambled combat patrol aircraft, dispatched naval vessels, and deployed land-based air defence missile systems, as per Taiwan News.

On Tuesday, Taiwan tracked 13 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels around Taiwan.

Of the 13 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 10 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northern, central, southwestern, and southeastern sectors of the nation's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), Taiwan News reported, quoting the Ministry of National Defence, Republic of China.

So far this month, the MND has detected Chinese military aircraft 41 times and naval vessels 19 times. Since September 2020, Beijing has increased its use of "gray zone tactics" by operating more military aircraft and naval ships around Taiwan.

According to CSIS, gray zone tactics are "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 Taiwan's 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)
Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi interacted with Security Advisor to Bangladesh Prime Minister Major General Tarique Ahmed Siddique (Retd) at Dhaka and discussed enhancing the long-standing relations between the two nations through defence cooperation. In a post on X, the Indian Navy spokesperson stated, "Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, #CNS interacted with Maj Gen Tarique Ahmed Siddique (Retd), Security Advisor to Hon'ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh at #Dhaka. Discussions focused on enhancing the long-standing relations b/n the two nations through defence cooperation. Aligned Visions & Outlook of both countries #BangladeshVision2041 & #IndoPacific Outlook of Bangladesh, and India's Vision 2047: #ViksitBharat, vision #SAGAR were highlighted." Earlier on July 2, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi called on Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as a part of his ongoing visit to the neighbouring country. During the discussions, Sheikh Hasina appreciated India's contribution to Bangladesh's War of Liberation in 1971. "Adm Dinesh K Tripathi CNS, on an official visit to Bangladesh, called on HE Sheikh Hasina, Hon'ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh on #02Jul 24. During discussions, the PM of Bangladesh recalled & appreciated India's contribution to Bangladesh's War of Liberation in 1971," the Indian Navy said in a post on X, following the meeting between the Indian Navy Chief, and Sheikh Hasina. "CNS apprised the PM regarding the progress of ongoing bilateral maritime engagements b/n the Indian navy & the Bangladesh Navy," the post read further. On Tuesday, Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi interacted with the Commandant of National Defence College Lt Gen Md Saiful Alam, the faculty and staff and provided an overview of flux in the security environment in the broader Indo-Pacific Region from a naval perspective. The Navy Chief, who is on an official visit to Bangladesh, visited the National Defence College on Tuesday. During the visit, he interacted with the commandant Lt Gen, faculty, staff and the officers of the National Defence College. "Adm Dinesh K Tripathi #CNS, during his visit to the National Defence College, #NDC Bangladesh interacted with the Commandant Lt Gen Md Saiful Alam, faculty & Staff, & Officers undergoing the NDC," the Indian Navy said in a post on X. Further, in his address to the NDC "Class of 2024", the Navy Chief provided an overview of the geopolitical trends. "In his address to NDC #Classof2024, on the topic "Turbulent Tides and Times - Steering a Steady Course" #CNS provided an overview of the geopolitical trends & flux in the security environment in the broader #IndoPacific Region #IPR from a naval perspective," the Indian Navy stated. The CNS further stressed these trends including the opportunities for like-minded nations in the Indo-Pacific Region to cooperate and collaborate aligned to the Indian government's vision of SAGAR to ensure a free, open, peaceful and inclusive Indo-Pacific. "#CNS highlighted the "so what" of these trends including opportunities for like-minded nations in #IPR to cooperate & collaborate aligned to the GoI vision of #SAGAR & #IPOI towards ensuring a free, open, peaceful & inclusive #IPR for shared peace & prosperity for all littorals in the #IndianOceanRegion," the Indian Navy stated on X. The Navy Chief is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with his counterpart Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, Chief of the Naval Staff, Bangladesh Navy in Dhaka, and also review the Passing Out Parade scheduled at Bangladesh Naval Academy (BNA) at Chittagong on July 4, the release added. Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi is on an official visit to Bangladesh for four days from July 1-4. The visit is aimed at consolidating bilateral defence relations between India and Bangladesh and exploring new avenues for Naval cooperation, a press release from the Indian Navy said. India and Bangladesh share bonds of history, language, culture, and a multitude of other commonalities. The excellent bilateral ties reflect an all-encompassing partnership based on sovereignty, equality, trust, and understanding that goes far beyond a strategic partnership. (ANI)
Dubai [UAE], July 3 (ANI/WAM): Dubai Chambers has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aramex to enhance the services available to the business community and support companies in their professional activities and operations. Under the terms of the MoU, Aramex will provide special packages for companies that are members of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers. The packages will offer comprehensive transportation and logistics solutions for businesses, together with a range of quality services delivered through Aramex facilities across the Emirates. Khalid Al Jarwan, Vice President of Operations and Acting Vice President of Digital and Commercial Sectors at Dubai Chambers, commented, "We are committed to enhancing the competitiveness of the private sector by improving the quality and efficiency of services available to companies operating in Dubai in cooperation with partners from the public and private sectors. Dubai Chambers remains focused on sustaining institutional and customer excellence as a strategic priority to contribute effectively to the development of Dubai's favourable business environment and enhance its attractiveness among companies and investors." Tarek Abuyaghi, General Manager of Aramex, said, "Having trustworthy and efficient logistics partners is crucial for businesses across various industries. As the UAE continues to evolve into a global business hub, we are delighted to join forces with Dubai Chambers to support members of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce. Drawing on more than four decades of expertise of Aramex, as well as our data-driven and customer-centric approach, we will provide tailored logistics solutions that meet the unique needs of each business. The collaboration aligns with our efforts to support the UAE's vibrant business environment and help businesses of all sizes--small, medium, and large--thrive through reliable, innovative, and efficient logistics services." (ANI/WAM)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with Belarus counterpart Maksim Ryzhenkov and discussed bilateral relations and its future growth potential on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Astana. During the talks, he welcomed Belarus to SCO as its newest member. In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Pleased to meet FM Maksim Ryzhenkov of Belarus today. Welcome Belarus to the SCO as its newest member. Discussed our bilateral relationship and its future growth potential." Earlier, S Jaishankar met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Council meeting in Astana on Wednesday. Jaishankar, in his meeting with Lavrov, raised "strong concern about Indian nationals" currently in the war zone in Russia. Both the leaders also discussed the "global strategic landscape" and exchanged assessments and views. In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Good to meet Russian FM Sergey Lavrov in Astana today. Wide ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership and contemporary issues. Noted the progress in many areas since our last meeting in December 2023." "Raised our strong concern on Indian nationals who are currently in the war zone. Pressed for their safe and expeditious return. Also discussed the global strategic landscape and exchanged assessments and views," he added. He visited Pushkin Park in Astana on Wednesday, where he paid tribute to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi accompanied by members of the Indian community following his arrival to represent India at the SCO Summit on July 4. In a post on X, he stated, "Paid homage at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Pushkin Park in Astana today. Joined by members of the Indian community and friends of India." Upon his arrival in Astana, Jaishankar was welcomed by Kazakhstan Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakaye. SCO Summit is being held under Kazakhstan's chairmanship. "EAM @DrSJaishankar reached Astana to represent PM @narendramodi at the SCO Summit from July 3-4, 2024. On arrival, EAM was welcomed by Kazakhstan's Deputy Foreign Minister @AlibekBakayev," the Indian Embassy in Kazakhstan posted on X. Jaishankar also met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu in Astana on Tuesday and discussed expanding strategic partnership and India's increasing engagement with Central Asia. Jaishankar thanked the deputy prime minister for the hospitality and arrangements for the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit. The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues. "Delighted to meet DPM & FM Murat Nurtleu of Kazakhstan in Astana today. Thanked him for the hospitality and arrangements for the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit. Discussed our expanding Strategic Partnership and India's increasing engagement with Central Asia in various formats. Also exchanged views on regional and global issues," EAM Jaishankar said in a post on X. The SCO Summit will be held on July 3-4. The 24th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State (SCO Summit) will be held under the presidency of Kazakhstan on July 4. (ANI)
Pakistan's anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi has asked the government and jail administration to respond to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan's request to meet his sons, Pakistan-based daily, The Express Tribune reported on Wednesday. The former Prime Minister filed a petition seeking permission to meet his sons, Qasim and Sulaiman, in Adiala Jail. In his petition, Khan argued that meeting his sons is his constitutional and legal right, emphasising that the meeting would be of a familial nature. "I wish to meet my sons, Qasim and Sulaiman. This is my constitutional and legal right," Khan stated. The court has directed the government, the Ministry of Interior, and the jail administration to provide their responses by July 5. The hearing has been adjourned until July 7. The former Pakistani Prime Minister was jailed on January 30 for 10 years in a case in which he was charged with leaking state secrets. He is already serving a three-year jail term after being convicted of corruption. Imran Khan called all the charges against him politically motivated. He had urged the public to "take revenge for every injustice with your vote on February 8 while remaining peaceful" in a statement released on his X (formerly Twitter) account. "Tell them that we are not sheep that can be driven with a stick," he added. Former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, vice chairman of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, was also sentenced to 10 years in prison by the special court set up inside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. The case involves the alleged leaking of secret diplomatic correspondence sent by Pakistan's ambassador on Washington to Islamabad when Khan was Prime Minister. It relates to his appearance at a rally in March 2022, a month before Khan was ousted from power in a parliamentary vote of no confidence. He appeared on stage, waving a piece of paper that he says showed a foreign conspiracy against him. (ANI)
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has expressed sadness over the loss of lives in the stampede that occurred in Uttar Pradesh. He offered condolences to the bereaved families and wished for the swift recovery of the injured people. In a statement, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida said, "I am deeply saddened to learn that many precious lives were lost in the stampede that occurred in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh. "On behalf of the Government of Japan, I pray for the souls of the victims and extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I would also like to express my sincere wishes for the swift recovery of the injured," he added. His statement comes after 121 people died while 35 sustained injuries in the stampede incident which took place during a 'Satsang' in the Hathras district on Tuesday. Sandip Kumar Singh Lodhi, Minister of State for Education (Independent Charge) in the Government of Uttar Pradesh confirmed that a total of 35 people sustained injuries. "It is a very unfortunate incident and we have been following up on every update from Hathras all night. It is really sad that the death toll has reached 121. About 35 people are injured," he said. Earlier today, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath arrived in Hathras to meet the victims and their families. He also held an interaction with the officials at the Hathras police line to take stock of the status quo. An FIR, meanwhile, has been registered against Devprakash Madhukar, referred to as 'Mukhya Sewadar' and other organisers of the 'Satsang' where the stampede occurred. Uttar Pradesh police have also launched a search operation at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district in search of Narayan Saakar Hari also known as Bhole Baba, the preacher of the 'Satsang' in Hathras. The preacher, however, remains untraceable. "We did not find Baba ji inside the campus. He is not here," Deputy SP Sunil Kumar said earlier. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Minister Sandeep Singh has affirmed that strict actions would be taken against those responsible for the tragedy. "Till now 121 people have died in the incident...The injured are being treated. Strict action will be taken against those found responsible for the incident. This is not a small incident", he said. (ANI)
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has demanded Chinese authorities release Kazakh journalists - Kairat Domalin and Kuandyk Koben, who have been arrested from Xinjiang region and stop harassing members of the media fraternity. In a statement, the CPJ said that the Chinese authorities arrested Domalin and Koben in Urumqi a city in Xinjiang in April this year, and the arrests were reported in June by the Atajurt Kazakh Human Rights, a human rights organization based in Kazakhstan. Both of the journalists were employed at the local state-run television network Xinjiang Television in Urumqi. According to the statement, CPJ has not yet received any information regarding the charges that resulted in the arrest of Domalin and Koben. However, the arrest of Koben might be linked to his work related to historic buildings of Xinjiang that have been intentionally ignored by the Chinese government. While raising the same matter, Iris Hsu, CPJ's China representative stated, "Chinese authorities must free Kazakh journalists Kairat Domalin and Kuandyk Koben. It's time for China to cease its campaign of harassing and arbitrarily detaining press members of the Muslim ethnic minorities and release all imprisoned journalists." Domalin was a TV presenter for the program "Zholaushy" (Traveler) on the Xinjiang Television network, and Koben produced, directed, and presented Kazakh-language documentaries and more than 20 award-winning television programs, the CPJ statement claimed. In addition, the call of CPJ to the Public Security Department of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region regarding the safety of the journalists had also gone unanswered. Previously, CPJ in a report released in 2023 found out that China remains the worst place when it comes to arresting journalists, especially from ethnic minorities. According to CPJ's latest annual prison census, with at least 44 behind bars as of December 1, 2023. Many journalists held were ethnic Uyghurs from Xinjiang. Meanwhile, international human rights organisations, the United Nations, and several governments of the state have blamed China and its authorities for its severe crimes against humanity and ongoing genocide in the Xinjiang region, particularly for repressing the region's Muslim ethnic groups. (ANI)
After two days-long political drama, the incumbent government under Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" has collapsed in Nepal as coalition ministers resign en-masse retracting support. With the expiration of the 24-hour deadline given on Tuesday, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), the key ally of the Dahal-led government walked out of the government. The party had given a one-day ultimatum to Prime Minister Dahal to step down from the post which it called "a respectful exit." On Wednesday (July 3), eight ministers from CPN-UML on board the cabinet of Dahal formed on March 4 earlier this year, tendered resignations before the Prime Minister at his residence in Baluwatar. The ministers had reached Balkot, the residence of UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and headed for Baluwatar. "We have resigned and submitted the letter to the Prime Minister a while ago. All the 8 ministers on board the cabinet from the CPN-UML have resigned informing the Prime Minister that we no longer are part of this government and withdraw our support," Jwalakumari Sah, the former minister for Agriculture told ANI over phone call from PM residence, Baluwatar. The UML and Congress on Monday night agreed to form a new government. Oli would lead a new national consensus and government for a year and a half. For the remaining term, Nepal's former PM Sher Bahadur Deuba will be the prime minister. Dahal expressed reluctance to resign immediately. The office-bearers meeting of the CPN (Maoist Centre) held in Baluwatar on Tuesday had decided that the Prime Minister will not tender his resignation but instead face a trust vote in Parliament within 30 days since the retraction of support. On Wednesday, the Nepali Congress formally endorsed the agreement reached with the CPN-UML on the formation of a new coalition. A central work execution committee meeting of the party held at party President Sher Bahadur Deuba's residence in Budhanilkantha endorsed the deal reached between the top leaders of the two largest parties. In the deal, leaders from the two largest parties have reached an understanding to lead the governments in the remaining around three-and-half-year tenure of the present parliament on a rotation basis. "The meeting concludes that it would be appropriate for the prime minister to pave the way for the formation of a new national consensus government as, following the agreement between Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, a clear majority in the House of Representatives is in favour of forming the government under the leadership of KP Sharma Oli," reads a statement issued after the meeting. The meeting also expressed commitment to implement the agreement. "The meeting expresses its determination to implement the agreement reached between the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML regarding leading governments on a rotation basis to protect national interests, control corruption, ensure good governance, the development, maintain political stability, amending the constitution to strengthen the federal democratic republican system and inclusiveness and to strengthen the economy." As per the midnight agreement between Sher Bahadur Deuba from Nepali Congress and KP Sharma Oli from CPN-UML on Tuesday, a committee is also formed to suggest amendments to the election procedures and the constitution under the leadership of former Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha. In the overnight agreement, the largest and the second largest party in the parliament drafted a constitutional amendment agreement where it was stated that the Vice President would be made the chairman of the National Assembly. Leaders from the Congress and the UML informed President Ram Chandra Paudel about the change in coalition. During the meeting, the leaders informed the President about activating Section 76 (2) to form a new government in case the incumbent Prime Minister fails to win the vote of confidence after UML withdraws its support. Prachanda has to take the vote of confidence again from the parliament after a party withdraws support. Dahal, who came to power after the 2022 General Elections. has already taken the floor test in parliament for a record four times. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with Tajikistan counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Kazakhstan's Astana on Wednesday. The two leaders took stock of bilateral partnership and cooperation on multilateral forums. In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Glad to meet Tajik FM Sirojiddin Muhriddin today in Astana. Took stock of our bilateral partnership and cooperation on multilateral forums. Appreciate the exchange of views on the regional situation." Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation at the 24th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State (SCO Summit) set to be held under the presidency of Kazakhstan on July 4. Earlier in the day, Jaishankar held a meeting with Belarus counterpart Maksim Ryzhenkov and discussed bilateral relations and its future growth potential. Sharing details regarding the meeting, Jaishankar in a post on X stated, "Pleased to meet FM Maksim Ryzhenkov of Belarus today. Welcome Belarus to the SCO as its newest member. Discussed our bilateral relationship and its future growth potential." He also met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. During his meeting with Lavrov, Jaishankar raised "strong concern about Indian nationals" currently in the war zone in Russia. Both the leaders also discussed the "global strategic landscape" and exchanged assessments and views. In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Good to meet Russian FM Sergey Lavrov in Astana today. Wide ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership and contemporary issues. Noted the progress in many areas since our last meeting in December 2023." "Raised our strong concern on Indian nationals who are currently in the war zone. Pressed for their safe and expeditious return. Also discussed the global strategic landscape and exchanged assessments and views," he added. Jaishankar also visited Pushkin Park in Astana on Wednesday, where he paid tribute to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi accompanied by members of the Indian community following his arrival to represent India at the SCO Summit on July 4. In a post on X, he stated, "Paid homage at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Pushkin Park in Astana today. Joined by members of the Indian community and friends of India." Upon his arrival in Astana, Jaishankar was welcomed by Kazakhstan Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakaye. "EAM @DrSJaishankar reached Astana to represent PM @narendramodi at the SCO Summit from July 3-4, 2024. On arrival, EAM was welcomed by Kazakhstan's Deputy Foreign Minister @AlibekBakayev," the Indian Embassy in Kazakhstan posted on X. Jaishankar also met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu in Astana on Tuesday and discussed expanding strategic partnership and India's increasing engagement with Central Asia. Jaishankar thanked Kazakhstan's Deputy PM for the hospitality and arrangements for the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit. The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues. "Delighted to meet DPM & FM Murat Nurtleu of Kazakhstan in Astana today. Thanked him for the hospitality and arrangements for the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit. Discussed our expanding Strategic Partnership and India's increasing engagement with Central Asia in various formats. Also exchanged views on regional and global issues," EAM Jaishankar said in a post on X. During the SCO Summit, the leaders are expected to review the organization's activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of multilateral cooperation, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) earlier press release. The leaders are also expected to discuss issues of regional and international importance. In an earlier press release, MEA stated, "India's priorities in SCO are shaped by Prime Minister's vision of a 'SECURE' SCO. SECURE stands for Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environmental protection." Notably, India, under its first-ever presidency of SCO, hosted the 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in virtual format on July 4, 2023. (ANI)
A district and sessions court in the federal capital of Pakistan on Wednesday acquitted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and several other leaders in a case registered at Aapbara Police Station for protesting against the Election Commission of Pakistan's Toshakhana verdict in 2022, which disqualified him from holding office for a limited time, Pakistan-based News Agency reported. Judicial Magistrate Yasir Mehmood announced the verdict, which was reserved last week on the petitions seeking acquittal, during the hearing. Other leaders who are let off in the case are Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Sheikh Rasheed, Asad Qaiser, Shehryar Afridi, Faisal Javed, Raja Khurram Nawaz and Ali Nawaz Awan. PTI lawyers, Advocate Sardar Masroof and Advocate Ansar Kayani made the arguments in the case on behalf of the former Prime Minister and others. Imran Khan has been facing a slew of charges ranging from corruption to terrorism since his removal as the premier in 2022, Geo News reported. The PTI founder has been in jail since last August and was convicted in some cases ahead of a nationwide election earlier this year. He is also fighting dozens of other cases. The only hurdle keeping him behind bars is the iddat or the un-Islamic marriage case, whose proceedings are underway, and the judge expects the case to be wrapped up within this month, Geo News reported. On June 27, a district and sessions court in Islamabad declined the pleas of Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to suspend their seven-year sentences in the Iddat Case. The verdict, met with protests in Islamabad by activists and criticism in Karachi by demonstrators who were against the state's intrusion into people's lives". On Wednesday, Pakistan's anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi asked the government and jail administration to respond to Imran Khan's request to meet his sons, Qasim and Sulaiman in Adiala Jail. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday held a meeting with his Uzbekistan counterpart Bakhtiyor Saidov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Astana. Following his meeting with Saidov, Jaishankar stated that they appreciated the steady progression in bilateral ties and discussed taking it forward to a higher level. Taking to X, Jaishankar stated, "Nice to meet @FM_Saidov of Uzbekistan today in Astana. Appreciated the steady progress in India-Uzbekistan ties. Discussed taking it forward to a higher level." Earlier, Jaishankar held a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. During the meeting, the two sides discussed global hotspots and their larger implications. Sharing details regarding his meeting with the UN Chief, Jaishankar stated, "Always a pleasure to meet UNSG @antonioguterres. Appreciate his insights on the state of the world. Discussed global hotspots and their larger implications. Spoke about the reform of the UNSC, preparations for the upcoming Summit of the Future, and future prospects for meaningful India-UN partnership." Earlier in the day, S Jaishankar held a meeting with his Tajik counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin in Kazakhstan's Astana. The two leaders took stock of bilateral partnership and cooperation on multilateral forums. In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Glad to meet Tajik FM Sirojiddin Muhriddin today in Astana. Took stock of our bilateral partnership and cooperation on multilateral forums. Appreciate the exchange of views on the regional situation." Jaishankar is on a visit to Kazakhstan to attend the 24th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State (SCO Summit) set to be held under the presidency of Kazakhstan on July 4. Upon his arrival in Astana, Jaishankar was welcomed by Kazakhstan Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakaye. He also held a meeting with Belarus counterpart Maksim Ryzhenkov and discussed bilateral relations and its future growth potential. Sharing details regarding the meeting, Jaishankar in a post on X stated, "Pleased to meet FM Maksim Ryzhenkov of Belarus today. Welcome Belarus to the SCO as its newest member. Discussed our bilateral relationship and its future growth potential." Jaishankar also visited Pushkin Park in Astana on Wednesday, where he paid tribute to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi accompanied by members of the Indian community following his arrival to represent India at the SCO Summit on July 4. Earlier in the day, he met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and raised "strong concern about Indian nationals" currently in the war zone in Russia. Both the leaders also discussed the "global strategic landscape" and exchanged assessments and views. In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Good to meet Russian FM Sergey Lavrov in Astana today. Wide ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership and contemporary issues. Noted the progress in many areas since our last meeting in December 2023." "Raised our strong concern on Indian nationals who are currently in the war zone. Pressed for their safe and expeditious return. Also discussed the global strategic landscape and exchanged assessments and views," he added. Jaishankar also met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu in Astana on Tuesday and discussed expanding strategic partnership and India's increasing engagement with Central Asia. Jaishankar thanked Kazakhstan's Deputy PM for the hospitality and arrangements for the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit. The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues. "Delighted to meet DPM & FM Murat Nurtleu of Kazakhstan in Astana today. Thanked him for the hospitality and arrangements for the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit. Discussed our expanding Strategic Partnership and India's increasing engagement with Central Asia in various formats. Also exchanged views on regional and global issues," EAM Jaishankar said in a post on X. During the SCO Summit, the leaders are expected to review the organization's activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of multilateral cooperation, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) earlier press release. The leaders are also expected to discuss issues of regional and international importance. In an earlier press release, MEA stated, "India's priorities in SCO are shaped by Prime Minister's vision of a 'SECURE' SCO. SECURE stands for Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environmental protection." (ANI)
Abu Dhabi [UAE], July 3 (ANI/WAM): The United Arab Emirates and Brazil have issued a joint statement to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations. Below is the full text of the statement: "The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Brazil and the United Arab Emirates are pleased to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Established on 10th June, 1974, these ties have evolved into a robust strategic partnership across political, economic and cultural fields. Brazil established its Embassy in Abu Dhabi in 1978, and the UAE opened its first Latin American Embassy in Brasilia in 1991. This diplomatic presence was further expanded with the establishment of the Emirati consulate in Sao Paulo in 2017. The strength of the bilateral relationship is evident in the frequency of high-level official visits. In 2023, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited the UAE twice. In April, he met with the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Following this, in December 2023, the Brazilian President participated in COP28 in Dubai. The strategic partnership between the UAE and Brazil facilitates extensive governmental and investment cooperation, encompassing diverse sectors such as technology, tourism, culture, space, trade, and renewable energy. This alignment extends beyond bilateral frameworks, promoting joint initiatives in third countries. The economic relations between the two countries are characterized by a high level of mutual investments and significant trade flows. The UAE is Brazil's second-largest trade partner in the Middle East. In 2023, bilateral trade surpassed USD 4.3 billion. In the climate field, joint cooperation between Brazil and the UAE aims to ensure a seamless transition from COP28 to COP30, which will take place in Belem in 2025. During COP28, the UAE and Brazil collaborated closely, culminating in the adoption of the significant UAE Consensus agreement, which was endorsed by 198 participating nations. In addition, both nations share a commitment to promote a more prosperous and equitable world where peace, tolerance, coexistence, inclusiveness, and sustainable development prevail. As the two countries celebrate this milestone, Brazil and the UAE recommit to further strengthen their strategic ties and cooperation that will yield growth, prosperity and mutual benefits for the next 50 years and beyond." (ANI/WAM)
France's Permanent Representative to OECD, Amelie de Montchalin, said that India and France are working together as the two nations share the same vision on what artificial intelligence (AI) can bring as a tool for more development, innovation and prosperity. Speaking to ANI, Amelie de Montchalin noted that France and India have digital public infrastructure in common. On being asked about India and France's role in AI, Montchalin said, "So, India and France are really working together because we have the same vision of what AI can bring as a tool for more development, as a tool for innovation, as a tool for prosperity. But, we also have the same values." "We want to keep our sovereign autonomy to make sure that we are having the control of our technologies. We have the same vision of cyber. So, the fact that we work together is also the sign that we want to make sure that AI is at the service of all people, all across the planet, so without division between what we call the north and the south," she added. Asked whether there is any discussion between two nations in terms of AI, Amelie de Montchalin said, "So as you know, France and India, we have something in common, which are digital public infrastructure. I was in charge of civil service reform and I was in charge of the digital public services in France. And they are very close and very similar in their thinking from what you do here in India with your very successful digital public infrastructure. So we will continue to work together on this." "We are also discussing as part of the global partnership on AI, how to be AI for good, open AI solutions to face climate change, agriculture, smart cities, water resources, and make sure that these algorithms are free, open, not just for India and France, but also to other developing and emerging countries, and this is something I know in India wants to do even more and that France will support and we will do together," she added. She lauded India for organising the 'Global IndiaAI Summit' and called it a "major success." She stated that the conference in Delhi is a follow-up to the G20 Summit in Delhi held in 2023. French envoy also talked about the AI Action Summit set to be held in February 2025 and added that India will be invited to the Summit. Speaking about India's role in the propagation of AI, Montchalin said, "So I think it's a major success to have this Delhi conference today, this ministerial meeting of the Global Partnership on AI. I think it's also the follow-up of your G20. I must say that what happened today between the ministers was something that President Macron and Prime Minister Modi have discussed here in Delhi in September 2023." "So, less than one year after, we are having the results and the outcome and the new dynamic of this group now joining more than 40 countries together from the north, from the south, from the east, from the west, from all around the planet to work together. And we will have in February 2025 in Paris what we call the AI Action Summit where India will be invited, where we will continue to work together. And for me, it's really a good place today to be because the vision we have in common is one that, for me, will bring success to our people, to the planet and to innovation," she added. The 'Global IndiaAI Summit' is being organized in New Delhi on July 3-4. According to the official statement, the Summit will focus on key pillars of the AI ecosystem, including Compute Capacity, Foundational Models, Datasets, Application Development, Future Skills, Startup Financing, and Safe and trusted AI. (ANI)
The Punjab Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department informed the Lahore High Court (LHC) that a female doctor was terminated for performing a two-finger test, also known as a virginity test, on a minor rape victim, Dawn reported. This disclosure came in a written report submitted in response to a petition filed by the rape suspect, who sought the formation of a medical board to re-examine the victim. According to the report, the Punjab Medicolegal Surgeon investigated the matter following a complaint by the petitioner/suspect. The investigation found ad-hoc Dr Aliza Gill guilty of issuing a medical certificate for the minor victim based on the two-finger test. Consequently, Dr Gill's appointment was terminated effective July 1, according to Dawn. The department emphasized that, in accordance with the LHC's 2020 judgement, directives had repeatedly been issued prohibiting the performance or documentation of the two-finger test or virginity test in medicolegal reports for female victims of sexual assault. During the hearing, Services Hospital AMS Hammad and Additional Secretary of the Specialised Healthcare Department Abdul Mannan appeared before the court. Advocate Mian Dawood, representing the petitioner, argued that the police had registered a case against his client on charges of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl. He contended that Aliza Gill from Services Hospital had issued a "bogus and illegal" medical certificate that included the two-finger test for the victim. Justice Farooq Haider voiced concern over the continued use of the two-finger test in hospitals despite the ban, stating, "This case will be brought to a logical conclusion." He highlighted the gravity of issuing medical certificates in violation of the law and suggested that the court might appoint an amicus curiae to assist with the matter. The department's legal adviser, Raj Maqsood, informed the court that the Surgeon Medical Officer of Punjab had also recommended forming a new medical board to re-examine the victim. The petitioner's counsel stressed the need for strict implementation of court decisions, arguing that corrupt practices by doctors could harm others if not addressed. He said, "If a fake medical certificate was issued against my client today, corrupt doctors could do the same to someone else tomorrow." Justice Haider also criticized the Kasur police for their failure to present the victim and her mother in court, expressing his displeasure over this non-compliance. He directed the Kasur District Police Officer (DPO) to ensure compliance with the court's orders. The hearing was adjourned till Thursday, with the judge reiterating the importance of adherence to legal protocols and the need for thorough investigation and accountability in cases of sexual assault, Dawn reported. (ANI)
Several videos have surfaced on social media platforms showing the family of Zaheer Ahmed Baloch, a forcibly abducted individual from Balochistan, being threatened by uniformed members of the Pakistani defence forces. Reportedly, this incident occurred while his family was organising a protest in Quetta, demanding his safe return. According to PAANK, the human rights department of the Baloch National Movement, a Baloch rights organisation from Pakistan, Zaheer was forcibly abducted by men belonging to the Pakistani forces on June 27 this year. In a post on 'X', PAANK referenced the incident, stating, "Armed agents of a Pakistani intelligence agency are threatening the peaceful family of Zaheer Baloch, abducted by Pakistani forces on June 27, during a rally demanding his release outside the Session Court. We demand immediate protection for the family and Zaheer's safe release." https://x.com/paank_bnm/status/1808446965341896742?s=46&t=nbusnwoIYo9hUrDuoWfhwQ Zaheer's family has been organising protests in various locations in Quetta, demanding his safe return from Balochistan's administration. Prominent Baloch rights activist Sammi Deen Baloch previously informed that unidentified gunmen had been threatening the victim's family to halt the protests, despite the local administration being responsible for negotiating and resolving the issue. In another post on 'X', it was stated, "Zaheer Ahmed was unlawfully abducted by state intelligence agencies on June 27, 2024. His family has been protesting at various locations in Quetta. Despite the administration's responsibility to negotiate with the families, some gunmen are threatening and harassing the families to stop protesting, and no action is being taken against them. We strongly condemn such tactics and demand the safe release of Zaheer Ahmed." Protests in Balochistan over the rising issue of enforced disappearances are not new. Recently, a sit-in protest camp led by the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), demanding the safe recovery of missing individuals, completed its 5496th day outside the Quetta Press Club. Sibghatullah, the Convener of Baloch Yakjehti Committee's Makran chapter, along with other top Baloch activists, visited the camp to express solidarity with the families, according to a report by the Balochistan Post. However, incidents of enforced disappearances in Balochistan have not decreased. https://x.com/SammiBaluch/status/1808473920485384648 PAANK reported that in May alone, there were 90 cases of enforced disappearances in Pakistan's Balochistan. The regions of Kech, Gwadar, and Dera Bugti witnessed 22, 15, and 29 such incidents, respectively. (ANI)
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed opposition in the Punjab Assembly has declared its intention to boycott the house proceedings and abstain from participating in its standing committees. Instead, they plan to conduct a parallel session in a tent outside the assembly building, Dawn reported. "We'll neither become a part of any house proceedings nor its committees," opposition leader Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar stated at a press conference on Tuesday. He explained that their decision stemmed from their protest against the suspension of 11 opposition lawmakers for 15 sittings of the house, vowing to continue their boycott until the sanctions are revoked, according to Dawn. Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan revoked the official vehicle assigned to the opposition leader and imposed sanctions on 11 members for alleged "rowdyism" during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's budget speech last Friday. Among those facing sanctions are Zulfikar Ali, Shehbaz Ahmed, Muhammad Atif, Tayyab Rashid, Imtiaz Mahmood, Hafiz Farhat Abbas, Ejaz Shafi, Rana Aurangzeb, Shoaib Amir, Osama Asghar Ali Gujjar, and Asad Abbas. They were accused of using non-parliamentary and abusive language towards the chief minister while she was recounting her administration's achievements during her first 100-day rule. Bhachar asserted that his colleagues were penalized at the behest of the chief minister and for voicing objections to the budget. He argued that the speaker should have issued notices to the members and conducted a hearing before taking action. "Penalising parliamentarians without hearing them is unprecedented," he criticised, questioning how a chief minister could represent 120 million people when unable to face a few legislators. Recalling past incidents during Pervaiz Elahi's regime, Bhachar noted that the opposition PML-N had even broken chairs in the house without repercussions. The opposition leader expressed their refusal to be embroiled in 'illegal' cases and announced plans to pursue all available legal avenues against the government's actions. He also appealed to the government's leadership to act prudently and avoid exacerbating anti-PTI sentiments. The opposition intends to continue conducting a parallel assembly session in a 'tent chamber' outside the assembly building, with appointed private staff to facilitate proceedings, Dawn reported. (ANI)
Hezbollah has escalated tensions with Israel by launching a large barrage of rockets following the killing of a top commander in southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported. The Lebanese armed group, known for its close ties to Iran, confirmed the death of Muhammad Nimah Nasser, also referred to as "Hajj Abu Naameh," in an Israeli airstrike. Hezbollah retaliated swiftly with the firing of approximately 100 katyusha rockets aimed at Israeli military positions, marking a dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two adversaries. The announcement of Nasser's death was made via Hezbollah's official channel on Telegram, although specific details about the location of the attack were not disclosed initially. Sources close to the group later confirmed to media outlets that Nasser had been killed in the Hosh area of Tyre, a city in southern Lebanon known for its historical significance and proximity to the Israeli border, according to AL Jazeera. Nasser held a senior rank within Hezbollah, comparable to that of Taleb Abdallah, another prominent commander who was killed in a previous Israeli attack in June. The loss of such high-ranking officials underscores the intensity and strategic significance of the conflict, which has been ongoing for nearly nine months and has seen periodic flare-ups leading to concerns about broader regional instability. Israeli military officials acknowledged targeting Nasser, describing him as a key figure responsible for Hezbollah's operations involving anti-tank and rocket systems in southwestern Lebanon. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have maintained a stance of pre-emptive strikes against Hezbollah positions, citing security concerns and the need to protect Israeli territory from potential attacks. In response to the escalating violence, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has emphasised the need for heightened security measures in northern Israel, where communities have faced increased threats from Hezbollah's rocket fire. Netanyahu's government has faced pressure from within Israel, with calls from some far-right ministers for a full-scale invasion of Hezbollah-controlled territory in Lebanon--a move that could escalate the conflict further and potentially lead to broader regional implications. Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, known for his fiery rhetoric and staunch defence of the group's military actions, has warned of readiness for an all-out war with Israel, characterized by unrestricted warfare and a willingness to engage without restraint. Nasrallah's statements have been consistent with Hezbollah's longstanding position of preparedness against what it perceives as Israeli aggression and threats to Lebanon's sovereignty. The recent exchanges of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel have prompted international concern, with diplomatic efforts underway to prevent a further deterioration of the situation. French President Emmanuel Macron has been vocal in his calls for de-escalation, urging Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to avoid actions that could ignite a broader conflict detrimental to both Lebanese and Israeli interests. Macron "reiterated his serious concern over a deepening of tensions between Hezbollah and Israel ... and underscored the absolute need to prevent a conflagration that would harm the interests of Lebanon as well as Israel," the French presidency said in a statement. Meanwhile, United States Envoy Amos Hochstein, who has been actively engaged in diplomatic efforts in Lebanon, is coordinating with French counterparts to seek avenues for mediation and ceasefire negotiations. The United States, along with European and Arab states, has a vested interest in stabilizing the situation and preventing a wider regional conflagration that could have far-reaching consequences beyond Lebanon and Israel. Amidst the diplomatic manoeuvring and military engagements, the civilian toll continues to mount on both sides. Lebanese authorities report that over 543 people, including 88 civilians, have been killed by Israeli attacks since the conflict intensified. In Israel, at least 21 people, including 10 civilians, have lost their lives due to Hezbollah's rocket fire and other attacks targeting civilian areas, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)
WASHINGTON  Democratic governors will meet Wednesday with President Joe Biden nearly a week after his concern-raising debate performance against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Some governors will attend the session with the president in person, others virtually.

The meeting, confirmed by the White House, follows a call that a group of concerned Democratic governors held amongst themselves Monday evening amid fallout from Biden's disastrous debate performance. During the call, the governors discussed seeking a conversation directly with Biden.

Three Democratic sources confirmed the Monday call and said the Biden campaign knew in advance the phone meeting was happening. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, organized the conversation, two sources confirmed.

"When you come off a bad debate you need to remind people why you're the right guy to elect," Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in an interview on CNN Tuesday night. Pritzker was on the conference call Monday and is among the governors meeting with Biden Wednesday.

"Joe Biden is going to be our nominee unless he decides otherwise," Pritzker said. "Unless he makes a different decision, I'm on board and I'm supporting the president. He's been good for the country."

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden will also meet with congressional leaders this week and conduct a one-on-one interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos.

"We want to turn the page on this, and we want to turn the page for the American people," Jean-Pierre said at a press briefing Tuesday.

She declined to discuss what Biden will tell the governors on Wednesday. "I don't want to discuss a private discussion. He'll have these conversations. I think they'll be important. They'll hear from him. You'll hear from them."

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer waves as US President Joe Biden speaks to members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) at the UAW National Training Center, in Warren, Michigan, on February 1, 2024. US President Joe Biden is in Michigan to attend campaign events. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Monday's call included governors only, with no members of staff or other organizers, a Democratic official confirmed. Among other governors on the call, USA TODAY confirmed, were Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Arizona's Katie Hobbs.

State leaders on the phone brought up concerns about Biden's candidacy, as well as about raising those concerns publicly, and there was a strong sentiment they needed to hear directly from Biden, CNN reported.

Several Democratic governors, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, are among those speculated as possible replacement candidates for Biden if he were to bow out of the race. Biden has given no indication publicly he intends to withdraw  and Whitmer, Newsom and other Democratic governors have rallied around Biden publicly and sought to disavow themselves from any recruitment efforts.

Whitmer, Hobbs, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro are among Biden's most important surrogates in key battleground states.

Whitmer relayed to the Biden campaign last Friday that she rejects any effort to force Biden out and be drafted to run in his place, according to a report from Politico. Whitmer released a video on social media Monday reinforcing her support for Biden, saying "We have a president who wakes up every single day and thinks about how he can make people's lives better."

Beshear, another Democrat whose name has also been floated, on Monday called the attention "flattering" but said he supports Biden as long as he's running.

"The debate performance was rough. It was a very bad night for the president. But he is still the candidate," Beshear told reporters. "Only he can make decisions about his future candidacy. So as long as he continues to be in the race, I support him.

Jean-Pierre rejected any suggestion that Biden had an episode during the debate or is suffering from a medical condition.

"It was a bad night," she said repeatedly as she was pressed by reporters. "He was under the weather, obviously. We all have bad moments. It is not unusual."

A spokesman for Murphy of New Jersey confirmed his participation in Monday's call with governors, which he characterized as routine and pointed to comments Murphy made on Saturday while hosting a fundraiser for Biden. "You're on fire and we are all with you 1,000%," Murphy told the president, calling him a "comeback kid."

In Kansas, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly declined to talk about Biden's fitness to be president and the reported call. Following a Tuesday morning event on tax cuts, she walked out of the room as reporters asked questions, saying only that her aide had already ended the gaggle. Her office later referred to a previous statement.

"While I have never been shy about standing up to Washington when its wrong for Kansas, the Presidents record of delivering bipartisan results speaks for itself," Kelly said in a statement Friday, the day after the debate. "His efforts will continue to allow Kansas to recruit new manufacturing businesses, rebuild our infrastructure, and stand up for our fundamental freedoms. He is a decent man of strong character. I will support him in November."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden to meet Wednesday with Democratic governors amid campaign crisis
Confidence in Zelensky drops in Europe, warms for Putin in some places: Pew

Global confidence in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to do the right thing has declined across a broad grouping of countries, including in Europe, according to a Pew survey published Tuesday.

The findings contrast with a slight improvement in global opinion toward Russian President Vladimir Putin, in particular among young people, although overall confidence in the Russian leader remains low.

The Pew survey underscores how support for Ukraine is straining among its Western allies and that efforts to isolate Putin are faltering two years into the war.

And the survey comes shortly before President Biden hosts the NATO summit in Washington that will mark the alliances 75th anniversary, during which ongoing support for Ukraine will be at the top of the agenda.

Survey respondents were also asked their opinion of NATO, of which the median viewed the alliance favorably, but has ticked down in the U.S., Spain, the United Kingdom and Sweden  which only became a member in March.

More than 44,000 people in 36 countries were surveyed across North and South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Overall, an average of 46 percent of respondents said they do not have confidence in Zelensky to do the right thing, compared to 40 percent who said they do.

Weve only started asking about him since the war broke out in 2022, and then he received quite high favorability or confidence, said Moira Fagan, research associate at Pew Research Center specializing in international survey research.

But since then, it has declined and in many European-allies cases, the confidence in Zelensky has declined significantly over the past year.

Poland showed the most drastic decline in its opinion toward Zelensky and Ukraine, a reflection of tensions that have played out between Warsaw and Kyiv over trade and border disputes. Poland also hosts between 1 million and 2 million Ukrainian refugees.

The Pew survey found that smaller, but significant decreases of confidence in Zelensky have also occurred in Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden and the U.S.

Fagan said that one possible explanation is fatigue in some of these countries, linked to some respondents answers that they view their countries support for Ukraine as enough or too much. These answers also reflect growing partisan gaps on views toward support for Ukraine, with conservatives and those who identify as right-wing more critical of assistance for Kyiv.

We also know that people who are right-wing populist party supporters are less likely to have expressed confidence in Zelensky than people who do not support right-wing populist parties in Europe, Fagan continued, pointing to the growing success of these parties in the recent European parliamentary elections as linked to the attitudes reflected in the survey.

Previous findings from Pew found that among American respondents, there is a stark divide between Republicans and Democrats over support for Ukraine, mirroring criticisms from Republican-lawmakers opposing U.S. military and economic support for Ukraine.

Among respondents in survey results published in May, 49 percent of Republicans and those who lean-Republican said the U.S. provides too much support to Ukraine, compared to 16 percent of Democrats or those who lean-Democrat.

This is something that we see just huge partisan divides on in the United States and those partisan divides getting larger as well, particularly on the support for Ukraine, Fagan said.

On the other side, while a median of 65 percent of respondents hold a negative view of Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, opinions have warmed slightly in several countries, the survey authors wrote.

In most of the surveyed countries, younger adults are more likely than older people to have a favorable opinion of Russia, the authors wrote. In Peru, for example, 63 percent of adults under 35 said they have a positive opinion of Russia, compared to 31 percent of adults ages 50 and older.

In Germany, confidence in Putin is up 9 points and favorable views toward Russia have increased 5 points since 2023, they wrote. Argentines have also recorded a more favorable view toward Russia, an 11-point increase, and 9 points more confidence in Putin over the past year.

Rising shares of right-wing populists are confident in Putin in several countries, including France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK, the survey authors wrote.

Still, much of the world remains largely negative toward Russia and Putin, Fagan explained, and categorized the changes as modest overall.

Views of Putin and Russia, sort of as a pair, are both still far more negative than positive around the world. Theres some regional variation there as well, where you get more negativity in Europe, a little bit more favorability in parts of the Asia Pacific, Latin America, for example.

Attitudes toward NATO are overall positive in much of the world, the survey found, with surprising increases recorded in Turkey and Hungary, Fagan added.

Turkey in particular, which is a country that has historically not been quite favorable towards NATO, favorability has doubled since we last surveyed in Turkey in 2019, she said.

Forty-two percent in Turkey approve of NATO, up from 21 percent in 2019. (The survey was suspended during the pandemic).

And Hungary also has shown an increasingly positive view toward NATO, with more than 8 in 10 adults saying the alliance is important for their countrys security. This could appear at odds with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbans antagonism toward Europe and Ukraine, and support for Putin and former President Trump, who has threatened to exit NATO.

What is striking there is that theyve [Hungary] grown statistically, significantly more favorable toward NATO over the past year, Fagan said.

Looking at the context of contributions to the war, Hungary ranked last among all 13 of these NATO member countries that we survey in terms of relative contribution to the Ukrainian war effort, but they do not see the organization very unfavorably. So its an interesting balance.

Updated at 3:46 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.
Earlier this year, Joanne Glauser didn't know if her organization would have a future.

"Without getting some more support in Delaware, it could die with me," Glauser told Delaware Online/The News Journal around the winter holidays. She was describing her chapter of Shoes That Fit  a nonprofit that has provided free shoes to any Delaware students experiencing homelessness since the late '90s  in a story that published in the New Year.

But someone was listening.

"We had been talking within our board meetings about trying to find something tangible that we could hang our mission on  because to say that we support children, young adults and first responders in the state of Delaware isn't really all that sexy, right?" said Jeff Leggett, president of the nonprofit charity Friends of Fusion Foundation since its inception in 2019. "We kept going back to the idea of sneakers."

After one such board meeting in February, founder Nic DeCaire set to searching. Almost immediately, the former fitness center owner in Newark found the article about Shoes That Fit.

Joanne Glauser and husband John established a Delaware chapter of Shoes That Fit, an organization aiming to provide free shoes for students in need, in 1999.

"We didn't know Joanne, but when you do something for 26 years, you know you're passionate about it," DeCaire said. "And we knew she was probably the right person to reach out to. We didn't want to reinvent the wheel. We just wanted to help children."

Fusion partnered with Glauser to finish out the school year. This spring, the team said they fueled shoe donations to over 600 students facing homelessness across all three Delaware counties. And they're not done yet.

This summer, they're setting out to support all of the nearly 3,300 students living homeless across the state by next school year, with a free pair of name-brand sneakers. That translates to a goal of about $100,000 to raise throughout these warmer months, according to organizers. As of late June, they've raised about $41,000.

And it's about more than shoes.

Flashback: Next steps unclear for Delaware nonprofit aiming to give students 'Shoes That Fit'

Why should anyone care?

An 8-year-old Delaware student named Aiden shared a thank you note with Joanne Glauser, founder of the state's chapter of Shoes That Fit.

"I think people would be amazed at the things, that we might consider minor, that stop a child from going to school," April Anderson, Red Clay School District's liaison for special populations, told Delaware Online/The News Journal earlier this year.

Some barriers would be obvious, from transportation to school when displaced, to assistance while awaiting foster care placement or getting the next meal. Others are small, like what to wear.

"Everybody looks at people's shoes," DeCaire said. "And if you're in a classroom full of kids, and you notice one person's shoes are really old or really dirty or have holes in them  kids might make the assumption that they're struggling, right? And by eliminating that, it puts them on the same playing field."

From back-to-school events and resource closets, to this continued fundraiser and steady partnerships with schools, Shoes That Fit and Friends of Fusion Foundation plan to pick up the mission Glauser and her husband started in 1999. That will start with funding new shoes for every student without a stable home.

Districts throughout the state face their own totals to support, making up nearly 2.5% of all public school students, or around 3,400 in 2022, per National Center for Homeless Education figures.

Glauser is still in search of more partnerships, particularly in Sussex County. Soon, she might be comfortable to step away in retirement.

"I just feel like the stars aligned," she said, thinking of this spring. "But to serve all of the homeless kids in Delaware? I've never been able to do that before."

Got a story? Kelly Powers covers race, culture and equity for Delaware Online and USA TODAY Network Northeast, with a focus on education. Contact her at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191, and follow her on Twitter @kpowers01.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware nonprofit Shoes That Fit helps more students with new support
Gavin Newsom heading to the White House as Democratic governors meet with Biden

Gov. Gavin Newsom is heading for the White House Wednesday for a Democratic governors meeting with embattled President Joe Biden.

The evening meeting is designed to show support from the governors for Biden, under fire for his lackluster debate performance June 27.

Newsom, a vocal Biden supporter, .has been repeatedly mentioned as a candidate to replace Biden should the president step down. Hes created the sort of fundraising infrastructure that prospective presidential candidates have used, and traveled the country trying to promote himself as a national party spokesman.

The governor has repeatedly said hes not running for president this year, and he was a top spokesman at the Atlanta debate site and a vigorous defender of Biden.

Democratic governors around the country have publicly rallied around the embattled president, and plan to meet with Biden Wednesday.

The governors participated in a conference call Monday organized by Minnesota Gov. Tom Walz, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.

The call involved only governors, no staff or campaign officials. The Biden campaign team was made aware of the call in advance.

Newsom was not on the Monday call.

A person familiar with the call, who asked not to be identified because the governors tried to keep the call private, said Democratic governors are some of the president and vice presidents most proactive and vocal supporters because theyve seen how the Biden-Harris administrations accomplishments are directly benefiting their residents.

The source added The Biden-Harris team is in constant communication with the governors and their teams, including about yesterdays meeting.

Newsom has his own political trip planned while on the East Coast. Saturday, hes scheduled to campaign for Biden in Bucks County, Pa. , the Pennsylvania Capital-Star reported Wednesday. The Philadelphia area county is a swing area in one of the nations crucial swing states.

Monday, he plans to visit New Hampshire, the state that for decades has been one of the first big tests for presidential candidates.

Newsom plans to campaign there for Biden. and state and local Democrats.

We look forward to welcoming Governor Newsom to New Hampshire to campaign on behalf of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and once again defeat Donald Trump, said New Hampshire Democratic Chairman Ray Buckley.

More than 200 people have RSVPd for the event.
As deadly Hurricane Beryl barreled west toward Jamaica, the Caribbean nation went into high alert Tuesday with government offices closing early, and visitors and college students rushing to fly out.

With a trail of destruction and at least four deaths in its wake, Category 4 Beryl was shaping up as the strongest hurricane to hit Jamaica since Ivan 20 years ago. That Category 5 storm passed just to the south, killing 17 people, leaving nearly 20,000 homeless and causing hundreds of millions in damage. Beryl also reminds some on the island from the last direct hit for Jamaica, Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, which struck as a Category 4.

On the latest forecast track, Beryl, though potentially weakening, could make a direct hit sometime Wednesday and the government was urging residents to take no chances.

We have an impending disaster and we have to treat it with the seriousness that it requires, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Monday as he offered assistance to fellow Caribbean leaders on islands already devastated by Beryls passing.

While islanders were being urged to prepare, volunteers in South Florida  home to some 300,000 Jamaicans, the second-largest population in the United States  were already packing boxes of canned goods, dry food and hygiene products to ship on relief missions. The warehouse facilities of the nonprofit Global Empowerment Mission served as the backdrop of a Tuesday press conference, where a coalition of Caribbean consuls gathered.

A volunteer at Global Empowerment Management HQ drives a forklift with a crate of canned food that would be packed and sent to areas in the Caribbean affected by Hurricane Beryl at 1850 NW and 84th Ave. on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 in Doral, Fla.

The group, headed by Jamaican Consul General Oliver Mair, was focused on damage across the Caribbean, calling for resources and aid on behalf of Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and other island-nations in the deadly storms path. He said that Holness had put the entire nation of Jamaica on alert, and that there were already efforts to source materials like tarps, cots, first aid kits, and other emergency supplies that will be needed after Beryls rains and winds pass.

This is a regular occurrence for us. Almost every year we have a hurricane threat. So we know this dance very well. But the need still remains, said Mair. And though the preparations are strong, part of the preparation here is actually getting the community ready to support the vulnerable back home.

Consul General of Jamaica, Oliver Mair, speaks at a press conference where Caribbean diaspora leaders respond to Hurricane Beryl and coordinate recovery efforts in South Florida to help their homelands at the Global Empowerment Mission HQ at 1850 NW and 84th Ave. on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 in Doral, Fla.

Rally, rally round the West Indies

Mair was joined by the Consul Generals of Barbados, the Bahamas and St. Lucia, and representatives from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as community advocates of the Caribbean diaspora. Consuls at the press conference highlighted the solidarity among the islands of the region, which live through cycles of destruction every hurricane season.

South Florida Caribbean Strong Organizer, Marlon Hill, opens up a press conference where Caribbean diaspora leaders respond to Hurricane Beryl and coordinate recovery efforts in South Florida to help their homelands at the Global Empowerment Mission HQ at 1850 NW and 84th Ave. on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 in Doral, Fla.

Mair wore a tie with the yellow, black and green colors of the Jamaican flag, as well as a handkerchief with the colors of other Caribbean islands.

There is a famous song that says Rally, rally round the West Indies, and thats what were doing here, said Mair.

Though it will take days to do damage surveys, the picture in Beryls wake was catastrophic. There was not a roof left in Carriacou, Grenadas Deputy Vice Consul Dianne Perrotte said about her nations sister-island, while adding that no contact had yet been made with Petite Martinique as of Tuesday morning. Relief supplies from Guyana, including generators, water purification tablets, and hygiene items have arrived to Grenada.

Because they havent been able to make a full assessment, we cant give a full list of things that are needed at the moment, Perrotte said, adding that mattresses, tarpaulins, blankets, food items and sleeping bags are among the immediate necessities.

She emphasized that while help is needed, those interested in helping should wait for further information about whats needed so the aid is distributed as efficiently as possible. Authorities in Grenada on Tuesday also stressed the need for order in the response, and emphasized working with the disaster response office to coordinate relief efforts.

We need help, but we need to know the assessments first. I dont want anybody to start collecting stuff, and then you dont know how you are getting it to Grenada, Perrotte said.

Michael Capponi, who first gained fame in South Florida developing South Beachs night life before expanding into humanitarian efforts, said he anticipates given the loss of so many homes, the need for shingles and other roof-building materials. He called on South Florida and U.S.-based lumber and roofing companies to consider donating these types of supplies.

People cant stay throughout hurricane season in these rains in houses with no roof, said Capponi, the founder of GEM, who recalled after Hurricane Dorian struck the Bahamas, his group was able to report 120 roofs from one donor alone.

Marlon Hill, a Kingston-born attorney and co-founder of South Florida Caribbean Strong Relief Fund, said the region has been hard-hit by Beryl, the first storm ever recorded to reach Category 4 strength this early in the hurricane season, which began on June 1.

We are here to call on anyone in earshot that can hear us across the world that we are presently in dire need to support the impacted islands, said Hill.

Caribbean governments are still tallying up the damage created by Beryl. Rudy Grant, the consul general of Barbados to Miami, said an initial assessment of his showed no loss of life but the storm sank at least 50 vessels and damaged some 50 houses. However, he expects that more reports of material destruction will come to light.

Other preparations in Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic

In anticipation of the storms arrival, American Airlines on Tuesday announced two additional flights out of Montego Bay and one out of Kingston for people seeking to leave Jamaica before Beryl arrives. The airline was also restarting operations in Barbados, St. Lucia, and Grenada on Tuesday. Flights out of St. Vincent remained suspended because of the airports closure, a representative for the company told the Miami Herald over email.

Evan Thompson, the director of the Meteorological Service of Jamaica, said forecasters expected some weakening as Beryl nears but not enough to avoid damage.

It may not sufficiently decrease in strength for us to feel complacent or to feel comfortable. It is likely to still be at least a Category 3 hurricane making its way very close to Jamaica, maybe even over sections of Jamaica, mainly southern parishes as we move through the day on Wednesday, he said.

Meanwhile, the Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that it was airlifting students from Jamaica and advised those wishing to depart to head to the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston by 2 p.m. Jamaican time where a 50-seater Bahamasair aircraft would be waiting.

Volunteer at Global Empowerment Management HQ, Victoria Greber, places uncooked pasta into a care package that would be sent to areas in the Caribbean affected by Hurricane Beryl at 1850 NW and 84th Ave. on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 in Doral, Fla.

The eye of Hurricane Beryl is expected to be south of the island of Hispaniola on Tuesday evening before it moves near the southeast of Jamaica on Wednesday morning. The Cayman Islands are under hurricane warning as well. A tropical storm watch is up for the southern coast of Haiti and parts of the Dominican Republic. An orange alert was issued for Haitis south coast due to its vulnerability to floods, landslides and storm surges. Small boat operators were ordered to avoid taking to the sea until at least Thursday while residents in the South, Southeast and GrandAnse were warned that Beryls passage could result in strong winds and rain.

In the Dominican Republic, two provinces were placed under red alert while the number of provinces placed under yellow was increased to 14, meaning they could also be affected by Beryl, which was located 239 miles southeast of Punta Palenque, San Cristobal.
(Bloomberg) -- Worried by deepening China-Russia relations, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is heading to Moscow next week for talks with President Vladimir Putin, his first visit to the country since the Kremlins 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The meeting, which will help Putin to counter Western efforts to cast him as a pariah, comes two months after Putin went to China for the first foreign visit of his new term. That trip underlined Moscows increasing dependence on Beijing, which India has eyed warily.

The deepening of the strategic alignment between Russia and China is uncomfortable for New Delhi because its like your best friend sleeping with the enemy, said Swasti Rao, an associate fellow at Manohar Parrikar Institute For Defence Studies and Analyses, a Defense Ministry-backed research group in New Delhi. Given that we have these concerns it makes sense for the prime minister to go there and talk to Putin at the highest level.

It will be Modis first bilateral visit since he won a third term in office, with the prime minister breaking convention by visiting Russia instead of neighboring countries like Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka, where he chose to go after previous election wins.

That underlines the importance New Delhi places on its ties with Moscow, people familiar with the matter said. India, the worlds third-largest crude consumer, has become a major buyer of Russian oil, and is reliant on its military hardware supplies. At the same, relations between China and India have been at a low point since land-border clashes in 2020.

The two leaders are expected to discuss a range of issues although no breakthrough agreements are likely, according to Indian officials familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are private. The agenda includes a logistics supply agreement to bolster cooperation between the two militaries, restarting discussions on the joint development of a fifth generation fighter aircraft, and collaboration on nuclear power, the people said.

Indias Ministry of External Affairs wasnt immediately available to comment when contacted for further information.

The visit to Moscow, which is expected to take place on July 8-9, partly coincides with a separate summit in Washington of members of the North American Treaty Organization. Modis Russia trip was long overdue and the timing had no connection with the alliances meeting, people familiar with the matter said. Modi is expected to visit Vienna on a two-day trip after Moscow.

The US has sought to strengthen ties with India to counter Chinas dominance in Asia and has been tolerant of New Delhis relations with Russia. Asked about those relations, Kurt Campbell, the US deputy secretary of state, said last week Washington has raised concerns about India-Russia ties with New Delhi, but that it had confidence in India and wants to expand relations with the South Asian country.

Modi has skipped annual in-person summits with Putin for the past two years amid discomfort in New Delhi over the worst fighting in Europe since World War II. Even so, India has avoided censuring Russia for invading neighboring Ukraine, abstaining at United Nations votes on the issue, and has advocated diplomacy to resolve the conflict.

Cheap Oil

Oil sales by Russia to India are helping to maintain ties, even if they arent as close as during the Soviet era. As Russia offers deeper discounts on its oil amid Western energy restrictions, India has increased its purchases of Russian crude more than 20 times compared to 2021, exceeding 2 million barrels a day.

India saved $13 billion by importing cheaper crude oil from Russia over the previous 23 months, according to a study by ICRA, the rating agency, published in April.

A Moscow meeting with the Indian prime minister is a diplomatic win for Putin, whose countrys been hit with unprecedented sanctions over its attack on Ukraine. Hes also wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court, which has restricted his travel abroad.

In June, Putin on a rare foreign tour visited North Korea, where he signed a military defense pact with Kim Jong Un that alarmed the US and its allies. Last year, he didnt attend the Group of 20 leaders meeting hosted by India or the BRICS emerging economies summit held in South Africa.

A former Indian envoy to Russia, who asked not to be identified, said New Delhis ties with Moscow are stable and strong, although economic and defense interactions have slowed recently. The relationship has always been driven from the top, and summits between the leadership have their own importance, the person said.

The visit of a leader of a state such as India demonstrates that Russia isnt facing international isolation, and for the Kremlin this is very important, said Aleksei Zakharov, an expert on India based in Moscow.

India, which has refused to join punitive measures against Russia, has worked to resolve problems affecting trade caused by Moscows need to reduce its use of the US dollar.

India now pays largely in UAE dirham for Russian oil, and the two countries have found a solution to a deadlocked payment system for weapons and other goods. That had led to Russian companies amassing as much as $8 billion worth of rupees in accounts in India which they couldnt spend, according to senior officials who didnt want to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Under the agreement, Russia has used the funds to invest in Indian enterprises and buy more electronic goods, pharmaceuticals, agricultural tools and textiles, said officials directly aware of the details.

Arms Deals

From New Delhis perspective, the commercial relationship remains unbalanced, however, with India importing about $60 billion a year and Russia buying less than $5 billion from India.

Russia, meanwhile, is seeing its once-dominant position in Indias arms market weaken as New Delhi looks to Western suppliers led by France and the US, as well as to its own defense industry. There have been no new major arms deals with Russia for the last three years, and Indias push to diversify looks set to continue after delays in the delivery of Russian S-400 air defense systems.

Russia for now remains Indias main supplier, accounting for 36% of arms imports, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. But thats down more than half from a decade ago.

Wary of sanctions risks and payments difficulties, Indian businesses also are cautious about operating in Russia, and top Indian officials and executives have been reluctant to attend major economic gatherings in the country.

Modis last trip to Russia was in 2019, when he attended a far eastern economic forum in Vladivostok.

This is about maintaining the status quo, said Zakharov, the Moscow-based India specialist. Ties are not deteriorating but theres no particular drive to improve relations either.

--With assistance from Rakesh Sharma and Dan Strumpf.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Despite Hungary sharing a border with Ukraine, this was Viktor Orban's first trip to Kyiv since 2012 - Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine/Getty Images

Viktor Orban has made a surprise visit to Kyiv where he urged Volodymyr Zelensky to accept the Kremlins offer of a ceasefire.

The Hungarian leader, Vladimir Putins strongest EU ally, praised a Ukrainian-organised peace summit in Switzerland last month and said that a ceasefire would speed up negotiations to end the war.

I asked the president whether it was possible to take a break, to stop the firing, and then continue the negotiations, Mr Orban told reporters. After all, a ceasefire could ensure the speeding up of the pace of these negotiations.

Mr Zelensky and his Western backers have described Putins offer of a ceasefire as a trap that would give the Kremlins armies time to rest, rearm and launch more attacks. Mr Orban admitted that the Ukrainian presidents reply to the request had been frank.

Despite Hungary sharing a border with Ukraine, this was Mr Orbans first trip to Kyiv since 2012. Several other European and Nato members have met Mr Zelensky in Kyiv since Putins invasion in 2022 and the strained ties between the two leaders were obvious in their body language.

Mr Zelensky refused to discuss the war or the prospect of negotiations with Putin during the press conference after his talks with Mr Orban. Instead, he obliquely described Hungarys commitment to restoring real long-term security, and talked about their discussions on issues that affect the lives of our people.

Ukrainian emergency services fight a fire after a Russian air strike Kharkiv - Vlada Liberova/Libkos/Getty Images

Mr Orban, who took over the six-month rotating chair of the EU on Monday, and his allies in Slovakia are outliers in Europe. They have condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine but have refused to support Ukraines military resistance and have said that Mr Zelensky should negotiate a peace deal.

Analysts have said that despite Mr Orbans intervention the prospects of a quick peace deal between Ukraine and Russia are low to zero.

Mr Zelensky has refused to shift from his position that Russia needs to retreat to its 1991 borders, which means giving up occupied Crimea and swathes of captured eastern and southern Ukraine, and Putin has undermined his ceasefire offers with more aggressive speeches.

Maria Avdeeva, a Ukraine-based commentator on the war, summed up the majority mood in Ukraine after Mr Orbans visit.

A ceasefire could accelerate negotiations with Russia, Orban tells Zelensky, she said. Oh really? I thought Russia should stop killing civilians and withdraw troops from sovereign Ukrainian territory to speed up negotiations.

The Kremlin confirmed that Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, would visit Vladimir Putin in Moscow - Alexandr Demyanchuk/AP

As the war continues, positions are hardening across the world with countries forced to choose sides or balance increasingly precarious neutral positions. On Tuesday, Kremlin officials confirmed that Narendra Modi, Indias prime minister, would shortly visit Putin in Moscow.

This is a rare trip by a major international leader since the start of the war and Indian media reported that Mr Modi could fly to Moscow as early as next week. India still buys oil, gas and weapons from Russia.

Aleksei Zakharov, a Moscow-based expert on India, said that India was neutral over the war in Ukraine but the high-profile visit would still hand Putin a major diplomatic win.

For Putin, its important to demonstrate hes not isolated and countries like China and India are ready to move ahead with building partnerships, he 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.
OSAKA, Jul 03 (News On Japan) - A lawsuit has been filed by a civic group against the mayor of Osaka, demanding damages from the involved officials and contractors over the high costs of disposing of a whale that wandered into Osaka Bay and died. The city of Osaka has indicated it will contest the case.

The sperm whale, nicknamed "Yodo-chan," was found dead near the mouth of the Yodo River in January last year. It was later sunk off the Kii Channel by a maritime contractor hired by the city. Initially, the city estimated the total disposal cost at 20.68 million yen, but the actual cost nearly quadrupled to 80.19 million yen.

The civic group argues that the city did not consider alternatives to the contracted firm, rendering the contract illegal and void. They have sued Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama, demanding over 80 million yen in damages from the officials and the contractor involved in the selection process.

In the trial that began on July 2 at the Osaka District Court, the civic group highlighted the lack of a bidding process and the heavily redacted documents released through information disclosure, expressing their hope for a thorough investigation through the trial.

The city, on the other hand, has sought to have the claims dismissed and plans to explain its reasoning in subsequent court sessions.

Source: YOMIURI
OSAKA, Jul 03 (News On Japan) - The site of the methane gas explosion at the Osaka-Kansai Expo venue was opened to the media on Tuesday, revealing the area where the explosion occurred during restroom construction in March this year, when a spark from welding ignited flammable gas. It was found that methane gas had accumulated underground.

Last week, the Expo Association announced measures such as installing ventilation systems and daily public disclosure of gas concentration measurements during the event, emphasizing the "safety of the site."

Hiroyuki Warada, Director of the Expo Associations Maintenance Bureau, commented, "We are measuring the concentration inside this room (the explosion site)." When asked about the current level, he said, "It's zero for methane. There are no problematic readings."

In June, the association also planned measures to release gas through manhole covers in areas where methane gas was detected among the pavilions.

News anchor Nakatani recapped, "Last week, the detection of methane gas exceeding safety levels was announced. Furthermore, about 550 red imported fire ants, a highly venomous invasive species, were found in Yumeshima. Amidst this, on the 2nd, the site of the methane gas explosion was opened to the media. What was the scene like?"

Reporter Maho Yamamoto provided a detailed report, stating, "I am currently in front of Sakishima Government Building in Suminoe Ward, Osaka City. I took a bus to Yumeshima around 1:30 p.m., visited the construction site of the restroom where the explosion occurred, and the nearby large event venue where methane gas was once detected underground, and then returned."

When asked about the condition of the site, Yamamoto said, "The approximately 6-meter-long damaged area remains as it was, with warning signs indicating 'No open flames' at the construction site. The association measured the methane gas level today, which read zero. There was no smell of gas, just the typical odor of a construction site."

Regarding the timing of the public disclosure, an association official mentioned, "We want the media to see and feel the reality of the site amidst increasing reports related to methane gas."

When asked if the safety measures announced last week are progressing, Yamamoto noted, "At this stage, they are not yet underway. The announced measures include installing ventilation systems and daily public disclosure of gas concentration measurements in the explosion area."

She also visited the pavilion world where methane gas was detected. The association is considering measures to release gas into the air by drilling holes in manholes or manually dispersing it once a week or every few days.

The official frequently used the word "safety" today, but another word that was repeatedly mentioned was "under consideration." From the interview, it felt that many detailed aspects, such as handling fire and gas during the event, are still "under consideration," raising concerns about whether the measures will be fully implemented before the opening. It is essential to keep a close watch on the situation.

News anchor Nakatani summarized the events: "In March this year, a methane gas explosion occurred in a restroom at Green World. Following an investigation, low concentrations of methane gas were detected in five other areas where pavilions are being constructed. The site revealed to the media on the 2nd is one of these locations."

Safety measures during the event include continuous gas concentration measurements, daily public disclosures, installation of ventilation equipment, gas detection devices, and sealing pipe gaps. However, these measures have not yet been implemented. Although no gas was detected today, it took four months from the explosion in March to the media reveal in July.

Commentator Takaoka added, "Such construction sites are not uncommon, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism has guidelines for construction. If gas emissions are known, gas vent pipes should be installed, and evacuation should occur if concentrations exceed safe levels. However, the existing measures were insufficient, leading to the explosion.

"To successfully host the Expo, it's essential to foster enthusiasm while transparently communicating facts daily, not just favorably or critically. Many visitors will come from abroad, and event management should not assume everyone will follow safety instructions, especially those who cannot read Japanese or English. Measures must consider the possibility of unexpected behavior, such as smoking."

Source: YOMIURI
HOKKAIDO, Jul 03 (News On Japan) - In Asahikawa, Hokkaido, two suspects, a 21-year-old woman and a teenage girl, have been arrested for allegedly pushing a high school girl off a bridge, resulting in her death. The woman, identified as Riko Uchida, filmed the high school girl sitting on the bridge railing with her smartphone, new evidence reveals.

The incident occurred in April when Uchida and a 19-year-old accomplice reportedly conspired to push the 17-year-old high school girl off the Kamui Ohashi bridge in Asahikawa. Investigators have discovered a video on the victim's smartphone, showing the girl seated on the bridge railing. The video also includes a scene where the girl was being forced to apologize.

The victim's smartphone, which was found damaged and discarded away from the bridge, was recovered and analyzed by the police, who confirmed the presence of the video data. Authorities suspect Uchida and her accomplice destroyed the phone in an attempt to conceal evidence.

Uchida has denied the allegations during questioning. The Asahikawa District Public Prosecutors Office will decide by July 3 whether to prosecute her for murder.

Source: NEWS
TOKYO, Jul 04 (News On Japan) - A Tokyo Metropolitan Police inspector from the Yoyogi Police Station was arrested for assaulting a woman in her 20s during questioning at a police box.

Inspector Masatsugu Yoshida (56) of the Yoyogi Police Station is suspected of pushing the woman onto the floor and causing injuries, including a neck bruise, that required about one week to heal. The incident occurred on June 19 at the police box in front of Yoyogi-Uehara Station.

According to the police, the woman was being questioned at the police box for entering a facility unrelated to her.

Yoshida admitted to the allegations, stating, 'I pushed her to the floor because she tried to leave without speaking.'

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police commented, 'This is an outrageous act and extremely regrettable. We will deal with it strictly.'

Source: ANN
Strategic consolidation. Innovation engine. Growth catalyst. We can think of many other names for mergers and acquisitions that describe this deals power. However, something remains unchanged: the success of a merger of two companies depends on smooth integration. Just as a puzzles pieces must fit together seamlessly to reveal the complete picture, integrating two businesses requires careful alignment of strategies, cultures, processes, and resources.

In our post, we will explore the key benefits of mergers and acquisitions for growth and innovation, outline what you need to succeed, and introduce data rooms for due diligence that streamline the deal process.

To begin at the end: What are virtual data rooms?

During our discussion about the benefits of mergers and acquisitions for your growth, we will also cover software support options. Therefore, it is essential to understand the solution we are referring to.

A virtual data room is a secure platform designed explicitly for M&A deal makers. It streamlines the deal through the following features:

Secure document storage  store and organize sensitive documents related to the transaction

Controlled access  set granular user access controls to protect specific documents

Secure collaboration  review, annotate, and discuss documents within the platform using secure messaging, Q&A hubs, and real-time notifications

Document version control  access the most up-to-date information and maintain data integrity throughout the procedure

Compliance and regulatory support  comply with industry regulations and data privacy laws, such as GDPR and HIPAA

User-friendly interface  easily navigate the platform and access the information you need from any location

Data room interface example. Granular user permissions

These are just some of the features offered by virtual data room providers. So, we recommend exploring the best vendors to learn more. This way, you will see full functionality and ensure that the product can strongly support your procedure.

Top five M&A benefits for your business growth

Check the deals main advantages, what you need for success, and how virtual data room solutions can assist in achieving your goals.

1. Knowledge transfer and learning opportunities

Employees can learn from each others expertise, best practices, and processes. It encourages professional development and skill enhancement across the organization.

What you need for the best outcome:

Structured mentorship and knowledge-sharing programs

Platforms for continuous learning, such as online courses, workshops, and seminars

A supportive organizational culture that values continuous learning and encourages employees to share knowledge and experiences openly

 Data room support

Built-in tracking and analytics features provide insights into employee engagement with learning materials. It helps organizations tailor training programs to address skill gaps and learning needs.

Get more insights: Explore the difference between horizontal merger and vertical merger

2. Talent retention

M&A activities create new career opportunities for employees within the combined entity. It increases job security, talent retention, and upward mobility, as employees can access a broader range of roles and opportunities for professional growth.

Source: Reimagining Talent in M&A | Bain & Company

What you need for the best outcome:

Robust talent development programs that offer career advancement opportunities and skill development

Transparent communication about career progression and opportunities

Recognition and rewards programs that acknowledge and appreciate employees contributions and achievements

 Data room support

Virtual data rooms for mergers and acquisitions boost ongoing communication between management and employees through secure messaging and collaboration features. Thus, you can build a culture of transparency and trust, which can contribute to talent retention.

3. Sustainability

Diversifying income streams and expanding market reach through M&A can help teams withstand market fluctuations and manage economic uncertainties better.

Source: Basic Concepts of Diversification Strategies

What you need for the best outcome:

Investment in sustainable business practices that prioritize environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and ethical business conduct

Risk management processes that anticipate and mitigate economic turbulence

 Data room support

All employees can quickly retrieve relevant information using advanced search and indexing capabilities during strategic planning meetings, ensuring informed decision-making and proactive risk mitigation. Furthermore, a dataroom facilitates collaboration between cross-functional teams involved in sustainability initiatives, allowing them to track progress and monitor compliance with environmental, social, and governance standards.

4. Innovation catalyst

Mergers and acquisitions combine talents, technologies, and ideas. Most often, it helps to achieve breakthroughs in product development, service delivery, and business models.

What you need for the best outcome:

A culture of innovation that encourages experimentation, creativity, and collaboration across departments and teams

Cross-functional teams dedicated to exploring new ideas, technologies, and business models resulting from M&A activities

 Data room support

Through secure document sharing and version control features, data room providers support the exchange of intellectual property, research findings, and innovative ideas. This way, all parties can rest assured that valuable knowledge assets are protected while encouraging knowledge sharing and collaboration.

5. Globalization

The deal facilitates global business development strategies and provides access to new markets and regions. This expansion opens growth opportunities, diversified revenue streams, and enhances businesses global footprint, driving long-term growth.

What you need for the best outcome:

Comprehensive market research and analysis that identifies opportunities and challenges in new markets

Cross-cultural competency training to manage cultural differences and engage with global stakeholders

Localization strategies tailored to specific markets, including adapting products, services, and marketing strategies to meet local preferences and regulations

 Data room support

The best virtual data room solutions enable businesses to securely share market research, competitor analysis, and regulatory information. In addition, customizable access controls ensure only authorized stakeholders have access to sensitive information. Data rooms also facilitate employee training by sharing all relevant resources in an easy-to-use space.

Final thoughts

Mergers and acquisitions can present a good opportunity for a business to make a breakthrough. However, these deals require time and effort. Fortunately, data rooms simplify the M&A lifecycle by providing a platform specifically designed for this purpose.

So, research the available providers and their offerings. Determine what virtual data room pricing is acceptable for your needs and choose the product that offers the best balance between price and quality. With data rooms, you can successfully merge businesses and reach new heights.
By Evelyn Usman

 As two dismissed soldiers, four others arrested for car snatching in Lagos

A fleeing robbery suspect, Amos Daniel, 36, who snatched his employers vehicle on the same day he was employed as a driver, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command.

The suspect confessed to having taken the car to his church to give testimony of Gods miraculous provision.

This is just as two dismissed soldiers, Akeem Suleiman and Abdulau Mohammed, and two civilian members of their gang who were paraded among other suspects, were alleged to have carried out operations wearing Military headgear. Recovered from the dismissed soldiers were the Military headgear, uniform and identity cards.

Also paraded was 25-year-old Thankgod Kesh-David, who posed as a roadside mechanic to effect repairs on broken-down vehicles, only to disappear with them,

Briefing journalists at the Command Headquarters, Ikeja, yesterday, the spokesman for the command, SP Benjamin Hudenyin, said, We have successfully arrested a robbery gang through our tactical team based in Surulere. The four-man gang specialized in snatching vehicles at gunpoint from motorists in Lagos. They have been operating for quite a long time. Two of them are dismissed soldiers, one was dismissed in 2014 and the other in 2017. They carried out their crime wearing full military gear.

We also have somebody who was employed as a driver. Unfortunately, the employer did not do due diligence. The same day he resumed as a driver, he ran away with the car and could not be traced.

Interestingly, he dedicated the car in church the following Sunday, testifying of what God had done to him.

Speaking with journalists, the arrested driver, Daniel, said, I stole my madams Lexus car and took it to the church to testify that God has blessed me. I intended to use it for Uber and use the proceeds to pay my debt. I stole the car on June 23, 2024, the very first day I was employed, and I took it to church on June 30, 2024.

One of the dismissed soldiers, Akeem Suleiman, who claimed he was dismissed from the Nigerian Army in 2017 for desertion, told journalists I started robbery in April 2024. Anytime we steal a car, I drive it to the receivers place. We steal cars randomly. If we see anyone parked and wound down, we drag them out and zoom off in the car. We operate in the Ajah area of Lagos, with a local gun. But we never killed our victims.

The Commands spokesman advised that due diligence should be exercised when employing a driver or domestic staff and that they should be taken to the Central Criminal Registry at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon, and the forensic unit before employment. The suspects will be charged in court.

TOP HEADLINES
Google is investing another $1 billion into its massive data center south of Council Bluffs.

Joe Kava, vice president of global data centers at Google, said he counted nine cranes at work Tuesday on an expansion of the complex on Bunge Avenue. The facility  along with a smaller site near Lake Manawa  will become among the largest data centers anywhere.

"Data centers like this one are truly critical for cloud and artificial intelligence," Joe Kava, vice president of global data centers at Google, said Tuesday in Council Bluffs. "This will be one of the world's largest data center campuses."

Google has previously invested more than $5.5 billion in Iowa since 2007, including generating more than $1.8 billion of economic activity for tens of thousands of businesses, nonprofits and others, according to a news release.

The data centers in Council Bluffs support core Google services, including its search, maps and cloud software. The company said the continued growth supports, among other offers, its innovation in artificial intelligence.

As we continue to develop and deploy AI solutions across our products, particularly within Google Cloud, our infrastructure is what brings these innovations to people locally and globally," Kava said.

The company has expanded its footprint in Council Bluffs over 15 years, and it is building out data centers in the nearby Nebraska communities of Omaha, Papillion and Lincoln. Elsewhere in Iowa, Google is also behind a $576 million data center project in Cedar Rapids.

Last year, the company announced a $350 million expansion. At the time, it also cited AI and cloud computing as a key driver of growth in its data center portfolio.

Again citing AI and cloud computers, Kava said Tuesday that we're seeing "the advent of the most critical industrial revolutions that the world has seen, and I'm proud to say that we're right at the forefront of that here."

Google says its Iowa cloud is among 40 regions globally that powers its services.

Governor: Iowa has edge for businesses

In announcing the investment, Kava credited the work that had gone into making Council Bluffs a community where Google wants to be, and where its employees are building their lives.

"Today's continued investment in Iowa is a testament to the resources, the infrastructure, the leadership and the foresight that those leaders have shown throughout many years of dedication," Kava said. "It really enables companies to enjoy the benefits that are derived from that."

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds cited the state's "attractive advantages like low taxes, affordable cost of doing business and a population known for its strong work ethic."

The governor said that projects of this scale are the result of working relationships.

"Not only is this data center expansion one of the largest economic development projects in our entire state, but it also comes on top of the $5.5 billion that Google has already invested in Iowa," Reynolds said. "We take pride in working closely with our business community to ensure that our policies are truly responsive to their needs."

Reynolds also mentioned the efforts Iowa has made toward developing a workforce skilled for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Iowa's natural resources are also a factor in landing data center projects specifically, with abundant access to water and low-cost electricity both making Council Bluffs an appealing destination for a massive data center project, in addition to workforce and other factors.

U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra applauded Google's announcement as continuing to grow Council Bluffs.

"This decision will create jobs, grow our economy and support our communities, Feenstra said. From financing expansions and workforce development to supporting community projects, I appreciate Googles long-time commitment to the families of Council Bluffs."

Google has 'universal' reach

Feenstra said every morning he gets in front of his computer and is working with Google.

"Google is a universal company, universally known," he said, saying the company touches every person in Iowa and a large segment of the global population. "In my life, Google has been very important."

Brian Young, chief information officer for Hy-Vee Inc., said a partnership with Google helps the food retailer serve its customers in a variety of ways, including through digital ordering of delivery groceries and by adapting its offerings to better serve customers.

"Google Cloud provides a flexible, scalable foundation that enables us to deliver customized digital experiences while implementing advanced tools to help protect customer data," Young said. "This collaboration is key to our mission of making lives easier, healthier and happier."

'Rare and special' partnership

Mayor Matt Walsh said he's had a front-row seat to Google's commitment to the Council Bluffs community since breaking ground in 2007.

Initially, Google bought some speculative buildings on the then-South Omaha Bridge Road.

"So here we are, $6.5 billion dollars later," Walsh said. "A tremendous investment in the community, which we greatly appreciate."

But Walsh said the company goes beyond spending in the community. It saw a need in the Council Bluffs Community School District, and it invested in building out a free wireless internet network in the community, partnering with the City of Council Bluffs, Iowa West Foundation and others to build out the infrastructure to aid students with school-issued Chromebooks to be able to connect to the internet regardless of their household income level.

Google employees sit on the city's nonprofit boards and have served in local government. Its leaders are present at many community gatherings, Walsh said, and regularly ask what else they can do to help.

"An organization that cares that much about the community they're in is rare and special," Walsh said. "We look forward to a long, fruitful relationship."

Google plans $1.3 million investment in Missouri River basin stabilization projects Google will fund 47 grade stabilization structures located in southwest Iowa, aiming to improve water quality, better capture runoff and boost flood resiliency in the Missouri River basin.
Google to invest another $1 billion to make Council Bluffs data center among world's largest Google is investing another $1 billion into its massive data center south of Council Bluffs, making it among the world's largest data center campuses.

Google plans $1.3 million investment in Missouri River basin stabilization projects Google will fund 47 grade stabilization structures located in southwest Iowa, aiming to improve water quality, better capture runoff and boost flood resiliency in the Missouri River basin.

Earlier story:

Google announced Tuesday it is investing another $1 billion into its data centers in Council Bluffs, adding to the $5.5 billion it had already put into the community.

With the additional construction, the company said Council Bluffs data center would be among the largest anywhere.

"Data centers like this one are truly critical for cloud and artificial intelligence," said Joe Kava, vice president of global data centers at Google. "We're right at the forefront of that right here, and this will be one of the world's largest data center campuses."

Google also announced it would invest $1.3 million into a few dozen projects through the Great Outdoors Foundation. Those projects, which include grade stabilization structures across dozen of sites in southwest Iowa, would improve water quality, better capture runoff and boost flood resiliency in the Missouri River basin.

Hannah Inman, CEO of the Great Outdoors Foundation, said the grant from Google would unlock about $5 million in public funding for the projects as well. She said the result will be cleaner water flowing downriver and eventually into the Gulf of Mexico.

Promoting water quality is a priority for Google, which used more water in Council Bluffs than any other data center location in the country in 2022, according to a company report. The investment is similar to how Google spends to promote renewable energy projects to reduce its carbon footprint given the large amount of electricity needed to power its data centers.

Google announced a $350 million expansion in its Council Bluffs data center last year. Both of the announcements cited AI, cloud computing and search as among the company's growth areas fueling the need for additional data center capacity.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP)  An Israeli strike on a school sheltering the displaced in the Gaza Strip killed at least 27 people on Thursday, Palestinian medical officials said. The Israeli military said it targeted militants, but people sheltering there said the strike hit a meeting of a
King Mohammed VI has sent his congratulations to Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, who has been re-elected to a second term as Mauritanias President.

In his message, the Moroccan Sovereign wished Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani success in his missions and reaffirmed steadfast determination to work with him to enhance further cooperation set between the two countries which are building a model partnership based on strong bonds of brotherhood and solidarity uniting the Moroccan and Mauritanian peoples.

Mauritanias President Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani has been reelected for a second term, after receiving 56.12 % of the vote in the first round of the presidential poll, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) said Monday.

His campaign focused on pledge to provide security, economic growth and stability in a region rocked by coups and violence. His main rival Biram Dah Abeid obtained 22.1% of the votes.

The turnout was 55% of the two million eligible voters, the commission said.
Sudans paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) took control of strategic towns as they advance on Port Sudan, where the Sudanese army and UN agencies are based.

The advance marks an inroad for the RSF in its war with the Sudanese army, which broke out in April last year, with no end in sight.

We have liberated the 17th Infantry Division from Singa, the capital of Sennar state, the RSF announced on X.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands though there is no official tally as the infighting prevents aid workers from taking stock of the human tragedy.

The RSF controls most of the capital Khartoum, Al-Jazira state in the center of the country, the vast western region of Darfur and much of Kordofan to the south.

The advance of the RSF in Darfur triggered warnings by NGOs of another genocide in the area, where hospitals and other civilian infrastructure has been destroyed.

The war left nearly half Sudans 48 million population suffering from hunger in areas including the capital Khartoum, according to the latest figures from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a group of experts from U.N. bodies and major relief agencies that measures hunger and formally declares famine.

This is the single largest humanitarian crisis on the planet, Samantha Power, the head of USAID, told reporters on June 14.

Some 2 million people have crossed the border to flee the ongoing civil war between the paramilitary RSF and the army, UNHCR said.

The UN said it has received only 17% of the 2.7 billion dollars needed to address the humanitarian situation in the country.
Algeria arrested two journalists who reported about the discontent of an Algerian businesswoman at an event, in a new incident that shows the governments zero tolerance towards dissent and press freedom.

Sofiane Ghirous and Ferhat Omar of the news website Algerie Scoop were arrested for doing their job in zooming in on challenges facing women-led start-ups and the lack of attention they get from authorities.

The government said the report was promoting hate speech, in a new case that highlights the use of bogus charges to silence free speech.

Algeria has silenced critics since the duo chief of staff chengriha and his puppet president Tebboune took power.

Many, once independent news outlets, had to shut down or saw their editors silenced, co-opted, or jailed, as was the case with head of Radio M Ihsane El kadi.

El Kadi was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of receiving foreign funds. Human rights defenders urge his release, saying he was arrested because he dared to uncover the corruption and dysfunctions in the Algerian economy.

Algerias ranking by the press freedom watchdog Reporters without Borders deteriorated from 139th to 180th in 2024.
Esso Exploration International Ltd., a subsidiary of U.S. ExxonMobil Corp., signed on Tuesday in Rabat two reconnaissance contracts with Moroccos National Office of Hydrocarbons (ONHYM).

These reconnaissance contracts cover the areas of Safi-Essaouira Offshore and Agadir-Ifni Offshore. The areas are located offshore the cities of Safi, Essaouira, Agadir and Sidi Ifni.

The signing of these contracts marks the first exploration activity engaged by ExxonMobil in Morocco since the merger of the two entities Exxon and Mobil in 1999. 14 companies are partners of ONHYM in 19 Petroleum Agreements and one (1) Reconnaissance Contract.

The American company Exxon Mobil Corporation is one of the largest publicly traded energy and petrochemical companies in the world. ExxonMobil affiliates have interests in hydrocarbon exploration and production projects in more than 20 countries, in addition to petrochemical, refinery and energy products distribution activities all over the world.
Moroccos trade deficit narrowed by 1% from January to May to 117 billion dirhams ($11.7 bln), after exports rose to 191 billion dirhams, but still less than imports at 308 billion dirhams.

The automotive sector topped Moroccos exports at 67 billion dirhams, up 12%, auguring well for another record exports this year.

Aeronautics was the second largest industrial sector in terms of exports at 10.6 billion dirhams, up 17.5%.

Despite a drop in phosphoric acid earnings, Moroccos exports of fertilizers and phosphates improved to 32 billion dirhams, up 5.2%.

Farming exports dropped 0.7% to 41.7 billion dirhams as the country struggles with the impact of its sixth consecutive drought.

Morocco, which imports most of its energy products, reported a drop in energy imports by 5.2% to 49 billion dirhams.

Remittances from Moroccans abroad rose 2.4% to 46.3 billion dirhams. Tourism receipts were at a similar level at 41 billion dirhams, up 1.6%.
Peace talks bringing together South Sudans government and members of the holdout groups in Kenyas capital, Nairobi, have reached final stages for conclusion, with the draft peace agreement creating a leadership council, rebranding the structure of the presidency and limiting the role of the cabinet and legislature.

Talks have progressed well. Significant signs of progress have been made and have now reached final stages, South Sudans minister of information Michael Makuei has said in a statement on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC). The parties have reportedly made significant progress and are only working together with the mediation team on technicalities and language the parties would likely adopt. The draft peace agreement maintains the current structure with the president and expanded presidency to accommodate additional two members from opposition groups signatory to the Tumaini Initiative.

The draft rebrands the presidency with a structure dubbed the national leadership to provide leadership and guidance to the Joint Defense Board, the National Constitution Review Commission, the National Elections Commission, the Political Parties Council, and other agencies with relevant mandates to the implementation of the Tumaini Framework. However, critics of the process of selection of the parties at the talks are urging for inclusion, citing a need to reflect diversity and perspectives that seek to address the root causes. The opposition, not participating in the process, have portrayed the peace process as a project to facilitate a return of some former top army officers.
Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photos: Getty Images

In the wake of Joe Bidens shaky and geriatric debate performance in Atlanta on June 27, the reaction among political observers and Democratic elites has been dire (though the latter have typically done their freaking out in private). But it has been hard without solid post-debate polling data to determine if the damage to Biden that so many people in Washington perceive is actually evident in the electorate.

Well, the post-debate polls are finally arriving, and while there are a couple of outliers, the general indication is that Biden has slipped a couple of points against Trump in the national popular-vote contest. The New York Times polling averages (which debuted recently) showed Trumps lead rising from one percent pre-debate to 3 percent now.

Comparing apples to apples, major credible polls show small but non-negligible slippage for Biden since the debate. CBS NewsYouGov had Trump leading by a point as of June 21. Now hes leading by two points. Yahoo NewsYouGov had Biden leading by two points in early June. Now the outlet shows Trump with a two-point lead. The vast Morning Consult tracking poll had the race tied as of June 23, but then Biden up a point the day after the debate, and subsequently Trump up a point on June 30. There was one significant outlier: Reuters-Ipsos had Trump leading by two points in mid-June, but the race tied as of July 2.

The data weve covered so far gave Team Biden plenty of grounds for concluding that elite horror at the presidents debate was an overreaction, and that the close Trump-Biden contest had not fundamentally changed. But then three highly influential polls dropped that changed perceptions of the state of play. On July 2, CNN-SSRS released a national survey showing Trump leading Biden by six points in both a head-to-head (49 percent to 43 percent) and a multi-candidate (41 percent to 35 percent) contest among registered voters as of June 30. Thats pretty bad, but then again, this pollster had long been a bit of an outlier; back in April, CNN-SSRS had Trump up by the same six points in the head-to-head race and by an even larger eight points in the multi-candidate contest. Then, on July 3, the Big Bertha of polls when it comes to elite opinion, the ultra-gold-standard New York TimesSiena survey, also showed Trump leading by nine points among registered voters, and by six points among likely voters. Soon thereafter the Wall Street Journal released its first national poll of the Trump-Biden race since February (when it showed Trump leading but just by two points), and showed Trump leading by six points among registered voters.

As with the CNN poll, the Times-Siena survey has long shown Trump leading Biden. But theres post-debate slippage. In June, the pollster showed Trump leading by six points among registered voters and four points among likely voters. The erosion of Bidens support is not all that dramatic, but Trumps lead (if its accurate) is getting into an area associated not only with victory in all the seven battleground states, but with an expansion of the battleground map into states everyone assumed Biden would win handily (e.g., Minnesota, Virginia, and New Hampshire).

Post-debate state polling has been rare but isnt great for the president. The new CBS NewsYouGov survey showed Trump reversing a one-point Biden lead in the battleground states collectively and taking a two-point lead. A post-debate St. Anselm poll from New Hampshire, not usually considered a battleground state (though it was very close in 2016), showed Trump holding a two-point lead. If thats accurate, its bad news for Biden.

Horse-race polls aside, polling internals are serving up the very worst news for Biden, particularly in terms of perceptions that the incumbent is too old. Forbes reports some of the post-debate findings:

Only one in five respondents in an Ipsos poll of over 2,500 likely voters taken after the debate called Bidens mental fitness good or excellent, a seven-point drop from another Ipsos poll conducted just days before the debate.

Among likely Democratic voters, the drop was even more severe, with 42% saying after the debate they believe Biden is mentally fit, compared to 56% beforehand.

Another 60% of respondents in a Morning Consult poll conducted one day after the debate said Biden should probably or definitely be replaced with another Democratic candidate in the November electionincluding 47% of Democratic voters.

Among Morning Consult respondents who watched the debate, 78% said Biden is too old, an increase from a Morning Consult poll released just days before the debate, when 64% of all voters said the same (45% of voters said Trump is too old after the debate, a slight increase from the 42% who said the same before the debate).

The new Wall Street Journal poll also shows 80 percent of registered voters  and 76 percent among Democrats  saying Bidens too old. One comparative data point to watch has also taken a bad turn for Biden post-debate: According to a Data for Progress survey, by a 53 percent to 42 percent margin, likely voters are more worried about Bidens age and mental and physical health than about Trumps criminal charges and threats to democracy. Among independents, the margin is 55 percent to 36 percent, and even among Democrats, 21 percent have more concerns about Biden.

The two big questions wavering Democrats have to face right now is whether the poll numbers for Biden will deteriorate as secondary coverage of the presidents debate performance and overall fitness continues to spread, and whether they must now fear additional incidents that will reinforce the bad impressions. The answer to the second question is almost certainly yes, and that matters a lot.

This piece was updated to include the Wall Street Journal poll.
China's government this week made a decisive step towards developing more of the country's oil and gas reserves, including unconventional ones. A new umbrella company grouping all the state majors will drill for ultradeep oil and gas, and explore shale formations.

Given China's standing as a top wind and solar producerand investorthe move might come as a surprise for some. Yet it is, in fact, a most logical step towards boosting energy security, following Beijing's all-of-the-above attitude to energy.

The new group, besides oil giants CNPC and Sinopec, also includes companies from other industries, such as China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp and steelmaker Baowu, as well as equipment manufacturer Sinomach and Dongfang Electric Group, a maker of power generators, Reuters reported.

The purpose, given the makeup of the new entity, is to cover as much of the oilfield supply chain locally as possible, likely to facilitate exploration and, ultimately, production. Indeed, according to CNPC, which announced the news, "This...is to gather wisdom and strength to jointly build an industry chain from ultra-deep oil and gas exploration to development to engineering."

The new entity comes on the stage after a record year for Chinese oil and gas production. Last year. In crude oil, the country produced around 4.2 million barrels daily, for a total of 208 million tons, which was 3 million tons more than the previous year. In natural gas, total output last year reached 230 billion cu m, of which 96 billion cu m came from unconventional resources, including shale, coalbed methane, and natural gas hydrates.

Unconventional resources have long been a focus of attention for China's state oil and gas majors, but developing them has been a challenge. PetroChina's story of developing the Cambrian shale in the Sichuan province illustrates these challenges. Exploration began back in 2009, meaning it took the company close to 15 years to begin commercial production, whereas, in the U.S. shale patch, wells take months to drill and begin production.

Related: U.S. Drivers Could See The Lowest July 4 Gasoline Prices Since 2021

The reason it took so long was the old stratigraphic age of the formation, meaning the layers of rock were old and harder to drill through, and the fact that the reservoir was at a deeper level than reservoirs are elsewhere. Yet China appears bent on developing as much of its local oil and gas reserves as possible in a strategy that could have been useful to some European countries had they not nurtured influential climate activist lobbies.

China's energy philosophy appears to be as simple as it is effective. No source of energy is denied a place in the energy mix, and local resource development is a priority. Incidentally, speaking of various energy sources, a recent report revealed that China would no longer publish data on wind and solar power capacity utilization amid falling rates of utilization.

The decline came on the back of higher curtailment rates approved by the government. What this means is that wind and solar generators are now allowed to dump more excess supply instead of overloading the grid. And it seems there is quite a lot of excess supplythe curtailment ceiling was doubled from 5% to 10%.

In other words, China is learning as it goes what works, to what extent it works, and where its limits are. So, as it plans to build more ultrahigh transmission lines to curb the need for wind and solar curtailment, China is also working on developing its hydrocarbon resources of which it has substantial amounts. For Beijing, the top priority appears to be neither decarbonization nor any sort of energy dominance but plain and simple energy security.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
It is likely to be around 100 degrees Fahrenheit this week in Iraqi Kurdistans capital of Erbil, but few regional commentators will doubt that many in the semi-autonomous region will feel a chill somewhere deep inside their bones. Having voted for independence on 25 September 2017 by 92.73 percent in favour and 7.27 percent against, the Kurds of northern Iraq are now looking at being subsumed into the rest of the country and ruled in all material ways directly from Baghdad. This follows the announcement last week that the Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR)  a group representing international oil companies (IOCs) in Iraqi Kurdistan - that its members would agree to direct sales agreements with the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), which is controlled by the Oil Ministry in Baghdad. This came after a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) that such direct sales are the best option for resolving the suspension of oil flows from the region to Turkey that has been in place since 25 March 2023.

Given the rapid deterioration of the KRGs finances since the embargo began, it is little wonder that it has finally yielded to Baghdads calls for the IOCs oil sales to be handled by SOMO. However, to those who have been watching the struggle between Erbil and Bagdad for decades, the KRGs statement does look highly akin to the notion of turkeys voting for Christmas. The Federal Government of Iraq (FGI) has been looking at the optimal way to roll Iraqi Kurdistan into a unified Iraq since the U.S. announced its intention in July 2020 to end its combat mission in Iraq later that year, as analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order. In essence, according to a very senior European Union (E.U.) energy security source spoken to exclusively by OilPrice.com, the key to the implementation of the One Iraq Plan as it is informally known is to cut off all sources of external revenue from the government of Iraqi Kurdistan  most significantly from independent oil sales by IOCs operating there  thereby making it entirely dependent on Baghdad for its survival.

Related: U.S. Drivers Could See The Lowest July 4 Gasoline Prices Since 2021

There are three powerful reasons why the FGI in Bagdad  and its key global sponsors, China and Russia  do not want Iraqi Kurdistan to continue to operate with any degree of independence. A basic geopolitical one is that for a long time, the region was a key ally of both the U.S. and its predecessor as the leading global power, the United Kingdom. Indeed, the very idea of the 2017 independence referendum came from what Kurdistan thought had been a tacit agreement with Washington in late 2013/early 2014 when Islamic State (IS) had begun to emerge as a significant regional concern. The understanding was that Iraqi Kurdistans push for independence would be supported by the U.S. and its Western allies in exchange for its providing the boots on the ground in the fight against IS through the fearsome Peshmerga army, as also analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order.

Once victory against IS had been assured, the independence referendum did indeed take place but following the violent reaction to the result from some key players in the region, meaningful support from the U.S. and its allies for further moves towards Iraqi Kurdistan independence failed to materialise. The strong opposition to the result of the 2017 independence vote underlines another reason why the One Iraq Plan in moving full ahead now. For key Iraqi regional sponsor Iran, and for Turkey and Syria, rising Kurdish independence feelings would also pose a distinct threat to the existing regimes, given the size of these populations in these countries. Irans Kurdish population is around 9 percent of its total, Syrias 10 percent, and Turkeys about 18 percent. For China, a fractious independent Kurdistan with strong former ties to the U.S. would make the administration of Iraqs oil and gas sector much more difficult. Similarly, despite Russias having effectively taken control of Iraqi Kurdistans oil sector after the 2017 independence vote, as also detailed in my new book, it would rather work with a centralised government in Baghdad, which is heavily influenced by Moscows principal ally in the region, Iran. It is certain, according to the E.U. source, that Russia will not lose any of its existing deals in Iraqi Kurdistan once it is rolled into a unified Iraq. There is a deeper motivation at play here as well, as delineated by a very high-ranking Kremlin official just after the 10 March 2023 signing of the Iran-Saudi Arabia relationship resumption deal brokered by China, relayed to OilPrice.com by the E.U. source. Specifically: By keeping the West out of energy deals in Iraq  and closer to the new Iran-Saudi axis - the end of Western hegemony in the Middle East will become the decisive chapter in the Wests final demise.

Financially as well, the FGI sees no benefit in having Iraqi Kurdistan continue to operate with any meaningful measure of independence. The original deal agreed between the two sides back in 2014 was for 17 percent of the federal budget after sovereign expenses (around US$500 million at that time) to be made from the FGI in exchange for oil from the Iraqi Kurdistan region exporting up to 550,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil from its own fields and Kirkuk via the FGIs SOMO. However, from very early on the deal never worked properly, with both sides claiming the other was not living up to its part of the bargain. Without the deal working, Baghdad was losing out on billions of dollars a year in revenue from oil sales done independently by the Kurds, so why would it continue to put up with this? a source who works very closely with Iraqs Oil Ministry exclusively told OilPrice.com recently. Legally speaking as well, there is no obvious reason why Baghdad should not remove the KRGs primary source of financial independence either, given the 2005 Iraqi Constitutions lack of clarity on the issue. Article 111 states that oil and gas is under the ownership of all the people of Iraq in all the regions and governorates. Consequently, Baghdad argues that all such oil flows such be considered as Iraqs, and therefore be handled by the FGIs nominee for such matters, that being SOMO. The KRG, however, believes it has authority under Articles 112 and 115 of the Constitution to manage oil and gas in the Kurdistan Region extracted from fields that were not in production in 2005.

That the One Iraq Plan remains the key ideological thrust of what is happening to Iraqi Kurdistan was underlined on 3 August last year when Iraq Prime Minister, Mohammed Al-Sudani, stated that the new unified oil law  run, in every way that matters, out of Baghdad - will govern all oil and gas production and investments in both Iraq and its autonomous Kurdistan region and will constitute a strong factor for Iraqs unity. The most potent practical manifestation of this idea is the intended full rollout of Baghdads own oil export pipeline to Turkey, bypassing any input from the Iraqi Kurdish region. Baghdads 600-mile pipeline was the original Iraq-Turkey Pipeline, running from Kirkuk in Iraqs north to Ceyhan in Turkey, before it was closed in 2014 after repeated attacks by various militant groups in the region, including Islamic State. It consisted of two pipes, with a nameplate capacity of 1.6 million bpd combined (1.1 million bpd for the 46-inch diameter pipe, and 0.5 million bpd for the 40-inch one). It was only after it was closed that the Iraq Kurdistan regional government oversaw the construction of a new single side pipeline, from the Taq Taq field through Khurmala, which runs into the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline in the border town of Fishkhabur. With the Kurds cut out of the new pipeline and their own pipeline shut down, the new oil law can move forward, unifying the countrys oil sector as originally intended, concluded the Iraq oil source.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Crude oil prices moved higher today after the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported an inventory decline of 12.2 million barrels for the week to June 28.

The inventory change compared with an inventory build of 3.6 million barrels estimated for the previous week, when the EIA also saw fuel inventories rising, which weighed on oil prices.

For the last week of June, the EIA estimated draws in fuel inventories.

Gasoline inventories shed 2.2 million barrels in the week to June 28, which compared with a build of 2.7 million barrels for the previous week.

Gasoline production averaged 10.1 million barrels daily last week, compared with 9.9 million barrels daily for the previous week.

In middle distillates, the EIA estimated an inventory decline of 1.5 million barrels for the last week of June, which compared with a modest draw of 400,000 barrels for the previous week.

Middle distillate production averaged 5.1 million barrels daily in the last week of June, which compared with 4.9 million barrels daily for the previous week.

Oil prices, meanwhile, remained at two-month highs after the American Petroleum Institute estimated a weekly inventory draw, pegging it at a significant 9 million barrels.

Prices have also received support from geopolitical factors this week, as traders worry about a further escalation of violence in the Middle East as Israel continues to bomb Gaza. On the other hand, fears of production disruption in the Gulf of Mexico because of Hurricane Beryl subsided after the hurricane weakened to a tropical storm.

The key risk for oil markets is that an Israel?Hezbollah war widens into a broader conflict, said Commonwealth Bank of Australia analyst Vivek Dhar told Bloomberg. In particular, the more direct involvement of Iran in an Israel?Hezbollah war may put at risk Irans oil supply and related infrastructure.

In addition to geopolitical factors, signs are emerging of a slowdown in U.S. oil production growth and the latest oil export data has revealed Saudi Arabia accounted for half of a global oil export decline that amounted to 1 million barrels daily last month.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Iran held presidential elections on June 28 and the runoff on July 2. Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian was said to have a very narrow lead over his runoff rival, hardline candidate Saeed Jalili, just before polls opened again on Wednesday Results from voting were not yet in at the time of writing. The winner of the election must be approved by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whose views are ultraconservative hardline. That means that even if Pezeshkian

Again, illicit weapons are entering Libya, this time Chinese military drones disguised as wind turbines on two separate container shipsboth seized by Italian authorities. Italy is keeping a keen eye on its ports and waterways, as those weapons are going either to General Haftar in the east or to the Russians, who are looking to build a port on Libyas coasta direct shot across to Italy.

Two unexpected outcomes in France this week after snap parliamentary elections. The far-right won a record number of votes in French snap parliamentary elections, leaving Macrons centrists sidelined with only 20%. The far-right made very significant gains.

If Israel invades Lebanon, Washington fears it will hasten a Russia-Iran alliance, with one geographical part of that scenario already underway in Yemen. U.S. intelligence claims (according to a Middle East news outlet) that Putin had already approached the Saudis for permission to arm the Houthis with anti-ship cruise missiles.

Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict

If Israel invades Lebanon, Washington fears it will hasten a Russia-Iran alliance, with one geographical part of that scenario already underway in Yemen. U.S. intelligence claims (according to a Middle East news outlet) that Putin had already approached the Saudis for permission to arm the Houthis with anti-ship cruise missiles.

Two unexpected outcomes in France this week after snap parliamentary elections. The far-right won a record number of votes in French snap parliamentary elections, leaving Macrons centrists sidelined with only 20%. The far-right made very significant gains.

Again, illicit weapons are entering Libya, this time Chinese military drones disguised as wind turbines on two separate container shipsboth seized by Italian authorities. Italy is keeping a keen eye on its ports and waterways, as those weapons are going either to General Haftar in the east or to the Russians, who are looking to build a port on Libyas coasta direct shot across to Italy.

Iran held presidential elections on June 28 and the runoff on July 2. Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian was said to have a very narrow lead over his runoff rival, hardline candidate Saeed Jalili, just before polls opened again on Wednesday Results from voting were not yet in at the time of writing. The winner of the election must be approved by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whose views are ultraconservative hardline. That means that even if Pezeshkian wins the vote, he may not be allowed to assume the presidency unless the Supreme Leader has determined that Pezeshkians wider popularity might be of benefit right now in Tehran.

Discovery & Development

More than a dozen oil firms are competing to purchase a sizable portion of Galp Energia's noteworthy Mopane discovery, including industry titans like Exxon, Shell, and Brazil's Petrobras. This discovery in Namibia has the potential to be worth $10 billion because it is thought to contain over 10 billion barrels of oil and gas equivalent. Back in April, Galp started the process of selling off half of its 80% ownership in Petroleum Exploration Licence 83, including operating control. Numerous companies have already examined the geological data (Exxon, Chevron, Shell, TotalEnergies, etc). Several have made non-binding offers, though the process remains shrouded in secrecy.

French TotalEnergies intends to abandon its offshore gas-condensate finds in order to focus exploratory efforts closer to Namibia. Two major discoveries in South Africa have not yet made it to the development stage, and there have also been questions about the commercial viability of domestic supply given the high cost that will be associated with developing a complicated deepwater project.

The Saudis have announced seven new oil and gas deposits. Aramco said it discovered two unconventional oilfields, a light Arabian oil reservoir, and two natural gas fields.

Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions

Spanish Repsol is reportedly in talks to merge its UK North Sea oil and gas operations with private-equity-backed NEO Energy (Reuters sources), which could potentially give the new entity over 110,000 boepd, which would also make it the top producer in the UK North Sea. A painful windfall tax is helping to force consolidation in the UK oil and gas industry.
A British business that trades in Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) by operating an unusual ship, has not been breaching the sanctions put in place after the Russian invasion into Ukraine.

An investigation by Sky News revealed that one of the largest owner-operators of liquefied gas vessels, Seapeak, has its headquarters based in Glasgow.

The company owns five LNG icebreakers including the Yakov Gakkel, which Sky focuses on. The skip can carve through ice enabling it to travel up into the Arctic Circle and back even in the depths of winter.

This allows the ship to travel back and back and forth between Siberia and Europe, through winter and summer, bringing copious volumes of gas from Russia to Europe.

Despite pleas from European leaders to decrease usage of gas, Sky reports that Europe is still depending on Russia for around 15 percent of its gas. As just last month Russia overtook the US to become the second biggest provider of gas to the continent.

When the war broke out in Ukraine, the European Union (EU), the UK and the US all applied a swarm of sanctions against the Russian Government, close friends of President Putin as well as companies that had close ties to him or his allies.

In the UK, the Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), which sits within the Treasury, was overseeing the UK sanctions list.

Companies, despite the prospect of penalties, have been struggling to keep on top of the sanctions, as 127 British companies admitted last November to breaching those new rules.

While companies try to weave through the sanctions lists across the UK, EU and US, the energy sector has been operating within the grey lines of the rules.

Along with wide-ranging sanctions, there were also price caps placed on shipments of oil, however, there were no controls put on liquefied natural gas. This means these fleets carrying LNG from Russia to each European country have not been breaching the Russian-sanctions.

As Paul Feldberg, Brown Rudnick partner and head of UK white collar defense, investigations and compliance explained: While these sanctions create a web of prohibitions, they do not create a blanket ban on anything Russian or from doing business in Russia, so there will always be gaps.

Some of those gaps are deliberate, like the lack of a prohibition imports of Russian gas into Europe, as Europe is taking its time to wean itself off Russian Gas, he added.

Barrister Patrick Upward KC from Church Court Chambers pointed out that it is alarming that this trade in natural gas is being allowed to continue with abject disregard for the reasons and purpose of the sanctions that are in place in respect of oil.

While the UK Government had set in train an enquiry under the auspices of a Treasury Select Committee, this fell away with the announcement of the election. Some might think that the investigation should continue under the new government, but to what end?

The senior barrister highlighted that the empirical evidence is there, floating in plain sight, in vessels designed for one purpose, travelling between ports that enable the passage of Russian gas into Europe.

It must now be regarded as essential that the new government seize the opportunity to close these loopholes. If they cannot persuade the EU to join in, then they must penalise those enablers in London, who continue to take advantage of the lacunae in the current sanctions regime, he added.

Some of those gaps are deliberate, like the lack of a prohibition imports of Russian gas into Europe, as Europe is taking its time to wean itself off Russian Gas

While Leigh Crestohl, partner, Zaiwalla & Co added that this case shows in stark terms the enormous difficulties that arise in trying to apply a wide-ranging sanctions programme to a large economy which was well integrated into European supply chains.

Modern sanctions practice offers no precedent for sanctions measures against such a developed economy that played such a significant role in meeting Western energy needs, he stated.

This comes after it was revealed that the British insurance industry has insured over 120bn worth of Russian oil since March 2022, resulting in calls from a former Cabinet minister for the sector to think on its obligations.

By City AM

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
With less than a month before Venezuelan elections, on July 28, incumbent President Nikolas Maduro has told Washington that he is now willing to restart direct talks. If Maduro wins, helped along by the banning and arrest of opposition figures, it will give him six more years to rule.

According to Maduro, negotiations will start this week already, presumably looking for a pre-election win in the form of some sentiment that crippling economic sanctions will be eased.

Of the nine opposition candidates, the one that everyone pays attention to is Gonzalez Urrutia. They pay attention despite the fact that he is really only a stand-in for Maria Machado, the opposition candidate barred by Maduro on trumped-up charges. But the opposition is gaining momentum, and Maduro is worried. When Urrutia hits the campaign trail physically, Machado has gone with him, and its Machado, the far-right leader, who is popular. The other eight candidates get little, if any attention, and Urrutia is intended to serve as a place-holder for the key opposition at large (Unitary Platform coalition). Machado had already won the opposition primaries, at which point Maduro had her barred. It was actually Machados fiery speeches that prompted Maduro to renege on his deal with Washington in the first place. She suddenly emerged as a real threat to his regime.

The talks that Maduro is now calling urgent would be a reinstatement of talks that broke down earlier between Maduro and Washington,
Via Metal Miner

With a new government in place following the recent general elections, Indian steel manufacturing firms are again clamoring for the imposition of more import duties and other measures to curb cheap steel imports from China.

India ended up being a net importer of steel during the April-March 2024 period. According to provisional government data, this trend persisted, with finished steel imports reaching a five-year high in April and May. Following the renewed demands for import curbs, rumors say that Indian steel and trade ministries are already in talks to resolve the vexing issue.

Steel Manufacturing Firms React to Cheep Chinese Imports

The cheap imports flooding Indian markets, alongside Chinas similar tactic of flooding European and African markets with cheap steel, has started to impact Indian steel exports negatively. This is in addition to the moves garnering criticism from countries like Turkey and Indonesia.

According to this report, because of pressure on steel prices, the price of China-made hot-rolled coil dropped to U.S. $520 per ton from $525 per ton within a week. Compare that to export prices of Indian steel, which ranged between $650-$660 per ton, and its not difficult to see the problem. Indias steel exports in May 2024 totaled 0.5 MT. According to provisional data from BigMint, a market research and consultancy firm, this marks a nearly 25% decline from the approximately 0.66 MT exported in April.

Indias Steel Industry Faces Crisis as Cheap Chinese Imports Flood Market

While export matters are of concern, what is even more distressing for Indian steel manufacturing companies is the flooding of the domestic market with Chinese steel. According to Ranjan Dhar, Director and Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, Indian authorities need to implement various measures to control the rising steel imports from China and other indirect sources such as Vietnam.

According to Dhar, global steel consumption was down. At the same time, demand for Chinese steel within China was also down because of economic concerns and the real estate crisis. Therefore, the excess stocks had created a global oversupply. According to him, Chinese steel companies were, at times, selling steel at prices even lower than production costs. Get crucial updates on steel prices and steel industry news delivered straight to your inbox with MetalMiners weekly newsletter.

Chinese Exports Continue to Increase

In 2022, China exported 65-68 MT of steel. However, it exported approximately 85 MT in 2023 despite depressed domestic demand.

A report by the Indian steel ministry said the value of Chinese steel exports to India in April 2024 was U.S. $434.01 million as compared to $391.67 million in March. During these two months, India imported 1.1 million metric tons of finished steel, an increase of 19.8% compared to the same period the previous year.

Meanwhile, weak global demand and declining input costs continue to pressure steel prices. As a result, Indian steel manufacturing companies are prioritizing domestic demand, particularly as exports continue to be a less profitable option. While competitive pricing in West Asia and Southeast Asia poses challenges, the situation in Europe continues to worsen due to weak demand and stringent regulatory conditions. For his part, Dhar also advocates for restoring the basic customs duty (BCD) on steel imports to 12.5%, a significant increase from the current 7.5%.

Is India on Track to Outpace China?

A recent report by Moodys suggests that Indias northward climbing clamor for steel and the coming expansion in steel making by private firms could place it above China in the ongoing steel war. The rating agency recently conducted a comprehensive analysis, comparing both countries in terms of demand prospects, market dynamics, and resource advantages.

According to the report, Indias steel demand is expected to grow by 5-7% over the next 12-18 months. This growth remains driven by robust economic and population growth, rapid industrialization and urbanization, and supportive government policies. In contrast, it projects that Chinas steel demand will decline slightly due to a sluggish property market and slower economic growth.

India recently announced its aim to double its crude steel capacity to 300 million tonnes by 2030 under its national steel policy. Furthermore, steelmakers like Tata Steel continue to invest heavily in order to expand their capacities. Moreover, Moodys forecasts that Chinas excess capacity and Indias renewed capacity growth will exert downward pressure on steel prices in the coming day.

By Sohrab Darabshaw

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
DUSHANBE, July 3 (Xinhua) -- China-Tajikistan relations have reached new heights, with strategic leadership of the two heads of state playing a key role, Chinese Ambassador to Tajikistan Ji Shumin said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

China is willing to work together with Tajikistan to comprehensively implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and benefit both countries and their peoples, Ji said.

Tajikistan is a good neighbor and a comprehensive strategic partner of China, and their peoples have a long history of friendly exchanges, Ji said.

After the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, bilateral relations entered a period of rapid development, Ji said.

In 2013, the two countries announced the establishment of a strategic partnership. In 2017, the relationship was upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership. During President Xi's visit to Tajikistan in 2019, the two sides agreed to jointly build a China-Tajikistan development community and security community.

In 2023, the two presidents jointly announced the building of a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future featuring everlasting friendship, solidarity and mutual benefit.

Under the strategic leadership of the two heads of state, both countries have set the goal of building a community with a shared future, providing a clear direction for bilateral relations, Ji said.

Tajikistan was among the first countries to support the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by President Xi in 2013 and to sign related cooperation agreements with China, said the Chinese ambassador.

Thanks to the strong impetus of the BRI, a series of China-Tajikistan cooperation and aid projects have been implemented in key areas such as infrastructure, metallurgy, energy, cement, and the cotton textile industry, playing a vital role in Tajikistan's economic and social development, Ji said.

From 2013 to 2023, trade between China and Tajikistan doubled, said the ambassador, adding that China has become the largest source of investment for Tajikistan and one of its main trading partners.

Against the backdrop of aligning China's BRI with Tajikistan's National Development strategy 2030, both sides plan to promote cooperation in trade, finance, tourism, transportation and communication, ecology, culture, and artificial intelligence, Ji said.

Measures will also be taken to further promote bilateral trade, diversify trade categories, explore trade potential, strengthen cooperation under the Silk Road e-commerce framework, and discover new opportunities for trade and innovation cooperation between the two countries, he added.

They will strengthen cooperation in regional transportation infrastructure connectivity and enhance the role of the intergovernmental committee on economic and trade cooperation between the two countries and its sub-committee for economic and trade cooperation between China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Tajikistan's neighboring regions.

"The space for practical cooperation between China and Tajikistan is broad, and the prospects are promising," he said.

China and Tajikistan firmly support each other on issues concerning their core interests, Ji noted, adding that both countries have suffered from the "three evil forces" of terrorism, extremism, and separatism and advocate for a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security concept.

China is willing to work together with Tajikistan to maintain peace, further strengthen cooperation in combating the "three forces," and ensure the common security of China and Tajikistan and long-term stability in the region, Ji added. 
Recent escalations in the Middle East, particularly involving Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon, have reintroduced a geopolitical risk premium to oil prices. The potential for supply disruptions in the oil-rich region and increased uncertainty often lead traders

The American Petroleum Institute (API) reported a significant 9.163 million barrel drawdown in U.S. crude inventories for the week ending June 28. This far exceeded analysts' expectations of a 700,000-barrel draw, providing strong support for oil prices. Larger-than-expected inventory drops typically signal increased demand or reduced supply, potentially driving prices higher. However, the increase in gasoline inventories (up 2.468 million barrels) slightly tempers this bullish signal, suggesting demand may not be uniformly strong across all petroleum products.

Light crude oil futures have climbed 2.12% this week, driven by a mix of bullish factors. Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, an unexpectedly large draw in U.S. crude inventories, and optimistic forecasts for summer fuel demand have all contributed to pushing prices higher. As traders assess these developments against the backdrop of OPEC+ supply management and steady U.S. production growth, the oil market remains finely balanced between supply constraints and recovering demand.

Crude Oil Market: Key Drivers Behind This Week's Price Surge

Light crude oil futures have climbed 2.12% this week, driven by a mix of bullish factors. Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, an unexpectedly large draw in U.S. crude inventories, and optimistic forecasts for summer fuel demand have all contributed to pushing prices higher. As traders assess these developments against the backdrop of OPEC+ supply management and steady U.S. production growth, the oil market remains finely balanced between supply constraints and recovering demand.

U.S. Crude Inventory Draw: A Bullish Surprise

The American Petroleum Institute (API) reported a significant 9.163 million barrel drawdown in U.S. crude inventories for the week ending June 28. This far exceeded analysts' expectations of a 700,000-barrel draw, providing strong support for oil prices. Larger-than-expected inventory drops typically signal increased demand or reduced supply, potentially driving prices higher. However, the increase in gasoline inventories (up 2.468 million barrels) slightly tempers this bullish signal, suggesting demand may not be uniformly strong across all petroleum products.

Middle East Tensions: Geopolitical Premium Returns

Recent escalations in the Middle East, particularly involving Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon, have reintroduced a geopolitical risk premium to oil prices. The potential for supply disruptions in the oil-rich region and increased uncertainty often lead traders to bid up prices as a precaution. While no immediate impact on oil production has occurred, the situation bears close monitoring as any escalation could quickly affect global supply chains.

Hurricane Beryl: Threat Diminishes, But Season Continues

Initial concerns about Hurricane Beryl's potential impact on Gulf of Mexico oil production have eased, with the storm expected to weaken before reaching the area. While short-term bullish sentiment has faded as the immediate threat diminishes, traders should remain vigilant as the hurricane season progresses.

U.S. Summer Driving Season: Demand Expectations Rise

The American Automobile Association forecasts a 5.2% increase in travel during the Independence Day holiday period compared to 2023, with car travel up 4.8%. Higher gasoline demand typically supports crude oil prices, and increased mobility could signal broader economic recovery, positively impacting oil demand.

OPEC+ Production: Supply Management Continues

Recent data indicates a slight increase in OPEC oil output for June, primarily due to higher supply from Nigeria and Iran. However, this is offset by ongoing voluntary supply cuts from other members. OPEC+'s commitment to managing supply remains a key price support, and traders should watch for any signs of policy shifts or compliance issues within the group.

U.S. Oil Production: Steady Growth Amidst Market Changes

U.S. crude and condensates output from the Lower 48 states (excluding federal Gulf of Mexico waters) reached 10.99 million barrels per day in April, near record levels. Continued U.S. production growth could cap price increases, but efficiency improvements in the sector may allow for sustained output even at moderate price levels, according to John Kemp from Reuters.

Investment Flows: Funds Turning Less Bearish

Recent weeks have seen significant petroleum purchases by hedge funds and money managers, indicating a shift from extreme bearishness to a more neutral stance, Kemp stated. Increased fund buying can provide price support and potentially signal a changing market sentiment. The notable bullish position in European gas oil futures suggests expectations of strong diesel demand.

Weekly Light Crude Oil Futures

Trend Indicator Analysis

The main trend is up. A trade through $86.24 will reaffirm the uptrend. The main trend will change to down on a move through $72.08.

The near-term retracement zone at $76.02 to $73.60 is solid support. It is essentially controlling the short-term direction of the market, offering hope for the bulls and a potential trigger point for a steep decline for the bears.

The new minor range is $86.24 to $72.08. The market is currently trading on the strong side of its pivot at $79.16.

Weekly Technical Forecast

The direction of the Weekly Light Crude Oil Futures market the week-ending July 12 is likely to be determined by trader reaction to $81.54.

Bullish Scenario

A sustained move over $81.54 will signal the presence of strong buyers. If this creates enough near-term momentum then we could see a further acceleration to the upside with $86.24 the initial target price.

Bearish Scenario

A sustained move under $81.54 will indicate the presence of sellers. If it generates enough downside momentum then we could see a test of $79.16. However, with the trend up, this would probably become another buying opportunity.

Short-Term Forecast: Bullish

Given current market conditions, we expect crude oil prices to maintain their upward momentum in the near term. Traders should keep a close eye on several key factors: the upcoming EIA inventory data, ongoing Middle East tensions, actual U.S. summer driving demand, OPEC+ compliance with production cuts, and potential hurricane disruptions.

While the overall trend leans bullish, the market remains susceptible to sudden shifts. The delicate balance between supply management efforts and recovering demand could be disrupted by unexpected geopolitical events, surprising inventory reports, or significant economic data releases.

In summary, the combination of shrinking U.S. inventories, heightened geopolitical risks, and anticipated strong summer demand creates a supportive environment for oil prices. However, risks persist. Traders should remain vigilant, monitoring these factors closely to identify potential opportunities and manage risks effectively.

Technically, the uptrend is safe. Despite the possibility of profit-taking reversals, they are not likely to change the trend and more likely to just shift momentum lower, at least temporarily. Furthermore, taking out $86.24 will reaffirm the uptrend and put $92.02 on the radar.
A federal court halted President Biden's war on America's energy independence by reversing a temporary moratorium on permitting new licenses for liquified natural gas (LNG) exports. This is a major blow to radical climate warriors in the White House ahead of the November presidential elections.

Late Monday, US District Judge James D. Cain Jr. in Louisiana ruled in favor of Louisiana and 15 other red states that had challenged the "temporary pause" on new LNG export licenses. Donald Trump appointed Judge Cain, who wrote that the pause "is completely without reason or logic and is perhaps the epiphany of ideocracy."

The White House announced in January that the Energy Department would temporarily stop approving new LNG export licenses to assess the impact of shipments on global warming.

Patrick Morrisey, the attorney general of West Virginia, called Cain's ruling "a big win for the country's energy industry and the millions of jobs it supports."

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said the DoE's halt on new licenses sparked a lot of uncertainty in her state, with tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure in question. She called yesterday's decision "a major victory for American energy."

The ruling means DoE must restart its permit approval process soon. However, it's unclear when this will happen.

In a note in early February, Matt Egan and Brent Bennett of RealClear Wire wrote that the president's politically motivated actions mainly targeted "Texas and Louisiana, red states that account for the bulk of US LNG exports." Some have speculated that Biden's action could have been a move to retaliate against red states that opposed open southern borders.

A separate report from the Washington Free Beacon said Biden's Climate Czar, John Podesta, ultimately pushed the decision.

Here's more from RealClear Wire's Larry Behrens about Podesta's LNG attack:

As a well-known climate warrior, it makes sense Podesta would be pushing for policies against American energy interests. Yet at the same time, Podesta's brother, Tony, one of DC's most well-connected mega lobbyists, has financial connections to foreign LNG companies, including one with links to a Russian oligarch. It is concerning to see the Podesta family standing to profit from a policy priority of the White House who employs another Podesta. Foreign companies, including Russia, are clear beneficiaries Biden's LNG attack. It should be raising questions about potential conflicts of interest and profit motives at the White House.

Meanwhile, Angelo Fernandez Hernandez, a White House spokesman, told the Washington Post, "We are disappointed in today's ruling. We remain committed to informing our decisions with the best available economic and environmental analysis, underpinned by sound science."

The move by radical climate warriors in the White House to dent America's energy independence comes as US LNG exports have doubled over the last four years.

By Zerohedge.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other leaders who are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will kick off a two-day summit in Kazakhstan starting on July 3 as the bloc is poised to grow again.

But where does this club of mostly illiberal states fit into Beijing and Moscows wider plans?

Finding Perspective: The SCO is helmed by China and Russia, but also includes India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan as members. This years summit is headlined by the admission of Belarus into the organization.

This marks a trajectory of growth for the SCO over its 23-year history. Since it was founded in 2001, the bloc has shifted from a forum mostly focused on Central Asia into a Eurasia-wide organization with ever-growing ambitions.

In its early days, this was centered on China settling its borders with its western neighbors following the collapse of the Soviet Union and looking to expand its influence, while assuaging any anxieties in Moscow. Over time, things have shifted to counterterrorism, economic development, and regional security.

But its also increasingly becoming a venue for Beijing to show its growing heft around the region, a development that is continuing as Xi arrived early in the Kazakh capital, Astana, for a state visit and then will do the same in Tajikistan after the summit.

The bloc has also begun to feature more prominently in shared statements from China and Russia, with the SCO getting notable shout-outs during Xi and Putins no-limits partnership summit in February 2022 and other meetings between both leaders as they look to cooperate more through the organization.

Beijing And Moscow: China and Russias shifting dynamic has been a boost for the SCO.

After years of Russia using the bloc to water down Chinese influence in the region  and blocking Chinese-initiatives like an SCO development bank and free-trade zone  the Kremlin shifted to working more closely with China.

This began during Russia's isolation from the West that took hold in 2014 and has only grown since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has also started to accept that it has fewer cards to freeze out China and that the SCO can serve as a valuable forum to build support and undermine Western claims that the war in Ukraine has turned it into an international pariah.

Why It Matters: As the SCO has grown, its true value rests in symbolism rather than in any practical policy.

On paper, its one of the worlds largest regional organizations, accounting for around one-third of global GDP, roughly 40 percent of the worlds population, and nearly two-thirds of the entire Eurasian landmass.

While China has experimented with multiple iterations of the SCO, its main role has been in offering alternatives to the U.S.-led system and being another forum for Beijing to portray itself as the leader of the Global South.

China still has lots of work ahead if it wants to transform the SCO beyond its reputation as a talk shop for authoritarians. India and Pakistans rivalry will always be an impediment to the organization, but recently its been Beijing and New Delhis fraught relationship thats a factor.

Last years SCO summit in India became a virtual one, reportedly due to an unwillingness to welcome Xi, and at this years summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only leader not attending in person.

Three More Stories From Eurasia

NATO Keeps An Eye On The Asia-Pacific

Russias war in Ukraine is the main issue on NATOs mind, but when leaders from the military alliance gather in Washington on July 9-11, theyll also be turning their attention toward China.

The Details: NATO officials told RFE/RL that the upcoming summit will have a special China session, and the military alliance is looking to include Asia-Pacific partners like Japan, South Korea, and Australia, who have all been invited at the highest level.

While NATO is a defensive alliance focused on European security, China has become more of a focus in recent years.

Outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned in the past about the risks posed by Chinese state firms building critical infrastructure in Europe and said in June that Beijing should face consequences for supplying Russias war effort with dual-use goods.

Is Central Europe Back On The Menu?

After years of setbacks that saw all three Baltic countries withdraw from Chinas forum to engage with Central and Eastern Europe and others downgrade it, Beijing is on a charm offensive that could swing the pendulum in the other direction.

What It Means: Polish President Andrzej Duda recently wrapped up a visit to China, where he praised ties with Beijing and was lauded by Chinese media for his warm attitude.

Hungary is and remains a key partner for China in the region and recently took over the rotating presidency of the EU Council for the rest of 2024 amid tense trade spats between Beijing and Brussels.

In Slovakia, the countrys populist, Euroskeptic government is also apparently flirting with stepping up engagement in the 14+1, the Chinese forum that was previously the 17+1 before Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania pulled out.

Matej Simalcik, executive director of the Central European Institute of Asian Studies, said that Jiang Yu, Chinas special envoy for the 14+1, recently held meetings with Slovak officials in Beijing. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is also slated to visit China this fall.

Now, Duda is nearing the end of his term and Poland elected Donald Tusk, whose stance on China is more critical, as prime minister in December. Duda also used part of his visit to attempt to foster division between Beijing and Moscow during a speech to Chinese university students by bringing up how territories along their shared border were lost to Russia during tsarist times.

The Czech Republic continues to have a government and president that hasnt been shy to criticize Beijing, but a change of government in the near future isnt out of the question.

With populist former Prime Minister Andrej Babis polling strongly, the Czechs could also start to walk back some of their tougher positions if the ruling coalition doesnt survive the next vote.

A Megaproject Comeback

While China has been the main source of foreign direct investment in Central Asia in recent years, Beijing took a step back when it came to building sprawling infrastructure projects.

But with a much-discussed railway between China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan getting the green light, that may be about to change.

What You Need To Know: My Almaty-based colleague Chris Rickleton looked at Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Central Asias two poorest countries, and recent projects and large deals signed with Chinese companies and lenders.

The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway agreement is significant in that it offers some revealing details about the divisions of financial responsibility.

According to the agreement, the 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.

But the issue of its funding is still somewhat unclear. Kyrgyz official estimates for the cost of the railway vary from $4.5 billion to $8 billion. That will likely require large loans from a major Chinese state bank. The agreement proposes using a structure where Kyrgyzstan could limit its debt exposure by granting full control of its portion to a Chinese firm and forfeiting part of the revenue the railway generates from transit fees until building costs are repaid.

In Tajikistan, Chinese investors pledged $500 million in new deals at an expo in June, as well as a $1.5 billion commitment from a Chinese company to build a solar power plant near Tajikistans border with Afghanistan.

The deals could be crucial for Tajikistans investment-starved economy, but the country is already highly indebted to China and has few avenues to pay it down.

Across The Supercontinent

The EV Expansion: The first batch of plug-in hybrids rolled off the assembly line at a new plant from Chinas BYD in Uzbekistan. The Central Asian country is aiming to position itself as the main hub for Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) as the automaker eyes the region for expansion.

Modi To Moscow: Worried by Russias deepening ties with China, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will head to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin, Bloomberg reports.

Rare Earth Edict: Chinas State Council issued a raft of regulations to tighten management of rare earth minerals, which are playing an increasingly strategic role in the global technology race.

Indirect Trade: While much of Chinas support for Russia amid its war in Ukraine occurs bilaterally, an increasing percentage is diverted through Central Asia and other locations. The Atlantic Councils Joseph Webster breaks it down here.

One Thing To Watch

Nicholas Burns, Washingtons ambassador in Beijing, gave an interview to The Wall Street Journal where he rebuked Chinese authorities for undermining attempts to repair ties with the United States, interrogating and intimidating Chinese citizens who attend U.S.-organized events in China, and whipping up anti-American sentiment.

The comments reflect unusually forceful language from Burns and show ongoing frustration over a lack of progress on any attempts at improving relations between Beijing and Washington.

By RFE/RL

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Indias coal production jumped by 14.5% from a year earlier to 84.63 million tons in June, provisional government figures showed, as the worlds second-largest coal consumer presses ahead with a plan to boost domestic thermal coal output.

Last month, Coal India Ltd  which accounts for about 80% of all coal production in the country  saw its output rise to 63.10 million tons, up by 8.9% compared to June 2023.

In addition, Indian companies and thermal power plants raised the volumes of coal stocks they held in June 2024, by 42% and 30% from June 2023, respectively.

Indias Ministry of Coal said last week that the country saw a record decline in the share of imported coal in the past decade, noting that medium and low-grade thermal coal are abundantly available domestically, making it imperative for the country to sufficiently produce to fulfill domestic demand.

Last month, Indias Minister of Coal and Mines, G. Kishan Reddy, said that India plans to increase its domestic coal production and reduce imports.

Earlier this year, Rajat Handa, vice president of international trade at Agarwal Coal, told Reuters that Indias coal imports are not going to be higher than 160 million tons in 2024.

Many coal users that previously imported coal have started to switch to domestic supply, Handa said.

As a result, Indian coal industry officials expect the countrys imports of thermal coal  the one used for power generation  to drop in 2024 for the first time since the start of COVID-19, due to rising domestic coal production and record-high levels of inventories.

In the 2023-2024 fiscal year ending March 2024, Indias total coal production rose by 11.65% to 997.25 million tons, according to data from the Ministry of Coal.

More coal-fired units were fired up at the start of this year in the country, amid a prolonged heatwave with above-normal temperatures which pushed electricity consumption higher. Power demand continued to rise with the expanding economic growth, too.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Editor's Note: Price data on Kazakhstan's CPC crude grade can now be found on our oil prices page

Non-OPEC producer Kazakhstan, which is part of the OPEC+ output deal, raised its oil production in June, exceeding its quota under the alliances agreements, Reuters calculations based on data from sources showed on Wednesday.

Kazakhstans giant oilfield Tengiz has completed planned maintenance, which raised the countrys production in June compared to May. According to Reuters calculations of output data, Kazakhstan produced 1.538 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude last month, up from May, and about 70,000 bpd above its OPEC+ cap of 1.468 million bpd.

Asked to comment on the production data from sources and Reuters calculations, Kazakhstans Energy Ministry told Reuters that the conversion rate for converting tons to bpd is between 6.8 and 8, depending on the density of a crude grade, and did not provide specific production data.

Reuters used a 7.3 conversion ratio.

Kazakhstan has vowed to compensate for overproduction in the OPEC+ deal, as the non-OPEC producer, together with OPECs second-largest producer Iraq, have regularly exceeded their allocated quotas.

The Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC), the OPEC+ panel that monitors oil market developments and the groups production cuts, earlier this year noted that compliance with the cuts needs to improve.

In May, OPEC and Kazakhstan discussed compensation plans for 389,000 bpd of Kazakhstans cumulative overproduction between January and March 2024.

Kazakhstans Energy Ministry said in June that independent sources approved by OPEC+ found that the country had exceeded its quota under the deal by 45,000 bpd in May.

Kazakhstan vowed to submit a compensation schedule to the OPEC Secretariat.

Kazakhstan will address this overproduction and will fully comply in June, including complying with additional voluntary cuts, the ministry said last month.

Furthermore, the Republic of Kazakhstan will compensate for the surplus in production since the beginning of 2024 during the compensation period, which extends until the end of September 2025.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
CVR Energy, a refining company owned by Carl Icahn, is among the bidders for shares in the parent company of Citgo, PDV Holding, Reuters has reported, citing unnamed sources.

CVR Energy operates two refineries, one in Kansas and one in Oklahoma. Carl Icahn holds a 66% stake in the company. The refiner is working with Wells Fargo to raise the money for its bid, the Reuters sources said.

Citgo is the seventh-largest refiner in the United States with a total capacity topping 800,000 barrels per day (bpd). It has plants in Texas, Louisiana, and Illinois, along with pipelines and a gasoline distribution network that supplies 4,200 outlets in the United States.

The sale process of shares to pay creditors and claimants against Venezuelas oil asset appropriation and debts owed by Citgo was launched by the Delaware court in October 2023.

A first bidding round with non-binding offers ended earlier this year, and the deadline for submitting of binding bids in second bidding round was July 1.

Overall, creditors and claimants have sought to recoup at courts in Delaware a total of $24 billion in claims and arbitration awards against Venezuela.

However, in the first round of the auction the highest bid was only $7.3 billion, which is just one-third of the value of the claims approved by the court, Reuters reported in March this year. Two months later, the publication reported that unless bids in the second round come closer to $10 billion, Caracas would seek a third round of offers.

The deadline for bid submission is July 15 and the name of the winning bidder, if there is one, should be announced at the end of the month. According to a representative of the court officer overseeing the auction, there are competitive bids in this round. Per earlier reports, bidders also include activist fund Elliott Investment Management.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Shell announced on Wednesday that it had safely paused some drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico as Hurricane Beryl was preparing to deliver a massive blow to Jamaica, Reuters reported, noting that so far no impact on GOM production had been noted.

On Wednesday, Shell said it had begun evacuating non-essential crew at its Perdido asset in the Gulf of Mexico, as it launched the process of shutting in oil production under the threat of Hurricane Beryl, which reached a Category 5 level earlier in the day, according to Reuters.

After Shell's Stones development, Perdido is the second-deepest oil and gas production hub in the world. Perdido, moored in the US Gulf of Mexico at around 2,450 meters (8,000 feet) of water, began operations in 2010 and paved the way for future developments in deep-water oil and gas recovery.

As a warning of the weather-related threats to the country's oil and energy production, the National Weather Service has upgraded Hurricane Beryl to a Category 5 storm, the earliest hurricane to ever obtain such a designation.

On Monday, the rising intensity of the storm had oil markets on edge, boosting U.S. crude benchmark prices to a two-month high. On Tuesday, Senior analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya from Swissquote Bank said in a note to clients that while Beryl may not immediately impact operations in the Gulf of Mexico, it could potentially cause disruptions later in the week.

In Washington, there is cause for concern that Hurricane Beryl could lead to disruption that would drive U.S. gasoline prices, which could damage the Biden administration ahead of November presidential elections.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
As many countries in Europe look to boost their nuclear power capacities and build more reactors, companies face a workforce challenge as many of the skilled force are retiring while younger generations choose energy jobs in solar and wind.

European countries and companies planning major expansion in nuclear fleets are struggling to fill in thousands of skilled engineering jobs that would support the construction of nuclear reactors, which take years to complete.

Companies in France are hiring back retirees and are collaborating with colleges and universities to promote jobs in the nuclear power sector, Bloomberg reports.

Many Western countries have doubled down on nuclear power since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the energy crisis. Since the start of the war and an energy-market-disrupting series of Western sanctions, nuclear power has regained much support in Europe as a critical aspect of reaching net zero by 2050.

Many countries in the West, with the notable exception of Germany, have recognized that nuclear power generation would help them achieve net-zero emission goals. France, the UK, and Sweden are some of the countries planning to build more reactors over the next two decades to boost the share of zero-emission power sources as the UK and the EU have set goals to become net-zero economies by 2050.

Well need trained resources to get projects off the ground. We dont have much time to react, Philippe Lanoir, president for industry and energy at the Syntec-Ingenierie business federation in France, told Bloomberg.

Frances nuclear power giant EDF expects to recruit around 4,500 employees in permanent roles in the nuclear power industry in France in 2024 alone. But the French Nuclear Industry Association, GIFEN, says that France would need about 10,000 hires per year by 2033 to fill the talent gap.

In the UK, a National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills was launched in May, underpinning the goal of doubling the number of new apprenticeships by 2026 and recruiting 40,000 new jobs by 2030  double the current hiring rate for the sector.

We are delivering the biggest expansion to nuclear power in 70 years and need a homegrown pool of talent that will fuel our nuclear ambitions, said Amanda Solloway, Minister for Affordability and Skills at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
UNITED NATIONS, July 3 (Xinhua) -- While devastating fighting continues in Sudan's southwest Darfur region, its sudden breakout in the southeast region, displacing tens of thousands of people, is alarming, UN humanitarians said on Wednesday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it is alarmed by the displacement in and from Sennar State. The clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in the town of Sinja were sudden and violent, forcing families to flee east toward the neighboring state of Gedaref.

OCHA said it has a team in Gedaref visiting reception sites where displaced families seek shelter. Children and older people are among those arriving in harsh conditions, unable to bring much with them.

The office said it is working with UN agencies and other partners to provide critical humanitarian assistance, with colleagues in Gedaref reporting that people continue to arrive in large numbers. The World Food Programme reported prepositioning more than 2,200 metric tons of food to respond to the crisis.

The humanitarians said they are deeply concerned that the spreading conflict and rising insecurity could sever a key route for transporting humanitarian assistance from Port Sudan in the east. With famine looming, sustaining the delivery of life-saving aid across conflict lines and borders is imperative.

"We call on the parties to de-escalate immediately, spare civilians, and ensure safe passage for those fleeing the fighting in Sinja and all conflict-affected areas in Sudan," OCHA said. "They must have access to the humanitarian assistance they rely on."

In the southwest of Sudan, OCHA said, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported at least eight children, including an 18-month-old, were killed in a reported drone attack on a mosque in El Fasher, North Darfur State, on Monday. Nine other children were injured.

"The mosque had been serving as a community kitchen, providing food to vulnerable children and their families," the humanitarians said. "UNICEF underscores that the senseless killing of children in Sudan must end." 
File Photo

Nigeria ranked the top with the highest of students from Africa studying in the U.S, Rachel Canty, Deputy Director, Student and Exchange Visitor Programme, U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has said.

Speaking at the Foreign Press Centre International Reporting Tour: U.S. Community Colleges and Workforce Development, programme in Washington D.C, Canty said Nigeria has 16,039 students in the U.S.

The tour was organised by the Foreign Press Centre, Bureau of Public Affairs, U.S Department of State to provide foreign journalists with information on opportunity available to foreign students in community college in U.S.

Nigeria has continued to retain its top ranking as the number one source of African students studying in the U. S. with over 16000 students as at March pursuing their educational goals

There are over 36,000 students from Sub Saharan Africa studying in the U.S.

As of March 2019, there are 16,039 students from Nigeria studying in the United States with 54 per cent male and 46 per cent female students.

This is an increase of 3,342 students over 12,693 students recorded in November 2018, she stated,

She said that undergraduate students constituted 34 per cent, Masters students was, 36 per cent, as Doctorate formed 12 per cent, while Associate 12 per cent, non-degree and others formed 5 per cent.

According to her, the top five states for Nigerian students in U.S include Texas with 2,713, California, 856 students, Maryland, 827 students, New York, 818 students and Florida 753 students.

Students from Nigeria attended about 800 institutions in each of Americas 50 states. The most popular state is Texas, with 2,713 students, while the most popular college/university is Houston Community College, with 220 students.

Mathew Washburn, Programme Officer, Education USA, U.S. Department of State explained that the number of international students in the U.S surpassed one million for the third consecutive year,

The number he said increased by 1.5 per cent to reach a new high of 1,094,792 million, in 2018 adding that U.S remains the top host of international students globally.

International students made a significant financial impact on the United States in 2017, contributing 42.4 billion dollars to the U.S. economy through tuition, room and board, and other expenses, he said.

According to him, 450,000 U.S jobs are supported by hosting international students on U.S. campuses.

NAN
Two Christians were on their way to preach Christ in Iganga town, eastern Uganda on May 28 when they took a wrong turn.

Tenywa Herbert, 34, and 30-year-old Mukisa Siraji had led several Muslims to Christ in other communities, including some rural imams, or mosque leaders. Deciding to share the gospel where they had mistakenly arrived along the Iganga-Kaliro road, they began a street outreach at about 6 p.m., reading from both the Quran and the Bible, Siraji said.

We landed among some angry Muslims who were hunting for me, Siraji told Morning Star News. Before completing our message, one sheikh called Jaberi, the imam of one of the mosques in Kaliro, who had a big beard, ordered other Muslims to beat us and get Jannah (Paradise). We were grabbed and flogged publicly until my leg was hit with a hammer, and it got broken totally.

After beating them, the assailants forced them into their vehicle and drove them to Buseyi village, he said.

They threw us around Buseyi village, where a good Samaritan found us and took us to Iganga Hospital, Siraji said. He contacted our home people, and the pastors and other Christians came and took us to a specialist in Kumi, where we are getting treatment now.

Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up

The attackers tore their Bibles and tracts to pieces and destroyed them, he added.

The attack was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.



Ugandas constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate ones faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12 percent of Ugandas population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.
BLOOMINGTON  Dave Fulghum isnt a wedding photographer. He said hes never been one or chosen to be one.

Fulghum, 64, primarily does business-to-business photography, like headshots and corporate architecture, as well as portraits. But the Bloomington photographer and former biologist/chemist did say a friend hes known since high school asked him to shoot his spring wedding in Williams, Arizona.

Since Im gonna be taking all of my gear to shoot the wedding ... I might as well just turn it into a big ole road trip, Fulghum said.

The wedding was May 18, and Fulghum's westward road journey was routed through Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. After the wedding in Arizona, Fulghum visited his daughter for 10 days in the Ogden, Utah, area.

Its 4,600 miles, round trip. It took me 21 days and I stopped at everything worth shooting for that whole 21 days, he said.

Taking it easy

By his return to Bloomington, Fulghum said he had captured a lot of landscapes, a genre of photography to which he said he brings a lot of architectural photography experience. Thats also what he said sets him apart as a photographer.

I tend to not necessarily force perspective, but I use it to my advantage, he said.

One stop on the way out west was at the Very Large Array, a radio telescope observatory two hours southwest of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The site was featured in the 1997 movie Contact starring Jodie Foster.

Fulghum said he only planned to stay 45 minutes, but stayed for three hours.

It was one of those things where I really didnt know what to expect, he said, adding the imaging layers were spectacular.

The skies were kind of cloudy and blustery  just a little bit angry, Fulghum continued. I got a lot of drama in the skies around there.

Then, in Winslow, Arizona, he went to a park commemorating the second-verse lyrics of The Eagles' song Take It Easy. Parked in the corner of the park is a red Ford flatbed truck.

Theyve got a whole thing set up for that. Its hilarious, said Fulghum. He also made it to the monumental meteor impact crater in the northern part of Arizona.

Fulghum also stopped by Grand Falls in Joplin, Missouri.

Its a beautiful little cascade waterfall, just very placid, he said.

And in South Dakota, he said he got up in the early morning hours and made it to Mount Rushmore right at sunrise.

It was truly a spectacular morning, he said.

Eye for Ansel

Fulghums Grand Canyon imagery is framed about curvaceous edges of mountainous topography in monochrome. Shown with imposing effect are scenic rims from front to back.

Fulghum said there is a tremendous amount of history to been in American landscape. Since parts of Utah and Arizona have a dry climate, he said things age, but they dont fall apart.

That includes a pioneer corral he captured in Warner Valley, Utah.

"It's dramatic ... it's living history," he said. "It's part of the American West, it's what made us, us ... and it's still there."

In the middle of the Great Salt Lake in Utah is Antelope Island. Fulghum said its home to a bison herd, and a lot of antelope and other wildlife.

Thats unchanged for the last millennia. Theyve always been out there, he said, adding the same scenes were observed by indigenous peoples a thousand years ago.

Fulghum returned to Illinois June 4. When post-processing his frames, he said he hadnt realized how much Ansel Adams Ive soaked up over the years," referring to the American photographer well known for his landscape works, especially in the Western United States.

Looking over his landscapes work from southern Utah and the Grand Canyon, he said, its just got Adams written all over it.

Fulghum said hes been studying photography since he was 14 years old. He also said theres a lot of photojournalism in his work, noting he shot for newspapers for four years in the south suburbs of Chicago.

He said he uses Photoshop and Lightroom for editing, but more to enhance his material as opposed to making broad changes.

Once, he photographed with his iPhone a blue, mountainside church in Seyisfjorur, Iceland, and posted the photo to social media. Fulghum said was told to edit out the telephone lines and cars from the picture, and recolor the church as white.

No, Im not going to do that, because if someone sees my work  when they go stand where I was standing, I want them to see exactly what I saw, Fulghum said.

This is reality. This is what it is, he said, noting he doesnt erase objects from his photos or change backgrounds.

Well, it is there. So, deal with it.

Fulghums third photography book published his work from Iceland and is available for ordering on his website.

GET IN FOCUS David Fulghum plans to teach the following photography classes this fall for the McLean County Arts Center: Photography basics, shooting in manual mode

Emotive photography

Christmas lights in downtown Bloomington

Hike at Sugar Grove Nature Center Class dates will be posted Friday. To sign up, visit mcac.wildapricot.org. Also check out: davefulghumimagemaker.com

Bird's-eye view: A look at some Bloomington-Normal-area stadiums using drone photography BLOOMINGTON HIGH SCHOOL OLYMPIA HIGH SCHOOL NORMAL COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL TRI-VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL LEROY HIGH SCHOOL BLOOMINGTON HIGH SCHOOL OLYMPIA HIGH SCHOOL TRI-VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL
The U.S. Supreme Court ended its term with a highly anticipated decision that provides American presidents with a modicum of immunity from criminal charges. The case was ostensibly about former President Donald Trump, but the ruling sets guidelines intended to ensure the nation  regardless of which man, woman or party holds the Oval Office  doesnt become mired in a series of retaliatory and vindictive prosecutions.

Progressives, fixated on Trump, argue that the 6-3 decision creates a law-free zone around the president, as Justice Sonia Sotomayor described it in her dissent. But it does nothing of the sort.

The president enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority, "and not everything the president does is official. The president is not above the law. But Congress may not criminalize the presidents conduct in carrying out the responsibilities of the executive branch under the Constitution.

Note that the court explicitly rejected Trumps claim of absolute immunity. Trump asserts a far broader immunity, the majority opinion holds, than the limited one we have recognized.

But the idea, put forth by special prosecutor Jack Smith and the government that a president has no special protection is equally pernicious. Would it be good for the country to allow a former president to face politically motivated prosecutions involving a policy dispute?

In the current political climate, such concerns are not theoretical.

Virtually every president is criticized for insufficiently enforcing some aspect of federal law (such as drug, gun, immigration or environmental laws), Roberts wrote. An enterprising prosecutor in a new administration may assert that a previous president violated that broad statute. Without immunity, such types of prosecutions of ex-presidents could quickly become routine.

The decision will require federal courts to hold evidentiary hearings to determine which actions charged by Smith amount to official and unofficial acts. But it in no way stops the government from prosecuting Trump for actions he took that were unrelated to his duties as president. Trumps attorney conceded during oral arguments that some of the conduct that caught Smiths attention was related to unofficial actions.

Despite the apocalyptic protestations of the dissenting liberal justices, the majority has carved out a middle ground that rejects the extreme arguments made by both the former president and the special prosecutor who pursues him. Trump  or any other president  is not above the law. But neither should they be victims of politically motivated criminal prosecutions.
With African countries now adopting a more sustainable and eco-friendly way of exploiting their mineral resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, MP, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has laid special emphasis on the need for mutually beneficial partnership between African countries and their European counterparts.



Delivering the keynote address at the 2024 Mining On Top Africa Conference in Paris, France on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, the Lands Minister expressed the urgent need for the jettisoning of the historical inequalities that has existed between mineral-producing African countries and the developed countries, noting that a relationship that guarantees mutual benefit for both the West and Africa will be a step in furtherance of attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development.



Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor explained that mineral-producing countries are transitioning from the outmoded practice of dug and ship with the new method anchored on value addition and local participation.



He emphasized the overarching importance of a partnership anchored on equitable distribution of benefits as that will help African countries to raise the resources to play a central role in the fight against climate change.



The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provides a framework to address climate change, resource depletion, and socioeconomic inequalities which threaten the well-being of our global community. Mutually beneficial mining partnerships between Europe and Africa is crucial to meeting these 2030 Goals. For our modern day lives, depend, largely, on mining and the appropriate use of variety of minerals", he said.



We must, therefore, consider the benefits generated through value addition and the ability to transform them into innovative products and associated service, to meet the needs of modern living. We must ensure that the framework for the exploitation of these minerals, favourably, generates benefits which are equitably distributed among all stakeholders, including countries and communities that host these minerals.



Through these partnerships, we can tackle environmental degradation, social conflicts, and economic inequalities, while promoting efficiency and safety at the mine. Our Economic Partnership Agreements must, therefore, be designed not only to foster trade and investment, but promote value addition to the minerals we mine, create job opportunities for economic growth, and tackle poverty, he said.



With Ghana being one of the African countries which has set sail in the implementation of environment-friendly policies in its mining sector, Hon. Jinapor took time to list some of the initiatives and detail their transformational impacts.



This, obviously, calls for the implementation of mining-friendly policies that protect the interest of citizens and investors alike, while championing environmental sustainability. That is why Ghana, under the distinguished leadership of President Akufo-Addo, has adopted a Green Minerals Policy which aims at promoting value addition and beneficiation across the value chain of our green minerals, while contributing, substantially, to the green energy transition.



Our aim is to ensure the retention of the full value chain of these critical minerals in the country, to the extent possible. Already, we have established through a Public Private Partnership, a four hundred kilogramme (400kg) capacity gold refinery, to refine the gold we produce.



We are, also, promoting, through this Policy, local content and local participation across the value chain of our green minerals, from exploration, through mining to downstream production, to ensure that Ghanaians, who are by our national Constitution, the owners of these minerals, benefit optimally from them, the Minister said.



The Minister also emphasized importance of fairness and inclusivity in the rewarding of African countries who have committed to facilitating the platform for the spurring of Green Mineral Resources in their countries.



He implored the countries to live up to the tenets of the Paris Agreement which enjoins the countries to commit resources to the fight against climate change.



We must, therefore, use this opportunity to renew our commitment to tackling climate change, through measures such as the green energy transition, which mining plays a central role in its implementation.



This transition, must, however, be fair, just, inclusive, and carry everyone along. It must not be pursued in a manner that only benefits the consumers of clean energy  investors and their home countries. But it must be done in a way that benefits the ultimate producers of the minerals required for the transition, who have consistently suffered the historical injustice commonly referred to as the resource curse. The need for balance, and, indeed, equity is critical for sustainability, and inclusive development, he said.



Mining On Top Africa Conference is a prestigious event that brings together Ministers from various African countries and prominent industry stakeholders for a two-day summit focused on fostering partnerships between European and African nations for the sustainable exploration and development of mineral resources.



Mr. Benjamin Gallezot, an expert from the Department of Critical Metals in France, in a speech read on his behalf, emphasized that sustainability and value addition in mineral exploration are pressing issues that require immediate attention.



He expressed hope that the partnership between African countries and Europe will enable Africa to add significant value to its mineral resources and prioritize energy transition, while aligning with the Paris Agreement.



This collaboration, he believes, will also be crucial in harnessing mineral resources to drive sustainable development and mitigate climate change.

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 Ladies Forum of Stanbic Bank Ghana, Blue Fusion, has donated a range of medical equipment to the Women and Childrens Unit of the Upper West Regional Hospital in Wa. This donation forms part of the Forums ongoing commitment to community development.



The donated items include three adult beds, three fetal dopplers, two blood pressure monitors, three digital baby weighing scales, and three baby warmer systems.



Leading the team from the bank, Margaret Obimpeh, Head of Affluent, and Chairperson of Blue Fusion presented the items to the hospital staff. She commended them for their hard work and shared that this donation is part of their mission to support quality healthcare delivery.



She said, We are part of the ladies Forum in the bank, which we call Blue Fusion. We set this group up purposely to advance the career growth and development of the women in the bank. Additionally, we believe in making a positive impact on the communities within which we operate, through focus areas such as health and education. We know that health is wealth and if women who are the backbone of SMEs in Ghana, are healthy, they will be more productive and create wealth for themselves and their families.



She added, This quarter we decided to visit the Upper West Regional Hospital to give back. Our mission here is simple, we are here to support the mother and child unit of the hospital.



This is our widows mite to the hospital to help the doctors and nurses improve the quality of healthcare services they provide to our women and children.



We are impressed by the sacrifices they make daily to support these mothers and children and we felt it necessary to play our part. On behalf of Stanbic Bank and the Blue Fusion Ladies forum of the Bank, we are excited to present these items to you. It is our genuine hope that through this you can do much more than you already do and help even more women in the community receive access to healthcare.



Dr. Amesiya Robert, Medical Director of the Upper West Regional Hospital, in receiving the items said, we strive to be the best unit in the country and very recently we were looking to expand. We cannot take care of all the patients we receive, because we are also a referral centre.



This donation is therefore very timely and will go a long way to improve our services to those in need. We are grateful to the Blue Fusion ladies of Stanbic Bank for this donation. We understand that we are in a harsh financial climate but you have still gone out of your way to reach out and support those in need. Thank you very much."



The Stanbic Ladies Forum, Blue Fusion, was launched to pave the way for a brighter and more inclusive future for women in the bank and to promote gender equity and empowerment. Earlier this year the Forum donated reading and learning materials worth GH30,000 to Serwaa Nyarko Girls SHS in Kumasi.







Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
In an official communication to the Ministry of Information, the Public Policy Manager for Anglophone West Africa for Meta Sade Dada announced the monetization of its expanded features for content creators in Ghana.



As part of the monetization, creators will also have the option to earn a share of revenue from Facebooks in-stream ads, thus, when Meta places ads next to their contents.



The app developer intends to roll out ads on reels which also seeks to earn a share of revenue for creators from ads it places on their reels on Facebook with further plans to expand its monetization features on Instagram later this year.



Content creators must pass and be compliant with the Meta Partner Monetization Policies and Content Monetization Policies.



These policies include deeper restrictions than the community standards on the content itself and the format of presentation.



Advertisers are also required to follow Metas advertising standards designed to protect users from poor experience and support meaningful connection between people and businesses across its technologies.



The monetization of content in Ghana is to empower content creators to earn money locally from their online content and access advanced features to manage businesses online.



The expansion of the monetization tools is a significant milestone that will help content creators in Ghana to leverage their online presence and build their brands.



On behalf of the Government, the Ministry commends Meta for this significant investment in Ghana's digital future.



We are set to facilitate further engagement between Meta and the New Media Association of Ghana to explore more opportunities.



The Ministry looks forward to continued collaboration to promote digital innovation and entrepreneurship in Ghana. We are optimistic that the expansion will create new opportunities for our talented creators and support the growth of Ghana's digital economy.



For further details on the available options, content creators can look up for Meta for Creators (https://creators.facebook.com/), a dedicated portal that offers creators guidance on how to utilize the monetization tools for their benefits.

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
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on Saturday (June 29) handed the death sentence to a Christian for allegedly sharing a blasphemous video on a social media platform despite lack of evidence, his attorney said.

Sahiwal District Anti-Terrorism Judge Ziaullah Khan delivered the sentence to 27-year-old Ehsaan (nickname Shan) Masih under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which mandates the death sentence for blaspheming Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.

Masihs lawyer, Khurram Shahzad Maan, said Masih testified that he had categorically denied creating or posting any blasphemous content on social media.

The police recovered Masihs phone from his house and sent it to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) for examination, Maan told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. The PFSA report concluded that no blasphemous material was found on the accuseds phone or TikTok account.

A police officer was the complainant against Masih, and all prosecution witnesses were also police officials, the attorney said.

Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up

Despite there being no direct evidence against Masih, the court relied on the statements given by the prosecution witnesses and sentenced him to death, which is a gross miscarriage of justice, Maan said.

Masih was also sentenced to a 10-year jail term under Section 295-A, blaspheming Islam, and he was convicted him under Section 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and Section 7(1)(g) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, resulting in prison terms of seven years and five years respectively.

Sahiwal police arrested Masih on Aug. 19, 2023, accusing him of sharing on his TikTok account a video containing a letter that triggered Aug. 16 Jaranwala riots by Muslims furious over its alleged blasphemous content.

Maan said the First Information Report against Masih was initially registered under sections 295-A and 295-B (defiling the Quran) of the blasphemy statutes, along with sections related to electronic crimes and anti-terrorism.

Section 295-C, which carries a mandatory death sentence for insulting Islams prophet, Muhammad, was added later on the insistence of the prosecutor, he said. Implicating Masih in 295-C is absurd, because he had not uttered or written anything derogatory against Prophet Muhammad; he was just accused of sharing the alleged blasphemous letter.

The attorney said the harsh verdict was unjustified because the matter was a clear case of no evidence.

The letter in question had been circulating on social media due to the Jaranwala incident, and it is a fact that Ehsaan Masih did not author it, he said. Also, no one witnessed him uploading or sharing the controversial letter on his social media account.

The Organization for Legal Aid arranged for Maan to provide legal support to the impoverished Masih, who worked at a brick kiln.

We are devastated by the verdict, Masihs elder brother, Yousaf Masih, told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News, but we have faith in the Lord that Hell make a way for my brothers freedom. We are looking for a good lawyer to challenge the sentence in the Lahore High Court.

The family belongs to the Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church in Sahiwal, he said.

Minorities Alliance Pakistan (MAP) President Advocate Akmal Bhatti said the verdict contained glaring loopholes.

The prosecution failed to provide concrete evidence in support of the allegations, while all the witnesses were police officials, Bhatti said. The witnesses have said on record that neither the video was created nor was it shared on the social media in their presence.

Even if Masih had shared the video without considering the consequences, at best he should have been charged under the PECA laws, Bhatti said.

Its a fact that he has not said nor written anything insulting for Islams prophet, nor committed any terrorism, so convicting him under these sections is uncalled for, Bhatti said.

The MAP chairman also criticized police for adding terrorism charges in blasphemy cases.

This is being done mainly under the pressure of Islamist extremist groups to target minority communities, especially Christians, he said.

The superior judiciary must take notice of this harsh sentence as well as lacunas in the prosecutions case and accept Masihs appeal, he stressed.

National Council of Churches in Pakistan President Bishop Azad Marshall was also critical of the judgment.

The video in question was circulating widely on the social media since Aug. 16, 2023, and was even present in the phones of several Muslims, including police officials, Marshall said. Does it make all these people blasphemers? Absolutely not.

Marshall said the excessive sentence also vindicated Christians concerns that justice could not be expected for blasphemy suspects from trial courts.

In over 90 percent of blasphemy cases, the trial courts have convicted the accused even if there was no evidence against them, he said. This is done due to fear and pressure of the religious groups. Our judges do not realize the agony the victims have to suffer for years in prison until the superior courts discharge the cases on grounds of weak evidence.

At the same time, the same courts are more than willing to grant bail to perpetrators of religiously-motivated violence, he said.

In the Jaranwala cases, only a few are expected to go on trial, as a majority of those involved in attacking churches and homes of Christians have walked free on bail, he said. This discrimination in dispensation of justice does not bode well for the country.

On Aug. 16, a mob attacked several Christian properties in Jaranwala, ransacked more than 20 churches and destroyed at least 100 houses following false accusations of blasphemy against two Christian brothers. The two brothers were later exonerated from blasphemy charges by the ATC in Faisalabad. Another Christian bearing personal enmity toward them had framed the brothers, according to police.

Officers registered 22 cases under the Pakistan Penal Code and anti-terrorism law and arrested more than 100 people for rioting in Jaranwala, but none have been convicted so far.

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.
The Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) has officially declared a nationwide strike, set to begin on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.



The decision to go on strike comes as a response to the governments failure to implement a new salary structure that was approved by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission over one and a half years ago.



The association expressed frustration over the delayed implementation of the proposed salary adjustments, which were part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was reached previously.



CLOGSAG has emphasized the importance of fair compensation for its members and highlighted the urgency of addressing this issue promptly.



In a statement, the Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, Isaac Bampoe Addo said all of its members should abide by the directive until the government meets their demands.



Indicating our intentions to proceed on a nationwide strike if the new salary structure for the staff of the civil service and local government service is not implemented, we hereby declare a nationwide strike with effect from Wednesday, July 3, 2024.



All staff of the civil service and local government service are to stay away from work until further notice. Similarly, all CLOGSAG secretarial offices must be closed. Kindly take note and comply accordingly.



The impending strike is expected to have a significant impact on various government services across the country, as CLOGSAG represents a substantial number of civil and local government staff in Ghana. The association has called on the government to engage in constructive dialogue to resolve the salary dispute.

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
Private legal Practitioner, Professor Kwaku Asare has raised legal and ethical issues over the request of the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Torkonoo to appoint five Justices to the Supreme Court.



The Chief Justice, on the 30th of May, 2024, presented names of five justices to the President to be appointed at the Apex court following their sterling performances in Ghana and other parts of the subregion.



This action of the Chief Justice has raised several concerns about the position on the constitution on what processes that ought to be followed in appointing a Justice to the Supreme Court.



Quoting Article 144(2) of the 1992 constitution, Professor Kwaku Asare maintained that, the Supreme Court Justices are appointed by the President acting on the advice of the Judicial Council, in consultation with the Council of State and with the approval of Parliament.



Professor Asare explained, This process ensures that the selection of Supreme Court Justices is collaborative and impartial, involving multiple stakeholders to preserve the independence and integrity of the judiciary. Article 144(2) does not name the Chief Justice in this appointment process. Thus, when the Chief Justice proposes names directly to the President, it undermines this process, thereby compromising the constitutional framework designed to prevent undue influence and maintain judicial impartiality.



The Private legal practitioner stated that, the involvement of the Chief Justice in the selection or appointment of Justices to the Supreme Court could compromise the separation of powers, thereby, creating doubts on the minds of the Ghanaians of how independent the judiciary is.



First, the Chief Justices involvement in proposing nominees could compromise the separation of powers, which ensures that the judiciary remains independent from the executive branch. The framers were justifiably concerned about direct communications between the President and the Chief Justice, as it can lead to a reciprocal exchange of favors.



He added that, the involvement of the Chief Justice in the appointment of the Judges might also raise the issue of bias or vested interest that could influence her recommendations.



Second, the Chief Justice might have biases or vested interests that could influence her recommendations, leading to questions about the impartiality of the nominees. This problem is further compounded by the unconstitutional practice that allows the Chief Justice to determine Court Panels that hear cases, including political cases, and the more recent practice of reconstituting panels that are hearing cases. The framers clearly addressed conflicts of interest in Article 284, which provides that a public officer shall not put themselves in a position where their personal interest conflicts or is likely to conflict with the performance of their offices functions. There is no conflict of interest more glaring than a Chief Justice whose hands are in the appointment, empanelling, and reconstitution of panels for the apex court.



This follow a formal request to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to nominate five judges to the Supreme Court of Ghana, aiming to strengthen the judiciary with highly qualified and experienced legal minds.



The names nominated for appointment to the Supreme Court include; Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botchwey, the presiding judge in the ambulance case involving Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, as well as Justice Afia Asare Botwe, Justice Cyra Pamela Koranteng, Justice Edward Amoako Asante, Justice Eric Kyei Baffuour, and Justice Angelina Mensah Homiah.





Read his full text below:



The Imperial CJ Strikes Again



The Chief Justice recently (30th May 2024) sent a confidential request to the President to appoint five judges to the Supreme Court: Their Lordships Edward Amoako Asante, Eric Kyei Baffuor, and Their Ladyships Angelina Mensah Homiah, Cyra Pamela Koranteng, and Afua Asare Botwe.



According to the Chief Justice, His Lordship Asante has provided excellent leadership as President of the ECOWAS Court and will undoubtedly be an invaluable asset to the Supreme Court. The remaining four judges, who are currently judges of the Court of Appeal, are recommended because their work has been distinguished by outstanding service, courage, and competence.



Article 144(2) of the Constitution provides that Supreme Court Justices shall be appointed by the President acting on the advice of the Judicial Council, in consultation with the Council of State and with the approval of Parliament.



This process ensures that the selection of Supreme Court Justices is collaborative and impartial, involving multiple stakeholders to preserve the independence and integrity of the judiciary. Article 144(2) does not name the Chief Justice in this appointment process. Thus, when the Chief Justice proposes names directly to the President, it undermines this process, thereby compromising the constitutional framework designed to prevent undue influence and maintain judicial impartiality.



While the Chief Justice is the chairman of the Judicial Council that advises the President, the Council consists of various members such as the Attorney-General, Justices from different courts, representatives of the Ghana Bar Association, and other legal and non-legal members. The diverse composition of the Judicial Council is intended to ensure a balanced and unbiased approach to advising the President on judicial appointments. The Chief Justice unilaterally proposing names disrupts this balance and violates the intended collaborative decision-making process.



There are several legal and ethical grounds on which the Chief Justices unilateral request to the President should be challenged. First, the Chief Justices involvement in proposing nominees could compromise the separation of powers, which ensures that the judiciary remains independent from the executive branch. The framers were justifiably concerned about direct communications between the President and the Chief Justice, as it can lead to a reciprocal exchange of favors.



Second, the Chief Justice might have biases or vested interests that could influence her recommendations, leading to questions about the impartiality of the nominees. This problem is further compounded by the unconstitutional practice that allows the Chief Justice to determine Court Panels that hear cases, including political cases, and the more recent practice of reconstituting panels that are hearing cases. The framers clearly addressed conflicts of interest in Article 284, which provides that a public officer shall not put themselves in a position where their personal interest conflicts or is likely to conflict with the performance of their offices functions. There is no conflict of interest more glaring than a Chief Justice whose hands are in the appointment, empanelling, and reconstitution of panels for the apex court.



Third, the Chief Justices role is to interpret and uphold the law, not to influence the selection process of other justices of the Supreme Court. Her involvement could unduly influence the Presidents decision, undermining the objectivity of the nomination process. The Constitution and established protocols dictate in very clear terms the process for judicial nominations. Any deviation from these procedures is unlawful.



Fourth, public confidence in the judicial system relies on the perception of fairness and impartiality. Public confidence is at an all-time low, according to recent surveys. The Chief Justice proposing names would only further erode this confidence.



Additionally, the process of naming some judges but not others suggests favoritism or partiality. The Chief Justices action could introduce needless friction in the judiciary. Judicial ethics require judges to avoid any actions that might compromise their independence or the independence of the judiciary. Proposing nominees could be seen as engaging in political activities, which is generally discouraged, if not barred, for judges.



An even more serious question is whether the Chief Justices action constitutes misconduct under the Constitution. Article 146(1) states that a Justice of the Superior Court or a Chairman of a Regional Tribunal shall not be removed from office except for stated misbehavior, incompetence, or inability to perform the functions of their office due to infirmity of body or mind.



In my opinion, misbehavior in this context includes actions that are unconstitutional, unlawful, violate ethical standards, abuse power, and compromise the independence of the judiciary.



The Chief Justice engaging in the nomination process is a clear breach of these standards, as it represents a conflict of interest and an abuse of the influence and authority vested in the position. The Constitution and the Court Act prohibit the Chief Justice from participating in the nomination process. It is the Judicial Council, not the Chief Justice, that is assigned a role in the nomination process. When it comes to the exercise of power, if it is not explicitly granted, it is forbidden. Therefore, sidestepping the constitutional scheme, as the Chief Justice has done, is a direct violation of the Constitution and constitutes misbehavior under Article 144.



Using the position of Chief Justice to propose names for judicial appointments is an abuse of power since it bypasses the established processes for nominations that do not involve the Chief Justice qua Chief Justice. This meets the definition of misbehavior.



By influencing the nomination process, the Chief Justice could be perceived as compromising the independence of the judiciary. This could be considered misbehavior as it affects the integrity and impartiality of the judicial system.



Further, proposing nominees outside the legal framework could be seen as engaging in political activities, which constitutes misbehavior because it violates the ethical standards expected of judicial officers. Judges are typically required to remain apolitical to preserve the impartiality of the judiciary.



The Chief Justices action clearly constitutes a conflict of interest, given the professional ties with the nominees, which compromises the fairness of the nomination process. The Chief Justices action could also destabilize morale in the judiciary, as it raises questions of favoritism.



To sum up, the Chief Justice proposing names to the President for Supreme Court nominations not only breaches constitutional provisions but also constitutes misconduct. It undermines the principles of judicial independence and impartiality, constitutes an abuse of power, and creates a conflict of interest. Such actions fall under the definition of misbehavior as outlined in Article 146(1) and therefore constitute grounds for removal.



The integrity of the judicial appointment process relies on adherence to established constitutional procedures, and any deviation from these procedures by the Chief Justice should not be countenanced or treated lightly.



#SALL is the cardinal sin of the 8th Parliament.



By Professor Kwaku Asare, a private legal practitioner













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
The US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, has lauded the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, for his exceptional leadership qualities.



The US envoy said Nii Teiko Tsuru had demonstrated unique leadership qualities since assuming office, and needed to be commended. The American diplomat paid a courtesy call on the Ga Traditional Council in Accra last Friday during which she showered praise on the Ga Mantse for his quest to promote unity among the people of the Ga State.



Ms Palmer particularly praised the traditional leader for how he had addressed chieftaincy issues in his jurisdiction, and appealed to him to open his doors wider for collaboration on such matters.



She said the Ga Mantse's commitment to girl-child development and leadership were worth mentioning, and praised him for his efforts to enrol more girls in formal education and vocational training ventures.



Efforts

She cited the renovation of the King Tackie Tawiah Senior High School by King Teiko Tsuru as a classic epitome of a leader who had girl-child education at heart.



The Ga Mantse, only last Wednesday, unveiled the renovated King Tackie Tawiah 1 Cluster of Schools at Adabraka in Accra, a basic school established in memory of his late grandfather, King Tackie Tawiah I.



The renovation of the school was part of the kings effort to improve educational facilities for the youth in the traditional area in one of his efforts to improve educational infrastructure in his jurisdiction.



Nii Teiko Tsuru appealed for support from the United States to assist the Ga State with the resources and expertise necessary to deal with waste management in particular, a campaign the traditional leader has currently embarked on.



He expressed appreciation to the US Ambassador and her team for the visit, saying the gesture would further strengthen the cordial relationship between the two entities.

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
Africa's finest principal dentist and chairman of the renowned Beaver Health Group, Dr. Dennis Emeka Ilogu has been crowned Ghana's Most Outstanding Personality in Dentistry at the just-ended Business Executive Excellence Awards 2024 held at the Ghana Marriot Hotel in Accra.



The significant award recognizes his exceptional leadership qualities and outstanding dedication to providing high-quality healthcare in the country, as well as being a highly respected figure advocating for best business practices in the dentistry sector.



The 10th edition of the event, held on Friday, June 28th, 2024 seeks to identify and publicly recognize private enterprises, public institutions and individuals that have displayed exemplary conduct and chalked up extraordinary accomplishments with regard to their business activities over the previous one-year period.



For him, the award authenticates the company's continuous growth and contribution to the Ghana Health Industry and the Ghanaian economy.



Speaking to the media after receiving the all-prestigious honour, Dr. Dennis Emeka Ilogu said, the award means a lot to his consistent determination to build a formidable and Proficient brand in the healthcare fraternity.



According to him, the award reflects the company's dedication and commitment to building the dentistry industry.



"I am extremely grateful for such a wonderful milestone at this highest magnitude. I will continue to work hard to achieve the vision of becoming the best across the globe. I dedicate this award to our cherished clients ", he said.



Always and previously known as Beaver Clinic, the company is expanding to become Beaver Health Group with a 360 degree approach to healthcare, as the GP practice and Pharmacy come on board, to complement the dental. In this way, Beaver Health Group is positioning itself as a leader in the Healthcare industry and setting a benchmark for others to follow.



Profile Of Dr. Dennis Emeka Ilogu (Chairman, Beaver Health Group)



Dr Dennis Ilogu is the Principal Dentist & Chairman of Beaver Clinic Limited, a premium dental office with a branch in Accra, the new St. Michaels Specialist Hospital Lapaz and Kumasi. Patients include captains of various industries across Africa, corporates, diplomats, and government officials. With over 40 years experience, Dr Dennis graduated from the University of Leeds Dental School in 1983 and went straight into general dental practice. He ran a predominantly NHS dental practice in the Fallowfield area of Manchester from 1983 to 2004, when he sold to his associates to concentrate on Ghana.



In 1978, Dr. Dennis Ilogu graduated from the University of Nigeria with a B.Sc in Zoology and completed his National Youth Service Corps in Nigeria the following year. In 1983, he graduated from Leeds University School of Dentistry in the UK with a degree in Dentistry. From 1985 to 2004, he acquired a dental practice in the Fallowfield area of Manchester that was struggling after the founder's death five

years prior.



Through hard work and dedication, he turned it into a successful practice that focused on NHS and private patients. In 2004, he sold the practice to his associate but remained as the landlord.



In 2005, he sold his real estate portfolio to focus on Ghana, where Beaver Clinic Ltd. was incorporated to provide holistic healthcare services. Initially, dentistry was the focus and was carried out in a mobile unit until they bought the current site in 2007. In 2016, they completed the construction of their flagship eco-friendly premises, which houses Beaver Clinic Ltd, Dental Resources Ltd (where Dr. Dennis

Ilogu has a 50:50 ownership), and Arcoa Ghana Ltd.



Dr. Dennis Ilogu's son Obi and his German business partner Mr. Markus are now part of the team to realize his original goal of a holistic or the 360-degree approach to healthcare. He is also counting on the help and support of his younger brother Dr. Noel Ilogu and childhood friend Prof. Chuka Nwokolo, as well as colleagues, Dr. Jamal Johnston and Dr. Edmund Edi Osagie, who are all very able professionals.



Beaver Clinic Limited (BCL) is an established company, founded in 1999, specializing in dental services. Their primary mission has consistently been to deliver premium dental care and related services in a professional and user-friendly setting.



In 2016, BCL achieved a significant milestone with the completion of Beaver House, an environmentally conscious flagship facility located in the prestigious Airport Residential Area of Accra. Beaver House accommodates the dental practice on the ground floor, while the first floor houses support offices, and additional floors are leased out as part of their real estate portfolio. BCL takes great pride in their cutting-edge equipment and advanced procedures, resulting in beautiful and long-lasting smiles for their clients.



In 2022, BCL expanded its reach by opening a branch practice in Kumasi, situated within the Medcourt Pharmacy building opposite Bar Naas in Nyiaeso-Ahodwo.



Further enhancing their portfolio, in 2023, BCL entered into a partnership with SMSH (St Michael's Specialist Hospital) in Lapaz, Accra, where they operate a general dental services practice.



BCL's range of services at their dental practice includes General Dentistry, covering diagnostic, preventive, periodontal, restorative, endodontics, and prosthodontics, as well as Cosmetic Dentistry offering non-surgical facial aesthetics with Botox and dermal fillers, Tooth Whitening through home kits or laser light treatment, Orthodontics featuring Invisalign and Fixed Appliances using Damon Brackets or the Lingual Technique, Oral Surgery, and Implants.



BCL is renowned for its meticulous attention to detail, a friendly and experienced staff, and an impeccable reputation. Throughout their history, they have consistently upheld a commitment to delivering uncompromising quality in their services.



Dr Ilogu is a Director of a sister company, Dental Resources Limited, incorporated in Ghana in 2013, in a partnership with Director, Madam Anne Flaszynski, who is the owner and Managing Director of Arcoa Ghana Limited, incorporated in 2004.



Arcoa Ghana Limited supplies laboratory and medical equipment across Ghana and West Africa.









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
Construction work on the Watermelon Processing Factory in Walewale in the North East Region has resumed.



The work began in December 2019 but stalled midway in the wake of the global economic crisis occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian/Ukraine war.



The GH36 million project, which is part of the One-district One-factory (1D1F) initiative of the government, is expected to be completed and operationalised by September this year.



Currently, all civil works have been completed, remaining tiling, painting and fixing of washroom facilities. Already, equipment and machinery are on site and ready for installation in the coming days.



During a visit to the site last week, workers were seen busily finalising work on the facility. According to the site engineers of the project, barring any unforeseen challenges, the project would be completed by September.



When completed and operations commence, the factory is expected to produce about 10 metric tonnes of juices and beverages per hour.



The factory

The factory, which is a subsidiary of Champion Foods and Beverages Limited, a wholly Ghanaian-owned beverage manufacturing, distribution and marketing company, is being funded by the Ghana EXIM Bank.



The watermelon factory



Once completed, it would create direct employment for 300 people, while about 2,000 people, including farmers and aggregators who will engage in an out-grower scheme, will also benefit.



The North East Regional Minister, Yidana Zakaria, and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for West Mamprusi, Issahaku Aremeyaw Somo, inspected work on the project last Wednesday.



Mr Zakaria expressed satisfaction with the progress of work so far on the project.



Project

He refuted claims that the project had been abandoned by the government, explaining that "several factors, including the outbreak of COVID-19 and the Russian/ Ukraine war, caused the delay of the project."



He said the benefits of the factories to the local economy were enormous, in terms of job creation and improvement in the incomes of farmers, farmhands and drivers along the value chain.



While commending the contractor for the quality of work done so far, the regional minister urged farmers to take advantage of the factory to scale up the cultivation of watermelon.



The MCE, Mr Somo, said once operational, the factory will go a long way to reduce the phenomenon of rural-urban migration and create jobs for the teeming youth.

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 notable announcement from Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has set the stage for potential Supreme Court appointments as she has recommended five judges for consideration, with Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe currently presiding over the high-profile ambulance case  making the distinguished list.



The other judicial candidates put forward aside Justice Afia Asare Botwe are Justice Cyra Pamela Koranteng, Justice Edward Amoako Asante, Justice Eric Kyei Baffuour, and Justice Angelina Mensah Homiah.



In a letter dated May 30, Chief Justice Torkornoo disclosed that Justice Asantes tenure at the ECOWAS court concluded on July 31, 2022.



Following the withdrawal of Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso from the regional body, he was urged to continue serving due to these developments.



The current expectation is for Justice Asante to remain in post until 2026 or potentially earlier should there be a need for his return to Ghanas Judiciary.



The recommendations by the Chief Justice for Supreme Court roles underline the importance of a fair and diverse representation on the bench. With Justice Asare Botwe leading the contentious judiciary proceedings regarding the ambulance case, her inclusion highlights the significance of her contributions and expertise in legal matters.



This prospective elevation of the recommended judges to the Supreme Court carries weight in shaping the dispensation of justice in the country, emphasizing the critical role played by the judiciary in upholding the rule of law and ensuring equitable access to justice for all citizens.









Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
About 340 tonnes of waste was collected at James Town in Accra yesterday as the Ga Traditional Council inspired a clean-up exercise ahead of the Homowo Festival.



Dubbed the Homowo Clean-up Campaign, the exercise aims to enhance environmental cleanliness within the area as part of activities to mark this years Homowo Festival of the chiefs and people of the Ga Traditional Area.



Between 6 a.m. and 12 noon when the exercise lasted, participants cleared drains and gutters, swept the shoulders of the streets, gathered and disposed of refuse at Sempe, Gbese, Abola, Asere, and the Dogo Beach, all in the Ga Mashie enclave.



Structures that were deemed obstructive to the free flow of water were also demolished to address conditions favourable to flooding in the area.



The exercise, which will end on August 20 this year, is a collaborative effort by the Ga Traditional Council, the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited.



Zoomlion is providing technical support by making available trucks to collect and dispose of the waste and the working tools required for the exercise.



The exercise, which will take place in all the 25 local government authorities within the Greater Accra Region, aims to enhance the cleanliness and the beautification of the environment while fostering unity and responsibility among residents and the communities.



Satisfaction

The Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, commended the AMA, the RCC and Zoomlion for facilitating the clean-up exercise as he passed through the areas of the exercise.

He also thanked the residents in the area for their active participation in the exercise.



King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II (left), Ga Mantse, leading the Ga Homowo clean-up exercise. With him are Nii Ahele Nunoo III (2nd from left), Abola Mantse, and Nii Kwartei Titus Glover (2nd from right), Greater Accra Regional Minister.

Pictures: ELVIS NII NOI DOWUONA



King Teiko Tsuru further urged them to desist from politicising sanitation and other related issues to scale up development in the traditional area. I also urge you all to remain united and ensure the growth and development of this community, the Ga Mantse said.



Sanitation challenges

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, admitted that sanitation was a huge challenge in Accra and a major cause of many illnesses in the region.



He said it was about time the challenge was addressed to ensure that the vision of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa was realised.



It's a matter of outreach and a matter of education to ensure attitudinal change among our people. I am appealing to everyone to come on board so that we deal with this issue once and for all, Mr Titus-Glover said.



He urged the media to amplify the essence of the clean-up exercise while also urging the assembly to periodically embark on such an exercise to enhance cleanliness in the areas.



Enforcement

The Chief Executive of AMA, Elizabeth Naa Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey, said the next phase of the exercise would be an enforcement of the AMA bye-laws to ensure that persons who dumped refuse indiscriminately were prosecuted.



Some members of Ga Mashie partaking in the exercise



Weve been doing this exercise each year, and its about time we started enforcing the laws because we cannot continue cleaning peoples dirt each year. Weve seen that cleaning the environment is ineffective, so the law must work, she said.



Ms Sackey said an enforcement team would soon be stationed in the area to ensure that whoever failed to comply with the sanitation bye-laws was dragged to the Sanitation Court.

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
OmniBSIC Bank has donated a Nissan Navara Pickup to the Airport Police Station, aiming to bolster its operational efficiency as well as strengthening security within the community and its surroundings. The Bank's initiative aims to reinforce the peace and security enjoyed by residents and institutions within the Airport enclave.



During the presentation, OmniBSIC's Managing Director (MD), Daniel Asiedu, praised the diligent efforts of the Airport Police Force, attributing the Bank's seamless relocation to the Airport area to their support.



Since we relocated our head office here, we have enjoyed enormous support from the Airport Police. This support extends to other locations where we are present. We believe it is important to support the Airport Police to enhance their capabilities. We have never experienced any crime incidents or shortages of police presence here. Amidst all challenges, they are doing their best, Mr. Asiedu remarked.



The OmniBSIC Bank MD emphasised the collective responsibility in policing, urging other corporate organisations to support security agencies, particularly the Ghana Police Service, enabling them to further safeguard citizens.



He acknowledged the government's resource challenges and called for a collaborative approach, especially from corporate institutions, to enhance the police's capacity to perform their duties. Policing is not solely the responsibility of the Ghana Police but of all of us. While the government is tasked with resourcing them, it faces significant challenges. Therefore, I call on other corporate organisations to support the security agencies, especially the Ghana Police, he urged.



Our commitment to supporting the communities where we operate is unwavering, Mr. Asiedu further stated. We will continue to expand our initiatives to give back and enhance the well-being and security of these communities.











Regional Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Arhin Kwesi Annor, reiterated the importance of shared responsibility in policing and highlighted the significance of logistics in their work. He expressed confidence that the donated vehicle would enable the Airport Police Station to "patrol a wider area, respond to emergencies promptly, and engage in proactive policing strategies."



On behalf of the Airport Police Station, DCOP Annor conveyed profound gratitude to OmniBSIC Bank's management and staff. He further instructed the District Commander, Superintendent (SP) Michael Asiedu, to ensure proper maintenance of the vehicle to guarantee its longevity and continued service to the community.



SP Asiedu affirmed the station's dedication to upholding the safety and tranquility enjoyed by residents and institutions in the area. We are committed to maintaining the high standards of safety and security that our community relies on. This vehicle will significantly enhance our ability to serve and protect, he stated.



Other executives of the Bank present at the ceremony were the Company Secretary and Head of Legal and Recoveries, Mrs. Akyaa Afreh Arhin Addo-Kufour, as well as the Group Head, of Corporate Communications, Service Quality and E-Business (CSE), Mrs. Chidinma Braye-Yankee.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
In a significant move to propel Ghana's agricultural sector towards a more sustainable future, Fidelity Bank, Ghana's largest privately owned indigenous bank, has announced the GreenTech Innovation Challenge (GTIC) 2024. This initiative will award over GHS 1 million in grant funding to support innovative solutions addressing critical challenges within the country's agricultural value chain.



The GTIC 2024 aims to empower Ghanaian businesses and innovators by providing them with the resources they need to launch or scale their GreenTech solutions. These solutions have the potential to revolutionize Ghana's agricultural sector, ensuring a more sustainable and productive future.



Fidelity Bank's Managing Director, Julian Opuni, emphasized the bank's dedication to supporting the agricultural sector. "Our commitment to agriculture is not new," he stated. "During the 3i Africa Summit in May 2024, we announced the expansion of our Fidelity Young Entrepreneurs Initiative through the introduction of an AgricTech competition. We recognize the immense potential of technological solutions in the Agric sector, and the GTIC is a significant step forward in nurturing this potential."



Mr. Opuni further highlighted the importance of engaging Ghana's youthful population: "Africa boasts of a youthful population, with over 60% under the age of 25. However, the agricultural sector often fails to capture the imagination of this demographic. The GTIC is designed to change that. We want to attract young, tech-savvy minds and empower them to develop innovative solutions that will transform Ghana's agricultural landscape. We are excited to see the incredible ideas that emerge and become catalysts for progress."



The GTIC is meticulously structured to empower innovators at three various stages of development.



The Ideation Tier is designed for innovators with new, groundbreaking ideas that can tackle specific agricultural challenges. Participants in this tier will be equipped with the resources and support needed to turn their concepts into actionable solutions, laying the groundwork for impactful GreenTech solutions.



Moving on to the Scale Up Tier, this program targets businesses with established GreenTech solutions that have already demonstrated success. Here, the focus shifts to supporting the expansion and elevation of these solutions, maximizing their positive impact.



Finally, the Commercialization Tier caters to established businesses with market-ready GreenTech products seeking to amplify their reach. Here, the focus shifts to helping businesses navigate the commercial landscape, ensuring their GreenTech solutions achieve both commercial success and widespread positive impact.



Applications for the GreenTech Innovation Challenge are now open and will be accepted until July 21, 2024. Prospective applicants can visit the challenge website, https://www.innohub.com.gh/programs/fidelity-gtic/, to explore categories, eligibility criteria, and the application process in detail.



The challenge will culminate in exciting pitching events where finalists will present their solutions to a distinguished panel of judges. Winners will be awarded not only grant funding but also invaluable mentorship and the chance to bring their innovations to scale.



Fidelity Bank's GreenTech Innovation Challenge underscores its commitment to driving sustainable development and empowering the next generation of agricultural innovators. By providing substantial financial support and a platform for growth, the bank aims to catalyze the transformation of Ghana's agricultural sector, making it more resilient, efficient, and attractive to young entrepreneurs.

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
Seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt has shared varying opinions on the choice of Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh as Vice Presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party.



Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh is said to have been selected by Dr. Bawumia to partner him but awaits approval from the National Council of the party before a public announcement can be made.



The party will hold a National Council meeting on Thursday, July 4, 2024 to deliberate on the selection of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, also called "NAPO".



Nonetheless, the Majority in Parliament has approved him, revealed by their leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.



Yes, the leader of our party and flagbearer met with the leadership of Parliament and had an extensive engagement with us, regarding the way forward for the party going into the 2024 elections.



The conclusion was that our respected colleague, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh is his choice for Running Mate. And that is normally the practice and out of respect, the caucus would have to be informed and engaged about the decision.



After, I proceeded and engaged the caucus, and so far, the feedback has been positive. The generality of the caucus members is in support of his choice. What it is, is that for it to become official or confirmed, theres going to be a National Council meeting, Hon. Afenyo-Markin reportedly told the media.



This notwithstanding, Kwesi Pratt has shared his reservations on whether or not Dr. Opoku Prempeh is the right candidate for the position.



Making his submissions on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, Mr. Pratt was of the view that NAPO is not a strong candidate to partner Dr. Bawumia, stressing if he had the authority to choose the Running Mate, NAPO wouldn't be his ultimate choice.



"If I were the one choosing, I probably would choose a different person but I don't have the authority", the Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper told host Kwami Sefa Kayi.





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
Clean-energy cooperation win-win for two nations

10:16, July 03, 2024 By Ren Qi ( China Daily

Workers monitor solar panels at a solar power plant jointly built by China and Kazakhstan in the town of Kapchagay, in southeastern Kazakhstan's Almaty Region. XINHUA

Energy has been an anchor in ties between China and Central Asian countries over the past 30 years and their cooperation in this sector has evolved from oil to petrochemicals, hydrocarbons, and renewable energy.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1992, China and Kazakhstan have agreed to support their economic entities by carrying out several energy cooperation projects, said Usen Suleimen, a senior Kazakh diplomat.

The most significant Chinese investments, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, are being made in the construction of solar and wind power plants in Kazakhstan.

Chinese companies such as Universal Energy, Risen Energy, and State Power Investment Corp, have become major investors in solar and wind power plants in the country.

For Maksat Abilgaziev, such cooperation has changed his life.

Living in Zhanatas, a small town in southern Kazakhstan where the wind blows all year round, he used to be an electrical engineer at a local phosphate mine company.

Zhanatas was once a center of phosphate rock mining and fertilizer production, but it witnessed big job losses following the decline of the industries.

Abilgaziev said he was impressed when the first turbine of the town's 100-megawatt wind power project arrived, with the 60-meter-long blades covering an area as big as the London Eye observation wheel.

He said he believes the future of his hometown and Kazakhstan lies in clean energy, especially in wind energy. So in 2020, the then 30-year-old became a trainee responsible for maintaining and repairing wind turbines at the wind farm and learned about related maintenance work from Chinese experts.

Rinat Turganbekov works at the Kapshagay photovoltaic power station, one of the largest single solar power projects in Kazakhstan.

The power station is a part of the China-Kazakhstan green energy cooperation initiative, jointly invested and constructed by Universal Energy and its Kazakh counterparts.

As a senior employee of Universal Energy Kazakhstan, Turganbekov has witnessed the remarkable transformation brought about by solar power stations, providing locals with green and affordable electricity.

Meanwhile, under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, a series of cooperative efforts aimed at sustainable development are writing a new chapter of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

"Chinese companies have brought significant changes to my life," said the 36-year-old, who studied in Tianjin and is proficient in Chinese.

Initially, he worked as a translator at the company. During his tenure, his Chinese colleagues encouraged him to venture into project coordination.

During his five years with the Chinese company, Turganbekov saw his income increase, and he managed to purchase a home in Almaty.

"With the establishment of solar and wind power stations by Chinese enterprises, residents in the southern regions, where there had historically been a deficit of electricity, no longer contend with electricity shortages," he said.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Turbulent political times in France led an influential evangelical body to plead for peace after the swing to the far-right in the first round of a national election for the Assemblee Nationale (National Assembly).

As France gears up for the second round of the controversial snap election this Sunday (July 7), the National Council of French Evangelicals (CNEF) issued a press release last Thursday (June 27) calling for the wider Church to demonstrate that a more harmonious society is possible through its example of being, living, praying and committing itself.

Marine Le Pens far-right National Rally party swept up 33 percent of the popular vote on Sunday (June 30)  way ahead of President Emmanuel Macrons Together coalition, including his Renaissance party, on 21 percent. The leftwing New Popular Front alliance was also ahead of Macrons group, with 28 percent of votes.

Macron called the surprise election after his party suffered a defeat with only 15 percent of the vote share, compared to Le Pens party on 32 percent and the Socialists on 14 percent, at the European Parliament elections earlier in June.

The political fallout has led to protests in the streets with thousands gathering at the Place de La Republique to make a stand against the far-right after its voting success.

Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up

CNEF called the initial European elections an electroshock, reflecting a society that is suffering, tense and divided. The evangelical body also stated that the decision by Macron to dissolve the National Assembly suddenly for the snap two-round election stoked an acceleration of these fears.

It could feed, in the emergency, the temptation of a vote that obeys the sad passions of withdrawal, anger, or even human promises of brighter tomorrows, stated the CNEF in the press release.

A similar message was relayed about the national assembly elections, with CNEF calling for evangelicals to seek in a demanding, constructive, and peaceful manner to build a society together". Voters were encouraged to refuse postures of hatred, invective and rejection".

Erwan Cloarec, CNEF President, called on Christians to pray at this time for France and the elections.

Politics cannot do everything, said Cloarec. Evangelical Protestants know this: they place their ultimate hope in God and stand in expectation of a Kingdom of peace to come. But, carried by their faith, they act according to their hope to be, in today's society, ferments of peace, seeds of life, actors of reconciliation and hospitality.

France Mission, a missions organization focused on the country, which is based in Exeter, England, also expressed concern about the two-round elections in a Facebook post on Thursday.

The debates are very tense, and tensions are rising. France needs our prayers more than ever, said France Mission in the post.

Pray for all candidates to be granted wisdom and integrity, making decisions that reflect justice, peace, and the common good; for a smooth and peaceful election process, free from violence, fraud, and corruption, allowing every vote to be counted fairly; for unity and healing across France, that the elections will unite the nation and pave the way for collaborative solutions to the country's challenges.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Partys (NPP) flagbearer for the upcoming 2024 elections, is gearing up to launch his constituency campaign next week.



Beginning in the five northern regions, Dr. Bawumia plans to traverse the country southwards, connecting with the youth, grassroots supporters, and key stakeholders along the way.



The primary objective of this campaign is to engage with every Ghanaian citizen, shedding light on the NPPs accomplishments while articulating Dr. Bawumias transformative vision for Ghanas future.



With a focus on inclusivity and progress, the campaign is poised to address pressing issues and solicit feedback from diverse segments of the population.



The Vice President had initiated his nationwide campaign tour starting Monday, 29 April 2024.



A statement signed by the Director of Communications of the Bawumia for President 2024 campaign, Dennis Miracles Aboagye said this marks the beginning of a strategic effort by Dr. Bawumia and his campaign team to engage with Ghanaians across all 16 regions in a bid to secure victory in the upcoming polls.



The statement said the campaign will have a strong emphasis on issues and prioritize addressing key concerns and presenting practical solutions tailored to resonate with the Ghanaian populace.



The campaign also aims to foster meaningful dialogue and interaction with various stakeholders, including traditional leaders, religious figures, youth groups, traders, farmers, students, and business owners.



It further disclosed that the nationwide tour, which kicks off in the signifies Dr. Bawumias commitment to engaging with Ghanaians from diverse backgrounds, understanding their needs, and articulating a vision for the future of the country.



Before embarking on this campaign tour, Dr. Bawumia, who is Ghanas Vice President, undertook extensive consultations and interactions with communities across the nation.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The Majority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, stressed the importance of not dismissing findings from Global Info Analytics.



He highlighted that, even if the data is unfavorable to his party, it remains a valuable tool for strategizing effectively for the upcoming election.



Speaking on Yen Nsempa on Onua FM, July 3, Afenyo-Markin attributed his political success over the years to data and warned that ignoring research findings would be detrimental to any politician.



This discussion comes amid questions about whether the NPP can Break the Eight by securing a third successive term.



According to the poll, around 70 percent of voters believe the NPP cannot win the 2024 election, while 19 percent think the party can, and 10 percent have no opinion.



Additionally, approximately 46 percent of NPP voters doubt their partys chances in 2024, compared to 43 percent who are confident of victory.



The latest poll by Global InfoAnalytics shows a tightening 2024 presidential race amid Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumias nationwide tour. Bawumia has reduced John Dramani Mahamas lead by approximately 3% compared to the April 2024 poll.



Mahama now leads Bawumia 51.1% to 38.2%, followed by Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen at 5.3%, Nana Kwame Bediako at 4.6%, and others at 0.8%.



In a potential runoff scenario, Mahama stands at 52%, Bawumia at 42%, with 6% of voters undecided, suggesting the poll is unlikely to lead to a runoff.



Notably, Nana Kwame Bediako is making significant gains in the Central, Ashanti, Eastern, and Volta regions, leading in the Abura Asebu Kwamankese and Kade constituencies.



The Central region shows a dramatic shift, with Mahama dropping from 51% in April to 39% in July, and Bawumia declining from 45% to 30%. Kyerematen and Bediako, now tied for third and fourth place, each hold 13% of the vote.



Bawumia, however, recorded significant gains in the Ashanti region, now attracting 66% of the vote, up from 54% in April, while Mahama fell from 31% to 22%.

Among first-time voters, Mahama and Bawumia are tied at 41% each, with Kyerematen at 8% and Bediako at 9%.



Overall, 4.2% of voters are undecided, and 5% said they will not vote. Among the undecided voters, 22% are from Greater Accra, 16% from Ashanti, 12% from Western, and 11% from Eastern regions.



Of those who will not vote, 19% are from Greater Accra, 22% from Ashanti, 17% from Eastern, and 13% from Western regions.



Regarding the countrys direction, 63% of voters believe Ghana is headed in the wrong direction, while 27% think it is on the right path. Additionally, 47% of voters feel their standard of living has worsened compared to a year ago, 21% say it has improved, 27% say it has not changed, and 5% have no opinion.



President Nana Akufo Addos performance has a 60% disapproval rate, with 35% approval and 6% having no opinion. Public confidence in the Ghana Police Service and Electoral Commission has declined, with confidence in the police dropping from 64% in April to 58% in July and confidence in the Electoral Commission decreasing from 59% to 53%.



Regarding the governments One student, One Tablet policy, 55% of voters support it, but 58% say it will not influence their vote, 29% say it will, and 13% are indifferent.



Projects being undertaken just in time for the elections are unlikely to influence voters, with 56% saying it will not affect their vote, 29% saying it will, and 15% indifferent.



When asked about accepting inducements or bribes to switch their votes, only 7% said they would accept and vote for the candidate.



The economy, jobs, and education remain the three most pressing issues influencing voters decisions, with the economy at 73%, jobs at 69%, and education at 50%.



Afenyo-Markin called on all politicians to take data from research seriously and to strategize based on it, rather than becoming complacent if the data appears favorable.





Source: 3news.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 notorious Haitian gang stormed a police station in the country and slaughtered dozens of police officers, according to reports.



Reports are emerging that members of a gang led by the infamous warlord Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier attacked a police station in Gressier, Port-au-Prince, and killed at least 20 officers.



The assault is believed to have begun on Sunday, June 30.



Haiti Libre said the attack was carried out by members of the "Vivre Ensemble" gang coalition led by "Barbecue". Other reports stated that the Bougoy Gang were involved.



As far as the assault on the police station is concered, reports stated that a "musculat counter-offensive" from police saw several gang members killed.



Haiti Libre stated that Bougoy leader Ti Bebe Bougoy, who had boasted the day before the attack of being stronger than the police forces, was captured.



It had been reported that the bandits were using "heavy machinery" to destroy the police station. This has reportedly been seized by authorities.



In June 2022 it was reported that the gang had been rounding up homeless and at-risk teens, to use as foot soldiers in gang wars.









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Former National Vice Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Said Sinare has warned party members, cautioning against complacency at the polls and collation centres in the upcoming 2024 elections.



In a Facebook post, the National Chairman of the Zongo caucus working committee emphasized the importance of remaining vigilant and ensuring the party's victory.



"Complacency should not replace our watchdog role at the polls and collation centres," he stressed.



"We must remain vigilant and ensure that the will of the Ghanaian people is protected."



Alhaji Sinare's warning comes as the NDC prepares to face off against the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in what is expected to be a highly contested election.



"We have worked hard to get to this point, and we cannot afford to let our guard down now," he said.



"Every vote counts, and every polling station matters.



Aside from the agents, we must ensure that we voluntarily make ourselves present at every polling station and collation centre across the country to protect the will of the people.



The NDC's Zongo President stated that his warning is particularly relevant regarding concerns over electoral malpractice and voter suppression. He noted that the NDC has long been critical of the Electoral Commission's handling of elections, and his comments reflect the party's ongoing concerns.



In a related development, Alhaji Sinare has also expressed his support for John Dramani Mahama's 2024 presidential bid, describing the former President as the "best candidate" for the job.



"John Mahama has the experience and leadership skills necessary to lead our country forward," he said.



"We must rally behind him and ensure his victory, he appeals to the Muslim community."



Alhaji Sinare also noted that, the NDC shall settle any pending outstanding electoral issue at the polling stations not at the court.



"Spread the word: It is imperative to settle any pending outstanding electoral issue at the polling stations through super monitoring of the ballot box at the polling stations rather than going to court," he said.



READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW



H.E ALHAJI SAID SINARE, NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF ZONGO WORKING COMMITTEE WRITES...



Comrades, what obstacles could hinder us from voluntarily mobilizing 30 reliable party members to supplement our appointed agents, and policing our ballot boxes at every polling station across the Constituencies in Ghana?



Once the votes are counted at the polling stations, these dedicated individuals will escort and police the results fearlessly from each polling station to the collation centres, ultimately leading to John's Victory.



Suppose we have 300 branches in the Akatsi South Constituency, with 30 dedicated party supporters voluntarily deciding to police the ballot boxes at each polling station.



Even if the police or military dares to intervene to impose the Incompetent Bawumia on Ghanaians with everything at their disposal it would be impossible for them to kill 9,000 people (300 x 30) in a single constituency.



If this level of support is replicated across the country, not even appointing Dr. Bawumia as the EC chairman could prevent H.E. John Dramani Mahama from emerging victorious at the polls.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman/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's finest freight forwarder and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sel Logistics Services, Dr. Faith Selasie Dunyo has been crowned Ghana's Most Outstanding Personality in Freight Forwarding at the just-ended Business Executive Excellence Awards 2024 held at the Ghana Marriot Hotel in Accra.



The prestigious award reflects his stunning leadership qualities and exceptional dedication to providing quality freight forwarding, local customs clearance and logistics services in the country and beyond and also for being an extremely respected personality advocating for best business practices in the sector.



The 10th edition of the event took place on Friday, June 28th, 2024. It aims to identify and publicly recognize private enterprises, public institutions, and individuals who have demonstrated exemplary conduct and achieved outstanding accomplishments in their business activities over the past year.



For him, the award is a testament to the team's unwavering focus on meeting and exceeding customer expectations while adhering to rigorous quality standards over the years.



Speaking to the media after receiving the all- prestigious honour, Dr. Faith Dunyo who is also the Constituency Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) said the award means a lot to his consistent determination to build a formidable and proficient brand.



"I am extremely grateful for such a wonderful milestone at this highest magnitude. I will continue to work hard to achieve the vision of becoming the best across the globe. I dedicate this award to our cherished clients, "he said



Meanwhile, Dr. Faith Selasie Dunyo has called on Ghanaians to vote for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia come December 7th 2024.



According to Dr. Dunyo, the paperless system introduced by Vice President Dr. Bawumia, who doubled as the flagbearer of the NPP, has contributed significantly to efficient and fast clearance and has cut the cost of doing business at the various ports in Ghana.



Dr. Dunyo also appealed to Ghanaians, especially those in the freight forwarding industries, exporters, and importers to consider Dr. Bawumia's vision to introduce the flat rate tax system on imported goods to reduce the higher customs duty to retain our importers in business.



"The introduction of Dr. Bawumia's flat rate on imported goods will revive the freight forwarding industries to contribute significantly to helping GRA collect revenue for the government for development under Dr Bawumia's administration as President.



Dr Dunyo appealed to the entire NPP membership to accept and support whoever Dr Bawumia will choose as his running mate to enable us break the 8 to retain power in the 2024 general election", he said







Profile Of Faith Selasie Dunyo



He is a professional freight forwarder and an entrepreneur.



He has been in the logistics and freight forwarding industry since 2009 (over 15 years) and acquired professional knowledge and experience in operational activities, implementation of management systems, and business plans for excellence programs.



He is a highly motivated and results-oriented personality, dedicated, and focused professional with much experience in freight forwarding businesses comprising clearing and forwarding, local customs clearance, logistics, and transport of cargo.



He aims to develop theoretical and practical knowledge in a supply chain environment, optimizing his skills in the area of transportation of goods and services (imports and exports), logistics, local customs clearance, warehousing and other related corporate and functional strategic management.



Currently, he is the CEO and managing director of SEL LOGISTICS SERVICES Ghana Ltd, a global logistics group with its Head Office in Tema and offices in Accra Airport (KIA), Aflao border, and Lome, Togo.



The company provides the full scope of logistics services, including air and ocean freight, export and import, overland transportation by road, warehousing and distribution, third-party logistics, and supply chain management.



Their specialty is in providing logistics solutions for project cargo, commodities (agro and mining), exhibitions, and events.



Moreover, Dr. Faith Dunyo is also the founder and CEO of SEL POULTRY FARMS AND TRADING ENTERPRISE, DUSA FARMS, and DENSELA TRANSPORT VENTURES.



Dr. Faith Selasie Dunyo is also the immediate past parliamentary candidate aspirant for the people of Central Tongu Constituency, Adidome in the Volta Region.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The High Court in Accra has given lawyers for Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia 24 hours to file a medical excuse duty to justify why the defendant failed to show up to mount his defence in a GH 20 million defamation case.



The suit, which was filed by former Auditor-General, Professor Dua Agyeman, is in connection with Mr Asiedu Nketias comments in the media to the effect that Prof. Dua Agyeman generated fake audit reports resulting in him being sacked by the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG).



Mr Asiedu Nketia, who has never shown up personally in court since the case started in October 2018, was expected to open his defence on Monday (July 1) but he failed to show up.



Following the claim that the defendant was unwell, the court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, ordered his lawyers to produce a medical excise duty to buttress their claim.



Proceedings



When the case was called for hearing Wednesday (July 3) for the medical excuse duty to be produced, counsel for the defendant who held the brief for Samuel Cudjoe, informed the court that they were unable to present the excuse duty because the person bringing the document was running late due to the traffic situation, seeking a short adjournment.



He informs us this morning that he is running late to court as a result of the traffic situation on his route which has been caused by the weather conditions this morning.



In the circumstance we pray this court for a further court adjournment to enable us procure same and bring same to the attention of the court, counsel prayed.



Feeble



Meanwhile, the judge, who was not happy with the excuse said, I honestly find the reasons submitted by Counsel for defendant very feeble because notwithstanding the weather conditions the court is present.



She added that since the person was already on his way, lawyers for the defendant should file the excuse duty.



Consequently, she ordered the court clerks to receive the report first thing tomorrow (Thursday July 4, 2024) morning.



The case has been adjourned to Friday July 5, 2024.



Background



Prof. Dua Agyeman is arguing that the allegation by Mr Asiedu Nketia is without basis and that it only sought to impugn his integrity, dignity and reputation in the eyes of right-thinking members of society.



According to the plaintiff, the defendant, on October 2, 2018, made some unsubstantiated and disparaging statements on an Accra-based radio station, Neat FM, accusing him of producing fake audit accounts in 1983 while he was at the Audit Service.



He is reported to have said that the plaintiff was banned from auditing in 1983 by the Institute of Chartered Accountants (Ghana) for producing fake accounts for a non-existent company. In view of the ban, the plaintiff could not practice as a private auditor.



The defendants comments caused the former Auditor General to sue the defendant on the grounds that the comments had generated media attention in Ghana and abroad apparently to tarnish his hard-won reputation.



Reliefs sought



Prof. Dua Agyeman is accordingly praying the court to declare that the defendants publication on Neat FM that he was banned by the Institute of Chartered Accountants (Ghana) for producing fake audited accounts for a non-existent company is slanderous and defamatory of him and same was made without any reasonable, just or probable cause.



A declaration that the Defendants publication on Neat FM that Dua Agyeman concocted fake audit reports concerning some senior officers which led to their dismissal from public service is slanderous and defamatory of the Plaintiff and same was made without any reasonable, just or probable cause, the plaintiff is praying.



Prof. Dua Agyeman is seeking a further declaration that the defendants publication on Neat FM that he was sacked from the Audit Service by reason of dishonesty was slanderous and defamatory of him and same was made without any reasonable, just or probable cause.



He wants the court to grant an order of injunction directed at the defendant, agents, assigns and his privies from continuing to make any further defamatory publication about him.



An Order of Court directed at the defendant to retract the said defamatory publication and render an unqualified apology in the same prominence on Neat FM and four publications in the Daily Graphic is also being sought.



General damages and compensatory damages in the sum of GH20 million for loss of reputation is also being sought against the defendant.

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
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:

One of the first-ever images of the open complex that forms when RNAP encounters DNA and kicks off the process of transcription. Credit: Rockefeller University

Every living cell transcribes DNA into RNA. This process begins when an enzyme called RNA polymerase (RNAP) clamps onto DNA. Within a few hundred milliseconds, the DNA double helix unwinds to form a node known as the transcription bubble, so that one exposed DNA strand can be copied into a complementary RNA strand.

How RNAP accomplishes this feat is largely unknown. A snapshot of RNAP in the act of opening that bubble would provide a wealth of information, but the process happens too quickly for current technology to easily capture visualizations of these structures.

Now, a new study published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology describes E. coli RNAP in the act of opening the transcription bubble.

The findings, captured within 500 milliseconds of RNAP mixing with DNA, shed light on fundamental mechanisms of transcription, and answer long-standing questions about the initiation mechanism and the importance of its various steps.

"This is the first time anybody has been able to capture transient transcription complexes as they form in real time," says first author Ruth Saecker, a research specialist in Seth Darst's laboratory at Rockefeller. "Understanding this process is crucial, as it is a major regulatory step in gene expression."

An unprecedented view

Darst was the first to describe the structure of bacterial RNAP, and teasing out its finer points has remained a major focus of his lab. While decades of work have established that RNAP binding to a specific sequence of DNA triggers a series of steps that open the bubble, how RNAP separates the strands and positions one strand in its active site remains hotly debated.

Early work in the field suggested that bubble opening acts as a critical slowdown in the process, dictating how quickly RNAP can move onto RNA synthesis. Later results in the field challenged that view, and multiple theories emerged about the nature of this rate-limiting step.

"We knew from other biological techniques that, when RNAP first encounters DNA, it makes a bunch of intermediate complexes that are highly regulated," says co-author Andreas Mueller, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab. "But this part of the process can happen in less than a second, and we were unable to capture structures on such a short timescale."

To better understand these intermediate complexes, the team collaborated with colleagues at the New York Structural Biology Center, who developed a robotic, inkjet-based system that could rapidly prepare biological samples for cryo-electron microscopy analysis.

Through this partnership, the team captured complexes forming in the first 100 to 500 milliseconds of RNAP meeting DNA, yielding images of four distinct intermediate complexes in enough detail to enable analysis.

For the first time, a clear picture of the structural changes and intermediates that form during the initial stages of RNA polymerase binding to DNA snapped into focus. "The technology was extremely important to this experiment," Saecker says. "Without the ability to mix DNA and RNAP quickly and capture an image of it in real-time, these results don't exist."

Getting into position

Upon examining these images, the team managed to outline a sequence of events showing how RNAP interacts with the DNA strands as they separate, at previously unseen levels of detail. As the DNA unwinds, RNAP gradually grips one of the DNA strands to prevent the double helix from coming back together.

Each new interaction causes RNAP to change shape, enabling more protein-DNA connections to form. This includes pushing out one part of a protein that blocks DNA from entering RNAP's active site. A stable transcription bubble is thus formed.

The team proposes that the rate-limiting step in transcription may be the positioning of the DNA template strand within the active site of the RNAP enzyme. This step involves overcoming significant energy barriers and rearranging several components. Future research will aim to confirm this new hypothesis and explore other steps in transcription.

"We only looked at the very earliest steps in this study," Mueller says. "Next, we're hoping to look at other complexes, later time points, and additional steps in the transcription cycle."

Beyond resolving conflicting theories about how DNA strands are captured, these results highlight the value of the new method, which can capture molecular events happening within milliseconds in real-time. This technology will enable many more studies of this kind, helping scientists visualize dynamic interactions in biological systems.

"If we want to understand one of the most fundamental processes in life, something that all cells do, we need to understand how its progress and speed are regulated," says Darst. "Once we know that, we'll have a much clearer picture of how transcription begins."

More information: Ruth M. Saecker et al, Early intermediates in bacterial RNA polymerase promoter melting visualized by time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01349-9 Journal information: Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
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:

Distributions of annual temperature anomalies and major disaster events in China in 2023. Credit: Jin Xin

Climate is a major factor affecting economic and social outcomes. In China, the country's National Climate Center releases an annual climate report that comprehensively covers China's achievements and progress that year in climate monitoring and impact assessment. This series of reports has been published in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters for six consecutive years since 2019, and the "State of China's climate in 2023" is now available.

The current report provides a summary of the main climate features and high-impact weather and climate events in China in 2023.

"The overall climate condition in 2023 over China was worse than normal, presenting a warmdry climate with the highest annual mean temperature and second-highest number of hot days in history," says the first author of the study, Sun Linhai.

"Both the annual and flood season precipitation was the second-lowest since 2012, with the anomalies in the central and eastern parts of China exhibiting a pattern of more in central areas and less in the north and south."

In 2023, China suffered seriously from heavy precipitation events and floods, despite less annual precipitation and fewer rainy days. During JulyAugust, a rare, extremely strong rainstorm caused by Typhoon Dussuri hit Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, causing an abrupt alteration from drought to flood conditions in North China.

By contrast, Southwest China experienced prolonged drought from winter to spring. In early summer, North China and the Huanghuai region experienced the strongest high-temperature process since 1961. Additionally, there were more cold-air processes and spring sand-dust events attacking China.

More information: Linhai Sun et al, State of China's climate in 2023, Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.aosl.2024.100519
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 a paper published this past spring, Northeastern University professor Damon Hall argues that 'citizen science' partnerships historically have been unbalanced, with researchers taking more from participating communities than they give back. Credit: Renee Zhang/Northeastern University

During a stifling heat wave in August 2021, 80 volunteers from Massachusetts communities along the Mystic River fixed sensors to their car windows and bicycles, traveling along 19 predetermined routes recording ambient temperature and humidity levels along the way.

The data they collectedpart of the Wicked Hot Mystic projectcontributed to a growing understanding of how the effects of extreme heat play out across cities. Along Mystic River communities like Cambridge, Somerville, Everett and Malden, heat fluctuated most dramatically in historically "red-lined" areas, with lower-income residents and less green space. Similar trends have been tracked across the United States.

But the project didn't endor even beginwith the data.

Working with the Mystic River Watershed Association, a local nonprofit, Wicked Hot Mystic researchers took the community temperature, so to speak, ahead of time, parsing what locals hoped to get out of the research.

"We asked residents what they really wanted us to find out," says David Sittenfeld, a Ph.D. graduate of Northeastern University and the director of the Center for the Environment at Boston's Museum of Science, which spearheaded the project.

"We spent a long time listening, interviewing resilience planners about their priorities. And we worked closely with them to find out things in ways that comported with those priorities and ideas."

The project also included an app interface for citizens to record observations beyond the numbers. The combination of qualitative and quantitative data allowed urban planners to precisely target their heat mitigation efforts in the most vulnerable areas.

That reciprocal dynamic is a model for how researchers like Sittenfeld and Damon Hall, a Northeastern environmental science and public policy professor, want to reframe "citizen science"in which community volunteers help conduct field studies and collect data.

Scientists have long relied on public contributions in a wide range of fields, from early AIDS research to tallying insect populations. But in a paper published in the journal BioScience in March, Hall and his collaborators argue that such partnerships have historically been unbalanced, with researchers taking more than they give back.

"Citizen science is personal," the paper's abstract reads. "Participation is contingent on the citizens' connection to a topic. But  scientists appear to have an acquisitive, data-centered relationship with citizens."

By readjusting that dynamic, however, Hall, Sittenfeld and others are working toward a model of citizen science that can be both more rigorous and beneficial to the communities in which it takes place. That's particularly true when it comes to climate change research, where participants are directly affected by the local warming trends they are helping to document.

"We can have people help collect data in the communities that they know best, but they also can help us to understand what their hopes, dreams and aspirations are," Sittenfeld says.

The seeds of citizen science are older than the United States itself in 1776, Thomas Jefferson had ambitious plans to collect weather data by distributing thermometers to local officials around Virginia and have them record temperatures twice daily. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, scientists leaned on volunteers for data including whale populations, meteor sightings, sea turtle nests and ocean currents. One of the longest-running citizen science projects, the Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count, has been active since 1900.

In more recent years, the rise of big data, consumer technology and the ubiquity of low-cost GPS devices, like pedometers and fitness trackers, have meant that the sheer volume and diversity of material that community-sourced projects can draw upon has grown by leaps and bounds.

"The computational capacity to deal with the amount of observations and data is what a lot of this hinges on," Hall says. "There are some impressive figures coming out of astronomy. There are games being developed by molecular biologists that are looking at the ways different [molecular compounds] can be structured, letting the public just play around with them and see what kind of innovations occur. That's pretty cool stuff."

And in the internet age, opportunities for volunteers to contribute are endless. SciStarter, which Sittenfeld describes as "Match.com" for would-be citizen scientists, lets users comb through a searchable database of projects according to their interestsfrom counting neighborhood squirrels to monitoring nitrate levels in drinking water.

But the BioScience paper argues that researchers who work with citizen scientists owe it to them to ensure they are more wholly involvedespecially when the data has implications for their homes and livelihoods.

"Where citizen scientists have a vested stake in a shared resource, science teams should be obliged to share the outputs of data," the paper reads. "Researchers take data but do not always make the effort to close the loop by taking the study results back to their contributors.  Scholars question the ethics of this open-loop approach especially for research involving public funding or shared natural resources."

In addition to ensuring a reciprocal working relationship, Hall argues for layering a qualitative dimension to that new wealth of statistical datain the form of building relationships with citizen scientists, asking for their observations, and teasing out the kind of singular expertise they can offer. This, he argues, has powerful advantages for researchers.

"It's helped in terms of data analysishaving more hands and eyes to get an assessment of what are regular conditions, what are abnormal conditions [in that particular study]," Hall says.

Additionally, when the community participates in research, it has more of a stake in its success. "Public ownership of science creates more support," Hall says "Most of our funding is federal or state level, so it's important to have voters see the value of the work that we do. Explaining our work to lay audiences forces new conversations."

Involving the community from jumpas the Wicked Mystic project didcan also help scientists better communicate their ideas overall, Hall argues.

He gives an example from his early career, when he spent a lot of time studying the river coastlines of rural farming communities. On a trip in 2006, he found himself in a small town in Montana talking about water management with the mayor and the public works custodiana "jack of all trades" for fixing things around town, according to Hall.

"The mayor was highly educated, well spoken," Hall remembers. "And the custodian was very rough around the edges. But I saw how much he truly knew about that area that she didn't."

Still, as the polished politician held forth, Hall could feel the custodian, who had far less formal education, shrinking away from the conversation. Sensing an opportunity slipping away, he set about pumping the man up.

"I remember saying, "Sir, you have tremendous amount of expertise that I could never get in books; [your family] has lived here for generations.'"

Newly engaged, the public works officer shared what he knew about the river and surrounding banks. He coined a term that Hall and others studying river coastlines still use today: the meanderlandthe riparian area right on a riverbank.

"He gave us one of our best terms to describe a complex ecological system," Hall says.

He thinks that scientists would be remiss to ignore this kind of granular understanding.

"It's great to involve citizens in gathering data and analyzing data. But what else can they provide? And then what else can we give them? There's mutual aid here that makes their lives better, and it makes our science better."

More information: Damon M Hall et al, Citizen silence: Missed opportunities in citizen science, BioScience (2024). DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biae020 Journal information: BioScience

This story is republished courtesy of Northeastern Global News news.northeastern.edu.
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 scientist from UNSW explains how the climate crisis is affecting the mental health of young people worldwide.

In August 2018, student Greta Thunberg famously stood outside the Swedish Parliament with a sign that read "Skolstrejk for klimatet," which translates to "school strike for climate."

Since then, school students around the world have skipped some Friday classes to participate in demonstrations to demand action from political leaders to prevent climate change and call for the transition to renewable energy.

While the impact of climate change on our physical healthsuch as respiratory diseases and tropical diseaseshas dominated the research landscape, the emotional and psychological repercussions are less understood.

However, as global temperatures continue to rise and climate change increasingly informs public discourse, climate anxiety research has come into focus, and emerging studies have revealed the mounting toll it is taking on young people.

In fact, international reports have found that more than 50% of people aged 1625 felt sad, anxious or powerless, or had other negative emotions about climate change.

In Australia, YouGov polling results from last year found that more than three in four young Australians are concerned about climate change, and two-thirds believe climate concerns are having a negative impact on youth mental health.

"Eco-distress, or eco-anxiety, is not necessarily a new area of research. There's some fascinating older research on how people are affected by degradation to their local environment, for example," says Dr. Samantha Stanley, from the UNSW Institute of Climate Risk & Response, whose research includes a focus on the emotional impacts of climate change.

"But as we're entering a climate-changed world, more people are experiencing distress about the environment without necessarily having that first-hand experience of environmental disaster. I think it's an old area that was not very popular and has suddenly exploded.

"While these concerns are not pathologicalit's not something to be diagnosed withit is something that researchers are interested in understanding, to know how it may be affecting people's well-being more generally or even potentially motivating them to take part in climate actions like protest."

Defining eco-anxiety

While we know it is affecting more people, what exactly is eco-anxiety?

"One of the hardest questions is actually how do you define it," says Dr. Stanley. "There are lots of different terms, and sometimes people are talking about specific emotional responses like feelings of anxiety or anger about climate change, and other times they're describing a more general distress response that might include a range of emotions and a range of negative thoughts and experiences."

Broadly speaking, eco-anxiety is the most common term, and it refers to an anxious response to a range of ecological issues, from climate change and pollution, to climate migration and climate justice concerns. When these concerns center on climate change in particular, it is referred to as 'climate-anxiety."

Currently, eco-anxiety can be characterized by four aspects:

Affective symptoms: feeling worried, nervous or on edge.

Behavioral symptoms: where the worry and concern about environmental problems is affecting someone's daily life. It may impact their ability to work or study, or may disrupt their sleep or socializing.

Rumination: when someone is unable to stop thinking about environmental problems.

Personal impact anxiety: a focus on their own role in contributing to environmental issues, including a focus on how they can address the problem.

"From our research, which has been led by my Ph.D. student Teaghan Hogg from the University Canberra, it appears that those four different aspects of eco-anxiety reinforce each other," says Dr. Stanley. "Generally, we find that they're all interrelated. So the more you experience one, the more you tend to experience the other.

"When we measure eco-anxiety, we tend to find that people fit along a spectrum, from not at all or to a very slight degree, to a high degree, with most people scoring at that low end."

The work is published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

Who is it affecting?

Eco-anxiety has consistently been reported to be higher in young people.

"The fact that younger people tend to be most affected by climate and eco-anxiety is quite a robust finding that lots of researchers are reporting," says Dr. Stanley. "Some studies have also reported gender differences, and when they do find differences, they tend to report that eco-anxiety may affect women and gender diverse people more than men."

But why is eco-anxiety affecting young people so strongly?

"We know that socially, adolescence is a period where people are kind of waking up to what's going on in the outside world, and it can be a time when young people become invested in global issues," says Dr. Stanley.

"So they're seeing this big problem happening, they're also seeing that not enough is being done to resolve it. This age group is in a position where they may feel that they have low political powerthey can't vote, and it's hard to get politicians to listen to their concerns about climate change. So there's frustration about that as well."

Dr. Stanley has collaborated with her Ph.D. student and collaborators to also analyze different variables that may make someone more exposed to eco-anxiety, such as financial stress. "People who are experiencing more financial stress, like trouble paying the bills, tend to report higher climate anxiety." This research is published in Climatic Change.

Another possible association with eco-anxiety is individual experience with climate change. In another recent study co-authored by Dr. Stanley and published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, survey results suggested that feelings of solastalgiadefined as a sense of distress caused by living through ecological changein relation to the 20192020 bushfires was not necessarily correlated to the direct impacts of bushfire, but to the experience of grief for wildlife lost as a result of the bushfires.

Interviews with people affected by these bushfires also highlighted the emotional impacts, with participants describing "a grief for the loss of the bush."

"Indirect exposure and engagement with climate information is also really significant," says Dr. Stanley. "You don't have to have those direct experiences to feel or be impacted by eco-anxiety. It could be that you're reading about it, often you're exposed to information about it, and just that awareness itself is resulting in distress."

The link between eco-anxiety and mental health

Dr. Stanley says she is often asked whether eco-anxiety is just affecting people who are generally anxious.

"There's a strong relationship between general anxiety and eco-anxiety," she says "but we don't see them as the same thing."

This means that while someone could score highly on measures of eco-anxiety, they don't necessarily have an anxiety disorder. "One important point here is that we can't say that their concern is out of proportion to the problem [of climate change]it's really quite rational to be distressed. A diagnostic criterion for anxiety disorders, from my understanding, often require that the anxiety response is out of proportion to the threat," says Dr. Stanley.

"I don't think that eco-anxiety is a result of people being generally anxious, I think in many cases we should think of the 'cause' as being aware of what's going on. Some people have described it a 'moral injury," where you see something terrible happening, and you feel terrible about it."

While climate and eco-anxiety should not be defined as disordered experiences, Dr. Stanley describes how they could be affecting people's mental health. A recently published meta-analysis shows that the more climate anxiety people report, the more they tend to report psychological challenges, such as impacts on well-being and life satisfaction.

"The meta-analysis found that there is a link between climate anxiety and mental health problems like depression and anxiety. One interpretation of this link is that climate anxiety could be a stressor that contributes to mental health problems, though we need more research to understand what experience tends to come first," says Dr. Stanley.

Findings from the recent YouGov poll cited government inaction as the predominant factor affecting youth mental health. Meanwhile, various studies have sought to ascertain whether feelings of eco-anxiety can serve as a catalyst for change and action.

In the recent study, led by Dr. Stanley's Ph.D. student, cross-sectional analyses showed that people who are concerned about their role in contributing to ecological problems, and who have these concerns top of mind through repeated thoughts, are more likely to report doing things like conserving energy, taking public transport, and avoiding eating meat.

What are we seeing in the clinic?

In Australia, Psychology for a Safe Climate (PSC) is a not-for-profit organization founded to foster emotional engagement with climate change. "PSC offers training for mental health practitioners on how to manage climate anxiety when it's brought up in a clinical setting," says Dr. Stanley.

While some studies suggest that clinicians feel adequately equipped to address eco-anxiety in their patients, research conducted in Australia reveals that many clinicians feel unprepared and express concerns about the implications for the future workforce. "There's lots of discussion around how what we have in place at the moment to help people experiencing anxiety probably isn't fit for purpose for those experiencing eco-anxiety," says Dr. Stanley.

"Indeed, there is currently no consensus as to the level of climate-related anxiety symptoms that indicate clinically significant distress, and therefore warrant psychological treatment," says Professor Michelle Moulds, a clinical psychologist from UNSW Psychology. "This issue is currently a topic of debate in the literature, and needs to be resolved before we can develop and evaluate effective psychological interventions."

One thing Dr. Stanley emphasizes is that any feelings of worry are valid and legitimatethat ultimately, we are living in a climate crisis.

"A large part of my research is also focusing on climate solutions. While it's important to understand how the climate crisis is making people feel, I don't think we will ever solve eco-anxiety by treating it away. It would only really be effectively resolved when we tackle climate change and the other environmental challenges we're seeing around the world today."

More information: Teaghan L. Hogg et al, Clarifying the nature of the association between eco-anxiety, wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviour, Journal of Environmental Psychology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102249 Teaghan L. Hogg et al, Validation of the Hogg Climate Anxiety Scale, Climatic Change (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s10584-024-03726-1 Samantha K. Stanley et al, Solastalgia following the Australian summer of bushfires: Qualitative and quantitative insights about environmental distress and recovery, Journal of Environmental Psychology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102273 Journal information: Climatic Change
Two prayer rallies are being held outside parliament buildings this evening (July 3) on the eve of the U.K. General Election tomorrow. Hundreds of Christians are expected to attend the event in two locations, according to rights group Christian Concern.

One of the rallies will be held from 5.30pm to 7pm at the Old Palace Yard in Westminster, London, and the other rally is happening at the same time outside the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood in Edinburgh.

Christian Concern has hosted online prayer streams in the run-up to the election, which has been popular and the in-person prayer rallies will be the culmination of these online prayer events.

"Jesus Christ and his pattern for our lives is good news for all of us in society," explained chief executive Andrea Williams.

While there are important differences between what the major parties are offering this election, none of them come close to supporting the big change of direction we need to see the nation flourish.

Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up

The election is already being predicted to be a runaway success for the British Labour Party but many voters remain undecided. Even so, Mel Stride, Work & Pensions Secretary for the current Conservative Government, conceded on the BBC Radio 4 Today program this morning that there would be a wipeout for his party.

I totally accept that, where the polls are at the moment, means that tomorrow is likely to see the largest Labour landslide majority, the largest majority that this country has ever seen, said Stride, on the radio program. Much bigger than 1997 [when Labour won a landslide election], bigger even than the National government in 1931.

Williams said that members of parliament had dodged issues of great importance to families.

"Most politicians have largely ignored the need to protect life, to value family and to support freedoms, she said. Only a return to these values, which spring from the Christian heritage of the United Kingdom, will give our nation the solid foundation it needs. It is by standing for God's pattern that we can hope to also see the vulnerable cared for, lower crime rates and a strong economy."

Williams called on the Church to be revitalized in the truths of the gospel, which transforms lives.

Until the Church realizes that her message is good news for all  that Jesus Christ really is the gospel and that his pattern for living leads to flourishing  we cannot expect the watching world to protect life, value family or respect freedoms."

The Rev. Ade Omooba MBE, co-founder of Christian Concern, recalled how God has acted in history, in response to the prayers of his people.

God has done mighty wonders in the history of the United Kingdom when his people united in prayer. We have strayed far from his will, but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. We are crying out to him for mercy, not judgment.
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:

An aerial view shows deluged land after floods in Bangladesh's Sylhet district on June 21.

Six people have been killed in floods precipitated by torrential rains across northeast India and neighboring Bangladesh that inundated the homes of more than a million others, officials said Wednesday.

Monsoon rains cause widespread destruction every year, but experts say climate change is shifting weather patterns and increasing the number of extreme weather events.

Disaster authorities in India's northeastern state of Assam said four people had died over the past day, bringing the number of people killed there over successive downpours since mid-May to 38.

In Bangladesh, landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains killed two people including a Rohingya refugee early on Wednesday, police commander Jahirul Hoque Bhuiyan told AFP.

Bhuiyan said authorities in Bangladesh's vast relief campshome to around a million Rohingya refugees from neighboring Myanmarhad relocated some inhabitants to safety.

The worst flooding took place in northeastern Sylhet division, where top government bureaucrat Abu Ahmed Siddique said more than 1.3 million people had been affected.

"Their villages and roads and most of their homes have been inundated by flood water," Abu Ahmed Siddique, the government administrator of Sylhet region, told AFP.

Kamrul Hasan, the secretary of Bangladesh's disaster management ministry, said that rivers had swelled after rain upstream in India.

Much of low-lying Bangladesh is made up of deltas as the Himalayan rivers of the Ganges and Brahmaputra slowly wind towards the sea after coursing through India.

Hasan told AFP that hundreds of relief shelters had been opened around Sylhet for those forced out of their homes by flood waters.

'Higher ground'

India's weather department has issued alerts for Assam and neighboring states warning of the risk of more flash floods.

Flood waters have damaged roads in the state, and the airforce rescued 13 fishermen stranded on an island.

A major portion of the Kaziranga national park, a UNESCO world heritage site and home to the highest number of one-horned rhinos in the world, has also been flooded.

"Forest guards have been put on alert," park official Arun Vignesh told AFP. "Hundreds of animals have started crossing the highway in search of higher ground".

The summer monsoon brings South Asia 70-80 percent of its annual rainfall, as well as death and destruction due to flooding and landslides.

The rainfall is hard to forecast and varies considerably, but scientists say climate change is making the monsoon stronger and more erratic.

Last week, at least 14 people were killed after rains triggered landslides, lightning and flooding in Nepal.

In Bangladesh, at least nine people died in a landslide in June.

The same month, six people were killed in flash floods and landslides in Sikkim, an Indian state in the Himalayan foothills bordering China.

 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:

Digital rendering of the 2023/24 El Nino in the equatorial Pacific. In June 2023, its patterns were already conspicuous. Credit: Kyushu University/Masahiro Shiozaki

The phenomenon known as El Nino can cause abnormal and extreme climate around the world due to it dramatically altering the normal flow of the atmosphere. In Japan, historical data has shown that El Nino years tend to lead to warmer winters. This case was exemplified recently with Japan's warm 20232024 winter season.

However, there have also been cases of cold winters in Japan during El Nino years, such as the one recorded in 20142015. Yet, it was unclear as to why this was occurring.

Publishing in the Journal of Climate, researchers from Kyushu University's Research Institute for Applied Mechanics have found that the early onset of El Nino around June leads to warm winter climates in East Asia, while the late onset of El Nino is associated with colder winters. The team hopes that their results can help better model winter climate patterns in East Asia during El Nino years, and lead to more accurate long-term climate predictions.

El Nino is a climate pattern characterized by the warming of the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean caused by the weakening of equatorial trade winds that blow from the western coast of South America to the Philippines and Indonesia. In regular years, these trade winds would push the ocean's warmer waters westward leading to cooler waters rising in the east. These warmer western waters drive atmospheric convection generating clouds and rain.

"Each El Nino is individually unique, and no two El Ninos are exactly alike," explains Post-doctoral Fellow Masahiro Shiozaki who authored the study.

"Naturally, these differences lead to a variety of abnormal global climate patterns. To better predict regional weather and climate during El Nino, it is important to know how and where the atmosphere changes."

Shiozaki highlighted a case in Japan during the winter of 20232024. This was an El Nino year, and in Japan that tends to mean a warmer winter. And in fact, the winter of 20232024 was inordinately warm. However, this was not always the case. In the El Nino year of 20142015, Japan's winter was colder than average.

"Japanese winters are also influenced by the Arctic as well as strong natural variability inherent to the atmosphere. Because of these various effects, it has been challenging to identify how El Nino determines warm or cold winters in East Asia," continues Shiozaki.

"To address this issue, we simulated the weather patterns of the past 61 years in 100 different ways by adding perturbations to the weather patterns. In this simulation, 1700 El Nino events occurred, and we calculated how the atmosphere changed each time. This method allowed us to reduce any atmospheric noise in the data, giving us a clearer view of El Nino's direct impact."

The team's analysis found that it was not only El Nino, but also an anomalous warming of the tropical Indian Ocean that led to warmer East Asian winters. The early onset of El Nino around June effectively warmed the Indian Ocean from summer to winter. This ocean warming suppressed atmospheric convection over the tropical western Pacific, resulting in less rainfall and atmospheric heating.

"The resulting reduction in atmospheric heating excited atmospheric waves that propagated into the western North Pacific, forming an anomalous anticyclonic circulation southeast of Japan," Shiozaki explains.

"Anomalous south-easterly winds from this circulation pattern weakened the northwesterly winter monsoon from the continent, leading to the warm winter climate in East Asia. On the other hand, cold Japanese winters are associated with a late onset of El Nino and no significant warming of the Indian Ocean."

The team hopes their new findings will be utilized by researchers and meteorologists to better predict climate patterns months in advance, especially during active El Nino phases.

"The influence of global warming is clear in the recent trend of warmer winters worldwide. The effects of rising water temperatures are especially evident in the Indian Ocean," concludes Professor Hiroki Tokinaga who led the research team.

"Further research is needed to determine how global warming and other tropical climate phenomena will change future winters in East Asia."

More information: Masahiro Shiozaki et al, What Determines the East Asian Winter Temperature during El Nino?  Role of the Early-Onset El Nino and Tropical Indian Ocean Warming, Journal of Climate (2024). DOI: 10.1175/JCLI-D-23-0627.1 Journal information: Journal of Climate
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment advised residents last week to stay out of the Missouri River due to contamination from raw sewage and E. coli bacteria. Five days later, the river is still dangerous to enterboth due to high water levels and contaminants from upstream.

"KDHE advises residents to stay away from the river at this time. While the high flow conditions continue, do not enter the river," the department wrote in a news release June 27.

According to the department, severe flooding in Iowa and Nebraska caused untreated wastewater to be discharged into the river, raising levels of E. coli bacteria and other contaminants.

"Any time we have wet weather, we expect water quality to be degraded," said Tom Stiles, the KDHE's water bureau director. "It's unusual just to have this much rain come down, and that has overwhelmed some of the systems."

Here's what we know about contamination in the Missouri River, and how to stay safe until it subsides.

What's causing the sewage and bacteria in the Missouri River?

Extreme weather in Nebraska and Iowa has overwhelmed these states' local water treatment systems in the past week. These severe flood conditions have caused what experts call bypasses in wastewater plants and caused untreated sewage to enter the Missouri River.

"Sometimes there's too much water passing through a treatment plant to be able to be adequately disinfected, and that creates the bypass situation," Stiles told The Kansas City Star. Agricultural runoff and other contaminants from the land also get washed into the river after heavy rainfall.

Mike Kruse, the water protection program manager at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, added that the contaminants have likely been diluted to less hazardous levels by the time they reach Kansas City.

"In most cases the sheer volume of water in the Missouri River, especially by the time it reaches Missouri, is so great that sufficient dilution has occurred," he said.

However, his department still advises the public against entering the water recreationally until flood conditions have subsided.

How can I stay safe from Missouri River contamination?

For now, experts advise that residents not enter the Missouri River until the contamination has been cleared out.

Stiles noted that he doesn't expect many boaters or anglers out on the Missouri this week anyway, due to the high water levels and rapid flow rate caused by upstream flooding. But if you do enter the water, a small splash on your skin likely won't have a negative effect. The risk of illness increases when you ingest or submerge yourself in the water.

"It's just common senseyou're in the open environment, afterwards you practice good hygiene, you shower, you basically just clean yourself up, and (there's) no risk to yourself," he said.

He also advised residents not to let their pets wade in the rivereven if they don't drink any of the water, they could still consume the bacteria when cleaning themselves later.

Stiles also noted that residents shouldn't be worried about the quality of local drinking water. E. coli is easily treated with disinfectants, and water treatment facilities on both sides of the state line are well-equipped to handle this type of contamination, he said.

When will the Missouri River's water quality improve?

We don't know yet exactly when the advisories will be liftedit all depends on when water treatment systems upstream are restored.

Stiles said that plants in Iowa are still experiencing bypasses as of July 2. And while wastewater treatment in Omaha is mostly restored, some smaller local water systems in Nebraska are still experiencing the impacts of last week's flooding as well.

Flood conditions are also expected in the metro area in the coming days. On the afternoon of July 2, the National Weather Service issued flood warnings in areas along the banks of the Missouri River.

Incoming rain will likely wash more contaminants into the river, potentially causing poor water quality to continue even after plants in Nebraska and Iowa are restored. The KDHE will announce when its advisory for the river officially lifts.

2024 The Kansas City Star. 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:

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Average global air temperatures breached 1.5C for the first time at the start of 2024at least five years earlier than predicted. So, while developing countries burn, global climate injustice persists.

No high-emitting country has complied with the 1.5C target set by the Paris agreement. Governments in the UK and Scotland are exacerbating the crisis by reneging on their climate pledges to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, paving the way for net zero the latest by 2050.

The catastrophic effects of climate breakdown hit people in developing countries the hardest, even though historically, the highest emitters of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change are primarily in the westnotably the US, EU as well as Russia, with China and India joining these ranks most recently.

Hence, the spotlight must be turned to countries that are highly vulnerable to a warming planet by ensuring that the organization that acts as their advocate is given a platform to right this injustice. This organization is the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), an international partnership of 58 countries highly vulnerable to a warming planet.

Founded in 2009, it serves as a cooperation platform for participating governments to act together to deal with global climate change and advocate for the rights of people in developing countries. Based on our research, three practices stand out.

1. Debt relief

The CVF advocates for debt-for-climate swaps. These involve debt relief in exchange for climate projects, such as renewable energy or conservation parks, that will either halt emissions or help these countries adapt to climate change, or both.

Costa Rica has signed two such deals with the US. Debt totaling US$53 million (42 million) has been swapped under the agreement for afforestation (planting of trees in areas where there were previously no forests) and conversation projects, enabling Costa Rica to rise as a climate champion.

In Barbados, a debt-for-climate swap worth US$150 million unleashed US$50 million in funding for marine conservation.

Such deals are not exclusive to CVF members, though. Other developing countries that are not members of the CVF have entered into similar agreements. Peru, for example, signed a deal with the US to channel more than US$20 million of debt to the protection and conservation of three priority areas in the Peruvian Amazon, with positive effects for the climate.

With the most vulnerable countries losing 20% of their GDP over the first two decades of the century, and with their debt rocketing to unsustainable levels, debt-for-climate-swaps can help the weakest countries contribute to climate action and build resilience.

2. Climate prosperity

While developed countries view the energy transition as a new growth strategy, CVF members approach it as an opportunity to rethink growth and transform their social and economic systems. They prioritize well-being alongside economic growth and link climate action with other social measures such as universal basic income, participation, gender equality and inclusivity.

Developing countries' climate prosperity plansthat's their strategies to tackle environmental and socioeconomic problemsstrike a new balance between support for business and human rights. The Sri Lankan climate prosperity plan focuses on universal protection of workers from heat and promoting nature-based solutions in the economy.

In Sri Lanka's capital city Colombo, wetlands, including freshwater lakes and swamps, are being protected and restored to build a natural defense to flooding and reduce the risk of landslides in the monsoon season.

3. Support for ecocide law

Climate change has become an existential threat for CVF members. In 2019, two CVF members, Vanuatu and the Maldives, proposed adding ecocide to the Rome statute of the International Criminal Court as the fifth crime against humanity.

This law would hold wealthy countries accountable for acts and omissions that severely contribute to climate change and disproportionately adversely affect CVF states.

An ecocide law that highlights a critical breach of the most vulnerable states' sovereignty is considered by many activists, legal scholars and politicians as a last resort to prevent catastrophic change due to climate change. While the CVF does not stand behind this proposal collectively, several members support it.

With ecocide now firmly on the climate political agenda, especially since the EU recently passed a law of ecocide, the CVF has solid grounds to press further for the enshrining of a law of ecocide in international law as a tool that will protect the rights of present and future generations in the most vulnerable countries.

Without concerted action, climate disasters will only proliferate. Climate-focused practices, like debt-for-climate swaps, nature-based well-being and support for a law of ecocide are steps in the right direction. These policies, and their advocates, should move closer to center stage in the upcoming climate summit, COP29, taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan in November.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A hulking manufacturing plant in Irmo is being accused of contaminating the lower Saluda River and drinking water supplies after dumping toxic forever chemicals into the scenic waterway and its floodplain for years.

Environmentalists sued the Shaw Industries company, arguing that forever chemical pollution is still occurring and should be stopped by a federal court. Shaw is a major textile manufacturing plant that produces fiber and nylon for carpets at the factory on St. Andrews Road.

The Congaree Riverkeeper organization and the Southern Environmental Law Center had threatened in March to sue Shaw if it did not take action. An attorney said the law center filed the suit because Shaw had not stopped its discharges of forever chemicals from a pipe along the Saluda, as the environmental groups had asked.

Tuesday's lawsuit said the riverkeeper had found 15 different types of forever chemicals flowing from a Shaw discharge pipe in late 2023. Among those were levels of two of the most common forever chemicals that exceeded new federal drinking water standards.

That's important because the lower Saluda is being polluted above the West Columbia and Cayce drinking water systems, which have shown evidence of forever chemical pollution in their water, said Carl Brzorad, an attorney with the law center. Fish that people eat also are being contaminated below the Shaw Industries plant, he said.

"They are discharging PFAS directly into a drinking water source," Brzorad said. "These municipalities don't have the advanced treatment installed that you need to remove this stuff from the source water."

That source water originates in the lower Saluda, an 11-mile stretch of river extending from the Lake Murray dam to the confluence with the Broad near downtown Columbia. Together, the two rivers form the Congaree. The chilly lower Saluda is often considered the jewel of the three waterways because it has whitewater rapids and an active trout fishery, unusual for central South Carolina. It is a state designated Scenic River.

Shaw officials were not immediately available for comment Tuesday, but said in March that the company stopped using some PFAS treatments in carpet manufacturing five years ago. The company suggested that it was looking for forever chemicals that may have come through its plant.

The company said Shaw is taking steps to address "inadvertent sources of PFAS'' and resolve public concerns. A spokeswoman said the company had complied with all of its permits to discharge wastewater.

Shaw Industries has run the Irmo plant for 19 years, but the manufacturing facility has operated since at least the 1960s. Once operated by Honeywell, the plant on St. Andrews Road is easily visible to anyone driving through Irmo. Shaw, headquartered in Dalton, Ga., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway and one of the world's largest carpet manufacturers. It has about 20,000 employees and reports $6 billion in annual sales worldwide.

Carpets manufactured by Shaw have shown high levels of PFAS, according to the lawsuit. Company plants in Georgia and Alabama have been the target of lawsuits about the problem in those states, the South Carolina suit said.

This week's lawsuit by the environmental groups could result in substantial fines by state or federal agencies if successful in court, but Brzorad said the main goal is for Shaw to stop the discharges, whether through a court order or a negotiated settlement.

"We are in active discussions with Shaw, and we expect those discussions to continue," Brzorad said. "We certainly hope that they take this as seriously as the threat that this poses to the environment."

West Columbia and Cayce did not participate in the legal action but the cities could benefit from any action to reduce PFAS releases to the lower Saluda River. Cayce spokeswoman Ashley Hunter said the city, which heard from the riverkeeper that a suit was pending, wants to safeguard its drinking water.

"Our city administration was provided notice of the generalities of the concerns, but were not aware of the specifics on the lawsuit," Hunter said in a text. "We appreciate the work of the Congaree Riverkeeper. Having safe drinking water for our citizens is of the utmost importance to our city."

A spokeswoman for West Columbia was not immediately available for comment.

The suit by the environmental groups is among a growing number of legal cases against the manufacturers and users of forever chemicals across the state and nation.

In South Carolina, major PFAS lawsuits include cases on behalf of firefighters who used foam to extinguish fires and cities that say forever chemicals polluted their water. Attorney General Alan Wilson has two of his own cases, while private legal teams interested in filing class action lawsuits are actively soliciting information from people who may have been exposed to forever chemicals in water.

Residents of a rural area of Darlington County have filed suit over drinking water pollution they say resulted from sludge fertilizer provided by a textile plant.

One of the biggest cases in South Carolina is a suit the city of Columbia filed against more than 40 manufacturers or users of forever chemicals.

Like West Columbia and Cayce, Columbia has had elevated levels of forever chemicals in drinking water, causing what officials say will be a need for an expensive upgrade to its water system. Shaw was among those named in Columbia's suit last month. The city is seeking tens of millions of dollars to pay for drinking water system upgrades.

Forever chemicals, formally known as per and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, can cause cancer and an array of physical ailments to those who drink water or eat food contaminated with the material over time. The chemicals have been used by industry for the past 80 years because they are useful in waterproofing clothing and carpets, and coating non-stick frying pans, among other things. They also are key ingredients in firefighting foam.

Manufacturers knew about the hazards, but kept the threat largely out of the public eye for decades, according to media reports and legal notices. In the past 20 years, state and federal agencies have learned more about the threats. But only recently has public awareness grown. PFAS chemicals are problematic because they don't break down easily in the environment, thus the name forever chemicals.

Tuesday's lawsuit by the law center and the riverkeeper organization said they took action because neither the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency nor state regulators in South Carolina had pushed to stop the discharges.

It is illegal under the federal Clean Water Act to discharge any contaminant without a permit, even though there are no specific limits on PFAS releases. Suits like the one filed by the law center are allowed if the government doesn't enforce the law.

Among allegations in the suit:

Wastewater piped from a treatment pond at Shaw to a ditch is polluted by PFAS. The ditch carries water from an outfall pipe to the lower Saluda River at Irmo.

Shaw's wastewater treatment plant cannot effectively remove PFAS before it is discharged

An array of toxins is leaking through unlined waste lagoons and into groundwater that flows toward the Saluda. Unlike lead and arsenic, there has been no documentation that PFAS is among the pollutants leaking through the lagoons into groundwater. But based on what else has gotten into groundwater, "PFAS are likely leaching from the unlined lagoons and basins."

Shaw engaged in dumping PFAS-tinged material on its property

Forever chemicals have likely run off the plant site after heavy rains and polluted the lower Saluda and a tributary, Kinley Creek.

Shaw's Irmo plant "has discharged and continues to discharge PFAS from outfall 1 and other sources into the Saluda River," the lawsuit says.

The suit said PFAS may have played a role in the deaths of about 6.5 million people across the country. It also said the pollution violates federal clean water and hazardous waste laws.

Every fish tested in the Congaree, just below where the Saluda connects with it, contained forever chemicals in 2022, the suit said. Those fish included popular sport species such as largemouth bass and channel catfish, the suit said. Some fish had levels rivaling the amount found in the Cape Fear River of North Carolina, which carries warnings against eating more than moderate amounts of fish, the suit said.

"The Lower Saluda River is a symbol for Columbiaa beloved home for wildlife, destination for recreation, and designated State Scenic River," according to a statement from Bill Stangler, the Congaree Riverkeeper, whose organization advocates for safe water in the Saluda and Broad rivers, as well.

"By discharging PFAS into the Lower Saluda, Shaw harms our precious resources and the drinking water source for the communities of West Columbia and Cayce."

2024 The State. 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:

Predicted school grade differences for students with specific ascriptive characteristics. Credit: Nennstiel, Gilgen, CC-BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

A new study done in more than 14,000 ninth graders in Germany has revealed that students experience grading bias based on their gender, body size, ethnicity and parental socio-economic status. These negative biases stack on each other, meaning that students with multiple intersectional identities get significantly lower grades than their peers regardless of their true abilities.

Richard Nennstiel and Sandra Gilgen of the University of Bern and University of Zurich in Switzerland present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on July 3, 2024.

Secondary school grades can open or close doors to careers later in life. To explore whether students are suffering from bias in their school grades, Nennstiel and Gilgen used data from the National Educational Panel Study in Germany, a study that has tracked seven cohorts of German school children since 2008.

They focused on a nationally representative sample of 14,090 students who were in the ninth grade in 2010. Nennstiel and Gilgen compared grades handed by school teachers to results on standardized competence tests to find out whether some students had an advantage over others. The scientists looked at the effects of gender, body mass index (BMI), parent socio-economic status (SES), and ethnic background.

Gender bias was evident in teacher-assigned grades in all subjects except for chemistry. Girls had an advantage in German, math, and biology, while boys benefited in physics. Higher BMIs were associated with significantly lower grades from teachers in every subject, while students with higher parental SES had higher grades.

Minority students received lower grades in all subjects except biology. These disadvantages compounded, meaning that irrespective of true skill and aptitude, a boy with a high BMI from a low-SES, minority background received on average lower grades, than a German-born, low BMI girl from a higher SES.

While these results can't determine the exact mechanisms behind this bias, they suggest that grading bias is widespread in Germany. The researchers recommend that further studies focus on why students receive biased grades, and how such biases could be tackled in the classroom.

The authors add, "Even after controlling for three different measures of ability and attended school track, we find widespread additive intersectional effects of gender, social and ethnic origin as well as body weight on grading."

More information: Does chubby can get lower grades than skinny Sophie? Using an intersectional approach to uncover grading bias in German secondary schools, PLoS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305703 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:

The Goldstone Solar System Radar, part of NASA's Deep Space Network, made these observations of the recently discovered 500-foot-wide (150-meter-wide) asteroid 2024 MK, which made its closest approachwithin about 184,000 miles (295,000 kilometers) of Earthon June 29. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The Deep Space Network's Goldstone planetary radar had a busy few days observing asteroids 2024 MK and 2011 UL21 as they safely passed Earth.

Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California recently tracked two asteroids as they flew by our planet. One turned out to have a little moon orbiting it, while the other had been discovered only 13 days before its closest approach to Earth. There was no risk of either near-Earth object impacting our planet, but the radar observations taken during these two close approaches will provide valuable practice for planetary defense, as well as information about their sizes, orbits, rotation, surface details, and clues as to their composition and formation.

Passing Earth on June 27 at a distance of 4.1 million miles (6.6 million kilometers), or about 17 times the distance between the moon and Earth, the asteroid 2011 UL21 was discovered in 2011 by the Catalina Sky Survey, in Tucson, Arizona. But this is the first time it has come close enough to Earth to be imaged by radar. While the nearly mile-wide (1.5-kilometer-wide) object is classified as being potentially hazardous, calculations of its future orbits show that it won't pose a threat to our planet for the foreseeable future.

Using the Deep Space Network's 230-foot-wide (70-meter) Goldstone Solar System Radar, called Deep Space Station 14 (DSS-14), near Barstow, California, JPL scientists transmitted radio waves to the asteroid and received the reflected signals by the same antenna. In addition to determining the asteroid is roughly spherical, they discovered that it's a binary system: A smaller asteroid, or moonlet, orbits it from a distance of about 1.9 miles (3 kilometers).

"It is thought that about two-thirds of asteroids of this size are binary systems, and their discovery is particularly important because we can use measurements of their relative positions to estimate their mutual orbits, masses, and densities, which provide key information about how they may have formed," said Lance Benner, principal scientist at JPL who helped lead the observations.

Because close approaches by asteroids the size of 2024 MK are relatively rare, JPL's planetary radar team gathered as much information about the near-Earth object as possible. This mosaic shows the spinning asteroid in one-minute increments about 16 hours after its closest approach with Earth. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

These seven radar observations by the Deep Space Networks Goldstone Solar System Radar shows the mile-wide asteroid 2011 UL21 during its June 27 close approach with Earth from about 4 million miles away. The asteroid and its small moon (a bright dot at the bottom of the image) are circled in white. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

This sunset photo shows NASAs Deep Space Station 14 (DSS-14), the 230-foot-wide (70-meter) antenna at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex near Barstow, California. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Second close approach

Two days later, on June 29, the same team observed the asteroid 2024 MK pass our planet from a distance of only 184,000 miles (295,000 kilometers), or slightly more than three-quarters of the distance between the moon and Earth. About 500 feet (150 meters) wide, this asteroid appears to be elongated and angular, with prominent flat and rounded regions.

For these observations, the scientists also used DSS-14 to transmit radio waves to the object, but they used Goldstone's 114-foot (34-meter) DSS-13 antenna to receive the signal that bounced off the asteroid and came back to Earth. The result of this "bistatic" radar observation is a detailed image of the asteroid's surface, revealing concavities, ridges, and boulders about 30 feet (10 meters) wide.

Close approaches of near-Earth objects the size of 2024 MK are relatively rare, occurring about every couple of decades, on average, so the JPL team sought to gather as much data about the object as possible.

"This was an extraordinary opportunity to investigate the physical properties and obtain detailed images of a near-Earth asteroid," said Benner.

The asteroid 2024 MK was first reported on June 16 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) at Sutherland Observing Station in South Africa. Its orbit was changed by Earth's gravity as it passed by, reducing its 3.3-year orbital period around the sun by about 24 days. Although it is classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid, calculations of its future motion show that it does not pose a threat to our planet for the foreseeable future.
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:

Silverio, a twelve-day-old white rhino, runs next to his mother Hannah during his presentation at the Buin Zoo in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. The baby rhinos birth is the third of this endangered species born at the Buin. Credit: AP Photo/Esteban Felix

Hannah, a 13-year-old white rhinoceros, has delivered a newborn calf in a rare zoo birth for the almost endangered species.

The arrival of the male calf, named Silverio, two weeks ago marked the third time that a white rhino had ever been born in South America. The Buin Zoo in Chile's capital of Santiago unveiled Silverio to the public on Tuesday as he took his first giant-footed steps after 12 days of medical care in confinement.

The zoo hailed his birth as a "big achievement" for conservationists worldwide. Over the past year, only eight other southern white rhinos have been born.

The director of Buin Zoo explained that a recent string of failed rhino romances had dashed the hopes of conservationists attempting to breed the species across the continent. But Hannah and Olivera pair of southern white rhinos shipped to Santiago all the way from sub-Saharan Africa just over a decade agohave hit it off, producing three calves in this one zoo.

"There are several zoos in Latin America that have a rhino pair and did not manage to reproduce," said zoo director Ignacio Idalsoaga. "We are contributing with a ninth calf to a species that has only a few left in the wild."

A twelve-day-old rhino called Silverio walks near his mother Hannah during his presentation at the Buin Zoo in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. The baby rhinos birth is the third of this endangered species born at the Buin. Credit: AP Photo/Esteban Felix

A team of veterinarians closely monitoring Silverio declared him healthy on Tuesday.

The success story comes as fewer and fewer white rhinos roam the African plains. Northern white rhinos have effectively gone extinct, although the international scientific community has started to revive the species through assisted reproduction and stem cell research.

Southern white rhinos, the northern's close cousin and a more common species, have been classified as "nearly endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the world's main scientific authority on the status of species. There are just over 10,000 individual southern white rhinos left in the world, the vast majority of them in zoos.

That's still a major improvement from the turn of the 19th century, when the species was hunted to near oblivion. Intensive conservation efforts in the last few decades pulled southern white rhinos away from the brink of extinction, a rare example of robust reocovery in the face of peril.

Silverio, a twelve-day-old white rhino, stands next to his mother Hannah during his presentation at the Buin Zoo in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. The baby rhinos birth is the third of this endangered species born at the Buin. Credit: AP Photo/Esteban Felix

Silverio, a twelve-day-old white rhino, stands next to his mother Hannah during his presentation at the Buin Zoo in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. The baby rhinos birth is the third of this endangered species born at the Buin. Credit: AP Photo/Esteban Felix

Silverio, a twelve-day-old white rhino, walks beside his mother Hannah during his presentation at the Buin Zoo in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. The baby rhinos birth is the third of this endangered species born at the Buin. Credit: AP Photo/Esteban Felix

But that could change, conservationists say, as hunters continue to kill rhinos for their horns and the mammals can struggle to reproduce in captivity, with a gestation period of 18 months and often more than one male needed to stimulate reproduction.

Humans are the only predators to rhinos, reports the international conservation union, with hunters killing an estimated 1,000 rhinos a year. It says that roughly 17 rhinos are born each year.

 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:

Phases of the methodology adopted to identify hate speech in U.S. midterm elections. Credit: Information Fusion (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.inffus.2024.102459

In the lead-up to the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, Arizona's chief election officer Katie Hobbs received far more harassing messages on Twitter than any of her counterparts in other states. More than 30% of all tweets directed at her, along with commentators on her posts, fell into the "most aggressive" category of attacks.

That is a finding from researchers at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Universidad del Rosario in Colombia, and the University of Murcia in Spain, in a paper published in Information Fusion that examines the phenomenon of online intimidation targeting state election administrators.

The research team used a machine learning model from the Perspective APIa tool developed by Google to identify abusive online commentsto analyze nearly 600,000 tweets mentioning chief state election officials nationwide during the weeks surrounding November 8, 2022.

The tweets were rated based on six attributes: toxicity, severe toxicity, identity attack, insult, profanity, and threat.

Arizona produced the most Twitter activity in the study, representing almost 90% of all collected tweets, and had by far the highest volume of toxic language directed at its top election official, who was also running for governor.

Sentiment analysis revealed these messages exhibited high rates of overt "attacks on the author" and "attacks on commenters," as well as generalized toxicity and inflammatory rhetoric.

"Many of the harassing messages made connections to the 2020 presidential election and baseless conspiracy theories about electoral fraud," said Damon McCoy, the paper's senior author, a professor of Computer Science and Engineering at NYU Tandon.

McCoy is co-director of Cybersecurity for Democracy, a multi-university research project of the Center for Cybersecurity at NYU Tandon and the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at the Northeastern University Khoury College of Computer Sciences that aims to expose online threats and recommend how to counter them.

To further investigate, the researchers employed entity recognition software to automatically detect references within the hateful messages. It flagged prevalent mentions of "Watergate" and inflammatory phrases like being "at ground zero" for election integrity issues when discussing Arizona.

Clustering analysis based on semantic similarities within the messages also allowed the researchers to identify distinct communities promoting hate speech and map their interactions.

While political speech is constitutionally protected, the researchers warn that abuse and intimidation of election workers could have a chilling effect, deterring qualified professionals from overseeing voting and eroding public trust.

"If we want to safeguard democracy, we must find ways to promote civil discourse and protect those ensuring fair elections from harassment and threats," said McCoy.

The study proposes using the data pipeline developed by the researchers to automatically detect abusive accounts and content for faster content moderation. It also calls for clearer policies around harassment of election officials and cultural shifts to uphold democratic norms.

More information: Andres Zapata Rozo et al, Cyber democracy in the digital age: Characterizing hate networks in the 2022 US midterm elections, Information Fusion (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.inffus.2024.102459
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:

Estuaries of rivers into the ocean can take various forms. (left) The delta of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers at the mouth of the Indian Ocean consists of channels forming loops that surround hundreds of islands. (right) The mouth of a river from Wax Lake in Louisiana, U.S., into the Atlantic Ocean is similar to that of a tree, in which the main stream divides into smaller branches. Credit: (left) ESA European Space Agency, (right) National Science Foundation, Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics.

Understanding how transport networks, such as river systems, form and evolve is crucial to optimizing their stability and resilience. It turns out that networks are not all alike. Tree-like structures are adequate for transport, while networks containing loops are more damage-resistant. What conditions favor the formation of loops?

Researchers from the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw and the University of Arkansas sought to answer this question. The findings, published in Physical Review Letters, show that networks tend to form stable loop structures when flow fluctuations are appropriately tuned. This finding will allow us to understand the structure of dynamic transport networks better.

Transport networks, like blood vessels or river systems, are essential for many natural and human-made systems. Understanding how these networks form and grow is crucial for optimizing their stability and resilience.

Even seemingly similar flow systems, like river deltas, may include different morphologies. The outflow from Wax Lake in Louisiana, U.S. seems to branch into a treelike pattern with smaller river outlets reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The Ganges-Brahmaputra River Delta in Bangladesh, on the other hand, shows a looplike topology, with numerous channels interconnecting primary branches. What makes these two systems different is the magnitude of flow fluctuations, driven by an interplay of river discharge and tidal flows.

The question of what environmental conditions might promote the formation of loops over treelike structures has inspired a collaboration of scientists from the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw, Poland, and the University of Arkansas, U.S., to investigate the stability of looplike topologies in flow networks. Results of the research show that networks tend to remain looplike when the flow fluctuations remain tuned in a particular way.

"Simple growth rules can often lead to fascinating patterns. Tree-like structures are effective for transport, but networks that contain loops are more resilient to damage," says Prof. Piotr Szymczak from the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw, a co-contributing author of the study. "Understanding the necessary conditions for the emergence of loops in evolving networks is our long-term goal."

"River networks can look remarkably different depending on the river and the seageospatial data provides us with visual evidence on the changing morphologies of river deltas and with new data being collected on flow characteristics we are trying to learn more about the dynamics of their evolution, particularly in the time of rapid climate change," remarks Prof. John Shaw from the University of Arkansas, who spent his sabbatical at UW in Poland thanks to the Fulbright Research Award.

"This publication was born from the fusion of geological observations, equations of sedimentology and mathematical methods of physics."

"Our collaboration started focused on rivers, but the observations generalize to a remarkably large class of transport networks," says Radost Waszkiewicz, the leading co-author of the paper and a Ph.D. student at the Faculty of Physics UW.

The scientists have discovered that the stability of loops in these networks depends on the interplay between geometric constraints and fluctuations in flow. They found that loops require fluctuations in the relative size of flow between nodes, not just temporal variations in flow at a single node, and that the loops are more stable when the fluctuations are neither too small nor too large relative to the constant flow component.

"Should the fluctuation pattern change because of external factors such as human intervention or climate change, new loops inside transport networks might appear or disappear, transforming the network's form," concludes Prof. Maciej Lisicki from the Faculty of Physics, UW.

"We hope that this observation will entice more precise measurements in natural systems and will take us one step further in understanding the dynamic remodeling of transport networks."
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 surface water in the North Atlantic flows northeastward, but also circulates in large gyres. Credit: Ellen Viste, the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research

A new study questions the coherence of the circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean, as researchers show that the Gulf Stream exists, but variations off the coast of Florida do not necessarily reach Norway.

The real Gulf Stream flows from Florida and northward off the coast of North America. Turning east, the water crosses the Atlantic as the North Atlantic Current and continues into the Norwegian Sea as the Norwegian Current.

Traditionally this has been considered part of a continuous loop, with water flowing northward through the Atlantic Ocean and into the Nordic Seas, sinking and returning south as a deep ocean currentin total, a meridional overturning circulation.

Weaker transport in the Gulf Stream off Florida has been interpreted as a sign that climate change weakens the entire circulation in the North Atlantic. With new data, scientists question the connection between various branches of the circulation.

"You cannot measure the current in a single point and expect the data to represent the circulation of the entire North Atlantic," says Helene Asbjrnsen, an oceanographer at the Geophysical Institute at the University of Bergen, and the Bjerknes Center.

Together with colleagues from Bergen, Oxford and Southampton, Asbjrnsen has compared current data from different regions of the North Atlantic Ocean during the last decades. In a study recently published in Ocean Science, they show that the connection between variations in the real Gulf Stream and the water reaching Norway and the Nordic Seas, is small on timescales of years or decades.

While the current outside North America weakened in the decade following 2005, the inflow to the Norwegian Sea increased.

An ocean of gyres

The surface flow in the North Atlantic consists of three large gyres.

Far south, in the subtropical gyre, the water follows the Gulf Stream northward in a narrow, concentrated band. To the north of this lies the subpolar gyre. The last gyre is located within the Nordic Seas and includes the Norwegian Current, following the Norwegian coast toward the Barents Sea and Svalbard.

Water flows to the north, but also turns off to circulate within the gyres. Whether changes in the south propagate to Europe and Norway, depends on the amount of water continuing to the next gyre.

The Gulf Stream often gets credit for the mild climate in places like Borestranda in Western Norway, compared to similar latitudes on the western side of the Atlantic. Credit: Ellen Margrete Grong

Limited long-distance connections

In the new study, the researchers have compared current measurements from various positions in the three gyres over the last decades. From the ocean outside Stad in western Norway current strength has been registered regularly since 1995, while data for the Gulf Stream outside Florida are available back to 1982.

Comparisons show that variations in the current strength in each gyre rarely propagate to the next. The reductions registered in the Gulf Stream outside North America are not seen in the middle of the Atlantic or in the Norwegian Sea.

"The atmosphere is important," says Helene Asbjrnsen.

The position and strength of the Azores high pressure system and the low pressure systems farther north vary. As the pressure steers the wind, changes in highs or lows can explain how a gyre can be strengthened without more water being carried on to the next gyre.

The Gulf Stream exists

The lacking continuity does not mean that currents in the North Atlantic are disconnected.

In a previous study Helene Asbjrnsen found that two thirds of the water outside the Norwegian coast had come from the real Gulf Stream outside Florida.

Climate models are used to simulate ocean currents through longer time periods than the observational record. Over many decades such simulations suggest that the North Atlantic behaves more like a coherent system.

Helene Asbjrnsen emphasizes that the new results concern variations in ocean currents on time scales covered by available measurements.

"Seeing signs of longterm changes in the observations is difficult with data series that are short and dominated by large regional variations from year to year and decade to decade," she says.

Climate models also agree that climate change will weaken the northern sinking, which, as well as the winds, contribute to the circulation in the Atlantic Ocean.

More information: Helene Asbjrnsen et al, Observed change and the extent of coherence in the Gulf Stream system, Ocean Science (2024). DOI: 10.5194/os-20-799-2024

Provided by Bjerknes Centre for Climate 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:

Overview of the intercity QKD experiments on the "Niedersachsen quantum link' using single photons from a semiconductor quantum dot (QD). a Distribution of quantum bits between Hannover (Alice) and Braunschweig (Bob) over 79 km of deployed fiber with a total loss of 25.49 dB. Map data from Google (2023 Google). b Sketch of the experimental setup. Credit: Light: Science & Applications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41377-024-01488-0

Conventional encryption methods rely on complex mathematical algorithms and the limits of current computing power. However, with the rise of quantum computers, these methods are becoming increasingly vulnerable, necessitating quantum key distribution (QKD).

QKD is a technology that leverages the unique properties of quantum physics to secure data transmission. This method has been continuously optimized over the years, but establishing large networks has been challenging due to the limitations of existing quantum light sources.

In a new article published in Light: Science & Applications, a team of scientists in Germany have achieved the first intercity QKD experiment with a deterministic single-photon source, revolutionizing how we protect our confidential information from cyber threats.

The team was led by Professor Fei Ding from Leibniz University of Hannover (LUH), Professor Stefan Kuck from Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Professor Peter Michler from University of Stuttgart and other co-workers.

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), referred as the artificial atoms in the quantum world, show great potential for illuminating quantum lights used in quantum information technologies. This breakthrough reveals the feasibility of semiconductor single-photon sources for a secure long-distance quantum internet in real life.

Professor Fei Ding explained, "We work with quantum dots, which are tiny structures similar to atoms but tailored to our needs. For the first time, we used these 'artificial atoms' in a quantum communication experiment between two different cities. This setup, known as the 'Niedersachsen Quantum Link,' connects Hannover and Braunschweig via optical fiber."

The intercity experiment was performed in the German federal state of Niedersachsen, in which a deployed fiber of 79 km length connects the Leibniz University of Hannover (LUH) and Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) Braunschweig.

Alice, located at the LUH, statically prepares single photons that are encrypted in polarization. Bob, located at the PTB, contains a passive polarization decoder to decrypt the polarization states of the received single photons, coming through the fiber-based quantum channels. This is also the first quantum communication link in Lower Saxony of Germany.

As a result, the researchers have achieved stable and fast transmission of secret keys.

They first verified that positive secret key rates (SKRs) are determined achievable for distances up to 144 km corresponding to 28.11 dB loss in the laboratory. A high-rate secret key transmission with a low quantum bit error ratio (QBER) for 35 hours was ensured based on this deployed fiber link.

"Comparative analysis with existing QKD systems involving SPS reveals that the SKR achieved in this work goes beyond all current SPS based implementations. Even without further optimization of the source and setup performance it approaches the levels attained by established decoy state QKD protocols based on weak coherent pulses," the first author of the work, Dr. Jingzhong Yang remarked.

The researchers speculate that QDs also offer great prospect for the realization of other quantum internet applications, such as quantum repeaters, distributed quantum sensing, as they allow for inherent storage of quantum information and can emit photonic cluster states. The outcome in this work underscores the viability of seamlessly integrating semiconductor single-photon sources into realistic, large-scale and high-capacity quantum communication networks.

The need for secure communication is as old as humanity itself. Quantum communication uses the quantum characteristics of light to ensure that messages cannot be intercepted. "Quantum dot devices emit single photons, which we control and send to Braunschweig for measurement. This process is fundamental to quantum key distribution," Ding said.

"Some years ago, we only dreamt of using quantum dots in real-world quantum communication scenarios. Today, we are thrilled to demonstrate their potential for many more fascinating experiments and applications in the future, moving towards a 'quantum internet.'"

More information: Jingzhong Yang et al, High-rate intercity quantum key distribution with a semiconductor single-photon source, Light: Science & Applications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41377-024-01488-0 Journal information: Light: Science & Applications

Provided by TranSpread
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 relational and embedded perspective can engender the most effective stewardship. Hunting and fishing involve complex tasks and vivid outdoor experiences in nature that can help to build a profound sense of participation in a natural ecosystem and a related community of practice. Credit: J. Miller. From Nature Sustainability (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-024-01379-7

Buying fish, sausage or meat saves you from breaking a social taboo in some industrialized nations, especially when hunting and fishing are conducted for recreation. In a perspective article in Nature Sustainability, a research team from the natural and social sciences and environmental philosophy, with Professor Robert Arlinghaus from IGB, adds a new perspective to the topic of "recreational use of wild animals."

The hypothesis is that an emotionally intense interaction between hunters or anglers and wild animals can create a particularly strong sense of responsibility, described as "environmental stewardship." And this in turn would be an incentive for many to commit to lifelong environmental and species protection action.

However, the research team distinguishes this intense experience of nature from more superficially conducted hunting and angling practices, which do not necessarily foster feelings of stewardship.

The research team sheds light on the psychological and emotional side of recreational hunting and fishing. "Because of the powerful emotions evoked and the mentorship of like-minded participants, hunting and angling have the capacity to form character traits that are life-long and ethically central to becoming an environmental steward," said Charles List, professor emeritus of philosophy at SUNY Plattsburgh University, New York, US, co-author of the study.

"Hunting and fishing generally require an intensive engagement with natural processes, ecosystems, the living creature and the annual and daily cycles. Through the experience of searching, finding, catching, taking, killing and processing of wild animals, hunters and anglers also become part of the natural food web.

"This close psychosocial integration into nature can create a strong sense of responsibility to protect wildlife and fish, which we call stewardship," added Prof. Arlinghaus, sustainability researcher and fisheries professor at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) and Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin.

Superficial interactions lead to the outsourcing of responsibility for the animals

However, there are also practices that are more of a short-term intervention. This does not necessarily promote a sense of responsibility for conservation of wildlife and the environment.

"There are examples of hunting and fishing experiences being dominated by market logic, for example in small put-and-take fishing ponds or in hunting experiences for specially bred wild animals released in small enclosures, known as canned hunting.

"These practices lead to only superficial experiences of nature. They are designed to satisfy the desire for a quick reward. There is often no intensive examination of the personal relationship with nature and own impacts on the lives of animals," explained the first author Dr. Sam Shephard of Ave Maria University in Florida.

The practice of hunting and fishing can generate skills and knowledge that are useful for conservation and management. However, the crucial factor is not the practice itself, but what it triggers for people psycho-emotionally. Fishing according to the principle of catch-and-release, for example, can strengthen the sense of responsibility for a fish when it is released out of respect for the creature or to protect a natural population of fish through self-constraint.

However, catch-and-release can also be a prime example of a superficial economization of wildlife use, for example if the release event is carried out for purely economic reasons to maintain the attraction of a commercially operated fishing stretch. Similar tensions exist in specific forms of hunting.

"Stewardship arises when people become aware of the consequences of their own actions and draw personally binding conclusions that lead to the sustainable management of animal populations, including to self-constraint about how many animals to take and how," explained associate professor Erica von Essen of Stockholm Resilience Center.

She suggests that such stewardship can often operate independently of formal harvest regulations. In Sweden, for example, hunters are currently protesting against moose quotas which they consider to be too high, deliberately refraining from harvesting moose.

Reduced to a management task: Emotional approach to killing socially tabooed

Hunting and fishing can also be reduced to the act of killing for reasons of pest control or the control of invasive species. In this case, the animals are viewed as aggregated biomass that must be disposed of for a specific purpose.

"Reducing killing to a management task promotes a rational, but not an emotional approach to nature. To avoid criticism, hunters and anglers in industrialized countries often take on the role of rational wildlife and fish managers and distance themselves from the more emotional or cultural dimensions of their activity because these are increasingly tabooed in society," said anthropologist Dr. Thorsten Gieser from the Czech Academy of Sciences.

According to the authors, this means that some traditions that were once used to honor prey are now abandoned or only used very discreetly due to a lack of social acceptance. This may shift the emotional bounds of hunter and anglers towards wildlife into a direction that undermines environmental stewardship.

"It is important to take a differentiated view of the various recreational hunting and fishing practices. An important basis for this is to remove the social taboo on killing wild animals in the context of recreational fishing and hunting because such practices can build very intense emotional connections and experiences about the consequences of one's own actions that may then lead to pro-environmental behavior and support for conservation action," concluded Arlinghaus.

More information: Samuel Shephard et al, Recreational killing of wild animals can foster environmental stewardship, Nature Sustainability (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-024-01379-7 Journal information: Nature Sustainability
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

France's natural history collections contain nearly 6% of the world's total natural specimens across multiple institutions, and the e-COL+ project aims to capture and reconstruct these specimens in 3D for easy access and 3D printing around the world.

"I'm a researcher of vertebrate locomotion and vocalization, so I produce a lot of CT scans and 3D modelsand now I'm in charge of developing the museum's own 3D digital collection," says Dr. Pauline Provini, a lecturer at the Natural History Museum in Paris, France and collaborator on the e-COL+ project. Dr. Provini is in line to become the Scientific and Technical Coordinator for the project, following the announced retirement of the current Coordinator Pierre-Yves Gagnier.

Dr. Provini and her partners plan to produce several thousand 3D models of whole animal specimens and fragmental specimens, which include bones and partial remains. The e-COL+ project is led by France's National Natural History Museum and includes 9 other national research institutions and universities.

The e-COL+ project has four main objectives. Firstly, it aims to provide modern equipment, especially 3D scanning tools, to the participating project partners so that they can digitize their collections.

Secondly, the project plans to create a comprehensive dataset of 3D models of animals that cover a wide range of taxonomy, including both living and extinct species.

"We want to have digital versions of representatives of most modern vertebrates and arthropods," says Dr. Provini. "We also want to incorporate any existing 3D models from the French collections and help to fill the gaps."

Depending on the size and type of the specimen, Dr. Provini and her team use different scanning techniques. "We use surface scanners for bones and whole skeletons, but we use CT scans for specimens that are kept in fluid," she says. "For small specimens like insects, we use external providers like the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility."

Thirdly, they wish to build AI tools to help improve the 3D model reconstruction process. "This can help with the automatic identification of a species or the parts of the specimen, which is a very important development for the project," says Dr. Provini.

The fourth and final objective is to organize storage, availability, and presentation of the digital models for both research and public use.

"We want to build an online 3D catalog that people can use to download the models. Not only researchers, but also more general audiences," says Dr. Provini.

A major benefit of this project is the ability to rapidly share access to specimens between research institutions and other museums around the world.

"Typically, institutions can borrow specimens from other places for their own exhibitions, but it can be very complicated because there's a lot of paperwork to doespecially if they're very rare or fragile specimens," says Dr. Provini. "Now we just send the numerical model, and they can 3D print the model whenever they want."

The e-COL+ project also has benefits for teaching by providing access to specimens that may otherwise be restricted.

"It will be important for learning anatomy and other subjects, but also useful for learning to use 3D printing technology and software," says Dr. Provini.

The e-COL+ project is set to conclude in 2029.

This project is being presented at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Prague from 25 July 2024.
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

It took 50 million years for salmon to evolve and only about 50 years to nearly wipe them out. Now, Washington's native salmon and steelhead populations are getting a reprieveone stream at a time.

Travelers on state Route 8 and U.S. 12 between Olympia and Montesano have been swerving and slowing through five separate construction zones since spring 2023. It's part of a $109 million culvert replacement project that aims to free up barriers to fish passage in Grays Harbor County.

The Olympia to Montesano work is a fraction of the $3.95 billion the state legislature has authorized to improve fish passage in western Washington. WSDOT says it needs another $4 billion to complete its projects by court-mandated 2030.

Why it's needed

Like the drivers headed to Long Beach and Ocean Shores, fish need their own watery freeways to travel between their spawning grounds and the ocean. Spawning salmon and steelhead head upstream while juvenile fish make their way downstream.

Culvertsthose corrugated pipes parents warn kids not to play incarry water under roads. They're effective but often become barriers to fish because water flows too swiftly, is too shallow or shoots out of the business end like a fire hose.

WSDOT recognized the problem in 1991. But by then, the vast majority of the state's major roadways had been completed. The problem barriers have been and will continue to take decades and billions of dollars to correct.

To date, the state has opened up more than 1,000 miles of fish habitat.

One size does not fit all

Because each stream is unique in its hydrology, topography, size and the way it crosses underneath roadways, each crossing must be tailored individually, according to WSDOT project engineer Jason Mettler.

The streams on the SR 8/U.S. 12 project eventually drain to the Chehalis River. They are Camp Creek (just east of Montesano) and unnamed tributaries to Wenzel Slough (west of Elma), Vance Creek (south of Elma), Wildcat Creek (between Elma and McCleary) and Mox Chehalis Creek (east of McCleary).

A new box culvert will be used at the Mox Chehalis tributary site. The other locations will be corrected with pairs of full span bridges. When finished, fish will be able to navigate the channels more easily and in a natural environment.

On some of the bridges, drivers will notice a rise as they pass over the streams. That's to accommodate the possibility of high flows during flood events, Mettler said.

Camp Creek

The state Route 8/U.S. 12 project is WSDOT's most ambitious on the Olympic Peninsula with five sites and multiple bridges. On a recent June morning, WSDOT officials toured the Camp Creek segment of the project, east of Montesano, with a pair of reporters.

The Camp Creek site involves three new bridges. Two 112-feet-long bridges are being built for the east and westbound lanes of U.S. 12. The parallel Simmons Road, a Grays Harbor County road, is getting a 110-foot-long bridge. The Simmons Road and westbound bridges are already in use.

The bridges are being built while Camp Creek continues to flow through its culverts. The existing crossing carries traffic over a box (square) culvert 12-feet-wide by 6-feet-tall with a center divider.

The new bridges will allow for a 17-foot-wide stream bed. Including banks needed for overflow during storms, the total opening width for each bridge is around 75 feet.

Shafts

During the media tour, workers were lowering a form into the ground to accommodate the pouring of a concrete support for the eastbound bridge. It and its kin will eventually reach 58 feet below ground level. U.S. 12 traffic is using the westbound bridge with a single lane temporarily apportioned for each direction.

The creek is being realigned to allow for a more natural flow. When highways were built in the mid-20th century, stream channels were often changed to be perpendicular to the roadway. While more efficient, it could also act as another blow to fish passage.

The Camp Creek crossings were built in 1968, Mettler said.

Trees

Natural forested streams on the Olympic Peninsula are full of fallen logs. They were once viewed as impediments. Biologists now know they provide habitat for fish as they slow streams down.

Drivers passing through the various worksites might notice recently harvested trees piled at the sites. The logs, with their root systems still attached, will be installed in the creek beds and provide hiding places for fish during all their life cycles.

"They can hang out and just do their thing and chill," said WSDOT spokesperson Doug Adamson.

"That's what we see in nature," Mettler said. "And that's what we use to replicate that. We will be recreating a stream trying to match the quality and the characteristics of it ... even down to the gravel size in that stream."

Rough waters downstream

After 21 Washington tribes asked the U.S. District Court to uphold salmon treaty rights in 2013, the court ordered the state to fix culverts that were barriers to salmon and steelhead in western Washington. The injunction requires opening 90 percent of the potential habitat area by 2030.

Out of the five streams on the SR 8/U.S. 12 project, four have partial downstream impediments, according to Kim Rydholm, a WSDOT engineer.

"They're not 100 percent barriers," she said "So there's some fish, at some stages of life that can get through those."

Some are county roads and others are on private property, according to WSDOT.

Despite the downstream barriers, WSDOT forges ahead with projects, compelled by the injunction. But, Rydholm said, the agency keeps downstream owners apprised of WSDOT's work. Funding from various sources, including the state Department of Natural Resources, is available for private landowners to improve fish passage.

"Restoration has to start somewhere," she said. "We feel like removing our barriers, which are typically the most expensive and complex in a system, really paves the way for other barrier owners to correct their barriers."

Fish windows

Complicating the construction are so-called fish windows. Referring to time, a fish window is the period in which crews can legally work in stream beds. They correspond to periods when fish are not migrating, usually in summer.

"It is going to be pretty hectic," Mettler said. "We get a pretty small window of time to do the work within the stream."

The SR 8/U.S. 12 project is slated for completion in winter 2025. WSDOT said roadway work affecting drivers will be finished before then.

A daunting task

WSDOT's work represents a fraction of the barriers that block fish in the Chehalis River watershed. A database maintained by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife provides a sobering look at the hundreds of impediments fish face in the basin.

The agency offers fish passage services to landowners and organizations planning restoration projects.

In the meantime, WSDOT will continue the court mandated work to remove barriers on state roads. The agency estimates that an additional $4 billion is needed to complete the plan by 2030.

"We have about 350 barriers to correct by 2030 to meet that particular requirement," Rydholm said.

2024 The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.). 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:

Dr Mark Meekan and Kim Brooks work in tandem to collect copepods from the mouth of the whale shark, which places the fish in a good position for a liver ultrasound. Credit: AIMS

An international team of researchers has discovered a new method of imaging free-swimming whale sharks using underwater ultrasound.

The research, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, was led by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in collaboration with The University of Western Australia, WA's Mira Mar Veterinary Hospital, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan, and Georgia Aquarium in the U.S.

Lead author Dr. Mark Meekan, from UWA's Oceans Institute, has been running a monitoring program at Ningaloo Reef with AIMS for the past 20 years.

"Whale sharks are large filter feeders, which makes them vulnerable to consuming plastics and man-made chemicals in the water, so we want to know if they're healthy," Dr. Meekan said.

As part of the program the researchers have been collecting tiny parasites called copepods, a small shrimp-like animal, from the whale sharks' lips and edges of their fins.

"We found when we started to scrape the copepods off their lips, the whale sharks slowed down, hung vertically in the water and treated us like a giant cleaner fish," Dr. Meekan said.

While the whale sharks were in this position, the researchers were able to use an underwater ultrasound to capture images of the internal organs to help to assess their condition and reproductive status.

"Underwater ultrasounds have been used before to look at reproductive status of sharks in aquariums or caught on drumlines, but this method is not viable with whale sharks," Dr. Meekan said.

Kim Brooks was AIMS' senior field technician during the expedition and operated the hand-held ultrasound unit while free diving with a dozen whale sharks.

"We began by trying to find landmarks inside the body, starting with the heart and from there tried to work out where we were in relation to the rest of the organs," Brooks said.

"It was both an awesome and challenging experience because whale sharks are the largest fish in the ocean, and I was able to watch a live screen view of their beating heart while holding my breath underwater."

Dr. Meekan said the ultrasound imaging showed that whale sharks have a very slow heart ratejust 12 to 16 beats per minute.

The researchers then started to map the internal organs and at first were interested in the liver, where oil is stored to keep the whale shark buoyant.

"We also imaged the back of the shark and could clearly see the skin thickness and muscle bundles," Dr. Meekan said.

"They have a layer of hard denticles at the skin surface that feels rough like sandpaper and below that connective tissue up to 20cm deep, making their skin one of the thickest of any animal.

"We found whale sharks that were skinny and in poor condition had thinner skins."

Scuba diving around whale sharks is not permitted at Ningaloo and touching whale sharks is illegal.

More information: M. G. Meekan et al, Internal organs and body tissues of free-swimming whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) imaged using underwater ultrasound, Frontiers in Marine Science (2024). DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1285429 Journal information: Frontiers in Marine Science
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 cave painting of a pig, the oldest narrative artwork made by humans.

It may not look like muchjust a flaking image of three people around a big red pig.

But the humble cave painting discovered in Indonesia is the oldest known narrative artwork ever made by human hands, dating back more than 51,000 years, new research said on Wednesday.

"This is the oldest evidence of storytelling," Maxime Aubert, an archaeologist at Australia's Griffith University, told AFP.

Aubert was part of the team that identified the previous record holder in 2019, a hunting scene found in a nearby Indonesian cave then estimated to be nearly 44,000 years old.

The latest discovery, which was dated using a new laser technique, marks "the first time we've passed the 50,000-year barrier," said Aubert, a co-author of a new study in Nature describing the find.

That early humans were able to tell such a "sophisticated" story through art could rewrite our understanding of human cognitive evolution, he added.

"Our discovery suggests that storytelling was a much older part of human history... than previously thought," study co-author archaeologist Adam Brumm told a press conference.

New laser dating

For the discovery, the researchers used a new method that uses lasers and computer software to create a "map" of rock samples.

This laser ablation technique is more precise, easier, quicker, cheaper, and requires much smaller rock samples than the previous uranium series method, Aubert said.

Aerial Photo Karampuang Hill. Credit: Google Arts & Culture

The team first tested the new technique on the previous record holder.

It determined that the hunting scene was actually at least 48,000 years old4,000 years older than the uranium series method determined in 2019.

The team then tried the laser method out on a previously undated painting first spotted in a cave on Indonesia's Sulawesi island in 2017.

It was found to be at least 51,200 years old, smashing the previous record.

The painting, which is in poor condition, shows three people around a wild pig.

"We don't know exactly what they're doing," Aubert admitted.

He speculated that the paintings were likely made by the first group of humans who moved through Southeast Asia before arriving in Australia around 65,000 years ago.

"It's probably just a matter of time before we find samples that are older," Aubert added.

Art gap mystery

Humans first evolved in Africa more than 300,000 years ago.

The first images known to have been made by humans are simple lines and patterns made in ochre found in South Africa dating back 100,000 years.

But then there is a "huge gap" in human art until the Indonesian cave paintings 50,000 years later, Aubert said.

"The question is, why is it not everywhere?"

One theory is that artwork elsewhere did not survive all those millennia. Another is that ancient art could still be out there waiting to be discovered.

Previously, the first narrative art was thought to have emerged in Europe. A "lion man" statue found in Germany has been dated to around 40,000 years ago.

The date given for the Indonesian cave art is "quite provocative" because it is so much older than what has been found elsewhere, including in Europe, said Chris Stringer, an anthropologist at London's Natural History Museum.

Stringer, who was not involved in the research, said the experienced team's findings looked sound but needed to be confirmed by further dating.

"In my view this find reinforces the idea that representational art was first produced in Africa, before 50,000 years ago, and the concept spread as our species spread," he told AFP.

"If that is true, much new supporting evidence from other areas including Africa has yet to emerge..."

More information: Adhi Agus Oktaviana et al, Narrative cave art in Indonesia by 51,200 years ago, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07541-7 Journal information: Nature

 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:

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A new study shows how a warming climate will impact New Zealand's wet and dry weather extremes, giving decision-makers the power to plan for the future.

Led by the University of Waikato's Dr. Luke Harrington, Senior Lecturer in Climate Change at Te Aka Matuatua School of Science and involving colleagues from NIWA and the University of Canterbury, the study uses a larger set of climate model data than what has previously been available to show how frequently New Zealand regions experience high and low rainfall extremes in a warmer world.

The research, published in Environmental Research Letters, quantifies for the first time how the unevenness of New Zealand's rainfall across a year is expected to change with climate warming.

The researchers use this larger data set, which allows more confidence in expected changes, to show how New Zealand's wettest and driest days of the year respond to a 3C rise in global temperature.

"We found that many regions experience significant changes in the amount of rain falling during both the wettest and driest spells, despite having shown only a minor change in annual average rainfall," Dr. Harrington says.

The study estimates that regions which show no change in annual average rainfall in a 3C warmer world are likely to see their wettest days of the year producing at least 10% more rainfall than in the current climate, and their driest days of the year producing at least 10% less.

"This rule of thumb can serve as a powerful tool for people on the ground to plan for what an average year might look like on a day-to-day basis in the future. We find more extreme dry spells punctuated by increasingly supercharged rainfall events," Dr. Harrington says.

"These projected changes are further evidence of the challenges that will need to be confronted as global temperatures continue to increase rapidly."

The study uses thousands of simulations from the Weather@Home regional climate modeling experiment for the Australia-New Zealand region, made available by donated computing power from thousands of volunteers.

Climate scientist Dr. Suzanne Rosier from NIWA has played a key part in maintaining the Weather@Home-ANZ project and was involved in Dr. Harrington's research.

"Rainfall projections over Aotearoa often focus on average changes over seasons and years because we've previously lacked the large datasets needed to be confident in more nuanced changes at the daily scale," Dr. Rosier says.

"Our new analysis overcomes these challenges. Another of our findings is that, even regions that do show a change in the annual mean rainfall still exhibit changes in how that rainfall arrives: for example, we see increases in the number of years with 'drought-busting' extreme rainfall yet at the same time as much as a three-fold increase in the number of extreme dry years."

Also involved in the study were Professor Dave Frame and Master's student Tom Marsh from the University of Canterbury.

"A common phrase to explain climate change is 'the wet get wetter and the dry get drier.' This normally describes wet regions of the world experiencing more rainfall in the future, while dry regions suffer more intense drought periods," Professor Frame says.

"Because we don't expect huge changes in total rainfall, people in New Zealand can get a bit complacent about future rainfall challenges. This research shows we can expect the worst of both worlds to happen simultaneously for many regions of Aotearoa as temperatures continue to rise."

More information: Luke J Harrington et al, Robust changes to the wettest and driest days of the year are hidden within annual rainfall projections: a New Zealand case study, Environmental Research Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ad585a Journal information: Environmental Research Letters
SARATOGA COUNTY  Two Upstate New York institutions carry some surprising connections to our nations fight for independence. As we celebrate our countrys birthday this week in anticipation of its 250th anniversary in 2026, we take a look at two community connections to our countrys revolutionary history.

A tale of two brothersThe Dake family has operated Stewarts Shops since two brothers bought Stewarts Ice Cream Company in Ballston Spa in 1945. With over 350 shops across New York State and Vermont, the rest, as they say, is history. But just as important as how the family grew the business is where their story began: with another set of brothers.

Two Dake brothers arrived in Newport back in the early 1700s, Bill Dake, patriarch of the Dake family recalled. Over a period of time, the families moved together and ended up in White Creek New York.

There, the family carved out a modest life, but as the revolution waged, they would soon find themselves in the midst of Americas Turning Point.

In the summer of 1777, General John Burgoyne began the Saratoga Campaign, in which British troops, bolstered by German Hessians would invade New York from Canada and take control of the northern part of the state. The plan was to connect with fellow British forces that had already seized control of New York City and the southern part of the state, making their way up toward Albany.

Had New York completely succumbed to British authority, the American Revolution might have ended right then and there. Fortunately, Burgoyne was stymied in his endeavor, ultimately surrendering to American forces near what is now Schuylerville and retreating back to Canada.

Leading up to Burgoynes now notorious surrender, were a series of defeats stemming from smaller engagements with provincial militias throughout upstate New York. One such skirmish was the battle of Bennington.

The Battle of Bennington did not occur in Bennington. Thats where they were going, Dake said. (The battle) occurred in White Creek New York.

In fact, according to Dake, the Battle of Bennington took place just a few miles from the family farm. What part the Dakes played in the outcome of the battle, Bill Dake didnt recollect. But as a result of their participation, the clan was granted several hundred acres of land in Middle Grove.

While the Battle of Saratoga is the turning point of the Revolution, the turning point of the battle of Saratoga occurred (at the battle of) Bennington, Dake said.

The family moved to the allotment just slightly northwest of Saratoga Springs and began working the land. The venture proved successful, as the farm grew and expanded into a thriving dairy concern, which in turn spawned the sprawling ice cream empire we know today. A portion of that original tract of land is now the Daketown State Forest.

Musket fire and the cries for liberty may not be the first things that come to mind while youre enjoying a scoop of your favorite frozen flavor but knowing that the family responsible for the creamy confection also had a hand in our nations freedom sure does taste sweet.

The gun from Saratoga

For more than 120 years the Adirondack Trust Company has stood at its current location on Broadway in Saratoga Springs. The legacy of the company and the history around the building itself is impressive on its own merits. But one of the most valuable items housed at the bank isnt locked away in its vault  its on display in its lobby.

This is a musket that was surrendered at Saratoga, said Charles Wait Sr., chair of the Adirondack Trust Company Board of Directors.

The gun sits on a small, hand-crafted table along with other pieces believed to be remnants from roughly the same time period.

Wait said there are two major giveaways that tell of the guns provenance. It has been identified by experts as being from the correct time and bares the mark of one of the British regiments that marched with Burgoyne to Saratoga. But the most telling sign is the tightly wrapped leather strap holding the weapon together.

What the British did to foil the Americans from using their arms when they surrendered they smashed them against a rock in order to break the back, Wait explained. And the Americans, with good old Yankee ingenuity took pieces of leather, wrapped it around the broken piece wet, and then when it dried it was like super glue.

Wait said there are a lot of British cannons and mortars taken from the surrender at Saratoga housed at the Military Academy at Westpoint, but hes never come across another musket like the one housed at the bank.

That kind of makes this a little more real, he said. Its really fun to be able to present this to the public so that they can see it because these are treasures.

The musket, as well as a set of sabers, likely from the War of 1812 era are on loan from the Unity Lodge No. 22 Free and Accepted Masons, in Greenfield.

They wanted the public to be able to see them and they wanted them to be in a secure place, Wait said. This lobbys pretty secure.

Also on display is a pair of cannon balls from Waits personal collection, which were uncovered from a farm in Schuylerville located on the site of a Hessian encampment.

Due to the relatively small diameter of the iron balls, Wait said they would likely have been used as anti-personnel shots.

They would not only do damage if they hit somebody straight on, but once they dropped and hit the ground, if the ground was at all hard, itd bounce, he said.

But its not just the artifacts on display in the lobby that connects the Adirondack Trust Company to the early days of America. The Wait family themselves hold a unique, dual distinction in the formation of our country. Wait is a direct descendant of Joseph Wait, who was a Captain in Rogers Rangers during the French and Indian War in 1757. He later joined the cause of independence and served as Lt. Col. in the American Army. He was killed while attempting to block the British from moving south on Lake Champlain in the fall of 1776.

Some men fought in both wars, Charles Wait said. Heres comrades in arms who, 20-years later, are slaughtering each other. You kind of marvel at that.

The semi-quincentennial celebration of America officially kicked off in December 2023 with the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. As the nation re-traces its steps toward independence in the coming years, there are connections to our shared history on display every day.
Following a United Nations rapporteur's report on the atrocities that accompany prostitution, evangelical groups call on nation states to stop normalizing sex services and instead officially recognise prostitution and its related variations as systematically linked to violence and the exploitation of women and girls.

The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) and the Salvation Army International Social Justice Commission jointly presented their statement in a video submission as part of the U.N. Human Rights Council's 56th session in the Palais de Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, which is held from June 18 to July 12.

The organizations supported the gruesome and damning findings of Ms. Reem Alsalem, the U.N.'s Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women And Girls, Its Causes And Consequences.

Prostitution is a system of exploitation and an aggregated form of male violence against women and girls that intersects with other forms of structural discrimination, said Alsalem in her report to the U.N. Human Rights Council, entitled, Prostitution and Violence Against Women and Girls.

It is exercised systematically by a wide web of State and non-State actors that subjugate, control and exploit women and girls in violation of their fundamental human rights.

Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up

The extreme levels of violence inflicted on women in prostitution  which would never be accepted in other contexts  are blanketed by a financial transaction, designed to materialize a so-called consent that cannot be expressed freely in the prostitution system.

In this context, the very concept of consent is weaponized against women in prostitution, as it is extorted through physical or economic coercion, manipulation and violence.

Alsalem listed multiple examples of disturbing forms of violence against women and girls, adding that Globally, girls are the fastest growing group among detected trafficked persons. She said girls were being trapped into prostitution younger and younger, including some as young as 8 years of age.

Pornography exposure for children had quadrupled sex offenses against children in the past decade, with most victims being girls. These acts of violence against women and girls, she said, constituted torture, inhuman and degrading treatment.

Physical forms of violence  mainly by sex act buyers  include sexual abuse, rape and gang rape, severe beatings, including for the victims refusal, lack of enthusiasm or dissociation, she wrote. Kidnapping, abduction and enforced disappearance were also common.

Women and girls are mutilated or burned, including with cigarettes. They have foreign objects inserted into their bodies, urinated, defecated and ejaculated upon, and can be forced to have unprotected sex.

In pornography, acts of gagging, brutal penetration of the vagina by one or several men, are particularly common. As a result, they are often left with lasting physical disabilities.

Prostitution also leads to femicide, serial killings and death threats.

Alsalem said women were often kept in slavery or slavery-like conditions. She even listed prostitutes being forced into sex acts with animals and the more brutal and violent sex acts meant sex users felt they received their moneys worth.

Frontline organizations reported that the consequences of prostitution on women and girls were akin to victims of torture. A study in nine countries showed that 68 percent of prostitutes suffered post traumatic stress.

Forced abortions, pelvic floor degradation and cervical cancer were among the numerous consequences of prostitution on women and girls noted in the report.

The issue of coercion was also highlighted, with control and exploitation not just by pimps and traffickers, but also States. Alsalem highlighted that migrant women in debt bondage were forced into sex acts to try and pay their debts.

Mothers can also lose custody of their children, many of whom are conceived from violent acts of prostitution, and the youngsters endure various developmental delays due to abuse, neglect, no education or father figure, language and learning disorders and the children are also often stolen, drugged or sold in trafficking networks, regularly used for sexual abuse or rape, and often are killed too.

This issue of State involvement meant that nations made profits from prostituted women in full legalized systems. Alsalem pointed out the example of Switzerland enjoying an annual revenue of 3.2 billion CHF (3.5 billion USD) generated by the commercial sex industry.

States benefit from the prostitution of women through personal income tax imposed on them, the corporate taxing and licensing fees required on brothels and/or cyber enabled businesses, in essence becoming a pimp State.

Authorities were also struggling to beat technological demands for prostitution via pornography. A study of popular porn videos in 2010 showed that 88.2 percent involved assault such as gagging, choking or strangulation.

In the Republic of Korea, where the U.S. Government estimated in 2022 that 44 percent espouse a religion and 45 percent of that figure are Protestant and 18 percent Roman Catholic, Alsalem said 42 percent of all men have bought sex acts once in their lifetime.

Alsalem said that driving instructors in the Netherlands can now demand a sex act from students for payment, known as a ride for a ride. In the U.K. the University of Leicester gave a sex worker toolkit to students while failing to develop any financial support dedicated to its most precarious female students.

Evangelicals say normalizing of sex services must stop

The evangelical bodies support Alsalems call for an abolitionist legal framework to be adopted and to stop the normalizing of sex services, which often violates impoverished and vulnerable women.

Markus Hofer, WEAs UN Communications and Advocacy Officer, said that prostitution is intrinsically linked to violence and is a form of violence in itself.

Hofer slammed the system of prostitution presenting women as commodities. He said that Alsalems report recognised prostitution as a system of inequality and discrimination based on sex and other intersecting grounds.

As such, there is a full spectrum of international human rights standards that apply in the context of prostitution.

We affirm the Special Rapporteurs findings that prostitution is both intrinsically linked to violence against women and girls and constitutes a form of violence in and of itself.

We are particularly concerned about the contexts that create vulnerability to exploitation in prostitution and appreciate the reports fulsome discussion of those factors.

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) welcomed the special rapporteurs groundbreaking report on prostitution and violence against women and girls.

Julia Beazley, EFC director of public policy, told Christian Daily International that the faith body also welcomed the special rapporteurs recognition that prostitution is a system of exploitation and violence, which reduces women and girls to commodities.

Significantly, she found that prostitution is both intrinsically linked to different forms of violence against women and girls and constitutes a form of violence in and of itself, said Beazley.

She highlighted that the EFC had responded with a written submission on the issue, following a call in January from the Special Rapporteur asking for input for her report.

These findings align with the perspective we shared in our written submission, that Prostitution is a system of exploitation that is based on structural and gender inequalities and preys on vulnerabilities, said Beazley.

We have long argued that violence is inherent to prostitution, a finding affirmed by a recent Ontario Superior court decision, which found that violence is a feature, not a bug of sex work.

Beazley knew of a push by some undisclosed groups to decriminalize prostitution in both Canada and around the world.

But this report underlines the inherently exploitative nature of prostitution as a system of violence, and the importance of abolishing this system in order to protect the safety, dignity and equality of women and girls.



The public policy director hoped that countries would heed the report and the presented evidence, and recommendations by the Special Rapporteur, and adopt the equality model approach to prostitution, which penalizes demands from buyers for paid sexual acts.



The EFC wants five pillars to be adopted by nation states. These are the decriminalization of women in prostitution; providing comprehensive support and exit pathways; criminalizing the purchase of sexual acts; criminalizing all forms of pimping; and implementing sensitization campaigns for sexual act buyers.

We urge all countries to recognize prostitution with its connected variations, such as pornography, as a system of exploitation and violence, said Beazley.

In a June 13 letter to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the EFCs Centre for Faith and Public Life, based in Ottawa, Canada, spoke of its advocacy work in persuading Canadas Parliament to adopt the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act.

This law criminalized a consumer buying and profting of sex services from another person, whilst immunizing prostituted persons from prosecution.

We have long argued that prostitution is not merely a series of interactions between purchaser and purchased that exist independently of one another. Rather, prostitution is part of a system of exploitation that is based on structural inequalities and preys on a range of vulnerabilities. It is fundamentally contrary to equality between the sexes, and is both based in and relies on that inequality to exist, the letter read.

According to World Population Review's estimates , there are 42 million prostitutes in the world with the following countries having legalized prostitution as of 2024: Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Mozambique, Turkey, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, Greece, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela.
As a retired 83-year-old living in Elise Stefanik's Congressional District, her evaluation of Former President Trump's performance during the Presidential Debate is strange, to say the least. Congresswoman Stefanik praises Trump as the absolute winner of the Debate with no mention of some 20 misstatements or lies that he told. It is clear to me that Trump has no vision for this country, except one that will exalt him and give him unbridled power and authority. I find it sad that Stefanik has given up any moral vision for an America that is united and cares for all who come to our shores. She is a Trumper first, above all. Who will represent the broad vision of at least some of us in her district?
DES MOINES  Iowa Republicans mounted a larger advantage over Democrats in voter registration totals coming out of the June primary, indicating growing strength of the party that has increasingly dominated the states elections over the last four years.

Counting both active and inactive voters, there are 782,177 registered Republicans in the state, and 650,112 registered Democrats, as of July 1, according to data from the Iowa Secretary of State's office. There are 768,389 voters registered with no party or with a non-party political organization, while 16,188 are registered as Libertarians.

Active voters are voters that participated in the 2022 election, while inactive voters are those who are registered but did not vote in 2022. They are still eligible to vote in 2024.

Registered Republicans  who make up more than 35% of Iowa voters  now outnumber Democrats in Iowa by more than 130,000. Since this time last year, Republicans gained 33,575 voters, while Democrats lost 22,378.

The June 4 primary, which featured two competitive GOP congressional primaries and saw far higher turnout among Republicans, contributed to the party's gains this year, said University of Iowa political science professor Tim Hagle.

There were a fair number of party changes in the leadup to the primaries this time, and Republicans tended to benefit from that, Hagle said. But theyve been benefiting by and large for quite a while, several months at least this year.

Republicans gained 12,659 voters between June and July, while Democrats lost 2,286.

Beyond the primary, the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses served as a massive organizing boost for the Iowa GOP: the party gained 15,766 voters between January and February, while Democrats lost 5,537 voters in the same month. It was the first month Republicans voter advantage crossed 100,000.

No-party voters, who are registered to vote but do not declare a party, grew by 16,784 in the last year. These voters, who tend to lean more conservative, are often the deciding factor in Iowa elections, Hagle said.

Those voters are often less engaged in the day-to-day party politics and more invested in issues like the economy, health care and, more recently, immigration, Hagle said. In recent cycles, they have tended to side with Republicans.

Theyre focused more on economic, kitchen-table type issues, Hagle said. So I would say that at least drilling down as far as the congressional district level, its still going to be the no-party voters that are particularly important.

Republicans overtake Democrats in congressional districts

Republicans also outnumber Democrats in each of Iowas four congressional districts, a change from July of 2023 when Democrats held advantages in three of the four districts.

Republicans hold all four of Iowas seats in Congress. The 1st Congressional District, represented by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and the 3rd District, represented by Rep. Zach Nunn, are both seen by Democrats as potential pickup opportunities in the November election.

Party leaders work to mobilize voters

Scott County Democratic Party Chair Kay Pence said the local party has been working to knock doors, engage voters and get them registered to vote as the November election approaches. Pence, who is also running for the Iowa House in a district that includes parts of Scott, Clinton and Jackson counties, said Democratic turnout took a hit in 2022, and they are working to build up turnout.

Despite the registered voter disadvantage, Pence said she thinks Democrats can reach no-party voters by arguing that Republicans have veered too far to the right on issues like education and abortion.

It reflects a broad strategy Democrats have outlined this year of focusing local races on local issues, even as former President Donald Trump leads President Joe Biden in polling by double digits in Iowa and Bidens recent debate performance has shaken voter confidence in his ability to win the election.

I think, especially a lot of the no-party people are getting pretty frustrated with whats going on in Iowa, Pence said. I think theres a lot of people that are upset about (abortion), even people that are beyond reproductive age, because they dont think the government should be getting in peoples lives.

A law banning abortion as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, passed by Iowa Republicans in 2023, will take effect this month after the Iowa Supreme Court declared it constitutional and cleared the way for its enforcement.

Kelley Koch, the chair of the Dallas County Republicans, said the party has been targeting both independents and soft Democrats, who are registered as Democrats but may be persuaded to vote Republican.

She said the party is focusing on national issues like the economy, immigration and public safety to message to voters who are disappointed with Bidens presidency. The local party has put together a vote red sample ballot to highlight the Republican candidates on the ticket, she said, which has been mailed to identified voters that may be persuadable.

A June Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll found that 50% of likely Iowa voters support Trump in the November election, compared to 32% who said they support Biden.

The Biden Administration policies, they don't fit who these people are in Dallas County, Koch said. They want safe streets, they want cheaper gas, cheaper Hy-Vee bills  So we are confident with this aggressive plan that we have."
Evangelical Christians are mobilizing efforts to help people as the powerful hurricane Beryl pours its wrath across the Caribbean islands. At the time of publication, the category five "monster storm", now downgraded to a still impressive category four, was heading to the southern coastline of Jamaica from east to west, with thunderous rain and blustering wind due eastern St Thomas.

The Cayman Islands is also on the firing line after the tempest caused widespread damage on other islands across the region.

The Yucatan Peninsula, on the east coast of Mexico, has also received a hurricane watch warning, according to reports, and tropical storm winds are anticipated further south in Belize City, Belize.

Official figures initially reported seven known dead so far, with three people killed in Grenada, three in Venezuela and one person in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Christian Daily International has received first-hand reports from evangelical leaders in the regions and the churches' response to support those affected by the storm.

Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up

Canouan, Union Island and Myreau, part of St. Vincent, have been totally decimated and residents evacuated to mainland St. Vincent. The hurricanes center also crossed over the small island of Carriacou, which forms part of Grenada with an estimated 150 mph wind.

We have reports of extensive storm surge, reports of extensive loss of roofs and damage to buildings and there is no electricity on any of the islands and communication is also difficult, Prime Minister Dickson Mitchell of St. Georges-Grenada told the Nation newspaper in Barbados on Tuesday.

Rev. Emerson Boyce, Secretary General of the Evangelical Association of the Caribbean (EAC), knew of two lives lost so far, among the 10,000 residents. Such fury caused a total wreck in about 30 minutes, he told Christian Daily International, adding: Help is on the way.

Grenada itself has also suffered significant damage, according to Boyce.

Details are a bit sketchy due to electricity failure  no internet connection, I am experiencing problems connecting with leaders and friends.

Boyce expressed deep concern at the effect of the hurricane over the Caribbean islands.

Through EACs National Alliances, I am mobilizing relief supplies for urgent dispatch to support the islands affected by Beryl. Also, in partnership with CREW [weather warning system], the Disaster Preparedness non-governmental organization (NGO) of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the West Indies is ready to respond to our neighbors.

Barbados escaped the worst of the hurricane, which passed about 90 miles south of the island. Even so, Barbados still suffered from tropical storm force winds.

The Fisheries Complex at Oistins has been destroyed, some 10 fishing vessels sunk, the jetty housing the fuel seriously damaged and the Port suffering a minor blow, said Boyce. The hurricane devastated the fishing industry, crucial to the islands food security, and caused coastal damage.

Several fishing vessels were either destroyed or sustained serious damage. To date, I have not heard of lives being lost. A damage assessment has begun and will probably take several days before that assessment is properly computed.

The Rev. Gerald Seale who lives in Christchurch, Barbados, also said the island with a population of 281,000 was spared the worst of the hurricane. Even so, Barbados suffered tropical storm force winds and he confirmed that government officials were assessing damage caused by the storm.

It will probably be several days before that assessment is properly quantified, Seale told Christian Daily International. Our churches are continuously helping members and non-members with groceries, paying utility bills for seniors, etc. This will be continued and ramped [up] where needed and possible.

Seale also confirmed the reports of damage to some of the other islands in the wake of the storm.

The tiny island of Carriacou just off Grenada had the center of Beryl cross the island carrying 150 mph sustained winds. It is expected that there will be catastrophic damage there. Im hearing there is significant damage in both Grenada and St. Vincent but I have no details at this time. Connecting with friends in these two islands is still very problematic.

Grenada with a population of 127,000 people has only suffered a major hurricane once before in 2004, according to St. Georges University on the island.
North Carolina muralist Britt Flood started work on a mural in downtown Hamilton on Monday as part of Chapter One Book Stores 50th anniversary celebration.

Flood is a professional artist hailing from Chapel Hill who was selected for the project for her professionalism, experience and colorful aesthetic.

The mural is one of two designs being painted on the north and west sides of Chapter One Book Store at the corner of Main and Third streets. The mural is part of Chapter Ones 50th anniversary celebrations.

Chapter One co-owner Mara Luther said she kind of choked up when she saw the mural for the first time while walking to work on Monday.

I could see color and I could see a giant flower, and it was just, it was so beautiful, she said. Its really going to, I think, change a lot of people's daily view, and also give Hamilton that public art that we know is so important for people who are passing through as well. It's one of those projects that I think is going to better our daily lives, and also make it really exciting to be downtown.

Some may be surprised by the fact that the independent bookstore has been in the valley for 50 years, but after 19 years of working at Chapter One, its no surprise to Luther.

I know how dedicated our community is to reading and to its small businesses, and how connected Chapter One has always been to the wider community, she said.

Chapter One Book Store has changed hands over the years, but the fundamental idea of fostering community hasnt.

The owners have always really modeled collaboration, and this idea that what's good for us is good for Hamilton, Luther said. I think that is a big part of Chapter Ones success. And that's kind of what was handed down to us. And we've been able to continue that, and hopefully will for the next 50 years. 

Chapter One is inviting community members to join the fun during a community painting celebration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 7. Volunteers will have the opportunity to help paint a portion of the mural with Flood's guidance. Clothing that can get messy is recommended.

The festivities will culminate with a block party from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, July 12. Third Street will be closed from Main to Pickney streets for an evening of dancing to music by the Big Sky Mudflaps. Food will be provided by House of Ferments, with drinks courtesy of the Hamilton Downtown Association. There will also be activities available for kids including face painting, sprinklers and a dunk tank.

There is also a mural artist workshop with Flood on July 12 and 13. Community members will have the opportunity to learn the basics of completing a simple mural from start to finish. The workshop will cover wall preparation, scaling a design, color blocking and different mural painting techniques. More information on the workshop can be found at chapter1bookstore.com/muralworkshop.

We just want to make sure everyone knows that everyone's invited, Luther said. We're especially trying to get the word out to anyone who's ever been a part of Chapter One. We hope to see as many familiar faces as possible, but also anyone who's only just been introduced to Chapter One. Come down and party with us, this is your crew.
The first Black woman to charter a bank in the United States was more than just an entrepreneur.

Beyond her work as a business owner, Maggie Lena Walker was a pillar of Richmonds Black community from the 1880s until her death in 1934. She helped put Richmond on the map, in front of the backdrop of the booming economic center and birthplace of Black capitalism that was Jackson Ward in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

She was instrumental in the success of the Independent Order of St. Luke, which was devoted to ensuring economic independence for Black Americans. She began her own publication, the St. Luke Herald, to speak up against Jim Crow policies in the South. She went head-to-head with white store owners and pro-Jim Crow publications.

She ran for state office in 1921, just a year after women were granted the right to vote in the U.S.

Her legacy and impact, and those of the countless Black Richmonders who were at the forefront of Black progress, live on 160 years after Maggie L. Walkers birth.

Celebrations for her 160th birthday will take place in Jackson Ward in the weeks around her birthday.

Walkers early life

Walker was born in the twilight of the Civil War, on July 15, 1864.

Her mother was Elizabeth Draper, a Black woman born into slavery in the household of Elizabeth Van Lew, a Richmond aristocrat who served as a Union spy during the Civil War. Draper worked in her household as a laundress.

I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth, but a clothes basket almost upon my head, Walker said in a 1907 speech.

Walkers biological father was a white man who immigrated from Ireland and fought for the Confederacy during the war. He didnt play a role in Walkers life.

The circumstances of her birth are a microcosm of things that defined the country during the Civil War, according to Ben Anderson, a National Park Service ranger who works at the Maggie L. Walker Historical Site in Jackson Ward.

That gets woven into her DNA, Anderson said. That becomes a part of who she was and of course, now, from the point-of-view of 2024  its tempting to think with an origin story like that, she must have been predestined to become an important historical figure.

Walker graduated from high school in 1883  a time when the national graduation rate was somewhere around 3.5%  and found work as a schoolteacher until her marriage in 1886.

To get a high school degree at that time, it really was a unique achievement, Anderson said. It kind of automatically made you an elite member of society.

After her marriage to Armstead Walker, a brick contractor, Maggie Walker began to devote time and energy to the Independent Order of St. Luke, a Black fraternal order. Fraternal orders like the Independent Order of St. Luke served as a type of insurance for the Black community at a time when segregation and refusal of services based on race was legal.

At the time, this was kind of revolutionary, Anderson said. Because this happening at a time when yes, the war is over, slavery is over, but the white powers that be, theyre not interested in sharing access to services to Black folks.

The Reconstruction era

Gary Flowers, local historian and tour guide, says this history has been deliberately hidden from history books.

Flowers said Black fraternal orders exploded from the Richmond area during Reconstruction, a time where Black communities thrived between the end of the Civil War and the Jim Crow era.

The white power structure abandoned African Americans in terms of services provided to Black people, Flowers said. So Black people turned to each other and not against each other, and formed mutual aid societies that evolved into insurance.

Richmonds history reflects this  both the first Black-owned insurance company and the first Black-owned bank were established in Richmond.

Walker became the president of the order in 1899 at a time when her predecessor left it a sinking ship. To promote the organization, Walker traveled around the country and worked to expand it from the world of insurance to new ventures.

She takes over in 1899 and really radically transforms it, Anderson said.

Flowers, whose family has lived in Jackson Ward for four generations, runs historical walking tours of the neighborhood.

Maggie Walker is the most unheralded woman, Black or white, in all of American history, Flowers said. She took the Order of St. Luke from 50 members when she took over in 1899 to over 100,000 members spanning twenty states.

The order captured nationwide attention, including from other Black trailblazers of the time like Ida B. Wells, Marcus Garvey and W. E. B. DuBois. It operated out of a four story building that might as well have been a skyscraper, for its time, Flowers said.

It was a source of admiration and awe by then-national leaders of the Black community, he said.

Jackson Ward was created in 1871 as one of the first efforts of redlining and gerrymandering in the Reconstruction era. It was created as Richmonds only Black political district, Flowers said, and was reportedly named after Confederate General Stonewall Jackson. Others claim it takes its name from U.S. President Andrew Jackson.

For a time, before Jim Crow laws were enacted, Black men were able to serve in city government. One such man who served Jackson Ward was Giles Jackson, the first Black lawyer to argue before the Virginia Supreme Court.

Early examples of voter suppression were seen in Jackson Ward, according to Flowers. Often when Black men tried to cast their votes, armed white men stood guard.

If I were trying to cast my ballot back then, and I see white men with pistols, shotguns, Confederate flags, either by silence or by voice I am now intimidated to cast my vote, he said. That started in Richmond.

But even in the heart of the Jim Crow period, Jackson Ward thrived.

In 1890, it was known as Black Wall Street, decades before Tulsa, Oklahoma, was given the same recognition. Tulsa was later the site of a 1921 race massacre.

Virginia led the nation in Black-owned banks, Flowers said, and women contributed to the economic boom too.

Black women created micro-entrepreneurial ventures, he said.

They provided laundry services, mending and even sold meals from windows. In its heyday, Jackson Ward was home to over 800 Black-owned businesses.

Walker chartered the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank in 1903, making her the first Black woman in U.S. history to do so.

The bank operated independently until 1930 when it consolidated with two other Black banks, Second Street Savings Bank and the Commercial Bank and Trust to create the Consolidated Bank and Trust.

The reason for the consolidation, Flowers said, was that other Black banks in Richmond were being shut down on the grounds of unfounded allegations of fraud, embezzlement and mismanagement. Walker approached the other banks with idea that if they stood together, racist policymakers couldnt close them down.

The bank stayed open until 2005 when it was acquired by the Abigail Adams Corporation.

In 1902, she began a publication, The St. Luke Herald, which covered subjects relating to the order and advocated for the uplifting of Black people in Richmond and in the nation.

Anderson said Walker was involved in activism from her teenage years to her final year.

Perhaps the most apparent example of her activism can be seen in the 1904-1906 streetcar boycotts, of which Walker was an organizer.

After the Virginia General Assembly passed the Act Concerning Public Transportation, which made it legal for Richmond trollies to be segregated, The Virginia Passenger and Power Company announced it would begin enforcing segregated streetcars in Richmond.

In response, Walker used The St. Luke Herald to advocate for a citywide trolley boycott, along with other members of the Black press like John Mitchell Jr., editor of The Richmond Planet.

She uses her newspaper, The St. Luke Herald to publish several really stirring editorials, Anderson said. To kind of keep it going.

Most copies of The St. Luke Herald have been lost to time, though the Maggie L. Walker historic site has some clippings in its collection. What is known is that the trolley boycott was successful and lasted nearly two years.

The Virginia Passenger and Power Company went out of business in 1906, nearly 50 years before the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama.

As a lifelong history buff, graduate of the University of Virginia and former adjunct lecturer at Harvard, Flowers said the lack of Jackson Wards history taught in Richmond and the greater American school systems baffled him.

It was deliberately hidden from us here in Virginia, Flowers said. We should have learned about the Walker-Mitchell boycott before we learned about the 1955 Montgomery boycott.

In addition to their collaboration in activist pursuits, Walker and Mitchell combined forces to found the Lily Black Political Party in 1920. In 1921, they ran for government office as state secretary of education and governor, respectively.

The idea that in the capital of the Confederacy they could found an all-Black political party is nationally significant, Flowers said.

Walker was a suffragist as well, and even registered women to vote in the 1920 presidential election, just months the passage of the 19th Amendment. Walker, educator Rosa Bowser and then-first lady of Ebenezer Baptist Church Mamie Storrs organized women to vote at Old City Hall.

When Walker opened her own department store on Broad Street in 1905, she received pushback from white business owners. They began to boycott Walkers supplier in hopes they would cease to do business with her. In 1911, the store closed.

Anderson said Walker faced opposition on two fronts: both for her race and her gender.

In a speech she delivers in March of 1906, specifically to male members of the Independent Order of St. Luke, he said. If you read between the lines, she feels the need to make that speech because she must have been experiencing some sexist pushback from within the Independent Order of Saint Luke.

Maggie Lena Walker died at the age of 70 in her home on December 15, 1934.

Her home, located on North 2nd Street, is now the National Maggie L. Walker Historic Site. Since 1975, its served as a museum and landmark.

Walkers legacy, Anderson said, is not only a testament to the resilience of the Black community, but to the human spirit as well.

The greatest gift she leaves us with is the memory of how she responds to it, Anderson said. We see all of these obstacles, over and over and over again, in so many different forms constantly appearing before her, but what we never see, in any form, is her giving into them.

Top five weekend events: Fireworks, Music at Maymont & Maggie Walker Celebration Fireworks at Dogwood Dell Fourth of July at the Virginia State Capitol Maggie Walker Celebration Music at Maymont: Leftover Salmon Richmond Shakespeare Festival: 'Doctor Faustus'
Francis Gary Powers Jr. was only 12 when his father died. Now, hes honoring his dads legacy as a historical figure.

Powers Sr. was flying a news traffic helicopter over Los Angeles on Aug. 1, 1977, when it crashed, killing him and a cameraman. But 17 years earlier, the elder Powers made international headlines and earned a place in history as the U.S. pilot who was shot down and captured by the Soviet Union in what would become known as the U-2 Incident, one of the most famous events of the Cold War.

Powers Jr., who lives in Midlothian, has dedicated the past 12 years of his life to keeping the history of the Cold War alive because, according to him, it informs nearly every conflict our world is experiencing today.

On May 1, 1960, Francis Gary Powers, 30, took off from an airbase in Pakistan in a U-2 spy plane to conduct a routine surveillance flight over Soviet airspace before landing in Norway. Powers was a pilot for the CIAs U-2 spy plane program, which was formed in 1956 to conduct aerial assessments of Soviet nuclear programs.

U-2 aircraft could fly at altitudes as high as 70,000 feet  and the CIA thought this made the jet impossible to detect with ground-level equipment.

But hours into his flight, Powers plane was shot down in west-central Russia. He ejected and parachuted from the plane, but was captured and interrogated by the KGB.

Powers was found guilty of espionage in August 1960 and sentenced to 10 years confinement. A year and nine months after his capture, he was returned to the United States in a prisoner exchange for Soviet spy Col. Rudolf Abel.

But the son of the U-2 pilot said the Cold War wouldnt end until 31 years after the U-2 Incident.

Growing up, Powers Jr. was always aware of what happened to his father, but had never given it much thought. He said all of that changed when his father died.

I didnt understand the significance of what hed gone through until it was too late, Powers Jr. said. In high school, Im very introverted. People would ask me questions, I wouldnt know the answers, so I didnt want to talk about it.

He said after breaking out of his shell in college, he began to do further research into the Cold War.

Im curious. I want to find out more about my father, but more importantly I want to find out the truth, so I know how to answer questions being asked of me.

We have to understand Cold War history

After that, Powers Jr. said, it snowballed. He discovered that to fully understand what happened to his father, he had to look at the bigger picture of the Cold War as a whole.

Since delving into Cold War history in his college years, Powers has gone on to help found the Cold War Museum in Vint Hill, Virginia, conduct Cold War Tours of the U.S. and Europe, lecture on the Cold War and even consult for Stephen Spielbergs 2015 film Bridge of Spies with Tom Hanks, which is a dramatization of the 1962 Powers-Abel prisoner exchange.

Powers Jr. also is the author of several books about the Cold War, including his newest release, Enemy Territory, a graphic novel.

This is what snowballs into what I do today, Powers Jr. said. Lecturing, writing, teaching, preserving Cold War history, honoring Cold War veterans, educating future generations about this time period. All started as a result of my interest in finding out about my dad.

Powers Jr. said the lack of Cold War education in American schools concerns him, especially because he thinks current world events are direct results of the Cold War.

We have to understand Cold War history, he said. Understand the ramifications of what happened, the players in it, to understand the world today.

Powers Jr. said at the end of the Cold War, there was an unwritten promise that the West wouldnt expand NATO to touch the Russian border. When NATO expanded, Putin invaded Crimea. Powers Jr. said he thinks the wider Ukraine war is a direct effect of Putins reaction to NATO expansion.

Theres a lot more to the Ukraine war than people understand, he said. There were things going on behind the scenes that the world public is not aware of that led to this war thats already on the brink of World War III.

He cited the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 as another example. The U.S., through the CIA, funded and armed Afghan insurgents who opposed Soviet intervention and Afghan communist leaders. The head of these rebels was Osama Bin Laden, the future leader of Al-Qaeda, the terrorists responsible for the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Another example of current events from decisions made during the Cold War can be seen in Palestine and Israel today, Powers Jr. said.

In 1947, two years after the end of World War II, Israel becomes a state, Palestine does not. We have this conflict today because of that Cold War event, he said. Again, Cold War history affecting the world in the future.

Powers Jr. argues the Cold War never truly ended  it only got colder. He said where the U.S. stands with Russia today is evidence of that.

In the late 1990s, while he was doing research for the Cold War Museum, Powers Jr. was looking for some KGB artifacts for an exhibit. He reached out to a friend in Moscow, a retired KGB agent who spied in the U.S. during the Cold War, and asked if she could run it up the flagpole within the organization.

What he heard back surprised him.

About two, three months later, she gets back to me and she says, Gary, Ive gotten a reply, he said. They have said: He will get no help from us. The Cold War is not over. So seven, eight years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the KGB is saying the Cold War isnt over.

Seeing lessons in history

He said while the general population is under the impression the Cold War ended, the government still operates as if it never did.

Just like in the Cold War, Russia has American citizens imprisoned in Russian jails. Powers Jr. says hes skeptical of the legitimacy of their charges.

He referenced Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is imprisoned on charges of espionage, as one such prisoner.

So far, Russia has not given any evidence as to what hes been accused of, he said. Right now, I have to believe its a trumped-up charge. That theyre doing it for political reasons, that they are holding him a hostage in order to get someone to exchange for.

4 ways you can help the Richmond Times-Dispatch cover the community You can help us improve our coverage and deliver the news important to you. Here's how you can help.

Powers Jr. has traveled to Russia several times but doubts he will return, and advises other American citizens to avoid Russia.

I do believe that American citizens traveling to Russia should not be doing that right now, he said. Its a very dangerous time. I believe that Putin will try to pick up people to hold as bargaining chips to get what he wants done.

There is no doubt in my mind that we are in World War III, he said. Its just, the battles have not yet reached our shores, and hopefully they wont. The western powers are fighting the eastern powers, that is a world war.

He said all these current events are why understanding Cold War history is more important now than ever before.

People have to understand where we came from in order to understand today, he said. Which is why Im talking about Cold War history, because that is the most relevant piece of our history that is now affecting our world today.

9 archive photos of Fourth of July celebrations in the Richmond region Fourth of July Fourth of July Fourth of July Fourth of July Fourth of July Fourth of July Fourth of July Fourth of July Fourth of July
Religious bodies, churches and Christian leaders in Kenya have responded to a call by protesting Gen Zs to disassociate the pulpit from politicians and to be the voice of the voiceless. Different Christian bodies admitted that the Church in Kenya has had an unhealthy relationship with politicians and affirmed the right of young people to peacefully demonstrate against bad governance and injustice.

The Evangelical Alliance of Kenya (EAK) called on the government to urgently address concerns raised by Kenyans in the wake of widespread demonstrations that turned deadly in the last week of June. The Alliance, which represents 700 evangelical denominations in Kenya, demanded the government reconsider its tax plans that would further increase the cost of living.

EAK Chairman Bishop Phillip Kitoto and General Secretary Kepha Nyandega echoed the demands of protesters on the need to curb corruption and unnecessary government spending.

We firmly call the government to accountability in addressing the poor stewardship of resources. In addition, we would like to comment that the sudden fiscal changes that Kenya has experienced in the last 2 years in the form of aggressive changes in tax measures, are bad for business and the economic stability of our country as they create a lot of pain among the citizenry, said Kitoto in a statement.

The Alliance also condemned the police for shooting and killing two protesters on June 20. The number of those killed by the police had risen to at least 13 after street protests on June 25 to 28 turned violent. Scores were injured and businesses lost millions due to looting and vandalism. Prior to this, the protests were peaceful and largely led by Gen Zs who have been credited for pressuring President William Rutos government to recall an unpopular tax bill despite parliaments approval.

Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up

These young people were peaceful, unarmed protesters who did not deserve to be killed or injured. We condemn the use of excessive force by the police on peaceful picketers, said Kitoto.

Quoting Isaiah 61:8 that says, For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing, EAK challenged lawmakers to act in the best interest of the people. We implore the leaders of the nation and those charged with this noble responsibility, to listen to the people and focus on prioritization of essential services and goods, and eliminate all wastage, added Nyandega.

The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), which was one of the church organisations that met President Ruto a day after the protests turned violent, emphasized the need for the government to listen and effectively respond to the issues the youth have raised.

NCCK General Secretary Rev. Chris Kinyanjui said the church was concerned over the failure by the government to listen to Kenyans with regards to the tax proposals that led to the protests.

The killing of dozens of peacefully picketing Kenyans by the police is totally unacceptable. It must never be repeated. Further, we find it heartless, insensitive and disdainful for the Members of Parliament to have ignored the will of the people by passing the Finance Bill 2024. By this action, Parliament erased its legitimacy in the eyes of the voters, said Kinyanjui.

Christ is the Answer Ministries (CITAM), a pentecostal church with a membership of 60,000 faithfuls, was candid in its assessment of the dalliance between the Church and politics. Bishop Calisto Odede said the youth had rightly questioned and criticized the Church for giving politicians a platform to expand their influence on the pulpit and during fund raising events.

Indeed, they (Gen Zs) truly showed us that, as the clergy, we should not politicize Christianity and neither should we christianize politics. We the clergy have certainly listened to your prophetic call, said Odede, who also commended the youth for championing integrity and accountability in governance.

Nairobis Trinity Baptist Church (TBC) Pastor Murungi Igweta, in a statement on the state of the Nation and the Church read during a church service, was direct on his assessment of the governments contribution to the street protests that are now in their third week. Igweta said that institutionalized corruption, broken promises and the arrogance of state and political leaders had brought this country on her knees.

We must not stand with the institution of the 'church' or denominational leaders and ecumenical bodies who have been unable to offer light to the government. They have been accomplices. They have been unable to be the conscience of this country, said Igweta.

Online campaign to preserve the pulpit

An online campaign to keep politics out of church services hit a crescendo on Sunday 23 June when X (Twitter) users used #OccupyChurch and #CleanTheAltar to persuade churches to take a firm stand on protecting the sanctity of the pulpit and defending the rights of the protesters.

Anglican Elder and social justice activist, Mwabili Mwagodi, rallied citizens to directly call or text church leaders that had invited politicians to their services and fundraisers. As a result of the online and offline campaign, several church events were either cancelled or proceeded without involvement of the political class.

Due to the perception that the government and politicians have not listened to the cry of the citizens, Kenyans have leveraged digital social platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok to express their dissatisfaction and mobilize the street protests. Gowi Odera is a renowned youth pastor in Nairobi who hosted a live discussion on X space to deliberate on A Christian response on the state of the Nation and what next after the protests.

Nearly 35,000 people joined the online conversation where theologians, pastors, youth leaders and activists concurred that there are deeper underlying issues of corruption and poor governance that the state needs to deal with decisively. There was also a general consensus that the Church and Christians need to be vocal against societal ills.

Theologian Rev. Dr. Edward Buri said that Kenyans expressed their frustration with what they think is wrong in the country, not just with the government. The win I see in regards to these protests can only be from divine power because the young people pushing for change are just armed with peace.

Following the protests and meetings with church organizations, Ruto committed that his government will stop police brutality against protesters and pledged to cut down on unnecessary expenditure. He also said that he is ready to have a national dialogue with the youth under a National Multi-Sectoral Forum.

As Kenya navigates this crucial and delicate moment, it will be useful for the Church to ponder on a phrase that has been doing the rounds online: Gen Zs have driven the Church back to God.
Damage Control: State starts preparations as Beryl heads toward Tulum

Tulum, Q.R.  Tulum Mayor Diego Castanon Trejo says preparations are being made for the arrival of Hurricane Beryl. He says due to updated trajectories, Beryl is expected to make landfall in the community of Punta Allen as a category 1 between Thursday and Friday.

It seems that it is going to Punta Allen, but these cyclones can change at any time, but we have to be prepared, he said.

During his Tuesday press conference he said in view of this possible impact, the Governor will send help and that the armed forces and national civil protection will also be available.

Castanon Trejo says they have 37 temporary shelters, 16 in the municipal capital and 21 distributed among the delegations. These cyclone shelters are equipped with first aid equipment, food supplies, medicines and doctors who can provide the necessary care in the event of illness or injury.

Mayor Diego Castanon Trejo held a press conference Tuesday.

On Thursday there will be a complete evacuation of all Punta Allen residents.

He reported that in the Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve and along the coastal area of Tulum, hotels are already warning guests about the possible impact and that they are no longer accepting reservations.

The Tulum International Airport will be closed 24 hours before likely impact.

Governor Mara Lezama also held a press conference after several meetings with state and municipal officials regarding the hurricane. For schools, all classes at all levels will be suspended on Thursday and Friday as a preventive measure.

Public updates are being provided regarding emergency plans.

There will be no alcohol sales as of midnight Thursday. Mexicos Dry Law will come into effect as of midnight July 4 and remain in place until further notice. The objective is to protect citizens, she reported.

Regarding the municipalities of Tulum and Felipe Carrillo Puerto, which are in the impact zones, Mayors Mary Hernandez and Diego Castanon reported that all preventive measures have been taken from emergency shelters to food supplies and that CAPA and CFE brigades are on hand to guarantee or restore services.

In addition, they have the full support of federal forces, such as the Navy, the Army and the National Guard.

Canvas ads on large billboards along the Puerto Morelos highway have been removed.

Regarding Carrillo Puerto, President Mary Hernandez reported that as a timely preventive measure, people from Punta Herrero and Maria Elena have already been evacuated.

Governor Lezama reiterated that official information has Hurricane Beryl making landfall Thursday night or Friday morning between Felipe Carrillo Puerto and the municipal limits of Tulum.

Local military personnel have already been distributed. On Tuesday, Vice Admiral Abraham Eloy Caballero Rosas, Commander of the 9th Naval Region, reported that the Navy Plan includes the distribution of 1,128 elements.

A Cancun marina is seen here evacuated of its boats ahead of Beryl.

Of those, 100 in Isla Mujeres and 133 in the Puerto Juarez and Cancun areas, 349 elements in Cozumel and 546 elements in Chetumal for preventive actions. There are 87 vehicles available, 34 between Isla Mujeres and Cancun, 16 between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen and 37 for Chetumal to assist the population. In addition, five mobile medical brigades will be available.

On Wednesday, Governor Lezama announced the complete closure of all ports to small vessels as of 2:00 p.m. local times.

Due to the forecast of the trajectory of Hurricane Beryl towards the coasts of the state of Quintana Roo, as a preventive measure today, Wednesday, July 3, starting at 2:00 p.m., the port will be CLOSED to vessels under 40 feet or 500 UAB and all types of recreational water activities will be SUSPENDED throughout the jurisdiction of the Island of Cozumel.

The state works on preparation ahead of Beryls arrival.

Lezama reported holding meetings with representatives of the health sector, tourism sector, embassies, airlines, hoteliers, ferry companies, etc., to inform them of the action protocols.

Lezama says that all Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) hospitals in Quintana Roo have implemented Civil Protection protocols to ensure that hospital infrastructure is in the best condition and to maintain uninterrupted medical services required by the population, before, during and after the possible impact of Hurricane Beryl.

Residents of Isla Mujeres cut large trees Tuesday to minimalize damage.

Around the state, municipalities have begun preparations. In Cancun, some of the new traffic light systems have been taken down. Vanessa Valenzuela, the General Director of Transportation and Roads for Cancun, says they started the dismantling of around 350 of the newer traffic light systems Tuesday.

Cancun began removing new traffic lights Tuesday.

We are currently protecting the new ones. I do not have the exact number, but approximately 350 traffic lights will be uninstalled. Drivers will not be left without traffic light service, they will remain with a head so that the vehicular flow can be carried out correctly, she explained.

She also said the city is working in coordination with city bus companies to carry out possible evacuations. At the moment, 30 buses have been earmarked.

More than two dozen Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) trucks arrived in Jose Maria Morelos Tuesday to ensure power across the state. The CFE vehicles were transporting transformers, generators and mobile power plants.

Ultramar has announced Playa del Carmen-Cozumel and Cancun-Isla Mujeres ferry service will be suspended on Friday, July 5.

The Cancun International Airport (AIC) is preparing its facilities for the possible impact of Hurricane Beryl. At this time, with the proximity and power of Hurricane Beryl, the Early Warning Group has implemented protocols and procedures to ensure the safety of air operations in coordination with federal, state and municipal Civil Protection authorities.

At the moment, the Cancun International Airport is in Alert 01, Uncertainty Phase, in accordance with the Green Alert issued by State Civil Protection. As of Wednesday, the airport continues to operate normally.

Plywood sales continue around the state.

The cone of uncertainty grows large as Beryl nears Mexico. According to The Weather Channel, the cone becomes wider as the forecast uncertainty increases with time, carving out the cone shape.

Regardless of cone, Juan Ramon Diaz Calderon, the Deputy Director of the Quintana Roo Emergency Council of Conagua, says that although Hurricane Beryl is expected to impact Tulum and Felipe Carrillo Puerto as a Category 1 Hurricane, damage is expected across the entire state.

Starting Thursday, Hurricane Beryl is expected to cause damage to the coast of Quintana Roo, he said.

Large billboards in Cancun have also been stripped of the canvas ads.

At night, the effects of intense rains will be felt with strong gusts of sustained winds of 150 and 195 kilometers per hour as well as high waves. It is forecast that on Friday morning, Beryl will hit the central coasts of Quintana Roo as a category 1 hurricane with winds of 140 to 165 kilometers, 40 kilometers southeast of Punta Alen and 55 kilometers northwest of Punta Guerrero, Quintana Roo.

During the afternoon of Friday the 5th, the storm is expected to cross the central-southern portion of the Yucatan Peninsula, entering the southern Gulf of Mexico at night as a tropical storm with winds between 100 and 120 kilometers per hour, he said.
Federal government sends military aircraft with supplies to serve Yucatan Peninsula ahead of Beryl

Chetumal, Q.R.  Military personnel have set up emergency stations in the three states that will be affected by Hurricane Beryl. The personnel were sent in planes loaded with supplies to serve the Yucatan Peninsula ahead of the storms arrival.

Plans DN-III-E of the army and GN-A of the National Guard are being implemented in states of Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo. The emergency plan means 2,392 army and air force soldiers and 2,501 elements of the National Guard are being deployed to offer assistance in the 120 emergency shelters that have already been set up.

Through a statement, the National Defense Secretariat (Sedena) said the emergency plans include portable kitchens that are able to provide 6,000 hot meals per day. The plans also include heavy machinery, 10,000 liter water tankers, military ambulances, cargo dump trucks and forklifts for immediate use.

A federal C-130 Hercules aircraft from the Mexican Air Force is being used to transport personnel, supplies, material and equipment from the Sedena Strategic Collection Center to the Chetumal International Airport for the establishment of the DN-III-E and GN-A Hurricane Operations Coordination Center.

Military plans loaded with supplies have been deployed to the Yucatan Peninsula ahead of Beryl.

In their Tuesday statement, Sedena (Secretaria de la Defensa Nacional) says the temporary Centre is being set up at the Chetumal International Airport to serve the Yucatan Peninsula. That airport puts them in a position to initiate a permanent air and land bridge with Mexican Air Force aircraft and Mexican Army and National Guard tractor-trailers to be able to assist where needed.
Hurricane warnings in effect from Cancun to Mahahual as Category 4 Beryl pushes toward land

Riviera Maya, Q.R.  With less than 1,200 kilometers left to go, the National Coordination of Civil Protection changed the Quintana Roo alert to yellow. The change came at the same time the NOAA issued a hurricane warning for the coast.

Governor Mara Lezama reported that according to the Conagua, Hurricane Beryl remains a Category 4 and is located less than 1,200 kilometers from Cancun. It is moving at 30 kilometers per hour with sustained winds of 225 and gusts of 270 kilometers per hour.

While it does not yet represent a danger for the state, officials have released a hurricane watch for Quintana Roo. A hurricane force wind watch is in effect from Cancun to Puerto Costa Maya (Mahahual), Lezama said.

On Wednesday afternoon, the National Hurricane Centre issued a (red) hurricane warning along a majority of the Quintana Roo coast from Cancun to Mahahual. Hurricane and tropical storm watches are in effect for areas around Holbox and Chetumal.

The National Civil Protection Department reported that the change of color to yellow means that authorities will set up municipal Civil Protection councils and prepare temporary shelters. The population must identify the closest ones to their homes and take all preventive measures.

Governor Leama reported that officials decided to evacuate Punta Herrero and Santa Elena, as of yesterday, and Punta Allen today, as a preventive measure and also considering that they are low-lying areas susceptible to damage.

Lezama said islanders of Holbox are welcome to vacate on a voluntary basis and the shelters will be available for those who decide to do so.

Hurricane Beryl is expected to weaken during today and tomorrow to a Category 3 hurricane. It is expected to approach the coast of Quintana Roo as a Category 2 and make landfall south of Tulum.

According to the forecast, the impact on Quintana Roo territory is expected to be on Thursday night or Friday morning. Hurricane force winds are expected in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Tulum and Bacalar, and tropical storm force winds in Jose Maria Morelos, Othon P. Blanco, Lazaro Cardenas and Isla Mujeres.

The current weather conditions around the region are blue skies and sunshine with temperatures ranging from 31C to 36C (88F to 97F).
Tulum International receives Aerodome Certification

Tulum, Q.R.  The Tulum International Airport has received an Aerodrome Certificate for operational safety standards. The airport received the Civil Aerodrome certificate for public service granted by the Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC), a decentralized administrative body of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT).

The certificate, which will be renewed in three years, guarantees that the Tulum International Airport has all operational safety measures and complies with national and international standards for civil aviation.

This certification is received with great expectations as a result of a vertiginous growth since the inauguration of the Felipe Carrillo Puerto Tulum International Airport, which is part of the strategic and priority projects for the Government of Mexico.

During the delivery of the certificate, Tulum International Airport Administrator, General Javier Diego Campillo, reiterated that since the start of operations the objective of guaranteeing safety and efficiency for travelers has been met.

During his Tuesday speech, he highlighted the growth of the Tulum International Airport, exceeding expectations in terms of demand and number of passengers transported since its start of operations on December 1, 2023.

The certificate was delivered to Tulum International Airport Administrator General Javier Diego Campillo (left) Tuesday. Photo: July 2, 2024.

Due to its success, authorities say they now anticipate around 1.3 million passengers, an increase from the 700,000 initially projected for the airports first year.
This Fourth lets remember the roots of our republicthe idea of libertywhich slowly spread to embrace every American in every walk of life. No one is promised equality of outcomes in their life. But everyone should cherish the promise that liberty provides as they pursue their vocations.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. The idea of equality lies at the very foundation of the American republic. Building our social lives, channeling our economic pursuits, and establishing our political institutions on the principles enunciated in our Declaration of Independence unleashed the entrepreneurial potential of our people that created prosperity for the greatest number. To the extent that other nations embraced the American concept of equality, they also harvested the sweet fruits of liberating the creative energies of millions of farmers, merchants, innovators, artists, and businessmen.

Where did Jefferson get the idea that all human beings are created equal? After all, he lived in a world split between aristocrats and commoners, masters and slaves. Like all the Founders, the primary source of inspiration for his political philosophy was the Bible. The god who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time, he once wrote. And although a deist, he nevertheless took seriously what the Bible had to say on the matter. In Proverbs 22:2 we read: The rich and the poor have a common bond, The Lord is the maker of them all. In his letter to the church in Galatia 3:28, the Apostle Paul affirms the Christian principle of equality: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

And yet, we live at a time when the marketplace of ideas offers an almost infinite choice of definitions for words, so it is worth discovering what Americas Founders meant by equality. During a speech in 1857, Lincoln clarified that they did not mean to say all were equal in color, size, intellect, moral developments, or social capacity. They defined with tolerable distinctness, in what respects they did consider all men created equalequal in certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We are all equal in the sight of God, with inherent dignity and value, regardless of our individual capacities or unique circumstances.

Your natural rights as a human being impose an obligation on your fellow men not to murder or enslave you, or to rob you of your property. Our moral equality requires that each of us gets equal treatment under the law. That is the reason we portray Justice as a blindfolded lady. Those who enforce the law must ignore all factors except the ones that directly relate to the case. This legal equality also includes equality of opportunity understood as removing political obstacles to individual success. Careers should be open to all qualified candidates, selection and promotion should be based on merit, not on, for example, race or sex.

It is neither possible nor desirable to equalize opportunities beyond a certain point. Having good parents is often a major advantage for the child. Even if we take all children away from their families to bring them up in a communal manner, as they did in Israels kibbutzim after WWII, that will not eliminate existing inherited differencessome will be born with mental and physical disabilities, others with rare and valued talents. Equalizing opportunities in the pursuit of what some call equity would require the implementation of tyrannical measures that hobble the most productive individuals and destroy liberty for all.

A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither, warned Milton Friedman. With equal rights as a self-evident truth, we need not obsess about the unequal outcomes. We differ in abilities and ambitionsincome and wealth inequalities are fair and inevitable when the freedom of the individual to chase his dreams is secured. The freedom to pursue our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, noted Mill, is an engine of progress and a prerequisite of a virtuous life. Only a free person can reach his full potential and do whats right when presented with an opportunity to do wrong.

The Christian ideal of liberty for all has been around for 2,000 years. The innate dignity of man made in Gods image and the perennial force of Gods law (for example, as expressed in Exodus 21:16, which demanded the death penalty for man-stealing, or kidnapping, without which chattel slavery would never have been made possible) led to the slow but inevitable abolition of slavery in the Western world. Nevertheless, until the rise of capitalism in the 19th century, most men lived in servitude under social expectations or legal imperatives to sacrifice themselves for king and country. Real liberty came with only free enterprise during the past two centuries, but the way for it was paved with ideas grounded in biblical truth that coalesced into the philosophy of classical liberalism.

Murray Rothbard extolls the freedom of the individual as a necessary condition for the flowering of all the other goods that mankind cherishes: moral virtue, civilization, the arts and sciences, economic prosperity. And yet liberty means nothing for a castaway like Robinson Crusoe. When we live among other people, it becomes the highest political good, noted Lord Acton. Because liberty produces the glories of civilized life, we need an effective mechanism to secure its blessings to ourselves and our posterity. As Frederic Bastiat explained: It was the fact that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand that caused men to make laws in the first place.

We are in a state of liberty when we are free from arbitrary political restrictions on expressing our views, raising our children in accordance with our personal values, and entering voluntary contractual relationships at mutually agreeable terms. True liberty can exist only in capitalist societies, where the entrepreneur can profit from serving his customers, even as the socialist can put his money where his mouth is and divest himself of all personal property to live a communal life. The only purpose of government is to be used for the protection of both in choosing their lifestyles based on their preferences.

Personal success and humanitys progress depend on recognizing and protecting equality of rights and liberty to do whats right. Exercising our free will in peaceful collaboration with others, driven by our diverse desires and goals, assisted (or hamstrung) by our aptitudes and attitudes, people must inevitably achieve very different degrees of success. As a professor, I will never be as famous as Elvis Presley or as wealthy as Elon Musk. And thats OK with me. Abusing the government as a weapon in an attempt to achieve equality of outcome by taking what belongs to others will be the death of liberty. And of that I want no part.
A new casino resort being built less than three hours away near Charlotte, North Carolina, would not likely siphon many customers away from Caesars Virginias gaming facility, according to industry experts.

It is difficult to predict consumer behavior with the upcoming casino development project in North Carolina, but it is likely that the convenience segment of gamblers will continue to patronize the Caesars Virginia property rather than travel two hours to Charlotte, said Jane Bokunewicz, faculty director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism at the Stockton University School of Business in Galloway, New Jersey.

Also, Caesars Virginia, which has been operating the temporary Danville Casino at Schoolfield since May 15, 2023, could attract new visitors from a farther distance to experience the added amenities of the full casino resort when it opens at the end of this year, Bokunewicz added.

On June 7, the Catawba Nation broke ground on a $700 million casino project  Two Kings Casino and Resort  in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, about 35 miles west of Charlotte.

The casino resort will be built in two phases, with the first expected to be complete in early 2026. The project is anticipated to create about 2,000 new jobs when complete.

The South Carolina-based tribe has been operating a temporary gambling facility at the site since 2021.

Chris Albrecht, general manager at Danville Casino/Caesars Virginia, would not comment for this story.

Danville City Councilman Lee Vogler pointed to Caesars Virginias status as the first-of-its-kind facility in Southside Virginia and the companys position among other gaming providers.

Caesars Virginia is going to be the premier destination for folks in Virginia, North Carolina and beyond, Vogler told the Danville Register & Bee. One of the reasons we chose Caesars as our partner was their ability to stand above the rest of the field when it comes to any other casinos that may or may not come into the marketplace.

The Two Kings casino in North Carolina will not attract a large number of customers from Danville, but more from the region around Charlotte and surrounding areas, said Anthony Marino, a retired demography statistician who taught at Stockton University and has a background in monitoring the casino industry in Atlantic City.

The Charlotte area is near the South Carolina border, with the Catawba Nation casino about 165 miles southwest of Danville  or about a two-and-a-half to three-hour drive. Charlotte is about 135-140 miles from Danville, about a two-hour drive.

Marino referred to the concept of propinquity  or nearness, or the state of being close to something or someone  to say that customers will most likely frequent places that are closer and more convenient for them.

Theyre not going to normally travel by land more than two hours or so, said Marino.

Caesars Virginias market is Southside Virginia and northern North Carolina.

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill [residents] would more likely head in that direction than to Charlotte, Marino said.

The tri-city area is just a roughly 90-minute drive from Danville, whereas the Charlotte area is about two-and-a-half hours away from Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill.

However, gamblers seeking to stay overnight to enjoy amenities Charlotte has to offer may be willing to drive those extra miles, Bokunewicz said.

Gamblers motivated by experiencing an overnight getaway to a destination like Charlotte, which has other attractions in addition to casino gaming, may decide to make the two-hour drive to visit a new location and experience all that Charlotte has to offer, she said.

As for Atlantic City, it has nine casinos that operate in a vastly different market than those scattered in Virginia.

New Jersey residents voted to allow casinos in the state in 1976, under the condition that they could only open and operate in Atlantic City under the strict supervision of the state, Marino said.

For the first two decades afterward, Atlantic City had a monopoly on gambling until nearby states including Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and Maryland began legalizing casinos.

Gambling establishments began opening up within an hours drive of Atlantic City, leading to a decline in its casinos customer volume and revenues.

They experienced steady declines in gross gaming revenue each year from the peak of $5.2 billion in 2006 to a low of $1.6 billion in 2016, Bokunewicz said. Although the Great Recession also had an impact on gross gaming revenue during this period, much of the decline can be attributed to the opening of casinos in Pennsylvania.

Atlantic City has gone down from 35 million visitor-trips in 2006 to about 18 million visitor-trips to its casinos, Marino said.

A large fraction of the loss in casino visitation to Atlantic City was from the convenience gambler segment, which includes those customers who gamble close to home and make frequent day trip visits rather than several overnight stays at a destination resort with a variety of amenities, Bokunewicz said.

At some point, we once had 13 casinos in Atlantic City, Marino said. One closed, we had 12. Five of them closed and then we dropped to seven. A couple of years later, two new ones opened. The number of casinos will vacillate according to what the market will allow.

Caesars Virginia should do a good job  through their casino hosts whose job is to identify frequent customers with a highly flexible gambling budget  of comping those patrons, Marino said.

For the wealthiest, biggest-spending customers, casinos offer free dinner, rooms or other amenities  worth about 25% to 35% of what that patron will spend on average  to entice them to gamble beyond what the establishment spends on those incentives, he said.

Those practices are especially common in larger markets with heavy competition among casinos, Marino said. A significant portion of a casinos income comes from its richest clients, he said.

About 20% comes from a limited population of wealthy people who can afford to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars, he said.

Casino operators in highly competitive markets tend to offer rich rewards through player-loyalty programs to incentivize gamblers to stay at their property instead of venturing over to the competition, Bokunewicz said,

This can lead to increased marketing costs that negatively impacts gross operating profit, she said. Casinos located in more isolated locations still offer incentive rewards, but the competition is not as fierce, so the rewards may not be as high as in markets with multiple casinos.

In addition, patrons able to spend exorbitant amounts of money are not the type of market that would show up in Danville or the North Carolina casino, Marino said. Most residents in Southside Virginia and North Carolina would not have that kind of money, he said.

The gaming arrangement in Virginia is much different, with casinos legal in a few localities scattered across the state, he added. Also, casinos in North Carolina are hours away from Danville.

Based on where Caesars will be located and what I know about the geographic area and the way Virginia has carefully made sure they dont oversaturate a particular market, it will be fairly successful, Marino said.
Berlin First Baptist Church (BFBC) in Berlin, Maryland held its first Vacation Bible School (VBS) for children with disabilities Jun 17-20, 2024. The program ran in the morning while a traditional, neurotypical VBS was hosted in the evenings of those same days.

Children's Director Shannon Diehl has a heart for children with developmental disabilities and had been thinking about doing a VBS for children with disabilities for many years. Yet she did not know if she could bring this idea to life. However, this year the right doors opened, and she received the necessary resources to do the program.

Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware (BCM/D) Disability Missionary Kathie Matthews provided counsel and training. Grants from the BCM/D and the Eastern Baptist Association (EBA) provided for the unique expenses for the event.

Beyond regular VBS preparations, the church put together a sensory room and recruited volunteer buddies. These buddies worked alongside their assigned students to help them participate in the program in the ways that were best for them. Volunteers also packed sensory bags for every student which included items such as fidget and biting toys, electronic doodle pads, noise canceling headphones, and snacks.

Shannons husband, Pastor Brad Diehl, told the students stories of creation and the flood using The Great Jungle Journey curriculum from Answers in Genesis, which was adapted using a special needs guide. He covered the 7 Cs of history: creation, corruption, catastrophe, confusion, christ, cross, and consummation. Children interacted with the teaching through hands-on activities.

Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up

The church was filled with rainforest decor including animals (like birds), trees, and grass. Anisa Impasto drove an hour to bring her two sons. She was pleased with the program and praised the church for their extensive decorations.

Anne Young brought her twins. Im impressed with all the resources available for the special needs kids, she said. They were especially good at keeping the lights and music down low, creating a sensory room, and increasing the number of volunteers. I felt it was very well planned. They were also very in tune with the kids needs.

Eastern Baptist Association Director of Missions Keith Myer said, When I think of the modern missions movement and its emphasis on reaching the unreached, it becomes easy to see that those affected by disabilities make up an unreached people group. He expressed his delight and appreciation for this initiative which addresses that need.

I was so moved by the attention to detail and all of the thoughtfulness and care in [Shannon Diehls] planning, said Myer. While she expressed some nervousness about launching out into a new kind of ministry, we both agreed that theres value in starting new things and stepping out in faith and trusting that the Lord will work through this ministry.

He added, When you think of the ministry of Jesus, he was always interacting with and helping people with these kinds of needs.

After the success of the disability-focused VBS, BFBC is continuing to serve families with disabilities through their respite nights initiative. The program, which begins in August 2024, will provide three hours of care for children with disabilities and their neurotypical siblings. This will give parents and caregivers the opportunity to rest, relax and recharge.

The respite night childrens program will follow the rEcess program from 99 balloons. It includes crafts, movies, games, and stories. VBS buddy volunteers will be mobilized once more, and medical professionals will also be available on site as needed. Shannon Diehl explained that care will be given to also ensure neurotypical siblings are not unintentionally left out of the fun.

The church is promoting respite days with families who participated in the disability-focused VBS. Theyve encouraged those participants to also let their friends and contacts know about the program.
Village Residence Hougang, Far East Hospitality Trust, FEHT

Some call it home bias.

But there are many reasons why Singapore investors prefer to put their money into real estate investment trusts (REITs), particularly those with properties located within our shores.

For starters, Singapore REITs offer an opportunity to invest in multiple properties with a relatively small amount of money.

By staying local, investors avoid dealing with foreign exchange conversions.

There are plenty of property choices too, ranging from retail, commercial, and hospitality.

Considering these points, lets delve into five Singapore REITs that predominantly, if not entirely, earn their income from properties located in the city-state.

These REITs present attractive investment opportunities due to their strong local market presence and potential for stable returns.

1. Frasers Centrepoint Trust (SGX: J69U)

Frasers Centrepoint Trust (FCT) primarily invests in retail malls situated in the heartlands across Singapore.

As of the fiscal year ending September 2023 (FY2023), FCTs portfolio consisted of 10 retail malls and one office property in the Lion City, valued at nearly S$7 billion.

The Singapore REITs recent performance has been decent.

For FY2023, gross revenue increased by 3.6% year on year to around S$370 million, driven by improved occupancy rates, higher rental income from new and renewed leases, and increased atrium income.

Meanwhile, property operating expenses rose by almost 6% year on year to S$104.1 million due to higher maintenance, utilities expenses, and staff costs, resulting in a net property income increase of 2.7% year on year to S$265.6 million.

FCTs distribution per unit (DPU) did fall, but by a relatively minor 0.6% year on year to S$0.1215.

The culprit was higher financing costs.

2. Far East Hospitality Trust (SGX: Q5T)

For hospitality, theres Far East Hospitality Trust (FEHT) which owns hotels and serviced residences in Singapore.

As of the end of 2023, FEHTs portfolio consisted of 12 properties, encompassing over 3,000 hotel rooms and serviced residence units, with a total valuation of about S$2.5 billion.

The REITs performance has improved alongside increased tourism and business travel.

For 2023, FEHTs gross revenue surged by about 28% year on year to S$106.8 million, driven by higher master lease rentals from hotels and serviced residences, as well as increased revenue from retail and office spaces.

This revenue increase resulted in the business trusts net property income rising by around 28% year on year to nearly S$99 million.

Consequently, FEHTs distribution per stapled security (DPS) increased by a little over 25% year on year to S$0.0409.

Story continues

3. CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust (SGX: C38U)

CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust (CICT), the largest REIT in Singapore by market capitalisation, is host to a collection of retail and office properties.

As of the end of 2023, CICTs portfolio included 21 properties in Singapore, two in Germany, and three in Australia, with a total property value of S$24.5 billion.

CICT is one of the few REITs that managed to increase their DPU for the latest quarter.

For 2023, gross revenue increased by approximately 8% year on year to S$1.56 billion, with nearly 93% of this revenue coming from its 21 commercial properties in Singapore.

This topline growth was driven by full-year contributions from the three newly acquired properties in Australia and improved performance from its existing properties.

However, property operating expenses were 11.4% higher than a year ago due to costs associated with the Australian properties, as well as higher utilities, maintenance, and marketing expenses.

The end result is a 7% year on year increase in net property income to S$1.12 billion.

CICTs 2023 DPU increased by 1.6% year on year to S$0.1075.

4. Paragon REIT (SGX: SK6U)

Like CICT, Paragon REIT also owns properties in Singapore and Australia.

In both cases, the focus is on retail.

As of the end of 2023, its portfolio is home to three properties in Singapore and two in Australia.

For 2023, the REIT experienced a 1.8% increase in gross revenue compared to a year ago, reaching just under S$290 million, with a little over 77% of its revenue coming from its Singapore properties.

Net property income rose by 1.7% year on year to just over S$215 million.

However, over the same period, Paragon REITs DPU for 2023 fell by around 9% to S$0.0502, due to higher financing cost.

5. Lendlease Global Commercial REIT (SGX: JYEU)

Finally, we have Lendlease Global Commercial REIT (LREIT), which focuses on retail and office properties located in Singapore and Italy.

At the end of the fiscal year ended 30 June 2023 (FY2023), its portfolio includes popular malls such as Jem (an integrated office and retail mall) and 313@Somerset (a retail mall) in Singapore, as well as Sky Complex (an office building) in Italy, with a total value of S$3.65 billion.

Recent results have been decent.

Gross revenue surged by two-folds from around S$102 million to S$204.9 million, driven by a full-year contribution from Jem and improved rental income, with nearly 90% of this revenue coming from the two Singapore properties.

Net property income also doubled compared to the previous year to about S$154 million.

That said, due to higher financing costs, its DPU decreased by 3.2% year on year to S$0.047.

Attention: Investors aiming for both growth and peace of mind. Weve pinpointed 5 SGX stocks known for consistent dividends. If you want to build a retirement portfolio, but dont want the stress of stock watching, this report is for you. Click HERE to download now.

Follow us on Facebook and Telegram for the latest investing news and analyses!

Disclaimer: Lim Jun Yuan owns shares of CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust and Frasers Centrepoint Trust.

The post Homegrown Wealth: 5 Singapore REITs to Consider for Your Watchlist appeared first on The Smart Investor.
Every school classroom in Oklahoma will teach about the Bible under a new directive by the States Superintendent, who pledges that he is ready to fight any legal challenges from opponents against his plan.

Republican Ryan Walters, Oklahoma States Superintendent for Public Instruction, and responsible for the oversight of elementary and secondary schools, made the controversial announcement on Thursday (June 27).

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Walters strongly inferred that the decision had been made in opposition to the radical left he accused of wanting to rewrite history in our classrooms.

Walters outlined his reasoning in a video recorded during a State Board of Education meeting, published on X. He said his staff had been looking at the statute and academic standards in Oklahoma, and came to a crystal clear conclusion about the importance of the Bible.

The Bible is a necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of western civilisation, to have an understanding of the basis of our legal system and, as frankly we are talking about the Bible, one of the most foundational documents used for the constitution and birth of our country, said Walters.

Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up

We also find major points in history that reference the Bible. We see multiple figures, rather we are talking about the Federalist papers, constitutional conventional arguments, and Martin Luther King junior, who used it as a tremendous impetus for the Civil Rights Movement. In time, many of those arguments go back to the Bible.

Walters himself worked as a history teacher at McAlester High School in his hometown of McAlester for eight years, and also taught at MillWood High Schools in Oklahoma City. He was named an Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Finalist in 2016 and later became Secretary of Public Education in Sept. 2020 under Governor Kevin Stitt.

Married to Katie, with whom he shares four children, Walters believed in his announcement that it is essential our kids have an understanding of the Bible in its historical context.

So we will be issuing a memo today that every school district will adhere to, which is that every teacher in every classroom in the State will have a Bible in the classroom and will be teaching from the Bible in the classroom, to ensure that this historical understanding is there for every student in the State of Oklahoma, in accordance with our academic standards and State law.

The Oklahoman daily newspaper reported that the decision looked likely to face a court challenge. This is an outcome, the newspaper wrote, that the superintendent has previously welcomed in his quest to bring Oklahomas education system in line with his politically conservative, religiously Christian interpretation of state law.

The memo from Walters reportedly stated that Oklahomas Education Department could provide teaching materials for schools to enable Bible teaching. But the Oklahoman queried which Bible version would be given to schools and who would provide funding.

Critics of the plan have argued that Oklahoma's Constitution specifically forbids spending public funds for a religious purpose, and that his directive would violate that law, the Oklahoman reported.

Phil Bacharach, spokesman for Attorney General Gentner Drummond, told the newspaper that Bibles were already used in the curriculum under current legislation. Oklahoma law already explicitly allows Bibles in the classroom and enables teachers to use them as a part of instruction," Bacharach reportedly said.

The relationship between religion and school education is a contentious issue in Oklahoma.

On Tuesday (June 25), Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled against the approval of public charter school status to St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, following a petition filed by the States Republican attorney general, Gentner Drummond.

The school had successfully applied to Oklahoma Virtual Charter School Board to be administered by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. It would have allowed the Catholic faith to be applied into every aspect of the school, according to the original application.

In the concluding remarks, the courts judges ruled that the charter school is a public school under Oklahomas law.

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, said the judges in the concluding remarks.

This State's establishment of a religious charter school violates Oklahoma statutes, the Oklahoma Constitution, and the Establishment Clause.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called the courts overturning of the Boards decision a win for the separation of church and state.

The decision affirms what we already knew: A religious school cant be a public school, and a public school cant be religious, said ACLU in a press release.



Despite warnings from the Oklahoma attorney general, education groups, and civil rights organizations that public schoolsincluding charter schoolscannot legally teach a religious curriculum or discriminate against students and employees, the Virtual Charter School Board approved St. Isidores application and entered into an agreement allowing the school to begin operating for the upcoming school year.



"Today, in ordering the state board to rescind its contract with St. Isidore, the Oklahoma Supreme Court sent a pointed message: Our public schools are for education, not evangelizing.

However, the State Superintendent has opposed the ruling, saying on X the same day (June 25) that he held the firm belief that once again the Oklahoma Supreme Court got it wrong.

The words separation of church and state do not appear in our Constitution, and it is outrageous that the Oklahoma Supreme Court misunderstood key cases involving the First Amendment and sanctioned discrimination against Christians based solely on their faith. Oklahomans have demanded school choice not religious targeting, Walters said.

I agree with the dissent because nothing about the State of Oklahoma contracting for educational services for students in the form of a charter school violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, and the enrollment demand at St. Isidore proves that Oklahoma parents want more choices for their kids educations  not fewer.

The ruling subsequently cannot and must not stand, according to Walters who pledged a legal challenge.

There will be additional legal action in support of those parents and the millions of Oklahomans who believe deeply in religious liberty, and I will never stop fighting for Oklahomans constitutional, God-given right to express their religious belief.
By Shivam Patel

HATHRAS, India (Reuters) - Thousands of devotees rushed to get a closer glimpse of a Hindu preacher, jostling and pushing on slippery ground, witnesses say, moments before a crush at an overcrowded venue in India killed 121 people and sparked a police hunt for the organisers.

The stampede occurred on Tuesday at Phulrai Mughal Garhi village in Hathras district in the populous northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where preacher Suraj Pal Singh, also known as 'Bhole Baba', was holding a monthly congregation.

About 250,000 people had gathered in a canopied ground by a highway, although authorities had given permission for only 80,000, police said. At least 121 people were killed and 31 injured, with the dead including 112 women and seven children.

The trouble started after the hour-long afternoon congregation concluded and the preacher was leaving the venue in his car, witnesses told Reuters on Wednesday.

The entrance and exit of the venue was big enough for 10 or 20 people to move through at the same time "but thousands rushed when Babas car left, following his car on foot to get a closer look at him", said Sankalp Gautam, 22, who was with his aunt Kusum Devi, who was injured in the melee and is in hospital.

Devi fell and was crushed under people as she tried to help one of her two sisters who was struggling to get up. The sister was injured and died in hospital, Gautam said.

Farmer Lakhan Singh's house overlooks the venue and he said he was sitting on the terrace and watching the sea of people at the congregation.

"Baba talked about living well, caring for one another etc., and then started walking out and got into his car," Singh said, adding that vehicles of attendees had caused a traffic jam on the highway.

"People wanted to get close to him, they rushed towards his car, and his supporters pushed them away," he said, adding that many fell down a slope in a heap.

"TERRIFYING SCREAMS"

Rameshwar, another farmer who lives about a mile away from the venue, said he saw groups of women coming near the preacher's car and trying to bow down to him in reverence when pushing and jostling caused them to fall off the road.

"There was a pile-up on both sides of the road. We lifted some bodies and put them in whatever vehicle we could find," he said.

Authorities said the event was organised by a group of devotees, but did not identify anyone. Police and state officials have launched investigations into what went wrong and if there were any lapses by authorities.

Police are also trying to ascertain the whereabouts of the preacher. Reuters found mobile phones of the organisers had been switched off.

For Chedilal, 65, Tuesday's congregation was the third he was attending and this time he was accompanied by his daughter Ruby, 30, who had travelled over 300 km (185 miles) to join him.

"It was going well...I dont know what suddenly happened when people started leaving," he said. "There was a big commotion in the women's exit area. Someone was also spraying water from a pipe and the ground became muddy. Moments later I heard terrifying screams from women."

Chedilal couldn't trace his daughter all night. Her body was found in the district hospital on Wednesday morning.

(Reporting by Shivam Patel in Hathras, India; Writing by YP Rajesh, Editing by William Maclean)
By Shivam Patel and Saurabh Sharma

PHULRAI MUGHAL GARHI, India (Reuters) - More than three times the permitted number of people attended a Hindu religious event in northern India that culminated in a stampede which killed at least 121 people, authorities said on Wednesday, adding that most of the victims were women.

About 250,000 people gathered for Tuesday's event in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh state, about 200 km (125 miles) from the Indian capital, New Delhi, despite permission being granted only for 80,000, an initial police report showed.

The preacher at the gathering, Suraj Pal Singh, also known as 'Bhole Baba', said in a statement that the stampede was caused by "some anti-social elements" after the event concluded, without elaborating.

Police said they were trying to ascertain the whereabouts of the preacher. A group of devotees had organised the event, according to a poster at the site.

The preacher's lawyer, A.P. Singh, said Baba had never asked anyone to touch his feet nor did he give anyone the dust touched by his feet, referring to reports in local media which cited these as reasons for the devotees running towards him.

Singh also said Baba's aides were ready to help those who suffered in the incident.

Most of the deaths resulted from suffocation, said doctors at a district hospital treating several victims. Among the 121 dead were 112 women and seven children, while 31 were injured, state authorities said.

In their First Information Report, police described a scene of chaos when the preacher was leaving in his car.

Thousands of devotees shouted and ran towards the vehicle, crushing others still seated, the report said. Some people were trampled after falling in an adjacent field of slush and mud.

In a letter seen by Reuters, a junior official present at the event told the district administrator that the preacher's staff had stopped the devotees running towards the car and that many of them had fallen to the ground.

Some had run towards open fields nearby to escape the stampede but slipped and fell in the path of the rest of the crowd, the official added.

'TERRIFYING SCREAMS'

Among the dead was Ruby, 30, who had travelled more than 300 km (185 miles) to attend, along with her father, Chedilal.

Describing the stampede, Chedilal told Reuters: "I heard terrifying screams from women and there were bodies piled up on the ground near the exit."

"I was scared, I ran away and started calling my daughter on the phone," he added.

After an agonising night of hospital visits to locate his daughter, Chedilal said he finally found her body at the Hathras district hospital in the morning.

The state's chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, met some of the injured on Wednesday and inspected the site, which stands amid paddy fields beside a busy highway. Waste littered the site, which was partly inundated by rainfall.

Adityanath said a judicial inquiry would be conducted into the incident, besides the police investigation, to determine who was responsible.

The judicial panel can also help create a protocol to manage such future events and "prevent repetition of such an incident", Adityanath told reporters. "We will ensure this."

Stampedes and other accidents are not uncommon at religious gatherings involving large crowds in India, with most being blamed on poor crowd management.

(Reporting by Shivam Patel, Saurabh Sharma and Tanvi Mehta; Writing by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan, Clarence Fernandez, YP Rajesh and Gareth Jones)
Amarro Loera, 27, pleaded guilty in March in U.S. District Court in Omaha to assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a domestic or dating partner. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison and must serve three years supervised release after completing his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas  Plans to tear down a small Texas church where a gunman in 2017 killed more than two dozen worshippers are drawing visitors as a last-minute push was made to stop the demolition.

Leaders of First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs have not publicly announced when it plans to demolish the sanctuary, where authorities put the number of dead from the shooting at 26 people, including a pregnant woman and her unborn baby, in what remains the deadliest church shooting in U.S. history.

Inside the church Tuesday, victims relatives and community members who came to see the memorial, possibly for the last time, sat on the floor in somber silence. Roses were placed in remembrance of the lives lost.

Roxanna Avants, 71, moved to Sutherland Springs after the shooting and said she came to support those who lost loved ones in the shooting. Avants said even if people dont want to walk past a reminder of a tragedy, the church is still a house of God and a memorial for those who died in 2017.

Outside the church, the Wilson County Sheriffs Office told journalists to leave the area, saying neighbors had made the request for reasons related to private property. News cameras were not allowed in the church or parking lot.

On Tuesday, a Texas judge approved a temporary restraining order sought by some families to delay the demolition. The order signed by Judge Jennifer Dillingham instructs the church to not to begin demolition and to appear before the court later this month.

But Sam Fugate II, an attorney for the families that sought the restraining order, said the church had still not been served the order as of Tuesday afternoon and expressed concern that the demolition could still proceed.

Christine Earnhardt, a secretary for the church, said Tuesday that she could not confirm whether a demolition was scheduled and that the church had no plans to comment or make a statement.

Following the shooting, the sanctuary was turned into a memorial. The interior was painted white and chairs with the names of those who were killed were placed there, the lawsuit said.

The church then voted in 2021 to tear down the building, which opponents have contended was against the wishes of many surviving family members. A new church was completed for the congregation about a year and a half after the shooting.

We're not after money. We're after what's fair, Fugate said. We want our clients to say their piece about whether the church should stand and take another vote.

Amber Holder, a church member who is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said she wanted to make sure survivors of the shooting and the victims' families have a vote. "So many victims families were told: Youre not allowed to vote because youre no longer a member here, Holder said.

Holder said she wasnt at the service the day of the shooting but got there shortly after. As a teen she was taken in by the family of the pastor at the time, whose 14-year-old daughter, Annabelle Pomeroy, was among those killed.

Terrie Smith, president of the Sutherland Springs Community Association, said that as news of the upcoming demolition spread in the community of less than 1,000 people, those she had spoken with were devastated. Smith said that a woman who was like a daughter to her  Joann Ward  and her two daughters, ages 7 and 5, were among those killed in the shooting.

Smith, who is not a member of the church, said she often visits the memorial sanctuary. Its just a beautiful, beautiful memorial the way it is now, she said.

You feel the comfort of everybody that was lost there, Smith said.

Communities across the U.S. have grappled with what should happen to the sites of mass shootings. Last month, demolition began on the three-story building where 17 people died in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. After the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, it was torn down and replaced.

Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo, New York, and the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where racist mass shootings happened, both reopened. In Colorado, Columbine High School still stands  though its library, where most of the victims were killed, was replaced.

In Texas, officials closed Robb Elementary in Uvalde after the 2022 shooting there and plan to demolish it.

Yes, it's getting worse: New data shows mass shootings are more frequent Yes, it's getting worse: New data shows mass shootings are more frequent Mass shootings have been on the rise steadily for the past 40 years While shooting incidents show a gradual upward trend, the number of those killed is rising at an alarming rate Injuries have likewise risen significantly; one contributing factor: assault weapons
America's Founders Displayed Incredible Faith and Sacrifice NEWS PROVIDED BY Liberty Counsel July 3, 2024





A few months before signing the Declaration, Patrick Henry, a Founder who served as the first and sixth post-colonial governor of Virginia, addressed the Virginia Convention and declared: "We are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave." ORLANDO, Fla., July 3, 2024 / Christian Newswire / -- In today's culture where some people are frantically trying to erase America's history, the signers of the Declaration of Independence, a document which maintained that the 13 American states were free of British rule, clearly revealed their faith and sacrifice to ensure that this nation was founded upon Judeo-Christian principles and religious freedom.A few months before signing the Declaration, Patrick Henry, a Founder who served as the first and sixth post-colonial governor of Virginia, addressed the Virginia Convention and declared: "We are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave." John Hancock, the presiding officer over the Second Continental Congress, became the first representative to sign the Declaration on July 4, 1776. Hancock left a sizable signature which started the modern-day idea of leaving a "John Hancock" on paperwork. In fact, according to a popular saying, he signed his name large so that King George could read it without his glasses. While that may or may not be true, it is factual that one of America's most ardent patriots put his life on the line with that signature. If the Revolutionary War was lost or he was caught, Hancock would have been hanged by the British. Yet Hancock said, "Principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it: and my body I recommend to the earth. Nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mercy and power of God." All 56 patriots who signed the Declaration took their duties so seriously to the people of the new nation that they made a promise "with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." They signed the Declaration of Independence knowing that the penalty would be death if they were captured, and that pledge could literally cost them their lives and fortunes. As a result, 17 men lost property due to British raids and 12 had homes destroyed. Five lost their fortunes in helping fund the Continental Army and state militias battle the redcoats. Five were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died. One had two sons imprisoned on a British starving ship, one had a son killed in battle, one had his wife die from harsh prison treatment, and nine signers died in the Revolutionary War. Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, "The Founders were deeply influenced by a Judeo-Christian worldview that gave them great courage to sacrifice everything in order to establish this great nation. However, for many of them, signing America's birth certificate was their own death sentence. Yet they knew that our rights come from God, not government, and that the sole purpose of government is to protect these inalienable rights whatever the cost. As we celebrate America's birthday, we must continue to protect the priceless gift of our religious freedom and never forget the cost that was paid for it."



Liberty Counsel provides broadcast quality TV interviews via Hi-Def Skype and LTN at no cost.



SOURCE Liberty Counsel



CONTACT: Mat Staver, 407-875-1776, Liberty@LC.org



Share Tweet
Ah, summer. A time to let loose, put your toes in the sand, do whatever you want because its Brat Season. And what better way to enjoy yourself than to grab an ice-cold can of your favorite beverage?

I come from the Twisted Tea capital of the country, so Im no stranger to a moderately spiked premixed concoction designed for sipping on a hot day, but even Ive had to stop and ask myself: Why is everything a canned cocktail now? Not even five years ago, spiked seltzers were having a moment, but these days it seems as if brands have shed the bubbles and are serving up anything they can mix with alcohol in a can.

Advertisement

Alcoholic beverages are typically divided into three categories: wine, beer, and spirits. But ready-to-drink products have earned enough market share to be broken out into their own category, which saw $10.7 billion in annual sales as of November, according to a NielsenIQ report provided to Slate. The sector includes hard seltzers, flavored malt beverages, canned cocktails, and canned winebasically, anything that makes it more convenient to drink something other than beer straight out of the cooler.

I get it. Beers and seltzers can leave you feeling bloated. Its much more appealing to grab a beverage that tastes like something youd sip on sans alcohol, especially if youre spending hours out in the sun. If youre not part of the growing contingent of sober-curious peoplea group that is largely either Gen Z or on Ozempica drink every so often can be refreshing, and we should be able to enjoy a little treat in the waning days of society as we know it. And who wouldnt jump at the chance to share a $19.99 variety pack of spiked teas and lemonades, whether youre at the beach or a friends backyard barbecue?

Advertisement

Some of the companies making canned cocktails are trying their very best to make the whole thing feel as sophisticated as sipping on something from a real glass. Blake Livelys Betty Booze brand boasts gourmet cocktails, and the NielsenIQ report notes that alcoholic functional beverages, such as hard kombucha, are especially attractive to consumers.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Related From Slate The Broken Promise of Nonalcoholic Wine Read More

Others are dispensing with such pretenses. Brands many of us enjoyed as kids are offering spiked versions of their classic drinks, in much the same way I might have mixed vodka with a Capri-Sun in high school. Why settle for a light beer when you could choose from Sunny D hard cocktails, Dunkin branded spiked iced coffees and teas, and Transfusions from Welchs, a company perhaps better known for its kid-friendly 100 percent real grape juice. Even Arizonas instantly recognizable can can now be found in the alcohol aisle (though it surely costs more than 99 cents).

Advertisement

But at some point, we have to acknowledge that these drinks are just glorified adult juice boxes. Its a smartand lucrativeplay by the consumer goods companies to cash in on the nostalgia economy, which often leaves people ranking retro brands high in favorability. In a pinch, Im sure Id be perfectly content to sip whatever premixed can is presented to me, but Id still prefer a made-to-order drink, preferably from the selection of spirits my fiance has curated for our home bar, rather than the muted, and probably sugary, alternatives.

A Sunny D with a 4.5 percent ABV isnt going to elicit fond memories of your childhood. And if you drink enough of them, it wont help you make new ones either.
In the wake of last Thursdays debate debacle, President Joe Biden and his defenders are pushing back against calls for him to abandon his reelection bid by claiming that he can still beat Trump.

But that assertion is deeply questionable and ignores a much bigger problem: how dire things could get for downballot politicians if Biden stays in the race.

On Saturday night, two days after the debate, I helped my son cater a Democratic Party fundraiser in Durango, Colorado, for Adam Frisch, the Democratic candidate for Congress in the states 3rd District, Lauren Boeberts current district.

CD-3 is massive. It takes up almost half the state and is bigger than Pennsylvania. It is mostly rural, though its largest city is Pueblo, a traditional manufacturing town. Outside Pueblo, the economy is a mix of farming, ranching, oil and gas, mining, education, and outdoor recreation. The district contains the headwaters of the Colorado River system that provides water for six states.

Republicans enjoy a 5 percent registration advantage over Democrats, but 42 percent of voters are independents. Hispanic Coloradans make up 26 percent of the population; virtually all the rest of the population is white.

CD-3s rural character and whiteness, as well as the increasing conservatism of Western Hispanics, make it a tough district for Democrats. But it is winnable. Frisch nearly beat Boebert in 2022, losing by only 546 votes. The prospect of a rematch with him scared her so badly that she decamped to the other side of the state to run in a district with a 20 percent Republican registration advantage.

Advertisement

What makes Frisch formidable in this swing district is that, although he has the disadvantage of being a rich former finance guy who lives in Aspen, he is, by disposition, a political moderate. In fact, Bidens kind of guy. And he has done the work. He has learned the issues that matter here: water, energy, land use. For three years, he has traveled constantly to every town and hamlet. He meets regularly with groups Democrats tend to ignorethe Cattlemens Association, mining and energy interests, business groups.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

But now that Boebert has fled, Frisch has a much tougher race. Republicans have nominated an unremarkable Grand Junction lawyer who is conservative and Trump-supporting but not insane. In short, a great fit for R+5 CD-3. Frisch can still win, but he needs big turnout from Democrats and from persuadable independents.

Which brings us back to Biden and the Frisch fundraiser.

Advertisement

At the end of the Q&A session, one bold soul raised the question on everyones mind: What did Frisch think about the debate and its effect on Bidens prospects and his own?

Carefully, respectfully, Frisch told the crowd of Democratic loyalists that although he admired the presidents governing accomplishments, he had been concerned about Bidens age for years. Then, sometimes elliptically, but in the end unmistakably, Frisch confessed to thinking that the debate collapse made Bidens reelection unlikely. As he put it, governance is important, but in order to govern, you have to be elected.

When pressed further, Frisch grudgingly admitted that Bidens age and now-undeniable frailty made his own election in Colorado tougher too. And, though he carefully avoided saying so directly, the candidate made it clear that he hoped Democratic Party elders would have serious conversations with the president about withdrawing from the race. (A few days later, Frisch issued a video statement and an op-ed unequivocally calling for Biden to withdraw.)

Advertisement

Advertisement

When Frisch finished speaking, a remarkable and telling thing happened. No one in that crowd of lifelong Democrats raised so much as a murmur of dissent.

I have since been told that, unsurprisingly, there are local Democrats who disagreesome quite stronglywith Frischs position on the viability of Bidens candidacy. Nonetheless, my own assessment is that the vast majority of attendees at the gathering understood two things that Bidens inner circle must accept.

Advertisement

First, Bidens collapse at the debate was not merely a slight wobble, an off day that anyone might have and recover from. It was, at the least, powerful evidence that the president is, sadly, too old to serve four more years. The committed Democrats in that Colorado barn on Saturdaynot one of them a Biden hater or member of the coastal elite mediasaw what the world saw during the debate. None of them tried to deny the obvious. And none of them raised a voice to deny the obvious consequence: If this aged and diminished Biden remains in the race, the risk that he will lose to Donald Trump is very high indeed, and certainly far higher than it was before the debate.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Second, if Biden stays in the race, he is likely to drag swing-district Democrats like Adam Frisch down with him. In a presidential year, turnout is driven by voters reactions to the presidential race. Hardcore Democrats and Republicans will come out and vote for their partys presidential and congressional nominees regardless of individual merit. But many independents and lukewarm Democratsthe people that both Biden and congressional Democrats like Frisch need to wincould be more likely to stay home in disgust or despair.

If they do, they will not be voting in downballot races at all. Not only could Biden lose, but lots of other Democrats across the country could lose too. And if that happens, Trump could enter the presidency without even the check of one or more houses of Congress in Democratic control.

Advertisement

I admire Biden immensely. He has long been an exemplary public servant. He has accomplished great things in his first term. Perhaps, despite last weeks debate, he can somehow pull off an electoral miracle. But I doubt it. Replacing him would be awkward, to be sure. But I think that a Democrat, almost any Democrat, younger, more vigorous, and free of the baggage with which years of disingenuous Republican attacks have saddled Biden, now has a better chance of beating Trump.

Biden needs to do one last agonizing, soul-searing service for the country he loves. Step aside. Let a new generation take up the fight. If he will not do that, then the Trumpian darkness he rightly fears is more likely to fall. And if it does, that catastrophe will properly be laid, at least in part, to his charge.
This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slates coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court. 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!)

We are in the process of the second American Revolution, Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts thundered on Tuesday in celebration of the Supreme Courts decision granting Donald Trump, and all future presidents, sweeping immunity from prosecution. This judge-led revolution, he added ominously, will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be. Kevin Roberts is not alone in cheering the Supreme Courts hard turn to the right as a de facto revolution. The New Civil Liberties Alliance, a far-right group that welcomed coup abettors into its fold, trumpeted that the dismantling of the unlawful Administrative State has officially begun after SCOTUS overturned the 40-year-old doctrine of Chevron deference. Republican officials, commentators, and activists are jubilant over the courts recent rulings, applauding them as the dawn of a new era in American governance. And theyre not wrong. While Democrats fret for a second week over the fallout from President Joe Bidens disastrous debate performance, many Republicans seem to feel as if theyve won already, entrenching many tenets of Heritages Project 2025 into law before a single vote has been cast.

The GOPs triumphant attitude is neither premature nor overconfident. Four months out from November, the party has abruptly prevailed in many of its most important political battles, albeit in the cold, technical proseyou might even call it bloodlessof judicial opinions. The Supreme Courts conservative supermajority has, in recent weeks, restructured American democracy in the Republican Partys preferred image, fundamentally altering the balance of power between the branches and the citizens themselves. As the GOP became the party of coup denialism and unreconstructed Trump cultists, so too, finally, have the sober movement conservatives at the high court.

Advertisement

In the course of its most recent term that conservative supermajority has created a monarchical presidency, awarding the chief executive near-insurmountable immunity from accountability for any and all crimes committed during a term in office. It has seized power from Congress, strictly limiting lawmakers ability to write broad laws that tackle the major crises of the moment. And it has hobbled federal agencies authority to apply existing statutes to problems on the ground, substituting the expert opinions of civil servants with the (often partisan) preferences of unelected judges. All the while, the court has placed itself at the apex of the state, agreeing to share power only with a strongman president who seeks to govern in line with the conservative justices vision.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Related From Slate It Sure Looks as if KBJ Is Throwing Yacht Shade at Sam Alito and Clarence Thomas Read More

Someday historians will manage to explain why the same Roberts court that declined to rig the 2020 census in favor of Republicans, declined to intervene in the bogus 2020 election fraud cases, declined to rubber-stamp a wholly fabricated Independent State Legislature Theory, and refused to protect from investigation Trumps personal papers and advisers made the sharp turn in 2024 to become his handmaids. At some point the rumors that there was a 3-3-3 court with a careful and moderate center became simply laughable, and those same moderate justices made the decision that whatever impulse toward public legitimacy had constrained their conduct in recent years was for suckers: Having taken on far too many high-profile game-changing cases, the choice for the 202324 term was go big or go home. They went big.

Advertisement

And make no mistake about it: When a court that has been battered by near-weekly reports of undisclosed oligarch-funded vacations (and gifts and super yachts and tricked out RVs and secret conferences with high-paying Koch supporters getting access to justices) decides to make it easier to bribe public officialsas it did in Snyder v. U.S.thats a very public signal that the conservative supermajority does not care what you think. When a court that has been caught with not one but two justices who have spouses who were excited by insurrectionist activity and symbols stands up those same justices as dispassionate and objective deciders of three separate Jan. 6 cases, thats a very public signal that the conservative supermajority doesnt care what you think. And when that self same court makes it illegal for homeless people to sleep in parks because not one of these members of the conservative supermajority will lose sleep over homelessness, climate change, housing policy, or any of the other root causes of being forced to sleep in a park, its a very, very public signal that the justices dont care what you think. Whatever braking mechanism once existed at the court is now broken. We wake up this summer in a new government order.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

To grasp the gobsmacking scope of this shift, start with Mondays decision on presidential immunity and work backwards. In Trump v. U.S., the Supreme Courts conservative supermajority invented a new rule out of whole cloth, unmoored from any known constitutional text or principle, handing the president almost total immunity from criminal charges for his actions in office. Chief Justice John Roberts opinion purported to distinguish between official acts, which cant be punished, and unofficial acts, which can. But Roberts also stacked the deck in favor of the president at every turn: He barred prosecutors from introducing evidence of official acts to prove culpability for unofficial acts and prohibited any inquiry into the presidents motives when dividing official and unofficial conduct. The result is a vast shield against prosecution that will hamstring prosecutors at every turn even if they decide that its somehow worth it to try to surmount the hurdle of immunity and attempt to reach the trial stage. Under this new dynamic, most prosecutors likely wont even bother, no matter how horrific a presidents criminal actions may be.

Advertisement

This decision is a recipe for authoritarian rule. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor explained in dissent, it frees the president to engage in corruption and violence, including the assassination of his rivals, without fear of criminal charges. And it lets the president transform the executive branch into a fiefdom of self-enrichment and crueltywielding dictatorial power to entrench his own rule, then pardon every subordinate who facilitates any coup. The chilling logic behind this ruling seems to rest on a realistic understanding of how Republicans and Democrats exercise executive power; a reality we continue to witness on the Trump vs. Biden split screen. Trump intends to govern by punishing his enemies and rewarding his friends, issuing a ceaseless stream of executive actions that benefit his allies (billionaires, corporations, white nationalists, foreign dictators) and oppress the frequent targets of his ire (journalists, public servants, immigrants, women, minorities). The Supreme Court has now allowed Trump to carry out this agenda in a second term through literally criminal methods of repression so long as he calls them official acts.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Biden, by contrast, seeks to govern in a more traditional mode: Relying on federal agenciesstaffed with nonpartisan experts who draw on a deep well of knowledge and experienceto carry out Congress commands. That is how American government has functioned for well over a century, to the great benefit of the citizenry. Its why there is clean air and drinkable water and airplanes that stay in the sky and drugs that dont kill us. And it is a model that the Supreme Court has now kneecapped.

Shortly before handing down Trump v. U.S., the court issued Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, overturning a four-decade-old ruling that served as the basis for some 18,000 lower court decisions. Loper Bright abolished Chevron deference, the rule that federal courts should defer to agencies reasonable interpretations of ambiguous laws. By doing so, it seriously curbed Congress latitude to enact laws that address a serious problem then allow agencies to fill in the details and gaps. The ruling does not, as its defenders on the right like to insist, simply force Congress to do its job. Rather, it overrides lawmakers prerogative to exercise legislative power in a way they believe is necessary to protect the people from harms. It enshrines into law a specific conservative conception of proper government, overriding Congress choices without any constitutional mandate. And, of course, it replaces the opinions of agency experts with the political proclivities of life-tenured judges who may lack the most basic grasp of the facts. For good measure, the same conservative supermajority then erased a statute of limitations that might have staunched the coming tsunami of challenges to federal regulations.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Loper Bright boils down to a straightforward proposition: The Supreme Courts Republican appointees are sympathetic to wealthy individuals and corporations, so they will contort the law to help them. Thats the story of other key decisions this term. In SEC v. Jarkesy, the conservative justices sabotaged agencies ability to bring civil penalties against lawbreakers, devastating their enforcement powers across the board. In Ohio v. EPA, they let polluters block vital environmental protections by second-guessing regulators scientific judgment. In Snyder v. U.S., they let local officials accept bribes from wealthy benefactors in the form of (wink-wink) gratuities. In Moore v. U.S., they deployed gratuitous rhetoric to preemptively stack the deck against a future wealth tax. In Garland v. Cargill, they let the gun industry continue making bank off de facto machine guns. Meanwhile, the court declared open season on the rights of everyone else: racial minorities, immigrants and their families, the homeless and disabled, women in need of emergency abortionsall were denied legal protections bestowed by the Constitution and Congress this term.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The Supreme Court has laid all the foundations for the demise of civil liberties for vulnerable communities, the restoration of a Christianity-based view of family and equality, the dismantling of the regulatory state, and an imperial presidency aided by a Justice Department that does the president-kings bidding. Project 2025 sets forth the blueprint for achieving the rest. Had the high court remained a plausible check on a possible second Trump presidency, the next few years would have been challenging enough. Having shown themselves to be the rocket fuel powering this revanchist new world order, the six ultra-conservative justices have positioned themselves as partners in Trumps fight.

Advertisement

Advertisement

There are conversations now taking place about what to do to reform a renegade court that refuses to accept that it should be checked by the other branches; those conversations have perhaps never felt more mired in helplessness, yet paradoxically, they have never been more crucial. Find someone working on court reform and lend an oar. Whatever faint hope we once held out that public outrage alone would encourage moderation has been blown to smithereens. Public outrage has somehow made the court more reckless. The time for wishful thinking about the power of shame, institutional legitimacy, and historical legacy is over. The time for action may well be now or never.
Who is the president of the United States? Its Joe Biden, of course. But one popular artificial intelligence app thinks otherwise.

While A.I. models have been known to hallucinate (i.e., make stuff up), they typically dont mess up extremely simple things like name the president. If you ask OpenAIs ChatGPT who the U.S. president is, itll give you the correct answer, a short bio, and links to the White House website and Bidens Wikipedia article. The same is true for Anthropics Claude and Meta AI, while Googles Gemini straight-up refuses to answer the question because its related to politics. I cant help with responses on elections and political figures right now, it told me. Im trained to be as accurate as possible but I can make mistakes sometimes. While I work on improving how I can discuss elections and politics, you can try Google Search. Good grief.

But that hesitation to engage with anything political is rooted in legitimate concerns about how artificial intelligence can be weaponized to influence elections, spread disinformation, and scam people. There are often more safeguards for text-to-image models than your standard chatbotsand for good reason. Fake images of political figures could create mass chaos and confusion. If you thought Pope Francis really did wear a white puffer coat, you might be more likely to believe that deepfaked pics of Trump with Black voters are real.

Advertisement

When I asked DALL-E, OpenAIs text-to-image generator, to generate images of Joe Biden and Donald Trump, it flat-out refused, citing the companys usage policy. When I asked it to generate a model of the president of the United States, it manufactured a cartoonish white man with a chiseled jaw who looks like he could be the president in a mid-aughts rom-com set in Washington, D.C. No Biden, no Trump, just a hunky POTUS cosplayer.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The image generator Midjourney has similar rules. When I asked it to make an image of the candidates, it gave me an error message: Sorry! The Midjourney community voted to prevent using Donald Trump and Joe Biden during election season. Since June 2023, according to screenshots recorded on the Internet Archive, Midjourneys community guidelines have stipulated, You may not use the Services to generate images for political campaigns, or to try to influence the outcome of an election.

Advertisement

But in early March, the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a British nonprofit, released a report showing how Midjourney and other image generators could be used to reliably generate deepfake political imagessuch as Biden in a hospital gown, Trump getting arrested, and a dumpster full of voting ballots. A week later the company started banning images of the two nominees, the Associated Press reported.

But that was nearly four months ago.

Advertisement

Advertisement

This week, when I asked Midjourney for images of the president of the United States (specifically, Please make me an image of the president of the United States), it produced a stream of pictures of  Donald Trump. I kept repeating the prompt  more Trump. Midjourney spits out four images at a time to give users options. I kept getting four images of Donald Trumpsome looked hand-painted, some like photographs, some moody, some smiling, all showing Trump with the trappings of his former office.

Advertisement

One of the 16 images I generated on Midjourney showed Barack Obama. None showed Joe Bidenor anyone else. Midjourney did not respond to multiple requests for comment about its content policies and why its image generator not only violates its own rules but also shows Trump as the current president.

Advertisement

There are good reasons why Midjourney may spit out images of Donald Trump when prompted. Trump is surely one of the most photographed people in human historyhis face is slapped all over the web alongside the word president. Wherever Midjourney is gobbling up images, it cant really avoid the ubiquity of Trumps countenance.

Ive played around with image generators for a yearMidjourney routinely takes a more laissez-faire approach to content moderation than DALL-E. I dont really care about political speech, founder David Holz told users in a meeting in March. Thats not the purpose of Midjourney. Its not that interesting to me. That said, I also dont want to spend all of my time trying to police political speech. So were going to have [to] put our foot down on it a bit.

Without government regulations placing constraints on how artificial intelligence applications safeguard against deceptive content, companies have to figure it out themselvessomething theyre surely thrilled about. And Midjourney reportedly has only a dozen employeesa tiny force compared with thousands working at OpenAI or A.I.-focused employees at Silicon Valley behemoths.

Holz told users at that meeting that this moderation stuff is kind of hard. Its not that hard. Donald Trump might think hes president, but Midjourney should know better.
Interior Ministry to pay fine for suspension of investigators.

Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share

"You, sirs, have turned Slovakia into a country in which one cannot live, so please pack up, make yourselves scarce, and please stop talking nonsense about the mafia, because the real mafia is you - the people of [former PM Igor] Matovic, of [former special prosecutor Daniel] Lipsic, of [former police chief Stefan] Hamran, [former acting interior minister Roman] Mikulec and [suspended police investigator Jan] Curilla," said Hlas party's MP Matus Sutaj Estok in September 2022.

The period after the 2020 parliamentary elections could be characterised as a time when high-level corruption began to be genuinely investigated. Based on this promise, the leader of the then OLaNO movement, Igor Matovic, won the elections and formed a government. The pandemic and conflicts within the coalition government first led to a government reshuffle, and later to its collapse. Before last year's elections, the government was led by former banker Ludovit Odor and his technocratic cabinet. After the 2023 elections, Smer returned to power and formed a government with Hlas, which was founded by Smer renegade and President Peter Pellegrini, and the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS).

One of the first moves Sutaj Estok made after becoming the interior minister last year was to suspend the entire elite group of National Crime Agency (NAKA) investigators centred around Jan Curilla, who investigated top corruption cases involving people appointed by the Smer party under the previous Smer-led governments. Sutaj Estok had been a Smer member before he joined Hlas in 2020.

Six policemen, whom the minister refers to as "the Curillas", were the priority target. As an opposition politician, he used to call them "cowboys who distort justice", "a bunch of goons" or "cronies".

"If such a pestilence were not under the protection of [then] President Caputova and [then technocratic] Prime Minister [Ludovit]Odor, they would be put out of service a long time ago," said MP Sutaj Estok in August 2023.

However, when as minister he was recently interrogated by a police investigator regarding the suspension of the Curillas, he played down his previous fiery statements. Sutaj Estok claimed that he had no relationship with the group, felt unbiased towards them and did not see any problem in his statements.

"These are only abbreviations or names used for media," claimed Sutaj Estok, when asked by the investigator on how they were supposed to understand the minister's previous statements regarding the Curillas.

The NAKA - Zapad (western Slovakia) department interrogated Sutaj Estok at the end of February this year, following a criminal complaint filed against him by the five suspended police officers. In addition to Curilla, it was filed by Branislav Duncek, Robert Magula, Milan Sabota and Stefan Masin.

The minister is suspected of abusing the powers of a public official, since he himself suspended the Curillas, even though he did not have to. At the same time he also ignored the fact that they had received whistleblower status and as such had been under the protection of the Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers, which has to approve any labour-related move against whistleblowers.
Map of Bratislava road repairs, locations around Kosice that appeared in movies, and a tip for a recognised summer festival.

Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share

Good evening. Here is the Wednesday, July 3 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

Where will Bratislava's new railway station be?

The Bratislava - Nove Mesto railway station. (Source: SME - Jozef Jakubco)

Bratislava has been toying with the idea of a new Main Railway Station for more than 20 years. However, with the exception of the few times the worn-out building was refurbished, the last time in 2022, nothing has been done in this regard.

Recently, Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer nominee) said that the current station will be neither expanded nor extensively repaired as doing so would cost too much, reports Sme daily.

Instead, a completely new station will be constructed. The precise location will be announced in September and should be finished by 2030.

The new station may be constructed in one of three places. Dennik N reported that the reconstruction of the Bratislava - Nove Mesto railway station is on the table. According to Sme daily, a station in the nearby town of Stupava is an option. The third option is the long-considered dilapidated and closed Filialka railway station in the Trnavske Myto locality. Each option comes with different challenges.

Filialka is smaller than the current main railway station and would need to be underground, not to mention that it would necessitate the construction of tunnels connecting to every direction. On the other hand, Stupava is 15 kilometres from Bratislava and would also require the extension of tunnels and connections.

A more realistic scenario is the expansion of the Nove Mesto station as there is available space nearby. However, it too would require connections.

The former railway station Filialka is being considered as a place to construct a new main railway station. (Source: SME - Jozef Jakubco)

MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE

POLITICS: Seasoned Slovak diplomat's UN nomination and ministry post was cancelled. He was given no reason as to why.

Seasoned Slovak diplomat's UN nomination and ministry post was cancelled. He was given no reason as to why. TRANSPORT: Reconstruction of Bratislava roads in full swing, have a look at where restrictions apply.

Reconstruction of Bratislava roads in full swing, have a look at where restrictions apply. TRAVEL: About 80 locations in the Kosice Region have been depicted in more than 50 Slovak and foreign films.

If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription with no ads and a print copy of The Slovak Spectator sent to your home in Slovakia. Thank you.

FEATURE STORY FOR WEDNESDAY

Cowboys who never were

Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok. (Source: TASR)

Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok was recently interrogated by a police investigator regarding the suspension of the Curillovci, a group of police investigators centred around Jan Curilla, who investigated top corruption cases. In the past, the minister called them "cowboys who distort justice", "a bunch of goons" or "cronies".

Now, he tried to play the statements down. Even though he himself signed the suspension of the Curillovci as Interior Minister, during the interrogation he repeatedly tried to shy away from responsibility.

EVENT FOR THE NEXT WEEKS

Viva Musica! is back

The Viva Musica! festival has a 20-year tradition. (Source: TASR)

This year, Viva Musica!, one of the most recognised summer festivals in Slovakia, celebrates a tradition spanning 20 years, bringing the best of classical music and renowned artists from all over the world to Bratislava. This edition will take place between July 4 to August 15 and offer 13 concerts at various venues.

The jubilee edition will open this Thursday with a concert by the electronic-acoustic band Fallgrap, joined by the Spectrum Orchestra led by a violinist. The concert will take place in the Stara Trznica venue. For more information and tickets, click here.

IN OTHER NEWS

According to a new survey carried out by the Ipsos agency for the Dennik N daily, President Peter Pellegrini is trusted by 53 percent of people, while 42 percent are of the opposite opinion. He is followed by ex-president Zuzana Caputova (47 percent as opposed to 45 percent) and Prime Minister and Smer chair Robert Fico (38 percent and 55 percent). The survey took place between June 26 and July 1 on a sample of 1,017 people. (Dennik N).

He is followed by ex-president Zuzana Caputova (47 percent as opposed to 45 percent) and Prime Minister and Smer chair Robert Fico (38 percent and 55 percent). The survey took place between June 26 and July 1 on a sample of 1,017 people. (Dennik N). The government approved the reconstruction of the cylindrical tower dominating the Nove Mesto borough of Bratislava, known as Kukurica (Corn Cob). A part of the 60 million investment is to be covered by the recovery plan. Originally, the building named Hviezda (Star) served as a military accommodation facility. (Dennik N)

The 'Kukurica' former military accommodation facility on Kukucinova Street in Bratislava. (Source: Gabriel Kuchta)

According to Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer), PM and Smer chief Robert Fico will soon return to his duties and appear before the public at the beginning of July. He might even attend the Saints Cyril and Methodius celebrations on July 5. However, Fico will face lasting effects from the May 15 assassination attempt on his life during which he was shot four times. (SITA)

He might even attend the Saints Cyril and Methodius celebrations on July 5. However, Fico will face lasting effects from the May 15 assassination attempt on his life during which he was shot four times. (SITA) The government approved Transport Minister Jozef Raz's (a Smer nominee) proposal to pay out 50,000 to the families of the victims of last week's collision between a train and a bus near Nove Zamky, Nitra Region. (TASR)

of last week's collision between a train and a bus near Nove Zamky, Nitra Region. (TASR) President Peter Pellegrini handed over credentials to two new Slovak ambassadors, namely Marek Varga, Slovakia's Permanent Representative to NATO, and Barbara Mestanova, set to head the diplomatic mission in Israel. Before, Varga served as an ambassador to Lebanon and other Middle East countries, while Mestanova was at the embassy in Tel Aviv as an economic diplomat. (TASR)

WEATHER FOR THURSDAY: The cloud cover will change throughout the day, daily temperatures to rise around 20 C in Zilina and Spis regions, while between 22 C to 27 C elsewhere. Light breeze. (SHMU)

JULY 4 NAME'S DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Prokop

Thank you for subscribing and reading. It means a lot to us.

P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.

Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebook and Instagram (@slovakspectator).
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240702/zelensky-needs-to-understand-the-us-loves-israel-more-1119227898.html

Zelensky Needs To Understand: The US Loves Israel More

Zelensky Needs To Understand: The US Loves Israel More

Sputnik International

Following the first 2024 Presidential debate, it should be obvious to everyone that the US will support Israel over Ukraine if it has to make a decision.

2024-07-02T23:13+0000

2024-07-02T23:13+0000

2024-07-03T00:01+0000

analysis

joe biden

volodymyr zelensky

donald trump

israel

ukraine

russia

2024 us presidential election

jill stein

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/04/1d/1118169988_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_f03729f36a33e6abf0c7fd5cb65c8dfd.jpg

During last weeks debate, Ukraine was discussed but neither candidate offered concrete plans to continue funding the ill-fated NATO proxy war in Ukraine. Former US President Donald Trump claimed he would find a settlement for the conflict before he takes office in January while current US President Joe Biden claimed that his actions in Ukraine stopped Russian President Vladimir Putin from restoring his Soviet empire.In contrast, when Palestine was brought up, both candidates sparred over who supports Israel more. We are the biggest producer of support for Israel than anyone in the world, Biden argued. You should let them go and let them finish the job, Trump said of Israel, adding that Biden has resembled a very bad Palestinian.The stark contrast should have been illuminating to Volodymyr Zelensky, the former golden boy of the West.Im sorry, at the end of the day, the priority [for the US] is always going to be Israel, said Bils, adding that the feeling wasnt based in ethnocentrism or religious ideas but simply that Geopolitically, its more important for the United States to protect Israel, than it is to protect Ukraine.Israel has sometimes been described as an aircraft carrier for the United States in the Middle East.The day after the debate, Zelensky held a press conference saying he would soon present a comprehensive plan to end the conflict that would be supported by the majority of the world. He also indicated that he was open to talking with Russia through intermediaries. While the comments came not long after his most recent so-called peace conference was described almost universally as a failure, its proximity to Bidens disastrous debate performance was hard to ignore.As has been the case for decades, Americans have no path utilizing the two major parties if they want to see a significant change in foreign policy.In her post-debate response, Green Party candidate Jill Stein offered voters a different option. Not only is our country funding a genocide the genocide would not go on without [Biden and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken], she explained, saying that at the debate there were two warmongers basically competing for who can get us to World War III the soonest."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240702/iran-to-support-hezbollah-in-conflict-with-israel-by-all-means---supreme-leader-adviser-1119215551.html

israel

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

world war iii, us support of ukraine, us support of israel, biden trump debate, how to avoid wwiii, who does the us support more
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240703/cutting-edge-russian-missiles-make-ukraines-f-16s-easy-target-like-su-27s---expert-1119232590.html

Cutting-Edge Russian Missiles Make Ukraine's F-16s Easy Target Like Su-27s - Expert

Cutting-Edge Russian Missiles Make Ukraine's F-16s Easy Target Like Su-27s - Expert

Sputnik International

NATOs F-16 jets to Ukraine will be hunted down and destroyed by Russias surgical strikes similar to the ones that took out five Su-27 fighters recently, Dmitry Kornev, the founder of the Military Russia portal, told Sputnik.

2024-07-03T13:59+0000

2024-07-03T13:59+0000

2024-07-03T14:02+0000

analysis

ukraine

russia

iskander-m

su-27

f-16

dmitry kornev

military & intelligence

ukrainian armed forces

nato

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/07/03/1119232130_0:20:3567:2026_1920x0_80_0_0_82b1c7dfdcecb1a68aa29a6a58bf195e.jpg

NATOs F-16 jets promised to Ukraine will be hunted down and obliterated by Russias surgical strikes similar to the ones that took out five Su-27 fighters recently, Dmitry Kornev, the founder of the Military Russia portal, told Sputnik.If the airfield harboring the Western-delivered aircraft is too far out of reach for Russia's Iskander missiles, Russia could use its Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile, Kornev pointed out. He added that the Kinzhal boasts a greater range than the Iskander missile, and is being used with great success to strike high-value targets in the special op zone.A group strike using the Iskander-M missile defense system destroyed five active Su-27 mufti-purpose fighters and damaged two aircraft undergoing repairs at the Mirgorod airfield in the Poltava Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on July 2.The raid on the Mirgorod airfield was described by Forbes as possibly one of the costliest single days for the Kiev regime. The publication pointed to an upsurge of Ukrainian bloggers that flooded social media, rushing to blame the nation's air force officers who allowed the crews to park the Su-27s out in the open so close to the front line. The outlet also recalled that Russian Lancet drones had carried out a series of strikes on vulnerable Ukrainian air bases.The strike was a triumph owing to several factors, he clarified. There was successful reconnaissance, he noted, and the distance to the airfield allowed the high-precision Iskander missiles to reach their target.The expert stated that Kiev cannot acquire Su-27s from other countries. Their only option is to try and restore the remaining aircraft by potentially buying spare parts from other sources.It is impossible to get the Su-27 the way they received the MiG-29 from Eastern Europe. Accordingly, the value of this aircraft for the Ukrainian Armed Forces is very high, noted Kornev.The number of aircraft that an Iskander missile can potentially destroy depends on how the targeted jets are parked, he explained, and he went on to clarify:The expert speculated that some of the jets might theoretically be restored, but for now, they are effectively out of action.According to Kornev, in response to Ukraine's potential acquisition of F-16 combat jets from the Netherlands, Russia will primarily rely on strategic reconnaissance capabilities. Additionally, Russia will maintain a high state of readiness with its assets in order to promptly respond to any potential strike force.In a March conversation with military pilots, Russian President Vladimir Putin explained that the supply of F-16s would not change the situation on the battlefield. Nevertheless, Moscow stressed it would treat the jets as nuclear-capable assets due to their dual-purpose nature.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240702/russian-air-defenses-shoot-down-nine-ukrainian-jets-including-seven-su-27s-1119221346.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240702/russian-iskander-missile-strikes-location-of-ukraine-aircraft-5-planes-destroyed---mod-1119215669.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240530/lavrov-peace-conference-with-ukraine-russia-could-be-continuation-of-chinas-efforts-1118693618.html

ukraine

russia

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

natos f-16 jets to ukraine, what will happen to natos f-16 jets delivered to ukraine, russian special military operation, russian armed forces, ukrainian crisis, russia's strikes on ukraine, russia strikes ukraine, russian air defenses, ukrainian air force, su-27s, russian ministry of defense
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240703/doing-everything-to-reelect-biden-duped-hillary-clinton-spills-cringy-details-to-prankster-duo-1119230958.html

'Doing Everything to Reelect Biden': Duped Hillary Clinton Spills Cringy Details to Prankster Duo

'Doing Everything to Reelect Biden': Duped Hillary Clinton Spills Cringy Details to Prankster Duo

Sputnik International

Hillary Clinton has been duped by famous duo of Russian pranksters, Vovan (Vladimir Kuznetsov) and Lexus (Alexey Stolyarov).

2024-07-03T10:50+0000

2024-07-03T10:50+0000

2024-07-03T10:50+0000

world

us

hillary clinton

donald trump

joe biden

ukraine

russia

nato

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/02/07/1116653586_0:116:2487:1515_1920x0_80_0_0_d28bfadcc0d77240d7f98b2ec01e06f2.jpg

Despite her crushing defeat to Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential elections, Hillary Clinton has adamantly refused to be put out to pasture or written off from big politics. Hence, her current bid to dabble in the ongoing proxy conflict in Ukraine.It comes as no surprise that the former US Secretary of State eagerly accepted the offer to speak with 'former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko'. Little did she realize that she was divulging her political game regarding the US and Ukraine to the well-known Russian prankster duo, Vovan (Vladimir Kuznetsov) and Lexus (Alexey Stolyarov).Clinton jumped right into the conversation, assuring Poroshenko that US aid has been positioned to reach Ukraine very quickly".At this point, her conversational partner lamented over another looming threat, in the face of presidential hopeful Donald Trump, who could give us some problems if elected, since he hates Ukraine, she piped up:Clinton took a swipe at Trump, calling him a very dangerous candidate, and said he would be bad for the United States, as well as for the rest of the world, including Ukraine.But despite Joe Biden's disastrous first debate against his main opponent, Clinton is confident that Trump will lose. Moreover, she appeared to indicate that Bidens path to a second term should be paved with the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers. She assured that Washington would be giving you the means you need to support yourself to try to not only hold the line but engage in an offensive. And then obviously many of us in this country will do everything we can to reelect President Biden.Hillary also wholeheartedly supports Ukraines NATO membership aspirations, saying that We are working very hard to persuade the Germans and the Americans to move on this. I don't know what the final decision will be, but as you say, Rasmussen and Yermak, and others, are working very hard." This was a reference to former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Zelensky's chief of staff Andriy Yermak, who have been spearheading a working group to gain support for Kiev's NATO bid across the alliance.Clinton emphasized that everyone has a stake in making sure that you are successful in pushing the Russians out as far as you can.Porshenko bantered at this point that dictators didnt learn their lesson after Gaddafi, in a reference to the former Libyan leader ousted and killed in the wake of NATOs bombardment of the North African country in 2011. During that time, as Barack Obama's foreign policy chief, Hillary Clinton, she was the public figure of the project and had cackled with laughter during a TV interview after rebel forces backed by NATO had captured and brutally killed Muammar Gaddafi. Clinton famously quipped, "We came, we saw, he died!"Yeah, I think thats true, replied Clinton to the Poroshenko imposter.Turning the conversation back to the main threat namely, Trump, the pranksters warned that he will ask for money back, and it will be a disaster, as he wants to end the conflict on Russias terms.He's a very bad guy, as I know personally from having to run against him, reiterated Hillary Clinton, and applauded an offer of help from the Ukrainian side to dig up some new dirt on Trump.She eagerly rounded off the conversation with Slava, Ukraina" ("Glory to Ukraine"), a wartime fascist salute originally adopted by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), an infamous nationalist militant group that collaborated with the Nazis during World War II, and now widely used by Ukrainian paramilitary groups, promoted by the Kiev regime.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240626/ukraine-not-invited-to-nato-summit-british-foreign-secretary-tells-russian-pranksters-1119135049.html

ukraine

russia

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

russian pranksters, hillary clinton pranked by russian pranksters, hillary clinton duped by russian pranksters, who are the famous duo of russian pranksters, who are vovan and lexus, what did hillary clinton tell russian pranksters.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240703/nato-allies-hesitant-to-invite-ukraine-to-join-alliance-as-kiev-too-corrupt---reports-1119230215.html

NATO Allies Hesitant to Invite Ukraine to Join Alliance as Kiev 'Too Corrupt' - Reports

NATO Allies Hesitant to Invite Ukraine to Join Alliance as Kiev 'Too Corrupt' - Reports

Sputnik International

According to recent reports, Ukraine will be told that they are still "too corrupt" to join the NATO military alliance at the next summit.

2024-07-03T03:54+0000

2024-07-03T03:54+0000

2024-07-03T03:54+0000

world

ukraine

kiev

nato

russia

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/06/19/1119115643_0:167:3048:1882_1920x0_80_0_0_ea4c4da4d7fbefc56dc6a3a88d415bb0.jpg

At the summit, which is scheduled to take place in the capital of the United States from July 9-11, NATO allies will request "additional steps" from Kiev to address corruption before membership talks, the newspaper reported on Wednesday. This position will be set out in writing in the NATO communique, which will be signed at the summit on July 9, the official told the newspaper. In late September 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was applying for fast-track NATO membership. According to reports citing US and European sources familiar with the matter, the US and its allies have yet to reach a consensus on how strongly they are going to commit to Ukraine's NATO membership during the summit. Earlier in June, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia would immediately cease fire and begin negotiations with Ukraine after Kiev withdraws troops from the regions incorporated into Russia in 2022 and officially abandons plans to join NATO.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240629/west-dangles-nato-membership-in-front-of-ukraine-like-carrot-before-donkey-1119182178.html

ukraine

kiev

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

ukraine in nato, will ukraine ever be in nato, what needs to happen to join nato
The pro-Palestine artwork of Dani Collette and Allora McCullough was on display in the exhibition 'Planting Seeds, Sprouting Hope,' which was removed from the nonprofit gallery Craft Alliance in St. Louis.

The duo was chosen as artists-in-residence at the gallery for 11 months from July 2023.

The exhibition opened on Sunday, June 21, and will run through Saturday, July 20. However, shortly before its debut, two pieces by Collette were removed from display, reportedly without the artists' knowledge: a glass bowl titled 'Symbol of Solidarity,' which was decorated with a keffiyeh print, and several watermelon-shaped pieces carved with the phrase "Land Back," which is a common phrase made by Indigenous decolonization movements for the return of land that settlers have taken.

Several of Collette's title cards were taken down, including those for the pieces 'Indigenous to Palestine' and 'From the River to the Sea,' the latter of which has historically been a slogan for supporters of Palestinian statehood.

Collette told St. Louis Public Radio she showed up, and her artwork and titles disappeared. She noted that he thinks it is an incredibly disrespectful and aggressive stance to take without any sort of discourse or effort at discourse.

She said that her goal was to have a discourse about the positive way in which Palestinians/Gazans are using it. She claimed that she had a firsthand account from a Palestinian who informed her that when they use it, it is a call for freedom, equality, and peace for all inhabitants' From the River to the Sea,' including Jews and Israelis.

On June 24, Craft Alliance announced on Facebook and Instagram that it had decided to remove the show due to "antisemitic slogan[s] and imagery" that called for "violence and the destruction of the Jewish state of Israel."

Speaking to St. Louis Magazine, Bryan Knicely, executive director of the Craft Alliance, said he was aware of the show's "broad themes" but not its "specifics" until 45 minutes before the opening when a Jewish volunteer described its contents as offensive.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240703/putin-holds-talks-with-pakistani-pm-sharif-on-sco-summits-sidelines-1119231619.html

Putin Holds Talks With Kazakh President Tokayev on SCO Summit's Sidelines

Putin Holds Talks With Kazakh President Tokayev on SCO Summit's Sidelines

Sputnik International

Sputnik goes live as Russian President Vladimir Putin holds talks with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

2024-07-03T10:45+0000

2024-07-03T10:45+0000

2024-07-03T15:27+0000

world

vladimir putin

shanghai cooperation organisation (sco)

astana

shehbaz sharif

yury ushakov

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/07/1118313288_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_ed334963bbb2f2c526422a64e227d2bb.jpg

Sputnik goes live as Russian President Vladimir Putin holds talks with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.The SCO summit is being held in Astana on July 3-4 under the theme "Strengthening Multilateral Dialogue - the Pursuit of Sustainable Peace and Development." The event's participants are expected to sign a package of 24 joint documents and adopt a final declaration and a statement confirming the SCO participants' commitment to the principles of good neighborliness and unity.Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Tuesday that Putin would hold a press conference following the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana.Follow Sputniks live broadcast to find out more!

astana

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

Putin Holds Bilateral Meetings on SCO Summit's Sidelines Sputnik International Putin Holds Bilateral Meetings on SCO Summit's Sidelines 2024-07-03T10:45+0000 true PT1S

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, shanghai cooperation organization, pakistani prime minister shehbaz sharif
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240703/russia-to-seek-reactions-from-intl-organizations-after-enerhodar-drone-attack-1119234992.html

Russia to Seek Reactions From Intl Organizations After Energodar Drone Attack

Russia to Seek Reactions From Intl Organizations After Energodar Drone Attack

Sputnik International

Russia will seek reactions from international organizations to Ukraines drone attack targeting Energodar, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

2024-07-03T18:46+0000

2024-07-03T18:46+0000

2024-07-04T04:37+0000

world

russia

ukraine

zaporozhye

maria zakharova

rosatom

ukrainian crisis

ukrainian drone attacks on russia

ukrainian conflict

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107889/97/1078899752_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_1d6e2729d9c57bbd698a92f2a19fe89a.jpg

Earlier in the day, the head of Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation, Alexey Likhachev, said that eight staffers employed in the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant were injured in the attack on the Raduga electrical substation in Energodar. The attack on Energodar is aimed at destabilization and "creating threats to the Zaporozhye nuclear plant's security," Zakharova added.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240703/ukrainian-drone-attack-on-energodar-disrupts-zaporozhye-nuclear-plants-facilities-1119232903.html

russia

ukraine

zaporozhye

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

ukraines drone attack targeting energodar, foreign ministry spokeswoman maria zakharova, energodar drone attack, zaporozhye nuclear power plant
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240703/sco-a-strong-voluntary-economic-forum-for-confidence-building-1119233237.html

SCO a 'Strong Voluntary Economic Forum' For Confidence-Building

SCO a 'Strong Voluntary Economic Forum' For Confidence-Building

Sputnik International

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a platform with potential to become a strong trading and economic forum, Dr Anuradha Chenoy told Sputnik.

2024-07-03T16:11+0000

2024-07-03T16:11+0000

2024-07-03T16:11+0000

analysis

shanghai cooperation organisation (sco)

russia

belarus

multipolar world

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/04/1111659492_0:68:1280:788_1920x0_80_0_0_e296f9f993e883cddd1dd1dc68793a98.jpg

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has the potential to become a strong trading and economic forum.Dr Anuradha Chenoy, retired professor of the Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, told Sputnik that was why all ten member states "have eagerly sought to be included in this organization."Belarus accession to the SCO "fortifies the undeniable Eurasian nature of the SCO," Chenoy said, adding that the organization be seen as "both regional and Eurasian since Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan straddle Eurasia, while India and China are clearly Asian. Iran is part of West Asia and shows again the contiguity of geography that ties this region naturally."The admission of Belarus to the SCO at its annual summit in Astana will boost the groupings role as a geopolitical counterweight to Western institutions led by the United States and its allies, Western media outlets acknowledged.They underscored that the 10 member platform from now on will represent more than 40% of the worlds population and roughly a quarter of the global economy.Indeed, the SCO countries can utilize the platform to connect with each other as they share many common interests and concerns of security like terrorism, cross border trafficking, migration, possibility of spillover from conflicts in the region and many other issues that can best be collectively challenged, emphasized Dr Chenoy.Weighing in on how the expansion of the SCO may affect the collective West, the retired professor noted that the idea of Eurasia and an assertion of the rights of former colonised people does not go down well with them. "That is only part of their imagination, that the rise of Eurasia or the rise of any other country threatens the West," she added. "Therefore the expansion of the SCO may be challenged by some forces in the West."Looking ahead, Dr Chenoy argued that the SCO can never be a military security organization, but "only be a forum where security issues are discussed and that focuses on peace and tranquility in the region."The SCO summit, hosted by Astana from July 3 to 4 under the slogan "Strengthening Multilateral Dialogue - the Pursuit of Sustainable Peace and Development", is expected to result in a package of 24 joint documents and adopt a final declaration.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230705/sco-sets-course-for-de-dollarization-security-and-sustainable-growth-1111678054.html

russia

belarus

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

russian president vladimir putin, bilateral meetings, shanghai cooperation organization (sco) summit, shanghai cooperation summit (sco), russia, india, china, trade in national currencies, dedollarization, nuclear non-proliferation, aukus, asia pacific region, biowarfare, chemical warfare, terrorism, belt and road initiative, sco growth, sco expansion
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240703/turkiye-reduces-wheat-imports-from-ukraine-sixfold-in-may---trade-data-1119230557.html

Turkiye Reduces Wheat Imports From Ukraine Sixfold in May - Trade Data

Turkiye Reduces Wheat Imports From Ukraine Sixfold in May - Trade Data

Sputnik International

Turkish wheat imports from Ukraine in May dropped sixfold year-on-year to 79,700 tonnes as the share of import in Turkiye's domestic consumption declined from 82% to 25%, Sputnik has calculated based on both countries' trading data.

2024-07-03T06:25+0000

2024-07-03T06:25+0000

2024-07-03T06:25+0000

world

turkiye

ukraine

european union (eu)

grain

grain exports

wheat

wheat exports

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/09/0e/1100758304_0:0:3094:1740_1920x0_80_0_0_cd66d0cb8c9a9bbe9f9aab9085d5d147.jpg

Corn topped the list of Turkish imports of Ukrainian grains, accounting for 74% and increasing ninefold year-on-year to 233,000 tonnes. Barley was the third-most imported grain, albeit accounting for just 1% and declining 22-fold to 3,800 tonnes. Turkiye's grain imports from Ukraine halved this May compared with last year, to 316,600 tonnes. Turkiye halted wheat imports from June 21 until October 15 to protect local producers from price decreases. Turkiye's wheat imports in the first quarter of 2024 amounted to 2.1 million tonnes worth $530 million. Other major sellers of wheat to Turkiye are Ukraine at 27% and Moldova at 1.6%. Bulgaria, Romania and Syria each account for about 1%.Ukraine was granted a temporary duty-free trade arrangement with the European Union in June 2022. In March 2022, the EU additionally launched green corridors to facilitate the transit of Ukrainian grain to the world market amid Russia's special military operation. However, the cheap grain from Ukraine ended up flooding EU markets instead, prompting outrage among local farmers.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240110/turkiye-remains-main-importer-of-russian-grain-wheat---russian-union-of-grain-exporters-1116090451.html

turkiye

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

turkish wheat imports, wheat imports from ukraine, domestic consumption
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240703/ukrainian-military-runs-over-own-troops-with-trucks-during-panicked-evac---prisoner-of-war-1119228755.html

Ukrainian Military Runs Over Own Troops With Trucks During Panicked Evac - Prisoner of War

Ukrainian Military Runs Over Own Troops With Trucks During Panicked Evac - Prisoner of War

Sputnik International

According to an Ukrainian Prisoner of War, soldiers were run over by a fleeing armored vehicle.

2024-07-03T01:47+0000

2024-07-03T01:47+0000

2024-07-03T05:20+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ukraine

russia

prisoners-of-war

sputnik

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/07/03/1119228598_66:0:1641:886_1920x0_80_0_0_bbbf80042d8405a4230fee42f4ebd89c.png

The Ukrainian prisoner of war said the incident occurred as Russian troops occupied the second level of a building where his unit was located, and fighters of the Kraken national battalion, who were supposed to cover his unit, withdrew from the battle. Gridnev, as the unit's commander, requested reinforcements, but Russian troops hit them on their approach with drones, and an evacuation vehicle was called in after it happened. Gridnev added that the MT-LB was radioed to have been carrying severely wounded soldiers and a lot of killed troops. He then realized that nobody was going to evacuate them, and the unit decided to surrender.The Ukrainian prisoner of war told Sputnik earlier that Kraken's fighters were deployed on the second line in Chasov Yar and fled from their positions before regular units of the Ukrainian armed forces arrived. He added that Kraken militants left their positions after Russian troops took control of a couple of buildings.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240702/ukraines-kraken-battalion-leaves-positions-in-chasov-yar-before-regular-units-arrive-1119216751.html

ukraine

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

prisoner of war interview, ukraine ran over own troops, valentin gridnev, chasov yar, chasiv yar
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240703/ukrainian-militarys-call-signs-found-in-foreign-mercenarys-notebook-1119228885.html

Ukrainian Military's Call Signs Found in Foreign Mercenary's Notebook

Ukrainian Military's Call Signs Found in Foreign Mercenary's Notebook

Sputnik International

RUBEZHNOYE, Lugansk Peoples Republic (Sputnik) - Call signs of the Ukrainian military used for radio communications have been found in a notebook of a... 03.07.2024, Sputnik International

2024-07-03T01:59+0000

2024-07-03T01:59+0000

2024-07-03T05:20+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ukraine

lugansk peoples republic

russia

sputnik

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/106121/64/1061216407_0:137:4000:2387_1920x0_80_0_0_50981e25695529dd626ba394430aa324.jpg

The Russian military has found the notebook after an assault on a Ukrainian stronghold in the Krasny Liman direction. Call signs of various branches of the military and combat units, some in Spanish and some in English, have been written on one of the pages of the notebook. In particular, the notebook records have the following call signs: Infanteria (infantry) - Vodka, Aviacion (aviation) - Soda, Artilleria (artillery) - Fanta, Dron (drone) - Pizza, Sniper - Juice, Machine gun - Coffee, AGS (AGL, an automatic grenade launcher) - Pasta, Artilleria pesada (heavy artillery) - Cola. A Russian soldier told the correspondent earlier that the notebook belonged to a Spanish-speaking mercenary, in which he wrote down basic words to communicate with the Ukrainian personnel. He added that foreign mercenaries have difficulty communicating with Ukrainian military personnel, and "there can be no talk of any coordinated actions."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240702/russian-troops-discover-notebook-of-spanish-speaking-mercenary-at-ukrainian-positions-1119213220.html

ukraine

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

ukraine, lugansk peoples republic, russia, sputnik
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240703/us-dissatisfied-with-ukraines-mobilization-rate---former-ukrainian-prime-minister-1119231959.html

US Dissatisfied With Ukraine's Mobilization Rate - Former Ukrainian Prime Minister

US Dissatisfied With Ukraine's Mobilization Rate - Former Ukrainian Prime Minister

Sputnik International

The United States expresses its dissatisfaction with the insufficient mobilization rate in Ukraine, causing trouble in Washington-Kiev relations, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said on Wednesday.

2024-07-03T10:52+0000

2024-07-03T10:52+0000

2024-07-03T10:52+0000

world

volodymyr zelensky

ukraine

us

mobilization

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/04/0b/1117864695_0:182:2995:1866_1920x0_80_0_0_1134c1eacbedcf79f7f7b49b38aeb5ac.jpg

"After the adoption of the bill facilitating mobilization, the number of mobilized people increased, but the Kiev regime failed to achieve the numbers set by the Americans, failed by far. That is why they are having problems with their US masters who are openly saying: 'You planned to mobilize this number of people, but mobilized that. We have provided you with funds for weapons and that number of troops, and you fail to hold your end of the bargain,'" Azarov said on Telegram. There is active agitation in Ukraine in favor of signing of the temporary ceasefire agreement, he added. Martial law was introduced in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The next day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on general mobilization. The martial law and mobilization have been continuously extended since then. On May 9, the Ukrainian president signed bills to extend mobilization and martial law in the country for another 90 days. Under martial law, Ukrainian citizens aged from 18 to 60 are prohibited from leaving the country. Western countries have been providing massive military and financial aid to Kiev since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev, saying it would lead to further escalation of the conflict.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240516/ukrainians-mobilized-in-kherson-kept-in-big-cage-unable-to-contact-families---source-1118467992.html

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

united states, ukrainian prime minister mykola azarov, insufficient mobilization rate in ukraine
The Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey (SBOANJ) announced on Tuesday, July 2 that New Jerseys horse racing industry will receive a $20 million USD appropriation for purses as part of the states fiscal year 2025 budget signed recently by Gov. Phil Murphy. The appropriation will be divided equally between Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds.



Funds allocated for Standardbred racing include money for overnight purses at Meadowlands Racetrack and Freehold Raceway, as well as for the New Jersey Sire Stakes and breeder awards.



The state first introduced the purse appropriations in 2019. The initial legislation covered a five-year period, totalling $100 million USD, through 2023. The state renewed the funding for 2024.



Last week, the state Senate and Assembly both approved legislation that would extend the appropriation annually through fiscal year 2029. That bill, which passed 76-0 in the Assembly and 40-0 in the Senate, has been sent to the governor for his signature.



We are extremely grateful to the Legislature and Gov. Murphy for their continued support, said Mark Ford, President of the SBOANJ. There is no doubt the previous appropriations strengthened our industry and fostered growth, whether it be in breeding or racing.



Thank you to everyone who supported our efforts and helped deliver our message to the legislators and governor. The SBOANJ board, TrotPAC and our policy partner AMG will continue to work with the Legislature to ensure that our industrys future remains bright.

(With files from SBOANJ)
Atlee Bender and Erv Miller trainee Sparks Fly persisted through a first-over push to clinch a tight win in the $54,795 Open Trot at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on Tuesday afternoon (July 2).

Leaving from post one, Bender found himself in third with Sparks Fly as Pioneer As (driven by Marvin Luna) ventured forward to grab the lead from Oh Look Magic (Devon Tharps) after a :27 first quarter. Pioneer As then coasted to a :56.3 half and raced unchallenged on the lead until Bender slyly angled Sparks Fly first up in the backstretch. Sparks Fly then cruised towards Pioneer As to three-quarters in 1:25.3 and muscled to a narrow lead turning for home. Pioneer As kept digging at the inside and Amigo Volo (Joey Putnam) steamrolled off cover and came lunging late. Sparks Fly reached the beam in time to wade the last charge from Amigo Volo by a nose in a 1:54 mile while Pioneer As settled for third and Oh Look Magic raced locked in fourth.

A four-year-old gelding by Bar Hopping, Sparks Fly has now won nine races from 25 starts and earned $193,567 for owners Ervin Miller Stable Inc. and Douglas Overhiser. He paid $16.06 to win.

The finale at Oak Grove was declared a no contest due to an accident occurring just after the three-quarter pole. All horses involved in the spill got up following the accident. Several drivers -- Devon Tharps, Stephen White, Marvin Luna, Cordarius Stewart and Atlee Bender -- were loaded into ambulances. Zyler Maxwell, Joey Putnam and Pat Curtin all got up and were walking following the accident. Oak Grove will provide any necessary updates on the accident as information becomes available.

Live racing resumes at Oak Grove on Sunday (July 7) with a 15-race card of Kentucky Sire Stakes starting at 3 p.m. (CDT). Oak Grove will also shift to a three-day racing schedule of Sunday through Tuesday starting on July 7 and lasting through the end of the meet. Free program pages for every race day, courtesy of TrackMaster, are available on the Oak Grove Racing website.

(Oak Grove Racing Publicity)
Don Hoover, Director of Live Racing at Batavia Downs, has announced that Tom Agosti has been named as the new race secretary for Batavia Downs starting with the 2024 summer/fall live meet.

Since coming to Batavia, I have been serving double-duty as both director of live racing and race secretary and in order to have both positions be better managed, I have decided to hire Tom to handle the daily draws so I can concentrate more on running the business, said Hoover. With Toms knowledge of the local horse colony and their connections needs for proper classification, having him write the condition sheet here to be reflective of the meet they are coming from will be advantageous to all racing participants.

Agosti has been a fixture on the western New York harness racing circuit since 1977 when he launched a 31-year driving career that ended in 2011 due to back issues. During that time, Agosti won 1,435 races, $4.4 million in purses and multiple driving titles.

Shortly after parking his race bike for the final time, Agosti was hired as the assistant race secretary at Buffalo Raceway in 2011, moved to the top spot there in 2014 and has held that position ever since.

Agosti has also served as the race secretary at The Red Mile early meet since 2016 along with his duties as charter and program director. He has given up his positions there to transition to the Batavia job.

Although Agosti loved being in Kentucky, he said the opportunity to take the Batavia position was something he could not pass up.

"Working at the Red Mile was great. I loved the people down there and it was just an overall great environment to be in," said Agosti. "But it was only three months out of the year. The position at Batavia amounts to seven months overall, including the winter meet, and the best thing is I get to go home every night.

"Like Don, I also feel having a uniform condition sheet bridging the two meets will be beneficial for all the local horsemen and will also help the smaller stables be more successful year round. Our main objective here is to have the racing be fair and equitable for everyone involved."

Live harness racing kicks off at Batavia Downs on Saturday, July 27 at 6 p.m.

(Batavia Downs)
China-Kazakhstan relations at a glance

Chinadaily.com.cn) 10:18, July 03, 2024

China and Kazakhstan had fruitful cooperation in various areas over the past years, with the Belt and Road Initiative as the main focus, bringing benefit to the two peoples.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Liam Keppler, Jaiden Gingras and Ryley Fusco are the 2024 Standardbred Owners Association of New York / Yonkers Raceway John R. Brennan Scholarship Award winners.

Sandra Kaufman, Chairman of the Standardbred Owners Association of New York (SOANY) Scholarship Committee, announced on Wednesday, July 3 that Liam Keppler is the first-place winner for the amount of $10,000 USD, Jaiden Gingras is the second-place winner four the amount of $5,000 USD and Ryley Fusco is the third-place winner for the amount of $3,000 USD.

Keppler is attending Pennsylvania State University pursuing a degree in Biology and a Minor in Psychology. His father, Scott, has been an amateur driver since 1983 with 31 wins and has owned racehorses since 1985.

Gingras will be attending Rider University in New Jersey pursuing a degree in Finance. His father, Yannick, has been a driver since 1998 and has 8,964 wins with career earnings of $242 million.

Fusco is attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte pursuing a degree in Biology. Her father, Paul, has been a driver and trainer since 1991 and has 330 driving wins and 891 training wins.

Joseph Faraldo, President of the SOANY, stated that the winners are the recipients of a scholarship award named after a longtime good friend, horse trainer and SOANY field representative, John R. Brennan.

The annual Brennan scholarships are awarded to SOANY members in good standing, members of their immediate families and immediate family members of a backstretch employee (caretaker) for studies beyond the high school level. The recipient is chosen based on merit and financial need. The applicants were judged first by an independent third party, who selected the top five candidates. Then the Scholarship Committee selected the top three winners from the five finalists. Personal information from all the candidates is redacted when presented to the independent party and the Scholarship Committee to assure a blind judging process.

(With files from SOANY)
As with many valuable things, freedom is an intangible entity that is most appreciated in its absence. My wife and I often travel abroad. Unfortunately, one has to be careful in a number of places about what one says or does. Many Americans assume that the rights enshrined in our Constitution are universally recognized.

They often find out quickly (and often the hard way) that speaking ones mind outside our borders can land one in jail; that one can end up being arrested, interrogated, denied bail, denied the ability to confront witnesses at trial, denied legal counsel, and even be compelled to testify against oneself.

Likewise, it is little known that many countries oppress and even incarcerate individuals for practicing their religion, a fact to which the Muslim Uyghurs in China and thousands of Christians in Algeria, Egypt, and Sudan can attest. Freedom when you are abroad, then, is one thing you usually dont appreciate until you realize its gone.

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus proclaimed that the people must fight for the law just as for their city wall. Our Constitution is that law for which judges, lawyers, and all people in our country must fight. Like a city wall, it protects us from an outside world that is often hostile to our ways, customs, and hard fought liberties. As a judge, I took an oath to defend our Constitution and every day it is my responsibility to make sure that those precious rights, those intangible things which are so often taken for granted, are thoroughly protected in the courtrooms in which I preside. I take this oath very seriously, but daily I see efforts by others in our society to subvert the Constitution and all it stands for.

These individuals seek to undermine the principles of our First Charter and replace them with the faddish sentiment of the day. Currently, speech codes, antisemitism on state funded college campuses, and a number of discriminatory practices all erode the wall that keeps us safe, affecting not just a few but rather all who are protected behind it.

It is my wish that on July 4, the celebration of our nations declared liberation from imperial tyranny, that we think about not just what it means to be free, but more importantly, what it means not to be free. I would urge one and all to remember those who have given their lives, their property, and their liberty for the sake of preserving the freedom we all enjoy. Most importantly, it is my hope that every day, every person, from the school janitor to the president of the United States, would fight for their Constitution like the protecting wall that it is, the last line of defense against tyranny, oppression, and servitude and a life less worthy of a country as great as the United States.
Kathryn Dunns time at Bland County Extension has come to a conclusion as she bid farewell to 38 years of service this week.

I hope it has made me a better person, said Dunn, administrative and fiscal assistant, of what her work has done for her. Helping 4-Hers, farmers, or total strangers has been enjoyable and rewarding.

I will miss the people that I work with the most. Elizabeth Johnson and I have worked together for 20 some years. People even say we sound alike on the phone. Hunter Romano (agriculture and natural resources and 4-H) has only been working at the Bland Extension Office for a few years, but I have known him all his life. These two are just like family. I also have present and retired co-workers in other counties that are very special to me. Two of them are referred to as Debbie 1 and Debby 2.

Johnson, Extension Agent and Unit Coordinator, said she will greatly miss her friend and colleague.

I have worked and ate lunch with Kathryn for twenty-five years. We have laughed, cried, and celebrated life through our friendship, Johnson said. We can be in a room and know what we are thinking without saying a word. I could share so many stories, but they are better kept as secret.

Now, we do have our moments of disagreement during the Bland Fair and Festival of Leaves. We laugh about it because we know its because we are exhausted. She has helped so many 4-H youth and farmers through her dedication to Bland County Extension. She has made my journey with 4-H a great experience and I will miss her greatly. Thank goodness she lives within two minutes of the office!

We refer to our relationship as the sister by another mother, while Kathryn has two other sisters, Joyce and Donna.

Dunn said she wasnt specifically inspired by anyone to join the Extension Service, but it has been a job choice that I have never regretted. I dont know that I can personally take credit for any particular project or event sponsored by the Extension Office; it is always a joint effort.

Of her best memories, Dunn recalls a special trip to spectacular destinations. I have to say chaperoning a group of 4-H Interstate Members to Hawaii and the Grand Canyon would be at the top of the list of memorable moments.

As for changes in the Extension Service over the years, Dunn said, Without a doubt technology has definitely changed since I first started in 1986. I had a typewriter on my desk, if that tells you anything. I quickly made the change to a computer.

Dunn was honored with a proclamation in recognition and appreciation by the Bland County Board of Supervisors at their May meeting. It reads in part:

to acknowledge and recognize Kathryn Dunn for her exemplary service and devotion to the citizens of Bland County and has since 1986 served faithfully and effectively as the Virginia Cooperative Extension, Bland County Administrative and Fiscal Assistant, performing with efficiency and steadfastness

Dunn has been a volunteer leader for the 4-H Cloverbuds for four years. She has assisted with fundraising during the county fair and Festival of Leaves, making soup and apple butter. She won the award for VCE-Southwest District Outstanding Administrative Assistant in 1988 and 1998. She was tapped into Virginia 4-H All Stars in 2007 and named Bland County Citizen of the Year in 2015.

On advice to her successor, Dunn said, There will be challenging days and fundraising events that are exhausting, but the job is very rewarding. State employee benefits and retirement is pretty good too!

For retirement, Dunn said, I have no big plans, just spend more time with family and friends. Maybe a vacation every once in a while.

Kathryn and her husband Jeff have been married for almost 41 years. They have a son, Justin, and daughter and son-in-law, Kristin and Eddie Hickerson, who live in Bland. My granddaughter, Miss Kenzie, she said, rules the roost and most everything revolves around her. Most important role I have is Nana. I enjoy canning and a good craft every now and then. I attend and am involved with Central Church. I plan to volunteer with 4-H events, Bland Ministry Center and Bland Volunteer Fire Department.

Dunn has served as treasurer for the Bland County Fire Department and Mechanicsburg Methodist Church Charge, and currently serves as treasurer for Central Church.
Writesonic announced a collaboration with Microsoft to advance AI-driven business solutions. Writesonic will integrate Microsoft Azure robust cloud infrastructure to deepen its presence in mid-market and enterprise sectors, promising security and innovation in Generative AI solutions.

With a user base exceeding 10 million and over 30,000 paying customers, including some of the Big 4 Consulting companies and major players like UN Women, Vodafone, and Next UK amongst others; Writesonics integration with Microsoft Azure offers businesses access to Writesonics AI-powered solutions with global scalability, advanced security, and regulatory compliance, empowering enterprises to maximize Generative AIs potential while ensuring data privacy and reliability.

Writesonics offerings will be available through the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, providing businesses seamless access to AI-driven solutions. Integration with Microsoft products such as Microsoft 365 will also enable businesses to seamlessly incorporate Writesonics AI content marketing and SEO capabilities into their workflows, boosting productivity and operational efficiency.

Utilizing Azure AI, including and Azure OpenAI Service, Writesonic aims to deliver cutting-edge AI models while continuously enhancing the accuracy and relevance of its solutions. For instance, Writesonics AI Article Writer platform generates SEO-optimized articles within minutes, enriched with real-time data and competitor analysis, facilitating higher rankings on Google search results.

Botsonic, Writesonics AI agent platform, improves business operations by transforming data into self-guided AI Agents.

Samanyou Garg, Founder and CEO of Writesonic, said, This collaboration represents a significant milestone for Writesonic. By integrating our AI-powered solutions with Microsoft Azure, we aim to help enterprises harness Generative AI for real-world use cases like marketing, customer support, employee experience, and conversational commerce. Our goal is to help businesses increase their productivity in these areas by up to 70%. Together, we will drive innovation in AI-driven business solutions, enabling organizations to unlock new levels of efficiency and engagement. We project a 50% increase in our enterprise customer base within the next 12 months as we help businesses worldwide leverage the power of AI to stay ahead in the digital era.

Sangeeta Bavi, Executive Director, Digital Natives, Microsoft India, said, Our AI tool chain, anchored by Azure OpenAI Service, offers a secure and scalable platform that enables AI-native startups to move quickly and innovate boldly. Writesonics triumphant journey is an example of how responsible AI can unlock opportunities in content creation and customer service.

Writesonics integration with Microsoft Azure positions it as a leader in innovating AI applications, reshaping business landscapes. This collaboration underscores Writesonics dedication to delivering innovative, customer-centric solutions and setting new benchmarks in the industry.
Cesar Adrian Gonzalez Lopez in Monahans on June 26. Truckers in the Permian Basin are protesting against unpaid hours behind the wheel and a lack of access to bathrooms at drilling sites. Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune

MONAHANS  Low wages and working conditions that truck drivers describe as degrading have sparked an organized labor movement in the Permian Basin, a historic first for the nations busiest oil field.

About a dozen truckers and local environmental activists descended Monday on three West Texas cities  Kermit, Mohanans and Odessa  and blocked entrances to sand mines with a row of cars to hand out fliers listing their demands to other truckers.

Workers said the one-day demonstration, which slowed production in the nations largest oil supplier, was a sequel to a similar protest last year that was largely ignored and a warning of the steps theyll take to be heard.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The truckers are demanding to be paid for the long hours they spend waiting to load and unload frac sand  or sand used during fracking to separate the rock, prop it open and prevent it from closing  more restroom facilities near loading areas and the ability to negotiate pay rates based on driving times and cargo weight, said Billy Randel, a lifelong trucker and organizer with the Truckers Movement for Justice.

There are no bathrooms for the men and women to keep this economy running out here to use while sitting from two to four to 12 to 36 hours at the wellheads, Randel said. Theres no facility to go to the bathroom. You know how dehumanizing that is for either a man or a woman to have to use a bucket? This is insanity.

Federal law mandates that drivers take a 10-hour break before beginning their shifts and may not drive for more than 14 hours straight afterward. After driving for eight uninterrupted hours, they must take a 30-minute break. And truckers may only drive for 70 hours within eight consecutive workdays, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The law says nothing about access to amenities such as restrooms.

Members of the Truckers Movement for Justice flag down semi-truck drivers to share educational and promotional material as they protest outside of the Capital Sand mine on July 1 in Monahans. The group, led by Billy Randel, protested across the Permian Basin Monday, calling for better wages and working conditions within the trucking industry. Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune

Oscar Lobos flags down a trucker as he hands out informational pamphlets during a protest outside of the Alpine Silica sand mine on July 1 in Monahans. Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune

Leticia Salas, a driver, holds a protest sign outside Halliburtons regional office on July 1 in Odessa. Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune

Randel said there are loopholes in the law that can significantly prolong a drivers shift. Truckers have to wait in hours-long lines at drilling sites to collect frac sand, for example, and the time they spend waiting does not count toward their pay.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Drivers deal with similar wait times when delivering their cargo. Drivers cant abandon their place in line, no matter how long the wait is  if they do, they could be fined, suspended or fired.

Many truckers also foot repair costs when their contracts do not include insurance.

I couldnt afford tires or oil changes, said Luis Ramirez, one of the protesters Monday. My familys suffering because of this. The moneys not enough.

Drivers expressed similar grievances last year in August. Roughly 20 truckers held signs outside sand mines in Kermit and refused to fulfill their deliveries for one day to pressure their employers into improving the terms of their contracts. They wanted pay for every hour they spent on the truck and demanded restroom facilities at every well site requiring sand deliveries.

Two days later, about 30 truckers were fired from their jobs, workers told the Texas Tribune. One of them was Cesar Lopez, a 27-year-old truck driver from El Paso.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

In 2022, Lopez saved up $3,500 while working as a forklift operator to obtain a commercial drivers license, which is required for anyone who wants to sit behind the wheel of a truck. Through social media, he came across a sand-hauling job paying handsome wages and was hired for it. He called it a stroke of luck for someone with his experience.

The long wait times in and out of the oil fields eventually dampened his enthusiasm. One shift lasted 18 hours, just waiting to unload sand, Lopez said. He and other truckers use buckets or the open fields as restrooms when there are no facilities.

Most contracts only pay for the delivery, meaning truckers arent paid for the time they spend driving and waiting in lines. The company paid Lopez $120 for that delivery, he said.

Lopez participated in last years protest and lost his job two days later. Lopez said the company told him at the time he was fired because business was slow, but he believes it was related to his participation in the protest.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Lopez eventually found a new job. Nowadays, he calls his belly dump truck home. Parked in a gas station in Pecos near the site of a road construction project, he sleeps in a twin-sized bed squished in the space behind the two front seats of his truck.

He and 18 other truckers who were fired last year filed federal complaints to the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that investigates labor practices. In the complaints, drivers allege that several companies retaliated against them for protesting, including 5F-Superhighway Platform, a digital application that matches truckers to third-party carriers, and transportation firms LoHi Logistics, Boomerang Delivery Services Inc., Cegre Trucking, CSM Navarros, J.C. Logistics, Maessa Transportation, Mister M&K Trucking LLC, Petrus and Amus, RBB Transportation and V&F Logistics.

The board has assigned an investigator to interview the workers and companies. If the board finds wrongful labor practices, the complaints will be heard in court.

A representative for 5F declined to comment.

Brandon Horton, a driver for Allied Eagle Transports, monitors the transfer of a load of salt water, a byproduct of fracking, to a saltwater disposal site on June 25 south of Midland. Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune

Semi-trucks park in a Loves truck stop on June 27 in Odessa. Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune

Trucker Marlon Lawe smokes a cigar at the end of his shift at a Pilot truck stop on June 26 in Monahans. Lawe feels working in the Permian Basin has been getting tougher as of late. Youre just not making enough right now  to survive, he said. Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune

The relationship between truckers and the energy industry is largely indirect. Oil and gas companies dont generally contract drivers. Rather, they rely on providers or third-party carriers to hire drivers, establish work schedules and set pay. One provider can contract hundreds, if not thousands, of truckers.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Currently, the number of licensed truckers isnt enough to fill vacant jobs across the country, a trend truckers said is a consequence of the low wages and working conditions.

Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, told Congress in 2023 that the trucking industry faces an alarming driver shortage. The number of qualified drivers needed nationwide reached 78,000 last year, a record high. He said that number is likely to double by 2031.

In Texas, trucking accounts for 800,000 jobs, according to the American Transportation Research Institute. One in every 14 jobs in Texas is a trucking position. By the end of the decade, the state will need 160,000 more drivers, said John Esparza, president of the Texas Trucking Association.

We are losing a generation of drivers, and we arent replacing them with a generation of potential drivers that is large enough in Texas or in the United States, Esparza said.

Multiple reasons contribute to the shortage. He said lawmakers have failed to create incentives to attract new drivers. Other factors include underrepresentation of women and lifestyle preferences that preclude many jobseekers from considering long-haul trucking, he said.
Adobe announced the appointment of Keith Eadie as General Manager, Asia Pacific (APAC). In this role, Eadie will lead Adobes business across the region, reporting to Stephen Frieder, Chief Revenue Officer, Adobe Enterprise.

Keith Eadie is a transformational business leader with a track record of driving success across teams and value to our customers. Under Keiths leadership, Im excited to see the APAC region continue to build on its strong growth trajectory, said Frieder.

Eadie joined Adobe almost seven years ago through the acquisition of TubeMogul, where he was Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer. At Adobe, Eadie has led several divisions, including Adobe Advertising, Adobe Analytics and Adobe Sign. In 2022, he moved to Singapore to lead International Product Marketing for Adobes Digital Experience business. Most recently, he led Digital Experience Strategy and GTM for APAC and Japan. His expertise combines product and marketing innovation, with strong business acumen and a passion for bringing people together to drive growth.

As the digital economy continues to expand, and in the era of generative AI, business leaders across APAC are looking to deliver next-generation experiences for their customers. Im excited for the opportunity to lead an exceptional team and to work with our customers and partners to empower them to drive experience-led growth, said Eadie.
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 EU has approved Lufthansa's proposed stake in ITA Airways after the airline and the Italian government offered remedies.

The EU on Wednesday announced its conditional approval for German airline Lufthansa's proposed stake in ITA Airways, a deal that Italy called a "big European success".

Lufthansa, one of Europe's largest carriers, last year agreed to pay 325 million euros ($350 million) for a 41 percent stake in ITA, with the Italian finance ministry also contributing 250 million euros as part of the capital increase.

The German airline's presence in Italy will be bolstered by the deal and said it would give more options for travel to Africa, South America and the Middle East.

But it has faced a turbulent process to get regulators' approval after the European Commission opened an in-depth probe in January, fearing it could hurt competition.

The commission, the EU's antitrust regulator, has now given the green light after Lufthansa and the Italian government offered a package of commitments to assuage those fears.

"Despite the comprehensive and far-reaching concessions, the investment in ITA Airways strengthens the Lufthansa Group's position in global competition," Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said in a statement.

"This positive conclusion is truly a success," Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti told a press conference in Rome.

"It has been a complicated, troubled, difficult path, but... it is a big Italian success, it is a big German success, it is a big European success," Giorgetti said.

But European consumers group BEUC raised concerns over the limited information about commitments offered by the players involved.

"The current lack of clarity leads us to fear that consumers could pay the price for this merger in terms of higher fares, less choice of routes and degraded services," said Agustin Reyna, chief at BEUC, which represents consumers in 31 countries.

Concessions for rivals

The deal provided Lufthansa various options to increase its stake in ITA Airwaysthe successor to state-owned Alitaliaor acquire it outright at a later date.

The offered remedies that helped seal the deal include making it possible for one or two rival airlines to launch non-stop flights between Rome and Milan and central Europe, the commission said.

"These commitments fully address the competition concerns identified by the commission," it said. "The decision is conditional upon full compliance with the commitments."

Take-off and landing slots at Milan's Linate airport will also be transferred to competing airlines for short-haul routes.

Other commitments to fulfil include entering into agreements with rivals "to improve their competitiveness on the long-haul routes of concern", between Italy and the United States and Canada.

This could include slot swaps at airports or interlining agreements, which means airlines coordinate with each other on certain aspects of travel, such as ticketing.

"This will lead to increased frequencies of nonstop flights and/or improved connections for one-stop flights on each of the routes," the commission said.

'Lack of clarity'

ITA Airways was created from the ashes of Alitalia, which was placed under public administration in 2017.

Alitalia had accumulated losses of 11.4 billion euros between 2000 and 2020. It was eventually shut down in October 2021 before a rebirth as ITA.

The EU wanted to make sure the Lufthansa deal did not lead to higher prices for consumers.

Brussels had been concerned that on a number of short-haul routes between Italy and central Europe as well as long-haul routes between the United States and Canada there would be limited competition, leading to a reduction in quality for passengers.

"At a time when consumers are facing increasingly higher prices for air travel, it is very important to preserve competition in the sector," said the EU's competition chief, Margrethe Vestager.

The remedies would ensure "a sufficient level of competitive pressure remains on all relevant routes", she added.

 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:

Image of the large-sized NTS, jointly developed by the KIMM and Meta2People, being demonstrated (transparent). Credit: Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM)

A super-sized Nano Transparent Screen (NTS) has been developed and commercialized for the first time in the world. This innovative screen can adjust its transparency according to the environment and can be produced at a low cost, paving the way for the widespread adoption of large transparent screens, which until now have been prohibitively expensive.

The newly developed screen is expected to find applications across various products, such as transparent displays in department stores and supermarkets, smart windows for buildings, and versatile transparent displays suitable for both indoor and outdoor promotional uses.

The research team led by Principal Researcher Jun-Ho Jeong of the Nano-lithography and Manufacturing Research Center of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), an institute under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Science and ICT, and Meta2People has succeeded in the commercialization of a 100-inch large-sized NTS whose transparency can be freely adjusted depending on the information provided by the surrounding lighting and images.

The NTS was installed in the outdoor space of the "Youth Mall" located in Chungju in June, and will be disclosed at the International Nano Technology Exhibition, also known as "Nano Korea 2024," which is the country's largest nano technology convention scheduled to be held from July 3, 2024 (Wednesday) to July 5, 2024 (Friday) at KINTEX in Ilsan.

The NTS developed by the KIMM is composed of a film as thin as a human hair, made by evenly dispersing titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles, with a diameter of 100 nanometers, inside the film. When light is emitted from the beam projector to the NTS, a very wide and clear image, at a viewing angle of 170 degrees, can be viewed together with the scenery beyond the transparent screen. Therefore, the video on the screen is visible to the viewers from every angle.

Principal Researcher Jun-Ho Jeong of the KIMM is giving an explanation on the NTS. Credit: Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM)

Moreover, the NTS developed by the KIMM's research team can be overlapped with a Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) film. When the brightness of the ambient light requires adjustment or when detailed images need to be projected, the transparency of the PDLC film can be lowered to produce clearer images.

The price of a conventional 100-inch transparent Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) screen is over KRW 100 million, which is too expensive for general consumers to afford, while transparent Light-Emitting Diode (LED) has not been widely used due to its low resolution.

NTSs can be mass-produced through a roll-to-roll process, they can be supplied to the market at around 10 percent of the price of transparent OLED screens. These screens are also capable of producing clear images without loss of resolution by using the highest resolution beam projector.

Additionally, the characteristics of NTSs related to light rarely change in high and low temperature environments, making it possible to manufacture 100-inch or larger transparent screens in the form of light-weighted and flexible films. Moreover, as NTSs are not affected by adverse weather conditions such as extreme cold or heat waves, these screens are suitable for indoor as well as outdoor installation.

Image of the large-sized NTS, jointly developed by the KIMM and Meta2People, being demonstrated (semitransparent). Credit: Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM)

Principal Researcher Jeong of the KIMM commented, "The technology for manufacturing NTSs is a cutting-edge, innovative technology created through the combination of nanomaterials and nanomanufacturing technology with existing IT technologies.

"Going forward, we will focus on research and development to continuously improve the quality of NTSs and lead the popularization of transparent screens."

President Seog-Hyeon Ryu of the KIMM remarked, "This research is substantially meaningful in that the KIMM has successfully commercialized its technology jointly with a research institute spin-off company established through the KIMM's investment of its original patented technology.

"We will continue to devote ourselves to the development of technologies that can contribute to the development of national strategic technologies and also to the revitalization of local economies."
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 sign for Microsoft offices is seen, May 6, 2021, in New York. Microsoft Corp. has agreed to pay $14.4 million to settle allegations that the global software giant retaliated and discriminated against employees who took protected leave, including parental and disability, the California Civil Rights Department announced Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File

Microsoft Corp. has agreed to pay $14.4 million to settle allegations that the global software giant retaliated and discriminated against employees who took protected leave, including parental and disability, the California Civil Rights Department announced Wednesday.

The proposed settlement stems from a multi-year investigation by the California agency and the consent decree is subject to approval in state court in Santa Clara County, where the Redmond, Washington-based company has an office.

The state agency, which launched its investigation in 2020, alleged that employees who took leave from work due to pregnancy or disability, or to bond with a new baby or care for a sick family member, received lower bonuses and unfavorable performance reviews.

Those factors, in turn, harmed employee eligibility for merit pay increases and promotions and the practice disproportionately impacted women and people with disabilities, the department said.

In a statement, civil rights department director Kevin Kish applauded the company "for coming to the table and agreeing to make the changes necessary to protect workers in California."

Microsoft responded in a statement that the agency's allegations are inaccurate, but it "will continue to listen, learn, and support our employees."

As part of the proposed settlement, Microsoft will take steps to prevent future discrimination, including updated manager training. An outside consultant will monitor and report on the company's compliance.

Most of the settlement money$14.2 millionwill go toward harmed workers. Covered employees worked at Microsoft from May 13, 2017, to a yet-to-be-determined date of court approval for the settlement, and who took at least one leave protected under state or federal law.

Each eligible employee will receive a base payment of $1,500 with more available based on factors such as salary and length of employment.

Microsoft has about 221,000 employees worldwide, including nearly 7,000 in California, according to the state civil rights agency. The agency did not have an estimate for how many workers could receive payment.

 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 instrument imaging team, from left: Philadelphia Orchestra bassist Duane Rosengard; Peter Noel, PhD, director of CT Research at the Perelman School of Medicine; luthier Zachary S. Martin; Leening Liu, a PhD student in Noels Laboratory of Advanced Computed Tomography Imaging; and Mark Kindig. Credit: University of Pennsylvania

When you're an expert in medical CT imaging, two things are bound to happen, says Peter Noel, Ph.D., associate professor of Radiology and director of CT Research at the Perelman School of Medicine. One: You develop an insatiable curiosity about the inner workings of all kinds of objects, including those unrelated to your research. And two: Both colleagues and complete strangers will ask for your help in imaging a wide variety of unexpected items.

Over the course of his career, in between managing his own research projects, Noel has imaged diverse objects ranging from animal skulls to tree samples from a German forest, all in the name of furthering scientific knowledge. But none has intrigued him as much as his current extracurricular project: the first known attempt to perform CT imaging of some of the world's finest string basses.

The goal is to crack the code on what makes a world-class instrument. This knowledge could both increase the ability to better care for masterworks built between the 17th and 19th centuries, as well as providing insights into refining the building of new ones, including possibly shifting from older, scarcer European wood to the use of sustainably harvested U.S. wood.

That's why Noel and Leening Liu, a Ph.D. student in Noel's Laboratory of Advanced Computed Tomography Imaging, have found themselves volunteering to run the basses through a Penn CT scanner occasionally, when they're not developing next-generation CT technology.

"We always learn something out of projects like this  the more appealing part is that medical research can also be applied to non-medical things," Noel said. "We have the opportunity to take what we learn in medicine and use it for something elsein this case, moving the arts forward."

All about that bass

The project was born out of a partnership among Philadelphia bassist and independent scholar Duane Rosengard, a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 1986, who has authored several books on stringed instruments from the 16th century to the present; along with his childhood friend and amateur bassist Mark Kindig of Maryland; and long-time collaborator and award-winning luthier Zachary S. Martin of Rhode Island.

To grasp the project's potential scholarly and artistic importance, it helps to understand a bit about the bass itself. Taller and wider than most people, the bass's sonorous tones create an aural anchor whenever and wherever it's played, ranging from classical to jazz, rockabilly, bluegrass, and beyond.

"The double bass is the only stringed instrument that's used in virtually all genres of music around the world," Rosengard said. "With the bass, we often use descriptor words like organ-like, chocolatey, or velvety to describe the sound. We'd like to understand more of the 'why' of that."

Developed in the late 16th century, the bass exists today as a delightfully nonconformist instrument of which none of the dimensionsor even its basic shapeare fully standardized. This is in marked contrast with the violin, whose size, shape, and other specs have been established since about 1560, said Martin, who drives down from his workshop to prepare each bass for scanning. As a luthier, the term for craftspeople who build and restore stringed instruments, Martin has restored many fine old basses, some as old as 400 years.

Not only do violins share consistent dimensions, but also more is known about their internal characteristics. Their small sizewith a body length of just 14 incheshas lent itself to scientific exploration via X-ray and CT scanning for the past generation. With a violin, anyone in any imaging department can scan it easily, Noel said.

"Medical CT scanners are designed for human bodies, typically ranging from 40 to 50 cm in diameter," he said. "However, unlike the human body, basses are filled with air and often exceed 70 cm in diameter, presenting significant technical challenges that need to be worked out."

The connection with Penn came about through Siemens Healthineers, a leading manufacturer of CT machines and other medical equipment. After several requests at institutions throughout the country, Kindig and Rosengard finally connected with Noel, a music lover and Philadelphia Orchestra patron.

"It's quite extraordinary that after all of our searching throughout the country to find a big enough scanner, we connected with Penn Medicine, less than a mile from the orchestra's home at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts," Rosengard said.

Rosengard, Kindig, and Martin have assembled a wish list of some 20 of the world's finest old basses to examine with their Penn partners.

A complicated process

When a patientor objectundergoes a CT scan, they lie on a bed that slowly moves through a gantry while an X-ray tube rotates around them, aiming X-rays through the body. CT scanners use special digital X-ray detectors. As the X-rays leave the patient, they are picked up by the detectors and transmitted to a computer.

Preparing a bass for a scan poses more challenges than the average patient. First, the bass requires a special bass holder, which Martin designed and made to cradle the instrument securely on the scanner. Then, because any metal on the bass would severely distort the CT images, Martin and Rosengard, working in a backstage room at the Kimmel Center, remove all metal items including strings and tuning machines.

The most nerve-wracking part is taking off the strings; the sound post, a crucial cylinder of wood wedged between the instrument's front and back at the bridge, can collapse without pressure from the strings.

Ever-meticulous, Martin photographs and numbers each screw that comes out of an instrument's tuning machines. They're stored in the locked room while the bass is at Penn. Once the scan is complete, Martin and Rosengard return to the Kimmel Center and reverse the process, Martin making any minute adjustments needed to ensure the bass is exactly as it was before the scan.

The team has set its focus on exploring two data points for each bass: internal air volume and the density of its wood. "We believe the air volume has everything to do with why a bass sounds the way it does, because it directly relates to the sonority of a particular instrument and its presence or power," Martin said. "And wood density very much plays into the instrument's structure, flexibility, and responsiveness."

The medical connection

Liu operates the scanner when Rosengard and Martin bring in one of their rare basses. She also helps calculate the instruments' internal volumes. "From the internal corpus volume perspective, it's a straightforward calculation for us," she said. "It means segmentation, counting the pixels, and then using the pixel volume to calculate how much volume is within the bass itself."

As for mapping the density of the wood, this issue is more relevant to Liu's Ph.D. research than you might expect. Her thesis focuses on using physical density to measure temperatures within the human body, specifically for thermal ablation, a minimally invasive treatment for cancers, including those of the liver and kidney. Carefully directed high temperatures are used to kill both tumor cells and a surrounding safety margin of healthy tissue, and knowing the temperature at which the tissue is burned gives an idea of the treatment's effectiveness.

So far at least, the wood density component is the more challenging scientifically, Liu said.

"In the temperature project, the scanner outputs quantitative maps that we can use to successfully generate physical density maps," she explained. "We were hoping that translating that for the bass would also be possible, but there are still some challenges with that approach we're trying to resolve."

Challenges aside, these collaborators from both creative and quantitative disciplines are delighted to be working together.

"We scientists love to talk about the science part and the musicians feel the same way about music," Noel said. "We all have a common sense of what we want to achieve, but it's inspiring and amazing to see what happens when two totally different worlds talk to each other."
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.
This article was updated on July 3.

On Monday, less than 24 hours after Pride month had ended, Matthia Klatt was one of several Texas A&M University students who received a message that the university health center would soon stop offering gender-affirming care.

It was completely out of the blue, Klatt said. I was heading into work Monday morning and I saw in the group chat Im in someone was like, Hey, what is this?  I checked my patient portal and there was the message. I was completely shocked. It threw my whole day off. I hadnt heard anything [about it]. Im still honestly confused about where this came from.

In the message sent out by Texas A&M University Health Services  and posted online by several students  Senior Director Dr. Tiffany A. Skaggs said that the Beutel Student Health Center would stop providing gender-affirming care beginning Aug. 1. According to the message, the decision was made after thorough assessment of [health services] resources, capabilities, and patient needs. Currently, the health center offers hormone replacement therapy [HRT] and 44 students in total have sought the treatment, according to a university representative.

Klatt, a senior biochemistry senior, said she had been receiving HRT treatment at Beutel for 10 weeks and during that time, no one had mentioned that the care would possibly be coming to an abrupt end.

Why werent we in the loop? It just feels rushed, she said. It definitely feels like my health care could be valued a little bit more. Shouldnt the patients getting that care have been at least aware that this decision was being considered?

In February, the conservative publication Texas Scorecard published an article accusing A&M of promoting transgender ideology and specifically mentioned the gender-affirming care offered by the university health services.

According to emails first obtained by The Battalion, A&M's student newspaper, Matt Poling, the president of the conservative alumni group The Rudder Association, sent an email advocating for the university to stop providing gender-affirming care. The email was allegedly sent to A&M Chancellor John Sharp, A&M President Mark Welsh, A&M's Board of Regents and University Health Services Associate Vice President Nancy Fahrenwald.

In the email from Poling, which was also published on the TRA website, he listed 14 reasons why the university should stop providing HRT and said that it could open the university to lawsuits.

"Additionally, it is not credible to claim that direct student payments cover the full cost of the interventions provided," Poling said in the email. "Many stakeholders have moral, ethical and religious objections to such 'treatments' even if they were to be legitimately considered standard of care. ... Private clinicians may choose to risk liability from the inevitable wave of lawsuits detransitioners will will bring and are already bringing."

A similar email was also sent by Clifford Hopewell, an A&M Graduate and clinical neuropsychologist, asking the university to stop proving HRT care.

In a statement to The Eagle, Poling said that the emails were "informative in nature and we did not ask for or receive any response."

In statement sent to The Eagle Wednesday, university officials said the decision was ultimately made by the administration and university health officials. University officials also said that neither the president nor university health officials discussed gender-affirming care with TRA.

"The decision to stop offering gender affirming care at Beutel Health Center (starting Aug.1, 2024) was made by the university administration and university health officials after a thorough review of our resources, capabilities and the evolving healthcare needs of our student population," the statement said. "While we understand the importance of those services, it was determined that providing specialized gender affirming care falls outside the scope of our current healthcare model and resources."

Last week, the Texas Supreme Court ruled in an 8-1 decision to uphold a recent state law prohibiting doctors from providing gender-affirming care to minors. The university did not specify whether or not the Texas Scorecard article or the courts ruling play a role in the decision.

While the letter and statement from the university mentioned that students could reach out to the health center to find a new care provider, Klatt said it was already difficult to fully trust the university health system.

Ive had a great experience with HRT there, but I had a few therapy sessions my freshman year and they ultimately told me that I needed more help than they could provide, she said. Ive had a bad experience with their referrals in the past so Im going to a different organization that can hopefully give me a referral.

In January, A&M closed its LGBTQ Pride Center and its Diversity Equity and Inclusion [DEI] Office in order to comply with Senate Bill 17 which prohibits all state public institutions of higher education from establishing or maintaining a DEI office, considering DEI during the hiring process for faculty, staff and contracted workers or requiring faculty and staff to attend DEI training. The law, and subsequent decisions by the university, resulted in backlash from some students in the form of a protest.

This newest removal of resources for LGBTQ students has added to an already devastating impact on the community, Klatt said.

The closing of the Pride Center was brutal; it was such a great resource, she said. I met with plenty of people at the pride center.  Its heartbreaking to see that go away, but with this decision, we dont even know whats going on.

On Wednesday, the Queer Empowerment Council and Transcend  two student organizations at Texas A&M  released a statement regrading the university's decision. The statement condemned the administrative decision and called on the Board of Regents.

With less than a month left to find a new health care provider, Klatt said she and other students are left with many unknowns.

My HRT provider also prescribes me [prescriptions] and Im confused, she said. Now is [the doctor] leaving? Am I going to have to find a new place to get my prescriptions? Theres just so many questions and After careful consideration and evaluation of our service is just not enough of an answer.
Rhyma Castillo is a trending reporter for the Express-News and a member of its Digital Go Team. She can be reached at rhyma.castillo@express-news.net.

A native of San Antonio and a Texas A&M University graduate, she is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience. She has reported on politics, immigration, climate change, gun violence, and workers rights. Additionally, she excels in lifestyle and entertainment writing, covering music, television, video games, technology, and relationships.

In her free time, she enjoys painting, drawing, cooking, hiking, climbing, gardening, playing video games, cuddling with her cats, and making music with her band.
Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley, left, and Council Member Tom Scherlen listen to testimony during a May 28 council meeting at which a proposed abortion travel ban in Amarillo was discussed. Mark Rogers/For the Texas Tribune Motorists travel west on Interstate 40 in Amarillo. Amarillo residents will vote on a so-called abortion travel ban in November, marking the first time any voters in Texas will have a say in abortion rights since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. Mark Rogers/For the Texas Tribune/Mark Rogers

Amarillo residents will vote on a so-called abortion travel ban in November, marking the first time any voters in Texas will have a say in abortion rights since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.

Supporters of the measure, who successfully gathered 6,300 signatures to petition for approval of the ordinance, submitted their request to city officials to have it placed on the Nov. 5 ballot, per local rules, after the Amarillo City Council rejected it last month.

Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley confirmed reports that the measures supporters had requested that the ordinance be added to the November ballot. Stanley said the request will be on the agenda for the councils next meeting on July 9. The council will take a procedural vote, which Stanley said is expected to pass, so it will be officially placed on the ballot.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

This ballot move is the latest salvo in the battle over abortion rights in the conservative Panhandle city, and in a state with one of the most restrictive bans in the nation.

The ordinance, first proposed by anti-abortion activists, aims to forbid the use of the citys roads and highways to seek an abortion out of the state. It would punish anyone aiding a woman seeking the procedure, including by providing funds or transportation, and be enforced through private lawsuits, similar to a 2021 state law that prohibited abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.

The measure does not call for pregnant women to be punished for having an abortion elsewhere. However, Jonathan Mitchell, an anti-abortion lawyer who is working with the ordinances supporters, has filed legal petitions seeking to depose women he says traveled outside Texas for abortions.

If passed, the measure would not directly stop interstate travel. But legal experts say it is still a violation of constitutional rights and have called the bans legally dubious.

After the Amarillo City Council balked at passing the ordinance last year, residents began collecting signatures to petition to have the council consider the measure, and to place it on a local ballot if it wasnt passed by the council. Last month, the council rejected both the original ordinance and an amended version that would have declared the city a sanctuary city for the unborn and prohibited using city roads and highways to seek an abortion out of state.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Once the council rejected it, supporters of the ordinance were allowed to place it on the ballot for local voters.

The people will speak and we will hear what they want, Amarillo City Council Member Tom Scherlen said. Through our process, we will see which side wins.

Scherlen added, When it gets down to it, we live in a democratic society where the vote does count.

Since the Dobbs decision, voters in only four states  California, Michigan, Ohio and Vermont  have approved measures that amend their respective state constitutions to protect abortion rights, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Two measures that sought to curtail rights in Kansas and Kentucky failed.

In nine states, there are citizen-initiated measures seeking to protect or recognize abortion rights by putting the issue on a statewide ballot.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Stanley said the council still would have a role in making sure the public is properly notified on the language of the ordinance because there are differences from similar laws passed by other cities and counties in Texas.

In a statement, the Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance, a local advocacy group that has rallied against the ordinance, said the travel ban had a clear and resounding rejection.

We are deeply disappointed that the misguided initiating committee has chosen to ignore the majority of Amarillo citizens and our duly elected representatives by placing this unconstitutional ban on the ballot, the group said in a statement.
The sugar mill operated by Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers shut down in April, with its operators blaming the lack of reliable water deliveries from Mexico. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News

U.S. lawmakers have advanced a bill that could withhold some funding from Mexico until a dispute over water in the Rio Grande is resolved.

Water in the Lower Rio Grande in Texas is governed by a 1944 treaty between the United States and Mexico, which some officials in the Rio Grande Valley say Mexico hasnt been following.

The treaty requires Mexico to deliver water from its tributaries in Chihuahua into the river, which provides water for cities and agriculture in South Texas. The water is measured in five-year cycles, and over the past 3 years Mexico has delivered only one years worth of water, according to data from the U.S section of the International Boundary and Water Commission, a binational agency that administers the treaty.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The water shortage has led to rationing for farmers in the Valley, which accounted for $887 million in agricultural production in 2022, according to a Texas A&M Agrilife report. The only sugar mill in Texas, which was in Hidalgo County, closed this year. The board of the co-op that operated the mill blamed the closure on insufficient and unreliable water deliveries from Mexico, which forced farmers to stop growing sugar.

'A REALLY BAD SPOT': Water shortage threatens agriculture in the Rio Grande Valley

A provision in the 2025 State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs appropriations bill would withhold some U.S. aid funding from Mexico until an agreement is reached to balance the water deficit. Funding related to fentanyl and other synthetic drugs would still be made available without a water agreement.

The House passed the bill last week on a 212-200 vote. The legislation has yet to pass the Senate, and President Joe Biden has said he would veto the bill in its current form because of the proposed cuts to certain programs and other provisions. It wasnt immediately clear how much funding Mexico could lose if the measure became law.

A bipartisan group of Texas representatives worked to add the language about the treaty to the bill before it was passed by the House Appropriations Committee earlier in June, although some of those lawmakers then voted against the full bill.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Water is life, and water deliveries from Mexico are essential for South Texas communities to operate and grow, Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat, said in a written statement. As a member of Congress, it is my job to ensure communities on the border have an adequate, reliable water supply. While I didnt vote for this bill, I will continue to work across the aisle with my colleagues to ensure this legislation becomes bipartisan and secure immediate water deliveries from Mexico.

Rep. Monica De La Cruz, a Republican from Edinburg, said the legislation will show Mexico how serious we are about receiving our guaranteed payments.

READ MORE: Texas delegation urges Congress to withhold aid to Mexico over water treaty dispute

The longer they hold out, the worse the situation is for farmers and ranchers who need that water to produce food that feeds America, she said in a written statement. The sugar industry in Texas is no longer in existence, and the next casualty will be the citrus industry. This bill holds Mexico accountable, and I hope it will push its leaders to do the right thing.

Under the agreement, the U.S. is entitled to one-third of the flows of the Rio Conchos and other tributaries that run from the mountains of Chihuahua into the Rio Grande. The treaty stipulates that the amount of water from those sources must be at least 350,000 acre-feet per year on average over a five-year period, which amounts to 1,750,000 acre-feet. One acre-foot is the water needed to cover 1 acre in 1 foot of water, or about 326,000 gallons.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Mexico has delivered only about 386,000 acre-feet in total since the current five-year cycle began in 2020  barely more than one years worth of water  according to the U.S. section of the boundary and water commission.
WASHINGTON  One of several groups trying to lay the groundwork for a second Donald Trump administration if the former Republican president wins in November is out with a new policy book that aims to articulate an "America First" national security agenda.

The book is the latest effort from the America First Policy Institute. Like the Heritage Foundation's "Project 2025," the group seeks to help Trump avoid the mistakes of 2016, when he entered the White House largely unprepared.

Beyond its policy efforts, the institute's transition project has been working to draft dozens of executive orders and developing a training program for future political appointees. Heritage has been building an extensive personnel database and offering its own policy manuals.

Both groups say they are independent from Trump's campaign, which has repeatedly tried to distance itself from such efforts, insisting that the only Trump-backed policies are those the candidate articulates himself.

Still, Fred Fleitz, the book's editor, noted that he and retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who served for a time as Trump's acting national security adviser and wrote several of the chapters, have been in frequent touch with the former president, soliciting feedback and discussing topics such as Ukraine at length.

"We hope this is where he is. We're not speaking for him, but I think he will approve," said Fleitz, who formerly served as the National Security Council's chief of staff.

While short on specifics, the book offers some guideposts to how a future Trump administration could approach foreign policy issues such as Russia's war against Ukraine. Trump has said, that if elected, he would solve the conflict before Inauguration Day in January, but declined to say how.

The book's chapter on the war spends more time discussing how the conflict unfolded than how to end it. But it says the U.S. should make future military aid contingent on Ukraine participating in peace talks with Russia.

It predicts the Ukrainian army will likely lose ground over time and advises against the U.S. continuing "to send arms to a stalemate that Ukraine will eventually find difficult to win." Once there is a peace agreement, it says the U.S. would continue to arm Ukraine as a deterrent to Russia.

The authors seem to endorse a framework in which Ukraine "would not be asked to relinquish the goal of regaining all its territory" but would agree to diplomacy "with the understanding that this would require a future diplomatic breakthrough which probably will not occur before (Russian President Vladimir) Putin leaves office."

The book blames Democratic President Joe Biden for the war and repeats Trump's claim that Putin never would have invaded if Trump had been in office. Its main argument in defense of that claim is that Putin saw Trump as strong and decisive. In fact, Trump cozied up to the Russian leader and was reluctant to challenge him.

The bulk of the chapter is spent laying out an at times erroneous timeline of Biden's handling of the war.

The book is critical of Trump's transition efforts in 2016, bemoaning a broad lack of preparation before Trump took office.

"The tumultuous transition of 2016/2017 did not serve President Trump and the nation well and slowed the advancement and implementation of his agenda," the authors wrote.

For instance, they note that before the election, Democrat Hillary Clinton's transition team had submitted more than 1,000 names for future security clearance. Trump's team submitted just 25.

The group says it has identified roughly 1,200 national security-related positions that the next administration will need to fill and urges it to be ready on Day 1 with Trump loyalists who adhere to the "America First" approach.

The book describes China as the nation's most pressing national security threat, eager to displace the U.S. as the world's premier power. It proposes a hawkish policy that builds on approaches from both the Trump years and the Biden administration with the goal of making Beijing's policies "largely irrelevant to American life."

The analysts' views of what an "America First" policy looks like often reflect the writers' personal focuses.

For Ellie Cohanim, a former Trump deputy State Department envoy charged with monitoring and combating antisemitism, "America First" looks a lot like a shopping list for the Israeli military.

The U.S. should rush Israel a squadron of "25 Lockheed Martin F-35s, one squadron of Boeing's F-15 EX, and a squadron of Apache E attack helicopters," Cohanim wrote.

The U.S. should give some of its billions of dollars in military funding to Israel in Israeli currency so Israel can spend it at home, and Washington should push Arab states to foot the bill for the rebuilding of Gaza and accept Israel's shelving any political talks with the Palestinians pending an indefinite period of compulsory deradicalization for the Palestinian people, she wrote.

Companies donating the most money to Donald Trump Companies donating the most money to Donald Trump #22. Excel Communications #21. Churchill Business Consultants #20. Westminster Management #19. New York Jets/Johnson Co. #18. America First #17. GH Palmer Associates #16. Fox, Paine & Co. #15. Cantor Fitzgerald #14. Woodforest Financial Group #13. Mt. Vernon Investments #12. Advance Financial #11. DSB Technologies #10. Ascent Residential #9. Key Square Group #8. Next Generation Films #7. Pate Holdings #6. Geosouthern Energy #5. Witkoff Group #4. CrownQuest Operating #3. M&M Industries #2. Hendricks Holding Co. #1. McMahon Ventures Companies donating the most money to Donald Trump
Tech giants might shun or leave Vietnam if policy lacks investment support: ministry

By Tri Duc Wed, July 3, 2024 | 10:44 am GMT+7

Some global giants, including LG Chemical, AT&S and SMC, are eyeing investments in countries other than Vietnam or considering no more new investments here as the country's current policy lacks investment support, the Ministry of Planning and Investment has said.

In a report on the draft decree on the to-be-launched Investment Support Fund, the ministry stressed that Vietnams current policy offers limited investment support, with only income-based incentives, such as exemptions and reduction of taxes and fees. The upcoming Global Minimum Tax (GMT) will heavily impact Vietnam and prompt the country to update its legal framework.

A sign of Foxconn, a world's top electronics production contractor. Photo courtesy of the firm.

In particular, the outdated legal framework has prompted some global giants, which had previously proposed huge investments, to ignore Vietnam to invest in other countries.

Notably, LG Chemical had proposed a battery production project and suggested Vietnam help with 30% of the production cost in cash, but eventually the firm opted to invest in Indonesia.

Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik Aktiengesellschaft (AT&S), a producer of high-end printed circuit boards, had conducted surveys and proposed investments, but then invested in Malaysia as Vietnam could not fulfill its investment support and high-tech workforce requirements, added the ministry, which oversees foreign investment.

The ministry also pointed out that other major investors in Vietnam are waiting for new policies before making further investments. If Vietnam cannot provide new support in line with the GMT, tech giants might relocate some production lines to other countries like India or halt proposed investments. Some waiting in the lobby are Japans healthcare item producer SMC and Taiwans Foxconn, Compal, and Quanta.

The ministry elaborated that Vietnams main draw for foreign direct investment (FDI) is its stable investment environment. As the GMT approaches, no updates to the legal framework would hurt Vietnam and reduce Vietnams attractiveness to foreign investors, the ministry stressed.

With the proposed Investment Support Fund, the ministry suggested the fund would utilize the additional tax incomes from the higher GMT. Other sources would include the state budget, donations, and interest incomes (if any).

Per the draft decree, the fund will provide support to high-tech businesses, businesses that produce high-tech equipment, businesses with high-tech applications, and businesses with research and development (R&D) centers.

The support will partly cover the costs of workforce development, R&D activities, investments in fixed assets, production of high-tech items, and investments in social welfare infrastructure.
S Koreas Daewoo, CJ, GS E&C, Celltrion to scale up investments in Vietnam

By Hai Yen Wed, July 3, 2024 | 9:59 pm GMT+7

Major corporations of South Korea, Daewoo, CJ, GS E&C, and Celltrion, will ramp up investments in Vietnam across various sectors, including food, logistics, infrastructure, construction, energy, and pharmaceuticals.

Executives from these firms made their commitments during meetings with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Seoul on Wednesday.

Daewoo E&C

Jung Won-ju, chairman of construction giant Daewoo E&C, said that the firm is keen to invest in energy projects, power plant development, industrial parks, and infrastructure in Vietnam.

Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right) receives Daewo E&C's chairman Jung Won-ju in Seoul on July 3, 2024. Photo courtesy of the governments news portal.

He highlighted some potential projects, including the O Mon 3 and 4 gas-fired power plants in the southern province of Can Tho, the Hai Lang liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant in the central province of Quang Tri, the Long An LNG power plant in the southern namesake province.

The firm also wants to develop a smart city model at its flagship Starlake new urban area project in Hanoi and build a new urban project in the northern province of Thai Binh, Jung said.

PM Chinh, in reply, suggested Daewoo start the Thai Binh urban project soon and proposed it join Vietnams ramshackle house eradication program, which is due to complete in 2025.

Daewoo E&C became the first South Korean construction company to open a representative office in Vietnam, in June 1991. It established Daewoo E&C Vina with a total capital of $1.3 billion, specializing in urban development.

GS Engineering & Construction Corp (GS E&C)

CEO of GS E&C Huh Yoon-hong proposed developing the Nha Be new urban area project, located in Ho Chi Minh City, into a smart city that includes a centralized information technology campus for semiconductor businesses and startups.

The Vietnamese leader asked GS E&C to work with the HCMC government to speed up the procedures and commence the project soon.

In Vietnam, GS E&C has joined many key projects, including the Metro No.1 Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien in HCMC, the Tan Son Nhat-Binh Loi-Outer Beltway road, Vam Cong bridge in the southern city of Can Tho, the Vinh Thi bridge connecting Hanoi to its neighboring province of Vinh Phuc.

Celltrion Inc.

Hyoung Ki Kim, vice chairman and CEO of Celltrion Inc., a leading biopharmaceutical company in South Korea, shared that the firm is finalizing procedures for to set up an import and distribution company for biopharmaceuticals in Vietnam, with its base to be located in Hanoi.

It will transfer technology to Vietnam Pharmaceutical Corporation (Vinapharm) and join hands with the latter to produce and distribute Celltrion products in Vietnam, he added.

CJ

Sohn Kyung Sik, chairman of multi-industry corporation CJ, made several recommendations regarding Vietnams standard system, livestock taxation, and administrative procedures.

CJ aims to continue investing in Vietnam in logistics, cultural industries, and the food sector with a focus on Vietnamese foodstuff export.

Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right) receives CJ's chairman Sohn Kyung Sik in Seoul on July 3, 2024. Photo courtesy of the governments news portal.

PM Chinh, for his part, suggested CJ expand in Vietnam, especially in livestock, food processing, logistics, culture, and biotechnology. He expected the firm to incorporate more Vietnamese products into its global supply chain.

Vietnam serves as the base for CJs regional headquarters. Entering Vietnam in 1998, the chaebol has invested $1 billion in Vietnam so far. It currently has 24 member companies in Vietnam, generating total revenue of $1.4 billion in 2023 and employing 11,200 workers.

KBD

On the same day, the Vietnamese PM received chairman and CEO of the government-owned Korea Development Bank (KDB) Kang Seog-hoon. PM Chinh asked KDB to continue assisting South Korean enterprises in operating in Vietnam and to offer credit and expertise to Vietnamese firms as well.
The family of a young woman who died in a car wreck are suing the organization that harvests from organ donors in South Carolina over accusations the group misused their daughters ovaries.

Karsyn von Egidy was 27 years old when she was involved in a fatal car accident in Sumter on April 15, 2023. She was airlifted to Prisma Health Richland Hospital in Columbia, where she died from her injuries after five days in a coma in intensive care.

According to the lawsuit, representatives of We Are Sharing Hope, South Carolinas designated organ procurement organization, approached the von Egidy family at the hospital to secure an organ donation. Von Egidy was a registered organ donor in her native North Carolina.

Her mother, Traci von Egidy, filled out an authorization form, saying the family wanted Karsyns organs to go into living recipients but not for research, medical therapy, and/or education, citing deeply held religious, moral, and ethical beliefs, according to the suit.

Without the familys knowledge, records show that Karsyns ovaries were removed along with her other organs, the suit says. The authorization form did not mention reproductive organs, and under other the family wrote N/A.

A couple weeks later, the von Egidys received a letter from Sharing Hope detailing where her organs were sent, including that her ovaries were recovered and sent to medical research, the letter said. The letter left the family feeling as if their wishes had been utterly disregarded, the lawsuit says.

They asked for a copy of the authorization form and said the Sharing Hope representative had written on the form that the family consents to research except for the heart, which expressly contradicted their wishes for Karsyns organs and are false statements, they said.

Sharing Hope CEO Dave DeStefano later wrote to the family that In North Carolina, donor registration does not automatically include donation for research purposes. In contrast, South Carolina donor registration do include donations for research purposes, and that the representative initially assumed that research was covered by the release.

The letter also said that Ovary tissue was used but no eggs were recovered, and no ovary tissue remains, while the initial letter said that no tissue had been removed, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit accuses Sharing Hope of fraudulent conduct and gross negligence that compounded the familys pain and suffering. They are seeking punitive damages.

The suit is brought by attorneys Jacob Kea of Nelson Mullins and Brian Barnwell of Rikard & Protopapas.

In their response to the complaint, Sharing Hope denies the authorization form constitutes a legally enforceable contract and says that organ donations are considered a gift. The organization also denies altering the authorization form and says it acted in good faith.

The organization also denies that the von Edigys have standing to sue, as they suffered no injury from the donation and the group had no legal duty toward them. Sharing Hope maintains that Karsyns organs were taken in accordance with the law and medical standards. The motion filed by attorneys Jean Marie Jennings and Molly Craig of the Hood Law Firm seeks to have the suit dismissed.

We Are Sharing Hope follows the standard of care expected and required in accordance with the organ donation practice and process, the organization said in a statement to The State. We care deeply for our donor heroes and their families and always strive to be good stewards of these precious gifts.

The State has reached out to attorneys on both sides of the lawsuit seeking further comment.
The Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office returned Tara Colleen Ryan's wheelchair Tuesday after it was discovered in a grassy area by local firefighters. Courtesy Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office

A wheelchair stolen from Blink-182's San Antonio concert last week has been returned to its owner after turning up at a fire station.

Houston resident Tara Colleen Ryans custom wheelchair was stolen from the parking lot of Frost Bank Center following the bands June 24 show. She has a rare form of muscular dystrophy called Friedreichs Ataxia, and her fiance helped her into their vehicle close to the end of the concert. The two drove off before realizing the wheelchair wasnt with them, and it was gone by the time they returned.

Ryan filed a police report and searched the area. She also checked Frost Bank Centers surveillance footage and lost and found, to no avail. Thats when she launched a GoFundMe to help defray the cost of a new wheelchair, which would cost $10,000.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

This is my custom chair to me only, Ryan wrote on social media. I use it 24/7. And Im devastated.

There was no sign of her wheelchair until Monday, when firefighters in North Bexar County went outside to do yard work and discovered a wheelchair sitting in a grassy area, the Bexar County Fire Marshals Office said in a social media post.

The wheelchair was confirmed to match the description and serial numbers from the reported missing chair, BCFMO wrote.

According to a recent update to the fundraiser, surveillance footage showed two people obscured by hoodies and face masks dropping off the wheelchair with a note that read, found at the frost center.

Ryan was reunited with her wheelchair Tuesday, and her family is starting the process of checking the wheelchair for damage. The GoFundMe will stay open until they know whether repairs will be needed.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Tara is my daughter and it has been a very emotional week for all of us, but especially for her. We cant thank you enough for making sure she received it back, Jennifer Higgins Shaw wrote in response of BCFMOs post.

Ryan and her fiance are getting married in November, and now she can head down the aisle with peace of mind.
(TBTCO) - Gia xang dau trong nuoc hom nay (10/10) uoc du bao co the uoc ieu chinh tang manh. Theo o, gia xang trong nuoc co the tang tu 950 - 1.250 ong/lit; gia dau diesel co kha nang tang khoang 820 - 1.050 ong/lit. Tren thi truong the gioi, gia dau giam sau khi du lieu cua Hoa Ky cho thay luong dau tho du tru tang, nhung muc giam bi han che boi rui ro gian oan nguon cung cua Iran do xung ot Trung ong va con bao Milton o Hoa Ky.
You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber.



Not a subscriber?



Subscribe today for access to:

Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles).


Egis, a global leader in the architecture, consulting, construction engineering and mobility sectors, has been granted the reputed Environmental License Class A from Saudi Arabias National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC).

This coveted designation signifies a company's commitment to adhering to the strictest environmental regulations, contributing to the Kingdom's ambitious sustainability goals.

The Environmental License Class A plays a critical role in safeguarding public health and ecological protection. By securing this license, Egis demonstrates their proactive approach to supporting national environmental initiatives, enhancing environmental excellence within the region, and aligning perfectly with the global imperative to address climate change.

For Egis, this Class A registration expands their range of services to include obtaining environmental permits for complex projects, environmental audits, management plans, and periodic environmental reports.

Additionally, the company can now provide expert consultations and assistance with the rehabilitation of degraded sites and the treatment of contaminated soil, guaranteeing compliance with the highest environmental standards.

Companies with this license can also engage in substantial environmental research and project work, solidifying their position as environmental leaders.

On the key achievement, Alaa AbuSiam, CEO of Egis in the Middle East & South Asia, said the granting of the Environmental License Class A by Saudi Arabia represents a strategic turning point for Egis environmental stewardship efforts, and a significant milestone in its journey to become a key partner in Saudi Arabia's Vison 2030.

"We are motivated to continue deploying our comprehensive expertise to provide an integrated approach to environmental compliance and social responsibility. Egis firmly believes this will strengthen project sustainability, whilst fostering ethical development practices," noted AbuSiam.

Egis, he stated, demonstrates its global commitment to environmental responsibility and their ability to deliver impactful solutions through its extensive portfolio of successful projects across diverse ecosystems.

"From industrial site remediation and the design of sustainable water management systems to the implementation of comprehensive ecological restoration programs, Egis delivers comprehensive solutions that address pressing environmental challenges," he said.

These projects include the rehabilitation of degraded areas in the Amazon Rainforest, coral reef relocation and restoration in Qatar, and successful mangrove restoration and coastal protection in several countries, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Sunrise Capital, a Dubai-based developer, has announced the successful handover of all 132 units within Legacy By Sunrise - a premium project located in Al Barsha South - to its buyers.

Spanning over 91,000 sq ft area, the the residential property features a mix of 67 studios, 43 one- and 22 two-bedroom apartments.

According to Sunrise Capital, the new property got sold out in record time thanks to its quality design and interiors. Each residence has been crafted with precision and artistic flair displaying a harmonious blend of luxury and functionality, stated the developer.

The interiors are thoughtfully designed to maximise space and light, featuring high-end finishes, custom details, and fully equipped kitchens with premium appliances by Teka (Germany).

The layouts are varied, accommodating a range of lifestyles from bustling family life to serene solitary living, all underpinned by an unwavering commitment to quality, it added.

On the success of its most recent project, Yogesh Bulchandani, Founder of Sunrise Capital said: "We are delighted to hand over the keys to the first residents of Legacy and couldnt be prouder of this landmark achievement in luxury residential development."

"Sunrise has once again proved its commitment to the market by delivering on time and to the highest possible standards. We believe demand has been so high due to the projects architectural brilliance and the unique blend of sophistication and comfort," he noted.

It boasts a range of amenities including kids' play area and fully shaded parking; semi Olympic length pool; gym; lavish double height lobby; executive library and a cinema room, stated Bulchandani.

According to him, this handover comes on the back of another equally successful project delivery by the developer, also in Al Barsha South  Legend by Sunrise.

The key residential development features 112 apartments across six floors, with luxury amenities including a grand lobby and four high-speed elevators, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Saudi-based Sumou Real Estate has reached an agreement with Jubail & Yanbu Services Company (Jabeen) for the design and construction of 1,104 residential units in Yanbu Industrial City at a total investment of SAR1.3 billion ($346 million).

As per the deal, the company will also develop primary and secondary infrastructure works at Yanbu Industrial City, said Sumou Real Estate in its filing to Saudi bourse Tadawul.

This comes in accordance with contracts for purchasing residential units to be signed between Jabeen - the investment arm of Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu - and the industrial companies through the housing ownership program of those companies, it stated.

The entire contract work will be completed within a three-year period starting from the date of signing the purchase contracts with industrial companies, stated Sumou Real Estate.

The project is likely to have a positive impact on the companys results starting from the beginning of the development and implementation work on the project, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
Top officials of Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) met a senior delegation from the State of Ohio, US, to discuss ways to strengthen relations and collaborate with Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA).

During the meeting, RTA and its American counterparts discussed ways to boost co-operation in key areas, such as mass transport, roads, integrated and user-friendly mobility applications, connected and real-time mobility systems, and autonomous transport, reported Wam.

The delegation, led by Blake Ethridge, Chairman of SORTA, was received by Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA.

During the meeting, Al Tayer discussed RTA's best practices in public transport, modern and sustainable transport systems, and the expansion of current and future mobility services.

The delegation expressed their aspiration to collaborate with RTA to realise the visions of the Dubai Government and the State of Ohio, aiming to transform them into international hubs for entrepreneurship and tourism and positioning them among the best global living destinations.

The two entities later signed a MoU in the presence of Mattar Al Tayer and Blake Ethridge that aims at enhancing cooperation, supporting the strategic partnership, and making concerted efforts to deliver outstanding public transport services, which will positively reflect on various economic and social sectors in both countries.

It includes embedding a culture of joint efforts to enhance performance, facilitate transactions, develop customer service, and maintain communication between the two parties to achieve their common interests, serving both Dubai and Ohio.

The MoU was signed by Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of Public Transport Agency, and Darryl Healy, the CEO and General Manager of SORTA at a key ceremony which was attended by several officials from both sides.

"Over the next phase, we will explore opportunities to develop public transport, primarily focusing on transport technology and innovation, the integration of transport systems and network design, outsourcing bus services, engaging the private sector, and sharing knowledge and best practices in planning & designing of bus stops and facilities," said Al Tayer.

"The two parties will also explore mutual benefits from advanced public transport planning methods and the use of modern software," he stated.

The objectives of the strategic partnership with SORTA align with RTA's vision as The World Leader in Seamless and Sustainable Mobility. The MoU will unify shared interests and opportunities in areas such as electric buses, hydrogen buses, rapid transit buses, dedicated lanes, and other bus priority systems, he further added.

The MoU also calls for exchanging technical knowledge and expertise at various levels, along with sharing information and studies related to the main and specialised tasks beneficial to both parties.

On the deal, Ethridge said: "We have been able to drive considerable ridership growth and transit-related infrastructure investment that has resulted in our Midwestern city seeing record ridership recovery and growth well above our peers."

"This exciting collaboration with Dubais RTA, a globally renowned system with an internal reputation for innovation and transformation, marks a new dawn of transit partnerships that reach across the globe," he added.
Gen Z professionals in the UAE are climate conscious and eager to positively contribute to the climate action agenda, even though they dont quite have the necessary green skills yet compared to their peers from other generations.

According to LinkedIns data, the UAE ranks 2nd in Mena in terms of average green talent concentration across generations (Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X and Boomers).

However, Gen Z professionals are underrepresented in having green skills compared to other cohorts. Looking at the contribution of each generation to the green workforce in the UAE, the data also reveals that the highest green talent concentration is found in Millennials, with this generation making up 65% of green skilled professionals. Only 15% of green skilled professionals are Gen Z.

Climate change is growing in importance among Gen Z

The implications of climate change are front of mind for Gen Z professionals. 72% of Gen Z professionals in the UAE have expressed their concern about the impact of climate change, with another 56% saying that climate change is having a negative impact on their mental health - known as eco-anxiety.

This eco-anxiety has prompted Gen Z to take matters into their own hands, with LinkedIns research showing that over half of Gen Z respondents have made changes to their daily lives to minimize their carbon footprint (59%). A close 61% said that they now keep the environment in mind in making most of their daily decisions.

This mindset has trickled across to the workplace, with Gen Z evaluating their professional decisions through an environmentally conscious lens. So much so that 61% of Gen Z professionals said they would consider turning down a job opportunity if they do not believe in the employers green policies.

Moreover, the majority (59%) are interested in working in a green job over the next five years. This interest is driven by their desire to protect the environment (57%), their belief that there are good opportunities in green jobs (51%), and the potential for better financial compensation (49%).

Gen Z professionals need integrated support

Despite this overwhelming interest in green jobs, Gen Z professionals lack awareness of the green career paths available to them.

LinkedIn research highlights that only 3 in 10 Gen Z professionals in the UAE have a good awareness of the available green roles, while 63% of them believe that theres a general lack of green opportunities in the labour market. Only 16% believe adequate training is available to them to acquire green skills that would help them compete for these roles.

The UAE has been steadfast in its support for youth-led climate action. The United Nations Climate Summit (COP28) in Dubai offered a unique platform to expand youth participation in climate change policymaking through the International Youth Climate Delegates Programme. But on a more granular level, climate progress could be hindered unless green jobs become easier to access. This will require targeted action by businesses and policymakers in order to prepare young professionals with the skills and knowledge they need to integrate into green roles.

This sentiment is echoed by Gen Z themselves, as 62% of them in the UAE say that financial support, and more than 50% say that employer-driven programmes and government incentives would encourage them to complete green skills training.

Ali Matar, EMEA Growth Markets Leader at LinkedIn, says: Gen Z professionals are projected to represent over a quarter of the international labour force by 2025, so it is important that employers listen more closely to them. This generation is unyielding in their demand for green policies that match their values from their employers and decision-makers, and they are becoming increasingly aware of their role in addressing environmental issues. The first step for them is to acquire the green skills that would enable them to do so; an endeavour that would require the full weight of the labour market actors.

Recommendations

To this end, Ali shares the below recommendations:

Businesses looking to green their workforce must take a skills-based approach to their talent strategies. This means identifying the skills their business will need to achieve their climate goals, hiring based on these skills rather than just their previous job title or academic qualifications, and implementing tailored and targeted skills programmes and on-the-job training to bring in and develop younger workers.

For younger workers looking to break into green jobs, there are also steps they can take. For instance, strengthening their digital and STEM skills. LinkedIn data shows these will increase workers chances of successfully transitioning into green jobs.

Policymakers will also need to explore how they can forge partnerships to help transition workers into green jobs. And as countries introduce and roll out legislation to curb climate change by allocating funding toward green jobs, theyll need to consider how to pair these mandates with appropriate levels of workforce training for every generation.--TradeArabia News Service
ABB is expanding its manufacturing capabilities in Europe to help meet demand for electrical protection systems that safeguard buildings, wind turbines, data centres and critical infrastructure.

ABB is investing more than $35 million (27 million) in a greenfield facility in Nottingham, UK, to meet increased demand for Furse earthing and lightning protection solutions.

Lightning strikes and electrical surges disrupt critical operations and cause billions of dollars in damage to structures and equipment each year.

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 sq m facility from the existing 6,300 sq m 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 kilometre 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, the company said.

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 UK 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 UK 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 optimise 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. - TradeArabia News Service
Zain Bahrain, a leading telecommunications company in the kingdom, has made it for the second consecutive year to the list of Top 50 strongest companies in Bahrain compiled by Albilad Press.

This recognition is a testament to Zain's Bahrain resilience, innovation, and unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction.

The telco has made significant strides in maintaining a Bahrainization level of more than 93%, exceeding the national target by prioritizing recruiting and developing Bahraini talent.

The event, which was held recently in Manama, was attended by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Abdullah bin Adel Fakhro, and the Chairman of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sameer Abdulla Nass. It underscores the achievements of Bahraini companies across various economic sectors.

The award was a reflection of the hard work and dedication of Zain Bahrain team, whose members have been instrumental in driving positive change and innovation in the telecom industry, said a company spokesman.

Zain Bahrain will continue to provide exceptional services and support to its customers, fostering innovation, and contributing to Bahrain's vision for a bright and sustainable future, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Melissa Manno is a reporter covering education for the San Antonio Express-News. She can be reached at melissa.manno@express-news.net.

She graduated from Penn State University in 2022 with a bachelors degree in journalism and minors in geography and digital media trends and analytics. She is also the 2021 Hearst National Journalism Writing Champion.
FTI Consulting has named a new Head of the Strategic Communications segment in the Middle East to implement its business strategy in the region and support its expansion, while equipping it to serve international clients operating in the market.

Oliver Williams, who is a Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting, who joined the firm in 2008, has held leadership positions in the firms London and Washington, D.C., offices.

He has advised organisations on a variety of cross-border communications challenges, including complex integrated advocacy campaigns, regulatory and legislative uncertainty, securing investment and building credibility through third-party stakeholder engagement.

The appointment of Williams is part of FTI Consultings ongoing investment in the region, including the firms relocation to larger premises in Dubai and the opening of new offices in Abu Dhabi and Doha in 2023 and the establishment of an office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2022.

FTI Consultings team in the Middle East supports clients on a diverse range of business-critical issues, including crisis and cybersecurity, forensic investigations, corporate finance, construction solutions, public sector advisory and strategy consulting.

They combine deep financial, technical and business expertise with local, global and industry experience to help organisations protect and enhance their enterprise value in an increasingly complex and evolving legal, regulatory and economic environment.

With many global leaders focusing intently on entering or expanding their presence in the Middle East market, significant opportunities abound for the business industry, said Mark McCall, Global Leader of the Strategic Communications segment at FTI Consulting.

Oliver brings tremendous value and experience to our rapidly growing team in the region. His appointment will strengthen collaboration across our global network, and we look forward to leveraging his expertise to further solidify our position as a leading global consulting firm.

The Middle East is evolving and developing at an exciting pace and with this clients communications needs and challenges evolve too, said Vikas Papriwal, a Senior Managing Director and Head of FTI Consulting Middle East.

Olivers solid track record and experience will be of great benefit to our client base across our core geographies as they navigate these communications needs. I very much look forward to working with Oliver to develop our strategic communications solutions across the region.

Williams said: The Middle East is clearly an increasingly critical nexus for business. The sense of opportunity is palpable, and Im excited to build on the work of our local team, as we take our business to the next level.

At the heart of our strategy is a vision to marry our local expertise with our international capabilities and footprint, to not only support those companies who are already in the Gulf Cooperation Council market or entering it, but also the growing number of regional leaders who are expanding internationally.  TradeArabia News Service
Global consulting firm Simon-Kucher continues its strategic expansion in the Middle East with the opening of a new office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

This move reinforces the firm's commitment to the region and its dedication to providing specialised services to local and international clients.

The addition of three new Partners in the Riyadh office further solidifies Simon-Kucher's foothold in the Middle East. Now, with 46 offices spanning 31 countries across Europe, APAC, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East, Simon-Kucher is poised to enhance its reach and capabilities within the region and globally.

Attracting top talent

The firm has been present in the Middle East since 2012, with the establishment of its office in Dubai. Since then, the firm has focused on strengthening its leadership and attracting top talent, thanks in part to the recent additions of Partner Chris Bergman, and Dr Marc Matar, previously based in Simon-Kuchers Paris and London offices and now serving as the firms Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences in Asia.

"Opening our new office in Riyadh marks a significant milestone in Simon-Kucher's global expansion," remarks Dr Andreas von der Gathen, co-CEO of Simon-Kucher. "Situated at the heart of the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is undergoing a transformative journey of diversification and modernisation through its Vision 2030 initiative." Dr von der Gathen adds: "Simon-Kucher's expertise, spanning pricing strategies, marketing, sales, and digitalisation, aligns seamlessly with the evolving landscape of the region. As true pricing and growth specialists, were focused on delivering tangible results for our clients."

Leading the expansion of the company in Saudi Arabia is Dr Salim Al Gudhea, Managing Partner of Riyadh office, who brings extensive experience in strategic advisory, consulting, and public policy. "Its ideal timing for Simon-Kucher to expand into the Saudi market, which welcomes the specialised consulting offerings of the firm. The market will especially benefit from Simon-Kuchers expertise in the design and implmentation of dynamic pricing models as well as growth and commercial models, states Dr Al Gudhea.

Driving value creation

"Our Riyadh-based team is dedicated to driving value creation, growth, and profitability in this dynamic economy. By integrating local and regional expertise with the global connectivity of a leading pricing and growth specialist, we aim to deliver impactful solutions."

Simon-Kucher's Riyadh office plans to expand its team exponentially in the next three years. Partners Sebastian Grunow and Jan Gudat just joined the office this month to support the expansion plan. Grunow offers strategic guidance in public services, financial services, industrial goods, and healthcare across Europe and the GCC, with a focus on digitalisation. Gudat specialises in expediting digital transformation in diverse industries across Europe and the Middle East, emphasising innovative methodologies for sustainable business models.

Simon-Kucher has had a longstanding presence in the Middle East, with the establishment of our Dubai office more than a decade ago," notes Lovrenc Kessler, Partner and Dubai Managing Director at Simon-Kucher, overseeing the company's operations in the Middle East.

"The addition of our new office in Saudi Arabia and new talent corresponds to our clients growing demand for local presence in the region. Our local consultants are dedicated to driving tangible impact and advancing businesses and institutions."--TradeArabia News Service
Nabors has achieved performance objectives for a major UAE operator through a drilling campaign.

The 3,000 horsepower rig, equipped with advanced drilling technologies like Canrig Automated Catwalk, Canrig 750-ton AC Top Drive, and REVit stick-slip mitigation solution, ensured safer and efficient operations.

The crew celebrated over 300 days without any Lost Time Incident, reflecting Nabors commitment to Mission Zero.

In addition, installing the ILLUMIC Lighting System saved 55,440 KWh of energy and 6,930 gallons of fuel in 330 operating days. This energy efficient lighting solution eliminated the use of diesel-powered light towers, greatly improving worker visibility during night operations.

Additionally, ILLUMIC improved safety and productivity while lowering emissions and reducing operational costs, stated Nabors.

As a result, these achievements led to a successful contract extension with the customer, marking another international win for the Nabors team and continued expansion in the Middle East.

Including their joint venture, SANAD, Nabors has about 60 rigs in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, having recently won new contracts in Algeria, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Neeraj Rajendran, Nabors UAE Operations Manager, said: We are proud to witness the tangible results of our collaboration, advanced technologies, strong safety culture and commitment to regional performance. All of these factors significantly contributed to securing this contract extension. --OGN/TradeArabia News Service
Qatar Airways Group on Tuesday reported the strongest financial performance in its 27-year history, announcing record profits of QAR6.1 billion ($1.7 billion) for the 2023/24 financial year driven by revenue growth, network expansion, and a focus on customer experience.

The multiple award-winning airline group reported total revenues of QAR81 billion ($22.2 billion), representing an increase of QAR4.7 billion ($1.3 billion)  up six per cent compared to last year, the group said.

Other Key Highlights:

 Strong Passenger Performance: Carried over 40 million passengers, a 26% increase, with a record-high load factor of 83%.

 EBITDA Margin: Achieved a robust EBITDA margin of 24% at QAR 19.1 billion ($5.2 billion).

 Network Expansion: Network grew to over 170 destinations, including new routes in Saudi Arabia, France, Indonesia, and Turkey.

 Qatar Airways Cargo: Maintained its position as the world's leading air cargo carrier with a 7.1% market share.

 Qatar Executive: Continued its strong performance in the business jet market with a 17% increase in commercial charter revenue.

 Privilege Club: Membership increased by 26%, with significant growth in Avios collection and spending.

The group generated a strong EBITDA margin of 24 per cent at QAR19.1 billion ($5.2 billion), around QAR1.2 billion ($0.3 billion) higher than the previous year, reflecting the businesss continued focus on customer experience, innovation, digitalisation and sustainability, resulting in streamlined, agile and fit-for-purpose operations across all areas, it said.

The airline business carried more than 40 million passengers during the period, an increase of 26 per cent over the previous year. As a result, passenger revenue increased by 19 per cent, with a capacity increase of 21 per cent driven by the airlines highest-ever load factor of 83 per cent, offering a sustainable upsurge in market share.

Minister of State for Energy and Qatar Airways Group Chairman Engineer Saad Bin Sharida Al-Kaabi said: This latest remarkable annual performance demonstrates Qatar Airways Groups flexibility and resilience in successfully navigating a constantly evolving global travel industry, and indicates a strong and sustained rebound from the challenges faced by the sector in recent years.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer Engineer Badr Mohammed Al-Meer said: These very strong financials are a testament to the ambition and clear direction that has informed the Qatar Airways Groups progress throughout the 2023/24 financial year.

Focus areas

Our continued focus on profitability, efficiency and customer experience have been underpinned by a strategic programme of network growth and fleet expansion, resulting in the highest revenues and profit margins in the history of the airline. We also cemented our undisputed role as a key industry leader, maintaining our position as the airline of choice for millions of passengers worldwide.

This incredible achievement is in no small part thanks to the collective endeavour of the entire Qatar Airways Group family who have worked tirelessly to achieve such stellar results. We must now use this as a foundation on which to build our continued success.

As it celebrates its milestone 20th year of operation in 2024, Qatar Airways Cargo maintained its position as the worlds leading air cargo carrier, forging ahead with a strategic focus on digitalisation, sustainability and growth contributing towards an increase in cargos market share to 7.1 per cent in 2023/24, up by 0.04 per cent compared to previous financial year.

Qatar Executive (QE) has continued to deliver a solid business performance in a highly competitive market operating as the only business jet brand owned and fully integrated with a commercial airline. With consistent growth over the 2023/24 fiscal year, QE saw an increase in commercial charter revenue of more than 17 per cent, with a rise in flying hours of over 21 per cent illustrating its strong customer growth, particularly in Europe, the US and Asia.

The groups investment in Qatar Airways loyalty programme Privilege Club yielded significant results during 2023/24, with membership increasing by more than 26 per cent. Member engagement also reached record levels with Avios collection growing at over 50 per cent, while Avios spend has grown by 75 per cent, in a year that witnessed the launch of key partnerships in India, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, in addition to the exciting new products in our home market, it said.

Qatar Airways network grew to more than 170 destinations in 2023/24, adding Al Ula, Neom and Tabuk, in Saudi Arabia; Lyon and Toulouse, France; Medan, Indonesia; and Trabzon, Turkey throughout the year.

This is in addition to the resumption of operations to 14 destinations, including Bahrain; Birmingham (UK); Beijing, Chengdu and Chongqing (China); Davao (Philippines); Tokyo Haneda and Osaka (Japan); Marrakesh (Morocco); Nice (France); Penang (Malaysia); Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Ras Al Khaimah (UAE); and Yanbu (Saudi Arabia). TradeArabia News Service
ME Dubai, the architecturally renowned hotel and prestigious property under the Melia Hotels International brand, has appointed Jose Luis Bragado as the new Executive Assistant Manager.

In his new role, Jose Luis brings extensive experience and a passion for hospitality to further elevate the guest experience and operational excellence at ME Dubai.

Hailing from Spain, Jose Luis joins ME Dubai with a robust background in hotel management and operations. He holds a masters degree in Hotel Business Administration and Management from Universidad Complutense de Madrid and a bachelors degree in Economics from Universidad de Oviedo. After combining his studies with some part-time jobs in hospitality as a service and banquet waiter, he focused on the hotel sector and joined the Food and Beverage team at Hotel Palacio De Luces Relais & Chateaux in Asturias, Spain, followed by a notable training program as Sales Coordinator at Leonardo Hotels Central Europe, Madrid.

Jose Luis's extensive experience at Melia Hotels International properties has prepared him for his current role at ME Dubai. He first joined Palacio de los Duques Gran Melia Hotel (member of The Leading Hotels of the World) in Madrid, as a Guest Service Line Agent. Subsequently, he underwent an 18-month Executive Graduate Programme at Melia Berlin in Germany, where he was mentored by the General Manager and collaborated closely with all department heads, gaining comprehensive insights into hotel operations.

In his current role as Executive Assistant Manager, Jose Luis works together with Elsa Lahoude, ME Dubais General Manager. His responsibilities encompass overseeing all aspects of the hotel's operations and strategy, including meticulous planning, coordination, management, supervision, and analysis of results from all hotel departments, such as Reception, F&B, Concierge, Housekeeping, Engineering, HR, Finance, Sales and Marketing, Revenue Management, Security and Spa. He is also responsible for ensuring the smooth implementation of Melia Hotels International's procedures and policies across the property. This includes the integration of technical tools, brand and company initiatives, HR and talent development strategies, sustainability and wellbeing policies, guest loyalty programs, and sales and marketing campaigns. - TradeArabia News Service
Bahrain International Airport (BIA) has won an award in recognition of its commitment to elevating the standards of occupational health and safety management, and its efforts in reducing accidents within the airport environment, Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) said.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Health and Safety Award was conferred on the airport for the fourth consecutive year, at the RoSPA Health and Safety Awards Ceremony, held on June 6, 2024, at Kempinski Central Avenue Dubai.

BAC Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Manager, Eng Hasan Farhan, received the award.

The RoSPA Awards scheme, the longest running of its kind in the UK, receives entries from organisations worldwide, making it one of the most sought-after achievement awards for health and safety globally.

Applications are meticulously evaluated by a panel of safety professionals, offering invaluable feedback for enhancement in health and safety practices.

BAC Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, said: This achievement would not have been possible without the dedication of our HSE team.

The award reflects the airport community commitment to safety and the diligent work our team members contributions to adhere to the best industry health and safety practices.

At BAC, the safety of passengers and staff is a top priority, and we strive to work with our partners to maintain the highest standards at the airport.

With four consecutive wins from 2021 to 2024, BAC said it has not only gained recognition for its accomplishments but also joined a legacy that values dedication to high safety standards and individual well-being.  TradeArabia News Service
THE theme for this years World Sight Day: Love your eyes, kids, is a call to action, says co-founder of the Trinidad Eye Hospital (TEH) and Hummingbird Medal Gold recipient, Dr Ronnie Bhola.

One of the main problems affecting our young population that is causing concern among health care professionals like Bhola is myopia  a condition in which people can see close objects clearly but objects farther away appear blurred.
HEADING BACK TO TRINIDAD: Passengers gather outside the Caribbean Airlines office at ANR Robinson International Airport yesterday in Tobago to buy tickets to return to Trinidad. Photo: JERMAINE CRUICKSHANK
China to formulate over 50 standards for AI sector by 2026

Xinhua) 10:19, July 03, 2024

BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- China will formulate more than 50 national and industrial standards for artificial intelligence (AI) by 2026 and develop a standard system to guide the high-quality development of the sector, according to guidelines jointly unveiled by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and three other government organs.

The guidelines specified seven key areas for developing the AI standard system in the country, including standards for key technologies, intelligent products and services, and industry applications.

Developing AI standards can help promote technological progress, enterprise development and industrial upgrading, thus better leveraging AI to empower new industrialization, according to the guidelines.

In recent years, China's AI industry has achieved progress in technological innovation, product creation, industry applications and other areas. The sector has presented new features with the accelerated development of new technologies like large models.

China now hosts more than 4,500 AI companies. Its core AI industry reached a scale of more than 578 billion yuan (about 81 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, up 13.9 percent year on year, according to official data.

In this year's government work report, China unveiled an AI Plus initiative, a strategic move designed to propel the digital economy's expansion and spearhead the transformation and modernization of manufacturing sectors.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Clockwise from top left: Vice President Kamala Harris; Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg; Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Ronda Churchill, AP; Mariam Zuhaib, AP; Ruaridh Stewart, TNS; Al Goldis, AP FILE - Vice President Kamala Harris embraces President Joe Biden after a speech on healthcare in Raleigh, N.C., March. 26, 2024. Harris has been the White House's first line of defense after President Joe Biden's faltering performance in last week's debate with Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File) Matt Kelley/Associated Press

The four names most mentioned as replacements to President Joe Biden on the 2024 presidential ticket have had plenty of interactions with Texas over the last few years.

During past presidential campaigns, political fundraisers and public policy events, the top contenders have all visited the state and sounded like they were warming up in the bullpen in case Biden stepped aside. Now, he has.

READ MORE: Biden drops out of 2024 race after disastrous debate inflamed age concerns and he endorses Harris

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

While Biden dropped out Sunday and threw his endorsement behind Vice President Kamala Harris, it doesnt necessarily mean there wont be more competition between now and when the Democratic National Convention gets underway in Chicago next month.

Here are the top contenders and a Texas take on each of them from the last four years.

Kamala Harris

With Bidens endorsement in hand, the 59-year-old starts the jockeying with a distinct advantage over the potential field of contenders.

Harris has had plenty of Texas interactions and has had a high profile on one of the most important issues on the minds of Texas voters: the border. Early in his administration, Biden tapped Harris to lead the messaging on the border, and she traveled to Central America to dig into the root causes of migration. But when border crossings soared in the next two years, Harris became a target of the right for not making much progress.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Harris campaigned frequently in Houston in 2019 when she was running for president and has made several trips to Texas since. In late 2023, Harris was once again in Houston, holding a discussion session about how the Biden administration was helping expand health care to underserved communities.

And later at a political fundraiser, she took aim at Texas abortion laws in a pitch to Democratic donors to stand by the Biden-Harris campaign as they were headed into 2024.

This election is going to be about a fight for our democracy and all that we hold dear, she said that night in River Oaks. None of us can afford to passively sit by and watch what we have been witnessing happen without being active and taking a stand to fight for all that we hold dear.

She specifically talked about an attack on the right of a woman to make decisions about her own body being on the ballot in the 2024 presidential election.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

It didnt end there, later Harris weighed in again on Texas restrictive abortion laws that ban the procedure under almost any condition, including in cases of rape and incest. After the Houston Chronicle reported an increase of raped women giving birth in Texas, Harris reached out to the Chronicle to respond.

Women across our nation should not be subject to extreme and oppressive laws that dictate what they can do with their bodies, including and especially after surviving a violent crime, Harris said.

Gretchen Whitmer

Whitmer, 52, was just in Texas last month speaking to the Texas Democratic Convention, where she gave a strong defense of the Biden administration, highlighting their work on infrastructure and bringing down the price of insulin, among other issues.

In four years, they brought America back from a deadly pandemic and out of a deep recession, she told Democrats in El Paso about the Biden administrations victories.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

But Whitmer, who became governor in 2019, also deftly outlined her own Democratic credentials, telling the crowd about how she was responding to threats to overturn Roe v. Wade even before it happened and by signing legislation after to provide more protections for women.

We repealed our 1931 ban on abortion and we enshrined protections for IVF, birth control and surrogacy into our state law, she told the Democratic crowd in El Paso.

Pete Buttigieg

Bidens transportation secretary can make the case that his tenure in the administration makes him best able to pick up the mantle. The former South Bend, Ind., mayor and 2020 presidential candidate has been in Texas quite a bit, not just during his 2020 presidential campaign, but also for other speeches and ribbon cuttings tied to his position with the Biden administration.

In April, Buttigieg, 42, was in Dallas touting the administrations infrastructure program, and before that he was in Houston touting port improvements that he said were a key part to the rebuilding of Americas manufacturing base.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

But beyond being a Cabinet official, what keeps Buttigiegs name on the short list is what made him a surprise 2020 president candidate: As a former mayor from a red state, Buttigieg has been comfortable making the Biden administrations case to Fox News and other conservative audiences in a way few other Democrats can.

During a speech before the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin in 2022, he touted the ability to reach Republican audiences and at least make his case to them, even if it doesnt always mean hes going to win them over.

It had echoes to his 2020 presidential campaign.

Were going to need a president who prioritizes unifying the American people and bringing us together, Buttigieg said during a speech in Houston right before the Iowa Democratic caucus that he would narrowly win over U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Gavin Newsom

It is easy to see why Newsoms name has come up big. Hes not only the leader of the biggest Democratic state in America, but hes also spent time over the last two years jousting with Republican governors like Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis of Florida.

He put up billboards in Florida countering that states abortion laws, and in Texas took out full-page newspapers ads, including in Houston, where he said California had done more to counter gun violence than Abbott.

Its hardly Newsoms first scrum with Texas. He blasted Abbotts border security tactics during a speech at the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival and has continually claimed that his states tax rates, while tougher on the rich, are better for working-class people than Texas.

Following that same Texas speech in 2022, Newsom, 56, was pressed by Politico about why he wasnt challenging Biden for the Democratic nomination.

Why? Out of reverence for the incumbent president of the United States, Joe Biden, he said. Out of respect for one of my oldest friends, former Californian and colleague, Kamala Harris. You just begin with those two, and you move on to, Im focused on other things.
I am a resident of Princes Town, and I want to grab the attention of the Ministry of Educati
PHOENIX  Gov. Katie Hobbs will be participating in a virtual meeting Wednesday with President Biden over the question of whats next following what has been called his dismal performance in last weeks debate with Donald Trump.

An aide to Hobbs confirmed she participated with other Democratic governors Tuesday in the initial call with the White House. But Christian Slater would not divulge the nature of the conversation.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz described the Tuesday call among the governors as a discussion of what was obviously a poor performance on June 27, The Associated Press reported.

And Walz, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, said participants were asking questions about what is the plan?

Walz said some of those same concerns are likely to be brought up in Wednesdays meeting which at this point is likely to be virtual.

Hobbs previously told Capitol Media Services she had watched parts of the debate last week.

You know, Im not a fan of debates, said Hobbs, who refused to debate Republican Kari Lake in her own race for governor in 2022. And as to Bidens performance, the governor said I will leave dissecting that to the pundits.

But Hobbs, in an interview the day after the debate but before the Tuesday call, made it clear that what she saw on June 27 did not diminish her support for Biden.

The president himself has said it: Dont compare him to the almighty. Compare him to the alternative, Hobbs said.

For me, that is so clear what the alternative is and what the stakes are in this election, the governor continued. Were talking about someone who incited an insurrection on the Capitol on our democracy and refused to say last night if he would accept the results of this election if he lost. And that is not a choice to me.

But she sidestepped a direct question at that time about replacing Biden at the top of the ticket.

Im not going to talk about a hypothetical, she said.

Hes the nominee, Hobbs continued. And I have every reason to believe he will still be the nominee.

The question of whether Biden just had a bad night last week or whether it was something more has gotten the attention of Democrats on the national level.

The White House announced Tuesday that the president will meet not only with Democratic governors, but also lawmakers.

We really want to turn the page on this, said Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary. But she also said that Biden has no intention of getting out of the race.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in an interview Tuesday on MSNBC, said it is up to the president whether to step aside. But she said there are answers that some people want.

I think its a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition, the California Democrat said. But Pelosi said this also was a question for Trump, saying he made repeated lies during the debate.

Others are reaching their own decisions.

Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first member of Congress to urge Biden to withdraw.

I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson, he said in a Tuesday statement.

Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw, said Doggett, referring to Johnsons decision not to seek another term because of low popularity in the middle of the Vietnam war. President Biden should do the same.

Biden has effectively acknowledged he needs to reassure voters.

ABC announced Tuesday the president will do an interview with George Stephanopoulos, his first since the debate.
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

As a fifth-generation Tucsonan, former Director of the Pima County Legal Defender for 22  years, and a life-long community organizer, I write to express great concern about the possibility of going back, literally, to a Pima County prosecution era marked by regressive and ineffective policies.

Those who remember the Steve Neely era know that Barbara LaWall hooked her prosecutorial wagon to his policies that wasted excessive taxpayer funds to pursue extreme, ill-conceived policies of overcharging and failing to dispose cases in a prudent, reasonable, cost-effective and humane manner. Practices including rewarding high trial rates, filing many cases only to see half of them dismissed prior to arraignment, compiling the highest death-penalty rate in the state for years, resulting in ethical bar discipline for some of her lawyers, support for the automatic transfer of juvenile cases from juvenile court to adult court, allowing prosecutors to attempt to profit from their participation in high-profile taxpayer-funded prosecutions. And then, of course, the continued support of the flawed and racist prosecution of Louis Taylor, a then a 17-year-old fellow Pueblo High School student who was wrongly convicted of arson resulting in 28 deaths at the Pioneer Hotel.

The criticisms of Ms. Conovers conflict-of-interest once she became the top prosecutor, expose the fundamental problem of one office with two departments, the criminal and civil divisions, that necessarily have conflicted duties whenever there is a wrongful conviction and/or prosecutorial misconduct and/or systemic violation of rights in criminal cases. A 60 Minutes account, as well as the transcripts of the ensuing hearings, reveal the truth that Mr. Taylor was wrongfully convicted and incarcerated for 42 years, all the while Ms. La Wall steadfastly refused to acknowledge the conflict of interest and the wrongs perpetrated against Mr. Taylor. The prior administration also revealed a lack of diversity in her legal staffing, especially in leadership levels, not reflecting the rich diversity of Pima County.

Ms. Conovers attempt to reform the Pima County Attorneys Office during her first term, reversing regressive attitudes and policies, should be encouraged. Much remains for our communities to heal and feel secure. Only investment in the front end instead of the back-end will create healthy communities. While Im morally, ideologically, and politically opposed to the current state and federal criminal and sentencing structures, it is essential that our county prosecutor show a commitment to real and meaningful justice. I know that Laura is that person.
High temperatures on the Fourth of July are expected in the upper 90s to near 100 degrees. Pivotal Weather

When you think of the Fourth of July, you probably think of a few specific things: fireworks, grilling outdoors and the intense Texas heat. Over the past 20 years, San Antonios average high temperature on the countrys birthday has been 95.1 degrees, and highs have touched at least 100 degrees six times.

This year, high temps are expected to rise above the Fourth of July average, and they have a chance to reach the triple digits. If you have plans to spend time outside today, try to practice heat safety to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy. Heres what you can expect.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Fourth of July timeline

Morning (5 a.m. to 10 a.m.): This is the coolest part of the day, as lows fall into the upper 70s between 5 and 8 a.m. A few clouds are expected early on, but theyre likely to break up by the late morning. Temps will start to rise, reaching the mid-80s by 10 a.m.

Midday (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.): The most intense warm-up of the day will occur during this time. Bright sunshine will allow temps to reach the 90s just after 11 a.m., continuing into the mid- to upper 90s by 2 p.m.

The UV index rating is expected to reach 11 to 12. At that level, you could develop a sunburn in less than 10 minutes. Be sure to wear sunscreen, and reapply as necessary to prevent skin damage.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Late afternoon (2 p.m. to 6 p.m.): Temperatures in the San Antonio metro area will likely hit 99 or 100 degrees during the late afternoon. Along with high humidity, the heat index will range between 103 and 106 degrees through much of the afternoon and evening.

WEATHER EXPLAINED: Sign up for July 10 webinar to ask meteorologist Anthony Franze anything about the weather in San Antonio.

Be sure to stay hydrated. If you plan on drinking alcohol during the day, do so responsibly. While a beer or margarita may seem like its quenching your thirst, its actually dehydrating you. To combat this, between each alcoholic drink, be sure to have at least 8 ounces of water.

Shown are potential heat index values in South Texas at 4 p.m. Thursday. Pivotal Weather

Evening and night (6 p.m. to 11 p.m.): Temperatures will be very slow to fall during the evening, not falling below 95 degrees until after 8 p.m. Temps are still expected to be in the low 90s by the time many fireworks shows start around 9 p.m.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Friday and Saturday

A weak cold front is expected to push into Texas by the end of the week and into the weekend. For San Antonio, it will bring a few showers and thunderstorms to the region, but overall chances will be low, 10% on Friday, rising to 20% or 30% on Saturday.

The future radar Saturday evening shows scattered showers and thunderstorms for parts of Central and South Texas. Pivotal Weather

Temperatures on Friday will rise to the upper 90s or to near 100 degrees yet again. As the front moves closer on Saturday, temperatures may drop a few degrees, topping out between 96 and 98 in the Alamo City.

Watching the tropics

Hurricane Beryl will continue moving into the western Caribbean Sea on Thursday, likely encountering a good deal of wind shear that will work to weaken the hurricane. Beryl is expected to make landfall in the Yucatan Peninsula early Friday, which will cause the storm to weaken further into a tropical storm.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

By Friday evening, Beryl will move back over open waters into the Gulf of Mexico. From there, gradual strengthening is possible as it moves northwest toward the Mexico and Texas coasts. Its very possible that Beryl could regain hurricane strength.

Hurricane Beryls forecast track shows the storm approaching the coastline in northern Mexico by late Sunday and Monday. National Hurricane Center

There is still a great deal of uncertainty as to exactly where Beryl will make its next landfall, whether it be on the east coast of Mexico, the Rio Grande Valley, or farther north toward Corpus Christi and Rockport. All areas along the Texas coast should be monitoring the weather and be prepared to take action if the situation calls for it.

Because of San Antonios location 150 miles inland, we dont have to worry about a direct landfall. However, Beryl may provide enhanced rain chances starting late Sunday and continuing Monday and Tuesday. Parts of South Texas could experience flooding from tropical rain, but the exact area that may see the heaviest rainfall is still uncertain.
Art Haddaway Owasso Reporter Editor Follow Art Haddaway 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 rich piece of Owassos history will anchor a new housing development currently under construction at 96th Street and Garnett Road.

A large silo used to store cattle feed at a dairy farm owned by Owasso rancher Hayward Smith in the early 1940s will give the upcoming $25 million neighborhood, The Silo at Smith Farm, its historic namesake.

We wanted to keep and name the land after it, Capital Homes owner David Charney said of the local landmark. I didnt want to take that silo down that Ive seen since I was 7 years old. Its a cool feature of Owassos past.

Smith, considered a patriarch of Owassos early development, operated the farm until the mid-1970s. The land has since sat vacant until mid-2023 when Charneys company broke ground on the development.

The 15-acre gated neighborhood will feature 62 three- to four-bedroom/two-bath home sites, ranging from 1,244 to 1,813 square feet between $290,000 and $390,00. It will also include a paved walking trail and community park.

The Silos is nestled behind an additional 3.4 acres of newly built restaurants and commercial storefronts along the high-traffic intersection  an expansion that Charney said was conducive for further housing development.

We wanted to provide a feeling of a closely knit community, he said. Owasso has many beautiful subdivisions and neighborhoods, but very few had any capacity for  them (residents) to truly be able to walk for the morning cup of coffee or to walk across to grab a dinner.

Vertical construction is expected to begin this August. Capital Homes is currently pre-selling lots and anticipates the first round of homes to be completed by the end of 2024.

The preservation of Smith Farms silo caught the attention of Owasso History Museum director Marilyn Hinkle, who was glad to see a part of her hometowns history continue to live on amid the citys ongoing commercial and residential growth.

Owasso was a farming, livestock community for a number of years, Hinkle said. It (the silo) holds a lot of the history that we still have.
Despite their exorbitant pricing, many luxury condominium buildings in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City remain in high demand, which can be attributed to a lack of available units on the market.

One weekend, the show flats of a high-end condominium building located in Tay Mo Ward, Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi were packed with buyers looking to buy an apartment.

The project provides luxury apartments of various sizes at VND60 million (US$2,357) to VND95 million ($3,732) per square meter.

Hoang Nga, a real estate agent for HTV International Development Investment JSC, stated that her company has put many luxury apartments of the L.M.E. project for sale, with prices ranging from VND75 million ($2,948) to VND95 million per square meter.

"The project developer has not raised prices for more than a year; nevertheless, the rates will be hiked for the first time, with a 3-5-percent increase," Nga said.

"As a result, customers should act promptly to take advantage of the current discounts and lending support."

At the T.S.P. project in an urban zone that has been operational in Hanoi for the past three years, the foundation for five blocks of apartment complexes with over 4,000 flats is under construction.

Customers look at the mock-up of a real estate project in Hanoi. Photo: Quang The / Tuoi Tre

According to some real estate agents working near the T.S.P. project, clients have already booked units there, even though it will not formally open for sale until August 2024.

Apartment prices at the W.T.R. project, located along National Highway 32 in Hoai Duc District, Hanoi, are projected to fetch VND43-60 million ($1,690-2,357) per square meter, depending on the location.

Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper's analysis indicates that before 2022, the price of a commercial flat was less than VND30 million ($1,178) per square meter, while a social housing apartment cost roughly VND15 million ($589) per square meter.

It is surprising to learn that in mid-2023, the owner of another project, located about one kilometer from the W.T.R. commercial apartment complex, was forced to launch the sale for the 27th time because over 120 units could not be sold or rented.

An official from a real estate company in Hanoi noted that flats in huge residential areas are in high demand due to the abundance of surrounding infrastructure and facilities, such as parks, swimming pools, amusement parks, schools, and hospitals.

"Luxury apartments with available amenities are sought after by many wealthy people who want to buy them for residential purposes," stated T.D.H, a real estate professional.

"There is significant demand for small high-end apartments for leasing so far more transactions have been recorded in comparison to sales at projects launched in 2022 and 2023."

According to Ministry of Construction data, the total number of successful transactions in the national property market increased to 133,512 in the first quarter of 2024 from 109,066 in the first quarter of last year.

In January 2024, out of 133,512 transactions, 35,853 were for apartment buildings and 97,659 for unoccupied land. The apartment market continues to attract people looking to buy a home or invest in the medium and long terms.

According to the Vietnam National Real Estate Association, as the property market recovers, brokerage has been gradually reviving, with an increasing number of brokers returning to the industry, particularly since the beginning of the year.

Promotions are common in residential buildings in Ho Chi Minh City to attract clients. Photo: Ngoc Hien / Tuoi Tre

Ho Chi Minh City: Several projects see positive market absorption

Tran Manh Chi, deputy general director of Dong Tay Property Company, told Tuoi Tre that recent transactions show most are driven by genuine client needs for property purchases.

He cited a project on Mai Chi Tho Street in Thu Duc City as an example.

Despite a steep apartment reservation deposit of up to VND125 million ($4,920) per square meter, bookings reached 70-80 percent of the 700 units available for sale.

Similarly, in another premium apartment project in Binh Thanh District, approximately 100 condos have been sold, each priced at VND9 billion ($353,592).

In another large apartment development with thousands of flats in Thu Duc, around 40-60 units are sold per week, indicating that while market demand has not surged significantly, it is still moving in a healthy direction.

Chi said that a high-rise structure in a residential project in Thu Duc has recently seen an unusually large number of bookings at VND48.6 million ($1,909) per square meter.

Simultaneously, Phu My Hung Development Corporation in District 7, which is selling apartments for The Horizon, The Aurora, and L'Arcade projects, has witnessed a surge in client demand.

All apartments in The Aurora project have been sold, except for a few shophouses, while only about eight percent of the flats remain in The Horizon project.

Despite just opening for sale, the low-rise Phu My Hung L'Arcade building with 37 apartments has seen strong absorption.

According to the sales director of a foreign real estate company, aside from a small number of investors, most consumers nowadays have a real need for homes.

Due to a shortage of supply, along with rising land fees and costs, many developers are focusing on the high-end property segment.

"We find that Hanoi's market absorption is better than that of Ho Chi Minh City, and most of the customers in Hanoi bought houses for their own use," the salesman stated.

Le Hoang Chau, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association, stated that only a few developments with full legal documentation are available for sale on the market because of land bank limitations and many projects not yet completing legal procedures.

Many property developers have leveraged their market advantage to mainly launch luxury apartment buildings, with some marketing their mid-range products as high-end units.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam!
South Korean steel giant Posco desires to exploit rare earths in Vietnam, while Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. eyes investment in thermal power in the Southeast Asian nation, heard the meetings between Vietnams Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and leaders of six major South Korean firms in Seoul on Wednesday.

Another South Korean group, LG Display, is planning to double its production capacity in Vietnam.

These meetings were part of the Vietnamese government leaders four-day visit to South Korea, which was set to wrap up on Wednesday.

During their talks, these firms expressed their belief in the strong growth of bilateral ties between the two nations and appreciated the significant improvements in Vietnam's business climate.

At the meeting with PM Chinh, Chang In Hwa, chairman of Posco, showed his interest in rare earth mining and processing in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese premier said that Vietnam is working to boost international cooperation and attract investment in rare earth mining with priority for high technology, sustainable exploitation, and environmental protection.

The Vietnamese government leader also suggested Posco join liquefied natural gas (LNG) power projects in Thanh Hoa and Nghe An Provinces, north-central Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Jung Won Ju, chairman of Daewoo E&C and chairman of the Korea Housing Builders Association, told PM Chinh that his company expects to get involved in key power projects in Vietnam such as O Mon thermal power facilities No. 3 and 4, and Hai Dang and Long An LNG plants.

The leader of the South Korean construction company hoped that the firm would successfully develop a smart city model at the Tay Ho Tay urban area in Hanoi and build more new urban areas in other localities.

During his reception for Jung, PM Chinh underlined that developing new urban areas and spurring urbanization are Vietnams long-term development strategies.

The premier also welcomed Daewoo E&Cs intention to expand its operations in infrastructure, energy, and smart urban model aspects in Vietnam.

Vietnams Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) talks to Jung Won Ju, chairman of Daewoo E&C. Photo: Nhat Bac

During talks with PM Chinh, Cheoldong Jeong, CEO of LG Display, emphasized that Vietnam is the firms key global production base.

He revealed that the company would continue investing in its LG Innotek Plant in Hai Phong City, which specializes in producing camera modules, to double its production capacity.

PM Chinh also suggested LG Display raise its localization rate and partner with more Vietnamese firms to strengthen its production and supply chain.

Encouraging South Korean enterprises to expand their reach in Vietnam, the premier affirmed that the government would support them and make it easier for these investors to succeed in the Southeast Asian nation.

Vietnams Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) welcomes LG Displays plan to expand its production scale in Vietnam. Photo: Nhat Bac

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Many international students, including those from prestigious universities in Asia, have opted to serve internships at companies in Ho Chi Minh City.

Among these students are five students who are interning at AIVision Joint Stock Company (AIVision), which specializes in AI solutions, in Phu Nhuan District.

Of the five, three are enrolled at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the others come from Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

These are two prestigious universities in Singapore, holding high positions in the latest QS World University Rankings announced by the UK-based education organization Quacquarelli Symonds.

Among the five students is Choy Qi Hui, a Singaporean majoring in analytical data science at the NUS Faculty of Science, who came to the company in May for a three-month internship, along with the other interns.

Choys team has been assigned to support the front-end programming (website interface) for the companys new chatbot, and the team must update their work progress weekly.

Our internship work is not too difficult, partly thanks to the enthusiastic guidance of our senior colleagues," Choy said.

"However, there are still some gaps between what I have learned in the classroom and the actual work.

"What we have absorbed at school is more theoretical, while what we are practicing requires practical knowledge and skills.

Going abroad for an internship will help him learn more than staying home; moreover, Vietnam is a rapidly developing country with a lot of potential both technologically and economically, Choy said when explaining his choice to intern overseas.

If they want to build a career in Southeast Asia in the future, students need to have a clear understanding of businesses and markets in the region.

Overseas internships will help me obtain a lot of useful things that are essential for my future orientation, Choy said.

Yang Yihan, a student majoring in data science and economics at the NUS Faculty of Science, added that besides choosing a country for their internships, students will also have to select a company whose lines of business are suitable for their majors.

Huynh Van Hoa Hiep, CEO of AIVision, revealed that the firm offers VND5 million (US$200) to each of the Singaporean interns every month.

However, Hiep asserted that it is not the money but the opportunity to practice professional skills and gain practical work experience that has motivated the Singaporean students to intern at the company.

In recent years, IVS Joint Stock Company, a software company in District 3, has received many international interns, mostly from Japan.

Among them, many come from famous schools including Kyoto University, the Kyoto Institute of Technology, and others, said Pham Thanh Huu, director of IVS.

With an internship term ranging from three months to a year, the interns have practiced in different positions from sales assistant to engineer.

"Japanese students are very active and often do not worry much about whether the assigned work aligns with their majors," Huu commented.

"This is quite different from Vietnamese students who prefer to engage in tasks that are relevant to their fields of study."

For many Japanese students, when assigned tasks outside of what they have learned in school, they still accept them and strive to perform well to gain experience, Huu stated.

"In general, international students have contributed their time and efforts to IVSs projects," he added.

"To attract international interns, every company needs to have international connections.

"For example, we have activities connecting with universities and associations in Japan, which serve as bridges for international students to come to us for their internships."

Le Nhat Quang, director of the Innovative Entrepreneurship Center under the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City, said that some universities in Singapore often integrate overseas internship courses into their training programs.

These courses will be offered either in developed countries, such as the U.S., Australia, and European nations, or in Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, Quang said.

NUS, NTU, and the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) now have connections with the center and many startups here to arrange for Singaporean students to have internships in Vietnam, he added.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol affirmed his countrys commitment to assist Vietnam in training the workforce for semiconductor and hi-tech industries, as well as developing the cultural industry, during his talks with Vietnams Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Seoul on Tuesday.

The South Korean president also pledged to help Vietnam successfully host the fourth Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit in April 2025.

The South Korean leader expressed his pleasure to meet with PM Chinh, underlining that the latters visit to the East Asian nation would contribute to boosting the implementation of an action program aimed at fostering the comprehensive strategic partnership between Hanoi and Seoul.

He underscored that South Korea sees Vietnam as one of its key partners in its foreign policy.

Meanwhile, PM Chinh emphasized that Vietnam supports South Koreas major policies and is willing to collaborate with the latter for mutual development.

The leaders of the two nations reached a consensus on closer cooperation to deepen economic relations in a bid to raise two-way trade to US$100 billion in 2025 and $150 billion in 2030.

The Vietnamese premier also hinted at encouraging South Korean companies to beef up their investment in the semiconductor, digital transformation, green transition, and bio-technology fields in Vietnam.

A general view of a meeting between Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right side) and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on July 2, 2024. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Besides, PM Chinh proposed the South Korean side ramp up its provision of loans through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) and Economic Development Promotion Facility (EDPF) for Vietnam to execute strategic traffic infrastructure projects.

Mentioning the investment climate, Yoon said that many South Korean firms assess Vietnam as a potential destination.

He expected Vietnam to create favorable conditions for South Korean enterprises to join key projects such as energy and liquefied natural gas power projects.

During their talks, the two leaders agreed to enhance cooperation in culture, education, and tourism, while bolstering collaboration at regional and international forums.

They were also committed to protecting the interests of citizens of the two nations and helping them have a stable life in the other country.

PM Chinh was set to end his visit to South Korea on Wednesday.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Check out the latest news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol affirmed his countrys commitment to assist Vietnam in training the workforce for semiconductor and hi-tech industries, as well as developing the cultural industry, during his talks with Vietnams Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Seoul on Tuesday.

-- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his South Korean counterpart Han Duck Soo on Tuesday witnessed the signing of nine cooperation deals between both nations ministries and agencies in various fields such as economy, trade, investment, education, and startup ecosystems, as part of the top Vietnamese officials trip to South Korea from Sunday to Wednesday.

Business

-- Vietnams budget carrier Vietjet has launched a new direct air service linking Ho Chi Minh City with Xian, the provincial capital city of Shaanxi Province in China, with four round-trip flights per week, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Society

-- A hi-tech livestock farm raising more than 20,000 pigs in Thanh Hoa Province, north-central Vietnam was forced to suspend operations from July 30 after it was found to have polluted the environment, Le Duc Giang, vice-chairman of the provincial administration, said on Tuesday afternoon.

-- Authorities in the northern mountainous provinces of Vietnam were asked to stay prepared for evacuation operations as extreme rainfall, accompanied by potential flooding, landslides, and flash floods, is expected to lash the region from Tuesday night to Thursday morning, according to an official dispatch signed by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang on Tuesday.

-- The administration of Bac Kan Province in northern Vietnam on Tuesday declared a local state of emergency on account of severe landslides which battered the headquarters of a police agency in Cho Don District, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

-- Police of Tien Giang Province in southern Vietnam confirmed on Tuesday that they had seized two cars for transporting more than 16,000 packs of suspected smuggled cigarettes in two separate cases earlier on the same day.

World News

-- At least 116 people, many of them women and children, were killed in a stampede at a Hindu religious gathering in northern India on Tuesday, authorities said, in one of the country's worst such tragedies in years, Reuters reported.

-- Hurricane Beryl barreled toward Jamaica as a powerful Category 4 storm on Tuesday after battering smaller islands in the eastern Caribbean, and scientists cited human-caused climate change as the likely culprit for the storm's rapid strengthening, according to Reuters.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
A hi-tech livestock farm raising more than 20,000 pigs in Thanh Hoa Province, north-central Vietnam was forced to suspend operations from July 30 after it was found to have polluted the environment, Le Duc Giang, vice-chairman of the provincial administration, said on Tuesday afternoon.

Giang ordered the suspension after heading a delegation to inspect the operations of the farm in Tan Phuc Commune, Lang Chanh District the same day.

The farm, established last year, is run by Agri-Vina Agriculture Investment JSC, which is headquarted in Hanoi.

After the farm was put into service for a while, residents of the district's Tan Phuc Commune and Lang Chanh Town complained to authorities that the farm caused environmental pollution and the foul smells from the farmed animals made their lives a misery.

During a working session with the farm operator, the delegation discovered that the farm was raising over 20,000 pigs, each weighing 40-100 kilograms.

The delegation also confirmed that the farm's operations gave off the foul odor which affected the neighborhood.

The awful odor was attributed to the improper management and operation of gas-powered generators, which led to biogas leaking into the atmosphere.

The odor control system of the pig farm. Photo: Ha Dong / Tuoi Tre

The odor control system was in poor condition, while the use of chemicals and microbial products to reduce farm odors was inadequate.

Despite the operator's efforts to reduce emissions and bad smells, the measures were ineffective.

Local authorities had earlier inspected the farm and ordered it to address the issue, but the pollution showed no signs of abating and provoked concerns among local inhabitants.

Speaking at the working session, a representative from Agri-Vina Agriculture Investment JSC accepted responsibility for the farm's bad odors affecting residential areas.

They apologized to the authorities and residents and promised to take remedial measures by August 5.

Wrapping up the working session, vice-chairman Giang asked the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Lang Chanh authorities to supervise the remedial action of the farm and report its progress to the provincial administration.

The farm will be allowed to resume operations if its remedial action meets authorities requirements.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Authorities in the northern mountainous provinces of Vietnam were asked to stay prepared for evacuation operations as extreme rainfall, accompanied by potential flooding, landslides, and flash floods, is expected to hit the region from Tuesday night to Thursday morning, according to an official dispatch signed by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang on Tuesday.

The region could see rainfall ranging between 40mm and 80mm, and even more than 150mm in several locations, during this period, the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting said.

The national weather agency also warned of rising water levels in the upstream areas of the Da, Thao, and Lo Rivers, flash floods and landslides in mountainous locations, and inundation in low-lying places.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said in the dispatch that the rainy and flooding season is at its peak in the northern part of the country, demanding that the heads of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, other ministries, and local authorities remain vigilant against natural disaster risks to prevent weather-related damage to people and their assets.

The government leader asked local authorities to examine areas prone to flooding, flash floods, and landslides to promptly launch evacuation and rescue operations.

They have to dispatch forces to stand guard over locations vulnerable to flooding and landslides to ensure human and traffic safety.

Provinces in the region and relevant ministries were told to adopt measures to safely operate irrigation and hydropower reservoirs to ensure safety for infrastructure facilities in the downstream areas.

PM Chinh asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to closely supervise weather developments and inform relevant agencies of natural disaster risks.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Anthony Franze is a native Texan and very passionate about covering any weather that is thrown at him. He can be reached at anthony.franze@express-news.net.

Anthony earned a degree in Meteorology from Valparaiso University in 2017. He has worked as a broadcast meteorologist for six years, one at NBC Montana and the next five at NewsWest 9 in Midland before joining the Express-News in July 2023.

In his free time, Anthony enjoys watching sports, checking out local restaurants and breweries, and getting outside whenever the heat allows for it. If you have any story ideas, questions about the weather or restaurant suggestions, drop him a line.
Vietnam has the highest proportion of motorbikes and mopeds among all passenger vehicles in Southeast Asia, making up 96 percent of the total vehicle share, according to research by Bain & Company, GenZero, Standard Chartered Bank, and Temasek.

Cars represent the remaining four percent.

The research done in six Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia, shows that most residents in these countries prefer two-wheeled vehicles to four-wheelers.

Indonesia holds a motorbike share of 88 percent, followed by Thailand with 69 percent and the Philippines with 63 percent.

Meanwhile, people in Malaysia and Singapore prefer cars to motorbikes and mopeds.

Despite the popularity of motorbikes in Southeast Asia, the motorbike sales industry is facing myriad challenges.

The percentage share of passenger vehicles by type used in six Southeast Asian countries in 2024. Graphic: Bain & Company

Motorbike sales in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand reached 2.7 million units in the first quarter of this year, declining 7.5 percent year on year, according to the Association of Southeast Asian Automobile Manufacturers Association.

Singapore was the only country in the region to record an increase in motorbike sales during the period with more than 3,000 units sold, inching up 8.5 percent.

In Vietnam, five members of the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturer, namely Honda Vietnam, Piaggio Vietnam, Suzuki Vietnam, SYM Vietnam, and Yamaha Motor Vietnam, sold over 603,000 vehicles in the first quarter, down nearly five percent against the year-ago period.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Vietnamese artists Hien Phuoc and Thanh Hoa won the Grand Prix prize, the highest award at an international circus festival held in Yakutsk, Russia from June 27 to 30 for their circus act titled Moment of Love.'

Luu Thi Bich Lien, deputy director of Phuong Nam Art Theater in Ho Chi Minh City, who is the trainer of Hien Phuoc and Thanh Hoa, said the festival is held every four years.

This year's edition, which is the seventh version, gathered nearly 100 artists from 12 countries and territories, such as China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.

Thanh Hoa told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that she and Hien Phuoc had joined many international circus competitions but they were still nervous to wait for the result of this fest.

Thanh Hoa (R, 2nd) and Hien Phuoc (L, 2nd) pose for a photo with Le Dien (L), director of Phuong Nam Art Theater in Ho Chi Minh City, and Luu Thi Bich Lien, deputy director of the theater. Photo: Supplied

In 2023 and 2024, their Moment of Love performance won various prizes at international circus festivals, including a gold medal at an international circus festival in Almaty City, Kazakhstan; a silver at an international circus festival in Russia; and another silver at an international circus festival in Bulgaria.

It was also honored as an excellent performance at Great Wall Cup, an international circus festival in China.

Lien spoke highly of the artists diligence to make their performance a harmonious combination of techniques and art.

They always try to take advantage of opportunities to prove their ability and learn from international circus artists, Lien added.

The performance of Vietnamese circus artists Hien Phuoc and Thanh Hoa

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Arshad Ahmed, TwoCircles.net

Guwahati: In a recent speech at a felicitation program, celebrating the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma repeatedly labelled Bengal-origin Muslims in the state as communal.

Support TwoCircles



Clearly implicating the Bengal-origin Muslim community without naming them explicitly, he stated, I say it with pride that the Hindu community in Assam did not resort to appeasement politics; they voted based on merit. However, a particular community engaged in tactical voting such that despite the development in their area, the entire community gave 100% of their votes to the Congress party.

If there is one community that engages in communalism, it is only one community and one religion that does so. No other religion participates in communalism. This election proves it, he further said.

This followed the saffron partys main opponent in the state, the Congress, winning three out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats with a 37.48% vote share  an increase of 1.69% from the previous 35.79%.

According to Sarma, the Congresss sweep of the three Lok Sabha seats  Nagaon, Jorhat and Dhubri  resulted from Bangladesh-origin minorities overwhelmingly voting for the Congress.

He elaborated, stating, The Congress and its allies garnered 80 lakh voteswith a vote share exceeding 39%. Our (BJP-led alliance) received 47%, but the 39% does not accurately represent the true data.

Sarma further noted that half of the votes for the Congress and its allies came from 21 assembly constituencies where Bengal-origin Muslims, often referred to disparagingly as Miyas in the state, constitute the majority population. However, the chief minister did not specify the names of these 21 constituencies.

He also remarked that marginalised Bangla-speaking Muslims bravely voted for the Congress despite benefiting from government schemes provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This level of blatant communalism has never been seen before, he emphasised.

Political observers and leaders from the state, speaking to TwoCircles.net, remarked that the chief ministers recent criticism of Bangala-speaking Muslims is viewed as Himanta Biswa Sarmas continued strategy of communal and anti-Muslim politics aimed at garnering support from the majority voters.

With the AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front led by Maulana Badruddin Ajmal) losing its prominent position in the electoral landscape, the BJP is intensifying its polarising tactics to solidify its position, said a journalist, who covers the Northeast for a Delhi-based publication, requesting anonymity.

The AIUDF, known for championing the cause of Bengali-speaking Muslims, lost all three seats it contested, including Dhubri where its leader Ajmal was defeated by Congress candidate Rakibul Hussain by a margin exceeding 10 lakh votes.

Sarmas assertion that the Congress has transformed into a completely Muslim party resonates, given that Muslims, constituting 40% of the states electorate, have rallied behind the Congress in Assam.

A political science professor at Pramathesh Barua College in Dhubri, Assam, observes that Sarmas post-election remarks targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims reveal his frustration over failing to secure Hindu votes, even in constituencies where Hindus form the majority.

Sarma is not concerned about the Muslim votes, the professor remarked, preferring anonymity. His worry lies in the erosion of his consolidation of Hindu votes.

Interrogations and Church Surveys

Recently, Bengali-speaking Muslims have not been the sole minority community targeted by the BJP-led government in Assam.

In May, shortly before the second phase of the elections, the Karbi Anglong district police made a sudden appearance at the Diphu Baptist Church, Rev. Solomon Rongpi of the Baptist Church told TwoCircles.net.

He stated that 10-15 churches across the district were simultaneously surveyed by Village Defense Party (VDP) cadres, grassroots police volunteers described as the eyes and ears of the Assam police.

The surveys were conducted to ensure the security and safety of Christian institutions following a complaint by a Christian organisation about threats from a Hindutva group, according to the Karbi Anglong police.

Previously, two lesser-known Hindutva outfits from the state  the Kutumba Surakshya Parishad and the Sanmilita Sanatan Samaj  had issued ultimatums to remove Christian symbols and statues from missionary schools and to cease anti-Bharat activities.

However, the polices explanation for surveying the churches has been met with scepticism. If it was merely a survey, why were the police asking irrelevant questions to church members? Why were they taking photographs? questioned Rev. Primingson Mallick, general secretary of the Karbi Anglong Christian Forum.

The Karbi Anglong police, nevertheless, maintained that the visits were intended to assess the safety and security of churches following a directive from the director general of police, as reported by The Times of India.

These surveys on churches in the state have increased notably since early 2023. Previously, a letter from Assams Special Branch in 2022 instructed police officers to gather information on churches allegedly involved in religious conversions. When this directive from the Assam police faced strong criticism from Christian groups and political leaders, Sarma distanced himself from the letter.

Allen Brooks, spokesperson for the Assam Christian Forum and the United Christian Forum, expressed concern over the actions of the Assam police. The perpetrators, he remarked, referring to the Hindutva groups, are moving freely. What actions have the Assam police taken?

Passing an Anti-Christian Bill

Adding to the unease within the Christian community is a recent bill enacted by the Assam government: the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024.

This legislation aims to prohibit and eliminate practices of magical healing under the guise of treatment.

Brooks believes that such a law targeting Christians, who constitute 3.74% of the states population of over 3.6 crore, appears to have communal undertones.

What is alarming is that the chief minister publicly stated, We are introducing a bill to curb evangelism, he remarked.

The bill has not only stirred apprehension among Christians but has also prompted the community to question its rationale.

In our context, healing is not synonymous with proselytization. It is a compassionate response to human suffering, regardless of religious affiliations, explained a pastor from the Assam Christian Forum.

What this government is doing is pushing through an anti-Christian bill.

The legislation has drawn criticism not only from politicians but also from religious groups in Assams two neighbouring states with Christian majorities  Meghalaya and Nagaland.

The Nagaland Baptist Church Council, one of the largest church councils in Northeast India, condemned the bill as one of the most insensitive acts of religious bigotry. They questioned, If serving humanity is seen as a threat, how can we peacefully coexist?

Sarmas political counterparts in Assam share similar concerns. Sarma is engaging in communal politics. He is pandering to impress the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh  the parent organisation of all Hindu right-wing groups, including the BJP  and will continue targeting minorities, a Congress leader from Assam remarked.

Did Sarmas Hindutva Agenda Cost the NDA in Northeast?

The NDA, led by the BJP, faced a significant setback in the 2024 general elections by failing to secure any seats in Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Manipur. The alliance lost all six seats it contested across these states.

Sarma, who also serves as the convenor of a coalition of BJP-led political parties from the Northeast, was quick to attribute NDAs poor performance in these states to the Christian community.

A particular religion openly opposed the NDA in those regions, he remarked. This religion has a substantial following, and that made a decisive impact.

Leaders from the Northeast region swiftly criticised Sarmas remarks. Many, including his counterparts from other states, blamed his aggressive Hindutva stance and his partys policies for contributing to the NDAs dismal showing in these states.

The journalist previously quoted concurs with this view. According to them, Sarmas actions such as church surveys, the passage of the anti-healing bill and the perceived threats from Hindutva groups targeting Christian institutions may have played a role in the NDAs electoral defeat.

Other contributing factors include policies like the scrapping of the Free Movement regime along the Indo-Myanmar border, the Uniform Civil Code, new forest laws and statements perceived as against minorities, they noted, highlighting that the handling of ethnic tensions in Manipur also impacted the NDAs overall performance in these four states.
(Reuters) - Sanofi and partner Regeneron on Wednesday won European Union approval for wider use of their Dupixent injection in patients with a chronic lung disease, a rare case of the EU clearing a drug faster than the United States.

The EU Commission approved Dupixent to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in patients that cannot be helped by standard inhaled drugs, Sanofi said in a statement, following a recommendation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) at the end of May.

The debilitating disease is also known as 'smoker's lungs' because in western countries it primarily affects cigarette smokers.

For its part, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May pushed back the deadline for reviewing Dupixent in COPD by three months to Sept. 27 as it demanded additional efficacy data.

The potentially deadly disease, which causes restricted airflow and breathing problems, affects nearly 16 million U.S. adults and over 35 million people in Europe, according to government data.

French drugmaker Sanofi said in April it expects the target patient population eligible for the drug to be roughly 300,000 patients in the U.S. alone.

In Europe, the final decision rests with the European Commission, which usually follows EMA's guidance.

The drug is already approved in many countries for various immune system-related conditions like asthma and eczema.

Sanofi reported 10.7 billion euros in 2023 Dupixent revenues, which includes Regeneron's share, and has forecast about 13 billion euros for this year.

($1 = 0.9215 euros)

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by GV De Clercq)
By Florion Goga

TIRANA (Reuters) - Thousands of Albanians gathered in Tirana on Wednesday to pay tribute to their country's best-known novelist Ismail Kadare, who died on Monday after a heart attack.

Albanians from Albania, Kosovo and other countries in the region flocked to the capital to pay their respects to Kadare's coffin, covered with the red and black national flag.

Others applauded and threw flowers when his casket was carried to a hearse for a private funeral in Tirana.

Albania declared two days of mourning, and neighboring Kosovo, which has a more than 90% ethnic Albanian majority, also declared a mourning day on Wednesday.

Kadare, who split his time between Albania and France, was the Balkan country's best-known novelist and his works were published in 45 languages, but he repeatedly irked his homeland's former Communist rulers.

In 1975, he was sent to do manual labor in a remote village after publishing a satirical poem which took aim at Albania's Communist bureaucracy.

"He came, wrote and left," said Prime Minister Edi Rama during a speech close to Kadare's coffin at the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet, near an art installation depicting the hands and scarf of another famous Albanian, Mother Theresa.

He "received all the possible praises and honors of the world, and all possible... insults from the country that gave birth to him", Rama said.

"He was not just a writer. He represented the feelings of all Albanians of all time in history," Angjelina Xhara, a filmmaker who also worked with Kadare, said tearfully.

Kadare gained recognition in 1963 with his novel "The General of the Dead Army", and received numerous awards including the Man Booker International Prize in 2005, the Prince of Asturias Prize for the Arts in 2009, and the America Award in Literature in 2023.

He was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature 15 times.

Kadare sought political asylum in France in 1990 after receiving threats following his criticism of the government and calls for democracy.

Last year, French President Emmanuel Macron awarded him the title of Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour.

Kadare was born in the town of Gjirokaster in 1936. He is survived by his wife, the author Helena Kadare, and their two daughters.

(Writing by Fatos Bytyci; Editing by Jan Harvey)
ROME (Reuters) - A rescue ship funded by British street artist Banksy has been grounded at port for 20 days for ignoring migrant disembarkation orders from Italian authorities, the charity running the vessel said on Wednesday.

The Louise Michel ship had been told to take 37 people rescued at sea to Pozzallo in Sicily, but instead took them to the island of Lampedusa, saying the sea was too rough to reach its prescribed destination.

"Our rescue ship MV Louise Michel has been detained for 20 days in the port of Lampedusa," the Louise Michel charity wrote on X. "We were informed that the ship is now detained for not following the order to disembark in Sicily," it added.

Italy's right-wing government has faced criticism for restricting the activities of charity rescue ships, including orders to take migrants to distant ports, increasing their fuel costs and taking them away from search and rescue areas.

Banksy, who keeps his identity secret, is known for his social and political activism. The charity and the 30-metre-long rescue vessel he is sponsoring are named after Louise Michel, a 19th century French feminist anarchist.

(Reporting by Romolo Tosiani; Editing by Alvise Armellini and Tomasz Janowski)
By Catarina Demony

LISBON (Reuters) - Europe is building strong networks, including with Latin American countries, to fight organised drug criminal groups, one of the biggest threats facing society today, the European home affairs commissioner said on Wednesday.

"You have strong criminal networks (but) we are building even stronger networks to fight you," Ylva Johansson warned drug smuggling and trafficking groups at the launch of the new European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA). "This threat is as big as the terrorism threat."

The new drug agency, which replaces the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction set up in 1993, has a "stronger mandate" to gird the EU's fight against drugs.

Working with Latin America and other regions was crucial to tackle drug-related challenges, Johansson said.

The new agency has signed a cooperation pact with Ecuador, where much of the drugs entering Europe hail from.

In a report last month, the EUDA said almost 70% of drug seizures by EU customs occurred in the bloc's ports, with large quantities of cocaine detected in shipping containers.

Some associations were concerned countries in Europe could adopt more punitive strategies in their drug-policy approach as European politics tilts to the right.

"There is a real risk populist policies and securitisation agendas will negatively impact drug policies," said Marie Nougier, head of research at the global NGO network, the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC).

Nougier said the new agency's mandate puts the focus on health and human rights.

Asked if she had similar concerns, Johansson said: "This agency is very well respected...and politicians are listening," adding she was confident this would continue to be the case.

(Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
Catholic Church to Canonize First Gamer Saint to Resonate with Young People

In a groundbreaking decision by the Vatican, Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager known for his passion for video games and faith, is set to become the Catholic Church's first millennial saint.

Carlo Acutis, who died from leukemia at the age of 15 in 2006, is celebrated for his significant impact in using technology to spread Catholicism, leading to him being called "God's influencer." His path to becoming a saint has gained immense recognition, especially among young Catholics globally.

Read Also: Star Wars: Hunters by Zynga Now Available for Sci-Fi Shooter Fans

Rapid Progress Towards Sainthood

The process of canonization within the Catholic Church typically involves rigorous scrutiny and the validation of miracles attributed to the candidate. In May, Pope Francis acknowledged a second miracle linked to Acutis, a pivotal step that paved the way for his imminent canonization. Recently, the Vatican confirmed the pope's decree, solidifying Acutis' place among the ranks of saints.

Acutis' canonization ceremony is anticipated to occur during the Catholic Church's jubilee year celebrations in 2025, an event expected to draw thousands to St Peter's Square in Vatican City. This momentous occasion will formally declare Acutis a saint, allowing parishes and schools worldwide to honor him annually on a designated feast day.

Embracing Modernity and Holiness

Born in 1991 in London, Carlo Acutis embodied the millennial generation's affinity for technology and gaming, enjoying titles like Halo, Super Mario, and Pokemon. Beyond his digital pursuits, he dedicated himself to documenting reported miracles and helping the less fortunate, reflecting a deep commitment to modernity while embracing the call to holiness in contemporary times.

His mother, Antonia Salzano, spoke of Acutis as a beacon of hope, underscoring his message that holiness remains achievable amid today's technological advancements. Acutis' life serves as a reminder that compassion and faith transcend generational boundaries, resonating profoundly with youths navigating an increasingly digital world.

Related Article: Halo: Combat Evolved Remaster May Arrive on PlayStation, Fable and Gears 6 Stay Xbox-Exclusive
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
By Maria Martinez

BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's budget committee approved the purchase of tanks, ammunition and air defence systems worth more than 6 billion euros ($6.48 billion) on Wednesday, sources told Reuters.

Days after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz surprised allies by announcing a "Zeitenwende"  German for a historic turning point - with a 100-billion-euro special fund to bring the military back up to speed.

The arms purchases authorised on Wednesday include 105 Leopard 2 A8 tanks from arms maker KNDS for 2.93 billion euros, the sources said.

There is also a deal to buy up to 200,000 shells of artillery ammunition for up to 1.3 billion euros from Diehl and Nammo.

Furthermore, four PATRIOT air defence systems will be bought for a total of 1.35 billion euros, according to sources.

"Today, the budget committee once again made important procurement decisions that make the "Zeitenwende" proclaimed by the Chancellor a reality," members of the committee from the three parties in the ruling coalition said in a joint statement.

The statement did not give details of the purchases or their value but said they would help Germany's military plan for the next decade and provide Ukraine with urgently needed supplies.

After the meeting with the budget committee, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said that in the first half of the year projects with a total value of almost 27 billion have been approved.

'URGENTLY NEEDED' INVESTMENTS

"These are long-term, important and urgently needed investments in our troops and thus in our security," Pistorius said.

Some Leopard tanks will equip a German combat brigade in Lithuania being set up as part of NATO's deterrence against Russia, while others will reinforce the 300-tank force inside Germany, according to a budget draft seen by Reuters.

The German military expects to take delivery of the most advanced version of the tanks between 2027 and 2030.

Opposition members criticised the approval of the purchases given some of the funding has yet to be been clarified.

"The government must finally do its homework and ensure that these important projects are fully financed with the 2025 budget and the new mid-term finance plan until 2028," said Christian Haase, budget policy spokesperson of the conservative parliamentary group.

Budget infighting within Germany's governing coalition is jeopardising its plan to meet defence commitments to Western allies even as tensions with Russia rise.

Finance Minister Christian Lindner is rejecting calls by Pistorius to increase annual defence spending next year by 6.7 billion euros.

"As things stand today, all we know is that the finance ministry does not want to spend an additional euro and savings must be made in the existing budget. But Pistorius doesn't say where," said Ingo Gaedechens, a member of the budget committee from the conservatives.

Pistorius said the government would use commitment appropriations, which are pledges to pay, provided that certain conditions are fulfilled.

"Now we are not announcing what we can afford on the basis of the budget, we are announcing what we need for the country's defence capabilities and then seeing what we can get through," Pistorius said.

($1 = 0.9256 euros)

(Reporting by Maria Martinez and Sabine Siebold; Editing by Madeline Chambers and Christina Fincher)
By Krishna N. Das and Nidhi Verma

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A visit to Russia by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expected within days, could help dispel worries that New Delhi is getting too close to the West and further away from Moscow, ceding space to China, analysts said.

No dates have yet been set for the visit, although it has been confirmed by both sides. Indian media said Modi will be in Moscow next week, around the time of a NATO summit in Washington, at which Ukraine will be one of the main issues.

While the West has tried to isolate Putin, China, India and powers in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America have continued to build ties, with official figures showing rising trade with Russia.

"It will be a good opportunity for Moscow to project in the media the image of President Putin receiving a leader of a country like India in the context of the Washington summit," said Aleksei Zakharov, a Moscow-based expert on India.

"India's objective is to ensure that Russia is not in China's corner and that, even if it does not explicitly support India, it maintains a permanent neutrality in the India-China territorial disputes."

Ties between India and China have been frosty since a deadly border war in 2020.

The leaders of Russia and India have held annual summits since 2000 but the last in-person meeting was in 2021, when Putin visited Delhi.

The next meeting had been due in Moscow in 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, but it did not happen, while Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping elevated their ties, pledging a "new era" of partnership in May.

The two are meeting at a security summit on Wednesday in Kazakhstan, to which Modi has sent his foreign minister.

India has also been seeking to distance itself from its largest arms supplier, Russia, as the Ukraine war hobbled the latter's ability to supply munitions and spares.

The dearth of Modi's visits to Moscow had given "rise to speculation that there was some kind of drift in the Indo-Russia relationship," said analyst Nandan Unnikrishnan, of the Observer Research Foundation think tank in New Delhi.

"So I think Modi's visit will put an end to that kind of speculation," he said. "And we don't want to spoil our relationship with any party, whether it's Russia, the United States, or anyone because of another relationship."

India's foreign ministry declined to comment.

At a regular press conference last week, it said, "We have a very well established bilateral summit arrangement with the Russian Federation ... and are also preparing to hold the next summit."

On Tuesday, the Kremlin said deepening trade and economic ties would be a key theme of Modi's visit which was in the "final stage" of preparation.

Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said regional security and global security issues always figured high on the agenda of such meetings.

India, which has stepped up purchases of Russian oil shunned by the West, is expected to seek a discount higher than the current rate of $3 to $3.5 a barrel during the visit, sources said.

It will also seek formal approval for a unit of Oil and Natural Gas Corp to retain its stake of 20% in the Sakhalin 1 oil project in Russia's far east.

The unit, ONGC Videsh, and the oil ministries of India and Russia, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

India has also been keen to boost exports of pharmaceutical, machinery and other goods to Russia. Two-way trade jumped 33% to $65.7 billion in the last fiscal year that ended in March, with India's imports accounting for $61.43 billion.

(Reporting by Krishna N. Das and Nidhi Verma in New Delhi; Additional reporting by Aftab Ahmed in New Delhi and Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
By Sabine Siebold

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO allies have agreed to fund military aid for Ukraine with 40 billion euros ($43 billion) next year, two Western European diplomats told Reuters on Wednesday, a week before the alliance's leaders are set to meet in Washington.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg had asked allies to make a multi-year commitment to keep military aid for Kyiv at the same level as that since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, adding up to about 40 billion euros a year.

While the member states did not back Stoltenberg's original request for such a multi-year pledge, the pact includes a provision to re-evaluate allied contributions at future NATO summits, according to a diplomat.

Allies also decided to have two reports over the next year to establish which country supplies what to Ukraine, the diplomat said, to meet demands for more transparency over the burden sharing in the alliance.

Member states "will aim to meet this pledge through proportionate contributions", the agreement said.

The financial pledge is part of a broader Ukraine package that NATO leaders will agree when they gather for the Washington summit from July 9 to 11.

In June, allies decided that NATO would assume a greater role in co-ordinating arms supplies to Ukraine, taking over from the United States in a bid to safeguard the process as NATO-sceptic Donald Trump seeks a second term as U.S. president.

After Russia's invasion in 2022, the United States gathered like-minded nations at the Ramstein air base in Germany, forming a group of nations that now numbers about 50, which meets regularly to match Kyiv's arms requests with pledges of donors.

This so-called Ramstein group will continue to exist as a U.S.-led political forum but NATO will take over the military working level below that co-ordinates arms deliveries and training for Ukrainian troops.

The move is widely seen as a way to provide a degree of "Trump-proofing" by putting co-ordination under a NATO umbrella, giving the alliance a more direct role in the war against Russia, while stopping well short of committing its own forces.

But diplomats acknowledge such a move may have limited effect, as the United States is NATO's dominant power and provides the majority of weaponry to Ukraine.

So if Washington wanted to slash Western aid to Kyiv, it would still be able to do so.

However, allies are still at odds in the run-up to the Washington summit over whether, and how, to strengthen NATO's wording on Ukraine's future membership in the alliance.

NATO's official line is that Ukraine will join one day, but not while the country is at war. "Ukraine's future is in NATO," its leaders declared at last year's Vilnius summit.

Some allies want this language to be strengthened, suggesting the summit declare that Ukraine's path to membership is "irreversible", according to diplomats.

($1=0.9292 euros)

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten and Clarence Fernandez)
BJP should change its party symbol to Bulldozer: Kerala MP

In a sharpest attack on the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) over demolition of homes without following due judicial process, CPI (M) MP from Kerala in Rajya Sabha John Brittas said the ruling party should change its party symbol Lotus to Bulldozer'.

Wednesday July 3, 2024 7:55 PM , ummid.com News Network

New Delhi: In a sharpest attack on the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) over demolition of homes without following due judicial process, CPI (M) MP from Kerala in Rajya Sabha John Brittas said the ruling party should change its party symbol Lotus to Bulldozer'.

The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh first started demolishing homes belonging to Muslims, Dalits and other suppressed groups on the pretext of one charge or the other without following the due judicial process.

The discriminatory practice then was followed in other states ruled by the BJP including Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

The grossly inhuman practice was condemned at home and abroad, very recently by the United States Department of State.

Taking the criticism of the BJP to the new level, John Brittas said if the party is so proud of this inhuman action then it should replace its party symbol Lotus with Bulldozer.

The Prime Minister and ministers in his cabinet took oath of upholding the constitution of the country which guarantees equal rights to every citizen. But there is a huge difference between what they say in the house and do on the ground, he said while participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Address of the President Monday.

The PM took this oath for the 6th time. Yet he called Muslims infiltrators and those who have more children. Why sir? Why he used such words for Muslims? Didnt he violate the oath John Brittas asked in the Rajya Sabha.

I would request the BJP to change its symbol Lotus to Bulldozer. Now BJP members should use bulldozer as their party symbol.

Only the other day in Moradabad, we saw demolition of five houses. Bulldozer has become the symbol, he said.

You are changing history

In his speech in the Rajya Sabha, John Brittas also accused the BJP of changing the history of the country.

"For you Babri Masji is a '3 dome structure'. Tomorrow, you will say Gandhi died due to fever or flu, and Nathuram Godse had taken him to hospital for treatment", he said.

Criticising the recent changes in the NCERT textbooks, the CPI (M) MP from Kerala said

Slamming the BJPs communal politics, he said Hindu Lord Ram and all Hindu gods have deserted the party.

You were anyway not with Ram but with Nathu Ram, he said referring Godse, the murder of Mahatma Gandhi.

Speaking on the controversies surrounding NEET UG, UGC NET, CUET and other entrance exams conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), Brittas accused the BJP of destroying the federal structure of the country.

I studied at JNU. The JNU conducted entrance exams successfully and without any leak for 50 years. Now you introduced CUET. Simultaneously, you started talking aboutLove Jihad and Mark Jihad.

The only reason why you did all this and introduced CUET was to stop South Indian students from taking admissions in Delhi University., he said.

He also accused the BJP of taking donations through Electoral Bonds from various companies including from beef companies and coaching centres.

Watch the full speech

For you, Babri Masjid is a 3 dome structure. Our students will study in the future that that Gandhiji died of flu and Godse rushed him to the hospital.



- Comrade John Brittas MP.



A must watch. pic.twitter.com/ebzXPDk2MX  Advaid  (@Advaidism) July 2, 2024





Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
CJI Chandrachud urged to take suo moto action against communal violence, hate speech

The Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, has been urged to take suo moto notice of the spate of hate speeches resulting in violent hate crimes against the minority communities, and post haste pass orders instructing the Centre and state governments, as well as the police, to carry out their constitutional duties to protect the minorities, who are citizens of India and enjoy equal rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India

Wednesday July 3, 2024 10:08 AM , Pervez Bari

Bhopal: The Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, has been urged to take suo moto notice of the spate of hate speeches resulting in violent hate crimes against the minority communities, and post haste pass orders instructing the Centre and state governments, as well as the police, to carry out their constitutional duties to protect the minorities, who are citizens of India and enjoy equal rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India.

The Supreme Court of India must expressly order the police to act urgently and provide protection to minority communities, and prosecute hate mongers and those indulging in hate crimes. The SC must remind the police that they serve the constitution and not political bosses, a group of prominent citizens, leading social activists, intellectuals and former judges said in a letter to the CJI Monday.

Similarly, the Modi-led NDA Government has also been appealed to stand by its constitutional commitments and publicly issue a statement condemning hate crimes and to immediately instruct all the state governments to implement measures to protect the minorities.

"The NDA Government must not forget that it swore by the Constitution before taking office. Thus, it is its bounden duty to provide protection to all citizens of India without prejudice or partiality", they said.

Those who issued the joint statement appealing for action against rising hate speeches and violent crimes against Minorities included Dr. G. G. Parikh, Medha Patkar, Tushar Gandhi, Fr. Frazier, Prof. Ram Puniyani, Dr. Sunilam, Shyamdada Gaikwad, Teesta Setalvad, Shabnam Hashmi, Justice Kolse Patil (Retd.), Irfan Engineer, Feroze Mithiborwala and Guddi.

In their letter, they specifically condemned the alarming increase in hate crimes against minorities, which have worryingly increased after the results of the recently concluded general election.

"Although the clear verdict by the Indian electorate was against polarisation and the divisive campaign of hate, the ruling NDA refuses to learn its lessons. The BJP leaders have loudly blamed the minority community for their defeat and as such are targetting them. The BJP leadership - right from the PM to state leaders, have fuelled hate against the minority communities and encouraged violent crimes targeting them", they said.

This is a worrying trend, and we strongly condemn it, they said.

We appeal to the Leader of the Opposition to immediately raise this issue in the Parliament and issue a public statement condemning the increasing violent attacks and reassuring the minorities about their safety and security. The constituents of the INDIA Bloc and its leaders must also immediately speak out and mobilise their cadres and the citizens to defend the minorities by raising the issue in Parliament, in State Assemblies and on the streets of India. We must all unitedly defeat this divisive conspiracy, the statement stated.

"Even though the electorate resoundingly rejected the rabid hate campaign indulged in by the Prime Minister himself, he continues to make provocative and unsubstantiated allegations against the minorities, thus fuelling hate crimes. His partys devious design is to polarise the citizenry along religious lines. We stand united to defeat their nefarious conspiracy to divide our nation irrevocably along communal and caste lines, they affirmed.

As citizens of India, we assure our sisters and brothers of the Minorities that we stand with them in this hour of peril. The majority of the people of our nation stand with the minorities and thus, they need not feel isolated or abandoned in any way. We are morally bound to protect them and to provide them with security and well being. We will always remain committed to the principles of fraternity, inclusiveness and national unity as guaranteed by our Constitution. This we swear, the intellectuals stated in their statement.



Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
Lebanon As Next War Zone Could Threaten World Peace

A bigger war between Israel and Hezbollah and an invasion by Israel exist which will draw in the USA and Iran to a bigger extent and make the Middle East region an even more dangerous place than it already is, for its people as for the world peace.

Wednesday July 3, 2024 12:44 PM , Bharat Dogra

Is Lebanon likely to be the next flashpoint for escalation in the Middle-East? This is a question being asked increasingly. Although there has been fire exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah for over 8 months, its intensity has increased of late, giving rise this to this question being asked more frequently.

Of course, what the Middle East region needs the most is the immediate resolution of the Gaza conflict, based on permanent ceasefire plus release of hostages and prisoners, and not any escalation or widening of the conflict. However, the state of the world affairs in recent years has been such that what actually happens with increasing frequency is the reverse of what is needed from the perspective of peace. Something similar may happen in the Middle-East in the near future unless urgent steps to avoid the escalation is not taken soon.

The last time when the Middle-East conflict came very close to escalation was in April when the dangerous prospects was avoided by restraint and responsibility shown by both Iran and the USA. The crisis was started then by Israel attacking an extended embassy building of Iran in Syria, killing several senior commanders. Iran had to retaliate for such a huge provocation, and as a tense world waited, wisdom prevailed over anger. Despite all their hostility, somehow the USA and Iran established contact to handle the crisis with restraint. Iran launched a retaliatory attack on Israel which appeared to be spectacular but was actually planned carefully not to inflict heavy damage and the USA was informed regarding this in advance so that it could work with its allies to further prevent serious harm.

The USA then also prevailed upon Israel to give only a retrained response. Thereby the feared escalation was avoided. Nevertheless, the fact remained that with its original attack Israel had planned for escalation which could draw - first Iran and then the USA, more directly into the conflict.

Something similar may be attempted again as Israels increasingly aimless aggression in Gaza is getting it nowhere closer to any decisive results which could be shown to its people as some sort of victory. While immense distress and suffering has been inflicted on the people of Gaza, with nearly 38,000 people dying, about 86,000 injured and almost all experiencing at least some displacement or dislocation, Israel is nowhere close to achieving its declared objectives. At the same time, Israel is increasingly coming under attack for its human rights violations, getting more isolated internationally.

Moreover at a personal level, the Israeli Prime Minister is getting increasingly unpopular within Israel, even within the military, and feels the need to achieve some sort of victory elsewhere if he cannot achieve this in Gaza. A prolonged and enlarged war, despite all its risks, distress and tragic implications, suits him when seen from a very selfish perspective as once the war ends without any big and certain victory hell have to answer many difficult questions and may even be in jail.

At the same time, nearly 60,000 people of northern parts of Israel bordering Lebanon have remained displaced due to the continuing exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, the leading Shia militia based in Lebanon, with close links to Iran and Hamas. Its spokespersons have claimed that Hezbollah has nearly 100,000 fighters, with more willing to join. It is now reported to have an arsenal of nearly 150,000 rockets and missiles. Even when Hezbollah had lesser arms, it had given the Israeli forces a tough time in 2006. It is regarded as a very important part of the axis of resistance. It is more heavily armed now, and Israel is still engaged in its original conflict of Gaza.

Hence the prospects of Israel in the case of any escalation of conflict with Hezbollah will certainly not be easy, but still certain rightwing hardliners may nevertheless be supportive towards this as they see some parts of southern Lebanon as rightful territory of Greater Israel. However for most people of Israel this war can be justified in terms of ensuring the safe home return of displaced 60,000 people (although in reality the situation in the Israel-Lebanon border areas may actually become more unsafe once a bigger conflict starts).

While the USA is not encouraging such escalation, the understanding is that once the Lebanon front opens up in a big way, the USA will certainly give Israel the help it needs in terms of continuing supply of weapons and ammunition needed, as well as other military and diplomatic support. If Israel faces more difficulties or reverses militarily, then the USA too can get more involved, for example in bombing certain targets. Iran too will also have to increase its support for Hezbollah in case of difficulties faced by its ally.

Apart from intended and planned escalation, there is also a possibility that as exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel has already continued for over 8 months, this can on its own strength spiral into a much bigger war in certain circumstances of one side trying to respond in a bigger way and the other side then also doing the same.

Thus both - in terms of deliberate planning for a bigger conflict as well as in terms of escalation of routine fire exchange in certain circumstances, the possibilities of a bigger war between Israel and Hezbollah and an invasion by Israel exist which will draw in the USA and Iran to a bigger extent and make the Middle East region an even more dangerous place than it already is, for its people as for the world peace.

All forces of peace should try to prevent this broadening of conflict based on Israel-Lebanon borders as the flash point.

As the past conflicts, particularly of 2006, as well as past occupation show, there are deep-rooted hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah and to unleash them into full force at a time when the weapons being used are much more destructive and the overall international situation is also much more volatile would be very dangerous indeed.

[The writer, Bharat Dogra, is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Planet in Peril, Protecting Earth for Children, A Day in 2071 and Earth without Borders.]





Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
HA NOI  The supply of electricity will basically meet the daily demand for consumers and production and business in the remaining months of this year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

In July 2024, plans have been made for scenarios where there are prolonged spells of extreme hot weather and coal-fired power plants have to drop output, putting the Northern power system at risk of having no spare capacity.

In this scenario, the shifting load demand between peak hours will be drastically implemented together with mobilising additional generation sources from diesel to ensure sufficient electricity supply.

From August to December, the capacity reserve of the Northern power system is predicted to remain low. Thus, power generators must strictly ensure the maintenance of the available capacity and equipment readiness.

The power system in the southern region could face difficulties in case the gas supply for electricity production drops due to a halt in operation for maintenance and repair.

According to the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Viet Nam, close watch will be placed on load demand, hydrological development and power system operation to ensure sufficient power supplies across all scenarios.

In addition, construction of electricity generation and grid projects will be sped up with the focus on the 500kV transmission line from Quang Trach (Quang Binh) to Pho Noi (Hung Yen) to transmit electricity to the northern region.

Vo Quang Lam, Deputy Director of Viet Nam Electricity (EVN), said that they were also speeding up the construction of electricity power grids to increase electricity imports.

EVN has forecast that the average temperature in July will be 0.5-1 degree Celsius higher than previous years. July is also a peak month of hot season in the north so the forecast is for high electricity demand.

According to EVN preparations are ready for power supply security in case of prolonged hot weather and increased load demand.

In the second half of this year, the power system operation will be basically ensured with the electricity output meeting the plan.

Recent figures showed that the water levels of hydroelectricity reservoirs are equivalent to an output of 6.6 billion kWh, 1.4 billion kWh higher than the plan.

Coal-fired power generation is being maintained at good production levels.

According to Viet Nam National Coal  Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited, coal supply for electricity production totalled 23.47 million tonnes in the first half of this year.

The power supply is also increasing from renewable energy projects.

In the first six months of the year, the total electricity output, including domestic production and import, was estimated at 151.69 billion kWh, 776 million kWh higher than the plan. Average daily output was 833.5 million kWh per day, 11.3 per cent higher than the same period last year.

Viet Nam aims to achieve a total electricity output of 310.6 billion kWh in 2024 to meet increasing demand from individual production and business in 2024.  VNS
HA NOI  Commenting on the draft Law on Geology and Minerals, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Viet Nam (VCCI) proposed implementing auctions for mineral mining rights.

The VCCI has just sent a document to the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, commenting on the draft Law on Geology and Minerals.

In the written comments, VCCI is concerned that the regulation on areas where mineral mining rights are not auctioned will create a very large room for forms of asking  giving mechanism.

The agency cites a report which summed up ten years of implementation of the 2010 Mineral Law by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, indicating that out of a total of 421 mineral exploitation licences issued by this ministry, only six licences, accounting for just 1.4 per cent, were granted through auction.

For licences issued by provincial people's committees, 394 out of a total of 4279 licences were granted through auction, accounting for 9.2 per cent.

This low percentage indicates that the majority of mineral mines are still licensed through asking  giving procedures.

The draft also stipulates areas where mineral mining rights will not be auctioned.

This regulation has very large implications, covering many important minerals, especially metallic minerals such as bauxite, titanium and iron ores, says VCCI in the comments. All of them are minerals with great commercial value.

Meanwhile, the effectiveness of an auction had been recorded in practice. The winning auction price of six licences issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment was 76 per cent higher than the starting price.

Thus, VCCI believes that the benefits for the budget will be huge if expanding auction cases, while creating a transparent and healthy business environment for businesses.

Therefore, VCCI has requested the drafting committee to research and consider regulations in the direction that all mineral exploitation rights must be granted through auction or bidding.

Regarding financial issues, Viet Nam's mineral sector has not been able to attract large, methodical investment projects in recent times, says VCCI.

The law has not had an appropriate protection mechanism for enterprises investing in large-scale projects, with long capital recovery times.

According to businesses, one of the biggest reasons limiting large investments in the mineral sector is policy risk.

Frequent and continuous policy changes in an unfavourable direction for mineral projects already in operation have had a very negative impact on Vietnamese business and investment environment.

"There are businesses reporting that their financial obligations to the budget have increased nearly three times compared to the regulations at the time of granting mineral exploitation licences, such as resource tax, mineral extraction rights fees, environmental protection fees for mineral extraction and mineral export taxes," VCCI says.

VCCI suggests looking into additional investment guarantee mechanisms for large mineral projects. The State ensures a stable investment environment in terms of financial obligations of businesses to the state budget.

In case of legal changes, investors shall not be subject to unfavourable changes throughout the entirety of the project, or for the first half of its duration.  VNS
A newly-married couple's joyous celebration turned into a nightmare when masked men showed up and started shooting.

St. Louis Metropolitan Police were called to the wedding reception just before 1 a.m. on June 29, following reports the groom was shot during an attempted robbery.

Manuel and Dulce Gonzalez were celebrating their decade-long relationship as a newly married couple at an intimate wedding party when the robbers showed up.

Witnesses told police they were in the backyard when the gunmen started yelling for no one to move.

They demanded money from the party guests. One of them began sifting through people's pockets before the second suspect shot the groom in the head several times

Both ran off without taking any items or money.

Manuel Gonzalez, 42, was rushed to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

"They took nothing, yet they took everything from us," said Yaribeth Pena, the bride's sister told KTVI-TV.

"He's a good father. A good husband to my sister. He's a hard worker," added Pena. "He's just an all-around good person who, I don't know, didn't deserve this."

The family is pleading with the community to submit any footage they may have of the gunmen roaming the streets.

A GoFundMe has been set up for the couple as they face mounting medical expenses.

The investigation is ongoing, and police are encouraging anyone with information to contact authorities.
HCM CITY  The ride-hailing market in Viet Nam is currently experiencing fiercer competition than ever before as numerous players have entered the market, providing customers with a wide array of options.

Since Grab's entry into the market in 2014, the Vietnamese ride-hailing sector has grown significantly over the past decade.

During this period, many players have entered and exited the market. Recently, the market has seen a shift where not only major foreign players but also local companies such as Xanh SM and Be are competing for a share of the market.

According to market researchers, Grab has maintained its position as the largest player; however, Vietnamese companies such as Xanh SM and Be have also grabbed market share.

In a market research study titled "Motorbike Ride-Hailing Apps Popularity 2024" by Q&Me, which delves into the behaviour of users on ride-hailing apps focusing on motorbike ride-hailing services, it has been confirmed that Grab remains the most popular and holds the top position, while Gojek's share and that of others are being challenged by Be and Xanh SM.

The study also revealed that almost all ride-hailing app users are aware of the top four major brands. Grab ranks as the top service provider with 42 per cent of users selecting this brand, followed by Be at 32 per cent, due to its popularity among the youth aged 16-23, and Xanh SM with 19 per cent.

While Grab maintains a leading position in both HCM City and Ha Noi, Be is consistently competing for its position in both cities.

Compared with a Statista study in 2021, there have been significant changes.

In 2021, 60 per cent of Vietnamese users regularly utilised Grab's motorbike-hailing service, an 18 per cent increase from the previous year. During the same period, 19 per cent of users frequently used Gojek, and 18 per cent opted for Be's motorbike-hailing service regularly.

These figures show that despite arriving later than industry giants Grab and Gojek, both Be and Xanh SM exhibit strong competitive capabilities and pose as formidable opponents for foreign ride-hailing companies operating in Viet Nam or seeking to enter the market.

While the gap between Grab and its competitors is shrinking as Be and Xanh SM see a significant increase in user numbers, Grab remains the dominant market leader in the Vietnamese tech-savvy ride-hailing sector at present.

Motorbike ride-hailing remains the most common service on ride-hailing apps, with users in Ha Noi and HCM City using it primarily for daily commutes, leisure activities, and after consuming alcoholic beverages. For events such as weddings, users prefer to book cars. The top reasons for choosing a motorbike ride-hailing app are easy availability, competitive prices, and attractive promotions. A wide driver network, driver attitude, and waiting time also influence which app users prefer for booking motorbike rides.

The cost of booking rides via apps makes up nearly 50 per cent of users' total monthly travel expenses, with a significant portion spent on motorbike ride-hailing services, particularly Be and Gojek. Overall, most users express satisfaction with the service and do not intend to change their frequency of use in the near future.

Fierce competition in car ride-hailing

The intense competition is not limited to the motorbike ride-hailing market; it extends to car ride-hailing services as well.

Competition between traditional taxi companies and modern ride-hailing services continues to escalate.

Both sides have enhanced their service quality to compete with each other. Traditional taxi companies have collaborated to establish co-operatives to reduce costs, develop their apps, and introduce online payment services to attract young customers. Furthermore, commitments such as not increasing fares on rainy days have been made, and services have been enhanced.

The market has become even more competitive with the introduction of electric taxis.

Xanh SM is a taxi service under Vingroup's GSM company. According to a report from Bloomberg Businessweek Vietnam, after a year of operation, the company boasts 27,000 electric cars with plans to increase this number to 50,000 within two years.

GSM has also formed partnerships with small and medium-sized taxi companies like Lado Taxim, Mailove and Taxi Xanh Sapa. In Phu Yen Province, Let's Go Taxi was launched in May with competitive pricing, utilising electric cars from a well-known Chinese company.

As people increasingly opt for a "green" lifestyle, electric taxis are expected to become a trend in the near future. --- VNS
HA NOI  Vietnamese markets extended gains and ended higher on Tuesday, mainly due to rises in banking industry shares.

On the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), the VN-Index rose 15.23 points, or 1.21 per cent, to close the trading session at 1,269.79 points, marking the second consecutive increase for the index.

Throughout most of the day, the VN-Index traded above the reference level, maintaining a relatively stable range and closing the session higher.

The market's breadth was positive, with gainers outnumbering losers by 227 to 88. Liquidity on the southern bourse increased by 6.6 per cent to VN13.9 trillion (US$550.6 million), with a trading volume of 528 million shares.

The VN30-Index, which tracks the 30 biggest stocks, climbed 10.58 points, or 0.82 per cent, to 1,296 points. Twenty-six ticker symbols in the VN30 basket edged up, while four inched down.

Data compiled by financial news site vietstock.vn showed that cash was moving into banking stocks.

The biggest gainer was the Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (VCB), with shares of the lender up 2.44 per cent, contributing nearly three points to the VN-Index overall gains.

It was followed by the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BID), up 4.21 per cent, the Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (CTG), up 0.94 per cent, the Lien Viet Post Joint Stock Commercial Bank (LPB), up 6.09 per cent and the HCM City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HDB), up 4.33 per cent.

Other large-cap stocks that performed well included Hoa Phat Group JSC (HPG), which increased by 1.23 per cent, Vinhomes JSC (VHM), up 1.19 per cent and the Vietnam Rubber Group (GVR), which rose by 0.87 per cent.

Limiting the rallies, some big stocks still faced slight sell-offs, such as FPT Corporation (FPT) which posted a decline of 0.47 per cent, Vietnam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VPB) down 0.26 per cent and Vincom Retail Joint Stock Company (VRE) which lost 0.69 per cent.

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX), the HNX-Index also finished higher on Monday. It rose 0.94 per cent, to 240.8 points.

During the session, more than VN1 trillion worth of shares, equivalent to a trading volume of nearly 50 million shares, were moved on the northern market.

Foreign investors significantly cooled their net selling. Specifically, they sold a net VN36 billion on HoSE on Tuesday, a very small net sell compared to previous trading sessions.  VNS
HA NOI  Vietnamese exports of cinnamon, organic chilli powder and chilli products have been warned by some EU countries they are violating food safety standards, according to Viet Nam Sanitary and Phytosaniary Notification Authority and Enquiry Point (SPS Vietnam).

The office has received the warning from the European Union (EU)'s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF).

The Viet Nam Pepper and Spice Association has recommended that agricultural and food products exported to the EU must strictly comply with this market's food safety regulations, including pesticide residues, preservatives and other additives in the product.

The businesses need to carry out periodic testing for those products to ensure no excess levels of other chemicals. This not only helps the businesses improve their reputation and product quality, but also creates favourable conditions for them in accessing and expanding export markets.

The association has also noted that the businesses need to check product quality before exporting.

Recently, the EU has decided to increase the frequency of inspections for chilli and dragon fruit products imported from Viet Nam.

Specifically, the Viet Nam Trade Office in Belgium and the EU said they are increasing the frequency of inspections for dragon fruits from 20 per cent to 30 per cent of the total import batches, accompanying food safety certificates products and results of analysis and testing of pesticide residues.

Meanwhile, chilli products are subject to an inspection frequency of 50 per cent of the imports into the EU market.  VNS
HA NOI  Vietcombank has warned about a new form of fraud, impersonating bank staff to support biometric updates, in order to steal banking service information.

According to new rules, banks now require biometric details for each online transaction worth above VN10 million (US$392.65) or daily transactions exceeding VN20 million.

The law came into effect on July 1 and has led to a warning that fraudsters are already trying to take advantage of the change.

Implementing Decision No 2345/Q-NHNN dated December 18, 2023, of the State Bank of Viet Nam, Vietcombank deployed biometric authentication for some types of online transactions and will require biometric information.

Biometric authentication uses biological identifiers such as fingerprints, irises, voices, and facial features and is considered the most secure protection from frauds. The regulation is to foster security for bank accounts and prevent financial frauds which are on the rise in Viet Nam.

However in the early phases of it being implemented and taking advantage of the fact some customers had difficulty updating biometric information, fraudsters impersonated bank employees to contact customers to request "support" for biometric installation to appropriate customers' assets and information.

Vietcombank said that common fraud methods are calling, texting and making friends with customers via social networks such as Zalo and Facebook to instruct the collection of biometric information.

They also created confusing nicknames such as 'Bank Staff' or 'Customer Support' and interacted with customers under posts on the bank's official social networking sites to ask customers to contact them privately to fraudulently obtain customers' banking service information.

Fraudsters often ask customers to provide personal and bank account information, citizen identification images or images of customers' faces for support. They can even request a video call to collect more verbal examples and gestures.

They often ask customers to access strange links to download and install applications that support biometric collection on their phones. After obtaining customer information, they will proceed to appropriate money from the customer's bank account.

Vietcombank has recommended that customers do not click on links or provide account security information, digital banking services (login name, password, OTP code), card services (card number, OTP), account information or any banking service security information and personal information because the bank does not require customers to provide personal information through channels such as calling, SMS, email, social networks like Zalo, Viber and Facebook messenger.

Vietcombank also recommends that customers do not share personal information, banking services and transaction information on social networks to avoid being scammed.

In case of having difficulty with updating biometric information or performing biometric authentication with online transactions, customers can go to the nearest Vietcombank transaction point for direct support and be consulted by bank staff.

On the first day of implementing the new biometric authentication for some types of online transactions, there was local network congestion for applications of some banks such as VCB Digibank of Vietcombank or Sacombank Pay of Saigon Thuong Tin Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Sacombank).

According to bank representatives, the sudden increase in the need to update biometric information on the first day of implementing the new regulations has disrupted the online transaction systems of several banks.  VNS
SEOUL  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his entourage on Wednesday visited Samsung's semiconductor cluster in Gyeonggi province as part of his official visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK).

Samsung Vice Chairman and CEO Young Hyun Jun, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Samsung Electronics Park Hark-kyu and senior leaders of the group accompanied the Vietnamese PM in touring Samsung's largest semiconductor cluster in the world.

Chinh expressed his impression of the groups achievements in high technology in general and semiconductors in particular.

Recognising Samsung's effective investment activities in the manufacturing industry and the production of electronic equipment and components in Viet Nam for nearly 20 years, the PM affirmed that the Vietnamese government will create favourable conditions for Samsung to continue doing business in the country.

Stressing Viet Nam's priority given to the semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) industries in the future, Chinh said that Viet Nam welcomes and encourages investors in those fields.

He said Viet Nam will improve policies and institutions, high-quality human resources training, and infrastructure development to better serve investors.

On the afternoon of the same day, Chinh and his spouse visited the family of Jang Yeong Gak and Vu Thai Linh - a Vietnamese-Korean family in Osan City, Gyeonggi Province.

During the visit to the family, Chinh said that Vietnamese people in the RoK, especially Vietnamese-Korean families, are bridges that foster relations between the two countries and two peoples, noting that the two countries have had up to 80,000 Vietnamese-Korean multicultural families.

On this occasion, Chinh called on overseas Vietnamese in the RoK and multicultural families to continue to preserve the cultural values of the two countries.

He hoped that they would continue their contributions to promoting the image of Viet Nam, the Vietnamese culture and people, and cultivating good Viet Nam-RoK relations.

This is the last activity of the official visit to the RoK by PM Chinh and his spouse from June 30 to July 3 at the invitation of PM Han Duck-soo and his spouse.

The delegation returned to Ha Noi in the evening, wrapping up a successful visit.  VNS
AN GIANG  A new postage stamp celebrating the 200th anniversary of the completion of the construction of the Vinh Te Canal in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang (1824-2024) has been released.

The stamp, published by the Ministry of Information and Communications and the province, features the portrait of Marquis Thoai Ngoc (1761-1829), who led the construction of the canal, and a diagram of the waterway system.

The stamp designed by painter Nguyen Du of Viet Nam Post Corporation measures 66x26mm, and costs VN4,000.

The construction of the 91-km long canal began in 1819 under the lead of Marquis Thoai Ngoc, whose real name is Nguyen Van Thoai.

The canal was dug parallel to the border between Viet Nam and Chan Lap (now Cambodia), starting from the west bank of the Chau oc River in An Giang to the Giang Thanh River in Kien Giang Province.

The canal was completed in 1824 and became an important irrigation work contributing to developing economic production and trade, and protecting Viet Nam's territorial sovereignty under the Nguyen dynasty.

Today, the canal still plays an important role in the region, bringing water and fish from the Hau River to agricultural land in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle in An Giang and Kien Giang provinces and Can Tho city.

Le Quoc Cuong, director of An Giangs Department of Information and Communications, emphasized that the Vinh Te Canal was one of the great irrigation achievements of the Nguyen dynasty. It reflected the ancestors intelligence, creativity, and strategic vision in developing economy, and protecting the countrys territory.

Cuong added that the release of the stamp reminded people of Marquis Thoai Ngoc and the peoples devotion to building the canal, as well as promoting the cultural and historical values of the canal to domestic and international tourists.

The stamp is available at 63 postal offices in the country and will be used in the Universal Postal Union's 192 countries and territories until December 2025.  VNS
The development and application of artificial intelligence (AI) technology presents many challenges for management. Dr. Nguyen Van Cuong, Director of the Institute of Legal Science and Strategy under the Ministry of Justice spoke to Tin tuc (News) newspaper about this issue.

What are the current legal issues related to the development and application of AI?

AI is one of humanity's significant technological achievements in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Responsible development and application of AI can drive breakthroughs in the socio-economic development of each country and the global economy, contributing to increased labour productivity across various sectors.

However, the development and application of AI tools, especially generative AI like ChatGPT, raise numerous legal issues. These include the responsibilities of parties related to AI, such as ownership and property rights, personal rights over data, respect for, assurance and protection of personal data, copyright issues (potential violations of copyright protection laws), risks to economic relationships, and the spread of inaccurate information or biases.

Criminal organisations can exploit AI technology to commit new types of crimes, particularly cybercrimes and violations of cybersecurity laws, including fraud, forgery and other financial crimes.

Additionally, from an ethical perspective, AI impacts individuals, businesses, organisations, state agencies, and society as a whole. AI creates new jobs but also replaces many traditional forms of labour.

To ensure that the development and application of AI bring practical benefits to society, it is crucial to design a system of tools, including legal regulations and ethical guidelines, to ensure responsible AI development and application.

What should be considered when adjusting policies and laws related to AI?

Many countries and territories worldwide have enacted policies to address legal issues arising from AI development and application. These policies often focus on balancing the need to create incentives for innovation in AI development and application with the need to protect public interests, especially order, security, social safety, and consumer interests.

In Viet Nam, the national strategy on research, development, and application of AI until 2030, approved by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, highlights the necessity of developing a system of legal documents and frameworks related to AI.

It calls for a clear legal framework to promote AI research, development, and application in life. The strategy also emphasises that AI development and application must be centred on people and businesses, avoiding technology abuse and infringement of the legitimate rights and interests of organisations and individuals.

Developing and applying AI without state regulation through legal tools and other supporting measures makes it difficult to meet requirements for national defence, security, order, social safety, national interests, community interests and other security and safety requirements.

Therefore, ensuring security, safety, reliability, and manageable risk levels must be key requirements in policies and laws regulating AI development and applications.

Policies and laws related to AI must create the most favourable conditions to promote innovation, reinforcing the core values of the country's political, economic, cultural and social order as recognised in the constitution and national laws. AI policies and laws must also ensure the essential rights of every citizen using AI systems, including rights related to personal data.

From a legal perspective, do you have any advice for organisations and individuals developing and applying AI in Viet Nam?

Currently, Viet Nam does not yet have specialised laws regulating AI development and application. However, it is essential to note that AI is merely a technology. When developed and applied to provide products and services in the market, it is subject to existing Vietnamese laws such as the Civil Code, the Law on Consumer Protection, the Cybersecurity Law, the Decree on Personal Data Protection and administrative and criminal regulations.

The general spirit of current legal regulations is to respect and encourage individuals and businesses to exercise their rights to scientific and technological development and innovation. They must ensure not to infringe on national interests, state interests, community interests and the legitimate rights and interests of individuals and organisations in society.

I believe that individuals and businesses developing and applying AI must be very attentive to responsible AI development, bringing practical benefits to users, ensuring security and safety, accuracy and reliability of information generated by AI systems and absolutely not using AI for activities that violate legal regulations.  VNS
Article by Ambassador of Belarus to Viet Nam H.E. Mr. Uladzimir Baravikou for the Viet Nam News on the occasion of the 3rd July - Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus, 80th Anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders

July 3 is a special date for every Belarusian. On this day in 1944 the capital of our country - the city of Minsk - was liberated. On this day the Belarusian people celebrate the main state holiday - Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus - Republic Day.

This year is a jubilee one. We are celebrating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders. A lot of time has passed since then. But the witnesses and participants of that terrible war, which left unhealing wounds in the heart of each of them, are still alive. It is our sacred duty to honour the memory of all those who gave the most precious thing  their life - for the freedom and independence of the Motherland; so that future generations would live in a peaceful and safe country.

Belarus knows the price of victory like no other. Our republic was one of the first to take the heaviest blow of Hitler's hordes in June 1941. The heroism of the defenders of the Brest Fortress is known not only in our country; but also far beyond its borders, including Viet Nam, thanks in no small measure to the publication of the book of writer Sergei Smirnov 'Brest Fortress' in Vietnamese in 1970. Since May 8, 1965, the Brest Fortress has deservedly held the title Hero Fortress.

The war brought with it huge economic losses. More than 100 thousand industrial production buildings and 10 thousand collective farms were destroyed on the Belarusian territory. More than 10 thousand industrial enterprises, including all large power stations, were destroyed or taken to Germany. The economy of the republic in terms of industrial and power capacities was thrown back to the level of 1913.

During the war years, Belarus lost one-third of its population. German invaders burned, destroyed, and looted 209 out of 270 towns and district centres, 9,300 villages. The name of the village 'Khatyn', which the Nazi punishers burned down together with its inhabitants, has become a symbol of grief and an example of brutality and cruelty of the executioners, who spared no one: neither women, nor children, nor the elderly.

We openly and loudly speak today on all international platforms about the genocide of the Belarusian people in the Great Patriotic War, and publish materials and facts about the crimes against humanity committed by the fascist executioners and their henchmen on the Belarusian territory.

We also know that Vietnam had its own Khatyn - the village of Songmi, which was burned down with its inhabitants by American soldiers. These two symbols of inhumanity, on the one hand and of unparalleled steadfastness, courage, selflessness, and boundless faith in a bright future and in victory over the enemy, on the other, will remain an important reminder of the horrors of war for all future generations, as well as a basis for preserving and strengthening the time-tested friendship, trust and mutual understanding between our countries and peoples.

Unfortunately, not everyone today shares and supports our common memory of that war. The decisive contribution of the Soviet Union to the overall victory over fascism is downplayed or silenced; in Western and Eastern European countries we are denied participation in memorial events... Today it is more important than ever to preserve the historical truth about the Great Patriotic War, its victims, and victorious heroes; so that such a tragedy never happens again and war never enters our homes.

I believe that today, in this turbulent and rapidly changing world, together with the majority of countries of the global East and South, we will endure, become stronger, more confident in our strength, and hardened to continue to live on our land according to our traditions and rules, without external dictate, to ensure peace, security, and well-being of our citizens, to strengthen sovereignty and independence on an equal and mutually respectful basis.

On the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus - Republic Day, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from Nazi invaders, let me wish all readers of the Viet Nam News edition strong health, happiness, prosperity, success, and, most importantly, goodness and peaceful sky above your head! VNS
HA NOI  A joint press release has been issued on the occasion of the official visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) from June 30 to July 3 by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse at the invitation of Korean PM Han Duck-soo.

As part of the visit, PM Chinh held talks with his Korean counterpart Han Duck-soo, during which they shared a view that the Viet Nam-RoK relationship is now at its best since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to foster cooperation across a wide range of areas, aligning with the framework of the Viet Nam-RoK comprehensive strategic partnership.

Economic cooperation remains a cornerstone of the relationship. The two leaders pledged to work toward boosting bilateral trade turnover to US$100 billion by 2025, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the Viet Nam-RoK Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA), and reaching $150 billion by 2030 in a balanced and sustainable direction.

To realise this target, Viet Nam and the RoK agreed to collaborate closely in effectively implementing existing economic cooperation mechanisms such as the VKFTA, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). The early signing of a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) for Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme in 2024 was also highlighted.

Beyond trade, the two leaders concurred on the importance of fostering collaboration in science and technology, particularly in high-tech areas, research and development (R&D) and technology transfer.

People-to-people exchanges are also set to receive a boost. The two leaders expressed a shared vision of facilitating exchanges in culture, education, tourism and other areas in a bid to raise mutual understanding and connections between the Vietnamese and Korean people.

The joint press release further underlined a commitment to close collaboration and mutual support at international and regional forums.

The two PMs witnessed the exchange of nine cooperation documents signed between ministries and agencies of both countries. These documents cover different fields such as development cooperation, trade and investment, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), innovation and entrepreneurship, environment, competition and consumer protection, and education.

Both leaders expressed their satisfaction that the visit has significantly contributed to deepening the Viet Nam-RoK comprehensive strategic partnership, benefiting peace, stability and development in the region and the world as well.  VNS
Sheriff's deputies in Missouri on pulled over an unusual visitor traveling through their state on the way to Roswell, N.M. - an Unidentified Driving Object.

The Crawford County Sheriff's Office said deputies pulled over a vehicle on Friday that "was a little out of this world."

Photos shared on Facebook show a UFO-shaped vehicle on the side of the road, after it was pulled over for a lane violation and an expired out-of-state license plate.

"These friendly humanoids, who have come in peace, are heading west to Roswell, NM for a festival. There was a brief conversation about his out of space, correction, out of state registration, but he assured us that he would take care of that issue when he returned to Krypton," the sheriff's office joked alongside the photos on Facebook.

"He was also warned about our strict enforcement of warp speed on the interstate and to keep his phasers on stun only while traveling."

Despite the minor infractions, the pilot was allowed to continue on his way to Roswell.

It's unclear what event the driver was traveling to, but the annual Roswell UFO Festival runs July 5-7 this year.

Events take place throughout the city, including a Spaceport Roswell virtual reality experience, UFO tours, special museum exhibitions, the Galacticon sci-fi convention, multiple laser shows, an Alien Chase 5k walk/run, and a variety of talks and panels given by UFOlogists.

Roswell has been a hotspot for alien enthusiasts for nearly 80 years, since the U.S. Army Air Forces announced in July 1947 it had recovered a "flying disc" that crashed on a ranch in the area.

The military then claimed it was a weather balloon, setting off speculation about a cover-up of alien contact. Only decades later did the military reveal the weather balloon story was a cover for the use of top-secret listening devices searching for evidence of Soviet atomic bomb tests.

--with reporting by TMX
HA NOI  General Phan Van Giang, member of the Politburo, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Minister of National Defence, hosted separate receptions for the ambassadors of Laos and Japan to Viet Nam in Ha Noi on Wednesday.

Receiving Lao Ambassador Khamphao Ernthavanh, General Giang stressed that defence cooperation continues to be one of the important pillars in the bilateral relations.

On the basis of the protocol and annual plans on defence cooperation, ties between the two countries in this regard have become increasingly practical and effective in all fields, making an important contribution to the cause of national development and safeguarding in each country, Giang said.

Congratulating Laos on successfully organising ASEAN conferences, he affirmed Viet Nam's consistent support for Laos to successfully fulfill its role as the ASEAN Chair in 2024.

The general expressed his hope that the two sides will continue to maintain and tighten their traditional friendship in general and defence cooperation in particular, with a focus on key areas such as exchanging delegations, especially high-level ones, reviewing the implementation of the Viet Nam-Laos defence cooperation protocol for 2020-24, and signing a new one for 2025-29.

Appreciating the Vietnamese Party, State and Peoples Army's support for Laos, including the Lao People's Army, Khamphao Ernthavanh said that the two countries have carried out various practical and effective cooperation activities, such as communications about the bilateral friendship, border management, personnel training, and search for and repatriation of martyrs' remains.

The ambassador expressed her wish that Viet Nam will maintain its assistance for Laos, pledging she will do her utmost to nurture and promote relations between the two countries and the two armies.

Hosting Japanese Ambassador Ito Naoki, General Giang emphasised that bilateral defence collaboration has gained important achievements and become a pillar in the Viet Nam-Japan relations as seen in mutual visits, cooperation between their services and arms, human resources training, cyber security, war aftermath settlement, and maritime security.

Perceiving that there remains an ample room for defence cooperation, the host official asked the diplomat to help promote the effectiveness of existing collaboration mechanisms and further develop defence ties, thus contributing to the Viet Nam-Japan comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world.

Ito Naoki applauded the fruitful defence cooperation between the two countries, affirming that he will exert efforts to help bilateral ties, including in defence, to develop even more in the coming time.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam attaches much importance to the cooperation ties with the Republic of the Marshall Islands which was set up on July 1, 1992, Ambassador to the Pacific Ocean country Pham Quang Hieu has affirmed.

Presenting his credentials to President of the host country Hilda Heine, the Vietnamese diplomat expressed his hope that the two nations will intensify cooperation in the areas of trade-investment, fisheries, agriculture, tourism, health care, and climate change response, among others.

He took the occasion congratulated Heine on her recent re-election as the President of the nation earlier this year, and the country on its successful organisation of the Micronesian games on June 15-24.

He conveyed greetings from State President To Lam to her, and said he wishes that she will visit Viet Nam soon.

The host spoke highly of the bilateral ties over the past years, saying she hopes that the two countries will continue extensive collaboration in the domains of mutual interest such as economy, fisheries, environmental protection, and prevention of global warming.

As part of his working trip in the nation from July 1 to 3, Hieu made a courtesy call on Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kalani Kaneko, during which both sides exchanged views on the bilateral cooperation in the international arena, and affirmed that they treasure the sound bilateral ties, especially the coordination and support that they have given each other at the multilateral forums, including the UN.

Hieu expressed his wish that the two nations will step up delegation exchanges and arrangement of meetings between high-ranking leaders in the coming time.

They agreed to consider the establishment of cooperation mechanisms, signing of agreements in areas of the two nations strengths such as trade-investment, fisheries, agriculture, tourism and health care, among others.

Kaneko sad he hopes that the Vietnamese Government will send experts to the Marshall Islands to help it develop agriculture, health care and tourism.

Hieu also had a meeting with Speaker of the Parliament (Nitijela) Brenson Wase, during which the two sides reached consensus on promoting delegation exchange to improve mutual understanding and solidarity between the two peoples.

Meeting with Minister in Assistance to the President and Environment Bremity Lakjohn, Hieu highlighted that both nations treasure the implementation of drastic solutions to responding to climate change.

During his stay, Hieu also had meetings with Minister of Natural Resources and Commerce Tony Muller, and director of trade, investment and tourism office Carlos Dominick. He is scheduled to have a working session with the Honourable Consul General and visit several economic, tourism and education establishments in the country on July 3.  VNS
BINH PHUOC  National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man held a working session with the Standing Committee of Binh Phuoc Provincial Party Committee on Wednesday to evaluate the southern provinces socio-economic performance in the first half and outline plans for the rest of the year.

The province reported a strong economic performance, with a growth rate of 7.76 per cent. This economic expansion has also led to a significant reduction in poverty, with the rate of poor households falling below the national average to just 0.4 per cent.

Binh Phuoc is also making strides in infrastructure development. Construction is underway on the Gia Nghia-Chon Thanh section of the western North-South expressway, along with the section of the HCM City-Thu Dau Mot-Chon Thanh Expressway running through the province. These projects aim to enhance regional connectivity and stimulate economic activity.

NA Chairman Man commended the province's focus on cultural and social development, while underlining the importance of maintaining national defence and security, with regular meetings with neighbouring provinces in Cambodia and southern Laos.

Looking ahead, Man urged Binh Phuoc to prioritise the continued implementation of its 11th provincial Party Congress's Resolution, toward achieving all set targets and contributing to the success of the 13th National Party Congress's Resolution.

To further propel socio-economic growth, he called for measures to improve the business environment and attract foreign direct investment, as well as investments from other sources, enhance local competitiveness and embrace technological advancements.

As a border province with an important strategic position in politics, economy, society-culture and national defence-security, Binh Phuoc should maintain the Viet Nam-Cambodia borderline of peace, friendship, cooperation and development, while paying attention to such areas as culture, sports, tourism, education, and healthcare, ensuring social welfare and sustainable poverty reduction, the top legislator said.

In the immediate future, Binh Phuoc must focus on implementing the Politburo's Directive on all-level Party congresses in preparation for the 14th National Party Congress and upcoming elections to the National Assembly and all-level People's Councils for the 2026-2031 tenure.  VNS
HA NOI  President To Lam received Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to Viet Nam Uladzimir Baravikou in Ha Noi on Wednesday.

During the reception, the President affirmed that Viet Nam always values the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Belarus, which have been nurtured by the leaders and people of the two countries since the Soviet era and for more than 30 years since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992.

He said Viet Nam always considers Belarus a trusted friend and partner, and appreciates the support of the Belarusian people for Viet Nam in the past, adding that Viet Nam hopes to continue strengthening the multifaceted cooperation with Belarus.

The President highly appreciated the results of cooperation between the two countries over the past time, including promoting the intergovernmental committee mechanism in implementing cooperation agreements and joint efforts to enhance collaboration in areas of politics - diplomacy, economics - trade, investment, defence, security, science - technology, culture, education, and local-level ties.

For his part, Ambassador Baravikou affirmed that Belarus values the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries, and wishes to strengthen the cooperation in all fields including politics - diplomacy, economics - trade, culture, education and people-to-people exchanges, especially between the young generation of the two countries.

The Ambassador agreed with the orientations for bilateral cooperation proposed by the President, including the exchange of delegations at all levels and via all channels of the Party, State, Parliament and Youth Union, as well as the promotion of people-to-people exchange, culture, and tourism, especially after the two countries agreement on visa exemption for ordinary passport holders comes into effect.

He pledged to do his best to develop the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Viet Nam and Belarus.

Discussing the two countries cooperation at international organisations and multilateral forums, the Vietnamese President and his guest agreed that the two countries will continue to coordinate and support each other for the common interests of the two countries and to contribute to peace, stability and development in the region and the world.  VNS
HA NOI  President To Lam hosted a reception in Ha Noi on Wednesday for the new Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam, Ito Naoki, who has just begun his tenure.

The President underscored the importance of the Viet Nam-Japan relationship, particularly in light of the recent upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the successful celebration of the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2023.

He expressed his satisfaction with the significant progress achieved in bilateral relations over recent years, with growing closeness marked by frequent exchanges of delegations at all levels. Economic ties remained a major pillar while workforce exchanges and connectivity were also noted to be strengthening.

Recognising the cultural similarities and economic complementarities between Viet Nam and Japan, he expressed Viet Nam's desire to collaborate effectively with Japan in implementing the newly-upgraded Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework, which he said would benefit the people of both nations and contribute positively to regional peace, stability and development.

The host encouraged the ambassador to play a key role as a policy advisor and bridge between the two countries. He specifically asked the diplomat to work to concretise the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework, focusing on enhancing political trust and strengthening substantive cooperation in economy, trade and investment, especially in infrastructure, labour, human resources training, cultural, locality-to-locality and people-to-people exchanges.

Ambassador Ito highlighted his commitment to deepening the Viet Nam-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership toward the next five decades, with a focus on economic collaboration, workforce training, cultural and locality-to-locality cooperation, and tourism.

He pledged to work closely with Vietnamese ministries, agencies and localities to realise agreements and shared visions established by leaders, aiming to foster a more robust and substantive partnership between Viet Nam and Japan.  VNS
MEKONG DELTA  Sand is being mined in a new location in the Hau River in Soc Trang Province since June 30 to serve construction of a key expressway in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.

It is in An Thanh 1 and An Thanh ong communes in Cu Lao Dung District.

According to the province People's Committee, the sand will be used for component project 4 in the first phase of the Chau oc - Can Tho - Soc Trang Expressway.

The area covers nearly 100 hectares, and the sand is extracted from depths of 8.5 to 16 metres.

The licence allows 1.14 million cubic metres of sand to be mined over two years.

The fee for the right to extract is more than VN7.7 billion (US$303,000).

There are five locations in the river in Soc Trang where mining is permitted with a combined area of more than 450 ha. They have an estimated 11 million cubic metres of sand.

People's Committee Vice Chairman Vuong Quoc Nam has called on the contractor, Army Corps 12 - Truong Son Construction Corporation, to strictly comply with regulations throughout the mining operation, ensure labour safety, minimise impacts on the river and local peoples livelihoods, and coordinate closely with local authorities for monitoring and transporting sand.

The company has promised to scrupulously comply with all regulations and requirements.

The expressway will run a total of more than 188 km through An Giang, Hau Giang and Soc Trang provinces and Can Tho City, cost VN44.7 trillion ($1.8 billion) and is expected to be completed in 2027.

The Soc Trang Province component is around 58.4km.

A shortage of river sand is affecting work on many major construction projects in the delta.

To mitigate the problem, the Government has approved a mechanism to increase the extraction of sand.

Using other materials in place of river sand is also under scrutiny.  VNS
HA NOI  Two women and a man have been arrested for facilitating people smuggling to Australia through Buddhist institutions using fake credentials.

The gang went to extreme lengths and even instructed a man to shave his head, wear robes and take photographs at a pagoda in order to give the impression he was a Buddhist monk.

They then contacted Buddhist organisations in Australia to obtain an invitation letter so the man could enter the country.

But the plan was that when he arrived in Australia, he would not be there to study at a retreat, but instead work illegally on a farm.

The Investigation Security Agency in the central province of Ha Tinh have arrested the trio for trafficking and forging seals and documents of agencies and organisations.

The decision has been approved by the People's Procuracy at the same level.

The three people arrested are au Thi Khuyen, 52, from Ha Tinh Provinces Nghi Xuan District, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hang, 46, from in HCM Citys District 7, and Nguyen Van Khanh, 28, who lives in ong Nai Province.

According to the case file, since the end of 2023, Ha Tinh Province Police had obtained information that several individuals were exploiting Buddhist institutions' frequent organisation of study retreats in Australia for Buddhists worldwide.

They connected and organised for many people in various localities to illegally flee to Australia for labour by forging monk credentials. The cost for each successful trip was VN300 million per person.

The police determined that at the beginning of 2024, Khuyen and Hang agreed to organise for Ho Van Thin, 36, residing in Nghe An Province, to go to Australia for labour under the guise of a monk on a study retreat.

Once Thin successfully entered Australia, Hang would arrange for an acquaintance to pick him up and place him in agricultural work in Australia.

In February 2024, Hang and Khuyen directly arranged for Thin to shave his head, wear monk robes, and go to Kim Quang Pagoda in a Nang Citys Lien Chieu District to take photos, pretending to participate in the pagoda's activities for the visa application file to Australia.

Next, Hang contacted religious institutions in Australia to obtain an invitation letter for Thin to participate in Buddhist activities under the guise of a monk practicing at Kim Quang Pagoda with the monastic name Thich Giac Ngo.

Hang then contacted Khanh to alter Thin's portrait on his citizen identification card to make him appear as a Buddhist follower.

On the night of May 4, after receiving payment, Hang handed over the travel visa to Australia to Thin and arranged for a car to take him to HCM Citys Tan Son Nhat International Airport for departure procedures.

At the airport, Thin was stopped by authorities to clarify related matters. There is no suggestion any Buddhist organisation was aware of the illegal activities.

The Ha Tinh Province Police are continuing to investigate the case.  VNS
Prof Tran Hung Son, director of the Institute for Development and Application of Technology in Banking at the Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City, has expressed his concern that Vietnam is among the countries most severely impacted by digital payment fraud.

AI becoming increasingly prevalent for e-payments, illustration photo/ Source: freepik.com

The loss rate due to digital fraud in Vietnam stands at 3.6 per cent of GDP, significantly higher than the global average of 1.1 per cent and surpassing countries like Brazil and Thailand, both at 3.2 per cent, he noted at a June seminar on digital payment in Ho Chi Minh City.

In contrast, many developed countries report much lower loss rates, such as Belgium and Ireland at 0.1 per cent, and the Netherlands at 0.2 per cent.

Major General Nguyen Van Giang, deputy director of the Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department under the Ministry of Public Security, said that in 2023, the Vietnam Information Security Warning Portal recorded approximately 13,900 cyberattacks on various agencies and organisations, and nearly 16,000 reports of online fraud, resulting in losses exceeding $16.25 billion.

Of this, individuals were defrauded of around $333 million to $417 million, a 50 per cent increase compared to 2022. Up to 75 per cent of mobile device and social media users received fraudulent messages or calls, stated Giang.

He acknowledged that despite stringent measures to prevent and combat high-tech crimes, challenges persist. The anonymity of online activities and cross-border operations exploiting legal loopholes complicate the tracking and handling of these crimes, Giang explained. Fraudsters operate in organised groups, creating elaborate schemes and thoroughly exploiting technology.

According to Giang, five typical fraud methods have been identified: scams via telecommunication services; fraud in the financial and banking sectors; scams through social media; fraudulent investment calls; and scams involving recruitment for e-commerce platforms like Shopee, Lazada, and Tiki.

On the other hand, Ngo Tuan Anh, director of SCS Network Company believed that a proactive measure being implemented is biometric authentication for money transfers over $415 per transaction or a total of $830 per day, effective from July 1, according to a December 2023 rule on implementation of methods to ensure safe and secure online payments and bank card payments by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV).

Anh said, Online scams commonly involve criminals obtaining victims personal information and using disposable SIM cards. Facial authentication for transfers will be an effective solution to prevent criminals from using borrowed accounts to transfer money.

He also recommended enhancing the management of registered SIM cards and protecting personal information to effectively combat fraud.

On the banking front, Pham Chau Loan, deputy head of Digital Channel and Partnership Development Department at Vietcombank, revealed that the bank is actively implementing biometric solutions to ensure transaction safety and security. Biometric customer authentication guarantees data accuracy and reliability without hindering the user experience, she said.

Similarly, ACBs CEO Tu Tien Phat reported that their facial authentication system has received positive customer feedback.

Within just three days of implementation, 30,000 customers have completed facial authentication, with each process taking less than 30 seconds, Phat added.

Dang Tuyet Dung, country manager of Visa for Vietnam and Laos, disclosed that Visa has invested over $416 million in AI-based solutions to prevent fraud and enhance security awareness.

Visa is also employing tokenisation technology to encrypt transactions, removing private cardholder information from the payment flow and enhancing security. We are working with banks and partners to implement data-based authentication methods for e-commerce transactions, following trends in developed markets like Singapore and Malaysia, she explained.

Discussing customer authentication processes, Nguyen Dang Hung, deputy CEO of National Payment Corporation of Vietnam, explained that banks previously relied on one-time passwords for authentication, with some requiring additional layers of verification depending on their risk appetite.

These layers of authentication directly impact the seamless customer experience, he noted. The 3D Secure authentication solution for domestic cards aims to balance safety, security, and convenience for customers. This solution supports modern biometric authentication methods, such as fingerprints and facial recognition, and uses AI-based risk assessment to customise additional verification requirements, reducing the risk of fraud in online transactions.

By exchanging larger volumes of transaction data than before, banks can now access information about devices, transaction locations, and transaction values. This allows them to analyse and evaluate risks based on historical data, thus making informed decisions on the appropriate customer authentication method, ultimately providing a better payment experience, Hung said.

E-wallet services to facilitate online payment convenience While there have been issues relating to peer-to-peer and other digital lending and e-payments solutions in Vietnam as of late, one of the most advanced areas of fintech in the country currently is the increasing use of e-wallets. Dung Dang, managing partner at Indochine Cousel, writes on the existing rules for e-wallets in Vietnam and how they pertain to privacy and accessibility.

Vietnamese firms partner to develop telecom services, e-payment in Cambodia Metfone, the Cambodia-based affiliate of the military-run telecom group Viettel, and Angkok Dairy Products Co.Ltd (Angkormilk), two Vietnamese-invested firms, on July 14 signed a strategic cooperation agreement to develop telecommunications services and e- payments in Cambodia.
The event was chaired by Australias Special Envoy to Southeast Asia Nicholas Moore and Australias Business Champion for Vietnam Louise Adams.

At the request of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Moore prepared Australias national strategy with the goal of promoting two-way trade and investment between Australia and countries in Southeast Asia.

Talking to VIR, Moore said that to sustainably develop, he had suggested 10 priority sectors, including agriculture and food, the green energy transition, infrastructure, education, and more. The Australian government has set aside a $2 billion Southeast Asia Investment Financing Facility to support the whole region.

The Australia-Southeast Asia Business Exchange will give Australian exporters more exposure to Vietnam

Investment deal teams with hubs in Singapore, Jakarta, and Ho Chi Minh City will work with Australian investors and local project proponents to facilitate and promote greater Australian investment.

In addition, Regional Launch Pads in Ho Chi Minh City will bring together startups, technology players, multinational corporations, and business to drive Australian tech exports into the region. These will create market knowledge and business connections for technology scale-ups to aid greater market entry and commercial traction.

The one in Singapore has helped more than 300 Australian companies get established in Singapore. We hope we can do the same to Ho Chi Minh City and help companies from Ho Chi Minh City become established in Australia, Moore said.

Moore also stressed on the partnership for infrastructure, scholarships, and the Australian Vietnamese business champion.

Other initiatives include the appointment of Adams as a business champion for Vietnam to facilitate greater commercial links. The Australia-Southeast Asia Business Exchange will also give Australian exporters greater exposure to Vietnam and the region, and additional funding of around $148 million to the Mekong-Australia Partnership will help countries in the region address shared challenges, including water security and climate action.

Changes to Australian visa requirements are also expected to strengthen mobility pathways and boost people-to-people links.

Adams promoted the digital skills of human resources, especially in cybersecurity, risk management, and sustainable development. The government and businesses often have different concerns and priorities, so the risks are also different. The best way is to find common ground to harmonise and develop together, he said.

According to Chau Ta, executive director of Legal Transactions at SC Capital Partners, thanks to incentive policies and continuous upgrading of the legal system, attracting foreign investment into Vietnam has undergone significant changes, partly catching up and applying international practices.

This change is excellent for foreign investors. Although economic development has recently slowed down around the world, Vietnam still has many opportunities, especially when a series of new laws will take effect at the end of the year, Ta said.

Nguyen Xuan Thanh, lecturer of Public Policy at Fulbright University Vietnam, assessed that significant changes in foreign investment will appear in the near future in Vietnam. Among them, agriculture is the most important sector.

Worldwide, countries are actively supporting and subsidising the agricultural industry. The Vietnamese government needs to clearly determine to what extent they plan to support farmers, he said.

Vietnam wants to promote production to increase exports. Its labour-intensive manufacturing industries have the potential to attract high-tech industries but also are hard for competing, so Vietnam must improve quality human resources and infrastructure, especially the friend-shoring strategy with the ambition of turning the nation into a suitable country for investment, Thanh said.

In the past 10 years, the government has actively promoted public-private partnerships, which is a good investment channel in many fields, especially infrastructure, Thanh said. However, businesses often cannot predict new government regulations in advance. This uncertainty will still last in the near future. The Vietnamese government will need some time to mitigate this problem, he said.

In recent years, trade between Vietnam and Australia has grown strongly thanks to free trade agreements. The General Department of Vietnam Customs reported that the two-way trade stood at nearly $14 billion last year, with Vietnams exports reaching $5.2 billion.

The two countries were the 10th biggest trade partners of each other in the year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Vietnam and Australia boost economic co-operation Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison chaired a meeting on exchanging and promoting co-operation opportunities between Vietnamese and Australian businesses in Ha Noi on Friday.

Australian businesses interested in agritech in Vietnam Local businesses in Australias New South Wales (NSW) have shown their interest in joining the agricultural technology as well as food and beverage sectors in Vietnam  a promising market in their eyes.
The new centre is in Hanoi, and is the first NURA centre in Southeast Asia. The newly opened NURA will be operated by Vietnam Japan Health Technology JSC (VJH), which owns T-Matsuoka Medical Centre in Vietnam.

Fujifilm subsidiary Fujifilm DKH LLP operates NURA in India and Mongolia, and will provide support for VJH to conduct health screening with a focus on cancer and lifestyle diseases. Fujifilm will continue to expand its health screening service business in emerging countries by increasing the number of NURA centres.

In Vietnam, cancer and lifestyle diseases, such as ischaemic heart disease, are among the leading causes of death. The number of patients dying or falling critically ill as a result of these diseases can be reduced through early disease detection followed by appropriate treatment and health guidance.

In Vietnam, as in Japan, it is compulsory that corporates provide regular health screening for employees. However, the health screening rate in Vietnam remains low at about 3.5 per cent, which frequently makes it difficult to detect diseases in their early stages.

Fujifilm, VJH and T-Matsuoka Medical Centre, which has long been contributing to improving the quality of medical care in Vietnam, will work together to create an environment that supports the delivery of high-quality screening services in Vietnam.

Fujifilm will share its expertise in health screening services it has gained from operating NURA centres. In addition, Fujifilm and VJH will engage in activities to communicate the importance of health screening to hospitals and companies in the surrounding area, enhancing a health screening culture in Vietnam.

Compelling signs ahead in healthcare Vietnam expects to see rising investment and dealmaking activities in healthcare and pharma. Seck Yee Chung, partner and head of Mergers & Acquisitions and Healthcare and Life Sciences practices in Vietnam for Baker McKenzie, discussed with VIRs Thanh Van the prospect of Vietnams thriving healthcare and pharma sectors.

Partnership key to improving healthcare in Vietnam Stakeholders are joining Vietnams efforts in improving healthcare accessibility, and sustainably developing the sector. Nguyen Thi An, country director of HealthBridge, spoke with VIRs Tung Anh about how businesses can make a contribution.
The husband of a missing Wisconsin woman is under arrest after authorities say he was illegally spending money from her financial accounts.

Crystal Rasch, 37, has been missing since last month.

Sheriff's deputies investigating the case started looking at her bank accounts and say her estranged husband, 42-year-old Zachariah Rasch misappropriate her identity to fund purchases.

He faces seven felony counts of misappropriating ID information to obtain money.

Crystal was last seen on June 11 and reported missing on June 23 by her stepmother, who said she hadn't heard from Crystal since June 11, according to the criminal complaint seen by WITI-TV.

The stepmother told investigators she had stopped at her stepdaughter's home and saw her vehicle parked in the garage.

She was later told by Crystal's mother that the 37-year-old had traveled to Michigan to see her brother; however, the brother said he too had not seen Crystal.

Authorities contacted several friends and family members who all said they haven't had any in-person contact with Crystal since June 10, but several did say they received Facebook messages allegedly from Crystal, though they suspected the messages were fake based on the language and tone used.

Zachariah Rasch also claimed to the police that he had not seen or contacted Crystal as they were reportedly going through a divorce.

The complaint goes on to state that through interviews, surveillance footage, and transaction data, it was discovered that Zachariah had made numerous purchases with Crystal's cards.

He is alleged to have spent as much as $6,000 on cleaning supplies and other items, according to WISN-TV.

A search warrant was executed on Zachariah's home on June 26 related to the identity theft.

Meanwhile, the Adams County Sheriff's Office disclosed Zacharaiah has connections to two separate areas of land in the town of Springville.

Due to the size of the properties, it took nearly 100 law enforcement officers from 28 departments two days to search the property.

A 2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse registered to Zachariah Rasch was found and is said to contain "significant evidentiary value" in the whereabouts of Crystal.

It is currently being analyzed by the Wisconsin State Crime Lab in Madison.
Google greenhouse gas emissions grow as it powers AI, illustration photo/ Source: freepik.com

Google's climate-changing emissions have increased 48 percent in the past five years, at odds with a touted goal of becoming carbon neutral for the sake of the planet, according to an annual environmental report released on Tuesday.

Total greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 were 13 percent higher than they were the prior year, primarily driven by increased data center energy consumption and its supply chain, the report stated.

The increase came even though Google has been ramping up use of solar and wind generated clean energy.

"In spite of the progress we're making, we face significant challenges that we're actively working through," chief sustainability officer Kate Brandt and senior vice president Benedict Gomes said in the report.

"As we further integrate AI into our products, reducing emissions may be challenging due to increasing energy demands from the greater intensity of AI compute, and the emissions associated with the expected increases in our technical infrastructure investment."

Google is not alone in facing the challenge of feeding power-hungry AI data centers, while trying to curb creation of climate-changing greenhouse gas.

Microsoft said in its recent sustainability report that its greenhouse gas emissions last year were up 29 percent from 2020 as it continues "to invest in the infrastructure needed to advance new technologies."

Microsoft and Google have been front runners in an AI race since OpenAI released ChatGPT in late 2022.

AI has been a theme for the rivals in blockbuster earnings performances quarter after quarter.

Meanwhile, Google and Microsoft have each pledged to be carbon neutral by the end of this decade.

Microsoft has an added goal of being carbon-negative, taking climate-harming gas out of the air, by 2050.

Amazon, also an AI contender with its AWS cloud computing division, has said it is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2040.

"A sustainable future requires systems-level change, strong government policies, and new technologies," Google said in its report.

"We're committed to collaboration and playing our part, every step of the way."

Apple, Google and Meta set to face probes under new law: source Apple, Google and Meta are set to face the EU's wrath next week as Brussels prepares to hit the tech giants with probes into potential violations of a landmark law, sources close to the matter said Friday.

Google to delete incognito search data to end privacy suit Google has agreed to delete a vast trove of search data to settle a suit that it tracked millions of US users who thought they were browsing the internet privately.
Project 06, approved on January 6, 2022, focuses on developing applications for population data, digital identification, and electronic authentication. It aims to support the national digital transformation from 2022 to 2025, with a vision to 2030. As the capital, Hanoi has been entrusted with piloting several key initiatives before the nationwide implementation.

The review conference underscored Hanois unwavering commitment to building a Digital Government - Serving Government, and fostering a Digital Society - Trust Society. The capitals initiatives reflect a new global mindset and embody Hanois thinking and action in the digital age, setting a benchmark for other cities and provinces to follow in Vietnams ambitious digital transformation journey.

With the goal of accelerating Hanois digital transformation, three new applications were revealed at the conference. The first is the iHanoi Citizen app, dubbed Touch to Connect, which creates a vital link between the city government, its residents, and businesses. The platform aims to improve the business environment, streamline administrative reforms, and boost public satisfaction.

The second initiative is the VNeID app which holds electronic health records, laying the groundwork for telemedicine and providing citizens with a lifelong and unified health record. Lastly, the smart meeting system i-Cabinet was introduced, utilising innovative technology and AI virtual assistants to facilitate paperless governance and enable more efficient and timely decision-making.

The conference also announced the implementation results of Project 06 in healthcare and data digitisation.

In the healthcare sector, the Ministry of Health reported impressive progress in digitalising services. 99.5 per cent of medical facilities nationwide have implemented IT systems for management and insurance claim processing. A telehealth system now connects central hospitals with local health facilities, enhancing support for lower-level institutions. Furthermore, 100 per cent of medical facilities now accept chip-based citizen ID cards or the VNeID app for health insurance verification.

"Following the successful evaluation in Hanoi, the Ministry of Health issued Decision No.1332/QD-BYT on May 21 to incorporate electronic health records on the VneID application across the country. The decree creates a legal corridor, providing specific guidance for localities to implement electronic health records integrated on VneID, which includes regulations on 46 information fields and the content of information displayed on the record," Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said.

A report by the Ministry of Public Security highlighted the implementation of 82 administrative procedures with zero fees, reducing bureaucratic burdens on citizens and businesses. 19 digital models, including electronic health records and digital criminal records, have been successfully piloted on the VNeID platform. Additionally, cashless payments and e-invoicing systems have been advanced, especially for small businesses.

"The achievements of Hanoi have positively impacted all aspects of the city's social life. The project's effective values have been gradually realized, leading to a shift in management mindset and working habits among cadres and civil servants. It has also streamlined administrative procedures, saving time and costs for both citizens and businesses," Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang said.

The capital city received specific recommendations to expedite data digitisation efforts, particularly in 11 districts that have not yet completed civil status data digitisation. Hanoi was also urged to enhance the creation and sharing of data through the National Data Centre, in line with Government Resolution 175.

Minister Quang also stressed, "The city needs to improve the quality of shared databases to ensure they are accurate, complete, clean, and dynamic."

Hanoi reports import-export turnover of $28.6 billion Hanoi reported $28.6 billion in import-export turnover in the first half of this year, up 13.7 per cent on-year.

Hanoi welcomes over 14 million visitors in H1 Hanoi welcomed 14.05 million visitors in the first half of this year, a 13.7 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to the city's Department of Tourism.

Hanoi hosts first Aerospace & Defence Manufacturing Innovation Day The Vietnam National Innovation Centre (NIC) and Kami Technology Manufacturing Corporation (KMTC) opened the nations first Aerospace & Defence Manufacturing Innovation Day on July 2.
Vietnam is abundant in natural landscapes that provide attractive destinations for tourists seeking holistic experiences that cater to their mind, body, and spirit. Vietnam is an important market in Southeast Asia.

Varun Grover, country head for Vietnam Booking.com

To explore how travel will transport people out of autopilot and into unleashing their best life, we commissioned research among more than 27,000 travellers across 33 countries and territories, combining it with its insights as a leading digital travel platform to reveal seven predictions for travel in 2024.

Ego Enthusiasts: Creating alter egos

In 2024, travellers will feel more alive by creating their very own epic alter egos during their holidays, with 37 per cent weaving intricate narratives about their real lives when interacting with fellow travellers. These enthusiasts love the thrill of embodying a 2.0 version of themselves, and go to great lengths to reimagine their best self, with 78 per cent of Vietnamese travellers enjoying the anonymity of travel and the chance to recreate themselves.

Theyre excited to reinvent themselves and take on different personas when travelling to feel more alive. 76 per cent feel they are the best version of themselves on holiday, able to shed inhibitions and embrace new aspects of their personalities, and 56 per cent would even pay to rent a nicer car than they drive at home to live their finest lives with confidence.

Whats more, 65 per cent of Vietnamese travellers feel main character energy on their travels, with these performers empowered to be the stars of their own life. They might also want to use their travels as an extension of aliases and avatars they use online.

Cool-cationers

As global temperatures continue to rise, travellers are seeking cooler destinations to escape the heat. Three out of four Vietnamese travellers report that climate change will impact the way they plan their vacation in 2024, with 75 per cent saying that as temperatures soar close to home, they will use their vacation to cool down elsewhere.

The majority of Vietnamese travellers (82 per cent) agree that being close to water instantly makes them feel more relaxed, and are interested in water-centric vacations. As people dive head first into aquatic escapes, mindful water immersion will quickly become the next mainstream version of meditation. This fresh form of feel-alive wellness travel will see floating yoga, water sound baths and snow meditation surge, as well as a boom in ice therapy retreats.

Surrender Seekers

Travellers in 2024 are increasingly inclined to embrace spontaneity and adventure. Over half of Vietnamese (62 per cent) are keen to book a surprise trip where everything down to the destination is unknown until arrival. The adventurous traveller of 2024 is wanting to step outside of the homogenised holiday, preferring to venture off the beaten path and seeking to travel with strangers.

Nearly 60 per cent of Vietnamese travellers would like to have no plans set in stone prior to travelling so they can go where the wind takes them, while 81 per cent of Vietnamese travellers prefer to travel with loose plans so they can change direction based on what feels good at the moment.

Culinary Excavators

Food plays an important role in the travel experience with nearly 73 per cent Vietnamese travellers more interested in discovering more about a destinations must-eat delicacies than ever before. Culinary excavators are leaning on gastro-tourism to preserve the true craftsmanship of the traditional dishes and embrace the unique history, geography and produce that makes for one-of-a-kind cuisine that awakens the senses.

Most Vietnamese travellers (94 per cent) want to try indigenous cuisines and explore heritage flavours in 2024, unlocking the secrets of cultures which may have been lost or forgotten in other parts of the world. Expect an increase in indigenous experiences that take travellers on trails that tell the story behind the food they serve, bringing pride and income to communities.

Reboot Retreaters

When things are falling apart back home amid global instability and an ever-hectic world, dishevelled travellers are booking one-track trips that are focused on self-improvement to bring themselves back to the life they truly want again.

For those who are used to sleeping solo, 62 per cent of Vietnamese travellers would carve out time for a matchmaking holiday to find a spark with a new partner or lover. On the flip side, for those increasingly frazzled parents, they are surprisingly seeking solace on completely solo holidays, with the majority of Asia-Pacific parents (66 per cent) planning to travel alone in 2024, dropping the kids and their partners to prioritise their vitality.

A La Carte Affluencers

Travellers in 2024 are looking to optimise their vacations by seeing value and luxury simultaneously. They want to level up their holiday experience with a la carte luxuries but are keen to cut costs. These a la carte affluencers want to appear wealthy, sweeping away the reality of having to make financial sacrifices, but behind the scenes are obsessed with see-through spending and curating budget-friendly travel itineraries with the help of AI.

In fact, 71 per cent of Vietnamese travellers will want insights and tips from AI when on holiday to upgrade experiences with suggested ancillaries and deals, all with a flick of their finger.

Additionally, nearly half (48 per cent) plan to pick destinations in 2024 where the cost of living is less expensive than their hometown, while 54 per cent of Vietnamese travellers want to travel closer to home to reduce costs in 2024.

Two-thirds of Vietnamese travellers will be willing to pay for day passes to use the amenities in a five-star hotel rather than actually staying there, with a similar number of parents (60 per cent) planning to take their children out of school to travel outside of peak season to make their money stretch further in 2024.

Mindful Aesthetes

Once upon a time, the words sustainable and stylish were not necessarily synonymous, with the words eco-travel conjuring up visions of primitive campsites. Design and mindfulness converge in 2024, opening up new and inspiring doors for travellers who have a desire to make more conscious and responsible choices, not just for a short getaway, but as a way of life.

These travellers will hunt down jaw-dropping architecture that has environmental features at its heart, with 73 per cent Vietnamese travellers looking for accommodation that has wow-factor sustainability innovation. 78 per cent want to see sustainability in action, while 83 per cent of Vietnamese travellers say they want to see the outside brought indoors with green spaces and plants in accommodations on holiday.

In 2024, in exchange for contributing to conservation efforts, sustainable itineraries will give travellers exclusive access to the places that they are helping preserve, in the most mindful way.

Tourism to become truly spearhead, green industry by 2030 Vietnam aims to turn tourism into a truly spearhead economic sector with green growth and world leading development capacity by 2030.
Bao Viet Group plans to divest State capital at its insurance firm in the future. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi - Vietnam's two largest insurance firms  Baoviet Holdings (HoSE: BVH) and PVI Joint Stock Company (HNX: PVI) - have announced plans to divest State capital.

According to analysts, the divestment of State capital in insurance firms could bring opportunities for foreign investors to put their capital in the domestic insurance market, both as shareholders and strategic partners.

At the 2024 annual general meeting of shareholders, BVH's board of directors said that they would develop a plan on reducing the state ownership from 2026 to submit to the shareholders, reported Da tu tai chinh (VietnamFinance) magazine.

According to BVH Acting General Director Nguyen Dinh An, the State capital shares are expected to be maintained at 65 per cent of the firm's capital until the end of 2025. After that, when reducing this State capital to 51 per cent, the firms will issue shares to the existing shareholders to mobilise additional funds.

This plan on divesting State capital was also revealed by BVH at the annual meeting in 2023.

At present, the Ministry of Finance holds more than 482.5 million BVH shares, equivalent to 65 per cent of this firm's capital. State Capital Investment and Trading Corporation (SCIC) holds 22.1 million BHV shares, equivalent to nearly 3 per cent of the capital.

Meanwhile, the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam) will divest capital from PVI before the end of 2025, according to the plan on the restructuring project of Petrovietnam until the end of 2025, approved by the Government. PVI is one of seven enterprises that Petrovietnam must divest from them.

At PVI, Petrovietnam holds more than 81.9 million shares, equivalent to 35 per cent of the capital. Despite holding a large stake in PVI, Petrovietnam is not the largest shareholder of this insurance firm.

HDI Global SE, a firm from Germany, is the largest shareholder of PVI holding 38.89 per cent of PVI capital, equivalent to more than 91.1 million shares.

According to experts, these two deals show that Vietnam's insurance market is still attractive to foreign investors.

At BVH's 2024 annual general meeting, Sumitomo Life's representative emphasised their desire to accompany this insurance firm as a strategic partner. Sumitomo Life also said it would be interested in opportunities to increase investment in BVH.

In early 2024, high-level delegations from Talanx Group and HDI Global SE visited PVI's headquarters and emphasised that they would support PVI in all aspects, especially in consulting for governance and risk management.

The State ownership ratio is also high in many non-life insurance firms. At Bao Minh Joint Stock Corporation (HoSE: BMI), SCIC holds more than 61.1 million BMI shares, equivalent to 50.7 per cent of the total capital.

At Petrolimex Insurance Joint Stock Corporation (HoSE: PGI), Vietnam Petroleum Group (Petrolimex) represents State capital of 40.95 per cent, equivalent to more than 45.5 million PGI shares.

State ownership is 52.93 per cent of the capital at Vietnam Agricultural Bank Insurance Joint Stock Company (UPCoM: ABI), 40.36 per cent of the capital at the Vietnam National Reinsurance Joint Stock Corporation (HNX: VNR), and more than 51 per cent of the capital at the BIDV Insurance Joint Stock Corporation (HoSE: BIC).

The insurance sector is one of 59 conditional business sectors, but Vietnam has no limit on the ownership ratio of foreign investors in insurance firms. Many insurance companies, such as PTI, PGI and BMI, have increased ownership ratio for foreign investors to 100 per cent.

The presence of foreign investors is increasing in domestic insurance enterprises. For example, AXA Insurance Finance Group (France) holds 16.65 per cent of BMI's capital.

HDI Global SE (Germany) and Funderburk Lighthouse, an investment fund of the Government of Oman, own 38.89 per cent and 12.61 per cent of the PVI capital, respectively.

Meanwhile, Military Insurance Joint Stock Corporation (MIG), ABI, PTI, BIC and VNR, have also major foreign shareholders.

In early 2024, DB Insurance - a Korean insurance group, became the dominant shareholder in two of Vietnam's insurance enterprises, the Saigon  Hanoi Insurance Joint Stock Corporation (BSH) and the Aviation Insurance Joint Stock Corporation (VNI). This group is also a major shareholder in PTI, holding more than 37 per cent of the capital.

Life insurance players seek to rebuild trust Vietnams life insurance industry, noted for its stringent regulations, should enhance product quality, transparency, and stakeholder balance for sustainable development, industry leaders have urged.

Insurance firms to bounce back in 2024 A recent survey conducted by Vietnam Report between May and June found that a remarkable 45.6 per cent of insurance firms expect the insurance industry to grow nearly 5 to 10 per cent in 2024. Nearly 32 per cent of surveyed firms believe the economy will maintain a stable growth rate of 5.5 per cent.
Terms of the investment were not disclosed. INNOHAS, a South Korea-based food-tech startup founded in November 2021, is a manufacturer of a variety of home meal replacement products utilising plant-based meat.

The companys products are sold in Korea and major global markets such as the United States, where their products have significantly contributed to the recent popularity of frozen kimbap. Due to restrictions on the export of animal-based proteins from South Korea, INNOHAS has garnered acclaim for replacing such proteins with plant-based alternatives, allowing the company to promote a wider range of Korean food internationally.

In 2023, the estimated size of the plant-based alternative meat market was $6.4 billion, according to Euromonitor, suggesting enormous room for growth. INNOHAS is well positioned to capitalise on the trend towards plant-based protein alternatives.

Its patented core technology naturally eliminates odours and tastes that can sometimes be present in plant-based proteins, with other manufacturers preferring to ineffectively mask them with other ingredients. In addition, INNOHAS possesses advanced technology that enables the structuring of plant-based proteins to closely mimic the texture of meat.

Earlier this year, INNOHAS opened its second facility, the largest plant-based specialised factory in South Korea, which expanded the companys total production capacity to three times the output of its first factory. This factory exclusively uses plant-based ingredients, eliminating the risk of cross-contamination with animal-based ingredients and ensuring higher product quality. In addition to fulfilling pre-ordered sales at the new factory, the company plans to further expand its market into Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia.

By successfully scaling to mass production early on, INNOHAS has secured competitive market pricing and quality consistency. The company manufactures OEM products for renowned food companies and retailers in South Korea and the US under private brand labels, and separately has launched its own brand 'Sunlit Foods' with distribution in the US, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and the Netherlands. Since INNOHAS was launched in 2021, annual revenue has steadily increased, and in 2023 the company achieved 90 per cent year-on-year revenue growth. The company has also been consistently profitable.

Jeesu Park, CEO and co-founder of INNOHAS, said, Partnering with VinaCapital Ventures is a tremendous opportunity for us. Their extensive network and deep understanding of the local market will significantly aid us in successfully entering the Southeast Asian market and providing superior products and services to local consumers. Through this investment, we plan to develop products tailored specifically to the Vietnamese and Southeast Asian markets, while also strengthening our local production and distribution networks. This will enable us to further expand our global market share and achieve sustainable growth.

Hoang Duc Trung, partner at VinaCapital Ventures, stated, "We are proud to invest in INNOHAS and help them introduce their healthy and delicious products to Vietnam and Southeast Asia, as well as further expand their reach globally. The challenges related to consumer health, environmental sustainability and animal welfare are significant, and require innovative solutions like those from INNOHAS. Furthermore, this investment seamlessly aligns with VinaCapitals environmental, social, and governance values and initiatives, which include doing what we can to promote sustainability and reduce carbon emissions.

F&B market taking on fresh appeal Vietnams food and beverage market is emerging as a hotbed of opportunity, with several companies from neighbouring nations as well as those further afield ramping up activity.

Beacon Investment Fund to expand Lotus Group's F&B operations Beacon Investment Fund and Vietnam's Lotus Group on April 15 unveiled a substantial collaboration, committing millions of dollars to bolster the expansion and development of Lotus Group's food and beverages (F&B) arm.
WATERLOO  Bond will remain at $50,000 for a Waterloo man who was allegedly caught trying to meet a pre-teen in Evansdale for sex in a May.

The attorney for 46-year-old Gabriel Keith Usher had asked the bail amount be cut in half  to $25,000  during a Monday hearing.

Attorney Robert Bembridge said a vigilante group had entrapped Usher.

He said Usher has strong ties to the community. He had been living in the Coralville area and recently moved to Waterloo in search of a job. He had been staying with his mother in her Waterloo apartment.

Assistant County Attorney Heather Jackson fought the request, noting that Usher is a registered sex offender because of a 2001 conviction for an offense involving a child, and he was detained in the Evansdale sting while out on bond awaiting trial for allegedly attempting to meet a 15-year-old girl in Iowa City in October.

She also said federal authorities were investigating possible child pornography on his phone.

Judge David Odekirk agreed, ordering the bond to remain at $50,000.

In the Evansdale case, authorities allege Usher had been communicating with someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl and then drove to Evansdale to meet her for sex on May 31.

The girl turned out to be a team from a group called Predator Poachers Southeast Texas, who started filming Usher when he showed up.

Predator Poachers is a Houston-based group that targets child abusers, often setting up encounters and then filming videos that are posted on YouTube.

The organization posted its 49-minute video of Usher on Tuesday. The footage shows interviewer Alex Rosen, going under the name Gordon Flowers, approaching Usher, who was wearing a Punisher T-shirt, shorts and a camouflage trucker cap with an American flag outside an Evansdale apartment complex.

Usher talked freely with the interviewer and even surrendered his cell phone to him.

I understand all the texting and all the inappropriate talkings and messages. Those are just feelings that shouldnt be allowed on the internet. I get it.

I get pulled in because my son turned 12 last month, well five days ago, and I havent seen him in seven years. So the 12 age is stuck in my head trying to be a good parent, Usher told the Predator Poachers interviewer.

He admitted he was out on pre-trial release for the Iowa City incident.

I know I should have learned my lesson then, Usher said, who said he was going to counseling and attributed his behavior to a missing father complex.

It was stupid, stinking thinking that I learned in the treatment program back 20 years ago. And I have to stop doing it, and Im getting therapy for it, Usher said.

The interview continued until neighbors apparently called police, and officers showed up.

States are required to background check child care workers, but many are falling short States are required to background check child care workers, but many are falling short
An army veteran accused of killing a sex worker in a Las Vegas hotel allegedly told police he "snapped" when she tried to increase her prices for services.

Jason Kendall, 35, has been charged with open murder, sexual assault, and battery by strangulation to commit sexual assault, in connection with the death of a woman at the Palms Casino Resort, according to police.

The victim was identified as 30-year-old escort and mom of two Larissa Garcia, KLAS-TV reported, citing sources and court documents.

The afternoon of June 12, Kendall and Garcia got a room at the Palms after meeting through an escort app. An hour later, Kendall was seen on surveillance footage leaving the property alone. Soon after, he allegedly called 911 to report a woman had overdosed in the hotel room. When police arrived, the victim was found unconscious with an injury to her jaw.

At the hospital, staff noted Garcia may have been strangled and "possibly suffocated," according to the documents, the outlet reported. There were no traces of alcohol or drugs in her system.

On June 21, Garcia was declared medically brain dead.

On Friday, Kendall turned himself in and allegedly "confessed to a strangulation and sexual assault."

After agreeing to a $2000 fee for sex, "Jason said Larissa requested additional payment and he 'snapped,'" documents read, according to the outlet. "He hit her in the face and 'choked' her for 'ten minutes' and 'then had sex with her.' After having sex with Larissa, Jason wrote he 'drug her away from the door and left.' After leaving the hotel he called the police to report an overdose."

Kendall is due back in court Tuesday. It's unclear if he entered a plea to the charges.
The fallout from President Joe Biden's miserable debate is giving me deja vu.

In the political right's intramural arguments over Donald Trump, I argued that Trump's presidency would end badly because, to echo Heraclitus, character is destiny.

Trump's presidency did indeed end badly, though sadly his political career did not end with it. Whatever laws he may or may not have broken on Jan. 6, 2021, he spent a large chunk of the afternoon watching TV as violent hooligans stormed the Capitol on his behalf, trying to steal the election, chanting death threats and literally and figuratively defecating on the people's house. He was even impeached on his way out the door.

You know what else is destiny? Age.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to make it to their golden years, but those who do inevitably lose the qualities of youth, mentally and physically. Some lose more than others, but everyone declines.

Even Biden acknowledges he is not immune to senescence. He just denies that it matters much. And so does pretty much the entirety of the Democratic Party.

The rhetorical wagon-circling consists of a few interchangeable talking points. "Bad debate nights happen," Barack Obama declared. The Biden family "will not let those 90 minutes define the four years he's been president," first lady Jill Biden told Vogue. The gist of all of this is that the president's debate performance was just a snapshot, an isolated incident.

That's nonsense. Familiar nonsense. For years, whenever Trump put his unfitness on display, his defenders would say it was a stray remark, a one-time event. You have to judge him in context. He's a good man. He's fighting for you.

In short, they would say all the things Biden's partisan Praetorian Guard is saying now.

But they were isolated events in the way that the frames of a film are when you look at them one at a time. Roll the film, and you see the man in action. Biden's bad 90 minutes weren't a one-off. They were an example of a long-standing problem that, disastrously, was televised for all to see.

The deja vu doesn't end there.

After he secured the nomination in 2016, Trump's defenders would respond to any denigration of the candidate, particularly in the wake of the "Access Hollywood" tape that caught him boasting about sexual assault, by saying, in effect, "What about Hillary?"

Anyone questioning Trump's fitness was accused of supporting Clinton. Today, any concerns about Biden's fitness are greeted with the same whataboutism with regard to Trump.

After Trump was elected and the "isolated incident" defense lost plausibility, his defenders resorted to telling people not to believe their lying eyes. For years, Democrats and other Trump critics called this "gaslighting": trying to make people doubt their own perceptions rather than acknowledging that anything was amiss or untrue.

Now the foes of gaslighting have become the gaslighters.

It was Biden's idea to hold this debate. He set the date and rules. He locked himself away in seclusion for a week to prepare. Why? Because the Biden campaign knew it needed to rebut the narrative that he was too old and diminished to do the job.

Instead, Biden confirmed it.

Defenders rightly note that Trump's performance was full of lies (though Biden wasn't exactly a paragon of truth). But Biden was utterly incapable of rebutting them.

When asked about abortion, his most potent issue, the president offered a word salad that ended with a garbled morass about how crime committed by illegal immigrants isn't a big deal because American women are getting raped all the time, including by their sisters. In response to Trump's ridiculous diatribe about the national debt, Biden rhetorically meandered into declaring, "We finally beat Medicare."

Old age is different from bad character. But the similarities here are more important than the differences.

If you believe Biden is the best choice to defeat Trump, make that argument. If you think a man who is "dependably engaged" only between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., as Axios reported, can do the job for the next six months -- never mind for another four years -- make that argument.

But spare me the talk about Biden's legacy, one bad night and "Whatabout Trump?" The only relevant questions are "Can he do the job?" and, in a very distant second place, "Can he win?"
Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (2 July 2024)

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.

Units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 57th, 115th mechanised brigades, and 113th Territorial Defence Brigade near Chumakovo, Yunakovka (Sumy region), Sotnitsky Kazachok, and Liptsy (Kharkov region).

Two counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU Vostok Special Operations Centre and 36th Marines Brigade were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 70 Ukrainian troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, three motor vehicles, one German-made 155-mm Panzerhaubitze-2000 self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-made 155-mm M198 howitzer, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer.

Units of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 14th, 115th mechanised brigades, and 3rd Assault Brigade near Pershotravnevoye (Kharkov region), Nadiya, and Stelmakhovka (Lugansk Peoples Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 475 Ukrainian troops, one tank, one infantry fighting vehicle, five motor vehicles, one 152-mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzer, and one 122-mm Grad MLRS combat vehicle.

Moreover, three AFU artillery ammunition depots were destroyed.

Units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 56th Motorised Infantry Brigade near Kalinin (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

One counter-attack launched by assault detachments of the AFU 214th Opfor Separate Battalion was repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to more than 635 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, and 16 motor vehicles.

In the course of counter-battery warfare, one UK-made 155-mm FH-70 howitzer, one U.S.-made 155-mm M198 howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one UK-made 105-mm L-199 howitzer, and two U.S.-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery warfare stations.

Six AFU field ammunition depots were destroyed.

Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 47th Mechanised Brigade and 109th Territorial Defence Brigade near Rozovka, Novgorodskoye, and Novosyolka Pervaya (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

Six counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 23rd, 31st, 41st, 110th mechanised brigades, and 95th Air Assault Brigade were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 440 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer.

Units of the Vostok Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade near Urozhaynoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

One counter-attack launched by assault detachments of the AFU 123rd Territorial Defence Brigade was repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 110 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one U.S.-made 155-mm M198 howitzer, two 122-mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, and one 100-mm MT-12 Rapira anti-tank gun.

Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 65th Mechanised Brigade, 128th Mountain Assault Brigade, and 35th Marines Brigade near Malaya Tokmachka and Zherebyanka (Zaporozhye region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 70 Ukrainian troops and two motor vehicles. One electronic warfare station was destroyed.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces engaged AFU manpower and hardware clusters in 115 areas during the day.

Air defence units shot down six UK-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles, one French-made Hammer guided aerial bomb, one U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectile, 81 unmanned aerial vehicles, including one Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicle.

Nine aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force were neutralised.

As a result of a group strike by precision weaponry at the airfield, five Su-27 aircraft were destroyed and two Su-27 aircraft were damaged. One MiG-29 and one Su-27 Ukrainian aircraft were shot down by Russian air defence units.

In total, 625 airplanes and 276 helicopters, 27,121 unmanned aerial vehicles, 535 air defence missile systems, 16,478 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,362 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 11,215 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 23,238 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

Tags:

WtR
One person is dead and five others hurt after gunmen opened fire on a reception at a French wedding hall.

The gunmen stormed the venue in Thionville, a city in northeastern France on late Saturday as approximately a hundred guests were in attendance of a Turkish wedding party.

Two people were seriously injured and one of them was in critical condition, according to AFP. A pregnant woman was among the wounded.

"At a quarter past one in the morning, a group of people went outside to smoke in front of the hall, and then three heavily armed men arrived and opened fire in their direction," a police source told the media outlet.

The suspects arrived in a 4x4 vehicle, "probably a BMW," they added.

Sources have suggested that the attack could potentially be linked to settling a score between drug traffickers

Authorities allegedly believe that a settling of scores connected to drug trafficking could be a possible motive behind the violence.

"The wedding was not targeted as such, it was people who were at the wedding."

In a statement to the BBC, prosecutor Francois Capin-Dulhoste said the men had fired "several dozen times", adding four people had been hit by the bullets. The victims are said to be between 25 and 50 years old.
The Nevada DMV will temporarily suspend 'Walk-In Wednesday' services in several cities, including Reno, starting this week due to heat.

The DMV says starting July 10, 2024, it will move Wednesday services to appointment-only until temperatures reach more typical levels, at which point Walk-In Wednesdays will resume.

In order to accommodate customers who would usually visit on Wednesdays, the four Las Vegas offices will only open their books for Wednesday appointments on Tuesday afternoons.

The DMV offers certain services  such as the issuance of movement permits, payment of debts, and some ID card services  without an appointment. These services will continue and remain unaffected.

The DMVs Walk-In Wednesdays began in 2023 and allow customers to visit a major metropolitan office on Wednesdays without pre-scheduled appointments  instead, customers scan QR codes at the office to join a virtual queue which manages the offices traffic.

(Nevada DMV contributed to this report.)
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Fina Raimondo visited Reno on Tuesday with a big check - $21 million to support Northern Nevadas lithium economy.

Were taking what you have now, and helping you to take it to the next level. she said at a press conference at Dragonfly Energy.

The Tech Hub at the University of Nevada, Reno will lead the charge on deciding how to spend the money. Provost Jeff Thompson said it will go toward initiatives that address community-wide challenges as the lithium-ion battery production industry grows in the region.

Its everything from looking at workforce shortages and doing analysis and understanding where companies need help getting workers, to housing  how are we going to solve housing issues? He said. Transportation issues. How can we make sure that you can move the lithium to where the batteries are being made?

Those are challenges that Dragonfly Energy CEO Denis Phares knows well.

Theres a lot of infrastructure that needs to be developed in order for us to compete in terms of developing a lithium economy, he said. Weve got lithium in the ground, but we have to get it out of the ground. We have to process it. We need to make cells. We need to recycle it.

The Commerce Department has a vested interest in helping Nevada solve those challenges. Raimondo said that she wants to see the state become a global leader in lithium production.

Energy independence, its supply chain resilience. We want these batteries made in America by Americans, so that were not entirely dependent on other countries, she said.

Senator Jacky Rosen added that all of Northern Nevada stands to reap the benefits of a burgeoning lithium industry.

People are building small businesses around it, so it spurs our entire community. Ninety-nine percent of businesses in Nevada are small businesses. It matters, she said.
The biological mother of a missing North Carolina child whose charred remains were found at the bottom of a burn barrel says she is "waiting for answers" as the boy's adoptive mother is charged with the murders of him and his adoptive sister.

Avantae Deven, 63, is also accused of concealment of death and kidnapping after police discovered the remains of Blake Deven, her adopted son, and what is believed to be the remains of London Deven, her adopted daughter in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

"I really just feel like there's more questions, and [I'm] waiting for more answers," Felicia Chandler said, according to WRAL-TV. "I just want to see my other two boys. I want to know if the remains are going to be sent home to where they belong with their biological families."

Deven was the adoptive mother of Chandler's two other boys. She also adopted two girls who were not biologically related.

"Deven kept them in small rooms in complete darkness at times," Fayetteville Police Sgt. Jeff Locklear told reporters Wednesday, the outlet reported. "They were given little or no food, they could earn nourishment through doing 'paperwork.' That meant they had to write hundreds of paragraphs to apologize for misbehavior. It is alleged some of the children were also beaten to the point of needing medical care but were only given natural cures like honey."

Police discovered the dismembered bodies inside a metal burn barrel on April 10 and testing confirmed one of the remains belonged to Blake, who was likely around 10 years old when he was killed, last week. Testing on the second set of remains, believed to belong to London, who was likely between 15 and 17, is ongoing, according to the Fayetteville Observer.

The investigation began in November 2023 when police responded to a 911 call about a mental health crisis at the Deven's home, according to Spectrum News. A sibling of Blake's told police that they had not seen him in five years.

During the investigation police learned that London was also missing, and hadn't been seen since 2019.

While conducting interviews with Blake and London's adoptive siblings, police discovered the "appalling conditions the kids grew up in."

"There were a lot of beatings because we would steal food just to survive," her adopted daughter, Bryanna Morrow, previously known as Cherish Deven, alleged, according to WRAL. "She would just drag you down by your hair and beat you."

Police alleged Blake was "mentally abused and starved," leading up to his death.

"His body could not sustain the inhumane treatment," said Locklear, the outlet reported. "Then, Avantae developed a plan to hide Blake's remains. She forced another person in the household to participate."

Locklear said it's likely London died "in the same painful way that Blake died from, starvation and neglect."

Deven was denied bond and is due back in court July 17.


Appoints Advisors to Strengthen Olympic Domain Plans

Melbourne, July 3, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Altair Minerals Limited ( ASX:ALR ) ( CHKMF:OTCMKTS ) is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Anderson, Ken Cross and Steven Cooper, highly experienced professionals in their respective fields, bringing an unparallelled wealth of knowledge in IOCG discoveries to drive forward Altair's exploration programs, with aims of making a groundbreaking discovery at the Olympic Domain Project.



- Altair Minerals welcomes Mr. Chris Anderson, a seasoned geophysicist with 40 years of extensive experience in mineral exploration, as a Technical Advisor to our Board of Directors.



- Mr. Anderson's profound expertise in geophysical modelling and targeted drill planning led to the Carrapateena IOCG discovery holes, subsequently sold to Oz Minerals. Carrapateena became Oz Minerals' flagship asset prior to its AU $9.6B takeover by BHP.



- Joining also is Dr. Ken Cross, a renowned specialist in IOCG systems for the past 35 years to assist the board as a Technical Advisor (Geology).



- Dr. Cross was a Senior Geologist at WMC Resources and following a role as Senior Research Geologist at Olympic Dam, has made significant contributions to IOCG geological modelling and exploration concepts.



- Altair Minerals is also delighted to announce Mr. Steven Cooper as the new Exploration Manager for the Wee MacGregor and Olympic Domain Copper assets.



- Mr. Cooper has over 35 years of hands-on experience in managing and evaluating mineral exploration programs. Mr. Cooper is poised to lead a dynamic new phase of exploration at Altair Minerals.



- These appointments will play a pivotal role in spearheading an exploration program to test new high-potential and robust geophysical anomalies located adjacent to the outstanding BHP Oak Dam West discovery (425.7m @ 3.04% Cu & 0.59g/t Au, 346ppm U3O8)



Mr. Chris Anderson, an experienced geophysicist who boasts 40 years of experience in mineral exploration in Australia and abroad has been appointed as a technical advisor to the board of directors. Chris Anderson played a crucial role in the 2005 discovery of the Carrapateena IOCG deposit in South Australia which was subsequently sold to Oz Minerals for AU~$375 million. Carrapateena was Oz Minerals' flagship asset before its $9.6 billion buy-out from BHP.



Mr. Anderson's contribution was propelled by his geophysical and geological expertise in the modelling and interpretation of data of the Gawler Craton which ultimately led to planning the drill holes for the Carrapateena discovery. Mr. Anderson's earlier experience includes exploration manager for Eastern Australia for Placer Pacific, where he was instrumental in the discovery of the Kalkaroo copper-goldmolybdenum deposit in South Australia.



Mr. Anderson extends work has extended beyond Australian shores, with international experience including geophysical interpretation in Zambia for Equinox Resources Ltd, and in Tanzania for North Mara Gold Mines, where he contributed to the discovery of the one-million-ounce Gokona gold deposit.



From 2005 to 2010, Mr Anderson served as an executive director of ASX-listed 'Stellar Resources' with exploration interests in New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia.



Dr. Ken Cross, a prominent South Australian (SA) geologist and a specialist in IOCG systems for around 35 years has been appointed as a technical advisor to the board of directors, bringing a wealth of geological expertise specifically focused at targeting large IOCG systems. His wealth of geological knowledge spans across various mineral deposits, including nickel, hydrothermal silver-lead-zinc (AgPb-Zn), greisen tin, skarn tungsten, and orogenic gold. Dr. Cross has made significant academic contributions to the understanding of SA IOCG and Copper deposits and was the Senior Research Geologist at Olympic Dam when WMC Resources developed and commenced mining the deposit.



Mr. Steven Cooper has been appointed as the new Exploration Manager for the Wee McGregor and Olympic Domain assets. Steven brings over 35 years of experience in the mineral exploration industry, with demonstrated experience in all stages of exploration, including project initiation, field data collection, analysis, and reporting.



Mr Cooper is the sole proprietor of his own exploration consulting firm with a diverse client base. He's also a published author and a Fellow of the AusIMM and the Geological Society.



Altair Minerals is well-positioned to benefit from Steven's deep knowledge and proven leadership in exploration. This appointment strengthens our team and positions Altair Minerals for future success in IOCG endeavours.



Olympic Domain Project



The Olympic Domain Project consists of three prospects (Horse Well, Pernatty C, Lake Torrens) situated in one of the largest copper provinces in the world - the Gawler Craton, which hosts mega-IOCG discoveries such as Oak Dam West, Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill and Carrapateena.



As seen in Figure 1*, Altair is the only junior remaining within the Olympic Domain region (South Easterly Corridor running from Olympic Dam to Oak Dam) that has greenfield geophysical anomalies with IOCG discovery potential. These major anomalies are located within the Horse Well area, surrounded by majors in all directions.



There are two outstanding and unexplained geophysical "hotspot" targets present within Horse Well area("Target 1" & "Target 2"-Figure 1*). Preliminary studies have confirmed these hotspots coincide with major structural and geophysical features suggestive of substantial mineralised and partially magnetized systems. Both geophysical targets at Horse Well are of significant size and indicative of an area where substantial IOCG deposit potential exists.



Mr. Chris Anderson will drive forward the discovery campaign at Olympic Domain Project as he did with Carrapateena, with initial focus on the Horse Well Prospect - which will consist of reinterpreting geophysical, geological, lithological and petrological data with the assistance of Dr. Ken Cross to generate high-priority drill targets. Steven Cooper will assist in the execution of strategic decisions and exploration plans developed by Altair. Steven will also lead the planning for sampling and drilling programs at Wee MacGregor Copper Project (Mt Isa district Qld). Altair management in parallel ontinues to evaluate high-potential business opportunities in the mining sector globally.



Altair Chief Executive Officer, Faheem Ahmed comments:



"We are thrilled to announce a powerhouse team of world-class IOCG specialists, essentially bringing two of the best minds in IOCG discoveries and modelling in Australia towards our Olympic Domain asset.



"The Horse Well prospect is an exciting discovery opportunity for the company, and Altair is fortunate to be the last junior in the area with outstanding geophysical anomalies which have yet to undergo thorough exploration, sandwiched by majors.



"Between Dr. Cross and Mr. Anderson, they share a combined 75-years of knowledge in the geology and IOCG exploration sectors with legacies and reputations built at Olympic Dam and Carrapateena respectively.



"In addition, Steven Cooper our new Exploration Manager has 35 years of hands-on experience in the mineral exploration industry who has knowledge and capability to manage all aspects of our programs.



"As seen in Figure 1*, Altair holds an incredible piece of ground with every other geophysical target in this highly prospective district being held by multi-billion-dollar companies. The geophysical anomalies work as an effective pathfinder in this region which has led to numerous world class discoveries by neighbours. We have an incredible exploration opportunity here with some of the most exciting geology in the world, which now has some of the best geologists in the space working towards generating another potentially world-class discovery.



"I'm incredibly pleased to be working with these industry veterans and look forward to updating the market as exploration progresses".



*To view tables and figures, please visit:

https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/G649K219





About Altair Minerals Limited





Altair Minerals Limited (ASX:ALR) (OTCMKTS:CHKMF) is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) with the primary focus of investing in the resource sector through direct tenement acquisition, joint ventures, farm in arrangements and new project generation. The Company has projects located in South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland with a key focus on its Olympic Domain tenements located in South Australia.

Related Companies
N. India stampede death toll rises to "over 60," PM Modi sends condolences

Xinhua) 10:21, July 03, 2024

NEW DELHI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in Tuesday's stampede at a religious gathering in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh rose to "over 60," according to a senior local administration official.

The stampede had occurred in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras area, around 150 miles southeast of New Delhi. Those injured were admitted to a government hospital in nearby Etah district. The death toll was feared to rise further.

Meanwhile, local media NDTV reported that 87 people, including women and children, were killed and many others injured in the tragedy.

Most people died by falling in a drain by the side of the road, an eyewitness told local media.

News agency "Press Trust of India" (PTI) quoted the eyewitness lady, identified as Shakuntala, as saying that after the religious ceremony had ended, people had started leaving the venue. "Outside the road was built on a height with a drain below. One after the other, people started falling into it. Some people got crushed," she added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences at the loss of lives in the stampede. Speaking in Indian Parliament's lower house "Lok Sabha," Modi said, "All possible help will be provided to the victims."

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed a couple of his ministers to reach the spot. He also directed the local administration and police officials to provide all possible help to the injured.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The sentencing date for Donald Trump's New York hush money trial conviction has been delayed until at least Sept 18.

The delay came hours after prosecutors said they would not fight postponing the sentence as the former president attempts to have his conviction tossed.

The news comes on the heels of a Supreme Court ruling that has granted broad immunity protections to presidents.

In a letter filed with the New York court, prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office said they would be open to a delay of at least two weeks in the July 11 sentencing in order to file a response to Trump's motions, according to The Associated Press.

Should the request be granted by Judge Juan M. Merchan, the postponement would mean that Trump won't know of his sentence until after he is formally nominated at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which is set to start on July 15.

The letter was announced one day after Trump's legal team requested the sentencing delay during the time the judge considers the high court's ruling and its potential influence over the New York case.

Defense attorneys for the former president argued that Manhattan prosecutors had placed "highly prejudicial emphasis on official-acts evidence," including Trump's social media posts and witness testimony about Oval Office meetings.

However, on Tuesday, prosecutors said they believed those arguments were "without merit," yet they noted they were not opposed to pausing the sentencing while the judge examines the matter.

Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records stemming from an attempt to cover up a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election.

His presence is required in Merchan's Manhattan courtroom upon sentencing.
CMF, a sub-brand of Nothing, the London-based tech company, has partnered with popular Indian actress Rashmika Mandanna as its brand ambassador. Mandanna will be featured in digital, print, and TVC campaigns, embodying the innovative spirit and stylish essence of CMF products.

"We are thrilled to welcome Rashmika Mandanna to the CMF family," said Vishal Bhola, President, Nothing India. "CMF by Nothing embodies our philosophy of creating beautiful, functional, and thoughtful devices that enhance everyday experiences. Rashmika Mandanna, with her dynamic personality and dedication to her craft, is a perfect fit for CMF, and we're excited to have her represent our brand."



Mandanna expressed her delight at the partnership: "I'm thrilled to partner with CMF by Nothing, a brand that reflects a culture of innovation. Discovering CMF reminded me of my own journey of starting something new. The impressive colors and unique products instantly appealed to me. This collaboration felt very natural because I love edgy designs and great aesthetics."



CMF Phone 1 Unveiled

Alongside the brand ambassador announcement, CMF unveiled the innovative and customizable design of the CMF Phone 1. This smartphone boasts a focus on personalization and functionality. Available in four vibrant colors (Black, Orange, Light Green, and Blue), the CMF Phone 1 caters to diverse tastes. Black and Light Green feature textured cases, while Blue and Orange sport elegant vegan leather layers.

The CMF Phone 1 prioritizes user individuality. Users can easily swap cases for different colors or materials, or attach purposeful accessories, giving new meaning to phone customization.



The announcement comes as anticipation builds for the highly-anticipated launch of the CMF Phone 1 on July 8th. Alongside the phone, CMF will also launch the Watch Pro 2 and Buds Pro 2. These upcoming products embody CMF's commitment to exceptional daily technology experiences at affordable prices, combined with cutting-edge design and functionality.

Also read: NBA and Publicis Groupe win at Cannes Lions Festival
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday reprimanded social media platform X Corp (Twitter) for challenging a court order directing it to remove posts by Congress leaders accusing journalist Rajat Sharma of using abusive language against their colleague Ragini Nayak on live television.

The court, led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, expressed concern about X Corp's behavior, stating it should function as a neutral platform and comply with court orders. We are concerned about your role. You are not acting like an intermediary, the Acting Chief Justice remarked. This resistance to court orders is a growing trend, not just in India but internationally as well."

Justice Gedela questioned why the platform would oppose the order, particularly when someone's reputation is at stake.

Senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao, representing X Corp, argued that the platform has no personal stake in the matter and contested the way the order was issued. He pointed out that the takedown order issued by a single judge required compliance within seven days, even though the defendants (Congress leaders) were identifiable.

The responsibility to take down the content lies with the individual posting it," Rao argued. "While I will comply with an ex parte order, I urge for a structured process."

He further emphasized that Sharma's lawsuit was not served on the defendants, with the plaintiff arguing it would become pointless if served. Rao cited a recent Supreme Court ruling stressing the exceptional circumstances required for granting ex parte injunctions.

There should be some due process, Rao added, requesting that the single judge's order be treated as temporary and allowing X Corp to present its arguments at the next hearing.

The court accepted the request, clarifying that the initial order is temporary and the application for interim relief will be heard by the single judge on July 11th.

This case stems from an ex parte order issued on June 14th by a single judge of the High Court, directing the removal of social media posts and videos by Congress leaders Ragini Nayak, Jairam Ramesh, and Pawan Khera. These posts alleged that Sharma used abusive language against Nayak during a live TV discussion on India TV, Sharma's news channel.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, who issued the initial order, believed the Congress leaders had exaggerated the incident and misrepresented the facts. The court also determined that Sharma would suffer irreparable harm if the content remained on social media platforms.

Sharma has filed a defamation suit against Nayak, Khera, and Ramesh, seeking 100 crore in damages.

The controversy began with a video clip circulating on social media platforms, allegedly showing Sharma using offensive language towards Nayak during a discussion on India TV on the day of the Lok Sabha election results. Nayak posted the video on X Corp on June 10th and subsequently filed a police complaint against Sharma. Sharma has denied the allegations, calling them a fabricated smear campaign orchestrated by the Congress party's media cell.
Over the past five years, Google's emissions have surged by 48%. In its annual environmental report published on Tuesday, July 2, Google disclosed that its greenhouse gas emissions reached 14.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2023. This marks a 13% increase from 2022 and a 48% rise compared to 2019. The company attributes the rise in emissions primarily to higher energy consumption at data centers and supply chain emissions.

Google acknowledged that as AI integration into its products deepens, reducing emissions may become more challenging due to the escalating energy demands of AI computations and the associated emissions from increased technical infrastructure investments.

Notably, in 2021, Google committed to achieving net-zero emissions across all its operations and value chain by 2030. To achieve this, the tech giant plans to cut 50% of its total emissions and invest in both nature-based and technology-driven carbon removal solutions to neutralize the remainder. Google has also pledged to the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to validate its absolute emissions reduction goals.

Despite these efforts, Google anticipates that its total emissions will "rise before dropping toward our absolute emissions reduction target." The company acknowledges the ambitious nature of its 2030 net-zero emissions goal, recognizing the inherent challenges and uncertainties, particularly regarding the future environmental impact of AI, which is complex and difficult to predict.

Moreover, Google points out that solutions for some critical global challenges are still undeveloped and will largely depend on a broader transition to clean energy.

In June, Google expanded its data center footprint with new investments in Singapore and Malaysia. In Singapore, the tech giant completed the expansion of its latest data center and cloud region campus, increasing its total investment in the country's technical infrastructure to US$5 billion, up from US$850 million in 2018. This expansion aims to meet the growing demand for cloud services both locally and globally, reinforcing Singapore's status as a regional data center hub.

"The expansion of our data center campus in Singapore reaffirms our commitment to helping Southeast Asian organizations capitalize on digital opportunities, while ensuring that growth is as sustainable as possible," said Kate Brandt, Google's chief sustainability officer.
GroupM India, WPPs media investment group, today announces the appointment of Praseed Prasad as Chief Growth Officer. In its newly created role, Praseed will lead GroupMs growth, marketing and communications. The role is further designed to accelerate GroupMs growth and strengthen its position as the industrys leader in media investments and marketing partner.

In his new role, Praseed will oversee strategy and operations for GroupMs business development, growth, marketing, and communications to clients, employees, and industry audiences. He will work closely with the agency and GroupM leadership to identify growth opportunities, develop integrated solutions that leverage the skills and expertise of the industrys deepest bench of talent, and effectively communicate GroupMs value proposition.

Praseed, returning back to GroupM, brings a wealth of experience to this position. Prior to joining IceCream Labs in 2015, he held key roles within GroupM, including heading Digital Trading and overseeing digital investments for all GroupM clients. His diverse background also includes stints at Flipkart, where he ran the Ads Agency Business and led Media and Partnerships, as well as at Google, where he managed Media Operations for EMEA markets and later ran the Google APAC Agency and Partner business.

Prasanth Kumar, CEO  GroupM South Asia said, It is great to have Praseed back to GroupM as Chief Growth Officer. His extensive experience in understanding client needs, strategic initiatives, industry knowledge, and cross-functional collaboration positions will help us enhance our market growth. His track record underscores his ability to navigate complex ecosystems and deliver results. We anticipate that his leadership will directly benefit our clients and the brands we work with, driving innovation and enhancing performance.

Praseed Prasad, Chief Growth Officer  GroupM India said, I am delighted to return to GroupM where I grew during the early days of my career and spent more than a decade setting up new business units and functions. I look forward to strengthening opportunities for our clients and brands that will allow me to apply my experiences to help grow the GroupM business onwards and upwards. Am excited to collaborate with all the agency teams to help drive our clients business impact and deliver them exceptional growth.

Praseed will be based out of GroupMs Bangalore office and report into Prasanth Kumar, CEO  GroupM South Asia.

Also read:GroupM elevates Ashwin Padmanabhan to COO, GroupM South Asia
Germany and Poland have pledged to work together to boost Ukraine's defense while NATO looks to "Trump-proof" aid amid concerns over the former president's potential return to the White House.

Details of NATO's new initiatives are expected to be announced at a summit in Washington, D.C., next week, following a less-than-stellar performance from President Joe Biden in Thursday's debate against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. and alliance officials.

As part of its plan, the organization is expected to station a senior civilian official in Kyiv and put in place a new command in Wiesbaden, Germany, manned by 700 U.S. and other allied personnel for its NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine operation.

A Trump victory in November could mean a reduction in American support for Ukraine, after he criticized the amount of money the U.S. has spent supporting the country in its war against Russia, which Germany and Poland both view as their biggest threat.

"A big reason for the change is to Trump-proof the assistance effort to Ukraine," former U.S. ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder told the outlet in an interview published Tuesday. "Rather than having Washington in charge of managing the training and assistance, NATO will be in charge. So even if the U.S. reduces or withdraws support for the effort, it won't be eliminated."

Germany and Poland  former enemies during World War II  have vowed to work together and coordinate their military assistance to aid Ukraine.

"It does provide for durability in the face of potential national political changes, whether it is as the result of elections in the United States, France, the U.K. or even in the European Union," another former U.S. ambassador to NATO, Douglas Lute, explained.

In Warsaw Monday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Germany's alliance with Poland following the first meeting between the two countries in the past six years.

"The security of Poland is also the security of Germany," Scholz reassured, according to the WSJ. "We will pool our capacities, and we will coordinate more... We will jointly take responsibility for the protection of NATO's Eastern flank."
The ABP Network witnessed a shift in power. Ravi Kudesiaa, having served for over seven years, was bestowed the title of Vice President for Branded Content and Events. His previous role as Business Head remained shrouded in the shadows yet credited him with the experience for this esteemed position in Branded content and events bowed before his expertise. In a digital realm abuzz with professional pronouncements, a proclamation of Ravi Kudesiaas elevation found its way onto LinkedIn. The social media platform passively acknowledged his ascent to the prestigious position of Vice President, Branded Content and Events, at ABP Network. Kudesiaa, a testament to his two decades of experience in the vast world of media marketing, which encompassed print, television, radio, and digital realms.
Timex, the renowned American watchmaker, is back with its playful "Waste More Time" campaign, this time featuring their brand ambassador Ananya Panday. The global campaign continues to encourage people to embrace joy and pursue their passions, even if they seem unproductive to others.

This latest iteration highlights the importance of finding a balance between work and play. The digital film opens with Ananya diligently browsing her bookshelf, seemingly engrossed in work. But the scene takes a delightful turn as she playfully balances books on her head and breaks into a dance, showcasing the unique way to "waste time" on activities that bring happiness.

Ananya balances work and play by indulging in the concept of Waste More Time with Timex! This campaign represents a delightful departure from the ordinary, encouraging individuals to pursue their passions without fear of judgement and to embrace the analog life fully by slowing down and living in the moment.

Deepak Chhabra, Managing Director, Timex India, shared his views about the latest campaign, The success of the Waste More Time campaign which celebrates the idea of investing time in yourself and realising that is indeed time well spent  is evident through the love our consumers have been showering on Timex. The iconic brand, now in its 170th year, continues to regale consumers with its timeless designs and its belief in the importance of doing more of what brings you joy.

Deepak Chhabra, Managing Director, Timex India, shared his views about the latest campaign, The success of the Waste More Time campaign which celebrates the idea of investing time in yourself and realising that is indeed time well spent  is evident through the love our consumers have been showering on Timex. The iconic brand, now in its 170th year, continues to regale consumers with its timeless designs and its belief in the importance of doing more of what brings you joy.

Actor and Brand Ambassador Ananya Panday shares her experience, I'm really excited about this third campaign collaboration with Timex. This is not just a campaign, it's a way of life and I see myself more aligned to lifes little joys, no holds barred. Heres to those who live life on their own terms  let Timex be a reminder to Waste More Time.

yle, appealing to everyone who values fashion. The film is now available to view on Timex's official website and social media channels.

Also Read : Timex is back in TATA IPL as official timekeeper for Punjab Kings
CEAT, one of the pioneering tyre manufacturers in India, has announced the elevation of Vishal Pawar to the role of Senior Vice President - Global Sales and Supply Chain. This significant leadership change marks a new chapter in the growth trajectory of CEAT.

Vishal Pawar, who was leading the Replacement Sales as Vice President, will succeed Saurav Mukherjee, who has quit after a successful stint spanning more than four years in the role. His contributions have been instrumental in shaping the global sales and supply chain strategies of the company.

Vishal Pawar brings extensive experience to his new role. An engineering graduate from the College of Engineering Pune and a management graduate from SIBM, he began his career with TAFE Limited in Chennai as a Management Trainee. He first joined CEAT in 2005 as Category Head before moving into sales and serving a successful stint as the Zonal Sales Head for the South.

In 2019, Pawar transitioned to Garware Technical Fibres before returning to CEAT, where he rose to become Vice President of Indias largest aftermarket sales division. His wealth of experience and proven track record make him the ideal candidate to lead CEAT's global sales and supply chain efforts.

Arnab Banerjee, MD & CEO of CEAT, said, "We are thrilled to have Vishal step into this critical role. His deep understanding of the industry, combined with his strategic vision and leadership capabilities, makes him the perfect fit to drive our global sales and supply chain initiatives. I am confident that under his leadership, CEAT will continue to strengthen its market position and achieve new heights. I would also like to express our sincere thanks to Saurav Mukherjee for his significant contributions to the company. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours."

Vishal Pawar said, I am excited to take on this new role and shall work towards taking CEAT to the next level in terms of driving market share and making it a premium brand in the years to come. My primary focus will be on capability development and strengthening processes, which I believe makes the strong foundation of any sustainable business.

Following the movement of Saurav Mukherjee from the company on July 31, 2024, Vishal Pawar has taken on his new role with effect from July 1, 2024.
Gear up for a bone-chilling yet entertaining ride that will leave you gasping for air as ZEE5, India's largest home-grown video streaming platform and a multilingual storyteller, today drops the trailer of the most anticipated horror-comedy, 'Kakuda.' Directed by the visionary Aditya Sarpotdar and produced by RSVP, 'Kakuda' boasts of an ensemble cast led by the inimitable talents like Sonakshi Sinha, Riteish Deshmukh, Saqib Saleem and Aasif Khan. The trailer gives a tantalizing glimpse into the peculiar curse plaguing the village of Ratodi, this unique yet powerhouse trio is set to solve the mystery with their impeccable comic timing, as 'Kakuda' premieres on July 12th, exclusively on ZEE5.

As seen in the trailer, Kakuda follows the story of Sunny played by Saqib Saleem, a less-educated guy who is in love with Indira portrayed by Sonakshi Sinha. Determined to be together, they marry and move to the village of Ratodi only to be cursed by Kakuda. On their wedding night, Sunny fails to open the smaller door for Kakuda at 7:15PM sharp, inviting Kakuda, a wicked ghost who punishes the man of the house by inflicting a hump on their back that grows until their demise on the thirteenth day. With Sunny's life hanging by a thread, Indira seeks help from Victor, an eccentric ghost hunter played by Riteish Deshmukh.

Together, they embark on a freakishly hilarious yet spooky journey to solve the mystery of Kakuda, uncover the shocking truth about the ghost's identity, motives, and the village's haunting curse that has lasted for decades. However, will unexpected twists leave Sunny's fate hanging. Or will Victor and Indira be able to save him before the 13th day?

Based on yet another strange folklore, Kakuda is a fun ride you must embark upon starting July 12, 2024 only on ZEE5.

Director Aditya Sarpotdar highlighted, The release of the 'Kakuda' trailer is just a glimpse into the fascinating narrative of a unique folklore that we've created. This labor of love has been a thrilling ride, blending horror and comedy in a way that will keep audiences intrigued. Trust me, there are so many more laughs and scares in store when the film premieres on ZEE5. I can't wait for viewers to immerse themselves in the delightfully quirky tale of the Ratodi village and its bone-chilling legend. It's going to be a fun, frightful, and an unforgettable experience."



Riteish Deshmukh added, I'm thrilled to be a part of the quirky and eccentric world of 'Kakuda'. Playing the role of Victor, an unconventional ghost hunter, allowed me to tap into a side of my acting abilities that I hadnt fully explored before. This character is unlike any other I've portrayed, and that's what makes it so exciting. Blending horror and comedy is a delicate balance, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside such talented co-stars like Sonakshi Sinha and Saqib Saleem. 'Kakuda' takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, leaving you both laughing and scared. I can't wait for audiences to experience this one-of-a-kind horror-comedy when it premieres on ZEE5.



Upon joining hands with Riteish Deshmukh, Sonakshi Sinha said, In 'Kakuda', I play the role of a girl who believes in science and not in superstitions. However, when she encounters the peculiar ritual, she decides to dig deeper and find out the truth behind it. I must admit, balancing horror with comedy is a challenging task  it's not easy to make people laugh while simultaneously sending chills down their spines. But this film was an absolute blast to shoot, especially because of my co actors Ritesh, Saqib and Aasif who are so funny in real life as well and such talented actors! We had a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to seeing how audiences react to our efforts. I am confident that that the film will promise both laughter and thrills in equal measure."



Saqib Saleem mentioned, "I've always been a fan of comedy movies, and the horror-comedy genre is a personal favorite. 'Kakuda' is an exciting project and with it releasing directly on ZEE5, I am sure it will reach a widespread audience. While theatrical releases have their charm, OTT platforms offer an incredible opportunity to connect with more masses. The film's quirky and intriguing storyline about solving the mystery of a ferocious ghost and a cursed village's haunting ritual is what initially drew me in. Of course, the chance to work with talented actors like Sonakshi Sinha & Riteish Deshmukh was another major reason I said yes. We had an absolute blast on set, and I'm confident our comedic chemistry will leave viewers in stitches. I can't wait for everyone to experience the spine-chilling laughter that 'Kakuda' promises to deliver."



Also read: ZEE5 and Zee Cafe announce a Sci-Fi thriller series, Loop 11:47
Federal Department of Justice and Police

Bern, 03.07.2024 - Federal Councillor Beat Jans visited Austria and Serbia from 1 to 3 July. During his working visit to Vienna, he met with Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner to discuss migration and security issues. In Belgrade, Mr Jans met President Aleksandar Vucic and held talks with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic and Justice Minister Maja Popovic. The main topics were the international situation, irregular migration, combating people smuggling and organised crime. In addition, the head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) gained an insight into the situation on the ground by visiting an asylum centre.

Both irregular migration in Europe and organised crime are common challenges that require a high degree of international coordination. In travelling to Vienna and Belgrade, Mr Jans reaffirmed Switzerland's commitment to deepening cross-border and partnership-based approaches to security and police cooperation in Europe.

Joint effort to tackle people smugglers

On 2 July, Mr Jans visited the Joint Operational Office (JOO), where he also met with the head of the Joint Coordination Platform (JCP). The aim of the JCP is to coordinate border management, returns and the fight against people smuggling along the eastern Mediterranean route. The JOO serves as a regional operational platform for investigations into international networks involved in people smuggling and human trafficking. Switzerland is endeavouring to improve the exchange of police information in this area.

On the same day, Mr Jans met with Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner to discuss security policy issues and the migration situation. The two ministers reaffirmed their commitment to further intensify their cooperation.

Strengthened cooperation with Serbia

At a working meeting in Belgrade on 3 July, Mr Jans and Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic discussed long-standing cooperation under the migration partnership.

Mr Jans spoke with Justice Minister Maja Popovic about international legal assistance and the criminal prosecution of crimes under international law. He recognised the efforts of his counterpart to reform the justice system. He stated that this should bring Serbia even closer to European standards.

During a meeting with representatives of the European Union (EU) and Frontex, the EU border and coast guard agency, Mr Jans was briefed about their cooperation with Serbia. Migration management is a key area in which the EU supports Serbia. They also discussed the agreement between the EU and Serbia on the support provided by Frontex to the Serbian border protection authority. Mr Jans also met with civil society representatives and commended their work on human rights and protecting refugees.

Switzerland supports projects in Serbia

At the Obrenovac asylum centre Mr Jans was met by the Serbian Commissioner for Refugees and Migration, Natasa Stanisavljevic. To date, Switzerland has supported around 20 migration-related projects in Serbia. Switzerland will continue to support Serbia on migration, focusing on strengthening the asylum system, integrating and protecting vulnerable migrants.

Address for enquiries

FDJP Communications, info@gs-ejpd.admin.ch, T +41 58 462 18 18

Publisher

Federal Department of Justice and Police

http://www.ejpd.admin.ch




The eye of Category 4 but slightly weaker Hurricane Beryl brushed the south coast of Jamaica on Wednesday with 130 mph winds.

And its long-range forecast has those in Texas and on the western Gulf Coast watching very closely.

The National Hurricane Center said Beryl could bring light-threatening winds and storm surge to Jamaica and will approach the Cayman Islands tonight into Thursday.

Beryl was still a powerful Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday night. As of 7 p.m. CDT, the eye of Hurricane Beryl was located about 100 miles west of Kingston, Jamaica, and was tracking to the west-northwest at 20 mph.

Beryl peaked as a Category 5 hurricane with 165 mph winds early Tuesday morning but was still a Category 4 on Wednesday. The hurricane center said Beryl could weaken some over the next day or two but will still be a hurricane as it crosses the Caribbean.

The long-range forecast track for Beryl has those in Texas watching very closely. The hurricane centers official track shows Beryl menacing Jamaica and the Caymans, then crossing the western Caribbean and making another landfall Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula early Friday.

Then Beryl could cross the peninsula and move into the southern Gulf of Mexico. Earlier forecasts had Beryl at tropical storm strength in the Gulf, but the latest forecast suggests Beryl could restrengthen to a hurricane again as it heads toward Mexicos Gulf Coast.

Its final landfall could come early Monday in northern Mexico, very close to the border with Texas.

The hurricane center continued to caution that there was considerable uncertainty about Beryls forecast track. Forecasters said numerical models showing stronger storms in the Gulf of Mexico are generally on the northern side of the guidance envelope and weaker storms on the southern side.

The hurricane centers official forecast is right down the middle of the consensus.

The hurricane center said hurricane-force winds extend outward about 45 miles from the center of Beryl.

Forecasters have increased the forecast for storm surge for Jamaica. Now 6 to 9 feet of surge will be possible for the island. The Caymans could see 2 to 4 feet of surge.

Four to 8 inches of rain will be possible in Jamaica, and 2 to 4 inches in the Caymans, the hurricane center said.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. A hurricane warning has been added for the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico from Puerto Costa Maya to Cancun.

A hurricane watch is in effect for the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico south of Puerto Costa Maya to Chetumal and the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico north of Cancun to Cabo Catoche.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico south of Puerto Costa Maya to Chetumal and the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico north of Cancun to Progresso

A tropical storm watch is in effect for the coast of Belize from south of Chetumal to Belize City and the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico west of Cabo Catoche to Campeche.
NeKeshia Keke Dawson Jabbar, one of the stars of the reality show Love & Marriage: Huntsville, died Tuesday, according to a statement from her family.

TMZ reported Jabbar was 42.

A cause of death was not immediately known.

The statement was read on the YouTube channel of vlogger Marcella Speaks.

It is with extreme sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Keke. She passed away peacefully at home surrounded by love, the statement read.

She was a mom, a sister, a great friend full of life, love and laughter. She will sorely be missed. At this time, we are asking for respect and privacy in our moment of grief while we process this great loss, the statement continued. It was signed the Jabbar/Scott Family.

Jabbar was featured in the most recent seasons of the Oprah Winfrey Network show, which premiered in January 2019 and showcases the lives of prominent Black families in Huntsville.

Jabbar was the cousin of LaTisha Scott, who is featured prominently in the series along with her husband, Marsau Scott.

At this time we are asking for RESPECT, and PRIVACY in our moment of grief, while we process this great loss!This is hard for our Family!!!!! LaTisha Scott posted Tuesday to her Instagram account:

According to her social media profiles, Jabbar was also a writer, editor, author and professor of English at Alabama A&M University in Huntsville.

Charlotte Teague, chairwoman of the universitys English Department, said Jabbar was an instructor in the department several years ago and had not worked for the department in more than five years.

I am sad to hear of her passing, Teague said.
A teen is in custody on capital murder charges in the June slayings of three men at a Hispanic grocery store in Montgomery.

Jarques Butler, 18, of Montgomery, Alabama, is charged with capital murder in the June 4 shootings deaths of George Elijah, Jr., 50, Daniel Lopez, 20, and Romero Lopez, 43, all of Montgomery.

Shortly after 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Montgomery police special operations officers tried to make contact with Butler in the area of East Fifth Street, said Maj. Saba Coleman. Butler ran away.

After an extensive search, which included the use ALEAs aviation unit, Butler was taken into custody without further incident.

He is being held without bond in the Montgomery County Detention Facility.

Police and fire medics responded to the Tienda Los Hermanos grocery store in the 4100 block of Troy Highway around 8:55 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, on a call of people shot.

Officers found the three shot at the store. The Lopezes were father and son.

Elijah and Daniel Lopez were pronounced dead at the scene.

Romero Lopez was taken to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries.

Mayor Steven Reed and former Acting Police Chief John Hall held a press conference the following day addressing the horrific crime.

Last night was a terrible situation. It was tragic, it was something that cannot be excused, nor should it be, Reed said. People working their jobs in their community  should not be preyed upon, should not be targeted. And thats what we had last night.

A reward of $40,000  including $10,000 from Mayor Steven Reed  has been offered in the case.

It was not immediately clear if more arrests are expected.
A dozen passengers and crew of a Delta Airlines flight reportedly needed treatment for food-related illnesses after being served spoiled food.

Delta Flight 136 was flying from Detroit to Amsterdam overnight Tuesday after leaving at around 11 p.m. It was diverted to New York several hours into the flight.

It was discovered that passengers in the main cabin of the Airbus A330 were served spoiled food. The airline says medical experts recommended the flight be diverted to New York.

The flight was over the eastern coast of northern Canada when it made a 180-turn and headed back to the United States.

The plane landed at JFK Airport in New York City at about 4 a.m. on Wednesday.

"Medical crews met the aircraft to treat any affected passengers and crew members," the airline said in a statement to HNGN. "Delta's Food Safety team has engaged our suppliers to immediately isolate the product and launch a thorough investigation into the incident."

There were 277 passengers on board the plane. Medics treated 12 passengers, the FDNY reported to the Associated Press.

The airline did not release any information about what was the bad food that was served.

"This is not the service Delta is known for and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels," the airline said.
Alabama state officials argued in a motion Monday that inmates and civil rights groups accusing the Department of Corrections of employing slave labor did not pursue all available administrative channels and improperly split their claims across multiple lawsuits.

In a motion in support of a state motion to dismiss the lawsuit, the officials, including Governor Kay Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshall said that the plaintiffs failed to exhaust administrative remedies as required under the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA), meaning inmates must try to resolve their complaints through the prisons grievance procedures before legal action.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit  who include currently and formerly incarcerated Alabamians, three unions representing service industry employees and the Woods Foundation, a civil rights organization  claim currently and formerly incarcerated Alabamians were coerced into labor through threats and physical restraint, disproportionately denying Black parole candidates parole than white counterparts.

More from Alabama Reflector

It also accuses public and private entities, ranging from local governments to fast food restaurants and grocery stores, of benefitting from the labor.

U.S. District Judge Corey L. Maze rejected the plaintiffs request for a preliminary injunction last month, writing that the plaintiffs had failed to prove racially discriminatory intent or purpose behind a 2019 change to parole standards, or subsequent declines in parole grants, particularly for Black Alabamians in the prison system.

The state argues that the plaintiffs RICO claims are based on alleged violations stemming from plaintiffs Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) claims. Since the court agrees that the plaintiffs fail to state a claim under the TVPA, their RICO claim, the state argues, also fails because it is predicated on these alleged TVPA violations.

According to the motion, the denied preliminary injunction ruling weakens the plaintiffs claim and supported the states claims of discretion given to the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles in the past.

Plaintiffs failure to establish causation and redressability as to Ivey, Marshall, and Hamm proves fatal to their parole-based claims against them, the filing stated.

The filing also argued that one of the plaintiffs claims should be dismissed from the lawsuit due to improper claim splitting, as he has brought similar claims in three lawsuits.

If this Court determines that the grievance process was available to the PLRA Plaintiffs, then all claims contained in Count IV dealing with any retaliation allegations are due to be dismissed for failure to exhaust administrative remedies as no grievance was ever filed regarding that issue by any, the filing from the state.

The court had not ruled on the motion to dismiss as of late Wednesday morning.
An ambulance taking a child pulled unconscious from a pool Monday evening broke down on the way to the hospital.

The incident happened near Cullman Regional Medical Center, according to WAFF.

A statement from Decatur Morgan Hospital - EMS stated the transport vehicle broke down about a quarter of a mile from the hospital.

Paramedics unloaded and continued on foot with the child on the gurney, while continuing to perform CPR. The cause of the vehicle breakdown is not known at this time, the hospital said in the statement.

The child was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the two-year-old drowning victim from Falkville, the hospital stated.

The Morgan County Sheriffs Office said the incident happened at a residence on Gandys Cove Road near Falkville.

A child was found unresponsive in a pool. The sheriffs office said in a social media post following the incident that air evacuation was en route to the home.

Sadly, the 2 year old did not survive, the sheriffs stated in an update on social media. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and all of those that responded to the scene or treated the child.

The incident happened a day after a 5-year-old died after being discovered in a pond in Harvest.
A person is in custody after allegedly trying to take control of an Alabama State Trooper cruiser during a wreck investigation in east Birmingham.

Shortly before 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, a state trooper spotted a two-vehicle crash blocking the road in the 1700 block of Tallapoosa Street.

Senior Trooper Vu Quang said while the trooper was investigating the crash, one of the drivers involved in the wreck to take control of the patrol vehicle.

Quang said the trooper was able to stop the suspect, who was taken into custody and then taken to UAB Hospital for evaluation. The trooper was also taken to UAB Hospital for evaluation.

Authorities declined to comment on the nature of the possible injuries and said no additional information is being released.

Witnesses reported seeing the trooper and a male in an altercation in the roadway and said a stun-gun was used on the suspect. Authorities have not confirmed those accounts.

Birmingham police and Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service also responded and assisted with the incident.

Criminal charges are pending against the suspect as the investigation continues.
A Fairfield teen is charged with capital murder in a Birmingham drive-by shooting that killed a 31-year-old man.

Fernandeiz Emillio Rapley Jr., 18, was booked into the Jefferson County Jail Wednesday morning, according to court and jail records.

He is charged in the June 1 slaying of Brandon Deandre Wilson.

South Precinct officers were dispatched at 1:30 a.m. that Saturday to the 500 block of 41st Street North in Tom Brown Village.

The citys gunfire detection system - Shot Spotter  indicated shots fired in that location. Officers were then updated that a person was down, said Officer Truman Fitzgerald.

Wilson was found wounded in the intersection of 41st Street and 5th Court North.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service rushed him to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 2:43 a.m.

A motive has not been disclosed.

Rapley is being held without bond.
A suspect has been charged with multiple crimes a Mothers Day shooting in Birmingham that injured a father and son.

Kamryn Deon Cade, 22, is charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts discharging a firearm one count of first-degree robbery, Birmingham police announced Wednesday.

Cade was booked into the Jefferson County Jail Monday and remains held without bond.

Both victims have since been released from the hospital.

The shooting that day was one of three that injured children.

West Precinct officers were dispatched at 1:58 p.m. that Sunday to a Shot Spotter call in the 1500 block of Cullman Avenue. While en route, they were told someone had been shot.

They arrived to find the adult victim wounded. He was taken to UAB Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Minutes later -- at 2:08 p.m. -- a second victim showed up at Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Station 16 on Avenue I in Ensley.

That victim was the mans 11-year-old son, who also sustained serious injuries. He was tor 12-years-old -- also sustained serious injuries. He was taken to Childrens of Alabama.

Officer Truman Fitzgerald said at least 25 shots were fired.

The victims were in a vehicle or had just arrived in a vehicle the suspect opened fire.

Cade, court documents state, was trying to rob the victim of an undisclosed amount of cash.

The victim was targeted for the robbery.

Fitzgerald said leads developed by detectives and tips from the community led to the warrants against Cade.
Two grocery stores in Alabama currently have an automated vending machine that dispenses ammunition.

American Rounds markets an automated ammunition dispenser which uses artificial intelligence technology to verify a buyers identification and age through card scanning and facial recognition software.

The buyer inserts their photo ID, and the machine conducts a 360-degree scan to match it to the ID card.

The machines can currently be found at Fresh Value locations in Tuscaloosa, at 4200 McFarland Blvd., and Pell City, 1009 Martin St. The company plans to expand to other locations in Alabama as well, according to CEO Grant Magers.

Magers said the Pell City store approached the company about installing one of the machines, thinking it was a good opportunity for their customer base.

Terry Stanley, COO of Fresh Value, in a promotional video, said the kiosk is a big hit with customers.

Anything we can do to help them make their shopping trips easier, based on the feedback weve gotten from customers today, they are so excited about us having this ammo kiosk, Stanley said.

Tuscaloosa Police Chief Brent Blankley was quoted in The Tuscaloosa Thread as saying the machines are legal and approved by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This is an opinion column.

According to the national press, including none other than Carl Bernstein, the presidents family and closest advisers have sheltered the president for months, if not years, limiting access and downplaying episodes of confusion and distress.

Who does Joe Biden think he is? Kay Ivey?

As a political strategy, theres some precedent for this. Alabamas governor and her staff have been doing something similar for years, and she regularly polls among the nations most popular governors.

Not having much to do with her constituents or the media has done wonders for Ivey. And until Thursday night, it seemed to work well enough for Biden, too.

Unfortunately, this strategy has limits.

Every year in Alabama, its a topic of state house gossip: Will Ivey get through her State of the State address without stumbling?

Whether the governor can stand and read for an extended time is a regular question without a certain answer  at least until shes actually through it.

In between election years, Iveys health has been in question, too. But dont expect straight answers. Her staff has attempted to cover up two health scares  including cancer  until they couldnt anymore.

And if its an election year, theres the big one  will she debate?

Who am I kidding? Kay Ivey has never debated while running for governor, neither in the general election nor the primary. And she wasnt the first to refuse. We havent had a real gubernatorial debate in Alabama since 2010.

And Thursday night, the president showed us all why. Theres much at stake in a gerontocracy.

What if the candidate loses a train of thought? What if they forget where they are? Or what year it is? Or the difference between a million and a billion and a trillion?

What if they fall?

What if they cant get back up?

Biden left the stage on his own two feet but he failed the Kay Ivey test.

After the debate last week, I saw many of the presidents supporters questioning why his staff let him debate at all. As Ivey herself can attest, the best way to pass the Kay Ivey test is to not take it.

When she first ran  for the office she assumed after Robert Bentleys embarrassing old-age downfall  Ivey refused to debate a field of Republican primary opponents, much less her general election opponent, Walt Maddox.

Four years later, Ivey didnt have any such real opponents in the primary, nor anyone worthwhile to debate in the general. She didnt debate them, either.

Meanwhile, she limited her sit-down interviews to only those whod serve her home-cookin.

This isnt to say such silence doesnt have consequences.

When Bentley tried the silent treatment, voters learned after election day he was planning a massive tax increase to fill a hole in the states general fund.

When Ivey sailed to victory, she threw her support behind a gas tax hike and blamed the president when Alabamians felt the pinch at the pump.

Allowing politicians to skate by without answering questions during election season costs taxpayers money.

Am I being ageist? Absolutely, but the U.S. Constitution is ageist, too  only in the other direction. The Founders considered anyone younger than 35 too young and inexperienced to be president. A mandatory retirement age didnt seem that important to them. Short of a constitutional amendment, that jobs on us, the voters, to decide.

After his stumble last Thursday, Biden gave a more lively speech in North Carolina the following afternoon.

I know, like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down you get back up, Biden said.

His supporters split ranks, with half asking where that Biden had been the night before, and the other half pointing to the speech as proof Biden was OK.

All it proved was that Biden could stand and read  not that he could think on his feet.

Maybe if this reelection campaign doesnt work out, he can run for governor of Alabama.
More than two-dozen lawyers packed the front rows in the courtroom of Montgomery County Circuit Judge James Anderson on Tuesday for a two-and-a-half hour hearing to find a path through the maze of litigation over business licenses for Alabamas medical marijuana industry.

The hearing ended with a plan for the next steps in the cases but no resolution to the issues delaying the availability of medical cannabis products.

About 30 companies are involved in the lawsuits over competition for the licenses. The state law authorizing medical marijuana limited the number of licenses, and many companies denied licenses sued to challenge the procedures, rules, and decisions of the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC), which the Legislature created to oversee the new industry.

Anderson said Tuesday he would deny the AMCCs motion to dismiss a main new case in the litigation. The judge said he would look for guidance from lawyers on all sides of the disputes to develop a new temporary restraining order on the licensing process.

Anderson said his intent with a new restraining order would be to continue a hold on the AMCC issuing certain licenses while allowing the AMCC to proceed with investigative hearings requested by companies denied licenses. Some companies denied licenses say the hearings will be futile because the AMCC has already awarded the licenses.

Most of the lawsuits involve applicants for integrated licenses, companies that can cultivate, process, transport, and dispense medical cannabis, which figure to be the biggest firms in the new industry. More than 30 companies applied for integrated licenses but the AMCC can issue only five.

Also on hold are licenses for companies that want to serve only as dispensaries. The AMCC has issued licenses for cultivators, processors, transporters, and a state testing lab. But doctors cannot begin recommending the products until at least the dispensary licenses are issued.

There was some talk at Tuesdays hearing about resolving the dispensary issues to clear the way for beginning to get products to patients. Anderson said he would consider a request to lift the order blocking the dispensary licenses while the disputes over integrated licenses continue.

It has been more than three years since the Legislature passed the Compassion Act, a bill that allows medical marijuana products for patients suffering from chronic pain, nausea and weight loss from cancer treatments, muscle spasms caused by Parkinsons and other conditions, PTSD, panic disorder, and other conditions.

Doctors, patients, and companies that have received licenses have called for an end to the litigation so that products can become available.

Alabama Always, which has built a cultivation and processing plant in Montgomery but was denied a license to be an integrated company, filed a new lawsuit on Monday asking the judge to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent the AMCC from issuing licenses to the five companies it picked for integrated licenses in December.

Alabama Always and other companies denied licenses claim that the AMCC has not followed the Compassion Act, the Alabama Administrative Procedures Act, and the Open Meetings Act in its efforts to award licenses.

The AMCC awarded licenses in June 2023 and in August 2023 and rescinded those decisions both times because of litigation and problems with its procedures.

The AMCC adopted new rules after a mediation agreement. The AMCC awarded licenses again in December 2023. The AMCC issued licenses for cultivators, processors, secure transporters and a state testing lab based on those decisions in December. But the licenses for integrated companies and dispensaries remain on hold.

Anderson said the Legislatures decision to limit the number of licenses in certain categories, like the integrated licenses, made it difficult for those companies denied licenses to have a fair way to challenge those decisions.

For example, Alabama Always and other companies say the investigative hearings that the AMCC plans to hold for denied applicants will be meaningless if they AMCC has already awarded all five licenses in that category. The AMCC maintains the final decisions on the licenses will not come until after the hearings.

Anderson said he wanted more assurances that companies denied licenses would have a meaningful way to appeal and that companies awarded licenses had a way to protect their interests in an appeal process.

Cultivators that received licenses are already growing the cannabis for the medical products.
Birmingham police are searching for a man with cerebral palsy who has not been seen since Monday.

MISSING



MISSING PERSON:

Darrell Taylor

54 years old

Height: 52, Weight: 210lbs

Eyes: Bro, Hair: Blk



LAST KNOWN LOCATION:

500 Block of 4th Ave



LAST SEEN WEARING:

Unknown clothing description pic.twitter.com/EC4m7hH45E  Bhampolice (@BhamPolice) July 3, 2024

Darrell Taylor, 54, was last seen in the 500 block of Fourth Avenue, police said Tuesday night. It was not known what clothing he was wearing when he was last spotted.

Taylor was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and is known to frequent the area around Princeton Hospital, police said.

He was described as 5-feet 2-inches tall, 210 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.

Anyone who sees Taylor or has information on his whereabouts was asked to call Birmingham police at 205-328-9311.
Sheffield Police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide that happened Tuesday night.

Colbert County Coroner Justin Gasque said the incident happened on Wilson Dam Avenue in Sheffield at about 10:07 p.m.

Tommy Ray Burcham, 43, was found dead in in a field near a residence.

Nearby, the body of Raleigh Lemaster, 34, was discovered, dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Gasque said it appeared the two had been involved in an argument just prior to the altercation.
There are growing calls among Democrats for President Biden to step aside and let someone else run against Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Representative Jared Golden of Maine became the first members of the party in Congress to suggest Biden drop out of the race.

Dozens more are expected to break from Biden in the coming days, according to one report.

25 House members who are moderates in swing districts have lost faith in the president according to the Daily Mail.

Another, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington State, told a Portland TV station that Biden would lose to Trump.

Biden has said he has no plans to drop out of the race. He is planning to speak with congressional leaders and Democratic governors on Wednesday according to CNN.

So far, Democratic leaders in Congress have continued to back Biden, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

There have been ongoing concerns about the 81-year-old president's health and capacity to carry out his duties. Thos concerns accellerated after what was described as a "disastrous" performance during the recent debate against Trump.

Biden had a halting delivery and some of his answers were confusing, although his performance improved as the debate went along.
Since Joe Bidens dismal performance at Thursdays debate, the Democrat party has been in an uproar about whether hell stay the course or withdraw from the campaign to allow someone more sentient to step in. As of now, Joes allegedly insisting that hell stay the course. This makes sense, as its the only thing the Democrats can do. Theres no one to replace him.

First, though, Joes alleged defiant announcement that hes in it to win it:

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris called into a campaign staff meeting on Wednesday to give them a pep talk. Biden told them hes staying in the race and going to win. Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can as simply and straightforward as I can: I am runningno ones pushing me out. Im not leaving. Im in this race to the end and were going to win, he said, according to reports.

This announcement comes on the heels of another leak (because all of this is leaked) that said Joe seriously contemplated leaving the race. Time will tell which leak is true. As noted above, Dems do best when Joe stays the course.

Image: Joe Biden v. Donald Trump. YouTube screen grab.

The abyss into which the Democrats are peering is Kamala, who is liked even less than Joe. Shes also the only logical person to take his place.

Black women are already lining up behind Kamala, and that is a passionate demographic that the Democrats cannot afford to lose. Democrats can expect a bruising, potentially deadly fight if they try to substitute a white woman (Gov. Gretchen Whitmer or Hillary Clinton) or, God forbid, a white man (Gavin Newsom or Pete Buttigieg) in Kamalas place.

The only real substitute the Democrats have is Michelle Obama. Were now hearing about a poll that says shes the most popular political candidate in America:

Former first lady Michelle Obama is the leading candidate to take on former President Trump in 2024, according to a new poll conducted after last week's presidential debate. A Reuters/Ipsos poll asked respondents who they would like to see take on Trump on the general election ballot amid calls to replace the current nominee, and President Biden was bested by both the former first lady and his own vice president. [snip] In the hypothetical matchup, the former first lady led Trump by 11 percentage points, receiving 50% of the vote over the former president, who was the choice candidate of 39% of respondents.

That support comes from a place of pure emotion. Leftists, especially young women, think that Michelle Obama is just, like, you know, totes awesome. Just look at her strong arms and amazing fashion sense. With style like that, shes a role model for drag queens everywhere.

The problem is that its easy to be an icon when youre functioning in a role that doesnt require any actual accomplishments. We know only that she can read well from a TelePrompter, bring tears to her own eyes for kidnapped girls who arent Israeli, is intersectional, and is Barack Obamas wife.

However, if she tops the presidential ticket, people might notice that this feminist icon has a remarkably abbreviated resume. She had a short-lived stint as an attorney, held make work jobs in Chicagos city hall and the University of Chicago that were paired with her husbands rise on the Democrats political radar, and held a couple of corporate board positions that were as real as Hunters stint at Burisma.

Aside from these low-level symbolic positions, Michelle has never held a real political office, nor (unlike Trump) has she accomplished anything of note in the non-political world. Michelle Obama is a great big...nothing.

The other things arguing against Michelle stepping into the campaign are that she hated life in the White House, she adores living the luxe life outside of the White House, and she really dislikes people (something I heard from the lips of a long-time political insider and pundit).

So, were back at Kamala, who can get easy access to Bidens war chest. And honestly, no one believes Kamala can win, least of all Kamala herself.

Why do I say that? Because Kamala has been front and center when it comes to lying about Bidens cognitive abilities. If she really lusted after power, she could have taken him down a long time ago. The fact that she didnt means she has no power base, and she knows it. Her own staff hates her!

So, Bidens in it to win it! Yay.
It was still dark outside in the Gaza Strip in the early morning of October 7, 2023, when the Hamas terror groups messengers were knocking on doors to wake up and alert the battalion commanders responsible for around 100 fighters under their command. They then alerted the commanders of the smaller groups with the message to assemble at the assigned points along the 40-mile-long fence separating Gaza from Israel.

In Israel, it was the Saturday of Simchat Torah, a joyous holiday that turned into one of the darkest days in Israels history.

The above account was provided by the German newspaper Die Zeit and was derived from the interrogation of the captured and imprisoned Hamas Nukhba terrorists who murdered 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and kidnapped 250 others into Gaza as hostages.

Incredibly, the Hamas leaders were able to keep their murderous operation secret until the last moment. They refrained from using cell phones by assuming that the Israeli intelligence services might pick up their signals. They passed on instructions by live messengers.

At dawn, the approximately 3,000 Hamas (Nukhba) and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists assembled along the fence were told that this is no longer an exercise, but the day of action. Hamas had been preparing for this day for at least ten years.

The vaunted Israeli intelligence services were well aware that something unusual was going on in Gaza but attributed it to Hamas mounting another exercise. There was no follow-up on these observations. Complacency  viewing Hamas as being deterred and incapable of executing a major operation  allowed for complete laxity.

As the sun was breaking out, weapons were distributed to the drug-induced (Captagon) Nukhba terrorists, which included assault rifles (Kalashnikovs), hand grenades, and rocket launchers. Immediately thereafter, the Hamas and PIJ terrorists climbed in their Toyota pickup trucks and motorcycles. Some were marching by foot, and others, trained by Iran and in Malaysia, mounted motorized paragliders to penetrate Israel by air, and others by sea with rubber dinghies.

The Hamas commanders orders to the Nukhba units were to storm Israeli military bases, occupy roads to cut off the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from reaching the attacked kibbutzim and towns. Then Nukhba units were ordered to raid the kibbutzim and towns surrounding the Gaza Strip and kill everyone in sight. Maps were distributed as well as satellite images with symbols attached. Some of the terrorists were jotting down the locations of surveillance cameras to be destroyed.

In order to relieve the economic pressure on Gaza, the Israeli government allowed thousands of Gazans to get permits to work in Israel. Hamas used these workers as spies to provide information and photos on the movements of IDF troops, locations of surveillance cameras, and security in the kibbutzim.

At 6:30 A.M., Hamas launched over 3,000 rockets from Gaza at the adjacent Israeli communities in what amounted to a diversionary attack, while its Nukhba terrorists went on to tear down the fence with bulldozers and trucks. Once the fence was cut and the cameras and sensors on the Israeli observation towers were disabled, they attacked the border fortifications and watchtowers with drones that dropped grenades on the towers.

The Nukhba killers entered Israel in about 30 places. Their orders, as reported by Die Zeit:

Attack Kibbutz saad (home of my cousin Aaron) and gain control, inflict as many casualties as possible; also, secure Road 232. Kill anyone who poses danger or distract your operation. Take soldiers and civilians prisoners and transport them to Gaza.

The Hamas commanders encouraged rape and murder, giving the Nukhba units license to do as they pleased. They killed parents in front of their kids and kids in front of their parents, burned homes with people inside, raped young and old women, and cut off limbs and heads of babies and adults. One Nukhba killer called his parents in Gaza, boasting that he had killed himself ten Jews. The parents heaped praise on their son.

The Israeli soldiers at the Nahal Oz base on the Gaza border were on a holiday (Shabbat and Simchat Torah) schedule. Many had left the base to spend the holiday with their families. On that dark Saturday, the remaining young soldiers in the base were still asleep when the Nukhba forces attacked them. Some who were awake grabbed their weapons and engaged and killed some of the terrorist attackers, but soon they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of terrorists.

In a normal firefight, the terrorists are no match for the IDF combat soldiers. However, this wasnt a normal firefight; it was a surprise attack, and many of the defenders were female. They were outnumbered and fell in battling the terrorists. When IDF troops finally arrived in the afternoon, they finished off the terrorists and took many prisoners.

The female soldiers at Nahal Oz were called the eyes of the army. They were the heroes on this deadly Black Shabbat. They had repeatedly warned their superior officers in headquarters of Hamass unusual activities, including on October 7, but none of the officers paid attention. The Hamas terrorists killed 15 of the female soldiers and took six of them hostage to Gaza.

The attack on the Nova festival was accidental. The paragliders happened to hear music and directed the Nukhba fighters to the spot near Kibbutz Reim. At the Nova festival, they killed and raped hundreds of unarmed Israelis with impunity. Israeli civilians risked their lives to save many until the IDF soldiers finally arrived.

Some of the dead terrorists carried maps along with provisions for several days. Hamas apparently hoped to penetrate deeper into Israel, perhaps even to reach all the way to the West Bank.

October 7 is one of the most thoroughly documented terrorist attacks of all time. Hamas terrorists, equipped with GoPro cameras, filmed their barbarity. Hamas posted videos of the slaughter on Telegram. In the Gaza Strip, people document the Hamas action with their mobile phones. The entire Gaza Strip population cheers Hamass accomplishments. On October 7, Hamas murdered more Israelis in one day than in the entire period since Hamass establishment in 1987.

For Israel to maintain it deterrence vis-a-vis its enemies, particularly Iran and Hezballah, it must destroy Hamass military and political infrastructure.

Image via Pexels.
As the legal saga surrounding former President Donald Trump trudges on, the Supreme Courts recent decision affirming some level of presidential immunity for official acts is a refreshing moment of sanity in an otherwise farcical series of political attacks. Despite clear efforts by the left to weaponize the legal system, this ruling stands as a potential shield for Trump, highlighting the desperate lengths to which his opponents will go to keep him from the political arena.

In what can only be described as a much-needed dose of reality, the Supreme Court recognized the difference between official acts deserving of some immunity and private conduct, which remains subject to legal scrutiny. This nuanced decision throws a wrench into the plans of those who hoped to see Trump bogged down in endless legal battles, particularly for actions that any reasonable person would consider part of his duties as president.

The investigations into Trumps role in the January 6th Capitol events and his efforts to challenge the 2020 election results are likely to be most affected. Trumps team will rightly argue that his actions, including speeches and communications with officials, were within his presidential responsibilities, aiming to uphold election integrity. Any attempts to prosecute these actions now face significant hurdles, as they should. Think about it. Ensuring fair elections and addressing voter concerns are core presidential duties, not crimes!

The Supreme Court's decision offers a brilliant opportunity to introduce necessary procedural delays. By pushing for clarity on what constitutes official conduct, Trumps legal team can rightfully extend proceedings, potentially beyond the upcoming election. This isnt just legal maneuvering; its a safeguard against a politically motivated rush to judgment. With appeals likely, Trump can focus on his campaign without the immediate distraction of courtroom drama, much to the chagrin of his leftist constitution-usurping detractors.

Furthermore, the Supreme Courts ruling exposes the hypocrisy of those who have relentlessly pursued Trump. For years, weve seen one baseless investigation after another  from the Mueller probe to the Russian collusion hoax. Now, with charges that strain credulity, its clear this isnt about justice; its about sidelining a political opponent. This decision underscores the necessity of protecting the presidency from such vindictive legal assaults, ensuring future presidents can perform their duties without fear of perpetual litigation drawing from the well of limitless taxpayer dollars.

Jerry McGlothlin is the CEO of Special Guests, a company that specializes in booking expert guests on talk shows.

Image: Public domain.
In the early 1940s, when the Nazi government began systematically hunting down Jewish people, many Jews across Europe sought refuge to avoid deportation and death. Some found shelter in the homes of non-Jewish friends, neighbors, or even strangers who were sympathetic to their plight. These hosts risked their lives to hide Jews in attics, basements, closets, or other concealed spaces within their homes. One of the most famous examples is Anne Frank, who, along with her family, hid in a secret annex above her father's business premises in Amsterdam for over two years before being discovered.

The inconspicuous entrance to the Verteba Cave. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Other Jews sought refuge in rural areas, hiding in barns, sheds, or underground bunkers. Many churches and convents also offered sanctuary to Jews. Some Jews hid in forests or caves, relying on the natural environment to stay concealed. They faced harsh living conditions and constant danger from patrols. One such cave is located on the outskirts of Bilche-Zolote village in Ukraine, about 450 km southwest of Kyiv. The Verteba Cave is part of an extensive system of gypsum caves spanning several kilometers of interconnected passageways. The cave has a long history of human occupation dating back 6,000 years, with distinct periods of occupation ranging from 4100 BCE to 2750 BCE. It remained abandoned for more than 4,000 years before becoming a sanctuary for seven families from Bilche-Zolote and the nearby village of Korolivka.

The Jewish communities in and around the city of Borshchiv and near Verteba Cave began settling in the early 18th century. By the end of the 19th century, the villages of the area, which included Korolivka and Bilche-Zolote, were thriving, with a combined population of about 12,000. However, during the Russian occupation of World War I and the Russian Revolution, the Jewish communities in the Borshchiv region suffered from numerous pogroms, leading to a significant decline in their numbers.

The death blow for the Jews in Borshchiv came when the Nazis invaded Ukraine. A ghetto was established in Borshchiv in April 1942, and all remaining Jews in the area were ordered to move into it. As they began looking for a safe hideout, a Jewish doctor from Bilche-Zolote, who was also searching for a suitable place for his family to hide, suggested they move to Verteba Cave.

Reasoning that nobody would look for them there as winter approached, Sol Wexler and his family, along with the doctor's family, moved into the cave on the night of October 28, 1942, bringing their belongings with them. Other families soon joined them, bringing the total number of occupants to 28.

The tunnels inside the Verteba Cave. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

To enter the cave, the fugitives had to slide through the narrow cave mouth on their backsides. Initially, they used ropes to navigate the vast system of tunnels to avoid getting lost, but gradually, they learned their way around. They crafted wooden beds and tables to make it feel more like home. A dental technician even set up a working station in the cave. Initially, light was provided by candles, but these didnt last long. The residents then created light using small bottles filled with kerosene, lit with a wick. They became nocturnal, sleeping during the day and being active at night.

Each family had a designated person responsible for bringing food and provisions from the outside. Some members had special badges that allowed them relative freedom within the town, which they used to their advantage to sneak supplies into the cave at night. They even obtained a tin stove for cooking, although poor air circulation in the cave meant fumes were a problem. Over time, they found a solution for that too.

Their biggest immediate problem was water. They found places where water dripped from the stalactites and down the walls of the cave, and collected it in small bottles and pots, but it was never enough. It was easier in winter because they could melt snow. There were also other dwellers in the cave, such as bats, which scared the children, and foxes, which stole their food.

One day in 1943, as winter drew to a close, a German soldier noticed some potatoes near the cave entrance, which had fallen out of a bag while supplies were being sneaked in. The Gestapo was informed, and several days later they stormed the cave. Hearing the approaching soldiers, the fugitives moved deeper into the cave. Only eight of the 28 hiding in the cave were caught, and three eventually managed to escape as the Gestapo was leading the prisoners out.

Christos Nicola reading the names written in Polish in Priests Grotto. Photo credit: Haaretz

The remaining cavers abandoned their hideout and roamed for weeks, hiding wherever possiblein bunkers, barns, and with friends. Then a villager pointed them to another cave, in a field that belonged to the parish priest.

This new cave had only one small opening and had to be entered feet first. Inside, it was pitch black. With candlelight, they crawled deeper into the tunnel, which opened into a large hall so high they could hardly see the ceiling. Beyond the hall, they found a large tunnel suitable for their camp. Most importantly, they found underground freshwater lakes and no traces of human habitation. The cave was perfect.

On the night of May 5, 1943, a group of 38 Jews descended into the Priests Grotto, which was to be their new home. They brought furniture, down quilts and pillows, fuel, and supplies. Each family settled in different places within the tunnel, designating a spot near the water and far from their sleeping areas for cooking. Unlike Verteba Cave, Priests Grotto had better air circulation and ample water, allowing the people to wash their clothes and stay clean. From time to time, some members would venture out to either steal supplies or buy them from friendly farmers. They even stole a millstone and used it to grind grains into flour.

After some months in the Priests Grotto, hostile locals discovered the hiding place and filled in the single entrance to the cave with soil, presumably to starve the Jews to death. However, the men dug another exit and created a camouflaged covering for it.

The families stayed in the cave until April 1944, when the land was liberated by the Red Army, allowing them to come out of hiding. After living in the dark for hundreds of days, the sun hurt their eyes. One of the survivors, Pepkala Blitzer, who was a four-year-old girl when she and her family sought shelter in the caves from the Nazis, later recalled how she had completely forgotten about the sun or daylight. When they came out of the cave, Pepkala asked her mother to put out the bright candle because it hurt her eyes too much. She was referring to the sun, which she could not remember having seen.

Bottles found in Verteba Cave. Photo credit: Haaretz

The story of the Jews of the Verteba Cave and Priests Grotto was nearly forgotten until 1993, when veteran caver Chris Nicola discovered signs of human habitation and writings on the walls while exploring the caves. Local residents told him about the Jews, but nobody seemed to know what had happened to them. Fascinated, Nicola grew determined to learn how people with no prior caving experience or specialized equipment were able to live in such a hostile environment for so long.

Ten years later, after an extensive search, Nicola located six of the cave survivors, most of them members of the extended Stermer family. By piecing together interviews with the survivors and artifacts they found while in Ukraine, Nicola and writer-photographer Peter Lane Taylor were able to develop a clear picture of the Jews' underground life. Their story was published in 2004 in National Geographic Adventure magazine. In 2007, Nicola also published a children's book telling their tale, The Secret of Priests Grotto: A Holocaust Survival Story, and in 2013, an 84-minute documentary called No Place on Earth was released.

References:

# How Caves That Have Sheltered People for 6,000 Years Saved Jews From the Holocaust, Haaretz

# The Darkest Days, National Geographic
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 will arrive in a week, and its specs have just leaked again. This time around, the details are coming from Ishan Agarwal, a well-known tipster. This is not the first time weve seen the phones specs, though this leak is quite detailed.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 specs have just leaked again, and theres not much left to hide at this point

Qualcomms Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC will fuel the Galaxy Z Flip 6. That is not exactly a secret at this point. That same chip will also fuel the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which is coming alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

The phone will feature a foldable 6.7-inch fullHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The tipster also says that a 4,000mAh battery will be included on the inside. Whats interesting here is that he also mentioned 35W charging.

Ishan doesnt seem to be sure about the charging info, however. Previous rumors said 25W charging will be included, and some certifications agree with that. So chances are well be getting 25W charging, not 35W charging.

A camera improvement is in the cards

In any case, two cameras will sit on the back of the phone well, on the front if the phone is folded. A 50-megapixel main camera (f/1.8 aperture) will be backed by a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (f/2.2 aperture).

On the main display, the phone will also include a selfie camera, of course. A 10-megapixel (f/2.2 aperture) unit is the camera Samsung chose to use here.

In regards to RAM, only one variant will be available, a 12GB one. Samsung will almost certainly use LPDDR5X RAM here. You will be able to choose between 256GB and 512GB storage options, however. UFS 4.0 flash storage will hopefully be used.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 will measure 165 x 71.7 x 7.4mm when folded, based on Ishans info. Thats basically all the information that he shared. The phone will launch on July 10 during the companys event in Paris, France.
The Google Photos app is getting a tweak that will allow you to find your Locked Folder faster. Now it is available in fewer taps from the Library tap. Google also moved the Utilities shortcut functions to another location.

As its name suggests, the Locked Folder allows you to store photos and videos that you dont want to be accessible to others. Content you save in this folder will not be available in any other folder in the app. They wont even appear among the results of the Google Photos search bar. Of course, even if someone else finds the folder, they will need to authenticate with a passcode.

Google Photos Locked Folder new location makes access faster

Now, the Locked Folder is available from the Google Photos shortcuts section for faster access. It replaces the Utilities one, displaying next to Favorites, Archive, and Trash. Previously, you could find the folder by going to Library tab > Utilities > Organize Your Library. It is possible that some people prefer the previous location of the option since it better hides the existence of the folder. However, the new approach is in line with the Google Photos web version, where the Locked Folder is available alongside all the other main options.

Regarding the functions that were previously available in Utilities, you can now use them by tapping the + button next to your profile photo. There you will see two main sections: Create (Album, Collage, Highlight video, Cinematic photo, Animation) and Get photos (with tools to share photos, or import them from other places).

The new UI is available in the Google Photos Android app with the 6.89 update (also on iOS). Previously, the company had already added the Sync option for your Locked Folder. This option, as its name suggests, allows you to have your Locked Folder available on all your devices. Sync prevents situations such as accidentally losing the content after migrating devices without having backed up first.
Samsung has opened Galaxy Experiences Spaces worldwide in selection regions. The company is inviting tech enthusiasts to these futuristic centers and offering a glimpse of its Galaxy AI technology.

Samsung opens Galaxy Experience Spaces in seven cities worldwide

Apple recently debuted its Apple Intelligence, the iOS makers take on Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI). Companies like Microsoft, and Google may already have their iterations of Gen AI, but Samsung is now reportedly engaging its present and potential consumers to advertise its Gen AI and its myriad use cases.

Samsung is actively marketing its Galaxy AI technology. To ensure consumers get a hands-on experience of the companys AI-optimized products, Samsung has opened interactive spaces in seven cities worldwide.

Experience the next chapter of technology at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Summer 2024 in Paris! Unveiling the latest in AI and mobile innovation. Read more at https://t.co/tlvPqlugTE. #SamsungUnpacked #TechNews  Airline Hub (@AirlineHub1) July 3, 2024

Just like every other company, Samsung is confident Gen AI can revolutionize the way smart device users interact with technology. Hence, it is committed to demonstrating the Gen AI capabilities of the entire product ecosystem. Speaking about the Galaxy Experience Spaces, Jamie Park, VP & Head of Experience Marketing Group, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics, said,

[Samsung is] introducing a new world of possibilities to Galaxy fans. The Galaxy Experience Spaces will offer an exclusive look at how Galaxy AI capabilities can enrich our daily lives.

Where, when, and why to visit these spaces?

The Galaxy Experience Spaces are located in Paris, Berlin, New York City, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo. The South Korean tech giant hasnt indicated if it will open more such interactive spaces in the future.

Samsung has, however, confirmed that these Galaxy Experience Spaces are open for a limited time. All these interactive spaces have a common theme: Travel. These centers will highlight how Samsung Galaxy AI can enhance travel experiences. The company further indicated that these spaces will have the newest Galaxy devices for a hands-on experience.

Specifically speaking, Samsung is attempting to emphasize how its Galaxy AI can plan, streamline, and simplify the holiday experience. The company would showcase how its Gen AI can plan a trip, capture memories, and even eliminate language barriers.

The venues and dates of the Samsung Galaxy Experience Spaces are as follows:
Samsung is still a week away from its next Unpacked. But at this point, there is hardly anything that we dont already know about the upcoming Galaxy devices. Leaks have already revealed their design, detailed specs, color options, alleged prices, and more. The leaks train isnt stopping yet, with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 showing up in fresh images.

Leaked Galaxy Z Flip 6 images focus on the cover screen, aka Flex Window

Prolific leakster Evan Blass, aka Evleaks, recently posted several Galaxy Z Flip 6 images on X. The official-looking images focus on the new foldables cover screen, now also known as the Flex Window. Samsung redesigned the external display last year, making it bigger with a folder-shaped design allowing enough space for two rear-facing cameras and an LED flash unit. Its keeping the same design this year.

A bigger cover screen lets you do a lot of things without unfolding the device. As shown in these leaked images, the Flex Window can display your health stats, weather, and more. It supports fullscreen widgets for the calendar, call log, clock, alarm, timer, contacts, dialer, and many other apps. You can also play games, make payments, reply to incoming messages, and do a lot more on the Filp 6s cover display.

On top of this, Samsungs Flex Cam mode allows you to use the cover display as the viewfinder for hands-free photos using the rear cameras. The Flex Window doesnt support a full-fledged camera app but its still fairly feature-rich. You can capture amazing group photos with your friends without missing anyone. Just place the phone on a stable surface, turn on Flex Cam, and start capturing. The cover display also supports Good Lock customizations.

The upcoming Samsung foldable will be available in four colors

Samsung is preparing to release the Galaxy Z Flip 6 in Blue, Mint, Silver, and Yellow colors. We have already seen renders in all four colors. This leak shows the Blue variant up close. Like before, the Korean firm may offer the phone in a few other colorways exclusively through its online store. These additional colors may not be available globally. We will know for sure in a week. Samsung is expected to open pre-orders immediately after the launch event.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 will be accompanied by the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Buds 3, Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, and Galaxy Ring. Yes, the next Unpacked in Paris, France will be massively packed. You can pre-reserve these devices without commitment and get a $50 credit when you place your pre-order following their launch. Stick around for more leaks and rumors about Samsungs upcoming Galaxy lineup.
Where have the years gone? Do you guys remember the old days when Samsung was the rockstar of the smartphone space? The company was the colorful and fun counterpoint to Apples clean and sterile aesthetic, and that made the smartphone industry that much more fun. It was the edgy one of the group, kinda like Sega to Nintendo in the 90s. However, things have changed. Samsung is looking to be the new Apple, and were all wondering what company will be the new Samsung.

Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra

Weve been seeing signs over the years that Samsung was slowly transforming into an Apple Jr., but its been a gradual progression. Maybe Samsung nips a software feature (like the lock screen customizations) or it takes on some of Apples mentality (like launching the same device year after year). All of these actions warrant people to speculate that Samsung is taking some notes from Apple. However, years of derivation didnt prepare us for what we saw with the companys upcoming devices.

At the time of writing this, we saw some images of Samsungs now upcoming smartwatch and TWS earbuds. Theyre very pretty. and pretty familiar. Lets cut the crap; these are blatantly inspired by the Apple Watch Ultra and the AirPods. The other things over the years, we could almost excuse. This, however, is unacceptable. What makes this worse is the fact that Samsungs previous devices all looked great!

The circular Galaxy watch is one of the most beautiful watches on the market. They look charming, elegant, and real! However, the company opted to square the design of the Galaxy Watch 7 to make it look more like an Apple Watch. Not only is it derivative, but its ugly. The watch lost all of its luxurious and elegant charm. It looks like a ruggedized smartwatch.

Galaxy Buds 3

As for the earbuds, these are the most disappointing. The Galaxy Buds have always had their identity with radical designs such as the Galaxy Beans. Sure, they looked weird, but they were a fun weird, and they were something that only Samsung had. The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro straight-up look like AirPods Pro. Everything from the position of the speaker grill to the overall shape. Everything matches. Sure, there are little visual queues here and there that differentiate them, but theyre not enough to make them look different.

They look so similar, we wouldnt be surprised if Apple hits the company with a lawsuit.

What happened to you, Samsung?

We know that there are things that Apple has taken from Android, but the company puts in the extra work to make them look and feel different. This is true for Samsung as well, but this time around, it looks like Samsung just stopped trying.

Where is the Samsung that we used to know? Where is the company that kept the removable battery, MicroSD card storage, and headphone jack despite Apple? Also, wheres the company that resisted adding a notch to its phone even though the industry had all shifted in that direction? Samsung was a symbol of innovation and rebellion. While all of the other companies were trying to drink Apples juice, Samsung was doing its own thing because it had the power and sway to be its own beast and see results.

Now the company has abandoned its spirit. When Apple stopped putting chargers in the box, Samsung swiftly followed suit. Its adopted the tactic of sitting on designs for years amid the community crying for something different. The latest Galaxy phones have gone for the flat-edge aesthetic of the iPhone as well.

Speaking of aesthetics, Samsungs flagship phones have all gone for that squeaky clean and boring aesthetic that Apple has pioneered. Its phones are boring metal and glass sandwiches. Were not seeing the company do anything more than upgrading the specs in its phones and slapping a new name on the box. The old Samsung is gone.

We need a new Samsung

Samsung is a company that survived on its rebellious spirit alone. Now that it, Apples biggest competition, has basically jumped ship, we need another company to take its place. We need another company to be the middle finger to all of the Apples of the world. Its important that other companies know that theres more than one option when it comes to being a smartphone company.

Apples method works because its Apple! The company already had a diehard fan base before the iPhone came out. Its positioned itself as the definitive smartphone company. This only works for Apple. Samsung has been able to use this mentality because it also has a loyal fan base.

Now, we need more companies to push innovation forward and keep things exciting. We cant have every company trying to be like Apple.

What company could be Samsungs replacement?

What company can take up the throne? Obviously, Samsung is the biggest Android OEM, so its runner-up wont have the sheer market share. However, there are plenty of companies out there with immense notoriety that dont own a large chunk of the user base.

Google? Nah

One consideration would be the Google Pixel series, but lets not kid ourselves, Google is not far behind Samsung in following after Apple. While the Pixel line of phones has carved out its own specific niche, even this company is going the way of the Apple. Leaks show that Pixel 9 has taken on the iPhone-esque flat edges. Also, it has also pulled chargers from the box and removed the headphone jack.

If any company could have been the Anti-Apple, it could have been Google. It sure as hell has the money to do so. But, the company is gradually transforming into its competition.

Motorola? Uhhh

In terms of market share, Motorola is the closest to Samsung in certain markets. Its the 3rd place contender with about 10% of the U.S. market. The only thing about Motorola is the fact that people dont really look toward the company for its rebellious spirit.

While it hasnt started stealing from Apple, most of Motorolas best qualities are under the radar. The company makes good devices, but more people buy its cheaper phones. Also, not many people know about its great desktop mode. MyUX is a great Android skin, but its no OneUI.

Motorola will likely remain the silent-but-deadly company its been for a while now. Its a good company, but its just no Samsung replacement.

Maybe OnePlus?

One company that comes to mind that could be the replacement is OnePlus. This is a company that came out of the gate swinging at the status quo. It introduced us to the flagship killer. It was the company that said, Why are you overpaying for flagship specs? Heres a phone that can do the same at half the price. It had a job to do, and it did it well.

While, over the years, its prices have crept up, and its phones started to lose some of their luster, the company rebounded with the incredible OnePlus 11, OnePlus 12, and OnePlus Open (Review). All of these phones undercut the competition, but thats not the only thing. The company still has this rebellious and fun nature. Its phones have an identity of their own. No matter how tempting it is to copy Apple, OnePlus continues to redefine itself and stick to its identity.

This is a company that also has a pretty decent presence in the U.S., just like Samsung. Its been hanging in there, and its a company to look toward when we need some color and life. So, if the title New Samsung is up for grabs, OnePlus might be a strong contender.

Maybe its not one company

One thing to consider is the fact that it might not be one singular company. Weve reviewed a bunch of phones from overseas, and weve seen some amazing devices.

Companies like Tecno (which we should keep an eye out for) have delivered wild, crazy, beautiful, and fun phones like the Camon 20 series, Camon 30 series (Camon 30 Premier Review), Pova 5, Pova 6, Phantom V Flip, and Spark 20 Pro. Neither one of these phones shares a design with the other. Theyre all great devices, but the thing is that it shows that Techno is not afraid to experiment and take risks. Weve seen different materials and design aesthetics with these phones.

Also, the Poco F6 and Poco F6 Pro (Review) are some of the best phones weve reviewed this year. We cant forget about companies like Infinix, which has also made some kick-ass phones. Companies like Vivo, Xiaomi, and Oppo have put Samsungs foldable phones to shame with their sheer innovation and quality.

There are so many companies out there that steal from Apple, but there are also companies like the ones mentioned above that arent afraid to be different. Theyre not afraid to say Were not your precious Apple! Love it or leave it! These are the companies that seem to have that certain flair that Samsung brought back in the day. This is something that weve missed.

Were getting reports that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will have rounded corners. Thats cute, but plenty of smaller companies completely revamp their designs year after year. The Infinix Note 30 Pro had this pretty pearlescent color-changing pink color that drew the eyes. However, the Note 40 Pro was this elegant money green with gold accents. What is the Note 50 going to look like? Who knows? Thats what makes it exciting.

The collection of smaller companies out there that dont want to default to Apple might be the true Samsung replacement. Theyre letting us know that there are still entities out there that arent afraid to go against the trends. These are the ones that dont do whats popular; they do whats not popular and make them popular. Before Oppo brought its foldable phones, the general consensus was that foldable phones needed to be narrow because Thats what Samsung did. No, Oppo dared to be different, and other companies like Google took note. Now, the foldable phone market is different and much better.

Yes, times have changed

Remember when everyone wanted to keep their phone screens under 4 inches? What company was it that brought the large-screen phone and created the phablet category? It was Samsung. It went against the industry trends, but it was so successful that even Apple folded and brought a larger screen phone. Thinking about that and looking at the leaks of the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra and Galaxy Buds well, it makes you think. Can we really call it Samsung vs. Apple anymore? Or, should it be called Samsung and Apple vs. everyone else?
People walk around displays of composite power line poles during a tour at RS Technologies, 19409 Keswick Dr., Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Humble. The company manufactures composite utility poles. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer A metal mandrel, used in the production of the modular sections of composite utility poles, is shown during a tour at RS Technologies, 19409 Keswick Dr., Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Humble. The company manufactures composite utility poles. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer The filament winding production area is shown during a tour at RS Technologies, 19409 Keswick Dr., Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Humble. The company manufactures composite utility poles. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer John Higgins, CEO, speaks during a tour at RS Technologies, 19409 Keswick Dr., Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Humble. The photo in back ground shows a tradition wooden pole damaged during a storm. The company manufactures composite utility poles. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer The filament winding production area is shown during a tour at RS Technologies, 19409 Keswick Dr., Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Humble. The company manufactures composite utility poles. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer People walk around displays of composite power line poles during a tour at RS Technologies, 19409 Keswick Dr., Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Humble. The company manufactures composite utility poles. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer John Higgins, CEO, speaks during a tour at RS Technologies, 19409 Keswick Dr., Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Humble. The company manufactures composite utility poles. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer John Higgins, CEO, speaks during a tour at RS Technologies, 19409 Keswick Dr., Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Humble. The photo in back ground shows a tradition wooden pole damaged during a storm. The company manufactures composite utility poles. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Composite utility poles are shown in use outside RS Technologies, 19409 Keswick Dr., Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Humble. The company manufactures composite utility poles. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer RS Technologies, 19409 Keswick Dr., is shown Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Humble. The company manufactures composite utility poles. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer

Resilient Structures, a Canada-based company that manufactures power poles able to withstand severe weather better than traditional wooden poles, has opened a 400,000-square-foot distribution and production facility in the Houston area.

A stack of modular sections of composite power line poles are shown at RS Technologies, 19409 Keswick Dr., Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Humble. The company manufactures composite utility poles. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer

Also known as RS Technologies, the company makes poles from its proprietary resin formula and glass that have never failed in a weather event, period, full stop, CEO John Higgins said. Damaged power poles are a common cause of localized power outages and in extreme circumstances can lead to wildfires, prompting utilities nationwide to seek stronger alternatives to wood as they evaluate their aging infrastructure.

Hundreds of thousands of Resilient Structures poles have been installed across 30 countries since the company deployed its first pole in 2003, Higgins said. Of Resilient Structures hundreds of utility customers, CenterPoint Energy, the transmission and distribution utility for much of the Houston area, is the largest and most important, he said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The new Humble factory, which joins existing facilities in Utah and Ontario, was built in anticipation of increased demand for Resilient Structures product from utilities in the Gulf Coast region as climate change fuels extreme weather of increasing frequency and severity here, Higgins said.

John Higgins, CEO, speaks during a tour at RS Technologies, 19409 Keswick Dr., Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Humble. The company manufactures composite utility poles. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer

We actually built this plant ahead of demand. Now you'd say, 'Well, why would we do that?' We're that confident in the adoption of our poles going forward, Higgins said to a crowd of local officials invited to tour the factory in June, including representatives from CenterPoint and Entergy, another electric utility in Southeast Texas.

The Humble facility is ready to act as a hub for the delivery of Resilient Structures poles manufactured at other sites, but company leaders said they are waiting for its other facilities to reach capacity before starting production here. When the Humble factory is operating at full capacity, it could make 20,000 to 25,000 poles each year and employ up to 450 people, according to Higgins and Houston plant director Edgar Castro.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Transmission lines carry power over long distances, while distribution bring electricity closer to consumers. Resilient Structures poles are most often used to support distribution lines, though its taller poles can be used for transmission, Higgins said.

John Higgins, CEO, speaks during a tour at RS Technologies, 19409 Keswick Dr., Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Humble. The company manufactures composite utility poles. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer

Resilient Structures poles cost about $5,000 per pole, compared to around $1,500 to $2,000 for a traditional wooden pole, according to Vernon Broussard, senior territory manager for Oberlender Co., which coordinates sales between manufacturers and utilities. But a Resilient Structures pole has an 80-year life, compared to a 30-year life for a wooden pole, he said.

We're building poles today that will outlive all of us, Ed Rushing, Resilient Structures chief operating officer, said.

Resilient Structures poles in the region can be found along Texas 288 and in Freeport, Fulshear and Tomball, Broussard said. Jason Ryan, CenterPoints executive vice president of regulatory services and government affairs, said a number of Resilient Structures poles have been installed in Galveston for resiliency against hurricanes. Ryan said storms can have dramatically different impacts on infrastructure along the coast.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

A display metal mandrels, used in the production of the modular sections of composite utility poles, is shown during a tour at RS Technologies, 19409 Keswick Dr., Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Humble. The company manufactures composite utility poles. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer

Storm comes through, all the transmission towers are still standing, but literally on the same road, all the distribution poles are on the ground. So one of the reasons behind using the RS poles is we just want the poles to still stay up. We know that poles can stay up because theyre up on one side of the road, Ryan said.

Some brown Resilient Structures poles are installed outside the Humble facility, nearly indistinguishable from the adjacent wooden poles. A CenterPoint employee offered a pro tip for telling them apart: Resilient Structures poles are pointy at the top, while wooden poles are flat.

For those who dont want to stare too closely and risk an accident, Resilient Structures Rushing has another trick. When youre driving at night, if you see a shiny pole, thats us, he said.
In May, the US Department of Commerce said it had revoked certain licenses for exports to Huawei. It turns out the Joe Biden-led US government has canceled as many as eight licenses so far in 2024. This is the Biden administrations latest effort to cripple the Chinese tech titan.

The US government revokes more licenses to contain Huaweis growth

Huawei is fighting a battle like no other major tech company. The Chinese firm that once threatened to overthrow Samsung as the worlds largest smartphone company has been reduced to a shadow of itself by the US sanctions. This happened after the US government placed it on the Entity List in 2019. The Donald Trump administration labeled Huawei a national security threat over its potential ties with the Chinese government.

This effectively blocked the firms access to the latest smartphone technologies made or originated in the US. It couldnt source advanced chips, Google services and apps, and other components and equipment to make powerful new 5G phones. The US government allowed some American companies to do business with Huawei by obtaining special licenses. However, those licenses still came with several restrictions.

The situation didnt change when Joe Biden came into power in 2021. In the meantime, Huawei started building a domestic supply chain. Backed by the state fund and citizens sympathy, it is slowly rising from the ashes, at least in China. The special licenses enabled it to remain afloat in the industry during this difficult phase. The US government has realized this and has revoked some of those licenses to try and contain Huaweis growth.

We continuously assess how our controls can best protect our national security and foreign policy interests, taking into consideration a constantly changing threat environment and technological landscape. As part of this process, as we have done in the past, we sometimes revoke export licenses, the Commerce Department said in May. A document seen by Reuters reveals the US government has revoked eight such licenses in 2024.

Qualcomm & Intel are among the affected companies

According to Reuters, the Commerce Department prepared this document in response to an inquiry by Republican Congressman Michael McCaul. The document doesnt name the US companies whose licenses have been revoked. However, it was revealed in May that Qualcomm and Intel are among the affected companies. These chip firms are reportedly no longer doing any business with Huawei.

Licenses that are still valid include those for exports of exercise equipment and office furniture and low-technology components for consumer mass-market items, such as touchpad and touchscreen sensors for tablets, the new report states. Interestingly, the Commerce Department said it didnt revoke these licenses because the said items are already widely available in China from Chinese and foreign sources.
s Eddie Murphy, left, and Taylour Paige in "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F." Melinda Sue Gordon/Associated Press

Here are the major films being released in theaters and on streaming this week.

'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F'

Eddie Murphy is back on the beat in Beverly Hills in this anticipated fourth installment of the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige and Kevin Bacon co-star along with original cast members Judge Reinhold, Paul Reiser, John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Rated R. Streaming on Netflix.

'The Boy and the Heron'

Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's acclaimed 2023 film explores the dreamworld of a boy who is dealing with the death of his mother and his father's remarriage.

Rated PG-13. Screens 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 7 p.m. July 11 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Minions (voiced by Pierre Coffin) in "Despicable Me 4." Illumination & Universal Pic/TNS

'Despicable Me 4'

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The latest installment in the animated "Despicable Me" franchise centers on the newest member of the Gru family, Gru Jr. Steve Carell, Sofia Vergara, Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell are among the voice cast.

Rated PG. Playing throughout Houston.

'Escape'

This taut Korean-language thriller tells the story of a North Korean soldier who decides to flee to South Korea, with his commanding officer in hot pursuit.

Unrated. Opens Friday at Cinemark Longmeadow, Richmond.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

'The Imaginary'

Animated Japanese film set in the world of imaginary friends who have been forgotten by their human-kid friends.

Rated PG. Begins streaming Friday on Netflix.

'Goyo'

Spanish-language drama from Argentina in which an autistic museum guide falls in love with a co-worker and has to deal with a new rush of emotions.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Unrated. Begins streaming Friday on Netflix.

'Kill'

Hindi-language action film that takes place mostly inside a speeding train. It's very much in the style of "The Raid" movies.

Rated R. Playing throughout Houston.

'MaXXXine'

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Director Ti West (X," "Pearl") returns with a horror film about an adult film star trying to make it in 1980s Hollywood. Mia Goth stars.

Rated R. Opens Friday throughout Houston.

'The Secret Art of Human Flight'

H.P. Mendoza's indie drama, nominated for a Founders Award at the Tribeca Film Festival, revolves around a grieving widower who discovers a self-help book on the dark web that purportedly teaches humans how to fly.

Opens Friday at AMC Gulf Pointe 30, Houston.

Nika King plays Donna Martin in 'Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot,' a woman who adopted several foster children and helped find homes for many more. Angel Studios

'Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot'

This drama tells the true story of the Rev. WC Martin and his wife, Donna, who took it upon themselves to find homes for 77 Texas foster children. Nika King and Demetrius Grosse star.

Rated PG-13. Opens Friday throughout Houston.

'Space Cadet'

A comedy in which a young Florida girl is mistakenly put in the NASA space program. Emma Roberts and Poppy Liu star.

Rated PG-13. Begins streaming Thursday on Prime.

'Ullozhukku'

Malayalam-language drama from India about a family who can't bury their loved one because of rising floodwaters.
The average monthly rent being asked outside London has hit a record high of 1,316, according to a property website.

The new record across Britain, excluding London, means that average advertised rents outside London are around 7% higher than a year earlier, according to Rightmoves analysis covering the month of May.

In London, the average advertised rent is 2,652 per month, which is 4% higher than a year earlier, the website said.

With the General Election taking place on Thursday, Rightmove said the next government should accelerate housebuilding and incentivise landlords to invest in more homes for tenants, to improve the supply and demand imbalance in the rental market and stabilise yearly rent growth.

Rightmove said the pace of growth in rental prices has eased from its peak of 12% two years ago but it remains significantly higher than the more normal level of around 2% per year seen before the coronavirus pandemic.

It added that an improvement in the balance between supply and demand in London has contributed to a slowing of rental price growth. By contrast, Scotland is currently the hardest hit by supply and demand imbalances, Rightmove said.

Tim Bannister, a property expert at Rightmove, said: Weve been talking about the imbalance between supply and demand in the rental market for a long time now, so its easy to forget that there was a time before the pandemic where rental price growth was more stable.

He added: The next government should be prioritising an improvement to the planning process, an acceleration of house building, and encouraging more supply into the rental market.

Nathan Emerson, CEO of property professionals body Propertymark, said: Propertymark has long argued that the private rental sector needs more houses to stabilise rental prices but there is a myriad of other factors that can contribute towards making the market more attractive for both investors and tenants.

With a General Election coming this week, Propertymark would like to see the next government reform the tax system so that more investors can be persuaded to invest in the private rental sector and lower rents for tenants in the long term.

Whilst we support a greater supply of houses, there has to be a sensible deliverable programme mindful of protecting the green belt wherever possible.

Here are average advertised rents and the annual increase, according to Rightmove:

 North East, 894, 11%

 West Midlands, 1,180, 10%

 Scotland, 1,067, 9%

 East of England, 1,597, 8%

 North West, 1,146, 8%

 Yorkshire and the Humber, 1,022, 8%

 South West, 1,425, 7%

 East Midlands, 1,150, 7%

 South East, 1,836, 6%

 London, 2,652, 4%

 Wales, 1,065, 4%

And here are the areas of Britain with the biggest imbalances between supply and demand, as indicated by Rightmoves data:

1. Scotland

2. North West

3. South West

4. North East

5. West Midlands

6. Wales

7. Yorkshire and the Humber

8. East of England

9. East Midlands

10. South East

11. London
Boris Johnson returns to the trail as General Election campaigns come to an end

Boris Johnson has lent his support to Rishi Sunak on the campaign trail as pollsters forecast their party could win a lower share of the vote than at any past general election.

At a rally on Tuesday, Mr Sunak hailed the Conservative family united after an appearance by his predecessor Mr Johnson and claimed just 130,000 voters could help stem his partys predicted losses.

He made his speech after Survation pollsters found Labour is on course to win more seats than it did in 1997.

But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had previously brushed off claims his party is on for a landslide and said: Every single vote has to be earned.

Speaking at the rally, held at the National Army Museum in Chelsea, London, the Prime Minister said: Isnt it great to have our Conservative family united, my friends?

Mr Sunak added: Now, it suits lots of people to say that the result of this election is a foregone conclusion but I know that it is not.

Just 130,000 people switching their vote, giving us their support, is what it will take to deny Labour that supermajority they want. Every single vote matters.

Mr Johnson earlier addressed the crowd of Conservative Party supporters, telling them Sir Keir Starmer would try to usher in the most left-wing Labour government since the war.

Making a reference to other parties allegedly full of Kremlin crawlers, Mr Johnson said: Dont let the Putinistas deliver the Corbynistas. Dont let Putins pet parrots give this entire country psittacosis  which is a disease you get by the way from cosying up to pet parrots.

He added: Everybody if you actually want higher taxes next week, this year, if you feel youve got a few thousand to spare, then vote Labour on Thursday. If you want uncontrolled immigration and mandatory wokery, and pointless kowtowing to Brussels again, then go right ahead, make my day, vote for Starmer.

But if you want to protect our democracy and our economy and keep this country strong abroad by spending 2.5% of our GDP on defence which Labour still refuses to commit to, then you know what to do, dont you, everybody?

Theres only one thing to do  vote Conservative on Thursday my friends and I know you will. I know you will.

Mr Johnsons appearance was at one of the Conservative Partys final campaign events, before polling stations open their doors to voters between 7am and 10pm on Thursday.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (James Manning/PA)

Pollsters have suggested Sir Keir and the Labour Party are on for a big victory after ballot papers are tallied up in counting halls throughout the country.

Survation pollsters quizzed 34,558 respondents online and by phone and have said a Labour landslide of more than 418 seats  the number which the party took under Tony Blairs leadership 27 years ago  is 99% certain.

The MRP poll data suggests prominent Tories could lose their seats to Labour, including Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt in Portsmouth North, Mr Shapps in Welwyn Hatfield, Hertfordshire, and party chair Richard Holden in Basildon and Billericay, Essex.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is set to lose the Godalming and Ash seat in Surrey, and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan her Chichester in Sussex seat, to the Liberal Democrats.

The Conservative Party is virtually certain to win a lower share of the vote than at any past general election, Survation pollsters wrote in their analysis.

Techne UKs survey of 5,503 voters for The Independent, also unveiled overnight, has given Labour (40%) a 19-point lead over the Tories (21%).

But Sir Keir refused to entertain suggestions he will lead his party to a landslide victory at one of his final visits.

He told campaigners: People are saying the polls predict the future  they dont predict the future, every single vote counts, every single vote has to be earned and in places like this itll probably go down to a few hundred either way and therefore the worst thing for people who want change is to think job done and we dont need to vote because theres going to be a majority in any event.

Sir Keir Starmer is set to visit England, Wales and Scotland on the final day of campaigning (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

It isnt job done.

Sir Keir, who is set to visit England, Wales and Scotland on the final day of campaigning, added: Given that the country is pretty broken at the moment, a lot of things arent working, theres a big job for us to do if we come in to serve and we need a strong mandate for that.

We need to know the country genuinely wants this change and that were sort of all prepared to say this is the change that we want and it gives a real strong mandate to a government to say weve asked you to change things, you need to get on with it.

In the Liberal Democrat camp, deputy leader Daisy Cooper described Mr Johnsons intervention as an insult.

She said: Rishi Sunak has reached a desperate new low, turning to a man who discredited the office of Prime Minister and lied to the country time after time.

It is time to boot out this tired and sleaze-ridden Conservative Party, and elect Liberal Democrat MPs who will stand up for their communities.
Carlos Alcaraz survived a first-set wobble before racing into the Wimbledon third round.

The defending champion from Spain was broken twice by Australian world number 69 Aleksandar Vukic after serving for the opening set.

Vukic, 28, had form for upsetting the Spaniard, having beaten the then 17-year-old in French Open qualifying four years ago.

Carlos Alcaraz on his way to victory (Zac Goodwin/PA)

But there was to be no repeat as Alcaraz managed to break back to force a tie-break, which he dominated, and never looked back.

The 21-year-old went on to register a 7-6 (5) 6-2 6-2 victory, spending just an hour and 48 minutes on Court One.

Im really happy about my performance today, he said. The first set was the key for me. He served for the set and then I played a really good tie-break.

In the second and third I played a really high level so Im really happy about it.

Alcaraz will face American Frances Tiafoe in the third round on Friday.

Im going for him, he added. We played a really good match in the US Open. I know he is a really talented player, a tough one, even tougher on grass with his style.

Its going to be a very difficult match for me. Im ready to take that challenge, put on a show and hopefully take him.

Jannik Sinner came through a late-night thriller (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Alcaraz remains on a collision course for a semi-final clash with world number one Jannik Sinner, who came through a thrilling four-set tussle with fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini.

The top seed put on a show to beat the 2021 finalist 7-6 (3) 7-6 (4) 2-6 7-6 (4) in a high-level encounter that finished under the Centre Court roof shortly after 10.30pm.

Eighth seed Casper Ruud was sent crashing out, but it could hardly be classed as a shock.

The Norwegian is a two-time French Open runner-up, but his aversion to grass was evident again in a 6-4 7-5 6-7 (1) 6-3 defeat to Italian Fabio Fognini.

In five visits to SW19, 25-year-old Ruud has never made it past the second round.

Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev won his first match on Centre Court in seven years.

Daniil Medvedev ended his wait for a Centre Court win (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Bizarrely, the Russian has never lost a match on Court One, and was only beaten by Alcaraz in the semi-finals last year when he had to switch to Centre.

But he broke his drought in style by coming from a set down to beat Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-7 (3) 7-6 (4) 6-4 7-5.

Centre Court for some reason feels much slower, he said. I need to get used to it. The more I play on it the more chances I have to get used to it.

I am always happy to play in Centre Court  if I win.
A hearing to establish whether there is sufficient evidence to send former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson to trial over historical sex offences will take place later.

Donaldson, 61, and his wife and co-accused Lady Eleanor Donaldson, 58, of Dublinhill Road, Dromore, will appear for the committal proceedings  known as a preliminary enquiry (PE)  at Newry Magistrates Court.

At his first appearance in court in April, Donaldson had faced 11 charges brought by police.

An evidence file has since been reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in Northern Ireland and the former DUP leader will now face 18 charges.

There was a large police and media presence for Donaldsons last court appearance in April (Niall Carson/PA)

He is accused of one charge of rape, four of gross indecency and 13 charges of indecent assault.

The charges span a time period between 1985 and 2008.

The previous holding charges will be withdrawn in court on Wednesday.

Donaldson has previously indicated that he will contest the charges against him.

Eleanor Donaldson faces charges of aiding and abetting in connection with the alleged offences.

The number of charges she faces has increased from four to five.

There are two alleged victims.

The number of charges being faced by Eleanor Donaldson has increased from four to five (Niall Carson/PA)

It has already been confirmed that Donaldson, who was the long-standing MP for Lagan Valley, is not running for re-election in the UK General Election this week.

He was arrested and charged in relation to the historical sexual allegations at the end of March.

Donaldson resigned as DUP leader and was suspended from the party after the allegations against him emerged.

It is understood that in a letter to DUP party officers at the time, he made clear he would be strenuously contesting all charges against him.

Weeks prior to his arrest, he had led the DUP back into Stormont following a two-year boycott of the powersharing institutions.

Previous deputy leader Gavin Robinson has been appointed his successor as DUP leader.

There was a large media and police presence when the two accused made their first appearance at Newry courthouse in April.

They have not been required to appear in court for subsequent hearings, but have been told by district judge Eamonn King that they will need to attend for the PE hearing.
The mother of missing Briton Jay Slater has said donations will be used to support volunteers helping to find her son in Tenerife.

The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared after setting off to walk back to his accommodation on the holiday island on June 17.

In a statement on the GoFundMe appeal Get Jay Slater Home, which had raised almost 50,000 as of Wednesday, Debbie Duncan thanked the vast generosity of donors, saying her family are grateful for all of your support and kindness during this unimaginable time.

Ms Duncan wrote that part of the funds will be used to support volunteers hunting for Mr Slater in the mountains near to where his last phone call was traced.

She went on: We are currently looking after Paul Arnett, putting together a package of any equipment and essentials he needs and going up to do a drop for him.

We are also supporting Callum Fahim and his group with accommodation and other essentials.

The remaining money will be used to support rescue teams, Ms Duncan said, as well as her familys own expenses as we remain in Tenerife looking for our boy.

She added: We will continue to keep you all updated on the progress on our GoFundMe page, and we thank you for your continued support. Please keep sharing and supporting our fundraiser to help us bring Jay home.

Tenerifes Guardia Civil has called off the search for the apprentice bricklayer after helicopters, drones and search dogs were deployed to find him.

The search in the village of Masca, near his last-known location, took in a steep rocky area, including ravines, trails and paths.

Mr Slater had attended the NRG music festival with two friends before his disappearance, and his last known location was the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the Canary Island  which was about an 11-hour walk from his accommodation.

He had travelled to an Airbnb in Masca and the two men said to have rented the property were later ruled not relevant to the case, according to reports.
Here are some of the key electoral statistics from modern political history, including the most seats won, the biggest majorities achieved, and the highest ever shares of the vote.

All figures have been compiled by the PA news agency using data from the House of Commons Library.

 Largest majorities

The record for the largest majority won by a single party at a general election since 1900 is 210, set in 1924 by the Conservatives.

The election of 1900 was the first of its kind to be contested by the recently-formed Labour Party, as well as the long-established Conservative and Liberal parties, and as such can be seen as the first general election of the modern political era.

Labours largest majority to date is 178, in 1997  the election that saw Tony Blair become prime minister.

Even larger majorities have been won by coalitions of parties.

A three-party National government, made up mostly of Conservatives along with small portions of the Labour and Liberal parties, won a majority of 242 at the 1935 election.

Four years earlier in 1931, the same National government won a majority of 492: the biggest ever parliamentary majority at a general election in modern political history.

Largest majorities won by single parties at general elections since 1900 (PA Graphics)

 Most seats won by a single party

The highest number of seats won by a single party at an election since 1900 is 418, by Labour in 1997.

The second highest number is 412, won by Labour in 2001 and also by the Conservatives in 1924.

The highest number of seats won by Labour at general elections (PA Graphics)

 Fewest seats won by Conservatives and Labour

The fewest seats won by the Conservatives at any general election since the party was formally established in the 1830s is 156 in 1906, followed by 165 in 1997.

The Labour Party was founded in 1900 and won two seats in the general election of that year, followed by 29 at the next election in 1906.

Since 1945, the number of seats won by Labour has never dropped below 200.

The fewest number of seats won by the Conservatives at general elections (PA Graphics)

 Best and worst performance by the Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats

The last time the Liberals won an overall majority in the House of Commons was in 1906, when the party won 400 MPs.

The 1923 general election was the last time the Liberals won more than 100 seats, with 158 MPs.

Since 1945, the partys best performance at a general election  either as the Liberals or as the Liberal Democrats  came in 2005, when it secured 62 MPs.

Seats won by the Liberals or Liberal Democrats at general elections since 1945 (PA Graphics)

 Most votes cast for winning party

The record for the most number of votes cast for a winning party at a general election is 14.09 million, which were cast for the Conservatives in 1992.

This is just ahead of the 13.97 million votes for the Conservatives when they won the 2019 election.

The highest number of votes cast for Labour at an election which the party won is 13.52 million in 1997.

But the highest number of votes ever cast for Labour at an election was in 1951, when the party received 13.95 million votes but ended up with fewer seats than the Conservatives, despite the Tories winning 13.72 million votes.

The highest number of votes cast for a winner party at general elections since 1918 (PA Graphics)

 Fewest votes cast for winning party

The fewest votes cast for a winning party at a general election is 9.55 million, received by Labour in 2005.

The Conservatives received 10.70 million votes in 2010, when the party ended up short of an overall majority but went on to form a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats.

The lowest number of votes received by the Conservatives at an election where they won a majority was 11.30 million in 2015.

Lowest number of votes cast for winning parties at general elections since 1918 (PA Graphics)

 Biggest national swing

National swing is a way of showing the extent of change in voter support for a political party from one election to the next.

It is most commonly used to describe the change in the overall share of the vote of the two major parties, Conservatives and Labour.

At the 2019 general election, the Tories won 43.6% of the vote, up 1.3 percentage points from 42.3% in 2017, while Labour won 32.1%, down 7.9 points from 40.0% in 2017.

This translates into an average national swing from Labour to Conservative of 4.5 percentage points  the equivalent of nearly five in 100 people who voted Labour in 2017 switching to the Tories in 2019.

Swings between the two major parties at general elections since 1945 (PA Graphics)

The biggest swing between the two major parties since the Second World War took place in 1997, when there was a swing from Conservative to Labour of 10.2 percentage points.

The largest swing from Labour to Conservative since the war was 5.4 percentage points, in 1979.

 Female MPs

A record 220 female MPs were elected at the 2019 general election, up from 208 in 2017.

The number of women MPs has risen at each of the past five elections.

The 1997 election was the first time the number of female MPs passed 100, with 120 elected, double the 60 in 1992.

Female MPs elected at general elections (PA Graphics)

 Largest and smallest shares of the vote

The highest share of the vote won by the Conservatives at a general election since 1918 is 49.7% in 1955.

The lowest is 30.7% in 1997.

The highest vote share won by Labour is 48.8% in 1951 and the lowest is 20.8% in 1918.

Labours lowest vote share since the Second World War is 27.6% in 1983.

Vote shares at general elections since 1979 (PA Graphics)

The Liberals scored their highest vote share since 1918 in 1923 with 29.7%.

As the Liberal Democrats, the partys highest share came in 2010, with 23.0%.

The combined vote share of the SNP and Plaid Cymru peaked at 5.3% in 2010.

The biggest share of the vote taken by other parties  not including the SNP and Plaid Cymru  is 19.5% in 2015.
Karl*, 32, from California, helps same-sex couples have children. He doesnt charge a fee, but regularly donates his sperm, both in the US and Europe, for altruistic reasons.

Karl* set up a website, where women can contact him to arrange a sperm donation for free. Posed by model. (Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Ten years ago when I was living in Los Angeles and I was 22 years old, a friend of mine, who was a lesbian, told me that she and her partner wanted a baby. Shed been planning to use a sperm bank, but told me, "We dont like the idea of not knowing where the sperm is coming from."

They were also concerned about what if their child wanted to meet their father at some point in the future.

"Why dont I help you?" I suggested.

It just seemed like a logical thing to me and they liked the idea because they knew who I was, that I was healthy and a university student, which showed I was of a certain level of intelligence. I was dating at the time and was studying finance.

I explained to them that I wouldnt expect to be part of the childs life, but that if the child did want to meet me at some point in the future I would be happy to do that. They were happy with that because they didnt want a dad for their child who was around all the time, they just wanted a sperm donor.

My first donation

I had a recent STD test which I sent to them and about two weeks later they came over to my place in Los Angeles and gave me a plastic cup. I went into my room, did the deed into it, then gave them the cup. They thanked me and went back out to their car and did the insemination there.

It didnt feel awkward, because I just felt pleased that I could help them. At that point, I wasnt sure if I was ever going to have kids of my own but I knew that it was something that they really wanted and I was pleased to be able to help.

Initially I felt relieved that I wasnt infertile, because as a man you never know whether you are or not until you try to make a baby, and then I felt excited for them.

They came over twice more during that cycle, and on the last time they handed me an envelope.

Later when I opened it I discovered a thank you card and a $25 Amazon voucher. I actually felt guilty that they had given me that because at that stage we didnt know if it had even worked.

Fortunately though it did and two weeks later I got a message saying that they were pregnant.

Initially I felt relieved that I wasnt infertile, because as a man you never know whether you are or not until you try to make a baby, and then I felt excited for them. I was open with my friends and family about what I had done. My parents were pretty indifferent about it and my brother and friends thought it was a really kind and generous thing to do.

During the pregnancy they asked me at one point what ethnic group I was, presumably for some hospital forms. And when the baby was born they sent me a picture of him and thanked me again.

Karl* was delighted when the first woman he helped  a friend  became pregnant. Posed by model. (Getty Images) (DonnaDiavolo via Getty Images)

My first child

It was my first child and felt like a massive deal. It was an amazing feeling and I could see he looked like me. After the initial excitement, however, I didnt really think much more about it as I carried on with my life as a student and had no urge to meet the child unless they wanted me to.

It was my first child and felt like a massive deal. It was an amazing feeling and I could see he looked like me.

About two and a half years later, they asked me if I would help them to have another child and I agreed.

It was then that they came over with my son and I met him for the first time. It felt really good to have helped create a family. It was emotional meeting him for the first time, we took some photos and it was a nice experience. He was too young to say much or to be told who I was.

I donated my sperm to them again and they went on to have a second child, this time a girl.

I also decided I wanted to donate sperm to strangers to help them get pregnant too. I didnt want to gain anything financially from it and I also knew that it was illegal in some parts of America to sell sperm, I was just motivated by helping people who wanted to get pregnant. No one has ever paid me for my donation, but knowing Im helping other people brings me great happiness.

Promoting my services

I decided to set up a website bepregnantnow.com so people started contacting me on that and I began helping them (the name I use on the site is a pseudonym to protect my identity).

The first time I did it for a complete stranger it felt like I was interviewing them for a job because I asked them some questions first, about if they eat healthily or smoke and so on.

Sometimes I would meet them at hotels, sometimes they would come to my place. The first time I did it for a complete stranger it felt like I was interviewing them for a job because I asked them some questions first, about if they eat healthily or smoke and so on. Whilst I know that people dont always tell the truth, I wanted to try and get a sense of them and make sure they would be good parents.

Now Im 32 and Ive donated sperm to hundreds of people and have over 50 children out there. Ive been living in America during this time so most of them are in America, but I've also had periods of travelling to Europe and so about 10 of them are in Europe.

Karl* says helping women achieve their dream of having a baby brings him great happiness. (Getty Images) (zdenkam via Getty Images)

Rules and ethics

If you donate sperm via a private clinic in the US, the guidelines restrict you to 25 births per population area of 850,000 people. This is partly to prevent (half) siblings accidentally meeting and getting involved with each other romantically.

This is not the law, these are the guidelines set by the American Society For Reproductive Medicine. But I've heard most sperm banks never follow them  in fact, most bank donors have over 50 children and many have over 100 or 200 and there's no stopping them from donating at multiple clinics where usually they are paid a fee. Also 25 people per 850,000 amounts to over 9,000 kids in the US. So essentially the guidelines say 9,000 kids per donor in the US is acceptable.

I often connect the parents with other families nearby so that they can message each other and I always tell parents if I have fathered other children in the same area.

I believe there is zero risk of the children I've fathered meeting and falling in love. Since I have contact details for most of the parents of the children that avoids any risk of this occurring. I often connect the parents with other families nearby so that they can message each other and I always tell parents if I have fathered other children in the same area.

Also the fact it is such a small percentage compared to the population of the world, the statistical probability of any of them ever meeting and dating is essentially zero or one in 100 million, especially since my children are spread out. On top of this they were conceived in an untraditional way and that would probably be brought up quite soon in any dating situation.

Karl* says as the arrangement with the women he helps is informal and done outside a fertility clinic, it involves a huge amount of trust. Posed by models. (Getty Images) (fizkes via Getty Images)

Building trust

For the benefit of my sperm recipients, I have regular STD tests, and some ask questions about my medical history too which Im always happy to answer. By meeting me in person they also have the advantage of being able to see that Im healthy and genuinely want to help.

Some of the people Ive helped say they dont want me to have any contact with the child, which is fine. Others ask if I would be happy for the child to contact me when theyre older, and Im fine with that too.

Because its an informal arrangement, unlike a clinic, theres a huge amount of trust involved, on both sides. Theyre trusting that I wont try to interfere with their childs life, and Im trusting that they wont try to chase me for child support in years to come.

Theres a huge amount of trust involved, on both sides. Theyre trusting that I wont try to interfere with their childs life, and Im trusting that they wont try to chase me for child support in years to come.

At the moment I dont plan to stop any time soon, but I also dont know how long Ill carry on doing it for. Ive met about 10 of the children Ive fathered but I dont see any of them regularly.

I do feel like I have a unique bond with the women Ive helped and I keep in touch with most of them.

My relationship status is complicated at the moment and I still don't have any children of my own in the traditional sense, but maybe I will one day, I'm not sure at the moment.

I have no regrets about how many families I have helped to create children for and hope that I can help more in the future.

*Name has been changed to protect identity.

Sperm donation  UK and US guidelines

Heres everything you need to know if youre thinking of using a sperm donor

How many babies can a sperm donor help create?

If you use a regulated sperm donor clinic in the UK, the donors sperm can only be used to create babies in up to 10 different families (siblings count as one family), according to rules set out by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). However, if you use a private sperm donor, e.g. via Facebook, the 10 family limit doesnt apply to private sperm donations  these groups and your arrangement is unregulated.

In the US, the American Society For Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) guidelines restrict a donor to 25 live births per population area of 850,000 people. However, only around 40% of births resulting from sperm donation are reported.

Can a sperm donor be paid?

In the UK, it's illegal to pay a sperm donor anything other than expenses  a person donating sperm at a private clinic can claim no more than 35 per clinic visit. But in the US, donors are legally allowed to be paid.

Can your child find out the identity of their sperm donor dad?

In the UK, someone who is conceived by a donor is legally allowed to find out the identity of the sperm donor once they reach 18. So if youre considering using a sperm donor then whether you would be comfortable with your child knowing the identity of their donor is crucial.

In the US, sperm donation is regulated by state laws, rather than federal. The lack of one overarching law means that it can be very hard to keep track of and police, with some states guaranteeing donor anonymity and others allowing donors contact with their biological children. If you live in the US, its vital to research the laws in your state.

Does the sperm donor have any legal responsibility for the child?
Sir Mark Cavendish has won a record-breaking 35th career Tour de France stage with victory on stage five in Saint-Vulbas.

Three years after matching Eddy Merckx on 34 during the 2021 Tour, Cavendish moved clear of the Belgian to stand alone in Tour history.

Cavendish came off the wheel of Fabio Jakobsen in the finale and had the power to hold off Jasper Philipsen.

 HES DONE IT!!! @MarkCavendish 35th win in the Tour de France!!!  IL LA FAIT !!! @MarkCavendish remporte sa 35eme victoire sur le Tour de France !!!#TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/Ad1cy9dWXQ  Tour de France (@LeTour) July 3, 2024

The 39-year-old postponed his planned retirement after crashing out of last years Tour, with his Astana-Qazaqstan team going all-in on Project 35 ahead of this years race.

His victory comes just four days after Cavendish struggled mightily in the heat of a punishing opening stage out of Florence, vomiting on the bike in concerning scenes, and two days after he missed the opportunity to contest stage three after being caught behind a late crash in Turin.

Cavendishs four stage wins in 2021 counted as one of sports great comeback stories, his first victories at the Tour in five years after a period of time marked by illness and injury which contributed to a diagnosis of depression.

Even since those wins three years ago, Cavendish has endured more difficulty, only signing a last-minute deal with Astana-Qazaqstan ahead of the 2023 season after the collapse of another move, then seeing last years Tour end abruptly on stage eight.

Cavendishs Astana-Qazaqstan bossed the front of the peloton for much of the final 30km of the 177km stage from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne but in the finale the Manxman used his years of experience of surf the wheels before powering clear of his rivals.

He left behind his lead-out man Michael Morkov and moved behind Philipsen and then Jakobsen, before spying space on the left-hand side of the road and bursting clear.

Cavendishs wife Peta and their children were waiting at the team bus and joined in exuberant celebrations.

Cavendish said: Im in a little bit of disbelief. Astana put a big gamble on this year to make sure were good here at the Tour, my boss has done it.

Its a big gamble to come here to try to win at least one stage, a big gamble for my boss Alexander Vinokourov, a big thing to do, it shows hes an ex-bike rider, somebody who knows what the Tour de France is.

You have to go all-in and weve done it and worked it exactly how we wanted to do, how we built the team, the equipment, every little detail has been put towards today.
For four Sundays at the end of 2023, David Mata turned his Channelview family home into a special restaurant setting: The back porch, bedecked with tables, flowers and sombreros, looked out to their farm animals, including a jersey cow, horse, donkey, chickens and peacocks. The aroma of freshly cooked birria wafted through the air, mingling with the smell of livestock. Sipping a cold beer, it was like being at a rancho in Mexico.

A video of the farm-restaurant by Houston food influencer Esmeralda Obispo went viral in November. The restaurant, named Frida Cocina Campestre, had 2,000 customers the following Sunday.

Mata, 43, said people were driving in from Austin, Dallas and Oklahoma after seeing the video. He didn't mean to fully open the restaurant and mostly hosted friends and family before that. Next thing he knew, the Fire Department and Health Department shut it down for overcrowding and not having the proper restaurant permits.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

"I don't see it in a negative way. I see it in a positive way because nobody has done something like this," Mata said. "It went viral because the concept was very unique."

READ MORE: Latin Restaurant Weeks returns to Houston in July with deals at popular restaurants

The bar at the Frida Cocina Campestre family farm and restaurant on Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Channelview. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Jonathan Peche, 19, looks at a calf at Frida Cocina Campestre family farm and restaurant on Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Channelview. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer A cow at the Frida Cocina Campestre family farm is photographed on Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Channelview. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer A peacock at the Frida Cocina Campestre family farm is photographed on Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Channelview. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer A cow is milked into a mug as part of a specialty drink including Tequila and hot cocoa at Frida Cocina Campestre family farm. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Frida Cocina Campestre Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer David Marta, owner of Frida Cocina Campestre, works with a horse on his family farm and restaurant on Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Channelview. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Joanna Velasquez, 41, has her hair braided at Frida Cocina Campestre family farm and restaurant on Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Channelview. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Chef and Owner of Frida Cocina Campestre restaurant, David Marta, is photographed in one of his several restaurants on Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Channelview Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

Potential customers have been eager to visit since the video went up. Obispo, whose social media handle is @antojosHouston, gained 20,000 followers at the time. The video of the farm is her most-watched with 7.2 million views on Instagram. But many are wondering: What happened to Frida Cocina Campestre?

The farm is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, free of charge. Visitors can enter through the back patio, and Mata or his son will give them a tour to see the animals. You can take pictures with or hold a chick, but there's no eating or drinking, despite a welcoming bar.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

However, Mata is working on eventually reopening Frida Cocina Campastre by getting the right permits. Some changes will have to be made first, such as pushing the animals farther back from the patio.

Some customers have gotten emotional seeing the farm, bringing back childhood memories, Mata said. Obispo wants the restaurant-farm to return for that reason.

"To go above and beyond just being a Mexican restaurant but actually providing the full experience  the sounds, the smells  everything contributed to making you feel at home. It's giving you that little bit of home without actually being home, and it's such a beautiful thing that I think we need in Houston," Obispo said.

Jonathan Peche, 19, celebrates his birthday feeding animals with his brother Angel Peche, 16, at the Frida Cocina Campestre family farm on Saturday, June 29, 2024 in Channelview. Raquel Natalicchio, Staff Photographer

Mata bought the farm about two years ago and started with chickens during the egg shortage. Next, he got a Jersey cow they could milk. Paying homage to famous Mexican artists Frida Khalo and Diego Rivera, the cow and donkey are named after the couple.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

For now, customers looking for food can eat at Mata's nearby restaurant, Birrieria y Micheladas, an 11-minute drive down the road. It's the second of four restaurants Mata owns. The most recent is the only one with a different name: El Pueblito de Frida, on Richmond. Mata has taken over the former El Pueblito, where he worked before owning his own place.

The new version of El Pueblito has gained traction online for its gazebos adorned with flowers, and the over-the-top pitcher drinks and dressed micheladas. On weekends, you can sometimes see tortillas being made outside.

At the heart of all the restaurants is the birria. It's how he made a name for himself at the first Birrieria y Micheladas at 12625 Market St. Mata started making traditional lamb birria in 2017, far ahead of the curve.

Birria's popularity peaked during the pandemic. In 2017, Mata said, he was the only restaurant in Houston making it, and customers were lining up to get it. The first location is still his busiest.

Chef and Owner David Marta dips a taco into his specialty birria at one of his several locations of Birrieria y Micheladas. Raquel Natalicchio, Staff Photographer

His success snowballed as he opened his next restaurants between 2021 and this year. And aside from the farm-restaurant, he has a to-go concept in the works in Baytown.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

"We did birria and now birria is everywhere. ... We're doing the farm with the restaurant, and probably later on somebody else will do the same. You have to innovate and never give up change," Mata said.

Mata, who grew up in Guanajuato, Mexico, said he always knew he wanted to make something of himself. He was the youngest of 12 brothers. He moved to Houston as a teenager and attended Houston Community College, where he thought he would become an artist before entering the culinary program. He still paints, and his work can be seen in his restaurants.

Since his first business called Fruit Ideas, where he would cut and arrange fruit as gifts or for events, he has worked on making his food presentable. When he first starting cooking for his restaurant, he would post videos of himself eating his food on Facebook and get traction before social media had really taken off for businesses.

It's all come full circle as videos of his restaurants' food, drinks, decor and farm have continuously gained traction.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

"I truly believe that some people dream bigger than others, and El Senor David is a person who dreams really big dreams, because to have been able to imagine and to execute and to create that in the city and space that he did, that was amazing," Obispo said. "This is a person who has a really amazing story and was able to make his dreams come true; he is a true symbol and representation of what it is to be a successful person in Houston."
Sir Mark Cavendish took a record-breaking 35th career Tour de France stage win with victory on stage five in Saint-Vulbas.

Three years after matching Eddy Merckx on 34 during the 2021 Tour, Cavendish moved clear of the Belgian to stand alone in Tour history.

The Manxman used all of his experience to navigate a hectic finish to the 177km stage from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, coming off the wheels of his rival and holding off Jasper Philipsen to take an historic victory that prompted tearful celebrations.

 HES DONE IT!!! @MarkCavendish 35th win in the Tour de France!!!  IL LA FAIT !!! @MarkCavendish remporte sa 35eme victoire sur le Tour de France !!!#TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/Ad1cy9dWXQ  Tour de France (@LeTour) July 3, 2024

The 39-year-old postponed his planned retirement after crashing out of last years Tour, with his Astana-Qazaqstan team going all-in on Project 35 ahead of this years race.

His victory comes just four days after Cavendish struggled mightily in the heat of a punishing opening stage out of Florence, vomiting on the bike in concerning scenes, and two days after he missed the opportunity to contest stage three after being caught behind a late crash in Turin.

Cavendish said: Im in a little bit of disbelief. Astana put a big gamble on this year to make sure were good here at the Tour, my boss has done it.

Its a big gamble to come here to try to win at least one stage, a big gamble for my boss Alexander Vinokourov, a big thing to do, it shows hes an ex-bike rider, somebody who knows what the Tour de France is.

You have to go all-in and weve done it and worked it exactly how we wanted to do, how we built the team, the equipment, every little detail has been put towards today.

Cavendishs four stage wins in 2021 counted as one of sports great comeback stories, his first victories at the Tour in five years after a period of time marked by illness and injury which contributed to a diagnosis of depression.

Even since those wins three years ago, Cavendish has endured more difficulty, only signing a last-minute deal with Astana-Qazaqstan ahead of the 2023 season after the collapse of another move, then seeing last years Tour end abruptly with a broken collarbone on stage eight.

But since the moment he confirmed he would return this season, all of Cavendishs focus and that of his team has been on this moment.

Over the winter they brought in Michael Morkov and Davide Ballerini  riders who had helped him to those victories in 2021  and poured their resources into tailoring his equipment  even down to the detail of using time trial water bottles on his bike to aid aerodynamics.

His Astana-Qazaqstan team-mates moved to the front of the peloton at the top of a category four climb that peaked 30km from the end of the stage, and stayed there until the final kilometre.

As the finish line neared, Cavendish left the wheel of Morkov to follow Philipsen and then Fabio Jakobsen, then turned on the power when the road opened up to his left, with nobody able to follow. Sixteen years after winning his first Tour stage, nobody could deny him a 35th.

Cavendishs wife Peta and their children were waiting at the team bus and joined in emotional celebrations that reflected the huge amount of work that has gone into this moment.

The sprint finish meant no change to the overall standings, in which Tadej Pogacar leads Remco Evenepoel by 45 seconds, with defending champion Jonas Vingegaard in third, a further five seconds back.

Pogacars victory on Tuesdays stage four was the 12th Tour stage win of his career, putting him level with the soon-to-retire Peter Sagan in second place on the rankings among active riders  the huge gulf speaking to the scale of Cavendishs achievement.
Tate Modern signage

The UK is the worlds third largest market for art. It outperforms Europe, and is surpassed only by the US and China. But this stature is not sufficient to earn it the attention of our politicians. Scan the manifestos of the major parties, and youll find that culture barely gets a mention. This state of affairs, as Anne McElvoy noted recently, rings as hollow as the Fools eggshell in King Lear.

The culture secretary Lucy Frazer assured me that Arts Council England now funds a record number of organisations in more places than ever before. This is wonderful, but it doesnt take away from the fact that many regional English institutions are in a perilous position.

The state of the arts beyond London is particularly grim. At the local level, where the bulk of the funding for the arts is distributed, councils coffers are running empty. In the education sector, the arts have become a casualty of the reverence for STEM subjects, resulting in a record low recruitment of art teachers.

Art and culture tends to be regarded as an elitist preoccupation. And it is hardly a secret that the industry is overpopulated by white, middle-class professionals. Labour seeks to redress the dominance of the privileged few by instituting private finance models that bring in funding from multiple sources. This is a reheated version of what Grey Gowrie, Margaret Thatchers wildly original Minister of State for the Arts, did in the 1980s.

Gowrie stimulated private sponsorship of the arts by offering incentives to businesses with the government matching their contributions. Business moguls volunteered at arts organisations, imbuing them with entrepreneurial spirit, and funnelled cash to support their endeavours. A decade from its inception, Gowries brainchild had raised some 74 million in new money for the arts.

The success of Gowries scheme depended on smart benefits for its supporters. If Labour has a concrete design for attracting private capital, it has kept it under wraps. Some of its plans have spooked the most generous givers to the arts.

Take, for instance, Labours proposal to take a hardline against non-doms. It is not without merit because it may potentially bring in additional revenue that could finance the neediest. It could also push away non-doms who are providing crucial lifelines to our arts. As one prominent philanthropist told me, some of the biggest patrons are not only reassessing whether they embark on new giving, a great many are preparing to leave altogether. If they do, the government would not gain anything, but the arts would certainly lose a lot.

Even if it were it to work, there are challenges associated with private philanthropy. Donors can steer programming, and some can even seek to shape institutional collections to include artists whose works they already own or may soon acquire.

In the absence of a fully thought-through strategy, Labours turn to private donations could embolden the very closed-loop, elite system it claims to want to dismantle. And who will come to the aid of institutions when donors who have endowed them handsomely fall foul of some future social norm?

Rather than floating ideas that are all slogan and no substance, perhaps Labour (or whoever is in government next week) might consider committing itself to realistic proposals. Here is one: expand the Percentage for Art Scheme (PAS)  a globally acknowledged funding method that incentivises developers to dedicate a portion of their capital expenses for the inclusion of public art in new constructions, renovations, or landscaping projects  across the nation.

When the Arts Council tried the scheme in 1988, it boosted commissions not only in the public but also the private sector. Today there are a number of businesses focused on public art strategy that work with developers globally to find ways of integrating artists visions into building projects.

Londons Barking and Dagenham Council have taken another approach and built affordable, light-drenched homes specifically for artists with studio space at reduced rent in return for residents committing to delivering free creative programmes for the neighbourhood. With the 1.5 million houses Keir Starmer is promising to build, a national PAS could help in making art truly accessible to everyone while creating new opportunities for artists.

Dr Cleo Roberts-Komireddi is an art historian, broadcaster, and commentator. She hosts the Art Worlds podcast and is currently writing a book on Indian Art, from prehistory to contemporary, for Yale University Press. Follow her on Instagram cleo__robertskomireddi; www.cleoroberts.com
The draft bill would allow the education minister to limit the enrolment of international students at Australian universities by provider, course or location. Photograph: Agenzia Sintesi/Alamy

Australias universities have descended into infighting over a proposed international student cap, with some bodies claiming the government is protecting elite institutions.

The draft bill, announced in May, would allow the education minister to limit the enrolment of overseas students by provider, course or location. To enrol more students, institutions would be required to establish additional purpose-built student accommodation.

In submissions to the bill, published on Wednesday, regional and smaller universities were pointing the finger at elite capital city institutions, including the University of Sydney, alleging they should be targeted due to having a larger impact on the rental crisis.

The Regional Universities Network (Run) said its institutions should explicitly be exempt from the cap, noting just 3.5% of onshore international students attended a regional campus.

International education is a national interest whose immense benefits ought to be more equitably distributed, rather than continue to become increasingly concentrated to a limited number of providers, its submission read.

Related: Australias international student cap has been called chaotic and populist  so how would it work?

Charles Sturt University (CSU) went further, placing the blame squarely with universities in major urban centres, noting 50% of all international students in 2022 were enrolled at just five elite Group of Eight institutions.

More than 30% of the market share was spread across three  the University of Sydney (16.4%), the University of Melbourne (10.2%) and Monash (10%).

The universities with lower international student enrolments must be given the same opportunities to grow international enrolments as universities that currently have high enrolments, its submission read.

Expecting regional universities to fund the construction of student accommodation to support metropolitan campuses would require the reduction of the already-limited capital funding.

Similarly, the University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide said limiting enrolments for any one institution was only an appropriate response to highly concentrated student numbers in some capital cities.

Other parts of Australia are actively pursuing population growth to support workforce needs and have the capacity and capability to increase international student numbers.

The IHEA (Independent Higher Education Australia) said the federal governments key objective should be to curtail the significant growth that has occurred in some public universities.

This has occurred while many providers in the sector, including independent higher education providers, have been subjected to blanket student visa refusals.

Related: International students should make up no more than a third of university cohort, RMIT vice-chancellor says

Rather than reduce international student numbers equitably and transparently, the government appears to be protecting only a small number of elite universities, such as the University of Sydney where it has been reported that 32,800 international students are enrolled this semester  47% of their student body.

According to the Department of Home Affairs, the number of student visa applications granted in the year to 31 March was 34% lower than the previous year as stricter migration rules came into effect.

There were 671,359 student visa holders in March  the third highest monthly figure. But visa rejections and delays largely affected the private sector and high risk smaller public universities.

Monash University said concerns over international students was overwhelmingly with the non-government sector.

In 2019 to 2024, enrolments in the non-government vocational education and training (Vet) sector rose by 53%, while public university enrolments grew by just 7%.

Where there are concerns with any particular public provider, they should be dealt with directly with that provider, its submission read.

We note that since new regulations were introduced to improve the integrity of the student visa system, Monash University has seen no change in its visa refusal rate.

The University of Sydney similarly highlighted Vet providers, writing in its submission that across public and private institutions, Vet enrolments had risen by 28% since 2019 compared with just 10% in higher education.

The Queensland University of Technology said institutions which had been doing the right thing all along should not be tarnished by the improper behaviour of others.

Subjecting all participants across the entire tertiary international education sector to the same granularity of regulatory scrutiny and intervention  will waste an enormous amount of time, energy and focus.

Institutions with good track records should be subject to a lighter touch approach.
The MV Louise Michel was bought with the proceeds of the sale of Banksy artworks and is operated by activists. Photograph: MV Louise Michel/Reuters TV/Reuters

A rescue boat financed by Banksy has been seized by Italian authorities after being involved in an effort to rescue 37 people from the central Mediterranean sea, the British street artist and the vessels crew have said on social media.

The move comes just days after an inflatable boat carrying dummy refugees was launched into the crowd during a set by the British rock band Idles at the Glastonbury festival, a stunt masterminded by the anonymous graffiti artist and criticised by the UK home secretary, James Cleverly, as vile.

In a statement posted on his Instagram channel on Wednesday, Banksy said the migrant rescue vessel he funds, the MV Louise Michel, had on Monday night rescued 17 unaccompanied children from the central Mediterranean.

He added: As punishment, the Italian authorities have detained it  which seems vile and unacceptable to me.

Italys interior ministry has been contacted for comment.

The MV Louise Michel is a bright pink former French navy vessel that was bought with proceeds from the sale of Banksy artwork and is operated by a group of activists. It is named after a French feminist anarchist and features a Banksy artwork depicting a girl in a life vest holding a heart-shaped safety buoy.

Related: Banksy funds refugee rescue boat operating in Mediterranean

The MV Louise Michels own social media account also stated the vessel had been detained by Italian authorities in the port of Lampedusa for 20 days, after one day at sea and the rescue of 37 people.

Our crew was ordered to disembark all survivors to Pozzallo, Sicily, it said. As the weather on the route was predicted to be too bad for a safe journey, our crew decided to seek shelter close to Lampedusa where, during the night, we then got permission to disembark all survivors.

The crew of the MV Louise Michel added: Later yesterday, we were informed that the ship is now detained for not following the order to disembark in Sicily. They describe the ships detention as a political game and called for the vessels release.

The MV Louise Michel was detained in March 2023 after responding to a distress call in the central Mediterranean. At the time, Italian authorities said the vessel had violated new protocols introduced by Italys far-right government, complicating a delicate rescue coordination work at a time when hundreds of other migrant boats arrived in Lampedusa.
French prime ministerJacques Chirac, left, speaks with Socialist president Francois Mitterrand during a Bastille Day military parade in an undated picture. Photograph: Philippe Wojazer/Reuters

National Assembly elections in France: French right falls short of clear win

By Campbell Page and Paul Webster

17 March 1986

Dateline: Paris

The rightwing opposition in France has failed to win a clearcut majority in the National Assembly elections, a result bound to thrust the country into a period of great uncertainty and intense political manoeuvring.

Yesterdays vote gives the main rightwing parties a bare absolute majority but leaves the Socialists as the largest single party in parliament. President Mitterrand still has enormous room for manoeuvre. The result means that he can pick as his prime minister a pliable centrist, such as the Gaullist, Mr Jacques Chaban-Delmas. He may even turn to a member of his own Socialist Party.

The elections, the first under the new system of proportional representation introduced by the Socialists, also saw a marked shift of weight on the political extremes, with the Communists suffering a great loss of support and the rightwing National Front pulling in more than 10% of the vote.

The mayor of Paris and opposition leader in the last Assembly, Mr Jacques Chirac, called on the French people to work together now that the elections are over. The Choice has been made, he said. It is a matter now for all French people, no matter what their opinion, to rally together and participate in the necessary effort for renewal that the situation in France requires.

The Socialist prime minister, Mr Laurent Fabius, smiling broadly, said the Socialist score was remarkable but he appeared to acknowledge implicitly that the five years of Socialist government had ended: There will be other opportunities and we are more than ever the great movement of hope.

The National Front leader, Mr Jean-Marie Le Pen, whose party won 37 seats (10.7 Per cent) told a wildly cheering crowd of his supporters: The left has been beaten. He claimed that his movement had now overtaken the Communists. Tonight we are celebrating a great victory, he said.

Abandoning his previous refusal to do a deal with the other rightwing parties, Mr Le Pen offered the National Fronts support in exchange for a foothold in power. Mr Fabius said the Fronts arrival in parliament would cause justified concern among all democrats  a theme the Socialists are likely to emphasise in the next few days.

The conventional right, the neo-Gaullist RPR and the UDF, were set to win 41 per cent of the vote which would give them a fragile absolute majority of 11 with the support of rightwing independents, in the 577 seat house.

This is an edited extract. Read the article in full.

French parties learning to cohabit: analysis of relations between President Mitterrand and Premier Chirac

By Campbell Page

20 March 1986

Paris, since Monday, has offered the spectacle of two highly professional politicians negotiating their way towards cohabitation.

Jacques Chirac, 53, leader of the neo-Gaullist RPR, and also mayor of Paris, was sitting in some state at the imposing City Hall yesterday, receiving a stream of notables from the newly victorious majority.

President Mitterrand, who set the tone of constitutional correctness on Monday evening by acknowledging the majority and wishing it well, was waiting at the Elysee for the deal to be settled. He looked like a man without a care in the world.

But cohabitation, the peaceful coexistence of a president and prime minister of different political loyalties for the first time in the history of the Fifth Republic, is a formidable undertaking. The constitution, as Mr Chirac says, is flexible, but 28 years of presidential dominance have established customs and practices in the presidents favour.

Now the constitution has to be re-examined. Most politicians realise that flexibility implies ambiguity, and ambiguity has to be resolved by a shared interpretation on the part of both president and prime minister.

In a long interview on the last day of the election campaign, Mr Chirac emphasised that the new majority, however small its margin, should carry out its election platform. There would have to be a certain degree of harmony between the president, government and parliament. People would have to be reasonable and everyone should respect the constitution, which is flexible and allows all the necessary adaptations.

On Monday evening, President Mitterrand quickly recognised that the new prime minister would have to come from the ranks of the new majority.

Such recognition set Mr Chirac once again on the way to the prime ministership. One of the great contenders in French politics, he is known for his stamina and resilience.

Continue reading.

Related: The Guardian view on Frances snap election: the unthinkable becomes plausible | Editorial

Pillow torque for president and premier

The relationship between Socialist President Mitterrand and the Conservative-controlled National Assembly

By Campbell Page

11 April 1986

The Socialist president and the rightwing prime minister are not at war, but they are willing to risk skirmishes and border incidents.

Both President Mitterrand and Mr Chirac want to escape the charge of collaboration and achieve a new kind of constitutional coexistence. Both have to be resolute in interpreting and acting on what they regard as their respective powers.

Surveys show that people like the idea of compromise between Right and Left, and even have far-fetched notions about the extent to which power could be shared. Since the experiment in cohabitation began, Mitterrand and Chirac have achieved much better results in the regular polls giving approval ratings of leading politicians, and now stand at close to 60%.

In any case, the presidents options have narrowed. If he resigned, the increasingly popular Mr Chirac would be a dangerous opponent in a presidential election. If Mr Mitterrand dissolved parliament, the rightwing majority would also certainly be enlarged if the Right had carried out its plan to abolish proportional representation and restore two-round majority voting.

Mr Chirac, with his hard-driving managerial style, and Mr Mitterrand, the great strategist in French politics, are worthy contestants. They know they must be able to present their differences in reasonable terms and look for ways of keeping cohabitation afloat.

Mr Mitterrand is obviously walking a tightrope. He cannot be seen to collaborate, and even the photographs of him presiding over the weekly cabinet show a stern-faced president who would rather die than fraternise. Nor can he appear to act as a political partisan out to wreck the new rightwing government.

Cohabitation can work in foreign affairs because French foreign policy is essentially bipartisan. In spite of the much-praised flexibility of the constitution, cohabitation would be inconceivable if an anti-nuclear prime minister tried to share power with a pro-nuclear president, or vice-versa.

The sharpest clashes between Mr Chirac and Mr Mitterrand have arisen from the governments wish to introduce some urgent measures by decree after obtaining enabling laws from parliament.

This is an edited extract. Read the article in full.

French cohabitation can go on: Premier Chirac comments on his relationship with Premier Mitterrand

By Campbell Page

22 July 1986

The prime minister, Mr Jacques Chirac yesterday used his first press conference since his appointment four months ago to praise the flexibility of the French constitution and to imply that the experiment in power-sharing between himself and a Socialist president could continue.

Also in Paris yesterday, political extremists from the leftwing Action Directe group mocked a government pledge to end a series of guerrilla attacks by exploding a powerful car bomb outside the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in one of the capitals most heavily policed areas.

A week after President Mitterrand caused the first open dispute in the power-sharing government by refusing to sign a government decree on denationalisation, Mr Chirac said at his press conference that both he and the president respected the constitution and rules of democracy, neither wanted a coup detat, and in those circumstances, things could hardly go wrong.

French institutions had worked well, which had been recognised by public opinion he said. Mr Chirac added that France had become a mature democracy, and the institutions of the Fifth Republic, after being put to the test once again, had come through successfully and shown how flexible and durable they were.

The prime minister yesterday emphasised that there had been a real break with the policy of the previous socialist administration as his government introduced its regime of economic liberalism.

This is an edited extract. Read the article in full.

The power-sharing arrangement lasted for two years until Mitterrand defeated Chirac in the presidential elections of 1988 and called for new legislative elections. These were won by a leftist majority, which lasted five years.
Two people have been charged over alleged property damage offences at Macquarie University earlier this year. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

Two people have been charged after an ongoing investigation into alleged widespread vandalism at Sydneys Macquarie University that allegedly included graffiti of the swastika.

A 19-year-old man and 20-year-old woman were arrested on Tuesday after counter-terrorism police executed a search warrant on a home in Sydneys north-west.

Related: Sydney university stabbing: teenage boy who allegedly attacked student was arrested last year, minister says

Police said they seized numerous items related to extreme rightwing ideology which will be the subject of further investigation.

The ongoing investigation began in February after police were told five people entered the university grounds and graffitied offensive symbols in 24 locations around the campus.

Police inquired into a second incident in May, as part of the investigation, that involved a man and a woman allegedly intimidating a 20-year-old man.

The two people have been charged with damaging property, possessing graffiti material, and wearing a disguise with the intention to commit an indictable offence.

The man was also charged with intimidation and entering inclosed land without a lawful excuse.

Both were granted conditional bail.

The women is due to appear in court in July, and the man in August.

Guardian Australia has contacted the university for comment.
Biden blamed his poor debate performance on fatigue from international travel  although he had a week of rest before the showdown with Trump. Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

The White House insisted on Wednesday that Joe Biden is staying in the election as the presumptive Democratic nominee, while the US president reportedly told his campaign team Im in this race to the end amid mounting pressure for him to step down over concerns he is not up to the job, at 81.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the press secretary, told reporters the president is not dropping out, even while he owns his dire performance in the first debate of the campaign against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump last week.

She repeatedly blamed him having a cold, brought on by overly-arduous foreign travel, despite incredulous scoffs and skeptical questions from some reporters at the daily briefing.

Biden separately told staffers on a call, according to multiple reports: No one is pushing me out and Im not leaving. Im in this race to the end and were going to win.

Related: Who could replace Joe Biden? Here are six possibilities

He was joined on the call by his vice-president, Kamala Harris, reiterating to staffers that they are in this fight for re-election together, according to an Associated Press report. She is seen as a likely substitute if Biden drops out, although several Democratic governors are considered serious rivals in that scenario.

The White House earlier denied a report that Biden is weighing whether his candidacy is still viable, ahead of a key meeting with Democratic governors on Wednesday evening, radio interviews due to air on the Fourth of July holiday and a TV interview with ABC airing in parts on Friday evening and over the weekend as he tries to bolster plummeting confidence.

An ally of the president earlier told the New York Times that the president remained fully committed to his re-election effort, but that he knew his upcoming public appearances would have to be successful ones in order for his candidacy to remain viable.

He knows if he has two more events like that, were in a different place, the source said, referring to Bidens disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump last week.

The article was published under the headline Biden told ally that he is weighing whether to continue in the race.The senior deputy press secretary and deputy assistant to the president, Andrew Bates, posted that: That claim is absolutely false.

Democratic governors, meanwhile, rallied around Biden following their closed-door meeting on Wednesday but admitted they shared voters concerns about his performance.



We, like many Americans, are worried, said Tim Waltz of Minnesota. We are looking for the path to win. But, he said, he and other governors have his back.

The latest Siena College / NYT poll shows Trump has widened his lead on Biden since the TV debate, opening up a 6-point advantage, 49-43%, over Biden among likely voters. Only 48% of Democrats say Biden should remain the nominee.

Later on Wednesday Biden made his first public appearance of the day at a White House ceremony to award posthumous Medals of Honor to two Union soldiers for acts of bravery in the civil war. The president spoke mainly clearly, aided by a teleprompter.

Cracks in support among Democratic leaders had multiplied late Tuesday into Wednesday.

Barack Obama reportedly expressed concerns about Bidens path to re-election and

House Democrat Jim Clyburn, known as a kingmaker of sorts within the Democratic party, told CNN that the party should hold a mini-primary if Biden steps aside, despite supporting his candidacy.

Almost all elected Democrats continue to back Biden in public.

On Tuesday congressman Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first House Democrat to publicly urge the president to step aside. A second one joined on Wednesday afternoon when Raul Grijalva of Arizona told the New York Times: If hes the candidate, Im going to support him but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere  What he really needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat  and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.

At a Virginia campaign event on Tuesday evening, Biden blamed the debate debacle on his prior international trips, saying: I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones  before  the debate. Didnt listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage. Thats no excuse but it is an explanation.

Obama, who served two terms with Biden as his vice president, has reportedly shared in private with Democratic allies who sought his counsel that Biden was already on a tough road to re-election and that road was now more rocky after the debate, the Washington Post reported late on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the former presidents remarks, despite his public support for Bidens candidacy.

And dozens of House Democrats are considering signing a letter calling for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, Bloomberg reported, citing an unnamed senior party official.

A post-debate survey commissioned by Puck news showed that 40% of voters who backed Biden in 2020 now believe he should withdraw. It also showed him now under threat from Trump in states previously considered safe by Democrats, including Virginia, New Mexico and New Hampshire.

Related: James Carville calls on Democratic party to deliver change and replace Biden

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday also found that one in three Democrats said Biden should end his re-election campaign.

The former first lady, Michelle Obama, who has never held elected office, also led Trump 50% to 39% in a poll about a hypothetical match-up, Reuters reported.

Also, California congresswoman and former House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, told MSNBC of Bidens debate performance  and Trumps: I think its a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition? When people ask that question, its completely legitimate  of both candidates.

Harris is the top alternative to replace Biden if he quits, according to seven senior sources at the Biden campaign, the White House and the Democratic National Committee with knowledge of current discussions on the topic, Reuters reported.

In the Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Tuesday, Harris trailed Trump by one percentage point, a showing as strong as Bidens, within polling margins.

Democrats have been privately scathing both about the White Houses lack of transparency about the presidents apparent recent decline, and about his failure to rebound fully from the debate. All eyes will now be on the ABC interview.

Two House Democrats, Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, have predicted publicly since the debate that they believed Trump would win Novembers election.

Anger has also been voiced at the White House and campaign aides for shielding Biden from public and covering up evidence of his supposedly fading powers amid reports that this has been visible for months.

The presidential physician, Kevin OConnor, has previously said that Biden is in excellent condition.

Sam Levin and Reuters contributed reporting
Charge! Current funding streams won't keep the wolf from the door - Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

I love museums, and I love the very British obsession with them. Not just the big institutions that stand proudly in our major cities, but the smaller oddities: the Framework Knitters Museum in Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, or the Bakelite Museum in Somerset (temporarily closed, and awaiting a new home). They speak to us as a nation of hobbyists and obscurists: these places are proud bastions of niche in a society whose preoccupations are becoming depressingly mainstream.

But museums are also a cult. When we talk about free admission to them  and there are hundreds of museums and galleries that offer this  people become oddly emotional, in the same way that they do about the National Health Service. Its as if we believed that free entry were a constitutional right, and attempts to monetise it were an incursion on our freedom.

In a perfect world, its true, all our museums would be free to enter. But, as I have said more than once before in this column, there is no more money. I therefore agree with Mark Jones, former head of the British Museum, who stated at the weekend that his old manor should charge foreign visitors to see the wonders of Mesopotamia and ancient Japan.

The British Museum has been in this sort of territory before. I remember the outrage about a decade ago, when it proposed an entrance fee for tourist groups, a policy that it still hasnt implemented  although large groups do have to book in advance, and are excluded from certain rooms.

Now is the time. I dont understand why museums havent been more aggressive about charging in the past few years. Why should tourists enter our museums for free? They pay tour operators and hotels, after all, and many of these visitors are wealthy: the cost of a ticket is likely small change. Some believe that museums containing the worlds greatest treasures have a moral obligation not to charge visitors; I think that this is pie-in-the-sky nonsense. Museums have bills and staff to pay, like anyone else, and while we in Britain are already funding museums through our taxes, people from abroad are contributing nothing.

Why should tourists enter our museums for free? - Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images

I would, in fact, go further than Jones. He thinks that foreign visitors under the age of 25 shouldnt have to pay. By contrast, as a way of engaging young minds, and in particular the less advantaged ones, I would suggest free entry for anyone younger than 18 unless they come from abroad  which may sound discriminatory, but young tourists who visit our national institutions are very likely to be able to afford a museum ticket.

Plenty of institutions are poorer than the British Museum. My current hobby-horse  the withdrawal of local council funding from major arts institutions  means that museums are facing a grim future all around the country, and entry charges would help a little in staving off the closure of those venues whose councils are on the verge of bankruptcy (or, in the case of Birmingham, already in its throes).

As much as people like cake  and I like cake almost as much as I like museums  the allure of the cafe and the gift shop arent nearly enough to keep the wolf from the door.

In recent years, Britain has been squaring up to the idea of a tourist tax, which is already implemented in many parts of Europe, and has always seemed eminently sensible.

If you want to gauge its potential here, look at Manchester, which began trialling a tourist tax in 2022. Its fees were modest  1 per night per room for selected hotels in the city  and yet the income raised in the first year was 2.8 million. Our museums and galleries might only see a fraction of this, but with higher fees  of which Im all in favour  the money could be spread further. Manchester is a confident city, blending commercialism and civic pride. Others could learn from it.

Note also that Manchesters tourist tax is not intended as a deterrent, unlike (say) Venices 5 (4.20) charge for day trippers, which is explicitly designed as a prohibitive measure. But such measures are working their way into Britain. The council running Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole recently proposed the countrys first coastal tourist tax, although earlier this week it was put on hold following opposition from local hotels.

In Brighton, you now have to pay 1 to visit the pier if you live outside the area. The charge is small, but has raised the issue of whats local: many visitors are annoyed that they live just outside the catchment area. Such fees, then, need to be implemented with a careful eye on geographical reach, and to accommodate those who live nearby, but not that nearby.

Last week, I predicted a gloomy future for the arts under Labour  although, admittedly, one that wouldnt be any gloomier than life under the present Government. But Mark Jones has suggested something that could provide a rescue plan for several parts of the cultural sector. I cant help suspecting that those in opposition to charging entry fees are the same people opposed to most corporate sponsorships. Quite where they think the money will come from is anyones guess.

It certainly isnt going to come from the next government.
The exit poll is the bane of the broadcasters life. David Dimbleby arrives for a live TV debate during the 2015 election campaign. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

David Dimbleby, the election broadcast grandee, has said exit polls are the worst invention ever because they take the fun out of election nights.

The veteran broadcaster announced to the nation the result of 11 exit poll projections as host of the BBCs general election coverage from 1979 to 2019. But speaking to the BBCs Newscast podcast he confessed that he had never liked exit polls.

The 85-year-old broadcaster said: The exit poll is the bane of the broadcasters life. Its the worst invention ever brought in  its like a thriller and youre given the answer before weve even started on page one.

Dimbleby recalled the last time the exit poll completely screwed up was in 1992, when it predicted a hung parliament in an election that John Majors Conservatives won with a majority of 21 seats.

Since then, the increasing accuracy of exit polls has taken the thrill out of election nights, Dimbleby said.

He recalled the excitement of watching election night in the 1950s and 60s before exit polls. Dimbleby said: I do remember way back the excitement when David Butler, who was the psephologist at the time, when the first result came in hed take out his slide rule and hed say very simply: If the whole country goes like this, the result will be whatever majority  now thats what I call real reporting.

But stopping people as they come out of the polling booth and asking: How do you vote? and then producing an increasingly accurate picture, seems to me entirely detrimental to the excitement of election night.

He added: It gives people something to talk about until three in the morning when the first serious results flow starts. But I never liked them. It takes the fun away.

However, Dimbleby admitted that the sound of the BBCs election night theme tune, which he hummed, still sends a shiver down my spine. He added: As the curtain goes up, you have this moment of Ive got to get this right, this first five minutes before the exit poll. And then Big Ben bong, bong: Its 10 oclock. And we can now say  that it will be a Labour majority or Conservative majority. Thats the kind of heart-stopping moment. So Ill watch that on BBC and see how they handle that.

After that, he said he would also watch how Sky, Channel 4 and ITV covered the vote. If I can get my television to work  it always seemed to be on the blink every time I change it.
Labor senator Fatima Payman has been suspended indefinitely after crossing the floor on recognition of Palestine. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Anthony Albanese has said senator Fatima Payman has made a decision to place herself outside the Labor party, and suggested he expects that Payman may resign from the party in the coming days.

The prime minister made the comment about Paymans future on Wednesday after the Western Australian senator was suspended indefinitely after crossing the floor on recognition of Palestine, which she has vowed to repeat.

Payman has claimed she has been exiled by the party and colleagues since voting with the Greens on recognition of Palestine. But talks between Payman, minor party political strategist Glenn Druery and Muslim groups planning to run against Labor MPs have left her colleagues convinced she plans to quit the party.

In question time the deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, asked whether Labor has referred Paymans complaint to the parliamentary workplace support service.

Senator Payman, of course, has made a decision to place herself outside the Labor party, that is a decision that she made, Albanese replied.

I expect further announcements in the coming days which will explain exactly what the strategy has been over now more than a month.

Albanese also noted that the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, had criticised Labor for taking a great deal of care to give consideration to Senator Payman for only temporarily suspending her from the caucus, at first.

On Tuesday Albanese told ABCs 7.30 it was not acceptable for Payman to be talking to groups working against Labor and appeared to claim the Western Australian senator had been in touch with those campaigners before she was indefinitely suspended.

I dont take these issues personally, he said. Ive been around a while  and Ive seen people at various times make decisions to change the direction upon which they were elected.

Asked if it was acceptable for somebody to be talking to his opponents, Albanese responded: clearly, its not acceptable, which is why Senator Payman has been suspended from participation in the caucus.

The idea that this happened just in the last 24 hours is I think not what has occurred, he added.

Someone doesnt just pop up on Insiders because they were walking past the studio on Sunday. Now, I asked for an explanation of why, what the motivation of that was. I havent received one.

Related: Fatima Payman leaves Labor with little choice after vowing to cross floor again

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.

In recent months, Payman has been increasingly outspoken in condemning Israels military operations in Gaza. She said in May: 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.

In the same statement in May, Payman used the politically charged phrase from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free, which she said asserted a desire for Palestinians to live in their homeland as free and equal citizens, neither dominating others nor being dominated over.

Since then, Payman has found herself increasingly at odds with her caucus colleagues. Writing for Al Jazeera on 17 June, Payman called on her own government to recognise Palestine as a state in a symbolic and bold rejection of Israels current bid to erase the Palestinian people.

She urged Albanese and the Labor party to live up to their past cries for justice, and said recognition of Palestine would not frustrate a peace process; rather, it would rescue that very peace process and keep it alive.

That advocacy culminated in the Senate vote on 25 June when Payman crossed the floor to side with the Greens on a motion declaring an urgent need for the Senate to recognise the state of Palestine.

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, had unsuccessfully sought to amend the motions wording to specify that recognition of Palestine could occur as part of a peace process in support of a two-state solution and a just and enduring peace.

If Wongs amendment to the wording had succeeded, all Labor senators would have been allowed to vote for the motion.
Willis is booming and Jeff Cross doesnt see development slowing down in the city for at least two to three years.

Its going to be overwhelming, said Cross, the citys community development director. Weve still got heavy commercial just pouring in (and) weve got residential just  going as fast as they can go. I cant hardly keep up with it.

The northern Montgomery County city has a population of roughly 9,000 residents.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Massive residential projects

Nearly a year ago, city officials spoke with developers of the Enclave at Willis, which at the time was considered the third biggest residential project for the city.

Cross previously said that he anticipated the residential project to increase the citys population by 9% by the end of 2024, bringing it closer to 10,000 residents.

Home construction continues in The Woodlands Hill residential community. The city of Willis anticipates its building boom to continue for several years as new homes and businesses are expected to boost the city's population to 30,000 in 10 years. Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

As of June, Cross sees developers building around 500 homes at a minimum by next year, he said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Im looking at two to three times that in the next three years, Cross said of the homes expected to come from the development, noting that he wasnt certain how many residents would be moving in.

As the citys two biggest developments, Moran Ranch and The Woodlands Hills, continue to take shape, he doesnt see growth slowing down anytime soon.

Moran Ranch is on their fourth section right now, fixing to go again with another section probably, Cross said. And Ive got two sections open in The Woodlands Hills. And  its unreal. If you drive through there one day and then drive down there a week later, it changes a tremendous amount.

Moving away from the 'hustle and bustle'

The Woodlands Hills is a master planned community developed by Howard Hughes and modeled after The Woodlands. At full buildout, the community will have a total of 5,000 homes that span between the Conroe and Willis area. As of June 27, more than 1,300 homes have sold, said Steve Sams, senior vice president of master planned communities for the Houston region at Howard Hughes Corp.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

We think were going to get 300 home sales this year, which is pretty much a good standard for a master planned community in the Houston area, Sams said, noting that the community is still at its infancy stage.

People moving into the community tend to be young families and empty nesters trying to move away from the hustle and bustle of The Woodlands, Sams said. And with more people coming into the city, it also means more commercial development.

We have plans for retail spaces within Woodlands Hills, along FM 830, Sams said, noting that many more people are starting to take interest in commerical development in the area. And seeing those Krogers and those H-E-Bs open, that tells you that its starting to be ready for the types of commercial development that everyone is seeing.

New H-E-B sparked growth spurt

Cross called the citys H-E-B off Interstate 45, which opened in November 2022, a catalyst to the growth in the area, as the same developers that brought in H-E-B were able to bring more business to an area that had not drawn much interest before.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

They were able to break through the barriers that were holding it from selling, Cross said. And as soon as the developers were able to overcome those barriers, everybody went for it like piranhas on a piece of meat.

After the San Antonio-based grocery chain celebrated its grand opening in the city, officials predicted their sales tax revenue would increase by $100,000. In the month of June, the city collected more than $422 million, compared to last years $379 million in the same month, according to a report on the Texas Comptrollers website.

The city of Willis anticipates its building boom to continue for several years as new homes and businesses are expected to boost the city's population to 30,000 in 10 years. Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

And now, Cross said businesses continue to inquire about the city.

There was one company, I cant say who it is  but (they) were talking about a business that would have around 150 jobs, a big factory-type situation, he said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Willis ISD prepares

Willis ISD is also preparing for growth after voters partially approved a $218.1 million bond package, which included an expansion of Willis High School, parking lot improvements and a new transportation center.

According to a demographic study commissioned by the district, the city is expected to grow to 30,000 residents within the next 10 years.

Willis ISD board president Kyle Hoegemeyer previously said that officials were trying to forecast out and be good stewards of the taxpayers money.

But one of the things for us is, were to look ahead  where do we see that growth, Hoegemeyer said in a previous article. Were trying to get out ahead as far as schools and things like that. Were trying to not put ourselves in a situation where were having to use portable buildings.

Cross said he cant predict what the city will look like in five years.
Attal (centre) campaigning in Paris. He has urged voters to do everything so that the extreme right does not have an absolute majority. Photograph: Christophe Petit-Tesson/EPA

Frances prime minister has said nationwide efforts to prevent Marine Le Pens National Rally (RN) winning an outright majority in parliament could succeed, after more than 200 candidates pulled out of Sundays legislative election runoff to avoid splitting the anti-far-right vote.

We can avoid an absolute majority for the far right, Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday, adding that 90% of candidates from President Emmanuel Macrons centrist camp had quit three-way races if they were in third with an RN candidate ahead of them.

RN and its potential future prime minister, 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, finished a comfortable first in last Sundays first-round election with 33% of the vote, followed by the New Popular Front (NFP) alliance on 28% and the presidents Together alliance on 20%.

Related: French left and centrists scramble to unite against far right for election runoff

A historically high turnout dramatically boosted the number of second-round contests featuring three candidates to more than 300, increasing the anti-immigrant partys chances of securing the 289 seats it would need for an absolute majority.

Although accurate seat projections are difficult before the shape of each constituency contest is known, pollsters initial estimates suggested RN could return as many as 300 deputies. The high number of runoff withdrawals makes that less likely.

Attal said centrist candidates were right to stand down even in favour of a rival from the radical-left France Unbowed (LFI), part of the NFP leftwing alliance. Neither LFI or NFP can win an absolute majority, he said. RN can.

He added: Whats at stake is to do everything so that the extreme right does not have an absolute majority. It is not nice for some French to have to block  by voting in a way they did not want to. I say its our responsibility to do this.

According to Le Monde, 221 candidates, including 132 from NFP and 83 from Macrons camp and its allies, had withdrawn from potential three-way runoffs by the Tuesday evening deadline, leaving 94 so-called triangular contests.

The republican front, aimed at shutting the far right out of power, has long been a feature of French politics but had shown signs of fraying in recent elections as voters tired of having to vote against candidates they disliked rather than for those they backed.

While the parties have largely swung behind it, this time there is no guarantee centrist voters will be prepared to vote for candidates from the far-left LFI, or that leftwing voters angry with Macron will be happy to cast their ballots for candidates from his camp.

Asked about calls for the creation of a provisional cross-party government in the event of a hung parliament, Attal repeated his proposal for a range of mainstream parties to cooperate on individual pieces of legislation. I hope the Together camp is as big as possible. After that, we will seek to secure majorities on a project-by-project basis, he said.

The former prime minister Edouard Philippe called on Wednesday for a more formal broad-based coalition. He said such an alliance could run from the conservative right to social democrats, but would exclude the far left, saying there could be no discussion about a coalition with LFI. Many centrists argue the radical-left party, which believes traditional parties no longer serve democracy, does not share republican values.

Le Pen said on Tuesday that she could try to form a rightwing coalition with MPs from other parties if RN fell short of an absolute majority. Bardella had previously said he would only form a government with a sufficiently strong mandate.

She said her party would seek to form a government with for example, 270 MPs, which would require it to find support from a further 19 to govern. If we then have a majority, then yes, of course, well go and do what the voters elected us to do, she said.

With RN already supporting dozens of dissident candidates from the divided centre-right Les Republicains party, however, most analysts believe the far-right party will have difficulty recruiting more than a handful more supporters in parliament.

The government spokesperson, Priscille Thevenot, on Wednesday dismissed claims by Le Pen of an administrative coup detat by Macron after the president made a number of senior public sector appointments between the two rounds of voting.

We knew that Marine Le Pen lies, now we know she also manipulates information, Thevenot said after a cabinet meeting. She said a similar number of nominations were made every week and these had been completely routine and nothing specific.

The UN human rights chief on Wednesday warned of a hardening of rhetoric in recent months, including hate speech and dehumanising language against immigrants and other minorities, linked to elections in Europe and elsewhere.

This is an alarm bell, Volker Turk said. Turk refused to comment on specific elections but said: Narratives that denigrate the other, that dehumanise, that make scapegoats of migrants or refugees or asylum seekers or minority groups are on the rise.

Several RN candidates have been deselected or are the target of judicial investigations after media revelations of allegedly racist or discriminatory remarks and social media posts. Bardella said on Wednesday it could happen that there were black sheep among the partys candidates but added that he was dealing with them firmly.

Analysts say the most likely outcome of the second-round vote is a hung parliament that could lead to months of political paralysis. The chaos also risks damaging the international credibility of Macron, who has not spoken in public since last week.
Karamba Diaby: The hatred the AfD sows every day with its misanthropic narratives is reflected in concrete psychological and physical violence. Photograph: Dpa Picture Alliance/Alamy

The first black African-born MP to enter the German parliament has announced he will not be standing in next years federal election, weeks after he revealed the hate mail, including racist slurs and death threats, he and his staff had received.

Karamba Diaby, 62, who entered the Bundestag in 2013 in a moment hailed as historic by equality campaigners, said he wanted to spend more time with his family and to make room for younger politicians.

Related: They call us Nazis: inside the wealthy German town where the far right is on the rise

But his announcement comes just weeks after he laid out a litany of hate messages he and his parliamentary staff had received.

Diaby said the racist slurs and death threats were not the main reasons for his decision, having frequently emphasised he would not be cowed by threats. But they are widely believed to have played a part.

In interviews, Diaby has emphasised an increasingly hostile mood in parliament and society, blaming the 2017 entry of the far-right populist AfD to the Bundestag.

Since 2017, the tone in the German parliament has become harsher, he told the Berlin Playbook podcast of the news magazine Politico. We hear aggressive speeches from colleagues of the AfD.

We hear derogatory and hurtful content in these contributions. That is truly a totally new situation compared to the period between 2013 and 2017. This aggressive style of talking is fertile breeding ground for the violence and aggression on the streets.

Diaby, of the Social Democrats (SPD), entered parliament alongside Charles M Huber, who sat for the Christian Democrats for just one parliamentary term. They were the first black members of the Bundestag and their entry was hailed as groundbreaking and historic by equal rights campaigners.

Diaby, who has a PhD in chemistry, was born in Senegal and moved to the then East Germany in 1985.

He has increasingly faced racist abuse in recent years. His constituency office in Halle, Saxony Anhalt, has been an arson target, and has had bullets fired through the window. Some staff have faced blackmail attempts to stop them working for him and have been subjected to abuse and threats, Diaby said.

Related: France and Germany urged to rethink reluctance to gather ethnicity data

In the last few years Ive faced several murder threats. This has now overstepped the mark, he said. The hatred that the AfD sows every day with its misanthropic narratives is reflected in concrete psychological and physical violence. This endangers the cohesion of our society. We cannot simply accept this.

Writing to party colleagues on Tuesday, Diaby promised to remain active in the SPD, especially in the 15 months leading to the election, saying: We face big challenges and hard work.

He added: At the same time, Im looking forward to having more time for my family and friends and our allotment.

 This article was amended on 10 July 2024. An earlier version stated that Karamba Diaby was Germanys first African-born MP; in fact, this was Kai-Uwe von Hassel, president of the Bundestag from 1969-72, who was born in present-day Tanzania.
Chivalry, or something more sinister? - John Fedele/Tetra images RF

Microaggressions are everywhere. Or are they? These perceived verbal or behavioural slights in the workplace are increasingly obsessing firms and their employees, with a split between those who see identifying them as a way to make the workplace a better and more equitable to everyone and those who see them as a false construct of the woke industrial complex.

Now the law firm Hogan Lovell is offering a microaggressions hotline to its staff who wish to record what it calls interactional bias.

Microaggressions are often unintentional and even well-meaning, but convey a derogatory or negative attitude toward someone on the grounds of a protected characteristic such as race, sex, ability, gender or age. Its a complex and nuanced concept, but increasingly accepted across HR departments.

The idea originated in the US during the Seventies as a response to repeated acts of racial discrimination, now cover a wide range of behaviour, from the pretty straightforward unconscious racism of asking a person of colour where they are from to more complex, contested interactions, involving expressions that are seemingly innocent to large numbers of employees.

The most common criticism of microaggressions is that they encourage hypersensitivity and that such remarks are blown out of proportion, but others claim they can have a serious impact on mental and physical health, including depression and sleeping problems.

Hogan Lovells initiative has been called Orwellian and tokenstic by critics and some have even questioned the motives behind it as a way to better cover the firms liability to its employees.

Where do you stand in these scenarios?

Opening a door and letting someone through before you

Certainly, its not to be encouraged in tight spaces. But holding the door open is distinct from holding it open and inviting someone else to pass before you, and familiarity with the other person is relevant contextually. Is the age of chivalry dead?

Criticising someone for not making eye contact

A colleague appears to repeatedly engage less than others in meetings  perhaps speaking quietly and not making eye contact, which is perceived as uncommunicative and potentially a lack of involvement with the subject or project being discussed. Do you say something?

Telling someone to man up

Sometimes interchangeable with telling someone to grow up when you need someone to strengthen their resilience or demonstrate their ability to rise to a particular challenge. Oddly, it can be applied to anyone at any time.

Dont mind my OCD!

A very common throwaway remark when a person wants to make fun of themselves and their neatness or organisational skills  it can be an innocent attempt to diffuse tension through self-deprecation.

You dont have kids to pick up, so you can work later, right?

This is an assumption about a person being free at times when other colleagues with children under 18 are most likely to want or need to be away from work. Being a working parent is tough  but is it fair to expect those without children to pick up the slack?

The way you have overcome your disability is so inspiring

Clearly meant with the best intentions but how much do you really know about the nature of the hardships and challenges the person has faced?

You look too young to work here

This is especially common towards women, based on the bias that they couldnt possibly occupy high status positions. It might be meant as a compliment  but comes loaded with assumptions.

Are you having a senior moment?

Obviously this is meant as a joke in most cases (especially with regards to using technology)  but its worth remembering that we all forget things, whatever age we are, and it also does not take into account considerations such as the effects of the menopause. Unless you are the President of the United States, perhaps.
Concerns have been raised over the president's stumbling performance in a TV debate with Donald Trump - Elizabeth Frantz/REUTERS

Joe Biden spent the whole of the last election campaign trying to shrug off his nickname Sleepy Joe.

Now, the idea that the 81-year-old president often gets tired is not just an accusation by Republicans. It is a political fact.

At a Democrat donor event in Virginia on Tuesday, Mr Biden told his supporters he nearly fell asleep on stage at his disastrous head-to-head with Trump last week. I didnt have the best night, he said.

That extraordinary admission came after a challenge to his leadership from the presidents new political opponents  in his own party.

Dubbed the bedwetting brigade by Mr Bidens allies, a growing number of Democrats no longer believe he can beat Trump in Novembers presidential election.

The bedwetting brigade is calling for Joe Biden to drop out, wrote Rob Flahery, Mr Bidens deputy campaign manager, in the aftermath of the debate. That is the best possible way for Donald Trump to win and us to lose.

An increasingly loud portion of the party, however, feel that it is Mr Biden staying in the race, not leaving it, that makes a Trump victory most likely.

A source close to the president told the New York Times on Wednesday morning that the president believed he had just four days to save his campaign by performing well at two campaign rallies and in a television interview this weekend.

As Democrats squabble over what to do next, three main factions have emerged.

The first group believe the election is doomed if he remains the partys nominee and should drop out immediately to be replaced by a younger candidate.

They include former aides of Barack Obama, who worked with Mr Biden in the White House but have never believed strongly in his electoral strengths.

I think youre going to hear discussions that I dont know will lead to anything, but there are going to be discussions about whether he should continue, David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to Mr Obama, said following the debate.

David Axelrod, a former adviser to Barack Obama, said it was inevitable the president's future would be discussed after the TV debate - Bryan Bedder/Getty

Van Jones, another former Obama aide, said he is happy to be classed as a bedwetter.

Im sitting here where Im in Pampers, he said on Tuesday. Behind closed doors, what people are worrying about is what the polls are going to show in the battleground states a week from now.

Other prominent voices are Democrat donors who have contributed to the $91 million (71.4 million) Biden-Kamala Harris election war chest but think they stand no chance against Trump.

On a call with the Biden campaign this week, one donor simply asked: Can the president make it through a campaign and another term? Another asked for their money back.

Anybody trying to prolong the inevitable here is just basically putting us on a giant f----ing death march towards the end, a major donor told Politico.

Our only hope is that he bows out, we have a brokered convention, or dies, another insider said as the dust settled on the debate. Otherwise we are f----ing dead.

Lloyd Doggett of Texas is the first sitting Democrat to publicly say Joe Biden should stand aside at the next election - Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc

On Tuesday, Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first sitting Democrat to add his name to the pile of anonymous quotes from his colleagues about the commander-in-chief.

He said Mr Biden should make the painful decision to withdraw.

So far, only Mr Doggett has publicly called for Mr Biden to stand back, but plenty of Democrats make the same argument behind closed doors.

Consider me a bedwetter, one angry representative told Axios. This is not getting better.

The second camp of worried Democrats say Mr Biden has some time to recover from his TV performance, but think he should spend more time reassuring allies in the party before making a decision.

Those who are expected to go out and defend the president on a daily basis expect more contact from him at the most difficult time of the campaign so far.

The group includes JB Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, who convened a call with fellow Democrat governors on Monday to discuss the situation.

After hearing that most of the attendees had not spoken to the president, he arranged a meeting between Mr Biden and his allies at the White House on Wednesday night.

Nancy Pelosi, one of Mr Bidens staunchest allies, said on Tuesday she had not spoken to him since the debate and argued that questions about his age were legitimate. Shortly after her interview on MSNBC, her office released a statement clarifying that she did not think he should stand down.

It apparently took Mr Biden a long time to call Hakeem Jeffries, the party's leader in the House of Representatives, as concerns grew about his age - J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Others have expressed concerns about how long it took Mr Biden to call Hakeem Jeffries, the partys leader in the House of Representatives, as concerns grew about his age.

The third group of Democrats have already accepted that the White House is lost  but think Mr Biden must now do more to take the House at the same time.

If Trump wins, they argue, it is vital that the Democrats have control of the legislature to oppose his extreme and unhinged policy plans.

The frontline group of House Democrats are organising a private letter to be sent to Mr Biden urging him to protect their jobs at all costs.

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a representative from Washington state in a marginal district, said on Tuesday: We all saw what we saw, you cant undo that, and the truth I think, is that Biden is going to lose to Trump.

A senior Democrat told Politico: The House is the last firewall, folks. We have to flip the House.
Keir Starmer speaks at a Labour general election campaign event in East Kilbride, Scotland. Photograph: Lesley Martin/Reuters

Keir Starmer has hailed a new age of hope and opportunity as millions of people prepare to vote in a general election that could deliver the biggest shake-up of British politics in a generation.

Related: What constituency am I in? New boundary map for UK general election  and how changes may affect you

The Labour leader said he was ready for government and that his intended cabinet would hit the ground running if it wins Thursdays election.

With Rishi Sunaks closest allies appearing to concede defeat for the Conservatives, and the final opinion polls predicting an unprecedented Labour victory, Starmer said he hoped Britain was about to enter a new chapter.

On the last day of a fractious six-week campaign, the Guardian was told Sunak had confided to members of his inner circle that he was fearful of losing his own seat, and a new YouGov poll predicted 16 cabinet ministers would lose their seats  potentially handing Starmer the biggest majority for any single party since 1832.

Speaking at a campaign stop in Scotland, which will be one of the key battlegrounds on Thursday, Starmer told his activists they were on the final few yards towards the start of a historic day.

This is a great nation, with boundless potential. The British people deserve a government that matches their ambition. Today is the chance to begin the work of rebuilding Britain with Labour.

He promised a flurry of activity should he enter No 10, saying he would push back the parliamentary recess to get his legislative programme under way.

Starmer said he had told his shadow cabinet they will not be forgiven if did not show results immediately. He said he had told them: I dont want you having a phone call or a meeting the day after the election that you could have had six months before the election.

In a rare sign that he was mentally preparing for victory at the end of a deeply cautious campaign, Starmer said: Im really pleased that four and a half years of work is being vindicated because this has not been an easy gig.

Sunak spent the day campaigning in safe Conservative seats in the south of England. Sources told the Guardian he had privately confided his own vote in Richmond and Northallerton was too close to call.

default

In 2019, he won the seat with a majority of more than 27,000 and 63% of the vote. One source said he is genuinely fearful of a defeat in Richmond: the risk that it could be tight has hit him hard. Hes rattled  he cant quite believe its coming so close.

Leading Tories, including the sacked former home secretary Suella Braverman and the work and pensions secretary, Mel Stride, also made clear that election defeat appeared inevitable.

However, Sunak brushed aside the idea that the Conservatives had already accepted defeat, as he campaigned in ultra-safe Tory seats such as Hamble Valley on the final day before polls opened.

He claimed that millions and millions of voters had still not made up their minds, saying people should separate the frustrations which they understandably have about me, the party and the past from their ultimate decision.

Quizzed at a school about his highlight as prime minister, Sunak dodged the question, while arguing that much of his time in office had been spent struggling with outside events.

There are lots of things that youd like to do but the reality is that youre dealing with the situation in front of you. Thats very much been the story of my political career in the last few years. Thats just reality. Youve got to play the cards that youve been dealt, he said.

Asked if he would take full responsibility for whatever the election result was, he replied: Yes.

The Tories experienced yet another blow on Wednesday night as the Sun newspaper made an abrupt volte-face, putting its support behind the Labour party for the first time since 2005.

Related: The Guardian view on polling day: a moment to cherish and nurture democracy | Editorial

After years of fiercely critical coverage of Labour and personal attacks on the leader it called Sir Softie, the Sun endorsed Starmer on Wednesday, saying: It is time for a change  Which means that it is time for Labour.

In Essex, where Reform UKs leader, Nigel Farage, is making an eighth attempt to enter parliament, the Tory candidate standing in his way made a last-ditch appeal to stop what he described as the populist juggernaut.

Farage led a rally in the centre of Clacton in chants of we want our country back, as he once again sought to make immigration the centrepiece of his campaign.

How are you getting on for dentists in Clacton? Well then you should have come by dinghy, he said, after arriving on a military-style vehicle to the sound of Without Me by Eminem.

Giles Watling, who is defending his Clacton seat, said the atmosphere in the constituency had changed since the arrival en masse of Farage supporters. He described the Reform leaders rallies as chilling and alleged that people had been intimidated by canvassers for the populist party, including a shop owner who, he said, had been told it wouldnt be a good idea if she put up a Tory placard in her window.

Farage was in a bullish mood as he appeared alongside the former boxer Derek Chisora, predicting that Labour would win as much as 37% of the vote and that his party would be challenging for government at the next election.

Labour strategists are tense about the prospect for shocks in some unpredictable constituencies, including those where the Reform vote is surging and where Labour is facing a challenge from the Greens or independent candidates campaigning on Gaza.

The party is braced for a number of upsets that go against the grain, including in the shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaires Bristol Central seat to the Greens and in seats with large Muslim populations, including Birmingham Ladywood, Bethnal Green and Bow, and Dewsbury and Batley. Islington North, where the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is running as an independent, is said by party insiders to be too close to call.

On his final day of a gruelling campaign, Starmer spent time in Wales, Scotland and England, culminating in a rally in the Midlands  another area of the UK where Labour is hoping to take multiple seats from the Conservatives.

In Glasgow, he mocked the Scottish National party for urging voters to vote for them to send a message to Westminster. I dont want Scotland to send a message, I want Scotland to send a government, he said. Labour is on course to regain dozens of seats in Scotland from the SNP.

On Wednesday night, the first minister, John Swinney, said it was a foregone conclusion Labour would win. The only story left in this election is in Scotland, where seats across the country are on a knife-edge, he said.

But Starmer also warned during the course of the day against paying too much attention to Tories downplaying their own prospects. You can see what the Tories are up to  they are trying to invite people not to exercise their democratic right to go out and vote, trying to dissuade people from voting, he said.

A once-respected party is now saying with 24 hours to go nothing that is positive, everything is negative, effectively, to run a campaign to suppress the vote.

Writing in the Guardian, Labours deputy leader, Angela Rayner, promised change will begin immediately if Starmer enters No 10 and called on voters to help deliver a significant majority. We will need a clear mandate for change  dont doubt that.

The Liberal Democrats also look as if they will regain the partys strength of the coalition years, capitalising on Tory decline and tactical voting.

The partys leader, Ed Davey, whose campaign has been dominated by outlandish stunts, wrote in the Guardian on Wednesday that his mission was beating as many Conservative MPs as possible  More and more people are focusing on how best to use their vote to bring an end to Conservative rule and start a more progressive, more positive era.
Screenshot of Darren Jones

A Labour frontbencher has expressed frustration at the out of date council tax system and hinted that a tax raid on wealthy peoples homes is coming.

In a leaked recording, Darren Jones, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, admitted that Labour cannot openly talk about revaluing homes for council tax because no party that does so is ever elected.

He also suggested the whole council tax system needs to be changed in comments that have been seized on by the Conservatives.

The Tories say Mr Jones, who is likely to be second in command at the Treasury if Labour wins the election, has been caught saying the quiet part out loud and that Sir Keir Starmer intends to increase taxes on peoples homes, cars and pensions. Labour described it as scaremongering nonsense.

As Britain goes to the polls, Rishi Sunak warned voters not to sleepwalk into a Labour super-majority and insisted the election was not a foregone conclusion.

He said: Telegraph readers know the Conservatives, the party of Margaret Thatcher and Nigel Lawson, will always represent their values. We will cut taxes for every generation, make sure work always pays, support families, safeguard drivers freedoms, secure our borders, boost our national security and preserve our precious countryside for future generations.

A final opinion poll for The Telegraph has predicted the largest Labour majority in history, with Sir Keirs party winning 39 per cent of the vote and the Tories 20 per cent. Another poll predicted Labour would win the biggest majority of any party since 1832, and other polls this week have suggested the Conservatives could end up with as few as 64 seats.

On Wednesday, analysts at the investment bank Citi forecast that Labour will launch a 15 billion tax raid on pensions, capital gains and inheritance if the party wins a large majority.

Tax has been central to the election campaign, with the Conservatives insisting that families will pay more than 2,000 extra under Labour  a claim that was criticised by the statistics watchdog.

Sir Keir has ruled out increases to income tax, VAT or National Insurance, but has refused to make any commitments to freeze or cut other taxes.

Mr Jones has previously been recorded saying that Labours green energy plans will cost hundreds of billions and that inheritance tax will be used to redistribute wealth. His latest comments were made at a coffee morning in the Bristol area on May 18, four days before the election was called.

The Labour frontbencher was asked by a voter about the prospect of council tax rises on 700,000 homes worth more than 1 million.

Mr Jones replied: Therell be people in this village that will pay a lot more council tax than they currently do, many of them older people. So the fact is again, I get the frustration but you live in a capitalist democracy.

So that requires people to vote for you to have power to hold power in order to be able to do things within a framework people are willing to work within. Now you can say that the whole system is like c--p and needs to be changed.

When he was asked about increasing council tax for those people who can definitely afford it and then pour[ing] that money back into working-class people, he replied: And I agree with you that the council tax system is very out of date.

He went on: Let me be frank with you about council tax, right. Any party has ever suggested revaluing council tax has never been elected. They just havent.

When the questioner pointed out that Labour had a huge poll lead, Mr Jones replied: They wont if they start telling everyone they have to pay more council tax.

Neil Amin-Smith, a policy adviser to Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, authored a report in 2019 calling for a national revaluation and reform programme for council tax.

Radical overhaul

Ms Reeves has in the past called for a radical overhaul of the tax system, saying our current system of wealth taxation isnt working.

At a final campaign rally on Wednesday night, Mr Sunak warned that Labour would increase taxes.

He said: Ask your friends, ask your neighbours: can you afford to pay another 2,000 more in tax? Because that is what they will be paying if Keir Starmer walks into Downing Street in a weeks time. Are they ready for a council tax revaluation?

Laura Trott, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: Labour have been caught saying the quiet part out loud. Darren Jones admitted that talking about any of their secret taxes on the family home before the election would cost them votes.

The real risk of a Labour super-majority cannot be clearer. A vote for anyone other than the Conservatives will deliver a Labour government, intent on taxing your home, your pension, your car  even your childrens education.

Do not give them a super-majority to lock in higher taxes for a generation.

A Labour spokesman said: If the best the Tories can offer on the day of the election is a recording of Darren Jones explaining why Labour has no plans to raise council tax, then it shows the utterly desperate state they are in. Any other interpretation of his words is entirely false, scaremongering nonsense.

In a message to Telegraph readers, Mr Sunak said: The five years ahead will be the most transformational for a generation. They bring great risks but great opportunities too if we take the bold action to seize them.

To do that, we need a government with a clear plan to build for a brighter future for the whole country. Despite 14 years to come up with ideas, Labour have no plan for what theyd do with power, beyond hiking taxes.

The choice at this election is between sleepwalking into a Labour super-majority that would give Keir Starmer unchecked power to raise taxes, raid pension pots and give illegal migrants an amnesty, and the Conservatives who will cut tax, grow the economy and start the flights to stop the boats.

He added: A vote for any other party is a vote for Labour, no restrictions and zero accountability. With such a majority they would have a blank cheque to raise tax. They would have carte blanche to expose our children to dangerous gender ideology and re-enter the EU by the backdoor, surrendering our Brexit freedoms and making us a rule-taker from Brussels once more.

Dont let anyone tell you the result of this election is a foregone conclusion. As few as 130,000 votes are set to determine the final outcome. So vote Conservative today as the last opportunity we may have to stop Starmers super-majority taxes.
Sir Keir Starmer says his party would hold a strategic defence review in his first year of government if they win on July 4 - VICTORIA JONES/PA ARCHIVE

Labours refusal to commit to spending 2.5 per cent of national income on defence would be a disaster for Nato, Grant Shapps has warned.

The defence secretary said it would provide evidence to Vladimir Putin that the West was throwing in the towel over Ukraine.

Mr Shapps also suggested that farther down the line, it could give Donald Trump the impression that European countries were unwilling to fund their own defence  one of his previous criticisms of Nato  should he win Novembers US presidential election.

Security has become a major dividing line between the Tories and Labour, with Rishi Sunak attacking Sir Keirs party for refusing to match his pledge to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030.

Mr Shapps, who is battling to keep his seat of Welwyn Hatfield, said it was still not too late to stop Starmergeddon, saying it would be dangerous for the country for Labour to have such unchecked power.

But most polls predict that Thursdays election will lead to a huge majority.

Grant Shapps, the defence secretary, says it would be 'dangerous' for the UK for Labour to have such unchecked power - JEFF GILBERT/JEFF GILBERT PHOTOGRAPHY

In an interview with The Telegraph, Mr Shapps said: Im genuinely concerned about this. I know Keir Starmer is going round saying the right thing, but that is different to taking action and committing the money that is needed.

He has not committed to 2.5 per cent with a timeline if he gets into office on Friday. It means that on his first day, he will be asked what budget he needs to cut next year: should it be spending on defence? Spending on Nato?

It will be embarrassing when we have already told Natos secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg that the UK will commit to 2.5 per cent by 2030, and then as one of the first acts of the new Labour government be to renege on this pledge.

It will send a very strong signal to the rest of Nato, as well as being damaging to Britain. Its also naive in a dangerous world.

He added: Putin is looking for the West to throw in the towel, and he was clear this would never happen under the Conservatives.

Not having a timetable for 2.5 per cent takes away from our moral leadership and our military leadership, and it would be a disaster for the alliance for the government to renege on the pledge.

All this would be in a context where Trump and others will look at Europes desire to contribute to their defence. Britain should be leading by example, helping to bounce others into increasing their contribution.

Mr Shappss comments come after Boris Johnson, the former prime minister, used his first major intervention in the election campaign to rally voters to choose Conservative.

Speaking in London on Tuesday night, Mr Johnson said: If you want to protect our democracy and our economy and keep this country strong abroad by spending 2.5 per cent of our GDP on defence which Labour still refuses to commit to, then you know what to do, dont you, everybody?

Theres only one thing to do  vote Conservative on Thursday my friends and I know you will. I know you will.

Mr Shapps pointed to defence and pensions as reasons to back his party on Thursday and avoid heralding in a so-called super-majority under Labour.

He said Labours refusal to rule out a so-called retirement tax was scaring the life out of pensioners in his constituency.

Sir Keir has refused to back the Tory pledge to bring in a triple lock plus for pensioners, which states that older people will not have to pay income tax on their state pension.

Forecasts show that the state pension will soon rise above the threshold at which people start to pay income tax.

The defence secretary said that when he tells voters about this on the doorstep, it really bites.

He said: Something that comes up on every doorstep is Labours failure to back our triple lock plus plan. It is scaring the life out of pensioners in this country.

He said: Pensioners will be trapped into paying income tax on it, and it shows that the Conservatives are the only party who will protect pensioners.

They havent forgotten 75p, they havent forgotten how Labour raided their private pensions. I tell people that Keir will tax their home, their job, their car and their pension  and its the last one that really bites.

Gordon Brown faced criticism as chancellor in 1999 when he only put up the state pension by 75p. Two years earlier, he scrapped tax relief on dividends that pension funds received on their investments.

With polls predicting Labour to win as many as 430 seats on Thursday, Mr Shapps said: It is in no ones interest to see unchecked power.

The polls show a majority which is not like Boriss, its bigger than Blairs. It would be a blank cheque for the Labour leader to cause havoc.

I think that is a dangerous place for a country to be in, but its not too late to stop Starmageddon. You can still stop it tomorrow and ensure a proper opposition or better still a Conservative government.
Sir Keir Starmer said 'it seems obvious to me that we'll have to extend the timetable' - MARIA UNGER/AFP

Labour will delay MPs summer recess if it wins the general election to give more time to set out the partys first steps, Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed.

The Labour leader said it seems obvious the party will need to extend the parliamentary timetable ahead of the summer break to help with a slew of radical policy pledges including boosting hospital appointments, recruiting more teachers and launching a new border security command to tackle the small boats crisis.

It was reported on Tuesday that Labour was planning to push back the summer recess, which was due to start on July 23, until the end of the month.

Sir Keir confirmed on Wednesday there would be a delay, saying: How much legislation will be through by the end of July I think is questionable because the timetable is very tight, although it seems obvious to me that well have to extend the timetable.

If Labour wins on July 4, some of Sir Keirs first tasks will involve choosing his Cabinet and working on the Kings Speech, which sets out the governments legislative agenda.

In policy terms, the Labour leader has set out six first steps: delivering economic stability, cutting NHS waiting times, launching a new border security command to smash criminal boat gangs, setting up GB Energy, a publicly-owned clean power company, cracking down on anti-social behaviour, and recruiting 6,500 new teachers.

Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general, has said Rishi Sunaks flagship Rwanda scheme would be axed on day one, while Sir Keir has said that he would kick-start reforms to the planning system straight away upon taking office.

The latter would set the stage for Labours attempts to ramp up house building and infrastructure development across Britain.

The Labour leader has also pledged that his plan to impose VAT on private school fees would be rolled out straight away if he wins the election.

He said the exact timing would depend on the timetable in Parliament but committed to bringing in the policy as soon as it can be done.

The next prime minister will also be whisked off to the United States less than a week into the job for Natos 75th anniversary summit in Washington.

Asked about his plans for government on a visit to Wales on Wednesday morning, Sir Keir told reporters: Well, it will be a team with their sleeves rolled up, getting on with the job.

Ive already set out what the first steps will be that we will be working on, so you can expect action on the 40,000 appointments in hospitals and the beginning of the recruitment of the teachers that we need, the police that we need on our streets, the setting up of GB Energy, the border security command.

These are all the first steps that we will do. How much legislation will be through by the end of July I think is questionable because the timetable is very tight, although it seems obvious to me that well have to extend the timetable. We will be working very hard.

If his party wins the election, Sir Keirs first port of call will be Buckingham Palace, where he will ask the King for his permission to form a government.

Immediately afterwards he would be taken to No 10, where traditionally he would deliver a brief speech to the public from a podium in Downing Street.

He would then head behind the famous black door to meet and greet the staff, before inviting inside those Labour MPs who will be appointed to his first Cabinet.

The Kings Speech is expected to take place about two weeks after the election, on July 17.

On Wednesday, Sir Keir also took the opportunity to hit out at the Conservatives, saying it was surprising and perhaps sad that after 14 years in government, all the Tories have got left is this desperate negativity.

He added: Twenty-four hours before the country goes to the polls they are simply not able to answer the question in positive terms why anybody should vote Tory.

I think thats a very sad indictment, but a realistic indictment, on their own record in government. Theyre not pretending that they can offer anything different. I think thats quite a telling point, quite apart from the negativity. Theyre not pretending theyve got anything else to offer you.
Connor MacKenzie Clark with his mother, Tracey. Photograph: Family handout/family handout

Tracy Clark had understandably mixed emotions when her 18-year-old son, Connor MacKenzie Clark, packed his bags and left home to take part in a training course for the Royal Marines.

It felt nerve-racking, really awful in a way, but I was so proud of him for having the courage to chase his dream, Tracy told the Guardian. I thought he was physically and emotionally strong enough. He was nervous but incredibly excited.

Tracy said her son went into the four-week recruitment orientation phase (ROP) course with his eyes open, conscious he would be challenged by some aspects such as personal administration  keeping uniform, kit and locker in pristine order.

He said: Mum, I know my ironings rubbish but theyll teach me how to do it. I asked him: Connor, are you sure about this? Are you sure of the Royal Marines? He said: Yeah, absolutely.

I said to him: What if it doesnt work out? He said: Oh mum, my plan B is to be a police officer, or join the fire service. We used to always say: Dont forget, youve got a plan B. Unfortunately, he forgot.

On 12 June 2021, 19 days into the course, Connor was found dead on a railway track two miles from the commando training centre in Lympstone, Devon. He had scaled the perimeter fence, using a duvet to get across the razor wire, and was struck by a train.

Since then, Tracy has battled to unearth what she calls a perfect storm of failings that led up to her sons death.

During Connors inquest in Exeter, it emerged he believed instructors had told him he was a failure and the worst recruit. The inquest heard he and his fellow trainees were subject to thrashings  bouts of high-intensity physical activity dished out as punishments  and were harshly sworn at.

The inquest was told that a few days before he died, Connor self-harmed, opening up a cut on his arm, and had gone to the sick bay. The medic had not flagged up what had happened to the trainers.

The search for Connor when he was discovered missing from his room was flawed, with one senior officer admitting he could not understand how a recruit  a member of our family  had been gone for so long without an effective hunt taking place.

I was shocked and beyond hurt when I found out what happened, said Tracy. They call it a brotherhood. Its easy to be a brotherhood when everythings going right. And when everyones strong. A brotherhood is actually just opening your eyes and looking deeper.

Tracy described Connor as kind, generous, thoughtful and selfless. Cherished memories include him teaching Maasai children to play rugby while on a safari and sticking up for a schoolmate when she was bullied.

He decided aged 13 that he wanted to join the marines. You could have knocked me over with a feather, Tracy said. But he was very determined and liked to push himself.

Connor, who was from Norwich, trained hard and during the Covid lockdowns would run barefoot for 10 miles along the coast and break the ice with his mother, a cross-Channel swimmer, on the Norfolk Broads so they could take a dip. We would warm up in the car drinking green tea and honey, she said.

Tracy felt he was ready for the physical challenges of the ROP, which marines undertake before initial training and is set up as a transition from civilian to military life, but it soon became clear he was struggling.

I talked to him probably at least every second day. He said: Im tired, Im exhausted. He was staying up until one, two in the morning to do personal administration. I think because he was exhausted, he was getting more and more and more things wrong.

She did not say he was bullied and did not have a particular problem with the industrial language used by trainers but felt that they needed to be more alert to crises.

They said the doors always open but maybe its the first experience away from home for some of these recruits. They may not go and seek help. It needs to be the other way around. It is a failing on their part to not have that safety net, not to check in on him.

What appears to have been a cry for help came when he self-harmed. Tracy said: That was Connors way of seeking help. He should have been put in a safe place. Surgeon commander Jon Bedford told the inquest he made a poor and wrong decision by not telling the training team what had happened.

Clarks roommates reported him missing at about 5.50am but it was several hours before the emergency services were called.

Tracy believes the search outside the wire should have started sooner and if the emergency services had been called earlier, a go-slow could have been put on the train line. That is really shocking, she said.

She has spent the three years since her sons death fighting for answers. This has to mean something. Change has to be made. I hated the marines at first but I dont now. Im angry at the failings. Its a collective issue. There was a perfect storm of failings.

It keeps coming back to the duty of care. That duty of care wasnt followed in so many ways. I entrusted my 18-year-old son to them. And they let us down.

Tracy said her overriding emotion remained pride. Im so proud of Connor for chasing his dream, as tragically as his dream ended.

 In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
Despite ruling out running for election, support for Michelle Obama has surged - JIM WATSON/AFP

The only prospective candidate who could beat Donald Trump in the presidential election is Michelle Obama, according to a new poll.

The former first lady, 60, would beat Trump, 78, by ten points, a Reuters and Ipsos survey showed, with no other possible candidates beating the former president.

It comes as Barack Obama has privately told allies that Mr Biden, 81, faces tougher odds of being re-elected after last weeks disastrous debate performance, during which the US president made a series of verbal blunders.

Support for Mrs Obama surged despite her previously ruling out running and endorsing Mr Bidens re-election bid.

When voters were asked about hypothetical Democrat candidate matches, 50 per cent said they would vote for Mrs Obama  while just 39 per cent said Trump.

Favourites to take over from Mr Biden if he drops out, such as Kamala Harris or Gavin Newsom, polled significantly lower than Trump.

The poll also showed that one in three Democrats think the president should end his campaign in the wake of the CNN debate  but no prominent elected Democrat polled any better than Mr Biden. Three in five of the overall voters surveyed said Mr Biden should drop out, and just under half said Trump should.

Reports last week suggested Mrs Obamas conspicuous absence from Mr Bidens campaign was in part due to her disappointment over how the family had treated Kathleen Buhle, Hunter Bidens ex wife.

Along with her concerns over the treatment of her close friend, Mrs Obama is said to be grudging in her support for the incumbent due to her dislike of partisan politics.

Mr Biden is battling concerns over his age and mental ability and failing to quell the panic engulfing his party in the fallout of his live showdown with Trump, which he acknowledged as poor on Tuesday.

It is thought that Mrs Obama has been absent from Joe Biden's campaign partly due to her supporting Kathleen Buhle, Hunter Biden's ex-wife - POOL/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA

After several days of reflection with his closest family and confidants at Camp David, the president blamed his performance on jet lag  after taking two overseas trips in June going through 100 time zones.

[I] didnt listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage, he said. Thats no excuse but it is an explanation.

His campaign has further been damaged after a Democrat congressman from Texas became the partys first sitting representative to publicly call for him to quit the presidential race.

Lloyd Doggett urged Mr Biden to take the painful and difficult decision to withdraw on Tuesday, after Nancy Pelosi said it was legitimate to question Mr Bidens mental fitness.
Taral Patel, the former chief of staff for Fort Bend County Judge KP George has announced his candidacy to serve as Fort Bend County Commissioner for Precinct 3. Taral Patel

A Fort Bend County Democratic candidate charged with felony online impersonation is now accused of impersonating the district court judge who would have presided over the criminal case, investigators said in court records.

Taral Patel, 30, was arrested June 12 and charged with online impersonation, a third-degree felony, and misrepresentation of identity, a Class A misdemeanor, after he allegedly used another mans image to create a fake Facebook account under the name Antonio Scalywag and used it to send racist attacks to himself.

Investigators now believe Patel also created a fake Facebook account pretending to be Fort Bend County 240th Criminal District Court Judge Surendran Pattel, according to a new search warrant signed Monday.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The purpose of the search warrant is to gain access to the fake Pattel Facebook account to determine whether additional charges should be filed, the court records state.

Patel, who is the Democratic nominee for the Fort Bend County Precinct 3 commissioners office, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

PRIOR REPORT: Fort Bend candidate accused of faking racist Facebook attacks against himself

Scalywags fake page at first communicated with Pattels real page, with several complimentary comments on Pattels posts and a conversation via direct messages, the warrant says. The conversation was friendly in nature until January 2022, when it appeared that Pattel was upset with something Antonio Scalywag had posted publicly, the warrant states. In November 2023, Scalywag sent several messages to Pattel that went unanswered.

Investigators seized and searched Patels phone after his arrest and on June 24 discovered the fake Pattel Facebook page, which they said was associated with a Taral Patel email address, the warrant states.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

When authorities showed Pattel the Facebook page, Pattel stated that he did not create the profile, and he did not authorize anyone else to create the profile on his behalf, court records show. He also reported that his name and photo were used without his consent.

Pattel was slated to be the presiding judge in Patels criminal case, but records show Patel has since been assigned a new judge.

Patel is the former chief of staff to Fort Bend County Judge KP George.

Andy Meyers, current Pct. 3 commissioner and Patels Republican opponent, said the media maelstrom that came as a result of Patels allegations of racist attacks has damaged the reputation of Fort Bend County, which in turn could cause economic fallout.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

When you search for Fort Bend County, you see horrible stories about racism, and its an untruthful portrayal of Fort Bend County, Meyers said. How do we attract major corporations to come here, pay taxes and create jobs when they read these claims that were so obviously phony?

Under Texas Penal code, it is a third-degree felony to send an electronic mail, instant message, text message, or similar communication that references a name, domain address, phone number or another item of identifying information belonging to any person.

The Class A misdemeanor charge is added if the impersonation is done with intent to harass an individual, according to the code.
More than 100 business leaders wrote to say that change under Labour would not be good for economy - Peter Nicholls/Getty Images

More than 100 business leaders have urged voters to back the Tories on Thursday and warned Labours plans to bolster workers rights will stifle industry.

In a letter, the bosses of 135 small and medium-sized enterprises said that a victory for Sir Keir Starmer will take the economy back to square one.

Their last-minute intervention comes as the nation heads to the ballot box, with polls predicting that Labour is on course to secure a record majority.

In the open plea to voters the business leaders say that small businesses provide millions with a livelihood and give opportunities to young people.

They write: Thriving businesses make for a prosperous Britain. More cost and bureaucracy mean businesses stop hiring, they stop investing and they stop growing.

We are therefore concerned by Labours plan to impose on us new regulations and costly red tape.

This will stifle industry and jeopardise jobs just as the economy is rebounding after Covid and the global energy shock.

In a plea to voters they added: Aspiration, education and enterprise are core Conservative values.

We, representing businesses large and small, urge voters to ensure the UK stays on track. Lets not go back to square one with Labour.

Angela Rayner, Labours deputy leader, has unveiled plans to significantly bolster workers rights with a package of reforms that have drawn criticism.

Her proposed new deal for workers includes a ban on controversial fire and rehire tactics as well as the use of zero hours contracts for workers.

It would also give employees a new right to switch off and include a new law to force firms to protect interns and volunteers from sexual harassment.

Business leaders have expressed fear that the reforms will add extra red tape on companies, which would be particularly problematic for smaller ones.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank warned last week that employers were likely to respond to the new requirements by lowering staff wages.

Michael Lorimer, the chief executive of consumer goods company DCS Group, was one of the signatories to the letter and issued a warning over Labours plans.

He said: Labours proposed employee rights legislation is wholly misguided and will be counterproductive, undermining individuals and businesses alike.

Good businesses dont need government or opposition parties to overregulate, especially when they dont actually consult or actively listen to what is happening on the ground.

Labour has insisted that its workers rights reforms will benefit the economy and has pledged to introduce legislation to enact them within 100 days of entering office.

A party spokesman said: Labours new deal for working people is a core part of our mission to grow Britains economy and raise living standards across the country.
A poster of missing Jay Slater in a restaurant in Santiago del Teide, on the island of Tenerife, Spain. Photograph: Borja Suarez/Reuters

The mother of a teenager who went missing during a holiday in Tenerife has said words cannot describe the pain and agony her family are experiencing.

Debbie Duncan described 19-year-old Jay Slateras a beautiful boy who had his whole life ahead of him.

We just want to find him, she said in a statement, condemning as vile some of the wilder online speculation and conspiracy theories.

Slater, an apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, went missing on Monday 17 June after attending a weekend rave in the islands Playas de las Americas resort with friends.

He was last heard from at about 8.15am when he told a friend, Lucy Law, that he planned to walk back to his holiday accommodation after missing a bus, a journey that would take him 10-11 hours on foot.

Slater also said he was thirsty, had 1% of charge left on his phone and did not know where he was.

For nearly two weeks, emergency services, mountain rescue teams, sniffer dogs, drones and helicopters have taken part in coordinated searches for Slater.

It culminated in what was described as a busqueda masiva  massive search  on Saturday. That was unsuccessful and the following day the Guardia Civil in Tenerife said the search operation for Slater had finished, but the case remained open.

There have been few new developments for the family to grasp on to.

In her statement, through the British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global, Duncan said:Jay is a normal guy who is in his third year of an apprenticeship, and he is a very popular young man with a large circle of friends.

We are a very close family and are absolutely devastated about his disappearance. Words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing. He is our beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him and we just want to find him.

Duncan thanked Spanish authorities who are continuing to follow lines of inquiries.

The search has been accompanied by large media attention. Duncan said: We would like to say to the press/news/reporters, that although we do not want to lose the momentum of Jays disappearance, we really would like to maintain our privacy and crucially let the Spanish police get on with their investigations without hindrance from press.

As well as dealing with the distress of a missing loved one, the family and friends of the teenager say they have had to deal with lots of online noise around the case, including hurtful accusations, rumours and conspiracy theories.

We are aware of the conspiracy theories and speculation on social media and some websites, and can only describe this as vile, Duncan said. The negative comments are extremely distressing to our family.

We also embrace the love and support we have received from across the globe. It has not gone unnoticed, especially his home town in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire.

Slater and his friends had been at three-day NRG Tenerife Weekender festival in Tenerife. In the early hours of Monday morning, Slater left the resort in a car with two British men and headed to an Airbnb property in Masca, a remote hilltop hamlet in the north-west of the island.

The authorities in Tenerife said they had spoken to the two men and they were not in any way relevant to the case.
Neil Gaiman says sex with the women was consensual - Paula Lobo/Getty Images

Neil Gaiman, the best-selling author, has denied allegations of sexual assault against two young women.

In an investigation for the Tortoise podcast co-hosted by Rachel Johnson, sister of Boris Johnson, two women claim that Gaiman engaged them in sadomasochistic acts and told them to call him master.

Gaiman strenuously denies the allegations and said all sex with the women  one who briefly worked as the family nanny and another a fan whom he met at a book signing  was consensual.

The first woman said she was hired by Gaimans then-wife, the musician Amanda Palmer, in 2022 to look after the couples son.

The woman, named Scarlett, claimed that Gaiman sexually assaulted her within hours of their first meeting, stripping naked and joining her in the bath. She was 22 and he was 61.

Gaiman said the incident amounted to only cuddling and making out and that he had established consent for this.

On another occasion, Scarlett alleged that the sex between them was so painful and so violent that she lost consciousness.

The pain was celestial, she said. When she asked him to stop, Scarlett said, he laughed and said I needed to be punished and used his belt on me. Gaiman denies the allegation.

The relationship continued for another month before Gaiman left New Zealand for the UK, the woman said.

During that time, she sent him numerous messages indicating that she consented to the sexual activity.

She also claimed she was required to sign an NDA after she stopped working as the familys nanny.

The second woman, an American known only as K, was an 18-year-old fan of Gaimans writing when she first met him at a book signing in Florida in 2003.

She maintained contact with him and a sexual relationship began when she was 22. He was then in his 40s.

K alleged that during a trip to Cornwall in 2007, she told Gaiman that she did not want to engage in penetrative intercourse because she had a urinary tract infection, but he went ahead and the act left her screaming in agony. Gaiman said the allegation is false.

She maintained friendly contact with Gaiman after their relationship ended in 2008 but told the podcast: As I got older, I realised that 18-year-olds and 20-year-olds, when youre in your 40s, look like kids. She added: As the #MeToo stuff became more nuanced, that was when I was like, wait a minute, something like that happened to me.

K did not report Gaiman to the police.

Scarlett did in October 2022, eight months after her brief relationship with the author ended.

New Zealand police did not move forward with an investigation and did not interview Gaiman, although he told the Tortoise podcast that he had offered to meet with officers.

The Tortoise investigation began after Scarlett got in touch with Ms Johnson via Instagram and told her version of events.

Tortoise said that the investigation looked into the greyest of grey areas when it comes to our sex lives  the area with the scope for genuine misinterpretation, but also the possibility of serious abuse.

The 63-year-old author is globally renowned for works including The Sandman, American Gods and Good Omens, as well as many popular works for children. His books have been adapted for film and television.

He and Palmer announced their split in 2022. Previously they had spoken of having an open marriage.
Postal voting has seen a surge in popularity since it was reformed in 2001 - Paul Hennell/Alamy

Newly elected MPs face having their victories challenged in the courts because of postal ballot chaos, lawyers have warned.

Voters in as many as 120 constituencies have been hit by delays in delivery and printing, with many of the problems blamed on the short election timescale.

Thousands are thought not to have received their ballots in time for Thursdays election, leaving many unable to vote.

With analysis showing that as many as one quarter of marginal constituencies are affected, the runners-up in close seats could mount a legal challenge which might result in a by-election.

Tom Cross, a barrister at law firm 11KBW, said there may be credible challenges to come. He said: There are various grounds on which, procedurally, particular elections, parliamentary elections, can be voided by a court.

We are in territory here from some of the reports where there may well be credible challenges, but it depends on the margin of victory.

As few as four constituents could get a High Court hearing if they argued their vote would have had an impact on the result, according to barrister Caroline Morris, a reader in public law at Queen Mary University of London.

She told The Guardian that the main question is whether the error made a material difference to the outcome of the election, saying: If the loss of postal votes [is] in a particular constituency where the contest is very narrow, then it could make a difference.

Voters who have received ballots but are not able to post them back before the Thursday 10pm deadline can take them by hand to a polling station or council office in their constituency. They must complete a form but do not have to show ID.

For those whose postal votes are yet to be delivered, a replacement can be issued as late as 5pm on polling day.

However, those who have not received a ballot paper and are unable to travel to get one face being disenfranchised.

Campaigners have warned that the crisis could affect elderly voters without the means to travel. Dennis Reed, the director of Silver Voices, urged stranded voters to ask political activists for a lift to the polling station.

Activists will be around, knocking on doors, he said. Get them to take you down with your polling envelope.

He added that people with vulnerable neighbours should knock on their doors to make sure they have been able to vote, saying: The good neighbour approach would obviously be beneficial as well.

Telegraph analysis

Analysis by The Telegraph has found that of the 129 marginal constituencies with a majority of less than 5 per cent being contested in todays election, 34 have experienced issues with postal votes, including delays and ballots not turning up.

For an appeal against a result to succeed, it must be proved  usually by the second-placed candidate  not only that there were problems with the administration of the election, but also that these problems made a difference to the result.

One constituency where a legal challenge could be raised is North West Essex, where Kemi Badenoch, the Business Secretary, is seeking re-election  and where more than 2,600 postal ballots were delayed as a result of human error.

Although Mrs Badenoch won the seat with a 27,594 majority at the last election, her Tory vote is being squeezed by Labour, Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats.

The local council chief executive said last week that he was mortified by the delays and that council workers were hand-delivering ballots in an attempt to get them to voters in time.

Dr Heather Green, an independent researcher on election law, said it would be the first time this issue was raised in an election petition, telling The Herald, the Scottish daily newspaper: In a close result, it might be possible to persuade the court that the missing postal votes would have tipped the result.

Scottish school holidays

Problems have been reported all over the country and have been particularly acute in Scotland, where as many as 25 per cent of voters applied for a postal ballot because the election clashed with the start of school summer holidays.

Niven Rennie, 62, said that his son, an RAF officer based in England, had not yet received his postal vote for the Scottish constituency of Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock  and will not be able to cast his vote.

Mr Rennie, a retired police officer who now works as a business consultant, said: To me, it brings into question the whole democratic process. I feel very angry. I know [my son] is angry.

Mr Rennie said the Prime Minister should be concerned about people being disenfranchised after a spokesman for Rishi Sunak downplayed the issue on Monday.

If you believe in democracy, then you believe in one person, one vote, and if actually youre creating a system whereby some people are being robbed of that right, then you should not be defending that, Mr Rennie said.

The Electoral Commission has confirmed that postal voting problems will form part of its post-election research.

Royal Mail denied that there is any backlog of postal votes in its sorting centres and said it would welcome a review into the timetable for future elections.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: Whilst we are not complacent, we remain confident that postal votes handed to us on time will be delivered prior to polling day.
California governor Gavin Newsom. Photograph: Rich Pedroncelli/AP

The California governor and top Democrats in the state have abandoned a last-minute plan to ask voters whether a landmark criminal justice bill should be reformed.

California Democrats over the weekend had outlined plans to put a measure on the November ballot that would ask voters to approve major reforms to Proposition 47, a 2014 ballot measure that changed some theft and drug possession felonies to misdemeanors.

But on Tuesday, they abruptly changed course and said they would not be able make Wednesdays cutoff to finalize the measures inclusion on the ballot.

Gavin Newsom, the governor, blamed a tight schedule for withdrawing the proposal.

We are unable to meet the ballot deadline to secure necessary amendments to ensure this measures success, and we will be withdrawing it from consideration, Newsom said in a statement.

Related: Will it stay or will it go? California voters decide fate of momentous criminal justice law

The Democrats proposal was a last-minute response to a competing ballot measure, called the homelessness, drug addiction and theft reduction act, that was proposed in September and officially made it to the ballot on 28 June. The coalitions proposal would technically not repeal Prop 47, but would undo key components of it by increasing penalties for a third theft offense and create a new class of offense, called treatment-mandated felony, to charge those in possession of hard drugs like cocaine, meth and fentanyl.

The proposal has the backing of district attorneys, business leaders and law enforcement, who have argued that Prop 47 has left officers and prosecutors hamstrung and unable to deal with lower-level theft and drug offenses.

Other proponents, which include the San Francisco mayor London Breed and many district attorneys, say it would help fight retail theft, as well as a growing homelessness and addiction crisis.

Detractors of the measure say it would do little to address the complex problems the state is facing, and instead drive up the number of incarcerated people costing the state millions of dollars that through Prop 47 were saved and passed along to local re-entry, mental health and drug treatment programs.

Its one of those monumental pieces of legislation, and it got us over the hill for something weve been fighting for for so long, Kent Mendoza, associate director of advocacy and community organizing the anti-recidivism coalition, said of Prop 47. It gives counties an opportunity to be bold and approach these things differently. This is what allows us to maybe save 10 people who wouldnt have this support.

Newsom and many Democrats have fiercely opposed the coalitions proposal, arguing that undoing Proposition 47 was a misguided and ineffective approach to tackling retail theft, and instead proposed a set of legislative reforms.

I dont think theres a need to have it on the ballot. Why have something on the ballot that doesnt actually achieve the goals that are intended? Newsom said in June. Why do something that cant be done legislatively with more flexibility? I think its a better approach to governing.

The governor and the lawmakers tried to negotiate with the coalition to drop the initiative. But as those negotiations failed, they announced their own ballot initiative over the weekend.

Their measure, which they intended to call Prop 2, proposed to punish repeat thieves more harshly if their convictions occurred within a spate of three years.

Greg Totten, the co-chair of Californians for safer communities, the primary group backing the ballot measure that would gut Prop 47, said that he was pleased to see Newsom back away from his counter legislation and hoped that both sides could find a path forward.

We are pleased The Governor and Legislature have dropped their countermeasure and welcome them to join our campaign to responsibly amend Prop 47 to deal with retail theft, the fentanyl crisis and homelessness, Totten said in a statement.

And as November nears and the fate of Prop 47 rests in the hands of voters, Mendoza with ARC said that his group will likely begin education campaigns for voters to shift perceptions about what causes people to commit crimes and the best ways to keep them out of the cycle.

Its probably gonna be a communications strategy: sharing success stories, Mendoza said. Uplifting the success of people who have been in prison to show that people can do good. We might do town halls in communities that need more education, in communities who may not see these things the way we tend to say we see it.
When the pits shut there was nothing left, just bands and banners  Durham Miners Gala. Photograph: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

Aged 16, Elliot Dixon held the pride of Murton village on his shoulders. They said, Elliot, carry this and harnessed the banner on to me. I was walking behind the bass drum and brass band with everything bouncing, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up, and all I could think was, bloody hell, this is amazing.

For Dixon, now 32, that first time carrying the banner at Durham Miners Gala is something hell never forget. The annual event  also fondly known as the Big Meeting  is held on the second Saturday in July and lays claim to being the largest celebration of working-class culture in the world, attended by 200,000 people from across the UK and beyond.

This years event is particularly significant as 2024 marks the 40t anniversary of the miners strike. Margaret Thatchers victory paved the way for the closure of most of Britains collieries, leaving a legacy of economic and social hardship among working-class communities, including those ex-pit villages like Murton that make up the Durham coalfield.

Those ex-mining villages that feed the vibrant political and artistic culture of the gala are struggling. Our village wouldnt exist if it wasnt for the pit, says Chris Nutton, 29, also from Murton. Parks, shops, businesses  back then it was thriving. Now all thats just dwindled off.

Film director Ken Loach, a longtime supporter of the event, says: What is said at the gala this year is critical. This is where the organised working-class meets and shows the strength of organised labour. We need to be clear on what the political situation is.

The Labour party are as close to the Tories as its possible to get and we need to recognise that publicly. Only then can we end the cruelty of poverty and bring back hope to the working class. Though the mines have gone, that strength is still drawn from across the world at the gala.

In the years after the strike, there were concerns about the future of the Big Meeting. When the last pit closed in 93, the question was whether or not the gala would continue, says former miner David Temple, 80, who has written a history of the gala.

But support remained steadfast, seen most clearly in the success of the Friends of Durham Miners Gala initiative. These supporters are known as marras, a Pitmatic dialect word still in use today that means friend or comrade. The gala is almost entirely funded by Friends of Durham Miners Gala, with about half of the funding  70,000  coming from donations from individuals.

When Covid and the economic downturn took place we thought people wouldnt be able to afford their marra subscriptions, Temple says. Its 24 a year or 2 a month, and if you cant put food on the table, thats a lot of money. But it hasnt declined, which speaks to that northern generosity of spirit.

Human beings need community and the Big Meeting is the heart and the spirit of the Durham coalfield. Its bigger than Christmas  a massive family gathering and a day when you meet people who think the same way you do. There are all generations there, from bairns on their parents shoulders to elderly people.

The gala doesnt just have a wide generational reach, it also has a strong community of international supporters. There are marras in Thailand, the US and Australia, and this year will see a new milestone as South Brisbane Federal Band becomes the first Australian brass band to play there, via a big-screen video performance.

This is a multifaceted event  brass bands, a banner parade, speeches, fairground rides and a religious service all make up this day of celebration and solidarity. Loach proudly shows his marras card when we talk about the speech he gave on the stage at Durham racecourse in 2017. It was a hugely special moment because Im a film director, he says. Im not a politician or a union leader. The sense of welcoming is joyous and it was quite emotional.

While the speeches are a big draw, the parade of banners through Durham city is equally popular. Each one is accompanied by a brass band that stops outside the Royal County Hotel on Elvet Bridge to perform for the dignitaries watching from the balcony.

The march is pure joy, Loach says. Banner after banner following the bands, stacked on top of one another as they come down on to Elvet Bridge.

In the afternoon, a service is held Durham Cathedral, where new banners or banners from villages commemorating a special event are blessed each year, accompanied by a brass band.

The experience is as reverential for the musicians performing as it is for those attending. That sound when the bands slow-march in sends shivers down your spine, says Durham Miners Association Band secretary and tenor horn player, Heather Ward. The march back out is just as amazing, the congregation and cathedral officials are all clapping and cheering.

While the music of the gala varies from Get Lucky by Daft Punk and the Village Peoples YMCA to more traditional marches and songs, theres one tune that defines the day. Gresford (The Miners Hymn) by Robert Saint, a composer from Hebburn, was written as a memorial to the Gresford colliery disaster in Wales in 1934. The song has since become the anthem of miners and working-class communities in Durham and beyond.

Its a musical way of saying were all marras together, Ward says. Its a mark of respect and brings the community together. When we played it at one concert in a mining village, everybody in the audience stood up.

The gala is still going strong because of peoples emotional connection to these communities. Everything was built up around the pits. When they shut and there was nothing put in their place, people rallied around what was left  the history, the memories, the bands and the banners.

The banners cost upwards of 10,000 and feature roundels that depict symbols, ideals, people and places that are unique to each villages history. My mate in Cambridge thinks its mad how we all go out and parade our banners every year, says Nutton who, along with Dixon, is one of the members of the Murton Colliery Banner Group. I tell him its about pride in being where youre from, the sense of community we have, the traditions we uphold; carrying a banner thats been paraded for over 100 years by men who fought for everything they had.

Nowhere is the gala motto of the past we inherit, the future we build more applicable than in Murton. After that first experience, Dixon kept carrying the banner. Then, he says, our Yoda got in touch. He said we needed to set up a banner group and we, the younger generation, needed to front it.

Yoda is ex-miner and Murton Heritage Society founder Geordie Maitland, 80. Keen to preserve one of the only tangible things left of mining, the collieries and that life and culture, Maitland encouraged and mentored Nutton and Dixon.

Without a doubt young people should be involved, Maitland says. Its our past but we can pass that on. Anybody under 35 wont remember the pits, but we need to make sure they still learn those traditions from parents, relatives and the community. Its about everybody getting together and celebrating our existence.

This is just one reason its thriving. Why has the gala endured? Because the objective reality of the class struggle is still alive, say Loach. Theres that famous saying, the ruling class can survive any crisis as long as the working class pays the price. And my God, people have paid the price.

The past we inherit, the future we build; weve got to make a reality of that. That past includes the 84 strike and we cant build the future unless we acknowledge the ugly reality of what happened. Its absolutely essential that all this gets passed down because if it doesnt then youre not building the future, and youre not being fair to the heritage you inherit, because youre not trying to understand it.

While the focus of the gala is on political understanding and social change, the event is also about connection, community and having a good time with marras old and new. Theres an old saying if you can remember coming back from the Big Meeting, you havent really been, Maitland says with a grin. Read into that what you will.
Smoke from the underground Grosvenor coalmine fire. Photograph: Mine Rescue Challenge/Facebook

Conservation groups say a fire that has been burning since Saturday at an underground coalmine is Queensland is an environmental disaster that highlights the risks of methane gas to workers, community health and the climate.

The fire at Anglo Americans Grosvenor coalmine in Moranbah broke out after methane ignited on the longwall coalface. It was still burning on Tuesday.

The mine was evacuated on Saturday and the company has said no workers were harmed.

The Australian Conservation Foundations methane campaigner, Piper Rollins, said the incident was nothing short of an environmental disaster that highlighted the potent risks of methane. She said smoke caused by the fire could result in a toxic cocktail of pollutants moving to nearby communities.

Rollins said methane was a toxic climate-heating gas 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and that it was turbocharging heatwaves, bushfires and coral bleaching events. She said the government should explain how the incident would be factored into Australias emissions accounting.

Methane leaks from coalmines. When it burns the emissions released are CO2.

The International Energy Agency has estimated that methane emissions from Australian coal and gas mines could be 64% higher than federal government estimates suggest.

Theres been a massive release of climate heating methane and other gases as a result of this fire. Whos going to be held responsible for that and how is it going to be accounted for? she said.

Our NGER (national greenhouse and energy reporting) system relies on factor-based emissions reporting and we dont yet have a system for reconciling blowouts.

Related: Coalition allowed emissions from Queensland coalmine to more than double without penalty

This fire will have emissions impacts for both Queensland and Australia  there should be a serious question about how is that pollution going to be accounted for in our state and national inventories.

A spokesperson for the minister for climate change, Chris Bowen, said the government understands the primary focus of the mine operator and state regulators is ensuring the safety of the mine.

Our department and [the] Clean Energy Regulator are aware of the incident and are responsible for ensuring that relevant requirements under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme and measurement requirements for the National Inventory under the Paris Agreement are met.

In its most recent statement on Tuesday, Anglo American said the amount of smoke at the site had reduced after work to temporarily seal the mine from the surface.

It said a mobile extinguisher unit that pumped nitrogen into the mine to try to starve the fire of oxygen was fully operational.

Related: Methane emissions: Australian cattle industry suggests shift from net zero target to climate neutral approach

All monitors are reporting readings within acceptable limits, indicating no impact on community health from smoke or airborne contaminants. However, anyone concerned should seek medical advice, the statement said.

The Queensland Conservation Council said it was welcome news that no workers had been injured.

But this fire clearly shows coal companies cant continue to downplay their methane emissions, energy strategist, Clare Silcock said.

Federally, (climate change and energy) minister Chris Bowen is currently considering changes to the way that companies report methane and we hope this incident causes him to bring in strict regulations.
Republican committee was concerned enough to launch a TV advert attacking Kamala Harris

Republicans have launched a campaign attacking Kamala Harris after she emerged as a favourite to replace Joe Biden in the presidential race.

As the Democrats scramble to decide who could replace Mr Biden as their nominee following his disastrous debate against Donald Trump, the US vice president has been boosted by a new CNN poll, which shows she would be more likely to win key demographics, including ethnic minority voters and independents.

Ms Harris has received the backing of influential congressman, Jim Clydburn who said he would support her run for president if Mr Biden quit the race.

Im going to be for Biden if Harris aint there, and Im going to be for Harris if Biden aint there, he told USA Today.

Other Democrats have been even more outspoken, with Tim Ryan, the former Ohio congressman, calling on Mr Biden to stand aside and make room for Ms Harris.

We have to rip the band aid off! Too much is at stake, he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding that Ms Harris has significantly grown into her job.

He added: She will destroy Trump in debate, highlight choice issues, energise our base, bring back young voters and give us generational change. Its time!

Republicans have come out on the attack, launching Stop Kamala adverts in response.

These include one ad showing a string of Mr Bidens gaffes and then reminding voters that Mrs Harris is right behind waiting to take over.

Another ad relentlessly mocks Mrs Harriss less than catchy slogan: What will be, unburdened by what has been.

House Republicans are sharpening our knives if extreme House Democrats dump Joe Biden  or we will remind voters Kamala Harris is next in line if they dont, said the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

One advert pokes fun at Ms Harris and says she is not competent concluding: This November: Vote Republican. Stop Kamala.

Polls suggest Ms Harris would do just as well against Mr Trump as any of the other potential contenders and choosing the vice president as the nominee would spare having to explain to grassroots supporters  a significant number of whom are African American  why they had overlooked the chance to elect the nations first female black president.

Allowing Ms Harris to take on Trump would also likely give her access to the $240 million (188.5 million) in funds raised by the Biden campaign because she is on the ticket with him.

Ms Harris has also pushed past Mr Biden as a more likely US president, second only to Mr Trump, according to the betting markets at BoyleSports.

Ms Harris herself has not said anything in public, except to express loyalty to her boss who she had lunch with on Wednesday.

Look, Joe Biden is our nominee, she said in an interview with CBS News. We beat Trump once, and were going to beat him again, period.

Ms Harris conceded Mr Biden had a slow start in the debate but insisted it was a strong finish.

The Biden campaign has maintained that replacing the president as the candidate would result in chaos.

Support for Ms Harris among Democrats has not been unanimous however, with Dmitri Mehlhorn, an adviser to a major democrat donor, pointing out Ms Harriss unpopularity in key swing states.

On a call with donors, he is reported to have said: Kamala Harris is more threatening to those swing voters than a dead Joe Biden or a comatose Joe Biden, he said. So if Joe has to go, its gonna be Kamala and if its Kamala, its gonna be harder.

Ms Harris herself has played down any suggestion she has an interest in replacing Mr Biden from the top of the ticket.

Joe Biden is our nominee, she said this week. We beat Trump once, and were gonna beat him, period.
Does Sunak live up to your expectations as PM? Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA

We would like to hear from South Asians living across the UK about their thoughts on Rishi Sunaks time as Prime Minister. Sunak made history as the UKs first Indian-heritage and person of colour to become Prime Minister in 2022. Election polls predict a landslide victory for the Labour party on July 5, prompting the end of 14 years of Conservative rule and Sunaks premiership.

We would be keen to hear from South Asians living in the UK about their thoughts on Sunaks time as Prime Minister, how they would describe his premiership and whether he lived up to their expectations.

Callout
Diane Abbott, who has been an MP for 37 years, has criticised the activities of the undercover officers as being racist and unjustified. Photograph: Alberto Pezzali/AP

Undercover police officers compiled numerous secret reports on Diane Abbott while she was campaigning against racism, a public inquiry has heard.

Abbott, who has been an MP for 37 years, has criticised the activities of the undercover officers as being racist and unjustified.

The inquiry was also told that the undercover officers spied on another prominent black politician, Bernie Grant, after he had been elected to parliament, claiming that he was making inflammatory and cynical speeches that featured conspiracy theories.

Many of the reports referred to Grants presence at events at which his constituents were campaigning about injustices caused by the police such as deaths, the inquiry was told.

The inquiry, which is being led by the retired judge Sir John Mitting, is examining the conduct of about 139 undercover officers who spied on more than 1,000 political groups since 1968.

Related: Met apologises for spying on police justice campaigners in 1980s and 1990s

One of the issues in front of the inquiry is the extent to which the undercover officers monitored elected politicians. A round of hearings this month is concentrating on the activities of the police spies between 1983 and 1992.

On Wednesday, Owen Greenhall, a barrister representing Abbott, said documents disclosed to the inquiry revealed that undercover officers reported on numerous events at which she spoke during this period. In 1987 Abbott had become the first black woman ever to be elected to parliament. The former shadow home secretary is standing for Labour in Hackney North and Stoke Newington in London on Thursday.

Greenhall said that Abbott featured in reports as a speaker at events held by anti-racism campaigns. Many of the intelligence reports into groups campaigning for racial justice relate to entirely open, transparent political and campaigning events.

He said that the undercover officers infiltration of campaigns around the deaths of black and Asian people, or the activities of black MPs, uncomfortably mirror the very complaints that campaigners were making about the disproportionate policing of black people and the lack of respect for the rights of black and Asian communities. These were groups or activists campaigning about the very issue of police racism and police accountability.

One undercover officer was sent to Stoke Newington and Hackney in 1983 and told to familiarise himself  with whatever subversive undercurrent he could detect.

Greenhall said: This explicitly undirected deployment is symptomatic of a racist assumption that areas of London where black-led campaigns for racial justice were growing should be viewed with suspicion.

The inquiry also heard that the police maintained a secret file on Grant, another pioneering MP who was elected to parliament in 1987.

Drawing on documents released by the inquiry, Sharon Grant, his widow, said that 28 reports compiled by the undercover officers directly mention Grant, who was the MP for Tottenham, north London. Nine of them had been filed by an undercover officer, Kevin Douglas, who spied on groups in Haringey, north London between 1987 and 1991.

Grant said the reports went beyond reporting his mere presence at events, but purport to analyse the content of his speeches and his sincerity. She said one report described him as embarking on a tour of conspiracy theories and called him cynical. Many reports were passed to the Security Service, MI5, she added.

Peter Francis, a former undercover officer who became a whistleblower, has previously revealed that he read secret police files on 10 MPs, after they had been elected to the House of Commons, during the 1990s. They included Harriet Harman, Jack Straw and Peter Hain.

On Monday, the Met apologised for using undercover officers to spy on anti-racism campaigns that were seeking to hold police to account for injustices during the 1980s and 1990s.
Judge Frank Aguilar is shown in the Harris County 228th District Criminal Court during a hearing in the case of former Houston Police officer Gerald Goines Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer

A misdemeanor assault case that led to the suspension of a Harris County felony judge was dismissed Wednesday, with Galveston County prosecutors partially attributing the end of their case to a lack of cooperation.

Prosecutors contend probable cause exists against 228th District Court Judge Frank Aguilar, who was accused of assaulting his girlfriend at his Galveston property, but there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, according to their motion to dismiss. A judge signed off on the dismissal.

Aguilars defense attorney, Mark Diaz, declined to comment on the dismissal. Aguilar could not be reached for comment.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The State Commission on Judicial Conduct suspended Aguilar from the bench with pay in February, about two weeks after a misdemeanor assault charge was filed against him. The commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the status of his suspension or whether it could be lifted.

Aguilar was arrested Dec. 31, 2023, after his girlfriend told police that Aguilar punched her and held his foot to her neck in the 9600 block of Teichman Road. The judge countered to authorities that she was intoxicated and throwing beer cans at him. The girlfriend was charged last year in connection with an assault at Aguilars property, according to court records.

An affidavit from Aguilars girlfriend filed in January urged prosecutors to dismiss the charge, saying that she fell down the stairs and that Aguilar never hit her.

In a statement, District Attorney Jack Roady characterized the girlfriend as uncooperative as the prosecution proceeded.

The victim stopped cooperating with law enforcement and, in fact, recanted her initial statements to police, said Roady, adding that she denied having been assaulted. However, in light of the victims steadfast complete recantation and her refusal to cooperate with law enforcement, and in the absence of other sufficient physical or circumstantial evidence, we were unable to proceed to trial on this case.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Aguilar was acquitted of another domestic violence charge in Harris County in 2010.
Biden listens during a visit to the DC Emergency Operations Center on 2 July 2024. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP

Joe Biden will meet with Democratic governors on Wednesday as the president faces increasingly concerning polls and growing calls to withdraw his candidacy, including from a congressional Democrat.

Biden will talk with governors and Capitol Hill leaders this week, officials said on Tuesday, to reassure them of his competence and address escalating discontent among party leaders after last weeks calamitous debate performance against Donald Trump.

At a Virginia campaign event on Tuesday evening, Biden blamed his weak debate on his international trips leading up to the event, saying: I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones ... before ... the debate. Didnt listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage. Thats no excuse but it is an explanation.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday found that one in three Democrats said Biden should end his re-election campaign after the debate in Atlanta where he gave a low-energy, garbled performance.

As of Tuesday evening, a House Democratic aide said, there are 25 Democratic members of the House of Representatives preparing to call for Biden to step aside. Bidens campaign however has continued to play down concerns, noting that the president had raised $38m since last week.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Lloyd Doggett, a congressman from Texas, became the first Democrat in the House of Representatives to publicly urge the president to step aside.

Related: House Democrat pledges amendment to reverse Trump immunity ruling

Doggett brought his own misgivings into the open, saying he had hoped the debate would give some momentum to the presidents stagnant poll ratings in key battleground states.

It did not, he said. Instead of reassuring voters, the president failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trumps many lies.

He urged Biden to follow the path of a previous Democratic president, Lyndon Johnson, and announce that he would not accept the partys nomination as candidate  a potential move commentators have dubbed as an LBJ moment (after Johnsons full initials).

I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw, Doggett said. President Biden should do the same.

Johnson withdrew from the 1968 election race amid a popular groundswell of opposition to the war in Vietnam and primary challengers in his own party, including from Robert F Kennedy, whose son is running as an independent candidate in the 2024 election and polling at levels that could further hurt Biden in a close race.

Doggett  at 77, just four years younger than the 81-year-old president  praised Bidens legislative achievements in office but said the time had come to hand over to a younger generation, pointing out that he had pledged during the 2020 election campaign to be a transitional figure.

While much of his work has been transformational, he pledged to be transitional, he said. He has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders from whom a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process.

My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly nor does it in any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved.

Recognising that, unlike Trump, President Bidens first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so.

It remains to be seen whether Doggetts public stance will encourage other worried Democrats to put their heads above the parapet amid a steady drip of anecdotal and polling evidence that last Thursdays CNN debate has had a corrosive effect on the presidents standing.

A new poll in New Hampshire  a state Biden won by 10 points in 2020  showed him now two points behind Trump since the debate.

While Bidens campaign have tried to frame the debate as a one-off and pledged a fierce fightback, there have been mutterings of discontent within Democratic ranks, including from some state governors who have reportedly complained that the president had not personally reached out to them.

Some ostensibly supportive figures, including the former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Jim Clyburn, a representative from South Carolina, have issued statements that hinted at ambivalence.

I think its a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition? When people ask that question, its completely legitimate  of both candidates, Pelosi told MSNBC, adding that she had heard mixed views on whether Biden was fit for the presidential campaign.

In another sign of simmering discontent, Peter Welch, a Democratic senator for Vermont, criticised the Biden campaign for dismissing concerns over the presidents age as bedwetters.

But thats the discussion we have to have, he told Semafor. It has to be from the top levels of the Biden campaign to precinct captains in the South Side of Chicago.  The campaign has raised the concerns themselves  So then to be dismissive of others who raise those concerns, I think its inappropriate.
Masayoshi Son, Japan's investment company Softbank Group president (Nippon News, Aflo Co. Ltd.)

SoftBank (9984.T)

SoftBank shares rose 1.5% overnight to a record all-time high as it ramps up investments in artificial intelligence and semiconductors.

The Japanese tech firm is gaining investor attention as its telecom arm moves aggressively towards generative AI, tying up with Microsoft and start-up Perplexity AI Inc. It is also building data centres stocked with Nvidia accelerators.

Its chip unit Arm Holdings is also trying to position its architecture as a means to conserve energy in devices running AI.

Tomoaki Kawasaki, a senior analyst at Iwaicosmo Securities, said: Its getting another boost as more investors see it as a semiconductor-related stock."

Last month, SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son told shareholders that investments the technology group had made in the past were just a warm-up for his grand ambition to create an era of artificial intelligence.

Reddit (RDDT)

Reddit found favour with investors last night, with the San Francisco-based company surging 10%.

It comes as usage for Reddit search has boomed. According to data from Similarweb, the social media platform saw a 39% increase in website visits, year-over-year, while Google (GOOG, GOOGL) reported a drop of 2.2%.

Meanwhile in May, the firm revealed it had struck a partnership deal with artificial intelligence start-up OpenAI.

Under the agreement, the company behind the ChatGPT chatbot will get access to Reddit content, while it will also bring AI-powered features to the social media platform.

Shares were slightly lower in pre-market trading on Wednesday.

Vodafone (VOD.L)

Vodafone struck a fresh network sharing agreement with Virgin Media O2 on Wednesday, boosting hopes of winning approval for its merger deal with Three.

The operators have agreed to extend a partnership that was due to expire in 2025, while Virgin Media O2 will acquire more spectrum to better align spectrum holding between different operators in anticipation of the takeover being waived through.

The acquisition is conditional upon the merger being completed.

Read more: FTSE 100 LIVE: European stocks rise on US rate cut hopes ahead of UK general election

Vodafones planned merger with Three is currently under investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The UK competition regulator will reach a decision expected before the end of the year.

Lutz Schuler, chief executive of Virgin Media O2 said: This new agreement with Vodafone ensures that quality mobile network choice, performance, coverage and competition is enhanced to the benefit of millions of consumers, businesses and our mobile operator partners across the country.

We are extending and bolstering elements of our existing network-sharing arrangement, while also ensuring there is a robust, balanced and functional structure in place for the long-term should Vodafone and Threes proposed merger gain consent.

We believe that this new agreement addresses the issues we have voiced and the CMA outlined in its initial decision, and will now continue our engagement with the regulator in this spirit.

GSK (GSK.L)

GSK has bought the full rights to develop, make and sell COVID and influenza vaccines from Germany's CureVac

The UKs second-biggest drugmaker is paying 400m (339, $430) upfront and up to an additional 1.05bn to the biotech firm, which was founded in Tubingen in southwest Germany in 2000.

The two companies have restructured their existing collaboration into a new licensing agreement.

Since 2020, GSK and CureVac have worked together to develop mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases. GSK will now take control of CureVac's leading experimental vaccines to fight infections, including seasonal flu and bird flu.

They currently have vaccine candidates for seasonal influenza and Covid-19 in intermediate clinical trials (phase II) and avian influenza in phase I clinical development. The jabs are based on CureVacs mRNA technology.

GSK shares were steady on the back of the news, while CureVac shares surged, trading 24% higher to reach a three-week high.

Tony Wood, GSKs chief scientific officer, said: "We are excited about our flu/Covid-19 programmes and the opportunity to develop best-in-class mRNA vaccines to change the standard of care. With this new agreement, we will apply GSKs capabilities, partnerships and intellectual property to CureVacs technology, to deliver these promising vaccines at pace."

Watch: What are SPACs?

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.
The next Leader of the Opposition? It is a real risk if enough Tory voters stay home - GETTY IMAGES

I hope you enjoy horror films, dear readers, for British politics is about to be turned into an infernal, soul-destroying hellscape worthy of the sickest of Hollywood minds.

The next few years wont merely be a little bit worse, as many delusional voters of a centre-Right persuasion have sought to convince themselves. The imminent Labour ascendancy will be truly calamitous. Every conservative nightmare will come true, and more besides. The Left-wing stormtroopers who are about to seize the keys to No 10 will enjoy almost unimaginable power, and will be far more competent at wielding it to annihilate their enemies than the Tories ever were.

Consider the following, all too possible apocalyptic scenario. On Friday morning, we could wake up to not just the greatest Labour landslide in history, but also to the Liberal Democrats as the official opposition. It would represent the Conservative Partys greatest humiliation since its foundation in 1834. Sir Keir Starmer as Labour prime minister would face the clownish Ed Davey of Post Office scandal fame as leader of the opposition at Prime Ministers Questions. The Tory leader, whoever he or she may end up being, would be left with two questions at the end of the session, by which time most viewers would have lost interest. The shadow chancellor would be a Lib Dem.

With Labour massively ahead in every poll, the real race is for second place in terms of seats in the House of Commons, and it could be nail-bitingly close, thanks to the Conservative Partys epic implosion. Survation, the pollster, believes that there is only a 53 per cent chance the Tories will end up with more seats than the Lib Dems, a vanishingly small margin of error. YouGov predicts that the Tories will be just 30 seats ahead of Daveys rabble.

Even if the Tories do edge it by a few seats  say 10 or 15  their status as the official opposition, and the funding and privileges that come with it, would remain extremely precarious. The likely scale of the defeat will be crushing for remaining Tory MPs. Former top ministers will become obscure non-entities overnight. They will lose their ministerial cars and special advisers, and many will become the butt of jokes. Nobody will care what they say or do. Few will even return their calls.

The blame game will be savage. The Tory party will tear itself apart, perhaps even finally realising that it can no longer be the home of both Left-wing, high-tax, woke Remainers and Right-wing, low-tax, anti-woke Brexiteers. Some Tory MPs may join the Lib Dems, and others defect to Reform UK, further diminishing the partys parliamentary numbers and potentially jeopardising its status as the official opposition.

Or take another scenario: what if a bunch of disillusioned Labour MPs eventually decide to quit their gargantuan group and join the Lib Dems instead? The Lib Dems could suddenly overtake the reduced Tory rump. The Conservative parliamentary group will need to be much larger than the Lib Dem one if they are to be confident that they can stay the official opposition for the remainder of the next Parliament.

If the Lib Dems were to overtake the Tories in terms of seats on Friday, the implication would be that the combined centre-Right parties  Tory, Reform and Northern Irish unionists  would account for just 10 per cent of the total in the House of Commons, with 90 per cent of MPs explicitly Left-wing, an unprecedented imbalance.

Britains system of parliamentary checks and balances would thus lie in tatters, and we would effectively become a one-party state, or at least a state where almost every politician thinks in exactly the same way. Lib Dems, after all, tend to be Left-wingers who find it easier, for industrial or cultural reasons in places such as Surrey, to be elected under a yellow rather than a red rosette.

The Tories would be hammered when it came to the allocation of select committee positions. The Public Accounts Committee would automatically be chaired by the Lib Dems. What would pass for parliamentary scrutiny would amount to airing Left-wing grievances on repeat: Starmer would be attacked for not spending enough, for not rejoining the EU, for not punishing Israel for fighting evil terrorists, for not hiking taxes.

Centre-Right and free-market voices and positions would be almost entirely absent. What is left of the Tory Right and Nigel Farage and his small number of Reform MPs would do their best, but they would be shouting from the outside in. As far as the Civil Service would be concerned, the Overton window will have slammed shut, and the views of millions safely ignored.

Ditto the BBC. If you think the broadcasters are too Left-wing today, be aware that it could be far worse were the Lib Dems to become the Opposition. Question Time would end up pitting a Labour MP against a Lib Dem, with Tories regularly excluded. Airtime balance on TV and the radio would consist in various shades of Left-wing opinion, with an occasional Tory or Reform panellist screamed down by everybody else.

There is little doubt that a Tory party relegated to third place in Parliament would embolden Labour in the most dangerous possible way. There is already talk of Starmer appointing Harriet Harman to the crucial role of chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, replacing Lady Falkner, one of the heroes of the anti-woke fightback. A ruthless purge is clearly on the cards, with the already tiny number of non-Leftists in the public sector set for the chop.

Labour, cheered on by the supposed Lib Dem opposition, would be emboldened to move faster and further in a socialist and woke direction. It would seek to leverage the Equality Act to conscript every company in the fight against social inequality via positive discrimination. It would double down on net zero and the war on cars. It would start copying EU rules, just for the sake of it. It would find it much easier to jack up taxes in its first Budget, including on wealth, inheritance and property. It would turn a blind eye to illegal immigration, and would gradually further increase legal immigration, egged on by radical open-border activists within the Lefts parliamentary ranks.

The best that can be hoped for now is that the Tories become the official opposition. Can that really be too much to ask?
The F-22 Raptor in flight. First of the fifth-generation supersonic stealth superfighters, the Raptor is still regarded as probably the most capable fighter in the world - Toby Melville/Reuters

The US Air Force has been in an unseemly hurry to rid itself of its Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor stealth fighters. Its argument: the 32 least-upgraded Block 20 versions of the supersonic, fifth-generation stealth fighter arent suitable for combat  and together cost nearly half a billion dollars a year to maintain.

The F-22 is the most capable, most advanced fighter jet in US service. Its probably the greatest fighter plane built so far. But keeping the older F-22s in service is prohibitively expensive while the Air Force is struggling to pay for an array of new capabilities, including new fighters, bombers, radar planes, drones, satellites and nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles. At least, thats the Air Forces argument.

But the planned divestment of the nearly 30-year-old Block 20 F-22s would kneecap the Raptor force, according to a new report from the US Government Accountability Office. For now, the US Congress agrees. It has barred the Air Force from eliminating any F-22s for at least a few years.

Thats because the Block 20s are training jets. Without them, the Air Force would have to assign some of its upgraded Block 30/35 F-22s  which have improved sensors and weapons  to training tasks. The end result would be a deep cut in the number of F-22s available for combat.

The Air Force did not document how it will conduct F-22 training or testing  the current Block 20 functions  without Block 20 aircraft, the GAO noted. It also did not document the challenges that combat units may face if mission-ready Block 30/35 aircraft are used for training or testing instead of Block 20s.

Today there are 150 combat-capable Block 30/35s. If and when the Air Force parks the Block 20s, there would be just 129 combat-capable Block 30/35s. The rest of the active F-22s would be assigned to training or testing.

On the tarmac with the six front-line squadrons that fly F-22s  five in the active Air Force, one in the Air National Guard  the situation would be even more dire. With its sophisticated sensors and delicate radar-absorbing coating, the F-22 is a finicky and maintenance-hungry machine. According to the GAO, a squadron needs 24 jets to ensure 12 jets are available to fly on any given day.

So in practice, there arent 150 combat-ready F-22s. There are 75. Retiring the Block 20s would reduce that number to 64 or 65  a frighteningly small number given the huge responsibility the Raptor squadrons shoulder. The Air Force, and indeed the entire US military and the militaries of Americas closest allies, count on that tiny force of F-22s to lead the fight for control of the air in a major war with, say, China.

Given the stakes, the Air Force should be extremely careful about grounding a single F-22  to say nothing of grounding more than 30 of them. Especially considering that the F-22s notional replacement, the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter, is on the budgetary chopping block starting in 2026.

If the Air Force and the US Congress dont find a way to pay for the NGAD program and Congress lets the Air Force retire 32 older F-22s, the Air Force could soon find itself in a dangerous position: with a need to wrest control of the air from a growing and modernizing Chinese air force with a shrinking and aging fleet of F-22s  and with no help on the horizon for potentially decades to come.

Incredibly, those 32 older Block 20s arent the only fighters the Air Force wants to retire early. The service also wants to cut half of its Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle fighter-bombers while simultaneously reducing the number of new F-15EXs it buys.

The cuts might be less worrying if the Air Forces other in-production fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, werent such a disaster. The Air Force is decades behind and hundreds of billions of dollars over-budget compared to its original plan to acquire more than 1,700 F-35s  and hasnt taken delivery of a new F-35 in a year as it waits for testers to work out kinks in the fighters latest software build.

The Air Force is in a fighter crisis. But its not going to solve that crisis by grounding training jets  and shrinking an air-superiority force thats probably already far too small.
Stanley Johnson has been a passionate supporter of the European Union - Isabel Infantes/AFP via Getty Images

Stanley Johnson has said he will be making a tactical vote for the Liberal Democrats in Thursdays general election.

The former Conservative MEP  who is still a party member  told The Telegraph he wanted to boost the Lib Dems in his constituency because they were the only party talking about the environment and rebuilding bridges with the European Union.

Mr Johnson said his son Boris, the former prime minister, would probably accuse him of apostasy but claimed: Even dedicated Conservatives have a right to indulge in a spot of tactical voting where basic political priorities are at stake.

Speaking on Wednesday evening, Mr Johnson told The Telegraph he had absolutely not been kicked out of the party.

Addressing concerns over contributing to a Labour super-majority by choosing to vote Lib Dem, Mr Johnson said he was actually doing [the Conservatives] a positive.

As a happenstance, its an example of tactical voting which even Conservatives should be thinking of doing, he said. Wouldnt it be wonderful if the Conservatives actually managed to make a Labour seat go Lib Dem? That would be a pretty Conservative thing to do.

Labour won the constituency Mr Johnson lives in, Queens Park and Maida Vale, at the 2019 election with an 18,874 seat majority.

First time vote for a non-Tory

Mr Johnson, who is a former Conservative member of the European Parliament, said: This would absolutely be the first time I have not voted for the Tories.

Asked about the timing of his son Boriss late appearance on the Conservative campaign trail on Tuesday, Mr Johnson said: Hes timing his fatal punch to the oppositionagainst the danger of Starmergeddon.

He declined to comment on whether the former prime minister is positioning himself for a return to Politics should the Conservatives win at the ballot box on Thursday.

Mr Johnson was speaking at the Curzon Cinema, Mayfair, ahead of the premiere of a travel documentary he has made with his son, Max, called In The Footsteps of Marco Polo.

Boris Johnson is expected to attend the screening along with his wife, Carrie, brother, Leo, and sister, Rachel.

It came after Helen Baxter, the Lib Dem candidate for the London seat of Queens Park and Maida Vale, posted a video on Tuesday night of Mr Johnson giving her his endorsement after they crossed paths while she was campaigning.

In the video, posted on Twitter, Mr Johnson  a passionate supporter of the EU  can be seen agreeing with her about how the UK has been re-duplicating European structures after exiting the bloc.

Asked whether he will support her, Mr Johnson replies: I will be voting for you, Helen Baxter, in this election.

Mr Johnson told The Telegraph that it was a relatively spur of the moment decision.

There I was coming out of the Underground station at Queens Park and there was this lady called Helen Baxter and she had her voting card and so on, he said.

I said to her one of the things which has upset me most of all in this campaign is the fact that two crucial issues, first Britains relationship with Europe, and second, the whole question of  and this links to the first of course  the environmental policy, have not had the airing they deserve.

And she said, well actually the Lib Dems do indeed have a strong policy on both these issues, and she presented me with her card, and yes, lo and behold, the whole third part of her programme was exactly Europe. So then I said to myself, well why should tactical voting not play its part here?

Mr Johnson pointed out that earlier in the year he had told The Telegraphs Camilla Tominey on her GB News show that he was minded to vote for any party which clearly comes out in favour of emphasising Europe and emphasising the environment.

Having said that on Camillas show and then being confronted with Helen Baxter at the station, I said to myself, well practise what you preach, tactical voting, he said.

Labour are heavy favourites to win Queens Park and Maida Vale, with Georgia Gould  the daughter of the late Lord Gould, the architect of New Labour  standing for the party in the seat.

Mr Johnson went on: Yes of course Im a dyed in the wool Conservative, but in this particular case what matters is to try and boost the Lib Dems in a constituency which the Tories have absolutely no chance to win.

Its not to say that I may not in some future election  if Im alive to see one  revert [to voting Conservative].

But on this particular occasion  I do propose to put my cross in front of the Lib Dem box.

For me it is an absolute scandal that the absolute priority of rebuilding bridges with Europe just hasnt been focused on by any party except the Lib Dems, and of course the Scottish Nationals - but Im a long way from them.

Basic political priorities at stake

Asked what his son would make of the decision, he said: He would use some word which would have to be looked up in the dictionary, like apostasy I should think.

Im sure he would say apostasy was the appropriate term and wed all be running for our dictionaries.

Look, I think in this particular case, even dedicated Conservatives have a right to indulge in a spot of tactical voting where basic political priorities are at stake.

The Conservative party constitution does not explicitly ban members from voting for other parties, but states: Membership of the Conservative party is not compatible with membership of or association with any other registered political party.

The partys code of conduct includes a section on helping political opponents which says that being associated with any other registered political party is an automatic disciplinary offence and if proved is likely to result in their expulsion from the party. It also says that every party member must not oppose any Conservative candidate in any election.

The Conservatives were contacted for comment.
Semaglutide is most commonly known under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic. Photograph: Reuters

People who have been prescribed a weight-loss injection could be at a higher risk of developing an eye condition which can lead to blindness, a study has found.

The study found that people with diabetes who were prescribed semaglutide, most commonly known under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic, were more than four times more likely to be diagnosed with an eye condition known as non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (naion).

Naion is a disorder in which the arteries which supply blood to the optic nerve in the eye become blocked. The condition can lead to loss of eyesight due to the optic nerve being deprived of oxygen and subsequently damaged. There is no known treatment for the condition, which affects 10 out of 100,000 people in the general population.

The research, published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology and conducted by researchers at Harvard University, looked at data from 16,827 patients at the Mass Eye and Ear Harvard teaching hospital, who received treatment over a six-year period.

Of the patients included within the study, 710 had type 2 diabetes, with 194 of those patients having been prescribed semaglutide.

Included in the study were 975 patients who were overweight or living with obesity, with 361 of these having been prescribed semaglutide.

Of the people included in the study with type 2 diabetes, 17 naion events occurred in patients who were prescribed semaglutide, compared with six who were on other diabetes drugs.

Over three years, 8.9% of these people on semaglutide had naion compared with 1.8% on the other drugs, the researchers found.

The study also found that people who were overweight or living with obesity who were prescribed semaglutide were more than seven times more likely to develop the condition than those on other types of weight-loss medicine.

Of the people included in the study who were overweight or obese, 20 naion events occurred in people prescribed semaglutide, compared with just three events in people using other drugs.

Over three years, 6.7% of these people on semaglutide had naion compared with 0.8% who were taking other weight-loss drugs.

Prof Joseph Rizzo, a professor of ophthalmology at Harvard medical school, said: Our findings should be viewed as being significant but tentative, as future studies are needed to examine these questions in a much larger and more diverse population.

This is information we did not have before and it should be included in discussions between patients and their doctors, especially if patients have other known optic nerve problems like glaucoma or if there is pre-existing significant visual loss from other causes.

Graham McGeown, honorary professor of physiology at Queens University Belfast, said: This research does suggest an association between semaglutide treatment and one form of sight-threatening optic neuropathy, but this would ideally be tested in larger studies.

Given the rapid increase in semaglutide use and its possible licensing for a range of problems other than obesity and type 2 diabetes, this issue deserves further study, but possible drug side-effects always need to be balanced against likely benefits.

Semaglutide under the brand name Wegovy has been prescribed for weight loss on the NHS since 2023.

A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, said: Patient safety is a top priority for Novo Nordisk and we take all reports about adverse events from use of our medicines very seriously.

Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy is not listed as a known adverse drug reaction in the summary of product characteristics (SmPC) for the marketed formulations of semaglutide (Ozempic and Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy for weight management) as per the approved labels.
Along with its famous pinot noir, the region also produces excellent riesling wines

There are plenty of reasons people from all over the world make the long journey to the southern part of New Zealands South Island. The majestic, jaw-dropping scenery for one  Mount Cook, Milford Sound, the Southern Alps, glaciers and turquoise lakes  and the many opportunities for hiking, kayaking, climbing and (eek) bungee jumping. I travelled there recently with another main aim  to visit the wineries of the worlds most southerly commercial vine-growing region, Central Otago.

To the east of the Southern Alps, close to popular Queenstown on Lake Wakatipu, the Central Otago vines cling to a rugged, rocky terrain. Winemaking only took off here in the 1990s. Sheltered by the mountains, its very arid with hardly any top soil on the foothills, and the weather can be harsh, wind whistling through the vineyards and frosts striking at almost any time of year. But vines that have to work hard can make the very best of wines, and the nuanced, beautifully balanced pinot noir eked out in this region is considered among the finest in the world.

Mount Cook National Park is home to some jaw-dropping scenery - Getty

Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor, owns and is based at his winery Two Paddocks in Alexandra, Central Otago. The most hands-on of celebrity winemakers, he tells me half-jokingly that rational people shouldnt make wine here. But, he continues, Ive learned that to produce great pinot, you have to teeter on the edge of viability. Theres certainly huge complexity in the regions hard-won pinots: savoury, spicy notes, a whiff of violets and smoke and something woody-herbal, redolent of the scrubby wild thyme bushes that cling to the hillsides all around.

Its not just pinot that makes an impact here. Chardonnay and pinot gris can impress but my favourite whites from the region are its rieslings, usually dry and intensely flavoured with super-fresh citrus and orchard fruit. If you love German, Austrian and Aussie riesling, you really need to try these most southerly ones.

Thankfully, you dont have to travel nearly 12,000 miles to do so. Although very few Central Otago wines make it into the major retailers (the region only produces 3% of New Zealands wines), plenty of independent merchants stock a few. Theyre not cheap, as you might expect from a small region with very low-yielding vineyards, but I think the best rank comfortably alongside those from the traditional, long-established vineyard areas of the world.

Peregrine Riesling 2022, Central Otago, New Zealand

12%, Great Wine, 28.85

Compelling and beautifully balanced organic riesling, almost dry, and aromatic with lime and lemongrass character and a very succulent long finish. The incisive acidity points to a good ager, although its delicious now, especially with white fish ceviche.

Two Paddocks Picnic Riesling 2022, Central Otago, New Zealand

12%, ndjohn.co.uk, 19.95; Harvey Nichols, 23

Actor Sam Neills organic Picnic Riesling is shot through with zesty citrus, and there are notes of green apple and pear too. Its slightly off-dry and that dab of honey makes it a great match for ham, pork pies and mild cheeses (picnic food then) as well as seafood.

Mount Difficulty Pinot Noir 2023, Central Otago, New Zealand

14%, Waitrose, 29.99

Bursting with juicy red fruits, especially red cherries, this is nonetheless much more than a sweet fruit bomb of a wine, with savoury, earthy and spicy complexity and ending dry. Its texture is sublimely soft and silky. Id drink this with medium-rare duck breast.

Rockburn Pinot Noir 2022, Central Otago, New Zealand

14%, strictlywine.co.uk, 38.50, down to 29.99 while stocks last, minimum three bottles

Rockburn is one to watch. Named after the craggy landscape and with Felton Road winemaker Malcolm Rees-Francis at the helm, its wines are distinctively elegant and poised. This fresh, vivacious pinot offering a beguiling aroma of cherries, violets and tart raspberries. Good offer too.

Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2022, Central Otago, New Zealand

14%, Lea & Sandeman, 47.50

Felton Road owns some of the oldest vineyards in the region, dating back to the 1990s, and is part-owned by Englishman Nigel Greening. Its near-cult status is due to pinots like this  inky purple and super-smooth, rich with ripe blackberries and a seam of chocolate, with a dash of woody herbs, especially thyme. Organic, too. Deserves a fine steak.
Northern Irelands political leaders have issued eve-of-poll messages ahead of a General Election that will involve several constituency battles that remain too close to call.

A total of 136 candidates are standing in the regions 18 constituencies.

All eyes will be on the race for the greatest number of seats, with the potential of Sinn Fein cementing its position as the largest party in Northern Ireland, having secured the most seats in recent Assembly and local council polls.

Sinn Fein, which ran a relatively low-key campaign, could secure top spot by retaining the seven seats it already holds, if the DUP drops down from the eight seats it won in 2019.

While most of the republican partys seats are safe bets, it will face the usual arm wrestle to hold off the challenge of unionists in the ever-close Fermanagh and South Tyrone race.

In that constituency, former RCN general secretary Pat Cullen, who led nurses across the UK in strike action last year, is up against Ulster Unionist councillor Diana Armstrong.

First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle ONeill (Liam McBurney/PA).

The DUP is under pressure in a number of constituencies, most significantly in East Belfast where its leader Gavin Robinson is involved in a high-stakes contest with the Alliance Party leader Naomi Long.

Mr Robinsons elevation to the leadership of his party came after the DUP suffered a seismic shock when former leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson quit after he was charged with a range of historical sexual offences in March  charges he denies.

Apart from the sudden departure of Donaldson from the political stage, the DUP has also been under pressure from unionist rivals amid claims it oversold a Government package of measures on post-Brexit trading arrangements that the party used to justify the end of its two-year boycott on devolution at Stormont in January.

Defeat for Mr Robinson would surely raise questions about his fledgling leadership of the DUP; while a loss for Ms Long would prompt some to ask whether the Alliance Partys surge of recent years has begun to subside.

The cross-community Alliance Party is walking a tight rope between having a really good night or a very disappointing one.

It is involved in three razor edge fights, including East Belfast, where it is in serious contention for seats.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson (Niall Carson/PA)

The party goes into the election with one seat, deputy leader Stephen Farrys in North Down and is also hoping that Ms Long prevails in East Belfast and Sorcha Eastwood defeats the DUP in Lagan Valley, in the seat vacated by long-standing MP Donaldson.

While three victories could be secured; three losses would sting heavily for a party that has been on the electoral march in recent years.

The Ulster Unionists were without an MP in the last parliament and the party is convinced that South Antrim represents its best opportunity of a return to the green benches at Westminster.

Former UUP leader Robin Swann, whose profile soared when he led Northern Irelands fight against the Covid pandemic as Stormont health minister, is trying to win that seat from the DUPs Paul Girvan.

Success for the SDLP would be the retention of the two seats held in the last parliament by its leader Colum Eastwood and deputy leader Claire Hanna.

Alliance leader Naomi Long (Liam McBurney/PA).

Both are tipped for victory  in Foyle and South Belfast and Mid Down respectively  albeit with the prospect of returning with reduced majorities.

The TUV, which is an arch critic of the DUPs decision to drop its protest boycott on devolution, did not stand in the last election.

While its entry into the fray this time round is highly unlikely to deliver it any seats, the votes it could potentially take from DUP candidates could have major implications in some of the closest battleground seats.

However, the TUV campaign suffered a major blow last month when Reform UK leader Nigel Farage personally endorsed two DUP election candidates, despite his party having an official electoral alliance with the TUV in Northern Ireland.

That has led to a highly usually situation in Mr Allisters own North Antrim constituency, where he is running on a joint TUV-Reform UK platform, even though Mr Farage has personally backed the DUP candidate in that area, Ian Paisley.

In her eve of poll message, Sinn Feins vice president Michelle ONeill said a vote for her party would bring positive change.

UUP leader Doug Beattie (Liam McBurney/PA).

Change will only be delivered in the north by working together in the Executive and Assembly, but this election is our chance to send a clear message about the future we want, she said.

I am asking voters to join us in our journey towards a better future, to endorse our vision by returning the strongest Sinn Fein team.

It is clear that people want positive change, and I would urge people to support progressive candidates in areas where Sinn Fein are not standing (four seats), to maximise the number of progressive MPs.

Mr Robinson urged people to use their vote wisely, as he emphasised that the election would help shape the future direction of Northern Ireland.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood (Liam McBurney/PA).

In a clear reference to his TUV rivals, he said: Dont listen to those who cannot win in this election. By supporting the unionist candidates that can win you ensure there is the strongest voice and the strongest team for you in parliament. Only the DUP can ensure there is a strong team of pro-Union MPs in Westminster to stand up and speak out for you on the issues that matter.

Some people can only see problems, but we are proud of our strong record of standing up for you and getting things done.

He added: Tomorrow you have one vote. Use it wisely. Dont be lulled into voting for candidates that cant win and waking up on Friday morning to a nightmare scenario where the unionist vote has been divided and non-unionists have won seats.

Ms Long said her party was leading change.

Alliance has fought this campaign on our platform of leading change, showcasing responsible leadership and trustworthiness in our dealings, she said.

We are uniquely positioned as the key challengers in a number of constituencies, which has been backed by polls and pundits across the entirety of the election campaign.

She said if Alliance gained seats, voters would get positive, progressive representatives who are leading change and seeking equality across our society.

TUV leader Jim Allister (Liam McBurney/PA).

Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie posted a direct message to voters on social media.

You have one vote, on that one day, with one chance to create change, change by voting for an MP who will be effective in Westminster, who will be visible in Westminster, he said.

So when you go to the polls tomorrow, really think about whats good for you, for your family, for Northern Ireland, for all our people. I believe its by voting for an Ulster Unionist Party candidate.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood emphasised the importance of voting for MPs who take their seat at Westminster, contrasting his party with Sinn Feins long-standing abstentionist stance.

Everyone wants and deserves change, he said.

Thats what you get from SDLP MPs.

Over the last five years Claire and I have demonstrated how we can deliver for people using the power of a seat at Westminster.

And weve already secured commitments from a new government to repeal the toxic Tory legacy act.

While others leave their seats empty, we turn up for the people we represent and make our voice heard.

Mr Allister accused the DUP of hoodwinking unionists on the Government deal on post-Brexit trade.

Vote instead for the party which has told you the truth from the beginning about the (Northern Ireland) Protocol, TUV. We have not faltered. We have not wilted on this fundamental issue, he said.

Strengthen my hand in resisting the dismantling of our Union by voting TUV on Thursday. Be strong, not used. Vote TUV, the party you can trust.
A Romanian man jailed over the deaths of 39 people in a lorry trailer in Essex will be deported without paying a penny to his victims families.

Marius Mihai Draghici, 51, fled the UK after the Vietnamese nationals died in the airtight sealed container as it was being transported by ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet in October 2019.

In August 2022, Draghici, who was said to be a right-hand man in a long-running people-smuggling ring, was detained in Romania and extradited back to the UK.

Images issued by Essex Police of the 39 Vietnamese migrants, aged between 15 and 44, that were found dead in the back of a trailer in Essex on October 23, 2019 (Essex Police/PA)

Last year, he pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and was jailed for 12 years and seven months.

On Wednesday, prosecutor Ben Holt told a confiscation hearing before Judge Mark Lucraft KC that Draghici would not be pursued for proceeds of crime.

He told the Old Bailey: Following an investigation, no assets have been discovered and in any event it is understood Mr Draghici will be deported shortly and therefore no proceedings are to be pursued.

The defendant had joined the brief hearing by video link from Stocken category C prison in the East Midlands and declined the services of a translator.

It is understand that he will serve the remainder of his prison sentence in Romania following his deportation.

Sentencing last year, Mr Justice Garnham had said Draghici was an essential cog in a criminal conspiracy which made astonishing profits out of the exploitation of people desperate to get to the UK.

In all, 11 men have been convicted of their involvement in the lucrative people-smuggling ring.

In addition to Draghici, four other men were jailed for between 13 and 27 years for the manslaughters of the men, women and children.

They are: Ringleader Gheorghe Nica, 47, of Basildon, Essex, haulier boss Ronan Hughes, 44, of Armagh, Maurice Robinson, 29, of Craigavon, who found the bodies, and Eamonn Harrison, 27, of County Down, who had collected the victims on the continent.

To date, more than 283,000 in ill-gotten gains has been ordered to be paid by defendants as compensation to the victims families.
Pro-Palestinian protesters have blockaded a defence and security company as they call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

More than 100 people blocked entrances to the Thales factory in Glasgow on Wednesday, urging the company to end links with Israel.

Demonstrators are also calling on the UK Government to ban arms exports to Israel.

The protest comes after a demonstration outside Thales last month which saw four people arrested and six police officers injured.

Thales said it has a small medium enterprise joint venture (SME JV) with Israeli company Elbit that supplies systems to the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and does not supply the Israeli military or Israeli defence ministry.

Katy, who works at a Scottish university, was one of those demonstrating on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old, who did not wish to give her surname, said: In Palestine, homes, hospitals, mosques, churches, schools and universities have been wilfully destroyed by Israel through relentless aerial bombardments.

She said people in Glasgow cannot stand by whilst people in Palestine suffer uncountable horrors and humiliation.

She added: We are bringing Scottish solidarity to the people of Palestine.

A Thales spokesman said: Thales adheres to the UK Governments industry control system for overseas sales, one of the most rigorous and transparent of its kind in the world.

In the UK, we have an SME JV with Israeli company Elbit, called U-TacS. This is a UK-registered company that supplies systems to the UK MoD. It does not supply the Israeli military or Israeli MoD.

As we have said previously, while those outside our site in Glasgow have the right to protest peacefully, we will work with authorities to prosecute anyone who threatens our employees, our property or our important work for the UK armed forces.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: Around 4.55am on Wednesday, police were called to a report of a demonstration at a business premises on Linthouse Road, Govan, Glasgow.

Officers remain at the scene.

The UK Government has been approached for comment.
China redoubles efforts to prevent, control schistosomiasis during flood season

Xinhua) 10:41, July 03, 2024

BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The National Disease Control and Prevention Administration has released a circular on redoubling efforts to prevent and control schistosomiasis during this year's flood season, aiming to effectively stem the emergence and outbreak of the infectious disease.

The circular urges local disease response departments to work with relevant authorities on coordinated, prompt and targeted measures such as blood fluke extermination, proper livestock management and key-demographic monitoring work.

Schistosomiasis, a Class B infectious disease in China, was in the past common in 12 provincial-level regions in the Yangtze River basin and south of the river. Infection follows contact with water that is infested with larval forms of blood flukes.

A "Healthy China 2030" outline issued in 2016 called for the elimination of schistosomiasis in all endemic counties nationwide by 2030.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
As fireworks light up Houstons skies on July 4, the Houston Police Departments call centers will also explode with complaints about pyrotechnics. These calls historically lead to few punishments, but the flurry of activity  coupled with complications from the citys gunfire detection technology  could spark a hectic night for the citys officers.

HPDs fireworks-related calls dropped 40% over the past six years, reaching a low of just 813 calls in 2023, according to the agencys calls for service data.

Independence Day, however, remains a flashpoint for these requests. In Houston, July 4 is the third most popular day for fireworks-related calls, behind only New Years Eve and New Years Day. Independence Day, alone, accounted for 12% of the more than 7,000 fireworks complaints HPD received since 2018.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Loading...

An HPD spokesperson said the fall in fireworks-related complaints may not necessarily represent a decline in violations.

Calls for service are based on community members calling it in, the spokesperson said. To be able to determine why fewer people are calling it in, or if theres an overall decrease, or if people arent shooting fireworks  thats a simple question for something that has a very big, complex answer.

Overall, complaints have clustered in neighborhoods like Northside/Northline, Alief, Near Northside and Central Southwest  all of which have racked up more than 200 firework calls since 2018.

EXPLOSIVE DATA: Search our map of the Houston neighborhoods with the most fireworks complaints

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Near Northside and Spring Branch West stand out on July 4. The neighborhoods have been hotspots for Independence Day fireworks complaints, with about 7% of complaints placed for incidents within the neighborhoods boundaries.

Fines

Houstonians need a permit and license to manufacture, distribute, sell or ignite fireworks in public displays. Igniting fireworks without a permit is illegal within Houstons city limits, according to the Houston Fire Department. Its also illegal in certain pockets of Harris County without written authorization  including within 600 feet of churches, non-veterinary hospitals, licensed childcare centers and most schools  per the Harris County Fire Marshals Office.

PET TIPS: How to keep your pet calm during fireworks and what to do if they run away in Houston

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Violating firework regulations can be considered a misdemeanor offense and carry fines of up to $2,000 per firework.

Monday, June 24, 2024, marks the opening of retail fireworks season as from left, Charridy Jones and Kimberly Williams, organize the shelves at the Fireworks Outlet in Bacliff that offers a variety of fireworks ranging from family and kid friendly ground based fireworks to more advanced adult oriented rockets and displays. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer

Yet fireworks complaints often lead to an impasse. Officers classified about a third of the fireworks calls HPDs received since 2018 as unfounded, erroneous, duplicate complaints or impossible to locate. For nearly 900 calls, responders indicated there was no one at the scene by the time of their arrival.

From 2018 through September 2023, 73 cases for fireworks violations reached Houstons municipal courts. About half of those cases were dismissed  most often because the officer involved in issuing the citation was not present. Among cases that werent dismissed, defendants owed  or had already paid  fines ranging from $10 to $1,093.

Stressing the system

Emergency medical services are in high demand during major holidays like Independence Day and New Years, said Sedrick Robinett, a spokesperson for the Houston Fire Department.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

There are more citizens at home, more people barbecuing, and unfortunately sometimes theres more likely to be EMS calls during that time, Robinett added.

As emergency responders navigate the uptick in calls, resource deployment can be a challenge.

HPD is typically inundated with a variety of calls for service on major holidays. The department received an average of about 2,600 calls for service per day over the past six years, but requests spiked to as high as 3,005 calls on Independence Day  and even higher on other holidays  according to a Chronicle analysis of the departments calls for service data.

The call volume spike is caused, in part, by automated alerts, said Domingo Garcia, a longtime HPD veteran.

ShotSpotter  a controversial technology HPD adopted in late 2020 to pinpoint gunfire in certain areas of the city  can overwhelm the agencys call dispatch systems by confusing fireworks explosions with gunshots. The system can generate thousands of false reports, tying up manpower and radios on major holidays like Independence Day, he said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Mayor John Whitmire shared plans in May to scrap the program after long-standing questions about its effectiveness, but the citys contract doesn't lapse until 2027.

My personal opinion, on those holidays, you might as well shut the system down, Garcia said of the ShotSpotter technology. Let the officers run calls like they normally do, where someone calls in and reports them.

From 2021 through 2023, HPD received an average of eight calls for service per day that were flagged as ShotSpotter alerts  but on Independence Days, they received as many as 54.

Each year, between 11% and 21% of the July 4 ShotSpotter calls were reported at locations within a half-mile of where police received complaints about fireworks.

The increase in ShotSpotter calls is a challenge HPD navigates on most firework-heavy holidays. On New Years Day this year, officers received more than 100 calls for service generated from the ShotSpotter system.

While it might save employee resources not to activate ShotSpotter on major holidays, that decision would bring its own consequences, Garcia said. If the public learned a shooting happened that ShotSpotter might have caught, that would create liability for the police department.

Instead, department leaders must continue using the technology, even if it makes holidays more hectic, Garcia said.
Credit: Getty Images

Public safety officer Sam Poe has adopted a dog that he helped rescue from being locked inside a car in 90-degree heat.

Adopting a dog is a fantastic way to give a pup a new life and plenty of happiness. Most people will adopt dogs through rescue centers and animal shelters, but one man has adopted a dog he actually helped to rescue himself  truly going the extra mile for this lucky canine.

Indianapolis Police have said that a dog left in a hot car has been adopted by a public safety officer who helped rescue her from the vehicle.

According to WISH , Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officers were sent to the Intown Suites Hotel after reports of a dog left in a Chevrolet sedan.

Officer Poe was on the scene when Abby, a German Shepherd, as well as another dog and cat, were left inside a locked car. The animals were found in a hotel parking lot by the hotels manager, who investigated after clever Abby honked the cars horn.

Officers were able to rescue Abby and the cat, who were thought to have been in the car for around three hours, but the second dog unfortunately died as a result of the incident.

Seventy-four-year-old Norma Light and 53-year-old Charles Thomas are facing charges in relation to the incident. Light allegedly explained that she left the animals in the car because the hotel wasnt pet-friendly.

Police shared on Facebook that PSO Poe got in touch with Indianapolis Animal Care Services afterward and adopted Abby, in what they described as a touching display of humanity. He said, I switched her collar, and it was like Abby knew she was home for good.

Social media users commented on the post, praising PSO Poe for taking Abby in.

Kiarah Miller, a witness who saw the dog in the car just before police arrived, while she was walking her own dog, said, I knew something had to be deeper when I saw poor little paws just stretched out there.

Another witness said they heard Mr Thomas asking the other dog, a pit bull, to wake up.

The police force added that Indianapolis residents are required to bring pets inside when its over 90 degrees outside, or when theres a heat advisory in effect. And, police lieutenant Shane Foley urged better heat safety awareness for people and dogs, saying, Dogs need to have water. They need to have food. They need to have shelter. They need to have a way to get out of the heat.

If youre taking your dog on a car journey in the hot weather  staying in the car with them, of course  heres how to prevent heatstroke in dogs.

SGODA Dog Cooling Vest

$35.95 from Amazon

Keep your canine cool this summer with this genius vest that features three layers of cooling technology. Soft and lightweight, simply soak it in cold water and let the vest do the rest! View Deal
The route to a Labour government runs through Scotland, Sir Keir Starmer has said in his last campaign stop north of the border before polls open.

Addressing activists and journalists in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, on Wednesday afternoon, the Labour leader hit out at the SNP  the partys main challengers in Scotland.

John Swinneys party has said sending SNP MPs to Westminster will ensure the next government is held to account  but Sir Keir instead wants more Scottish Labour MPs to sit at the heart of his administration.

I want a Labour government to have Scotland at its heart, he said.

The route to a Labour government runs through Scotland, has always run through Scotland.

I want voters in Scotland not to send a message, the SNP say, the most important election for I dont know how long and they say what? Send a message.

Send someone, an SNP MP, to sit on the opposition benches for this important period of history, and say a few things across the aisle.

I dont want Scotland to send a message, I want Scotland to send a government.

Earlier, a letter to voters from Sir Keir appeared in the Daily Record newspaper, in which he said: When you walk into your local polling station tomorrow, there are two futures on the ballot paper.

Sir Keir Starmer is campaigning across Britain on the eve of polling day (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The Tory and SNP candidates offer more of the same  more sleaze and scandal, and more division and decline.

The last Labour government transformed Scotland  investing in our NHS, creating the national minimum wage, lifting hundreds of thousands of Scots out of poverty, and creating the Scottish Parliament.

Sir Keir was in Scotland as part of a tour of the UK in the 24 hours before polls open, and during his visit he met with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Mr Sarwar said Labour will secure a better future for Scotland.

He also cautioned voters against five more years of the sleazy Tories.

Anas Sarwar, right, said Labour offers Scotland an opportunity for change (PA)

Mr Sarwar said: This election is an opportunity for change that Scotland cannot afford to miss.

Imagine waking up on Friday to the news of five more years under the Tories  the same sleazy Tories that put party before country, crashed the economy and left ordinary families to pick up the bill.

But with a simple cross in a box on Thursday, Scots can end the Tory nightmare and deliver a transformative Labour government with Scotland at its heart.

A Labour government in the service of working people with Scottish MPs at its heart is in reach  but only if you vote for it.

This election is a straight choice between a broken status quo with two bad governments, or change with Labour.
Sonay Kartal weathered a second-set wobble to storm into the Wimbledon third round for the first time and set up a plum tie with Coco Gauff after she beat Clara Burel 6-3 5-7 6-3.

Kartal had to qualify for this years Championships after she had battled with undisclosed health problems for much of the past year, but she put those issues to one side to produce an excellent career-best victory against 29th seed Sorana Cirstea on Monday.

It set up a showdown with world number 45 Burel and Kartal recovered from losing a 3-0 lead in set two to edge the decider and become the first home player through to the last-32 at the All England Club.

The FIRST British ladies' qualifier to reach the third round since 1997  A dream run so far for Sonay Kartal, who sets up a meeting with Coco Gauff #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/Dr5klVZnhS  Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 3, 2024

The British number nine was back on Court Three a year after her straight-sets defeat to Madison Keys, when she only won three games.

Rain initially halted her shot at redemption with a two-hour delay followed by another intermittent shower after seven minutes of action.

Kartal had to save break points in each of her first two service games once play resumed and they proved crucial as the 22-year-old seized upon a string of double-faults by Burel to break and move 4-2 up.

Burel arrived in London after four consecutive first-round exits and struggled to outlast Kartal in several lengthy rallies before the world number 298 clinched the opener with a trademark forehand winner.

Sonay Kartal is through to the third round (Mike Egerton/PA)

Kartal, who was Emma Raducanus big rival as a junior, claimed another break at the start of the next set before a second followed with Burel seeming out-of-sorts.

The biggest threat to the Briton appeared the weather with more drizzle in the air, but as the sun pierced through the clouds, Burel started to swing freely and land her shots.

A break back was secured before a sumptuous volley from the French player got the score back to 4-4 and while Kartal showed heart to save four set points, a decider was required.

Clara Burel could not fight back against the British number nine (Mike Egerton/PA)

The third set stayed on serve until a decisive fifth game, which went the way of the Brighton right-hander after another booming forehand clipped the net cord and landed on Burels side.

Kartal would not be denied this time and pencilled in a clash with US Open champion Gauff with a deft volley at the net to earn a standing ovation as the first female British qualifier to make round three since 1997.

Today is a really special day for me, Kartal said. Monday was a high but Ive topped that today.
The death of a 17-year-old student who got into difficulty in the sea during a school trip in West Sussex has been described as a tragic accident by his college principal.

Emergency services received a call of concern for the teenagers welfare in the water at a beach in West Wittering, near Chichester, at around 1pm on Tuesday.

The boy was part of a group from Uxbridge College in west London, who were visiting the area to celebrate the end of term.

A college spokesman said the student got into difficulty in the sea and tragically it was not possible to save them.

He was airlifted to hospital where he was pronounced dead, and his family have been informed, Sussex Police said.

Uxbridge College principal Dylan McTaggart said: This was a tragic accident that has had a huge impact on everyone here. Our priority now is to look after all those affected.

We have enlisted the help of qualified counsellors and will make sure that over the next days and weeks we have staff and professional support available to our community.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and we ask that you respect their privacy as they grieve the loss of a child.

Detective Inspector Darren Taylor, of Sussex Police, said officers are investigating the incident to establish the full facts, supported by the Health and Safety Executive.

This was an absolutely tragic incident and I would like to express my sincere condolences to the boys loved ones at this heartbreaking time, he said.

We are asking anyone who has any information that could help to contact us online or via 101, quoting Operation Redhill.

A spokeswoman for West Wittering Estate said the emergency services and police were quickly on the scene before the boy was taken to hospital.

We are deeply saddened to report that a 17-year-old boy drowned yesterday after getting into difficulty in the water, she said.

Lifeguards deployed their equipment, including jet skis, to rush to the scene.

Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time.
Labour has received the backing of The Sun at the General Election, as the newspaper insisted: It is time for a change.

The tabloid said it believes the Conservatives, over the past 14 years, have become a divided rabble, more interested in fighting themselves than running the country.

It added the Tories are exhausted as it switched its endorsement to the Labour Party.

The Sun is shining on Labour. Its time for change. https://t.co/53HwDPR45r  Wes Streeting (@wesstreeting) July 3, 2024

It said Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has fought hard to change the party since the days of Jeremy Corbyn, adding it is still a work in progress.

It noted there are still plenty of concerns about Labour, including on immigration and possible tax rises, and it also noted Sir Keir being an ex-Remainer when it comes to Brexit.

The newspaper, which has a record of backing the party which then wins the most seats, added: He has a mountain to climb, with a disillusioned electorate and low approval ratings.

But, by dragging his party back to the centre ground of British politics for the first time since Tony Blair was in No10, Sir Keir has won the right to take charge.

An image of Thursdays front page alludes to the struggles of England manager Gareth Southgate at the Euros as it states: As Britain goes to the polls, its time for a new manager (and we dont mean sack Southgate!).

Sir Keir, answering media questions after a stump speech in Glasgow, said: Im delighted to have the support and the backing of The Sun.

I think that shows just how much this is a changed Labour Party, back in the service of working people.

The Sun threw its weight behind Labour at the 1997 general election won by Tony Blair before switching its allegiance to the Conservatives in September 2009.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer has received the backing of The Sun (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Copies of The Sun were banned from Labours annual gathering following a decision taken when the conference was held in Liverpool in 2016.

A widespread boycott of the paper has been in place in Liverpool due to its coverage of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting welcomed the Suns endorsement.

The Sun is shining on Labour. Its time for change, he said.

The Sun editorial notes there are many policies which we support from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, including the Rwanda deportation plan and the commitment to scrap national insurance.

It added: But the insurmountable problem faced by the Tories is that  over the course of 14 often chaotic years  they have become a divided rabble, more interested in fighting themselves than running the country.

By the time Rishi Sunak moved into No 10, Britain had had five prime ministers in just 12 years. In 2022 alone, there were four home secretaries, four chancellors, and five education secretaries.

All this upheaval, backstabbing and mayhem came at a price.

After raising concerns over tax increases and other policies, it adds: Put bluntly, the Tories are exhausted. They need a period in opposition to unite around a common set of principles which can finally bring to an end all the years of internal warfare.

It is time for a change.

Nigel Farages manifesto  lower taxes, less immigration, slashing the size of the bloated state  has struck a chord with millions, including many hard-working voters who supported Boris Johnson in 2019. But Reform is a one-man band which at best can only win only a handful of MPs and can never implement its policies.

The Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, are a joke  with a leader who has spent this most depressing of campaigns pulling ridiculous stunts.

Which means that it is time for Labour.

There is no doubt Sir Keir Starmer has fought hard to change his party for the better, even if it is still a work in progress.
Rishi Sunak insisted he was still fighting hard for votes after one of his most loyal Cabinet allies said Labour is likely to win the largest majority any party has ever achieved.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said it is highly unlikely that polls suggesting a victory for Sir Keir Starmers party are wrong.

Mr Sunak insisted it was not a foregone conclusion and Mr Stride was warning of what a very large Labour majority, unchecked, would mean for people.

Sir Keir claimed the Tories were talking up the prospect of a landslide in order to encourage would-be Labour voters to think they can stay at home.

The Tory campaign suffered a fresh blow on the eve of polling day as The Sun endorsed Labour for the first time since 2005.

Mr Stride, who helped run Mr Sunaks campaign for the Conservative leadership and has made regular appearances on the TV and radio during the election campaign as the Tories spokesman, appeared resigned to a heavy defeat.

He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I have accepted that where the polls are at the moment  and it seems highly unlikely that they are very, very wrong, because theyve been consistently in the same place for some time  that we are therefore tomorrow highly likely to be in a situation where we have the largest majority that any party has ever achieved.

Voter intention surveys have suggested a Labour lead of around 20 points, while massive multilevel regression and poststratification (MRP) studies, which forecast constituency level results, have consistently indicated a Labour landslide.

(PA Graphics)

Mr Stride told GB News: If you look at the polls, it is pretty clear that Labour at this stage are heading for an extraordinary landslide on a scale that has probably never, ever been seen in this country before.

But he said that if about 130,000 people in around 100 marginal seats who might be considering voting Reform or Liberal Democrat instead give their vote to the Tories, it would help to give Parliament a more robust opposition.

Im really worried about an untrammelled Labour Party in power, and that really needs to be checked, and people will regret it if we dont have that, I think, Mr Stride told LBC.

Speaking to This Morning, the Prime Minister said: Im fighting hard for every vote. Heres what Id say, actually, heres what Id say.

We just saw some analysis which showed that just 130,000 people can make the difference in this election. So, everyone watching who thinks, oh, this is all a foregone conclusion, its not.

Mr Sunak and Sir Keir are engaged in their final day of campaigning ahead of Thursdays vote.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson made a surprise appearance at a Tory rally on Tuesday night in an effort to give the Conservative campaign a late boost.

But ex-home secretary Suella Braverman, a potential contender for the Tory leadership if Mr Sunak quits, wrote in the Telegraph: One needs to read the writing on the wall: its over, and we need to prepare for the reality and frustration of opposition.

At his first event of the day on a whistlestop tour of Wales, Scotland and England, Sir Keir told reporters in Carmarthenshire he was not in the slightest rattled by the intervention from Mr Johnson, describing him as the architect of chaos and division.

He said Tory warnings of Labour winning an unprecedented majority amounted to voter suppression.

(PA Graphics)

Its trying to get people to stay at home rather than to go out and vote, he said.

I say, if you want change, you have to vote for it. I want people to be part of the change.

A Survation MRP study suggested Labour is on course to win more seats than it did in Tony Blairs landslide.

The survey of 34,558 and constituency-level modelling suggested it is 99% certain Labour will secure more than the 418 seats won in 1997.

The MRP poll data suggests prominent Tories could lose their seats to Labour, including Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt in Portsmouth North, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps in Welwyn Hatfield, Hertfordshire, and party chairman Richard Holden in Basildon and Billericay, Essex.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is set to lose the Godalming and Ash seat in Surrey, and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan her Chichester, Sussex, seat to the Liberal Democrats.

The Conservative Party is virtually certain to win a lower share of the vote than at any past general election, Survation said.

A Techne UK survey of 5,503 voters for The Independent, also unveiled overnight, gave Labour (40%) a 19-point lead over the Tories (21%).
Nigel Farage has lead crowds at a rally in a chant of we want our country back as he said the 2024 election is the tip of the iceberg for Reform.

The Reform UK leader entered his partys rally at Clacton pier in Essex on an army vehicle to the tune of Without Me by Eminem.

The vehicle drove through the crowds before reversing, narrowly avoiding contact with a woman on a mobility scooter.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage gives a speech to supporters on Clacton Pier in Essex, while on the General Election campaign trail (Lucy North/PA)

The crowd booed when Mr Farage referenced Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, referring to him as slippery Rishi.

He said: He tells you that for low taxes, he tells you therefore reduced immigration, but they promise that in the last four manifestos, so why the hell should we believe them on the fifth?

He added: For all of us that voted Brexit, for everybody that helped (the Conservatives) win that 80 seat majority under Boris Johnson in 2019 they have betrayed our trust and they deserve to lose the election.

Mr Farage sarcastically called Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer one of the great charisma filled characters of the 21st century, saying talk about boring, God help us.

He got some of his biggest reactions from the crowd when he moved on to talk about what he claims should be the defining issue of the General Election  immigration.

He said: (Keir Starmer) doesnt mention the boats crossing the English Channel, doesnt mention the 4,000 dinghys filled with young men who as soon as they arrive, get medical care, get dental care. How are you getting on for dentists in Clacton? You should have come by dinghy.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage gives a speech to supporters on Clacton Pier in Essex, while on the General Election campaign trail (Ian West/PA)

And of course, four star hotels, three square meals a day and not one of them that comes illegally has ever been deported to Rwanda and were spending billions and billions on this.

And I sense amongst the British people there is a profound sense, this is unfair, this is wrong and this needs to stop and stop soon.

Mr Farage said Reforms ambitions stretch far beyond the results on Thursday.

He said: This is the first step of a new political movement, but this is not just about winning seats in Parliament, which we will, its about forming an opposition to a Starmer led government with a big majority.

The Conservatives cant do that. They say split, theyre so divided and frankly, I think pretty devoid of talent.

He added: Im determined, Im not frightened of anybody, I stand up for what I believe in, I always say what I think, I will not be bullied by anybody, whether its the European Commission, national Westminster bank, or a Keir Starmer government.

A Reform UK supporter ducks as a gull flies past a group of people gathered near to Clacton Pier in Essex, as they wait for Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to give a speech (Ian West/PA)

But heres the important thing. Everybody talks about whos going to be sitting in Parliament. But for us that is the tip of the iceberg.

My aim and ambition over the next few years is to turn this into a massive grass roots movement of millions of people.

From atop the tank, the Reform leader then got the crowd chanting We want our country back.

He continued: Weve had enough of being talked down to by media, by politicians, by people in schools telling our kids all the wrong things.

I believe, I really believe that tomorrow marks the first step of what is going to be a truly historic political change in the direction of our country.

David Howell who attended the rally said he loved Mr Farage, describing him as the best politician going and hes so relatable to the ordinary man.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage gives a speech to supporters on Clacton Pier in Essex, while on the General Election campaign trail (Ian West/PA)

Asked about Mr Farages prospects at this election, Mr Howell said: I think hell make a little spark, hopefully a big spark and next election though that will be different.

I predict hell take over the Tory party and Reform and the Tories will merge. And then therell be a more right of centre party.

20-year-old Clacton resident Joshua Millar described his home town as the most racist place probably in the UK and said he came out to see Mr Farage because he finds it funny that hes here.

Mr Millar said the Reform UK leader 100% villainises migrants, saying Mr Farage villainises them, makes them seem like theyre monsters, but theyre not.

Asked who he would be supporting at the polls, Mr Millar said: Im not voting, because I feel like its a waste of time, frankly.

Life-long Tory voter Morgan Hopkins said that immigration was the biggest issue for him at this election, but he was switching to Reform after the Conservatives lost his vote for violating lockdown rules.

He said: Ive become so disillusioned with partygate, and particularly the way that people were partying after the Queen lost her husband, that its time for the Tories to go.

Mr Hopkins said the Conservatives bringing Boris Johnson out to speak at a rally solidified the fact that theyre worried and that theyre panicking. Theyre pulling out all the stops.
YouGov poll forecasts no Tory seats in Wales and swathes of northern England

Wales and two English regions could be left with no Conservative MPs come Friday, according to YouGov, with the Labour Party on course for a 431-seat landslide.

YouGov polled 47,751 adults in Great Britain between June 19 and July 2 before making the forecast, which suggests the Conservatives could win just 102 seats.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk are among the prominent Tories set to lose their seats according to three MRP polls, which look at constituency-level results as well as the national picture.

More in Common has found counting will end with Labour on around 430 seats while Survations model  a survey of 34,558 respondents between June 15 and July 2  suggests Labours tally could stretch to between 447 and 517.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had earlier rejected the suggestion of defeat and said he is fighting hard for every vote.

He told ITVs This Morning: We just saw some analysis which showed that just 130,000 people can make the difference in this election.

So, everyone watching who thinks, oh, this is all a foregone conclusion, its not.

His rival Sir Keir Starmer, on the campaign trail in Carmarthenshire, said: I think the Tories have run a very negative campaign and theyre failing to answer the question of what positive change they bring for the country.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on the campaign trail (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The Labour leader accused Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, who told ITVs Good Morning Britain that a Labour majority is the one very clear conclusion in the General Election, of voter suppression and added the ministers comment amounted to trying to get people to stay at home rather than to go out and vote.

Sir Keir said: I say if you want change, you have to vote for it.

I want people to be part of the change.

In each model, the Liberal Democrats are set to take Godalming and Ash, Surrey, where Mr Hunt is standing, and Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, contested by Mr Chalk.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is forecast to lose his seat (Aaron Chown/PA)

Chichester in Sussex, contested by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, is also unsafe, with YouGov and Survation suggesting the Liberal Democrats could win in the cathedral city constituency.

More in Common has listed Portsmouth North, contested by Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, as too close to call, with YouGov and Survation both hinting at Labour gains.

Sir Keir Starmers party is set to win in Welwyn Hatfield (contested by Mr Shapps), Monmouthshire (Welsh Secretary David TC Davies), Banbury (Attorney General Victoria Prentis) and Plymouth Moor View (Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer).

But Labour could face an upset in Islington North, where the partys former leader Jeremy Corbyn has a 91% chance of winning as an independent candidate, according to More in Common.

Survation has suggested Labour will win the London seat, with YouGov listing it as a tossup, leaning towards Labour.

The three pollsters have suggested Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, will win in the Essex seaside constituency of Clacton.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in Clacton, Essex (Ian West/PA)

Survation has said Labour is likely to take Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, but More in Common and YouGov have tipped Reform UK to win with its candidate Lee Anderson, who won the seat in 2019 as a Conservative.

YouGov has listed Great Yarmouth as lean Reform UK, with Labour second in the Norfolk constituency, and the Tories third.

Each pollster has said Brighton Pavilion will remain with The Green Party, while YouGov has listed Bristol Central, which party co-leader Carla Denyer is contesting, as leaning Green.

Survation polling suggests West Worcestershire also leans Green in a tight race.

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer is looking for victory in Bristol Central (Jonathan Brady/PA)

The implied national vote shares are Labour 39%, Conservatives 22%, Reform UK 15%, Liberal Democrat 12%, Greens 7%, the SNP 3% and Plaid Cymru 1%, YouGov analysts wrote.

Even in a best case scenario, the result for the Conservatives is significantly worse than the partys previous worst election result in 1906, when it won 156 seats.

YouGovs MRP seat projection shows Labour on 431 seats, with the Conservatives on 102, the Liberal Democrats on 72, the SNP on 18, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru on three each, and the Greens on two.

None of the Conservatives seats would be in Wales, the North East or the North West, if the MRP poll findings are realised.

At least 326 seats are required for a majority.
Two Union soldiers who 162 years ago took part in one of America's first special operations were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on Wednesday.

"Today we right that wrong. Today they finally receive the recognition they deserve," President Joe Biden said at a White House ceremony.

Descendants of Pvt. George Wilson and Pvt. Shadrach had received a long-awaited call from the White House telling them the Civil War heroes would be awarded the nation's highest military honor for "gallantry and intrepidity" in defense of the Union.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden presents the Medal of Honor posthumously to descendants of Union soldiers Pvt. Philip Shadrach and Pvt. George Wilson, members of the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Civil War in Washington, July 3, 2024. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

The president was on the other line, they said, inviting Theresa Chandler, the great-great-granddaughter of Pvt. Wilson, and Gerald Taylor, the great-great-nephew of Pvt. Shadrach, to accept the medal on behalf of the men who, as a part of a group of 24 volunteers, snuck behind Confederate lines in an act of unprecedented bravery.

PHOTO: Two Medals of Honor awarded to Civil War heroes who took part in the raid. (Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History)

The Union soldiers -- acting as spies in civilian clothing -- managed to penetrate 200 miles into Confederate territory, where they commandeered a train -- "The General" -- and drove it 87 miles from Georgia to Tennessee.

In what became known as "The Great Locomotive Chase," on April 12, 1862, the Union raiders destroyed Confederate railroad tracks and telegraph lines -- earned 19 of the men Medals of Honor, becoming the first group of Army soldiers to receive it.

The ambitious plot, despite wreaking havoc, failed. The soldiers were captured. Some escaped and received their medals after the war, while a group of eight of the raiders -- including Wilson and Shadrach -- were tried and hanged by the Confederacy.

PHOTO: A depiction of the raiders hanging from the gallows. (US Army)

Because of what historians attribute to an oversight, Wilson and Shadrach never received the award posthumously.

Ron Shadrach, a descendant of Pvt. Shadrach, who was only 21 when he volunteered for the mission, and historian Brad Quinlin, teamed up to push Shadrach and Wilson's case. Text from a 2008 act of Congress even cleared the way for Wilson and Shadrach to be honored, but for reasons resembling "red tape," some family said, the call simply never came.

PHOTO: Gerald Taylor, great-great-nephew of Pvt. Shadrach is seen on July 2, 2024. (US Army)

PHOTO: 'The General'  the locomotive raided by the Union soldiers. (US Army)

Shadrach and Quinlin met in 2012 and made their case for 12 years, but even before them, a relative of Pvt. Shadrach was sending letters to President Jimmy Carter.

At the outset of the Biden Administration, two former generals -- one a four-star -- joined Shadrach and Quinlin's efforts.

PHOTO: Pvt. Wilson is seen herein an undated file photo. (US Army)

Quinlin believes the clandestine mission, which the White House describes as one of the first special operations in United States history, if successful, would have shortened the Civil War by as long as two years.

"I mean these were common citizens -- a laborer, a carpenter," he said.

"They enlisted. They weren't drafted; they enlisted voluntarily. And then all of a sudden you're getting the word, you know, we're asking for volunteers to come do what? Go in to a hundred miles of Confederate territory to steal a train. They stayed on. They were given a chance, they could have left after that, but they stayed on."

"I guess, unless we've really done it, do we really know what courage that took?"

Before they were hanged, Pvt. Wilson is reported to have given a brief speech from the gallows in which he said he did not regret his action to help save the Union.

"He proclaimed that they would yet see the flag of the United States wave over them again," Ron Shadrack said.

Two years later, they would.

PHOTO: Pvt. Shadrach is seen herein an undated file photo. (US Army)

Shadrack labored over the case for more than 12 years to rectify the historical record, but, above all, he said, he did so in service of his ancestor's sacrifices.

"We can't really comprehend what they went through," the Ohio native said, a bout of imprisonment that including lashing and torture.

"I had wanted to serve my country, and I hadn't," Shadrack said. "And so now I've been able to do this" he said, choking up, seemingly reckoning with this moment  a present day that would pay tribute to a day 162 years ago for which he has so long fought.

"And I think it's, it's something that any ordinary American would do," he said. "It's what we do."

Quinlin, who in his work has studied the acts of Medal of Honor recipients, said the award -- given to some 3,500 warfighters in U.S. history -- has documented the American story on the battlefield.

"I wouldn't have taken the project on if I didn't feel it was the right thing to do. I understand the Medal of Honor. I understand where it stands today with our military. And every military person looks up to a Medal of Honor recipients. Even generals take a seat to a Medal of Honor recipient," he said.

PHOTO: Theresa Chandler, the great-great granddaughter of Pvt. Wilson is seen on July 2, 2024. (US Army)

A future Medal of Honor recipient saved Quinlin's father's life in the Philippines in World War II, losing his life as he fought off the Japanese.

"I am here because of what William Shockley did on March 31st, 1945. I understand the valor and sacrifice of the Medal of Honor," Quinlin said.

Biden awards Medal of Honor to Civil War heroes, 162 years later originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
A curbside mail drop off box is shown at the Klein Post Office, 7717 Louetta Rd., Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in Spring. Melissa Phillip/Staff photographer

A Houston man accused of stealing hundreds of checks out of Richmond-area mailboxes was sentenced Tuesday to spend nearly six years in prison.

Daruin Anelby Rosario, 28, was arrested in October and accused of breaking into a blue U.S. Postal Service collection box in Richmond and stealing mailed checks that had been dropped inside. He was charged with possession of stolen mail, unlawful possession of a postal key and aggravated identity theft

U.S. Judge David Hittner sentenced Rosario to 71 months in prison on those three charges, and to another two years in prison for violating the probation on a separate mail theft conviction from 2022, according to court records.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Postal inspectors began looking into complaints about mail theft in Richmond in July 2023, after a request from the Richmond Police Department. An inspector put a secret camera on one of the city's collection boxes, as well as a sensor that alerted when the box's door was opened.

Two days after the equipment was installed, the camera recorded Rosario opening the mailbox and removing mail from inside. Rosario repeated the visits twice more over the next month, according to the complaint. Rosario was believed to have used a master key to open the collection box without damaging it, according to the complaint.

While inspectors were monitoring the mailbox, they also received a tip from the managers of a Katy apartment complex, who reported finding dozens of checks and three debit and credit cards inside an apartment that Rosario had been evicted from.

When inspectors served a warrant on Rosario's home in October, they found about 1,400 checks and nearly 800 over pieces of mail, according to court documents. Rosario laser admitted to stealing and selling the checks, and revealed that he owned 12 postal keys, according to court records.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The complaint didn't specify the combined value of the checks. The manager of one businesses hurt by the thefts, Crest Operating Company, said a stolen check cost them $7,500.

Rosario has been sent to prison for mail theft before. In 2020, he was arrested and accused of mail theft after police found a "large quantity" of other people's names is his car during a traffic stop.

The pile included letters, checks and an unopened mail-in ballot from Washington state, according to prosecutors.

Rosario would later admit to stealing and selling checks and other personal identifying information between March 2018 and November 2020, according to a 2022 plea agreement. Prosecutors said Rosario was part of a "network of contacts and co-conspirators" who stole mail and traded information among themselves.

Rosario "organized, photographed, catalogued, distributed, instructed and sold," the stolen mail as part of the scheme. The information in the mail would later be used to create counterfeit checks, which in turn would be used to steal from banks and businesses.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Prosecutors said Rosario was responsible for $150,000 in losses in the two-year period.

In 2022, Rosario pleaded guilty to the first mail theft charge and was sentenced to spend three months in federal prison and spend another two years under supervised release. He was on probation when he was arrested the second time, according to court records. He has been in federal custody since his arrest in 2023.
Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said in an interview that aired Tuesday he plans to talk to President Biden soon to give him an assessment of his standing with Americans in the wake of the presidents rough debate performance.

I did plan to  talk with him later today or  tomorrow morning, Clyburn said in an interview with The Hill on NewsNations Blake Burman. And Im gonna tell him what I really feel.

Clyburn said he will tell the president what his standing is with the American people from the South Carolina Democrats perspective.

Clyburn is often credited with the current presidents 2020 South Carolina primary win, which gave him momentum toward securing his place atop the Democratic ticket that year. However, a shadow has been cast over Bidens reelection chances in the last week due to the presidents poor debate performance, in which his voice was raspy and he stumbled over the words.

In the interview on The Hill, Clyburn acknowledged that last Thursday nights debate was a bad night for the president.

I do know this: I think that the American people want an explanation; they need to be reassured, and I hope that over the next several days, well do that, Clyburn said.

A few Democrats have either called on Biden to withdraw from this years presidential race or be replaced at the top of his partys ticket following Thursdays debate, including former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who has thrown his support behind Vice President Harris to replace the president.

Harris has significantly grown into her job; she will destroy [former President Trump] in debate, highlight [the] choice issue, energize our base, bring back young voters, and give us generational change. Its time! Ryan wrote in a social media post Tuesday.

NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
There has been growing alarm among Democrats about Joe Bidens debate performance on Thursday, amplifying concerns he cant beat Donald Trump in November.

But so far very few prominent Democrats have publicly called for Biden to step aside.

One of Bidens longtime allies, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, said on MSNBC Tuesday that its a legitimate question to ask if Bidens pauses during the debate were an episode or is this a condition? But she stopped short of calling for Biden to withdraw, saying that people should have concerns about Trumps mental acuity as well. She said opinions are mixed about whether Bidens up to the job, but, she said, I trust his judgment.

One of Bidens most crucial Democratic allies, South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn, said on MSNBC Tuesday that he would support Vice President Kamala Harris if Biden were to step aside. That is an obvious statement for a co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign, but it took on additional weight during a week rife with speculation about whether Biden should remain on the ticket.

While it would be nearly unprecedented, Biden could still withdraw from the race before the election. Here are some prominent Democrats who have so far publicly called for Biden to drop out.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas Tom WilliamsCQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett was the first Democrat currently serving in Congress to call for Biden to step aside. He said in a statement on Tuesday that Bidens weak poll numbers and debate performance was an important part of his decision. President Biden has continued to run substantially behind Democratic senators in key states and in most polls has trailed Donald Trump, Doggett said in a statement. I had hoped that the debate would provide some momentum to change that. It did not. Instead of reassuring voters, the President failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trumps many lies.

In his announcement, Doggett referred to former President Lyndon Johnsons decision in 1968 to withdraw from the Presidential race because of deep divisions within the Democratic party over the war in Vietnam. "I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson, Doggett said. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw. President Biden should do the same."

Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona

Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., in 2022 Tom WilliamsCQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

The Arizona Congressman on Wednesday became the second sitting member to call for Biden to drop out. "If hes the candidate, Im going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere, Grijalva told The New York Times. Grijalva, a former chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, added that Biden needed to shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat  and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.

Tim Ryan, former Ohio Congressman from 2003 to 2023

Tim Ryan in 2022 Joshua A. BickelBloomberg via Getty Images

Former Ohio congressman Tim Ryan called for Biden to step aside when he published an OpEd article in Newsweek on Tuesday saying that its time to make Harris the partys nominee. We have to rip the band aid off! Too much is at stake, Ryan wrote on X. Harris has significantly grown into her job, she will destroy Trump in debate, highlight choice issue, energize our base, bring back young voters and give us generational change.

Julian Castro, former Housing Secretary in the Obama Administration

Julian Castro in 2022 Al DragoBloomberg via Getty Images

Julian Castro, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 2014 to 2017 during the Obama administration, wrote on X on June 28: Biden had a very low bar going into the debate and failed to clear even that bar. He seemed unprepared, lost, and not strong enough to parry effectively with Trump, who lies constantly. On Tuesday, Castro said on MSNBC that another Democrat would have a better shot at beating Trump.

Jason Lewis, Massachusetts State Senator

State Senator Jason Lewis in 2015 Lane TurnerThe Boston Globe via Getty Images

Massachusetts State Senator Jason Lewis made the comment in a Boston Public Radio interview on June 28 in which compared Bidens candidacy to a train about to crash. Our choice is to, you know, jump off that train, Lewis said.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
The former Apollo 8 astronaut best known for taking the iconic Earthrise photo, who died last month while piloting a plane over the waters off Washington state, was doing a flyby near a friend's house when the fatal accident occurred, federal authorities said Tuesday.

William Anders, whose Earthrise photo showed the planet as a shadowed blue marble from space in 1968, had texted a friend to say he planned to do a flyby near her house on the western shore of Orcas Island, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its preliminary report.

The friend said Anders' flybys were not unusual, according to the NTSB. She said that he typically did two flybys, and while he sometimes rocked the airplane wings, "he never performed any kind of aerobatic maneuvers.

Around 11:37 a.m. on June 7, the friend began to hear the familiar noise of his airplane, the NTSB said. Shortly after, she saw the older-model Beech A45 overhead traveling north along the shore in front of her house.

She briefly lost sight of the plane as it flew behind trees. When she saw it come back into view it was heading south and flying over the water. After it passed by, she saw the left wing drop and thought it was part of his routine. But the wing continued to drop as the plane plummeted toward the water below.

At the same time, another witness on the same shoreline north of Anders' friend's home, was using his phone to film the vintage airplane passing by, the NTSB said. Over the course of the video, the plane can be seen plunging toward the water in a near vertical dive before its right wingtip strikes the water.

The friend and the person who took the video were the only two witnesses to come forward, the NTSB said.

The plane sank near the north end of Jones Island, which is off the western shore of Orcas Island, San Juan County Sheriff Eric Peter said. The body of the 90-year-old Anders was recovered that afternoon.

Most of the wreckage was recovered in the week following the crash and has been stored for further examination, the agency said.

Anders' Earthrise photograph, the first color image of Earth from space, is one of the most important photos in modern history for the way it changed how humans viewed the planet. The photo is credited with sparking the global environmental movement for showing how delicate and isolated Earth appeared from space.

Anders, a retired major general, has said the photo was his most significant contribution to the space program along with making sure the Apollo 8 command module and service module worked.

His son, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Greg Anders, told The Associated Press after his father's death that the family was devastated.

He was a great pilot and we will miss him terribly," he said.
House Democrats are calling on five major pharmacy chains to commit to dispensing mifepristone in states where it remains legal, following the recent Supreme Court decision that preserved the current accessibility of the drug.

In letters sent to Walmart, Safeway, Kroger, Costco and Health Mart, a group of more than 50 House Democrats  led by Reps. Judy Chu (Calif.) and Dan Goldman (N.Y.)  pressed the pharmacies to become certified dispensers of mifepristone.

We are disappointed that you have not publicly pursued certification for the past year, the Democrats wrote. We strongly urge you to consider policies that facilitate access to essential and time-sensitive reproductive health care services, including medication abortion, which are clear to your consumers and to your pharmacy employees.

In 2023, the Food and Drug Administration established a process for retail pharmacies to become certified to dispense mifepristone to patients with valid prescriptions, the first in the two-drug process used in medication abortions.

Goldman and Chu said they reached out to the same five pharmacies in June 2023 about offering mifepristone, but the companies did not say whether they planned to get certified.

In the wake of last months Supreme Court decision that preserved current access to mifepristone, the Democrats urged the pharmacies to reconsider.

This lack of action to certify is misaligned with your publicly stated values in support of equal access to health care and in support of gender equality, they wrote. In light of escalating attacks on bodily autonomy and on peoples freedom to make their own health care decisions, we believe that your companies have a social responsibility to consumers and communities to address this issue as soon as possible.

The lawmakers are seeking responses from the pharmacies by July 12.

Walgreens and CVS are the only two major retail pharmacies that have publicly sought the certification, and the companies began selling mifepristone in March in states where it remains legal to do so.

Walgreens in particular took heat from both sides of the abortion argument spectrum. The company angered Democrats and abortion rights advocates when it declined to dispense abortion pills in 21 states, including four states where abortion was still legal.

The company also faced an onslaught of attacks and threats from Republican attorneys general as well as anti-abortion groups for selling mifepristone in the first place.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 Israeli military is preparing a phased pullout from Gaza and quietly pressing the government to broker a truce with Hamas as quickly as possible, as the military works to clear the decks ahead of what officials say could be a withering war with the powerful Iranian-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah.

One Israeli official said today that if the barometer is destroying Hamass pre-war capabilities  which included clearly designated battalions with sophisticated coordination and communications  and removing Hamas from Gaza's government, then Israel has already achieved that.

Multiple Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have signaled that Israel will begin to draw down forces in Gaza as it enters into what it has called "Phase C" of its war, with a significantly reduced number of troops focusing on what one official described as fighting Hamas hotspots and hunting high-value targets.

Another Israeli official conceded to ABC News that Hamas still has a large influence over whats taking place in Gaza  thats the main thing. We need to try to create an alternative.

PHOTO: Black smoke billows following an Israeli air strike that targeted a house in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam near the Lebanese-Israeli border, June 21, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (Rabih Daher/AFP via Getty Images)

Israels own status map, which depicts the fighting condition of all of Hamas 24 pre-war battalions, designates one of the battalions in Rafah as green, which means operational, and another as orange, which is semi-operational.

Hamas' continued influence in Gaza has not fully mitigated lawlessness there. with European and Israeli officials warning for months that the Gaza Strip could turn into Mogadishu on the Mediterranean, a reference to the decades of internecine fighting and instability in Somalias capital.

In high-level meetings in Washington last week, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed potential "day after" plans for Gaza, according to four U.S. and Israeli officials who spoke to ABC News.

One of the plans would comprise an international "board of directors" that U.S. officials are likening to a steering committee of nations that would include the UAE, Egypt, and possibly Jordan. Morocco would send peacekeepers to Gaza, with the U.S. somehow providing general oversight and command and control. The response from Arab states to the proposal has been lukewarm, a senior official with direct knowledge of the situation told ABC News.

MORE: What is Hezbollah? Lebanon's militant group has long been one of Israel's biggest foes

The "board of directors" would be coupled with a new a "bottom up" force that the U.S. would train and that would include contingents from the Palestinian Authority to lend it legitimacy, though not so many Palestinian contingents that Netanyahu, who has publicly dismissed any Palestinian Authority role in a future Gaza, would reject the plan, a senior Israeli official told ABC News.

PHOTO: An Israeli flag flies from a pole as behind smoke plumes rise from a fire in a field after rockets launched from southern Lebanon landed near Katzrin in the Israel-annexed Golan Heights, June 13, 2024. (Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images)

The training of the Palestinian force in Gaza would be supervised by U.S. Lt. Gen. Michael Fenzel, United States Security Coordinator of the Israel-Palestinian Authority who is based in Jerusalem. These units would begin to operate in small enclaves in Gaza.

Officials said it remains doubtful that these kinds of alternatives could be stood up quickly, which would potentially leave Hamas to control the power vacuum in Gaza. But a group of top Israeli officials interviewed this week said crushing an already debilitated Hamas, currently capable only of small-scale attacks on Israel, should be sidelined in favor of countering Hezbollah, which poses an existential threat to the state.

MORE: Israel is 'closer to war' with Hezbollah than ever, senior Israeli official says

To that end, the officials said, Israel should muster forces and conserve ammunition for an impending confrontation with Hezbollah, which has boasted of tens of thousands of Iranian-trained fighters, many of them seasoned from fighting in Syrias civil war, and further thousands of missiles and rockets that could well overwhelm Israels air defenses.

The Israeli officials said Israel has sufficient offensive munitions for a war with Hezbollah, but could use more from the U.S.

Hezbollah said it began its cross-border war with Israel on Oct. 8, following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, out of solidarity with the Palestinians. Hezbollahs deputy leader, Naim Kassem, told the Associated Press Tuesday, "If there is a cease-fire in Gaza, we will stop without any discussion.

PHOTO: An Israeli army main battle tank moves along an area near the border with the Gaza Strip and southern Israel, July 2, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)

But Hezbollah also has signaled that it wouldn't agree to the U.S.-brokered deal until Israel ends the war in Gaza. The Israeli sources told ABC News that Hamas was stalling on committing to terms on the internationally brokered cease-fire knowing that a potential war with Hezbollah would significantly weaken Israel.

MORE: US sends USS Wasp assault ship and Marines to eastern Mediterranean

The larger issue is that regardless of the approach, it will take time, which is working against the process, U.S. and Israeli officials say, but is working in favor of Hamas. Multiple, multi-day operations in which Israel has reentered areas it cleared months ago and where Hamas has since regrouped have shown that the terrorist group has slowly and quietly reasserted itself in Gaza.

Hamas has a large influence over whats taking place in Gaza and thats the main reason we need to try to create an alternative, an Israeli official told ABC News. "You even see that over the effort Hamas has taken to control the looting of aid convoys."

Right now, Hamas has a head start, and its unclear whether an international force can be deployed, or a suitable local force can be trained, before it regains a potentially indomitable level of local control.

Israel prepares for possible war with Hezbollah as Hamas conflict drags on originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Oakley's founder, James Jannard, listed his Beverly Hills cement compound for $68 million. Courtesy of Westside Estate Agency

James Jannard listed a Beverly Hills compound for $68 million shortly after his record Malibu sale.

The Oakley founder recently set a record with a $210 million Malibu mansion sale, surpassing Jay-Z.

Forbes estimates Jannard's net worth to be $1.3 billion.

Just days after making a record-breaking Malibu mansion sale for $210 million, James Jannard is back with another mammoth listing.

The sunglasses mogul, who founded Oakley, just put his Beverly Hills, California, cement compound up for sale at $68 million, as first reported by Realtor.com.

Jannard recently surpassed Jay-Z and Beyonce to claim the title of California's most expensive home real-estate sale, and Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.3 billion.

After starting Oakley in 1975, Jannard eventually sold the company 32 years later for $2.1 billion to the Italian company Luxottica. He later founded the digital cinema camera company Red Digital Cinema before retiring in 2019.

Scroll down to check out inside the mansion.

The futuristic fortress, which spans 18,000 square feet, features five bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, and an intimidatingly giant oval courtyard.

The giant oval courtyard is opened by two massive metal doors. Westside Estate Agency

The property, which Jannard purchased in 2009 for $19.9 million, was originally built in 2016, according to the listing. It's in Trousdale Estates, which sits in the foothills of the Santa Monica mountains.

Trousdale Estates has housed several stars since the 1950s, including Elvis, Elton John, and Jane Fonda.

The central lounge area is centered for a full view of the pool and Los Angeles. Westside Estate Agency

Resting on one of Beverly Hills' highest points, the luxurious neighborhood offers a sweeping view of Los Angeles and easy access to Sunset Boulevard. Its average home value is about $7 million, according to Zillow.

The mansion, which took five years to finish, boasts a brutalist design with bare cement walls, aluminum ceilings and accessories, and all-metal fixtures.

The bathroom and appliances are all also fully metal. Westside Estate Agency

Inspired by Stonehenge, according to Wallpaper, the cavernous manor includes floor-to-ceiling windows and oversize columns. Jeff Vance, the owner of the architecture firm iDGroup, designed acoustic panels to remove echo and create a cozier living experience despite its cold appearance.

Jannard reportedly also owns property in Newport Beach, California, two islands in Fiji, and a third in the Pacific Northwest.

The living room has a gas hearth covered with a large metal hood. Westside Estate Agency

The former Oakley CEO shelled out $7 million for a Newport Beach house back in 1999, the Los Angeles Times reported. Jannard reportedly also bought an acre of land north of the area and Corona del Mar for an additional $8 million.

The kitchen is fully chrome, and nearly all the house's furniture is custom-made.

The fully chrome kitchen is both a shiny showstopper and fully functional. Westside Estate Agency

There is both a gourmet kitchen and a full chef's kitchen, as well as a bar, according to the listing.

Some rooms are softened by wooden floors and expansive windows and skylights for the sun to brighten.

The mansion has five bedrooms and 10 full bathrooms. Westside Estate Agency

The property is just under 2 acres, according to the listing, and is priced at roughly $3,700 per square foot.

Curved walls lead to the guest bedroom and a separate guest apartment.

The curved hallway leads to the owner's suite, where an 1880s Gatling gun is displayed. Westside Estate Agency

The guest and owner's rooms flank one side of the living area, while service rooms reside on the other side for a symmetrical layout.

The central lounge area overlooks a massive infinity pool.

The lounge area overlooks a large infinity pool and the entire Los Angeles basin. Westside Estate Agency

The living room has a full glass wall that can retract into the ground for an unobstructed view of the Los Angeles basin.

The light fixtures are made with tumbled aluminum, as is nearly all the seating and hardware.

Westside Estate Agency

Some rooms have wood accents to cut through the overwhelming industrial design furniture.

The owner's bathroom includes a metal tub inscribed with a sentence written in J.R.R. Tolkien's Elvish language.

Westside Estate Agency

Red, Jannards second company, manufactured the digital cameras that were used to film the "Hobbit" franchise.

The concrete fort also includes a movie theater, a gym, a wine cellar, and an elevator.

The mansion's has a home theatre. Westside Estate Agency

The home theater stays on the sci-fi theme with gray lounge seats and cement blocks adorning even grayer walls.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Sheryl Lee Ralph attends the 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Creative Arts & Lifestyle Awards at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, Los Angeles on June 08, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

Sheryl Lee Ralph is sheltering in Jamaica as Hurricane Beryl is expected to touch down on the island Wednesday.

Ralph, who is of Jamaican descent and frequently returns to the Caribbean, told fans in a video shared on X just after midnight that she "had to take in all of the outside furniture because you know, those things take flight."

Beryl is expected to make landfall on the country's southern coast Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane, bringing a barrage of life-threatening conditions as residents prepare for the powerful storm's arrival.

The National Hurricane Center said "life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides" from torrential downpours are expected over much of Jamaica and southern Haiti.

According to the "Abbott Elementary" star, 68, it was "very calm here in Jamaica" as she was taking the video and that the sky's were "so beautifully clear."

"I just wanted to say to everybody, please stay inside stay off the road in Kingston," she advised. "I hope you've put oil in your lamp and are taking extra care."

"God bless you, goodnight," Ralph concluded.

Good night from Jamaica  Pray for us as you pray for others. pic.twitter.com/kgmWQb2VFo  sheryl lee ralph (@thesherylralph) July 3, 2024

Ralph is currently in Jamaica with daughter Ivy Coco Maurice, 29, and son Etienne Maurice, 32, the latter who is expected to get married on the island Saturday.

On his Instagram story, Etienne said he is "disappointed that some people aren't going to make it to the wedding" due to the storm predictions. "Whoever will be here will be here. I'm leaving it in God's hands," he added.

It's unclear if the wedding will still proceed.

USA TODAY reached out to reps for Ralph to comment.

Jamaican officials warned residents to stock up on food, batteries, candles and drinking water. Residents in flood-prone areas were also advised to prepare for evacuation.

Hurricane Beryl live updates: Jamaica braces for 'devastating' conditions

"Secure your critical documents and remove any trees or items that could endanger your property," the Office of the Prime Minister in Jamaica said on X on Tuesday. "Everyone, including those living alone, should take these necessary steps now."

As a precaution, Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Tuesday night that electricity and water services will likely be shut off "if the storm reaches a serious threshold" to prevent fires and protect equipment.

Contributing: Thao Nguyen and Christopher Cann

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sheryl Lee Ralph prepares for Hurricane Beryl in Jamaica
Reve Preparatory Charter School on Thursday, June 27, 2024 in Houston. The school is in the middle of constructing their new building on their original campus grounds. Ishika Samant/Staff photographer Reve Preparatory Charter School on Thursday, June 27, 2024 in Houston. The school is in the middle of constructing their new building on their original campus grounds. Ishika Samant/Staff photographer

The Texas Education Agency rejected the renewal of a Houston charter school, a rare move that puts the future of the struggling southeast Houston school in danger just weeks before it is set to open a $13 million campus for the upcoming academic year.

A June 20 letter confirmed the agencys intent to deny the renewal of Reve Preparatory Charter School because of poor academic performance and the lack of a properly certified special education teacher.

TEA Commissioner Mike Morath wrote that Reves administration submitted an incomplete application by the Feb. 9 deadline, which came less than three weeks after the death of the schools founder, Traci Thibodeaux.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The school has until July 31 to appeal. If that petition is filed and accepted, the case will go to a State Office of Administrative Hearings judge. The school could also reach an agreement with the TEA to avoid the hearing. Both Reve and the TEA have confirmed ongoing discussions.

Without a successful appeal or agreement, the school would be in danger of joining the ranks of seven charter schools in Texas forced to close after a nonrenewal. It would be the first nonrenewed charter since 2009, according to TEA records.

The school is determined to keep its doors open. It is days from opening a new campus on the same land as the current school funded in a $13 million bond secured in 2022. With enrollment ongoing for the 2024-2025 school year open, school leaders are not inclined to give up.

Reve has faced significant challenges since opening in August 2019, six months before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Thibodeaux died on Jan. 21, according to her online obituary. Thibodeaux, 43, was a Building Excellent Schools fellow, a nonprofit founded in Massachusetts that produces charter school leaders, including one that had a new charter application accepted last week for Unparalleled Preparatory Academy. It has also struggled with teacher and student retention and bridging learning gaps since they opened five years ago.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Charter schools can be revoked outside of the renewal cycle if a campus meets specific criteria, one of which can be three consecutive years of low performance. Out of the 346 charters that have been awarded to groups in Texas since 1995, 39 charters have been revoked. Of the charters that have been awarded, there are about 180 open-enrollment charters still operating in the state, some of which run dozens of campuses.

Reve's mission

The schools name comes from the French word Reve, meaning dream, and the school says it aims to help students reach their dreams by breaking them down into actionable steps.

We will instill this mindset in all of our students so that they know that they truly can achieve whatever they believe, the website reads.

Reve Prep opened during the 2019-2020 school year with 66 students in Pre-K through first grade. Despite expanding through seventh grade, enrollment has stayed low. About 218 students in pre-K through seventh grade attended in 2023-2024, according to state data. The charter had anticipated an enrollment more than three times that number by year five, according to its application.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The student body is 62% Black and 37% Hispanic. More than 80% of the student body is considered economically disadvantaged, making the school eligible for Title I federal funding.

Thibodeaux was a Houston native who grew up in some of the most "challenging neighborhoods" and traveled outside those neighborhoods for school, according to the schools website. She earned a bachelors from the University of Texas at Austin in math, a masters in business from the University of Michigan and another masters in educational leadership from The Broad Center.

She is survived by a husband, daughter and "Reve Preparatory Charter School to carry the torch of her dreams," according to her online obituary, which was printed in the Houston Chronicle on Feb. 9.

Obituary printed in the Houston Chronicle of Reve Preparatory Charter School's founder, Traci Thibodeuax, a Building Excellent Schools fellow who died this January at age 43. Houston Chronicle

Toscha Dickerson, the superintendent of the school, joined as a founding board member before taking on her current post. She wrote on the online legacy wall, including a photo of the two from an event.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

"I will truly miss you! A part of me feels broken, but I know youre still here with me!! I will carry your memories with me forever!! You are an inspiration and A Life Changer!!" Dickerson wrote.

Dickerson declined to comment for this story beyond saying that the school and TEA had reached a tentative agreement to keep its doors open this fall. The TEA confirmed that the agency "remains engaged in ongoing discussions with the charter" but could not comment further on the status of those talks.

The school has also struggled with teacher and student retention. The most recent state data shows that 33% of Reve students in fall 2021 did not return to the school for fall 2022, compared to a state attrition average of 18%.

The rate of turnover for teachers was even higher at Reve, with 67% of the staff leaving their teaching posts between fall 2021 and 2022. The states average was 21%.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Reve has also had trouble hiring experienced educators. Its most recent state report shows that the average years of experience for teachers at Reve was under one year, and that there were no teachers on staff with more than five years of experience.

What does a nonrenewal mean?

Morath is in charge of all charter renewal applications, a job that used to be in the hands of the State Board of Education but switched to the commissioner more than a decade ago. New charters need to apply for renewal after five years, while existing charters must reapply for renewal every 10 years. Decisions regarding the renewal can be made on an academic, financial or operational basis.

Reves financial ratings under the FIRST integrity system show an "A" for all years of its existence. The school was designated as a not rated campus during the 2021-2022 academic performance ratings system, which meant the campus received a failing grade. The COVID pandemic halted the scorecard for 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, and the ratings system for the 2022-2023 school year is currently suspended in litigation.

STAAR data from 2022-23, which Morath mentioned in his letter to the school this May, shows the school fell far behind state levels.

On the fifth-grade science STAAR, none of the Reve students tested met grade level, compared to 36% of fifth-graders statewide not meeting grade level. Between third-, fourth- and fifth-graders, only nine students met grade level or above for reading out of 91 students tested. At the state level, around half of students in the three grade levels tested met grade level or above for reading.

And in math, students fared significantly worse. For third-, fourth- and fifth-graders, over 60% of students did not meet grade level. Only five Reve students tested in math among all three grades met grade level or above. The statewide averages were much lower, with only between 20-30% of students at each grade tested not meeting grade level on the math exams.

Morath said in his letter that the school was deemed to have academically unacceptable performance and that benchmark data does not indicate overall student growth."

But the years post-COVID have been marked by learning loss across the board for both public and private schools. This years most recent STAAR exams showed that students did better than previous years, but learning loss especially in math has been the hardest to recoup.

These losses have been especially common among other new charter schools in the city.

Bloom Academy, a school founded by another Building Excellent Schools fellow, also has low STAAR performance, alongside Houston-based charters Etoile Academy and Yellowstone College Prep, which are faring similarly. Compared to the state averages on the 2024 STAAR, Bloom, Etoile, Yellowstone and Reve all fall below the standard set by the states public schools in the category of Approaches Grade level or higher for grades 3 through 8.

Bloom is up for renewal this year alongside Reve and 10 others, but its application has not yet received a decision, according to the TEA. There is no pending investigation into the school at the moment, the TEA confirmed.

While nonrenewal-based closures are not common in the history of Texas charter schools, the TEA declined to comment on how common it could be for a charter school to receive a nonrenewal notice and then win an appeal to keep its doors open.

The American Academy of Excellence Houston and the Gulf Shores Academy were among some of the last charters to close via a nonrenewal. Gulf Shores Academy was nonrenewed in July 2009 after years of low performance, felony charges against its leaders and debts for over-reporting enrollment. The American Academy of Excellence Houston was nonrenewed in August 2007 after appealing an earlier attempt to close the school by the TEA.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has made his first visit to Kyiv since Russias full-scale war began, and urged Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a ceasefire in order to speed up peace talks with Moscow.

Standing alongside Zelensky on Tuesday, Orban, who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and has criticized European support for Ukraine, said: I asked the president to think about whether we could reverse the order, and speed up peace talks, with making a ceasefire first.

Orban continued: A ceasefire connected to a deadline would give a chance to speed up peace talks. I explored this possibility with the president and I am grateful for his honest answers and negotiation.

The Hungarian leader has touted the idea of ending the war with a ceasefire as opposed to military support for Ukraine numerous times since Russias military flooded across the border in 2022.

Zelensky dismissed the idea, according to his office.

Speaking on national TV on Monday, Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of Zelenskys office, said that even though Orban was given the opportunity to express his thoughts during his visit to Kyiv, Zelenskys position on this issue is clear, understandable and known.

Zelensky previously rejected French President Emmanuel Macrons Olympic ceasefire proposal citing its potential to inadvertently benefit Russians on the ground.

According to Zhovkva, Kyivs number one tool to end hostilities is through a second peace summit, which Ukraine is already preparing for.

We are saying that Ukraine will draft its peace plan, a roadmap for establishing peace in Ukraine. It will develop it with all the states that are ready. Hungary is also ready for this. And then, if the aggressor country is ready to listen to this plan, ready to talk about this plan, and not to speak the language of ultimatums, then yes, during the second summit, we can say that representatives of the Russian Federation may attend this summit in one way or another, he said.

Orban also stated his desire to improve relations between Budapest and Kyiv, which have been strained by the Hungarian leaders close relationship with Putin.

We would like to make the relationship between the two countries better, Orban said. We would like to make a broad bilateral agreement with Ukraine, similar to the ones we already made with our neighbors (in the past). We would be happy to take part in the modernization of Ukraines economy, we would like an ordered framework for this.

The authoritarian Hungarian leader has regularly attempted to block European Union initiatives offering further military and financial support to Kyiv during the conflict.

The Hungarian prime ministers close relationship with Putin has frequently come under scrutiny. Their bond is underpinned by both economic cooperation and some shared values.

Both leaders have also enacted anti-LGBTQ policies and clamped down on freedom of speech in their countries. Hungary has supported Russia at a United Nations level and rejected EU sanctions following Putins aggression in Ukraine as early as 2014, after Russia illegally annexed Crimea.

Tuesdays meeting comes as Orban and Hungary take control of the EU Councils rotating presidency, which changes every six months. During each six-month period, the country controlling the presidency does not take control of the EUs overall agenda, but does have a platform through which they can hammer home their own priorities.

On the EU Councils website, it likens holding the presidency to someone hosting a dinner, making sure their guests all gather in harmony, adding that to guarantee effectiveness, the presidency acts as an honest broker, rising above the holders own national interest.

Orban took control of the presidency on Monday with a call to Make Europe Great Again, a reference to Donald Trumps political slogan that will alarm many of his European counterparts who are braced for the former US presidents potential return to the White House, concerned about what it will mean for the EU.

Other key European diplomatic meetings are planned for July. NATO will celebrate 75 years of the alliance in Washington, DC between July 9 and 11. The agenda for that event is expected to be dominated by long-term plans to support Ukraine and conversations about its eventual accession to the alliance.

Talks between the two leaders will focus on possibilities for achieving peace, as well as current issues in Hungarian-Ukrainian bilateral relations, a Hungarian government spokesperson said. - Zoltan Fischer/MTI/AP

The European Political Community (EPC), a forum for 47 European countries, inside and outside the EU, to discuss the continents strategic challenges, will also meet on July 18 in the United Kingdom. Ukraine and Hungary are both members of the EPC.

It is expected that Ukraine will dominate that agenda and Zelensky may attend the meeting in person. Orban may have had this in mind when timing this trip to Kyiv, ensuring that his first meeting with Ukraines president since the start of the war was not in such a public and high-stakes diplomatic setting.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNNs Amy Cassidy and Niamh Kennedy contributed reporting.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest won't feel the same without Joey Chestnut, but the show must go on. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua via Getty Images) (Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images)

The 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is nearly here, but missing its marquee star Joey Chestnut.

With the 16-time champion out of the event due to a contract dispute, the Nathan's contest will proceed in its usual Fourth of July time slot and a guaranteed new champion in the men's competition. Meanwhile, nine-time champion Miki Sudo headlines the women's field at Coney Island.

Chestnut's ouster boils down to Major League Eating, the organizers behind the Nathan's contest, objecting to Chestnut's endorsement deal with Impossible Foods, which makes a plant-based hot dog. Chestnut responded to the ban in his first interview Tuesday, claiming that MLE changed its exclusivity conditions too late for him to stop his deal with Impossible and not ruling out a return in the future.

Chestnut is far from the only gurgitator to see his relationship with MLE go south. Takeru Kobayashi and Matt Stonie, the only other men to win the competition since 2000, both saw their time end due to disputes over exclusivity in their contract negotiations.

Of course, Chestnut isn't planning to spend his Fourth of July not gorging himself on hot dogs. He has set up his own event, the "Fort Bliss Meat and Greet," to take place not long after the Nathan's contest, in which he will attempt to out-eat four U.S. Army soldiers combined in a five-minute competition.

This 4th will be a little different, but I'll still be eating a whole lot of all-beef hot dogs!



I'm stoked to be going to Ft. Bliss, where I'll be eating against four of their finest soldiers.



Watch live on my YouTube channel: https://t.co/Dy6TB796DQ

Starts at 5pm ET  Joey Chestnut (@joeyjaws) July 2, 2024

Here's how to watch everything on a hot dog-filled Fourth of July.

How to watch the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest

Date: Thursday, July 4

Women's competition time: 10:45 a.m. ET

Men's competition time: Noon ET

TV channel: ESPN2 (men only)

Streaming: ESPN3

How to watch Joey Chestnut's July 4th Fort Bliss Meat and Greet

Date: Thursday, July 4

Time: 5 p.m. ET

Streaming:Joey Chestnut's YouTube channel

Who is favored in the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest without Joey Chestnut?

With Chestnut out of the mix, all eyes  and a dedicated ESPN camera  will be fixed on Geoffrey Esper, the No. 2-ranked eater on MLE's roster. The 49-year-old Oxford, Massachusetts, native will be competing in the Nathan's contest for the ninth time and has finished second behind Chestnut the last three years in a row, downing 47 dogs in 2023.

Behind Esper will be 2023 third-place finisher James Webb and Nick Wehry, the third-ranked man on MLE's rankings.

Meanwhile, Sudo remains the overwhelming favorite to win her 10th belt in the women's competition. Right behind her is Japanese rising star Mayoi Ebihara, who burst onto the scene last year with 33.5 dogs, only six behind Sudo.

What are the rules of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest?

The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is a 10-minute competition in which contestants must eat both the hot dog and its bun, with an individual scorekeeper tallying their total behind them. Partial hot dogs are counted even if they're still being chewed at the end of the competition, as long as they are swallowed.

Contestants are allowed to drink water with their hot dogs and often dip them to soften the buns. Condiments are technically allowed but almost never used. Vomiting means instant disqualification.

Should two competitors be tied at the end of regulation, they will go into a sudden-death eat-off. The only such overtime in the event's history came in 2008, when Chestnut ate five hot dogs faster than Kobayashi to capture his second mustard belt.

What about Joey Chestnut's faceoff with Takeru Kobayashi?

Chestnut's event at Fort Bliss might only be his warm-up act, as he is scheduled to face his old rival Kobayashi in a Netflix-streamed event on Labor Day in September.

Before Chestnut, Kobayashi was the original crossover star for competitive eating, with six straight wins before Chestnut surpassed him in 2007.


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.
Peter Warren is a general assignment reporter for the Houston Chronicle. He can be reached at peter.warren@houstonchronicle.com.

Peter previously lived in Dallas, where he covered the sports as a freelancer for the Dallas Morning News and other outlets. He has been published in Texas Highways Magazine, DMagazine.com, the Star Tribune and Bowlers Journal International. Peter graduated from Northwestern University in 2021.
Seagate Technology Holdings has appointed Futoshi Niizuma as its vice president for Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) sales, overseeing the companys sales and technical support activities across the region.

We are excited to have Niizuma take on his new expanded role, Seagate executive vice president and chief commercial officer BanSeng Teh said.

Niizumas exceptional experience in working with business partners as well as his leadership will empower and support the customers we serve in this region.

Niizuma joined Seagate in October 2009 and has held various senior roles in Japan, South Asia, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand.

Most recently, he headed up Seagates Japan sales team to grow market presence, build ecosystem partnerships and deliver value to customers.

Prior to joining Seagate, Niizuma held various positions in senior sales, marketing and management, including Kenwood Corporation and Advanced Micro Devices.
NEW DELHI/Hathras: As the death toll in the Hathras stampede rose to 121 on Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath met those injured in the stampede and announced a judicial probe into the matter. The police filed an FIR against the organisers of the religious congregation, accusing them of hiding evidence and flouting conditions with 2.5 lakh people crammed into a venue in which only 80,000 were permitted.

A preliminary report by the sub divisional magistrate (SDM) has revealed that chaos was caused after the followers of the "godman" were pushed by his security and a "slippery slope" resulted in the stampede.

According to the UP relief commissioner, the number of people injured stands at 28. Only four of the 121 bodies are yet to be identified. Of the 116 who died on Tuesday, all were women, except for seven children and one man.

The family members of the victims gathered around hospitals, some looking for those missing, some were there to identify bodies and others were tending to the injured.

The doctors said asphyxia due to compression was the leading cause of death. The hospitals carried out four times the usual number of autopsies in a day in the aftermath of the stampede. A majority of the victims were women aged between 40 and 50 years.

As the administration and the medical fraternity coped with the crisis, families tried to piece together what had happened and count their losses.

Among them was 29-year-old Satyendra Yadav, who works as a driver, who lost his three-year-old son Rovin. He had reached the venue with his entire family, including his mother, wife and two children. The anguished father, who performed the last rites for his son on Tuesday night, said he doesn't remember much of what happened.

Kaavya and her elder brother, nine-year-old Ayush, took a bus with their family from Jaipur on Monday evening. It was to be their last. Ramlakhan, their uncle, said he hasn't told their father and his brother Anad.

"I came to know about the tragic incident around 5 pm. They (Kaavya and Ayush) had gone to the satsang along with my wife, who is their paternal aunt. The children, along with other family members, had left Jaipur on Monday evening and they had reached the programme venue by 6 am," Ramlakhan told the media.

On Wednesday, Mr Adityanath met the victims and their kin, while assuring them that the accused will not be spared.

After meeting the victims, the UP CM held a discussion with the officials and said the possibility of a conspiracy cannot be ruled out. He also said the "sevadars" should have taken the victims to the hospital. Asserting that the government will ensure that such incidents do not recur, the chief minister said a standard operating procedure might be put in place for religious congregations.

A judicial probe by a retired high court judge will be conducted into the incident. "If this is not an accident, then whose conspiracy is this? All of these will be probed. Retired officials of the police and civic administration will be part of the judicial inquiry and action will be taken against those found responsible," Mr Adityanath said.

The chief minister said that among those killed, six were from other states -- four from Haryana and one each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

When asked why the religious preacher has not been named in the FIR as an accused, Mr Adityanath said, "Prima facie, the case has been filed against those who had applied for permission for the event. Whoever is responsible for this will come under its purview."

A team consisting of ADG Agra and Aligarh divisional commissioner has been constituted to inquire into the cause of the incident.

Meanwhile, the Hathras SDMs report stated, "A crowd of more than 2-lakh people were present in the satsang pandal. The preacher reached the venue at about 12.30 pm and the programme went on for an hour At about 1.40 pm, the godman came out of the pandal to go towards Etah via national highway 91. As soon as he left, his followers started running towards him for a 'darshan' and to collect soil from around his feet.

The followers, mostly women and children, started applying the dust of Baba's feet to their foreheads while trying to get his darshan, touch his feet and take his blessingsThe situation worsened when more people began running towards his vehicle. Then the personal security personnel and the sevadars started pushing and shoving to stop the crowd, due to which some people fell down," the report states, adding that it led to a panic and the crowd went out of control.

Due to panic, the crowd ran towards the open field in front of the venue to get relief. On the other side of the road, most of the people slipped and fell due to the wet slope while descending from the road towards the fieldthose who fell could not get up again and were run over by those coming from behind, the report mentioned.

While the state police lodged an FIR against the organisers. "Mukhya sevadar" Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers have been named in the FIR. The godman's name is not on the list of accused, though it is in the complaint.

Giving a sense of what took place, the FIR alleged that the organisers hid the actual number of devotees coming to the satsang while seeking permission, did not cooperate in traffic management and hid evidence after the incident.

The FIR apparently gave a clean chit to the police and administration, saying they did whatever was possible with the available resources. According to the FIR, police and administration officials did everything possible and sent the injured from the available resources to hospitals, but the organisers and "sevadars" did not cooperate.

In a related development, two separate public interest litigations were also filed in the Supreme Court and the Allahabad high court in the stampede incident. The plea submitted before the apex court sought the constitution of a high-level committee under the supervision of a retired judge to investigate the stampede incident.
Turkish police detain at least 474 people. In Afrin, four people died in gunfight between protesters and Turkish troops. Violence was triggered by reports that went viral on social media concerning sexual abuse by a Syrian refugee against a minor. The case reflects the growing intolerance towards foreigners in Turkey.

Istanbul (AsiaNews)  Turkey closed the main border point with northwestern Syria after its troops came under fire from Syrians angered by violence against their compatriots across the border.

The highly tense and confused situation began with an incident in Melikgazi district where a Syrian refugee allegedly abused a child, sparking outrage among local Turks who reacted violently against refugees with several people dead and injured.

After unrest broke out late on Sunday Turkish police detained 474 people involved in attacks targeting Syrians across the country overnight, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.

In Kayseri province (central Anatolia), the violence continued until the morning of the following day, while the governor's office confirmed the arrest of the person suspected of child abuse, who was taken into custody by law enforcement.

In Kayseri, Syrian properties and vehicles were vandalised and set on fire, while the unrest spread to the provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep, Konya, Bursa, and a district of Istanbul, with some immigrants reporting injuries.

Hundreds of Syrians later took to the streets in several rebel-held cities in northwestern Syria, an area where Turkey maintains thousands of troops preventing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from regaining control of the entire country.

Ankara responded to the unrest by closing the Bab al Hawa crossing.

The city of Afrin reported the worst clashes, with at least four dead from an exchange of fire between armed protesters and Turkish troops.

The alleged sexual abuse of a minor, which police are investigating but few details have emerged so far, and the violent reaction of the population have also become a matter of confrontation between the government and the opposition in Turkey.

The government says it is countering xenophobia, blaming the opposition for anti-refugee rhetoric, while the latter point the finger at the authorities in Ankara for failing to handle the refugee issue.

The events provoked counter-protests in northern Syria, where angry protesters burnt Turkish flags.

Experts note that the incident reflects a growing intolerance towards immigrants, especially Syrians, in Turkey, a country that hosts the largest number of refugees in the world with 3.6 million registered Syrians and about 320,000 of other nationalities.

The figure comes from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), but it excludes "irregular" migrants, whose number is currently unknown.

According to official statistics from Turkeys Interior Ministry, about 83,000 Syrian refugees are registered in Kayseri as of May 2024 who represent cheap labour and are the target of nationalist and religious propaganda.

A 2021 study by the TEPAV, a Turkish-based economic policy research foundation, almost all employed Syrian refugees work informally.

Many businesses hire them to avoid to raise the minimum wage. Last year, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Ylmaz acknowledged the need for a "regular flow of migrants" to meet labour needs.

Yet, an 2024 study by Ipsos on behalf of the UNHCR shows that Turkey has the highest level of anti-refugee sentiment among 52 countries surveyed.

About 77 per cent of respondents are in favour of the total closure of borders to refugees (the global average is 40 per cent), while 70 per cent believe refugees arriving in Turkey are not fleeing war, but seeking a more comfortable life. Support for a policy of openness is declining.
by Stefano Vecchia

The 74-year-old founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Church is wanted by the FBI and the Philippine police for fraud, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation. Former President Rodrigo Duterte benefited from the preachers support in the 2016 election campaign and now administers the Churchs properties. The investigation is hampered by complicated relations with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Manila (AsiaNews)  While claiming to know the whereabouts of Apollo Quiboloy, the 74-year-old founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Church (KOJC), former President Rodrigo Duterte told reporters on Sunday that he has no intention of telling the police.

A self-proclaimed "chosen son of God," Quiboloy is wanted by the FBI for human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and fraud against followers, who are said to number four million in the Philippines and two million abroad.

Philippine authorities have also issued arrest warrants against the preacher (who claims to possess supernatural powers and omnipotence), while his supporters in the Philippine Congress are increasingly at odds with those who call for his arrest and conviction.

Like other self-proclaimed pastors, Apollo Quiboloy has had close ties with some politicians; over the years, he has backed different candidates, including Duterte himself, who served as president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022.

In light of the current situation, his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has distanced himself from Quiboloy, something Duterte has not done. With the "pastor" missing, the former president administers KOJC properties.

Like the self-proclaimed religious leader, Duterte hails from Davao, on the island of Mindanao, where he and his daughter, Sara, served as mayor.

Known for his provocations, impulsive character, and authoritarian streak, the former president seems to think that he can avoid accusations of obstruction of justice and perhaps provide refuge to a wanted man because his daughter is still vice president after resigning on 19 June from the post of Secretary of Education due to disagreements with President Marcos.

Moreover, while KOJC followers have complained about police aggressiveness in searches, Duterte continues to support law enforcement, reiterating his hostility to disciplinary measures in cases of abuse.

This has reinforced the former presidents sense of impunity, despite the fact that the Philippine police have declared that they would look into Duterte's role in obstructing justice.
In a historic decision, Japans highest court rules in favour of victims. Almost 25,000 people with disabilities or chronic illnesses sterilised between 1948 and 1996 can now obtain compensation of almost US$ 20,000 each, but the real battle is for dignity.

Tokyo (AsiaNews)  The Supreme Court of Japan (SCJ) has declared unconstitutional a controversial eugenics law that saw more than 16,500 disabled people forcibly sterilised between the 1950s and 1990s.

The SCJ also ordered the government to pay damages to 11 victims, who were involved in five cases that were heard on appeal.

The landmark ruling, which came today after a long legal battle, puts an end to the decades-long struggle to obtain justice for the victims, who in addition to the money also want a public apology from the authorities.

After years of lawsuits, a 2019 law finally granted surviving victims compensation, but some continued he struggle to get a higher sum.

In four of the cases brought to court, the central government had appealed against the lower courts' compensation orders.

In the fifth case, two women had appealed against the dismissal of their claims, with the lower court citing the statute of limitations

Nearly 25,000 people with disabilities or chronic illnesses were sterilised in Japan between 1948 and 1996 under a eugenics law, which was repealed that year.

At least 16,000 operations were allegedly carried out without consent on minors, including two nine-year-old children, a boy and a girl.

The data, which highlight the widespread use of the practice in the past, are contained in a 1,400-page report published in June last year and presented to the Japanese parliament, sparking controversy and discussions.

Although authorities say that an additional 8,500 people consented to the procedure, lawyers said they were "de facto forced" to undergo the surgery due to the pressure they faced at the time.

The SCJ also ruled that the 20-year statute of limitations cannot be applied to claims for compensation in cases of forced sterilisation.

Lawyers argued that the application of the statute of limitations would have prevented some of the victims from seeking justice, especially those sterilised without their knowledge who became aware of the surgery too late compared to the deadline set by law.

Forced sterilisations were most prevalent in the 1960s and 1970s, during the postwar baby boom.

Many of those forcibly sterilised had physical and intellectual disabilities, mental health problems, or chronic illnesses such as leprosy.

Physical restraint, anaesthesia, and even "deception" were allowed for these operations.

According to a law passed in 2019 following one of the lawsuits, surviving victims can receive up to 3.2 million yen (just under US$ 20,000) each.

Since then, around 1,300 people have applied and 1,100 have been compensated, but for some of the victims, the amount of money can go only so far.

When I found out I realized I could never be a mother... It broke my heart," lamented Yumi Suzuki, speaking to the BBC in a 2021 interview.

The 68-year-old, who was born with cerebral palsy and forcibly sterilised when she was just 12, is among 11 plaintiffs whose case has been taken to court.

"I dont want money, she said. I want people to know what happened to us. To make sure it never happens again. I want disabled people to be treated equally. We are not things. We are human beings.
The National Hurricane Centers projected track for Hurricane Beryl on Friday shows the storm heading into the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday before closing in on Texas on Monday. National Hurricane Center Zach Willams places sandbags along the roof as he makes last-minute preparations for the arrival of Hurricane Beryl on July 3 in Kingston, Jamaica. Category 4 storm Beryl has caused widespread damage in several island nations as it continues to cross the Caribbean. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Ingrie Sewell, left, and Gary Williams wait for the arrival of Hurricane Beryl on July 3 in Kingston, Jamaica. Category 4 storm Beryl has caused widespread damage in several island nations as it continues to cross the Caribbean. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Waves crash along a beach before the arrival of Hurricane Beryl on July 3 in Kingston, Jamaica. Category 4 storm Beryl has caused widespread damage in several island nations as it continues to cross the Caribbean. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

As Hurricane Beryl churns through the Caribbean Sea, forecasters are getting a better fix on where its going. Beryls latest projected track from the National Hurricane Center on Thursday showed the storm making landfall near the Rio Grande Valley in the wee hours of Monday morning. What would a landfall in Brownsville mean for South Texas and the rest of the state?

What do we know about Beryl?

As of Friday morning, the rotating center of Hurricane Beryl was moving inland over southern Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, about 215 miles north-northwest of Tulum, on the Caribbean side of the peninsula. The low-end Category 2 storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and heading west-northwest at 15 mph. The National Hurricane Center has confidence putting Beryl on a northwesterly course into the Gulf of Mexico.

Beryl's journey over the Yucatan is expected to weaken it into a tropical storm. Ocean-fed hurricanes typically lose strength over large areas of land because they lack the greater amounts of heat energy and moisture-rich air they get from tropical waters.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

ATLANTIC STORM TRACKER: Keep an eye on tropical storms and hurricanes as they approach the Lone Star State

But heres what we dont know 

Meteorologists never want to speculate too much about a landfall even a few days out, so lets look at whats still uncertain:

Although several forecast models and the National Hurricane Center agree that Beryl will regain strength and become a hurricane again over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the storms precise potency at that point is unknown.

Where will Beryl do the most damage upon landfall? The National Hurricane Centers official forecast has Beryl making landfall near Brownsville, at the mouth of the Rio Grande. However, the actual landfall point is still uncertain. It could happen anywhere within the cone of uncertainty, which stretches from Corpus Christi to La Pesca, Mexico.

What if Beryl gets close to Texas?

The hurricane centers projected track for Beryl shows the storm making a final landfall as a low-grade hurricane close to the Rio Grande on Monday morning. However, the timing will also depend on the actual path. If Beryl stays farther south, it could come ashore earlier on Sunday. But if the tropical system curves farther northward into Texas, landfall could come later on Monday afternoon. The latter would also give the storm more time to strengthen over the Gulf.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

What would that mean for Texas? Lets consider three important factors: Rainfall, wind damage and where Beryls remnants go.

Rainfall: Beryl is expected to slow down significantly as it approaches the Gulf Coast. That will likely cause very heavy rainfall totals and possible flooding along and north of Beryls landfall location.

Along Beryls current projected path, the area from the Rio Grande Valley to Corpus Christi may see the heaviest rainfall. As of now, 3 to 6 inches of rain are possible, but that number could change based on Beryls actual path.

Even if Beryl approaches the Gulf Coast as weak as Alberto was during its June 19 landfall  which so far is unlikely  the storm could still dump several inches of rain over an area up to a few hundred miles wide as it moved inland. Albertos heavy rainfall left four dead in east-central Mexico, the Associated Press reported last month.

Jamie Baumgart drives his golf cart through water from a tidal surge in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Alberto on June 20 in Surfside Beach. David J. Phillip/Associated Press

The Rio Grande Valley in far South Texas, which had seen moderate drought conditions during the past two months, according to U.S. Drought Monitor data, is largely drought-free, so any new rainfall might have trouble being absorbed by saturated soil.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

A landfall near or south of the Rio Grande Valley could mean heavy rainfall in San Antonio. Confidence in projected rainfall totals are low, but there is potential for multiple inches of rain in at least part of South Texas. More precise forecasts will be available over the next few days.

Wind damage: Beryls strength upon landfall, its direction and speed ultimately will determine how dangerous the winds will be. Hurricane-force winds will be possible, with some gusts up to 90 mph, wherever Beryl makes landfall. Hurricane-force winds will not extend very far away from the center of the storm. However, tropical storm-force winds of 40 mph or greater may extend up to 50 miles away from the center of the storm. Even a weak tropical storm like Alberto packed 45-mph winds.

Beryls remnants: The prevailing assumption among forecasters and models suggests Beryl will move directly inland after landfall, rather than skirt the Texas Gulf Coast, as Harvey did in 2017.

The hurricane centers latest projection shows Beryl moving north from the Rio Grande toward Falfurrias as a tropical storm late Monday. Then the remnants of Beryl would turn north, deeper into Central Texas, and devolve into a tropical depression near Austin by Tuesday.

As Alberto moved inland in June, the storm ran into rugged mountains along Mexicos eastern coast and dissipated within days. The topography near the Rio Grande Valley favors a smoother passage inland for Beryl if it makes landfall there. But prevailing westerly winds and air flow also could push whats left of Beryl north and eastward into the Interstate 35 corridor or toward the Coastal Plains of Southeast Texas.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The remnants of Beryl will likely bring increased rain chances to San Antonio late Monday and into Tuesday. Rainfall totals are still uncertain, but South Texas, particularly where extreme drought persists, could gets multiple inches of rain and some flash flooding.

What Hurricane Emily can tell us

Roy Castillio, left, and Juan Garza, right, from the Texas Department of Transportation, close off a frontage road on July 20, 2005, in McAllen. Hurricane Emily, a Category 3 storm packing 125-mph winds, hit just before dawn near San Fernando, Mexico, a coastal town about 85 miles south of Brownsville. JOHN WAYNE LISTON/Associated Press

A more likely scenario echoes the path of Hurricane Emily, which in 2005 made landfall July 20, 2005, in northern Mexico about 100 miles south of Brownsville. Emily caused relatively minor damage in South Texas, despite facing tropical storm-force winds and gusts as strong as 65 mph and reports of multiple tornadoes in Emilys wake.

On that day, Brownsville reported 1.64 inches of rain and Harlingen about 1.7 inches. Higher rainfall totals were reported near Mercedes, with 3.35 inches, and in McAllen, with 4.25 inches, according to National Weather Service records.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Hurricanes Emily and Beryl followed a nearly identical path through the Atlantic basin 19 years apart. Emily became a named storm on July 11, 2005, in the tropical Atlantic and crossed into the Caribbean via the Windward Islands as a hurricane a few days later.

Like Beryl, Emily took a northwesterly course through the Yucatan Peninsula, where it made a landfall as a Category 4 storm. When Emily emerged from the Yucatan, the storm reorganized and made its final landfall near Tamaulipas, Mexico, as a Category 3 hurricane packing 120 mph winds.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

There are now more than a million citizens of the country who recognise themselves in this shamanic confession of Turkish-Mongolian origin, which is based on the worship of nature and the altenats. A petition calls for its official recognition in Astana, but many consider it only a moral philosophy. Pre-Islamic local traditions survive in Kazakhstan.

Astana (AsiaNews) - In recent years the number of Kazakhstan citizens who are adhering to the shamanic religion of Tengrism, of medieval Turkish-Mongolian ethnic origin, has been growing.

They now number over a million people, so much so that its followers have opened a petition on the epetition.kz website requesting legal recognition of their cult as one of the country's official religions.

Experts in the field are rather divided on whether they consider Tengrism to be a religion or merely a worldview, a philosophy or even a political ideology. However, the foundation of Tengrism remains devotion to nature, ancestors and the sun god Tengri.

The initiator of the petition, Erlan Espenbetov, claims that Tengrism is 'an important part of Kazakhstan's cultural heritage', and official recognition is needed for this. He recalls that 'Tengrism was the main religion of the Turkic, Uyghur and Kyrgyz Khanates, and was dominant until 1321, when Uzbek-Khan introduced Islam as the state religion'.

Tengri traditions, however, have never disappeared completely; to this day, Kazakhs still adhere to the principle of the Zeti Ata (the 'Seven Fathers'), which does not allow marriage with relatives until the seventh generation. Other examples are the belief in the Aruakhi, the protective spirits of deceased ancestors, and the Nawruz festival.

Espenbetov claims to be 'the one who had the courage to speak openly, while our scholars are afraid of not being properly understood... In order not to be condemned as a sectarian, I myself have thoroughly studied all the dimensions of the phenomenon and have written to the relevant institutions', namely the Committee for Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and personally to President Kasym-Zomart Tokaev. Jurist Mereke Gabdualiev, one of the few to speak on the subject, believes that 'pure Islam has never existed in Kazakhstan, rather a cross between shamanism and Muslim laws'.

The citizens of Kazakhstan are roughly familiar with a few Surahs from the Koran, but on Fridays they traditionally bake Selpeki, flatbreads with various fillings that do not strictly follow Koranic guidelines.

Devotion to the dearly departed, at home as well as in public places, customarily involves burningAdyraspan, a plant dating back to pre-Islamic rituals, and there are several ancient traditions that do not follow the precepts of sharia. According to the historian of religions, Ajan Oryntaj, the followers of Tengrism are very diverse, having no unifying centre and no general consensus on what the main characteristics of their cult are.

As the expert explains, 'many Tengrians do not consider this belief as a religion, but rather as a moral philosophy, while others claim to be recognised as members of a religious confession, with all the legal guarantees'. Tengrism has no sacred scriptures of its own, nor a code of religious rules and rituals. Gabdualiev warns that the danger would be the creation of a caste of pseudo-religious bureaucrats, with excessive authority over people and society in Kazakhstan.

Ajan Oryntaj emphasises that the issue is still much debated among experts, not least because there is no consensus on the definition of 'religion' in scientific circles: 'Usually, this term means a system of beliefs in some kind of supernatural forces, but this is a very general understanding of the phenomenon'. None of the institutions approached so far have given any official assessment or response to the applications and petitions on tengrism.

The petitioners aim to present at least 5,000 representatives from all regions and cities of Kazakhstan, who are referents of communities with a minimum of 300 registered worshippers, so that they will be ready to start activities at all levels as soon as any approval is obtained. Shamanism is officially recognised in Russia for the Siberian populations of Mongolian ethnicity, and Tengrism is proposed as a Eurasian expression of these traditions.
by Nirmala Carvalho

Many women and children among the victims. There were more than 10,000 at the event of Bhole Baba, a former policeman turned preacher who gathers large crowds. At the origin of the chaos was a sandstorm but - according to witnesses - also the behaviour of the cleric's security service. Lucknow Bishop Gerard Mathias: "I pray for the victims and that such tragedies will not be repeated".

Lucknow (AsiaNews) - At least 121 people are confirmed dead in the tragic outcome of the tragedy that occurred yesterday in the city of Sikandra Rao, in the district of Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, after a stampede among a crowd at a Satsang (a religious event), attended by more than 10 thousand people. The victims were mostly women and children.

Chaitra V., Divisional Commissioner of the city of Aligarh, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, said that the participants were leaving the venue of the event when a dust storm blinded them, causing the crowd to throng and the subsequent tragic incident. The State Medical Officer, Umesh Kumar Tripathi, told reporters that 'many injured' had been hospitalised.

According to some accounts, part of the blame lies with the attendants of Bhole Baba (pictured), the Hindu preacher who led the ritual; they allegedly prevented people from leaving the place in the heat and humidity, so that the preacher and his entourage could leave first. When the crowd was finally allowed to leave, chaos broke out, leading to tragedy.

Suraj Pal, or Bhole Baba, as he is called by his followers, hails from Bahadur Nagar in the Patiyali area of Kasganj district. He left his job in the state police 17 years ago to become a preacher. Despite the fact that his following extends beyond Uttar Pradesh to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, both the preacher and his acolytes maintain a distrust of the media.

According to one devotee, Bhole Baba had no religious mentor and, shortly after his voluntary retirement from service, he allegedly had a 'vision' of divinity. Since then he has become inclined to spiritual activities. He holds his Satsangs every Tuesday and, before Hathras, had held a similar event in the Mainpuri district last week. In May 2022, during the time of the Covid 19 pandemic, he had stirred controversy because after seeking permission for a religious gathering of 50 people in Farrukhabad district, the congregation had grown to over 50,000. The affair had created serious embarrassment in the local government of Uttar Pradesh, which is led by the Hindu monk Yogi Adityanath, one of the most prominent members of the BJP, PM Narendra Modi's party.

The prime minister announced that the next of kin of each person who lost his or her life would receive 200,000 rupees (about 2,200 euro) from the National Relief Fund, while the injured would receive 50,000 rupees (550 euro).

Commenting on the tragedy, Bishop Gerard Mathias, of the Catholic diocese of Lucknow, told AsiaNews: "It was indeed a tragic event that took place in the Hathras district during a Satsang. I offer my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the eternal repose of the dead. I pray and wish that such tragedies will not happen again. And that all those involved take appropriate measures to prevent them".
***



When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of natures God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.



We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,  That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.  Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present king of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these States. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.



He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.



He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.



He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.



He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.



He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.



He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.



He has obstructed the administration of justice by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers

.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.



He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.



He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislatures.



He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to the civil power.



He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:



For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:



For protecting them, by a mock trial from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:



For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:



For imposing taxes on us without our consent:



For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of trial by jury:



For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offences:



For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighbouring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.



He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.



He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.



He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.



In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.



We, therefore, the representatives of the united States of America, in general congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by authority of the good people of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united Colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do.  And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.
3 July 2024 19:38 (UTC+04:00)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

The bias of the US Congress against Azerbaijan has become a disease syndrome. A group of pro-Armenian politicians and the organizations they manage, which every time carry out a slander campaign against Azerbaijan with biased statements, have resurfaced today.

So, an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from California's 16th congressional district Anna Eshoo demonstrated her Armenianism with the latest prepared statement.

A member of the US House of Representatives and an Armenian by origin, Anna Eshoo, co-authored by another pro-Armenian member of the chamber, Christopher Smith, put forward a biased resolution against Azerbaijan called "Condemning Azerbaijan for carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh". It should be noted that this project is one of a series of other slanderous projects proposed against Azerbaijan in the US Congress.

On the day Eshu and Smith put forward the draft resolution, a group of "human rights" organizations, including "Freedom House", "International Partnership For Human Rights, Democracy Development Foundation", "Protection of Rights Without Borders NGO", "Law Development and Protection Foundation", "Open Society Foundations", etc. popped out and published a summary of the report entitled "Why there are no Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh".

This shows that the "black network" is coordinated from the same centre as the bought members of the US House of Representatives. Also, considering that the heads of the organization are of Armenian origin, it is not worth talking about it at all.

An interesting question arises. How does it happen that in 30 years, Institutions like the US House of Representatives, Freedom House, and the Soros Foundation, have remained silent on the subject of rocket attacks and the death of peaceful people in the cities of Ganja and Barda, nearly 1 million Azerbaijanis, who were made refugees and internally displaced persons from their native places, Khojaly genocide, ethnic cleansing in Garadaghli, Agdaban, Bashlibel, Baganis-Ayr, Ballygaya, Tugh? Why do they accuse Azerbaijan of carrying out ethnic cleansing against Armenians without any basis, and threaten our country with the "International Criminal Court" instead of considering the above-given facts?

Don't they know that these slanderous draft resolutions are a heavy blow to the USA's reputation in Azerbaijan? Such behavior of theirs is an example of prejudice, hypocrisy, political order, and double standards, and such hypocrisy rightfully enrages the Azerbaijani public.

Azerbaijan has repeatedly shown all the evidence to the world about the Armenians who voluntarily migrated from Garabagh to Yerevan, and it reminds them again and again today. Armenian residents who settled in Garabagh in the fall of last year voluntarily left the territory, as they and the Prime Minister of Armenia have repeatedly stated.

There can be no question of ethnic cleansing here. Those who want to find the facts of ethnic cleansing and deportation may be interested in the fate of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis deported from Western Azerbaijan. Even today, they cannot go to their native Goyce, Darelayaz, and Erivan - their homes.

The US Congress knows that it is impossible to divert Azerbaijan from its path with such slanderous pieces of paper. Azerbaijan fully restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity at the cost of blood and life, behaved with dignity in the war, and peaceful people were never the target of the Azerbaijani Army.

Strangely, the US House of Representatives has been silent for years regarding the destruction and looting carried out by Armenians in the liberated territories for 30 years. The problems of former refugees and displaced people, the contamination of the liberated territories with more than 1.5 million mines, and UXOs do not concern such institutions of the United States. We wonder why they keep silent about it, turn a blind eye, and moreover unfairly accuse Azerbaijan of a problem that never happened.

If it comes to real ethnic cleansing, then Azerbaijan has a say. Everyone and the world knows that Azerbaijanis in Western Azerbaijan and Garabagh were subjected to ethnic cleansing, but resolutions are not being prepared in this regard. On the contrary, those organizations and political circles always use double standards against Azerbaijan.

Claims about "ethnic cleansing" in Garabagh are lies and slander. The so-called "Arsakh's political forces and civil society's appeal to the world community" on December 23, 2023, can be shown as an example. The petition clearly stated that Armenians do not want to live under the Azerbaijani flag, and their "general decision" to leave Garabagh is related to this: "We rule out returning under Azerbaijani jurisdiction."

Even Pashinyan made a similar statement on September 21, Armenia's Independence Day, noting that during the anti-terrorist operation, the civilian population was not harmed. On October 2, 2023, he did not use the term "ethnic cleansing" when talking about the Armenians who moved from Garabagh at the government meeting.

This once again shows that the biased report presented in the US Congress is a political order and an internal propaganda tool before the US elections. Both the Republican and Democratic parties are preparing for the presidential elections to be held in the fall, and it is obvious that the votes of the Armenian lobby are important for both parties. It means that this factor also played a role in the preparation of the resolution.

---

Elnur Enveroglu is AzerNews deputy editor-in-chief, follow him on @ElnurMammadli1

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
3 July 2024 16:25 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

On July 3, President Ilham Aliyev visited to Astana to attend the upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Kazakhstan. During his visit, the head of state is scheduled to hold meetings with the presidents of China, Turkiye, Russia, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan. These engagements underscore the strong and mutually trusting relationships between President Aliyev and the leaders of SCO member states.

The summit convened under the auspices of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) format saw the participation of heads of state and government from 16 countries. President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan attended this significant event in Astana, marking Azerbaijan's second invitation to such a prestigious SCO Summit, highlighting the international respect accorded to President Aliyev and Azerbaijan's leadership.

This event underscores the SCO's pivotal role as a regional organization focused on enhancing multilateral dialogue for sustainable peace and development. Discussions among state and government leaders from SCO member and observer countries covered a wide range of critical issues spanning political, economic, trade, cultural, and humanitarian cooperation. The forthcoming Astana Declaration, a crucial policy document, is anticipated to articulate the SCO's positions on pressing global matters, evaluate the organization's activities, and outline future strategic directions.

Established in 2001 by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, the SCO encompasses some of the world's largest nations in terms of both geography and population. Presently, the SCO consists of 9 member states (Kazakhstan, China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, India, Iran), 3 observer states (Afghanistan, Mongolia, Belarus), and 14 dialogue partners (including Azerbaijan, Turkiye, UAE, Bahrain, Armenia, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka). Belarus's recent elevation to full membership status within the SCO framework, initiated during the Samarkand Summit in September 2022, is expected to be formalized during the Astana Summit.

The primary objectives of the SCO include strengthening mutual trust, fostering neighborly relations among member states, and promoting effective cooperation across various sectors such as politics, economics, science and technology, culture, education, energy, transportation, tourism, and environmental protection. Furthermore, the SCO aims to collaborate towards achieving regional peace, security, and stability while contributing to the establishment of a new international political and economic order.

The SCO operates through two main bodies: the Secretariat based in Beijing and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) located in Tashkent, which play crucial roles in facilitating the organization's activities. The current Secretary-General of the SCO is Zhang Ming, representing China.

Azerbaijan currently holds dialogue partner status within the SCO, having signed a memorandum in 2016 outlining areas of cooperation. Key areas of collaboration between Azerbaijan and the SCO include counterterrorism efforts, regional security enhancement, and the promotion of intercultural dialogue, multiculturalism, and toleranceareas where Azerbaijan has emerged as a significant international actor.

President Ilham Aliyev's participation in the Astana Summit at the invitation of Kazakhstan's President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev underscores Azerbaijan's growing influence on the global stage, evident in invitations to various summits, conferences, and meetings despite not being a member of certain organizations. Azerbaijan's active engagement reaffirms its commitment to multilateralism and reflects its robust bilateral relations with nearly all SCO member countries.

Looking ahead, Azerbaijan aims to secure observer status within the SCO, marking a milestone in its cooperative efforts with the organization. President Ilham Aliyev's strategic vision has positioned Azerbaijan as a key regional player, and acquiring observer status in the SCO would further enhance Azerbaijan's diplomatic stature and influence. It is noteworthy that the Heydar Aliyev Foundation plays a pivotal role in fostering cooperation with the SCO. Under its auspices, the SCO headquarters in Beijing hosted the Day of Azerbaijani Culture in 2018, and in 2021, the foundation commemorated the 880th anniversary of the renowned Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi. A bust of Nizami Ganjavi was installed at the headquarters, making him the second historical figure after the Chinese philosopher Confucius to be honored in this manner by the SCO.

Additionally, this year represents a significant milestone for Azerbaijan's hosting capabilities as it prepares to welcome its largest international event to datethe 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). Azerbaijan, acknowledged as a steadfast partner in global affairs, stands prominently as the leading state in the South Caucasus, serving as the region's economic, political, and humanitarian hub. Renowned as a steadfast participant in contemporary international relations, Azerbaijan stands tall as the preeminent state in the South Caucasus, acting as the economic, political, and humanitarian nucleus of the region.

In conclusion, Azerbaijan's participation in the SCO Summit in Astana not only highlights President Ilham Aliyev's esteemed international standing but also underscores Azerbaijan's significant role as a bridge between East and West across various domains.

The country's active engagement in regional and global forums reflects its commitment to fostering dialogue, cooperation, and stability in Eurasia. As a strategic hub connecting diverse cultures and economies, Azerbaijan continues to play a pivotal role in promoting peace, prosperity, and mutual understanding among nations within the SCO framework.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
3 July 2024 11:58 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

The "29 Climate Talks: The Road to COP29" initiative, organized jointly by the UN representation in Azerbaijan and "PwC Azerbaijan," featured a two-day summit on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) themes under the banner of "Public-Private Partnership for Sustainable Development," Azernews reports.

Mukhtar Babayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan and President of COP29, addressed summit participants via video, emphasizing Azerbaijan's commitment to enhancing ambitions and fostering inclusive and transparent measures for COP29.

"Our focus is on finding collective solutions crucial for combatting climate change," Babayev stated. "This summit's insights will guide our future plans. We aim to elevate ambitions and promote inclusive action through national climate plans, adaptation strategies, and transparent reporting."

Highlighting COP29's broader agenda, Babayev underscored its focus on biodiversity, sustainable agriculture, water resources, science, technology, innovation, and sustainable urbanization.

Moreover, the minister stressed the critical role of the private sector in accelerating sustainable development efforts:

"Together, we can cultivate a collaborative environment where public and private entities exchange ideas and best practices for ESG implementation," Babayev noted. "The private sector's support is essential for addressing our shared challenges effectively."

He emphasized the importance of choosing reliable pathways supported by clear financial plans, budgets, and targets:

"We look forward to companies demonstrating at COP29 how they are directing investments in line with our climate goals. Let's prioritize green capital markets to build resilient economic models."

The summit, spanning two days, aims to foster meaningful dialogue and actionable outcomes on these pressing issues.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
3 July 2024 20:00 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

The Korea Importers Associations (KOIMA) journal recently published an article by Ramin Hasanov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, titled "Economic Potential and Business Opportunities in Azerbaijan," Azernews reports.

In the article, Ambassador Hasanov highlighted Azerbaijan's strategic economic goals outlined in "Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development," emphasizing priorities such as economic diversification, renewable energy potential, and extensive reconstruction and construction efforts in recently liberated territories. He also discussed investment opportunities in the Garabagh and Eastern Zangazur economic regions.

The article noted Azerbaijan's declaration of 2024 as the "Green World Solidarity Year" and highlighted the upcoming COP29, which Azerbaijan will host this year.

Ambassador Hasanov further explored Azerbaijan-South Korea economic cooperation, emphasizing the impact of reciprocal business visits and economic events on bilateral relations. He underscored promising areas for economic collaboration, the role of the intergovernmental commission, the bilateral legal framework, and the collaboration between KOIMA and other economic associations in Korea.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
3 July 2024 10:35 (UTC+04:00)

"Turkiye's strong support to Azerbaijan during the 44-day Patriotic War made it possible to liberate the historical lands of Azerbaijan from the Armenian occupation and removed the shameful stain of the Boraltan tragedy of 1944 from the conscience of our country. At that time, Ankara handed over a group of brotherly Azerbaijanis to the Soviet authorities, and they were immediately shot."

Azernews reports, citing Azertag that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said this at a briefing held in Ankara based on the results of the government meeting.

President Erdogan called the shooting of 176 Azerbaijanis a tragedy and said that the Republican People's Party of Turkiye (CHP), which was in power at that time, was to blame for this tragedy.

"Our people have carried the pain of the Boraltan tragedy in their hearts for 76 years. The 30-year Armenian occupation of Garabagh has already ended, and the people of Turkiye have been saved from the stain of the Boraltan tragedy. We cannot allow the repetition of such events," said the politician.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
3 July 2024 11:13 (UTC+04:00)

Ulviyya Shahin Read more

The State Border Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan has released its overview for June 2024 on its achievements in June 2024 as part of efforts to ensure reliable protection of the state border, combat smuggling, illegal migration, and the illegal circulation of narcotics.

Azernews reports, citing the press release of the State Border Services, that during the month, 30 people were detained for violating the state border, including 12 Iranians, 7 Azerbaijanis, 6 Pakistanis, 2 Afghans, 2 Turks, and 1 Nepali.

In the fight against illegal migration, 10 people were detained while attempting to cross the state border using counterfeit date stamps, forged passports, or documents belonging to others.

851 people were detained for violating border regulations, and appropriate measures were taken against them.

As part of anti-crime measures, Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies apprehended 295 wanted individuals and handed them over to the relevant authorities. Additionally, 452 individuals were prevented from leaving the country, and 9 were stopped from entering it.

In efforts to combat the illegal circulation of narcotics, authorities seized and removed from circulation 455 kilograms and 466 grams of narcotic drugs, as well as 1,642 pills containing powerful narcotics.

Anti-smuggling efforts resulted in the seizure of contraband valued at 5,123,255 Azerbaijani manats, including medicines and tobacco products.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
3 July 2024 13:46 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

Delegation from ADA University and the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan paid a visit to the United States. They participated in the Steering Committee meeting for the dual degree program between ADA University and George Washington University (GWU), Azernews reports.

During the visit, the delegation, led by Elkin Nurmammadov, Vice Rector of Academic Affairs at ADA University, and Nijat Mammadli, Advisor to the Minister of Science and Education of Azerbaijan, toured the ADA University Washington Center. They met with 14 students from the Electrical and Power Engineering program who have been in Washington, D.C. since January 2024 for their Spring semester. The students shared their enriching experiences, emphasizing the importance of studying in a multicultural environment that has broadened their academic and personal perspectives.

The Steering Committee meeting took place on June 4th, where several key issues were addressed. Notably, the introduction of a new dual-degree program in Computer Engineering and High Performance Computing was highlighted, along with discussions on the professional development of ADA faculty and administrative staff. Nijat Mammadli emphasized the government's priority on the continuous professional development of human resources involved in these programs, underscoring the importance of ADA representatives regularly traveling to D.C. to exchange experiences with their GWU counterparts. Additionally, the upcoming visit of 20 students from the fourth cohort in the Computer Science and Data Analytics program to D.C. for their Summer and Fall semesters was discussed.

The delegation also visited George Washington University, where they were welcomed by Professor John Lach, Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, along with other GWU professors and administrators. The delegation was given an extensive tour of the GWU campus, including its state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories.

It should be noted that ADA University began offering dual degree programs in partnership with George Washington University in 2020. The dual degree programs, starting with Computer Science, have grown to include Electrical and Power Engineering, with a total of 121 students having studied under these programs to date (77 in Computer Science and 44 in Electrical Engineering). These master's programs are financed within the framework of the " State Program on Raising Competitiveness of Higher Education in Azerbaijan in 2019-2023.

The first cohort of students for Computer Engineering and High Performance Computing program will be admitted in Fall 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
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was seen giving remarks to republican delegates from Texas on the first day of the Texas GOP Convention on May 23, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. Christopher Lee

Ken Paxton is a good Christian man.

At least thats what the disgraced Texas attorney general has told supporters through the years as he weathered countless scandals, from his extramarital affair to allegedly taking bribes from a campaign donor to illegally retaliating against his own staff when they tried to report his wrongdoing to law enforcement.

Its become unclear exactly what principles of the Republican Party that Paxton still holds dear. The states top cop regularly thumbs his nose at law and order and he basically gave the middle finger to fiscal conservatives when he asked Texas taxpayers to foot the bill for a settlement in a whistleblower lawsuit.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Still, hes a Christian man, mind you. So if theres any limit to Paxtons political shenanigans, his culture war exploits to enrich his campaign coffers, youd think it would be Gods turf.

LATEST NEWS: Paxton has to collect his own ethics fines

Youd think hed stop himself at the door of a place that strives to live the Good News Gospel of Jesus Christ by serving the most vulnerable, a place whose calling is derived from Johns admonition to love each other not with mere words but in deed and in truth.

Youd think wrong.

Paxton, in an attempt to appear tough on the border enforcement, sent his staff to barge into a decades-old Catholic charity in El Paso that serves the poorest of the poor, including migrants, and demanded documents, accused the shelters volunteers of human smuggling and eventually set out to shutter the shelter.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Unfortunately for Paxton  but fortunately for those following the example of Christ  state District Judge Francisco Dominguez wasnt having it.

The judge ruled that Paxtons outrageous and intolerable attack on Annunciation House violated Texas religious freedom laws. His attempted fishing expedition for documents was nothing more than harassment, the judge wrote, of the organizations employees and the persons seeking refuge.

The Attorney General chose to harass a human rights organization with impunity and with disregard to his duty to faithfully uphold the laws of Texas and the United States, Dominguez wrote. As the top law enforcement officer of the State of Texas, the Attorney General has a duty to uphold all laws, not just selectively interpret or misuse those that can be manipulated to advance his own personal beliefs or political agenda.

Annunciation House had agreed to turn over the information Paxton requested but when it couldnt meet the AGs deadline, it sued for a temporary restraining order. Paxton countersued in an attempt to revoke the organizations license to operate  a move that the judge said infringes on the Texas Religious Freedom and Restoration Act by substantially burdening Annunciation Houses free exercise of religion and failing to use the 'least restrictive means' of securing compliance with the law.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Paxtons actions have also drawn rebuke from the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:  our religious liberty is being restricted because we cant put in practice the precepts of the Gospel, Archbishop Timothy Broglio said at a press conference last month.

His actions also seem to stand in stark contrast to the efforts of some of his fellow Republicans who are so determined to protect religious liberty and instill Christian values in American society that theyre demanding Bible study and the Ten Commandments in public schools.

Maybe theyre getting ahead of themselves. Maybe they should provide an adequate religious education to their own ranks first. Give Paxton a voucher if he needs it.

Then maybe hell stop wasting taxpayer resources harassing not just Annunciation House but other nonprofits that help migrants, including his lawsuit against Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley.

Yes, there are problems at the border  although crossings have slowed dramatically in recent months. The solution isnt attacking organizations that are actually helping border communities by feeding and sheltering migrants so theyre not wandering the streets, and in some cases, helping transporting migrants closer to family and support networks after theyve been processed.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Those deeds seem more in line with Johns words that Paxtons dirty deeds against Christian volunteers.

Its unclear if Paxton will appeal the judges order blocking him from closing down an organization revered far and wide for its work serving vulnerable communities. Are the headlines and points with the GOP base worth it?

Paxton is a good Christian man.

Maybe he should pray on it.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
Ice Cream Trains and Moonlight Excursions for Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad Rides

Published 6/27/24 at 6:25 a.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection

(Garibaldi, Oregon)  A bevy of new rides are coming to the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad in that stretch between Nehalem Bay and Tillamook Bay. Riding along the track in antique railcars and being pulled by equally-ancient locomotives just got even more interesting and innovative. (Photo Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

Along with its increased daily runs and special holiday runs for the summer, you're now going to get the Moonlight Excursion Train that zips along at sunset, blue hour and into the nighttime  along with a wee drop. There's also going to be the Ice Cream Trains and when autumn arrives so do the Fall Splendor Excursions.

The Moonlight Excursion Train rides start at 7:30 p.m. and the first one takes off on July 6. Here, it's a steam-powered adventure along Tillamook Bay and Nehalem Bay in the later hours, with plenty of views of the Pacific Ocean. This time, however, there's some adult beverages involved: some local-based wine and beers will be served aboard the over-21-only train runs.

Delaney Moss, with the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad, said each round-trip ticket is $72 and includes two complementary tickets for beverages.



Courtesy photo



Additional alcoholic drinks and light food options will be available for purchase on board, Moss said.

The fact that it's Tillamook-area-based beer and wine helps to support local businesses, but you'll absolutely have to show your ID before boarding.

The trip is a 3-hour round-trip excursion that takes you up to Wheeler, OR, and back, she said. If the weather cooperates, passengers will have incredible views of the sunset and night sky.



Photo Oregon Coast Beach Connection

The first happens on July 6, with two more in July and another two in August, and there could be opp to learn something.

The July 6th train is scheduled during the New Moon and depending on staffing we do plan to have a car host for the evening, she said.

The first of these took place in 2023 and now they're returning. There's a romance element as well.

Last year we had great success with these train rides and decided to bring them back this year, Moss said. We see these excursions as a unique opportunity for those to have a date night, night out with friends/family or just another option to enjoy our train during the evening.

Along with the drink tickets, you'll even get a cupcake at one point.

Not long after the first Moonlight Train Excursion you'll have a chance to try eating ice cream aboard a scenic ride-in-motion.



Photo Oregon Coast Beach Connection

This summer we will also be introducing our Ice Cream Trains, our first one beginning July 12th, she said. We will be serving free Tillamook Creamery ice cream onboard these special excursions. We will announce more as the date gets sooner, along with the additional dates for the summer.

As summer winds down, the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad's Fall Splendor Excursions start up, beginning Friday, September 27. They run every Friday through Sunday until November 17. An enormous burst of colors is in full bloom then, and the Tillamook and Nehalem Bays become incredible that time of year.

This excursion departs from Rockaway Beach for a train ride that is 45-minutes each way to and from the quaint town of Wheeler, Moss said. Guests will have a 45-minute layover at Wheeler where you can shop, eat, and enjoy the surrounding views. This is a very popular excursion for us as guests have the opportunity to view the amazing foliage during the fall.

See all of this and whatever else they have in store at https://oregoncoastscenic.org. (503) 842-7972.

Hotels in Tillamook Bay - Where to eat - Tillamook Maps and Virtual Tours







MORE PHOTOS BELOW













More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....



Coastal Spotlight



Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection

All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright  Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted
More Razor Clamming Opens Up on Oregon Coast; Still Some Shellfish Shut-Downs

Published 6/29/24 at 6:15 a.m.

By Andre' GW Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection

(Oregon Coast)  More parts of the Oregon coast have opened up to clamming, after a severe shutdown in May that closed all shellfish harvesting due to a health threat. Now, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has announced yet another area of coastline is back open to razor clamming: from Coos Bay down to the California border. (Above: Gold Beach area - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts for more)

Cape Blanco to the California border opened up for razor clamming on June 21, and the section of coastline from the Washington coast border to Yachats has been OK for razor clams for awhile.

However, mussel gathering is still off-limits due to biotoxins, and bay clamming is closed from about Neskowin down to the California border. Those shellfish continue testing high for the marine biotoxin paralytic shellfish poison (PSP).

Some razor clamming remains closed in the region: from Yachats through Coos Bay. ODFW and Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) said it's because of both PSP and domoic acid.

Meanwhile, on the Washington coast, biotoxin threats are keeping Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay closed to all gathering of clams, mussels and oysters. See Washington coast updates

ODA will continue testing for shellfish toxins at least twice per month, as tides and weather permit, ODFW said. Reopening an area closed for biotoxins requires two consecutive tests with results below the closure limit.

Razor clams:



Photo Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

It is open from the Washington border to Yachats River: this includes Seaside, Warrenton (the areas with the most razor clams), Cannon Beach, Manzanita, Rockaway Beach, Bayocean, Oceanside, Netarts, Pacific City, Lincoln City, Newport, Waldport and the northern end of Yachats.

Razor clamming is not open from Yachats through Florence, Reedsport, the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and northern Coos Bay.

Razor clamming is open from southern Coos Bay to the border, including Bandon, Port Orford, Gold Beach and Brookings.

Bay Clams: open from Cascade Head (about Neskowin) to the Washington border, including the bays Nestucca, Netarts, Tillamook and Nehalem.

Bay clams are closed from Cascade Head to the southern border of Oregon, including bays at Lincoln City (Siletz), Depoe Bay, Newport's Yaquina Bay, Waldport's Alsea Bay, Yachats, Florence, Winchester Bay, Coos Bay, Bandon, Port Orford, Gold Beach and Brookings.

Back in May, 21 people became seriously ill after they ate mussels acquired on the north coast. ODA soon found biotoxins in most parts of the shoreline, and closed some out of an abundance of caution.



Nehalem Bay (Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

Razor clamming on Clatsop Beach (Seaside to Warrenton) will again close for the annual conservation closure on July 15 through October 1. This is to allow new clams to set and maintain the thick population of the area.

Remember to always call Oregon Department of Agriculture's (ODA) shellfish biotoxin safety hotline at (800) 448-2474, the Food Safety Shellfish Desk at (503) 986-4726, or check the ODA recreational shellfish biotoxin closures webpage before clamming or crabbing.

Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours







MORE PHOTOS BELOW



















Photos Seaside Aquarium

More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....



Coastal Spotlight



Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection

All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright  Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted
Officials: Where Fireworks Banned in Oregon, Coastline; Heatwave's Extra Concerns

Published 7/02/24 at 7:06 p.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection





(Lincoln City, Oregon)  As the Fourth of July weekend approaches, so does a run of extremely hot and dry conditions, especially for about a third or more of the inland region that will get temps up to 115 degrees (for southern Oregon). Temps over 100 will hit high-population areas of Oregon and officials from all over the region are either urging extreme caution on the use of fireworks, not to use them at all or reminding the public they're banned in some places altogether. (Photo: Lincoln City Fire Department.)

Oregon State Parks is reminding everyone where fireworks cannot be used, various cities have outright banned any kind of fireworks and many officials are simply urging people not to use them in the first place.

Even the National Weather Service (NWS) that has made the forecasts said using fireworks or the wrong kind of machinery in these conditions is going to have a bad ending for someone.

'Dangerously Hot Conditions' for Much of Oregon, Portland, Coast Range, Eugene, Ashland Over 100 - Beaches won't be much relief, packed for holiday weekend

The heat and elevated to critical fire weather conditions will be the theme this week, the NWS said. Please avoid anything outdoors that causes sparks or flames. Humans unfortunately cause a majority of wildfires, so anything we can do to prevent fire starts is very important. We hope everyone has a fun and safe Fourth of July!

Among the towns with bans on all fireworks are Portland, Lincoln City, Cannon Beach, Milwaukie, Eugene, Vancouver and even the north Oregon coast's Rockaway Beach. It's not simply the general Oregon law that anything that flies in the air is illegal, but all fireworks  including sparklers  are banned.



On the beach in 2002: this is illegal



Along the Oregon coast, fireworks are banned year-round on beaches, according to Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), which manages all beaches. They're also not allowed on any federal lands, state parks or state forests.

OPRD spokesman Stefanie Knowlton said even though there's a big body of water right there and you're doing pyrotechnics in the sand, there's good reason for these bans and the fines and penalites.

Fireworks are prohibited on Oregon beaches because they pose a danger to visitors, coastal wildlife and the landscape, she said. High winds, flammable vegetation and the unpredictability of fireworks combine to create a unique hazard particularly in crowded areas. Fireworks also impact sensitive habitat like federally protected Western snowy plover nesting grounds. The debris left behind from fireworks is also a hazard to wildlife. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department encourages visitors to respect fireworks restrictions on the Oregon Coast and in Oregon State Park campgrounds.

If you are caught using illegal fireworks in Oregon (things that shoot up in the air, explode, etc.), according to the Oregon Fire Marshal: Under Oregon law, officials may seize fireworks, and you may be charged with a class B misdemeanor, which could result in a fine of up to $2,500 per violation and a civil penalty of up to $500.

Portland's run-ins with increased summer fires (which included a deadly apartment fire caused by fireworks) led to a ban on all personal fireworks there in recent years. Eugene banned them in 2022.

Cannon Beach has always had the ban, largely due to the sensitive tufted puffin nests on Haystack Rock.



Fire near Oceanside in 2021 - courtesy photo (Another Driftwood Fire Out of Control on Oregon Coast, Threatens Homes)

Explore Lincoln City just sent out its reminder to those celebrating on the town's copious beaches.

All personal fireworks are now prohibited everywhere within Lincoln City, including all private and public property. This includes small fireworks like handheld sparklers. Violations will result in fines or prosecution. However, the good news is Lincoln City will still be dazzling you with a professional firework display over Siletz Bay on July 4th!

That, in the end, is the takeaway from all this: there are plenty of fireworks shows for the firebugs out there. Large metro areas like Portland and Eugene have theirs, as do Lincoln City and Rockaway Beach, along with just about every small and big town in the state. See Full Fourth of July Events for Oregon Coast, 2024

Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours







MORE PHOTOS BELOW















Courtesy Netarts-Oceanside Fire Department

More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....



Coastal Spotlight



Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection

All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright  Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted
Now that Kamala Harris has been coronated the Democratic Socialist designee for nomination as their candidate for President of these United States, after that political party's contrived primary process "democratically" elected Joseph R. Biden: What are your feelings about this party's progressive posture within their self-styled exercise of "Saving Democracy for America," and how truly critical the outcome of this presidential election will be?

8.7% I am ecstatic that this "Democracy's" First partially Black, First partially Indian, First female Co-Parent, and this nation's primary necessity is to her elect our First woman president.26.09% I really do not care about all these "Firsts." I will continue to pray, and work for this Representative Republic to elect someone competent, and brilliantly patriotic to be our next president.65.22% I will never vote for any politician that "first" does not have the core values to understand how dire this Constitutional Republic's situation has become.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo joins Houston and federal officials in a press conference regarding recovery and assistance after last weeks storms Tuesday, May 21, 2024 at Fonde Community Center in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

A growing divide has begun to form in the Democratic Party after last weeks debate. Some politicians, concerned about the president's age and mental acuity, have publicly called on President Joe Biden to withdraw his candidacy.

However, several current and former Houston area Democratic politicians have remained united in their support for the incumbent presidents campaign. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, reiterated her longtime support for Bidens campaign in a statement posted on X.

At his first State Dinner as President, I watched him graciously play host to the President and First Lady of France deep into the night after a full day related to the visit. Just recently, I visited with him on Airforce One as he met our new Mayor and energetically showed us around, Hidalgo said. I know firsthand that he is more than capable.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee shared Hidalgos enthusiasm. The longtime political veteran has represented Texas 18th District for more than two decades, and has staunchly aligned herself with Bidens campaign.

I stand unapologetically with President Biden, because no, he should not drop out. We must not lose focus. Look at what Trumps Supreme Court has done, look at Project 2025. There is no time to waste, Jackson Lee said in a Tweet published yesterday.

Joining her in their support for Biden are former Mayors Annise Parker and Sylvester Turner, who made multiple posts supporting the incumbent. Parkers support was mainly confined to reposting Tweets from other Biden supporters, but Turner spoke out directly.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The Supreme Court made the President a functional king in the United States; placing the person above the rule of law, Turner said in a Tweet on Monday. Placing Trump back in the White House scares me more than Bidens age.

Mayor John Whitmire, on the other hand, is keen on staying out of it.

Im busy running the city of Houston, Whitmire said when asked his opinion on whether Biden should continue his quest for re-election. Obviously I'm following developments, but I'm just not in the business of trying to run the nation.

But support for Biden expressed by several local leaders is not shared across all Houston area Democrats.

Harris County Clerk Marilyn Burgess, who serves as a delegate for the Democratic National Convention, is calling for Bidens withdrawal, according to an article published Wednesday by Politico.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

After watching the debate, I dont feel like hes up to the task for four more years, and I think we need to be electing someone who can serve in that capacity for a full term, Burgess said in the article. I hope he will consider withdrawing and releasing his delegates if hes on the ballot  Im his delegate, and Im going to vote for him, but I think its time to look at alternatives and to not just accept that its a done deal.

Other Texas cities' leaders have also weighed in. On Tuesday night, former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro made a post calling on the president to step down from his campaign. Five minutes later, current San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg posted a statement on X outlining his support for Biden.

-Reporter Abby Church contributed to this story
A Florida-based real estate investment firm has purchased six medical office buildings in Greensboro, N.C., for $73 million, according to a July 2 report from the Triad Business Journal.

The six buildings are all either fully or partially leased by Greensboro-based Cone Health. Healthcare Realty Trust sold all six facilities to the investment group, AW Property Co.

AW Property has more than 30 medical office buildings across the Southeast, including seven in North Carolina.

The company is now looking to hire three people in Greensboro to manage its properties, according to the report.

The largest purchase was a group of three buildings that comprise the Church Street Medical Center and were sold for $45.2 million. Tenants of the 146,748-square-foot facility include Cone Health, Winston-Salem-based Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Durham, N.C.-based Duke Children's and Labcorp.

AW Property also purchased a 25,936-square-foot building housing Cone Health's foot and ankle center, Gate City Dental and BenchMark Physical Therapy.

It also paid $9.06 million for a 27,786-square-foot building housing Cone Health Guilford Neurologic Associates and Cone Health Neurorehabilitation Center.

The sixth building, totaling 39,140 square feet, was sold for $9.06 million and houses Cone Health's outpatient behavioral health and Greensboro OB-GYN Associates.
While independent ASCs have a steady hold on the market, with 68.1% of centers being freestanding, big chains continue to grow their market share as healthcare continues to consolidate.

Here's a breakdown on the three biggest ASC operators by market share:

United Surgical Partners International

With 7.1% of the ASC market share, Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare's USPI is the largest ASC chain by number of physicians and centers and has seen massive growth in the last few years.

"We see a tremendous opportunity with our ambulatory platform," Tenet CEO Saum Sutaria, MD, said, speaking May 14 at the Bank of America Securities 2024 Health Care Conference. "We're in this unique space of innovation and ambulatory care growth, which creates a significant amount of value and savings for the system, but it's also unique in the sense that it's value-based care that actually creates value for shareholders.

As of 2024, USPI has 512 ASCs and 25 surgical hospitals spanning 38 states in its portfolio. This growth will likely continue as Tenet plans to invest $450 million into its ambulatory business in 2024. In the first quarter, it acquired 45 ASCs, while selling nine hospitals for proceeds of $4 billion.

"We're really happy with the pipeline that we see looking forward. There are significant numbers of opportunities and high quality assets," Dr. Sutaria said, adding that there are still de novo projects in the works that will open over the next couple of years.

Tenet acquired more than 90 ASCs from SurgCenter Development for approximately $1.2 billion in 2020, paving the way to market dominance. USPI has grown nearly 126% since 2011, when it had 204 ASCs in its portfolio. By the end of 2019, USPI overtook AmSurg as the largest ASC chain in the country.

SCA Health

Optum's SCA Health is the second largest ASC chain, with 320 centers in 2023 and 5.3% of ASC market share.

Optum acquired SCA Health for $2.3 billion in 2017. In 2023, SCA Health acquired at least two cardiovascular providers  National Cardiovascular Partners and Pivotal Healthcare. In May 2022.

Optum, the country's largest employer of physicians, is focusing on physician deals and has spent $31 billion on acquisitions in the last two years. The group added 20,000 physicians in 2023 and inked three major physician group acquisitions.

AmSurg

AmSurg, formerly owned by Envision Healthcare until its bankruptcy last year, has 256 ASCs in its portfolio and 4.1% of ASC market share.

"I appreciate the collaboration with Envision leaders that has brought us to this point," AmSurg CEO Jeff Snodgrass said in an Oct. 11 news release. "We have built strong momentum as an organization that will propel our path to growth. I look forward to AmSurg's next chapter and am grateful for the efforts of our teams, centers and physician partners that drive our success."

This month, AmSurg acquired Las Vegas-based Alta Rose Surgery Center in partnership with Comprehensive EyeCare Partner and established a joint venture with Escondido, Calif.-based Palomar Health's Poway Surgery Center.
A number of ASCs have opened or secured approval to do so across 21 states during the second quarter of 2024.

Here is a state-by-state breakdown of new ASCs from Q2:

Note: This is not an exhaustive list of every new ASC nationwide.

Alabama

A new ASC is coming to Foley near South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, which is launching a $250 million expansion project.

Arizona

Phoenix-based Banner Health has submitted an application to construct a three-story medical office building in Scottsdale that will house an ASC.

California

Sacramento-based Sutter Health broke ground on a five-story, 129,000-square-foot medical office building that will cost the system an estimated $442 million. The facility will house an ASC and a brain health center.

Colorado

Aurora-based UCHealth broke ground on two medical facilities in Highlands Ranch and Green Valley Ranch, two Denver-area communities. The health system is adding a 119,000-square-foot medical office building with an ASC in Highlands Ranch.

Smith Medical Direct Specialty Care Surgery Center of Denver, a multispecialty ASC, opened in Littleton.

Florida

Altamonte Springs-based AdventHealth opened a 20,000-square-foot ASC in Daytona Beach.

Panoramic Health has opened a Brandon, Fla.-based ASC in partnership with Tampa, Fla.-based Florida Kidney Physicians, the state's largest nephrology group.

Indiana

The University of Chicago Medicine opened a 132,000-square-foot multispecialty care center in Crown Point, Ind., marking UChicago's first freestanding facility in Indiana and its largest off-site location.

Indianapolis-based Community Health Network plans to build a $335 million healthcare campus featuring an ASC and medical office building in Westfield, Ind.

Kansas

Kansas City-based University of Kansas Health System is opening a $90 million clinic and ASC in Olathe.

Kentucky

Louisville-based Baptist Health held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new ASC in Lexington.

Lexington-based University of Kentucky recently broke ground on a new cancer and advanced ambulatory building.

Maryland

Adventist HealthCare is expanding its Silver Spring-based White Oak Medical Center campus and adding an ASC after seeing such a high demand for care since the center's 2019 opening.

Hagerstown-based Meritus Health opened a new ASC in the city.

Massachusetts

Weymouth-based South Shore Health plans to add operating rooms to its Hingham-based ASC.

Minnesota

St. Cloud-based CentraCare received approval from the St. Cloud Planning Commission to add an ASC to its medical plaza.

Mississippi

The Biloxi City Council recently approved a $5 million tax increment financing plan for a medical center that will include an ASC.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center is planning a 131,000-square-foot educational campus in Ridgeland that will include an ASC, medical office building, imaging center and multimedia classrooms.

Missouri

Texas County Memorial Hospital in Houston opened a surgical center after 18 years of planning and work.

HCA Midwest completed construction on a $9.3 million ASC in Kansas City.

New Jersey

Mullica Hill-based Inspira Health opened a $50 million outpatient center in a former Dick's Sporting Goods in Deptford.

New York

NYU Langone Health opened a new outpatient facility near Penn Station in New York City.

The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai Health System is nearing completion on a $13 million ASC in New York City.

Ohio

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and city officials from Powell celebrated the start of construction on an $183 million outpatient facility.

Pennsylvania

The Orthopedic Institute of Pennsylvania recently opened Slate Hill Surgery Center in Camp Hill.

York-based WellSpan Health has broken ground on a medical office building and ASC in Carlisle.

South Carolina

Bon Secours Mercy Health and Compass Surgical Partners' joint venture surgery center opened in April in Greenville.

Tennessee

A $21 million ASC, TriStar Summit Surgery Center, opened in Lebanon, Tenn.

Texas

A three-story medical office building is set to open in Spring, with its first tenant being an unnamed local ASC.

Sugar Land-based Kelsey-Seybold Clinic has opened its expanded Fort Bend Medical and Diagnostic Center with shelled space for a future ASC.

Houston Methodist is planning its largest outpatient care campus, which will include an ASC, in Spring.

Kerrville-based Peterson Health unveiled a newly constructed $38 million healthcare facility, which will feature a newly relocated ASC.

Austin Regional Clinic plans to replace a building on its campus with a new, two-story medical office building. The 63,000-square-foot building will also include ARC's first ASC.

Utah

HCA Healthcare and healthcare real estate development, investment and management company NexCore Group have partnered to create an ASC in Orem.

Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare is close to opening a new ASC In Layton on its Intermountain Layton Hospital campus.
Loma Linda (Calif.) University School of Dentistry received a $4 million grant to develop a biomarker using artificial intelligence to identify patients with the highest risk of developing oral cancer.

The research will be focused on the progression of oral pre-cancer to oral cancer and the potential use of AI to create a multi-omic biomarker to point out individuals with oral pre-cancer that may progress into oral cancer, according to a July 1 news release.

Chi Viet, DDS, MD, PhD, is an associate professor and attending surgeon in the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery and the principal investigator for the grant.

Dr. Viet and her research team have established a program that studies potential treatment options for patients with oral cancer. Her research uses a patient's molecular signature to identify oral cancer progression.

The grant is from the National Cancer Institute and is the university's second $4 million grant to study oral cancer in the past two years, the release said.
Kenneth Griffin, founder and CEO of investment firm Citadel, has donated a total of $545 million to various hospitals, health systems and cancer treatment and research specialists over the last 18 months.

The hedge fund manager and entrepreneur is also the co-chief investment officer and 80% owner of Citadel and has a net worth of about $41.8 billion, according to Bloomberg. He has donated more than $2 billion towards education, opportunity and health sciences initiatives.

Northwestern Medicine, Baptist Health South Florida and Nicklaus Children's Hospital are among the health systems that recently received donations from Mr. Griffin:
The American Hospital Association is raising concerns about hospital reporting requirements proposed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency under the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act.

On July 3, the AHA penned a letter to Jen Easterly, director of CISA, saying the proposed requirements for hospitals are "redundant with what other federal agencies require and that they place an unnecessary burden on hospitals."

On March 27, CISA proposed a new rule for healthcare organizations when it comes to cybersecurity incident reporting. According to this rule, hospitals and health systems must report any covered cyber incidents, ransom payments made in response to ransomware attacks and any significant new information related to a previously submitted report to the agency within specific time frames.

The AHA highlighted several issues it sees with the rule and urged the agency to make several changes, stating that:

Federal agencies need to ensure data remains anonymous.





Reporting rules should be clear and apply to the entire health sector due to their interconnected relationships.





Reporting requirements should be simplified because they create significant burdens and privacy risks for hospitals and health systems.





There should be a clearer explanation of penalties and when they apply.





Penalties are too harsh, especially when the organization was a victim of an attack by a malicious group or nation-state.

The AHA is asking the organization to simplify reporting burdens for hospitals and to agree to a "uniform" reporting process.
"Yes, chef" mixed with "Yes, chief" for three days as the makers of "The Bear" filmed scenes in an Illinois hospital's waiting area, parking lot and a patient room fitted as a labor and delivery suite.

Leaders at Endeavor Health's hospital in Skokie, Ill., built a recipe for success to accommodate the 200-plus film crew, according to a news release from the Evanston, Ill.-based system.

"The Bear" is a hit Hulu television show about a Chicago restaurant and the complex lives of its workers. Although the series is a gritty representation of the chaotic restaurant industry, the system's employees catered to ensure the filming process was smooth and did not obstruct patient care or satisfaction.

"While they didn't call each other 'chef,' the Endeavor Health Skokie Hospital operations team worked together like a seasoned brigade de cuisine to prepare for the massive influx of people and equipment, while always keeping patient experience and care as the top priority," the release said.

The hospital's facilities manager, Chris Wheeler, and his team prepped and served most of the logistics.

"There were times they needed ladders, or they randomly wanted a bathroom door removed," Mr. Wheeler said. "We had to figure it out on the fly."

Besides joining Jamie Lee Curtis (Donna Berzatto, "The Bear") for dinner, the Endeavor leadership team savored this opportunity by ordering prototypes of signage to premier its new brand.

"From a marketing standpoint, it was a great opportunity to showcase the beauty, quality care and warmth of Endeavor Health Skokie Hospital to the world," said Kim Caviness, Endeavor's marketing team system design and content director.

The scenes can be viewed in season three, episode eight of the show.
President Joe Biden, who has challenged the pharmaceutical industry for decades, joined Sen. Bernie Sanders' clash with Novo Nordisk in a July 2 op-ed published in USA Today.

President Biden and Mr. Sanders criticized Novo Nordisk's "corporate greed" and accused the company of "price gouging" in regard to its popular GLP-1 medications, Ozempic and Wegovy.

"Today, tens of millions of Americans are struggling with Type 2 diabetes and obesity. The good news is that Novo Nordisk, one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, has created new blockbuster drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy, that effectively treat these conditions," President Biden and Mr. Sanders wrote in USA Today. "The bad news is that Novo Nordisk is charging the American people unconscionably high prices for these prescription drugs."

If half of all Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries who are obese took Wegovy and other new weight loss drugs, CMS could spend $166 billion per year, they said in the op-ed. Mr. Sanders has previously said these drugs have the potential to bankrupt Medicare and the entire healthcare system.

"Prescription drug companies also must stop ripping off the American people," President Biden and Mr. Sanders said.

They called for Novo Nordisk to substantially reduce their list prices. The company said it already has.

"We are disappointed that a very difficult and complex problem is being oversimplified and mischaracterized for political purposes," a Novo Nordisk spokesperson told Becker's. "Each country has its own healthcare system and making isolated and limited comparisons ignores this fundamental concern."

The company's statement echoes its previous comments about Sen. Sanders' campaign against the GLP-1s' prices in the U.S. In May, Novo Nordisk said the scrutiny on the U.S. cost of Ozempic and Wegovy is "misplaced." In response to price comparisons with other countries  the drugs are 10 to 15 times cheaper in some countries  Novo Nordisk said rebates and pharmacy benefit managers complicate the matter.

"Unfortunately, even when we lower our prices, patients in the United States often don't receive the savings  this is a problem," the Denmark-based drugmaker said. "We will continue to cooperate with policymakers on real solutions and are proud of the benefit our discoveries have brought to treat and defeat chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity."
Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth has named Beverly Knapp, BSN, RN, COO of AdventHealth Hendersonville (N.C.).

Prior to her new role, Ms. Knapp served as system vice president for clinical ancillary services at Kettering (Ohio) Health, according to a July 2 news release from AdventHealth.

"She is stepping into this vital operations role at a pivotal time in our continued work to expand options for whole-person care to meet the growing needs of our community," Brandon Nudd, president and CEO of AdventHealth Hendersonville, said in the release.






UCSF Health and California Attorney General Rob Bonta have signed a cooperative settlement agreement to preserve key services and clear the way for the health system's $100 million acquisition of two San Francisco hospitals.

The agreement, which received judicial approval July 2, outlines UCSF's commitments to maintain vital services and promote health equity once it acquires two Dignity Health hospitals: Saint Francis Memorial Hospital and St. Mary's Medical Center, both of which are in the city.

The hospitals play a key role in serving a diverse population, including elderly, unhoused and publicly insured patients who depend on Medi-Cal, Medicare or charity care for essential healthcare services, the health system said in a news release shared with Becker's.

Under the cooperative agreement, UCSF Health will:

Continue to operate the two hospitals as licensed general acute care facilities, and maintain or expand current service levels and staffing.





Continue to participate in Medi-Cal and Medicare.





Provide at least $6.5 million in annual charity care at Saint Francis and at least $3.5 million St. Mary's, with an annual increase of 2.4% at both hospitals.





Provide at least $1.6 million a year for community healthcare needs at Saint Francis and at least $10.7 million at St. Mary's. These figures will increase by 2.4% a year at both hospitals.





Invest at least $430 million: About $80 million for EHR systems and related technologies $350 million in maintenance and infrastructure improvements at both hospitals.





Maintain existing service contracts with the City and County of San Francisco unless terminated for cause.





Not condition medical staff privileges or contracts on affiliation with UCSF Health and ensure that hospital staff can maintain relationships with providers outside the UC Health system.





Maintain independent negotiation of payer contracts for both hospitals, with a price growth cap for five years to limit year-over-year charge increases.

"We want to ensure that Saint Francis and St. Mary's are places our communities can continue to rely on for excellent care," UCSF Health President and CEO Suresh Gunasekaran said. "This agreement underscores our commitment to the community and our responsibility to maintain and enhance healthcare services at both hospitals."

Dignity Health, part of Chicago-based CommonSpirit, signed a definitive agreement to sell the hospitals to UCSF Health in February.

The transaction is expected to close Aug. 1.
Netflix discontinued its cheapest ad-free tier as several subscribers received a notice reminding them to change their plans within the month.

Earlier this year, the company announced that the Basic plan will be "retired" in Canada and the U.K. by the second quarter.

Netflix Basic Plan Subscribers Must Change Plans Soon

A Reddit user shared an alert from his Netflix account, showing that selecting a new plan is the only way to continue watching. The existing Basic tier is officially discontinued and subscribers are given until July 13 to continue watching.

"Your Basic plan has been discontinued, but you can easily switch to a new one. Plans start at $5.99 with upgraded features," the notification read.

Starting this month, Netflix will only offer the standard ad-supported tier for CA$5.99 which includes full HD viewing for up to two devices.

The Standard ad-free tier comes at CA$16.49 for two devices while the Premium ad-free tier provides Ultra HD quality on up to four devices for CA$20.99.

Netflix Pushes Ad-Free Tiers on Subscribers to Increase Revenue

The Q4 report of Netflix for 2024 revealed that the membership of the ad has increased by almost 70% quarter over quarter. The company attributed the boost to the retirement of the Basic plan for its new and rejoining members.

While the report only hinted that the Basic ad-free tier will be discontinued in Canada and the U.K., Netflix shared that it will only be the start.

The streaming giant has yet to confirm when it will start phasing out the Basic plan for existing members in the U.S. Last year, Netflix closed the tier for new and returning members in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

Netflix reported that over 40 million users have subscribed to its ad-supported plan as of May.
The Justice Department issued a civil investigation demand to Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings on Nov. 3, according to a June 27 court document filed by Prospect.

While the document did not go into detail about the investigation, a civil investigation allows the justice department to get documented and electronically stored information from a person or entity prior to litigation starting, according to Bloomberg Law.

The document, obtained by Becker's, was in retort to a lawsuit filed in early May by Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health against Prospect to get out of a deal to acquire three Prospect Connecticut hospitals, Waterbury (Conn.) Hospital; Manchester (Conn.) Memorial Hospital, part of Prospect's Manchester-based Eastern Connecticut Health Network; and Rockville General Hospital in Vernon, Conn.

Yale New Haven signed a November 2022 deal with Prospect to acquire the hospitals for $435 million. However, following a cyberattack in August and finding out that Prospect owed $67 million in taxes and had not paid physicians or vendors at its hospitals, Yale New Haven moved to alter the purchase price.

In early June, Prospect sued Yale New Haven over not honoring its contractual obligation to take on the hospitals, seeking at least $435 million in damages.

"We are aware of the Civil Investigative Demand issued by the DOJ to Prospect Medical Holdings and are working to understand its potential impact should a transaction proceed," a spokesperson for Yale New Haven Health said in a statement shared with Becker's.

Becker's has reached out to Prospect Medical Holdings and the Justice Department and will update this story should more information become available.
From Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems to Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Health, the Justice Department has been busy looking into multiple health systems and healthcare organizations over the last few months.

Most recently, Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings shared in June 27 court documents that the Justice Department had issued Prospect a civil investigation demand on Nov. 3.

The court documents were filed in relation to a lawsuit that Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health filed against Prospect in May regarding the sale of three Prospect hospitals. The documents did not go into detail about the Justice Department's investigation.

A civil investigation allows the department to access documented and electronically stored information from a person or entity before litigation begins, according to Bloomberg Law.

In April, it was revealed that the Justice Department has been investigating Sentara Health's insurance arm, Optima Health, now known as Sentara Health Plans, since 2021.

The investigation pertains to whether Optima unfairly increased premiums in 2018 and 2018 after receiving more than $655 million in federal subsidies.

The Justice Department alleged that while Sentara complied with certain requests for testimony and documents, it refused to comply with others. Optima President and CEO Michael Dudley and Optima Chief Actuary James Juillerat were ordered by a federal judge in March to provide additional testimony within 60 days.

A Sentara spokesperson told The Virginia-Pilot that the health system has worked with investigators to provide over 27,000 documents and 60 hours of interviews with existing and former employees.

UnitedHealth Group was also hit with an antitrust investigation in February from the Justice Department.

Around that time, The Wall Street Journal reported that investigators had begun conducting interviews with healthcare industry representatives in UnitedHealth competition sectors, which included physician groups.

During the interviews, questions were related to specific relationships between the company's UnitedHealthcare insurance unit and its Optum health-services arm, which owns additional assets like physician groups.

The inquiry, in part, was looking into acquisitions from Optum's physician group and how the health plan unit and physician ownership impact competition. Specifically, investigators from the Justice Department asked if UnitedHealthcare favored Optum-owned groups in contract pricing, which could extract rival physicians from certain appealing payment arrangements.

Lastly, Community Health Systems revealed in a Feb. 21 SEC filing that on January 11, the health system received a civil investigative demand from the Justice Department looking for information and documents related to, "a variety of subjects, including practices and procedures related to the utilization review, inpatient admission and inpatient dialysis at our hospitals."

The health system also shared in the statement that it was fully cooperating with the investigation.

A spokesperson from CHS told Becker's that the health system believes the investigation came from allegations of a former employee at one of its hospitals.






A nurse previously employed by Baptist Hospital East in Louisville, Ky., was arrested July 1 for allegedly using patients' stolen credit cards, according to ABC affiliate WHAS.

Kentucky State Police charged Lauren Miller with stealing two or more patients' credit cards and fraudulently using those cards, according to the report. Ms. Miller allegedly used the credit cards for purchases totaling more than $1,000 between Nov. 27 and Dec. 7.

The alleged victims told police their cards were stolen while they were patients at Baptist Hospital East's critical care unit. The hospital's risk management department matched Ms. Miller's work schedule in the unit to the times the patients' cards were reportedly stolen.

"She is not employed by Baptist Health. In accordance with federal privacy laws, we are unable to share any additional information," a spokesperson for the hospital told Becker's.

Ms. Miller is set to appear in court July 16.
In the wake of the Supreme Court's overturning of Chevron deference, Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health has filed a lawsuit against HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra challenging what the system calls the secretary's "irrational and unlawful interpretation of the statutes he is entrusted to administer."

The suit, filed June 28 in a Washington, D.C. federal court, challenges the interpretation of CMS' administration of the Medicare statutes, which "has deprived hospitals of some of the reimbursements they are due and the data to check their reimbursement rates," Hackensack said in a July 2 news release. The suit also challenges CMS' "refusal to enable hospitals to effectively employ the congressionally mandated procedures for obtaining relief from these underpayments."

The lawsuit was filed the same day the Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference in a 6-3 ruling. Chevron deference, which emerged from a 1984 court case, stipulated that when disputes arise over regulation of an ambiguous law, judges should defer to federal agency interpretations so long as those interpretations are reasonable. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority that the framework has proved "unworkable" and allowed federal agencies to change course even without Congress' discretion.

Hackensack is seeking an order:

Holding unlawful and setting aside CMS' calculation of the hospitals' supplemental security income (SSI) fractions for fiscal 2016 and directing that, on remand, "CMS shall have the burden of providing either countervailing evidence or valid legal grounds to overcome the Hospitals' prima facie evidence of error."

Compelling CMS to disclose to the hospital patient-level SSI-eligibility data obtained from the Social Security Administration and to obtain from the SSA all such SSI-eligibility data and disclose it to the hospitals.

Declaring that CMS' interpretation of "entitled to" SSI benefits is contrary to statute.

HHS did not immediately respond to a request from Becker's seeking comment.






Eli Lilly's experimental Alzheimer's disease treatment, Kisunla  which slowed decline by up to 35% in clinical trials  has been approved by the FDA, after previously delaying its decision in March, the agency announced July 2.

Kisunla (donanemab) is approved to be given as an injection via infusion about every four weeks in patients experiencing mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia, according to the FDA.

In phase 3 clinical trials, Kisunla slowed cognitive and functional decline by up to 35% compared to a placebo, according to a news release from Eli Lilly. The drug was also found to reduce participants' risk of progressing further to the next stage of Alzheimer's.

The treatment is not meant to be ongoing and can be stopped when the plaques dissipate to a certain level.

"As a physician, I am encouraged by the potential to stop treatment, which could reduce out-of-pocket costs and infusion burden for eligible patients," Howard Fillit, MD, cofounder and chief science officer at the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation said in the release.
The American Hospital Association said raising tariffs on Chinese-made medical supplies could create more problems.

In a letter to U.S. trade representatives, the AHA challenged the Biden administration's proposal to increase tariff rates on syringes, needles, personal protective equipment, and medical and surgical gloves. The administration said the plan will confront China's unfair trade practices and incentivize domestic medical supply manufacturing.

The AHA disagrees, arguing "this strategy may fail or bring negative unintended consequences."

China-based manufacturers dominate the market for some commonly used medical supplies, and other sources are unlikely to meet domestic demand, the AHA said, so the U.S. healthcare industry might have to continue buying these more expensive products. The organization also said hospitals have existing contracts with China-based manufacturers, and it is burdensome to test and adopt new devices.

Read the letter here.
The healthcare industry rapidly embraced innovative solutions to navigate unprecedented supply chain challenges amid COVID-19. However, as the pandemic waned, so too has the pace of innovation, one supply chain expert told the Association of National Account Executives.

Critical supply shortages and rising costs during the public health crisis spurred supply chain teams to embrace more creative procurement strategies, expand supplier relationships and accelerate the modernization and digitization of supply chain operations, according to GHX.

Though calls to improve supply chain resilience magnified in the wake of the pandemic, progress on these efforts has slowed, according to Eugene Schneller, PhD, a professor of supply chain management at Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business in Tempe.

"When the pressure's off, you don't pay as much attention to those as you did in the past. Notably, we still don't have provider systems that have resilience in their mission statements or as part of their governance processes," he told the Association of National Account Executives.

The pandemic also required a high level of collaboration and visibility between suppliers and providers. Organizations must work to sustain and build on these successful partnerships, according to Dr. Schneller.

"Much sharing of data happened during COVID. When the crisis goes away, how do we sustain collaboration? Putting governance structures in place to assure access to and equitable allocation of critical products is important," he told ANAE. "Resilience is important. Providers knowing how suppliers are managing their upstream risk is critical to great partnerships."






Aaron Rossi, former CEO of the now closed Reditus Labs, was sentenced to five years in prison for federal mail and tax fraud and plans to defraud Bloomington-based Central Illinois Orthopedic Surgery, 25 News Now reported July 2.

Mr. Rossi pleaded guilty to one count of tax fraud for withholding income on his tax return and one count of mail fraud, with six additional charges dropped as part of a plea agreement in February. He was accused of using the orthopedic group's funds for personal purchases, and he admitted to using the funds illegally in court and admitted to withholding income information from his accountant in 2016.

Along with his sentence, he will have to pay $3.1 million in restitution. Earlier in June he was also indicted by a federal grand jury on six counts of healthcare fraud, one count of mail fraud, and four counts of wire fraud. He is accused of defrauding the state of Illinois and public and private health insurance companies out of hundreds of thousands of dollars during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A popular Belfast pizza restaurant has said it will close its doors next week but admits there is an overwhelming interest in what they will do next.

Pi Guy, which is located in Trademarket on Dublin Road, took to social media this evening (Wednesday) to announce their closure from 14 July, which is also the final day of trading for Trademarket.

So the time has finally come to say goodbye, at least temporarily, the owners of the restaurant, which specialises in naturally leavened Neapolitan pizza, said.

Sunday July 14th will be our last day of trading in @trademarketbelfast. Its incredibly hard to believe that its been 2 years already but unfortunately all good things come to an end. The sheer amount of interest in what were gonna do next has been a bit overwhelming.

"It means a lot that people make such an effort to reach out and are actually interested in what were gonna do next, they added.

So for the next couple of months our DMs are open and were gonna be available for some private gigs/ collabs/ kitchen takeovers (the first time in nearly 3 years). Slide into the DMs if youve something interesting coming up and want us to come sling some top tier pizza.

In the medium- long term we do have plans, but I really cant say too much about them. Thats gonna have to wait for a few weeks. But I promise you itll be worth it.

Were back today from 5pm and plan to have a shedload of dough for weekend ahead. Hopefully no sell outs. See yall at @trademarket for the last normal week of trading.

Pi Guy will join its fellow Trademarket vendors by closing in July after the location was sold to accommodate a new property development on the site from IT company Kainos.

In a recent post, the market team said they have yet to secure a new site for their vendors but continue to work behind the scenes to make this happen and hope to have good news to share on this in the near future.

News Catch Up: Tuesday 2nd July 2024
Despite using almost the same supply chains, Belfast was found to be significantly cheaper. Photo: Getty

Dublin is the second most expensive of 10 cities across Europe looked at for apartment construction in a new study, and build costs in the Irish capital are around a third higher those in Belfast.

The report looked at the costs of building the same apartment block in different locations across Europe.

Zurich was the most expensive with the Estonian capital Tallinn the cheapest.

But Dublin is the second dearest place to build while Belfast, just 140km away and with almost the same supply chain for materials, was the second cheapest.

The report was compiled by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) and researchers from Trinity College Dublin.

It looked at the cost of building the same new unit in a seven-storey or more block of mostly two-bed homes.

The average across the 10 cities surveyed came in at 2,057 per sqm. The cost in Dublin is 2,363.

Zurich was the only city more expensive, at 2,866 per sqm. Tallinn was the cheapest at 1,367 per sqm. In Belfast the cost per square metre was 1,755. Amsterdam and Brussels, both large and wealthy cities, are also among the cheaper places to build.

The report, which includes both hard costs such as materials and some but not all soft costs such as professional fees and taxes, is the first to use a common International Construction Management Standards V3 (ICMS3) to compare costs across markets.

The disparity in costs between Dublin and Belfast in particular needs to be examined, according to Ronan Lyons, associate professor of economics in Trinity College Dublin, and one of the authors of the report.

In addition to the role of labour productivity, policymakers need to understand the role played by regulatory specifications and standards, as well as differences in soft costs, in affecting overall viability, he said.

High construction costs in Dublin are a barrier to new housing supply, he said.

Dublin is somewhat cheaper than the typical city for structural works, typically involving concrete.

However, Dublins high overall cost is due in particular to two headings  services and equipment, which includes heating, power elevators, and non-structural works, which covers things like floors, windows and carpentry, he said.

A second author of the report, Bryn Griffiths, vice chair of the SCSI Quantity Surveying Professional Group Committee, said the survey shows construction costs here could be reduced.

This survey compared the price of a Swiss apartment block if it were built in the ten cities, and it is clear that this design is architecturally very different to what we would deliver in Ireland. The designs we are using here drive higher costs and we believe if planning policy was to adopt alternative approaches and more flexibility, costs could be reduced in this area.
SpaceX is looking to increase its space launches soon as the Elon Musk-led company poses to deploy rockets 120 times each year.

According to TechCrunch, SpaceX on Tuesday shared its ambitions to launch its Starship rockets from NASA's Kennedy Space Center 44 times per year.

With the Federal Aviation Agency preparing a separate launch pad for SpaceX's Starship, more space launches are expected to roll out in the following years, especially with its test flight as part of its Artemis missions' commitment.

These would be in addition to the two existing launch sites SpaceX has already built in southeast Texas. Combined, the total space flights could number an average of 120 launches each year.

Amid the aerospace manufacturer's ambitious goal, competing private firms have already filed complaints to regulators over potential disruptions to other businesses looking to secure launch permission.

Also Read : US Leads in Record-Breaking 210 Orbital Launches in 2023

Environmental Concerns Rise Amid SpaceX Rapid Deployment

Environmental groups and experts have already expressed concerns about SpaceX's plans to expand its rocket deployments due to their impact on space junk, carbon emissions, and resource consumption.

Scientific American has previously alerted potential "risk of creating dangerous debris" threatening the safety of astronauts with the increase of rocket ship parts left in space with each launch.

The company's massive satellite system, Starlink, in particular, was a concern due to its leftover junk becoming space hazards.

One scientist even noted that Starlink satellites are responsible for 1,600, or 50%, of all close encounters in modern space launches.

Space Junk Problem to Grow with Commercial Launches

With NASA opening its floodgates for more private space missions in the future as it retires the International Space Station, these dangers are expected to surge as more companies join the space race.

So far, Blue Origin is looking to bring even tourists into space as its planned low-orbit space station, Orbital Reef, receives more support.

The United Launch Alliance is also expected to increase satellite deployments as its parent companies, Lockheed Martin and Boeing Defense, increase focus to more potential space ventures.

Boeing itself is contributing to the space debris as it continues to increase space flights for the Artemis missions.
The Blade Runner TV sequel, originally planned to be filmed in Belfast, has officially started production in Prague with cameras rolling on the project this weekend.

Filming for Blade Runner 2099 had been due to get underway at Belfasts Harbour Studios in 2023, but the project was delayed due to the Hollywood writers strike.

However, in October last year the BBC reported the series would be filmed elsewhere.

Blade Runner 2099 is shooting under the working title Bulero in Prague, and has filed with the Czech Film Fund under two line items, Rebirth and The Hunted Becomes the Hunter, according to the Prague Reporter.

The outlet confirmed filming began on Sunday.

The production will be one of the biggest to ever film in the Czech capital, with its Barrandov Studio being completely occupied over the next six months to accommodate the sci-fi series.

Previously announced series leads Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer will be joined in the sci-fi drama by: Dimitri Abold (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) and Lewis Gribben (Somewhere Boy), who will appear as series regulars.

The series will take place after the events of the original Blade Runner film and the sequel, Blade Runner 2049.

NI Screen had awarded Blade Runner 2099 funding of 4.1m in 2022-23 for filming in Northern Ireland, but it was previously reported any money that has been paid would be returned.

Last year, NI Screen CEO Richard Williams told Sunday Life: We have spoken to the production and it is not our understanding that Blade Runner 2099 has been cancelled.

The production was halted due to the ongoing writers strike. Since then there has also been strike action by actors.

The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes have been halting productions all over the world.

We hope for a swift and equitable resolution to the dispute for all parties, allowing US-originated projects to get back into production here.

The original Blade Runner movie, set in a dystopian future Los Angeles in 2019, was released in 1982, starring Harrison Ford.

Its sequel, Blade Runner 2049, was released in 2017, and Blade Runner 2099 was commissioned by Amazon with Sir Ridley Scott as executive producer.
LATEST | Judge rules there is sufficient evidence for Jeffrey Donaldson and wife to stand trial

It can also be revealed that Jeffrey Donaldson is set to return to Northern Ireland after a period living in London

Watch: Jeffrey Donaldson leaves Newry courthouse

Liam Tunney and Allison Morris Wed 3 Jul 2024 at 12:07







Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has been sent for trial over allegations of historical sex offences.
Naomi Long abandons appeal plan over sex offences ruling after other Executive parties come out against her

DUP, Sinn Fein and UUP separately come out against legal challenge, prompting Alliance leader to abandon what shed wanted to do

Justice Minister Naomi Long. Pic: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Sam McBride Wed 3 Jul 2024 at 07:18

Naomi Long has abandoned her plan to appeal a judgment overturning a law criminalising those who named Jimmy Savile as a paedophile after every other Executive party came out to oppose her.
The former Bank of Ireland building on Royal Avenue.

Belfast City Council has selected a world leading cultural attraction designer to take over planning over the Belfast Stories project.

The landmark project at the Bank of Ireland site on Royal Avenue, planned for completion in 2029, will be planned by Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA), the worlds largest practice dedicated to the planning and design of cultural attractions.

The Belfast Stories development is one of seven tourism and regeneration projects included in the Belfast Region City Deal, which was unveiled in 2021.

RAA will deliver the concept design and interpretive masterplan for the visitor attraction element of the proposed city centre destination.

The appointment comes as the project moves into the concept design phase, also known as architecture RIBA Stage 2.

This is the process of briefing, designing, constructing, and operating building projects of scale.

RAA was selected based on its international experience designing museum and narrative environments including the Obama Presidential Centre, Chicago, the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum, Liverpool, and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC.

The company has also supported The Braid Arts Centre in Ballymena and the Museum of Literature Ireland in Dublin.

RAA will work alongside the Integrated Design Team, Oslo-based Snhetta, the firm responsible for designing the Oslo Opera House and the 9/11 Memorial Pavilion in New York.

Belfast-based TODD Architects, are leading on the architectural and structural design, whilst property and construction consultancy, Gleeds, are overseeing project management.

Belfast Stories hosted a forum event on Tuesday, July 2, with the experience design team.

Deputy Lord Mayor Andrew McCormick, said after the event: Belfast Stories is making significant progress and RAAs appointment is another fantastic step towards unlocking almost 100 years of heritage at the 5,000 square metre Art Deco Bank of Ireland site.

It is wonderful that the ambition we have for Belfast Stories is matched by the teams appointed to transform this much-loved heritage site into a dynamic public space, visitor experience and creative hub that holds the potential to transform our city centre.

Belfast Stories is a flagship project for the city and very much embodies our ambitions for Belfast to become a more inclusive, compassionate, vibrant, and visited city.

Tourism NIs Chief Executive Officer, John McGrillen said: Belfast Stories holds the potential to transform the city centre and contribute to the citys ongoing regeneration.

Belfast is the gateway to the region  attracting people to this authentic and vibrant city is essential to the growth of our tourism industry right across Northern Ireland.

We are a nation of storytellers and storytelling is at the core of our experience brand, allowing us to share our giant spirit with the many visitors who come here.

Belfast Stories will also become a focal point for the regions burgeoning creative industries and a base for film-related organisations, as well as providing a home for Northern Ireland Screens digital film archive.

For more information visit the Belfast City Council website.
The plans for the annual Orangefest event at Belfast City Hall on the Twelfth of July have been revealed.

Designed to accompany the July 12 parades, Orangefest 2024 will take place from 10am to 4pm at both Belfast City Hall and surrounding areas in Royal Avenue.

This years events include a line-up from an international food market in the grounds of City Hall organised by Food NI and Taste of Ulster offering up a range of local and international cuisines, as well as live cooking demonstrations.

Circus and street entertainers will also be performing street theatre in the grounds, where stilt walkers, drumming workshops from community tribal drummers, drop in circus skills and circus shows will all be provided for free and will be suitable for all ages.

Orangefest was first established in 2007 and aims to foster a peaceful and harmonious society by celebrating the rich and diverse cultures of Northern Ireland.

County Grand Master, Rt. Wor. Bro. Spencer Beattie said the organising committee are delighted to be bringing together a variety of activities to encourage people to remain in the city centre throughout the morning.

He said: Our message this year is that Belfast is very much going to be open for business during the July 12, celebrations.

Many retailers throughout the city centre have committed to remaining open during the festivities from 1pm to 5pm and we want to encourage people to enjoy their time in the city centre responsibly and safely.

As well as the programme of events in the grounds of City Hall, there will also be a range of guided tours of the historic building available throughout the morning allowing people to experience Belfasts rich history.

Mr Beattie said he looks forward to welcoming people from all across the city to Orangefest this year.

It is our mission to enhance the well-known July 12 celebrations by providing additional activities that are educational, entertaining, and accessible to all, fostering a sense of community and togetherness in Belfast, he said.

As we enjoy the spectacle of the 334th annual demonstration of the Battle of the Boyne, we are looking forward to a feast of activity at Belfast City Hall.

We aspire to make the Belfast Twelfth a globally recognised event that not only highlights the cultural significance of the day but also promotes unity and economic growth.

Through our efforts, we aim to remove barriers, foster mutual respect, and create a positive and inclusive environment for all citizens and visitors.
The organisers of the annual Scarva sham fight are gearing up for tens of thousands of visitors

The organisers of the annual Scarva sham fight are gearing up for tens of thousands of visitors

The organisers of the annual Scarva Sham Fight expect this years event to be attended by tens of thousands of visitors as they revealed their 2024 plans.

Taking place in the Co Down village on July 13, the annual fight features a recreation of the battle between rival monarchs William and James alongside a large-scale procession through Scarva.

This years event will feature nine visiting preceptories, including visitors from Australia and New Zealand, who will join the parade of 4,000 members of the Royal Black Institution and around 85 bands.

The organisers of the annual Scarva sham fight are gearing up for tens of thousands of visitors

The organisers have said they expect tens of thousands of visitors in what they claim is the biggest one-day event, at a single location, anywhere in Northern Ireland.

Speaking about the plans for 2024, Sovereign Grand Master Rev William Anderson said: "The procession and Sham Fight at Scarva hold a special place in the parading calendar, and it is a great day out for all the family.

"As a Christian-based institution, the service of public worship is of the utmost importance to our members.

"The day is rooted in tradition, with preceptories carrying their wonderful banners portraying biblical scenes, and is a unique spectacle of music and pageantry."

Rev Anderson also praised the team of organisers "for their dedication, commitment and professionalism in maintaining the only re-enactment of its kind on these islands.

John Adair, who is famous for his portrayal of King William IIl, also said: "The 13th at Scarva wouldn't be the same without the Sham Fight. It's the last remaining Sham Fight in Europe, to the best of my knowledge.

There used to be one in Bandon, Cork, but it has gone by the wayside.

"It's a day of historical significance, and the performers do all in their power to deliver an exciting performance that can be enjoyed by everyone."

This years procession will leave the assembly field on Gilford Road at 11.15am and make its way to the demesne.

The Sham Fight is due to start at 1.30pm, with the religious service scheduled for 2pm.
I could have ended up in US gang had it not been for my family, admits Belfast Stars Maurice Jones
Local Tories deny supporting any North Down candidate despite chairman endorsing Alex Easton

Fresh bout of confusion over personal and party backing of runners after TUVs nose was put out of joint by Reform UK leader Farage last month following his comments on Wilson and Paisley

Alex Easton

Andrew Madden Wed 3 Jul 2024 at 07:14







The Northern Ireland Conservatives insists the party is not endorsing any candidate in North Down ahead of the election  despite its chairman saying he was backing Alex Easton.
Tributes have been paid to the mother and daughter killed in a crashFour people have died on Irish roads within 24 hours

Gardai are at the scene of the serious road crash which happened on the N26 between Swinford and Foxford, Co Mayo.

The deceased, a mother in her 40s who was driving the car and her young daughter, are understood to be from the local area. Stock image

A Mayo community has paid tribute to a mother and daughter who lost their lives in a crash, saying a cloud has fallen over the town again".

Aisling Moore and her eight-year-old daughter Abbigael Moore-Tournie died after their car collided with a lorry on the N26 in Co Mayo at 5.45pm on Tuesday, at Callow between Foxford and Swinford.

Ms Moore, who was aged 46 was driving the car, and her young daughter are understood to be from the local area. The driver of the lorry was taken to hospital with injuries that are understood to be non-life threatening.

Gardai are at the scene of the serious road crash which happened on the N26 between Swinford and Foxford, Co Mayo.

Local Fianna Fail councillor John Caulfield said his thoughts and reflections are the same as everybody in Swinford, that he is absolutely devastated at the loss of two lives in the crash.

When news broke, it was like a cloud fell over the town again and so soon after we lost two people in Swinford in a house fire just a few months ago.

Just devastation, people are just silent this morning in shock.

Our thoughts are with the family this morning as they try to come to terms with this awful, devastating news, he said.

Cllr Caulfield said he could only imagine the child starting off the summer holidays with all the dreams of spending time with her parents and grandparents.

All cut short and never to be again, he told RTE Radio Ones Morning Ireland, adding that the community of Swinford will gather around and support them.

He said that the increase in road fatalities across country is a very worrying trend.

There is a fear out there on the road, this is a very busy stretch of road but not known for accidents, he said.

He added that we always need more money to improve roads but there was a stretch of road improved on that road, removing a 90 degree bend.

I have no recollection of fatalities up until this on that road, he added.

Speaking to the Irish Independent yesterday, Cllr Caulfield said: "This is another unspeakable tragedy to happen here in Mayo and local to us here in the Swinford area. It's another family absolutely destroyed.

It's hard to find words when horrific tragedies like this happen but all I can say is we are praying for the family of the young girl and her mother.

"We are praying for their family who have to try and cope with a loss so huge it is unimaginable."

Taoiseach Simon Harris sent his sympathies to the families of those who died in the latest road crashes.

Speaking in the Dail, he said: I know that communities in Mayo and in Westmeath have been devastated by the news of this loss of life and I know I join with everybody in this house in sending our deepest sympathies to the families of those who have died."

He said that 97 people have lost their lives on Irish roads this year but added that no number can hide the reality in terms of the personal tragedy and upset" the family behind each of those numbers feel.

I just wanted to really acknowledge that, as a stark reminder of the importance of road safety and the dangers on our roads, Mr Harris said.

Local councillor Joe Faughnan said there is a dark cloud hanging over the area following the news of the tragedy.

There is a great sense of shock in the community as we await more details about the collision, he said.

It is just so sad and there is a dark cloud hanging over the area.

All my thoughts and condolences are with the family affected by the tragedy.

Every road death is one that we hope to avoid, and it is so sad for the family and a massive shock for all involved.

The main thing tonight is that everyone is thinking of the family and sending condolences.

We live in a good community that will rally around and support the family at this difficult time.

Meanwhile, two men died in separate crashes in the Castlepollard area of Westmeath.

A man in his 80s died in a two-car collision on the R394 at Gartlandstown near Castlepollard. The man, who was a passenger in one of the cars, was pronounced dead at the scene at around 5.30am on Wednesday.

The driver, a woman aged in her 60s, was seriously injured and is being treated at Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore.

The driver of the other second car, a man aged in his 30s, is being treated at Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar for non-life-threatening injuries.

A passenger, a man aged in his 20s, is also receiving treatment for non-life threatening injuries at the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore.

On Tuesday, a man in his 40s died in a single-vehicle crash on the R395 at Teevrevagh near Castlepollard.

Co Cork, gardai are seeking a driver after a hit and run that happened last Friday afternoon.

The hit-and-run happened at Brough Cross in Doneraile.

"A male in his 20s, injured in the incident, was taken by air ambulance to Cork University Hospital where he is being treated for serious but non-life threatening injuries, gardai said.

Gardai said that the driver of one of the cars involved failed to remain at the scene and has yet to come forward.
A Victoria Cross awarded to Captain Henry Peel Ritchie, of the Royal Navy, in the First World War could fetch up to 260,000 when it goes under the hammer later this month (Noonans/PA)

A Victoria Cross won by a sailor in the First World War could fetch up to 260,000 when it goes under the hammer later this month.

It was awarded to Captain Henry Peel Ritchie, of the Royal Navy, who was born in Edinburgh, for his gallant command of HMS Goliaths steam pinnace at Dar-es-Salaam in east Africa on November 28 1914.

Capt Ritchie, then 38, was wounded eight times in 20 minutes as he steered the pinnace to safety from the port, which was then under German rule.

His medal is one of 250 being sold at Noonans Mayfair during an auction on July 23, with the collection expected to fetch in the region of 2 million.

The medals were collected by Jason Pilalas, from Connecticut, who died last year, and served as an officer in the United States Navy, completing three tours of Vietnam.

Nimrod Dix, deputy chairman of Noonans, said: When the pinnace came under a withering fire, 38-year-old Ritchie took over the wheel from his wounded coxswain and steered for the harbours entrance, but it took 20 minutes to get clear, in which period he was wounded eight times  on the forehead, in the left hand, twice in the left arm, in his right arm and hip and, finally, by two bullets through his right leg.

Mr Ritchie, who was promoted to Captain on the retired list in January 1924, lived at Craig Royston in Edinburgh and died there aged 83 on December 9 1958.

The medal collection, which covers 200 years of naval history, also includes 10 medals awarded to Lieutenant Commander William Ewart Hiscock, of the Royal Navy, who was born in Dorchester, Dorset, in 1886.

His medals are estimated to fetch between 80,000 and 120,000.

Mr Dix described how the controlled mining officer, serving at HMS St Angelo in Malta, dealt with 125 incidents at the height of the islands siege.

Lt Cmdr Hiscock and his wife were killed in a bombing raid on Valetta in February 1942  just a few days after it was announced that he had been awarded the George Cross.

King George VI presented the medal to one of the heros daughters at Buckingham Palace on June 23 1942.

Describing medal collector Mr Pilalas, Mr Dix said: He was not only a man of many talents, but he was also a man of many interests, none more so than his relentless pursuit of knowledge of all things relating to the Royal Navy, this voracious appetite for knowledge being matched only by his seemingly unquenchable thirst to collect objects relating to his passion.

However, as much as Jason cherished his collection, he was always mindful of the fact that he was just the custodian of these objects in his own lifetime.
Talks critical to resolving EU tariff spat

10:48, July 03, 2024 By Zhong Nan ( China Daily

Despite the challenging and highly complex nature of China-European Union negotiations on the latter's anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles, such talks remain the most effective way to prevent the escalation of bilateral economic and trade tensions, said market watchers and business leaders.

To navigate the intensifying economic and trade competition, they said China and the EU should closely bind their industrial chains, enhance market integration, and achieve mutual benefits.

As the Ministry of Commerce said in late June that China and the EU have expedited consultations on this issue, Lyu Yue, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies, part of the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said that through negotiations with the EU and discussions with relevant member states, China aims to reduce current tariff levels as much as possible.

By avoiding cutthroat competition and unilateral suppression, both sides should instead foster shared interests and prosperity, paving the way for a stronger, more collaborative economic future, Lyu said.

Even though Chinese EVs account for just a small share of the EU's EV imports, the European Commission, which represents the interests of the EU as a whole, in mid-June unveiled additional provisional tariffs ranging from 17.4 percent to 38.1 percent for Chinese EV manufacturers.

The additional provisional EU duties on imported Chinese-made EVs are due to apply from Thursday, with the tariffs expected to be finalized on Nov 2.

According to its rules, the EU will implement "provisional tariffs" for four months before making a final decision. This means that from Thursday, when the EU starts imposing provisional tariffs  until the final tariff rates are determined  China has about four months to engage in talks with the EU and relevant member states.

Noting that there are different voices within the EU, Hu Zinan, a researcher at the German Studies Center of Tongji University in Shanghai, believes that such talks will be challenging, as the discussions will encompass more than just tariff levels on Chinese EVs exported to Europe.

Sharing similar views, Ding Rijia, a professor specializing in industrial economy at the China University of Mining and Technology in Beijing, said that if China retaliates with reciprocal tariffs, such as higher duties on large-displacement gasoline vehicle imports from Europe or restricted exports of critical materials like rare earths and lithium, it would severely drive up costs.

China-EU trade declined 1.3 percent year-on-year to 2.23 trillion yuan ($307 billion) in the first five months, statistics from the General Administration of Customs showed.

Matthias Loebich, partner and leader for international business at BearingPoint, a European management and technology consultancy with more than 10,000 employees across 70 countries and regions, said that China's fast-growing EV sector will continue to lead the world's green transition and create enormous growth opportunities for upstream and downstream industries in both domestic and global markets in the years ahead.

"This is evident in our doubling of Chinese automotive clients seeking consulting support over the past two years," said Loebich, noting that Chinese automakers are enhancing their internal capabilities in management, digital transformation, and overseas strategies, learning from advanced markets to elevate their global presence.

That sentiment is in line with the latest trend. China's new energy vehicles are becoming popular in overseas markets thanks to their quality, driving range as well as multiple functionality.

A total of 519,000 EVs and plugin hybrids were shipped overseas from China between January and May, up 13.7 percent year-on-year, said the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
The world is well aware of the environmental issues we are already facing, which is why there have already been measures in place such as alternative power sources and electric vehicles. However, some harmful emissions are unavoidable, such as the growing carbon footprint brought forth by AI data centers.

Google's Carbon Footprint Grows

Every time you submit a prompt or ask a question to an AI tool, you are effectively contributing to the need for powerful data centers that heavily consume energy. With the AI race continuing to rage on, more companies are establishing data centers to support consumer use.

With Google being one of the biggest AI developers in the market right now, the tech giant's carbon footprint has significantly grown since the AI boom. Despite aiming to cut its carbon emissions in half by 2030, it has instead grown to 48%, as reported by The Verge.

In 2023, Google produced 14.3 million metric tons of pollution, which equates to a 13% year-over-year increase. Data centers are known for their heavy use of electricity, and it has become the biggest source of the search engine giant's additional emissions.

With the growing development of Gemini AI and its functions, Google is almost releasing enough CO2 in the environment to rival the emission of 38 gas-fueled power plants in one year. The company itself has already admitted to the struggle of cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions.

"As we further integrate AI into our products, reducing emissions may be challenging due to increasing energy demands from the greater intensity of AI compute, and the emissions associated with the expected increases in our technical infrastructure investment," Google stated.

Unfortunately, companies have yet to find a way to cut down on electricity usage for AI operations, but the company assured that it is already trying to make AI models, hardware, and data centers more energy-efficient.

Read Also : Pollution from Fossil Fuel Found to Cause Over 5 Million Deaths Yearly

Some are Worse Than Others

Evidently, Google's carbon footprint is already bad enough, but it is not the only AI company processing AI requests right now. Hugging Face conducted an experiment to determine how much carbon is emitted by its own large language model, BLOOM.

Over a period of 18 days, Hugging Face found that training its LLM led to 25 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, but that has doubled when the company included the emissions produced by manufacturing the computer infrastructure needed for training.

That is equivalent to 60 flights between London and New York, as per MIT, and BLOOM is mostly powered by nuclear energy which does not produce carbon emissions. Companies like OpenAI and Meta, however, still heavily rely on fossil fuels.

In the article's estimation, OpenAI is emitting more than 500 metric tons of CO2, and this was back in November 2022 when the company was still training a less powerful AI, the GPT-3. Meta has released limited data so it's harder to estimate its carbon footprint.

This raises a larger concern considering that AI is already being integrated into everyday operations, and that has been the case even before the AI boom. Google and Microsoft is already adding it to their products, and social media companies like Meta continue to release AI features as well.
A British government with a majority of 10 MPs is no different from one with a majority of 100 MPs in theory (Alamy/PA)

With opinion polls showing a significant Labour advantage in the 2024 General Election, some Conservative politicians  including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak  have warned this could create a supermajority in the House of Commons for Sir Keir Starmer.

It is a term usually associated with politics in the United States, and refers to situations where more than a simple majority of half of the votes available plus one is required in a ballot. For example, a debate can be brought to a premature end and a vote forced by 60 US senators (out of the 100 total), while a two-thirds Senate supermajority is required to ratify treaties.

Scottish politics also recognises supermajorities constitutionally, with laws that affect the election of MSPs being potentially subject to this restriction. A Scottish supermajority requires two-thirds of MSPs to vote in favour.

Policing minister Chris Philp said in one interview that an enormous majority would be in the dozens or even in the hundreds. With 650 seats for MPs in the Commons, a party would need to win 434 to hold two-thirds  a majority of 218.

But the House of Commons has no provisions for any laws requiring anything beyond a simple majority to be passed.

The largest Commons majority after an election was in 1924, when Stanley Baldwins Conservatives held a majority of 210 seats.

Then-prime minister Stanley Baldwin at Chequers, the PMs official country residence (PA)

 How powerful is a party with a supermajority?

The Conservative Party has claimed that a Labour supermajority would be unstoppable, but in theory a British government with a majority of 10 MPs is no different from one with a majority of 100 MPs. Both are able to control the legislative agenda and pass laws with a majority vote.

In practice, narrow majorities are vulnerable to rebellions by backbenchers or unexpected by-elections, with larger majorities helping party leaders to lessen the impact of these threats.

The official Opposition  the second-largest party in the Commons  therefore often struggles to beat government-backed motions, and instead scrutinises legislation through debates and its presence on various committees overseeing departments.

However, the larger the majority, the fewer MPs the Opposition will have to perform this scrutiny. Not only does this affect how many people are available to attend debates, but the number of questions at Prime Ministers Questions and the chairing of select committees are allocated in proportion to a partys share of seats.

Following the 2019 election, Labour as Opposition was entitled to nine committee chairs, compared with 16 Conservative and two for the third-largest party, the SNP.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace giving evidence to the Defence Select Committee (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA)

 Which governments have previously ruled with large majorities?

At the last election in 2019, Boris Johnson won a majority of 80 seats (365 constituencies against 285 represented by every other party), which he hailed in a victory speech as the biggest Conservative majority since the 1980s. But because of defections, by-elections and suspensions, the Conservative majority before the 2024 election was called had fallen to 42 (with 346 seats still held).

In 1997, Tony Blair won 418 seats (out of a possible 659) to deliver a Labour government with a majority of 179. This comfortable level of victory allowed the party to enact significant and lasting measures, including the creation of the minimum wage and devolution of powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Mr Blair won smaller majorities at subsequent elections but having started from such a peak they were still significant  standing at 167 in 2001 and 66 in 2005. A Parliamentary vote on the UK joining the war in Iraq in 2003 saw 84 Labour MPs rebel, which would have been enough to defeat the motion if most Conservative MPs had not lent their support.

After a moderate majority of 43 in 1979, Margaret Thatchers next election wins delivered large majorities (144 in 1983 and 102 in 1987). With the size of her majority, Mrs Thatchers 11 years in power saw only one government Bill defeated in the House of Commons  a 1986 proposal to legalise the opening of shops on Sundays, which was rebelled against by 72 Conservative MPs on largely religious grounds.

Cherie Blair looks on as her husband, Tony Blair, addresses the nation for the first time as Prime Minister in Downing Street (Fiona Hansen/PA)

Links

Electoral Calculus: General Election prediction (archived)

Post on X by @SkyNews, July 1 2024 (archived post and video)

The Legislative Branch | The White House (archived)

What happens if a Bill does not become an Act | Scottish Parliament Website (archived)

LBC post on X, July 1 2024 (archived post and video)

Constituencies  MPs and Lords  UK Parliament (archived)

First YouGov MRP of 2024 general election shows Labour on track to beat 1997 landslide | YouGov (archived)

Rishi Sunak post on X, July 2 2024 (archived)

Opposition (The)  UK Parliament (archived)

Checking the work of Government  UK Parliament (archived)

Official opposition | Institute for Government (archived)

Prime Ministers Questions and the role of the Speaker  UK Parliament (archived)

Election of select committee chairs and members in the House of Commons | Institute for Government (archived)

General Election 2019: full results and analysis  House of Commons Library (archived)

Boris Johnsons election victory speech clip on X (archived post and video)

State of the parties  MPs and Lords  UK Parliament (archived only)

General election results May 1 1997. House of Commons Library Research Paper 01/38 [PDF] (archived)

20 years of the National Minimum Wage  gov.uk (archived)

Introduction to devolution in the United Kingdom  House of Commons Library (archived)

General election results 7 June 2001. House of Commons Library Research Paper 01/54 [pdf] (archived)

General election 2005. House of Commons Library Research Paper 05/33 [pdf] (archived)

The Public Whip  Iraq  Declaration of War  18 Mar 2003 at 2200 (archived)

General election results 1885-1979 (archived only)

General election results June 9 1983: House of Commons Information Office Factsheet (archived)

General election results June 11 1987: House of Commons Information Office Factsheet (archived)

Release of MTs private files for 1986  (5) Life at No.10 | Margaret Thatcher Foundation (archived)

Shops Bill [Lords] (Hansard, April 14 1986) (archived)
Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, centre, with local parliamentary candidate Chris Bloore and other supporters arriving for a visit to Redditch in Worcestershire (Jacob King/PA)

Sir Keir Starmer said he hopes Thursdays General Election will see Britain start to rise to the challenge of populism, adding the contest offered a huge chance to take our country forward.

Speaking to the PA news agency in his last national interview of the campaign, the Labour leader stressed his desire to address the shared challenge presented by populism across Europe and across the world.

In recent days, following electoral successes for the populist National Rally party in France and polls suggesting Donald Trump could return to the White House, Sir Keir has spoken of the need to offer a progressive alternative to populism.

Sir Keir Starmer said a Labour election win could show a progressive answer to the rise of populism (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Asked whether he felt pressure to prove that Labours programme could provide an alternative, he said: Yes, I do think its really important that we make that case.

On a campaign visit to East Kilbride, he said: There are many challenges, probably more challenges now than there were over recent years, both here in the UK, here in Scotland and across the world, and we have to rise to those challenges and it has to be a progressive answer to those challenges.

Now obviously that starts tomorrow, I hope, in the UK, and here in Scotland as well, but it is then a shared challenge across Europe and across the world to meet the challenges of today with the answers of progressives.

Asked how he felt about the prospect of entering Downing Street on Friday, he added: While I recognise the responsibility, if we are elected to form a government tomorrow, Ill see it all as an opportunity.

An opportunity to deliver 40,000 more NHS appointments a week, 6,500 more teachers, to grow our economy and get more money into peoples pockets.

So yes, its huge, but its a huge chance to take our country forward.

He made his comments following a campaign rally where he delivered his final message of encouragement to Scottish activists ahead of polling day.

Reflecting on the campaign on its last day, he told PA he had been surprised by the negativity of the Tory campaign with its focus on warning about a Labour supermajority.

He said: They have literally nothing positive to say to the country and retreated into negativity.

Im pleased that we have started positively and maintained that through the campaign and end positively, because weve got a strong case for change, and the message has been consistent from us because this is a change election.
An appeal poster for Jay Slater, 19, who went missing during a holiday in Tenerife (Family handout)

The mother of missing Jay Slater said words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing after searches on Tenerife failed to trace the missing 19-year-old.

In a statement issued through the British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global, Debbie Duncan said the land search for her son has been called off, but thanked the Guardia Civil who she said had worked tirelessly up in the mountains where Jays last phone call was traced.

The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared on June 17 after setting off to walk back to his accommodation on the holiday island.

Firefighters search near to the village of Masca, Tenerife (James Manning/PA)

His mothers statement said: We are a very close family and are absolutely devastated about his disappearance.

Words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing. He is our beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him and we just want to find him.

Helicopters, drones and search dogs were deployed to find the apprentice bricklayer.

Mr Slater went to the holiday island on June 13 to attend the NRG music festival with two friends before his disappearance.

His last known location was the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the Canary Island  which was about an 11-hour walk from his accommodation.

Members of the Guardia Civil near to the village of Masca, Tenerife (James Manning/PA)

Jay is a normal guy who is in his third year of an apprenticeship, and he is a very popular young man with a large circle of friends, Ms Duncan said.

We do not have any information on his whereabouts.

The Guardia Civil have worked tirelessly up in the mountains where Jays last phone call was traced.

They conducted a land search for 12 days which involved every resource they had available.

Although the land search ended, the Spanish police still continue with their investigations into why Jay had travelled to the location so far away from his accommodation.

We offer our sincere thanks to the Spanish authorities who continue to follow lines of inquiries.

On Friday, the Guardia Civil had appealed for volunteer associations, such as firefighters and individual volunteers who were experts in rugged terrain to assist in a busqueda masiva  massive search  on Saturday.

The search in the village of Masca, near his last-known location, took in a steep rocky area, including ravines, trails and paths.

He had travelled to an Airbnb in Masca and the two men said to have rented the property were later ruled not relevant to the case, according to reports.
It was reported some people would not receive their ballot papers in time for polling day on Thursday (Jane Wertli and Niven Rennie/PA)

One man said his son has been disenfranchised after some people failed to receive their ballot papers in time to have their say in the General Election via postal vote.

On Tuesday, Royal Mail faced backlash from Conservative politician Kevin Hollinrake after it was reported some people would not receive their ballot papers in time for polling day on Thursday.

One of those people includes Niven Rennies son  an RAF officer based in England, who does not wish to be named.

Mr Rennie, 62, from Ayr in Scotland, said he is angry his son has yet to receive his postal vote for his constituency of Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock and will not be able to cast his vote.

Mr Rennie, a retired police officer who now works as a business consultant, told the PA news agency: To me, it brings into question the whole democratic process.

I feel very angry. I know (my son) is angry.

His son contacted his local electoral office and asked to have his father vote on his behalf, but was told it was against the law to change his postal vote to a proxy one.

The ultimate for me is my son has been disenfranchised and his vote will not count, Mr Rennie said.

The understanding of the British constitution is that every adult person should get a vote. What has happened here is that a whole lot of people have been disenfranchised.

Nevin Rennie, from Ayr in Scotland, said he is angry his son has not received his postal vote and therefore his vote will not be counted in the General Election (Niven Rennie)

Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock is a marginal constituency as, in the last general election, it had an SNP hold with 20,272 votes compared with the Conservatives who received 17,943 votes.

It does call into question a number of results because they are marginal, he said.

Im absolutely flabbergasted. I would have thought in a mature democracy like the United Kingdom that we could make sure these things were operated.

Mr Rennie added he believes the calling of the General Election during the Scottish school holidays had led to an increase in postal votes.

If you call an election during the Scottish school holidays, that is going to cause an influx of postal vote applications, he explained.

That is, I believe, what has flooded the system. I dont think there was any consideration given to that when the election was called.

On Monday, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said Rishi Sunak is not concerned that some people could be disenfranchised by the issues.

Were working closely with the Electoral Commission, returning officers, Royal Mail and the print suppliers to support the resolution of these issues, he told journalists.

Mr Rennie said: I think any Prime Minister should be concerned about people being disenfranchised.

If you believe in democracy, then you believe in one person, one vote, and if actually youre creating a system whereby some people are being robbed of that right, then you should not be defending that.

Janet Wertli has lived in Zurich, Switzerland, for around 11 years, having previously resided in Hong Kong, Singapore, New York and Chislehurst, in south-east London.

She applied for a postal vote, but has yet to receive it so will be unable to cast her vote for the Liberal Democrats in time for the General Election.

I applied for it just before the deadline which was around June 18 because Im registered in Bromley for voting in Eltham and Chislehurst, the 54-year-old housewife told PA on Tuesday.

I kept watching the Bromley website to see when they were posting them out because I was in Scotland over the weekend, so the idea was that I could, of course, take it with me to the UK, post it when I was there and it would definitely arrive in time.

She said organisation surrounding postal voting should have been better.

Its not the first time weve had an election in the UK and its not the first time there have been postal votes and for the people who say it was such a rush to get organised, it was not, she added.

Janet Wertli has yet to receive her postal vote so will be unable to cast her vote for the Liberal Democrats in time for the General Election (Janet Wertli)

Its not rocket science  were just sending out polling cards.

The Eltham and Chislehurst constituency is the responsibility of the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

A spokesperson from Greenwich Council told PA: We encourage overseas voters to apply for their postal votes early, or register for a proxy vote, to allow enough time for airmail to arrive and be sent back.

In this instance, Ms Wertli applied for a postal vote from an international address around four weeks after the General Election was announced. Unfortunately, we cannot control postal or airmail delays.

A South Ayrshire Council spokesperson told PA: We are aware of delays nationally with postal votes.

The delays have not been a result of local processes, and South Ayrshire Council have taken urgent steps to ensure that, where possible, all residents can cast their vote on Thursday.

Legislatively, the first day that South Ayrshire Council were able to issue replacement postal packs was Friday June 28  many were re-issued on Friday and work continued on Saturday.

If voters do not receive their postal vote on Monday July 1, they should contact our Elections Office on 01292 612300 to organise a replacement.
Romanian national Marius Mihai Draghici, who was jailed over the deaths of 39 people in a lorry trailer in Essex in 2019, is set to be deported (Essex Police/PA)

A Romanian man jailed over the deaths of 39 people in a lorry trailer in Essex will be deported without paying a penny to his victims families.

Marius Mihai Draghici, 51, fled the UK after the Vietnamese nationals died in the airtight sealed container as it was being transported by ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet in October 2019.

In August 2022, Draghici, who was said to be a right-hand man in a long-running people-smuggling ring, was detained in Romania and extradited back to the UK.

Images issued by Essex Police of the 39 Vietnamese migrants, aged between 15 and 44, that were found dead in the back of a trailer in Essex on October 23, 2019 (Essex Police/PA)

Last year, he pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and was jailed for 12 years and seven months.

On Wednesday, prosecutor Ben Holt told a confiscation hearing before Judge Mark Lucraft KC that Draghici would not be pursued for proceeds of crime.

He told the Old Bailey: Following an investigation, no assets have been discovered and in any event it is understood Mr Draghici will be deported shortly and therefore no proceedings are to be pursued.

The defendant had joined the brief hearing by video link from Stocken category C prison in the East Midlands and declined the services of a translator.

It is understand that he will serve the remainder of his prison sentence in Romania following his deportation.

Sentencing last year, Mr Justice Garnham had said Draghici was an essential cog in a criminal conspiracy which made astonishing profits out of the exploitation of people desperate to get to the UK.

In all, 11 men have been convicted of their involvement in the lucrative people-smuggling ring.

In addition to Draghici, four other men were jailed for between 13 and 27 years for the manslaughters of the men, women and children.

They are: Ringleader Gheorghe Nica, 47, of Basildon, Essex, haulier boss Ronan Hughes, 44, of Armagh, Maurice Robinson, 29, of Craigavon, who found the bodies, and Eamonn Harrison, 27, of County Down, who had collected the victims on the continent.

To date, more than 283,000 in ill-gotten gains has been ordered to be paid by defendants as compensation to the victims families.
Joe Biden has insisted he will not pull out of the race for the presidency (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

A defiant President Joe Biden vowed on Wednesday to keep running for re-election, rejecting growing pressure from Democrats to withdraw after a disastrous debate performance raised questions about his readiness.

But in an ominous sign for the president, a leading ally publicly suggested a way that the party might choose someone else.

I am running. I am the leader of the Democratic Party. No one is pushing me out, Mr Biden said in a call with staffers on his re-election campaign, according to a top aide who posted his comment on the X social media platform.

Mr Biden was pulling every possible lever to try to salvage his re-election campaign  talking to top legislators, pumping up his campaign staff and meeting later in the day with Democratic governors before a planned weekend blitz of travel and a network TV interview.

But there were signs that support for Mr Biden was rapidly eroding among Democrats on Capitol Hill.

Representative Jim Clyburn, a long-time Biden ally, said he would back a mini-primary in the run-up to the Democratic National Convention next month if Biden were to leave the race.

Mr Clyburn, of South Carolina, floated an idea that appeared to be laying the groundwork for alternatives by delegates during the Democrats planned virtual roll call that is scheduled before the more formal party convention.

You can actually fashion the process thats already in place to make it a mini-primary and I would support that, Mr Clyburn told CNN.

Some Democrats believe Kamala Harris is the best option to replace Joe Biden as Democratic nominee (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)

He said vice president Kamala Harris, governors and others could join the competition. It would be fair to everybody  because if she were to be the nominee, we need to have a running mate. And need a strong running mate.

Mr Clyburn, a senior lawmaker who is a former member of his partys House leadership team, said he has not personally seen the president act as he did on the debate stage last week.

I saw what I saw last Thursday night, and it is concerning, he said.

Some suggested Ms Harris was emerging as the favourite to replace Mr Biden if he was to withdraw, although those involved in private discussions acknowledge that governors Gavin Newsom of California and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan remain viable alternatives. But for some insiders, Ms Harris is viewed as the best prospect to quickly unify the party and avoid a messy and divisive convention fight.

Even as pressure around Mr Biden mounted, he and Ms Harris made a surprise appearance on a call with staffers from his re-election campaign and offered a pep talk, stressing the stakes of the election and returning to Mr Bidens previous post-debate comments that he would get back up after being knocked down.

The president told those assembled that he was not leaving the race and would not be dragged out.

Asked a short time later whether Mr Biden would consider stepping down, White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre said absolutely not.

He understands it is fair for people to ask that question. she said, while adding, I cannot lay out something that would change the presidents mind about seeking a second term.

She also said Mr Biden is clear-eyed. And he is staying in the race.

Democrats are unsatisfied with the explanations of Mr Bidens debate performance, from both White House staff and the president himself. And there is a deeper frustration among some Democrats who feel Mr Biden should have handled questions about his stumbling debate performance much sooner and that he has put them in a difficult position by staying in the race.

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients urged people during an earlier all-staff meeting on Wednesday to tune out the noise and focus on the task of governing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands during their meeting on the side-lines of the Shanghai Co-operation (Sergey Guneyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on Wednesday for the second time in as many months as they visited Kazakhstan for a session of an international group founded to counter Western alliances.

Mr Putin and Mr Xi last got together in May when the Kremlin leader visited Beijing to underscore their close partnership that opposes the US-led democratic order and seeks to promote a more multipolar world.

Now they will be holding meetings amid the annual session of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation taking place on Wednesday and Thursday in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was established in 2001 by China and Russia to discuss security concerns in Central Asia and the wider region. Other members are Iran, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands as they pose for photos (Sergey Guneyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Observer states and dialogue partners include Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Besides Mr Putin and Mr Xi, and summit host President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev; other leaders there will be Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan; President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan; President Emomali Rakhmon of Tajikistan; and President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan.

President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus will attend because his nation is becoming a full member.

Also present will be UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is visiting central Asia. Mr Guterres wants to position the UN as an inclusive organisation thats talking to all the big clubs, said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in Astana (Kazakhstans Presidential Press Office via AP)

Mr Putin wants to show that Russia is not isolated over Western sanctions from the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

An arrest warrant has been issued for him by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for abductions of children from Ukraine. Kazakhstan is not party to the Rome Statute and thus is not obliged to arrest him.

For Mr Putin, the meeting is about prestige and the symbolic optics that hes not alone, Mr Gabuev said.

Indeed, the Russian leader on Wednesday had multiple meetings with other leaders on the side-lines of the summit, all diligently aired by Russian state TV.

Vladimir Putin shakes hands with diplomats upon his arrival at the international airport in Astana (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

At a meeting with Mr Xi on Wednesday, Mr Putin hailed the SCO as one of the key pillars of a fair, multipolar world order, and said ties between Moscow and Beijing are experiencing the best period in their history.

Both face soaring tensions with the West and have met about 40 times.

Their meeting in China in May underscored Beijings diplomatic support for Moscow and how it is a top market for its oil and gas. Russia has relied on Beijing as a main source of high-tech imports to keep its military machine running.

The SCO helps China project its influence, especially across central Asia and the Global South. Mr Xi called for bridges of communication between countries last week and wants to further promote China as an alternative to the US and its allies.

For host Kazakhstan and the other central Asian nations, the meeting is a way to further their co-operation with bigger, more powerful neighbours.

This year, close Moscow ally Belarus will become a full member of the organisation, and its admission indicates how Russia wants to bolster blocs of non-Western countries.

China has backed Moscow amid the fighting in Ukraine, but at a meeting of the SCO in 2022, Mr Putin referred to Beijings unspecified concerns over the conflict.

Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi then called for an end to the fighting without voicing explicit disapproval of Moscows action.

Neither Ukraine nor any of its Western backers are attending, and major talks  or breakthroughs  on the war are not expected.

But because it is rare these days for any meeting to include the heads of Russia, China, Turkey and the UN, the possibility of talks about the war might be raised, at least on the peripheries of the summit, probably behind closed doors.

There could be a lot of side-line discussions on Ukraine, as it is a big issue which concerns all of us, a senior Kazakh official told the Associated Press.
Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid, centre, taking part in a rally among his supporters before the presidential election in Mauritania (Mamsy Elkeihel/AP)

Clashes in Mauritania between security forces and protesters rallying against the re-election of President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani left three people dead, authorities said on Tuesday.

An unspecified number of people were reported injured.

Following the clashes, mobile internet access was blocked on Tuesday as authorities vowed to arrest those behind the violence.

The protests broke out late on Monday in parts of the northwestern African country after Mr Ghazouani was declared winner of the presidential election.

His main rival, Biram Dah Abeid, a renowned anti-slavery activist, rejected the outcome and claimed the result was falsified.

Women sit behind an electoral banner for Mauritanian president Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, during a campaign rally before the presidential elections. The banner reads: There is no place for people embezzling public funds any more (Mamsy Elkeihel/AP)

Authorities said security forces in the southern city of Kaedi  the countrys largest and an opposition stronghold with an overwhelming black majority  confronted the demonstrators, the ministry of interior said, and several arrests were made.

The ministry did not identify the three people killed in the violence or elaborate on the circumstances of their deaths.

Demonstrations also broke out in the towns of Nouadhibou, Rosso Zoueirat and Boghe, all also Abeid strongholds.

Kaedi last night saw violent acts of vandalism and sabotage of public and private property, scenes of looting and a general climate of fear which led the security forces to confront it and arrest several demonstrators, the ministry said in a statement.

The prosecutors office will open an investigation to determine the circumstances of these events and the death of the demonstrators, the ministry added.

Mr Ghazouani, who had campaigned on a pledge of providing security and economic growth, won 56% of the votes while Mr Abeid received 22%, the electoral commission said on Monday. Mr Abeid promptly called for peaceful demonstrations and peaceful gatherings.

The commission  which includes representatives of political parties  dismissed the opposition claims about voting irregularities.

Three international election observation missions also said in their preliminary statements on Monday that the voting was held in a peaceful and transparent atmosphere.

Mr Ghazouani has been accused by his opponents of corruption and mismanagement, but remains popular among Mauritanians who see him as a beacon of stability amid regional tensions, with several neighboring countries shaken by military coups and jihadi violence.

For centuries, Mauritanias economic and political elite of Arab and Amazigh people enslaved black people from the northwestern Sahara.

Mauritania outlawed slavery in 1981, the last country in the world to do so, but the practice continues, human rights groups say. There are around 149,000 people held in conditions of slavery in this nation of less than five million, according to the 2023 Global Slavery Index.
Naomi Long's decision is right for sex abuse victims and its right for the media, writes Belfast Telegraph editor Eoin Brannigan

Along with millions of other viewers, I watched The Reckoning last October. Steve Coogan played Jimmy Savile in the factual drama, which examined the former entertainers sex crimes using the chilling testimony of his victims.

I watched it in Belfast, yet the previous month legislation came into force in Northern Ireland which granted anonymity for life  and for 25 years after death  to people suspected of sexual offences who had not been charged.
2Nite, a new monitoring app in San Francisco, is monitoring real-time situations at bar locations through the use of cameras in Bay Area establishments.

The livestream allows potential visitors to see what's happening in each bar and how packed the venues are at the moment.

Read Also : Detroit Compensates Wrongly Accused Man with $300,000; Updates Facial Recognition Technology

2Nite Promotes Nightlife Monitoring for Bar Goers

2Nite claims to be an "all-in-one app for managing, promoting, and discovering nightlife." The app is available for download on the Apple App Store and encourages users to explore the Discovery Page for live streams.

Users can also book tickets to events at certain venues using the app. Clicking through a specific feed will provide information about the location, organizer, and more.

As of writing, the app inked partnerships with five to eight venues. This includes The Blue Light, Mayes Oyster House in San Francisco, Kip's Bar and Grill, and Club Cali in Berkley. The live streams are available every Friday and Saturday night. The founders of the app hope to add more streams on Thursday and Sunday nights.

2Nite Receives Criticism Amid Bar Surveillance Premise

Co-founder Lucas Harris explained that the idea of the app stemmed from the difficult bar navigation within San Francisco and other cities. He shared that live streams are the easiest way to provide information about a certain location before going in.

However, some local bar patrons voiced their concerns about the surveillance strategy of the app. The fact that an app could allow other people to remotely monitor bar attendees is creeping them out.

According to them, people could be more wary in bars instead of letting loose due to the monitoring. Someone also described the app as "completely invasive."

Harris assured that partnered venues of the app can control what cameras are enabled. He also added that the stream is designed to only offer a glimpse of the venue. A blurring method will also be added to anonymize the feed and prevent the partygoers from being identified.
Former Prime Minister Najib Razaks bid to serve the rest of his prison term under house arrest failed Wednesday when a Malaysian court rejected his request for the government to produce a document linked to a royal decision to cut his sentence.

Amarjeet Singh, the Kuala Lumpur High Court judge, ruled that the former leader would have to stay behind bars because his application was not proven and based on hearsay. The ex-PM, who was convicted in 2020 for abuse of power and other crimes tied to the theft of billions of dollars from 1MDB, a sovereign wealth fund, can appeal Wednesdays ruling.

His supporters said they had seen a picture of an addendum signed by then-King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence at home.

I find that the applicants affidavits are, at the highest, pure hearsay, the judge said in court.

Earlier this year, the Federal Territories Pardons Board, which is overseen by the king, halved Najibs prison sentence in his SRC International case, to six years, and reduced his fine, from 210 million ringgit (U.S. $44.5 million) to 50 million ringgit ($10.6 million). Najib is serving his sentence in Kajang prison, near Kuala Lumpur.

In a petition filed on April 1, Najib claimed that the king had issued the supplementary decree during the Jan. 29 board meeting, a day before the monarchs term on Malaysias rotating throne ended. The former prime ministers team claimed that the supplementary decree was not announced by the board on Feb. 2 and that the government was in contempt for not executing it.

Amarjeet said Najibs request was based on statements by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who said he saw a photograph of the addendum on the phone of Tengku Zafrul Aziz, the minister of Investment, Trade and Industry.

Ahmad Zahid himself has no knowledge of the addendum order except what he heard from Tengku Zafrul, Amarjeet said, adding that Pahang state Chief Minister Wan Rosdy Wan Ismails affirmation of the order was based on hearsay as well.

In May, the high court rejected Tengku Zafruls bid to file an affidavit to correct certain errors over the supplementary order, ruling that there was no legal provision enabling a non-party to a judicial review proceeding to take such action.

Plan to appeal

Najib was not in court on Wednesday but his lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, accused the government of playing hide and seek with the information.

So, the alarming thing is that no individual from the government has said [anything]. If it doesnt exist, just say it doesnt exist, dont waste time, Shafee told reporters following the ruling.

Defense attorney Shafee Abdullah speaks to reporters after a High Court judge ruled against former Prime Minister Najib Razaks request to finish serving his prison sentence at home, July 3, 2024. [S. Mahfuz/BenarNews]

He warned that the truth would come out eventually. He said his team planned to appeal and was considering filing a writ of action, which would require prosecutors to respond to defense claims about the addendum.

Today, the government can remain mute and deaf. They can do that now, but I can assure you one day in the future the matter will come out because there is an addendum, Shafee said. I can foresee how many government servants and politicians will get into trouble because it means they lied to the court, to the public on a public interest matter that affects the public.

2020 conviction

Four years ago, the Kuala Lumpur High Court convicted Najib of one count of abuse of power, three counts of criminal breach of trust, and three counts of money laundering for illegally receiving money from SRC International, a unit of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Najib began serving a 12-year sentence in August 2022 after the Federal Court dismissed his final appeal in the case. He could be eligible for parole by the end of 2025.

The ex-PM faces trials in separate cases directly linked to 1MDB, a state fund he set up to spur the economy, including a trial connected to 2.3 billion ringgit (U.S. $487 million) that allegedly went missing from the fund and into his accounts.

Investigators estimate that more than $4.5 billion was plundered from 1MDB through fraudulent shell companies to corrupt government and bank officials and their associates.
Families tried to pay ransoms for their release but lost contact with the kidnappers, authorities say.

Philippine Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. speaks to reporters in Manila following the arrests of four police officers on charges linked to the kidnapping of four foreign tourists, June 5, 2024.

Two Chinese nationals who had been missing for days were found dead in the central Philippines, authorities said Wednesday, the latest in high-profile crimes targeting expatriates.

The men, identified as Xia Ke Fu and Jimmy Jing Sun, arrived in Manila last month for a planned meeting on a possible business venture with an unknown local partner in the city of Naga in the eastern Philippines, authorities said.

Their relatives did not hear from them and subsequently contacted local police. Eight days after their arrival, officers on June 28 verified the remains of the two, national police spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo told reporters in Manila.

They arrived here on June 20 supposedly to meet Chinese nationals for a business transaction in our country, but when they arrived at the airport they were picked up, Fajardo said on Wednesday. The following day, their families received a demand for ransom amounting to 5 million yuan [U.S. $687,732].

She said the victims families had managed to negotiate a lower ransom of 3 million Chinese yuan ($412,639), which they wired to the kidnappers. But the suspects could no longer be contacted.

The families then reached out to the police. After receiving a tip, officers went to the town of Tigaon in eastern Camarines Sur province, accompanied by the victims families, according to authorities.

Maj. Michael Albania, the local police chief, said a 13-year-old boy found the bodies of both men wrapped in a blanket beside a cliff.

Family members identified one of the victims as Xia Ke Fu, 39, a marketing director at Suzhou RainMed Medical Technology and an alumnus of Hunan City University. Police did not release details of how the second victim was identified.

Investigators said they have suspects in the case, but did not name them because of the ongoing manhunt.

Anti-crime cooperation

On Monday, officials from Manila and Beijing agreed to boost their cooperation efforts against transnational crimes including offshore gaming operations in the Philippines, without specifically discussing this incident.

A day later, the Philippine Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission released a statement supporting the agreement.

The strengthened cooperation between China and the Philippines sends a clear message to criminal syndicates operating across borders that their malicious activities will not be tolerated or allowed to undermine the security and stability of these nations, the commission said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Manila issued a statement urging Philippine authorities to arrest and severely punish the suspects as soon as possible.

It also reminded Chinese citizens in the Philippines to be vigilant and aware of security precautions.

After the kidnap took place, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines stayed in close touch with the Philippine side and urged it to make every possible effort to work on the case and take effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese nationals in the Philippines, Mao Ning, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, told reporters in Beijing on Tuesday.

Crimes against Chinese

The case was the latest criminal act targeting Chinese nationals.

Last month, three Chinese tourists were allegedly abducted by four police officers, including a police major, in Manila. The police officers, all assigned in the countrys capital region, have been arrested and face robbery, kidnapping, and car theft charges.

In June 2021, police rescued an abducted Chinese national who had worked as a casino employee and arrested five members of a Chinese crime gang and a Filipino getaway driver in Manila.

Earlier, police arrested eight members of a Chinese crime gang in January 2021 who were linked to the kidnappings of Chinese employees at an electronics firm. One of the hostages was freed, but the other was later found dead, his body dumped in a ravine.

Jojo Rinoza and Gerard Carreon in Manila contributed to this report.
Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.

BENNINGTON  The sky was clear and bright, the breeze was gentle, and the birds were gently calling across the fields of Memorial Park at the Bennington Recreation Center, as the youngsters from Bennington Head Start filed outside to the fenced-in play place.

A Yo Re Mi workshop, led by facilitator Rachel Costello, was on the afternoon agenda, and the children were excited to get started.

As they laid out their yoga mats along the fence line, Costello began unpacking her equipment and setting up her speaker system.

As you can probably guess from the name, Yo Re Mi combines yoga, music and mindfulness into one, in an enrichment class for children, said Costello, adding that the Yo Re Mi business is still based out of New York City, despite that she, her husband and their children had moved and begun to expand outreach into Southern Vermont.

She glanced over at the assembled group, and grinned.

Today, I want them to have a lot of fun. I want them to learn a few new skills and techniques, and I want them to have an introduction to yoga, said Costello. I also love it when we have an opportunity to have parents and kids together.

Out came her ukulele and she side-eyed the children, playfully.

Then, she grinned again, strummed a single chord, and the workshop was officially in session.

Sinking into a crisscross position opposite the group, Costello inhaled deeply. With her exhale, her voice rang out clear and lyrical, Do you know this one, my friends? A, B, C, D, E, F, G 

Seemingly entranced and mesmerized, their arms and bodies began to sway as they joined in with the song.

Soon, the group was practicing stretching songs, mindful breathing and focus-building activities. Then, the yoga poses began to be introduced.

Every element of the workshop was based on music education, song, movement, self-regulation and willingly joyful participation.

The young participants embodied various animal friends for movement and breathing, at times leaping into the air as frogs; stretching like a cat  meow, moo-ving like a cow, or bending like the downward dog.

Toward the end of the session, Costello introduced the expanding and contracting breathing ball, a device that assists as young learners think consciously about self-regulation, and the children exclaimed in delight as Costello taught mindful and meditative breathing.

Inhale. Exhale. Deep in: The ball expands. Deep out: The ball contracts.

Most of the parents, who had filed in during the session, had grouped together in the shade by the entrance to Head Start, observing.

Im hoping that parents can see that kids can do yoga, said Costello, moving the breathing ball to another youngster. And, they can hopefully see that yoga is fun, and that they might be interested in it, too.

The Yo Re Mi event at Bennington Head Start was sponsored and coordinated by the Vermont Arts Exchange.

The funding comes from a generous grant from the Vermont Arts Council with added funding through Head Start of Bennington County, said Heather Bullock, grant and program coordinator for the Vermont Arts Exchange.

For the past 10 years, the Vermont Arts Exchange has been partnering with the areas Head Start organizations in an arts collaborative.

Artists employed through the Vermont Arts Exchange engage with Head Start teachers and students to bring art experiences to preschool-age students and engage teachers in incorporating more independent, art-based activities in the general school-year curriculum.

What we have learned is that the use of art is more likely to engage children, even in areas they are reluctant to participate in, and that process and engagement leads to better readiness and outcomes when they move on to primary school, Bullock added.

Yo Re Mi provides teacher and staff training, professional development programs and direct services for kids in grades pre-K through 5 with the themes of mindfulness, stress reduction, a culture of wellness and increased engagement at the forefront.

More information can be found on the website, yoremikids.com.

The Bennington Recreation Center and Bennington Head Start are at 655 Gage St. in Bennington.
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.
BENNINGTON  A Bennington man already arraigned on four counts of domestic assault and unlawful restraint in early June was charged with an additional count of kidnapping after a surveillance clip revealed a prior incident just weeks earlier.

Jesse Stevens, 37, of Middle Pownal Road in Bennington, was arraigned on the additional kidnapping count for a total of five counts  aggravated domestic assault, domestic assault, two counts of unlawful restraint with a risk of injury, and the newly added kidnapping charge. Stevens has pleaded guilty on all counts and was taken back into custody after the kidnapping hearing, on a hold without bail.

Kidnapping in Vermont is punishable by a possible life sentence if convicted.

According to a police affidavit, on Tuesday, June 4th, 2024, a Bennington Police Officer responded to 1655 Middle Valley Road for a report of a neighbor who called 911 after she heard a lot of screaming and banging coming from the residence. A second caller also called police after they arrived at the residence to find Stevens outside, naked and on top of a female victim who was bleeding. Four juveniles witnessed the alleged attack.

Police arrived to find the victim crying, sitting on the front steps of the residence. She had both hands holding a paper towel up to her left eye and a massive bite mark on her shoulder. The victim told police that Stevens punched her in the face. At about the same time, Stevens exited the residence and approached the police, allegedly telling them that he was not mentally well and had these episodes. The victim, in a relationship with Stevens for 11 years, told police that Stevens was insisting that she was lying and cheating on him. When asked how often this happens, she said, More often than I want to admit.

The group of four juveniles told police that when they got home, they saw Stevens on top of the victim, and holding her down.

The additional charge of kidnapping resulted from prosecutors receiving a surveillance video that allegedly shows a prior attack on the victim in May in which Stevens grabbed several steak knives and threatened to hurt himself while straddling the victim on the floor as she tried to escape over a 20-minute duration. In a video still included in the affidavit, Stevens can be seen straddling the victim with his hands on her neck.

Stevens has no prior criminal record in Vermont. He is being held without bail at Rutland's Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility. He is under conditions he does not have any form of contact with the victim or the minor children. Bennington Judge Kerry McDonald-Cady has set a July 9th Jury draw in the case, with a possible two-day trial to follow on July 10th and 11th.
A committee will work to find a new home for the Dalton Police Department, amid more reports of environmental hazards
Mississippi became the latest state to be blocked from its laws essentially restricting minors from social media after a federal judge ruled such legislation violates children's speech rights.

U.S. District Judge Halil Suleyman Ozerden ruled in favor of tech industry trade group NetChoice against Mississippi, citing potential violations of the First Amendment.

Ozerden claimed that such laws dealing with speech are likely to face federal scrutiny "regardless of the government's benign motive."

The ruling was in response to Mississippi's earlier arguments that social media does not stifle free speech but "merely regulates non-expressive conduct" and mitigates harm caused by social platforms.

This was NetChoice's fourth consecutive win after it successfully blocked similar age requirement laws in Arkansas, California, and Ohio.

More States Push for Stricter Social Media Policies for Minors

Despite NetChoice's growing victory, more states have been notably passing laws to limit children's exposure to social media amid growing concerns about its potential harm to mental health.

Just last March, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis passed the state's strictest social media law, banning users under 14 from all online platforms while requiring 14 and 15-year-olds to get parental consent.

Utah has also implemented similar laws but later removed requirements for parental consent after the trade group filed a lawsuit against the state.

Also Read : Florida Signs Bill Banning Social Media for 14 Under

Social Media Faces Federal Scrutiny Over Child Safety Concerns

These state laws are in addition to the much wider nationwide online platform laws being pushed in Congress as lawmakers advocate for safer digital spaces for minors.

Among these was the controversial Kids Online Safety Act several senators pushed during a Senate inquiry on social media CEOs over lapses in their child protection measures against sexual harassment and bullying.

The bipartisan law was previously criticized for allowing states to have much power to sue social media companies for exposing children to content they may deem "inappropriate."

So far, only X (formerly Twitter), Microsoft, and Snapchat have endorsed the proposed act while Discord, Meta, and TikTok express concerns about the proposition's current provisions.
You are the owner of this article.
The Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade steps off at 10 a.m. Thursday. Here's what you need to know...
Start the day with the latest headlines

Stay up to date on Berkshires news with Berkshires in Brief, our free daily newsletter
MONTEREY  The Monterey Preservation Land Trust has donated the 83-acre Livermore Peak property to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

The property will be added to DCRs Beartown State Forest.

After many years of stewarding this property and consulting with various stakeholders, the land trust decided to transfer the land to DCR so that the agency can manage it more holistically with the abutting 12,000-acre Beartown State Forest to protect it for wildlife habitat and opportunities for public use.

I want to thank the Monterey Preservation Land Trust for protecting this unique public land for more than two decades and for entrusting DCR to continue the stewardship of this beautiful natural resource," said Brian Arrigo, commissioner of DCR in a press release. "With this acquisition, DCR can expand Beartown State Forest and ensure that this landscape is protected and preserved for families and residents to enjoy for generations to come.

The property contains Livermore Peak  a familiar town geological feature visible from many roads and vistas. At 1,824 feet, it stands adjacent to Beartown State Forest and near the Appalachian Trail.

With its varied landscape from a mountain peak to verdant wetlands, the land holds varied habitats for wildlife that inhabit the Berkshires. The property is also a critical connection for wildlife movement from Beartown State Forest in the north to other lands conserved by the National Park Service and DCR to the south.

The land was originally gifted to the land trust in 1998 by Virginia Cesario, who wished the land to be conserved in perpetuity for the publics use and benefit.

The board of trustees of the Monterey Preservation Land Trust would like to honor the legacy gift of Ms. Cesario and thank the Department of Conservation and Recreation for choosing to protect and steward such a unique Monterey property, said Jonathan Sylbert, president of the land trust, in a press release.
BillOReilly.com is not available in this country.



We apologize for any inconvenience.
NASA has issued an indefinite extension on the Boeing Starliner's stay at the International Space Station as the agency and company amid an ongoing probe into the reported thruster issues.

During last Friday's conference, NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich said that the two parties have agreed to let the Starliner and its crew stay in the ISS while testing and analysis continue.

NASA originally gave Boeing only three weeks to resolve the problem but has since extended the schedule after initial investigations failed to determine the exact cause for thruster issues and valve leaks reported following its test flight.

Now, the agency estimated that the Starliner could return to Earth as soon as late summer.

NASA Denies Boeing Astronauts are 'Stranded' in the ISS

NASA has reiterated that the delays were made in consideration of the two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, aboard the space module.

The space administration even disputed rumors that the Wilmore and Williams are "stuck" or "stranded" in the ISS but rather just taking "our time to work through the vehicle and make sure we're ready to come home."

Also Read : Boeing Astronauts Stranded in Space Amid Multiple Starliner Issues

Boeing Faces More Delays on NASA Space Contract

While it was not the first time for NASA to face delays for its space missions, the repeated rescheduling is another hit on Boeing's long overdue commitments for its first crewed test flight.

Even before the astronauts arrived at the ISS, the planned crewed flight had already been delayed multiple times as expenses on the spacecraft continued to balloon.

It did not help that the aerospace manufacturer is currently embroiled in legal controversies and federal scrutiny following several incidents involving its 737 MAX aircraft.

Its rival company SpaceX, on the other hand, has already completed its first crewed voyage over four years ago despite receiving its NASA contract at the same time as Boeing in 2014.
On the sidelines of the two-day 9th Global Pharmaceutical Quality Summit (GPQS) which concluded on June 28, 2024, in Mumbai, Dr Arunish Chawla, Secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) interacted with BioSpectrum India and shared insights into the impressive growth in medical device exports, initiatives to nurture startups, and efforts to make rare disease medicines more accessible to Indian patients. Highlighting strategic reforms, industry collaborations, and the impact of the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, Dr Chawla outlines a transformative vision for the future of India's pharmaceutical and medtech sectors in this exclusive interview.

Hows the recent growth in pharmaceutical and medical device exports impacting the industry?

We've witnessed remarkable growth in the export of medical devices, which has significantly impacted our industry. The latest data shows a substantial increase in the export of formulations and generic medicines from India. We've reached a point where we are exporting more bulk drugs than we are importing, breaking records and achieving import substitution. For instance, the formulation industry has crossed the 50 per cent export barrier, meaning more than half of what we produce is now exported. This has necessitated new classes of drug intermediates and molecules, which we are now producing domestically.

How has the PLI scheme impacted the pharmaceutical and MedTech industry, particularly in terms of exports?

We've identified about 50 such molecules across almost all therapy areas and taken up around 40 projects, with approximately 30 already completed and manufacturing started. These projects have led to significant import substitution, ensuring that critical medications are available domestically. The Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme has been a game-changer for the industry. It has encouraged domestic manufacturing of various medical devices and bulk drugs, leading to a significant increase in exports. For example, last year we saw that the disposable sub-sector became export-oriented, with more exports than imports. We are now exporting imaging devices like X-ray machines, CT scans, and ultrasound machines, as well as body implants. This trend is expected to continue, with the gap between exports and imports narrowing further, making the industry more export-oriented.

What measures have been taken to nurture startups in the pharmaceutical sector?

Nurturing startups is a critical component of our strategy. We've implemented several initiatives to support and integrate startups into the larger industry ecosystem. For instance, we've launched a "Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech" (PRIP) scheme, which is a five-year scheme with a total outlay of Rs 3,000 crore, aimed at fostering excellence through academic and industry partnerships. This scheme supports ideation and proof-of-concept projects, providing a lower scale of financing to innovative startups. Additionally, we are focusing on precision medicine, cell therapies, and immunotherapies to ensure that startups have the resources and support needed to bring their innovative solutions to market.

Could you elaborate on the initiatives taken to make medicines for rare diseases more accessible to Indian patients?

Addressing rare diseases is a top priority for us. We have revised the General Trade Exemption (GTE) list to allow the import of rare disease drugs that cannot be manufactured economically in India. Additionally, we have recommended duty-free imports and patient support programs to ensure that patients with rare diseases have access to the necessary treatments.

What structural reforms have been introduced within DoP to facilitate these changes?

Reform begins at home. We have restructured our department to better address industry needs. Now, we have two divisions: one dedicated to pharmaceuticals and another to the medtech sector. We have hired industry experts, medical engineers, and biotech experts through lateral entry to manage operational issues across different levels of government. This has streamlined our operations and allowed us to address industry problems more effectively. Additionally, we have established a joint secretary for pharmaceuticals and another for the medtech sector to ensure focused attention on these critical areas.

What future trends do you foresee in the Indian pharmaceutical industry, particularly with regard to new drug development and market expansion?

The future of the Indian pharmaceutical industry looks very promising. We are poised to take advantage of the upcoming patent cliff, with about 300 molecules coming off patent, including 24 blockbuster drugs. The industry is already working on these opportunities, preparing to launch large molecules into the market. For instance, bioactive peptides, a significant antidiabetic drug, are set to come off patent in 2026, and our industry is gearing up for its production. We also foresee substantial growth in complex generics, biosimilars, and excipients, which will drive further market expansion and innovation.

How is the DoP ensuring quality and compliance in the rapidly growing medical device sector?

Ensuring quality and compliance is paramount. We are collecting market data on medical devices and working within our jurisdiction to address any issues that arise. We have set up seven Centers of Excellence in seven National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs), each focusing on different areas of manufacturing. These centers are supported by industry leaders and aim to ensure that students and young scientists are well-trained and employed in the right sectors.

Can you provide some insights into the operational framework that has been put in place to support the medical device industry?

We have implemented a comprehensive operational framework that addresses the needs of the medical device industry. This includes hiring industry experts and creating a dedicated joint secretary for medtech to resolve operational problems. We have identified seven verticals within the medtech sector, such as imaging devices, laboratory equipment, assistive devices, and surgical equipment. This framework ensures that we address the unique challenges of each vertical, fostering growth and innovation across the board. Our aim is to create an integrated policy framework that supports the entire value chain, from manufacturing to market access.

How is the DoP collaborating with other stakeholders to drive these initiatives?

Collaboration is key to our success. We work closely with industry partners, academic institutions, and government agencies to drive our initiatives forward. The Centers of Excellence, for instance, are a collaborative effort between industry and academia, ensuring that we leverage the best expertise from both sectors. We also engage in continuous dialogue with industry representatives to address their concerns and incorporate their feedback into our policies. This collaborative approach ensures that our initiatives are well-rounded and effectively address the needs of the industry.

What message would you like to convey to the stakeholders in the Indian pharmaceutical and medtech sectors?

My message to the stakeholders is one of optimism and collaboration. The Indian pharmaceutical and medtech sectors are on the cusp of significant growth and transformation. By working together, we can harness this potential, drive innovation, and make high-quality healthcare accessible to all. The government is committed to supporting this growth through strategic policies, financial incentives, and structural reforms. I urge all stakeholders to take advantage of these opportunities and contribute to making India a global leader in pharmaceuticals and medical technology. Through strategic policies, financial incentives, and robust industry-government partnerships, the DoP aims to position India as a global leader in healthcare innovation and accessibility.

Bhagwati Prasad, Mumbai
BHARAT EYES GLOBAL BIOMANUFACTURING DOMINANCE

Boosting Innovation, Collaboration & Entrepreneurship with BioE3 Policy

Bharat has demonstrated a strong economic growth in the past decade and is poised to be amongst the global leaders in the next industrial revolution by leveraging emerging technologies and new innovative solutions. Bharat is competitively positioned to be amongst the global leaders in futuristic manufacturing that leverages living systems. Biomanufacturing can fundamentally transform the global economy from todays consumptive manufacturing paradigm to the one based on regenerative principles. Biomanufacturing refers to the use of engineered microbial, plant, and animal (including human) cells with increasing precision and control to produce commercially important products on scale. These are versatile processes that have the potential to create bio-based products allowing efficient utilisation of resources, in a scalable and costeffective manner with reduced environmental impact. Keeping in view the national priority of steering Bharat on the path of accelerated Green Growth, an integrated BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy for Fostering High-Performance Biomanufacturing with an aim to make a green, clean, prosperous, and self-reliant Bharat was released on September 12 at Global Bio-India (GBI) 2024. Lets take a look at how the BioE3 Policy for biomanufacturing is set to transform this landscape.
Dr Vinayagam possesses strategic acumen and operational leadership in healthcare settings

Orchid Pharma, based in Chennai, has enlisted the support of Dr Prabhu Vinayagam as a Medical Advisor for Orchid Pharmas newly formed division  Orchid AMS, as well as hired Amitabh Mazumdar, as GM-Sales & Marketing.

Dr Vinayagam, in an advisory role, is a valuable asset to Orchid AMS, bringing a wealth of experience in healthcare leadership and antimicrobial stewardship. In his distinguished career he has played pivotal roles at Becton Dickinson, as Managing Director Joint Commission International - Asia Pacific, and as Group CEO at Mandalar Group of Hospitals in Myanmar.

Dr Vinayagam's strategic acumen and operational leadership in healthcare settings uniquely position him to spearhead Orchid Pharma's Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. His deep understanding of hospital operations, quality improvement practices especially those aimed at reducing Hospital Acquired infections (HAIs), and data-driven decision-making will be instrumental in optimizing antibiotic use and combating antimicrobial resistance.

On the other hand, Amitabh Mazumdar is all set to leverage more than 30 years of expertise in marketing, sales, and team leadership within the pharmaceutical industry. With key sales & marketing roles at GSK, Mylan (Viatris), and Merck Serono, he has effectively launched and managed life cycles of renowned brands, with innovative sales and marketing approaches. His experience in launching 3 new business units will enable him to contribute significantly to our journey.
(Photo : Unsplash/Scott Blake)

A proposed legislation would mandate employers to implement measures to safeguard 36 million American workers from severe heat conditions, otherwise face corresponding fines, the White House outlined in a news release on Tuesday.

The new rule, if implemented, would mark the first significant regulation of its kind, introducing nationwide protection for workers, where employers are mandated to recognize heat hazards and ensure provisions such as rest breaks, access to shade and water, and heat acclimatization for new employees.

While private employers have been mandated to ensure safe workplaces, including addressing heat hazards, Tuesday's proposal introduces specific protections against heat exposure for the first time that would allow the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to impose fines on non-complying employers.

The Record-Breaking Heat in 2024

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that workplace heat exposure has killed over 1,000 U.S. workers since 1992 and caused nearly 34,000 cases of heat-related injuries to lead employees to miss work between 2011 and 2020. According to climate scientists, 2024 could potentially become the hottest year on record, as several cities across the United States encountered record-breaking heat in June.

The announcement also coincides with tens of millions of Americans under heat advisories, and President Joe Biden has emphasized that disregarding climate change is "deadly, dangerous, and irresponsible," KCRA3 reported.

READ ALSO: California OSHA Clashes with Finance Department Over Workers' Indoor Heat Protection's Budget Concerns

The Scope of The Regulation

The proposed measure aims to set the first federal standard protecting millions of workers against heat-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities, especially among farmworkers, delivery personnel, construction workers, and indoor workers in warehouses, factories, and kitchens.

Under the proposal, employers must create an injury and illness prevention plan, assess heat risks, provide access to water and necessary rest breaks, and train employees to recognize symptoms of heat-related illnesses.

Jessica Martinez of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health emphasized the significance of the proposed regulations as summer approaches and expects employers to comply.

Doug Parker, assistant secretary for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), emphasized the necessity of implementing measures to safeguard workers from experiencing heat-related incidents, including heat stroke and fatalities, while performing their job duties, adding that the current proposal marks a crucial progression towards gathering public feedback to develop a final rule that balances worker protection with practicality and feasibility for employers, the statement reads.

The New Federal Rule Proposal

The Labor Department proposes new protections based on two heat index thresholds. In the first instance, when the combined temperature and relative humidity reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit, employers must provide drinking water and scheduled rest breaks.

Under the proposed rules, when the heat index reaches 90 degrees, further measures would be required. Employers must ensure a minimum 15-minute paid rest break every two hours and implement a monitoring system to detect signs of heat-related illness or symptoms among their workers.

However, the OSHA proposal excludes sedentary or remote workers, emergency-response personnel, and employees working indoors with temperatures below 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

RELATED ARTICLE: Domestic Workers in Miami Demanding Passage of "Domestic Worker Bill of Rights," Seeking Stronger Workplace Protection

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.


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.
Israel : Attaque au couteau dans un centre commercial, un mort

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Un des deux hommes qui ont ete blesses lors d'une attaque a l'arme blanche dans un centre commercial israelien mercredi est decede, ont rapporte la police et les services medicaux israeliens.

La police a precise que l'attaque, qui a eu lieu a Karmiel, dans le nord d'Israel, etait consideree comme "terroriste" et que son auteur avait ete "neutralise".

Des medecins israeliens ont dit a Reuters que l'une des deux victimes est decedee apres avoir ete transportee a l'hopital, ajoutant que l'assaillant etait decede dans le centre commercial.

Les medecins avaient precedemment declare que l'un des deux blesses se trouvait dans un etat tres grave.

... A lire aussi

Au moins une des deux victimes portait un uniforme vert, selon une video publiee sur les reseaux sociaux et consultee par Reuters.

L'attaque n'a pas ete revendiquee dans l'immediat.

En janvier, une attaque palestinienne a la voiture belier dans le centre dIsrael a cause la mort d'une femme et fait 12 blesses.

(Redige par Emily Rose ; version francaise Kate Entringer)
(Photo : Pexels/Photo by Brett Sayles)

The Fourth of July is a holiday, falling most often on a Tuesday or Thursday. Workers typically get a holiday on the Fourth and the preceding or following Monday or Friday.

Independence Day is one of the historic dates in America. It is celebrated on the day on which the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July in 1776, formally declaring the United States of America a free nation.

4th of July Traditions

Many of today's Independence Day traditions in America originated in early celebrations of Americans who would gather for bonfires, concerts, and parades to commemorate their new nation. Some activities that formed fun aspects of the celebrations included reading the Declaration of Independence aloud, followed by firing muskets and cannons to honor patriotism.

These activities have transformed through the years into the beloved traditions we enjoy today, such as:

Watching fireworks

Waving sparklers

Hosting barbecues

Playing backyard games

Attending parades

Wearing attires in color red, white, and blue

Engaging in patriotic crafts

Waving mini American flags

Traveling; and

Taking advantage of stellar sales

READ ALSO: 10 Labor Day Facts: Knowing The Foundation and Legacy of America's Workforce

This year, the Independence Day holiday falls on a Thursday and will fall on the following days in the corresponding years:

2025: Friday

2026: Saturday

2027: Sunday

2028: Tuesday

America's Colonizing Country

Britain colonized America in 1607, with Jamestown, Virginia, the first colony established. As Britain continued to expand its colonies throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, over 2.5 million settlers were recorded among the 13 colonies by 1755.

Great Britain imposed the Stamp Act of 1765, Townshend Acts of 1767, and Tea Act of 1773 to raise funds after the French and Indian War. The taxation without representation grievance was triggered by forcing colonists into paying more without giving them a say in the policy, which later fueled the American Revolution.

The tensions between British authorities and American colonists escalated with events like the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. They peaked in April 1775 during the Battles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts after British forces tried confiscating colonists' weapons, triggering the first clashes between Colonial militias and British troops and marking the start of the American Revolutionary War.

July 4, 1776: The American Independence Day

During a Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia in June 1776, Virginia statesman Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion calling for the Colonies to dissolve their ties with Britain. The Declaration of Independence, written by a special committee in the historical society, came to be on July 4, 1776, when America was officially declared free from its colonization under British jurisdiction. The Revolutionary War continued, and America finally achieved victory over Great Britain in September 1783.

Americans salute the bravery of the Founding Fathers on Independence Day, who stood up for freedom, equal rights, and self-rule. The nation bursts into festive mode with patriotic shows, street marches, and dazzling sky displays, with people coming together in their towns and cities to pay tribute to the undying love of America for liberty.

RELATED ARTICLE: Exploring Women's Month: Top 10 Interesting Facts You Need to Know

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The High Court has found a GP was incorrect in her claims that she only had to pay a lower figure for rent than claimed by the landlord of the premises housing her practice in Stepaside, Dublin.

Mr Justice Anthony Barr said Dr Fiona Grant was incorrect in her arguments that the 50,000 per year rent which the landlord said was due had never been agreed and that the actual rent was 29,000.

Advertisement

The judge also said she was incorrect in claiming that there had not been a rent review in 2014.

The landlord, Gradual Investments Ltd, had brought proceedings against her over the rent being paid for her medical clinic at the Village in Stepaside.

Dr Grant last year obtained an injunction preventing Gradual from entering or re-entering the premises on foot of a forfeiture notice pending determination of legal proceedings. That injunction remains in place at least until the case next comes before the court.

Separately, Gradual's case over the allegedly unpaid rent came on for hearing before Mr Justice Barr.

Advertisement

The judge said it was the legal implications of the facts rather than significant factual disputes which give rise to the need for a determination by the court.

Following consideration of the evidence, the judge said he was satisfied that the defendant was incorrect in all of her primary arguments about the rent.

He said the court "has nothing but sympathy for a tenant who finds themselves in financial difficulties vis-a-vis their lease."

This was all the more so where the tenant is a medical professional contributing so much to society by providing primary care in the community, he said.

While his judgment will come as a major disappointment to Dr Grant, and that is a matter of sincere regret on a human level, the court's obligation is "to give effect to the bargains made by interpreting their meaning, not to change meaning by way of deletion or addition."
Hospitality groups are calling on the Government to reinstate the 9 per cent VAT charge on food services.

Representatives from the sector are calling for a return to the reduced rate introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, claiming the industry is struggling with the current 13.5 per cent rate.

Advertisement

The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, Restaurants Association of Ireland, Vintners Federation of Ireland, Irish Hotels Federation, and Licences Vintners Association will meet TDs and Senators on Wednesday ahead of Budget 2025.

In a joint statement released prior to the meeting, the groups said businesses are at a cross-roads, "struggling to deal with very tight margins and reduced profitability due to ever-increasing operating costs".

"To a large extent, this is being driven by the Governments own economic policies including a series of employment-related cost increases coming into effect in close succession. The impact of these measures has been particularly acute for hospitality businesses given the labour-intensive nature of our industry."

The groups added that business are forecasting "worrying" cost increases over the coming year.

Advertisement

"Meanwhile, these businesses are struggling to deal with the effects of last Septembers VAT increase coupled with the impact of significant pressures on consumer finances  all of which continue to reduce profitability and erode competitiveness."

The statement added: "While we have been repeatedly assured by the Government that it understands the extent of the challenges facing hospitality businesses, regrettably this has yet to translate into meaningful supports.

"It is now vital that the Government does everything possible to help put our sector and wider tourism industry on a more stable footing.

"At a minimum, this must include the reinstatement of the 9per cent VAT rate for food-related hospitality services."
Updated: 11.15am

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson and his wife Eleanor will face trial on a raft of child sexual offence charges following a preliminary enquiry at Newry Magistrate's Court on Wednesday morning.

Advertisement

The Donaldsons appeared briefly before Judge Eamonn King and confirmed their names, addresses and dates of birth.

After the judge indicated there is a prima facie case for them to answer, the Donaldsons were asked if they wished to make a written or oral statement.

Mr Donaldson replied: "Not at this stage", while his wife simply replied: "No."

Judge King remanded both on the same bail conditions and told the Donaldsons to return to court on September 10th when their Crown Court trial will be arranged.

Advertisement

The court also formally withdrew a set of holding charges both had faced but which have since been reviewed by prosecutors.

Mr Donaldson (61), a former Lagan Valley MP with an address at Dromore, Co Down, is now charged with one count of rape between January 1st, 1987 and January 1st, 1991.

He is charged with 13 counts of indecent assault on a female child between 1987 and 1991, and four charges of gross indecency towards a child on dates between 2005 and 2008.

Advertisement

Eleanor Donaldson arriving at Newry Magistrates' Court. Photo: PA Images

Mrs Donaldson (58), of the same address in Dromore, is charged with aiding and abetting rape between 1987 and 1991, three counts of aiding and abetting indecent assaults on a female child, and one count of child cruelty between 2004 and 2008.

Prior to the hearing, PSNI officers had gathered outside the court in the early hours in preparation for anticipated high levels of interest from the press and public.

At 9am, journalists filed through the single, narrow doorway which allows access to the court building.

Photographers, most armed with stepladders, assembled between makeshift barriers either side of the doorway where the Donaldsons would also make their entrance.

They arrived separately, Mr Donaldson first at 9.30am, having grown a beard since his last court appearance. Mrs Donaldson arrived about 15 minutes later.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.
A 35-year-old man who has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murdering his fiancee told gardai that he felt like some monster he couldnt control when he used his arms to strangle her, the Central Criminal Court has heard.

I was like devil, somebody using me, Andrei Dobra told gardai, going on to say that he squeezed her neck, which resulted in the death of Ioana Mihaela Pacala (30) in the couples flat at Riverwalk Court, Fairyhouse Road, Ratoath, Co. Meath, on or about November 12th 2022.

Advertisement

Mr Dobra has pleaded not guilty to her murder by reason of insanity and two psychiatrists called by the defence and prosecution will give evidence that he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the killing.

The accused and Ms Pacala, both Romanian nationals, were described as a very hard-working young couple who were very committed to each other and planning to get married.

The court has heard that State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster determined that Ms Pacala was strangled and died from a lack of oxygen to the brain.

At Mr Dobras trial at the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday, Detective Sergeant Shane Dervan gave evidence to counsel for the State, Sean Guerin SC that when the accused was charged, he replied: I am so sorry for that, it shouldnt have happened.

Advertisement

Det Sgt Dervan confirmed that during a garda interview, the accused said: Because my mentality, I dont know what happening. The detective said that Mr Dobra spoke about a phantom and a feeling in middle of night, telling gardai that he had dreams in which he saw someone coming to kill him.

I destroy my life for nothing, I dont know why, I see my life is over... I love her so much, know it my fault, dont want to kill her... some night some phantom tried to push me, kept fighting me, to change mind, the accused said, going on to tell gardai that he thought he had killed his girlfriend with his arms.

Just something like wind in ear, two or three nights like that, almost like ghost grabbing you by brain trying to scare you... like someone in my body, he said, adding: I think somebody push me to do this, like someone put a curse on me for me and her to die.

Det Sgt Dervan said that when the accused was asked who had caused Ms Pacalas death, he replied: I think God... maybe some devil, but I dont remember how its happening.

Advertisement

The detective said that when gardai put it to the accused that it had been his arms that were used to cause the death, Mr Dobra said: I think I kill my girlfriend... I think I squeezed her neck.

The court heard that Mr Dobra said he could hear screaming and he saw the face was red, eyes red.

I was like devil, somebody using me... I am feeling like some monster I cant control, the accused told gardai, going on to say that he saw that Ms Pacalas face was blue.

Det Sgt Dervan said that in the accuseds final interview with gardai, it was put to him that he had confirmed 100% that it was his arms that killed Ms Pacala, to which Mr Dobra replied: I know, but my brain somewhere else.

Advertisement

The gardai put it to him that Ms Pacala died a violent death, during which she put up a fight and the accused had the marks to prove this, to which Mr Dobra said: I think she scratched me.

The accused told the gardai that he squeezed her neck, which he described as a very big mistake.

Det Sgt Dervan confirmed to defence counsel, Michael Bowman SC that gardai travelled to Romania to meet with the families of the deceased and the accused, which revealed a picture of a very hardworking young couple who were very committed to each other.

The couple planned to get married, while there was no suggestion of domestic violence in the background.

Advertisement

Det Sgt Dervan said that Ms Pacalas father spoke to the accused the night before his daughters death and found Mr Dobra was not responding coherently.

The detective confirmed to Mr Bowman that as the garda investigation progressed, it began to emerge that there may well have been a psychiatric element to the case.

At the beginning of the trial, Mr Guerin told the jury that they would hear from consultant psychiatrist Dr Brenda Wright, who will give evidence that Mr Dobra was suffering a major depressive episode with psychotic symptoms at the time of the killing.

She will say that he believed his life was in danger and that his actions in killing his partner were therefore morally justified. She will also say that he did not understand that killing Ms Pacala was wrong.

Professor Patricia Casey, who will be called by the defence, will say that Mr Dobra was suffering from schizoaffective disorder and was psychotic at the time. At a minimum, Mr Guerin said both psychiatrists agree that Mr Dobras mental disorder was such as to diminish his mental capacities.

The trial continues on Friday before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and the jury of six men and six women.
Northern Irelands political leaders have issued eve-of-poll messages ahead of a UK general election that will involve several constituency battles that remain too close to call.

A total of 136 candidates are standing in the regions 18 constituencies.

Advertisement

All eyes will be on the race for the greatest number of seats, with the potential of Sinn Fein cementing its position as the largest party in Northern Ireland, having secured the most seats in recent Assembly and local council polls.

Sinn Fein, which ran a relatively low-key campaign, could secure top spot by retaining the seven seats it already holds, if the DUP drops down from the eight seats it won in 2019.

While most of the republican partys seats are safe bets, it will face the usual arm wrestle to hold off the challenge of unionists in the ever-close Fermanagh and South Tyrone race.

In that constituency, former RCN general secretary Pat Cullen, who led nurses across the UK in strike action last year, is up against Ulster Unionist councillor Diana Armstrong.

Advertisement

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA.

The DUP is under pressure in a number of constituencies, most significantly in East Belfast where its leader Gavin Robinson is involved in a high-stakes contest with the Alliance Party leader Naomi Long.

Mr Robinsons elevation to the leadership of his party came after the DUP suffered a seismic shock when former leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson quit after he was charged with a range of historical sexual offences in March  charges he denies.

Apart from the sudden departure of Donaldson from the political stage, the DUP has also been under pressure from unionist rivals amid claims it oversold a Government package of measures on post-Brexit trading arrangements that the party used to justify the end of its two-year boycott on devolution at Stormont in January.

Advertisement

Defeat for Mr Robinson would surely raise questions about his fledgling leadership of the DUP; while a loss for Ms Long would prompt some to ask whether the Alliance Partys surge of recent years has begun to subside.

The cross-community Alliance Party is walking a tight rope between having a really good night or a very disappointing one.

It is involved in three razor edge fights, including East Belfast, where it is in serious contention for seats.

Advertisement

DUP leader Gavin Robinson. Photo: Niall Carson/PA.

The party goes into the election with one seat, deputy leader Stephen Farrys in North Down, and is also hoping that Ms Long prevails in East Belfast and Sorcha Eastwood defeats the DUP in Lagan Valley, in the seat vacated by long-standing MP Donaldson.

While three victories could be secured; three losses would sting heavily for a party that has been on the electoral march in recent years.

The Ulster Unionists were without an MP in the last parliament and the party is convinced that South Antrim represents its best opportunity of a return to the green benches at Westminster.

Advertisement

Former UUP leader Robin Swann, whose profile soared when he led Northern Irelands fight against the Covid pandemic as Stormont health minister, is trying to win that seat from the DUPs Paul Girvan.

Success for the SDLP would be the retention of the two seats held in the last parliament by its leader Colum Eastwood and deputy leader Claire Hanna.

Alliance leader Naomi Long. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA.

Both are tipped for victory  in Foyle and South Belfast and Mid Down respectively  albeit with the prospect of returning with reduced majorities.

The TUV, which is an arch critic of the DUPs decision to drop its protest boycott on devolution, did not stand in the last election.

While its entry into the fray this time round is highly unlikely to deliver it any seats, the votes it could potentially take from DUP candidates could have major implications in some of the closest battleground seats.

However, the TUV campaign suffered a major blow last month when Reform UK leader Nigel Farage personally endorsed two DUP election candidates, despite his party having an official electoral alliance with the TUV in Northern Ireland.

That has led to a highly usually situation in Mr Allisters own North Antrim constituency, where he is running on a joint TUV-Reform UK platform, even though Mr Farage has personally backed the DUP candidate in that area, Ian Paisley.

In her eve of poll message, Sinn Feins vice president Michelle ONeill said a vote for her party would bring positive change.

UUP leader Doug Beattie. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA.

Change will only be delivered in the north by working together in the Executive and Assembly, but this election is our chance to send a clear message about the future we want, she said.

I am asking voters to join us in our journey towards a better future, to endorse our vision by returning the strongest Sinn Fein team.

It is clear that people want positive change, and I would urge people to support progressive candidates in areas where Sinn Fein are not standing (four seats), to maximise the number of progressive MPs.

Mr Robinson urged people to use their vote wisely, as he emphasised that the election would help shape the future direction of Northern Ireland.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA.

In a clear reference to his TUV rivals, he said: Dont listen to those who cannot win in this election. By supporting the unionist candidates that can win you ensure there is the strongest voice and the strongest team for you in parliament. Only the DUP can ensure there is a strong team of pro-Union MPs in Westminster to stand up and speak out for you on the issues that matter.

Some people can only see problems, but we are proud of our strong record of standing up for you and getting things done.

He added: Tomorrow you have one vote. Use it wisely. Dont be lulled into voting for candidates that cant win and waking up on Friday morning to a nightmare scenario where the unionist vote has been divided and non-unionists have won seats.

Ms Long said her party was leading change.

Alliance has fought this campaign on our platform of leading change, showcasing responsible leadership and trustworthiness in our dealings, she said.

We are uniquely positioned as the key challengers in a number of constituencies, which has been backed by polls and pundits across the entirety of the election campaign.

She said if Alliance gained seats, voters would get positive, progressive representatives who are leading change and seeking equality across our society.

TUV leader Jim Allister. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA.

Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie posted a direct message to voters on social media.

You have one vote, on that one day, with one chance to create change, change by voting for an MP who will be effective in Westminster, who will be visible in Westminster, he said.

So when you go to the polls tomorrow, really think about whats good for you, for your family, for Northern Ireland, for all our people. I believe its by voting for an Ulster Unionist Party candidate.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood emphasised the importance of voting for MPs who take their seat at Westminster, contrasting his party with Sinn Feins long-standing abstentionist stance.

Everyone wants and deserves change, he said.

Thats what you get from SDLP MPs.

Over the last five years Claire and I have demonstrated how we can deliver for people using the power of a seat at Westminster.

And weve already secured commitments from a new government to repeal the toxic Tory legacy act.

While others leave their seats empty, we turn up for the people we represent and make our voice heard.

Mr Allister accused the DUP of hoodwinking unionists on the Government deal on post-Brexit trade.

Vote instead for the party which has told you the truth from the beginning about the (Northern Ireland) Protocol, TUV. We have not faltered. We have not wilted on this fundamental issue, he said.

Strengthen my hand in resisting the dismantling of our Union by voting TUV on Thursday. Be strong, not used. Vote TUV, the party you can trust.
Concerns have been raised over severance packages for former employees departing RTE by the chair of the Oireachtas Media Committee, Niamh Smyth.

The Fianna Fail TD for Cavan-Monaghan said there is a palpable sense of dissatisfaction from the public over severance packages at the national broadcaster.

Advertisement

Speaking to RTE Radio's Morning Ireland ahead of the publication of the 'Future Business Model Plans and Long-Term Vision for the Media Sector' report on Wednesday, Ms Smyth described the document as extensive and comprehensive.

The report includes 29 recommendations, covering various topics from funding of public service broadcasting, community and regional content, digital development and digital transformation, she explained.

We also look at journalism, disinformation, misinformation. We look at access and inclusion, and also the creative industry.

There's a real focus on that, too in the independent sector. There's a greater emphasis on funding and there's a greater emphasis with our media outlets to reach out to the independent sector, because we know how important they are for public service broadcasting, entities such as RTE, Ms Smyth said.

Advertisement

She acknowledged there are concerns about independence if RTE were to be funded by the Exchequer, but added that there has been a suggestion that transparency could be ensured if the issue was managed by the Broadcasting Commission.

Ms Smyth noted the report also emphasises misinformation and disinformation, and the impact on democracy and how important all of that is when you come to public service broadcasting.

She said she feels there should be buy in from the public, in the form of the TV licence, to partly fund public service broadcasting.

I think if the last 18 months or 15 months have taught us anything around deep controversies within RTE, it's that the public do value public service broadcasting. They do value trusted, media outlets.

In 2022, 156 million was collected through the TV license, and I certainly don't think you can just write that off. The Minister (for Media, Catherine Martin) has a challenge on her hands to convince her Government leaders and colleagues that that is the way forward.

While she said she supports the TV Licence, Ms Smyth said the mechanism for collecting the fee was not right.
Lisa Jewell returns with a new book launching the new Marvel Crime series

Fiction

1. The Long Water by Stef Penney is published in hardback by Quercus. Available July 4th

Advertisement

(Quercus/PA)

The Long Water focuses on a tight-knit community situated in a remote valley in the north of Norway, where the lives of the residents are deeply interwoven. The town suddenly finds itself at the centre of swirling rumours and a media frenzy when popular teenager, Daniel, goes missing one night during school-leavers celebrations. There is no one in the town who is not impacted by his disappearance, from teenagers Elin and Benny, who face the modern-day struggles around gender identity and sexual orientation, to Elins grandmother Svea, an elderly woman whose long life revolves around the area. Stef Penneys latest novel takes a multitude of twists and turns, written with a touch of humour that will leave you chuckling. The Long Water is tough to put down with brilliant pace, fantastic depth and an ending that will leave you wanting more.

9/10

(Review by Hannah Cottrell)

2. Breaking The Dark by Lisa Jewell is published in hardback by Century. Available July 4th

Advertisement

Coming soon! The first of an exciting series of Marvel Crime thrillers penned by major names in the genre, @lisajewelluk's Breaking the Dark finds private eye and retired superhero Jessica Jones investigating a mysterious transformation: https://t.co/DwqEVLb2vl pic.twitter.com/LRHzWYSABA  Waterstones (@Waterstones) February 6, 2024

Advertisement

Breaking The Dark marks Lisa Jewells debut into the Marvel universe, blending crime fiction with superhero drama. Set in New York, the story follows Jessica Jones, a former superhero-turned-private investigator grappling with her own demons. Jessica is approached by Amber Randall, a mother whose twin teenagers, Fox and Lark, returned from a trip to the UK drastically changed. This case launches Jessica into a dark and intricate investigation that spans continents and delves into mysterious and supernatural phenomena. The novel seamlessly integrates superhero lore with the gritty realism of a crime thriller. Jewells portrayal of Jessica Jones is faithful to the characters Marvel roots and refreshingly innovative, offering a deeper exploration of her flawed psyche and struggle for redemption. Jewells storytelling and character development of Jessica Jones are compelling  youll find yourself truly engaged with her flawed persona, cheering her on as her character develops.

9/10

(Review by Amanda De Beer)

3. Love Of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood is published in paperback by Penguin. Available now

Advertisement

At this romantic time of year we're thrilled to announce that @KirstyStories will be providing readers with hilarity, big emotions and delicious drama with The Love of My Afterlife next summer. Discover more and preorder here: https://t.co/AtjsE8PYlL pic.twitter.com/aveH0pMJ7T  Waterstones (@Waterstones) December 15, 2023

Advertisement

After death by microwave burger, 27-year-old Delphie Bookham finds herself in the waiting room of the afterlife where she meets the one, in a twist that gives her a second chance at life with just 10 days to find him back on earth. The book uses a fast-paced narrative to keep the story compelling, exploring Delphies shift in attitude to discover her love for life and the joys of letting people in. In a heartwarming enemies to lovers arc, the book is a perfect summer read  its light, funny, with enough emotional depth to allow you to become truly invested in the characters, including the side characters who are refreshing, and equally as intriguing as the main cast.

8/10

(Review by Carla Feric)

Non-fiction

4. The Architecture of Modern Empire by Arundhati Roy is published in paperback by Penguin. Available now

(Penguin/PA)

In June this year, author Arundhati Roy won the prestigious PEN Pinter literary prize, where she was hailed as being a luminous voice of freedom and justice whose words have come with fierce clarity and determination for almost 30 years now. It couldnt be a more apt description for the author, 62, who won the Booker Prize for her debut novel The God Of Small Things in 1997, and really captures everything between the pages of recently released title The Architecture of Modern Empire by Arundhati Roy. A collection of 12 interviews conducted with Roy, by writer and broadcaster David Barsamian, span out over two decades, from 2001 to the present. The duo explore war, technology, nationalism, truth, justice, freedom and more. And Roys insights into her home country, India, are poignant. There is also humour and wit from Roy. You find yourself hanging on her every word, conjuring up imagery through her descriptions, and hoping another book like this is in the works.

8/10

(Review by Kerri-Ann Roper)

Childrens book of the week

5. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming, illustrated by Thomas Gilbert is published in paperback by Ian Fleming Publications. Available now

Striking new edition of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang from @TheIanFleming pic.twitter.com/Fcum5nEJxx  charlie higson (@monstroso) June 17, 2024

The new paperback edition of Ian Flemings much-loved childrens classic, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, is filled with beautiful illustrations from artist Thomas Gilbert. The striking front cover  reminiscent of a vintage travel poster  will lure youngsters in to read this classic tale as it celebrates its 60th anniversary. The story starts with Commander Caractacus Pott, who does not have much money, but his family thrives on being together and a spirit of adventure. When he manages to buy an old wreck of car and turn it into something new, little does the Commander know the vehicles magic powers will whisk his family away to new heights. However, disaster is on the horizon when the group fall upon a secret arsenal of weapons hidden in a vault  realising they are stockpiled for a criminal purpose. Can the family stop a gang in its tracks? And, whats more, can Chitty help save the day?

8/10

(Review by Jane Kirby)

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 29th

HARDBACK (FICTION)

1. When The Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker

2. Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

3. Long Island by Colm Toibin

4. You Are Here by David Nicholls

5. The Ministry Of Time by Kaliane Bradley

6. Murder At The Monastery by Reverend Richard Coles

7. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

8. The Suspect by Rob Rinder

9. The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

10. The Cautious Travellers Guide to The Wastelands by Sarah Brooks

(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)

1. Pinch Of Nom Air Fryer by Kate & Kay Allinson

2. The House Of Beckham by Tom Bower

3. Operation Biting by Max Hastings

4. MILF by Paloma Faith

5. The Women Who Wouldnt Wheesht by Susan Dalgety & Lucy Hunter Blackburn

6. Challenger by Adam Higginbotham

7. Wimbledon: A personal history by Sue Barker

8. Bored of Lunch Healthy Air Fryer: 30 Minute Meals by Nathan Anthony

9. Guide to Medieval England by History Hit

10. Greekish: Everyday recipes with Greek roots by Georgina Hayden

(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)

1. The Suspect by Rob Rinder

2. Fairy Tale by Stephen King

3. Atomic Habits by James Clear

4. A Murder Of Crows by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett

5. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

6. The Maiden by Kate Foster

7. The Trial by Rob Rinder

8. Unruly by David Mitchell

9. None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

10. Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken

(Compiled by Audible)
An arrest warrant for a man who is also a suspect in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann was lifted on Wednesday by a German court in an ongoing trial over several unrelated sexual offences he is alleged to have committed in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.

However, the 47-year-old German, who has been identified by media as Christian Bruckner, will remain jailed because he is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for a rape he committed in Portugal in 2005.

Advertisement

The Braunschweig state court said it lifted the arrest warrant in the current case, in which Bruckner has been accused of three counts of rape and two of sexual abuse of children, because there is no urgent suspicion, German news agency dpa reported.

The suspect has not been charged in the Madeleine McCann case, in which he is under investigation on suspicion of murder.

He spent many years in Portugal, including in the resort of Praia da Luz around the time of Madeleines disappearance there in 2007. He has denied any involvement in her disappearance.

In the current trial, prosecutors had claimed that, at an unspecified time between 2000 and 2006, the suspect allegedly tied up and raped an elderly woman in her vacation apartment in Portugal. He allegedly beat the victim several times with a whip and recorded the incident on video.

Advertisement

During the same time period, he is alleged to have tied a German-speaking girl aged at least 14 to a wooden post in the living room of his residence in Praia da Luz, allegedly beating her with a whip and forcing her to perform oral sex.

However, Bruckners lawyers filed a motion during the trial to quash the arrest warrant because they no longer saw any reason for one after evidence in the alleged crimes had been taken in court.

The court ruled that there was no strong suspicion with regard to all charges, dpa reported.

A verdict in the ongoing trial is expected in the fall.

Advertisement

The case of Madeleine McCann stirred worldwide interest for several years, with reports of sightings of her stretching as far away as Australia, along with a slew of books and television documentaries about the case.
Artist Banksy has slammed the criticism he received from the UK home secretary against his small boats-crossing artwork at Glastonbury.

An inflatable boat filled with migrant dummies in orange life jackets was hoisted into the crowd gathered to watch the band Idles play on the Other Stage at Worthy Farm on Friday night.

Advertisement

UK home secretary James Cleverly later accused the artwork of trivialising small boats crossings of migrants in the Channel and described it as vile.

In response, the Bristolian street artist branded Mr Cleverlys reaction a bit over the top and said it was the real boat he funded, which was being detained by Italian authorities after it had rescued unaccompanied children at sea, that he deemed vile and unacceptable.

On Sunday, Mr Cleverly reshared a video of the inflatable boat crowdsurfing the crowd to X, formerly Twitter, and wrote: Small boats crossings are deadly and have cost the lives of too many people.

Advertisement

Festivalgoers cosplaying as migrants, and celebrating the actions of people smugglers, while they party is awful. Whatever your political views, this isnt something we should trivialise.

He later told Sky News: People die in the Mediterranean, they die in the Channel. This is not funny. It is vile. It is a celebration of the loss of life in the Channel.

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Banksy shared a photo of the real sea rescue boat MV Louise Michel, which he has funded, alongside a link to the official Instagram page of the boat.

Advertisement

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) Advertisement

He wrote: The Home Secretary called my Glastonbury boat vile and unacceptable which seemed a bit over the top.

The real boat I fund, the MV Louise Michel, rescued 17 unaccompanied children from the central Med on Monday night.

As punishment, the Italian authorities have detained it  which seems vile and unacceptable to me.

The boat artwork originally appeared while the Bristol rock band were performing Danny Nedelko, a 2018 release which begins with the lyrics: My blood brother is an immigrant, a beautiful immigrant.

According to The Guardian, the band said the demonstration was devised by Banksy and they were not aware it had happened until after the set had finished.

It returned the following evening for Little Simzs performance on the Pyramid Stage.
US president Joe Biden has blamed his poor performance at a TV debate with Donald Trump on jet lag.

During a campaign event, the 81-year-old Mr Biden pointed to two back-to-back European trips, saying: I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple of times.

Advertisement

The president added that he didnt listen to my staff about travel and joked that he fell asleep on stage during the debate.

US president Joe Biden has faced calls to step aside from the presidential race (Evan Vucci/AP)

However, Democratic leaders were increasingly signalling that they were not buying White House attempts to brush off Mr Bidens performance in the face-off as a momentary lapse, after he gave halting and nonsensical answers and trailed off at times.

Advertisement

It comes as the president is set to meet with congressional leaders and Democratic governors, sit for a network TV interview and hold a press conference in the coming days, a blitz designed to push back against growing pressure for him to step aside from the 2024 race after the disastrous performance.

We really want to turn the page on this, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said of the intensifying calls for Mr Biden to bow out of the race.

She added that the president had no intention of stepping aside, characterising his debate failings as simply evidence of a bad night when he had a cold.

There is growing anxiety among donors and on Capitol Hill about the presidents ability to win come November. It is not helping that Mr Biden has yet to reach out to legislators, who are growing increasingly frustrated that the White House has not satisfactorily explained how such a seasoned politician could have performed so badly.

Advertisement

Donald Trump and Joe Biden during the debate (John Bazemore/AP)

Questions swirled about whether this was an isolated incident or part of a pattern. Two people who spent time with Mr Biden behind closed doors described him similarly. He was often very sharp and focused, but he also had moments, particularly later in the evening, when his thoughts seemed jumbled and he would trail off mid-sentence or seem confused.

Former US house speaker Nancy Pelosi told MSNBC that she believes it is a legitimate question whether Mr Bidens performance was just an episode or is this a condition.

Advertisement

When people ask that question, its legitimate  of both candidates, Mrs Pelosi said.

But she did not go so far as to ask him to step aside.

Mrs Pelosi said she had not spoken with Mr Biden since the debate, but she emphasised that the president is on top of his game, in terms of knowing the issues and what is at stake.

A spokesperson later said Mrs Pelosi had full confidence in Mr Biden and looks forward to attending his inauguration on January 20, 2025.

Advertisement

World Democrat politician publicly calls for Biden to st... Read More

Mr Biden has acknowledged that he had performed poorly, telling supporters he was not as young as he once was, but that he knew how to deliver doing the job, but allies worry that the next inevitable misstep by Biden  even if its not at the magnitude of his debate disaster  will resurrect voter concerns about the presidents fitness for office.

The president has been encouraged by his family to stay in the race. The two people who carry the most weight  US first lady Jill Biden and his son Hunter  have said he should keep fighting.
Hurricane Beryl roared through open waters on Tuesday as a powerful Category four storm heading towards Jamaica after earlier crossing islands in the south-east Caribbean, killing at least six people.

A hurricane warning was in effect for Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac.

Advertisement

Beryl was losing intensity but was still forecast to be near major-hurricane strength when it passes near or over Jamaica early on Wednesday, near the Cayman Islands on Thursday and into Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula on Friday, according to the National Hurricane Centre.

Fishermen push a boat damaged by Hurricane Beryl at the Bridgetown fisheries, Barbados (Ricardo Mazalan/AP)

A hurricane watch was in effect for Haitis southern coast and the Yucatans east coast. Belize issued a tropical storm watch stretching south from its border with Mexico to Belize City.

Advertisement

Late on Monday, Beryl became the earliest storm to develop into a Category five hurricane in the Atlantic and peaked at winds of 165mph (270kph) on Tuesday before weakening to a still-destructive Category four.

Early on Wednesday, the storm was about 250 miles (400 kilometres) east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica. It had top winds of 145mph (230kph) and was moving west-northwest at 22mph (35kph), the centre said.

Beryl was expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to Jamaica, where officials warned residents in flood-prone areas to prepare for evacuation.

I am encouraging all Jamaicans to take the hurricane as a serious threat, Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness said in a public address Tuesday. It is, however, not a time to panic.

Advertisement

In Miami, National Hurricane Centre director Michael Brennan said Jamaica appears to be in the direct path of Beryl.

Advertisement

We are most concerned about Jamaica, where we are expecting the core of a major hurricane to pass near or over the island, he said in an online briefing. You want to be in a safe place where you can ride out the storm by nightfall (Tuesday). Be prepared to stay in that location through Wednesday.

Storm surge of 6-9ft (1.8-2.7m) above typical tide levels are likely in Jamaica, as well as heavy rainfall.

This is a big hazard in the Caribbean, especially with the mountainous islands, Mr Brennan said. This could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides in some of these areas.

A tropical storm warning was in place for the entire southern coast of Hispaniola, an island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Advertisement

As the storm barrelled through the Caribbean Sea, rescue crews in south-eastern islands fanned out to determine the extent of the damage Beryl inflicted on Carriacou, an island in Grenada.

Three people were reported killed in Grenada and Carriacou and another in St Vincent and the Grenadines, officials said.

Two other deaths were reported in northern Venezuela, where five people are missing, officials said. Some 25,000 people in that area also were affected by heavy rainfall from Beryl.

A palm tree uprooted by Hurricane Beryl (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

One fatality in Grenada occurred after a tree fell on a house, Kerryne James, the environment minister, told The Associated Press.

She said Carriacou and Petit Martinique sustained the greatest damage, with scores of homes and businesses flattened in Carriacou.

The situation is grim, Grenadian prime minister Dickon Mitchell told a news conference on Tuesday. There is no power, and there is almost complete destruction of homes and buildings on the island. The roads are not passable, and in many instances, they are cut off because of the large quantity of debris strewn all over the streets.

Mr Mitchell added: The possibility that there may be more fatalities remains a grim reality as movement is still highly restricted.

Meanwhile, Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, promised to rebuild the archipelago. He noted that 90 per cent of homes on Union Island were destroyed, and that similar levels of devastation were expected on the islands of Myreau and Canouan.

Several people evacuated Union Island via ferry and arrived at the Kingstown Ferry Terminal in St Vincent and the Grenadines on Tuesday.

Residents of Union Island evacuated via ferry, arriving in Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Lucanus Ollivierre/AP)

Sharon DeRoche, one of the evacuees, said Union Island is in a terrible state. She bore the hurricane in her bathroom before she fled.

It was a hard four hours battling with six of us in that little area, she said.

The last strong hurricane to hit the southeast Caribbean was Hurricane Ivan 20 years ago, which killed dozens of people in Grenada.

Grenadian resident Roy ONeale (77) lost his home to Ivan and built back stronger. His current home sustained minimal damage from Beryl.

I felt the wind whistling, and then for about two hours straight, it was really, really terrifying at times, he said by phone. Branches of trees were flying all over the place.

Hundreds of people hunkered in shelters across the south-east Caribbean, including 50 adults and 20 children who huddled inside a school in Grenada.

Family members begin to repair their home damaged in the passing of Hurricane Beryl, in Ottley Hall, St Vincent and the Grenadines (Lucanus Ollivierre/AP)

Maybe some of them thought they could have survived in their homes, but when they realised the severity of it  they came for cover, said Urban Mason, a retired teacher who served as the shelters manager. People tend to be complacent.

One of the homes that Beryl damaged belongs to the parents of UN climate change executive secretary Simon Stiell, who is from Carriacou. The storm also destroyed the home of his late grandmother.

In a statement, Mr Stiell said that the climate crisis is worsening, faster than expected.

Whether in my homeland of Carriacou  hammered by Hurricane Beryl, or in the heatwaves and floods crippling communities in some of the worlds largest economies, its clear that the climate crisis is pushing disasters to record-breaking new levels of destruction, he said.

Grenada, known as the spice isle, is one of the worlds top exporters of nutmeg. Mr Mitchell noted that the bulk of the spices are grown in the northern part of the island, which was hit hardest by Beryl.
Three former Love Island stars who became social media finfluencers have pleaded not guilty to plugging an unauthorised investment scheme.

Biggs Chris, 32, Jamie Clayton, 32 and Rebecca Gormley, 26, pushed the unsanctioned venture to their Instagram followers, it is alleged.

Advertisement

The trio appeared side by side in the dock at Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) charged nine influencers, including former Geordie Shore and The Only Way Is Essex stars, with promoting the scheme which was run by 30-year-old Emmanuel Nwanze.

Nwanze, alongside Holly Thompson, 34, used the Instagram account, @holly_fx trends, to advise on buying and selling contracts for difference (CFDs) when they were not authorised to do so between 2018 and 2021, it is alleged.

The watchdog said CFDs were high-risk investments, with 80% of customers losing money.

Advertisement

Emmanuel Nwanze arrives at Westminster Magistrates Court (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Nwanze paid Chris, Clayton, and Gormley to promote the account to their followers in 2020, prosecutors say.

He also paid Towies Lauren Goodger, 37, and Yazmin Oukhellou, 30, Love Islands Eva Zapico, 25, and Geordie Shores Scott Timlin, 36, the FCA said.

Advertisement

The combined following of their Instagram accounts was 4.5 million, the FCA said.

Nwanze, Timlin and Thompson pleaded not guilty at a previous hearing.

Each of the defendants is charged with one count of issuing unauthorised communications of financial promotions.

They face up to two years in prison if convicted.

Advertisement

Kerry Spence, partner at Hodge Jones & Allen who represents Gormley and Chris, said: My clients strongly protest their innocence and look forward to clearing their names in court of these spurious charges.

Nwanze also faces one count of breaching a general prohibition under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, which prohibits people from carrying out regulated activities in the UK unless they are authorised to do so.

A trial preparation hearing has been set for July 11 at Southwark Crown Court and the nine defendants have been granted unconditional bail until this date.

Anyone who believes they have suffered loss over the scheme should contact the FCA, the regulator said.
US president Joe Biden defiantly vowed on Wednesday to keep running for re-election, rejecting growing pressure from within the Democratic Party to withdraw after a disastrous debate performance.

Mr Biden said he would not be forced from the race.

Advertisement

I am running. I am the leader of the Democratic Party. No one is pushing me out, Mr Biden said, according to a top aide who posted his comment on the X social media platform.

Mr Biden and Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on a Democratic National Committee call, according to three people familiar with the matter who were given anonymity to discuss the private conversation.

The people said it was a pep talk, stressing the stakes of the election and returning to Mr Bidens previous post-debate comments that he would get back up after being knocked down.

Advertisement

Kamala Harris was due to have lunch with the president on Wednesday (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

It was one of several efforts by the president and his top aides to try to calm increasing anxiety among his allies on Capitol Hill and at top levels of his party.

Democrats are unsatisfied with the explanations of Mr Bidens debate performance, from both White House staff and Mr Biden himself. And there is a deeper frustration among some Democrats who feel Mr Biden should have handled questions about his stumbling debate performance much sooner and that he has put them in a difficult position by staying in the race.

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients urged people during an earlier all-staff meeting on Wednesday to tune out the noise and focus on the task of governing.

Advertisement

Even as Mr Zients acknowledged that the days since the Atlanta match-up between Biden and Republican Donald Trump have been challenging, the chief of staff stressed to more than 500 White House aides on the call the accomplishments and the track record of the Democratic administration and said governing will only become more crucial once the campaign season heats up, particularly after the Fourth of July holiday, according to a White House official.

Mr Biden himself began making personal outreach on his own, speaking privately with senior Democratic lawmakers such as Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer of New York, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Delaware senator Chris Coons and South Carolina representative James Clyburn, according to a second White House official and others with knowledge of the conversations.

Mr Zients also spoke personally with Mr Schumer and Mr Clyburn earlier on Wednesday.

On Capitol Hill, there is increasing anxiety with each day as Mr Biden had been slow to reach out to top Democrats and rank-and-file members, according to people familiar with ongoing conversations.

Advertisement

Mr Zients tried to rally the staffs confidence in Mr Bidens re-election apparatus, noting that the president has a strong campaign team in place and that the White Houses job was to focus on continuing to implement Mr Bidens agenda. He also told staff that Mr Biden has always made it through tough times, despite being counted out over his decades in public office.

The chief of staff also encouraged aides to continue being a team and, while acknowledging the increasing political chatter, to tune it out and stay disciplined, according to the official, who was granted anonymity to relay Mr Zients private remarks. Mr Zients also urged White House staff to ask questions and offer feedback.

Staff-wide White House calls are not unusual, but Wednesdays 15-minute check-in came as Mr Biden and senior White House officials were working to assuage rattled lawmakers, donors and other allies within the party amid sharpening questions about whether the 81-year-old president had the competency to run for a second term in office.

A memo sent Wednesday by campaign chair Jen OMalley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez insists the election between Mr Biden and Mr Trump will still be close, seeking to downplay the lasting effects of the debate.

Advertisement

Ireland Biden needs strong public appearances to show deba... Read More

Mr Biden and vice president Ms Harris were also scheduled to hold one of their sporadic lunches on Wednesday, and the president was planning on hosting an assortment of Democratic governors at the White House in the evening.

Among the Democratic governors who were planning to attend in person were Tim Walz of Minnesota, who leads the Democratic Governors Association, JB Pritzker of Illinois, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Daniel McKee of Rhode Island, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Gavin Newsom of California, according to their aides.

North Carolina governor Roy Cooper and New Jersey governor Phil Murphy were planning on attending virtually.
Rishi Sunak insisted he had a very good chat with Boris Johnson after the pair were not seen together at a Tory rally.

The former UK prime minister made a surprise appearance at the London event on Tuesday night in a bid to give the faltering Conservative campaign a late boost.

Advertisement

Greeted by applause and chants of Boris, Boris, Boris, Mr Johnson used his speech to issue warnings about a Labour government and Reform UK.

Advertisement

But he did not make a positive case for Mr Sunak and the duo were not pictured together.

Asked by journalists on the campaign trail on Wednesday whether he had met his predecessor, Mr Sunak said: Of course. I had a very good chat with him.

What you saw is all Conservatives  united in warning the country about the dangers of what Keir Starmer would mean, undoing all the progress that weve made.

And as Boris rightly pointed out, just at the moment where we have gone through Covid, the impact of the war in Ukraine and were now cutting peoples taxes and can look forward to a better future, we would throw all that away if Keir Starmer was in power.

Advertisement

UK prime minister Rishi Sunak during a visit to a primary school in Hampshire (Jonathan Brady/PA)

The current and former occupant of Downing Street have a fraught relationship, with Mr Sunaks resignation as chancellor in Mr Johnsons cabinet instrumental in the latters downfall.

Mr Johnson had been largely absent from the campaign trail, although supportive of the Tories in his newspaper column, and had been writing letters of endorsement and backing a number of candidates in social media posts.

Advertisement

He took a holiday to Sardinia earlier in the run-up to the UK general election, in which polls suggest the Conservatives could suffer a crushing defeat.

Taking to the stump on Tuesday, Mr Johnson told activists in Chelsea that Sir Keir Starmer would try to usher in the most left-wing Labour government since the war.

Making a reference to other parties allegedly full of Kremlin crawlers, Mr Johnson said: Dont let the Putinistas deliver the Corbynistas.

Dont let Putins pet parrots give this entire country psittacosis  which is a disease you get by the way from cosying up to pet parrots.

Advertisement

Mr Starmer said he was unfazed by Mr Johnsons intervention.

Last night they wheeled out the architect of chaos and division, so I think that just shows the kind of desperate, negative place theyve got to with their campaign, the Labour leader told broadcasters on a campaign visit to Carmarthenshire.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the Tories decision to bring Mr Johnson into their campaign was a bit weird.

I think the Conservatives desperate tactics are a bit weird, reminding people of the failures  the failures of Boris Johnson, the failures of Liz Truss, of Rishi Sunak, he told the PA news agency.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said Mr Johnsons appearance was absolutely irrelevant to his partys electoral prospects.

He told PA: Hes a busted flush. Hes the reason theyre in so much trouble.

Hes the man that got the 80-seat majority and its not just being untruthful with Parliament and covering up the parties, its actually, you know, policy-wise what he did has turned off a huge number of those red wall voters, so yeah, Boris being back, I can promise you its a short-term thing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on Wednesday for the second time in as many months as they visited Kazakhstan for a session of an international group founded to counter Western alliances.

Mr Putin and Mr Xi last got together in May when the Kremlin leader visited Beijing to underscore their close partnership that opposes the US-led democratic order and seeks to promote a more multipolar world.

Advertisement

Now they will be holding meetings amid the annual session of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation taking place on Wednesday and Thursday in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was established in 2001 by China and Russia to discuss security concerns in Central Asia and the wider region. Other members are Iran, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.



Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands as they pose for photos (Sergey Guneyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Advertisement

Observer states and dialogue partners include Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Besides Mr Putin and Mr Xi, and summit host President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev; other leaders there will be Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan; President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan; President Emomali Rakhmon of Tajikistan; and President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan.

President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus will attend because his nation is becoming a full member.

Also present will be UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is visiting central Asia. Mr Guterres wants to position the UN as an inclusive organisation thats talking to all the big clubs, said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre.

Advertisement



President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in Astana (Kazakhstans Presidential Press Office via AP)

Mr Putin wants to show that Russia is not isolated over Western sanctions from the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

An arrest warrant has been issued for him by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for abductions of children from Ukraine. Kazakhstan is not party to the Rome Statute and thus is not obliged to arrest him.

Advertisement

For Mr Putin, the meeting is about prestige and the symbolic optics that hes not alone, Mr Gabuev said.

Indeed, the Russian leader on Wednesday had multiple meetings with other leaders on the side-lines of the summit, all diligently aired by Russian state TV.



Vladimir Putin shakes hands with diplomats upon his arrival at the international airport in Astana (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Advertisement

At a meeting with Mr Xi on Wednesday, Mr Putin hailed the SCO as one of the key pillars of a fair, multipolar world order, and said ties between Moscow and Beijing are experiencing the best period in their history.

Both face soaring tensions with the West and have met about 40 times.

Their meeting in China in May underscored Beijings diplomatic support for Moscow and how it is a top market for its oil and gas. Russia has relied on Beijing as a main source of high-tech imports to keep its military machine running.

The SCO helps China project its influence, especially across central Asia and the Global South. Mr Xi called for bridges of communication between countries last week and wants to further promote China as an alternative to the US and its allies.

For host Kazakhstan and the other central Asian nations, the meeting is a way to further their co-operation with bigger, more powerful neighbours.

This year, close Moscow ally Belarus will become a full member of the organisation, and its admission indicates how Russia wants to bolster blocs of non-Western countries.

China has backed Moscow amid the fighting in Ukraine, but at a meeting of the SCO in 2022, Mr Putin referred to Beijings unspecified concerns over the conflict.

Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi then called for an end to the fighting without voicing explicit disapproval of Moscows action.

Neither Ukraine nor any of its Western backers are attending, and major talks  or breakthroughs  on the war are not expected.

But because it is rare these days for any meeting to include the heads of Russia, China, Turkey and the UN, the possibility of talks about the war might be raised, at least on the peripheries of the summit, probably behind closed doors.

There could be a lot of side-line discussions on Ukraine, as it is a big issue which concerns all of us, a senior Kazakh official told the Associated Press.
A Russian missile and drone attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Wednesday killed five civilians and injured 47 others, including a 14-year-old girl, authorities said.

Blasts blew out some windows of a shopping mall, raining shards onto the street, photos published by local officials showed.

Advertisement

Mayor Borys Filatov said the daytime attack also shattered windows in two schools and three kindergartens. Debris struck the intensive care unit of a childrens hospital and a fire broke out in another hospital.





Dnipro. Russian terrorists have struck our city again. As of now, five people have been killed, and thirty-four injured, including a child. All necessary services are on site, and rescuers are helping all the victims.



Only two things can stop this Russian terror  modern air pic.twitter.com/nqhPYmlbxR  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) July 3, 2024 Advertisement

A video posted on social media by President Volodymyr Zelensky showed a missile with a fiery trail streaking over buildings in Ukraines fourth-largest city, and debris flying into the air from its impact.

The war, now in its third year since Russia invaded its neighbour, has killed more than 10,000 civilians and wounded around 20,000 others, the United Nations says.

Advertisement

In the Kharkiv region in the north east, Russian shelling struck a village council building, killing one person and injuring two others, regional head Oleh Suniehubov said.



Debris from Russias missile attack struck a shopping mall, two schools, three kindergartens and the intensive care unit of a childrens hospital (Dnipro Regional Administration via AP)

Elsewhere in the region, a Russian glide bomb struck a residential building in the village of Ruska Lozova, injuring at least two people. Others could be trapped under rubble, Mr Syniehubov said.

Advertisement

Also on Wednesday, Ukraine received 2.2 billion dollars (1.7 billion) from the International Monetary Fund under an ongoing credit facility, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced.

The credit program foresees the disbursement of 16 billion dollars (12.5 billion), but Ukraine must pass IMF reviews of its progress on key economic and fiscal benchmarks before each part is released.

The latest funds will be used for welfare payments and the salaries of doctors and teachers, among other things, Mr Shmyhal said.
US representative Raul Grijalva became the second congressional Democrat to call for US president Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race on Wednesday, as the fallout from his shaky performance at Thursday's debate continues.

"If he's the candidate, I'm going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere," Mr Grijalva, a progressive who represents a district in southern Arizona along the border with Mexico, told The New York Times.

Advertisement

Neither Mr Grijalva's office nor Mr Biden's campaign immediately returned requests for comment. Mr Biden is set to meet with Democratic governors on Wednesday to try to reassure them of his fitness to run against Republican former president Donald Trump in the November 5th election.

Representative Lloyd Doggett became the first congressional Democrat to call for Mr Biden to step down on Tuesday.

Representative Jim Clyburn, a long-time Biden ally, said he would back a mini-primary in the run-up to the Democratic National Convention next month if Mr Biden were to leave the race.

Mr Clyburn, of South Carolina, floated an idea that appeared to be laying the groundwork for alternatives by delegates during the Democrats planned virtual roll call that is scheduled before the more formal party convention.

Advertisement

You can actually fashion the process thats already in place to make it a mini-primary and I would support that, Mr Clyburn told CNN.

He said vice president Kamala Harris, governors and others could join the competition. It would be fair to everybody  because if she were to be the nominee, we need to have a running mate. And need a strong running mate.

Ireland Biden needs strong public appearances to show deba... Read More

Mr Clyburn, a senior lawmaker who is a former member of his partys House leadership team, said he has not personally seen the president act as he did on the debate stage last week.

I saw what I saw last Thursday night, and it is concerning, he said.

Some suggested Ms Harris was emerging as the favourite to replace Mr Biden if he was to withdraw, although those involved in private discussions acknowledge that governors Gavin Newsom of California and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan remain viable alternatives. But for some insiders, Ms Harris is viewed as the best prospect to quickly unify the party and avoid a messy and divisive convention fight.
One of UK prime minister Rishi Sunaks most loyal cabinet allies has said Labour is likely to win the largest majority any party has ever achieved.

UK work and pensions secretary Mel Stride said it is highly unlikely that polls suggesting a victory for Sir Keir Starmers party in the upcoming UK General Election are wrong.

Advertisement

But he said people will regret it if Labour wins the kind of landslide that means it has untrammelled power without an effective Tory opposition.

(PA Graphics)

Mr Stride, who helped run Mr Sunaks campaign for the Conservative leadership and has made regular appearances on the TV and radio during the election campaign as the Tories spokesperson, appeared resigned to a heavy defeat.

Advertisement

He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I have accepted that where the polls are at the moment  and it seems highly unlikely that they are very, very wrong, because theyve been consistently in the same place for some time  that we are therefore tomorrow highly likely to be in a situation where we have the largest majority that any party has ever achieved.

Voter intention surveys have suggested a Labour lead of around 20 points, while massive multilevel regression and poststratification (MRP) studies, which forecast constituency level results, have consistently indicated a Labour landslide.

Mr Stride told GB News: If you look at the polls, it is pretty clear that Labour at this stage are heading for an extraordinary landslide on a scale that has probably never, ever been seen in this country before.

But he said that if about 130,000 people in around 100 marginal seats who might be considering voting Reform or Liberal Democrat instead give their vote to the Tories, it would help to give Parliament a more robust opposition.

Advertisement

Im really worried about an untrammelled Labour Party in power, and that really needs to be checked, and people will regret it if we dont have that, I think, Mr Stride told LBC.

Advertisement

Mr Sunak and Mr Starmer are embarking on their final day of campaigning ahead of Thursdays vote.

Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson made a surprise appearance at a Tory rally on Tuesday night in an effort to give the Conservative campaign a late boost.

But former UK home secretary Suella Braverman, a potential contender for the Tory leadership if Mr Sunak quits, wrote in the Telegraph: One needs to read the writing on the wall: its over, and we need to prepare for the reality and frustration of opposition.

Labours national campaign co-ordinator, Pat McFadden, mocked the decision to bring Mr Johnson back to support his former rival.

Advertisement

The show of unity  Ive had boiled eggs that have lasted longer than this show of unity, he told Times Radio.

Almost before he (Mr Johnson) was finished speaking, we had Suella Braverman in The Telegraph saying that it had all been a terrible mess.

I think maybe that is the Conservatives problem, that it is all quite late for Boris to now be throwing his weight behind a Prime Minister, when, I think  to borrow a phrase from Northern Ireland  even the dogs in the street know theres not a lot of love lost there.

A Survation MRP study suggested Labour is on course to win more seats than it did in Tony Blairs landslide.

The survey of 34,558 and constituency-level modelling suggested it is 99 per cent certain Labour will secure more than the 418 seats won in 1997.

The MRP poll data suggests prominent Tories could lose their seats to Labour, including Commons leader Penny Mordaunt in Portsmouth North, UK defence secretary Grant Shapps in Welwyn Hatfield, Hertfordshire, and party chair Richard Holden in Basildon and Billericay, Essex.

World Boris Johnson returns to the trail as UK election... Read More

UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt is set to lose the Godalming and Ash seat in Surrey, and education secretary Gillian Keegan her Chichester, Sussex, seat to the Liberal Democrats.

The Conservative Party is virtually certain to win a lower share of the vote than at any past general election, Survation said.

A Techne UK survey of 5,503 voters for The Independent, also unveiled overnight, gave Labour (40 per cent) a 19-point lead over the Tories (21 per cent).
Labour has received the backing of The Sun at the UK general election, as the newspaper insisted: It is time for a change.

The tabloid said it believes the Conservatives, over the past 14 years, have become a divided rabble, more interested in fighting themselves than running the country.

Advertisement

It added the Tories are exhausted as it switched its endorsement to the Labour Party.

The Sun is shining on Labour.



Its time for change. https://t.co/53HwDPR45r  Wes Streeting (@wesstreeting) July 3, 2024 Advertisement

It said Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has fought hard to change the party since the days of Jeremy Corbyn, adding it is still a work in progress.

It noted there are still plenty of concerns about Labour, including on immigration and possible tax rises, and it also noted Mr Starmer being an ex-Remainer when it comes to Brexit.

Advertisement

The newspaper, which has a record of backing the party which then wins the most seats, added: He has a mountain to climb, with a disillusioned electorate and low approval ratings.

But, by dragging his party back to the centre ground of British politics for the first time since Tony Blair was in No10, Sir Keir has won the right to take charge.

An image of Thursdays front page alludes to the struggles of England manager Gareth Southgate at the Euros as it states: As Britain goes to the polls, its time for a new manager (and we dont mean sack Southgate!).

Mr Starmer, answering media questions after a stump speech in Glasgow, said: Im delighted to have the support and the backing of The Sun.

Advertisement

I think that shows just how much this is a changed Labour Party, back in the service of working people.

The Sun threw its weight behind Labour at the 1997 general election won by Tony Blair before switching its allegiance to the Conservatives in September 2009.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer has received the backing of The Sun (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Advertisement

Copies of The Sun were banned from Labours annual gathering following a decision taken when the conference was held in Liverpool in 2016.

A widespread boycott of the paper has been in place in Liverpool due to its coverage of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting welcomed the Suns endorsement.

The Sun is shining on Labour. Its time for change, he said.

The Sun editorial notes there are many policies which we support from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, including the Rwanda deportation plan and the commitment to scrap national insurance.

It added: But the insurmountable problem faced by the Tories is that  over the course of 14 often chaotic years  they have become a divided rabble, more interested in fighting themselves than running the country.

By the time Rishi Sunak moved into No 10, Britain had had five prime ministers in just 12 years. In 2022 alone, there were four home secretaries, four chancellors, and five education secretaries.

All this upheaval, backstabbing and mayhem came at a price.

After raising concerns over tax increases and other policies, it adds: Put bluntly, the Tories are exhausted. They need a period in opposition to unite around a common set of principles which can finally bring to an end all the years of internal warfare.

It is time for a change.

Nigel Farages manifesto  lower taxes, less immigration, slashing the size of the bloated state  has struck a chord with millions, including many hard-working voters who supported Boris Johnson in 2019. But Reform is a one-man band which at best can only win only a handful of MPs and can never implement its policies.

The Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, are a joke  with a leader who has spent this most depressing of campaigns pulling ridiculous stunts.

Which means that it is time for Labour.

There is no doubt Sir Keir Starmer has fought hard to change his party for the better, even if it is still a work in progress.
Reading Wednesdays Senate inquiry report on our corporate regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, its flaws, indolence, ineffectiveness and state of cultural disease suggest its a dog rather than a watchdog.

In short, the report concludes it is a regulator that has failed in its sole mandate to enforce the countrys corporate laws and is in a dire state with an unenviable prosecutorial rate.

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg says ASIC has failed. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

This explains why the Senate committee chaired by Liberal Andrew Bragg has recommended the nuclear approach to fixing it  by breaking it into two.

Bragg has taken a big swing in pushing for the regulator to give birth to two separate entities, one that will police companies and the other that will cover financial services, given demarcation could be messy.
Advertisement

Review Eating outSouth Yarra Dainty Sichuan returns with a luxe new look, name and rejigged menu. But is the spice still right? With more than 100 items on the rejigged menu, its easy to get confused  or greedy  at the renovated and rebranded Sichuan stalwart. Dani Valent July 3, 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

As featured in the August hit list. See all stories .

1 / 8 Floral banquettes and chic lighting are features of the new-look, and renamed restaurant, Dainty on Toorak. Luis Enrique Ascui 2 / 8 Bespoke tablecloths add to the sense of occasion. Luis Enrique Ascui 3 / 8 Chongqing chilli chicken. Luis Enrique Ascui 4 / 8 Pulled pork with home-made beancurd. Luis Enrique Ascui 5 / 8 Lunchtime yum cha is available daily at Dainty on Toorak. Luis Enrique Ascui 6 / 8 Mullet with pickled chilli. Luis Enrique Ascui 7 / 8 Fried rice crust with salted yolk is a tasty snack. Luis Enrique Ascui 8 / 8 The bustling dining room. Luis Enrique Ascui Previous Slide Next Slide Sichuan$$$$ Wow, its so fancy! I said this three times before even getting to my table at Dainty on Toorak, the just-renovated and rebranded Dainty Sichuan. Ive been coming here since the restaurant opened in 2009, sitting at chunky timber tables in a spice haze, somewhere between agony and exhilaration, chopsticks poised for the next morsel. Like many people in Melbourne, the no-nonsense dining room was my gateway to this south-western Chinese cuisine and I revelled in the bold flavours, expert cooking and mouth-numbing ecstasy of Sichuan pepper. The food was the focus, not the decor. But now? Well, its so fancy! The entrance corridor is awash with video projections of pastoral scenes and the dining room seems palatial rather than merely large, with floral banquettes and chic lighting. Pretty glass teapots and bespoke tablecloths add to the sense of occasion.

Advertisement

This new Dainty is confident, the food is excellent  and who doesnt love a bit of fancy? The food offering has been substantially rejigged. Theres live seafood, Cantonese yum cha every lunchtime and a ceremonial duck dish that sees glossy roasted bird carved tableside and served three ways. With more than 100 items on the leather-bound menu, its easy to get confused  or greedy. I ordered 10 dishes, the waiter cautioned it was too much and my table loosened their pants for the challenge. Chongqing chilli chicken. Luis Enrique Ascui Ill always have Chongqing chilli chicken, the fiery classic that signals heat in a shower of dry chillies but is actually more of a culinary stun-gun, thanks to a liberal application of Sichuan pepper.

Advertisement

Many dishes come in huge tureens: mullet is slippery soft in a slick bath jazzed with pickled chillies; sliced pork and house-made tofu gleam in a translucent broth. Daintys version of a sausage roll sees slow-cooked beef wrapped in flaky pastry; puffed rice is formed into cakes and dusted with salted yolk for a crunchy snack. Mullet with pickled chilli. Luis Enrique Ascui Its been quite a journey for the Dainty brand. The first restaurant opened on Smith Street, Collingwood in 2003. Owner Tina Li would take a tram to the market to buy ingredients and youd often hear people at one of the handful of tables marvelling over their first tongue-tingling encounter with this style of food. In the decades since, the empire has taken its fragrant fire to the CBD, Box Hill, Glen Waverley, Clayton and even Sydney, but it hasnt all been roses: in 2020, Fair Work fined the group $209,000 for underpaying international workers. There are about 20 outlets now, but South Yarra has long been home base.

Advertisement

In its previous incarnation, it was anointed by luminaries including Rene Redzepi, Dave Chang and Sichuan food authority Fuschia Dunlop. I think they would rate this new Dainty. Its confident, the food is excellent  and who doesnt love a bit of fancy? The low-down Vibe: Fancy and flavourful Go-to dish: Chongqing chilli chicken Price: Cold dishes: $15.80-$39.80; hot dishes: $28.80-$188; Dim sum: $8.30-$17.50 Fuchsia Dunlop wants us all to eat more Sichuan food
Australian universities are bracing for a $1.1 billion revenue black hole next year with 63,500 fewer international students expected under the governments plan to slash foreign enrolments.

Economic modelling commissioned by Sydney University showed the proposed international student cuts could cause a $4.1 billion hit to the Australian economy and cause 21,922 direct and indirect job losses in 2025.

New modelling shows universities will face a $1.1 billion shortfall next year. Credit: Oscar Colman

Universities warn that international fees prop up domestic enrolments and research, contributing more than $10,000 to the government shortfall in one local medicine students degree funding.

In its submission to the governments proposed caps legislation, due to be debated in parliament this week, Sydney University said the modelling was conservative as they represented the impact on the economy in 2025 alone.
A woman tied up and raped by her husband in an ice-fuelled rage. Another whose arranged marriage ended with threats to send her back to Pakistan to be stoned to death. A third woman was terrorised by her drug-addicted son who repeatedly came to her home to steal.

These are among the thousands of women helped by Western Sydney Nepean Blue Mountains Domestic Violence Service  until last September known as the Mount Druitt Family Violence Service  which has lost more than half of its seven staff in the past two years. Staffed by two case workers and a trainee, its future is uncertain.

In 2023, NSW Treasury secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter lauded the service as the gold standard in his role as secretary of the Department of Communities and Justice, which runs the service.

Staffed by caseworkers from the DCJ, the service is now short-staffed because the DCJ itself is short-staffed and any extra workers are sent to its child protection unit.
A man is dead, two teenage girls are under arrest and up to four males are on the run after an allegedly stolen car crashed into another vehicle in Melbournes east.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee hit the other vehicle at the intersection of Warrigal Road and Highbury Road in Burwood about 7pm on Tuesday.

The crash scene on Tuesday night. Credit: Nine News

Police said the Jeep was travelling fast and erratically. The driver and sole occupant of the second vehicle, a 28-year-old Ashburton man, was killed.

There were up to six teenagers in the Jeep, and up to four males fled after the crash. Two 15-year-old girls were arrested as they allegedly tried to run away, a witness having managed to catch one.
Regulatory framework

Section 206F of the Corporations Act empowers ASIC to disqualify individuals from managing corporations for up to five years if they were officers of two or more companies that failed to pay their debts and were wound up.
US Expels Over 100 Chinese Migrants in Rare Mass Deportation (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Public domain)

The United States has deported 116 Chinese migrants in what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described as the first "large charter flight" to China in five years. This action marks a significant development in the US's efforts to manage immigration and reflects ongoing political debates over the issue, especially with the upcoming presidential election.

"We will continue to enforce our immigration laws and remove individuals without a legal basis to remain in the United States," stated Alejandro Mayorkas, Homeland Security Secretary. The flight, which took place over the weekend, is part of broader efforts by the US to curb illegal immigration and address the complex issue of Chinese migrants entering the country, often through the southern border.

The DHS has been working closely with Chinese authorities to facilitate the return of Chinese nationals. Although specifics about the duration of the migrants' stay in the US were not disclosed, the department confirmed plans for future removal flights, though no specific timeline was provided. The cooperation between the US and China on these deportations follows a recent surge in illegal crossings by Chinese nationals, with over 37,000 Chinese migrants apprehended at the US-Mexico border in 2023-ten times the number from the previous year.

This surge in Chinese migration has become a focal point in political debates, with Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, raising suspicions about the motivations behind this migration. Asian advocacy groups, meanwhile, express concerns that such rhetoric may lead to increased harassment of Asian communities. Migrants themselves often cite escaping poverty and repression as reasons for their journey.

The resumption of cooperation on migration issues between the US and China has been a significant step forward. In May, China's US embassy reiterated the country's stance against illegal immigration, emphasizing its crackdown on smuggling organizations. Earlier this year, a smaller charter flight repatriated an undisclosed number of Chinese deportees to Shenyang, China, marking the beginning of renewed deportation efforts.

This weekend's large deportation flight underscores the US's intensified focus on addressing illegal migration routes. For instance, the US recently announced it would cover the costs of repatriating migrants who enter Panama illegally, under a new agreement with Panama's president. Additionally, Ecuador reinstated visa requirements for Chinese nationals on July 1, responding to a rise in irregular migration.

The Department of Homeland Security's statement on the deportation flight also highlights the changing dynamics of illegal migration at the US southern border. Historically, the majority of migrants were from Mexico and Central America. However, recent years have seen a dramatic increase in migrants from diverse nationalities, including China and India, facilitated by extensive smuggling networks.

Chinese smuggling operations, known as "snakeheads," have evolved significantly, leveraging the internet and social media platforms such as TikTok, WhatsApp, and WeChat to attract new clients. In a report by NBC News, a Chinese smuggler on WeChat claimed to have successfully transported over 100 individuals to the US in the past year, showcasing the sophistication and scale of these operations.

Homeland Security has welcomed Ecuador's recent policy change requiring Chinese visitors to obtain visas, viewing it as a critical move to curb smuggling routes. Ecuador had been a preferred entry point for Chinese migrants due to its previously lax visa policies, which facilitated their onward journey to the US.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend the ceremony of presenting Xi Jinping with a degree from the St. Petersburg State University at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 6, 2019. (Photo: Dmitri Lovetsky/Pool via REUTERS)

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance led by China and Russia, is set to admit Belarus as a full member. This development, expected to be formalized at the SCO's annual summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, underscores the bloc's ambition to serve as a counterbalance to Western influence, particularly that of the United States.

The addition of Belarus, a staunch ally of Russia that has supported Moscow's controversial actions in Ukraine, marks another step in the transformation of the SCO from a regional security group to a significant geopolitical entity. This expansion follows the inclusion of Iran last year and highlights the SCO's growing clout on the international stage. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, both present in Astana, will be meeting for the second time this year, further solidifying their partnership within the organization.

Founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan to combat terrorism and promote regional security, the SCO has steadily broadened its scope and membership. India and Pakistan were added in 2017, and with Belarus' upcoming inclusion, the organization will encompass 10 member states, representing over 40% of the world's population and about a quarter of the global economy. Additionally, the SCO includes observer states such as Afghanistan and Mongolia, and numerous dialogue partners including Turkey and various Arab nations.

The SCO's expansion is seen as a strategic maneuver by Beijing and Moscow to counter what they perceive as US hegemony and to reshape the global order in their favor. This view is supported by Eva Seiwert, an expert on China's foreign policy at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) in Berlin, who notes that Belarus' membership is more about geopolitical signaling than economic or security cooperation. "The inclusion of Belarus underscores the SCO's shifting mission towards a broader geopolitical role," she said.

For Russia, embroiled in its third year of conflict in Ukraine, the SCO provides a crucial diplomatic platform. For China, facing deteriorating relations with the US, the SCO's expanding membership bolsters its vision of a multipolar world order. This joint ambition was highlighted by Putin in a recent meeting with his foreign ministry officials, where he discussed the potential for a new security framework in Eurasia that reduces Western military presence, aligning with China's global security initiatives.

Despite the outward show of unity, the expansion has not been without internal tensions. The inclusion of countries with complex relationships, such as India and Pakistan, has added layers of diplomatic friction. Furthermore, the SCO's growing anti-Western stance, especially with the admission of Iran and now Belarus, has caused unease among member states that seek balanced relations with both the West and the bloc's leading powers.

Bates Gill, a senior fellow for the National Bureau of Asian Research, notes that Belarus' membership raises questions about the SCO's reputation and legitimacy. "Belarus' inclusion poses challenges given its support for Russia's actions in Ukraine, potentially diluting the SCO's original focus on Central Asia and raising concerns about its broader mandate," he said.

India's approach to the SCO also reflects these complexities. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is notably absent from the Astana summit, opting instead to strengthen ties with the US. This decision, along with India hosting last year's summit virtually, signals New Delhi's cautious stance towards the organization's direction under Chinese and Russian influence.

Even within the SCO, China is pursuing more direct engagement with Central Asian countries, separate from Russia. Last year, China hosted leaders from the region at the inaugural China-Central Asia summit, establishing a permanent Secretariat in Xi'an. This indicates Beijing's strategic interest in maintaining influence in Central Asia independently.

As the SCO continues to evolve, its expansion underscores both its potential and its inherent challenges. While it aims to present a united front against Western dominance, the diversity of its members and their varied geopolitical interests could limit its cohesion and effectiveness compared to established blocs like NATO or the European Union.

With China set to take over the rotating presidency of the SCO for the next year, efforts will likely intensify to find common ground among its increasingly diverse membership. Seiwert from MERICS highlights the importance of this period for Beijing, stating, "China will be keen to ensure the SCO is seen as a successful and influential organization, despite the challenges posed by its expanding membership."

CNN contributed to this report.
Notwithstanding Paytm Payments Banks downfall due to RBI crackdown -- which many believed would boost the prospects of its rivals --Airtel Payments Bank has trimmed about 49 per cent of its prepaid payment instrument (PPI) wallets between January and May this year, data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) shows.

Deactivation of dormant zero-balance wallets was one of the key reasons for this sharp fall in PPI wallets of the payments bank arm of telecom major Bharti Airtel. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

The Gurugram-based company had about 72.5 million PPI wallets in January, which is now down to 36.7 million outstanding wallets as of May 2024.

We recently completed a system optimisation effort by removing dormant zero-balance wallets. These were deactivated following adequate customer communications, said Anubrata Biswas, MD and CEO, Airtel Payments Bank, in response to queries sent by Business Standard.

However, the companys transaction volumes with respect to PPI wallets have recorded a steady increase during the same period this year.

In January, the company recorded transaction volumes of 6.05 million when it came to the purchase of goods and services using PPI wallets. It rose to 7.07 million in May, a 16.8 per cent increase in volumes at the end of the five-month period.

Within the payments bank space, Airtel Payments Bank (Airtel PB) has recorded the steepest decline in PPI wallets even after Paytm PB suffered crippling restrictions from the RBI in January.

Most industry participants had anticipated wallet numbers to move to Paytm PBs direct competitors.

Paytm PB had 630.7 million PPI wallets in January, which shrank by around 40 per cent to 380.5 million such wallets in May.

Queries sent to Paytm PB did not elicit a response till press time.

The decline in a companys PPI wallet numbers could also come from other reasons. The company may have taken on-board many users in a single time based on an e-KYC (Know Your Customer) or Aadhaar-OTP (One Time Password)-based KYC. However, after one year, such customers have to do a full-KYC, or close the wallet, a senior executive with a payments major said, requesting anonymity.

While most payments banks players have recorded a decline in wallet numbers, non-bank participants such as pure-play fintech companies have gained customers.

For instance, Bengaluru-based fintech major PhonePe saw its wallet numbers increase to 199.3 million in May, a five per cent increase as compared to 189.5 million in January.

MobiKwik has seen a two per cent increase to 136.8 million wallets from 134.1 million during the same time.

People may sign up with new wallets only because they wouldnt want to expose their bank account or their credit card to digital payments such as a Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for security reasons. They may feel that wallets are more secure given its smaller limits, a payments executive said.
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Wednesday launched the Nirman portal - Noble Initiative for Rewarding Mains Aspirants of National Civil Services Examination - in New Delhi, which aims to offer Rs 1 lakh to eligible candidates of the UPSC examination.

According to the notification released by the Centre, the initiative is alignmed with the Mission Karmayogi and is powered by Coal India Limited as part of its CSR initiative (corporate social responsibility). Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

The portal will ensure selection transparency and direct benefits reach the beneficiary, Reddy said in a post on X.

Who is eligible for the Coal India scheme?

The notification says that the reward will be offered by Coal India for the meritorious youth of its operating districts who have qualified the preliminary round of UPSC examination (for Civil Services & Forest Service) in 2024.

Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Honble Union Minister of Coal and Mines, launched the portal for #CoalIndia s scheme NIRMAN (Noble Initiative for Rewarding Mains Aspirants of National Civil Services Examination) in New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/5mzXmxhC9u July 2, 2024

The financial support of Rs 1 lakh will be provided to the UPSC examination qualified candidates, who have an annual family income of less than Rs 800,000 and belong to either Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, female or third gender.

These aspirants need to be permanent residents of any of the 39 operational districts of the company. These include Jharkhands Dhanbad and Ranchi, West Bengals Kolkata, Chhattisgarhs Bilaspur and Maharashtras Nagpur among others.

How to apply?

The eligible candidates can use the Nirman portal to submit their applications to avail the scheme benefits. The Centre clarified that the whole application process will be done through the dedicated portal in digital format to ensure transparency.

The initiative seeks to boost the academic and employment prospects of underprivileged students from coal-bearing areas.

Coal India is a state-owned coal mining corporation which was launched in 1975. The company holds the title of the single largest coal producer in the world and accounts for 80 per cent of coal produced in India. The company and its subsidiaries operate in eight states of India.




Koo was created to bridge the language gap in social media, where most platforms are predominantly English-centric.

"We wanted to democratise expression and enable a better way to connect people in their local languages. Most global products are dominated by Americans. We believe that India should have a place at the table," the post read. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Koo , the Indian social media platform that emerged as a contender to X (formerly Twitter), is shutting down due to financial difficulties and an unpredictable market environment. The decision marks the end of a four-year journey which included significant achievements but ultimately became constrained by economic challenges. The news was shared by founders Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka in a "goodbye" post on LinkedIn on Wednesday.

Koo, founded in 2020, quickly gained traction as an Indian alternative to X. It was extensively promoted by celebrities and ministers and managed to attract investor interest, expanding its presence to markets like Nigeria and Brazil. The platform, known for its yellow bird logo, had nearly 60 million downloads since its inception and supported over 10 languages.

Despite early success, including raising $4.1 million in its Series A round in February 2021 and an additional $31 million led by American investment firm Tiger Global three months later, Koo faced financial difficulties. By June 2022, Koo had raised over $57 million, reaching a peak valuation of $285.5 million.

At its peak, Koo boasted approximately 2.1 million daily active users and around 10 million monthly active users, including over 9,000 VIPs from various fields. The platform had a significant engagement rate, with a 10 per cent like ratiofar surpassing X's engagement metrics. In 2022, Koo was close to overtaking X in India and had the potential for further growth with sufficient capital.

Why did Koo fail?

Despite its initial success, Koo struggled to secure additional funding and was forced to reduce its workforce significantly. The final blow came when acquisition talks with Dailyhunt fell through.

Radhakrishna and Bidawatka explained that failed partnership talks with larger internet companies, conglomerates, and media houses were a major factor. The high cost of maintaining technology services for a social media platform and the unwillingness of potential partners to handle user-generated content contributed to the platform's demise.

A prolonged funding winter at Koos peak hindered growth plans. The "unpredictable market" conditions and lack of "long-term capital investment" proved detrimental to the platform.

"Koo could have easily scaled internationally and given India a global brand that was truly made in India. This dream will remain," they said.

Despite the closure, Radhakrishna and Bidawatka remain optimistic about their future endeavours and grateful for the support from their team, investors, and users.

"We are entrepreneurs at heart and you will see us back in the arena one way or another. Till then, thank you for your time, attention, good wishes and love. The little yellow bird says its final goodbye," concluded the founders.
UNGA adopts proposal by China on AI

10:52, July 03, 2024 By Minlu Zhang ( China Daily

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, introduces the draft resolution in New York on Monday. (WANG JIANGANG/XINHUA)

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Monday proposed by China to strengthen international cooperation on artificial intelligence capacity building and advocate for "an open, fair and nondiscriminatory business environment".

AI technology is rapidly developing globally, but most people, especially those in developing countries, have not yet had real access to it or benefited from it, said Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN.

He called for the strengthening of international cooperation on AI for developing and using AI technology equally and the sharing of its benefits.

The resolution "encourages international cooperation to help countries, especially developing ones, strengthen AI capacity, enhance their representation in global AI governance and advocate for an open, fair and nondiscriminatory business environment", Fu said.

The resolution has been co-sponsored by more than 140 countries, including a last-minute addition of the United States.

"We're very appreciative of the positive role that the US has played in this whole process. China is ready to work with the US on the issue of AI," Fu said after the resolution was adopted, adding that senior officials from China and the US have held discussions regarding AI.

"So we look forward to intensifying our cooperation with the US and, for that matter, with all countries in the world on this issue."

On Monday, Fu presented the draft resolution to the General Assembly on behalf of Algeria, Brazil, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Laos, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates and Zambia.

The resolution emphasizes AI development should be "human-oriented, promote good, and benefit humanity", Fu said.

It highlights the UN's central role in international cooperation to achieve inclusive and sustainable AI development and its contributions to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, he said.

The resolution at the 78th session of the General Assembly came about one month after the US released a new round of measures to restrict and monitor US companies and individuals' investments in key technologies in China, including AI, semiconductors, and quantum computing sectors.

The US has been imposing export control measures since October 2022, aimed at restricting China's access to advanced AI chips made with US inputs.

"With respect to the sanctions imposed by the US government, fostering an inclusive business environment is important. We don't think the actions taken by the US align with that principle. We urge the US to lift these sanctions," Fu said.

"We don't believe that the US government's position or decisions will be helpful for the healthy development of AI technology.

Importance of inclusivity

"Such actions could divide the world in terms of standards and rules governing AI. We believe it's important to be inclusive on this matter."

In March, the General Assembly unanimously adopted the first AI resolution, submitted by the US with more than 120 member countries, including China, to "promote safe, secure and trustworthy AI systems" and advance a shared approach to the technology.

Fu said the two resolutions complement each other. "If you look at them, the US resolution is more general, while the Chinese one is more focused on capacity building. That's why we believe these are complementary resolutions," he said.

It is the second draft resolution proposed by China to be passed by the General Assembly in less than a month. Last month, the assembly unanimously adopted China's resolution to establish the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Having fought the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent, Amritpal Singh won from the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat after he defeated Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira. | Photo: ANI/Twitter

Jailed radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh, who recently won the Khadoor Sahib parliamentary seat in Punjab, is likely to take oath as Lok Sabha member on Friday.

The chief of the 'Waris Punjab De' outfit, who is currently lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh jail along with nine associates under the National Security Act, has been granted a four-day parole to enable him to take oath, officials in Amritsar said.

Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, an Independent MP from Faridkot, said Amritpal Singh is likely to take oath as MP on July 5.

"I went to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at his residence in Delhi on Wednesday. He said the oath will be administered on July 5," Khalsa told PTI over phone.

He also said that clearances and permissions from various quarters to enable Amritpal Singh to take oath have come.

"I understand that he will be flown in from the prison for taking oath, which will be in the private chamber of the Speaker," he said.

Khalsa said the sole purpose of his meeting the Speaker on Wednesday at the latter's Akbar Road residence in the national capital was regarding Amritpal Singh's oath taking issue.

About parole, Deputy Commissioner-cum District Magistrate, Amritsar, Ghamshyam Thori told PTI, "Amritpal Singh has been granted parole for up to four days or less beginning 5th July with certain conditions that has been communicated to Jail Superintendent Dibrugarh."



In response to another query about the parole, Thori said in a brief statement, "...granted by District Magistrate, Amritsar, after authorisation by the Home Department."





According to Rajdev Singh Khalsa, a lawyer of Amritpal Singh who meets him in jail, said he (Amritpal), through the Dibrugarh jail superintendent, had recently sent a letter to the Amritsar deputy commissioner, who in turn forwarded it to the state government for necessary clearance to allow the jailed preacher to take oath.

His temporary release was sought under Section 15 of the National Security Act.

Having fought the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent, Amritpal Singh won from the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat after he defeated Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira. He won by a margin of 1,97,120 votes.

Amritpal Singh, who styled himself after slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, was arrested in Moga's Rode village on April 23 last year following an over a month-long manhunt.

The Khalistan sympathizer had escaped the police net in Jalandhar district on March 18, switching vehicles and changing appearances.

The Punjab Police had launched the crackdown after the February 23 Ajnala incident last year in which Amritpal Singh and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the police station on the outskirts of Amritsar city, and clashed with police for the release of Lovepreet Singh Toofan, one of his aides.

He and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants.
Hyrbyair Marri, a Baloch political leader based in the United Kingdom, has strongly criticised Pakistan's military operation known as Azm-e-Istehkam in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

Marri, known for his advocacy of Baloch independence, alleged that the operation was being conducted on the orders of China to protect its economic interests in Pakistan.

Marri posted on X, "A new military operation is being planned by #Pakistan on #Chinese orders against the Baloch and #Pashtun, known as #Azmelstehkaam (Resolve for Stability). That's Azm-e-Istehkam for #China and #Punjab, not for the Baloch and Pashtun people."

He further criticised the operation as benefiting "Punjabi hegemony" while causing "chaos and death" in Balochistan and Pashtunistan.

Marri also expressed concern over the involvement of Pashtuns in the Pakistani army, accusing them of being used to suppress their own people's aspirations.

He urged them to prioritise the protection of their homeland, Pashtunistan, rather than serving what he described as Punjabi interests.

The military operation has sparked widespread condemnation from Baloch and Pashtun communities, who have historically resisted Islamabad's authority and expressed grievances over issues including sovereignty and rights.

The regions, which have seen unrest for years, have been focal points of resistance against Chinese investments in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

China's substantial investments in Pakistan, particularly in infrastructure projects in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have faced opposition from local populations.

Incidents such as the recent attack on a convoy of Chinese engineers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in casualties, underscore the security challenges faced by Chinese nationals in the region.

During recent high-level visits between Pakistani and Chinese officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir, the security of Chinese interests in Pakistan was prominently discussed.

Senior Chinese official Liu Jianchao reiterated the importance of safeguarding Chinese investments and personnel in the country.

As tensions escalate, hashtags like #ExpansionistChinalnstigatingBalochAndPashtunGenocide and #StopBalochAndPashtunGenocide have gained traction on social media, reflecting growing international attention to the situation.

The situation remains fluid as stakeholders navigate complex geopolitical dynamics amidst ongoing resistance and security challenges in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani admitted to Apollo Hospital under the observation of Dr Vinit Suri at 9 pm. He is under observation and stable, according to Apollo Hospital.

Champai Soren meets governor, resigns as Jharkhand CM, according to Raj Bhavan sources.



Govt constitutes various cabinet committees including on security, economic affairs, and political affairs. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs comprises PM Modi and 10 cabinet ministers. Cabinet Committee on Security comprises PM Modi, ministers of defence, home, finance and external affairs. Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs comprises PM Modi and 13 Union ministers.



Chief Minister Champai Soren is likely to resign on Wednesday to pave the way for Hemant Sorens return as Jharkhand chief minister days after the latter was released on bail. Champai Soren meets governor, resigns as Jharkhand CM, according to Raj Bhavan sources.Govt constitutes various cabinet committees including on security, economic affairs, and political affairs. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs comprises PM Modi and 10 cabinet ministers. Cabinet Committee on Security comprises PM Modi, ministers of defence, home, finance and external affairs. Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs comprises PM Modi and 13 Union ministers.Chief Minister Champai Soren is likely to resign on Wednesday to pave the way for Hemant Sorens return as Jharkhand chief minister days after the latter was released on bail.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Hathras today after a stampede at a satsang killed 116 people. "Our government will get to the bottom of this incident and give appropriate punishment to the conspirators and those responsible. The state government is investigating this entire incident. We will see whether it is an accident or a conspiracy," Adityanath stated. A team consisting of ADG Agra and Aligarh Divisional Commissioner has been constituted to inquire into the cause of the incident. The report is to be submitted within 24 hours, the UP government said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Hathras today after a stampede at a satsang killed 116 people. "Our government will get to the bottom of this incident and give appropriate punishment to the conspirators and those responsible. The state government is investigating this entire incident. We will see whether it is an accident or a conspiracy," Adityanath stated. A team consisting of ADG Agra and Aligarh Divisional Commissioner has been constituted to inquire into the cause of the incident. The report is to be submitted within 24 hours, the UP government said.



An orange alert was issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for 15 states in northern India for Tuesday and Wednesday. A red alert was also issued for Gujarat as the IMD forecasts extremely heavy rainfall in the state on July 3. Moderate to heavy rain could affect Delhi today, as the national capital continues to grapple with the problem of waterlogging in many areas after isolated rains on Tuesday. The weather agency forecast moderate to heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds.



Another woman in West Bengal died by suicide reportedly after she was beaten up by a group of people from her village panchayat in the Phulbari area of West Bengals Jalpaiguri district over an alleged extramarital affair. This took place in Bogravita panchayat on June 29, a day after a woman was flogged in public by a local Trinamool Congress functionary over similar allegations in Chopra block. Police have taken in custody four people, including two women, in connection with the case. It was alleged that the woman had an extramarital affair with a young man and had been missing from her home for 10 days, Indian Express reported. Her husband then filed a missing person complaint at the New Jalpaiguri police station.
A group of visitors amid rain at Kartavya Path in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has implemented a flood response plan to protect lives and property in anticipation of above-normal monsoon rainfall predicted for most of the country in July and August, according to a report by The Economic Times.

The report quoted a senior government official as saying that the plan involves pinpointing vulnerable areas, establishing alternate diversion routes, and stationing emergency response teams at critical locations. Additionally, all susceptible slopes and tunnels will be monitored in real-time. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

This comprehensive strategy aims to ensure the safety of highway users, reduce travel disruptions, and limit damage to national highways.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), rainfall in July is expected to surpass 106 per cent of the long-period average, which serves as the standard measure. Under this plan, the NHAI is identifying areas that might be severely affected by heavy rains and coordinating with district administrations to develop alternative diversion routes for uninterrupted travel, the report mentions.

NHAIs disaster preparedness

Moreover, the NHAI is collaborating with local authorities and administrations, both in mountainous regions and plains, to mobilise equipment and personnel to flood- and landslide-prone areas.

The report quoted the official as saying, To ensure availability of resources for effective disaster preparedness, the NHAI has initiated shifting of required equipment from less flooding locations to flood-prone areas.

The report stated that to prevent waterlogging on national highways, the NHAI, in collaboration with the irrigation department, is also conducting joint inspections.

Monsoon in India

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Tuesday that the southwest monsoon has reached the entire country six days earlier than usual.

The IMD indicated that the southwest monsoon had advanced into the remaining parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab, covering the entire country by July 2, 2024, six days ahead of the usual date of July 8.

The monsoon reached Kerala on May 30, two days ahead of its schedule, and arrived in the northeastern region six days early.

The country experienced 16 days of reduced rainfall from June 11 to June 27, resulting in below-normal precipitation for June. The month saw 147.2 mm of rainfall, compared to the typical 165.3 mm, making it the seventh lowest since 2001.

Rainfall in June contributes 15 per cent to the total 87 cm of precipitation recorded throughout the four-month monsoon season in the country.
The Centre on Wednesday issued an advisory limiting the mandatory self-declaration certificates (SDCs) for advertisements to food and health sectors only.

The government also said that the facility for uploading the certificate by the advertiser/advertising agency for TV and Radio ads has been made operational on the Broadcast Seva Portal. For print and digital advertisements, SDCs will have to be uploaded on the website of the Press Council of India (PCI).

In light of the directions of the Honble Supreme Court of India, and in supersession of previous Advisories dated 03.06.2024 and 05.06.2024, advertisers/advertising agencies issuing advertisements for products and services related to Food and Health sectors are advised to upload an annual self-declaration certificate on the above-mentioned portals, as applicable, and make available the proof of uploading the self-declaration to the concerned media stakeholders, such as TV channels, newspapers, entities involved in publishing of advertisements on the internet, etc. for the record, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting said, in the advisory.
The Rubber Board had estimated the total domestic natural rubber stock available in the country at 370,000 tonnes at the start of the current fiscal | Photo: Shutterstock

Automotive Tyre Manufacturers' Association on Wednesday said its members are witnessing a 'severe crunch' in the availability of domestic natural rubber and it may disrupt production unless supply issues of the raw material are addressed.

Despite high prices of natural rubber (NR), its availability has shrunk, Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) said, expressing apprehension that some "sections of natural rubber producing interests or trade are withholding the material in anticipation of an increase in the NR prices worsening the availability".

"The tyre industry has been experiencing tightness in domestic availability of natural rubber for some time. However currently a severe crunch is being witnessed despite the fact that NR prices have touched a multi-year high. The paucity of natural price needs to be addressed at the earliest so that tyre production processes are not disrupted," ATMA Director General Rajiv Budhraja said in a statement.

The Rubber Board had estimated the total domestic natural rubber stock available in the country at 370,000 tonnes at the start of the current fiscal, it said, adding that "unfortunately, the visibility of such a high stock to support domestic demand is not there".



"The uncertainty in availability of NR, the key raw material, makes production planning at tyre plants very challenging. Being customer-centric, tyre companies need to meet the local and global requirements irrespective of shortage of any local material," Budhraja said.

Stating that the tyre industry accounts for over 70 per cent of natural rubber consumed in the country, ATMA said, "Imports (are the) only option to address unpredictability".

"Consuming interests have no option but to increase reliance on imports of natural rubber to bridge the huge deficit. However, imports contracted now, with no visibility of local arrivals, may arrive subsequently and may coincide with peak domestic production season," it added.

ATMA said it has asked the Rubber Board to closely monitor the volume of domestic NR sales transacted in recent weeks and advise growers, dealers and processors to ensure adequate and uninterrupted availability of natural rubber so that the consuming interests are not adversely impacted.
The storming of the Kenyan parliament building by revolutionary youth last week stunned the world and left Kenyan politicians and the ruling class in a state of panic and disarray. Brute force could not clear the masses off the streets. The regime has been forced to resort to new methods: a sly combination of deception, manoeuvres and provocations.

Officially, Ruto has killed the Finance Bill, although in theory parliament could still pass it. In actual fact, it has already become abundantly clear that he intends to carry out the same economic policy against the workers and poor by other means.

But for large numbers of young Kenyans, its no longer just about Finance Bill 2024. After last Tuesday and Thursdays events, when regime bullets left 30 dead (according to official figures), millions have resolved that this regime must fall. The Butcher of Sugoi as Ruto is now known, must be brought down.

But the renewed protests this Tuesday show that thought is required to achieve this.

The numbers on the street had declined. This was precisely what Rutos partial concessions were aimed at. On the other hand, paid provocateurs and selective policing were used to turn these protests towards rioting and looting. The aim was as simple as it was cynical: to alienate one part of the masses from the movement in order to isolate the most irreconcilably revolutionary elements, and justify unleashing repression.

How can revolutionaries check these efforts by the ruling class, and thereby ensure that not only the Finance Bill falls, but that Ruto and his whole regime follows it into the dustbin of history?

Austerity will continue

Rutos initial response reflected the arrogance and stupidity of the ruling class / Image: Capital FM Kenya, Wikimedia Commons

In the immediate wake of the storming of parliament last week, Rutos initial response reflected the arrogance and stupidity of the ruling class. He launched into a televised tirade against the peaceful youth, whom he described as treasonous criminals, whilst promising to deploy the army against the masses going forward.

However, the next day, Ruto announced that he had listened to the people on the streets: Finance Bill 2024 would be returned to parliament instead of being passed into law.

Evidently more sober minds had prevailed at the top of the regime. The movement could not be crushed directly. To have carried out Rutos threats would have been insanity from the standpoint of the Kenyan ruling class. Indeed, when soldiers were deployed at the subsequent protest last Thursday, they were clearly under orders not to shoot protesters. It was clear why.

The masses received the rank and file soldiers with jubilation, seeing in them their protectors against the bullets of the hated police. Had the soldiers been ordered to fire on the masses, what would have happened? An immediate split in the army would have been almost assured, and the downfall of the regime would have followed shortly thereafter.

But if any innocent soul thought the shelving of the Finance Bill was the end of the matter, they were sadly mistaken. The regime still intends to deliver a pound of flesh to the IMF and the imperialists, and theyve started making plans to ensure it.

Instead of raising taxes to pay their imperialist creditors, Ruto has wasted no time in announcing a series of austerity cuts to achieve the same end. The people of Kenya have spoken loudly that they want a leaner budget for us as a country, Ruto mockingly stated. The government has already announced the dismissal of 46,000 teachers, and massive cuts in road construction, healthcare, housing, and support for small businesses.

And then consider this coincidence: just five days after the Finance Bill was dropped by Ruto, the East African Community, which Kenya economically dominates, decided to introduce a series of duties. And these duties just happen to apply precisely to those items (including diapers, phones and cooking oil) that Ruto had intended to tax in the first place!

The masses defeated Rutos legislation. That was a victory. But so long as the ruling class remains in power, they are forced by the circumstances that crisis-ridden capitalism imposes on the country to come back once and again to the same policy: that of forcing the workers and poor to pay for the crisis.

What happened on Tuesday?

Rutos withdrawal on the Finance Bill, by conceding on the main demand of the movement, undoubtedly led to a reduced turnout when the masses hit the streets once again this Tuesday. But the regime had clearly prepared its next steps.

Tens of thousands of the most irreconcilable and revolutionary youth were going to turn out on Tuesday. But it was clear that something different was being prepared for them from early on.

The first thing protesters noted was that highways were closed off from the morning, including the Nairobi-Thika highway, Nairobi-Nakuru highway, the Mombasa-Malindi highway, and the Kisii-Keroka highway.

The aim was clearly to frustrate protesters, forcing them away from focal points like the parliament building and State House. Once back in their own communities, the regime clearly aimed to provoke riots in which personal property and small businesses would go up in flames. The talk all over social media was of hired goons, of paid provocateurs, disguised as protesters, initiating looting and riots, stabbing and attacking protesters.

That the regime is perfectly capable of using hired goons in this manner is already proven. Already last Thursday, videos were circulating of goons hired by Omar Sudi in Eldoret to intimidate protesters.

But whatever role these goons played, it is clear that the rioting unfolded according to a well-prepared plan on the part of the regime. Whereas the police unleashed terror on the peaceful masses outside parliament a week ago, footage showed the same police standing idly by as mobs unleashed chaos yesterday.

Your goons.

Proudly sponsored by the County Government of Nairobi pic.twitter.com/uphiyq9IFZ  Jemedari (@MrJemedari) July 2, 2024

I've protested in Mombasa for many years and posta has never been touched. These are govt/politicians sponsored goons!#RutoMustGo

pic.twitter.com/sQR76It0hY  Jumuiyan (@Mkenyanese) July 2, 2024

Where next?

The regime succeeded in creating chaos on the streets. Their aim is to divide the movement in order to crush it. Whether they will succeed is another question: the transparent way the regime went about stoking chaos means the manoeuvre wont fool as many as theyd have hoped.

Nevertheless, they are moving ahead with their plans, which now involve intensifying arrests and abductions. Already individuals have been charged for the crime of tweeting Ruto must go.

The vanguard of the youth are already conscious of the fact that the withdrawal of the Finance Bill was a smokescreen / Image: Capital FM Kenya, Wikimedia Commons

These events are teaching the revolutionary workers and youth a lesson. A revolution is not a one act drama. The masses got a taste of their enormous power last Tuesday. But yesterday showed that raw power is not enough.

The masses face a tenacious enemy  the Kenyan capitalist class, backed by western imperialism. This enemy will not give up without a fight. It will use every means  fair and foul  to force the masses to accept the yoke of exploitation and oppression, which becomes daily more onerous. The class enemy has organisation, material means, and are tightly bound together by consciousness of their interests.

Since the beginning of the movement, we have underlined the fact that the masses need to be equally organised. Yesterdays events have starkly demonstrated this fact.

The slogan, leaderless, tribeless, partyless was positive insofar as it meant rejection of those would-be leaders from the camp of our class enemy, such as the camp of Rutos loyal opposition around Odinga.

But without clear organisation and leadership, the manoeuvres of the regime, the likes of which we saw yesterday, threaten to demoralise and confuse the masses. We have raised the need for committees in every workplace, school and community precisely to give this movement sincere, revolutionary leadership from within and clear channels of organisation.

Such organisation, as we have explained, could help draw the working class into the struggle, to use its enormous might to grind the economy to a halt. It could consciously connect with the rank and file of the armed forces, bringing ordinary soldiers over to the side of the masses. And it could provide stewarding and self-defence at the protests, expelling and exposing the paid goons disguised as protesters, checking any sordid manoeuvre that the regime tries to pull.

We continue to urge this course of action. But recent days have shown that this too is not enough.

Ruto has made concessions. This has temporarily satisfied some, but it wont be long before it becomes clear to the broad masses that Ruto has carried out a cruel trick. The vanguard of the youth are already conscious of the fact that the withdrawal of the Finance Bill was a smokescreen behind which business-as-usual will continue. The programme of the capitalist class and western imperialism is still on the agenda!

We must make clear to the broad masses that not only the Finance Bill, not only Ruto, but the whole capitalist system must be swept away / Image: Capital FM Kenya, Wikimedia Commons

The advanced workers and youth must fuse together in a revolutionary party to carry out systematic agitation, exposing the lies of this regime, exposing the fact that the Finance Bill is just one measure among many intended to make the workers and poor pay for the crisis of capitalism. We must make clear to the broad masses that not only the Finance Bill, not only Ruto, but the whole capitalist system must be swept away to guarantee a decent life for the masses.

In order to broaden out the movement, to expand its horizons beyond bringing down Ruto and the Finance Bill, to turn this movement into a struggle for the conquest of power by the working class, such a party would put forward a series of programmatic points to connect with the needs of the masses. Although by no means exhaustive these might include such things as:

Freedom for all those abducted by the regime;

The right to free, high quality healthcare and education;

The right to well-paid work through a programme of public works;

A reversal of all privatisations;

An end to land grabbing and expropriation of the major landlords;

That this programme be paid for by the rich, through expropriation of the major industries, banks and insurance companies;

The repudiation of the imperialist debts;

An end to all military deals with the imperialist powers;

For a workers government backed by the power of the revolutionary masses, organised on the basis of revolutionary committees.

The Revolutionary Communist International is willing to render every assistance in this work of constructing a revolutionary party to give an organised, conscious political expression to the vanguard of Kenyas working class and youth. We appeal to you, the reader, to contact us, discuss with us, and join us in this task.
The social media company has also encountered resistance to its privacy policy update in Europe. (Photo: Reuters)

Brazil's national data protection authority determined on Tuesday that Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, cannot use data originating in the country to train its artificial intelligence.

Meta's updated privacy policy enables the company to feed people's public posts into its AI systems. That practice will not be permitted in Brazil, however.

The decision stems from the imminent risk of serious and irreparable or difficult-to-repair damage to the fundamental rights of the affected data subjects, the agency said in the nation's official gazette.

Brazil is one of Meta's biggest markets. Facebook alone has around 102 million active users in the country, the agency said in a statement. The nation has a population of 203 million, according to the country's 2022 census.

A spokesperson for Meta said in a statement the company is disappointed and insists its method complies with privacy laws and regulations in Brazil.

This is a step backwards for innovation, competition in AI development and further delays bringing the benefits of AI to people in Brazil, the spokesperson added.

The social media company has also encountered resistance to its privacy policy update in Europe, where it recently put on hold its plans to start feeding people's public posts into training AI systems which was supposed to start last week.

In the US, where there's no national law protecting online privacy, such training is already happening.

Meta said on its Brazilian blog in May that it could use information that people have shared publicly about Meta's products and services for some of our generative AI features, which could include public posts or photos and their captions.

Refusing to partake is possible, Meta said in that statement. Despite that option, there are excessive and unjustified obstacles to accessing the information and exercising the right to opt out, the agency said in a statement.

Meta did not provide sufficient information to allow people to be aware of the possible consequences of using their personal data for the development of generative AI, it added.

Compliance must be demonstrated by the company within five working days from the notification of the decision, and the agency established a daily fine of 50,000 reais ($8,820) for failure to do so.
China has developed multiple spy facilities in Cuba, less than 100 miles from Florida, according to a US think-tank report. Photo: pexels

China has developed multiple spy facilities in Cuba, less than 100 miles from Florida, according to a US think-tank report.

China has historically lacked access to ground stations in North America. Accessing installations in Cuba could help close that gap, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a think-tank, said in a report which gives satellite images from the region.

Cuban facilities would also provide the ability to monitor radio traffic and potentially intercept data delivered by US satellites as they pass over highly sensitive military sites across the southern United States, CSIS said.

Florida alone is home to the major space-launch complex at Cape Canaveral, the headquarters of both the US Southern Command and Central Command, and multiple submarine and other bases, it added.

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj Gen Pat Ryder, at a news conference, said China had completed an upgrade of its facilities in Cuba in 2019. "We know that the PRC is going to continue to try to enhance its presence in Cuba and we will continue to keep working to disrupt that. So we're continuing to monitor this closely, taking steps to counter it," he said.

Following the report, Congressman Carlos A Gimenez, called on the Biden Administration to take action against Communist China and Castro's Cuba.

"Communist China is proactively undermining the United States and President Biden has failed to take action. I urge the Biden Administration to counter Communist China's use of Castro's Cuba as their satellite state in the Western Hemisphere and apply the full weight of US sanctions to prevent further expansion efforts, Gimenez said.

"Anti-American adversaries are proactively undermining the United States by establishing spy bases to conduct espionage and cyberattacks. These growing threats to our homeland, only minutes away from the US mainland, must be met with strength," he said.

In a statement, he alleged that the Cuban regime has become all but a satellite state of Communist China with military facilities dotting the island nation's coast.

New satellite images show a growth in spy bases that are related to Communist China in Cuba, just 90 miles away from our shores. The Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) expansion of its capabilities in the region continues to threaten our nation, and more directly, our South Florida community, he said.

"These military intelligence facilities are found 90 miles away from the US mainland and only 70 miles away from the US Naval base at Guantanamo Bay in Bejucal, El Salao, Wayay, and Calabazar, as reported by the CSIS.

"These facilities have the capabilities to enhance the Chinese Communist Parties ability to spy on American citizens and US intelligence agencies. The Cuban regime has become a proxy of the CCP," he said.
Democrats anxiety over President Joe Biden s fitness for re-election surfaced after a sitting member of Congress publicly urged him to withdraw from the race. This plea has amplified internal party debates, with several officials questioning Bidens ability to effectively campaign for another term.

This marks a significant moment as various prominent officials, who have previously supported Biden, have started voicing their worries publicly following the first presidential debate between Democrat candidate Joe Biden and Republican candidate Donald Trump. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

First US Presidential Debate: Biden stumbles, Trump lies The recent presidential debate, held at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, featured Democrat Joe Biden, 81, and Republican Donald Trump, 78. Bidens performance during the debate has raised new questions about his age and mental acuity among global audiences.

During the debate, Biden repeatedly froze and struggled with his prepared lines. His response to a question about the national debt was particularly disjointed, leaving viewers confused. Biden attempted to address the importance of taxing the wealthy to support various social programmes but ended up delivering an incoherent answer that muddled his point.

Wed be able to help make sure that all those things we need to do  childcare, elder care, making sure that we continue to strengthen our healthcare system, making sure that were able to make every single solitary person eligible for what I've been able to do with the  with, with, with the Covid. Excuse me, with dealing with everything we have to do with  look, if  we finally beat Medicare, Biden said, tripping over words.

Meanwhile, Trump was accused of spreading falsehoods during the debate, ranging from downplaying the Jan 6 Capitol attack to exaggerating the economic impact made during his term as President. The Guardian also called out CNN moderators of the debate for failing to fact-check Trump as he made false claims about the environment, border issues, abortion, and opioid crisis, among other important issues.

Panic among Democrats

The growing anxiety within the Democratic Party culminated in a public call for President Biden to step aside from the 2024 presidential race. Representative Doggett became the first sitting Democratic lawmaker to suggest that Biden should withdraw, citing the presidents inability to effectively highlight his achievements and counteract former President Trumps falsehoods during the debate.

Senator Peter Welch of Vermont also criticised the Biden campaign for dismissing legitimate concerns raised by party members.

US media calls for Bidens withdrawal as Democrat candidate

The debate performance has intensified scrutiny on Biden, with several major editorial boards and columnists also urging him to reconsider his candidacy.

The New York Times Editorial Board, for instance, argued that Bidens continuation in the race was a reckless gamble and suggested that the Democratic Party should select a new candidate before the convention. Columnist Nicholas Kristof echoed these sentiments, urging Biden to retire to give his delegates a chance to choose another nominee.

Similar calls were made by the Chicago Tribune and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, both of which highlighted concerns about Bidens age and performance.

72 per cent of Americans doubt Bidens ability

A recent poll data from CBS-YouGov showed that 72 per cent of Americans doubt Bidens mental and cognitive health to serve another term, showing a notable decline in confidence over the past few weeks. Nonetheless, the national polls still depict a close race between Biden and Trump, indicating a competitive electoral landscape.

These cannot be our only options: Social media after Biden-Trump debate

Shortly after the debate, social media was flooded with memes reacting to the debacle. While some focused on Biden's inability to respond to questions, many expressed concern over both the Democrat and Republican candidates.

One user wrote, These cannot possibly be our only options. While another shared an image from The Simpsons that said Old man yells at old man. Another wrote, Biden & Trump cant be the ONLY 2 options for president America is DOOMED.

Many memes focused on the ages of both candidates, which could represent a disconnect between politics in America and the younger generations.

Democrats standing by Joe Biden

Despite the widespread criticism, many Democrats, including Senator Peter Welch of Vermont have criticised the Biden campaigns dismissive attitude towards concerns about Biden's readiness for re-election.



Im with Joe Biden, he asserted.



Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a potential alternative candidate, stated that the final decision rested with Biden.

Meanwhile, some party members, like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, stopped short of calling for Biden to step down. Pelosi acknowledged the legitimacy of questions surrounding his cognitive abilities, however, asked that both Biden and Trumps abilities be called to questions, referencing the latters false statements made during the debate.

Biden blames debate performance on jetlag

President Biden attributed his poor debate performance to his extensive travel schedule in the weeks leading up to the debate. He mentioned trips to France, Italy, and the Group of Seven summit, followed by a fundraiser in Los Angeles. This travel, he explained, caused significant jet lag and fatigue, impacting his performance on stage. Speaking to Democratic donors, Biden acknowledged his mistake in not heeding his staffs advice and admitted that his travel left him exhausted during the debate.

I didnt have my best night but the fact is that you know, I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple of times, going through around 100 time zones. For real, I think it was about 15 time zones, Biden said.

Kamala Harris replace Biden as presidential candidate?

As speculation grows over who might replace Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris' name emerged as a potential candidate.

Tim Ryan, Bidens former opponent for the 2020 nomination, endorsed Harris in a Newsweek op-ed, arguing that she represented the partys best chance for success.



A CNN poll supported this view, showing Harris performing competitively against Trump, with strong support among women and independents.

Harris slightly stronger performance against Trump is partly due to broader support among women (50 per cent favour Harris over Trump compared to 44 per cent for Biden against Trump) and independents (43 per cent favour Harris vs 34 per cent for Biden), the poll noted.



Nancy Pelosi also suggested Vice President Harris take the lead if Biden decided to withdraw.

As the debate over Bidens re-election bid intensifies, the Democratic Party faces a critical juncture. The growing calls for Biden to step aside reflect deep concerns within the party about his ability to lead effectively against Trump. The coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether these concerns will translate into a change in the Democratic nomination or if Biden will continue to campaign for a second term.



The US Presidential Elections are slated for November 5, 2024.
Being a municipality located wholly within another municipality, city officials in Red Bank face unique challenges when it comes to growth and management. To tackle these challenges, Red Bank leaders have adopted numerous strategic planning practices to ensure that the citys annual budget cycle, citywide needs, visions for the future, and staff concerns are all incorporated into making right-sized, educated decisions.

In recognition of the coordinated efforts made by the city of Red Bank to incorporate a strategic process for executing city projects and empower both staff and citizens in the decision-making process, the Tennessee Municipal League is pleased to present Red Bank with an award for Excellence in Strategic Planning. The award will be presented Tuesday, July 2, at the 84th Annual Conference of the Tennessee Municipal League (TML) held at the Knoxville Convention Center.

The City of Red Bank is honored to receive the strategic planning award from the Tennessee Municipal League, said Red Bank Mayor Hollie Berry. Wise planning is the cornerstone of both the long-term prosperity of a community and its responsiveness to its residents. Red Bank strives to set the gold standard in every aspect of municipal service delivery, and strategic planning is the first of many facets of excellence. Now that planning is well underway, we are excited to begin executing on our communitys plans and to see them come to life.

The city of Red Bank has three major components of its strategic planning process: an annual commission retreat, annual budget cycle, and a citywide comprehensive plan. In the past three years, city leaders have held an annual, day-long retreat in February, facilitated by UT-MTAS, to analyze and determine goals for both the city and commission in the coming year. Each member of the Board of Commission helps set five strategic goals for the city along with the jointly decided mission and vision-statements.

These goals then become a key part of the citys annual budget process conducted from March through May. Citizens are invited to four budget workshops and presented with a certificate for their participation in the process if they attend all four. This resulted in higher than usual participation, giving more citizen buy-in to the budget.

The city has also initiated its first-ever comprehensive plan and small area study and worked with the firm TSW to engage with the community. In addition to an overall comprehensive plan, the study will also focus on development of a 12-acre parcel of vacant land in the central business district.

The planning process has also led to the creation of Red Banks new Community Development Department, which will be organized with a director, community planner, building official, and office manager. This department will provide both continuity for city planning as well as be a one-stop-shop for private developers.

Other strategic plans in the works for Red Bank include:

 A sidewalk inventory and pedestrian connectivity,

 Pavement condition index and repaving plan,

 Citywide signage inventory and management;

 Stormwater Assessment Management; and

 A Parks Master Plan to be overseen by the citys first-ever park manager and Parks and Rec Advisory Board.

Each year the Tennessee Municipal League honors cities throughout the state for overall excellence, improvement, specific outstanding programs, or department accomplishments. Award winners for 2024 include the city of Townsend for Excellence in Community Planning; the city of Shelbyville for Excellence in Downtown Revitalization; the city of East Ridge for Excellence in Economic Development; the city of Etowah for Excellence in Finance; the city of Alcoa for Excellence in Fire Services; the city of Columbia for Excellence in Green Leadership; the city of Pigeon Forge for Excellence in Police Services; the town of Spring City for Excellence in Tourism Development; the city of Eagleville for Innovation in Emergency Services; the city of Ripley for Innovation in Energy and Disaster Resiliency; and the city of Maynardville for Small City Progress.




Sixteen Chattanooga area high school students graduated from BASFs TECH Academy program which, in partnership with Chattanooga State Community College, introduces students to technical and craft careers through skills classes, workshops and industry tours.TECH Academy gives high school students a unique opportunity to explore a wide range of career opportunities through hands-on activities with industry professionals, said Brittany Davis, operations manager at BASFs Chattanooga site.BASF sponsors this program in collaboration with Chattanooga State Community College in hopes that students interested in technical careers feel more prepared and empowered to pursue jobs within science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) fields.TECH Academy began each day with a hands-on classroom session with experiments and demonstrations led by Chattanooga State instructors. Students then participated in afternoon field trips to local manufacturing facilities where they gained insight into different industry procedures and practices and learned about career opportunities. Students toured Komatsu American Corporation, Chickamauga Dam, Chattanooga Bakery, Branch Technology and BASFs Chattanooga facility.In addition to industry tours and classroom demonstrations, the students learned both soft and technical skills like welding, 3D printing, electric motor design and more.BASFs TECH Academy is so important for local students because it really opens the door for endless possibilities and helps students invest in their education and career, said Emily Barajas, rising high school junior at the STEM School Chattanooga. Throughout the week, I learned about various career opportunities in the technical field and was able to see firsthand what types of organizations I could work for in Chattanooga.Officials said, "TECH Academy is part of BASFs STEAM education and workforce development efforts in North America to support industry growth and regional investment. The program is funded annually by BASF and is free for students. The application process is open to any local student going into their junior or senior year of high school interested in technical careers. Applications for the 2025 TECH Academy will open in February.The following students completed TECH Academy 2024: Luke Miller, Berean Academy; Tucker Hankins, Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences; Seth Eichenberger, Homeschool; Will Owens, Homeschool; John King, Ooltewah High School; Emily Barajas, STEM School Chattanooga; JaMauri Benford, Tyner High School; Ezra Clark, Ooltewah High School; Elena Allison, Ooltewah High School; Giovanny Fields, STEM School Chattanooga; Jon Fisher, Homeschool; Camrien King, STEM School Chattanooga; Eric Hubbard Jr., STEM School Chattanooga; Katherine Lowrey, STEM School Chattanooga; Ananth Kidambi, STEM School Chattanooga; and Xoa Davis, Ridgeland High School.
Two years from today, the USA will observe the 250th anniversary of its founding  barring the calamity of calamities. The way things have been going in recent years, who knows? Hopefully well remain the United States of America and not the Untied States.

Every Independence Day, July 4, is a good time to pause and reflect on the rich heritage of our nation, the wonder that it even came to be, and its inherent qualities that have drawn millions of men, women and children from around the world to this unique expanse of geography.

Having been born on the Fourth of July, almost by default Im what George M. Cohan termed a Yankee Doodle Dandy. The strains of John Philip Sousa marches like Stars and Stripes Forever, The Washington Post, and The Thunderer never fail to give me goosebumps.

And whenever I observe fireworks shows, whether on TV from New York City or Washington, D.C., or local displays in person, I cant help but think of the courage, determination, vision and sacrifice required to create and sustain this nation. It seems the term patriot has become an epithet in the minds of some, but to echo the words of Lee Greenwood, Im proud to be an American.

Conflict and unrest the United States is experiencing today remind me of the 1960s, when protests and demonstrations for civil rights and against the Vietnam War set our countrys teeth on edge. Consider some of the lyrics of For What Its Worth by Buffalo Springfield, one of the best-known protest songs of the mid-60s:

Theres something happening here

But what it is aint exactly clear

Theres a man with a gun over there

Telling me I got to beware

Theres battle lines being drawn

Nobodys right if everybodys wrong

Young people speaking their minds

Singing songs and they carrying signs

Mostly say, Hooray for our side

That song seemed revolutionary during my college days, but a similar scenario was played out in the first century A.D. The apostle Pauls arrival had ignited a great disturbance among the citizenry of the ancient, polytheistic Greek city of Ephesus. Acts 19:32 describes the situation this way: The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there (Acts 19:32). The same could be said about some of the demonstrations we see on the evening news.

The teaching of civics and social studies is no longer practiced in many public schools, but even a casual study of U.S. history reveals political and ideological infighting has been a staple of our society. Battle lines always being drawn, people speaking their minds (typically with great zeal), and often declaring, Hooray for our side.

Nevertheless, in many ways the United States remains the go-to destination for countless thousands. Why else would so many people be endeavoring to gain entry, whether through legal or illegal means? Our materialistic way of life may be one of the magnets, but so are our freedoms  of speech, religion, assembly, the press, and many others.

Some of our cherished freedoms seem in jeopardy, and I believe we should do all we can to protect them. But for followers of Jesus Christ  citizens not only of this temporal nation but also of the eternal kingdom of God  the freedoms we have received from Him are secure. Here are some of them:

Freedom from the power of sin. It is for freedom that Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery [to sin] (Galatians 5:1).

Freedom from the judgment of sin. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1).

Freedom to live as God intends for us to live. You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbor as yourself (Galatians 5:13-14).

Freedom from fear of death. In My Fathers house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for youthat you also may be where I am (John 14:1-3).

We could cite many others. While we rightfully celebrate the anniversary of our nations founding, every day we can and should celebrate our citizenship in an everlasting kingdom, described in 1 Peter 1:14 as, an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade  kept in heaven for you.

On Independence Day, we remember the sacrifices of many brave, selfless individuals to preserve our freedoms. As we do so, lets not forget the One who made the greatest sacrifice of all on our behalf. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

* * *

Robert J. Tamasy is a veteran journalist, former newspaper editor and magazine editor. Bob has written, co-authored and edited more than 15 books. These include the newly published, Marketplace Ambassadors; Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Todays Workplace; Tufting Legacies, The Heart of Mentoring, and Pursuing Life With a Shepherds Heart. A weekly business meditation he edits, Monday Manna, is translated into more than 20 languages and sent via email around the world by CBMC International. The address for his blog is www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com. His email address is btamasy@comcast.net.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) student Nancy Johnson, a resident of Tunnel Hill, placed seventh in Foundations of Entrepreneurship at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Collegiate National Leadership Conference held June 24-27 in Orlando.

Five GNTC students competed in a total of eight competitions at the national FBLA competition. To be eligible to compete in the national competition, the students qualified at the state competition, where students from the 22 colleges in the Technical College System of Georgia gathered for leadership development sessions, as well as performance-based and written competitions. The state contest was held in March in Atlanta.

I am so proud of all of these students and all of the instructors that have played a role in their education, said Mark Upton, GNTCs Marketing Management program director and FBLA coordinator. They all competed strongly and represented GNTC well.

Johnson also competed in the Organizational Behavior and Leadership competition.

Anna Cantrell competed in Retail Management. Cantrell resides in Rome and attends classes at the Floyd County Campus in Rome.

Esther Johnson, who resides in Rome and attends the Floyd County Campus, competed in Public Speaking.

Calhoun resident Josue Lopez, who attends classes at the Gordon County Campus in Calhoun, competed in Business Presentation and the Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition. Lopez also won the bronze medal in Masonry at the 2024 SkillsUSA Georgia State Leadership and Skills Conference earlier this year.

Brandon Wishon, a Dalton resident who attends classes at the Whitfield Murray Campus in Dalton, competed in Foundations of Communication and Future Business Executive.

Future Business Leaders of America is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) education association helping more than 230,000 students to prepare for careers in business and business-related fields. FBLA is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, and organized on local, state and national levels.
Harrahs Cherokee Valley River continues to make strides towards completing its $275 million expansion project as the company held a Topping Out Ceremony for its new 12-story hotel

tower. The event, attended by Harrahs Cherokee leadership, dignitaries from the Eastern Band of

Cherokee Indians, and Robins & Morton leadership and construction team members, provided an

opportunity to celebrate the projects progress and recognize the collaborative effort of those who have dedicated their time to aid in the projects development. Those in attendance were also able to sign the final steel beam to leave their mark on the new amenity.

The celebration saw remarks from Harrahs Cherokee Valley River General Manager, Lumpy Lambert, who expressed his gratitude to company stakeholders, partners and construction teams led by Robins & Morton for their continued efforts.

Its exciting to see how far weve come during this expansion project since breaking ground in 2022, said Mr. Lambert. We are particularly grateful to our stakeholders, partners and construction teams for their continued efforts and support. They are the backbone of this project and have played a significant role in us reaching this milestone.

Harrahs Cherokee celebrated the completion of the first phase of its expansion project in May with the opening of a new 25,000 square-foot casino floor and 10-table World Series of Poker Room.

Upon completion, the second phase of the expansion project will introduce 296 additional hotel rooms, an indoor pool and fitness center, 12,000 square-foot rooftop restaurant featuring a 12-seat bar and wine cellar and a 9,600 square-foot spa featuring six treatment rooms, relaxation lounge and salon. The new amenities are on schedule to be completed in late 2024.
The Tennessee legislature, under the chokehold of the Republican supermajority has banished common sense.

We the people wanted sensible gun control. Did we get it? No. The Tennessee GOP made the disastrous decision to punish those who would advocate for us. i.e., the two Justins and our brave Gloria, hopefully our next US senator. Fortunately, these three Democratic State House representatives prevailed despite the Tennessee GOP efforts to oust them.

We the people wanted equal resources for our neighborhood schools so no matter where a child lives, they will have the same opportunity to succeed. Did we get it? No. Our Republican governor pushed for statewide charter schools that can (and do) discriminate. Thankfully he did not succeed.

We the people wanted prison reform that operates on the premise of reform, not punishment for minor offenses. Did we get that? No. The "for profit entity, Corrections Corporation of America got the thumbs up. The more they incarcerate, the more money in their pockets.

We the people wanted voting rights restored to those who have repaid society for their wrongs. Did we get that? No. Delay. Justice delayed is justice denied.

We the people wanted sensible policy for womens healthcare. Did we get that? No. We got a most draconian policy that punishes not only the woman seeking help but the healthcare worker who provides services or any citizen that helps in abortion issues.

We the people wanted our legislators to discuss and debate and look for solutions to many issues, such as healthcare. Tennessee ranks 42 out of 50 states, even worse than our education ranking. Did we get that? No. They wasted time and our tax money that pays their salaries advocating for punishment for adult cabaret performances, voter fraud and ways to purge voter rolls (seen as voter suppression) and who knows what else.

We the people have the opportunity to change this, by voting Democratic for your county circuit judge, school board and your legislative representatives. Local elected officials decisions affect our daily lives in so many ways. Vote Blue on Aug. 1/ Early Vote July 12-27, and Nov. 5.

Sue Carol Elvin

* * *

According to an article in the TFP in February of this year, Sue Carol Elvin has lived in Chattanooga for five years. So she is telling us what we want from our state? Republicans have overwhelming majorities in the Senate and House so I think the citizens have spoken at the ballot box as to what we want from our leaders. (certainly not to say I don't disagree with some of their actions)

She also uses ,"selective," statistics in her letter. She says we rank 42 in health care, which is true, but then she says we are even lower in education. Not true according to the article in US News, we are 31 in education. She also doesn't mention we are 12 in economic opportunity, 5 in fiscal stability, 21 in infrastructure and 22 in opportunity.

Speaking of education, if you took out our two biggest school school districts, Davidson and Memphis/Shelby which are run by Democrats, our ranking would be a lot higher. Memphis in # 97 and Nashville #76 according to Niche.

You want to put Democrats in charge of Tennessee. There is one city that is overwhelmingly run by Democrats and that is Memphis.

The most dangerous city in the US is Memphis, Tn. With a population of 628,127, Memphis has an overall crime rate that is 317 percent higher than the national average. Memphis has 9,764 crimes per 100,000 people, with an exceptionally high violent crime rate. If we didn't have the Democrat cesspool that is Memphis we would probably move up at least 10 spots.

You want to raise a family in Tennessee? Don't move to Memphis, which according to Wallet Hub is the worst city in the country to raise a family. Memphis is #182 out of 182 cities ranked; 152 for family safety life, 182 for health and safety, 168 for education and 170 for economic opportunity.

So yes, let's by all means put Democrats in charge of our beautiful state. I would suggest to Ms. Elvin and others who don't like it here, the old Lewis Grizzard advice. If you don't like it here, "Delta is ready when you are."

Douglas Jones

Ooltewah

* * *

If the collective "We the People" of Tennessee wanted this laundry list of liberal legislation there would not be a Republican supermajority in Nashville.

This Republican supermajority was one of the top five reasons we chose to relocate to Tennessee. I hope and pray they stand firm.

There are 49 other options out there.

Chris Linstruth


The birth of American Liberty and the Republic to sustain it, began with the shots fired on the first Patriots' Day, April 19th 1775, at Lexington and Concord. That opening volley of the Revolutionary War was fired against occupying Royal soldiers who had been sent to confiscate arms from the people.

Our Declaration of Independence, signed on July 4th, 1776 at great peril to the signers, listed the justifications for the Revolutionary War, further asserting that the "Rights of Man" were endowed by our Creator, not by the state.

Since those first "shots heard 'round the world," generations of American Patriots have defended Liberty on many fronts.

Among them are 3517 Medal of Honor recipients, only 61 of them living today. The records of all recipients is maintained by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, and for membership, all you need is a Medal of Honor.

The Society published a record of the six recipients who have two things in common: Charles Capeheart, Marcus Hanna, Thomas Pope, William Nakamura, Frank Ono, and Leroy Mendonca all served in the U.S. Army, and their Medals of Honor were for actions on Independence Day.

In chronological order, here is a brief outline of those actions.

Charles E. Capehart was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the U.S. Army during the Civil War. On Independence Day, 1863, he went beyond the call of duty when he charged down a mountainside at midnight through heavy rain to capture the enemys fleeing wagon train. His attack resulted in his men destroying many enemy wagons and taking in soldiers as captives.

Marcus A. Hanna also served in the U.S. Army during the Civil War. He too was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 4th, 1863 during a battle in Port Hudson, Louisiana. Recipient Hanna displayed selfless service when he voluntarily exposed himself to heavy fire to get water for his comrades who were in rifle pits.

On Independence Day in 1918, Recipient Thomas A. Pope was serving in the U.S. Army during World War I. He was positioned in Hamel, France, when his company was halted by hostile machine-gun fire. Recipient Pope decided to move forward alone and rushed a machine-gun nest. He was successful in his efforts and continued to hold off other enemy personnel until reinforcements arrived and captured them.

On July 4, 1944, Recipient William Kenzo Nakamura showed extreme courage and bravery during an intense fight near Castellina, Italy. When his platoon was pinned down by enemy machine-gun fire, Recipient Nakamura crawled and approached the hostile nest and was successful in silencing the enemys engagement. As a result of his actions, his platoon was able to continue their advance. Later on in the day, his company was ordered to withdraw from their position. Recipient Nakamura insisted on covering the withdrawal and sacrificed his life for the safety of his comrades. For these two heroic actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor on June 21st, 2000.

Recipient Frank H. Ono was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the U.S. Army and the selfless actions he took on Independence Day in 1944. When his platoon was in danger of being encircled and was ordered to withdraw, Private First Class Ono volunteered to cover it. With complete disregard for his own safety, he made himself a target of enemy fire until his platoon could reach safety. When the task was successfully completed, he descended the hill in various stages until he was able to rejoin his comrades.

On July 4th, 1951, Recipient Leroy A. Mendonca went beyond the call of duty during his service in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. His platoon, in an intense battle, had captured Hill 586 and were in their newly won position when they were attacked by a superior enemy force. When his platoon was ordered to withdraw to a secondary line of defense, Recipient Mendonca stayed behind and remained in an exposed position to cover the platoon. He bravely battled off the enemy until he was mortally wounded. His actions stalled the assault and ultimately protected his platoons movement to the secondary line of defense.

Each of these recipients exhibited uncommon valor  humble American Patriots defending Liberty for all above and beyond the call of duty, and in disregard for the peril to their own lives. "Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15:13)

Read more Profiles of Valor here

**Footnote:** The most recent Medal of Honor recipient was a fellow Chattanoogan and longtime friend, CPT Larry Taylor. His award was presented Sept. 5, 2003.

Today, 3 July 2024, the families of two long-overdue recipients will receive Medals of Honor on behalf of their Civil War Veteran ancestors, PVT Philip Shadrach and PVT George Wilson. Both men were with the 2nd Ohio Voluntary Infantry Regiment, and the last two remaining members of Andrews' Raiders, who had yet to be recognized for their valorous service. As you may recall, the actions of Andrews' Raiders in 1862 resulted in the first Medal of Honor awards in our nation's history. Their daring mission is memorialized at The National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga, the Birthplace of the Medal of Honor.

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis



Pro Deo et Libertate  1776

Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform  Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen  standing in harms way in defense of American Liberty, and for Veterans, First Responders, and their families.

Please consider a tax-deductible gift to support our hometown National Medal of Honor Sustaining Fund. Make a check payable to NMoH Sustaining Fund and mail to: Patriot Foundation Trust, PO Box 407, Chattanooga, TN 37401-0407. Visit the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center at Aquarium Plaza. (https://www.MOHHC.org)
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on Wednesday hailed a court ruling that he said blocks new gender identity requirements from the Biden administration nationwide.

AG Skrmetti said, "Today a federal court said no to the Biden administrations attempt to illegally force every health care provider in America to adopt the most extreme version of gender ideology.

The administration has over and over again issued regulations that mangle the law to advance an ideological agenda. This case is just one of many examples of Tennessee working with other states to block the unlawful abuse of regulatory power.

"Todays order puts the rule on pause while we keep fighting to ensure this illegal rule never goes into effect.
InSpacePropulsion Technologies GmbH (ISPTech), a spin-off from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), announces the closing of its 2M pre-seed round. ISPTech is addressing a key challenge that satellite manufacturers and operators face, by developing innovative propulsion systems based on non-toxic, so-called green propellants. This approach allows significantly reduced overall costs, rapid availability and simplifies spacecraft operations. The propulsion systems offer superior performance compared to the current green propulsion market standard. With its solutions, ISPTech addresses any spacecraft, from small CubeSats to large satellites, capsules or landers.

The round is led by HTGF and backed by co-investments of First Momentum Ventures and Possible Ventures, three renowned deep-tech investors. The investment will be used to make ISPTechs propulsion technologies ready for its first customers and spaceflight.

Current in-space propulsion systems are expensive, complex and operate with highly toxic propellants. These toxic propellants cause extensive handling efforts, which complicate and slow down the development and qualification process of propulsion systems, besides increasing the overall costs. In addition, alternative solutions currently on the market either lack performance or operational simplicity. These key challenges ISPTech has overcome: based on more than 10 years of R&D work at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), ISPTechs founders developed advanced propulsion technologies that work with green propellants.

The team has developed two technologies: one is space-ready (HyNOx), and one offers unique advantages (HIP_11). HyNOx runs on Ethane and Nitrous Oxide. Contrary to competitors, ISPTechs system allows continuous operation at high performance without facing issues of overheating.

HIP_11 is a unique propulsion technology for large spacecraft like landers, capsules, and satellites. It offers less complexity and cost than other systems with similar thrust levels and will be refuellable. It also allows hybrid operation, i.e. electric and chemical propulsion simultaneously. The space market is expected to grow 7% per year and thus has a high demand for affordable, quickly available and reliable propulsion solutions. By using its advanced technologies, ISPTech will satisfy this demand and propel the whole space ecosystem. ISPTech already showed a fast pace and made significant progress: after its foundation in summer 2023 first paying customers were acquired, a paid flight into space was won and the first thrusters were qualified for space. Furthermore, major space players emphasized their interest in the technologies.

The acquired funding will be used to further develop the propulsion technology to achieve qualification for space flight and serve initial customers. ISPTechs technology will be used on first flights at the end of 2025. These missions will demonstrate the operationality, robustness and performance of ISPTechs propulsion systems and space qualify the propulsion system for wider market adoption.

"We spent many years researching propulsion technologies, testing the products of our current competitors and working with many of our future customers. During all these times, we saw a clear and large market demand for affordable, quickly available, and robust propulsion technologies. Our mission now is to meet this demand", Felix Lauck and Dr. Lukas Werling , Founder of ISPTech.

"The satellite market growth in the next decade and the increasing need for space debris avoidance manoeuvres will see a huge demand for chemical propulsion systems, especially non-toxic solutions, democratizing access to space. ISPTech is the only startup offering solutions from below 1N to 1kN with high TRL and exceptionally positioned to set a new market standard", Dr. Koen Geurts, Investment Manager at HTGF.

"Over the next ten years, we anticipate an increasing demand for in-space manoeuvres that can only be facilitated by chemical propulsion. ISPTech is in a prime position to become the European leader in non-toxic chemical propulsion. Their systems are already way ahead of the competition in terms of performance, stability, and robustness", Dr. Maximilian Ochs, Investor at First Momentum Ventures.
To support customers in southeast China, HIMA Group opened a new Service Center in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, on 31 May.

The HIMA Group has a high installed base in southeast China and supports customers with safety engineering and lifecycle services to operate their plants safely and efficiently, and to achieve added value through the digitalization of functional safety.

The safety expert has a clear strategy to further expand customer partnerships. The HIMA China Zhanjiang Service Center has been opened to provide even better support to customers in southeastern China and in particular to the new BASF Verbund site in Zhanjiang, where HIMA solutions are going to be used. By utilizing the latest digital technologies and applying the highest safety standards, HIMA is supporting BASF at this site, which will be built into a role model for smart manufacturing and sustainable production.

The opening of the new service center is another important milestone for the HIMA Group and follows our strategy, to strengthen our customer partnerships and to support first-class-safety solutions close to our customers, says Jorg de la Motte, CEO of HIMA Group.

Digital tools made available by HIMA in combination with a jointly developed security concept are the baseline for effective implementation of a safety management system being compliant with national Chinese and international safety and security standards.

This new service center aims to provide our customer the best lifecyle services. BASF Zhanjiang Verbund site will be the most important focus of this service center. It will cover the service needs from southeast of China as well., emphasized Yao Zhou, Managing Director of HIMA China.
Xi Jinping and Tajikistan: "Good brothers walk hand in hand"

11:21, July 03, 2024 By Chen Chen, Geng Pengyu ( Xinhua

BEIJING/DUSHANBE, July 3 (Xinhua) -- "I am filled with joy and expectations to visit the home of a good neighbor and good brother during this crisp fall season," Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his signed article published in Tajik media ahead of his first state visit to the country in 2014.

In this midsummer, Xi's third state visit to Tajikistan will surely write a new chapter for the friendship of the two countries.

ROBE AND ORDER

During his 2014 state visit, Xi was invited to Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's residence for a family feast. To welcome his distinguished guest, Rahmon rolled out a silk carpet at the entrance of his presidential mansion -- a Tajik etiquette of the highest honor reserved for esteemed guests.

Rahmon, accompanied by his family in their traditional attire, greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan.

The two leaders walked and talked inside the courtyard, where the trees were lush and the fruits fragrant. Rahmon picked one fruit from a tree and handed it to Xi.

Inside the room, Rahmon personally dressed Xi in a chapan -- a traditional Tajik robe -- and tied a belt around his waist.

"I have seen Dushanbe full of vitality and rapid development, and I have felt the simplicity, friendliness and hospitality of the Tajik people," Xi told Rahmon.

When Xi revisited Dushanbe in June 2019, he received the Order of the Crown from Rahmon. In the Tajik language, the word "Taj" means "crown."

During the ceremony, Rahmon draped the sash over Xi's shoulder and placed his nation's highest decoration on him. Noting that the Order of the Crown embodies the profound friendship the people of Tajikistan have kept with the people of China, Xi said he highly valued the decoration.

Since China and Tajikistan established diplomatic ties, bilateral relations have made significant progress, evolving from strategic partners to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Today, the two sides are jointly building a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future featuring everlasting friendship, solidarity and mutual benefit.

"The friendship between the leaders has led to positive development in bilateral relations," Qanoatullo Saifulloev, deputy director of the state-run Khovar News Agency, told Xinhua in an interview.

LANDMARKS OF COOPERATION

In downtown Dushanbe, two striking white buildings stand tall along Rudaki Avenue. The new government and parliament halls are nearing completion. They are considered landmarks of practical cooperation between China and Tajikistan.

The two sides decided on the project during Rahmon's visit to China in 2017. When Xi visited Tajikistan two years later, Xi and Rahmon attended a ceremony to unveil the construction models of the China-assisted office buildings. The two presidents were also briefed on the design plans and details of the projects.

These edifices are characterized by a blend of classical European architecture, Islamic culture and modern designs.

Yusuf Rakhmatbekzoda, deputy director of the construction project, said the completion of the two buildings will not only provide the government with a comfortable and modern office environment but also significantly improve the capital's urban landscape. "These unique structures will serve as symbols of China-Tajikistan friendship," Rakhmatbekzoda said.

In 2014, the two countries signed a memorandum to build the Silk Road Economic Belt, making Tajikistan the first country to do so under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Xi's signature proposal.

China's BRI partnership with Tajikistan has resulted in several vital projects with mutual benefits.

Take the Dushanbe No.2 power plant, a bilateral flagship Belt and Road cooperation program, for example. During the 2014 visit, the two presidents attended a ceremony marking the completion of the first phase of the project and the groundbreaking of the second phase.

Since the plant's completion by the end of 2016, more than 700,000 local citizens in Dushanbe have no longer worried about power shortages throughout the year, especially during the cold winter months.

The BRI has in recent years also given a boost to trade between the two countries. Last year, two-way trade reached 3.9 billion U.S. dollars, a 53.5 percent year-on-year increase.

"Tajikistan welcomes and supports this very wise initiative, which responds to the needs of Tajikistan," Rahmon once said in an interview.

TWO PRESIDENTS' BOOKS

People-to-people exchanges between the Chinese and the Tajiks enjoy a long history. Through the ancient Silk Road, the forebears of the two nations exchanged goods and ideas and learned a great deal from each other.

Xuan Zang, an eminent 7th century monk, and Chen Cheng, a Chinese diplomat in the Ming Dynasty, traveled to Central Asia as Chinese envoys of friendship, Xi wrote in a signed article published in Tajik media prior to his 2019 visit to the country. "The life stories of your historical and literary figures, such as Emir Ismail Samani and the famous poet Rudaki, are widely known in China."

"The wise pursue kindness and peace; only the fool is bent on strife and war," Xi once quoted Rudaki's poem when addressing the fifth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia.

The publication of the two presidents' works in each other's countries has also promoted the exchange of ideas.

In 2019, the Tajik edition of the first volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China was released. Rahmon said the book could "help the Tajik people better understand China, President Xi's philosophy of governing the country and China's development path."

Also, in that year, the Chinese version of Rahmon's book -- The Tajiks in the Mirror of History -- was published in China. Xi mentioned the book in his signed article and said the book gives "the Chinese people new insights into Tajikistan."

The Chinese leader has long advocated for exchanges and mutual learning among various cultures. In his eyes, mutual learning transcends clashes, and coexistence transcends feelings of superiority. He also called on building the BRI into "a road connecting different civilizations."

Under the BRI framework, programs such as the Confucius Institutes, Luban Workshops and the China-Tajikistan Center for Traditional Medicine have bolstered cultural encounters between the two peoples.

When biding farewell to Xi at the airport after the Chinese leader wrapped up his visit to Tajikistan in 2014, Rahmon said one of the key outcomes of the visit was that he and Xi became even closer brothers. "Good brothers walk hand in hand," he said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
In October 2023, Egyptian archaeologists uncovered a collection of treasures from a New Kingdom cemetery in Minya, a city on the western bank of the Nile River.

The most notable artifact happened to be a 3,500-year-old sarcophagus lid painted with an image of a figure that resembles Marge Simpson, the family matriarch from the popular television show The Simpsons.

The resemblance between the cartoon character and the ancient illustration is uncanny. In the drawing, the figure had a tall, blue rectangle on her head and appeared to be wearing a full-length, strapless green outfit, much like Marges signature look.

However, the similarities are nothing more than a coincidence, as the show first aired in 1989, while the painting dates back to the New Kingdom period, which spanned from 1539 to 1075 B.C.E.

Unless the creator of The Simpsons is a time traveler, as some conspiracists have proposed, the ancient illustration has zero relation to Marge.

The portrait of the figure was also surrounded by 12 other depictions of her in different positions. They represent the 12 hours.

The discovery of the Marge Simpson sarcophagus was announced in October 2023, but news of the find didnt take off until June 2024, when a photograph of the sarcophagus lid went viral.

Last year, Dr. Mostafa Waziry from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities shared the discoveries that archaeologists have made in Tuna El-Gebel over the past few years.

Among the finds were ancient pottery, several Ushabti funerary figurines, and the sarcophagus. The sarcophagus contained the remains of a woman named Tada Ist, according to Waziry. She was the daughter of Irt-Heru, the high priest of Djehuty in Hermopolis.

Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
In September 1939, German forces moved into the Westerplatte peninsula in the Bay of Gdansk in Poland on the Baltic Sea coast, initiating the Battle of Westerplatte. It was the first Nazi invasion of Poland, marking the start of World War II in Europe.

More than 4,700 dangerous artifacts have been cleared away from the site of the battle after lying hidden for decades.

The extraordinary find is a reminder of the destruction that the war left in its wake and underscores the challenges of maintaining the safety of the public.

These relics also bring history to the present, giving archaeologists and historians a unique opportunity to study and preserve important artifacts.

The removal project has been going on since 2016, headed by the Museum of the Second World War in Gdansk. The museum was working with soldiers from the 43rd Naval Sapper Battalion and the Engineer Battalion Sapper Company from the 2nd Sapper Regiment based in Kazun Nowy to document all the material.

Recently, they finished clearing the last area of the battlefield, which spanned 6.1 acres. From this section, they found 49 dangerous objects and 180 historical artifacts.

The expanse of the battlefield measured a total of about 32.1 acres. Over the course of the project, more than 4,700 dangerous objects were discovered across this area.

Among these items, there were three aircraft bombs, around 200 artillery shells, mortar and hand grenades, fuses, and fragments of small arms ammunition. One of the aircraft bombs weighed over 1,100 pounds and was located just 12 inches beneath the ground.

In addition, approximately 3,800 historical artifacts from the 18th century to postwar times in Westerplatte were uncovered. These included cannonballs and musket shells, which were evidence of battles that took place during the 1733 to 1738 War of the Polish Succession and the Napoleonic period.

Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
There are so many people out in the world who wanted to get their undergraduate or masters degrees when they were younger, but life got in the way, and they were never able to within the average time frame.

However, some people are still able to make it happen, no matter how old they are.

One of those people is Virginia Hislop, a 105-year-old woman from Palo Alto, California, who finally received her masters degree from Stanford University after leaving the school in 1941.

Virginia was a hardworking young woman who attended Stanfords School of Education and received her bachelors degree in 1940. She had dreams of becoming a teacher, so she started working toward her masters degree in education that year.

Virginia comes from an impressive line of educators in her family. Her aunt was the principal of a school in Los Angeles, and her grandmother taught children in Kansas before the Civil War.

Virginia had completed all of the coursework she needed to earn her masters, but before she could officially hand in her thesis and get her degree, her then-boyfriend, George Hislop, who was a student in the Reserve Officers Training Corps, was called to serve in World War II.

With that news, Virginia and George decided to tie the knot as soon as possible, and she left campus.

In interviews, Virginia expressed that she felt her school work was something she could always return to when she got the chance, but at that moment, she knew marrying George was a priority due to the war.

The couple lived in Washington following the war and started a family together. While she was unable to return to Stanford to receive her degree officially, Virginia never stopped dedicating her life to education.

Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
One of the most amazing and selfless things people can do during their time on Earth is donate their organs or choose to put themselves down as an organ donor on their ID in case they pass unexpectedly.

Organ donation changes the lives of people who were stuck in the mindset of having to live out the rest of their days in pain or were on the brink of losing their lives.

One nurse in California dedicated her life to caring for others in a hospital and ended up saving many more when hers was over through organ donation.

Patrice Sanders was a 59-year-old nurse who loved working at the Valley Childrens Hospital in Madera, California.

She was a very giving and loving woman who adored helping whoever she could, whenever she could, whether they were her sick patients, her family members, co-workers, etc.

According to her family, Patrice was the kind of woman who consistently donated blood, even though she couldnt stand needles. She also loved quilt-making and would handmake quilts for children in the ICU.

Tragically, after working as a nurse for over 30 years, Patrices health took a serious turn quite quickly. She reported feeling ill to her sister and was told she had gastroenteritis.

Then, her health took more of a decline when Patrices sister took her to the hospital, where they found out she had a bilateral stroke.

Days later, it was discovered that she had a brain bleed, and she had little to no quality of life left. Patrices family then chose to honor her wishes for the end of her life, which included donating her organs.

Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
Wikimedia Commons/Joe Mabel

In June 2024, the Alabama Supreme Court upheld a lower court's dismissal of a lawsuit filed by 44 Methodist churches seeking to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church (UMC) while retaining their property. As of today, the ramifications of this decision continue to unfold, impacting the broader Methodist community and other denominations facing similar issues.

The lawsuit stemmed from a 2019 policy change by the UMC, which allowed churches to leave the denomination over disagreements regarding LGBT issues. The Alabama-West Florida Conference (AWF) of the UMC implemented its own disaffiliation process in 2023, which some churches found burdensome and unfair.

Paragraph 2553, introduced during a special session of the UMC General Conference in 2019, was designed as a temporary measure to address the increasing number of congregations wishing to leave the UMC due to these disagreements. This provision allowed congregations to disaffiliate while retaining their properties, provided they followed a specific process and received approval from their respective annual conferences.

The Supreme Court, referencing the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, ruled that the lawsuit centered on "ecclesiastical questions"matters of religious doctrine and practicewhich are beyond the jurisdiction of secular courts.

While the initial lawsuit was dismissed, other legal challenges persist. For instance, Dothan's Harvest Church has filed a separate lawsuit focusing on specific property rights, which remains ongoing. This case could set a precedent for how property disputes related to church disaffiliation are handled in the future.

The decision in Alabama reflects a broader national trend of U.S. Methodist churches seeking disaffiliation over theological disagreements. Many departing congregations have joined the Global Methodist Church, a more conservative denomination established in response to these disputes. Approximately 7,500 congregations have left the UMC between 2019 and 2023, many affiliating with the Global Methodist Church.

The UMC continues to face internal debates and procedural adjustments to manage the wave of disaffiliations. The church's leadership is tasked with balancing the enforcement of doctrinal standards while addressing the concerns of congregations wishing to leave. This ongoing tension highlights the complex nature of managing a large, diverse religious organization in the face of evolving social issues.

For the churches involved in the lawsuit, the Supreme Court's decision has significant implications. These congregations must navigate their future within the UMC or explore other avenues for disaffiliation that comply with established church procedures. The ruling underscores the importance of understanding and adhering to denominational policies when considering disaffiliation.

The Alabama Supreme Court's ruling serves as a critical reminder of the limitations of secular courts in resolving disputes rooted in religious doctrine. It also highlights the ongoing challenges faced by religious organizations as they navigate internal disagreements and external societal changes. The outcome of related lawsuits, like that of Harvest Church, will be closely watched for further implications on church property rights and denominational disaffiliations.
duckycards / Getty

A liberal acquaintance told me recently that while he generally dislikes evangelicals, he doesnt find me to be as bad as the rest: At least you dont rant about wanting to establish a theocracy! I decided to accept what he said as a compliment, even though I regretted not coming clean with him about theocracy.

Truth be told, my wife and I do belong to a pro-theocracy organization. Indeed, we attend its meetings every week. In those gatherings, we learn about what it means to support a theocracy, and we sing songs that are meant to strengthen our theocratic commitments. The organization I am referring to, of course, is our local church.

Theocracy literally means the rule of God, and Christians believe that while our churches do have human leaders, those leaders know that they are directly accountable to God for what they think and do. They keep reminding us that we Christians belong to the kingdom of God, which means that our ultimate allegiance is to Jesus, whom we often refer to as ruling over us.

Sign up for Moore to the Point Join Russell Moore in thinking through the important questions of the day, along with book and music recommendations he has found formative. Email* Sign Up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thanks for signing up. Please click here to see all our newsletters. Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again.

The idea of the church as a theocracy, however, is part of a much larger theocratic picture. The universe itself in all its complex glory is a theocracy. The Jewish communitys shabbat prayer captures well the Bibles theocratic perspective when it begins with Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe.

Everything that exists is under Gods rule. It is this theocratic arrangementdefining the very nature of realitythat gives believers meaning and hope in our lives. But does that mean that believers like me should try to turn the United States into a theocracy? I think not. God does not want me to force my theocratic understanding of reality on others. What God wants from people is that they freely offer their obedience to his will.

I do not serve Gods purposes in the world by trying to impose Christian laws on people against their own values and convictions. I should not want everything that I consider to be sinful to be made illegal. For example, although I dont like the blasphemous language that I hear all too frequently while watching Netflix these days, I am not inclined to call for laws banning these expressions.

That does not mean that I should withdraw into a live-and-let-live posture, content to wait for Jesus to return. The Bible makes it clear that God wants me to be active in the society where he has placed me.

The apostle Peter puts the mandate this way: Live such good lives among the pagans that  they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us (1 Pet. 2:12).

Peter is echoing the admonition God gave through Jeremiah when the people of Israel were exiled in the pagan city of Babylon: Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper (Jer. 29:7). In addition to witnessing to others about the power of the gospel, we can join them in working for God-glorifying social goals.

I am grateful for the opportunity to live in a pluralistic society where I can learn from people with whom I seriously disagree about religious beliefs, public policy, and moral lifestyles. For one thing, I can learn about the mistakes and misdeeds that Christians like me have made in the pastand still make todayabout important matters. In genuinely engaging others on these matters, I often find effective ways to partner with them for the common good.

Historically, American evangelicals have gone back and forth between two ways of relating to the larger culture. In my youth during the 1950s, we evangelicals had a reputation for being apolitical. We liked to sing patriotic songs, and preachers regularly reminded us that we had a Christian obligation to show up as voters on election days. But we typically did not actively engage in political advocacy.

To be an evangelical citizen was to mostly cast our votes for Republican candidates and pray for Gods blessing on the likes of Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. In all of this, we were passive about politicsgrateful that we enjoyed the freedoms of a nation that was under God.

Things changed around 1980 with the emergence of the New Christian Right, led by Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. Evangelicals became aggressively political, working for candidates who promoted what we saw as godly causes, often explicitly guided by the theocratic project of returning to the vision of a Christian America.

Thus, we have either distanced ourselves from active involvement in the political system or worked to take it over. Either we were a cognitive minority content to sing, as we did in my youth, This world is not my home, Im just a-passing throughor we proclaimed ourselves to be a moral majority, boldly belting out Shine, Jesus, shine / Fill this land with the Fathers glory.

There is, of course, a third option, one desperately needed today in our increasingly polarized society: an evangelical willingness to labor patiently alongside otherspersons of other faiths and of no faiths at allin seeking workable solutions to the complex challenges we face as a nation.

In our weekly theocratic gatherings, we evangelicals tell Godin our prayers, hymns, and sermonsabout our spiritual weakness as vulnerable human creatures. When we walk into church, we also bring with us the hopes and fears that we experience in our political lives.

The self-righteousness that we so often exhibit in the public square does not fit well with what we know about ourselves in our deep places. It is time for us to display a kinder and gentler evangelicalism, promoting a cooperative political quest for new ways of flourishing together in our shared humanity.

One of my heroes in the faith, the great Dutch statesman Abraham Kuyper, proclaimed in his inaugural address at the university he founded, There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: Mine!

I find that inspiring manifesto to be a motivation for how I am to live as a theocrat in contemporary life. There is always a temptation, of course, for us to answer that rallying cry in an arrogant and imperialistic manneras if all we have to do is go out there and grab hold of all those square inches in the name of Jesus.

Properly understood, theocracy requires a humble spirit. The apostle Peter tells us that when we are challenged to give the reason for the hope we have in Christ, we must take care to do this with gentleness and respect (1 Pet. 3:15). Since Jesus claims every square inch of creation as his own, wherever we go in our lives, we are standing on sacred ground.

In my evangelical youth, I was taught Hudson Taylors famous saying Christ is either Lord of all, or is not Lord at all. I keep learning more about what it means to represent the cause of the gospel in a gentle and respectful manner.

The God whose majesty we theocrats worship in church not only sends us out into the world over which he rules but also assures us that, wherever we go, he will be with us.

He invites us to join him on those square inches that are occupied by precious human beings who suffer from the pain of abuse, grief, loneliness and the hopelessness that comes from unbelief.

We live in times when our fellow human beings desperately need to encounter evangelicals for whom being theocratic means actively serving the cause of a loving Savior.

Richard Mouw is a senior research fellow at the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics at Calvin University and former president of Fuller Theological Seminary.
Home News 2 Ukrainian priests released by Russia after 19 months were likely tortured, church says

Two Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church priests, Redemptorist Fathers Ivan Levytsky and Bohdan Geleta, have been released from Russian captivity after more than 19 months through a prisoner exchange facilitated by diplomatic efforts involving the Vatican.

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church announced that Levytsky and Geleta, hieromonks of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, were released last Friday after initially being arrested on Nov. 26, 2022, in the occupied city of Berdiansk.

In a recent interview with Ukrinform, a church leader said that the church received "alarming signals" that the priests were being "tortured regularly."

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

"His Beatitude Sviatoslav expressed his deep gratitude to the Apostolic See for the rescue of the UGCC priests," the announcement reads. "He conveyed special thanks to Pope Francis, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the entire Vatican diplomatic corps. Special gratitude for mediation was expressed to Cardinal Matteo Zuppi and Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine. Each of them contributed invaluably to making this event a reality."

Pope Francis publicly expressed his thanksgiving after the priests' release, according to National Catholic Reporter.

I give thanks to God for the freeing of the two Greek Catholic priests, the pope said after the Angelus prayer on Saturday, calling for prayers for all prisoners of war.

Supporters say the priests were arrested after military items were falsely placed in their church, leading to charges of illegal possession of weapons.

When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, Levytsky and Geleta chose to stay in the occupied territories and served both Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic communities as a "beacon of hope for people under occupation," the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church contends.

"They were arrested, followed by some military items being planted in the church and accused of illegal possession of weapons," the statement continued. "There were reports that they were being tortured mercilessly to extract a confession to a crime they did not commit."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a social media post on X, announced the release of Levytsky and Geleta among 10 prisoners returned to Ukrainian authorities. President Zelenskyy acknowledged the Vaticans pivotal role in securing their release, conveying gratitude towards the Holy See.

Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Ombudsman, told the Interfax news agency that this is the first instance of the Vaticans direct involvement in the repatriation of Ukrainian adults, indicating a new potential channel for further civilian returns. He claims that Russia is illegally detaining over 14,000 Ukrainian citizens.

Numerous cases of detainment and torture of Ukrainian clergy have been reported from occupied Ukrainian territories.

The Rev. Stepan Podolchak, 59, of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, disappeared on Feb. 13 in the Ukrainian village of Kalanchak after Russian occupation forces took him away for questioning in his bare feet with a bag over his head.

The priest had chosen to remain with his church after Russians invaded the village in the southern Skadovsk District of the Kherson Region in early 2022. His battered body was found on a village street by a passer-by, and taken to the morgue.

Lubinets said at the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C. in February that Russian soldiers and occupation officials had committed at least 76 acts of religious persecution in Ukraine since the invasion of February 2022 as part of an attempt to destroy national identity. Additionally, he alleged that Russian forces had killed or captured at least 29 clerics or religious leaders in Ukraine since the war began.

Since the invasion, he said Evangelical Christians, including Baptists, Pentecostals and Seventh-day Adventists, had suffered greatly.

The Russian military has repeatedly threatened the total physical elimination of all Evangelical believers, calling them American spies, sectarians and enemies of the Russian Orthodox people, Lubinets said. To kill a person, to demolish a church, the Russians do everything to destroy us as a nation.
Home News Andy Stanley criticizes SBC for ousting Rick Warren's Saddleback Church over female pastor

Georgia megachurch Pastor Andy Stanley has criticized the Southern Baptist Convention for disfellowshipping Rick Warren's Saddleback Church for having a female teaching pastor.

In a sermon Sunday at North Point Community Church of Alpharetta, Stanley, the son of late Southern Baptist pastor and televangelist Charles Stanley, spoke about the need to "remove obstacles" for people trying to follow Jesus Christ.

Identifying himself as "theologically conservative," Stanley said that the "progress" many churches were making to reach the lost "is being undermined and reversed like crazy."

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

"With all the political nonsense in the last few years, it has picked up speed like crazy," Stanley said. "This whole thing has been fueled by conservative fearful fundamentalist  academics and pastors."

"Church leaders are resurrecting old barriers that we spent years tearing down. And they're adding new barriers," he added.

Stanley cited Warren, founder of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, and author of the best-selling book The Purpose-Driven Life, as an example, crediting him with having done a great deal of work successfully reaching nonbelievers.

"Last year, his denomination kicked him out of the denomination," Stanley explained. "For something immoral? No. Something illegal? No. Something that had to do with money? No. Because he had some addiction? No."

"They kicked him out because he had the nerve to ordain three female staff members, who were functioning as pastors  and they kicked him out of the church."

Stanley declared that "you don't get anymore insider focused than that," arguing that too many Evangelical leaders "are prioritizing politics over mission," calling it "just sick."

In February 2023, the SBC Executive Committee deemed Saddleback not in "friendly cooperation" with the convention. At issue is Pastor Andy Wood, who succeeded Saddleback founder Rick Warren as lead pastor, listing his wife, Stacie, as the church's teaching pastor. The Baptist Faith & Message 2000, the convention's official statement of beliefs, says that the "office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture."

Although the church had previously ordained three female pastors in May 2021, the convention cited Stacie Wood's naming as teaching pastor as the reason for the expulsion.

At the SBC Annual Meeting last year, messengers voted 9,437 to 1,212 to uphold Saddleback's expulsion after hearing arguments from both Warren and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al Mohler. At the SBC Annual Meeting this June, a proposed constitutional amendment that would have permanently banned churches from allowing women to serve as pastors "as qualified by Scripture" failed to receive the two-thirds majority needed for passage.

Stanley received criticism on social media for his sermon comments, including a brief response from Andrew T. Walker, a theology professor at the SBTS and fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

"A megachurch pastor criticizes the Southern Baptist Convention for separating from an egalitarian church. We would do well to use that as an opportunity to be mugged by reality," tweeted Walker.

"When Southern megachurch pastors can't even be counted on for biblical faithfulness, it is not the time for us to be hyper focused on the good opinion of unbelievers. The 'world is watching' is no standard of faithfulness. Biblical truth is."

At last year's SBC Annual Meeting, Warren argued that Southern Baptists could agree to disagree on the issue, comparing it to the SBC's decision to not disfellowship churches that adhered to Calvinist theology.

"We should remove churches for all kinds of sexual sins, racial sin, financial sin, leadership sin, sins that harm the testimony of our convention," Warren said. "But the 1,129 churches with women on pastoral staff have not sinned."

Mohler spoke against Saddleback's appeal, warning that the California-based megachurch was threatening the SBC's unity and that the issue was important.

"It's not just a matter of church polity; it's not just a matter of hermeneutics," Mohler stressed. "It's a matter of biblical commitment, a commitment to the Scripture that unequivocally we believe limits the office of pastor to men."

"Here we face the unusual situation in which Dr. Warren himself has made repeated statements, and the church has taken repeated actions that make very clear it rejects the confessional understanding of the Southern Baptist Convention on this issue."
Home News Biden admin. says it opposes trans surgeries for minors after HHS officials pushed to remove age limits

The Biden administration claims that it opposes allowing gender dysphoric minors to undergo sex-change surgeries following a report that top health officials urged an international group of medical experts to remove age limits for gender procedures and other life-altering interventions.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shared a statement to The New York Times defending the reported actions of Assistant HHS Secretary Admiral Rachel (Richard) Levine and his staff, who reportedly influenced a top LGBT health association to drop age limits for so-called "gender-affirming care."

"Adm. Levine shared her view with her staff that publishing the proposed lower ages for gender transition surgeries was not supported by science or research, and could lead to an onslaught of attacks on the transgender community," an HHS spokesman said in a statement shared by The Times.

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 newspaper, federal officials didn't clarify the administration's position "regarding the scientific research or on Adm. Levine's role in having the age minimums removed."

"The administration, which has been supportive of gender-affirming care for transgender youth, expressed opposition only to surgeries for minors, not other treatments," the newspaper reports. "The procedures are usually irreversible, critics have said."

The outlet notes that the administration's previous statements have not "explicitly opposed surgery."

Last month, The Times reported on email excerpts from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health related to Levine and his staff. The email excerpts were part of legal filings associated with a federal lawsuit challenging Alabama's ban on trans surgeries and puberty blockers for minors.

WPATH's 2021 draft guidelines recommended lowering the age minimum to 14 for hormonal treatments, 15 for mastectomies, 16 for breast augmentation or facial surgeries and 17 for genital surgeries or hysterectomies. In one of the email excerpts, an unnamed WPATH member recounted an exchange with Levine's then-chief of staff, Sarah Boateng.

"She is confident, based on the rhetoric she is hearing in D.C., and from what we have already seen, that these specific listings of ages, under 18, will result in devastating legislation for trans care," the WPATH member wrote.

According to another email about Levine, a man who identifies as a woman, the health official was "very concerned" that age limits, especially when it comes to trans surgeries, could make it difficult for youth and adults to undergo these types of interventions.

In 2021, media outlets noted that WPATH removed a section from its Standards of Care on the minimum age requirements for children with gender dysphoria to obtain puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or undergo body-altering surgeries. The group claimed that this was to protect doctors from lawsuits.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.

The Biden administration's clarification comes on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court announcing that it will hear a challenge brought in part by the Biden administration against a Tennessee law prohibiting body-mutilating sex-change surgeries, puberty-blocking drugs and crosss-sex hormones for children.

The case, United States v. Jonathan Skrmetti et al., marks the first time that the nation's highest court will decide on the constitutionality of laws like the one in Tennessee. About two dozen states have enacted similar laws.

Regarding the Biden administration's position on so-called "gender-affirming care" for minors, the administration has not explicitly condemned it. An Office of Population Affairs document often cited by federal officials states that trans surgeries are "typically used in adulthood or case-by-case in adolescence."

During a July 2023 interview in an ABC Nightline segment called "Identity Denied: Trans in America," Levine expressed support for minors undergoing sex-change surgeries.

The trans-identifying health official insisted that the support for so-called "gender-affirming care" is "evidence-based," and that it serves as a form of "mental healthcare" and "suicide prevention care." He also claimed that medical interventions for gender dysphoric minors can help them "explore" their gender identity.

"Adolescence is hard and puberty is hard," Levine said. "What if you're going through the wrong puberty? What if you inside feel that you are female, but now you're going through a male puberty?"

The United Kingdom's National Health Service released a report earlier this year based on a review of trans medical practices led by Dr. Hillary Cass, warning that studies claiming puberty blockers improve the well-being of children suffering from gender dysphoria are of "poor" quality. The report recommended "extreme caution" for prescribing irreversible cross-sex hormones to minors.
Home News Pope Francis bans visible tattoos, piercings for St. Peter's Basilica employees

Pope Francis has banned visible tattoos for employees of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City years after he reportedly said body ink could be useful in better understanding the personalities of parishioners.

A new set of rules was released on Saturday prohibiting staff of the Papal Basilica from having visible tattoos or piercings, with employees who disregard the new rules risking suspension, according to Crux.

The basilica's communications director, Father Enzo Fortunato, told Reuters that the new rules codify norms that "have been in place in the past in a different form."

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 outlet notes that the department overseeing the basilica, Fabbrica di San Pietro, has approximately 170 lay employees.

Also known as the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, Saint Peter's Basilica is one of the largest churches in the world and a prominent pilgrimage site for Catholics.

Crux reports that the new rules also mandate employees to be baptized and confirmed into the Catholic Church. They must adhere to "principles of exemplary religious and moral conduct," such as not cohabitating outside of marriage.

Employees are prohibited from participating in "activities, or attending rallies, which are inappropriate for a Vatican employee." Some observers believe the rules prohibit participation in LGBT pride rallies, Crux adds.

Additionally, Vatican employees can't have a criminal record and must provide a reference letter from their parish priest.

The rules apply to artistic experts, architects and laborers working on maintenance projects and operations.

Employees are also banned from giving unauthorized interviews with the media and divulging information covered by the "pontifical secret."

They cannot invite outsiders within the workplace and may not remove "original documents and photocopies or electronic copies and other archival materials."

In 2018, at a gathering of around 300 young adults in Rome, Pope Francis was asked his opinion about body tattoos, saying at the time that clergy should not "be afraid of tattoos."

"Don't be afraid of tattoos," the pope responded, as reported by Catholic News Service, adding that a tattoo "is a sign of belonging" and helps priests to "approach the culture of the young."
Home News Vandal decapitates statue of child Jesus in Queens: 'Very deliberate'

Police are searching for a taxi-driving vandal who was reportedly recorded on surveillance footage Sunday morning attacking a statue of the Holy Family and decapitating a statue of Jesus in front of a Roman Catholic church in New York City.

The vandal was recorded getting out of a car across the street from Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Flushing, Queens, at around 5:30 a.m., walking over to the statue of the Holy Family and attacking the figures with a shoe, according to WABC.

Father Sean Suckiel, who serves as pastor at the parish, recounted to the outlet what the footage depicted.

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

"Then he goes to the front of the statue and starts hitting the face of St. Joseph, then attacks the Blessed Mother, then attacks the face of the child Jesus," Suckiel said.

The vandal managed to knock off the head of the child Jesus statue, which was found on the ground nearby. The statues of Joseph and Mary were unsuccessfully targeted and not damaged.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed they received a report about the intentional damage done to the 40-year-old statue, according to NBC4.

The Brooklyn Diocese said the NYPD is investigating the statue's decapitation as a hate crime and estimated the damage at approximately $20,000.

NYPD is investigating a hate crime, the decapitation of the Child Jesus statue at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Flushing, which happened this morning at 5:30 a.m. The damage is estimated at ,000. Anyone with info is asked to call @NYPDTips. pic.twitter.com/2M50NQrK00  Brooklyn Diocese Press Office (@BQDiocesePress) July 1, 2024

Suckiel noted the heartbreaking nature of the vandalism while stressing the importance of forgiveness.

"My heart just broke," he told WABC. "And, of course, I'm asking the question: why? Why did this guy do this? Certainly the statue is not in his way. It was very deliberate for him to do this, so the big question is why?"

"We pray for the guy, and we want justice served, but we also have to forgive, and we know that he could not have been in the right state of mind to do this," Suckiel added.

The attack against the church comes months after NYPD arrested a 16-year-old boy with a lengthy rap sheet in connection with the brutal assault and robbery of a 68-year-old woman on the steps of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Jamaica, Queens.

Hostility against churches in the United States appears to be on the rise in recent years, according to a recent report from the Family Research Council.

The report released earlier this year identified 436 incidents against churches in 2023, more than double the amount reported by the group in 2022 and eight times the number identified in 2018.
Home News Zachary King, former megachurch pastor, charged with rape, sodomy of minor

Zachary King, a pastor with significant experience serving in youth ministry at multiple megachurches, including LexCity Church in Lexington, Kentucky, from which he recently resigned as executive pastor, has been charged with the rape and sexual abuse of a minor.

A press release from the office of Attorney General of Kentucky, Russell Coleman, said King, 47, who preached at LexCity Church as recently as three months ago, was also charged with the unlawful use of electronics to engage in sexual acts with a minor. A report from Lex18 said King was booked in the Fayette County Detention Center and charged with first- and second-degree rape, as well as first- and second-degree sodomy.

At his arraignment on Tuesday, Kings attorney asked Judge John Tackett to set his bond at $50,000 that would allow him to pay $5,000 or 10% of the bond to be released, but the judge set the pastors bond at $250,000.

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

Kings arrest citation, according to Lex18, said he confessed in an interview with Colemans office that he "engaged in a sexual relationship with a minor over the course of the last year and a half."

The pastor confessed that he had "sexual intercourse with the minor starting at age 15 in January 2023, continuing until April 2024." He further stated that he had "sexual intercourse in the minor's home, at his residence, and at the church where he was a former pastor."

A Fox56 report said King confessed to communicating with the teenage girl through Snapchat and WhatsApp to arrange meetups and receive explicit photos. He reportedly admitted to picking up the girl from her home and driving up the road to have sex in his car.

He reportedly resigned from LexCity Church after he was confronted by the congregation.

Colemans office urged anyone with further information regarding additional alleged criminal conduct by King to the Department of Criminal Investigations Hotline at 866-524-3672 or DCIForce@ky.gov.

According to his LinkedIn profile, King has significant experience serving in youth ministry, including at Craig Groeschels Life.Church and Metropolitan Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, where he spent more than eight years.

Talent search firm Vanderbloemen, praised connecting King with Metropolitan Baptist Church as a successful partnership in earlier comments on his time with that church.

Since the first project that we were able to walk through with the Met, we have successfully helped the church with hires in Student Ministry, Worship, and Executive Leadership. In our first engagement with the church, we were able to help them connect with their Student and Teaching Pastor Zach King, Vanderbloemen said. Zach has served at the Met now for several years, the Student Ministry is flourishing, the church overall has grown to over 4,000, and plans are being drawn up for the new campus of the Metropolitan Baptist Church.

Neither Life.Church nor Metropolitan Baptist Church immediately responded to a request for comment from The Christian Post on Wednesday.

King, who has been married for approximately 24 years, revealed in February 2022 during a podcast called "Off the Record" hosted by LexCity Church Lead Pastor Brian Classen how difficult marriage was for him at times when he felt his needs werent being met.

At times, where I'm frustrated and my needs are not being met and [I'm] annoyed by things I shouldn't be annoyed by is when my wife and I are disconnected and we haven't talked about it and we just kind of let it sit, he said.

We become really good co-parents and roommates in those seasons where it's like, we just got to get the kids to the next place and get through the next day, almost like surviving until you can go to bed.

So things that would never really bother me, normally you are treating the symptoms but you are not treating the root of the problem, and I just have to sit there and pray and ask the Lord to reveal the root  typically it's me  my frustration is actually something I'm not doing, so it is really not you it's me in this scenario.
Home Opinion Are other people bigger sinners than you?

Imagine driving down the road and seeing a large number between 1 and 100 on the windshield of every car. The driver who is the "biggest sinner" has #1 on the windshield, and the driver who is the "smallest sinner" has #100, with everyone else somewhere in between.

What number do you think would be on your windshield? In other words, where do you rank yourself among sinners? Are you a bigger sinner than most, or a smaller sinner?

If you are perhaps reluctant to rank yourself, that is a good sign. After all, "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else" (Galatians 6:3-4). In other words, celebrate the good things Christ produces in your life, without comparing it to what someone else is doing.

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 Apostle Paul wrote, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14). The focus should never be on us, but only on Christ and the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross so "that we should be called children of God" (1 John 3:1).

Comparing ourselves to others tends to produce arrogance and self-righteousness. The Bible declares, "To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech" (Proverbs 8:13). The Pharisees were experts at entertaining evil thoughts, and they often condemned others for their sins and struggles.

Jesus told a parable about a Pharisee who "prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like all other men  robbers, evildoers, adulterers  or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get" (Luke 18:11-12).

The Pharisee was far too proud of himself to recognize his own sins. He assumed he was better than everyone else, when in fact he was the biggest sinner of the bunch. And not only did he have the darkest heart, but he also assumed that his fasting and tithing made him righteous in God's eyes. He was so busy judging others that he didn't even recognize his own sinfulness and self-righteousness. Sadly, when you judge others, you are actually condemning yourself.

The Bible states, "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?" (Romans 2:1-5).

Many people misunderstand what it means to "judge" someone. Perhaps you have been falsely accused of judging others simply because you identify certain behavior as sinful. But that is not what "judging" actually means. Those who do not know the Lord often attempt to define good and evil, while ignoring God's boundary lines that delineate right from wrong. God's descriptions of good and evil do not depend upon man's personal preferences or opinions.

You and I judge others whenever we look down on people and view them as "bigger sinners." Jesus said, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven" (Luke 6:37).

The Bible tells us how God wants us to view others. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3). So, do you consider others better than yourself, or do you consider yourself better than others? That is to say, are you less of a sinner than others? If so, then meditate upon this Scripture passage for a few minutes: "Whoever keeps the whole Law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it" (James 2:10).

Each one of us has fallen far short of God's perfect standard. But if you are born again, you no longer want to pursue sin. Instead, you want to live for Christ. "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life" (Galatians 6:7-8).

Evangelist Billy Graham said, "Pride comes in looking at ourselves; meekness comes through looking at God." How much time do you spend every day looking at yourself and comparing yourself to others, and how much time do you spend every day listening to God in His Word and talking to the Lord in prayer? If you currently think other people are bigger sinners, you can experience a change of heart by confessing your sin of pride to the Lord and turning away from it. "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy" (Proverbs 28:13).

Each one of us is prone to assume that other people are bigger sinners. Thankfully, the Lord not only forgives our pride when we repent of it, but the Holy Spirit also helps us "fix our eyes on Jesus" (Hebrews 12:2) and on the cross instead of comparing ourselves to others. You see, we are all equal at the foot of the cross.
Home Opinion Dont be naive  those who attack Jews will soon attack you, too

The violent attacks against Jews going to an event on Sunday at a local synagogue in Los Angeles are the latest in a long line of terrible precedents for the rights of people of faith across the country. We saw flagrant violations of civil rights and criminal assault on individuals based on their Jewish identity, resulting only in a single arrest. What is happening to Jews across America should be another canary in the coal mine for members of all other faiths.

The response to Sundays violence from political leaders was underwhelming to say the least.

President Biden, California Governor Newsom, and other top Democrats read from the same script the next day  all were appalled by the violence. Intimidating Jewish congregants is dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic, and un-American. None of them mentioned the illegality of the violence or civil rights violations, or the intent to prosecute the perpetrators.

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

Despite what the New York Times called unusually swift and forceful condemnation from top Democratic leaders, it was only swift and forceful compared to their response to antisemitic campus protests in the past eight months. The public hemming and hawing and handwringing of politicians over antisemitic violence is more than a national embarrassment, its a travesty.

Many of their past comments have reinforced an almost absolute right to free speech and freedom of association for antisemitic protesters. However, the Supreme Court has ruled that the right to freedom of association does not extend to joining with others for the purpose of depriving third parties of their lawful rights (Brown v. Hartledge, 1982), which the pro-Palestinian protesters were clearly doing. By virtue of targeting Jews specifically, they also were engaged in violations of Jews civil rights.

Perhaps the key lesson from Sundays events is not a reaffirmation that the center of the Democratic party is still struggling to decide what to do with the antisemitic far left, but that leaders on the American left are no longer fully committed to protecting religious liberty and in many cases are assaulting it.

Government now does precious little to protect religious groups from discrimination and hostility. The Anti-Defamation League tracked nearly 9,000 antisemitic incidents in 2023, up 140% from the the previous year. The Family Research Council counted more than 400 incidents of hostility against Christian churches in 2023, leaving aside individual cases of hostility. Anti-Muslim incidents have likewise increased significantly since 2020.

But the numbers do not account for government-directed anti-religious laws and regulations, or selective prosecutions. On the one hand, prosecutors target Christian individuals and business owners like florists and cake artists, churches, and pro-life activists. On the other, they drag their feet investigating violence against pregnancy support centers, crimes committed by Antifa members, and antisemitic attacks.

Antisemitism is focused on the racial identity of Jews, not on the beliefs of Judaism per se; however, Jewish belief and identity are closely intertwined. Anti-Muslim sentiments are based both on Islamic belief and on a perceived stereotypical Arab racial identity. Prejudice against Christians is focused primarily on religious beliefs and not racial identity.

These individual acts of violence and hostility are accumulating rapidly into a broad social antipathy towards religious faith and identity, nursed along by activists, legislators, and prosecutors on the left. It is time that all of us began working together.

We need to demand answers from local and state law enforcement chiefs and prosecutors about how they would handle a situation like what unfolded in Los Angeles. Demand that prosecutors keep the public apprised of their investigations into these crimes. Watch closely to see if they follow through on commitments to step up protection, work with the affected religious community, and combat anti-religious attitudes.

In reflecting on the Holocaust, German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller penned these words:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.



Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.

Who will speak out for the Jews, and who will speak out for all those of religious faith in America?
Home Opinion On July 4, let us remember where our true freedom is found

The United States has a long history of fighting for freedom. The dumping of tea into Boston Harbor in 1773 symbolized the American struggle for liberty. This event ignited a revolutionary spirit, culminating in the fight for independence from British tyranny.

Famously, the Declaration of Independence from 1776 stated that all people have unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness from their Creator. This foundational belief in God-given freedom has shaped the nations identity and inspired countless movements for justice and equality.

However, while the American Revolution secured political freedom, the Christian understanding of true freedom goes deeper, addressing the spiritual bondage that affects every human heart. In a world that often defines freedom as the ability to do whatever one wants to do, the Christian understanding of true freedom stands in stark contrast.

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

Rooted in the Scriptures, the theology of freedom offers a profound and liberating perspective that goes beyond the superficial and often deceptive allure of worldly freedom. This article explores the essence of true freedom in Christ, grounded in biblical principles, and its implications for our lives.

The Illusion of worldly freedom

Individualism and self-determination significantly influence modern conceptions of freedom. Society promotes the idea that freedom means being free from any constraints or obligations and pursuing ones desires and ambitions without hindrance. However, this notion often leads to bondage  bondage to sin, selfishness, and the endless pursuit of personal satisfaction.

The Bible warns against the worlds take on freedom. In Galatians 5:13, Paul writes, For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

As we can see in todays society, the decision to misuse our freedom to indulge in sinful desires will ultimately enslave us rather than liberate us.

True freedom in Christ

According to the Bible, true freedom is found in Christ alone. It is not about the absence of constraints but the presence of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). This freedom is a gift from God, made possible through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Submitting our lives to Christ will provide us with four distinct freedoms.

Freedom from sin





First and foremost, true freedom in Christ means freedom from the power and penalty of sin. Jesus declared in John 8:3436, Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Christ has broken the chains of sin that once bound us through His atoning work on the cross, offering us forgiveness and a new life.

Romans 6:22 further elaborates, But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. This verse underscores the transformative power of Christs freedom, leading us into a life of holiness and eternal joy.

The Puritan writer Samuel Bolton profoundly expressed this freedom when he said, The law sends us to Christ to be justified, and Christ sends us to the law to be regulated. This highlights how true freedom in Christ is found not in abandoning Gods law but in living according to it through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Freedom to serve





Biblical freedom is not self-centered but other-centered. Galatians 5:13 exhorts us to use our freedom to serve one another in love, a radical departure from the worlds understanding of freedom. In Christ, we can lay down our lives for others, following His example of selfless love and service.

Philippians 2:34 urges, Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. True freedom empowers us to prioritize the well-being of others above our own.

Freedom to obey





True freedom in Christ also involves the freedom to obey God. The Psalmist declares, I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts (Psalm 119:45).

Obedience to Gods Word is not burdensome but liberating. It leads us into a life of purpose, fulfillment, and alignment with Gods perfect will.

James 1:25 confirms this: But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. Obedience to Gods law of liberty results in blessings and true freedom.

Puritan theologian Thomas Watson articulated this beautifully: Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Cor. 3:17). Christs people are willing people; though they cannot serve Him perfectly, they serve Him willingly. They count it their pleasure to be in His service. This underscores the joy and willingness that come with the freedom to obey Christ.

Freedom from fear





In Christ, we are also set free from the bondage of fear. Romans 8:15 assures us, For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba! Father!'

As children of God, we can live confidently and boldly, knowing that our Heavenly Father is with us and for us.

2 Timothy 1:7 reinforces this truth: For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Our freedom in Christ dispels fear and empowers us with His strength and love.

Puritan theologian John Owen captured this aspect of freedom well: The greatest unkindness you can do to the Spirit of God is to doubt His love, or question His ability and willingness to save. Our freedom in Christ rests on the assurance of His love and the power of His salvation.

Transformational implications

Understanding true freedom in Christ has profound implications for our daily lives. It transforms our relationships, our priorities, and our purpose.

When we grasp the depth of Christs love and the freedom He offers, it transforms our relationships. We are empowered to forgive, to love unconditionally, and to seek reconciliation. This freedom fosters healthy, Christ-centered communities where each member is valued and cherished.

Ephesians 4:32 encourages us, Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. The freedom we receive from Christ enables us to extend grace and forgiveness to others.

True freedom reorients our priorities. No longer enslaved to the pursuit of personal gain or worldly success, we are free to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Our time, talents, and resources are directed towards eternal purposes, bringing glory to God.

Colossians 3:1-2 reminds us, If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Our freedom in Christ shifts our focus to heavenly pursuits.

Finally, true freedom gives us a sense of purpose. We no longer aimlessly wander through life but are called to be ambassadors of Christ, sharing the message of freedom with a world that desperately needs to hear it. Our lives become a testament to the transformative power of the Gospel.

2 Corinthians 5:20 declares, Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. Our freedom in Christ compels us to spread the message of reconciliation and hope.

Conclusion

The theology of freedom in Christ offers a rich and liberating understanding of what it means to be truly free. It calls us out of the bondage of sin and self-centeredness into a life of righteousness, service, obedience, and fearlessness. As we embrace this true freedom, we experience the fullness of life that Jesus promised, and we become instruments of His peace and love in a world longing for genuine liberation. Let us, therefore, stand firm in the freedom that Christ has won for us and live out our calling with joy and purpose.

As we celebrate July 4 and the political freedom we enjoy in the United States, it is important to recognize that this freedom came at a great price. Brave men and women sacrificed their lives so that we might live in a land of liberty.

In our book Just Thinking About the State, Darrell Harrison and I emphasize the importance of understanding political freedom within a biblical framework, writing, True liberty is not the freedom to do what we want but the freedom to do what we ought, which is to glorify God and serve others following His will.

In other words, political freedom, while valuable, must be stewarded in a way that honors God and promotes the common good.

Yet, the greatest price ever paid was Christs substitutionary death for our eternal freedom. As Darrell and I further elaborate, The ultimate expression of freedom is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which frees us from the bondage of sin and grants us the liberty to live righteously before God.

Galatians 5:1 urges us, For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

May we live in Christs freedom, reflecting His love and truth in all we do. This freedom is a privilege and a profound responsibility to live as His ambassador, sharing the message of true freedom with a world in desperate need of hope and salvation.

Originally published at the Standing for Freedom Center.
Home Opinion Why the Ten Commandments belong in Louisiana classrooms

Its impossible to divorce the Ten Commandments from the founding of America or civil society because Gods law is the foundation of law itself. Louisiana recently passed a law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school classrooms using private funding. It only makes sense for the Ten Commandments to be displayed in Louisiana and classrooms nationwide given the Commandments indelible impact on our countrys laws and framework.

This makes Louisiana the first, but hopefully not the last, state in the nation to require the Ten Commandments in the classroom.

The Louisiana law notes the Ten Commandments role in state and national history, culture, and tradition, and recognizing the historical role of the Ten Commandments accords with our nation's history and faithfully reflects the understanding of the founders of our nation with respect to the necessity of civic morality to a functional self-government.

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 Ten Commandments, given by God to Moses at Mount Sinai, established the framework of law and the basis of morality as we know it and has done so for thousands of years.

Its not surprising that anti-religion groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation didnt skip a beat in taking legal action against the anticipated Ten Commandments publication.

Because of recent legal precedent and our nations moral foundation and religious mooring, I am confident the Ten Commandments will remain on classroom walls in Louisiana from January 2025 onward, as the law states, and hopefully set historic legal precedent.

Death of the Lemon Test

When it comes to religious liberty, the law is on our side. In 2005, I argued before the Supreme Court regarding the Ten Commandments in a historical display, and since then, Liberty Counsel has never lost a case on a stand-alone or historical display of the Ten Commandments.

But the most significant legal precedent for religious liberty was established in 2022 with the death of the Lemon Test. The unanimous Shurtleff v. City of Boston win, where I represented Hal Shurtleff and his right to display the Christian flag in a public forum, was cited in Kennedy v. Bremerton, which was the death knell to Lemon.

The Lemon Test, a result of the 1971 Lemon v. Kurtzman decision, haunted the legal landscape for over 51 years and allowed government discrimination based on religious viewpoint. Freedom of religion became freedom from religion under the Lemon Test and was the reason activist courts removed crosses, Ten Commandments displays, nativity scenes, and other religious symbols from government property.

For decades, activist courts and judges used the Lemon Test to sanitize the public square of religion, but now that Lemon is overturned, there is no legal ground to stand on for lawsuits against religious symbols like the Ten Commandments in public places.

Lemon lies in the grave, never to stalk the Establishment Clause like some ghoul in a late-night horror movie, as Justice Scalia wrote in Lambs Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School District.

Myth of separation of Church and state

The Ten Commandments, and other religious elements, played an integral role in American public education for nearly three centuries.

When the Supreme Court decided to remove prayer from public schools in 1962 in Engel v. Vitale and to remove the Ten Commandments from public schools in 1980 in Stone v. Graham, many Americans wrote off the idea of Christian influence in public schools and embraced the myth of separation of church and state.

This oft-misinterpreted phrase is found nowhere in our founding documents and was coined by President Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1802 during the time he was attending a national church service in the U.S. Capitol. Since the Danbury Baptists were rightfully concerned about religious freedom, this statement was to assure them that the American government would never impose a state religion like the Church of England.

The Founders, however, never intended for God to be expunged from government. Instead, they established the Constitution for a religious and moral people, saying, it is wholly inadequate to the government of any other, in the words of President John Adams.

President James Madison said, "[w]e 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 Ten Commandments."

Our Founders relied heavily on Gods Word and law to establish the United States. They would be pleased to see the Ten Commandments displayed in classrooms and shocked that they were removed in the first place.

Supporting the Ten Commandments in public schools does not equate to permitting the Quran, the LGBT Pride flag, or other pseudo-religious materials in the classroom in the name of the First Amendment, and it is absurd to insinuate that allowing the Ten Commandments opens this door. Our nation was founded on the principles set forth in the Ten Commandments, and our education should reflect our Judeo-Christian founding, not ideologies antithetical to the core values embedded in our foundation.

Indeed, there are about 50 displays of the Ten Commandments inside and outside the U.S. Supreme Court. The Ten Commandments is part of the official seal of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Ten Commandments is ubiquitous because the Commandments clearly shaped American law and government.

We would not be the United States of America without this moral and legal standard.
Accusations of schism flying in run up to General Synod

General Synod begins on Friday and it looks as if the "new spirit of generosity and pragmatism" which Bishop Martyn Snow recently identified is going to be in short supply.

Earlier this week, the orthodox grouping 'The Alliance' wrote an open letter to the Archbishops of York and Canterbury pleading with them, not to introduce standalone services of blessing for same-sex couples without following, "the lawful constitutional path to preserve the unity of the Church throughout the Anglican Communion."

But it was not just the process that concerned them  The Alliance believe that introducing such services would "be part of a schismatic move which departs from the teaching received and upheld not only by the vast majority of the Anglican Communion (representing around 75% of the Anglican Communion's 80 million members), the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Churches but also the vast majority of other churches around the world".

The Alliance went on to suggest that if General Synod went ahead with the plan put forward by the bishops they would "have no choice but rapidly to establish what would in effect be a new de facto 'parallel Province' within the Church of England".

This was fighting talk and perhaps unsurprisingly their letter could not go unanswered and one of the most senior bishops in the Church of England, the Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, was given the task.

In an open letter he questions The Alliance's mandate, claims there is no significant doctrinal change, and alleges there was "a very considerable consensus at the Lambeth Conference in 2022 about accepting different views on sexuality yet still walking together".

It seems that just like the Archbishop of Canterbury before him, Bishop Croft would rather forget that hundreds of bishops boycotted the Lambeth Conference because they could not walk together with those who have departed from the teaching of the Church. It also seems to have slipped his mind that many who did attend were also very clear that they too could not walk together.

The truth is, there was no vote at Lambeth and there was no opportunity for bishops to dissent from the party line espoused by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Bishop of Oxford may have forgotten the events of 2022, but surely he cannot have missed the more recent statements from Gafcon and the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans, who between them represent about 75 per cent of the Anglican Communion. Again and again they have said that in seeking to change the teaching and practice of the Church, the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury have forfeited their leadership role of the global Communion.

In the light of that global consensus, it is both arrogant and patronising for the Bishop of Oxford to suggest that, "Not a single one of these proposals therefore amounts to a change in the Church of England's doctrine of marriage."

Bishop Croft went on accuse The Alliance of "catastrophising language" before doing some catastrophising of his own in reference to the "de facto parallel Province".

"I am afraid," he wrote, "this has to be named for what it is: a proposal for a deep and disproportionate schism in the life of the Church of England and, surely, a proposal which will grieve Anglicans in every place."

The gloves are off. There is a danger that other important questions, will not receive the attention they deserve because members of Synod are too distracted or despondent to participate in other debates.

But not all are resorting to catastrophic language. One member of the House of Clergy, who has asked to remain anonymous, read the Bishop of Oxford's letter, and simply commented, "This is very robust language indeed, I'm not looking forward to General Synod at all."

Susie Leafe is director of Anglican Futures, which supports orthodox Anglicans in the UK.
This fall, Broadcoms acquisition of VMware brought together two engineering and innovation powerhouses with a long track record of creating innovations that radically advanced physical and software-defined data centers. Together, they create an infrastructure leader uniquely qualified to guide enterprises through every facet of their private, hybrid, and multi-cloud journeys.

The Broadcom Expert Advantage Partner Program reflects the resulting commitment to simplify what is needed to create an optimal VMware Cloud Foundation cloud environment at scale, regardless of whether an organization is just embarking on its cloud journey or perfecting a sophisticated cloud environment.

We recently connected with Guy Bartram, director of Cloud Provider product marketing at Broadcom overseeing VMware by Broadcom technologies, to learn more about what the new Cloud Service Provider Advantage program means for customers, and more precisely the singular value that Broadcom Pinnacle Partners bring to enterprises efforts in the cloud, from the need for enterprise-grade private clouds for the private learning of AI applications to the growing need for hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructure that matches use cases and workloads to the right cloud.

VMware revolutionized the very premise of the cloud with virtualization and today more than 500,000 enterprises rely on VMware by Broadcom technologies as the crucially important underpinnings their mission-critical operations run on, says Bartram. But with a constantly expanding portfolio of 90 cloud solutions, our stack was increasingly complex. Our new Broadcom Advantage Partner program, and the VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) that is now our core cloud offering, reflects our efforts to simply our solutions set while providing partners and their customers with one package that offers unprecedented capabilities.

The Broadcom Advantage Partner Program includes more than 2,500 highly valued registered partners, some 2000 Registered partners, 400 Premier partners, and 100 Pinnacle partners  the organizations that have the closest working and engineering relationship with Broadcom, and which have extensive experience and expertise providing organizations with VMware by Broadcom technologies and the myriad managed services and solutions needed to create the high-performance infrastructure the worlds most successful organizations rely on.

Broadcom has an industry-leading track record of simplifying data center operations and initiatives at scale, adds Bartram. What is so striking about this program, and VCF as a core offering, is that it provides access to everything an organization needs to create an optimal private, hybrid, and multi-cloud infrastructure and the ability to easily know the costs involved.

VMware Cloud Foundation  The Cloud Stack

VCF provides enterprises with everything they need to excel in the cloud. Encompassing flagship VMware by Broadcom technologies like vSphere, vSAN, NSX, Tanzu, and Aria  to name a few  it also includes the extensive capabilities required to perfect even the most sophisticated cloud efforts and combines the capabilities previously found in the entire VMware cloud portfolio.

Businesses of all kinds have come to the realization that a hybrid, multi-cloud solution is the way to optimize their cloud journey, says Bartram. They also universally see the need for a high-performance private cloud to ensure that their mission-critical data and operations are backed up with a software-defined infrastructure that exceeds the most stringent requirements for resiliency, compliance, and performance. VCF addresses all of these needs.

Bartram notes that VCF makes it easy to automate everything from networking and storage to security. As a result, even the most sophisticated and powerful cloud environment is radically easier to manage and optimize.

Many organizations moved to the cloud but still must manage innumerable tasks, he says. Deploying and operating physical firewalls, physical load balancing, and many other tasks that extend across the on-premises environment and virtual domain all require different teams and quickly become difficult and expensive. The automation VCF enables makes it possible to minimize or eliminate such tasks and simultaneously gives organizations access to solutions and capabilities many of them could not afford or didnt have the operational capacity to consider in the past.

Notably, all VCF licenses are entirely portable, enabling enterprises to apply VCF in any private or hybrid, multi-cloud VMware cloud endpoint they wish over time. In this way, VCF offers maximum flexibility, enabling customers to embrace new technical capabilities over time while simultaneously maintaining flexibility in their cloud strategy.

Broadcom Pinnacle Partners  Cloud Leaders

Broadcom Pinnacle Partners are cloud solutions and managed service providers that have the most extensive and deepest working relationship with VMware, both on a business and engineering level. With comprehensive certifications and countless customer deployments, they have extensive working experience historically with the entire VMware stack.

All also provide the thorough vertical market expertise and the offerings organizations need to thrive in their sectors, as well as the managed services  among them Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Backup-as-a-Service, Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service, Security-as-a-Service, and many more  that enterprises often need. They also offer countless professional services, from cloud migration help and cloud design to application development to the creation of highly bespoke, customized systems designed to address the most unique use cases.

Broadcom Pinnacle Partners are also highly adept at offering very specific guidance and serving as a trusted partner to enterprises that can outsource their entire infrastructure while enjoying the peace of mind that it will address the most demanding requirements. These include the need for everything from a fully sovereign cloud to access to the high-speed networks that enable low latency across regions and include onramps to the major hyperscalers.

All of our Broadcom Advantage Partners are highly valued and offer access to exceptional cloud expertise and experience, but our 100 Pinnacle Partners offer the greatest array of skills and resources, specializations, and capabilities enterprises need, adds Bartram. They empower customers to easily access infrastructure and capabilities that most, even the largest enterprises, could not create on their own.

Bartram notes that in even the most advanced enterprises, operational teams increasingly struggle not just to create, but to manage whether it is addressing compliance requirements in different geographics, or classifying the huge amounts of data that must be classified, controlled, or managed in private learning models for AI. Broadcom Pinnacle Partners possess these very capabilities and more.

Our Broadcom Pinnacle Partners are the organizations that are ideally qualified to help organizations achieve their optimal cloud future, one which is attainable when they partner with a provider that frees them from needing to build cloud infrastructure that has already been perfected because they already made the heavy lifts associated with everything from ISO certifications to the significant investments needed to build out high-speed networks. These are the cloud service providers that free organizations to focus on innovating their businesses drive competition, not only creating the networks those innovations require.

Notably, Bartram notes that the need for such partners will only increase.

As the use of AI proliferates, the need for private cloud environments and the complexities associated with the applications that rely on them, and the management of the data within them, will only increase, he says. The data deluge that originally led enterprises to embrace the cloud, and which VMware enabled with virtualization, is much like the data deluge we will see with AI applications and machine-generated data over the next few years. This time we are solving it with VCF and access to Broadcom Pinnacle Partners able to help enterprises get where they need to be.

For more information on the Broadcom Pinnacle Partners visit us here or find your perfect partner here.

Look to CIO.com for stories about Broadcom Pinnacle Partners and insights on how they are helping enterprises succeed in their private, hybrid, and multi-cloud endeavors.
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.
Former chief secretary to the Treasury Stephen Timms has proposed a new government unit on the impact economy, to aid with Labours main five missions.

Writing in City AM, the candidate for East Ham suggested that a Labour government should set up an office for the impact economy, which would be a joint Treasury-Business and Trade unit to partner with key stakeholders, working to align socially motivated capital and business with our missions.

He said this would harness the ability of philanthropists, social and impact investors, and businesses to contribute to Labours ambitions.

Civil society leaders welcomed Timms intervention, with Pro Bono Economics director of policy and communications Nicole Sykes describing it as a concrete and potentially powerful proposal from a serious politician.

Potential to drive transformative change

Timms wrote: Philanthropy holds immense potential to drive transformative change. Unlocking its full impact requires strategic government collaboration.

We could significantly amplify the resources to tackle our most pressing challenges through innovative use of public funding to crowd in philanthropic giving.

He gave the example of the 85m Community Match Challenge launched during the Covid-19 pandemic, which paired government grants with funds from philanthropists, charitable funders and foundations.

This collaborative approach supported charities and community organisations tackling food poverty, mental health, and unemployment, he said.

Timms wrote that by expanding this approach, a Labour government could harness philanthropic capital to accelerate progress on its missions.

A major step forward

Sykes said: Bringing philanthropy and foundations into the heart of financial decision-making in government would be a major step forward.

And, given the importance of a thriving civil society to the wellbeing of the country, it's an idea that should transcend the politics of the election. Irrespective of who forms the next government, bringing civil society into the heart of national policymaking is an approach worth pursuing.

An office for the impact economy could help to make up for the currently woeful levels of engagement the Treasury undertakes with civil society.

It would also find a suite of low hanging fruit available to drive forwards change, like increasing match funding across government departments and mandating financial advisers to talk to their clients about philanthropy.

Dan Corry, CEO of NPC think tank, said: Stephen Timms is right to point to this government's lack of interest in and support for philanthropy, impact investing, and businesses with purpose.

Civil society and social enterprises should be added to that list. We hope that the next government will put this right and make it a key part of their agenda  including the institutional change needed to embed it.

Charities see and understand the barriers

Sarah Elliott, chief executive of NCVO, said: No one knows better how to solve societal challenges than the organisations who exist to improve the world for others.

Charities are driven not by profit, but by purpose. They see and understand the barriers communities face, but what they can achieve is often limited by lack of funds, investment or policy decisions that fail to think long-term.

We need easier routes in for social investment and philanthropic giving so charities can transform more lives, as well as for the voluntary sector to have an equitable seat at the table, alongside government and businesses, when new policy is devised.

Clare Mills, deputy CEO of Charity Finance Group, said the charity sector has long urged the government to think more creatively about how it tackles problems such as inequality and poverty.

She said: Recognising the enormous value of all those that deliver social impact and putting them at the heart of its decision-making will help the new government  however it is constituted  to bring about transformative change.

The charity sector is comprised of more than 200,000 voluntary organisations and community groups, around a million members of staff and volunteers, all of whom deliver social impact every day.

It will be important for us all to work with the new government from early on to establish common values and goals, and develop a shared understanding of the ecosystem in which we operate.

If the new government is to leverage the impact economy and work towards solving the countrys most complex issues, it must work hand in glove with charitable and social change organisations of every kind. Its this inclusive 'nothing about us without us' approach that will be the key that unlocks the countrys potential.

Were keen to work with whomever forms the next government and we look forward to shaping the future together.

Important intervention

Tess Godley, policy and advocacy director at Better Society Capital, said the organisation was thrilled to see Timms call.

As he states, a Labour government would not go far in achieving their five missions without the support of social and impact investors, philanthropists and purpose-driven business, she said.

We invite decision-makers to join his call in collaborating with us to take on Britains knottiest social challenges together, with expert partners who are well versed in providing support to communities who need it.

Seb Elsworth, chief executive of Access  the Foundation for Social Investment said: This important intervention goes to the heart of a persistent public policy issue  how will we find the money to tackle our biggest social problems, especially with limited financial resources?

The proposals to create a new unit at the heart of government recognise the huge opportunity that exists to channel more private, philanthropic and public money into investments which improve peoples lives across the UK  driving sustainable and inclusive growth, as well as delivering a financial return. Blended finance is central to this and we look forward to more detail emerging.

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,
The Biden administration on Tuesday unveiled a long-awaited proposal that would require many U.S. employers to protect 36 million workers from extreme heat.

The proposed rule from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which enforces workplace safety laws, would require employers to provide workers with water and shaded or air-conditioned areas to take breaks when temperatures at indoor or outdoor work sites reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius).

At 90 F, workers would be guaranteed 15-minute breaks every two hours and employers would be required to monitor workers for heat-related illness. When businesses hire new employees, the rule would mandate that their workload gradually increases to allow them to adjust to high temperatures.

Private employers already have a general duty to maintain safe workplaces, which can include addressing heat-related hazards. But Tuesdays proposal would for the first time establish specific protections from heat exposure, opening the door for OSHA to fine employers who flout the rule.

If finalized, the regulation will almost certainly face lawsuits from businesses and trade groups. Those challenges could be bolstered by a ruling issued last week by the U.S. Supreme Court eliminating the deference that courts owed to agency rulemaking.

OSHA, part of the U.S. Department of Labor, said that the proposed rule was designed to reduce work-related deaths and injuries caused by prolonged exposure to high temperatures.

Workers all over the country are passing out, suffering heat stroke and dying from heat exposure from just doing their jobs, and something must be done to protect them, said Douglas Parker, OSHAs head.

Advocates have for years called on OSHA to address heat hazards. The agency first said it was working on the rule in 2021.

Heat exposure on the job has killed more than 1,000 U.S. workers since 1992. From 2011 to 2020, there were nearly 34,000 cases where heat-related injuries caused employees to miss work, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Several U.S. cities experienced record-breaking heat in June, and the release of the proposed rule on Tuesday coincided with the beginning of a heat wave in California and other West Coast states. Many climate scientists have predicted that 2024 will be the hottest year on record.

The OSHA proposal does not apply to sedentary or remote workers, emergency-response workers, or employees at indoor job sites where temperatures are kept below 80 F. OSHA rules do not apply to government employers.

(Reporting by Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Rod Nickel)
COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio  Two men are facing criminal charges after a 16-year-old boy was injured in a machete attack during a reported road-rage incident.

Patric Tucker, 38, is charged with felonious assault and aggravated robbery in connection with the incident, according to Hamilton County Common Pleas Court records. Brian Benjamin, 40, is charged with obstructing official business, records show.

WLWT Channel 5 reports the incident occurred Monday as two cars were stopped at a red light. Tucker and Benjamin are accused of opening the front door of the teens car and cutting him on the arm and lege with the machete, then stealing his shoes.

The teen was taken to a hospital and need 10 stitches for his wounds, WLWT reports. No other details have been reported.

Tucker was freed Tuesday after posting bond, court records show. Benjamin also posted bond, records show.

The incident remains under investigation.
COLUMBUS, Ohio  A well-connected former lobbyist, sentenced in 2023 to five years in prison after jurors found he bribed a political operative with $15,000 for private campaign information, argued to appellate judges last week that he did nothing illegal.

Matt Borges, once the chairman of the Ohio Republican Party who later worked as a political operative for FirstEnergy Solutions, told judges on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that prosecutors relied on Borges use of moblike language in text messages rather than their underlying substance when they accused him of racketeering.
41 30
Pro-EU demonstrators protest outside Parliament against Brexit on the fourth anniversary of Britain's official departure from the European Union in London, United Kingdom on January 31, 2024. Future Publishing | Getty Images

It's been eight years since just under 52% of the British electorate voted to leave the European Union, in a monumental decision that divided friends, families and the nation. It still does, to a lesser extent, with polls suggesting that the same vote held now might produce a different result and constituents questioning whether life outside the economic and political union is really better. Still, "we are where we are" is the attitude of many Britons, with parties of all political colors vowing in the years between the referendum and the actual January 2020 exit, to "make the best of it." But if Labour  a party which opposed Brexit but pledged to "respect the will of the British people"  wins the forthcoming U.K. election on July 4 as polls suggest, some analysts predicting a thawing of icy relations between the EU and U.K. and, perhaps, even a rapprochement. For its part, Labour is treading carefully around the thorny subject of Brexit and any post-election win relationship with the EU, eager not to scare the horses  that is, prospective swing voters  ahead of July 4. Instead, Labour says it will not attempt to rejoin the single market or customs union that characterize the EU's economic framework that facilitates trade between member states  but signals that it wants to improve relations with Brussels.

With Labour, Britain will stay outside of the EU. But to seize the opportunities ahead, we must make Brexit work. We will reset the relationship and seek to deepen ties with our European friends, neighbours and allies. That does not mean reopening the divisions of the past. There will be no return to the single market, the customs union, or freedom of movement Labour Party manifesto

Instead, the party has said it wants to reduce trade restrictions and a new veterinary agreement to relax checks on agri-food goods (such as health certificates for products of animal origin, which require a veterinarian's signature). It also says it wants to reduce barriers for touring artists and musicians, and to secure a mutual recognition agreement for professional qualifications "to help open up markets for UK service exporters."

Lorries arrive at the Port of Dover in Kent. Gareth Fuller - PA Images | PA Images | Getty Images

Labour's reticence over making much of its potential post-election plan vis-a-vis the EU, the U.K.'s largest trading partner as a bloc, is largely seen to be down to its eagerness to target disaffected Conservative voters. Voter polls have consistently pointed to a significant win for the party, suggesting it could clinch around 40% of the vote, compared with 20% for the incumbent Conservative Party led by pro-Brexit Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Around 16% of the vote is expected to go to the Reform UK party helmed by Nigel Farage, a politician on the fringes of British politics who has never served as a member of Parliament, but who was, arguably, the rocket fuel behind the Brexit vote.

Hard ball

While Labour will look to improve relations with the EU if it wins the election, analysts say the bloc is hardly likely to fall over itself to make life more pleasant for the U.K. The EU has so far always stuck to its position that Britain would not be able to "cherry-pick" the advantageous bits of its former EU membership that it would like to keep. After all, the EU has problems of its own, with a rise in hard-right governments and fractious intra- and inter-EU relations as a result. In addition, it's tackling questions over its global economic position, undocumented immigration and war on its doorstep in Ukraine. "We will have a U.K. government that will wish to change the relationship [with the EU], whether it will succeed is another matter," top U.K. polling expert John Curtice told CNBC. "What they're wanting to do is to soften the relationship while still being outside any of the former institutions, and the question is to what extent the union will regard it is interested to accommodate that ... partly because they've got other things to worry about, and partly because they may just think: 'Well, you made your bed, you lie in it.'" Nonetheless, Curtice held there was a shared interest in finding a joint strategy with regard to the high number of undocumented migrants continuing to come into Europe, and across the English Channel to the U.K. "They might think it's in their interest to reach an agreement about what we do about migrants coming across the EU. Probably, as has been intimated in the past, only by us being willing to accept that we're going to have to be part of the European wide scheme that deals with the resettlement of migrants who come across the Mediterranean. There's going to be a quid pro quo," he said.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks ahead of the U.K.'s general election on July 4, 2024. Anthony Devlin | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Facing a growing global terrorist threat, Biden administration officials are debating expanding cooperation with the Taliban regime in Kabul to help track ISIS-K, the branch of the terrorist group active in Afghanistan, according to two sources familiar with the matter and a former U.S. official.

The administration and other Western governments are scrambling to keep up with the mounting danger ISIS-K poses. Before this year, U.S. and other Western officials believed ISIS-K had the intent but not the ability to orchestrate attacks abroad. But that view changed with the horrific attack at Moscow's Crocus City Hall concert venue on March 22, which killed 130 people and injured hundreds more. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in Europe since 2004. ISIS-K also launched a major attack in Iran this year that killed dozens, and other plots were disrupted in Europe.

But the U.S. military's withdrawal from Afghanistan and declining Western influence in Africa have weakened Washington's capacity to gather intelligence on the various offshoots of ISIS.

"We have a very, very limited ability to see what they're doing," said a former military officer with experience in the region.

As a result, the administration is weighing sharing more information with the Taliban about the Khorasan branch of ISIS, often referred to as ISIS-K.

The Taliban sees ISIS-K as a threat to its rule and has launched a series of attacks on the group. But there is deep distrust between the West and the Taliban after a 20-year-long war that pitted U.S.-led forces against the Afghan militants, who seized power as American troops withdrew in August 2021.

"There's an internal debate about whether to try to work more with the Taliban," a former senior official said. Some members of Congress also favor the approach, though they argue the U.S. would have to demand concessions from the Taliban in return, including ensuring more rights for Afghan women.

Some officials favor reopening the U.S. Embassy to allow for more cooperation between U.S. intelligence agencies and the Taliban regime, though Washington has yet to recognize the Taliban leadership as the country's legal government.

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said that there were no plans at the moment to reopen the embassy but that the U.S. does talk to the Taliban.

"While the United States has no intention of reopening an embassy in Afghanistan at this time, we do engage pragmatically with a wide variety of Afghans, including the Taliban, through our diplomats based in Doha," the spokesperson said in an email.

The spokesperson added that "the United States is acutely focused on terrorism and over the horizon threats, working both unilaterally and with our partners to disrupt and degrade ISIS-K and other terrorism-related threats around the world."

It's unclear how much there is to gain from even a limited partnership with the Afghan Taliban, and some officials oppose the move, fearing the Taliban would use the cooperation as a way to push Washington to recognize its authority and tolerate its human rights abuses.
Tractor Supply, which has its headquarters in Brentwood, Tennessee, operates over 2,200 stores across the United States, most of them located in rural areas . The retailer's core customer base consists of shoppers in need of farm and ranch products, such as livestock feed, trucking supplies, tools and outdoor equipment.

"I was appalled by the decision," John Boyd Jr ., president and founder of the National Black Farmers Association, said in an interview. "I see this as rolling back the clock with race relations  because the country is so divided on race, especially in rural America."

In a public announcement last week, the company said it would eliminate all of its diversity, equity and inclusion roles, end sponsorships of "nonbusiness activities" like Pride festivals , and withdraw its goals for reducing carbon emissions . Critics of the new position argue that Tractor Supply is giving in to hate and harming its customers by abandoning crucial principles.

The resignation demand emerged as Tractor Supply, which sells products ranging from farming equipment to pet supplies, faces a deepening backlash over its decision, which itself came after conservative activists spoke out against the company's work to be more socially inclusive and to curb climate change .

The National Black Farmers Association called on Tractor Supply's president and CEO Tuesday to step down after the rural retailer announced that it would drop most of its corporate diversity and climate advocacy efforts .

Boyd said Tractor Supply stores can be found where much of NBFA's 130,000 members are located. Like other farmers, he said Black farmers have shopped at the chain for years. Boyd, who is also a Tractor Supply shareholder, estimated personally spending more than $10,000 at his local store since January alone  buying supplies like fencing wire and feed for his cattle and horses in Virginia.

Before the company's announcement, conservative activists opposed to DEI efforts, sponsorship of LGBTQ+ events and climate advocacy had spent weeks criticizing Tractor Supply on social media. Tractor Supply said in its Thursday statement that it was making the changes after hearing from disappointed customers and took "this feedback to heart."

The decision marked a significant shift in messaging from Tractor Supply, which once touted its diversity and inclusion efforts. In recent years, the company has been trying to broaden its appeal to younger consumers  including former city dwellers it is at risk of now alienating.

"We will continue to listen to our customers and Team Members. Your trust and confidence in us are of the utmost importance, and we don't take that lightly," the company said.

NBFA said it made repeated attempts to discuss its concerns with Tractor Supply President and CEO Hal Lawton before calling for his resignation.

"He's gone too far  and we have to let him know we're not going to sit back and take this mess anymore," Boyd said, adding that the organization may consider calling for a boycott of Tractor Supply if nothing changes in the coming days. "We're tired of (being) mistreated by the government and Fortune 500 companies. ... Black farmers are going to start fighting back. And that's what we're doing."

Some customers already have decided to take their business elsewhere, including Squirrelwood Equine Sanctuary, a New York animal sanctuary that says it spend more than $65,000 annually on livestock feed and other supplies at Tractor Supply.

Squirrelwood co-founder Beth Hyman said she first heard about the company's decision when the sanctuary's supporters reached out to ask if the group planned to make a statement about it. She thought about it for a day and then went to her local store to ask a manager whom she's worked with for years about the announcement.

Hyman, who is gay, said she told the manager the sanctuary could no longer support Tractor Supply if its announcement reflected its beliefs. The sanctuary also posted its stance on X, where the post has received 31,000 likes.

"It's mind-boggling to me that a company would cave to basically a hate campaign," Hyman said. "Now they just have another boycott on their hands. We didn't call for that, but obviously people are."

Allen Adamson, co-founder of marketing consultancy Metaforce, said the conservative pressure on Tractor Supply and the fallout from giving in was the "perfect example of how the increasing split in the country  politically and ideologically  have made it really hard to run consumer-facing businesses."

"No matter which way you go on this, you're going to upset big chunks of customers," he said.

Consumers of all backgrounds are becoming more influenced by social media and choosing to redirect their spending if they feel like companies don't align with their values, Adamson said. With the case of Tractor Supply, whose business is tethered to rural communities, anti-DEI activism put the retailer in a "really tricky" situation where it had to do something to stop a potential exodus, he said.

"No company wants to be a target of negativity on social media," Adamson said. "It's a no-win situation."

Tractor Supply's reversal follows boycott campaigns against Bud Light and Target last year over their LGBTQ+ marketing. Target decided not to carry Pride Month merchandise in all its stores this June following last year's backlash.

Legal attacks against companies' diversity and inclusion efforts have also drawn more attention following the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling to end affirmative action in college admissions. Many conservative and anti-DEI activists have been seeking to set a similar precedent in the working world.

A handful of other organizations and patrons of Tractor Supply have also expressed disappointment or outrage over the company's recent announcement  which included plans to no longer submit data to the Human Rights Campaign, the largest advocacy group for LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S.

Eric Bloem, vice president of programs and corporate advocacy at the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement last week that Tractor Supply is "turning its back on their own neighbors with this shortsighted decision." The organization had worked with Tractor Supply to create inclusive policies and practices for years, he added.

But Boyd, of the National Black Farmers Association, said despite yearslong efforts from the NBFA, Tractor Supply did not consult the group on past diversity and inclusion goals or participate in the organization's conferences. The company recently invited NBFA to apply to be a partner of Tractor Supply's company foundation, but the organization learned on June 26  one day before Tractor Supply's announcement on its DEI and climate goals  that it was not among the groups selected, he said.
BYD Seal U electric car at the IAA Mobility 2023 international motor show on September 6, 2023 in Munich, Germany. Leonhard Simon | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD is on track to overtake Tesla in battery electric vehicle sales this year, with its BEV market share expected to surge, according to a Counterpoint Research report. "This shift underscores the dynamic nature of the global EV market," Counterpoint analysts said in the report released Tuesday. BYD's second-quarter battery EV sales jumped nearly 21% year on year to 426,039 units, according to CNBC's calculations. Tesla's second-quarter deliveries fell 4.8% to 443,956 vehicles.

Last year, BYD's total production  comprising battery-only powered cars as well as hybrids  was more than 3 million and surpassed Tesla's production of 1.84 million cars for a second straight year. BYD, however, manufactured 1.6 million battery-only passenger cars and 1.4 million hybrids, putting Tesla on top in terms of BEV production. BYD also lost the top EV vendor spot to the U.S. EV giant in the first quarter. Counterpoint said China "remains a dominant force in the BEV market" with BYD leading the way. China's BEV sales are estimated to be four times that of North America's in 2024, the research firm said.

China will continue to hold more than 50% market share of global BEV sales until 2027 and Chinese BEV sales are projected to top the combined sales of North America and Europe in 2030, according to Counterpoint. Last month, the European Union announced it would slap additional tariffs on Chinese EV firms to tackle the "threat of clearly foreseeable and imminent injury to EU industry." BYD will be subject to additional tariffs of 17.4%, Geely will invite an extra 20% duty. SAIC will have to pay additional duties of 38.1%  the highest among the three. This is on top of the standard 10% duty already imposed on imported EVs. The duties are currently provisional, but will be introduced from July 4, if discussions with Chinese authorities do not result in a resolution, the commission said in a statement on June 12.

watch now
This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here .

Traders work on the floor during morning trading at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on March 06, 2024 in New York City.

More records

The S&P 500 closed above 5,500 for the first time as Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank had made progress on inflation. The S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite closed at record highs, with Tesla soaring 10% after sales fell less than expected. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 162 points. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped as Powell indicated that the bank needs more time before cutting rates. U.S. oil prices dropped back from two-month highs.

Tesla soars

Tesla's shares surged 10.2% after the EV maker beat second-quarter production and delivery expectations. However, total deliveries still fell 4.8% year-over-year, though they rose 14.8% from the first quarter. The decline comes as Tesla faces increased competition, particularly in China, and an aging vehicle lineup. To stimulate sales, Tesla has offered various discounts and incentives, such as zero-interest loans for Model 3 and Model Y purchases in China.

Inflation progress

Powell said the central bank had made "quite a bit of progress" on inflation over the past year but said he wants to see more before being confident enough to start cutting interest rates. "The last [inflation] reading and the one before it to a lesser extent, suggest that we are getting back on the disinflationary path," Powell said at a central banking forum in Sintra, Portugal. "We want to be more confident that inflation is moving sustainably down toward 2% before we start the process of reducing or loosening policy."

Alzheimer drug approval

The FDA has approved Eli Lilly's Alzheimer's drug, donanemab, expanding treatment options for the nearly 7 million Americans with the disease. Eli Lilly has faced obstacles in its path to market. The FDA rejected the drug's approval last year due to insufficient data, then surprisingly delayed it again in March. Donanemab will now compete with Biogen and Japanese partner Eisai's Leqembi, which gained approval last year.

Paramount bid?

Shares of Paramount Global popped 9% in extended trading after news of a potential deal between David Ellison's Skydance and National Amusements, Paramount's controlling shareholder. This preliminary agreement could give Skydance control of Paramount, marking a revival of a previously failed deal. While specific terms remain unclear, the previous deal involved a $2 billion payout to National Amusement's controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, $4.5 billion for Paramount's controlling shares and $1.5 billion cash for Paramount's balance sheet.

[PRO] Conviction list

Goldman Sachs has updated its conviction list for the second half of the year, adding three new stocks to the list of "most differentiated fundamental Buy ideas." The list includes 10 stocks that Goldman Sachs research analysts believe will outperform the market.
Think a friend or colleague should be getting this newsletter? Share this link with them to sign up.

Aamir Ahmed Khan, PhD, Principal Electrical Engineer for Paradromics, works on the Transceiver which connects to the brain implants. Austin based Paradromics is developing a brain-computer interface to aide disabled and non-verbal patients with communication.

Good morning!

This Fourth of July week kicked off with some announcements in the neurotech field.

The brain implant startup Paradromics is taking steps to prepare for its first in-human trial next year, and the company announced on Monday that it has launched its official patient registry.

Founded in 2015, Paradromics is building a brain-computer interface, or a BCI, called the Connexus Direct Data Interface. A BCI is a system that deciphers brain signals and translates them into commands for external technologies.

Paradromics' system will initially serve as an assistive communication device that can turn brain signals into outputs like text or synthesized speech. This means patients with severe paralysis could eventually use it to regain their ability to communicate.

BCIs have been studied in academia for decades, and several other companies, including Elon Musk's Neuralink, have been developing their own systems. The companies' designs and ambitions all vary, but the industry has heated up in recent years thanks to investment from prominent backers like Musk, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Gates and Bezos' investment firms have contributed financing to a BCI company called Synchron.

Paradromics' BCI is designed to be inserted directly into the brain tissue, which means patients who want the implant will have to undergo major surgery. While the procedure will always come with risks, CEO Matt Angle told CNBC last year that the quality of the neural signals Paradromics can measure will allow patients to communicate at a faster and more natural rate than they could with a less invasive BCI.
CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. CNBC's Michael Sheetz reports and curates the latest news, investor updates and exclusive interviews on the most important companies reaching new heights. Sign up to receive future editions.

As Americans celebrate our independence this week, I'm reminded of the intrinsic but perhaps little-understood link between space and U.S. national security.

My impression is that  outside of the industry  when most people hear "space," or think about "investing in space" for that matter, it comes with connotations of science, exploration, astronauts, and maybe some Hollywood-corrupted-visuals of alternative Space Shuttles.

But the reality is that space has been what the Pentagon calls a "warfighting domain" from the very start. The first orbital rockets, satellites, and even the Apollo architecture were born of the military and its aerospace contractors. The U.S. Space Force, which has been around for less than five years, already has a bigger annual budget than NASA, even though the latter is old enough to be the Space Force's grandfather and holds a coveted position as one of the most beloved federal agencies.

Even among the NASA corps, you're as likely to find "combat flight hours logged" among the astronauts' resumes as anything else.

Historically, the biggest defense contractors have long been the winners of the largest space contracts  and that's still true today. SpaceX has earned a coveted spot in that role for the military, whether it's launching rockets for Space Force or building satellites for the NRO.

The top pure-play space companies get a significant, if not majority, amount of revenue from military work under contracts from the U.S. and its allies. And often, these military space deals represent "we made it" moments for companies  a point Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck made to me earlier this year when his company got a seat in the $10 billion PWSA Sweepstakes.

"This is really our foray into the world of being a [defense] prime  it basically doubles the company's backlog overnight with one contract," Beck told me at the time.

And the importance of military contracts is also going further upstream, as venture capital looks more explicitly toward startups that are winning and delivering on early military deals.

Global conflicts like Russia's invasion of Ukraine, or the brewing tensions of China and Taiwan, further highlight the importance of space-based capabilities to the world's militaries  whether that's the U.S. or its adversaries.

So as you tuck into some hotdogs tomorrow and look to the sky for your local fireworks, it's worth recognizing why what's above is so important to the military for what's down here  and that includes seemingly unrelated parts of space, like private space stations or going back to the moon.

Happy Fourth of July!
JD.com headquarters logo sign outside building in South section of Beijing, May 19, 2016.

Chinese online retailer JD.com has emerged as one of several companies exploring a potential bid for British parcel delivery company Evri, two people familiar with the matter said.

Reuters reported earlier this year the owner of Evri was working with advisers on options, including a potential sale of the business, which could be valued at around 2 billion pounds ($2.53 billion) including debt.

JD.com is through to the second stage of bidding after submitting a non-binding offer last month, the people said.

Other potential bidders include Polish parcel locker firm InPost and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group 's logistics arm, Cainiao, the people said.

The companies' interest may or may not result in a final offer, one of the people cautioned, who requested anonymity as the matter is confidential.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris gives the commencement address at the commencement ceremony for graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S., May 30, 2024.

Harris would likely have the keys to most of the money, according to Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, who acknowledged the rules during a recent call with party donors. Biden's campaign began June with $91 million in cash on hand, according to Federal Election Commission records. The entire political operation, which includes Biden's joint fundraising committees, entered July with $240 million on hand, according to the campaign.

Harris has emerged as an early favorite to replace the president at the top of the ticket, but this does not guarantee that the Democratic National Convention in Chicago will not feature more contenders and a potentially messy battle for the nomination.

Key issues include whether Harris would control the massive Biden-Harris campaign war chest managed by Biden's team if the president were to drop out of the race.

These conversations have been held over phone calls and text messages between some people who raised money for the vice president during her failed 2020 Democratic primary campaign against Biden and other contenders, said the people, who were granted anonymity in order to speak freely about private conversations.

Vice President Kamala Harris ' allies are privately discussing what her candidacy would look like if President Joe Biden dropped out of the race for the White House and how they could help her, following Biden's disastrous debate performance Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter.

There's also discussion among Harris confidants about the need to begin scheduling meetings for the vice president with some of the biggest donors in the Democratic Party if Biden drops out, these people said.

Harris' allies have been pushing other donors and party officials to reconsider the potential advantages the vice president's policy portfolio could bring to a Democratic campaign platform: Her focus on reproductive rights, her outreach to Black voters and marginalized communities and her remarks in February in Germany, when she emphasized the strength of U.S. support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian invasion, according to a person familiar with the engagement.

Some of Harris' past fundraisers are also texting one another an old one-minute video that features the vice president taking on former President Donald Trump's appointees while she was a U.S. senator, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. It shows clips of Harris facing off with the likes of former Attorneys General Bill Barr and Jeff Sessions and then Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

The video also underscores a key message, they say: Harris' willingness to confront Trump's allies shows that she has what it takes to go face to face against the former president. "Taking on Trump one on one, Kamala will use her backbone, her values, and her experience as a prosecutor to expose Trump," a voiceover for the advertisement says.

The video was produced for a political action committee called "People Standing Strong," which was never fully activated because Harris dropped out in 2019 shortly after it was created. The PAC reportedly reserved nearly $300,000 worth of advertising across the key state of Iowa but the ads were not aired because Harris dropped out before the state's caucus.

A White House spokeswoman for Harris and Biden campaign representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

Any discussions of what Harris might need to win a convention fight for the nomination was unthinkable for Democrats before Thursday's debate, when Biden struggled to make the case for his reelection and failed to push back on Trump.

Biden's poor debate performance greatly changed the mood among donors, with many privately discussing the need for the president to step aside in order to give the party the best chance of beating Trump in November.

The donors sending around the video, for instance, are "all just confused, scared and sad" since the debate, said a longtime strategist close to many of the top fundraisers in California. "They're desperate to beat Trump."

Dmitri Mehlhorn, a longtime advisor to Democratic donors including tech investor Reid Hoffman, said in an email Wednesday to allies that was shared with CNBC that although he continues to support Biden, in his view Harris would be a solid alternative to take on and potentially defeat Trump.

"To be clear, Vice President Harris is a badass. A ticket with her at the top, combined with someone who balances her brand weaknesses (examples range from Mark Kelly to Andy Beshear to Roy Cooper to Josh Shapiro and many others), would absolutely be competitive with the criminally insane convicted felon the other side is committed to nominating," wrote Mehlhorn. "We would lose Joe's superpower brand, but we would gain other benefits and would still be competitive."

Biden's team has said the president is not dropping out of the race. Meanwhile, Harris, to all appearances, has remained loyal and is scheduled to have lunch with the president at the White House on Wednesday.

Despite his team's public pledge that he won't drop out, The New York Times and CNN reported Wednesday that Biden has signaled privately to an ally he may not be able to salvage his candidacy.

White House spokesman Andrew Bates vehemently denied the story in a social media post. CNBC and NBC News have not independently confirmed the conversation.

Harris defended the president's debate performance to a group of her past donors in San Francisco on Tuesday.

The event was at real estate executive Susan Lowenberg's home, and the crowd included Harris donors from the time when she was running for San Francisco District Attorney, according to the pool report.

"We gotta fight, and we know how to fight," Harris said to the crowd. "When we fight, we win."

Since the debate, there's been a growing chorus of party donors, most of whom have spoken in private, and a few lawmakers who have spoken in public who question whether Biden is up to the task of being president for four more years, and if he is not, whether it's right for him to be the party's nominee in November.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, on Tuesday became the first Democratic lawmaker in Congress to call on Biden to step down.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., both longtime Biden allies, said in interviews on MSNBC that it's fair for voters to ask about Biden's health in the wake of his debate performance.

"I think it's a legitimate question to say, 'Is this an episode or is this a condition?'" Pelosi said in the interview, noting that the question should be asked of both Biden and Trump.

The polls have had a mixed message for Biden since the debate.

A CNN poll shows that Trump is ahead of Biden by 6 percentage points nationwide, which is identical to the network's national poll in April.

But 75% of those polled say that someone else other than Biden would have a better chance of beating Trump than Biden would.

Harris' stock has also started to rise in online betting pools about who will be the Democratic nominee for president.

PredictIt, which allows people to make bets on political events, now puts the vice president in a close second to Biden.

Before the debate, PredictIt put her odds of becoming the party's nominee this year so far behind Biden that she was trailing the likes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
A logo sits illuminated at the Microsoft booth in the Mobile World Congress 2024 in Barcelona on Feb. 26, 2024.

Microsoft is paying $14.4 million to settle a case in California over allegations the company retaliated against employees who had taken legally protected time off.

California's Civil Rights Department announced the proposed settlement on Wednesday. After approval by a state judge, almost all of the money will go to California workers who took parental leave, family care-taking leave or disability leave from 2017 to the present, and who decide to participate in the settlement.

"Because Microsoft workers who use or will use protected leave are disproportionately women and people with disabilities, Microsoft's challenged policies and practices also have a discriminatory adverse impact based on sex and disability that Microsoft cannot justify based on business necessity," the state agency said.

According to the complaint, Microsoft doesn't do enough to stop managers from considering protected leave when assessing an employee's "impact," a factor that's involved in the calculation of annual bonuses, promotions, stock awards and merit increases.

Microsoft, which is based in Redmond, Washington, employs about 6,700 people in California out of its total workforce of 221,000, according to the complaint.

Under CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft has sought to diversify its upper ranks, while also becoming more responsive to issues related to harassment and discrimination.

The percentage of women at the partner, executive, director and manager levels has increased over the years. Within core Microsoft, women represented 31.2% of the workforce in 2023, up from 27.6% in 2019, according to the company's latest diversity report.

In 2022, following a shareholder vote, Microsoft said it would revise its sexual harassment and gender discrimination rules after a report from an outside group found issues in the company's handling of complaints.

Employees have reported feeling worried about retaliation after asking for protected leave, according to the California complaint. The proposed settlement said Microsoft disputes the agency's claims.

"Microsoft is committed to an environment that empowers our employees to take leave when needed and provides the flexibility and support necessary for them to thrive professionally and personally," a company spokesperson told CNBC in an email. "While we believe the agency's allegations are inaccurate, we will continue to listen, learn, and support our employees."

As part of the settlement, Microsoft will provide training to direct and second-level managers of staff members in California and to human resources employees who deal with their bonuses and merit increases. Managers will also be instructed not to consider time off for protected leave when making "impact" decisions. A consultant, APTMetrics, will be responsible for monitoring compliance.
Natural gas could become the global energy source of the future, serving as a transition fuel to replace coal and support renewables as rising demand makes it easier to ship around the world. Natural gas has historically been a regional commodity, with supply limited by pipeline networks. But a global market has developed as the ports and terminals to liquefy gas expands, according to Shehriyar Antia , head of thematic research at asset manager PGIM, the asset management arm of Prudential Financial. "Natural gas is starting to resemble oil in that there's a more global market emerging for it," Antia told CNBC in an interview. "There are smaller differentials in regional prices ... because increasingly it is becoming easier to ship it around the world." While natural gas still is not on par with oil in global reach and significance, "in the last 10 years it has taken tremendous, tremendous steps in that direction," Antia said. Over the past decade, the volume of global liquefied natural gas traded nearly doubled to 401 million metric tons in 2023 from 236 million metric tons in 2013 , connecting 20 export markets with 51 import markets, according to the International Gas Union . The global capacity to liquefy natural gas has grown 60% since 2014, reaching 483 million metric tons annually as of February 2024, according to the IGU. The widespread ability to cool gas into a liquid is the key innovation that has made it possible to ship the commodity across the world's oceans on a commercial scale. Cheniere: LNG powerhouse The U.S. dominates the global LNG market, accounting for 21% of global exports last year and shipping 84 million metric tons, according to the IGU. Cheniere Energy , a global LNG leader based in Houston, is an opportunity for investors who want exposure to the growing global gas market, Antia said. "When it comes to LNG infrastructure, Cheniere is a company that provides the infrastructure necessary to liquefy as well as re-gasifying natural gas," Antia said. "They're a big part of the shipping internationally of natural gas." Cheniere's New York Stock Exchange ticker symbol? LNG, of course. LNG 3M mountain Cheniere Cheniere makes up half of U.S. natural gas export capacity, with 45 million metric tons per year of liquefaction capacity at two sites on the Gulf of Mexico, according to a June research note from Bernstein. Cheniere would be the fourth-largest LNG exporter in the world, just behind Indonesia, if counted separately from the rest of the U.S. industry, the analysts said. Bernstein has an outperform investment opinion on Cheniere, with a price target of $217 per share, implying 24% upside from Tuesday's close of $174.45. Morgan Stanley is also bullish, arguing Cheniere has a structural advantage over smaller U.S. peers. The investment bank has a price target of $191 per share, suggesting a 9% upside. A 'transition fuel' Demand for natural gas is soaring as economies including China and India move to replace coal as an energy source for electricity generation, Antia said. As demand rises, the world's capacity to liquefy natural gas is expected to increase 43% to 700 million metric tons a year by 2030, according to the IGU. China was the largest LNG importer in 2023, taking 71 million metric tons, followed by Japan, South Korea and India. Whether LNG is actually a cleaner-burning fossil fuel with a role to play in the energy transition to renewables is contentious. The U.S. Department of Energy found in 2019 that LNG exported to Europe would generate anywhere from 56% less greenhouse gas emissions than coal to 1% more emissions than coal over a 20-year period. In Asia, LNG exports would generate 2% to 53% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than coal, according to the DOE study. The Biden administration in January paused the approval of new LNG exports to countries without free trade agreements with the U.S. in order to evaluate the climate impact, among other issues. The move was cheered by environmentalists and opposed by the gas industry. A federal judge on Monday blocked the administration from continuing the pause. But fossil fuels are not going to be easily replaced, Antia contended. Solar and wind are growing rapidly but they are still not easily dispatchable, or able to be turned on and off as needed, the analyst said. Gas is a natural "transition fuel" that can complement renewables by dispatching energy when solar and wind can't, he said. "Where natural gas can make a really huge impact in this energy transition is in places where it can displace higher carbon emitting sources such as coal," Antia said. "Embracing the greener end of fossil fuels is a really smart, nuanced way of bringing the energy transition forward." Crucial for energy security LNG has also become a crucial commodity for national security, particularly since Europe halted most gas imports from Russia after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Europe suddenly lost about 40% of its gas supply after the war broke out, according to Morgan Stanley research published last week. The U.S. is the largest LNG provider for its allies in the European Union and the United Kingdom since the war began, representing 48% of their total imports in 2023, according to data from the U.S. Department of Energy. When counted as a single market, the 27-member European Union far surpasses China as the largest LNG importer, taking 121 million metric tons in 2023, according to the IGU. "Our friends and allies have come to depend on the U.S. for that supply," Mark Menezes, CEO of the United States Energy Association, told CNBC's " Squawk Box Europe " in an interview Tuesday. "As we go through the energy transition and natural gas continues to be the driver to take the place of coal to take the place of Russian gas in Europe, policies need to continue to be in place to allow that to happen," said Menezes, deputy secretary of Energy in the Trump administration. LNG prices surged after the Russian invasion as global supplies suddenly tightened. Those high prices sparked investments in more than 150 million metric tons per year of LNG capacity, which will significantly expand supply, according to Morgan Stanley. "This is significant supply growth," the analysts told clients in the June note. "As we have written over the last few quarters, we expect this additional supply to push the market back into balance, and ultimately oversupply over the next few years."
Coal-fired power plants in Mariveles, Bataan, the Philippines, on June 6, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The Philippines' dependency on coal-fired power surged 62% last year, overtaking China, Indonesia and Poland, according to London-based energy think-tank Ember. The Philippines was also the most coal-dependent country in Southeast Asia in 2023, as adoption of renewable electricity generation remained low. The share of electricity generated from coal in the country climbed to 61.9% last year compared to 59.1% in 2022. Overall, coal generation in the country also rose by 9.7%, higher than a 4.6% increase in electricity demand, the report said. "Coal has played important roles in the Philippines' energy security. In the 1990s, many new coal power plants were being built to meet the growing electricity demand," Dinita Setyawati, senior electricity policy analyst for Southeast Asia at Ember Climate told CNBC.

Indonesia and the Philippines are the two most coal dependent countries in Southeast Asia and their reliance on coal is growing fast. Ember

"To date, dependency on these coal power plants continues." Indonesia  the world's fifth largest coal producer  followed closely behind, with the share of power generated from coal hitting fresh highs of 61.8% in 2023. "Indonesia and the Philippines are the two most coal dependent countries in Southeast Asia and their reliance on coal is growing fast," the report said, adding that the the Southeast Asian region saw a 2% uptick in coal reliance from 31% in 2022 to 33% last year. China has made strides in reducing its reliance on the dirtiest fossil fuel for electricity generation, with demand standing at 60.7% in 2023  lower than India at 75.2% and Poland at 61%, according to Ember. The world's biggest coal producer, China has made notable progress in renewable energy development. As a result, there's been a slowdown in the rate of emission increase  from an average of 9% annually between 2001 and 2015, to 4.4% annually between 2016 and 2023, the energy think tank said in May, adding that clean electricity contributed to 35% of China's total electricity generation.

Indonesia, Philippines lag in renewables
Damircudic | E+ | Getty Images

Millions of student loan borrowers were looking forward to a smaller monthly bill come July, until a legal challenge to the Biden administration's new relief plan got in the way last week. But on June 30, a federal appeals court gave the U.S. Department of Education the green light to implement a major provision of its new Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan. The bottom line: As promised, most enrolled borrowers should still see their July bills come down. Here are some answers to other questions borrowers might have.

Why is the SAVE plan being challenged?

President Joe Biden rolled out the SAVE plan in the summer of 2023, describing it as "the most affordable student loan plan ever." SAVE replaced the Education Department's former REPAYE option, or Revised Pay As You Earn plan. So far, around 8 million borrowers have signed up for the new income-driven repayment, or IDR, plan, according to the White House. Under IDR plans, borrowers' monthly payments are set based on a share of their discretionary income. They receive forgiveness after a set period, typically 20 years or 25 years. More from Personal Finance:

What Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour says about 'passion tourism'

'NEETS' and 'new unemployables': Why fewer young adults are working

What the new IRS guidance on crypto tax reporting means for investors The SAVE plan has the most generous terms to date, which has led to the current controversy. Instead of paying 10% of their discretionary income a month toward their undergraduate student debt, as they did under REPAYE, borrowers need to pay just 5%. Those who earn less than roughly $15 an hour have a $0 monthly bill, and borrowers with smaller balances are entitled to loan forgiveness on an expedited timeline  in as little as 10 years. "The SAVE plan is very generous to borrowers, almost like a grant after the fact," higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz said in a previous interview with CNBC.

Where do the lawsuits against SAVE stand?

Republican-backed states, including Florida, Arkansas and Missouri, filed lawsuits against the SAVE plan earlier this year. The states argued that the Biden administration was overstepping its authority with SAVE, and essentially trying to find a roundabout way to forgive student debt after the Supreme Court blocked its sweeping plan last year. In response, two federal judges in Kansas and Missouri temporarily halted significant parts of the SAVE plan on June 24. As a result, the Biden administration was prevented from forgiving debt on a faster timeline under the new income-driven repayment plan and from further reducing borrowers' payments in July, as it planned to.

watch now

Those rulings came down days before payments were set to drop. As a result, the U.S. Department of Justice geared up to appeal the injunctions and the Education Department announced it would temporarily pause payments for many SAVE borrowers while the legal proceedings played out. It has now decided the payments will continue. That's due to the fact that the Biden administration's appeal against one of the injunctions, which prevented it from lowering payments, was successful. The case has not been decided yet, but at least for now the Education Department can proceed with reducing borrowers' bills. Meanwhile, the second injunction against the SAVE plan regarding expedited loan forgiveness, which came down last week from a federal judge in Missouri, remains in effect.

What does this mean for me?

As a result of its successful appeal, the Biden administration is currently moving ahead with the SAVE plan provision that slashes borrowers' monthly payments to 5% of their discretionary income. Many people will see their bill cut in half.
Ikiah McGowan lives in Austin but hopes to move abroad within the next two years. She recently went on a 10-day scouting trip in Portugal with the travel group Expatsi.

For some people, the goal of traveling abroad is to go somewhere entirely different from home. For Ikiah McGowan, much of her international travel is fueled by the desire to find a place that feels like home  but outside the U.S. That's how McGowan, 39, recently found herself flying from Austin to Portugal for a 10-day scouting trip with dozens of other Americans dreaming of moving abroad. McGowan was part of the inaugural trip from Expatsi, a company that helps Americans move abroad through community groups and weeks-long guided scouting tours. For the March trip, travelers paid a discounted rate of $1,000 to spend 10 days in Portugal followed by $1,200 for 12 days in Spain. (Some chose to attend one leg of the trip while others stayed for the entire 22-day excursion.) These curated trips are more than a typical vacation. In each city, travelers partake in a half-day seminar led by experts to discuss the logistical ins and outs of immigrating, covering financial planning, visas, health care, real estate and other legal matters. On the remaining days, a local tour guide shows travelers around neighborhoods with a growing American expat community, or other locations where the group has expressed interest, and a realtor shows them properties for sale or for rent. More Americans could soon be exploring their options abroad. A CNBC analysis of U.S. Google search data shows a spike in users searching for terms related to "how to move to X country" beginning in mid-June. Interest swelled following the first 2024 presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on June 27. It's been "a crazy week" for Jen Barnett, co-founder of Expatsi, who says traffic to the site is up 800% since the debate. Americans' interest in visa applications to move and work abroad tend to pick up after big political moments, Masha Sutherlin, head of immigration at the global HR and payroll company Deel, previously told CNBC Make It. "You're seeing some folks in the U.S. saying, 'I don't want to be in this environment, and I have choices to go to other places,'" she says. "Pair that with the digital nomad lifestyle and the abundance of digital nomad visas, and that opens up an entirely new scheme of working for Americans."

A 'cheat sheet' for finding a new home abroad

McGowan has been fascinated by digital nomad living since 2019. She searched for and landed a remote job in the nonprofit world  a rarity just five years ago  and began solo traveling for long stretches while working. So far, she's traveled for extensive time in the U.K., Malta, Guatemala and Colombia.

Americans who dream of moving abroad are getting help from travel companies like Expatsi, which offers scouting trips to international cities. Courtesy of Expatsi

"As I've seen the way this country is developing, along with my intense interest in cultures that are different than my own, and a deep desire for for exploring the world, my interest in actually moving abroad grew," she says. McGowan wants to move abroad within the next two years, but so far hasn't found a place that really feels like home. She'd never considered Portugal until she learned about Expatsi from Tiktok. She started off with their online test, which identifies your top international cities based on preferences around your budget, ideal weather, whether you plan to work or retire abroad, what laws and policies are important to you, and other cultural factors. The test determined Portugal was among her top matches, and so McGowan booked her ticket to join the group tour in the spring. She says the price was well worth having the travel planning taken care of, plus access to local experts on everything ranging from financial planning to restaurants and attractions. "It was like a cheat sheet to get to know Portugal quickly, and having someone else to plan the logistics was super helpful," she says. "I didn't have to research the cool places to hang out in Portugal or what the cool neighborhoods are. That was already taken care of. I just had to get there." Plus, "Portugal is a very hot spot among Black Americans, so that's also appealing to me." Both Portugal and Spain have been recognized as being good destinations for digital nomads and expats in general, and they're the top two countries where Americans are applying for visas to live and work, according to data from Deel. Expatsi fees cover the seminars, tours and one group meal and don't include travel or accommodations, though they're happy to give suggestions or facilitate people teaming up to book a place together. The flexibility means people can find accommodations that suit their budget, whether it's a hostel or a 5-star hotel, Barnett says, though she advises looking into longer-term stays. "You really need to stay in an Airbnb or VRBO if you can," she says, "because you want to stay in a neighborhood you might want to live in and walk to the grocery store and cook a meal and imagine what your life would be like."

McGowan estimates she spent roughly $2,300 on her trip including airfare and accommodations. The choose-your-own-stay model can help foster a stronger sense of community among the travel group. McGowan shared accommodations with four other women ranging in age from 22 to 65. She felt inspired by the conversations surrounding their desire to leave the U.S., which often involved "family dynamics, health matters, politics  a lot about politics," McGowan says. "To have that intergenerational time with other people with similar goals was really amazing."

'They want out' for 'adventure and personal growth'

The inaugural trip-goers were mostly women ranging in age from 22 to 80 with a cluster around 40 to 65, Barnett says. Solo travelers made up the bulk of the group, though there were also a handful of men and couples in the mix. Most were either people who can work remotely as digital nomads, or are scoping out their options to retire abroad. Many of the travelers were more alike than not: "They want out," Barnett says, and "overwhelmingly it's not negative reasons; it's for adventure and personal growth. They know that they want something more out of life." Plus, finding a place with a high quality of life with a low cost of living is crucial for many travelers, especially retirees. "Beyond that, they're really looking for a way of life," Barnett adds. "It's walkable cities. It's a glass of wine. It's music in the park. They're seeking something special." "It's not to say you can't find those things in the U.S., but a lot of times they're reserved for the wealthiest or people of a certain leisure class," she says. Meanwhile, in a place like Lisbon, "you can't avoid it. Every building is beautiful and there are viewpoints everywhere and a glass of wine is $3. And this quality of life is available to everyone."

Expatsi hosted 30 Americans for a 10-day trip to Portugal and 12-day trip to Spain in May. Courtesy of Expatsi

For having little background on the country before visiting, McGowan enjoyed her experience in Portugal. "I was pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the locals and residents," she says. "They were very willing to share their personal political views (we went days before a big election), their opinion on immigrants, and snippets about their personal lives." She says she's still friends with some of the people she met while on the scouting trip while exploring on her own and thrift shopping  her hobby and side hustle. Plus, "the fact that English was widely spoken and provided on official signs, instructions, etc., is a testament to the welcoming spirit of the Portuguese." Ultimately, the trip helped McGowan figure out what she's looking for in a new home. "Basically, I want Austin but outside of the U.S.," she says. "I would like a small, non-pretentious, friendly, walkable city" with "great thrift stores."

More trips on the horizon
The United States added six companies to its trade restriction list on Tuesday, including four for their links to the training of China's military forces, according to a government posting.

The United States added six companies to its trade restriction list on Tuesday, including four for their links to the training of China's military forces, according to a government posting.

Two of the companies are in China, one in South Africa, two in the United Arab Emirates and one in Britain.

Global Training Solutions Limited and Smartech Future Limited, both in China, as well as Grace Air (Pty) Ltd and Livingston Aerospace Limited of the United Kingdom, were added over their ties to the Test Flying Academy of South Africa and the training of China's military forces using Western and NATO sources, the posting said.

The Test Flying Academy of South Africa was put on the Entity List, as it is known, last year for training Chinese military pilots using Western and North Atlantic Treaty Organization sources.

UAE companies Mega Fast Cargo and Mega Technique General Trading were added for evasive conduct, and Mega Fast Cargo for shipping U.S.-origin goods to Russia, the posting said.

Companies on the Entity List, which is overseen by the U.S. Commerce Department, require licenses to ship U.S. goods and technology to them, which are likely to be denied.
Pictured here is a stone with tungsten ore inside a mine in Germany run by Saxony Minerals and Exploration. Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images

BEIJING  China dominates the supply chain for many of the world's critical minerals, but so far it's held off on sweeping restrictions on at least one: tungsten. The metal is nearly as hard as diamond and has a high energy density. That's made tungsten an important material in weapons, autos, electric car batteries, semiconductors and industrial cutting machines. Chipmakers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Nvidia both use the metal. "I don't expect any saber-rattling over tungsten," said Lewis Black, CEO of Canada-based Almonty Industries. The company said it's spending at least $125 million to reopen a tungsten mine in South Korea later this year. "If you get too belligerent about diversification, [it becomes a situation that's] biting the hand that feeds you," he said, adding that "tungsten has always been a diplomatic metal." While the Biden administration raised tariffs on imports of tungsten in May, China this past weekend did not include the metal in new regulations for boosting its oversight of domestic rare earths production.

But China might not be too concerned, because the Chinese government ignored the new tariffs... They completely ignored it because the Chinese don't want tensions to rise. Lewis Black CEO of Almonty

"The tariffs were more of a warning shot, as Biden only put tariffs on three of the 25 strategic metals China exports," Black said. "But China might not be too concerned, because the Chinese government ignored the new tariffs, unlike in the past when they restricted some exports of rare earths. They completely ignored it because the Chinese don't want tensions to rise." Asked last month if China would retaliate to the latest U.S. tariffs on tungsten, China's Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong didn't announce countermeasures. Instead, he called on the U.S. to remove the additional duties. Commodity price reporting and analytics company Fastmarkets pointed out earlier this year that China has reduced national production quotas for its tungsten mines due to environmental restrictions.

Diversifying away from China

Still, Black expects his company to benefit from growing efforts to diversify away from China. Almonty claims the forthcoming mine in South Korea has the potential to produce 50% of the world's ex-China tungsten supply. Demand for non-Chinese tungsten is already on the rise. "We see in the U.S., in Europe, they ask their suppliers for a China-free supply chain," said Michael Dornhofer, founder of metals consulting firm Independent Supply Business Partner.

watch now

The U.S. REEShore Act  or Restoring Essential Energy and Security Holdings Onshore for Rare Earths Act of 2022  prohibits the use of Chinese tungsten in military equipment starting in 2026, while the European Commission last year extended tariffs on imported Chinese tungsten carbide for another five years, Almonty Industries pointed out in a report. The House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party last month announced a new working group on the U.S. critical minerals policy.

Soaring tungsten prices

Expectations for higher demand and limited supplies of tungsten have pushed prices to multi-year highs, although they have tapered off in the last several weeks. Dornhofer said in an interview in late May that he was also seeing Chinese buyers increasing their tungsten purchases. "Since the beginning of this year, they are not only asking for Western concentrate, but they are buying significant volumes, paying even more than Western companies are willing to pay," he said. "Definitely [going to be] a game changer."

watch now

Back in January, U.S.-based research firm Macro Ops said: "We're approaching an inflection point in tungsten supply. The US will quickly run out of stockpiled tungsten and flip from net seller to buyer over the next 12-18 months." The U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security at the Department of Commerce did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment on this story. Brandon Beylo, head of investment research at Macro Ops, told CNBC in an email there are only six companies in the U.S. with capacity to produce tungsten. He added that the U.S. hasn't produced tungsten domestically since 2015, meaning future U.S. supply must come from overseas. He said the firm doesn't own tungsten-related stocks, but that he's personally looking for ways to access the physical commodity. There are no futures for trading tungsten.

Other tungsten players going to South Korea

China dominates over 80% of the tungsten supply chain, although local production costs are rising as the mines age, according to Argus, noting Chinese imports of the metal from North Korea, central Africa and Myanmar. "This presents an opportunity for projects outside China," Mark Seddon, principal, consulting and analytics at Argus, said in a June 28 webinar. Other non-Chinese companies in the tungsten supply chain are going to South Korea. In February, IMC Endmill, an affiliate of Warren Buffett-owned IMC Group, signed an agreement with the Daegu city government for a 130 billion Korean won ($93.6 million) investment in a tungsten powder manufacturing facility, according to a local news report. IMC Group did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

watch now
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.
Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday.
China, Laos to hold Friendship Shield-2024 joint exercise in July

Xinhua) 13:05, July 03, 2024

BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Based on the annual plan and the agreement of both sides, the armed forces of China and Laos will hold the Friendship Shield-2024 joint military exercise in Laos this July, China's Ministry of National Defense announced on Wednesday.

The exercise, which is the second of its kind, seeks to strengthen strategic mutual trust and practical cooperation between the two militaries, with the aim of promoting regional peace and stability.

The Friendship Shield-2023 joint military exercise was held in May last year in Laos.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A recent breakthrough in medical technology found that subtle temperature variations across facial regions could signal underlying health conditions like diabetes and hypertension. Researchers have developed an AI-powered tool capable of detecting these indicators, which are imperceptible to touch but discernible through specialized spatial temperature patterns derived from thermal imaging.

Published in the journal Cell Metabolism on July 2, the study suggests that this non-invasive approach could pave the way for early disease detection with further refinement.

"Aging is a natural process," Jing-Dong Jackie Han, corresponding author of the study from Peking University in Beijing, remarked. "But our tool has the potential to promote healthy aging and help people live disease-free."

Previously, the team used 3D facial structure to predict biological age, a metric closely tied to disease risks such as cancer and diabetes. Intrigued by whether facial temperature could also serve as a predictor of health and aging, Han and her colleagues analyzed facial temperatures of over 2,800 Chinese participants aged 21 to 88. This data enabled them to train AI models to estimate a person's "thermal age," highlighting significant temperature variations in areas like the nose, eyes, and cheeks linked to age and health.

The study revealed that nose temperature decreases with age faster than other facial areas, indicating a younger "thermal age" for those with warmer noses. Conversely, temperatures around the eyes tend to rise with age. Furthermore, individuals with metabolic disorders like diabetes and fatty liver disease exhibited accelerated thermal aging, characterized by higher eye area temperatures compared to their healthy peers. Elevated blood pressure was also associated with higher cheek temperatures.

Analysis of blood samples indicated that increased temperatures around the eyes and cheeks stemmed from heightened cellular activities linked to inflammation, including DNA repair and immune responses.

"The thermal clock is so strongly associated with metabolic diseases that previous facial imaging models were not able to predict these conditions," Han explained, according to Medical Xpress.

In a surprising finding, the team investigated whether physical activity could influence "thermal age" by instructing 23 participants to jump rope at least 800 times daily for two weeks. Remarkably, participants reduced their thermal age by five years, highlighting the potential of exercise as a mitigating factor.

Looking ahead, researchers aim to explore the use of thermal facial imaging for predicting conditions such as sleep disorders and cardiovascular diseases.

"We hope to apply thermal facial imaging in clinical settings, as it holds significant potential for early disease diagnosis and intervention," Han concluded, underscoring its promising role in revolutionizing healthcare diagnostics.
Teenagers often exhibit behaviors like slamming doors, throwing tantrums, or having sudden outbursts of tears during family meals. While some may dismiss these as typical adolescent angst or rebellion, they could actually indicate deeper struggles with anxiety.

Identifying Signs of Depression in Teens



Natasha Riard, a clinical psychology lecturer and psychology clinic manager at James Cook University Singapore, described anxiety as a powerful force that overwhelms both mind and body, according to CNBC.

"Once the panic attack starts, it's like a train that has left the station, and it's only going to stop when it reaches the next one. The journey between those stations is the experience of the attack," Riard said.

Recognizing signs of anxiety in teenagers can be challenging for parents. Psychologists note that adolescents, like adults, exhibit fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses to stress. Flight responses may include panic, crying, or shaking, while freeze responses involve withdrawing and becoming silent.

"Parents need to think about the meaning behind their children slamming doors and shouting. Could they be anxious about something?" Riard added, noting the importance of interpreting these actions beyond face value.

Moreover, some teenagers display a "high-functioning" anxiety where they outwardly appear fine while struggling internally. Lisa Coloca, psychologist and director at Bloom Psychology Group, points out that appearances can be deceiving, and what seems normal on the surface may conceal significant emotional turmoil.

"Young people often avoid how they're feeling and do their best to appear that everything is okay by appearing busy in a chaotic situation. What you see on their face or behavior may not be what's going on underneath," Coloca noted.

Eli Lebowitz from Yale Child Study Center Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program advises parents to watch for physical signs like shortness of breath or changes in skin tone during anxiety episodes. He reassures that while anxiety attacks can be frightening, they are not dangerous, urging parents to remain calm and supportive.

Tips for Supporting Anxious Teens

Timing matters: Approach discussions about managing emotions when your teen is calm, not during moments of intense anxiety. Offer support and reassurance that you're there to listen whenever they need.

"Don't expect your child to be able to talk about it while they're in the grip of really intense anxiety. You have to give them some time to calm down," suggested Lebowitz, who is also the author of "Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD."

Share personal experiences: Help your teen feel less alone by sharing your own experiences with anxiety in a supportive and non-threatening manner.

"Parents need to normalize this and talk about their own internal dialogue around anxiety as well, while being mindful to have open communication in a non-threatening way," Michelle Savage, another psychologist and director at Bloom Psychology Group and Bloom Community, suggested.

However, psychologists interviewed by CNBC pointed out that parents should avoid discussing "big and inappropriate" issues, such as financial problems or marital difficulties, with their children.

Validate their feelings: Avoid dismissing or downplaying your teen's emotions. Allow them space to express their fears and anxieties without jumping to solutions.

"Validating that your child is anxious is not going to make them more anxious. It will make them feel understood and more likely to talk to you about it in the future as well," Lebowitz said.

Understanding and managing teen anxiety requires empathy, patience, and a willingness to listen. By recognizing early signs and providing appropriate support, parents can help their teens navigate through challenging emotional landscapes.
Earlier this week, on July 1st, Americas hat celebrated Canada Day, which is basically just like Americas Independence Day, except if they ever make a disaster movie called Canada Day, it will probably end with the army politely asking the invading aliens if they wouldnt mind leaving whenever it suits them best. No rush.

To mark the occasion, Simpsons voice actor and Spinal Tap bassist Harry Shearer took to social media to remind us all of the time that the fictitious heavy metal band played three massive concerts, in three Canadian cities, all in one day: July 1, 1992. He noted in the comments that they didnt even lose a single drummer on the hurried tour.

To celebrate Canadas 125th birthday, a massive all-concert event was planned, featuring three outdoor stages spread all across the country. Dubbed The Great Canadian Party the whole thing was televised on Canadas MTV equivalent MuchMusic, and sponsored by a beer company, because of course it was.

Don't Miss

Most of the acts were Canadian, including bands like Crash Test Dummies and The Tragically Hip. But the big star of this Canada Day event, for some reason, was Spinal Tap. That may sound kind of odd, but in 1992, the mockumentary subjects (played by Shearer, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean) reunited to release an actual, not at all fake album called Break Like the Wind.

Spinal Tap was the only act booked for all three Great Canadian Party concert stages, a fact that may have rankled some Canadian performers. One Canuck musician bemoaned the fact that the only unifying factor of the Canada Day concert was an American joke, referring to the U.S. humorists who, to be fair, were pretending to be British.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Spinal Taps intense schedule required them to travel across five different time zones  from St. Johns, Newfoundland, to Barrie, Ontario (just North of Toronto), and finally to Vancouver, British Columbia, playing for over 100,000 people in total. In retrospect, it was especially funny to entrust this daring plan to a band that famously got lost inside of a theater.

To further hype Spinal Taps involvement, concert organizers held a contest in which winners could party with the band on their private plane.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Judging from surviving footage of the tour, the constant attention from fans and reporters meant that Shearer, McKean, and Guest had to stay in character as Derek Smalls, David St. Hubbins and Nigel Tufnel, respectively, as they hustled from coast to coast.

Play

The ambitious plan didnt totally work out. One review of the Vancouver show noted that Spinal Tap didnt hit the stage until an hour-and-a-half after its scheduled time  so much for that legendary Spinal Tap punctuality. The review did admit, though, that the band actually rocked quite well.

Sadly, these concerts didnt inspire Canada to alter the flag to feature a tiny replica of Stonehenge instead of a maple leaf.

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter (if it still exists by the time youre reading this).
Weve certainly cooked ourselves up a pretty glowing review of the Revolutionary War, and why wouldnt we? Its the birthing moment of our proud nation, so making sure its got an awesome origin story is important. A more nuanced, confusing look at exactly how we ended up gaining our independence from Britain? Well, that doesnt make for as many fireworks.

If you choose to dissect the actual events, though, theres a lot more weird bits of luck and random occurrences than you might remember.

5 The Word Independence Never Appears in the Declaration of Independence Don't Miss Or, as the document is actually called, The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America. In a strange, historical equivalent to the fact that Seinfeld never actually says Whats the deal, the word independence never appears once on the entire piece of paper, which seems so unlikely that you start to think they got halfway through, realized theyd never said independence and decided to keep it up the rest of the way, reasoning, Maybe somebody in the future will find this mildly interesting.

4 It Involved the First Ever Submarine Attack Zenit If you were asked to name the first time a submarine was used in war, you probably wouldnt be thinking back to redcoats and minutemen, but it did indeed happen during the Revolutionary War. Named, naturally, the Turtle, it was a one-man, oak submarine designed by David Bushnell to carry a keg of gunpowder and attempt to blow out the hull of British ships. Something that was attempted against the HMS Eagle in New York Harbor. The submarine parts worked just fine, but it was unable to penetrate the ships hull, and the homemade torpedo detonated harmlessly, making the whole thing a bit of a wash.

3 We Owe France A Whole Lot of Credit for the Win Advertisement This is a detail that most history buffs are probably well aware of, but doesnt jibe with the general independent vibe we like to ascribe to the Revolutionary War. (I am deeply sorry for how much that sentence sounded like something out of Hamilton.) The fact is, proud Americans would sure like to think our victory over the British was constructed out of pure elbow grease and gumption, and not from international assistance, much less from the French. In fact, it's extremely unlikely America would have won the war without French support, both financially and in the form of boots on the ground. For all that, we later refused to even let them have their own fries.

2 There Was An Assassination Plot to Kill George Washington Advertisement Advertisement Public Domain Maybe one of the reasons George Washington was considered such a great leader were his powers of intuition. Point in case being that he appointed a secret committee before signing the Declaration of Independence to look out for plans to take him out, and they immediately found one. Given that the person in charge of the assassination was to be Washingtons bodyguard Thomas Hickey, theres a good chance they would have successfully made it happen, too. Instead, it was uncovered, and Hickey was executed.
To the joy of children/unstable young adults in formal wear everywhere, Hollywood keeps churning out movies featuring the Minions, the cartoon evil henchmen best described as a cross between a Twinkie and a sleep paralysis demon.

The latest cinematic offering to feature the bug-eyed yellow blobs is Despicable Me 4, which sees the return of Steve Carrells Gru, the supervillain-turned family man, and also theres  ah, who cares, its colorful nonsense that distracts children for an hour and thirty-five minutes.

Play

But there is some weird stuff going on in the Minions-verse. The first solo Minions spin-off, simply titled Minions, fleshes out the backstory of the titular creatures, all the way back to the dinosaur age where we learn that they evolved purely to serve the most despicable master they could find.

Don't Miss

When humans came along, the Minions found themselves regularly aiding some of the most immoral figures in history. As the narrator explains, They bounced from one evil boss to another, including a slave-driving Egyptian pharaoh, a vampire from the Dark Ages, and eventually, Napoleon Bonaparte. Yes, this movie reveals that the Minions fought in the Napoleonic Wars.

Obviously, theres a big problem with continuing this trend into the first half of the 20th century. The Minions serve the evilest masters they can find? So were they anywhere near Germany in the 1930s perhaps?

Advertisement

Advertisement

The movie makes it a point to show us that, shortly after working for Napoleon, the Minions created their own colony in a frozen cave. When they finally decide to re-emerge into the human world, its 1968. Thus, the movie conveniently side-steps a major chunk of world history, presumably to reassure audiences that the Minions in no way assisted Adolf Hitler.

Got that everybody?

The makers of Minions may have been extra-sensitive about this particular issue since there was a widespread conspiracy theory alleging that the design of the characters was inspired by an old photo of children being subjected to Nazi gas experiments while wearing specialized helmets. One ScreenRant video noted that the Nazi masks do bear a striking similarity to the general design of the Minions.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The problem is, this is total bullshit. For one thing, the Minions were created because an artist wanted to design a character that looks like a pill with a goggle on it. And as Snopes pointed out, that photo, supposedly of minors being gassed by the Nazis, was actually taken around 1908, which was well before the advent of the Nazi Party. Plus, the people in the photo arent kids in gas masks, theyre adults wearing emergency suits for old-timey submarines.

Advertisement

The only thing thats at all creepy about the Minions is the fact that they probably murdered a man off-screen during the last movie.

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter (if it still exists by the time youre reading this).
The living room with original stained-glass windows. Photo: James Cooper/VHT Photography/Douglas Elliman

When Sidney R. Bowen was a kid, architects would show up at his house in Mason City, Iowa, hoping to get a look inside. Bowen and his family lived in a Prairie-style home, the Samuel Davis Drake house on the cliffside of the Rock GlenRock Crest historic district  essentially the only completed Prairie-style community in the country. (The neighborhoods architects, Marion Mahony Griffin and Walter Burley Griffin, shared an Oak Park studio with Frank Lloyd Wright, the most famous of all Prairie School architects, forging what Wright would later refer to as The New School of the Middle West.) I spent a lot of time in those houses and the details were so unlike everything else in Iowa, which was all either ranches or colonials  the broad eaves and open plan, the indoor-to-outdoor connections, were unique at that time, he says. By the 1970s, Bowen was working in marketing at General Mills  he landed Olympian Bruce Jenner on the Wheaties box  and was ready to build a house of his own. He wanted that same, open-plan, landscape-responsive design and sought out Wrights disciple and apprentice John Henry Howe. He and I became close for the rest of his life, says Bowen.

Howe first designed a little lakefront property in Minnesota for Bowen, then, several years later after Howe, got a job at Sara Lee, another, larger house in New Canaan, Connecticut. That house was completed in 1981. (Another famous Wright disciple, Edgar Tafel, who was based in New York, collaborated on the New Canaan project because Howe was in Minnesota and felt it needed someone on site.) Its clearly a property with Wright affinities  theres stained glass, exposed wood and stone and an arced design, with a bowed wall of south-facing windows looking out onto the Connecticut woods.

Last week, the New Canaan house, at 22 Father Peters Lane, went on the market asking $3.99 million. The home was designed in accordance with Wrights philosophy of compression and release  smaller, low-ceiling bedrooms and other auxiliary spaces contrasted with grand, high-ceiling shared living spaces, Chau Ngo Prutting, the Douglas Elliman listing agent, told me. (Earlier this year, Prutting sold another architecturally distinguished New Canaan home, the Frank Lloyd Wrightdesigned Tirranna, for $6 million.) The wealthy Connecticut suburb is known for its abundance of mid-century modern homes, designed by Philip Johnson, Marcel Breuer, and other members of the Harvard Five, but the Frank Lloyd Wrightaffiliated homes are, Prutting noted, distinct from those harder-edged houses: organic with softer, curving lines and a careful consideration of the landscape.

The little house is in a really unique spot  its a seven-acre parcel that goes down almost to the reservoir. Its really in the woods; once you got there, no one drove by, says Bowen. Over the years, other houses have been built nearby, so its not quite so isolated as it once was, he adds, but being on seven wooded acres certainly helps. When we spoke, though, Bowen was quick to point out that the New Canaan house has been substantially altered in other ways  the two owners after him took it from its original footprint of 3,000 square feet to about 7,200. It was a small house. It was probably inevitable that it would be changed, he says. The worst move was the new kitchen in the back. But these things happen. Bowen only lived in the house for a short time  he found an irresistible plot of land on the Stamford waterfront, collaborated with Howe on another house there, and realized that this, not a corporate job (he was working at an executive-search firm then), was what he wanted to spend the rest of his life doing. Hes been an architect for the past 30 years. Howe wrote his letter of recommendation to MIT.)

The kitchen was very compressed  it was fine for a couple, but my clients wanted something larger, says Prutting. They used materials that matched and complemented the original home, she adds  cypress wood and Delaware River stone (from a Pennsylvania quarry, not the river itself) that has a warm, pinkish hue. Kitchens are one of the many sticking points for buyers of older, architecturally significant homes  in mid-century moderns and Wright houses, theyre typically small, functional spaces that dont square with the big, open centerpieces that modern-luxury owners expect. (A recent Wall Street Journal article on Frank Lloyd Wrightinspired home kits noted that this was one of the main distinctions between Wrights designs and the new kits.) The home also has a large primary suite, added by previous owners, and now clocks in at four bedrooms and six bathrooms.

But many aspects of the house remain  the arced shape inspired by Wrights hemisphere houses is designed to be warmed naturally by the sun, with south-facing windows. (Bowen told me they designed shutters to go over the windows in the evening  he doubted they were still there, but then, windows are much better at heat-retention these days.) And the old living room with a stained-glass ceiling, which I made, stayed as is. And, he adds, although he didnt live there long, it helped take him to where he is now. Howe was a mentor to me in an interesting way, he says. Im his only living client. And while he doesnt live in a Howe house now, and hasnt for many years, In the end, it drove me back to what I cared about.

The house has large, wood-framed windows and is designed in communication with the landscape. Photo: James Cooper/VHT Photography/Douglas Elliman

The home is located on nearly seven acres. Photo: James Cooper/VHT Photography/Douglas Elliman

The houses design is inspired by Frank Lloyd Wrights hemisphere houses. Photo: James Cooper/VHT Photography/Douglas Elliman

The house has had two additions since it was built, taking the total square feet from around 3,000 to just over 7,000. Photo: James Cooper/VHT Photography/Douglas Elliman

The original kitchen, in keeping with Frank Lloyd Wrights designs, was later expanded. Photo: James Cooper/VHT Photography/Douglas Elliman

A larger kitchen was added later. Photo: James Cooper/VHT Photography/Douglas Elliman

The homes large windows face south. Photo: James Cooper/VHT Photography/Douglas Elliman

A primary bedroom suite, added by subsequent owners. Photo: James Cooper/VHT Photography/Douglas Elliman

Bands of wood and windows are common features in the home. Photo: James Cooper/VHT Photography/Douglas Elliman
South Korea Hit By DDoS Attacks

South Korea is subject to widespread cyber attacks targeting various industries, including government and financial institutions, and this has caused significant disruption to public life.

Organisations in South Korea will likely continue to face a very high level of exposure to cyber threats in the coming months. This is due to an elevated cyber threat amid recent heightened tensions with North Korea which are driving attempts ro disrupt critical infrastructure in the South this year.

Threat actors with suspected ties to China and North Korea have been linked to ransomware and data encryption attacks targeting government and critical infrastructure sectors across the world between 2021 and 2023.

Key Website Attacked

These attacks mostly consist of direct-path attacks at key websites, including government agencies, tourism, law enforcement, and transportation. The spike first appeared in March 2024 and has been increasing.

South Korean Ambassador to the United Nations Hwang Joon-kook, soke to the media on behalf of 57 member states of the United Nations and the European Union, including the United States and Japan, on the human rights situation in North Korea (DPRK). In his statement, Ambassador Hwang described the need to concrete change in DPRK to improve the welfare of its people, as the humanitarian situation is closely linked to its weapons development, creating harsh living conditions and a less secure world.

This statement coincided with a second wave of DDoS attacks, leading to questions around the motives and coordination behind the latest round of cyber assaults by the DPRK regime.

These attacks target key websites that aid in the smooth operation of society, including the Korean National Police, National Tax Service, and more. The widespread footprint of these DDoS attacks shows the coordination these adversaries are capable of. and various differen groups have climed responibilty for the attacks.

North Korea is thought to be particularly motivated to pursue hostile cyber operations against South Korea in the coming months and military tensions on the Korean peninsula are at a very high level.

This follows a series of escalating steps taken by the DPRK regime including a barrage of over 200 rounds of artillery near a disputed maritime border region in January and many commentators predict a military crisis is becoming more likely this year.

Global Security Mag | Netscout | Dragonfly Intelligence | Radware | Cyber Defense News

Mimecast | The Hacker News

Image: sasha85ru

You Might Also Read:

Joint Opposition To Online Threats From North Korea:

If you like this website and use the comprehensive 7,000-plus service supplier Directory, you can get unrestricted access, including the exclusive in-depth Directors Report series, by signing up for a Premium Subscription.

Individual 5 per month or 50 per year. Sign Up

Multi-User, Corporate & Library Accounts Available on Request

Cyber Security Intelligence: Captured Organised & Accessible
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.


Rishi Sunak doesnt get it. This election is not a referendum on the past, he claimed yesterday, as his 2024 campaign  and premiership  entered its final hours.

Although maybe thats unfair. Perhaps the Prime Minister understands only too well. Its just that he cant bring himself to acknowledge and articulate the truth  which is that tomorrow the British people will deliver their verdict on the past five years of Conservative rule. And it will be damning.

In the 2019 election I spent most of my time on the doorsteps of what became known as The Red Wall, those predominantly working-class constituencies in the north of England where voting for Labour was not so much a tradition as a muscle memory. And I heard the same thing. My familys always supported Labour. But theyve not done anything for us here. Its time for something different. Im going to give the Tories a chance.

It would not be right to hand Rishi Sunak a blank cheque to continue with the broken promises and failed compromises that have characterised his anaemic administration, writes Dan Hodges

And they did. They gave Boris Johnson and his party an 80-seat landslide, and an opportunity to permanently recast the political map of Britain.

For many it was a tough decision. I remember sitting in a pub in Wrexham, talking to Mark, a security-guard covered in tattoos. He literally had to catch his breath as he contemplated voting Conservative for the first time in his life. My dad was a miner. Phew...the thought of his son voting Tory...Labours ingrained in people here, he told me.

But Mark - and millions like him, swallowed hard - and took the plunge. They werent asking for much. To finally get Brexit done. Some sort of control of immigration. Maybe a few more pounds in their pay packets at the end of the month. Or a little bit more of the national pie shared beyond London and the South East. And then, when Covid came, simply to see their leaders making the same sacrifices they were being asked to make themselves.

Five years ago people put their trust in the Tories. And that faith was not repaid.

Brexit was not delivered. At least, not in the way Boris had promised. Immigration  both legal and illegal  spiralled further out of control. The cost-of-living crisis brought unprecedented financial hardship to households across the land. Levelling Up was abandoned. And as people sat grieving at home whilst the Covid dead were buried, inside No. 10 they partied.

So, sorry, Prime Minister. The British people do see tomorrows vote as a referendum on the past. And they will not be looking back on the last five years  and the decade that preceded it  with fondness.

Perhaps this is being a little uncharitable. Fourteen years of Conservative rule have not been the nightmarish hellscape portrayed by the liberal Left. David Cameron successfully stabilised the economy in the wake of the banking crisis. Theresa May managed  barely  to keep a divided nation out of the clutches of Jeremy Corbyn.

Boris finally broke the parliamentary Brexit logjam. Liz Truss saved people from the worst excesses of the rapacious energy giants. In turn Rishi Sunak saved people from the worst excesses of Liz Truss.

But after a decade and half in power, the debit side of the governments ledger is  perhaps inevitably - heavily stained with red. And now that debt will have to be repaid.

Weve heard a lot in the past few weeks about the dangers of a Labour supermajority. Fair enough. Untrammelled power always leads those wielding it to disaster. Just look at Mrs Thatcher and the poll tax, or Tony Blair and Iraq.

But there is one thing worse than handing Keir Starmer a blank cheque tomorrow. And that would be to hand Rishi Sunak a blank cheque to continue with the broken promises and failed compromises that have characterised his anaemic administration.

For our democracy to function, the political pendulum eventually has to swing. And everyone in Britain can sense it. Now is the time.

Not because anyone can have particular faith in Sir Keir Starmer. He has spent this election hiding from the voters, hoping they wont notice him sneaking up Downing Street. We know less now about his prospectus for power than we did when he was elected Labour leader, securing his victory via 10 socialist pledges that have been quietly ditched.

Rishi Sunak saved people from the worst excesses of Liz Truss, writes Dan Hodges

But he has at least changed his party. And as a result has earned the chance to change his country.

Or rather, the Tories have relinquished the right to stand in his way. They are no longer a functioning political party, but an inchoate rabble, trapped in Nigel Farages headlights. A single vote has yet to be placed in a single ballot box, and already the infighting, backstabbing, and blame-gaming has begun. Its over and we need to prepare for the reality and frustration of opposition, former Home Secretary Suella Braverman has written this morning, in an intervention that perfectly sums up the most shambolic election campaign in British political history.

But in truth, no campaign could have saved Rishi Sunak and his government. Their fate was sealed months, if not years ago.

When Boriss oven-ready Brexit was dumped unceremoniously in the trash. When legal migration was allowed to rocket to over 700,000 net new arrivals. When the nations food bills were allowed to soar by 600 per household. When HS2 was axed. When the first Covid fine landed on the doorstep of No. 10.

Five years ago, working Britain put its faith in the Tories. And working Britain was betrayed. So in one respect Rishi Sunak in is actually right. Tomorrow will not be a referendum. It will rightly be a reckoning.
For me there has never been any doubt in my mind: I will be voting today for the Conservative Party, for the very best of reasons.

Never mind criticisms, never mind disappointment, I am with Boris Johnson when, with his customary charisma, he roared: If you want uncontrolled immigration, and mandatory wokery and pointless kow-towing to Brussels, then go right ahead and vote for Starmer.

To that list of what to expect under Sir Keir-the-Corbyn-friend, Id add: If you want the rights of women to their own spaces to be further curtailed, violent trans-activists to gain more power, children to be indoctrinated with the notion that there are any number of genders, then vote for the man who lies awake at night wondering whether women can have a penis.

Rishi Sunak addresses a Tory party rally at the National Army Museum in London this week

Winston Churchill, says Bel Mooney, embraced all the values - from family, country and monarchy to and aspiration, resilience and freedom - that the Conservative Party holds dear

But there is so much more  profound reasons to know that the Conservative Party, for all its shortcomings, is the one that has at its heart whats essential about being British. Few people talk enough about those values, which should always be at the heart of political debate. Conservativism rests on a central belief in who we are.

The Left has always laid claim to values, to idealism, to virtue. I used to believe them. How wrong I was. In February 1974, I pushed my newborn in his carrycot all over Balham, in South London. Both pram and I were laden with Labour Party leaflets; I walked the streets in the freezing cold, posting them through letterboxes and handing them to passers-by with all the smiling conviction of a Labour Party member.

I suppressed my reservations. At 16, at a summer school I had heard anti-British propaganda for the first time. At 17, on a CND march in London, I had been horrified by the careless violence of the far-Left.

Four years later, Id been shocked again during the Vietnam protest in front of the American Embassy in Grosvenor Square. How naive I was to imagine that the Left was all about peace and love when screaming protesters attacked the police. Was this really my side?

At University College London, my idealism was shattered. I sat, silent, bored and disillusioned, as Trotskyists argued viciously with Maoists, and Marxists wrangled fine points of theory, and they all treated women like dirt. But they never mentioned the poor. What was I doing among such opinionated thugs?

At university, for the first time in my life, I met people who had been to posh schools, lived in smart houses, drank wine and theorised confidently about the workers whose cause they vociferously espoused  but about whose lives they knew nothing at all.

Brought up in a council flat in Liverpool, I did know. And as I moved into the middle class, liberal-Leftist media elite, I often felt uneasy that the values I was brought up with could be so readily mocked and trashed by my new friends and colleagues. As they still are. Look at the BBC, and the universities... exactly the same arrogance.

My working-class inheritance  patriotism, hard work and aspiration  was formed by the Family, the concept that was the bedrock of our society until it became diluted during the Blair years.

My grandfather, who fought in two world wars, read the Daily Mirror and voted Labour. My young father, then a blue-collar worker, read the Liverpool Echo and Daily Mail and voted Conservative. Yet there was never any talk of politics at home.

My people were preoccupied with earning a living, bettering themselves in every way possible, always putting the family first (even if it meant sacrifice), and living by the unspoken values which they knew made life worth living  and made Britain great.

Ask yourself which party embodies  at its heart  those values. Family. Home. Country. Christianity. Monarchy. Aspiration. Resilience. Respect. Standards in education. Duty. Sacrifice. Freedom. Tradition. Individual Responsibility.

Keir Starmer speaks to Labour supporters on the final day of election campaigning in Wales

Although each of those abstracts is worth an essay in itself, Labours Clement Attlee (prime minister when I was born in 1946) and the great Winston Churchill would have recognised and embraced them all. But theyre remote from Starmers Labour.

In 2010 (after some years as a Lib Dem) I voted Conservative for the first time  propelled by the preservation of the green belt, now under threat from Labours building plans. I always thought old Labour friends would agree on the kind of society we want to hand on to our children and grandchildren.

But then came the irresponsible cesspit of the internet. The divisive fury of Brexit. The irrational but very real toxicity of the culture wars. The capture of institutions by those who would do Britain down  the worst being the Left-leaning civil servants who have far too much power.

The sheer lunacy of woke. The hypocrisy of media and arts-world peers who lazily espouse progressive issues such as unrestricted immigation that wont affect the streets they live on. The fear of being accused of Islamophobia if you dare to say you dont want Great Britain to be cowed by radical Islam.

Sadly, I see the kind of people who were once friends and colleagues living, as it were, within a gated community of privileged virtue, while the rest of the population lurk miserably outside their shining walls, wondering what happened to traditional British values.

At the heart of Conservatism is a deep respect and affection for kith and kin. Kin is easy  there isnt a culture in the world that doesnt put family first. But kith signifies a rich, cultural mix of home, neighbours, community, shared values, and a profound need to belong and to protect.

When Winston Churchill roused the British with We shall fight on the beaches... we shall never surrender he ignited deep emotions that still make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

Where are the Labour voices proclaiming a passionate love of Western civilisation?

Recent memory hears the partys deputy leader Angela Rayner calling Conservatives scum. Does that deserve high office?

The image of Starmer and Rayner taking the knee to Black Lives Matter remains seared on my brain. Who  remembering what D-Day was about and how there are still people alive who bear faded concentration camp tattoos  could vote for a party that still harbours anti-Semites?

My visceral hatred of far-Left and far-Right was (and is) as powerful as ever. A healthy democracy like ours should encompasses the best of political traditions and never allow extremists in either main party to take over. Woe betide us all if a political landslide allows Labour to be unrestrained. It must be stopped.
If you've ever dreamed of becoming a TikTok star, look no further - because you can now study to get a degree in 'influencing'.

The bachelor's degree in content creation and social media will be offered from this September at South East Technological University (SETU) in Carlow - Ireland's first of its kind.

It has already received 251 applications for around 50 places, with applicants hailing from as far as South Africa and Vietnam, according to The Sunday Times.

The four-year degree will include modules such as creative video, celebrity studies, data analytics, podcasting, event management and psychology - and a work experience placement in the third year.

And students may even be able to meet TikTok royalty, with stars such as Lauren Whelan - who has 1.7 million followers on the platform and herself studied at SETU - set to be invited to work with students.

Ireland's first degree in influencing has attracted applications from all over the world. Pictured: TikTok star Lauren Whelan, who attended the university and could feature as a guest on the course

SETU'S 'INFLUENCING' DEGREE: MODULES IN FULL YEAR ONE Introduction to Digital Marketing Introduction to Data Analysis for Digital Marketing Introduction to Media Studies 1 Social Media Entrepreneurship An Introduction and History of Public Relations Introduction to Media Studies 2 Professional Writing and Research in the Digital Age Information Technology Social Media Marketing YEAR TWO Visual Language and Communications Creative Digital Media Creative Writing and Narrative Crisis Management Fundamentals of Media and PR Law 1 Contemporary Photographic Cultures History of Photography Multimodal Media Practices Creative Video Creative Radio and Storytelling YEAR THREE Work Placement / Electives Content Writing New Media Ethics Data Journalism Radio Broadcasting Journalism YEAR FOUR Dissertation Podcasting and Multi-Screen Production Ireland on Screen Social Media Project Screen Stories Celebrity Studies Media & Society Advertisement

Kayleigh Trappe, who runs a comedy account and is known for her impressions, has also been positive about the course, according to its lecturers.

Lauren has recently launched her own podcast, Under The Influencer, which will explore current trends in the industry.

Irene McCormick, a senior lecturer at the university, told The Times that she hopes the degree will help change inequality in the industry.

White influencers currently earn 50 per cent more than some of their BAME counterparts, according to a report earlier this month from UK-based SevenSix Agency.

She said: 'The influencer industry is a very white space at the moment, and we have a lot to figure out and there's a lot of research that needs to be done on this within the course.

'We have a lot of black Irish students already at SETU and more so than other colleges, which is great.'

She added: 'It's interesting to still be defending it because people of a certain age are still quite baffled about how it's a career and it's a career with legs.'

Dr Eleanor O'Leary, lecturer in media and communications at the university told Irish broadcaster RTE: 'It's an area that has a specific set of skills.

Lecturer Irene McCormick said she met with influencer Kayleigh Trappe, who was very positive about the course

The bachelor 's degree in content creation and social media will be offered from this September at South East Technological University (SETU) in Carlow (file image)

TikTok star Lauren Whelan has 1.7 million followers on the platform and has launched a new podcast to explore industry trends

'It draws on existing media and PR and marketing skills but it's a new area in and of itself as well.'

More than a quarter of applicants so far are from overseas while the process of hiring staff is still ongoing.

Part of the course description reads: 'Do your family and friends complain about you being on your phone all the time?

'Well now Is your chance to put all that screen time to good use by proving that you can have a successful and exciting career using your digital devices to connect with millions of people across the world.'

The influencing sector has doubled in value globally since 2019 and is now worth between 12billion and 14billion worldwide, according to O'Leary.

Ria Reddy, who is also studying towards an 'influencing degree', previously hit back at people who said it was 'just taking pictures'.

Ria, who pays 17,000 a year for the course in content creator at The Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies, says she has already made her money back.

The course includes modules from brand building on social media and how to grow an online community, to making digital content stand out from the crowd.

Ria Reddy, who is also studying towards an 'influencing degree' , previously hit back at people who said it was 'just taking pictures'

Ria said: 'People who say content creation is a 'Mickey Mouse degree' or is just about taking pictures and posting them on Instagram aren't seeing 99 per cent of the work that we do on the course and they don't really understand fully what the course is about.

'Initially, when I wanted to come to the UK to study, I was worried because a 17,000 international student fee is a lot of money. Along with accommodation and expenses, it costs around 35,000 a year to study in the UK.

'To pay all that just to 'learn how to post pictures' would make no sense - financially and for my future.

'But content creation is so much more than that. Through studying this degree at Confetti I've not only learned about my field, but I'm now working in it - how many other students on more traditional courses can say that in their second year? And I expect that only to grow in my third year.'

Ria started her own content creation business, The Network Theory (Thenetworktheory.com) in her second year of study, using skills she had learned from the degree.
A young woman who had her phone stolen while holidaying in Zante has warned against using simple passwords after a thief was able to access her photos and online banking.

Gen Z-er Lydia Coates took to TikTok to share how her phone was stolen while holidaying with her friends, captioning the clip: 'How one simple mistake in Zante cost me over 10,000.'

In her video, Lydia warned: 'If you're planning to go on a girls or lads holiday this summer, do not make the same mistake as me!'

In 2022, the TikToker had planned a budget holiday with a friend to Zante in Greece. On the second day of the trip, the two planned to take a boat trip together.

Lydia packed a small bag for her phone, ID and cash and explains that she had it closely attached to her while on the boat.

During the boozy boat trip, Lydia claimed that her bag was kept on her 'at all times'.

'The only time I didn't have my bag on me was when I was in the sea, but my friend was still on the boat so she had it,' she said.

'When I got back from the sea I got my bag, which was still there, but my phone was gone.'

Since the boat trip was 'quite small' with around 50 or so people onboard, Lydia and her friend asked the DJ to ask the crowd if anyone had come across the missing phone.

Organisers of the trip then promised to check each individual before getting off the boat to see who had pocketed the device.

'I was sort of at peace because if someone stole it, they're gonna find it anyway,' she recalled.

However, she soon realised that she was wrong to assume organisers would take action.

Lydia Coates, pictured, had over 12,000 stolen after someone hacked into her phone using her password which was the same as her birthday

'Of course they didn't search everyone so my phone was gone!'

However, the missing phone was only the start of what became a very expensive holiday nightmare.

'My biggest mistake that holiday was putting my driving licence in the back on my phone,' she explained.

'My birthday, on my driving licence in the back of my phone, was my password and was also the password to my online banking.'

Realising the fatal error, Lydia 'frantically' checked her bank account to see if there had been any withdrawals taken and was relieved to see that nothing had been moved while the phone was stolen.

Comfortable that her cash was safe, Lydia said she 'just forgot' about the incident and went on using her friend's mobile for the duration of the trip.

However, her luck was not to last.

'Lo and behold when I got home, I checked my mobile banking and a singular bank transfer of 12,242 had been sent to someone called Jessica,' she said.

The stolen cash had come from Lydia's help-to-buy ISA, meaning that years worth of savings were lost.

Devastated, Lydia contacted the police who told her to contact Zante police, where the theft had occurred.

Lydia was thankfully able to get her money back, but the individual who took the money got away scot free

'When I contacted Zante police, they were absolutely no help,' she explained.

'Because this person had access to my phone, all of my gallery and all the photos that were ever on my phone, my online banking, my ID, I have had to open a identity fraud protection scheme.

'So now, for the rest of my life I am paying for protection against identity fraud because this person could take out as many loans, mortgages with my information.'

'The moral of the story is do not put your ID in the back of your phone case if you're going on holiday - or ever!'

In a later video, Lydia explained that she resolved the issue by changing all of her bank details and signing her former account off as 'fraudulent'.

After a number of meetings with banks and police, thankfully Lydia was able to retrieve the 12,242 that had been stolen from her.

'We assumed we could find the person who stole the money on Facebook from their name but they had given a fake name.

'It was not this person's first time robbing a bank or someone's details.

'This specific name was a name that had been used across multiple fraud sites as a fake name, so the real perpetrators weren't identified.

The phone was identified as being at a location in Birmingham via an app but she was urged not to track it down.

'In my case, they got away with it, they got the money because I got the money back from the fraud protection and not from the person themselves.'

The money was reimbursed thanks to her fraud protection scheme.

Lydia's unfortunate encounter isn't the first and likely won't be the last, as it comes amid a surge in cases on phone theft in the UK.

How to protect your mobile from e-bike i-jackers Criminals often use bikes and mopeds to snatch mobile phones from people, particularly at busy locations such as outside stations, shopping centres or concert venues. Often victims are approached from behind while talking or texting on phones. Criminals on mopeds or bicycles may mount the pavement to grab the phone or snatch it from the road. Sometimes when it's a moped, a pillion passenger will snatch it. While most thefts happen between six and ten at night, criminals operate during the day too, so always look out for what's going on around you. The Metropolitan Police has urged people to follow these steps to protect your phone: Be aware of your surroundings If you need to call or use your phone on the street, look out for anyone on a bike or a moped near you. Look up, look out

Make it quick so you don't become distracted

Don't text while you're walking  you won't notice what's going on around you

If that's not possible, stand away from the roadside, close to a building or wall, so no one can come up behind you

Going hands-free can prevent a thief from snatching your phone out of your hand Use security features on your phone You must switch on your phone's security features to protect your phone

Use the keypad lock so that thieves cannot immediately access your phone, or use the biometric authentication if your phone has it (fingerprint or facial recognition)

Your phone may have other security features you can use  these could allow you to wipe data, lock your handset, or prevent a thief from restoring a phone to its factory settings from another internet device

Consider installing an anti-theft app. These can be an effective way of helping police trace your phone and identify the thief Know how to identify your phone if it's stolen Every phone has an IMEI number which helps police and insurance companies to identify it if it's stolen. UK network operators can also stop a stolen phone from working across their networks with its IMEI

Find your IMEI number by dialling *#06# from your phone and keep a written note of it; if the phone is stolen, report the number to your mobile provider to stop it being used

Register your valuables on an accredited property database. Never confront a thief or risk your own safety for the sake of your mobile Source: The Metropolitan Police Advertisement

The capital has been particularly badly hit with some calling it the 'London epidemic' as more and more cases sweep through the city.

The City of London Police said it is running a targeted operation that is disrupting phone snatching in the Square Mile.

The operation was started due to the worrying rise the force saw in phone snatching in 2022, which carried on into last and this year.

The force is even spraying criminals and their mopeds with a DNA spray in a bid to link them to crimes if they race away.

The force advised people to remain vigilant in crowded areas and on the transport network and asked anyone who falls victim of a mobile phone robbery to contact the police straight away.
M.I.A has launched a line called OHMNI which is said to 'protect' its wearers

British rapper M.I.A has released a clothing range which she says will protect wearers from 5G, WiFi, and nanoparticles - which she describes as 'evil dust'.

The OHMNI line created by the musician, whose real name is Mathangi Arulpragasam, includes a number of garments, among them are t-shirts, boxer shorts and a 'tin foil hat', designed to protect wearers from electromagnetic waves.

Prices range from $50 for smaller items like boxers, to $400 for dresses and puffer jackets.

The clothing range, designed by the 48-year-old rapper, who is best known for her tune Paper Planes, is described as 'your last frontier at preserving your privacy, autonomy, and rights over your body and your data'.

According to What's The Jam, each item of clothing is made from OHMNIs original silver street shield textiles.

British rapper M.I.A (pictured) models the Ohm Protection Dress, which retails for $300 on the brand's website

One of the more talked-about items from the line is the Tin Foil Hat, which claims to protect wearers' brains and retails for $100

Another item the brand offers is the Protency Fitted Boxer (pictured) which are also made from its silver fabric and retail for $50

It says the brand uses silver due to its electrical conductivity which can help deflect electromagnetic waves from Wi-Fi and 5G.

According to reports, M.I.A first announced the launch while speaking on Infowars, Alex Jones conspiracy theory-led show, before sharing more details on Instagram.

During her interview with Alex Jones, she said the clothes are designed to protect people from what she described as 'evil dust' (nanoparticles).

OHMNI states that its clothes have up to 99.999 per cent shielding effectiveness against these waves.

Its website says: 'In the time of smart cities, digital crypto, AI, NeuraLink, hackable humans, zero privacy, deep mind, internal body data harvesting, and indiscriminate tracking surveillance, mind data mining, social media overload, augmented reality, social credit system, virtual dystopian midfield, we bring you the revolutionary future of fashion.

'OHMNI is your last frontier at preserving your privacy, autonomy, and rights over your body and your data. This is not your artist foray into fashion.'

However, the brand also tackles those who may question whether protective clothing is a necessity.

Its mission statement says: 'If the conspiracy theorists are wrong, good for you, you own some beautiful clothes made with pure silver and precious metals.

According to the rapper, the line, which sells clothing made from silver, is 'not your artist foray into fashion'

OHMNI's Sacred Heart Tee features a protective patch (pictured) over the heart, which it says will 'protect' the organ

'But, if they are right, you just might have saved the future of humanity.'

The line, which has already generated much attention, does not mark the musician's first foray into controversy - in 2022, she was accused of promoting an anti-vax agenda.

After Alex Jones was ordered to pay parents of the children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting almost $1 billion, M.I.A. mentioned him in a tweet.

She wrote: 'If Alex Jones pays for lying, shouldn't every celebrity pushing vaccines pay too?'

However, M.I.A. has also enjoyed considerable success - including being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to music in 2020.

Among the fashion line's garments are t-shirts, including The Sacred Heart Tee in white (pictured) which costs $50

The brand's mission statement says of its clothing 'if the conspiracy theorists are wrong, good for you, you own some beautiful clothes made with pure silver and precious metals'

After being given the prestigious award by Prince William, she said it was a particularly meaningful accolade to receive because her mother once worked hand stitching medals for the palace.

She said: 'Today I'm accepting this in honour for my mother who worked for minimum wage to give us a better life.

'As a working class first generation immigrant it's great to be recognised for my contribution.

'Having freedom to speak my truth and to do it through music has helped me speak for those who do not have those privileges.

'I will continue fight for those who are silenced or persecuted by others.'
Queen Letizia's ex-brother-in-law who alleges he had an 'affair' with the royal says they dreamt of 'growing old together and starting a family' - as he reduces King Felipe to 'her lover'.

Jaime del Burgo, 53, who is based in London, sent shockwaves through the Spanish Royal Family last December when he claimed he was still romantically involved with the Queen following her 2004 wedding to King Felipe.

The businessman - who dated the Queen when she was still a newsreader and was married to her sister Telma from 2012-2014 - has now claimed that he is still in contact with the royal in an interview with Argentinian newspaper Clarin.

He said: 'We have shared many years of our lives together. We have been a family.

'As I have always said, ours was not a relationship of lovers. The lover would be him , in any case. I mean Felipe.'

Pictured: King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain pictured at Zarzuela Palace on June 27, 2024 in Madrid

The father-of-one went on to describe his romance with Letizia as a 'committed, long-lasting, exclusive relationship'.

Jaime claimed Letizia wanted to start a family with him and they shared the dream of 'growing old holding hands'.

Elsewhere in the interview, Jaime said he was trying to expose the 'rottenness of the Crown' but was 'asked to flee' by Queen Letizia.

However, the businessman goes on to claim that he still in contact with Letizia and last spoke to her on May 12.

At the end of last year, Jaime made a series of shocking claims about his relationship in the book 'Letizia & I' by veteran royal journalist Jaime Penafiel. In January, the author was sacked by the newspaper El Mundo after 20 years.

The businessman told the author that he met Letizia before 2000 and their relationship began on a romantic trip to Venice, years before she met King Felipe.

Jaime - who is the son of the former politician Jaime Ignacio del Burgo - claims he was planning to propose to Letizia when she announced that she was dating a mysterious 'diplomat' over dinner at the Ritz hotel in Madrid in 2002.

Describing how 'serious and significant' their relationship was, the author made the unlikely claim that Jaime was 'carrying an engagement ring his his pocket' that evening.

Pictured: Jaime Del Burgo and his ex-wife Telma Oritz seen in 2012 before their wedding. The couple divorced in 2014

Letizia reportedly told him that she had 'met someone who would oblige her to quit her profession', which Jaime said led him to deduce her mystery partner was Felipe.

After the pair reportedly decided to just be friends, Jaime is said to have advised Letizia: 'Don't announce the romance, just the wedding.'

Following their engagement announcement in 2003, Letizia - who had divorced her first husband in 1999 - asked Jaime to be a witness at their wedding.

What's more, the royal's ex-brother-in-law also made the far-fetched claim that he 'dealt' with Letizia's pre-nuptial agreement and helped to front the cost of the Queen's family's wedding outfits.

He is quoted as saying: 'When the wedding with Felipe came round, I dealt with the pre-nuptial agreement as you know, amongst other things.

'I also had to pay Letizia's family's expenses because [former King] Juan Carlos refused to pay or even go halves with me. So with the help of my friend Felipe Varela, I dressed her mum, grandmother and her sisters. And with the help of Jaime Jason, her father, grandparents and a cousin.'

Jaime also makes the incredible claim that the Queen asked to see him the night before the wedding at the exclusive El Latigazo restaurant in Madrid - where she asked him to 'never leave' her.

He sensationally claimed: 'When we met, she took hold of my hand and asked me why I had never asked her to marry me. Obviously I didn't reply. I encouraged her as best I could. The last thing she said to me before we said goodbye to each other in that restaurant was a request: 'Never leave me.''

Queen Letizia (far right) pictured in Rome in July 2012 ahead of her sister Telma's (centre) wedding to Jaime del Burgo (left)

In the book 'Letizia and I', her former brother-in-law makes the outlandish claim that he contributed towards the Queen's family's wedding outfits

In the book, Letizia's alleged ex-lover describes Felipe as a 'kind-hearted man' and even goes on to say that he had a 'great friendship' with the royal. He told the author: 'I told him my problems and he told [me] his.'

The businessman even claims that Felipe 'uses [him] as a good man because he felt incapable of calming [Letizia] down' on occasions.

Following the wedding, Jaime described how Letizia was like a 'fox in a chicken coop' as she was 'cleverer than any of them'.

Jaime - who says the Queen nicknamed him her 'yogi pal' - claims he still had a romantic relationship with Letizia even after the wedding in 2004. He also claims he has kept 'photographs, videos, mobile phones' and text messages as evidence.

The businessman claimed that 'love was always there' in their relationship since they travelled to Venice together. The photograph Jaime shared on Twitter last night was taken during one of Letizia's pregnancies between 2005-2007.

Pictured: King Felipe and Queen Letizia with their daughters Princess Leonor (left) and Princess Sofia (right) in June

In the book, Jaime sensationally claims that Letizia whispered that she loved him when they were lying in a hammock by a pool at her home following Princess Leonor's birth.

Jaime - who joked that Letizia's alleged ex-lover should have been his co-author - is quoted as saying in the book: 'Lying in the same hammock, under the pool porch, facing each other, Letizia told me 'I love you' and I responded 'I love you'.'

Jaime Penafiel goes on to write that Jaime del Burgo subsequently wrote a play called 'La Hamaca, which in English is 'The Hammock', and edited it but never distributed it.

Following this, Jaime alleges they 'took steps forward with the goal of being free' - which involved seeking legal advice and looking at properties in the US.

Queen Letizia's sister Telma Oritz with her second husband Robert Gavin at the Princess of Asturias Awards in 2019

Pictured: King Felipe and Queen Letizia on their wedding day in Madrid in May 2004. Jaime Del Burgo claims he was going to propose to the newsreader until she announced she had met King Felipe

One of the most damaging claims Jaime reportedly makes is that Queen Letizia suggested they have a child together using a surrogate in Los Angeles.

Around this time, Jaime claims that he confronted Letizia after photos of her kissing Felipe appeared on the covers of Spanish magazines.

He claims the Queen told him: 'I had to do it to protect us.'

He says in the book Jaime del Burgo told him Felipe and Letizia had a 'difficult relationship' and told him: 'Felipe uses me as a good man because he felt incapable of calming her down.'

In December, businessman Jaime Del Burgo shared this unseen selfie of Queen Letizia with his X followers. He claimed that the royal was wearing his pashmina and said it 'took care of her'

Jaime Penafiel goes on to write that when Sofia was born, Jaime del Burgo became uncle to both of the girls.

It then quotes him as saying: 'It was a beautiful period. I didn't have children, and those girls made me so happy. I was working in Brazil and suffered a pulmonary embolism.

'I was in intensive care for a fortnight. I managed to get the Albert Einstein Hospital to give me a telephone Letizia and I spoke to each other every day on [the phone].

'During my visits to Madrid I would often go to the cinema with Felipe, Letizia and some friends. Letizia and I would always sit together, holding hands. They were moments of happiness.'

However in August 2011, Jaime alleges Letizia abruptly ended their relationship when she called him and said: 'We can't continue seeing each other.'

Following this, Jaime alleges that a female friend told him to get in touch with Telma - who he had met when he first started dating Letizia.

Pictured: Telma Oritz and Jaime del Burgo seen in December 2014, before their split was announced

The couple (pictured with Telma's daughter Amanda) relocated to New York after their wedding in 2012 before returning to Spain

The following year, the pair got engaged after just two months of dating. The Queen's sister already had her daughter Amanda from her relationship with ex-partner Enrique Martin Llop.

At this time, Jaime claims he was still close to Letizia and Felipe and he claimed he bonded with his future wife after the four of them went to the cinema in Madrid one day.

He told the author: 'When we left it was pouring down and instead of returning in the car with Letizia and Felipe, I got a lift with Telma. When we arrived at the Pabellon del Principe where Felipe lived, it was raining so hard we couldnt leave the car.

'And we spent nearly an hour talking. Telma asked me to go to visit her one day in Barcelona where she was living at the time. And thats what I did. I rang her and went.'

TIMELINE OF JAIME'S CLAIMS ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH SPAIN'S ROYAL FAMILY Pre-2000 - Letizia Oritz, who was a newsreader at the time, meets Jaime del Burgo - the son of a politician - and the pair start dating

- Letizia Oritz, who was a newsreader at the time, meets Jaime del Burgo - the son of a politician - and the pair start dating 2001 - Letizia and King Felipe meet on the site of a oil spillage. Jaime claims he was planning to propose when she told him about her new royal romance

- Letizia and King Felipe meet on the site of a oil spillage. Jaime claims he was planning to propose when she told him about her new royal romance 2003 - Letizia and Felipe announce engagement.

- Letizia and Felipe announce engagement. 2004 - the couple marry at Almudena Cathedral in Madrid. Jaime claims he was asked to be a witness during the ceremony

- the couple marry at Almudena Cathedral in Madrid. Jaime claims he was asked to be a witness during the ceremony 2005 - the couple welcome Princess Leonor

February 2007 - Letizia's sister Erika suddenly passes away

- Letizia's sister Erika suddenly passes away April 2007 - Princess Sofia is born. During one of her pregnancies, Jaime claims Letizia sends him a selfie confessing her love.

- Princess Sofia is born. During one of her pregnancies, Jaime claims Letizia sends him a selfie confessing her love. 2 010 - the couple reportedly profess their love for one another and allegedly meet with lawyers. Jaime claims they looked at properties in the US to move to. He also claims Letizia suggested they use a surrogate in LA to have a baby

- the couple reportedly profess their love for one another and allegedly meet with lawyers. Jaime claims they looked at properties in the US to move to. He also claims Letizia suggested they use a surrogate in LA to have a baby 2011 - Jaime claims Letizia ends their relationship over the phone

- Jaime claims Letizia ends their relationship over the phone 2 012 - Jaime marries Letizia's sister Telma. The couple relocate to New York

- Jaime marries Letizia's sister Telma. The couple relocate to New York 2014 - Telma and Jaime announce their separation Advertisement

In the book, Jaime outlandishly claims that Letizia had previously 'banned' Jaime and her sister from speaking to one another.

Author Jaime Penafiel wrote: 'When [Jaime del Burgo] is going to marry Telma, it is Felipe who advises him on the marriage agreements and, over the years, they have maintained a great friendship.'

After tying the knot in an intimate ceremony, the couple celebrated their marriage with a larger reception in Italy - which was attended by their family.

Jaime del Burgo is quoted in the book as saying: 'When the guests congratulated us, Letizias turn came and kissing me on the cheek, she whispered into my ear, "Well be together again."'

In 2012, the pair relocated to New York to start their married life - but Telma returned to Barcelona the same year before announcing their permanent separation in 2014.

He then goes on to outrageously claim that Letizia 'didn't stop until she managed to make [Jaime's marriage fail' - citing it as the 'only battle he'd lost in his life'.

The couple's first attempts at divorce had been squashed by the groom's father Jaime Ignacio del Burgo, who told a court that his son and Telma repented and wanted to give their marriage another go.

In December, Jaime posted a selfie of Queen Letizia on X as 'evidence' of their relationship.

In the selfie, the royal can be seen wearing a black pashmina - which Jaime claims belonged to him - and he also typed out a message, supposedly sent to him by the Spanish Queen.

It read: 'Love. I wear your pashmina. It's like feeling you by my side. It takes care of me.

'It protects me. I count the hours until we see each other again. Love you. Get out of here. Yours,'

After sharing the image, other X users questioned the validity of Jaime's claims - given there is no evidence that Letizia sent him the photo or accompanying message. The businessman has since deleted his X account.

A spokesperson for the Spanish Royal Family told FEMAIL: 'We have no comment to make about this.'
The Duchess of Edinburgh had Prince Edward and Lady Louise in hysterics this weekend when she took part in an unusual challenge while carriage driving.

Sophie, 59, was seen participating in the Sandringham Driving Horse Trials on Saturday while her husband and daughter watched on.

During the event, the royal was challenged to hold a wine glass full of sparkling water between her teeth as she drove along.

The Duchess was then meant to place the glass down at the next stand - but missed the post.

As she attempted to reverse back, Prince Edward, 60, and Lady Louise, 20, were spotted laughing hysterically from the sidelines.

She showed off her skills as she picked up the wine glass full of sparkling water from the stand, holding it between her teeth as she drove along

The Duke of Edinburgh was spotted with a large grin on his face and captured the hilarious moment on his phone

The Duke of Edinburgh was spotted with a large grin on his face and captured the hilarious moment on his phone.

Sophie looked elegant in a navy velvet jacket from Laurie & Jules, sapphire blue netted hat from Jane Taylor London, a chequered white maxi skirt and brown boots.

Sophie's participation in the competition comes after she accepted an invitation to become the President of the Sandringham Horse Driving Trials.

It has a long-standing relationship with the royal family and was founded and presided over from inception by the late Prince Philip.

The Sandringham Horse Driving Trials said they are 'deeply appreciative' that the Duchess has taken on this role.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: 'The Duchess's acceptance marks a continuation of the Royal Family's esteemed association with Sandringham Horse Driving Trials, and we are looking forward to a long relationship with Her Royal Highness.'

Prince Edward was stood shielded from the sun in a straw hat as he donned a relaxed look consisted of a simple white polo shirt and baggy brown trousers.

Meanwhile, Lady Louise looked chic in an oversized navy blue polo shirt which she tucked into camel-coloured trousers, showing off her sophisticated figure.

Sophie was seen taking part in a carriage driving event at the Sandringham Driving Horse Trials last Saturday as her family watched on

The Duchess was meant to put the wine glass down at the next stand but she missed, causing Lady Louise and Prince Edward to laugh

The fun competition came as she accepted an invitation to become the President of the Sandringham Horse Driving Trials

Sophie and Edward's daughter, Lady Louise (second from left) watched her mother compete in the challenge

Sophie looked elegant in a navy velvet jacket from Laurie & Jules, sapphire blue netted hat from Jane Taylor London, chequered white maxi skirt and brown boots

Duchess of Edinburgh is pictured holding a wine glass between her teeth as she drives a carriage

The family were joined by Lady Louise's friend, Felix da Silva-Clamp (pictured far right)

The St. Andrews University student paired the simple look with some brown leather Chelsea boots and a bright blue belt to tie the look together.

She wore her wavy blonde tresses up in a stylish messy ponytail and went for a natural makeup look today.

She made an impressive debut and managed to bag herself a silver medal in the three-day competition. It is believed her grandfather, Prince Philip, encouraged her to take up the sport.

The family were joined by Lady Louise's friend, Felix da Silva-Clamp, with whom she seems to have formed a strong bond, as they both study at the same university in Scotland.

Felix was driven to the event by the Duchess of Edinburgh, and the two were seen engaging in conversation as they watched the races.
A psychologist has revealed that she has seen an increase in 'performative displays of friendship' - and how you can tell if you are in one.

Dr Alison McClymont is a chartered psychologist who also creates online content about mental health topics.

She is also a writer, whose debut book, How to Help Your Child Cope With Anything, will be published in August.

In a video shared on TikTok by the British Psychological Society, Dr McClymont discussed how social media can impact friendships.

Speaking in the clip, the psychologist said: 'The social media culture has increased what I call performative displays of friendship.

Dr Alison McClymont (pictured) is a chartered psychologist who also creates content about mental health topics

'This is where people are encouraged to post images of things that they'll hashtag as friendship goals, or my BFF, or things that are essentially aspirational images of friendship.'

How can you tell if you're in a performative friendship? According to Dr McClymont, seeing these kinds of images and hashtags can 'really evoke jealousy' for some people. If you then feel the pressure to create the illusion of a solid bond, you may be in one.

She explained: 'If they see that, for example, that the person they thought was their special friend is out with somebody else, all of a sudden, they feel excluded.

'And actually, this might encourage that excluded friend to feel more pressure to protect their friendship with the other.'

This can result in the person becoming 'more needy' towards that friend, she explained, adding: 'They might also start to feel...pressured in order to create images or create an aspirational online life that appears to be friendship goals.'

In an effort to create the image of this aspirational friendship, people may end up booking trips away together, or buying their friend presents.

By doing this, Dr McClymont said, they are doing things that they can document and post on social media, just to show other people.

'This might actually extend to overextending yourself time-wise, and even financially,' she said.

According to the psychologist, social media culture has affected some people's friendships, making them more performative

Viewers took to the comments section where they discussed the impact of social media culture

'And that financial and time overspend, if we want to call it, can actually start taking a toll on people's mental health.

'I've seen that within my clinic room - that people are actually feeling an anxious internal monologue of "well, if I don't do this, people won't think I'm a good friend".'

Taking to the comments section, viewers shared their thoughts and experiences around how social media culture has affected their relationships. One wrote: 'I think if people werent able to take pictures/videos, theres lots of things people wouldnt bother doing. Life feels so performative and contrived now.'

Another agreed, writing: 'This is one thing I've always been passionate about and it's leaving social media to be what it is, a simulation of reality, people get so caught up in it and start to believe it's real life.'

And a third added: 'So true. Not even genuine friendships that are being bragged about on their social media.'
Princess Elisabeth is going to complete a two year MA degree in Public Policy

Crown Princess Elisabeth of Belgium has thanked the University of Oxford for three 'wonderful' years - as she prepares to move to Boston for her MA at Harvard.

The royal, 22, moved to the UK in the autumn of 2021 to start her History and Politics undergraduate course at Lincoln College.

The future European Queen enrolled at the institution under the name 'Elisabeth de Saxe-Coburg' and was a member of Lincoln College.

Speaking about her time there, a spokesperson for the Belgian Royal Palace told the Oxford Mail: 'The Princess loved studying in Oxford and had a wonderful time in Lincoln College.'

As well as being an active member of her college's boat club, Elisabeth would have completed around six written papers and a thesis in History or Politics in her final year to complete the degree.

The royal moved to the city in the autumn of 2021 to start her History and Politics undergraduate course at Lincoln College (pictured when she started her degre)

Princess Elisabeth's next endeavour is the renowned Harvard University in Boston, where the Princess passed entrance tests to.

The Brussels Times reports she will be at the college's Kennedy School campus.

The palace told the outlet: 'The Princess was also selected for an 'Honorary Award' from the Fullbright Program, the US Department of State's international educational exchange programme.'

And it seems Princess Elisabeth is already immersing herself in American culture. In March, She hosted former US president Barack Obama when she joined her father King Philippe in Brussels.

She took time out of her studies her studies at the time to carry out the rare royal engagement in her home nation.

Elisabeth is next in line to the Belgian throne as she is the eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde.

According to Belgian newspaper Le Soir, the princess completed a written Oxford entrance exam in history 'anonymously' so that her royal status would not affect her chances of being offered a place.

Elisabeth is believed to have chosen the course herself, in agreement with her parents, and reportedly consulted with graduates from various universities and made her decision based on what would be most useful to her in her role as Queen later in life.

Princess Elisabeth is pictured holding a polling card last month as she goes to vote

Princess Elisabeth looks joyful as she walks down the steps of Oxford University in 2021



During her time at Oxford there was speculation about her love life amid reports she was dating an 'ordinary' young man.

Belgian media reported that the 20-year-old had found love with fellow student Nicholas Dodd, 20, from Rochdale.

Mr Dodd read History at the same college according to Het Laatste Nieuws, a Dutch-language newspaper based in Antwerp, Belgium.

However, the rumours were quashed when Dodd's family said the reports were 'false'.

'They just go to the same college and study together. Just like all his other friends, I can't comment any further,' an unnamed family member told Manchester Evening News.

When asked about the rumours, the Royal Palace refused to comment, according to French-language, Belgium-based television station RTL.

After graduation, Princess Elisabeth is set to move to Boston to study for a two-year Masters degree in Public Policy at Harvard University.

An accomplished 22-year-old by any measure, the official royal website says Elisabeth enjoys walking in nature, reading and playing the piano  although like 'all youngsters her age', writes the palace, 'her taste in music is varied.'

Elisabeth - who speaks Dutch, French, German, English, and has also taken classes in Mandarin Chinese - began attending royal engagements from a young age and was just nine when she delivered a speech at the opening of the Princess Elisabeth Children's Hospital.
The brother of murdered Ruqia Haidari has revealed how her killer rang him to tell him to collect his dead sister's body.

Taqi Haidari, from Victoria, Australia, spoke about the chilling phone call he received from his sister's husband, Mohammad Ali Halimi, after he murdered her in November 2019, during candid interview with 60 Minutes Australia.

Speaking about the terrifying moment he learnt of his sibling's murder Taqi said: 'He was swearing at her, I was worried, he hung up the phone, I was so worried I freaked out and after that, about 10 minutes later, I had a call from Ali, he says "come and get your sister's dead body, I'm going to the police station", and he hung up.

Ruqia was forced to marry the 25-year-old Afghan refugee and Uber driver by her mother Sakina Muhammad Jan, who paid a dowry payment to her daughter's soon-to-be killer.

Just six weeks after the wedding ceremony in January 2020, when Ruqia turned 21, Halimi slashed her throat twice and left her on the floor of their Perth home to die.

Taqi Haidari, from from Victoria, Australia, is the brother of Ruqia Haidari, who was murdered by her husband

Talking about his sister's wedding, Taqi said there were no initial concerns about Ali.

He said: 'The way he was behaving, the way he was talking, the way his personality was, I thought he was a good man.'

Taqi only realised that there might be an issue after the wedding, when his sister moved to Perth with her new husband, and asked her family to not contact her again.

A few weeks into the marriage, Ali sent his Ruqia's family a video complaining that she was not cooking or cleaning for him.

Taqi said: 'I was so worried and very nervous, like stressed, what's going on, what's actually happening?'

He tried calling his sister, but when she didn't answer, he called Ali - and that call has haunted him ever since.

'He was like ''it's none of your business, it's my life, you mind your own business'' and then he got mad at me, and he started swearing, yelling, screaming over the phone,' he said.

'I heard that she [Ruqia] just woke up, and she was saying, "who are you talking to? who are you swearing at?" you could hear her in the in the background, and then he hung up the phone.'

Ruqia (centre) was forced to marry 25-year-old Afghan refugee and Uber driver Mohammad Ali Halimi (left) by her mother Sakina Muhammad Jan (right), who paid him a dowry payment

Just six weeks after the wedding ceremony in January 2020, when Ruqia turned 21, Halimi slashed her throat twice and left her on the floor of their Perth home to die

After hanging up, Ali went on to murder Ruqia by slitting her throat and leaving her to die as he drove himself to the police station.

In a police statement, Ali said he snapped after a 'long period of rejection, emotional heartache and confusion', adding that Ruqia told him she had been forced into marrying him.

However, while Taqi claims his sister wasn't pushed into the marriage, prosecutors accused Sakina of forcing her then 20-year-old daughter to marry Ali. She pleaded not guilty.

A Federal Police investigation into the murder eventually uncovered the disturbing trail of events which led to the tragedy, including the role Sakina played.

She was found guilty of coercing her daughter, on 25 November 2019, into marrying Ali Halimi.

The two-week trial heard how Ali travelled from Perth to meet Ms Haidari's family in Shepperton in May 2019.

The couple had been set up by Shukria Muqudas, a local matchmaker in the Hazara community, who was also a former friend of Muhammad Jan, ABC News reported.

The court heard Ruqia did not want to get married. Social worker Kerrie Young, who knew the bride, had contacted police to raise concerns that Ruqia was being forced into the union.

Ruqia was just 20 when she was forced into marriage with the man who went onto murder her

'I remember Ruqia indicating that she was given an ultimatum. She was advised that she should get married to this man,' she said.

Federal police had travelled to Shepperton and interviewed Ruqia over fears 'she was at risk of forced marriage'.

Despite the concern, two Islamic 'nikah' religious ceremonies took place to formalise the union prior to the wedding in November 2019, which 500 guests attended.

The matchmaker told the court Ruqia wanted to end the relationship before the second nikah took place, but was overruled by her mother.

The court heard that Ruqia told her parents: 'I don't want to get married  I don't want this and I'm not going to accept this at all.'

Sakina responded: 'Are you my mother or am I your mother? I can make decisions for you.'

At this time, it is said the mother had already given a dowry payment to the groom.

It's believed the mother did not want to stop the arranged marriage because she was fearful the family's reputation would be damaged.

Sakina was charged in October 2020 by human trafficking investigators with the Federal Police.

She pleaded not guilty but the jury, which deliberated for over a day, found her guilty.

The forced marriage offence comes under Commonwealth law in Australia and has a maximum penalty of seven years in jail. Sakina was released on bail ahead of a pre-sentence hearing on July 23.

Meanwhile, Ali Halimi was convicted of murder and was sentenced to 19 years in jail.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia looked every inch the proud parents as Princess Leonor officially became a junior army officer today.

The Spanish King and Queen travelled to Zaragoza in Northern Spain for today's ceremony, which saw Felipe hand out new appointments at the General Military Academy.

The Spanish King and his wife showed no hint of turmoil at the ceremony, which came just hours after the latest bombshell claims from her former brother-in-law Jaime Del Burgo, who earlier this year suggested they had an 'affair' after her marriage to the King.

The businessman - who dated the Queen when she was still a newsreader and was married to her sister Telma from 2012-2014 - has now claimed that he is still in contact with the royal in an interview with Argentinian newspaper Clarin.

He said: 'We have shared many years of our lives together. We have been a family.

'As I have always said, ours was not a relationship of lovers. The lover would be him, in any case. I mean Felipe.'

Pictured: King Felipe seen beaming at his daughter Princess Leonor during the military ceremony in Northern Spain today

Pictured: Jaime Del Burgo and his ex-wife Telma Oritz seen in 2012 before their wedding. The couple divorced in 2014

Princess Leonor is less than one year into her training at Zaragoza military academy, where her father was also a student from 1985-1988.

King Felipe was seen presenting his eldest daughter, 18, with a badge during the ceremony, which he attached to her uniform as she gave him a salute.

The future Queen has received her ensign's commission at the Spanish General Army Academy today - meaning she is now a junior officer.

Afterwards, the King placed a loving hand on his daughter's shoulders - before she took her spot next to him.

Later, Queen Letizia, who was dressed in an elegant white floral dress, was also seen giving her daughter a warm hug - as Leonor's sister Sofia watched on.

Princess Leonor will complete three years of training at the military academy before then moving on to the General Air Academy.

When she first arrived at the academy, Leonor completed a module to help her adapt to military life - with the Palace releasing images of the royal taking part in lessons in the classroom.

According to heraldo.es, she is staying in a cabin with as many as twelve other students and was given basic military equipment before the first training session.

During her three years at the academy, Leonor will be entitled to a salary of 417-a-month. However, the palace has said she will not claim the salary.

Rather like a boarding school, the military academy follows a strict timetable during the week but Leonor will be free to return home at the weekends if she's not on manoeuvres.

Pictured: King Felipe puts a loving hand on his daughter Princess Leonor's shoulder as she officially became a junior officer today

Queen Letizia, who was dressed in an elegant white floral dress, was also seen giving her daughter a warm hug

The Spanish Royal Family - including Princess Sofia - were out in full force for the military ceremony today

Princess Leonor looked smart with her long hair styled in a neat bun for the military ceremony in Northern Spain

King Felipe was seen presenting his eldest daughter, 18, with a badge during the ceremony, which he attached to her uniform as she gave him a salute

Left: Queen Letizia opted for an elegant white floral print dress. Right: Princess Sofia of Spain looked chic in a striped asymmetric dress

Leonor's big day comes amid a turbulent time for the Spanish royal family, which began earlier this year with the publication of a bombshell book by veteran Spanish journalist Jaime Penafiel.

Letizia's former brother-in-law told the author that he met Letizia before 2000 and their relationship began on a romantic trip to Venice, years before she met King Felipe.

Jaime - who is the son of the former politician Jaime Ignacio del Burgo - claims he was planning to propose to Letizia when she announced that she was dating a mysterious 'diplomat' over dinner at the Ritz hotel in Madrid in 2002.

Describing how 'serious and significant' their relationship was, the author made the unlikely claim that Jaime was 'carrying an engagement ring his his pocket' that evening.

Letizia reportedly told him that she had 'met someone who would oblige her to quit her profession', which Jaime said led him to deduce her mystery partner was Felipe.

After the pair reportedly decided to just be friends, Jaime is said to have advised Letizia: 'Don't announce the romance, just the wedding.'

Following their engagement announcement in 2003, Letizia - who had divorced her first husband in 1999 - asked Jaime to be a witness at their wedding.

Queen Letizia and King Felipe put on brave faces for Leonor's graduation from military school

It was a proud and memorable moment for the royal family, as Felipe and Leonor saluted each other

King Felipe offers Princess Leonor a supportive smile at the delivery of royal dispatches

The proud parents were clearly determined to focus solely on Leonor and her achievements

King Felipe and his eldest daughter exchanged a hug amid the delivery of royal offices at the military academy

Princess Leonor, King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Infanta Sophia at the ceremony

The King of Spain was seen making a salute as he carried out the delivery of offices

He appeared deep in discussion with his younger daughter, Infanta Sofia

Letizia looked stunning in a new floral midi dress from Maje Paris, paired with gold earrings and glittery sandals

Letizia was wearing sandals once again, as the royal currently has a foot injury and can't wear heels

Letizia was seen battling with the wind during the ceremony, which ruffled her hair and dress

What's more, the royal's ex-brother-in-law also made the far-fetched claim that he 'dealt' with Letizia's pre-nuptial agreement and helped to front the cost of the Queen's family's wedding outfits.

He was quoted as saying: 'When the wedding with Felipe came round, I dealt with the pre-nuptial agreement as you know, amongst other things.

'I also had to pay Letizia's family's expenses because [former King] Juan Carlos refused to pay or even go halves with me. So with the help of my friend Felipe Varela, I dressed her mum, grandmother and her sisters. And with the help of Jaime Jason, her father, grandparents and a cousin.'

Jaime also made the incredible claim that the Queen asked to see him the night before the wedding at the exclusive El Latigazo restaurant in Madrid - where she asked him to 'never leave' her.

He sensationally claimed: 'When we met, she took hold of my hand and asked me why I had never asked her to marry me. Obviously I didn't reply. I encouraged her as best I could. The last thing she said to me before we said goodbye to each other in that restaurant was a request: 'Never leave me.''

In the book, Letizia's alleged ex-lover described Felipe as a 'kind-hearted man' and even goes on to say that he had a 'great friendship' with the royal. He told the author: 'I told him my problems and he told [me] his.'

The businessman even claims that Felipe 'uses [him] as a good man because he felt incapable of calming [Letizia] down' on occasions.

In December, businessman Jaime Del Burgo shared this unseen selfie of Queen Letizia with his X followers. He claimed that the royal was wearing his pashmina and said it 'took care of her'

King Felipe VI of Spain (C) attends the delivery of Royal offices of employment at the Zaragoza Military Academy

Following the wedding, Jaime described how Letizia was like a 'fox in a chicken coop' as she was 'cleverer than any of them'.

Jaime - who says the Queen nicknamed him her 'yogi pal' - claims he still had a romantic relationship with Letizia even after the wedding in 2004. He also claims he has kept 'photographs, videos, mobile phones' and text messages as evidence.

The businessman claimed that 'love was always there' in their relationship since they travelled to Venice together. The photograph Jaime shared on Twitter was taken during one of Letizia's pregnancies between 2005-2007.

In the book, Jaime sensationally claims that Letizia whispered that she loved him when they were lying in a hammock by a pool at her home following Princess Leonor's birth.

Jaime - who joked that Letizia's alleged ex-lover should have been his co-author - is quoted as saying in the book: 'Lying in the same hammock, under the pool porch, facing each other, Letizia told me 'I love you' and I responded 'I love you'.'

Jaime Penafiel goes on to write that Jaime del Burgo subsequently wrote a play called 'La Hamaca, which in English is 'The Hammock', and edited it but never distributed it.

Following this, Jaime alleges they 'took steps forward with the goal of being free' - which involved seeking legal advice and looking at properties in the US.
When I began working in television more than 40 years ago, it never occurred to me that enduring rampant misogyny would be part of the job.

There weren't so many of us then. Angela Rippon was famous for reading the news and Sue Lawley for presenting Nationwide, but I don't recall any stories of stalkers or death threats hitting the newspapers. Of course, there was no social media.

My big shock came in 1982 when I co-presented South Today together with Bruce Parker. We were the BBC's regional news programme covering the south of England and we were on air every night of the week. It was when I was visibly pregnant that the trouble started.

I was inundated with little notes, delivered to me at the newsroom, along the lines of, 'How dare you appear on my television in that disgusting state?' 'Don't you have a husband at home to earn a living and take care of you?' and 'What do you think you're doing, taking a job from a man?'

Breakfast TV presenter Louise Minchin received intimidating messages threatening the rape of her daughter

The worst didn't have any notes inside the envelopes, just little piles of excrement, wrapped up in toilet paper  no need for words. When I opened the first one, I was shocked beyond belief and rushed to the loo to be sick.

Neither the editor nor my colleagues appeared overly concerned. They told me to throw them away and forget about it.

There were three or four of these disgusting missives. I tried not to be upset. After all, I was a tough, ambitious young journalist, but I ranged from being disgusted, sad and furious that I should be suffering such sexism.

The men on the team were never in any danger of such insults, but to be fair to them, they begged me to stop opening my post. They would do it for me. I didn't take up their offer. I might be a woman but didn't need mollycoddling.

Of course, there was never any evidence to indicate who the senders were. I don't think it would have occurred to anyone to involve the police. It was harassment but I don't think anyone knew that word then.

Happily, as far as I know, there were no dangerous stalkers involved. Flowers came occasionally, but again, no means of identifying the sender. I did get used to the idea that my regular appearances in people's front rooms potentially put me at risk. I always imagined things would improve and indeed campaigned vigorously for it to be better for the women who followed in our footsteps. We worked for the law to acknowledge the dangers of threats and stalkers, but the misogyny continues.

I've had more than my share of death threats online and we know hatred of women and resentment at our apparent success is part of what some blokes call 'banter'. There's a sick Andrew Tate style of pub conversation about the desire to subjugate women, even if that involves violence.

It is depressing to read about the catalogue of abuse that today's females face. Fern Britton was stalked for two years by a man who rented a cottage she owned, and sent flowers and cards, telling her to 'keep safe'. She was terrified and unable to sleep. Thank goodness for the stalking law, which banned him from going near her.

It's the same law which saw former Newsnight anchor Emily Maitlis's stalker sent down for eight years. Meanwhile, breakfast TV presenter Louise Minchin received intimidating messages threatening the rape of her daughter. The man in question had revealed her home address and even described the cars in her drive. He was sent to prison for two years and eight months. There are so many more who've suffered. Channel 4's Cathy Newman, Denise Welch and Christine Lampard to name but three. They have all had the courage to use the law and bring the perpetrators to justice. It can't be easy to face a man you fear in court. But these dangerous, deluded men are being shown their behaviour is not acceptable.

Former Newsnight anchor Emily Maitlis's stalker was jailed for eight years after a a three-decade fixation with the journalist, and breaking a restaining order 20 times

As a younger woman, I foolishly believed the misogyny would subside as men grew used to women in positions of power  or, if not, realised laws would put them at risk of incarceration if they misbehaved. I could not have been more wrong and can only hope the appearance of so many clever and powerful women in this year's election coverage may have an impact for the good.

I've believed since I was a little girl that women must have their place at the table. We are more than half the population. If we are to be recognised as a vital part of our society, we must be heard in forming and analysing policy which affects us all. We must be there taking part.

If I had a daughter, I would explain the horrors women like me have faced. And how we simply said: 'No, we're not having this. We'll change the laws and we'll protect ourselves.'

Running away in fear and humiliation is not an option. You've got to keep on keeping on. Respect to all those brave women who fight for the right to be seen and heard without suffering abuse.

My dogs don't need a groomer

My heart goes out to David Beckham's daughter-in-law Nicola Peltz whose dog Nala died suddenly after she'd been to the grooming parlour.

The little chihuahua was only nine and the breed tends to have a good life span.

David Beckham's daughter-in-law Nicola Peltz and her dog, Nala, who died suddenly after she'd been to the grooming parlour

One of mind, Frieda, is 18. I can't think what could have happened at the groomer's. Mine have never been. They wash each other's faces; I give them a good brush from time to time and do their pedicures under protest. They don't go in the shower.

They'd hate it and they certainly won't be going for grooming, which they really don't need. RIP Nala.

It only took St Paul's 900 years!

After running for 900 years, girls are to join St Paul's Cathedral Choir for the first time. Pictured are Lila and Lois, aged 11 and 10

At last, girls are to join St Paul's Cathedral choir for the first time. It's only taken 900 years. Lila and Lois, pictured, will begin on Sunday and will be certain to sing as sweetly as any boy. They're 11 and 10 and will last longer than any of the lads. No danger of their lovely voices breaking. A far more valuable investment.

The former director of the British Museum, Sir Mark Jones, thinks visitors to Britain should be charged 20 to enter our cultural institutions. I agree - it's what we pay if we go to Spain, Italy or Greece. Only we should have free entry to our own wonders.

So much for the Garrick's revolution

The Garrick Club has admitted its first two female members  Dame Judi Dench who's 89 and Dame Sian Phillips who's 91. Is it too cynical of me to wonder if this is just another way of keeping women out of the club  choose two who are too old and too wise to be bothered to attend?

Dame Judi Dench, 89, is one of the first two female members to be admitted to the Garrick Club - which has previously only been open to men

Who'd be Jill Biden just now  no doubt dying of embarrassment as her husband struggles to make any sense, but desperate to remain First Lady. No Jill, ignore Tammy Wynette's advice and Don't Stand By Your Man. Tell him he's no longer fit to be President of such a vital democracy. Take him home for a rest and give the opportunity to someone who can string a few words together.
Today host Jenna Bush Hager was left stunned on Wednesday's show after the NBC show got a sneak peek look inside an incredible New York City townhouse with TikTok star Caleb Simpson.

During the latest episode of Today with Hoda & Jenna, contributor Donna Farizan revealed how she got the chance to tag along with Caleb - who found fame asking New Yorkers how much rent they pay - as they headed inside the jaw-dropping home of LoveShackFancy founder Rebecca Hessel Cohen.

Rebecca and husband Todd Cohen started renovating their property more than six years ago, and even 42-year-old Jenna was impressed by the 'beautiful' house, which features a speakeasy, humungous closets and a carriage house.

As Rebecca took Caleb and Donna inside her West Village abode, the latter said it was like 'being transported to France,' as designer Rebecca revealed that they always had 'a lot of fresh flowers' before sharing some details of the interior.

'All of this paneling is from Paris. It's all original, it's inspired by the Picasso museum,' she explained, before adding: 'There's a 156 antique sconces in this house,' as viewers got a glimpse of her lavish marble bathroom and ornate white fireplaces.

LoveShackFancy founder Rebecca Hessel Cohen showed off her incredible NYC townhouse on Wednesday's episode of Today with Hoda & Jenna

The stunning West Village property is certainly Parisian-inspired when it comes to the furniture

Rebecca mentioned the fact that her house is full of antiques and she likes to have fresh flowers dotted around

One living room in particular featured cream-colored armchairs draped in designer blankets, and an antique marble and gold coffee table as well as a curved sofa and built in bookcases.

Rebecca then showed off one of the hidden bars in her house as a shocked Donna asked: 'How many speakeasies?' as she replied: 'You've seen two, you'll see more,' as she opened the door to one which was adorned with crystal glasses and a marble sink.

The trio then stepped inside an elevator and headed to the street-level of the townhouse as Rebecca divulged: 'I need to feel inspired everywhere I am,' as they entered a dining room living area complete with more antique-looking furniture.

Rebecca's rectangular dining table was covered in several cloths and adorned with fresh flowers with a huge white cabinet standing behind it and a beautiful chandelier completing the room.

She then pointed out the gold mirrors in the room and described them as 'original' before she revealed they had all been turned into televisions, which left Donna stunned.

She and Caleb then got the chance to wander around the kitchen which featured wooden cabinets and marble worktops as well as a very impressive black and gold stove and more antique sconces on the wall.

As the trio headed outside into a small fairytale-like courtyard, which featured various plants and cloth-covered tables, they strolled into the carriage house to meet up with Rebecca's husband Todd, who is also her business partner.

Rebecca revealed that the ornate gold mirrors actually work as televisions too

A cloth-covered dining table is flanked by gold chairs as well as a stunning chandelier and various bouquets of fresh flowers

One of the bedrooms has a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and the bed equally well adorned

Rebecca is clearly a fan of the color pink and loves to show off her dining room set ups on Instagram

The carriage house was just as cozy and included several sofas as well as three huge chandeliers, more ornate gold mirrors and many, many candles.

Caleb then got the chance to climb the monkey bars in the couple's basement gym and even got to snoop around the 'many closets', including Rebecca's personal one - which she said she likes to keep 'very clean.'

He finished off his tour by doing his usual testing of the bed, but unsurprisingly, Rebecca ordered him to take his shoes off first as her husband watched on.

Almost a year ago in August 2023, the couple invited Architectural Digest into their home and Rebecca revealed that when they first purchased the property, it was 'a total shell.'

'But when I first walked through it and then out to the carriage house in the back -which was the most magnificent thing I've ever seen in New York City - I was like, "I don't know what we need to do, but we need to grab this house,"' she told the publication.

Todd described the renovation process as 'intense' and explained: 'The house dates from the late 1800s, so you just had to have the nerve to go through with all those changes.'

The couple, who share two daughters, described their children's bedrooms as LoveShackFancy-Land - referring to Rebecca's clothing brand.

Rebecca was more than happy to give Today contributor Donna Farizan and TikTok star Caleb Simpson a tour of her home

The mother-of-two revealed that she has several secret bars inside the property

The incredible Manhattan house even has a fairytale-like courtyard and a carriage house

Viewers also got a brief and quick look at Rebecca's lavish marble bathroom

'For their floor and spaces, it feels like that because that does make me feel warm and cozy, and I love it so much,' she told AD.

'But then, when I want to feel like an adult, and experience a beautiful and inspiring and textural and sophisticated environment, I can go to the upper floors. It was all about creating a balance.'

She said of her husband: 'Todd was really cute about it all. He was always looking to add touches of pink throughout the house. Like all of a sudden, he'd say, "Maybe this room should be pink."'

The happy couple enlisted the help of interior designer Benjamin Vandiver to renovate their stunning space.
Concerning trend sees vegetables, hair bushes and lollipops used as sex toys

Aussies are switching sex toys for light bulbs, vacuum cleaners and even kitchen utensils in a shocking trend sweeping the country.

But the choice to reach for household items instead of a toy designed for self-pleasure is a dangerous one, warns sexologist Christine Rafe.

The expert told FEMAIL she isn't one to criticise people's preferences in the bedroom - but urges men and women to think twice before using a hair brush or chilled vegetables during their solo bedroom performances.

'It's not uncommon... to have people presenting to emergency rooms with household objects lost, lodged or even smashed internally,' Ms Rafe said.

'While I certainly advocate for curiosity and creativity when it comes to sex and pleasure... household items like this are not designed for intimate use and can lead to injuries or infections,' she added.

The list of household objects people admitted to using was broad, and included everything from electric toothbrushes to spoons, pens and even broom handles.

Pillows and pillow cases, shower heads, gloves, electric shavers, washing machines, and lollipops also made the DIY sex toy list.

Ms Rafe said she doesn't want to 'yuck anyone's yum' but would advise against using any of the items on the list to achieve orgasm.

'There's a lot of room for error in misusing household items for pleasure. As a Sex Therapist, I wouldn't recommend using a household object in place of a sex toy'

And she admitted she was alarmed by how many people have been using fragile glassware inside their bodies in the pursuit of pleasure.

According to a survey by retailer Lovehoney, 34 per cent of Australians have admitted to using ordinary objects when masturbating.

The survey indicated two per cent of Australians have had serious medical repercussions after using household items - though experts suspect the true number might be significantly higher.

'Many people might be too embarrassed to report these incidents, but it highlights the importance of using safe, purpose-made sex toys to avoid any potential mishaps,' she said.

'When we're talking about delicate areas and using products that aren't fit for purpose, a lot of these [items] can have repercussions.'

Ms Rafe said cost-of-living pressures and limited access to safe sex toys has led to more people experimenting with things lying around the house.

The list shocked Lovehoney staff so much they used many of them in a recent ad campaign

Australia's 'favourite' DIY sex toys revealed Pillow Showerhead Vegetables Electric toothbrush Glove Sock Mobile phone Hairbrush Washing machine Spoon/ Cooking Utensils Massage gun Glass objects Toiletries bottles (including deodorant cans & shampoo bottles) Torch Pen Makeup brush Broom handle Rubber Shaver Bubble Wand Vacuum Cleaner Cooking Oil Lollipop Light bulbs Advertisement

'As much as we continue to normalise sex toy use, embarrassment or shyness about purchasing sex toys still plays a role,' she said.

'Some people using these objects to explore specific kinks and find that certain household items cater to their unique fantasies.'

This is backed up by the fact people are downloading cheap or free vibrator apps for their phones.

She said that apps such as this on the App Store and Google have been downloaded more than five million times, proving that using a phone for self-pleasure has become 'so commonplace that apps like this exist'.

Ms Rafe said masturbation is something to embrace, but needs to be done safely.

'It's a healthy part of a balanced lifestyle and can not only offer various mental health benefits but also general well-being benefits, such as stress relief, better sleep and improved mood,' she said.

The team at Lovehoney was so shocked by the household objects trend that they featured some of them in adverts.

They unveiled a series of 'unbannable' billboards across Australia encouraging customers not to use household objects, alongside the slogan: 'You deserve better.'

Ms Rafe reminded those using low-tech substitutes such as vegetables to dispose of them after use.

'Our research did show that one person confessed to using the vegetable, a carrot, in their dinner afterwards,' she recounted.

'That's not something we would endorse.'
Kmart has quietly launched a brand new stylish black boucle jacket that would look effortlessly at home on the streets of Paris, and it's already selling out in stores across Australia.

The $40 garment is elegantly cropped and done in the chic woven loop-style boucle fabric that made Chanel suits famous.

It comes with long sleeves, a button up front and mock pocket flaps with button detail.

The timeless and classic jacket is ideal for smart, formal occasions and also for dressing up jeans and everyday outfits.

Boucle style cropped jackets had been a fashion staple ever since Coco Chanel first launched her version in 1950.

Fans have noticed that Kmart's jacket is an almost perfect dupe of Celine's covetable chasseur jacket in boucle tweed, also in black - which retails for an eye-watering $5,600.

Celine's version is made with wool and cotton but Kmart's contains polyester, viscose, acrylic and nylon, making it much lighter to wear and at a far more attractive price.

Instagram account Kmartinsider shared the incredible new find with its followers who were keen to get their hands on the stylish piece.

Kmart's brand new $40 boucle jacket is a timeless classic that effortlessly elevates everyday wear

The Kmart jacket has been called a perfect dupe of this Celine chasseur jacket which retails for $5,600

'Kmart is the nicest', one fan said.

'OMG running to the website,' another agreed.

One woman gushed, 'perfection, and such a bargain!'

'So buying...running, not walking' said another.

People couldn't believe how 'impeccable and polished' the Kmart jacket was.

One fan thought the classic black jacket also needed to be released in other colours, particularly a cream version, which would be 'divine'.

Shoppers pointed out that Target stocks a similar boucle jacket in both cream and black for $60.

This isn't the first time Kmart has thrilled fans with its savvy dupes of more expensive, designer items.

Their pop coloured $15 dollar version of the viral Stanley quencher cups which retail for $80, were a huge hit with fans and caused a buying frenzy.
Medics have raised concerns about a viral TikTok of an American Influencer getting a 640 full-body MOT in Turkey that promotes itself as being able to pick up a host of conditions.

Created by health and beauty tourism influencer Bryn Elise, the eye-catching video which has been viewed nearly 12million times, sees her undergo a 'VIP checkup' at the Memorial Hospital in Istanbul.

However, doctors on social media immediately cautioned about potential risks.

They warned about the risk of 'false positives' from such tests that can lead to people needlessly undergoing risky, invasive follow-ups and operations.

In the clip Ms Elise is seen being led around the 'fancy' private hospital and undergoing a raft of checks including a blood analysis, electrocardiogram  a type of heart test  blood pressure, chest x-ray, abdominal and thyroid ultrasounds and a bone density scan.

@bryn.elise Trying the VIP checkup package  Memorial Hospital Bahcelievler To make an appointment i just went to the Memorial.com.tr website and filled out the contact form  Or you can email memorial.eu@memorial.com.tr I'll make a followup video sharing my results soon   original sound - Bryn Elise

Dr Ashley Winter, a urologist based in Los Angeles , was one of the medics critical of the video stating that people need to be aware that every medical test carried the risk of 'false positives' where it incorrectly indicates something is wrong and can lead to unnecessary and even risky surgery

Bryn Elise had a host of tests and scans included in her VIP package including a chest X-ray

The 29-year-old influencer also had a bone density scan performed in a high-tech machine

The clip, which has been seen almost 12million times, shows Ms Elise undertaking a heart 'stress test' which involves monitoring the organ while she uses a treadmill

Accompanied by a personal translator she also underwent an eye test, a gynaecological exam, a heart scan and stress test and ate at the hospital's lavish restaurant.

She said checkup cost a 'jaw-dropping' $810 (640), which even with the $700 (550) flights, was thousands of dollars cheaper than equivalent treatment in the US, adding it was 'the greatest thing I've ever done for my health'.

In her video Ms Elise, who is in her late 20s and originally from Colorado, states: 'Doing this in the US would have cost me thousands and taken months to line up.'

'But in one day, we're doing it all  scans, tests, meetings with specialists  and the price of everything is jaw-dropping.'

She didn't detail why she was undergoing these tests only stating she had a 'list of mysterious ailments'.

While the clip does show Ms Elise discussing her results with an internal medicine specialist, she didn't reveal the results adding that would be the focus of a 'follow-up video'.

But she did reveal that her eye-test revealed she had an astigmatism, a common imperfection in the shape of the eye which is routinely corrected by wearing glasses or contact lenses.

However, British and American experts commenting on the videos were less impressed with the results.

Reacting to the video Dr Ashley Winter, a urologist based in Los Angeles, said people needed to be aware that every medical test carried the risk of 'false positives' where it incorrectly indicates something is wrong.

Writing on X she explained: 'A wrong result can lead to necessary fear, worry, and at worst, unnecessary invasive procedures or even unnecessary surgery.

'The chance of someone getting a false positive goes down when the person is at a higher risk of having an actual problem (ie. a specific symptom).'

'This is called a higher 'pretest probability.' This is why doctors don't recommend everyone get every test all the time.'

She illustrated this point using an example from her specialty and tests for prostate cancer.

'If I order a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test on a random 85-year-old with no symptoms, I am likely to get a high result, which leads to fear and a possible biopsy (which has risks of sepsis). Then potentially a diagnosis of an intermediate risk prostate cancer that is unlikely to kill him, even if it went completely untreated,' she wrote.

Continuing she said: 'Maybe then the patient is presented with all treatment options and despite the doctor recommending observation/surveillance, he is understandably scared and starts treatment with radiation and hormone suppression.'

'The hormone suppression causes fatigue, hot flashes, erectile dysfunction, night sweats. The radiation leads to bloody urine and urgency incontinence. He ends up in the emergency room and has an emergency procedure to stop the bleeding.

'He goes home with a fat urinary catheter in his urethra. He feels like garbage. He gets sepsis from a urinary infection that he got from having the catheter and dies.

'All because he was an 85 year old and someone randomly got an inappropriate screening test.'

Dr Winter concluded her point by stating she has seen patients like this and every screening test for disease and health conditions carried similar risks.

'When doctors say they don't recommend everyone gets every test it is because we are thinking of situations like this,' she said.

While some medics questioned whether the video was an advertisement by the Memorial Hospital Ms Elise told MailOnline the clip hadn't been sponsored nor did she earn a commission.

She added that the only special treatment she received at the hospital was being given permission to film.

Memorial Hospital itself provides a number of what it calls 'VIP packages' which vary in contents with some dedicated to men or women or tracking risks of particular diseases like cancer.

It doesn't the list the price of these on its website but in the description encourages people to have one annually.

'Having check-up at least once a year is important for early diagnosis of possible diseases,' it reads.

Pre-emptive health checks are not unusual in medicine. Some, like blood pressure tests, are so easy and un-invasive that they can be done routinely with little to no risk.

Others do, by their very nature, have an extremely small risk of complications, such as scans involving radiation like X-rays, which carry an estimated less than one in a million risk of causing cancer.

However, as discussed by Dr Winter, the other danger is false positives which can trigger a range of follow-up procedures which each carry additional risks.

This is, in part, why some tests or scans are only recommended when patients have certain symptoms, have concerning results in another test like a blood test, or are in particular patient group at risk of a certain disease or condition.

One example is bowel cancer screening, with the NHS sending free kits to people in England aged between 60-to-74 every two years as this age group is considered at higher risk of the disease, though there are plans to offer it to younger Brits soon.

The influencer has made similar videos before documenting travelling to Thailand to get a $92 (72) tooth repair in Thailand or even going to Turkey for hair extensions for fraction of what it would cost in the US.
A compulsive sperm donor, believed to have fathered up to 1,000 children, has suggested he is the real victim and was 'very vulnerable'.

Jonathan Meijer, from the Netherlands, donated sperm on a mass scale, defrauding dozens of parents and eleven clinics across the globe.

In an explosive Netflix documentary investigating this 'murky world', women told how they felt 'betrayed' and 'angry' after discovering how many other children the now 43-year-old musician has fathered.

But in an interview Meijer, who has also been labelled a 'public health risk' and 'narcissist' today claimed he had 'no protection' as a private donor, making him 'very vulnerable'.

And he argued there was 'absolutely nothing wrong' with fathering hundreds of children.

Jonathan Jacob Meijer is a 43-year-old musician from the Netherlands - he's also thought to have fathered hundreds of children across the globe

Meijer's children are dotted all over the world. About 375 live in the Netherlands, 80 in Germany, 35 in Belgium, four in Argentina, and two in Australia

The Man With 1000 Kids premieres on Netflix today investigating 'the murky world of the fertility industry,' as well as how the Youtuber defrauded dozens of parents and eleven clinics across the globe

He told the BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour: 'I offer something better than sperm banks.

'I offer directly fresh sperm which is better than frozen sperm.

'I give it for free, they don't have to pay me. They can have contact with me. They can ask me anything they want.

'How is this misleading? How is this false?

He added: 'When I started as a private donor I was open about the number I have helped.

'But you run into so many problems with that, that I chose to follow the guidelines of the clinic'  not informing people of number of children he has helped father.

'Yet I decided to give them an approximate number so that they have an idea,' he said.

'If I said "oh Ive helped 50 times", at least I was giving an approximate number. So they could see he is a mass donor.

'I gave them more than what the clinic would offer.

In April 2023, a Dutch court ordered Meijer to stop donating semen to clinics, or face being fined 100,000 euros (88,000) per infraction

They argued that Mr Meijer's continued donations violated the right to a private life of his donor children, whose ability to form romantic relationships are hampered by fears of accidental incest and inbreeding

'In a perfect world, that would be the best thing. Everybody could be open, I could be open and I wouldnt be vulnerable.

'As a private donor you are very vulnerable. I have had situations you cannot imagine because I was open about myself.

'I gave my address but when I decided not to help somebody, they stood in front of my door.

'Who is there to protect me? I dont have money in the bank, I dont have lawyers.

'I was very vulnerable, there is no protection for private donors.'

Meijer was banned from donating sperm in the Netherlands in 2017, external after it emerged he was the father of 102 children, born from donations made to 11 clinics around the country.

He continued donating in other countries until 2023, when one woman and a foundation supporting her filed a civil suit against Meijer, arguing he was increasing the risk of incest for his children.

In his testimony, Meijer admitted having between 550 and 600 children.

However, the court said he may have fathered up to 1,000 across several continents.

The judge ultimately banned Meijer from donating sperm to new parents in the Netherlands, and said he would be fined 100,000 (85,000) per donation if he did so.

He also impregnated women occasionally through 'natural donation'  sex  if the woman was single.

Meijer told Woman's Hour: 'I already stopped donating for new recipients in 2019. I only donated for siblings.

Over the years, Meijer lied to everyone, after it was unearthed he had developed an addition to donating sperm

'The court case was basically useless because I already stopped, and the court case did not prohibit me to help existing families.'

Asked if there were families continuing to use Meijer as a sperm donor, he said: 'yes absolutely'.

He added: 'All these outdated views like "the fear of inbreeding", the "identity crisis". Were now in 2024.

'We see lesbian couples everywhere. We see single mums everywhere.

'We know the donors are helping families. These outdated views, we should stop projecting them on these children.'

Later, when questioned if he felt he had misled women, he also said: 'If you want exclusivity you go to the clinic. You pay 10,000 and then your donor is exclusive.

'If you don't want to share as a mother, why did you even choose this path?

'These mums in this documentary, they put on this act, I dont know why. Maybe they were hurt and they put this on me.'

In the UK, current rules mean a single sperm donor can only create ten families in this country, with each family potentially including multiple siblings.

But there is no regulation limiting the number of families that donors can create overseas.

Some foreign centres allow sperm donations from the same person to be used to create a 1,000 or more separate families.

Experts warn the issue is becoming pressing because more than half of donated sperm used in Britain is imported from abroad  and demand for sperm donors is growing due to an increase in single women and same-sex female couples having children.

The number of same-sex female couples having IVF jumped by 33 per cent between 2019 and 2021, according to fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).

Meanwhile, the number of single women having artificial insemination rose by 26 per cent.

Last year, Professor Jackson Kirkman-Brown, chair of the Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists, warned it could be 'psychological harmful' for children to discover they have hundreds or even thousands of half-siblings.

He said: 'If you've always thought you're an incredibly special gift, suddenly finding there are 300 people who share 50 per cent of your DNA is a very difficult concept to get your head around.'

It appears Meijer is now travelling the world, with one video showing him speaking on a beach in Tanzania and another from Italy

Research also suggests people who are donor-conceived often feel pressure to keep in touch with dozens of half-siblings but this can be 'almost an impossibility' which can cause great stress.

Asked later on Woman's Hour if he had an 'addiction' to donating sperm, Meijer said: 'An addiction always comes with a physical excitement.

'Please can they explain to me why it is exciting to be in a dirty bathroom ... I dont really see the addictive endorphins in that situation.'

On whether he wanted to have a family of his own, he added: 'I want to have a large family. Its hard to find someone who also wants to have a traditional family with traditional values.

'I always talk about natural tribes and I would love to live like that. Most women are not interested in that. They want to have a career or are focused on materialism.

'I want to live very simply on a small farm, self-sustaining, self-sufficient.'

The Man With 1000 Kids is now streaming on Netflix
The number of Americans killed by food poisoning has surged by 50 percent in four years, according to a new CDC report.

The US has also seen a 20 percent rise in the number of people hospitalized after eating bad food, and the same increase in potentially lethal cases.

It comes amid emerging concerns about spoiled food served by some airlines  after a Delta flight was forced to make an emergency landing when staff realized passengers were given contaminated food.

About a dozen of those on board were evaluated by medics for signs of food poisoning, although it is currently unclear how many ate the food.

The bacteria that most commonly contaminates food is Campylobacteria, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea and fever, and in rare cases, life-threatening sepsis.

A Delta spokesperson told DailyMail.com its teams are probing the incident and have issued an apology to its costumers

Food poisoning with different bacteria can kill if patients become severely dehydrated, leading to kidney failure or gets nervous system damage, according to Cleveland Clinic.

The latest report found that food poisoning caused 31,492 infections, 7,588 hospitalizations and 184 deaths in 2023  up from 25,866 infections, 6,164 hospitalizations and 122 deaths in 2019.

Some 85 percent of the cases in 2023 occurred on American soil, and 15 percent happened when an American picked up a bug abroad.

The total number of cases is likely higher, the CDC said, because many cases of food poisoning go unreported, as few patients seek medical help for symptoms.

There are many different bacteria and parasites that can lead someone to develop food poisoning.

You can get it from eating food that is infected with harmful bacteria, most undercooked meat.

One example is the Escherichia coli (E Coli) infections, which can cause bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever and dehydration. In recent years, Americans have found this bacteria in their ground beef and lettuce.

It's typically found in many different kinds of meat, including beef, chicken, turkey, deer and sheep.

A rare, and particularly severe strain of this bug, called Shiga toxin-producing E coli (STEC), can lead to kidney failure.

This type has seen one of a rise in prevalence over the past four years, according to the report, increased by roughly 33 percent from 2019 - rising from 2,514 cases to 3,351 cases.

Other common bugs included salmonella, listeria and shigella - all of which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, fever and nausea and are commonly found in chicken, deli meats and beef, respectively.

Incidence of these infections remained stable since 2019, the report said.

Shigella infections have been spreading around homeless camps in Oregon, California and Pennsylvania, where lack of access to bathrooms makes people more likely to come into contact with human feces, which spreads the bug.

Shigella is transmitted when someone comes in contact with fecal matter through sex, diapers, food or water

E. coli (Escherichia coli) are bacteria that live in the intestines of healthy people and animals. But when people are exposed to the bacteria from other sources, like through other peoples feces, they can get food poisoning

The federal government aims to reduce the incidence of many of these common infections by the end of the decade, as part of a wider public health campaign called The Healthy People 2030.

However, the new findings show that the federal government has made 'a lack of progress toward foodborne disease reduction goals', the report states.

The report cautioned, however, that the increase in the number of cases might not be because more people are getting sick each year.

Instead it could be a sign that The Government has gotten better at detecting cases, thanks to scientific advances in monitoring technology.

The new CDC report comes from the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, which tests samples from people suspected to have food poisoning to determine the bug they are infected with.

It covers 16 percent of the US population, or roughly 53million people  and integrates ten different states, including Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, and Tennessee, California, Colorado, and New York.

The CDC say that the regions included roughly approximates the demographics of the rest of the country.
Americans are being warned about a potentially deadly virus spread by mosquito bites that is surging across the US.

Health officials say soaring temperatures across the country mean infections are only set to increase, and Americans should take steps to protect themselves from bites  which can kill within a week.

A 'higher-than-expected' number of dengue fever infections have been recorded in the US so far this year, according to the CDC  1,0000 more than in the whole of 2023.

More than 5,300 people have been killed by the infection across the world, mostly in tourist hotspots like Brazil, Mexico and Costa Rica, although officials warn US-borne cases are also on the rise.

Your browser does not support iframes.

The above shows the number of patients who tested positive for dengue despite not traveling outside of the United States

The CDC warned last week that many infections  which have been spotted across 38 states  were linked to travelers returning to the US from countries where the disease is spreading rapidly.

However, at least eight local cases have been detected within the states.

In Florida, there are about 200 cases, including at least six locally transmitted, in people who have not recently traveled.

Puerto Rico is currently experiencing an outbreak, recording around 1,500 infections, with an emergency declared in the US territory back in March.

Massachusetts and New York are also experiencing some of the highest case numbers across the country, 50 and 134, respectively.

Dengue fever cannot be passed from human-to-human. It is transmitted via bites from infected mosquitoes, which transfer the virus into a person's blood stream.

For someone to catch the disease locally, the area's mosquito population has to have picked up the virus  normally via biting an infected person who recently returned to the US from abroad.

It could also be the case that infected mosquitoes have migrated into the area or arrived on boats or airplanes.

Dengue is a potentially deadly virus passed to people by infected mosquitoes and was historically known as 'breakbone fever'

While you can be tested to see if you've contracted dengue fever, there is no known treatment and doctors can only 'support' patients, prescribing medications that manage symptoms.

About one-in-four people who are infected with dengue fever will show symptoms. These include pain in and around the eyes, muscle aches and joint pain, nausea and vomiting and a rash.

Symptoms typically occur two weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito and can last anywhere from two to seven days.

In the United States, there is a dengue vaccine recommended for use in children between nine and 16 years old who have had a previous dengue infection if they are living in an area of the country where dengue is more common.

If a patient's case progresses into severe dengue fever, which can occur in a matter of hours, it is considered a medical emergency and they should be hospitalized.

In severe cases, people can experience uncontrolled bleeding, dangerously low blood pressure, organ failure and death, according to the CDC.

Dengue fever is not contagious and is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito

About one-in-20 people infected with the virus will develop severe dengue, which includes additional symptoms of abdominal pain, vomiting blood or blood in the stool and feeling extremely tired or restless.

According to the NIH, without proper treatment, fatality rates of severe dengue could exceed 20 percent, especially among vulnerable populations like children.

Of dengue cases recorded in the US this year, 745 have been in travelers  those who tested positive after recently returning from abroad  which was 'higher-than-expected' for this time of year.

Dengue fever is endemic in many countries across the world, with countries in South America, Asia and Africa tending to report a higher number of cases.

The CDC did not say which countries people were returning from, but so far this year Brazil has had the largest outbreak  with 7.8million suspected dengue cases.

The above shows the weekly number of dengue fever cases in the US

The above shows approximate cases of dengue fever in countries around the world

The above shows a world map highlighting the areas of risk for dengue fever. Public health officials are now warning there is an increased risk of dengue fever in the United States

Large outbreaks have also been recorded in Argentina  with 505,000 cases  and Paraguay  with 282,000  with other cases reported among 90 countries across six continents.

Experts attribute the rise in dengue across the globe to warming temperatures, increasingly severe storms that bring large amounts of rain and flooding and more international travel.

Dr Marty Makary, a doctor at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, told Fox because the illness is spread through mosquito bites, people should do what they can to reduce exposure and risk of bites.

This can include wearing loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts and pants or clothing treated with insecticides, using mosquito control inside and outside your house and applying bug spray.

The above photos shows symptoms of the dengue rash. About one in four people who are infected suffer from symptoms of the virus, including a rash

Mosquito populations flourish in standing water, so it is important to prevent and control any areas that could serve as a breeding ground for the bugs.

Dr Makary added mosquito protection was especially important in southern states where temperatures are warmer.

He said: 'It is spread by mosquitos and that's a good reminder to try to do what you can to reduce mosquito bites especially in the southern United States where this is more common.'

The rise in dengue comes at the same time officials are also concerned of two other mosquito-borne illnesses: malaria and West Nile virus.

The Florida Department of Health issued a 'mosquito-borne illnesses advisory last week' after four cases of locally acquired malaria were diagnosed in an area along the state's western coast. All individuals have been treated and recovered.

Like dengue, malaria is often contracted abroad and the US reports about 2,000 cases a year.

Symptoms include fever, flu-like illness, muscle aches, vomiting and diarrhea and the chills. If not treated quickly, it can lead to kidney failure, seizures and a coma.

Another mosquito-borne illness health experts caution of is West Nile virus, which is the most common in the US, with an average of 2,200 cases per year.

About 20 percent of those infected will exhibit symptoms, which include a fever and flu-like illness. Less than one percent will progress to a severe infection of West Nile neuroinvasive disease, which can be deadly.
The above shows the number of illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths reported to date. The death is potentially linked to the Diamond Shruumz microdosing candies

Federal officials are probing a death in a patient who may have consumed 'microdosing' candies now recalled across the US.

The FDA gave no further details on the individual, but said the fatality was 'potentially associated' with Diamond Shruumz products, which are sold in vape shops across the US.

At least 48 people have fallen ill after eating chocolate bars, cones and gummies made the the company in the past month, while 27 have been hospitalized with seizures, loss of consciousness and an abnormal heart rate.

Customers across the US are being urged not to consume the products and to either put them in the trash or return them to vendors for a full refund.

An investigation revealed the candies contained muscimol, a psychoactive chemical from the potentially toxic amanita mushrooms which can cause seizures.

Pictured above are some of the products that have been recalled over the illnesses

The candies are used to 'microdose', which involves taking very small amounts of a drug in order to test its physiological action while minimizing undesirable effects.

They were typically sold in smoke and vape shops, as well as retailers that sell hemp-derived products such as CBD or THC for $25 each.

In its recall notice, the California-based chocolate manufacturer said a number of customers had fallen ill after eating an entire bar at once.

They said: 'It is crucial that all of our consumers refrain from ingesting this product while we, alongside the FDA, continue our investigation as to what is the cause of the serious adverse effects.'

The illnesses have been recorded across 24 states.

The states are: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota and Tennessee.

The chocolate bars and candies say they contain a 'proprietary blend' of mushrooms 'with a kick' to allow someone to microdose.

People have been hospitalized after eating 'microdosing' chocolate bars called Diamond Shruumz (pictured). People are being warned not to eat them

This does not include psilocybin, which is illegal in the US at a federal level, but does include other active compounds linked to better mood and wellbeing.

Mushrooms listed on labels include Lion's mane, which has been linked to anti-depressive effects, Reishi and Chaga, which some say can help to boost mood.

It was not clear whether Amanita mushrooms  which are large and red  were also advertised as being in the products.

Among those who have been hospitalized by Diamond Shruumz is a 15-year-old girl from Arizona.

Her mother, Tina Griffin, wrote online: 'Yesterday, my 15-year-old daughter and her 16-year-old cousin ate these Diamond Shruumz microdosing chocolate bars (not real psilocybin) and ended up on ventilators and are currently in the ICU at the children's hospital.

'I don't want any other parents to have to go through this nightmare.

'The night before they overdosed there were other overdosese that came in.'

The FDA first raised the alarm over Diamond Shruumz in early June, after receiving reports of illnesses from several states after consuming the chocolates.

It has published five updates since then, updating its illness tally and on its investigation into the cause of the illnesses.

The FDA, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and America's Poison Centers are investigating the outbreak.
A dairy farm worker in Colorado has been infected with H5N1 bird flu, becoming the fourth human case in the outbreak so far.

The man, who was not named, suffered a mild illness and conjunctivitis  also known as pink-eye  and has since recovered from the infection.

He was treated with oseltamivir, or Tamiflu, an anti-viral used to treat flu infections that was also used to treat the previous patients.

Revealing the infection in a release today, the CDC said that the risk to the public from bird flu remains low.

It is the fourth human case of human bird flu to be diagnosed in the US this year amid an outbreak of the virus in dairy cows, following a case detected in Texas in March, and two cases in Michigan in May.

The US government looking to fund a late-stage trial of Moderna's mRNA pandemic bird flu vaccine

The above map shows the locations of the 139 dairy cattle herds where H5N1 infections have been confirmed. They are in 12 states

The new farmer is thought to have contracted the infection from dairy cattle he worked with in the northeast of Colorado that are confirmed to be infected with the bird flu strain H5N1.

There are no known links between this case and the others previously reported  with each suspected to be a separate instance of the virus jumping from cows to humans.

The CDC said in a release: 'Based on the information available at this time, this infection does not change CDC's current H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the US general public, which the agency considers to be low.

'However, this development underscores the importancee of recommended precautions in people with exposure to infected animals.'

Recommended precautions include the use of gloves, goggles or face masks while working with herds known to be infected with the virus.

Pictured is the Texas farm worker who was infected with H5N1 in March. The infection began in the right eye, before spreading to the left

Public health officials and epidemiologists were taken by surprise when bird flu infections started cropping up among dairy cows in late March this year.

Now, a total of 139 herds across 12 states have had infections confirmed, raising concerns that the virus could mutate, making it better able to spread to humans.

Colorado reported the most bird flu infected dairy herds over the last month, with 23 confirmed to have the infection.

The latest human case only had symptoms in the eye, like the first two cases reported this year, suggesting the virus had not spread to other areas of the body.

In late May, the second case in Michigan sparked alarm after the patient was reported to have respiratory symptoms.

Doctors were concerned that the virus may have spread to the lungs, where it could gain mutations and then jump between people. The patient recovered, however, and there were no signs that they had spread the disease.

In the latest case, CDC scientists confirmed the diagnosis after testing samples sent by Colorado's state laboratories, where tests for influenza were 'inconclusive'.

They have already confirmed the patient is infected with an H5 virus, with confirmation that the case is H5N1  or bird flu  expected in the coming days.

Further tests have also been ordered on the samples to check for any worrying genetic changes.

CDC officials say that they have held numerous calls with state and local health officials and farm workers since the case was identified.

They have also supplied more PPE for farmers to the state and paid for local targeted advertising to warn of the risks of bird flu.

It comes after the FDA revealed it was expanding testing for bird flu in dairy products, including ice cream, butter and cheese.

The agency said last week it would swab 155 products bought from grocery stores nationwide for the virus.

If any are positive, further tests will be carried out to determine whether the virus inside them is 'alive'  or able to cause an infection in humans.

Previous tests have shown bird flu virus fragments found in products do not multiply in lab experiments, revealing they are 'dead'  or unable to make copies of themselves and infect humans.

Officials say this is because of the pasteurization process, with heats milk and then quickly cools it in order to kill off any microbes.

The expanded testing builds on previous, which found the virus in grocery store milks, cottage cheeses and sour creams, but in every case, the virus was 'dead' and unable to cause an infection in humans.

Ground beef, infant formula and powdered milk were also all swabbed for the virus and all tested negative.
When Alex Somervell found out that Ashley, a close family member, had handed 140,000 to not just one but three different, unrelated scammers, his first reaction was anger.

In the shock of the moment, he blamed them for sending so much money within four months and not doing more due diligence.

'I was so upset. It was a human reaction, but one that I realise now wasn't helpful,' he says.

But Alex's anger quickly turned to a desire to fight back against the criminals peddling these scams. He embarked on a mission to give victims the tools to stop these scams in their tracks.

Alex Somervell, 32, who has previously appeared on BBC show Dragons' Den and set up a multi-million-pound business, created a new business to fight back against scammers

Alex, 32, who has previously cut his teeth as an entrepreneur on BBC show Dragons' Den (he turned down the Dragons' money) and set up a multi-million-pound business with long-term business partner Jonny Pryn, created a new business to fight back.

The concept was simple  a free Scam Checker that anyone could use to gauge whether a text, website, letter or email was likely to be fake.

The pair built an AI-powered tool in October last year that operates via messaging application WhatsApp, called Ask Silver.

You can sign up to the service on its website, ask-silver.com, by submitting your phone number and email address, and you will automatically receive a message on WhatsApp from Ask Silver.

You can then run unlimited checks for free on anything you suspect of being a scam. To do so, you need to snap a photo or screenshot of any email, website or leaflet you're worried about and send it to Ask Silver on WhatsApp.

Silver uses AI to spot any red flags, telling users whether content is likely to be real or not, and provides suggestions for next steps on staying safe.

Alex says: 'We realised that it's really common for parents to send a screenshot of a suspicious message to their adult children, asking whether it can be trusted. Family has become the first line of defence because there's no official way of checking. But we've built a checker that can work with more accuracy.'

Alex and Jonny have connected the scanner to several databases of scam warnings, including the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) warning list of unauthorised companies.

Within seconds, the Scam Checker is able to check whether links lead to official websites or not, so you know whether they are safe to click on. It also detects any typical catchphrases or wording used by scammers, such as pressure tactics to assess the risk level.

After sending the screenshot or image, you will receive one of three replies almost instantly.

A red flag means there has been a match on the system with a known scam and you should under no circumstances engage with the website or email.

Users can send screenshots to Silver, and the service uses AI to detect fraudulent content. A red flag means it's a known scam and the user must not engage with it

An amber flag is sent where there isn't a match on the database. but there are very suspicious elements that suggest the email, text, letter or website is a scam.

Users will rarely receive a yellow flag, which suggests the image appears to be legitimate, but you should still be careful.

Alex says: 'The bar is set very, very high for the yellow flag, and we will never give anything a completely green light.

We always encourage caution, because you can have legitimate communications within a larger scam, especially if the criminal is starting to socially engineer you to trust them.

'We always advise getting in touch with the organisation directly and not just responding to an email or text message.'

Had Ashley, who does not want their real name to be revealed, used the Scam Checker to review the adverts that lured them into the scams before sending money, they may have been saved the pain and heartache.

Somervell's business concept is simple  a free scam checker that anyone could use to gauge whether a text, website, letter or email was likely to be fake

Ashley had been roped into a cryptocurrency investment, which promised high returns on Bitcoin  the most famous digital currency. They first made a 3,000 payment, and when that grew, continued to pile more money in.

Over the next couple of months they would invest 80,000 on the cryptocurrency platform with the help of a fake financial adviser, who claimed to work for the company. However, it transpired that, although the account had been set up on a genuine platform, it had been opened in the name of the bogus financial adviser.

This meant that Alex's family member could no longer access their money when they wanted to withdraw it.

Over the next four months, they would make investments in two more scam ventures, one for a renewable bond, where the company behind it was listed on Companies House, and the second in Singaporean gold options. A total of 40,000 and 20,000 was invested in each of these respectively.

Police visits, calls with the UK's fraud intelligence centre and the banks involved, all disappointingly came to little in the way of tracking down the fraudsters.

Thankfully, the banks reimbursed his relative more than 104,000, as they acknowledged the money had been lost to sophisticated fraudsters.

Criminals baiting Britain's most vulnerable rarely face the consequence of their actions. More than 2.9 million cases of fraud were reported last year, with 1.2 billion lost. Though fraud makes up around 40 per cent of all crime in the UK, it receives just 1 pc of police funding.

'The biggest realisation for me was that everyone, regardless of age or intelligence, will go through a vulnerable time when they're susceptible to scams,' says Alex. 'And it is happening all the time. Initially, I assumed you've got to be old or vulnerable to be scammed. But we've reached the stage where anyone can be scammed.'

Three of Alex's friends, who are in their early 30s  two of whom are tech entrepreneurs  have also been scammed, losing between 40,000 and 160,000.

Alex may not have received the justice he wanted for Ashley, but he has created a very valuable service that can be widely used to protect people.

A key part of this is in reporting the scams, which Alex has made central to his Scam Checker. After screening the image and telling you how risky it is, Ask Silver then offers to report the scam to the authorities and relevant agencies, for example, your bank, for you.

A 'red flag' response means the user must avoid interacting with the fraudulent text or email

Reporting a scam can be a complicated process  there are many ways in which you are expected to flag a suspicious message depending on how it is received. For example, scam text messages should be forwarded, via text, to 7726; fraudulent emails sent to report@phishing.gov.uk and fraudulent websites should be registered via a form on The National Cyber Security Centre website at ncsc.gov.uk. And any scam should also be reported to the organisation that is being impersonated in the message. For example, if the criminal purports to be from Royal Mail or HMRC, they must be alerted, too.

'It's so complicated that a lot of people don't report messages they receive. It needs to be far easier to do,' Alex says. 'By alerting the relevant groups there's a chance that that website, email address or phone number will get shut down. If we can get hundreds of people to report a certain number in a month, then we can try to build up enough pressure on a phone provider to say this is dangerous, and they should do something about it.'

Though still a start-up, the company has already won an award from the FCA, and is expected to run a pilot with the National Trading Standards.

Alex hopes that banks will begin to back the Scam Checker and share it with customers as a tool to protect themselves.

He says: 'The scam data we receive will be invaluable to banks and the authorities, who can take action to stop the scammers.

'More than anything, I wanted to use my family's experience to help others and do good in the world.'

j.beard@dailymail.co.uk
Everyone has dreams of what theyll do when they retire, from foreign adventures to finally putting their feet up.

But millions are saving too little for the lifestyle they desire  and could run out of money in retirement unless they act.

Our checklist gives the ten telltale signs that you could run out of cash when retired  and what you can do to turn it around.

As many as 72 per cent of workers are under-saving for even a moderate retirement income, according to trade body the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association.

However, working out if youre putting away enough or are set for a shortfall is not straightforward, so read our guide.

Boost: A small increase in pension payments can have a huge impact. If you raised your contributions from 5% to 6% at the age of 22, you would have an extra 54,000 by retirement

1) You have a pension through work -but dont know how much is paid in

If you earn at least 10,000 a year and are aged between 22 and state pension age, you are likely to have a workplace pension, provided by your employer.

The good news is you will have been automatically enrolled into the scheme when you began your job, unless you opted out.

Unless you have checked your pension plan, there is a high chance you are not paying in enough for a comfortable retirement.

Under the workplace pension rules, you must pay in a minimum of 5 per cent of your salary, and your employer at least 3 per cent.

Many employers default to these minimums unless you query it. But most experts believe saving a combined 8 per cent of your salary will not be enough to secure even a moderate retirement lifestyle.

ACTION: Ask your employer to increase your contribution.

When day-to-day finances are hard enough to juggle, putting more away in a pension can feel like an impossible task. However, just a small increase can have a huge impact.

If you raised your contributions from 5 per cent to 6 per cent at age 22, you would have an extra 54,000 by retirement age, according to calculations by pension provider Standard Life.

If you increased them to 7 per cent, you would have an additional 108,000, and to 10 per cent an extra 271,000  a total pension pot of 705,000.

Your employer will be able to tell you how to increase your contributions. Some may even match your rises, giving a bigger boost.

2) You are unsure what proportion of income to put into your pension

Working out how much you will need for retirement is not easy, as it depends on complex variables such as how long you might live, what lifestyle you will want and whether you will still be supporting dependants or paying off a mortgage.

There are a few rules of thumb. One is that the proportion of your income you save for retirement should be the equivalent of half your age when you begin saving.

For example, if you start saving for retirement as a 22-year-old, you will need to put away 11 per cent of your income from then. If you start at age 40, you would need to save 20 per cent.

ACTION: Try the rule of thumb above and if you seem to be falling short, increase your contributions now.

If you have taken  or may need to take  time out of the workforce, you should save even more, if you can. It is never too late to start retirement saving. But if you begin late, you will need to save more.

Rules: Under the workplace pension rules, you must pay in a minimum of 5% of your salary, and your employer must put in at least 3%

3) You are, or have been, self-employed

People who work for themselves are among those most at risk of a pension shortfall as only about a third are saving into a pension, says the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed.

Most employees are automatically enrolled into a company pension scheme, yet there is no equivalent arrangement for the self-employed.

ACTION: Rebecca OConnor, a director at pensions firm PensionBee, says: Its a sweeping generalisation, but self-employed people are among those most at risk of under-saving for retirement, because often its hard to generate enough income this way to both make ends meet and set cash aside for the future.

A good instant remedy is to start a personal pension and set up a small monthly direct debit.

Setting up a personal pension is easy and can be done by you as an individual or through your company.

You may not get employer contributions as those working for a company do, but you will still benefit from tax relief.

This means that for every 80 you put in your pension, the Government will top it up to 100, if you are a basic-rate taxpayer. Higher-rate taxpayers will get 120 for paying in the same 80.

> Essential guide: How pensions work - your guide to retirement saving

Losing out: Savers have lost track of close to three million hard-earned pensions worth a staggering 27bn in the UK. It equates to just under 9,500, on average

4) You have lost track of your old pensions

Savers have lost track of close to three million hard-earned pensions worth a staggering 27 billion in the UK. It equates to just under 9,500, on average.

Pensions are alarmingly easy to lose track of, especially if you have changed jobs, name or moved home and failed to alert all your old pension providers.

And once lost, pensions can be difficult to find again. If you have lost track of your pensions, you will miss out on the retirement income that they could afford you.

ACTION: The Governments Pension Tracing service is a good starting point for finding lost pensions. It can be accessed at gov.uk/find- pension-contact-details.

We collaborated with former pensions minister and This is Money retirement columnist Sir Steve Webb to put together a guide to helping you boost your retirement wealth by locating old pensions.

5) You told your employer that you plan to retire early

When you join a company pension scheme, you will typically be asked when you want to retire.

It is easy to respond optimistically  that you plan to retire sooner than you actually do  in the hope that this will leave you better placed to retire early.

But answering optimistically can lead to a smaller retirement pot. That is because many pension schemes start to move your nest egg into safer investments in the final years running up to your target retirement date.

The idea is this would protect you from any major dips in the value of your investments just before you retire.

However, safer investments tend to have lower returns than other, riskier, options and so may lead to a smaller pot.

ACTION: Check the target retirement date on your company pension scheme. If it is on the optimistic side, change it to a later date.

You can also check what types of investments you hold in your pension. If you are unlikely to need to tap into your pension pot for years, you could invest in riskier investments.

Financial burden: Over a million people have taken out a new mortgage that will run past state pension age in the past three years alone

6) You bought your home late in life

There are many pension calculators online which will give you a sense of how much you might need in retirement  and how much money your pension pot may pay if you keep saving at the same level until you cease work.

The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association will illustrate how much money you will need for a basic, moderate or comfortable retirement lifestyle. Visit retirement livingstandards.org.uk.

Most calculators and pension lifestyle projections assume you will own your home outright by retirement so will not need to budget for rent or mortgage.

More than a million people have taken out a new mortgage that will run past state pension age in the past three years alone, according to a Freedom of Information request by pension consultancy LCP.

ACTION: If you will not own your home outright by the time you retire, you must factor that into your budget.

If you use pension calculators to estimate how much you will need in retirement, ensure that you take your rent or mortgage into account.

7) You have opted out of auto-enrolment

Most workers are automatically enrolled into a company pension, but can opt out at any point.

Brian Byrnes, head of personal finance at Moneybox, says: Even short gaps in your pension contributions can have a big impact over time, so maintaining some form of contribution can help you stay in the habit of regularly saving for retirement, which is vital.

ACTION: If you have opted out, ask to start contributions again. That way you will also receive contributions from your employer  and a Government top-up.

8) Youre paying too much in fees

No pension scheme is free  you usually have to pay both the provider of the scheme and for the underlying investments you hold.

But overpaying fees by even half a percentage point could knock tens of thousands of pounds off the value of your pension.

Take, for example, a 40-year-old who has 25,000 in their pension. If they paid 1.5 per cent in fees, they would have 64,000 by the age of 67, assuming their pot grows by 5 per cent a year, according to retirement firm Profile Pensions.

But if they paid 1 per cent in fees, their pot would be worth 73,000.

ACTION: Check what fees youre paying. Shop around to see if your scheme is competitive or if you could get a cheaper service.

You need a good reason to pay more than 1 per cent a year. You are unlikely to be able to move from a workplace pension scheme, but you can still check that youre not paying more than is necessary for the underlying investments.

> Pension calculator: Are you saving enough - and when can you retire?

9) You have multiple low-earning jobs

You should be automatically enrolled into your company pension scheme if you earn at least 10,000.

However, if you have several low-earning jobs there is a risk you do not breach this threshold with any, so do not qualify for a company pension.

ACTION: Open your own personal pension and start paying in an affordable monthly amount.

Its particularly important when you are not in a company pension scheme but can afford to put money away for retirement.

10) You have taken time out of the workplace

Even a year not paying into a pension can hurt your retirement savings. But it is often unavoidable due to caring responsibilities, ill health or redundancy.

ACTION: Keep your state pension on track. For each year you work and pay National Insurance, you are earning credits towards your state pension.

However, you can claim National Insurance credits even when you are not working.

You may be able to claim if you take time out for childcare or are receiving Jobseekers Allowance, disability or sickness benefits.

This means your state pension will not be hurt by any time out of the workplace. See: gov.uk/national-insurance-credits.

If you take time out to look after children while your partner works, they can make contributions into a pension for you, if they wish.
M&S chairman Archie Norman (pictured) said he was not happy with how joint venture Ocado Retail had performed

Marks & Spencers bosses have hailed signs of progress at their online tie-up with Ocado.

At the retailers annual meeting last year, chairman Archie Norman said he was not happy with how joint venture Ocado Retail, which is owned 50:50 between M&S and Ocado, had performed.

But at yesterdays meeting, Norman said he was now not unhappy after signs of a turnaround at Ocado Retail.

M&S chief executive Stuart Machin echoed his chairmans comments by highlighting that there had been more M&S products added to Ocado.

Norman added: A joint venture is always hard work, theres always little points of friction and so on.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has outlined plans to sell 4billion worth of shares as the stock hits an all-time high.

In a filing late on Tuesday, the billionaire revealed he would offload another 25m shares.

The tycoon, who also owns The Washington Post newspaper, has not disclosed why he is selling the Amazon shares.

It came as the stock hit a new record of $200.43 during the trading session.

Cashing in: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (pictured with girlfriend Lauren Sanchez), has outlined plans to sell 4bn worth of shares

After the sale plan, Bezos would own about 912m Amazon shares, or 8.8 per cent of the group.

Bezos, who stepped down as chief executive in 2021, has been trimming his stake in the online retailer.

So far this year, he has offloaded shares worth an estimated 10.5billion.

This included selling an estimated 6.5billion worth of Amazon stock in February.

Bezos, 60, founded Amazon in 1994, growing it from an online bookshop to a global marketplace.

Amazon posted a set of upbeat first-quarter results in April as it cashes in on bumper sales and the artificial intelligence wave.

All this has sent shares up by over a third since the beginning of 2024.

Bezos has already given away shares worth around 190million as part of his charity efforts, most recently in 2022.

Since stepping back Bezos has been focusing on a space venture called Blue Origin.

In October, he said that he was moving to Miami from Seattle to be near his parents and Blue Origins operations. Blue Origin needs to be much faster. And its one of the reasons that I left Amazon a couple of years ago, he said in December.

The venture also puts him at odds with tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has been driving the space race with his company SpaceX.

Blue Origin launched a six-person crew to the edge of space in May.

Bezos is the worlds second-richest man, worth an estimated 168billion.

Musk is worth 195billion.
Rachel Cherwitz and Nicole Daedone have been charged in 'forced' labor probe

Two former leaders of an 'orgasmic meditation cult' are attempting to throw out forced labor charges against them for second time in their bombshell Brooklyn court battle.

Attorneys for the OneTaste execs, Rachel Cherwitz and Nicole Daedone, argued that the counts should be dropped because an FBI agent in charge of the probe ordered a key witness to destroy evidence which could have aided their defense.

'The government is trying to criminalize sex,' Cherwitz's attorney Duncan Levin told the reporters outside the federal court.

'Its not their job to be creative and see if they can put someone in prison for funsies,' Daedone's attorneyJennifer Bonjean, added.

The two women are accused of forcing volunteers, contractors, and employees into sex acts using cult-like tactics in the federal indictment.

Documents seen by DailyMail.com claim that FBI agent Elliot McGinnis advised former OneTaste employee Ayries Blanck to delete an email account during his investigation into the group.

Rachel Cherwitz (left) and Nicole Daedone, two former honchos of an 'orgasmic meditation cult',donned matching beige outfits for their appearance in a Brooklyn court Wednesday

The two women embraced on the street after the hearing

Former OneTaste employee Ayries Blanck was allegedly advised by federal agent Elliot McGinnis to delete an email account which the OneTaste bosses say contained exculpatory evidence

The defense says emails in the account could have contained information undermining Blanck's claims of abuse while working for OneTaste.

Blanck claimed in a Netflix documentary that OneTaste 'forced and manipulated her into having sex and taking part in orgasmic meditation with OneTaste staff, supervisors, and customers'.

OneTaste denies this, and the company launched a counter suit against Netflix for claiming it aired 'completely false' accusations  and against Blanck for allegedly breaching a $325,000 settlement by speaking with the streaming service.

Netflix first aired Orgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste in 2022, five months before Daedone and Cherwitz were indicted for allegedly forcing women into sex acts. Both women deny the accusations.

Now, lawyers for Daedone and Cherwitz are claiming that the deleted email account may also have detailed Blanck's journals, which comprised the basis of the documentary.

The emails could also include further conversations between Blanck and the FBI, along with employees of the orgasmic meditation cult, the lawyers say.

Bosses of 'orgasm cult' OneTaste Rachel Cherwitz and Nicole Daedone leave NYC courthouse with their attorneys, after the pair were charged with forced labor

Both women are accused of forcing volunteers, contractors, and employees into sex acts using cult-like tactics in the federal indictment

Cherwitz smiled and waved at the cameras after attending court on Wednesday

At a heaing last year Daedone was charged with keeping OneTaste members in 'residential warehouses'

Their letter argues: 'The involvement of the FBI in advising a key witness to delete emails represents a grave breach of protocol and a miscarriage of justice.

'It is fundamental to the integrity of the judicial process that all relevant evidence is preserved and available for examination.

'The destruction of evidence, especially when advised by a federal agent, is a direct affront to the principles of fairness and transparency that underpin our legal system.'

According to the letter, Blanck and McGinnis exchanged emails which she asked the federal agent if she should 'disband and cancel the old email account.'

The back and forth came after she received messages from two other purported OneTaste employees.

McGinnis told Blanck that she should delete the account because the emails serve her no purpose 'other than making you feel uneasy.'

Daedone and Cherwitz were all smiles as they appeared in the Brooklyn court on Wednesday to add this latest argument to their ongoing case for a dismissal.

The two women donned their power heels with coordinated beige business blazers and matching skirts for the appearance. They even stopped to beam at onlookers and embrace each other outside the courthouse.

Email between Blanck and McGinnis viewed by DailyMail.com show the FBI agent told the employee to delete an email account she was receiving messages from other workers on

The two women allege McGinnis was 'directly involved' in the Netflix documentary on their 'cult.' In one scene, the agents name is seen written on a notepad

The government has until August 14 to respond to the new allegations in the motion to dismiss, and a hearing to discuss the FBI claims has been set for later this year.

Blanck became involved with OneTaste in 2012 and was 'positive' about her involvement until 2014 when she split with her partner.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, focuses on the final 15 minutes of the documentary, which discusses Blanck experiencing 'sexual violence' that was 'condoned' by the company.

As part of the most recent court documents, lawyers for both women claim that McGinnis, was also 'directly involved' in the Netflix show.

His name can be seen written on a notepad in the documentary, before the witness appears to speak on the phone.

The letter continued: 'Agent McGinnis appears to have been intimately involved in the public relations aspect of this case even before an indictment was returned, calling into question both his objectivity and judgment.'

Two other witnesses interviewed by McGinnis have also said they were 'coerced and pressured' by him into identifying themselves as victims in the case.

Daedone and Cherwitz also sued the BBC over the accusations and traveled to London for the case in 2022

OneTaste was making $12million a year promoting 'orgasmic meditation'

Cherwitz and Daedone separately argued that prosecutors used a privileged document to tailor the charges in the indictment.

Jennifer Bonjean, a lawyer for Daedone, said in a statement that the investigation 'was corrupted out of the gate where it was led by a rogue FBI agent whose idea of a sound investigation was regurgitating scandalous tabloid allegations, he knew to be false and directing government witnesses to destroy potentially exculpatory evidence.'

'The government seeks to punish my client for what she thinks and believes, not for any crimes she has committed. But that is not how our criminal justice system was intended to work,' she added.

Judge Gujarati denied Cherwitz and Daedone's motion to dismiss in May, rejecting arguments from their legal team that the indictment was legally deficient.

In 2018, the FBI launched an investigation when ex-customers came forward saying they were left in debt after paying for expensive classes, and former employees said they were told to engage in sexual relations with potential clients to close sales.

Prosecutors say that between 2004 and 2018, Daedone and Cherwitz deployed a series of abusive and manipulative tactics in order to obtain the labor and services of a group of OneTaste members, including volunteers, contractors, and employees.

The indictment alleges that the duo used tactics designed to render the OneTaste members dependent on the group for their shelter and basic necessities and to limit members' independence and control.

Members of OneTaste were allegedly kept in 'residential warehouses' where they were forced into sex acts.

OneTaste sued Netflix for defamation over the documentary showcasing Blanck's rape claims, which aired five months before Daedone and Cherwitz were indicted

The alleged victims were subjected to 'constant surveillance' and isolated from friends and family.

When members could no longer afford OneTaste classes, they were pressured to take on debt, and that at times Daedone and Cherwitz even assisted them in opening new credit cards, according to the indictment.

Daedone and Cherwitz have both pleaded not guilty to the charges and are free on $1 million and $300,000 bonds respectively.

OneTaste's current leadership team say they stand behind the defendants.

Cherwitz is still working with the company, but Daedone has taken a step back since being indicted last year.
Lucy Letby made a chilling admission just days before she was found guilty of trying to murder yet another infant in her care.

The killer nurse, 34, was convicted yesterday of the attempted murder of an infant known as Baby K.

She was previously found guilty by another jury last August of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others, but faced a retrial on the charge relating to Baby K.

During the recent retrial, Letby was fending off questions from Nick Johnson KC, prosecuting, about her 'fascination' with her tiny victims and the way she carried out repeated Facebook searches on their parents once she had killed them.

At one point, she told him: 'I carry a lot of babies around in my head.'

Listen to our #1 True Crime podcast, The Trial of Lucy Letby

Lucy Letby was convicted yesterdof the attempted murder of an infant known as Baby K

The killer nurse was previously found guilty by another jury of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others. Letby is pictured enjoying a night out with a friend

Liverpool Women's Hospital, where Letby attended a six-month training course in 2015

Letby was sentenced to 14 whole life terms in August, and is now set to receive an additional sentence for the attempted murder of Baby K.

With the criminal process against the 34-year-old former nurse now completed, at least for now, Cheshire Police are now reviewing her entire medical career.

This will consider her time both at the Countess of Chester Hospital, where Letby began her nursing career in 2012, and Liverpool Women's Hospital, where she attended a six-month training course in 2015.

Once this initial phase has been completed, the Operation Hummingbird team will decide how many cases to examine in microscopic detail.

Some parents have already either come forward with suspicions themselves or else been contacted by detectives.

A number have already had specialist family liaison officers assigned to them.

These officers will now help guide them through the complexities of an investigative process that may take years to reach a point where Letby can potentially be brought to a third trial.

In the meantime, senior detectives are expected to approach the killer in prison to see if she is ready to confess to other crimes against newborn babies  most likely of attempted murder.

So far she has maintained her innocence of all the crimes attributed to her  including those she was convicted of in August.

Letby was caught 'virtually red-handed' trying to kill the child, known as Baby K, in February 2016

Body worn camera footage issued by Cheshire Constabulary during the arrest of Lucy Letby

However, the reality is that Letby  now recognised as Britain's most prolific serial baby killer  harmed infants so frequently and sometimes so randomly that even she may not know how many she attacked.

It is understood that the new investigation will be focussed mainly on Liverpool Women's Hospital.

But detectives are also likely to review the records of all babies born at the Countess of Chester Hospital where she is already known to have attacked babies in the year from June 2015 to June 2016.

Letby started work there in January 2012 after finishing her nursing degree at Chester University. Previously she had visited the neonatal unit on work experience.

Det Supt Paul Hughes, the senior investigating officer of Operation Hummingbird, said at the time of the killer's original trial: 'We are committed to a thorough investigation across the entire footprint of Lucy Letby while she was employed at the Countess of Chester Hospital and on placements at the Liverpool Women's Hospital.

'That investigation is ongoing, and in the cases identified so far the families have been contacted and are being supported.

'We will give an update on that particular part of the investigation when we can. The investigation needs to go on'.

He added: 'We're not looking at deaths at LWH. We're looking at an overall time. Obviously there are a lot of years to go through, a massive amount of medical records, so it would just be unfair to speculate on that at the moment. But we are looking at a greater period of time'.

Letby (pictured) began working at the Countess of Chester Hospital in January 2012 after finishing her nursing degree at Chester University

Letby, who worked at the Countess of Cheshire Hospital, giving evidence in court last month

The force has set up a reception team for parents wishing to express concerns about the early days of their newborn babies.

Det Chief Insp Nicola Evans, the deputy SIO, said 'They'll speak to an investigator on this inquiry, and hopefully that means they will receive some answers pretty quickly'.

During Letby's 10-month trial it emerged that she took home scores of confidential medical notes as 'souvenirs' of her reign of terror on the neonatal unit.

Prosecutors suggested she used them to trigger memories of attacks she had carried out.

The historic nature of the renewed investigation means that similar medical notes are unlikely to be found. It may also be that Letby only began to collect such souvenirs and reminders later in her criminal career.

Detectives are likely to want to speak to colleagues who worked alongside Letby as long ago as 2012.

Some may already have suspicions about her behaviour as a fledgling nurse, or even while she was studying for her medical degree at Chester University.
This is the first picture of a Briton who rented the Airbnb which missing raver Jay Slater visited just before he disappeared.

The man, using the name Ayub Abdul, booked the 40-a-night holiday rental online - and later hosted missing Jay at the holiday let in Tenerife just hours before he vanished.

Spanish police hunting for Jay have already spoken to Mr Abdul and his unnamed friend  and both men have been described as 'irrelevant' to their investigation.

Jay is known to have gone back to the remote cottage  called Casa Abuela Tina  at 5am on the day he vanished on June 17.

But he is known to have left the property at around 7.30am to catch a bus back towards his holiday apartment.

A witness said he asked her when the next bus was. When she told him the next one wasn't until 10am, he is believed to have attempted to walk the 11 hours it would have taken him to get back to his holiday let.

The man and another who was travelling with him stayed an extra day after he vanished and spoke to police.

They gave the officers their details and fully cooperated with the investigation. Sources close to the inquiry have told MailOnline that the men are not relevant to Jay's disappearance.

Last night, Jay Slater's mother told of her 'pain and agony' of her son's disappearance in Tenerife as she pleaded that 'we just want to find him'.

It comes as:

The men are understood to have met Jay, an apprentice bricklayer, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, during the three-day New Rave Generation festival in the party island's Playa de las Americas.

This is the first picture of a Briton who booked the Airbnb which Jay went back to with him and another man under the name Ayub Abdul

Jay Slater vanished on the island of Tenerife on June 17 after going back to the Airbnb following a night out

Missing Jay Slater's parents Warren Slater and Debbie Duncan seen leaving the Guardia Civil in Playa de las Americas after a meeting with police

Mr Abdul booked the Casa Abuela Tina in the village of Masca around 19 miles from Playa de las Americas on June 14 for three nights and paid 120.

The Airbnb booking was made at 15.48 on June 14 and within 90 minutes the men were at the two-bedroom property which was where Jay later sent two Snapchat images from.

One showed him on the doorstep wrapped in a blanket and holding a cigarette while the other was a view of the valley below the property.

He then told friends he was going to try and walk back 11 hours after being told there was no bus for Playa de las Americas until 10am and was last seen walking uphill in the wrong direction.

Last night, Jay Slater's mother Debbie Duncan, 55, issued an emotional plea saying 'our beautiful boy' had 'his whole life ahead of him'.

The loving mother has been on the Spanish island since June 18, having flown out there a day after her son vanished.

In a statement, issued by British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global, Debbie gave an insight into what her son is like as a person, calling him a 'normal guy' who is a 'very popular man with a large circle of friends'.

'We are a very close family and are absolutely devastated about his disappearance,' she said.

'Words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing. He is our beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him and we just want to find him.'

She went on to thank the Spanish police's 'tireless' efforts to find her missing son having scoured the terrain for 12 days.

And she took the opportunity to hit out at the 'vile' conspiracy theories that have swirled on social media and the internet about Jay's disappearance, describing their impact on the family as 'distressing'.

'We do not have any information on his whereabouts,' she added. 'The Guardia Civil have worked tirelessly up in the mountains where Jay's last phone call was traced.

'They conducted a land search for 12 days which involved every resource they had available.

'Although the land search ended, the Spanish police still continue with their investigations into why Jay had travelled to the location so far away from his accommodation.

'We offer our sincere thanks to the Spanish authorities who continue to follow lines of enquiries.

'We are aware of the conspiracy theories and speculation on social media and some websites, and can only describe this as vile, the negative comments are extremely distressing to our family.

'We also embrace the love and support we have received from across the globe. It has not gone unnoticed, especially his home town in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire.'

Jay Slater, 19, is pictured with his mother Debbie Duncan who flew out to Tenerife with other family members when he went missing

Spanish police have returned to search the Airbnb (pictured) where Jay Slater stayed just before he disappeared in Tenerife more than two weeks ago

Jay Slater posted this Snapchat of himself standing on the steps of the Airbnb villa

The same steps can be seen on this close-up image of the Airbnb in Masca

Shortly after Jay disappeared his friend Lucy Law, 19, told MailOnline how she had 'tracked' the men down to their apartment using the Snapchat images Jay had sent her  arriving there at 11am two hours after he vanished.

She told MailOnline: 'I asked them where Jay was.

'They said he had gone out to look for cigarettes and then he came back and was leaving to try and get a bus back into town.'

Little else is known about the two men other than that they are black, British and in their late 30s to early 40s.

The men were seen drinking Hennessey in bars and nightclubs in the party resort of Playa de las Americas during the three-day rave Jay attended.

In a new development, two plain-clothes officers were sent to the property at 11am today. One officer (wearing sunglasses, left) is speaking to MailOnline's Nick Pisa and the other (wearing green, right) is seen with a local

This is the two-bedroom property called Casa Abuela Tina where Jay Slater is believed to have spent the night

In its Airbnb listing Casa Abuela Tina is described as being a farmhouse within the 'unique natural landscape' surrounding it

It is known that Jay sent pictures of himself inside the house and from outside on Snapchat to his mum and friends

The Airbnb is in the village of Masca about 20 miles from the party spot of Playa de las Americas

MailOnline understands friends of Jay were sent a picture of him inside the car of the two men and this has been shared with investigating officers.

It has also emerged on social media that police are investigating the theft of a Rolex watch from outside Papagayo's nightclub just hours before Jay vanished.

There is no suggestion the apprentice bricklayer is involved in the theft but it is known that a large fight erupted outside Papagayo just as the NRG festival afterparty wrapped up.

The two men booked the Airbnb for the entirety of the NRG festival and were due to leave on June 17 but after Jay disappeared, they were asked to stay on an extra day.

Police questioned them at length, took their passport details and then allowed them to fly home and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by them.

Friends of Jay have told MailOnline they sent Snapchat images of themselves at Gatwick Airport.

Before they left the two men were seen in the bar next to the apartment drinking coffee.

This was the final official search for Jay Slater on Saturday before Spanish police ended the hunt

Police had called for an army of volunteers to help on Saturday but only six turned up. Jay's father and brother (pictured at back) also joined

The mountainside near Masca where the search parties gathered for two weeks was quiet on the hillside on Sunday as Spanish police called off the search

The man who stayed at the Airbnb with Mr Abdul is said to go by the nickname Johnny Vegas.

On Sunday, Spanish police dramatically announced they were ending their search for Jay, but the case would remain open.

His family have been left 'blindsided' by the decision to end the search after 14 days and have vowed to keep looking for answers, even enlisting the help of TikTok sleuths who continue to scour the mountainous region of Tenerife.

On Monday, Jay's mother and father meet with officials to understand why police had halted the search.

Wearing dark sunglasses Debbie Duncan, 55, and Warren Slater, 58, spent two and a half hours with senior investigators who briefed them on how they planned to take the probe forward.

The meeting at the Guardia Civil HQ in Playa des las Americas on the holiday island of Tenerife came 16 days after the apprentice bricklayer was last seen on a mountain road an hour away in the isolated village of Masca.

It was the first time the couple had been seen together since arriving in Tenerife to join the hunt for their son - Warren and Jay's brother Zak have visited Masca several times but Debbie has so far been too refused.

Jay's father Warren along with with Jay's mother Debbie and a number of his friends have flown to the Spanish island

Warren Slater (right), 58, and his son Zak (left), 24, pictured alongside volunteers at the remote mountain spot outside the village of Masca where Jay's mobile phone last pinged

Speaking to media last week, TV sleuth Mark Williams-Thomas, who is working with the family, said: 'I need to speak to those people [two men] because they are the last people, other than the owner of the holiday rental, that saw Jay.

'They were in the bars of the strip area, certainly for two days, they mixed with Jay and Jay's group of friends that were there. They spent time in bars there, they say they drank Hennessy, which was their preferred drink.

'I know the nickname of one of those individuals. I have a photograph of that individual. He's about 6ft tall, he's quite stocky, he had a distinctive bright orange wristband on and he's got quite short black hair.

'It's very difficult to tell but I think he's probably aged around 30 to 40. One was slightly bigger and was much more chatty than the other.'
A British Bollywood actress claims she was detained in Dubai for two months after she threatened to post about a friend on social media.

Sofia Hayat, 39, who has starred in Waterloo Road and in the Indian version of Big Brother, was on a week long trip when she got in trouble.

She fell out with someone she claims borrowed money from her - and she threatened to out them on Instagram, she said.

She thought nothing of it until she tried to get on a flight - when her passport was seized by police who put her in a cell for six hours, questioning her for a further six hours, she claims.

Sofia had unknowingly broken strict laws around posting defamatory comments on social media.

Told to stay in Dubai - and without her passport - she was forced to rent AirBnbs in Dubai for two months.

Sofia, a 39-year-old actress from Battersea, said she was held in a 'freezing, dirty and small' cell in Dubai after being detained for making defamatory comments about a friend

Sofia said she saw another side of Dubai and would 'never go back' after her hellish experience

Sofia from Battersea, London, was finally allowed home without a fine or imprisonment after she was brought before a judge, she says.

But she claims her extended stay cost her 20,000 - and she lost a further 20,000 of business as a spiritual healer while she was away.

Speaking now she is back in the UK, Sofia said: 'Dubai is actually a hell hole.

'I expected a modern country full of glamour, wealth and all the amazing things it appears to be on Instagram and TikTok.

'That's all a lie. I'll never go back.

'Being held like that is horrible. I was heartbroken and it was extremely lonely.

'I was constantly cancelling clients because I couldn't go home and worried all the time that I'd lose them.

'I couldn't book a long-term place to stay because I had no idea how long I'd have to be there.

'I was having trouble sleeping. I had no idea I'd committed a crime until I contacted the public prosecutor. I just wanted to go home.'

Sofia flew to Dubai on December 28 last year from London - and was due to be there for seven days.

What is the law about social media defamation in UAE? Under UAE law, publishing defamatory comments on social media is a criminal offence. In the UAE, any commentary posted (anonymously or not) may lead to criminal charges for defamation. Defamatory remarks made on social media or by any other digital means (including WhatsApp, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, websites, SMS and email) may be an offence under the new Cybercrimes Law. Under Article 43 of the Cybercrimes Law it is an offence to insult others or attribute to them an incident that may make them subject to punishment or contempt by others using a computer network or any information technology means, carrying a penalty of a prison sentence and/or a fine of AED 250,000  AED 500,000. The new Cybercrimes Law also introduced a new offence for spreading rumours or fake news via digital means if this provokes public opinion against a state authority or if committed at a sensitive time (i.e. during an epidemic, emergency or disaster). Source: Clyde&Co Advertisement

She fought with a friend who she claims borrowed money from her - and threatened to post about it on social media, she said.

So instead of seeing out the rest of her trip in Dubai, she tried to go to Saudi Arabia to spend New Year's Eve with a friend.

But at Dubai International Airport her passport was taken and she was held by police from 3am to 3pm, being questioned by up to five officers, she said.

The cell she was in was 'freezing, dirty, and small', she said.

Her phone was taken and she wasn't allowed to call anyone - but after six hours she was allowed to text a friend, she claims.

'They just threw me in a cell - they didn't tell me anything,' she said.

'When I asked what was going on, the policeman just told me to "shut up".

'At first I was having panic attacks. I was shaking and crying as they questioned me.

'They kept saying I'd threatened to expose a sex tape. I threatened to expose a name.

'In the end they did let me go, but I wasn't allowed to leave the country.

'Eventually I coped by meditating - I just imagined myself in London laughing about being detained in Dubai.'

Sofia payed 250 a week for AirBnbs and had to attend the police station twice a week, she said.

After eight weeks she was told by the public prosecutor that threatening to put someone's name on social media is actually a crime in Dubai, she said.

She said the penalty for her actions could be two years in jail or a 50,000 fine.

Sofia said she endured panic attacks as she was interrogated and held in a cell in Dubai

At a hearing the judge authorised her release after it was heard money was owed, she said.

However she is unsure exactly what happened in the hearing, because it was all in Arabic, she says.

She was given no penalty and her passport was returned, she claims.

Sofia was charged 400 at the Dubai airport for overstaying on her visa, she said, and flew home on February 26.

'I think the only reason I got out is because I have a British passport and I'm an ex Bollywood actress,' she said.

The British Embassy in Dubai did not respond to a request for a comment.
The family of an elderly British couple murdered in a suspected Muti killing after being abducted from their remote South African farm are urging their killers to reveal where their remains are so they can 'get closure'.

Grandparents Tony and Gillian Dinnis, 73, and 78, vanished without a trace from their homestead near Middlerus in KwaZulu-Natal province in August last year.

Police believe the retired couple, originally from Kent, were killed in a Muti killing - where their body parts are butchered for black magic, claiming they give people special powers.

Their devastated family believe their fingers and ears were chopped off for 50,000 Rand (2,170) for a witchdoctor known as a Sangoma - while they were still alive before being murdered and their bodies dumped somewhere.

Now they are calling on the suspects to tell them where Tony and Gill's remains are.

Despite three arrests, police have not been able to press charges due to lack of evidence in what the family say has been a bungled investigation due to lack of resources. Ten months on their bodies have not been found.

Anthony and Gillian Dinnis were kidnapped from their South African home and 'may have been dismembered with their body parts sold to witch doctors' a court heard

Kate Anderson, their daughter, said she just wants the closure of knowing what happened to her parents through the return of their remains

Gang members allegedly cut off Gillian and Anthony's (pictured together) body parts and travelled to Johannesburg to find a witch doctor to sell the bloodied parts for cash

The couple have been married for 53 years and were 'devoted to each other' according to their family. They have five children and seven grandchildren.

Tony and Gillian's daughter Kate Anderson, 52, said: 'My mum and dad always wanted their ashes mixed so they could be eventually scattered together.

'But we just don't know where they are. We have been told their fingers and ears were cut off. Under Muti ritual, this would've been done when they were still alive.

'The police have searched waterfalls along the river as Muti killings have to be carried out by running water. But they could be anywhere. The area is so remote and vast.

'All we want is justice and their remains back so we can get closure for them.

'I can't sleep at night worrying about where they are. They could've been scavenged by animals or they were thrown into the river.'

What is a muti-killing? Muti killings involve the murder of someone in order to harvest body parts for incorporation into medicines and rituals. The removal of body parts traditionally takes place while the victim is still alive. The body parts are then taken to 'sangomas' (known as witchdoctors) to provide potions for their clients. Most sangomas or traditional healers often known as witch doctors are law abiding and abhor muti killings but confirm amongst them that there are those who are 'evil'. READ MORE: Child friends aged five and six who were abducted in a park and found murdered with genitals and body parts hacked off READ MORE: Fresh appeal to find torso in the Thames killer Advertisement

The real estate agent who lives in Cape Town added: 'I am fearful we will never find them or get justice.

'The priority is to find them and to lay them to rest with respect.

'I haven't slept a night through since. We need to find my parents. Knowing that no one is actively looking for them is very troubling.

'We are so very heartsore that they seem to have been forgotten about. As they are still considered to be 'missing' why are there no efforts to find 'missing' people?

'If the police believe them to be deceased, why are they not doing anything? They simply don't care.'

Tony and Gill emigrated to South Africa from Sandhurst, near Tunbridge Wells in 1988 with their five children.

They had run a successful third generation family farm near Sandhurst raising sheep, growing vegetables as well as hops for the Whitbread brewery but moved for the chance of better farming prospects in South Africa.

But they moved to the homestead near Middlerus - 45 minutes' drive from the nearest town of Mooi River - to retire around seven years ago, integrating with the local community.

Kate's daughter raised the alarm after she could not get any contact from her grandparents and they knew immediately something was wrong as the couple's 4x4 was at the house.

Search teams continue to look for the remains of the elderly British couple who vanished

The couple vanished without a trace from their homestead near Middlerus in KwaZulu-Natal province last year

The couple had been married for 53 years and were 'devoted to each other'

The couple, from Kent, were abducted from their South Africa farm before the alarm was raised by their neighbour Kevin after he hadn't seen them in two days

When they went inside the property - the kitchen table was untouched. Their plates left empty with their knives and forks on them as if they had just finished a meal. Glasses of juice were still on the table.

Kate said: 'Everything was as they had left it. Pots on the stove, glasses of juice still there. It was like the Martians had beamed them up. It was the Marie Celeste.'

Seven days after they disappeared the family began receiving ransom demands for 2m Rand to get their parents back.

But Kate fears they were already dead and that the ransom demand was an effort to get even more money from the family.

Ten months on and there is no end in sight to the conclusion of the case.

Kate said: 'I am fearful we will never find them or get justice. It is so frustrating. There are no answers.'
Attorneys for New York investment banker Jonathan Kaye are doubling down on their claims he has been 'wrongly charged' with assault after he was once again attacked and called anti-Semitic slurs while leaving court on Monday.

Disturbing video obtained by DailyMail.com showed the moment the millionaire financier, 52, was met by a group of angry hecklers who began hurling insults and objects at him as he left a Brooklyn courthouse following his arraignment.

At one point one member of the group, a male, was even seen putting his keys between his fingers as a makeshift knife, while approaching the banker as they followed him down the street.

Kaye made his first court appearance after turning himself in to police earlier that day on second and third degree assault charges stemming from the June 8 altercation, in which he was seen punching a woman during a Brooklyn Pride parade event.

A woman named Micah Phillip has since identified herself as the woman involved in the incident on social media where she shared photos of her injuries as well as her outrage over Kaye's downgraded charges in the wake of his court hearing.

In a statement on Tuesday addressing the latest incident, attorney E. Danya Perry, of Perry Law, stood by Kaye's actions, claiming the altercation outside court proved last month's clash had been 'a vicious, hate-fueled group attack' from which their client was entitled to defend himself.

Jonathan Kaye's attorneys have doubled down on their defense of the investment banker after he was attacked and called anti-Semitic slurs outside of court on Monday

Disturbing video footage showed one member of the group putting his keys between his fingers as he approached Kaye

Kaye, 52, the now former managing director at Moelis & Company, made headlines in early June after viral video showed him throwing a vicious punch at a female reveler at the Brooklyn Pride Parade on June 8

'Another horrific incident occurred just yesterday, right outside the courthouse after Mr. Kaye's arraignment. After the complainant, 'Micah P.', expressed her displeasure with the charges on social media, a number of her supporters attacked Mr. Kaye and his female counsel. They called Mr. Kaye a 'Jewish dog' and a 'f***ing Zionist pig,' and they physically assaulted him and counsel,' she said in a statement to DailyMail.com.

'Until he was thwarted, one of the attackers was preparing to stab Mr. Kaye by taking keys and putting them in between his knuckles as he rushed toward Mr. Kaye. These violent, anti-Semitic agitators were acting just as the complainant and her crew acted on the day of the incident.

'This relentless harassment demonstrates the true character of these aggressors and underscores the deeply ingrained prejudice motivating their actions.'

Earlier on Monday, Phillips took to Instagram to share photos of her bloodied and battered face, while slamming prosecutors as 'cowards' and accusing them of letting Kaye off easy.

'Just found out Jonathan Kaye was arrested today and his felony assault charges were taken down to misdemeanors, so he can beat us up and cause permanent, lifelong injuries and get away with it because he's a rich white man?,' she wrote in the post.

'I don't even know how to move forward on this if folks have advice I'd love to hear it. The Brooklyn DA are cowards and I can't believe this man is going to be able to walk away with essentially no record of his terror,' she added.

Micah Phillips identified herself as the woman involved in the June 8 fracas and took to Instagram on Monday to share photos of her injuries as well as her outrage over Kaye's downgraded charges in the wake of his court hearing

Phillips slammed the 'system' for favoring 'rich white men', in response to Kaye's charges being downgraded to misdemeanors

Monday's video showed Phillips's supporters following Kaye and his attorney while hurling anti-Semitic slurs, with at least one member of the group heard shouting, 'Zionist pigs' and 'Jewish dogs'.

The man physically attacked the lawyer from behind and then tried to chase Kaye with his car keys between his fingers.

A woman eventually told the attacker to run, which he did. DailyMail.com has reached out to the NYPD for comment.

It comes after sources close to the financier came forward with his side of the story in the wake of the controversy last month, claiming the fracas had unfolded after a group of four female 'Queers for Palestine' supporters allegedly started taunting the Jewish financier and throwing liquids at him as he left a nearby restaurant that night.

Earlier on Monday previously unseen footage obtained by DailyMail.com shed light on the events leading up to scuffle, showing the moment the two parties cross paths on the street in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood, before getting into a heated physical confrontation.

The CCTV images, captured by a nearby restaurant, show Kaye emerging from the right side of the sidewalk, where the group of revelers appear to be hanging out on the corner.

The two parties appear to exchange words as Kaye walks by, but he continues walking, before glancing back at the group after they allegedly begin hurling slurs and insults.

As he continues up the sidewalk, he crosses paths with someone who appears to be returning to the same group of friends in the corner, and they exchange words as well.

It is unknown exactly what was said, but it was apparently provocative enough to cause Kaye to stop and turn around and approach the group.

Upon leaving court, he and his lawyer were met by attackers, who threw a drink at his head while hurling anti-Semitic slurs

Jonathan Kaye leaves Brooklyn Criminal Court after he was arraigned and released on his own recognizance for punching a woman at a Pride Rally in Brooklyn, with his lawyer, who was also reportedly attacked

The confrontation quickly turns chaotic and physical, with Kaye seen being surrounded and then shoved into the street, off screen, catching the attention of nearby onlookers.

After the altercation unfolds off camera, he reappears in frame seconds later and continues on his way down the sidewalk.

Last month sources told DailyMail.com that Kaye, who is Jewish, had told the group they were 'on the wrong side', prompting the women to gang up on him

Now, DailyMail.com understands Kaye had turned around and went back to confront the group after hearing the anti-Semitic slurs directed towards him.

In a statement to DailyMail.com, Kaye's legal representative Danya Perry, Perry Law said: 'Mr. Kaye, a middle-aged Jewish man with no history of violence or aggression, was terrorized, assaulted, and surrounded by a group of unruly anti-Semitic protesters.

'What the previously released video clip does not show is what another video and other evidence we have shared with the DA does show: that these agitators formed a ring at him, doused him with two unknown liquids, shoved him to the ground, and hurled anti-Semitic slurs at him.

New footage obtained by DailyMail.com shows the moment millionaire investment banker Jonathan Kaye first encounters a group of Pride parade-goers as he walks by them on the corner of a Brooklyn street on June 8

Kaye, 52, continues walking down the sidewalk where he then encounters another member of the group (red arrow) and the two exchange words

It is unknown what was said between the two, but the exchange was enough to prompt Kaye to turn around and approach the group. The bankers' attorneys have claimed the group had hurled anti-Semitic slurs at him

The confrontation quickly turns aggressive and violent, as the group gangs up on Kaye and shoves him onto the street

'Terrified and injured, Mr. Kaye managed to act in self-defense to escape the situation and return safely to his family. We are hopeful that the District Attorney will fully and fairly consider these facts, along with the surge of anti-Semitic acts, protests, and attacks that are ravaging our city. We will aggressively fight injustice, and we look forward to a full vindication for our client.'

As previously reported by DailyMail.com, insiders close to the 52-year-old banker had claimed the viral clip did not capture the full clash, which they say began when the group began hurling anti-Semitic slurs at Kate, who is Jewish.

Kaye is said to have told the group that they were 'on the wrong side', prompting the women to gang up on him, the source said.

'You could say that he initiated it, but he didn't,' a source told DailyMail.com.

'He just said 'you are on the wrong side', and then the four of them came at him - they threw liquids at him. He didn't know what the liquid was. They were shouting slurs at him.

'He fell or he was chest bumped, and can't 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.'

They also claim that the footage shows Kaye covered in liquid, with a stain on his back, in the now-viral video.

Pictures obtained by DailyMail.com show Kaye's clothes soaked in a red liquid, which he believes was Gatorade, and blood pooling around his ankle after he was shoved to the floor.

After video of the incident went viral, posters with Kaye's face, home address, and cell phone number had been plastered in the area close to his $4million four-bedroom townhouse in pricey Park Slope, as neighbors erupted and demanded the father-of-three be arrested.

Viral video had shown Kaye throwing a vicious overhand right at an unnamed woman in Brooklyn - where he also lives in a four bedroom townhouse in pricey Park Slope, valued at just over $4million

A source with knowledge of the incident said the viral clip does not tell the whole story, which they claim began when a group of Queers for Palestine supporters attacked Kaye as he left dinner. Pictured: Kaye's injuries

Pictures obtained by DailyMail.com show Kaye's clothes soaked in a red liquid, which he believes was Gatorade, and blood pooling around his ankle after he was shoved to the floor

Defending the banker, who works as a Managing Director at Moelis & Company, a leading investment bank with offices in Midtown Manhattan, the source said the whole thing was 'super anti-Semitic'.

They added: 'You can clearly see in the video, if you slow it down, that he's wet because they were throwing liquids at him.

'That video clip is cut and doesn't show the entire thing. He's never had one issue in his entire life never been arrested or anything.

'It was a super anti Semitic attack of four individuals ganging up against one Jewish man. It's left him completely traumatized.'

Kaye was placed under investigation by the bank, with a spokesman confirming his identity and adding that they are taking the footage and allegations seriously.

In the clip, the woman is seen being thrown to the floor by the force of the punch, as one onlooker unsuccessfully rushes to her aid.

Others looking on are heard calling Kaye an 'a**hole' and telling him to 'go f**k himself' - earning his attention briefly before he abruptly walks away.

Kaye, who lives his wife, owns multiple properties on the street, which he rents out to neighbors.

One said she was 'shocked' when she saw the footage this morning, adding that the father-of-three always seemed 'normal', although she normally spoke with his wife.

Another neighbor described scenes of chaos on the usually quiet street last night, as the victim's friends ran up and down screaming that Kaye had assaulted a woman.
President Biden is facing mounting calls from Democrats to exit the presidential race following his disastrous debate performance and potential replacements are being floated left and right.

Biden has thus far rejected the pressure, insisting he could still beat Trump come November, but should the 81-year-old change course and bow out of the race, there are a series of hurdles other Democratic candidates could face.

One of the biggest challenges is how to raise a sum of cash big enough to take on Trump in a short amount of time.

Biden's massive campaign war chest would not necessarily flow to a replacement for the president at the top of the ticket.

And that is a considerable amount of money they could be leaving on the table.

President Biden's campaign announced it raised $127 million in June and had $240 million cash on hand at the end of last month

Even as Biden has struggled in the polls and bombed the first debate, his campaign has been raking in cash.

The Biden campaign announced on Tuesday it raised $127 million last month, it's best fundraising month of the campaign to date. It had its best grassroots fundraising hour of the entire campaign from 11 pm to midnight, the night of the debate.

In the second quarter of the year, the Biden team brought in a total of $264 million and finished last month with $240 million cash on hand.

But if Biden exits the race, all that money does not just automatically go to the next Democratic presidential nominee.

Federal candidates can make unlimited transfers of their funds to the national party, so if Biden leaves the race, the money could all end up with the Democratic Party, which can then spend the money on the new nominee.

But the campaign cannot just transfer the money directly to the nominee, as there is a $2,000 limit per candidate per election.

'In order for the withdrawing candidate's committee to get the funds into the campaign account of a successor candidate's campaign, the withdrawing candidate would have to refund the money to the original donors, who could then contribute to the new candidate's campaign,' explained Trevor Potter, president of the Campaign Legal Center.

Some major Democratic donors were holding off from making any decisions about the race immediately following Biden's performance as they waited to see what the debate would mean for the polling.

Others called for Biden to step aside following his abysmal debate.

By Tuesday, some Democratic donors appeared to be circling the wagons, telling DailyMail.com they were going to get to work to elect Biden and the time for panic over the debate had passed.

Some of the names being floated as a potential replacements include Governors Gavin Newsom (California), Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan) and Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania) as well as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

But there is one name being floated who could use all that campaign cash as a replacement nominee without any hurdles: Vice President Kamala Harris.

Campaign finance law allows her to share the campaign committee with Biden because the president and vice president run together as one ticket, so her name is already authorized.

Vice President Kamala Harris could use the campaign cash as she shares a campaign committee with the president as his running mate should Biden exit the race

'If President Biden were to cease being a candidate and was succeeded as the nominee by Harris, she would maintain access to all the funds in the committee and could use them to advance her presidential candidacy,' Potter said.

The amount of cash at her disposal would be considerable as the campaign said it had $240 million at the end of June.

More details on just how much of that is specifically in the Biden campaign committee versus the party will become more clear with the Federal Election filings later this month.

On Tuesday, former Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan became the first prominent Democrat to publicly back Harris to replace Biden. He said she is ready for the job.

But the campaign cash laws is another potential point in her favor as well as new polling.

A CNN poll released post-debate looked at hypothetical matchups between Democrats and Trump should Biden not be the nominee.

While all the Democrats trailed the ex-president, Harris came the closest in a head-to-head matchup: 47 percent to 45 percent among registered voters.

And now a Reuters poll has revealed that Michelle Obama could be the standout Democrat best poised to beat Trump - but there are even more hurdles to getting her the money.

If Harris were not the nominee, the the campaign committee could be converted into a political action committee or PAC. A PAC could make independent expenditures efforts could not be coordinated and a PAC can only make a $3,300 donation to another candidate per election.

Trump's campaign said it raised more than $111 million in June and ended the month with nearly $285 million cash on hand

If Democrats were to replace Biden, campaign funds will be crucial for their fight to beat Trump.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee ended June with nearly $285 million cash on hand according to his campaign, wiping out Biden's on-hand cash advantage with just four months to go before Election Day.

In total, the ex-president raised $331 million in the second quarter of the year including $111.8 million last month alone.
After Thursday's disastrous CNN debate, President Joe Biden and the First Lady Jill tried to get ahead of the inevitable backlash, glossing over the debacle with a flurry of soft-ball publicity appearances.

A quick stop off at a debate viewing party held by ardent Biden-loyalists was followed by a midnight visit to an Atlanta Waffle House.

As the President  still looking stunned after his televised humiliation  greeted fellow diners who awkwardly remained seated, Jill swept up to the counter and giggled: 'Order for Biden.'

But, for all her slick attempts to paper over the cracks, what happened next seemed highly revealing of her behind-the-scenes panic.

One of the reporters who had made their way into the Waffle House alongside TV crews asked the President how he thought he'd performed in the debate with Donald Trump.

Anthony Bernal, 51, (center in the beige suit) is Jill Biden's 'work husband' and accompanied the couple on their late night visit post Thursday's disastrous debate to Waffle House.

Bernal has worked with the Bidens since 2008 and is known for his unfaltering loyalty.

'I think we did well,' Biden said, before straining a smile as he was hammered with follow-up questions about 'concerns' over his competency.

Then came the blink-and-you-miss-it moment: Just behind Biden, but still in camera shot, Jill glanced across to an otherwise unassuming man, with thinning hair and in a beige suit jacket, who in turn raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes, looking alarmed.

A silent but perhaps telling interaction  for this man was Anthony Bernal, Jill's ever-present and most senior adviser.

Behind White House walls, Jill refers to Bernal, 51, as her 'work husband', with the pair rarely seen apart.

'Bernal is the most powerful person in the East Wing [the First Lady's White House quarters], he has dominion over everything that happens in it, from trips and scheduling to speeches and messaging he's on senior calls every day,' Jill's biographer Katie Rogers says.

Crucially, Bernal helps 'blueprint' and orchestrate 'how the president looks when [the public] see him, not just the first lady', Rogers added.

And so, as pressure now mounts on Jill  who Biden insiders describe as 'the one person' who could convince the ailing president not to run in 2024  and accusations swirl about the level of her influence inside the Oval Office, Bernal's role has also come under increased scrutiny.

On Sunday, the Bidens escaped for a post-debate debrief and a reportedly pre-planned photoshoot with celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz at Camp David.

And it was from those cozy presidential log cabins that Jill made a phone call to Vogue magazine, providing a last-minute update to her cover interview, due out Monday.

'[We] will not let those 90 minutes define the four years [Joe's] been president. We will continue to fight,' Jill insisted to Vogue.

In the closing paragraphs of the lengthy magazine profile, Bernal appears  quoted on the record.

'Her family means everything to her,' he purrs. 'At her core, she's a private person.'

And nobody is more prepared to help Jill conceal her private struggles than Bernal.

'He is known to be sort of very overbearing. He can be aggressive [he] makes life hell for junior [White House] aides,' biographer Rogers says.

At public events, in meetings, and even on family holidays, Bernal is a permanent fixture in the Biden furniture. Nothing, it seems, passes without his approval.

'He has an unmatched ability to influence things in the president's team,' one former co-worker told the New York Post in March.

Bernal met Hunter Biden and his wife Melissa after Hunter was found guilty in his gun trial last month.

He rushed to Hunter at a Delaware airfield, kissing him on the cheek and hugging him, before turning to Melissa and doing the same.

It was Bernal who met Hunter Biden and his wife Melissa after Hunter was found guilty in his gun trial last month.

Rushing to Hunter at a Delaware airfield, Bernal kissed him on the cheek and hugged him, before turning to Melissa and doing the same.

It was Bernal who personally ferried Jill and the president from Atlanta's CNN studio after Thursday's debate, to the watch-party and that 'spontaneous' Waffle House visit.

And it is Bernal who is now firmly by Jill's side, as she and a select circle of advisers  including Hunter  counsel the President not to cave to growing calls for his resignation from within the Democrat party.

'No order is beneath Bernal,' Rogers says. 'He wrangles the dog, carts the White House cat around in her cage, and makes sure that the various Biden children and grandchildren are transported to the appropriate weekend retreats.'

But it is this closeness to the Bidens, and his undoubted loyalty, that has led to fears Bernal is afforded special protections.

In March, a major investigation by the New York Post spoke to almost a dozen current and former White House staffers who accused Bernal of bullying and verbal sexual harassment.

Allegations include Bernal 'often' speculating about the endowments of fellow political aides and even Secret Service agents.

It is Bernal who is firmly by Jill's side, as she counsels the President not to cave to growing calls for his resignation from within the Democrat party.

It is this closeness to the Bidens, and his loyalty, that has led to claims Bernal is afforded special protections.

He has allegedly accused colleagues of having 'small penises' during arguments, and on one occasion remarked on a staffer's 'bulge in his khakis.'

'It was a lot of inappropriate remarks  talking about other people's attractiveness and speculating about their sex lives at very weird moments,' another source claimed.

Others allege that Bernal  who is himself gay  speculates aloud at work on the sexuality of other staff.

'I have heard him say inappropriate things about people's sexuality,' an insider who worked with Bernal told The Post. 'I heard him ask if people are gay all the time... I could think of more than one instance where he pontificated on whether someone was gay or not or said, "They are definitely gay".'

'It is Me Too  classic Me Too,' another source claimed.

Bernal  who has worked for Jill throughout the Biden presidency, and previously held roles working for the family when Joe was Vice President to Barack Obama  denies all allegations against him.

In a statement to DailyMail.com he described the claims as 'false' and 'baseless' and 'nothing more than gay-hate and racism', adding: 'I conduct my personal and professional interactions with integrity, compassion, and care.'

When the Post published their investigation in March, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients said in a statement to the newspaper: 'The president and first lady have full confidence in Anthony's character, as do I. It is disappointing that he is the target of unfounded attacks from unnamed sources.'

Outside of work, Bernal is intensely protective of his privacy.

Bernal has allegedly accused colleagues of having 'small penises' during arguments, and on one occasion remarked on a staffer's 'bulge in his khakis'. Bernal denies all of the allegations against him.

He went to school in Tucson, Arizona, graduating in 1991, before studying history and philosophy at the University of Texas.

He took junior roles under President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore before starting work with the Bidens in 2008, when he joined the Obama campaign as part of Jill's staff.

He quickly established himself as a key support figure  a role he cemented following the death of the Bidens' 46-year-old son Beau from brain cancer in 2015.

'Part of that relationship is absolutely solidified because of how he was able to keep things quiet, keep their privacy intact [after Beau's death],' Rogers says. 'Somebody told me that he would walk in front of a speeding train for [Jill].'

Such fierce loyalty has earned Bernal considerable influence, over both the first lady and the president.

So as concerns mount about Joe Biden's fitness to serve and run for re-election in November, the extent of Bernal's role in the White House's obstinate refusal to countenance criticism must surely be questioned.
A 19-year-old Indiana man now faces decades in prison and questions about his mental health after he allegedly strangled his mother to death.

Conner Kobold, 19, has been charged with two counts of murder and one on aggravated battery in connection with the death of his mother, 43-year-old Shanelle Burns.

On February 5, police were sent to the home where Kobold and Burns lived in Valparaiso.

Burns was found unresponsive and not breathing in the living room as Kobold shockingly confessed to strangling her. She was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Kobold now faces mental health investigations over both his decision to represent himself at trial and the reason he allegedly killed his mother.

Conner Kobold, 19, has been charged with two counts of murder and one on aggravated battery in connection with the death of his mother, 43-year-old Shanelle Burns

Burns gave her son 30 days to find a full-time job, clean his room and help out around the rest of the house. This is what is believed to have pushed Kobold over the edge

Things had become strained between mother and son, to the point that she issued him with an eviction letter.

She gave him 30 days to find a full-time job, clean his room and help out around the rest of the house. This is what is believed to have pushed Kobold over the edge.

As Kobold attempts to be his own lawyer, Superior Court Judge Michael Fish called on a mental health professional to investigate his competency.

'I want Dr. (Anand) Popli to chime in on whether you're capable to represent yourself,' Fish said Friday.

Fish asked: 'I guess the most important thing out of the gate here is for me to make sure that you understand the penalty for murder is 45 to 65 years. Do you understand that?'

'Yes, your honor,' said Kobold.

Fish also tried to explain to him the advantages and disadvantages of being your own attorney and the qualifications they usually have.

He was then asked: 'Do you believe you have any skills or abilities that would help you represent yourself?'

Burns (pictured) was found unresponsive and not breathing in the living room as Kobold shockingly confessed to strangling her. She was later pronounced dead at a local hospital

If convicted on all three counts, her son faces anywhere between 45 and 84 years in prison and $20,000 in fines

Kobold responded: 'I believe my case is so unique that the only person who can explain what happened and why it happened is myself'

Fish asked Kobold about his educational background, his experiences in a courtroom and with public speaking.

Kobold said he has a high school education, had done public speaking while in school but had never been in court before.

He then admitted that he had been in mental health facilities twice and gone through five different psychologists.

Kobold said that despite his challenges, he would not be affected in acting on his own behalf in court.

He was then asked if he planned to enter a plea or go to trial in his first act as his attorney.

'Whatever I can do to help the court and the jury make the best decision about my situation,' Kobold said.

After being informed he had to make that decision himself, he said he would negotiate with the state first.

On February 5, police were sent to the home where Kobold and Burns lived in Valparaiso

Fish gave Kobold a waiver to represent himself pending what the doctor says about the defendant's mental health.

If convicted on all three counts, Kobold faces anywhere between 45 and 84 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.

A trial date is set for August 6.
Questions have been raised about the effectiveness of deradicalisation programs after a university student was stabbed in the neck by a 14-year-old boy who was charged with planning a terrorist attack at a school last year.

The teenager, wearing an army camouflage uniform, walked up behind the 22-year-old man and allegedly stabbed him in the neck and back near the main entrance of the University of Sydney on Tuesday morning.

The teenager, having injured his hand in the alleged attack, was detained when he was catching a bus to the very same hospital where his victim was being treated.

It has been revealed the 14-year-old was charged with planning a terrorist attack at an inner-city school in Sydney last September.

He allegedly made violent threats to his classmates that mentioned the Christchurch mosque shooting in New Zealand in 2019, which left 51 people dead.

The charges were dismissed in Surry Hills Children's Court on mental health grounds in February of this year, and the teen entered a deradicalisation program.

Sunrise host Natalia Barr asked former police detective Peter Moroney on Wednesday morning if ongoing support and monitoring was needed at the conclusion of such programs.

Barr asked former police detective Peter Moroney if deradicalisation programs were working after a 14-year-old boy, who was known to police, stabbed a 22-year-old student on Tuesday

Paramedics rushed to the university at about 8.35am and took the student by ambulance to the Royal Prince Alfred hospital (pictured, police take evidence from the scene)

'These deradicalisation programs, I understand, are funded by the federal government and run by the states,' she said. 'Do we need to re-look at what happens after them? Because this kid was only in one five months ago I think.'

'It would be timely now, particularly in light of the three or four young individuals that have been arrested over the last six months,' Mr Moroney replied.

'It never hurts to stop and ask have we got this right, is there anything else in addition that we could be doing?

'From an Australian government perspective, we're putting over $150million into these deradicalisation programs. We want to know as the average taxpayer are they working? Are they doing what they should be doing?

'And if not, we've got to ask those questions and hold these systems and these processes to account.'

'Yeah, just ask the poor family of the 22-year-old who was stabbed in the neck yesterday at Sydney Uni,' Barr said.

Mr Moroney said the programs could be effective but further monitoring was vital.

'What's most troubling about these ones is the age of these children,' he said.

'At some point they're going to be part of an educational facility, they're probably enrolled in school, whether they're attending or not.

'The deradicalisation programs are a point-in-time program, so whilst they might go through that program, they might get what they need whilst they're in the program, once they conclude that program, what monitoring and support are they given?

'If they fall back into that cycle, off we go again and we'll end up where we're ending up right now.'

Pictured is the 14-yer-old boy arriving at the university in a army-style camouflage uniform

Forensics are seen scouring the entrance of the university for clues on Tuesday

NSW Police sources told media that terror is a likely motive for the attack.

NSW Police, the Australian Federal Police and other government agencies are working together on the investigation.

The teenager and his alleged victim were not known to each other.

Photos of the deserted campus showed a backpack and a puffer jacket discarded at the entrance beside what appeared to be a bloodstain.

Sydney University Vice Chancellor Mark Scott said he was 'shocked and saddened' by the incident said the victim's family had been offered support.

A university spokesman said security had been boosted at the university.

'As a precautionary measure there may be an increased security and police presence on campus while investigations continue,' he said.

'The safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and members of the community is our priority, and we continue to work with authorities.

'Our support services are available for anyone who needs assistance. You can access free and confidential counselling and wellbeing support 24/7 with Student Wellbeing by visiting the health and wellbeing web page. 24-hour support is also available from Lifeline via text, online chat, or by calling 13 11 14. '
A mother who locked her adopted son in an eight-foot-by-eight-foot box for hours each day teared up after learning she would not have to serve jail time.

Tracy Ferriter, 48, insisted they were 'a loving family' outside court after she was sentenced to serve probation and house arrest for her part in what has been dubbed the 'Boy in the Box' case.

Ferriter pleaded guilty on June 24 to one count each of first-degree aggravated child abuse, third-degree felony false imprisonment and third-degree child neglect, the Atlanta Black Star reports.

The devout Christian mom-of-four and her husband, Timothy, have claimed they locked their adopted teenage son in the box to discipline him for lying, stealing valuables, attacking relatives and threatening classmates.

The Florida couple said the boy, who was adopted by the Ferriters as a toddler from Vietnam, suffered from ADHD and Reactive Attachment Disorder - which impairs a child's ability to form emotional bonds.

Tracy Ferriter, 48, was seen tearing up after pleading guilty to one count each of first-degree aggravated child abuse, third-degree felony false imprisonment and third-degree child neglect

Tracy (left) and Tommy Ferriter (back middle) are pictured with three of their children. The couple's three other children were removed from their house by Child Protective Services, including one child who is two years old

'We were living a life that's not what is portrayed in the media,' Ferriter claimed in a press conference following the hearing, as she cried dry tears.

'There was a lot of things that nobody knew,' she insisted. 'We were a completely loving family. I love my kids. We just tried to do the best that we could with what we had.'

Tracy and her husband were arrested in February 2022 after their son ran away and revealed his grim plight to police, telling them he would rather be locked up in prison than sent back to his devout Catholic parents.

He told the cops he ran away because I feel like nobody loves me,' and begged the officers to take him in because he would rather be in prison than back home, the affidavit adds.

The boy would go on to describe how he was banned from the rest of his house, fed leftovers and forced to go to the toilet in a bucket.

He also claimed he had been whipped, spanked with a belt, struck in the face and spat on by his parents who monitored him via a Ring camera and only let him out for lessons and yard work.

[The victim] stated the spankings would take place in his bedroom and he would be naked bent over his bed. [The victim] stated he could recall one spanking was so painful he fell off his bed in pain, the affidavit states.

The devout Christian mom-of-four and her husband claimed they locked their adopted teenage son in the box to discipline him for lying, stealing valuables, attacking relatives and threatening classmates

Tracy Ferriter, left, and her husband, Timothy, were arrested in February 2022 after their adopted son told police officers what he had endured

The couple locked the adopted son in an eight-foot-by-eight-foot box inside their garage, and only let him out for a few hours each day

The shocking revelations followed a year-long child abuse investigation, sparked on January 28, 2021 when the teen ran away the Ferriter home at the 200 block of Crane Point North in the Egret Landing community, pictured

When investigators later seized the Ring device they found thousands of videos showing the boy being bullied and locked up on a daily basis, according to filings.

In one video in particular [the victim] was locked in his room after being found to have stolen chocolate cookies from the kitchen despite being told he was not allowed to have them, an arrest affidavit states.

This behavior resulted in [the victim] having the covers removed from his mattress, his mattress picked up and tossed against the wall and Timothy grabbing [the victim] against the arm yelling at him.

At a preliminary hearing, the unidentified child also testified that the abusive behavior began around late December 2021, shortly after the family moved to southern Florida from Arizona.

The abuse then continued for six weeks straight, investigators have said. It is unclear, however, if there had been any abuse prior.

The couple told cops the makeshift cage was a home office - despite it having no windows and no door handle on the inside but with a deadbolt and the only light switch located on the outside

The couple were first reported to authorities on December 28 last year by builder Jacques Ben Aim who was paid $3,000 and given just two days to build a very strange office inside their garage

When police first started investigating the abuse allegations, the parents claimed the makeshift cage in the garage was a home office - despite it having no windows and no door handle on the inside but with a deadbolt and the only light switch located on the outside.

It was also fitted with a CCTV camera so the pair could monitor the youngster day and night as he slept, ate and spent up to 18 hours at a time inside the pokey drywall cube, only allowing him out to go to school, its alleged.

The parents later changed their story - saying the room was intended as a disciplinary measure to safeguard the other family members from harm.

Their three other kids lived normally at the familys spacious $750,000 property while their sibling was fed scraps and forced to do yard work and write lines for petty offenses such as stealing cookies, according to court filings.

DailyMail.com later revealed that even the contractor who designed the prison cell thought it was suspicious.

Jacques Ben Aim said he was told the free-standing structure would not require a window and should only have a lock on the outside of the door. He was asked to drill a hole in the ceiling for a video camera cord.

The husband Timothy rang me and said he wanted an eight by eight foot office with no window, he told DailyMail.com.

'He said it should have its own ceiling so it was sealed completely. That meant it was like a cage but I said ok, its his money, what do I care if he doesnt want a window?

On the last day he asked me to fit a lock but he wanted it reversed so that the knob was on the outside. Thats what set off the red lights,' he added.

I could not think of a single reason to reverse the lock, accept one  to lock someone inside.

Ben Aim said he was so troubled by the specs that he called the Jupiter Police Department, warning that it could be used to keep someone prisoner.

The detectives agreed it was suspicious, the contractor said, but couldnt act on the information because there was no specific evidence of a crime at that time.

Aim said the free-standing structure would not require a window and should only have a lock on the outside of the door. He was asked to drill a hole in the ceiling for a video camera cord

The unidentified teenager described his living conditions as 'dehumanizing' during Timothy's trial last year, the Palm Beach Post reports.

Still, the boy pleaded with Circuit Judge Howard Coates for leniency after he was found guilty of aggravated child abuse, false imprisonment and child neglect.

'My father was a good person who just made a really serious mistake,' the boy said. 'He was not a bad parent.'

But Coates sentenced the father on November 15 to five years in state prison, followed by five years probation.

He was forbidden from having contact with any of his older children until they become consenting adults at the age of 18, while any contact with his youngest child must be supervised.

The unidentified boy said he was banned from the rest of his house, fed leftovers and forced to go to the toilet in a bucket while the other children were free to roam the family's $750,000 property

Timothy was also ordered to complete 40 hours of anger management and 40 hours of parenting classes, and undergo a mental health evaluation.

'There were plenty of opportunities that the defendant had to reflect on whether what he did was wrong,' Coates said at the sentencing.

'It appears that he never took the time to reflect, and he never concluded that what he did was wrong.'

Attorneys representing his wife, Tracy, insisted that if she went to trial over the charges, she would have been found not guilty.

But her attorney Marc Shiner said she decided to plead guilty to provide 'some peace for her family' and spare her children from having to endure another trial.

'Even though she had a very good chance of being exonerated, she really wanted to put this to rest so her children could have some peace,' he told WPTV.

He added that his client is not 'a monster' and hoped that her case would shed light on Reactive Attachment Disorder.

'This is a human being who is extremely educated, loving, [and who] adopted children out of the goodness of her heart.'

Timothy was found guilty of child abuse, and was sentenced in November to five years in state prison followed by five years probation

Attorneys representing Tracy said she decided to plead guilty to provide 'some peace for her family' and spare her children from having to endure another trial

Coates, the same judge who sentenced her husband, ultimately sentenced her to 10 years probation on the child abuse count and ordered her to serve two concurrent five-year probation terms for the other two counts.

He also mandated her to pay a $2,000 fine, undergo a mental health evaluation, complete 300 hours of community service and serve house arrest for one year.

The judge further rescinded her right to possess a firearm and said she could not vote until after her probation and her fine is paid in full.

Additionally, Tracy will have to take anger management and parenting classes, and is banned from having any contact with the victim - who is now in foster care along with her other children.

If she violates any of the terms of the probation, Tracy would face at least 75 months in prison with the potential for more time if she has another run in with the law within five years.

But Tracy is now planning to move to Chicago to start a new life, and Coates agreed to allow her attorneys to file a motion to transfer her probation to Cook County, Illinois.
An electric vehicle driver has been slammed as selfish after parking 'horizontally' at a charging station and blocking other motorists from using the site.

A photo of a white BYD was shared to Facebook on Monday and showed the car connected to a charging station in the beachside suburb of Howrah in Hobart.

The unoccupied car was seen parked sideways across the charging bays, restricting access for other drivers and blocking two motorbike parking spots.

The bystander who took the photo vented their anger at the driver.

'Congratulations to this person yesterday, who managed to connect to the charger on the right, while parking sideways across the charging bay on the left AND a couple of bonus motorbike parking bays,' they wrote.

Social media users were quick to condemn the BYD driver.

'Don't expect anyone who buys electric car to have any brains,' one wrote.

'They probably completely ran out of charge and had to push it there,' another added.

A photo of a white BYD (pictured) showed the car connected to a charging station in the beachside suburb of Howrah in Hobart

'They are cuttin down on population by takin up all the parkin spaces so anyone else with a f***** normal car had no where to park,' was another reply.

'To be fair he drives a EV sense of self entitlement comes naturally to them,' another wrote.

The selfish act of the BYD driver and other similar recent incidents has raised questions about electric vehicle etiquette.

Motoring website Drive offered tips on the correct etiquette for EV owners.

These include moving your car out of the charging bay and into a regular parking spot when your car has finished charging to avoid inconveniencing other drivers.

This behaviour of leaving your vehicle on a charger longer than necessary is known as 'camping'.

The NRMA offered other electric vehicle etiquette suggestions, including not to park non-electric vehicles at EV chargers.

'This practice is called 'ICEing' and refers to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles that park in a specially marked EV charging spot,' its website reads.

The selfish act of the BYD driver and other similar recent incidents has raised questions about electric vehicle etiquette. Pictured: An EV parked across multiple spaces at a Queensland shopping centre in May

The NRMA stated this causes the same frustration as an EV blocking a fuel pump.

Another of their tips: 'Even if another driver has breached EV charging etiquette in your eyes, it is important to keep your cool.'

The NRMA wrote drivers should not be tempted to leave angry notes on windscreens, yell at other drivers or try to unplug their unattended vehicles from the charger.

Not parking sideways across a charging bay and blocking other parking spots is an obvious etiquette tip.
A worker who claimed he was unfairly sacked could be referred to the AFP for allegedly giving misleading evidence while taking legal action against his boss.

Imran Karim Budhwani claimed he had been unfairly dismissed by IT multinational Infosys after he refused to return to the office after the Covid pandemic.

Mr Budhwani took the matter to the Fair Work Comission in March before his unfair dismissal application was rejected.

The FWC published its decision this week with commissioner Phillip Ryan claiming the applicant 'knowingly gave false and misleading evidence'.

'I will refer the matter to the general manager of the commission to consider whether the applicant's conduct should be the subject of a referral to the Australian Federal Police,' he said.

Mr Budhwani was hired to look after computers, printers and scanners at Infosys' North Sydney headquarters in 2018.

When the Covid pandemic struck, the company required anyone working in the office to be vaccinated.

FWC found that Mr Budhwani 'deliberately lied to (Infosys) by stating that he was vaccinated against Covid so that he could continue to attend the office'.

Imran Karim Budhwani (pictured) claimed he had been unfairly dismissed by IT multinational Infosys, but the Fair Work Commission ruled against him

Under cross examination, Mr Budhwani said 'he was only caught out lying about his vaccination status when he was asked to produce his vaccination certificate'.

Despite his dishonesty, the company allowed him to temporarily work from home, though this meant there were some IT support tasks he could not carry out.

His manager, Nimshy Osman, had to do the Sydney office work that Mr Budhwani could not do remotely, and asked the human resources department in the second half of 2022 if he could return to the office.

The Covid vaccination rule was still in place, though, so Mr Budhwani was not allowed to work from the office.

But more than a year after that, on November 2, 2023, Mr Osman was told the policy had been relaxed and unvaccinated employees could return to the office.

The next day, Mr Osman called Mr Budhwani and told him to return to the office the following week.

Mr Budhwani gave various reasons around health conditions and living arrangements which he said would prevent him from returning to the office until February or March, 2024.

He was told he had to provide a medical certificate to be allowed to continue to work remotely.

The medical certificate he provided was from a doctor in Maleny, Queensland, which was the first indication Infosys had got that Mr Budhwani was not living in NSW.

On November 24, the company told him to return to the Sydney office from December 11 or provide evidence as to why he couldn't.

When the Covid pandemic struck, Infosys (pictured) required anyone working in the office to be vaccinated

Mr Budhwani emailed to say he had a medical condition and again said he wouldn't be able to come in until February or March.

When the company told him to apply for leave and asked if he was living in Queensland, he did not reply.

A follow up email was then sent on December 8, with an auto-reply which came back saying Mr Budhwani was on leave until December 11 - but he had not booked any leave.

He then kept on changing his auto-reply to extend the leave he said he was on, without having asked for any time off.

He continued to not respond and the company sacked him on December 21.

Mr Budhwani then 'falsely deallocated' three laptops that had been issued to him, the FWC heard.

'In this respect, the applicant's conduct was reprehensible,' the commission said.

Before the FWC proceedings last March, Mr Budhwani said a 'personal emergency' had been part of his decision to take leave, but on the first day of the hearing, he refused to answer questions about what that was.

On the second day, he said it was an eviction notice and that he had extended his leave to move out and return to work.

But he then found changed his story several times, including saying that one leave period was to spend time with a friend who had come to visit.

Mr Budhwani also said he had met some 'good friends' at an Airbnb who 'had asked him to cat-sit their house for the period of 2 March 2024 to 21 March 2024'.

His unfair dismissal application was not successful.
A father has accused police of racial profiling after he was accused of trespassing at his apartment complex and arrested by officers.

Tuck, 38, has lodged a formal complaint with ACT Police after the incident at his unit in the inner-south Canberra suburb of Narrabundah on June 27.

Tuck, who is from Zimbabwe but moved to Australia with his wife and daughter 17 years ago, said he was recuperating after a hospital stay by his apartment complex's pool when a neighbour approached him.

The neighbour, who lives in the same complex, began demanding to know who Tuck was and what he was doing.

Tuck, who was wearing a hoodie, slippers and fleece track pants, said he was 'confused' by the neighbour's 'discourteous' questions.

'I wasn't sure if he was asking about my ethnic origin or whether he was asking about if I [live] within the complex,' he told the ABC.

Tuck refused to tell the neighbour where he lived and returned fire by asking the man for the same information.

The neighbour threatened to call the police, which Tuck welcomed because he thought they would stop the harassment.

An Australian citizen, who originally comes from Zimbabwe, has accused police of racially profiling him when they arrested him a communal area of the apartments he lives in

He was astonished to see three police cars pull up 15 minutes later - a response he thought was an 'over-reaction'.

Tuck said three officers began interrogating him and asked where he lived.

He pointed to his house which backs onto the pool and barbecue area.

Police demanded photo identification, according to Tuck, which he did not have on him.

However, he showed officers the keys for his house and the pool gate.

Officers said they would have to get a photo ID from the house.

'I was offended at the suggestion that they would enter my house,' Tuck said.

'There was no search warrant. There was no report that there was anything illegal that they needed to search for in my house.'

Tuck said the police aggression was such that he asked if they were going to shoot him.

With Tuck resisting demand that he let them go in his house the officers began escorting him out of the pool area.

'I didn't take kindly to that, because I had a lawful right to be in the barbecue area,' he said.

At this point he began filming the interaction.

Tuck alleges that at this point an officer grabbed his wrist and said the phone was in his face.

The officer then arrested Tuck on suspicion of trespassing.

'I was restrained on my right shoulder, and then they began to handcuff me behind my back,' Tuck said.

'I did not resist the arrest, I just gave up.'

Officers also allegedly asked Tuck if he was intoxicated or had consumed marijuana, with one saying his eyes were red and his voice appeared slurred (stock image)

Tuck told news website RiotAct that when the officer 'was trying to get the keys from my hand he cut himself on a key and told me he was adding assaulting an officer to the charge'.

Officers also allegedly asked Tuck if he was intoxicated or had consumed marijuana, with one saying his eyes were red and his voice appeared slurred.

He accused police of trying to 'strengthen the profile' they were trying to create.

While one of the officers told him the arrest had nothing to do with the colour of his skin, Tuck doesn't believe that was the case.

'[They believed] that I was an unemployed youth... you know, potentially of African or Indigenous descent, that was enjoying amenities unlawfully,' he said.

'I think they just hoped that indeed it was a trespass to confirm the narrative they'd created.'

After being handcuffed, Tuck was bundled into a police van with officers taking his keys to enter the unit and eventually they ascertained it was his and released him.

An ACT Police spokesman on Wednesday confirmed the incident to Daily Mail Australia.

He said officers 'received a report of an alleged trespasser at an apartment complex in Narrabundah' and claimed a man had been 'belligerent.

'The man was asked to provide identification but became belligerent with police directions,' the spokesman said.

'As officers attempted to handcuff the man, he resisted, causing a minor injury to an officer's hand.'

'The man was eventually cuffed and placed in a police vehicle while officers conducted checks on the man's address.

'After confirming the man was a resident of the apartment complex, he was unarrested.'

Despite alleging Tuck cut the officer's hand police said they were laying no charges.

They also confirmed Tuck's complaint had been received and 'was being assessed in accordance with the AFP Complaints Management Framework'.
Police in Philadelphia are searching for a registered sex offender after he managed to scam Walmart out of a crossbow.

Investigators in Cumberland County are searching for Shawn Whiddon, 51, after he made off with the weapon in Lower Allen Township on Tuesday.

Police say that Whiddon managed to scan a barcode that registered as a children's crossbow valued at $25, but walked out with an adult one worth $239.

Officers also suspect that Whiddon committed a similar theft at another nearby store and are seeking him for unlawful use of a computer and retail theft.

Whiddon was placed on the sex offender register following a conviction in 2001 for the offense of attempted 'carnal knowledge'.

Investigators in Cumberland County are searching for Shawn Whiddon, 51, after he made off with the weapon in Lower Allen Township on Tuesday

Police say that Whiddon managed to scan a barcode that registered as a children's crossbow valued at $25, but walked out with an adult one worth $239

The incident happened in Bedford County, Virginia, and he was originally indicted on charges of 'taking indecent liberties with a child'.

Any further specifics on the case remain unclear at this time. He was ordered to have no contact with his victim and sentenced to three years in jail.

In November 2007 Whiddon was also arrested after robbing a bank in Augusta, Georgia, of just over $4,100.

In court papers seen by DailyMail.com, he entered the Regions Bank and told the teller: 'I need all your hundreds, fifties, and twenties'.

The teller said she initially thought Whiddon was joking as he smiling, before he added: 'This is no joke. No die packs or bait money. Don't make me come back there or hurt anyone. I'm desperate'.

Officers found his abandoned car in the area after the incident with handwritten notes requesting money from the bank, but he failed to use them in the robbery.

After police caught up with him later that same day inside a motel he gave a full confession.

In November 2007 Whiddon was also arrested after robbing a bank in Augusta, Georgia, of just over $4,100

Police say that Whiddon walked out with an adult one worth $239. A Barnett Expedition Crossbow priced at $239 from Walmart is seen here

Whiddon later told a sentencing judge in 2008 that he had suffered with a drug problem for years and had robbed the bank to pay back drug dealers he owed.

For the robbery he was sentenced to six and a half years behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release.

In a court transcript, Whiddon previously told a judge that he was divorced and had two children of his own.

He also said his occupation had been as an accountant for a plastics store in New York City.
Victims of a prisoner who was filmed allegedly having sex with a female guard have slammed reports that he will not see further punishments, claiming 'this is not what we thought it meant to get hard time in prison'.

Linton Weirich, 36, of West London, was seen in a clip filmed on a smuggled phone appearing to have sex with prison officer Linda De Sousa Abreu at HMP Wandsworth.

The incident involving the prolific burglar, who is currently serving four years and nine months, led to police investigation with married De Sousa Abreu, 30, charged with misconduct in public office.

The con, who was jailed after he stole 65,000 worth of goods from a safe in a luxury Kensington flat, was put in segregation but is unlikely to face any further punishment and is not under police investigation.

One victim who was targeted by Weirich in January said: 'I was aware of the video. I just didn't know that was our burglar. The whole thing seems surreal. This is not what we thought it meant to get hard time in prison.

Linton Weirich (pictured with his partner who is seven months pregnant) is the inmate who was filmed allegedly having sex with a female guard in a cell

Prison officer Linda De Sousa Abreu (pictured) was charged with misconduct in public office

Linda De Sousa Abreu tries to cover her face outside Uxbridge Magistrates' Court yesterday

'It sounds like the prison officer is the only one being punished, too.'

Weirich had broken into the woman's home while she was having building works done but only managed to steal a few drills before being arrested.

Officers had caught him because of the ankle tag he was wearing, the woman explained adding: 'I don't think he's the sharpest tool in the box.'

Another one of his victims who said his bike was stolen by Weirich in December, told The Sun: 'He's definitely not the smartest cookie if he was just targeting all the people on his doorstep.

'I can see why police managed to catch him. It's hardly justice though if he's having fun in prison.'

It comes as MailOnline revealed that Weirich's partner is seven months pregnant and went into hospital after suffering from stress fearing she could go into premature labour.

A source close to her said: 'This is the last thing she needs in her condition, it's extremely upsetting. This stupid video has affected her health, she was hospitalised at the weekend through stress. She fears it will bring on premature labour.'

Weirich was jailed for four and a half years for burglary at a dwelling and theft on June 7 at Kingston Crown Court.

Weirich was jailed for four and a half years for burglary at a dwelling and theft on June 7 at Kingston Crown Court

Linda De Sousa Abreu was seen carrying a large suitcase and hiding her face as she left Uxbridge Magistrates' Court yesterday

Weirich was seen in the video filmed on a phone appearing to have sex with the prison officer

De Sousa Abreu was arrested at Heathrow and had been due to catch a flight, the court heard

The footage was allegedly filmed at HMP Wandsworth in South West London

Photographs posted on his Instagram page show Weirich with the same arm tattoo as the man in the alleged X-rated video.

Six years ago, Weirich pleaded guilty to dangerous driving on the M6 at Stafford.

He also admitted assaulting a police officer with intent to resist arrest, driving without a licence and driving without insurance when he appeared at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court in March, 2018.

Meanwhile, De Sousa Abreu, 30, who is married, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court yesterday charged with misconduct in public office.

The prison officer was arrested at Heathrow Airport on Saturday before she could catch a flight to see relatives in Madrid, a court heard yesterday.

She was attempting to travel on a Portuguese passport, which was seized by the Metropolitan Police.

De Sousa Abreu appeared in court charged with misconduct in public office by 'engaging in a sexual act with a prisoner in a prison cell.'

Wearing a custody-issue grey tracksuit, she spoke only to confirm her name, date of birth and address.

Weirich was jailed earlier this year after stealing 65,000 worth of goods from a safe in a flat

Among the items he stole in a raid in 2022 were jewellery, belts, handbags and a suitcase

A court artist's drawing of Linda De Sousa Abreu at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court yesterday

Prosecuting Niamh McDonagh told the court: 'Ms De Sousa Abreu was apprehended at Heathrow Airport where a flight had been booked for Madrid. I believe she has relatives living there.

'A Portuguese passport was seized by police when she was apprehended. She is a Portuguese national with a Portuguese passport. '

Defending, Gayathri Yogarajah said De Sousa Abreu had notified HMP Wandsworth, telling them of her travel plans which was duly passed on to Scotland Yard.

She was granted conditional bail and will appear for a plea and case management hearing on July 29 at Isleworth Crown Court.

She must remain at an address in South West London given in court. Her Portuguese passport must remain with the police and she cannot make any attempt to retrieve it.

She is forbidden from applying or being in possession of international travel documents and she must hand over her Portuguese Identity card that she could travel on.

De Sousa Abreu is also forbidden to enter any UK port and must be electronically monitored between the hours of 9pm and 7am.

Do YOU know Linton Weirich? Email: tips@dailymail.com
Even if decades have passed since you watched an episode of Tom and Jerry, you will probably recall that mice are elusive creatures.

Now experts may have discovered why - a study shows that they are masters of tactical deception.

Researchers placed test chambers with a single entrance near a forest outside Warsaw, where they observed the social interactions between wild black-striped and yellow-necked mice.

Over seven months, they recorded 21 instances where a mouse used deception to outwit their rival.

In the most obvious cases, a black-striped mouse would run into the chamber while being pursued by a yellow-necked mouse.

A recent study has shown mice to be masters of tactical deception

Even if decades have passed since you watched an episode of Tom and Jerry, you will probably recall that mice are elusive creatures

The black-striped mouse would quickly turn and hide just inside the entrance until its rival entered the chamber, before fleeing back out before the yellow-necked mouse turned around.

The team, led by researchers at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, said this is the first evidence of intentional tactical deception in mice.

The study, titled Catch me if you can, was published in the Royal Society Open Science journal.

It reads: This newly documented defensive behaviour of black-striped mice can be classified as pursuer evasion, since the evading mouse actively escapes an approaching mouse in order to avoid physical contact and a possible fight.

It appears that, since black-striped mice cannot overcome yellow-necked mice with strength, they instead employ tactics and deception to outperform their opponents avoiding a physical confrontation.
Canberra's new hot couple kicked off a fiery Midwinters Ball on Wednesday night, with controversial - and thrifty - dresses capturing attention.

Josh Burns used the annual glitzy get-together to hard launch his long-rumoured relationship with Animal Justice League MP Georgie Purcell, who showed off her array of tattoos in a daring black gown with a thigh-high split.

The Jewish Labor MP recently separated from his wife, and sparked romance rumours with staunchly pro-Palestine Ms Purcell in April.

It was Ms Purcell's first time in the capital and she said it was a 'relief to be honest' that Mr Burns was there with her.

Never one to shy away from controversy, Lidia Thorpe arrived in a pro-Palestine dress with the divisive phrase 'from the river to the sea embroidered down the front. Her white frock also had a blood-stained look at the bottom and her bag said 'Love Harder'.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his fiancee Jodie Haydon arrived just before 7.30pm and immediately began smiling and posing for photographs.

Keen to avoid negative attention during the ongoing cost of living crisis Mr Albanese wore a simple black suit while Ms Haydon upcycled her sparkling dress from 2022.

Melbourne designer Lucy Laurita restyled the dress with sustainable fashion in mind.

Canberra's hot new couple Josh Burns and Animal Justice League MP Georgie Purcell debuted their relationship at the ball

Politics' night of nights has arrived with this year's Midwinter Ball drawing in politicians from all sides including Lidia Thorpe who came in a Palestine-themed dress

Just before 7:30pm Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his fiancee Jodie Haydon arrived with Ms Haydon's dress being upcycled from her 2022 appearance at the ball

Ms Haydon upcycled her dress from two years ago. In 2022 left, and 2024 right

The couple walked straight to hug Chalmers and his wife before posing for more photos.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton was also present with his wife Kirilly, who donned a pink silk full length dress believed to be from ME+EM, which costs $1,450.

Jim and Laura Chalmers arrived arm-in-arm with Ms Chalmers in a baby blue dress with rhinestones.

Jim Chalmers arrived arm in arm with his wife Laura who came in a baby blue dress with rhinestones

The prime minister (right) and fiancee Jodie Haydon )seocnd right) posed for photos with Treasurer Jim Chalmers and his wife Laura

Ms Chalmers poured her slender frame into a powder blue Rebecca Vallance gown worth a staggering $1,500.

The sleek number features a rounded neckline, cinched waist and princess seams to enhance her trim physique, before falling into a column skirt.

It appears Ms Chalmers wasn't a fan of the original design and opted for alterations on the night, ditching the short cape sleeves which featured an embellished feather design.

The journalist opted to keep her accessories to a minimum at the event, carrying her valuables in an Oroton clutch valued at $150.

Ms Chalmers appeared to finish her head-turning ensemble in a pair of Le Silla beige 'Nicole' pumps made from transparent mesh with a pointed-toe silhouette.

The Italian-made footwear adorned with sparkling crystals retail for $1,725.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton arrived with his wife Kirilly who wore a pink silk gown believed to be from ME+EM, which costs $1,450

Jaquie Lambie, who stole the show last year, looked ethereal yet again in a bedazzling blue feathered gown, with her hair slicked up in a top knot and accessorised with a big chunky necklace and blue clutch

Sky News host Peta Credlin dazzled in a multi-coloured, sparkling dress

Jaquie Lambie, who stole the show last year, looked ethereal yet again in a bedazzling blue gown, with her hair slicked up in a top knot while wearing a big chunky necklace.

She stopped halfway down the stairs and posed for photos.

Teal MP Monique Ryan came in rocking a teal dress, sticking to her colours.

Greens senators Larissa Walters and Dorinda Cox came with statements of their own, in the form of props brought along to the ball.

Senator Cox arrived in a black sequin dress with a purse printed with 'Truth and Justice Now' in reference to Aboriginal equality.

Senator Walters was spotted sporting some large pink earrings advocating for her pro-choice abortion stance.

Minister for National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill Shorten came with his daughter Georgette, 22, who he called a 'stunner' in her chic champagne dress.

Minister for NDIS Bill Shorten came with his daughter Georgette who wore a chic champagne dress

Teals Monique Ryan, Allegra Spender, Zali Steggall, Kylea Tink, Zoe Daniel, Kate Chaney and Sophie Scamps joined for a group photo on the staircase

Nationals leader David Littleproud and his wife Amelia came dressed in simple attire with Mr Littleproud in a bow tie and his wife in a vibrant yellow dress

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young brought her partner Ben Oquist as her date

Australian actor Rachel Griffiths (left) came with home affairs minister Clare O'Neill (right)

Minster for Industry and Science Ed Husic came with his fiancee Fiona Scott

Independent Member for Indi Helen Haines and her husband Phil were dressed classically for the ball

The Midwinter Ball was one of few occasions politicians put their differences aside and come together to raise money for those in need, hobnobbing with corporate chiefs and journalists in the process.

The annual event signals the beginning of parliament's long awaited five-week winter break.

This year Labor was hanging for the reprieve provided by the ball more than usual, after the actions of first-term Senator Fatima Payman - and the prime minister's handling of the incident - overshadowed the government's long-awaited cost of living measures.

Ms Payman crossed the floor to side with the Greens on a motion to recognise the state of Palestine, setting into motion a chain of events which culminated on Sunday with her indefinite suspension from the party room.

Mr Shorten and his daughter were seen chatting with Minister for Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek and her husband Michael Coutts-Trotter

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles attended the ball with his daughter Isabella

ABC journalist Annabel Crabb came in a slick silver dress and black blazer

Member of the House of Representatives Melissa McIntosh came with her son Byron

Shadow Minister for International Development Michael McCormack and his wife Catherine Shaw came arm-in-arm

Nationals member Keith Pitt and Liberal member Karen Andrews joined forces for the night

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus was seen with his niece Fee Chemke-Dreyfus

Mr Albanese's failure to decide upon her punishment swiftly dragged the chaos into a second sitting week.

And Ms Payman has enjoyed sweeping support for her decision outside of the Labor party, opting to vote with her conscience and risking her career in the process rather than toeing the party line.

The 29-year-old is weighing up her future.

Journalists have been frothing over the saga but none who appeared at the ball this year spent any time on the topic, instead opting to mingle with politicians.

ABC's Annabel Crabb came in a short silver dress and Nine editors Tony Maguire and Luke McIlveen entered in low-key outfits for the occasion.

Some members have historically used the evening to make statements, like last year when Labor Senator Jana Stewart donned a white ballgown covered in passages from the Uluru statement.

In 2022, Greens Leader Adam Bandt's partner Claudia Perkins was used as a billboard for her views on environmental policies, with giant lettering: 'Gas kills, coal kills'.

That same year, independent Senator Lidia Thorpe stormed down the marble stairs in blue jeans and an Aboriginal flag t-shirt repeatedly screaming 'fossil fools' and extending her middle fingers to the assembled guests.

Minister for Youth Anne Aly wore a knitted flowery sash

Ms Aly's silk throw over was embroidered on the back with domestic violence statistics from 2024

Minister for Sports Anika Wells was photographed with Parramatta MP Andrew Charlton

Greens senators Larissa Walters and Dorinda Cox came with statements of their own in the form of props brought along to the ball

Ms Cox arrived in a black sequin dress with a purse printed with 'Truth and Justice Now' in reference to Aboriginal equiality

Minister for Climate Change Chris Bowen brought his son Max along with him

Minister for Resources Madeleine King celebrated in silver shiny shoes while her husband Jamie wore a kilt

Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth and Speaker Milton Dick posed together

Deputy leader of the Liberals Sussan Ley wore a midnight velvet semi-shoulderless dress which was stamped with a large gold broach

The Midwinter ball raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for various charities each year, with $360,000 raised both this year and last.

It has raised $5 million over its lifetime of 25 years and more than 640 guests attended the 2024 Midwinter Ball.

Some notable charities who have received the funds in recent years are Rural Aid Australia, OzHarvest, Fearless Women, Roundabout Canberra, Pink Elephants and the Ukrainian Crisis Appeal.

Notable absences at the 2023 event were Coalition Senator Jacinta Price and Senator Thorpe.
Boris Johnson was unleashed as the Tory party's secret weapon last night, answering the Prime Minister's calls as he warned undecided voters a Labour landslide would be 'pregnant with horrors'.

With just a day of campaigning left before Brits go to the polls, the former Prime Minister put to bed any rumours of a feud with Rishi Sunak in a last-ditch attempt to cling on to blue seats.

Stepping out into the central London rally last night, Mr Johnson was surrounded by ardent supporters who clapped, whistled and chanted his name as he made a long-awaited return into the spotlight.

During his impassioned speech, Mr Johnson called on voters flirting with backing Reform to 'draw back from the brink' to stop Sir Keir Starmer secure his party's projected supermajority tomorrow.

He labelled Nigel Farage as a 'Kremlin crawler' and unleashed attacks on Labour's 'mandatory wokery' and 'uncontrolled immigration', bluntly adding that people who 'have a few thousand to spare' and 'actually want higher tax' should vote red.

Mr Johnson went on to make a dig at Sir Keir Starmer saying it was 'way past his bedtime' after the Opposition leader admitted he tries to avoid working past 6pm on Fridays to spend time with his family.

The former PM was not expected to make a return on the general election campaign but had decided to make a dramatic eve of the poll intervention after becoming 'vociferously angry and upset' over a predicted Labour supermajority.

Hinting at the 'trivial' differences between himself and his former Chancellor Mr Sunak, Mr Johnson said he was a 'glad when the PM asked for help' and 'could not say no' because they both 'love our country'.

Throughout his impassioned speech the ex-PM urged the public not to vote for a Labour Party 'pregnant with horrors'

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pictured arriving at the rally last night in central London

A new MRP study by Survation, published within the final 48 hours of campaigning, predicted Labour would win 484 seats at this week's general election

The former Mayor of London hit out at Labour's plans to hike taxes and said the party would not take a firm stance against Vladimir Putin, following his unjust invasion of the war in Ukraine.

He went on to criticise Sir Keir for not being able to explain 'the difference between a man and a woman'.

'He sits there with his mouth open like a stunned mullet,' he said.

Mr Johnson, who led the Tories to a landslide victory in 2019 against Jeremy Corbyn, added: 'They can achieve nothing in this election except to usher in the most left-wing Labour government since the war with a huge majority, and we must not let it happen.

'Don't let the Putinistas deliver the Corbynistas. Don't let Putin's pet parrots give this entire country psittacosis - which is a disease you get by the way from cosying up to pet parrots.

'Friends, if you actually - everybody if you actually want higher taxes next week, this year, if you feel you've got a few thousands to spare, then vote Labour on Thursday. If you want uncontrolled immigration and mandatory wokery, and pointless kowtowing to Brussels again, then go right ahead, make my day, vote for Starmer.

'But if you want to protect our democracy and our economy and keep this country strong abroad by spending 2.5 per cent of our GDP on defence which Labour still refuses to commit to, then you know what to do, don't you, everybody?

'There's only one thing to do - vote Conservative on Thursday my friends and I know you will. I know you will.'

Boris Johnson made a surprise appearance to welcome Rishi Sunak onto stage last night as the Tories try ward off Labour's projected supermajority

The Survation model, based on polling data from more than 30,000 voters, forecast the Tories would be reduced to just 64 seats in the House of Commons

The Prime Minister outside the venue ahead of his rally in central London last night

Mr Johnson's intervention is said to have come after the Prime Minister sent him a personal message last week asking him if there was anything at all he could do to help the final days of campaigning.

While Mr Johnson has used his weekly Daily Mail column, social media and personal letters to electrify the flagging campaign he was largely kept a low profile on the campaign trail.

Yet Tory strategists brought the former PM back into the spotlight, hoping he could electrify a flagging campaign and galvanise former Conservative voters to keep the faith when they head to the polls on tomorrow.

Mr Johnson's appearance was a closely-guarded secret known only to a tiny handful of No10 officials. Even cabinet ministers attending last night's rally were kept in the dark.

Last night a friend added: 'Boris loves the Conservative party and has always believed in being a big person. So when the call came to help, of course he answered.

'He's hoping that if he can give the Tories such fulsome backing after the way he's been treated by the party other disgruntled supporters will do the same too.'

Following his speech, Mr Johnson welcomed the Prime Minister onto the stage who urged voters not to 'surrender to Labour' and 'fight for every vote'.

Addressing the known tensions between himself and Mr Johnson - as well as wider strains within the Tory party - he told the audience: 'Isn't it great to have our Conservative family united, my friends?'

Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson raise a pint on a visit to a London brewery in 2021 - before Mr Johnson was deposed as Prime Minister

As he entered the rally, Mr Sunak told the audience 'Isn't it great to have our Conservative family united, my friends?'

The ex-PM spoke after former cabinet minister and outgoing MP Michael Gove also urged the public not to vote for 'Corbyn-hugging' Starmer

'Just think, just think, it was just the other day when Keir Starmer was saying that Jeremy Corbyn would have been a better prime minister than Boris,' he added.

'Shameful. Can you imagine what that would have meant for Ukraine? What it would have meant for our country's security, our defence, the damage it would have done to our economy?'

The PM - who is currently spending his last hours of campaiging on a whirlwind tour across the UK in a bid to gain 130,000 extra votes - told undecided voters they had '48 hours to save Britain from a Labour government'.

'I know you are tired, but we have to give it one last push. We have to fight for every vote. We have to fight for our values.'

He concluded his speech by telling the audience: 'I love my country. My story would not be possible in any other country.'

Boris' intervention came as:

Mr Sunak said that just 130,000 voters in marginal seats could change the course of the election and prevent an 'unchecked' Labour government.

Polling by Lord Ashcroft suggested Labour's huge lead could be trimmed to single figures if Tory voters return to the fold in the next 48 hours.

Home Secretary James Cleverly branded Labour's immigration plans a 'con job' and warned the party would introduce an amnesty for tens of thousands of illegal migrants.

Sir Keir insisted a Labour landslide would bring stability and be 'better for the country'.

Another Reform candidate defected to the Tories with a blast at the 'racist, misogynistic, and bigoted' views of other senior figures.

The PM and Labour leader spent the day criss-crossing the country in a bid to energise supporters to get out and vote tomorrow.

Mr Johnson last night's said he had doubts about whether polls showing a giant Labour majority were accurate, saying he had faith that people would 'still show more sense on Thursday'.

But he said traditional Conservatives 'cannot just sit back as a Labour government prepares to use a sledgehammer majority to destroy so much of what we achieved'.

He warned that Sir Keir would water down Brexit, restore free movement and 'make us nothing but the punk of Brexit - taking EU law, but with no say in how it is made'.

Campaigning in the East Midlands yesterday, Sir Keir Starmer said the attack on his working habits was 'bordering on hysterical'

As the election battle enters its penultimate day, the PM visited an Ocado plant in Bedfordshire before 5am

And he warned a Labour agenda would involve 'whacking up taxes on pensions and property, persecuting private enterprise, attacking private education and private healthcare - with all the pointless extra burden that will place on the taxpayer'.

He mocked Sir Keir as the former 'disciple' of Jeremy Corbyn who is so in thrall to Left-wing activists that he looks like a 'stunned mullet' when asked to explain what a woman is.

And he savaged Nigel Farage for his praise of Vladimir Putin's skills as a political operator.

Mr Johnsons warned that Reform 'can achieve nothing in this election except to usher in the most left-wing Labour government since the war, with a huge majority,' adding: 'Don't let the Putinistas deliver the Corbynistas.'

Mr Johnson's appearance attracted criticism from the opposing parties.

The Lib Dems deputy leader Daisy Cooper said last night: 'This is an insult to everyone who made heartbreaking sacrifices during the pandemic.

'Rishi Sunak has reached a desperate new low, turning to a man who discredited the office of Prime Minister and lied to the country time after time.

'It is time to boot out this tired and sleaze-ridden Conservative Party, and elect Liberal Democrat MPs who will stand up for their communities.'

A series of polls yesterday showed that Labour's poll lead is being squeezed as Reform's vote falls back - but suggested Sir Keir remains on course for a landslide majority.

One Tory insider said: 'The squeeze is on, but it is very late.' A Redfield and Wilton Strategies survey of 20,000 voters found that Labour's lead had been trimmed by four points, but left them still 19 points ahead of the Conservatives.

Polling by Lord Ashcroft published by the Mail yesterday also gives Labour a 19-point lead, with Labour's overall support dipping to 38 per cent - less than Jeremy Corbyn achieved in 2017.

But a mega poll by Survation found that Labour were now '99 per cent' certain to get a bigger landslide than Tony Blair in 1997.

The survey of more than 30,000 people, predicted that Labour will win a record 484 seats, with the Conservatives reduced to a rump of just 64, narrowly ahead of a rejuvenated Lib Dems on 61. Reform could get 16 per cent of the vote but win just seven seats, the poll found.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Mr Cleverly said voters worried about the threat of a Labour supermajority can still turn out tomorrow and 'make the opinion polls wrong'.

He acknowledged that some people want to 'punish' the government after tough few years marred by Covid and the war in Ukraine.

But warned he warned those considering Reform that the urge to give the government a 'slap' could lead to '15 years hard Labour' if they split the vote and give Labour a supermajority.'

'The vast bulk of votes have not been cast - you can decide what future you want. You can make the opinion polls wrong,' he said.

'The scale of the 'hovering pencil' cohort means the outcome is nowhere near as definitive as some of the commentary has suggested.' He said those toying with a vote for Reform to send a message to the Conservatives should consider whether 'the message you are looking to send, is worth five, 10, 15 years of hard Labour?'

The PM dismissed suggestions the outcome of the election was a 'foregone conclusion' and said he was 'feeling energised' with two days to go

Mr Sunak purchased McDonald's breakfast for reporters from a Beaconsfield service station in Buckinghamshire

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey fell from a surfboard in Bude, Cornwall, as he continued his stunt-filled campaign

In a speech yesterday, Mr Sunak will urge voters worried about a big Labour majority to take action to prevent it.

'If you are worried about an unchecked, unaccountable Labour government you can stop that by offering us your support so we can stand up for you and be your voice in the next Parliament,' he will say.

'Your vote will determine whether your MP is just another addition to Starmer's supermajority or a local champion, someone who cares about you and will fight for your area and its needs.

'Do you want an MP who holds the Government to account or one who just unthinkingly backs Keir Starmer and whatever he wants to do?'

Mr Johnson's appearance comes as Sunak began a 48 hour whirlwind tour across the country in desperate appeal to the public as pollsters project that tomorrow, Keir Starmer could win a bigger majority than Tony Blair's landslide win in 1997.

Kicking off the last two days of campaigning, the current Tory leader claimed all the party needed was 130,000 votes to make the difference.

'It's not over until it's over,' Mr Sunak brazenly told downbeat supporters and party activists as they approach the finishing line of a grueling six-week drive for votes.

His motivating words echoed that of Johnson's who last week jumped up to the aid of his former Chancellor telling voters 'it's not too late'.

Starmer on the final days of the campaign trail yesterday

The final MRP study by Survation yesterday, published within the last 48 hours of campaigning, predicted Labour would win 484 seats at this week's general election

Sunak pictured on the final blitz of his campaigning rally

'There is still time between now and Thursday for the nation to swerve from the cliff edge,' Daily Mail columnist Mr Johnson wrote on Friday. 'We can collectively come to our senses. We can dodge the bullet.'

The former PM, who resigned almost two years ago, went on to attack Starmer's own 'shockingly low' approval ratings.

Mr Johnson added: 'Britain is about to jump the points and jink left, abruptly, in what could be a Left-wing socialist supremacy that lasts for a decade or more.

'And yet Starmer's own approval ratings are shockingly low  the lowest ever for an Opposition leader on the verge of entering Downing Street, let alone of a triumph on the scale currently predicted. Poll after poll says the same.'

Mr Johnson's appearance with Mr Sunak comes after the current PM welcomed his predecessor to join him on the campaign trail.

Earlier this year Mr Sunak said the ex-PM could join him as he tries to build support for the Tories.

Diffusing any concerns of a rift between the two leaders, Mr Sunak told The Sun's Never Mind the Ballots show that he had been in touch with the ex-PM at the end of last year.

He said in April - months before he announced the election date: 'I spoke to him in person at the end of last year and we've messaged since then as well.'

Asked if he would be invited to campaign on doorsteps and in the streets of Britain for the Tories, Mr Sunak added: 'That's a question for him.

'Anyone from the Conservative family who wants to see a Conservative re-elected and who doesn't think Keir Starmer is the right person to lead our country will be welcome on the campaign trail.

'Ultimately that's the choice. It's Keir Starmer or me as Prime Minister after the next election.

'If you want to keep cutting taxes, a more sensible approach to net zero, if you want to tackle illegal migration, then we are the people to do that for you.'

The final MRP study by Survation yesterday, published within the last 48 hours of campaigning, predicted Labour would win 484 seats at this week's general election.

The model, based on polling data from more than 30,000 voters, forecast the Tories would be reduced to just 64 seats in the House of Commons.It means the Tories would scrape into being the official Opposition, with the Lib Dems predicted to win 61 seats.
Xi's visit to promote SCO cooperation, enhance China-Central Asia relations

Xinhua) 08:10, July 03, 2024

BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Tuesday for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and state visits to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

During the summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana, Xi will discuss with his SCO colleagues development blueprints and build up consensus on cooperation, which is poised to add new impetus to maintaining peace and prosperity on the Eurasian continent and beyond.

Countries on the vast Eurasian continent share a long history of exchanges, similar development tasks and a closely linked future. Xi's trip is expected to enhance China's cooperation with respective countries and help build a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

Students learn tea art under the instruction of a student (L) from Xinjiang Normal University during the 2024 "Chinese Bridge" Spring Camp for students from SCO countries, in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)

STRONGER TIES

In early June, Xi, along with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, applauded via video link the signing of an intergovernmental agreement on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project.

The railway is a strategic project of connectivity between China and Central Asia that demonstrates their commitment to common development through cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The project is the latest example of the SCO family's cooperation and solidarity under the guidance of the "Shanghai Spirit."

The SCO was created 23 years ago with the "Shanghai Spirit" being its founding values, which champion mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development. Now, with nine member states, three observer states and 14 dialogue partners, it is the world's largest regional organization in terms of geographical scale and population.

Xi has attended every SCO head-of-state summit since 2013, including through live videoconferences during the COVID period, and shared his thoughts and proposals on building stronger SCO ties and promoting development.

Maintaining regional peace and security is the cornerstone of SCO cooperation. In recent years, SCO members have strengthened coordination in combating the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, tackling drug trafficking, as well as safeguarding security in cyberspace and outer space.

A major driving force of the SCO's development is an orientation towards economic growth and practical cooperation.

The SCO has witnessed flourishing trade and investment cooperation among its members, with its share of global trade rising from 5.4 percent in 2001 to 17.5 percent in 2020, according to China's customs data.

People-to-people exchanges and mutual learning have become another key component of SCO cooperation through the years.

The bloc has witnessed burgeoning projects and activities, including the 2024 "Chinese Bridge" Spring Camp for students from SCO countries, which opened in Xinjiang in April, and the SCO agricultural universities alliance, which now fosters exchange of agricultural talents among over 20 universities from SCO member states.

Belt and Road cooperation between China and other countries has yielded fruitful results, promoting connectivity and socio-economic development of regional countries, former SCO Secretary-General Bolat Nurgaliyev said.

This is an epitome of the countries' cooperation based on equality and mutual benefit, and an important manifestation of the "Shanghai Spirit," he said.

An aerial drone photo taken on May 4, 2023 shows a view of the Kapshagay photovoltaic power station in Almaty, Kazakhstan. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)

ANOTHER GOLDEN 30 YEARS

China and Kazakhstan share a border of roughly 1,700 km and a long history of friendly exchanges between their peoples. Xi used "good neighbors, good friends and good partners" to describe the profound friendship between the two countries.

The strategic guidance of the two countries' heads of state is a distinctive feature of China-Kazakhstan relations. During a state visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013, Xi proposed the Silk Road Economic Belt, an essential component of the BRI.

When Xi visited the Central Asian nation again in September 2022, he received the Order of the Golden Eagle, the highest honor of Kazakhstan, from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The two leaders announced that China and Kazakhstan will work for building a community with a shared future defined by lasting friendship, a high degree of mutual trust and sharing weal and woe.

The year 2022 marked the 30th anniversary of bilateral ties. In 2023, Xi and Tokayev met twice in China. They pledged that the two countries are ready to create another 30 years of golden period for bilateral relations.

The two countries have built a full-fledged connectivity network to facilitate cross-border transport and trade. Thanks to cross-border railways, land border crossings and other logistic and trade facilities, China-Europe freight trains rumble like modern-day camel caravans, delivering products made in China to Central Asian and European countries, as well as wheat, fertilizers and other products from the landlocked country to China's Pacific harbors.

China was Kazakhstan's largest trading partner in 2023, with two-way trade up by 32 percent year-on-year to reach 41 billion U.S. dollars.

A variety of cultural and people-to-people exchanges serve as bridges to further strengthen their friendship.

The entry into force of the agreement on mutual visa exemption is expected to increase cross-border travel. The Luban Workshop, a Chinese vocational workshop program training talents overseas, has been operating in Kazakhstan since last year.

With Kazakhstan-China relations growing at a high level, it is believed that Xi's visit to Kazakhstan will open up new prospects for bilateral cooperation, said Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of Kazakhstan's China Studies Center.

Wu Zhengpeng (2nd L), a teacher from Tianjin Urban Construction Management & Vocation Technology College of China, explains the usage of mapping devices to students at the Luban Workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, April 12, 2023. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)

NEW IMPETUS

Since the establishment of China-Tajikistan diplomatic ties more than 30 years ago, bilateral relations have withstood the test of the evolving international landscape and achieved a leapfrog development.

In recent years, Xi and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon have maintained frequent interactions, forging a profound friendship and facilitating the growth of bilateral ties.

In September 2014, Xi paid his first state visit to Tajikistan. Rahmon accompanied Xi for nearly 10 hours and warmly received him with a family banquet. "Good brothers walk hand in hand," Rahmon said.

When Xi revisited Dushanbe in June 2019, he received the Order of the Crown from Rahmon. The two heads of state signed a joint statement on further deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership.

During the China-Central Asia Summit in May 2023, the two presidents jointly announced the building of a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future featuring everlasting friendship, solidarity and mutual benefit, setting a clear goal for the development of bilateral relations.

Tajikistan is one of the first countries to support the BRI and sign cooperation documents with China. Belt and Road cooperation between the two countries has yielded fruits, including the construction of the China-Tajikistan highway.

The two sides are also exploring cooperation in green technology, digital economy and artificial intelligence to boost high-quality development.

Recent years have witnessed an increasing number of Tajik students in the country's Confucius Institutes or in China. The first Luban Workshop in Central Asia has been operating in Dushanbe for two years, grooming many talents for Tajikistan's vocational education and the country's industrialization and modernization.

"Tajikistan and China are the closest neighbors and partners," said Qanoatullo Saifulloev, deputy director of the state-run Khovar News Agency, adding that he believes Xi's upcoming state visit to his country will promote the continued development of bilateral relations and benefit the two brotherly peoples.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Feature: Two musicians' brotherhood, an epitome of China-Kazakhstan friendship

Xinhua) 13:46, July 03, 2024

ASTANA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- In Almaty, the largest city of Kazakhstan, a street bears the name of the renowned Chinese musician Xian Xinghai. Nearby, another parallel street honors the Kazakh musician Bakhytzhan Baikadamov.

Among the many heartwarming tales of friendship between the people of China and Kazakhstan, the story of these two musicians, who met and forged a bond during the turbulent time of war, stands out.

It was often quoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visits to Kazakhstan as epitomizing the profound friendship between the two countries.

At the outset of the Great Patriotic War, Xian, a renowned Chinese composer, arrived in Almaty after experiencing much hardship.

By then, Xian was worn down by poverty and illness and had no one to turn to. Fortunately, the Kazakh composer Baikadamov took care of Xian and provided him with the comfort of a home, Xi said in a speech delivered at Kazakhstan's Nazarbayev University in 2013.

"It was some time in the middle of November 1942. When my father was passing by a fence, he saw a thin man sitting on his suitcase, wearing a light sweater and holding a violin," Baldyrgan Baikadamova, Baikadamov's daughter, said about the fateful encounter.

"My father spoke Kazakh and Russian, the composer responded in English and French. But it was obvious that the Chinese musician really needed help and had nowhere to go. So my father just took his hand and led him to us," she said.

Baikadamov, well-versed in Kazakh folk music, was instantly captivated by Xian's compositions.

They soon became bosom friends and devoted brothers despite their different nationalities, Xi noted in a signed article in the Kazakh media on Tuesday as he began his state visit to the Central Asian country.

"Xian and my father always sat together. My father played the dombra (a Kazakh two-stringed plucked musical instrument), and Xian took notes for the melody. Then Xian played the violin and my father checked whether Xian was right or not. That's how they learned the Kazakh national folklore and culture together," the daughter said.

Their collaboration led to several joint musical projects that blended Chinese and Kazakh musical traditions, and it was in Almaty that Xian composed his famous works Liberation of the Nation, Sacred War and Red All over the River.

He also wrote the symphony Amangeldy based on the exploits of the Kazakh national hero. These pieces served as a rallying call to fight Fascists and proved immensely popular with the local people.

Xian was finally overcome by homesickness and suffered from lung disease. He died in a hospital in Moscow at the age of 40 in October 1945. Xian did not have the chance to return to China.

The news of Xian's death devastated her father, said the daughter.

The friendship between Xian and his Kazakh friend became the subject of a movie named "The Composer," the first film co-produced by China and Kazakhstan and screened in 2019.

In the same year, a special joint movie screening event was held in Astana, Beijing, and Macau, Xian's birthplace. Students from universities including Kazakhstan's Astana International University, China's Tsinghua University, and the University of Macau watched the film together via video link.

Irsaliyev Nurali, one organizer of the joint screening event, told Xinhua that he and his friends were moved by the friendship between Xian and Baikadamov.

"If more people (in our two countries) can cultivate this kind of friendship and relationship, the future will indeed be a golden one," he said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Ed Miliband's 'fantasy eco plans' will create tens of thousands more jobs in China than in the UK, senior Tories claimed last night.

Labour's Shadow Energy Security Secretary wants to triple solar power capacity in the UK as part of his ambitious plan to deliver zero-carbon electricity by 2030.

He wants solar farms to provide 50GW of energy by the end of the decade, up from 15.8GW earlier this year.

It will mean a huge increase in the number of the panels harnessing the sun's rays - and more jobs in an industry that currently supports only 6,400 people.

But new analysis by the Conservatives suggests Labour's clean power drive will be 'made in China', because its scale and speed means there will not be time to expand UK production to the required rate.

Labour has watered down Mr Miliband's original pledge to borrow 28 billion a year to fund green initiatives - but it has retained his goal to achieve 'clean power' by 2030

Based on US Department of Energy estimates that each extra 1GW of production generates work for 2,000 more people, the Tories say Labour's plan will create another 71,837 jobs.

And according to the International Energy Agency's latest assessment, 80 per cent of all solar panel manufacturing is based in China.

So the Tories say Labour's solar expansion will end up creating 57,470 jobs in China - and only 14,933 in the UK.

Last night Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden told the Mail: 'Labour aren't content with destroying jobs in the North Sea oil industry by refusing licences. Now they want to ship them to China.

'Their fantasy eco plans mean higher bills for families and making us reliant on China for decades - which our own National Security strategy identifies as the number one threat to our economy security.

'Do not let virtue-signalling trump the national interest. Do not surrender this country's light switch to Labour.'

But a Labour spokesman insisted: 'This is more desperate Tory lies. After 14 years of failed Tory energy policy, jobs have gone overseas and our clean energy infrastructure has been imported from China and the rest of the world. Rishi Sunak has no plan to change it.

'Labour's plan means investment in 650,000 jobs of the future and creating Great British Energy. That'll lower people's bills with cheap, homegrown energy.

'The only way to stop the Conservatives' chaos and exporting of British jobs, is to vote for Labour on Thursday.'

It comes after Mr Miliband told the Guardian that a Labour government will fill a 'vacuum of leadership' to take the lead on global efforts to tackle climate change.

'There is not a minute to waste in the drive for 2030 clean power and in the drive for climate action. The world is off track, Britain is off track and we intend to change that direction,' he said.

Labour insists the plan will create 650,000 future jobs and lower bills (File photo)

It remains unclear how much Labour's flagship pledge to deliver clean energy by 2030 will cost taxpayers.

Last week it emerged that Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones had admitted the 28billion a year the party previously earmarked for green investment would not be sufficient to decarbonise the power system.

'No it's tiny. Hundreds of billions of pounds we need,' he told a meeting earlier this year in remarks that were seized on by the Tories.

However Mr Jones clarified that most of the money will come from the private sector, pointing to the money being put into nuclear power stations Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C by their private owners.

'All these bits of kit which are owned by the private sector, in order to get to that net zero target will have to spend money and invest in their own businesses in order get there,' he told LBC radio.
Labour see the much-maligned inheritance tax as a way to redistribute wealth, a party frontbencher has claimed.

Darren Jones, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, told a public meeting that funds from the levy should be used to address 'intergenerational inequality'.

In the leaked recording, Mr Jones - who will be responsible for public expenditure if Labour wins the election - said there is a 'bulk coming through the system of huge amounts of inherited wealth'.

Last night senior Tories said the remarks, first reported by The Daily Telegraph, showed the 'cat's out of the bag' when it comes to the party's plans on taxes.

Mr Jones is deputy to Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves, meaning he will wield power on taxation if Labour form a government on Friday.

Darren Jones (pictured), the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, told a public meeting that funds from the levy should be used to address 'intergenerational inequality'

At the meeting in Bristol in March, he said: 'We've had a bit of a debate (on inheritance tax) in Westminster because there were some plans to abolish it... we didn't think that was the right thing to do, because there was going to be this kind of bulk coming through the system of huge amounts of inherited wealth in our country, largely off the back of housing asset values.

'For the intergenerational inequality point, we think it's important that inheritance tax remains because it does allow you to get some of that value back in, to be able to redistribute across generations.'

Inheritance tax is currently charged at 40 per cent on the value of estates above 325,000.

Up to six per cent of estates are set to be subject to the levy by the end of the next Parliament.

British Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott pictured speaking at a press conference in June

Laura Trott, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: 'This is what we have been warning about and now the cat's out of the bag. Labour are saying one thing before the election, but make no mistake  if they win, they will tax you, your home, your car, your pension.

'Now we know where they plan to tax first.'

A Labour spokesman said: 'This is total nonsense. Nothing in our plans requires any additional tax to be increased. We have set out fully costed, fully funded plans, with very specific tax loopholes we would close.

'We have said very clearly that our interest isn't in raising taxes  our priorities are economic growth and making working people better off.'
A top pollster says there's only one Democrat who can beat Trump but not only have they never held office, they haven't even campaigned for Joe Biden yet this election season.

While other former Democrats and liberal pundits have speculated on Biden's ability to hold the presidency through 2028, should he win, two elected members of the party's Congressional delegation have called on him to drop out Tuesday.

Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, 41, is now saying that he expects Trump to win after Biden's terrible debate performance while Lloyd Doggett of Texas, 77, he's actually 'OK' if Donald Trump wins in November.

The fallout from the debate disaster just five days ago has left the party scrambling fro its immediate and long-term future, one that presumably wouldn't involve Biden.

Now, pollster Ipsos tested several elected an unelected Democrats head-to-head with Biden and only one would beat him, according to their survey.

A top pollster says there's only one Democrat who can beat Trump but they haven't even campaigned for Joe Biden yet this election season

Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States, currently polls with a massive 50-39 lead over former President Trump.

Obama, 60, has never sought nor held any elected office but has often been seen as a dream candidate given her broad popularity.

The poll was released the same week reports revealed that First Lady Obama has stayed away from the campaign trail because of her friendship with Hunter Biden's ex-wife Kathleen Buhle.

The former first lady, one of the most popular figures in the Democratic party, hasn't posted about the 81-year-old president's re-election bid.

Buhle and Hunter split in 2017 and details of the divorce resurfaced when she testified at his recent federal gun trial in Delaware.

Axios reported that Michelle told others that her friend had been wronged by the Biden family, who have blamed Buhle for some of the lurid details of Hunter's behavior becoming public.

The poll only contains negatives for the remaining power players of the Democrat Party, however.

Only Vice President Kamala Harris (losing 43-42) comes within a point of Trump, according to Ipsos.

Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States, currently polls with a massive 50-39 lead over former President Trump

Other Democrats currently in office do even worse: Governors Gavin Newsom of California (losing 42-39), Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan (losing 41-36), Andy Beshear of Kentucky (losing 40-36) and JB Pritzker of Illinois (40-34) all trail Trump.

The poll actually shows positive news for Biden relative to his recent polling, as the survey shows him tied with Trump at 40 percent each.

Michelle Obama has still never once given any impression she would run for any office.

After reports surfaced of the Obama-Biden feud, White House spokesman Andrew Bates denied there was any rift between First Lady Obama and the Biden families.

He said: 'The Biden and Obama families are like family to each other, and whomever made these claims about that relationship isnt familiar with it.

'The former President and First Lady have been two of the strongest supporters of President Bidens leadership and agenda.'

Buhle accused Hunter of blowing his family's money on drugs and prostitutes and cheating while he spiraled into crack cocaine addiction.

The poll was released the same week reports revealed that First Lady Obama has stayed away from the campaign trail because of her friendship with Hunter Biden's ex-wife Kathleen Buhle

The poll actually shows positive news for Biden relative to his recent polling, as the survey shows him tied with Trump at 40 percent each

She and Michelle became close during the Obama administration, but the dynamic between the Obama and Biden families has changed since, according to the report.

During the Obama presidency the two women worked out in the gym together and would often have cocktails in the White House,

They still have a close bond today that has reportedly sparked friction between Michelle and the Bidens.

According to the report, Former President Obama described the Biden family as 'weird s***' following a fundraiser for the Beau Biden Foundation in 2017.

Michelle was initially reluctant to campaign for Joe in 2020, but was ultimately persuaded to hit the trail when Democrats told her the stakes would be too high if she missed out.

Now her husband has taken to the trail solo by appearing at multiple glitzy fundraisers with Joe.

A White House spokesman and a representative for Obama both denied reports of a rift.

Crystal Carson, a spokesperson for Michelle Obama said she is friends with both Kathleen and the Bidens.

The fallout from the debate disaster just five days ago has left the party scrambling fro its immediate and long-term future, one that presumably wouldn't involve Biden facing Donald Trump

Michelle Obama has still never once given any impression she would run for any office

'Mrs. Obama has already said she supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris campaign.

'She is friends with Kathleen and with the Bidens. Two things can be true. On Monday Dr. Biden graciously joined the family to celebrate the life of Mrs. Marian Robinson.'

Biden remains insistent that he will not drop out of the campaign.
The French 'Excalibur' has vanished from a rock it had been wedged in for the past 1,300 years.

The famed Durandal sword is presumed to have been stolen from the southern village Rocamadour, despite it being wedged and chained to the stone 32ft off the ground.

It has left the clifftop village bereft at the loss of its prized tourist attraction with the mayor Dominique Lenfant saying locals feel as though they have been stripped of a part of themselves.

Police have launched an investigation but officers have been left baffled as to how the mystical sword was able to be taken due to its lofty and awkward position embedded in the cliff wall next to the sanctuary.

The famed Durandal sword (pictured) is presumed to have been stolen from the southern village Rocamadour, despite it being wedged and chained to the stone 32ft off the ground

Durandal was wielded by Roland, a legendary knight, with the sword's magical powers being mentioned in 11th century poem The Song of Roland

Mayor Lenfant said the town was devastated, reported The Telegraph.

'We're going to miss Durandal. It's been part of Rocamadour for centuries, and there's not a guide who doesn't point it out when he visits,' she told La Depeche, a French newspaper.

'Rocamadour feels it's been stripped of a part of itself, but even if it's a legend, the destinies of our village and this sword are entwined.'

According to legend, the sword could not be broken and was able to slice through boulders with one swoop due to it being the sharpest blade in existence.

A myth says it was first given to Emperor Charlemagne by an angel before it was wielded by his nephew Roland, a legendary knight.

Durandal is mentioned in 11th century poem The Song of Roland. In the epic, it tells of the sword's magical powers and said it contained one tooth of St Peter, the blood of St Basil, and the hair of St Denis.

Roland is said to have tried to break the sword on a rock before his death at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass to stop it from getting in the hands of the army of Saracens he had valiantly fought.

But he ending up throwing it into a valley where it miraculously flew for miles and ended up getting embedded into the Rocamadour's cliff.
Ex-soap star Orpheus Pledger who spiralled into drug abuse and violence will beg for mercy today to avoid six more weeks behind bars in a late bid for freedom.

Pledger, 30, faced Melbourne Magistrate's Court for sentencing on Wednesday over charges relating to his savage attack on a woman in the early hours of March 25.

The vicious assault was captured by a motion-activated camera owned by Pledger which showed him grabbing the victim's hair and throwing her to the ground before stomping on her head.

Images of the woman's injuries from the attack show bruises on the side of her face that bore a 'similar resemblance' to the sole pattern of Vans sneakers he owned.

On Monday, he pleaded guilty to a raft of charges and was assessed for eligibility to be released on a community corrections order.

Pledger sat quietly behind glass in the dock as Magistrate Justin Foster ordered he serve a further six weeks in custody to undergo a more 'extensive' assessment.

His solicitor, Jasper MacCuspie, formally opposed the matter's adjournment and argued his client should be released having already spent 96 days in remand.

Pledger was initially remanded in custody but a late application for Pledger to be bailed and released will now be heard in court at 3pm on Wednesday.

Pledger underwent a brief CCO assessment on Tuesday, which Corrections Victoria determined was insufficient given details of the matter.

Former Home and Away star turned thug Orpheus Pledger (pictured) will spent six more weeks behind in prison for the brutal assault of a woman in April

The vicious attack caught on a motion-activated camera (pictured) which showed Pledger pulling the victim's hair, throwing her to the ground and stomping on her head

Magistrate Foster told the court Corrections Victoria had requested additional time to produce a more detailed report on Pledger's 'complex needs'.

'I was hoping the matter could be dealt with today,' he said.

'But noting the seriousness of the offending ... In my view it's appropriate that take place.'

Mr MacCuspie told the court his client had already served 96 days behind bars and that an extended stay would 'prejudice' Pledger.

'I understand the complexities with this manner ... (but Pledger) ought to be released from custody today,' he said.

Magistrate Foster said Pledger needed an extended assessment because it hadn't been determined if it was influenced by a 'drug-induced psychosis or a mental health issue'.

'Your client has stomped on a woman's head,' he told Mr MacCuspie.

The court heard on Monday that Pledger had a successful acting career which peaked with 339 episodes in popular soap opera Home and Away.

But he suffered a devastating blow to his career when a role on a US television show fell through at the 11th hour, and sent the actor into a downward spiral.

Pledger started associating with an 'antisocial' crowd and using methamphetamines recreationally which he admitted in court was effecting him at the time of the attack.

The victim called Triple Zero warning police Pledger was in the midst of a mental health incident shortly before the assault, the court previously heard.

She was heard saying 'he's coming' before the line cut out.

Police arrived 15 minutes later and found the woman lying on the ground while Pledger was nowhere to be seen.

He was arrested two days later and remanded in custody until April 15 when he was bailed for one day to receive a mental health assessment at the Northern Hospital.

Pledger on Monday pleaded guilty to a raft of charges relating to the attack and was assessed for a community corrections order on Tuesday which was found to be insufficient

The court heard on Monday that Pledger (left) had fallen into a downward spiral of using drugs such as meth after his soap character was killed off and he lost a role on a US television show

A police prosecutor told the court on Monday that Pledger warned hospital staff that he was going to 'kill' the victim on multiple occasions.

He then fled the hospital, after waiting about six hours for a consult, and returned directly to the victim's home.

The court heard that when a family member told him he needed to return to custody, Pledger replied: 'Why? I haven't done anything wrong'.

Magistrate Foster fumed when told Pledger had escaped from the hospital, saying he 'bent over backwards' to approve the bail condition.

A three-day manhunt was launched before he was arrested again and officially refused bail and remanded in custody.

Mr MacCuspie said he understood the magistrate's reservations about granting Pledger bail given his prior escape but said he would apply for his release.

He argued that a 'standard mental health assessment' would be satisfactory for determining Pledger's mental state instead of an extra six weeks behind bars.

His client's 96 non-consecutive days remanded in prison was beyond what he would have been sentenced given a lack of priors, Mr MacCuspie told the court.

'A further six weeks with severely prejudice Mr Pledger,' Mr MacCuspie said.

Magistrate Foster said his time spent behind bars was 'well within range' of a sentence relating to the seriousness of the charges.

Pledger is expected to be formally sentenced when he returns to court following the assessment in August.
Orange Is the New Black's Lea DeLaria unleashed a profanity-laden rant against Donald Trump Monday, during which she appeared to call on Joe Biden to assassinate him.

DeLaria's declaration came days after the Supreme Court ruled the president of the United States has immunity from prosecution for official acts in office, helping Trump's chances in his most recent reelection bid.

The actress who played inmate Carrie 'Big Boo' Black one the hit Netflix show had some choice words as a result, though not for the Republican, but Biden and the conservative-dominated court.

She called Associate Justice Clarence Thomas an 'Uncle Tom,' and beseeched Biden 'to take out' his now four-year rival.

'Done. I'm Done. I'm f**king seriously done,' the 66-year-old begins, in a clip that saw some commenters go on to accuse her of 'domestic terrorism'. The post, published on Monday, comes about a year after DeLaria revealed she had secretly wed longtime girlfriend Dalia Gladstone.

Orange Is the New Black's Lea DeLaria unleashed a profanity-laden rant against Donald Trump Monday, during which she appeared to call on Joe Biden to assassinate him

The actress played inmate Carrie 'Big Boo' Black one the hit Netflix show, and is seen here at right with costar Tarn Manning in a scene filmed in 2013

'The Supreme Court has p***ed me off so much right now. Like, so much,' she continues, appearing before her more than 1.1million followers in sunglasses and a fitted Yankee cap.

'Joe, you're a reasonable man. You don't wanna do this, but here's the reality,' she adds, before laying out her self-professed strategy.

'This is a f**king war. This is a war now. And we are fighting for our f**king lives.

'And these a**holes are gonna take it away,' she continues, with tears in her eyes.

'They're going to take it away.'

Growing increasingly animated and curt, she proclaims, 'F**k you, Clarence "Uncle" Thomas. F**k you.

'Joe, you now have the right to take that b**ch Trump out,' she goes on to claim.

In the dismal tirade, she urged Biden to 'blow him up', referring to Trump.

'Facts,' she says as a signoff.

'The Supreme Court has p***ed me off so much right now. Like, so much,' she continues, appearing before 1.1million followers in sunglasses and a Yankee cap, with tears in her eyes

'Joe, you now have the right to take that b**ch Trump out,' she rants

She called associate justice Clarence Thomas an 'Uncle Tom,' a derogatory term for a black man considered to be excessively obedient to white people. He was one of six to vote in favor of the recent ruling

She also appeared to beseech President Joe Biden 'to take out' his now four-year rival

The clip sees her repeatedly curse out Trump and the GOP, branding them 'anti-democracy a**holes' and 'tyrants'

In an accompanying caption, she continued her tirade against the former president, while challenging dissidents with different opinions.

She again curses out Trump and the GOP, branding them 'anti-democracy a**holes' and 'tyrants.'

Ignoring how the very same court made same-sex marriage legal less than a decade before, she claimed, 'Its all out war now. They will destroy us,' referring to the GOP.

'They only want power F**k them,' she wrote at one point.

The argumentative post quickly sparked pushback, with commenters calling the rhetoric not only divisive, but dangerous.

'Shouldn't violent content like this be taken down,' one such person asked.

Another person attempted to tag the FBI, writing, 'She is inciting violent acts on a former sitting president.

'If anyone else said this they [would] be paid a visit!' that person added.

Commenters were quick to accuse her of 'domestic terrorism', with one asking if she was calling for the assassination of a former president

DeLaria - seen here at last year's 'Dyke March' in NYC - did not respond to those inquiries

The post published about a year after DeLaria revealed she had secretly wed longtime girlfriend Dalia Gladstone, a former receptionist who also lives in New York City

Ignoring how the very same court made same-sex marriage legal less than a decade before, she claimed, 'Its all out war now. They will destroy us,' referring to the GOP

Other went as far as to accuse DeLaria of domestic terrorism, with one person writing, 'Are you calling for the assassination of a former president?'

Another similarly sniped, 'This sounds threatening and harmful to an ex president, is that legal? Wouldn't that be domestic terrorism?'

DeLaria did not respond to those inquiries.

Since starring in Orange Is The New Black, she's had a variety of bit parts on shows like Awkwafina is Nora from Queens. Most have been one-offs.

In April of last year, she tied the knot with longtime girlfriend Gladstone, a former receptionist who also lives in New York City.

Breaking the news to Page Six at the time, she said the marriage 'was not a big deal.'

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down all state bans on same-sex marriage, legalized it in all fifty states, and required states to honor out-of-state same-sex marriage licenses in June 2015.
British holidaymakers are taking legal action against a five-star resort in Cape Verde after being struck down with 'severe food poisoning'.

Among the ten claimants is Graham Lamont, 59, who lost 17lbs in weight after being falling ill at Riu Palace Santa Maria and is still being treated by doctors to this day.

The father was holidaying at the five-star resort last May to celebrate his daughter finishing school when he and his wife, Josephine Black, became unwell.

The couple continued to feel under the weather - even having to take days off work - after they landed back on British soil, but whilst Josephine's health improved the NHS training manager continued to suffer.

Grieving widow, Sarah Tootell, 44, whose trip to the West African island to scatter her late husband's ashes was wrecked when she became ill has also joined the lawsuit.

Graham Lamont, 59, who lost 17lbs in weight after being falling ill at Riu Palace Santa Maria is still being treated by doctors to this day (pictured left to right: Graham Lamont, Josephine Black and their daughter Nina)

He is among ten claimants who have joined in taking legal action against the five-star resort in Cape Verde (pictured) after falling ill

Josephine, 53, who is also part of the legal probe began to become increasingly concerned about Graham has he continues to lose weight following the food poisoning.

'The amount of weight he's lost is such a big concern now and doctors have taken a number of blood tests to discover more about his illness,' she said.

'This is the last thing you expect from a five-star holiday and we now wish we'd never been.

'We've spoken to others who fell ill at the same time and have seen terrible reports about this hotel since coming home.

'I just wish we'd seen some of these reviews before we left.'

The council worker and her husband from Glasgow, jetted off to the island for a week-long stay at the resort with their two kids on May 10.

The trip, booked through TUI, was a chance to celebrate their daughter Freya, 18, finishing school and to enjoy a final family break before she began university.

But it was not long before they began to suffer the effects of food poisoning at the same hotel where over 300 bouts have been reported since 2022.

On May 13, Josephine suffered severe stomach cramps and diarrhoea while Graham fell ill with similar symptoms on May 16, just before they were due to return home.

He later lost more than 17lbs in weight and remains ill to this day.

'The amount of weight he's lost is such a big concern now and doctors have taken a number of blood tests to discover more about his illness,' Graham's wife Josephine Black said. (Pictured: Graham with Josephine and their daughter Freya)

Sarah Tootell's trip to island to scattering her husband's ashes was also wrecked after she became under the weather at the resort (Pictured: Sarah Tootell and her daughter Halle)

Josephine said: 'This trip was booked as a special treat with Freya finishing school and as probably our last family holiday together before she starts university.

'We've never tried five-star or all-inclusive before and this seemed a perfect time. We couldn't have been more wrong.

'I started to be sick a day into the holiday and I have never felt so ill in my life.

'I was still ill on returning home but Graham has seemed to get the worst of it. He was so poorly, and had to travel the following day.'

Sarah Tootell, from Bury, Lancashire, fell ill on the sun-kissed island where she'd headed on May 8 for a week-long stay with her daughter, Halle, nine.

The trip, also booked via TUI, was the first time Sarah travelled alone with her child and was a chance to scatter the ashes of her husband, who died six years ago.

But as they were returning on May 16, Sarah became feverish and later suffered severe sickness and diarrhoea.

Tests by her GP back home confirmed that she had contracted shigella, a form of food poisoning that comes from eating or drinking contaminated produce.

She continues to feel nauseous and still struggles to eat normally more than a month following the ordeal.

'This was the first time I had travelled on my own with Halle and took a lot of courage to book in the first place, so I'm devastated by the way things have turned out,' she said.

'I had concerns about the food, including the number of animals around and flies on some of the dishes left out.

'We always avoided these but there also seemed to be a lot of food brought back to life too, with ribs at lunchtime recycled in a rib curry at night, dishes like that.'

After continuing to feel unwell on the way home, Sarah Tootell's GP later confirmed had contracted shigella, a form of food poisoning that comes from eating or drinking contaminated produce

'I had concerns about the food, including the number of animals around and flies on some of the dishes left out,' Sarah said (pictured: Sarah Tootell's daughter Halle)

'My GP said it was likely something from the holiday but I couldn't believe it when I got a call from public health who said I had tested positive for shigella,' she added.

Jatinder Paul, serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: 'It's deeply concerning that we have been instructed to act year after year.

'Many of our clients have reported worryingly similar experiences and patterns that have left many of them seriously ill.

'Our clients understandably have many questions of how they came to be so ill and why people are still being sent to the resort, when based on what we're seeing, lessons don't appear to have been learned from previous illness outbreaks among guests.'

MailOnline have approached Riu Palace Santa Maria for comment.
A starving dog was left for dead on a pile of rubbish with the horrific discovery bringing animal rescuers to tears.

Atticus, a five-year-old Staghound, was found infested with fleas and lice and in an emaciated condition in Melbourne's northwest on June 21.

He weighed less than half his recommended weight when he was brought into the Lost Dogs Home where he is receiving life-saving treatment.

Lost Dogs Homes' director Dr Jessica Wilde told the Herald Sun she believes Atticus had been starved for over six weeks.

'Horrific is the only the word to describe it, it's a devastating sight to see,' she said.

It's not known when Atticus was left for dead and Dr Wilde said the will to live of the dog is extraordinary, after he probably had to eat dirt to survive.

When he arrived at the Lost Dogs Home, Atticus was unable to eat, stand, or even lift his head up, but he is now able to stand on his own.

Atticus is still unable to clean himself, eat or drink without assistance.

Atticus still is unable to clean himself, eat or drink without assistance and is looked after by a foster carer each night

He is being cared for in a dedicated room, covered in blankets and looked after by a foster carer each night.

Dr Wilde said even after being inflicted with such sickening abuse, Atticus has a kind spirit and is showing glimpses of a friendliness.

'Every time we walk in, his tail starts wagging and he's trying his best to sit up and interact,' she said.

Although there are positive signs, Atticus has a long road of recovery ahead of him and will remain in the care of the Lost Dogs Home for the next few months.

Dr Wilde said the condition of Atticus had left staff in tears.

'The most difficult part of our job is that so many of the dogs that end up here have been let down by the people that were meant to love them,' she said.

'They just want to be loved.'

A five-year-old Staghound called Atticus was found on June 21 infested with fleas and lice in an emaciated condition and is now being cared for at the Lost Dogs Home in Melbourne

Dr Wilde said due to cost-of-living pressures, the Lost Dogs Home and other animal shelters have seen an increase in pets being surrendered, but 'there is no excuse' for cases like Atticus.

Dr Wilde told the ABC the rise in numbers can also be attributed to 'pandemic pets' bought during the Covid pandemic being surrendered, as people stopped working from home and resumed their normal lives.

The ABC reported the shelter recorded a 44 per cent increase to the total number of animals surrendered between 2021 and 2023  1,981 surrendered last year alone.
An uninhabitable, rotting three-bedroom 'shack' in Sydney's inner-west has sold for $2.41million, as house prices continue to surge across the country.

The home in Enfield, which requires more than $500,000 in repairs to become livable, went under the hammer on Saturday in front of 300 people with 25 registered bidders.

Agent Matthew Blackmore of Richards Matthews Real Estate said he didn't expect the inner-west property to reach anywhere near $2million because of the work needed.

'It's probably the craziest auction I have ever seen in real estate,' he said.

He said there were 'endless possibilities' for the next owner of the 570 square metre block of land.

'There are holes in the ceiling, the floor is very old timbers, and you have to be careful where you walk,' he said before the auction.

But Mr Blackmore said the significant damage deterred none of the bidders.

'Some of the people calling about it told me they had seen the house many times and had always thought to themselves they'd buy it if it came on the market,' he said.

A rotting timber house in Enfield, in Sydney 's inner-west, is not exactly what comes to mind when you imagine a $2.5million property in the city

Selling agent Matthew Blackmore said there are holes in the ceiling, the floor is very old timbers and you have to be careful where you walk

Mr Blackmore said the house was located on The Parade, the best street in Enfield, and because there were mostly established homes in the area, there were not many land value opportunities for buyers.

Mr Blackmore also sold a house across the street that reached $200,000 above reserve, but it was a double-brick liveable home and the buyers moved straight in.

'For a house that you can't move straight into to only sell for a few hundred thousand dollars less is crazy,' he said.

Some people at the auction were hoping to pick up the home for the bargain price of $1.5million, but Mr Blackmore said about half the bidders were bidding more than $2million.

It is understood that most of the interested parties wanted to knock it down and rebuild a house, which would likely be worth $3.9million given the location.

Because there is no supply in the current market, Mr Blackmore did not expect property prices to come down anytime soon.

'If there were another 10 houses like that they would be sold tomorrow,' he said.

'Good land in good suburbs are doing really well.'

The median cost of a home in Australia grew by $59,000 to $794,000 in 12 months, according to CoreLogic's July report.

It is understood that most of the interested parties wanted to knock it down and rebuild a house, which would likely be worth $3.9million

The continued growth since February means average dwelling prices increased by eight per cent in the financial year 2023-2024.

Housing sales also showed a strong recovery with an increase of 8.6 per cent on year-end figures, with Perth recording a historic 29 per cent increase in sales on its five-year average.

CoreLogic's research director Tim Lawless said the national index had 'found a groove', rising between 0.5 per cent to 0.8 per cent month on month since February.

'The persistent growth comes despite an array of downside risks including high rates, cost-of-living pressures, affordability challenges and tight credit policy,' he said.

However, chronic housing shortages across most of the country continue to plague those trying to buy their first home, with listings stalling in most states.
This video is no longer available

This video is no longer available

Incredible before and after photos lay bare Hurricane Beryl's devastation across the Caribbean islands as the powerful storm makes its way toward Jamaica.

Satellite photos obtained by DailyMail.com show vast swaths of greenery were completely demolished after the Category 4 storm barreled through the southeast Caribbean islands on Monday.

Entire neighborhoods were also destroyed, with homes seen in ruins on the ground after Beryl tore through the area with sustained winds of 150mph.

Six people were killed in the tundra, and many more are missing as food and water grow scarce on some of the islands.

Across the region, photos and videos have captured downed powerlines and flash floods.

 Slide me  Incredible before and after photos show the damage Hurricane Beryl brought to the island of Carriacao on Monday

 Slide me  Entire neighborhoods were destroyed by the Category 4 storm

The storm is expected to start losing some of its intensity, but will still be a major storm when it passes near or over Jamaica early Wednesday morning

Videos posted to social media from the island of Martinique show heavy flooding in the streets as locals tried to clear the debris.

In Barbados, videos also showed waves pounding into the shore, breaching walkways, felling palm trees and flooding roads in the capital.

Banana trees were also snapped in half, and in some photos cows could be seen laying dead in green pastures, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

'The hurricane has come and gone, and it has left in its wake immense destruction,' said Ralph Gonsalves, the prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

He noted that nearly 90 percent of the homes on Union Island were destroyed, and 'similar levels of devastation' were expected on the islands of Myreau and Canouan.

 Slide me  What appeared to be once luscious greenery was razed by the powerful storm

 Slide me  The storm has already caused six casualties, though officials say more could be expected

Meanwhile, in Grenada, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell described the situation on its islands as 'grim' in a news conference on Tuesday.

'There is no power and there is almost complete destruction of homes and buildings on the island,' he said.

'The roads are not passable, and in many instances, they are cut off because of the large quantity of debris strewn all over the streets.'

The Grenadian island of Carriacou seemed to fare worse than the larger island, with Kerryne James - the minister of climate resilience, environment and renewable energy - describing how water, food and baby formula have grown scarce.

Three casualties have already been reported in Grenada and Carriacou - including one person who succumbed to their injuries after a tree fell on their home, according to Kerryne James, the minister of climate resilience, environment and renewable energy.

Another casualty were reported in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and two others were in northern Venezuela - where five people were still missing as of Tuesday.

But Mitchell warned on Tuesday: 'The possibility that there may be more fatalities remains a grim reality as movement is still highly restricted.'

Across the Caribbean, photos and videos showed debris in the streets and downed trees

Damaged constructions and trees are pictured after the pass of Hurricane Beryl in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

A fisherman throws a rope across boats damaged by Hurricane Beryl at Bridgetown Fisheries in Barbados

The storm is now making its way straight for Jamaica, where a Hurricane Warning remains in effect.

It is expected to start losing some of its intensity, but will still be a major storm when it passes near or over Jamaica early Wednesday morning.

Beryl will bring with it life-threatening winds and storm surge to the area, with local officials warning residents in flood prone areas to prepare for evacuation.

'I am encouraging all Jamaicans to take the hurricane as a serious threat,' Prime Minister Andrew Holness said in an address of Monday.

Hundreds of evacuees have since arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with every seat filled on flights from Montego Bay and Kingston, Local 10 News reports.

The influx has even forced some airlines to start adjusting their schedules to accommodate as many Jamaicans as possible.

Others, meanwhile, have had their vacation plans upended as cruise lines change their routes to avoid the storm.

Carnival Cruise Line said Tuesday it was changing the trajectories of two of its ships.

The Carnival Horizon, which was originally scheduled to make port at Grand Cayman on July 3, has canceled the visit and its scheduled trip to Cozumel, Mexico on July 4 was replaced with a visit to Nassau in the Bahamas on July 5.

The Carnival Liberty was also moving its scheduled stop at Cozumel for July 5 to Tuesday, as the cruise attempted to avoid Beryl's path.

'The safety of our guests and crew is paramount, and we are continuing to monitor forecasts and factor in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, US Coast Guard and the port authorities to provide timely updates to our guests as more information becomes available,' the cruise line said.

Norwegian Cruise Line also altered its routes for two cruises.

The Norwegian Jade and Norwegian Breakaway canceled their trips to Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Belize, and Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico, CNN reports.

Evacuees from Union Island arrive in Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

A local Jamaican man gets into the back of a taxi filled with supplies like water and perishables, as people prep for Hurricane Beryl, in Kingston

As of Tuesday night, the eye of the storm was located about 360 miles east southeast of Kingston - with hurricane force winds extending outward up to 40 miles and tropical storm force winds extending outward up to 185 miles from the center.

'We are most concerned about Jamaica, where we are expecting the core of a major hurricane to pass near or over the island,' National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said.

'You want to be in a safe place where you can ride out the storm by nightfall (Tuesday),' he warned.

'Be prepared to stay in that location through Wednesday.'

Beryl is expected to slam into the Cayman Islands on Thursday and into the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday

Once it hits the area, storm surges could be as high as eight feet above average as heavy rain drenches the island.

'This is a big hazard in the Caribbean, especially with the mountainous islands,' Brennan said.

'This could cause life threatening flash floods and mudslides in some of those areas.'

Hurricane warnings are now in effect for Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Cayman Brac and for Haiti's entire southern coast.

Tropical storm warnings are also in place for the entire southern coast of Hispaniola.

From there, Beryl is expected to slam into the Cayman Islands on Thursday and into the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday.
A third sitting Democrat has turned on President Joe Biden, saying they believe the 'painful debate' against Trump has cost the Democrats.

Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, 36, told KATU News that she believes the performance last week from President Biden the election.

She told the outlet that she believes 'the damage has been done' and that she tuned in to the debate for just 'five very painful minutes'.

Despite her damning comments, she stopped short of calling on him to drop out, and said that the Democrats have to accept the results of the primary elections.

Gluesenkamp Perez said: 'A core tenet of democracy is that you accept the results of an election and the reality is that primary voting has already happened to a degree that Biden is the nominee.'

Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, seen here, told KATU News that she believes the debate performance last week against has cost Biden the election

Despite her damning comments, she stopped short of calling on Biden to drop out, and said that the Democrats have to accept the results of the primary elections

She added: 'About 50 million Americans tuned in and watched that debate. I was one of them for about five very painful minutes.

'We all saw what we saw, you cant undo that, and the truth I think, is that Biden is going to lose to Trump. I know thats difficult, but I think the damage has been done by that debate.'

It comes after Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, 41, said that he expects Trump to win after Biden's terrible debate performance.

'After the first presidential debate, lots of Democrats are panicking about whether President Joe Biden should step down as the partys nominee,' he wrote for a Maine newspaper.

'Bidens poor performance in the debate was not a surprise,' he continued.

'It also didnt rattle me as it has others, because the outcome of this election has been clear to me for months: While I dont plan to vote for him, Donald Trump is going to win. And Im OK with that.'

Golden became the second current member of Congress to buck Biden this week.

Texas Democrat Rep. Lloyd Doggett, 77, first came forward on Tuesday, likening the hard decision he says Biden must make for the sake of the nation to the one made decades ago by another sitting Democratic president.

'I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson,' the Texan said in a statement. 'Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw.

'President Biden should do the same,' he continued. 'While much of his work has been transformational, he pledged to be transitional.'

Lyndon B. Johnson chose to withdraw from the race in 1968 because rising casualties in the Vietnam war had made him extremely unpopular.

Biden is facing plummeting support after his disastrous debate performance on Thursday.

'He has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders from whom a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process,' Doggett's statement continued.

'My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly nor does it in a any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved.'

Gluesenkamp Perez flipped a traditionally red seat in 2022 when she beat out Republican Joe Kent

Joe Biden uses teleprompters to discuss extreme weather at the D.C. Emergency Operations Center in Washington

'After the first presidential debate, lots of Democrats are panicking about whether President Joe Biden should step down as the partys nominee,' Golden wrote

Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first sitting Democrat in office to call for Joe Biden to get out of the presidential race

President Joe Biden is said to be 'humiliated' and 'painfully aware' of his image following his car crash debate that saw him stumbling over his words and losing his train of thought

'Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden's first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw.

I respectfully call on him to do so.'

While other former Democrats and liberal pundits have speculated on Biden's ability to hold the presidency through 2028, should he win, there have been no other sitting Democrats who have gone as far in their calls as Doggett.

Doggett, 77, is a respected member of the Democrat House caucus, having served in the chamber since 1995.

He also lauded Biden's work as president, but ultimately conceded Joe's debate performance was not one of a competitive candidate.

The president retreated to Camp David with is wife, children and grandchildren to take a break from the campaign trial and weigh his options after the debate

'President Biden has continued to run substantially behind Democratic senators in key states and in most polls has trailed Donald Trump,' he said.

'I had hoped that the debate would provide some momentum to change that. It did not.'

'Instead of reassuring voters, the President failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trump's many lies.'

National Republican Congressional Committee Communications Director Jack Pandol criticized Doggett's announcement for coming too late.

'The cowards in the Democratic Caucus have spent every day after the debate in witness protection, too afraid to say what they're all thinking,' Pandol said in a statement.

'Americans remember House Democrats were complicit in covering up and gaslighting the public about the president's condition, and voters are primed to punish them in November.'
Australia's richest woman Gina Rinehart has received Cambodia's highest honour for non-citizens in recognition of charity work she does for poor children in the south-east Asian nation.

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni bestowed the Royal Order of Sahametrei on Mrs Rinehart for 'distinguished services to the King and to the people of Cambodia' in a recent ceremony.

Through her Hope Foundation scholarship, which is done in partnership with the Cambodian Children's Fund, Mrs Rinehart helps poverty-stricken Cambodian girls attend university.

At the ceremony, Mrs Rinehart was photographed wearing a royal sash and flanked by nine girls from impoverished backgrounds who had been helped by the charity.

Mrs Rinehart affectionately calls the girls helped by the charity her 'daughters', after first meeting them in 2019.

Hancock Prospecting, Ms Rinehart's mining company, says on its website that the charity aims to 'break cycles of poverty and abuse and create positive change in Cambodia through intervention and education for the youth'.

'They started their lives very differently to each of us,' Mrs Rinehart said in a rare interview about the subject.

'They had to scavenge from sinking rubbish dumps in Cambodia, some of them sadly without parents. The rubbish dumps are not safe places for young girls.'

Gina Rinehart (pictured centre) poses with some of the young Cambodian women she has helped educate through her company Hancock Prospecting's charitable endeavours

The Royal Order of Sahametrei was bestowed on Ms Rinehart for 'distinguished Services to the King and to the people of Cambodia'

A Hancock Prospecting insider told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2014 that Mrs Rinehart often looked forward to seeing 'her girls' and had twice flown them to Kuala Lumpur so they could see her receiving international awards.

Hancock Prospecting supports a number of other charities focusing on promoting Indigenous businesses and education opportunities.

In March, it was revealed the mining magnate had given away $100,000 tax-free raffle prizes to dozens of her staff at company parties.

The billionaire's roughly 4,000 employees across her private company's mining, energy and agricultural divisions were all in with a chance of winning the 'life-changing' sums of money at the firm's black-tie events.

It's understood that across the Christmas parties and Mrs Rinehart's birthday bash in February, about 70 staff received a tax-free $100,000 prize - equivalent to $7million.

'It's like a station hand who works in rural Queensland who wins 100 grand after tax, like a crazy, life-changing thing to happen,' one company insider told Daily Mail Australia.

Mrs Rinehart received the highest award for non-Cambodian citizens from King Norodom Sihamoni (pictured centre)

As executive chair of Hancock Prospecting, which mainly mines iron ore, Mrs Rinehart's personal wealth is estimated to be a jaw-dropping $50.48billion, according to The Australian's Richest 250 List.

She was worth $37.1billion last year, putting her about where fellow mining magnate Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest and his estranged wife Nicola sit this year.

But in the course of the last 12 months her wealth jumped by another $13.4billion.

The surge in her fortune was largely due to the performance of her majority-owned Roy Hill iron-ore mine in WA's Pilbara region, which posted a net profit of $2.7billion in 2023.

That profit was due to record iron ore shipments of 63.3 million tonnes, with Ms Rinehart using the profit announcement to call on governments to remove red tape to allow for more mining expansion.
Footage has emerged showing a Chick-fil-A worker appear to block a mother at the entrance gate to a gated apartment complex.

The video, which was shared to TikTok in April, the fast food worker can be seen engaging in an argument outside the entrance gate to a complex in Georgia.

It is claimed that the woman had tried to gain entry by following the man's vehicle through the security checkpoint without using her own key card.

The woman however says the man had blocked her from entering the residence, which caused both of them to exit their vehicles.

In the video, the woman can be heard explaining how the worker had called her a 'c***' off camera before she started recording.

The video, which was shared to TikTok in April, the fast food worker can be seen engaging in an argument outside the entrance gate to a complex in Georgia

The man, who is still in his chef's uniform from the fast food outlet, can be seen on the phone and even makes a grab at the women's phone.

As he does so, the woman adds: 'Youre trying to assault me, and youre trying to snatch my phone, so when [the police] come, Ill be sure to let them know.'

She then accuses him of trying to 'stop her' from entering into her apartment complex.

According to the woman, the man works at the Chick-fil-A Dwarf House in Stockbridge. He can be heard telling her: 'Look at this trash'.

The woman continues: 'He just tried to grab my phone, he is over here trying to come near my car and harass my son.

'My son is in the back seat right now, we just got home from school.'

Meanwhile the man can be seen pacing around his vehicle on the phone to what is beloved to be the police.

The man then tells her: 'Sweetie we have a card to get in, if you are supposed to be here you can get in.'

In a follow up video, the girlfriend of the woman who shot the footage claimed that the man had harassed her three times prior to the video.

She also claims that there had been problems with the security gate, hence the need for her partner to tailgate her way into the complex.

The man can be seen pacing around his vehicle on the phone to what is beloved to be the police

In a picture posted in a separate video, the woman claims the man, known as Tyler, apologized for his behavior

In a picture posted in the video, the woman claims the man, known as Tyler, apologized for his behavior.

It reads: 'I just wanted to apologize for behaving that way towards you. There's never any excuse for that. I'm so sorry for that.'

Replying to a comment on the video, the woman adds that charges were filed against Tyler, it is unclear what stage those are now at.

The woman says: 'The police insisted that charges are to be pressed, there is a report. He is going to court. He is wrong, he even apologized.'

Meanwhile social media users have said the man bared a close resemblance to actor Emilio Esteves.

One person remarked about the young man's resemblance to a well-known American actor: 'Why is Emilio Estevez causing drama?'

Another added: 'Your ability to remain calm, cool and collected is phenomenal.

'That would have ended once the reach happened. He threw hands first, Id follow up.'

Another posted: 'Is that Emilio Estevez?'
The piece was titled: 'What it's like working for a doomed presidential candidate

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre may need advice from her own book that she penned four years ago as her boss Joe Biden's reelection chances plummet following a disastrous debate performance.

Biden insiders continue to insist that the president, 81, will carry on against Donald Trump despite the massive fallout from his train wreck first debate from just five days ago.

Jean-Pierre, who has been in the job since May of 2022 after replacing Jen Psaki, is a longtime figure who has worked for several Democrat politicians in the past.

She has gained so much experience on campaigns that in 2020, before Biden was elected to his first term, she released a memoir called 'Moving Forward.'

The book received a mild resurgence on social media this week, for reasons she might come to regret: an excerpt she used to promote it titled 'What it's like working for a doomed presidential candidate.'

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre may be looking for advice from herself four years ago as her boss Joe Biden's campaign continues to crumble

Jean-Pierre has gained so much experience in Democrat politics that in 2020, before Biden was elected to his first term, she released a memoir called 'Moving Forward'

The Salon excerpt was published on February 17, 2020, before Biden had clinched the nomination, in between Jean-Pierre's stints as Chief of Staff for now-Vice President Kamala Harris' flop campaign and her work with the eventually victorious Biden one.

'There's nothing more dispiriting than working on a dying campaign. The atmosphere resembles one of those sad birthday balloons with the air slowly seeping out as it deflates,' she writes.

Jean-Pierre discussed her experiences working for two of the most notoriously disgraced men in Democrat Party history: Philanderer, ex-North Carolina Senator and failed presidential candidate John Edwards and former New York Congressman and convicted sex pest Anthony Weiner.

Weiner's name has remained in the news over the years, after he spent time engulfed in a number of high-profile scandals that doomed his political ambitions and sent him to jail.

The Congressman was caught on multiple occasions sending explicit snaps to various women - even during his political campaigns.

But he failed to learn from his missteps and was later sentenced to 21 months in prison after he began sexting a 15-year-old girl.

Jean-Pierre served as press secretary for Weiner as he was contemplating running for mayor of New York City in 2009.

She calls Weiner 'one of the most gifted politicians I have ever encountered' but as many have since found out, incapable of self-control.

Jean-Pierre discussed her experiences working for two of the most notoriously disgraced men in Democrat Party history: Philanderer, ex-North Carolina Senator and failed presidential candidate John Edwards (pictured) and former New York Congressman and convicted sex pest Anthony Weiner

Weiner's name has remained in the news over the years, after he spent time engulfed in a number of high-profile scandals that doomed his political ambitions and sent him to jail

Jean-Pierre 'wasn't burned by my association with Weiner' and quickly moved on to working for the 2012 Barack Obama campaign.

However, she claims it taught her to not be easily impressed by her bosses and when it comes to politics, 'believe in the mission, not the messenger.'

Before working for the man infamously known as 'Carlos Danger,' she cut her teeth working for Edwards, who imploded his campaign in one of the biggest Democrat political scandals of 2000s.

Edwards - whom Jean-Pierre correctly points out was once considered 'Bill Clinton without the baggage' - ran as John Kerry's running mate in 2004 as a rising star in the party, ultimately losing to President George W. Bush and VP Dick Cheney.

In 2008, he sought the Democratic presidential nomination, going against Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

He withdrew from the race after The National Enquirer revealed his affair with a campaign staffer while his wife, Elizabeth, battled cancer. Seven months after Elizabeth's death, Edwards was charged with campaign finance violations.

It was alleged that he funneled nearly $1million in donations from wealthy socialite Bunny Mellon to his mistress - Rielle Hunter - with whom he fathered a child.

But after a six week trial in North Carolina, a jury failed to reach a decision on five of the six counts he'd been facing. The acquitted him on the sixth, and a year later, the federal prosecutors who so zealously went after him agreed to drop the case.

Jean-Pierre 'wasn't burned by my association with Weiner' and quickly moved on to working for the 2012 Barack Obama campaign

Before working for the man infamously known as 'Carlos Danger,' she cut her teeth working for Edwards, who imploded his campaign in one of the biggest Democrat political scandals of 2000s

Edwards has remained largely out of public view since his May 2012 acquittal on one charge of campaign finance fraud.

A federal judge declared a mistrial on five other criminal counts after jurors couldnt agree if Edwards illegally used campaign money to hide his pregnant mistress as he ran for president in 2008.

Unlike the Weiner escapade, Jean-Pierre said 'of all my career decisions, the one I most regret is choosing to join the John Edwards campaign in 2007 rather than Barack Obama's.'

She said that when Edwards was finishing third in South Carolina in 2008 to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, 'I couldn't get out of town fast enough.'

Jean-Pierre reiterates her message on believing in Edwards' agenda - which she says she still does on most issues - and not the candidate himself.

'You, the volunteer or staffer, should believe in the politician's mission, their goal of changing society, more than in the politician him or herself,' she concluded.

These are not even Jean-Pierre's only experiences working for a longshot presidential hopeful, as she served as Deputy Campaign Manager for Martin O'Malley's third place 2016 run.

Jean-Pierre was forced to give her own explanation about the president's poor debate performance from the White House podium Tuesday.

Jean-Pierre was forced to give her own explanation about the president's poor debate performance from the White House podium Tuesday

The tense exchanges show how the issue of a declining president will overshadow the rest of this year's election, as nervous Democrats begin openly calling for Biden to step aside.

'We're not taking away from what you all saw or what the American people saw,' said Karine Jean-Pierre.

'We understand it was a bad night. It is not uncommon for incumbents to have a bad night on their first debate, and we are going to continue to do the work that we have been doing on behalf of the American people.'

Her answers were greeted with incredulity in the White House briefing room as she explained that the president was simply suffering from a cold and had no plans to step aside.

The poor performance has dominated news headlines ever since, triggering panic among Democratic donors who fear his campaign is sleepwalking into disaster.

Questions in the briefing room about what sort of shape Biden will be in at the end of a second term and about dementia will not help.

Jean-Pierre did her best to draw a line under the debate.

She painted a picture of a busy president getting on with the job, traveling to Wisconsin later in the week, sitting down for an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, and hosting a solo press conference next week when NATO leaders are in town.

She also confirmed he was holding a virtual meeting with Democratic governors, but would not answer questions about whether it was designed to offer reassurances.
Falling 'space junk' has been unmasked as the culprit behind a bizarre UFO sighting this past May, which saw a large mysterious object fall from the sky onto a mountaintop resort.

A landscaping crew working The Glamping Collective in North Carolina made the bewildering discovery, which for weeks left residents at a loss.

The giant, foreign-looking object looked decidedly mechanical, but also appeared to covered in a strange material that appeared akin to fur.

Those were actually frayed carbon fibers, a fact already aired to DailyMail.com by Smithsonian astrophysicist Dr Jonathan McDowell days after the find.

Days ago, NASA confirmed the debris was actually part of a SpaceX satellite - the firm's Crew Dragon capsule that reached the International Space Station in 2023.

Falling 'space junk' has been unmasked as the culprit behind a bizarre UFO sighting this past May, which saw a large mysterious object fall from the sky onto a mountaintop resort. The giant, foreign-looking object looked decidedly mechanical, but also appeared to covered in a strange material that appeared akin to fur.

NASA confirmed the debris was actually part of a SpaceX satellite - the firm's Crew Dragon capsule that reached the International Space Station in 2023. In this image from April 2021, the SpaceX Crew Dragon is seen approaching the International Space Station for docking

'SpaceX has confirmed the re-entry of Dragon spacecraft trunk hardware to NASA following its service missions to the International Space Station,' the June 20 news release said.

'During its initial design, the Dragon spacecraft trunk was evaluated for re-entry breakup and was predicted to burn up fully.

'The information from the debris recovery provides an opportunity for teams to improve debris modeling,' the statement went on.

'NASA and SpaceX will continue exploring additional solutions as we learn from the discovered debris.'

In a follow-up statement issued Friday, June 21, the space agency added; 'Most recently, the trunks that supported SpaceX's 30th commercial services resupply and Crew-7 missions re-entered over Saudi Arabia and North Carolina, respectively.'

'NASA is unaware of any structural damage or injuries resulting from these findings,' the statement went on, as thee other residents of the area reported to ABC 13 how they also stumbled upon fallen debris believed to be from space.

One piece was three feet high, and so heavy it had to be carried out using a lawn mower, one citizen said.

Two smaller objects were found by residents in nearby Franklin and Jackson County, a few miles from the luxury resort in Haywood County.

A landscaping crew working The Glamping Collective in North Carolina (seen here) made the bewildering discovery, which for weeks left residents at a loss

Astronomer Dr Jonathan McDowell already told DailyMail.com that the bizarre 'UFO' crash debris was from one of SpaceX 's reusable Cargo Dragon spacecraft (above) - a prediction now proven to be correct

Justin Clontz (above) was working grounds maintenance at Glamping Collective, a luxury campsite in Haywood County, North Carolina when he made the bewildering discovery. he had to tow the 'UFO' out of the area with a riding lawnmower because it was so massive and heavy

The big piece was found on a hiking trail, and several other smaller pieces fell in the backyards of nearby homes, people told Space.com.

Officials in the new update said the debris was expected to burn up upon re-entry, but several turned up in tatters instead.

The so-called furry object was one of them - something McDowell already predicted with to DailyMail.com.

At the time, he added how he was 'very confident' in this assessment, stating 'We have coincidence in time and place.

Comparing it to similar debris found in Australia and other parts of the world like Saufia Arabia and Canada, he went on to accurately predict it was 'a Dragon trunk.'

'The debris matches the expected location of these reentries,' McDowell told DailyMail.com.

Days before, Clontz was working on grounds maintenance at the luxury campsite when he made the eerie discovery, after which told local news he was 'just shocked as to what it was.'

He said at the time: 'It's once in a lifetime, you know, it don't happen every day.'

As mentioned, the UFO-like debris' carbon fiber appeared to sport some kind of weird fur, as initial reports described the now very likely identified mystery object.

'We don't know what it is,' Clontz told local news earlier this month. 'We just know that it's not from up here.'

Although this piece of SpaceX debris fell safely about a half-mile down a remote trail on Glamping's property, Dr McDowell noted that both governmental and private space programs have become dangerously lax with their space junk in recent years.

Although this piece of SpaceX debris fell safely about a half-mile down a remote forest trail, Dr McDowell noted that both governmental and private space programs have become notably lax with their space junk in recent years. Above, the open trunk of a SpaceX Cargo Dragon craft

SpaceX's Dragon 'trunk' has storage space of over 350 cubic-feet internally, with an extender option that expands its capacity to over 1200 cubic-feet of storage space. This cargo container comes with mounted radiators that help it regulate the temperature of sensitive items

'The risk to life and property is fairly small  because the Earth is a big target and is mostly not covered with people  but it's not tiny,' Dr McDowell wrote via email.

'We have seen some close shaves,' he said.

Dr McDowell's work, which involves collecting and analyzing data from NASA's Chandra X-ray telescope observatory and other space-based astronomy platforms, often includes paying some attention to space traffic in Earth's orbit.

'The government is also taking unwarranted risks,' noted Dr McDowell, who publishes a monthly newsletter on space launches, 'as shown by the incident in Florida earlier this year when a bit of ISS came through the roof of someone's house.'

That incident, this March, involved a 5,800-pound battery pallet plunging into a Florida home. The heavy metal object was later confirmed to have been discarded by the International Space Station (ISS) in 2021.

'The risk to life and property is fairly small - because the Earth is a big target and is mostly not covered with people - but it's not tiny,' Dr McDowell wrote via email about the SpaceX crash

Dr McDowell's work, which has involved NASA's Chandra X-ray telescope observatory and other space-based astronomy platforms, often includes paying some attention to the space traffic in Earth's orbit. Above, another close-up of the SpaceX debris in North Carolina



Meanwhile, back in March, a theoretical paper argued that atmospheric metal pollution from defunct satellites like those owned by Elon Mus's SpaceX could create an invisible shield around our planet that could weaken its magnetic field.

The controversial paper was penned by Seattle based scientist Sierra Solter-Hunt, and claimed falling space junk like the frayed part found in May could very well weaken our magnetosphere.

It cites specific satellite 'megaconstellations' like SpaceX's Starlink network, which may generate enough magnetic dust to cut our planet's protective shield in half, but spurred some skepticism from experts.

In the worst-case scenario, the so-called 'Spacecraft dust' could lead to satellite disasters as well 'atmospheric stripping,' the author told Live Science - a phenomenon where increased levels of radiation could begin to blow away the outer edges of our atmosphere.

The has already occurred naturally on planets like Mars and Mercury, the paper points out, making them especially uninhabitable.
The head of an Aboriginal legal service that gets up to $30million a year in public funding has a dark past involving shocking abuse, and no legal qualifications.

Hugh Woodbury, the chair of the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA), has been called on to step down after it was revealed he assaulted his pregnant partner by standing on her stomach.

Mr Woodbury, 42, also slammed her arm in a door and called her a 'c***' in front of their two-year-old child in the 2020 incident.

Despite serving a 12-month good behaviour bond and being fined $200 without conviction, NAAJA hired him as its head in March this year.

In sentencing remarks made in October 2020 and reported by The Australian, judge Greg Borchers described Mr Woodbury as 'someone who doesn't stick at jobs'.

'I am not sure how I am to consider that you have had so many jobs, but you have never stayed at one,' the judge Borchers said.

'Almost each and every legal practitioner in this court house has one job, as a legal practitioner.

'You have had so many jobs and you have never stuck with any, apart from a long period of time with Parks and Wildlife ... that's a record of someone who doesn't stick at jobs.'

Hugh Woodbury (pictured), the head of an Aboriginal legal service that gets up to $30million per year in public funding, has a dark past involving shocking abuse

Judge Borchers said would not record a conviction because Mr Woodbury's partner said 'you are very supportive of her ... you are a good father and that you need some help'.

He added that 'I do accept that you may, at some stage, wish to consider entering a legal course'.

The violence Mr Woodbury unleashed on his partner and his lack of qualifications has led to a backlash against his appointment.

'Indigeneity cannot be the only thing on their CV, or they can't be appointed just because they happen to be interested in the job or are available,' Liberal senator Kerrynne Liddle said.

She pointed out that earlier this year, NAAJA's services were not operating after losing dozens of staff and Aboriginal defendants were left to represent themselves in court.

'This is about an organisation who is supposed to be helping the most vulnerable people, and they are failing in doing that,' Ms Liddle said.

The South Australian senator called on both the federal and Northern Territory governments to withdraw funding from NAAJA.

Mr Woodbury, the chair of the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA), has been called on to step down after it was revealed he assaulted his pregnant partner by standing on her stomach. NAAJA's building in Darwin in pictured

A spokesperson for the agency defended Mr Woodbury, telling Daily Mail Australia that he 'understands the needs of our communities'.

'He is young, smart, and passionate about empowering Aboriginal communities. We need more young Aboriginal people in leadership roles, not less.'

They added that 'Aboriginal-led Boards require a range of perspectives from people with diverse educational and vocational backgrounds and NAAJA is no different.

'We have Aboriginal people with legal experience, those who have worked in social and community services and business.

'Mr Woodbury has extensive experience in the legal and community service sectors in the Territory, having worked as an Indigenous family liaison officer for the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and as a welfare rights officer for the then Central Australian Legal Service.'
The lead investigator in the murder trial of Karen Read who was accused of murdering her cop boyfriend has been relieved of his duties.

Read, 44, was informed on Monday that jurors were unable to agree on whether she'd killed Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, 46, with her SUV in January 2022.

It marked the end of a contentious nine-week trial where Read alleged that she was the victim of a wide-ranging plot to frame her.

In a sensational turn of events, lead detective Michael Proctor has now been transferred out of the local detective's unit for 'serious misconduct'.

The officer will still be paid but his car, gun and gear have all been taken away, according to NBC Boston.

Read, 44, was informed on Monday that jurors were unable to agree on whether she'd killed Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe

This photo undated photo released by the Boston Police Department shows officer John O'Keefe

Last month, Proctor testified in the trial that he had sent his friends and coworkers various text messages about Read, a financial analyst and college professor.

Proctor called Read a 'whack job' and a 'c***' and referred to her as a 'babe' with 'no a**,' while also making light of her 'Fall River accent.

In other messages, he joked about rummaging through her phone for nude photos during the investigation.

Read's defense attorneys claim these texts support their theory that she was framed by police in a vast conspiracy to blame her for the killing.

Proctor claimed that 'these juvenile, unprofessional comments had zero impact on the facts, the evidence and the integrity of the investigation.'

Interim Col. Jack Mawn of the Massachusetts State Police previously took a strong stance against Proctor's comments and announced the move on Monday.

In a statement, he said: 'The Department took immediate action to relieve Trooper Michael Proctor of duty and formally transfer him out of the Norfolk County District Attorneys Office State Police Detectives Unit.

'This follows our previous decision to open an internal affairs investigation after information about serious misconduct emerged in testimony at the trial. This investigation is ongoing.'

Last month, Proctor testified in the trial that he had sent his friends and coworkers various text messages about Read

On Tuesday, Governor Maura Healey said: 'The colonel made the right decision. I fully support the decision made by MSP on this.

'As you know, it's under internal investigation, and that process will have to go forward.

'This was the right move to remove him. This is a process. We have to wait for that process to go forward.'

She also added that she had 'no tolerance for that behavior, frankly, with anyone in law enforcement, with anyone in public service.'

Sources have since told NBC Boston that Proctor is also part of a federal probe into the handling of the case.

The outlet reported that Proctor had graduated from the academy in 2014 and moved to work as a detective, earning $146,053 last year.

His fate will be decided by an internal investigation and the a state commission which also handles allegation of police misconduct.

On the evening of O'Keefe's death, he and Read had been drinking with a group of friends and were invited to his friend Brian Albert's home for an afterparty.

Read and O'Keefe had been out drinking on the night of his death, before she drove him to an afterparty while she went home to sleep. He was found dead on the lawn of the afterparty's home hours later

Read, who prosecutors say drank several alcoholic drinks beforehand, decided to drop her boyfriend at the afterparty before she went to his home - that O'Keefe shared with his orphaned niece and nephew - to sleep at around 1am.

Court documents revealed the couple had been bitterly arguing for weeks beforehand.

On the night O'Keefe died, Read left him a voicemail calling him a 'f****** loser', and telling him: 'John, I f****** hate you.'

The couple had been dating for two years at the time of O'Keefe's death. He had been serving on the Boston Police Department for 16 years.

According to Read's version of events, she woke up at 4am to find that O'Keefe never returned home, leading her to frantically drive out to try and find him.

After finding O'Keefe's body outside Albert's home, which party attendees claimed he never entered, first responders on the scene alleged that Read repeatedly told them she hit him while in a panicked state.

Vehicle data also found that Read reversed her SUV for 62 feet at 24mph near to Albert's home.

O'Keefe's cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma and hypothermia, with pieces of Read's taillight found around his body, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors had claimed Read and O'Keefe's relationship was on the rocks when he died

In his closing argument on Tuesday, Norfolk County Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally said the claims that Read was framed was little more than 'rampant speculation.'

Lally also pointed to hair and DNA from O'Keefe found on the rear end of Read's SUV.

The defense countered that the taillight was actually broken by Read when she left in a panic to find O'Keefe when he never returned home.

This included security video shown at trial showing Read clipping O'Keefe's vehicle as she backed out of her home to search for him.

Read claimed that attendees at the afterparty beat him to death, and her attorneys presented phone data that showed O'Keefe's phone climbed dozens of steps at the time he was allegedly struck.

Her attorney, Alan Jackson, claimed that these steps could have been the basement of Albert's home. Albert was never charged with any wrongdoing.

Proctor opens an evidence box to show the jury a broken tail light while testifying

Read's attorneys added that although first responders claimed Read spoke of hitting O'Keefe at the scene, they claimed this evidence was falsely given at a later date and not said at the time.

A forensic engineer was brought in to evaluate the case, who testified that if O'Keefe had been struck by a vehicle at over 20mph he would expect to see more severe injuries.

When her trail began, Read received a slew of support from true crime fans who camped outside the courthouse with signs reading 'Free Karen Read.'

Many took to wearing pink as a show of support for Read, leading a judge to issue an order barring any clothing or accessories that could be perceived as encouraging, and banning them from coming within 200 feet of the courthouse.

As the trial made national headlines, some observers were turned off by Read's apparent flippant attitude during the proceedings, leading her to be nicknamed 'America's happiest murder defendant.'

She was seen winking to cameras and snacking inside the courthouse, which angered some critics.

Prosecutors say they intend to retry the case in which the defense asserted that Read had been framed by police.
An Australian dad has died after his helicopter crashed while fighting wildfires in Canada.

Tom Frith's aircraft crashed on June 28 near the Fort Good Hope Airport in the remote Northwest Territories of Canada.

Great Slave Helicopters, Mr Frith's employer, paid tribute to the father-of-two who was 'beloved by all who had the privilege of knowing him'.

'He was a beacon of light, beloved by all who had the privilege of knowing him,' a company statement said.

'Tom passed away while battling wildfire near Fort Good Hope, NT, a testament to his unwavering courage and dedication.

'As we navigate this time of sorrow, let us hold on to the memories of Tom  his smile, laughter, the love, and the countless ways he made our lives better.

'His legacy will live on in his beautiful young family and the hearts of all who knew him.

'Our heartfelt condolences to Tom's wife, children, parents, brothers and all extended family and friends in Yellowknife and Australia.'

Australian dad Tom Firth (pictured) has died after his helicopter crashed while fighting wildfires in Canada.

Great Slave Helicopters, Mr Frith's employer, paid tribute to the father-of-two who was 'beloved by all who had the privilege of knowing him'

More than 100 people paid tribute to Mr Firth on social media.

'Thank you, Tom, for your unwavering commitment and courage in everything you took on. You will be missed dearly,' Stephanie Yvonne said.

'As I sit and cry for Tom, I remember he was very professional, you could see he valued safety during his helicopter safety briefings,' Phranque McKay said.

'Sincere condolences for knowing such a wonderful man!

'I remember Tom as a kid being this fearless daredevil who had the guts to do the things other people wouldn't and who had so much love for his family,' Monique Brigid said.

'Hearing of his heroic passing protecting the community and doing what he loves, he was still all heart'.

Northwest Territories Fire confirmed Mr Firth was the only person on-board when the helicopter crashed.

Canada's Transport Safety Board has also launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash, with investigators working at the crash site on Sunday.

NWT Fire's Mike Westwick said Mr Firth's death was a 'tragedy' felt by the firefighting community.

'Our thoughts are with the pilot's family, friends and colleagues in the wake of this tragedy. Our hearts are broken by the loss of a member of our wildfire family ' Mr Westwick said.

'The ripples of these events spread far and wide in the firefighting community in the NWT, Canada and beyond, given the close and interwoven personal connections formed over many years.'

Canada is facing its worst fire seasons on record (pictured, fire at Edmonton's historic Hangar 11 in Edmonton, Alberta, on April 22)

Authorities evacuated more than 3,500 people from Fort Nelson, British Columbia after a fast-moving blaze grew to 8 square kilometres within five hours (pictured)

Mr Firth was battling the blaze near the small community of Fort Good Hope in British Columbia, which is home to about 500 people.

The town has been under an evacuation order since mid-June due as an 8,000 hectare blaze threatens the town.

Canada is facing one of its most severe fire seasons ever. During the winter, more than 150 fires from 2023 smoldered in underground peat bogs, and flared up again in February.
At least 25 Democrat members of Congress are set to call on Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race in the coming days, while a pair of Senators have distanced themselves from the ailing president.

The Democratic revolt in the House was expected to take place if Biden 'seems shaky in coming days' as one Democrat aide warned: 'the dam is broken.'

In the Senate, it was revealed that centrist Joe Manchin needed to be pulled back from the brink as he prepared to become the first Biden ally to call for him to quit on one of the Sunday news shows.

'Nobody wants to be the first one to knife Julius Caesar,' a party insider said about Manchin's predicament.

Tammy Baldwin, a Senator who faces re-election in Wisconsin, announced Tuesday morning she will not be joining Biden on stage when he campaigns in her hometown of Madison on Friday.

The Democratic disses came on a whirlwind day in DC as three House members shocked the party by either telling Biden to drop out or stating he's already lost the election to Donald Trump.

At least 25 Democrat members of Congress are set to call on Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race in the coming days

Biden insiders continue to insist that the president, 81, will carry on against Trump despite his disastrous first debate just five days go.

Despite their insistence, his support appears to be crumbling among fellow Dems.

Maine's Jared Golden, Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington State all either told Biden to drop out or said they believed he would lose to Trump on Tuesday.

Those defections were in addition to the collection of 25 House members - commonly referred to as 'frontliners' due to their status as moderates in swing districts - who are set to break with Biden and day now.

Manchin, a constant thorn in the side of the most progressive aspects of Biden's agenda, was planning on making the announcement on a major news show the Sunday following the debate.

The now independent Senator who caucuses with the Democrats faced a 'full court press' from high-profile Democrats - including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer - to stop him from doing so, according to the Washington Post.

'Nobody wants to be the first one to knife Julius Caesar,' one Democratic Party official said of the decision to influence Manchin.

Baldwin, who is running for a third term and leading in the polls despite Biden trailing Trump in Wisconsin, has not appeared at the president's side since January.

Friday's Biden visit to Madison will the fourth consecutive trip to her state the president has made since then where Baldwin will be elsewhere, per the Washington Examiner.

Centrist Joe Manchin was set to become the first Biden ally to call for him to quit on one of the Sunday news shows before anyone else until Democrat insiders convinced him not to, with a party insider claiming 'nobody wants to be the first one to knife Julius Caesar'

Tammy Baldwin, a more progressive Senator than Manchin who faces re-election in the swing state of Wisconsin , will not be joining Biden as he campaigns in her hometown of Madison Friday, holding a separate event instead

Whether Biden continues his 2024 bid for president after his halting debate performance against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is largely his decision, Democrats and political strategists have said.

But Biden is under pressure. Some donors have called for him to step aside, and other Democrats are worrying openly that he is not equipped to beat Trump in November.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll taken after the debate showed one in three Democrats think Biden should end his re-election bid, while another Ipsos poll showed Michelle Obama as the only Democrat currently beating Trump.

U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett became the first congressional Democrat to call for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race on Tuesday. He told NBC News in an interview that he hoped other Democratic lawmakers would follow his lead.

'It looks like the dam has broken,' the second aide, who spoke on behalf of the moderate frontliners, said.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi emphasized Biden's multiple legislative accomplishments during an interview with MSNBC Tuesday but said it was legitimate to ask whether his debate performance was a one-night thing or a broader health problem. She said Trump should be given the same scrutiny.

'I think it's a legitimate question to say, 'Is this an episode or is this a condition?' And so when people ask that question, it's legitimate, of both candidates,' Pelosi said.

Immediately after the debate, Pelosi had shown strong support. 'Joe Bidens decision to go forward is a decision that we will all embrace because of the record he has and the performance that will come with it,' she said then.

A poll of Democrats showed that one in three want Biden to quit

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington State says she believes 'the damage is done' after the debate

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday that Biden did not have an 'episode,' just a bad night.

Vice President Kamala Harris, asked in a CBS News interview about Doggett's demand, said: 'Look, Joe Biden is our nominee. We beat Trump once and we're gonna beat him. Period.'

Biden, speaking at a campaign event in Virginia on Tuesday evening without a teleprompter, blamed his performance on a lack of sleep and said his campaign had raised $38 million since the debate.

'The fact is that you know, I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones ... before ... the debate. Didnt listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage,' he said. 'That's no excuse but it is an explanation.'

Some Democrats suggested Biden should be thinking about the broader party's future.

'He has to be honest with himself,' Democratic Representative Mike Quigley, a moderate from Illinois, told CNN on Tuesday.

'It's his decision. I just want him to appreciate at this time just how much it impacts, not just his race, but all the other races coming in November.'

U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn, the Democrat often credited with securing Biden's nomination in the 2020 presidential race, told MSNBC Tuesday he would support Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee if Biden stepped aside.

U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett became the first congressional Democrat to call for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race on Tuesday. He told NBC News in an interview that he hoped other Democratic lawmakers would follow his lead

Jared Golden, a Maine Democrat, predicted on Tuesday that Trump would win the election

Golden, a Maine Democrat, predicted on Tuesday that Trump would win the election, as did Washington state Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.

The president and his campaign are scrambling to bolster support. Biden will hold a meeting with Democratic governors virtually and in person at the White House on Wednesday and speak to lawmakers this week, White House officials said.

One of the House Democratic aides said members were disappointed about the lack of outreach thus far.

Doggett told NBC News he had asked the White House to speak personally with Biden about his call for him to drop out, but had not heard back from him.

Biden's campaign held difficult phone calls on Sunday and Monday with important funders who questioned his plans to stay in the race.

Asked Tuesday why Biden had not done more media interviews or press conferences after his debate raised questions, Jean-Pierre pointed to his visit to a Waffle House in Atlanta on the evening of the debate and subsequent interactions with supporters.

Biden is scheduled to do an interview with ABC this week and plans to hold a news conference at the NATO summit next week. The Democratic Hill aide said a lot was riding on the ABC interview, with lawmakers looking to see that he can handle rapid-fire questions and not just orchestrated campaign appearances.

Meanwhile, Biden's campaign said it and its Democratic allies raised $264 million in the second quarter, including $127 million in June and a record 'grassroots' fundraising haul on the day of Biden's debate.
A mother has sparked fury online when she asked the public to 'normalize' charging other parents for their children's playdates.

In a video on TikTok, she explained in a video that her daughter recently had a friend over to their house - and when the playdate was finished she asked the other girl's mom to Venmo her $15.

She cited expenses such as chalk and 'wear and tear' on the couch, as well as the price of her child using supplies in the bathroom three times.

That video, originally posted in early June, has since gone viral with more than 3.5 million views as many online openly disagreed with her plan - saying it will only leave her daughter without playdates in the future.

But the mom, who posts under the handle @shay.nanigans87 and whose profile identifies her as a 'rage baiter' and 'child support hunter' - insists it is just a way for families to even out the costs of their get-togethers.

TikTok user @shay.nanigans87 sparked fury by announcing in a video that she charged another mother for their children's playdate

@shay.nanigans87 Contraversial but I think its a really good idea. What do you think?  original sound - Shay.nanigans87

'Can we normalize sending the other family money for playdates?' she asks in the video with a straight face.

She then goes on to share how she asked her daughter's friend's mother for money - sharing screengrabs of her conversation with the other mother.

In the first message she writes: 'Thanks for letting Jamie play today, please help out with your share of the expenses for the playdate totaling $15 via Venmo! Let's do it again soon!'

'Because I can't keep doing these playdates if it's so expensive,' the TikTok mother explains in her video.

But the other mother, identified in the video only as 'Melissa,' seemed taken aback by the request, asking: 'Expenses?'

At that point, the mom explains that her daughter used 'supplies and food while she was here and this way we can do this more often without a monetary obligation on just one party.'

The TikToker included screengrabs of the conversation she had with the other mother

When the other mother asked which expenses she was referring to, the TikToker enumerated supplies and food her daughter used - including sitting on the couch and using the bathroom three times

When Melissa asked which expenses she was referring to, the TikToker noted that her daughter had applesauce and fruit, had three juice boxes, played with chalk, used the bathroom three times and sat on the couch - which she said causes 'wear and tear.'

Ultimately, the frugal mom said Melissa paid her the $15 she requested, and she thanked her.

'I just received the money, thank you so much,' she wrote in a message.

'Hopefully this will make it easier for us to do these playdates more in the future.'

But many online believed her actions will have the opposite affect - and will wind up alienating her daughter from her classmates.

'Today, in How to sabotage your childs ability to make friends in one, easily quantifiable receipt' one X user wrote.

'When the kid asks why she never had play dates after Spring 24, show her this video,' added Martin Matthews, the CEO of a wealth management group in Georgia.

Another suggested: 'Let's normalize shaming people like her who are cheap and entitled.'

But when another X user said she would pay her then 'do my best to keep my child away from her and her kid,' the original poster said that was a 'good call.'

'I'd put up a poster with her face warning other mothers about her lack of scruples and entitled attitude,' she wrote.

Many online found her request rude, with one woman saying she is 'cheap and entitled'

The X user later said she would warn other mothers 'about her lack of scruples and entitled attitude'

Others said they thought she may have had a point - until she decided to charge the mother for having her child sit on the couch.

'Everything was good until "wear and teach on the couch" charge for a dollar,' one X user wrote, saying it's 'weird to put a number on that.

But when somebody else mentioned the charge for using the bathroom, he wrote: 'That was outta pocket as well.'

Meanwhile on TikTok, somebody else said they would be 'very uncomfortable if the person hosting a playdate kept track of how many times my kid needed to use the bathroom.'

His comment received more than 36,000 likes.

Another X user said he thought she may have had a point until she decided to charge the mother for having her child sit on the couch

He later noted that the bathroom charge 'was out of pocket as well'

Another TikToker said that if she couldn't afford to host a playdate, 'then I simply wouldn't invite' them.

'Instead meet at a park and bring your own snacks,' she suggested.

A third also questioned whether the mother was serious - noting her profile information.

'It's rage bait, right? pls' she asked.

It remains unclear whether the mother was trying to provoke users with her video.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the TikToker for comment.
The family of a slain mother of three who allegedly died at the hands of her new housemate have broken their silence as they battle to sort out her financial affairs.

Annette Kiss, 53, allegedly died when her new housemate Benjamin Art, 42, attacked her with a sword, meat cleaver, and claw hammer last Thursday at their Russell Lea share house in Sydney's west.

When police arrived, they allegedly found Art lying on Ms Kiss' body with the sword in a harrowing scene that has devastated first responders.

Days after the horror attack, friend Sharon Hacker launched a campaign to raise funds for Ms Kiss' three adult children - Six, Samuel and Hayely.

On Wednesday, eldest son Six thanked the community for assisting them through grief as they now face costly legal and funeral expenses.

As the days move on, the reality sinks in more and every day we miss her, he wrote.

Unfortunately, being as young as she was, she never completed a will so we're now having to go through the courts to get the administration dealt with which will take quite some time and solicitors aren't cheap.

The fundraiser was initially aimed to raise $10,000 to cover unforeseen expenses the family have incurred, but have since increased the fundraising efforts to $20,000.

Annette Kiss, 55, was allegedly murdered by her new housemate last Thursday morning

Being a solo business owner myself, the loss of income and business is starting to become quite the issue while we take time to deal with the grief and handle her affairs, Six explained.

I've increased the goal here to help us get the legal matters dealt with and help support the loss of income over the next short while.

Police allege housemate Art ran into the Russell Lea house last Thursday morning brandishing weapons, yelled at his four housemates to sit down, and started showing Ms Kiss texts from an unknown sender on his phone.

'You're trying to set me up, who you got to try and kill me? Who's the chick texting me?' he allegedly yelled, according to court documents.

'You're trying to set me up or get me killed, now you're trying to kill me.'

Art allegedly held Ms Kiss by the neck before he grabbed the cleaver, while another female housemate used a chair to try to stop the alleged attack before she fled and called police.

Detectives later said it was one of the worst crime scenes they have ever encountered.

On Friday, a neighbour told Daily Mail Australia the surviving housemates are 'too traumatised' to return to the home and collect their things.

Benjamin Art (pictured) has been charged over the alleged violent murder of his housemate

The Russell Lea house is pictured where Annette Kiss was allegedly murdered

Annette (centre) pictured alongside daught Hayley and son Samuel

The fundraiser has already raised $10,630 raised of $20,000

On Friday, Art was was represented by solicitor Javid Faiz in Parramatta Bail Court on Friday. He did not apply for bail but it was formally refused.

'My client understands the seriousness of the matter,' Mr Faiz said outside court, according to the Daily Telegraph.

'He's instructed me not to make a release application today.'

His matter will return to Burwood Local Court on August 22.

Superintendent Christine McDonald said on Thursday that Art did not have a violent history, and said he was not in a romantic relationship with Ms Kiss.
Tucker Carlson has boldly claimed Australia's housing crisis will result in a childless generation because it is too expensive for people to buy a home and start a family.

The former Fox News presenter and right-wing commentator was speaking at Melbourne's Convention Centre on Monday night when he addressed immigration in Australia - which he described as the 'one reason' for the housing crisis - and also criticised Welcome to Country ceremonies and the 'lazy' Labor Party.

Carlson admitted he was shocked when he learned how expensive it was to buy a home in Sydney, even in suburbs far away from the harbour.

He said he was looking up house prices because he was considering buying property in Australia - but soon realised even someone with his bank balance could not realistically afford a home Down Under.

'It was so much more than I can afford and I have a decent job,' he told the crowd.

'How does anybody live here?'

He said when he asked the question to a Sydney local, he was told many had left the city altogether or ended up homeless.

'I said, "That sounds like a crisis,"' Carlson added.

Tucker Carlson has boldly claimed Australia's housing crisis will result in a childless generation because it is too expensive for people to buy a home and start a family

'Why is it happening? Immigration. There's only one reason and that's the reason.

'But nobody wants to say it like that because it sounds like an attack on immigrants. And that's how they get you to shut up. They say, "Shut up, racist."'

Carlson said he was generally supportive of immigration, but that if there wasn't enough housing for a growing population, prices would rapidly rise.

'If it becomes too expensive for your children to buy a house in the country they were born in, you're erased, that's it. Your line ends and that's what's happening,' he said.

'If your children can't afford a house here then you have one person to blame and that's the people that run your government.'

Sydney's median house price of $1.466million is 12 times an average, full-time salary of $98,218 - even with a 20 per cent deposit - and last year, a record 547,300 migrants flooded into Australia.

The political commentator also brought up the history of Australia and Welcome to Country ceremonies, which show respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

He told those in the room they 'had nothing to apologise for - at all' when it came to the 'sins' of their ancestors, referring to the white settlers.

'And yet at every turn they're making you apologise,' he said.

'I have never seen a society more under attack than the one you're living in now and for less justification.

'Every time a commercial airline lands, every time any kind of ceremony opens, they send you the message that you're on someone else's land.

The former Fox News presenter recently went on a speaking tour in Australia

'And I'm thinking to myself, and this is no slight against the people they're talking about at all, but this is Australian land and you're all Australians.

'And why would you ever put up with that? And who is this helping? Is it helping the people who are supposedly being honoured by these displays? No of course not.'

Carlson was met with applause on his stance, and was further cheered on when he began tearing apart the Labor Party.

He said he was stunned to find out there was 'no labour' within the Labor Party, in the sense that none of the politicians were qualified tradespeople.

'There's no actual labour in the leadership of the Labor party, none of them have had a job. They're all just parasites on the taxpayer,' he said.

'The laziest people in the country call themselves the Labor party.'

Carlson flew back to the United States on Tuesday after wrapping up The Australian Freedom Conferences, presented by Mineralogy and organised by Clive Palmer.

The pair visited Cairns, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne for the conferences, with tickets first being released at about $200 each.

This was drastically reduced to between $50 and $110 last month.

Carlson had earlier spoke at the Hyatt Hotel in Canberra where he clashed with an AAP reporter after she asked about his views on 'Great Replacement Theory'.

She said Carlson had spoken about how white Australians, Americans and Europeans were being replaced by non-white migrants '4,000 times' on his show.

He responded by noting he had 'never said that whites are being replaced, not one time' and that his comments on the issue applied to all native-born regardless of race.

'If you think that's racist, that's your problem,' Carlson said.

'It's completely honest and real, not racist or scary, its factually true - its not a theory its a fact.'

Carlson became exasperated when the reporter then went on to link his discussion of the Great Replacement Theory to a a racially-motivated mass shooting that left 10 dead in Buffalo, New York in 2023.

'Oh, God! Come on!' Carlson replied.

'How do they get people this stupid in the media? I guess it doesn't pay well.'
Footage has captured the moment a tradie chased down a driver after they crashed into another car and allegedly tried to flee the scene.

The incident unfolded at the intersection of Hellawell and Beaudesert roads between Acacia Ridge and Sunnybank Hills in Brisbane's south on Monday morning.

The footage, which was shared by Dashcam Owners Australia, showed a blue Mazda hatchback driving through the intersection.

The traffic lights were red for a full 17 seconds before the Blue Mazda barreled into traffic, colliding with a white Toyota hatchback.

The Toyota hatchback did a 360-degree spin before smashing into a red Mazda SUV in the adjacent lane.

All three cars came to a complete stop in the middle of the intersection as tradies rushed to the aid of the driver behind the wheel of the Toyota.

The driver of the blue Mazda was seen getting out of his car and walking off to the side of the road.

A tradie wearing a high-vis vest spotted the driver walking away from the scene of the crash and chased him down.

Dashcam footage showed a blue Mazda hatchback running a red light and speeding through an intersection before smashing into traffic (pictured)

The driver collides with a white Toyota hatchback, which does a 360-degree spin before smashing into a red Mazda SUV in the adjacent lane (pictured)

The footage showed the tradie reach out and grab the driver before he raised his fist as other bystanders quickly intervened to stop him from leaving the area.

Social media users praised the tradie for acting quickly and detaining the driver of the blue Mazda.

'Love how the guy bolts from the other side of the road and confronts the guy that caused the accident,' one person commented.

'Old mate in yellow shirt appears from bottom right and makes a b line for the driver of the Mazda, and duly takes him to the ground,' a second person wrote.

'God love the tradie who spotted old mate casually walking away  and crash tackled him,' a third chimes.

A fourth added: 'That tradie pinning him down. Thats the type of people who deserve Australian of the year awards. What a bloody legend'.

'This is cooked it's a regularly used intersection by my house  it's always busy could have easily been fatal,' another person added.

A tradie was praised for detaining the driver of the blue Mazda after he was spotted walking casually off the road and away from the scene of the crash

Others shared well-wishes and messages of support to the drivers of the other vehicles.

Queensland Police confirmed a 26-year-old Carseldine man was charged following the alleged traffic crash in Sunnybank Hills.

'It will be alleged at approximately 9.45am a blue Mazda 3 was travelling south on Beaudesert Road when it failed to stop at a red light near Hellawell Road,' a police spokesperson told news.com.au.

'It will be further alleged the car then struck two other vehicles, a Mazda CX30 and a Toyota Yaris. The driver of the Mazda 3 was taken into police custody at the scene.'

The man was charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle and driving under the influence and is set to face Richlands Magistrates Court on August 6.
An urgent health warning has been issued after a traveller with measles landed in Melbourne, visiting a busy McDonalds and multiple high-traffic shops along the Great Ocean Road.

The returning traveller was infectious and arrived from overseas on Tuesday June 25, before visiting a McDonalds near the airport, toy shops and grocery stores in the southwest of Victoria.

It is the 11th case of measles in Victoria this year.

Measles is a highly infectious viral illness which spreads person-to-person, and can lead to uncommon but serious complications, such as pneumonia and brain inflammation.

Anyone who was at the same stores as the traveller is urged to monitor for symptoms for the following two weeks.

Anyone born during or since 1966 who does not have documented evidence of having received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or does not have documented evidence of immunity, is at risk of measles.

Unvaccinated infants are at particularly high risk of contracting measles.

Victoria Department of Health issued the warning on Wednesday, June 3.

Unvaccinated infants are at particularly high risk of contracting measles

The virus spreads through droplets, contact with nose or throat secretions, as well as contaminated surfaces and objects.

The measles virus can stay in the environment for up to two hours.

Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, sore or red eyes, a runny nose, and feeling generally unwell, followed by a red rash.

The rash usually starts on the face before spreading down the body. Symptoms can develop between seven to 18 days after exposure, the health department advises.

Outbreaks of measles have been recently reported in Asia - including Indonesia and India, Africa, Europe and the UK, the Middle East and the US.
Former Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger has been released from custody on strict bail conditions just days after admitting to the brutal assault of a woman.

Pledger appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court in prison greys for the second time on Wednesday as his solicitor pleaded for bail.

The ex-actor walked free from the court on Wednesday afternoon after a magistrate ruled he could spend the next six weeks living at his jazz musician father's home.

Dressed in a grey tracksuit and clutching documents, Pledger was greeted by a large pack of TV cameras but declined to answer questions as a supporter pulled him to a nearby car.

He kept his head down as he entered a white Nissan X-Trail while the driver beeped the horn several times at photographers.

The former TV star had been expected to be sentenced by magistrate Justin Foster.

He adjourned the matter for six weeks earlier on Wednesday, which would have left Pledger behind bars for an 'extensive' community corrections order (CCO) assessment.

Pledger's solicitor Jasper MacCuspie argued the assessment wasn't necessary as the Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare) reported that he no longer met the requirements for involuntary treatment in custody.

Orpheus Pledger is seen leaving the Melbourne Magistrate Court on Wednesday night after he was freed from bail

The former soap star will spend the next six weeks living at his jazz musician father's home.

Magistrate Foster granted Pledger's release on the condition that he resides at his father's home in Wahgunyah, along the northwest border of Victoria and NSW.

He also ordered Pledger report to police once a week in Cowra, just across the border, and be held to a curfew between 11pm and 6am.

His successful bid for freedom follows just 96 days in remand broken up by a three day manhunt launched after he fled a hospital while on a one-day bail agreement.

The former soap star on Monday pleaded guilty to a raft of charges relating to a savage attack on a woman at a Melbourne home in the early hours of March 25.

The vicious assault was captured by a motion-activated camera owned by Pledger which showed him grabbing the victim's hair and throwing her to the ground before stomping on her head.

Pledger nodded from the dock as Mr MacCuspie relayed his intentions to follow the proposed bail conditions and engage with supports available while released.

He then stared intently at the magistrate as he weighed up potential risks to the community after a series of missteps following the vicious attack.

Former Home and Away star turned thug Orpheus Pledger (pictured) will be released into the public after being granted bail for the brutal assault of a woman in April

The vicious attack caught on a motion-activated camera (pictured) which showed Pledger pulling the victim's hair, throwing her to the ground and stomping on her head

The victim called Triple Zero warning police Pledger was in the midst of a mental health incident on the fateful night, the court previously heard.

She was heard saying 'he's coming' before the line cut out.

Police arrived 15 minutes later and found the woman lying on the ground while Pledger was nowhere to be seen.

Images of the woman's injuries from the attack show bruises on the side of her face that bore a 'similar resemblance' to the sole pattern of Vans sneakers he owned.

He was arrested two days later and remanded in custody until April 15 when he was bailed for one day to receive a mental health assessment at the Northern Hospital.

Pledger fled from the hospital after telling staff he would 'kill' the victim numerous times, sparking a three-day manhunt before he was arrested for a second time.

The court heard that when a family member told him he needed to return to custody, Pledger replied: 'Why? I haven't done anything wrong'.

Magistrate Foster fumed when told Pledger had escaped from the hospital, saying he 'bent over backwards' to approve the bail condition.

Pledger on Monday pleaded guilty to a raft of charges relating to the attack but will be freed to stay at his father's residence in far-northwest Victoria

The court heard that Pledger had rekindled a relationship with his father while in remand, having previously lost contact with him as a child

Police prosecutors opposed the bail application due to the risk of Pledger yet again breaking bail conditions and that a CCO assessment hadn't been completed.

Magistrate Foster also raised concerns over granting bail without a conclusion to whether Pledgers offences were 'drug-induced or (due to) a mental health issue'.

The Forensicare report however stated that Pledger had turned a corner after being detained for a second time and showed signs of an improved mental state.

Mr MacCuspie told the court that he had been transferred from involuntary treatment to general population without incident.

'He hasn't profoundly enjoyed his time in custody ... but it does appear he has stabilised and appears to be doing better,' he said.

The lawyer said his client 'accepts that he should have returned to court' when he fled on bail in April, adding: 'the position he is in today is different than than'.

The report trumped a letter from Corrections Victoria to Magistrate Foster requesting Pledger be remanded for six weeks for an 'extensive' CCO assessment.

Corrections argued his 'complex needs' required more than one day to assess if he was fit to be released into the public.

Mr MacCuspie said extending Pledger's time behind bars would be 'prejudicial against Mr Pledger' and 'isn't appropriate in this circumstance'.

'He comes before the court with few priors and the first time being charged with anything of this severity,' he said.

The court heard on Monday that Pledger (left) had fallen into a downward spiral of using drugs such as meth after his soap character was killed off and he lost a role on a US television show

The court heard on Monday that Pledger had a successful acting career which peaked with 339 episodes in popular soap opera Home and Away.

But he suffered a devastating blow to his career when a role on a US television show fell through at the 11th hour, and sent the actor into a downward spiral.

Pledger started associating with an 'antisocial' crowd and using methamphetamines recreationally which he admitted in court was effecting him at the time of the attack.

'(Pledger has) self-confessed troubles with drugs and perhaps some underlying mental health issues,' Mr MacCuspie told the court.

He argued those issues are usual for matters before a magistrate's court and questioned how Pledger is 'more complex' than others cleared for a CCO.

The court heard on Monday that Pledger had rekindled a relationship with his father while being held on remand after losing contact as a child.

Mr MacCuspie relayed his client's intentions to learn how to play music from his musician father while residing 'as far removed from the victim as possible'.

He will be required to return to court on August 16.
An alternative healer told a diabetic grandmother 'darkness comes before dawn' as she lay dying at his slapping therapy retreat, a court heard.

The 71-year-old was left 'howling in pain' before she died, having stopped taking insulin at a workshop run by the healer she described as a 'messenger sent by God'.

Danielle Carr-Gomm died in October 2016 at Cleeve House in Seend, Wiltshire, where she was taking part in the event promoting Paida Lajin therapy - which involves patients being slapped or slapping themselves repeatedly.

Hongchi Xiao, of Cloudbreak, California, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of the manslaughter by gross negligence of Mrs Carr-Gomm, from Lewes, East Sussex.

Yesterday, jurors heard that the practitioner believes Western medicines are 'evil' and doctors 'brainwash' people into taking it.

Mrs Carr-Gomm became interested in trying alternative therapy because she was a vegetarian with a fear of needles - which are needed to inject insulin for diabetics.

Xiao told the 30-person workshop that there were three stages to the healing process in Paida lajin, and that illness is the'darkness before dawn breaks'.

However, the court heard that Mrs Carr-Gomm's condition became so bad after ditching insulin that she was seen to be 'vomiting, tired and weak'.

Danielle Carr-Gomm, a 71-year-old diabetic woman, was left 'howling in pain' before she died

Mrs Carr-Gomm, died at Cleeve House (pictured) in Seend, Wiltshire, in October 2016

Hongchi Xiao, 61, of Cloudbreak, California, is on trial accused of manslaughter

She was heard crying and howling in pain, and was found 'alone in bed, pale, sweaty, drooling at the mouth and unable to talk'.

Duncan Atkinson KC, prosecuting, told the jury that the 30 people attending the workshop at Cleeve House were 'keen disciples' of the defendant who was described as 'Master Xiao' in the event's programme.

However, the prosecutor said that Mrs Carr-Gomm's condition became so bad after ditching insulin that she was seen to be 'vomiting, tired and weak'.

Mr Atkinson added that Xiao, 61, 'congratulated' Mrs Carr-Gomm on stopping taking insulin on Monday October 17.

Prosecutors allege Xiao knew he wielded 'influence' over Mrs Carr-Gomm when he praised her for stopping taking her insulin.

They say that Xiao knew of the consequences of a type 1 diabetic not taking their insulin because Mrs Carr-Gomm became extremely unwell at a previous workshop and because a six year old boy died during another of his retreats.

The prosecutor went on to say that participants at Cleeve House signed a disclaimer form which stated the practice was not 'meant for medical treatment'.

Over the course of the retreat, they fasted for several days, only consuming a Chinese tea, and Xiao slapped them with him hand and a paddle.

The prosecutor described how one of the participants saw within a day that Mrs Carr-Gomm 'was vomiting and observed that her condition was similar to that on the earlier occasion in Bulgaria when she had stopped her insulin injections'.

Mrs Carr-Gomm wrote a testimonial for Xiao and described him as a 'messenger sent by God'

One of her room-mates, Janine Stoodley, moved out of their shared room because of her condition.

Mr Atkinson said that on the Wednesday, Mrs Carr-Gomm had not attended the workshop because of illness and was 'crying on her bed and howling in pain'.

She had also been moved from her bed to a mattress on the floor after falling out of bed.

Court heard that other participants interpreted her condition as a 'healing crisis' - a term used by the defendant as the process of the Paida Lajin taking effect.

The prosecutor said: 'He identifies the signs of a healing crisis as including pain, vomiting, insomnia, giddiness and loud crying.

'The description by others of a healing crisis is indicative of their reliance on Xiao's leadership in dealing with Danielle Carr-Gomm's condition.

'It also underlined that the decision to seek help, to intervene, had to come from the defendant as the others relied on him and his interpretation of what was happening.'

He added: 'This is a condition addressed by Xiao in his book. He suggests that it might appear that an illness has intervened as a result of Paida Pajin but it is in fact, he says, the result of the toxins leaving the body.'

Mr Atkinson said that her condition worsened in the early hours of the Thursday and she then died.

He added: 'Whilst she was conscious, she could have received medical care, including the administration of insulin, and this would have saved her.

'No-one was better placed than the defendant, the prosecution say, to make sure that this happened.'

Paramedics were finally called at 2.54am on Thursday 20th, in cardiac arrest, lying on a mattress on the floor. The court heard Rigor mortis was already established, and she was confirmed to be dead at 3.11am.

Xiao (seen at court this week) had written a book on Paida Lajin in which he stated that 'doctors are brainwashed by drug producers to act as salespersons for their drugs'

He said that the sound of 'Paida-like slapping' was heard coming from her room late on the Wednesday while the defendant was with her.

The prosecutor said that after Xiao was arrested, he said in interview that he had believed Mrs Carr-Gomm had been weak from fasting and had not needed an ambulance.

He added: 'He denied that he had any influence over the students at all. He had no more responsibility than anyone else in attendance.'

The court heard that Mrs Carr-Gomm had provided a testimonial for Xiao describing him as a 'messenger sent by God' who was 'starting a revolution to put the power back in the hands of the people to cure themselves and to change the whole system of health care'.

Mr Atkinson said: 'Xiao knew that Danielle Carr-Gomm, by stopping her insulin injections, had created a source of danger, and he was all too aware that it was a source of danger.

'He knew of his influence over her, he knew the consequences of her not taking her insulin, and he had at least influenced and encouraged her decision to take the potentially fatal step of stopping her insulin.'

Mr Atkinson said that Xiao had written a book on Paida Lajin in which he stated that 'doctors are brainwashed by drug producers to act as salespersons for their drugs'.

In the book My Health, I Manage! E-Dao Paida And Lajin Self-Healing he states that the practice should be 'safer and more reliable than existing healing practices ... with no risk of poisoning or side effects' and that 'it should be effective on almost all diseases'.

The three-week trial at Winchester Crown Court (above), which began on Monday, continues

Paida lajin means 'slap and stretch' in Chinese, and practitioners like Xiao - who has no medical qualifications - believe the practice of slapping people in various positions can cure diseases and ailments.

Mr Atkinson said: 'The messages that come from this book, very clearly, are that the defendant viewed drugs such as insulin as poisons which were contrary to, rather than conducive to health.

'Insulin was a cause of problems, and that in contrast Paida Lajin was a cure for illness, including diabetes.'

Mr Atkinson said that Xiao told participants at an Australian seminar in 2015 that there was 'no pain, no gain'.

Charles Row KC, defending Xiao, who denies the charge, told the jury that the defendant denied having a duty of care over Mrs Carr-Gomm who he had made 'absolutely clear' to that he was not medically trained.

He said that Xiao had told her not to suddenly stop taking her insulin.

He added: 'The defendant's case is that Danielle Carr-Gomm was a law unto herself, a strong, driven and independent woman.

'The degree of influence he had over Danielle Carr-Gomm is very much an issue, as is the question of whether he assumed responsibility for her safety.'

Mr Row added that the defendant claimed that his actions were not causative of Mrs Carr-Gomm's death and he had not breached a duty of care for her.

The three-week trial, which began on Monday, continues.
Lisa Millar has been inundated with online abuse from keyboard warriors after she announced live on air that she was leaving ABC News Breakfast after five years as co-host.

The veteran journalist shocked viewers on Wednesday by announcing she will step away from the program at the end of August.

Social media trolls berated the morning news legend relentlessly in the hours following her resignation, sparking outrage from many of Millar's loyal friends, who jumped to her defence and called out the abuse.

Among her biggest supporters was 'recovering former Murdoch columnist' Paul Syvret, who has known Millar for more than 25 years.

'I've known Lisa Millar personally and professionally for 25 years,' he posted on X.

'She is one of the most experienced journalists and broadcasters in the country, with the utmost integrity. The abuse here today is sickening.'

Author Mike Carlton, who worked with Millar 'regularly' on ABC Sydney's drive time radio program, stepped in to defend her as well.

'She was always thoroughly professional and a delight to work with,' he tweeted.

Lisa Millar has copped relentless abuse online since her resignation live on air during Wednesday's ABC Morning Breakfast

ABC News Breakfast co-host Lisa Millar is leaving the program after five years at the helm

'The abuse is not only sickening, some of it suggests diseased minds.'

Journalist Neil McMahon described Millar's resignation as 'a sign of the nasty derangement of many on this platform that posting this requires turning off replies to this tweet'.

Millar, who has yet to publicly respond to the backlash, spoke of her pride as she announced she was leaving the show.

'What a blast the past five years has been, whether it was interviewing prime ministers and global thought leaders or getting karaoke encouragement from my childhood idol Gladys Knight,' she told viewers on Wednesday.

'In 35 years of journalism I've never done anything so exciting, unpredictable, and fun. It's only worked because of the awesome team in front of the cameras and behind the scenes who kept me laughing.'

News Breakfast co-host Michael Rowland also shared his thoughts on the 'sad news'.

'Wishing Lisa all the best on those back roads and dog wrangling assignments. And enjoy the sleep-ins,' he wrote online after the program wrapped up.

Another of Millar's colleagues, James Glenday, similarly thanked her for being a 'wonderful friend, colleague and mentor' to him.

'Sad she's leaving the show but happy she's going on to other big things,' he said.

Millar's co-host Michael Rowland said the news of his colleagues departure was 'sad'

Another of Millar's coworkers, James Glenday, said Millar had been a 'mentor' to him

Millar will remain with the national broadcaster in a project-based role.

'I'm going to be having more adventures with Back Roads and Muster Dogs. Muster Dogs keeps getting bigger and bigger. So much to do, and exciting new projects. That means it's goodbye,' she said.

Millar's stint on the show included last year's controversy when she wore a skirt with a high split that some viewers felt revealed too much.

Millar said she was sickened by the comments especially given they were made so close to International Women's Day.

'The fact that what I wore on Monday attracted obnoxious commentary on Twitter, foul disgusting personal abuse that I wouldn't and couldn't repeat here - it was upsetting,' she said at the time.

'I am angry, on this International Women's Day. Angry on behalf of myself and also on behalf of other women, young women, who see those stories and see someone like me being violently abused day after day, for whatever reason bullies can find.

'I worry it might make you think that no progress is being made and it's not worth it being a woman in the public arena.'

Millar went on to say she had received a wave of support in the wake of the trolling which had given her 'hope'.

Millar will remain with the national broadcaster in a project-based role

She joined the ABC in 1993 and is one of the network's longest-serving foreign correspondents, having worked as Bureau Chief in both the US and Europe

Millar first filled in on ABC News Breakfast in 2018 and became a permanent host alongside Rowland the following year.

She joined the ABC in 1993 and is one of the network's longest-serving foreign correspondents, having worked as Bureau Chief in both the US and Europe.

Director of ABC News, Justin Stevens, said the network valued Millar 'immensely'.

'Lisa Millar is a superb journalist and broadcaster who personifies the very best values and attributes of ABC journalists,' he said.

'While we're sad to lose her from News, I'm excited to see her take up this opportunity and continue to go from strength to strength at the ABC.

'She's done a fantastic job presenting News Breakfast over the past five years  one of the toughest jobs in Australian TV.

'The relentless hours never impeded her incredible warmth and energy, or her passion for delivering the best program for the audience.'

Millar's final day with the program will be on August 23
A two-month manhunt continues for a man accused of knocking a pensioner to the ground while boarding a bus.

The incident happened at a Hutton Street bus stop in Osborne Park in Perth's north-west shortly before 1pm on May 12.

CCTV captured the elderly man walking toward the bus.

Seconds later, a second man wearing a dark brown leather jacket, a printed t-shirt and black jeans knocked over the elderly passenger, who fell to the ground

Shocked passengers on the bus rushed to help the elderly man, who sustained cuts and grazes to his arm.

The bus driver also got out of his cabin to assist the victim along with passers-by, who helped the man back onto his feet.

The 72-year-old was knocked to the ground by another man (pictured) at a bus stop on Hutton Street, in Osborne Park, in Perth's north-west on May 12

Passengers on the bus rushed to help the elderly man (pictured), who sustained cuts and grazes to his arm

His alleged attacker initially alighted the bus but fled the scene a short time later.

On Wednesday, Western Australia Police launched a public appeal by unveiling CCTV of the incident and images of a man they believe can assist with their inquiries.

The man was described as aged 20-30 medium build and short dark brown hair.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
A couple have appeared in court accused of assaulting their daughter who they allegedly banned from having a social life.

Yasmin Shinwary, 42, is accused of forcing daughter Fatima to 'obey' her commands, controlling her movements and blocking her from speaking to friends.

She and husband Burhanullah Shinwary, 46, allegedly assaulted their daughter when she visited Hounslow High Street in west London to celebrate finishing her studies.

The couple, who live in nearby Feltham, have been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, while Ms Shinwary is accused of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour in a family relationship.

Yasmin and Burhanullah Shinwary have appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court in west London, charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm of their daughter

Prosecutor Niamh McDonagh told Uxbridge Magistrates' Court: 'The victim is Ms Shinwary's daughter, and Ms Shinwary's husband - the victim's father - is also charged.'

The couple, who moved to the UK from Afghanistan, were arrested and charged after an incident on June 27 when their daughter had 'gone to the high street in Hounslow with friends to celebrate the last day of college', Ms McDonagh said.

Yasmin Shinwary is accused of assaulting her daughter that day by grabbing her on the arm, then standing by as her husband then allegedly attacked Fatima - leaving her with injuries to her face and hands.

The couple are accused of punishing their daughter for going out to celebrate her last day of college with friends in west London's Hounslow High Street (stock photo)

Mr Shinwary appeared in court on Saturday and was remanded in custody on a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

His wife faced charges of coercive control and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The couple are due to appear together at Isleworth Crown Court for a pre-trial hearing on July 29.
Thousands of Aussies are eligible for new support payments as part of a scheme to offer workplace incentives.

The Australian apprenticeship training support payment kicked in this week for specific trades deemed 'priority occupations' by the Albanese government.

The new $5,000 payment is aimed at apprentices who work in areas that have a high demand for skilled workers both currently and in the future.

If their occupation is in 'clean energy', workers are eligible for more money as part of the New Energy Apprenticeship Support Payment, which can be up to $10,000.

Priority occupation list includes aged care workers, arborists, boat builders, bakers, locksmiths and beauty therapists, according to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR), the

The $5,000 Australian Apprenticeship Training Support Payment is given to eligible workers in four instalments over two years, and apprentices must be undertaking a qualification at the Certificate III level or above.

The New Energy Apprentice Support Payment is distributed over the course of the apprenticeship - which is up to $5,000 for part-time apprentices and up to $10,000 for those working full-time.

Thousands of Australian workers are eligible for extra cash under the new government apprentice support payments

Sectors eligible under the 'clean energy' category include agriculture and agritech technicians (pictured agriculture worker), as well as electricians, gas fitters and plumbers

The sectors selected as 'clean energy' are also varied and include agricultural and agritech technicians, automotive electricians, regular electricians, gas fitters, glaziers, joiners, plumbers and welders.

'Its available where employers can provide apprentices with meaningful exposure, experience and work in clean energy,' the DEWR states.

The two payments aimed to keep apprentices working towards their career goals.

Employers can also access a payment if they hire apprentices in the listed occupations, as part of the priority hiring incentive.

It provides employers with up to $5,000 in the first year of an apprenticeship, paid over two instalments.

Aussies are urged to check if they are eligible for the new payments of up to $10,000

Apprentices can see the full eligibility list on the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations website.

According to Apprenticeship Support Australia, The New Energy Support Payment is eligible for workers who have commenced or recommenced an Australian Apprenticeship with a new employer on or after January 1 2023.

'Or recommenced an Australian Apprenticeship after 1 July 2022 with the same employer after a break of greater than six months or twelve months if the commencement date was on or after 1 July 2022,' it said.
Ukraine is too corrupt to join NATO, the US is set to tell leader Volodymyr Zelensky in a major blow to his nation's security ambitions.

The defence bloc will request at its annual summit next week, in Washington DC, that Ukraine takes 'additional steps before formal membership talks progress', a senior US official told the Telegraph.

Zelensky has been pushing for NATO ascension after Russia's brutal invasion ends to protect itself from future invasion, as the pact compels its members to militarily defend allies if they are attacked.

But corruption, among other issues, has been a major thorn in the Ukrainian leader's side, blocking further relations with the West from developing.

In 2022, after Ukraine formally applied for EU ascension, the EU Commission wrote of Ukraine that while 'preventing and combating corruption has been particularly high on the Ukrainian reform agenda since the Revolution of Dignity' in 2014, 'corruption remains a serious challenge.'

Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured) has been pushing for NATO ascension after Russia 's brutal invasion ends in order to protect itself from future invasion

The defence bloc will request at its annual summit next week, in Washington DC , that Ukraine takes 'additional steps before formal membership talks progress' (File image)

Vladimir Putin (pictured) is meeting with China in Kazakhstan today to discuss defence and security

Joe Biden's (pictured) administration says Ukraine is still too corrupt to join NATO

Zelensky appears to be tackling the problem head on, particularly in the military. In September, he fired all six of his deputy defence ministers with no explanation weeks after dismissing his top defence minister.

The US has recognised his efforts, with a State Department official telling the Telegraph: 'We have to step back and applaud everything that Ukraine has done in the name of reforms over the last two-plus years.'

'As they continue to make those reforms, we want to commend them, we want to talk about additional steps that need to be taken, particularly in the area of anti-corruption. It is a priority for many of us around the table,' the source added.

NATO has given Ukraine a list of reforms it will be expected to carry out before it qualifies for membership, which officials said Zelensky was working through.

'Thats something Nato has been doing quietly under the radar that helps them get closer to membership', a source said.

While Ukraine is working on furthering its relations with the West, Putin is doing the same with China. The despot is meeting with Xi Jinping at a Eurasian security and defence club in Kazakhstan today.

While Ukraine is working on furthering its relations with the West, Putin is doing the same with China

An infantrymen training with a T-80 tank is seen as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues in Donetsk Oblast

Infantry secure the area for the 3rd Assault Brigade at sunset on July 1, 2024 in Kharkiv Region

Putin and the Chinese president have expanded the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a club founded in 2001 with Russia, China and Central Asian powers, to include India, Iran and Pakistan as a counterweight to the West.

Putin will hold a series of bilateral meetings on Wednesday on the sidelines of the July 3-4 SCO summit in the Kazakh capital, Astana, the Kremlin said.

He is due to meet Xi, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and the leaders of Azerbaijan, Mongolia and Pakistan before an informal dinner hosted by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

India said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is expected in Moscow later this month, will not attend. He is sending Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar instead.

Russia and China regard the SCO, which promotes common approaches to external security threats such as drug trafficking and focuses on countering any domestic instability, as a means to project their influence across Asia.

"The leaders of the SCO member countries will discuss the current state and prospects for further deepening multifaceted cooperation within the organisation and improving its activities," the Kremlin said in a statement.

At last year's virtual summit, the group issued a statement critical of what it called the negative impact of "unilateral and unlimited expansion of global missile defence systems by certain countries or groups of countries", without directly referring to NATO expansion and Western military assistance to Ukraine.
Keir Starmer is frantically playing down fears Labour will get 'unchecked' power today as the election campaigns enters its final dash for the line.

The Labour leader tried to quell mounting alarm that he is set for the biggest majority ever seen, insisting many seats will 'go to the wire' and polls do not predict the future.

The twitchy message came as the PM makes a last-ditch effort to avert a complete Tory meltdown after getting a big boost from a joint appearance with Boris Johnson.

At a rally last night, Mr Johnson warned that Sir Keir would use a 'sledgehammer' majority to bring in 'mandatory wokery' and 'uncontrolled immigration'.

Mr Sunak is using the last day of campaigning to visit previously safe seats in Hampshire - with apocalyptic polls suggesting many will fall to Labour and the Lib Dems.

A massive Survation poll - conducted using the MRP method - found Reform splitting the right-wing vote will gift Sir Keir the largest Commons majority in history, while Tory numbers fall to a record low.

Touring broadcast studios this morning, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride acknowledged that the Conservatives are on track for a dire result.

He said Labour is almost certain to get an 'extraordinary landslide on a scale that has probably never, ever been seen in this country before'.

However, the PM insisted Mr Stride had not 'quite' been conceding defeat - telling ITV's This Morning 'what Mel was doing was warning of what a very large Labour majority, unchecked, would mean for people'.

He added: 'I'm fighting hard for every vote.'

Other Tories privately insist that the reception on the doorstep has not been as bad as the polls indicate - and there have been glimmers of a narrowing in recent days, with the Reform surge seemingly ebbing.

As the UK braces to learn who will be in charge for the next five years:

There are claims Sir Keir will install Harriet Harman as the next head of the equalities watchdog, despite concerns over her support for gender ideology;

Suella Braverman has effectively launched the Tory post-mortem saying the election is 'over' and high immigration was to blame for defeat;

Mr Sunak has bizarrely insisted his favourite meal is 'sandwiches' during a This Morning interview;

He also issued a warning to Sir Keir that he cannot be a 'great dad' and PM at the same time, after the Labour leader suggested he still wants to clock off on Friday evenings;

Nigel Farage is still trying to seal the deal with voters in Clacton, as Reform struggles to turn votes into seats;

A poll has suggested the SNP could remain the biggest party in Scotland after a threat from Labour.

In Wales this morning, Sir Keir tried to quell mounting speculation about the scale of his win, insisting many seats will 'go to the wire' and polls do not predict the future

Rishi Sunak (pictured on ITV's This Morning) is making a last-ditch effort to avert a complete Tory meltdown after getting a big boost from a joint appearance with Boris Johnson

Mr Johnson took to the stage for the first time in the campaign last night as the Tories try ward off Labour's projected supermajority

Your browser does not support iframes.

Mr Johnson received a rapturous reception as he made a dramatic appearance at the central London rally last night.

During an impassioned speech, Mr Johnson called on voters flirting with backing Reform to 'draw back from the brink'.

He labelled Nigel Farage a 'Kremlin crawler' and unleashed attacks on Labour's 'mandatory wokery' and 'uncontrolled immigration', bluntly adding that people who 'have a few thousand to spare' and 'actually want higher tax' should vote red.

Mr Johnson swiped at Sir Keir saying it was 'way past his bedtime' after the Opposition leader admitted he tries to avoid working past 6pm on Fridays to spend time with his family.

Up until now the ex-PM had only endorsed specific Tory allies with video messages, as tensions linger with Mr Sunak over the latter's resignation triggering his eviction from Downing Street.

The two men still did not appear together on stage last night.

But playing down the 'trivial' differences between himself and his former Chancellor, Mr Johnson said he was a 'glad when the PM asked for help' and 'could not say no' because they both 'love our country'.

On his first campaign stop of the day in Carmarthenshire, Sir Keir played down chatter about the scale of his victory, insisting that many seats will 'go to the wire'.

Asked if he was worried about Mr Johnson joining the Tory attack, he said: 'Not in the slightest. I've been arguing that the last 14 years have been about chaos and division - and last night, they wheeled out the architect of chaos and division.

'That just shows the desperate, negative place they've got to in their campaign.'

In his intervention last night, Mr Johnson hit out at Labour's plans to hike taxes and said the party would not take a firm stance against Vladimir Putin, following his invasion of Ukraine.

He went on to criticise Sir Keir for not being able to explain 'the difference between a man and a woman'.

'He sits there with his mouth open like a stunned mullet,' he said.

Mr Johnson, who led the Tories to a landslide victory in 2019 against Jeremy Corbyn, added: 'They can achieve nothing in this election except to usher in the most left-wing Labour government since the war with a huge majority, and we must not let it happen.

A new MRP study by Survation, published within the final 48 hours of campaigning, predicted Labour would win 484 seats at this week's general election

The Survation model, based on polling data from more than 30,000 voters, forecast the Tories would be reduced to just 64 seats in the House of Commons

'Don't let the Putinistas deliver the Corbynistas. Don't let Putin's pet parrots give this entire country psittacosis - which is a disease you get by the way from cosying up to pet parrots.

'Friends, if you actually - everybody if you actually want higher taxes next week, this year, if you feel you've got a few thousands to spare, then vote Labour on Thursday. If you want uncontrolled immigration and mandatory wokery, and pointless kowtowing to Brussels again, then go right ahead, make my day, vote for Starmer.

'But if you want to protect our democracy and our economy and keep this country strong abroad by spending 2.5 per cent of our GDP on defence which Labour still refuses to commit to, then you know what to do, don't you, everybody?

'There's only one thing to do - vote Conservative on Thursday my friends and I know you will. I know you will.'
A Real Housewives of Cheshire star who celebrated splitting from her property mogul ex by burning her wedding dress is 'facing bankruptcy' after being left empty-handed amid a bitter 3million divorce battle.

Lauren Simon, 51, says she has been 'destroyed' after her eight-year court war ended in her getting none of her multi-millionaire ex-husband's money - and is now facing a 1.2million bill to pay.

The former Celebrity Big Brother contestant had initially been handed a 3million lump sum by a judge in 2018 after the end of her 13-year marriage to Paul Simon.

But property tycoon Mr Simon, 54, then won an appeal against the order after claiming the couple only had 2million between them in assets, and he had no cash of his own.

The pair later agreed to settle the case in February 2021, with Mrs Simon being given the right to live in a 1.8m mansion in Altrincham, Greater Manchester for life - but with no cash payout.

However, they were dragged back to court by a specialist divorce finance company after it accused them of entering a 'collusive agreement' to avoid paying a 1.2million bill that Mrs Simon owes them.

Real Housewives of Cheshire star Lauren Simon is facing potential bankruptcy after a bitter divorce battle with her property mogul ex ended in her getting nothing - and being left with a 1.2million bill to pay

The 51-year-old once celebrated her divorce by torching her wedding dress (pictured)

The former Celebrity Big Brother contestant had initially been handed a 3million lump sum by a judge in 2018 after the end of her 13-year marriage to Paul Simon (pictured)

After claiming the no-cash divorce settlement was a ploy to avoid Mrs Simon paying what she owes, the company Integro Funding Limited - trading as 'Level' - was then joined to the divorce case, forcing the couple to be taken back to court.

The divorce battle finally ended yesterday at the High Court, with Judge Mr Justice Peel saying Mrs Simon had confirmed she wanted to drop her claim and for the legal war to end - despite her ex's lawyers saying she will get no cash from the marriage.

It means the reality TV star will walk away from her acrimonious split with none of her ex-husband's millions and no funds to pay Level's 1.2million bill, leaving her at threat of bankruptcy.

'She was crystal clear in not wanting any further litigation, which she said had destroyed her and her family,' said the judge.

The court heard the couple married in November 2003 and had two children before separating in January 2016. They lived in a lavish 1.8million home in Bowden, Cheshire.

Mrs Simon shot to fame in 2015 after she found a role on Real Housewives of Cheshire, which features the glamorous lifestyles of Cheshire women. She left the show in 2019, before returning in 2020.

She earned 40,000-a-year, but also received perks and the chance to plug her brand of perfume, Lauren Stone Number One, which she launched at a lavish party in Hale Barns, the court heard.

Following a bitterly contested hearing, Mrs Justice Parker awarded Mrs Simon the 3million lump sum as a final conclusion to the couple's married life in 2018, but that was later overturned on the husband's appeal.

Mrs Simon and her ex were dragged back into court by a specialist divorce finance company after it accused them of entering a 'collusive agreement' to avoid paying a 1.2million bill that she owed them

In 2021, after reaching the settlement with her ex, Mrs Simon gave an interview in which she described having a party at which she burned her wedding dress to celebrate the divorce.

Lawyers for Level claimed that the agreement the former couple struck in 2021 was 'collusive' and that, in providing her with no cash, was 'seeking to exclude' the company from claiming its money back.

The debt is unenforceable because Mrs Simon - who owes the money - has been left with no cash or assets, and the company has no claim on Mr Simon's wealth.

The consent order was set aside by agreement in 2022 and Level were joined as a party to the case the same year in a bid to get their bill paid.

But Mr Justice Peel said there was nothing the court could do to force the couple to reach a new cash settlement - and allow Level to be repaid - if they refused to do so.

'There have been no direct factual findings, based on tested evidence, but it is not difficult to reach a number of provisional conclusions,' he said.

'Husband and wife entered into an agreement... which included as one of its objectives an outcome to avoid repayment to Level of its loan.

'Other factors may have come into play, but it is probable, in my view, that preventing Level from recouping its monies was part of the motivation, and it was certainly one of the consequences.'

He said it was Mrs Simon's application for a financial order that had brought the case to court and that the litigation lender could not ask for an order in her favour so that it could get its money back.

'Level are not entitled to seek financial remedies orders as between husband and wife,' he said.

'This court can only make distributive orders, whether by consent or otherwise, as between husband and wife, on application made by either or both of them.

Mrs Simon (pictured outside the High Court) says she has been 'destroyed' after her eight-year court war ended in her getting none of her multi-millionaire ex-husband's cash

'It cannot make a distributive order upon application by Level so as to require the husband to pay the wife such sum as Level is entitled to.

'The wife does not seek any orders, including a consent order. Nor does the husband. Whatever their reasons for this, I cannot force them to apply for orders, whether by consent or otherwise.

'If wife and husband, for their own reasons, elect not to pursue financial remedy proceedings, there is precious little that Level can do about it.'

The judge also added that 'no matter how unattractive the withdrawal by the wife of her application for financial remedies would be as an outcome so far as Level are concerned,' there is 'little they can do about that other than making her bankrupt and they would be unable to recoup any of the debt she owes to them'.

Having made 'no order' on Mrs Simon's application, the judge said: 'Should either wife or husband wish to make an application for financial remedies in the future, it must be issued afresh.

'If such an application is made, Level is to be automatically joined as intervener, and the application must be served on them.'

The court heard Level are bringing a separate civil case against Mrs Simon, seeking their money back.

The judge said: 'Level is not without potential remedies, as its civil claim remains pending. I make no observation on the merits, or otherwise, of its claim for a sum which now stands at about 1.2m, including interest but excluding costs.'
A Delta Airlines plane heading to Amsterdam has made an emergency landing in New York City after dozens of passengers were served spoiled food and fell ill during the flight.

Delta flight 136 was traveling from Detroit, Michigan to The Netherlands when it was diverted to JFK Airport early this morning after it was discovered that a portion of the in-flight meal service had been spoiled, a Delta spokesperson told DailyMail.com.

Medics met the plane after it landed at JFK and aid was provided to 14 passengers and 10 flight crew, all of whom declined to receive medical attention.

Travelers were provided with hotel rooms and transportation, a Port Authority spokesperson confirmed, and said that all 'will be rebooked to continue to their destination'.

The disruption on Wednesday morning came as millions took to America's skies for one of the busiest travel days of the year. TSA has warned that 32million will fly this week for July 4, piling the strain on an already stretched aviation industry.

One seemingly frustrated passenger from the flight took to social media, asking how the airline was 'going to get me to Amsterdam today' after it had to divert 'because you served passengers "contaminated" food' on the plane.

Delta Airlines flight 136 en route to Amsterdam diverted to New York City's JFK Airport after it was discovered that passengers were served 'contaminated food' during the in-flight meal service

One seemingly frustrated passenger took to social media, asking how the airline was 'going to get me to Amsterdam today' after it had to divert 'because you served passengers "contaminated" food' on the plane

The A330 plane, which had 277 customers on board, departed from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport just before 11pm Tuesday.

The flight crew decided to divert to NYC learning that some passengers had been served spoiled food.

Delta says the crew consulted with medical experts who recommended the diversion.

The flight landed safely at JFK around 4am Wednesday, where passengers and crew were met by medics.

'There were 24 aided cases upon landing, including 10 members of the flight crew and 14 passengers, all of whom declined to receive medical attention,' a Port Authority spokesperson told DailyMail.com.

'Passengers were provided with hotel rooms and transportation and will be rebooked to continue to their destination.'

Virginia, who was apparently on the flight, tweeted at the airline after the plane's emergency landing. She said: 'I need to know how you're going to get me to Amsterdam today - I'm on the plane that's emergency landing at JFK because you served passengers "contaminated" food.

'I don't need hotel/food vouchers I need to arrive in Amsterdam today.'

The flight landed safely at JFK around 4am Wednesday, where passengers and crew were met by medics (file photo of JFK Airport)

A Delta spokesperson told DailyMail.com its teams are probing the incident and have issued an apology to its costumers (stock photo)

A spokesperson told DailyMail.com: 'Delta flight 136 from Detroit to Amsterdam diverted to New York's JFK early Wednesday morning after it was discovered that a portion of the in-flight meal service was spoiled.

'Medical crews were on site to meet the aircraft and treat any affected passengers and crew members. Delta teams will immediately work to gather information into how this incident occurred.

'This is not the service Delta is known for and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels.'

It comes after a separate Delta plane was forced to make an emergency landing at JFK in April after an emergency slide fell off the aircraft.

The Los Angeles-bound Delta flight 520 was diverted back JFK Airport at around 8.30am on April 26. The plane had been an hour into its journey when the freak incident set off an emergency alarm.

No injuries were reported aboard the Boeing 767, which was carrying 176 customers, two pilots and five flight attendants at the time.
A serial sex attacker dubbed the 'Coronation Street' rapist who was once Britain's most wanted man failed in his latest bid for freedom, it was announced today.

Infamous criminal Andrew Barlow was handed 13 life sentences after a string of sex assaults on women and girls across five counties during the 1980s.

The 68-year-old spent 34 years behind bars for 11 rapes, three attempted rapes, indecent assault and using a firearm to resist arrest.

He was later found guilty of two more rapes in 2010 and 2017, committed during the 1980s. His final two convictions were for offences committed in 1981 and 1982.

In one of his vile crimes, he raped a woman in front of her three-year-old child who was hiding behind the sofa.

Barlow - dubbed the Coronation Street rapist because of the way he attacked his victims in their own terraced homes - was freed on parole in March last year, despite then justice secretary Dominic Raab attempting to halt his release.

His initial release in 2023 left his victims furious after they campaigned tirelessly with their families to keep the rapist behind bars.

Just six weeks later, he was hauled back to jail after breaching conditions, and today he discovered he failed in a bid to win freedom.

In its ruling, the Parole Board decided he is too 'high risk' to be released but went on to recommend he be placed in an open prison instead.

Andrew Barlow, a serial sex attacker dubbed the 'Coronation Street' rapist, was once Britain's most wanted man

Pictured is Andrew Barlow, formerly known as Andrew Longmire

In its ruling, the Board said he 'held attitudes supportive of or condoning sexual violence' but added: 'The panel heard that Mr Barlow was a quiet prisoner who gets on well with others on his wing.'

It added: 'Having reviewed Mr Barlows offending history, his custodial behaviour, his time on licence and the evidence at the oral hearing, the panel considered Mr Barlow would present a very high risk of a contact sexual offence at this time. His risk of serious harm towards other people was considered to be very high.'

The report concluded: 'The panel is not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public.

'The panel considered Mr Barlow to lack insight into his risk factors. However, on considering the criteria for recommending placement in open conditions, the panel recommended that Mr Barlow should be progressed in this way.

'It considered that he would present a low risk of absconding from an open prison and that a move to open conditions would allow him the chance to show that he can be trusted.

'It is now for the Secretary of State to decide whether to accept the Parole Boards recommendation. Mr Barlow will be eligible for another parole review in due course.'

Some of the more horrific offences that Barlow, formerly known as Andrew Longmire, committed in his campaign of terror included of raping a 15-year-old girl by breaking into her home at around 8:45am when her parents had left the house.

Barlow threatened the 'petrified' girl with a knife before pulling her clothes off and raping her.

The cold cases were eventually solved thanks to advances in DNA technology and Barlow was given 13 life sentences for his horrific crimes

Barlow was freed on parole in March last year, despite then justice secretary Dominic Raab (pictured) attempting to halt his release, slamming his crimes as 'despicable'

The serial rapist would spend days carrying out reconnaissance on the victims' homes to work out their domestic routines.

Knowing when a victim's partners or parents would leave for work allowed Barlow to attack the victims alone.

The cold cases were eventually solved thanks to advances in DNA technology.

Last year a relative of a woman Barlow raped in her own home in Greater Manchester in 1987 told Manchester Evening News: 'I took it on the chin in January and decided to get on with my life when Barlow was released - now this animal is back in our lives again. We told the authorities and they didn't listen.

'Someone has to be accountable for this. It will mean all the victims and their families are reliving the agony again like we had to in January when we tried in vain to stop his release.

'We told the authorities he was too high a risk and we have been proven right.

'I will like to sit down with someone from the Parole Board face to face and tell them what happened to our family because of Barlow'.
The victim of an alleged terror stabbing at a university campus is a psychology graduate researching brain disorders.

Melvern Kurniawan, 22, was allegedly stabbed in the neck and back with a kitchen knife by a 14-year-old boy at the University of Sydney at about 8.35am on Tuesday.

Mr Kurniawan was walking to the Brain and Mind Centre, which is located on the campus, when the random attack allegedly took place.

Bystanders rushed to his aid and helped stemmed the bleeding until paramedics arrived.

He was taken to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and is now recovering at home after he was discharged on Tuesday night.

Mr Kurniawan's family broke their silence from their home in Sydney's Hills district on Wednesday following his terrifying ordeal.

'He is doing fine, really fine. He doesn't want to talk about it for now, just recover first,' his mother Desy told the Daily Telegraph.

Melvern Kurniawan, 22 (pictured left with his family ) was allegedly stabbed in the neck and back with a kitchen knife by a 14-year-old boy at the University of Sydney at about 8.35am on Tuesday

Some of Mr Kurniawan's friends, who visited his home, told the newspaper he is an academically gifted student with a 'brilliant mind'.

'He's the smartest guy we know It's awful this happened,' one said.

Mr Kurniawan is a research assistant at the Brain and Mind Centre and is currently completing a thesis.

The centre is a globally recognised institute that conducts world-leading research on developing treatments for conditions in the brain,

The institute is also renowned for its leading mental health research.

Mr Kurniawan is studying a Bachelor of Psychology with Honours in Neuroscience.

He is conducting research into dementia, cognition and sleep.

'I hope to use my experience and knowledge of the relationship between the brain, behaviour, and psychology to assist people across diverse settings,' his LinkedIn page states.

Mr Kurniawan was also a talented high school student with an impressive ATAR of 99.40.

He topped his class in several subjects including English Extension Two and Legal Studies.

The teenager, who was wearing an army cadet-style uniform, was arrested by police a short time later (pictured police at the crime scene at the university campus on Tuesday)

Detectives from NSW Police and the Counter Terrorism Unit returned to the RPA hospital on Wednesday, where the teenager is currently being treated (pictured police at the crime scene on Tuesday)

His alleged attacker who was wearing an army cadet-style uniform, was arrested by police a short time later.

He remains under police guard in RPA Hospital as he undergoes a mental health assessment.

Detectives from NSW Police and the Counter Terrorism Unit returned to the hospital on Wednesday.

NSW Police Assistance Commissioner Mark Walton said the incident was not deemed a terrorist attack.

An motive has not identified by investigators at this stage and no connection to an ideology has been made.

Detectives have assessed that the boy acted alone and there is no evidence to suggest he is part of a larger organised group.

Photos from the scene show a puffer jacket and a backpack beside what appears to be a bloodstain on the concrete at the university's entrance (pictured)

The teenager has taken part in several government run deradicalisation programs after he was charged last year with threatening to carry out a terrorist attack.

Footage captured by a CCTV camera showed the boy walking on Parramatta road before he entered the campus of the university just before 8.30am.

He was seen walking out of the campus holding his right hand, which is understood to have been injured during the attack.

Police said the boy boarded a bus to the RPA Hospital and told staff he had allegedly stabbed someone.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said 'I am who I am' and admitted that he is 'not a church boy' when addressing explosive allegations that he sexually assaulted a former family babysitter.

The claim was one of many made in a Vanity Fair article that took a deep dive into Kennedy's long history of 'reckless' behavior - chronicling his drug use, allegations of sexual assault and even claims he ate a dog - which he has denied.

The magazine stated that in 1998 Kennedy and his then-wife Mary Richardson hired a 23-year-old woman, Eliza Cooney, as their part-time babysitter.

Ms Cooney reportedly told the magazine that Kennedy groped her in the family kitchen.

Kennedy has since said the article contains 'a lot of garbage', but when pressed by a podcast interviewer whether he denied the sexual assault allegation, he said: 'I'm not going to comment on it.'

Robert F Kennedy Jr told the Breaking Points podcast on Tuesday, 'I am not a church boy'

Vanity Fair published a story Tuesday that claimed independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sent out a picture to a friend that showed him pretending to gobble down a barbecued dog in Korea. Kennedy said it was a goat in Patagonia

On Tuesday afternoon, RFK Jr. pushed back at claims that he ate dog meat, saying the story was meant to 'distract us from President Biden's cognitive deficits'

Kennedy told the Breaking Points podcast on Tuesday, 'I am not a church boy.

'I had a very, very rambunctious youth,' he told podcaster Saagar Enjeti. 'I said in my announcement speech that I have so many skeletons in my closet that if they could all vote, I could run for king of the world.'

He additionally said the magazine was 'recycling 30-year-old stories,' and insisted: 'I'm not going to comment on the details of any of them, but it's  you know, I am who I am.'

Vanity Fair also shared a photo of Kennedy and a friend holding up a barbecued animal carcass which they are pretending to munch on.

It said that Kennedy had texted the photo in question to a friend last year - recommending his pal try a restaurant in South Korea that serves dog meat.

The magazine said a veterinarian identified the animal as a dog, as the animal had a telltale 'floating rib' found in canines.

The friend who received the picture thought it was 'disturbing evidence of Kennedy's poor judgment and thoughtlessness, simultaneously mocking Korean culture, reveling in animal cruelty, and needlessly risking his reputation and that of his family,' according to Vanity Fair.

Metadata from the photograph reportedly showed it was taken in 2010 - the same year that Kennedy contracted a brain worm. He has since fully recovered, his campaign has said.

Robert F Kennedy Jr is pictured as a boy with his uncle John F Kennedy. He is running as an independent candidate in the presidential race

Kennedy denied that the picture showed him posing with the barbecued carcass of a canine, claiming it was the carcass of a goat and that the picture was taken in Patagonia.

'Hey @VanityFair,' Kennedy wrote on social media platform X, 'you know when your veterinary experts call a goat a dog, and your forensic experts say a photo taken in Patagonia was taken in Korea, that you've joined the ranks of supermarket tabloids.'

He gave the same explanation during a Tuesday afternoon appearance on Fox News.

'Keep telling America that up is down if you want. I'll keep talking about the fact that working families can't afford houses or groceries because our last two presidents went on a $14 trillion debt joyride, paid for by hard-working Americans,' the independent said.

'The DNC media's garbage pail journalism may distract us from President Biden's cognitive deficits but it does little to elevate the national debate or reduce the price of groceries,' he added.

Vanity Fair's story suggests that Kennedy could have contracted the brain parasite in 2010 from the 'dog.'

The candidate has said that he believed he contracted the tapeworm from food he ate - though it's unclear where he had that meal.

At one point Kennedy suggested he contracted the parasite in India, while the campaign more vaguely pointed to his widespread travel in 'Africa, South America, and Asia.'

In a divorce filing from his late ex-wife Mary Richardson, Kennedy said the tapeworm ate a portion of his brain leading to a 'brain fog,' which diminished his earning potential.

Family members interviewed by Vanity Fair were skeptical of this explanation.

They pointed to the 14 years RFK Jr. was a heroin user - from the age of 15 to 29, when he quit.

'One Kennedy has circulated a report from the National Institutes of Health on the impact of long-term heroin abuse, which surmises that the damage can alter the physiology of the brain, 'creating long-term imbalances in neuronal and hormonal systems that are not easily reversed' and 'which may affect decision-making abilities, the ability to regulate behavior, and responses to stressful situations,'' the magazine's Joe Hagan wrote.

Kennedy, who is running in the November 5 presidential election against Democratic incumbent Joe Biden and Republican contender Donald Trump, has been called a potential election 'spoiler' by standing to take votes away from both major-party candidates.

However he has not qualified on enough state ballots to win the 270 electoral votes needed for victory and was barred from a CNN televised debate last week because of this.

Robert F Kennedy Jr was contacted for comment. Cooney was not reachable for comment.
Labour is considering putting trans ally ex-minister Harriet Harman in charge of the equalities watchdog if it takes power, it was reported today.

The former deputy Labour leader, who is standing down as an MP after more than 40 years, is said to be a candidate to lead the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

Its current leader, Baroness Falkner, has taken a tough stance on gender ideology and defended women's rights.

But a plan for the Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch to extend a five-year term due to end in November was scuppered by Rishi Sunak calling a surprise early election.

If appointed Ms Harman will be a highly controversial choice as she is an outspoken supporter of trans rights and has said trans men cannot be fully excluded from women's services.

In a 2022 interview with Sky the 73-year-old said: 'I stand behind the Gender Recognition Act, so as far as I'm concerned, women are women who are born women, but women are also women who are trans women.

'I think that we also need to recognise that in some respects there need to be same-sex services, which can be delivered and you can't have a blanket exclusion of trans women, but in certain circumstances, in narrow circumstances, you can restrict those services.'

The former deputy Labour leader, who is standing down as an MP after more than 40 years, is said to be a candidate to lead the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

It came as Labour leader Keir Starmer further hardened his position on gender rights rights, saying trans women with penises would not be allowed to enter female-only spaces.

Last year Baroness Falkner was subjected to an 'ideologically motivated witch-hunt' by trans activists.

Two Labour sources told the Times Ms Harman was being 'lined up', although a third said Baroness Falkner could yet be reappointed.

Campaign Group Fair Play For Women said that if she was appointed it would mean 'the end of sex-based rights for women, children and gay people'.

Ms Harman, who bows out as the longest serving female MP - known as the Mother of the House - is likely to be made a peer by a Labour government.

The Tories and others may however question her suitability for the role on other grounds.

The former MP for Camberwell and Peckham also led the Partygate probe that ruled against former PM Boris Johnson.

And throughout her long parliamentary career she has been a torchbearer for civil liberties, so much so that she was nicknamed 'Harriet Harperson' by her critics.

She has faced questions over her work for the National Council for Civil Liberties, a pressure group that granted 'affiliate' status to PIE, a group of predatory paedophiles who openly campaigned to legalise child sex in the 1970s.

Last year Baroness Falkner was subjected to an 'ideologically motivated witch-hunt' by trans activists.

Kishwer Falkner had been accused of bullying, discrimination and transphobia after her own staff at the EHRC filed a 40-page dossier of complaints against her.

But after an independent review it was shelved. Insiders at the EHRC believe she was targeted after she backed legal reforms guarding the rights of biological women in sport and single-sex spaces.

They said that the dossier of more than 40 complaints filed against her and then leaked to Channel 4 was made up of 'trivial' and 'petty perceived slights' made by those out to 'get her'.

It came as Labour leader Keir Starmer further hardened his position on gender rights rights, saying trans women with penises would not be allowed to enter female-only spaces.

The Labour leader was responding to criticism from JK Rowling over where those with gender recognition certificates who retain their male anatomy would be able to gain access.

In an article for The Times last week, the Harry Potter author claimed that she will 'struggle to support' Labour at next week's election over the party's support of women-only spaces.

Speaking to the same paper, Sir Keir was asked about a question she posed on X/Twitter, in which she asked: 'Do biological males with gender recognition certificates have the right to enter women-only spaces?'

He replied: 'No. They don't have that right. They shouldn't. That's why I've always said biological women's spaces need to be protected.'

Asked whether he would meet Ms Rowling, he added: 'I've indicated a willingness ... hopefully we can get that organised.'

But it is the latest remark by the Labour leader to threaten to put him on a collision course with his own MPs after the election.

In an article for The Times last week, the Harry Potter author claimed that she will 'struggle to support' Labour at next week's election over the party's support of women-only spaces.

Last week 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'.

It was the second time she and Sir Keir had appeared to disagree. He also said children should not be taught gender ideology at school, in an apparent slapdown.

Labour's leader said teachers did need guidance on sex and relationships education but that lessons should be age-appropriate.

His comments appeared to contradict those made by Ms Phillipson the day before, when she failed to back the Government's proposed ban on children being taught about gender identity.
Sir Keir Starmer has admitted he will almost certainly have to keep releasing prisoners early if elected Prime Minister amid fears jails will run out of space within days of the election.

The Labour leader conceded that 'in all likelihood' the policy being pursued by the current government would remain in place.

Britain's prison estate is severely overcrowded and numerous recent inspections have warned of dangerous conditions within jails due to staffing issues, endemic violence and widespread drug use.

Sir Keir told the BBC: 'It simply wouldn't be realistic for me to say, ''the prisons are overcrowded on Thursday at 10 o'clock but somehow I've magicked up a new prison on Friday morning'' - that isn't going to happen.'

When asked about prison overcrowding, he said: 'This has got to be a problem we'll inherit if we are privileged to come in to serve and I'm not going to sit here and pretend to you that I can build a prison on the first day of the Labour government.

Sir Keir Starmer - seen yesterday on the campaign trail - has conceded he will have to continue releasing prisoners early

'There has been an absolute failure on prison building - half the money that was allocated hasn't been spent, and we haven't got enough prison places.'

'I have to say it's shocking to have to inherit a problem like that, that our criminal justice system has gotten to a point where we're releasing prisoners who should be in prison early and giving instructions to the police not to arrest in certain cases.

'That is how broken the system [is] - got to pick that up and start the fix, but also not just fix but renew and take forward.'

His comments come after prison governors warned jails could run out of space within days, putting the public in danger.

The Prison Governors' Association (PGA), which represents more than 95% of all prison governors and managers working in England and Wales, said the entire criminal justice system 'stands on the precipice of failure' as it called on the next government to tackle problems 'without delay'.

The association believes there is 'no other option open' to government than to release more prisoners early to grip the 'crisis', adding: 'An uncrowded prison system should have no more than about 78,000 people in custody.'

As of Friday, the prison population stood at 87,360 with a 'usable operational capacity' of 88,818, indicating almost 1,500 spaces are available.

This does not include about 1,350 other cell spaces which are always kept free as a contingency measure, so prisons have the capacity to operate safely and respond to any urgent or unforeseen circumstances.

In an interview today, PGA president Tom Wheatley warned prisons would face 'operational breaking point' - where they can no longer safely accept more inmates - within 'a week or two' of the election'.

'The government has known about this for ages,' he told the Financial Times. There are things they could have done, and didn't, right up until the election was called.

'They made it inevitable that someone else would have to make very difficult decisions.'

A file photo of HMP Wandsworth in south-west London, which recently hit headlines after a prison officer was filmed allegedly having sex with an inmate

Sir Keir told the BBC : 'It simply wouldn't be realistic for me to say, ''the prisons are overcrowded on Thursday at 10 o'clock but somehow I've magicked up a new prison on Friday morning'' - that isn't going to happen'

The Government has expanded a scheme which allows some inmates to be released from jail up to 70 days early, in a bid to free up prison cells, but concerns have been raised that dangerous criminals could end up being eligible.

Officials insist offenders will continue to be supervised under strict conditions and say anyone jailed for a serious violent, terror or sexual offence will not be eligible.

The letter followed a threat from the prison officers' union last month that it could take the Government to court if overcrowding in jails gets worse.

The POA has repeatedly raised fears prisons could be full by early July, and said it may launch a legal challenge under health and safety laws if safe capacity levels are breached because guards have 'no right to strike' in England and Wales.

In a report published earlier this year, Whitehall's spending watchdog found overcrowding in prisons is now 'one of the biggest obstacles' to cutting the courts backlog.

The Government's target of cutting the crown court backlog to 53,000 by March 2025 is 'no longer achievable', the National Audit Office (NAO) said.

The Ministry of Justice is building six new prisons to create an extra 20,000 places as demand grows for cell spaces, partially because of the Government's recruitment campaign to hire 20,000 more police officers.

About 6,000 spaces have been created already and about 10,000 will be built by the end of 2025.

Failures in Britain's jails were recently thrust into the spotlight after a video emerged of a prison officer allegedly having sex with an inmate at HMP Wandsworth.
Suella Braverman has launched an extraordinary post-mortem of the Tories' election before polling day - blaming failure to tackle immigration and 'woke' policies.

The former home secretary insisted the contest is already 'over' and Conservatives must focus on the coming 'fight for the soul' of the party.

She argued that support had been 'evaporating' on the left and the right, with Nigel Farage's Reform splitting the traditional vote, and the next move will decide whether the party 'continues to exist at all'.

The brutal intervention comes as polls suggest Keir Starmer is on track for an enormous landslide tomorrow, picking up more seats than Tony Blair did in 1997.

A huge Survation poll last night - conducted using the MRP method - found Reform splitting the right-wing vote will gift Sir Keir the biggest Commons majority in history, while Tory numbers fall to a record low.

Touring broadcast studios this morning, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride acknowledged that the Conservatives are on track for a dire result.

He said Labour is almost certain to get an 'extraordinary landslide on a scale that has probably never, ever been seen in this country before'.

Suella Braverman has launched an extraordinary post-mortem of the Tories' election before polling day - blaming failure to tackle immigration and ' woke ' policies

A new MRP study by Survation, published within the final 48 hours of campaigning, predicted Labour would win 484 seats at this week's general election

The Survation model, based on polling data from more than 30,000 voters, forecast the Tories would be reduced to just 64 seats in the House of Commons

Ms Braverman herself is projected to hold on in Fareham & Waterlooville with a far smaller majority - although many of her potential rivals for the leadership could fall by the wayside.

Writing in The Telegraph, Ms Braverman said victory should no longer be the goal for the Tories.

'Thursday's vote is now all about forming a strong enough opposition,' she wrote.

'One needs to read the writing on the wall: it's over, and we need to prepare for the reality and frustration of opposition.'

Ms Braverman blamed the situation on a fracture within the Conservative Party resulting from the surge by Reform.

She said: 'It is notable that Labour's vote share has not markedly increased in recent weeks, but our vote is evaporating from both Left and Right.

'The critics will cite Boris (Johnson), Liz (Truss), Rwanda, and, I can immodestly predict, even me as all being fatal to our 'centrist' vote.

'The reality is rather different: we are haemorrhaging votes largely to Reform. Why? Because we failed to cut immigration or tax or deal with the net zero and woke policies we have presided over for 14 years.

'We may lose hundreds of excellent MPs because of our abject inability to have foreseen this inevitability months ago: that our failure to unite the Right would destroy us.'

Ms Braverman said the Tories need 'a searingly honest post-match analysis', 'because the fight for the soul of the Conservative Party will determine whether we allow Starmer a clear run at destroying our country for good or having a chance to redeem it in due course'.

'Indeed, it will decide whether our party continues to exist at all,' she added.
India's version of Big Brother has sparked outrage after including a male contestant and his two wives in the line-up - with producers accused of promoting bigamy to millions.

Influencer Armaan Malik, 36, and his two wives, Payal and Kritika, were brought onto Bigg Boss OTT, a reality TV programme which attracted 8.8million viewers last week.

The throuple painted a harmonious portrait of married life together, even though the complicated relationship began after Armaan began an affair with Kritika seven years after he married Payal, her 'best friend', in 2011.

Payal said: 'I didn't realise they would get so close but I totally accepted Kritika and we absolutely love each other and live together as a happy family.'

But after Payal was voted off on Sunday, leaving her husband and her wife alone in the house, she revealed that she's been miserable since they all began living with each other.

Influencer Armaan Malik, 36, (pictured, centre-right) and his two wives, Payal (pictured, centre-left) and Kritika (pictured, right) were brought onto Bigg Boss OTT

The complicated relationship began after Armaan began an affair with Kritika seven years after he married Payal, her 'best friend', in 2011

Payal said: 'I didn't realise they would get so close but I totally accepted Kritika and we absolutely love each other and live together as a happy family'

She revealed in an interview with Indian media that she was 'on the verge of committing suicide' after finding out about her husband's infidelity, and separated from him for a year.

'There was a time when we didn't want to see each other's face', she added.

She also undercut the image of bigamy that she and her partners portrayed to the world.

'Be it in our vlogs or interviews, we have never promoted it. Whatever mistake Armaan did, I don't think any man in India should do. We managed to sustain it, but I don't think anyone else can do that.'

While bigamy is not allowed in India by law, Muslims are allowed to marry multiple women under Islamic personal law.

But Payal revealed that she's been miserable since they all began living with each other

She revealed in an interview with Indian media that she was 'on the verge of committing suicide' after finding out about her husband's infidelity

But Malik and his wives are Hindus, who aren't allowed to marry multiple partners under religious laws.

Despite this, it is openly practised in India, according to supreme court lawyer Sanjay Hegde who told The Times: 'A man can indeed be prosecuted but only if the first wife brings charges. Not otherwise. It can't be a third party.'

But the widespread practice of bigamy doesn't make it any less controversial, with many commentators slamming Bigg Boss OTT's producers for including the throuple.

Commentator and author Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr said: 'The producers of these reality shows are always looking for something sensational or controversial and if there isn't anything, they create it, just to keep their mass viewership alive.'
A dying mother has admitted killing her terminally-ill seven-year-old son by using a large dose of morphine to 'quietly end his life'.

Antonya Cooper, from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, said her child Hamish had stage 4 cancer and was 'facing the most horrendous suffering' before his death in 1981.

She said Hamish was 'telling me he was in pain and asking me if I could remove his pain' and that as a mother, she was 'not going to let him suffer'.

The brave youngster had been battling neuroblastoma - a rare cancer that affects children - since the age of five and had been given just three months to live.

And despite 16 months of 'beastly' cancer treatment at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, Hamish's incurable illness had left him in constant agony.

Speaking of her decision to give her little boy a large dose of morphine, Mrs Cooper said: 'It was the right thing to do. My son was facing the most horrendous suffering and intense pain, I was not going to allow him to go through that.'

Now facing her own battle against terminal cancer, Mrs Cooper has described in heartbreaking detail how she helped her son die after he begged her to ease his suffering.

Antonya Cooper, from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, said her lad Hamish had stage 4 cancer and was in 'a lot of pain' before his death in 1981

Hamish was facing unimaginable suffering and was in 'intense pain' while battling his cancer, his mother said

Now facing her own incurable cancer, Mrs Cooper has spoken out about how she gave her son a 'large dose' of morphine to 'quietly end his life'

'On Hamish's last night, when he said he was in a lot of pain, I said: 'Would you like me to remove the pain?' and he said: 'Yes please, mama',' Mrs Cooper told BBC Radio Oxford.

'And through his Hickman Catheter, external, I gave him a large dose of morphine that did quietly end his life.'

The dying 77-year-old was asked by BBC Radio Oxford if she believed her son knew she was intending to take his life.

'I feel very strongly that at the point of Hamish telling me he was in pain, and asking me if I could remove his pain, he knew, he knew somewhere what was going to happen,' she replied.

'But I cannot obviously tell you why or how, but I was his mother, he loved his mother, and I totally loved him, and I was not going to let him suffer, and I feel he really knew where he was going.'

Mrs Cooper's admission comes as she fights to change the law on assisted dying.

Assisted suicide - the act of intentionally helping someone to end their life - and euthanasia - the deliberate ending of a person's life - are both illegal in the UK.

Mrs Cooper's admission to the BBC could now open her up to a potential police investigation.

Quizzed over whether she understood she had potentially admitted to manslaughter or murder, she told the radio station: 'Yes'.

Patriotic Hamish, with a Union flag on his hospital bed. spent 16 months undergoing 'beastly' cancer treatment at Great Ormond Street hospital after being diagnosed, aged five

Describing the impact of her son's death, Antonya said it is like an 'amputation' and it takes time to 'learn to live with that amputation' (pictured: Hamish in late 1974)

WHAT IS NEUROBLASTOMA? Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer that affects children and usually starts in the abdomen. Around 100 children, who are typically under five, are diagnosed every year in the UK. The disease affects approximately 800 new children annually in the US. In around half of cases, neuroblastoma spreads to other parts of the body, particularly the liver and skin. Neuroblastoma's cause is unclear. There may be a family-history link. The main symptom is usually a lump in the abdomen, which may cause swelling, discomfort or pain. If the disease affects the spinal cord, it can lead to numbness, weakness and loss of movement in the lower part of the body. Treatment depends on how advanced the cancer is and the risk it will return after therapy. Surgery, and chemo and radiotherapy, are commonly used. Source: Cancer Research UK Advertisement

'If they come 43 years after I have allowed Hamish to die peacefully, then I would have to face the consequences. But they would have to be quick, because I'm dying too,' Mrs Cooper added.

Hamish died at home on December 1, 1981.

In 1979, after his fifth birthday, Hamish started crying in pain and losing weight  and with her mother's instinct, Antonya knew he was 'seriously ill'.

But it took 13 weeks of visits to seven different GPs before she decided to take Hamish to see a private paediatrician at the John Radcliffe Hospital  and even then, she was told there was 'nothing wrong'.

Antonya 'insisted' on further examinations, including blood tests and an X-ray  and it later transpired that Hamish had a grapefruit-sized tumour within his abdomen, namely stage 4 neuroblastoma.

Hamish was then transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), where he underwent chemotherapy, a bone marrow autograft, radiotherapy, and surgery to remove the cancerous tissue, which had shrunk to the size of a tangerine.

His prognosis was three months and he subsequently underwent 16 months of treatment at GOSH, which 'ruined parts of his body' but extended his life.

Antonya said she would have honest conversations with Hamish and his sister Tabitha, who were 'thick as thieves', about the 'probability of his not surviving'.

While Hamish did not ask about death directly, there came a point later on where, in answer to one of his questions, Antonya said to him: 'Yes, Hamish, you probably will die.'

This was incredibly challenging, but after his treatments ended, he returned to school, his hair started to regrow, and in the summer of 1981, the family enjoyed holidays by the sea.

Antonya told PA Real Life that she would have honest conversations with Hamish and his sister Tabitha, (left) who were 'thick as thieves', about the 'probability of his not surviving'

(Pictured: Hamish in Pembrokeshire with his granny in 1974)

After his treatments ended, he returned to school, his hair started to regrow, and in the summer of 1981, the family enjoyed holidays by the sea

BBC Radio Oxford asked Antonya if she understood she was potentially admitting to manslaughter or murder, and she replied: 'Yes'

In the autumn, however, Hamish took a knock on one of his ankles and developed septic arthritis, which led to biopsies being taken  and these later revealed that his cancer had 'returned with a vengeance'.

At this point, Antonya said they 'knew that was the final journey' and, after receiving palliative care at home and being given morphine sulphate, Hamish died on December 1 1981.

Describing the impact of his death, she said: 'The simplicity of it is that you suffer an amputation and it takes you time to learn to live with that amputation.

'You never get over it because you've lost that limb, it's gone forever, but you learn just to cope.'

Mrs Cooper has now been diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy, which she said makes her feel 'rotten'.

She now wants to campaign for the laws on assisted dying in the UK to change, joining the likes of Dame Esther Rantzen.

Dame Esther, best known for presenting and producing the hit BBC show That's Life! from, is one of the nation's most well-known advocates for assisted suicide, after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer last January.

Last December, she revealed that she has signed up for Dignitas, the most well-known assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland, and said that she 'might buzz off to Zurich' if her complex cancer treatment doesn't work.

In England and Wales, assisted suicide can be prosecuted with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

But despite the enormous personal risk, her daughter, Rebecca Wilcox, hinted that she would help her mother attend a Dignitas clinic.

Wilcox, herself a TV presenter, wrote in Saga magazine: 'If she goes  at the moment it would be her only option for an assisted death  she will have to go alone. It is against the law to accompany her. I would face prosecution for manslaughter and could receive up to 14 years in prison.

Despite the enormous personal risk Dame Esther Rantzen's (pictured, right) daughter, Rebecca Wilcox (pictured, left), hinted that she would help her mother attend a Dignitas clinic

'Even if it doesn't go to trial, many people face a two-year investigation. I have a young family with two children, a busy home and a complex job. I shouldn't have to risk going to prison just to keep mum company, but I'm not sure I could let her go alone.

'It's an impossible decision to have to make: either risk possible prosecution at the worst time of my life, when I have just lost my adored mum, or do the unthinkable and let her die alone in a foreign country with no one she knows or loves to hold her hand.'

Wilcox added: 'The thought of her actually dying is abominable, but the thought of her dying in pain is unthinkable.

'Her health is not great and her illness has no cure. The prognosis may lead to a painful death that might not be eased with palliative care and opioid painkillers.'

Mrs Cooper is now coming to terms with her own incurable cancer four decades after her son's death.

She added: 'I am not a religious person, but there is a tiny voice inside me that believes it would be wonderful if I could cuddle Hamish again.'
A Dutch pensioner ended his life via euthanasia after he could not cope with the trauma he sustained in a brutal home robbery late last year, it has been revealed.

Jan Beulenkamp, 77, suffered brain damage and a slew of other horrific injuries when he was violently attacked as he lay in bed at home in Liendenhof, Amsterdam-Zuidoost, in November.

Shocking images from the aftermath of the assault showed the elderly Dutchman sporting horrendous bruises and lacerations across his face, neck and chest as he lay in a hospital bed.

The doting grandfather, supported by his wife, children and a host of doctors and therapists attempted to rehabilitate but his quality of life plummeted as he battled with impaired speech, partial paralysis and mental trauma.

Three months after the deplorable attack, Mr Beulenkamp opted to die via euthanasia, having been granted permission to end his life by Dutch authorities.

His attacker meanwhile remains at large, prompting the Public Prosecution Service to offer a reward of 10,000 euros for any information leading to their arrest.

Jan Beulenkamp, 77, suffered brain damage and a slew of other horrific injuries when he was violently attacked (pictured with grandkids)

The pensioner, supported by his wife, children and a host of doctors and therapists attempted to rehabilitate but his quality of life plummeted as he battled with impaired speech, partial paralysis and mental trauma

Shocking images from the aftermath of the assault showed the elderly Dutchman sitting bloodied and confused as he waited for police

Three months after the deplorable attack, Mr Beulenkamp (pictured with grandkids) opted to die via euthanasia, having been granted permission to end his life by Dutch authorities

The intruder, a Dutch-speaking man between 20 and 30 years old with dark skin according to a description given by the victims, rang the doorbell of the Beulenkamp household around 8:30am on November 26.

Mrs. Beulenkamp answered the door, expecting to meet a neighbour - but was confronted by the robber who immediately threatened her with a firearm and demanded money.

When she did not comply, he forced his way into the house and ransacked each room before rushing upstairs to find Mr. Beulenkamp still asleep in bed.

The attacker repeatedly struck the pensioner with the butt of his pistol, inflicting severe injuries, before assaulting Mrs. Beulenkamp and fleeing the scene with stolen jewellery.

Mr. Beulenkamp was treated in the hospital for serious wounds to his legs, head, and face following the attack.

He initially showed positive signs of recovery, surprising hospital staff with his ability to communicate and walk just days after the heinous assault.

But his condition quickly deteriorated, and the weeks that followed saw the pensioner suffer from impaired speech, coordination issues, and partial paralysis.

His son and daughter shared their heartbreak over their father's rapid decline on the Dutch television programme Opsporing Verzocht - in English 'Investigation Requested' - which sheds light on crimes across the Netherlands.

'He did deteriorate and then he realised that it might not be right yet,' his son recounted. 'His speech and coordination were affected, but he was also paralysed on one side.'

His daughter added: 'It was heartbreaking to see that he could no longer express himself and make things clear. Our joy of life has been destroyed.'

In January 2024, Mr. Beulenkamp chose to undergo euthanasia, a decision supported by his family.

People who die by euthanasia are typically given a barbiturate solution administered by doctors which stops their heart, although the method of Mr Beulenkamp's death has not been shared.

The Netherlands has one of the most progressive euthanasia laws in the world, and has seen two high-profile cases in just the past two months.

Under Dutch law, euthanasia is legal if performed by a physician under strict conditions, and if the patient's suffering is deemed unbearable with no prospect of improvement.

Jan Faber and Els van Leeningen were married for almost five decades before they ended their lives at the same time in early June. The couple are pictured just days before their deaths

Zoraya ter Beek (pictured), who suffered from depression and borderline personality disorder, decided that she wanted to die after struggling with mental health issues for over a decade because treatment had not helped her

Beek is pictured here in 2017 with her do not resuscitate badge - something that is typically worn by elderly people with a terminal illness

In early June, a devoted couple who spent their lives together after meeting as small children chose to die via euthanasia side by side.

Jan Faber and Els van Leeningen, aged 70 and 71, were married for almost five decades before they ended their lives by lethal injection at the same time.

Jan, who worked as a cargo boat operator, had been suffering from severe back pain for over 20 years, while his wife was diagnosed with dementia in 2022 which became so debilitating that she struggled to form sentences.

In the moments before their deaths, the pair were surrounded by friends and family, including their son, who had found his parents' decision to end their lives hard to take.

'You don't want to let your parents die, so there have been tears,' Jan said of his son's reaction.

'Our son said, "better times will come, better weather" - but not for me.' Els said before her planned death:

'There is no other solution.'

In May, a physically healthy Dutch woman died by euthanasia shortly after turning 29 because she didn't want to live with depression and anxiety.

Zoraya ter Beek, who also suffered from trauma and borderline personality disorder, decided that she wanted to die after struggling with mental health issues for over a decade, while claiming that no treatment had helped her.

She died 'a dignified death, which she longed for for years due to unbearable psychological suffering,' according to an obituary published by Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

Mr Beulenkamp's son and daughter shared their heartbreak over their father's rapid decline on the Dutch television programme Opsporing Verzocht - in English 'Investigation Requested' - which sheds light on crimes across the Netherlands

Beek's case received global attention and ignited debate about assisted dying.

Many who support euthanasia say it should only be available to terminally ill people facing an imminent, painful and undignified death.

Others - like Beek - insist a comfortable, peaceful suicide should be an available option to people suffering from insurmountable mental anguish.

In light of Mr Beulenkamp's death in January, police have intensified their efforts to solve this case.

A reward of 10,000 euros has been offered for any information leading to the capture of the perpetrator.

'We do not rule out that the perpetrator came from the neighbourhood or knows the neighbourhood well. This is because there is no escape route for a car and the street is a dead end,' a police spokesperson stated.

A text message has been sent to potential witnesses who were in the vicinity at the time of the robbery in an attempt to generate new leads.
Boris Johnson's father Stanley has slammed officials for refusing to allow him off a diverted plane when it landed at Heathrow - causing the entire flight to be cancelled.

The writer, 83, was aboard BA2641 from Malaga to London Gatwick on Friday when it was diverted to Heathrow due to a temporary runway closure.

The Airbus A321 was due to refuel before making the short flight to Gatwick when the runway reopened, but Mr Johnson and two other passengers wanted to get off.

This reportedly led to the plane missing its departure slot and being cancelled, with all passengers forced to disembark and catch a connecting bus to Gatwick.

Mr Johnson has strongly defended his actions and insisted the pilot invited passengers to disembark at Heathrow before 'airport authorities' decided 'this could not be allowed to happen'.

He also insisted he was helping a woman who was 'terrified' about getting back on the plane after losing her husband in a plane accident.

Stanley Johnson, pictured last year in London, was aboard BA2641 from Malaga to London Gatwick on Friday when it was diverted to Heathrow due to a temporary closure of the runway

The Airbus A321 was due to refuel before making the short flight to Gatwick when the runway reopened, but Mr Johnson and two other passengers wanted to leave. File photo

The Malaga flight was one of 16 that had to be diverted after a separate British Airways plane was unable to take off at Gatwick, causing the runway to be closed for 50 minutes.

Passengers told The Independent that Mr Johnson - who splits his time between London and Somerset - was among three passengers who wanted to get off after the plane landed at Heathrow.

A woman called Annemarie said this led to a row, with the former MEP and the other passengers 'getting quite irate... hence the police' before the flight was eventually cancelled.

But Mr Johnson has since written an op-ed for The Independent defending himself against criticism and insisting he did the right thing.

He wrote: 'As we landed at Heathrow, the captain informed us that after we had taken on some fuel, we would make the ''short hop'' back to Gatwick. He went on to invite any passengers without luggage in the hold to disembark at Heathrow if they wanted to.

'I grabbed my bags from the rack and went to the forward entrance of the plane. Two other passengers joined me and the three of us stepped out of the door onto the top of the metal stairs which were already in place.

'All we had to do, I imagined, was to wait for the ground transport to arrive to take us into the terminal building. That was the mistake.'

Mr Johnson said he and the other two passengers were not allowed to walk towards the terminal because Gatwick was the flight's official destination.

He said he 'suspects' that he would have 'allowed myself' to be escorted back onto the plane, but took pity on a woman who said she had recently lost her husband in an air accident and was refusing to get back onboard.

All flights were temporarily suspended at Gatwick Airport on Friday afternoon after a British Airways flight was forced to an emergency stop on the runway

The father of the former Prime Minister added that he was unsure why police had to be called.

Officials eventually decided to redefine the flight 'as a Malaga to Heathrow flight', he said, which 'effectively meant' the original flight to Gatwick was cancelled.

Mr Johnson said he was 'truly sorry for the inconvenience caused to other passengers' but insisted he was glad that he 'stood my ground' and said he was thanked by 'the poor woman whose husband had just died in an air crash'.

Friday's incident at Gatwick caused widespread chaos after all flights had to be temporarily suspended.

BA2279 had been due to leave for Vancouver before it was forced to do a 'high-speed emergency stop' - leaving the Boeing 777 jet blocking the runway.

Video footage taken from passengers onboard the flight showed fire engines making their way over to the stationary plane, with travellers being told take-off had been 'aborted'.

The airport's runway was forced to close following a 'rejected take-off', according to flight tracking website Flightradar24. The website reported the closure at 12.53pm, reopening at 1.14pm.

A British Airways spokesperson said at the time: 'Our pilots took the precautionary decision to cancel take-off due to a technical issue. Safety is always our top priority and we apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused.'

It marked yet another hiccup this week for families trying to get away for the summer, with families flying from Birmingham Airport facing long queues due to delays at a new 60million security hall.

British Airways and Heathrow have been contacted for comment in relation to the incident involving Stanley Johnson.
Monique Zollner (pictured) was arrested with 180,000 worth of the drug last April after she arrived in the UK with it stuffed into two suitcases following a flight from Canada to Manchester

A female drug mule who was caught smuggling 30 kilos of cannabis into the UK has been spared jail after a court heard her 16-year-old brother was shot dead in a gang war when she was four.

Monique Zollner, 21, was arrested with 180,000 worth of the drug last April after she arrived in the UK with it stuffed into two suitcases following a flight from Canada to Manchester.

At Manchester Crown Court, Zollner of Fallowfield, Manchester, faced up to three years in jail after she admitted importing cannabis but was freed with an 18-month suspended sentence when a judge ruled she was 'vulnerable' to her age, drug habit, lack of convictions and history of 'family trauma'.

Zollner was aged just four when her brother Louis Brathwaite was gunned down during one of Britain's bloodiest turf wars in 2008.

The schoolboy was killed when two hitmen shot him while he played slot machines with friends at a William Hill betting shop.

Police inquiries revealed his killing was linked to two other murders of young men who died in gangland shootings at the height of gang warfare in South Manchester between the rival Gooch Close, Doddington gang and Longsight Crew.

Zollner who was pictured stood at the graveside of Louis as part of a public appeal to catch her brother's killers had been 'traumatised' by the murder - plus another more recent but undisclosed incident.

Zollner was aged just four when her brother Louis Brathwaite (pictured) was gunned down during one of Britain's bloodiest turf wars in 2008

Zollner who was shown pictured stood at the graveside of Louis as part of a public appeal to catch her brother's killers had been 'traumatised' by the murder

The court heard she had become addicted to nitrous oxide and owed 2,000 to her mother Sophia.

She eventually fell under the spell of a drug trafficker who promised her 16,000 if she embarked on the 4,000-mile journey from Toronto to Manchester via Frankfurt bringing the haul of cannabis with her.

As she was being convicted, Zollner broke down and wept in the dock as Judge Sarah Johnston told her: 'So much of the harm these courts see on a daily basis has its roots in the illegal trade of drugs and you brought 30kg of cannabis into this city for onward distribution.

'But you are a vulnerable young woman and has suffered two incidents in your life, the first when you were a very young child and the second only a few years ago which I am satisfied have been appropriately categorised as major and traumatic.

'I'm not going to set out the details in open court but you have suffered a great deal as a consequence and your physical and mental health have deteriorated as a result and you have sought to self-medicate.

'It seems to me your family are at the most at risk of suffering, consequent upon your addiction or predisposition to abuse of nitrous oxide.

'But your candour about this is consistent with your growing maturity including a demonstration of genuine remorse and the green shoots of understanding as to the very serious offence you have committed.

'In my judgement, you need support as well as punishment and need assistance in reducing your use of nitrous oxide and instead developing more healthy coping strategies.'

Louis (pictured) was killed when two hitmen shot him while he played slot machines with friends at a William Hill betting shop

The court heard she had become addicted to nitrous oxide and owed 2,000 to her mother Sophia (pictured at Louis' inquest in 2013)

Zollner (pictured) eventually fell under the spell of a drug trafficker who promised her 16,000 if she embarked on the 4,000-mile journey from Toronto to Manchester via Frankfurt bringing the haul of cannabis with her

Earlier the court heard Zollner was detained on April 13 when suspicions were raised about luggage she was bringing into the UK.

Miss Lisa Boocock, prosecuting said: 'Upon questioning she said she had no keys to the suitcases and accepted she had been given those suitcases to transfer them to someone else.

'There were a total of 60 packages of cannabis inside the cases weighing 500g each. In police interview she explained had accrued debt of 2,000 to her mother and in order to pay it off she had agreed with a male that she would bring in the two suitcases containing the cannabis and receive 8,000 for each one.

'There is an element of her playing a significant role in this enterprise.. However it might be considered there was some naiviety in her bringing the drugs into the country. '

Zollner who had no previous convictions was also ordered to complete 60 hours unpaid work, 15 rehabilitation activity days and a nine-month drug rehabilitation programme.

Her counsel Adam Roxborough said in mitigation: 'There was an element of pressure that has engaged her into his activity and there has been an element of naiviety.

'She has never previously had any involvement with police in terms of arrest and she was very much influenced by others further up the chain.

'It is clear this is a vulnerable young women who has suffered major family traumas. These events came about as a result of a debt owned to her mother.

'It was foolish and again another example of her naivety and immaturity to not speak to her mother about it but when someone lends themselves to others more criminally sophisticated they become prey to what they wish.

'She wouldn't pay the debt in a conventional sense so she succumbed to pressure and temptation of repaying it in another way. It is plain she wasn't the organiser of this enterprise.

The court heard Zollner (pictured) was detained on April 13 when suspicions were raised about luggage she was bringing into the UK

Louis's killers have never been caught and a 50,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the convictions

'She was used presumably because she was someone less likely to attract the attention of the authorities, She is very remorseful and anxious for her family. She is heartbroken and disappointed in herself.

'Because of events in her life she has tried to self medicated using substances and she has been struggling with that. She does not have pro-criminal tendencies. She is a vulnerable individual who has been taken advantage of during what has been a very difficult life.'

Louis's killers have never been caught and a 50,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the convictions.

The teenager was not a member of a gang but was friendly with another youngster who was the intended target in the shooting on January 24 2008.

Detectives believe Louis was mistakenly gunned down in an 'act of reprisal' after the murder of Halton McCollin, 20 who was shot dead ten days earlier as he queued for a takeaway meal.

Giuseppe Gregory, 15, was shot dead in a gangland ambush May 2009 in revenge for Louis' murder.

Inquiries revealed the killers of Giuseppe hailed from Fallowfield Mad Dogs - a splinter group from the Gooch gang - had set up a MySpace site in memory of Louis.
Hidden camera footage has captured members of Italian hard-right leader Giorgia Meloni's youth wing performing fascist salutes and chanting 'Sieg heil'.

In the wake of the scandal, Prime Minister Meloni told her Brothers of Italy party on Tuesday that it should expel from its ranks anyone who idolises Italy's fascist past, and to reject antisemitism, racism and nostalgia for its past dictatorships.

Criticism has mounted after an undercover media investigation last week released a video of members of her party's youth wing making the fascist salutes.

In a letter to party leaders, Meloni said she was 'angry and saddened' that their actions damaged the group's reputation.

'There is no room in Brothers of Italy for racism or antisemitism, nor is there space for those who are nostalgic for the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century or for any manifestation of foolish folklore,' she wrote. 'Our task is too great for those who have not understood its scope to be allowed to ruin it.'

Hidden camera footage has captured members of Italian hard-right leader Giorgia Meloni's youth wing performing fascist salutes and chanting 'Sieg heil' (pictured)

In the wake of the scandal, Prime Minister Meloni (pictured June 28) told her Brothers of Italy party on Tuesday that it should expunge from its ranks anyone who idolises Italy's fascist past, and reject antisemitism, racism and nostalgia for its past dictatorships

Brothers of Italy traces its roots to a neo-fascist group set up after World War Two.

However, Meloni has worked to distance herself from the far right in recent years and says her party is mainstream conservative.

But in a blow to these efforts, opposition parties leapt on the investigation by the online newspaper Fanpage, which was titled 'The Meloni Youth'.

The publication's journalist pretended to be an activist with National Youth, the youth wing of the Brothers of Italy party, and the report came out in two episodes last month.

Fanpage said the footage from a hidden camera showed members of the movement doing fascist salutes, praising Benito Mussolini, defining themselves as fascists and instructing others to spread stickers with fascist slogans.

This, Fanpage said, showed Brothers of Italy was a refuge for extreme right-wingers, belying Meloni's efforts to present a moderate image both at home and abroad.

Meloni said on Tuesday the Brothers of Italy had to be transparent and consistent.

'Anyone who believes there can be a public image of Brothers of Italy that does not correspond to their private behaviour simply does not understand what we are, and thus is not welcome among us,' she said in the letter.

'There is no room in our ranks for those who play a caricature role that only serves the narrative our opponents want to create about us.

'I and we don't have time to lose with those who want to make us go backward.'

Fanpage.it said the footage from a hidden camera (pictured) showed members of the movement doing fascist salutes, praising Benito Mussolini, defining themselves as fascists and instructing others to spread stickers with fascist slogans

Fanpage published clips of youth members chanting 'Duce', a reference to Mussolini, and shouting 'Seig heil' - an expression adopted by the Nazis under Adolf Hitler

However, Meloni and other lawmakers from her party also criticised the methods deployed by the journalists, saying that the report only represented a small majority of her party's youth movement rather than the party as a whole.

Luca Ciriani, a Brothers of Italy lawmaker, also said the Fanpage report was based on fragmented, out-of-context images.

Despite her efforts to distance the modern iteration of her party from Italy's fascist past, Meloni once again had to remind her party's leadership to move on.

She also reminded them that Brother of Italy adhered to a 2019 resolution in the European Parliament which condemned all 20th century dictatorships.

She said this was a 'position' that she has 'no intention of questioning'.

The report showed that the party's project to bring it into the modern era was not complete, and that nostalgia remains for the days of Mussolini - Italy's fascist leader and 'Duce' (derived from Dux in Latin, or leader) from 1922 to 1945.

He was summarily executed in 1945 by Italian partisans.

Fanpage published clips of youth members chanting 'Duce', a reference to Mussolini, and shouting 'Seig heil' - an expression adopted by the Nazis under Adolf Hitler.

One man was seen telling the journalists: 'I am a fascist'.

Another said: 'We are comrades, not dumb a**holes' - contrasted with Meloni telling a crowd of National Youth members: 'I am proud of you.'

The undercover reporter attended a meeting of the group, where people were seen chanting and making the fascist salutes.

It also showed that Marco Perissa and Paolo Trancassini, senior members of the Brothers of Italy party, and Nicola Procaccini, an MEP, were also there.

The clip showed how some greeted attendees with a 'gladiatorial salute' - which, the report says, is when two people grasp each other's wrists in a hand shake.

Fanpage's report also showed a group chat where someone had posted the message: 'Jewish people are a race and I despise them.'

Two youth members - Elisa Segnini and Flaminia Pace - resigned last week after the second instalment of the expose was released.

They were not expelled, said a spokesperson for the Brothers of Italy party.

Pictured: Meloni is seen speaking at a National Youth event in the Fanpage report

Fanpage said the footage from a hidden camera showed members of the movement doing fascist salutes, praising Benito Mussolini, defining themselves as fascists and instructing others to spread stickers with fascist slogans (pictured)

Liliana Segre, an Italian senator and holocaust survivor, asked on Italian television after seeing the reports from Fanpage: 'At my age, will I have to see this again?'

'Will I have to be kicked out of my country like I was once kicked out?'

Lawmakers from the left of Italian politics spoke out against Meloni.

Michela Di Biase, of Italy's Democratic Party, accused the National Youth of idealising those who 'stained the history of our country with the blood of persecution.'
This video is no longer available

This video is no longer available

A great-grandmother hit and killed while crossing the road on her way to a volunteer shift has been remembered for her generosity and love of naughty jokes.

Marjorie Morritt had just left home and was crossing Kinkaid and Midway Roads in Elizabeth East in Adelaide when she was allegedly struck by a Mitsubishi sedan on Tuesday morning.

She was rushed to Lyell McEwin Hospital with serious injuries, where she died a short time later.

She had been scheduled to start a shift at the same hospital, where she had volunteered for the last 24 years running activities in the mental health unit.

Friends had been waiting for her with a cake to celebrate her 79th birthday.

Ms Morritt's family have been overwhelmed at the love and support from the many people who knew her.

'The enormity of the value that she had in the community is overwhelming,' her son Peter told Seven News.

Ms Morritt helped hundreds of people through her volunteering, despite her own health issues.

Marjorie Morritt, 79, (pictured) was killed on her birthday after being allegedly struck by a car just metres from her home

The great grandmother (pictured right) volunteered at Lyell McEwin Hospital in Adelaide for 24 years

'She wasnt one to sit at home. She was one who wanted to get out and engage and assist,' he said.

Northern Healthcare Volunteer Association volunteer director Manju Shelke said the 79-year-old was 'always ready with a joke to lighten and brighten the offices when she signed in and out'.

'In recognition of her outstanding volunteer service, Marjorie was presented with the Premiers Certificate in May 2024 during National Volunteer Week for her commitment and dedication to volunteering,' she said.

Ms Shelke said that the great-grandmother has left behind a 'wonderful legacy' and will be missed.

There was an outpouring of emotion on social media for the volunteer, including from her grandchildren Kym Cullen and Benjamin Morritt, who said the family had been on a 'rollercoaster' of emotions.

'The best grandma,' grandson Benjamin Morritt wrote.

Granddaughter Kym added: 'Love you grandma, forever in our hearts.'

The popular volunteer and well-known parishioner at her church was described by others on Facebook as 'generous', 'caring' and someone who loved 'naughty' jokes.

'Marj was just lovely, she was so generous with her time and wisdom. Her presence in this world will be missed,' one wrote.

A 22-year-old woman had her licence revoked and reported for careless driving (pictured the driver's car at the crash scene)

Family and the wider community have expressed their sadness at the loss of the 'lovely' and 'generous' great-grandmother (pictured right)

'By god she was absolutely lovely  she was so giving and caring and I used to love the conversations we would have. It was simply a pleasure knowing her  happy birthday, Marj RIP,' another said.

'The sweetest lady, even with the naughty jokes that she told. Gone but never forgotten,' one person said.

'I used to see her at Munno Para at the cafe near the florist shop. Always used to say hello. She was a beautiful lady,' another said.

The driver of the Mitsubishi, a 22-year-old woman from Hillbank, was charged with careless driving and lost her licence immediately.

She was taken to hospital for mandatory drug and alcohol testing.

South Australia Police urge anyone who witnessed the crash or who has dashcam footage to contact Crime Stoppers.

Ms Morritt's death is the 45th life lost on South Australian roads this year.
While Keir Starmer measures the curtains for his new life at No.10, there are signs that his ambitious Left-wing deputy might already be laying the groundwork to replace him as Labour leader.

In public at least, Starmer and Angela Rayner are united. And with the polls pointing to a landslide Labour victory, they are preparing to hit the ground running.

But behind the scenes, their relationship has been fractious to say the least.

As Rayner readies herself to be Britains first female deputy prime minister, she is acutely aware that most powerful woman in Starmers putative new cabinet will not be her at all, but Rachel Reeves the incoming chancellor.

Angela Rayner with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria, right, at a campaign event on Saturday

It stings that Ange is not inner circle, says my Labour mole.

But Rayner has a trump card. Not only is she the elected deputy leader of the Labour Party  a role from which Starmer is unable to oust her  she is the darling of Labours grassroots membership.

And its her popularity with party members that might explain four mysterious internet domain names pointing to a future Rayner leadership challenge.

The sites are: raynerforpm.co.uk, angelaforpm.co.uk, angela4pm.co.uk and rayner4pm.co.uk  all registered by a person or persons unknown.

Intriguingly, they were set up on July 11, 2022, which was just three days after Rayner and Starmer had been cleared of breaching lockdown rules over a beer and takeaway curry controversially consumed with staff during a Hartlepool by-election campaign in April 2021.

Or were the domain names established by an admirer of Rayner? Does Rayner know of their existence?

For its part, Labour has denied the domain names have anything to do with its deputy, while a source added: There is only one party leader whose position is in any doubt and that is the Prime Minister, with Tory leadership candidates already jostling for position.

Perhaps they were set up by an enterprising politico who will be able to sell them to Team Rayner if and when there is a leadership contest?

Regardless, Angela Rayner seems surprisingly well prepared for such an eventuality, not least because it is Labour Party members who elect the leaders.

Since the start of the year, Rayner has banked donations of 47,650 to run her political office.

A former shop steward for Unison, one of the biggest trade unions in the country, Rayner is also supported by staff seconded by the union movement. In fact she has a team of eight on her payroll including a chief-of-staff, a private secretary and a number of policy advisers.

In September 2022, Rayner received a 22,000 donation to fund a branded vehicle and related services.

She already has the air of a deputy prime minister, said one Labour source.

There was scarcely concealed glee in her camp yesterday when a poll showed that Rayner, one of the few frontbenchers to describe herself as a socialist, has emerged as the most popular choice among Labour voters to succeed Starmer.

If she does, however, the rest of the country should be worried.

Take, for example, Rayners comments in an online meeting with Left-wing activists in 2020.

Not only did she praise former leader Jeremy Corbyn as being on the right track, she went further and endorsed the hard-line policies of Corbyns shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who has never hidden his Marxist leanings and once gleefully admitted he had campaigned for the overthrow of capitalism.

The party must persist with the work McDonnell had been doing, she told the WebRoots Democracy Festival.

Rayner had been as worried and apprehensive as anybody [about Starmer], she explained. I didnt want to go back to magnolia politics, I thought that is going to be really bad, and...this is going to be terrible.

But, reassuringly, she had found that Starmer agreed with her on key points.

I push him to push a bit more at times, she said, because Labour had to change Britain in a fundamental way not just, like, tweak it round the edges.

She went on: If we dont continue with the work that John McDonnell was doing... then I think the Labour Partys finished.

Angela Rayner with former leader Jeremy Corbyn in 2019. She has since praised him for 'being on the right track'

Starmer and Rayner at the Labour conference in 2022, a year after he attempted to demote her during a botched shadow cabinet reshuffle

In 2015 there was uproar in the Commons when, as shadow chancellor, McDonnell jokingly flicked a copy of Chinese dictator Chairman Maos Little Red Book across the Despatch Box to George Osborne as he criticised the governments relationship with China. Printed in its millions, the book was the notorious propaganda aid containing the key tenets of Maos Communist regime  which is conservatively estimated to have caused 60 million people to starve to death.

McDonnell even recited passages in the Commons.

The toe-curling exchanges were edited out of the official Labour Party film of the proceedings just a few weeks later.

Praise for the work of McDonnell, then, will dismay Starmers team, which has fought to distance him from the Corbyn era.

Starmer served in Corbyns shadow cabinet and was architect of his second Brexit referendum plan. He has attempted to justify staying in the Corbyn shadow cabinet  even though many of his colleagues, such as Yvette Cooper, quit or refused to serve in the first place in protest at his hard-line views  by claiming that he never thought Corbyn would win the 2019 election.

In 2021 there was another revealing insight into Rayners views when the police tried to assist officials who were trying to deport two illegal migrants in Glasgow.

When a crowd intervened, and the officials released the two migrants, Rayner tweeted: Solidarity with the people of Glasgow.

In the same year, Starmer attempted to demote Rayner during a botched shadow cabinet reshuffle.

But Rayner emerged from the row with an improved job title and expanded policy brief.

She is now deputy leader, shadow first secretary of state, shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and shadow secretary for the future of work.

Labours 131-page manifesto states that it will be working closely with trade unions and employers to promote better rights for workers under a proposed New Deal for employment.

The changes will see the dismantling of any Tory legislation on employment since 2010.

One proposed change could ban bosses from contacting staff outside office hours. Another could be to enshrine in law the right to work from home.

The measures have been dubbed a skivers charter by the Tories.

With one eye on the party membership, Rayner admits the New Deal was written hand-in-hand with her trade union paymasters.

This is vital... it was developed in collaboration with you  the trade union movement  and it will be delivered with you, she has said.

Work will finally pay, rights will be properly enforced, and crucially it will strengthen the role of trade unions in our society.

Labour have selected at least 329 new candidates who are trade union members, with a significant number working as senior trade union employees.

They include Laurence Turner the candidate in Birmingham Northfield who is head of policy at the GMB union which co-ordinated the strike by ambulance staff last year  the biggest walkout in the history of the NHS.

Antonia Bance, the candidate in Tipton and Wednesbury, is head of campaigns at the TUC, which has backed all the strikes in the NHS.

Lee Barron, who is standing in the Northamptonshire constituency of Corby, is the Midlands Regional Secretary of the TUC.

He previously named his Twitter profile unionbarron.

Rayners plans will be music to the ears of this next generation of Labour MPs. The election could result in the highest number of trade union officials and members elected to Parliament in history.

So who will the trade unionist MPs represent? Their constituents? Or the radical Left-wing trade unions  and their trade unionist in chief, Angela Rayner.
The wealthy are already fleeing Britain over fears about Keir Starmer's tax raids, it was claimed today.

City lawyer Ayesha Vardag revealed a 'flood' of clients had already left ahead of what is expected to be a Labour landslide.

Ms Vardaq, whose firm specialises in high-profile divorce battles, said the wealthy were opting for destinations such as Dubai and Monaco rather than risk hikes in capital gains and inheritance tax.

It is the latest sign of anxiety about the prospect of a Labour government with potentially the largest majority in history.

Sir Keir has insisted that apart from closing specific tax loopholes, nothing in his manifesto requires additional tax rises for 'working people'.

But critics say his plans cannot be delivered without unleashing tax hikes yet to be declared to voters.

There are claims the wealthy are already fleeing Britain over fears about Keir Starmer's (pictured today) tax raids

A file image of the skyscape in the City of London, with fears of a brain drain under Labour

Ms Vardag told the Telegraph: 'People are flooding out of the UK. The axis of the world is shifting away from England. And it's been destroyed with this idea that you get votes by bashing the rich.'

She added: 'What's going to happen in a global world where you can live anywhere? People are going to grow their businesses and then move to Dubai or Monaco, selling their businesses where there is no capital gains tax.

'England is not so great that you want to give away half of your business when you can just move to another beautiful country. It's extraordinarily naive to think that everyone will stay.'

Experts have already been warning about the possibility of a 'brain drain' as the wealthy choose to relocate.

Miles Dean, head of international tax at consultants Andersen, told the Financial Times last month: 'People are leaving because of Labour. Tax is clearly the key weapon they have and they're going to use it to level down.'

Ex-business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Mail on Sunday last month: 'If Sir Keir gets in, he will repeat the mistakes of the 1970s Labour government and provoke a brain drain of wealthy people our economy needs.'
Lucy Letby's 'best friend' turned up in court every day to support the convicted serial killer during her latest trial - while her parents stayed away.

Janet Cox worked alongside Letby on the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital and has insisted she is innocent.

Letby was originally found guilty in August of murdering seven children and trying to kill six others, but the jury failed to reach a verdict on the attempted murder of a premature girl known as Baby K. A jury convicted her of this count yesterday.

Mrs Cox was a permanent fixture in the public gallery throughout the 13-day retrial. During the first trial, she sat next to Letby's parents, John, 77, and Susan, 63, but the couple did not attend the latest proceedings at Manchester Crown Court.

Mrs Cox spoke briefly at the front door of her semi-detached home in Ellesmere Port on the Wirral when approached by MailOnline after the original verdicts.

Janet Cox worked alongside Letby on the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital and has insisted she is innocent. They are pictured together on a social occasion

Mrs Cox was a permanent fixture in the public gallery throughout Letby's 13-day retrial

Asked whether she still believed in her friend's innocence, she replied 'Yes' but refused to elaborate further.

Numerous social media photos show Mrs Cox alongside Letby at parties and other social occasions.

In one image they are both seen wearing Christmas jumpers, while in another they are seen holding cocktails in a bar with a group of other friends.

Mrs Cox is not the only friend or colleague of Letby who has stood by her despite her conviction.

Dawn Howe, a long-term friend, is among those who refuses to accept the jury's decision that the nurse is a baby killer.

Speaking to the BBC's Panorama programme last summer, Ms Howe, 33, said: 'Unless Lucy turned around and said "I'm guilty" I will never believe that she's guilty.

'We know she couldn't have done anything that she's accused of, so without a doubt we stand by her.

'I grew up with Lucy and not a single thing that I've ever seen or witnessed of Lucy would let me for a moment believe she is capable of the thing's she's accused of.

'It is the most out-of-character accusation that you could ever put against Lucy.

'Think of your most kind, gentle, soft friend and think that theyre being accused of harming babies.'

She also accused police of 'trying to build a case, to find someone culpable to find someone to blame' as she maintained Letby's innocence.

Mrs Cox has struggled to come to terms with her friend's guilt

Letby (right, with Cox) has maintained her claim to be innocent of harming babies

Letby's parents, John, 77, and Susan, 63, attended their daughter's first trial but not her second

During the original trial, Letby's parents John and Susan relocated from their home on a quiet cul-de-sac in Hereford, where they had lived for almost four decades after marrying in 1989, to Manchester so they could be nearby.

Mrs Letby on occasion broke down in tears and appeared anxious during breaks when her daughter was undergoing particularly tough periods of questioning.

Investigators suspect Letby had told them scant detail of the horrific nature of the crimes she was being accused of before it was laid out in front of them in court.

And as the original guilty verdicts were returned, Mrs Letby broke into a series of anguished sobs which continued even after she had left the court. At one point she cried out: 'You can't be serious. This cannot be right.'

Nothing suggests that Mr and Mrs Letby were anything but caring parents who showered her daughter with love from the moment she was born - five months after they married.

A source told the Mail that Letby's mother was distraught when she was arrested  wailing, crying and even telling police, 'I did it, take me instead,' in a desperate bid to protect her.

Jurors took three and a half hours to find Letby guilty of the attempted murder of Baby K during the latest proceedings.

Numerous social media photos show Mrs Cox alongside Letby, including here in a pub

Letby - who is the most prolific child killer in modern British history - was 26 when she deliberately dislodged the breathing tube of Baby K in the first hours of her life.

In the following hours, the cruel killer tried a further two times to murder the infant who was so tiny she would have fitted into Letby's open palm.

After the first the nurse refused to come to the dock to hear the judge read out his sentencing verdicts, but these were read out by the prosecutor at the start of the latest proceedings as she watched on in court.

Mr Justice Goss said colleagues at the Countess of Chester Hospital were forced to 'think the unthinkable' when they realised that Letby was deliberately hurting babies.

Police searches of Letby's home uncovered grim mementoes of her victims: mountains of handover notes swiped from the hospital, a diary marking the dates that babies died, a Post-It note that read: 'I am evil, I did this'.

Mr Justice Goss said: 'I am satisfied you started to keep these documents after those initial offences in June 2015 as morbid records of the dreadful events surrounding the collapses of your victims and what you had done to them.

Letby is the most prolific child killer in modern British history

'Some of your victims were only a day or a few days old. All were extremely vulnerable.

'By their nature and number, such murders and attempted murders by a neonatal nurse entrusted to care for them are offences of very exceptional seriousness.

'This was a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder involving the smallest and most vulnerable of children, knowing that your actions were causing significant physical suffering and would cause untold mental suffering.

'You have shown no remorse. There are no mitigating factors.'

Letby has denied harming any of the babies and supporters have launched a campaign to set her free.
Just two months ago, an urgent warning was sounded about the state of Britain's second biggest prison.

Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor did not hold back in his excoriating assessment of conditions at category B Wandsworth Prison.

In a long and damning list of areas of concern, he noted there were 'ongoing failings in security, severe overcrowding, vermin, drugs, violence and rising self-harm'.

'Relationships between staff and prisoners were poor or non-existent,' he said, noting that most staff at 'every level' were inexperienced.

How ironic the latter remark seems now, given recent events behind the Victorian facade of the South London jail.

For Wandsworth Prison, built in 1851 (it was intended for 964 inhabitants and now holds 1,513 men) has been catapulted into the spotlight again in recent days, courtesy of a tawdry viral video clip, that would appear to have been filmed in one of those self-same overcrowded cells.

Linda De Sousa Abreu leaves Uxbridge Magistrate's Court on Monday on Monday, charged with misconduct in public office

Linton Weirich, who is allegedly the inmate in the viral video, was jailed for four and a half years for burglary at a dwelling and theft on June 7 at Kingston Crown Court

In this video (despite a ban on phones, predictably it circulated on WhatsApp) a woman wearing the uniform of a prison guard is seen performing a sex act and then having intercourse with a man who is apparently an inmate, while her discarded radio crackles with messages at her side.

What is also clear is that someone else is present to film said events, someone who is smoking and who can be heard proclaiming: 'Guys we've made history, this is what I'm telling you,' before adding: 'This is how we roll in Wandsworth.'

A police investigation was launched on Friday after officers were made aware of the video and an arrest was made later that day.

On Saturday, Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, of Fulham, south-west London, was charged with misconduct in public office and she appeared in court on Monday where she was bailed to appear again at a later date.

It should, of course, be noted that no pleas have been entered, nor has anyone been found guilty of any offence.

But what is depressingly familiar is the scenario.

A viral video clip, filmed in one of HMP Wandsworth's cells, appears to show a female prison officer having sex with an inmate while another films the encounter

HMP Wandsworth, where the incident is alleged to have taken place, was intended for 964 inmates but now holds 1,513 men

For whatever the outcome of enquiries at Wandsworth, there has been an alarming rise in the number of female officers from across the HM Prison Service found guilty of striking up illicit relationships.

Only last week, a 26-year-old woman who had been a guard at HMP Altcourse, in Liverpool, was handed a 16-month suspended prison sentence after admitting misconduct in a public office.

Kate Southern was accused of 'engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a serving prisoner, including engaging in sexual activity, sending letters and cards and communicating by telephone'.

In March, two female prison workers appeared at Bolton Crown Court, accused of having simultaneous relationships with the same inmate.

Aleesha Bates, 30, and Jodie Wilkes, 27, exchanged thousands of messages with a prisoner in an illicit love triangle at HMP Buckley Hall, Rochdale.

Prison officer Bates was the first to start a relationship with an inmate who'd been jailed for drug trafficking offences.

She was so infatuated she sent X-rated messages and naked photos, and even planned their future together once he was released.

The second relationship, with operational support worker Wilkes, came to light in 2020 when a contraband phone containing 'dozens' of messages was found in the prisoner's cell.

Both women admitted misconduct in a public office, with Bates sentenced to two years and eight months in prison and Wilkes handed a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years.

And who could forget HMP Berwyn, Britain's biggest prison, hailed as a 212 million model for the rehabilitation of offenders when it opened in 2017.

But just seven years later, HMP Berwyn in North Wales has acquired a very different reputation  as the epicentre of a sex scandal engulfing the Prison Service.

Last year it emerged that no less than 18 women working at the Category C 'super- prison' for adult males, with a 2,100 capacity, had been sacked or resigned after breaking the rules on relationships with inmates.

Take the case of probationary officer Ayshea Gunn, who exchanged more than 1,200 phone calls, including explicit video calls, with prisoner Khuram Razaq. She even smuggled a pair of knickers into his cell, concealed in her bra.

Jodie WIlkes who worked at HMP Buckley Hall, had a relationship with a prisoner, which came to light when a contraband phone containing 'dozens' of messages was found in the inmate's cell

Probationary officer Ayshea Gunn, who exchanged more than 1,200 phone calls, including explicit video calls, with prisoner Khuram Razaq

The officer even smuggled a pair of knickers into his cell, which she concealed in her bra

In a similarly sordid tale, her fellow officer Emily Watson performed a sex act on an inmate in his cell on Christmas Day.

Sadly, such sexual impropriety appears far from unique to HMP Berwyn in Wrexham, which calls cells 'rooms', blocks 'communities', and allows inmates to have their own phones and laptops.

While this is not a problem exclusive to female staff in male prisons, the figures are stark. In the three years to March 2023, 31 female prison staff working in male prisons were sacked, including one who gave birth to her inmate lover's baby and another who had his cell number tattooed on her thigh.

That's a more than 50 per cent rise on the 19 women sacked in the previous four-year period, and that figure doesn't include incidents recorded at private prisons, run by companies such as G4S, Serco and Sodexo.

Five men working in male prisons, and one or two women working in women's prisons, were sacked for inappropriate relationships over the same period.

According to those who have worked in the system, it's just the tip of the iceberg.

As one former prison officer, who we are calling Officer A to protect his identity, tells the Mail: 'The numbers will be much, much higher than the figures that have emerged because these events are swept under the carpet  if a sexual relationship ever comes to light, then normally the prison officer is given the chance to resign. They don't like this stuff to come out, it's hugely embarrassing.'

To an outsider, it's hard to understand what drives an officer to risk an affair with an inmate, knowing they could lose everything if they are caught. So what exactly is going on behind prison walls?

Vanessa Frake spent 27 years in the prison service, including as governor at notoriously tough men's prison Wormwood Scrubs. She is dismayed by the latest revelations.

'I think this has always happened in one form or another,' she says. 'But when you see the number of reported cases at somewhere like HMP Berwyn, you have to ask how that has happened.'

An artist's impression of Linda De Sousa Abreu appearing at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court, charged with misconduct in public office

Undoubtedly, she says, changes in prison staffing procedures are a factor. For about 150 years, under the terms of the 1823 Gaol Act, women's prisons were entirely staffed by women; men's prisons were staffed by men.

It was only in the 1980s that cross-sex postings began to be advertised. Since then the acceleration in numbers of women entering the prison service has been steep; some 40 per cent of public sector prison staff are now said to be female.

At the same time, perceptions of working in prisons have changed, says Vanessa.

'When I joined, I thought: 'This is going to be my career for the next 30 years.' Nowadays, unfortunately, the prison service isn't seen as a career, but rather as a sort of stop gap for young people who go in for a couple of years and then flit off [to something else],' she explains.

The minimum entry age of recruits has dropped from 21 when Vanessa joined the prison service to just 18.

'In my opinion, that's too young,' she says. 'You've got kids of 18 walking around with 40- to 50-year-old career criminals.'

She is not alone in raising concerns that younger, less committed recruits are more vulnerable to manipulation.

'Previously many officers in the tough prisons were ex-Armed Forces, who had a lot of real-life experience and were not easily intimidated,' says Officer A, who left the system seven years ago after ten years working in the north-east of England.

'But then they [started to] hire far more people straight out of school who were keen but lacked the confidence to deal with cunning, hardened criminals.

'If you are a 19- or 20-year-old, 5ft 4in woman, you won't have the confidence or presence to challenge these guys and they will see you as more pliable and easier to manipulate than a seasoned officer. It's the cold hard truth.'

Another former officer, a woman we are calling Officer B, also warns junior officers are being given more responsibility: 'I talk now to ex-colleagues who say if someone has 18 months' experience, they might be the most experienced person on that wing, making decisions for the team. It's crazy.'

Vanessa Frake, who spent 27 years in the prison service, is dismayed at the growing number of female officers having relationships with prisoners

Vanessa, author of The Governor: My Life Inside Britain's Most Notorious Prisons, says there are also failings in training, vetting procedures and a lack of mentors.

'It's all so frantic now. You've got overcrowding, staff shortages, you've got all these things going on and then you've got somebody who walks in, someone who isn't seen as a young, vulnerable person, but as just another body, someone who is allegedly fully-fledged to walk out on a prison wing,' she says.

Last year, Mark Fairhurst, general secretary of the Prison Officers' Association (POA), also blamed poor training and vetting for the rise in officers succumbing to corruption. Staff are frequently recruited centrally, with interviews conducted over Zoom, he warned, making it harder for bosses to spot potential problems.

And while guards are reportedly struggling to keep inmates under control, the inmates keep a keen eye on the guards for vulnerabilities they may be able to exploit, explains Officer B.

She spent seven years working in a Category B prison and recalls: 'To many prisoners, the sex itself isn't the goal  it is a way of getting the officer in their pocket for other things such as smuggling in tobacco, drugs or mobile phones. They know a sexual relationship or flirting is a way of hooking you  and hooking you is exactly the goal of the more cunning inmates.

'Inexperienced officers, particularly younger women in a men's prison, will feel like a fresh bit of meat on display.'

The prisoners' motivations are clear. But why do officers fall for these tactics?

Some commentators have put the trend down to an unconscious compulsion to pursue unsuitable partners, repeating tired cliches about women lusting after a 'bad boy'. Of course, there is a complex web of factors at play, which may include attraction or an urge to transgress. But in Officer B's telling, there is often a deliberate pattern of coercion by the inmate.

'You cannot show a single chink in your armour, or you are finished,' she says.

'I would warn recruits to never even speak about their personal life on the landings because prisoners would listen in and use this stuff against you.

'It might start off with something small; they might challenge you to a game of pool and say the winner gets a Mars Bar. Of course, you can't give them chocolate and if you do then you've broken the rules, and they've got you.

'The squeeze will begin. The next thing is they will ask 'can you bring this in for me' and the whole thing escalates from there.'

Once one boundary is crossed, others quickly follow and the power dynamic shifts from officer to prisoner. 'The key thing is the inmate has nothing to lose  they are already in prison,' says Officer B.

'For the prison officer, their entire life is on the line. If you've done something wrong and the inmate has the power to ruin your life, you'll do anything to stop that happening.'

Notably, when sentencing Bates last month, Judge Elliot Knopf accepted the prison officer had been 'ensnared' by her lover, saying: 'He identified you as someone who could be approached' but adding: 'You did not have to accept that approach.'

Aleesha Bates was charged with misconduct in public office after beginning a relationship with a prisoner at HMP Buckley Hall, where she worked as a prison officer

Though some officers who have relationships with prisoners are charged, as in the case of Ayshea Gunn (seen above on her way to prison), many are told to resign instead, and will escape punishment

As for the logistics of an illicit physical affair between a prison officer and an inmate supposedly under constant surveillance  often, it seems, it's all too easy.

'There are actually lots of places they could potentially have sex,' says Officer B.

'The cupboards, maybe, if they had someone to keep watch and give a signal if there was someone coming. Even in a cell, if they were happy to live dangerously.

'There is a lock in there of course  we would call it 'shooting the bolt' when you put it on a latch.

'And the officer could plausibly come up with an excuse, [saying] they needed to have a chat with this inmate, for example.

'I would never go into a prisoner's cell without another officer there, but I have known it to happen.'

Officer A, meanwhile, recalls a colleague being caught committing sexual acts with an inmate in a prison's 'methadone room'  a medical room where recovering addicts would receive treatment.

'It came to light because of a very distinctive tattoo she had above her groin, which a few colleagues knew about because she had told us, but of course no prisoners would have been aware of,' he says.

'Then a prisoner started talking about this tattoo  the only way they could have possibly known is if the two of them had a physical relationship.

'She was never charged, but she was investigated and was told: 'Resign and you can walk away, or you will be arrested.'

'I believe she had also been smuggling drugs on behalf of this prisoner, which shows it is never just about the sex for these guys.'

While the officer in that case may, astonishingly, have escaped punishment, for others the penalty for crossing the line is steep.

On the other hand, notes Vanessa, too often manipulators behind bars are never punished for their actions.

'The whole focus is on the woman,' she says. 'What gets forgotten is there are prisoners who have the one thing the rest of the nation doesn't have, time. Time to work out who is vulnerable, who is new, who they can twist. What happens to that corrupter?'

She points out that there are already legal structures for dealing with this type of behaviour  but says they are not being used enough.

'There is the Bribery Act of 2010 and there is also the prison disciplinary system. These prisoners can be taken to court, can be moved.

'We need to be much more robust with these corrupters of staff as well.'

A Prison Service spokesperson said: 'The overwhelming majority of our prison staff are hardworking and honest but thanks to our action  including bolstering our Counter-Corruption Unit  we are catching more of the small minority who are not.'
China is bombing models of American fighter jets as part of a rehearsal of a military assault, new satellite photos have revealed.

The images, taken by Planet Labs over a remote desert area in northwest China, show massive scorch marks next to low-tech models of F-35s and F-22s, some of the most advanced jets used by the US Army.

The photos also show a long runway with several scotch marks at the top end.

It is not currently known exactly what weapons were used to leave the marks, but the Times reported that the scale of them would suggest precision missiles were used.

The desert, the Taklamakan in Xinjiang province, already hosts military testing sites. Three years ago, it was revealed that China had built up models of an American Ford-class aircraft carrier and two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

The satellite images, taken by Planet Labs over a remote desert area in northwest China, show massive scorch marks next to low-tech models of F-35s and F-22s

Photos also show a long runway with several scotch marks at the top end

It comes as a Chinese military drone hovered near an airport on a remote Taiwan island causing delays to flights, Taipei's military and local media said on Wednesday.

Liberty Times said the drone was spotted around five nautical miles from Matsu's Nangan Airport on Tuesday, and it stayed around for about 20 minutes.

Beijing claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the self-ruled island under its control.

In addition to military pressure from Chinese warplanes and vessels that maintain a near-daily presence around the island, Taiwan has faced incursions from civilian and unidentified drones that surveil and harass troops.

The army's Matsu Defence Command confirmed an unspecified 'Chinese military drone' was detected Tuesday morning.

Matsu is around 200 kilometres northwest of Taipei, but much closer to mainland China.

'Since its flight route was close to the take-off and landing channels of civilian aircraft, the Nangan Airport Tower was notified to complete relevant handling to ensure aviation safety,' it said without elaborating.

China's President Xi Jinping attends a meeting with Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana, Kazakhstan July 3, 2024

The F-22 (pictured) is one of the US' most advanced fighter jets

China has become increasingly bullish against the West, in particular the US for its stance on Taiwan's independence.

Taiwan and the US insist that the island nation ought to be an independent sovereign state, while China claims to control it.

China has taken indirect military action against Taiwan as recently as May this year, holding a massive two-day exercise around the island as 'strong punishment' for the self-ruled nation's 'separatist acts.'

In response to president William Lai calling on China to stop threatening the island and to accept that Taiwan is a self-governing nation, China sent naval and air patrols to similar what a full-scale attack would look like.

China has also lashed out over the US strengthening relations with Taiwan, which has become a valuable partner for major nations in recent years due to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world's largest independent semi-conductor maker.

In June, the country's president Xi Jinping told European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen that he believed the US was trying to goad his nation into attack Taiwan.

The FT reported that while he said he believed the US was trying to trick China into invading Taiwan, he would not take the bait.

China launched live-fire drills in August 2022 after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island, which she said was a sign of the US' 'unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy.'
Akhmed Yakoob is a sharp suited, super-rich lawyer who owns a yellow Lamborghini and has a magnificent Rolls Royce on order. The son of a milkman, he is aiming to become an MP in one of the most deprived parts of our bankrupt second city, Birmingham.

Mr Yakoob, 35, who boasts he has made millions as a social-media-savvy criminal lawyer, is standing as an independent candidate in the inner-city constituency of Ladywood where he is appealing to fellow Muslims to vote for him.

His star is rising. He has a huge following on TikTok where he complains about poor local bus services, unemployment, rubbish-strewn streets, lethally low NHS response times - and above all, the conflict in Gaza.

And yet this is the man who stands accused of misogyny following some deeply disturbing comments he has made on social media about women.

In a now deleted podcast whose contents have been reported by the Guardian and in local papers, Yakoob urged men in the community to control their women and oversee how they dress and behave.

Self-proclaimed millionaire Akhmed Yakoob is a rising star among Birmingham's muslim voters

The Parliamentary candidate has made Gaza the key issue in his election campaign

Labour's sitting Ladywood MP Shabana Mahmood faces an onslaught at the ballot box

He has apologised for claiming that 70 percent of hell is going to be women and saying he would give his wife a backhander if she made money dancing on TikTok.

But it is not just his views on women. Equally concerning is his anti-Semitic rhetoric about the enemies of Allah who, in a podcast, he claimed are indiscriminately bombing over one million Palestinians.

Yakoob has declared: I would never get into a debate with a Zionist...its just not worth it. Bees dont waste their time explaining to flies that honey is better than sh**.

His extraordinary views have been condemned by Muslim womens rights groups and the Community Security Trust, which protects British Jews.

But there is no doubting his popularity in Ladywood.

Yakoob aims to oust the sitting Labour MP and shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood who won the seat in 2019 with a whopping 28,582 majority.

The seat was presumed safe by Labour until the Gaza-Israeli conflict and the emergence of Yakoob in Ms Mahoods backyard.

Last year, she abstained from a House of Commons vote on an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, to the anger of many of her Muslim constituents. Yakoob inflamed the situation, claiming - irresponsibly - that it was no longer safe for her to campaign in some streets of Ladywood because of the hatred felt towards her over this hot-button issue.

Yakoobs name appears on a controversial list of candidates published by an organisation calling itself The Muslim Vote, which wants to ensure people choose pro-Palestine candidates at the ballot box tomorrow [Thursday].

The list includes candidates standing as independents, for the Greens, Left-wing firebrand George Galloways Workers Party of Britain, as well as a small smattering of Labour members who - against the wishes of the Party leadership - have publicly backed a Gaza ceasefire despite the October 7 atrocities by Hamas terrorists against Israel that sparked the conflict.

The Muslim Vote, which is headquartered in Birmingham, is clear on its aims. The election signals a shift for Muslims  no more political apathy. We will no longer tolerate being taken for granted. We are a powerful, united force of four million acting in unison, says its website.

The lawyer stands accused of misogyny following disturbing comments on social media

Yakoob, who has 175,000 followers on TikTok, has been using it to get his message across

We are focused on areas where the Muslim vote can influence the outcome. It adds: We are here for the long term. In 2024 we lay the foundations for our communitys future.

It promises an army of 20 million campaign supporters - many thought to be using TikTok and other social media sites - to help would-be MPs on its list get their message out before the election.

And the tactic appears to be working.

At the eleventh hour, Keir Starmer was this week parachuting activists into areas of Britain with large Muslim populations to shore up Labour votes. It may be too little, too late.

Although the Labour machine is playing down the idea it will lose seats over the Gaza conflict, independent, Green and Workers Party candidates are hoping to capture enough votes to apply pressure on Sir Keir over his position on the Middle East in the future.

The last-minute activists are concentrating on 31 Labour-held seats, Ladywood among them, according to the Financial Times.

In 23 of those seats, Muslims make up more than 10 per cent of the local population (in Ladywood it is 49 per cent). Meanwhile, the party is deploying activists into two seats that it won in 2019  one of which is Oldham East and Saddleworth, which also has a high number of Muslim residents.

This week, in a residential street in one of Oldhams most Islamic areas, graphic posters hung from awnings and shop windows depicting scenes of desolation in Gaza. Palestinian flags fluttered from lamp posts and cars.

In the May local elections, Labour lost control of Oldham council, which it had held for over 13 years, after ceding seats to three independent councillors who ran on a pro-Palestine platform.

Neighbouring Rochdale, where one in three residents are Muslim, saw George Galloway win a by-election earlier this year after running on a trenchant pro-Palestine ticket. He is campaigning again on the Gaza issue.

Wealthy father-of-four Yakoob apologised for saying he would give his wife a 'backhander'

The Labour Party has explicitly said it is committed to recognising Palestine as a state, but this may not be enough. Workers Party candidate Shanaz Siddique (Oldham East and Saddleworth) was a life-long Labour member until 2021. She has a credible chance of seizing the constituency from Labours Debbie Abrahams, and said that losing control of the council in May was a huge slap in the face for Labour.

This community has historically blindly followed Labour as a working-class socialist party. Now it feels the party doesnt represent them, she added.

As for Mr Yakoob, he was on social media yesterday boasting that he was going to end the reign of Ms Mahmood. I will dethrone her, he promised with what looked suspiciously like a grin.

This despite recent revelations by the Guardian that he has a close allegiance to another independent Muslim candidate, standing in nearby Hall Green constituency, who once led angry protests over teaching about same-sex relationships in Birmingham primary schools.

That link has not gone unnoticed by the citys thriving LGBT community. But, in our changing times, it may garner him support from the Muslim community as Labour tries belatedly to stem the tide.
Armed attackers killed a woman in front of her horrified husband as they attempted to rob the couple outside an upmarket Newport Beach mall, police have said.

The 68-year old woman, named as Patricia McKay from New Zealand, and her husband had been outside a Barnes & Noble at the Fashion Island mall when they were approached by two men at around 3.30 pm on Tuesday.

A 'struggle' ensued, with one of the men fleeing the scene on foot and firing several rounds with a handgun as he did so, according to reports.

The woman was then dragged into the parking lot as the two men got into a Toyota Camry being driven by a third man.

The suspects then ran over McKay as they drove away from the scene, firing shots as they led the police on a high-speed chase, Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve Oberon told DailyMail.com.

A man is seen surrounded by officers as he is arrested. Police reportedly engaged in a high-speed pursuit with two of the suspects

Pictures show a white police forensics tent in the parking lot at the scene of the attack

Three suspects are in custody after the woman was killed in front of her horrified husband

No one was struck by the gunfire, police confirmed.

Cops began following the men in a cross-county pursuit shortly after the violent attack.

They chased them into Los Angeles County after a pair of suspects jumped out near Los Alamitos, CBS reports.

The suspects' car reached speeds of 110mph in the chase on the 105 freeway. Two jumped out of the car and began running around a neighborhood in South Gate.

Police found one of the men hiding behind trash cans outside a house and arrested him.

They also tracked down and arrested two other suspects in the fatal attack.

Newport Beach Police officials identified the suspects as Jaden Cunningham, 18, of Lancaster, Malachi Eddward Darnell, 18, of Los Angeles, and Leroyernest Joseph McCrary, 26, of Compton.

All three were booked on suspicion of homicide, robbery with a firearm and conspiracy.

The woman's husband was not injured in the attack, police said, and the gunfire did not result in any other injuries.

'It is a shock,' Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve Oberon said. 'It just doesn't happen normally here.'

The 68-year old woman and her husband had been outside a Barnes & Noble at the Fashion Island mall when they were approached by two men

General view of the Fashion Island Mall in Newport Beach, California

Newport Beach Police and other law enforcement agencies search in South Gate for suspects believed to be involved in a fatal robbery at Fashion Island Mall on Tuesday

Mayor Will O'Neill said he was 'furious' after hearing news of the attack, which he described as 'staggering'.

'I'm horrified. I'm mourning the loss of someone who died inside of our city because of crime... This is a tragedy and I'm furious.

'Newport Beach is a safe community and we're mourning the loss of someone,' he said.

'Frankly, to hell with these guys.  These are thugs. Every community is now dealing with this. We have to do better as a society. We cannot tolerate this.'
Georgian student Elene Deisadze was browsing TikTok in 2022 when she stumbled across the profile of a girl, Anna Panchulidze, who looked exactly like her.

Months later, after chatting and becoming friends, they both separately learnt they were adopted, and last year decided to take a DNA test.

It revealed they were not only related, but identical twins.

'I had a happy childhood, but now my entire past felt like a deception,' said Anna, an English student at university.

Far from an innocent case of separation at birth, the sisters are among tens of thousands of Georgian children who were illegally sold in a decades-long baby trafficking scandal.

The scheme, uncovered by journalists and families searching for lost relatives, saw babies stolen from their mothers - many of whom were told they had died - and then sold to adoptive parents in Georgia and abroad.

Georgian student Elene Deisadze (L) was browsing TikTok in 2022 when she stumbled across the profile of a girl, Anna Panchulidze (R) who looked exactly like her

Anna Panchulidze (L), Elene Deisadze (R) and Elene's adoptive mother, Lia Korkotadze

Elene and Anna, now 19, began unravelling their hidden past two years ago

Journalists have found that the illegal adoptions took place over more than 50 years, orchestrated by a network of maternity hospitals, nurseries and adoption agencies that colluded to take the children from their parents, falsify birth records, and place them with new families in exchange for cash.

Elene and Anna, now 19, began unravelling their hidden past two years ago.

'We became friends without suspecting we might be sisters, but both of us felt there was some special bond between us,' Elene, a psychology student, told AFP.

Last summer, both of their parents independently told the girls they had been adopted - revelations they had long planned to make.

It was then that the pair decided to take the genetic test that would reveal they were identical twins.

'I struggled to process the information, to accept the new reality - the people who had raised me for 18 years are not my parents,' said Anna.

'But I feel no anger whatsoever, only immense gratitude to the people who raised me, and joy at finding my flesh and blood,' she added.

The test for Elene and Anna was arranged with the help of Georgian journalist Tamuna Museridze, who runs a Facebook group dedicated to reuniting babies stolen from their parents.

It has over 200,000 members - including mothers who were told by hospital staff that their babies had died shortly after being born, but then discovered years later they might be alive.

Georgian twin sisters Anna Panchulidze (L), an English student at university, and Elene Deisadze (R), a psychology student, and Elene's adoptive mother, Lia Korkotadze

Elene and Anna discovered they were twin sisters after a chance encounter on social networks, later learning they were among tens of thousands of Georgian children illegally sold to adoptive parents

Georgian twin sisters Anna Panchulidze and Elene Deisadze embrace after being reunited

Georgian journalist Tamuna Museridze, who runs a Facebook group dedicated to reuniting babies stolen from their parents, speaks during an interview with AFP in Tbilisi

Museridze set up the group in 2021 in a bid to find her own family after learning she had been adopted.

She soon uncovered the mass baby-selling operation.

'Mothers were told their babies had died shortly after birth and were buried at a hospital cemetery,' Museridze said.

'In fact, hospitals had no cemeteries, and babies were being secretly whisked away and sold to adoptive parents.'

The new parents were often unaware the adoptions were illegal and told fabricated stories about the circumstances.

'Some people, however, consciously chose to circumvent the law and buy a baby' to avoid decade-long waiting lists, Museridze told AFP.

She says she has evidence that at least 120,000 babies 'were stolen from their parents and sold' between 1950 and 2006, when anti-trafficking measures by reformist president Mikheil Saakashvili eventually quashed the scheme.

In Georgia, new parents would pay the equivalent of many months' salary to arrange the adoption, while babies trafficked abroad were sold for up to $30,000, Museridze said.

Elene's adoptive mother, Lia Korkotadze, decided with her husband to adopt after learning they couldn't have children a year into their marriage.

'But adopting from an orphanage seemed virtually impossible due to incredibly long waiting lists,' the 61-year-old economist told AFP.

Georgian twin sisters Anna Panchulidze (L), an English student at university, and Elene Deisadze, a psychology student, attend an interview with AFP in Tbilisi on March 23, 2024

Georgian journalist Tamuna Museridze, who runs a Facebook group dedicated to reuniting babies stolen from their parents

Museridze said she has evidence that at least 120,000 babies 'were stolen from their parents and sold' between 1950 and 2006

In 2005, an acquaintance told her about a six-month-old baby available for adoption from a local hospital - for a fee.

Korkotadze said she 'realised that was my chance,' and agreed.

'They brought Elene right to my house,' Korkotadze said, never suspecting there was 'anything illegal.'

'It took months of excruciating bureaucratic delays to formalise the adoption through court,' she said.

The tale of Anna and Elene mirrors that of another set of twin sisters - Anna Sartania and Tako Khvitia.

They were separated at birth and sold to different parents, managing to reunite years later after finding each other on social media.

More than 800 families have been reunited thanks to Museridze's Facebook group.

Successive Georgian governments have made multiple attempts to investigate the scheme and have made a handful of arrests over the last 20 years.

Interior ministry spokesman, Tato Kuchava, told AFP that an 'investigation is underway' into Museridze's revelations, but declined to provide further details.

Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said last week in parliament that Tbilisi is among the world leaders in combating trafficking.

But Museridze says the state's response has been lacking.

'The government did nothing tangible to help our efforts.'
A prisoner who was filmed allegedly having sex with a female guard in an X-rated video is a TikTok fitness fanatic who published videos of his gruelling workouts, MailOnline can reveal.

Linton Weirich, of West London, was seen in a clip allegedly filmed on a smuggled phone appearing to have sex with prison officer Linda De Sousa Abreu at HMP Wandsworth.

De Sousa Abreu, 30, has been charged with misconduct in public office following a police probe into the incident.

MailOnline can reveal that convicted burglar Weirich, 36, posted videos to TikTok showing his workout regimes. One clip shows him in the gym, while others show him undertaking exercises including skipping in a room - with one of the videos captioned: 'Let's get it'.

Weirich was put in segregation but is unlikely to face any further punishment and is not under investigation.

Linton Weirich (pictured with his partner who is seven months pregnant) is the inmate who was filmed allegedly having sex with a female guard in a cell

Weirich can be seen working out in the gym and appearing to undertake a tough workout regime

Three other clips appear to show him undertaking exercises including skipping at an unspecified address

He was jailed for four and a half years for burglary at a dwelling and theft on June 7 at Kingston Crown Court (pictured: One of his workout videos)

Prison officer Linda De Sousa Abreu (pictured), charged with misconduct in public office

De Sousa Abreu tries to cover her face outside Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on Monday

Six years ago, Weirich had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving on the M6 at Stafford.

He also admitted assaulting a police officer with intent to resist arrest, driving without a licence and driving without insurance when he appeared at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court in March, 2018.

A video shared by Weirich on TikTok shows him leaving prison in October last year after he was banged up for the offence.

It comes as MailOnline revealed that Weirich's partner is seven months pregnant and went into hospital after suffering from stress fearing she could go into premature labour.

A source close to her said: 'This is the last thing she needs in her condition, it's extremely upsetting.

'This stupid video has affected her health, she was hospitalised at the weekend through stress. She fears it will bring on premature labour.'

Photographs posted on his Instagram page also show Weirich with the same arm tattoo as the man in the alleged X-rated video.

Weirich was jailed for four and a half years at Kingston Crown Court after the raid on a Kensington flat

Linda De Sousa Abreu was seen carrying a large suitcase and hiding her face as she left Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on Monday

Weirich was seen in the video filmed on a phone appearing to have sex with the prison officer

De Sousa Abreu was arrested at Heathrow and had been due to catch a flight, Uxbridge Magistrates' Court heard

The footage was allegedly filmed at HMP Wandsworth in South West London

Meanwhile, De Sousa Abreu, 30, who is married, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court yesterday charged with misconduct in public office.

The prison officer was arrested at Heathrow Airport on Saturday before she could catch a flight to see relatives in Madrid, a court heard yesterday.

She was attempting to travel on a Portuguese passport, which was seized by the Metropolitan Police.

De Sousa Abreu appeared in court charged with misconduct in public office by 'engaging in a sexual act with a prisoner in a prison cell.'

Wearing a custody-issue grey tracksuit, she spoke only to confirm her name, date of birth and address.

Prosecuting Niamh McDonagh told the court: 'Ms De Sousa Abreu was apprehended at Heathrow Airport where a flight had been booked for Madrid. I believe she has relatives living there.

'A Portuguese passport was seized by police when she was apprehended. She is a Portuguese national with a Portuguese passport. '

Defending, Gayathri Yogarajah said De Sousa Abreu had notified HMP Wandsworth, telling them of her travel plans which was duly passed on to Scotland Yard

Weirich was jailed earlier this year after stealing 65,000 worth of goods from a safe in a flat

Among the items he stole in a raid in 2022 were jewellery, belts, handbags and a suitcase (pictured: Weirich)

A court artist's drawing of De Sousa Abreu at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on Monday

She was granted conditional bail and will appear for a plea and case management hearing on July 29 at Isleworth Crown Court.

She must remain at an address in South West London given in court. Her Portuguese passport must remain with the police and she cannot make any attempt to retrieve it.

She is forbidden from applying or being in possession of international travel documents and she must hand over her Portuguese Identity card that she could travel on.

De Sousa Abreu is also forbidden to enter any UK port and must be electronically monitored between the hours of 9pm and 7am.

A Prison Service spokesman said: 'Staff corruption is not tolerated and the former prison officer allegedly featured in this video has been reported to the police.

'It would be inappropriate to comment further while they investigate.'
Donald Trump's campaign has raised $331million in the second quarter, topping the $264million President Joe Biden raised in the same period.

The amount raised by Trump and the Republican National Committee is likely to heap even more pressure from Democrats who are already concerned about Biden's performance in the first presidential debate last week.

Biden's team is eager to show fundraising strength after debate, which saw the President stumbling over his words and losing his train of thought several times.

The incumbent's aides held difficult phone calls this week with important campaign financiers who questioned whether 81-year-old Biden should stay in the race.

Meanwhile, Trump's campaign said its fundraising operation continues to thrive alongside growing voter enthusiasm for the Republican candidate.

Donald Trump's campaign has raised $331million in the second quarter, topping the $264million President Joe Biden raised in the same period. The GOP hopeful is pictured during a campaign event at Historic Greenbrier Farms in Chesapeake, Virginia on June 28, 2024

Biden's team is eager to show fundraising strength after his disastrous performance in the presidential debate last week. Biden is pictured speaking at a post-debate campaign rally on June 28, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina

Trump, 78, out fundraised Biden in April and May, but fell short in June when Biden's campaign raised $127million to his $112million.

The president's reelection effort has $240million in cash on hand, the Biden campaign has said.

The Trump campaign, which reportedly earned $331million in the second quarter, says it has $284.9million in cash on hand.

'This fundraising momentum is likely to grow even more as we head into a world-class convention and see the Democrats continue their circular firing squad in the aftermath of Biden's debate collapse,' Trump campaign advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in a statement.

The pair, in a statement to Bloomberg, touted the 'cash on hand advantage' they had from winning the quarter two money race and jabbed at a 'Biden burn rate that grows while yielding no tangible results for them.'

Thursday was the best day of fundraising from 'small-dollar' or 'grassroots' donors to Biden's campaign, followed by Friday, when concern about the debate was causing waves of panic through Democratic circles, officials revealed.

'Our Q2 fundraising haul is a testament to the committed and growing base of supporters standing firmly behind the President and Vice President and clear evidence that our voters understand the choice in this election between President Biden fighting for the American people and Donald Trump fighting for himself as a convicted felon,' Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement.

In the second quarter, 95 per cent of donations were under $200, a point the campaign underscored to portray broad support from average Americans instead of heavy reliance on wealthy donors.

The total fundraising figures include donations to the Biden campaign, the Democratic National Committee and joint fundraising committees.

Biden's reelection effort said it was spending the money on more than 200 campaign offices and more than 1,000 staff in political battleground states whose allegiance swings between the parties and which Biden needs to prevail over Trump in November's election.

President Joe Biden endured a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump in Atlanta last week. It has upended the president race

Trump has kept a low profile in the days since Biden's disastrous debate performance, leaving the focus on the drama engulfing the Democratic Party as he and his campaign revel in a series of legal and political victories heading into the Republican National Convention this month.

Trump's run began last week during the first debate, when Biden delivered a performance so dismal that he has spent the days since fending off calls from alarmed Democrats to step aside to save the party from losses up and down the ballot.

On Monday, the US Supreme Court ruled that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, limiting the indictment against Trump for his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden. It's all but certain he won't face trial before Election Day.

And on Tuesday, the judge in Trump's New York criminal hush money trial postponed his sentencing to weigh the impact of the Supreme Court decision.

The flood of good news - along with a major fundraising haul that has eliminated what had been Biden's substantial cash advantage - has given Trump and his team cause for celebration as they head into the convention this month.

But it has frustrated Biden supporters who would prefer to focus on Trump's sweeping second-term agenda and comments he made during the debate minimizing the Capitol riot and suggesting he might not accept the results of this election, either.

While he sat for several radio interviews over the weekend and has been active on his Truth Social site, Trump has no public events on his schedule this week.

Trump's team, recognizing that Biden's campaign faces intense pressure, is perfectly happy to keep the focus on the incumbent, according to people familiar with the strategy who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the campaign's thinking.

President Joe Biden delivers remarks after receiving an operational briefing on extreme weather at the D.C. Emergency Operations Center in DC on July 2, 2024

Supporters hold up signs as President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday, June 28, 2024

In a statement, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said, 'In a few weeks, a unified and enthusiastic Republican Party will formally nominate President Trump and by that time, he will select America's next Vice President from an impressive field of elected officials and business leaders, any of whom will represent a major upgrade to the current VP.'

'Team Trump will continue to build off the momentum earned by President Trump to grow our movement, raise the money we need to win, and head into the fall poised for a historic victory,' she added.

The recent events could also impact the timing of Trump's vice presidential rollout - an announcement certain to garner a flurry of attention and a flood of stories about his chosen candidate's record and past statements.

Campaign officials have repeatedly said Trump will announce his pick when he's ready and still caution that an announcement could come anytime.

Biden and his allies, meanwhile, have tried to return the focus to Trump. They've noted that Trump again minimized the violence of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol during the debate and refused to denounce those who attacked police officers and stormed the building by breaking doors and windows.

Trump also repeatedly declined to state unequivocally that he would accept the results of this November's election, saying he would do so only 'If it's a fair and legal and good election.' There is no reason to think it won't be, even as Trump for years has spread false fears about election fraud.

Democrats have also called attention to Trump's mention of migrants entering the US illegally taking 'Black jobs' and 'Hispanic jobs,' arguing Trump was insulting people of color.

Biden and his allies have also warned about the implications of the Supreme Court ruling declaring Trump immune from prosecution for key moments listed in the January 6 indictment. They have cited previous Trump comments that he would be a 'dictator' on his first day in office and his threats to prosecute political enemies.

Over the weekend, Trump shared several posts on his Truth Social network reflecting his long-simmering grievances and threats of political retribution.

Former US President and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump gestures during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 22, 2024

Supporters of Former President Donald Trump during a rally at the historic Greenbrier Farms in Chesapeake, Virginia, on June 28, 2024

One of the posts suggested former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican critic, was 'guilty of treason' and asked supporters to share it if they wanted 'televised military tribunals.'

Another post featured photos of Biden and other senior Democratic and Republican officials and suggested they should be jailed.

'Trump now has the cover he needs to jail and assassinate his opponents, direct the military to overturn a free and fair election, and take cash in bribes for pardons - with full immunity,' Biden campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa charged in a statement.

'This November, the voters must stop Trump from turning the Oval Office into his throne room.'
Jay Slater admitted to friends that he stole a 12,000 Rolex watch and was trying to sell it just hours before he vanished, a former detective has claimed.

Mark Williams-Thomas, who is probing the 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer's disappearance from a remote mountainous area of Tenerife, posted an update on X on Wednesday morning.

The investigator, who also probed Nicola Bulley's disappearance, claimed Jay's friends revealed the missing raver had sent them a Snapchat in the early hours of June 17 in which he admitted to stealing the luxury timepiece.

Mr Williams-Thomas said that Jay was headed in a Seat Leon hire car to the rented Casa Abuela Tina Airbnb, near the village of Masca, with two older British men just after 6am when he made the shocking Rolex claim.

MailOnline today revealed the first picture of one of those men, who used the name Ayub Abdul to book the 40-a-night holiday rental online.

Although the former police detective has not been able to verify that an alleged theft took place, he said friends of Jay have assured him that the missing teenager would not have made it up.

Mr Williams-Thomas said he was making the new information public to 'provide some clarity and clear up the total inaccuracies' fuelled by conspiracy theories.

It comes as:

Update: With so much speculation and inaccurate information and reporting - here is an update on our investigation into Jay Slaters disappearance. Please listen carefully to my overview. We have had full access to witnesses and our investigation is evidence based and remains pic.twitter.com/RuF47DIvTi  Mark Williams-Thomas (@mwilliamsthomas) July 3, 2024

Jay Slater pictured with his mother Debbie Duncan. The teenager has been missing since June 17

Jay Slater's final Snapchat at the remote Airbnb before he went missing. It is not the same Snapchat as the one where he 'admitted to stealing an expensive watch'.

The 40-a-night Casa Abuela Tina holiday rental near the remote village of Masca where Jay spent his final hours before going missing

Mr Williams-Thomas described how shortly before 6am, Jay left the infamous Veronicas strip where he had been partying with friends on the final night of the three-day NRG festival in Tenerife's Playa de las Americas resort.

He and the two men - who Jay and his friends had spent time with in the previous two days - made an hour-long journey on the motorway back to the Airbnb.

It was during this journey that Mr Williams-Thomas claims Jay posted a Snapchat saying he had taken the 12,000 Rolex from an unknown person. MailOnline has approached Jay's family about the claims.

Police previously said they were investigating a scuffle outside Papagayo Beach Club, where Jay was seen partying the night he went missing.

It is believed a fight - involving a burly Eastern European man who reportedly had his valuable Rolex stolen - broke out after the venue had closed.

One of Jay's friends, who had travelled to Tenerife to help in the search told detectives the alleged incident could have led to his disappearance.

Mr Williams-Thomas said he was 'unable to validate' Jay's claim on Snapchat 'in terms of reported theft'.

He added: 'However friends of Jay said he would not make this up and the watch was subject of later conversation between the friends.'

The TV detective said Jay had contact with pals on social media while at the Casa Abuela Tina property.

This included a Snapchat picture he sent to friends on the doorsteps of the cottage at 7.30am, in which he was holding a cigarette.

Jay was last seen at around 8am when he tried to make his way back to his holiday accommodation.

TV detective Mark Williams-Thomas (pictured) issued an update on Wednesday, claiming he had been told Jay had stolen a 12,000 Rolex and was trying to sell it

Jay's family released this photo of the missing teenager on Tuesday

Jay's mother Debbie Duncan and father Warren Slater leaving the Guardia Civil in Playa de las Americas

Ayub Abdul (pictured) rented the Airbnb which missing raver Jay Slater visited just before he disappeared

Jay was on his first-ever friends holiday with Lucy Law (pictured) and Brad Hargreaves when he went missing in Tenerife

Brad Hargreaves (pictured) also said he spoke to Jay on the phone before he went missing

He asked the owner of the Airbnb when the next bus to Los Cristianos was, but when she said 10am he set off on foot for what would have been an 11-hour walk.

The Airbnb owner said she later saw Jay walking uphill in the vast mountainous area.

Mr Williams-Thomas said Jay spoke to at least three friends via message and on the phone while walking back, telling them he was lost.

Friend Lucy Law said Jay had called her shortly after he was last seen to say he was thirsty and had no water and just one per cent battery on his phone.

Another friend, Brad Hargreaves, said he also spoke to Jay that morning and thought he had veered off the main road and may have slid down rocks.

Mark said in a video update today: 'He was told to go back by two people to the rental.

'He said he could not do that and that he'd already been walking for 30 minutes and that he was now off road and was walking on a track where there were loose stones.'

Jay sent his location at both 8.49am and 8.50am to friends, which showed him on a hiking trail in the rugged Rural de Teno park. He has not been seen or heard from since.

Jay travelled to the Casa Abuela Tina Airbnb (pictured) in the village of Masca with two older British men before he went missing

In its Airbnb listing Casa Abuela Tina is described as being a farmhouse within the 'unique natural landscape' surrounding it

Mr Williams-Thomas claimed Jay left the holiday home because he was spooked.

He said: 'We have received information that would suggest that Jay left the rental property and he would not return to the rental, even though that would have been the most sensible course of action, and also where he could have charged his phone, got some water and made contact with friends.

'We continue to investigate this aspect.'

The two men Jay was with spoke to police on the island before flying back to the UK. Spanish police have said they are not 'relevant' to the investigation.

Mr Williams-Thomas, who flew out to Tenerife last week to help, has been conducting his own investigation after Spanish cops called off the search on Sunday. He said his team believe there is no third-party involvement.

He said: 'We have, however, ruled out hostage or kidnapping situation because no credible ransom demand has been made.

'We've no evidence at this stage to say there was a third party criminal involvement in Jay's disappearance.'

He said he still had a number of lines of inquiry to look into, so was still 'keeping an open mind'.

Spanish police called off the hunt for the apprentice bricklayer two weeks after he went missing

Volunteers gathering ahead of the final 'massive search' for Jay Slater, which was called off by Spanish police the following day

It comes after a Spanish judge revealed on Monday that there is 'no current evidence of criminality'.

Many, including Jay's mother Debbie Duncan, believed he had been taken against his will.

Cops on Tenerife called off the massive search on Sunday in a huge blow to Jay's family. However, on Tuesday, two plain-clothed police officers returned to the Airbnb.

They spent around two hours searching the Airbnb.

Last night, Jay's mother Debbie issued an update, saying: 'Jay is a normal guy who is in his third year of an apprenticeship, and he is a very popular young man with a large circle of friends.

'We are a very close family and are absolutely devastated about his disappearance. Words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing.

'He is our beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him and we just want to find him. We do not have any information on his whereabouts.'

Debbie and Jay's father, Warren, as well as brother Zak, have stayed on Tenerife as they desperately search for answers.
Former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson will face trial over 18 sex offence charges including one count of rape.

A district judge at Newry Magistrates' Court said he was satisfied that Donaldson, 61, and his wife and co-accused Lady Eleanor Donaldson, 58, had a case to answer during a committal hearing today.

They will next appear at Newry Crown Court on September 10 for an arraignment hearing ahead of their trial.

During today's court appearance, Donaldson was asked if he wanted to say anything in answer to the charges. He responded: 'Not at this stage.'

Donaldson is accused of one charge of rape, four of gross indecency and 13 charges of indecent assault. The charges span a time period between 1985 and 2008.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson leaving Newry Magistrates' Court following today's committal hearing

A judge found Donaldson, 61, and his wife and co-accused Lady Eleanor Donaldson, 58, had a prima facie case to answer

Donaldson has previously indicated that he will contest the charges against him.

Eleanor Donaldson faces charges of aiding and abetting in connection with the alleged offences.

There was a significant police presence when Donaldson arrived at Newry courthouse, but no repeat of the chaotic scenes of his last appearance in April.

The small courtroom was packed for the hearing. Donaldson and his wife sat separated by court custody officers at the back of the room.

Jeffrey Donaldson wore a navy blue suit and sported a beard. Eleanor Donaldson wore a cream jacket.

After confirming their names and addresses, the charges were read in the preliminary enquiry (PE) hearing.

Donaldson is now facing 18 historical sex offence charges following a review of the case by Northern Ireland's Public Prosecution Service. He had originally faced 11 charges when he first appeared in court in April.

His wife is facing five charges and there are two alleged victims.

District Judge Eamonn King said: 'I am satisfied on the basis of the papers before the court that there is a prima facie case to answer.'

The court clerk then asked the defendants if they wanted to say anything at this stage in answer to the charges.

Jeffrey Donaldson said: 'Not at this stage.'

It has already been confirmed that Donaldson, who was the long-standing MP for Lagan Valley, is not running for re-election in the UK General Election this week

He made the same response when asked if he wanted to tender any written statements of evidence at this stage of the proceedings.

Both were released on continuing bail until September 10.

It has already been confirmed that Donaldson, who was the long-standing MP for Lagan Valley, is not running for re-election in the UK General Election this week.

He was arrested and charged in relation to the historical sexual allegations at the end of March.

Donaldson resigned as DUP leader and was suspended from the party after the allegations against him emerged.

It is understood that in a letter to DUP party officers at the time, he made clear he would be 'strenuously contesting' all charges against him.

Weeks prior to his arrest, he had led the DUP back into Stormont following a two-year boycott of the powersharing institutions.

Previous deputy leader Gavin Robinson has been appointed his successor as DUP leader.
Jane Austen fans are set to lose their fight to save a historic hotel where the novelist spent her 18th birthday as plans to turn it into student flats are given the go ahead.

Austenites hit out at the controversial proposal and said they were 'disappointed' to learn of the 'depressing' decision to turn the hotel where she spent her birthday into student flats.

Plans to transform the Grade II listed Dolphin Hotel in Southampton, Hants, received a backlash from Pride and Prejudice devotees when they were first announced.

An Austen fan club - and literary lovers from as far as the USA - objected to the plans in an effort to preserve the 'rich history' that the 500 year old building has.

But they failed in their bid of persuasion and planning officers have recommended plans to turn it into 99 student rooms.

Fans of Jane Austen have rallied together to object to the plans. Nicky Chapman, Cheryl Butler, Eliot Horn, Norma Mackie and Jason Butler are pictured outside The Dolphin Hotel

In Austen's writings, she referenced an 'amusing' ball she attended at the Dolphin

Ms Austen is said to have celebrated her milestone birthday at the hotel in 1793

A plaque commemorating Jane Austen, located on The Dolphin Hotel, Southampton

The hotel in Southampton was regularly frequented by the Sense and Sensibility author and it was where she spent her 18th birthday on December 16, 1793.

Dr Cheryl Butler, who set up a historical theatrical group named after Austen's favourite actress, accused Southampton City Council of neglecting its heritage.

Speaking today, Dr Butler said: 'It's pretty depressing. I despair at the planning officers in Southampton.

'Everyone is disappointed but not surprised.

'I just think if this had been made more widely known earlier, there could have been more time to come up with an alternative.

'We had very little time to do anything but put in an objection.

'You think if the city was keen on its heritage, it would have put out an appeal to people to see if there was someone that could have done something with it, but it's just taking the easiest option.'

Writer and comedian David Baddiel also waded into the row

Norma Mackie pictured in a purple frock and matching fan outside The Dolphin Hotel

Austen fans Nicky Chapman, Cheryl Butler, Eliot Horn, Norma Mackie and Jason Butler

Dr Butler added: 'We as a society are constantly saying we need to do more about the heritage, but then when it actually comes down to it, it doesn't translate into doing anything.'

Dr Butler also took issue with the suggestion that part of the student accommodation will feature a 'museum or interpretation centre'.

The group's founder said it 'very much feels like lip service'.

Dr Butler makes no criticism of students but said there are already 'lots' of student buildings.

'I just hope the students appreciate what they have got there', she added.

Dr Butler set up the Sarah Siddons Fan Club, which is a historical re-enactment theatre company named after Austen's favourite actress.

Member Norma Mackey previously criticised proposals. She said: 'I think they have shot themselves in the foot because they will lose a gem,' she added.

'If it goes, Southampton has lost quite a lot of its heritage. It's disrespectful to the architect that designed it.'

Comedian and author David Baddiel, an ambassador of the author's Hampshire home museum, previously said Austen's heritage needs preserving.

He said: 'I agree that important elements of our history that are about great artists - and I do very much think that Jane Austen is a great artist, and very under-rated even though she's so popular - should be preserved, and I would be very happy about preserving anything that Jane Austen is involved with.'

The plans are to transform the Dolphin Hotel in Southampton (pictured) into student halls

Baddiel also stressed the importance of student accommodation.

He said: 'At the same time, students need accommodation. So for me, if there was a way of preserving within the halls of residence a tiny corner at least saying, 'This is where Jane Austen danced when she was 18', that would make me happy.'

Not only is it steeped in Austen history, but the hotel was visited by Queen Victoria and Admiral Lord Nelson.

A Southampton City Council planning officer's report, which recommended granting the application, said the principle of a student residential development was considered acceptable and supported given the 'established need' in the city.

The report said: 'The concerns raised by third parties about the loss of this important and attractive hotel with a strong tourist draw is well articulated.

'However, the planning system, and our adopted development plan, doesn't protect the Dolphin Hotel from closure and the council cannot insist that an unviable business remains open.

'The council cannot insist that an existing hotel provides public access to certain parts of its demise.

'The Dolphin Hotel is currently closed and in need of investment.'

The council's planning committee will sign off on the plans at a meeting this month.
Up to 180 gravestones at two Jewish cemeteries in Cincinnati have been vandalized and destroyed, according to local groups who have described the destruction as a sickening anti-semitic attack.

The FBI and police are investigating the damage done to the tombstones, some of which date back to the late 1800s.

Shocking pictures show scores of tombs knocked over, with some pushed faced-down and others cracked in half.

The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati said the vandalism took place between June 25 and Monday in two Jewish sections of the Covedale Cemetery complex.

'Our hearts go out to the families affected by this senseless vandalism. The Jewish community in Cincinnati is resilient and we are committed to repairing the damage and restoring the sanctity of these sacred spaces,' the federation said in a statement.

The heavy tombstones appear to have been knocked off their bases

Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati said that the destruction was discovered early on Monday morning

'We unequivocally condemn this act of hatred and desecration,' the statement went on. 'Our hearts go out to the families affected by this senseless vandalism.

'The Jewish community in Cincinnati is resilient, and we are committed to repairing the damage and restoring the sanctity of these sacred spaces.'

The federation also asked anyone with information to come forward and help with the investigation.

As of Wednesday morning, no arrests had been made, and the investigation is ongoing.

Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati said that the destruction was discovered early on Monday morning.

In a statement on Facebook, it said it is 'deeply saddened and outraged' and that the act of antisemitic vandalism... has left our community heartbroken.

Most of the gravestones have been pushed face down, making it challenging to identify the affected families at this time,' it said, adding that it would inform the affected families as soon as possible.

'Your initial reaction is just sick to your stomach,' said the organisation's Executive Director Sue Susskind.

Some of the stones have been cracked in the vandalism at the Ohio cemetery complex

'I mean, what we do is lay people to rest and take care of their final resting place, and we were not able to do that because somebody else came in and chose to do vandalism.'

Susskind told CNN that law enforcement has granted permission for the gravestones to be repaired and inspected.

She said some of them are so heavy that they will have to be lifted up and put back into place by cranes.

The vandalism comes amid a surge in antisemitism in the US and abroad, with a monitor reporting a 'dramatic' increase in incidents after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.

In the latest figures, the from the Anti-Defamation League, which has tracked cases of antisemitism in the US since 1979, reported a 140 per cent increase from 2022 to 2023.
A Wisconsin pastor has died in a devastating house fire which killed five other members of his family after he ran back into the blaze to try and save his grandkids.

Steve Witte, 66, died along with his daughter Charis Kuehl, 38, and her daughter Stella, five, his other daughter Lydia Witte, 35, and two other grandchildren, Lena and Merci Henselin.

The blaze broke out at his Necedah vacation rental near the Wisconsin Dells on Sunday where there was family gathering taking place. It is not clear what caused the fire.

The pastor initially made it to safety, but he ran back to try and save two of his granddaughters after realizing they were still inside, Witte's friend Pastor Larry Schlomer told WMTV.

'It was such a tremendous loss, that many deaths within the same family,' he said.

Wisconsin pastor Steve Witte (pictured with wife Mary) has died in a devastating house fire which killed six members of his family after he ran back into the inferno to try and save his grandkids

'It was startling. We live our life being ready for that moment when we get to meet our Savior, but when it happens like this, it is a startling moment.'

The family had gathered to spend time with Witte after he had returned home from a mission in Asia.

The pastor was lead of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Asia Missions Team.

'His wife, Mary, his children, those were so important,' Schlomer added. 'That's why they were gathered so they could enjoy some time while he was back from his mission field.

The heartbroken survivors are now in the position of having to plan six funerals. Two fundraisers have been set up to assist.

A GoFundMe has been established for Kuehl's widow and her two surviving children, as well a GiveSendGo for Lena and Merci's family.

Mom Charis Kuehl tragically died along with her youngest daughter Stella, aged five

Pastor Witte's other daughter Lydia Witte was among the victims, along with her three nieces

The Henselin's grief is compounded by the loss of their son Joel, 12, in a freak strangulation accident less than a year ago.

Hannah and Karl Henselin have now lost three children in the space of a year.

'The pain of losing six members of one family cannot be described with words,' WELS president Mark Schroder said.

'By God's grace, a number of other family members survived. As of now, there are many unanswered questions; authorities continue to investigate.'

The Juneau County Sheriff's Office said they were called to the property at around 2.25am on Sunday.

The house was fully engulfed in flames with two to three people trapped inside.

The Juneau County Sheriff's Office said they were called to the property at around 2.25am on Sunday

Fire crews found three people trapped inside and battled the flames for around three hours

As they led away survivors from the building, they told officers six people were missing.

Fire crews battled the flames for three hours in total and those inside could not be saved.

Neighbor Ken Zielinski said the flames were up to 20 feet into the air.

'During the day, we are close by, so we heard the kids playing in the pool and now... it's a shame,' he told WBAY.
Democrats are scrambling for a potential replacement for President Joe Biden on the 2024 ticket after his embarrassing debate performance against Donald Trump.

But Michelle Obama is so far the only potential Democratic challenger who could beat Trump, according to post-debate polling.

Others names like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Vice President Kamala Harris are being floated  but none so far are faring better than Trump in polls.

While the former first lady has not said anything publicly about any interest in being on the ticket, it appears she has one of the clearest paths toward getting added to the ballot and accepted by Democrats.

Those within the Democratic Party have acknowledged, however, that party rules make it hard for other candidates to earn the nomination this year and if Biden doesn't agree to step aside, the prospects become essentially impossible.

A new poll shows that former first lady Michelle Obama is the only Democrat ahead of Donald Trump in a potential 2024 match-up

Delegates were finalized at selection on June 22 and were chosen on a state-by-state basis to represent support for the president in the nomination process. It's unlikely they would shift their backing.

There are 43,933 pledged Democratic delegates for 2024 and to win the presidential nomination a candidate must earn a majority of them  estimated at 1,968 this year.

But many say they aren't changing this late in the game.

'That's not even remotely a topic of conversation,' Aaron Sims, a Biden delegate in Nevada, told ABC News on changing his vote from Biden to another candidate.

And Sami Khaldi, a Biden delegate from Michigan, added: 'I am still supporting President Biden until this moment.'

Democratic delegates are 'pledged' to a candidate meaning by party rules delegates 'shall in all good conscience' reflect the views of those who elected them.

There is no official penalty if a delegate votes differently  but if a Biden delegate simply sits out of the first round of balloting instead of backing the president, their vote would not count towards anyone.

Michelle Obama, who has never held any elected position, has promising polling figures, popularity among voters and ability to draw from her husband's political connections  and she might be just what the party needs to get back on track.

Former President Barack Obama spoke on the phone with his former VP after the debate Thursday to offer support and private counsel. But behind the scenes, he has told allies that Biden's tough reelection path has grown even more challenging after stumbling his way through the showdown with Trump.

There are only four months until the 2024 presidential election and the Democratic National Committee will have its official candidate decided by August 22, which is the last day of the nominating convention in Chicago, Illinois.

If Michelle Obama were actually to become the party's nominee, they would need to act fast to convince Biden to bow out and recruit the former first lady to step-in before the Democratic Convention.

Biden has so far rejected pressure to drop out and insists he can beat Trump in November.

Newsom and Whitmer have dismissed chatter about them taking over for Biden and reaffirmed after the car crash debate their commitment to backing the president's reelection.

And then comes the issue of money.

Not only would a new candidate have to raise massive sums of cash in a short amount of time, but Biden's warchest would not necessarily automatically flow to his replacement and a shake-up could leave millions on the table.

Michelle Obama has not expressed interest in making a bid for the White House and has never held public office. Still, her popularity among voters remains high 12 years after her husband ended his second term as president

Biden's campaign announced Tuesday it raised $127 million in June, its best fundraising month of the campaign so far. From April through June, the Biden team brought in a total of $264 million and finished last month with $240 million cash on hand.

If the president does leave the race, he can make unlimited transfers of funds to the national party  meaning the money could all end up with the Democratic Party, which can then decide to spend the money on the new nominee.

But the campaign cannot just transfer the money directly to the nominee, as there is a $2,000 limit per candidate per election.

'In order for the withdrawing candidate's committee to get the funds into the campaign account of a successor candidate's campaign, the withdrawing candidate would have to refund the money to the original donors, who could then contribute to the new candidate's campaign,' explained Trevor Potter, president of the Campaign Legal Center.

Not only is Obama the only potential candidate that could beat Trump, but she beats him by a whopping 11 percent margin, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Trump and Biden at a tie with 40 percent each and 16 percent claiming they would not vote in a 2020 rematch or would vote for a different, third-party candidate.

Every other politician included in the poll  both Harris and a handful of Democratic governors  aren't able to skirt ahead of the former president.

Harris loses to Trump by one percent and Newsom loses by three percent, according to the Reuters/Ipsos survey of 892 registered voters between July 1-2. Whitmer fares even worse, falling behind the former president by five percent.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democratic leader of a Republican state, is behind by four percent and Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker comes in last with a six percent disadvantage over Trump.

Obama, however, gets 50 percent of the vote compared to Trump's 39 percent when the two were placed in a hypothetical head-to-head

The latest poll comes amid widespread calls in the Democratic Party to replace Biden on the 2024 ticket after his disastrous debate performance against Donald trump. President Joe Biden fumbled for words and was hard-to-understand at the debate in Atlanta, Georgia on June 27

It's unclear if Obama, who said the potential of another Trump term is 'terrifying,' has any interest in seeking public office.

But if she does, there is already a built-in network of strategists and loyalists who would be more than ready to jump-in to help propel their former boss's wife to the White House.

For example, David Axelrod served as a senior political strategist to Barack Obama's 2012 campaign and has been an outspoken critic of President Biden and his push for reelection. It unclear if he would be welcomed back into the fold, but it's possible he could consult should the Obama's make a return to Washington.

Other former Obama aides have aligned themselves to Biden's team and might not be as willing to abandon their new boss.

For example, Jennifer O'Malley Dillon was former President Obama's 2012 deputy campaign manager. But after serving as Biden's deputy chief of staff in the White House, she is now helping lead his reelection bid.

Additionally, once-Obama's campaign press secretary, Ben LaBolt is now the White House communications director.
Wild letters from teenage girls wanting to 'snog' and 'bed' the Rolling Stones have been found in an old suitcase that belonged to Brian Jones and have gone up for auction.

Multi-instrumentalist Jones kept the 3,000 handwritten letters that were sent to him from crazed fans from across the world in 1964.

At the time the youthful band had already had two number ones and were at the forefront of the 'British Invasion' of rock and pop in America.

Jones was a founding member of the Stones alongside Keith Richards and Mick Jagger in 1962, but was dismissed in June 1969 after he developed alcohol and drug problems. Less than a month later, he died by drowning in a swimming pool in his East Sussex home at the age of 27.

The battered travel trunk was found in the attic of another Jones property in Woodley, near Reading, and was full to the brim with the fan mail.

Some of the correspondence was polite and reserved, with one girl informing the guitarist she had 'dropped the Beatles' for the Stones because their hair wasn't long enough. But a lot of the letters were sent from lustful teenagers expressing their carnal desires for the band.

Brian Jones (middle) was a founding member of the Stones alongside Keith Richards (far right) and Mick Jagger (centre left) in 1962

The start of a 18 side letter from 'Nicola' to Jones in which she said she would 'love to go bed' with the rock star

One girl asked Jones if he would be her playmate while another, Nicola from Worcester, told him 'I would love to go to bed with you much to my boyfriend's annoyance'.

She added: 'I'd better sign off now before I get too worked up!!!'

Another girl wrote to Jones: 'I'm only 16 and they tell me I am too young for you. Is that true? If it is I think it will break my heart.'

And another fan, Kath from Stratford-on-Avon, described how she was 'absolutely crazy' about Keith Richards who was 'easily the best Stone'.

She vowed the next time she goes to a Rolling Stones concert she would 'jump on the stage and start snogging you.'

Not holding back, she went on: 'I would like to go to bed with you...please try to oblige.'

The letters were found in the attic of a house Brian Jones and his former girlfiend Linda Lawrence shared in the mid-1960s.

The trunk had been left behind by them and acquired by a couple who bought the property in the 1970s.

It has now been consigned for sale at Tracks Auctions of Lancashire by friends of the couple.

Kath, 1 16-year-old schoolgirl, described in a letter how she was 'absolutely crazy' about Keith Richards who was 'easily the best Stone'

Jones (Pictured with Jagger at Granada Studios) was once the 'most popular member of the band)

The battered travel trunk was found in the attic of a Jones property in Woodley, near Reading, and was full to the brim with the fan mail

The letters were found in the attic of a house of Jones and his former girlfiend Linda Lawrence (left) shared in the mid-1960s

Another letter sent to Brian Jones whilst he was in the Rolling Stones

Multi-instrumentalist Jones (pictured wearing light coloured trousers) kept the 3,000 handwritten letters that were sent to him from crazed fans from across the world in 1964

The collection of letters gives a powerful insight into the effect of The Rolling Stones and their music had on British and American teenagers

Less than a month after being dismissed from the band, Jones died by drowning in a swimming pool in his East Sussex home

Chad Craddock, from Tracks Auctions, said: 'In the early days Brian Jones was by far the most popular member of the band, particularly with the group's girl fans.

'Brian was always immaculately turned out and immaculately coiffed, this together with his softly spoken way and his androgynous looks made up his not insignificant appeal to the Stones female following.

'This amazing collection of fan letters found in an attic in a house Brian shared with his then girlfriend Linda Lawrence is testament to his popularity.

'One of the more striking features of the correspondence is the sheer number of letters it includes from American fans and the impact The Rolling Stones' first visit there in June 1964 had on American teenagers.

'This collection of letters gives a powerful insight into the effect of The Rolling Stones and their music had on British and American teenagers.

'In particular, it highlights the effect that the 'British Invasion', started by The Beatles in February 1964 and given great impetus by the Stones visit in June later that year, had in waking up the youth of America to the emerging music of the British beat groups.'

The travel case measures 29ins x 17ins x 8.6ins is being sold in a timed auction that ends on July 15.
An urgent health warning has been issued after a traveller with measles landed in Melbourne, visiting a busy McDonalds and multiple high-traffic shops along the Great Ocean Road.

The returning traveller was infectious and arrived from overseas on Tuesday June 25, before visiting a McDonalds near the airport, toy shops and grocery stores in the southwest of Victoria.

It is the 11th case of measles in Victoria this year.

Measles is a highly infectious viral illness which spreads person-to-person, and can lead to uncommon but serious complications, such as pneumonia and brain inflammation.

Anyone who was at the same stores as the traveller is urged to monitor for symptoms for the following two weeks.

Anyone born during or since 1966 who does not have documented evidence of having received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or does not have documented evidence of immunity, is at risk of measles.

Unvaccinated infants are at particularly high risk of contracting measles.

Unvaccinated infants are most at risk. Picture: iStock

Possible exposure sites, movements of infected person:

June 24 - Departed from Singapore Changi Airport at 8:10pm

June 25 - Arrived Melbourne International Airport, Terminal 2 at 5:25am

June 25 - McDonalds, 173 Mickleham Road, Westmeadows (near the airport), from 7:00am to 9:00am

June 25 - Coles, Colac from 11:00am to 12:00pm

June 26 - Toyworld Warrnambool, 3:00pm to 3:50pm

June 27 - Friendly Grocer, Port Campbell, 11:00am to 11:40am

June 28 - Port Campbell Hotel, Port Campbell, 5:00pm to 7:00pm

June 28 - Friendly Grocer, Port Campbell, 6:30pm to 7:30pm

Victoria Department of Health issued the warning on Wednesday, June 3.

The virus spreads through droplets, contact with nose or throat secretions, as well as contaminated surfaces and objects.

The measles virus can stay in the environment for up to two hours.

Measles is a very contagious disease that can be prevented with MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. Picture: Yuri Dyachyshyn / AFP

Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, sore or red eyes, a runny nose, and feeling generally unwell, followed by a red rash.

The rash usually starts on the face before spreading down the body. Symptoms can develop between seven to 18 days after exposure, the health department advises.

Outbreaks of measles have been recently reported in Asia - including Indonesia and India, Africa, Europe and the UK, the Middle East and the US.
Karen Read was seen getting cozy with her married defense lawyer as a jury deliberated on whether she was guilty of murdering her cop boyfriend.

Read, 44, and her lawyer Alan Jackson, 59, were filmed cuddling up to each other outside the upmarket steakhouse Smith & Wollensky in Boston on June 27.

At the time of their intimate clinch, jurors were deliberating over whether Read murdered her boyfriend John O'Keefe who she is alleged to have struck with a car in the Canton area of Greater Boston in January 2022. A mistrial was declared Monday after jurors failed to reach a verdict.

The short clip shared on social media shows Read smiling as Jackson grabs her by the chest. The person who took the video said it looked 'wrong and inappropriate.'

Karen Read was seen getting cozy with her married defense lawyer Alan Jackson as a jury deliberated on whether she was guilty of murdering her cop boyfriend

Jackson, a prominent Los Angeles attorney, married LA deputy district attorney Lisa Kassabian in 2011. He is seen with Read during her trial

They told The New York Post: 'It was just her attorney kinda I don't know what you would call it. It looked inappropriate for an attorney-client type situation.'

Jackson is a prominent Los Angeles attorney who secured disgraced actor Kevin Spacey's acquittal of sexual assault charges. He also represented disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein in his LA rape trial.

Jackson married LA deputy district attorney Lisa Kassabian in 2011.

In an interview last year the California lawyer explained how he became 'intrigued' by Read's case.

'Once I heard the full story of John's death and saw some of the evidence, including the injuries on his right arm, I knew something was terribly wrong. I wanted to help,' he told Boston.com. 'I got into this business to right wrongs and there was no way I was going to walk away from this case.'

The judge ruling a mistrial on Monday marked the end of a contentious nine-week court battle where Read alleged that she was the victim of a wide-ranging plot to frame her.

Prosecutors countered that Read ran over O'Keefe to end their toxic relationship before leaving him for dead in the snow.

On the evening of O'Keefe's death, he and Read had been drinking with a group of friends at the Waterfall Bar and Grill in Canton, around 14 miles south of Boston, and were invited to his friend Brian Albert's home for an afterparty.

Read, who prosecutors say drank several alcoholic drinks beforehand, decided to drop her boyfriend at the afterparty before she went to his home - that O'Keefe shared with his orphaned niece and nephew - to sleep at around 1am.

The person who took the video said the scene looked 'wrong and inappropriate'

Read and attorney Alan Jackson laugh after recess at Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham on May 2

Jackson married LA deputy district attorney Lisa Kassabian in 2011

John O'Keefe, 46, was found dead 6am on January 29, 2022, outside a house where Read dropped him off for an afterparty about 12.45am

Court documents revealed that the couple had been bitterly arguing for weeks beforehand, and on the night O'Keefe died, Read left him a voicemail calling him a 'f****** loser', and telling him: 'John, I f****** hate you.'

The couple had been dating for two years at the time of O'Keefe's death. He had been serving on the Boston Police Department for 16 years.

According to Read's version of events, she woke up at 4am to find that O'Keefe never returned home, leading her to frantically drive out to try and find him.

After finding O'Keefe's body outside Albert's home, which party attendees claimed he never entered, first responders on the scene alleged that Read repeatedly told them she hit him while in a panicked state.

Vehicle data also found that Read reversed her SUV for 62 feet at 24mph near to Albert's home. O'Keefe's cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma and hypothermia, with pieces of Read's taillight found around his body, prosecutors said.

Read and O'Keefe had been out drinking on the night of his death, before she drove him to an afterparty while she went home to sleep. He was found dead on the lawn of the afterparty's home hours later

In his closing argument on Tuesday, Norfolk County Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally said the claims that Read was framed was little more than 'rampant speculation.'

Lally also pointed to hair and DNA from O'Keefe found on the rear end of Read's SUV.

The defense countered that the taillight was actually broken by Read when she left in a panic to find O'Keefe when he never returned home.

This included security video shown at trial showing Read clipping O'Keefe's vehicle as she backed out of her home to search for him.

Read claimed that attendees at the afterparty beat him to death, and her attorneys presented phone data that showed O'Keefe's phone climbed dozens of steps at the time he was allegedly struck.

Her attorney, Alan Jackson, claimed that these steps could have been the basement of Albert's home. Albert was never charged with any wrongdoing.

Jackson is a prominent Los Angeles attorney who secured disgraced actor Kevin Spacey 's acquittal of sexual assault charges

Read's attorneys added that although first responders claimed Read spoke of hitting O'Keefe at the scene, they claimed this evidence was falsely given at a later date and not said at the time.

A forensic engineer was brought in to evaluate the case, who testified that if O'Keefe had been struck by a vehicle at over 20mph he would expect to see more severe injuries.

When her trial began, Read received a slew of support from true crime fans who camped outside the courthouse with signs reading 'Free Karen Read.'

Many took to wearing pink as a show of support for Read, leading a judge to issue an order barring any clothing or accessories that could be perceived as encouraging, and banning them from coming within 200 feet of the courthouse.

As the trial made national headlines, some observers were turned off by Read's apparent flippant attitude during the proceedings, leading her to be nicknamed 'America's happiest murder defendant.'

She was seen winking to cameras and snacking inside the courthouse, which angered some critics.
California beachgoers were left screaming and crying after a protective sea lion charged at them.

Lauren Bertrand was visiting La Jolla Cove in San Diego on June 23 when she captured the footage of the angry sea lion.

Bertrand's video first went viral on TikTok last month before resurfacing on YouTube this week.

Prior to its attack on beachgoers, the marine mammal was swimming around the area with its babies, whom Bertrand also caught a glimpse of.

The sea lion nearly came face to face with one swimmer before it swam away, leaving the humans unhurt.

Lauren Bertrand was visiting La Jolla Cove in San Diego on June 23 when she captured the footage of an angry and protective sea lion

The sea lion was with its pups before it waddled to shore and then charged at the swimming beachgoers

Bertrand took the video while she was in a sitting area near the lifeguard station.

She spotted the sea lion and claimed that it 'looked like a rock.'

Bertrand and an unidentified onlooker then saw the swimming pups and were shocked to see how big they were.

'There goes your shot,' said the onlooker after the sea lion waddled to shore.

Other bystanders in the sitting area couldn't stop staring at the animal, with beachgoers on the sand taking pictures on their phones.

The marine mammal rushed into the water and spooked a child who fell over.

She and another young girl who was close to the sea lion ran away from the scene while a group of swimmers just watched the animal leave.

Bertrand took the video while she was in a sitting area near the lifeguard station with an unidentified female

Bertrand thought the sea lion 'looked like a rock' when she first spotted it away from the swimmers

This incident comes three months after an Instagram user known as @salissav captured a video of a man and his two young children getting dangerously close to a sea lion at La Jolla Cove.

'This was only the biggest idiot. Even after the sea lion made an aggressive move towards his child, he continued trying to get more photos,' the Instagram user wrote in the video description.

'If you are wondering why I did not intervene, I was located too far from this person for him to hear me over the noise of the ocean, seabirds, and other people.'

Another sea lion charging incident in La Jolla Cove was captured on video last year by Japhet Perez Estrada.

The sea lion rushed out of the water and charged at tourists who were close to the shoreline.

'People get bit here every summer, people get charged every summer, and for us locals, it's annoying because we like and respect the wildlife here,' said Perez at the time.

'I understand their excitement, and they want to get close, but it's nature. You got to give a distance.'

Pup season usually occurs from early May to late October. Sea lions use that time to bond, nurse, and teach their pups how to swim

Human interactions with sea lions and their pups could lead to aggressive behavior from the adult sea mammals, according to the city of San Diego's website.

These interactions with a mom and her pups 'could result in injury or abandonment of sea lion offspring.'

Pup season usually occurs from early May to late October and sea lions use that time to bond, nurse, and teach their babies how to swim.

Sea lions frequent California beaches, and the signs at the locations warn visitors not to approach them if they spot one.

The signs also indicate that sea lions bite, attack when feeling agitated, and note that it is illegal to harass them.
Two former employees of the Calhoun City School District have been indicted and arrested for allegedly having sex with their students.

Railey Greeson and Brooklyn Shuler, who both played important roles and each others' weddings within the last two years, were indicted Thursday by a Gordon County Grand Jury on three counts of sexual contact by an employee or agent in the 1st degree.

The first two counts of the indictment alleges that Greeson had sex with two different male students while employed by the school district.

Count 3 was against Shuler, 23, who is accused of having sexual intercourse with one male student.

The grand jury claims the women 'reasonably should have known' all three of their alleged victims were enrolled as students at the time they were said to have engaged in sexual acts with them.

Railey Greeson's mugshot photo following the indictment against her

Brooklyn Shuler's mugshot photo. Both women were released on bond after being booked at the Gordon County Jail

The indictment doesn't reveal the students' ages or which schools they were enrolled in at the time of the alleged sexual crimes against them.

The two women were arrested and booked at the Gordon County Jail, where they were later released on bond, the Gordon Gazette reports.

Greeson and Shuler allegedly had sex with these students at some point between October 29, 2021, and January 3, 2022, which predates both of their marriages.

Shuler got married first in Tunnel Hill, Georgia, on November 12, 2022, according to her wedding registry website.

Greeson was wed in Tennessee roughly a year after Shuler on October 7, 2023.

Shuler named Greeson as her maid of honor, describing her as her 'best friend' and her 'ride or die'.

Shuler didn't get the honor of being Greeson's matron of honor at her wedding but was a bridesmaid.

Shuler, left, is pictured with her lifelong friend Railey Greeson. The two were in each other's wedding parties

Greeson, left, and Shuler face decades behind bars if convicted of the charges against them

It isn't yet clear which school these two lifelong friends were working for at the time of the alleged crimes.

Greeson was a member of Calhoun High School's class of 2019, according to an Instagram post displaying professional photo taken of her in anticipation of her senior year.

This puts her around the age of 23.

Greeson was also mildly active on X, posting over two years ago about how she'd approach 'communicating feedback' to her students.

'Communicating feedback in the forms of grades and averages can really stress students out and cause them to struggle,' Greeson wrote.

Her X profile reveals she attended Kennesaw State with her graduation date in 2023.

Shuler's connection to the Calhoun City School District isn't clear, however, her relationship status is a bit more clear.

It appears she's no longer with the man she married in November 2022, since he has a child with a new wife, according to his Facebook profile.

Greeson is still featured on her husband's profile picture on his social media accounts.

If convicted, Greeson and Shuler could face one to 25 years in prison or a fine of up to $100,000.

If sodomy was involved in the alleged sex acts with the boys, the women could face up to 50 years behind bars.
Jeremy Corbyn is drafting in rail union boss Mick 'The Grinch' Lynch as part of a last-ditch effort to cling on to his north London seat at tomorrow's general election.

The ex-Labour leader, now standing as an independent, is hoping to embarrass his old party and hold the Islington North constituency he has represented since 1983.

Mr Lynch, general secretary of the RMT union, will join the 75-year-old politician at an eve-of-poll rally tonight at Highbury Fields.

The union chief - who brought misery to millions of Brits last year by overseeing a series of train strikes - will speak alongside other left-wing figures such as activist Owen Jones.

But it comes after a slew of polls showed Mr Corbyn is facing a struggle to be re-elected as an MP, with Labour forecast to win the seat despite his independent bid.

Ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, now standing as an independent, is hoping to embarrass his old party and hold the Islington North constituency he has represented since 1983

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT union, will join the 75-year-old politician at an eve-of-poll rally tonight at Highbury Fields

In a recent social media post, Mr Corbyn urged X users to 'Zoom in on my marrow'. Doing so revealed the words: 'Help us get out the vote in Islington North'

Mr Lynch - who brought misery to millions of Brits last year by overseeing a series of train strikes - will speak alongside other left-wing figures such as activist Owen Jones

Since replacing Mr Corbyn as Labour leader in 2020, Sir Keir Starmer has attempted to distance himself from his hard-left predecessor

A Survation MRP study, published last night, showed Labour are estimated to win 42 per cent of the vote in Islington North tomorrow.

Earlier this year, Mr Lynch explained why his RMT union would be backing Mr Corbyn in Islington North, despite supporting Labour candidates elsewhere.

'We will support all sorts of people in this election, because we're not affiliated,' he told the War on Want conference in February.

He added: 'We will support Labour candidates. We will support socialist candidates.

'We will be supporting Jeremy Corbyn in the next election.'

Since replacing Mr Corbyn as Labour leader in 2020, Sir Keir Starmer has attempted to distance himself from his hard-left predecessor.

He stripped Mr Corbyn of the Labour whip in Parliament in October of that year, after the former party leader said allegations of anti-Semitism during his time in charge had been exaggerated by political opponents.

Sir Keir then blocked Mr Corbyn from standing as a Labour general election candidate in March 2023.

In May this year, Mr Corbyn was booted out as a Labour Party member after confirming he would stand as an independent candidate against the party he used to lead.

Speaking to The Independent on the campaign trail recently, Mr Corbyn admitted some constituents did not know he had been expelled from Labour.

But he added that after weeks of campaigning 'more realise I'm independent and that my values are the same'.

'We've got huge amounts of people helping, we've built the campaign in less than four weeks,' he told the website.

'We've had hundreds of people volunteering, we have knocked on probably 25 to 30,000 doors already.'

In a recent social media post, Mr Corbyn urged X users to 'Zoom in on my marrow'.

Doing so revealed the words: 'Help us get out the vote in Islington North'
A seven-year-old British girl and her baby sister were found 'abandoned' in a car in Tenerife, local media reports.

The girl and one-year-old baby were reportedly found on June 17 by a concerned local, who said the white Volkswagen Polo rental had been parked in the sun with the windows closed.

After 15 minutes there was still no sign of the childrens' parents, and police were called to the scene at the Apolo Commercial Centre in Los Cristianos, according to a policing blog post cited by local news outlets.

Officers convinced the seven-year-old to unlock the door and allow them into the car, where they found yoghurts and juices, as well as documentation identifying the man believed to be the girls' father.

Police searched the shopping centre for the man, and located a 38-year-old Brit at a hair salon. He initially denied being the girls' father, and said he had a different name to the man they were looking for.

Police officers at the scene where the two girls - aged seven and one - were found in a car

The girls were reportedly found locked in the car, a white VW Polo, by a concerned local

Apparently unable to locate the children's parents, police informed the local prosecutor's office, which ordered that the girls be transferred to a local maternal unit.

Meanwhile, efforts to identify the girls' father with the help of the car rental company he had hired the vehicle from eventually proved successful.

A driving licence and other information reportedly confirmed that the man police had spoken to at the salon was the girls' father, and that he had lied to cops about his identity.

When they returned to the salon to detain him, hairdressers reported that the suspect had fled shortly after questioning.

In another twist, a 35-year-old Polish man arrived at the scene, reportedly telling police that he was a friend of the person responsible for the girls.

Officers found yoghurts and juices in a bag inside the car when they gained access

A baby bottle and juice is seen in the footwell of the car

He claimed that the man had asked him to pick them up, but the officers refused to release the children until their parents were fully identified.

Eventually, police were able to track down the girls' mother, a 27-year-old British tourist.

She was contacted and came to the shopping centre, where officers confirmed her identity and handed over the children to her.

Police have opened a case, Canarian Weekly reports, and are seeking to arrest the girls' father on suspicion of child abandonment.
Vladimir Putin is ready to share sovereignty of Crimea with Ukraine, according to an astonishing 'new peace plan'.

The dictator sent his trusted interior minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev to the US with new proposals to end the war that the dictator started, say sources in both Moscow and Kyiv.

Despite being sanctioned, Kolokoltsev was allowed into the US ostensibly to attend a UN meeting of police chiefs.

But this was a ruse allowing him to travel to Washington on a VIP plane from Putin's presidential fleet to transmit to the US government the dictator's real demands for a peace deal, it is claimed.

Leading Ukrainian TV journalist Dmitry Gordon said he had received details of the package from 'our intelligence sources', while Russian Telegram channel Gosdumskaya - which claims insider sources in Moscow - separately reported a similar set of Putin demands.

Vladimir Putin (pictured) is ready to share sovereignty of Crimea with Ukraine , according to an astonishing 'new peace plan

Ukrainian civilians walk among the rubble in war-torn central street of the city in Toretsk, Ukraine

A bomb crater and residential buildings destroyed by a Russian air strike in the village of Borova

The package is likely to be unacceptable to Ukraine, which would have to cede huge swathes of invaded territory, and be barred from joining NATO, but it is concessionary compared with Putin's demands in May.

It would see the Kremlin dictator gain spoils from going to war.

'The main purpose of his [Kolokoltsev's] arrival was to hand over Russia's peace plan to the US authorities,' said Gordon, who said it was a Putin plan 'to end the war'.

The demands were that Ukraine must completely withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk regions, both of which are now partially annexed by Russia.

But Russia would hand over Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station and the nearby town of Enerhodar to Ukraine.

And he would discuss the possible transfer of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions to the control of Ukraine.

Crimea would become a 'specially demilitarised administrative territory with dual subordination to Ukraine and the Russian Federation'.

'Ukraine must take on itself legally binding international guarantees, not to block the supply of water to Crimea,' said Gordon, reading from a document.

Infantry secure the area for the 3rd Assault Brigade at sunset on July 1, 2024 in Kharkiv Region

Soldiers work in the area as the building and the surrounding vehicles are reduced to wreckage after a Russian air strike on a post office in Ukraine's Kharkiv region

Putin seized the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in 2014 and vowed he would never return it to Ukraine.

Ukraine would also control a 62-mile 'demilitarised zone' along the Dnipro River.

The Ukrainian army would have a legal maximum size, and the country would be barred from joining NATO, a key Zelinsky goal.

But Putin would not seek to block Ukraine joining the EU.

The West would drop sanctions on Russian oil and gas, as well as banking.

Gordon gave the army size as 350,000, but the Gosdumskaya Telegram channel said 150,000.

The UN meeting that the Russian minister attended was a 'diversionary manoeuvre', said Gordon.

Ukrainian servicemen of the Ochi reconnaissance unit launch a Furia drone to fly over Russian positions at the frontline in Donetsk

A soldier rests as Infantry secure the area for the 3rd Assault Brigade at sunset on July 1, 2024 in Kharkiv Region

'The Donetsk and Luhansk regions cannot be transferred under the control of Ukraine, because this will cause, they say, the imminent genocide of the population of the territory, a third of which took part in hostilities against Ukraine,' said Gordon.

There has been no official comment from the US, Russia or Ukraine over the alleged back channel contacts concerning Kolokoltsev's visit.

Intriguingly, Kolokoltsev's plane was seen alongside former US president Donald Trump's aircraft as it arrived in Washington.

Trump has vowed that he could rapidly halt the debilitating war if re-elected and hinted that this would involve Ukraine ceding territory in exchange for security assurances short of being a NATO member.

Kolokoltsev, 63, has been Putin's Interior Minister for 12 years, in charge of Russian police.
A hulking 6ft 5 knifeman laughed as he attacked two police officers with a Stanley knife before being tasered, as he is jailed for six years for attempted GBH.

Bodycam footage shows Gordon Finnlayson, 39, launching himself at the police officers as they attended a house on March 8 this year.

Northamptonshire Police had received a 999 call from Police Scotland reporting a Scottish man having his face slashed by another man.

Upon arriving at the property, the officers were confronted with Finnlayson, who was wearing a T-shirt and shorts.

He flew into a rage after officers told him to stop and put down the weapon he was holding in his hand.

In the chilling clip, Finnlayson can be seen smiling and laughing as he slashes at one of the officers who lies on the floor, while her colleague tries to protect her.

One of the officers can be heard screaming: 'Put the knife down! Put the knife down!'.

Gordon Finnlayson, 39, (pictured) was jailed for six years for attempted GBH

Pictured: Finnlayson can be seen smiling and laughing as he slashes at one of the officers who lies on the floor, while her colleague tries to protect her

Finnlayson is heard calling one of the cops 'a b*tch' as he walks outside the property with only one shoe on and back-up officers arrive with tasers.

One of the injured officers is heard tearfully telling a colleague: 'I don't know if I've been stabbed. Please check if I've been stabbed. I'm so sorry, I just stepped back.'

Finnlayson was tasered and taken to police custody, where he continued to laugh as the circumstances of his arrest were read out.

Both officers required medical attention and although one had initially feared she had been stabbed, both were thankfully found to have escaped serious physical injury.

Finnlayson, of Duncarnock Crescent, Neilston, Glasgow, went on to be charged with two counts of Section 18 attempted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, entering guilty pleas at Northampton Crown Court on April 24.

Last week he was jailed for six years at Northampton Crown Court.

The court heard Finnlayson had 35 previous convictions, including seven assaults on police officers.

Finnlayson walks outside the property with only one shoe on and is tasered by back-up officers

Finnlayson is tasered and arrested. He is told to put his hands behind his head by back-up officers

One of the injured officers is heard tearfully telling a colleague: 'I don't know if I've been stabbed. Please check if I've been stabbed. I'm so sorry, I just stepped back.'

Detective Inspector Nick Peters, of Northampton CID, said: 'These two officers showed incredible courage in the face of a violent and sustained attack by a man who was not only armed and much larger than them, but also appeared to be enjoying trying to seriously hurt them.

'During the incident, Finnlayson seemed to be trying to isolate the officers from one another so he could continue his assault without distraction.

'Without their determination and bravery in sticking together and protecting each other they could have been seriously or even fatally injured by him.

'Police officers come to work not knowing what their shift will bring, and although they are trained and prepared to deal with violent incidents, this is the kind of job no-one ever wants to face.

'With the officers' agreement we have released their body-worn video from the incident, which shows just how unpredictable, violent and frightening Gordon Finnlayson was that night.

'I'm really pleased to see such a strong custodial sentence handed down in this case, and want to thank all those involved for their work in ensuring a dangerous man has been brought to justice.'
Newly released footage shows the moment an Atlanta-based rapper stirred controversy after asking all President Joe Biden supporters to leave his concert.

Musician Waka Flocka Flame, whose real name is Juaquin James Malphurs, was performing at the Club Sky in Salt Lake City, Utah on June 27 when he addressed the crowd.

The 38-year-old rapper could be heard telling his Democratic Party supporting fans: 'All Joe Biden voters, get out of my concert. We're gonna party right now for T24'- referencing GOP candidate Donald Trump's 2024 Presidential campaign.

As his sudden announcement caused mixed reactions among the crowd, he quickly launched into his hit 'It's A Party' which was dedicated to Trump.

Musician Waka Flocka Flame, whose real name is Juaquin James Malphurs, was performing at the Club Sky in Salt Lake City, Utah on June 27 when he addressed the crowd

Footage of the moment soon went viral and garnered massive support from other Republican party supporters on X.

One Trump lover wrote: 'I knew I have always liked Waka!!!'

While another praised the rapper and said: 'That takes courage.'

A Trump 2024 campaigner cheered, 'Nobody wants to be around them!' while another said, 'LOL everyone is sick of putting up with these losers.'

Waka Flocka Flame had first endorsed Trump on X by expressing favor for the former president in October 2023.

But he is not the only rapper to join the 'Black Americans for Trump' coalition this election.

In early June, Detroit's Sada Baby joined Peezy and Icewear Vezzo to attend the Republican's roundtable discussion with local Black community leaders.

Waka Flocka Flame had first endorsed Trump on X by expressing favor for the former president in October 2023

Biden insiders continue to insist that the president, 81, will carry on against Trump despite his disastrous first debate just five days go

Talking about his political inclination, Vezzo later told FOX News: 'A lot of Democrats assume that [we're] just supposed to vote blindly. I feel like our votes should be worked for, I feel like our parents blindly voted for generations, but I think this generation is now understanding that we have to ask questions.'

New York City rappers Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow, who had been indicted on murder conspiracy charges in May 2023, spoke at a Trump rally in the Bronx in May this year.

St. Louis rapper Sexyy Red, a member of the coalition, also explained why so many black musicians had become Republican Party supporters during a podcast show.

'Once he started getting Black people out of jail and giving people that free money. Aww baby, we love Trump We need him back because, baby, them checks.' he told comedian Theo Von in October.

The viral moment comes right after at least 25 Democrat members of Congress are set to call on Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race in the coming days, while a pair of Senators have distanced themselves from the ailing president.

Biden insiders continue to insist that the president, 81, will carry on against Trump despite his disastrous first debate just five days go.

Despite their insistence, his support appears to be crumbling among fellow Dems.

The revolt in the House was expected to take place if Biden 'seems shaky in coming days' as one Democrat aide warned: 'the dam is broken.'
France's desperate left-wing alliance has been going in search of extra voters in the United Kingdom as fears of a hard-right government intensify.

Round one on Sunday propelled Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) closer than ever to government - but also left open the possibility that voters could yet block its path to power in the second and final round on July 7.

Ms Le Pen's opponents in the left-wing alliance of the New Popular Front as well as President Emmanuel Macron's weakened centrists are all seeking to deny the hard right an absolute majority by rallying supporters in campaigning this week.

These efforts now appear to have extended across the channel and to the shores of the UK - itself just one day away from its own general election on Thursday - with campaigners urging overseas voters to back the left wing, anti-RN coalition.

According to one resident, who chose to remain anonymous, two French campaigners knocked on their door in London on Tuesday night at around 7pm.

France 's desperate left-wing alliance has been going in search of extra voters in the United Kingdom as fears of a hard-right government mount. Pictured: A leaflet that was handed to the London resident by French campaigners looking for votes for the New Popular Front

France's President Emmanuel Macron leaves the polling booth on Sunday. Macron 's weakened centrists and a left wing coalition are all seeking to deny the hard right an absolute majority by rallying supporters in campaigning this week

The campaigners were a man and a woman, he recalled, who appeared to be targeting French voters living in the third constituency for residents overseas (Northern Europe), which represents all French citizens living in the British Isles.

The campaigners told the resident that they wanted to speak to a French person living in the same building about who she was voting for.

'At around 7pm yesterday I answered the front door to my building to find a young man and woman, both smiling and each clutching a bundle of leaflets,' the resident, from the London borough of Southwark, told MailOnline.

'I assumed they were campaigning for the UK election, but clearly not. Both [were] French, though they both spoke excellent English.

'The man said he understood a fellow French citizen lived in the building and he wanted to speak to her in person, if possible.

'My neighbour either wasn't at home or was unable to get to the door. The man handed me a leaflet with Nouveau Front Populaire boldly printed across the top, and requested I hand it to her myself.'

The resident said how the man told him 'it was important she [the neighbour] voted in France to stop Le Pen. His sidekick was nodding enthusiastically over his shoulder during the entire exchange. I took the leaflet.

'He wished me well, urged me a final time to ensure my neighbour saw the leaflet, and left. They hurried away and into the next street. I closed the door and left the leaflet for my neighbour.

'People must be pretty worried in France,' he added.

It was not clear how the campaigners knew that a French person was living in the building, or how many doors they had knocked on.

The resident also sent MailOnline photographs of the leaflet that was left with him by the French campaigners.

These leaflets were adorned with the logo of the New Popular Front, a coalition that has been put together by the hard-left France Unbowed party, as well as the French greens, Socialists and Communists, in a bid to beat Le Pen's hard-right group.

The leaflet declares in French that the coalition is 'facing the extreme right, for ecology, justice and equality' and adds: 'united, we can win'.

This is coupled with a picture of Charlotte Minvielle, a member of The Ecologists party and candidate in the French National Assembly election for the third constituency for French residents overseas.

The leaflet displays policies that would benefit expats, including promises to 'restore resources to public services for French people abroad', 'repeal the pension reform and make the calculation of retirement fair for French people abroad', 'promote French diplomacy in the service of peace and respectful of international law' and 'increase the budget for scholarships in French establishments abroad'.

The coalition also says on the flyer it would 'act for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, for a just and lasting peace, the release of hostages and the recognition of a Palestinian state', and 'defend the sovereignty and freedom of the Ukrainian people'.

At the bottom, the leaflet tells any prospective French voter: 'To participate in the legislative elections, you can vote online or in person,' adding that they can vote online from July 3 to July 4, or in person in France on July 7.

Ms Minvielle won 39 percent of the vote in the first round of the election on July 30 in the third constituency.

Her main contender is Vincent Caure, a member of Macron's Renaissance party, who also won 39 percent of the vote, making for a tight race in the overseas consituency.

According to one resident, who chose to remain anonymous, two French campaigners knocked on their door in London on Tuesday night at around 7pm and handed them this flyer

The French flyer is seen in the London resident's letter box. The campaigners told the resident that they wanted to speak to a French person living in the same building about who she was voting for in the upcoming French election

Round one on Sunday propelled Marine Le Pen's (pictured on Tuesday) National Rally (RN) closer than ever to government - but also left open the possibility that voters could yet block its path to power in the second and final round on July 7

Meanwhile in France, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, a close ally of President Macron, said today he believed a cross-party bid to deprive Le Pen's hard-right National Rally of a majority in next Sunday's parliamentary run-off could succeed.

However, he dismissed suggestions that Macron's centrists could look to form a cross-party government in the event of a hung parliament.

He instead proposed that moderates in the assembly work together to pass legislation on a case-by-case basis instead.

Attal was speaking after more than 200 candidates across the political spectrum agreed to pull out of local contests to clear the path for whoever was best placed to defeat the RN runner in their voting district.

'What these withdrawals show is that we can avoid an absolute majority for the hard right,' Attal told France Inter radio of the 289-seat tally the RN would require to control France's 577-seat National Assembly.

Asked about calls for the creation of a temporary cross-party government if no grouping achieved a majority, Attal said he would not impose on voters 'a coalition they did not choose'.

'I hope the (Macron-allied) Ensemble camp is a big as possible,' he said. 'After that we will seek to secure majorities on a project-by-project basis.'

In a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Macron rejected the option of a coalition that would include the far left France Unbowed (LFI) party of Jean-Luc Melenchon, one participant said. It was unclear if he mentioned other coalition options.

Their comments underline that, even if the RN does not come to power, France could face months of political uncertainty through to the end of Macron's term in 2027 - when Le Pen is widely expected to mount a challenge for the presidency.

The Interior Ministry was due to release the candidate list for the second-round vote later but local media estimated up to 218 candidates had pulled out, reducing the number of districts in which the anti-RN vote risked being split.

Before the withdrawals, pollsters had calculated the first round put the RN on track for 250-300 seats.

The question remains whether voters will go along with the effort to block the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic party.

Centrist voters may baulk at supporting a far left rival to the RN, while many left-wing supporters are so disillusioned with Macron that they will not stomach backing someone from his alliance.

Le Pen said on Wednesday that she could reach out to other parties if the RN falls short of an absolute majority. Her prime ministerial pick Jordan Bardella has said he would decline to form a government without a sufficiently strong mandate.

The RN came out well ahead in Sunday's first-round vote after Macron's gamble on a snap election backfired, leaving his centrist camp in a lowly third place behind the RN and a hastily formed left-wing alliance.

Le Pen has worked for years to soften the image of the RN, but rights groups cite concerns about its 'national preference' and anti-migrant policies, while its profound euroscepticism would pose serious threats to future European integration.

Demonstrators take part in a rally against hard-right after the announcement of the results of the first round of parliamentary elections, at Place de la Republique in Paris on June 30, 2024

It has signalled plans to reverse Macron's reforms, such as his unpopular move to increase the retirement age and economists question whether hefty RN spending plans are fully funded.

Financial markets were reassured by the bid to create a so-called 'republican front' against Le Pen's party, lowering the risk premium on France's sovereign debt.

'The strategy would significantly limit the chances of Le Pen winning an outright majority,' Jefferies chief Europe economist Mohit Kumar said in a note.

The National Rally has attacked the cross-party bid to block it as anti-democratic and an attempt to undermine voters' wishes. Bardella told Le Figaro newspaper: 'The real 'republican front' - that is us.'
Colombia's married president Gustavo Petro has found himself in an outrageous scandal after he was accused of cheating on his wife with a transgender woman.

The leftist president's office has refused to comment on a video circulating online that supposedly shows Petro walking with Colombian newscaster Linda Yepes after the inauguration of new Panamanian president Jose Raul Mulino on Sunday.

The bombshell video, which shows a man and woman walking hand-in-hand before he stops to lovingly take her picture, has scandalized Colombia and the region, as reported by Telemundo.

The president, who has been married to Veronica Alcocer since 2000, has not denied or confirmed that he is the man seen getting close to Yepes, only speaking out to say he is not gay, and slam those he called 'transphobic.'

The former guerilla member wrote on X on Wednesday: 'I am heterosexual, but you will never hear or read a transphobic word from me. Because not only would he stop being a man, but also human.'

Colombia's married president Gustavo Petro's office has refused to comment on a video circulating online that supposedly shows him walking with trans newscaster Linda Yepes

The man in the viral video is seen taking a picture of the woman in Panama City

The president, who has been married to Veronica Alcocer (pictured) since 2000, has refused to deny that he is the man seen getting close to Yepes, only speaking out to say he is not gay, and slam those he called 'transphobic'

He added: 'I have always considered that intimacy is the "last level" of freedom, the last trench of being free, and I will preserve this principle until I write about myself or die.

'But these thousands of transphobic messages that have exploded in the hands of a right-wing, deeply exclusive, ignorant and discriminatory society must be rejected by the president.'

Speaking on Univision, Yepes played coy when asked about the viral video.

'I was in Panama. I love Panama,' she said.

When pressed further, she replied: 'I cannot speak about the details yet.

Yepes has also claimed she has received death threats since the video emerged.

While Petro has not confirmed he appears in the video, Telemundo pointed out that the president was seen wearing a similar outfit earlier in the day.

Speaking on Univision, Yepes played coy when asked about the viral video

While Petro has not confirmed he appears in the video, Telemundo pointed out that the president was seen wearing a similar outfit earlier in the day

Telemundo also noted the man in the video appears to be accompanied by a bodyguard who looked similar to the one seen with Petro earlier that day.

Petro's wife, a philanthropist, has not commented on the images.

Moreover, his comments were not enough for many Colombians, who left angry messages under his social media statement.

One comment ready: 'Your sexual orientation is irrelevant, but the use of pubic resources to finance your adventures would be of interest to us all.'

Another read: 'It's incredible that you get accused of cheating and blame the ultra-right and the Nazis.'

Petro, a supporter of Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro, has been a loud voice against the US since taking power in 2022 after spending his life as a prominent left-wing figure in Colombia.

Petro's wife has not commented on the images. They are seen in 2022 celebrating his election

Yepes has also claimed she has received death threats since the video emerged

In April, thousands of Colombians took to the streets in a rebuke of Petros reform agenda.

While protests have been a constant since the former leftist guerrilla took office in 2022, theyve gained momentum of late.

The president is struggling on various fronts, as one of his six kids is accused of corruption, as is his brother.

Alarming Colombians further - Petro has floated the possibility of rewriting the constitution to spur social reforms that hes been unable to advance in the face of opposition by a hostile congress and conservative business groups.

In May, Petro announced Colombia would break ties with Israel over the war in Gaza.

Petro has described Israels actions in Gaza as 'genocide.'
An alternative healer accused of the manslaughter of a diabetic woman who died after stopping taking her insulin at his slapping therapy workshop was previously convicted for the death of a six-year-old boy in Australia, a court has heard.

Hongchi Xiao, 61, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of the manslaughter by gross negligence of Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, from Lewes, East Sussex.

Mrs Carr-Gomm died at Cleeve House in Seend, Wiltshire, where she was taking part in the event in October 2016 which promoted Paida Lajin therapy, which sees patients being slapped or slapping themselves repeatedly.

The trial heard that Xiao was previously convicted in an Australian court for the manslaughter of the six-year-old child who died after his parents stopped giving him his insulin after attending his workshops.

The court heard that Xiao told the boy's parents to stop giving the life-saving medication to him and although it is not suggested the defendant gave a similar instruction to Mrs Carr-Gomm, the prosecution claim the defendant 'congratulated' Mrs Carr-Gomm after she informed him she had stopped her medication.

The youngster started to become seriously ill and started 'vomiting black liquid', which Xiao put down 'to just part of self-healing body adjustment', and the boy then died in April 2015, 18 months before Mrs Carr-Gomm.

Hongchi Xiao, 61 is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of the manslaughter by gross negligence of Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71

Mrs Carr-Gomm died at Cleeve House in Seend, Wiltshire, where she was taking part in the event in October 2016 which promoted Paida Lajin therapy

Court artist drawing of Hongchi Xiao appearing at Winchester Crown Court charged with manslaughter of woman at slapping therapy workshop

Duncan Atkinson KC, prosecuting, told the jury the family attended Xiao's Paida Lajin workshops in Hurstville, Sydney, which involved the participants slapping themselves and each other, and fasting.

He said: 'The defendant himself did not perform any slapping on any of the participants.

'Shortly after the start of the workshop, as the judge who dealt with him in Australia found, the defendant told (the boy)'s mother to stop (his) insulin injections.

'Such an instruction is clear evidence of how strongly held the defendant's views were, for example, as to insulin being poison.'

Mr Atkinson said that by day three the boy's mother told the workshop group of her son's deteriorating health and that he was 'vomiting, had high blood sugar levels and high ketone levels'.

Despite this, Xiao continued to 'instruct' the mother to continue not giving the insulin to her son, the court heard, and his health continued to deteriorate.

By the fifth day he was required to be pushed in a pram because he could not walk or stand to dress himself and started to 'vomit yellow and black liquid', the court heard.

The court was told the mother confronted Xiao and told him: 'Look at this picture, last night he vomiting black stuff, all these things', to which he replied: 'Is the detox. All the bad stuff come from - come out from his body, his organ. It's just part of self-healing body adjustment.'

Four days later, the boy was accompanied by his grandmother in his room when he began vomiting black liquid and had a seizure.

As the grandmother went for help, she locked herself out of the room and hotel staff arrived who found the boy on the bed motionless, the court heard.

The prosecution claim the defendant 'congratulated' Mrs Carr-Gomm (pictured) after she informed him she had stopped her insulin medication

Mr Atkinson said that Xiao also returned and began 'slapping the boy's inner elbows' until paramedics arrived, but they were unable to resuscitate him and he died as a result of diabetic ketoacidosis.

Mr Atkinson told the jury: 'The defendant was ultimately prosecuted for and convicted of (the boy)'s manslaughter.

'It follows that there can be no question but that the defendant owed (the boy) a duty of care whilst he was an attendee at his workshop, and that he breached that duty.

'He deprecated and deterred the use of conventional medicine even when he knew that to do so risked very serious consequences which could in turn be life-threatening.

'He advocated a course that he knew was not medically justified and was contrary to medical experience, and a boy died as a result.

'His actions towards Danielle Carr-Gomm occurred when the very real, obvious and serious risk of death had become all the more real and all the more obvious.

'They involved similar conduct, congratulating a Type 1 diabetic who replaced insulin with Paida Lajin, and taking no action to secure her help despite the cruel lesson that ought to have been provided by the boy's untimely death.'

Xiao denies the charge and the trial continues.
The first sitting Democrat to call for Joe Biden to withdraw from the election says that before going public, party leadership did not try to keep him quiet.

Texas Democrat Rep. Lloyd Doggett, 77, came forward on Tuesday with a statement calling on Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, saying if he did not Donald Trump would win the White House.

He was the first Democrat in office to call for Biden to withdraw.

Breaking his silence after turning on the top Democrat, the Texan - who has served since 1995 - told NPR that leadership within the party did not dissuade him from airing out his concerns publicly.

'I'm not a vulnerable member in this election,' Doggett said. 'So I'm able to step forward and speak out about what I think is so critical for our country in ways that perhaps some other people have not.'

'But I certainly have not gotten any discouragement from within the leadership of the party,' he added, indicating that top Democrats may actually condone ousting Biden.

Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett is the first sitting Democrat in office to call for Joe Biden to get out of the presidential race. He said Democrat leadership did not try to keep him quiet

'I think the concerns I'm voicing are widespread,' Doggett continued. 'I wish this had been resolved earlier.'

The Democrat said he did not speak out about Biden's withdrawal sooner because he was worried about how Donald Trump could capitalize on such a party shake up.

But because Biden has consistently faltered in the polls, especially after the first debate, Doggett said he had to speak up.

'He's worked now for a year and he's not been able to close the gap. And he made that gap wider after this debate, raising real questions in the minds of so many Americans as to its capability to govern a country now and over the next four years.'

Still, if Biden is the Democrat nominee Doggett said he will support him.

After the Texas Democrat released his statement calling on Biden to withdraw Tuesday, two other House Democrats similarly came out against the president.

Though they did not explicitly call on Biden to withdraw, both Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington both said Tuesday they believe Donald Trump will beat Joe Biden come November.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the top House Democrat, along with others in party leadership, did not try to dissuade Doggett from going public with his concerns on Biden

Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, seen here, told KATU News that she believes the debate performance last week against has cost Biden the election

'After the first presidential debate, lots of Democrats are panicking about whether President Joe Biden should step down as the partys nominee,' Golden wrote

'Bidens poor performance in the debate was not a surprise,' Golden wrote in an op-ed published in Maine.

'It also didnt rattle me as it has others, because the outcome of this election has been clear to me for months: While I dont plan to vote for him, Donald Trump is going to win. And Im OK with that.'

Gluesenkamp Perez, meanwhile, told a Washington TV station that the debate will cost Biden the election despite only having watched five 'painful' minutes herself.

'We all saw what we saw, you cant undo that, and the truth I think, is that Biden is going to lose to Trump,' she said. 'I know thats difficult, but I think the damage has been done by that debate.'

Further, reports indicate that a cohort of 25 Democrat lawmakers worried about their own elections are considering calling on Biden to withdraw.

Whether Biden continues his 2024 bid for president after his halting debate performance against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is largely his decision, Democrats and political strategists have said.

President Joe Biden is said to be 'humiliated' and 'painfully aware' of his image following his car crash debate that saw him stumbling over his words and losing his train of thought

Doggett likened the hard decision he says Biden must make for the sake of the nation to the one made decades ago by another sitting Democratic president.

'I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson,' the Texan said in a statement Tuesday. 'Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw.

'President Biden should do the same,' he continued. 'While much of his work has been transformational, he pledged to be transitional.'

Lyndon B. Johnson chose to withdraw from the race in 1968 because rising casualties in the Vietnam war had made him extremely unpopular.

Biden is facing plummeting support after his disastrous debate performance on Thursday.

'He has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders from whom a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process,' Doggett's statement continued.

'My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly nor does it in a any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved.'

'Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden's first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw.

I respectfully call on him to do so.'

Doggett, 77, is a respected member of the Democrat House caucus, having served in the chamber since 1995.

He also lauded Biden's work as president, but ultimately conceded Joe's debate performance was not one of a competitive candidate.

The president retreated to Camp David with is wife, children and grandchildren to take a break from the campaign trial and weigh his options after the debate

'President Biden has continued to run substantially behind Democratic senators in key states and in most polls has trailed Donald Trump,' he said.

'I had hoped that the debate would provide some momentum to change that. It did not.'

'Instead of reassuring voters, the President failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trump's many lies.'

National Republican Congressional Committee Communications Director Jack Pandol criticized Doggett's announcement for coming too late.

'The cowards in the Democratic Caucus have spent every day after the debate in witness protection, too afraid to say what they're all thinking,' Pandol said in a statement.

'Americans remember House Democrats were complicit in covering up and gaslighting the public about the president's condition, and voters are primed to punish them in November.'
A spokesperson for Palestinian Islamic Jihad has claimed that Israeli prisoners in Gaza have tried to kill themselves after the terror group began treating them 'the same way Israel treats our prisoners'.

The militant group did not provide any evidence to back its claims, nor did it specify what measures it had taken against its hostages.

But Israel has long been accused of abuse and torture of Palestinian prisoners.

'Some enemy prisoners have attempted suicide as a result of the extreme frustration they are feeling due to their government's neglect of their cause,' Abu Hamza, a spokesperson for PIJ's armed wing, the Al Quds Brigades, said in a post on Telegram.

'We will keep treating Israeli hostages the same way Israel treats our prisoners,' he added.

On Monday, Israeli authorities freed the director of Gaza's main hospital, Mohammed Abu Selmia, along with 55 other prisoners.

Selmia, who was released without charge or trial after being detained since November when Israeli forces raided Shifa Hospital, claimed he and other detainees were held in brutal conditions and tortured. Israel denies the claims.

Israeli hostages are seen cowering in an apartment in Gaza amid their rescue by the IDF

A disturbing United Nations report published in April claimed Palestinians were forced to drink toilet water, were attacked by dogs and faced threats that their relatives would be killed

Palestinian prisoner Rami Abu Mustafa, arrested by Israeli forces during operation in Khan Yunis months ago, receives medical treatment at Gaza European Hospital, Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on June 25, 2024

Families of hostages and supporters set a fire during a demonstration calling for a hostages deal and against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Relatives and supporters of Israelis taken hostage by Palestinian militants in Gaza in the October 7 attacks, demonstrate calling for their release in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv on June 22, 2024

Despite Selmia spending more than six months behind bars without charge, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for an investigation into his release as furious government ministers said he should have remained in custody.

They insisted Shifa hospital was used as a base by Hamas, but the doctor was released following a petition by rights groups to shut down a shadowy detention facility in southern Israel that they alleged was overcrowded with Palestinian prisoners and notorious for abuse.

The case prompted the government to transfer the bulk of the Palestinian detainees held there to other facilities and to release some, like Selmia.

'The identity of the released prisoners is determined independently by the security officials based on their professional considerations,' Netanyahu wrote, before adding that he was calling for an investigation into the matter.

In April, a shocking United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) report documented numerous instances of torture and abuse endured by Palestinian prisoners at the hands of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).

Israeli soldiers allegedly held detainees in cages, deprived them of food, water and sleep and tortured them during interrogation according to the report, which was pulled together following extensive interviews with Palestinian prisoners returning to Gaza.

It documents torture and humiliation faced by Palestinians of all ages, genders and backgrounds held in makeshift detention facilities across Israel.

Released Palestinians allege they were forced to drink toilet water, were attacked by dogs and faced threats that their relatives would be killed, adding that no one was immune to the grave ill-treatment.

'I saw people [in detention] 70 years old, very old. There were people with Alzheimer's, old people who were blind, people with disabilities who couldn't walk, people who had shrapnel in their backs and couldn't stand up, people with epilepsy and torture was for everyone.

'Even for people who didn't know their own names,' said one 46-year-old interviewee. 'We told them that someone was blind. They didn't care.'

IDF forces have been accused of beating and torturing captured Palestinians - including UN staff

Palestinian Faraj Samouni shows his wounds in his body as he catches up with his family in their makeshift tent after being released by the Israeli army in Deir al Balah, Gaza on July 01, 2024

Palestinian men who had been detained by Israeli forces speak to well-wishers and reporters after their release as they arrive for a check-up at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on July 1, 2024

Another man, aged 41, also quoted in the report, said he was sexually violated with a hot metal rod.

He said he was also beaten with shoes and watched as other detainees succumbed to their injuries.

Israel, which accuses the released prisoners of lying, strongly denied the accusations and claims many of those at UNRWA, the UN agency that supports Palestinian refugees, are complicit in Hamas terror.

Meanwhile, a UN investigation in June concluded that Israel has committed crimes against humanity during the war in Gaza, including that of 'extermination', while saying Israeli and Palestinian armed groups have both committed war crimes.

The independent Commission of Inquiry's report - the United Nations' first in-depth investigation into the events of the war that erupted on October 7 - found that Israeli troops have conducted 'a widespread or systematic attack directed against the civilian population in Gaza'.

'The commission found that the crimes against humanity of extermination; murder; gender persecution targeting Palestinian men and boys; forcible transfer; and torture and inhuman and cruel treatment were committed,' it added.

The report noted Israel had committed various war crimes and crimes against humanity as well as violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL).

But Israeli officials immediately rejected the conclusions by accusing the UN commission of 'systematic anti-Israeli discrimination'.

A Palestinian boy checks debris around a pool of blood at a UN school housing displaced people that was hit during Israeli bombardment in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, on June 6, 2024

Palestinian men walk along a narrow street past destroyed buildings in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip on June 11, 2024

Palestinians check a UN school housing displaced people that was hit during Israeli bombardment in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip

A woman holds the hand of a boy killed in an Israeli airstrike at a UN school housing displaced Palestinians in Nuseirat, at a hospital ground in Deir el-Balah

Israeli forces carried out deadly strikes Tuesday on southern Gaza and battled militants after issuing an evacuation order of Khan Younis on Monday, which a UN agency said would impact 250,000 Palestinians.

Witnesses reported intense bombing and shelling around southern Gaza's main city, from which Israeli troops withdrew in early April after a devastating months-long battle.

A hospital source in the city said shelling killed eight people and wounded more than 30 others.

The bombardment came after a rocket barrage at southern Israel on Monday morning claimed by the PIJ, which has fought alongside Hamas.

Some displaced people with nowhere to go were sleeping on the streets, witnesses said.

Ahmad Najjar, a resident of the town of Bani Suhaila, said the Israeli evacuation order had caused 'a large displacement of residents' and spurred 'fear and extreme anxiety'.

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees estimates that 'around 250,000 people have been impacted by these orders', said UNRWA spokeswoman Louise Wateridge.

'We expect that almost all of these people will move from this area,' she said.

Six consecutive days of intense battles followed a similar evacuation order issued last week for the Gaza City district of Shujaiya.

Arab mediators' efforts, backed by the United States, have so far failed to conclude a ceasefire in Gaza.

Hamas says any deal must end the war and bring full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, while Israel says it will accept only temporary pauses in fighting until Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, is eradicated.

A possible deal would also see the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza in return for the freedom of Palestinians jailed in Israeli prisons.
The White House is struggling to calm the storm of outrage from Joe Biden's debate performance as Democratic lawmakers call for the president to exit the race and the White House staff are 'freaking the f*** out.'

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients is scheduled to hold an all-hands-on-deck staff call at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday to pump up disillusioned staff and reassure them that Biden will remain the nominee.

Additionally, Biden's campaign sent out an all-staff memo showing internal polls from battleground states that note Biden only dropped half a point in the fallout from his fumbling debate performance.

The move came to pre-empt what is expected to be bad polling news for the president.

'We are going to see a few polls come out today and we want you all to hear from us on what we know internally and what we expect to come externally,' the memo, obtained by Politico, reads. 'Polls are a snapshot in time and we should all expect them to continue to fluctuate  it will take a few weeks, not a few days, to get a full picture of the race.'

The White House is trying to calm staff fears after President Joe Biden's debate performance - above Biden with his deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed, senior adviser Mike Donilon and Deputy Chief of Staff Annie Tomasini

Amid the race to calm internal fears, there is a significant outreach operation to try and quell the growing calls for Biden to be replaced.

The president has been on the phone to lawmakers trying to shore up his support on Capitol Hill amid worries Republicans will take control of the House and Senate - along with the White House - in the upcoming elections, giving them unchecked power to run the country.

Biden also will meet with governors on Wednesday evening as he and his team scramble to stem even more defections.

Meanwhile, Jill Biden has been dispatched to the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan to tout Biden's accomplishments in the White House as polls show him trailing Donald Trump.

The effort comes as questions continue to be asked about Biden's mental capabilities to handle the presidency and speculation about who could replace him as the Democratic presidential nominee.

'Everyone is freaking the f*** out,' an official told Axios.

But there appears to be a reason for the freak out.

A set of private polls from a pro-Biden super PAC showed the president losing ground  about two points  across all the most important battleground states, Puck news reported.

Biden was also now trailing in New Mexico, New Hampshire and Virginia, three states that were thought to be safely Democratic.

Biden trails Donald Trump in the Five Thirty-Eight polling average on the presidential race.

The president will return to the campaign trail on Friday, when he heads to Madison, Wis. There he also will sit down with ABC News in his first post-debate interview. He'll travel to Pennsylvania on Sunday.

The president also will hold a press conference next week, the White House announced.

But Democrats are keeping their distance.

Senator Tammy Baldwin, who faces re-election in Wisconsin, announced Tuesday morning she will not be joining Biden on stage when he campaigns in her hometown of Madison on Friday.

And many Democrats worry the president is moving too slowly to calm the panic about his candidacy and mental fitness.

White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients will hold an all staff call on Wednesday

Donald Trump and Joe Biden at last week's debate where Biden fumbled in his answers

There also is talk of a brewing Democratic revolt in the House.

Maine's Jared Golden, Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington State all either told Biden to drop out or said they believed he would lose to Trump on Tuesday.

Those defections were in addition to the collection of 25 House members - commonly referred to as 'frontliners' due to their status as moderates in swing districts - who are set to break with Biden and day now.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi emphasized Biden's multiple legislative accomplishments during an interview with MSNBC Tuesday but said it was legitimate to ask whether his debate performance was a one-night thing or a broader health problem. She said Trump should be given the same scrutiny.

'I think it's a legitimate question to say, 'Is this an episode or is this a condition?' And so when people ask that question, it's legitimate, of both candidates,' Pelosi said.

Biden, speaking at a campaign event in Virginia on Tuesday evening without a teleprompter, blamed his performance on a lack of sleep and noted he had done two international trips in the runup to the debate.

'The fact is that you know, I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones ... before ... the debate. Didnt listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage,' he said. 'That's no excuse but it is an explanation.'

He was in France for the 85th anniversary of D-Day and then in Italy for the G7.

But he left out the seven days he spent at Camp David ahead of his showdown with Trump. He spent the week locked with aides in preparation for the debate.

However, Biden rarely began before 11 am and broke in the afternoon for a nap, the New York Times reported.

Some Democrats suggested Biden should be thinking about the broader party's future.

'He has to be honest with himself,' Democratic Representative Mike Quigley, a moderate from Illinois, told CNN on Tuesday.

'It's his decision. I just want him to appreciate at this time just how much it impacts, not just his race, but all the other races coming in November.'

And Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, whose endorsement of Biden in 2020 helped him become the nominee, told MSNBC that he still wanted a presidential ticket with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

But then he announced who he would endorse if Biden exited the race.

'I will support her if he were to step aside,' Clyburn said of Harris.
Hurricane Beryl is predicted to rip through six US states, according to one terrifying model.

The ferocious category five storm already left six people dead and caused significant damage after 165mph winds battered parts of the Caribbean.

Previous modelling suggested that the hurricane could skim Texas at the weekend.

Parts of the Lone Star State have since officially been added into the hurricane's forecast cone by the National Hurricane Center, with locals in southern parts warned to brace for heavy rains and gusty winds from Monday.

However, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky could now also be swept up in the storm's path, one model presented by hurricane expert Dr Levi Cowan shows.

Fishing boats damaged by Hurricane Beryl wade in the water at the Bridgetown Fisheries, Barbados, Tuesday, July 2, 2024

At least five of the so-called spaghetti models now indicate the hurricane will lash the US.

Spaghetti models are strands showing the potential path of tropical cyclones.

For Beryl, most of the five models which impact the US show Texas in the firing line, but one additional path suggests Louisiana could see some impact too, with one possibility the storm sweeping all six states.

'It's really dependent on where the hurricane is launching from by the time we get to Friday if it's coming off the Yucatan Peninsula far enough North, it may continue gaining latitude and threaten the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico, that could mean northern Mexico or Texas and the US Gulf Coast could be threatened,' Dr Cowan said.

'But if it crosses farther down say if it's a weaker storm then it would likely continue West more into Eastern Mexico.'

Beryl's path will be determined by the level of pressure over the southeast

If this drops, it will allow the storm to move northwards potentially spelling disaster for the US.

Gulf Coast residents are being urged to keep an eye on the record-breaking storm, which is the earliest every category five hurricane ever in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Central American basin.

Hurricane Beryl is predicted to rip through six US states, according to one terrifying model shown here on the pink line. Each of the different colored strands are spaghetti models which represent a possible path for the storm depending on various meteorological factors

The ferocious category five storm already left six people dead and caused significant damage to parts of the Caribbean. Pictured: Destruction on the island of Petite Martinique, Grenada

Parts of Texas have since been added into the hurricane's forecast cone by the national hurricane center

Jamaica was under a state of emergency as the island was declared a disaster zone hours before the impact of Hurricane Beryl on Wednesday

On Wednesday, Beryl was roaring toward Jamaica, with islanders scrambling to make preparations.

In Kingston, people boarded up windows, fishermen pulled their boats out of the water before sitting around a table to play dominoes beside a bay, and workers dismantled roadside advertising boards to protect them from the expected lashing winds to come.

A hurricane warning was in effect for Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Beryl was forecast to weaken slightly over the next day or two.

However it is predicted to be at or near major-hurricane strength when it passes near or over Jamaica, near the Cayman Islands on Thursday and into Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Friday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

Jamaica was under a state of emergency as the island was declared a disaster zone hours before the impact of Hurricane Beryl.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said that the disaster zone declaration will remain in effect for the next seven days. Holness also announced an island-wide curfew between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Security forces 'will be fully mobilized to maintain public order and assist with disaster relief.

People walk amidst damaged property following the passing of Hurricane Beryl, in Union Island, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Members of the local environment agency protect sea turtles' nests ahead the arrival of Hurricane Beryl, in Cancun, Mexico

As soon as the hurricane has passed, the security forces have developed strategic plans to counter any potential threat of looting or any other opportunistic crimes,' Holness warned.

An evacuation order was also issued for communities across Jamaica that are prone to flooding and landslides. Holness urged Jamaicans to move away from low-lying areas.

A hurricane watch was in effect for Haiti's southern coast and the Yucatans east coast. Belize issued a tropical storm watch stretching south from its border with Mexico to Belize City.

Late Monday, Beryl became the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic and peaked at winds of 165 mph Tuesday before weakening to a still-destructive Category 4.

Early Wednesday, the storm was about 125 miles southeast of Kingston. It had maximum sustained winds of 145 mph and was moving west-northwest at 20 mph, the center said.

Hurricane Beryl tore through the island of St Lucia leaving a trail of devastation

A man looks at damaged vehicles after devastating floods swept through the town after Hurricane Beryl passed off the Venezuelan coast, in Cumanacoa, Venezuela, July 2, 2024

Hurricane warnings were issued to the Mexican resort towns of Cancun and Cozumel sending people to the supermarket to buy provisions

Mexico's Caribbean coast was preparing for Beryl on Wednesday, with the popular resorts of Cancun and Cozumel issued urgent hurricane warnings.

The head of the country's civil defense agency the hurricane l is expected to make a rare double strike on Mexico.

Laura Velazquez said the storm is expected to make landfall between late Thursday and early Friday along a relatively unpopulated stretch of the Caribbean coast between Tulum and the inland town of Felipe Carrillo Puerto.

The hurricane is expected to weaken to a tropical storm as it crosses the Yucatan peninsula and reemerge over the weekend at storm strength into the Gulf of Mexico.

Velazquez said that Beryl is then expected to hit Mexican territory a second time in the Gulf coast states of Veracruz or Tamaulipas, near the Texas border.

As Beryl barreled through the Caribbean Sea, rescue crews in southeastern islands fanned out to determine the extent of the damage the hurricane inflicted on Carriacou, an island in Grenada.

Three people were reported killed in Grenada and Carriacou and another in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, officials said.

Two other deaths were reported in northern Venezuela, where five people are missing, officials said. About 25,000 people in that area also were affected by heavy rainfall from Beryl.

The storm is expected to weaken as it moves westwards but still be near major hurricane strength as it passes over Jamaica

Storm clouds hover over the mountains as people make last-minute preparations for the arrival of Hurricane Beryl on July 03, 2024 in Kingston, Jamaica

Scattered debris clutters the waterfront after Hurricane Beryl passed the island of Carriacou, Grenada July 2, 2024

One fatality in Grenada occurred after a tree fell on a house, Kerryne James, the environment minister said.

Carriacou and Petit Martinique sustained the greatest damage, with scores of homes and businesses flattened in Carriacou.

Grenada's prime minister, Dickon Mitchell, said Tuesday there was no power, roads are impassable and the possible rise of the death toll 'remains a grim reality.'

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has promised to rebuild the archipelago.

He noted that 90 percent of homes on Union Island were destroyed, and that 'similar levels of devastation' were expected on the islands of Myreau and Canouan.

The last strong hurricane to hit the southeast Caribbean was Hurricane Ivan 20 years ago, which killed dozens of people in Grenada.
A CNN segment discussing Joe Biden's ailing missteps descended into a shouting match between two guests.

Scott Jennings, who served as a special assistant to President George W. Bush, appeared on OutFront on Tuesday to discuss the competency of Biden.

He clashed with fellow guest Jamal Simmons, the former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris.

'Are you comfortable with Hunter Biden running White House senior staff meetings? Do you think this is good?,' Jennings shouted before Simmons replied: 'Why are you yelling at me?'

Jennings was discussing the concerning report about President Biden's cognitive abilities and another about how his son Hunter Biden has attended some White House meetings.

A CNN segment discussing Joe Biden 's ailing missteps descended into a shouting match between two guests

CNN commentator Jennings was talking about how Biden blamed his poor debate performance on his travel schedule.

'This is an amazing day,' he said. 'Number one, the New York Times reporting that hes lapsing in meetings.

'This is becoming more frequent. Number two, we found out today that a felon and a crack addict is now sitting in on White House senior staff meetings.

'And number three, the president is now tonight to his own donors, blaming a foreign trip that ended 12 days before the debate for his disastrous performance on Thursday.'

Jennings claimed the Biden administration is 'off the rails.'

But Simmons pointed to Donald Trump's criminal convictions for falsifying business records and the prosecution he faces for retaining government documents after leaving office.

'Are we sure Scott wasnt talking about the criminal felon that had the secret documents that he was holding in his bathroom in Mar-a-Lago?,' he asked.

Scott Jennings (right), who served as a special assistant to President George W. Bush, appeared on OutFront on Tuesday to discuss the competency of Biden with

Jennings was discussing the concerning report about President Biden's cognitive abilities and another about how his son Hunter Biden has attended some White House meetings

'Because there is a felon that we havent talked about tonight.'

But Jennings began to raise his voice and said: 'Are you comfortable, Jamal? Are you comfortable with Hunter Biden running White House senior staff meetings?

'Do you think this is good? Do you think this is good?'

Simmons responded: 'Why are you yelling at me?'

However, Jennings continued his rant and said: 'Im asking you. Were talking about Joe Biden were talking about Joe Biden tonight, who is admitting to his own donors  people in your party  that he cant both perform and campaign.

'And you want to talk about the Mar-a-Lago documents case, which is not gonna come to trial before November.

'This is the sitting president. You worked for him. I wanna know if you were in a senior staff meeting, would you want Hunter Biden looking over your shoulder? Thats my question.'

He clashed with fellow guest Jamal Simmons, the former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris

Simmons responded by claiming that MAGA Republicans like Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene are attempting to take freedoms away from women and other groups.

'Thats not what they want,' he said. 'And thats the reason why I think that Trump is still gonna be in trouble when you get down to election day.'

The heated interaction came after Biden blamed his globetrotting ahead of Thursday's disastrous debate for his poor performance.

The 81-year-old president made the concession during a fundraiser in the ritzy D.C. suburb of McLean, Virginia Tuesday night.

He told the crowd he 'wasn't very smart' for 'traveling around the world a couple times' before his showdown with presumptive Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump.

'I decided to travel around the world a couple of times  shortly before the debate I didnt listen to my staff  and then I almost fell asleep on stage,' the president said

He added, 'It's not an excuse but an explanation.'
A masked prowler has attacked a series of women in a terrifying spree across Sydney's west - and police have warned that he will strike again.

The man was caught on camera at about 4am on Wednesday as he robbed a number of properties in Northmead, north of Parramatta.

An hour later, the same man carjacked a Mitsubishi Outlander SUV as its owner bought fuel at the servo on Windsor Road at North Rocks.

He then used the car as he attacked three women, police say.

Officers claim the man first assaulting a 47-year-old woman from behind on the nearby Mons Road at about 5.20am.

She tripped over as she tried to flee, with the assailant making off with her handbag.

A 19-year-old woman called police at 5.40am after a figure - believed to be the same man - pulled a knife on her in Toongabbie.

He stole her bag too and drove off in the stolen SUV, police allege.

A masked prowler has attacked a series of women in a terrifying spree across Sydney's west - and police have warned that he will strike again

The man was caught on camera at about 4am on Wednesday as he robbed a number of properties in Northmead, north of Parramatta

At about 5.55am, a 27-year-old woman was attacked with a hammer in North Parramatta.

'The woman has handed the man her purse and mobile phone ... and (he) left the scene driving the SUV,' police said.

The woman's male friends tracked her phone and found the man at a nearby home. He attacked one of the men with the hammer and escaped.

Police riot officers and sniffer dogs are now searching for the thug.

'I describe this as particularly cowardly, just targeting women walking alone, in the early hours, from behind,' Superintendent Barry Vincent said.

Police riot officers and sniffer dogs are now searching for the thug

'While we weren't able to come across this offender during the morning, it is of concern to us that the offending continues.'

The ensuing chaos of the police search led to Christ the King Primary School in North Rocks to be briefly locked down as officers hunted for the offender nearby.

There are now fears that the man may have been responsible for a series of break-ins in the area two days earlier - raising fears he will strike again.

The man is described as being of medium build and in his 20s. He was last seen wearing all black, including a beanie, balaclava, gloves and Nike hoodie.

Police say people should not approach him and should instead call the police if they see him.
This is the moment a serial robber tells police officers arresting him that the car chase will look 'absolutely disgusting on tape'.

Five crooks who targeted 14 premises including shops and even a hospital during the Covid lockdown in 2020 were today jailed for a total of 53 years.

As all the gang are put behind bars, West Midlands police released footage of the moment the burglars were caught during a raid in Oldbury.

Officers were led on a 15-minute chase before the red van was repeatedly rammed by officers before the getaway driver Nicholas Collins bizarrely moaned to officers about how the chase would look on video.

While being led away in handcuffs, he said 'What was you chasing me for? Look what just happened. Course I'm upset, I'm going to prison now. You know, dangerous driving and whatever else.

Five crooks who targeted 14 premises including shops and even a hospital during the Covid lockdown in 2020 were today jailed for a total of 53 years. Pictured: Footage of the gang during one of their raids

Nicholas Collins tries to evade police in a red van before he is tasered and arrested by police

Collins, 41, of West Bromwich, was jailed for six years and 20 months for conspiracy to burgle and driving offences

'It's going to be ridiculous on tape that is. That's going to an absolutely disgusting chase on tape that is lads. Thank you very much 'cos you know what I'm going to look like an absolute (expletive) (expletive) to everybody who sees that. And it's all because you were chasing me for what?'

Collins was part of a gang who carried out robberies and ram raids across the Midlands.

The crime spree began on January 6, 2020, when they drove to Stoke-on-Trent in a cloned car and stole two Audis before driving all three back to the West Midlands.

The next day they used one of the Audis to raid a Subway in West Bromwich, where they stole a safe and ripped out the CCTV system.

Hours later, they smashed a hole in the side of a garage in Wolverhampton, ransacking an office and stealing tools. The same day they moved on to a money transfer shop in Tipton, where they ripped open a roller shutter.

While trying to remove a safe they were disturbed by officers and fled the scene.

On January 19 two of the gang robbed a shop in Oldbury armed with crowbars which they used to threaten terrified staff. The workers were forced to kneel while the gang smashed their way into a safe and made off with thousands of pounds.

Three days later on January 22 they tried to open a cash machine at a shop on Washwood Heath Road, Birmingham, but again were disturbed by police. As they fled the scene they left their tools behind.

Despite the failed raid, the gang were not deterred and struck a shop in the Milking Ban area of Dudley on January 28. They used a 'jaws of life' machine, normally used by firefighters, to break in before blowing up a cash machine using gas.

John Williamson, 42, of Smethwick, was given a 21-month jail sentence, suspended for two years for conspiracy to burgle

Dean Isitt, 45, of Cradley Heath, was jailed for 16 years for the same offences

Despite the raid, they fled empty handed again.

On January 30 CCTV captured them breaking into Cannock Hospital where they tried and failed to take money from a cash machine.

Footage shows them using their van to ram police officers as they escaped.

On February 1 the gang ram-raided a shop on Lichfield Road, in Walsall Wood, which saw the entire entrance destroyed.

They tried to drag a cash machine through the shop using heavy straps but were forced to abandon the raid when it became snagged on the shutters.

On March 6 they used the same technique during a raid on a shop on Warstones Lane, Wolverhampton. They again failed to flee with the ATM when the straps snapped as it dragged through the wrecked shop.

On April 25, police tried to stop a van carrying gang member Mark Lake, but he performed a U-turn and drove the wrong way up the junction 7 slip road on the M6.

Dash-cam showed him driving at speed for about half-a-mile on the hard shoulder on the wrong side of the motorway.

He abandoned the van and escaped on foot but when officers searched the vehicle they found scaffolding with straps.

Mark Lake, 43, of West Bromwich, was jailed for 18 years for conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to burgle

They had been welded onto the vehicle chassis to make it easier for the gang to rip out cash machines.

On June 4 the gang struck again when they stormed into a store on Turners Lane, Brierley Hill.

They ripped the panic alarms from staff and started removing the tills before fleeing.

On June 7, the group carried out their final robbery at a store on Howley Grange Road, Halesowen.

Masked and armed with hammers and crowbars, they ran into the shop, terrifying an elderly customer and threatening the staff, forcing them into the rear office.

They smashed and took the tills and demanded access to the safe, but failed to get in.

Four days later officers caught the gang driving in a red van which had cloned number plates.

Collins, who was driving, was tasered before being arrested. Mark Lake was trapped in the van and was arrested along with Darren Fitzpatrick who was found in a rear partition in the vehicle.

A fourth member of the gang. Dean Isitt, was arrested as he tried to flee his home in Clyde Street Isitt was then arrested attempting to flee from his home address on Clyde Street, Old Hill, Cradley Heath.

The gang were convicted of a string of offences including conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit burglary and driving offences.

Darren Fitzpatrick, 38, of Tividale, was jailed for 13 years for the same offences

On Monday they were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court.

Lake, 43, of West Bromwich, was jailed for 18 years for conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to burgle.

Isitt, 45, of Cradley Heath, was jailed for 16 years for the same offences.

Fitzpatrick, 38, of Tividale, was jailed for 13 years for the same offences.

Collins, 41, of West Bromwich, was jailed for six years and 20 months for conspiracy to burgle and driving offences.

A fifth man, John Williamson, 42, of Smethwick, was given a 21-month jail sentence, suspended for two years for conspiracy to burgle.

Detective Constable John Marsh, of West Midlands Police Major Crime Unit, said: 'This was a prolonged series of really serious offending, which saw innocent members of the public terrorised in their workplaces as this gang used force to steal from shops and businesses around the region.

'The CCTV released shows just how ruthless and reckless they were.

'We pulled together mobile phone evidence, along with details of vehicles movements and forensics from items left at the scene of the gang's crimes to build a really compelling case.'
Most voters believe Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance on Thursday was not caused by a cold or too much preparation, but by dementia.

That is one of the most damning findings in an exclusive national poll for DailyMail.com.

Only 10 percent of respondents accepted the White House's excuse that a cold was to blame for the President struggling to answer questions or hold his train of thought during a 90-minute showdown with Donald Trump.

At the same time, it reveals that Trump, 78, has extended his lead over 81-year-old Biden to six points, deepening the crisis facing the president's reelection campaign.

The White House has already had to fend off questions about whether the president is 'disabled' in a sign of how Biden's health moved to the center of the contest this week.

J.L. Partners polled 1000 likely voters and asked them what they thought was to blame for Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance in Atlanta last week

Now with Biden under intense pressure to step aside, our poll reveals how far those health fears have spread.

Some 52 percent of respondents said dementia was the cause, including 17 percent of Democrats and more than half of independents.

'The debate confirmed what voters already feared about Bidenand then some,' said James Johnson, co-founder of J.L. Partners who conducted the poll.

'The finding that 52% of voters think his poor performance was down to dementia is hugely significant: No one is buying Biden's personal excuses or that of his staff. This is something they think is structural and a problem that is not going to go away.

'Majority views involving political figures are not normal in American politics due to high levels of polarization. Biden's health has bucked that: it is now a majority and uniting view that Biden is mentally unwell.'

The poll asked 1000 likely voters from July 1 to 3 for their views. The results carry a 3.1 point margin of error.

They show Trump with his biggest overall lead since DailyMail.com began tracking voter intentions. He has extended his lead by two points, since our last poll in March, to six points, as Biden's support dips and Trump's holds steady.

And the results reveal how a stumbling debate performance has transported the question of dementia from the preserve of rightwing television anchors to the mainstream.

Biden's halting performance, tailing off mid-sentence at times, sparked calls for him to step aside as the Democratic candidate.

Biden was leading Trump this time last year, but has seen the former president steal a lead since then. Trump now has a six point advantage, according to our exclusive poll

Even Donald Trump looked surprised by Biden's frail performance during their first presidential debate in Atlanta, Georgia, last week

Adding to the pressure, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it was now legitimate to ask whether his performance was an 'episode' or a condition.

Biden allies and the White House continue to insist that he should not be defined by one 'bad night' in June.

That triggered extraordinary scenes in the White House briefing room on Tuesday when Karine Jean-Pierre was quizzed about the debate.

'I think the American people need to get a yes or no answer on this,' asked a reporter. 'Does President Biden, at 81 years old, have Alzheimer's, any form of dementia or degenerative illness that caused these sorts of lapses?'

Jean-Pierre answered: 'It's a no. And I hope you're asking the other guy the same exact question.'

She also announced a hectic period of activity, including an interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News and a press conference next week, as the president shows he is getting on with the job.

Biden visited the D.C. Emergency Operations Center in Washington on Tuesday. The White House also announced he will hold a press conference next week as it tries to fight back

Biden himself addressed his performance at a campaign event hours later, when he apologized to donors.

'I decided to travel around the world a couple of times  shortly before the debate ' he said. 'I didnt listen to my staff  and then I almost fell asleep on stage.'

His campaign has held a series of damage control calls with donors, staff members and party officials, as a trickle of voices urging him to stand aside threatens to become a torrent.

The concern is a gift to the Trump campaign.

The former president has maintained a low-profile, keeping his vice presidential announcement firmly on ice, as the focus stayed on the Biden camp.

'This is popcorn moment for us,' said a Trump world insider. 'Why would we try to generate headlines when the other side is falling apart like this?'
The Prince and Princess of Wales have beefed up their team of advisors with the man credited for turning around Tesco.

Nicknamed 'drastic Dave' for his willingness to employ the kind of cost-cutting measures that others fear to, Sir David Lewis has been described by one source as a 'genius' appointment.

As of this week he has been appointed as a director of William and Kate's The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

It is the umbrella organisation for all of the couple's major philanthropic efforts, covering areas as diverse as conservation, mental health and the emergency services and well as the princess' work in the 'early years' sector and the prince's Earthshot environmental prize.

Sir David Lewis, pictured in 2017, has been described as a 'genius' appointment. He is credited with saving Tesco - and led the launch of the phenomenally successful Dove brand

The prince and princess have quietly shelved plans to appoint a new CEO to run their royal household this year as they focus on Kate's cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment

The trustees - led by former Tory leader Lord Hague - each undertake a balance of responsibilities divided between strategic direction, governance, oversight and fundraising.

They meet at least quarterly on a formal basis and are accountable in law for the work of the Foundation.

They will also meet and speak regularly to the prince and princess.

Sir David, 59, worked at Unilever for 27 years, where he rose to become president of global personal care and was credited as the brains behind the launch of the phenomenally-successful 'Dove' brand.

It was also there that he earned his reputation for taking tough decisions, particularly in terms of cutting company spending.

In a surprise move he left to become CEO of Tesco in 2014 at a particularly difficult time for the supermarket giant.

It had just posted a 6.4billion loss, with sales slumping to their lowest level in 20 years after being hit by cut-price newcomers Aldi and Lidl.

It was also teetering on the brink of a major accounting scandal after overstating its profits, which saw the value of its shares plummet.

However the Yorkshire-born, Nottingham Polytechnic-educated executive didn't blink and was credited with turning around the supermarket chain's fortunes during his six-year stint.

Drastic Dave lived up to his name by slashing superfluous parts of the empires, cutting thousands of jobs - and perks such as private jets - as well as reducing product lines.

And just two years on, he was able to report annual profits of 162million - and rising.

He also sharpened up the firm's social responsibility credentials, a move that will no doubt have gone down well at Kensington Palace.

In 2020 he was also asked by the Government for advice on how to fix the food supply chain crisis during the Covid pandemic.

Sir David left Tesco the same year without another job to go to, declaring his work was done.

The self-confessed fitness fanatic, who lives in Richmond, Surrey, with his second wife, Helena, candidly admitted he wanted to 'take some proper time out with my family' - he has two daughters by his first marriage - and to 'recharge my batteries' as 'you pass this way only once'.

However he has not stayed idle, joining a start-up renewable energy company - right up William's street - and holding roles within a range of companies including Morrisons, PepsiCo and healthcare firm Haleon.

He is also a director of the World Wildlife Fund, which is also sure to have gone down well with the prince.

He was knighted in 2021 for services to business.

The Royal Foundation, set up in 2009, supports Kate and William's non-profit work

Sir Dave Lewis was earlier this year brought in by the owners of Morrisons in an advisory role. Pictured: Sir Dave speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce conference in 2019

One royal source described his appointment to the Royal Foundation as 'genius', noting that William and Kate had taken care to attract trustees from a wide variety of backgrounds including film producer Dame Pippa Harris, entrepreneur and former Worldpay CEO Sir Ron Kalifa, lawyer Claire Wills, former BBC executive Alice Webb and make-up superbrand Charlotte Tilbury's CEO Lady Pinsent.

They described the couple as quietly laying 'strong foundations' for their future philanthropic work.

The prince and princess have, however, quietly shelved plans to appoint a new CEO to run their royal household this year as they focus on Kate's cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment.

The search was announced last September amid suggestions the Prince wanted a 'revolutionary' restructure to make their household more corporate.
Anthony Fauci has dodged questions about Joe Biden's health after the president's concerning debate performance was blamed on him suffering from a cold.

America's former chief medical advisor was asked by CBS host Major Garrett on Tuesday if he saw anything in the debate that would 'medically alarm him.

However, the divisive medic who advised America's response to the Covid pandemic said: 'You know, I can't say.'

'I think it would be inappropriate to say that, Major, because when you're just looking at someone on a one-shot basis, you just don't know what could happen,' Fauci said.

The doctor did suggest, however, that antihistamines used to treat cold and flu could have contributed to Biden's sleepy showing.

Dr. Fauci tells @MajorCBS that he has "no doubt" President Biden has the mental capacity and vigor to carry on with his office, despite a shaky performance during last week's debate with former President Donald Trump.



Full episode with Dr. Fauci on @TakeoutPodcast will be pic.twitter.com/lVpwjNYcVP  CBS News (@CBSNews) July 2, 2024

'Did he have a bad cold? Did he take an antihistamine to make him groggy or what have you? We don't know what went on,' Fauci continued.

On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, spend the best part of an hour being grilled on the President's health.

She confirmed that while the 81-year-old still has a cold, he hasn't seen a doctor.

Jean-Pierre claimed 'jet lag' from his two back-to-back international trips 12 days before the debate contributed to the president's poor showing.

She also confirmed Biden hasn't had a medical examination since February.

Antihistamines, such as Benadryl and Claritin, are popular in the US.

Some are known to cause users to become sleepy, which Fauci seemed to be suggesting may have happened with Biden on stage during his debate performance.

And Biden himself even admitted that he nearly dozed off on stage.

The 81-year-old president made the admission during a fundraiser in the ritzy D.C. suburb of McLean, Virginia Tuesday night.

He told the crowd he 'wasn't very smart' for 'traveling around the world a couple times' before his televised showdown with former President Donald Trump.

Biden did back-to-back trips to France for a D-Day anniversary celebration and then onto Italy for the G7 in June.

President Joe Biden speaks during a presidential debate with Republican candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump, in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27, 2024. Critics immediately after the event began questioning Biden's health and whether the 81-year-old is up to the job

Former President Donald Trump ridiculed Biden for his age and wandering answers during the debate

Upon his return, the president took a holiday at his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Then Biden spent a whole week at the presidential retreat Camp David resting and preparing for the debate.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that Biden was so drained from the jet-setting that advisers cut debate prep short by two days - in order to fit in the beach trip.

While at Camp David, debate prep didn't start before 11 a.m. and Biden was given time each day in the afternoon to take a nap.

The president made the clear at the Tuesday campaign event his travel is 'not an excuse but an explanation.'

Fauci, similarly agreed, saying his prognosis of Biden's bill of health would not be appropriate since the debate was too short to get an accurate assessment.

Since the debate, a number of Democrat lawmakers have either called on Biden to withdraw from the race or have openly admitted they believe Trump will tounce him

'I think it would be unfair and inappropriate to try and diagnose something from just a 90-minute clip,' he said.

Then the doctor said the same line many leading Democrats have used of the debate: 'It just looked like a bad night.'

'My interactions with him, I have to say, have been very, very positive,' Fauci added.

Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, travels with him everywhere, and was see at the debate in Atlanta.

But the 81-year-old Biden 'was not examined by the doctor,' en route to the debate, Jean-Pierre said.

'There's a cold. There's a jetlag. You combine that -- he continues to work on with for the American people day in and day out, around the clock. Things happen,' she said of Biden's debate performance.
Shocking video captured the moment a jiu-jitsu-practicing lawyer fought off a thief who tried to swipe his phone while he ate lunch at a Taco Bell in New York.

Kyle, 28, was enjoying a cheese quesadilla on a sunny Tuesday at the Taco Bell on Junction Blvd in Queens when the poacher attempted to steal his phone.

Unbeknownst to the crook, the lawyer had a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and fended off the attack.

Security camera footage showed Kyle immediately put the thief in a headlock and pushed him to the ground when he attempted to grab his phone.

'He wanted my phone. He had come up behind me and was asking me for money or something. I told him no and then he came back and lunged for my phone,' Kyle said in a Reddit post.

Kyle, 28, was enjoying a cheese quesadilla at the Taco Bell on Junction Blvd in Queens when a thief tried to grab his phone with one hand and another on the door handle to make a quick exit

'He actually took a screenshot so I have the exact time it happened.'

Kyle was eating at a counter seat next to the door when the sneak tried to grab the man's phone with one hand and another on the door handle to make a quick exit.

The 28-year-old kept a tight grip and scooted out of his chair as he fought off the attacker.

He quickly wrapped his arm around the thief, pushed him to the ground, and grabbed his cell phone off the floor.

The attacker jumped off the ground while Kyle watched him leave restaurant with bated breath waiting to see if he would continue to fight.

'He was saying "Im good, Im good." I figured that he just wanted my phone and wasnt willing to fight anymore so I let him go,' Kyle said.

Kyle used his purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu to fend off the attack and put the thief in a headlock and pushed him to the ground

Kyle is a lawyer who has a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and started practicing in 2018

'The cops never came so if I held him there then Id probably still be there.

'Im a purple belt, I started in January 2018. What was going through my mind was probably thinking "oh s**t, I need to take this guy down," and then realizing I could have been stabbed.'

New York City Police crime data shows robbery, felony assault and both petit and grand larceny have increased in the precinct the Taco Bell is located in.

Robbery has soared 42.2 percent year to date, felony assault is up 30.2 percent, grand larceny has risen 6.7 percent and petit larceny increased 10.8 percent in the 115th precinct.
An order keeping prime Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner behind bars has been dramatically overturned - dealing investigators a crucial blow.

Convicted paedophile and rapist Brueckner, 47, was served the court document last year as he was due to be released from jail and it was used to detain him in custody while he went on trial for unrelated sex crimes.

In June 2020 he was named as prime suspect for the 2007 abduction and murder of Madeleine McCann by German police but since then he has not been charged with any crime in relation to the case.

He was due to have been released from prison early last year after being convicted of raping an elderly American woman in Praia ds Luz, Portugal, the same area Madeleine vanished from when she was three years old.

The paperwork - described in Germany as a warrant - was issued to keep in him in jail so he could face three rape charges and two child sex abuse ones, said to have been committed in Portugal between 2000 and 2017 and his trial for these started in February.

Convicted paedophile and rapist Christian Brueckner, 47, (pictured) was served the court document last year as he was due to be released from jail

Brueckner is the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann

The trial in Braunschweig, near Hannover, Germany, has heard from several witnesses including two men who claim Brueckner was involved in Madeleines disappearance and a Scotland Yard officer investigating the case.

Judge Ute Engemanns decision following a request from Brueckners legal team was announced in a brief press release from the court which said the Chamber revoked the arrest warrant at the request of the defence.

There was no immediate comment from the prosecutors in the sex cases and from Hans Christian Wolters who is a spokesperson for the German McCann investigation but it is understood they can appeal.

Brueckner last appeared in court in Braunschweig, Germany on Friday in a wheelchair after injuring his ankle and the application to have the warrant was made by his legal team was made last month.

Speaking to MailOnline Brueckner's lawyer Philipp Marquort said:'This is great news for us and it's the end of the case - 99% certain.

There was no immediate comment from the prosecutors in the sex cases and from Hans Christian Wolters who is a spokesperson for the German McCann investigation

The trial in Braunschweig, near Hannover, Germany, has heard from several witnesses including two men who claim Brueckner was involved in Madeleines disappearance

He was due to have been released from prison early last year after being convicted of raping an elderly American woman in Praia ds Luz, Portugal

'You just have to see the quality of the evidence presented so far to see there is no case to answer.

'His legal team is delighted with the news and I will be calling Herr Brueckner now to tell him. His main lawyer (Friedrich) Fulscher is on holiday.

It means that the prison where he is serving his sentence has to start preparing him for his release, technically that should be next spring or summer but there is a good possibility it could happen later this year.

The news was announced in a press release from the court and full details are expected to be announced at the next hearing on Friday.

In a text message to MailOnline Mr Fulscher said:'I am the best,' adding a sunglasses emoji.

It remains unclear exactly what will happen in this saga next following todays dramatic twist - but its possible Bruckner could be released imminently.

And certainly his legal team are expected to begin pushing for this to happen immediately.

In the event that he was freed it would potentially be much harder for authorities in Portugal, Germany or the UK to pursue him over the Madeleine case as he could drift back into the nomadic lifestyle he lived when previously freed - while still having access to legal resources to put obstacles in the way of anyone trying to investigate him.
Republicans are taking aim at Vice President Kamala Harris as President Biden faces mounting calls to step aside as the Democratic presidential nominee paving the way for the vice president to potentially top the ticket come November.

The vice president has been a staunch defender of the president and has pushed back on concerns over his poor debate performance and age.

But some Democrats have already called for the president to drop out and Harris has been touted as a likely successor.

Republicans are seizing on the fallout, accusing Democrats of covering up the president's true fitness and taking aim at Democrats in battleground states up and down the ballot.

The Republican House campaign arm on Wednesday launched a digital ad zeroing in on the vice president as Republicans look to hold the House and expand their slim majority this fall.

Republicans launch attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris a she appears to be frontrunner to replace President Biden should he exit the presidential race

The ad accuses Harris of being an 'enabler in chief' with clips of her praising Biden.

It also accuses the vice president of being the 'architect of the border crisis' as a leading administration official tasked with addressing the border.

The digital spot ends 'Vote Republican. Stop Kamala.'

'Whether extreme House Democrats call on Joe Biden to step aside or not, Kamala Harris deserves the blame for many of the crises making life unsafe and difficult for American families -- and we plan to make her a prominent feature of the 2024 campaign,' said National Republican Campaign Committee Will Reinert in a statement.

But Democrats slammed the line of attack and efforts to tie the vice president to the border.

'Republicans are fooling themselves if they think the American public will blame anyone besides Donald Trump and his feckless band of Republican extremists and phony moderates who killed a bipartisan border deal - all in an attempt to score cheap political points,' said Courtney Rice, spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, in response.

The GOP attack ad on Harris comes as a new CNN poll shows the vice president within two points of Donald Trump in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup.

She does better in the polling than President Biden against the ex-president or other Democrats who have been floated as a replacement.

The National Republican Congressional Committee which works to elect GOP House candidates released a digital ad targeting Vice President Harris amid Biden's debate fallout

A new CNN poll shows Vice President Kamala Harris within striking distance of Trump in a hypothetical matchup 47 percent to 45 percent

Former Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan became the first prominent Democrat this week to call for Biden to step aside and for Democrats to make Harris the nominee.

Harris is the only potential replacement who would be able to seamlessly take control of the Biden campaign war chest should he drop out.

But a Politico/Morning Consult poll last month found Harris has similar unfavorable ratings as Biden at 52 percent.

For her part, Harris has rejected the prospect of being the party nominee so far.

In response to Texas Democrat Rep. Lloyd Doggett's call for President Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, Vice President Harris says, "Joe Biden is our nominee. We beat Trump once and we're going to beat him again."@NidiaCavazosTV: "Are you ready to lead the country pic.twitter.com/rSanOZmMJn  CBS News (@CBSNews) July 2, 2024

'Look, Joe Biden is our nominee. We beat Trump once and we're going to beat him again. Period,' Harris told CBS News on Tuesday.

When asked if she is ready to lead the country if necessary, Harris responded 'I am proud to be Joe Biden's running mate.'

The president and White House reiterated on Wednesday Biden would not be dropping out of the race.
A Delta Air Lines flight was diverted to New York City after passengers and crew, including both pilots, were served moldy chicken, a traveler has revealed.

Nancy Kirchoff, 65, was on the Amsterdam bound flight with her husband when it made an emergency landing at JFK Airport in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The pilot announced they were turning around because there was 'some type of food issue and people were sick', Kirchoff told DailyMail.com.

'They said they saw some mold on the chicken,' she added. 'I asked if anyone had gotten sick and they told us no one had been affected, but the pilots both ate the chicken.'

Medics met the plane after it landed at JFK and aid was provided to 14 passengers and 10 flight crew, all of whom declined to receive medical attention.

Delta Air Lines flight 136 en route to Amsterdam diverted to New York City's JFK Airport after it was discovered that passengers were served 'spoiled food' during the in-flight meal service

One seemingly frustrated passenger took to social media, asking how the airline was 'going to get me to Amsterdam today' after it had to divert 'because you served passengers 'contaminated' food' on the plane

The A330 plane, which had 277 customers on board, departed from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport just before 11pm Tuesday.

The flight crew decided to divert to NYC after it was discovered that a portion of the in-flight meal service had been spoiled, a Delta spokesperson told DailyMail.com.

'We were probably halfway to Amsterdam, around Nova Scotia and starting to cross ocean when the pilot came on and said there was some type of food issue,' Kirchoff recalled.

She said that the flight attendants then 'came around to each row and asked if everyone was feeling good or sick.'

That's when she asked the crew about the food issue and was allegedly told that mold was discovered on the chicken. She also claims the flight attendants disclosed that both pilots had eaten the meal.

DailyMail.com has approached Delta for comment.

The traveler says she suspects the plane was diverted as a 'precautionary measure', adding that 'I didn't see anyone getting sick' during the flight.

Kirchoff confirmed that her husband did eat the chicken during the flight's meal service, but thankfully 'he was fine'.

The flight landed safely at JFK around 4am Wednesday, where passengers and crew were met by medics (file photo of JFK Airport)

File photo. Nancy Kirchoff said she was told there was mold on the chicken - but was also told 'no one had been affected'

The flight landed safely at JFK around 4am Wednesday, where passengers and crew were met by medics.

'There were 24 aided cases upon landing, including 10 members of the flight crew and 14 passengers, all of whom declined to receive medical attention,' a Port Authority spokesperson told DailyMail.com.

'Passengers were provided with hotel rooms and transportation and will be rebooked to continue to their destination.'

A Delta spokesperson said the flight crew had consulted with medical experts who recommended the diversion before deciding to make the emergency landing.

But one seemingly frustrated traveler tweeted at the airline after the emergency landing, complaining about the travel disruption.

Virginia said: 'I need to know how you're going to get me to Amsterdam today - I'm on the plane that's emergency landing at JFK because you served passengers 'contaminated' food.

'I don't need hotel/food vouchers I need to arrive in Amsterdam today.'

Kirchoff confirmed that she and her husband, who were going on a cruise to celebrate their 20th anniversary, have already been rebooked on another flight to Amsterdam, after having their ticket changed three times by the airline.

They are expected to arrive in the Netherlands on Thursday, but do to the disruption have missed the first day of the cruise. They will board the voyage at its first port stop.

A Delta spokesperson told DailyMail.com its teams are probing the incident and have issued an apology to its costumers (stock photo)

A spokesperson told DailyMail.com: 'Delta flight 136 from Detroit to Amsterdam diverted to New York's JFK early Wednesday morning after it was discovered that a portion of the in-flight meal service was spoiled.

'Medical crews were on site to meet the aircraft and treat any affected passengers and crew members. Delta teams will immediately work to gather information into how this incident occurred.

'This is not the service Delta is known for and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels.'

It comes after a separate Delta plane was forced to make an emergency landing at JFK in April after an emergency slide fell off the aircraft.

The Los Angeles-bound Delta flight 520 was diverted back JFK Airport at around 8.30am on April 26. The plane had been an hour into its journey when the freak incident set off an emergency alarm.

No injuries were reported aboard the Boeing 767, which was carrying 176 customers, two pilots and five flight attendants at the time.
Donald Trump has a three-point edge over Joe Biden across the seven battleground states for the 2024 presidential election.

Following a debate widely assessed as a disaster for President Biden, the former president is now seeing a bump with just four months until Election Day in November.

Biden's campaign tried to get ahead of bad polling and downplay any future dip, writing last week: 'It will not be the first time that overblown media narratives have driven temporary dips in the polls.'

Half of respondents who voted for Biden in 2020 now tell CBS News/YouGov polling they don't think he should be running for reelection this year and claim they are less likely to turn out in November.

Nationally, Trump is ahead by two points, but in the much more consequential swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin the former president's advantage grows to three percent, which is outside the poll's 2.3 percent margin of error.

New poll shows Donald Trump three points ahead on average in all seven swing states after the debate with Joe Biden last week

Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin all voted red in 2016 and flipped to vote blue for Biden in 2020.

Nevada voted Democrat in both elections but is considered a toss-up this year, and North Carolina voted Republican in the last two presidential races but is also a battleground in this election.

The winner this year will come down to how the electoral college votes are attributed in these seven states.

And it's not just preference for the candidates, but enthusiasm is also lacking on the left.

After the debate, Democrats say they are less likely than right-leaning voters to show up to vote in the general election.

A whopping 90 percent of Republican voters say they 'definitely' will vote in the November 5 election, while 81 percent of Democrats say the same.

Only 71 percent of independent voters say they are for sure coming out to cast their ballots in the fall.

New poll reveals that Democrats are 9 percent less motivated to vote in November than right-leaning voters

Overall, 69 percent of registered voters don't think the 81-year-old president should be running for reelection, according to the poll.

Even before polls were coming out showing a dire message to Biden after he stumbled through the CNN debate in Atlanta, his campaign was downplaying any dip.

Biden's campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon wrote: 'On every metric that matters, data shows it did nothing to change the American people's perception, our supporters are more fired up than ever, and Donald Trump only reminded voters of why they fired him four years ago and failed to expand his appeal beyond his MAGA base.'

'If we do see changes in polling in the coming weeks, it will not be the first time that overblown media narratives have driven temporary dips in the polls,' she added.
Buc-ees lovers have been left devastated after its first-ever travel center in the country was destroyed in a massive fire.

Multiple emergency responders including from the Luling Fire Department and Caldwell County Office of Emergency Management responded to calls about the blaze at around 10.30am in Luling, Texas on July 1.

The area around the building, which is located east of San Antonio along I-10, was immediately blocked off as crews ran to get the fire under control.

Images shared by the departments show plumes of black smoke flying against the chain's smiling beaver mascot as most of the roof of the gas station remains collapsed.

Multiple emergency responders responded to calls about a fire that had engulfed the first ever Buc-ee's travel center at around 10.30am in Luling, Texas on July 1

Images shared by the departments show plumes of black smoke flying against the chain's smiling beaver mascot

Officials later clarified it was the original Buc-ees building that had opened doors in 2003 which sustained damage rather than the newly developed center directly across the road.

In a Facebook post, the Fire Department wrote: 'Crews are working on a structure fire in the area of I-10 and 183 in Luling. Despite the sign and some information you may have seen, the fire is NOT the new Buc-ees travel stop.'

Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of the fire or if there were any casualties.

Locals were warned to stay away from the area even after the fire was out due to cleanup efforts.

Long-time customers prayed for the locals and responders as well as questioned what had happened on social media.

One person wrote: 'Havent even been a month since it opened a brand new Buccees burnt to the ground in Luling TX! So sad!'

And another wrote: 'Broke my heart when I heard about this on the news.'

A third said: 'They had large equipment in there tearing it down. Probably a power line not off or a vehicle overheating. Who know until the investigation is complete.'

While a fourth fan of the company wrote: 'As a fan of Buc-ees, Im shocked to see an old closed Buc-ees being burnt. But thank goodness the new one that recently opened was unaffected and unharmed.'

But while the destruction of the oldest travel center left fans heartbroken, the newest building has caused massive outrage after the popular retailer made a major design change.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of the fire or if there were any casualties

Buc-ee's was founded in 1982 Store by Arch 'Beaver' Aplin III and Don Wasek

Long-time customers prayed for the locals and responders as well as questioned what had happened on social media

The new location that opened on June 10 has been dubbed 'the world's largest convenience store' chain, measuring in at a whopping 75,000 square feet.

But scores of customers have taken to social media to blast the retailer's decision to give its beloved beaver mascot an 'Ozempic-like' makeover.

A TikTok user (@marrallmike) posted photos showing how the mascot had changed, with more than 700 people leaving negative comments about its new appearance, according to My San Antonio.

'What did they do to my beautiful boy? It looks like he's going to jump scare me at 4:00 am now,' the user wrote in the video's description box on opening day.

'The charm has been ripped away,' another commenter said.

Locals were warned to stay away from the area even after the fire was out due to cleanup efforts

 Slide me  A TikTok user posted photos of the store chain's beloved beaver mascot from two locations and more than 700 others have left negative comments regarding its new appearance

Like its Baytown and Alabama locations, Buc-ee's in Luling has a beloved mascot statue - but it is noticeably different from the beaver's past appearance.

The beaver statue outside the Luling location is sculpted, and instead of tiny hands that are disproportionate to his body, they are much bigger and longer.

The mascot's toes are also showing and its eyes are shining and brighter than its predecessor.

Many TikTokers have since voiced their displeasure over the statue swap, with one saying: 'I hope they put the original in the Smithsonian.'

'Every time I went to a Buc-ee's on a road trip, I would always take a picture with the statue. That lovable statue for years,' a commenter wrote.

'But on the most recent trip, I noticed something was wrong with it. Rip Buc-ee.'

Other users have given him nicknames such as 'Hollywood Buc-ee' and 'Ozempic Buc-ee' - which has been hearted more than 300 times by fellow TikTokers.

Although the mascot changes have upset TikTokers, one person claimed that only the new Buc-ee's locations, including Luling, are getting updated statues.

'None of the old ones have changed. Only the new stores are getting this model,' the commenter wrote.

Buc-ee's was founded in 1982 Store by Arch 'Beaver' Aplin III and Don Wasek.

It began as a chain of highway travel centers, and now has more than 40 U.S. locations.

The logo and mascot were created by Aplin when he and Wasek first founded the store chain, the co-founder told CBS News in 2022.

Buc-ee's has since become a force to be reckoned with among its retailer competitors.

Prior to June its store in Sevierville, Tennessee, held the record for being the world's largest convenience store.
A British tourist who died after he tried to save two children who were in difficulties in the sea at a beach in Spain has been named.

Bryn Thomas, from Southampton, Hampshire, is said to have died after running into the water in a bid to help the children, aged six and seven, along with others on the Costa Blanca on June 7.

The tragedy happened at La Roqueta beach in Guardamar de Segura south of Alicante during gusting winds of up to almost 40mph.

At the opening of an inquest into the 52-year-old's death in Winchester, area coroner Jason Pegg told the inquest that Mr Thomas had gone into the sea to help the young swimmers. However, he got into difficulties himself and later died.

Mr Thomas was reported to have died alongside a 46-year-old man, from Poland, after both children were saved.

The tragedy happened at La Roqueta beach (pictured) in Guardamar de Segura south of Alicante during gusting winds of up to almost 40mph

The tragedies in the last 24 hours means an incredible eight people have now drowned in the province of Alicante, which Guardamar del Segura is part of, in the first seven days of June

The causes of death were given as encephalic anoxia and mechanical asphyxia due to submersion.

Two other people were rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties following the incident.

The full inquest will be heard next year.

The Spanish Civil Guard was quoted in reports saying: 'Two people lost their lives. One was British and the other Polish. They were both trying to help two young children who were in difficulties in the sea. The sea conditions were pretty bad.'
Social media giant Meta has unveiled plans for a massive data center which will bring 1,000 jobs to a rural county in America's heartland.

The big tech firm, which owns Facebook and WhatsApp, intends to build the $800 million hub in Wyoming's Cheyenne.

The 715,000 square foot center is scheduled to open by 2027, Cowboy State Daily reports.

At the peak of its construction the scheme, dubbed Project Cosmo, will generate 1,000 skilled construction jobs, its organizers said.

The announcement was made at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Event Center, with U.S. Senators. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, both R-Wyo., Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins, and other politicians in attendance.

Social media giant Meta has unveiled plans for a massive data center which will bring 1,000 jobs to a rural county in America's heartland

It is considered the largest ever investment in the tech sector and might explain why several energy companies are building solar farms nearby.

However, not everyone is thrilled about the prospect of more big tech in town.

Several neighbors previously expressed concerns about noise and traffic resulting from the build.

'Oh, hell no, we don't want it here,' local Rachel Riter said.

'We bought our house 18 years ago and we could look out the back of our house into somebody else's backyard, where cattle grazed. Nobody is happy about it.'

But Bradley Davis, Meta's director of data centers and economic development, said the company has tried to work with the community.

Mark Zuckerberg's tech firm, which owns Facebook and WhatsApp, intends to build the $800 million hub in Wyoming 's Cheyenne.

The 715,000 square foot center is scheduled to open by 2027. Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, both R-Wyo., Wyoming were at the unveiling of the plans

'In all of our data centers, we're committed to being a good neighbor, a member of the community and looking to make sure that whatever we're doing in our operations are not going to be a disturbance to anybody nearby,' he said.

The facility is designed to house network computers that will store, process and transmit data across the world.

Meta will join the likes of Microsoft and others in bringing a data center to Cheyenne.

It has so far refused to state how much electricity will be needed to power the facility.

However, a similar sized center in Odense, Denmark used 517,718 megawatts of energy in 2022. Cheyenne runs on about 43,800 megawatts per year.

Part of the agreement stipulates that Meta cannot use any more water than for a standard business of 100 employees.

The company will also fund miles of new roads around the data center, as well as water and sewer pipes.

At the peak of its construction the scheme, dubbed Project Cosmo, will generate 1,000 skilled construction jobs, its organizers said

An Oregon company is constructing the facility, but locals can find employment thanks to new educational programs being offered in Wyoming, according to Cheyenne LEADS CEO Betsey Hale said

The existence of the project had been kept under wraps using stringent NDAs.

Davis said Cheyenne was chosen for its robust infrastructure, access to a skilled workforce and proximity to renewable energy.

'I can tell you that folks from Cheyenne check the box on all fronts,' he said.
Advertisement

Labour is on course to win the largest Commons majority in almost 200 years as a new mega poll suggested Sir Keir Starmer's party could win 431 seats in today's election.

Despite Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson joining forces to warn against handing Labour a 'supermajority', a YouGov MRP survey of more than 42,000 people gives Sir Keir a majority of 212.

That would be the biggest margin for a party in the modern era of the Houses of Parliament since reform of the electoral laws in 1832.

The figure of 431 is very similar to the findings of a second mega poll by More in Common, which gave Labour 430 seats.

The Tories are forecast to end the election with just 102 seats, their worst ever result, with a low estimate of 78.

Some 16 Cabinet ministers are expected to lose their seats, including Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. Several MPs mooted as potential successors to Mr Sunak are also under threat, including Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt in Portsmouth North and former immigration minister Robert Jenrick in Newark.

It comes after Sir Keir frantically tried to play down fears Labour will get 'unchecked' power yesterday as the election campaigns entered its final dash for the line.

The Labour leader tried to quell mounting alarm that he is set for the biggest majority ever seen, insisting many seats will 'go to the wire' and polls do not predict the future.

Despite Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson joining forces to warn against handing Labour a 'supermajority', a YouGov MRP survey of more than 42,000 people gives Sir Keir a majority of 212.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

The twitchy message came as the PM makes a last-ditch effort to avert a complete Tory meltdown after getting a big boost from a joint appearance with Boris Johnson .

The twitchy message came as the PM makes a last-ditch effort to avert a complete Tory meltdown after getting a big boost from a joint appearance with Boris Johnson.

At a rally last night, Mr Johnson warned that Sir Keir would use a 'sledgehammer' majority to bring in 'mandatory wokery' and 'uncontrolled immigration'.

Mr Sunak is using the last day of campaigning to visit previously safe seats in Hampshire - with apocalyptic polls suggesting many will fall to Labour and the Lib Dems.

Ministers under threat According to the YouGov MRP, 16 ministers could lose their seats: Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor (Godalming and Ash)

Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House (Portsmouth North)

Grant Shapps, Defence Secretary (Welwyn Hatfield)

Alex Chalk, Justice Secretary (Cheltenham)

Mark Harper, Transport Secretary (Forest of Dean)

Gillian Keegan, Education Secretary (Chichester)

Michelle Donelan, Science Secretary (Melksham and Devizes)

Lucy Frazer, Culture Secretary (Ely and East Cambridgeshire)

David T C Davies, Wales Secretary (Monmouthshire)

Steve Baker, Northern Ireland Minister (Wycombe)

Johnny Mercer, Minister of State for Veterans' Affairs (Plymouth Moor View)

Greg Hands, Minister for London and Minister of State for Trade Policy (Chelsea & Fulham)

Michael Tomlinson, Minister of State for Countering Illegal (Mid Dorset and North Poole)

Esther McVey, Minister of State without Portfolio (Tatton) Advertisement

A massive Survation poll - conducted using the MRP method - found Reform splitting the right-wing vote will gift Sir Keir the largest Commons majority in history, while Tory numbers fall to a record low.

Touring broadcast studios this morning, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride acknowledged that the Conservatives are on track for a dire result.

He said Labour is almost certain to get an 'extraordinary landslide on a scale that has probably never, ever been seen in this country before'.

However, the PM insisted Mr Stride had not 'quite' been conceding defeat - telling ITV's This Morning 'what Mel was doing was warning of what a very large Labour majority, unchecked, would mean for people'.

He added: 'I'm fighting hard for every vote.'

Other Tories privately insist that the reception on the doorstep has not been as bad as the polls indicate - and there have been glimmers of a narrowing in recent days, with the Reform surge seemingly ebbing.

As the UK braces to learn who will be in charge for the next five years:

There are claims Sir Keir will install Harriet Harman as the next head of the equalities watchdog, despite concerns over her support for gender ideology;

Suella Braverman has effectively launched the Tory post-mortem saying the election is 'over' and high immigration was to blame for defeat;

Mr Sunak has bizarrely insisted his favourite meal is 'sandwiches' during a This Morning interview;

He also issued a warning to Sir Keir that he cannot be a 'great dad' and PM at the same time, after the Labour leader suggested he still wants to clock off on Friday evenings;

Nigel Farage is still trying to seal the deal with voters in Clacton, as Reform struggles to turn votes into seats;

A poll has suggested the SNP could remain the biggest party in Scotland after a threat from Labour.

Rishi Sunak (pictured on ITV's This Morning) is making a last-ditch effort to avert a complete Tory meltdown after getting a big boost from a joint appearance with Boris Johnson

Mr Johnson took to the stage for the first time in the campaign last night as the Tories try ward off Labour's projected supermajority

Your browser does not support iframes.

Mr Johnson received a rapturous reception as he made a dramatic appearance at the central London rally last night.

During an impassioned speech, Mr Johnson called on voters flirting with backing Reform to 'draw back from the brink'.

He labelled Nigel Farage a 'Kremlin crawler' and unleashed attacks on Labour's 'mandatory wokery' and 'uncontrolled immigration', bluntly adding that people who 'have a few thousand to spare' and 'actually want higher tax' should vote red.

Mr Johnson swiped at Sir Keir saying it was 'way past his bedtime' after the Opposition leader admitted he tries to avoid working past 6pm on Fridays to spend time with his family.

Up until now the ex-PM had only endorsed specific Tory allies with video messages, as tensions linger with Mr Sunak over the latter's resignation triggering his eviction from Downing Street.

The two men still did not appear together on stage last night.

But playing down the 'trivial' differences between himself and his former Chancellor, Mr Johnson said he was a 'glad when the PM asked for help' and 'could not say no' because they both 'love our country'.

On his first campaign stop of the day in Carmarthenshire, Sir Keir played down chatter about the scale of his victory, insisting that many seats will 'go to the wire'.

Asked if he was worried about Mr Johnson joining the Tory attack, he said: 'Not in the slightest. I've been arguing that the last 14 years have been about chaos and division - and last night, they wheeled out the architect of chaos and division.

'That just shows the desperate, negative place they've got to in their campaign.'

In his intervention last night, Mr Johnson hit out at Labour's plans to hike taxes and said the party would not take a firm stance against Vladimir Putin, following his invasion of Ukraine.

He went on to criticise Sir Keir for not being able to explain 'the difference between a man and a woman'.

'He sits there with his mouth open like a stunned mullet,' he said.

Mr Johnson, who led the Tories to a landslide victory in 2019 against Jeremy Corbyn, added: 'They can achieve nothing in this election except to usher in the most left-wing Labour government since the war with a huge majority, and we must not let it happen.

A new MRP study by Survation, published within the final 48 hours of campaigning, predicted Labour would win 484 seats at this week's general election

The Survation model, based on polling data from more than 30,000 voters, forecast the Tories would be reduced to just 64 seats in the House of Commons

'Don't let the Putinistas deliver the Corbynistas. Don't let Putin's pet parrots give this entire country psittacosis - which is a disease you get by the way from cosying up to pet parrots.

'Friends, if you actually - everybody if you actually want higher taxes next week, this year, if you feel you've got a few thousands to spare, then vote Labour on Thursday. If you want uncontrolled immigration and mandatory wokery, and pointless kowtowing to Brussels again, then go right ahead, make my day, vote for Starmer.

'But if you want to protect our democracy and our economy and keep this country strong abroad by spending 2.5 per cent of our GDP on defence which Labour still refuses to commit to, then you know what to do, don't you, everybody?

'There's only one thing to do - vote Conservative on Thursday my friends and I know you will. I know you will.'
President Joe Biden privately told a key ally he is weighing whether or not to drop out of the presidential race, a shocking admission that points to the dismal state of his candidacy.

Biden, coming off of last week's disastrous debate performance, acknowledged he only has through this weekend to convince voters he is mentally up for the job.

He'll be in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday, where he will sit for an interview with ABC News. He travels to Pennsylvania on Sunday.

'He knows if he has two more events like that, we're in a different place' by the end of the weekend, the ally told The New York Times.

The White House strongly denied this.

'That claim is absolutely false. If the New York Times had provided us with more than 7 minutes to comment we would have told them so,' White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates wrote on X.

Biden called into a campaign staff meeting on Wednesday to give them a pep talk and tell them he's staying in the race and going to win.

'Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can as simply and straightforward as I can: I am runningno ones pushing me out. Im not leaving. Im in this race to the end and were going to win,' he said, according to reports.

If Biden exits the race with Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris would be seen as the frontrunner to replace him. Biden and Harris had lunch at the White House on Wednesday.

Democrats have fretted Biden will no long be able to defeat Trump in November. Even Biden staff have needed reassurance as more than 25 lawmakers have expressed doubts about the president's electability.

President Joe Biden has privately told a key ally he is weighing whether or not to drop out of the presidential race

The reports Biden is eying the exit door are piling on as donors, lawmakers and top party officials worry the president isn't up for the campaign. There is also frustration that Biden is waiting to long to get back out there and show himself as a strong, energetic leader.

A major donor told TMZ that 'it's only a matter of time' before Biden bows out.

Another ally told CNN that Biden understands the next stretch of days are critical to whether he can save his candidacy, noting what it would take him to accept: 'It's just not working.'

'He sees the moment. He's clear-eyed,' the person said.

As to what it would take would be the polls are plummeting, the fundraising is drying up, and the interviews are going badly,' that person said. 'He's not oblivious.'

The White House is struggling to calm the storm of outrage from Biden's debate performance as Democratic lawmakers call for the president to exit the race and the White House staff are 'freaking the f*** out.'

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients held an all-hands-on-deck staff call at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday to pump up disillusioned staff and reassure them that Biden will remain the nominee.

On the call, he acknowledged Biden didnt have a great debate performance last week but told staff that hes a great president and urged them to stay together.

He didn't have a great night but that was one night and what we all know is he is a great president, Zients said per reports.

He made three key points: keep your head down and keep working for the American people while the campaign handles the election; hold your head high as the administration has accomplished so much; and stick together.

The call lasted about 10 minutes. Zients didn't take questions but said concerned staff should email him. He repeated Biden's quote that when you get knocked down, you get back up.

'That's what he is doing and that's what we all need to do ... follow the president's lead,' he said.

Additionally, Biden's campaign sent out an all-staff memo showing internal polls from battleground states that note Biden only dropped half a point in the fallout from his fumbling debate performance.

The move came to pre-empt what is expected to be bad polling news for the president.

'We are going to see a few polls come out today and we want you all to hear from us on what we know internally and what we expect to come externally,' the memo, obtained by Politico, reads. 'Polls are a snapshot in time and we should all expect them to continue to fluctuate  it will take a few weeks, not a few days, to get a full picture of the race.'

Vice President Kamala Harris would be the frontrunner to replace Biden if he drops out

The White House is trying to calm staff fears after President Joe Biden's debate performance - above Biden with his deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed, senior adviser Mike Donilon and Deputy Chief of Staff Annie Tomasini

Amid the race to calm internal fears, there is a significant outreach operation to try and quell the growing calls for Biden to be replaced.

The president has been on the phone to lawmakers trying to shore up his support on Capitol Hill amid worries Republicans will take control of the House and Senate - along with the White House - in the upcoming elections, giving them unchecked power to run the country.

Biden also will meet with governors on Wednesday evening as he and his team scramble to stem even more defections.

Meanwhile, Jill Biden has been dispatched to the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan to tout Biden's accomplishments in the White House as polls show him trailing Donald Trump.

The effort comes as questions continue to be asked about Biden's mental capabilities to handle the presidency and speculation about who could replace him as the Democratic presidential nominee.

'Everyone is freaking the f*** out,' an official told Axios.

But there appears to be a reason for the freak out.

A set of private polls from a pro-Biden super PAC showed the president losing ground  about two points  across all the most important battleground states, Puck news reported.

Biden was also now trailing in New Mexico, New Hampshire and Virginia, three states that were thought to be safely Democratic.

Biden trails Donald Trump in the Five Thirty-Eight polling average on the presidential race.

Democrats are keeping their distance.

Senator Tammy Baldwin, who faces re-election in Wisconsin, announced Tuesday morning she will not be joining Biden on stage when he campaigns in her hometown of Madison on Friday.

And many Democrats worry the president is moving too slowly to calm the panic about his candidacy and mental fitness.

White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients will hold an all staff call on Wednesday

Donald Trump and Joe Biden at last week's debate where Biden fumbled in his answers

There also is talk of a brewing Democratic revolt in the House.

Maine's Jared Golden, Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington State all either told Biden to drop out or said they believed he would lose to Trump on Tuesday.

Those defections were in addition to the collection of 25 House members - commonly referred to as 'frontliners' due to their status as moderates in swing districts - who are set to break with Biden and day now.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi emphasized Biden's multiple legislative accomplishments during an interview with MSNBC Tuesday but said it was legitimate to ask whether his debate performance was a one-night thing or a broader health problem. She said Trump should be given the same scrutiny.

'I think it's a legitimate question to say, 'Is this an episode or is this a condition?' And so when people ask that question, it's legitimate, of both candidates,' Pelosi said.

Biden, speaking at a campaign event in Virginia on Tuesday evening without a teleprompter, blamed his performance on a lack of sleep and noted he had done two international trips in the runup to the debate.

'The fact is that you know, I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones ... before ... the debate. Didnt listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage,' he said. 'That's no excuse but it is an explanation.'

He was in France for the 85th anniversary of D-Day and then in Italy for the G7.

But he left out the seven days he spent at Camp David ahead of his showdown with Trump. He spent the week locked with aides in preparation for the debate.

However, Biden rarely began before 11 am and broke in the afternoon for a nap, the New York Times reported.

Some Democrats suggested Biden should be thinking about the broader party's future.

'He has to be honest with himself,' Democratic Representative Mike Quigley, a moderate from Illinois, told CNN on Tuesday.

'It's his decision. I just want him to appreciate at this time just how much it impacts, not just his race, but all the other races coming in November.'

And Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, whose endorsement of Biden in 2020 helped him become the nominee, told MSNBC that he still wanted a presidential ticket with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

But then he announced who he would endorse if Biden exited the race.

'I will support her if he were to step aside,' Clyburn said of Harris.
Air Europa passengers have recalled the terrifying moments they experienced during a bout of extreme turbulence that left 30 injured.

A Uruguayan man was among 325 passengers on board flight UX 045 traveling from Madrid to Montevideo that was diverted to Natal, Brazil on Monday when it encountered turbulence so rough it left some travelers with head, face and spinal injuries.

Cell phone footage recorded by one of the travelers showed two men pulling him from the overhead compartment.

And earlier this week, a mother on the same flight described her horror at watching her two-year-old son get flung from his seat to get trapped in the ceiling above.

Now, another passenger who was ejected has come forward to regale their horror.

The man, who did not reveal his name, told the Channel 10 program Subrayado: 'We assume it was an air hole because the plane dropped for a while and then righted itself. We flew (out of the seats). I broke the ceiling and all of the plumbing that was inside.'

A passenger told Uruguayan television network Channel 10 that 'flew' out of his seat and found himself in the Air Europa aircraft's ceiling. Two passengers were able to lower him from the area above the overhead baggage area. But when he made it to the ground, he noticed that his wife and two women were on the ground injured. Despite the terrifying experience, he intends to fly again.

Cecilia Laguzzi was traveling with her husband and their two children when she woke up and found her two-year-old son (seen sitting on her lap) inside the Air Europa aircraft's ceiling

A man is lowered from the overhead compartment area after he got thrown into the aircraft's ceiling after it was hit by turbulence during the course of its flight from Madrid to Montevideo, which caused the captain to request permission for an emergency landing

He recalled supporting himself from the damaged overhead bin area until he made it back to the floor and noticed that his wife and two female passengers were injured and strewn across the floor.

He added he thought about 'everything' when the plane started to decline and that 'a world went through his head in 20 seconds.' He said his wife was 'beaten' by the 'very painful' incident.

The shocked passenger estimated that Air Europa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner went through turbulence for 30 seconds as it flew over the Atlantic Ocean.

'Horrible, right?' he said. 'Those are things that happen.'

Bolivian doctor, Cecilia Laguzzi, told Brazilian news outlet G1 that she was traveling with her husband and two children when she woke up and found the youngest, a two-year-old, trapped in the ceiling.

'Part of the plane collapsed and the child was up there crying. My husband had to go and bring him back down,' she said.

The flight landed around 2:30 am local time at Natal International Airport, where paramedics were already awaiting on the ground.

At least 30 passengers were rushed to area hospitals in Natal and received treatment for abrasions or orthopedic traumas.

A further six passengers remained hospitalized in with severe injuries, Air Europa said in a statement.

Passengers on Air Europa flight UX045 await to deplane after the aircraft carrying 325 travelers landed in Natal, Brazil. At least 30 passengers were treated for injuries, but six remain hospital in Brazil

A male passenger is helped out of the overhead bin after he was ejected from his seat when an Air Europa flight from Spain to Uruguay encountered turbulence over the Atlantic Ocean

Passengers deplane Air Europa flight UX045 in Natal, Brazil after Monday's emergency landing

First responders wait near the runway to assist passengers as they deplaned from the Air Europa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner that made an emergency landing in Natal, Brazil after it was hit by severe turbulence during its flight from Madrid to the Uruguay capital city of Montevideo

A second passenger Maximiliano, who withheld his last name, told Reuters that the aircraft started to plunge.

'From one moment to the next, the plane destabilized and went into a dive,' he said. 'The people who didn't have seat belts went up in the air and hit the ceiling, and they got hurt - those who had seat belts on, not so much.'

Air Europa dispatched a replacement aircraft Monday to take the passengers to Montevideo.

However, the passengers had to travel 192 miles by bus, which were provided by the airline, to Recife International Airport.

The new plane departed Tuesday and landed at Carrasco International Airport at 7:20 am local time.

A female passenger told Uruguayan news outlet Montevideo Portal that the customers have set up a WhatsApp group chat to go over plans to file a lawsuit against Air Europa.

'Beyond the fact that accidents can happen, and it could be that the turbulence did not appear on the radar, etc., etc., the issue was everything afterwards, which was very poorly managed: from when the plane began to fall until we got on the plane from Recife to Uruguay,' she said.

She indicated that first responders had difficulties entering and exiting with the stretchers and wheelchairs that were required to remove the injured passengers.

The entire process took four hours before the rest of the passengers, who were not injured, were allowed to deplane.

The passengers boarded a different Air Europa on Tuesday for their trip back home to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay

A seat on Air Europa flight UX045 was severely damage as a result of turbulence

First responders treated passengers from Air Europa flight UX045 at Natal International Airport after the aircraft landed at 2:30 am on Monday

The Air Europa incident took place less than two months since one passenger died and dozens were hurt when turbulence hit a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore.

Some scientists have warned of worsening turbulence tied to climate change.

The most common cause of turbulence is the unstable weather patterns that trigger storms, which can be detected by weather radar, allowing pilots to fly around potential patches.

Recent incidents have increased concern in the air travel industry about seat belt and safety practices.

An international agreement, the Montreal Convention, makes airlines liable for physical injuries from accidents on international flights, which can include turbulence, regardless of whether they were negligent.
A woman has been accused of scamming hundreds of people by impersonating her social worker wife in online therapy sessions for two years before she died.

Tammy Heath-Randolph allegedly treated unsuspecting patients using Peggy Randolph's name as she was a licensed therapist.

The accusations came to light following Tammy's death in February 2023 as a client discovered on social media that she was the one treating them, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.

Peggy worked for Brightside Health from January 2021 to February 2023 and her wife was allegedly treating all her online patients so she could see more people in person.

The therapist voluntarily retired her license in August 2023 following an investigation by Brightside Health which found she shared her log-in details with her wife.

Tammy Heath-Randolph has been accused of scamming hundreds of people by impersonating her social worker wife in online therapy sessions for two years

Peggy is accused of helping Tammy impersonate her in online therapy sessions for nearly two years.

Authorities said she knowingly defrauded hundreds of patients using the Brightside Health platform.

But the social worker denied the accusations and said she did not know her unlicensed wife Tammy was treating people under her account.

Investigators said Peggy was being paid for the sessions her wife conducted.

An internal Brightside Health investigation claimed Tammy had been seeing all of her wife's online patients 'and had been for a long time'.

The scheme is said to have been carried out so Peggy had more time to see other patients in person.

She allegedly treated unsuspecting patients using Peggy Randolph's name as she was a licensed therapist. File image

Peggy worked for Brightside Health from January 2021 to February 2023 and her wife was allegedly treating all her online patients during that time

The accusations came to light following her death in February 2023 as a client discovered on social media that Tammy was the one treating them, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. File image

Following the loss of her license, the social worker was ordered to pay a $1,000 penalty.

The investigation against Peggy was dropped because she voluntarily retired her license.

It only came to light after Florida and Tennessee released documents on her conduct in May.

A Brightside Health spokesman said Peggy was fired and reported to state licensing authorities as soon as they learned of the allegations.

'We're extremely disappointed that a single provider was willing to violate the trust that Brightside and, most importantly, her patients had placed in her,' the spokesman told CBS.

The company has refunded all of the impacted patients who allegedly saw Tammy.

DailyMail.com has contacted Brightside Health for comment.
His mother Antonya Cooper, 77, is now facing her own battle with the disease

Hamish was five-years-old when he was diagnosed with stage four cancer

Police are 'making enquiries' after a dying mother has admitted to killing her terminally-ill seven-year-old son by using a large dose of morphine to 'quietly end his life'.

Antonya Cooper, from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, said her child Hamish had stage 4 cancer and was 'facing the most horrendous suffering' before his death in 1981.

The former chair of Neuroblastoma UK revealed the youngster had been 'in a lot of pain' as he reached the end of his short life.

She said Hamish was 'telling me he was in pain and asking me if I could remove his pain' and that as a mother, she was 'not going to let him suffer'.

The brave youngster had been battling neuroblastoma - a rare cancer that affects children - since the age of five and had been given just three months to live.

And despite 16 months of 'beastly' cancer treatment at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, Hamish's incurable illness had left him in constant agony.

Since Ms Cooper shared her decision to give her little boy a large does of morphine over four decades ago, Thames Valley Police have launched an investigation.

Thames Police have are making enquiries after Antonya Cooper, from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, admitted to killing her cancer-stricken son Hamish by using a large dose of morphine to 'quietly end his life'

She said Hamish was facing unimaginable suffering and was in 'intense pain' while battling his stage 4 cancer before his death in 1981

Now facing her own incurable cancer, Mrs Cooper has spoken out about how she gave her son a 'large dose' of morphine to 'quietly end his life'

A spokesperson from the police force said: 'Thames Valley Police is aware of reports relating to an apparent case of assisted dying of a seven-year-old boy, in 1981.

'At this early stage, the force is making enquiries into these reports and is not in a position to comment further while these investigations continue.'

Speaking of her decision to give her little boy a large dose of morphine, Mrs Cooper said: 'It was the right thing to do. My son was facing the most horrendous suffering and intense pain, I was not going to allow him to go through that.'

Now facing her own battle against terminal cancer, Mrs Cooper has described in heart-breaking detail how she helped her son die after he begged her to ease his suffering.

'On Hamish's last night, when he said he was in a lot of pain, I said: 'Would you like me to remove the pain?' and he said: 'Yes please, mama',' Mrs Cooper told BBC Radio Oxford.

'And through his Hickman Catheter, external, I gave him a large dose of morphine that did quietly end his life.'

Discussing her decision last May she added: 'We had watched him brave through all that beastly treatment, we had had him for longer than the original prognosis, so the time was right.'

The dying 77-year-old was asked by BBC Radio Oxford if she believed her son knew she was intending to take his life.

'I feel very strongly that at the point of Hamish telling me he was in pain, and asking me if I could remove his pain, he knew, he knew somewhere what was going to happen,' she replied.

'But I cannot obviously tell you why or how, but I was his mother, he loved his mother, and I totally loved him, and I was not going to let him suffer, and I feel he really knew where he was going.'

Mrs Cooper's admission comes as she fights to change the law on assisted dying.

Assisted suicide - the act of intentionally helping someone to end their life - and euthanasia - the deliberate ending of a person's life - are both illegal in the UK.

Mrs Cooper's admission to the BBC could now open her up to a potential police investigation.

Quizzed over whether she understood she had potentially admitted to manslaughter or murder, she told the radio station: 'Yes'.

Patriotic Hamish, with a Union flag on his hospital bed. spent 16 months undergoing 'beastly' cancer treatment at Great Ormond Street hospital after being diagnosed, aged five

Describing the impact of her son's death, Antonya said it is like an 'amputation' and it takes time to 'learn to live with that amputation' (pictured: Hamish in late 1974)

WHAT IS NEUROBLASTOMA? Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer that affects children and usually starts in the abdomen. Around 100 children, who are typically under five, are diagnosed every year in the UK. The disease affects approximately 800 new children annually in the US. In around half of cases, neuroblastoma spreads to other parts of the body, particularly the liver and skin. Neuroblastoma's cause is unclear. There may be a family-history link. The main symptom is usually a lump in the abdomen, which may cause swelling, discomfort or pain. If the disease affects the spinal cord, it can lead to numbness, weakness and loss of movement in the lower part of the body. Treatment depends on how advanced the cancer is and the risk it will return after therapy. Surgery, and chemo and radiotherapy, are commonly used. Source: Cancer Research UK Advertisement

'If they come 43 years after I have allowed Hamish to die peacefully, then I would have to face the consequences. But they would have to be quick, because I'm dying too,' Mrs Cooper added.

Hamish died at home on December 1, 1981.

In 1979, after his fifth birthday, Hamish started crying in pain and losing weight  and with her mother's instinct, Antonya knew he was 'seriously ill'.

But it took 13 weeks of visits to seven different GPs before she decided to take Hamish to see a private paediatrician at the John Radcliffe Hospital  and even then, she was told there was 'nothing wrong'.

Antonya 'insisted' on further examinations, including blood tests and an X-ray  and it later transpired that Hamish had a grapefruit-sized tumour within his abdomen, namely stage 4 neuroblastoma.

Hamish was then transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), where he underwent chemotherapy, a bone marrow autograft, radiotherapy, and surgery to remove the cancerous tissue, which had shrunk to the size of a tangerine.

His prognosis was three months and he subsequently underwent 16 months of treatment at GOSH, which 'ruined parts of his body' but extended his life.

Antonya said she would have honest conversations with Hamish and his sister Tabitha, who were 'thick as thieves', about the 'probability of his not surviving'.

While Hamish did not ask about death directly, there came a point later on where, in answer to one of his questions, Antonya said to him: 'Yes, Hamish, you probably will die.'

This was incredibly challenging, but after his treatments ended, he returned to school, his hair started to regrow, and in the summer of 1981, the family enjoyed holidays by the sea.

Antonya told PA Real Life that she would have honest conversations with Hamish and his sister Tabitha, (left) who were 'thick as thieves', about the 'probability of his not surviving'

(Pictured: Hamish in Pembrokeshire with his granny in 1974)

After his treatments ended, he returned to school, his hair started to regrow, and in the summer of 1981, the family enjoyed holidays by the sea

BBC Radio Oxford asked Antonya if she understood she was potentially admitting to manslaughter or murder, and she replied: 'Yes'

In the autumn, however, Hamish took a knock on one of his ankles and developed septic arthritis, which led to biopsies being taken  and these later revealed that his cancer had 'returned with a vengeance'.

At this point, Antonya said they 'knew that was the final journey' and, after receiving palliative care at home and being given morphine sulphate, Hamish died on December 1 1981.

Describing the impact of his death, she said: 'The simplicity of it is that you suffer an amputation and it takes you time to learn to live with that amputation.

'You never get over it because you've lost that limb, it's gone forever, but you learn just to cope.'

Mrs Cooper has now been diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy, which she said makes her feel 'rotten'.

She now wants to campaign for the laws on assisted dying in the UK to change, joining the likes of Dame Esther Rantzen.

Dame Esther, best known for presenting and producing the hit BBC show That's Life! from, is one of the nation's most well-known advocates for assisted suicide, after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer last January.

Last December, she revealed that she has signed up for Dignitas, the most well-known assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland, and said that she 'might buzz off to Zurich' if her complex cancer treatment doesn't work.

In England and Wales, assisted suicide can be prosecuted with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

But despite the enormous personal risk, her daughter, Rebecca Wilcox, hinted that she would help her mother attend a Dignitas clinic.

Wilcox, herself a TV presenter, wrote in Saga magazine: 'If she goes  at the moment it would be her only option for an assisted death  she will have to go alone. It is against the law to accompany her. I would face prosecution for manslaughter and could receive up to 14 years in prison.

Despite the enormous personal risk Dame Esther Rantzen's (pictured, right) daughter, Rebecca Wilcox (pictured, left), hinted that she would help her mother attend a Dignitas clinic

'Even if it doesn't go to trial, many people face a two-year investigation. I have a young family with two children, a busy home and a complex job. I shouldn't have to risk going to prison just to keep mum company, but I'm not sure I could let her go alone.

'It's an impossible decision to have to make: either risk possible prosecution at the worst time of my life, when I have just lost my adored mum, or do the unthinkable and let her die alone in a foreign country with no one she knows or loves to hold her hand.'

Wilcox added: 'The thought of her actually dying is abominable, but the thought of her dying in pain is unthinkable.

'Her health is not great and her illness has no cure. The prognosis may lead to a painful death that might not be eased with palliative care and opioid painkillers.'

Mrs Cooper is now coming to terms with her own incurable cancer four decades after her son's death.

She added: 'I am not a religious person, but there is a tiny voice inside me that believes it would be wonderful if I could cuddle Hamish again.'

This comes shortly after calls for a change in laws surrounding assisted dying have emerged, with legislation being considered in Scotland, the Isle of Man and Jersey.

It has not only been Dame Esther Rantzen who has spoken out about legislation, with broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby describing the currently law as 'increasingly unbearable.'

Great British Bake Off presenter Dame Prue Leith, has also said there needs to be 'less pearl-clutching' and more constructive conversation on the issue.

In December, Dame Esther Rantzen - who has stage 4 lung cancer - revealed she had joined Dignitas.

However those in opposition of the changing the law are concerned legalising assisted dying could put pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives for fear of being a burden on others.

They have also argued the disabled, elderly, sick or depressed could be potentially be at risk.
Labour were tonight accused of secretly plotting a raid on council tax after their Treasury deputy-in-waiting said he understands the 'frustration' of not making richer people pay more.

Darren Jones, in line to be number two at the Treasury under a Labour government, told a constituency meeting the current system was 'very out of date', blaming a 'capitalist democracy'.

As one of the 17 taxes Labour have been unable to rule out, shadow minsters have been repeatedly pushed on their plans to reevaluate council tax but have failed to say they would not raise the tax.

The party has only ruled out increases to income tax, national insurance and VAT - but has refused to explicitly rule out any others.

But Mr Jones, currently shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said that Labour would not be elected if they suggested a revaluation of the charge, a leaked recording of the meeting reveals.

Asked whether those in homes worth more than a million pounds should pay more, he told the meeting he 'gets the frustration'.

Darren Jones, in line to be number two at the Treasury under a Labour government, told a constituency meeting the current council tax system was 'very out of date', blaming a 'capitalist democracy'

Tory Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Laura Trott, said: 'Labour have been caught saying the quiet part out loud'

'Now you can say that the whole system is like c*** and needs to be changed,' he said, adding that he agreed the council tax system is 'very out of date'.

Mr Jones's comments - which were made at a meeting in his Bristol constituency in May - were jumped on by the Tories.

Tory Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Laura Trott, said: 'Labour have been caught saying the quiet part out loud.

'Darren Jones admitted that talking about any of their secret taxes on the family home before the election would cost them votes.

'The real risk of a Labour supermajority cannot be clearer. A vote for anyone other than the Conservatives will deliver a Labour Government, intent on taxing your home, your pension, your car - even your children's education.

'Do not give them a supermajority to lock in higher taxes for a generation.'

In the recording, Mr Jones was asked why Labour would not pledge to raise council tax on properties worth more than 1million.

He replied: 'Let me be frank with you about council tax, right. Any party has ever suggested revaluing council tax has never been elected. They just haven't.'

When the questioner pointed out that Labour could do it because they are leading in polls, Mr Jones said: 'They won't if they start telling everyone they have to pay more council tax.'

When the man persisted, saying that only those with houses worth more than 1million will pay more, Mr Jones says: 'There'll be people in this village that will pay a lot more council tax than they currently do, many of them older people.

'So the fact is again, I get the frustration but you live in a capitalist democracy.

'So that requires people to vote for you to have power to hold power in order to be able to do things within a framework people are willing to work within.

'Now you can say that the whole system is like c*** and needs to be changed....'

Told the question was not about that, but instead arguing that increasing council tax for those 'who can definitely afford it' would mean the money could be given to working class people, Mr Jones replied: 'And I agree with you that council tax system is very out of date.'

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves's advisor Neil Amin Smith has previously said 'it is likely to be better to revalue and reform council tax at a national level'.

He also claimed this reform was 'overdue'.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves herself said in 2018: 'We need a radical overhaul of the tax system because our current system of wealth taxation isn't working'

Mr Jones has previously been recorded saying that Labour is considering an inheritance tax raid to 'redistribute' wealth if it gets into power.

He also suggested higher death duties would be used to tackle 'inter-generational inequality'.

Pat McFadden, Labour's national campaign coordinator, failed to rule out such a move yesterday.

He told Good Morning Britain: 'From that moment we've said that nothing in our manifesto requires us to raise any taxes beyond the very specific things that we've set out in the manifesto, and that remains the position on this as with anything else.'

Ms Reeves's tax tzar Sir Edward Troup, a former Tory Treasury special adviser, also raised the prospect that Labour could target inheritance tax.

He told LBC that 'inheritance tax will have to be on the agenda, but it will be unpopular' because Labour would have to raise money somehow.

To do this, he said they would have to look at the smaller taxes, adding: 'And inheritance tax is not a tiny tax. You know, it's a reasonable size tax.

'And so inheritance tax will have to be on the agenda, but it will be unpopular.'

Ms Reeves herself said in 2018: 'We need a radical overhaul of the tax system because our current system of wealth taxation isn't working.'

It came as a leading City forecaster warned that Ms Reeves would launch a 15bn tax raid on pensions, capital gains and inheritance if Labour wins a supermajority.

Analysts at the investment bank Citi said that she could launch a stealth raid on workers' pay packets.

Benjamin Nabarro, its chief UK economist, said Labour would 'ultimately tax and spend more than the current baseline', the Telegraph reported.

Bim Afolami, the economic secretary to the Treasury, said: 'Labour are plotting a hidden tax raid that is not in their manifesto and if they are given a super-majority on Thursday they will be free to impose it.'

A Labour spokesperson said: 'If the best the Tories can offer on the day of the election is a recording of Darren Jones explaining why Labour has no plans to raise council tax, then it shows the utterly desperate state they are in.

'Any other interpretation of his words is entirely false, scaremongering nonsense.'
Chinese airlines launching more routes to Europe than peers for summer travel season

14:44, July 03, 2024 By Tu Lei ( Global Times

An aircraft from Xi'an, the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, arrives at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest, Hungary, June 29, 2024. Direct flights between Xi'an, the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and Budapest resumed on Saturday. (Photo: Xinhua)

Chinese airlines are ramping up efforts to launch more international routes for the summer travel season, with flights to Europe becoming a rising source of traffic. Industry data showed that Chinese airlines have taken a majority of the market share in terms of current China-Europe routes.

On Tuesday, China Eastern Airlines launched a direct flight from Shanghai to Marseille, France, carrying 242 passengers.

With the launch of this flight, regular direct passenger routes have been opened for the first time between China and southern France, and China Eastern will operate 19 routes and 244 flights (round trip) every week in the European region, the airlines said.

China Eastern is not alone. Europe has become a hot market for Chinese airlines seeking new routes, and some carriers even said their overseas flights in summer are expected to exceed the level of the same period in 2019.

On Thursday morning, a plane carrying 213 passengers operated by China Southern Airlines began its maiden flight from Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province to Budapest, Hungary.

The new route means China Southern now operates 53 international routes departing from Guangzhou, including 11 routes to Europe.

On June 16, Air China said that it would launch and resume 13 international routes including launching the Beijing-Dhaka and Chengdu-Milan routes.

In terms of the European market, Air China said it is one of the key carriers between China and Europe, with a market share of over 28 percent. Europe is also the region where Air China has the largest international capacity deployment, with 32 routes and 53 daily flights between China and Europe, exceeding the 2019 level by 116 percent.

Chinese airlines have taken a majority of the market share in terms of current China-Europe routes, per industry data.

Industry data from CADAS sent to the Global Times on Tuesday showed that as of June this year, the recovery rate of domestic airlines on the China-Europe route has reached 112.8 percent, compared with 43.2 percent of foreign airlines.

In terms of flight volume share, Chinese carriers on the China-Europe routes accounted for 73.9 percent.

Notably, there has been no significant change from before the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of market share between respective carriers from the two regions.

Some European airlines told the Global Times that they are facing delays in aircraft delivery due to component production and supply chain issues, which to some extent has affected the recovery speed of international routes for some players.

In addition, the slow recovery of European airlines on China-Europe routes is also related to the need to bypass Russian airspace, which increases flight time and costs, according to market watchers.

Market watchers said the rising capacity of the China-Europe market is also a reflection of the Civil Aviation Administration of China's ambition outlined earlier this year, as the regulator vowed to resume 80 percent of international routes this year, while some airlines have said that their recovery pace is faster than the target.

China's civil aviation achieved a rapid recovery of domestic flights in 2023, while its next goal is speeding up the recovery of international flights, especially from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, and this summer will be a critical period for the full recovery of Chinese airlines, Zhu Xiaohan, a senior analyst from CADAS, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Market watchers said the efforts made by Beijing, such as the unilateral visa-free policy for citizens from many countries to visit China adopted in recent months, are also helping boost the flying capacity of airlines.

In the latest example, China's Foreign Ministry said on June 25 that it will extend its visa-free policy to New Zealand, Australia, and Poland.

According to the National Immigration Administration, the number of foreigners coming to China in the first quarter of this year more than tripled compared with the same period in 2023.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
The daughter of the President of Cameroon has sparked rumours that she is in a same-sex relationship by sharing a picture of her kissing another woman.

Brenda Biya, 26, received furious responses to her post with homosexuality illegal in the country her father rules.

Paul Baya, now 91, became Cameroon 's president 42 years ago, making him one of Arica's longest-serving leaders.

An Instagram post by Ms Biya shows her kissing Brazillian model Layyons Valenca with the accompanying caption: 'I'm crazy about you & I want the world to know.'

Cameroonians who engage in same-sex acts or relationships can be jailed for up to five years, but since Ms Biya lives elsewhere, she is not subject to this law.

Brenda Biya, 26, daughter of Cameroonian president Paul Biya, 91, has sparked rumours that she is gay by sharing a picture of her kissing Brazillian model Layyons Valenca

Ms Biya is the daughter of the Cameroonan President. Homosexuality is illegal in Cameroon

Ms Biya is a musician who goes by the name King Nasty.

Though she did not explicitly state her sexual orientation in her post, she followed it up by sharing an article by French newspaper Le Monde saying she had 'come out' as well as messages of support from many others.

Shakiro, a transgender activist from Cameroon, was one of those who praised the musician, hoping the post could be a 'turning point for the LGBTQ+ community in Cameroon' as Ms Biya positions herself as 'a voice for social change in a country where taboos are deeply rooted'.

Shakiro lives in Belgium after seeking asylum following an 'attempted homosexuality' conviction back in Cameroon.

However, Ms Biya's social media intervention has not been met with unanimous praise.

A number of social media users from Cameroon shared homophobic comments in response.

Ms Biya posted again the following day, captioning a picture of her: 'Why tf [the f***] u so opinionated?'

Nevertheless, some have questioned whether the artist shared the picture with publicity in mind.

Other responses suggested coming out is a privilege only a lucky few Cameroonians can enjoy without fear.

LGBT activist Bandy Kiki said: 'I love this for Cameroon's First Daughter.

'However, it highlights a harsh reality: Anti-LGBT laws in Cameroon disproportionately target the poor. Wealth and connections create a shield for some, while others face severe consequences.'

Pictured: Paul Biya in 2011. Cameroon's laws against homosexuality have drawn criticism from human rights groups during his 42-year leadership of the country

Cameroon's laws against members of the LGBT community have led to criticism from human rights groups in the past, including in 2022, when Human Rights Watch urged the country to 'take urgent action to revoke this discriminatory law and to ensure that the human rights of all Cameroonians, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics, are upheld'.

Human rights lawyer Alice Nkom, who defends LGBT people in Cameroon, described Ms Biya as a 'model of courage... sending an important universal message of love'.

Against a backdrop of media outlets in Cameroon being sanctioned in the past for depicting homosexuality, most publications and broadcasters are yet to report on their president's daughter's recent posts, nor has Mr Biya or his government commented.

Ms Biya has been contacted for comment.
White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients on Wednesday told freaked-out staff to keep their heads down, do their job and ignore the fallout from President Joe Biden's terrible debate.

His message came amid a report that Biden privately told a key ally he is weighing whether or not to drop out of the presidential race, as the campaign waits in dread for new polling numbers and Democratic lawmakers are fleeing in droves.

Zients' call was one of many moves the White House is making as it tries to calm the storm and reassure staff, lawmakers and donors that Biden can win re-election in November.

On the call, Zients acknowledged Biden didnt have a great debate performance last week but told staff that hes a great president and urged them to stay together.

White House Chief of Staff Jeffrey Zients (right) reassured staff about President Biden

He didn't have a great night but that was one night and what we all know is he is a great president, Zients said per reports.

He made three key points: keep your head down and keep working for the American people while the campaign handles the election; hold your head high as the administration has accomplished so much; and stick together.

'Execute, execute, execute,' he told them repeatedly while urging them to 'tune out' outside noise.

The call lasted about 10 minutes. Zients didn't take questions but said concerned staff should email him. He repeated Biden's quote that when you get knocked down, you get back up.

'That's what he is doing and that's what we all need to do ... follow the president's lead,' he said.

Biden, meanwhile, is engaging in personal outreach, calling Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn.

The moves come as Democrats worry Biden may be acting to late to shore up his support amid calls for his exit from the race. There also are reports of frustration among top donors that Biden didn't join a Monday call from the campaign, giving them an update on the situation.

Meanwhile, Biden acknowledged he only has through this weekend to convince voters he is mentally up for the job.

He'll be in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday, where he will sit for an interview with ABC News. He travels to Pennsylvania on Sunday.

'He knows if he has two more events like that, we're in a different place' by the end of the weekend, the ally told The New York Times.

The White House strongly denied this.

'That claim is absolutely false. If the New York Times had provided us with more than 7 minutes to comment we would have told them so,' White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates wrote on X.

Biden called into a campaign staff meeting on Wednesday to give them a pep talk and tell them he's staying in the race and going to win.

'Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can as simply and straightforward as I can: I am runningno ones pushing me out. Im not leaving. Im in this race to the end and were going to win,' he said, according to reports.

The president and his team have engaged in a massive outreach campaign to reassure nervous staff, lawmakers, donors and allies of Biden's ability to beat Donald Trump in November.

If Biden exits the race with Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris would be seen as the frontrunner to replace him. Biden and Harris had lunch at the White House on Wednesday.

Democrats have fretted Biden will no long be able to defeat Trump in November.

President Joe Biden has privately told a key ally he is weighing whether or not to drop out of the presidential race

The reports Biden is eying the exit door are piling on as donors, lawmakers and top party officials worry the president isn't up for the campaign.

A major donor told TMZ that 'it's only a matter of time' before Biden bows out.

Another ally told CNN that Biden understands the next stretch of days are critical to whether he can save his candidacy, noting what it would take him to accept: 'It's just not working.'

'He sees the moment. He's clear-eyed,' the person said.

As to what it would take would be the polls are plummeting, the fundraising is drying up, and the interviews are going badly,' that person said. 'He's not oblivious.'

Additionally, Biden's campaign sent out an all-staff memo showing internal polls from battleground states that note Biden only dropped half a point in the fallout from his fumbling debate performance.

The move came to pre-empt what is expected to be bad polling news for the president.

'We are going to see a few polls come out today and we want you all to hear from us on what we know internally and what we expect to come externally,' the memo, obtained by Politico, reads. 'Polls are a snapshot in time and we should all expect them to continue to fluctuate  it will take a few weeks, not a few days, to get a full picture of the race.'

Vice President Kamala Harris would be the frontrunner to replace Biden if he drops out

The White House is trying to calm staff fears after President Joe Biden's debate performance - above Biden with his deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed, senior adviser Mike Donilon and Deputy Chief of Staff Annie Tomasini

Amid the race to calm internal fears, there is a significant outreach operation to try and quell the growing calls for Biden to be replaced.

The president has been on the phone to lawmakers trying to shore up his support on Capitol Hill amid worries Republicans will take control of the House and Senate - along with the White House - in the upcoming elections, giving them unchecked power to run the country.

Biden also will meet with governors on Wednesday evening as he and his team scramble to stem even more defections.

Meanwhile, Jill Biden has been dispatched to the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan to tout Biden's accomplishments in the White House as polls show him trailing Donald Trump.

The effort comes as questions continue to be asked about Biden's mental capabilities to handle the presidency and speculation about who could replace him as the Democratic presidential nominee.

'Everyone is freaking the f*** out,' an official told Axios.

But there appears to be a reason for the freak out.

A set of private polls from a pro-Biden super PAC showed the president losing ground  about two points  across all the most important battleground states, Puck news reported.

Biden was also now trailing in New Mexico, New Hampshire and Virginia, three states that were thought to be safely Democratic.

Biden trails Donald Trump in the Five Thirty-Eight polling average on the presidential race.

Democrats are keeping their distance.

Senator Tammy Baldwin, who faces re-election in Wisconsin, announced Tuesday morning she will not be joining Biden on stage when he campaigns in her hometown of Madison on Friday.

And many Democrats worry the president is moving too slowly to calm the panic about his candidacy and mental fitness.

Donald Trump and Joe Biden at last week's debate where Biden fumbled in his answers

There also is talk of a brewing Democratic revolt in the House.

Maine's Jared Golden, Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington State all either told Biden to drop out or said they believed he would lose to Trump on Tuesday.

Those defections were in addition to the collection of 25 House members - commonly referred to as 'frontliners' due to their status as moderates in swing districts - who are set to break with Biden and day now.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi emphasized Biden's multiple legislative accomplishments during an interview with MSNBC Tuesday but said it was legitimate to ask whether his debate performance was a one-night thing or a broader health problem. She said Trump should be given the same scrutiny.

'I think it's a legitimate question to say, 'Is this an episode or is this a condition?' And so when people ask that question, it's legitimate, of both candidates,' Pelosi said.

Biden, speaking at a campaign event in Virginia on Tuesday evening without a teleprompter, blamed his performance on a lack of sleep and noted he had done two international trips in the runup to the debate.

'The fact is that you know, I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones ... before ... the debate. Didnt listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage,' he said. 'That's no excuse but it is an explanation.'

He was in France for the 85th anniversary of D-Day and then in Italy for the G7.

But he left out the seven days he spent at Camp David ahead of his showdown with Trump. He spent the week locked with aides in preparation for the debate.

However, Biden rarely began before 11 am and broke in the afternoon for a nap, the New York Times reported.

Some Democrats suggested Biden should be thinking about the broader party's future.

'He has to be honest with himself,' Democratic Representative Mike Quigley, a moderate from Illinois, told CNN on Tuesday.

'It's his decision. I just want him to appreciate at this time just how much it impacts, not just his race, but all the other races coming in November.'

And Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, whose endorsement of Biden in 2020 helped him become the nominee, told MSNBC that he still wanted a presidential ticket with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

But then he announced who he would endorse if Biden exited the race.

'I will support her if he were to step aside,' Clyburn said of Harris.
American couples have been left trapped in their hotel suites as Hurricane Beryl ripped through the Caribbean and put a damper on their honeymoons.

Emma Steinke and her new husband Alex, both 26, flew 12 hours from Chicago and landed in Grenada around 5 p.m. on Saturday.

On Sunday the couple was told to hunker down in their honeymoon suite at the Sandals resort to brace for impact from the deadly category five storm.

The new bride documented their time together on TikTok sharing her 'hurricane haul' from the gift shop which included a bag of chips, a granola bar, chocolates and candles.

'It was a bit surreal. We had just gotten to paradise, so it was a lot to process, especially being from the Midwest, where we don't experience this,' Emma told People.

Emma and Alex Steinke, both 26, flew 12 hours to Grenada only to be stuck in their honeymoon suite as Hurricane Beryl ripped through the Caribbean

The new bride documented their experience showing the destruction to the Sandals resort

Fences around the property were toppled, chairs knocked into the pool and the head of a palm tree was completely severed

'It progressed so rapidly that when we started our travel day, it was a tropical storm, and by the time we landed, it was a hurricane watch,' she says.

'We are staying inside. The resort instructed guests not to leave their rooms until they say it's safe, so we've been following their instructions. We've been keeping our phones charged as well and trying to conserve water/food as much as possible.'

As the storm ripped through Grenada and damaged about 98 percent of the buildings on the islands, water seeped through their hotel room walls and they were forced to take down the television to avoid electrical damage.

On Tuesday the couple was allowed out of their room and they documented the destruction done to the resort.

Fences around the property were toppled, chairs knocked into the pool and the head of a palm tree was completely severed.

'As far as we can tell, at the resort, there isn't much damage so we're hoping we can get a few more days of sun and be able to experience the island a little bit,' Emma said.

Sea waves break as Hurricane Beryl approaches Kingston, Jamaica on Wednesday

Workers save pieces of a tin fence that was blown apart as winds from Hurricane Beryl passes through Kingston on Wednesday

'It's unfortunate but it is what it is. We're hoping it doesn't affect anything like our flight out but we're well aware it could,' adds Emma.

'We're mostly just hoping everyone remains safe, especially the island natives and the staff at our resort that are working so hard for us.'

Another couple, Scarlette and Brady from Ohio, got married on June 29 and flew to Negril, Jamaica for their honeymoon and are bracing for impact from the storm.

'Hurricane Beryl is en route to hut us sometime this afternoon,' Scarlette said on TikTok.

'The wind is picking up just a bit and the waves were nothing like this yesterday. We are Midwesterners, we're from Ohio, so we have never experienced a hurricane before.

'The resort has done a great job in making us feel safe. We went to the gift shop yesterday and picked up some snacks and water and we're going to move all of this furniture into our room.'

Scarlette and Brady got married on June 29 and flew to Negril, Jamaica as Hurricane Beryl is approaching

New modeling suggests the hurricane will move through six U.S. states and a hurricane warning is in effect for the popular beach towns of Cancun and Cozumel in Mexico.

The National Hurricane Center forecasts that devastating winds and life-threatening storm surges are expected to begin in Jamaica Wednesday afternoon and spread into the Cayman Islands.

Damaging winds and heavy rainfall are predicted over portions of the Yucatan Peninsula and Belize on Thursday.

Three people were reported killed in Grenada and Carriacou and another in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, officials said.

Two other deaths were reported in northern Venezuela, where five people are missing, officials said. About 25,000 people in that area also were affected by heavy rainfall from Beryl.

One fatality in Grenada occurred after a tree fell on a house, Kerryne James, the environment minister said.

The storm ripped through Grenada (pictured) and damaged about 98 percent of the buildings on the islands

Three people were reported killed in Grenada and Carriacou (pictured) and another in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Carriacou and Petit Martinique sustained the greatest damage, with scores of homes and businesses flattened in Carriacou.

Grenada's prime minister, Dickon Mitchell, said Tuesday there was no power, roads are impassable and the possible rise of the death toll 'remains a grim reality.'

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has promised to rebuild the archipelago.

He noted that 90 percent of homes on Union Island were destroyed, and that 'similar levels of devastation' were expected on the islands of Myreau and Canouan.

The last strong hurricane to hit the southeast Caribbean was Hurricane Ivan 20 years ago, which killed dozens of people in Grenada.
A smiling Vladimir Putin reunited with his 'old friend' Xi Jinping in Kazakhstan on Wednesday for a session of an international group founded to counter Western 'hegemony'.

'Russian-Chinese relations, our comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, are experiencing their best period in history,' Putin said, reaffirming Russia's relationship with China.

In his brief opening comments, the Chinese premier called Putin his 'old friend' and said Sino-Russian relations were at a 'high level.'

'In the face of the turbulent international situation and external environment, the two sides should continue to uphold the original aspiration of friendship for generations to come,' Xi said.

The pair met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana - a regional political and economic bloc that the two leaders see as a counterweight to US 'hegemony' in international affairs.

Xi Jinping (left) referred to Putin (right) as his 'old friend' ahead of the summit on Wednesday

Dealing with terrorism will be a central talking point at the summit in Kazakhstan this year

Putin attends a meeting with Kazakh President as leaders meet to discuss security concerns

Rescuers carry the body of a person killed during a missile attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, in May

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was set up in 2001 by China and Russia to discuss security concerns in Central Asia and the wider region.

Other members are Iran, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Observer states and dialogue partners include Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Putin today hailed the group as 'strengthening its role as one of the key pillars of a fair multipolar world order' in opening remarks of a meeting with Xi that were published on Russian state TV.

For Putin, the meeting is about 'prestige and the symbolic optics that he's not alone,' Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said.

Indeed, the Russian leader on Wednesday had multiple meetings with other leaders on the sidelines of the summit, all diligently aired by Russian state TV.

The SCO also helps China project its influence, especially across Central Asia and the Global South.

Xi called for 'bridges of communication' between countries last week and wants to further promote China as an alternative to the U.S. and its allies.

Besides Putin and Xi, and summit host President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, other leaders attending include Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Emomali Rakhmon of Tajikistan, and President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan.

President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus will attend because his nation is becoming a full member.

Iran is still choosing a successor to President Ebrahim Raisi, killed in a helicopter crash in May, with a runoff election Friday, so acting President Mohammad Mokhbar will attend.

Other guests of the SCO include President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan.

Also present will be U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is visiting Central Asia.

Guterres wants 'to position the U.N. as an inclusive organization that's talking to all the big clubs,' said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

For host Kazakhstan and the other Central Asian nations, the meeting is a way to further their cooperation with bigger, more powerful neighbors.

Kazakhstan, for instance, frequently engages with both neighboring Russia and China, while also pursuing links with the West, with visits this year from U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron.

Countering terrorism will be a key focus for the summit.

Russia had what it has called two terrorist attacks this year, with more 145 people killed by gunmen at a Moscow concert hall in March, and at least 21 people were killed in attacks on police and houses of worship in the southern republic of Dagestan in June. In the March violence, the U.S. warned Russian officials about the possibility of an attack - information that was dismissed by Moscow.

The SCO is not a collective security or economic alliance, and there are 'significant security differences between its members,' said Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London and a former British ambassador to Belarus.

The 'principal value' of the organization lies in the optics of non-Western countries gathering together, he added.

Ukrainian servicemen ride a T-72 tank in the Donetsk region in June amid the Russian invasion

Taiwanese armoured vehicles roll down a street in Kinmen on May 24 as China warned its leadership was pushing it into 'a perilous situation of war and danger'

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey meets with Putin at the SCO summit in Astana

Members of the delegations, led by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, hold talks on the sidelines of the SCO in Kazakhstan on Wednesday

Putin gestures alongside Erdogan during their meeting at the summit on Wednesday

Gabuev agreed, saying the SCO is a place for conversation rather than a platform where 'collective decisions are made, implemented and have an impact.'

This year, close Moscow ally Belarus will become a full member of the organization, and its admission indicates how Russia wants to bolster blocs of non-Western countries.

Gould-Davies said the SCO is raising its profile 'by growing its membership rather than by deepening its cooperation.'

Guterres may use the meeting to talk to Putin about how Russia is 'disrupting the coherence of the U.N.,' Gabuev said. Russia has vetoed U.N. Security Council sanctions on monitoring North Korea and a vote on stopping an arms race in outer space.

With Guterres unlikely to visit Moscow, the Astana meeting is likely his best chance to speak to Putin, Gabuev added.

There could be 'a lot of sideline discussions on Ukraine, as it is a big issue which concerns all of us,' a senior Kazakh official told The Associated Press.

The official was not authorized to talk publicly, and thus spoke on condition of anonymity.

Gabuev said Putin will try to show there's a 'big club of countries' that are 'ambivalent' toward the war in Ukraine.
A Chicago commuter was viciously attacked by thieves who choked him unconscious and rifled through his pockets.

The 49-year-old victim's ordeal on February 17 was caught on harrowing surveillance video obtained by Fox News.

Fernando Loyo-Rodriguez, Wilker Gutierrez Sierra, Carlos Carreno-Carreno and Yonnier Guasamucare Garcia, who are all Venezuelan migrants, have been charged with attempted murder and robbery.

The footage shows four men appear to befriend their victim in the train car before he is suddenly seized from behind.

The man is choked and loses consciousness. As he falls to the ground, one of the suspects covers the camera.

A Chicago commuter was viciously attacked by thieves who choked him unconscious and rifled through his pockets

When he moves back, one of the group is seen rummaging through his pockets.

Police said one of the suspects held a knife to the victim's throat during the attack.

The group made off with $400 and a cellphone and left their victim unconscious in the back of the train car.

The suspects, who are aged 18 to 22-years-old, were arrested 45 minutes later.

They had only been in the country for a few months prior to the incident, with three of the accused previously picked up for shoplifting.

The men appeared in Cook County court on Tuesday status-detention hearing.

Carreno-Carreno, Loyo-Rodriguez and Guasamucare Garcia were put in custody, while Gutierrez Sierra was let out on ankle monitor. They are due back in court on August 28.

The crime has reignited debates about immigration in the US, as it follows a spate of other high-profile crimes allegedly committed by migrants.

The 49-year-old victim's ordeal in February was caught on harrowing surveillance video

Yonnier Guasamucare-Garcia (L) and Carlos Luis Carreno-Carreno (R) are among four suspects who have been charged

Among them is the horrific rape and murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston, Texas last month.

Venezuelans Johan Jose Rangel Martinez and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos have been charged in connection to the crimes.

Prior to that the death of nursing student Laken Riley allegedly at the hands of migrant Jose Ibarra prompted Riley's father to describe her killing as a 'rallying call' for secure borders.

Similarly, the grieving family of mom-of-five Rachel Morin blamed Biden's border policy for her death.

Morin's naked body was found on a Maryland hiking trail almost a year ago.

Prosecutors claim illegal migrant Victor Martinez Hernandez, 23, lay in wait hiding for her before carrying out the sick attack.

The issue has become a flashpoint ahead of the November election and a cornerstone of Donald Trump's campaign.

Migrants Wilker Miguel Gutierrez Sierra (L) and Fernando Yohandy Loyo-Rodriguez (R) make up the final suspects of the group aged 18-22

The footage shows four men appear to befriend their victim in the train car before he is suddenly seized from behind

The presidential hopeful has vowed to deport millions of migrants who entered the US illegally if elected.

However, several studies have indicated that migrants are less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans.

One study by Stanford economist Ran Abramitzky found that immigrants are 30 percent less likely to be incarcerated than are white, US-born individuals.
The Briton at the centre of the Jay Slater mystery broke his silence today - and told MailOnline: 'He came to my Airbnb alive and he left my Airbnb alive.'

Ayub Qassim invited Jay, 19, back to his rented holiday cottage after a rave in Tenerife hours before he vanished on June 17.

Qassim, 31, was jailed nine years ago for being the mastermind behind a sophisticated operation to flood Wales with Class A drugs.

He booked the 40-a-night holiday rental online under the name Ayub Abdul.

Spanish police hunting for Jay have already spoken to Qassim and the unnamed friend he was travelling with known only as 'Johnny Vegas'.

Ayub Qassim invited Jay, 19, back to his rented holiday cottage after a rave in Tenerife and says: 'He came to my Airbnb alive and he left my Airbnb alive'

Jay Slater, 19, went back to Qassim's remote cottage  called Casa Abuela Tina  at 5am on the day he vanished

The 40-a-night Casa Abuela Tina holiday rental near the remote village of Masca where Jay spent his final hours before going missing

The men stayed on the island for an extra day after Jay went missing to speak to police  although both have been described as 'irrelevant' to their investigation.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline today Qassim said: 'The only comment I have to make is that Jay came to the house alive, and he left the house alive.

'I let the geezer stay at mine because he had nowhere else to go, his friends had all left him.

'I know Jay, through friends, I'm not going to bring someone back to mine if I don't know them.

'I'm doing the geezer a favour and now my face is all over the news. It's a bit mental. I haven't even done anything.'

Now Qassim is back at his family's flat in Barking, east London.

In 2015 Qassim was the ringleader of a London-based crime gang who imported heroin and crack cocaine to Cardiff. When police raided a property there, they found drugs, cash, mobile phones and digital scales. Qassim was sentenced to nine years and nine months.

Qassim insisted he had had no argument with Jay and he had even given him a blanket to sleep in.

Qassim, 31, was jailed nine years ago for being the mastermind behind a sophisticated operation to flood Wales with Class A drugs

Qassim booked the Airbnb, which Jay went back to with him and another man, under the name Ayub Abdul

In its Airbnb listing Casa Abuela Tina is described as being a farmhouse within the 'unique natural landscape' surrounding it

The Airbnb owner said she later saw Jay walking uphill in the vast mountainous area

A Snapchat picture Jay sent to friends on the doorstep of the cottage at 7.30am, in which he was holding a cigarette

He added: 'If I'd fallen out with him would he even come to mine?

'There were no problems. You've seen the last images of him with his red blanket around him.

'I don't know if he had beef elsewhere because I don't know him that well, I only know him through friends.'

Former detective turned TV sleuth Mark Williams-Thomas flew to Tenerife to help with the search - and said he wanted to speak to the two men who rented the apartment Jay last visited.

But Qassim said he had only spoken to authorities in Tenerife.

He said: 'I've spoken to the Spanish police and they've told me not to speak to anyone which is why I've been quiet.

'I've not spoken to Mark Williams-Thomas or anyone like him because he doesn't have any jurisdiction in Tenerife, and I haven't done anything wrong.'

Asked how well he knew Jay and what he thought of the conspiracy theories surrounding his disappearance, Qassim said: 'Everyone knows each other. I'm not going to slander anyone.

'He's a cool guy, Jay. He ain't got a problem with me, I haven't got a problem with him or his mates. We just all talk to each other and everything was sweet.'

Jay went back to Qassim's remote cottage  called Casa Abuela Tina  at 5am on the day he vanished on June 17.

TV detective Mark Williams-Thomas (pictured) issued an update on Wednesday, claiming he had been told Jay had stolen a 12,000 Rolex and was trying to sell it

Jay was on his first-ever friends holiday with Lucy Law (pictured) and Brad Hargreaves when he went missing in Tenerife

Brad Hargreaves (pictured) also said he spoke to Jay on the phone before he went missing

But he is known to have left the property at around 7.30am to catch a bus back towards his holiday apartment.

A witness said he asked her when the next bus was. When she told him the next one wasn't until 10am, he is believed to have attempted to walk the 11 hours it would have taken him to get back to his holiday let.

The man and another who was travelling with him stayed an extra day after he vanished and spoke to police.

They gave the officers their details and fully cooperated with the investigation. Sources close to the inquiry have told MailOnline that the men are not relevant to Jay's disappearance.
It is shaping up to be the most seismic general election in a quarter of a century.

Brits will wake up fresh on Friday morning to a clear result, as Keir Starmer could have claimed victory and Rishi Sunak admitted defeat - or visa versa - before the sun rises.

So whether you are a politico or just want to see who is to become your next MP, you'll need to make sure you have plenty of coffee and biscuits to see you through the night - or just set an alarm.

After polling stations close at 10pm tonight, the counting process begins in 650 constituencies across the UK. The first seats to be announced will be around midnight, and the last around 6am, if everything goes to plan.

The crunch time will be between 3am and 4am when the bulk of the results will flood in. And with Rishi Sunak's seat of Richmond and Northallerton due to be declared at 4am, this could be the moment when he concedes the election to Labour - and in a worst-case scenario loses his own seat.

Before then he could lose two of his most trusted lieutenants. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield) and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt (Godalming and Ash) are both under threat in their seats, and are due to find out their fate around 3.30am.

Elsewhere, Sir Keir should be confirmed back in his safe Labour seat of Holborn and St Pancras around 4.15am, which will come after his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn finds out whether he has defeated Labour as an independent in Islington North at 3am.

4am will also be a key time for Reform. It is the expected declaration time for Clacton, where leader Nigel Farage is making his eighth attempt to become an MP.

Use our graphic below to find out what time your MP is set to be announced.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at an eve of poll event in East Kilbride, Scotland

Rishi Sunak knocking on doors during the last day of the campaign

Nigel Farage delivered his last campaign speech at Clacton pier, in the constituency where he is standing

Among the early seats to be called will be Basildon and Billericay in Essex, where Tory chairman Richard Holden is standing. This could be one of the first upsets of the night.

The former MP for North West Durham sparked anger when he was the sole candidate presented on what was expected to be a shortlist of three names, according to local Tory members.

He would replace John Baron, who announced he would stand down as an MP in October last year in what should be a safe Conservative seat, with Mr Baron having won a majority of 20,412 over his nearest Labour opponent in 2010.

But polls say it could be lost, with Reform even in with a shout of winning it.

Here is how the evening is likely to progress, assuming there are no recounts or other delays:

10pm

Polling stations close and exit polls are published.

11pm

The first seats to declare are likely to be Blyth and Ashington at around 11.30pm and Houghton and Sunderland South at around 11.45pm. Both are in north-east England and both are defended by Labour.

Houghton and Sunderland South has been won by Bridget Phillipson for Labour at every election since the seat was created in 2010, where she is defending a narrow majority of 3,271, while Blyth and Ashington is a new constituency at this election, where Labour is defending a notional majority of 6,118.

The outcome may provide a guide to what to expect in seats where Labour has small majorities - in particular how Reform UK performs and what happens to the level of Conservative support.

Midnight

Swindon South is likely to be the first battleground seat of the night to declare at around 12.15am, where former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland is defending a majority of 5,650 and where Labour candidate Heidi Alexander - who was MP for Lewisham East from 2010-18 - needs a swing of 5.7 percentage points to win.

Opinion polls suggest this is the sort of seat Labour ought to win comfortably, and as such the result will be a pointer to what could happen over the rest of the night.

Broxbourne in Hertfordshire is due at around 12.30am: a seat held continuously by the Conservatives since its creation in 1983, with a majority in 2019 of 19,192, the result giving an early indication of how the Tories are faring in their traditional Home Counties heartlands.

1am

East Kilbride & Strathaven, Hamilton & Clyde Valley and Rutherglen will provide a first indication of patterns of voting in Scotland.

All three are being defended by the SNP and all are Labour targets, with Rutherglen needing a 6.0-percentage point swing to change hands, Hamilton & Clyde Valley 8.2 points and East Kilbride & Strathaven 12.8 points.

A direct swing in the share of the vote of 10 percentage points from the SNP to Labour in Scotland could see Sir Keir Starmer's party pick up 15 constituencies.

Elsewhere, the Liberal Democrats could make their first gain of the night in Harrogate & Knaresborough, which they last held between 1997 and 2010 and where they need an 8.0-percentage point swing to take the seat from the Conservatives, ranking it at number 21 on the party's target list.

Leigh & Atherton in Greater Manchester is ranked at number two on Labour's target list: a new seat this election, but one where the Tories are defending a notional majority of just 293.

2am

The flow of results will now start to pick up, with just over 60 seats due to declare between 2am and 3am.

A win for Labour in Tory-held Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, expected to declare at around 2.30am, would suggest the party is on course for a record-breaking win: the seat needs an enormous 21.5-percentage point swing to change hands, ranking it at number 304 on Labour's target list.

The party held the seat from 1997 to 2010 but it has been Tory ever since, with a 2019 majority of 19,879.

The Lib Dems should discover if they have been able to gain one of their longshots, Stratford-on-Avon, from the Conservatives: a seat they need a 17.8-point swing to win and which was held until this year by former Tory chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, who is not standing this time.

Workers' Party leader George Galloway will learn if he has held on to Rochdale in Greater Manchester, which he won at a by-election in February this year.

The result from Sir Keir Starmer's constituency of Holborn & St Pancras is due at around 2.30am. The Labour leader is defending a very safe majority of 22,766 and is one of 12 candidates standing in the seat.

Mid Bedfordshire, due to declare at around 2.45am, was won by Labour from the Tories at a by-election in October 2023, marking the first time Sir Keir's party had represented the seat since its creation in 1918.

Based on the size of the swing Labour needs to win again (when compared with the 2019 notional result), the seat ranks at number 263 on the party's target list - so a Labour victory here would suggest the party is on track for an enormous Commons majority.

Also worth watching will be the results from Bolsover in Derbyshire, held by Labour from 1950 to 2019 - for much of the time by veteran left-winger Dennis Skinner - until the Tories won at the last election, and which Labour will hope to win back; Peterborough and Redcar, two of Labour's key targets; and Torbay in Devon, which could fall to the Lib Dems if Sir Ed Davey's party is doing exceptionally well.

3am

This is likely to be the busiest time of the night, with nearly 250 declarations expected over the next hour.

Islington North is due to declare, where Independent candidate and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is standing. Mr Corbyn has previously won the seat for Labour at every general election since 1983, but is no longer a member of the party and is contesting the seat with six others, including Labour candidate Praful Nargund.

The result is due from the new seat of Great Grimsby & Cleethorpes, where the Tories are defending a notional majority of 9,759: the sort of constituency Labour has to win (the swing needed is 11.8 points) to be sure of a comfortable majority.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk is one of the Cabinet ministers most at risk at this election and the result from his seat of Cheltenham is due at around 3am, where he is defending a tiny majority of 1,421.

The constituency would fall to the Lib Dems on a swing of 1.3 percentage points, ranking it at number six on the party's target list.

The result is also due at around 3am from Chingford & Wood Green, which former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has won at every general election (including its former incarnation as Chingford) since 1992, but where he is defending a majority of just 1,604 and which would change hands on a swing to Labour of 1.5 points.

Five other candidates are standing, including Shama Tatler for Labour and the Independent Faiza Shaheen, who was Labour's candidate here in 2019, meaning there could be a partial split in the Labour vote.

Sir Ed Davey's seat of Kingston & Surbiton is due to declare at around 3.15am, where the Lib Dem leader is defending a majority of 11,174.

Witney in Oxfordshire, a seat won by the Tories at every election since its creation in 1983 and which was once represented by former prime minister David Cameron, is due to declare at this time - another seat that could fall to the Lib Dems if Sir Ed's party is having a very strong night.

Also due at around 3.15am is the result from Bristol Central: a new seat at this election and one of the Green Party's top targets, where candidate Carla Denyer is hoping to beat Labour's Thangam Debbonaire, previously MP for Bristol West.

At around 3.30am the result is likely from the new constituency of Godalming & Ash in Surrey, where Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt is one of six candidates. Mr Hunt could be at risk: he is defending a notional Tory majority of 10,720 and the seat has been heavily targeted by the Lib Dems, who need a swing of 9.7 points to win.

At around 3.30am the result is likely from the new constituency of Godalming & Ash in Surrey, where Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt is one of six candidates. Mr Hunt could be at risk: he is defending a notional Tory majority of 10,720 and the seat has been heavily targeted by the Lib Dems, who need a swing of 9.7 points to win.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps is another Conservative 'big beast' potentially in trouble and the result from his seat of Welwyn Hatfield in Hertfordshire should come in around this time. Mr Shapps has held the seat since 2005 but is defending a majority of 10,773 and Labour needs a swing of 10.4 percentage points to win.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps is another Conservative 'big beast' potentially in trouble and the result from his seat of Welwyn Hatfield in Hertfordshire should come in around this time. Mr Shapps has held the seat since 2005 but is defending a majority of 10,773 and Labour needs a swing of 10.4 percentage points to win.

House of Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt will find out if she has held her seat of Portsmouth North, which she has represented since 2010. She is defending a majority of 15,780 and a swing to Labour of 17.2 points would see her defeated.

Another Cabinet minister, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, will discover her fate at Chichester. Ms Keegan is defending a majority at this election of 19,622, with second-place party the Lib Dems needing a swing of 19.3 points to take a seat they last held - as the Liberal Party - 100 years ago.

Tatton in Cheshire, once the seat of former chancellor George Osborne and held since 2017 by Government minister and TV presenter Esther McVey, is due to declare, which would fall to Labour on a 17.4-point swing.

Other key seats to watch this hour include Ribble Valley in Lancashire, Thanet East in Kent and Scarborough & Whitby in North Yorkshire - all seats Labour needs to win to be sure of a majority in the next parliament - along with Tory-Lib Dem battlegrounds such as Eastleigh in Hampshire, Wells & Mendip Hills in Somerset and Newton Abbot in Devon, to see how well the Conservatives hold off any potential surge by Sir Ed's party in south-west England.

4am

Enough results should be in now to know which party is on course to win the election and by what margin.

Dartford in Kent is the longest-running 'bellwether' constituency in the country and is due to declare at around 4am. Since 1964, whichever party wins Dartford has also gone on to form the government. Conservative candidate Gareth Johnson is defending a majority here of 14,704, with Labour needing a swing of 15.9 points to take the seat.

Douglas Alexander, who held a number of cabinet roles during the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, has not been an MP since 2015 but is standing this year in Lothian East, Labour's top target in Scotland where the SNP is defending a majority of 2,207.

Rishi Sunak's seat of Richmond & Northallerton, in North Yorkshire, should declare at around this time. The Prime Minister is defending a huge notional majority of 24,331 and is one of 13 candidates standing in the constituency, making it the most contested seat in the country.

The result from Sir Keir Starmer's constituency of Holborn & St Pancras is due at around 4.15am. The Labour leader is defending a very safe majority of 22,766 and is one of 12 candidates standing in the seat.

Rishi Sunak's seat of Richmond & Northallerton, in North Yorkshire, should declare at around this time. The Prime Minister is defending a huge notional majority of 24,331 and is one of 13 candidates standing in the constituency, making it the most contested seat in the country.

Clacton in Essex should declare, which is being defended by Giles Watling for the Conservatives and where Reform leader Nigel Farage is one of nine candidates. It is Mr Farage's eighth attempt to become an MP.

Clacton in Essex should declare, which is being defended by Giles Watling for the Conservatives and where Reform leader Nigel Farage is one of nine candidates. It is Mr Farage's eighth attempt to become an MP.

The residents of Ashfield in Nottinghamshire will find out at around 4.30am if their next MP is former Conservative-turned-Reform candidate Lee Anderson, who won the seat (as a Tory) in 2019; Independent candidate Jason Zadrozny, who came second in 2019; new Conservative candidate Debbie Soloman; or Rhea Keehn for Labour, whose party held the seat from 1979 to 2019.

Former House of Commons leader Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg will learn if he has won the new seat of Somerset North East & Hanham, where the notional Tory majority is 16,389 and which Labour would take on a swing of 14.3 percentage points, ranking it at number 165 on the party's target list.

The residents of Ashfield in Nottinghamshire will find out at around 4.30am if their next MP is former Conservative-turned-Reform candidate Lee Anderson, who won the seat (as a Tory) in 2019; Independent candidate Jason Zadrozny, who came second in 2019; new Conservative candidate Debbie Soloman; or Rhea Keehn for Labour, whose party held the seat from 1979 to 2019.

Former House of Commons leader Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg will learn if he has won the new seat of Somerset North East & Hanham, where the notional Tory majority is 16,389 and which Labour would take on a swing of 14.3 percentage points, ranking it at number 165 on the party's target list.

The Greens will discover whether they have held on to Brighton Pavilion in East Sussex, where Caroline Lucas was the party's MP from 2010 to this year, and where their new candidate is Sian Berry.

They will also find out if the Greens' co-leader Adrian Ramsay has managed to win the new seat of Waveney Valley in East Anglia, which is being treated as a notional Conservative defence.

A key result from Northern Ireland is due at around 4.30am in Lagan Valley, where Sinn Fein has stood aside in the hope of giving the Alliance Party a better chance of gaining the seat from the DUP.

5am

Northampton North, a bellwether seat at every general election since February 1974, is due to declare; Labour needs a 3.9-point swing to gain the constituency from the Tories.

Former prime minister Liz Truss will learn if she is back in her seat of Norfolk South West, where she is defending an enormous majority of 24,180.

The Leicestershire constituency of Loughborough, a bellwether at every general election since February 1974, is due to declare at around 5.30am; Labour needs a 5.9-point swing to gain the seat from the Tories.

Also due at around 5.30am is the result from Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, where Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner is defending a majority of 4,689.

Also due at around 5.30am is the result from Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, where Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner is defending a majority of 4,689.

Two of the most remote constituencies in Scotland should declare during this hour: Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross and Orkney & Shetland, both of which the Lib Dems are hoping to win, while results should come in for two of Labour's top London targets: Finchley & Golders Green and Hendon, both held since 2010 by the Conservatives.

6am

Among the final results to declare should be the London boroughs of Ilford North and Ilford South, both safe for Labour; the new constituency of Selby in North Yorkshire, which Keir Mather - the youngest MP at the end of the last parliament - is hoping to win for Labour and overturn a notional Tory majority of 14,838; and Farnham & Bordon, a new seat that straddles the borders of Hampshire and Surrey, which could bring the Lib Dems a late gain at the expense of the Conservatives.

7am and later

Recounts could delay some of the declarations from earlier, but every seat is due to begin counting overnight so there is a good chance all 650 results will be in by mid-morning.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday that President Joe Biden is still battling a cold - 18 days after he originally caught it on his international trip.

But remarkably, despite having a disastrous debate against Donald Trump that aides in part attributed to the common illness, he still hasn't been checked out by the doctor.

'He still has a lingering cold,' she told DailyMail.com when asked about Biden's health.

The White House has given multiple, revolving explanations for Biden's terrible debate performance, where he trailed off when answering questions and switched between topics with no segue: a bad cold, too much debate prep, and not feeling great.

Biden, himself, added a new excuse to the mix when he blamed jet lag from his international travel for his performance. But the president had been back in the country 12 days before the debate began and Jean-Pierre had not mentioned the jet lag when she talked to reporters on Tuesday.

'My bad. I did know that,' she insisted when pressed on the jet lag. 'I was focused on the cold.'

Jean-Pierre was grilled about Biden's debate performance for the vast majority of her hour-long press briefing on Wednesday.

'It's the jet lag and also the cold,' she said of the matter.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday that President Joe Biden still has a cold

She also said the octogenarian president hasn't had a medical examination since his annual physical in February.

Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, travels with him. He was seen by reporters at the president's villa in Italy. O'Connor also traveled with Biden to the debate in Atlanta.

But the 81-year-old Biden 'was not examined by the doctor,' en route to the debate, Jean-Pierre said.

'There's a cold. There's a jetlag. You combine that - he continues to work on with for the American people day in and day out, around the clock. Things happen,' she said of Biden's debate performance.

A cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website. It usually last less than a week.

Biden returned from attending the G7 in Italy on June 14. Before that he had been in France for the D-Day anniversary. The debate was June 27.

'The fact is that you know, I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones ... before ... the debate. Didnt listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage,' Biden said Tuesday night of his debate performance. 'That's no excuse but it is an explanation.'

But he left out the seven days he spent at Camp David ahead of his showdown with Trump. He spent the week locked with aides in preparation for the debate.

However, Biden rarely began before 11 am and broke in the afternoon for a nap, the New York Times reported.

Jean-Pierre slammed the nap report.

'Let me be very clear about this; this is a president that wakes up every morning and puts the American first...I am not going to speak to...unnamed sources out there,' she said.

And, she argued, Biden should be commended for pushing through debate with a cold.

Jean-Pierre also denied a report that Biden privately told a key ally he is weighing whether or not to drop out of the presidential race, a shocking admission that points to the dismal state of his candidacy.

Biden, coming off of last week's disastrous debate performance, acknowledged he only has through this weekend to convince voters he is mentally up for the job.

He'll be in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday, where he will sit for an interview with ABC News. He travels to Pennsylvania on Sunday.

'He knows if he has two more events like that, we're in a different place' by the end of the weekend, the ally told The New York Times.

Jean-Pierre described the report as 'absolutely not' true.

'He is clear eyed, and he is staying in the race,' she said.

Biden, himself, called into a campaign staff meeting on Wednesday to give them a pep talk and tell them he's staying in the race and going to win.

'Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can as simply and straightforward as I can: I am runningno one's pushing me out. I'm not leaving. I'm in this race to the end and we're going to win,' he said.

President Joe Biden also blamed jet lag for his bad debate performance

Biden's physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor has not examined him recently, the White House said

If Biden exits the race with Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris would be seen as the frontrunner to replace him. Biden and Harris had lunch at the White House on Wednesday.

Democrats have fretted Biden will no long be able to defeat Trump in November. Even Biden staff have needed reassurance as more than 25 lawmakers have expressed doubts about the president's electability.

The reports Biden is eying the exit door are piling on as donors, lawmakers and top party officials worry the president isn't up for the campaign. There is also frustration that Biden is waiting to long to get back out there and show himself as a strong, energetic leader.

'He was busy dealing with his schedule and also speaking directly and engaging with supporters and spending time with his family,' Jean-Pierre said of the president's schedule.

A major donor told TMZ that 'it's only a matter of time' before Biden bows out.

Another ally told CNN that Biden understands the next stretch of days are critical to whether he can save his candidacy, noting what it would take him to accept: 'It's just not working.'

'He sees the moment. He's clear-eyed,' the person said.

As to what it would take would be the polls are plummeting, the fundraising is drying up, and the interviews are going badly,' that person said. 'He's not oblivious.'

The White House is struggling to calm the storm of outrage from Biden's debate performance as Democratic lawmakers call for the president to exit the race and the White House staff are 'freaking the f*** out.'

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients held an all-hands-on-deck staff call at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday to pump up disillusioned staff and reassure them that Biden will remain the nominee.

On the call, he acknowledged Biden didn't have a great debate performance last week but told staff that he's a 'great president' and urged them to 'stay together.'

'He didn't have a great night but that was one night and what we all know is he is a great president,' Zients said per reports.

He made three key points: keep your head down and keep working for the American people while the campaign handles the election; hold your head high as the administration has accomplished so much; and stick together.

The call lasted about 10 minutes. Zients didn't take questions but said concerned staff should email him. He repeated Biden's quote that when you get knocked down, you get back up.

'That's what he is doing and that's what we all need to do ... follow the president's lead,' he said.
Joe Biden insists he is in the 2024 race to the end amid a chorus of calls for him to step aside.

The president and Vice President Kamala Harris called into a campaign staff meeting on Wednesday during their lunch to reassure them after Biden's disastrous debate performance led to calls for him to bow out of the race.

'Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can  as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running,' Biden said on the call, according to reports.

He added: 'No one's pushing me out. I'm not leaving. I'm in this race to the end and we're going to win.'

The assurance comes after a New York Times report that said Biden told a key he was considering ending his reelection bid.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris sought to reassure campaign staff of the reelection viability during a lunchtime call on Wednesday

'He knows if he has two more events like that, we're in a different place' by the end of the weekend, the ally said in reference to the debate performance and upcoming events for the president.

The White House denied the report with Biden's deputy press secretary Andrew Bates writing on X: 'That claim is absolutely false. If the New York Times had provided us with more than 7 minutes to comment we would have told them so.'

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also told reporters during her briefing on Wednesday that Biden is not preparing to exit the race.

Biden is holding the annual Independence Day party at the White House on Thursday and traveling to Madison, Wisconsin on Friday where he will also sit down with ABC News for his first post-debate interview.

The President will then head to a campaign stop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Sunday.

Both Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are key swing states that will help determine the outcome of the 2024 race.

In those states and the five other battlegrounds, Trump has pulled ahead in polling following their debate in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday, June 27.

New poll shows Donald Trump three points ahead on average in all seven swing states after the debate with Joe Biden last week

Since the debate, Biden and his team have conducted widespread damage control and reached out to reassure party members, staff, lawmakers, donors, allies and voters that Biden is still a viable candidate that can beat Trump again.

But many within the party are looking for other options and are floating those like Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

None are able to beat Trump in nationwide and battleground state polling and all fall behind Biden in his chances of winning against the former president.
A Brazilian influencer died on Tuesday due to complications related to a surgery to increase the size of her buttocks.

Aline Ferreira, 33, had polymethyl methacrylate applied to the buttocks during the procedure at the unlicensed Ame-se clinic in the city of Goiania on June 23.

Correo Brazilenze obtained access to a preliminary report which indicated that Ferreira was in a comma was went into cardiac arrest last Friday and on Sunday.

Her husband told Brazilian news outlet G1 that Ferreira returned to their home in Brasilia the day of the operation and was doing well.

However, her medical condition began to worsen the next day when she had a fever.

Brazilian influencer and mother-of-two, Aline Ferreira, died Tuesday at a hospital in Brasilia, the capital of the South American nation. The 33-year-old woman underwent a butt lift procedure on June 23 that was carried out by a biomedical scientist at a clinic that was not licensed to perform such operation

Grazielly da Silva, the biomedical scientist who owns the site and who performed the procedure on influencer Aline Ferreira, was arrested Tuesday. She claims she never injected polymethyl methacrylat into the model's buttocks

Ferreira's husband reached out to the clinic of Grazielly da Silva, the biomedical scientist who owns the site and who performed the procedure and was told that it was normal and that she should take medicine for the fever.

Ferreira developed an abdominal pain on June 26 and fainted the following day.

She was admitted to Asa Norte Regional Hospital and remained there until Saturday, when she was transferred to a private hospital in the town of Asa Sul.

Ferreiras family said that da Silva injected 30 ml of polymethyl methacrylate to each of her buttocks, according to Metropoles news outlet.

Aline Ferreira was known for sharing tips on fashion and travel on her social media platform

The 33-year-old was feeling well and went home following her butt lift procedure on June 23, but her medical condition worsened in the following days. She reportedly went into cardiac arrest on Friday and Sunday before she passed away Tuesday

Brazilian influencer Aline Ferreira died Tuesday, nine days after undergoing a BBL surgery

However, da Silva countered the familys claims when she visited Ferreira at the hospital and alleged that she had only applied a biostimulator and suggested that the infection may have been caused by the bedsheets at the influencers home.

Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency suggests that polymethyl methacrylate, an injectable gel, should only be used to treat serious diseases, like polio, in the event they provoke the development of body deformities.

Da Silva was arrested Tuesday as part of the investigation into crimes against consumer relations.

The Goias Civil Police said it had shut down her clinic because it did not have a health license and was not registered with the Regional Council of Biomedicine of Goias.

Ferreira, a mother of two, was known for creating content about fashion, travel and day-to-day living on her social media platforms.
Prince William and Kate have been donating privately to Hurricane Beryl relief efforts after the powerful storm tore through islands in the south-east Caribbean, it is understood.

The natural disaster has led to at least six people being killed in Grenada, Venezuela and St Vincent and the Grenadines. As the storm worsens, a hurricane warning has been put in place for Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, who carried out a royal tour in the Caribbean in 2022, are said to be supporting current relief efforts and continuing to follow the impact closely.

It is unknown house much the royal couple have donated to relief efforts at this time.

Hurricane Beryl was forecast to be near major-hurricane strength when it passed near or over Jamaica early on Wednesday, and near the Cayman Islands on Thursday and into Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Friday, according to the National Hurricane Centre.

Prince William and Kate have been donating privately to Hurricane Beryl relief efforts it is understood. Pictured: The couple in the Bahamas during the Caribbean royal tour in 2022

Fishing boats damaged by Hurricane Beryl wade in the water at the Bridgetown Fisheries, Barbados, Tuesday, July 2, 2024

A man looks at the debris in the Caribbean Terrace neighbourhood of Kingston, Jamaica

A hurricane watch was in effect for Haiti's southern coast and the Yucatan's east coast, as Belize issued a tropical storm watch stretching south from its border with Mexico to Belize City.

Late on Monday, Beryl became the earliest storm to develop into a Category five hurricane in the Atlantic and peaked at winds of 165mph on Tuesday before weakening to a still-destructive Category four.

On Wednesday, the storm was about 250 miles east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica. It had top winds of 145mph and was moving west-northwest at 22mph, the centre said.

Three people were reported killed in Grenada and Carriacou and another in St Vincent and the Grenadines, officials said.

Two other deaths were reported in northern Venezuela, where five people are missing, officials said.

One fatality in Grenada occurred after a tree fell on a house.

A fisherman checks the boats he secured as Hurricane Beryl approaches, in Kingston, Jamaica

Members of the local environment agency protect sea turtles' nests ahead the arrival of Hurricane Beryl, in Cancun, Mexico

A man looks at damaged vehicles after devastating floods swept through the town after Hurricane Beryl passed off the Venezuelan coast, in Cumanacoa, Venezuela, July 2, 2024

Storm clouds hover over the mountains as people make last-minute preparations for the arrival of Hurricane Beryl on July 03, 2024 in Kingston, Jamaica

Last year, William and Kate similarly made personal donations to the Turkish earthquake relief fund, along with King Charles and Queen Camilla after the royals were left 'horrified by the harrowing images'.

More than 55,000 people were killed when the earthquake his southern regions of the country.

Palace sources confirmed the couple had made a personal donation to aid rescue efforts at the time, but it is unknown how much this donation was.
What has Sir Keir Starmer done to deserve a super-majority? Did he save a drowning puppy? Did he win the Victoria Cross?

Has he filled his party with politicians of such scintillating brilliance that we would gladly hold open our wallets and invite them to spend our money for us?

Has he been proved right on policy?

Of course not. The Labour leaders only superpower is to say what people want to hear. When he was rising through Labours ranks, he was a man of the Left. When he was seeking the leadership in 2020, he promised to uphold Jeremy Corbyns manifesto.

Nor does his Shadow Cabinet exactly whelm. The man Labour wants as foreign secretary is David Lammy who, in an episode of Celebrity Mastermind, thought that Henry VIII had been succeeded by Henry VII.

Your browser does not support iframes.

As for policy, Starmer has got the big calls woefully wrong. Lets remember that, when Boris Johnson unlocked the country after the Covid restrictions in 2021, Sir Keir predicted 100,000 new cases a day of what he glibly called the Johnson variant. (In the event, infections plummeted.)

Don't surrender your voice... just get out and make your vote count, writes Prime Minister RISHI SUNAK Your vote counts  130,000 of you can stop the supermajority that Sir Keir Starmer craves. Those 130,000 can make clear that you dont want a massive council tax hike, a pay-per-mile scheme for drivers or to be forced to make expensive Net Zero changes to your home. Deny Starmer that supermajority, and we can stop these things. So dont surrender your voice to Labour. Vote Conservative today. We are the only party who will stand up for you. The Liberal Democrats only issue with Starmer is that he doesnt go far enough when it comes to reversing Brexit, eroding womens rights and changing who can vote. A vote for them is a vote to bring back free movement, encourage dangerous gender self-identification and bring in a political system where your voice can be ignored. Reform wont deny Starmer the supermajority he wants because whether you think it is fair or not, they just wont win enough seats to oppose Labour. Their deputy leader has said that it would be great for them to get one, two, three, four, five elected MPs. Just imagine that: Hundreds and hundreds of Labour MPs opposed by just one, two, three, four, five elected MPs. But we can stop this  together we can make the difference. Ask your friends, ask your neighbours: do they want their family to pay more than 2,000 extra in tax? Do they want Labour rewriting the rules so they can stay in power for decades? Do they want eco-dogma put ahead of their family finances and our energy security? If the answer to these questions is no, then they must come out and vote Conservative. Dont surrender to Labour, get out there and vote. I love this country. My grandparents came here with very little, yet today I have the honour of serving as your Prime Minister. I will work night and day for you, to deliver a Britain with lower taxes, secure borders and strong defences. I know people are frustrated with me, with our party. But this election will have lasting consequences. We must deny Labour the supermajority they want, and only a vote for the Conservatives can do that. I know the past few years have been tough but my values are your values: I believe in hard work, aspiration and family. Your vote can stand up for those values not just today, but for the next five years. I want to cut your taxes, Keir Starmer will raise them  and if he gets that supermajority, hell raise them even further. I want to control our borders, Keir Starmer has no plan to deal with illegal migration. I want to strengthen our defences in this more dangerous world, but Keir Starmer wont match our commitment to raise defence investment to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030. A huge number of seats in this election will be decided by a few hundred votes, so what you do will make a big difference. Your vote can make it more likely that your Conservative candidate is elected so that they can be your voice, represent your values and fight for you and your area. And prevent Labour from rewriting the rules so they can stay in power for decades if they win. Today, I need your vote to defend our vision of Britain: to back lower taxes, controlled borders and a secure future for our country. Join with us and we can make a difference and stop the socialist supermajority. Dont surrender your voice to Labour. Send an MP to Parliament who will stand up for you, your neighbours and your values. Vote Conservative. Advertisement

Labour would have kept us locked up for months more for no gain whatsoever.

Yet, if the polls are to be believed, this is the man we will put into No 10 with the biggest majority ever enjoyed by the leader of a single party.

Well, you might say, that is the Conservatives fault. As the old chestnut has it, oppositions dont win elections, governments lose them. Perhaps. But, again, is it proportionate? The polls suggest the Tories will get fewer MPs than at any time in their history.

We can all agree that they made mistakes. How, over 14 years in office, could they not have done? But what abomination merits annihilation on such a scale? Did they mount a coup attempt? Collaborate with enemy powers? Lose a war?

Theyve achieved nothing in 14 years, I keep being told on the doorstep. But is that really fair?

Cast your mind back to 2010, when Gordon Brown was dragged kicking and screaming from No 10, his Chief Secretary helpfully leaving a note to tell his successor that there was no money left.

David Cameron inherited a larger deficit than that of Greece. But, with careful stewardship, the British economy grew faster than any comparable EU state right up to the lockdown.

Under the Tories, Britain built two million new homes. We cut street crime to record low levels (other than in Sadiq Khans London).

We began with an under-performing school system and ended up with the best readers in the Western world.

People on the lowest wages stopped paying income tax, helping to shift nearly five million from long-term economic inactivity into work.

Brexit gave us the first vaccine rollout in the world, and has allowed us to join the fastest-growing trading alliance on the planet, the Pacific Partnership.

We led resistance to Vladimir Putins expansionism in Ukraine.

By the way, anyone who still smugly asks Wheres the 350million for the NHS we were promised?  a reference to the pledge written on the side of Boris Johnsons Brexit campaign bus  thereby disqualifies themselves from the debate.

So vast have been the increases that figure is now above 700million. We should have used a bigger bus.

Of course, huge increases in the NHS budget dont mean much to people still struggling to get an appointment with their GP.

But why are they struggling? Why, despite the record investment, are waiting lists so high?

The answer is obvious, though we have crammed it into the remotest corner of our minds. Britain went through a pandemic. We missed screenings and check-ups. We did less outdoor exercise than we should have. Problems piled up.

Our amnesia about the lockdowns goes some way to explain our irritation at the Government.

We dont like to think about the fact that we paid ourselves to stay home, so we grumble about higher taxes as though they had come out of a clear blue sky.

We forget that the Bank of England covered the costs of the lockdown by printing money, and complain about price rises as though they were a function of ministerial sadism.

But the Conservatives had to play the hand they were dealt, from the financial crisis they inherited in 2010 to the pandemic.

How would Labour have played that hand?

Or, to be more precise, what can we learn from their past attitudes about how they will react in a future crisis?

We know that Starmer would have had a much longer lockdown.

Not only did he oppose the lifting of restrictions in July 2021. He wanted them reimposed at the end of that year.

His faith in the power of government is one of the few things that he has been consistent about.

And faith really is the word.

How else are we to describe his insistence last month that he would let a loved one remain on an NHS waiting list for surgery (presumably in considerable discomfort) rather than use private healthcare?

The Labour leaders only superpower is to say what people want to hear. When he was rising through Labours ranks, he was a man of the Left

When he was seeking the leadership in 2020, he promised to uphold Jeremy Corbyn s manifesto

That position has literally no logic behind it: by insisting on using the NHS, he would be taking up someone elses place. But, for Sir Keir, going private would be an act of sacrilege.

The same quasi-religious impulse lies behind his determination to push more kids from private schools into state schools, some of them already at capacity, by making Britain the only country in Europe to tax education.

It also explains his plan for a nationalised energy company.

When has state control ever improved things?

Hello? Great British Energy? I need someone to look at my meter.

Certainly, comrade, we can get an engineer to you on June 10, 2032.

Starmer has got the big calls woefully wrong. When Boris Johnson unlocked the country after the Covid restrictions in 2021, Sir Keir predicted 100,000 new cases a day

David Cameron inherited a larger deficit than that of Greece. But, with careful stewardship, the British economy grew faster than any comparable EU state right up to the lockdown

Great. Can you make it in the afternoon? Ive got the boiler man coming in the morning.

The more the state does, the more it needs to spend. That is why Labour always  always  ends up raising taxes.

Labour MPs keep repeating the line that they wont raise income tax, National Insurance or VAT. So we can reasonably infer that they will instead tax businesses, savings, property and inheritance.

There is still time to avert the worst. A few more Conservative votes in key constituencies can ensure that Labour is held in check. It can ensure that the Opposition will be headed by a Conservative who will push for lower taxes, strong defence and secure borders, rather than by the Lib Dems Sir Ed Davey.

If you think that Britain needs even higher spending and even more wokery, fine: vote Labour with a clean conscience.

If you want us to sidle back apologetically to the EU, cancel the Rwanda scheme and give the vote to 16-year-olds, that is of course your right. We are a democracy.

But if you think that taxes and spending are high enough already, that Britain is capable of self-government, that we should decide who is allowed into the country and that more socialism will make us poorer, then I have to ask whether, in order to clobber the Tories, you are prepared to clobber the people around you.

Because, believe me, there will be a price to pay.

To paraphrase Neil Kinnock from 1983, if Labour wins today, I warn you not to own your home. I warn you not to run a business. I warn you not to drive a car. If Labour wins today, I warn you not to save money or turn on your heating or rely on your pension. Above all, I warn you not to die.

It is bitterly ironic that all the Tory policy failures that have so disillusioned the public are precisely the areas where Starmers government will be even worse.

His frontbench might now pose as the champions of moderation and fiscal rectitude, but a new Labour government is bound to preside over rising taxes, expanding bureaucracy, higher public debts and growing immigration.

Starmers own approval ratings are dismal: polls by Ipsos and YouGov in May had it at minus 18 and minus 20 points respectively

n other areas, like Ashfield in Nottinghamshire  currently held by ex-Tory Lee Anderson, now with Reform UK  a vote for Nigel Farages party may be the best way of hitting Labour

Just as border controls are diluted, so negotiations will reopen for the Brussels empire to bring the UK back into its orbit.

The unions will be emboldened, the woke zealots will step up their bullying. Britain will continue down the dismal path away from the rule of law towards a rule of lawyers.

If anyone has any doubts about how depressing a sweeping Labour triumph will be, just imagine the celebrations inside Whitehall, home to the sclerotic, obstructive civil service blob. Right-on pressure groups will feel all their Christmases have come at once, as will the BBC.

In the final hours of campaigning, Conservative prospects might seem desperate but there are a few glimmers of hope that should encourage Tory activists and voters.

One is that the opinion polls may have the picture badly wrong. After all, they were mistaken over the outcomes of the 2015 and 2017 General Elections, as well as the 2016 European Union referendum.

The post-count inquests into the failure of pollsters to accurately capture Conservative mood in the country are as much a feature of elections as the exit poll. Optimism can also be found in Westminsters first-past-the-post system by which our democracy has always been governed.

Yes, this process  which bestows strong administration and stability by focusing electoral rewards on the winning party rather than distributing them proportionately on the basis of vote share  could hand Starmer a landslide not at all commensurate with the popular vote.

But in the shallowness of Labours support lies the Tories escape route.

The Conservative-held marginal seats that Labour is counting on could evaporate dramatically if small numbers of voters change their minds. And that could undoubtedly happen.

According to the respected peer and polling analyst Lord Ashcroft, writing in todays Mail, almost half of all voters are still undecided, while one in five of those who voted Conservative in 2019 say that they dont know what theyll do, or that they will not vote at all.

In practice, that means that a major upset is still possible.

As Rishi Sunak put it yesterday, 132,000 voters in the most tightly fought seats could decide whether the UK has a hung Parliament or Labour majority.

That is why anyone who does not want to hand Sir Keir Starmer untrammelled power should carefully read this guide.

Throughout the country, there are scores of constituencies in which Mail readers can make a real difference.

In a string of Tory battleground seats, like Dunstable, Wyre Forest and North Somerset, the results could be decided by a few hundred votes either way.

In Weston-Super-Mare, just one percentage point separates the Tory and Labour candidates, while the gap is just two points in Dartford.

In other areas, like Ashfield in Nottinghamshire  currently held by ex-Tory Lee Anderson, now with Reform UK  a vote for Nigel Farages party may be the best way of hitting Labour. The result is anything but settled.

A supermajority for Labour where Starmer could absurdly gain unprecedented power in the Commons on the back of an even smaller share of the vote than Jeremy Corbyn won in 2017  will be anything but super.

At the very least, in our two-party system, every government  especially one that will be as doctrinaire as Starmers  needs a powerful opposition.

But readers should take heart because, with judicious use of your vote, you can not only install a credible counterweight to Labour in the Commons, but you can stop this Starmergeddon nightmare from unfolding in the first place.

Labour supermajority 'would wreck Britain': Rishi Sunak issues 11th-hour warning as polls suggest the Conservatives are doomed to electoral wipeout

Rishi Sunak today appeals to disaffected Tory voters to return to the fold to prevent a socialist supermajority wrecking Britain.

Writing in the Daily Mail, the Prime Minister urges former Tory supporters considering staying at home today or voting Reform to lend their votes to the Conservatives again to stop Sir Keir Starmer winning unchecked power.

Mr Sunak acknowledges that people are frustrated with me, with our party after a tough period in which Britain has been hit by Covid and the fallout from Russias invasion of Ukraine.

But he warns that the election will have lasting consequences if it produces a landslide which would embolden Labour to raise taxes even further.

I need your vote to defend our vision of Britain: to back lower taxes, controlled borders and a secure future for our country, he writes. Join with us and we can make a difference and stop the socialist supermajority.

Rishi Sunak has urged disaffected Tory voters who may at stay at home or vote Reform to back the Conservatives once again in a bid to stop Keir Starmer

Rishi Sunak has warned that Starmer winning unchecked will have lasting consequences

Polls suggest that up to half the voters who backed the Conservatives in 2019 could desert them today, with some backing Reform, some staying at home and others even backing the Lib Dems or Labour.

Mr Sunak points to analysis suggesting that as few as 130,000 voters in key seats could change the course of the election, and says that a huge number of seats in this election will be decided by a few hundred votes.

In his final campaign speech last night, Mr Sunak said his experience as a Southampton football fan had taught him that the game isnt over until the final whistle goes and that theres fight in the underdog.

It came as:

A series of mega-polls predicted a Labour landslide, but said that with dozens of seats too close to call, a Tory wipeout could still be averted if supporters turn out;

A Labour adviser on the economy warned changes to inheritance tax would be on the agenda and said pensioners should be taxed at least as hard as those people who are of working age;  Sir Keir said he was taking nothing for granted before later changing his tune to declare he was ready for government and vowed to hit the ground running;

He added that there were no circumstances in which the UK would join the EUs single market or customs union in his lifetime;

Labours former deputy leader Harriet Harman was reported to be in the running to take over the equalities watchdog, causing concern among womens groups.

Mr Sunak said his experience as a Southampton football fan had taught him that the game isnt over until the final whistle goes and that theres fight in the underdog

Mr Sunak visited Braishfield Primary School in Hampshire today whilst on his campaign trail (pictured)

Mr Sunak hit the campaign trail in Hampshire at 2pm yesterday, kicking off with a visit to Braishfield Primary School, where Caroline Nokes is the Tory candidate in Romsey and Southampton North.

The two leaders have focused their campaigns on very different seats  with Labour targeting ambitious areas which were once considered safe for the Tories.

The Prime Minister has generally stuck to Conservative heartlands  aiming to mitigate the damage on polling day, rather than striving to secure new ground.

Analysis suggests 45 out of 54 seats visited by Mr Sunak are Conservative defences, including nine where his party has a notional majority of more than 20,000.

Sunak has warned that Labour may wind up in power for the next two decades if they land a supermajority

Ahead of his final speech of the campaign, the Prime Minister warned Labour could end up in power for 20 years if it wins a supermajority. Before appearing at Romsey Rugby Football Club near Southampton, he warned the public: If you vote for anyone other than the Conservatives, you could find yourself with a Labour government not just for five years, but for ten, 15, 20 years.

Four years ago, Keir Starmer ran for Labour leader promising to raise income tax on the top 5 per cent of earners, to abolish universal credit, to scrap tuition fees, to nationalise the utility companies, and to defend free movement.

Starmer now says he has changed his mind on all these things. But how can you trust someone who changes their mind on so many issues? How do you know that, if it was politically expedient, he wouldnt just change his mind again on all of these questions?

Mr Sunak added: His constant U-turns show two things: that he was wrong before. And that he hasnt even the courage of his own past lack of convictions.
A female prison lawyer has sparked debate after prison bosses hauled her into a room and deemed her smart grey two-piece suit and high heels 'inappropriate' to wear while visiting male inmates.

The blonde-haired lawyer, posting to a now deleted X account, @thesecretbrief, described how she had chosen her fitted outfit thinking she looked 'smart and professional', but was left aghast after being pulled aside.

On the now-deleted post she wrote: 'When I set off early this morning I *thought* I looked smart & professional.

'But oh no! I was called into a room at an HMP & told that staff had RADIOED through to others that my attire was inappropriate for a male prison

'I'm in a fitted grey suit with a skirt that almost completely covers my knees.'

The blonde-haired lawyer, posting to a now deleted X account, @thesecretbrief, described how she had chosen her fitted outfit thinking she looked 'smart and professional', but was left aghast after being pulled aside

On her now-deleted X profile, the unidentified lawyer describes herself as an 'experienced, proactive police station Defence lawyer' and reveals she has appeared on BBC2 show, Forensics

On her X profile, which is no longer visible, the unidentified lawyer describes herself as an 'experienced, proactive police station Defence lawyer' and reveals that she has appeared on the BBC2 show, Forensics.

She also describes herself as 'shoes obsessed' and a 'feminist'.

Many of her followers were quick to reference her treatment in light of a female prison officer who has been accused of having sex with an inmate at Wandsworth prison.

Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, has been charged with misconduct in a public office after an X-rated video of the alleged activity was shared on social media.

One X user jibed: 'Judging by the last few days, even the staff uniform is inappropriate for a mens prison! What did they want you to wear? Trackie bottoms and a t-shirt?'

Another wrote: 'Given the many and varied challenges in the prison environment at present, this is what they chose to raise concerns over? Madness. You look very professional.'

While a third commented: 'Thats the thing though. If that womans prison uniform was enough to drive that poor man wild, imagine what this *checks notes* perfectly normal business attire is going to do to them all.'

Another user, who is male, wrote: 'I am no expert here but this looks like a very smart two piece business suit.

'I would wear a two piece business suit on a prison visit. No observations ever made to me about dress code. I would seek clarification on this.'

One female follower felt she 'shouldn't' have to change how the lawyer dresses, but it might help resolve the situation.

She wrote: 'I think its a lovely outfit, but I would wear trousers and flats and have my hair pinned back, and no, you shouldnt have to do that, and you shouldnt have to hide your shape etc, but if thats what they are asking and it stops them pulling you up for it.'

Another said it might have been better to leave the high heels behind for safety reasons.

They wrote: 'I actually think the outfit looks smart, but for going to a male only prison I would wear wide legged casual grey suit trousers to match the suit jacket and change the heels for smart flat black Bally shoes or court heel.

'They might have been thinking safety aspects.'

According to the official HM Prison and Probation service guidelines, 'all visitors to prisons must adhere to a strict dress code.'

Among the banned items are 'hats or scarves and head coverings which are not worn on religious grounds, inappropriately damaged clothing, non-prescription glasses ie sunglasses, see-through/ revealing clothing, items of clothing that display offensive abusive or insulting words or gestures an mini or very short skirts/dresses unless worn with leggings.'

Other items which may result in a visitor being turned away include 'shorts which are shorter than mid-thigh to knee length, vsible or exposed underwear and smart watches.'

The guidelines add that the list is 'not exhaustive' and 'establishments may add or remove items to this list, in accordance with what is deemed necessary and proportionate in that establishment.'

It adds: 'It is up to prison staff to make decisions and judgements as to when clothing is inappropriate. When making these decisions, staff will always consider decency and diversity.

'You may be asked to adjust clothing or wear alternative clothing if available. As a last resort your visit may be cancelled if the dress code cannot be followed.'

Prison officer Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, has been accused of having sex with an inmate at Wandsworth prison


The interim boss of a nationalised shipyard has been handed a 26,000 hotel and subsistence allowance after being flown in from Canada to take up the post.

John Petticrew was installed as interim chief executive of Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow in late March after David Tydeman was axed from the role.

Details unearthed by the Mail show he has been handed a hotel and subsistence allowance of 25,620 for a six month period in the role.

He has also been provided with car hire for six months, although FMPG did not disclose the costs.

In addition, he made an expenses claim in April for a 1,709 Air Canada economy class flight and 537 subsistence during a trip in March, when he was a non-executive director prior to his appointment as chief executive.

John Petticrew was appointed interim chief executive of Ferguson Marine in March

Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Graham Simpson said: The SNPs ferries scandal continues to haemorrhage taxpayers money at an astonishing rate, as betrayed islanders continue to wait for the desperately needed new ferries that are six years late.

This lavish expenses package for Ferguson Marines interim chief executive will stick in the throat of many Scots - and it wouldnt have been necessary if SNP ministers hadnt made his predecessor just another scapegoat for their monumental incompetence.

Its shameful that no SNP heads have rolled for this national scandal.

Mr Tydeman had his contract terminated after warning of more delays to the contract at the centre of Scotlands ferries fiasco.

The Glen Sannox was originally supposed to be finished in early 2018, while the Glen Rosa was due to be handed over by the end of that year.

The two ships are due to cost 360million, compared to an original estimate of 90million, and the Scottish Government also handed the previous private operator of the shipyard a 45million loan.

After his appointment, Mr Petticrew told MSPs that there are challenges with completing the LNG fuel system for the ferries by the planned target of the end of May.

Mr Petticrews annual salary has not been disclosed. But his predecessor, David Tydeman, was paid 232,500-a-year.

The Glen Sannox is now due to be handed over by the shipyard in the week beginning 19 August following another three-week delay.

The two ferries being built at the Port Glasgow shipyard are late and overbudget

In an update to MSPs last week, Mr Petticrew said challenges linked to the ships liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion system were the main problem.

In his regular monthly progress update, external to MSPs, Mr Petticrew said: The LNG system has been well-documented as the biggest challenge we were facing since our last report.

It has proved even more difficult and has impacted the progress in other areas, namely the engine compartments.

Mr Petticrew listed a number of remaining challenges, which include acceptance trials and sign-off by safety regulator the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

The second ship, Glen Rosa, was launched from the slipway earlier this year and fitting out work is expected to be complete by September 2025.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'This figure does not reflect actual or anticipated spend. It is the limit on what can be claimed for accommodation and meal subsistence over a six-month period, reflecting the fact that the CEO will not return to Canada within his six-month tenure.

'The interim Chief Executive of Ferguson Marine's remuneration package is in line with the requirements of the Scottish Public Finance Manual.'


Scots voters can deal the the failing SNP a crushing blow by backing Rishi Sunak at the polls today, according to the Scottish Tories.

Senior figures warned a series of key seats in Scotland were on a knife-edge and urged frustrated supporters to step-in and stop the Nationalists at the ballot box.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross insisted the SNP could finally get its comeuppance if disaffected voters in 12 battleground constituencies stuck with his party and shunned others such as Reform UK.

In a plea to those who support the Union, he said they can ensure Nicola Sturgeon is squirming for hours on live television in her role as an ITV pundit as the results come in tonight.

His rallying cry came as Mr Sunak also made an impassioned plea to former Tory voters to return to the party to prevent a socialist supermajority wrecking Britain.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross issued a rallying cry to unionist voters to help 'bring down' the SNP

John Swinney could be cut down to size

Writing in todays Daily Mail, he warned those considering staying at home today or voting Reform that they would be helping to usher in a period of unchecked Labour power,

Mr Ross said there was never a more important time to unite behind his party.

He added: The key seats where it is going to be either a Scottish Conservative elected as a champion for their local area or a Nationalist MP are on an absolute knife edge, and it will come down to a very small number of votes separating the two parties.

That is why it is really important that people get out there and vote, because they could wake up on Friday morning thinking I didnt bother to vote but a Nationalist has got in through the back door. Or if they vote for Reform, Labour or the Lib Dems in these seats then that is only helping the SNP.

Given how tight these contests are, it is really important that people unite behind the Scottish Conservatives in these key seats to deliver the strongest possible message that the Nationalists have let down Scotland the last 17 years they have been in power because they have continually obsessed about independence.

He said he has seen a general apathy from some people who are now considering not voting at all - and warned them they will regret not voting if the SNP secures victories by a small margin.

Asked whether these voters could be motivated by the prospect of seeing Ms Sturgeon either celebrating on TV or commentating on the SNP being crushed, he said: Yes, I think thats a great incentive for people to get out there and cast their vote for the Scottish Conservatives to stop the SNP is to see Nicola Sturgeon on the TV for hours squirming that the party she led, the party that has caused so much division across Scotland and has failed so many people and communities is finally getting its comeuppance.

It has been a long time coming and they deserve to lose seats all over the country for the way they have failed public services and taken their eye off the ball by focusing on independence above everything else.

He said the SNP will struggle to recover from a heavy defeat, and added: This can be the first stage in bringing down the SNP.

If we can reduce their numbers in these key seats where it is a straight choice between the Scottish Conservatives and the SNP then that can lead to kickstarting the next campaign, towards 2026, when we can get them out of power in Scotland as well.

Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said a vote for any other part - or not voting at all - risked letting the SNP getting in by the back door.

He added: Voters can crush the SNP and end their independence obsession for good if they vote Scottish Conservative in key seats up and down Scotland where its a straight choice between us or the nationalists.

A detailed Survation poll, which uses data from over 30,000 people across the UK to predict every individual seat, estimated that the SNP is on course to fall to just 10 MPs, compared to 48 after the 2019 general election.

The multilevel regression and post-stratification (MRP) survey model, which uses probabilities to estimate each partys chances of winning individual seats, predicted that Labour would win 38 Scottish seats, with the SNP on 10, Liberal Democrats five, and Conservatives four.

Individual seat forecasts, which are separate to national projections, suggest the Tories could be on course to win five Scottish seats. They show Mr Ross is on track for victory in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.

The MRP survey also predicted a Tory win in West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, where UK nuclear and renewables minister Andrew Bowie has been MP, but its lead is projected at just 0.02 per cent. It also forecasts that the Tories will hold three southern Scotland seats: Dumfries and Galloway; Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweedale; and Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk.

The SNP is forecast to win Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey but the Tories are only 3.8 percentage points behind - with Reform polling at 10.3 per cent.

In Gordon and Buchan, the SNP is just 1.3 percentage points ahead of the Tories but with 9.5 per cent intending to vote Reform.

Mr Ross said: People are considering voting for Reform and we are reminding them that Reform cant win in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East or in any constituency in Scotland. Not a single opinion poll suggests they will win, or get close to winning, in Scotland but they can help the SNP to victory.

We are reminding people when they go into the polling booth on Thursday that the risk of voting Reform is electing an SNP MP who will simply obsess about independence.

David Duguid, who was removed as Tory candidate for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East by senior party officials because of concerns about his health as he continues to recover in hospital from a spinal condition, yesterday said he had been confident he would beat the SNP before Mr Ross replaced him as candidate.

He said the decision to remove him as candidate came as a shock and claimed that party officials had told him his condition wasnt as bad as they had thought.

Mr Duguid said: Id be lying if I said events of the last few weeks havent taken their toll on myself and my family. But no matter what the future may hold I remain as determined as ever to continue my recovery and rehabilitation.

On the final full day of campaigning, SNP leader John Swinney urged SNP supporters to get out and vote, and suggested a handful of votes could decide close contests around the country.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said Scotland is at a pivotal moment and voters are crying out for change, while Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said many former SNP voters are disillusioned with the scandals and their mishandling of public services.
A failure by medical staff to spot the cry for help of a distressed Royal Marine recruit probably contributed to his suicide, a coroner has concluded.

Teenager Connor Clark confessed, just two days before he took his life, to self-harming in order to get out of basic training duties at the Commando Training Centre.

But the military doctor who treated his wound allegedly neglected to raise the alarm about his mental state.

Senior Devon coroner Philip Spinney said yesterday that the failure to hold a case conference to inform Connors instructors about his disturbing behaviour probably or more than minimally contributed to his death at Lympstone in Devon.

Tracy Clark, mother of the 18-year-old from Norwich, said she would have driven there myself and taken him home had she been made aware of the self-harm episode.

An inquest into the death of Royal Marine rookie Connor Clark has found medical staff failed to spot his 'cries for help' (pictured at age 14 with his mother Tracey)

The 18-year-old had confessed to self harming two days before he took his own life (pictured: his mother Tracey)

She added: Connor and I were very close. I know my son and I know how proud he was.

The fact the doctor didnt take his self-harming seriously is beyond me. It is a cry for help. There should have been a plan in place to check on him.

Surgeon Commander Jon Bedford expressed regret over not taking Connors self-harm more seriously. The vulnerable recruit had cut his arm on a radiator but made the wound worse himself before seeking attention.

Mr Bedford said: I did not adhere to the guidance and thus made a poor and wrong decision in not seeking a case conference. I felt [his action] was done to increase the gravity of the injury so he had sufficient reason to visit the medical centre.

Mr Spinney said Connor had become overwhelmed by his own shortcomings on the training course, including losing equipment and poor performance on the parade square.

This is said to have led to the teenager being abused by his training team of battle-hardened corporals and sergeants.

The Mail exclusively revealed the death in June 2021 and later unearthed the findings of an internal investigation.

That report acknowledged the negative comments and aggressive behaviour he was repeatedly subjected to may have played a part in the tragedy. It led to a raft of changes to training protocols and measures to improve the welfare of recruits.

The inquest also heard how vital opportunities to prevent Connors death were missed on the night of his disappearance.

Faulty CCTV cameras meant his escape over a fence surrounding the base went unnoticed for two hours.

Surprisingly, nobody from the training centre searched outside its perimeter when they realised he was missing  despite a makeshift noose being found close to his accommodation.

The fact the doctor didnt take his self-harming seriously is beyond me. It is a cry for help. There should have been a plan in place to check on him, his mother said

Surgeon Commander Jon Bedford expressed regret over not taking Connors self-harm more seriously (pictured: Connor Clark)

His body was subsequently found next to an adjacent railway line. The coroner described the response to his sudden departure as inadequate.

Connor left a heartbreaking note for mum Tracy apologising for his actions and saying mistreatment had shattered his self-esteem. He described himself as weak, a slacker and dim-witted, words he suggested the instructors had used.

The young adult was three weeks into a four-week Recruit Orientation Course. Fellow recruits said Connor suffered more thrashings than colleagues and described a hostile atmosphere towards recruits.

The coroner returned a verdict of suicide. A Royal Navy spokesman said: Our personnel are our most valued asset and we take the condition of their health and wellbeing extremely seriously.
The biggest lie about general elections is that they dont change anything. The truth is that votes cast today will decide not only the direction the UK goes in the next five years, but the long-term future of Scotland.

Scots have become so used to SNP dominance of our political landscape that it is difficult to remember a time when that was not the case, a time when not everything revolved around the interminable and circular debate about independence.

Could such times return? Is there a realistic possibility that the days when the SNP used Scotland as nothing more than a prop to sustain its constitutional obsession could be coming to an end?

The contests of 2015, 2017 and 2019 were a foregone conclusion, with the pro-UK parties looking defeated before a single vote had been cast. This time is different.

This time the Nationalists are facing an existential crisis as their popularity has plummeted following a series of egregious failures and scandals: failure in their delivery of policy at Holyrood and the scandal that prompted a long-running police investigation into party finances.

Scotland said No to independence in 2014, and now voters have a chance to bring the past 10 years of toxic nationalist debate to an end

On top of which weve had the resignations of two First Ministers in 18 months and the ignominious collapse of the SNPs coalition with the extremist Greens.

But politics isnt a spectator sport. If ordinary Scots want to change the result of this game, they need to get involved.

We might be told by those with a vested interest in low turnout that the final result has been pre-ordained, that your individual vote isnt going to change anything.

The truth is that it could change everything. True, Keir Starmers Labour looks set to form the next government with a large majority. And Scotland looks set to contribute significantly to Labours total of MPs for the first time in 14 years.

But in Scotland there is a different argument being made, by an increasingly desperate and despondent SNP that hopes the polls are wrong and that

it can still be relevant in Scotlands political arena.

That argument is simple: if a majority of constituencies in Scotland return Nationalist MPs, that will be a mandate to open independence negotiations.

Its a deeply flawed and dishonest premise. How can one side in a debate claim a mandate for negotiations when the other side  the UK Government  explicitly doesnt recognise such a mandate?

Theres the added complication that John Swinney claims his party already has such a mandate from the 2021 Holyrood elections, which begs the question of what good another mandate will do if the first one cant be delivered.

But ever since the Supreme Court confirmed that Holyrood has no authority to hold another divisive, debilitating referendum on independence, the Nationalists have been panicked into political dead ends. That doesnt mean theyve stopped being a threat to the Union  it just means their rhetoric has become increasingly hysterical.

However implausible their manifesto commitment to independence negotiations is, make no mistake: the SNP will use any size of victory today to step up their attack on the very existence of the UK and Scotlands rightful place in it.

The democratic will of the Scottish people as expressed in the 2014 independence referendum will once again be undermined by the same party that demanded that referendum in the first place.

So reject any notion your vote doesnt count, that it wont make a difference. You are the only thing standing in the way of another five years of Nationalist division and failure.

Today is the day to stand united in defence of our country and against a toxic political philosophy that has thrived on negativity for far too long.

Today is the day to draw a line, at last, under the Nationalist confidence trick of blaming all our ills on our compatriots living south of the Border.

Today one small cross, written in pencil in the privacy of a polling booth, can deal a fatal blow to those who would divide us all over again.

Right across Scotland there is a golden opportunity to remove the SNP from the Commons. All you have to do is vote for the pro-UK party best placed to win. That means, in the Borders and the North-East, supporting the Tories.

For many Scots, that will feel like a step too far. Yet only the Tories can mount a realistic challenge to the Nationalists in these areas. And after all, with Rishi Sunak on a hiding to nothing at UK level, a vote for the Scottish Conservatives can hardly be interpreted as a vote for the continuation of this Conservative government.

And it means supporting outgoing Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross in Aberdeenshire North and Moray, a seat the SNP have high hopes of winning. It means voting for Scotland Office minister John Lamont in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk. And it means in West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine the pro-UK case can only be made by the Tory candidate, energy minister Andrew Bowie.

But its not enough to defend: pro-UK voters need to attack, to remove incumbent Nationalist MPs and prevent them returning to Westminster and using UK taxpayers money to fund their continuing campaign against our nation.

So in Gordon and Buchan, a vote for the Conservatives is the only way of removing the SNPs Richard Thomson. Its the same story in two other vital target seats, Angus and Perthshire Glens, currently held by Nationalist Dave Doogan, and Perth and Kinross-shire, where Pete Wishart is fighting for survival.

But political Unionism has never been particularly adept at setting aside party differences and focusing on the greater good. In all these seats, Nigel Farages Reform party is misleading voters into believing that they have a chance of victory. But all its doing is increasing the chance of the SNP winning.

Scots across the country have different political priorities  such is the privilege of living in a democracy. But unless you support independence above everything else  education, the health service, the economy, taxation, international affairs, defence  then the SNP cannot represent you.

And unless the SNP are removed from their position of being Scotlands biggest party, at both Westminster and Holyrood, then they will continue to claim, dishonestly, that they speak for Scotland.

They will carry on projecting a fake image of Scotland as more progressive, more tolerant, more welcoming  in short, more exceptional  than our fellow citizens in England.

And they will never stop agitating for another independence referendum.

They will stop all such activity on only one condition: that you choose to stop them.

Today we all have an opportunity to do exactly that. We would be letting Scotland down if we failed to grasp it with both hands.
Now, Arizona Democrat Raul Grijalva is urging Biden not to run again

A second sitting Democrat has called on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, striking another blow to the campaign as defectors trickle out against him.

Arizona Democrat Raul Grijalva, 76, is urging Biden not to run again, The New York Times reported Wednesday. He is the second sitting Democrat to call for the president's withdrawal.

Two other House Democrats have openly said they believe former President Donald Trump will beat Biden - and that lack of confidence will surely be a topic of conversation between the party leaders which is planned for this evening.

'If he's the candidate, I'm going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere,' Grijalva said.

'What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat  and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.'

Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., became the second sitting Democrat to publicly call for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 election

The first sitting Democrat to call for Joe Biden to withdraw from the election says that before going public, party leadership did not try to keep him quiet.

Texas Democrat Rep. Lloyd Doggett, 77, came forward on Tuesday with a statement calling on Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, saying if he did not Donald Trump would win the White House.

He was the first Democrat in office to call for Biden to withdraw.

Breaking his silence after turning on the top Democrat, the Texan - who has served since 1995 - told NPR that leadership within the party did not dissuade him from airing out his concerns publicly.

'I'm not a vulnerable member in this election,' Doggett said. 'So I'm able to step forward and speak out about what I think is so critical for our country in ways that perhaps some other people have not.'

'But I certainly have not gotten any discouragement from within the leadership of the party,' he added, indicating that top Democrats may actually condone ousting Biden.

'I think the concerns I'm voicing are widespread,' Doggett continued. 'I wish this had been resolved earlier.'

Grijalva has served in the House since 2003

Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett is the first sitting Democrat in office to call for Joe Biden to get out of the presidential race. He said Democrat leadership did not try to keep him quiet

The Democrat said he did not speak out about Biden's withdrawal sooner because he was worried about how Donald Trump could capitalize on such a party shake up.

But because Biden has consistently faltered in the polls, especially after the first debate, Doggett said he had to speak up.

'He's worked now for a year and he's not been able to close the gap. And he made that gap wider after this debate, raising real questions in the minds of so many Americans as to its capability to govern a country now and over the next four years.'

Still, if Biden is the Democrat nominee Doggett said he will support him.

After the Texas Democrat released his statement calling on Biden to withdraw Tuesday, two other House Democrats similarly came out against the president.

Though they did not explicitly call on Biden to withdraw, both Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington both said Tuesday they believe Donald Trump will beat Joe Biden come November.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the top House Democrat, along with others in party leadership, did not try to dissuade Doggett from going public with his concerns on Biden

Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, seen here, told KATU News that she believes the debate performance last week against has cost Biden the election

'After the first presidential debate, lots of Democrats are panicking about whether President Joe Biden should step down as the party's nominee,' Golden wrote

'Biden's poor performance in the debate was not a surprise,' Golden wrote in an op-ed published in Maine.

'It also didn't rattle me as it has others, because the outcome of this election has been clear to me for months: While I don't plan to vote for him, Donald Trump is going to win. And I'm OK with that.'

Gluesenkamp Perez, meanwhile, told a Washington TV station that the debate will cost Biden the election despite only having watched five 'painful' minutes herself.

'We all saw what we saw, you can't undo that, and the truth I think, is that Biden is going to lose to Trump,' she said. 'I know that's difficult, but I think the damage has been done by that debate.'

Further, reports indicate that a cohort of 25 Democrat lawmakers worried about their own elections are considering calling on Biden to withdraw.

Whether Biden continues his 2024 bid for president after his halting debate performance against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is largely his decision, Democrats and political strategists have said.

President Joe Biden is said to be 'humiliated' and 'painfully aware' of his image following his car crash debate that saw him stumbling over his words and losing his train of thought

Doggett likened the hard decision he says Biden must make for the sake of the nation to the one made decades ago by another sitting Democratic president.

'I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson,' the Texan said in a statement Tuesday. 'Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw.

'President Biden should do the same,' he continued. 'While much of his work has been transformational, he pledged to be transitional.'

Lyndon B. Johnson chose to withdraw from the race in 1968 because rising casualties in the Vietnam war had made him extremely unpopular.

Biden is facing plummeting support after his disastrous debate performance on Thursday.

'He has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders from whom a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process,' Doggett's statement continued.

'My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly nor does it in a any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved.'

'Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden's first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw.

I respectfully call on him to do so.'

Doggett, 77, is a respected member of the Democrat House caucus, having served in the chamber since 1995.

He also lauded Biden's work as president, but ultimately conceded Joe's debate performance was not one of a competitive candidate.

The president retreated to Camp David with is wife, children and grandchildren to take a break from the campaign trial and weigh his options after the debate

'President Biden has continued to run substantially behind Democratic senators in key states and in most polls has trailed Donald Trump,' he said.

'I had hoped that the debate would provide some momentum to change that. It did not.'

'Instead of reassuring voters, the President failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trump's many lies.'

National Republican Congressional Committee Communications Director Jack Pandol criticized Doggett's announcement for coming too late.

'The cowards in the Democratic Caucus have spent every day after the debate in witness protection, too afraid to say what they're all thinking,' Pandol said in a statement.

'Americans remember House Democrats were complicit in covering up and gaslighting the public about the president's condition, and voters are primed to punish them in November.'
Retired American astronaut William Anders, who was part of the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, was attempting a solo flyby near a friend's house when the plane suddenly shifted and crashed into a lake, killing him.

The 90-year-old died after the small aircraft he was piloting crashed near Orcas Island in early June, resulting in a fireball as the plane hit the water which was caught on video.

Anders, whose 'Earthrise' photo showed the planet as a shadowed blue marble from space in 1968, had texted a friend to say he planned to do a flyby near her house on the western shore of Orcas Island, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its preliminary report.

The friend said Anders' flybys were not unusual, according to the NTSB.

She said that he typically did two flybys, and while he sometimes rocked the airplane wings, 'he never performed any kind of aerobatic maneuvers.'

Retired American astronaut William Anders, who was part of the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, was doing a flyby near a friend's house when it crashed into a lake , killing him

The 90-year-old died after the small aircraft he was piloting crashed near Orcas Island in early June, resulting in a fireball as the plane hit the water which was caught on video

Around 11:37am on June 7, the friend began to hear the 'familiar' noise of his airplane, the NTSB said.

Shortly after, she saw the older-model Beech A45 overhead traveling north along the shore in front of her house.

She briefly lost sight of the plane as it flew behind trees. When she saw it come back into view it was heading south and flying over the water.

After it passed by, she saw the left wing drop and thought it was part of his routine. But the wing continued to drop as the plane plummeted toward the water below.

At the same time, another witness on the same shoreline north of Anders' friend's home, was using his phone to film the vintage airplane passing by, the NTSB said.

Over the course of the video, the plane can be seen plunging toward the water in a near vertical dive before its right wingtip strikes the water.

The friend and the person who took the video were the only two witnesses to come forward, the NTSB said.

The plane sank near the north end of Jones Island, which is off the western shore of Orcas Island, San Juan County Sheriff Eric Peter said.

Anders, whose 'Earthrise' photo showed the planet as a shadowed blue marble from space in 1968, had texted a friend to say he planned to do a flyby near her house on the western shore of Orcas Island, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its preliminary report

This image from an NTSB investigation shows where both a witness with a camera and Anders' friend saw him crash

The body of the 90-year-old Anders was recovered that afternoon.

Most of the wreckage was recovered in the week following the crash and has been stored for further examination, the agency said.

Anders' 'Earthrise' photograph, the first color image of Earth from space, is one of the most important photos in modern history for the way it changed how humans viewed the planet.

The photo is credited with sparking the global environmental movement for showing how delicate and isolated Earth appeared from space.

Anders, a retired major general, has said the photo was his most significant contribution to the space program along with making sure the Apollo 8 command module and service module worked.

The photograph, the first color image of Earth from space, is one of the most important photos in modern history for the way it changed how humans viewed the planet.

The photo is credited with sparking the global environmental movement for showing how delicate and isolated Earth appeared from space.

The astronauts were under orders to get pictures for potential lunar landing sites while orbiting 70 miles above the moon.

Anders, a retired major general, has said the photo was his most significant contribution to the space program along with making sure the Apollo 8 command module and service module worked

Anders famously took a picture of Earth and part of the moon's surface, named Earthrise, during the Apollo 8 mission

'We came to explore the moon and what we discovered was the Earth,' Anders is fond of saying.

By July 1969, Apollo 8 was overshadowed by Apollo 11's Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin moon landing.

Borman and Anders never flew in space again, and Soviet cosmonauts never made it to the moon.

Anders recalled in a 1997 NASA oral history interview that he didn't think the Apollo 8 mission was risk-free but there were important national, patriotic and exploration reasons for going ahead.

He estimated there was about one in three chance that the crew wouldn't make it back and the same chance the mission would be a success and the same chance that the mission wouldn't start to begin with.

He said he suspected Christopher Columbus sailed with worse odds and recounted how earth looked fragile and seemingly physically insignificant, yet was home.

Anders said: 'We'd been going backwards and upside down, didn't really see the Earth or the Sun, and when we rolled around and came around and saw the first Earthrise.

'That certainly was, by far, the most impressive thing. To see this very delicate, colorful orb which to me looked like a Christmas tree ornament coming up over this very stark, ugly lunar landscape really contrasted.'

His son, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Greg Anders, told The Associated Press after his father's death that the family was devastated.

'He was a great pilot and we will miss him terribly,' he said.
Teeth clenched with fear as he grips the steering wheel of his Toyota Yaris, this is the terrified face of a California man fleeing huge wildfires in the Golden State.

The unidentified resident is one of over 28,000 who've been ordered to evacuate Butte county after the Thompson wildfire burned through more than 3,000 acres - with further destruction a certainty.

The fire broke out just before noon on Tuesday around 70 miles north of the state capital Sacramento, and has since grown to nearly 4.7 square miles.

Governor Gavin Newsom has had to declare a state of emergency, as crews battled to try and contain the raging inferno which can be seen from space.

Images captured in the area show helicopters dropping water on the flames while brave firefighters attempted to battle the fire on the ground.

The unidentified resident is one of over 28,000 who've been ordered to evacuate Butte county

The Thompson fire, seen here, broke out just before noon on Tuesday around 70 miles north of the state capital Sacramento

Cal Fire said that the blaze had grown to over 3,500 acres on Wednesday afternoon and was zero percent contained in an update.

CBS News reported that over a dozen aircraft, 50 engines and 15 dozers were currently engaged in the firefight.

They also said that four firefighters had been injured battling the blaze, with 1,400 crew members attending the scene alongside eight helicopters.

Due to the fires, around 13,000 people around the east of Lake Oroville were ordered to evacuate according to Butte County Sheriff's Office.

Residents stood on hillsides in the night, watching the orange glow, as aircraft made water drops to keep the fire from spreading.

A crew of more than a dozen firefighters saved one home as goats and other farm animals ran to find safety.

Garret Sjolund, the Butte County unit chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said: 'The conditions out there that are in our county this summer are much different than weve experienced the last two summers.

'The fuels are very dense, brush is dry. And as you can see, any wind will, move a fire out very quickly.'

The ongoing conditions have led Pacific Gas & Electric to implement targeted public safety power shutoffs in parts of Northern California to prevent fires from being ignited by downed or damaged wires.

Over a dozen aircraft, 50 engines and 15 dozers were currently engaged in the firefight

Due to the fires, around 13,000 people around the east of Lake Oroville were ordered to evacuate according to Butte County Sheriff's Office

A firefighter runs while battling the Thompson Fire burning in Oroville, Calif., Tuesday

Oroville is expected to see record high temperatures of 110 or over for the next five days, with warnings that Saturday may reach an all-time record high of 113.

Meanwhile the Basin Fire in Fresno County has burned over 13,000 acres and is currently only 26 percent contained.

California governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in a bid to ensure resources are available to help battle the ongoing blazes.

Newsom said: 'We are using every available tool to tackle this fire and will continue to work closely with our local and federal partners to support impacted communities.

'As we head into some of the most challenging months of wildfire season, the state is better prepared than ever to protect at-risk communities with new tools, technology and resources.'

Authorities have warned of full legal consequences for any illegal use of fireworks during the Fourth of July holiday.

A boat crosses Lake Oroville with a smoldering hillside behind as the Thompson Fire burns in Oroville, Calif., on Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Flames consume vehicles on Bessie Lane as the Thompson Fire burns in Oroville, Calif., on Tuesday, July 2

Flames engulf a home during the Thompson fire in Oroville, California on July 2, 2024

The smoke plume from the #ThompsonFire continues to grow this morning as winds and temperatures rise.



More than 28,000 people are under evacuation orders at this time. pic.twitter.com/fnArZZiorA  Nic Merianos (@NickMerianos) July 3, 2024

'Dont be an idiot, cause a fire and create more problems for us,' said Butte County Sheriff Kory L. Honea.

'No one in the community is going to want that. And we certainly dont want this.'

The ongoing blaze comes as California was already on high alert for wildfires, with incessant high temperatures and winds exacerbating fire risks.

Parts of the state have already been subjected to 'extreme' levels of heat risk, according to the National Weather Service's Index.

The conditions could last until Sunday or longer, with some areas being warned that life-threatening triple digit temperatures could linger.

The conditions have been caused by a ridge of high pressure just off the West Coast and a separate ridge that spawned heat warnings and advisories from Kansas and Missouri to the Gulf Coast states, according to the National Weather Service.
It is no exaggeration to say that Britons today are living through the most dangerous geopolitical period since the Second World War.

The threat is all around us: from ever-multiplying jihadi terrorism, a resurgent Iran, a muscle-flexing Russia waging its unjust war in Ukraine and even from China, which only two months ago GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler warned posed a genuine and increasing cyber risk to the UK.

It is against this bleak and unsettling backdrop that, if the polls prove correct, Sir Keir Starmer will be appointed our countrys new prime minister on Friday.

It is a prospect that profoundly alarms me.

As the Mail reported on Tuesday, former Ministry of Defence chief Dr Rob Johnson has just issued a devastating assessment of our ever-depleting military capability, warning that a country once renowned for its might is now so short of infrastructure, personnel and weapons that we are, as Dr Johnson put it, unprepared for a conflict of any scale.

Britons today are living through the most dangerous geopolitical period since the Second World War

It is against this bleak and unsettling backdrop that, if the polls prove correct, Sir Keir Starmer will be appointed our countrys new prime minister on Friday

Last week Rishi Sunak warned that Russia does not want [the Tories] to be re-elected'

What a terrifying prediction that is  a state of affairs that, I believe, would sharply deteriorate under a Labour government.

Nor is this just my view as a former commanding officer who saw action in some of the worlds fiercest warzones, but one shared by many senior military figures, both retired and operational, with whom I speak often.

The numbers speak for themselves: When I joined the army in 1977, it boasted a regular fighting strength of about 150,000. Today, those numbers have diminished to less than half that at around 73,000. As Dr Johnson made plain, it is not just people we lack either: we are desperately short of ammunition, ships and aircraft too.

Yes, it is only fair to point out that successive governments from both sides of the House have presided over this diminishment of our military might, initially prompted by the collapse of the former Soviet Union in 1991.

As a decade of relative peace and prosperity followed, nobody questioned our shrunken capacities.

But the world of quiet diplomacy which Tony Blair  the last Labour leader to be elected  inherited in 1997 did not last long. The devastating Islamist terrorist attacks on the US in 2001 heralded the start of the war on terror, joined in time by other multiplying threats from across the globe.

Yet politicians did not reinvest in our military in response. We fought long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while simultaneously diminishing our forces.

Not even when Putin launched his terrible full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 did we recognise the error of our ways.

We have heard much from politicians warning of the threat posed by the Russian leaders grandstanding, but the Government has still not  to put it bluntly  put its money where its mouth is.

Nonetheless, we cannot accuse the Conservatives of sidelining defence. In March, Rishi Sunak pledged new funding for our nuclear deterrent, and the Tory party election manifesto states it will increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 to secure British interests. In contrast, Labour has made no such specific pledge in its manifesto beyond a soggy promise to do the same as soon as possible, accompanied by an assertion of its unshakeable commitment to NATO.

Yet earlier this year Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey committed the party to a defence pact with the EU  which would mean an almost certain weakening of the crucial North Atlantic Alliance.

Pictured: Young Russian soldiers parade through the centre of Moscow

It is not just lack of commitment to defence by Labour that should concern us, but the toxic ideology at its heart.

The reality is that while Sir Keir has adopted policies calculated to appease centrist voters  hence his important proclamation in the Mail in April that security would always come first under his leadership  a core cabal of his party are ardent peaceniks, who prefer to base what passes for their foreign policy on pacifist dogma rather than the national interest. Look no further than the partys former leader Jeremy Corbyn and his despicable anti-West, anti-Semitic rhetoric.

This is the man who was pictured only six years ago making the salute of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, an organisation described by a government enquiry as counter to British values and democracy.

Yes, Corbyn has since been expelled from the party, but Starmer has failed to purge similar belief systems from Labour. Take Afzal Khan, the Labour candidate for Manchester Rusholme  who was forced to apologise in 2019 after sharing what appeared to be an anti-Semitic conspiracy on social media.

Or Naz Shah for Bradford West, who was suspended in 2016 after claiming Israeli Jews should be relocated to America and posting an article that likened Zionism to the Islamist terror group Al Qaeda.

Are we to believe that, once Sir Keir is given the keys to Downing Street with an unprecedented majority, those set on letting our military waste away will remain quiet? Let us not forget that  in common with every Labour manifesto since that of Ed Miliband in 2015  Sir Keir has committed to recognising the state of Palestine should he become leader.

It is insulting to Israel and would only to lead to a deterioration in the all-important relations between us.

We depend heavily on Israeli weapons, as well as intelligence  I have personal experience of the regularity and frequency with which we have exchanged life-saving information. All of this would be imperilled under a Labour government.

As for Russia, last week Rishi Sunak warned that Russia does not want [the Tories] to be re-elected. I would go further: Putin would be delighted to have Labour in power. I do not believe for a minute that Sir Keir is a Russia appeaser, but he will not be as robust a cheerleader for Ukraine as either Sunak or, particularly, Boris Johnson  and Putin knows it.

The fact is that defence is simply not in Labours DNA. In fact, in sections of the party there is an ingrained hostility to the military.

How else to interpret the fact that the party intends to repeal and replace the legislation designed to end the legal pursuit of British soldiers over incidents that took place decades ago, and which effectively gives an amnesty to the IRA and loyalist terrorists who killed thousands?

Whatever your personal stance on this  and I for one find it horrendously unjust  the consequences will be clear.

Our armed forces already have such a desperate recruiting problem that, earlier this year, the then Chief of General Staff Sir Patrick Sanders called for the country to train a volunteer citizen army, ready to fight a land war.

Why would anyone want to fight for a country that allows them to be hounded by the courts decades later?

Voters  understandably concerned about the cost of living, schooling and the state of the NHS  should think about this as they head to the polls.

Even in these dangerous times, defence is often not at the forefront of their minds. It should be.

If we cannot properly defend ourselves, then we cannot defend everything else we hold dear.

Colonel Richard Kemp is a former infantry commanding officer in the British Army.
Buc-ee's is looking to expand its business into Oklahoma.

The chain, which started in Texas in 1982, prides itself for having the 'cleanest restrooms in America' and a full stock of snacks at their travel centers, is looking to open locations in Lafayette and Ruston, Louisiana.

This news comes as the company opened their largest travel center to date in June in Texas.

The company, famous for its giant stores and Beaver mascot, did not specify where in Oklahoma the road stop would open.

Buc-ee's has been rapidly expanding beyond its Southern roots. While Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky are where most of their stores are located, a lone Colorado store in Johnstown shows their reach is widening.

A new location in Oklahoma's major cities may be in the cards for Bucc-ee's given the company's expansion strategy

The chain started in Texas in 1982 and prides itself for having the 'cleanest restrooms in America' and a full stock of snacks at their travel centers

Buc-ee's strategically places these one-stop shops along highways, often in rural areas near larger cities, making them convenient pit stops for travelers.

A new location in Oklahoma's major cities may be in the cards given the company's expansion strategy.

Oklahoma City is the 20th largest city in the U.S. with a population around 700,000, while Tulsa has population of around 400,000 people.

Buc-ee's strategically places these one-stop shops along highways, often in rural areas near larger cities, making them convenient pit stops for travelers

The company, famous for its giant stores and Beaver mascot, did not specify where in Oklahoma the road stop would open

The company has broken several world records in the last few years.

The Luling store in Texas is the largest convenience store in the world at 75,593 square feet.

Not only does Buc-ee's have some of the biggest stores, they also have the also have the world's longest car wash with the Katy, Texas store clocking their conveyor belt at 255 feet.
Author Neil Gaiman has denied allegations of sexually abusive behaviour against two women during consensual relationships.

According to an investigation for the Tortoise podcast hosted by journalist and broadcaster Rachel Johnson, the award-winning British writer was alleged to have sexually assaulted one of the women within hours of their first meeting, when she was 22 and he was 61.

She made a complaint to police about him, although he was never interviewed or accused of any criminal offence because of lack of evidence.

He has strenuously denied any sexual misconduct and any allegation of non-consensual sex.

Mr Gaiman, 63, is the author of books including The Sandman, American Gods and the children's book Coraline, and co-wrote Good Omens with author Terry Pratchett, which was later turned into a television series by the BBC and Amazon.

Author Neil Gaiman (pictured in August 2019) has denied allegations of sexually abusive behaviour against two women during consensual relationships

Mr Gaiman, 63, (pictured in New York last month) is the author of books including The Sandman, American Gods and the children's book Coraline, and co-wrote Good Omens with author Terry Pratchett, which was later turned into a television series by the BBC and Amazon

The women's allegations were revealed in a podcast series by Tortoise Media, 'Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman', which made clear that both women were in consensual relationships with the writer.

They both claim they were subjected to physically painful and degrading sexual encounters during their relationships with Mr Gaiman.

One of the women told the podcast they had a three-week sexual relationship and that he told her: 'I'm your master. Call me master.'

She said he had choked her and that one encounter was so painful that she lost consciousness, and that she found it 'abhorrent and degrading'.

The woman said she met Mr Gaiman in 2022 while he was married to his then wife Amanda Palmer.

The pair were in an open marriage and lived in separate houses on the exclusive island of Waiheke, near Auckland.

The woman alleged when she arrived at Mr Gaiman's house the writer sexually assaulted her that night.

But the podcast featured a message she sent him the next day, in which she wrote: 'Thank you for a lovely, lovely night. Wow x.'

Both women claim they were subjected to physically painful and degrading sexual encounters during their relationships with Mr Gaiman (pictured in 2013)

Tortoise reported that she sent Mr Gaiman numerous text and video messages in which she explicitly said she had consented during their sexual encounters, and also said she loved him and was grateful to him.

The woman told the podcast: 'At the end of it he made me feel like it was consensual, but it wasn't consensual.' She added: 'He sort of lured me if you will into his psychological labyrinth. So it was not straightforward at all.'

The woman reported Mr Gaiman to the police after he returned to Britain.

Tortoise reported that Mr Gaiman was aware of the police complaint and offered to speak with officers, but that they did not interview him and dropped the complaint because of lack of evidence.

Tortoise reported that he insisted their sexual encounters were entirely consensual and that they did not have full sexual intercourse.

The second woman met Mr Gaiman when she was 18 in 2003.

They began a relationship when she was 20, and he was in his mid-40s. She told the podcast that she submitted to sex but had not wanted or enjoyed it, and that they once had sex when she had explicitly told him she did not want to do so.

She said: 'I never wanted any of the stuff he did to me, including the more violent stuff. But I did consent to it.' Tortoise reported that Mr Gaiman denied any unlawful behaviour with K, and that he was 'disturbed by her allegations'.

Representatives for Mr Gaiman, who lives in the US, did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Mail.
A Romanian man jailed over the deaths of 39 people in a lorry trailer in Essex will be deported without paying a penny to his victims' families.

Marius Mihai Draghici, 51, fled the UK after the Vietnamese nationals died in the airtight sealed container as it was being transported by ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet in October 2019.

In August 2022, Draghici, who was said to be a 'right-hand man' in a long-running people-smuggling ring, was detained in Romania and extradited back to the UK.

Last year, he pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and was jailed for 12 years and seven months.

On Wednesday, prosecutor Ben Holt told a confiscation hearing before Judge Mark Lucraft KC that Draghici would not be pursued for proceeds of crime.

Marius Mihai Draghici, 51, fled the UK after the Vietnamese nationals died in the airtight sealed container. He was jailed for 12 years and seven months

Thirty-nine Vietnamese nationals were killed in an airtight sealed container being transported by ferry from Zeebrugge, Belgium to Purfleet in October 2019

He told the Old Bailey: 'Following an investigation, no assets have been discovered and in any event it is understood Mr Draghici will be deported shortly and therefore no proceedings are to be pursued.'

The defendant had joined the brief hearing by video link from Stocken category C prison in the East Midlands and declined the services of a translator.

It is understand that he will serve the remainder of his prison sentence in Romania following his deportation.

Sentencing last year, Mr Justice Garnham had said Draghici was an 'essential cog' in a criminal conspiracy which made 'astonishing profits out of the exploitation of people desperate to get to the UK'.

In all, 11 men have been convicted of their involvement in the lucrative people-smuggling ring.

In addition to Draghici, four other men were jailed for between 13 and 27 years for the manslaughters of the men, women and children.

Eleven men have been convicted for their involvement in the people-smuggling ring

They are: Ringleader Gheorghe Nica, 47, of Basildon, Essex, haulier boss Ronan Hughes, 44, of Armagh, Maurice Robinson, 29, of Craigavon, who found the bodies, and Eamonn Harrison, 27, of County Down, who had collected the victims on the continent.

To date, more than 283,000 in ill-gotten gains has been ordered to be paid by defendants as compensation to the victims' families.
Reform were tonight silent on calls to suspend a candidate who claimed on social media that banks were 'owned by the Jews'.

Angela Carter-Begbie will appear on the ballot in Queen's Park and Maida Vale  despite calls from her Tory opponent for Nigel Farage to withdraw the party's support for her.

The Reform candidate  who was last month exposed for comparing the Covid-19 vaccine rollout to the Holocaust  last year said during a discussion about funding Ukraine: 'Because the banks want to make it a new place. They are owned by the Jews.'

Samia Hersi, her Conservative rival in the London constituency, said: 'The Reform Party and Nigel Farage must suspend Angela Carter-Begbie as their candidate in light of these racist and anti-Semitic comments.

'This is awful and there should be no space for anti-Semitism and racism in politics.'

Angela Carter-Begbie will appear on the ballot in Queen's Park and Maida Vale  despite calls from her Tory opponent for Nigel Farage to withdraw the party's support for her after she said 'Jews run the banks'

Party leader Nigel Farage expressed 'regret' at Reform UK 'letting some bad people' stand as candidates at the election

A spokesman for Campaign Against Anti-Semitism said: 'The Jewish community has long been subjected to medieval conspiratorial accusations of controlling banks and the economy.

'Such tropes have no place in 21st century Britain.

'The Party should urgently investigate.'

Neither Reform nor Ms Carter-Begbie could be reached for comment yesterday.

Nigel Farage has expressed 'regret' at Reform UK 'letting some bad people' stand as candidates at the election.

And he caused outrage last month when he suggested that the West had provoked Russia's invasion of Ukraine with the expansion of the EU and Nato.

Rishi Sunak later said that Mr Farage was an 'appeaser' of Russian president Vladimir Putin, while Boris Johnson branded Reform 'Putinistas' earlier this week.

Ms Carter-Begbie has also described the King as 'weak' on social media in the past, suggesting that he was under the control of global elites.

And, last April, she commented on the vaccine rollout: 'I have said the behaviour of the jab was slowly repeating the holocaust movement. Put people in camps, make them lose there [sic] jobs, make them homeless.

'Holocaust is a name of a movement.'

It comes as her fellow Reform candidate Darren Ingrouille, standing in Chelmsford, was revealed to have compared people with autism to 'vegetables'.

Responding to a user who described himself as an 'autistic father of twin boys', the candidate said in a now-deleted post: 'I can understand that you have learning difficulties, many of us reasoned humans would have a better perspective on this... Keep plugging away; or just keep favouring your own kind; vegetables.'

Nigel Farage pledged to stamp out racism from the party and said: 'From Friday my first two big jobs are to professionalise the party and to democratise it

Former minister Vicky Ford, the Tory candidate in Chelmsford, said on Wednesday night: 'Every part of me is so disgusted by this. No words.'

Mr Ingrouille also previously told a woman: 'Please don't breed, whatever you do.'

He did not respond to a request for comment last night, but on Tuesday shared a post reading: 'There is now a coordinated campaign being run by the Conservatives via CCHQ, with collaboration from the corrupt MSM [mainstream media], to discredit Reform UK.'

The party has already dropped several candidates over offensive comments or past support for far-Right organisations, with Mr Farage blaming a vetting company for poor background checks.

The Reform leader last night said: 'It's all gone wrong in the last few months. I regret that I didn't quite realise what the extent of the problem was a month ago, but I'll sort it out.

'I sorted it out in Ukip, I had no problems with it in the Brexit Party. From Friday my first two big jobs are to professionalise the party and to democratise it.'
A beloved father-of-three who was allegedly stabbed to death on a pier has been remembered as a 'kind and gentle soul' by loved ones.

Andres Pancha, 45, was fishing on Frankston Pier when he was allegedly attacked by homeless man Forrest Stevenson, 36, just after 6am on Saturday.

Police say the father-of-three did not know his alleged attacker.

Mr Pancha's loved ones said he would be remembered for his passion for fishing and his kind and gentle nature in a post on GoFundMe.

'It is with deep sorrow and heavy hearts that we announce the tragic passing of our beloved friend, brother, Daddy, husband and cousin, Andres,' the post read.

'He was senselessly attacked by an unknown assailant while doing something he loved  fishing. This unimaginable act has left our family devastated and in profound grief. His absence leaves an irreplaceable void in our lives.

'In honour of Andres' memory, we ask that you keep his spirit alive by cherishing your loved ones and spreading kindness wherever you go.'

Stevenson was arrested on the nearby foreshore a short time after the alleged attack with Mr Pancha found unresponsive on the pier.

Filipino father-of-three Andres Pancha, 45, was fishing on Frankston Pier when he was allegedly attacked by homeless man Forrest Stevenson, 36, just after 6am on Saturday

Mr Pancha's loved ones said he would be remembered for his 'kind and gentle nature'

Police said the men were not known to each other.

Mr Pancha visited the fishing spot in Victoria's southeast once or twice a week.

His friend and former colleague Lee Seddon took to social media to pay tribute to the beloved fisherman.

'Had the pleasure to work and sail with Andres Pancha on the Iron Chieftain. He was a true gentleman. Loved his fishing and young family,' he said.

'So shocking to hear he has been taken so young and in this terrible way.

'Fair winds and smooth seas.'

Another friend said he had only recently spoken with Mr Pancha.

'Still young and already gone, RIP Andres Pancha. We will miss you,' Cor Glover said.

Mr Pancha visited the Frankston Pier in Victoria's southeast once or twice a week

Stevenson, 36, is of no fixed address and promotes himself on social media as an amateur artist who tattoos his own body

Stevenson has no fixed address and promotes himself on social media as an amateur artist who tattoos his own body.

He appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Sunday wearing a disposable face mask and black t-shirt.

Homicide Squad detective senior constable Kate Lynch told the court police required 12 weeks to compile a brief of evidence.

The process usually takes six weeks, but the court was told an extension was needed for pathology and DNA test reports to be completed.

Stevenson was remanded in custody until November 6.

Magistrate Marc Sargent told the court the accused needed prompt medical attention to make his time in custody 'more comfortable'.
Boris Johnson may have told wavering Tory voters to help avoid a landslide Labour victory during his surprise, sole appearance on the campaign trail on Tuesday night.

But even the former Prime Ministers father has admitted he will cast a tactical vote for the Liberal Democrats today.

Stanley Johnson, a former Conservative MEP, said he wanted to boost Ed Daveys party in his constituency due to their views on the European Union and the environment.

Admitting Boris would probably accuse him of apostasy for his crime, he said he would back Helen Baxter in the Queens Park and Maida Vale constituency.

The latest YouGov polling shows the Liberal Democrats finishing third in the seat, just ahead of the Tories, with the Greens in second and Labour winning the contest comfortably.

Boris Johnson's father Stanley (pictured) has pledged to give his vote to the Liberal Democrats in a tactical move despite being a former Conservative MEP

In Mr Johnson's Queens Park and Maida Vale constituency, the Lib Dems (leader Ed Davey seen) are polling in third, behind the Greens and Labour

There I was coming out of the Underground station at Queens Park and there was this lady called Helen Baxter and she had her voting card and so on, Mr Johnson told the Telegraph.

I said to her one of the things which has upset me most of all in this campaign is the fact that two crucial issues, first Britains relationship with Europe, and second, the whole question of - and this links to the first of course - the environmental policy, have not had the airing they deserve.

And she said, well actually the Lib Dems do indeed have a strong policy on both these issues, and she presented me with her card, and yes, lo and behold, the whole third part of her programme was exactly Europe. So then I said to myself, well why should tactical voting not play its part here?

Im a dyed in the wool Conservative, but in this particular case what matters is to try and boost the Lib Dems in a constituency which the Tories have absolutely no chance to win.

The Conservative party constitution does not explicitly ban members from voting for other parties.

Ms Baxter said: Boris Johnsons dad is voting for me, the Lib Dem candidate in Queens Park and Maida Vale and agrees with us about the damage caused by his sons disastrous Brexit.
Your vote counts  130,000 of you can stop the supermajority that Sir Keir Starmer craves.

Those 130,000 can make clear that you dont want a massive council tax hike, a pay-per-mile scheme for drivers or to be forced to make expensive Net Zero changes to your home. Deny Starmer that supermajority, and we can stop these things.

So dont surrender your voice to Labour. Vote Conservative today. We are the only party who will stand up for you.

The Liberal Democrats only issue with Starmer is that he doesnt go far enough when it comes to reversing Brexit, eroding womens rights and changing who can vote. A vote for them is a vote to bring back free movement, encourage dangerous gender self-identification and bring in a political system where your voice can be ignored.

Reform wont deny Starmer the supermajority he wants because whether you think it is fair or not, they just wont win enough seats to oppose Labour.

Prime Minister RISHI SUNAK writes: 'Ask your friends, ask your neighbours: do they want their family to pay more than 2,000 extra in tax?'

Their deputy leader has said that it would be great for them to get one, two, three, four, five elected MPs. Just imagine that: Hundreds and hundreds of Labour MPs opposed by just one, two, three, four, five elected MPs.

But we can stop this  together we can make the difference.

Ask your friends, ask your neighbours: do they want their family to pay more than 2,000 extra in tax?

Do they want Labour rewriting the rules so they can stay in power for decades? Do they want eco-dogma put ahead of their family finances and our energy security?

If the answer to these questions is no, then they must come out and vote Conservative. Dont surrender to Labour, get out there and vote.

I love this country. My grandparents came here with very little, yet today I have the honour of serving as your Prime Minister. I will work night and day for you, to deliver a Britain with lower taxes, secure borders and strong defences. I know people are frustrated with me, with our party. But this election will have lasting consequences.

We must deny Labour the supermajority they want, and only a vote for the Conservatives can do that. I know the past few years have been tough but my values are your values: I believe in hard work, aspiration and family. Your vote can stand up for those values not just today, but for the next five years.

I want to cut your taxes, Keir Starmer will raise them  and if he gets that supermajority, hell raise them even further. I want to control our borders, Keir Starmer has no plan to deal with illegal migration. I want to strengthen our defences in this more dangerous world, but Keir Starmer wont match our commitment to raise defence investment to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030.

'I want to cut your taxes, Keir Starmer will raise them  and if he gets that supermajority, hell raise them even further,' the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak writes (pictured: Keir Starmer)

A huge number of seats in this election will be decided by a few hundred votes, so what you do will make a big difference.

Your vote can make it more likely that your Conservative candidate is elected so that they can be your voice, represent your values and fight for you and your area. And prevent Labour from rewriting the rules so they can stay in power for decades if they win.

Today, I need your vote to defend our vision of Britain: to back lower taxes, controlled borders and a secure future for our country. Join with us and we can make a difference and stop the socialist supermajority.

Dont surrender your voice to Labour. Send an MP to Parliament who will stand up for you, your neighbours and your values. Vote Conservative.
A 'closeted' Neo-Nazi has been convicted of the hate crime murder of his gay former schoolmate.

Samuel Woodward, 26, was found guilty of killing 19 year-old Blaze Bernstein by jurors in Los Angeles Wednesday.

Woodward and Bernstein met over Christmas 2018 after Bernstein - who was also Jewish - spotted his former classmate on Tinder and struck up a conversation.

Bernstein was visiting family in California on winter break when he went out with Woodward and disappeared.

His body was found days later buried in a shallow grave at Borrego park in Lake Forest, having been repeatedly stabbed in the face and neck.

Samuel Woodward, pictured here last month, was found guilty of killing 19 year-old Blaze Bernstein by jurors in Los Angeles Wednesday

Bernstein, seen here, was visiting family in California on winter break when he went out with Woodward and disappeared

According to NBC Los Angeles, there were audible cheers in the courtroom after Woodward was also found to have committed a hate crime.

The two men attended the same high school, the Orange County School of the Arts and reconnected on the dating app Tinder only months before the attack while Bernstein was home, according to testimony from the months-long trial.

Prosecutors allege that Woodward singled out the gay, Jewish college sophomore after joining the violent, anti-gay, anti-Semitic group known as Atomwaffen Division.

Woodward claims he was never a full-fledged member and simply joined because he had a 'desire to form a meaningful connection with a group.'

His defense said that Woodward did not hate Bernstein and didn't plan to kill him, but that Woodward was conflicted by own sexuality and acted in a fit of rage.

They also argued that Woodward's undiagnosed autism left him vulnerable to being recruited into white supremacist groups.

The question during the trial has not been whether Woodward killed Bernstein but the reasons for the killing and circumstances under which it occurred.

The case has taken years to come to court. Woodward is seen here with a markedly different appearance at a court hearing in January 2018

Blaze Bernstein's parents read a statement at a press conference in front of the Orange County Sheriff's department after their son's body was found a week after he had disappeared

Scenes from the alleged murder have been presented to the jury during the trial. Bernstein's shallow grave is seen here

In his testimony, Woodward gave a chilling account during the trial and recalled how he repeatedly stabbed the college sophomore after trying to grab a cellphone he feared he had used to photograph him.

The charge against Woodward had included enhancements for a hate crime and the personal use of a deadly weapon.

He now faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole when he is sentenced, a date for which has not been scheduled.

The case took years to go to trial after questions arose about Woodward's mental state and following multiple changes in defense attorneys. Woodward was deemed competent to stand trial in late 2022.
The Biden Administration is taking a victory lap for its first 'large' deportation flight of Chinese nationals since Biden has been in the White House - 116 Chinese sent back to their home country over the weekend on the US tax-payer dime.

However the charter flight only carried 116 citizens of the People's Republic of China-- less than 1% of the 55,922 Chinese who illegally entered the US in the first eight months of fiscal year 2024, according to government statistics.

The October through June tally of Chinese who have snuck into the US has already surpassed all of fiscal year 2023's total of 52,700, and there are still four months left in FY '24.

The percentage of Chinese deported under Biden is even smaller when you consider at least 153,259 have entered the US without authorization since he took office in January 2021.

The flight comes at a time when US officials have been under intense scrutiny for allowing so many Chinese migrants in, as they flood over the border in record numbers.

A recent photo of a migrant deportation flight carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement

The Department of Homeland Security, which announced the flight in a weekend press release, would not say how long the migrants on the flight had been in America.

The flight was conducted in 'close coordination' with the Chinese government the release said.

In the past, the US has been unable to deport Chinese citizens since their own government would not take them back.

US officials cannot land planes in China without the government's permission, and repatriation flights from the US to any country usually requires the participation of the home country, DHS officials told DailyMail.com.

This might explain why there haven't been an earlier flights under the Biden Administration, one US official added.

These Chinese migrants were dropped off at a transit center near San Diego after they were processed and screened by federal immigration authorities

Figures from US Customs and Border Protection show how many Chinese migrants have been encountered at both the norther and southern border of the US since 2021

Many of the migrants flooding the border are doing so legally with the help of CBP One - the app the Biden administration has used to fly thousands into the country

'This removal flight is the result of Secretary Mayorkas continued efforts to engage the PRC (People's Republic of China) on areas of mutual interest,' Tuesday's press release stated.

'Together, the United States and PRC are working to reduce and deter irregular migration and to disrupt illicit human smuggling through expanded law enforcement efforts.

Biden officials also pointed out they have recently secured cooperation from Ecuador to require visas from Chinese migrants who travel to South America to make the journey from that continent up through Central American and eventually to Mexico.

Chinese migrants encountered by DailyMail.com in San Diego in recent months described traveling from their homeland to South America and then flying into Mexico or walking there along with South American migrants.

Then they paid Chinese smugglers known as 'snakeheads' who are operating in synchrony with Mexican cartels to get into the US at the southern border, DailyMail.com was first to report in February.

Chinese migrants are largely entering the US through the southern border, with most of them illegally crossing into the San Diego, California area before asking for asylum.
Women's' relationship with handbags may date back thousands of years.

Researchers have discovered ancient wall carvings depicting what appeared to be handbags designed with a square case and short, half circle handle.

Some date back 12,000 years, which predates makeup, perfume and hairbrushes.

The earliest imagery was discovered in Turkey among the ruins of Gobekli Tepe, an ancient megalithic temple, which featured large stone pillars etched with bags.

Researchers have uncovered the same design in Mexico, Iraq and parts of South America, raising even more questions about the meaning of the motif - specifically how distant civilizations imagined the same object.

The earliest imagery was discovered in Turkey among the ruins of Gobekli Tepe, an ancient megalithic temple, which featured large stone pillars etched with bags

The Gobekli Tepe was built in 9,000 BC, featuring large, T-shaped stone pillars arranged in circles that were likely used for social events and rituals

While the images are nearly identical to modern-day purses, experts have suggested that many of the images are of baskets.

But some have also argued that the idea of a handbag could have been created by ancient civilizations.

The first modern handbag was designed in 1841 England by Samuel Parkinson, who needed a traveling case for his wife that could carry her belongings which were too big for a purse.

Since then, the accessory has become a must have fashion item among both women and men.

The most expensive handbag ever is the Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse that costs $3.8 million

The Gobekli Tepe was built in 9,000 BC, featuring large, T-shaped stone pillars arranged in circles that were likely used for social events and rituals,

Some of its structures feature of what appeared to be clothing, belts, loincloths and handbags.

While experts do not know exactly what the motifs mean, they have theorized that ancient humans saw the design in relation to the cosmos, Live Mint reported.

Archaeologists have made similar discoveries in Iraq when they uncovered the Relief with Winged Genie in 1846, which was a relief that once stood in a palace between 883 and 859 BC

Many experts have agreed that it was made to carry magic potions that the genie would sprinkle throughout the halls, but other translations have suggested the art shows a purse filled with intoxicants

The square 'bag' may stand for the Earth and the connected circle was a symbol of spirituality.

Ancient text has shown that past civilizations believed the Earth was flat, which may be why they showed it as a square in their art.

However, some researchers have argued that the design was the connection between our planet and the sky.

Another early example of a clutch has been found in Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, made about 5,000 years ago, which show gods carrying a small, square purse that symbolized prosperity.

And while archaeologists have found evidence of baskets and tool bags used by the civilization, they have yet to uncover what has been found etched in walls.

Archaeologists have made similar discoveries in Iraq.

Giant rock slabs found among the ruins of a Assyrian palace built between 883 and 859 BC depicted Genie's with wings who carried a handbag.

The structure features a genie with large, feathered wings holding what some have claimed is a handbag - while others are sure it is a small bucket.

Many experts have agreed that it was made to carry magic potions that the genie would sprinkle throughout the halls, but other translations have suggested the art shows a purse filled with intoxicants.

Historian Dr David Miano said in a recent YouTube video: 'These figures on the Assyrian palaces often have human bodies and animal heads, they're called the Apkalu.'

The same motif has also been found in Tula, Mexico among ruins created by the Toltecs

Giant stone statues on top of the Star Pyramid show figures clutching a handbag to their side - the structures were created in 750AD

He continued to explain that they are minor deities with the power of protect, which has been determined in ancient writings.

'They're carrying these things that people call handbags, but in reality they're buckets these are buckets to carry water sacred date palms,' said Dr Miano, noting archaeologists have found ancient buckets in Iraq that look similar to the etchings.

He noted that archaeologists have uncovered the actually buckets in the region.

The same motif has also been found in Tula, Mexico among ruins created by the Toltecs, which shows a human-like figure holding a bag while surrounded by a snake.

Giant stone statues in Tula also show figures clutching a handbag to their side - the structures were created in 750AD.

'[A handbag] is a very simple device, anyone could come up with that,' said Dr Miano.

'You don't need to learn it from another culture, you can invent it yourself.'
Major coastal cities like New York City, Boston and Philadelphia could be 'inundated' by untreated sewage flooding into streets and basements, a study has warned.

Scientists determined that the mid-1850s pipe networks, coupled with rising sea levels and increased rainfall are enough to overload the systems and send wastewater flowing through the streets.

The pipes originally discharged into streams and rivers before being redirected toward wastewater treatment facilities that cut through cities.

The systems were also designed to handle up to 1.75 inches of rainfall per hour in areas like New York City, for example.

But new models predict the amount of rainfall could exceed by two inches per hour over the next three decades.

Older coastal cities like New York City, Boston and Philadelphia could be 'inundated' by untreated sewage flooding into streets and basements. Pictured: Boston residents experienced coastal flooding during heavy rainfall in January 2024

New York City is one of the top metropolises at risk of sewage flooding because the pipes, built in the mid-1850s, weren't made to withstand rainfall exceeding 1.75 inches per hour. Pictured: Man tries to unblock sewage grate after Hurricane Irene hit Coney Island in 2011

In the new study, published in the journal Water Management Modeling, researchers at Drexel University analyzed Camden, New Jersey - an area prone to flooding - to determine how climate change could impact the systems along the East Coast.

The city, which borders the Delaware River, constructed its system in 1845, making it comparable to those in New York, Boston and Philadelphia.

The team created climate models to simulate future flooding and Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), which is when systems collect rainwater runoff, sewage and industrial waste into one pipe, by 2100.

Precipitation in the city is already up to 10 percent higher than the baseline set in 1999, but the new model showed that future precipitation will increase by 30 percent.

It also determined that sea levels will rise by nearly six feet by the end of the century, leading sewage flooding to increase by between 21 and 66 percent.

The results have suggested that sewage-tainted floods would last for nearly 65 days.

The model found that increases in the intensity of precipitation see flooding last for nearly 65 days.

Roughly 40 million people live in areas with combined sewer systems, making it critical that steps are taken to mitigate the risk of overflow. Pictured: Coney Island residents try to unblock a sewer grate in 2011

In 2019, sewage flooded into about 300 homes in Jamaica, Queens, destroying furniture, electronics and other belongings as the putrid waste spread throughout the area. Pictured: Sewage backup that filled Cynthia McKenzie's home in Jamaica Queens in November 2019

The team proposed one solution that would involve diverting upstream storm water away from Cramer's Hill, the main sewer system - located in the northern corner of Camden - but the researchers said they're still looking into other possible options.

'It's exciting to work with them now on the development of solutions that can also reduce flooding and make Camden's neighborhoods more resilient to climate change,' said Franco Montalto, a professor at Drexel University and the study's lead author.

In recent years, federal agencies have claimed they're taking steps to resolve the sewage flooding but the researchers said the efforts aren't enough.

The Department of Environmental Protection introduced a $62 million project to upgrade the infrastructure by replacing the sewers with larger pipes, but it didn't stop New York residents' basements from flooding during heavy rainfall last year.

A storm saturated areas across New York in September, causing sewer water to flood into the streets, subway stations and people's homes from over 7,400 miles of pipes.

'We're in this new territory where we're seeing higher intensity rainfalls like this,' Daniel A. Zarrilli, former climate policy adviser to the mayor told the New York Times.

'Once you've exceeded the capacity of the sewers themselves, that's what causes these backups. When the pipes can't handle it, it backs up.'

Earlier this year, one Boston resident said three separate rainstorms caused his home to overflow with sewage each time and his efforts to block the floods only made it worse.

'[It] started coming up through the shower right there,' he told CBS News, adding that when he tried to block the shower drain the sewage came up through the toilet.

'For probably 15, 16 hours, we're talking about thousands of gallons running through here,' he said.

'Going through the back of the house, going into my dining room, going into my bedroom and into the kitchen, like everything is ruined.'

In 2019, sewage flooded into about 300 homes in Jamaica, Queens, destroying furniture, electronics and other belongings as the putrid waste spread throughout the area.

'It's messy,' one resident who posted photos of murky water covering the floor of a basement bedroom told AP News.

'When you open it, it just smells. It makes you want to vomit.  The odor is just unbelievable,' she said.

Roughly 40 million people live in areas with combined sewer systems, making it critical that steps are taken to mitigate the risk of overflow.
NASA is set to launch an 'alien-hunting' telescope that experts believe will uncover an inhabited planet by 2050.

The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will search for 'wide variety of biosignatures' given off by living organisms after it launches around 2040.

Dr Jessie Christiansen, a chief scientist for NASA, is sure HWO will find 'a signal in the atmosphere of a planet in the habitable zone of a star like our sun within our lifetime.'

Scientists working on the project have identified 25 Earth-like planets around sun-like stars as potential candidates.

Astrophysicist Jessie Christiansen who works with NASA on the search for Earth-like exoplanets has come forward to say the US space agency's planned new telescope, the Habitable Worlds Observatory (concept above), may find proof of alien life 'in our lifetime'

Three NASA contracts totaling $17.5 million will go into effect this summer, constructing HWO's next-generation hardware and code needed to one day pull in nearby exoplanet data in rich new detail. Above a front view mock-up of HWO's light and EMF collection mirror

HWO has been deemed a 'Super Hubble' telescope that would directly image Earth-size circling other stars.

The observatory will also feature a mirror similar to that of James Webb and ultra-precise optics to scrutinize the atmospheres of these worlds for signs of life..

The space agency's exoplanet team of astronomers, physicists, engineers and scientists met last January in New Orleans to consider the tools needed for the job.

Berkeley astronomer Dr Courtney Dressing, a co-leader of HWO's Science Architecture Review Team (START), proposed kitting out HWO with the capacity to detect a 'wide variety of biosignatures.'

So-called 'biogenic' gases, produced by living organisms; aerosols and other airborne pollutants; 'surface biosignatures,' like the infra-red heat produced by vegetation, and more artificial 'technosignatures' that would be made by a civilized alien race all 'could be detectable with HWO,' Dr Dressing noted.

'Additional information about the planet and planetary system,' she continued. 'It [will be] required to interpret biosignatures and rule out false positives.'

Nevertheless, one astrophysicist who serves as chief scientist for NASA's Exoplanet Science Institute at the CalTech, Dr Jessie Christiansen, believes HWO could find proof of extraterrestrial life not too long after it's launched in 2040.

'I believe, in our lifetime, something like HWO will see a signal in the atmosphere of a rocky planet in the habitable zone of a star like our sun that we think is life,' Christiansen told New Scientist.

'A big part of my job is working on that,' as she told Pasadena Weekly last month.

'We're coming up with science questions that we would want that telescope to answer,' Dr Christiansen explained.

'We use that to define how big of a telescope, looking at what part of space, for how long, do we need? We take that to NASA and say, 'Hey, build this.''

The Hubble Space Telescope's focus on visual light caught many more of a galaxy's older, redder stars and younger, bluer stars (left). But the infra-red sensors on the newer James Webb proved better at imaging masses of gas and dust that were free-floating along a galaxy's spiraling arms, as well as catching a glimpse of the dense galactic core of star systems (right). In the middle image, a combined view of both telescopes' sensors

Building off of the technology and success of the James Webb telescope, NASA is developing a multi-billion successor tasked with searching for life on Earth-like planets as soon as the early 2040s. Above, another concept for this planned Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)

Collecting electromagnetic spectra from outside the spectrum of visible light, such as infra-red and UV light, and even x-rays, is one method astronomers use to get a better sense of what is out there in the universe.

The Hubble Space Telescope's focus on visual light caught many more of a galaxy's older, redder stars and younger, bluer stars, for example.

But the infra-red sensors on the newer James Webb proved better at imaging masses of gas and dust free-floating along a galaxy's spiraling arms, as well as catching a glimpse of the dense galactic core of star systems.

'We've been able to look at stars with such precision and such exquisite instruments that we can see planets around them,' Dr Christiansen noted. 'Now, we know that there are thousands of planets, and most stars have planets.'

But, despite over 5,000 new exoplanets logged and a few dozen Earth-like candidates she added: 'We still haven't found a planet like the Earth, a rocky planet in a habitable zone of a star like the sun.'

Military contractors Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Ball Aerospace (BAE Systems) will begin their portion of the work on the HWO this summer, per NASA.

The companies' two-year and $17.5 million effort will include building 'ultra-stable' optical sensor systems, which NASA hopes will be 'beyond current state-of-the-art tech' to help keep their HWO project working in orbit for as long as possible.

Northrop Grumman's contribution to that effort will be a protective support to the telescope's optical train, which they hope can ensure HWO withstands unexpected events in the harsh environment of space.

This year's spend however is nothing compared to the $11 billion in total that NASA hopes the US government will devote to their HWO telescope.

By the end of its official mission, which will focus on directly imaging at least 25 prime candidates for potentially habitable worlds, Dr Christiansen wonders if the humanity will ever be the same.

'It might start a revolution in life, religion, philosophy and science,' she said, although the astrophysicist confessed that the public's reaction might surprise her.

'It might be a headline for a day,' she admitted, 'and then everybody just goes back to what they were doing.'
Forty million years before the dinosaurs roamed the Earth, a far stranger monster was top of the food chain.

Scientists have discovered the fossilised remains of a giant six foot-long salamander-like monster with an enormous 'toilet seat-shaped head'.

Named Gaiasia jennyae after the Gai-as Formation in Namibia where it was found, this terrifying creature would have lurked in swamps and lakes eating anything that came near.

And with a skull more than two feet long and a set of impressive interlocking fangs, palaeontologists believe Gaiasia would have been a fierce ambush predator.

Co-lead author Dr Jason Pardo, of the Field Museum in Chicago, says: 'It's got a big, flat, toilet seat-shaped head, which allows it to open its mouth and suck in prey.'

Scientists have discovered a terrifying prehistoric predator with an enormous 'toilet seat-shaped head' (pictured: artist's impression)

One of the specimens was so well preserved researchers were able to find an articulated skull and spine hidden in the rock

Although Namibia is just north of South Africa today, 300 million years ago it would have been far further south  near the northernmost point of Antarctica today.

At this time the Ice Age was nearing its end and the lands nearer the equator were drying up and becoming forested.

But in the warmer areas near the poles swamps and lakes still existed where this bizarre new species could make its home.

Dr Pardo and his co-author Claudia Marsicano of the University of Buenos Aires discovered the fossilised remains of four creatures in a rock formation dating back 280 million years.

Considerably larger than a person  so more than 6 feet  and with a massive skull and huge fangs, Gaiasia would have been a terrifying but slow ambush hunter.

Dr Marsicano says: 'When we found this enormous specimen just lying on the outcrop as a giant concretion, it was really shocking.

'I knew just from seeing it that it was something completely different. We were all very excited.'

This creature gets its name from the Gai-as Formation in Namibia where it was found in a rock face dating back 280 million years

Researchers discovered four well preserved specimens of Gaiasia jennyae in a region of modern day Namibia

The researchers believe that Gaisia (pictured) would have been a fearsome, if slow, ambush predator that lurked at the bottom of lakes and swamps

One of those specimens was particularly well preserved, featuring an articulated head and spine which reveals an extremely unusual feature.

Gaiasia's skull displayed a highly unusual set of interlocking large fangs creating a unique bite for early tetrapods  the four-limbed vertebrates that evolved from lobe-finned fishes and gave rise to amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

Doctor Pardo says: 'It has these huge fangs, the whole front of the mouth is just giant teeth '

This unusual jaw structure would have let this ambush predator grab and hold large prey in the prehistoric swamps of Namibia.

It is these features which made it one of the top predators in the prehistoric ecosystem.

Researchers were surprised to discover that the ancient animal had a full set of interlocking fangs which was highly unusual for creatures from this period

Gaisia s a evolutionary holdover related to species which died out 40 million years ago, however, researchers believe it would have been one of the top predators in its ecosystem

The earliest known dinosaurs appeared during the Triassic Period  approximately 250 to 200 million years ago, but Gaiasia pre-dates them by 40 million years.

Doctor Pardo says: 'There are some other more archaic animals still hanging on 300 million years ago, but they were rare, they were small, and they were doing their own thing.

'Gaisia is big, and it is abundant, and it seems to be the primary predator in its ecosystem.'

The species is detailed further in a new study published today in Nature.
Archaeologists have discovered evidence of a lost civilization that once lived in South American at least 4,000 years ago.

They uncovered ancient drawings on a flat-top mountain in Venezuela, which featured colorful designs of dot patterns, leaf motifs and stick figures that may have been part of a mysterious ritual.

Lead researcher Jose Miguel Perez-Gomez told DailyMail.com that previous studies have found no signs of human activity in the region, suggesting the art was made by a previously unknown civilization.

The difference between the newly discovered group and other cultures is based solely 'on stylistic comparisons to other places in the region,' suggesting it could be ground zero for the emerging of this culture.'

Archaeologists have discovered evidence of a lost civilization in Venezuela depicting ancient rituals in 4,000-year-old drawings

The rock art was discovered on a mountain in Canaima National Park which could be ground zero for where the indigenous culture first developed

The rock art was discovered in Canaima National Park in Bolivar state that spans more than 11,500 square miles.

'What we are seeing is a new culture of hunter-gatherers who likely arrived in the Canaima National Park area at the end of the Pleistocene,' which lasted from between 2.5 million and 11,700 years ago,' Perez-Gomez said.

'They settled, evolved there, and then spread to the rest of the region, reaching places as far as the Amazon Basin.'

Some of the drawings, like those that appeared to depict a leaf, are located in out-of-reach areas, and situated on a clean oval-shaped rock space that may have inspired the artist to create this particular design, reads the study published in the journal Rock Art Research.

The hunter-gatherers used red ochre - a natural oxide pigment made from ground up clay, quartz and chalk - that had a slight orange hue.

Other motifs resembled claviforms, a club-shaped image or symbol, with faded figures underneath and surrounding it that could be a sign of successful hunting endeavors.

More research needs to be conducted to understand the meaning behind the drawings and what they represent, according to the study.

'Stylistic comparisons so far show similarities to rock paintings near the Brazilian border, which have been dated to around 4,000 BP,' he continued, adding: 'However, the newly found rock art is much cruder, suggesting it could be even older.'

The artwork featured stick figure drawings of people, dot patterns and distinct leaf motifs on a rock wall that might have been used as both a shelter for indigenous hunter-gatherers and the site for enacting ritual activities

The researchers arent sure why the ancient people created the art, but they could be related to birth, disease, nature or hunting

Although some drawings showed signs of organic disturbances such as lichen, algae, roots or wasp nests, the archaeologists noted the overhanging area of the rock wall had preserved the panels

Although some drawings showed signs of organic disturbances such as lichen, algae, roots or wasp nests, the archaeologists noted the overhanging area of the mountain had preserved the panels.

'These findings are exceptional because they are new to science, filling a gap in a region never before explored in archaeological terms,' Perez-Gomez said.

'They also provide context for other regional studies in northern Brazil, the Guianas, and even southern Colombia.'

Perez-Gomez said the depictions could be related to birth, disease, nature or hunting, but the location probably had a meaning and an importance within the landscape, just as churches have a meaning for people today.

The mountain's location hinted at the type of people who may have created the drawings because it lies between the Arauak and Aparuren Rivers that flow in opposite directions.

The secondary river is connected to the Tirica River that drains into the Caroni River, positioning the mountain at the center of a natural walkthrough in this valley for game migration, the study said.

Some of the drawings were in out-of-reach areas that required the team to climb a ladder to photograph them

The hunter-gatherers used red ochre - a natural oxide pigment made from ground up clay, quartz and chalk - that had a slight orange hue

The researchers have called for the site to be protected and are optimistic that they will discover more rock art sites in the park which spans 11,583 square miles

Perez-Gomez noted that faded graffiti was also found on the rock wall dating back to 1947 which appeared to belong to Spanish explorer Captain Felix Cardona Puig, who discovered the area.

Pottery fragments and stone tools also littered the area, suggesting they may have been used by the hunter-gatherers who created the art.

'All this evidence indicates that we are in the presence of a new culture,' Perez-Gomez told DailyMail.com.

Some motifs resemble claviforms, a club-shaped image or symbol, with faded figures underneath and surrounding it that could be a sign of successful hunting endeavors

Some of the drawings, like those that appear to depict a leaf, (pictured) are located in out-of-reach areas, and is situated on a clean oval-shaped rock space, which may have inspired the artist to create this particular design'

Perez-Gomez and are working with researchers in neighboring countries to determine whether the same cultural groups made the rock art

He and his co-author have called for the site to be protected and are optimistic that they will discover more rock art sites in the park which spans 11,583 square miles.

The park itself is larger than countries like El Salvador or Belgium, so it wouldn't be surprising to find even more traces if research continues more in-depth, depending on resources, Perez-Gomez told Axios.

The pair are working with researchers in neighboring countries to determine whether the same cultural groups made the rock art.

This is relevant not only for Venezuela but points at a cultural and ethnic richness that will enhance, worldwide, how we think about the region, said Perez-Gomez.
A NASA astronaut has captured jaw-dropping pictures of destructive Hurricane Beryl from space.

Matthew Dominick shot the images as the International Space Station traveled more than 200 miles above the Caribbean on July 1.

'Peering down into the eye with the 50 to 500 mm lens gave me both an eerie feeling and a high level of weather nerd excitement,' Dominick shared in an X post.

Hurricane Beryl has killed at least six people and is predicted to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to Jamaica.

The astronaut pointed his lens to Earth on Monday when Beryl made its first landfall in the Caribbean islands

Dominick pointed his lens to Earth on Monday when Beryl made its first landfall in the Caribbean islands.

At the time, the hurricane was still a Category 4 with 130mph winds.

The images show the storm swirling around the Atlantic Ocean with a well-organized eye at the center, SWNS reported.

NASA studies hurricanes from space through images like those taken by the astronaut as the 'vantage point helps scientists understand how climate change impacts hurricanes and learn how communities can better prepare.'

The ferocious Category 5 storm has already caused significant damage after 165mph winds battered parts of the Caribbean.

Storm surges of up to nine feet above typical tide levels are likely in Jamaica, as well as heavy rainfall.

National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said: 'There is a big hazard in the Caribbean, especially with the mountainous islands.

Matthew Dominick shot the images as the International Space Station more than 200 miles above the Caribbean on July 1

'Peering down into the eye with the 50 to 500 mm lens gave me both an eerie feeling and a high level of weather nerd excitement,' he said in an X post

'This could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides in some of these areas.'

A new model has also predicted Hurricane Beryl will rip through six US states.

Previous data suggested that the hurricane could skim Texas at the weekend.

Now parts of the state have been added to the hurricane's forecast cone by the National Hurricane Center.

Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky could now also be swept up in the storm's path, one model presented by hurricane expert Dr Levi Cowan shows.

At least five spaghetti models, data broken down in strands that show a storms potential path, now indicate the hurricane will lash the US.

The images show the storm swirling around the Atlantic Ocean with a well-organized eye at the center

Hurricane Beryl has killed at least six people and is predicted to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to Jamaica

For Beryl, most of the five models that impact the US show Texas in the firing line, but one additional path suggests Louisiana could see some impact too, with one possibility of the storm sweeping all six states.

'It's really dependent on where the hurricane is launching from by the time we get to Friday if it's coming off the Yucatan Peninsula far enough North, it may continue gaining latitude and threaten the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico, that could mean northern Mexico or Texas and the US Gulf Coast could be threatened,' Dr Cowan said.

'But if it crosses farther down say if it's a weaker storm then it would likely continue West more into Eastern Mexico.'

Beryl's path will be determined by the level of pressure over the southeast.

If this drops, it will allow the storm to move northwards potentially spelling disaster for the US.

Gulf Coast residents are urged to watch the record-breaking storm, the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Central American basin.
A parasitic vampire fish has been spotted in a Virginia river that is rarely seen by humans and while it is invasive, experts said it's a good sign.

An Alexandria local pulled what is called a sea lamprey from the Potomac River with his bare hands and tossed the nearly two-foot-long eel-like creature onto dry land.

The fish gets the nickname for its sucker-like mouth and pointed teeth, which it uses to latch onto its victim and feed on their bodily fluids - sometimes feasting for weeks.

The Potomac River has been long polluted and government agencies have taken steps to clean it up, making the lamprey's appearance a sign that the pollution is finally ebbing away because the creature is sensitive to toxins .

An Alexandria local pulled what is called a sea lamprey from the Potomac River with his bare hands and tossed the nearly two-foot-long eel-like creature onto dry land

Sea lampreys are an invasive species initially native to the Atlantic Ocean, but they invaded the Great Lakes in the 1800s through manmade canals and shipping docks.

The population started growing in the Potomac in 2002, which experts believed was a positive sign for the river.

The resurgence of sea lamprey is another indication that water quality is getting better, Jim Cummins, the then-associate director for the Living Resources Section told the Potomac Bay Reporter at the time.

Sea lamprey are fairly sensitive to pollution.

The 23-year-old man posted an Instagram video of him catching the vampire fish, claiming it was the first sea lamprey caught in the Potomac River.

The fish migrate from the Chesapeake Bay to the freshwater river each year to lay their eggs, which suggests this is not the first sighting.

However, he appeared shocked, repeatedly saying: 'Oh my gosh' as the person recording dares him to put the lamprey on his arm.

'I'm not doing that,' he said, but called his catch 'insane.'

People responded to the video, saying that because its an invasive species and should be removed.

'They eat other fish and infect them with parasites with a bite so, they'll eventually die. They are invasive. Check what damage they did in Michigan and what they had to do to fix it,' one person commented.

A single female can produce as many as 100,000 eggs and as the population rose in the Great Lakes during the 1940s and 1950s, they nearly decimated the lake trout and whitefish, prompting efforts to eliminate them.

Another person simply said: 'Kill it.'

The river was given a B grade last year for its cleanliness, up from the D ranking it received in 2011.

Studies are being conducted to determine if the river will be clean enough to lift the ban on swimming in the next two to three years, according to the Potomac Conservancy.

While social media called for the sea lamprey to be killed, its presence in the is not harmful to the ecosystem.

The Chesapeake Bay Program said after the lamprey reaches maturity at four to five years, they leave the freshwater rivers to live out the rest of their life in the ocean.

The fish gets the nickname for its sucker-like mouth and pointed teeth, which it uses to latch onto its victim and feed on their bodily fluids - sometimes feasting for weeks

The lamprey has the appearance of an eel, with a long body measuring between 12 and 22 inches long and brown and yellow skin that is covered in dark spots. It has a sucker-like mouth and pointed teeth to grasp onto its victim and feed on their body fluids, sometimes for as long as three weeks until the fish dies.

Lampreys have existed for millions of years, but they have become threatened by habitat loss and chemical treatments called lampricide which kill lamprey larvae and has reduced their population by more than 90 percent.

They have the appearance of an eel, with a long body measuring between 12 and 22 inches long and brown and yellow skin that is covered in dark spots.

These fish can accidentally latch on to humans who are swimming in the water, and while the bite wont be fatal, it is painful and untreated wounds could cause an infection.

Sea lamprey are native to the area and have existed in the Potomac for years, but they dont typically take fishermens bait and the polluted water has previously hidden them from view.

The fish is believed to have once been plentiful in the Chesapeake Bay, which flows into the Potomac, but the population was reduced in part because of increased sediment, pollution, and blockage of spawning areas by dams.

Since 1989, the Alice Ferguson Foundation has spearheaded the Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup and the DC Water Clean Rivers Program has invested $2.6 billion to reduce pollution.
Australia's citizenship test

1. What do we commemorate on Anzac Day?

a. The landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps at Gallipoli, Turkey during World War I

b. The arrival of the first free settlers from Great Britain

c. The landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove

2. What are the colours of the Australian Aboriginal Flag?

a. Black, red and yellow

b. Green, white and black

c. Blue, white and green

3. What is the Commonwealth Coat of Arms?

a. The national anthem

b. Australias national flower

c. The official symbol of Australia, which identifies Commonwealth property

4. What happened in Australia on 1 January 1901?

a. The Australian Constitution was changed by a referendum

b. The separate colonies were united into a federation of states called the Commonwealth of Australia

c. The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps was formed

5. What is the capital city of Australia?

a. Brisbane

b. Canberra

c. Perth

6. Which of these is an example of freedom of speech?

a. People can peacefully protest against a government action

b. Men and women are treated equally in a court of law

c. Australians are free to not follow a religion

7. Which of these statements about government in Australia is correct?

a. The government does not allow some religions

b. The government in Australia is secular

c. Religious laws are passed by Parliament

8. Which of these is an example of equality in Australia?

a. Everyone follows the same religion

b. Men and women have equal rights

c. Everyone belongs to the same political party

9. Which of these is a responsibility of Australian citizens aged 18 years or over?

a. To attend local council meetings

b. To vote in federal and state or territory elections, and in a referendum

c. To have a current Australian passport

10. Which of these statements about passports is correct?

a. Australian citizens can apply for an Australian passport

b. Permanent residents can hold an Australian passport

c. Australian citizens need a passport and visa to return to Australia

11. Which of these statements about voting in Australian elections is correct?

a. People are free and safe to vote for any candidate

b. Voting is by a show of hands

c. People must write their name on their vote

12. What is the name of the legal document that sets out the basic rules for the government of Australia?

a. The Australian Federation

b. The Australian Commonwealth

c. The Australian Constitution

13. What is a referendum?

a. A vote to change the government

b. A vote to change the Australian Constitution

c. A vote to change the Prime Minister

14. Which arm of government has the power to interpret and apply laws?

a. Legislative

b. Executive

c. Judicial

15. Which of these is a role of the Governor-General?

a. The appointment of state premiers

b. Signing all Bills passed by the Australian Parliament into law

c. The appointment of the Head of State

16. Which of these statements best demonstrates Australian values about freedom of expression?

a. Everyone can peacefully express their opinions within the law

b. People with different views from me need to keep quiet

c. Only approved topics can be discussed

17. Should people in Australia make an effort to learn English?

a. People in Australia should speak whichever language is most commonly spoken in their local neighbourhood

b. There is no expectation to learn any particular language in Australia

c. Yes, English is the national language of Australia and it helps to get an education, a job, and to integrate into the community

18. In Australia, can you encourage violence against a person or group of people if you have been insulted?

a. Yes, if you do not intend to carry out the violence

b. No, it is against Australian values and the law

c. Sometimes, if I feel very offended

19. Should people tolerate one another where they find that they disagree?

a. It is against the law to disagree with one another

b. No, people only need to treat each other with respect if they agree with one another

c. Yes, peaceful disagreement reflects Australian values in relation to mutual respect

20. Which of the following is an example of contributing to the Australian community?

a. Volunteering or fundraising for a charity is a great opportunity to strengthen our community

b. I should not make any effort to get to know other people

c. People in Australia should not contribute to the community because Australia is a free country

Try Australia's citizenship test here.

Australia answers: 1a; 2a; 3c; 4b; 5b; 6a; 7b; 8b; 9b; 10a; 11a; 12c; 13b; 14c; 15b; 16a; 17c; 18b; 19c; 20a

You need 15 out of 20 (75 per cent to pass)

Canada answers: 1c; 2a; 3d; 4b; 5a; 6d; 7d; 8c; 9a; 10b; 11d; 12b; 13d; 14b; 15c; 16d; 17d; 18d; 19c; 20a

You need 15 out of 20 (75 per cent to pass)
Brits who partake in a cheeky wee in the sea may need to budget an extra 635 for their holidays in Marbella where authorities are set to roll out new penalties as part of a Costa del Sol tourist cleanup drive.

Councillors in the holiday hotspot in southern Spain have declared bathers will face fines of up to 750 if they are caught performing 'physiological evacuations in the sea and on the beach'.

The measure, which has been approved in a plenary session and is now awaiting public scrutiny, formulates part of a wider legislation aimed at cracking down on the impact of tourism in the Spanish resort region.

It comes after lawmakers in Vigo, a city in the Galicia region, rolled out a similar rule some two years ago.

The fine will be doubled for each repeat offence, meaning a second penalty will be set at 1,500 euros and the third up to 3000.

But the move has been criticised and even ridiculed by locals, many of whom regularly partake in the practice themselves and say it is impossible to regulate and enforce.

Councillors in the holiday hotspot in southern Spain have declared bathers will face fines of up to 750 if they are caught performing 'physiological evacuations in the sea and on the beach'

Councillors in the holiday hotspot in southern Spain have declared beachgoers will face fines of up to 750 if they are caught performing 'physiological evacuations in the sea and on the beach'

Tourists flash their bottoms on the beach in Spain

Brits who partake in a cheeky wee in the sea may need to budget an extra 635 for their holidays in Marbella

Most commentators agreed that urinating on the sand is understandably seen as an offence and can be policed.

But urinating in the sea is a different story.

'Who's going to find the culprits - the jellyfish?' one incredulous interviewee said when asked about the measure by Mario Picazo for Spanish television show 'Tiempo al tiempo', according to media outlet El Correo.

'Let them worry about other things - this is idiotic!' another said.

'What would a policeman be looking for? You can't see, I don't understand anything.'

Other outlets openly criticised the measure, declaring that weeing in the sea was 'one of the most widespread customs in our country'.

Despite the outrage, the measure has actually been in place in Malaga ever since 2004 - albeit with much lower penalties.

Bathers can be fined up to 300 at present if they are caught urinating at the beach.

But these fines would be bumped up considerably if the new legislation passes, along with a raft of other measures.

These include a series of new restrictions limiting ball games and paddleboards in parts of beaches where the activities could be seen to 'disturb other beach users'.

Beachgoers will also have to obtain authorisation from the relevant authorities before holding any parties, public events or competitions on the 25 beaches in Marbella affected by the legislation.

Marbella24horas later reported other restrictions will prevent people from leaving umbrellas or parasols in the sand to reserve a space on the beach, and from leaving cigarette butts, rubbish and food scraps in the sand.

Parking caravans or motorhomes by the beach will also be prohibited where it 'contravenes the applicable traffic regulations'.

These measures in Marbella come months after authorities on the island of Mallorca rolled out new penalties to crack down on chaos created by drunken tourists.

Drunken Brits are seen in the streets of Spanish holiday resort Magaluf this summer

Partygoers can be seen sitting on the pavements with their heads in their hands after a long night of hitting the town

In Magaluf - one of the most notorious party destinations popular with Brits - tourists are now subject to draconian laws that prohibit drinking on the streets or buying alcohol in corner shops past 8.30pm.

Anyone breaking the rules introduced on May 11 could be fined up to 1,500 (1,350).

If someone's offence is decided to be more serious, the fines could increase to 3,000 (2,550).

The strict new regulations also prohibit tourists from organising drinking parties in public, spraying graffiti, riding scooters and displaying nudity.

They are set to stay in place until at least 2027, at which point the regulations will be reviewed for effectiveness and impact.
Got itchy feet but don't want to give up your career?

A digital nomad visa could be the answer. It gives you the legal right to work remotely from a country that's not your permanent place of residence.

But where to go? A destination you can call home for a while might be a good idea.

Here we reveal, courtesy of research by recruitment firm William Russell, the 10 destinations offering the longest visa stays.

Topping the list in joint first place with five-year digital nomad schemes are Spain and Albania.

Spain's attractive scheme allows non-EU workers the chance to work remotely there for 12 months, but this can be extended for up to five years

Albania's digital nomad scheme is initially issued for 12 months, but can be extended for up to five years

Spain's attractive scheme allows non-EU workers the chance to work remotely there for 12 months, but this can be extended for up to five years.

A similar scheme in Albania is also available, where the visa is initially issued for 12 months but can also be extended to a maximum of five years.

However, the process is not straightforward. Applicants for Spain's digital nomad visa must have an undergraduate or postgraduate degree from a university, college or business school of prestige - or at least three years of work experience in their current field.

LONGEST DIGITAL NOMAD VISAS

1= Spain - 5 years 1= Albania - 5 years 2 Mexico - 4 years 3 El Salvador - 4 years 4= Germany - 3 years 4= Malta - 3 years 4= Taiwan - 3 years 4= Cyprus - 3 years 5 Norway - 2 years 6 Portugal - 2 years Source: William Russell Advertisement

Digital nomads must provide proof that they have worked for their company for at least three months, need proof of accommodation in Spain and must earn at least double Spain's minimum wage. As of February, the minimum wage is 1,134 (960/$1,213), according to the government of Spain - that means digital nomads must earn 2,268 (2,055/ $2,426) per month.

To register for the visa, digital nomads will be required to pay a 75 (64/$81) registration fee, as well as 15 (13/$16) for a residency card.

Meanwhile, wannabe nomads looking to move to Albania will have to apply for a 'visa for digital mobile workers' - a type D visa. This requires you to have a valid contract with an employer, a document proving professional capacity, proof of accommodation in Albania, a 12-month back-dated bank statement, an invitation from a resident of Albania and several other documents and forms.

There is currently no minimum income listed on the Republic of Albania's visa website.

People who don't want to move to Europe might find Mexico's digital nomad scheme attractive. Slightly shorter than the options available in Spain and Albania, digital nomads can extend their visa for up to four years, but will need to provide some proof of income to qualify.

Digital nomads can extend their visa for up to four years in Mexico, but will need to provide some proof of income to qualify

El Salvador's digital nomad visa initially lasts for two years, but can be renewed for an additional two years

Applicants need to have a monthly income equivalent to 300 days of the minimum wage in Mexico City - around 3,417 ($4,338) - or they'll need to own a property in Mexico worth 40,000 days of minimum wage in the district the property resides in.

Currently the daily minimum wage in the 'geographic area of the free zone on the Northern Border' is 374.89 Mexican pesos (16/$20.23) and in the rest of the country the daily minimum wage is 248.93 Mexican pesos (10.77/$13.62), according to the embassy of Mexico for the UK.

In joint third position with Mexico, El Salvador's digital nomad visa initially lasts for two years but can be renewed for an additional two years. Digital nomads will need to ensure the amount they earn per month 'is not less than $1,460' (1,112), according to El Salvador CIP.

Rounding off the top five longest digital nomad visas are Germany in joint fifth with Malta, Taiwan and Cyprus, where remote workers can obtain a visa for up to three years. Norway (9th) and Portugal (10th) round off the top 10, with schemes offering up to two years.

William Cooper, marketing director at William Russell, warns: 'There are many things that you need to think about before relocating to another country and officially becoming a digital nomad. For example, in most countries, it's deemed necessary for you to have international health insurance.

'This ensures that you will be covered for the cost of things such as doctor visits, diagnostic tests and hospital treatment when living abroad.

'However, to minimise the chance of you needing to claim on your international health insurance, it's a good idea to research the state of the healthcare system in the country that you're planning on relocating to.

'Countries such as Malta and Taiwan have excellent healthcare systems in place for their residents, including expats and digital nomads, so it's unlikely that you would be left with expensive medical costs.'
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dolores Catania, 53, has revealed the behind-the-scenes secrets to her ageless skin - and the exact products she uses to achieve that glowing complexion.

Catania revealed her $1,000 skincare routine in a new two-part series that was posted to her TikTok account this month.

The reality star, who has been a part of the Bravo series since 2016, has been open about her looks since being in the spotlight, and has shared some of the cosmetic procedures she's decided to have with fans of the show.

In 2019, the mom-of-two underwent a facelift, neck lift, and eyelid surgery with Dr. Mark Karolak in New Jersey, and a temporal lift in 2023.

She also underwent liposuction on some areas of her body, like her arms, in May 2021, as well as a tummy tuck and thigh lift in 2020.

Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dolores Catania , 53, has revealed the behind-the-scenes secrets to her ageless skin

Catania doesn't use a traditional cleanser - she begins her routine with the $48 Cleansing Balm by Oak Essentials, which works to take off makeup

Having good skin is extremely important to Catania, and she gave viewers a step-by-step look at what she does every day - starting off with a good double cleanse, of course.

But Catania doesn't use a traditional cleanser - she begins her routine with the $48 Cleansing Balm by Oak Essentials, which works to take off makeup.

'It kind of loosens up all that gunk and makeup on your face, or, say you were out in the sun, whatever it is that you have on your skin that's gonna be hard to get off,' she explained, as she rubbed the balm all over her face.

She revealed that she liked this product as the first step in order to really clean the skin before she applied other topicals.

Once she's done with the cleansing balm, she wipes it off with a face towel, and then goes in with the $75 ReVive Foaming Cleanser.

'This is my cleanser, it has a little exfoliating in it, which is a big deal for me, because listen, let's face it, I haven't always taken care of my skin like this,' the fitness franchise owner said.

As Catania washed off the cleanser, she joked that she felt like she had lost weight from getting rid of all the junk.

After that, she uses the $92 Daily Peel Pads from Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare which consists of two steps - a pad for exfoliating, and a pad for neutralizing and hydration.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey star also gave viewers a closer look at her skin after she had applied some of the serums

Catania has been a part of The Real Housewives of New Jersey since 2016, when the seventh season aired

As Catania washed off the cleanser, she joked that she felt like she had lost weight from getting rid of all the junk

The Bravo stars rubs this peel not only on her face, but on her neck as well.

However, Catania warned viewers not to use these every day, as they can dry out the skin a bit.

'You're gonna thank me for this, these products are, for me, the bomb,' she admitted.

Then, it's time for all of her lotions and potions - like the $87 Vitamin C Serum also by Dr. Dennis Gross.

'Don't forget to use your Vitamin C, it firms the skin, and brightens it, you almost feel like a new person,' she said. 'Take the time out for yourself, it's really important.'

'So, now that my peel has kicked in, my Vitamin C is working, I have my RCA Skin hyaluronic acid, it's for hydrating and smooths out fine lines and wrinkles,' Catania continued.

She added that the $125 serum was great to use during the morning and the night.

Catania highlighted that taking care of the skin was an essential for her, and urged people to start doing so when they're young - joking that maybe you wouldn't end up needing a facelift later.

Catania highlighted that taking care of the skin was an essential for her, and urged people to start doing so when they're young - joking that maybe you wouldn't end up needing a facelift like her

Season 14 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey is currently airing on Bravo, with much of the cast divided

Beauty breakdown! Dolores' skincare faves $48 Cleansing Balm by Oak Essentials

$75 Foaming Cleanser by ReVive

$92 Daily Peel Pads by Dr. Dennis Gross

$87 Vitamin C Serum by Dr. Dennis Gross

$125 Hyaluronic Acid serum by RCA Skin

$140 Pro-Collagen Marine Cream with SPF 30 by Elemis

$45 Lip Plumper by Dr. Dennis Gross

$455 red light therapy mask by Dr. Dennis Gross Advertisement

'Start it young, and maybe you won't need a facelift later on,' she said.

One of her final steps was using a moisturizing cream that contained SPF, specifically the $140 ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Marine Cream with SPF 30.

'I am ashamed to say I have never used SPF before, and I've paid the price, because I've had to have some work done because of my fine lines and wrinkles,' she shared.

She urged viewers not to leave the house without wearing SPF, even if you're not going outside or to the beach.

Catania also suggested wearing SPF while driving and putting it on your hands to avoid sun damage later.

Finally, Catania plumped up her lips with the $45 gloss by Dr. Dennis Gross.

But, at the end of the clip, she surprised viewers by showing them her absolute favorite product, which was a $455 red light therapy face mask by the doctor, which she uses at night.

Red light therapy is a treatment that involves putting red light on the skin, as it's thought to have anti-aging benefits, like reducing wrinkles and scars, per Cleveland Clinic.

'Even Dr. Mark Karolak, my facial surgeon who everyone knows, recommends this,' she said.

'This is great for healing, production of collagen, I mean, it's just so beneficial, and it's cute!'
The mystery surrounding the unfortunate guest who lost control of their bowels in a bed at Gwyneth Paltrow's Hamptons home has now been solved by insiders who have named the person at the center of the scandal.

DailyMail.com can reveal that the culprit behind the mortifying incident is socialite and celebrity hanger-on, Derek Blasberg.

The internet was whipped into a frenzy last week when a blind item in a popular gossip newsletter claimed that Goop founder Paltrow, 51, had been tasked with cleaning up someone's 'Ozempic-induced diarrhea' at her home.

But insiders have claimed that media personality Blasberg, 42 - once described as 'one of showbizs most well-connected men' - only conveniently blamed it on the popular weight loss wonder drug before allegedly fleeing the property.

'Its not Ozempic, thats just what he told everyone,' the insider said, before revealing how the secret made its way through the Hamptons set.

The mystery surrounding the celebrity who lost control of their bowels in a bed at Gwyneth Paltrow's Hamptons home has been solved

DailyMail.com can reveal that the person involved in the mortifying incident is socialite and celebrity hanger-on, Derek Blasberg, 42 (pictured)

Despite best efforts, the secret slowly made its way through the Hamptons set, and four weeks ago someone even posted several poop emojis on one of Blasberg's Instagram posts featuring Gwyneth

'Gwyneth told Oprah, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld, and Larry David,' they continued.

'Its shocking how many people know this story and how he has managed to keep it out of The Post probably via his best friend [socialite Dasha Zhukova] - whose mom just married Rupert Murdoch.'

Blasberg is no stranger to spending time with Paltrow at her five-bedroom Long Island home, where she hosted her wedding to Brad Falchuk.

In 2022 the fashion expert posted a snap of himself and the actress celebrating her 50th birthday at the sprawling property.

And it appears someone tried to out Blasberg as the phantom pooper four weeks ago when they commented two poop emojis, a toilet emoji and a dynamite emoji on the Instagram post.

Speculation first kicked off last week when a blind item report started circulating via an email newsletter called Popb***h.

'The story goes that a recent houseguest of Gwynnie's catastrophically s**t themselves in bed while staying there, then fled back to the city before they had to face the music,' it read.

Revealing that the scandal had become 'the Hamptons set's favorite piece of gossip to text to each other,' the report continued: 'Ozempic-induced diarrhea is becoming a very hot topic of conversation between hosts there - because so many of their guests are using it. So expect launderettes to be fully booked from July 4.'

Blasberg is no stranger to spending time with Paltrow at her home on Long Island - pictured in 2018 when she tied the knot with Brad Falchuk

Fashion expert Blasberg previously posted a snap of himself and the actress at her 50th birthday celebrations at the property in 2022

Spokesperson for Blasberg and Paltrow did not respond to requests for comment.

Blasberg most recently worked as the head of fashion and beauty partnerships at YouTube and is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, and several international editions of Vogue.

Blasberg, who penned Very Classy: Even More Exceptional Advice for the Extremely Modern Lady, not only counts Paltrow as a close friend but also frequently spends his time with the likes of Karlie Kloss, Sienna Miller, Kendall Jenner and Demi Moore.

Thanks to his influence and connections as a top fashion journalist, socialite, and television personality, his birthday parties often serve as a warm-up to the Met Gala for his A-list attendees.

For his 42nd birthday bash in April, A-list stars such as Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson, Jake Gyllenhaal and Andy Cohen were in attendance.

In 2022 his bash was attended by Jeff Bezos, Hailey Bieber, and Leonardo DiCaprio among others.

Blasberg is also a senior staffer at the Gagosian Gallery and has contributed texts to The New York Times, WSJ Magazine, Elle, Womens Wear Daily, Glamour, and The London Sunday Times over the course of his career.

Blasberg most recently worked as the head of fashion and beauty partnerships at YouTube - pictured with Karlie Kloss (L) and Sienna Miller (R)

DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives of Derek Blasberg and Gwyneth Paltrow for comment

According to the blind item, the popularity of Ozempic is causing an issue among the rich and famous as they holiday together in the Hamptons.

Ozempic, typically used to treat diabetes and allow people to shed weight quickly, has a common side-effect that affects one in 10 users.

The active ingredient of semaglutide not only triggers weight loss but causes gastrocolic reflex, which can lead to explosive and uncontrollable diarrhea.

In recent months, a handful of celebrities have admitted to using Ozempic, including Oprah, Elon Musk, Sharon Osbourne, Chelsea Handler and Robbie Williams.

Comedian Amy Schumer also admitted to taking the drug in 2022 but revealed she had to quit due to side effects.

'I was one of those people who felt so sick,' she said.

Blasberg has built up influence and connections as a top fashion journalist, socialite, and television personality (pictured with Nicky and Paris Hilton)

Weight loss drugs work by mimicking GLP-1, a hormone made naturally in the body that helps slow the passage of food through the stomach, in turn making people feel less hungry.

It also alters the brain's appetite regulation so that users feel satisfied despite eating less and they also don't experience cravings for treat foods.

Clinical trials show that 30 per cent of patients experience diarrhea on Wegovy, compared to 16 percent on the placebo, according to the drug's prescribing information.

Common side effects of Ozempic include constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, according to the drugs label.

Meanwhile, longer-term side-effects have also started to emerge.
Bethenny Frankel showcased her toned tummy in a new swimsuit snap on social media Tuesday.

The Skinny Girl founder, 53, continued to look 'thinner than ever' in a black and white two piece as she stood by the pool of her house in the Hamptons.

The former reality star donned a long-sleeve scuba top with a zip collar and matching bikini bottoms.

Her long, dark hair was styled in natural waves and she wore camera ready makeup with a red lip.

She accessorized with a pair of sunglasses on her head.

Bethenny Frankel, 53, showcased her toned tummy in a black and white two piece. 'I guess B-kini season is officially in session,' she posted

'This summer I choose me. I choose happiness. I choose love. I choose laughter. I choose truth vs fear,' said the former Real Housewives of New York star, who recently broke up with fiance Paul Bernal, 45.

'I choose this I guess B-kini season is officially in session.'

'Is it me or is single looking really good on her ? Is she looking younger because the stress is gone ? ' wrote one admirer.

'You go Bethenny, live your best life.' advised a fan.

'And dont let anyone interfere with your happiness. Only good people in your life.'

'Same here,' agreed a fan, adding, 'Choosing me was THE BEST decision Ive ever made.'

In a video in her Instagram Stories, Frankel revealed during a walk along the beach that she's having some problems with her neighbors.

'When I tell that Mother Goose just hissed at me,' she said referring to a flock of ducks by the bay, 'I feel like I just walked into an alley and I'm unsafe. I gotta get the heck out of here.'

'They just said "not today," and I get it. It's your turf. I'm not going to play games.'

The Just B with Bethenny Frankel podcast host described the tense situation between woman and bird as 'Honestly, It's like I'm head of the Gambino Crime Family and they said "get off our turf." I'm going.'

In a video in Instagram Stories, Frankel revealed she's having some problems with her neighbors - a group of geese

'When I tell you that Mother Goose just hissed at me, I feel like I just walked into an alley and I'm unsafe. I gotta get the heck out of here,' she said

The day prior she sizzled in a white one-piece

In addition to B-kini season, Frankel has been enjoying her summer vacation with daughter Bryn, 13 and has declared it to be a 'cute girl summer'

Frankel has been vacationing in the Hamptons following her breakup with fiance Paul Bernal, 45 (Pictured in Santa Monica in June 2022)

In a clip as she walked along the shore in a navy blue, green and white bikini, with a beige Panama hat, the Business is Personal author continued, 'I know when I'm not wanted, and that, that was where I was not wanted.'

Referring to herself, she said, 'One of these things did not look like the other and we all know who it was.'

Describing the beef between her and the fowl, she continued, 'And they know that a bird s**t on me last night. So, they're like, "You got s**t on? that was nothing compared to what's going to happen today."'

Frankel has been enjoying her summer vacation with daughter Bryn, 13, whom she shares with ex-husband Paul Hoppy.

Mother and daughter have been enjoying a 'cute girl summer.'
Nicole Kidman's adopted daughter Bella Kidman Cruise posted a rare image to social media on Tuesday.

The artist, 31, posted an image of herself and her three friends as they attended the 2024 Glastonbury festival.

In the photo, the friends looked out into the distance as they wrapped their arms around each other and sat on a hill at the event.

Bella, who was adopted by Nicole and then-husband Tom Cruise in 1992, captioned the image: 'The best'.

Bella and her brother Connor (born in 1995) have endured a strained relationship with the To Die For actress over the years.

Nicole and Tom divorced in 2001 following an 11 year marriage, and were given joint custody of the children.

However, the adopted children reportedly remained 'loyal to their father' and decided to live with him, meaning they were raised in the controversial church of Scientology.

Nicole hasn't been pictured publicly with her eldest two children since 2007, and she was reportedly 'devastated' after the pair didn't attend her father's funeral in 2014.

Nicole Kidman 's adopted daughter Bella Kidman Cruise posted a rare image to social media on Tuesday

It had also been reported that she was eager for Connor and Bella to attend The American Film Institute (AFI) ceremony last year, where she received America's highest honour for a career in film.

While Connor, who is believed to be 'extremely loyal to his dad' Tom, didn't appear to show Nicole any public support for her achievement, daughter Bella liked one of her mother's Instagram posts about the award.

Despite a reported rift between Nicole and her eldest children - something Connor and Bella deny - the actress has previously spoken of her 'unconditional' love for Connor and Bella, in light of their 'choices to be Scientologists'.

The artist posted a photo of herself and her friends as they attended the 2024 Glastonbury festival

The A-list couple adopted Connor and Isabella in the early 1990s after Nicole suffered an ectopic pregnancy and a miscarriage - and was told as a result she might find it hard to conceive.

She previously opened up in an interview with Tatler about her fertility issues with Tom, and how she felt a 'yearning' for children.

'The loss of a miscarriage is not talked about enough. That's massive grief to certain women,' she said.

She did not address her relationship with her adopted children in the interview - however Nicole did speak about the motherly instinct; whether one's children are biological or adopted.

She said: 'Whether you're an adoptive mother, whether you're a foster mother, whether you're a biological mother  it's the emotion of attaching to a child and helping to guide them and rear them [that is important].'

Bella and her brother Connor (born in 1995) have endured a strained relationship with Nicole (pictured) over the years

Isabella, known as Bella, and Connor, are the only children Tom and Nicole share together.

Connor was adopted by Nicole and the action star not long after he was born in 1995, but the exact timeline remains unclear.

Sister Isabella was adopted by the couple three years earlier in 1992.

The Hollywood pair - who got married in 1990 - divorced in 2001.

Isabella, known as Bella, and Connor, are the only children Tom and Nicole share together. Pictured together in 1996

The Top Gun: Maverick actor also shares daughter Suri Cruise, 17, with ex-wife Katie Holmes.

Meanwhile, the Moulin Rouge actress shares daughters Sunday Rose Kidman Urban, 15, and Faith Margaret Kidman Urban, 13, with husband Keith Urban.

Tom and Connor have been spotted out on occasion attending sporting events together.

Nicole has said in the past that she prefers to keep her relationship with her kids private.
Harvey Keitel, the actor best known for Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, enjoyed a rare public outing with his wife Daphna Kastner on Tuesday.

The adorable couple, who have been married since 2001, were spotted strolling hand-in-hand through the picturesque streets of Milan.

Harvey, 85, looked casual in a black t-shirt and plaid shorts, while Daphna, 63, flaunted her summer style in a pink sundress.

Both sported sandals as they strolled through the city, stopping for luxury shopping at high-end boutiques.

The vacationing love birds share one son together, Roman, who was born in 2004.

Harvey Keitel, the actor best known for Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs , enjoyed a rare public outing with his wife Daphna Kastner on Tuesday

The adorable couple, who have been married since 2001, were spotted strolling hand-in-hand through the picturesque streets of Milan

In addition to Roman, Harvey has two other children from previous relationships: Stella, born in 1985 with actress Lorraine Bracco, and Hudson, born in 2001 with Lisa Karmazin.

The family currently resides in New York City, where they maintain a relatively private life away from the public eye.

In 2021, Harvey shared the story of how he met Daphna over 20 years ago, revealing that his good friend Robert De Niro played a pivotal role in their introduction.

'I met my wife in Rome at a party for Robert,' Keitel said of their first meeting in the 80s on The Late Show.

'She allowed me to take her to dinner at the [Dal Bolognese Roma]. Then I called her back again a second night. She came and we had dinner together a second night.

' And then I asked her if she would like a drink in my hotel room  and she said, "No, thank you." And I spent a lot of money on her. It was a good restaurant,' he added, with a laugh.

Harvey then said that after their initial meeting, he didn't see Daphna again for 17 years until they reconnected at another party hosted by De Niro.

'And there was this girl who I bought two dinners for at the Dal Bolognese 17 years ago and it was my wife, Daphna. And we stayed together.

'And seven weeks later, I was going to a film festival in Italy and I asked her to come with me. She said yes.'

Harvey, 85, looked casual in a black t-shirt and plaid shorts

Daphna, 63, flaunted her summer style in a pink sundress

Both sported sandals as they strolled through the city, stopping for luxury shopping at high-end boutiques

The vacationing pair share one son together, Roman, who was born in 2004

The pair enjoyed the Italian shopping spree

In addition to Roman, Harvey has two other children from previous relationships: Stella, born in 1985 with actress Lorraine Bracco, and Hudson, born in 2001 with Lisa Karmazin

The pair perused one of the many high end shops in Milan

Harvey cut a cool figure in his laid-back ensemble

In 2021, Harvey shared the story of how he met Daphna over 20 years ago, revealing that his good friend Robert De Niro played a pivotal role in their introduction

Keitel is best known for his roles in iconic films such as "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir Dogs," both directed by Quentin Tarantino

'And on the flight, I said, What do you think about getting married? She gave a great answer: she said, "OK."'

He concluded, 'The topper was, we get pregnant about a year later, and our son is born on Robert De Niros birthday.'

Harvey can currently be seen in the Peacock series The Tattooist of Auschwitz, based on the eponymously entitled novel,

It tells the powerful true story of a Jewish prisoner who was tasked with tattooing ID numbers on prisoners' arms in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during World War Two.
Brandi Glanville says she's seriously considering taking legal action against Bravo after her dealings with the network have 'ruined' her health, leaving her with physical and mental ailments that have left her unable to work over the past year.

'[I've] been left no choice but to sue Bravo,' the 51-year-old reality star said in a series of posts on X/Twitter Tuesday. 'This stress has ruined my health.'

The Salinas, California native said she has 'uncontrollable stress induced' angioedema as result of her dealings with her former employer, as she hasn't 'worked for a year' due to related symptoms.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum said that she's too 'depressed to do [her] podcast' and too 'swollen' to make money off platforms such as Cameo or OnlyFans, as result of the stress and resultant symptoms she's experienced.

Glanville said she's 'BEING USED AS A FALLGUY' by the network, presumably in connection with a lawsuit filed by Caroline Manzo, 62, accusing Glanville of sexual misconduct while filming the fourth season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip in Morocco.

Brandi Glanville, 51, says she's seriously considering taking legal action against Bravo after her dealings with the network have 'ruined' her health, leaving her with physical and mental ailments that have left her unable to work over the past year. Pictured in LA in April

Glanville said she has 'receipts [for] days' in regards to Bravo, adding that she wanted 'so desperately to tweet all of [her] receipts but [her] lawyers' won't let her.

She added: 'I do appreciate all of ur support more than you know. My cast from [Morocco] has been so amazing and supportive & I love those gals!'

Glanville - who denied sexual assault allegations in a statement to DailyMail.com - ostensibly alluded to 'false allegations' made in Manzo's lawsuit in one tweet.

Glanville listed a series of consequences she faced amid tumult during filming in Morocco in January of 2023: She said she 'was fired' from the show; 'removed from the cast;' and 'held hostage in a hotel in Morocco for days!'

She said that other cast members on the reality series 'rallied' to her side and didn't 'want to continue' with the series without her.

Glanville said that she's 'been canceled from all jobs' due to the 'bad' and 'untrue' coverage of the issue.

Glanville's most recent Brandi Glanville Unfiltered podcast, an interview with Jon Gosselin, was posted on May 15.

Earlier this year on the podcast, Glanville said that she decided to start an OnlyFans account in July of 2023 as she was facing severe financial difficulties, and felt she acclimated to it well.

The reality star opened up about her situation in a series of posts on X/Twitter Tuesday

Glanville's legal team has advised her to keep her 'receipts' under wrap for the time being

Glanville said that she has struggled to find employment in the wake of her dealings with Bravo, as she hasn't 'worked for a year'

The Salinas, California native said she has 'uncontrollable stress induced' angioedema as result of her dealings with her former employer

RHONJ alum Caroline Manzo has sued Bravo over Glanville's conduct on the set of a show

'I joined OnlyFans because I didnt have any income and it saved my life,' Glanville said. 'At the time I was like, being desperate and then when I got on it - Im really feeling my sexual being at 51.'

She said that some of her subscribers on the platform were partial to her feet, which came at a good time amid her swelling symptoms.

'Mine have bunions and they are not good, but we got some money from my feet,' she said. 'I had to do it because my face was swollen and I could only do feet pictures.'

In her lawsuit against Bravo, Manzo accused Glanville - who is mother to sons Mason, 21, and Jake, 17, with ex-husband Eddie Cibrian, 51 - of touching and kissing her without her consent, and said that Bravo producers encouraged the conduct for more salacious content.

Manzo has accused the network of sexual harassment, sexual battery, gender discrimination and negligence.
Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd has been offered a near seven-figure deal by Netflix to stop rival services taking him, sources claim.

Netflix has reportedly offered the writer and actor, 35, almost 1million to exclusively work to create more smash hit programmes for them.

Autobiographical black comedy-thriller Baby Reindeer, based on Richard's own experiences, was released on Netflix in April.

The miniseries followed an aspiring comedian and sexual assault victim who gets stalked by a woman he meets bartending at a pub.

A TV insider told The Sun: 'This is not a done deal, with both the streamer and Richard negotiating the details of a contract which would see him start work on a new show as soon as possible.

Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd, 35, has reportedly been offered a new deal by Netflix to stop rival services taking him (pictured in June)

He is responsible for smash hit autobiographical black comedy-thriller Baby Reindeer, based on Richard's own experiences, was released on Netflix in April

The miniseries followed an aspiring comedian and sexual assault victim who gets stalked by a woman he meets bartending at a pub.

'The fact that it could end up being worth seven figures reflects just how much Netflix want to keep him in house following the incredible response to Baby Reindeer.

'They are hoping they can come to an agreement that will see Richard produce a string of shows for them, which could prove just as successful and thought-provoking.'

It comes after reports that Richard's next project will be a Scottish drama series under US network HBO and the BBC.

Richard will write and executive produce the six 45 minute episode drama series, which will span almost 40 years from the 1980s to the present day, covering the relationship between two men from their meeting as teenagers to their falling out as adults.

Lions will start production in Glasgow in early 2025 with Alexandra Brodski and Eshref Reybrouck set to direct while Wendy Griffin will produce the series.

Tally Garner and Morven Reid will act as executive producers for Mam Tor Productions, Richard, Gaynor Holmes for the BBC and Gavin Smith for BBC Scotland.

The news is a welcome distraction from reports that Baby Reindeer real-life stalker Fiona Harvey is demanding 135 million from Netflix after claiming the streaming giant's series was not based on a true story.

Baby Reindeer portrays Richard's character Donny Dunn being stalked by Martha, who has been in prison for a historical crime and is sent to prison for stalking him.

A TV insider said: 'This is not a done deal, with both the streamer and Richard negotiating the details of a contract which would see him start work on a new show as soon as possible'

They continued: 'The fact that it could end up being worth seven figures reflects just how much Netflix want to keep him "in house" following the incredible response to Baby Reindeer'

It comes after reports that Richard's next project will be a Scottish drama series under US network HBO and the BBC

Internet sleuths easily discovered the character was based on Fiona.

Netflix has pledged to 'vigorously defend' a lawsuit worth millions of dollars.

It comes after Fiona was left too afraid to go to the grocery stores as fans of the Netflix show continue harassing her, her lawyers have claimed.

The 49-year-old Scot, who claims she is the inspiration behind the Netflix stalking drama, is suing the streaming giant for at least $170million for defamation and negligence.

Speaking on News Nation's CUOMO, Harvey's attorney Richard Roth argued that Harvey is not a public figure, adding that she felt she needed to reveal herself as the real-life Martha because she was being harassed.

'She's been harassed, she's been stalked, she's getting death threats, she's afraid to go out and buy groceries and she's not a public figure,' Roth said.

'She's destroyed, she's shattered.'

Her attorneys are arguing that it was defamatory to Harvey to depict Martha character as a convicted felon.

'When Netflix starts the series, it doesn't say, "this is based on a true story," doesn't say, "this is inspired by a true story,"' Roth explained.

Meanwhile, Baby Reindeer real-life stalker Fiona Harvey is demanding 135 million from Netflix after claiming the streaming giant's series was not based on a true story and has led to her being unfairly harassed

'It says five words - "This is a true story" - so you better make sure its true.'

The attorney continued: 'Spoiler alert, during the series, it comes up that she was convicted of stalking and spent four and a half years in jail. Never happened. She was never even arrested.

'And then at the end of the series, she pleads guilty to four different counts of harassment and then gets four more felony convictions.

'So, they portrayed this woman as a two-time convicted felon when she's never even been arrested for anything.'

Roth went on to say that the series made it too easy to identify the woman who inspired Martha.

'Make her from a different heritage. Give her a different accent,' Roth suggested, before adding: 'They did nothing.

'Everything in here leads to Fiona Harvey, and its very easy to find out who it is.'

Netflix has said that it intends to 'defend this matter vigorously' and stand by Gadd's 'right to tell his story.'

MailOnline has contacted Netflix for comment.
There's no mistaking Robert Irwin is the son of the late wildlife warrior Steve.

And a resurfaced snap has fans doing a double take.

In 2019, Robert, 20, re-created an iconic photograph of his father feeding Australia Zoo's most dangerous crocodile 'Murray'.

In the image, the teenager looks eerily similar to Steve, dressed in the same Australia Zoo uniform of Khaki coloured shorts and matching shirt.

The photo shows Robert perilously close to the dangerous animal, just like Steve.

One social media user re-shared the side by side comparison to Facebook on Wednesday.

'Steve Irwin and his son. Same place, same crocodile, 15 years apart,' the post read alongside the caption 'Geez Steve was a bloody legend hey !!'

Fans were quick to share their thoughts on the comparison.

There's no mistaking Robert Irwin, 20, is the son of the late wildlife warrior Steve but a resurfaced snap had fans doing a double take. Both pictured

'He would be so proud x,' one fan commented.

'Aussie icons,' another wrote, while a third pointed out 'Dad looks calm, son looks worried.'

Steve, known as 'The Crocodile Hunter', was tragically killed when he was barbed by a stingray on September 4, 2006, at Batt Reef near Port Douglas in far north Queensland.

In 2019, Robert re-created an iconic photograph of his father feeding Australia Zoo's most dangerous crocodile 'Murray'

The news of Steve's tragic death sent shockwaves across Australia and around the world as his fans grieved the tragic loss.

Steve's family has carried on his mission to promote and protect wildlife through Australia Zoo.
A society couple has tied the knot surrounded by Sydney's social set in a lavish three-day wedding in France.

Alexander Porter - whose family owns Australia's leading condom brand Four Seasons - said 'I do' with partner Chris Ledlin on Tuesday evening.

Their wedding took place at Chateau de la Napoule, a restored French castle, located in Mandelieu-la-Napoule - about a 15 minute drive from Cannes.

Like his brother Michael Porter, who married longtime partner Billy Mitchell in an Italian wedding last year, the event is a three-day extravaganza attended by celebrities, business moguls and influencers.

Among the notable stars is Jackie 'O' Henderson, who has been enjoying her time off from The Kyle & Jackie O show while holidaying in Europe.

The radio star stole the show on the couple's big day, looking ever inch the Hollywood movie star in a $5,500 Mariam Seddiq white strapless bridal gown that featured a puff skirt.

She completed her look with a pair of long black Opera gloves and Valentino shades.

Joined by her close friend Gemma O'Neill, the 49-year-old blonde beauty also carried a Paco Rabanne 1969 ball chainmail disc clutch, worth an eye-watering $1,700.

Society couple Alexander Porter and Chris Ledlin tied the knot surrounded by Sydney 's social set in a lavish three-day wedding in France, including Jackie 'O' Henderson (pictured) who stole the show in a $5,500 designer dress

Porter (left) - whose family owns Australia's leading condom brand Four Seasons - said 'I do' with partner Ledlin (right) in Cannes on Tuesday evening

The radio star posted several photos of the event on her Instagram page, and explained that the two grooms encouraged all female guests to wear white.

'Prepare yourselves cause we're going a bit extra today!!!! The boys said "make sure you bring the glam" and encouraged girls to wear white if they wanted to (before the wedding police shoot me down!),' she wrote.

'This was honestly the most beautiful wedding I have EVER seen and probably will ever see in my lifetime. Wow!!!! Thank you for allowing us to share in your spectacular and ever so loving & special day,' she added.

The two grooms both looked incredibly dapper in matching cream tuxedo jackets with white shirts, black trousers and bow ties.

Jackie stole the show on the couple's big day, looking ever inch the Hollywood movie star in a white strapless gown by Mariam Seddiq with long black Opera gloves and Valentino shades

The radio star posted several photos of the event on her Instagram page, and explained that the two grooms encouraged all female guests to wear white

Joined by her close friend Gemma O'Neill, the 49-year-old blonde beauty also carried a Paco Rabanne 1969 ball chainmail disc clutch, worth an eye-watering $1700

They looked overjoyed as they posed for photos outside of the castle while toasting with Champagne.

At the reception, the French Riviera lit up as fireworks were set off while the couple cut their cake.

The wedding extravaganza is a three-day event, with a welcome party taking place at Villefranche-sur-Mer on Monday.

Jackie later whipped off her gloves at the evening reception. She is pictured with the groom's brother-in-law Billy Mitchell

The blonde beauty snapped selfies as she made her way to the wedding on a private yacht

In photos from the first day of celebrations, Alexander looked smart in a stylish cream suit, tortoise shell sunglasses and tan leather shoes.

Meanwhile, Chris dressed for the summer soiree in a black vest and matching trousers.

For the pre-game warm up, Jackie stunned in a very revealing low-cut $3,000 Zimmermann floral dress.

She also did an impromptu photo shoot at the seaside mansion

The blonde beauty posed in front of the stunning bar

Jackie (right) posed with Gemma (left) ahead of the stunning ceremony

She later almost suffered a wardrobe malfunction as her assets were close to spilling out of her outfit.

'Oh my God, my boobs! I hate showing boobs,' she said in a recent video as she adjusted her dress.

Meanwhile, Gemma wore a black $1,600 Zimmermann corset dress.

Alexander is following in the Porter family footsteps, who made their wealth from condoms and lubricants, as a brand manager for the company.

At the reception, the French Riviera lit up as fireworks were set off as the couple cut their cake

The two grooms arrived to their wedding in a vintage car

Jackie seen posing with Alexander's brother Michael, who is the founder of pimple patch business Skin Control, and his long-time partner Billy Mitchell

The wedding extravaganza is a three-day event, with a welcome party taking place on Monday

In photos from the first day of celebrations, Alexander (left) looked dapper in a stylish cream suit, tortoise shell sunglasses and tan leather shoes

His new husband Chris works for YouTube.

Alexander's brother Michael, who is the founder of pimple patch business Skin Control, said 'I do' to his long-time partner Billy Mitchell in Italy in July 2023.

The now-married pair, who originally planned to marry in 2020, are entrenched in Sydney's elite social scene, with their guests including bikini model Natasha Oakley and liquor heir Theo Chambers, socialite Nadia Fairfax-Wayne and stylist Caroline Tran.

Their wedding will be a three-day extravaganza attended by celebrities, business moguls and influencers

Their ceremony was officiated by Victoria's Secret model Bridget Malcolm.

The multi-day event included a welcome party at the restaurant Locanda La Tirlindana, where the couple arrived via vintage Porsche to music and dancing in the cobblestone streets.

The glamorous affair was also a child-free event, with the couple strongly advising guests to leave their children at home.

For the pre-game warm up Jackie stunned in a very revealing low-cut $3,000 Zimmermann floral dress alongside Gemma
Ellidy Pullin, whose story of becoming pregnant with the sperm of her late partner Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin inspired millions of Aussies, is now facing backlash from her loyal fans over unpleasant comments she made on a podcast.

During a recent episode of her Darling, Shine! podcast, the 31-year-old model was asked by a listener about her friendship with her friend and co-host Chloe Fisher.

Her blunt response - which saw her whinge about having to record the podcast and make time for friends who live interstate - was criticised by some listeners as 'mean'.

'We've never had a fight. The only fights we have are f***ing to do with the dumba*** podcast, which stresses us the f*** out,' she said of her relationship with Chloe.

'[Because] I have other s**t going on, so does Coco.'

One fan claimed in a Facebook group that Ellidy's comments were a 'kick in the gut' to long-time listeners.

During the same episode, Ellidy also said she did not have time to call friends who live interstate because she is 'busy and doesn't like sitting on the phone'.

'My friends should know I'm a bit of a long-distance person,' she said.

Ellidy Pullin, whose story of becoming pregnant with the sperm of her late partner Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin (pictured together) inspired millions of Aussies, is now facing backlash from her loyal fans over unpleasant comments she made on a podcast

'I love you all so much. I make an effort. I go to Sydney all the time. You name it, even if your guinea pig is having its birthday, I'm hopping on a plane and I'm going to be there.

'I make an effort, but if I'm not down there, I'm not talking to you all the time. I hope you're well.'

She went on to say some of her friends become 'devastated' when she doesn't respond to their text messages or call them back.

'I sometimes get people being, like, devastated [that] I'm not responding or calling them back. But I've been busy and please don't take this personally but I can't sit on the phone,' Ellidy said.

'Don't base our friendship on how many minutes I speak on the phone to you and all that s**t.'

During a recent episode of her Darling, Shine! podcast, the 31-year-old model (right) was asked by a listener about her friendship with her friend and co-host Chloe Fisher (left). Her blunt response - which saw her whinge about having to record the podcast and make time for friends who live interstate - was criticised by some listeners as 'mean'

It comes after Ellidy recently said she was finally open to new love, four years after Chumpy's shocking death.

The Olympic snowboarder was 32 when he drowned while spearfishing on the Gold Coast in July 2020 - but through an incredible IVF and sperm-retrieval process, Ellidy was was able to have his baby, a girl named Minnie.

She recently opened up on life with her daughter and their kelpie-cross dog Rummi.

She said there was still some of her late partner's sperm available if she wanted 'another Chumpy bubba', but she was considering other options.

'I do see myself having a baby one day with someone else, maybe in like five years' time, but I can't really see myself getting married,' she told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

Ellidy revealed that while she was not yet at the point where she wanted to date anyone long-term, she had had some flings while on holiday.

'What goes on in Bali can stay in Bali. But I couldn't imagine bringing anyone home,' she told the publication.

One fan claimed in a Facebook group that Ellidy's comments were a 'kick in the gut' to long-time listeners

'Right now I'm just really happy with the three of us  me, Minnie and Rummi.'

She said Rummi gave her reason to get up in the morning after Chumpy's sudden death in the winter of 2020.

The kelpie needed her walks, so they would get up at 5am and walk on the beach for an hour, which Ellidy said was 'therapy and meditation' for her and kept her grounded.

Rummi was Chumpy's dog, who loved him so much that the model sometimes felt like a 'third wheel', but now the kelpie never leaves her side.

She said that part of Rummi, and part of her, are still waiting for Chumpy to walk back in the door and that she even has a recurring dream where that happens.
Sir Ian McKellen got candid about the injuries he suffered after his shocking stage fall during a West End production two weeks ago.

The 85-year-old X-Men alum  whose recovery was aided by his BFF Anthony Hopkins  took to his X on Tuesday to share an update after he revealed he had pulled out of the national tour of Player Kings a day before.

'Just two weeks after my accident onstage I want to assure my many well-wishers that the injuries (to wrist and neck) are on the mend,' he wrote. 'My doctors promise a complete recovery - but only if I avoid work over the next few weeks.'

Sir Ian was playing John Falstaff in a production of Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre on June 17 when he lost his footing in a fight scene and plunged from the stage into the audience.

After the shock incident, he was rushed to hospital to receive treatment and the remainder of his performances for the week were cancelled to allow him to rest.

Sir Ian McKellen got candid about the injuries he suffered after his shocking stage fall during a West End production two weeks ago; (pictured 2022)

The 85-year-old X-Men alum  whose recovery was aided by his BFF Anthony Hopkins  took to his X on Tuesday to share an update after he revealed he had pulled out of the national tour of Player Kings a day before; (pictured June in Player Kings)

'Meanwhile the show goes on and the Player Kings company start their four weeks tour without me,' Ian continued on X.

'Any actor will say that missing a performance feels somewhat shameful, even when he is not to blame. None of us ever wants to let down our audience,' he added.

Sir Ian announced last Thursday that he was having 'physiotherapy, light exercise and a lot of essential rest at home' after three nights in hospital.

The actor was in a scene involving the Prince of Wales and Henry Percy when he fell off the front of the stage, and was heard to cry out in pain as staff rushed to help.

In his statement last Thursday, Sir Ian said: 'After three nights in hospital, the effects of my fall onstage have been fully analysed and I'm now having physiotherapy, light exercise and a lot of essential rest at home.

'Meanwhile, my part in Player Kings is filled by the redoubtable David Semark supported by Robert Icke's amazing production and cast.

'The many messages of love and support will, I am sure, aid the speedy recovery that my doctors have promised me.'

Player Kings, a production of Henry IV, parts one and two, adapted and directed by Robert Icke, ended its run at the Noel Coward Theatre on Saturday.

'Just two weeks after my accident onstage I want to assure my many well-wishers that the injuries (to wrist and neck) are on the mend,' he wrote

But looking like he is on the mend, Sir Ian couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he larked around with close friend and fellow actor Anthony in matching checkered jackets

The play will then move to the Bristol Hippodrome next month before being staged in Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle.

A post on the Player Kings X account said last Thursday: 'David Semark will be playing the role of Sir John Falstaff for the final three scheduled performances of Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre in London while Ian McKellen recuperates following his fall on Monday 17 June.'

It added: 'We look forward to Ian returning to the production, which begins a national tour in Bristol on Wednesday 3 July, before visiting Birmingham , Norwich and Newcastle.'

Last Friday, audience member Johanna Dart described the dramatic moment Sir Ian McKellen 'flew head first' into her when he fell off stage, adding: 'Getting crushed by Gandalf the Grey, that's something you don't expect.'

Ms Dart, who was in the front row, said Sir Ian seemed to trip on a stage prop before falling  with his head hitting her knee 'quite hard'.

The 30-year-old, from Leatherhead, Surrey, was later pictured sobbing in hospital where she said she was taken with soft tissue injuries after the incident.

Understudy David Semark, 52, is taking his place as Falstaff, Shakespeare's irreverent comic character. Semark said Sir Ian had called him to let him know he would be playing the role.

He said: 'The first person I heard it from was Sir Ian. We then had a discussion about the role... But I am holding a place open for Sir Ian. I walk in the shadow of greatness.'

Audience member Paul Critchley said last Monday that it was a 'shock' to witness the fall.

The Methodist minister from Downham Market, Norfolk recalled how Sir Ian seemed to trip as he moved downstage to take a more active part in the scene before falling off the stage directly in front of the audience.

Sir Ian's career has spanned more than six decades and seen the actor perform at theatres around the country.

On screen he is best known for playing Magneto in the X-Men films and Gandalf in Peter Jackson's fantasy trilogy, based on the books from JRR Tolkien.

Sir Ian McKellen at the press night performance of Player Kings at the Noel Coward on April 11

Members of the audience gather outside the Noel Coward Theatre in London after the fall

On the stage he has played a number of Shakespearean characters including Richard II, Macbeth, Coriolanus, and King Lear.

His many acting credits have led to a number of accolades over the years including several Olivier Awards.

A spokesman for the Noel Coward Theatre said: 'We are very sorry this rare accident occurred during a performance of Player Kings.

'We maintain the highest standards of safety and are conducting a thorough investigation with the producers.'
AFL player and TikTok chef Christian Petracca has returned to the kitchen after undergoing surgery on his shocking injuries.

The 28-year-old Demons star is recovering at home after surgery to repair four broken ribs, a punctured lung and a lacerated spleen, sustained in a marking contest during the King's Birthday loss to Collingwood.

Taking to TikTok a few days after being discharged from ICU, Petracca shared his eating habits while he recovers post-injury.

He revealed he is eating meals that reduce inflammation and support overall immune health, including porridge and soup.

And the Norm Smith Medalist is relying on his fiancee Bella Beischer to help him with the cooking.

'I'm not really allowed to do much at the moment so Bella has been helping me out with some of the heavy lifting,' he revealed.

'Sometimes I have enough energy to cook, and other days I just have to chill out and take it easy.'

The 28-year-old revealed friends and family had also been sending him food to help out during the tough period.

Melbourne midfielder and TikTok chef Christian Petracca has returned to the kitchen after undergoing surgery on shocking injuries

In June, Petracca gave an emotional TV interview that saw him almost break down in tears as he opened up about the toll his injury has taken on his loved ones - and revealed a new detail about his health battle.

'The first few weeks were pretty traumatic, to be honest,' he told Fox Sports' AFL 360 show.

'[I was in] ICU, into a ward, and then in and out of hospital.

'I got rushed back into hospital about a week ago early in the morning for a few check-ups. I woke up with a few complaints and went straight to hospital.

The 28-year-old is recovering at home after surgery to repair four broken ribs, a punctured lung and a lacerated spleen, sustained in a marking contest during the King's Birthday loss to Collingwood

Taking to TikTok a few days after being discharged from ICU, the footy star shared his eating habits while he recovers post-injury

'It's been quite stressful, it's something I've never experienced.

'My first year I did my ACL [anterior cruciate ligament in the knee] and I was a bit young and naive and brash and didn't understand the severity of the injury. Now, at 28, it's a lot different.'

Petracca then struggled to hold back tears as he revealed the impact on Beischer and family after he had to isolate himself for the first 10 days he spent at home in order to guard against infection.

'I'm getting quite emotional thinking about it... probably more on how it's impacted my fiancee. That's probably been the hardest thing, to be honest,' he said.

The Norm Smith Medalist is relying on his fiancee Bella Beischer to help him with the cooking

'It's been challenging for both of us, but we're getting through it.

'The support I've received from everyone, it's been remarkable - my fiancee, my parents, my family, her parents, my friends, the whole footy world - it's been awesome.

'But it's still really raw for me.'

Petracca proposed to Beischer in Lake Como, Italy in October of 2022.
She's currently enjoying a European getaway.

And Jackie 'O' Henderson has taken to her socials to share a recent discovery comparing life Down Under to her current holiday spot in France.

Posting to her stories, the 49-year-old radio star talked about how she thought French seagulls 'sound different' to their Aussie counterparts.

In the video, Jackie can be seen in her hotel room admiring the view outside and talking to her best friend Gemma O'Neill.

'Have you noticed that even their seagulls make different noises to ours?' Jackie asks.

After Gemma pointed out that she had observed no difference Jackie decided to imitate the sound of the local variety of seabird.

'The noise they [French seagulls] make is like, ''oh-woo'', ''oh-woo''.

'The ones back home go, "Argh, argh". Our seagulls are like the ''Karens'' of the seagull world,' Jackie joked.

Jackie 'O' Henderson has revealed the bizarre difference between Australian and French seagulls. Pictured: Jackie (R) and her friend Gemma (L)

Posting to her stories, the 49-year-old radio star talked about how she thought French seagulls 'sound different' to their Aussie counterparts

Jackie's current overseas jaunt has included stopovers in Scotland and Greece.

She recently attended the wedding of Four Seasons condom brand heir Alexander Porter and his partner Chris Ledlin on the French Riviera.

The lavish three-day affair took place at Chateau de la Napoule, a restored French castle, located in Mandelieu-la-Napoule - about a 15 minute drive from Cannes.

Jackie stole the show on the couple's big day, looking every inch the Hollywood movie star in a $5,500 Mariam Seddiq white strapless bridal gown that featured a puff skirt.

She completed her look with a pair of long black Opera gloves and Valentino shades.

She recently attended the wedding of Four Seasons condom brand heir Alexander Porter and his partner Chris Ledlin on the French Riviera

The lavish three-day wedding in France took place at Chateau de la Napoule, a restored French castle, located in Mandelieu-la-Napoule - about a 15 minute drive from Cannes

At the reception, the French Riviera lit up as fireworks were set off while the couple cut their cake.

Alexander is following in the Porter family footsteps, who made their wealth from condoms and lubricants, as a brand manager for the company.

His new husband Chris works for YouTube.

The glamorous affair was also a child-free event, with the couple strongly advising guests to leave their children at home.
Jodie Comer looked distressed as she was seen on the set of 28 Years Later for the first time.

The Killing Eve actress, 31, was announced in April to be starring in the second sequel to the 2002 film 28 Days Later, with Danny Boyle returning as director.

Reprising his role from the first movie, Oscar-winning Cillian Murphy will return as Jim, joined by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Erin Kellyman and Jack O'Connell.

Jodie, who will play a Geordie character in the post-apocalyptic flick, was spotted filming in the Northumberland countryside on Tuesday, in the first pictures of her in character.

The Liverpudlian star's character appeared to be in a state of concern in the snaps, while a younger character was seen trying to keep hold of her arm.

Jodie Comer looked distressed as she was seen on the set of 28 Years Later for the first time in Northumberland on Tuesday

The Killing Eve actress, 31, was announced in April to be starring in the second sequel to the 2002 film 28 Days Later

Jodie wore a long cream cardigan over a tartan shirt as well as a floral, mud-stained dress, with white tights and light pink legwarmers.

Jodie recently revealed she had been taking inspiration from Girls Aloud star Cheryl for her Newcastle accent.

According to an interview with ELLE UK, Jodie has been looking back at old episodes of Cheryl on The X Factor to master the twang.

The original, zombie apocalyptic film debuted in cinemas 22 years earlier in 2002 - with Cillian taking on a leading role.

The sequel is slated to be the third instalment in the franchise and the first in an upcoming trilogy.

Danny, who directed 28 Days later, as well as original writer, Alex Garland, are also returning. The pair notably only served as executive producers on the second movie, 28 Weeks Later (2007).

Both Danny and Alex are producing the new project alongside Andrew Macdonald, Peter Rice and Bernie Bellew, while Cillian is an executive producer.

While talking to The Independent earlier this year in January, Cillian revealed if he would possibly star in the franchise once again.

Jodie was spotted filming the post-apocalyptic flick in the Northumberland countryside

Film maker Danny Boyle (Pictured left) is returning as director after being at the helm for 28 Days Later

The Liverpudlian star's character appeared to be in a state of concern in the snaps

A younger character was seen trying to keep hold of her arm

Jodie wore a long cream cardigan over a tartan shirt as well as a floral, mud-stained dress

She also sported white tights and light pink legwarmers

'I would be there in a flash,' he admitted. 'I made two movies with both of those guys, and I would love to work with them again. Of course, I'm there.'

In the 2002 film, Cillian took on the role of a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma only to find that an 'incurable virus had spread throughout the U.K.' and 'a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.'

Alongside Murphy, other stars that were cast in the movie included Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns and also Brendan Gleeson.

A sequel titled 28 Weeks Later came out in 2007, with director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo stepping behind the camera.

Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau and Catherine McCormack starred in the second instalment.

It is Jodie's second apocalyptic film in recent years, after her heartwrenching performance in the climate crisis drama The End We Start From.

Jodie starred as Mother in the movie adaptation of Megan Hunter's novel which sees her character navigating motherhood for the first time during a terrifying apocalyptic flood.

The film, which was released in the UK in January, begins with Jodie giving birth before she embarks on an extraordinary journey of strength and resilience as she raises her baby during the first year of his life during the climate crisis.

The original, zombie apocalyptic film debuted in cinemas 22 years earlier in 2002 - with Cillian taking on a leading role

The sequel is slated to be the third instalment in the franchise and the first in an upcoming trilogy

Danny (centre), who directed 28 Days later, as well as original writer, Alex Garland, are also returning

She revealed that she was terrified when she began filming as she had to work with 15 different babies on set.

She told the BBC: 'I started this process quite literally terrified. My hands were visibly shaking when I met an eight-week-old on set. I was like, "Oh my god, what have I done?"

'It's one thing to act and think about everything else, but then actually being conscious of this precious little being and making sure that they're safe.'

Jodie said she felt that during the process, she followed the arc of her character - as both herself and Mother began overwhelmed by motherhood but later settled in.
Paul Mescal has revealed he wanted to look 'big and strong' for his role in Gladiator 2 as he discussed bulking up for the blockbuster film.

The actor, 28, takes on the role of Roman Empire Lucius Verus, the grown-up son of Lucilla, portrayed as a child in the Oscar-winning original from 2000 film starring Russell Crowe.

Paul worked out to gain muscle for his role in the flick but told Vanity Fair he didn't want to end up looking like an 'underwear model'.

He said: 'I just wanted to be big and strong and look like somebody who can cause a bit of damage when shit hits the fan.

'I think also, sometimes, one could, in striving for that perfect look, end up looking more like an underwear model than a warrior.'

Paul Mescal has revealed he wanted to look 'big and strong' for his role in Gladiator 2 as he discussed bulking up for the blockbuster film

The actor, 28, takes on the role of Roman Empire Lucius Verus, the grown-up son of Lucilla, portrayed as a child in the Oscar-winning original from 2000 film starring Russell Crowe

'Muscles start to grow, and that can be deemed aesthetic in certain capacities, but there is something about feeling strong in your body that elicits just a different feeling.'

Paul added that you 'carry yourself differently' with more musle and he felt it had a positive impact on him 'psychologically' that benefited the film.

The sequel will centre on Lucius (Paul), the nephew of Commodus and son of Maximus' former lover Lucilla (Connie Nielsen).

Lucius was previously portrayed by Spencer Treat Clark in the original Gladiator, who idolised Maximus for his battles.

The sequel will be set after Maximus' death, following Lucius, who has long thought that his mother is dead only to clap eyes on her when he is brought to Rome as a slave.

The cast also includes Joseph Quinn as Emperor Caracalla, Fred Hechinger as Emperor Greta as a pair of brothers who rule a decaying and corrupt Rome.

Meanwhile returning Gladiator stars Connie Nielsen (Lucilla) and Derek Jacobi (Senator Gracchus) will also be returning for the sequel.

Director Ridley Scott, 86, is back to helm the reported 250M sequel, after the original bagged five Oscars including Best Director, Best Actor and Best Picture, as well as earning 400M worldwide.

Paul worked out to gain muscle for his role in the flick but told Vanity Fair he didn't want to end up looking like an 'underwear model'

Russell Crowe portrayed Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius in the original and won the Oscar for Best Actor for his work in the film

The original story is set in 180 AD, followed Maximus (Crowe) returning home after leading Roman forces to victory over Germanic tribes.

Meanwhile, his Emperor, Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), is secretly murdered by his treacherous son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), after telling him he was unfit to rule.

After Maximus refused to pledge his loyalty to Commodus, he murdered his family, as Maximus is captured by slave traders as he must fight his way through various obstacles to get his vengeance against Commodus.

The film from director Ridley Scott and writers David Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson is still considered a classic.

While there had been talk of a sequel since 2001, it never fully came to fruition since 2018 when Paramount gave the project a green light.

Gladiator won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe.

Gladiator 2 is expected to debut in cinemas later this year.
From unusual brand deals to merchandise, there are a multitude of ways that celebrities have tried to rake in extra cash over the years.

But there is one very well-trodden path that most people in the limelight want to keep on the down-low - selling pictures of their feet.

From Blac Chyna to Kerry Katona to Karrueche Tran, there is a star-studded list of names who have tried their hand, or foot, at this unique business venture.

Most recently, Lily Allen, 39, admitted that she has launched an OnlyFans account to sell pictures of her feet for just 8 a month.

Here, MailOnline takes a look at all the celebs who have made big money through the most common fetish...

Karrueche Tran

In March of this year, actress and model Karrueche Tran defended herself against critics after she took up the bizarre business endeavor (pictured in May 2024)

In March of this year, actress and model Karrueche Tran defended herself against critics after she took up the bizarre business endeavor.

The 35-year-old beauty tweeted pictures of her feet with a link to the account on March 1 and March 12.

Following this, she took to X (formerly Twitter) after reading comments criticizing her for doing it.

The Los Angeles native said, 'LOL at all the comments regarding OF,' in a tweet she subsequently deleted.

The stunning actress remarked on comments speculating that she had started the account due to financial problems.

The Claws actress said in her tweet: 'I'm not going broke.. just a smart play.'

Karrueche, who's also been seen on the TV series Vanity, declared that 'foot fetish is the number one fetish in the world' and that 'there's nothing sexual that will be on my page.'

The 35-year-old beauty tweeted pictures of her feet with a link to the account on March 1 and March 12

The stunning actress remarked on comments speculating that she had started the account due to financial problems

The Los Angeles native said, 'LOL at all the comments regarding OF,' in a tweet she subsequently deleted

The Bay star pointed to bodily autonomy in defending her right to monetize the images.

'It's literally my feet and if people are willing to pay, then what's the problem?' she added.

Karrueche said separately in a tweet that she would be forwarding a portion of her OnlyFans earnings to Los Angeles-based charities, Page Six reported at the time.

She added that she is also helping other people make a living with her latest endeavour, according to the outlet.

'I have a team that helps with the page, so they'll be able to eat from this as well,' Tran said. 'There's a stigma around OF but there's literally chefs, musicians, yoga instructors, etc. on there.'

She set prices on the account of a $24.99 monthly subscription, $52.48 three-month subscription, or $104.96 six-month subscription on the page.

Blac Chyna

In 2020, Blac Chyna joined the list of famous faces who make extra cash from their feet - and charged a $50 monthly subscription fee (pictured in June 2024)

In 2020, Blac Chyna joined the list of famous faces who make extra cash from their feet - and charged a $50 monthly subscription fee.

The star, 36, real name Angela Renee White, shared a video of her tattooed legs and feet squashing some grapes as she encouraged her followers to pay up to see more.

She wrote: 'Foot Freak Monday's. Fans Only (link in bio) (subscribe to see more)' as she hashtagged #footfetishnation #toes and #footporn among other things.

She was charging a $50 a month subscription fee, but offered a three-month package for $127.50, giving fans 15% off.

Or fans could opt for a year's subscription which will set you back $450 but which gives you 25% off.

However, the reality star, who now goes by her birth name, quit the subscription-based service and shed her X-rated image in December 2022, despite raking in a whopping $2 million in two years thanks to her provocative uploads.

The star, 36, real name Angela Renee White, shared a video of her tattooed legs and feet squashing some grapes as she encouraged her followers to pay up to see more

However, the reality star, who now goes by her birth name, quit the subscription-based service and shed her X-rated image in December 2022 , despite raking in a whopping $2 million in two years thanks to her provocative uploads (pictured in August 2023)

She instead turned to 'clean' platform Passes in a bid to showcase her 'authentic self' - and because she is aware that her young children 'see everything.'

'OnlyFans was catered to exploiting myself,' she told DailyMail.com exclusively. 'Blac Chyna, because of my past, it was like 'she's a super exotic dancer turned this'.

There were all these labels, and I was being even more sucked into it by being on OnlyFans and putting myself in a box.

'It was just exploiting myself to get obviously money, but it wasn't showing my authentic self.'

Kerry Katona

Kerry Katona made herself a fortune by selling snaps of herself on OnlyFans, asserting that it made her 'a millionaire again' in 2022 (pictured in May 2024)

Kerry Katona made herself a fortune by selling snaps of herself on OnlyFans, asserting that it made her 'a millionaire again' in 2022.

The mother-of-five usually charges around 14.76 per month for fans to subscribe to her page on the 18+ website and access her raunchy content.

Speaking to The Mirror in July 2021, the star said she was earning as much as 'tens of thousands a month' by sharing sultry snaps and images of her feet.

Since starting her account, Kerry has been able to open her very own online clothing company, KerryBoutique, as well as a dating app with her fiance Ryan Mahoney.

She has also been able to send her daughter Dylan-Jorge to a private school thanks to her financial stability.

Kerry revealed she has a lot of people with feet fetishes asking for images of her feet, which promoted the move.

The mother-of-five usually charges around 14.76 per month for fans to subscribe to her page on the 18+ website and access her raunchy content (file image)

In July 2021, the star said she was earning as much as 'tens of thousands a month' by sharing sultry snaps and images of her feet

Kerry revealed she has a lot of people with feet fetishes asking for images of her feet, which promoted the move

Appearing on the comedy podcast Straight To The Comments! in March of this year, the former Atomic Kitten star revealed that members of the public have said her children should be put in care because of her racy career choice, and hit out at the double standards.

Speaking to hosts Josh Pieters and Archie Manners, former lap dancer Kerry mused: 'I was like, 's**t, how am I going to pay my rent?' I had all five kids at home at the time and someone mentioned OnlyFans and I thought, 'well my pictures are out there anyway.'

'So, I sat the children down and I said, '"ook, there's no work, I'm struggling, how would you feel if I started at OnlyFans?" I said, "obviously, it'll only be topless.'''

She continued: 'A lot of it is smoke and mirrors, I'm not doing anything that you've not seen on the big screen when you go to the cinema.

Ash Williams

Comedian Ash Williams shocked viewers of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Australia in January 2021 when he admitted that he made money from strangers and their foot fetishes (pictured in 2018)

Ash, who was quickly nicknamed the 'Foot King' by one particular buyer, had co-stars Grant Denyer and Abbie Chatfield in stitches when he explained how you never share pictures of your soles first as it's the creme de la creme

Comedian Ash Williams shocked viewers of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Australia in January 2021 when he admitted that he made money off strangers and their foot fetishes.

Ash, who was quickly nicknamed the 'Foot King' by one particular buyer, had co-stars Grant Denyer and Abbie Chatfield in stitches when he explained how you never share pictures of your soles first because it's the creme de la creme.

'I stopped doing it because he wanted more artistic direction on the feet pics.'

Ash, who claimed no-one would ever be throwing around $1,000 for photos, went on to provide his tips on getting a foot fetishist hooked.

'They love soles. That is the creme de la creme. If you show your soles... that's it. It's just the best part of the foot. You never show soles first,' he said.

Several of Ash's foot images were found posted to WikiFeet, a website some have dubbed 'OnlyFans for feet'.

The website contains a gallery of celebrity feet snaps, which lets its users rank and rate them out of five.

It is astoundingly popular and reportedly gets more than 3.2 million visits a month, with feet being one of the most common fetishes in the world.

Several of Ash's foot images were found posted to WikiFeet , a website some have dubbed 'OnlyFans for feet'

The site has a section dedicated to the podcaster, where it lists his shoe size as a 12, and rates his pictures 4.5 out of 5

Also available on WikiFeet are screen shots from the 2012 'tickling video' that Ash starred in

The foot fetish site has a section dedicated to the podcaster, where it lists his shoe size as a 12, and rates his pictures 4.5 out of 5.

Most of the images are quite tame - showing Ash dangling his feet by a pool, or close ups of his tootsies.

Also available on WikiFeet are screenshots from the 2012 'tickling video' that Ash starred in.

In that video, the shirtless hunk is strapped to a table, with leather restraints around his ankles, as an unknown person tickles the soles of his feet.

The comedian doesn't seem at all embarrassed by the clip, and even joked about the 'bad English accent' he did in the video in a Facebook post made in 2018.

Katie Price

In 2022, Katie Price, 46, also cashed in by flogging pictures of her 'perfect' feet on OnlyFans

In April 2022, it was widely reported that Katie was selling feet pics on OnlyFans for a price of 2.25, including a video she took while getting a pedicure

In 2022, Katie Price, 46, also cashed in by flogging pictures of her 'perfect' feet on OnlyFans.

During a Q&A on her OnlyFans page about her favourite body part in February 2022, the mother announced that she 'would have to say it's her feet' and that she has 'small, good, princess feet'.

According to The Sun, she explained: Everyone always says how nice my feet are. I look after my feet really well. They're soft, small, and even though I broke them two years ago they're still intact.

'People are fascinated about my feet, apparently my feet are on some fetish sites.'

The former glamour model jokingly promised to send close-up of her tootsies to anyone who wanted them and has even rubbed cream into her heels in a suggestive manner.

Katie said: 'So if there is anyone who is interested in my feet I can always slip them in the DMs.

'But I have to say I do have perfect, Pricey feet. Like me, a perfect little package.'

Following this, in April 2022, it was widely reported that Katie was selling feet pics on OnlyFans for a price of 2.25, including a video she took while getting a pedicure.

She posted the clip on the platform 'for all the foot lovers'.

Raquel Leviss and Charli Burnett

Vanderpump Rules stars Raquel Leviss (pictured above during the 2021 episode) and Charli Burnett went into business together in an episode of the show to sell pictures of their feet

On an installment of the programme from November 2021, the pair made the business decision in order to raise cash for a nose job (Charli Burnett pictured)

They uploaded pictures of their feet on the website FeetFinder, including some questionable snaps that included spaghetti

Former Vanderpump Rules stars Raquel Leviss and Charli Burnett went into business together in an episode of the show to sell pictures of their feet.

On an installment of the programme from November 2021, the pair made the business decision in order to raise cash for a nose job.

They uploaded pictures of their feet on the website FeetFinder, including some questionable snaps that included spaghetti.

Charli said she felt 'no shame' and that it was 'so easy to do it,' with the pair telling The Sun they made around $600.

Carmen Electra

American actress Carmen Electra revealed last year that the top requests that she receives on OnlyFans revolve around her feet (pictured in June 2024)

American actress Carmen Electra revealed last year that the top requests that she receives on OnlyFans revolve around her feet.

In an interview, the Baywatch star, 52, divulged that she gets 'so many foot requests' on the X-rated site, which she considers to be 'the funniest thing.'

'I'm always like, 'What would you want to see me do with my feet? Should I stomp grapes? Put whipped cream on them?' she mused to People.

Over the years, she revealed that while she finds the demand to see her feet as comical, it's not too surprising.

'Back in the day on the Internet, there were pages dedicated to my feet in high heels. I accidentally stumbled upon it once so I've always known that existed,' she recalled.

In May 2023, she told People that her OnlyFans features snaps of her in lingerie as well as photos from her holidays and posts about her beauty tips.

She also noted that her account would treat her admirers to 'more sexy, classy pictures and videos.'

Lily Allen

Finally, Lily Allen became the latest celebrity to join the list of A-Listers who are putting their feet to good use

Finally, Lily Allen became the latest celebrity to join the list of A-Listers who are putting their feet to good use.

The pop star-turned-actress, 39, has set up her own account on OnlyFans, which is used primarily for people to sell their own adult content, under the title 'Lily Allen FTSE500'.

Last week Lily joked that she'd been told she could 'make a lot of money selling foot content' after discovering her feet had been 'rated quite highly on the internet.'

And it seems that she's followed through with her idea and has already posted six exclusive pictures of her feet for her subscribers to access.

One of the pictures is captioned 'sole trader,' and underneath another, she wrote: 'Just bought these at the airport. Will take them off later.'

Another photo is captioned, 'summer pedicure,' while another simply says: 'Morning.'

The pop star-turned-actress, 39, has set up her own account on the social media platform, which is used primarily for people to sell their own adult content, under the title 'Lily Allen FTSE500'

A subscription to her site is just 8/$10 a month

Sharing the news that she had officially launched her Only Fans over on her Instagram Story, Lily posted the link to her page alongside a snap of her painted toes

One of the pictures is captioned 'sole trader,' and underneath another, she wrote: 'Just bought these at the airport. Will take them off later'

Lily has a five star 'beautiful feet' rating on WikiFeet, which is 'a Wikipedia for famous people's feet'

While it's not known how many subscribers she has, the account has got over 200 'likes' since it was started a week ago.

'I have a lady who comes and does my nails and they informed me that I have five stars on WikiFeet, which is quite rare,' Lily said on her Miss Me? podcast.

Sharing the news that she had officially launched her Only Fans over on her Instagram Story, Lily posted the link to her page alongside a snap of her painted toes.

She wrote: 'She's done it' alongside a laughing emoji, before joking: 'What is this going to do to my algorithm?'

Referencing her and Miquita's chat on the podcast she added: 'If you don't listen to #missme podcast on @bbcsounds... this whole post is going to look very strange indeed'.

Some have turned it down...

In August 2023, Margot Robbie was offered 250,000 (AUD$492,000) to sell photos of her feet

However, not all celebs who have been asked to share snaps of their feet by fetishists have been forthcoming - not even for a high price.

In August 2023, Margot Robbie was offered 250,000 (AUD$492,000) to sell photos of her feet.

The Barbie actress, 34, had been offered the eye-watering sum of money to share photos of her feet by Fun With Feet, a platform where people can buy and sell their feet pictures.

In a letter to the Dalby, Queensland-born star, a representative of the platform wrote: 'Dear Margot, My name is Liz and I make thousands selling feet pics on Fun With Feet.'

'I would love to collaborate with you on some Barbie-inspired content that'll earn us both millions. Plus, Fun with Feet are offering to pay you 250K as a starting bonus.

'If I'm right, we'll be able to capitalise on our likeness - and the world's obsession with all-things Barbie - to no end, all thanks to our feet!

Liz also extended the offer to Ryan Gosling, who stars alongside Margot in the Barbie movie.
Eamonn Holmes was back on air for his GB News Breakfast show on Wednesday, after bowing out of Tuesday's programme due to feeling unwell.

Although, this time, the 64-year-old broadcaster's usual co-presenter Isabel Webster was missing and instead replaced with Ellie Costello.

Eamonn looked back to his normal self on the show and erupted into a rant about 'workshy Britain', taking a swipe at people 'not wanting to work,' after Sir Keir Starmer suggested he would not work after 6pm on Fridays if he became Prime Minister.

The TV star usually works on Mondays to Wednesdays each week, but has confirmed he will be stepping in on Friday to help with the General Election coverage.

The presenter, who last week said he is 'on borrowed time', sparked concern on Wednesday among viewers after suddenly going missing halfway through a 7:45am interview.

Eamonn Holmes was back on air for his GB News Breakfast show on Wednesday, after bowing out of Tuesday's programme due to feeling unwell

The broadcaster, 64, bowed out of his GB News Breakfast show early on Tuesday after feeling unwell

Eamonn stayed silent throughout the interview, leaving Isabel to ask the questions, before he left the desk offscreen.

Isabel then presented the final 90 minutes of the show solo without explaining Eamonn's absence.

A spokesperson for GB News told MailOnline that the star was forced to leave early due to ill health, explaining: 'Eamonn had to finish a little earlier today as he was feeling unwell. He hopes to be back tomorrow.'

A friend added that Eamonn was in good spirits, despite having to go home early.

The TV personality spoke about his health problems at last week's TRIC Awards, with the industry event also marking his first public appearance since he split from wife Ruth Langsford.

The star has had a tough year, and admitted at the annual bash that he feels as though he is on 'borrowed time' because his father died at 65 of a fatal heart attack.

Eamonn was seen arriving at the awards in a wheelchair as he suffers from chronic back pain and is undergoing painful physio sessions.

Speaking in January he said the 'harsh reality' could be that he may never be able to walk alone again unaided.

Ruth meanwhile is said to be grappling with 'agonising guilt' over her extranged husband's health problems.

The presenter sparked concern after suddenly going leaving halfway through a 7:45am interview with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health Maria Caulfield on Tuesday

Eamonn was pictured a week ago at the TRIC Awards in his wheelchair as he was comforted by former colleague Charlotte Hawkins

Claims have emerged that Ruth is torn between helping Eamonn and moving on with her life, with a source telling Bella magazine that Ruth feels 'terribly guilty' and seeing recent photos of her ex looking 'frail has been torture for her'.

'Even though she has every right to live her life and do what is right for her - she's convinced the public will see her as abandoning Eamonn in his time of need as he struggles with his health,' the insider explained this week.

Eamonn previously praised Ruth for her 'amazing' support after he suffered a fall down stairs of their home in November 2022.

In 2016, the star underwent a double-hip replacement operation lasting three-and-a-quarter hours after living with acute pain for many years.

Then in 2018 Eamonn detailed his battle with shingles and how he was struck with the virus on his son Declan's wedding day.

His years of chronic back pain started in spring 2021 - which came completely out of nowhere. The pain become so severe that it left him reliant on a walking stick, but soon found out the root cause.

Eamonn was seen arriving at the awards in a wheelchair and using a walker as he suffers from chronic back pain and is undergoing painful physio sessions

Eamonn spoke about his health problems at last week's TRIC Awards, with the industry event also marking his first public appearance since he split from wife Ruth Langsford (pictured in 2022)

Eamonn made his first public appearance since news of his shock divorce at Tuesday's TRIC Awards

He eventually discovered it was three slipped discs that affected the movement of his right leg.

In September 2022, Eamonn was forced to step away from his GB news show as he underwent vital back surgery to aid his chronic back pain.

Then in November 2022 he endured a horrific accident which saw him fall down a set of stairs at his home in Surrey leading him to break his shoulder weeks after his huge spinal surgery.

Shortly before their splie Ruth said she 'lives in hope' that his mobility will improve.

Speaking to Woman's Weekly, Ruth said: 'I don't know how much Eamonn's mobility will improve. We live in hope.

'He does the physio, but there might have to be some acceptance that this might never be 100% right. With any care situation - and there are millions of carers in this country - it isn't always easy. It's testing but we manage as a family.'

Ruth added: 'I look at Eamonn, who's had his health and back problems, and it makes you realise how important your health is.'

Discussing his woes at the beginning of the year, Eamonn himself said: 'It's as if somebody up there is playing with my life. In the past year I've had an operation on my back which went wrong and has confined me to a wheelchair.

'I've fallen and broken my shoulder. Honestly you could not make it up.'

He added: 'I have tried every treatment, but you go. Maybe I'll never get out of it,' which is a harsh reality to face.'

Eamonn admitted he didn't even know if he would be able to attend the annual TRIC Awards, however his new high tech equipment has allowed him to be more comfortable.
Ella Rae Wise showed off her taut abs in a stylish yellow bikini set as she continued filming TOWIE's upcoming series in Cyprus on Wednesday.

The blonde beauty, 24, was joined by love interest Dan Edgar, 34, once again, after confirming their relationship is back on.

The reality TV stars were seen sharing a steamy kiss in the sea on Tuesday, despite calling off their romance in May after she accused Dan of 'cheating' on her.

Ella looked incredible in a skimpy bikini and matching skirt, while Dan looked handsome in an off-white linen co-ord.

And as they continue their holiday romance, the couple were all smiles as they posed for photos by the beach.

Ella Rae Wise, 24, showed off her taut abs in a stylish yellow bikini set as she continued filming TOWIE's upcoming series in Cyprus on Wednesday

The blonde beauty was joined by love interest Dan Edgar, 34, once again, after confirming their relationship is back on

Ella looked incredible in a skimpy bikini and matching skirt, while Dan looked handsome in an off-white linen co-ord

Elsewhere, Jordan Brook, 29, looked more than loved-up with his girlfriend Sophie Kasaei, 34.

The smitten couple looked happier than ever as Jordan placed a sweet kiss on Sophie's cheek.

After posing for a slew of snaps, they joined Amy Childs and her nine-month-old twins Billy and Millie for dinner.

Chloe Meadows looked stylish in a risque cut-out brown dress and sandals as she joined Jordan and Harry Derbidge.

Former Love Island star Elma Pazar flashed her toned torso in a sheer skirt and matching crop top.

Courtney Green flashed her toned legs in a thigh-high split aztec co-ord and elevated her frame with gorgeous wedges.

Junaid Ahmed held up a peace sign as he beamed for a photo in a stylish red co-ord.

Ella previously revealed Dan had cheated on her with his ex-girlfriend Hannah Rally while she was on holiday in Dubai.

And as they continue their holiday romance, the couple were all smiles as they posed for photos by the beach

Elsewhere, Jordan Brook , 29, looked more than loved-up with his girlfriend Sophie Kasaei , 34

The smitten couple looked happier than ever as Jordan placed a sweet kiss on Sophie's cheek

After posing for a slew of snaps, they joined Amy Childs and her nine-month-old twins Billy and Millie for dinner

Jordan and Sophie chatted to Amy about their life while cuddling up to her baby boy

They tucked into delicious food during the trip to Cyprus

Amy appeared in great spirits as she enjoyed a some downtime with her two youngest children

Amy's cousin Harry later joined them for a cuddle with his nephew

Amy looked incredibly glamorous in a multi-coloured green kimono

Chloe Meadows looked stylish in a risque cut-out brown dress and sandals as she joined Jordan and Harry Derbidge

Former Love Island star Elma Pazar flashed her toned torso in a sheer skirt and matching crop top

Courtney Green flashed her toned legs in a thigh-high split aztec co-ord and elevated her frame with gorgeous wedges

Junaid Ahmed held up a peace sign as he beamed for a photo in a stylish red co-ord

Chloe looked sensational in her stylish evening attire, adorned with gold motifs

Freddie Bentley bared his chest as he unbuttoned his black shirt and wore vibrant zebra print budgy smuggler

Danny Imbert showed off her skimpy physique in tiny yellow shorts and plunging bralette

Saffron Lempriere stunned in a one-shoulder swimsuit and stylish brown trousers

The couple couldn't take their hands off each other as they larked around in the ocean.

Just two months since Ella confirmed their split, the appeared to forget all about her cheating claims.

At the time, Essex beauty Ella told her followers she is 'happily single' during a Q&A on her Stories and also took a savage swipe at her love rival Amber Turner and her co-stars.

One fan asked: 'Are you single?'

She replied: 'Yes and happily single. Focusing on myself and my brand'.

While another follower asked: 'Thoughts on some of the other TOWIE girls comments on you?'

Ella hit back and replied: 'All I will say is they think they're bl**dy perfect. The sun doesn't shine out of their a**** trust me.'

Dan and Ella's short-lived romance, only took off on a recent TOWIE cast trip to Bali as they were seen packing on the PDA while filming series 33.

Dan and Ella's short-lived romance, only took off on a recent TOWIE cast trip to Bali as they were seen packing on the PDA while filming series 33

The romance had followed Dan's messy and emotional split from Amber Turner (pictured), who was also on the trip. He later got together with Hannah

The pair were reportedly open to continuing their romance over the summer as they discussed their future while filming their final scenes for the latest series.

The romance had followed Dan's messy and emotional split from Amber Turner, who was also on the trip. He later got together with Hannah.

A source has since told The Sun: 'Dan was dating Hannah for around nine months, they got together shortly after he split from Amber.

'Things were going really well and he even told her he loved her  but he said he wasn't ready for anything serious. Next thing he is in Bali for Towie filming and is getting with Ella.

'Hannah was obviously really shocked, but she just didn't want the drama to decide to wash her hands of him. But they ended up getting together again when Ella was out of town in Dubai.'

After returning to the UK, Ella was reportedly 'furious' with Dan's behaviour, the source added: 'Ella ended up finding out what happened between Dan and Hannah and was furious.

'She confronted Hannah about it and called her embarrassing as well as some other choice words. It got pretty nasty but was really was the last straw for Hannah. Ella seems to have forgiven him for now.'
Songwriter Jon Hume has launched a lawsuit against media giant Universal Music Group over the Aussie smash hit tune Be Alright by Dean Lewis.

Hume, 40, who was born in Australia and later rose to fame in the Kiwi band Evermore, co-wrote the song which topped charts around the world in 2018.

His suit claims that portions of an original recording he made of the song before it was recorded by Lewis, 36, were used in the final release without his knowledge or permission.

He filed the legal action in Nashville, U.S. on June 19 against UMG, reported The Courier Mail on Wednesday.

Hume, who co-wrote the song with Lewis, produced what is known as a 'demo' [or demonstration] recording of the pop ballad.

The musician who divides his time between Los Angeles and Nashville, said in his suit that he played all the instruments on the demo and was told at the time it would not be used in the final recording.

Hume now alleges that he learned in December that his recording formed part of the hit version of the song.

He is now seeking damages including 'statutory' damages, compensatory damages reasonable attorneys' fees, and costs from [UMG] for using his work 'without permission' reported the publication.

Songwriter Jon Hume has launched a lawsuit against media giant Universal Music Group over the Aussie smash hit tune Be Alright by Dean Lewis. Hume, 40, (pictured) co-wrote the song which topped charts around the world in 2018

Universal Music Australia told the publication they had 'no comment' about the lawsuit.

Be Alright was a massive global hit and topped the ARIA chart in Australia and was a top 30 hit smash in the U.S. and reached the top 20 in the U.K.

It was also a number one hit in Belgium, the Czech Republic and Singapore.

Hume's suit claims that portions of an original recording he made of the song before it was recorded by Lewis, 36, were used in the final release without his knowledge or permission. Pictured: Dean Lewis on stage in the U.S. in May

Known as a producer and a songwriter, Hume penned the 2019 hit Purple Hat for Sofi Tukker, and wrote and produced the 2020 U.K. smash Dead Celebrities by Easy Life.

After Be Alright Hume continued to work with Lewis and co-wrote the Aussie performers 2022 hits How Do I Say Goodbye and Hurtless.

It comes ahead of Lewis's forthcoming third studio album, The Epilogue, on which Hume produced the tune Hume Memories.

Hume filed the legal action in Nashville, U.S. on June 19 against UMG reported The Courier Mail on Wednesday. Pictured: Hume fronting Evermore in Melbourne in 2009

The hitmaker will tour Australia with Daniel Seavey as his the support act on Lewis's upcoming national tour.

This marks a significant milestone for the 25-year-old, who first rose to fame as a member of the boy band Why Don't We following his stint on American Idol.

Daniel will join Lewis on a seven-date tour across Australia kicking off on October 30, at the Civic Theatre in Newcastle.

Tickets for the Dean Lewis Epilogue tour are on sale here.
Rosie Huntington Whiteley and Naomi Campbell wore sexy bridal ensembles as they joined a very leggy Halle Bailey at the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda show in Sardinia.

The Alta Moda show showcases the fashion house's new jewellery range, known as Alta Gioielleria.

The event was high-glamour and Rosie, 37, lead the charge wearing a long cream dress with spaghetti straps with a dramatic sleeved-train worn over the top.

She linked arms with a friend, wearing her caramel locks in a slicked back fashion.

Supermodel Naomi, 54, looked incredible wearing a long gown in the same colour which had a sexy crossover section at the cleavage and a keyhole detail at the front.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Naomi Campbell wore sexy bridal ensembles as they joined leggy Halle Bailey at the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda show in Sardinia on Tuesday

Naomi looked incredible wearing a long gown which had a sexy crossover section at the cleavage and a keyhole detail at the front, (left) and (right) Halle Bailey

Billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez were also present, with Lauren wearing a chic black see-through long gown by the fashion house

Jeff's fiancee Lauren had been wearing the brand earlier in the week as she sipped on an Aperol spritz in Greece

The number had a long train detail which floated down behind her and she completed her look with a pair of sunglasses.

Actress Halle, 24, added a pop of colour with a bold yellow dress which was strapless in design and had a sexy thigh-split.

She wore a statement necklace and earrings as she posed for pictures and completed her look with shoes that were in the same hue as her dress.

Within Alta Gioielleria lies the culture, folklore, and artistic traditions of particular regions of Italy told through crafted gold and gemstones.

Naomi spoke to Vogue about the collection and said: 'I have to say, I recognize Italy in these pieces.

'From hints of Baroque architecture and renaissance paintings to the vibrant sun-drenched colors of the Mediterranean.

'When I wear one of their creations, I feel like Im carrying a piece of Italy with me.'

Elsewhere, Alessandra Ambrosio, 43, looked incredible flashing her underwear beneath a long embellished dress which had a statement gold metal corset belt.

Alessandra Ambrosio looked incredible flashing her underwear beneath a long embellished dress which had a statement gold metal corset belt

She walked tall in the sheer, glittering number as she made her grand entrance at the event

She looked over her shoulder as she gave a glimpse of her vertiginous gold platform heels.

Actor Christian Bale, 50, and his wife, American stunt performer Sibi Blazic, 54, brought some serious glamour to proceedings in black.

And billionaire Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, 60, and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez, 54, were also present, with Lauren wearing a black see-through gown by the fashion house.

Before this trip, the couple were sunning themselves in Greece, with Lauren sharing pictures of herself wearing a yellow and white printed Dolce And Gabbana dress.

The couple had been on their $500 million yacht in Greece all week.

Actor Christian Bale and his wife, American stunt performer Sibi Blazic, brought some serious glamour to proceedings in black

Naomi looked chic as she made her way down the runway to her seat in a pale gown with cape detailing

The light wind gently blew the chiffon fabric of her dress creating a dramatic effect

Naomi was accompanied by designer Domenico Dolce who had his pet pocch in tow

Rosie later slipped off her cape to reveal a stunning evening dress which suited her perfectly

In one social media image, Lauren was reclining on an outdoor lounge in the photo and sipping on an orange Aperol spritz.

'Don't they say an Aperol a day keeps the doctor away?' she captioned it.

Emily In Paris star Lucien Laviscount, 32, wore a chic cream wraparound shirt and sequinned trousers for his smiling entrance.

And Georgina Rodriguez, 30, was seen wearing a floral mini dress and strappy heels with a blazer worn over her shoulders - though there was no sign of her partner Cristiano Ronaldo, 39

Kitty Spencer, 33, was pictured posing with her hands on her hips wearing an embellished blue strapless gown as she stood in the sunshine.

And Emma Weymouth, 38, wore a plunging metallic gown which had thigh-high side splits.

Georgina Rodriguez was seen wearing a floral mini dress and strappy heels with a blazer worn over her shoulders - there was no sign of her partner, Cristiano Ronaldo

Kitty Spencer was pictured posing with her hands on her hips wearing an embellished blue strapless gown as she stood in the sunshine

Emma Weymouth wore a plunging metallic gown which had thigh-high side splits

Emily In Paris star Lucien Laviscount, 32, wore a chic cream wraparound shirt and sequinned trousers for his smiling entrance

Meanwhile, Naomi's former maid slammed the supermodel for flaunting the infamous designer dress she wore while serving out for her punishment for attacking her.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, housekeeper Ana Scolavino, 58, says she is still traumatized by the 2006 incident that saw Campbell hurl her diamond-encrusted cellphone at her in a violent fit of rage.

Scolavino's head was split open by the impact as she tried to escape the star's New York apartment - and she later struggled to find work due to the crippling anxiety she suffered as a result of the assault.

Naomi was ordered to complete five days of community service and anger management classes, but drew further controversy when she showed up to her last day of her sentence in an ornate silver designer dress.

And now the iconic Dolce & Gabbana gown has been put on display at a new exhibit celebrating her life and career at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The infamous Dolce & Gabbana gown Naomi wore on her last day of her court-ordered community service in 2007 has been put on display at a new exhibit celebrating her life and career

The supermodel's former housekeeper Ana Scolavino, who was assaulted by Naomi in 2006, slammed the move as 'weird' and 'in poor taste'

Dolce and Gabbana, aged 64 and 60, appear to be the darlings of the fashion world once again.

Kim Kardashian, 42, was signed up as creative director for their show in Milan last year and made the face of its latest advertising campaign leaving her sister Kourtney, 45, livid.

Just six months earlier, the brands founders and co-owners, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, personally styled Kourtney for her wedding to rock-drummer Travis Barker.

Yet it was only in 2018 that Stefano Gabbana reportedly responded to an online photo of the Kardashians by commenting, The most cheap people in the world.

Accused of racism, homophobia (despite both men being gay and having been a couple for 18 years until 2004), misogyny, fraud and general jaw-dropping insensitivity, it seems the pair cannot afford to be so picky when it comes to their celebrity endorsements nowadays.

The design partnership was founded in the early 1980s after its two founders met in a Milan nightclub and put on their first show using one of Dolces bedsheets as a curtain.

Theyve dressed everyone from Cardi B and Madonna to Blake Lively and the Princess of Wales, charging as much as $60,000 for one of their extravagant frocks.

Kim Kardashian (pictured in Puglia, Italy,) was signed up as creative director for Dolce & Gabbanas spring show in Milan and made the face of its latest advertising campaign, her sister Kourtney was livid.
Christian Bale looked happier than ever as he linked arms with Sibi Blazic, his wife of 24 years, at the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda fashion show in Sardinia on Tuesday.

The Batman star, 50, cut a dapper figure in a black suit, which he paired with an open collar shirt.

The actor was all smiles as he tucked a pair of sunglasses into his smart shirt as he arrived at the star-studded event with his American stunt performer wife, 54.

Sibi looked sensational in a black figure-hugging midi dress, which boasted stylish semi-sheer long sleeves.

She added inches to her frame in a pair of leopard print heels and carried her belongings in a matching clutch.

Christian Bale looked happier than ever as he linked arms with Sibi Blazic, his wife of 24 years, at the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda fashion show in Sardinia on Tuesday

The Batman star, 50, cut a dapper figure in a black suit, which he paired with an open collar shirt, while his wife Sibi, 54, looked sensational in a black figure hugging midi dress

The couple enjoyed a drink as they walked hand-in-hand to their seats at the star-studded show, which also had Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Naomi Campbell and Halle Bailey in attendance.

Dolce & Gabbana's Alta Moda launches the fashion house's jewellery collection in an annual four-day extravaganza.

The long-time couple reportedly met through actress Winona Ryder while she and Christian were working on Little Women in 1994 and Sibi was Winona's assistant at the time.

The two hit it if off, eloped to Las Vegas in 2000 and welcomed their two children, daughter Emmeline in 2005 and son James in 2014.

The couple have very cute nicknames for their kids, as Christian revealed in his 2019 Golden Globes acceptance speech for his role as Dick Cheney in Vice.

'Thank you to my beautiful wife who said less is more,' he said while accepting the Best Actor award.

'Say less right now, she knows the dumb crap that can come out of my mouth sometimes. I can sink and ruin a perfectly good movie and a so-so career in one speech. I wouldn't be working without her.

'And thank you for our beautiful children, Banana and Burrito. They've given me a love and a soul I never thought possible.'

The couple enjoyed a drink as they walked hand-in-hand to their seats at the star- studded show, which launches the fashion house's new jewellery collection

Christian, who is well known for being a method actor who completely transforms himself for roles, credits his wife with his success.

'She's had to be married to so many different characters over our marriage  I know it truly would be impossible to do it without her. She's such a good, strong woman.'

He has also joked that his wife prefers some of the characters he's played over him.

'My wife definitely had favourites. She was like, "Ah, I miss him. He's gone. You're a d**k. I want you to be that character again,"' he told People.

Christian is currently filming The Bride alongside Jessie Buckley, Annette Bening, Penelope Cruz and Gyllenhaal's husband, Peter Sarsgaard.

'A lonely Frankenstein travels to 1930s Chicago to seek the aide of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself.

'The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman and the Bride is born,' the film's synopsis reads.
Lauren Sanchez stunned as she joined her billionaire fiance Jeff Bezos at the star-studded Dolce & Gabbana show in Sardinia on Tuesday evening.

The beauty, 54, and her businessman partner, 60, looked every inch the glamorous couple as they arrived at the high fashion event.

Lauren showed off her gorgeous curves in a strapless black sheer dress which revealed her toned physique.

The lace number featured pretty ruffle detailing and was cinched in at the waist with a corset-style top.

She completed the look with platform heels and accessorised with dangly silver earrings to add a touch more glamour.

Lauren Sanchez stunned as she joined her billionaire fiance Jeff Bezos at the star-studded Dolce & Gabbana show in Sardinia on Tuesday evening

The beauty, 54, and her businessman partner, 60, looked every inch the glamorous couple as they arrived at the high fashion event

Beside her Jeff looked dapper in a black suit and dark shades as he carried his drink with him.

It comes after earlier this week Lauren wowed as she soaked up the sun in an ultra-mini white dress while on Jeff's $500 million yacht.

The loved-up couple had been enjoying a relaxing and romantic getaway in Greece alongside the brunette beauty's ex-boyfriend Tony Gonzalez, his wife October, and a few of their other pals - including Kim Kardashian.

And, the future Mrs. Bezos made sure to show off her sizzling physique while on the lavish vacation.

Most recently, Lauren took to Instagram to put on a stylish display, wowing in a crochet dress with a series of cutouts that accentuated her trim waistline.

The mom-of-three - who is engaged to the Amazon founder - paraded her fit figure in the tiny number as she held her long locks back in the wind.

Lauren dazzled in the white dress, which featured a strapless neckline and a crochet pattern.

She showed off her strong arms as she kept her hair from blowing in the wind.

The former journalist opted for minimal makeup, which complemented her natural beauty.

After the event she took to her Instagram Story to thank the brand for the 'most magical evening'

It comes after earlier this week Lauren wowed as she soaked up the sun in an ultra-mini white dress while on Jeff's $500 million yacht

The loved-up couple had been enjoying a relaxing and romantic getaway in Greece alongside the brunette beauty's ex-boyfriend Tony Gonzalez, his wife October, and a few of their other pals - including Kim Kardashian

She showed fans that she was really was more in love with her partner and her life than ever before by captioning the photo with a simple heart.

Her most recent snap comes after she touted her fun-filled lifestyle online.

Over the weekend, the former journalist proved she was still young at heart as she jumped on a jet ski and rode the waves while sizzling in a gold bikini.

The skimpy swimsuit put her ample assets on full display as she and Jeff had a blast on the shimmering blue waters of the Aegean Sea.

Kim - who has long hailed Lauren as one of her best friends for 'life' - also joined the couple in her own jet ski.

The reality TV star, 43, who was joined by TV personality Olivia Pierson on a separate jet ski, looked at ease.

She slipped into a silver co-ord with a bikini top and biker-style shorts before stopping to pose up a storm for a series of selfies.

Lauren and Kim have formed a tight friendship in recent years - with the pair regularly stepping out for dinners together, along with Jeff, who is also close with Kris Jenner.

Just a few days before Lauren and Jeff's trip to Greece at the beginning of June, the former reporter put on another dazzling display as she and Jeff celebrated her eldest son's graduation from college.

They were joined by the Gonzalez family, with all participating in a graduation photoshoot together, before heading out to dinner to honor Nikko.

Lauren and Jeff (seen in May) have been island hopping on his luxury $500 million mega yacht Koru since the beginning of June - with Koru meaning 'new beginnings' in Maori

The proud mom shared a montage of photos and clips from the festivities in a video posted to her Instagram afterward.

Lauren and Jeff have been island hopping on his luxury $500 million mega yacht Koru since the beginning of June - with Koru meaning 'new beginnings' in Maori.

Jeff's 230-foot tall yacht, which he commissioned in 2018, currently holds the record for being the world's tallest superyacht.

The Koru is the second-largest sailing ship in the world.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young stunned onlookers at the Midwinter Ball in Canberra on Wednesday night as she stepped out in a see-through gown.

The Australian Greens politician, 42, who was the youngest woman to be elected to federal parliament, looked stunning in the sheer black frock.

Glittering beneath the light with diamantes, the outer layer of the dressed poured down the South Australian senator's figure and ended at the ankles.

A second nude layer underneath hit her mid-thigh as she posed up a storm with her husband-of-two-years, executive director of The Australia Institute, Ben Oquist.

Pulling her dark locks back into a glamorous up-do, Sarah matched her bold red lip with vibrant nail polish on her fingers and toes.

Accessorising with a few staple pieces of silver jewellery, Sarah was all smiles as she cuddled up to her partner who looked dashing in a black tuxedo.

Sarah and Ben tied the knot in 2022 when the South Australian Greens Senator took a weekend off during a busy election campaign to marry her 'best friend'.

The lovebirds exchanged vows in front of 80 guests at Lobethal Road Wines which is less than an hour northeast of Adelaide.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, 42, stunned onlookers at the Midwinter Ball in Canberra on Wednesday night as she stepped out in a see-through gown with husband Ben Oquist. Both pictured

The Australian Greens politician, 42, who was the youngest woman to be elected to federal parliament, looked stunning in the sheer black frock

Due to Covid border restrictions, the two families were unable to meet in person until the big day.

Sarah donned a stunning strapless lace dress by Adelaide designer Alexis George for the happy occasion.

Colleagues in attendance at the ceremony included Greens senate candidate Barbra Pocock, former Greens leader Bob Brown and member for Sydney Alex Greenwich.

Glittering beneath the light with diamantes, the outer layer of the dressed poured down the South Australian senator's figure and ended at the ankles

'Because of Covid, my side of the family, the family who live in Victoria and Ben's side of the family who live in New South Wales haven't actually met until now, so it's a lovely bringing together of the two families,' Sarah told The Advertiser at the time.

'We've been friends for a long time and as the pandemic was hitting we kind of fell in love and it just happened.

'It was this beautiful transition from friendship into something more intimate and I feel like I am marrying my best friend. We just both feel so lucky.'

Ben proposed earlier in 2022, while the pair were celebrating Sarah's 40th birthday on Kangaroo Island, after two years of dating.
Gemma Collins jetted off to another holiday destination via a private plane as she posed with cabin crew in an Instagram snap on Wednesday.

The TOWIE alum, 43, flaunted her wealth by flying on a luxury jet just days after splashing out on a 1000-a-night trip to Benidorm.

Gemma boasted to her Instagram followers to 'never stop dreaming', while showing off her wealth.

She looked incredibly glamorous in a strapless green top and matching trousers, teamed with bright pink Givenchy sliders and a Chanel bag.

She captioned her post: 'Your thoughts become your REALITY. NEVER STOP DREAMING. you can have the life YOU WANT.'

Gemma Collins, 43, jetted off to another holiday destination via a private plane as she posed with cabin crew in an Instagram snap on Wednesday

The TOWIE alum flaunted her wealth by flying on a luxury jet just days after splashing out on a 1000-a-night trip to Benidorm

Gemma boasted to her Instagram followers to 'never stop dreaming', while showing off her wealth

It comes after Gemma took her followers inside her 1,000-a-night luxury presidential suite getaway as she soaked up the sun in the Spain.

Gemma enjoyed some five-star treatment during her lavish getaway as she posted a clip of her lavish accommodation at the Melia Villaitana Hotel on Tuesday.

The TV personality candidly admitted that because she is 'very lucky' and lives in a 'nice house' she 'only wants the best' rooms when she goes on holiday.

Starting off her video tour, Gemma said: 'So guys if know about me, you know obviously I am very lucky.

'I live in a nice house so when I come on holiday my room has to be beautiful.

'You know this is what holidays are about. At home you do have to put the dish washer on and do you laundry.

'When you are on holiday you want the magic so lets check out this hotel room. I only like the best rooms.

'I could be in the most amazing place but if the room is not right its kills the vibes.'

Gemma enjoyed some five-star treatment during her lavish getaway as she posted a clip of her lavish accommodation at the Melia Villaitana Hotel on Tuesday

The TV personality candidly admitted that because she is 'very lucky' and lives in a 'nice house' she 'only wants the best' rooms when she goes on holiday

Dressed in a lime green beach dress, Gemma looked thoroughly impressed as the hotel staff revealed where she would rest her head for the night

As they opened up the room into a huge reception area complete with a grand wooden tables, Gemma was blown away

After asking her hotel guide Jose if she could move in permanently, she then moved onto her private two-floor patio

It featured a private jacuzzi, gorgeous sea views and a four-poster sun bed

Gemma then wandered into her grand bedroom which featured a king bed

The TV personality also shared a little tour through her large walk through wardrobe

Gemma also shared snaps of the resort's shared pool alongside the the hotel restaurant

Dressed in a lime green beach dress and with a coffee in hand, Gemma looked thoroughly impressed as the hotel staff revealed where she would rest her head for the night.

As they opened up the room into a huge reception area complete with a grand wooden tables, Gemma was blown away.

She then took her 2.2million followers into the living room and shouted 'this is what I am taking about, baby' as she revealed a large open living room with black marble tables and a flat screen TV.

After asking her hotel guide Jose if she could move in permanently, she then moved onto her private two-floor patio.

It featured a private jacuzzi, gorgeous sea views and a four-poster sun bed.

She then wandered into her grand bedroom, which featured a king bed and a large walk through wardrobe.

To end her tour of the beautiful property, Gemma showcased her large marble bathroom which came complete with a marble shower and bath.

The reality star's lavish holiday comes after she opened up about her incontinence struggles amid fears her bladder will leak on her wedding day.

Gemma is engaged to Rami Hawash for the third time after the businessman proposed during their idyllic Maldives getaway back in February

Gemma is engaged to Rami Hawash for the third time after the businessman proposed during their idyllic Maldives getaway back in February.

While she is excited to tie the knot, she spoke openly about her struggles with incontinence and plans for the big day in an interview with this week's new! Magazine.

Gemma said: 'We need to normalise things like bladder leaks, I'm really struggling with it at the moment and I know others are too.

'If I get married, I'll get married in the woods. I want it to be earthy. And I'll be putting on a liner in my knickers on my wedding day because there's going to lots of laughing and tears and I certainly don't want to be leaking then.'
Andy Allen paid a moving tribute to his old friend Jock Zonfrillo on Wednesday's episode of MasterChef.

With tears in his eyes, the 36-year-old fan favourite announced to the remaining five contestants on the cooking show that Jock was his 'food hero'.

Fighting back his emotions, Andy added that he learnt 'so much' from the late chef, who died suddenly in April, 2023 at age 46.

'When you first applied to be part of this competition you named someone that you considered to be your food hero,' Andy began.

'And all of you... you named a family member. For me, although I loved growing up on burgers, unfortunately, it's not my mother. But it's our late, great mate Jock.

'The time that we spent cooking in this kitchen and creating an energy where people like you could just reach for the stars and succeed with everything you do, I learnt so much about that from Jock,' he went on.

'He taught me so much more, probably, about being a good husband, being a good son, um, and hopefully, one day, me being a good dad.

'I miss him a lot,' he added as fellow judge Poh Ling Yeow wrapped her arm around him.

Andy Allen paid a moving tribute to his old friend Jock Zonfrillo on Wednesday's episode of MasterChef. Andy and Jock are pictured at the Melbourne Cup in 2022

Fighting back his emotions, Andy said he learnt 'so much' from the late chef, who died suddenly in April, 2023 at age 46.

It comes after Andy recently revealed what it was really like returning to the show for season 16 after the tragic death of mate Jock.

Andy appeared on The Project in April and said that he almost didn't return to MasterChef this year, but is now 'so glad' he decided to push through the grief.

'It was tough. I didn't know if I was going to do it. I'm so glad that I did, I really am, but it was hard,' he told the panel.

'The first scene [of the show] is just me in the kitchen alone, all dark, just me... that got me going good.'

'I miss him a lot,' added Andy. Pictured: Sofia Levin, Poh Ling Yeow and Christophe Novelli

Andy went on to say everything changed 'once the contestants came in, once the new three judges came in', and he found himself getting 'swept up'.

'It was just business. That whole MasterChef thing, the spirit, the passion, it just sweeps anyone up, and it did the exact same thing to me,' he added.

Jock was found dead at Zagame's House hotel in Carlton, near Melbourne's CBD, at about 2am on April 30 last year.

The chef was laid to rest in a private funeral in Sydney surrounded by 200 family and friends. Pallbearers included his wife Lauren and MasterChef co-host Andy Allen.
Alice Evans' lawyers have accused her ex-husband Ioan Gruffudd of giving his fiancee Bianca Wallace $77,000 in just a single month while she was struggling for cash to look after their children.

In bombshell court papers, Evans claims the Fantastic Four actor stopped paying him either child or spousal support in April.

According to a court filing on July 1 seen by MailOnline, she claims she is in a dire financial crisis, behind on rent and utility payments and struggling to put food on the table for their daughters Ella, 14, and Elsie, 10.

Meanwhile, she alleges Gruffudd, 50, and Wallace have been travelling the world and even recently bought new Rolex watches.

A page from the court filing appears to show the $77,000 that Gruffudd is said to have paid out to Wallace in December last year. The biggest single payment is $53,760 - for a 'loan repayment'.

It seems that there are three of them in the divorce battle, with Evans, 55, saying that Wallace made a 'completely false' and highly defamatory attack on her on Instagram in April this year.

In the post, aspiring actress Wallace said she had been contacted by thousands of people who claimed Evans had abused or threatened them - declaring that she was going to 'stand up' to 'bullies'.

Alice Evans pictured with her two daughters - amid her messy divorce from Ioan Gruffudd

Gruffudd is pictured kissing his smiling fiancee Bianca Wallace in an Instagram post announcing their engagement in January

Gruffudd paid Wallace $77,000 in December 2023, Evans says. This image from the court filing appears to show the payments in question

Evans' lawyers argue this means that Wallace was in breach of a custody stipulation, which forbids either of them from being negative about the others in front of the children.

Because their eldest daughter, Ella, has Instagram, her lawyers say this is a breach.

In the papers, Evans adds that Ella was very upset when a school friend told her about the post and 'cried out she never wants to see Ioan again.'

The documents say that Evans' lawyers emailed Gruffudd's lawyers to ask for Bianca's Instagram post to be removed, but received no response. They note that Bianca used the pronoun 'we' in the post, which implied that her fiancee agreed with her.

It is also the case that Evans, after hundreds of outbursts on social media and elsewhere in the immediate aftermath of their separation in 2021, is subject to a restraining order which means that she was not able to respond at the time.

The filing is an urgent request for funds. In it, Evans, who met Gruffudd on the set of the film 102 Dalmatians, says: 'As it stands, I have very little money coming in each month. I earn approximately $300 per month in royalties.

'I have drained all of my personal savings paying my prior attorneys in this case and paying for my expenses

'I have some personal property, such as vintage designer items, held in storage, that I could possibly sell, but they are in danger of being sold at auction because I cannot pay the monthly storage fee (Ioan stopped paying post-separation even though our daughters' childhood mementos are stored there.)'

Evans, Ella, Elsie and Gruffudd attending the premiere of Show Dogs in Hollywood in 2018

Wallace, Gruffudd's fiancee, smiling in this Instagram post

She adds: 'As it stands, I am behind on rent and utility payments, and friends have started dropping off groceries and food so the children and I can eat. I will be applying for food stamps and welfare.

'While I am struggling to put food on the table for our children, Ioan is jet setting around the world. Ioan could not appear at his noticed deposition for custody issues because he travelled to the UK. Since April 2024, according to his Instagram page and press releases, he has been in the UK, Cardiff, Sardinia, Rome, Spain, and Seattle.

'Based upon stories in the media, Ioan purchased an expensive engagement ring for his fiancee and they recently purchased new Rolex watches. '

She acknowledges she signed a prenuptial agreement in 2007 before marrying Gruffudd. It gives her 20 per cent of his earnings as spousal support in the event of a split, or 10 per cent if they have children.

She notes: 'This provision punishes me for having children, which I contend offends the public policy of the State of California that both parents are to contribute to the financial support of the children, especially in this case where I now have 100% custody of the children.'

At the time of the prenup, which is attached to the filing, Gruffudd said he had a net worth of 2million, and she had $40,000 in various accounts.

The couple split up in January 2021, and in September of that year he went public with Wallace, who was an extra on the show Harrow which was filmed in Australia.

It was only at the end of 2023 that some interim spousal and child support was settled. The agreed payment was $3,000 a month in interim child support and $7,000 a month in spousal support. Evans says that Gruffudd only paid the spousal support from December 2023 to April 2024 and has paid nothing since.

Her lawyers say that he earned on average $21,000 a month in 2023, but during the marriage had earned between $500,000 and $1million a year.

They claim that Gruffudd earns tens of thousands of dollars a month, per his tax filings, and that he also received 'approximately $390,000 from the sales proceeds of the home just in December 2023'.

'In this case, a disparity in access to funds to pay fees exists because Alice earns only a few hundred dollars per month, while Ioan's self-reported average monthly income on his Income and Expense Declaration filed January 24, 2024, is $21,023 for the 36 months ending December 31, 2023 and $18,264 for the 12 months ending December 31, 2023,' the legal filing states.

'Moreover, Ioan continues to get roles in movies, such as Bad Boys 4, which was just released this year. Ioan also received approximately $390,000 from the sales proceeds of the home just in December 2023.'

Evans is asking the court to pay her attorneys and alleges that he has been paying two different law firms and a forensic accountant.

It was initially understood that the financial issues would go to trial by April 2024 but that has now been put off to August.

'Alice is applying for public assistance because she is unable to support herself and the children,' her lawyer states in the latest legal filing.

'It appears that the financial trial will be several months away and Alice will not be able to survive without the receipt of guideline spousal support.

'Ioan has the ability to pay spousal support based upon his greater ability to earn income and his ongoing lavish lifestyle. For these reasons, Alice requests guideline child and spousal support.'

The issue of custody has been settled, with both parties signing a stipulation two months ago. Following an evaluation by a child custody expert, which took several months, Evans was granted 100 per cent custody. Gruffudd had wanted a 50-50 arrangement.

Her lawyer Janina Verano also says that since May 2023, Gruffudd has not seen the children outside of reunification therapy nor has he 'exercised his court ordered right' to have a telephone call with them three times a week. Reunification therapy ended in February this year.

'Ioan has not telephoned the children or returned their text messages since May of 2023,' Evans says. She adds: 'The children have been left in limbo and are completely confused about when or if they will see Ioan.'

Through an order filed by her lawyer, Evans says that she does not agree to the sealing or keeping private of their stipulation, or custody agreement in its entirety, which is what Gruffudd has requested - accusing him of being 'disingenuous' in his request to seal the legal proceedings in order to 'protect the children'.

Evans' attorney notes that Gruffudd 'did not seek to seal any of DVRO [domestic violence] pleadings nor any of the custody pleadings wherein he falsely accuses Alice of abusing the children' - calling out the fact that he only wishes to seal those proceedings in which the allegations were resolved.

Evans was made subject to a restraining order by her estranged husband in February 2022 after she posted a number of messages about him and his new girlfriend on social media and allegedly sent him over 100 texts. One suggested: 'You've got your nuts stuck in her veneers.' She denied abusing or harassing him.

The order was extended for three years in August 2022, and Evans was forbidden from posting about either Gruffudd or Wallace.

In June last year, elder daughter Ella, then 13, applied for a restraining order against Gruffudd after a custody visit ended in chaos. She said: 'I was so mad at my dad because this was an overnight visit, and I had told him in the past that I didn't want to meet his girlfriend who was now his live-in girlfriend.'

She claimed that Wallace had slammed a door against her head as she was running from their apartment after pouring milk and mustard around in protest.

In publicly available documents she said that she was 'afraid' of her father and said that he had threatened to 'call the police on her anytime she misbehaves' during visits.

The request for a restraining order was dropped in court by Ella, who faced her father's legal team.

The couple married in Mexico in 2007 after meeting on the set of the Disney film 102 Dalmatians.

Gruffudd's representatives were contacted for comment.
Anthony Albanese's fiancee Jodie Haydon turned heads on Wednesday night when she stepped out at the Midwinter Ball in Canberra wearing an upcycled gown.

The financial services professional, 45, and the Prime Minister, 61, arrived just before 7.30pm and looked every inch the loved-up couple as they posed for photographs.

Mr Albanese appeared keen to avoid negative attention during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, opting to don a simple black suit, while Ms Haydon chose a glittering gown she last wore in public in 2022.

Melbourne designer Lucy Laurita restyled the dress, which featured a plunging neckline, with sustainable fashion in mind.

Ms Haydon once again looked sensational in the sequin showstopper she first wore at the 2022 Midwinter Ball.

It comes just days after Ms Haydon was confused for Australia's new Governor-General Sam Mostyn during an embarrassing blunder by the ABC.

ABC News host Gemma Veness was reporting on the swearing-in ceremony which took place at Parliament House on Monday when the mix up occurred.

Ms Haydon walked out of Parliament House that morning alongside Mr Albanese to greet waiting media.

Anthony Albanese 's fiancee Jodie Haydon turned heads on Wednesday night when she stepped out at the Midwinter Ball in Canberra wearing an upcycled gown. Pictured (L) in 2024 and (R) in 2022

But over the footage, Veness told viewers: 'We can see Sam Mostyn on our screens now arriving in Canberra for that swearing in ceremony.'

A moment later, as the duo approached the cameras, Veness realised her mistake and corrected herself, adding: 'In fact, my apologies... that is in fact Jodie Haydon.'

Later in the Senate, Ms Mostyn was seen smiling as she walked in just as the swearing-in ceremony was about to begin.

The financial services professional, 45, and the Prime Minister, 61, arrived just before 7.30pm and looked every inch the loved-up couple as they posed for photographs

Mr Albanese appeared keen to avoid negative attention during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, opting to don a simple black suit, while Ms Haydon chose a glittering gown she last wore in public in 2022

Melbourne designer Lucy Laurita restyled the dress, which featured a plunging neckline, with sustainable fashion in mind

Journalist Gemma Veness confused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese 's fiancee Jodie Haydon for the woman of the hour, Sam Mostyn

Last week the government passed legislation to provide the Governor-General with a $709,000 annual salary - $200,000 more than her predecessor.

The reason for the $200,000 boost follows the constitutional requirement that the Governor-General's pay cannot be changed in the five-year term and is set in relation to the chief justice of the High Court's remuneration.

The pay rise sparked outrage among the Coalition and the Greens for being out of touch during a cost of living crisis but ultimately passed through parliament without too much difficulty.

On Monday, politicians from across both major parties filled the Senate to watch as Ms Mostyn, a known republican, vowed to 'be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty, King Charles III, his heirs and successors according to law'.
Mark Wright and Spencer Matthews have teamed up for the first time on a new fashion campaign for Marks & Spencer.

Given their names, the pair are an apt choice as ambassadors for the high street brand, who are keen to attract younger men to their fashion range.

The reality stars, and former lotharios, described their surprise collaboration as 'the brand partnership you didn't know you needed' in an amusing video they posted on their social media accounts on Wednesday.

Spencer, 35, joked: 'Ever since the first day I met you I've been thinking 'we should do an M&S campaign together.''

On the clothes they're modelling, Mark, 37, said: 'We wear it well, chose it well and this is for you.'

Mark Wright and Spencer Matthews have teamed up for the first time on a new fashion campaign for Marks & Spencer

The reality stars, and former lotharios, described their surprise collaboration as 'the brand partnership you didn't know you needed' in an amusing video they posted on Instagram

Spencer joked: 'Ever since the first day I met you I've been thinking 'we should do an M&S campaign together''

Spencer added: 'Prepare for your head to spin clean off your body when you see all the clothes we have to show you.'

Mark and Spencer are arguably the biggest stars from the reality TV revolution, starring in ITV's TOWIE and E4 series Made In Chelsea before carving out their own long-lasting careers.

Their collaboration marks the latest celebrity brand ambassador deal M&S has launched following A-list star Sienna Miller's clothing range.

A host of household names including Jamie Redknapp and Marvin Humes, as well as influencer and former Love Island star Molly-Mae Hague have recently been announced as new names working with M&S Food.

Mark has previously been interviewed by Spencer, explaining he is driven by money and the fear of losing his fame and status following years of hard work.

Spencer admitted he and Mark are equivalents, saying: 'We've had an extremely similar entry to fame, and I guess I'm the Chelsea version of him In Mark's words we were men that women just love to hate.'

Before the duo settled down, Spencer with wife Vogue Williams, with whom he shares three children, and Mark, actress Michelle Keegan, they became known for their womanising antics.

Mark dated the likes of former TOWIE co-stars Lucy Mecklenburgh and Sam Faiers while Spencer conquered the Chelsea set by romancing Louise Thompson and Lucy Watson.

Their collaboration marks the latest celebrity brand ambassador deal M&S has launched following A-list star Sienna Miller's clothing range

Before the duo settled down, Spencer with wife Vogue Williams, with whom he shares three children, and Mark, actress Michelle Keegan, they became known for their womanising antics

Spencer previously admitted he and Mark are equivalents, saying: 'We've had an extremely similar entry to fame, and I guess I'm the Chelsea version of him'

Mark married former Coronation Street star Michelle in 2015 and together the couple live in an Essex mansion they built from scratch (pictured September 2023)

Spencer and wife Vogue met filming reality series The Jump and married in 2018, together the couple share children Theodore, Gigi and Otto (pictured October 2023)

But after leaving their respective reality shows, the pair have evolved, both personally and professionally, with Mark presenting Extra TV in the US and starring in his own BBC travel series alongside his dad and brother, and Spencer launching his non-alcoholic brand CleanCo, as well as previously filming his fly on the wall show with wife Vogue.

Spencer said: 'Having Mark and I working together is pure genius and makes me laugh every time I think about it. We've had a really good time collaborating together with M&S and this new activewear is amazing and everything I need from my sportswear.'

Mark added: 'M&S is such an iconic British brand, and I couldn't be happier to be joining the team and working with Spencer... definitely another pinch me moment.'
Savannah Chrisley has revealed the heartbreaking words her mom, Julie, uttered to her after her sentence was overturned as she begged her daughter to stay by her side.

The 34-year-old has been fighting for her parents' freedom after they were put behind bars for tax evasion in 2022.

At the time, Julie, 51, received a prison sentence of seven years when she was convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion, alongside her 55-year-old husband, Chrisley Knows Best star Todd Chrisley, who received a 12-year sentence.

However, on Friday, a panel of judges from the US Circuit Court of Appeals reevaluated Julie's sentence and decided to overturn it.

Now, Savannah - who has been acting as a bonus mom to her younger family members - has shared the bitter truth about the 'really big news' as she detailed how her mom's reaction 'broke her heart.'

Savannah Chrisley has revealed the heartbreaking words her mom Julie uttered to her after her sentence was overturned as she begged her daughter to stay by her side

In an episode of her Unlocked podcast, Savannah discussed the overturned sentence and shared an update on her mom's mental health.

She revealed that Julie had an overwhelming amount of emotions surrounding her release.

Savannah said: 'She's like, "I know you want to have your own life and I want you to do that, but for the first few months, you're going to have to stay with me."'

The 34-year-old admitted that it 'broke her heart' to hear those words.

Savannah noted that she wanted to make sure her mom's mental health would be a priority upon her release.

She added: 'I have to let her process things. There's going to be a lot of things when she comes home that is not going to be easy and the PTSD that these men and women suffer from being in prison is horrendous.'

The 34-year-old reality TV star revealed that her goal was to welcome her mom home for Thanksgiving after her seven-year sentence was overturned.

She confessed that if her mom came home in time for the holidays, life would be 'so much better.'

The 34-year-old has been fighting for her parents' freedom after they were put behind bars for tax evasion in 2022

Now, Savannah - who has been acting as a bonus mom to her siblings - is raving about the 'really big news'

'Now we sit and wait, hopefully, no more than 90 days to go for that hearing. Hopefully, she comes home. If she comes home, oh, my gosh, life will be so much better.

'I'm making it my goal that by Thanksgiving she is home.'

Savannah also explained that she was worried about the heightened press that would surround her and her siblings once her mom got home.

On Friday, a three-judge panel from the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals decided to reevaluate Julie's sentencing.

Initially, Julie was found responsible for the fraud scheme dating back to 2006, however, the judge has now ruled that there was no evidence of her involvement before 2007, partially exonerating her from the conspiracy, The Sun reported.

Julie's case will now return to a lower court for resentencing, providing an opportunity for a potentially reduced prison term for her punishment over what the appellate panel called a 'narrow issue.'

'We're pleased that the Court agreed that Julie's sentence was improper, but we're obviously disappointed that it rejected Todd's appeal,' Alex Little, an attorney for the couple, said in an email message to the AP.

She noted that Julie (seen with Todd in 2017) had an overwhelming amount of emotions surrounding her release

Todd was sentenced to 12 years and wife Julie was given seven years behind bars, heading off to prison in January 2023 (the family seen in 2016)

He said the Chrisley family was 'hopeful for more good news in the future.'

The reality star couple was found guilty in July 2022 of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans.

The Chrisleys were also found guilty of tax evasion by hiding their earnings while showcasing an extravagant lifestyle.

Todd was sentenced to 12 years and wife Julie was given seven years behind bars, heading off to prison in January 2023.

Since then, Savannah has been raising brother Grayson, 17, and 11-year-old niece Chloe, while filming a new reality show with the kids, 27-year-old brother Chase Chrisley, and Nanny Faye.
Blake Lively has expressed her undying attraction to husband Ryan Reynolds, nearly 12 years after they tied the knot.

The 36-year-old actress took to Instagram on Tuesday to leave a flirty comment about her 47-year-old spouse after his Deadpool & Wolverine costar Hugh Jackman, 55, shared a muscley snapshot of him.

The Canadian actor bared his toned biceps while wearing a white tank top during a break in the stars' Shanghai, China press tour.

He pointed at the camera, with red and yellow purses set on a table in the background  a subtle nod to the colors of his and Jackman's characters' costumes.

Lively joined the comments to write: 'My thirst has been trapped.'

Blake Lively expressed her undying attraction to husband Ryan Reynolds after his Deadpool & Wolverine costar Hugh Jackman , 55, shared a muscley snapshot of him on Instagram

The 36-year-old actress left a flirty comment about her 47-year-old spouse; pictured in 2022

Lively joined the comments to write: 'My thirst has been trapped'

Her playful note racked up more than 18,000 likes from amused fans.

And Jackman joked in the caption to his nearly 32 million followers: '"You want me to put this away?'  Ryan Reynolds, co-star, mouth breather, a**hole.'

Keeping up their lighthearted banter, Ryan added: 'This photo is from my private collection. How dare you?'

Taking to his Instagram Stories, Reynolds geotagged their location and added, 'You've brought shame upon my house.'

On Wednesday the father-of-four uploaded a carousel of images on Instagram as he looked back on their time in China.

Engaging his 51.5 million followers, he penned, 'Leaving Shanghai is bittersweet This was the first stop on the #DeadpoolAndWolverineTour.

'As we make our way to Korea, we want to thank the people of Shanghai for the incredible hospitality and warmth.'

He added, 'Ive been lucky to visit China five times  and as of today, the beautiful sights and sounds of Shanghai for a third time. Thank you from the heart of our bottom and thank you @theshanghaimuseum for the unforgettable tour last night.'

Jackman joked in the caption to his nearly 32 million followers: 'You want me to put this away?  Ryan Reynolds, co-star, mouth breather, a**hole'

Reynolds and Lively struck up a romance in 2011, before marrying in September 2012

And wrapping up the capiton, he wrote: 'So excited to unleash #DeadpoolAndWolverine here July 26th!'

In the series of photos Reynolds and Jackman posed with director Shawn Levy.

Meanwhile, Blake was active on social media this week, sharing outtakes from her time in Italy, where she recently filmed A Simple Favor 2.

Reynolds and Lively struck up a romance in 2011, before marrying in September 2012.

They share daughters James, nine, Inez, seven, Betty, four, and a one-year-old baby.
Jax Jones was left horrified after an Ibiza night out with fellow artists Jason Derulo and Joel Corry resulted in a humongous 22,000 euro bar tab.

The English DJ and producer, 36, has been working with the musicians on their new collaboration track Tonight (D.I.Y.A).

And it seems they have been getting into the party spirit amid the song's promo, after Jones took to Instagram on Tuesday to reveal the hefty bar bill they wracked up.

Jones shared a carousel of pictures from over the last week, with the first a selfie of him, Derulo and Corry having some drinks after launching their song. But the tenth and final snap in the post was a picture of their 22,380 euro [19,000] tab, which included 51 bottles of Moet & Chandon and eight Dom Perignon Vintages.

However fans weren't best pleased with the post, as they compared the astronomical bill to their wages for an entire year.

Jax Jones was left horrified after an Ibiza night out with fellow artists Jason Derulo and Joel Corry resulted in a humongous 22,000 euro bar tab last week

It seems the trio have been getting into the party spirit amid the song's promo, after Jones took to Instagram on Tuesday to reveal the hefty bar bill they wracked up

Jones captioned the post: 'The last week has been such a buzz. Swipe to the end to see the bar bill Jason and Joel left me with.

'We launched a new song with Jason and Joel. Cheers! The bar bill from the first picture thanks Jason and Joel. Guess I'll be doing the dishes then.'

Just days before the post, Derulo shared a video about the same mammoth bill, captioned: 'How it feels on a night out in Ibiza.'

The clip showed Derulo raise his eyebrows when given the bill before passing it to Corry, who eventually handed it to Jones.

'Bro we're having the best time, so good to be here as friends,' Jones could be heard saying before the bill reached him.

But as he saw the price, the clip went black and white as the trio's song started playing with the lyrics 'I just died in your arms tonight, didn't even try to escape. I just died in your arms tonight, I knew I should have waked away.'

Replying to Derulo's video, Jones commented: 'How could you leave me with the bill guys??'

Some fans felt bad for Jax being left with the huge tab and found the clip funny, commenting: 'Not it transitioning to the black and white colors to show the sadness. That honestly was the perfect transition for the song, love it!';

Jones captioned the post: 'The last week has been such a buzz. Swipe to the end to see the bar bill Jason and Joel left me with'

Jones shared a carousel of pictures from over the last week, with the first a selfie of him, Derulo and Corry having some drinks after launching their song (Pictured in June)

Just days before the post, Derulo shared a video about the same mammoth bill, captioned: 'How it feels on a night out in Ibiza

Replying to Derulo's video, Jones commented: 'How could you leave me with the bill guys??'

'That's when u get up to use the bathroom,'; 'Jason had that look like the hell,'; 'Not even the soul was left to pay the bill.'

However other fans were less impressed, and accused the You Don't Know Me hitmaker of 'boasting' amid the cost of living crisis.

They wrote: 'I love your music but I dont think its so good to be boasting about how much you spent on a night out when people in this country are genuinely struggling,';

'19k, Jesus, that was my wages for the year last year and more than I will get this year, must have been a good day/night,';

'When they drink the money we earn half a year in 1 night (angry face),'; 'That's lotsa champy and Prosecco for the two of them, cheeky,';

'51 bottles of Moet Chandon, 8 bottles of Dom Vintage, etc. That bill looks rather reasonable.'

That wasn't the only slightly controversial part of the Ibiza for Derulo, after he was slammed for posting a fire on the island as a metaphor for returning to a 'toxic ex'.

The Instagram video showed a cloud of smoke rising from a distant fire before Jason emerges from his palatial poolside accommodations with a drink in hand.

Some fans felt bad for Jax being left with the huge tab and found the clip funny, commenting: 'Not it transitioning to the black and white colors to show the sadness'

The clip showed Derulo (Pictured in June) raise his eyebrows when given the bill before passing it to Corry, who eventually handed it to Jones

However other fans were less impressed, and accused the You Don't Know Me hitmaker of 'boasting' amid the cost of living crisis

'Fire,' he wrote beside the cloud of smoke with a skull emoji.

'Walking back to my ex like,' he added as he began to happily walk outside.

One viewer replied with fury, saying: 'What's wrong with u? First before publishing you should think about the people who have suffered from the fire of a business in Ibiza,';

'Second, the video is not funny at all and I suppose you have the conscience to apologize and delete it. I don't understand that a video has to be made about a misfortune like a fire to gain likes. I hope you reconsider.'

Another fan informed Jason the fire was at a warehouse near the Ibiza Airport and claimed people had lost their jobs due to the disaster.

'Jason is not funny,' they said. 'The place that caught fire is called Citubo and is an important reference for the island. Many people have now lost money and jobs. A little respect.'
Reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump has announced that her father John Vanderpump has passed away.

The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills veteran shared the news on her Instagram page on Wednesday morning.

There was a photo of Lisa, 63, posing with her dad outdoors in their native England. The image is several years old.

'I will miss you daddy Broken-hearted. Rest in peace,' wrote the Vanderpump Rules star and producer in her caption.

Lisa did not say what her father passed away from or where he died.

Her daughter Pandora Vanderpump addressed her grandfather's death in the comments section of Lisa's post by sharing a heart emoji.

Gretchen Rossi shared two red heart emojis and two prayer emojis while Teresa Giudice said, 'So sorry for your loss.' Mario Lopez posted two red heart emojis.

Reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump has announced that her father John Vanderpump has passed away. The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills veteran shared the news on her Instagram page on Wednesday morning

'I will miss you daddy Broken-hearted. Rest in peace,' wrote the Vanderpump Rules star and producer in her caption. Lisa did not say what her father passed away from or where he died

Lisa is the youngest child of John and Jean Vanderpump.

The family lived in Dulwich, south London, where her father worked as a creative advertising director.

Lisa told the DailyMail.com several years ago: 'My parents gave me a great upbringing but they didnt give me anything financially, so Ive always had autonomy in my life.'

This comes after Lisa has experience tremendous loss.

In 2018, Lisa's brother, Mark Vanderpump, passed away by suicide at the age of 59. Her mother Jean died a year later in 2019.

This comes after Vanderpump said in May she thinks Vanderpump Rules could end 'every year.'

The TV star has enjoyed huge success with the long-running reality series, but Lisa fears that it could still end at any time.

Speaking to Us Weekly, Lisa explained: 'Every year I think, "Oh, this is gonna be the last year."'

Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules was dominated by Tom Sandoval and Rachel Leviss' cheating scandal. But Lisa is now keen to move on from the high-profile saga.

In 2019, Vanderpump shared a throwback photo of an outing with her mother Jean (second from left) who died in 2019 and brother Mark (far left) who passed in 2018

The TV personality - who first found fame on 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' - shared: 'We're taking a little breath here. I've got to open another restaurant.

'I think we're kind of done talking about Scandoval/Sandoval. So I think everybody needs to have it kind of all breathe a little bit.'

Earlier this month, Lisa revealed that 'Vanderpump Rules' is 'on hiatus'.

The reality TV series enjoyed a resurgence following the 2023 cheating scandal, but Lisa recently confirmed that the show has been paused 'just for a little bit'.

This comes after Vanderpump said in May she thinks Vanderpump Rules could end 'every year.' Pictured during season one

Speaking to E! News about the future of the show, Lisa shared: ''Vanderpump Rules' is on hiatus just for a little bit. Let it breathe. I think we were going around in circles for a little bit.'

Lisa also confirmed that she'll be focusing on her business interests in the short term.

She said: 'I have a restaurant to open in September, so I have to be full-steam ahead on that.

'I was away just before I opened Wolf working with Gordon [Ramsay]. That put a lot of pressure on us. I really need a couple of months to do that now.'

What's more, Lisa is keen to take a break from the show for a short while.

She explained: 'It's been a very busy year, three shows on the air and two restaurants to open. I wouldn't mind a breath myself.'
Hollie Nasser has officially moved on following her high-profile split with investment banker Charlie Aitken, with the Sydney socialite going public with her new flame.

Hollie shocked Sydney's well-heeled social clique in late 2021 after her affair with investment banker Charlie Aitken, husband of her best friend Ellie Aitken, was made public leading to a spectacular breakdown of two marriages.

Complicating things further was the fact Mr Aitken was in business with Hollie's investor husband, Chris Nasser.

But that all appears to be a distant memory now, with Hollie now loved up with IT company managing director Marshal de Saxe, who she has been with for more than a year.

They were seen together at Derby Day celebrations last November as they enjoyed a drink together at the G.H Mumm marquee inside the Birdcage.

Hollie told the Daily Telegraph that the pair had a 'strong connection' from the start and are 'still going really strong'.

'He's very smart, very kind, and all my girlfriends love him, which is good,' Hollie said.

The mum-of-two said she had 'moved on' from her old social circles and was focusing on her family.

Hollie Nasser is now loved up with IT company managing director Marshal de Saxe

Hollie shocked Sydney's well-heeled social clique in late 2021 after her affair with investment banker Charlie Aitken (far right), husband of her best friend Ellie Aitken (second right), was made public leading to a spectacular breakdown of two marriages, including hers with husband hris 'CJ' Nasser (far left)

'I'm in a very happy place now. It was a horrific few years and they were definitely hard, but I think I've come out the other side a lot stronger and happier.

'I've got a beautiful life. I've got beautiful kids, beautiful friends, a beautiful partner.'

Hollie and Mr Aitken's short-lived romance came to a halt in May 2022, with Hollie confirming the news in a statement.

'With regards to my private life; my focus is my daughters, I have chosen not to be in a relationship,' she said.

'Chris has always been a loving and devoted father. We are working together to co-parent our children.

'The past nine months have been very difficult and I have expressed my apologies to my family and others involved.'

Hollie said the pair had a 'strong connection' from the start and are 'still going really strong'

They were seen together at Derby Day celebrations last November as they enjoyed a drink together at the G.H Mumm marquee inside the Birdcage

Hollie later embarked on a brief relationship with with finance executive James Hodgman, launching their romance at a racing event in November 2022.

In a loved-up photo, the mother-of-two couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she embraced Hodgman and posed for the camera.

But the pair's love was short lived after Hodgman was allegedly embroiled in an eastern suburbs brouhaha in February last year, which was understood to be the reason behind the split.
Valerie Bertinelli just celebrated being six months alcohol free with her equally sober boyfriend, Hoarse Whisperings blogger Mike Goodnough.

The 64-year-old former Food Network star - who boasts 4.1M social media followers - publicly announced her milestone on Monday after wiping her entire Instagram account.

Valerie's 53-year-old silver fox commented on her post: 'Funny how we both just randomly decided to stop drinking only weeks before we met each other.'

LA-based Bertinelli originally met Mike via Instagram before chatting on the phone and eventually meeting in person for the first time in his home state of New York.

'He's just very special. He treats me with so much respect and so much kindness and so much patience and I really want to show him that back, but you know it's really hard. He's amazing. He's a good man. He's an incredibly talented writer. I like soak up his words he's so talented. He's a god to me. I think I said too much!' the Indulge cookbook author gushed on the May 13th episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show.

Valerie Bertinelli just celebrated being six months alcohol free with her equally sober boyfriend, Hoarse Whisperings blogger Mike Goodnough (pictured June 8)

'You know when you're happy and you just want to, like, share it with everybody? Yeah that's me now. I'm not going to jump on any chairs or sofas or anything [like Tom Cruise did in 2005]. It's totally surprising and not what I expected.

'I said this a million times while I was going through my healing for the last two years that I am more than happy I will be blessed to live my life with my cats and my dog. I'm very good alone. I like being alone. I'm really starting to like me, which has been a long process. Most of the time I like me, so I don't need that in my life. But when it comes along you just kind of go, "Okay I guess I'm doing this!"'

Valerie's mention of 'last two years of healing' was a direct reference to her 2022 divorce from ex-husband #2 Tom Vitale, whom she paid a $2.2M divorce settlement to after acrimoniously ending their decade-long marriage.

Bertinelli also suffered the loss of her amicable ex-husband of 20 years - legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen - in 2020 with whom she shared 33-year-old son Wolfgang Van Halen.

The two-time Daytime Emmy winner also received congratulatory comments on her sobriety post from former talk show host Rosie O'Donnell, The Matrix alum Joe Pantoliano, Desperately Seeking Susan alum Rosanna Arquette, and The Color Purple alum Rae Dawn Chung.

On Tuesday, Valerie pondered the idea of 'eating or drinking to numb/avoid the pain' in order to avoid 'developing the tools to make us feel safe in an unsafe world.'

'Maybe if you take away those numbing tools then you start avoiding feelings altogether because they're just too painful. You disengage, isolate,' Bertinelli wrote.

'When we don't allow ourselves to feel the pain, we can't allow ourselves to get to the other side to where we can feel the joy. It's just too damn scary to feel the pain. And what if that joy isn't on the other side? How am I supposed to trust that?!

The 64-year-old former Food Network star - who boasts 4.1M social media followers - publicly announced her milestone on Monday after wiping her entire Instagram account

Valerie's 53-year-old silver fox commented on her post: 'Funny how we both just randomly decided to stop drinking only weeks before we met each other'

LA-based Bertinelli originally met Mike via Instagram before chatting on the phone and eventually meeting in person for the first time in his home state of New York (pictured June 7)

The Indulge cookbook author gushed on the May 13th episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show: 'He's amazing. He's a good man. He's an incredibly talented writer. I like soak up his words he's so talented. He's a god to me'

She continued: 'I said this a million times while I was going through my healing for the last two years that I am more than happy I will be blessed to live my life with my cats and my dog. I'm very good alone. I like being alone. I'm really starting to like me, which has been a long process. Most of the time I like me, so I don't need that in my life. But when it comes along you just kind of go, "Okay I guess I'm doing this!"' (pictured June 2)

Valerie's mention of 'last two years of healing' was a direct reference to her 2022 divorce from ex-husband #2 Tom Vitale (L, pictured in 2014), whom she paid a $2.2M divorce settlement to after acrimoniously ending their decade-long marriage

Bertinelli also suffered the loss of her amicable ex-husband of 20 years - legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen (R) - in 2020 with whom she shared 33-year-old son Wolfgang Van Halen (M)

The two-time Daytime Emmy winner also received congratulatory comments on her sobriety post from Rosie O'Donnell, Joe Pantoliano, Rosanna Arquette, and Rae Dawn Chung

On Tuesday, Valerie pondered the idea of 'eating or drinking to numb/avoid the pain' in order to avoid 'developing the tools to make us feel safe in an unsafe world' (pictured May 30)

'I believe there is always joy and relief on the other side. At some point, we just have to slay that dragon and trust that joy will meet us there because the way we've been going about it just isn't working anymore.'

The One Day at a Time alum - whose sitcom pilot Hungry was not picked up by NBC - will next have a voiceover role in Disney Junior's 2025 animated series Robogobo alongside Cynthia Erivo, Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer, and Alison Pill.

Valerie hasn't had an acting gig since concluding her role as divorced writer Melanie Moretti in Suzanne Martin's sitcom Hot in Cleveland, which aired for six seasons on TV Land spanning 2010-2015.

Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com
Brad Pitt looked polished while arriving on set in London.

The Fight Club star, 60  whose 32-year-old girlfriend recently expressed interest in kids together  rocked a slightly unbuttoned cream shirt that teased his chest.

He paired the look with matching jeans and tan boots tucked underneath.

His dirty blonde locks were pushed to the side as the actor prepared to go on camera. The Mr & Mrs Smith actor accessorized with layered gold necklaces and sunglasses.

This sighting comes two months before the eight year anniversary of his split from wife Angelina Jolie, whom he is still fighting with over custody of their six children, even though most of them are adults now.

Brad Pitt looked polished while arriving on set in London

The Fight Club star, 60, rocked a slightly unbuttoned cream shirt that teased his chest

The scene for the untitled racing film was being shot at the Langan's Brasserie in the Mayfair district of London.

The restaurant was turned into a Las Vegas supper club where Pitt's character attends a poker night.

Pitt is set to co-produce the film and act as a retired Formula One driver who gets back behind the wheel.

Production on the film began in 2023 and will include scenes from this season's British Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi races.

As DailyMail.com previously reported, all 10 F1 teams will featured, including the sport's drivers and the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile.

Actor Damson Idris is slated to play the Moneyball star's rookie team-mate for APXGP, a fictional team in the lineup.

The cast also includes Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, Tobias Menzies, Sarah Niles, Kim Bodnia, Samson Kayo and Callie Cooke.

Formula 1 vet and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton  who recently signed to drive for Ferrari  had a hand in producing the project.

It is slated for a summer 2025 release.

He paired the look with matching jeans and tan boots tucked underneath

His dirty blonde locks were pushed to the side as the actor prepared to go on camera

The Mr & Mrs Smith actor accessorized with layered gold necklaces and sunglasses

The scene for the untitled racing film was being shot at the Langan's Brasserie in the Mayfair district of London

Pitt's sighting for film comes amid the Bullet Train star's ongoing bitter divorce from Angelina Jolie, 49.

The Oklahoma's eight-year divorce battle from his estranged wife has been impacting his relationship as he and his current girlfriend are struggling to fully 'move on,' insiders have claimed.

Brangelina's convoluted break-up looks set to last almost as long as the relationship that preceded it; the pair have been locked in a bitter legal battle since their shock split in 2016.

Though the pair were deemed legally single five years ago, a contentious dispute  dubbed 'the war of the roses'  over their French property and winery, Chateau Miraval, has slowed down proceedings.

Insiders claim that the actor is desperate to sever all ties to his ex for good in order to finally 'shake off' the demons from their marriage.

'Brad really wants this to be finalized more than anything,' a source told DailyMail.com exclusively. 'If it were up to him entirely, this would have been wrapped up a long time ago.'

The former couple were married from 2014 to 2019 and shared a blended family with kids Maddox, 22, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, Pax, 20, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 15.

Pitt's sighting for film comes amid the Bullet Train star's ongoing bitter divorce from Angelina Jolie, 49; seen in 2014

They shared a blended family with kids Maddox, 22, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, Pax, 20, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 15; seen in 2014

He has since moved on to the much younger ex-wife of The Vampire Diaries star Paul Wesley, Ines de Ramon.

Pitt and the 32-year-old actress since late 2022 and are reportedly eager to let the relationship progress.

An insider revealed: 'Brad wants to move forward with Ines, and he can't when he is technically still married to the mother of his children.'
Twilight star Taylor Lautner's wife, Taylor Dome, revealed that she was left 'terrified' after recently discovering a 'hard lump' on her breast while in the shower.

During Wednesday's episode of her podcast The Squeeze, which she co-hosts with her spouse, the 27-year-old influencer, who is also a registered nurse, revealed that she's 'had a few little health scares over the past couple months.'

While washing her body, Dome recalled the frightening moment that she felt a lump on her boob.

'I kinda, like, paused for a second and was like, "Wait. What?" And then I pressed on it again and started to feel it. And there was this hard lump there,' the College of the Canyons graduate said.

The discovery left her 'completely froze' as she stood in the shower 'literally thinking every single thought in the world.'

Twilight star Taylor Lautner's wife, Taylor Dome, revealed that she was left 'terrified' after recently discovering a 'hard lump' on her breast while in the shower

Lautner, 32, added that the lump was 'very noticeable' and said in moments like that 'of course, your mind goes to, you know, the worst.'

'Feeling something that is foreign in your body, especially there, it was terrifying, and I just kind of like immediately started bawling,' she said.

Dome said she started 'sobbing' once she told Lautner, who knew something was 'wrong' before she even confided in him.

'When you told me, I was terrified but trying not to show you that I was terrified,' he said. 'I [didn't] want you any more worried than you were.'

After going to a a breast center for an ultrasound, Dome said thankfully 'everything was clear.'

'The tissue can just, like, move around hormonally. It can change,' she said. 'It's still there to this day, and it hasn't gone away.'

Launter said 'it's weird and scary because you can only feel it going from one direction.'

'It could have been there for who knows how long,' he added.

During Wednesday's episode of her podcast The Squeeze, which she co-hosts with her spouse, the 27-year-old influencer, who is also a registered nurse, revealed that she's 'had a few little health scares over the past couple months'

While washing her body, Dome recalled the overwhelming moment that she felt a lump on her boob

'I kinda, like, paused for a second and was like, "Wait. What?" And then I pressed on it again and started to feel it. And there was this hard lump there,' the College of the Canyons graduate said

Dome went on to remind other woman to take this as a 'reminder to do the self-examination in the shower.'

'Breast cancer doesn't run in my family, but I've had a lot of cancer within my family, so I think that's why I was also very scared,' she said. 'It's also just important for people to know  as hard as it is  to know that it is very normal for that to happen.'

About a month after the scare, Dome revealed that she found herself 'in a very depressive state.'

'I was not wanting to get out of bed  period,' she shared. 'I did not wanna work at all. I was just aimlessly scrolling, aimlessly watching Netflix. I was having really bad anxiety attacks.'

At that time, she said she was 'just laying in bed,' unable to move and 'crying.'

Dome went on to credit her husband for sticking by her side and laying next to her as she tried to figure out what was wrong.

Lautner and Dome tied the knot at Epoch Estate Wines, outside of Paso Robles, California, in November 2022, exactly one year after getting engaged

The couple went Instagram official with their relationship in October 2018

'It had been a long time since you had like a bad anxiety attack like that,' he recalled.

'This was one of those where your chest feels like it's caving in. I've never had one nearly as bad as this,' Lautner said.

Ultimately, Dome realized that she was exhibiting side effects from going off birth control.

Although she had not actively planned on going off the pill, she said she was left without a current birth control prescription after her regular doctor retired.

After two weeks of feeling unwell and not like herself, she realized that she was 'withdrawing' from her birth control, which she has been on for ten years.

'Once I've realized it, I slightly felt better about it [but] there was nothing I could do about it besides to figure out how to get back on my birth control,' Dome noted.

The couple launched The Squeeze podcast, in which they speak openly about mental health; seen last month at The Cameron Boyce Foundation's Cam For A Cause 3rd Annual Gala

Dome ended up contacting the doctor who referred her to the breast center about the issue and received a new prescription 'literally within minutes.'

'That was my one positive from my lump,' she mused. 'That was able to help solve the problem.'

'We're lumpy, but we're healthy,' she declared.

Lautner and Dome tied the knot at Epoch Estate Wines in November 2022, exactly one year after getting engaged.

The couple went Instagram official with their relationship in October 2018 and have gone on to launch their The Squeeze Podcast, in which they speak candidly about mental health.
Jay Leno's dementia-stricken wife Mavis was seen sporting an apparent black eye as she was spotted with the host on an outing in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Late night legend Leno, 74, has been caring for Mavis, 77, and was recently appointed her conservator.

Mavis - who wed Leno in 1980 - was seen with a dark bruise around her right eye as she was driven around in LA by her devoted husband.

The dementia Mavis suffers from is so advanced that she sometimes doesn't recognize him and doesn't remember what her birthdate is, court documents found by DailyMail.com revealed earlier this year.

The ex-Tonight Show host petitioned Los Angeles Superior Court in January to be appointed Mavis' conservator because her condition makes her unable to handle her own affairs.

Jay Leno's dementia-stricken wife Mavis was seen sporting an apparent black eye as she was spotted with the host on an outing in Los Angeles on Tuesday

Mavis - who wed Leno in 1980 - was seen with a dark bruise around her right eye as she was driven around in LA by her husband

In a filing supporting Leno's petition, her court-appointed attorney, Ronald Ostrin, shed new light on Mavis's diminishing mental capacity that has brought sadness to the couple's otherwise 'perfect' marriage of 43 years.

'According to (Mavis') neurologist, Dr. Hart Cohen, she has advanced dementia, sometimes does not know her husband Jay, nor her date of birth,' Ostrin said.

'She has lots of disorientation, will ruminate about her parents who have both passed and her mother who died about 20 years ago.'

Dr. Cohen - who was called in to treat Mavis after she had a car crash in 2018 - told Ostrin that Leno 'Loves his wife very much and wanted to bring this matter out of respect to her.

'He said that Mr. Leno is such a nice man and treats Mavis like gold.'

Discussing their marriage at the Feminist Majority Foundation's 16th Annual Global Women's Rights Awards & Gala earlier this year, Leno told Fox News that he and Mavis are closer than ever.

'We've been married 44 years. It gets easier. It doesn't get harder,' he said.

'We do everything together. I go home every night, make dinner and sit around. We enjoy each other's company,' he added.

Leno was affectionate with a beaming Mavis as they posed for photos on the red carpet, protectively wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her close.

The couple took the gala stage later that night, where Leno choked back tears as he said that marrying the philanthropist was 'the smartest thing I've ever done.'

'We have a lot of fun,' he gushed to the crowd.

'People say marriage is difficult. I don't get it. I enjoy her company. I enjoy taking care of her. We have fun.

Leno was seen running errands with his wife

Leno stepped out with his longtime wife Mavis at an awards gala for women's rights in Los Angeles in May

'We've been married 44 years. It gets easier. It doesn't get harder,' he said. (Pictured in 1981)

'She's the most independent woman I ever knew. Again, I just couldn't be prouder of her.'

He added, 'I am part of her legacy and that's what I'm proudest of.'

Mavis is a lifelong philanthropist and has been the chair of the Feminist Majority Foundation's Campaign to Stop Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan since 1997.
Jennifer Garner showed off her toned figure this week as she stepped out in Los Angeles.

The 52-year-old actress  who is reportedly 'done' helping ex Ben Affleck and his wife Jennifer Lopez through marriage woes  wore black leggings as she ran errands in Santa Monica.

The mother-of-three wore a navy, crew neck, short-sleeved shirt with the activewear look, rounding it out with white sneakers.

Her bouncy brunette locks were pulled into a ponytail and she wore round, black-rimmed sunglasses.

It comes amid chatter that Affleck, 51, and Lopez's, 54, marriage has been 'over for months.'

Jennifer Garner showed off her toned figure this week as she stepped out in Los Angeles

The 54-year-old actress wore black leggings as she ran errands in Santa Monica

Garner was spotted on a coffee run, sporting a black watch and wearing black earbuds.

Missing from the scene were the three children she shares with Affleck  Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12.

The Alias alum has made a conscious decision to step back from the 'circus' surrounding her ex-husband's marriage to Lopez, according to insiders who claim the ongoing situation has unearthed 'painful' memories for the actress.

Garner and Affleck have been pictured together in recent weeks amid ongoing speculation that his two-year marriage is on 'shaky ground.'

Insiders had previously revealed that she had been acting as a 'counselor' to the couple, desperately trying to help them fix their alleged issues.

Sources now say the Elektra star has decided to remove herself entirely.

'Jen eventually got to a place where she was like, "Sorry, figure this out yourself,"' an insider told DailyMail.com.

'It was beginning to become too painful for her because it was bringing back so many memories of their divorce,' the person added.

The mother-of-three wore a navy, crew neck, short-sleeved shirt with her activewear look, rounding it out with white sneakers

Jennifer Lopez and Garner's ex-husband Ben Affleck rekindled in 2021 and married in a Las Vegas ceremony the following July, before throwing a lavish wedding at his Georgia estate in August 2022; seen in 2023

Jennifer was last seen in a video for her skincare line JLo Beauty

Affleck and Garner were married from 2005 until their divorce was finalized in 2018.

'Throughout their marriage there were times when Jen felt like she was second to JLo even though there was no communication between her and Ben for years,' the source explained.

'She was surprised at how public he became when they reunited because he was always a man who wanted to be out of the spotlight when they were married.

'Jen opened up her home and her life to JLo because she had moved on from the past. She cares about JLo and cares about their kids and how it will affect all of them.

'But in the end, it is not Jen's circus, not Jen's monkeys and she is done playing marriage counselor to her ex-husband and his wife,' it was noted.

DailyMail.com previously revealed that Garner, 52, was acting as a 'counselor' to ex Ben Affleck and Lopez as she desperately tried to help them fix their alleged issues; Jennifer and Ben pictured in June

Garners withdrawal comes after DailyMail.com revealed her rumored fiance, businessman John Miller, 46, was tiring of how involved she was in trying to fix Afflecks marriage.

'John wants nothing more than for Ben to be okay, but it isnt his girlfriends responsibility to play babysitter to him,' a person close to the situation said.

'That is for Ben to figure out on his own and for his wife to handle. It isnt Jens responsibility, and he has told her this.'

Lopez recently returned to the United States after a trip to Italy, where she was pictured spending time with close pals during a boat day in Positano.
Lara Flynn Boyle is reflecting on her sobriety journey as her first film in four years, Mother Couch, is set to debut this week.

She costars with Ewan McGregor and Lake Bell.

The 54-year-old Twin Peaks actress, who was the subject of headlines over the years about her drinking, says those days are long gone as she got sober five years ago.

'Those disco boots, theyve had their time,' Lara shared with People on Wednesday.

Back in 2018, the Daily Mail shared photos of Lara drinking out of a Johnnie Walker bottle while behind the wheel of her car in a Westwood parking lot.

Boyle did not comment on whether those photos caused her to want to stop drinking.

But she did allow: 'Some people are allergic to it; some people are un-allergic to it.'

Lara Flynn Boyle shared she has been sober for five years. Without going into detail about what caused her to stop drinking, she told People: 'Some people are allergic to it; some people are un-allergic to it'; seen in 2017

Seen in the film Death In Texas in 2020. She is now starring in her first film in four years with Mother Couch

The Wayne's World alum - who rose to fame as Donna Hayward on Twin Peaks in 1990 - also revealed that she has dealt with her own #MeToo experiences.

'Ive been in situations that were not called for,' Lara shared without naming names. 'Ive walked out of meetings and had repercussions for it. We all go through it.'

Although those moments were kept private, the Iowa native's dating life was exposed throughout the years, including her romance with Jack Nicholson, the 87-year-old who is 33 years her senior.

However, that relationship marked a turning point for Lara.

'I left with a bang when it came to actors. Then I went, "OK, Im done now."' the Baby's Day Out actress explained.

After that experience, Lara found the one, marrying Texas real estate developer Donald Ray Thomas in 2006.

'I have a lovely marriage,' she gushed. 'We were together that night and ever since.'

Despite all she has gone through, Lara has never considered leaving the industry.

'I never wanted to bow out,' she recalled to the outlet. 'Any moment I was feeling down or sorry for myself, I made sure I did not complain. My mom used to sometimes bring me articles about other actresses to show me Im not the only one getting a raw deal.'

'Those disco boots, theyve had their time,' the Twink Peaks star confessed, six years after the Daily Mail released paparazzi shots of her drinking out of a Johnnie Walker bottle while behind the wheel of her car in a Westwood parking lot

The Wayne's World alum - who rose to fame as Donna Hayward on Twink Peaks in 1990 - also revealed that she has dealt with her own #MeToo experiences: 'Ive been in situations that were not called for. Ive walked out of meetings and had repercussions for it. We all go through it'

For some, that 'raw deal' could include the industry's ageism, but Lara doesn't take it personally.

'The thing that gets my goat is when actresses talk about ageism in Hollywood,' Lara confessed. 'Ageism is human nature. Its not Hollywoods fault. Its all of our fault. Myself included. I like looking at pretty people on the camera.'

But, the actress confessed that she doesn't enjoy watching herself on camera.

'If you want to call me Norma Desmond, go for it,' she quipped. 'Whenever I catch a reflection of myself in a lens, Im like, "Oh, cut."'

However, soon enough, people will be able to see the Red Rock West star on-screen again four years after her last movie.

The star doesn't view her return to the screen as a comeback because, in her eyes, she never left. As she put it: 'You dont want an article to read, "Boyles Second Chance" or "Look Whos Back." Im right here'; seen in Twin Peaks

Lara landed the role in the dark comedy Mother, Couch, which hits theaters July 5. The film also stars Taylor Russell, Ewan McGregor, Lake Bell, Ellen Burstyn, and Rhys Ifans.

The film's writer-director, Niclas Larsson, has been intrigued by Lara since he was a child reading tabloids at his mother's hair salon in Sweden.

'The only type of literature I was exposed to between the age of 5 to maybe 10 was gossip magazines,' he reminisced. 'And Lara was on the cover a lot.'

So when Niclas wrote the script, he immediately pegged Lara as the chain-smoking daughter who has little patience for her argumentative mother's (Ellen) unfolding drama at a furniture store.

Seen in Men In Black II in 2002

'Im like, "Whats up with Lara? Whats up with the excellent actor Lara Flynn Boyle?" I knew I needed someone who physically and mentally lived through something,' he said. 'I dont think anyone can imagine what it is like to go through what a lot of women went through in the late 90s, early 2000s.'

Because the director does, in fact, enjoy seeing her on screen, he noted to People, 'Im putting her in every movie I make. Lets see how Mother, Couch goes.'

'You have to promote yourself,' the icon chimed in about managing expectations in Hollywood, 'but then you have to sit back and wash your hands of it.'

But Lara doesn't view this as a comeback because, in her eyes, she never left.

As she put it: 'You dont want an article to read, "Boyles Second Chance" or "Look Whos Back." Im right here.'
Homes Under the Hammer host Martel Maxwell was left gobsmacked just as much as viewers after a couple revealed they had spent 1million on a house they've never seen.

The presenter, 47, couldn't contain her shock as she learnt Doug and his wife Sophie made a colossal investment without having seen the inside of the Victorian property.

Doug, who is a property developer and builder, chose to buy a four-bedroom home in Brixton but when the house went up for auction it had a guide price of 668,000.

The property developer turned the place into his dream home after a spending a 908,000 staggering sum to renovate it for him and his beloved wife Sophie.

'We're going to move in here, a bit of an upgrade from the one-bedroom flat we're in at the moment,' Doug said.

Homes Under the Hammer host Martel Maxwell (pictured) was left gobsmacked just as much as viewers after a couple revealed they had spent 1million on a house they've never seen

Doug (pictured), who is a property developer and builder, chose to buy a four-bedroom home in Brixton but when the house went up for auction it had a guide price of 668,000

Digging deeper, Martel questioned: 'I'm guessing you'd viewed it and really knew that you wanted it to commit that amount of money?'

'We hadn't viewed it. We viewed it from the outside! I only knew about it the day before the auction,' Doug recalled.

'I definitely wouldn't recommend not viewing it but...,' to which the host replied astounded: 'It's funny isn't it, committing almost 1m without seeing it.'

The investment didn't come without any obstacles as the builder revealed they eventually discovered some leaks in the roof - yet it would have 'taken a lot for him to be upset'.

'And nearly a million quid, I think that's the most egregious breaking of our Hammer golden rule yet,' the host added.

Doug and Sophie moved into the Victoria property while works were still underway, as the builder began carrying them out himself.

The couple captured viewers with their inspiring story about luck and destiny, and revealed it costed a total of around 75,000 to renovate it within a year and a half.

In the end, they quite literally both reaped what they sowed as an estate agent revealed the property was worth 1.5m.

The property developer turned the place into his dream home after a spending a 908,000 staggering sum to renovate it for him and his beloved wife Sophie

The couple captured viewers with their inspiring story about luck and destiny, and revealed it costed a total of around 75,000 to renovate it within a year and a half (Doug and host Martel pictured)

The investment didn't come without any obstacles as the builder revealed they eventually discovered some leaks in the roof - yet it would have 'taken a lot for him to be upset'

Doug ultimately confessed they couple was already thinking of selling up the stunning property due to 'changes in working from home'

Martel has been a presenter on the beloved property show since 2017

Doug ultimately confessed they couple was already thinking of selling up the stunning property due to 'changes in working from home'.

The stunning episode comes after Homes Under the Hammer veteran Tommy Walsh has admitted he is 'happy' and 'not in any pain' as he shared a positive health update amid his battle with cancer.

The TV star, 67, is currently battling the disease, which is just under his lung, but revealed he is nearly in remission.

The presenter, who has previously battled throat cancer, said the cancer is 'slowly shrinking and disappearing' as he continues his radiotherapy treatment called SABR.

Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) is the use of multiple small radiation beams to deliver high dose radiotherapy.

This is shaped to the size of the tumour and spares the surrounding normal tissue and organs as much as possible. SABR is most often used on small, well-defined tumours.

For Tommy, the treatment has 'worked really well' as he continues to fight and beat the cancer.

He told The Mirror: 'So I had to have this new treatment called SABR and what it is is radiotherapy which targets it to an exact spot without damaging the organs around it. So they used that and it shrunk.

'It is now not anywhere else. It is going away. Because it is shrinking it will shrink down to nothing and disappear. I will then just have to have annual checks. It has worked for me really well.

'They thought it was in the lung and then I would have been in trouble. Surgery would have been serious. So I did not want but we had that as a backup. The SABR treatment has worked and I am healthy so I have not been in any pain.'
Love Island's Casa Amor bombshell Lucy Graybill was filmed getting cosy with an E4 star, just days before she headed into the villa.

Viewers saw the blonde beauty join five other sexy bombshells heading into the main villa on Monday, while the girls were whisked away to Casa Amor.

And while Lucy no doubt headed into the villa with hopes of finding love, she appeared to still be catching the attention of another male hunk before flying out to Mallorca.

The Scottish retail boss was filming cosying up to Celebs Go Dating hunk Connor McGhee, 25, with sources claiming the pair enjoyed an on/off three-year romance.

Connor previously dated Lottie Moss and Chloe Burrows during his appearance on the E4 show, and was filmed cosying up to Lucy in a now-expired post on her Instagram Stories.

Love Island's Casa Amor bombshell Lucy Graybill was filmed getting cosy with an E4 star, just days before she headed into the villa

The Scottish retail boss was filming cosying up to Celebs Go Dating hunk Connor McGhee, 25, with sources claiming the pair enjoyed an on/off three-year romance

A source also told The Sun: 'Connor and Lucy were a thing for about three years on and off and were in contact just days before she entered the villa.

'The pair were dating before Lucy entered Love Island and things were starting to get serious for them.

'They planned to rekindle their romance and recently enjoyed a loved-up date in Glasgow. But things quickly fizzled out shortly before Lucy jetted off to Majorca to appear on the show.'

Before heading into the villa, Lucy revealed she'd set her sights on two different hunks, saying: 'I'm not afraid to pull the boys. We are all there for the same reasons but I will go about it in a respectful way, staying true to myself.

'They have got to be good-looking but also need great banter.

'I like to wind my partner up and have some fun. I want someone who can be my best friend as well as my boyfriend.

'Ciaran and Wil are both my front runners at the moment so I am looking forward to going in there, getting to know them and assess the energy.'

Since she entered the villa, Lucy has caught the eye of Will Anderson, despite him being coupled up with Uma Jammeh.

Viewers saw the blonde beauty join five other sexy bombshells heading into the main villa on Monday, while the girls were whisked away to Casa Amor

In scenes set to air on Wednesday night, it appears that Lucy's focus has turned back to Will, with the pair heading to the hideaway terrace for a private chat

LOVE ISLAND 2024: MEET THE CASA AMOR GIRLS Emma Milton NAME: Emma Milton AGE: 30 FROM: Manchester OCCUPATION: Fashion Content Creator WHO DO YOU HAVE YOUR EYE ON IN THE VILLA? I had a brief thing with Joey a few years ago. Weve been friends for years and I would be open to reconnecting with Joey. We get on really well and we have a lot of mutual friends. I am also friends with Grace in Manchester, so its a little bit awkward. WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER ARE YOU GOING TO BE? I am ready to bring my fashion and looks into the Villa. Im a really good communicator and always ready to give good advice to help someone. ................................................................................................................................. Jessica Spencer NAME: Jessica Spencer AGE: 25 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Fashion Stylist WHO DO YOU HAVE YOUR EYE ON IN THE VILLA? I have my eyes on Ayo, despite his connection with Mimii. I fancy Ayo so much. Wil also seems like a catch and someone I want to explore a connection with. WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER ARE YOU GOING TO BE? Im funny, flirty, sassy and ready to find love. ................................................................................................................................. Diamante Laiva NAME: Diamante Laiva AGE: 21 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Natural beauty business owner WHO DO YOU HAVE YOUR EYE ON IN THE VILLA? Wil - he gives that energy like hes got something to him. Hes not opened up yet. I feel like hes waiting for me to arrive, he just doesnt know it yet. So hes been reserving himself. WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER ARE YOU GOING TO BE? I have so many different moods, I cant even describe to you what kind of person I am for starters. If I have a problem with something, whoever it is, Ill tell them right then and there. I dont feel the need to whisper behind someones back. ................................................................................................................................. Ruby Dale NAME: Ruby Dale AGE: 23 FROM: Surrey OCCUPATION: Social media content creator WHO DO YOU HAVE YOUR EYE ON IN THE VILLA? Wil seems kind and intelligent. He seems lovely. WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER ARE YOU GOING TO BE? I am going to be a very dramatic Islander, a very loud Islander and a very entertaining Islander. ................................................................................................................................. Lucy Graybill NAME: Lucy Graybill AGE: 26 FROM: Glasgow OCCUPATION: Retail Store Manager WHO DO YOU HAVE YOUR EYE ON IN THE VILLA? Ciaran and Wil are both my front runners at the moment so I am looking forward to going in there, getting to know them and assess the energy. Hopefully I can swoop in at the right time. WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER ARE YOU GOING TO BE? I am always honest and speak my mind but Ill definitely be someone that Islanders can come to for support. ................................................................................................................................ Ellie Jackson NAME: Ellie Jackson AGE: 22 FROM: Cardiff OCCUPATION: Senior Executive Assistant WHO DO YOU HAVE YOUR EYE ON IN THE VILLA? I have chatted to Ciaran in the past and am looking forward to reconnecting with him in Casa Amor. WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER ARE YOU GOING TO BE? I can guarantee I will make everyone in the Villa laugh but at the same time, I do have a fiery personality. My friends would say I am a little chaotic. Advertisement

In Tuesday's show she also appeared to explore an interest in Ciaran Davies, despite his insistence he'll stay loyal to Nicole Samuel.

And in scenes set to air on Wednesday night, it appears that Lucy's focus has turned back to Will, with the pair heading to the hideaway terrace for a private chat.

Sitting on the swing with her, he reveals: 'I definitely feel a connection between the two of us.'

Lucy replies: 'Obviously I've not had a lot of time with you, I don't think we've forced anything though'

Wil agrees: 'No it's just flowed, hasn't it? 'You've made your intentions clear, but I like that. It's nice to know.'

But as the two continue to get closer, what will this mean for Uma?

The next day whilst relaxing by the pool, Matilda receives a surprise text which sends shockwaves through the Villa.

What will the text read, and what will it mean for the Islanders?

Love Island continues at 9pm on Wednesday night on ITV2 and ITVX.
Lady Victoria Hervey looked elegant in a red maxi dress The Grand Prix Ball 2024 in support of Make-A-Wish at The Peninsula Hoteln in London.

The socialite, 47, turned heads in the striped one-shoulder number, which she teamed with rose sparkling sandals.

Lady Victoria embraced the summer vibe in the gorgeous look and added a chic set of pearl jewellery, including dazzling earrings, a necklace, matching bracelet and maxi ring.

The model rocked a light blow-dry as she smiled gracefully while sitting on the car inside the event.

It comes after Lady Victoria flashed sideboob in a sheer purple dress at the star-studded 55th annual TRIC Awards at Grosvenor House, London last week.

Lady Victoria Hervey looked elegant in a red maxi dress The Grand Prix Ball 2024 in support of Make-A-Wish at The Peninsula Hotel

The socialite, 47, turned heads in the striped one-shoulder number, which she teamed with rose sparkling sandals

The star, who attended Cannes in May, protected her modesty with the dress' intricate green designs.

Victoria's dress featured bounds of purple netting and she matched it with shiny dark teal leggings and pointy silver high heels.

The famed It Girl, a star of the original celebrity run of ITV's Love Island, finished her look with a silver bangle.

The Television and Radio Industries Club Awards, launched in 1969, sees celebrities come together to celebrate the achievements of online and on-screen productions.

Earlier in May, Victoria put on a show-stopping display as she was captured chugging away from a bedazzled bottle on the red carpet at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

The English socialite captured everyone's attention as she made a glamorous entrance at the premiere of the French animated drama The Most Precious Of Cargoes.

She posed drinking from the lavish bottle, a customised edition from Judith Leiber's collection of Big Bubbles champagne bottles - which ranges in price from 390 to 4,680.

Lady Victoria flashed a sultry look to the camera guzzling the luxurious drink, stopping to strike a few poses.

Lady Victoria embraced the summer vibe in her gorgeous look

She added a chic set of pearl jewellery, including dazzling earrings, a necklace, matching bracelet and maxi ring

Earlier in May, Victoria put on a show-stopping display as she was captured chugging away from a bedazzled bottle on the red carpet at the 77th Cannes Film Festival

She posed drinking from the lavish bottle, a customised edition from Judith Leiber 's collection of Big Bubbles champagne bottles - which ranges in price from 390 to 4,680

The former model didn't miss another chance to own the star-studded red carpet, dazzling in a jaw-dropping bejewelled gown.

The show-stopping number was covered in countless gleaming rhinestones over a nude semi-sheer panel with gold sequinned embellishments.

The incredible dress also presented stylish large shoulder pads, giving a touch of regality to her ensemble - and a split hem in the maxi sleeves which opened up graciously.
Shannon Beador relayed an emotional apology to her daughters following her September 2023 DUI arrest.

In a sneak peek of the Real Housewives of Orange County season 18 premiere, the 60-year-old star sat her girls down for a heart-to-heart, in which she tearfully apologized for her behavior.

'I'm so sorry and humiliated that I disappointed you. Like, what kind of example am I at 59 years old?' Beador said to the girls  Sophie, 22, and twins Stella and Adeline, 19.

She also expressed regret over not being able to visit Stella in Paris, where she was studying abroad, as she was not able to leave the country following her legal woes.

Shannon pled no contest to her DUI charge, and the hit-and-run charge was later dismissed.

Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com

Shannon Beador relayed an emotional apology to her daughters Sophie, Stella, and Adeline following her September 2023 DUI arrest in a Bravo teaser for RHOC

In a sneak peek of the Real Housewives of Orange County season 18 premiere, the 60-year-old star sat her girls down for a heart-to-heart, in which she tearfully apologized for her behavior

The reality television personality was sentenced to 40 hours of community service, and ordered to complete a nine-month alcohol program after the incident, in which she crashed into a home in Orange County.

Shannon explained that a fight with ex John Janssen led to her getting behind the wheel last fall after she had been out drinking.

In the seven-minute teaser shared by Bravo, she revealed Janssen had warned her not to drive, calling her a 'drunken idiot.'

'I got in an accident a second later because I revved up the engine so he could know how mad I was. And, I lost control of the car immediately,' she admitted to her three girls, who she shares with ex-husband David Beador.

In March, David was charged with two misdemeanors related to a traffic stop; he was pulled over by Newport Beach Police for allegedly driving over 100mph on February 4.

Shannon described her September DUI as a 'terrible mistake' as she addressed the arrest at BravoCon 2023 in November.

'It's been a tough six weeks, but I will tell you that I made a terrible, terrible mistake and I'm incredibly grateful that it didn't hurt anyone,' Beador told the audience at the time.

She also said she completed '28 days of behavioral wellness' counseling with an alcohol specialist.

Shannon shares her three daughters with ex-husband David Beador; pictured in 2017

Season 18 of The Real Housewives of Orange County will premiere on July 11

In an earlier season 18 trailer, released in June, Beador's co-star Tamra Judge accused her of 'not taking responsibility' for crashing her car into a residential property last fall

However, in an earlier season 18 trailer, released in June, Beador's co-star Tamra Judge accused her of 'not taking responsibility' for crashing her car into the residential property while under the influence.

After witnessing her former pal order a vodka soda, the 56-year-old reality star confronted Beador.

Shannon begged Judge to 'stop' attacking her.

'I need to stop what? Uncovering your bulls**t?' Judge fired back.
Kimberley Garner and Christine McGuinness were among the glamorous arrivals at the 2024 Grand Prix Ball at The Peninsula London on Wednesday.

Ahead of the British Grand Prix at the iconic Silverstone Circuit this weekend, guests headed to the swanky venue for the charity event, with other stars including Sophie Hermann in attendance.

Showcasing every inch of her incredible figure, Sophie slipped into a plunging white gown adorned with beaded detailing.

The dress offered a glimpse of her ample cleavage, and boasted a gorgeous plunging back and matching scarf detailing.

Kimberley's dazzling dress featured a pretty fishtail skirt, with the star posing alongside one of the famous cars as she arrived at the ball, which will raise money for the Make A Wish Foundation.

Kimberley Garner (left), Christine McGuinness (right), and Sophie Hermann (right) were among the glamorous arrivals at the 2024 Grand Prix Ball at The Peninsula London on Wednesday

Showcasing every inch of her incredible figure, Sophie slipped into a plunging white gown adorned with beaded detailing

Meanwhile Christine flaunted her eye-popping curves in a dramatic bronze metallic gown as she posed for snaps at the ball.

The mother-of-three exuded glamour in the plunging dress, that highlighted her ample cleavage.

Sophie showed off elegant sense of style by arriving for the ball in a gorgeous white halterneck gown with a black spotted print.

The Made In Chelsea star finished her look with thin silver hooped earrings, and swept her glossy blonde tresses into a sleek ponytail.

Lady Victoria Hervey also cut a chic figure in a pretty orange striped kaftan dress, while Abbie Quinnen slipped into a plunging pink thigh-split gown.

The British Grand Prix will once again take place at Silverstone on Sunday, with actress Hannah Waddingham set to perform the National Anthem.

The Ted Lasso actress will take to the stage to sing God Save the King at the famous Silverstone racecourse on Sunday 7 July.

In a statement, Hannah said of her upcoming big moment: 'Its the most enormous pinch-me moment to perform the National Anthem ahead of this years race. I feel deeply privileged.

Ahead of the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit this weekend, guests headed to the swanky venue for the charity event, with stars including Sophie in attendance

The dress offered a glimpse of her ample cleavage, and boasted matching scarf detailing

The reality star also posed up a storm alongside one of the cars on display at the ball

Kimberley slipped into a beautiful white gown adorned with beaded detailing

Kimberley beamed as she posed for snaps inside the dining hall

Meanwhile Christine flaunted her eye-popping curves in a dramatic bronze metallic gown as she posed for snaps at the ball

The mother-of-three exuded glamour in the plunging dress, that highlighted her ample cleavage

Christine's dress boasted a boned corset which amplified her tiny waist as well as a figure-hugging fishtail skirt

She accentuated her dainty features with a glamorous bronzed make-up palette and styled her blonde locks in bouncy curls

The charity gaga is held annually ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and this year will raise money for the Make A Wish Foundation

Christine looked sensational as she posed on one of the cars at the event on Wednesday

Sophie showed off elegant sense of style by arriving for the ball in a gorgeous white halterneck

Sophie's gown had a black spotted print and she paired with silver hoop earrings

The former Made In Chelsea star was also seen twirling her gown during the event

Sophie is seen posing on one of the cars during the event

Lady Victoria Hervey showed off her chic sense of style in an orange kaftan dress with a delicate striped print

The socialite teamed her look with thin-strapped silver heels as she posed for snaps

Abbie Quinnen showed off her svelte physique in a plunging magenta dress, with a revealing thigh-split skirt

The dancer's look highlighted every inch of her incredible figure

The atmosphere and excitement at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix last year was utterly electric and I cant wait to be a part of it again. I am immensely proud of my British roots and I will remember this honour all my life.'

The Emmy winner added went on to pledge her support for British drivers Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Lando Norris.

She said: ''Ill of course be cheering on our British drivers - The mighty Lewis, George and Lando Cmon Chaps! Lets DO this!'

Hannah will certainly be in good company at the event as the four-day festival line-up will also see rockers Kings Of Leon will open proceedings on Thursday.

British rapper Stormzy will headline on Friday, while on Saturday, fans will be for a treat when Pete Tong presents Ibiza Classics with Jules Buckley and The Essential Orchestra.

Other performers during the four-day event at the home of British motorsport include he Snuts, Self Esteem, Jordss, Ghetts, Anna De Ferran and Arielle Free.

Performer Hannah has previously starred in West End musicals like The Wizard of Oz, A Little Night Music and Into the Woods before finding global fame on Apple TV's Ted Lasson.

She also currently stars in Universal Pictures' The Fall Guy and Sonys The Garfield Movie, with the latter seeing her revisit her singing days with her performance of the track I'm Back.

Kimberley recently showed her mystery ex-boyfriend what he's missing with a set of sizzling hot swimwear snaps after revealing that she had 'just broken up with someone'.

The star - who is expanding her range to include a line for men - confirmed her relationship status at the screening of The Idea Of You at the Ham Yard Hotel in Soho, London.

Abbie's dress also includes sexy side cut-outs to accentuate her figure

Victoria Brown slipped into an elegant lace gown with a pretty V-neck

Sarah-Jane Crawford dazzled in a black fishtail gown adorned with sequins

The radio presenter's gown sparked as she arrived at the event

Sarah-Jane swept her brunette tresses into a sleek bun, and she finished her look with a statement red lip

Melly Myers cut a fashionable figure in a polka dot dress paired with a black YSL clutch bag

She told Eden Confidential: 'I've just broken up with someone. Right decision  and I am in a really good place.'

Kimberley's last known romance began in summer 2023, when it was revealed that she was going out with financier Andreas Anthis.

The star was spotted for the first time with Andreas last July, as they packed on the PDA while walking her dog Sasha in London.

The reality star previously dated her MIC co-star Richard Dinan.

Since finding fame on the show in 2012, Kimberley has made a name for herself as a successful swimsuit brand entrepreneur.

She recently spoke about how the lengths she had to go to in order for her business to be taken seriously.

The designer told MailOnline: 'I think people sometimes think that Im only the face, but I am responsible for every bit of the business.'

'I was 18 when I started my first company - I came up with an idea, stayed up for days learning how to register the company and teaching myself. It became very successful overnight.'

Kimberley went on: 'However, as I was only 18, no one ever imagined it was mine. I was a young blonde girl with a soft voice.

'So, I pretended to be the Intern! I handled all the meetings, phone calls, and emails for the company.

She finished: 'When it became a success, I put all the revenues into starting Kimberley London.'
Newly single Kelly Bensimon appeared in high spirits as she stepped out in New York City after making the shock decision to call off her wedding to with Scott Litner.

Just two weeks after cancelling her nuptials at the last minute, the Real Housewives of New York alum, 56, beamed as she flashed a smile at onlookers while heading to the gym.

For the laid-back outing, the former Editor of Elle Accessories sported a pair of oversized black sunglasses, a grey crop top and a pair of tiny black shorts.

She completed her sporty look with a crossbody purse, gold watch, coordinating bangles, sneakers and her long light brown hair styled in loose waves.

The reality star called off her nuptials to fiance Scott Litner just four days before she was set to walk down the aisle on June 29.

Newly single Kelly Bensimon appeared in high spirits as she stepped out in New York City after making the shock decision to call off her wedding to with Scott Litner

In a statement to Page Six last Tuesday, the former reality star said: 'I have decided that my two daughters are my priority and I wont be moving forward with this wedding.'

She has since revealed that her decision was due to Scott's refusal to sign a prenup, which she called 'the ultimate red flag.'

But Scott reportedly believes this is an 'excuse.'

'Scott still wants to marry Kelly and though it will not happen in a few days as originally expected, he believes they can get back to a place where it does happen,' a source told DailyMail.com.

'He is upset for a multitude of reasons. So many wheels were in motion for the wedding, it was going to be a very special day and now that isn't happening.'

But Scott reportedly believes this is an 'excuse.'

'Scott still wants to marry Kelly and though it will not happen in a few days as originally expected, he believes they can get back to a place where it does happen,' a source told DailyMail.com.

'He is upset for a multitude of reasons. So many wheels were in motion for the wedding, it was going to be a very special day and now that isn't happening.'

The 56-year-old Real Housewives of New York alum called off her nuptials to fiance Scott Litner just four days before she was set to walk down the aisle on June 29

She has since revealed that her decision was due to Scott's refusal to sign a prenup, which she called 'the ultimate red flag' (seen with Litner)

They continued: 'Though Kelly mentioned the reason being the lack of a prenup, Scott feels that is just an excuse and that it had to be something else.

'He is looking to figure out where it went wrong and is looking to right any of this.

'Scott didn't want a prenup because he considers himself more traditional, and having a prenup makes it feel to him that you are already putting a damper on a lifelong relationship. He didn't want to make the marriage a business deal.'

The insider explained that those closest to Scott and Kelly had been left stunned by the recent turn of events.

'Friends were actually surprised and thought everything was going well with the two,' the source explained. 'So for any type of strain in their relationship that may have been going on, friends didn't see this coming at all.'

Bensimon kept her mind off her cancelled wedding by taking a family trip to the Hamptons on Saturday

A source close to Kelly then told People that she is now taking time to focus on herself.

Just one day later, she told Us Weekly: 'I haven't come this far in business and life to start making poor decisions because of a man.

'He of all people should have understood the need to protect each other before we tied the knot. I'm truly shocked he refused a prenup.'

The reality star, who has a reported net worth of $10million, said that Scott, who is a wealth advisor, 'thought that I would enter this union without legal protections in place, that I would leave everything to faith.'

The reality television personality and financier had been preparing for an intimate June 29 ceremony.

Kelly and Scott were supposed to have two ceremonies  a backyard wedding in Boston for their closest loved ones followed by a larger party in the Hamptons.

The couple got engaged last summer over Fourth of July weekend, when the financier popped the question on a trip to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, where she vacationed as a child.

The reality television personality and financier had been preparing for a June 29 ceremony; pictured with Scott in February

Kelly was famously previously married to Gilles Bensimon, the famed photographer, from 1997 to 2006 and they share daughters Sea, 26, and Teddy, 23.

Meanwhile, Scott has been married twice and also has children.

The businessman proposed on a speedboat while she was clad in a bikini, catching her completely off guard.

'Scott proposed to me, literally in Wisconsin near where I was raised,' she told DailyMail.com. 'I was raised in Rockford, Illinois, and he proposed to me in Lake Geneva Wisconsin.'
Ellen DeGeneres chose not to address her fans before quietly canceling four scheduled shows in Dallas, San Francisco, Seattle, and Chicago on her 32-date comeback tour Ellen's Last Stand... Up.

'Unfortunately, the Event Organizer has had to cancel your event,' Ticketmaster informed customers on Wednesday.

'You don't need to do a thing. We'll issue a refund to the original method of payment used at time of purchase, as soon as funds are received from the Event Organizer.

'It should appear on your account within 14-21 days. Please Note: If the tickets were transferred to you, the refund will go to the fan who originally purchased the tickets from Ticketmaster.'

The 66-year-old controversial comedian's cancellations came hours after SF Gate homepage editor Gabe Lehman published his detailed review of her show Monday night at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, CA.

Ellen DeGeneres chose not to address her fans before quietly canceling four scheduled shows in Dallas, San Francisco, Seattle, and Chicago on her 32-date comeback tour Ellen's Last Stand... Up

Ticketmaster informed customers on Wednesday: 'Unfortunately, the Event Organizer has had to cancel your event'

'Let me catch you up on what's been going on with me since you last saw me,' Ellen told the audience.

'I got chickens. Oh yeah, and I got kicked out of show business for being mean.'

DeGeneres added: 'I used to say, "I don't care what people say about me." Now I realize I said that during the height of my popularity.'

The 34-time Emmy winner noted how the first time she was 'kicked out of show business' it was for coming out as a lesbian in 1997.

'Next time, I'll be kicked out for being old. Old, gay and mean, the triple crown,' Ellen - who said her intention was never to hurt anyone - wisecracked.

'I can be demanding and impatient and tough. I am a strong woman. I am many things, but I am not mean.'

DeGeneres' scandal was sparked by a single tweet penned by comedian Kevin T. Porter in March 2020 asking people for the 'most insane stories you've heard about Ellen being mean,' which amassed 2,600 replies.

Four months later, BuzzFeed News published an expose featuring one current and 10 former employees of the Louisiana-born funnywoman's former self-titled daytime talk show alleging racism, workplace bullying, and sexual harassment.

The 66-year-old controversial comedian's cancellations came hours after SF Gate homepage editor Gabe Lehman published his detailed review of her show Monday night at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, CA (pictured February 17)

Ellen - who lamented over being 'kicked out of show business' twice - claimed to the crowd: 'I can be demanding and impatient and tough. I am a strong woman. I am many things, but I am not mean'

DeGeneres' scandal was sparked by a single tweet penned by comedian Kevin T. Porter in March 2020 asking people for the 'most insane stories you've heard about Ellen being mean,' which amassed 2,600 replies

Four months later, BuzzFeed News published an expose featuring one current and 10 former employees of the Louisiana-born funnywoman's former self-titled daytime talk show alleging racism, workplace bullying, and sexual harassment (pictured in 2022)

By August 2020, WarnerMedia had launched an internal investigation, Ellen had issued a formal apology to her 255 employees, and (from L-R) executive producers Jonathan Norman, Kevin Leman, and Ed Glavin were all fired from the show

DeGeneres - who also apologized to fans on air - broadcast her final episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show on May 26, 2022 after 19 seasons

When fans in the crowd of the three-time Grammy nominee's Monday show asked her if she had any plans to star on 'Broadway or movies' she dismissively scoffed: 'Um, no. This is the last time you're going to see me. After my Netflix special, I'm done'

Ellen famously voiced the forgetful fish Dory in Pixar films Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016) as well as the DVD special feature Exploring the Reef with Jean-Michel Cousteau (2003) - and one fan begged her for another she stated: 'No, I'm going bye-bye, remember?'

DeGeneres is next scheduled to perform on Monday at the Paramount Theatre in Denver, CO

And on August 16, the Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient and her wife - retired actress Portia DeGeneres (R, pictured February 14) - will celebrate their 16th wedding anniversary

By August 2020, WarnerMedia had launched an internal investigation, Ellen had issued a formal apology to her 255 employees, and executive producers Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman, and Jonathan Norman were all fired from the show.

DeGeneres - who also apologized to fans on air - broadcast her final episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show on May 26, 2022 after 19 seasons.

When fans in the crowd of the three-time Grammy nominee's Monday show asked her if she had any plans to star on 'Broadway or movies' she dismissively scoffed: 'Um, no.'

'This is the last time you're going to see me. After my Netflix special, I'm done,' Ellen said of her upcoming one-hour show taping this fall.

DeGeneres famously voiced the forgetful fish Dory in Pixar films Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016) as well as the DVD special feature Exploring the Reef with Jean-Michel Cousteau (2003) - and one fan begged her for another.

'No,' the Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient dismissed. 'I'm going bye-bye, remember?'

Ellen is next scheduled to perform on Monday at the Paramount Theatre in Denver, CO.

And on August 16, DeGeneres and her wife - retired actress Portia DeGeneres - will impressively celebrate their 16th wedding anniversary.

Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com
Tom Cruise was in high spirits as he made a rare appearance with his sister Marian on his 62nd birthday on Wednesday.

The actor had been filming scenes for the long-awaited sequel Mission Impossible 8 at Longcross Studios and was boarding his helicopter in Battersea with his sibling.

Tom was joined by Mission Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie and his wife Heather to board the chopper after another day's work on the film.

Marian was equally happy as she made her way along the landing pad, cutting a relaxed figure in a black padded jacket and matching loose trousers.

Tom has three sisters, Marian, Lee-Ann and Cass, and the actor has remained close to all of his siblings throughout his life. Their mother Mary Lee died in 2017.

Tom Cruise was in high spirits as he made a rare appearance with his sister Marian on his 62nd birthday on Wednesday

The actor had been filming scenes for the long-awaited sequel Mission Impossible 8 at Longcross Studios and was boarding his helicopter in Battersea with his sibling (pictured)

Tom offered a brief wave as he jumped into the chopper after another day of filming

In a 2006 interview with Parade magazine, Tom detailed the abuse he endured growing up from his father Thomas Cruise Mapother III, who died in 1984.

He said Thomas 'was a bully and a coward... the kind of person where, if something goes wrong, they kick you. It was a great lesson in my life - how he'd lull you in, make you feel safe and then, bang!'

He added: 'For me, there's something wrong with this guy. Don't trust him. Be careful around him. There's that anxiety.'

The sighting also comes just days after Tom also enjoyed a rare outing with his son Connor, who he shares with his ex-wife Nicole Kidman.

Cruise and Kidman tied the knot in 1990 with their divorce being finalized in 2001. During the course of their marriage, the pair adopted two children: Connor and Isabella, 31.

Tom and Nicole adopted their daughter Isabella when she was born in December 1992, and three years later, also adopted Connor at birth in January 1995.

During a past interview with Vanity Fair in 2007, the Moulin Rouge actress opened up about the decision to adopt after suffering a miscarriage.

'From the minute Tom and I were married, I wanted to have babies. And we lost a baby early on, so that was really very traumatic. And that's when we would adopt Bella.'

Marian was equally happy as she made her way along the landing pad, cutting a relaxed figure in a black padded jacket and matching loose trousers

Tom was joined by Mission Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie and his wife Heather to board the chopper after another day's work on the film

As the Mission Impossible star turned 62 on Wednesday, he flashed his famous smile as he prepared to board the helicopter

Tom has three sisters, Marian, Lee-Ann and Cass, and the actor has remained close to all of his siblings throughout his life. Their mother Mary Lee died in 2017

Tom's sisters have previously supported him throughout his career (Marian ,far left and Tom's mother Mary Lee, right, are pictured in 2007)

In a 2006 interview with Parade magazine, Tom detailed the abuse he endured growing up from his father Thomas Cruise Mapother III, who died in 1984

The sighting also comes just days after Tom also enjoyed a rare outing with his son Connor, who he shares with his ex-wife Nicole Kidman

Cruise and Kidman tied the knot in 1990 with their divorce being finalized in 2001. During the course of their marriage, the pair adopted two children: Connor (pictured) and Isabella, 31

While Cruise seemingly still has close relationships with Isabella and Connor, the actor notably has a strained relationship with daughter, Suri, 18

It was recently revealed that Suri dropped the surname of Cruise amidst her estrangement from father, Tom Cruise

Kidman added, 'There's a complicated background to that, given that I never speak much about many things. One day maybe that story will be told.'

Both Isabella and Connor have followed in their father's footsteps and also became Scientologists, which Nicole opened up about during an interview with the Australian publication, Who, in 2018.

'They are adults. They are able to make their own decisions. They have made choices to be Scientologists and as a mother, it's my job to love them.'

Connor has also previously gushed about his mother while talking to Woman's Day back in 2014. 'I love my mum.'

'I don't care what people say, I know that me and mum are solid. I love her a lot. My family means everything.'

While Cruise seemingly still has close relationships with Isabella and Connor, the actor notably has a strained relationship with daughter, Suri, 18 - whom he welcomed with Katie Holmes.

It was also recently revealed that Suri dropped the surname of Cruise amidst her estrangement from father, Tom Cruise.

The 18-year-old notably graduated from high school earlier this month - and now goes by the name of Suri Noelle, which also happens to be her mother, Katie's, middle name.

In the teen's school production of The Addams Family: A New Musical late last year in December, she was also credited as Suri Noelle rather than Suri Cruise.

Katie and Tom tied the knot in 2006, one year after they welcomed their daughter. However, their divorce was finalized in 2012.

A source told DailyMail.com earlier this year in April that the Top Gun: Maverick actor 'does not exist' to Suri - who is headed to Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University in the fall.

'Suri will not have any contact with her father, despite being 18, and even if he called, she would not answer.'

The insider added, 'He does not exist to Katie or Suri, and his daughter does not want to rely on him for anything. She feels that she has one parent and that is her mother.'

And in March of last year, a separate source told DailyMail.com that Cruise 'has no part in her life.'

Shortly after Tom's latest outing with his son, Connor, the Top Gun: Maverick actor was seen having a blast at Glastonbury on Saturday.

He was joined by his Mission Impossible co-star, Simon Pegg, as well as X-Files actress Gillian Anderson as they watched Coldplay's set during the festivities.
As the Modi Govt navigates a new power dynamic, the increased presence and assertiveness of the Opposition suggest a challenging path ahead

The 18th Lok Sabha has the potential for positive functioning. The Modi government said they wanted consensus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought agreement and criticised the Opposition for causing problems. Modi stated that in his third term, his Government would aim to build consensus. The Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, also emphasised the importance of the Opposition's role in representing the 'voice of the people' in the House. But at the start of the session, they couldn't agree on important issues. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi wrote in an editorial recently in an English daily that Prime Minister Narendra Mod was "Preaching consensus, provoking confrontation."

Sonia Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Modi for not acknowledging the electoral outcome and for promoting confrontation over consensus. She expressed disappointment with the first few days of the 18th Lok Sabha, pointing out that there's no sign of a changed attitude from the Prime Minister. The 18th Lok Sabha is a significant shift in Indian politics, marking the first time in a decade that Modi is leading a Parliament from a less dominant position. This shift in power dynamics requires him to navigate a coalition and contend with a more assertive opposition. The Modi government now relies on crucial support from two key allies - JD(U) and TDP.

This means the NDA allies could significantly influence the Government's plans and actions, a departure from the substantial majority the BJP enjoyed in 2019 and 2014. The increased presence of the Opposition in various parliamentary panels is likely to generate greater engagement. The first session of the current Lok Sabha began with a strong Opposition asserting its rights. Before the session started, there was a dispute over the appointment of BJD M.P Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker to administer.

The Congress and the INDIA bloc members felt that Congress MP Kodukkunil Suresh, elected eight times, should have been given the position. However, the BJP argued that they followed the rules. Mahtab was elected to the House seven times in succession, while Suresh lost two elections. This appointment is significant as the Speaker plays a crucial role in the Indian parliamentary system as the head of the Lok Sabha, responsible for maintaining order, conducting debates, and ensuring the House's smooth functioning. Secondly, Rahul Gandhi said he would back Om Birla, the NDA candidate, but only if the Deputy Speaker position, usually given to the Opposition, was assured. While Thambi Durai of the AIADMK, a BJP ally at the time, served as the Deputy Speaker from 2014 to 2019, the position remained vacant from 2019 to 2024.

Article 93 states two Lok Sabha members will be selected as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. Om Birla has been re-elected as the Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha, bringing continuity and stability to the House. After being congratulated, the newly elected Speaker took out a paper and read a resolution against the 1975 Emergency imposed by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This surprising move caught many off guard and caused tension with Congress, as the Emergency was declared on the same date in 1975. This led the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, to lead a group to the Speaker to express their objection to a political statement from the chair.

Fourthly, some opposition parties thought the president's inaugural speech to a joint session of Parliament ignored the country's most serious problems. Also, the Opposition called for removing the Sengol, which the Prime Minister had installed with much fanfare before the Election. Fifthly, Rahul and other Opposition MPs proposed discussing the leakage of the NEET question paper first. The Speaker, however, insisted that a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, a significant issue, should be held first. The first week's confrontation shows despite the decrease in numbers, the BJP is unlikely to change its working methods.

An energised opposition will also be belligerent.The proceedings in Rajya Sabha also saw disruptions and adjournments as Opposition members raised slogans demanding a discussion on the NEET question paper leak issue. There was also a heated argument between the Chairman and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.The functioning of the House lies with the Speaker, a position of utmost importance in maintaining order and ensuring fair debates.

The Rajya S bha Chairman presides over the Upper House. A functioning House is necessary and a prerequisite for a healthy democracy. The need for constructive cooperation between the Government and the Opposition cannot be overstated.

The House functions effectively in addressing the pressing issues facing the nation. Both sides must recognise the truth and collaborate to make Parliament more organised. After all, the Government is accountable to Parliament. The parliamentary system emphasises collective responsibility, accountability, and flexibility. As former President Pranab Mukherjee said, its functioning is based on Debate, Dissension, and Decision.

(The writer is a popular columnist; views expressed are personal)
Even as a high-level panel of the Bihar Government has launched a probe into the recent spate of bridge collapses across the State, yet another incident on Wednesday involving a bridge over the Gandak river in Siwan district of the State has raised serious concern about the quality of infrastructure and public safety.

The latest bridge collapse marks the seventh such incident in a span of just 15 days in the State and second in Siwan district in the last 11 days.

Mercifully, however, despite the severity of these collapses, there have been no casualties thus far. With the States rivers swelling due to continuous heavy rain, the possibility of more such incidents occurring in the coming days cannot be discounted, members of the Bihar Engineering Services Association (BESA) have warned.

The troubling series of incidents began on June 19 with the collapse of an under-construction bridge in Araria, followed by collapses in Siwan on June 22, East Champaran on June 23, and Kishanganj on June 24.

The collapse of the bridge over the Gandaki river in Deooria Block in Siwan district on Wednesday has severed essential connections between several villages and Mahrajganj, leaving the locals at the receiving end.

Deputy Development Commissioner Mukesh Kumar said the exact cause is under investigation. Senior officials from the block have already reached the site, he added.

A portion of a bridge in Deoria block collapsed this morning. The exact cause is being investigated, he added.

The incident took place around 5 am. As per initial information, the bridge was constructed in 1982-83. Repair work was going on the bridge for the last few days, Kumar added.

Villagers suggested that heavy rainfall over the preceding days may have contributed to the collapse, with a surge in Gandaki river potentially weakening the bridges structure.

This incident follows closely on the heels of another bridge collapse in the district just 11 days ago. On June 22, a portion of a bridge collapsed in Darounda area, prompting the Bihar Government to set up a high-level committee to investigate these occurrences.

The cave-in was also reported from the Bheja police station area of Madhubani district, situated in the States northern extreme, along the borders with Nepal.

The bridge that collapsed in Bihars Thakurganj was built in 2007-08, and had been rendered unusable after it developed a crack and sank by a foot.

Similarly, a bridge in Thakurganj block succumbed to rising water levels in the Bund River following heavy rains, causing it to sink by a foot and crack, rendering it too dangerous for use.

The bridge, located in Khoshi Dangi village of Patharia panchayat, was constructed in 2007-2008 with funds from the MP budget of the then MP Md Tasleemuddin of Thakurganj and was connecting several panchayats.

This incident follows the collapse of an under-construction bridge in the Madhubani region on June 28 which was being built by the Rural Works Department of the Bihar government at a cost of `3 crore since 2021.

Following the collapses, the blame game has already begun, intensifying concerns about accountability and oversight in Bihars infrastructure management. Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge took a swipe at the bridge cave-in in the State while Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi smelled a possible conspiracy behind the incidents, implying a deliberate attempt to defame the BJP-led State Government.

Why has the State suddenly started witnessing incidents of bridge collapse? Why is it happening after the Lok Sabha polls? Why were such incidents not taking place a month before? I suspect some conspiracy behind it. Authorities concerned must look into this aspect, Manjhi said. He also acknowledged the use of sub-standard materials by contractors as a contributing factor and assured that the State Government is taking action against those responsible.

It is happening because of the sub-standard material being used by contractors. The state government is taking action against such contractors. The state authorities are probing the matter as well. I also request them to probe the conspiracy angle, he added.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav took a sarcastic jibe at the Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar. In a post on X, he wrote, Congratulations! The double power of the double engine government has led to only five bridges collapsing in just nine days.
The Indian dream of having an alternative to Twitter (now X) has been shattered as the desi social media platform launched in 2020 with much fanfare, and with many top Indian politicians and Government departments joining in, is to shut down.

The world came to know about the yellow bird, Koo, stopping to chirp when its co-founders penned a touching note on Wednesday about the tough decision to bid adieu.

The disheartening news has been received with anguish by many Koo users. Die-hard Koo fan Vinit Goenka, former Governing Council Member of CRIS, Ministry of Railways, is upset with the news.

This shutdown will be a significant setback for those who believe in the democratic values of social media, as it highlights the unending dominance of Western media and their colonisation of the social media app space, he said.

In an emotion-filled post on LinkedIn, co-founders Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka shared their frustrating journey and insurmountable challenges, writing, We explored partnerships with multiple larger internet companies, conglomerates, and media houses, but these talks didnt yield the outcome we desired.

They expressed their regret, saying, While we would have loved to keep the app running, the high cost of technology and services to maintain a social media platform has forced us to take this tough decision.

Founded in India, Koo soared to great heights, spreading its wings to Kenya and Brazil while in its prime. Its rise in Kenya followed the countrys indefinite ban on Twitter for deleting a tweet by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. Around 2021, Koos popularity surged in India amid a contentious spat between the Indian Government and Twitter.

This conflict prompted calls to expand the ecosystem of homegrown digital platforms, echoing strongly across the virtual world and propelling Koo to prominence. For a while, it seemed that this homegrown platform would significantly challenge and perhaps even surpass Twitters popularity in India.

However, this anticipated turn of event never came to pass as Twitter managed to smoothen its relationship with the Government.

Koo experienced a rollercoaster ride in its short existence. At its peak, this indigenous platform boasted around 2.1 million daily active users, approximately 10 million monthly active users, and over 9,000 VIPs, including some of the most prominent personalities from various fields.

We were just months away from beating Twitter in India in 2022 and could have doubled down on that short-term goal with capital behind us, they said.

Unfortunately for us, the mood of the market and the fund crunch got the better of us, the note mentioned as the founders signed off.
Cyber Crime Bhopal has arrested two members of a gang from Tikamgarh who cheated people by advertising to sell iPhones at low prices on Instagram. The accused also used to advertise to sell iPhones at low prices on social media platforms with fake SIM cards.

For this, the accused used to activate two SIM cards on the documents of a consumer while selling SIM cards. One of these SIM cards was given to the consumer. While the other SIM card was sold to the gang selling iPhones at low prices at an arbitrary price.

Cyber Crime Team Bhopal officials said that Shahrukh and Nilesh, residents of Tikamgarh, work as SIM card sellers. Both of them used to set up stalls to sell SIM cards in the market in Tikamgarh. During this, the villagers who used to buy SIM cards and give documents for KYC to activate them, used to activate two SIM cards simultaneously on those documents. But, they used to give only one SIM card to the villagers. Also, the second SIM card activated in the name of an unknown villager was sold to cyber fraudsters. Shahrukh and Nilesh used to charge an arbitrary amount from cyber thugs for this SIM card.

Cyber Crime Team Bhopal officials said that 10 mobile phones, 68 SIM cards have been seized from accused Shahrukh and Nitesh. Apart from this, 2 bank passbooks, 5 cheque books, 3 bill books and 10 ATM cards of various banks have been recovered from the accused. Police are continuously raiding to arrest other accused who are absconding in the case. During police interrogation, the accused said that they used to put up a stall to sell SIM cards by putting umbrellas in the market.

On May 13, Hina Khan (name changed), a resident of Bhopal, lodged a complaint in Cyber Crime Bhopal. In this, she said that she saw an advertisement for selling mobile on Integrity_mobile on Instagram. After booking it, a WhatsApp number was received. With the instructions given on it, they transferred the money for mobile booking. After this, by calling on WhatsApp, fraud of Rs 188999 rupees was done through different means in the name of custom-pay, refund. Cyber Crime Police had registered a case on the complaint of Hina Khan.

Shahrukh (Tikamgarh) is a graduate who used to activate SIMs through KYC as an agent and make them available to other accused.

Nilesh Yadav (Tikamgarh) is 10th pass, he used to check SIM activation and make them available to other cyber accused.

About 15 days ago, Cyber Police had arrested 5 accused in this case from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

About 15 days ago, Cyber Police had arrested 5 accused in this case from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. They were arrested about 15 days ago

Ashish Yadav (Delhi), who is a graduate, apart from advertising on Instagram, used to contact customers through WhatsApp and prepare fake bills for fraud.

Ankit Namdev (Jhansi), who is a graduate, used to open fake accounts in his own name.

Ankit Kumar (Jhansi) is a 12th pass. He used to buy fake accounts and sell them to accused Ashish Yadav and when the fraud money came into the accounts, he used to withdraw cash from the accounts and deposit it in other accounts after deducting commission.

Abhishek Yadav (Madhya Pradesh) is a 12th pass.
/



In a move poised to stir political waters, the Punjab government has submitted a parole request for National Security Act (NSA) detainee Amritpal Singh to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to allow the pro-Khalistan Sikh preacher to take his oath as a Member of Parliament (MP) from Khadoor Sahib. Currently, Amritpal is detained under the stringent NSA in Assam's Dibrugarh Jail.



The development comes a day after the National Investigating Agency (NIA) had given the go-ahead to the Baramulla MP-elect Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, to take oath. Jailed since 2019 in Delhis Tihar Jail after he was charged by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for his alleged involvement in a terror funding case. He is currently lodged in Tihar jail, Rashid has been granted two-hour custody parole to take oath as a Lok Sabha MP on July 5.



Amritpal, on the other hand, has been detained under the NSA since April 2023, with the State Government extending his detention for another year. Despite his detention, Amritpal contested Lok Sabha polls from the jail and went on to secure a resounding victory from the Khadoor Sahib parliamentary seat defeating Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira with nearly two lakh votes.



Amritpals case is unique as he was elected, with over four lakhs votes polled in his favour, while being in jail, underscoring the public support he commands.



His advocate and also a former MP Rajdev Singh Khalsa said that the initial application was submitted to Amritsar Deputy Commissioner. As the case registered in Amritsar, we moved for parole through the District Magistrate, who then forwarded it to the Punjab Home Secretary. The Home Secretary has now taken it up with the Lok Sabha Speaker, said Khalsa.



Highlighting the urgency of the matter, Khalsa noted that an elected member has just 60 days to take the oath. As of now, the Lok Sabha Speaker has not acted on the application, but we remain hopeful for a swift response, he said, adding that Amritpal Singhs case has been a point of contention due to its political and legal implications.



He added that Amritpals family has also sought an audience with the Lok Sabha Speaker to expedite the parole process. We requested a meeting with the Speaker yesterday, and we hope to receive a response soon, Khalsa noted.



On February 23, 2023, thousands of his supporters stormed the Ajnala police station in Amritsar under his leadership. This led to the issuance of a non-bailable warrant against him. Amritpal went into hiding on March 18 and was subsequently arrested by Punjab Police in Moga on April 23. Since then, he has been detained in Dibrugarh Jail in Assam, accused of supporting Khalistani ideology.



In response to the parole request, the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is expected to coordinate with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to ensure the necessary security arrangements are in place for Amritpal to take his oath.



Khalsa expressed optimism that the oath-taking could be arranged within a week. The oath-taking ceremony must take place in the Lok Sabha, as it is the designated venue for such proceedings. The Lok Sabha Speaker has the authority to arrange this, and we expect that security measures will be a primary consideration in setting the date, he said.



Amritpals family has also sought clarity on the process. We have requested a formal meeting with the Lok Sabha Speaker to discuss the arrangements, said Amritpals father Tarsem Singh.


Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council by-election Bahoran Lal Maurya on Tuesday filed his nomination papers in the presence of states top BJP leaders, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his Cabinet colleagues. Tuesday was the last day for filing nominations for the Legislative Council.

The BJP had announced Maurya as its candidate for the Legislative Council elections on Monday. The tenure of this seat ends in July 2028. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed confidence that Maurya would win the by-election and effectively address the issues of the common people in the Legislative Council.

In addition to Yogi, other prominent attendees included BJP state president Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, and ministers Suresh Khanna, Swatantra Dev Singh, JPS Rathore, Kapil Dev Aggarwal, and Baldev Singh Aulakh.

Maurya is likely to be declared elected unopposed on Wednesday, the day of scrutiny of nomination papers, as the Samajwadi Party has decided against fielding its candidate.

Maurya was elected to the UP Legislative Assembly from Bhojipura constituency in Bareilly district twice in 1996 and 2017. In the 2022 Legislative Assembly elections, he lost to Shazil Islam of the SP by a margin of over 9,400 votes.

The by-election was necessitated by the resignation of SP MLC Swami Prasad Maurya in February earlier this year. Swami Prasad Maurya left the BJP and joined the Samajwadi Party before the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and unsuccessfully contested from Fazilnagar, Kushinagar district.

Later, the SP made Swami Prasad Maurya a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council. However, there was opposition within the party over his tirade against Ramcharitmanas, Lord Ram and Sanatan Dharma, after which he broke ties with the SP and formed the Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party.

The notification for the Legislative Council bypoll was issued on June 25, and July 2 is the last day of making nominations, while scrutiny will be held on July 3. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is July 5.
Delhi BJP leaders and workers on Wednesday staged a protest here over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks against the saffron party and sought an apology from him. The protesters assembled near Jaisalmer House and tried to move towards the Congress headquarters on Akbar Road, raising slogans against Gandhi and his party.

Addressing the protesters, BJP Yuva Morcha's national president Tejasvi Surya said it was not the time to deliver speeches but to "vigorously protest against the insult of Hindu society". "The way Rahul Gandhi accused the entire Hindu society of being violent, is an unpardonable offence. The Congress and Rahul Gandhi are repeat offenders and in the past, they tried to create a fake narrative of saffron terrorism." he charged.

BJP MPs Manoj Tiwari and Bansuri Swaraj, and other senior leaders of the party were present during the protest.

"Those who insult Hindus need to be given a befitting reply.

He said Hindu society is violent. He may even say Hindus should be shot," Tiwari said targeting Rahul Gandhi. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said if Hindus were violent, the temple in Mathura have been built by now. "Unless Rahul Gandhi, a poll-time Hindu, apologises, we will continue to protest," he said. In his first speech as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi had launched a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP, accusing it of practising violence and spreading hate, drawing massive protests from the treasury benches, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Assam Chief Minister and Jharkhand BJP Assembly election co in-charge Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma has termed the Jharkhand government decision to postpone distribution of appointment letters to candidates who have passed the Post Graduate Trained Teacher Competitive Examination as victory of lakhs of students.

Sarma sharing his views through his X handle said, The postponement of PGT in Jharkhand is a victory for lakhs of youth of the state. Finally, the government had to postpone it, accepting the demand of the youth. Appointments should be made free and fair and the matter should be investigated by the CBI.

At the same time, Leader of Opposition, Jharkhand Legislative Assembly, Amar Kumar Bauri said through his X-handle that Not just postponement, CBI investigation and strict action is necessary. The JMM-Congress-RJD government will not be allowed to play with the future of the youth. The fight for the rights and rights of lakhs of youth of the state will continue  the matter is not limited to the PGT examination only, the appointment scam has been carried out under a big conspiracy in the state under the protection of the JMM-Congress-RJD government. The demand is clear  the state government should hand over the investigation of this appointment scam to the CBI and ensure strict action against those who set it up and got it done.

Amar Kumar Bauri said that the postponement of the appointment letter distribution program of the Postgraduate Trained Teacher Competitive Examination is a victory for lakhs of students of Jharkhand. The state government will have to get this matter investigated by the CBI. The Bharatiya Janata Party will not tolerate any kind of scam in appointment, playing with the future of the students. If the state government does not get this matter investigated by the CBI, then in the coming time, the Bharatiya Janata Party will fight the battle from the road to the Assembly in a phased manner with the students of the state.

It is known that the Jharkhand government had fixed the program of giving appointment letters to the candidates who passed the Postgraduate Trained Teacher Competitive Examination on 3 July 2024. In which 1500 candidates were to be given appointment letters. But on the one hand the students are sitting on dharna regarding the irregularities in this examination, on the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party, Jharkhand Pradesh also held a press conference on Monday and demanded a CBI investigation into this matter. After which, after the instructions of the Chief Minister's Secretariat, the Education Department has postponed this program.
Bank of India (BoI) Officers Association Jharkhand State Unit Ranchi Zone organised a cluster meet at XISS, in which about 350 staff members working in various branches in Ranchi city and nearby areas participated.



On this special occasion, Federation of Bank of India Officers Association President Comrade G Nageshwar, General Secretary Comrade Nilesh Pawar and Chairman Comrade Sanjay Das addressed the staff members present.



Nageshwar informed everyone in detail about the current activities related to the banking world.



President Nilesh Pawar said that the Federation has been raising the issue related to officers seriously at the national level and will continue to do so in future.



Chairman Sanjay Das gave the message of staying united and strong.



Jharkhand unit general secretary Sunil Lakra extended a warm welcome to Nageshwar and Nilesh Pawar on their arrival in Jharkhand, the land of Bhagwan Birsa, for the first time after assuming the position of president and general secretary and expressed gratitude to all the office bearers of the federation for sharing their views in this cluster conference.



AIBOC Jharkhand state secretary Prakash Oraon, Bihar unit general secretary Ganesh Pandey, Jharkhand unit president Amit Kumar, vice president Benjamin Murmu, deputy general secretary Manish Narayan, all executive members and a large number of officers from Ranchi city and nearby branches were present on the occasion.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected a plea seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from contesting elections and said that person who filed the plea appeared to be suffering from mental health issues. A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela asked the local Station House Officer (SHO), Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and the District Judge to keep a watch on the petitioner, Captain Deepak Kumar and exercise their powers under the Mental Healthcare Act, if necessary.

The bench said they were in agreement with the single judge, who had earlier rejected the plea, that the petition and the appeal are replete with unsubstantiated, disjointed, scandalous and preposterous allegations."Are you well?" an exasperated bench asked the appellant, adding he needs medical help.

The plea has alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hatching a conspiracy and was involved in an act of terrorism. The plea further alleged that Modi and his accomplices attempted to destabilise national security by planning a fatal crash of an Air India flight in 2018 which the petitioner commanded as a pilot.

He alleged that Modi made a false oath or affirmation which otherwise must be made after the nomination paper has been submitted to RO (returning officer).

While dismissing the plea, the bench said, All the allegations in the present appeal are a figment of imagination of the appellant and bereft of any material particulars."During the hearing, the bench said, Are you well? Your application is inchoate. It is going from one end of the spectrum to another. It is going from they have taken false oaths to the three people you are naming be debarred from contesting elections to saying that the plane you were flying crashed to your daughter being missing to some former CJI trying to kill you. Are you well? No human being can understand the petition.

Responding, the petitioner said, Yes I am well, Sir. The petition is very clear, Sir. Yes, my daughter is being kidnapped, there is a police report to this effect. I was also kidnapped and taken to a police station where they bargained with me that if I keep my mouth shut, they will hand over my child back to me.

The bench told him the plea makes no sense and the single judge was right in holding that it was replete with unsubstantiated allegations.While dictating the order, the division bench said it was of the opinion that the appellant, if not suffering from hallucination, is conjuncting facts and certainly needs medical help.

But the appellant insists he is well and needs no medical help. However, keeping in view the provisions of the Mental Health Act, this court directs the SHO of the local police station, SDM and district judge to keep a watch on the appellant and if required, may exercise the discretion conferred on them, individually or collectively, under the said statute, it said. On May 30, the single judge had rejected the plea saying the allegations levelled were reckless and unsubstantiated and the petition was tainted with malafide and oblique motives and such averments in a petition cannot be entertained.
Former chief minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive president Hemant Soren would be chairing a meeting of the legislature party of the ruling INDIA bloc on Wednesday, sources said. The meeting assumes importance as this is the first time that Hemant will be meeting all MLAs of INDIA bloc, though he had met several MLAs after his release from jail on bail.

The last time Hemant Soren had called a meeting of the legislature party of INDIA alliance was on the day he was arrested on January 31.

The MLAs were asked to sign and authorise the then chief minister Hemant Soren to take any decision in eventuality of any action by ED against the latter. Soren then had designated Champai Soren as his successor.

Wednesday's meeting is also important as the development comes within days of Soren coming out of jail on June 28 after being granted bail by the Jharkhand high court.

We have been called to attend the meeting at 11am on Wednesday to discuss the strategy for upcoming assembly elections, an MLA said, requesting anonymity.

Another MLA, however, said they cant rule out some major decisions being taken at the INDIA bloc meeting.

Sources said that in the meeting the JMM/Congress leadership will discuss the coming Assembly election and the strategy on how to check BJP. Speculation is also ripe that a section of INDIA bloc leaders will also press for reinstating Hemant Soren as Chief Minister and to fight the coming Assembly election on Hemant leadership.

A JMM leader requesting anonymity said, There is strong sympathy for Hemant Soren after he was released from jail on bail. After coming from jail he has become stronger, as the High Court has clearly stated that there is no direct evidence against Hemant Soren in the land scam.

Soren resigned as chief minister on January 31, minutes before he was arrested by the federal agency , and passed on the baton to Champai Soren. As he languished in jail, his party won three Lok Sabha seats this year, two more than its tally in 2019; its partner, the Congress, won two. The BJP-led NDA won nine of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state, three less than 2019. All the five seats won by the JMM-Congress combine in the state this time are reserved for scheduled tribes.

Sources said that the INDIA bloc leaders will also discuss the induction of Kalpana Soren the newly elected Gandey MLA and wife of Hemant Soren in Champai Sorens cabinet.
The Prestige Institute of Engineering Management and Research (PIEMR) organized the Tech HR Meet 2024 in Hyderabad to enhance collaboration between academia and industry.

The event brought together HR and technology professionals from companies such as Deloitte, Honeywell, Schneider, JP Morgan Chase, TCS, Avantel, Veritas Prime, Berkadia, and Rockwell, representing sectors such as ITES, Telecom, Automation, and core technologies.

Ketan Jain, Director of the Prestige Education Foundation, expressed delight at hosting top HR professionals and business leaders in Hyderabad. He highlighted that this was the first time PIEMR had organized a Tech-HR Meet outside Indore, aiming to provide greater industry exposure to faculty and students, expand the institute's reach, and improve career opportunities for students.

Jain said the event provided students with opportunities to secure high-paying jobs in product development and design, emphasizing core engineering branches such as electronics, automation, and mechanical engineering.

PIEMR aims to attract leading technology companies to Indore, contributing to Madhya Pradesh's goal of achieving a USD 1 trillion economy. Dr. Ajai Chowdhry, Padma Bhushan awardee and HCL co-founder, highlighted India's progress trends and future HR needs. He emphasized the importance of developing software and hardware products in India, in addition to providing services. Dr. Chowdhry noted India's potential in AI, quantum computing, semiconductor chip design and packaging, and EV component manufacturing.

Dr. Brahmankar, National Innovation Director, stressed the importance of fostering creativity and problem-solving skills among students. He urged industries to recruit students by conducting hackathons and offering innovative projects. Dr. Manoj Kumar Deshpande mentioned that the Tech-HR meet concluded with a thought-provoking panel discussion on "Corporate Expectations from Academia." Senior HR and tech industry professionals shared their insights in a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Atul Negi, Dean of the University of Hyderabad.

Dr. Davish Jain and Dipin Jain, Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Prestige Education Foundation, expressed that the Tech HR Meet is a testament to PIEMR's commitment to providing its students with a holistic educational experience aligned with the ever-changing needs of the tech industry. They added that it would pave the way for future collaborations between the institute and leading technology companies.
In a significant victory against trans-border narcotic smuggling networks, Punjab Police has made substantial recoveries in Amritsar, seizing 10 kg of heroin in two separate incidents. The operations resulted in the arrest of four individuals involved in drug trafficking, delivering a major blow to the illegal drug trade in the region.

In the first operation, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police arrested Lakhwinder Singh, also known as Lakha, from Khemkaran, and recovered five kg of heroin from his possession. The state Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that Lakha was in direct contact with a Pakistan-based drug smuggler named Ali. The consignment was transported using drones, a method increasingly employed by traffickers to evade border security.

Police teams also seized a Splendor motorcycle that Lakha was using at the time of his arrest. The entire search and seizure process was documented via videography in the presence of a Gazetted Officer, adhering to the provisions of new criminal laws. This meticulous approach is part of an ongoing investigation to trace both backward and forward linkages in the case.

Amritsar Commissioner of Police (CP) Ranjit Singh Dhillon shared that the arrest was made based on reliable intelligence that Lakha was en route from Khemkaran to Amritsar with the drug consignment. A trap was laid by CIA-2 teams under the supervision of ADCP CITY-2 Abhimanyu Rana, leading to Lakha's capture. An FIR (No. 130) has been registered under sections 21C, 23, and 25 of the NDPS Act at Police Station Islamabad in Amritsar.

In a parallel operation, the Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar apprehended three drug smugglers  Rasal Singh of Naushehra in Tarn Taran; Jaskaran Singh of Vanieke in Amritsar; and Amritpal Singh of Sahura in Amritsar. The arrest led to the recovery of another five kg of heroin, bringing the total heroin seized in Amritsar to approximately 27.2 kg in less than a weeks time.

The trio was intercepted at Baghdhian Morh in Ranike village after CI Amritsar received intelligence that they had retrieved a narcotics consignment dropped by drone at Dhanoe village near the border. The police also impounded a Yamaha scooter used by the smugglers, bearing registration number PB-02-DW-4187.

DGP Gaurav Yadav emphasized that the trio had direct connections with Pakistan-based drug smugglers. The search and seizure operation was similarly documented in the presence of a Gazetted Officer. An FIR (No. 37) has been lodged under sections 21, 25, and 29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station State Special Operation Cell, Amritsar.

These successful operations underscore the ongoing efforts of the Punjab Police under the directives of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in their war against drugs. The coordinated actions of the police teams and the use of reliable intelligence have proven effective in curbing the activities of drug trafficking networks operating across the India-Pakistan border.

The DGP reiterated the commitment of the Punjab Police to continue its rigorous crackdown on narcotics smuggling, ensuring that those involved are brought to justice. The investigations remain active, aiming to dismantle the broader networks and hold accountable all those connected to these illegal activities.

27.2kg Heroin Recovered from Amritsar in Five Days

June 28: Amritsar Commissionerate Police busted two separate cross-border drug smuggling cartels being operated by Pak-based smugglers with the arrest of three drug traffickers after recovering 9.2 kg heroin (8.2Kg+1Kg) from their possession.

June 29: Amritsar Rural Police busted two more Pak-backed drug smuggling rackets with the arrest of six persons after recovering 8kg heroin and three pistols from their possession

July 2: Amritsar Commissionerate Police arrested drug smuggler identified as Lakhwinder Singh alias Lakha of Khemkaran after recovering 5kg heroin from his possession

July 2: Counter Intelligence Amritsar has arrested three drug smugglers after recovering 5kg heroin from their possession
Xi, Kazakh president attend opening ceremony of trans-Caspian international transportation route

Xinhua) 15:21, July 03, 2024

ASTANA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev jointly attended here Wednesday an opening ceremony of the Trans-Caspian international transportation route via video link.

Xi is on a state visit to Kazakhstan and will attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
On the occasion of Doctors Day, a Mega Mahila Swasthya Evam Drishti Suraksha Camp was organized at Community Health Center, Goelkera under the joint aegis of Women Doctors Wing, IMA Jharkhand, District Administration, Health Department and Forest Department, Government of Jharkhand on Monday. TB, Malaria and Sickle Cell Anemia were also screened in the camp.

From 14th June, a multi-dimensional health campaign is being run continuously in the remote areas of West Singhbhum on the theme of WHO, My Health My Right.

The camp was inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Deputy Commissioner, West Sinbhum, Kuldeep Chaudhary. Civil Surgeon Dr. Sahir Paul and DFO Podahat Forest Division, DDC, SDM Chakradharpur were present in this ceremony.

Thousands of primitive tribal families and poor families of backward classes residing in Tatiba, Santh, Binua, Rengalbera, Tarasol, Lorai, Kundrugutu and Kendeyang villages benefitted from this multi-dimensional health campaign. Medicines were given to women suffering from inflammation of the cervix. Screening for sickle cell anaemia was done. The identified patients suffering from cataract and retinal diseases will be taken to Ranchi's Kashyap Memorial Eye Hospital for systematic treatment.

This camp was mainly focused on identification and treatment of cervical cancer, breast cancer and eye diseases in Jharkhand.

Notably, Dr. Bharti Kashyap, Chairperson, Women Doctors Wing, IMA Jharkhand has been continuously working for the last 10 years to make Jharkhand free from cervical cancer.

Under the campaign spearheaded by her, digital video colposcope and cryo machine have been installed in 14 big government hospitals of the state for identification of genital swelling and treatment of cervical pre-cancer. Even before this, in the year 2013 and 2016, she examined the eyes of lakhs of government school children and elderly people in the remote villages of Saranda area under the Drishti Suraksha Abhiyan. Thousands of children and elderly people were also given free spectacles. Not only this, hundreds of children were operated for cataract and sent back to school.

Dr. Bharti Kashyap said that the objective of this campaign is that the primitive tribal community and the underprivileged should get the full benefit of Drishti Suraksha Abhiyan and Mega Mahila Swasthya Suraksha Abhiyan. Also, Cryo treatment of women suffering from pre-cancer from the camp area should be done to make them cancer-free and send them home safely.

She said that surgical treatment of all the elderly and children of this area who are losing vision due to cataract, glaucoma and retina diseases will be done in the Superspeciality Eye Hospital in Ranchi.

In the camp testing of tuberculosis, malaria and anaemia was done and a data bank was created, which will help the government in making health policy for this area. A wide network of trained human resources is also being created. In the camp, many gynecologists are also being trained in digital video colposcope guided cryo treatment, so that this system can run smoothly in government hospitals.

Through the camp, health awareness among women of primitive tribes and backward classes was spread, so that they could identify their disease on time and reach the right place for timely treatment.

As many as1695 beneficiaries came to the multidimensional health camp, in which around 300 eye patients came and 97 patients were found to be suffering from cataract and retina diseases.

A total of 130 patients came for cervical cancer screening, in which 11 patients were given digital video colposcope guided cryo treatment, in which 5 were of cervical pre-cancer and 6 were of cervical erosion. All these 11 patients wld have developed carcinoma cervix later.

Two patients were found to have carcinoma cervix in very advanced stage and were referred to RIMS, Ranchi.

The DC said on the occasion that he is serious about eliminating cervical and breast cancer. The Women Doctors Wing has shown great readiness in examining and treating hundreds of women in this scorching heat. In future also, the administration will provide full support in the camps of Noamundi and Chakradharpur. Civil Surgeon, Dr. Sahir Paul said that every year 67 thousand women in the country die of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among all types of cancer spread in India. This type of cancer is the most preventable and successfully curable cancer.

What is Jharkhand Model?

For the elimination of cervical cancer disease in women in Jharkhand, the Women Doctors Wing has prepared a special plan Jharkhand Model in collaboration with the Jharkhand government.

In 2021, the Health Department and the team of Women Doctors led by Dr. Bharti Kashyap, after a long discussion with the country's top cancer gynaecologists, concluded that if we follow the third part of WHO's cervical cancer elimination policy 90-70-90 and modify it and implement it in Jharkhand, then a state with less resources like Jharkhand can get a lot of success in cervical cancer elimination. Then it was decided to implement this Jharkhand model, created for a state with limited resources, in the state.

In 2021, this decision was sent to all the civil surgeons for implementation by the then campaign director. After talking to the cancer specialist, it came to light that if we screen 6% of such women of reproductive capacity, who are in the high-risk category or who have possible symptoms of genital inflammation and if we treat them, then we will be able to screen 100% of the women suffering from genital inflammation. The number of such women of reproductive capacity in Jharkhand is currently 2,70,000 (two lakh seventy thousand). The Health Minister, acting on this, made it mandatory to screen 6% of such women in 2021. Apart from this, under the Surakshit Matritva Yojana, screening of women coming after twelve weeks of childbirth and the women accompanying them, who were in the high-risk category or who have any possible symptoms, was also made mandatory. The Health Department has implemented this model in Jharkhand and through this, screening of 6% of such women of reproductive capacity was ensured who have symptoms of genital inflammation or fall in the high-risk category of cervical cancer.

This initiative has brought very positive results. A target of 2,70,678 was set by the Women Doctors Wing, IMA and the State Health Department for screening of cervical cancer in the financial year 2021-2022 from April 2021 to March 2022. And till now a total of 3,49,784 such women of reproductive capacity have been screened.
Ahead of the Assembly polls, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday announced that Sarpanches can now undertake development works up to Rs 21 lakhs in their Gram Panchayats without e-tendering. Previously this limit was Rs 5 lakh. Additionally, the Chief Minister announced that Sarpanchs can now claim travel expenses at a rate of Rs 16 per kilometer when using their car or taxi for Gram Panchayat work. The bill for claiming TA/DA will now be approved at the level of the BDPO, he added.



The Chief Minister made these announcements while addressing Panchayat representatives from across the state at the State-Level Panchayati Raj and Sarpanch Sammelan organized in Kurukshetra.



Addressing the issue faced by Gram Panchayats regarding the cost of soil filling, the Chief Minister announced that once the Gram Panchayat passes and sends the resolution for soil filling, this cost will now be included in the work estimate. Previously, the cost of soil filling was not included in the work estimate, requiring the filling work to be done either through MNREGA or at the village's own expense.



To address the issue of junior engineers not preparing estimates for several months, the Chief Minister announced that once the Sarpanch uploads a resolution passed by the Panchayat for any development work on the HEW portal, the junior engineer will be required to prepare and upload the estimate within 10 days. This measure aims to expedite the pace of development works.



Announcing the increase in the prescribed fees for lawyers handling court cases, Chief Minister said that the fee for lawyers at the district or sub-division level will be raised from Rs 1,100 to Rs 5,500, and the fee for cases in the High Court and Supreme Court will be increased from Rs 5,500 to Rs 33,000.



Additionally, the Chief Minister announced an increase in the expenditure limit from the Panchayat Fund for events organized by the Gram Panchayat. The limit for Independence Day and Republic Day events, as well as programs organized for the visit of any special officer or minister, will be increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 30,000. Similarly, the limit for expenses related to purchasing the national flag, distributing sweets on national festivals, and publicizing Panchayat activities will be increased from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000.



In light of government programs to be held in villages, the Chief Minister also announced that the post of Sarpanch will now be included in the protocol list. The Sarpanch will sit with the DC and SP during such events.



On this occasion, the Chief Minister also announced an increase in the monthly honorarium of Safai Karamcharis in rural and urban areas by Rs 1000.



Describing village governance as a strong picture of democracy, the Chief Minister stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of making India a developed nation by the year 2047. To achieve this goal, it is crucial for every village to be developed. The Chief Minister assured that the state government will ensure there is no shortage of funds to accelerate pace of development in the villages.



Referring to the discrimination by previous governments in village development, the Chief Minister said that they often avoided allocating funds for this purpose. Before 2014, the State Finance Commission grant for Panchayats was Rs 600 crore. Under PM Modi's leadership, this grant for Haryana has increased to Rs 2968 crore. Furthermore, Rs 7276.77 crore has been allocated for rural development in the budget for the financial year 2024-25, compared to Rs 1898.48 crore during the year 2013-14 under the previous government.



Referring to the various powers provided to Panchayati Raj institutions, Chief Minister stated that the current government is continuously working to strengthen these institutions. In addition to providing 50 percent representation to women, the state's educated Panchayats are being made smarter. The present government has appointed 3,000 computer operators in Gram Panchayats. Additionally, Gram Panchayats are now permitted to purchase a desktop, printer, and UPS through GeM from their own funds, enabling them to become IT-enabled and modern, and to operate central and state-level portals effectively.



He further mentioned that to expedite development works, the state government has decided that unregistered contractors will now be able to undertake work up to Rs 50 lakhs in a year. If these works are completed on time, these contractors will be eligible to take on projects worth Rs 1 crore the following year.



Approves 43% stipend increase for MBBS Interns



In another event, Saini sanctioned a 43% increase in the stipend for MBBS interns of all Govt. and private Institutions affiliated to Pt BD Sharma UHS, Rohtak. Now the interns will receive Rs 24,310 which is a significant increase from the present stipend of Rs. 17000. Giving more information in this regard, an official spokesperson informed that the last revision in the internship stipend was done in 2018, from Rs. 12,000 to Rs 17,000 per month. Considering the above factors, the revised stipend for MBBS interns is proposed to be Rs. 24,310 per month, which includes the DA adjustment over the period from 2018 to 2024.
Ignoring a farmers complaint led to the suspension of the sub-district magistrate (SDM) of Khaga Tehsil in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh. The SDM was suspended on Tuesday, following Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths instructions to this effect.

During the suspension period, the SDM will be assigned to the Lucknow office of the commissioner and secretary of the Revenue Council, and departmental action will be initiated against him.

Ravikaran Singh, a farmer from the village of Pai in Fatehpur, had submitted a complaint letter regarding a land dispute to SDM Atul Kumar on June 15 during Sampoorna Samadhan Diwas.

Despite the seriousness of the matter, SDM Atul Kumar allegedly did not address the complaint promptly with seriousness. As the officer failed to resolve the issue facing the farmer, the matter was probed by the Prayagraj divisional commissioner and the inspector general of police, Prayagraj zone. Notably, both officials found SDM Atul Kumar guilty in their investigation reports. Consequently, CM Yogi suspended Kumar.
Dedicated to transforming Uttar Pradesh into a trillion-dollar economy, the Uttar Pradesh government approved the special investment region act during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at Lok Bhavan on Tuesday.

The Nodal Investment Region for Manufacturing Act (NIRMAN) aims to attract major investors from both within India and around the world to invest in Uttar Pradesh. The governments move is likely to promote ease of doing business, boost economic development, and create new employment opportunities for the general public.

Providing details about the decisions made by the UP Cabinet, Principal Secretary (Infrastructure and Industrial Development) Anil Kumar Sagar stated: This Act has been created to develop special investment regions in the state. Similar acts are currently in place in three states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Karnataka. With this, UP will become the fourth state to implement this Act.

He explained that special investment regions are large investment areas where cluster development occurs, and the powers usually held by the state government or other departments are decentralised to the authority level.

This decentralisation has two main benefits: first, any changes needed in the master planning can be done there itself. Second, all the NOCs and clearances that usually require state-level approval are also decentralised. According to the ease of doing business concept, the more decentralised the process, the better we can serve the investors, he added.

Sagar stated that the purpose of the new Act is to establish large investment regions and provide them with legal protection. He emphasised that creating such significant investment areas is crucial for Uttar Pradesh to achieve its goal of becoming a one trillion dollar economy.

He further said, Right now we have not fixed the minimum limit of land for investment in the Act. However, similar to the Bundelkhand Industrial Development Authority, which has an area of 5,000 hectares, the special investment regions will also cover large areas.

He also said that the proposal includes the creation of at least four special investment regions in Uttar Pradesh, each located in one of the states four geographical areas.

We have a substantial land bank available, with approximately 20,000 acres ready for allotment, he pointed out.

In another decision to foster a conducive environment for industrial investment in the state, the UP Cabinet also approved a proposal to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and MSMEs.

Finance Minister Suresh Khanna said: Similar to the Bharat Mandapam in Delhi, a large convention centre or multipurpose hall of this calibre will be established in Lucknow and Varanasi. This facility will allow MSMEs to showcase their products, promoting both industrial investment and providing encouragement to those involved in MSMEs.

He emphasised that this initiative would significantly enhance MSME production in Uttar Pradesh. The Bharat Mandapam in Delhi, developed by ITPO, is renowned for its excellent infrastructure and hosts national and international trade fairs regularly. Now, similar events will be feasible in Uttar Pradesh as well.

The UP Cabinet also approved the proposal to temporarily employ more than 2,200 teachers, who were removed from service in 2023 on the instructions of the Supreme Court, on honorarium in non-government aided secondary schools.

Khanna explained, There are vacant teaching positions in non-government-aided secondary schools, adversely impacting educational operations. To ensure smooth functioning of education, these 2,200 teachers, released from service as per the Supreme Court directives in 2023, will be temporarily re-appointed. Those teaching in classes IX and X will receive Rs 25,000 each, while those teaching in classes XI and XII will receive Rs 30,000 each as honorarium.




Governor Mangubhai Patel said that along with making education knowledge-based, it will have to be centered on the values of service and sensitivity. Students should always remember the values ??of education and their institution. Dont forget the struggles of your parents, respect their contributions, and be grateful. Shri Patel was addressing the I.E.S. groups silver jubilee celebration. He also appealed to the people and students present to join the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Employment, Shri Gautam Tetwal was present on the occasion.

Patel said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, a new National Education Policy has been implemented to build a capable, strong, prosperous, and developed India. He said that coordination between professional and practical aspects of education is necessary. The institute will have to prepare the coming generation according to the needs of the future.

For this, various dimensions of the new National Education Policy will have to be implemented effectively. He appreciated the achievements made by the students of the institute at the national and international level in the fields of sports, self-employment, management, etc., and congratulated the 25 years of effective leadership and management of the institute.

Addressing the Silver Jubilee celebrations, Minister of State Shri Gautam Tetwal appreciated the efforts of the institute to promote more meritorious students. Chairman of Madhya Pradesh Private University Commission, Dr. Bharat Singh Sharan talked about continuing the cooperation, activism, and commitment of the institute to realize the concepts of developed India.

Patel inaugurated the program by lighting the lamp. I.E.S. University Chancellor Engr. Shri B.S. Yadav welcomed Shri Patel with a bouquet and presented a shawl, shriphal, and memento. Governor Shri Patel presented 25 saplings to the institute for planting on the occasion of its silver jubilee. He also honored the meritorious students in the function. Chancellor Engr. Shri B.S. Yadav gave the welcome speech and I.E.S. Group CEO Shri Devansh Singh proposed the vote of thanks.
Madhya Pradesh minister Prahlad Patel strongly criticized the statement made by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha and said that Rahul Gandhi calling Hindus violent is a part of the anti-Sanatan hidden agenda of the Congress and the Indy alliance. By doing this, Rahul Gandhi has once again tried to insult Sanatan, against which there is anger across the country.

The signals that this message of Rahul Gandhi has sent to the country are extremely dangerous.State government minister Shri Prahlad Patel said that the whole country has seen the way Rahul Gandhi continuously insulted parliamentary rules and traditions during the discussion on the motion of thanks on the President's address on Monday. But he crossed the limits of decorum when he committed the crime of calling our Indian culture violent. Shri Patel said that during his long parliamentary tenure, he had never seen such disregard for rules and traditions.

Patel said that I challenge the Congress Party and Rahul Gandhi that if anyone's name is taken in the whole world for non-violence, harmony and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, then it is Sanatan culture. We never discussed our religion by getting someone's children bricked into the wall. We never thought of expanding religion with a sword. Rahul Gandhi should comment on these people who indulge in violence, then he will know.Minister Mr Prahlad Patel said that the way Rahul Gandhi has behaved in the Lok Sabha on the very first day as the Leader of the Opposition, he has told what his agenda is going to be for the next five years.

The people of the country may have voted for the Congress because there should be a strong opposition in the country, but the Congress has turned that support of the people into a campaign against Hindus. Mr Prahlad Patel said that the Congress has always had a hidden agenda, which has been attacking our culture, insulting our traditions.

Therefore, there is no surprise in this behaviour of Rahul Gandhi, there is only regret and sadness and we take it as a challenge. I also want to warn the people of the country that their understanding of the hidden agenda of the Congress should also increase and I would request those who are associated with parliamentary traditions and rules not to take this incident lightly.

He said that this is a serious incident and the message that has gone across the country through this statement of Rahul Gandhi is extremely dangerous. We all have to be cautious about this unbridled behaviour of a person who is in the position of Leader of the Opposition.State government minister Shri Prahlad Patel said that the statement given by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha on Monday is not only unfortunate, it has once again proved that the Yuvraj of Congress has neither understanding of religion nor knowledge of schemes.

He only wanted to mislead the Parliament and the people of the country through lies. He said that Rahul Gandhi's first speech as Leader of the Opposition was full of lies, disappointment and factless things. Not only this, his conduct during his speech was also not at all in accordance with parliamentary dignity. The discussion in the Lok Sabha was on the President's address but Rahul Gandhi did not say a single word about it.

This proves that Rahul Gandhi had already decided that he just has to throw mud on Sanatan Dharma, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party, and try to tarnish their image. Rahul Gandhi spoke only and only lies in the House and tore apart the parliamentary dignity with his conduct. Patel said that Rahul Gandhi in his speech not only insulted Hindus, called Hindus violent, hateful and liars, but also lied and only lied on all matters - Agniveer, farmers, Ayodhya, mike.
(): Former Bolivian President Evo Morales on Sunday accused his political ally-turned-rival President Luis Arce of deceiving the Bolivian people by staging a self-coup last week to earn political points among the electorate, marking a sharp downturn in an already fraught relationship. Morales was initially among the countrys most powerful voices to say that approximately 200 members of the military who marched on Bolivias government palace alongside armoured vehicles on Wednesday had attempted a coup detat.

We are convinced that democracy is the only way to resolve any difference and that institutions and the rule of law must be respected, Morales wrote in a post on the social media platform X on the day of the military action. We reiterate the call for all those involved in this riot to be arrested and tried. But on Sunday, Morales joined others who believe Arce himself orchestrated a self coup to win the sympathy of Bolivians at a time when his popularity is extremely low.

Arce disrespected the truth, deceived us, lied, not only to the Bolivian people but to the whole world, Morales said in a local broadcast program on Sunday.

Morales is throwing his support behind an accusation made by former Gen. Juan Jose Zuniga, who allegedly led the coup attempt. Morales said Zuniga informed colleagues and family of his plan before carrying it out, and that while in custody he told authorities that Arce had betrayed him.

The president told me: The situation is very screwed up, very critical. It is necessary to prepare something to raise my popularity, Zuniga quoted the Bolivian leader as saying.

That theory was quickly adopted by Arces political enemies, who dubbed it a self-coup.

At some point the truth will be known, a handcuffed Gen. Juan Jose Zuniga told reporters while being transferred to prison Saturday.

Morales called for an independent investigation into the Wednesday military action in a post on X on Sunday.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - A Command and Staff academies aimed at promoting cooperation between them and raising awareness of the challenges posed by terrorism, illegal migration and organised crime, got underway on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Command and Staff Academy in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, with the participation of representatives from 11 African countries
People Before Profit Westminster candidate Councillor Shaun Harkin has praised the Derry Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign and called for people to support their pre-election rally.

Cllr Harkin said: "There are many in the establishment who want to move Gaza from the front pages.

"Leaders in Westminster and Stormont have stood with Israel while it attempts to erase the Palestinian people.

"But Palestine is a central election issue. If you can't stand against genocide and apartheid what will you ever stand for?

"Israel may still have powerful friends in governments but throughout the world the people have risen to oppose genocide.

"Here in Derry the IPSC have been inspirational in their campaigning for a ceasefire and end to genocide.

"They have raised thousands of pounds to help the Palestinian people in Gaza.

"The IPSC are the best of Derry. Ordinary decent people showing the kind of humanity and compassion that political leaders seem to have lost long ago.

"The campaign to boycott the White House on St. Patrick's Day started in Derry and spread all over Ireland.

"When Sinn Fein broke the boycott and drowned the shamrock with Genocide Joe Biden their actions hurt people in Derry more than anywhere else.

"But Sinn Fein are not alone in rolling out the red carpet for Biden Administration representatives.

"The SDLP backed the apartheid regime when they voted for a DUP motion in Stormont supporting an interpretation of antisemitism that's been used to criminalise criticism of Israel.

"And their recent claims of 'scaremongering' in regard to Stormont and BDS shows they can't be trusted on Palestine solidarity.

"On the doors during this election campaign Gaza was the issue that many people wanted to talk about.

"The IPSC have kept the issue of Palestine foremost in our minds and in our hearts. For that they deserve great credit.

"People Before Profit call on anyone who can to come out to Free Derry Corner on Wednesday night at 7pm."
Over sixty members attended a 25th anniversary party for Mid Ulster Stroke Survivors Group last Tuesday. Among those attending the celebration in the Assembly Rooms of First Presbyterian Church Cookstown were Mid Ulster District Council Chairman Councillor Eugene McConnell and Chief Executive Adrian McCreesh, and representatives of the Stroke Association. Founder member Mary Convery and current Chairperson received a certificate of appreciation and a bouquet for all her hard work.

An anniversary cake was cut by founder members Derek Short and Mary Convery, this was followed by a delicious lunch served by Joanne Loughrin.

South Derry woman Mary Convery was there at the groups formation 25 years ago and has watched its growth over the years.

Mary, who was working in nursing home Milesian Manor in Magherafelt, was contacted by the in house speech and language therapist about setting up a stroke support group.

It all started when Mary was put in contact with a young man in his 40s who had fallen out of his lorry.

He had brain damage and his speech was affected.

It was sad seeing a younger man struggling. He often got frustrated that he couldnt do what older members of the groups were able to do, Mary said.

From then on Mary started taking local people who had suffered a stroke to the group in Cookstown. The stroke survivors group meet every Tuesday in the First Presbyterian Church, Cookstown. At the moment there are 23 members.

The members' ages range from early 40s to 80s.

The group covers Maghera, Magherafelt, Cookstown and all the outlying areas of Mid Ulster.

Mary continued: The group offers the chance for people to share their stroke story and have a sense of community. It helps people not feel isolated. They will have a cup of tea, biscuits, sandwiches and have a different programme activity planned for each week.

There are all different walks of life that come to the group, from farmers to teachers. Stoke doesnt discriminate. It can affect anyone at any time.

Reflecting on the progression of the group, Mary said she is very proud of group member Diane.

Diane had her first stroke at 34. She won an award for young stroke survivors a few years back, said Mary.

Its amazing to see how the members progress in their time in the group. When they first come they can be withdrawn and shy but they soon get chatting to each other. The group is a good way to build their confidence and compare notes on their different experiences.

Mary said the groups members have built lasting friendships.

They have developed real connections and friendships and that is so important, she added.

The Mid Ulster Stroke Survivors Group is on break for the summer now and will start up again in September.
The opening of the new brand home for The Muff Liquor Company was attended today by celebrity investors in the company including Russell Crowe, Ronan Keating and Ryan Tubridy.



Investors Ed Sheeran and Jimmy Carr sent good wishes to the launch event, unable to attend in person today but plan to visit the new facility in the coming months.



The Muff Liquor Company was founded in 2017 by local entrepreneur Laura Bonner. The company launched its first product in early 2018 and now boasts a portfolio of award-winning spirits including vodka and gin which are potato based as well as a peated Irish whiskey.



The company also announced today that it has received an initial order for 30,000 bottles of spirits for the US market from its new distributor in the US, The Lucas Bols Company.

Lucas Bols is one of the leading cocktail and spirits players in the worldwide cocktail market and signed with the company in April of this year. The deal gives the Lucas Bols Company exclusive rights to import and distribute Muff Liquor products in the United States of America.



We are thrilled to welcome Russell, Ryan and Ronan to our new brand home in Muff, Laura Bonner, CEO and founder of The Muff Liquor Company said. Together with Ed Sheeran and Jimmy Carr they have been wonderful supports of the company and I know they share our passion for creating a genuinely world-class spirit company. We are getting ready for a big push in the US market later this year and this first order is a huge statement of the confidence by The Lucas Bols Company in our brand. We have exciting plans for the US market in the second half of this year.
Stormonts Finance Minister has been accused of taking MLAs for fools after a 300 million funding announcement was made just days before the General Election.

Caoimhe Archibald was again forced to defend the timing of the announcement of the in-year June monitoring round exercise at Stormont earlier this week.

Answering questions on Tuesday, the Sinn Fein minister said it was vital that under-resourced Stormont departments received the funding as quickly as possible.

But SDLP Opposition leader Matthew OToole repeated his claim that making the announcement so close to election day risked jeopardising civil service integrity.

Executive ministers met on Monday to agree the in-year June monitoring round exercise, at which previously unallocated funds were distributed to departments.

Health, education and social house building were the main beneficiaries of the allocation of 250 million of resource spend and 50 million of capital money.

Some 122 million was allocated to the under-pressure Department of Health.

An outstanding pay settlement for non-teaching educational support workers will be funded from 43.7 million allocated to the Department of Education.

Addressing the issue during ministerial question time in the Assembly, Mr OToole said he had been previously told by Ms Archibald that a consultation on revenue-raising measures could not be published due to the pre-election period.

He said: Why could that not be published but a 300 million monitoring round could be published?

Ms Archibald said: I have been very clear that I considered the pre-election guidance in making the decision to proceed with the June monitoring round.

I did so on the basis that June monitoring is normal and routine business of the Executive and therefore it is appropriate to proceed with it during the pre-election period.

Given the financial pressures right across our departments, it was vital they had confirmation of the additional funding allocations as soon as possible to give certainty as soon as possible.

I also think it was important to give certainty to all of those who rely on those services, whether they are healthcare workers, those on waiting lists, our classroom assistants, school bus drivers and all of those parents who may be able to benefit from the childcare.

Any delays in June monitoring could risk overspend or lead to greater adverse impact than would have been the case had decisions been taken earlier.

Mr OToole responded: Your position is that four days difference would have jeopardised public services, but you also say that a routine report setting out consultation responses without any policy intent could not be published because of the pre-election period.

But totally normal and routine business to have an exceptional Monday morning Executive meeting, for three podiums to be set out in the Great Hall for you, the First and deputy First Ministers.

With respect I think you are taking us for fools and I think you and your department have jeopardised civil service integrity and impartiality by pushing yesterdays monitoring round.

Ms Archibald said she had set out the position four times for Mr OToole.

She added: The pre-election guidance is clear that each case should be considered on its own merits.
A man has been remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate's Court today after breaching his bail within days after his mother claimed he used 'emotional manipulation'.

James Kelly (36) of Rinmore Drive in Derry appeared charged with criminal damage to a window at his mother's house and possessing pregablin on July 1.

A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail.

The court heard that police were called to an ongoing domestic incident where the defendant's mother said he had damaged a window at the property.

She told police before she left the defendant had called her on multiple occasions demanding 'who do you think you are locking the door?'

The court heard that Kelly became 'aggressive' towards his mother and his two sisters threatening to harm himself if he was told to leave.

When searched nine pregablin tablets were found in his jacket.

At interview Kelly said he had found the door locked but there was a window damaged and he used that to enter the house.

He denied damaging the window and said he woke up to his mother and sisters shouting at him.

Kelly claimed his mother was abusive towards him 'treating him like a black sheep'.

As regards the drugs the defendant said he had been addicted months ago and didn't know the tablets were there.

A police officer said they had 'major concerns in relation to bail' as the defendant had breached bail within a short period of time.

Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said that it was accepted Kelly had issues but that this incident had not escalated.

He asked for bail to an address approved by the police.

District Judge Barney McElholm said that if there was 'a suitable address far enough away' he might consider bail.

But as Kelly was in court again within days he refused bail and remanded him in custody to appear again on July 25.
A Romanian national asked could he be deported after he was remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate's Court on exposure charges.

Marciel Sotir (57) of no fixed abode appeared charged with two counts of exposure in Quayside Shopping Centre in Derry on July 1.

A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail.

The court heard that around 5.10pm the defendant entered the shopping centre wearing no footwear and tried to urinate in a store exposing himself.

A security officer intervened and escorted Sotir from the premises and he was then alleged to have urinated against metal shutters in full view of members of the public including children.

When police arrived they spoke to security officers and the defendant and it was discovered he was on bail for offences in Belfast and was to reside there and not touch alcohol.

Sotir was said to have refused to provide a breath sample and a search of his property revealed a nearly empty vodka bottle.

At interview the defendant said he entered the shopping centre to use the toilet but had been prevented from doing so and said he went behind a car to urinate.

A police officer opposed bail due to the lack of address and said CCTV still had to be obtained.

The court heard that Sotir was also subject to immigration proceedings.

Defence counsel Brendan Kearney said he was applying for bail to an address approved by police.

When District Judge Barney McElholm indicated he was refusing bail the defendant, who had been using an interpreter throughout the proceedings, asked coukd he be deported.

Judge McElholm said that he did not have the power to deport him and refused bail.

Sotir was remanded in custody to appear again on July 18.
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.
From photonics to defense: more to be done for Polish-Taiwan industrial cooperation

VIGO Photonics, a Polish company specializing in mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) detectors and modules, is becoming increasingly central to European efforts to gain greater autonomy on key semiconductor technologies, especially when the photonics sector sees growing aerospace and defense applications in sensing, optical communication, and laser-based weapons.

As a part of the Polish delegation to SEMICON Taiwan 2023, Adam Piotrowski, VIGO Photonics CEO, pointed to integrated photonics as a development goal and highlighted the need to work with partners to incorporate signal processing into VIGO's sensor platform. In fact, the Polish company opened its Taipei office in 2020 as its first foothold in the East Asian market.

Also in 2023, as a part of the European Union's Important Project of Common European Interest Microelectronics and Communication Technologies (IPCEI ME/CT), VIGO Photonics officially commenced the HyperPIC project to develop photonic IC for mid-infrared sensing applications and subsequently build the world's first production line for mid-infrared photonic IC. The R&D phase runs from 2023 to 2027, while the first industrial deployment phase runs from 2024 to 2029.

"When I was in Taiwan in September, we were just demonstrating the first roadmap for the building blocks of photonic IC, such as detectors, lasers, and waveguides," indicated Piotrowski. "So our roadmap was defined just before my visit to Taiwan, and since then, we have been progressing quite well with demonstrating and testing the building blocks." At this stage, VIGO has all the basic building blocks and can go forward with decreasing the losses and improving efficiency.

Lack of integrators in Taiwan challenges industrial and defense cooperation

Cooperation with Taiwan, however, is not without challenges. "For us, the situation with Taiwan is quite difficult," indicated Piotrowski to DIGITIMES Asia during a recent interview at VIGO Photonics' headquarters on the outskirts of Warsaw. For now, approximately half of VIGO's revenue comes from industrial applications, such as the machines for automotive manufacturing where VIGO's detectors are deployed, and though Taiwan is making a lot of microelectronics components, there aren't many integrators of industrial components, according to Piotrowski. "So we are not having so many customers in Taiwan right now."

Beyond industrial applications, VIGO Photonics is also active in the defense industry. The LWIR detectors offered by VIGO, for instance, can be deployed to IR sensors within smart munitions to detect military vehicles emitting heat in the form of mid-infrared radiation, especially in degraded environments. The MWIR detectors, on the other hand, can be applied to protect aircraft from infrared-homing missiles, such as directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM), as the MWIR region of the IR spectrum is optimal for missile detection. Instead of using single-element detectors that rely on a rotary mechanism for area scanning, VIGO uses multi-element detectors to enable a wider field of view without relying on mechanical scanning.

MWIR detectors can be applied to infrared countermeasure. Credit: Northrop Gruman

"There is a lot of happening in the defense application: we're working with both Polish and European governments, in addition to US defense companies," said the VIGO CEO. The company recently expanded its office in the US to target large defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, restocking the sensors in smart munitions in support of Ukraine. Alongside smart munitions, VIGO is also supplying detectors for drone applications. However, just like for industrial applications, the lack of system integrators in the Taiwanese defense industry has limited the cooperation opportunities with VIGO Photonics. According to the company CEO, VIGO has no contact with Taiwanese arms manufacturers, even when it comes to drones, a sector in which Taiwan lacks system integrators.

"At this stage, Taiwan is a good customer of our customers," said Piotrowski. Though the results of market explorations show that it's not a good moment for doing direct sales, the CEO sees it as a good moment for opening collaboration in the future. Meanwhile, Maciej Nowakowski, Director of Operations at the Polish Technological Forum on Photonics (PPTF), pointed out that though Polish component suppliers see limited opportunities provided by the Taiwanese market at this stage, companies focusing on the manufacturing process are increasingly developing the Taiwanese market.

"There's a growing interest and actual presence - certainly business discussions between Polish companies who are providing manufacturing equipment," observed Nowakowski. "It turns out that we might have some developments in the manufacturing and machinery industry, while in the semiconductor and defense sectors, it is not progressing as easily or as quickly as initially expected."

Limited understanding of Taiwan's market potential

In September 2023, a delegation of the Taiwanese defense industry visited Poland. Led by Hu Kai-Hung, chairman of the Taiwan Defense Industry Development Association (TW-DIDA) and also the chairman of Taiwan's prime contractor Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC), the delegates met with the Polish Chamber of National Defense Manufacturers (PCNDM), and subsequently a MoU was signed between the TW-DIDA and PCNDM. Back in 2022, Taiwan's military also showed interest in acquiring the automatically-loaded 120mm Rak mortar system developed by Poland's biggest defense group PGZ, ultimately seeking to produce them in Taiwan and integrate them with domestically-built chassis.

Taiwan's defense industry delegation visited Poland in Sep. 2023. Credit: TW-DIDA

At the moment, according to Nowakowski, there are challenges with working with Polish defense companies, especially when their capacities are overbooked to support either the Polish military or the defense efforts in Ukraine. Consequently, the responsiveness from Polish companies to engage in new projects at this moment without actionable market information could be difficult, observed the PPTF director who has vast experience in the defense industry and continues to engage with the sector. "Are there programs on the market that we can be involved in ?" said Nowakowski, emphasizing that for Polish companies in the sector, "the general understanding of Taiwan's market potential is actually little when it comes to making priorities in the sales or marketing department, making it hard to for them to engage with Taiwanese market when their agenda is quite occupied."

The need to go beyond simple 'buy and sell'

Regarding potential opportunities for satellite industrial cooperation - an area of strategic interest for both Poland and Taiwan - Nowakowski heeded against a lack of industrial cooperation standards that Polish suppliers are more familiar with. "When it comes to cooperation with the European Space Agency, for example, there are lines of project with clear instructions on how to engage, how to present technologies, and how to set ideas for cooperation," he noted. As nations seek greater autonomy in strategic industrial sectors, particularly those related to national security, cooperation models have to be adjusted as well.

The nation plans to launch EagleEye, the first satellite designed and built in Poland and also its most advanced and largest, in 2024 for high-resolution earth imaging. In 2025, Poland plans to launch its first military observation satellites. "Poland aspires to get a complete set of capabilities in this area, so certainly we would not like to have key decisive components dependent on foreign suppliers," said Nowakowski. He stressed, however, the opportunity for Poland to build capabilities together with partnering nations. "So far, cooperation with Taiwanese companies is largely confined to simple 'buy and sell', while Polish companies are more interested in actual industrial cooperation in terms of 'building something together based on Polish or Taiwanese components'", he indicated. "Building capabilities together and developing a technology that will be manufactured both in Poland and Taiwan would be more in line with our needs, instead of buying key components in Taiwan and building important systems upon them."
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.
As many as 200 jobs are to be lost after medical technology company BD announced today it is to close its plant in Drogheda, Co Louth.

The company, which has been in Dorogheda for 60 years, will be wound down over the next two and ahalf years

Drogheda TD Ged Nash has slammed B-Ds decision to close its Drogheda plant saying: This is devastating news for 200 loyal workers and their families. It is also a massive blow for Drogheda.

Drogheda is Irelands largest town. It will now lose its only large-scale IDA-backed manufacturing company.

This government and its agencies are asleep at the wheel when it comes to investment in Drogheda.

It is easier to work to retain jobs than create them. The question for this government and the IDA is  when did you know about B-Ds plans, and what have you done to keep these jobs in Drogheda?

Fine Gael and Fianna Fail seems content to see Drogheda, with already enormous rates of commuting to Dublin, become an effective dormitory town to supply the city with workers.

Droghedas location, skills and infrastructure should make it an ideal location for jobs investment yet all we are treated to is patronising lip-service from this government.

This government must now set up an expert-led enterprise task force to address the question of investment in Drogheda to avoid our area becoming a foreign direct-investment backwater.

The loss of jobs in Drogheda due to the closure of the Becton Dickinson (BD) site is a major blow to the local community, Deputy Fergus ODowd, Fine Gael TD for Louth and East Meath, said.

I am deeply concerned and disappointed that BD intend to discontinue manufacturing at their Drogheda site.

No effort must be spared to aid staff in securing new employment.

BD has operated out of Drogheda for over 60 years and has played a major role in supporting the local economy, so this is truly devastating news for the employees and their wider families, who have in many cases worked for this company for generations.

Everything must be done to ensure that staff and their families get the support they need, whilst also seeking alternative employment and upskilling.

It is now imperative that we do all we can to attract more investment to Drogheda in light of this announcement. Drogheda has the workforce and infrastructure to be a hub for industry and we have a 40-acre IDA site which is primed and ready to provide highly skilled employment.

I have spoken directly with BD and I will remain in contact to ensure that appropriate redundancies are provided and that the company meet their statutory obligations, as they have promised.

I have impressed upon the Minister for Enterprise, Peter Burke, to ensure that the Government provides the affected staff with whatever assistance is required at this difficult time and to work with the state agencies to ensure that engagement is maintained at the highest level, so all avenues are pursued to safeguard jobs, if there is any possibility to do so, concluded Deputy ODowd.
Tanaiste and Minister for Defence Micheal Martin has said that an inquest hearing into Private Sean Rooney's death is expected to take place shortly. The Tanaiste was providing an update on the progress being made in the investigation to Louth TD Ruairi O Murchu.

Private Rooney was killed in an incident on 14th December 2022, in which a number of his colleagues from the 121st Battalion were injured.

The Tanaiste said he has consistently expressed both my and the Government's determination that all of the facts and circumstances of the incident are fully established and that no stone is left unturned to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

An initial indictment hearing of persons charged in connection with the incident took place on 14 July 2023, with further hearings taking place on 30 August 2023, 15 December 2023 and most recently on 07 June 2024.

The Irish Government was represented in court at all these hearings by its Beirut-based lawyer and the Irish Ambassador.

The Tanaiste said that the central focus of his most recent visit to Lebanon in May was a meeting with the Lebanese Minister for Foreign Affairs and the legal representative of the Lebanese Minister for Defence.

The Tanaiste continued: I left the Lebanese Minister and officials in no doubt with regard to the absolute determination of the Irish Government in ensuring that those responsible for Private Rooneys death are brought to justice and that lives of Irish peacekeepers must be valued.

I also emphasised the need to speed up the legal proceedings and the additional distress that the lack of progress is causing Private Rooney's family.

I was very disappointed to learn at the most recent hearing on 7th June, that, once again, none of those indicted for the killing of Private Sean Rooney appeared in court at the hearing. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for 12 February 2025.

Following the hearing, I have again stressed my unhappiness with the progress of the Trial to date and have made that very clear directly to both Lebanese authorities and to the UN. We continue to maintain close contact with them on this matter.

I will continue to make strong representations in this matter with the Lebanese authorities and with the United Nations. Private Rooneys family has been, and will continue to be, kept informed of developments as they happen.

Separately, he said the investigation by An Garda Siochana for the purposes of preparing a report for the Coroner has been completed and the Defence Forces have supported this investigation.

Finally, I wish to assure the House that my Department, the Embassy in Cairo, the Consulate in Beirut and I will continue to monitor developments and to push for progress in this regard very closely, the Tanaiste concluded.
Culture Club and Roe River Books said they are delighted to announce that Arthur Mathews will be in conversation in Roe River Books, Dundalk on Friday July 26th at 7pm talking about his latest book Walled in by Hate: Kevin OHiggins, his friends and enemies.

Arthur is the co-creator of Father Ted and contributor to some of the most iconic comedy shows of the past 30 years.

Walled in by Hate, published by Merrion Press, is a fascinating exploration of the short yet remarkable life of Kevin OHiggins, one of the most divisive figures in the early years of the Irish State, whose legacy and career are still debated to this day.

Mathews examines OHiggins through the prism of his friends and enemies, the relentless murder manhunt that followed his assassination, as well as his relationship with Lady Lavery - hidden from his wife Brigid - that lasted for several years until his death.

Arthur Mathews was born in Meath in 1959. With Graham Linehan he co-created and wrote the classic comedies Father Ted and Big Train.

He has also written for some of the most iconic comedy shows of the past 30 years including: The Fast Show, Harry Enfield and Chums, The Catherine Tate Show and Brass Eye amongst many others.

He co-wrote the stage musical I, Keano and the feature film Wide Open Spaces.

With Matt Berry he has co-written the television shows Toast of London and Toast of Tinseltown (each a winner of The Rose dOr) as well as Squeamish About and The Road To Brexit.

He also wrote the book Well-Remembered Days, an imagined autobiography of Eoin OCeallaigh, a writer, poet, nationalist, playwright, civil servant, commentator and champion of the traditional values of Ireland.

Many will remember the brilliance of the Border Fascist. An hilarious satire of border life published in the end of year edition of Hot Press magazine through the 1980s.

At a time when there was no Irish comedy to speak of this was unmissable and quickly gained a cult following. Arthur Mathews place as one of the great writers in British comedy is assured and perhaps with Graham Linehan the greatest that Ireland ever produced.

Admission is free but booking is essential to guarantee your place, demand will be high. Booking link: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/932477915547?aff=oddtdtcreator
By BOB MARTIN

Eagle Times Staff

CLAREMONT, N.H.  MacGlaflin Farm will be holding its second annual Open Farm Day on July 13, where farming enthusiasts can learn about the process that goes into the products they buy and consume.

The event offers a variety of activities, including a hot dog lunch, face painting, cheese samples, ice cream and tours of the farm.

This is a free community event, said Co-Owner Julie MacGlaflin. We will have milk sampling from New England Dairy, and The Cruisin Cow ice cream truck will be here. You can take a guided farm tour, or go on your own to tour of the farm and see where the cows are milked. A bunch of our tractors and farm equipment are here so people can climb in, get some photos and check them all out.

MacGlaflin said the fun event has a focus on showing people where dairy products start before items hit the shelves. She and her husband, Jason, and his father, Ed, will be on hand to talk about the ins and outs of the farm. There will be volunteers at the event to discuss various aspects of the farm, as well.

Nowadays people are so far removed from where their food comes from, she said. Ive done many field trips over the years, and a lot of kids really dont know where their food starts. We, as best as we can in a few hours, try to answer questions that people might have about the process.

She explained that there are some adults who may understand that milk comes from a cow, but never really seen it in action, or even touched a cow. McGlaflin pointed out that there are a lot less farms now than 50 or 60 years ago, and people often dont have a friend, cousin or grandpa who own a farm like in years past.

We want people to come and see the care we put in to raising our animals, and obviously to see where their milk starts, said McGlaflin. Yes, it ends up at your school or grocery store, but this is where it starts. A lot of people dont know what goes into raising a baby calf.

MacGlaflins Farm is a second-generation farm started in 1971 by her father-in-law Ed MacGlaflin, and for more than 50 years they have been producing top-quality, local milk. Nearly all of Jasons life, he worked with his father at the farm.

Julie MacGlaflin also grew up on a farm in Vermont, showing that farming is in all of their blood. She joined the team in 2015 after selling her small Vermont dairy farm and marrying Jason.

We both grew up dairy farming, and while we dont sell milk directly off the farm, we are members of the Agri-Mark Cooperative, she said. Cabot Cheese and McCadam Cheese are the brands where that milk comes from; it could have started here. It becomes the cheese that you see in the store.

The farm began in Connecticut but moved to the Granite State in 1996. According to the farms website, the family milks 450 cows as part of Agri-Mark. They also raise their own calves and crop about 600 acres of farmland.

The MacGlaflins believe that the treatment of cows directly impacts the quality of the milk produced, and they take such excellent care of them by providing a happy, healthy environment. Another point of pride is practicing sustainability, to not only reduce their environmental impact, but also set the stage for future generation of farmers and customers.

Open Farm Day will be the perfect opportunity to talk directly to a dairy farmer and get to know where your food comes from first-hand. McGlaflin said it is a good chance for people in the community to become better educated on the overall process and know a little bit about what they are eating.

Its shaping up to be quite the event for the community, MacGlaflin said. We expect a good turnout.

The family friendly event takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 35 Case Hill Road, and additional information can be found at macglaflinfarm.com.
Blog Archive: Oct 2024 (50) Sep 2024 (149) Aug 2024 (155) Jul 2024 (155) Jun 2024 (150) May 2024 (153) Apr 2024 (149) Mar 2024 (155) Feb 2024 (145) Jan 2024 (156) Dec 2023 (155) Nov 2023 (150) Oct 2023 (155) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55)
Xi says China, Kazakhstan are companions on path to modernization

Xinhua) 16:11, July 03, 2024

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev jointly meet with the press following their talks at the presidential palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

ASTANA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- China and Kazakhstan are companions on the path to modernization, said Chinese President Xi Jinping here Wednesday when jointly meeting the press with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Noting his talks with Tokayev were amicable, friendly and fruitful, Xi said he and Tokayev signed a joint statement between the two countries.

Xi said he and Tokayev agree that both China and Kazakhstan are at a critical stage of development and revitalization.

The two sides will continue to carry forward the fine tradition of mutual support, deepen political mutual trust, promote the synergy of development strategies, and be solid supporters that can be relied on and trusted by each other, Xi said.

Xi said China and Kazakhstan have set a new goal of doubling two-way trade at an early date.

The two sides agreed to continuously deepen cooperation in such traditional areas as economy, trade, investment, production capacity, interconnectivity and energy, Xi said.

The two sides will also jointly foster new growth points for cooperation in critical minerals, new energy, scientific and technological innovation, aerospace, digital economy and other fields, Xi said.

Xi said the Chinese side will hold China tourism year in Kazakhstan in 2025.

The Chinese side has also decided to open the second Luban Workshop in the Central Asian country, he said, adding that the two sides will expand cooperation in such fields as media, think tanks, as well as films and television, and encourage more sistership among provinces and cities of the two countries.

The two sides have pledged to continue working closely in international affairs and strengthen coordination and cooperation within the framework of the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the China-Central Asia mechanism as well as other multilateral frameworks, he said.

Xi said that China and Kazakhstan have agreed to jointly implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, three key initiatives proposed by China.

China supports Kazakhstan in joining BRICS cooperation mechanism, playing the role of a "middle power" on the international stage and making its due contribution to global governance, Xi said.

For his part, Tokayev said that Xi's visit has special historical significance and will be a new starting point to promote the Kazakhstan-China relations to a higher level.

China is a friendly neighbor and a permanent comprehensive strategic partner of Kazakhstan, Tokayev said, adding that the Kazakhstan-China relations have always been based on mutual respect and trust and there are no unresolved issues between the two countries.

In history, China has never harmed Kazakhstan's interests, and the friendship between the two peoples is unbreakable and has been passed down from generation to generation, Tokayev said.

China is Kazakhstan's largest trading partner and the most important foreign investor country, and the investment and cooperation of Chinese enterprises have effectively promoted the national development of Kazakhstan, Tokayev said.

Stressing Kazakhstan's commitment to continuously strengthening all-round friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation with China, Tokayev said the country welcomes more Chinese companies to invest in Kazakhstan and will provide all necessary and favorable conditions for them.

Upholding the principles of peaceful diplomacy, Kazakhstan and China share similar positions on many international and regional issues, said Tokayev, adding that Kazakhstan is ready to enhance communication and collaboration with China within multilateral frameworks like the China-Central Asia mechanism, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the United Nations, among others.

Friendship is the common asset of Kazakhstan and China, which is more precious than gold, Tokayev said. Kazakhstan looks forward to making joint efforts with China to achieve greater accomplishments in Kazakhstan-China relations in a new "golden 30 years."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Cork has around 30 beaches, but which is the finest? As part of our Cork Coasts series, the Peoples Republic of Cork have picked out their favourite 16.

They have concluded the countdown from No.16 to No.1 - and readers now get the chance to have their say.

Read More What is the best beach in Cork?

Over the next few weeks, our Cork coastlines will battle it out to see who will be crowned Cork's best beach, by you, our readers.

Last week, Ballyrisode took on Tralispean.

Today, Ballydonegan goes head-to-head with Silver Strand.
As of yesterday, Cork Prison housed 334 prisoners and was operating at 113% capacity.

As a result, additional shifts had to be worked to maintain the necessary staffing levels, and activities such as workshops for prisoners had to be cancelled.

A Cork Prison officer told The Echo that staff are being stretched and are absolutely exhausted.

He said they have not been granted more staff, but theyve added lots more overtime. You can work there every day if you want.

He said that, on top of an extra 360 hours a year each officer can work, 65,000 overtime hours have been added nationally to the Prison Service. I know one lad who did 72 hours overtime in two weeks, he said.

Pressure

Theres huge pressure on staff, he said, adding: You can be compelled to work more, but compelling is rare with extra overtime.

When there are not enough officers, this can result in activities for prisoners not running.

It goes down to affecting prisoners, thered be workshops closed, he said, explaining that escorts and security posts must be filled, so basically there would be no workshops for the prisoners if there are not enough officers.

The officer said the number of prisoners had gone up to 350 before, in a facility that was built to hold 275.

"Safety is built on numbers, and everybody is concerned about them. Most prison riots start when the prisons are overcrowded, multiply that with short staffing and it means hassle  the prisons way of dealing with it is give them overtime and theyll work.

While older and longer serving staff would always take on overtime, he said the new staff "dont want to it at all, theyve no interest in doing the overtime."

The Prison Service is recruiting at the moment, but its been slow, he said, addin that a common occurrence at the moment was gardai leaving the force and coming to work in the prison service instead.

No Control

A spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service explained that it must accept all prisoners committed by the Court Service.

They told The Echo: As such, the Prison Service has no control over the numbers committed to custody at any given time and for various reasons, including population growth and increased garda, numbers in custody have increased.

The Irish Prison Service continually monitors staffing requirements and vacancies across the organisation, which arise as a result of multiple factors such as mobility, resignations, promotions and retirements, and recruitment campaigns are launched accordingly.

The Irish Prison Service is working closely with officials in the Department to take steps to ensure a safe working environment for staff, and the safety and security of people in custody.

The spokesperson explained that under Budget 2023, a 6.5m additional package was secured to provide for additional staff recruitment and to support rehabilitation and training and this year, an additional circa 27 million was secured for the Irish Prisons Service budget which includes approximately 9m in staffing to provide for increased pay roll costs, recruitment, and 65,000 additional hours to help with current pressures.

The Irish Prison Service recruited 194 Recruit Prison Officers in 2023, and it is expected that the number recruited in 2024 will be 300, they said, adding additional hours have been provided pending staff recruitment to maximise service delivery.

The requirement to support prisons remains under review each quarter to allow for improvements in opening hours and access to services including education services, the spokesperson concluded.
Garda presence on Cork city streets is set to be beefed up over the summer, with the addition of six uniformed members on patrol during daylight hours.

The Cork City Policing Unit will deploy the additional gardai to enhance public safety and support the summer trading period.

The initiative, in collaboration with Community Policing, has been welcomed by the Cork Business Association, whose president Aaron Mansworth said it was important people felt secure in the city.

It comes as businesses in the city centre have raised concerns about safety.

The owner of SpitJack on Washington St, Richard Gavin, said that some people no longer feel safe, which he said is deterring potential customers from spending time in the city.

Reputation

THE summer trading period is crucial for our members, and it is imperative that we drive results, said Mr Mansworth.

Equally important is that the people of Cork feel secure and are encouraged to spend time in the city.

We are a city known for its warm welcomes, and our significant tourism trade depends on maintaining this reputation.

We welcome the additional resources and look forward to continue working in collaboration with An Garda Siochana on further initiatives to strengthen their presence in our city.

The increased garda presence aims to foster a safer environment, ensuring that Cork city remains a vibrant and inviting destination for both locals and tourists.

Highlighting incidents of antisocial behaviour that his business has been victim to, Mr Gavin had called for more garda presence on the streets.

We need to keep the streets safe and get more police out on the street, he said.

Its getting ridiculous. We are having people breaking into the building, and products that have been delivered and left outside the door being stolen or damaged.

We had 12 bottles of milk left outside and somebody took a knife and stabbed all 12 bottles. Just destroyed it. And people arent coming out at night, because they feel unsafe.

Dedicated

A spokesperson for An Garda Siochana told The Echo that it is dedicated to ensuring the safety of all communities in Cork city and that it takes reports of antisocial behaviour seriously and actively addresses such issues.

An Garda Siochana works with community leaders, stakeholders, and the Cork Business Association with a view to addressing local issues, the spokesperson said.

We encourage members of the public to report all incidents of antisocial behaviour and criminality to An Garda Siochana in Cork city.

The allocation of Garda resources takes a number of factors into consideration, including but not limited to, population, crime trends, operational strategies, and the policing needs of individual areas which are kept under constant review.

The spokesperson said garda recruitment is ongoing and accelerating, and it is intended to run garda recruitment campaigns on an annual basis to ensure a steady stream of trainees entering the Garda College.

The Garda Commissioner is on public record as stating that not only does An Garda Siochana need to grow to 15,000 sworn officers, but further to meet population growth and increased demands for service, the spokesperson added.
A CANCER genetics pilot programme in Cork University Hospital for some cancer types over the last year has dramatically reduced timelines for patients for counselling and genetic results from two years down to six weeks.

However, the Irish Cancer Society has highlighted how the HSE staffing moratorium has impacted on the ability to deliver various cancer services  with radiation equipment at the Cork Cancer Centre in the Cork University Hospital (CUH) currently lying idle.

Professor Roisin Connolly, director of Cancer Research at UCC and academic director of CUH/UCC Cancer Centre has said additional funding could lead to significant improvement for Cork patients.

Prof Connollys comments come as the Irish Cancer Society has asked for an additional 20m in 2025 in new recurrent funding for the National Cancer Strategy in its pre-budget submission.

The organisation also highlighted the need for an assessment of the funding needs of cancer services in addition to this extra 20m per annum minimum funding, to ensure full implementation of the National Cancer Strategy by 2026, and an end to the recruitment embargo.

Prof Connolly told The Echo: The Irish Cancer Society have rightly highlighted the HSE moratorium on staffing is really affecting our ability to optimally deliver cancer services. Even with cases of extended staff leave or retirement, were not able to replace staff.

One issue is the embargo, another is ensuring we have the capacity to train and retain staff. As an example, UCC has a new masters programme for radiation therapy, which is a huge advantage. But we need to ensure, as a country, that we are training the staff necessary to run our cancer services and also retaining the staff through ensuring they are content in the workplace.

Prof Connolly said the CUH Cancer Centre has radiation equipment that is lying idle at the moment, explaining: We and others around the country have technology that cannot be staffed currently due to the embargo.

Prof Connolly, who works as a medical oncologist at the CUH, said there is more positive news for Cork and the region, as the CUH/UCC Cancer Centre was moving towards accreditation by the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) as a centre of excellence for cancer care, research, and education.

She said enhanced funding of this critical area is an urgent need, explaining: Our cancer clinical trials unit in CUH has been active for over 20 years, but only about 3% of our patients currently get onto a clinical trial.

Were really keen to expand that to 6%, which is the national benchmark, and beyond to the 10% OECI benchmark.

More core national funding for clinical trials would be hugely beneficial.

We know if patients get onto a trial, then patient outcomes are better.

Participation in clinical trials allows patients to get access to new drugs sooner than they can be approved in the country, and patients also benefit from new devices to make better treatment decisions, new radiation and surgical techniques, and survivorship or supportive care interventions.

Prof Connolly said that as well as expanding the offering at Cork, having clinical trials available closer to home in other hospitals in the region such as University Hospital Kerry would also make a huge difference in peoples lives.

Another area of success in Cork, but that would also benefit greatly from additional funding support, is cancer genetics.

There has been a cancer genetics pilot programme in Cork University Hospital for some cancer types over the last year which Prof Connolly said has dramatically reduced timelines for patients for counselling and genetic results from two years down to six weeks.

This needs to be expanded and sustained, so we can work alongside national colleagues to roll out the National Strategy for Accelerating Genetic and Genomic Medicine in Ireland, because it means that patients in our region dont have to travel to Dublin for this service, as well as reducing wait times, she said.

They are hoping for ringfenced funding so that the pilot can be sustained and expanded from diagnostic testing to predictive testing for family members.

That could lead to preventative strategies that reduce cancer risk in both patients and family members, including, for example, preventive surgeries to reduce breast or ovarian cancer risk, she said.

Having adequate infrastructure for preventative oncology and also for cancer survivorship initiatives, is a priority area for our cancer centre.
Aer Lingus and the union representing its pilots are to meet at the Labour Court on this afternoon, following the announcement that 76 further flights are to be cancelled.

The meeting at the industrial dispute body is the latest attempt to bring the two sides together to hammer out a resolution.

In order to continue to protect as many services as possible from the continuing and highly disruptive impact of IALPAs continuing industrial action, Aer Lingus has had to take the step of cancelling 76 additional flights over the course of Monday 8th July to Wednesday 10th July (inclusive)," a statement from the airline said.

"Implementing these cancellations is to enable us to protect as many services as possible for as many of our customers as possible. These cancellations will be implemented today, and details will be communicated to impacted customers. Details of the services impacted are set out on the Travel Advisory page of aerlingus.com.

"Customers impacted by these latest cancellations between 8th July and 10th July will be given the option to change their flights for free. They will also be able to claim a refund or voucher. These options will be communicated directly to impacted customers as well as travel agents, while the Aer Lingus Travel Advisory page will also have up to the minute information on all the options.

"Aer Lingus fully understands the anxiety being experienced by customers given the uncertainty caused by IALPAs industrial action and is giving impacted customers as many options as possible.

After facilitating eight hours of discussions on Monday, the Labour Court decided to use its authority to have a formal meeting on Wednesday, after which it will issue a recommendation.

The meeting is being held a week after the Irish Air Line Pilots Association (Ialpa) began an indefinite work-to-rule, resulting in them withdrawing from out-of-hours services.

An eight-hour strike was also held on Saturday, during which hundreds of pilots marched around the airport, holding signs that read two years talking, deal now and no pilots, no profits.
Staff from a Cork school took part in a charity skydive to raise funds for a new sensory room at the weekend.

St Marys Special School in Rochestown caters for 75 children with special education needs.

On Sunday last, 14 staff members, including principal Kerri Hollywell, travelled to Offaly to take part in a tandem skydive to raise money to install a new sensory room at the school.

The sensory room will help our students with self-regulation and to manage their sensory needs which will in turn increase independence and their ability to access their education, Ms Hollywell told The Echo.

After a long, nervous wait due to cloudy weather, we eventually managed to skydive for St Marys on Sunday afternoon.

Ms Hollywell said the fundraiser has exceeded its target of 12,000, with more donations still coming in. The more we raise the more we can do to provide necessary resources for our students, she said.
ST Mona is the patron saint of Sherkin island, and has a townland, Kilmona, a church, St Monas, and a proud Sherkin island woman, Mona ODriscoll, all named in her honour.

I am so lucky to have a sense of place, and Sherkin is truly home to me. Its really grounding to know where you come from, and I have so much to be grateful for having grown up here on the island, reflected Mona.

Although she has enjoyed living in other places such as Australia, Denmark and the UK, shes really happy she made the decision to settle back home on the island.

There are a lot of ODriscoll families in the area stretching over to Baltimore and Cape Clear, so in these parts the way to distinguish one ODriscoll family from another is to give them a reference, so my family were always referred to as The Globes.

My late father Pat Connie was always referred to as Pat the Globes O Driscoll. He was a native Sherkin man, and my mother Mary Kate came from Lisheen over on the mainland.

My parents met each other when my father went out to a platform dance outside Minihans pub in Lisheen. He crossed over in his punt and moored it in Turk Head, and then walked the couple of miles over to the dance where he met my mother, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The platform dances were a feature of Irish rural life in 1950s and were often situated at the crossroads. They served as the dance hall in rural areas at a time when many people did not have cars, nor the means to travel to towns and cities to frequent dance halls.

Long summer evenings were enjoyed by young and old at many of the platform dances in West Cork and beyond, when local musicians would accompany the enthusiastic dancers, and, just like what happened between Monas parents, they were places where romance blossomed.

Mona O' Driscoll who lives on Sherkin, West Cork. Picture Dan Linehan

My parents were wonderful people and they went on to have seven of us, said Mona. The first to come along were my two older twin brothers Gerard and Martin, then Kevin, my sister Margaret, John Joe, myself, and then the youngest, my sister Maria.

Three of us still live on the island, myself, and my brother and sister.

I have great memories of when I was small going to visit my grandmother Margaret Hegarty in Lisheen. She lived in a tiny house with a thatched roof near the church. We would cross from the nearest point on Sherkin, then scramble off the boat in Turk Head, and practically fly up the two miles as fast as our little legs could carry us. She would be waiting for us with a big fry that she would have cooked on her small range. She always gave us biscuits and treats, she was lovely to us. Ill always remember those visits to her with great fondness.

As our family got bigger, my mother was not able to get off the island as often as she would have liked to see her, my father was kept busy farming, and its not aways easy to get away when cows have to be milked.

I recently found a letter written by my mother to my grandmother saying that she was sorry that she could not come out as often as she would have liked, she would have to wait until the children were a bit hardier.

I am sure she missed her though you would never hear her complaining.

She was a fantastic mother. She did absolutely everything by hand. There were no disposable nappies in those days. She didnt have a washing machine. She used to bath us all on a Saturday night in the kitchen and wrap us up in a towel beside the fire to dry our hair, of course there was no such thing as having hair-dryers either in those times.

Mona has wonderful stories of her childhood on Sherkin.

Shed make a big jug of cocoa and wed drink it by the fire and wed beg her to tell us ghost stories. Some of the stories involved spooks that rose up from the sea and carried children away with them. Looking back on it now, I am sure that my mother told us some of those stories to warn us of the dangers of the sea, and especially to keep us away from going near the strand at night, and my father taught us all how to swim.

A healthy respect for the power of the sea was certainly instilled in us.

As children, we loved playing on the strand, and my brothers used to go Wrecking, that is they foraged for bits of things that were washed up on the shore. Then they used them to make their own replicas of the trawlers they would have seen around the island. They painted them and put the names on them and everything.

We all were expected to work on the farm and help with chores such a feeding the calves and haymaking. I was always fed up having to help out during the summer when the visitors came to the island, and I used to be dying to get away to play with my friends.

Everyone helped with the haymaking, and even the summer visitors were roped into it. My mother used to have a dinner whistle, and when youd hear it across the fields, you knew that food was coming. We would run back to the house and help bring out pots of tea and sandwiches to the haymakers.

Many people who came to Sherkin during the summer months became our friends for life, and it was great to see their arrival like the swallows, which the islanders always welcomed by leaving their shed doors open for them to nest.

My mother made her own butter and sold it in ONeills, the Sherkin Shop. She used to roll it into fancy little balls for special occasions.

The closure of the shop in 2006 was a great loss to the island.

For us, the island community, it was more than just a shop, it was a meeting place. Everyone used to gather there of a morning and exchange the news and have a great chat. It was a Sunday morning ritual after Mass that youd meet all the neighbours there. It was also the local post office, and that too was an awful blow to the island when it closed along with the shop. It means that now you have to travel to Skibbereen to the nearest post office, and I feel very sorry for some of the older residents who cannot walk down to the local shop and post office now to collect their pension like they used to.

Mona O' Driscoll.

Mona said that 15 or 20 years ago there were much better services on the island.

I remember blood pressure clinics, getting the flu injections and chiropodist clinics on the island, but now all of that is gone.

When I was growing up, my mother used to take one or two of us out visiting her women friends, this was called scoraiochting. They would sit around together for hours just chatting and drinking tea and eating fruit cake. It was always a treat to get something nice that was different from what youd get in your own house, and of course we loved listening in to the conversation.

I remember the pictures of the American president John F Kennedy and his wife Jackie adorned the walls of the houses, including in my own house, and the women would all be chatting about the style of Jackie O.

We used to get a box from America from relatives of my parents who lived there. It always contained lovely clothes for us, and one year I remember getting a beautiful bonnet with ribbons which I loved so much I even wore it to bed!

I went to the primary school in Sherkin which has since closed down.

"For secondary school I went to Skibbereen, but for my third level education I was delighted to be able to do my degree right here on the island, I just had to walk down the road.

I completed my BA in Visual Art in 2014, which is a TU course on the island, and it was a wonderful experience.

My father rented a granny flat adjacent to the home of a lady they knew in Baltimore for us when we were in secondary school, previous to that we boarded out with families my parents knew.

I was around 16 then when I lived with my older siblings, and my mother used to send us out on a Sunday night with cakes, her home-made brown bread and butter, vegetables and supplies for the week.

We were given a certain amount of pocket money and if you used it up too fast you wouldnt be long learning how to budget to make it last the week. Looking back now, it was a great life education.

Everything was organic in those days, all the veg and potatoes were grown on the farm, and we always had plenty of fish to eat.

My father even used to make his own cod liver oil, and he knew plenty of cures for all kinds of things.

My mother used to cut our hair, and my aunt told me that my grandmother used to pick chamomile on her walks around the island and rinse her hair with that. Islanders used to pick carrageenan moss and add it to everything, I remember my mother making blancmange with it.

Mona said they had a great social life through the island rowing club.

I loved going to the regattas in Schull and other places around, and it was great to learn how to row a boat, a strong tradition in this part of West Cork to be sure.

She is currently working on a community scheme fund by Cork County Council to document all the names of the townlands and the roads of the island.

I want to compile all these place names and put them on a map so that they can be seen visually.

I am speaking with the older residents to do my research, they carry the knowledge of the island.

"My father knew every nook and cranny of the place, and I feel its important to document this before it gets lost forever.

I am also a presenter on Sherkin Island radio Sherkin Sounds and Surrounds. It can be accessed on Soundcloud.

My sister Margaret, who lives in Florida, is delighted to be able to tune in and hear all about whats happening on Sherkin.

Creative residents like Mona, combined with the artistic talents of many other residents, ensure that theres always something interesting going on on Sherkin island.

More info on Sherkin Sounds and Surrounds can be found on their Facebook page
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.

Googles goal of lowering its carbon footprint is in trouble as the technology companys energy consumption has increased due to the amount of power needed for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.

According to the internet giants annual environmental report, its greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 13 percent in the past year, due mostly to the AI data centers and supply chains, reported The Guardian. The report said its 2023 emissions had reached 14.3 metric tons.

As we further integrate AI into our products, reducing emissions may be challenging due to increasing energy demands from the greater intensity of AI compute, and the emissions associated with the expected increases in our technical infrastructure investment, the report said.

The internet company has a goal of cutting its total greenhouse gas emissions by half by the end of the decade and using carbon removal to tackle its remaining emissions output, The Hill reported.

Since 2019, Googles emissions have risen by 48 percent, the report said.

Reaching net-zero emissions by 2030 is an extremely ambitious goal and we know it wont be easy. Our approach will continue to evolve and will require us to navigate significant uncertainty  including the uncertainty around the future environmental impact of AI, which is complex and difficult to predict. In addition, solutions for some key global challenges dont currently exist, and will depend heavily on the broader clean energy transition, the report stated.

According to estimates from the International Energy Agency, the total electricity consumption by Googles data centers could be twice those of 2022 levels  1,000 terawatt hours  in 2026, which is roughly the electricity demand of Japan, The Guardian reported.

The manufacturing and transportation of computer chips and servers needed for use in data center training and deployment also produce a great deal of emissions. AI data centers will use 4.5 percent of the worlds energy by 2030, research firm SemiAnalysis said.

A Google data center in Belgium. Google

Another issue with the AI explosion is water use, with one study saying AI could lead to the water usage equivalent to almost two-thirds of Englands annual consumption by 2027.

Co-founder of Microsoft Bill Gates said big tech companies being seriously willing to use green energy to power AI would help tackle the climate crisis. The companies have become big investors in renewable energy in an effort to achieve their climate targets.

AI is at an inflection point and many factors will influence its ultimate impact  including the extent of AI adoption, our ability to mitigate its footprint, and the pace of continued innovation and efficiency, the Google report said. While we remain optimistic about AIs potential to drive positive change, were also clear-eyed about its potential environmental impact and the collaborative effort required to navigate this evolving landscape.
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.

Outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC on June 28, 2024. Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images

The Supreme Court of the United States has overturned a 40-year ruling  Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council  that instructed lower courts to give deference to federal agencies when federal laws are seen as ambiguous. The decision means agencies will have a harder time regulating the environment, workplace safety, public health and other major issues.

The majority opinion, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, said the court gravely erred when it gave agency regulators deference in the interpretation of federal laws back in 1984.

Chevrons presumption is misguided because agencies have no special competence in resolving statutory ambiguities, Roberts wrote, as Inside Climate News reported. Courts do.

The Biden administration has argued that resolving legal ambiguities involves policymaking that is better decided by political players than judges. In response, Roberts said the elected officials of Congress expect courts to interpret the meaning of laws, which can be changed by Congress.

To the extent that Congress and the Executive Branch may disagree with how the courts have performed that job in a particular case, they are of course always free to act by revising the statute, Roberts wrote in the opinion.

However, Congress has increasingly included environmental and health-related policy within budget legislation that leaves its intent open to interpretation. This means the overturning of Chevron will give more power to courts and less to federal agencies with expertise on the matters.

The decision makes it potentially easier for those who oppose federal regulations to initiate new litigation to challenge them, bringing increased uncertainty to industries and business, reported The New York Times.

If Americans are worried about their drinking water, their health, their retirement account, discrimination on the job, if they fly on a plane, drive a car, if they go outside and breathe the air  all of these day-to-day activities are run through a massive universe of federal agency regulations, said Lisa Heinzerling, a Georgetown University expert in administrative law, as The New York Times reported. And this decision now means that more of those regulations could be struck down by the courts.

The decision is a big victory in a long drive to reduce federal government power.

The ruling could bolster conservative efforts to counter rules by Bidens U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to limit human-caused global heating from oil and gas, vehicles and power plants, reported CNN.

There is no substantive area that this doctrine does not touch, said Kent Barnett, a professor at University of Georgia School of Law specializing in administrative law, as CNN reported.

Over the years, courts have invoked Chevron to uphold regulations, and it has become one of administrative laws most-cited cases. Industry advocates have called for courts to abandon it as an instrument of government overreach.

What would happen in a world without Chevron? If this Goliath of modern administrative law were to fall? wrote associate Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, then a judge in a federal appeals court, in an immigration case in 2016, as reported by Inside Climate News. It seems to me that in a world without Chevron very little would change  except perhaps the most important things.

In most cases involving Chevron deference, agencies are using broad legal authority given to them by Congress before the recognition or understanding of climate change.

Depending on the case, agencies have been given differing degrees of direction from Congress. For instance, vehicle rules in the Clean Air Act are more explicit than power plant regulations.

In almost all cases involving challenges to Biden policies, the opposition has found what they view as mistakes in the legal interpretation of agencies or legal ambiguities.

Its very hard to write statutes in technical, controversial areas and not have a shred of ambiguity, said Heinzerling in an interview before the Supreme Court decision, as Inside Climate News reported. Even if someone is really trying to be careful, people with enough money and enough lawyers can, after the fact, really bring ambiguity out of something that was intended to be clear.

The overturning of Chevron means the burden of legal interpretation of regulatory law has been placed on judges, who usually look to knowledge of the most recent technology and science in the interpretation of regulatory law.

Associate Justice Elena Kagan issued a biting dissent, saying a cornerstone of administrative law had been removed by the decision.

Chevron deference has become part of the warp and woof of modern government, supporting regulatory efforts of all kinds  to name a few, keeping air and water clean, food and drugs safe, and financial markets honest, Kagan wrote.

Kagan added that federal agencies had been tasked by Congress to address regulatory interpretation, which usually involves technical or scientific subject matter.

Agencies have expertise in those areas, Kagan wrote in the dissent. Courts do not.
With a US ban of its hyper-popular drones more likely than not, DJI has been diversifying into products that won't be affected by the Countering CCP Drones Act, like backup batteries. Now the company is entering the e-bike arena with the Avinox Drive System that will go up against the likes of Bosch, Bafang, Shimano and SRAM.

The Avinox system promises a relatively light 2.52 kg (5.6 pound) weight (5.39 kg including the batteries), while offering up to 105Nm (850W) of peak torque/power and 600Wh or 800Wh battery options. It uses GaN 3x fast charging tech, so the 800Wh battery can be charged from 0 to 75 percent in 1.5 hours. A planetary gearset and polymer gears allow for a balance of size, weight and power output, along with a quiet ride, according to DJI.

The system offers four standard riding assist modes, Auto, Eco Trail and Turbo, along with a Boost mode for extra power when required. The Auto mode uses what DJI calls "multi-sensor fusion" to continuously adjust assistance based on riding resistance.

Avinox includes a two-inch OLED full-color touchscreen display to control the assist modes and display pertinent information. It allows riders to connect their smartphones to access features like security, data recording, sharing and real-time bike status/location. You can also use the app to access and customize assist levels and parameters.

Finally, it comes with dual Wireless Controllers with Bluetooth connectivity for a "clutter-free handlebar setup," the company wrote. The Avinox system appears to out-spec some popular systems from Bosch, Shimano, Brose and others thanks to the lower weight, extra torque and higher-capacity batteries.

It'll first appear with a new bike brand called Amflow, which is launching the new PL model weighing in at 19.2kg (42 pounds)  on the low-end for electric mountain bikes (eMTBs). The Amflow PL also includes a four-bar linkage structure and "cutting-edge geometry," a rear shock co-tuned with FOX, and an SRAM rear derailleur.

As for the US ban on DJI's drones, the Countering CCP Drones Act has passed through Congress as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. It's now set to be reviewed by the Senate and if approved, would likely be signed into law by President Biden. In a counterpoint article, DJI wrote: "This act damages not just DJI, but also the broad ecosystem of operators, businesses and public safety agencies that rely on their technologies to conduct safe and efficient operations."

DJI's Avinox Drive system will be sold only to manufacturers, so no retail price is available. The Amflow eMTB doesn't have an exact price yet, but will be sold for between 7,000 and 12,000 ($7,500 and $12,850) in Europe. It's due to be released in Q4 2024 "through authorized dealers in Germany, the UK and Australia, amongst others," the company said.
Its data centers used to power AI are making the companys path to carbon neutrality a bumpy one.

Googles greenhouse gas emissions spiked by nearly 50 percent in the last five years, due to data centers required to power artificial intelligence, according to the companys 2024 Environmental Report. The report shows the companys progress towards meeting its self-proclaimed objective of becoming carbon neutral by 2030  despite this additional challenge.

Using AI features (let alone training the models) uses a lot of energy. In 2023, researchers at AI startup Hugging Face and Carnegie Mellon University found that generating a single image using artificial intelligence can use as much energy as charging a smartphone.

Google has a lot of AI projects on the go. Alongside the likes of Gemini, generative AI tools, it's using the technology to add over 100 languages to its translation services. And there's also the rumored AI chatbots.

According to the report, Google said it expects its total greenhouse gas emissions to rise before dropping toward our absolute emissions reduction target, without explaining what would cause this drop.

 Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Meta is changing its policy for the most-moderated word on its platforms

How Apple redesigned its Photos app around customization

A new Resident Evil game is in the works from the director of Resident Evil 7

You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

Three miles of I-94 will have special sensors and communication equipment.

Canvue

The Alphabet-backed startup Cavnue has started constructing the smart highway as part of a new pilot project for smart highways. The new smart road is one long tracking system, designed to inform both Michigans Department of Transportation (MDOT) and drivers about potential issues ahead, It's hoped that the project will help relieve traffic congestion and even prevent accidents. The pilot program of the highway is located between Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan, with future plans to extend the smart highway to 40 miles in six more phases that would connect to both cities.

Continue reading.

If the future of drone sale is looking dicey

With a US ban of its hyper-popular drones increasingly likely, DJI has been diversifying into something very different. Enter the Avinox Drive, an e-bike motor system that will go up against dominant players like Bosch and Shimano. The Avinox system, on paper at least, appears to out-spec some popular systems from those rivals, thanks to the lower weight, extra torque and higher-capacity batteries. DJI however wont be making bikes, so lets see how it fares. The system will first appear with a new bike brand called Amflow, which is launching the new PL model weighing in at 19.2kg (42 pounds)  on the low-end for electric mountain bikes (eMTBs).

Continue reading.

Fortunately not a gritty 10-part action drama.

The latest title to join the Netflix Games roster is a modern remake of Minesweeper, ancient timekiller on 90s Windows PCs. The classic PC puzzle game has been reimagined with an international setting, tasking the player with very literally looking for underwater mines

Continue reading.
SALINEVILLE, Ohio  Everything was always about wildlife for Jimmy Giannone while growing up in what his family and friends called Dangeloville.

Giannone is the fourth-generation owner of Dangelo Family Farm, in Salineville, Ohio. Inspired by his love for nature and his grandfather, who had a similar passion for the land, he started applying his extensive background in agriculture conservation to his farm management practices when he took over the family farm roughly two years ago.

Giannone shared some of these practices with visitors when he hosted a pasture walk on June 27 and detailed his efforts to restore native warm-season grasses and wildflowers on the farm to promote soil health and attract wildlife.

We have this land the way it is because of all the hard work that everybody before me has done and Im so gratefully gifted to have a piece of land to continue that legacy on, Giannone said. Im a laborer of the land and picking up where my grandparents left off.

History

In 1915, Giannones great-grandparents emigrated from Italy and bought the land that would become Dangelo Family Farm. They paid $950 for 113 acres of farmland. Together with their 12 children, they ran a small dairy farm operation.

Giannones grandfather, Patsy Dangelo, took over operations in the late 50s with the help of his six brothers. Eventually, they transitioned from dairy to raising 20 Hereford cows for beef.

Dangelo sold the cows in 2017 because of old age and inability to keep up with operations anymore. Meanwhile, Giannone was studying wildlife and fishery resources at West Virginia University. After graduating in 2019, he got a job with Pheasants Forever, a non-profit conservation organization, in northwest Ohio.

I really enjoyed learning the ag side of things and working with large-scale landowners to put conservation on the ground, he said, about working at Pheasants Forever. However, he always wanted to live close to home, so as soon as an opportunity arose to move back to Columbiana County, he took it.

Coming home

Giannone worked at the Columbiana County Soil and Water Conservation District and Pollinator Partnership as a state pollinator biologist before moving to his current job as a soil conservationist at the U.S. Department of Agricultures National Resource Conservation Service in Carroll County.

It was in 2022 when Gianonne realized he needed to put his own conservation expertise and advice into practice.

I cant just go to a farm and start telling them what they need to do to save a bobolink because theyre not going to care, Giannone said. I have to relate to them, and get something to work with their operation in order to make a change and conservation to help evolve land (and) help any species that were trying to target and protect.

Giannone bought two bred heifers from friend and former co-worker, Pete Conkle, who works as the district program coordinator for Columbiana Soil and Water Conservation, in 2022 to graze 13 acres of the farm. By 2023, he had bought two more cows.

He established six paddocks of about 2.2 acres each surrounded by a five-strand, high-tensile electric fence. The fence, in particular, reminds Giannone of a conversation he had with his grandfather shortly after he sold off his cows.

He wanted me to tear (the fence) down. And I said, What if I want to use that someday? He said, You dont wanna do that. So I tore down the fence and five years later, here I am putting fence back up, Giannone said. Everything I do (is) a big influence of my grandfather.

Today, he has added three more calves to his operation and an above-ground waterline, grows hay and is restoring native warm-season grasses and wildflowers to the farm.

1 of 5

Native grasses and wildflowers

This summer, Giannone began prepping one of his 2-acre paddocks for native warm-season grasses and wildflowers. So far, he has sprayed the ground with herbicides, to kill off the cool-season grasses, and tilled the ground.

Cool-season grasses grow much faster than warm-season grasses, often outcompeting natives. In order to combat this, Giannone sprays the ground with herbicides. He will spray the paddock three more times this year, with his last herbicide application falling in October.

He will then select native grasses and wildflowers based on the palatability ratings of his operations. Next spring, he plans to seed Indiangrass, switchgrass and big bluestem, and wildflowers such as compass plants, cup plants and a variety of sunflowers. Giannone anticipates the benefits to be massive, especially for soil and cow health.

The paddock he chose to plant the native plants on is rock-solid ground, almost like shallow bedrock. Giannone cant put a stepping post more than 1 to 2 inches deep in the ground. However, hes confident the deep root systems of native plants will break up that soil and create additional soil structure and organic matter.

The native plants will also benefit his cows. Native root systems pull micronutrients from deep in the soil to be stored in the plant matter. When the cows graze, they will absorb these nutrients that cant be provided by cool-season grasses, and they will recycle the nutrients back into the field, creating a constant cycle of healthy soil, Giannone said.

Additionally, the warm-season grasses will provide cows with forage, extending the grazing season and offering a lush alternative to cool-season grasses that struggle in the summer heat.

Cool season grasses go through a big flush of grazing in the springtime and then, like now, theyre slowing down. So were not seeing the growth or the tonnage produced that we would throughout the year, Conkle said. Those native grasses, they thrive on that hot dry climate, so now theyre exploding in growth.

Despite the benefits, Giannone knows the process of establishing natives is time-consuming and can be expensive. When establishing natives, the process usually takes around two years: one year for site preparation and one year for seeding.

Cows cannot graze on the paddock until a year after the first seeding. But, in the long term, it might be worth selling a few cows to dedicate a few acres to establishing native species.

Long-term, that five acres youre planting is going to almost add the amount of forage that (is on) maybe eight or nine acres, Giannone said.

Already, he has a section of farmland with native vegetation. The cows do not eat it, but he doesnt see it as wasted space. If anything, it promotes other wildlife on the farm like endangered pollinators such as bees, butterflies and birds.

On top of all his conservation efforts, Giannone opened up his own plant nursery called Native Plant Nursery this year, where he sells 30 different species and roughly 2,000 plants.

Giannones love for his ancestral land and wildlife stems back to a quote that hangs in the barn overlooking the lush pastures.

We dont inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow from our children. I feel like (with) my grandparents and their family that was always a thought process of theirs, Giannone said. We have to work for it to preserve it and make it healthy for our kids. That quote there really hits deep because I think thats how this land has (been) treated for the last 100 years.

(Liz Partsch can be reached at epartsch@farmanddairy.com or 330-337-3419.)
Dairy processor Muller is inviting farmers to become the third cohort of its Next Generation initiative, which aims to drive supply chain resilience and reduce carbon emissions.

Muller Next Generation, first launched in 2018, is a three-year programme for farmers between the ages of 25-40, which aims to develop the skills of 25 farmers to improve sustainability and profitability.

The aim of the programme is to provide farmers with support to help improve supply chain collaboration, animal welfare, responsible sourcing and reductions in environmental impact.

The initiative forms part of the dairy processors overall Sustainability Action Plan, driving progress against its goals to reduce emissions on supplying farms by 30% by 2030.

Muller Next Generation includes tailored workshops, farm visits, keynote speakers, and visits to Muller sites.

Focus areas include the environment and sustainability, leadership and delegation, market analysis, succession planning, marketing, communication and business improvement planning.

The group will meet three times per year, enabling the farmers to share best practice and knowledge.

Richard Collins, head of agriculture at Muller Milk & Ingredients said: We need to continue to tackle carbon emissions, secure the next generation of talent and drive supply chain resilience.

We incentivise farmers to tackle the issues which we know are important for our customers and consumers and the Next Generation initiative is further evidence of the action were taking to make a difference.

We know from the first two cohorts that there are a number of dairy farmers in the UK who have a great talent and passion for the industry, and were excited to welcome applications for the next round of future elite dairy farmers.

Applications close 26 July 2024, with the first meeting taking place in the autumn.
The outlook for global poultry markets is further improving, driven by accelerated growth in poultry meat consumption and supply growth in many markets.

This is according to Rabobank, which says that after four years of disruptive conditions, poultry markets are moving toward more normal market conditions.

Global trade is expected to become more competitive than in the past two years due to shifts in trade flows.

Despite a 2% increase in global chicken prices, chicken remains a competitively priced protein option, as prices of pork and beef have increased by 4% and 5%, respectively.

However, operations remain a critical area of focus for producers, according to Rabobanks report.

Feed prices have hit their lowest point after two years of decline, and have increased for the first time in two years (+1%) due to weaker-than-expected harvest predictions in Brazil, North America, and Europe.

According to Nan-Dirk Mulder, analyst at Rabobank, strong emphasis on procuring feed ingredients and optimising feed formulations will be necessary, particularly considering the risk of a La Nina season on global crop harvests, which could affect major grain producers.

Most of this global growth has been driven by strong local market conditions rather than trade, he explained.

This is particularly true for emerging markets in Southeast and South Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Lower feed prices have made chicken more affordable, supporting demand recovery.

The EU and the US are performing well this year, Rabobank says, with relatively strong demand, controlled production growth, and rising prices.

The main exceptions to this relatively strong market environment are China and Japan, where the industry has experienced overly ambitious growth rates above 3% this year, which negatively impacted local profitability.

Brazil had also been heading toward an oversupply, but recent production cuts are expected to help balance the markets.

In Q1 2024, global poultry trade dropped by 5% YOY, with a 40% reduction in Chinese imports being a notable cause, the report explains.

The weak and oversupplied domestic chicken market in China was the primary driver behind this significant drop in trade. Key exporters to China  Brazil, the US, and Russia  have all felt this decline.

Mr Mulder said: We expect that these countries will seek alternative markets to offset the impact of reduced Chinese trade, particularly affecting chicken feet and leg markets.

Additionally, the new EU import quota for Ukraine will impact global trade in breast meat and whole chicken, particularly as Ukraine will increasingly look for alternative markets.

Avian influenza remains a critical concern for the poultry industry globally, requiring an ongoing strong focus on biosecurity practices to mitigate risks, Rabobanks report says.

Risks are currently shifting back into the Southern Hemisphere, with recent outbreaks in Australia and ongoing cases in South Africa and Latin America.

These outbreaks could lead to sudden shifts in trade flows, both for imports and exports.
Pembrokeshire Creamery has launched Wales first milk processing facility, marking a milestone in the mission to bring fully Welsh milk to consumers.

The dairy is the only BRCGS-accredited liquid milk facility in Wales, meaning it is the only facility able to supply major retailers with Welsh milk.

Previously, Welsh milk was bottled in factories in England before being transported back to Wales to be sold in stores.

By removing this, Pembrokeshire Creamery says it is reducing food miles, increasing supply chain efficiency and supporting farming communities.

The site, which has created around 80 new jobs, has the capacity to bottle more than a million litres of milk a week.

And the firm has recently announced major deals to supply own-branded milk to Asda and Lidl stores across Wales.

When the dairy reaches full capacity, it will be able to supply around 2 million litres of milk a week, according to the company.

The Welsh government has awarded support with 5m grant funding through the Food Business Investment Scheme and an additional 1.4m of grant funding from the Food Business Accelerator Scheme.

Funding support has also been provided by HSBC and to date, nearly 20m has been invested in the site.

The company recently announced plans to support the development of a second milk processing line and automated trolley fillers, meeting the growing demand for locally sourced milk.

Mark McQuade, managing director of the creamery said: Were creating new markets with major retailers for authentic Welsh milk which in turn is helping us complete our mission to deliver sustainably sourced Welsh milk.

We are already committing to more investment and increasing our capacity - and we would like to thank all of the people locally, our staff and suppliers, who have supported us as weve built and opened our new state-of-the-art facility.
Agri-tech firm Saga Robotics has announced a significant expansion of its Thorvald robotic services across the UK for the upcoming growing season.

With newly established hubs across the country, Saga has become a provider of autonomous robotic services, with hopes of setting a new standard for efficient strawberry production.

The agri-tech firm is operating on an area four times larger than last season due to strategic expansion and collaboration with nine leading strawberry growers.

With the next-gen Thorvald robotic services, the company now treats nearly 10% of all strawberries in the UK.

According to Saga, the Thorvald achieves a 60-90% reduction in pesticide usage and delivers a 40% return on investment for customers.

A single robot over its lifetime is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas absorption of around 3,000 mature trees, reducing 150 tonnes of emissions, the firm explains.

Sandy Booth, owner of New Forest Fruit Company, highlighted the benefits of integrating Thorvald into their operations.

She said: Over the past few years, we have been working on integrating robots into our strawberry-growing operation.

Moving our focus towards using non-chemical crop protection via robotic technology will help to protect the environment as we strive towards achieving our goals for innovation and sustainability.

The Thorvald 3 robot employs high-intensity UV-C light to control powdery mildew, thus significantly reducing the need for chemical interventions.

Additionally, it is outfitted with an expanding array of automated tools, including advanced data collection capabilities, and predatory mites dispensing.

Anne Dingstad, CEO of Saga, explained Thorvald's benefits: "In an era where sustainability and health are paramount, our autonomous robotic platform Thorvald represents a significant leap forward.

We're not just reducing chemical usage; we're creating a synergy between technology and nature for a healthier, safer, and more sustainable approach to food production.

As we expand, the UK's leading growers are increasingly choosing Thorvald as their environmentally sustainable and commercially viable service for pest management."


Prime Minister Narendra Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday sought to give a roadmap for his government in the NDAs third term and outlined the fight against poverty as the prime focus in the next five years. Replying to the Motion of Presidents Address in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi lamented that certain sections of society remained deprived of basic amenities, even decades after Independence and highlighted how his government was working to bring them into the mainstream.



A determined and decisive fight will happen in the next five years for the betterment of poor and downtrodden, to uplift their living standards, PM Modi said.



He added that the next five years will see saturation of basic welfare schemes for the marginalised communities.



Work of the past 10 years is just an appetizer, the main course is yet to begin, said PM Modi, emphasising his belief that development so far has been 'trailer' and the real progress was yet to come.



He said that those who have been ignored and neglected for decades after Independence are getting due attention in his government.



For Divyangs, our government is working to make their life simpler and easier and enable them to live a dignified and respectful life. For the transgender community, our government has made laws for them and sought to bring them into the mainstream. They have been included in the Padma awards, PM Modi told the Upper House.



They are not only acknowledged but also worshipped in our government, said the Prime Minister.



A momentous 13,000 crore project was launched for the Vishwakarma Samaj for empowering them with skills while under PM SVAnidhi scheme, street vendors and hawkers have been connected with the banking system, PM Modi said, highlighting his governments focus on empowering the marginalised class.



He also said that Tier II and Tier III cities will play a pivotal role and serve as a growth engine of the nation.




NFU Scotland is urging crofters to participate in the Scottish governments proposals which seek to modernise the sector.

The union is calling on its 850 crofting members to get involved in the debate on crofting law reform, sparked by the recent publication of a government consultation.

It is also urging crofters to participate in a series of public meetings with Scottish government officials from the Crofting Bill team to support the consultation.

These commence in Inverness today (3 July) followed by Thurso on Thursda, with a further 13 meetings to be held throughout the summer.

There are around 20,000 crofts across the crofting counties, which are in the Highlands & Islands and in designated areas in Scotland.

More than 750,000 hectares of land in Scotland is in crofting tenure, with approximately 33,000 people living in crofting households.

Chair of NFU Scotlands Crofting Committee, Arthur Macdonald, said the Crofting Bill was an important piece of legislation for the nations crofters.

He said: Our committee will be working closely on this consultation, in collaboration with the wider crofting membership, to ensure member views are fully represented.

I would encourage our crofter members to take a look at the proposals and think about how the changes may make it easier to be an active crofter and a little tougher to be an inactive one.

I would also encourage members to attend one of the many roadshows organised to discuss the Bill.

Amending crofting legislation will help but we know that the agencies who are responsible for delivering it need to be able to do so, and resources are an issue that we will be considering as part of our response.

The consultation, which runs until 2 September 2024, seeks views on a range of proposals for modernising crofting.

The Scottish government said it wanted to help to create opportunities for new entrants and encourage the active management and use of crofts.

The crofting system must also support effective and sustainable land use, it explained.
During a rally outside Christopher Creek Winery in April 2021, Joseph Foppoli takes down a sign calling for his brother, then-Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli, to resign. Marlena Sloss/Special to the Chronicle 2021 Dominic Foppoli, who resigned as Windsor mayor in 2021 amid a criminal investigation into sexual assault allegations, is accused of illegally draining Christopher Creek winerys coffers. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle 2020 Joseph Foppoli speaks outside Christopher Creek Winery in April 2021 before a rally calling for Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli to resign. Marlena Sloss/Special to the Chronicle 2021

The owners of Christopher Creek winery lied to the public and to customers about Dominic Foppolis involvement in the business as sexual assault allegations mounted against the then-mayor of Windsor in 2021, according to a lawsuit filed by his brother.

In the complaint, Joseph Foppoli says Dominic Foppoli illegally drained the winerys coffers to fund a lavish lifestyle abroad. Dominic Foppoli, who resigned as mayor in May 2021 amid a criminal investigation into the assault allegations, fired his brother when Joseph Foppoli raised concerns about financial misconduct, according to the wrongful termination lawsuit.

Joseph Foppoli seeks unspecified damages. He was not available for comment Wednesday.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Along with Dominic Foppoli and Christopher Creek Winery, co-owners Brian Noble, Elisa Cuadros Lawson and Jean Michele Cuadros were named as defendants in the suit, filed Tuesday. In an emailed statement signed by Christopher Creek Winery Ownership, they said they vehemently deny all of Joes unfounded accusations including that his departure was retaliatory.

Regretfully, Joes departure was the culmination of a series of ongoing performance issues, including his second DUI arrest last year, that he would not take an active role in correcting, according to the statement.

Joseph Foppolis lawyer, Michelle Dye Neumann, said in an interview that his January 2023 arrest for driving under the influence occurred more than a year before he was fired and had absolutely no relation to his termination.

There were no performance issues, there were no write-ups, she said.

According to the lawsuit, Joseph Foppoli began working for Two Kings Wine Co., which operates under the name Christopher Creek Winery, in 2013 as the chief operating officer with a 4.4% ownership. The winery is on the outskirts of Healdsburg.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Beginning in 2021, more than 12 women came forward to police and in a series of Chronicle investigations to accuse Dominic Foppoli of sexual assault or misconduct in incidents that took place from 2002 to 2021.

Joseph Foppoli appeared at an April 2021 rally outside of Christopher Creek Winery calling on his brother to resign his position as mayor. He told the gathered crowd that he had asked his brother to step down as the winerys CEO and that Dominic Foppoli had reluctantly agreed.

Dominic will not be part of his winery moving forward, Joseph Foppoli said at the time.

In subsequent months, representatives of Christopher Creek Winery, including Joseph Foppoli, did not respond to multiple emails from the Chronicle seeking clarity about Dominic Foppolis role with the company.

According to the lawsuit, Joseph Foppoli tried to remove his brother from participating in management of Christopher Creek Winery and Two Kings, and have Dominic Foppolis shares moved to a trust. He also asked him to step down as the winerys chief executive officer.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Dominic Foppoli not only resisted and refused all efforts to remove him from management and association with the wine company, but continued to be heavily involved, the lawsuit states.

At the same time, Joseph Foppoli said, company managers lied to the public and members of the wine industry over Joseph Foppolis objections, telling them that Dominic Foppoli was no longer involved.

Dominic has been acting as CEO whether he officially holds that title, according to Christopher Creek, I dont know, Neumann said. Hes the boss, he calls the shots.

Then early this year, Joseph Foppoli said that he grew more and more concerned that his brother was using the Two Kings as his personal bank, spending money on his personal travel, personal expenses and illegally draining Two Kings funds to use on personal expenses.

In the complaint, Joseph Foppoli says he wasnt paid overtime or given rest breaks as legally required, and that Dominic Foppoli failed to follow the corporate formalities for keeping his personal accounts and Two Kings accounts separate. The former mayors brother also alleges that he observed that Two Kings and the board members were engaged in numerous financial improprieties and failures to abide by California law.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The lawsuit does not specify these violations.

In May, Joseph Foppoli said he voiced his concerns about the alleged financial improprieties to company managers and requested to review the winerys financial records. In retaliation, Joseph Foppoli alleges, he was then fired.

In March, the California Attorney Generals Office announced that it was suspending its criminal investigation into Dominic Foppoli, citing statutes of limitations on some of the cases.

At the time, Dominic Foppoli, who had relocated to Italy, said in a statement that he planned to return to Windsor.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
Jane Fondas fellow prison inmates were only mildly impressed by her stellar movie career.

Jane Fondas fellow prison inmates were only mildly impressed by her stellar movie career

The actress and activist, 86, was jailed again over her protesting in 2019  for crowding, obstructing, or incommoding while raising awareness about climate change in Washington, D.C.  and she has now told how her fame meant very little to other convicts.

She told hosts Ted Danson, 76, and Woody Harrelson, 62, on SiriusXMs Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast about her fifth stint in jail, which only lasted a night: I was the only white person there. A lot of other prisoners  black women  could have cared less who I was.

They had far more important things to think about and none of them had seen any of my movies.

But the inmates had a bit of interest in the fact she had appeared alongside Jennifer Lopez, 54, in the 2005 romantic comedy Monster-in-Law.

She added: They had seen Monster-in-Law. I pulled that card and they were mildly impressed, but not really.

They went right back and talked about what they were dealing with  which was survival issues. It was an eye-opener.

Double Oscar-winner Jane was joined at one of her Washington Fire Drill Friday climate change protest events by Cheers star Ted, who said: (For) most people in this world, especially people of colour (getting arrested is a) way different (experience.)

Jane added: Theres something very liberating about engaging in civil disobedience.

Its like putting your whole body on the line where your deepest values are, and you dont get many chances in life to do that.

Even though were treated okay once were there  because they dont want to make a stink because were white and famous.
Lara Flynn Boyle gave up dating actors following her high-profile romance with Jack Nicholson and quit booze five years ago.

Lara Flynn Boyle gave up booze and dating actors

The 'Twin Peaks' star enjoyed much-publicised relationships with her TV co-star Kyle MacLachlan as well as David Spade and Nicholson - who she dated on an off from 1999 until the early 2000s - but she's revealed she quit dating actors after splitting from 'The Shining' star.

Lara told PEOPLE magazine: "I left with a bang when it came to actors. Then I went, 'Okay, Im done now'."

The actress - who was previously wed to John Patrick Dee in the mid-1990s - went on to settle down with real estate mogul Donald Ray Thomas. They tied the knot in Texas in 2006.

She said of her current husband: "I have a lovely marriage. We were together that night [we first met] and ever since."

Lara went on to reveal that not only did she give up dating actors, she also quit drinking alcohol five years ago after her previous party antics became a staple in the tabloids.

She insisted her wild child days naturally came to an end and she gave up booze. Lara added to PEOPLE: "Those disco boots, theyve had their time. Some people are allergic to it; some people are un-allergic to it."

Lara also explained that despite all the attention she got at the height of her fame, she never considered walking away from Hollywood, adding: "I never wanted to bow out. Any moment I was feeling down or sorry for myself, I made sure I did not complain.

"My mom used to sometimes bring me articles about other actresses to show me Im not the only one getting a raw deal."

She previously opened up about being a tabloid target in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year - insisting a career in the spotlight was her "choice" and she dealt with the repercussions.

She explained: "Well, its not always a pony in a parade, but I chose my career. I chose the highs, and I chose the lows. This career I have chosen has been kinder to me than it hasnt.

"If I cant roll with the bumps, then I have no business riding the roller coaster. Of course, Im a human being and there are going to be questions that come into your head or your heart. I dont know if this is good or bad, but I have weathered the storm with a lot of negative publicity and at the end of the day, Ill take the negative publicity and keep on rolling. Its worth it."
Robert De Niros late grandson has been hailed as a sweet wild boy by his mother on the first anniversary of the teenagers death.

Robert De Niros late grandson has been hailed as a sweet wild boy by his mother on the first anniversary of the teenagers death

The 80-year-old Raging Bull actors girl Drena De Niro, 52, was left broken when her 19-year-old son Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez was killed on 2 July, 2023, by an accidental drug overdose of substances including fentanyl, bromazolam, alprazolam, aminoclonazepam, ketamine and cocaine.

Drena posted a series of never-before-seen photos of Leandro and one of his grave to mark a year since his shock passing, with the opening snap in her series of images on Instagram showing Leandro posing in a leather jacket and leather pants with his arms open wide.

She captioned the carousel of images: I KNEW this kid was jacking my clothes behind my back!!!

Today we celebrated sweet wild boy Leo (black heart emoji).. in your short time here you made the world a brighter place.

You are deeply loved like the sun loves the moon and the moon loves the sea. Thank you to everyone of you who held me, @carlosmare and our family in your arms and hearts through the darkest days.. I can only hope to pay it forward.. #cantspelllovewithoutleo (red heart, sea, sunshine, red heart, bat, white dove, dog, lion, three stars and four shooting star emojis) #bigmargiela #neonguts #rumi.

Among the pictures shared by Drena was a snap of a set of lines from a poem about the power of someones presence and a snap visiting her sons grave.

It was adorned with several vases of flowers, and the devastated mother concluded her Instagram picture set with a snap of Leandro face-on to the camera smiling.

Leandros father Carlos Mare Rodriguez also posted on Instagram mourning his son on the anniversary of his death.

He put up a black photo with the caption: Year One. Rest in Peace Rest in Me Leo. #youcantspelllovewithoutleo (praying hands, white dove, red heart and broken heart emojis.)

Carlos added his late sons loved ones had made a cake in his honour, and posted throwback videos of Leandro dancing in the street.

Actor Robert said in a statement about his grandsons death: Im deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo. Were greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo.

A spokesperson for the New York Police Department said at the time of Leandros death a male was found unconscious, unresponsive and was pronounced deceased by emergency services on scene after police received a 911 at around 2.23pm on 2 July last year.

The New York City chief medical examiners office confirmed Leandro had died from an accidental drug overdose.

Drena said on Instagram days after her boys passing: Someone sold him fentanyl laced pills that they knew were laced yet still sold them to him.

So for all these people still f****** around selling and buying this s***, my son is gone forever.
Whitney Port "took a little breather" from attempting to have a baby after a string of devastating losses.

Whitney Port is ready to resume her fertility journey

The 39-year-old reality star had three miscarriages and a chemical pregnancy before she and husband Tim Rosenman decided to opt for surrogacy, only for their two attempts at embryo transfer to end in losses too, prompting the couple to put their plans to give six-year-old son Sonny a sibling on hold so the 'Hills' alumni could focus on herself.

Whitney told E! News: "I took a little breather from the fertility situation.

"I decided to take a few months off from thinking about it and talking about it and proactively doing anything about it so that I could take care of myself."

But now the family are planning to spend a chunk of their summer on the East Coast, which will include a period of time working "with this amazing doctor in New York", Spring Fertility's Dr. Catha Fischer.

Whitney said: "After a bunch of tries here, with both myself and a surrogate, we're going to do another round of egg retrieval in New York.

"And in the meantime, looking for a surrogate for the next transfer."

Whitney urged other women considering surrogacy not to feel "guilty" or bad about themselves.

She said: "Try to take the guilt completely off the table.

"So many women feel like they want to do the whole thing through and feel less about themselves because they may not be able to carry or it doesn't happen for them.

"And I just want women to know that it doesn't make them any less of a woman."

While the brunette beauty is grateful she carried Sonny to term, she doesn't feel it is necessary to be pregnant again to bond with any future children.

She said: "It wasn't like I felt more connected to Sonny through my pregnancy or felt more connected to him when I gave birth.

"I really started to fully connect with him when he was a toddler. So, I really want women to understand that."
King Charles bestowed special honours on Queen Camilla and Edward, Duke of Edinburgh at a ceremony in Scotland.

King Charles inducted Queen Camilla and Prince Edward to the Order of the Thistle

The monarch inducted his wife and his brother to the Order of the Thistle - Scotland's greatest order of chivalry - making them Royal Knights of the Order during a service at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh on Wednesday (03.07.24) which was attended by William, Prince of Wales and Prince Edward's wife Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.

The appointments were made as gifts from the King, who is the sovereign of the Order, and he was present at the service in Scotland alongside his family members.

Among the royals unable to attend the service were Princess Anne, who is recovering at home following a stint in hospital after an accident involving a horse, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, who has been undergoing chemotherapy treatment following her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

Inductees to the order are chosen for making contributions to Scottish life. Camilla is patron of a number of charities based in Scotland, while Edward was chosen to mark his 60th birthday earlier this year and to honour his commitment to the Duke of Edinburgh award and the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland.

Others who were inducted into the order during Wednesday's service included forensic anthropologist Baroness Sue Black, human rights activist Sir Geoff Palmer and womens rights campaigner Baroness Helena Kennedy - who were all handpicked by the King.

During the monarch's annual trip to Scotland, the King and Queen will also attend an event commemorating the 900th anniversary of the Edinburgh Castle. It's believed the itinerary has been shortened to avoid overshadowing the UK general election, which takes place on Thursday (04.07.24).
The share of women's garments was around 47.34 per cent of Chinese garment exports to Saudi Arabia during January-April 2024. Chinese garment exports to the partner country totalled $769.005 million during this period. Out of the shipment, the value of women's garments was $364.019 million. The analysis of garment exports by gender showed that exports of garments for men from China were significantly lower than those for women.

According to Fibre2Fashion's market insight tool TexPro, the shipment of garments for men was valued at $205.838 million, which was 26.77 per cent of Chinese total garment exports to Saudi Arabia in the first four months of the current year. The country exported unisex garments worth $189.583 million, accounting for 24.65 per cent of the total. Garment exports for babies were noted at $9.565 million (1.24 per cent) in the same period.

During January-April 2024, Chinese garment exports to Saudi Arabia totalled $769.005 million, with women's garments making up 47.34 per cent ($364.019 million). Men's garments accounted for 26.77 per cent, unisex garments 24.65 per cent, and baby garments 1.24 per cent. Compared to the same period in 2023, total exports fell by 14 per cent.

Chinese total garment exports to Saudi Arabia were $894.985 million during the same period in 2023. Therefore, trade declined by around 14 per cent this year. During January-April 2023, the share of women's garments was 49.60 per cent, unisex garments 25.49 per cent, men's garments 24.19 per cent, and baby garments 0.72 per cent of the total exports to Saudi Arabia.

The shipment was recorded at $2,518.613 million during the whole of 2023. Chinese exports of women's garments were valued at $1,124.703 million, making up 44.66 per cent of the total. The shipment of unisex garments was $693.632 million (27.54 per cent), men's garments $672.329 million (26.69 per cent), and baby garments $27.949 million (1.11 per cent) during this period, as per TexPro.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Sonakshi Sinha got married to longtime beau Zaheer Iqbal on June 23, 2024. The two registered their marriage at Sonakshis home before heading to a bash in an upscale restaurant.



Since then, Sonakshi has been quite active on social media, sharing glimpses of her life post marriage with Zaheer Iqbal. The latest one was some new snaps she shared from a romantic getaway they're currently enjoying.

She offered a panoramic view from an infinity pool and it was indeed stunning.
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.
The company will address critical agility and specialisation shortages facing enterprises and consulting firms

SYDNEY, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Outsized, a global leader in the high-end independent talent market, has announced its strategic expansion into the Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) region. With a network of over 30,000 independent consultants and skilled contractors, Outsized is as the only on-demand talent platform specialising in high-end roles.

In 2023 alone, Outsized grew it's platform by over 50% in terms of talent members. Off the back of very strong year-on-year revenue growth since its inception in 2016, Outsized closed its Series A fundraising round in Q4 2023, and is on an expansion journey across the Asia-Pacific region.

The local Outsized team will be led by Sara Kahlau, a seasoned expert in talent models and innovation. Sara, previously at Booz & Co and icare NSW, and most recently a leader in the global on-demand talent market, brings a wealth of experience to her role as Managing Director, ANZ.

Outsized differentiates itself by taking a unique "human-first" approach, in contrast to the highly transactional model prevalent in the talent industry which traditionally serves to benefit clients only, albeit without long-lasting partnerships. This includes role scoping support, contracting, and relationship management, ensuring mutual benefits for clients and talent. This approach has been pivotal to Outsized's success, as evidenced by client reviews[1], across the wider APAC region, Africa, and the Middle East, and is set to redefine talent engagement in Australia and New Zealand.

"With Outsized, our customers in ANZ can expect a tailored approach that aligns talent solutions with strategic business objectives," Sara affirmed. "Our model ensures clients have access to all the skills they need whenever they need them, without the fixed costs, through our unique talent pool and virtual bench products, giving clients on-tap access to pre-vetted, highly skilled talent curated to their individual needs.

"In ANZ, demand for flexible, independent talent solutions is growing rapidly," noted Sara Kahlau. "Outsized fills a critical gap in the market by offering an intuitive platform that not only meets business needs for agility and expertise but empowers talent to shape their careers on their terms."

The ANZ expansion coincides with a trend where businesses increasingly turn to independent talent for agility, innovation and efficiency. In 2023, Outsized experienced an increase of 154% in the number of independents on contracts, up from an increase of 45% the year prior. Some of the key growth areas Outsized expects to see in the ANZ market includes Data, AI, Digital Transformation, Technology, Cybersecurity, and Sustainability/ESG.

Recent studies indicate that 88% of Australian businesses need talent with the right skills, especially in areas like Project Management, Business Analytics, and Digital Transformation[2].

Outsized's expansion strategy is bolstered by its existing relationships with major consulting firms and its specialisation in sectors including financial services, insurance, healthcare, and government.

"As we expand our footprint in ANZ, Outsized remains committed to delivering unparalleled value to our clients and talent partners," concluded Anurag Bhalla, co-founder of Outsized. "We are excited to embark on this journey, redefining the future of work through innovative talent solutions."

About Outsized

Outsized is a talent-on-demand platform for highly-skilled independent professionals. It enables large enterprises and consulting firms in Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East to implement flexible workforce models by providing access to vetted talent from a host of professional disciplines. With a focus on experienced professionals, and full-time contracts, Outsized empowers and supports both the people and the businesses that use its platform. Outsized has local teams based in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, India, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, and is committed to creating a sustainable, win-win ecosystem for clients and talent.

[1] https://www.trustpilot.com/review/outsized.com

[2] Labour Market Update - December 2023 | Jobs and Skills Australia

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2452910/Sara_Kahlau_MD_ANZ.jpg

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/outsized-expands-into-anz-offering-innovative-solutions-to-flexible-talent-needs-302188082.html
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION DIRECTLY, OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES.

Kobo Resources Inc. ("Kobo" or the "Company") (TSX.V: KRI) is pleased to announce that it has closed its second tranche (the "Second Tranche") of previously announced non-brokered private placement of units (the "Units") for gross proceeds of $2,995,497 (the "Offering"). Under the second tranche of the Offering, 8,558,563 Units were issued at a price of $0.35 per Unit.

Closing of a first tranche of the Offering (the "First Tranche") and concurrent brokered private placement (the "Concurrent Financing") occurred on June 4, 2024, at which time the Company issued an aggregate of 12,622,504 units. Together with the First Tranche, the Company raised gross proceeds of $7.413 million following the closing of the Second Tranche.

Edward Gosselin, CEO and Director of Kobo commented: "The successful completion of the Company's private placement represents an important milestone for Kobo, demonstrating the market's confidence in our team and in our 100%-owned Kossou Gold Project. Having the overwhelming support of existing and new shareholders, we can build on this foundation for aggressive growth at Kossou as we continue to develop our key assets and create value for all stakeholders." He continued: "Importantly, partnering with Luso Global Mining and its parent company, Mota-Engil, offers us exceptional synergies and leverages their extensive experience in West Africa, particularly in Cote d'Ivoire. We are excited to build on our strategic partnership with Luso Global Mining as we expand our presence in Cote d'Ivoire through the Kossou Gold Project and explore future opportunities."

Alexander Shaw, CEO of LGM commented: "We are thrilled to collaborate with the team at Kobo as they build on the success of the Kossou Gold Project, positioning ourselves as Kobo's strategic partner in these endeavors. Additionally, our goal is to support Kobo's team in any other significant opportunities in the region. Our parent company has a proven track record of success in West Africa, and we look forward to extending our support to help advance Kobo's strategic vision in the region."

Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Common Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles its holder to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.55 per share until June 4, 2026.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering and the Concurrent Financing to expand its 2024 diamond drill program on its Kossou exploration permit, initiate a soil geochemical survey and a geological exploration program on the Kotobi research permit and for general corporate and working capital purposes.

As previously announced, Luso Global Mining, B.V. ("LGM"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mota-Engil SGPS, S.A. ("Mota-Engil"), has participated in the Offering as a lead investor. LGM subscribed for an aggregate of 7,368,565 Units in the Second Tranche, representing 7,368,565 Common Shares and 3,684,283 Warrants, for an aggregate subscription price of C$2,578,998.

Prior to the closing of the Second Tranche, LGM beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, an aggregate of 2,857,143 Common Shares and 1,428,571 Warrants subscribed under the First Tranche, representing approximately 3.05% of the then issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis, and 4.50% of the then issued and outstanding Common Shares on a partially-diluted basis, assuming the exercise of the Warrants held by LGM only. Immediately following the closing of the Second Tranche, LGM beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 10,225,708 Common Shares and 5,112,854 Warrants, representing 9.99% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis, and 14.27% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a partially-diluted basis, assuming the exercise of the Warrants held by LGM only.

The securities of the Company beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by LGM, are held for investment purposes. LGM has a long-term view of the investment and may acquire additional securities including either on the open market or through private acquisitions or sell the securities including either on the open market or through private dispositions in the future depending on market conditions, reformulation of plans and/or other relevant factors.

An early warning report relating to this transaction will be filed on SEDAR+ under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca. To obtain a copy of such report, please contact Miguel Pinto de Magalhaes Miguens at +351 927 520 913 LGM is an entity governed under the laws of The Netherlands indirectly wholly-owned by Mota-Engil. The head office of LGM is situated at Kingsfordweg 151, Office 01.26, 1043 GR, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The head office of the Company is located at 388 Grande-Allee Est, Quebec City, QC, G1R 2J4.

The Units were issued pursuant to the "accredited investor" or another exemption (other than the listed issuer financing exemption) from the prospectus requirements in accordance with National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions. The securities issued under the second tranche of the Offering are subject to a statutory hold period until November 3, 2024 in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws.

The Company paid finders' fees in an aggregate amount of $1,540 in connection with the Second Tranche.

The Units and underlying Common Shares and Warrants have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the "United States" or "U.S. persons" (as such terms are defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act and all applicable U.S. state securities laws or compliance with an exemption from such registration requirements. This press release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to qualification or registration under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.

About Mota-Engil

Founded in 1946, Mota-Engil is a multinational organization with expertise in construction, mining, and infrastructure management across a number of sectors, including Engineering, Mining and Construction, Environment and Services, Transport Concessions, and Energy. Mota-Engil is a market leader in the Portuguese construction industry, occupying a prominent position among the top 15 construction companies in Europe. Mota-Engil operates in 21 countries across Europe, Africa, and Latin America with a workforce of over 50,000 employees and EBITDA exceeding 800 million in 2023. More specifically, Mota-Engil operates in 13 African countries and is the mining contractor for eight operating mines, including Fortuna Silver's Seguela Gold Mine and Endeavour Mining's Lafigue Gold Project in Cote d'Ivoire, Managem's Gold Mines Boto in Senegal and Tri-K in Guinea-Conakry, as well as for other mining operations located in Angola, Guinea, Mozambique, and South Africa.

About Kobo Resources Inc.

Kobo Resources is a growth-focused gold exploration company with a compelling new gold discovery in Cote d'Ivoire, one of West Africa's most prolific and developing gold districts, hosting several multi-million-ounce gold mines. The Company's 100%-owned Kossou Gold Project is located approximately 20 km northwest of the capital city of Yamoussoukro and is directly adjacent to one of the region's largest gold mines with established processing facilities.

The Company is drilling to unlock the potential size and scale of Kossou within 9+ km strike length of highly prospective gold in soil geochemical anomalies with excellent rock and trench sampling results. The Company completed ~6,000 m of RC drilling and ~5,400 m of trenching in 2023 and is planning on additional drilling and trenching in 2024. Significant gold mineralisation has been identified at three main targets within a 300 m wide, 2+ km long, pervasively altered structural corridor defining a potentially large mesothermal gold system.

Kobo's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "KRI". For more information, please visit www.koboresources.com.

NEITHER THE TSXV NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSXV) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-looking Information:

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to; the proposed use of proceeds; the completion of the Company's business objectives, and the timing, costs, and benefits thereof; development and exploration costs; the Company's ability to complete or not its diamond drill program on the Kossou Gold Project and the Company's ability to conduct the proposed exploration program on its Kotobi exploration permit, located in Cote d'Ivoire.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; and the delay or failure to receive requisite approvals. 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 the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240702983184/en/

Contacts:

For further information, please contact:

Edward Gosselin

Chief Executive Officer and Director

1-418-609-3587

ir@kobores.com
The Special Committee of the Board of Directors of ARC Document Solutions, Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE:ARC), a leading provider of digital printing and document-related services, announced that it received a non-binding proposal on April 8, 2024 from the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Kumarakulasingam Suriyakumar, outlining Mr. Suriyakumar's intent to explore and evaluate a potential acquisition of all of the outstanding shares of the Company not already owned by Mr. Suriyakumar in a going-private transaction at a purchase price of $3.25 per share in cash (the "Proposed Transaction"). On June 27, 2024, Mr. Suriyakumar, Dilantha Wijesuriya, the Company's President and Chief Operating Officer, Jorge Avalos, the Company's Chief Financial Officer, Rahul Roy, the Company's Chief Technology Officer, Sujeewa Sean Pathiratne, a private investor, and certain entities affiliated with such persons (collectively, the "Acquisition Group") agreed in principle that they will work with each other to negotiate and consummate the Proposed Transaction. A copy of Mr. Suriyakumar's proposal is attached to the Schedule 13D filed by the Acquisition Group with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on June 28, 2024. The Acquisition Group currently beneficially owns approximately 19.6% of the Company's outstanding shares of common stock, $0.001 per share.

In response to the proposal, on April 8, 2024, a special committee of the board of directors of the Company consisting entirely of independent, disinterested directors (the "Special Committee") was formed to review and evaluate the Proposed Transaction. The Special Committee retained William Blair & Company, L.L.C. to provide financial advice and K&L Gates LLP as legal counsel to assist in its ongoing review and evaluation of the Proposed Transaction and the Company's other strategic alternatives. Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr is acting as legal counsel to the Company.

The Special Committee intends to carefully consider the Proposed Transaction with the assistance of its independent financial and legal advisors. No assurances can be given regarding the terms and details of any transaction, that any proposal made by the Acquisition Group regarding a proposed transaction will be accepted by the Special Committee, that definitive documentation relating to any such transaction will be executed, or that a transaction will be consummated in accordance with that documentation, if at all.

The Company and the Special Committee do not intend to comment on or disclose further developments regarding the Special Committee's consideration of the proposal unless and until it deems further disclosure is appropriate or required. The Company's stockholders are advised to take no action at this time.

About ARC Document Solutions (NYSE: ARC)

ARC partners with top brands around the world to tell their stories through visually compelling graphics. We use advanced digital printing technology, sustainable materials, and innovative techniques to bring their vision to life. ARC also provides other digital printing and scanning services to a wide variety of industries all over North America and in select markets around the world. Follow ARC at www.e-arc.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on current opinions and assumptions of management regarding future events. Words and phrases such as, "will," "intends," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements and all statements other than statements of historical fact, including, but not limited to, any the Company's expectations regarding the Proposed Transaction, the terms and conditions of the Proposed Transaction, and the Special Committee's actions in respect thereof, including considering all potential strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value, could be deemed forward-looking statements. We caution you that such statements are only predictions and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition to matters affecting the construction, managed print services, digital printing industries, or the economy generally, factors that could cause actual results to differ from expectations stated in forward-looking statements include, among others, the factors described in the section titled "Part I - Item 1A. Risk Factors" of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 and future filings and reports that the Company makes from time to time with the SEC. The Company 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.

Contact:

David Stickney

VP Corporate Communications & Investor Relations

925-949-5114

SOURCE: ARC Document Solutions

View the original press release on accesswire.com
DCI Indonesia's expansions, backed by its focus on industry best practices, sustainability, and alignment with customer trends, reinforce its strategic advantage.

SAN ANTONIO, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan recently analyzed the data center services industry and, based on its findings, recognized DCI Indonesia with the 2024 Company of the Year Award for a fifth consecutive time. The company is the leading data center services provider in Indonesia, offering best-in-class, scalable, and reliable data center colocation services and solutions. Its portfolio includes colocation, bare metal, physical security, data center connectivity, cooling, and power management to improve operational excellence, enabling customers to grow and thrive. The company supports a diverse client base, including global cloud service providers, major e-commerce and social media companies, telecommunication service providers, financial services industries, and enterprises from various verticals.

DCI currently offers 83 megawatts (MW) of power capacity across Cibitung, Karawang and Jakarta, where clients can directly connect with 4 of the world's biggest cloud platforms. The DCI Indonesia Platform maximizes headcount efficiency in data center operations and provides customers with improved power usage effectiveness and energy cost stability. Furthermore, DCI offers Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), as well as green energy from biomass and solar farms as they lead the sustainability front in the industry.

Nishchal Khorana, global vice president and program leader for ICT at Frost & Sullivan, observed, "DCI Indonesia reinforces its strategic advantage with a compelling value proposition of tailored solutions and carrier-neutral facilities-the highest Tier IV service quality, best practice AI-driven operations, and competitive pricing. The company is an established data center operator with a 100% power uptime track record for over a decade, trusted by hundreds of clients in its portfolio to house their most critical IT infrastructure."

DCI Indonesia is a member of a global business community that meets high social and environmental impact standards. With its sterling reputation and a client-centric approach at its core, it establishes ongoing trust with customers and fosters long-lasting relationships that extend throughout the data center service lifecycle. The company generates over USD $90 million in revenue, achieving at least 25% year-on-year growth with an impressive net profit margin. Its stellar growth momentum and trajectory are a testament to its service leadership, its ability to earn client trust and loyalty, and its capability to capture market share. The company is well-positioned to drive the data center service space into its next growth phase, capturing market share and sustaining its strategic leadership in the coming years.

"DCI Indonesia pioneers the highest standards, enabling its scalable, reliable, and carrier-neutral capabilities and services to meet clients' ever-evolving digital infrastructure needs. Backed by its focus on operational excellence and sustainability, the company continues to expand in Indonesia," added Riana Barnard, Best Practices Research Analyst.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents a Company of the Year Award to the organization that demonstrates excellence in terms of growth strategy and implementation in its field. The award recognizes a high degree of innovation with products and technologies, and the resulting leadership in terms of customer value and market penetration.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in various regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare industry participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analyses, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the sector.

About Frost & Sullivan

For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, megatrends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion .

Contact:

Tarini Singh

P: +91-9953764546

E: tarini.singh@frost.com

About DCI Indonesia

PT DCI Indonesia Tbk (DCI) is the first Tier IV data center in Southeast Asia that provides secure data center infrastructure services, guaranteeing a 99.999% SLA colocation or only five minutes of downtime per year. As a neutral data center operator, DCI is supported by 70+ network service providers. DCI Platform has 7 data centers in 3 locations: Cibitung, Karawang, and Jakarta with a total potential power capacity approaching 1,000 megawatts (MW).

With world-class operating standards, and equipped with state-of-the-art data center equipment, DCI provides maximum availability for customers to access their critical assets. This includes financial institutions, network service providers, e-commerce players, cloud service providers, and companies from other sectors. DCI has maintained a 100% uptime track record since its establishment. This performance stems from the proven experience of the leadership team in information technology, data center services, and infrastructure management, spanning over 25 years.

The demand for data centers in Indonesia continues to grow rapidly. DCI responds to this by committing to build sustainable data centers across its existing and new locations.

Contact:

DCI Marketing

E: marketing@dci-indonesia.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2453096/DCl_Indonesia_Award.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dci-indonesia-awarded-by-frost--sullivan-for-world-class-operational-excellence-enabling-customers-to-grow-and-thrive-and-securing-a-market-leading-position-302188402.html
Battery Mineral Resources Corp.

BATTERY MINERAL RESOURCES INITIATES NEW DRILLING PROGRAM AND ANNOUNCES ENCOURAGING DRILL RESULTS FROM ITS PUNITAQUI COPPER MINE IN CHILE



03-Jul-2024 / 07:00 CET/CEST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





NEWS RELEASE BY BATTERY MINERAL RESOURCES CORP. Download PDF Download multimedia Vancouver, British Columbia | July 02, 2024 05:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time Battery Mineral Resources Corp. (TSXV: BMR) ("Battery" or "BMR" or the "Company") is pleased to announce encouraging drill core assay results from the new 2024 underground exploration and in-fill drill program at the Punitaqui mine complex ("Punitaqui") in Chile. The Company announced on May 13th, 2024, that it had resumed mill operations and production of copper concentrates at Punitaqui. Coincident with these activities, exploration drilling has resumed with an underground drilling campaign in the Sand Andres and Cinabrio mines. Highlights Assay results from drillholes (see Table 1) have returned with encouraging results as follows: Drillhole SAM-24-01: 4.3 meters ("m") at 1.4% ("CuT") total copper and 24 g/t grams per tonne ("Ag") silver

SAM-24-02: 4.0m grading 1.1% CuT & 7.8g/t Ag

SAM-24-04: 3.5m at 1.0% CuT & 23.3g/t Ag

SAM-24-05: 4.3m at 1.2% CuT & 19.2g/t Ag This initial underground San Andres drilling targeted a scheduled production area and totaled 282 meters of diamond core drilling in 5 drillholes (see Table 2 and Figure 1). Of the five holes drilled, three were designed to confirm the modelled geology, mineralization and copper grade within the planned extraction area (SAM-24-01, SAM-24-02 and SAM-24-05). The remaining two holes explored along the direction of the existing resources to the north and south to test for extensions of the mineralization (SAM-24-03 and SAM-24-04).

The 2024 San Andres drill program is designed to confirm resources identified by previous drilling programs and expand these resources north and south along strike and at depth. All holes reached target depth and have intersected the targeted shale horizons that host the copper mineralization.

This drilling confirmed copper grades and better delineated the extent of the mineralization in the upper and lower shale units within and adjacent to the planned extraction area.

These drill results have been added to the three-dimensional geology and resource models which BMR's mining engineers will use to update the current mine designs and optimize mining schedules.

Currently, one contract underground diamond drill is operating on-site.

The drill is currently operating in the Cinabrio underground where 14 drillholes totalling 426.5 meters have been completed. This campaign is focused on three planned production areas.

Assay results for the Cinabrio drillholes are pending and drilling is continuing. Battery CEO Martin Kostuik states; "With the same team that was hugely successful in our prior campaign, we are pleased to announce these new encouraging copper intercepts. This drilling confirmed the copper grades which exist in the current geological model and better delineated the extent of the mineralization. We believe these new results demonstrate our keen understanding of the geological controls of the copper mineralization and how a well planned and executed drilling program has the potential to provide the Company with additional copper resources. These potential new resources are important in that they could provide additional sources of feed to the mill without the need for extensive capital investment in mine development to access them. We look forward to providing further exciting updates for the 2024 Cinabrio - San Andres drill program in the coming weeks." On the heels of a very successful surface drill program of 33,000 meters, which culminated in BMR reporting resources of 6.172 million tonnes of Indicated at 1.14% CuT and 3.07 million tonnes of Inferred at 0.93% CuT (see press release August 16th, 2022 ), BMR initiated this new underground drill program. As a reference, the Punitqui mill is planned to consume approximately 1 million tonnes per annum. During the current operational ramp-up period, the underground drilling program is focused on accessible targets within existing Inferred Resource to upgrade the resources to a higher resource category as well as targeting areas adjacent to Inferred Resource to potentially add new resources. The 2024 drill plan allows for some flexibility in terms of timing and sequencing of target areas which permits the drilling to be shifted between the Cinabrio mine and the adjacent San Andres underground. San Andres Mine Sample assay results, reported herein, are from the first five underground drill holes completed on Level 448 at San Andres as part of the 2024 drilling program. Drillhole SAM-24-01: was designed to test the San Andres "Targeted Stratigraphic Unit" ("TSU") within the central part of a scheduled extraction area located above Level 448. The hole began in the upper part of the TSU and finished in the andesite above. The hole intersected the mineralized intervals in the upper shale unit between 0m - 27.8m, copper intercepts included 1.4m at 0.9% CuT & 24g/t Ag and 1.8m at 0.9% CuT & 15.6g/t Ag. The lower shale unit was intersected between 35m - 45m and produced a 4.3m at 1.4% CuT & 4.4g/t Ag result before terminating in andesite at 54m. These results confirm both the modelled geology and extent of the mineralization within the central part of the planned extraction area. Drillhole SAM-24-02: tested the TSU unit within the northern part of the same scheduled extraction area. The hole started in the upper part of the TSU and finished in the andesite. The hole intersected a mineralized interval within the upper shale unit between 0m - 29.2m; 2.2m at 0.9% CuT & 23.7g/t Ag. The lower shale was cut downhole between 37.7m to 43.4m and intercepted 4.0m at 1.1% CuT and 7.8g/t Ag. These intercepts confirm the geological modelling of the shale units that host the copper mineralization as well as the extent and the grade of the mineralization within the modelled shales. Drillhole SAM-24-03: was designed as a step-out hole to test targeted stratigraphic unit TSU to the north of the planned extraction area. Hole started in the upper part of the TSU and finished in the andesite. The hole tested the targeted shale horizons but intersected weakly anomalous copper mineralization in both the upper and lower shale units. Drillhole SAM-24-04: was designed as a step-out hole and tested the targeted stratigraphic unit TSU south of the same scheduled extraction area. The hole started in the upper part of the TSU and finished in the andesite. The drill hole intersected mineralized intervals in the upper shale unit between 0m - 51m; 2.0m at 1.4% CuT & 41.5g/t Ag and 3.5m at 1.0% CuT and 23.3g/t Ag. The lower shale unit was intercepted between 37.7m to 43.4m downhole and produced 1.0m at 0.9% CuT and 9.5g/t Ag. The resulting intercepts may contribute to additional resources because the intercepts confirmed the modelled geology and copper grade and extended the copper mineralization. Drillhole SAM-24-05: was designed to test San Andres TSU within the southern part of the scheduled extraction area. The hole began in the upper part of the TSU and finished in the footwall andesite. The hole intersected the mineralized intervals in the upper shale unit between 0m - 32.2m; 1.8m at 0.7% CuT & 19.5 g/t Ag and 2.4m at 0.6% CuT & 19.4g/t Ag and within the lower shale unit from 39.8m to 45.8m; 4.3m at 1.2% CuT & 19.2 g/t Ag. These intercepts have confirmed the modelled geology and better delineated the grade and extent of the copper mineralization. Figure 1: San Andres Drilling Hole Location Plan- Level 448 Table 1: San Andres Level 448 Significant Drillhole Intercepts Drillhole Number Downhole Interval From (m) Downhole Interval To (m) Downhole Sample Interval (m) Sample Estimated True Interval Width (m) Total Copper CuT (%) Silver Ag (Grams per tonne) (g/t) SAM-24-01 4.00 8.00 4.00 1.44 0.85 24.00 20.00 25.00 5.00 1.80 0.89 15.60 35.00 47.00 12.00 4.32 1.38 4.40 SAM-24-02 0.00 6.00 6.00 2.16 0.90 23.70 36.00 47.00 11.00 3.96 1.14 7.80 SAM-24-03 NSR - No Significant Results SAM-24-04 32.00 36.00 4.00 2.00 1.35 41.50 46.00 53.00 7.00 3.50 1.04 23.30 61.00 63.00 2.00 1.00 0.88 9.50 SAM-24-05 6.00 10.00 4.00 1.80 0.67 19.50 23.75 29.05 5.30 2.39 0.63 19.40 39.80 49.30 9.50 4.28 1.18 19.20 Note: All Intercepts reported as estimated true widths intervals Table 2: San Andres Drillhole Summary Hole Number Collar UTM Easting (m) Collar UTM Northing (m) Collar Elevation (mASL) Depth EoH (m) Hole Inclination (Dip) Azimuth Hole Type & Size SAM-24-01 287890.8 6598875 449.8 54.0 22.4o N259.9oE Diamond HQ Core SAM-24-02 287889.8 6598878 449.8 47.9 20.9o N278.0oE Diamond HQ Core SAM-24-03 287876.5 6598926 449.8 58.0 26.0o N254.1oE Diamond HQ Core SAM-24-04 287893.0 6598861 449.9 72.7 17.4o N205.3oE Diamond HQ Core SAM-24-05 287892.6 6598862 450.0 49.3 24.1o N244.9oE Diamond HQ Core Background - San Andres Deposit The San Andres resource is part of the Punitaqui project which is situated within a 25km long mineralized district that is a classic IOCG and manto style copper belt that is comprised of manto and structural controlled copper-silver veins. San Andres is a zone of copper mineralization located 500m southwest of the high-grade Cinabrio deposit mined by Glencore and Xiana Mining. Prior to 1998, only limited extraction of high-grade copper oxides was undertaken at San Andres by small groups of local miners. In 2000, a Chilean national company La Empressa Nacional de Mineria ("ENAMI") developed two underground exploration tunnels targeting copper sulphides. In 2005, via an option process, San Andres became part of the Punitaqui mine complex. Historic wide-spaced drilling completed by the previous operators between 2011- 2017 totaled 58 holes for 5,927m. During 2021 - 2022 BMR completed 38 diamond drillholes totalling 8,212m. On October 3, 2022, BMR published an NI 43-101 resource for San Andres at a 0.70 Cu% cut-off. Indicated Sulphide Resource of 1,736,000 tonnes grading 1.06% CuT and 4.83 g/t Ag.

Inferred Sulphide Resource of 303,000 tonnes at 0.82% CuT and 4.03g/t Ag Note: Scientific and technical information pertaining to the San Andres Resource was extracted from the Company's NI 43-101 "Technical report on Punitaqui Copper Complex Coquimbo, Chile" dated as of September 30,2022 with an effective date of August 16, 2022, prepared by Garth Kirkham (Kirkham Geosystems Ltd.) an Independent Qualified Person in accordance with NI 43-101. San Andres is a tabular sedimentary horizon known as the "Targeted Stratigraphic Unit" ("TSU") within a volcanic sequence. This sedimentary horizon is variably mineralized and has a variable width ranging from 5m - 30m. It consists of an interlayered volcano-sedimentary sequence composed of dark colored laminated and unlaminated shales, volcanoclastic sandstone, conglomerates and breccias and tuff breccias. Most of the copper mineralization is hosted in the shale units within the TSU package. There is a variable component of syngenetic pyrite. The horizon dips 40 to 50 degrees to the east and is cut-off at depth by the moderately west dipping San Andres fault. Mineralization consists of veinlets and irregular disseminations in both the fine and coarse-grained clastic rocks and locally within the volcanic rocks above and below the host unit. The host horizon is also cut and offset by other faults with a wide range of orientations. Quality Control Sample preparation, analysis and security procedures applied on the BMR exploration projects are aligned with industry best practice. BMR has implemented protocols and procedures to ensure high quality collection and management of samples resulting in reliable exploration assay data. BMR has implemented formal analytical quality control monitoring for all field sampling and drilling programs by inserting blanks and certified reference materials into every sample sequence dispatched. Sample preparation is performed BMR Los Mantos Preparation Lab. Samples are dried then crushed to 70% < -2 millimeters and a riffle split of 250 grams is then pulverized to 85% of the material achieving a size of <75 microns. Sample pulps & rejects were then delivered to ALS Global - Geochemistry Analytical Lab in La Serana, Chile and sample analyses by ALS in Lima, Peru. ALS analytical facilities are commercial laboratories and are independent from BMR. All BMR samples are collected and packaged by BMR staff and delivered upon receipt at the ALS Laboratory. Samples are logged in a sophisticated laboratory information management system for sample tracking, scheduling, quality control, and electronic reporting. These prepared samples are then shipped to the ALS Laboratory in North Vancouver for analyses by the following methods: ME-MS61: A high precision, multi-acid digest including Hydrofluoric, Nitric, Perchloric and Hydrochloric acids. Analysed by inductively coupled plasma ("ICP") mass spectrometry that produces results for 48 elements.

ME-OG62: Aqua-Regia digest: Analysed by ICP-AES (Atomic Emission Spectrometry) or sometimes called optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for high levels of Co, Cu, Ni and Ag. Certified standards are inserted into sample batches by ALS. Blanks and duplicates are inserted within each analytical run. The blank is inserted at the beginning, certified standards are inserted at random intervals, and duplicates are analysed at the end of the batch. Qualified Persons Peter Doyle, Vice President of Exploration and Michael Schuler, Chile Exploration Manager for Battery Mineral Resources Corp., supervised the preparation of and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release pertaining to the Punitaqui exploration drill program. Mr. Doyle and Mr. Schuler are qualified persons as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Scientific and technical information pertaining to the Punitaqui Resource was extracted from the Company's NI 43-101 "Technical Report on Punitaqui Copper Complex Coquimbo, Chile" dated as of September 30,2022 with an effective date of August 16, 2022, prepared by Garth Kirkham (Kirkham Geosystems Ltd.) an Independent Qualified Person in accordance with NI 43-101. All mineral resources have been estimated in accordance with Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") definitions, as required under NI 43-101. Cut-off grades are based on a price of US$3.50/lb copper, US$20/oz silver and several operating costs, metallurgical recoveries, and recovery assumptions, including a reasonable contingency factor. About Battery Mineral Resources Corp. Battery Mineral Resources' mission is to build a mid-tier copper producer and it has recently initiated mine and mill operations at the Punitaqui Mining Complex, a historic copper-gold-silver producer, in the Coquimbo region of Chile. Battery Mineral Resources is unique because it leverages the inherent value from its 100% owned subsidiary, ESI Energy Services Inc., a renewable energy equipment rental and sales company. The Company's portfolio also consists of two cobalt assets and one graphite asset located in North America, South America and South Korea. The Company is focused on providing shareholders accretive exposure to copper and the global mega-trend of electrification while being focused on growth through cash-flow, exploration, and acquisitions in favorable mining jurisdictions. Forward Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. 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 include statements relating to drilling results and their impact on potential future mine production, statements relating to future drilling campaigns and statements relating to future mine operations, and in each case reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections of the Company on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to complete exploration and development activities, risks related to share price and market conditions, the inherent risks involved in the mining, exploration and development of mineral properties, government regulation and fluctuating metal prices. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Battery undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements contained herein whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. Contact Details Battery Mineral Resources Corp. Martin Kostuik, CEO +1 604-229-3830 info@bmrcorp.com Company Website https://bmrcorp.com/ Battery Mineral Resources Corp. Media Channels VISIT FACEBOOK VISIT LINKEDIN VISIT TWITTER Tags BATTERY MINERAL RESOURCESPUNITAQUI COPPER MINEDRILLING PROGRAMPUNITAQUI MINE COMPLEXSAN ANDRES DRILL PROGRAMSAN ANDRES



Dissemination of a CORPORATE NEWS, transmitted by EQS Group.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.




Port makes significant investments in air quality monitoring equipment and web-based data-sharing

The Port of Hueneme launched a new air quality monitoring website to provide visitors with near-real time information on air quality in South Oxnard. The website portcaresaboutair.org provides current data, a map view, historical data, and a glossary of air quality terms.

Port of Hueneme's air quality monitor.

Maritime operations impact adjacent communities, and the Port of Hueneme has made a commitment to step up as a regional leader in the transition to zero emission technologies. In the fall of 2021, the Oxnard Harbor District's Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to pass a resolution to commit the Port of Hueneme to decarbonize operations at the Port of Hueneme as part of their commitment to transitioning to a zero-emission future. This resolution effectively laid the foundation for the Port's Community Air Quality Monitoring Program, as well as parallel zero emission commitments to protecting the environment and supporting a healthy quality of life locally.

The new website demonstrates the Port's commitment to the community to be a conscientious steward of the local environment and will further enhance the ongoing air monitoring of particulate matter in communities with environmental and health outcome disparities. The transformation of numerical data into culturally competent visual forms, such as charts, graphs, maps, and dashboards, will better aid the surrounding communities to understand and communicate accomplishments as well as identify opportunities for improvements.

"By offering the local community access to a website available in both English and Spanish that monitors local air quality, the Port will be able to ensure accessibility for our diverse community," said Celina Zacarias, President of Oxnard Harbor Commission.

Residents of South Oxnard had initially approached the Port of Hueneme with questions pertaining to air quality in their neighborhood. Through the Port's ongoing community listening campaign efforts, the voices of local residents advocating for the installation of air quality monitors to gather much needed community specific data were heard. In 2019, the Port's Board of Harbor Commissioners voted to fund the installation of the first Environmental Protection Agency reference grade air quality monitoring station at Haycox Elementary School located in South Oxnard. This was an ideal location in the community on which to locate the monitoring equipment.

Port of Hueneme's air quality monitor.

"Community air quality information is usually put forth in highly technical language and graphics which assume significant educational privilege," said Giles Pettifor, the Port's Environmental Manager. "The Port's work has been to turn this model on its head and to seek not only equitable access to environmental information but equitable understanding of that data. This website is a significant step towards that goal."

EPA reference grade monitors produce the highest accuracy data, which will better inform the air quality concerns of the local community. This new website is the latest part of the Port's ongoing commitment to environmental transparency as well as community engagement and education regarding the environment. The website provides resources to better understand air quality and simplify the many scientific complexities of air quality through interactive videos and diagrams in English and Spanish.

The passage of this resolution further propelled the Port's Environmental Management Framework (EMF) to go above and beyond compliance with federal, state and local regulations, and to also implement greater pollution prevention measures.

"I applaud the Port of Hueneme in taking this monumental step toward a Zero Emissions Future! South Oxnard will greatly benefit from the Port's willingness to listen to the community about our Air Quality concerns and for making such a bold commitment to reach the 2030 goal. We appreciate that the Port's community outreach has been genuine and most importantly consistent in giving us tools like this website so that we can learn and see for ourselves and help others understand air quality in our region. I would like to also thank the Port's leadership for being visionary enough to push forward and allowing staff like Giles Pettifor and Miguel Rodriguez to continue charging forward!" shared local community member and South Oxnard leader Carolina Gallardo Magana.

A bird flying at the Port of Hueneme's Harbor

As air in the Ventura County air basin swirls about with wind and seasons, the data shown on this new website will show community air quality readings which are influenced by all local sources of air contaminants. These sources include our cars, buses and trucks driving on local roads and freeways, industrial and agricultural work, and wildfires. As sources of pollution from traditional diesel fueled equipment are phased out and replaced with zero emission alternatives, local pollution levels of certain pollutants are anticipated to fall over time and the air quality website will show these reductions over the years it will take. The Port is working to plan and implement this transition away from fossil fuels for most of the equipment working on Port as well as things like the ships themselves and the trucks delivering food and essential products to our homes and local stores.

This type of sustainability work highlights the years long efforts of the Port's environmental stewardship program known as PHRESH (Port of Hueneme Reducing Emissions, Supporting Health), which was developed in partnership with the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District to assess and address climate actions and adaptation at the Port like reduced emissions, air quality regulations and resiliency goals. PHRESH is the first program in the State of California to partner with an air quality regulator to collaboratively develop a climate plan together.

"Partnerships like these are foundational in the success of bold initiatives to address and co-create a comprehensive plan for emission reductions and a zero-emission future here at the Port of Hueneme," said Port of Hueneme Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Director Kristin Decas.

The Port of Hueneme

In addition, the Port of Hueneme is excited to use this new online platform to leverage their $500,000 award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that will expand the Port's existing air quality monitoring network by installing four new air monitoring stations across Ventura County to better understand, and communicate, air data across the Oxnard Plain and beyond. The Port of Hueneme's "Ventura County Community Air Quality Monitoring Network" project was selected among 131 other projects, in 37 states, to receive a portion of the $53.4 million from the American Rescue Plan Enhanced Air Quality Monitoring Competitive Grant Program. This project is being implemented as a team with VCAPCD, CSUCI and the local environmental group CFROG.

About the Port of Hueneme

The Port of Hueneme is one of the most productive and efficient commercial trade gateways for niche cargo on the West Coast. Five locally elected Port Commissioners govern the Port. The Port consistently ranks among the top ten U.S. ports for automobiles and fresh produce. Port operations support the community by bringing $2.8 billion in economic activity and creating 24,997 trade-related jobs. Trade through the Port of Hueneme generates more than $236 million in direct and related state and local taxes, which fund vital community services. In 2017, the Port of Hueneme became the first port in California to become Green Marine certified and was voted the Greenest Port in the U.S. at the Green Shipping Summit. www.portofh.org .

Press Contact

Letitia Austin

Public & Government Relations Manager

laustin@portofh.org

(805) 816-8324

SOURCE: Port of Hueneme

View the original press release on accesswire.com
SHANGHAI, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UnionPay International has launched its largest-scale summer marketing campaign targeting outbound tourists from China, featuring multiple benefits including merchant discounts up to 33%, favorable exchange rates, and cashback of up to 12% from banks. Over 10,000 global merchants and more than 10 commercial card-issuing banks have participated, covering popular destinations like France.



A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

The UnionPay global acceptance network has expanded to 182 countries and regions outside China's mainland. It offers diverse payment options including cash withdrawal, card payment, QR code payment, and mobile payment, allowing tourists to choose based on their preferences and the local acceptance environment.

In Europe, UnionPay cards are accepted at over 90% of the regions, while in Australia and New Zealand, they can be used at over 95% of merchants' POS terminals. Cardholders can make card payments or withdrawals without the need to exchange currency in advance. In destinations like Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, a large number of merchants have already adopted UnionPay QR code payment.

Besides, over 5000 schools overseas accept UnionPay card payments. Students go abroad can enjoy exclusive discounts on payments through Flywire. They can also benefit from cashback rewards and other exclusive benefits using the UnionPay Zhuojun Card for international students of Bank of China.

This campaign spans 25 countries and regions, encompassing various scenarios like department stores, restaurants, hotels, transportation, and tourist attractions. Cardholders can enjoy ticketing and consumption discounts offered by major airlines such as United Airlines and Cathay Pacific, as well as at Hong Kong International Airport, Narita and Kansai Airports in Japan. Exclusive promotions are also available for Royal Caribbean's "Spectrum of the Seas", Hong Kong Octopus card, and Japan's Suica card. Popular department stores such as Harbour City in Hong Kong SAR, Matsuya Ginza in Japan, and Harrods in the UK, Galeries Lafayette in France, as well as over 20 shopping villages in Europe offer discounts for UnionPay cardholders.

Now, UnionPay cardholders can enjoy preferential exchange rates for all their expenses in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Singapore, same in popular merchants in destinations like Dubai and Fiji. In Hong Kong SAR, South Korea, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, cardholders can enjoy instant discounts or cashback offers when using UnionPay QR code or mobile payment. In France, cardholders have the opportunity to receive complimentary tickets to the Louvre Museum with qualifying purchase made using their UnionPay card at participating merchants nationwide.

Domestic commercial banks, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, offer exclusive cashback or instant discount offers to UnionPay cardholders.

Source: UnionPay International
A policy perceived to be a ban on Pride flags spurred a recall effort against two members of the Sunol Glen school board. The recall effort was leading in initial results as of Tuesday evening. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

Two school board members facing recall over a perceived Pride flag ban in their tiny East Bay district are losing their efforts to remain on the board, according to early results released Tuesday night by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters.

Ryan Jergensen, president of the Sunol Glen school board of trustees, was losing his recall with 53.8% voting in favor. His colleague Linda Hurley was losing with 52.75% in favor of recall. The county had counted 473 ballots as of 9 p.m. Final results could be available in a day or two, but they wont be confirmed until after the long Fourth of July weekend.

The Sunol Glen district serves around 270 students in a single K-8 school. The district caught national attention last fall when the board voted 2-1 to ban the display of all flags except the U.S. and California state flags  a move perceived as targeting the Pride flag, which caused a community-wide uproar.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Parents and community members quickly targeted Jergensen and Hurley, who both voted in favor of the flag ban, for recall. The third board member, Peter Ted Romo, did not face recall and would be the only remaining trustee if his colleagues are removed from office. The two open seats may be filled by appointees from the Alameda County Board of Education, who are chosen by the president of the county board.

Were cautiously optimistic that were ahead on both counts, said Matt Sylvester, a Sunol Glen parent who helped lead the recall campaign. Were hopeful things will turn out the way we want.

Reached by phone, Jergensen said he hadnt yet seen the early results and was too busy with family to comment Tuesday night. Hurley could not be reached.

If Jergensen and Hurley are recalled, they will join at least four other school board members ousted this year over implementing policies perceived as anti-LGBTQ, among other things. Trustees have been recalled in Orange, Yolo and Riverside counties, including most recently the president of the Temecula Valley Unified School District.

The recalls are tied to recent conservative takeovers of California school boards, with candidates often campaigning on parental rights platforms. In at least 12 school districts, trustees have put in place policies that would require schools to out transgender students to their parents. California legislators have passed a bill that would ban such outing policies.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Sunol Glen school trustees never implemented such a policy, but the flag ban dustup spread far beyond the single school, which sits in the heart of unincorporated Sunol. Residents with no direct ties to the school took sides, and school board meetings regularly erupted into yelling matches between neighbors.

With the recall vote now complete, some community members said they were eager to put the controversy behind them, even as they noted that the next race for open school board seats  happening in November  is likely to stir frustrations again.

Whatever ends up happening with the school board, whether the configuration changes or doesnt change, people are watching and engaged and not going away, said Kelly Goldsmith, a Sunol parent who helped lead the recall effort. Casting a vote is never a light matter, but theyre even more consequential now. You cant take local elections for granted.
July 3, 2024

Amsterdam, the Netherlands - Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced the appointment of Ms Ling Liu as the Chief Region Leader of Philips Greater China, effective immediately. Ms Liu is now a member of Philips' Executive Committee, reporting to Philips CEO Roy Jakobs. She succeeds Andy Ho, who has decided to retire after a long and successful career. Ms Liu and Mr Ho continue to work together to ensure a smooth handover.

"Ling is a talented, trusted leader and I am delighted that she will join Philips' Executive Committee as the Chief Region Leader of Philips Greater China," said Roy Jakobs, CEO of Royal Philips. "She is a proven executive who brings a wealth of international experience and deep HealthTech expertise in China. I would also like to express my deep gratitude to Andy for his exceptional leadership in delivering on our commitment to supporting China's national health strategy and becoming a trusted partner for professional customers as well as individual consumers. At the same time as driving sustained financial and operational performance over the last nine years."

Ms Liu joined Philips in 1998 and has held multiple roles across the business, living and working in Greater China, the Netherlands and North America. Most recently, she was Chief Commercial Officer in Greater China, following her role as Head of Finance for Philips in North America. She has a track record of driving execution and boosting performance, developing teams and delivering outstanding value to customers and partners. She is passionate about delivering quality care and contributing to sustainable healthcare in China.

Ms Liu holds a master of finance and control from Maastricht University, a master's degree in management engineering from Shanghai University, and a bachelor's degree in physics from Zhejiang University.

2023 marked the 100th anniversary of Philips in China, an achievement that stands as a testament to Philips' commitment and dedication to improving people's lives through meaningful innovation and fostering strong partnerships in China. With sustained growth and being Philips' second largest market, it has been one of the major growth engines for the company. Philips China is focused on supporting China's national health strategy, supplying hospitals with solutions for their clinical and research needs, and empowering consumers to manage their health and well-being. With the aim of better serving the Chinese market, Philips is committed to its 'In China, For China' strategy, which focuses on local innovation, manufacturing, services and partnership.

Additional information on Philips' Executive Committee can be found here .





For further information, please contact:

Ben Zwirs

Philips External Relations

Tel.: +31 6 1521 3446

E-mail: ben.zwirs@philips.com

Dorin Danu

Philips Investor Relations

Tel.: +31 20 59 77055

E-mail: dorin.danu@philips.com

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips.

Forward-looking statements

This release contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of Philips and certain of the plans and objectives of Philips with respect to these items. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements made about the strategy, estimates of sales growth, future EBITA, future developments in Philips' organic business and the completion of acquisitions and divestments. By their nature, these statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements.

Attachments
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 03, 2024's belief that the uranium industry in Canada is poised for significant expansion as nuclear energy is likely to play a pivotal role in the clean energy transformation.



The proposed acquisition by Paladin Energy, as reported by CarbonCredits.com on June 26, 2024, highlights the growing strategic importance of uranium in the global energy landscape. The article, titled "Paladin Energy Offers C$1.14 B to Canada's Fission Uranium. What does it mean for Uranium Mining?" by Saptakee S, notes:

"Australian uranium mining giant Paladin Energy Ltd. has announced a C$1.14 billion ($833 million) all-stock offer to acquire Canadian mining firm Fission Uranium Corp. Using uranium in nuclear power significantly contributes to achieving climate goals by providing reliable energy that reduces the global carbon footprint. Thus, this deal can bring a paradigm shift in uranium mining."

Peter Born, President of Bedford , commented, "The increased M&A activity in the Athabasca Basin, exemplified by Paladin's offer for Fission Uranium, is a strong signal of the market's recognition of uranium's critical role in the transition to green energy. This reinforces our belief that the Sheppard Lake project and our Ubiquity Lake and Close Lake projects are strategically valuable and warrant accelerated due diligence and exploration efforts."

The Sheppard Lake Uranium Project, located just south of the Athabasca Basin, is of particular interest to Bedford . The project's strategic location and the promising results from recent surveys at the neighbouring Ubiquity Lake have strengthened the company's confidence in its potential. Identifying key uranium markers, such as anomalous helium and methane emissions at Ubiquity Lake, provides a robust foundation for targeted exploration.

Bedford remains committed to conducting all exploration activities to the highest environmental standards. The Company is dedicated to minimizing its environmental footprint and ensuring that all operations are sustainable and responsible. Additionally, Bedford values its relationships with local communities and indigenous groups and is committed to working collaboratively to ensure that its activities bring positive benefits to these stakeholders.

As the demand for clean energy solutions continues to grow, Bedford is poised to play a significant role in the global transition towards sustainable resource development. The Company will continue to leverage innovative techniques and ramp up its exploration efforts to maximize the value of its uranium projects and contribute to the world's green energy future.

Dr. Peter Born, P.Geo., is the designated qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and the president of the Company and is responsible for and has approved the technical information contained in this release.

About Bedford Metals Corp.

Bedford Metals Corp. (TSX-V: BFM, FWB: O8D, ISIN: CA0762301012) is a mineral exploration company. We create value for our shareholders by identifying and developing highly prospective mineral exploration opportunities. Our strategy is to advance our projects from discovery to production.

The Ubiquity Lake Uranium Project, covering 1382 hectares, lies just south of the bottom lip of the Athabasca Basin, adjacent to ALX Uranium's Carpenter Lake Project to the east. Situated near the Cable Bay Shear Zone, parallel to the Virgin River Shear Zone, which hosts Cameco's Centennial uranium deposit, the project holds immense potential. Furthermore, it is located 100 km west of Cameco's past-producing Key Lake uranium mine, underscoring the strategic significance of its location.





The Close Lake Uranium Project lies on the eastern side of the Athabasca Basin, adjoining claims held by Cameco Corporation, the largest uranium producer in the world. The project is approximately 245 hectares and lies within the primary exploration corridor, which hosts the Keys Lake Mine, the Cigar Lake Mine and the McArthur River Mine. Access to the property is done through a network of roads and trails.





For further information, please contact the Company at info@bedfordmetals.com or 604-622-1199 or visit the Company's website at www.bedfordmetals.com .

On behalf of the Board,

Bedford Metals Corp.

"Peter Born"

President

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.

CONTACT:

MRKT360 INC

https://mrkt360.com

Alex Zertuche

alexz@mrkt360.com

For E.S.T Office Hours, Call 1 416-477-0587

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0d7531a8-ddf0-4ac0-9548-dacd7dc3d160

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/290fe4a9-1cee-4944-beb2-6e067557333f
Milan, Italy--(Newsfile Corp. - July 3, 2024) - Electe Srl has launched an AI-based data analytics platform to help companies achieve success through data. It provides a powerful and accessible platform for companies seeking to better interact with their data.

Electe Introduces AI-based Data Analytics Platform

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/212816_db2fb50bc4351a9e_002full.jpg

According to Fabio Lauria, the company CEO, Electe is committed to clients' success and business growth. Electe has built a reputation for helping businesses experience success with the right information.

"At Electe, we take great pride in the work we do," says Lauria.

Electe's AI-based data analytics platform is designed to revolutionize how SMEs interact with their data. It offers the following features that aim to help clients' businesses forward:

Document Analysis: Easily analyze and interpret complex documents with Electe's AI capabilities, saving time and improving accuracy.

Data Visualization Dashboards: Transform raw data into intuitive charts and customizable dashboards, making data comprehension simpler and more actionable.

Predictive Analytics: Anticipate market trends and outcomes with Electe's predictive analytics tools.

One-Click Report Generation: Electe's platform is user-friendly, featuring one-click report generation that eliminates the need for a dedicated team of experts, making advanced analytics accessible to everyone.

Transforming businesses, driving growth

Lauria reflected on the company's journey, stating, "Electe was born out of a determination to turn challenges into opportunities. Our goal is to provide businesses with the tools they need to succeed, leveraging the power of data analytics to drive growth and innovation."

For SMEs and business leaders looking for a breakthrough to elevate their business, Electe is here to help. Its AI-powered data analytics platform will transform how businesses utilize information, providing companies with the tools to stay ahead of the competition.

Electe's customer support team is ready to assist clients and answer any questions. Those ready to take their business to the next level with Electe's cutting-edge analytics platform may visit Electe's website at https://www.electe.net to begin their journey to innovation.

About Electe Srl

Electe is an Italy-based firm focused on providing AI-driven data analytics solutions. Founded by Fabio Lauria, the platform's mission is to make advanced analytics accessible to all businesses, transforming the way they interact with their data. The platform believes that with the right information, every business can achieve success.

Contact Info:

Name: Fabio Lauria

Email: info@electe.net

Organization: Electe Srl

Website: https://www.electe.net

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/212816

SOURCE: Plentisoft
LONDON, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Scorpios, the renowned beach concept and creative gathering place, in partnership with art tech pioneers HOFA Gallery, announces 'Evolving Perspectives' the second edition of their Encounters summer arts programme. Running from 18 July to 18 September, this 9-week series expands to take place across Scorpios' two stunning beachfront locations, Mykonos and the newly opened Bodrum. Featuring immersive installations and live music performances, the programme will showcase AI and visual artists, headlined by Joseph Klibansky, Random International, and Sougwen Chung - all revered for pushing the boundaries of art and technology.

Building on the success of 2023's inaugural edition launched with Turkish AI artist and director Refik Anadol, his special collaboration with the Yawanawa Indigenous communities of Brazil's Amazon, was regarded as a profound exploration of the relationship between human consciousness and nature. Over half a million people attended last year's programme, generating $3 million in artwork sales, with Refik Anadol's Yawanawa heritage project alone selling out in hours and raising $1.5 million for the preservation campaign.

HOFA Co-founder Elio D'Anna says: "The 2023 season of Encounters was a groundbreaking and very successful programme that brought together AI and digital artists, musicians, and an audience of global changemakers and creatives through a series of live performances and installations.

"This year's 'Evolving Perspectives' programme continues to push boundaries, making it the most exciting synchronisation of visual art and cultural engagement, while also delivering a very powerful message on the power of AI and human-machine collaboration to help us achieve a more harmonious coexistence with nature."

The Mykonos lineup headlines Dutch contemporary artist Joseph Klibansky from 18-21 July 2024. Celebrated for his innovative use of technology in art and sculpture, will present 'Tree of Life' merging digital art with environmental stewardship. This collection creates a unified visual narrative rich in depth and storytelling, featuring intricate patterns and vibrant colours inspired by nature. The new 'Tree of Life' collection includes a large-scale video sculpture installation to be exhibited at Scorpios Mykonos, along with 1,000 unique digitally painted fine art prints with a matching digital companion. Each artwork boasts its own unique traits, ensuring every piece is one-of-a-kind.

Moreover, Klibansky combines visual art with environmental awareness. For every artwork sold, the partnering non-profit One Tree Planted will plant physical trees in the Amazon.

In Bodrum between 22-25 August 2024, the art group Random International, a German duo with studios in London and Stockholm, will present an immersive installation that invites visitors to engage physically with a seemingly sentient, digital swarm. Titled 'When Tomorrow Comes', the work features a custom tracking system and flocking algorithm to create an interactive digital sculpture blending technology with human perception and interaction. 3 sets of 150 limited signed edition prints of 'When Tomorrow Comes' will be available for purchase.

A global name in human-machine collaboration, and multi-award winning Chinese-Canadian artist Sougwen ?? Chung will perform a live showcase with the robotic system D.O.U.G. (Drawing Operations Unit Generation at Scorpios Bodrum between 5-8 September 2024. The single scheduled performance during that weekend offers a unique opportunity to experience their groundbreaking collaborative work. Chung's innovative approach to combining human artistry with AI technology has earned them international acclaim, including a spot on TIME Magazine's TIME100 AI list as one of the world's most influential people in AI and the TIME Impact Award 2024.

Accompanying the performance will be the debut of 'Genesis II: Body Machine', a collection of unique artworks. The works in 'Body Machine' speculate on the future of the robotic form intertwined with the human body. Each bespoke work is generated from the artist's drawing choreography captured in three dimensions and paired with exclusive signed prints.

All prints and digital artworks will be available for purchase through Scorpios Collect.

The headline artist events are also supported by a programme of featured AI and visual artists, encompassing music into these collaborative events, they will take place throughout the 2024 summer season in both Mykonos and Bodrum.

Scorpios Co-Founder Thomas Heyne says: "We use digital art to create holistic experiences. Interaction and immersion enhance the overall experience, taking guests on a journey where they feel inspired. We are excited to welcome Joseph Klibansky, Random International, and Sougwen Chung to this year's Encounters program, showcasing how AI can teach us about living in harmony with nature."

WWW.THEHOUSEOFFINEART.COM

WWW.SCORPIOS.COM

WWW.SCORPIOS.COM/ENCOUNTERS

WWW.SCORPIOSCOLLECT.COM

Media contact:Emma-Louise O'Neill; emmalouise@thehouseoffineart.com; +44 7515 136909

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2452902/Tree_of_Life_Joesph_Klibanksy_HOFA_Gallery.jpg

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/scorpios-summer-cultural-series-redefines-ai--visual-art-in-mykonos--bodrum-302188305.html
During its annual event "BIG UP", French Tech Saint-Etienne Lyon awarded the BIG Start-up of the Year trophy, honoring a start-up that exemplifies the region's innovation and richness.

French Tech Saint-Etienne Lyon, a non-profit association established in 2015, promotes the creation, growth, and internationalization of innovative companies in Lyon and Saint-Etienne.

Designated as one of the 17 French Tech Capitals by the French government until 2026, it follows the roadmap of La Mission French Tech under the Ministry of Economy, integrating the Lyon St Etienne region into a network of over 100 French Tech Communities across five continents.

French Tech Capitals and Communities serve as entry points for French start-ups into the global French Tech ecosystem.

On June 17, during the French Tech Saint-Etienne Lyon board meeting, which included founders and CEOs of local start-ups and innovation stakeholders like incubators, clusters, and large corporations, Brenus Pharma was named BIG Start-up of the Year.

"By winning this award, Brenus Pharma stood out among 12 shortlisted candidates, meeting criteria of innovation and positive impact on our territory. We are proud to have Brenus Pharma among our members, now recognized as a promising player in our network, perfectly reflecting the values of La Mission French Tech," said Lucie Texier, General Delegate of French Tech Saint-Etienne Lyon.

About French Tech Saint-Etienne Lyon:

Alongside actors supporting innovation, French Tech Saint-Etienne Lyon unites and animates the local ecosystem. It contributes to environmental and social transitions for a sustainable and inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship territory. The association has over 539 members, including 475 start-ups and 64 public and private partners.

About Brenus Pharma

Brenus Pharma is a French biotech developing a pioneering discovery platform, Stimulated-Tumor-Cell (STC), leading the way to a new generation of therapeutic cancer vaccines.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240703702575/en/

Contacts:

Marion BRUN

contact@brenus-pharma.com
MILAN, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GTP Bioways Group is a French company operating as Biotech CDMO (Contract Developing and Manufacturing Organisation), specialising in R&D Services, process development and production of mAbs, enzymes, proteins, nanodrugs, ADCs and F&F. GTP Bioways Group, with multiple locations across France, specializes in delivering comprehensive services to biopharmaceutical companies. From preclinical development to commercial stages, the group focuses on utilizing cutting-edge technologies to advance innovative therapies.



GTP Bioways Group's services are seamlessly integrated with those of the Olon Biotech division. This integration enables Olon Biotech to expand and diversify its technological offerings, supporting every stage of the lifecycle, from R&D and preclinical phases to industrialization, through microbial and mammalian fermentation and biotherapeutics. Additionally, Olon Biotech will provide comprehensive services for the development and production of innovative ADC classes, offering a complete solution from mAbs to linkers, payloads, conjugation, and fill-and-finish processes.

GTP Bioways operates a total of four sites in France (Toulouse, Labege, Veyre-Monton, and Saint-Julien-en-Genevois) focused on development, clinical trial and cGMP manufacturing. The headquarters are based in Toulouse.

The four centers operate according to the highest quality standards, in line with reference GMPs and are regularly inspected by the relevant regulatory authorities.

The business areas on which GTP Bioways focuses include biologics manufacturing and ADC manufacturing (using mammalian and microbial fermentation technology), nanodrug manufacturing, fill and finish and analytical development - including HCP and immuno assay. In particular, the company has consolidated a strong expertise in the business areas in which it operates. Evidenced by a significative number of successfully developed biological processes, the management of a broad and diversified range of expression systems (mammalian, bacterial, yeast, insect cells) and molecules (mAbs, antibody fragments, cytokines, fusion proteins, enzymes, antigens). In addition, the group possesses significant expertise in bioconjugation and fill & finish. The CDMO services offered make up an integrated platform capable of supporting customers from drug discovery, through the entire development process with a special focus on the pre-clinical phase, phase I and phase II.

Since its foundation, Olon Group has consistently pursued a strategy of growth, consolidation, and global market expansion through both internal development and strategic acquisitions. Each acquired business has contributed valuable expertise, enhancing Olon's technological capabilities. In line with this strategy and aiming to advance its innovative and high-tech offerings to customers, Olon has acquired GTP Bioways Group. GTP Bioways Group's specific capabilities in fully supporting CDMO biotechnology projects also in the early phase of new molecule development (pre-clinical, phase I and phase II), perfectly complements Olon's current assets, to enrich and broaden the offering to customers.

"The acquisition of GTP Bioways Group implies a strong and significant strengthening of Olon's service pipeline with the aim of creating new business opportunities, acquiring new customers and high-potential market areas, and ultimately continuing the company's growth," stated Paolo Tubertini, CEO, Olon Group.

In Q3 2024, Olon will finalise its 25m investment in a facility operating under extremely high containment, fully dedicated to the development and the production of Ultra High Potent API - payloads and payload-linkers for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Olon relies on more than four decades of experience in manufacturing cytotoxic products. With the acquisition of GTP Bioways, Olon Biotech will be able to offer full services for the development and production of ADCs, capable of supplying everything from mAbs to linkers, payloads, conjugation and fill and finish.

Contact info - Sabrina Spina, Olon Press Office. sspina@olonspa.it / +39 338 6674289
HOD HASHARON, Israel and LUXEMBOURG, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TIGI (TASE: TIGI), a provider of renewable heat generation and storage solutions and services with offices in Israel and Austria, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a partnership with Eren Groupe , a leading global player in energy transition. Eren will participate in a fundraising round to become a minority shareholder of TIGI and boost its growth. Furthermore, the two companies will set up dedicated platforms for developing, financing, and operating renewable heat projects via an innovative Heat-as-a-Service model, making clean energy accessible and affordable for industries globally. Up to 40M Euros will be made available for equity financing of projects providing capacity to finance projects valued at 100M Euros.

As the energy market transitions from natural gas to renewable energy, the heat sector has become a focal point, representing a large share of global energy demand. Recent developments, particularly in the wake of the war in Ukraine, have triggered an increased drive for transition away from fossil fuels.

TIGI has recently completed the acquisition of Austrian-based SOLID, a leader in large-scale solar thermal heating systems. TIGI and SOLID installed over 250 systems in over 30 countries and cater to a variety of industries and geographies. Finalizing the agreement with Eren, a pioneer of renewable energies in Europe, creates a combined global partnership that spans technology leadership, global execution, and strong financial capacity.

"We are pleased to be partnering with TIGI to jointly form a first-of-its-kind renewable heat project platform," commented Yonatan Shek, Managing Director of Eren Groupe. "We believe that large-scale renewable thermal energy presents a considerable global opportunity that was previously underserved but has recently gained momentum. I believe that by joining all three companies' expertise, technology, and know-how, we set the premise for the next important step of our journey to facilitate the energy transition and a route for further decarbonization."

Zvika Klier, CEO of TIGI, states, "This marks the dawn of a pivotal journey for TIGI. We are excited to join forces with Eren to provide a platform for Heat-as-a-Service projects. This collaboration and the recent announcement with SOLID take us one step closer to being a renewable heat powerhouse, offering end-to-end solutions globally. With a tightly focused international team and projects spanning multiple continents, TIGI is set to make a significant impact on the global transition to clean energy."

About TIGI

TIGI develops renewable heat generation and storage solutions and services, generating savings and reducing environmental impact. It supplies efficient systems that include its own patented and highly efficient solar thermal collectors, industrial heat pumps, smart storage, and cloud services. For more information, please visit www.tigisolar.com

About Eren Groupe

Over the past 20 years, Paris Mouratoglou, David Corchia and their teams have significantly contributed to the expansion of new and renewable energy sources. They have executed projects with a combined capacity of more than 15 GW through ambitious and successful partnerships forged with major energy companies, notably EDF and TotalEnergies, as well as local businesses and entrepreneurs in over 40 countries. In recent years, Eren has been broadening the scope of its ambitions to become a key player in the energy transition and decarbonization. For more information: www.eren-groupe.com

For media inquiries, please contact:

TIGI

Noa Rozental

marketing@tigisolar.com

Eren Groupe

Brunswick Group

Sarah Levy-Quentin

EREN@brunswickgroup.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/tigi-enters-into-a-strategic-partnership-with-eren-groupe-to-meet-growing-demand-for-renewable-heat-solutions-302188764.html
JERSEY CITY, N.J., July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. announces the release of a market assessment report on the "Direct Primary Care Market"- By Type (Clinical Services,Telehealth Services, Laboratory Services, Consultative Services),Care Setting (Office-Based DPC Practices, Home-Based DPC Practices, Telehealth-Only DPC Practices, Hybrid DPC Practices), End Users (Individuals, Employers, Small Businesses, Large Corporations, Insurance Companies (offering DPC as part of their plans)), Region, Market Outlook And Industry Analysis 2031."

Global Direct Primary Care Market is estimated to reach over USD 80.4 billion by 2031, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.50% during the forecast period.

The Direct Primary Care (DPC) market refers to the sector of the healthcare industry focused on the delivery and consumption of primary care services through a direct payment model between patients and healthcare providers. In DPC, patients typically pay a periodic fee (monthly or annually) to their primary care physician or practice, which covers a wide range of basic medical services. These services often include preventive care, routine check-ups, chronic disease management, urgent care visits, and sometimes telehealth consultations, depending on the practice.

Patients pay providers directly for primary care services, bypassing traditional fee-for-service payments typically mediated by insurance companies. DPC practices aim to provide comprehensive and accessible care without the administrative complexities associated with insurance billing.

Download Free Report Brochure with ToC and Excel Pivot: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/2559

List of Prominent Players in the Direct Primary Care Market:

One Medical

Oak Street Health

Paladina Health

Forward Health

Crossover Health

EverMed

Plum Health

Nextera Healthcare

Boston Direct Health

PeakMed

Market Dynamics:

Drivers:

Direct Primary Care (DPC) stands out for its emphasis on personalized care and fostering stronger patient-physician relationships, which allows for more time and attention per patient visit compared to traditional healthcare models. By operating outside the conventional insurance framework, DPC effectively reduces the administrative burden associated with billing and coding, enabling physicians to dedicate more focus to patient care.

This streamlined approach not only enhances the patient experience but also meets the growing demand for healthcare that is personalized, accessible, and affordable. As a result, alternative models like DPC are experiencing increasing adoption and growth, driven by patient preferences for comprehensive, relationship-centered care that prioritizes their individual health needs.

Challenges:

Many patients and healthcare providers remain unfamiliar with the DPC model. Educating both groups about the benefits and mechanics of DPC is crucial but often requires significant effort and resources. Establishing and maintaining a DPC practice requires careful financial planning. Setting appropriate membership fees that cover operational costs while remaining affordable for patients can be challenging, especially in areas with varying socioeconomic conditions.

Regional Trends:

The traditional healthcare system's strain, including long wait times and administrative burdens, has led patients and providers to seek more efficient and patient-centered care options like DPC. In the United States, where healthcare costs remain disproportionately high, both employers and individuals are increasingly turning to DPC's flat fee model as an attractive and affordable option. Favorable regulatory conditions and policies supporting telehealth and innovative healthcare models have further bolstered the adoption of DPC, facilitating easier access to care and enhancing the overall patient experience.

Curious about this latest version of the report? @ https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/enquiry-before-buying/2559

Recent Developments:

In May,2024, Plum Health Direct Primary Care, A Detroit-based health services company is branching out into three additional mid-Michigan regions, providing individuals, families, and employers with enhanced-access primary care memberships.

Plum Health Direct Primary Care, A Detroit-based health services company is branching out into three additional mid-Michigan regions, providing individuals, families, and employers with enhanced-access primary care memberships. In Nov, 2023, Forward Health launches CarePods, a standalone medical facility driven by AI. Without a physician or nurse present, take a blood test, monitor your blood pressure, and swab for diseases.

Direct Primary Care Market Report Scope:

Report Attribute Specifications Market Size Value In 2023 USD 57.3 Bn Revenue Forecast In 2031 USD 80.4 Bn Growth Rate CAGR CAGR of 4.50% from 2024 to 2031 Quantitative Units Representation of revenue in US$ Bn and CAGR from 2024 to 2031 Historic Year 2019 to 2023 Forecast Year 2024-2031 Report Coverage The forecast of revenue, the position of the company, the competitive market structure, growth prospects, and trends Segments Covered By Type, By Care Setting, By End user, By Region. Regional Scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; Middle East & Africa

Segmentation of Direct Primary Care Market.

Global Direct Primary Care Market - By Type

Clinical Services

Telehealth Services

Laboratory Services

Consultative Services

Others

Global Direct Primary Care Market - Care Setting

Office-Based DPC Practices

Home-Based DPC Practices (including house calls)

Telehealth-Only DPC Practices

Hybrid DPC Practices

Global Direct Primary Care Market - End Users

Individuals

Employers

Small Businesses

Large Corporations

Insurance Companies (offering DPC as part of their plans)

Global Direct Primary Care Market - By Region

North America-

The US

Canada

Mexico

Europe-

Germany

The UK

France

Italy

Spain

Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific-

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Southeast Asia

Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America-

Brazil

Argentina

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa-

GCC Countries

South Africa

Rest of the Middle East and Africa

For More Customization @ https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/customisation/2559

Why should buy this report:

To receive a comprehensive analysis of the prospects for global Direct Primary Care market

To receive industry overview and future trends of global Direct Primary Care market

To analyze the Direct Primary Care market drivers and challenges

To get information on the Direct Primary Care market size value (US$ Mn) forecast till 2031.

Major Investments, Mergers & Acquisition in global Direct Primary Care industry

Other Related Reports Published by InsightAce Analytic:

Hospital-At-Home Market

Acute Care Telemedicine Market

mHealth Solutions Market

Urgent Care Apps Market

Chemotherapy At Home Services Market

About Us:

InsightAce Analytic is a market research and consulting firm that enables clients to make strategic decisions. Our qualitative and quantitative market intelligence solutions inform the need for market and competitive intelligence to expand businesses. We help clients gain competitive advantage by identifying untapped markets, exploring new and competing technologies, segmenting potential markets and repositioning products. Our expertise is in providing syndicated and custom market intelligence reports with an in-depth analysis with key market insights in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Contact Us:

InsightAce Analytic PVT. LTD

Tel.: +1 551 226 6109

Email: info@insightaceanalytic.com

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insightace-analytic-pvt-ltd/

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1729637/InsightAce_Analytic_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/direct-primary-care-market-size-to-reach-usd-80-4-billion-by-2031--latest-report-by-insightace-analytic-pvt-ltd-302188775.html
MUNICH, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sungrow, the global leading PV inverter and energy storage system provider, is proud to announce that its subsidiary company, Sungrow Deutschland GMBH has been included in the Most Wanted Employer 2024 list by Zeit Verlagsgruppe in cooperation with Kununu.

Sungrow Deutschland GMBH is listed on the 17th place out of 1,.200 companies, first within its category, "Energy". The company received an impressive score of 4.85 out of 5, confirming its high standards for the wellbeing of its employees. The ZEIT publishing group has developed the "Most Wanted Employer" in collaboration with the employer rating platform Kununu, providing an independent and reliable metric that could help employees find their future ideal employer.

"We are thrilled to receive the Most Wanted Employer Award, as it highlights our steadfast commitment to prioritizing our employees' wellbeing in line with our mission of 'Clean Power for All,'" said Mr. Moritz Rolf, Vice-President of Sungrow Europe, responsible for DACH, BENELUX, CEE, Nordics and Turkey. "The ongoing success of Sungrow Deutschland and our global teams is a reflection of their dedication and hard work. We celebrate this accomplishment and extend our heartfelt gratitude to each team member for their invaluable contributions."

The well-being, fair treatment and strong professional development of its employees sits at the core of Sungrow's strategy. Sungrow is dedicated to fostering a supportive environment that promotes growth, respects diversity, and nurtures every team member's potential. The company has received globally a number of distinctions for its working environment and human resources ethics.

Over the past 27 years, Sungrow has been focusing on the main business of new energy, continuing to convert natural resources into stable and convenient clean energy through technological innovation and application practice, and building a bridge of connection, hoping to connect more upstream, downstream and ecological partners, and work together to build a sustainable future.

About Sungrow

Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. ("Sungrow") is a global leading PV inverter and ESS provider with over?515?GW of power electronic converters installed worldwide as of?December?2023. Founded in 1997 by University Professor Cao Renxian, Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and ESS for utility-scale, commercial & industrial, and residential applications, as well as internationally recognized floating PV plant solutions, NEV driving solutions, EV charging solutions and renewable hydrogen production systems. With a strong 27-year track record in the PV space, Sungrow's products power over 170 countries worldwide.?For more information about Sungrow, visit www.sungrowpower.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2453462/image_1.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2453463/Sungrow.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2439560/Logo_Sungrow_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/sungrow-deutschland-earns-the-top-position-in-its-category-on-the-most-wanted-employer-2024-list-302188781.html
DUSSELDORF, Germany, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Geekplus, the global leader in mobile robot and smart logistics solutions, has collaborated with Korber to deploy more than 20 autonomous mobile robots for the wine distributor Hawesko Group. The project brings warehouse automation to the company's Tornech, Germany, facility, where in-house logistics service provider IWL handles 20 million bottles of wine and champagne annually.

With this new implementation, Geekplus robots now operate 330 shelves across an expanded 6,000-square-meter area.

"Geekplus is proud to continue our longstanding partnership with Korber, which has now grown to more than 3,000 robots deployed in eleven countries," said Geekplus' Simon Houghton. "We work together to create unique solutions for customers like the Hawesko Group, helping them solve the challenges they currently face while enabling them to easily scale up their level of automation to meet future demands."

Through the integrated interaction of modern software and automation, the Hawesko Group has increased warehouse performance by 50 percent. Behind the scenes, all operational warehouse processes converge on Korber's digital logistics platform. The WMS acts as an operational hub, while the subdivided Unified Control System (UCS) optimizes the control of the automated technology portfolio and creates extended communication interfaces to the robotics application. Because of this, pick performance in the expanded area has more than doubled.

"Given the growth in online retail, the importance of efficient processes to support e-commerce fulfillment has increased significantly. High-performing and resource-efficient solutions are required to address increasing customer demands and seasonal fluctuations," said Michael Brandl, Executive Vice President Software EMEA at Korber Business Area Supply Chain. "The new solution accomplished this for the Hawesko Group through an integrated combination of WMS, AMR technology and UCS."

Mobile order fulfillment robots have consistently proven themselves in the logistics services segment. By using any of Geekplus' suite of Goods-to-Person solutions, companies find their storage space can be used up to 30 percentmore effectively. Additional robots can be integrated without any interruptions to operations.

"Compared to the use of conventional automation solutions, the expansion in Tornesch proved to be the most economically effective solution, creating not only additional storage capacity but also the necessary freedom for future expansion," explained Frederick Paulsen, Project Manager Information Logistics at IWL. "Capacities for up to 100 additional racks, which corresponds to approximately 40,000 additional article items, are possible in the future in the existing space."

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2453058/Geekplus_1.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2373458/4793687/Geekplus_logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/geek-and-korber-accelerate-e-commerce-warehouse-operations-at-hawesko-group-302188267.html
This photo released by relatives on March 21, shows the family who was killed in a crash in San Franciscos West Portal: Matilde Moncada Ramos Pinto, 38, and her husband, Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, 40, with their two sons: 3-month-old Caue and 1-year-old Joaquin. Courtesy photo People board the bus near a large memorial on the corner of Ulloa Street and Lennox Way in the West Portal neighborhood of San Francisco, where Matilde Moncada Ramos Pinto, 38, her husband, Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, 40, and their sons, 3-month-old Caue and 2-year-old Joaquim were killed March 16 when an SUV crashed into the bus stop as they waited on their way to the zoo. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

San Francisco prosecutors said Tuesday that they filed felony vehicular manslaughter charges against the woman accused of striking and killing a family of four in the citys West Portal neighborhood in March.

Prosecutors said Mary Fong Lau, 78, was driving 65-72 mph and apparently did not attempt to slow down when she slammed into the bus shelter where the Brazilian Portuguese family was waiting for a bus to the San Francisco Zoo.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

After a lengthy review of the evidence in the case, prosecutors said they did not believe mechanical failures accounted for the crash. They found Lau to be at fault and charged her Tuesday with four counts of felony vehicular manslaughter, according to the San Francisco District Attorneys Office.

This was a horrific incident, and we all know the impact it had on the family and the entire city, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said at a news conference where the charges were announced Tuesday afternoon. Lau had not been arrested as of Tuesday afternoon, but Scott said officers were attempting to bring her into custody.

Investigators looked at every aspect of the case and could not find any evidence indicating the SUV malfunctioned, Scott said.

Toxicology tests indicated that drugs and alcohol were not a factor in the crash, prosecutors said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

While this news is very difficult to take in, Ms. Lau appreciates that the District Attorneys Office and SFPD didnt rush in their decision making process and conducted a thorough investigation, Laus attorney, Sam Geller, said in a statement.

This tragedy is something that Ms. Lau continues to mourn while she learns to live with this unspeakable reality. She extends her condolences to the entire family, friends and community of the Oliveira-Pinto family. Now that the decision has been made by the District Attorneys Office to press charges, we will review the evidence and take it one step at a time in presenting her defense, Geller said.

Police secure an area around West Portal Station after a fatal car crash involving an SUV in San Francisco. Benjamin Fanjoy/The Chronicle

Laus 2014 GLK-Series Mercedes SUV allegedly veered into an oncoming lane of traffic and then plowed onto the sidewalk at high speed, nicking the West Portal Library before barreling into the waiting family on March 16, police said.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said she wanted to ensure the investigation was conducted properly and thoroughly to rule out medical or mechanical issues before making a charging decision.



We have evidence the vehicle was traveling at excessive speeds far outside the norm, Jenkins said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The father and 1-year-old son were killed on impact. The mother and infant son died in the days after. They were identified by the San Francisco medical examiners office as Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, 40, of Brazil; Matilde Moncada Ramos Pinto, 38, of Portugal; Joaquin Ramos Pinto de Oliveira, 1; and Caue Ramos Pinto de Oliveira, 3 months.

The details of the case proved disquieting for many San Francisco residents, some of whom brought flowers and stuffed animals to a sprawling memorial erected at the scene of the crash at the intersection at Ulloa Street and Lenox Way.

Although the crash occurred about a block away from the West Portals main shopping district, the incident became a catalyst for a long-discussed overhaul of neighborhood road crossings on West Portal Avenue, where traffic and Muni trains routinely get waylaid in the street, and pedestrians have to stay on high alert in the crosswalk. The overhaul stalled amid neighborhood backlash.

Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who represents West Portal, said she was relieved the family and the community could get some closure.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
PORT VILA, Vanuatu, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading multi-asset broker, Vantage Markets (or Vantage), is pleased to announce it has been awarded the 'Best Multi-Asset Broker' award at the Online Money Awards. This recognition reflects Vantage Markets' ongoing commitment to providing a high-quality trading environment and good value to its community of traders worldwide.

Over the years, the broker has built a reputation for reliability and trustworthiness. Its dedication to high standards and continuous improvement has earned it a loyal client base. Traders worldwide value the comprehensive educational resources and customer support that Vantage provides, which help them make informed decisions and enhance their trading skills.

By ensuring transparency in fees, and regularly upgrading its platform, Vantage aims to provide competitive trading conditions tailored to the varied needs of modern traders. The platform also delivers real-time market data, ultra-fast execution speeds, a user-friendly interface, and advanced trading tools, which are essential for effective trading. The company's commitment to security and compliance further ensures that clients' funds and personal information are protected.

Marc Despallieres, Chief Strategy & Trading Officer at Vantage, says, "We are deeply honoured to receive the 'Best Multi-Asset Broker' award from the Online Money Awards. At Vantage, we strive to provide the best trading environment for our clients, where informed decision-making is integral to our services. This award reflects our team's dedication to offering superior trading solutions and innovative services across a diverse range of financial instruments.

"Thank you, Holiston Media, for this recognition. We remain committed to setting new industry benchmarks and delivering exceptional value to our extensive community of traders worldwide, who trust in our brand. Our platform is designed for efficient trade execution with low latency, catering to the diverse trading needs of our global community of traders."

For more information about Vantage and its services, please visit www.vantagemarkets.com .

About Vantage

Vantage Markets (or Vantage) is a multi-asset broker offering clients access to a nimble and powerful service for trading Contracts for Difference (CFDs) products, including Forex, Commodities, Indices, Shares, ETFs, and Bonds.

With over 13 years of market experience, Vantage transcends the role of broker, providing a trusted trading ecosystem, an award-winning mobile trading app , and a user-friendly trading platform that empowers clients to seize trading opportunities. Download the Vantage App on App Store or Google Play.

trade smarter @vantage

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2453092/Vantage_award.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1745281/Vantage_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/vantage-markets-honoured-with-best-multi-asset-broker-award-at-online-money-awards-2024-302188608.html
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!
LONDON and CAIRO, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Gupshup, the world's leading Conversation Cloud, in collaboration with Meta, the Sudan Medical Specialization Board and non-profit Shabaka today announced the launch of a telemedicine chatbot providing healthcare access for Sudanese refugees in Egypt, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, , Libya, Djibouti and other neighboring countries. The innovative solution aims to bridge the gap in healthcare services for the Sudanese refugee population.

The ongoing conflict and violence in Sudan has forced over 8.6 million people to flee their homes, with many seeking refuge in neighboring countries

This initiative aims to address the urgent healthcare needs of over 800,000 Sudanese refugees who currently have limited access to essential medical services in Egypt and its neighboring countries. By leveraging the chatbot, patients can now connect with healthcare professionals via WhatsApp, making medical assistance more accessible and efficient.

The chatbot, accessible through WhatsApp via a web URL or QR code, will be promoted by participating doctors and Shabaka, a non-profit organization which is a part of the Africa Foundation of Development (AFFORD) based in the UK. After providing initial information, patients are routed to a triage team of healthcare professionals who evaluate their issues before connecting them to one of over 18 specialty doctors supporting the service.

The telemedicine chatbot provides a seamless omnichannel experience for refugees to connect with medical professionals from any internet-enabled device in a secure and regulatory-compliant manner. It currently supports Arabic and English, with additional languages to be added based on demand.

"We are honored to be part of this humanitarian project that aims to provide essential healthcare services to Sudanese refugees in need. By leveraging the power of conversational AI and the reach of WhatsApp, we can make a significant impact on the lives of these individuals who have faced immense challenges. This project is a testament to our belief that technology can be a force for good, and we are dedicated to continuing our efforts to support humanitarian causes around the world," said Beerud Sheth, Founder & CEO of Gupshup.

"The partnership with Gupshup and Meta allowed several Sudanese medical professionals to successfully engage in our very effective telemedicine program to service civilians in need following the eruption of the war and various challenges in accessing healthcare services", said Dr Sara Ibrahim Abdelgalil, Senior Advisor and Project Lead- Telemedicine at Shabaka.

With the launch of the chatbot, Gupshup, Shabaka and the Sudan Medical Specialization Board hope to make a positive impact on the lives of refugees and inspire others to join the effort to improve healthcare access for vulnerable populations worldwide. The telemedicine chatbot is a shining example of how technology can be leveraged to address pressing social issues and improve the lives of those in need. By providing a convenient and accessible platform for healthcare access, this initiative has the potential to transform the lives of thousands of Sudanese refugees in the region.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2453094/Gupshup.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2182479/Gupshup_Logo.jpg

Contact:

Vandana

Vandana.v@gupshup.io

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/gupshup-and-meta-along-with-sudan-medical-specialization-board-and-shabaka-launch-telemedicine-chatbot-for-sudanese-refugees-302188802.html
CHICAGO, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Anti-Migrating Agent Market by Type (Non-ionic, Anionic, Cationic, Amphoteric), Grades (Technical, Food, Pharmaceutical), Application, Chemistry (Organic, Inorganic), End-Use Industry (Textile, Plastics, Paper), and Region - Global Forecast to 2029", size is projected to reach USD 224 million by 2029 from USD 159 million in 2024, at a CAGR of 7.0% during the forecast period. The major drivers for the anti-migrating market are burgeoning demand in the textile industry, the rise in digital printing applications, and the increased focus on high-quality, durable products. The textile industry relies heavily on anti-migrating agents to ensure color fastness and prevent dye migration, which is critical for maintaining the quality and appeal of textiles. As textile markets expand globally, the need for effective anti-migrating agent continues to grow.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Anti-Migrating Agent Market"

157 - Tables

79 - Figures

240 - Pages

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=18108292

The amphoteric agent type is the fastest growing type, in terms of value, during the forecast period.

The amphoteric agent segment is estimated to be the fastest-growing product type in the anti-migrating market due to its versatile nature. Amphoteric agents, which can carry both positive and negative charges depending on the pH, offer versatility in their application. This adaptability makes them suitable for processes that require stability across varying pH levels. Amphoteric agents are often used in complex textile treatments and specialty coatings where pH variations can occur.

Based on application, digital printing is the fastest growing application in terms of value in the anti-migrating market.

Digital printing application is the fastest-growing application in anti-migrating market due to the high demand for high-quality digital prints on fabrics and other materials has surged with advancements in printing technology. Anti-migrating agent ensures that the inks used in digital printing do not spread or blur, providing sharp and clear images. This application is particularly important in the fashion industry, custom apparel, and home textiles where precise and vibrant prints are highly valued.

Based on chemistry, the organic segment is the second fastest growing chemistry in the anti-migrating market.

Organic chemistry is estimated to be the second fastest growing end-use industry of the anti-migrating market, due to the growing demand from textile and printing industries. One of the major advantages of organic anti-migrating agents is their biodegradability and lower environmental impact compared to inorganic agents. This characteristic aligns with the growing demand for eco-friendly solutions in various industries. However, organic agents can sometimes be less stable under extreme conditions, such as high temperatures or strong chemical exposure, which can limit their application in certain scenarios.

Based on source, natural segment the is the fastest growing source in the anti-migrating market.

The natural segment is estimated to be the fastest-growing source in the anti-migrating market, due to the growing demand for eco-friendly products. Natural anti-migrating agents, derived from natural materials like plant extracts, biopolymers, and other renewable resources, these agents provide an environmentally sustainable solution that meets the growing demand for green and sustainable textile production. These agents are biodegradable and typically have a lower environmental impact compared to their synthetic counterparts. Incorporating these agents allows the textile industry to enhance the quality and durability of dyed fabrics while supporting sustainable and eco-friendly manufacturing practices.

Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=18108292

Based on grade, pharma grade is estimated to be the fastest-growing segment of the anti-migrating market.

The pharma grade is estimated to be the fastest growing grade in the anti-migrating market. These agents are used to prevent the unwanted migration of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) or excipients during the manufacturing and storage processes of various pharmaceutical products, including tablets, capsules, and topical formulations. Formulated with high purity and consistency, pharma-grade anti-migrating agents ensure the stability and uniform distribution of APIs within the product, which is critical for maintaining efficacy and safety. They are developed to comply with regulatory requirements set by authorities such as the FDA and EMA, ensuring that they are free from contaminants and impurities.

Based on end-use industry, textile end-use industry is estimated to be the fastest-growing segment of the anti-migrating market.

The textile industry is estimated to be the fastest growing end-use industry of the anti-migrating market, due to the increasing consumer demand for high-quality, durable textiles and the rise of e-commerce. Additionally, advancements in textile manufacturing technologies, such as digital printing and sustainable dyeing processes, are further boosting the demand for effective anti-migrating agent. Moreover, the textile industry increasingly demands sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions. Many modern anti-migrating agents are developed to be biodegradable and non-toxic, aligning with the industry's move towards greener practices. This not only helps in reducing the environmental impact of textile production but also meets consumer preferences for eco-friendly products.

Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region, in terms of value, during the forecast period in the anti-migrating market.

Asia Pacific represents the fastest-growing region in the anti-migrating market during the forecast period due to its robust industrial base, particularly in textiles. Countries like China, India, and Bangladesh are major global players in textile manufacturing, producing vast quantities of garments and fabrics that require high-quality dyeing and printing processes. The textile industry's growth in these countries necessitates the extensive use of anti-migrating agent to ensure the quality and durability of textile products. Additionally, the increasing adoption of digital printing technologies in Asia Pacific is boosting the demand for anti-migrating agents. Digital printing requires precise control over dye and pigment behavior to achieve high-resolution prints, making anti-migrating agents essential. China's leadership in technology adoption and innovation in manufacturing processes further supports this trend.

Request Customization: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=18108292

Market Players

Some of the key players in the global anti-migrating market are SNF (Germany), Rudolf GmbH (Indonesia), Zschimmer & Schwarz Holding GmbH & Co KG (Germany), Sarex Chemicals (India), Archroma (Switzerland) and others. These players have adopted various strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, and expansion to strengthen their market position.

Browse Adjacent Market: Specialty Chemicals Market Research Reports

Related Reports:

TEXTILE CHEMICALS MARKET - Global Forecast to 2026

FABRIC FINISHING CHEMICALS MARKET - Global Forecast to 2024

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

Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/anti-migrating-agent-market.asp

Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/

Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/anti-migrating-agent.asp

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1951202/4609423/MarketsandMarkets.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/anti-migrating-agent-market-worth-224-million-by-2029--exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-302188691.html
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 3, 2024) - Therma Bright Inc. (TSXV: THRM) (OTCQB: TBRIF) ("Therma" or the "Company"), a developer and investment partner in a wide range of leading-edge, proprietary diagnostic and medical device technologies, is pleased to provide a market update on the state of the business, including:

$1,000,000 CAD private placement capital raise,

Venowave's pending HCPCS and CPT codes update,

Digital Cough Analyzer, powered by AI4LYF, update,

InStatin and Inretio investment updates, and

Company's Strategic Review progress.

$1M CAD Private Placement Capital Raise:

As announced on June 10 and June 21, 2024, Therma Bright closed the first and second tranches of a $1,000,000 CAD private placement capital fundraising effort, securing $854,500 CAD and $145,500 CAD, respectively. The proceeds from the offering will be used for investment in the Digital Cough Analyzer (DCA) and InStatin Inc., as well as to cover outstanding company debts and costs associated with investor relations, and general working capital.

Venowave's Pending HCPCS and CPT codes:

On Wednesday, May 29, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, held its First Biannual 2024 Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Public Meeting and proposed pricing for the Venowave VW5, assigning a new HCPCS Level II code. The Company agreed with the proposed pricing and code designation, and looks forward to the prospect of receiving approval for the permanent HCPCS and CPT codes.

MarketDigital research projected the deep vein thrombosis global market alone to "reach USD 1554.91 Million by 2032". This was further confirmed by a January 2024 ResearchAndMarkets global report that stated, "the deep vein thrombosis market is expected to see steady growth in the next few years. It will grow to USD $1.26 billion in 2028." And this is only one (1) market of nine (9) circulatory issues the Venowave codes will cover.

Digital Cough Analyzer powered by AI4LYF:

Therma Bright will be working with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on its formal 513(g) request to obtain information regarding the classification and regulatory requirements for its acoustic AI-powered Digital Cough Analyzer (DCA) technology. The Company looks to deploy the DCA as a remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) solution. In a 2023 Precedence Research report, the "global respiratory monitoring devices market size accounted for USD $1.50 billion in 2022, and it is expected to hit around USD 2.99 billion by 2032".

Inretio and InStatin Investments Update:

Progress continues with Inretio's Preva ischemic stroke device and InStatin's chronic lung and asthma treatment solution. As formerly announced, Therma Bright is excited about its investment of just over 8%% in Inretio and 17% in InStatin, as the market outlook for both spaces is very promising. iDataResearch estimates the global coronary stents global market size to "reach a value of more than USD $4.8 billion in 2029." BioSpace news reported that the global asthma treatment market size is anticipated to reach "USD $30.1 billion by 2030."

Company's Strategic Review Progress:

In March 2024, the Company announced it was conducting a Strategic Review, which aimed at evaluating and exploring a broad range of initiatives and alternatives to maximize shareholder value, including (i) continuation as a standalone public business, (ii) engagement with a strategic investor and/or acquisition, (iii) a merger or spin-off that may involve all or part of the Company's assets, or (iv) other options to be discovered.

Therma also announces that pursuant to the Company's 10% rolling stock option plan and in compliance with the policies of the TSXV, it has granted incentive stock options to certain directors, officers and consultants of the Company to purchase up to an aggregate of 5,631,000 common shares of the Company. The options are exercisable for a period of three years at a price of $0.05 per share.

In addition, the Company announces that it has revised the partial consideration payable under a consulting agreement previously disclosed in its news release dated May 22, 2024. Subject to TSXV approval, instead of issuing share purchase warrants exercisable for 5,000,000 common shares of the Company, Therma will grant to the consultant 5,000,000 stock options, each of which is exercisable for a period of three years at a price of $0.05 per share.

"It's been a great first half of 2024," expressed Rob Fia, CEO of Therma Bright. "In addition to the $1M CAD in a private placement capital raise, we are moving forward with many of our core business initiatives, including waiting for final approval from CMS on the permanent codes for the Venowave and FDA's feedback on our 513(g) application for our Digital Cough Analyzer powered by AI4LYF. We're pleased to see that our four key investment efforts are based around industries and technologies with great growth horizons that total a market size of upwards of USD $39.1 billion by 2030. It's an exciting time for our team, partners, and shareholders."

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons (as defined in the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration is available.

About Therma Bright Inc.

Therma Bright is a developer and partner in a wide range of leading edge, proprietary diagnostic and medical device technologies focused on providing consumers and medical professionals with quality, innovative solutions that address some of today's most important medical and healthcare challenges. Therma Bright Inc. trades on the (TSXV: THRM) (OTCQB: TBRIF) (FSE: JNX). Visit: www.thermabright.com.

Therma Bright Inc.

Rob Fia, CEO

rfia@thermabright.com

Follow us on Twitter

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking" statements. These statements relate to future events such as the commercialization of Venowave, DCA, and InStatin, and related technology as described in the news release. All such statements involve substantial known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to vary from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, they should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and they will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether such results will be achieved. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated due to several factors and risks. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions on the date of this news release, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities regulations.

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 press release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215289

SOURCE: Therma Bright Inc.
Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - July 3, 2024) - Blue Thunder Mining Inc. (TSXV: BLUE) (the "Company"), announces that its previously announced name change to Mines D'Or Orbec Inc. will be effective on Friday, July 5, 2024. The Company's trading symbol is not being changed and will continue to be BLUE.

Muus Project Update

The Company is pleased to announce that it is commencing its 2024 exploration campaign at its Muus Gold Project in Chibougamau, Quebec. The campaign was designed in collaboration with IAMGOLD Corporation ("IAMGOLD") and approved by the IAMGOLD-Orbec Technical Committee.

The Muus Project comprises about 25,250 hectares in the richly endowed Chibougamau-Chapais district, which has historically produced over 3 billion pounds of copper and 4 million ounces of gold. Muus is located at the intersection of two mineralised structures, which respectively host IAMGOLD's multi-million-ounce Nelligan Gold Project and the high-grade (over 12 g/t Au) Monster Lake Gold Project. Previous work on the Muus Project has identified several mineralised occurrences and documented the potential for both Nelligan and Monster Lake style gold mineralisation as well as for volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) copper-gold mineralisation.

The Company's CEO, Dorian L. (Dusty) Nicol, commented, "We are very excited to be restarting exploration work at our Muus Gold Project. The proposed work program has benefited enormously from the participation of the IAMGOLD team with their in-depth understanding of the district's geology and mineralisation. This collaboration, together with our enhanced understanding of the styles of mineralisation and targets at Muus, will enable us to implement a highly focused and cost-effective exploration program. The objective will be to define high-quality drill targets for testing this autumn and winter."

Exploration Program

The upcoming program will comprise of:

Geologic mapping and geochemical sampling

Geophysics (Induced Polarization)

Glacial till sampling

The objective of the program is to define targets for drilling during this winter.

Geologic Mapping and Geochemical Sampling

Geologic mapping and geochemical sampling will be undertaken in specific areas with the objective of better defining the style(s) of mineralisation and identifying targets for future drilling. This work will be undertaken in five areas (see Figure 1):

Area A - Lac Bernard Sud showing . The objective of this fieldwork is to document the structural setting of the orogenic style on mineralisation of the Lac Bernard area. This area hosts a significant gold in glacial till anomaly (up to 36 grains of gold per sample) and is believed favorable for Nelligan-style gold mineralisation. Drilling in this area in 2022 was not able to reach the target depth but displayed hydrothermal alteration consistent with an orogenic gold mineralising system.

. The objective of this fieldwork is to document the structural setting of the orogenic style on mineralisation of the Lac Bernard area. This area hosts a significant gold in glacial till anomaly (up to 36 grains of gold per sample) and is believed favorable for Nelligan-style gold mineralisation. Drilling in this area in 2022 was not able to reach the target depth but displayed hydrothermal alteration consistent with an orogenic gold mineralising system. Area B - Chesbar and Lac Rane areas . The objective of this fieldwork is to prospect in the areas around VMS showings (including massive chalcopyrite) in the northern part of the claims. The program will also test for continuity of the mineralisation between the three known showings.

. The objective of this fieldwork is to prospect in the areas around VMS showings (including massive chalcopyrite) in the northern part of the claims. The program will also test for continuity of the mineralisation between the three known showings. Area C - Inflexion along the Guercheville Deformation Zone (GDZ). The objective of this fieldwork is to evaluate the prospectivity along a part of the GDZ, where it curves from an E-W strike to an WNW-ESE strike. Structural complexities are prospective for orogenic gold systems.





Figure 1 - Distribution of areas for geologic mapping and geochemical sampling.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6951/215242_d57ca8a594178a38_001full.jpg

Geophysics (Induced Polarization)

The objectives of the Induced Polarization (IP) surveys are:

Northern IP (Lac des Sables): define drilling targets near the Lac des Sables mineralised occurrence. The Lac des Sables showing (Cu, Zn, Ag) is a poorly documented mineralised area (VMS possibly) located in the neck of a fold, in the Obatogamau Formation (i.e., lithological and structural setting similar to these of the nearby Monster Lake Gold Project). The objective of the IP survey is to identify sulfide bodies to be tested by drilling.

Southern IP (Lac des Vents / PS-3): define drilling targets near the Lac des Vents / PS-3 mineralised occurrence. The Lac des Vents / PS-3 showing is a gold mineralisation located along an E-W striking fault (GDZ). The aim of the IP survey is to identify anomalies to be tested by drilling.





Figure 2 - Geological setting of the proposed IP surveys (red lines).

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6951/215242_d57ca8a594178a38_002full.jpg

Glacial Till Sampling

Later in the field season, the Company intends to conduct infill glacial till sampling to the east of Lac Bernard. The aim of this survey is to identify additional gold anomalies along the GDZ and to locate the source of the significant gold anomalies (up to 36 grains of gold per sample) detected in 2021 by a till survey (see Figure 3). The details of this program are still being defined.





Figure 3 - Geological setting of the proposed till survey (dashed black lines).

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6951/215242_d57ca8a594178a38_003full.jpg

Qualified Person

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Dorian L. (Dusty) Nicol, the Company's CEO (PG, FAusIMM, Member of I'Ordre des geologues du Quebec), who is a Qualified Person ("QP") for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101.

About the Company

Orbec is a gold company that owns 100% of a large mineral claim position near Chibougamau, Quebec. The Muus Gold Project covers approximately 25,250 hectares of prospective ground in the eastern part of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. The Muus Gold Project is prospective for gold mineralisation and is adjacent to and on strike with IAMGOLD's 5-million-ounce Nelligan Gold Project. Orbec has announced that exploration of the Muus Gold Project will advance in technical collaboration with IAMGOLD, which owns approximately 12.5% of the Company. Field work completed during 2022 established that the northern portion of the Muus Gold Project is also prospective for copper-gold volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralisation, as well as confirming that it is prospective for high-grade gold mineralisation similar to IAMGOLD's nearby Monster Lake gold deposit.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Dorian L. (Dusty) Nicol, CEO & Director

For more information, please visit our website www.bluethundermining.com, or contact Mr. Dorian L. (Dusty) Nicol, info@bluethundermining.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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains 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 the anticipated content, commencement, anticipated exploration program results, the ability to complete future financings, the ability to complete the required permitting, the ability to complete the exploration program and drilling, 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. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the commodity markets generally, variations in the nature, the analytical results from surface trenching and sampling program, including diamond drilling programs, the results of IP surveying, the results of soil and till sampling program, the quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including TSX Venture Exchange acceptance, for its planned activities, the inability of the Company to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, the potential impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on the Company's exploration program and on the Company's general business, operations and financial condition, and other risks and uncertainties. All the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedarplus.ca and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties. This news release contains information with respect to adjacent or similar mineral properties in the Chibougamau District in respect of which the Company has no interest or rights to explore or mine. Readers are cautioned that the Company has no interest in or right to acquire any interest in any such properties, and that mineral deposits, and the results of any mining thereof, on adjacent or similar properties, are not indicative of mineral deposits on the Company's properties or any potential exploitation thereof.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215242

SOURCE: Blue Thunder Mining Inc.
Highlights:

Total revenue of $9.9 million for Q1 2025, reflecting YoY growth of 31% from the comparative quarter





40% gross profit margin for Q1 2025





Positive Adjusted EBITDA of $105,366 for Q1 2025





Segmented Revenue for Q1 2025:



Vape - B2C: $7.8 million, B2B: $1.2 million



Cannabis - B2C: $0.8 million





Expanded 180 Smoke Vape Store's brick-and-mortar retail presence to 30 locations solidifying its position as the largest omni-channel specialty vape retailer in Ontario 1





Increased system-wide loyalty accounts to over 235,000 members across Canada

Vaughan, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 3, 2024) - Delota Corp. (CSE: NIC) (FSE: S62) ("Delota" or the "Company"), a leading Canadian omni-channel retailer of nicotine vape and alternative tobacco products, is pleased to report it has filed its quarterly financial statements, management discussion and analysis, and associated certifications (collectively, the "Quarterly Filings") for the three months ended April 30, 2024. The Quarterly Filings may be accessed under the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

Cameron Wickham, CEO of Delota, commented, "I am very pleased with our first quarter financial results which demonstrate strong momentum and growth. Our focus remains on driving revenue growth, positive adjusted EBITDA and improved margins. Our run-rate revenue is healthy and consistent at approximately $40 million annually and our efforts to optimize and scale the business have been successful in creating a cash flow positive business with the infrastructure to support future growth and expansion. Looking ahead, we are committed to expanding our footprint across Ontario both organically, through the opening of new stores, and strategically through M&A opportunities. Our proven approach in leveraging our existing infrastructure and templated store designs has consistently delivered optimized returns on investment and accelerated revenue growth. This is an exciting phase for Delota as we advance towards becoming the largest national specialty retailer of nicotine vape and alternative tobacco products."

Financial Highlights:

Total revenue of $9,883,883 for the three months ended April 30, 2024 (" Q1 2025 "), reflecting YoY growth of 31% as compared to the three months ended April 30, 2023 (" Q1 2024 ")





"), reflecting YoY growth of 31% as compared to the three months ended April 30, 2023 (" ") 40% gross profit margin for Q1 2025





Positive Adjusted EBITDA of $105,366 for Q1 2025





Segmented Revenue for Q1 2025:



Vape - B2C: $7,819,519, B2B: $1,220,412



Cannabis - B2C: $843,952



Other Highlights:

On June 20, 2024, the Company opened a 180 Smoke Vape Store located at 70 Joseph Street, Parry Sound, Ontario expanding 180 Smoke's brick-and-mortar presence to 30 locations.





On April 29, 2024, the Company announced the expansion of its product portfolio with the addition of nicotine-based Siberia White Snus pouches through a partnership with GN Canada, the exclusive Canadian distributor and partner with global snus leader GN Tobacco.





On April 11, 2024, the Company provided a corporate update on its significant growth and progress.





On April 2, 2024, the Company changed its stock symbol from "LOTA" to "NIC" on the Canadian Securities Exchange. The new stock symbol is intended to better align with its mission of becoming the largest national specialty retailer of nicotine vape and alternative tobacco products.





On February 5, 2024, the Company completed debt settlements in the amount of $215,000 with certain creditors of the Company to preserve cash for working capital through the issuance of 1,535,715 units of the Company at a price of $0.14 per unit.

Select Financial Information

The following selected financial information as at and for the three months ended April 30, 2024 and the year ended January 31, 2024 are derived from the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Three Months Ended

April 30, 2024 Year Ended

January 31, 2024 $ $ Revenue 9,883,883 34,069,680 Net income (loss) (508,188 ) (1,992,576 ) Net earnings (loss) per share - basic and diluted (0.02 ) (0.07 ) Working capital (deficit) (604,863 ) (771,198 ) Total assets 14,018,560 13,735,729 Total non-current liabilities 6,899,362 6,565,672 Total liabilities 13,924,196 13,351,331 Capital stock 7,807,481 7,592,481 Warrant reserve 99,398 99,398 Contributed surplus 510,159 507,005 Accumulated deficit (8,322,674 ) (7,814,486 ) Shareholders' equity (deficiency) 94,364 384,398

Adjusted EBITDA

The Company's "Adjusted EBITDA" is a non-IFRS metric used by management that does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and may not be fully comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Management defines Adjusted EBITDA as the net income (loss) reported, before income taxes and other expense (income) items such as finance costs, finance income, gains and losses related to derivative liability valuations, and adjusted for share-based compensation, depreciation and amortization expenses, gains and losses related to the revaluations of its right-of-use assets and lease liabilities and foreign exchange differences.

The reconciliation of net income (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA is presented below.

For the Three Months Ended April 30, 2024 2023 $ $ Net loss for the period - as reported (508,188 ) (324,624 ) Depreciation and amortization 132,610 145,759 Interest and accretion expenses 203,918 29,736 Stock-based compensation 3,154 - Fair value adjustment of derivative liabilities 293,831 - Deferred tax recovery (15,944 ) (15,944 ) Lease adjustments (13,341 ) (84,751 ) Foreign exchange loss 9,326 6,367 Adjusted EBITDA 105,366 (243,457 )

About Delota Corp.

Delota is the largest omni-channel specialty vape retailer in Ontario with a mission of becoming the largest national specialty retailer of nicotine vape and alternative tobacco products. The Company's growth strategy includes aggressively growing its flagship brand, 180 Smoke Vape Store, by expanding its retail footprint organically in Ontario and select provinces across Canada, strengthening its national e-commerce platform, and through strategic M&A to accelerate growth and market consolidation. The Company is committed to expanding its nicotine product assortment, enhancing customer experience, and growing its loyalty accounts, which now exceeds 235,000 members.

Investors interested in learning more about Delota can visit www.delota.com.

For further information, please contact:

Delota Corp.

Julia Becker

Capital Markets

T: (604) 785-0850

E: ir@delota.com

Cameron Wickham

Executive Vice Chair and CEO

T: (905) 330-1602

E: info@delota.com

Cautionary Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements or information". Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: anticipate, intend, plan, goal, seek, believe, project, estimate, expect, strategy, future, likely, may, should, will and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements in this press release include statements made regarding information about future plans, expectations and objectives of the Company overall.

Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. The Company may not actually achieve its plans, projections, or expectations. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: the adequacy of our cash flow and earnings, the availability of future financing and/or credit, developments and changes in laws and regulations, consumer sentiment towards the Company's products, failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations, government regulations, competition, loss of key employees and consultants, and general economic, market or business conditions, the impact of technology and social changes on the products and industry, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in disclosure documents filed by the Company with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedarplus.ca. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

1 Based on number of retail stores in Ontario.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215276

SOURCE: Delota Corp.
PARIS, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HR Path, a global leader in HR consulting, announces a record 500 million fundraising from Ardian, a world-leading private investment house. This landmark fundraising,the largest of the company's history, marks a significant milestone in HR Path's success story. It will play a crucial role in driving the next phase of HR Path's growth and international expansion in the United States, Canada, Germany, the Nordic countries and Australia.

HR Path: HR Transformation for Efficient and Customized HR Management

The optimization of recruitment, the development and retention of talent and the effective management of human resources are key success factors and competitive advantages for companies.

HR Path employs a unique model to address these challenges in a global market driven by a multitude of technological solutions. By offering a comprehensive and customized approach to the full range of HR issues companies face, the Group positions itself as a true "one-stop shop for HR."

Through its three business lines - Advise, Implement & Run - HR Path provides consultancy services, HR systems implementation and payroll outsourcing, enabling companies of all sizes and sectors to effectively transform and optimize their HR functions.

A Record Fundraising to Enter a New Phase of Growth

This position has enabled HR Path to establish itself as one of the world's leading HR consultancies. The group now operates in 22 countries, employs over 1,800 people, and serves over 3,000 clients worldwide. It has a turnover of 215 million, with a CAGR of 25% since 2021.

To accelerate this growth, HR Path, has just closed a 500 million funding round from Ardian. "Securing this 500 million financing from Ardian is a transformative step for HR Path," said Francois Boulet, co-founder and CEO of HRPath. "This partnership underlines their confidence in our business model and our growth trajectory. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the HR Path partners, our employees, and customers for their unwavering support and dedication. With the support of the team and Ardian, we are poised to expand our HR digital transformation services on a global scale and deliver unparalleled value to our clients."

HR Path intends to use the new funding to continue and accelerate the external growth strategy initiated in 2009, which has seen the integration of 38 companies in 12 countries. The group plans to make new targeted acquisitions in strategic markets - such as the United States, Canada, Germany, the Nordic countries and Australia - to expand HR Path's value proposition and strengthen its position in the global market.

Cyril Courtin, Co-founder and CEO of HR Path, added, "We also extend our gratitude to our partners, such as Societe Generale Capital Partenaires (SGCP), one of our first financial partner and in particular Marc Jacquin, Director of Participations at SGCP, for their support and collaboration. This significant investment enables us to accelerate our growth plans and further innovate our service offerings. We are excited about the opportunities ahead and are committed to driving excellence in HR services worldwide."

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1813833/HR_Path_Logo.jpg

Media contact:

fabienne.latour@hr-path.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hr-path-secures-record-500-million-in-financing-from-ardian-to-accelerate-its-international-acquisition-strategy-and-consolidate-its-position-as-a-leader-in-hr-transformations-302188872.html
PAN GLOBAL ADVANCES EXPLORATION AT CARMENES COPPER-NICKEL-COBALT-GOLD PROJECT IN NORTHERN SPAIN

PR Newswire

VANCOUVER, BC, July 3, 2024

TSXV: PGZ | OTCQX: PGZFF | FRA: 2EU

Pan Global holds 100% of mineral rights on 56.5km 2 Carmenes Project area, centred over two past-producing polymetallic mines

Profunda and Providencia mines are associated with breccia-pipe-style Cu, Ni, Co and Au mineralization

High grades in underground grab samples Providencia - 22 samples average 2.53% Cu, 1.28% Ni, 0.68% Co, 0.6g/t Au, 3.1g/t Ag Profunda - 8 samples average 10.30% Cu, 0.18% Ni, 0.19% Co, 0.1g/t Au, 15.6g/t Ag

in underground grab samples A previously drilled hole at Profunda intersected 7.72% Cu, 0.11% Co, and 0.09% Ni over 1.95m in the wall of a mined out cavity, verifying the high-grade nature of mineralization previously extracted

intersected 7.72% Cu, 0.11% Co, and 0.09% Ni over 1.95m in the wall of a mined out cavity, verifying the high-grade nature of mineralization previously extracted Gossan samples with assays up to 10.5g/t Au indicate additional untested potential to expand the underlying sulfide mineralization near the Providencia mine

samples with assays up to indicate additional untested potential to expand the underlying sulfide mineralization near the Providencia mine Excellent potential for new discoveries on numerous untested targets

for new discoveries on numerous untested targets Systematic geochemistry surveys, mapping, and drill permitting commenced

VANCOUVER, BC, July 3, 2024 /CNW/ - Pan Global Resources Inc. ("Pan Global" or the "Company") (TSXV: PGZ) (OTCQX: PGZFF) (FRA: 2EU) is pleased to announce that exploration has commenced at the Company's 100%-owned, 5,653-hectare (56.5 km2) Carmenes copper, nickel, gold, cobalt project ("Carmenes" or the "Project"), located in the province of Leon, northern Spain. The area has a history of mining and the Project is 70 kilometers southeast of Orvana Minerals' Orovalle gold, copper, silver mining operation in the same geological belt.

"The Carmenes Project is being advanced in conjunction with the Escacena Project and represents a compelling addition to Pan Global's exploration pipeline in Spain, targeting exceptionally high-grade copper, nickel, and cobalt, which are all metals critical for the global energy transition, plus a potentially significant association with gold," said Tim Moody, Pan Global's President & CEO. "The Project includes the former Divina-Providencia ("Providencia") and Profunda copper, cobalt, and nickel mines, both with excellent potential to significantly expand the mineralization laterally and at depth. These types of breccia pipe deposits typically occur in clusters, and the area is highly prospective for discovery of additional breccia pipes."

In addition to the early stage exploration work at Carmenes, resource delineation drilling is ongoing at the La Romana target in the Company's flagship Escacena Project in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, southern Spain. Further drill results will be reported as soon as available, including results for recently completed drill holes at the rapidly growing Canada Honda target. Encouraging progress is also being made to access the Company's large Bravo target located immediately to the east of La Romana.

Investor webcast:

The Company will host an investor webcast with CEO Tim Moody on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at 1 p.m. Eastern Time / 10 a.m. Pacific Time to discuss the Carmenes Project opportunity and provide an update on the ongoing work at the flagship Escacena Project. A Q&A session will follow a short presentation.

Please register in advance:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_n-hhdVY1Qy2_M4XzfCIIgw

Planned Exploration and New Results at Carmenes

The Carmenes Project is a highly prospective area for carbonate-hosted breccia "pipe" style mineralization, with evidence of high grades of copper, nickel, cobalt and gold. Initial exploration priorities include the former Profunda and Providencia mine areas, targeting extensions to the copper-nickel-cobalt mineralization beneath the mine workings and recently mapped gossans. Numerous other smaller historical mine workings occur throughout the project area, highlighting the potential for additional breccia pipes and other styles of mineralization.

Pan Global has commenced systematic exploration in the Carmenes Project following an initial phase of reconnaissance sampling and a detailed review of past exploration in the area. The program includes detailed mapping and surface geochemistry surveys, drill planning at Profunda and Providencia, and follow-up of targets identified from past exploration.

Table 1 (below), includes assay results from new rock samples recovered by Pan Global from within the underground mine workings and surface gossans at Providencia and Profunda, and previously unreported underground sample results acquired with the mineral rights from the previous owners, "Sociedad de Investigacion y Explotacion Minera de Castilla y Leon, S.A." (SIEMCALSA). A plan map of the Providencia target and gossan sample locations is provided in Figure 2 (below). Cross sections through the Providencia and Profunda mines with sample locations are provided in Figure 3.

The Pan Global and SIEMCALSA rock samples were assayed using the same laboratory and sampling protocols. The underground samples consisted of rock chips from the walls of former mine tunnels/stopes. Average grades from the combined Pan Global and SIEMCALSA underground samples at Providencia and Profunda, include:

Providencia (22 samples) - 2.53% Cu, 1.28% Ni, 0.68% Co, 0.6g/t Au, 3.1g/t Ag

Profunda (8 samples) - 10.3% Cu, 0.18% Ni, 0.19% Co, 0.1g/t Au, 15.6g/t Ag

Reconnaissance mapping by Pan Global at the Providencia target has identified breccias hosting the historical mine workings, and surface gossans, over an area more than 300 x 100 meters. The target area at Profunda has similar dimensions. Assay results for six samples of gossans (rock chips of gossan outcrops and float) collected at Providencia average 3.8g/t Au, 0.41% Cu, 0.28% Ni, 0.10% Co and 3.7g/t Ag. The results highlight additional untested potential for significant gold and copper-nickel-cobalt mineralization beneath the gossans outside the mine workings.

Table 1 - Rock sample assay results, including grab samples or rock chips from the walls in the historical underground mine workings at Providencia and Profunda, and samples of gossan from the Providencia target

PROVIDENCIA UNDERGROUND Cu Co Ni Au Ag U SAMPLE COMPANY TYPE % % % ppm ppm ppm D808458 PGZ Grab 1.34 0.40 0.64 0.24 <0.5 50 D808459 PGZ Grab 0.30 0.77 0.45 0.07 <0.5 20 D808460 PGZ Grab 0.09 0.05 0.11 0.46 <0.5 10 D808470 PGZ Grab 4.51 1.16 2.09 0.96 1.8 100 D808471 PGZ Grab 0.25 0.53 0.40 0.07 <0.5 10 D808472 PGZ Grab 0.02 0.01 0.05 0.26 <0.5 <10 21266 SIEMCALSA Grab 4.76 1.00 2.89 0.74 1.2 110 21267 SIEMCALSA Grab 0.81 0.08 0.14 0.19 2.5 20 21268 SIEMCALSA Grab 0.61 0.05 0.07 0.19 2.0 170 21269 SIEMCALSA Grab 0.16 0.03 0.05 0.05 <0.5 10 21270 SIEMCALSA Grab 4.47 0.30 0.71 0.19 2.1 10 21271 SIEMCALSA Grab 0.30 0.03 0.07 0.14 <0.5 <10 21272 SIEMCALSA Grab 3.95 1.34 2.74 0.34 1.8 10 21273 SIEMCALSA Grab 2.22 0.76 1.06 1.11 5.2 <10 21274 SIEMCALSA Grab 1.36 0.90 1.53 0.34 1.7 10 21275 SIEMCALSA Grab 5.87 1.49 3.51 1.20 1.5 10 21276 SIEMCALSA Grab 6.48 2.14 4.71 1.06 2.3 <10 21277 SIEMCALSA Grab 1.49 0.34 0.61 0.18 1.3 <10 21278 SIEMCALSA Grab 0.08 0.03 0.05 0.15 <0.5 10 21279 SIEMCALSA Grab 0.89 0.28 0.42 0.42 2.4 <10 21280 SIEMCALSA Grab 5.24 1.27 1.36 2.05 2.1 10 21281 SIEMCALSA Grab 10.35 1.94 4.56 3.23 16.0 <10

















PROFUNDA UNDERGROUND Cu Co Ni Au Ag U SAMPLE COMPANY TYPE % % % ppm ppm ppm D808463 PGZ Grab 5.20 0.06 0.14 0.25 13.00 50 D808477 PGZ Grab 2.45 0.04 0.13 0.26 6.70 40 D808478 PGZ Grab 10.40 0.08 0.09 0.11 10.60 410 26623 SIEMCALSA Grab 11.25 0.51 0.33 0.03 14.20 370 26624 SIEMCALSA Grab 7.21 0.28 0.15 0.02 5.70 1310 26625 SIEMCALSA Grab 27.20 0.27 0.24 0.09 35.30 610 26626 SIEMCALSA Grab 7.59 0.20 0.21 0.03 4.00 1610 26627 SIEMCALSA Grab 11.10 0.09 0.16 0.05 35.20 2090

















PROVIDENCIA GOSSAN Cu Co Ni Au Ag U SAMPLE COMPANY TYPE % % % ppm ppm ppm D808457 PGZ Grab 0.66 0.17 0.56 1.04 6.20 20 D808469 PGZ Grab 0.87 0.12 0.44 1.02 1.90 20 G806208 PGZ Float 0.22 0.09 0.30 10.55 2.40 20 G806209 PGZ Float 0.36 0.10 0.17 3.05 5.70 10 G806234 PGZ Grab 0.22 0.06 0.11 3.39 1.60 20 G806235 PGZ Grab 0.16 0.08 0.11 3.66 4.10 20

Carmenes Project background

The Carmenes Project area comprises three Investigation Permit's (total 4,028 hectares) that were acquired 100% by Pan Global from the Spanish state-owned exploration company SIEMCALSA together with all associated exploration data, and two additional granted Investigation Permits (total 1,625 hectares) that were obtained as a result of mineral rights applications by the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Minera Aguila Sociedad Limitada (MASL). There are no royalties on any of the mineral rights.

The Profunda and Providencia copper-cobalt-nickel mines were operated continuously between 1860 and 1880, and intermittently until the 1930s. Mine grades (unverified) include 1.9% Cu, 1.8% Ni, 0.9% Co at Providencia and 2.2% Cu, 1.5% Ni, 0.9% Co at Profunda.1 Elevated uranium also occurs in the upper levels at Profunda, in the supergene zone. The mines produced copper and cobalt concentrates, both containing nickel. Underground mining extended to approximately 100m depth below surface at Providencia and 260m depth at Profunda, and mineralization remains open to depth and along strike at both. A smelter was installed in the 1920s for the mines but was destroyed during the Spanish civil war in the 1930s, and further mining was affected by water ingress in the deeper levels of the mines. Subsequent plans to restart mining did not eventuate. Artisanal mining occurred elsewhere in the area to the 1960s.

SIEMCALSA began exploring in the area from 2009 to 2017, and through a Joint Venture (JV) on part of the area with Riedel Resources (ASX: RIE) from 2017 to 2019 when exploration stopped. SIEMCALSA focussed on four target areas, Profunda, Providencia, Fontun, and Valverdin. The exploration data indicates numerous other untested targets that require follow-up exploration.

Four diamond drill holes were completed during the SIEMCALSA JV with Riedel Resources, testing IP-chargeability targets. This included hole CMN-3, that drilled in the main breccia at the Profunda mine, intersecting grades of 7.72% Cu, 0.11% Co, 0.09% Ni, 0.44% U and 0.24% Zn over 1.95m in the wall of a 7-meter-wide previously mined stope2. The Providencia mine area was outside the JV and not drilled.

Soar Financial engagement

Pan Global is pleased to announce that Soar Financial Partners (a brand of NorthStar Communications GmbH) ("Soar") has been retained to support public relations activities pursuant to an agreement ?entered into between the Company and Soar dated June 26, 2024 (the ??"Public Relations Agreement"), subject to the acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V")?.

The Public Relations Agreement has an initial term of six months and includes fees and a grant of 300,000 stock options of Pan Global ?(the "Options") that vest quarterly at an exercise price of $0.20 per common share and with expiration 36 months following the date of grant. Soar does not currently own any shares of the Company and the fees paid are for ?services only.?

__________________________ 1 Instituto Geologico y Minero de Espana, Mongografia N.o 4 - Recursos Minerales, 2003, pp186-187

2 Riedel Resources media release and ASX Announcement dated October 26, 2018 titled "Drilling Programme Highlights Exploration Potential and Validates Exploration Strategy": https://cdn-api.markitdigital.com/apiman-gateway/ASX/asx-research/1.0/file/2995-02039382-6A905981

About Pan Global Resources

Pan Global Resources Inc. is actively targeting copper-rich mineral deposits, given copper's compelling supply-demand fundamentals and outlook for strong long-term prices as a critical metal for global electrification and energy transition. The Company's flagship Escacena Project is located in the prolific Iberian Pyrite Belt in southern Spain, where a favourable permitting track record, excellent infrastructure, mining and professional expertise, and support for copper as a Strategic Raw Material by the European Commission collectively define a tier-one jurisdiction for mining investment. The Pan Global team comprises proven talent in exploration, discovery, development, and mine operations - all of which are committed to operating safely and with utmost respect for the environment and our partnered communities. The Company is a member, and operates under the principles, of the United Nations Global Compact.

Qualified Person

Alvaro Merino, Vice President Exploration for Pan Global Resources and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approves the scientific and technical information in this media release, including the exploration and sampling by SIEMCALSA. Mr. Merino is not independent of the Company.

QA/QC

Rock samples delivered to the ALS sample preparation facility in Seville were prepared and assayed at the ALS facility in Ireland. All samples were crushed, split and pulverized using methods CRU-31, SPL-22Y and PUL-31. Gold analysis was by 30gm Fire assay with AA finish (Au-AA23). Multi element analysis was undertaken using a 4 acid digest with ICP-AES finish (ME-ICP61). Overgrade samples were analyzed using 4 acid digest with ICP-AES finish (OG62). Certified reference materials were inserted at a 1/25 samples. The grab sample results are selective by nature, and may not be representative of average grades for the mineralization.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Forward-looking statements

Statements which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. It is important to note that actual outcomes and the Company's actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information included in this media release are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental, environmental, and technological factors that may affect the Company's operations, markets, products, and prices. Readers should refer to the risk disclosures outlined in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis of its audited financial statements filed with the British Columbia Securities Commission.

The forward-looking information contained in this media release is based on information available to the Company as of the date of this media release. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/pan-global-advances-exploration-at-carmenes-copper-nickel-cobalt-gold-project-in-northern-spain-302188704.html
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 3, 2024) - Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. (TSXV: LPC) ("LPCP") is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has approved the declaration of a cash dividend of $0.008 per common share, payable on July 31, 2024, to the shareholders of record as of July 17, 2024. This represents a 14% increase over the previous quarterly dividend.

The dividend payments qualify as eligible dividends for Canadian income tax purposes. The declaration, amount and payment of future cash dividends are subject to the Board of Directors' continuing determination that the payment of dividends is in the best interests of the Company, its shareholders and is in compliance with all laws and agreements of the Company applicable to the declaration and payment of cash dividends. The ability of the Company to pay future dividends will be reviewed on a quarterly basis taking into consideration actual and forecasted cash flows and the macroeconomic outlook at that point in time.

About Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc.

LPCP was created to bring together boutique investment management and wealth advisory firms in order to deliver robust, cost-effective investment solutions to affluent investors, foundations, estates and trusts. LPCP's unique strategy creates better alignment between investment managers and wealth advisors while providing them with additional resources to accelerate their growth.

For further information, please contact:

Robert Sewell

Chief Executive Officer

Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc.

investor.relations@lpcp.ca

(905) 337-2227

Cautionary Notes

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", "plan", and other similar expressions. Forward looking information in this news release includes, without limitation, LPCP's objectives, goals and future plans. Forward-looking information addresses possible future events, conditions and financial performance based upon management's current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. In particular, the forward-looking information contained in this news release reflects assumptions about the timing and results of the amalgamation and regulatory approvals. Management of LPCP considers the assumptions on which the forward-looking information contained herein are based to be reasonable. However, by its very nature, forward-looking information inherently involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such information. Such risks include, without limitation, changes in economic conditions, applicable laws or regulations. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. LPCP disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES, ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAW/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/213635

SOURCE: Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc.
A firefighting C-130 Hercules tanker releases fire retardant on a ridge while battling the Thompson Fire near Oroville (Butte County) on Wednesday. The fire, which began on Tuesday, has already scorched more than 3,500 acres. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle A Pacific Gas and Electric Co. firefighting helicopter releases water over a hot spot while battling the Thompson Fire near Oroville on Wednesday. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Transmission towers are seen in an area scorched by the Thompson Fire near Oroville on Wednesday. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Cal Fire investigators stand by at a cordoned area as fire crews continue to battle the Thompson Fire near Oroville on Wednesday. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Flames are seen on a ridge at Potters Ravine Recreation Area near Lake Oroville during the Thompson Fire near Oroville on Tuesday. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

Firefighters continued assessing the damage Wednesday but were only able to confirm four destroyed structures, said Rick Carhart, a spokesperson for Cal Fire/Butte County Fire Department. Photos posted on social media showed houses and vehicles that had burned.

California heat live updates: Excessive heat warnings continue as temps set to peak; fires burn across state

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Four firefighters have suffered minor heat-related injuries. No injuries to residents were reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

The fire broke out just before 11 a.m. Tuesday near Cherokee and Thompson Flat roads in Oroville. Approximately 12,000 homes were ordered to evacuate, which encompasses about 28,000 residents, Carhart said. On Wednesday morning the fire was 0% contained.

The fire prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency in Butte County.

We are using every available tool to tackle this fire and will continue to work closely with our local and federal partners to support impacted communities, Newsom said in a statement. As we head into some of the most challenging months of wildfire season, the state is better prepared than ever to protect at-risk communities with new tools, technology and resources.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

A home is engulfed in flames during the Thompson Fire near Oroville on Tuesday. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

Carhart said the blaze is burning into the heavy populated area of Kelly Ridge, where there are a number of homes on small lots.

The winds are definitely moving the fire, Carhart said. So a lot of our efforts have gone towards structure protection, just getting in front of those in between the fire  to make sure that they dont burn.

By Wednesday afternoon, smoke from the Thompson Fire began drifting into the Bay Area, more than 120 miles south of the blaze.

The smoke was worse just south of the fire, where federal air quality sensors reported hazardous conditions. Butte County began distributing N95 masks to Oroville residents to protect against the smoke, which officials warned could cause irritation and difficulty breathing. On top of the smoke, residents in the area battled extreme heat. Temperatures Wednesday were expected to break 110 degrees in the afternoon and get even hotter over the weekend.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

On Tuesday, the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area was fully shut down due to the fire. Park officials said on Facebook the park would remain closed at least through the Fourth of July.

Staff at the State Water Project also evacuated on Tuesday afternoon, wetting the ground behind them as they left to try to prevent their facilities from burning, according to the California Department of Water Resources. The State Water Project is the largest state-owned water and power generation system in the nation.

A crew of incarcerated firefighters from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Antelope Conservation Camp march along Canyon Drive while battling the Thompson Fire near Oroville on Tuesday. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

After evacuating, employees continued to operate facilities remotely with the exception of the Hyatt Powerplant near Oroville Dam, which was shut down by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. deenergizing power lines in the area. A spokesperson for the Department of Water Resources said Wednesday afternoon that there is still no threat to Oroville Dam, the tallest earth-fill dam in the U.S.

Carhart encouraged people to be very, very careful with any activities theyre planning this week, especially with the Fourth of July holiday.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
South Pacific Metals Corp. (TSXV:SPMC)(FSE:6J00) ("SPMC" or the "Company"), an emerging gold-copper exploration company operating in the heart of Papua New Guinea's proven production corridors, is pleased to announce it has launched a systematic and aggressive exploration program to evaluate its 3,000 square kilometre (km2) portfolio of four gold-copper projects. Generative exploration programs at Anga, Osena, Kili Teke and May River Projects will focus on achieving near-term discoveries and identifying additional growth opportunities.

Highlights:

Boots-on-the-Ground Exploration in the Mineral-Rich Kainantu District: Design of surface sampling, mapping and prospecting programs is currently underway for both the Anga and Osena Projects, located in the Kainantu Gold District and mantling K92's tenements that host their producing Kainantu Gold Mine;

Surface Sampling Analysis at Osena: Submission of 550 surface soil, rock and trench samples collected at the Ontenu porphyry copper-gold prospect in fall 2023 (under previous management) for assaying;

Kili Teke Porphyry Copper-Gold Deposit Expansion: Desktop analysis of comprehensive datasets (geochemical, geophysical, geological and drilling) to identify near-resource targets for possible deposit expansion; and

May River Target Evaluation: Comprehensive desktop review and re-interpretation of extensive historic and modern datasets (geochemical, geophysics, geological, and drilling) is underway to target large-scale porphyry copper-gold and epithermal gold vein systems proximal to the Frieda River Deposit.

Figure 1: Location of South Pacific Metal's Projects within Papua New Guinea

Four Projects Covering 3,000 km Across the Most Well-Endowed Metal Province in the World

"With new management and our experienced in-country team in place, the Company is streamlined and laser-focused on the tremendous exploration potential of all four projects," stated Michael Murphy, Executive Chairman & CEO. "Having recently traveled to Papua New Guinea for a series of site reviews and stakeholder meetings with government officials and community members, it's clear that each of our assets has the potential to demonstrate generational importance. Our strategy is to advance these projects methodically and ethically, so that we have clear, near-term visibility into the true size of the exploration opportunity."

Anga Project

Comprised of 461 km of exploration licenses in the highly mineralized and prospective Kainantu District, the Anga Project is located immediately northeast of and adjacent to K92's operating Kainantu Gold Mine, known for its gold, copper and silver outputs (see Figure 1). Anga's southwestern project boundary is approximately 3 km from where K92 is currently completing exploration drilling on the Arakompa lode-gold vein system, where multiple wide and high-grade gold zones have been intercepted (see K92 news release dated June 10, 2024, and February 21, 2024).

Surface sampling and mapping work completed by the Company in 2022 (then under Kainantu Resources Ltd.), including preliminary geological mapping, surface sampling (rock and soil) and geophysical surveying (airborne magnetotellurics), indicates that Anga hosts similar geology, surface geochemical signatures (Au-Te-Bi) and geophysical signatures to that observed to be associated with mineralized gold veins at K92. Project data is being re-evaluated under new management and with a better understanding of regional mineralization styles to prioritize regions and complete new exploration work programs.

Osena Project

Covering 626 km of strategic ground, the Osena Project is located southwest of and adjacent to K92's tenements that host the Kainantu Gold Mine (see Figure 1). Priority prospects include Ontenu, a porphyry copper-gold and epithermal gold system with exposed porphyritic diorite intrusive phases hosting chalcocite, covellite and bornite, located within a highly mineralized corridor that extends more than 40 km northeast across the Kainantu District.

While new surface sampling activity is planned to kick-off later in the year, the Company can confirm that 550 surface soil, rock and trench samples were collected in September 2023 (under previous management) were securely and properly stored since that time, but never sent for assaying. These have now been forwarded on for assaying to Intertek Laboratory in Lae, Papua New Guinea. Results, anticipated to be available in Q3 2024, will aid in determining priority areas to drill test for subsurface porphyry copper-gold and epithermal gold mineralization.

Kili Teke Project

The Kili Teke Porphyry Copper-Gold Complex, situated within a 252 km exploration licence in Enga Province, represents a substantial asset located 20 km northwest of the Mt. Kare gold deposit and 40 km west of Barrick's newly re-started Porgera Gold Mine (see Figure 1). The Project hosts an Inferred Mineral Resource of 237 Mt at 0.6% CuEq (0.34% Cu, 0.24 g/t Au, and 168 ppm Mo) totaling 802 kt Cu, 1.81 Moz Au, and 40 kt Mo.1 Although drilling extends to depths of 1,000 m, the mineral resource does not include drilling below 650 m depth, nor does it include all high-grade skarn drill intercepts. Skarn intercepts can be very high-grade, for example hole KTD0025 intercepted 7.8 m of 13.3% Cu, 11.75 g/t Au and 21.07 g/t Ag within 54 m of 2.1% Cu, 1.82 g/t Au and 3.87 g/t Ag (from 878 m depth down hole).

Through a preliminary review of the Project's data, the Company has identified multiple avenues to possibly optimize and expand the mineral resource, including identifying near-resource copper-gold drill targets. The Company will commence a comprehensive desktop analysis of the Project's extensive technical dataset, which includes regional airborne magnetics and radiometrics, multi-element geochemical and assay data from surface rocks, soils and drill core, and drill core photos to complete the targeting exercise.

May River Project

The May River Project spans 1,697 km of exploration licenses in East Sepik Province, immediately west of and adjacent to the tier-1 Frieda River Cu-Au Project, one of the world's largest undeveloped copper-gold projects having 26 Blbs contained Cu and 20 Moz contained Au.2 The Project hosts several compelling porphyry Cu-Au and epithermal Au-Ag prospects, including the Mountain Gate porphyry Cu-Au and the Skiraisa epithermal Au targets, within host rock and structural setting identical to that hosting the Frieda River deposit. May River also hosts a 7 km north-northwest trending Cu-Au mineralized corridor within which occurs with two drill-confirmed high-sulfidation gold occurrences.

As part of the 2024 exploration program, the Company will complete a comprehensive desktop review of all historical and modern geological, geochemical and structural data across the entirety of the Project. The primary goals are to identify where to drill known prospects such as Mountain Gate and Skiraisa, and to identify new large-scale porphyry Cu-Au systems similar to that at nearby Frieda River.

"Our proximity to existing, successful producers like K92 Mining and others are an added plus," Mr. Murphy continued. "Relationships matter and it's beneficial to be in a position to visit and trade notes with the neighbours. Results from on-the-ground exploration programs and desktop reviews will be used to refine drill targets and identify new ones. Anga and Osena remain our top priority projects as we zero-in on targeting possible extensions of structures hosting lode-gold veins from the nearby K92 project."

1Please refer to the 2022 N.I. 43-101 Technical Report for the Kili Teke Project, by Kainantu Resources Ltd., with an effective date of 18 November 2022.

2Please refer to PanAust 2018 Updated Feasibility Study for the Frieda River Project.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information disclosed in this release has been reviewed and approved by Darren Holden, Ph.D., FAusIMM, a "Qualified Person" as defined under the Canadian Institute of Mining National Instrument 43-101, 2014 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Dr. Holden is a technical advisor to the Company.

The 2022 N.I. 43-101 Technical Report for the Kili Teke Cu-Au Project, Papua New Guinea, was prepared by Graeme J. Fleming, MAIG, an Independent "Qualified Person" as defined under the Canadian Institute of Mining National Instrument 43-101, 2014 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About South Pacific Metals Corp.

South Pacific Metals Corp ("SPMC") is an emerging gold-copper exploration company operating in the heart of Papua New Guinea's proven gold and copper production corridors. With an expansive 3,000 km land package and four transformative gold-copper projects contiguous with major producers K92 Mining, PanAust and neighbouring Barrick Gold, new leadership and experienced in-country teams are prioritizing thoughtful and rigorous technical programs focused on boots-on-the-ground exploration to prioritize discovery across its portfolio projects: Anga, Osena, Kili Teke and May River.

Immediately flanking K92's active drilling and gold producing operations to the northeast and southwest, SPMC's Anga and Osena Projects are located within the high-grade Kainantu Gold District - each having the potential to host similar-style lode-gold and porphyry copper-gold mineralization as that present within K92's tenements. Kili Teke is an advanced exploration project situated only 40 km from the world-class Porgera Gold Mine and hosts an existing Inferred Mineral Resource with multiple opportunities for expansion and further discovery. The May River Project is located adjacent to the world-renowned Frieda River copper-gold project, with historical drilling indicating potential for a significant, untapped-gold mineralized system. SPMC common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX.V: SPMC) and Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE: 6J00).

For further information please contact:

Michael Murphy, Executive Chairman and CEO

South Pacific Metals Corp.

Tel: +1 604-428-6128

Email: info@southpacificmetals.ca

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Information

Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainty affecting the business of SPMC. In making the forward-looking statements, SPMC has applied certain assumptions that are based on information available to the Company, including SPMC's strategic plan for the near and mid-term. There is 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. Forward-looking statements may involve various risks and uncertainty affecting the business of the Company. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified as such because of the context of the statements, including such words as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "plans", "may", "estimates", or words of a similar nature. Forward-looking statements or information in this news release relate to, among other things: formulation of plans for drill testing; and the success related to any future exploration or development programs. These forward-looking statements and information reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic, regulatory or other unforeseen uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include, without limitation: success of the Company's projects, prices for metals remaining as estimated, currency exchange rates remaining as estimated, availability of funds for the Company's projects, capital, decommissioning and reclamation estimates, prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation), no labour-related disruptions, no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled construction and production, all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals are received in a timely manner, and the ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company cautions the reader that forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Such factors include, without limitation: fluctuations in gold prices, fluctuations in prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation), fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar), operational risks and hazards inherent with the business of mineral exploration, inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks and hazards, the Company's ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner, changes in laws, regulations and government practices, including environmental, export and import laws and regulations, legal restrictions relating to mineral exploration, increased competition in the mining industry for equipment and qualified personnel, the availability of additional capital, title matters and the additional risks identified in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ (available at www.sedarplus.ca). Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described, or intended. Investors are cautioned against undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's property.

SOURCE: South Pacific Metals Corp.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Joint Program to Upgrade Columbia Model 107-II Helicopters to New and Enhanced Model-107-III Configuration; Coatesville Heliplex Selected as Development Site

COATESVILLE, PA / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PiAC), a global leader in advanced Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft development, and Columbia Helicopters (CHI), the world's premier tandem rotor helicopter OEM, MRO, and operator, today announced a strategic collaboration to deliver upgraded heavy-lift helicopters worldwide.





Piasecki and Columbia Helicopters Sign Partnership Agreement

From left: David Balevic, Columbia Helicopters; Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey; John Piasecki, Piasecki Aircraft





The collaboration will upgrade existing Model 107-II helicopters to a new, more fuel-efficient, powerful and robust Columbia Model CHI-107-III configuration. This partnership supports customers in essential services such as emergency response, aerial firefighting, forestry, infrastructure, and defense. The military variant of the Model 107-II is the CH-46E Sea Knight (Phrog), which served with the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy, as well as allies in Sweden and Japan.

Modifications and testing will take place at Piasecki's 219,000-square-foot heliplex facility in Coatesville, Pennsylvania - acquired in 2023 from Lockheed Martin Sikorsky after the S-76 and S-92 helicopter production lines at the site were closed and hundreds of jobs were lost. Piasecki's acquisition of the facility was championed by Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (PA-6), Governor Josh Shapiro, and the Chester County Economic Development Council to create new jobs that leverage the unique aerospace skills in the region.

"For generations, Pennsylvanians have served their country and supported their families by manufacturing military helicopters at this Coatesville facility. I fought to support Piasecki's helicopter remanufacturing because nobody is more up to the task of maintaining our Nation's military aircrafts than the workers here in Southeastern Pennsylvania," said Senator Casey in a separate announcement. "This is a new chapter for Coatesville and I'll keep fighting to make sure these jobs are here to stay."

"Piasecki, with its state-of-the-art manufacturing and robust tech workforce, is a driving force of revitalization in Coatesville," said Representative Houlahan in a separate announcement. "Now, with the announcement of the production of CH-46 helicopters and additional jobs being created, our region will continue to lead the way in domestic aviation manufacturing. I look forward to seeing Piasecki grow and will continue to do everything I can to support that."

The Heliplex will also serve as CHI's new field site, expanding opportunities on the East Coast. The partnership covers the development of comprehensive product support plans for the Columbia Model CHI-107-III - including establishing an FAA Part 145 Repair Station at the facility.

"We are thrilled to partner with Columbia Helicopters, a company that shares our heritage with the tandem helicopter, and our commitment to innovation and excellence in the rotorcraft industry," said John Piasecki, CEO of Piasecki Aircraft. "This collaboration represents a significant step forward in the evolution of tandem rotor helicopters and promises to deliver enhanced capabilities to a wide range of military and civil applications. We look forward to working together to advance the future of this vertical lift technology and generate hundreds of jobs for our communities."

"The new Columbia Model 107-III will transform the heavy-lift helicopter market, providing unrivaled performance and versatility for our customers," said David Balevic, CEO of Columbia Helicopters. "We are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and together with our partners at Piasecki, will deliver enhanced heavy-lift aircraft that save lives, protect nations, and build industries for decades to come."

About Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PiAC)

Piasecki is an award-winning developer of vertical lift aircraft. It specializes in the design, fabrication, and flight testing of experimental rotorcraft and unmanned air vehicles and has developed and flown more than 25 advanced VTOL and UAV aircraft to date. Customers include the U.S. Air Force Research Lab and AFWERX; the U.S. Army Futures Command Aviation and Missile Center and Medical R&D Command; NAVAIR; DARPA; and SOCOM; as well as leading OEMs such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Piasecki is a recipient of numerous awards including the Presidential National Medal of Technology, Smithsonian Air & Space Achievement Award, and the prestigious Tibbitts Award for small business innovation from the U.S. Department of Defense. PiAC has been a proud member of the Vertical Flight Society for more than 50 years. For more information, please visit piasecki.com.

About Columbia Helicopters (CHI)

Columbia Helicopters is the global leader in heavy-lift helicopter operations and a trusted expert in maintenance, repair, and overhaul services. Backed by over 65 years of experience, Columbia operates internationally, often conducting operations in remote, austere conditions, providing safe and reliable aircraft and qualified personnel that meet demanding global transport requirements. Columbia leverages its position as the OEM and FAA Type Certificate holder for both the Model 234 Chinook and 107-II helicopters to provide responsive modifications, lifecycle support, and MRO services trusted worldwide by a diverse customer base. For more information, please visit www.colheli.com.

Contact Information

Aaron Endre

piasecki@endrecommunications.com

Esme Roberts

esme.roberts@williamsnicolson.com

SOURCE: Piasecki Aircraft

View the original press release on newswire.com.
NIAGARA FALLS, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / The City of Niagara Falls is excited to announce its exclusive partnership with Solar Simplified to bring innovative Community Solar solutions to local residents and businesses. This forward-thinking initiative guarantees a 10% savings on all applied solar credits directly on customers' utility bills, prioritizing support for Low and Moderate Income (LMI) households.

By choosing Solar Simplified, Niagara Falls is leading the way in making solar energy more accessible and cost-effective. This partnership not only delivers significant savings to those who need it most but also sets a new standard for sustainable energy solutions in urban environments. The city's proactive decision to embrace Community Solar means residents and businesses can now benefit from renewable energy without needing individual solar panel installations.

"Solar Simplified is on a mission to democratize solar energy, ensuring it's accessible and affordable for everyone, especially Low and Moderate Income households," said Aviv Shalgi, CEO of Solar Simplified. "Our collaboration with the City of Niagara Falls will not only help residents save on their electricity bills but also contribute to the growth of renewable energy infrastructure in New York State. This project exemplifies our commitment to serving communities with tailored solar solutions."

Mayor Robert Restaino expressed strong support for the initiative, emphasizing its alignment with the city's sustainability goals and dedication to providing economic relief for residents.

"The City of Niagara Falls is proud to join forces with Solar Simplified to deliver the transformative benefits of Community Solar to our community," said Mayor Robert Restaino. "This initiative not only underscores our commitment to clean energy but also ensures our most vulnerable residents reap significant savings on their electricity bills. We are thrilled to be at the forefront of a greener, more sustainable future for Niagara Falls."

Community Solar projects allow multiple customers to subscribe to a single solar array, providing each subscriber with a share of the energy generated. This model is particularly beneficial for individuals and businesses without the resources or suitable property for individual solar installations. By joining this Community Solar initiative, all Niagara Falls residents and businesses can actively support the city's green initiatives while enjoying lower energy costs.

Residents and businesses interested in participating in Community Solar can enroll at www.SolarSimplified.com/NF or contact Solar Simplified at 888-420-9831 to learn more.

About Solar Simplified: Solar Simplified is a leading national Community Solar aggregator, revolutionizing the industry by removing customer-associated barriers and risks, allowing Solar Developers and IPPs to scale quickly and effectively. With a commitment to sustainability and equity, we aim to make clean energy accessible to all through community-focused engagement and consumer education. The ability to handle acquisition, management, billing, and collection makes Solar Simplified the best choice for Community Solar aggregation.

If you're a developer, IPP, asset owner, or financier of community solar projects and want to learn how Solar Simplified can improve your project economics, please reach out to us at developers@solarsimplified.com.

Contact Information

Sasha Lukovenko

VP of Sales and Marketing

sasha@solarsimplified.com

312-216-0978

SOURCE: Solar Simplified

View the original press release on newswire.com.
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / Cisco Systems Inc.

By Shaniqua Ingol

At Cisco, we believe the growth of our company is inextricably linked to the growth of our people. That's why we are proud to host Cisco Illuminate, our employee development series that shines a light on continuous learning and development. This company-wide event helps employees uplevel their skills throughout the year to compete in an ever-changing business landscape.

Exciting Speakers on a Range of Subjects?

Cisco Illuminate lets participants tap into engaging sessions led by industry experts and cultural thought leaders from Cisco and beyond. Past events have included speakers like Oprah Winfrey, Andrew Ng, and Michelle Obama, covering topics that support attendees' personal and professional growth. With sessions on a variety of subjects such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, Well-being, and Leadership Development, this event is designed to create a growth mindset and prepare our employees for the future of work.?

Interactive and Engaging Formats?

Learning comes in many forms, and we know everyone learns differently, so Cisco Illuminate features a mix of keynote presentations, panel discussions, and interactive workshops. Attendees can choose to livestream the event from home, gather at a watch party on campus, or peruse the recordings library. By embracing various learning modalities, we empower our employees to thrive. For us, it's not just a moral necessity but a strategic advantage, helping us shape an inclusive future for all. Employees can continue to expand their skills on their own schedule with access to on-demand platforms like Masterclass, LinkedIn Learning, and Coursera.

Next Illuminate is Approaching

We are gearing up for our next Cisco Illuminate on June 25-26 that will enable Cisconians to enhance their skills in topics like AI, innovation, and well-being. In addition to Cisco and Splunk leaders and experts, employees will hear from James Clear, the New York Times bestselling author of Atomic Habits, on how to boost productivity and foster personal growth.

By fostering an inclusive environment that empowers our team to learn and tackle the world's greatest challenges, we create a more inclusive future for all. Our employees are the heart and soul of Cisco Illuminate, and their experiences speak volumes. But don't just take our word for it-read their stories and see the impact firsthand!

"Grateful for Cisco Illuminate - our program dedicated to global employee development. Last quarter's self-paced learning option promoted inclusivity and flexibility, accommodating the diverse schedules of Cisconians worldwide. This approach supports our commitment to an inclusive workplace by respecting our team's varied work hours and their customer-centric problem-solving." Aurelia Takacs - Program Manager, Strategy and Planning, Belgium

"I loved participating in Cisco Illuminate Your Team! The transformative workshops provided invaluable opportunity to connect with our teams, fostering collaboration, connection, and trust - the very core elements that make teams thrive. We explored how open communication, mutual support, and shared goals drive exceptional business results" Elena Lewis - Leader, Customer Delivery, North Carolina

"It's not a surprise to many of my peers that I always look forward to Illuminate - in actuality, I'm sure I cause a couple of headaches talking about Lumi and the amazing team behind the event all year round. As an attendee of the Illuminate events in the past, I have always admired how every session showcases the power of creativity and collaboration." Brinda Thangada - Communications Manager, Customer Experience, Chicago

Explore more ways that Cisco supports its employees' learning and development in our latest FY23 Purpose Report.

View original content here.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Cisco Systems Inc. on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Cisco Systems Inc.

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cisco-systems-inc

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Cisco Systems Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Fortitude Gold Corp. (OTCQB:FTCO) (the "Company") declares its monthly dividend of $0.04 per common share payable on July 31, 2024 to shareholders of record as of July 19, 2024. Fortitude Gold is a gold producer, developer, and explorer with operations in Nevada, U.S.A. offering investors exposure to both gold production and dividend yield.

Dividends may vary in amount and consistency or be discontinued at the Board of Directors' discretion depending on variables including but not limited to operational cash flows, Company development requirements and strategies, construction, spot gold and silver prices, taxation, general market conditions and other factors described in the Company's public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

About Fortitude Gold Corp.:

Fortitude Gold is a U.S. based gold producer targeting projects with low operating costs, high margins, and strong returns on capital. The Company's strategy is to grow organically, remain debt-free and distribute substantial dividends. The Company's Nevada Mining Unit consists of seven high-grade gold properties located in the Walker Lane Mineral Belt and an eighth high-grade gold property in west central Nevada. The Isabella Pearl gold mine, located on the Isabella Pearl mineralized trend, is currently in production. Nevada, U.S.A. is among the world's premier mining friendly jurisdictions.

Cautionary Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. If you are risk-averse you should NOT buy shares in Fortitude Gold Corp. The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. When used in this press release, the words "plan", "target", "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the statements regarding the Company's strategy, future plans for production, future expenses and costs, future liquidity and capital resources, and estimates of mineralized material are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to the Company on the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this press release.

Contact:

Greg Patterson

719-717-9825

greg.patterson@fortitudegold.com

www.Fortitudegold.com

SOURCE: Fortitude Gold Corporation

View the original press release on accesswire.com
RedChip Companies will air interviews with BioVie, Inc. (Nasdaq:BIVI) and bioAffinity Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:BIAF) on the RedChip Small Stocks, Big Money show, a sponsored program on Bloomberg TV, this Saturday, July 6, at 7 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). Bloomberg TV is available in an estimated 73 million homes across the U.S.

Access the interviews in their entirety at:

BioVie: https://www.redchip.com/assets/access/bivi_access

bioAffinity Technologies: https://www.redchip.com/assets/access/biaf_access

In an exclusive interview, Cuong Do, President and CEO of BioVie, who will share insight into the Company's pipeline of late-stage clinical programs targeting unmet medical needs in neurodegeneration and liver disease. BioVie's lead asset, bezisterim (formerly NE3107), has demonstrated the ability to modulate TNFa production, leading to significant clinical improvements. Patients treated with bezisterim experienced reduced inflammation and insulin resistance, improved motor control and "morning on" symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD), enhanced cognition and function, and better brain imaging scans in Alzheimer's disease (AD), as well as reduced DNA methylation levels. The Company's strategic priorities include launching a Phase 2b trial for Parkinson's in Fall 2024, initiating a Phase 3 trial for Alzheimer's in mid-2025 with a new once-daily formulation of bezisterim, continuing partnering discussions for bezisterim's geographic rights, and commencing an ascites Phase 3 trial upon identifying a suitable partner.

Maria Zannes, President and CEO of bioAffinity Technologies, appears on the RedChip Small Stocks, Big Money show on Bloomberg TV to provide a corporate update. bioAffinity Technologies is an emerging player in early-stage cancer diagnosis. Its flagship product, CyPath Lung, improves detection of early-stage lung cancer by analyzing the lung microenvironment. The noninvasive test has shown high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. Lung cancer often goes undetected until it reaches late-stage when treatment options are less effective. Early detection increases survival and reduces medical costs. With commercialization underway, including a pilot program in Texas and the US DoD's purchase of tests for ongoing research, the Company is well-poised for growth. The lung cancer screening market is projected to reach $5.7 billion by 2030. The Company's flow cytometry platform, enhanced by AI-driven automated data analysis, is being developed to aid in noninvasive diagnosis of COPD and asthma, which have a combined global market expected to reach $8.2 billion by 2027. The Company holds extensive U.S. and international patents. Insiders show strong support for the Company with ownership at 39% and increasing. With a highly experienced leadership team, bioAffinity Technologies is well-positioned to drive innovation in early-stage cancer diagnosis.

About BioVie Inc.

BioVie Inc. (NASDAQ: BIVI) is a clinical-stage company developing innovative drug therapies for the treatment of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders and advanced liver disease. In neurodegenerative disease, the Company's drug candidate bezisterim inhibits inflammatory activation of ERK and NF?B (e.g., TNF signaling) that leads to neuroinflammation and insulin resistance, but not their homeostatic functions (e.g., insulin signaling and neuron growth and survival). Both are drivers of AD and PD. In liver disease, the Company's Orphan drug candidate BIV201 (continuous infusion terlipressin), with U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") Fast Track status, is being evaluated and discussed with guidance received from the FDA regarding the design of Phase 3 clinical testing of BIV201 for the treatment of ascites due to chronic liver cirrhosis. The active agent is approved in the U.S. and in about 40 countries for related complications of advanced liver cirrhosis. For more information, visit www.bioviepharma.com.

About bioAffinity Technologies, Inc.

bioAffinity Technologies, Inc. addresses the need for noninvasive diagnosis of early-stage cancer and diseases of the lung and broad-spectrum cancer treatments. The Company's first product, CyPath Lung, is a noninvasive test that has shown high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for the detection of early-stage lung cancer. CyPath Lung is marketed as a Laboratory Developed Test (LDT) by Precision Pathology Laboratory Services, a subsidiary of bioAffinity Technologies. Research and optimization of the Company's platform technologies are conducted in its laboratories at Precision Pathology and The University of Texas at San Antonio. For more information, visit www.bioaffinitytech.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.

About RedChip Companies

RedChip Companies, an Inc. 5000 company, is an international investor relations, media, and research firm focused on microcap and small-cap companies. For 32 years, RedChip has delivered concrete, measurable results for its clients. Our newsletter, Small Stocks, Big Money, is delivered online weekly to 60,000 investors. RedChip has developed the most comprehensive service platform in the industry for microcap and small-cap companies. These services include the following: a worldwide distribution network for its stock research; retail and institutional roadshows in major U.S. cities; outbound marketing to stock brokers, RIAs, institutions, and family offices; a digital media investor relations platform that has generated millions of unique investor views; investor webinars and group calls; a television show, Small Stocks, Big Money, which airs weekly on Bloomberg US; TV commercials in local and national markets; corporate and product videos; website design; and traditional investor relation services, which include press release writing, development of investor presentations, quarterly conference call script writing, strategic consulting, capital raising, and more.

To learn more about RedChip's products and services, please visit:

https://www.redchip.com/corporate/investor_relations

"Discovering Tomorrow's Blue Chips Today"

Follow RedChip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/redchip/

Follow RedChip on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedChipCompanies

Follow RedChip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redchipcompanies/

Follow RedChip on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RedChip

Follow RedChip on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@redchip

Follow RedChip on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-3068340

Subscribe to our Mailing List: https://www.redchip.com/newsletter/latest

Contact:

Dave Gentry

RedChip Companies Inc.

1-407-644-4256

info@redchip.com

SOURCE: RedChip

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 3, 2024) - Hertz Energy Inc. (CSE: HZ) (OTCQB: HZLIF) (FSE: QX1) (the "Company" or "Hertz") announces that it has terminated the Option Assignment Agreement dated August 4, 2023 (the "Assignment Agreement") among the Company, Brascan Resources Inc., BHBC Exploracao Mineral LTDA, and RTB Geologia e Mineracao LTDA. Following the termination of the Assignment Agreement, the Company has relinquished its option to acquire the Patriota Lithium Project located in Brazil. The Company has no further obligation under the Assignment Agreement.

About the Company

The Company is a British Columbia based junior exploration company primarily engaged in the acquisition and exploration of energy metals mineral properties. The Company's lithium exploration projects include the Lucky Mica Lithium Project, the AC/DC Lithium Project, and the Snake Lithium Project. The Lucky Mica Project is 939 hectares located within the Arizona Pegmatite Belt in the Maricopa County of Arizona, USA. The AC/DC Project is 26,500 hectares located in the renowned James Bay Lithium District in Quebec, Canada, just 26kms southeast of the Covette Lithium Project owned by Patriot Battery Metals and is contiguous to Rio Tinto's Kaanaayaa project claims. The Snake Lithium Project is 21,700 hectares located west of AC/DC near other notable projects including Harfang Exploration, Brunswick Exploration and Ophir. The Company's uranium projects include the Cominco Uranium Project located in Bathurst Inlet, Nunavut, Canada and its recent applications for Exclusive Prospecting Licenses in Namibia.

For further information, please contact Mr. Kal Malhi or view the Company's filings at www.sedarplus.ca.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Kal Malhi

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Phone: 604-805-4602

Email: kal@bullruncapital.ca

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this new release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that 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 market prices, 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. 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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215290

SOURCE: Hertz Energy Inc.
The "Netherlands Data Center Market Investment Analysis Growth Opportunities 2024-2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Netherlands Data Center Market was valued at USD 1.20 Billion in 2023, and is expected to reach USD 2.40 Billion by 2029, rising at a CAGR of 12.25%.

This report analyses the Netherlands data center market share. It elaboratively analyses the existing and upcoming facilities and investments in IT, electrical, mechanical infrastructure, general construction, and tier standards. It discusses market sizing and investment estimation for different segments.

Amsterdam is a preferred destination for businesses seeking reliable and scalable hosting solutions from 2024 to 2029. The Netherlands data center market is witnessing significant investments, acquisitions, and expansion, with companies including Google, Microsoft, and Digital Realty actively participating in ventures.

Numerous prominent investors in the Netherlands data center market have established a significant presence, driving robust growth and innovation. Noteworthy investors include AtlasEdge, CyrusOne, Digital Realty, Equinix, EdgeConneX, Global Switch, Google, Interconnect, Iron Mountain, Keppel Data Centers, Microsoft, NorthC, NTT Global Data Centers, Switch Datacenters, QTS Realty Trust, Yondr are among others.

The Netherlands data center market benefits from a diverse array of construction contractors, locally and globally renowned, catering to the needs of major operators in the data center sector. Companies like Arup, BENTHEM CROUWEL ARCHITECTS, Deerns, Dornan, DPR Construction, HDR (Hurley Palmer Flatt), Kirby Group Engineering, Linesight, Mercury, Royal HaskoningDHV, RED, Salute Mission Critical, and Turner Townsend contribute their expertise to the infrastructure development.

However, it's essential to note that construction costs in this dynamic market experience minor fluctuations and variations, often influenced by factors related to land acquisition and development activities. These fluctuations require careful monitoring and strategic planning to ensure optimal project outcomes and cost efficiencies.

In December 2023, the Municipality of Amsterdam implemented stringent restrictions on constructing new data centers within city borders. The new regulations stipulate that new data center developments must demonstrate clear benefits to Amsterdam and comply with rigorous environmental standards. This shift makes business parks in Amsterdam crucial locations for future data center developments throughout the forecast period.

Dutch data center operators harness huge amounts of renewable energy through PPAs with energy companies. In June 2023, Google inked a 15-year PPA with Kronos Solar EDPR, a subsidiary of EDP Renewables, to procure solar energy from four upcoming photovoltaic plants in the Netherlands. The agreement, valued at 40 MW, aligns with Google's commitment to carbon-free energy usage by 2030.

The Netherlands' colocation data center market is witnessing an increase in the construction of self-built data centers by cloud providers such as Google and Microsoft. In recent years, the Netherlands has witnessed steady growth in adopting and penetrating cloud computing services. For instance, over 90% of organizations in the country have adopted cloud technology as one of their core service offerings.

Leading cloud service providers, including Google, AWS, Microsoft, and Oracle Cloud, are actively providing cloud on-ramp services through various data center facilities in Amsterdam. AWS, for instance, offers these services in Digital Realty's AMS7 facility, while Google utilizes Equinix's AM3 facility. Microsoft operates from Digital Realty's AMS8 facility, and Oracle Cloud is in Equinix's AM4 facility.

WHY SHOULD YOU BUY THIS RESEARCH?

Market size is available in terms of investment, area, power capacity, and Netherlands colocation market revenue.

An assessment of the data center investment in the Netherlands by colocation and enterprise operators.

Investments in the area (square feet) and power capacity (MW) across locations in the country.

A detailed study of the existing Netherlands data center market landscape, an in-depth market analysis, and insightful predictions about industry size during the forecast period.

Snapshot of existing and upcoming third-party data center facilities in the Netherlands Facilities Covered (Existing): 120 Facilities Identified (Upcoming): 10 Coverage: 47+ Locations Existing vs. Upcoming (Area) Existing vs. Upcoming (IT Load Capacity)

Data Center Colocation Market in the Netherlands Market Revenue Forecast (2023-2029) Retail Wholesale Colocation Pricing

The Netherlands data center market investments are classified into IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecast.

A comprehensive analysis of the latest trends, growth rate, potential opportunities, growth restraints, and prospects for the industry.

Business overview and product offerings of prominent IT infrastructure providers, construction contractors, support infrastructure providers, and investors operating in the industry.

A transparent research methodology and the analysis of the demand and supply aspects of the industry.

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED

What are the driving factors for the Netherlands data center market?

How many data centers have been identified in the Netherlands?

What is the growth rate of the Netherlands data center market?

How much is the investment in the Netherlands data center market expected to grow?

Who are the key investors in the Netherlands data center market?

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 141 Forecast Period 2023 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $1.2 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $2.4 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 12.2% Regions Covered Netherlands

VENDOR LANDSCAPE

IT Infrastructure Providers

Arista Networks

Atos

Broadcom

Cisco Systems

Dell Technologies

Extreme Networks

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Huawei Technologies

IBM

Juniper Networks

Lenovo

NetApp

Oracle

Pure Storage

Wistron (Wiwynn)

Data Center Construction Contractors Sub-Contractors

Arup

BENTHEM CROUWEL ARCHITECTS

Deerns

Dornan

DPR Construction

HDR (Hurley Palmer Flatt)

Kirby Group Engineering

Linesight

Mercury

Royal HaskoningDHV

RED

Salute Mission Critical

Turner Townsend

Winthrop Engineering and Contracting

Support Infrastructure Providers

ABB

Alfa Laval

Caterpillar

Climaveneta (Mitsubishi Electric)

Cummins

Delta Electronics

Eaton

Guntner

HITEC Power Protection

Johnson Controls

Kohler-SDMO

KyotoCooling

Legrand

Piller Power Systems

Riello UPS

Rittal

Rolls-Royce

Schneider Electric

Siemens

Socomec

STULZ

Vertiv

Data Center Investors

AtlasEdge

CyrusOne

Digital Realty

Equinix

EdgeConneX

Global Switch

Google

Interconnect

Iron Mountain

Keppel Data Centres

Microsoft

NorthC

NTT Global Data Centers

Switch Datacenters

QTS Realty Trust

Yondr

EXISTING VS. UPCOMING DATA CENTERS

Existing Facilities in the Region (Area and Power Capacity)

Amsterdam

Other Cities

List of Upcoming Facilities in the Region (Area and Power Capacity)

REPORT COVERAGE

IT Infrastructure

Servers

Storage Systems

Network Infrastructure

Electrical Infrastructure

UPS Systems

Generators

Transfer Switches Switchgears

PDUs

Other Electrical Infrastructure

Mechanical Infrastructure

Cooling Systems

Rack Cabinets

Other Mechanical Infrastructure

Cooling Systems

CRAC CRAH Units

Chiller Units

Cooling Towers, Condensers Dry Coolers

Economizers Evaporative Coolers

Other Cooling Units

General Construction

Core Shell Development

Installation Commissioning Services

Engineering Building Design

Fire Detection Suppression Systems

Physical Security

Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM)

Tier Standard

Tier I Tier II

Tier III

Tier IV

Geography

Amsterdam

Other Cities

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/839tpc

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.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240703896489/en/

Contacts:

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900
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!
REDDING, Calif., July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report titled, 'Nannochloropsis Market Size, Share, Forecast, & Trends Analysis by Form (Frozen, Liquid, Powder, Fresh Pastes), Application (Aquafeed, Extraction Companies)- Global Forecast to 2031,' published by Meticulous Research, the Nannochloropsis market is projected to reach $14.0 million by 2031, at a CAGR of 8.5% from 2024 to 2031. In terms of volume, the Nannochloropsis market is projected to reach 122 tons by 2031, at a CAGR of 9.4% during the forecast period of 2024-2031.

Download Sample Report Now- https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=5233

The growth of the Nannochloropsis market is driven by the increasing demand for algal protein, the growing demand for protein-rich and lipid-rich aquafeed, and the rising demand for omega-3 fatty acids. However, the complex production process restrains the growth of this market.

Furthermore, the growing demand from the biodiesel industry is expected to offer market growth opportunities. However, the risk of Nannochloropsis contamination is a major challenge impacting the growth of the Nannochloropsis market.

Nannochloropsis is a genus of green microalgae, a nonmotile sphere shaped with an average diameter of 2-5 microns. It is found in both fresh and marine environments. There is a great interest in Nannochloropsis production, primarily because it contains a considerable amount of lipids and protein, making it a very interesting nutritional profile. Nannochloropsis cell mass comprises 50-55% crude protein. It has been used in the production of aquafeed, nutraceuticals, and feed supplements for several decades.

Get a Glimpse Inside: Request Sample Pages- https://www.meticulousresearch.com/request-sample-report/cp_id=5233

The Nannochloropsis market is segmented by form (frozen, liquid, powder, and fresh pastes), application (aquafeed, extraction companies, and other applications), and geography (North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa).

The report includes an extensive assessment of the key strategic developments by leading market participants in the industry over the past four years (2021-2024). The Nannochloropsis market has witnessed several partnerships, agreements, collaborations, mergers, and acquisitions in recent years. The key players operating in the Nannochloropsis market are Proviron Industries NV (Belgium), Reed Mariculture Inc. (U.S.), Necton S.A. (Portugal), BlueBioTech Group (Germany), Allmicroalgae Natural Products S.A. (Portugal), Algatechnologies Ltd. (A Part of Solabia Group) (Israel), A4f Algae for Future (Portugal), Green Aqua Company SGPS S.A. (Portugal), AlgaSpring B.V. (Netherlands), Archimede Ricerche S.r.l (Italy), Astaxa GmbH (Germany), and Shaivaa Algaetech LLP (India).

Key Findings in the Nannochloropsis Market Study:

Among all the forms studied in this report, in terms of value, in 2024, the frozen segment is expected to account for the largest share of over 61.5% of the Nannochloropsis market. The large market share of this segment is attributed to the higher adoption of frozen Nannochloropsis in aquafeed applications, especially in aquaculture hatcheries to establish the initial step of an artificial food chain considering its high nutritional value and rich source of fatty acids (EPA, ARA). Moreover, this segment is also projected to register the highest CAGR of 8.9% during the forecast period of 2024-2031 because frozen Nannochloropsis biomass promotes easier management in biomass production of lipid-enriched rotifers.

Have Specific Research Needs? Request a Customized Report-

https://www.meticulousresearch.com/request-customization/cp_id=5233

Among all the applications studied in this report, in 2024, the aquafeed segment is expected to account for the larger share of 73% of the Nannochloropsis market. The large share of this segment is attributed to the extensive use of Nannochloropsis sp. in aquaculture due to its nutritional value and ability to produce valuable chemical compounds, such as pigments (zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, and canthaxanthin) and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Based on geography, the Nannochloropsis market is majorly segmented into five regions: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. In terms of value, in 2024, Europe is expected to account for the largest share of 35.7% of the Nannochloropsis market. This region is also slated to register the highest CAGR of 9.0% during the forecast period of 2024-2031. Europe's large market share is attributed to the growing aquaculture industry and need for aquafeed, increasing health awareness, rising demand for omega-3 fatty acids, and increasing demand for algae protein. Additionally, the growing demand from the biodiesel industry is expected to create lucrative opportunities for Nannochloropsis manufacturers in the region.

Browse In-depth Report Now- https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/nannochloropsis-market-5233

Scope of the Report:

Nannochloropsis Market Assessment-by Form

Frozen

Liquid

Powder

Fresh Pastes

Nannochloropsis Market Assessment-by Application

Aquafeed

Extraction Companies

Other Applications

Nannochloropsis Market Assessment-by Geography

North America U.S. Canada

Europe Spain Portugal Germany Italy France U.K. Denmark Sweden Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific China Japan India Australia Rest of Asia-Pacific

Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America

Middle East and Africa Egypt Saudi Arabia South Africa UAE Rest of Middle East & Africa



Unlock Opportunities: Buy Now- https://www.meticulousresearch.com/Checkout/99176287

Related Reports:

Microalgae Market by Distribution Channel (Consumer Channel, Business Channel), Type (Spirulina, Chlorella, Dunaliella Salina, Haematococcus Pluvialis), Application (Nutraceuticals, Food & Beverages, Animal Feed, Cosmetics) - Global Forecast to 2028

Spirulina Market by Distribution Channel (Consumer Channel, Business Channel), Product Type (Powder, Tablets, Capsules, Flakes, Phycocyanin Extract), Application (Nutraceuticals, Food and Beverages, Agriculture, Animal Feed) - Global Forecast to 2028

Chlorella Market by Technology (Open Pond), by Product Type (Extract, Capsules) by Source (Chlorella Vulgaris, Chlorella Pyrenoidosa or Sorokiniana) by Application (Nutraceutical, Food & Beverage, Animal Feed), Geography - Global Forecast to 2028

Haematococcus Pluvialis Market by Product (Astaxanthin Ingredients (Oleoresin, Beadlets), Astaxanthin Bulk Finished Products (Capsules, Tablets), Application (Food and Beverages, Nutraceuticals, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2027

Dunaliella Salina Market by End User (Extraction Companies, Food & Beverage Companies, Feed Companies, Nutraceutical & Health Supplement Companies, Pharmaceutical Companies, Cosmetics Companies) and Geography - Global Forecast to 2028

About Meticulous Research

Meticulous Research was founded in 2010 and incorporated as Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd. in 2013 as a private limited company under the Companies Act, 1956. Since its incorporation, the company has become the leading provider of premium market intelligence in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

The name of our company defines our services, strengths, and values. Since the inception, we have only thrived to research, analyze, and present the critical market data with great attention to details. With the meticulous primary and secondary research techniques, we have built strong capabilities in data collection, interpretation, and analysis of data including qualitative and quantitative research with the finest team of analysts. We design our meticulously analyzed intelligent and value-driven syndicate market research reports, custom studies, quick turnaround research, and consulting solutions to address business challenges of sustainable growth.

Contact:

Mr. Khushal Bombe

Meticulous Market Research Inc.

1267 Willis St, Ste 200 Redding,

California, 96001, U.S.

USA: +1-646-781-8004

Europe: +44-203-868-8738

APAC: +91 744-7780008

Email- sales@meticulousresearch.com

Visit Our Website: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/

Connect with us on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/meticulous-research

Content Source: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/pressrelease/453/nannochloropsis-market-2031

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1757980/Meticulous_Research_Logo_1.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/nannochloropsis-market-to-reach-14-0-million-by-2031---exclusive-report-by-meticulous-research-302188858.html
A home is seen engulfed in flames during the Thompson Fire in Oroville, Calif., Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Inmate firefighters with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Antelope Conservation Camp march along Canyon Drive while battling the Thompson Fire in Oroville, Calif., Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle A home is seen engulfed in flames during the Thompson Fire in Oroville, Calif., Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle An inmate firefighter with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Antelope Conservation Camp Crew 4 constructs a hand line while battling the Thompson Fire in Oroville, Calif., Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Rocco Olhiser, a firefighter with the Colusa Fire Department, carrie a hose while battling the Thompson fire in Oroville, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Flames are seen on a ridge at Potters Ravine Recreation Area near Lake Oroville during the Thompson Fire in Oroville, Calif., Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Flames consume a structure and vehicle on Bessie Lane as the Thompson Fire burns in Oroville, Calif., Tuesday, July 2, 2024. An extended heatwave blanketing Northern California has resulted in red flag fire warnings and power shutoffs. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Noah Berger/Associated Press A women runs while cars evacuate as the Thompson Fire burns, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Oroville, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Ethan Swope/Associated Press An evacuee winces as flames jump the road as the Thompson Fire burns, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Oroville, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Ethan Swope/Associated Press Inmate firefighters dig a firebreak as the Thompson Fire burns, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Oroville, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Ethan Swope/Associated Press The Thompson Fire near Oroville on Tuesday, July 2. ALERTCalifornia

The fast-moving Thompson Fire began burning homes in Oroville as approximately 13,000 residents of Butte County were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday.

As of 9:57 p.m. Tuesday, the fire, which started around 11 a.m., had scorched 2,135 acres and was 0% contained with more than 500 firefighters battling the blaze. While Cal Fire reported that there was no known damage or destruction, photos shared on social media by Associated Press and local news media showed that houses and vehicles had burned.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Live Updates: Latest on California heat wave, wildfires

Latest on California heat wave, wildfires California fire map & tracker: Latest updates on active fires throughout the state

Cal Fire-Butte County Capt. Dan Collins said the area where the fire broke out is sparsely populated, but that the blaze headed toward the Kelly Ridge area of Oroville, which is more populated. Oroville has a population of about 20,000. The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

The Butte County Sheriff expanded evacuation orders throughout the day as fire danger continued to grow. Many people evacuated in East Oroville, which borders Lake Oroville. Some unincorporated communities were also ordered to evacuate.

Shelters were set up at the Oroville Church of the Nazarene and Gridley/Butte County Fairgrounds. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday night that California had secured a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help local, state and tribal agencies fighting the fire to apply for 75% reimbursement of eligible firefighting costs.

Flames are seen on a ridge at Potters Ravine Recreation Area near Lake Oroville during the Thompson Fire in Oroville, Calif., Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Stephen Lam

The California Department of Water Resources, which operates massive Lake Oroville, reported that facilities around the 770-foot Oroville Dam had been evacuated and dam managers were remotely monitoring and managing the reservoirs flows. Helicopter crews fighting the fire were using water from the reservoir.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Water service from the states second largest reservoir was continuing without interruption, officials said, and there was no risk to the integrity of the dam.

Due to the unpredictable nature of fire, there is always a chance that State Water Project facilities may be damaged, said Raquel Borrayo, spokeswoman for the Department of Water Resources in the Oroville field division. However, staff have enacted precautionary measures including wetting down potentially at-risk areas with water trucks, in addition to performing regular vegetation management activities and maintaining defensible spaces around Oroville facilities throughout the year.

The Hyatt Powerplant at the dam, which delivers electricity to the grid, went offline when Pacific Gas and Electric Co. deenergized power lines to the area because of the fire. The plant is one of many hydroelectric operations on the Feather River.

Cal Fire officials urged residents to adhere to the evacuation orders and to make preparations ahead of time.

A home is seen engulfed in flames during the Thompson Fire in Oroville, Calif., Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Stephen Lam

Sometimes (people) wait until they physically see the fire, and thats too late, Collins said. The earlier folks get out, the better.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The San Francisco Fire Department is sending five engines and 18 firefighters to aid with the firefight. Firefighters from South San Francisco, San Bruno and San Mateo were also headed to assist in the fire battle.

The Thompson Fire broke out Tuesday morning at Cherokee and Thompson Flat roads.
The "Western Europe Data Center Construction Market Industry Outlook Forecast 2024-2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Western Europe Data Center Construction Market was valued at USD 9.01 Billion in 2023, and is expected to reach USD 14.41 Billion by 2029, rising at a CAGR of 8.14%.

The increasing demand for data centers nationwide will provide significant opportunities for construction contractors to generate revenue. Some well-known construction contractors in the Western Europe data center construction market include AECOM, AEON Engineering, Arup, Basler Hofmann, Bouygues Construction, Callaghan Engineering, Cap Ingelec, Collen, DPR Construction, Future-tech, Mercury, PM Group, Turner Townsend, Winthrop Engineering and Contracting, and many more.

Major players Colt Data Centre Services (COLT DCS), CyrusOne, DATA4, Digital Realty, Echelon Data Centers, Equinix, Global Switch, Iron Mountain, NTT Global Data Centers, Orange Business Services, Vantage Data Centers, Yondr, and others have made substantial investments in the Western Europe data center construction market. Microsoft, Meta (Facebook), and Google are the major hyperscale operators investing in the Western Europe data center construction market.

The Climate Neutral Data Center Pact has significantly improved the sustainability of Western European data centers. By 2030, all signatories commit to powering their facilities with renewable energy. By October 2022, over 100 companies had signed the Climate Neutral Data Center Pact, representing over 90% of European data center capacity.

Western Europe is the top choice for hyperscale facility development due to free and air-based cooling availability. This advantage helps reduce power consumption in these regions. Data center investors are increasingly choosing locations like Spain, Portugal, Greece, and others with abundant renewable energy and reasonable land prices. Industry leaders like Microsoft, Meta, and Google are at the forefront of developing sustainable hyperscale facilities. Colocation data center developers also contribute by adopting initiatives like HVO, sustainable construction materials, and green facades.

Significant growth has been made in greenfield and modular data center developments. The modular data center developments are increasing as construction methods are deemed inefficient due to labor shortages, budget constraints, and construction delays in certain countries across the region. The increased demand for modular solutions from data center operators is increasing the revenue of modular data center solutions providers such as Vertiv, Dell Technologies, and HPE, among others.

The government's interest in promoting data center investments through land for development, renewable energy procurement, and reducing electricity tariffs will drive the colocation market in Europe during the forecast period.

KEY TRENDS

Rising AI Wave Boost Data Center Investment

Continuous growth in AI propels an increased need for data centers and supports the growth of the Western Europe data center construction industry.

Cutting-edge technologies increase demand for advanced data storage and processing facilities.

Western Europe experienced a surge in establishing and expanding data centers to accommodate the escalating demand.

Data centers are pivotal in supporting the infrastructure for developing and deploying AI solutions.

Due to the rising use of AI, Western Europe's growing data center industry positively impacts the economy, generating job opportunities and fostering innovation in the technology sector.

Utilizing Advanced Cooling Technologies

Growing sustainability efforts drive data centers to adopt innovative cooling methods. Large operators focus on reducing power use with approaches like tropical testbeds and underwater centers.

Data centers use diverse cooling methods, such as free cooling and underwater centers, demonstrating a commitment to cost-effective, eco-friendly operations.

Liquid immersion cooling, using dielectric oil, proves cost-effective for managing heat from high-performance servers. "Direct-to-chip cooling enhances efficiency by directly cooling chips, addressing the sustainability challenges of traditional water cooling.

Immersion cooling solutions, including Direct-to-Chip Cooling, aim to overcome sustainability challenges tied to water consumption in traditional cooling methods, making operations more eco-friendly and efficient.

Chip-Level Security in Data Centers

Data centers are increasingly focusing on improving security at the core level through chip-level security a trend highlighting a growing commitment to enhanced safeguards. This involves implementing advanced security measures directly at the chip level to address threats more effectively and strengthen overall resilience.

Chip-level security emphasizes hardware-based protections, using microarchitecture features to strengthen data centers against evolving cyber threats. This trend marks a move toward comprehensive security integration, with chip-level measures as a foundational layer for a robust security posture in data center environments.

SEGMENTATION INSIGHTS

Embracing modular power infrastructure in data centers is poised to yield long-term cost savings. These systems boast higher efficiency, require less maintenance, and save space.

Monitoring's importance is on the rise, fueled by the uptake of real-time monitoring software featuring automation and AI capabilities. This technology predicts maintenance needs, identifies component failures, and executes automatic switchovers for uninterrupted operations.

Cooling techniques in regions with favorable climates are on the upswing, including using evaporative coolers to cool data centers efficiently.

Anticipate data centers to adopt innovative designs like district heating as part of their evolution.

Beyond the initial setup, data centers focus on enhancing physical security. They are utilizing real-time data center infrastructure management systems (DCIM) for continuous monitoring and management of facilities.

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED

What is the growth rate of the Western Europe data center construction market?

What is the estimated market size in terms of area in the Western Europe data center construction market by 2029?

How big is the Western Europe data center construction market?

What are the key trends in the Western Europe data center construction industry?

How many MW of power capacity is expected to reach the Western Europe data center construction market by 2029?

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 406 Forecast Period 2023 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $9.01 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $14.41 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 8.1% Regions Covered Europe

Market Overview

Historical vs Present Market Scenario

Data Center Construction Cost Across Western Europe

Data Center Design Certifications

Uptime Institute Tier Standards

Leed Certification

Tia 942 Certification

Market Opportunities Trends

Rising AI Wave Boost Data Center Investment

Utilizing Advanced Cooling Technologies

Surge in Industrial Electricity Rates

Rising Expansion of District Heating Systems

Chip-Level Security in Data Centers

Market Growth Enablers

Integration of Ocp and Hyperscale Infrastructure Solutions

Expansion of 5G Services Leading to Edge Data Center Investments

Data Localization Laws by Western European Countries

Green Initiatives in Western Europe

Market Restraints

Supply Chain Disruptions Hampering Market Growth

Shortage of Skilled Data Center Professionals

Location Challenges for Data Center Development

VENDOR LANDSCAPE

Prominent Support Infrastructure Providers

3M

ABB

Airedale International Air Conditioning

Alfa Laval

Carrier

Caterpillar

Condair

Climaveneta

Cummins

D'HONDT THERMAL SOLUTIONS

Daikin Applied

Delta Electronics

Eaton

ebm-papst

EMICON INNOVATION AND COMFORT

Enrogen

FlaktGroup

Grundfos

Guntner

GESAB

HiRef

HITEC Power Protection

Honeywell

Johnson Controls

KOHLER-SDMO

KyotoCooling

Legrand

Mitsubishi Electric

Munters

Nlyte Software (Carrier Global Corporation)

Perkins Engines

Piller Power Systems

Riello Elettronica (Riello UPS)

Rittal

Rolls-Royce

Schneider Electric

Siemens

Socomec

STULZ

Trane (Ingersoll Rand)

Vertiv

ZIEHL-ABEGG

Prominent Construction Contractors

AECOM

AEON Engineering

APL Data Center

ARC:MC

Ariatta

ARSMAGNA

Artelia

Arup

Atkins

Basler Hofmann

BENTHEM CROUWEL ARCHITECTS

Bouygues Construction

Cap Ingelec

Collen

Deerns

DPR Construction

Eiffage

EYP MCF

Ferrovial

Future-tech

ICT Facilities

IDOM

ISG

JCA Engineering

JERLAURE

Kirby Group Engineering

Linesight

LPI Group

M+W Group (EXYTE)

Mercury

NORMA Engineering

PM Group

PQC

Quark

RED Engineering Design

Reid Brewin Architects

Royal HaskoningDHV

Skanska

SPIE UK

Starching

STO Building Group

STS Group

studioNWA

TPF Ingenierie

TTSP

Turner Townsend

Winthrop Technologies

Prominent Data Center Investors

AtlasEdge

Aruba

China Mobile

Colt Data Centre Services (COLT DCS)

CyrusOne

DATA4

Digital Realty

Echelon Data Centres

EdgeConneX (EQT Infrastructure)

Equinix

Euclyde Data Centers

Meta (Facebook)

Global Switch

Google

Iron Mountain (IO)

KDDI (Telehouse)

LCL Data Centers

Microsoft

Nautilus Data Technologies

NDC-GARBE Data Centers Europe

NTT Global Data Centers

Orange Business Services

Proximity Data Centres

Pure Data Centres

T5 Data Centers

Telecom Italia Sparkle

Vantage Data Centers

VIRTUS Data Centres (ST Telemedia Global Data Centres)

Yondr

New Entrants

CloudHQ

Form8tion Data Centers (Thor Equities)

Global Technical Realty

Goodman

Mainova WebHouse

Nation Data Center (NDC)

SEGMENTATION

Infrastructure

Electrical Infrastructure

Mechanical Infrastructure

General Construction

Electrical Infrastructure

UPS Systems

Generators

Transfer Switches Switchgear

PDUs

Other Electrical Infrastructure

Mechanical Infrastructure

Cooling Systems

Racks

Other Mechanical Infrastructure

Cooling Systems

CRAC and CRAH Units

Chillers Units

Cooling Towers, Condensers, and Dry Coolers

Economizers Evaporative Coolers

Other Cooling Units

Cooling Techniques

Air-based Cooling

Liquid-based Cooling

General Construction

Core Shell Development

Installation Commissioning Services

Engineering Building Design

Fire Detection Suppression

Physical Security

DCIM/BMS Solutions

Tier Standards

Tier I Tier II

Tier III

Tier IV

Geography

UK

Germany

France

Netherlands

Ireland

Switzerland

Italy

Spain

Belgium

Portugal

Other Western European Countries

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8ng8zt

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.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240703875485/en/

Contacts:

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900
VALENCIA, Spain and BRUSSELS, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seeking alternatives to obtain oocytes without ovarian stimulation is a pioneering line of research in reproductive medicine. The inconveniences that the process of ovarian stimulation can generate are a current barrier for some women and couples who are considering starting a reproductive treatment. In fact, 1 out of every 5 couples do not start the search for a second child for this reason.



Ovarian stimulation is the initial part of assisted reproduction treatments, and it is the phase of infertility treatments in which the least relevant advances have been achieved to date. It is one of the main psychological barriers for women when deciding to begin this path towards motherhood. Many of them are concerned about how this process may affect them physically and emotionally.

With the aim of making progress in this field, IVI RMA GLOBAL has signed an exclusive agreement with Lavima Fertility, Inc., a US company in the fertility sector which owns the rights to CAPA-IVM, a completely novel hormone-free fertility treatment technology. Together, IVI RMA Global and Lavima Fertility have opened a pioneering line of research aimed at eliminating ovarian stimulation in women who wish to begin assisted reproduction or egg vitrification treatment.

"We are aware that the ovarian stimulation phase can be faced with some anxiety and can be a brake on the decision to begin treatment. For this reason, at IVI and together with Lavima Fertility, we have taken the initiative and we are going to challenge science to try to optimize this very delicate part of the treatment for some patients," explains Dr. Nuria Pellicer, gynecologist at IVI Valencia.

A clinical study has begun at the IVI Valencia headquarters under the direction of Dr. Ernesto Bosch, director of the clinic, and Dr. Nuria Pellicer, together with the scientific director of IVI RMA Global, Dr. Juan Antonio Garcia Velasco. Lavima Fertility is supporting this clinical study by providing the CAPA-IVM and culture media supplements that allow immature oocytes to mature outside of the women's ovaries in vitro and without the need of ovarian stimulation. This investigation will later be joined by the rest of the IVI RMA Global group's clinics.

"Our main objective is to continue benefiting women through research, and to eliminate the psychological barrier of those who decide not to start treatment, worried about the physical and emotional effect that ovarian stimulation may have on them, although the symptoms associated with this process are usually moderate and pass in a few days," says Dr. Bosch.

In spite of being a fundamental step in the treatment of fertility, it is estimated that 20% of couples who would like to look for a second child do not do so due to their reluctance regarding the possible effects of ovarian stimulation: "Finding formulas to improve this process from science is an exciting and hopeful project for us, in our continuous research work, and allows us to continue helping in a pioneering way and with the latest advances to women who trust us with their greatest desire," concludes Dr. Pellicer.

"Avoiding controlled ovarian stimulation together with the trigger hormones in ART represents clearly a great scientific and clinical innovation," says Prof. Dr. Johan Smitz from Lavima Fertility.

Immature eggs are retrieved from unstimulated small follicles. The oocyte-cumulus-complexes are then matured in a novel two-step process in vitro using several culture media supplements. This technology is called CAPA-IVM. Five randomized clinical studies have been conducted in Asia and over 850 babies have been born already using this novel hormone free fertility treatment technology, underlying the safety of CAPA-IVM.

"We are excited about the research collaboration between IVI RMA Global and Lavima Fertility in the field of hormone-free fertility treatment. IVI RMA Global is the largest IVF chain in the world and working together with IVI RMA Global clinics in this field would allow to bring CAPA-IVM to many more patients worldwide in the future," concludes Prof. Smitz.

About IVI

IVI was founded in 1990 as the first medical institution in Spain to specialize entirely in Human Reproduction. Since then, it has helped more than 250,000 children to be born thanks to constant innovation and the development of the most innovative assisted reproduction treatments.

It is one of the European centers with the best pregnancy rates; in fact, most couples who consult IVI for infertility problems achieve their goal. In addition, it has a team of more than 2,500 professionals, including the best gynecologists in the world.

IVI is part of the IVI RMA Global group, present in 15 countries. In addition to Spain, it is present in Portugal, Italy, the Czech Republic, the Nordic countries, United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Panama, Brazil and Chile.

For more information:

Lucia Renau lucia.renau@ivirma.com

Ricardo Pedros ricardo.pedros@ivirma.com

APPLE TREE

Anais Priego ap@appletree.agency

Clara Martinez cla@appletree.agency

About Lavima Fertility, Inc.

Lavima Fertility was founded in 2020 as a spin-off from the Free University of Brussels (VUB). Lavima owns the worldwide exclusive license to the CAPA-IVM technology which was originally developed at Free University of Brussels by Prof. Johan Smitz and co-workers. The CAPA-IVM technology is a novel, completely hormone free fertility treatment technology. Several thousands of patients have been treated with CAPA-IVM in Asian countries and Australia. More than 850 babies have been born after CAPA-IVM cycles. The CAPA-IVM technology is protected by granted patents in major territories. Lavima Fertility is cooperating with leading IVF clinics to evaluate the CAPA-IVM technology for various patient cohorts with the aim to further optimize the technology and complete the clinical development of the CAPA-IVM System Kit.

www.lavimafertility.com

For more information:

Ande Rosenthal andre.rosenthal@lavimafertility.com

Johan Smitz johan.smitz@lavimafertility.com
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust PLC - Transaction in Own Shares

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, July 03

For immediate release

03 July 2024

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announce that it has today purchased 208,658 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 843.87 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 47,729,029; 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 177,262,274.

The figure of 177,262,274 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
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!
BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / In an industry where success often hinges on the backing of major labels, Boston-born hip-hop artist and MIH Universal founder Matt Corman has defied the odds. Grossing over $1 million from digital streaming alone, Corman has risen to the top 1% of musicians and songwriters worldwide, all while remaining completely independent.





Matt Corman

Matt Corman for ZIPLOCK music video





Corman, celebrated for his hit single "Word to the Wise," has shared stages with big names like Post Malone, Rae Sremmurd, and Trippie Redd. His impressive career took off when he made history as the first alumnus to perform at his college homecoming concert, attracting over 3,000 attendees. This success paved the way for sold-out headline shows across the United States, proving his wide appeal and drawing power.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Corman saw an opportunity. Doubling down on his music, he committed to releasing a song every Friday. This relentless work ethic and strategic consistency paid off, leading to millions in streaming revenue and a rapidly growing fan base.

In addition to his solo success, Corman's entrepreneurial spirit shines through in his partnership with E11even Vodka, the official vodka brand of 11miami. Together, they released the song "LIVE MORE," which he performed to a packed house at Club 11, further cementing his influence in both the music and business worlds.

As the founder of MIH Universal, Corman has released over 200 singles, amassing over 200 million streams and maintaining 5 million monthly listeners. His story is a testament to the power of perseverance, innovation, and self-belief in a fiercely competitive industry.

Before his full-time music career, Corman graduated from Southern New Hampshire University and worked in various corporate roles, including at Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Toast Inc. However, the pandemic marked a turning point, driving him to fully immerse himself in his passion for music.

Matt Corman's journey is a beacon of hope for independent artists worldwide. In a cut-throat and challenging industry, he has shown that with hard work, strategic planning, and unwavering dedication, it is possible to achieve monumental success without the support of a major label.

For more information on Matt Corman and his latest projects, please visit his website or follow him on social media

About Matt Corman

Matt Corman is a Boston-born hip-hop artist and entrepreneur celebrated for his hit single "Word to the Wise." Corman's independent releases have garnered over 200 million streams and 5 million monthly listeners. He is the founder of MIH Universal and a pioneer in music production, personal branding, development, and marketing.

Contact Information

Dan Gardner

Media Manager

gdan83102@gmail.com

SOURCE: MIH Universal

View the original press release on newswire.com.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 3, 2024) - Lode Gold Resources Inc. (TSXV: LOD) (OTCQB: SBMIF) ("Lode Gold " or the "Company") is pleased to provide a Mid Year Shareholder Update regarding its 3-Step Restructuring & Growth Strategy and Plans for 2024. The 3-Step Business Plan was signed off by the Board in October 2023; since then it has been focused on systematic execution of the plans to unlock value for shareholders.

Step 1: Lode Gold completed an oversubscribed Private Placement C$2.08M

Lode Gold completed an oversubscribed Private Placement C$2.08M Added engaged and long-term shareholders: 3 Institution shareholders own 59%

Market capitalization increased from $3.3M in November 2023 to $14M June 2024

Improved balance sheet and enhanced Board and Management Team

Canada:

Confirmed Reduced Intrusives (RIRGS) in Yukon on its WIN asset on the southern end of the Tombstone Belt. Snowline and Seabridge is on the Tombstone Belt . https://lode-gold.com/news/new-discovery-stratabound-confirms-reduced-intrus-8748/

. https://lode-gold.com/news/new-discovery-stratabound-confirms-reduced-intrus-8748/ Expanded grounds in New Brunswick within the 20 M Oz Appalachian gold corridor (same geological analogue as New Found Gold and Dalradian). Increased 100% owned ground from 1,461 hectares to 2,858 hectares

Increased 100% owned ground from 1,461 hectares to 2,858 hectares Commissioned a QMAG geophysical survey (1,151-line kilometres) on its Golden Culvert and Win projects in the Yukon . It was flown out of Seabridge Gold's 3-Aces camp southwest of Lode Gold's properties. This is a collaborative alliance with other Yukon explorers such as Snowline Gold, Seabridge Gold and Aben Minerals to ensure efficiency in spend and to maximize savings

. It was flown out of Seabridge Gold's 3-Aces camp southwest of Lode Gold's properties. This is a to ensure efficiency in spend and to maximize savings Completed an updated Yukon 43-101 Technical Report, in active preparation for a Spin Co



US:

Pivoting strategy to focus on underground opportunity and completed the geological model for a high- grade underground gold mine at Fremont, Mariposa ~500km from Equinox Gold's Castle Mountain on the prolific mother lode belt. Lode Gold: Target 2M Oz at 5 g/t Au with a 3 g/t Au cut-off

Background:

Mariposa, California is the original gold rush county, where gold mining started in 1848



Currently in California, there are over 700 permitted and operating mines, 14 are gold mines. Several have been re-started in recent years including Equinox Gold



Mining operation was suspended in 1942 due to gold mining prohibition in World War II



Unlike other brownfield projects that have been mined out; this mine was just ramping up production when they were ordered to 'suspend' mining



All previous owners of this project had only focused on open pit possibilities

Lode Gold, for the first time, since mining at 8 g/t was suspended in the 1940's-- has commissioned a study to evaluate the opportunity for an underground potential

Key Findings:

Fremont is an orogenic deposit with structural controls, with confirmed mineralization at depth (step out hole hit structure 1,000m below surface and 1,300 m in the strike of the structure)

Mineralization is evidenced on 4km of strike along the property (on the 190km Mother Lode Belt)

42,700 m of RC and diamond drilling has been completed. 23 km of historical underground workings

Current MRE only represents 16% of the upper 500 m structure (only 2 of the 6 projects on the property)

High-grade areas are controlled by transverse faults

Average channel sampling: 4.7 g/t Au (Vein Avg True Width: 1.92 m)

Mineralization is hosted in a body that has veins with 5 g/t Au, 2 g/t Au of stockwork between veins, and stockwork of 1 g/t of Au outside the veins

2 g/t Au of stockwork between veins, and stockwork of 1 g/t of Au outside the veins 40% of mineralization is in veins , 30% in the stockwork between the veins, and 30% is outside the veins

, 30% in the stockwork between the veins, and 30% is outside the veins Only small portions of the veins were mined; stockworks outside the veins were not mined. Historical production equals 16% of current M+I resource



Key Catalyst/Upcoming drill plan: 4,500 m of step-out and infill drilling (upper 500 m of structure, short drill holes) to expand current resources and to confirm high grade underground potential

stockworks outside the veins were not mined.

Corporate:

Retained Marty Stratte - formerly part of the permitting team at Equinox Gold 2018-2021 and until recently he was on the Board of Lode Gold, before returning to private practice in California. Equinox Gold was purchased in 2018 for $180M and permitted in 2021

- and until recently he was on the Board of Lode Gold, before returning to private practice in California. Equinox Gold was purchased in 2018 for $180M and permitted in 2021 The technical team, led by Jon Hill, has been enhanced with the recruitment of Buddy Doyle, a highly experienced geologist with 40 years experience at Rio Tinto , Western Potash and Amarillo, to head up exploration in Canada. Amarillo (3M Oz at 2 g/t Au), discovered and delineated by Buddy, was sold for $180M to Hochschild

, Western Potash and Amarillo, to head up exploration in Canada. Amarillo (3M Oz at 2 g/t Au), discovered and delineated by Buddy, was sold for $180M to Hochschild Carlos Saban, a geologist skilled in exploration and mine development, formerly from Bonaventura , was added to the team to develop a conceptual geological model for a high-grade underground mine. Target: 2M Oz at 5g/t Au (3g/t Au cut off)

, was added to the team to develop a conceptual geological model for a high-grade underground mine. Target: 2M Oz at 5g/t Au (3g/t Au cut off) Jon Hill, head of the Technical Committee at Lode Gold, is a strategic exploration geologist who is instrumental in its pivot to investigate a high-grade underground mine potential at Fremont. He has held senior management roles at Anglo-Gold Ashanti and has spear-headed multi-million dollar greenfield and brownfield exploration projects in Brazil and Colombia. Jonathan serves as a Director on the boards of Royal Road Minerals, Lavras Gold, Avanti Gold, and is actively involved in Jaguar Mining

Marketing & IR:

Lode Gold added capital market, M&A, IR and marketing expertise

and marketing expertise Launched new website at www.lode-gold.com

Series of marketing initiatives, community outreach, site visit including PDAC mention by Northern Miner https://www.northernminer.com/joint-venture-article/jv-article-lode-gold-to-spin-out-yukon-and-atlantic-assets/1003864550/

https://www.northernminer.com/joint-venture-article/jv-article-lode-gold-to-spin-out-yukon-and-atlantic-assets/1003864550/ Recent media coverage on BNN Bloomberg https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/butterfly-effect-gives-lode-gold-new-wings-1.2080640

Catalysts Upcoming in the next 12-18 months:

Lode Gold to execute Strategy & Plans with a Butterfly Effect: Small investments to capitalize on levers for strong value creation over the upcoming months

Step 2 - Strategy & Plans : Lode Gold to further unlock shareholder value: Execute a spin out of key Canadian Assets that in 2020 has a market cap of $30M to create a stand-alone pure play exploration company with assets in highly prospective regions that has recently seen heavy investments. Each shareholder before the record date will have shares of the new Spin co, named Gold Orogen.

Lode Gold to further unlock shareholder value: Execute a spin out of key Canadian Assets that in 2020 has a market cap of $30M to create a stand-alone pure play exploration company with assets in highly prospective regions that has recently seen heavy investments. Step 3 - Strategy & Plans: Fremont to seek strategic partnership and to pursue a high- grade underground mine potential. Target: 2M Oz at 5g/t Au (3g/t Au cut-off). Key initiative: 4,500m Drill Campaign to prove high grade underground thesis.

Of note, our capitalization confirms that the market recognizes that we have been undervalued, rising from a low of $3.3 million in October 2023 to over $14 million by June 2024.

This industry prioritizes people first and we are focused on building a dedicated core team with both capital markets and technical expertise. Detailed biographies can be found here. https://lode-gold.com/corporate/directors/

Lode Gold's new strategic direction is centered on unlocking shareholder value by separating key assets, creating two pure play companies, attracting new investors, and building a strong team that can lead and execute. We thank our shareholders and stakeholders for their long- term support as we continue to focus our efforts in executing our growth plans.

STOCK OPTIONS

Lode Gold has granted incentive stock options to various directors, officers, and consultants to purchase 13,352,157 common shares at an exercise price of $0.05 per share exercisable for a period of five years. The options granted to various directors and officers vest immediately. The stock options are subject to the terms and conditions of the Company's stock option plan and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.

ABOUT LODE GOLD

Lode Gold is a Canadian exploration and development company with grassroots and advanced exploration properties in highly prospective and safe mining jurisdictions.

Its Golden Culvert and Win Projects, Yukon, covering 99.5 km2 across a 27-km strike length, are situated in a district-scale, high-grade-gold-mineralized trend within the southern portion of the Tombstone Gold Belt. Gold deposits and occurrences within the Belt include Fort Knox, Pogo, Brewery Creek and Dublin Gulch, and Snowline Gold's Valley target on its Rogue property in the Selwyn Basin.

Its McIntyre Brook Project, New Brunswick, covering 111 km2 and a 17-km strike length in the emerging Triple Fault Gold Belt, is surrounded by Puma Exploration's Williams Brook Project (5.55 g/t Au over 50m) and is hosted by orogenic rocks of similar age and structure as New Found Gold's Queensway Project.

The Company is also advancing its Fremont Gold development project in the historic Mother Lode Gold Belt of California where 50,000,000 oz of gold has been produced. Fremont, located 500km north of Equinox Gold's Castle Mountain and Mesquite mines, has a PEA with an after-tax NPV of USD $217MM, a 21% IRR, 11-year LOM, averaging 118k ounces per annum at USD $1,750 gold. A sensitivity to the March 31, 2023 PEA at USD $2,000/oz gold gives an after-tax NPV(5%) of USD $370MM and a 31% IRR over an 11-year LOM. The project hosts an NI 43-101 resource of 1.16 Moz at 1.90 g/t Au within 19.0 MT Indicated, and 2.02 Moz at 2.22 g/t Au within 28.3 MT Inferred. The MRE evaluates only 1.4 km of the 4 km strike length of the Fremont property that features five gold-mineralized zones. Significantly, three step-out holes at depth hit mineralized structure, typical of orogenic deposits that often occur at depth. Fremont is located on private land in Mariposa, the original gold rush county and is 1.5 hours from Fresno, California. The property has year-round road access and is close to airports and rail. Please refer to the Fremont Gold project PEA dated March 31, 2023 under NI 43-101 guidelines. The technical report has been reviewed and approved by independent "Qualified Persons" Eugene Puritch, P.Eng., FEC, CET, and Andrew Bradfield, P.Eng. both of P&E, and Travis Manning, P.E. of KCA.

QUALIFIED PERSON STATEMENT

Buddy Doyle, FAusIMM is the author of this news release. The scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Jonathan Victor Hill, Director, BSc (Hons) (Economic Geology - UCT), FAusIMM, and who is a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").

For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.lode-gold.com or contact:

Kevin Shum

Investor Relations

info@lode-gold.com

1-647-725-3888 Ext 702

Forward-Looking Statements

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

WARNING: The Company relies upon litigation protection for "forward-looking" statements. The information in this release may contain forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. This forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking information. Factors that may cause actual results to vary materially include, but are not limited to, inaccurate assumptions concerning the exploration for and development of mineral deposits, currency fluctuations, unanticipated operational or technical difficulties, changes in laws or regulations, failure to obtain regulatory, exchange or shareholder approval, the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits, changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets and the inability to raise additional financing. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update this forward-looking information after the date of this release or to revise such information to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215361

SOURCE: Lode Gold Resources Inc.
OSLO, Norway, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Reference is made to the stock exchange notice by Aker BioMarine ASA ("AKBM") today regarding the sale of its ownership position in the Feed Ingredients business to a new company to be established ("Aker BioMarine Antarctic Holding II AS") owned 60% by American Industrial Partners ("AIP") and 40% by Aker ASA (via its wholly owned subsidiary Aker Capital AS, hereinafter "Aker").

In February 2024, Aker BioMarine announced a strategic review of its ownership position in the Feed Ingredients business. The transaction is an important step in crystallizing value and enabling a more focused Aker BioMarine.

Based on Aker BioMarine's estimated excess cash following closing, Aker BioMarine is planning to pay an extraordinary dividend of NOK 35 to NOK 45 per share. Accordingly, Aker expects to receive gross cash proceeds between NOK 2.4 and NOK 3.1 billion, subject to final purchase price adjustments and the contemplated refinancing of Aker BioMarine. After an equity investment in Aker BioMarine Antarctic Holding II AS in the area of NOK 1.4 billion and a shareholder loan in the area of NOK 200 million to the acquired entity, Aker will realize net cash proceeds between NOK 0.8 and NOK 1.5 billion from the transaction. Aker will participate in the further value creation of the Feed Ingredients business through its 40 percent ownership in Aker BioMarine Antarctic Holding II AS.

By partnering with and investing together with AIP, Aker will ensure a continued focus on krill-based ingredients for fish- and animal feed in a jointly owned company. Aker will continue its efforts to further streamline and focus Aker BioMarine within the human health and nutrition business as a 78% shareholder in Aker BioMarine.

Closing of the transaction is expected during the third quarter of 2024, subject to obtaining the necessary competition clearances.

For further information and details about the transaction and terms, please refer to Aker BioMarine ASA's stock exchange announcement from today, available at Aker BioMarine's ticker "AKBM" on: www.newsweb.no and at www.akerbiomarine.no

Media contact:

Atle Kigen, Head of Media Relations and Public Affairs, Aker ASA

Tel: +47 90 78 48 78

Email: atle.kigen@akerasa.com

Investor contacts:

Fredrik Berge, Head of Investor Relations, Aker ASA

Tel: +47 45 03 20 90

Email: fredrik.berge@akerasa.com

Christopher Robin Vinter, VP IR & Corporate Finance, Aker BioMarine ASA

Tel: +47 91 16 08 20

Email: christopher.vinter@akerbiomarine.com

This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation article 7 and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to MAR article 17 and Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

This stock exchange announcement was published by Laila Hop, Paralegal, Aker ASA, on July 3, 2024, at 20:01 CEST.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/aker-asa/r/aker-asa--streamlining-aker-biomarine--crystallizing-value-and-re-investing-in-feed-ingredients-busi,c4010122

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/aker-asa-streamlining-aker-biomarine-crystallizing-value-and-re-investing-in-feed-ingredients-business-302189194.html
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.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 3, 2024) - Roscan Gold Corporation (TSXV: ROS) (FSE: 2OJ) (OTCQB: RCGCF) ("Roscan" or the "Company") announces the results of the Company's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on June 28, 2024 (the "Meeting"). Shareholders holding 40.30% of the shares were represented in person or by proxy at the Meeting. All the matters submitted to the shareholders, as set out in the Notice of Meeting and Information Circular dated May 17, 2024, were voted in favour, including: (a) Election of Directors to the Board of the Company as listed below; (b) the approval of the omnibus long-term incentive plan; and (c) the appointment of RSM Canada LLP as the auditors of the Company for the ensuing year.

Sir Samuel E. Jonah, Nana B. Sangmuah, Greg Isenor and Michael Gentile were re-elected to serve as directors of the Company, with the percentage of votes cast for each director as follows:

Nominee



Votes For



% For



Votes Withheld



% Withheld



Sir Samuel E. Jonah 139,390,305 98.571% 2,020,484 1.429% Nana B. Sangmuah 133,982,933 94.747% 7,427,856 5.253% Greg Isenor 138,923,733 98.241% 2,487,056 1.759% Michael Gentile 141,068,405 99.758% 342,384 0.242%

The Board of Directors approved on June 28, 2023, the granting of a total of 4,612,000 incentive stock options (the "Options") to employees, officers, directors and consultants of the Company. The Options are exercisable at a price of $0.10 per Common Share, have a term of five years, and will vest immediately. The Options were granted pursuant to the Company's incentive stock option plan and are subject to regulatory approval. In addition, the Board of Directors also approved and granted 2,460,000 restricted share units, and 2,000,000 performance share units, to directors and officers, which will vest at least a year from the date of the RSU and PSU grants.

About Roscan

Roscan Gold Corporation is a Canadian gold exploration company focused on the exploration and acquisition of gold properties in West Africa. The Company has assembled a significant land position of 100%-owned permits in an area of producing gold mines (including B2 Gold's Fekola Mine which lies in a contiguous property to the west of Kandiole), and major gold deposits, located both north and south of its Kandiole Project in West Mali.

For further information, please contact:

Nana Sangmuah

President & CEO

Tel: (902) 832-5555

Email: info@Roscan.ca

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, including those risks set out in the Company's management's discussion and analysis as filed under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including that all necessary governmental and regulatory approvals will be received as and when expected. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215407

SOURCE: Roscan Gold Corporation
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 3, 2024) - Riverside Resources Inc. (TSXV: RRI) (OTCQB: RVSDF) (FSE: 5YY) ("Riverside" or the "Company"), today announced that the company will be participating in the 2024 Rule Symposium Investor Conference on July 7-11, 2024. The conference, hosted by Rick Rule, is being held at The Boca Raton Resort in Boca Raton, Florida. Presentations will be recorded and available on the website and also through contacting the Company.

President and CEO, John-Mark Staude, states "Riverside has been a long standing sponsor and pleased again to join Rick Rule and his line up of investment professionals to discuss the latest trends in mineral resources and metals exploration. Riverside has had Rick Rule as a lasting strong supportive shareholder and welcomes the opportunity to meet investors in person, on-line and generally update about the coming company catalysts for Ontario, drilling with Fortuna Mining, copper discovery, rare earth elements and the royalty portfolio of Riverside."

In corporate news, Riverside has entered into an investor relations agreement (the "IR Agreement") with Incite Capital Markets ("Incite"). The IR Agreement is for a minimum term of six months commencing on June 27, 2024 with Incite acting as part-time investor relations, whereby Incite will be paid a fee of $7,500 per month. The IR Agreement is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Incite provides expertise in capital markets, corporate communications, and investor and media relations and does not hold any interest, directly or indirectly in Riverside or its securities.

About Riverside Resources Inc.:

Riverside is a well-funded exploration company driven by value generation and discovery. The Company has over $5M in cash, no debt and less than 75M shares outstanding with a strong portfolio of gold-silver and copper assets and royalties in North America. Riverside has extensive experience and knowledge operating in Canada and Mexico leveraging its large database to generate a portfolio of prospective mineral properties and royalties. In addition to Riverside's own exploration spending, the Company also strives to diversify risk by securing joint-venture and spin-out partnerships to advance multiple assets simultaneously and create more chances for discovery. Riverside has properties available for option, with information available on the Company's website at www.rivres.com.

ON BEHALF OF RIVERSIDE RESOURCES INC.

"John-Mark Staude"



Dr. John-Mark Staude, President & CEO

For additional information contact:

John-Mark Staude

President, CEO

Riverside Resources Inc.

info@rivres.com

Phone: (778) 327-6671

Fax: (778) 327-6675

Web: www.rivres.com

Eric Negraeff

Investor Relations

Riverside Resources Inc.

Phone: (778) 327-6671

TF: (877) RIV-RES1

Web: www.rivres.com

Certain statements in this press release may be considered forward-looking information. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology (e.g., "expect"," estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "plans"). Such information involves known and unknown risks -- including the availability of funds, the results of financing and exploration activities, the interpretation of exploration results and other geological data, or unanticipated costs and expenses and other risks identified by Riverside in its public securities filings that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215416

SOURCE: Riverside Resources Inc.
Multiple Independence Day celebrations around the Bay Area are being disrupted by extreme heat and ongoing fire emergencies. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle 2018

Several Bay Area cities and surrounding regions are canceling or reducing Fourth of July events due to excessive heat and fire dangers, including Lake Oroville, where the Thompson Fire has surged to more than 3,500 acres.

California State Parks officials announced the cancellation of Orovilles Independence Day fireworks due to the ongoing wildfire, which has caused extensive damage and evacuations, leading Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency in Butte County.

Fourth of July 2024: The best parades, festivals and fireworks around the Bay Area

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Multiple agencies, including Cal Fire, the California Highway Patrol and the Butte County Sheriffs Office, are dedicating resources to firefighting, thereby depleting resources for the planned celebration.

The Lake Oroville State Recreation Area is temporarily closed to aid fire suppression efforts and is expected to remain closed until at least Friday, July 5, with possible extensions based on fire conditions.

A firefighting aircraft drops fire retardant ahead of the Thompson Fire on Wednesday, July 3, in Oroville. At least 12,000 Butte County residents have been evacuated as they flee the Thompson Fire that has burned over 3,500 acres. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The city of St. Helena, located roughly 10 miles south of the Toll Fire burning near Calistoga, has also canceled its Fourth of July fireworks show.

Officials cited the risk of wildfire, extremely high temperatures and very dry conditions as reasons for postponing the fireworks show to a later date when conditions are more favorable.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

However, the Wine Country celebration at Crane Park will still proceed on Thursday with a community event featuring a bike parade, childrens activities and a performance by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover band, Petty Rocks.

Meanwhile, Antioch has canceled its Independence Day parade due to an excessive heat warning but assures residents that other festivities will proceed as planned. Starting at 6 p.m. in historic Rivertown, the celebration will feature rides, games, music and food trucks, culminating with a fireworks show at 9:15 p.m.

Organizers encouraged residents to stay cool by visiting shaded or air-conditioned areas during peak heat hours.

Samantha Lara, 4, celebrates the Fourth of July parade in Redwood City in 2017. Bay Area cities are adjusting Independence Day plans due to heat and fire threats. Michael Macor/The Chronicle

San Francisco is expected to enjoy its first fog-free Fourth of July since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic halted celebrations, with warm and clear skies expected for the fireworks display.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Temperatures will vary across the city, with the west side reaching the mid-70s, and the east side experiencing highs in the low 80s. Duboce Triangle may see a high of 83 degrees, making it the hottest Independence Day since 1931.

Official fireworks over San Francisco Bay will start at 9:30 p.m., though coastal areas like Pier 39 and Crissy Field may still see fog.

Bay Area residents should visit event sites on Thursday morning to check on the status of planned activities.
SIXGEN, an Annapolis, MD-based full-spectrum solutions provider of cybersecurity products and expertise to U.S. national intelligence, defense and critical infrastructure customers, acquired Secure Enterprise Engineering, Inc., a Hanover, MD-based provider of cybersecurity products and services across various domains.

This acquisition brings capabilities, software products, tier I engineers and longstanding customer relationships to SIXGEN. It marks the companys first acquisition following Washington Harbour Partners (WHP) investment in the company in November 2023.

Secure-EE utilizes its proprietary intellectual property to deliver a comprehensive suite of capabilities across multiple software infrastructure layers and cyber environments, including data management, provisioning, cyber tooling and command & control. Grounded in its unified platform of data management and integration based on the Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture (JCWA), Secure-EE enables operators to focus on mission objectives rather than system configuration and infrastructure management. Additionally, the companys Distant Rook platform, designed for automated provisioning of joint deployable hunt kits, further enhances the impact of SIXGENs RAVEN ecosystem, offering customers rapid integration of new tools for dynamically evolving missions.

Led by Jack Wilmer, CEO, SIXGEN is a leader in cybersecurity, dedicated to supporting the U.S. Department of Defense, intelligence community, and other federal agencies.

The acquisition follows the companys recent additions to its executive leadership team, with Jack Wilmer as Chief Executive Officer and Jonathan Sholtis as Chief Operating Officer. SIXGEN has also recently appointed renowned cybersecurity leaders across the digital battlespace to their Board of Directors, with Andrew Boyd and Lieutenant General Charles Moore.

FinSMEs

03/07/2024
Although no official list has been released yet, media reported that more than 200 third-placed candidates have withdrawn from the French election race. These candidates mainly comprise left and centre candidates who have stepped aside to prevent the far-right National Rally (RN) from gaining seats. As a result, there will now be around 108 three-way races instead of the initially anticipated 300 read more

Marine Le Pen, member of parliament and French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National - RN) party leader, arrives at the RN party headquarters in Paris, France, July 1, 2024. Reuters

In an attempt at thwarting the far-right National Rally (RN) from gaining power, scores of candidates have withdrawn from the upcoming second round of Frances parliamentary elections.

This move, dubbed the republican front, aims to consolidate the anti-RN vote and prevent Marine Le Pens party from securing an absolute majority in the National Assembly.

More than 200 candidates, primarily from French President Emmanuel Macrons centrist camp and the broad left-wing New Popular Front (NPF) alliance, have stepped aside to bolster the chances of defeating RN candidates in the second round of elections.

Advertisement

French newspaper Le Monde reported that 221 candidates withdrew, including 130 from the left and 82 from Macrons centrist alliance, Ensemble. This strategic move has led to around 108 three-way races instead of the initial 300-plus three-way contests. Other than two constituencies where four candidates qualified, the remaining seats will reportedly see two-way races.

The political parties had till 6pm (local time) on July 2 to register their candidates.

A flyer reading Right turn? Turn left! lies on the pavement prior to the second round of the early French parliamentary elections, in Nantes, France, July 2, 2024. Reuters

Macron and French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal have previously stated the importance of blocking RN from power. Attal expressed the urgency of the situation, stating, I need to prevent the National Rally from achieving an absolute majority in the National Assembly because it would be  and I say it from the bottom of my gut  it would be terrible for the country and the French.

Has this political maneuver been used before?

The republican front tactic has been used before, most notably in 2002 when voters rallied behind Jacques Chirac to defeat Jean-Marie Le Pen, Marine Le Pens father, in a presidential contest.

Also Read: How does France vote? What is the electoral process?

However, it remains uncertain whether voters will heed the guidance of political leaders in the current climate, especially given Marine Le Pens efforts to soften her partys image.

What happened in the first round?

In the first round of voting, the RN emerged as the frontrunner with approximately 33 per cent of the vote. The NPF secured 28 per cent, while Macrons centrist bloc garnered just over 20 per cent. Pollsters initially estimated that the RN could win between 250-300 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly, but the recent tactical withdrawals could significantly alter this projection.

Advertisement

Marine Le Pen acknowledged the challenges ahead, stating, We cannot agree to form a government if we cannot act. That would be the worst of betrayals of our voters.

Supporters of French far right leader Marine Le Pen react after the release of projections based on the actual vote count in select constituencies, June 30, 2024 in Henin-Beaumont, northern France. File Image/AP

However, she hinted at the possibility of forming alliances, saying, If we have, say, 270 lawmakers, we need 19 more, we will go to others and ask them if they are ready to participate with us in a new majority.

What could be the outcome?

If no party secures a clear majority, France could face a period of political uncertainty. Attal suggested that mainstream right, left, and centre parties could form ad hoc alliances to pass legislation.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, Xavier Bertrand, a senior member of the centre-right Republicans (LR) party, proposed forming a provisional government until the next presidential election, reported Reuters.

Also Read: Why a far-right government in France is unlikely soon

In a foretaste of potential tensions, Le Pen accused Macron of preparing key public sector appointments to hinder the RNs ability to implement its policies. When you want to counter the results of an election by nominating your people to jobs, and when that stops [the government] from being able to carry out policies which the French people have asked for I call that an administrative coup detat, she said.

Advertisement

What could RN in power mean for France?

The RNs rise has sparked concerns among various groups. The party is known for its anti-immigrant, eurosceptic stance and its plans to cut funding to the EU. Human rights organisations worry about the potential impact on ethnic minorities, while economists question the feasibility of the RNs spending plans.

A person walks past posters which read our lives depend on your votes, during the first round of the early French parliamentary elections, in Nantes, France, June 30, 2024. File Image/Reuters

In response to these concerns, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged pro-EU parties to address voter concerns and counter rising nationalism. Financial markets reacted cautiously, with some relief that the far-right had not performed better, but also apprehension about the risk of policy paralysis.

Public sentiment remains divided. A survey by pollster Ifop showed that a small majority of mainstream conservative voters would back the left-wing candidate best positioned to defeat an RN rival, except when the candidate was from Jean-Luc Melenchons radical left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party.

Advertisement

Also Read | Anti-immigration, anti-Islam, Pro-Putin: About Marine Le Pens party

The RNs potential ban on the Muslim headscarf and plans to restrict the rights of dual-nationality French citizens in defence, security, and nuclear industry jobs have further polarised opinions. Le Pen highlighted her commitment to these policies, stating, There are a number of issues regarding Islamist ideologies and the headscarf is only one of them.

The upcoming second round of parliamentary elections in France, just days away on July 7, is set to be a pivotal moment in the countrys political history.

With inputs from agencies
With a population of 1.8 million, the Indian diaspora in the UK constitutes approximately 2.5 per cent of Britains population. Rishi Sunak, once a source of pride for Britains Indian community, now encounters their increasing discontent due to rising living costs and economic stagnation. The opposition Labour Party leads by over 20 points in opinion polls. The disillusionment of British Indians with Sunak and his Conservative Party could be decisive on July 4 read more

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visits the DCS group distribution centre as part of a Conservative general election campaign event, in Banbury, UK, July 2, 2024. Reuters File

The upcoming UK general election, set for July 4, 2024, is a crucial event that may determine the countrys political direction for years to come. Among the many factors influencing this election, the British Indian vote stands out as particularly significant.

With an estimated 1.8 million people of Indian origin living in the UK, their political preferences could be a decisive factor in the elections outcome.

Why is the British Indian vote important?

Advertisement

The British Indian community represents approximately 2.5 per cent of the UKs population, a significant and growing demographic. This community is known for its high levels of education, professional success, and economic contribution.

According to data, Indian households lead in high-income brackets, with 42 per cent earning 1,000 or more weekly between 2015-2018. Despite comprising only a small portion of the population, they contribute over 6 per cent to UKs GDP. This economic clout translates into substantial political influence, making their vote highly sought after by all major political parties.

Have UK Indians fazed away from Sunak?

Rishi Sunaks ascent to the role of prime minister in 2022 marked a historic milestone as he became the UKs first prime minister of Indian descent. This event was celebrated by the British Indian community, reflecting their growing influence in UK politics.

Britains Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is greeted during a visit to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir while on the general election campaign trail, June 29, 2024, in London. AP

However, the initial euphoria has given way to growing dissatisfaction due to rising living costs and economic stagnation under Sunaks leadership.

Ashwin Krishnaswamy, a UK-based technology investor, told SCMP, A lot of pain points are coming out in the open and the larger diaspora is going with the sentiment of an anti-Tory wave. People are saying that maybe its time to bring a new government.

Advertisement

Sunaks campaign has been about looking to the future. But in the past you [Conservative Party] have had so many leadership changes, [people are thinking] what is the guarantee that you will remain, Priyajit Debsarkar, a London-based Indian author, told SCMP.

How has the cost-of-living crisis impacted the community?

The UK has been grappling with a cost-of-living crisis, with prices for essential goods rising faster than household incomes since late 2021. This economic strain has disproportionately affected the British Indian community, many of whom are small business owners and professionals in sectors like healthcare and education.

Striking NHS healthcare staff march during a protest amid an ongoing dispute with the government over pay, in London, UK, May 1, 2023. File Image/Reuters

The NHS is a big disaster. There is a huge pay disparity in the NHS between different sections of doctors, said Krishnaswamy, stating the loss of confidence in the Conservative government. The communitys concerns about the National Health Service (NHS), which employs over 60,000 Indian medical professionals, further compound their dissatisfaction.

Advertisement

What has the role of the Hindu community been?

The Hindu community, making up a significant portion of the British Indian population, has been particularly vocal about their political and social concerns. In the run-up to the election, both UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Leader Keir Starmer have made efforts to engage with Hindu voters.

Sunak visited the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, where he promised to make the community proud, while Starmer visited the Swaminarayan Temple in Kingsbury, pledging to build a strategic partnership with India.

An honour to be back at Kingsbury temple today alongside hundreds of worshippers to recognise the immense service of the Hindu community in Britain. pic.twitter.com/lXnRfi2XKb  Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 28, 2024

Advertisement

The Hindu Manifesto launched by an umbrella group of British Hindu organisations has called on elected representatives to protect Hindu places of worship and tackle anti-Hindu hate.

This mandir stands as a great statement of the contributions that this community makes to Britain, said Sunak. Starmer echoed this sentiment, stating, If were elected next week, we will strive to govern in the spirit of sewa to serve you and a world in need.

How has Labour appealed to the community?

Advertisement

The Labour Party, traditionally enjoying strong support among British Indians, has capitalised on the dissatisfaction with the Conservative government. Labour Leader Keir Starmer has positioned the party as a stable and competent alternative, resonating with voters frustrated by the rising cost of living.

House rents are 100 per cent higher than six to seven years back, Supriyo Chaudhuri, CEO of e1133 Ltd, a higher education firm, told SCMP. If you are a new immigrant, you cant [afford to] buy a house. Chaudhuri criticised Sunak for not addressing public services and the cost-of-living crisis, pointing out the need for a change in government.

UK Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaks at the launch of the Labour Partys manifesto, in Manchester, UK, June 13, 2024. File Image / Reuters

Labours campaign slogan, Its time for change, reflects their strategy to position themselves as a government-in-waiting, ready to address the issues facing the country. The partys ability to connect with the British Indian community and address their concerns could be pivotal in the upcoming election.

For the Conservative Party, obviously, they have Rishi Sunak  a British Indian leader  for the first time. Its an unknown factor how much it will matter to British Indian voters that the leader of the party is from their background, Sunder Katwala, director of the British Future think tank, told PTI.

Also Read | Blue, red, green, orange: How do political parties in UK pick colours and what do they symbolise?

With significant economic and demographic influence, the British Indian communitys concerns about the cost-of-living crisis, healthcare, and public services are key issues ahead of the election. Whether Rishi Sunak can regain their support or Labours promise of change will resonate more strongly remains to be seen. What is clear is that the British Indian vote matters more than ever in this pivotal election on Thursday.

With inputs from agencies
Bringing an unconventional twist to the UK elections, candidates such as Count Binface, AI Steve, and even Elmo from the Muppets are eyeing a seat in the Parliament. From promises like capping croissant prices to opening 24-hour cannnabis cafes, these figures have made the polls fun read more

Dressed in a silver outfit with matching cape and wearing a silver trash can as a helmet, Count Binface is competing in the UK elections. Reuters

As Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer gear up to take center stage and potentially claim victory in the upcoming British election on Friday, they are stepping into a realm of political theater like no other.

Amidst the vibrant spectacle of democracy in action, alongside the traditional contenders, stand a cast of characters as diverse as they are unconventional. From a man sporting a trash can as a helmet to a figure reminiscent of Elmo from the Muppets, these personalities add a splash of color and satire to the electoral landscape.

Advertisement

They represent the quirky side of British politics and are among the eclectic mix of over 4,500 candidates vying for Parliaments 650 seats.

Heres a closer at these unique candidates.

Count Binface

Dressed in a silver outfit with a matching cape and wearing a silver trash can as a helmet, Count Binface, the self-proclaimed intergalactic space warrior, leader of the Recyclons from planet sigma IX, will be challenging Prime Minister Sunak in his constituency in northern England.

Thats right, under the British system I get to stand against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, its brilliant, Binface, aka comedian Jonathan Harvey, told Reuters.

Among his eye-catching policies are promises to price-cap croissants at 1.10 pounds ($1.39), national service for all former prime ministers, and that he should represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest.

It might be true that on Thursday night or Friday morning I havent beaten Rishi Sunak numerically, Binface, who has been endorsed by one national newspaper, the Daily Star tabloid said. But I would argue the moral victory will be mine, he added.

Count Binfaces policies include price-cap croissants at 1.10 pounds ($1.39), national service for all former prime ministers, and representation in the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest. Reuters

This isnt the first time Binface is competing, he is a familiar face  or helmet  at British elections, having stood against two ex-prime ministers, Theresa May in 2017  albeit then in his former guise as Lord Buckethead  and Boris Johnson in 2019. He also contested the London mayor elections in 2021 and in May this year when he won 24,000 votes.

Advertisement

If elected to victory this time, Binface aims to make the July 4 election Bindependence Day.

The Loonies

The veterans of the UK comedy candidate genre belong to the Official Monster Raving Loony Party which was formed in 1982 and has regularly contested elections ever since.

This year it is fielding 22 candidates, including Howling Laud Hope, the party leader, Baron Von Thunderclap, and Earl Elvis of East Anglia.





The Official Monster Raving Loony Party which was formed in 1982 and has regularly contested elections ever since. This year it is fielding 22 candidates, including Howling Laud Hope, the party leader, Baron Von Thunderclap, and Earl Elvis of East Anglia. AFP



Since its inception, the party has fought 76 by-elections and participated in every general election with candidates including R. U. Seerius, The Flying Brick, Bananaman Owen, Mad Cow-Girl, Sir Oink A-Lot and Lady Lily The Pink.

Advertisement

Despite their colorful campaigns, the Loonies have yet to send an MP to Parliament. In fact, the Howling Laud Hope had told BBC that if any candidate gets too many votes, they will automatically be kicked out on the grounds that they have been insufficiently loony.

AI Steve

AI Steve aims to make history as the worlds first AI lawmaker, represented by Sussex businessman Steve Endacott. Hes stepping into the political fray alongside traditional candidates to represent Brighton Pavilion in Brighton and Hove.

AI Steve is represented by Sussex businessman Steve Endacott in the UK general elections. Reuters

Endacott, chairman of Neural Voice, a company specialising in personalised voice assistants, conceived AI Steve to revolutionise political accessibility. AI Steves unique selling point lies in its ability to engage constituents around the clock. Endacott said through advanced AI technology, voters can interact with AI Steve to discuss policies and express concerns, ensuring their voices shape decision-making.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, the Psychedelic Movement Party candidate in Southend is standing on pledges to ignore the law and open 24-hour cannnabis cafes.

The Mitre pub

Chris French, owner of The Mitre pub in Richmond, London, has taken an unconventional route by registering his pub as a political party and nominating himself as the sole candidate for Richmond Park in the general election.

His primary motivation? Utilising the opportunity for free advertising on 77,000 ballot papers.

French, 47, who has owned The Mitre for more than eight years, shared his rationale with the PA news agency: Our little pub in Richmond is a hidden gem, but many locals are unaware of its existence despite living here for decades. This got me thinking about ways to raise awareness, and about a year ago, it struck me that registering for election candidacy would provide free publicity through the ballot papers.

Advertisement

Although he doesnt anticipate defeating sitting MP Sarah Olney of the Liberal Democrats, French remains upbeat about securing at least one votehis own.

Ill definitely be voting for myself, so thats one vote guaranteed, he quipped, humorously adding, If I only get one vote, it might be quite a chilly evening. Hopefully, Ill manage to secure two votes, he said.

Elmo

Elmo, the red Muppet character who speaks in a high-pitched falsetto voice and frequently refers to himself in the third person will be competing in this years UK elections. again.

Portrayed by Bobby Smith, Elmo will be contesting against Labour leader Starmer and plans to change the law on fathers rights.

Elmo, the furry red monster competed against UK PM Boris Johnson in 2019 elections. Reuters

In the last elections, he competed against ex-UK PM Boris Johnson, securing eight votes to Johnsons 25,351.

Keeping jokes aside, Count Biface said it was important to protect democracy in a year when over half the eligible humans on your planet would go to the polls.

Im here to cherish it, to defend it, to celebrate the fact that anyone in the UK can not just vote but you all stand for election whatever your platform or however idiotic you look, he said. I urge everyone  do go out to vote, and most importantly, make your vote, count.

With input from agencies
Israels top generals are pushing for a ceasefire even if it means allowing Hamas to remain in power temporarily. This has put them at odds with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We explain the rationale behind the generals call for a ceasefire, focusing on issues of military readiness, the threat from Hezbollah, and the fate of Israeli hostages read more

There is a growing divide within Israels leadership about the ongoing war in Gaza. Israels top generals are pushing for a ceasefire even if it means allowing Hamas to remain in power temporarily, The New York Times reported citing interviews with six serving and retired generals.

Their stance paints is sharply in contrast with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus opposition to any truce or end to the war before Hamas is completely wiped out.

Advertisement

We explain the rationale behind the generals call for a ceasefire, focusing on issues of military readiness, the threat from Hezbollah, and the fate of Israeli hostages.

Military equipment and readiness concerns

The Israeli generals call for a ceasefire is partly driven by concerns about the countrys military readiness. According to the New York Times, some officials believe that Israel is under-equipped for prolonged conflict after going through its longest war in decades. Earlier this year, Ron Tomer, President of the Manufacturers Association of Israel, had told Times of Israel that around October 2023, certain military production lines were under-utilised due to budget constraints.

Further exacerbating the issue is the significant reduction in arms shipments from key allies. In May, United States President Joe Biden announced a halt to certain arms shipments that could be used in Gaza, though he said that this did not include defensive systems like the Iron Dome.

President Joe Biden announced a halt to certain arms shipments that could be used in Gaza. File image/Reuters

Simultaneously, there were reports of a noticeable drop in American weapon deliveries, with only a handful of shipments arriving in recent months compared to the higher numbers seen earlier in the conflict.

The Haaretz Daily, after tracking the number of American military and civilian cargo planes landing in Israel from US military bases around the globe, had reported that there have been around 173 shipments since October 7, the day Hamas attacked Israel.

Advertisement

The majority of flights arrived in October (22), November (47), December (32), and January (20). The numbers started dropping significantly, with only eight planes arriving in February and 11 in March. In April, there was an uptick to 17 flights due to the firing exchange with Iranian missile and drone attack against Israel. However, the numbers decreased again in May and June, with only seven and nine shipments landing in Israel, respectively.

Similarly, British-approved arms export licenses to Israel plummeted by more than 95 per cent after the wars onset, hitting a 13-year low.

Several reports, the earliest from just a week after the October 7 attack, have pointed out that critical military equipment was in short supply in several army units.

Advertisement

The Hezbollah threat

Another major factor influencing the generals call for a ceasefire is the looming threat from Hezbollah. Since October, the Lebanese militia has been engaged in low-level hostilities with Israel, frequently launching missiles, rockets, and drones into northern Israel. This has prompted fears of a broader conflict, with Israeli officials warning of the potential for an all-out war.

Hezbollah, which has declared its military actions as a show of solidarity with Hamas, poses a significant threat due to its substantial arsenal and large number of fighters, estimated at around 100,000. The groups capability to potentially overwhelm Israels Iron Dome defense system adds to the urgency of addressing this threat.

Advertisement

Israeli generals believe that a truce with Hamas could create the necessary breathing space for the IDF to regroup and prepare for a possible escalation with Hezbollah. Moreover, a ceasefire could pave the way for diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions on the northern front. Hezbollahs deputy leader has indicated that a full ceasefire in Gaza could lead to a cessation of hostilities along the Lebanon-Israel border, highlighting the interconnected nature of these conflicts.

The fate of Israeli hostages

A third critical reason behind the generals push for a ceasefire is the hostages. Even now, 120 Israelis are still being held in Gaza, either dead or alive. The generals believe that a truce would be the most effective means of securing their release.

Advertisement

Prime Minister Netanyahu has so far resisted proposals for a ceasefire that would involve a phased return of Israeli hostages. This stand has led to widespread protests and calls for his resignation. The public in Israel is growing impatient by the day. The prolonged conflict and the lack of a clear postwar strategy have only fuelled the existing frustration more.

Israelis have been holding protests for months to pressurise the government to strike a deal to free hostages held by Hamas. Reuters

The militarys shift towards supporting a ceasefire is the sign of a broader recognition of the need for a sustainable resolution to the conflict. Without a clear plan for Gazas future, the IDF has found itself repeatedly engaging in battles in territories it had previously cleared of Hamas fighters. They keep returning, because Israel is focused only on fighting at the moment, not managing the cleared areas. This has created a cycle of violence with no apparent end in sight.

In a nutshell

The push for a ceasefire by Israels top generals is based on concerns about military readiness, the significant threat posed by Hezbollah, and the urgent need to secure the release of Israeli hostages. As the conflict drags on, the divide between the military and political leadership is visibly growing wider. The call for a truce appears to be based on a strategic reassessment of the realities on the ground. Meanwhile, the political leadership, especially Prime Minister Netanyahu, remains adamant in dragging the conflict on, without addressing these concerns.

With inputs from agencies
Ever since Joe Bidens poor performance at the first presidential debate, there have been calls to replace him as the Democratic candidate and California Governor Gavin Newsoms name has been cropping up. With his good looks and ability to take on the Republicans, the 56-year-old seems a likely successor but polls suggest that he doesnt have what it takes to go up against Donald Trump read more

US President Joe Biden is greeted by California Governor Gavin Newsom at San Francisco International Airport. After Biden's debate debacle, Newsom has hovered around the edges reminding the Democrats that he is there should the 81-year-old commander in chief fail. File image/Reuters

The high-stakes presidential debate between US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump wrapped up on June 27 and it went horribly wrong for Biden. It was such a train wreck of a performance that some high-profile Democrats have called on the president to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race or be replaced as the partys nominee.

As Biden feels the heat from his fellow Democrats, a list of names has begun circulating as possible successors and all of them have one name in it: California governor Gavin Newsom. And fanning the flames of speculation that he could replace Biden became even more prominent after reports emerged that he would be heading to New Hampshire to headline a Democrat campaign on July 8.

Advertisement

When asked about the possibility of being a replacement candidate, Newsom dismissed the claims, saying he remained firmly behind Biden. I will never turn my back on President Biden, he was quoted as telling CNN.

Lets take a closer look at who is Newsom and how he has gotten so close to the top of the Democratic party.

Early life

Born in 1967, Newsom is a fourth-generation San Franciscan. He made it through school and university despite his dyslexia and later got into business.

He was initially married to former district attorney and now Fox News personality, Kimberly Guilfoyle, but two years into their marriage, they went their separate ways. Today, Newsom is married to Jennifer Siebel and the two of them have four children. On the other hand, his ex-wife Guilfoyle is now engaged to Donald Trump Jr.

Gavin Newsom and his family. He split with his previous wife after two years of marriage and is now settled down with Jennifer Siebel. File image/Reuters

In 1992, he opened PlumpJack Winery with an investment from Gordon P Getty, the son of oil tycoon J Paul Getty. Over the years, his business has grown to encompass restaurants and hotels before he turned his attention to politics.

He has even written a book about dyslexia after trying, and failing, to find a book to show his own children  all the proceeds of which went to charity.

Newsoms politics

Newsoms start in politics began in 1996 as he joined the board of the Parking and Traffic Commission. He was then described by the local media as a social liberal and a fiscal watchdog.

Advertisement

He spent a number of years at the coal face of his states politics, before in 2003 he became mayor of San Francisco of which he served two terms. What propelled him to national prominence was his backing for same-sex marriages in 2004.

He later ran for the post of lieutenant governor and won it in 2010. One of the highlights of his tenure as lieutenant governor was designating the avocado as Californias state fruit. Incidentally, Newsom loves avocados and tries to eat one six to seven days a week.

In 2019, Newsoms stock rose when he secured a landslide victory and became the governor of California. As governor, Newsom has introduced new laws in the state, making California a sanctuary for women seeking abortions. He has also made it a green haven by banning the sale of new fossil-fuel cars by 2035.

Advertisement

He has also introduced policies beneficial to illegal immigrants, like offering undocumented immigrants the opportunity to get health insurance.

California governor Gavin Newsom helps cleanup a homeless encampment along a freeway in San Diego. Newsom has come under fire for Californias high rate of homelessness. File image/Reuters

However, his rule as California governor hasnt been without criticism. Only 47 per cent of voters in California approve of his performance in a survey, down from 57 per cent in March last year. The Golden States economy isnt too golden; it is tied for the nations highest unemployment rate and not a single city in the state has been added to the top 20 ranking of hot labour markets.

Data reveals that crime statistics of the state are also higher than the national average. Additionally, the state has a notoriously high rate of homelessness. He also drew criticism for his COVID-19 policies. He was at the centre of a controversy when he was pictured visiting a Napa Valley restaurant for a dinner party while he asked Californians to adhere to social distancing guidelines. After receiving backlash for contradicting the spirit of his guidelines and precautions, Newsom acknowledged that the faux pas resulted in a loss of his moral authority during the pandemic.

Advertisement

A Biden surrogate

In recent times, it has been reported that Newsom has been running a shadow campaign with some Republicans claiming hes been plotting a clandestine effort to supplant Biden as his partys nominee.

MSNBC, a famous US network, has also described him as a Biden surrogate because of how often he comes out batting for the party. He also has no issues reeling off the facts or trading barbs with Republicans.

But when asked about him replacing Biden, he has categorically denied it. When asked by MSNBC if Biden should step down after the first US presidential debate, Newsom replied: You dont turn your back because of one performance. What kind of party does that?

Advertisement

He added: This president has delivered. We need to deliver for him at this moment.

California Governow Gavin Newsom speaks to reporters in the spin room after the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Many view Newsom as Bidens surrogate  one with similar policies but one who isnt afraid of trading barbs with Republicans. File image/Reuters

Newsoms chances

In the off-chance that Newsom does replace Biden as the Democrat nominee, does he have what it takes to beat Trump?

A March Rasmussen Reports survey of 912 likely voters found that Trump would lead by 17 points (51 per cent to 34) if Newsom were the 2024 Democratic nominee. In February 2024, an Emerson College Polling survey of 1,225 showed that Trump would win in a hypothetical White House race against Newsom by 10 points (46 per cent to 36). A November 2023 Fox News poll of 1,001 registered voters found that Trump would win an election against Newsom by four points (49 per cent to 45).

The Guardian has reported that it remains unclear if the California governor truly has what it takes to amass national support in an increasingly divided country. As Bill Whalen, a policy fellow at the Hoover Institution think tank in Palo Alto, California, told The Guardian: There is such a thing as perhaps being too attractive, or, more to the point, looking like the person whose photo comes with the new wallet that you buy at the department store. Thats Gavin Newsom.

With inputs from agencies
A stampede at a religious gathering in Hathras has claimed the lives of 121 people and left scores of others injured. As officials begin investigations, multiple theories have come to the fore about the cause of the tragedy. Heres what we have learned so far read more

Confusion, screams, chaos. On Tuesday (July 2), hundreds of people had gathered in Phulrai village in UPs Hathras to listen to Bhole Baba, a self-styled godman without realising that in no time they would be a part of, perhaps, the worst horror of their life  a stampede.

A whopping 121 people, most of them women, died on Tuesday as a stampede unfolded at the end of the religious event. Of those who have died, most of them have been identified by officials, with Aligarh Zone Inspector General of Police (IG) Shalabh Mathur telling PTI, One hundred and sixteen people have died in the stampede incident in Hathras. A compensation of Rs 2 lakh each has been announced for the families of the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Advertisement

As family and friends mourn the loss of their loved ones, many senior police officials, along with the forensic unit and a dog squad, have reached the spot, trying to ascertain what caused the deadly stampede.

Primary investigations are already providing some clues as to what happened and heres what we know so far.

Overcrowding

One of the reasons for the stampede that is being provided is overcrowding. Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh told reporters that overcrowding was one of the reasons behind the stampede at a religious congregation in Phulrai village.

According to Singh, after the satsang concluded, devotees began running after Bhole Babas car, while others bent down to collect soil from the venue and fell. This led to a stampede, resulting in the loss of over 100 lives.

Singh added that it was some kind of ritual for the devotees to touch the self-styled godmans feet and collect pair ki dhool as a blessing after the satsang. A huge police force was deployed at the satsang venue. I am told that people rushed to touch the feet of Bhole Baba and tried to take soil (of the path he walked on), causing the stampede and many people fell into a nearby drain, he was quoted as telling the Indian Express.

Advertisement

Devotees at the religious gathering where a stampede broke out, in Hathras district. Officials blame overcrowding for the tragedy and are investigating the matter. PTI

He also pointed out that the number of people present at the venue exceeded much more than the permitted limit.

The exact number of people who attended the satsang organised by Bhole Baba is still unknown, but Hathras District Magistrate Ashish Kumar has said that the organisers had sought permission for the private programme. He added that this would be investigated at a later stage.

Even eyewitnesses corroborate the UP chief secretarys statement, saying that the crowds rushed towards the guru, causing the tragedy. Log unka darshan karna chahte the aur gaadi ka dhool lena chahte the (people wanted his darshan and take the soil from the road on which his car left the venue). After the satsang got over, people started leaving in groups and because it was raining, many slipped and people kept falling on each other and got crushed, Vikas Kumar, whose grandmother was among those deceased, told Indian Express.

Advertisement

Humid weather, suffocation

Another theory behind what led to the stampede is the hot and humid weather. Inspector General of police (Aligarh Range) explained, said: The exact reasons are yet to be worked out but initial reports suggest that it was the closed enclosure of tent and prima facie it seems that suffocation led to discomfort for those there and they ran here and there, leading to the stampede.

This was echoed by ADG (Agra Zone) Anupam Kulshreshtha, who said most of the followers were women and as they felt suffocated, they started to leave in a hurry.

Advertisement

An injured arrives in an ambulance at the Sikandrarao hospital in Hathras district. At least 120 people are dead and scores are injured after a stampede at a religious gathering of thousands of people. AP

A policeman who was stationed at the satsang said that there were over 1 lakh people crammed inside the tent at the event and it was hot and humid. Feeling uncomfortable inside the tent led to the people wanting to leave and that caused the stampede.

One eyewitness told Hindustan Times, Once they (the followers) were allowed to leave the venue, the crowd pressure became uncomfortable with hot and humid weather leading to suffocation and caused the stampede.

A survivor of the stampede told Hindustan Times: There was a huge crowd of followers on the spot. It all happened when the satsang ended and all were in a haste to leave the enclosure. There was no way out and everybody fell on each other and the stampede took place. When I tried to move out, I found motorcycles parked outside, blocking the way. Many fainted while others died.

Advertisement

Another survivor recounting to Times of India said, There was a large crowd at the site. There was no way out, and people fell on each other and fainted. When I tried to move out, there were motorcycles parked outside, which blocked my way.

A sandal is pictured where a stampede killed 121 people during a Hindu religious gathering in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. AFP

FIR filed

A day after the stampede, the police filed an FIR against the organisers of the religious congregation. Mukhya sevadar Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers have been named in the first information report (FIR) filed at the Sikandara Rao police station late Tuesday, a senior officer told PTI.

The FIR has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 126 (2) (wrongful restraint), 223 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by the public servant), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence), the officer said.

Moreover, the UP government has also launched two helpline numbers  05722227041 and 05722227042  after the Hathras stampede incident.

With inputs from agencies
A photograph, taken during the rehearsals for the 2023 Pakistan Day Parade, seemed to show a JF-17 jet carrying a Raad missile, a nuclear-capable projectile. This photo evidence suggests that the Pakistani military is on the path to make a significant strategic enhancement to its air force. In the context of the quickening arms race in Asia, this is also likely to be a cause of concern for India read more

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) has confirmed that Pakistan's JF-17 fighter aircraft was photographed flying with the Ra'ad I nuclear-capable missile onboard. Image source: X/@RanaSuhaibphoto

Pakistan appears to be arming (or at least testing out) its nuclear-capable Raad missiles on the JF-17 jets, which are jointly developed by Pakistan and China.

The development comes after years of efforts to phase out Pakistan Air Forces aging Mirage fighter aircraft from their nuclear striker role. In the context of the quickening arms race in Asia, this is also likely to be a cause of concern for India.

We take an in-depth look at all of this.

Advertisement

Replacing the aging Mirage III/Vs

For years, regional and global media outlets have reported on Pakistans intent to incorporate the dual-capable Raad air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) onto the JF-17 jets. Islamabad appeared eager to do this in order to replacing the aging Mirage III/Vs in their nuclear strike role.

Despite being over half a century old, Pakistan was still repairing and upgrading many of the Mirage planes from its fleet. That was largely the courtesy of budget constraints.

With the induction of the Sino-Pakistani JF-17, that situation was expected to change. However, whether the JF-17s would indeed replace the Mirage aircraft remained unclear. Until March 2023, that is.

In March 2023, an aviation photographer who goes by @RanaSuhaibphoto on X, captured an image that partially dispelled the uncertainty around the integration of nuclear capable missiles with the JF-17 platform.

Advertisement

This photograph, taken during the rehearsals for the 2023 Pakistan Day Parade, seemed to show a JF-17 jet carrying a Raad missile- a subsonic, standoff ALCM. This visual evidence aligned with previous reports and suggests that Pakistan is actively testing or even implementing the transition from Mirage III/Vs to JF-17s for their nuclear missions.

Still, there was no confirmation if the missile indeed was the nuclear capable Raad.

The evidence: Nuclear-capable missiles on JF-17

Now, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) has provided further clarity. They addressed this image of a JF-17 Thunder Block II jet equipped with what appeared to be a Raad ALCM.

FAS compared this configuration to previous versions of the Raad-I and Raad-II missiles showcased in past Pakistan Day Parades (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2024). They observed that the fin arrangements of the missile on the JF-17 resembled the twin-tail configuration of the Raad-I, rather than the newer x-shaped tail of the Raad-II. Given that the older Raad-II design is considered outdated, it is likely that Pakistan has made significant progress in equipping its JF-17s with Raad-I missiles, possibly supplementing or replacing the Mirage III/Vs in the nuclear strike role.

Advertisement

Image courtesy: Federation of American Scientists (FAS)

Significance of this confirmation

This photo evidence suggests that the Pakistani military is on the path to make a significant strategic enhancement to its air force. The full integration, which may not be too far now, means that Islamabad will see its nuclear deterrence boosted.

This is also a reminder of the deepening defence cooperation between Pakistan and China. The JF-17, developed jointly by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and Chinas Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corp, is poised to take over the nuclear strike duties from the aging Mirage III and V aircraft. With over 130 operational JF-17s, Pakistan is on a path to modernising its air force with more advanced and versatile aircraft.

Advertisement

Broader regional context and implications for India

In Asia, there is an ongoing and deepening nuclear arms competition. The top players in the southern region of the continent are India, China, and Pakistan.

Pakistan is actively pursuing capabilities such as Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs) with its Ababeel missile, while India is similarly advancing its MIRV technology for its Agni-P and Agni-5 missiles. China has already deployed MIRVs on several of its DF-5B and DF-41 ICBMs.

China and Pakistan have been cooperating in matters of defence. AFP

Additionally, Pakistan is developing other short-range, lower-yield nuclear-capable systems like the NASR (Hatf-9) ballistic missile, aimed at countering conventional military threats from India below the strategic nuclear level. These advancements, coupled with heightened regional tensions, raise concerns about an accelerated arms race and the potential for escalation in a conflict between India and Pakistan.

Advertisement

Islamabad currently holds 170 nuclear warheads as of 2024, and its nuclear warheads are stored separately from its missiles, assembling them only when necessary. This means that even if JF-17 jets are equipped with Raad missiles, they are unlikely to carry nuclear warheads during patrols.

Pakistans nuclear posture remains focused on countering Indias conventional and nuclear capabilities. Unlike India, which has declared a No First Use policy, Pakistan emphasizes smaller, tactical nuclear weapons to counter Indias superior conventional forces. Pakistans warhead designs primarily use highly enriched uranium (HEU), produced at facilities in Kahuta and Gadwal, Punjab.
PM Modi has decided to skip the 24th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit set to take place in Kazakhstans capital Astana on July 4. India, which will be represented by S Jaishankar, has said that the dates of the SCO conflict with that of the first session of Parliament. Relations between India and China, which dominates the group, also remain strained over the stand-off in Eastern Ladakh read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been constantly attending the SCO since 2015. PTI

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is slated to be held on July 3 and 4 in Kazakhstans capital Astana.

India will be represented by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar after Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to skip the meeting.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Comprising India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the SCO is an influential economic and security bloc that has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.

Advertisement

But what do we know about the summit? And why isnt Modi attending this time?

Lets take a closer look:

What we know about summit

Kazakhstan is hosting the summit in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping.

S Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation to Astana for the summit, the MEA said.

He is likely to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the summit.

If it takes place, it will be the first high-level meeting between Indian and Chinese officials after the formation of Prime Minister Narendra Modis 3.0 government following the recent general elections in India.

According to The Times of India, the summit will examine counterterrorism in the backdrop of the growing footprint of ISIS in Eurasia and growing radicalisation.

India on Tuesday said the leaders of the grouping are expected to review its activities over the past two decades and discuss prospects of multilateral cooperation.

The situation in Afghanistan, the Ukraine conflict and boosting overall security cooperation among the SCO member countries are expected to figure in the summit.

Indias priorities in SCO are shaped by the prime ministers vision of a SECURE SCO, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

S Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation to Astana. PTI

SECURE stands for Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environmental protection.

Advertisement

At the summit, the leaders are expected to review the organisations activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of multilateral cooperation, it said.

Topical issues of regional and international importance are also expected to be discussed at the meeting, it said in a statement.

India was the chair of the SCO last year. It hosted the SCO Summit in the virtual format last July.

Why isnt PM Modi attending?

The Indian prime minister usually attends the SCO  which provides an opportunity for heads of the state of the eight-member bloc to meet on the sidelines of the summit.

Indeed, India had earlier said Modi would attend the SCO meet.

Advertisement

A security team had even visited Kazakhstan to prepare for Modis trip, as per Hindustan Times.

According to The Wire, the official reason India has given for Modi dropping out is that the dates of the SCO conflicted with that of the first session of Indias Parliament.

As per The Times of India, Modi has been constantly attending the SCO since 2015  when India wasnt a full member.

India joined the grouping despite China and Russia having a massive influence in the group to promote its own interests in Central Asia.

Advertisement

Participation in SCO summits has also helped India maintain the facade of multi-alignment, amid the rapidly growing ties with the US, the piece noted.

But a look at recent history shows that Modi and Xi havent had much interaction at summits.

According to The Times of India, Modi and Xi met only briefly at the BRICS Summit in South Africa last year.

They also had a brief interaction at the Bali G20.

Modi and Xi did not meet at the 2022 SCO Summit in Samarkand.

Advertisement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping at BRICS Summit in South Africa. ANI

Modi skipping the summit is therefore tinged with significance given that relations between the two nations have also remained frozen over the stand-off in Eastern Ladakh.

According to The Times of India, India recently let a US delegation visit Dharamsala  drawing protests from China.

New Delhi has also refused to let direct flights with Beijing resume.

Relations between the two countries hit a low ever since the eastern Ladakh border stand-off erupted on 5 May, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Tso (lake) area near Galwan.

Since the May 2020 clashes, the two sides have so far held 21 rounds of Corps Commander-level talks to resolve the stand-off.

The 22nd meeting is due to be held.

According to the Chinese military, the two sides have so far agreed to disengage from four points namely the Galwan Valley, the Pangong Lake, Hot Springs, and Jianan Daban (Gogra) in eastern Ladakh.

India is pressing the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) to disengage from the Depsang and Demchok areas, maintaining that there cannot be restoration of normalcy in its relations with China as long as the state of the borders remains abnormal.

For its part, China continues to maintain that the boundary question does not represent the entirety of China-India relations, and it should be placed appropriately in bilateral relations and managed properly.

As per The Times of India, the last high-level talks in February witnessed both sides agreeing to keep the peace but saw no concrete results.

People in the know told the newspaper there was no tangible forward movement in the talks.

The likely meeting between Jaishankar and Wang also gains importance in this light.

Indias association with the SCO began in 2005 as an observer country. It became a full member state of SCO at the Astana summit in 2017.

India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

Pakistan became its permanent member along with India in 2017.

With inputs from agencies
Indian-origin is a badge many British politicians in the UK are wearing. A record number of over 100 British-Indians are contesting the general election on July 4. Fifteen out of 63 Indian-origin candidates made it to UK parliament in 2019. What can we expect in 2024? read more

Then-UK Home Secretary Priti Patel and then-UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak attend a reception to celebrate the British Asian Trust, at The British Museum, in London, Britain, February 9, 2022. File Image/Reuters

As the United Kingdom (UK) prepares for its general election on Thursday (July 4, 2024), the Labour Party appears well-positioned for success. Amidst this potential shift in political dynamics, the role and influence of Indian-origin Members of Parliament (MPs) continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the countrys legislative agenda.

The outgoing UK Parliament featured 15 Indian-origin MPs, eight from Labour and seven from the Conservative Party, among the 65 non-white MPs elected, marking a significant diversity milestone in British political history and setting a new record for the 1.8 million-strong community.

Advertisement

Several significant milestones have marked the increasing presence of Indian-origin British politicians, notably Rishi Sunaks historic appointment as the UKs first prime minister of colour in 2022.

Data shows that Indian households lead in high-income brackets, with 42 per cent earning 1,000 or more weekly between 2015 and 2018. Despite comprising almost 3 per cent of the UK population, they contribute over 6 per cent to the GDP, highlighting their substantial economic and potentially influential political footprint.

A look at Indian-origin MPs & candidates across the UK political spectrum

A record number of Indian-origin candidates are contesting seats in the 2024 UK general election across major political parties.

The Conservative Party, in power for 14 years and facing voter dissatisfaction, features several prominent Indian-origin MPs seeking re-election.

Shailesh Vara, a solicitor, has held the North West Cambridgeshire seat since May 2005. Alok Sharma and Priti Patel have retained their seats since 2010, while Rishi Sunak, elected MP for Richmond (Yorkshire) in 2015, now serves as prime minister.

Priti Patel walks on the day of the Britains Conservative Partys annual conference in Manchester, UK, October 2, 2023. File Image/Reuters

Gagan Mohindra was the MP for South West Hertfordshire before Parliaments dissolution. Claire Coutinho, of Goan Christian descent, represents East Surrey and serves as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Advertisement

All except Alok Sharma are contesting the upcoming election. The Conservatives have also introduced new candidates, including Shivani Raja for Leicester East and Ameet Jogia for Hendon. Abbas Merali, a Kenyan-Gujarati Muslim councillor, is contesting Harrow West against Labour Friends of Indias Gareth Thomas, the constituencys successive MP.

Also Read: Why a possible Labour win could be good news for India

The Labour Party, poised for a sweeping victory in the upcoming elections with its call for change, boasts an unprecedented number of Indian-origin MPs and first-time candidates, marking a historic diversity triumph in British politics.

Navendu Mishra represents Stockport, while Preet Kaur Gill, the first British Sikh female MP, serves as UK Shadow Minister for Primary Care and Public Health, re-elected from Birmingham Edgbaston in 2019.

Advertisement

On Thursday 30th May, Parliament will be dissolved until the General Election. I will be standing for re-election as Labour MP for Birmingham Edgbaston.



Promoted by AJ Webb on behalf of PK Gill both at 14-16 Bristol Street, B5 7AF. pic.twitter.com/rJFCGtQoKq  Preet Kaur Gill MP (@PreetKGillMP) May 29, 2024

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, the first turbaned Sikh MP, represents Slough. Other Labour MPs include Lisa Nandy (Wigan), Seema Malhotra (Feltham and Heston), and Valerie Vaz (Walsall South). Virendra Sharma, who represented Ealing Southall since 1997, has announced he will not seek re-election in 2024.

Advertisement

Notably, the Labour Party has pitched Islington councillor Praful Nargund to contest against their former leader Jeremy Corbyn who is contesting as an Independent following his ouster from the party in 2020.

Its an honour to have been chosen as Labours candidate for Islington North and I look forward to the campaign ahead. I promise to be a truly local MP, that represents all families and businesses that call this special place their home.



Only Labour can change the country and https://t.co/FBXnXwMysL  Praful Nargund (@prafulnargund) May 24, 2024

Among first-time Labour candidates are former London Deputy Mayor Rajesh Agarwal (Leicester East), Baggy Shanker (Derby South), Uday Nagaraju (North Bedfordshire), Hajira Piranie (Harborough, Oadby and Wigston), Shama Tatler (Chingford and Woodford Green), Kanishka Narayan (Vale of Glamorgan), Ryan Jude (Tatton), and Primesh Patel (Harrow East).

Piranie and Jude are contesting in constituencies Labour hasnt won since 1945. Other Labour Indian candidates include Harpreet Uppal, Jas Athwal, Jeevun Sandher, Kirith Entwistle, Pavitar Mann, Satvir Kaur, Sojan Joseph, Sureena Brackenbridge, and Warinder Juss.

Also Read: Why the British Indian vote matters in the July 4 UK general election

The Liberal Democrats have nominated multiple Indian-origin candidates, including Munira Wilson, re-elected from Twickenham in 2019. Other candidates include Gayathri Sathyanath for Havant, Anita Prabhakar for Nottingham East, Parmjit Singh Gill for West Bromwich, and Dhruv Sengupta for Feltham & Heston.

The increase in Indian-origin candidates across parties suggests a potential rise in parliamentary representation, surpassing the previous record of 15 MPs.

Controversies around Indian-origin politicians

The landscape for Indian-origin politicians is not without controversies. For instance, Labours Sonia Kumar, contesting Dudley North, faced controversy when incumbent Conservative MP Marco Longhi targeted her in a letter to British Pakistani voters, potentially exploiting religious and ethnic tensions.

The Conservative candidate for Dudley North - the former MP Marco Longhi - has highlighted and underlined the name (ethnicity) of his Labour opponent "Sonia KUMAR" in a letter specifically targetting voters of British Pakistani/Kashmiri heritage in the constituency. pic.twitter.com/xEylbN8s7D  Sunder Katwala (@sundersays) June 17, 2024

Keith Vaz, a former Labour MP now running independently, resigned as chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee in 2016 amidst allegations involving soliciting male sex workers and attempting to purchase illegal drugs. His subsequent suspension from the House of Commons in 2019 effectively ended his Labour Party career.

How is Labour wooing British Indian voters after initial divide?

The political landscape for British Indians has undergone significant shifts, particularly in their relationship with the Labour Party. During Jeremy Corbyns leadership, the party experienced a decline in support from the Indian community due to controversies surrounding Kashmir and perceived anti-India sentiments.

Economic factors have played a crucial role in this political realignment, as the British Indian community has prospered economically, influencing their political priorities and inclining some toward Conservative policies.

Under Keir Starmers leadership, Labour is working to rebuild its relationship with the Indian community, increasing engagement, fielding more Indian-origin candidates, and renewing outreach efforts.

An honour to be back at Kingsbury temple today alongside hundreds of worshippers to recognise the immense service of the Hindu community in Britain. pic.twitter.com/lXnRfi2XKb  Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 28, 2024

Labour is also adjusting its foreign policy approach and focusing on domestic issues important to British Indians. However, challenges persist, including Conservative gains under Rishi Sunak, religious divisions within the community, and generational differences in political leanings.

Also Read | Blue, red, green, orange: How do political parties in UK pick colours and what do they symbolise?

The political landscape is evolving with the departure of longstanding Indian-origin MPs such as Labours Virendra Sharma, making way for new faces.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party has criticised the incumbent Conservatives under Sunak for perceived shortcomings in their promises regarding relations with India, proposing negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) should they win the upcoming elections.

Hindu community within Indian diaspora state their demands

A major part of the British Indian diaspora in the UK is the Hindu community, now Englands third-largest religious group. A coalition of 29 prominent Hindu organisations released the inaugural Hindu Manifesto UK 2024, calling for recognition of anti-Hindu hate crimes and equal representation among other key issues.

The British Hindu community, numbering over a million and comprising 3 per cent of the total population, represents a formidable electoral bloc. Their increasing numbers and heightened political awareness are expected to play a crucial role in the upcoming election, potentially influencing outcomes in pivotal constituencies as Labour seeks to capitalise on its message of change and return to power.

A collective of Hindu organisations released a Hindu Manifesto ahead of UK elections. X/Hindus for Democracy

Indian-origin MPs are addressing critical issues, focusing on concerns relevant to the diaspora and broader societal challenges. Anti-Hindu hate has emerged as a significant issue, with organisations calling for Hinduphobia to be recognised as a distinct category of religious hate crime, citing the need for enhanced protection of Hindu communities and places of worship.

Immigration and citizenship policies remain central, with MPs advocating for fair and transparent regulations that acknowledge the contributions of the Indian diaspora. Efforts include streamlining visa processes, work permits, and naturalisation procedures

Simultaneously, there is a push for greater representation in political and media spheres, as British Hindus seek increased visibility in councils, Parliament, and mainstream media.

It was a pleasure to welcome @RishiSunak and Akshata Murty to #NeasdenTemple today. pic.twitter.com/EEOC9SXccE  Neasden Temple (@NeasdenTemple) June 29, 2024

Educational reform is another priority, particularly concerning the teaching of Hinduism in schools. Reports suggest that current approaches often lead to misconceptions and bullying. MPs are calling for more accurate and respectful curriculum content, along with improved handling of faith-targeted hate incidents in educational settings, aiming to address concerns about the quality of Hinduism education and its impact on Hindu students.

Also Read: Who can replace Rishi Sunak as Tory leader if UK PM loses the polls?

Economic and healthcare improvements are at the forefront of the current agenda, with MPs focusing on enhancing UK-India trade relations and fostering bilateral investment by leveraging historical and cultural ties.

Additionally, efforts are underway to improve access to healthcare and social welfare programs, particularly for vulnerable segments of the Indian diaspora.

With inputs from agencies
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.
The Keir Starmer-led Labour Party has secured a landslide win in the UK general elections, ousting Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party. This win has the potential to reshape India-UK ties for the better. Heres how read more

Britain's Labour Party leader Keir Starmer gives a thumbs up to his supporters after he was elected for the Holborn and St Pancras constituency, in London. Starmer has vowed to stamp out anti-Hindu hate from the UK. AP

Sunaks out and Starmers in. The United Kingdom general election results have been announced and as predicted the Labour Party, led by Sir Keir Starmer, has secured a triumphant win against the Conservatives. With this, the United Kingdom sees a dramatic change in government  a first in 14 years.

Starmer, who will become Britains next prime minister, said after his personal win from his north London seat, Tonight, people here and around the country have spoken. They are ready for change. The change begins right here because this is your democracy, your community and your future. You have voted and now it is time for us to deliver.

Advertisement

With a Labour win, there are bound to be policy changes  not only at home, but also internationally. including the UKs relations with India. Lets take a closer look at what a Labour win means for New Delhi.

New Delhis old anxieties

Sunaks exit and the Labours return to power in the UK might reignite some of Indias old anxieties about bilateral ties. Under previous chief Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party was widely perceived as antagonistic towards New Delhi.

In September 2019, the Labour Party passed an emergency motion on Kashmir after India repealed Section 370 granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The motion noted that there is a major humanitarian crisis taking place in Kashmir, and called for international observers to enter the region. It further took note of the enforced disappearance of civilians, the overall prevalence of human rights violations and the house arrest/imprisonment of mainstream politicians and activists. It added that the people of Kashmir should be given the right of self-determination.

The motion led to a huge backlash from the British India community, prompting Corbyn to later clarify that it views Kashmir as a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan. And when Labour lost the 2019 polls, many credited that defeat to the Kashmir motion.

However, under Starmer, the party has reinvented itself and moved away from previous stances, including that on Kashmir. Starmer himself has declared that Labour would seek a closer relationship with India and the British Indian community, which numbers around 1.8 million and contributes over six per cent to the British economy.

Advertisement

Britains Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaks on stage in Manchester, England. Starmer has reinvented the Labour Party and moved it away from predecessor Jeremy Corbyns far-Left policies, including having an anti-India stance. File image/AP

Tough stance on anti-Hindu, Khalistan hate

A Labour win with Starmer in charge will see a change in stance on the matters of Hindu hate. While visiting the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Kingsbury last Friday, Starmer had said there is absolutely no place for Hinduphobia in Britain and that Labour would build a new strategic partnership with India.

If were elected next week we will strive to govern in the spirit of seva to serve you and a world in need, he said. Strengthened by Hindu values, youre not only contributing massively to our economy, youre bringing innovation and expertise that keeps us competitive on the global market.

Advertisement

The party has also vowed to stamp out anti-India sentiments within its ranks and build a strong strategic partnership with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led administration.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer during a visit to the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu temple in Kingsbury, London, while on the General Election campaign trail. File image/AP

And its not just words. In April, the party initiated an investigation into one of its Sikh councillors, Parbinder Kaur for allegedly sharing posts that support Khalistani terrorist groups and militants who have assassinated public figures in India.

Last September, Labour also demoted Indian-origin shadow minister for reportedly having links with pro-Khalistani extremists.

Go-ahead to FTA

Besides these issues, the Labour has said it is ready to go" on striking a f ree trade agreement (FTA) with India if it wins the elections.

Advertisement

In late June, the partys shadow foreign secretary David Lammy laid out his ambitions of the FTA being a floor not a ceiling of the partnership he aspires to with his friend External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Many Diwalis have come and gone without a trade deal and too many businesses have been left waiting, said Lammy, referring to the missed Diwali 2022 deadline set by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson for the FTA.

Britains Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy has promised a reset of ties with India if Labour came to power. File image/Reuters

My message to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Trade Minister Piyush Goyal is that Labour is ready to go. Lets finally get our free trade deal done and move on, he said, adding he will be in Delhi before the end of July if elected to government on July 4. Lammy said the Conservatives have over-promised and under-delivered on the UKs relations with India.

Advertisement

He also promised a reset of ties with India if Labour came to power. He said: With Labour, the days of Boris Johnson reciting that old verse from Rudyard Kipling in Asia are over. If I recite a poem in India, it will be Tagore because with a superpower like India, the areas of cooperation and the areas for learning are limitless.

India and the UK have completed 13 rounds of FTA negotiations, but talks have stalled amid the election cycles  both in India and the UK.

The Deccan Chronicle also notes that unlike Sunak, who was extra-cautious about showing any overt India bias due to his inherent Indianness, Starmer could freely demonstrate positive India biases, as they would make eminent sense, economically, and even from partisan lens.

It will be interesting to see what happens next and if Starmer can build on existing India-UK ties. But as they say, only time will tell.

With inputs from agencies
Over 120 people were crushed to death in Uttar Pradeshs Hathras on July 2 while attending a satsang of a self-styled godman, Bhole Baba. Overcrowding, cramped spaces and mismanagement are some reasons why such tragedies occur. Theres also scientific explanation of these stampedes read more

Men look at the site of a stampede at Hathras in Uttar Pradesh on July 3, 2024. AFP

India witnessed one of its worst tragedies on Tuesday (July 2) when hundreds of people were trampled to death in Uttar Pradeshs Hathras. As many as 121 devotees, including women and children, were killed in the stampede at a satsang, a prayer meeting, of self-styled godman, Bhole Baba, in the Ratibhanpur village in the Hathras district.

The Uttar Pradesh Police has lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against the organisers of the religious event, accusing them of concealing evidence and flouting conditions. As per the complaint, the organisers had sought permission for about 80,000 people but 2.5 lakh people attended the religious congregation.

Advertisement

But, why do such stampedes occur? Whats the science behind it? How to stay safe in such situations? Lets understand.

Reason for stampedes

India has seen several stampedes at temples or religious events over the past years. In fact, a 2013 study in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (IJDRR) found that religious gatherings and pilgrimages account for 79 per cent of stampedes in India.

While overcrowding is an obvious factor, mass panic, cramped spaces and improper management are other reasons that lead to stampedes.

Dirk Helbing, a professor of computational social science at ETH Zurich in Switzerland, told Deutsche Welle (DW) in 2022 that it is generally believed that stampedes happen due to panic. That is considered to be a state of mind determined by anxiety and fear, which would come with an increased level of adrenaline. As a consequence, the flight and fight instinct might be activated. That would cause people to run away in panic relentlessly, perhaps even trampling other people that are in their way. While such a thing can happen, most crowd disasters are not of this kind, he added.

In the West, these disasters usually take place at venues of music concerts and nightclubs, while in developing countries like India, most of the crushes happen at religious gatherings.

Speaking to Mint in 2015, Faisel T Illiyas, one of the authors of the IJDRR study said, Most of the religious festivals are located in areas like banks of rivers, hilly terrains or mountain tops. These areas lack proper pathways, posing a geographical risk to the pilgrims.

Forensic experts inspect the site of a stampede in Hathras in Uttar Pradesh on July 3, 2024. AFP

Experts say a lack of crowd management also triggers such tragedies. In developed countries, there is a safety system that is in place. Organisers have to approach local authorities to get a kind of licence to have the mass gathering. After that, the authorities, after looking at the capacity of the venue, issue a certificate to the organisers licensing them. In India, there is [a] lack of safety, licensing and registration systems, Illiyas said at the time.

Advertisement

ALSO READ: Bhole Baba was allowed to leave first even as people were crushed: Inside the Hathras stampede

Science behind stampedes

When crowds reach a critical density, they become threatening, Jeff Wise, a science writer and author, wrote in a Psychology Today article in 2010. He said crowds continue to increase in size or density until there are 10 people per square metre.

According to Wise, unidirectional stampedes take place when a crowd responds to an unexpected positive or negative change in force. A positive change in force might occur when a crowd is stopped by a barricade or a narrowing in a passageway; a negative force is the release of constraining pressure, as for instance might occur when a gate is opened, he explained.

Advertisement

The other is turbulent stampede, which Wise defines as two crowds merging from different directions or when an immobile crowd panics.

A 2023 study on human stampede literature published in Prehospital and Disaster Medicine laid out how such disasters occurred.

in normal situations, the crowd moves in a free or laminar flow. When density increases, the flow changes to stop-and-go waves. This can lead to loss of movement control by the crowd and individuals are pushed randomly  crowd turbulence.

Speaking to DW, Professor Helbing said that crowd turbulence happens when several people are present in a space with little room to move and there is a high density of people with individuals pressed between each other. He said this can result in transmission of forces between bodies.

Advertisement

Those forces add up and push people around in unpredictable ways, sometimes over distances of several meters. In such conditions, it is very difficult to keep balance and stay on ones feet, Heling stated.

After some time, if someone falls, it creates a gap in the crowd. Due to the person who stumbled, those standing next to that individual lack a counterforce to prevent them from falling due to the pushing.

Helbing told DW that this could lead to other people tripping as well, triggering a deadly domino effect.

To stop themselves from going down, people may trample others. People at the bottom of the crowd eventually die of traumatic asphyxia, the 2023 study noted.

Advertisement

What to do in such situations?

First of all, how will one know if a crush is about to happen?

According to Anna Sieben, an associate professor of cultural and social psychology at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, people often do not realise they are in a stampede event. She told DW that people could recognise a potential stampede if there is uncontrollable swaying in all directions, which reflects high pressure in the crowd.

Sieben recommends making oneself heard and shouting for help if they feel a stampede is about to occur. Everyones focusing in the same direction, and sometimes  not always  they might not realise that there is a way out, or a less crowded situation in the back or at the sides of the crowd, DW quoted her as saying.

If you are attending an event where there is a large number of people stuffed in a small space, be aware of all the exits. If there is an emergency, you may not have access to your nearest exit. Take the next exit and leave the venue as soon as possible.

The victims of a stampede who suffered compressive asphyxia can be saved if administered first aid such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), quickly and correctly.

Planning for such disasters in advance can also help in avoiding them. This can be done by ensuring there is enough space and preparing the staff in case of a stampede.

With inputs from agencies
I have resigned as per the decision of the JMM-led alliance. Our alliance is strong, Champai Soren said after coming out of Raj Bhavan. All know what had happened with Hemant Soren Ji I was given the responsibility by the coalition partners. Now, the alliance has decided in favour of Hemant Soren Ji, he said read more

Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren on Wednesday resigned from his post, following which JMM leader Hemant Soren called on Governor CP Radhakrishnan and staked claim to form the government.

Earlier in the day, leaders and MLAs of the ruling coalition at a meeting at Champai Sorens residence here unanimously decided to elect Hemant Soren as the JMM legislature party leader.

I have resigned as per the decision of the JMM-led alliance. Our alliance is strong, Champai Soren said after coming out of Raj Bhavan.

Advertisement

All know what had happened with Hemant Soren Ji I was given the responsibility by the coalition partners. Now, the alliance has decided in favour of Hemant Soren Ji, he said.

Hemant Soren was released from jail on June 28 after nearly five months, after the high court granted him bail in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He had resigned as the CM shortly before his arrest on January 31.

This will mark Hemant Sorens third term as Chief Minister of Jharkhand, a state established in 2000 after its separation from Bihar.

According to reports, discussions are also underway to assign Champai Soren new responsibilities, potentially as the chairman of the UPA coordination committee and working president of JMM.

In response to these developments, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey tweeted, The Champai Soren era in Jharkhand has come to an end. He blasted JMM, describing it as a family-centric party and urging the outgoing Chief Minister to follow in the footsteps of Bhagwan Birsa Munda and confront alleged corruption under Hemant Sorens leadership.

Advertisement

Champai Soren, aged 67 and a long-time associate of JMM founder Shibu Soren, has been an integral part of the partys leadership for decades.
I would like to say without hesitation that I have given a free hand to agencies to take stringent action against corruption and the corrupt. Government will not interfere anywhere. They should work honestly for honestyI would like to tell the citizens that no corrupt will be safe from the law. Ye Modi ki guarantee hai, said PM Modi read more

In a rare refence to investigative agencies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that he has given free hand to the agencies to take stringent action against corruption and asserted that the government will not interfere anywhere.

Addressing the Rajya Sabha during the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents Address, PM Modi said that the fight against corruption is not to win or lose elections but its his mission and conviction as this menace has hollowed out the nation.

Advertisement

I would like to say without hesitation that I have given a free hand to agencies to take stringent action against corruption and the corrupt. Government will not interfere anywhere. They should work honestly for honestyI would like to tell the citizens that no corrupt will be safe from the law. Ye Modi ki guarantee hai, said PM Modi.

He said he is working wholeheartedly to free the country of corruption and to build hatred against corruption in the minds of common people.

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi says, "For me, the fight against corruption is not the scale for electoral wins or losses. I am not fighting corruption to win or lose elections. This is my mission, my conviction. I believe that corruption is one such termite that has hollowed out the pic.twitter.com/IVkJEt6x3N  ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

For me, the fight against corruption is not the scale for electoral wins or losses. I am not fighting corruption to win or lose elections. This is my mission, my conviction. I believe that corruption is one such termite that has hollowed out the nation. I am working wholeheartedly to free this country of corruption and to build hatred against corruption in the minds of common people, he said.

Advertisement

The Opposition has invariably accused the Modi government of unleashing investigative agencies like Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of investigation CBI) on leaders from the opposite camp framing them in fake corruption cases, a charge outrighly rejected by the government.

Hitting out at the Congress, he said that the grand old party has started running Bhrashtachari bachao andolan now as they invariably do drama when the corrupt are sent to jail.

#WATCH | Speaking in Rajya Sabha on Motion of Thanks to President's Address, PM Modi says," Congress has started running Bhrashtachari bachao andolan now. When the corrupt are sent to jail they do hungama...It's being said that investigative agencies are being pic.twitter.com/pYHO1726Rg  ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

Advertisement

When the corrupt are sent to jail they do hungamaIts being said that investigative agencies are being misusedBhrashtachar kare AAP, sharabghotala kare AAP aur AAP ki shikayat kare Congress, AAP ko court mein leke jaye Congress, ab karyawahi ho toh gaali de Modi koAnd now they are partners.Congress had presented facts against AAP in a press conference, now they must tell if those facts were correct or not., said the PM.

Advertisement

On the issue of Manipur, he said the government is continuously making efforts to normalise the situation in the northeast state.

#WATCH | Speaking on Manipur in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi says, "The government is continuously making efforts to normalise the situation in Manipur. More than 11,000 FIRs have been registered and over 500 people arrested. Incidents of violence are continuously reducing in Manipur. pic.twitter.com/LYKNdfiXyW  ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

More than 11,000 FIRs have been registered and over 500 people arrested. Incidents of violence are continuously reducing in Manipur. Today, schools, colleges, offices and other institutions are open in the state. The Central and State government is talking to all stakeholders to restore peace. The Union Home Minister stayed there for many weeksCentral govt is extending all cooperation to Manipur to tackle the flood situation. Today, 2 teams of NDRF have reached Manipur, said the PM.

He also warned those trying to add fuel to fire will be rejected by Manipur

.Congress had imposed Presidents rule in Manipur 10 times, he added to drive his point home.

He said the amount of work the BJP-led government has done in the northeast region in last 5 years would have taken the Congress 20 years.

Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die after PM Modis speech on Motion of Thanks to Presidents Address.

With inputs from agencies
An FIR has been filed against the organisers of the event. However, families of the deceased have claimed that the name of the preacher was not mentioned in the complaint read more

Devotees at the religious gathering where a stampede broke out, in Hathras district, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. PTI

While 121 people died and 28 others were left seriously injured, the self-styled godman Bhole Baba aka Baba Narayan Hari is nowhere to be found.

The worst-case stampede case that India has seen in a while, the Satsang held at Hathras for Bhole Baba has sent ripples through people in authoritative positions who have been held responsible for the accident.

Meanwhile, a plea was filed in the Supreme Court on Wednesday over the incident that alleged serious negligence and highlighted the administrations failure to control the crowd.

Advertisement

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the district hospital in Hathras where the injured are currently receiving treatment.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath meets and inquires about the health of the persons injured in the stampede incident, at Hathras government hospital pic.twitter.com/HW5u4q4ziv  ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

Couldnt find Baba ji

The Uttar Pradesh police have conducted searches at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district to hunt down Bhole Baba.

We did not find Baba Ji inside the campusHe is not here, said deputy SP Sunil Kumar.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been filed against the organisers of the event. However, families of the deceased have claimed that the name of the preacher was not mentioned in the complaint.

The FIR states that the organisers had initially sought permission for a gathering of 80,000 people but 2.5 lakh devotees showed up for the event.

The many lapses at Hathras

The Uttar Pradesh Police have identified several lapses in the way the religious event was organised in the Hathras village.

There were no clear demarcations for entry and exit points

The event had no emergency exit routes

Event organisers did not arrange any medical facilities at the Satsang

There were no sufficient fans or coolers to help attendees beat the heat

Lack of food and water arrangements

There was no barricading on the route through which Bhole Babas cavalcade passed through

Sources have also revealed that organisers have not disclosed the details of the permission they sought from authorities

What caused the stampede?

Prima facie it seems that the stampede was caused due to extreme heat and humidity.

Advertisement

However, several theories have come to the fore including the one that suggests that people rushed toward the preacher as he was leaving to touch his feet which could have triggered the stampede.

The deaths were a result of a pratha or ritual where the preachers followers touch his feet to collect pair ki dhool (foots dust) and seek his blessings.
While the Hathras stampede incident has brought back painful memories of the many deadly overcrowding incidents that India has seen in the past, many religious events have set good precedents too read more

Devotees at the religious gathering where a stampede broke out, in Hathras district, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. PTI

It was a Tuesday afternoon when people gathered at an event ground in Uttar Pradeshs Hathras to attend a satsang under the sweltering heat. Little did they know a deadly stampede would disrupt their lives. The death toll, since July 2, has risen to 121 while several attendees have been left seriously injured.

Self-styled godman Bhole Babas satsang was an event for 80,000 people, the religious gathering however, in no time, swelled up with over 2.5 lakh devotees. This transpired into overcrowding, while the urge to follow the ritual of touching the preachers feet to collect his foots death led to the stampede.

Advertisement

Many devotees rushed towards Suraj Pal aka Bhole Baba, as he decided to leave the venue all of a sudden, to seek his blessings. Several people, mostly women and children, got crushed in the commotion.

With Bhole Baba absconding and event organisers refusing to reveal the exact details of the kind of permission they sought for the event, police are scrambling to put a pin on the key accused.

Meanwhile, several lapses were found in managing and organising the satsang. For example, the event had no clear demarcation of entry and exit points, no emergency exits and no barricading to separate the crowd from the stage.

While the Hathras stampede incident has brought back painful memories of the many deadly overcrowding incidents that India has seen in the past, many religious events have set good precedents too.

Case in point: Kumbh Mela and Amarnath Yatra.

The success story of Kumbh Mela

Held every 12 years, Kumbh Mela is the largest religious congregation that the country witnesses. Millions of people, from within the country and the world, attend the event.

Maha Kumbh is held in Prayagraj. Except for the two incidents of 1954 and 2013, the crowd management at Kumbh Mela has more or less been a smooth process.

Advertisement

From police deployment to crowd control, the event is well-managed. In 2019, a team of 10 information technology experts was employed to review the most densely populated areas at the mela.

The next Kumbh Mela will be held in 2025 and authorities have already started to take necessary steps to ensure there are no untoward incidents.

The government will make use of artificial intelligence-powered mechanisms and tools to manage crowds and has asked police to embrace the technology ahead of the religious event.

Meanwhile, in terms of police force, manpower will be increased by manifold. Senior mela authorities have said that 60,000 to 80,000 police officials will be deployed at Maha Kumbh to control the sea of devotees who will attend the event.

Advertisement

How Amarnath Yatra weathers the storm of overcrowding

Another mass religious gathering, Amarnath Yatra is held in Kashmir every year.

While cases of stampedes are rare, the Amarnath Yatra does see other forms of accidents including the ones where buses fall off gorges, causing injuries and deaths.

However, as this years yatra is ongoing, the event has not reported any accidents due to overcrowding.

The yatra is well-equipped with service providers, including ponywalas, paalki and dandiwalas and pithuwalas to ensure devotees reach the Amarnath caves located in the Himalayas safely.

Police officials also ensure that pilgrims are released in batches in different time frames to avoid overcrowding.

Advertisement

What do NDMA guidelines suggest?

In 2014, the National Disaster Management Authority came out with a comprehensive guideline to be followed in cases of overcrowding. Heres what it suggests:

Capacity Planning: Staging points should be planned for physical or virtual locations through which each visitor must pass. Each staging point should have sufficient facilities for rest, food, water, and hygiene

Understanding Crowd Behaviour: It is essential to identify and separate miscreants that create a ruckus. Action should be taken immediately with tact and firmness, without inviting undue attention from the general public, which may be there if force is used.

Stakeholder Approach: Organisers of events, and law enforcement agencies must rethink crowd control and encourage community stakeholders (NGOs, Business Associations, Schools/ colleges, Neighbourhood societies/associations/Mohalla committees) to take ownership in events for unity of purpose, faster decisions/response, better coordination etc

With inputs from NDMA
There are at least five criminal cases, including molestation, against Suraj Pal, alias Bhole Baba. As many as 121 people were killed in a stampede at his satsang in Hathras on June 2 read more

121 people, including women and children, died in Hathras stampede which was led by Self-styled godman Bhole Baba. Source: X.

Bhole Baba, whose 121 followers died in a stampede during his satsang in Hathras, has five criminal cases against him, including molestation. Also, he was posted as a head constable in Etawah about 28 years ago, but was terminated from services after allegations of rape against him.

He, however, keeps telling his disciples that he took a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) from Uttar Pradesh Police

5 criminal cases against Bhole Baba

Bhole Baba has been known for his controversial satsangs. Five criminal cases against him that have been filed in Agra, Etawah, Kasganj, Farrukhabad and Rajasthans Dausa.

Advertisement

Self-styled godman Suraj Pal, who is known as Bhole Baba to his followers, told them that he had served in the intelligence department of the Uttar Pradesh police and had quit his job after 17 years of service to embark on a spiritual journey as a preacher.

Bhole Baba used magical powers to resurrect a minor girl

According to The Indian Express, Bhole Baba along with his wife Premvati and four other people, was charged with using his purported magical powers to resurrect a 16-year-old girl who passed away in Agra in 2000. Back then, the self-styled godman was residing in Kedar Nagar, in the Shahganj neighbourhood of Agra.

After the incident, a case was filed on March 18, 2000, against six people, including Bhole Baba and his wife - under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act and IPC Section 109, which punishes abetments when crimes committed for which there is no express provision for punishment.

Suraj Pal (Bhole Baba), along with over 200 people, reached the cremation ground where the body was taken by her family for the last rites. He and others stopped the family from performing the last rites and tried to convince them that he could resurrect her, the report quoted Tejveer Singh, the station house officer of Shahgan, as saying.

Advertisement

As per records in the police station, the godman forcibly took the body of the teenage girl and placed it at a spot on the cremation ground.

Singh said there were a few people with the family members of the girl who raised an objection and one among them even informed the cops.

On getting the call, the police immediately reached the spot, but there was a verbal conflict between them and Bhole Baba as well as his supporters.

The godman claimed that he could resurrect the girl. His supporters started pelting stones at the police team. Additional police personnel were called in and the situation was brought under control. We arrested Pal and the others involved, Singh claimed.

Advertisement

As per the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Agra - Suraj Kumar Rai - a chargesheet was filed against the accused. Further investigation was conducted after fresh evidence was emerged. On the basis of evidence collected during the further investigation, a closure report was filed in the case, Rai said.

Who is Bhole Baba?

Bhole Baba, a 58-year-old self-styled godman, on Tuesday (June 2) led a satsang in Hathras in which an incident of stampede took place when he suddenly left the venue and his followers started rushing towards his car to collect dust/soil stirred up by tires.

He hails from a Dalit family in Bahadur Nagar village of Kasganj district, about 65 km from Hathras where the stampede occurred.

Advertisement

In 1999, he changed his name to Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari and started holding satsangs. He told his followers that he felt an inclination towards spirituality and world peace.

After completing his education from Etah district and before joining UP police, he assisted his father in farming during his young days.

Bhole Baba, who as per his devotees had no religious mentor, has been organising satsangs with his wife which are usually attended by hundreds of people. He used to hold satsangs every Tuesday and before the Hathras stampede incident. Last week, he held a similar event in the Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh.

Advertisement

He has zero social media presence and has followers beyond Uttar Pradesh to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Also, the preacher and his acolytes have maintained a distance from the media.

At the peak of Covid-19 pandemic in 2022, Bhole Baba held a similar satsang in UPs Farrukhabad. While the district administration permitted only 50 people to attend the event, more than 50,000 people reached the event venue.

The self-styled godman has a security team named Narayani Sena that consists of men and women guards who escort him from his ashram to the satsang venues.

Zaffar Ali, husband of Bahadur Nagar village pradhan, Najis Khanam was quoted as saying by media reports that Bhole Baba has no children and his wife is known as Matashree.

As per Ali, Bhole Baba has built an ashram on his 30-bigha land in the village where people from other districts and different states would visit to seek his blessings. They were provided accommodation at the ashram, he said.

Ali further said that Bhole Baba left the village about five years ago, suspecting a conspiracy against him.

We heard he is now residing in Rajasthan. Last year, he returned to the village and entrusted his property to a trust. A manager now oversees the affairs of the ashram, Ali said.

Also Read: Hathras stampede incident FIR doesnt mention Bhole Baba, family of 121 deceased fume

Also Read: 121 dead, 28 injured & Bhole Baba absconding: How Hathras stampede case is unfolding
Modis visit to Vienna comes within days after he took oath as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive time and months after India-Austria Startup Bridge was launched in February to foster innovation and entrepreneurship between the two countries read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Austria on July 9 and 10 becoming the first Indian leader to travel to the country in 41 years.

PM Modi would first travel to Russia and from there he is expected to depart for Austria.

The last Indian PM to visit Austria

The last Indian prime minister to visit Austria was Indira Gandhi in 1983. She had also visited the country in 1971.

Who was the first Indian PM to visit Austria?

Advertisement

Former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Indian leader to visit Austria in 1955.

In November 1999, the then Indian President KR Narayanan made Indias first state visit to Austria after which in 2011, ex-President Pratibha Patil travelled to the country.

India-Austria high-level engagements under PM Modis leadership

Modis visit to Vienna comes days after he was sworn in as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive time and months after both the countries launched India-Austria Startup Bridge which was introduced in February this year to foster innovation and entrepreneurship between the two countries.

Ever since becoming the Prime Minister, Modi has maintained cordial ties with Austria. In the first term, the PM held a bilateral meeting with then-Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern in St Petersburg on June 2, 2017, on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

During his second term as PM, on October 30, 2021, Modi met then Austrian Chancellor, Alexander Schallenberg on the sidelines of COP-26 in Glasgow.

On May 26, 2020, PM Modi also had a telephone conversation with President Alexander Van der Bellen. Both leaders exchanged views on measures taken in their countries to manage the adverse health and economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. They also reiterated their shared desire to further strengthen and diversify India-Austria relations in the post-Covid world.

Advertisement

As PM Modi prepares for his first trip to Vienna, lets look at the ties between India and Austria.

India-Austria relations

1 - Diplomatic relations between India and Austria were established in 1949.

2 - From November 2023 to November 2024, India and Austria are observing the 75th year of establishment of bilateral relations.

3 - India also contributed to the independence of Austria. Back in 1953, India intervened in favour of Austria in its negotiations with the Soviet Union on the State Treaty of Austria. This resulted in the independence of Austria in 1955.

4 - The Indo-Austrian Joint Economic Commission (JEC) was established in 1983 that provide a forum for bilateral interaction between the governmental

Advertisement

5 - Ministries and Chambers of Commerce and Industry. There have been more than 200 collaborations, including 100 technical collaborations and 60 joint ventures between Indian and Austrian firms especially in the fields of steel, manufacturing technology, railway and transport, equipment and metallurgy.

6 - The bilateral trade between India and Austria is balanced. India exports electronic goods, apparel, textiles, footwear, rubber articles, vehicles and railway parts, electrical machinery and mechanical appliances to Austria, while it imports machinery, mechanical appliances, railway parts, iron and steel.

7 - On February 25, 2013, Austrias first two satellites TUGSAT-1/BRITE and UniBRITE were launched by Indias PSLVC20 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

Advertisement

8 - India and Austria have so far signed more than 20 memorandum of understandings (MoUs) including those on air services; promotion and protection of investments; infrastructure cooperation in railways, health; cooperation in science and technology, agriculture; and technology cooperation in shipping and ports.

Indians in Austria

As per the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), there are an estimated over 31,000 Indians living in Austria, the majority of them from Kerala and Punjab.

The Indian diaspora mainly consists of professionals working primarily in the health care sector and in the multilateral UN bodies, businessmen and self-employed individuals. They are roughly evenly divided between NRIs and PIOs.

Advertisement

Over 500 Indian students are pursuing their higher education in Austria, the MEA said.
We feel proud of the wisdom and intelligence of the people of this country, in these elections. They defeated propaganda. They prioritised performance. They rejected the politics of deceit and put stamp of victory on the politics of trust, said PM Modi read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in the Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, on Wednesday. ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday was all praise for the wisdom and intelligence of the people of India who defeated propaganda and prioritised performance to give him the third term during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi says, "We feel proud of the wisdom and intelligence of the people of this country, in these elections. They defeated propaganda. They prioritised performance. They rejected the politics of deceit and put stamp of victory on the politics of trust." pic.twitter.com/IzQ7SrhcYV  ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

Advertisement

Addressing the Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents Address, PM Modi said, We feel proud of the wisdom and intelligence of the people of this country, in these elections. They defeated propaganda. They prioritised performance. They rejected the politics of deceit and put stamp of victory on the politics of trust.

Amid disruptions from the Opposition benches, he said in the history of independent India and parliamentary journey, the public has given the mandate to a government for the third consecutive time after many decades.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, he says, "In the history of independent India & parliamentary journey, It has happened after many decades that the public has given the mandate to a government for the pic.twitter.com/F9OdwhmAUM  ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

Advertisement

After 60 years, it has happened that the government has returned after being in power for 10 years. I realise this is not an ordinary thing. Some people deliberately tried to black out this decision given by the public, said PM Modi, adding, This opportunity given to us for the third time by the people of the country is to realise Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Advertisement

He said that the next five years of his term will ensure saturation of basic facilities and focus on fight against poverty.

#WATCH | Speaking in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi says, "The next five years are to ensure saturation of basic facilities and for the fight against poverty. This country will emerge victorious against poverty in the next five years, and I am saying this based on the experience of the pic.twitter.com/JntSGUs9id  ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

This country will emerge victorious against poverty in the next five years, and I am saying this based on the experience of the past 10 years. When India will become the third largest economy in the world, its impact will be on every sphere of life, said the Prime Minister.

PM Modi said that for his party BJP, the Constitution is not just a compilation of articles but its spirit and words are very important too.

It acts like a lighthouse for governments, he said adding the Constitution Day will disseminate the spirit of the Constitution in the country.

He took potshots at the Congress for its statement that the country was bound to grow irrespective of who was in power.

Advertisement

Those who ran the government on the auto-pilot mode can only make such statements, PM Modi said.

Meanwhile, Opposition MPs raised slogans of LoP ko bolne do to disrupt PM Modi speech and walked out of the House, alleging that the Leader of Opposition was not allowed to speak.

#WATCH | In Rajya Sabha, Opposition MPs protest, raise slogans and walk out as PM Modi speaks on Motion of Thanks to President's Address. The Opposition MPs say that the LoP was not allowed to speak and that he should be allowed for the same.



As they walk out, PM Modi says, pic.twitter.com/rmPZpoNugY  ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

As they were making their way out, PM Modi said, The country is watching that those who spread lies do not have the strength to hear the truth. Those who do not have the courage to face truth, do not have courage to listen to the answers to questions that were raised in these discussions. They are insulting the Upper House, the glorious tradition of the Upper House.

With inputs from agencies
In his address in Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that actions are being taken to hold accountable those who destroy the path to the future of this countrys youth read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, assured that stringent action in the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak incident and said those behind it will not be spared by his government.

In his address in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi said: I assure youth that the government will not spare those playing with their future.

I assure one thing, people who have defrauded our youth will not go unpunished, the prime minister emphasised.

Actions being taken

One after the other, actions are being taken to hold accountable those who destroy the path to the future of this countrys youth, PM Modi further said.

Advertisement

We have brought in strict laws to deal with the issue and are strengthening the entire system, the prime minister emphasised in his remarks.

The PM also assured that his government is working towards ensuring an atmosphere where students will not be worried about examinations, but rather just focus on their studies.

PM Modi slams Opposition of playing politics

The prime minister accused the opposition parties of playing politics with the future of the youth of the country.

In her speech, the President talked about the paper leak. I expect the entire house to rise above politics and discuss the issue. But unfortunately, the issue, which is about the future of the country, is being politicised by them. What can be more unfortunate than this? PM Modi said in his reply to the Motion of Thanks on Presidents address in Rajya Sabha.

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi says, "In her Address, the President called paper leak, a major issue. I had expected all parties to speak by rising above party politics. But, unfortunately, they sacrificed even such a sensitive and important issue, an issue related to the future of pic.twitter.com/qgGOO9E8qi  ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

Necessary steps being taken

Advertisement

In his address in Lok Sabha on Tuesday (June 2), PM Modi said that the government is working on a war footing to stop incidents of paper leaks.

He also told the Lower House that those playing with the future of youngsters will not be spared.

Those who played with the future of students will not be spared. Arrests have been made from across the country in connection with NEET, the prime minister said.

He further said that the Central government has already instituted a stringent law (to prevent paper leaks). Necessary steps are being taken to strengthen the examination system, he added.

The paper leak case is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Advertisement

Earlier this week, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi had written a letter to PM Modi requesting for a debate on NEET in parliament. Gandhi called the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak a betrayal of a lifetime dream of many students.

Gandhi, in his letter, claimed that a parliamentary debate would be a first step towards rebuilding and restoring the faith of the students.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed multiple disruptions as the INDIA bloc continued uproar, demanding for an immediate discussion on NEET paper leak.

The NEET, an entrance examination for admission in medical colleges across India, has been marred by allegations of irregularities, including paper leaks, prompting protests.

Advertisement

The head of the National Testing Agency (NTA), that conducts NEET, has been removed.

With inputs from agencies
UCSF must offer charity care, adopt price caps and invest hundreds of millions of dollars into St. Marys Medical Center and St. Francis Memorial Hospital to win state approval for their takeover. Attorney General Rob Bonta had filed a complain to stop the merger. Michael Macor/The Chronicle UCSF must offer charity care, adopt price caps and invest hundreds of millions of dollars into St. Marys Medical Center and St. Francis Memorial Hospital to win state approval for their takeover. Attorney General Rob Bonta had filed a complain to stop the merger. Benjamin Fanjoy/The Chronicle

UCSF must continue charity care, adhere to price growth caps and invest hundreds of millions of dollars into St. Marys Medical Center and St. Francis Memorial Hospital, the two struggling San Francisco hospitals it is acquiring for $100 million, under a settlement reached with the California attorney general.

The settlement, announced Tuesday, resolves a complaint brought by the attorney general that sought to halt the deal over concerns it could harm peoples access to medical services that are currently available at St. Marys and St. Francis  including emergency and psychiatric care  quash competition and create a monopoly for inpatient hospital services in San Francisco.

Under the terms of the agreement, UCSF must maintain the same services that now exist at the two hospitals, continue to accept Medicare and Medi-Cal public insurance, provide charity care equal to at least $6.5 million at St. Francis and $3.5 million at St. Marys, and invest at least $430 million in infrastructure and technology improvements. The terms were approved by a San Francisco Superior Court judge and cover the period of 10 years after the deal closes Aug. 1.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

For seven years after the deal is completed, UCSF must negotiate contracts with insurers for the two hospitals separately from the rest of UCSF Health. This is to prevent UCSF from engaging in so-called all or nothing contracting, in which large providers can compel insurers and employers to contract with all hospitals in their system, or not at all. This practice has come under fire in recent years, as Californias health care market has gotten increasingly consolidated, for being anticompetitive.

Additionally, UCSF must cap annual increases on how much the hospitals can charge insurers to no more than 4% each year. These measures are meant to maintain competition in the health care market.

A rally organized by the California Nurses Association at City Hall on March 18. Nurses at St. Marys and St. Francis hospitals were concerned about the impact UCSFs acquisition of the two facilities would have on patient care. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

San Franciscans deserve access to high-quality, affordable health care services, Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. I take my responsibility to protect access to medical services in California seriously, and I am grateful to the Regents, UCSF Health and Dignity Health for working cooperatively and in good faith with my office to put the health of San Franciscans first.

St. Marys and St. Francis have long treated many of the citys poorest residents, including unhoused residents and patients on government insurance. When the UC Regents in 2023 approved UCSF advancing negotiations to acquire the two hospitals, it raised concerns among many medical staff and others whether the community hospitals would continue to serve this vulnerable population.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
This week alone, West Bengal reported two cases of public flogging of women, drawing the ire of the opposition in the state. The first case involved a Trinamool Congress worker, going by the name JCB, who allegedly beat a woman and a man in Uttar Dinajpurs Chopra read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday spoke out against the mob lynching incidents reported in West Bengal under the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government and slammed the Oppositions selective attitude on atrocities against women.

This week alone, West Bengal reported two cases of public flogging of women, drawing the ire of the opposition in the state. The first case involved a Trinamool Congress worker, going by the name JCB, who allegedly beat a woman and a man in Uttar Dinajpurs Chopra.

Advertisement

Replying to a debate on a motion thanking President Droupadi Murmu for her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, Modi said a viral video recently showed a woman being publicly beaten up, but the opposition parties have remained silent.

The Oppositions selective attitude on atrocities against women is very worrying. I have seen a video from Bengal on social media where a woman was being beaten. The incident that happened in Sandeshkhali was also atrocious. But even the senior leaders (of the opposition) have not said a word about it, PM Modi said.

#WATCH | "The Opposition's selective attitude on atrocities against women is very worrying...I have seen a video from Bengal on social media where a woman was being beaten...The incident which happened in Sandeshkhali....But even the senior leaders (of the opposition) have not pic.twitter.com/iD26yzNo0g  ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

The case of mob lynching in WB

In Chopra, a man and a woman were beaten publically by a TMC worker JCB. Meanwhile, Chopra MLA Hamidul Rahaman said that the woman was an evil beast and that her activities were unsocial and thus she received the said treatment.

Advertisement

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday sought a report from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the flogging of a couple in public in Uttar Dinajpur districts Chopra, officials said.

The governor is shocked by the incident, which was caught in a video, and called it barbarous, they said.

He condemned the incident and has sought an immediate report from CM Banerjee, an official told PTI.

The police on Sunday registered a case after the video of the incident that happened on Friday went viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage.

With inputs from PTI
Any delay in reforming the existing system is a sure prescription for more avoidable tragedies read more

Muslim pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Monday, 17 June 2024. AP

The deaths of more than 1,300 Hajj pilgrims, including 49 from India, reportedly because of extreme high temperatures in Mecca and Medina, are the latest disaster in a series of man-made tragedies to hit Islams holiest pilgrimage attended by millions of devout Muslims from different corners of the world.

The fact is that the Hajj has become almost synonymous with such incidents. Its recent history is littered with accidents that have caused loss of lives and often provoked diplomatic rows with other countries over allegations of mismanagement by Saudi authorities.

Advertisement

All religious pilgrimages are prone to accidents, including our own India (for instance, Amarnath Yatra and Kumbh Mela  latest being a fatal stampede in Hathras), but Hajj is particularly vulnerable because of the size of the congregation and the duration of the pilgrimage.

And time is ripe for the Muslim world, especially Saudi Arabia which organises and supervises the mammoth congregation, to seriously rethink the way it is run now. At the heart of any such review should be a willingness to prioritise safety over religious dogmatism and fervour.

By the way, the 1,300 figure of casualties is a conservative official estimate, and the unofficial toll is likely to be considerably higher.

Meanwhile, there have been allegations of mismanagement and lack of proper facilities to protect vulnerable pilgrims from the effects of unprecedented heat.

Many Indian Hajjis have joined the chorus of criticism. Pilgrims from Kerala, Hyderabad and Kashmir have been particularly vocal in voicing their anger over allegedly inadequate facilities and official indifference to their concerns.

Similar allegations have been echoed by Pakistani pilgrims. A video posted by purports to show extremely poor arrangements in the scorching heat".

More details of the real scale of the tragedy and whether it could have been avoided are likely to emerge in the coming days and weeks. A time-bound independent inquiry is needed to establish facts and identify factors other than extreme temperatures that might have contributed to such a high toll.

Advertisement

To the dismay of the bereaved families, Saudi authorities have sought to effectively disown any responsibility  blaming the tragedy on allegedly unauthorised pilgrims and unscrupulous travel agents who helped them.

Saudi Health Minister Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel said that 83 per cent of the 1,301 fatalities were unauthorised pilgrims who walked long distances in soaring temperatures to perform the Hajj rituals in and around the holy city of Mecca.

Egypt, whose nationals accounted for more than half the casualties has revoked the licenses of 16 travel agencies that helped unauthorised pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia. But that has failed to assuage public anger and feelings reportedly continue to run high.

Advertisement

What has happened has happened but the big question to be asked is whether the 1,000 plus deaths will change anything. Will things be better after this tragedy?

The answer, on the basis of past experience, is: unlikely.

Now, a quick recap of the tragedies that have marred the Hajj pilgrimage over the years:

In 2015, a stampede killed some 2,300 worshippers in what is still regarded as by far the deadliest Hajj disaster. It happened during the stoning of the devil ritual in Mina, near Mecca.

It came close on the heels of the death of more than 100 people when a crane toppled onto Meccas Grand Mosque on the eve of the pilgrimage.

Advertisement

The accident touched off a furious public row with Iran whose nationals accounted for more than half the casualties. Its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini accused the Saudis of mismanagement and called upon all Islamic countries to challenge the management of Mecca and Medina.

Deaths caused by stampedes during the stoning" ritual in which worshippers throw pebbles at three headstones to symbolise their rejection of Satan also happened in 2005 and 2006.

Other major accidents include a fatal crush in 1990 inside a pedestrian tunnel leading out from Mecca towards Mina and the Plains of Arafat causing killing 1,426 pilgrims; in 1975 a gas explosion in a tented accommodation housing pilgrims claimed 200 lives; and a tent fire in 1997 left more than 300 dead.

Advertisement

The tents have since been belatedly made fireproof. An elementary precaution that, if taken earlier, would have saved many lives.

To put it in perspective, the Saudis have over the years taken a number of measures to improve pilgrims conditions and crackdown on unruly behaviour but clearly a lot still needs to be done in the areas of safety and crowd control.

As pointed out earlier, the main problem is the sheer scale of Hajj enterprise, its nearly month-long duration and nature of its complicated rituals which include running (yes literally running between Safa and Marwa mountains to commemorate a seminal moment in early Islamic history; throwing stones at the devil and walking around the Kaaba).

And compounding all this is the scramble to touch the sacred black stone or kiss it though it is considered un-Islamic.

Try imagining nearly three million people fired up by religious passion and carried away by the significance of the event vying with each other at the same time to complete all these rituals. Older and frail people often struggle and some lose control as their fitter peers try to elbow them out.

At densities above six to seven persons per square metre, individuals cannot move, groups are swept along in waves, individuals jostle to find breath and to avoid falling and being trampled, and hundreds of deaths can occur as a result, says a Wikipedia entry.

The situation is tailor-made for accidents. Given the size of the congregation, no amount of crowd control can really avert the risk of something going wrong at some point.

Despite widespread concerns, there has been no serious debate on how to deal with the problem because of religious sentiments associated with Hajj.

But time has come to find creative ways of making the pilgrimage safer and less physically exhausting, especially for older people, without ruffling religious sensitivities.

Broadly, there are broadly four aspects that need a fresh look: Reducing the long duration of the pilgrimage; dispensing with primitive rituals like stoning the devil; restrictions on approaching Kaaba; and capping the number of pilgrims to a more manageable size.

True, there have been attempts to cap pilgrim numbers by reducing country-wise quotas but these have largely failed in the face of demands for more quotas, and complaints of discrimination from smaller countries.

The result is a year-on-year increase  rather than decrease  in Hajj quotas.

Recently, India had its quota raised under the Bilateral Hajj Agreement for 2024 following heavy diplomatic lobbying including a major intervention by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the highest level.

Thanking the Saudi government, Modi said had said that he requested the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia to increase the Haj quota for our Muslim brothers and sisters in India" as previously due to a smaller quota, only the influential people would get the chance to go for Haj.

This is how the system works to make everyone happy: The host country, its friendly international allies and wannabe Hajjis. And, of course, it is good for businesses, travel agencies, touts, hoteliers, transport companies and tourism honchos.

But after the latest tragedy, it cant continue to be business as usual without risking more loss of lives. Any delay in reforming the existing system is a sure prescription for more avoidable tragedies.
Phil Schiller, Apples head of App Store development and former marketing chief, has been selected for this observer role at OpenAI. As an observer, Schiller will be able to attend board meetings at OpenAI, but he wont have the same voting rights as full board members read more

There are concerns that some OpenAI board meetings might discuss sensitive matters related to Microsoft's involvement with the company. In such scenarios, Microsoft could request Schiller's exclusion from these discussions. Image Credit: Reuters, Reuters

Apple is set to take on a new role as a board observer at OpenAI, a development that was revealed during WWDC 2024. This move is part of a broader partnership aimed at enhancing both companies AI capabilities.

Phil Schiller, Apples head of App Store development and former marketing chief, has been selected for this observer role at OpenAI. As an observer, Schiller will be able to attend board meetings at OpenAI, but he wont have the same voting rights or influence over decisions as full board members.

Advertisement

A report from Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the situation, indicates that Schiller has not yet attended any OpenAI board meetings. Schiller transitioned from his role as Apples marketing chief in 2020 to focus on App Store development and new product launches. Despite not being directly involved in Apples latest AI projects, his extensive experience at Apple made him a suitable choice for the observer position.

In June, Apple announced the integration of ChatGPT with its latest operating system updates, alongside its own AI features branded as Apple Intelligence. The partnership with OpenAI reportedly doesnt involve any financial transactions, which likely explains Apples observer status. Interestingly, Microsoft also holds an observer role at OpenAI, which could create tension given the competitive nature of their relationship.

There are concerns that some OpenAI board meetings might discuss sensitive matters related to Microsofts involvement with the company. In such scenarios, Microsoft could request Schillers exclusion from these discussions.

Through this partnership with OpenAI, Apple aims to offer its users access to a highly popular chatbot, potentially opening up new revenue streams. By providing the paid version of OpenAIs ChatGPT, Apple can benefit from App Store fees, adding to its revenue.

For OpenAI, this partnership means gaining access to Apples large user base, particularly those interested in AI and advanced language models. This collaboration is part of Apples broader push into AI, with the company also seeking similar partnerships with Google and AI startup Anthropic.

Advertisement

In China, Apple is exploring potential agreements with local companies that have government approval for their AI and language model technologies. Potential partners include Alibaba and Baidu, as Apple plans to expand the availability of its AI features in this market.

The AI features previewed at WWDC will initially be available only in US English later in 2024. The international rollout of Apple Intelligence will take more time, as Apple needs to navigate various local regulations and address concerns from EU regulators to ensure compliance.

Overall, Apples new observer role at OpenAI is a strategic move to bolster its AI capabilities and enhance its product offerings. This partnership represents a significant step in Apples ongoing efforts to integrate advanced AI features into its ecosystem, promising exciting developments for its users and the tech industry at large.
Last year, BYDs overall production for battery-only and hybrid vehicles, exceeded 3 million units, outpacing Teslas 1.84 million. While BYD produced 1.6 million battery-only cars and 1.4 million hybrids, Tesla remained the leader in BEV production alone. read more

In response to the rising influence of Chinese EVs, the European Union recently announced additional tariffs on Chinese EV manufacturers to mitigate the threat to EU's EV industry. Image Credit: AFP

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD is on course to surpass Tesla in battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales this year, with its market share expected to rise significantly, according to a report by Counterpoint Research.

This development highlights the evolving nature of the global EV market. In the second quarter, BYDs BEV sales saw a nearly 21 per cent increase year-on-year, reaching 426,039 units. In contrast, Teslas deliveries for the same period dropped by 4.8 per cent, totalling 443,956 vehicles.

Advertisement

Last year, BYDs overall production, which includes both battery-only and hybrid vehicles, exceeded 3 million units, outpacing Teslas 1.84 million cars for the second consecutive year. While BYD produced 1.6 million battery-only passenger cars and 1.4 million hybrids, Tesla remained the leader in BEV production alone.

However, BYD lost its position as the top EV vendor to Tesla in the first quarter. Despite this, Counterpoint Research emphasized that China continues to be a dominant force in the BEV market, with BYD at the forefront. Chinese BEV sales are projected to be four times those of North America in 2024, with China maintaining over 50 per cent of the global BEV market share until 2027. By 2030, Chinese BEV sales are expected to exceed the combined sales of North America and Europe.

In response to the rising influence of Chinese EVs, the European Union recently announced additional tariffs on Chinese EV manufacturers to mitigate the threat to EUs EV industry. BYD is likely to be hit with a 17.4 per cent tariff, SAIC to 38.1 per cent duty, and Geely will see a 20 per cent duty, on top of the standard 10 per cent duty that is already imposed on imported EVs. These provisional duties will be implemented starting July 4, unless ongoing discussions with Chinese authorities yield a resolution.

EU hopes that its new tariffs will create a level playing field for European EV manufacturers, who are struggling to compete with the lower-priced Chinese imports. Counterpoint Researchs associate director, Liz Lee, suggested that these tariffs might drive Chinese automakers to focus on emerging markets like the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Australia and New Zealand.

Advertisement

Global BEV sales are anticipated to reach 10 million units in 2024, alongside the continued decline of internal combustion engine vehicles. This growth will be supported by efforts to enhance cost-efficiency and affordability for EVs and their batteries.
For creators of original content, protecting their work remains challenging. However, sudden changes in Googles algorithm can drastically reduce website traffic, leaving publishers with no recourse read more

Googles spam policies explicitly mention that sites copying content from other sources, modifying it slightly, and republishing it are considered abusive scraping. However, it has been silent on whether such results get deranked. Image Credit: AFP

A recent study has revealed that Googles search algorithm still ranks AI-generated, SEO-focused content higher than original content, despite the companys efforts to improve search results.

As reported by 404 Media, AI-powered articles frequently appeared for basic queries in Google News results at the beginning of the year. In response, Google announced significant algorithm changes and new spam policies in an attempt to enhance the quality of search results.

By the end of April, Google claimed that the rollout of these changes was complete. Elizabeth Tucker, a director of product management at Google, shared in a blog post that the adjustments had reduced low-quality, unoriginal content in search results by 45 per cent, exceeding their initial goal of a 40 per cent improvement.

Advertisement

Despite these efforts, AI-generated spam content remains a prevalent issue in Google News, as per an investigation by the Wired. Lily Ray, senior director of search engine optimization at the marketing agency Amsive, highlighted that the problem is widespread, and told the publication that some of her clients have noticed their articles being rehashed by AI, resulting in content that closely mimics the original but is essentially a jumble of AI-rewritten text.

In the investigation, it was clear that some blog sites were completely dependent on AI, even getting their images generated by AI. This was visible due to some noticeable flaws in the illustrations.

Upon reaching out to a creator of one such blog, an Italian marketing agency confirmed they used an AI tool for content creation. They asserted that their process respects intellectual property, though their attribution practices were minimal, often limited to a single hyperlink at the end of a given article.

When contacted for a response about the blog in question, Google declined to comment on specific websites but reiterated that their updated spam policies prohibit creating low-value, unoriginal content at scale to rank well on Google. Googles spokesperson, Meghann Farnsworth, emphasized that the company takes action against sites globally that violate their policies.

Googles spam policies explicitly mention that sites copying content from other sources, modifying it slightly, and republishing it are considered abusive scraping. Despite this, Farnsworth did not confirm whether the mentioned blog violated these policies or if it would be de-ranked in Google News results.

For creators of original content, protecting their work remains challenging. Andrew Boyd, a consultant at the online link-building service Forte Analytica, expressed the anxiety and frustration within the industry. He pointed out that sudden changes in Googles algorithm can drastically reduce website traffic, leaving publishers with no recourse.

Advertisement

The persistence of low-quality, AI-generated content in search results is causing tension in the SEO industry. Ray expressed frustration, noting that while some publishers strive to produce high-quality content, they are often outperformed by inferior, AI-generated articles. This situation creates a disincentive for publishers to invest in quality content, potentially eroding user trust in search results.

Despite Googles efforts to refine its search algorithm and enforce stricter spam policies, AI-generated content continues to dominate search rankings, creating challenges for original content creators. The ongoing battle against spam highlights the need for more robust measures to ensure high-quality, trustworthy content remains at the forefront of search results.
The founders of Koo wanted to position the app as an alternative to Elon Musks X, formerly Twitter. They believe most media outlets and VCs dont want to deal with the wild nature of a social media company read more

The extended funding drought, which has pressured startups globally to focus on revenue growth and financial stability, proved too challenging for Koo. The founders admitted that the tough economic climate had overwhelmed them. Image Credit: Koo

Koo, the Indian social media platform that sought to compete with Elon Musks X, is shutting down its operations after discussions of a potential acquisition with Dailyhunt failed.

Despite receiving over $60 million in funding from notable investors such as Tiger Global and Accel, Koo encountered significant challenges in growing its user base and generating revenue over the past two years.

A failed attempt to raise funds

In February, TechCrunch reported that Koo was in talks with Dailyhunt, an internet media startup valued at $5 billion, for a potential sale. However, these discussions did not result in an agreement, as confirmed by Koos founders on Wednesday.

Advertisement

Koo aimed to attract users in India by providing a platform similar to X, where they could express themselves in multiple local languages. The platform gained initial traction during a period of tension between Twitter and the Indian government.

Koos meteoric rise

The conflict arose when Twitter resisted the governments opaque requests for content removal, leading to allegations by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey that the Indian government had threatened to shut down the social network and raid the homes of its employees.

The Indian government denied these allegations, with a top minister at the time accusing Dorsey of trying to downplay a controversial period in Twitters history.

Taking advantage of the situation, Koo presented itself as a compliant alternative, promising to follow local regulations. This strategy attracted many high-profile Indian politicians to the platform, although almost none from the opposition party. Koo also expanded its app to Brazil in an attempt to grow its user base internationally.

Why is Koo shutting down?

Founders Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka revealed in a LinkedIn post that they had explored partnerships with various larger internet companies, conglomerates, and media houses, but none led to the desired outcome. Many potential partners were reluctant to deal with user-generated content and the unpredictable nature of a social media platform.

Advertisement

However, the extended funding drought, which has pressured startups globally to focus on revenue growth and financial stability, proved too challenging for Koo. The founders admitted that the tough economic climate had overwhelmed them.

Indian entrepreneurs and investors have long sought to develop local alternatives to popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, and YouTube. However, the struggles faced by Koo underscore the difficulty of competing with established American companies that have proven more adept at serving even the most diverse segments of the Indian market.
Originally, GPAI started with 15 member nations and has since expanded to 29. Indias proposal aims to further expand this body to include nearly 44 countries by early next year, with plans to reach 65 countries by February read more

GPAI members also agreed that the group would lead global discussions on AI governance, ensuring the technology remains safe and trusted. This collective agreement underscores the importance of GPAI's role in the future of AI governance and innovation. Image Credit: Reuters

India is making significant strides in its effort to establish the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) as the leading authority on all matters related to AI, including regulations and the development of a global framework.

Major countries such as the US, France, Canada, the UK, Japan, Korea, Brazil, and Argentina have agreed on this initiative, with a ministerial sign-off and final negotiations set for July 3, according to government insiders. A formal announcement is expected soon after.

Advertisement

Indias current chairmanship of GPAI reflects its commitment to responsible AI development and use. By expanding GPAI to include more countries, especially from the Global South, India aims to strengthen the alliances influence on global AI policymaking.

This expansion aligns with Indias vision of a more inclusive and participatory global AI governance structure.

Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted in December that New Delhi is actively negotiating with the 29 member countries of GPAI to reach a consensus on a declaration statement concerning the proper use of AI, establishing guardrails for the technology, and determining its treatment.

He noted a global convergence in thinking about AI, acknowledging its potential benefits and the importance of managing its dangers.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has been engaged in intense negotiations over the past six months, focusing on including OECD nations in GPAI and increasing the Global Souths partnership in AI regulation.

Key issues under discussion include AI collaboration across governments, establishing common standards, compute capacity, and regulatory frameworks.

Originally, GPAI started with 15 member nations and has since expanded to 29. Indias proposal aims to further expand this body to include nearly 44 countries by early next year, with plans to reach 65 countries by February.

Advertisement

This expansion seeks to address the current dominance of European Union nations and the limited presence of developing countries, particularly from the Global South.

The effort to consolidate various AI-related bodies under the GPAI umbrella aims to create a central and more robust organization, thereby avoiding duplication of efforts. In December, the 29 GPAI member nations unanimously adopted the New Delhi resolution, which committed to positioning GPAI at the forefront of shaping AIs future. This resolution emphasized innovation and collaborative AI applications in sectors such as healthcare and agriculture.

GPAI members also agreed that the group would lead global discussions on AI governance, ensuring the technology remains safe and trusted. This collective agreement underscores the importance of GPAIs role in the future of AI governance and innovation.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, party spokesperson Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat said, The prime minister should pave the way after the largest parties  Nepali Congress and UML  said they would form a new government together. This is also included in the decision. read more

Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba Wednesday asked Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda to resign and pave the way for the formation of a new government, as the ruling coalition partner CPN-UML withdrew support after a power-sharing deal with the largest party to oust the former guerrilla leader.

The Prime Minister should resign after the largest parties NC and UML said that they would form a new government together," Deuba told reporters after a crucial meeting of the party at his residence at Budhanilkantha on the outskirts of Kathmandu.

Advertisement

Deuba, 78, and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) chairman K P Sharma Oli, 72, - both former premiers - inked a power-sharing deal Monday night to form a new government. They agreed to share the Prime Ministerial position on a rotation basis for the rest of the term of the Parliament.

Meanwhile, the largest party in the ruling coalition - CPN-UML - withdrew support to Prime Minister Prachanda-led government. Our party has withdrawn support to the government, said Bishnu Rijal, deputy chief of UMLs publicity committee.

The CPN-UML has eight ministers in the Prachanda Cabinet, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubir Mahaseth. The CPN-UML joined the government on March 5, after Prime Minister Prachanda allied with the CPN-UML, ditching its year-long partnership with the Congress.

All the UML ministers have submitted their resignations to the Prime Minister, Rijal added.

Nepali Congress, the largest party in the 275-member House of Representatives, has 89 seats at present, while CPN-UML has 78 seats. Their combined strength of 167 is sufficient for a majority of 138 seats in the lower house. Prachandas party has 32 seats.

The Nepali Congress Central Work Performance Committee (CWC) earlier in the day met at Deubas residence at Budhanilkantha to discuss the current political situation and the partys future strategy. The meeting reviewed the latest political situation in the country and discussed the future course of action, said NC spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat.

Advertisement

The meeting also endorsed the agreement reached between Deuba and Oli to form a new coalition and share the post of Prime Minister on a rotation basis, he said. The meeting mainly discussed the agenda and modality of formation of the new coalition government.

The seven-point deal finalised between Deuba and Oli on Monday night includes the sharing of the remaining three-year term of Parliament between the two parties, the ministerial division, provincial leadership roles and a rotation for the prime ministerial position. Oli will assume the post of Prime Minister in the first phase and after one-and-a-half-year, the Nepali Congress will get the leadership of the government.

Advertisement

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, party spokesperson Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat said, The prime minister should pave the way after the largest parties  Nepali Congress and UML  said they would form a new government together. This is also included in the decision.

Other parties, too, are supporting the new Nepali Congress-UML alliance. So, the Nepali Congress CWC has requested the prime minister to pave the way, he added. Mahat said a new government will be formed through the constitutional process if the prime minister does not pave the way for the formation of a new government.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal Manish Suman said that his party will support the new coalition but has not yet decided on joining the government.

JSP Nepal has five members in the Parliament. Rastriya Prajatantra Party with 14 members in the House of Representatives and Lokatantrik Samajwadi Party with four seats have also indicated support for the new coalition.

Advertisement

However, embattled Prime Minister Prachanda has refused to resign from the post and said he would rather face a vote of confidence in Parliament. According to the constitutional provision, the prime minister losing a majority support in the House will be required to prove a majority within 30 days.

The prime minister must seek a vote of confidence once a ruling alliance withdraws support. This will be the fifth time Prachanda, 69, will seek a vote of confidence within a term of one and a half years.

The former guerilla leader has won three votes of confidence in Parliament. The CPN-UML has already urged Prime Minister Prachanda to step down from the position so that a new government can be formed as per the constitutional provision.

Advertisement

It also asked all the political parties to join the national government under the leadership of Oli to bolster political stability in the country. Nepal has had 13 governments in the last 16 years, indicating the fragile nature of the Himalayan nations political system.
While China and the Philippines agreed to de-escalate tensions in the disputed South China Sea and to maintain dialogue and consultations on the issue in a meeting held in Manila on Tuesday, significant differences remained between the two sides, according to a report read more

In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, left, and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong shake hands during the Philippines and China 9th Meeting of their Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea in Manila, Philippines, on Tuesday. AP

While China and the Philippines agreed to de-escalate tensions in the disputed South China Sea and to maintain dialogue and consultations on the issue in a meeting held in Manila on Tuesday, significant differences remained between the two sides, according to a report.

The meeting took place after several rounds of maritime confrontations between the two countries, which raised concerns of a potential wider conflict in the South China Sea, one of the worlds busiest shipping routes.

At Tuesdays bilateral consultative mechanism meeting in Manila, co-chaired by Chinas deputy foreign minister Chen Xiaodong and the Philippine foreign ministry undersecretary Theresa Lazaro, the two sides exchanged views on the situation in the South China Sea, particularly tensions at Second Thomas Shoal.

Issues covered in the talks included ways to improve the sea-related communication mechanism between the two countries and how to promote dialogue between their coastguards.

The two sides made substantial progress on developing measures to manage the situation at sea, but significant differences remain, the South China Morning Post quoted the Philippine foreign affairs department as saying in a statement released on Tuesday night.

What the two sided agreed on

China and the Philippines both believe that maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea is in the interests of both, and is also the common goal of regional countries, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement released late on Tuesday night

The two sides also agreed to continue to maintain dialogue and consultation  to control disputes and differences, added the statement, which described the meeting as frank and constructive.

An agreement was signed to improve communications during emergencies at sea and both sides agreed to continue talks on enhancing ties between their coast guards but no details were provided.

Another confidence-building plan was the convening of an academic forum among scientists and academics to improve marine scientific cooperation.

Sticking points

While both the sides affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions, Lazaro, however, told Chen that Manila would remain relentless in protecting its interests and upholding its sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea, according to a statement by Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, using Manilas name for South China Sea waters within the Philippines exclusive economic zone.



China, for its part, reiterated its claims over the waterway, including the Second Thomas Shoal, which has emerged as an epicenter of the dispute.

Three of Manilas ships were damaged on June 17 when Chinese sailors surrounded and boarded them while wielding edged weapons, and one Filipino sailor lost a finger. Manila had hoped China would promise to pay for the damage they caused during the most recent incident. But the meeting ended without any substantial agreement on the issue.

Meeting after dramatic standoff

Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime territorial disputes in the hotly contested waterway but last months incident was the most serious in a number of escalating confrontations.

Chinese coast guard personnel wielding knives, sticks and an axe surrounded and boarded three Philippine navy boats on June 17 during a resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal.

Advertisement

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.

A handful of Filipino troops are stationed on a rusty warship deliberately grounded on Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to assert Manilas claims to the area.

Chinas sweeping claim

China 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.

Chinese forces have used water cannon and military-grade lasers and collided with Filipino resupply vessels and their escorts in previous confrontations near disputed reefs.

Second Thomas Shoal lies about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometres from Chinas 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.

With inputs from agencies
Netanyahu is slated to address the joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate on July 24 during a visit to Washington read more

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden are likely to meet in Washington later this month when the Israeli premier visits the US to address a joint session of Congress.

The President has known Prime Minister Netanyahu for three decades. They will likely see each other when the prime minister is here over the course of that week, but we have nothing to announce at this time, Times of Israel report quoted a White House official as saying.

Advertisement

Netanyahu is slated to address the joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate on July 24 during a visit to Washington.

According to a CNN report, which was the first to report about a likely Biden-Netanyahu meeting, said the logistical details of their meeting expected at the White House were still being finalised.

While the US has maintained its strong support for Israel both diplomatically and in providing weapons amid the war in Gaza, Biden has on some occasions expressed concerns about Israels conduct.

For instance, he once termed Israels bombing campaign in Gaza as indiscriminate while also labeling its military response on another occasion as over the top.

In a call with Netanyahu in April after the killing of aid workers, Biden urged him to take more steps to protect civilians in Gaza, saying US policy may change otherwise.

Republicans have criticised Biden, a Democrat, for this and said urged more support for Israel.

There has been mounting international criticism of Israels conduct and of US support for its ally in a war that has so far killed tens of thousands and created a humanitarian crisis.

Nearly 38,000 people have been killed during the war in Gaza, the local health ministry says, with many more feared buried in rubble as nearly the entire enclave has been flattened and most of its 2.3 million population displaced. There is also widespread hunger in Gaza. The war has led to genocide allegations that Israel denies.

Advertisement

Israels assault on Gaza began after Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250 hostages to the Hamas-governed enclave, according to Israeli tallies.

With inputs from agencies
Demonstrators participate in a rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Regarding Supreme Court rules ex-presidents have broad immunity, dimming chance of a pre-election Trump trial (U.S. & World, SFChronicle.com, July 1):

Building a kingdom

As Ben Franklin said, A republic if you can keep it. July 1, 2024, is the date it was lost.

Under Mondays outrageous decision by six Supreme Court justices, the president of the United States is authorized to act like a king, immune from criminal law and free to commit any crime he perceives will advance his agenda, his party, friends and cronies, personal power, wealth or thirst for revenge, without fear of criminal prosecution.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Remember these names: Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, John Roberts and Clarence Thomas, the radical six whove thrown the rule of law in America on the trash heap of history, setting the stage for tyranny that will come.

July 1 will go down in history as the tragic end of America as a country created by rebellion against the idea of government by kings. Read their fatuous decision and weep for your country.

Jamie Harris, Lafayette

Conservatives taking over

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Donald Trump is immune from prosecution for official acts but the justices returned his case to the trial judge to decide which of the former presidents acts may be prosecutable.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Practically speaking there will be no trial before the November election, and if elected, Trump will have his Justice Department end the case.

Who said Trump was not above the law?

With Trumps likely election and the probable implementation of Project 2025, a set of proposals from the conservative Heritage Foundation to reshape the federal government and consolidate executive power, our countrys transition from a democracy to a banana republic will be well on its way.

Ralph Stone, San Francisco

Remember RBG

The ghost of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg is with us this week, and shes saying Beware!

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Between the spectacle of the Joe Biden-Donald Trump presidential debate and the slew of horrifying rulings from this Supreme Court, were looking at an incipient right-wing takeover of the country if the national political picture does not change.

I love Biden. To quote U.S. representative John L. Lewis, Biden is a man of courage.

Like our beloved Notorious RBG, Biden needs to step down while it is still possible to pass the torch. If RBG had retired during the Obama presidency, we would have a very different Supreme Court and a better chance of preserving our fragile democracy.

The Democratic Party needs to provide a fresh team to appeal to voters. We have Sens. Chris Coons, Mazie Hirono, Tim Kaine and Mark Kelly; Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; Rep. Ruben Gallegos, and even Ambassador Rahm Emanuel and former Rep. Beto ORourke.

Amelia Marshall, Oakland

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Too much power

The Supreme Courts decision regarding presidential immunity for official acts is catastrophic for the upcoming presidential election.

Giving presidents that kind of power leaves them free to do almost anything: Put a political opponent in jail (e.g., Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Hilary Clinton), close down any U.S. agency they dont like (e.g., Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Justice), expel millions of migrants from the U.S., and use the military to imprison or kill U.S. citizens they dont like.

It is time for influencers to come forward and convince their fans and followers to not vote for Donald Trump, a twisted, lying, ignorant person. I realize that famous people may not ordinarily speak about politics. The future of the United States now depends on everyone speaking up.

Mary Gardner

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Court is tainted

Sadly, it appears that the United States Supreme Court is hell-bent on destroying our democracy.

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

I suppose this was to be expected after the six conservatives overturned Roe v. Wade, including at least three who perjured themselves when they testified at their Senate confirmation hearings that they recognized the precedential authority of Roe.

The presidential immunity decision is further proof of just how corrupt and anti-democratic the conservative majority of the court has become. They have crowned Donald Trump as king in whose court they are happy to serve as court jesters.
Zhang presented himself as an obstetrician-gynecologist at a renowned Shanghai hospital during their six-year romance. In addition, he declared that he was a graduate of a Chinese medical school of distinction. He painted a convincing picture of a successful professional, and Huang never challenged his story. Three months after their first meeting, they began dating read more

Zhang's practice of putting off Huang's pleas to visit him at the hospital, citing a busy schedule full of clinical exams or procedures, was one possible red flag

A man in China was found guilty of fraud after tricking his girlfriend out of 2.6 million yuan (about  3 crore) by posing as a physician at a renowned hospital. Zhang, who was formerly working at a hotel, was fined 250,000 yuan (about Rs. 29, 22, 396) and given an 11-year, six-month prison sentence for his acts.

The specific dates of the occurrences were not disclosed when the court released the cases contents to the public in May. The South China Morning Post said that Zhang started the fraud in 2016 after getting to know Huang, his girlfriend who worked at a mall.

Advertisement

Zhang presented himself as an obstetrician-gynecologist at a renowned Shanghai hospital during their six-year romance. In addition, he declared that he was a graduate of a Chinese medical school of distinction. He painted a convincing picture of a successful professional, and Huang never challenged his story. Three months after their first meeting, they began dating.

Zhangs practice of putting off Huangs pleas to visit him at the hospital, citing a busy schedule full of clinical exams or procedures, was one possible red flag, though. They started going on dates frequently on the hospital lawn as their relationship grew.

However, Zhang became addicted to gambling by November 2016 and racked up large debt. He began stealing money from Huang on the guise of investing in a house, but he really used it for debt repayment and gambling. Huang gave Zhang more than 2.6 million yuan during their romance.

Concerns were raised by Huangs family when Zhang started to withhold the money. Huang eventually became upset with the state of affairs and checked to see if Zhang was working at the hospital. To his surprise, Zhang was not.

The prosecution stated throughout the trial, Love is beautiful, but one must also be wary of sweet traps.

Following the social media virality of the case information, Huang received a lot of sympathy from users. One user wrote, She was too blinded by love.
The decision comes amid rising trade tensions between the EU and China. Germanys economy ministry can review and stop transactions deemed to have national security implications, and Berlin and the EU are trying to reduce risks from economic ties with Beijing. read more

A Volkswagen logo is seen during the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., April 5, 2023. File Photo- Reuters

Germany will block the planned sale of Volkswagen subsidiary MAN Energy Solutions gas turbine division to a Chinese company, two government sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.

The decision comes amid rising trade tensions between the EU and China. Germanys economy ministry can review and stop transactions deemed to have national security implications, and Berlin and the EU are trying to reduce risks from economic ties with Beijing.

The planned sale of the German business to Chinese state-owned CSIC Longjiang GH Gas Turbine Co (GHGT) was announced in June 2023 at an undisclosed price, but MAN Energy Solutions said in September the government would take a close look.

Advertisement

GHGT belongs to the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), which dominates the Chinese shipbuilding industry.

Some German politicians are concerned that China might use the gas turbines not for civilian purposes but to power warships.Asked about the decision at a news conference, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser welcomed it for security reasons.

Economy Minister Robert Habeck said Germany generally welcomed investment but that technologies important for public order must be protected and that was why the deal was stopped.

MAN Energy Solutions said it respected the governments decision and would start a structured process to wind down the new development of gas turbines.We will carry out this phase with the utmost care, taking into account the interests of our employees, customers and partners, a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The business has some 14,000 employees.

One source had told Reuters on Tuesday that the group would retain its profitable turbine service business. The German government has called on firms to reduce their dependence on China  the countrys most important trade partner - and is pressing for a level playing field for companies.

The EU is also taking action against what it believes are unfair Chinese subsidies in the electric vehicle sector, though Germanys VDA auto association has urged the European Commission to drop its planned tariffs.
Following his debate performance with his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, Democrats and donors alike are worried about President Joe Bidens prospects read more

Washington: President Joe Bidens disastrous debate performance has reverberated across the Democratic Party, forcing lawmakers to grapple with a crisis that could upend the presidential election and change the course of American history.

The Democratic president has signaled he has no intention of dropping out of the race against Donald Trump despite the halting and uneven debate delivery that threw a spotlight on questions about Bidens age and capacity to be president. But as Democrats make the case that the stakes of the election are momentous  challenging no less than the foundations of American democracy itself  they are wrestling with how to approach the 81-year-old who is supposed to be leading the charge for their party.

Advertisement

Heres how Democrats are handling the aftermath of the debate:

Raising alarm

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat from Texas, on Tuesday became the first sitting Democrat in Congress to call for Biden to withdraw from the race. In a statement, he praised Biden but said he has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders from whom a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process.

Recognising that, unlike Trump, President Bidens first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so, Doggett said.

A number of other congressional Democrats have tip-toed in recent days toward outspoken concern not just over Bidens performance during the 90-minute debate on Thursday night, but also the level of transparency that Bidens team has offered about his mental fitness.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., told a local CBS-affiliated television station this week that he was horrified by both Bidens performance and Trumps falsehoods during the debate.

People want to make sure that this is a campaign thats ready to go and win, Whitehouse said. That the president and his team are being candid with us about his condition  that this was a real anomaly.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, a prominent Democrat from Maryland, said on MSNBC, There are very honest and serious and rigorous conversations taking place at every level of our party.

Advertisement

Raskin said Democrats needed Biden at the very centre of their campaign to make the argument that the Republican Party is slipping towards authoritarianism under Trump, but also raised the possibility that Biden would not continue as the presidential candidate.

Some are concerned that Bidens weaknesses could tamp down potential voters enthusiasm, creating a ripple effect that hurts Democrats as they try to hold on to a narrow Senate majority and take back control of the House. Down-ballot Democrats are already confident they can outperform Biden in swing races, but if large numbers of voters reject Biden, it could also impact them.

Advertisement

Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., told CNN on Tuesday that he wanted Biden to recognise how much this impacts not just his race but all the other races coming in November.

According to the Wall Street Journal, some Democrats are now openly questioning whether Biden should step aside for a new nominee.

We have to be honest with ourselves that it wasnt just a horrible night, Rep. Mike Quigley (D., Ill.) said on CNN on Tuesday. I wont go beyond that out of my respect and understanding President Joe Biden, a very proud person who has served us extraordinarily well for 50 years. But its his decision. I just want him to appreciate at this time just how much it impacts, not just his race, but all the other races coming in November.

Advertisement

Several prominent Democratic donors voiced significant anxiety over Bidens electoral prospects. Three donors specifically lamented that Bidens increasing vulnerability could jeopardise the partys ability to retain the Senate and regain control of the House.

Feeling it out

The debate infused a new dynamic into an election contest that had been marked by few surprises. Voters were familiar with both Biden and Trump and had previously decided between the two in 2020.

Still, many House Democrats were caught in a state of uncertainty as they faced a barrage of questions on the Friday morning after the debate. Some chalked it up as little more than a bad night for Biden, but others are watching closely to see how voters react and whether Biden can execute a quick political recovery.

Advertisement

Rep. James Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat who helped Biden win the Democratic nomination in 2020, urged his party last week to stay the course and chill out.

By Tuesday, Clyburn was still supporting Biden for president, but also told MSNBC that Biden may decide otherwise. Clyburn added that he would support Vice President Kamala Harris if Biden withdrew.

Clyburn and others like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., are recommending that Biden prove to the American people that he is ready for another four years in office by going out and taking tough interviews  something he has rarely done in recent years. Biden will sit for an interview with ABC, his first since the debate, later in the week.

Both Clyburn and Pelosi told MSNBC at midday Tuesday that they had not spoken directly with Biden since the debate. But Pelosi still emphasised that the president is on top of his game, in terms of knowing the issues and what is at stake.

She called on both Biden and Trump to face tests for their health and mental acuity.

I think it is a legitimate question to say is this an episode or is this a condition. So when people ask that question, its legitimate  of both candidates, Pelosi said.

Meanwhile, rank-and-file lawmakers are watching to see how voter polls register the impact and whether it spills into down-ballot races. For months, vulnerable House Democrats have been distancing themselves from some of Bidens policies. That phenomenon could become more pronounced after the debate.

Rep. Jared Golden, a moderate Democrat from Maine, was already looking for ways to convince potential Trump voters to support him.

While I dont plan to vote for him, Donald Trump is going to win, Golden said in a Bangor Daily News op-ed. And Im OK with that.

With inputs from AP
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Astana, Kazakhstan, on the sidelines of the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and pressed for the safe and expeditious return of Indian nationals stuck in the war zone read more

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Astana on Wednesday. Image Courtesy: @DrSJaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Astana, Kazakhstan, on the sidelines of the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and pressed for the safe and expeditious return of Indian nationals stuck in the war zone.

Several Indians were lured to Russia on the pretext of getting good jobs but were forced to fight the war with Ukraine.

Good to meet Russian FM Sergey Lavrov in Astana today.



Wide ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership and contemporary issues. Noted the progress in many areas since our last meeting in December 2023.



Raised our strong concern on Indian nationals who are currently in pic.twitter.com/pPlM4HSesr  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 3, 2024

Advertisement

Taking to X he said, Good to meet Russian FM Sergey Lavrov in Astana today. Wide-ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership and contemporary issues. Noted the progress in many areas since our last meeting in December 2023.

He said he also raised Indias strong concern over Indian nationals who are currently in the war zone.

Pressed for their safe and expeditious return, he added.

He also discussed the global strategic landscape and exchanged assessments and views.

Earlier on Tuesday, Jaishankar met his Kazakh counterpart Murat Nurtleu and the two leaders exchanged views on various issues, including Indias increasing engagement with Central Asia.

Delighted to meet DPM & FM Murat Nurtleu of Kazakhstan in Astana today.



Thanked him for the hospitality and arrangements for the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit. Discussed our expanding Strategic Partnership and Indias increasing engagement with Central Asia in various pic.twitter.com/0Z6t3SyPxG  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 2, 2024

Advertisement

Delighted to meet DPM & FM Murat Nurtleu of Kazakhstan in Astana today. Thanked him for the hospitality and arrangements for the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit. Discussed our expanding Strategic Partnership and Indias increasing engagement with Central Asia in various formats. Also exchanged views on regional and global issues, he wrote in a post on X.

Jaishankar will represent India at the two-day SCO Summit beginning today which is expected to focus on the regional security situation and ways to boost connectivity and trade.

Advertisement

The SCO, comprising India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, is an influential economic and security bloc that has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.

Indias priorities in SCO are shaped by Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of a SECURE SCO. SECURE stands for Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environmental protection, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement ahead of the summit.

At the summit, the leaders are expected to review the organisations activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of multilateral cooperation, said the MEA, adding,Topical issues of regional and international importance are also expected to be discussed at the meeting.

Advertisement

The situation in Afghanistan, the Ukraine conflict and boosting overall security cooperation among the SCO member countries are likely to figure in the summit.

Generally, the Indian Prime Minister participates in the SCO summit. However, PM Modi is not participating in the annual meeting this year as he is occupied with the ongoing Parliament session.

With inputs from agencies
Russian authorities accused Vinatier of failing to register as a foreign agent while collecting information about Russias military and military-technical activities which could be used to the detriment of the countrys security. read more

French citizen Laurent Vinatier, right, is escorted into a cage in a courtroom in the Zamoskvoretsky District Court in Moscow, Russia on Friday, June 7, 2024. File Photo- AP

A French citizen arrested in Russia has pleaded guilty to criminal charges involving illegally collecting information on military issues in the country, state news agency Tass said Wednesday.

Laurent Vinatier was arrested in the Russian capital in June as tensions flared between Moscow and Paris following French President Emmanuel Macrons comments about the possibility of deploying French troops in Ukraine.

Russian authorities accused Vinatier of failing to register as a foreign agent while collecting information about Russias military and military-technical activities which could be used to the detriment of the countrys security.

Advertisement

Under Russian law, the offense is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Vinatier is an adviser with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Geneva-based nongovernmental organization. A judge previously ordered him to be remanded in pretrial detention until Aug. 5.

The NGO said in June it was doing everything possible to assist our colleague Laurent, including by helping to secure legal representation for him.

Russias Federal Security Service said Wednesday that during his visits to Moscow, Vinatier established numerous contacts with representatives of the expert and scientific community, including political scientists, sociologists, economists, military experts and government officials, the Russian Interfax news agency said.

Russias Investigative Committee said Wednesday that it questioned seven witnesses with whom the accused held meetings to collect information in the field of military and military-technical activities, Tass said.

It said authorities ordered a linguistic forensic examination of audio recordings of the meetings and electronics that were seized from Vinatier.

Vinatier admitted his guilt while being questioned, Tass said, citing the Investigative Committee.

The report did not explain why there were audio recordings of the meetings and said that Vinatiers criminal activities were stopped by the Investigative Committee and Russias Federal Security Service.

Advertisement

The charges against Vinatier stem from a recently adopted law that requires anyone who collects information on military issues to register with authorities as a foreign agent.

Human rights activists have criticized the law and other recent legislation as part of a multi-pronged Kremlin crackdown on independent media and political activists intended to stifle criticism of its actions in Ukraine.

Arrests on charges of spying and collecting sensitive data have become increasingly frequent in Russia since it sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

Recent high-profile arrests include Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested on espionage charges in March 2023, and U.S.-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who was taken into custody in October 2023 on the same charges as Vinatier.
The death toll from the accident has risen to 121 while the police have identified most of the victims. Most of the casualties were among children and women read more

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday offered condolences over the Hathras stampede incident.

The death toll from the accident has risen to 121 while the police have identified most of the victims. Most of the casualties were among children and women.

Devotees on Tuesday came to the Satsang from various districts of Uttar Pradesh as well as neighbouring states.

In a post on X, the Russian Embassy said, President of Russia Vladimir Putin sent a condolence message to President of India Droupadi Murmu & Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi over the tragic stampede in Uttar Pradesh."

Advertisement

 President of #Russia Vladimir Putin sent a condolence message to President of #India Droupadi Murmu & Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi over the tragic stampede in #UttarPradesh:



Kindly accept the most sincere condolences over the tragic accident in Uttar Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/pWBrYnoMWO  Russia in India  (@RusEmbIndia) July 3, 2024

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court over the Hathras stampede incident alleging the administrations failure to control the crowd present at the Satsang.

The plea, filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, further alleges that serious lapses and negligence in organising the event of such a large scale have been found which shows an unfaithful duty of care towards the public by the government authorities.

Meanwhile, Bhole Baba, the priest for whom the event was organised is absconding. The plea has raised questions about the failure of the administration and the police.
As the SCO expands its agenda and welcomes new members, deep-seated contradictions threaten its efficacy. Can an organisation that purports to fight terrorism effectively do so with members who engage in it? read more

Kazakhstan is currently hosting the 24th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Astana from July 3-4. The last summit was held under the chairmanship of India, albeit virtually, exactly a year ago.

Interestingly, for the SCO, the US Independence Day also coincidentally falls during the summit. It ironically looks at an alternative security architecture dominated by China and Russia, especially as several of its members are subjected to geopolitical and geo-economic contestations. This non-Western, even anti-Western, character is further emphasised by the presence of Moscow and newly inducted member Tehran, both heavily sanctioned by the West. The quest for new definitions and markers for an emerging multipolar world order remains an underlying theme.

Advertisement

India is represented by Dr S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, although Kazakhstans President Tokayev had invited Prime Minister Modi to attend virtually. Some commentators speculate that Modis decision to forgo the summit stems from Chinas dominance within the grouping, the presence of Pakistan, and ongoing tensions between New Delhi and both nations. The official reason cites scheduling conflicts and the ongoing Parliament session. But then PM Modi is also heading to Russia and Austria the following week.

Its worth recalling that ironically, India and Pakistan both joined the SCO together in 2017 after more than fifteen years of protracted negotiations. This also happened at the Astana Summit. While Russia wanted India to be part of the Shanghai Five (later known as the SCO), the Chinese predicated that on the entry of Islamabad.

This years summit unfolds amidst heightened global disruptions, aiming to address a range of critical issues, from rising security tensions and mounting protectionism to intensifying competition in high-tech space. The Eurasian space itself has its own geo strategic competition not only from Turkey, the US, and others, but also between China and Russia, particularly in Central Asian landscape. India, with its Connect Central Asia policy, must navigate this complex landscape carefully, avoiding any concessions to geopolitical competitors within the SCO. This is particularly crucial as Chinas presence and narratives, and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are increasingly becoming non-transparent and less reliable.

Incidentally, as the birthplace of the BRI, Kazakhstan was among the first Central Asian countries to join the infrastructure project after it was launched in 2013. This highlights how dependencies can arise in the absence of viable alternatives.

One of the key objectives of the SCO was to fight against extremism and terrorism. However, due to geopolitics, it ended up including countries that are determined to use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their foreign policy. Ironically, these countries are also supported by a permanent member of the UNSC and founder of the SCO, which puts technical holds on the designation of terrorists at the 1267 committee, thereby giving state and non-state actors a big breather and moral and material boost.

Advertisement

The SCO does have a robust Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) to cooperate and collaborate and possibly counter terrorism, with regular exercises among member states. But of what use is that when one witnesses the double-speak and false standards by the very actors acting mischievously? Furthermore, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, principles enshrined in the SCO charter, are threatened by the hegemonic ambitions of certain powerful members.

Under Indias presidency last year, the theme was aptly advanced and crafted by PM Modi as Secure SCO. SECURE stood for Security, Economy and Trade, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environment. Indias focus will likely remain on these core principles, guided by mutual respect, shared interests, and sensitivity to each others concerns.

Advertisement

The SCO is experiencing growth both in its membership and in the scope of its activities. Iran joined in 2023, Belarus is set to join this year, and several Middle Eastern nations are seeking observer or dialogue partner status. Furthermore, the organisation is also expanding in the areas of its deliberations and programs, from infrastructure, investment, and informatics to trade, technology, physical and digital connectivity, and intra-regional migrationlet alone deliberations on regional and global security issues, which have diluted its ambit and actionability to a certain extent. The importance and intensity of South-South cooperation and the fight against increasing protectionism in the West are becoming more salient.

Advertisement

The SCO Foreign Ministers Council, meeting on May 20-21, engaged in substantive discussions on deepening cooperation within the organisation. Key areas of focus included environmental protection, humanitarian and cultural exchange, transport interconnectivity, and various aspects of security - food, economic, and energy. The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to regional security, particularly combating what SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming has termed the three evil forces: terrorism, extremism, and separatism. This commitment extends to tackling drug trafficking, cybercrime, and other transnational threats. Modernisation efforts are also underway to make the SCO more topical and resilient to emerging challenges.

The next meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Governments is scheduled to be held in Pakistan for the first time in autumn this year as they take on the SCO Presidency. How the dynamic between India, China, and Pakistan eventually plays out may impact the trajectory of cooperation within the SCO in the times to come.

Advertisement

While the Astana Declaration of 2024 is expected to address the emerging regional and global landscape, including challenges and SCO initiatives promoting peace and harmony, its true impact hinges on member states adherence to their own established norms and standards. Only through genuine transparency, trust, and truth can the SCO effectively fulfil its role in maintaining regional stability.

The author is the former Indian Ambassador to Jordan, Libya and Malta and is currently a Distinguished Fellow with Vivekananda International Foundation. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
A video widely shared on social media showed the attacker chasing the young soldiers, repeatedly stabbing them both before one of them regains his composure and opens fire with a rifle. The spokesman confirmed that one of the soldiers shot dead the assailant but could not say whether it was Sergeant Aleksandr Iakiminskyi, who was pronounced dead on arrival in hospital read more

An Israeli soldier shot dead an attacker who stabbed him and another serviceman in a mall Wednesday before dying of his wounds in the latest attack linked to Gaza war tensions, media reports said.

A police spokesman told AFP that an Arab Israeli stabbed the two soldiers in the mall in the northern town of Karmiel. Police said it was a suspected terror attack, the latest in a series since the war on Hamas started on October 7.

Advertisement

A video widely shared on social media showed the attacker chasing the young soldiers, repeatedly stabbing them both before one of them regains his composure and opens fire with a rifle.

The spokesman confirmed that one of the soldiers shot dead the assailant but could not say whether it was Sergeant Aleksandr Iakiminskyi, who was pronounced dead on arrival in hospital.

The Ynet news website and other media said it was Iakiminskyi, 19, who managed to open fire before collapsing from his wounds.

The second soldier, who has not been named, was in serious condition in hospital.

Police Northern District commander Shuki Tahauka told reporters that the assailant was neutralised at the mall and that security measures had been tightened in the region following the attack.

The accused assailant came from the village of Nahf, near Karmiel.

The Hamas militant group that is fighting Israel in Gaza hailed the attacker as a hero and said his action was a natural response to the suffering of people in the Palestinian territories.

The knife attack came amid soaring tensions in Israels Palestinian community as the Israel-Hamas war rages in the Gaza Strip. At least 16 people have been killed in attacks in Israel since October 7.
Jaishankar, who is here to represent India at the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and carrying out various bilateral meetings on the sidelines, also met his Belarusian and Tajikistan counterparts Maksim Ryzhenkov and Sirojiddin Muhriddin respectively. read more

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday met UN chief Antonio Guterres and discussed global hotspots and their larger implications apart from the reform of the UNSC.

Jaishankar, who is here to represent India at the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and carrying out various bilateral meetings on the sidelines, also met his Belarusian and Tajikistan counterparts Maksim Ryzhenkov and Sirojiddin Muhriddin respectively.

Always a pleasure to meet UNSG @antonioguterres. Appreciate his insights on the state of the world. Discussed global hotspots and their larger implications, Jaishankar posted on the social media platform X.

Advertisement

He further said that he spoke about the reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), preparations for the upcoming Summit of the Future in September, and prospects for meaningful India-UN partnership.

He also held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Tajikistan, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Russia. During his meeting with Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, Jaishankar said he appreciated the steady progress in India-Uzbekistan ties and discussed ways to take it forward to a higher level.

Glad to meet Tajik FM Sirojiddin Muhriddin today in Astana. Took stock of our bilateral partnership and cooperation on multilateral forums. Appreciate the exchange of views on the regional situation, Jaishankar posted on the social media platform X along with the photos of the meeting.

Pleased to meet FM Maksim Ryzhenkov of Belarus today. Welcome Belarus to the SCO as its newest member. Discussed our bilateral relationship and its future growth potential, the Minister posted earlier on X.

The meeting of the two Foreign Ministers came days after the first-ever India-Belarus Consular Dialogue that was held on June 28 in Minsk. The Indian delegation was led by Dr Aman Puri, JS (CPV), while the Belarusian delegation was led by Andrei Kozhan, Head of General Directorate for Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, a statement from the MEA said on Tuesday.

Advertisement

With nine member states  India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyz, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan  the SCO has emerged as an influential economic and security bloc and one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. Belarus will be the 10th nation to join as a member.

Kazakhstan is hosting the summit in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping.
Volunteers clean up Ocean Beach in San Francisco after the Fourth of July holiday in 2016. Friday is expected to be the Bay Areas dirtiest beach day of the year. Connor Radnovich/The Chronicle 2016

From Stinson Beach to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, the Bay Areas beaches offer some of the best recreation, views and ocean wildlife sightings in California. A dynamic ocean and shifting weather mean the coast is ever-changing, sometimes in subtle ways  a new tide pool reef exposed or a drifting dune  and sometimes in larger, more explicit ones  a hollowing out of sand against a seawall or a crumbling bluff.

But a few things remain predictable.

It is almost certain that amid a heat wave, Friday will be the Bay Areas dirtiest beach day of the year  with an estimated 3,300 pounds of trash strewn across our coast, based on prior data sets.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

In 2023, more than 1,300 volunteers from the Surfrider Foundation  where I lead efforts to fight plastic pollution  spent the day after the Fourth of July removing and sorting over 100,000 pounds of trash from beaches across the country. The sheer volume of pollution was disheartening. But, on the upside, the data we collected allowed us to analyze what type of trash is most prevalent, enabling us to present evidence as we advocate for policies to eliminate plastic pollution.

For example, last year, in addition to the July 5 cleanups, 2,854 Bay Area volunteers collected 5,713 pounds of trash. Of those, the top 10 items consisted of:

Cigarette butts, 8,490

Plastic fragments smaller than a dime, 2,847

Aluminum cans (beverage), 1,848

Plastic bottles (beverage), 1,498

Glass bottles (beverage), 1,404

Shotgun wads, 1,389

Glass fragments, 1,307

Plastic bottle caps and rings, 1,233

Plastic fragments larger than a dime, 1,201

Foam fragments smaller than a dime, 1,085

Its no secret that single-use plastic food ware, cigarette butts, balloons and other trash do tremendous harm to marine wildlife and human health. And no one wants to surf, swim and play at a beach littered with trash.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

In addition, July 4 festivities also introduce the toxic plastic and chemical residue of used fireworks to our marine systems.

In a May 2024 San Francisco Civil Grand Jury Report on illegal fireworks noted that most noticeably around the July 4th holiday, thousands of explosions from illegal fireworks occur in the neighborhoods and skies above the city. The report spelled out how those fireworks pollute our water and land, including from the use of perchlorate, a chemical used in fireworks to help shoot them into the night sky that settles in the soil and water, where it can remain in the environment to be absorbed by plant life and can affect the development of fish in the water it pollutes.

Firework debris also contaminates the soil and water with microplastics, the report said. Measurements of microplastics in the River of Thames in England indicated a 1,000% increase after a New Years Eve fireworks show.

Microplastics, particles smaller than 5 millimeters that shed as plastic degrades, have been detected throughout the human body, including in the blood, heart, brain, lungs, saliva, liver, kidneys, testicles, breasts and placenta. According to a paper published in Harvard Medicine magazine, microplastics smaller than 1 micrometer, known as nanoplastics, worry researchers the most because they can even infiltrate cells.

The good news is that more people are declaring independence from single-use plastics and replacing them with reusable options, the kind of water bottles, food ware and containers that will be brought back home rather than left in the trash on the sand, or blowing into our ocean. And more people are using the growing body of evidence on how plastic harms human health, marine life and our planet to pressure politicians to ban unnecessary single-use plastics. This matters, because although July 5 might be the dirtiest beach day of the year, any day the beach and ocean suffer from plastic pollution is a bad day for all of us.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

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

If youd like to get involved and lend a hand to cleaning up Bay Area beaches on Friday, visit Surfrider.org to find a cleanup near you. By joining Surfriders grassroots volunteer community, your efforts will leave the beach better than youll find it, and youll also contribute to gathering valuable data about the kinds of trash that litter our beaches. That data helps Surfrider coordinate efforts across advocacy, conservation and health-focused policy to reduce single-use plastics at the local, state and national levels.
India has been actively expanding its diplomatic efforts beyond its immediate neighborhood, engaging in significant outreach to various regions. In recent years, India has been strengthening ties with Japan and Taiwan in the Pacific, Israel, Turkey, and the Gulf states in the Middle East, and Western Europe. read more

The visit will be his first trip to Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It also holds significance as it coincides with a NATO summit in Washington, where Ukraine is set to be a major agenda item. File Photo- Reuters

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Moscow next week for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid deepening China-Russia relations. The timing of Modis visit is significant as it comes on the heels of deteriorating relations between the US and Russia and Moscows growing dependence on China.

A key challenge for Indias strategy is the deepening alignment between Russia and China. Following its isolation from the West due to the Ukraine conflict, Moscow has increasingly relied on Beijing for support. China has also become a primary buyer of Russian energy resources. This burgeoning Sino-Russian alliance poses a strategic difficulty for India, especially given Moscows subordinate position in the partnership. This raises concerns about Beijing potentially leveraging its influence over Moscow to exert pressure on New Delhi.

Advertisement

Trade and economic relations

Despite growing strategic and military ties with the US and other key Western players, India has refrained from publicly criticising Russias 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.

Russia has had strong ties with India since the Cold War, and New Delhis importance as a key trade partner for Moscow has grown since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. India has become a key buyer of Russian oil following sanctions imposed by the US and its allies that shut most Western markets for Russian exports.

Indias crude oil import bill increased by 19 percent in April 2024, reaching $13 billion compared to the same month last year, according to a Financial Express (FE) report. This rise is primarily due to reduced discounts on Russian oil, despite the continued high volumes of imports. Russia, which became Indias top crude oil supplier following the Russia-Ukraine conflict, has significantly cut its discounts. The previous discounts of $8-10 per barrel have shrunk to $3-4.

As a result, Indias savings from discounted Russian crude decreased from $5.8 billion in April-August 2023 to $2 billion in September 2023-February 2024 period. In FY23, India saved approximately $5.1 billion due to these discounts, and $7.9 billion in the first eleven months of FY24.

In the first days of the conflict, the United States-led Western alliance imposed a slew of sanctions on Russia, including a ban on key Russian banks from the worlds dominant financial messaging system, SWIFT. The sanctions dealt a body blow to Russias ability to trade with partners, including India, one of Russias closest allies going back to the Cold War era.

Advertisement

Before it attacked Ukraine, Russia was a relatively small trader with India, not figuring among Indias top 20 partners. In the 2021-22 financial year (1 April to 31 March), trade between India and Russia accounted for a meager 1.3 percent ($13 billion) of Indias total trade.

Where their relationship has been close has been in the supply of armaments, which has spanned decades. Since 2000, India has been the largest importer of Russian armaments, which was valued at $39.5 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Strategic interests & geopolitical rivalries

Washington has sought to isolate Moscow diplomatically and economically in response to the Ukraine war, imposing a range of sanctions and freezing Russian assets in foreign countries. This has led to heightened tensions between the two nations, making Indias

Advertisement

The United States views its partnership with India as vital in addressing its concerns about Chinas disruptive behavior in the Indo-Pacific region. Meanwhile, the US also perceives Russia as a strategic threat. However, India has a longstanding and significant relationship with Russia, which remains a major supplier of arms and oil to New Delhi.

The visit will be his first trip to Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It also holds significance as it coincides with a NATO summit in Washington, where Ukraine is set to be a major agenda item. It would also help alleviate concerns that New Delhi is increasingly aligning itself with the West at the expense of its relationship with Moscow, thereby allowing China to gain ground, analysts noted.

Advertisement

It will be a good opportunity for Moscow to project in the media the image of President Putin receiving a leader of a country like India in the context of the Washington summit, said Aleksei Zakharov, a Moscow-based expert on India told Reuters.

Indias objective is to ensure that Russia is not in Chinas corner and that, even if it does not explicitly support India, it maintains a permanent neutrality in the India-China territorial disputes.

Ties between India and China have been frosty since a deadly border war in 2020. The leaders of Russia and India have held annual summits since 2000 but the last in-person meeting was in 2021, when Putin visited Delhi.

Advertisement

While the US has expressed concerns about Indias relations with Russia, it has also expressed confidence in Indias ability to navigate the relationship. Modis visit comes after a two-year hiatus in annual in-person summits with Putin. During this time, India has avoided criticizing Russias actions in Ukraine, instead advocating for diplomatic solutions.

The next meeting had been due in Moscow in 2022 when Russia attacked Ukraine, but it did not happen, while Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping elevated their ties, pledging a new era of partnership in May.

The absence of Modis visits to Moscow had given rise to speculation that there was some kind of drift in the Indo-Russia relationship, said analyst Nandan Unnikrishnan, of the Observer Research Foundation think tank in New Delhi.

So I think Modis visit will end that kind of speculation, he said. And we dont want to spoil our relationship with any party, whether its Russia, the United States, or anyone because of another relationship.

India has been actively expanding its diplomatic efforts beyond its immediate neighborhood, engaging in significant outreach to various regions. In recent years, India has been strengthening ties with Japan and Taiwan in the Pacific, Israel, Turkey, and the Gulf states in the Middle East, and Western Europe. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also visited New Delhi recently. These efforts are particularly significant as they impact Indias standing in the Indo-Pacific and its relationships with the West. India aims to reduce its trade dependence on China, but its northern routes are blocked due to the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Alternative routes through Iran, Armenia, and Russia are becoming increasingly challenging. Instead, India is focusing on the Middle East as a natural corridor to connect with the West, accessing Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia through the Eastern Mediterranean.

This strategic approach also heightens Indias interest in East Africa. However, this expanding geopolitical connectivity places India at odds with China and Russia. The visit is supposed to strike a balance between the two countries to tackle the challenges of the new world order without compromising on bilateral relations.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a forum established by China and Russia in 2001 as a guardian of security in the Eurasia region, will meet for their summit on July 3-4 in Kazakhstans capital city of Astana read more

Russias President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kazakhstan on Wednesday for regional security and defence talks, the Kremlin said, as well as a series of bilateral meetings, including with Chinese and Turkish leaders.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a forum established by China and Russia in 2001 as a guardian of security in the Eurasia region, will meet for their summit on July 3-4 in Kazakhstans capital city of Astana.

The leaders of the SCO member countries will discuss the current state and prospects for further deepening multifaceted cooperation within the organization and improving its activities, the Kremlin said in a statement on its website.

Advertisement

While the meeting is likely to be dominated by Russia and China, leaders or representatives of Azerbaijan, Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, China, Mongolia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan, are also expected to attend.

United Nation Secretary General Antonio Guterres, is also expected, Russian agencies said on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Russia said Putin will hold series of bilateral talks, including with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is expected in Moscow this month, will not attend and the country will be represented by Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the ministry said on Tuesday.

At last years virtual summit, the group issued a statement critical of what it said was the negative impact of unilateral and unlimited expansion of global missile defence systems by certain countries or groups of countries, without directly referring to NATOs expansion and Western military assistance to Ukraine.
In Singapore, caning is a legal punishment for serious offences including rape, armed robbery and vandalism read more

A Japanese man has been sentenced to 17.5 years in prison and 20 strokes of the cane by a Singapore court for raping and sexually assaulting a woman in 2019, according to court documents. This case marks the first instance of a Japanese national receiving corporal punishment in Singapore.

The Singapore High Court issued the sentence to Ikko Kita, a 38-year-old hair stylist, on Monday. Kita was found guilty of assaulting a 20-year-old female Singaporean university student who was intoxicated at the time. The incident occurred in the early hours of December 30, 2019, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

Advertisement

Court documents reveal that Kita, who did not know the woman, took her to his apartment by taxi and committed non-consensual sexual acts while recording the incident. He later sent the footage to a friend, according to Channel News Asia.

Kita was arrested by police later that same day and released on bail the following day. He was formally charged in a lower court in May of the previous year and has been in custody since then.

Presiding Judge Aedit Abdullah described the assaults as brutal and cruel, emphasising that the severity of the sentence was warranted given the circumstances, particularly the victims intoxicated and vulnerable state.

Kita pleaded guilty to the charges. The Japanese embassy in Singapore confirmed that Kita is the first Japanese national to receive caning as part of his punishment. In Singapore, caning is a legal punishment for serious offences including rape, armed robbery and vandalism.
Russia currently exports its natural gas to Europe via only two routes: through a Soviet-built pipeline which runs through Ukraine and via the TurkStream pipeline to Turkey which runs along the bed of the Black Sea. read more

Russia is ready to continue gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine after the current transit agreement expires at the end of 2024, Russian state news agencies reported on Wednesday, citing Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.

Future gas transit depends on whether Ukraine wants to continue the arrangement or not, he was quoted as saying.

A five-year deal on Russian gas transit via Ukraine to Europe, the only remaining trade and political agreement between warring Moscow and Kyiv, expires after Dec. 31 2024.

Advertisement

Russian gas supplies to Europe, once a key source of revenue for Moscow, have plummeted following the Kremlins decision to send tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 2022.

Transit through its territory depends on Ukraine. They have their own established rules. It depends on their desire. Russia is ready to supply, Novak was quoted as saying by the RIA state news agency.

Ukraine has said it does not plan to prolong the five-year deal with Russian pipeline gas exporting monopoly Gazprom (GAZP.MM), opens new tab or to sign another one.

Last month, an Azeri presidential advisor told Reuters that the European Union and Ukraine had asked Azerbaijan to facilitate discussions with Russia on the gas transit deal.

While the EU has cut most of its Russian gas imports, some central European countries still depend on gas from Russia via the pipeline that crosses Ukraine. Austria still receives most of its gas through this route.

Russia currently exports its natural gas to Europe via only two routes: through a Soviet-built pipeline which runs through Ukraine and via the TurkStream pipeline to Turkey which runs along the bed of the Black Sea.

Advertisement

Russia supplied a total of around 63.8 bcm of gas to Europe by various routes in 2022, according to Gazprom data and Reuters calculations. That volume decreased, by 55.6%, to 28.3 bcm last year.

At their peak in 2018-2019, annual flows to the European region reached between 175 bcm and 180 bcm.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberal Party and its ally Jagmeet Singh-led New Democratic Party or NDP are losing the confidence of the countrys voters, according to a report, citing a survey read more

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberal Party and its ally Jagmeet Singh-led New Democratic Party or NDP are losing the confidence of the countrys voters, raising doubts about Trudeaus leadership ahead of next years general election, according to a poll.

According to a Hindustan Times report, citing a Leger poll for the National Post, the support for NDP will suffer a dip of one percentage point, down from 18 per cent during the 2021 Federal elections to 17 per cent, if the polls were to be held today.

Advertisement

Significantly, more of the those sampled felt their impression of the NDP and Singh had worsened, as only 20 per cent viewed them more favourably as against 32 per cent earlier.

The NDP faced troubling signs during the June Federal by-election in Toronto-St. Pauls, where its vote share declined from 17 per cent to 11 per cent, marking a catastrophic outcome for Trudeaus party, which lost a seat it had held since 1993.

Singh took over leadership of the NDP in October 2017. Before his leadership, the NDP held 44 seats in the House of Commons and nearly 20 per cent of the vote share in the previous federal election.

By 2021, these numbers had significantly decreased, with the NDP electing 25 MPs and holding approximately 18 per cent of the vote share.

We look at this as a message that people are sending. They are frustrated with Trudeau. Theyre done with Trudeau, and they are frustrated with the Liberal party, and theyve got reasons to, said Singh last week.

However, the minority Trudeau Government is surviving with the support of the NDP, after they entered into a supply and confidence agreement in March 2022.

While Singh is silent on whether he will continue to back Trudeau, he said things for the government are getting worse.

We hear this again and again: things are getting worse, not better. The Liberals have had nine years to make improvements, and they havent," he said.

As per the overall figures from the Leger poll, the Conservative Party has 41 per cent support, far ahead of the Liberals, who are at 27 per cent. If elections were held now, the Conservatives would secure 218 seats, as against just 67 for the incumbent.

Advertisement

Trudeaus party recently suffered a major upset in a special election for a Toronto district it has held for three decades.

Opposition Conservative candidate Don Stewart won the Toronto-St. Pauls district by almost 600 votes, 42.1 per cent over the Liberal candidates 40.5 per cent.

This was obviously not the result we wanted, but I want to be clear that I hear the concerns and frustrations, Associated Press quoted Trudeau as saying 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, he added.

Advertisement

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.

With inputs from agencies
The report notes the difficulty in pinpointing specific uses of these upgrades without access to classified information. However, it indicates significant developments in satellite monitoring equipment at sites like Bejucal and Calabazar, particularly noteworthy given Cubas lack of its own satellites or space program read more

US based center for international studies have released new satellite images of Cuba to support their claim saying the country is upgrading its intelligence capabilities in 4 military bases with possible links to China.

It has been allehed that Cuba is potentially letting Chinese have these bases to use it for spying on the United States.

Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies on Tuesday published this report, according tp which, these images were captured between March and April.

Advertisement

They indicate recent construction activities at three sites near Havana and ongoing work at a previously undisclosed location not far from the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay.

The report notes the difficulty in pinpointing specific uses of these upgrades without access to classified information. However, it indicates significant developments in satellite monitoring equipment at sites like Bejucal and Calabazar, particularly noteworthy given Cubas lack of its own satellites or space program.

Bejucal, historically known for storing nuclear weapons for the Soviet Union during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, is the largest site among the list, suspected of monitoring electronic communications for China. Recent satellite imagery suggests extensive updates at Bejucal, including new enclosures for electronic antennas.

Sites near Havana, namely Wajay and Calabazar, have also witnessed expansion, with analysts noting the installation of antennae, radar dishes, and other equipment possibly used for satellite monitoring.

The fourth site, El Salao, appears to still be under construction. Located near Guantanamo Bay, its presence and ongoing development raise security concerns for the US, as per the report.

According to CSIS analysts, satellite imagery indicates progress on an antenna array at El Salao, capable of tracking signals over vast distances, up to 15,000 kilometers.

Advertisement

The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the CSIS report. However, previous reports have suggested Chinas financial investments in Cuban facilities aimed at enhancing intelligence capabilities.

In response, Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder assured that the US remains vigilant, stating, Were confident that we can continue to meet our security commitments.

China dismissed the CSIS findings, with the Chinese Embassy in Washington calling them baseless accusations. Cuban officials similarly refuted the claims, dismissing them as unfounded.

The U.S. side has repeatedly hyped-up Chinas establishment of spy bases or conducting surveillance activities in Cuba, Liu Pengyu told VOA in an email.

Advertisement

The U.S. should immediately stop its malicious smearing of China, Liu said, adding, The U.S. is no doubt the leading power in terms of eavesdropping and does not even spare its Allies [sic].

Cuba has also belittled the report calling it just a write up in the The Wall Street Journal.

Without citing a verifiable source or showing evidence, it seeks to scare the public with legends about Chinese military bases that do not exist and no one has seen, according to a post by Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio on the X social media platform.

The CSIS report speculates that these monitoring stations could provide China with crucial data on US military activities, including exercises, missile tests, and satellite communications over sensitive military sites.
The rule came after President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in a 2022 executive order instructed federal agencies like HHS to take measures to ensure transgender peoples access to healthcare. read more

A US judge on Wednesday blocked the Biden administration from enforcing a new rule against discrimination based on gender identity in healthcare.

US District Judge Louis Guirola in Gulfport, Mississippi, sided with 15 Republican-led states that sued to challenge the rule, arguing that it exceeded the administrations authority.

The rule was finalized in May and was set to take effect on Friday. It states that a federal prohibition on sex discrimination, part of the Affordable Care Act health insurance law, extends to discrimination against transgender people.

Advertisement

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which issued the rule, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The rule came after President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in a 2022 executive order instructed federal agencies like HHS to take measures to ensure transgender peoples access to healthcare.
In his remarks, Biden admitted that he did not have a good debate, and said he wasnt very smart for travelling around the world a couple times before the debate read more

US President Joe Biden's words come amid intra-party worries over his mental capacity ahead of the November election. Reuters

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday blamed his recent foreign travels for his debate debacle.

I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple of times  shortly before the debate, Biden said while talking to donors at a fundraiser in a Virginia suburb of Washington DC. I didnt listen to my staff  and then I almost fell asleep on stage.

In his remarks, Biden admitted that he did not have a good debate, and said he wasnt very smart for travelling around the world a couple times before the debate.

Advertisement

Biden also apologised by saying he was sorry for the performance. Its not an excuse but an explanation.

Bidens words come amid intra-party worries over his mental capacity ahead of the November election, and after a Texas congressman became the first sitting Democratic politician to call for him to step down following the debate.

I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw, Rep. Lloyd Doggett said in a statement Tuesday.

President Biden seemed to struggle with some of his comments during a discussion with former President Donald Trump last Thursday.

The presidents remarks at the fund raiser was just for six minutes, which is far shorter than what he speaks on such occasions.

Meanwhile, the White House said Biden will travel to Wisconsin on Friday. He will conduct a sit-down interview with George Stephanopoulos from ABC News, while on the campaign trail.

He will travel to Philadelphia on Sunday. And next week, he will host a NATO press conference, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their second meeting in less than two months on Wednesday. This is their fifth in-person meeting since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and their second meeting since Putins re-election in March. read more

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to Chinese President Xi Jinping during the 2022 Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. File Photo- AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have instructed national companies to agree on terms of delivery for the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline as soon as possible, Interfax reported, quoting Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak.

Work will continue on agreeing the terms and parameters. Instructions have been given to do this as soon as possible, Interfax quoted Novak as saying.

Putin and Xi held talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Astana.

Advertisement

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their second meeting in less than two months on Wednesday, further solidifying their frequent communication. The two leaders met in Astana, Kazakhstans capital, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

This is their fifth in-person meeting since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and their second meeting since Putins re-election in March. In their previous meeting in May, Xi and Putin pledged to strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership, including enhancing defense and military cooperation.

Notably, China has been expanding its influence in Central Asia, a region traditionally within Russias sphere of influence. China surpassed Russia as Kazakhstans largest trading partner last year, with bilateral trade reaching a significant $41 billion.
Democrats have increasingly voiced the possibility of Vice President Kamala Harris replacing Joe Biden on the presidential ticket after the presidents poor debate performance last week. John Raoux/Associated Press

As the cacophony of concerns about President Joe Bidens electability reaches its peak, some Democrats are looking to their best alternative: Vice President Kamala Harris.

After three years of facing negative polling, initially poor reviews of her effectiveness in office and a maelstrom of social media heckling, Harris is emerging as Democrats best option to keep the presidency. Harris has reportedly spoken to Biden several times since his stumbling debate performance. The two had lunch Wednesday at the White House, and Harris joined a meeting between Biden and Democratic governors Wednesday evening.

Conversations about who could replace Biden initially circled around Democratic governors including Gavin Newsom of California and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. Support now, however, appears to be coalescing around Harris, the former California senator and attorney general. Newsom and Whitmer attended the governors meeting, where Newsom said he stood with the president.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Despite this flurry of generally positive attention from Democrats, Harris has been pushing back on any speculation about her future and has repeatedly expressed her support for Biden.

Look, Joe Biden is our nominee, she told CBS News on Tuesday after appearing at a fundraiser in San Francisco. We beat Trump once, and were going to beat him again, period.

Harris has stayed loyal to Biden in private as well, news outlet NOTUS reported Wednesday. Her staff was told not to fuel any chatter about her potentially replacing him at the top of the ticket, and she reportedly defended him to several high-profile Black celebrities in Los Angeles over the weekend, NOTUS reported.

Theres a world where she could have sat quietly. It wasnt a given that she was going to respond in this way, Rachel Palermo, Harris former deputy communications director, told the Chronicle. This was an intentional response and shows how she views her role and how strongly she defends the president.

Harris polling has been as bad as Bidens or worse since she took office. But support for her has shown signs of ticking up in recent days as concerns about Biden have mushroomed.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

She will make a high-profile appearance Saturday in New Orleans at what is expected to be a friendly audience at the Essence Festival of Culture, hoping to boost enthusiasm among people of color  a part of the electorate whose enthusiasm for Biden has dropped. A Washington Post-Ipsos poll last month shows that while Black voters overwhelmingly back Biden, only 62% say they are absolutely certain to vote in November, compared with 74% reporting the same thing four years ago.

The growing interest in Harris is rooted in the belief that she would be more competitive against former President Donald Trump, which is backed by some recent post-debate polling.

A CNN/SSRS poll recorded after the debate found that Harris was in a statistical dead heat with Donald Trump among registered voters (Trump 47% to Harris 45%). Thats slightly better than Biden is faring against Trump (Trump 49% vs. Biden 43%), a margin that hasnt changed since CNN last polled in April.

The difference for Harris over Biden: She performs better among independent voters and women. And she also is closer to Trump in the polls than three Democrats frequently mentioned as Biden replacements: Newsom, Whitmer and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, all of whom are largely performing about as well as Biden.

Part of the reason is that the poll also found that most respondents didnt know who those three are, with 48% saying they had no opinion of Newsom, 50% feeling the same way about Buttieg and a whopping 69% not having an opinion on Whitmer.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

In another survey taken in the days after the debate, 40% of the respondents who backed Biden four years ago said he should end his run. The survey, which was carried out by OpenLabs, a progressive nonprofit that conducts polling for several Democratic groups, found that Harris and the others mentioned above all fared better than Biden against Trump in battleground states.

The bad news for Harris is that only 38% of Americans approve of her while nearly half dont, according to an amalgamation of polling by fivethirtyeight.com.

But Harris has advantages that other would-be Biden replacements wouldnt.

She could access the tens of millions in the Biden-Harris campaign war chest. Campaign finance experts told NBC News that if Biden were to drop out and Harris became the new nominee, she would control much of that money. If someone else was chosen as the presidential candidate, however, they wouldnt be able to.

Biden has made no indication he will step down.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Because primary elections are over, it would be difficult, though not impossible, for him to do so at this point. If he did, the Democratic Party could theoretically choose a different candidate through its official nominating process this summer. That typically takes place at the Democratic National Convention, though the party has planned to do a virtual nominating process in early August ahead of the convention to ensure that Biden makes it onto the Ohio ballot, which has an early deadline. The Democratic National Convention is scheduled for Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it is absolutely false that Biden is considering whether to stay in the race.

One of the reasons why he picked the vice president, Vice President Kamala Harris, is because she is indeed the future of the party. And hes very proud to have partnered with her and continue to partner with her, Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday.

One of Bidens most important allies, Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, told MSNBC on Tuesday that he would support Harris if (Biden) were to step aside.

Former Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, called for Harris to be the partys presidential nominee in a Newsweek opinion piece. Witnessing Joe Biden struggle was heartbreaking. And we must forge a new path forward. After deep reflection over these past few days, I strongly believe that our best path forward is Kamala Harris, Ryan wrote Monday.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Her closest allies, however, pushed back against speculation that she could replace Biden.

All of the chatter thats going on, these are all hypotheticals. As it stands today, President Biden is running again, and Vice President Harris will be on the ticket as vice president, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, told the Chronicle. Ive known her for many years, and shes well prepared, shes smart for any office. But I think to speculate  and she even said that shes running for vice president. I mean, this is the Biden-Harris ticket until  if the president decides otherwise.

If Harris becomes her partys nominee, she could run on the administrations popular policy record, including her forceful efforts to protect abortion rights and her ability to push back against the rights fixation on race.

This is who the vice president has always been. She has always been a strong leader, and we have seen that throughout her time in the administration, be it how shes been leading on abortion for the party, what she has done meeting with over 100 foreign leaders, said Ashanti Gholar, the president of Emerge, a national organization dedicated to recruiting and training Democratic women to run for office.

This new burst of positive attention does not surprise me, but unfortunately, a lot of people are waking up to that because theres been so much negative coverage of her, Gholar said.

Part of that negative coverage is rooted in how Harris was handed a portfolio of difficult issues to tackle, from taking on the root causes of illegal immigration to bolstering voting rights. She made little headway on either.

Gholar, who has served as the director of African American Engagement for the Democratic National Committee, said part of that negative coverage is rooted in Harris being the first woman and the first woman of color in that role, adding that expectations for her were elevated.

It is what women have to deal with if theyre the vice president, if theyre in Congress, if they are the mayor, Gholar said. The rules change, and the expectations are higher, and unfortunately for some people, youre never going to meet their expectations.

But halfway through her term, she found her voice in her former hometown of San Francisco, taking the administrations lead on talking about abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Even the social media response to Harris has taken a slightly positive turn after years of mocking. In the past few days, memes have been flying around based on Harris quoting her late mother, Shyamala Gopalan, in a 2023 appearance, where Gopalan chided her daughters for thinking too parochially and not considering the world around them.

You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? Harris said, quoting her mother, who was a pioneering cancer researcher in the East Bay. You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.
The Google Pixel 9 series is set to launch in a month. According to a report by Android Authority, Google will introduce new machine learning (ML) features branded as Google AI under the tagline Discover Google AI at its best. This will include features similar to Microsofts Recall.

Discover Google AI at its best

Google AI will feature both new and existing tools. For example, Circle to Search is already available on Pixels and some non-Pixel devices, and Gemini (AI assistant) is available on all Android phones.

New Features

Add Me: This feature ensures everyone is included in group photos. It sounds like an upgraded version of Best Take from the Pixel 8 series, which could change expressions and merge different takes. Add Me suggests Google is focusing on capturing what matters in photos with the help of AI.

Studio: Likely the same as the Creative Assistant app, Studio will integrate into the Pixels screenshot editor app to create stickers. It might also function as a generative AI image generator, similar to Apples Image Playground.

Google has been developing its own image and video-generating models, with ImageFX lets users try the Google Imagen 2 model, and VideoFX (in closed beta) extends this to video.

Pixel Screenshots: This feature is similar to Microsofts Recall. Unlike Recall, which captures everything you do, Pixel Screenshots only works on screenshots you take.

It adds metadata like app names and web links, which a local AI (likely the multimodal Gemini Nano) processes. You can then search for specific screenshots by their contents or ask a bot questions about them.

Launch Date

The Pixel 9 series event is scheduled for August 13th, with at least three variants expected. It remains to be seen if the best Google AI features will be exclusive to the flagship model.

Source
Nothing has announced Rashmika Mandanna, popular Indian actress, as the brand ambassador for CMF products. The company roped in actor Ranveer Singh as the face of its smartphones when it launched the Nothing Phone (2a) earlier this year.

As the brand ambassador for CMF products, Rashmika will be featured prominently in digital, print, and TVC campaigns, representing the innovative spirit and stylish essence of CMF products, said the company.

After confirming the display and camera specs, CMF has also unveiled customisable design of the CMF Phone 1.

The phone will come in a replaceable rear cover in four colours  Black, Orange, Light Green and Blue.

Black and Light Green have a subtle texture formed directly into the case, while Blue and Orange have an elegant vegan leather layer embedded on top, said the company.

The teaser image shows interchangeable accessories such as a lanyard connector, a stand, and more that connects to the part of the rear cover.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by CMF by Nothing (@cmf.tech)

Regarding the partnership, Vishal Bhola, President, Nothing India, said:

We are delighted to welcome Rashmika Mandanna to the CMF family. CMF by Nothing embodies our philosophy of creating beautiful, functional, and thoughtful devices that enhance everyday experiences. We believe that technology should not only be innovative but also a source of joy and self-expression. Rashmika Mandanna, with her dynamic personality, vibrant edgy spirit and dedication to her craft, makes her a wonderful fit for CMF by Nothing, and we are excited to have her represent our brand and inspire our consumers.

Commenting on the partnership, Rashmika said:

I am delighted to partner with CMF by Nothing as their brand ambassador, a brand that truly reflects the culture of innovation. Discovering CMF reminded me of my own journey of starting something new and exciting. The impressive colours and unique products instantly appealed to me. This collaboration felt very natural because I love edgy designs and great aesthetics. I cant wait to join forces with CMF and produce something exceptional.
Microsoft Corp. has agreed to pay $14.4 million to settle allegations it retaliated and discriminated against employees who took protected leave, the California Civil Rights Department announced on Wednesday. Mark Lennihan/Associated Press

Microsoft will pay $14.425 million to settle a suit accusing the company of discriminating against employees in California who take leave from work because they are ailing or disabled, or need to take care of a child or other household member, state officials announced Wednesday.

In a lawsuit filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court, the California Civil Rights Department said the technology company penalizes workers who take leave, many of them women or people with disabilities. They are given lower performance ratings by supervisors and therefore are less likely to receive promotions or salary increases, the department said. And because they are not given credit for working while on leave, they also lose annual bonuses based on work time, the suit said.

Microsoft did not acknowledge any wrongdoing but agreed to compensate employees and hire an independent consultant to review compliance with the settlement and changes in the companys practices. The settlement, if approved by a judge, will compensate workers in California who have taken leave since May 2017 for reasons such as disability, illness or family care.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Whether its to look after a newborn child or take care of your own health, workers generally have the right to take time off without worrying about consequences at work, the Civil Rights Departments director, Kevin Kish, said in a statement. By allegedly penalizing employees for taking protected forms of leave, Microsoft failed to support workers when they needed to care for themselves or their families. The settlement announced today will provide direct relief to impacted workers and safeguard against future discrimination at the company.

In response, Sarah Naciri, a Microsoft spokesperson, said the company is committed to an environment that empowers our employees to take leave when needed and provides the flexibility and support necessary for them to thrive professionally and personally. While we believe the agencys allegations are inaccurate, we will continue to listen, learn, and support our employees.

Microsoft is based in Redmond, Wash., and has offices in 14 California communities, including San Francisco, Palo Alto and Mountain View, with a total of 6,700 employees in the state.

Any employees who worked at Microsoft for at least 90 days since May 2017 will be eligible for compensation under the settlement if they took time off under the companys protected leave program, which covers parental leave, family caretaking, pregnancy and disability leave, said Civil Rights Department spokesperson Rishi Khalsa. He said additional benefits will go to those who show Microsoft penalized them for taking leave.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to reporters in the spin room following the CNN debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in Atlanta on Thursday, June 27. Newsom said he will affirm his support for Biden during the president's meeting with other Democratic governors on Wednesday, July 3. Andrew Harnik/TNS

SACRAMENTO  Gov. Gavin Newsom will travel to the White House on Wednesday to stand with President Joe Biden during a meeting with Democratic governors, a Newsom spokesman said.

Newsoms travel plans mean he will leave California as the state weathers a scorching heat wave and lawmakers race to place last-minute measures on the November ballot.

Newsom has been a staunch ally of Biden since he launched his reelection bid. He has doubled down on his support of the president in the wake of Bidens stumbling debate performance last week, even as pundits have floated him as a potential presidential contender should Biden step down from the ticket.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Newsom described the calls for Biden to step down as unnecessary following the debate.

I think its unhelpful, and I think its unnecessary, he told MSNBC host Alex Wagner on Thursday. Weve got to have the back of this president. You dont turn your back because of one performance. What kind of party does that?

Newsom spokesman Nathan Click said Tuesday that Newsoms position that Biden should remain the nominee has not changed.

Biden plans to meet with the Democratic governors in a meeting closed to the media at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time, according to the White House. The meeting comes as calls for the president to step down grow louder and questions swirl about his fitness for office after he appeared to lose his train of thought multiple times during the debate last week.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, said Tuesday that its legitimate for voters to question Bidens fitness for office, but she said the same is also true of former President Donald Trump, whom she noted is also old and prone to sometimes confusing rambling.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Pelosi reiterated her belief that Biden is fit to run for president again but called on him to prove himself to voters.

I think its a legitimate question to say, 'Is this an episode or is this a condition?' When people ask that question, its completely legitimate of both candidates, Pelosi said during an interview with MSNBC. Both candidates owe whatever test you want to put them to, in terms of their mental acuity and their health.

Shortly after details of Newsom's trip to Washington were made public, he announced he was dropping an effort to place a last-minute measure before California voters in November that would have competed with an initiative spearheaded by district attorneys to increase punishments for theft and drug possession.

Lawmakers face a Wednesday deadline to pass remaining measures that they wish to place on the ballot. They plan to vote on two bills Wednesday that would place measures on the ballot asking voters to approve bond funding for climate projects and education facilities.

The governor must sign those measures in order to place them on the November ballot by midnight Wednesday. Newsoms office did not immediately respond to questions about whether he would return to the state in time to sign the measures or whether Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis would sign them in his absence.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, shown on May 10, announced Tuesday night he is abandoning a proposed ballot measure that would have competed with an initiative to increase punishments for theft and drug possession.. Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press

SACRAMENTO  Gov. Gavin Newom announced Tuesday night he is abandoning a proposed ballot measure that would have competed with an initiative to increase punishments for theft and drug possession.

Newsom and lawmakers had introduced the measure Sunday night. It was a last-minute attempt to counter an initiative spearheaded by a group of district attorneys to roll back parts of Proposition 47. Lawmakers would have needed to pass the measure and have it signed by Newsom by midnight Wednesday to get it on November ballots. But they ran out of time to make needed amendments to the proposal, he said in a statement.

Newsoms decision to pull the measure came the same evening he announced plans to fly to Washington on Wednesday to stand with Biden during a meeting with Democratic governors as questions swirl about the presidents ability to run for reelection.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Newsom did not specify what amendments were needed.

We are unable to meet the ballot deadline to secure necessary amendments to ensure this measures success and we will be withdrawing it from consideration, Newsom said.

Voters passed Proposition 47 to downgrade drug possession and thefts worth less than $950 to misdemeanors in the face of overcrowded jails. The district attorneys measure would undo parts of Proposition 47 by eliminating the $950 threshold for a third theft, meaning someone caught stealing more than twice could be charged with a felony, regardless of the value of the merchandise stolen. It would do the same for a third drug possession charge. It would also increase jail time for repeat thefts and organized retail theft and includes provisions to compel people with multiple drug possession convictions into treatment.

The competing measure would have more narrowly cracked down on repeat theft and fentanyl dealing. It would have increased punishments for dealing fentanyl and made it easier for district attorneys to prosecute repeated thefts as felonies if they happened within three years of each other. It also stipulated that if both measures passed, the measure with more votes would become law and the other would be void.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

That drew condemnation from supporters of the district attorney-led measure.

This basically creates an either or choice, said Cory Salzillo, a lobbyist representing sheriffs.

During a Tuesday afternoon hearing on the bill, Salzillo also pointed out that Newsom and Democratic lawmakers introduced the measure after insisting for months that they didnt think Proposition 47 should be changed.

Proponents, respectfully, have said that we dont need to address our out-of-control theft crisis by amending Prop 47, by going back to the ballot. But yet here we are. It begs the question  what has changed? he said.

In the same hearing, a lobbyist representing district attorneys argued the burden of proof in the legislative proposal was too high and that it would be difficult for prosecutors to argue that people had met the value and time thresholds in the bill.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Some civil liberties and criminal justice reform advocates raised concerns that the legislation was still too punitive, despite lawmakers efforts to craft it as a less-punitive alternative to the district attorneys measure.

Sen. Aisha Wahab, a Hayward Democrat who co-authored the measure, pushed back on criticisms from both sides.

We are giving this back to the voters to decide, she said. We are threading the needle of a very sensitive subject without causing additional harm.

Lawmakers have also drawn criticism for including in their measure a provision that could make it easier to try fentanyl dealers for murder, known called Alexandras Law. That proposal was introduced in standalone legislation last year and is named after a 20-year-old Temecula (Riverside County) woman who died after taking a pill laced with fentanyl. The womans father, Mark Capelouto, had advocated at the Capitol in support of the measure, but lawmakers rejected it.

Alexandras Law is also part of the district attorneys measure, which Capelouto supports. He said lawmakers added the policy proposal, including his daughters name, to their competing measure without consulting his family.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
Bob Egelko has been a reporter since June 1970. He spent 30 years with the Associated Press, covering news, politics and occasionally sports in Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento, and legal affairs in San Francisco from 1984 onward. He worked for the San Francisco Examiner for five months in 2000, then joined The Chronicle in November 2000.

His beat includes state and federal courts in California, the Supreme Court and the State Bar. He has a law degree from McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento and is a member of the bar. Coverage has included the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, the appointment of Rose Bird to the state Supreme Court and her removal by the voters, the death penalty in California and the battles over gay rights and same-sex marriage.
Satellite imagery shows China expanding spy bases in Cuba

By Jeff Seldin July 02, 2024

New satellite images of Cuba show signs the country is installing improved intelligence capabilities at four military bases with suspected links to China, potentially providing Beijing with a network of facilities that could be used to spy on the United States.

The imagery, presented in a report Tuesday by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, was taken in March and April. It indicated new or recent construction at three sites near the capital, Havana, as well as work on a previously unreported site not far from the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay.

"Without access to classified materials, pinpointing the specific targets of these assets is nearly impossible," the report said. "Nonetheless, the growth of space-monitoring equipment at sites like Bejucal and Calabazar is notable given that Cuba lacks its own satellites or space program."

Bejucal is the largest of the four sites, according to CSIS analysts and first came to prominence during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, when the base was used to store nuclear weapons for the Soviet Union.

More recently, it has gained prominence as a major signals intelligence monitoring station, suspected to be tracking electronic communications for China.

The new satellite pictures show evidence that Bejucal has seen expansive updates, including a new electronic antenna enclosure.

Two other sites near Havana a Wajay and Calabazar a have seen growth as well, with CSIS analysts citing evidence of an expanding and evolving mission, including the installation of antennae, radar dishes and other equipment that could help those using it to monitor satellites.

The final site, El Salao, appears to be still under construction. But its location, not far from the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay near the city of Santiago de Cuba, and the structures themselves, could be cause for concern for the U.S.

The imagery collected by CSIS shows progress on what appears to be an antenna array with a diameter of 130 to 200 meters (425 to 655 feet). Similar arrays, according to the analysts, have shown the ability to track signals up to 15,000 kilometers (9,300 miles).

The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the CSIS report. But it follows a report last year by The Wall Street Journal that China was paying Cuba several billion dollars to build a spy facility.

U.S. officials later said that China had upgraded its intelligence facilities in Cuba in 2019 but that U.S. pushback had prevented Beijing from achieving its goals.

"We're confident that we can continue to meet our security commitments," said Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder while briefing reporters Tuesday.

"We know that the PRC [People's Republic of China] is going to continue to try to enhance its presence in Cuba, and we will continue to keep working to disrupt that," he said in response to a question from VOA. "We're continuing to monitor this closely, taking steps to counter it."

China on Tuesday rejected the findings of the CSIS report, with the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Washington calling them "nothing but slander."

"The U.S. side has repeatedly hyped-up China's establishment of spy bases or conducting surveillance activities in Cuba," Liu Pengyu told VOA in an email.

"The U.S. should immediately stop its malicious smearing of China," Liu said, adding, "The U.S. is no doubt the leading power in terms of eavesdropping and does not even spare its Allies [sic]."

Cuba also pushed back against the CSIS report, singling out a write-up in The Wall Street Journal.

"Without citing a verifiable source or showing evidence, it seeks to scare the public with legends about Chinese military bases that do not exist and no one has seen," according to a post by Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio on the X social media platform.

The CSIS report says monitoring stations in Cuba could help China to acquire needed capabilities and insights as it tries to militarily surpass the United States.

"Collecting data on activities like military exercises, missile tests, rocket launches, and submarine maneuvers would allow China to develop a more sophisticated picture of U.S. military practices," the report said.

"Cuban facilities would also provide the ability to monitor radio traffic and potentially intercept data delivered by U.S. satellites as they pass over highly sensitive military sites across the southern United States," the report said.

Such monitoring stations could also help China gain access to what the report describes as a "treasure trove of data" from commercial communications transiting the southeastern U.S.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Canada assumes command of Standing NATO Maritime Group Two

National Defence

2024-07-02

News release

Yesterday, Commodore (Cmdre) Matthew Coates of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) assumed command of Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) during a Change of Command ceremony held in Toulon, France. Cmdre Coates assumed command from Rear Admiral Yannick Bossu of the French Navy.

His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Charlottetown is deployed with SNMG2 as part of Operation REASSURANCE and is now the group's flagship. In coordination with its NATO partners, Canada continually looks for opportunities to contribute to peace and stability in Central and Eastern Europe.

Quotes

"The appointment of Commodore Matthew Coates to command Standing NATO Maritime Group Two shows the continuing respect our NATO allies have for the professionalism and leadership of the Canadian Armed Forces. Our members are our most visible symbol of Canada's ongoing commitment to the NATO alliance and to international security and cooperation around the world." Vice-Admiral Bob Auchterlonie, Commander, Canadian Joint Operations Command

"I am honoured and humbled to assume command of Standing NATO Maritime Group Two. Assuming command of this task group is an extraordinary privilege and I look forward to the challenge; knowing that together, united by a common purpose and a common set of values and procedures, the Alliance is stronger than the sum of its individual parts." Commodore Matthew Coates, Commander, Standing NATO Maritime Group Two

Quick facts

Since 2014, Canada has deployed RCN frigates on a persistent rotational basis to be employed primarily for exercises and operational tasks in the NATO Maritime Command's areas of responsibility.

HMCS Fredericton and HMCS Halifax were flagships of the Canadian-led Command of SNMG1 in 2021. HMCS Toronto was the flagship of the Canadian-led Command of SNMG2 in 2019.

SNMG2 is one of NATO's four standing naval maritime immediate reaction forces, which routinely conduct operations in the Mediterranean Sea. These groups provide NATO with a continuous maritime capability for operations and other activities in peacetime and in periods of crisis and conflict. They also help to establish Alliance presence and deterrence, demonstrate solidarity, conduct routine diplomatic visits to different countries, support transformation and NATO interoperability, and provide a variety of military maritime capabilities to ongoing missions.

SNMG2 is a multinational, integrated maritime force made up of warships from various allied countries. These warships, including their air assets, are permanently available on a rotational basis to NATO to perform different tasks ranging from participating in exercises to intervening in operational missions.

With Cmdre Coates' appointment, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) currently lead two NATO multinational groups. Canada has been the Framework Nation of the NATO Multinational Battlegroup Latvia since its inception in June of 2017, and will continue to do so as the battlegroup is augmented to a brigade. They are part of the largest reinforcement of NATO collective defence in a generation.

As Canada's fighting force at sea, the RCN deters conflict, defends Canada's interests and values, promotes Canada's economic prosperity, and supports the rules-based international order.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






July 2, 2024

Release

Readout of Senior DoD Official's Meeting With Peruvian Minister of Defense

Department of Defense Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Devin T. Robinson provided the following readout:

Ms. Jana Nelson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs met with Peruvian Minister of Defense Walter Astudillo at the Pentagon on June 26.

Minister Astudillo and DASD Nelson discussed air domain awareness capability development and countering transnational criminal organizations, as well as the effects of climate change, which is increasing the frequency and intensity of natural disasters that affect Peru. They also exchanged views on expansion of defense infrastructure, regional coordination, and other frameworks to enhance bilateral cooperation.

The meeting reaffirmed the United States' strong defense and security partnership with Peru, as the two nations work together to promote a stable and secure hemisphere based on a foundation of respect for democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3824423/

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






July 2, 2024

Transcript

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh Holds an Off-Camera, On-the-Record Press Briefing

DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY SABRINA SINGH: OK. All right. Good morning, everyone. I just have one quick thing at the top and then happy to just dive in. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov will visit the Pentagon tomorrow to meet with Secretary Austin. This visit underscores the ongoing commitment of the United States to support Ukraine's sovereignty and security.

Secretary Austin and Minister Umerov will discuss the bilateral defense cooperation, regional security issues and ways to strengthen the defense partnership between the United States and Ukraine. A readout following the meeting will be available online tomorrow. And with that, happy to dive in and take questions.

Q: So can we get a pier update? Are there plans to get the pier back up and running now that you've seen some of the World Food Program some of the feed forward? What's the status on that?

MS. SINGH: The status of the pier right now, as you know, it was disconnected late last week. It was moved to Ashdod for the high sea states. The pier remains in Ashdod right now. We're still assessing when it can be re-anchored when sea states calm a bit. We'll provide an update when I have more for you.

In terms of the distribution, you did see that some distribution did start back up over the weekend. It is going to take a few days to move some of that aid out of the marshaling area that had built up over time. For more on that, I'd refer you to the World Food Program to speak to it, like how long that's going to take. But I just know that the aid is slowly moving out of that marshaling area.

Q: Did DOD have any role in helping encourage World Food Program, that it could get this distribution moving?

MS. SINGH: Well, I mean we have a role in that. We're certainly at the table with USAID, with others in terms of our coordinating efforts when it comes to aid. But this is a decision that was arrived at by the World Food Program, so I'd really refer you to them to speak to their decision to start distribution back up.

Q: US raptor is the first multi-domain exercise with the Japan and South Korea last Saturday. How was the exercise? And did you have any plans to do another exercise with Japan and South Korea?

MS. SINGH: I don't have more on that exercise. Sorry, I was looking for my tablet and I don't seem to have that. I don't have more on that exercise and no plans  I don't have anything to preview in terms of future exercises. I'd refer you to INDOPACOM to speak to anything more that they have planned. Yeah.

Q: OK. One more. Do you have any indication that those Korea sent their troops to Ukraine to support Russia?

MS. SINGH: I don't have anything for you on that. We certainly know that North Korea is supporting Russia's efforts in Ukraine with supplying them different military support, but I don't have anything for you on any specific troops going into Russia at this time. Yeah. Natasha.

Q: Thanks, Sabrina. Do you have any more information about what led to the heightened alert state of the military bases in Europe? Was there any specific intelligence about a particular threat or was this just out of an abundance of caution ahead of some of the bigger events that are happening there?

MS. SINGH: Yeah. As you can appreciate, I won't speak to intelligence matters, but due to a combination of factors and not related to a single threat, but it was due to a combination of factors potentially impacting the safety and security of service members stationed in the European theater. US European Command is taking steps to increase vigilance for our service members, their families and our facilities.

This was done out of an abundance of caution. I won't get into more specifics, other than that, but I'd refer you to EUCOM for any more questions that you have on force protection measures.

Q: And was this for all bases across Europe or was it just for select?

MS. SINGH: Yeah. As you can appreciate, just from here, not going to get into specific locations and bases, but I would refer you to EUCOM to speak to that.

Q: Yes. Can you give us an update on the F-16 pilot and maintainer training? How many pilots and maintainers have graduated? Where are they now? How many are in the pipeline and when can Ukraine expect to see those F-16s?

MS. SINGH: In terms of when Ukraine is going to get the F-16s and start using them, I'd refer you to the Ukrainians to really speak to that. I don't have any updates to provide on pilot training. It's ongoing. I think we had more numbers that we put out a few months ago, but I just don't have any updates from that.

Q: So are there pilots still in the pipeline at the Arizona base?

MS. SINGH: I believe there's still pilots training right now in Arizona.

Q: OK. And just on a different topic, the NATO summit in D.C. is next week. Can you talk a little bit about Secretary Austin's goals for that summit?

MS. SINGH: I think we'll have more to share closer to the NATO summit, not just ready to preview some of that just yet. Of course, he'll be participating in various meetings. The Department of Defense will play a role in the NATO summit, but it is an interagency effort, but we'll have more to you closer to the summit.

Q: Just following up on Lara's question. Sorry, I have a little bit of a cold. I think I'm past the contagious stage. Yeah. I think. So do you have anything on his participation in that summit, like what the schedule is going to be and what he--or any other top people from DOD will be over there?

And also if I could just make a request for some sort of background or ahead of time about the specific DOD perspective on the summit? Thanks.

MS. SINGH: Let us come back to you on a backgrounder for the summit. I will reiterate as you know, but this is not just the DOD taking part in the NATO summit. Of course, this is going to involve state and other agencies that are going to be participating. I candidly do not have his schedule in front of me right now, so I can't go through a readout of sort of what the secretary's schedule looks like at this moment.

I think we'll have more for you in the coming days. He will be doing a variety of events and participating in various meetings. But give us just a little bit more time and we will get back to you on kind of what his engagements look like.

Q: Thanks. On this heightened alert status for US bases in Europe, is this at all correlated like with the Euro Cup and the Olympics? Is this expected to go beyond the status for weeks and weeks or is it short-term more specific?

MS. SINGH: We don't have a timeline. I would refer you to EUCOM to really speak to any changes when it comes to their force protection measures that they're taking. What I can tell you is it's a combination of factors. It's not a single threat. You mentioned some very large, big events that are taking place in Europe. That's certainly a factor, but it's one of many factors. But for more details, I'd refer you to EUCOM.

Q: Hi, Sabrina. The hurricane that's uh threatening in the Caribbean, has the Department of Defense started preparations for that? I mean some of the islands there are almost automatically ask us for aid. What are we doing?

MS. SINGH: Not to my knowledge, but of course we're going to monitor any type of major weather storm like that, but not to my knowledge. If that changes, I'm happy to keep you updated.

Q: OK. Another question. Could you say anything about the potential about the preparations for potential evacuation operation in the Middle East? There was an article about that late last week.

MS. SINGH: Yes, I saw. So obviously, I've seen some of the reporting on that. I think this refers to the Wasp MEU moving into the Eastern Med. We are, of course, a planning organization, but the purpose of the Wasp moving is really to promote regional stability and to be another deterrent in the region.

There are no plans for any type of military assisted departure right now. Of course, we are a planning organization. I've seen some of those reported those reports, but really the Wasp is moving there to bolster deterrence and for regional stability.

Q: So the purpose of leaving it there was security projection rather than it wasn't about preparations for an evacuation?

MS. SINGH: That's right. The purpose of the wasp meu or sorry, the Wasp MEU moving into that AOR is to is power projection. It is to bolster deterrence in the region. It's about regional stability. We are a planning organization, but that is the purpose of why it moved. And you have to remember, and I know, I think I said this at the podium on Friday, that we also had the Ford in the region.

We also had the 26th ARG/MEU was there late last year. So these types of rotations are normal, and this was a planned movement. And so I'll just leave it at that.

Q: So Sabrina, what specific capabilities does the Wasp bring to the region in terms of deterrence?

MS. SINGH: For more specifics, I'd refer you to the Marine Corps to speak to more specifics of the Wasp, but it allows for flexibility, and it provides another capability to the commander in the region. It has 2,000 Marines or over 2,000 Marines on board as well.

This is again just one of those that it was a planned movement. It just provides additional support in the region.

Q: Yeah, yeah. So just getting back to the increased alert status in Europe, you said that the Olympics and those events were one factor. Without getting into the nature of the intelligence, is there anything concrete or specific in the intelligence that's driving this or not?

MS. SINGH: Well, I can tell you that it's not a single threat. I'm not going to get into more specifics on the intelligence itself, but it's not a single threat. It's a combination of different factors that has led to EUCOM taking steps to increase vigilance for our service members, but unfortunately, I'm just going to have to leave it at that.

Q: One more on that.

MS. SINGH: Sure.

Q: Are any of our bases in Indo-Pacific or in CENTCOM under similar, or AFRICOM, under similar threat level raising to Charlie?

MS. SINGH: Well, so we don't usually talk about our force protection levels or any changes, so I would refer you to those various AORs to speak to their force protection measures.

Q: But so is this limited to European command?

MS. SINGH: I would just say that I've seen some of the reporting out of the weekend, the questions that right now are about European Command, there are additional steps that we're taking to increase vigilance for our service members, but I'm just not going to get into any more specifics on force protection.

Q: And you said that you all don't normally talk about this. Clearly, this one was put out there. Why was it put out there? Was there a reason that you wanted kind of everybody who's based in, or their families who are based in Europe to be a little more aware?

MS. SINGH: Look, I can't speak to the why some people feel compelled to talk about some of these changes. What I can just tell you is that the commander for the theater felt that there were additional steps needed to increase vigilance for our service members, for their families. This is also something that happens all around the world.

It's at the commander's discretion and it was out of an abundance of caution. As Liz and others have mentioned, there are a combination of factors, including events that are taking place in that theater that just out of due diligence, it's good to make sure that our service members are taking the precautionary measures that they need to for themselves and their families.

MS. SINGH: Anything else? OK.

Q: Is the commander of European Command capable of speaking to the press?

MS. SINGH: Yes. He is.

Anyone else? OK. All right. Thank you, everyone.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3824159/

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






July 2, 2024

By David Vergun, DOD News

Marine Corps' Force Design Is Focused on Pacing Challenge From China

The National Defense Strategy places a primary focus on the need to strengthen U.S. military deterrence against China and defeat it if necessary.

The Marine Corps implemented its "Force Design" strategy six years ago to address that challenge.

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith discussed the progress that has been made in force design and some of the challenges at an event at the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit policy and governance research group in Washington.

Threats from Beijing include its stated goal of seizing Taiwan, if necessary, as well as building military outposts on tiny islands in the South China Sea that do not belong to China.

The importance of allies and partners in the first island chain nearest to the Asian mainland are important to controlling the sea lanes in this contentious environment, he said. The first island chain includes Japan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Australia.

Force design includes making Marines more mobile and less of a target, while increasing the range, precision and lethality of their weapons, Smith said.

For example, the Marine Corps got rid of all its tanks, which would not be useful in a war with China. Long-range fires  such as artillery, loitering munitions and rocket-assisted projectiles  along with unmanned aerial systems like the MQ-9A Reaper would play a big role in a conflict, he said. Radar and sensors would also be important.

The Marine Corps' air capability is modernizing, as well, with the F-35B Lightning II fighter jet, the CH-53K King Stallion helicopter, and the MV-22 Osprey all performing well, he said.

As for amphibious ships to transport Marines and their equipment, a minimum of 31 are needed, he said. That's the number needed to produce three, amphibious-ready groups for Marine expeditionary units: one on the East Coast of the U.S., one on the West Coast of the U.S. and one in Okinawa, Japan.

A lot of money can be saved in building these vessels on a multiship, multiyear procurement, he said. Shipbuilders need to be employed, or they will go elsewhere to work.

Another thing that needs to be increased is munitions production, Smith said. Again, workers need to stay employed, or they'll find jobs elsewhere.

Joint All-Domain Command and Control development is also important for connecting sensors with shooters and shooters with each other, he said.

Advances in autonomy and machine learning will also play an increasingly important role in force design.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Foreign Minister Tsahkna: US security assistance allows Estonia to fast-track the reinforcement of its defence capabilities

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

02.07.2024

Today 2 July, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna met with the visiting delegation of the US Congress to discuss US contribution to the defence and deterrence posture of the Baltic States and continued military support to Ukraine.

"The political and military leadership of the US in NATO and within the wider Euro-Atlantic security architecture is irreplaceable," Tsahkna said at the meeting with the delegation that was headed by Tom Cole, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and included representatives Mario Diaz-Balart, Chuck Fleischmann, Chuck Edwards and Jake Ellzey.

At the meeting, the foreign minister highlighted US security assistance to the Baltic States, which is an important addition to our own defence spending. "Estonia is serious about defending itself, demonstrated by the fact that we have raised our defence spending to exceed 3.4% of GDP," Tsahkna said. "US security assistance is an important addition, allowing us to implement several capability-building projects more quickly and accelerate the reinforcement of Estonia's military capabilities."

The Baltic Security Initiative (BSI) established in 2020, through which the US Department of Defence supports the independent defence capabilities and interoperability of the Baltic States, and the Foreign Military Financing programme of the Department of State have been crucial for the Baltic States.

Tsahkna assured that every dollar contributed by the USA to Estonia's security is matched with six dollars from Estonia and all security assistance is diverted back to the US economy through defence procurements.

The minister underlined that it was in the interests of the Euro-Atlantic region for Allies to increase their defence spending and set the minimum target of 2.5% of GDP.

Speaking about supporting Ukraine, Minister Tsahkna noted that Estonia aimed to allocate 0.25% of GDP to support Ukraine and if all like-minded countries did the same, Ukraine would be able to win the war. "The worth of the Ukraine aid bill adopted in the US Congress this spring is in the same range, and in addition to weapons, it also gave Ukraine hope, which is vital," the minister said.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






'Manila's provocations in South China Sea to be responded with countermeasures'

Global Times

By Fan Wei, Chen Qingqing and Hu Yuwei Published: Jul 02, 2024 08:27 PM Updated: Jul 02, 2024 09:52 PM

The Philippines, in ignoring growing domestic calls for seeking constructive dialogues and consensus with China in tackling divergences on the South China Sea issue, has continued to make provocations not only in maritime issues but also in the legal sphere, for which China is fully prepared, and its moves that jeopardize China's legitimate interest will be responded with countermeasures.

On Monday, three Philippine coast guard vessels attempted to supply personnel and materials to the Philippine coast guard vessel 9701 illegally stationed at the Xianbin Jiao. The whole process was closely monitored and controlled by China Coast Guard (CCG), Liu Dejun, spokesperson of the CCG said on Tuesday.

China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands, including Xianbin Jiao, and adjacent waters.

The retention of Philippine ship at Xianbin Jiao violates China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, contravening the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and undermining peace and stability in the region, the spokesperson said. "China firmly opposes this behavior and the CCG will continue to conduct right protection law enforcement in its jurisdictional waters and safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.''

After the infringement activities related to Huangyan Dao, also known as Huangyan Island and Ren'ai Jiao (Ren'ai Reef), were resolutely countered by the CCG, the Philippines has attempted to assert its presence at China's Xianbin Jiao.

Recent on-site images obtained by the Global Times showed that in addition to frequently transporting fresh water, fuel and food, the Philippines has also attempted to deliver building materials, suspected to be cement, to the illegally stationed Philippine Coast Guard ship at Xianbin Jiao. These actions by the Philippines warrant high vigilance.

The Philippines is employing alternating provocative tactics around Huangyan Dao, Ren'ai Jiao and Xianbin Jiao. As we blocked their provocations at Ren'ai Jiao, they may make infringing moves at Xianbin Jiao and stage another illegal grounding with their warship, Ding Duo, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

"We need to fully prepare for such potential provocations in these so-called gray zone areas," Ding said.

Some experts pointed out that the Philippines' actions have strategic intentions. As Xianbin Jiao, located between Ren'ai Jiao and the Philippines' Palawan Island, is closer to the Philippine mainland. The Philippines intends to develop Xianbin Jiao into a maritime "base" for illegally supplying Ren'ai Jiao and a "foothold" for conducting infringement activities in the South China Sea, they noted.

Besides its provocations in the South China Sea, the Philippines continued accusing China, and confused right and wrong, toward which China has clarified its stance.

Philippine Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, navy spokesperson on South China Sea issues, was quoted as saying in a Reuters' report on Tuesday that the CCG's actions against Philippine vessels on June 17 were the "most aggressive" in recent history.

In response to a question regarding the matter at the regular press conference on Tuesday, Mao Ning, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said that Ren'ai Jiao is China's territory. The root cause of the current situation is that the Philippines infringed on China's rights and made deliberate provocations.

The Philippines needs to stop those infringement activities and provocations at once, and return as soon as possible to the track of resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, Mao said.

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Xiaodong and Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Theresa Lazaro co-chaired the 9th meeting of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea (BCM) in Manila on Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

Both sides had candid and constructive exchanges on the South China Sea situation, particularly on managing the situation at Ren'ai Jiao. China reiterated its sovereignty over the Nansha Islands, including Ren'ai Jiao, and adjacent waters, asserting its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant maritime areas, the ministry said.

China urged the Philippines to immediately stop maritime infringements and provocative actions, and to abide by the provisions of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), urging the Philippines to return to dialogue and consultation to properly handle disputes.

They acknowledged that maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea serves the interests of both countries and is a common goal of regional countries. They agreed to continue dialogue and consultation through mechanisms like the BCM to manage contradictions and differences.

During the meeting, both sides also exchanged views on enhancing maritime communication mechanisms, promoting dialogue between their coast guards, and advancing cooperation in marine science, technology, and environmental protection.

Growing calls

Rising tensions between China and the Philippines due to the latter's provocations also worry many Filipinos. "As a Filipino and as an Asian, I don't want my country to be a battleground," Raul Lambino, Chairman of the Association for Philippines-China Understanding, said in a recent conference commemorating the 70th anniversary of Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in Beijing.

Lambino's remarks struck a chord with many participants at the conference.

Also, 33 major Filipino Chinese business and civic organizations, led by the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII), fervently advocate for the de-escalation of territorial disputes, urging these issues to be addressed through diplomatic channels and constructive dialogue among friends.

"The recent misunderstandings regarding maritime territory have become increasingly concerning, with the potential to unnecessarily escalate into a crisis that could destabilize the economic development of the Philippines, China, and the broader Asian region," FFCCCII President Dr Cecilio K. Pedro told the Global Times.

A peaceful resolution to the sea dispute is essential for Philippine economic development, to prevent the erosion of traditionally strong bilateral relations between the Philippines and China which could also negatively affect both our two countries and the wider Asian region, Pedro said.

"I believe the vast majority of Filipinos, particularly those of us in the business sector, are deeply invested in upholding peace and stability to ensure unimpeded and sustainable economic development," he added.

To be met with countermeasures

The Philippines filed a claim with the UN to an extended continental shelf as it seeks recognition to its entitlements beyond its 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, and it has welcomed Vietnam's recognition of its UN filing, Reuters reported on Monday.

However, Malaysia opposed the Philippine submission to the UN, saying it is projected from the baselines of Sabah, according to media reports.

These current confrontations, note verbales, and statements reflect that the disputes over territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation in the South China Sea are very complicated and cannot be resolved by unilateral actions, such as unilaterally submitting delimitation applications or through international judicial and arbitration procedure, Ding said.

"If the disputant countries attempt to exclude China in their bilateral negotiations and consultations, it's unrealistic," the expert said.

Also, according to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) rules, submissions involving disputes will not be considered. Thus, the Philippines' request for delimitation beyond 200 nautical miles is unlikely to be reviewed substantively and will probably be deferred or suspended, Ding noted.

The Philippines' suggestion to consider delimitation or negotiations for the South China Sea continental shelf with certain disputant countries is an attempt to legitimize the illegal award of the so-called South China Sea arbitration, some experts said.

"They believe that the ruling has resolved the disputes, clarifying the areas of contention and respective claims, and that China has no legitimate claims. Hence, they seek to exclude China from maritime delimitation talks, negotiating directly with other disputant countries," Ding said.

"Such approach poses certain risks to our claims. Although it won't substantively impact our legal claims, it might have negative political, diplomatic, and public opinion consequences. We will take effective countermeasures," the expert said.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Exclusive: Evidence shows Philippines attempting to transport construction materials to China's Xianbin Jiao

Global Times

By Fan Wei Published: Jul 02, 2024 01:21 AM

After the infringement activities related to Huangyan Dao, also known as Huangyan Island and Ren'ai Jiao (Ren'ai Reef), were severely countered by the China Coast Guard, the Philippines has attempted to assert its presence at China's Xianbin Jiao.

According to previous reports from the Philippine media, in April this year, the Philippine Coast Guard began dispatching ships to anchor in the waters of Xianbin Jiao and continuously sent coast guard vessels to deliver supplies to the illegally stationed Philippine ships there.

Recent on-site images obtained by the Global Times showed that in addition to frequently transporting fresh water, fuel, and food, the Philippines has also attempted to deliver building materials, suspected to be cement, to the illegally stationed Philippine Coast Guard ships at Xianbin Jiao. This series of actions by the Philippines warrants high vigilance.

Some experts told the Global Times that the Philippines aims to turn Xianbin Jiao into a maritime "base" for illegally supplying Ren'ai Jiao and a "foothold" for conducting infringement activities in the South China Sea. However, this move will only increase China's law enforcement presence at Xianbin Jiao.

The Philippine ship asserting its presence at Xianbin Jiao is the Philippine Coast Guard's largest vessel, the "BRP Teresa Magbanua" (hull number MRRV-9701), the Global Times learned.

This ship was built by Japan's Mitsubishi Shipbuilding based on the Japan Coast Guard's Kunigami-class patrol vessel. Japanese media reports indicate that the ship is approximately 96 meters long, with a gross tonnage of nearly 2,300 tons, and can carry up to 67 crew members, with an endurance of up to 15 days.

It is also one of the most advanced ships in the Philippine Coast Guard, touted as a "force multiplier" capable of supporting Philippine Navy operations. The Philippine Coast Guard has defined the ship's role as a "quick response platform" capable of performing personnel transport and logistical supply missions at sea.

Since April of this year, the vessel has entered the waters of China's Xianbin Jiao and has been continuously active there. Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela previously said at a press conference that the Coast Guard's actions were intended to prevent China from successfully reclaiming land on Xianbin Jiao. However, recent footage obtained by the Global Times showed that the Philippines has been frequently and continuously delivering supplies, including building materials, to the BRP Teresa Magbanua. This move indicates an intent to change the status quo of Xianbin Jiao and escalate the infringement activities in the South China Sea.

The footage showed that since May, the Philippine Coast Guard has deployed ships 4402, 4404, and 4409 in rotation to deliver supplies to the BRP Teresa Magbanua.

Supplies including fresh water, fuel, and food, as well as rotating personnel, were delivered to the BRP Teresa Magbanua on May 3 to 9, May 14, and May 23 to June 3.

In a recent interview with the Global Times, Yang Xiao, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Strategy Studies under the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said that the "BRP Teresa Magbanua" is one of the most advanced ships of the Philippine Coast Guard.

Due to the large number of crew members it carries on a daily basis, there is significant consumption of living supplies. The frequent deployment of various types of ships by the Philippines to supply the "BRP Teresa Magbanua" and rotate personnel underscores the Philippines' intention to maintain a long-term presence at Xianbin Jiao, achieving a quasi-permanent military presence.

This intention is also "hidden" in some of the details of their illegal resupply operations. Upon closely examining related footage, the Global Times found that during the resupply operations, the Philippines frequently transported mysterious box-shaped items to the "BRP Teresa Magbanua."

In one illegal resupply operation on May 23, the "BRP Teresa Magbanua" hoisted large bags marked "MABUHAY PORTLAND" from the Philippine Coast Guard's 4409 ship. A person working in the construction materials industry in the Philippines told the Global Times that "MABUHAY PORTLAND" is a construction materials brand in the Philippine market, which primarily produces cement.

Yang said that the various actions by the Philippines indicate their intention to replicate the illegal grounding of a warship at Ren'ai Jiao in the South China Sea in 1999. the Philippine vessel 9701 has now become a maritime platform that operates for the long term around Xianbin Jiao. Transporting a large amount of supplies and even suspected construction materials suggests that the Philippines intends to eventually establish a permanent facility on Xianbin Jiao.

The Philippines' actions have strategic intentions. Currently, conducting activities from within the country to Ren'ai Jiao and other illegally occupied reefs involves a considerable distance.

"Xianbin Jiao, located between Renai Jiao and the Philippines' Palawan Island, is closer to the Philippine mainland. The Philippines intends to develop Xianbin Jiao into a maritime "base" for illegally supplying Renai Jiao and a "foothold" for conducting infringement activities in the South China Sea," Yang said.

The Philippines illegally grounded a warship at Ren'ai Jiao more than 20 years ago, and to this day, they are still trying to "replicate" this tactic. Yang said the Philippines fails to realize that this opportunistic idea has no feasibility at all. "Even though they illegally grounded a warship at Ren'ai Jiao, we thwarted their attempts to build permanent facilities. Now, at Xianbin Jiao, the Philippines is even less likely to succeed," Yang said.

China currently has absolute control over both Ren'ai Jiao and Xianbin Jiao. Not only are there Chinese Navy ships conduct patrols in the waters, but the China Coast Guard also conducts regular law enforcement to safeguard rights in this region, Yang said.

Additionally, Chinese fishermen operating in these waters will voluntarily stand up to prevent any infringement by the Philippines. Therefore, any schemes by the Philippines are utterly impossible to achieve.

Furthermore, the surrounding countries in the South China Sea will no longer tolerate the Philippines' blatant attempts to alter the status quo in the South China Sea, especially actions such as grounding on uninhabited islands and building permanent facilities, Yang said.

The Global Times learned that China currently maintains an absolute advantage in the sea waters of Xianbin Jiao with the presence of maritime law enforcement forces. Additionally, Xianbin Jiao is a traditional fishing ground for Chinese fishermen, many of whom have long been conducting fishing operations there. Footage shows that during the Philippines' illegal resupply operation on May 23, a Chinese fishing boat even approached closely, standing firm against the infringement actions of the Philippine Coast Guard.

Yang said that the Philippines may not yet realize that their actions at Xianbin Jiao are a strategic blunder. As a countermeasure, China will undoubtedly increase its maritime law enforcement presence at Xianbin Jiao, potentially making it a permanent regular presence. "Xianbin Jiao is closer to the Philippine mainland, and the forward deployment of China's maritime law enforcement forces will further reduce the space for the Philippines to carry out infringements in the South China Sea," Yang said.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Statement by PM Netanyahu

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Press Releases

The 37th Government

02.07.2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today:

"Anonymous sources briefed The New York Times that Israel will be prepared to end the war before all of its objectives are achieved.

I do not know who these anonymous sources are, but I am here to make it unequivocally clear: This will not happen. The war will end once Israel achieves all of its objectives, including the destruction of Hamas and the release of all of our hostages.

The Government directed the IDF to achieve these war objectives and the IDF has all the means to achieve them. We will not capitulate to the winds of defeatism, neither in The New York Times nor anywhere else. We are inspired by the spirit of victory."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Denmark chairs the inaugural meeting of NATO's Transatlantic Quantum Community

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

02 Jul. 2024

On Tuesday (2 July 2024) the Transatlantic Quantum Community (TQC) held its inaugural meeting in Brussels. Last September, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called for the development of a dedicated network which would enhance Allied cooperation and harness the benefits of quantum technologies to strengthen deterrence and defence. Since that point, NATO's Quantum Technologies Strategy was agreed and the Alliance's International Staff collaborated with NATO members to establish the Community.

The Transatlantic Quantum Community is Allied led but participation is voluntary. More than half of Allies are already involved, including the United States, Canada, France, Italy and Czechia and the initiative is championed by Denmark as the first national chair. The Community will bring together quantum experts from national governments, industry, academia, funding bodies, and research institutions and will help encourage Allied innovation enabling NATO protect its technological edge.

The role of quantum technologies in the security environment is growing and the Community will help NATO engage with critical issues. These include funding and technology challenges, talent development and partnership opportunities.

The Transatlantic Quantum Community's first annual plenary is expected to take place this autumn.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






AFP chief: New defense concept fortifies PH's watch of EEZ, WPS

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno

July 2, 2024, 3:34 pm

MANILA -- The Philippines' Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC) has stepped up its ability to protect its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and territories beyond this, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said Tuesday.

"Nakita natin yun importansya ng ating EEZ, (pati) na rin po yun mga features natin katulad ng Pagasa Island ay nasa labas ng exclusive economic zone. But still, we consider that a territory of the Philippines, meron na nga po tayong komunidad sa Pagasa Island. Meron siyang sariling mayor, at so, kailangan po natin depensahan natin ito (We saw the importance of our EEZ and our features (in the WPS) like Pagasa Island which is outside our EEZ. But still, we consider that as a territory of the Philippines, we have a community in Pagasa Island and it has an elected mayor, so we need to defend that)," Brawner said at the Pre-SONA (State of the Nation Address) Special "Resibo ng Serbisyo ng Pangulo" over state-run PTV.

In the past, Brawner said the Philippines' defense concept was merely based on its baseline, which means that the AFP will have to wait for a potential enemy to come before mounting operations against this threat.

Earlier, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said CADC will allow the Philippines to address its ongoing maritime security challenges and would enable the AFP to address contemporary threats to Philippine territorial integrity and sovereign rights.

He said the CADC is a convergence of various strategies to give a more holistic approach to dealing with critical socio-economic factors like food security, energy sustainability, and environmental resilience.

Brawner, meanwhile, said the AFP's patrols in the WPS would continue to ensure that the Filipino fisherfolk would be able to go about with their normal activities.

Survey operations will also continue to check and determine the status of resources in the WPS, he said.

"Marami pa tayong ginagawang operations na di pwedeng sabihin dito. But of course, tuloy-tuloy po ang gagawin maritime and air patrols (We are doing a lot of operations that we cannot give details due to security reasons. But of course, our maritime and air patrols will continue)," he said.

He said the military has also stepped up its monitoring of activities within the country's territorial waters.

He also said the AFP continues to strengthen ties with allied nations through the holding of multilateral maritime cooperative activities (MMCA).

"Sa mga susunod na buwan ay marami pa tayong makikitang (In the next months, we would see more editions of) MMCA. This time, pati mga bansa sa Europa, gustong sumama. Gustong sumama ng France, United Kingdom, Germany, pati na rin dito sa region natin, New Zealand (some countries in Europe also want to join. France, United Kingdom, Germany, and our regional neighbor New Zealand) also wants to join us. Welcome po lahat ng mga bansang ito (All these countries are welcome) to join us in our joint sail activity," Brawner added. (PNA)

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UN says Israel's war machine has displaced 1.9 million in Gaza

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 July 2024 5:11 PM

The UN humanitarian coordinator for Gaza says Israel's war on the territory has unleashed a maelstrom of human misery, with 1.9 million people now displaced across the narrow populated territory.

Sigrid Kaag told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that more than 1 million people are "desperately seeking shelter and safety" in Gaza.

She said that "1.9 million people are now displaced across Gaza."

"Their homes life shattered, their lives upended. The war has not merely created the most profound of humanitarian crises. It has unleashed a maelstrom of human misery."

Kaag said she was deeply concerned" by reports of Israel's new evacuation orders for Khan Yunis.

Hundreds of people were fleeing Khan Younis in southern Gaza after the regime's military once again bombarded the largely ruined city and ordered a mass evacuation of residents on Monday..

The UN says 250,000 Palestinians in southern Gaza have been affected by the orders.

People leaving the city say they don't know where to go as they keep being displaced from one place to another.

The new bombardment and evacuation have sparked fear that the military could launch a new ground assault on Khan Younis.

International aid agencies have repeatedly warned that there is no safe place to take refuge in Gaza any more.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Israeli generals seek ceasefire in Gaza as war with Hezbollah looms: Report

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 July 2024 4:30 PM

A report says Israel's top generals are advocating a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, amid fears of a potential war with the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah.

The New York Times, citing multiple Israeli officials, reported on Tuesday that the generals seek to begin a truce in Gaza even if it keeps the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas in power for the time being.

The report said the generals think the regime's forces need time to recuperate in case a bigger war breaks out against Hezbollah, given that Israel is unequipped for further fighting after its months-long war in Gaza.

A truce with Hamas could also facilitate a deal with Hezbollah, the Israeli officials said, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The report said Israeli generals believe a truce is the best way to secure the release of roughly 120 Israeli prisoners still held in Gaza.

According to the New York Times report, the generals' stance has reportedly created a rift between the military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has firmly rejected any ceasefire proposal in Gaza.

The Israeli military's full support for a ceasefire also "reflects a major shift in its thinking over the past months, as it became more clear that Netanyahu was refusing to articulate or commit to a postwar plan," the report said.

Eyal Hulata, a former Israeli adviser who regularly speaks with senior military officials, also said the military is in full support of a prisoner swap and a ceasefire deal.

Hulata said the military has "less munitions, less spare parts, less energy than they did before  so they also think a pause in Gaza gives us more time to prepare in case a bigger war does break out with Hezbollah."

"Therefore, the military fears a prolonged conflict where its resources are gradually depleted while prisoners remain in Gaza and Hamas leaders stay at large. In this scenario, keeping Hamas in power temporarily in exchange for prisoners releases seems like the least worst option for Israel."

The Israeli regime and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire along Lebanon's southern border on an almost daily basis since October 7.

The exchange of fire has intensified since Israel assassinated senior Hezbollah commander Sami Taleb Abdullah.

The movement has retaliated by firing hundreds of rockets into the northern parts of the occupied territories.

Back in June, 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.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has already warned that "no place" in the Israeli-occupied territories would be spared from the group's weapons in the event of a full-blown war.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






250K Palestinians hit by Israel's new evacuation order in southern Gaza: UN

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 July 2024 4:26 PM

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) says a quarter of a million people have been impacted by Israel's latest evacuation order for parts of southern Gaza.

UNRWA spokeswoman Louise Wateridge said on Tuesday the agency estimates "around 250,000 people had been impacted by these orders."

"We expect these numbers to grow."

"We've seen people moving, families moving, people starting to pack up their belongings and try to leave this area."

On Monday, Israel issued a new evacuation order for parts of Khan Yunis and Rafah in southern Gaza. It followed mass displacement from large parts of Rafah that began with a similar order nearly two months ago.

"This is another devastating blow to the humanitarian response here," Wateridge said.

"It's another devastating blow for the people and the families on the ground. It seems that they are forcibly being displaced again, and again."

She said following the start of the Rafah incursion in May, people had flooded back into the largely destroyed Khan Yunis area.

"And now already, because of the orders last night, the same families are having to move again."

"There is absolutely no safe place in the Gaza Strip."

Witnesses saw Palestinians leave eastern Khan Yunis on foot, in cars and on horse or donkey carts, carrying their belongings with them. Some displaced people with nowhere to go were sleeping on the streets, witnesses said.

Ahmad Najjar, a resident of the town of Bani Suhaila, said the Israeli evacuation order had caused a large displacement of residents and spurred fear and extreme anxiety.

The Israeli military has warned residents and displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis to move to the western part of the city.

Hundreds of Palestinian patients have also been forced to flee the European Hospital. Tent camps for the displaced in Khan Younis have been evacuated.

Israeli forces carried out deadly strikes in southern Gaza on Tuesday.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






July 1: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 July 2024 2:08 PM

By Press TV Website Staff

Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 38,000 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 Monday, July 1, are as follows:

Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on July 1:

Targeted an Israeli military Merkava tank with an Al-Yassin 105 shell on Al-Quds Street in the Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood, west of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.

Targeted an Israeli military Merkava 4 tank with two guerilla action devices south of Al-Tayaran Street in the Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.

Sniped an Israeli soldier inside a house in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

Targeted two Israeli military Merkava 4 tanks with two Shuath explosive devices in Shuja'iyya neighborhood east of Gaza City.

Al-Quds Brigades' operations on July 1:

Targeted gatherings of Israeli forces in Shuja'iyya neighborhood east of Gaza City with standard mortar shells.

Targeted the positions of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles on the supply line in the "Netzarim" axis, south of Gaza City, with mortar shells.

Targeted the command and control headquarters of the Israeli military at the "Amitai" military base with 107mm rockets.

Targeted an Israeli military Merkava tank with an RPG shell and engaged in clashes with regime soldiers at the targeted site around the Western Cemetery, southwest of the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.

Targeted "Kissufim," the "Third Eye," "Nirim," "Sofa," "Holit" and the settlements of the Gaza envelope with a barrage of rockets.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on July 1:

Targeted gatherings of Israeli forces and their military vehicles at the "Re'im" military base and the "Meflasim" base with a concentrated rocket barrage.

Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces and their military vehicles using appropriate weapons in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

Targeted an Israeli military force barricaded in a home in Shuja'iyya neighborhood east of Gaza City with a TBG shell.

Targeted Israeli forces penetrating the airport grounds, east of the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, with mortar shells.

Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades' operations on July 1:

The artillery unit of the group bombed Israeli forces and their military vehicles penetrating the Shuja'iyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City, with mortar shells.

Martyr Omar Al-Qasim Forces' operations on July 1:

Targeted Israeli regime forces that had penetrated the "Kaf Al-Mashru'" area east of Rafah city in the southern Strip with mortar shells.

Hezbollah's operations on July 1:

Eastern sector:

The Samaqa site in the occupied Kafr Shuba hills was targeted with artillery shells.

A building used by Israeli soldiers in the "Ramot Naftali" settlement was targeted with appropriate weapons,

The "Ma'ayan Baruch" site was targeted with artillery shells.

A building used by Israeli soldiers in the Metula settlement was targeted with appropriate weapons.

Buildings used by Israeli soldiers in the Kfar Giladi settlement were targeted with appropriate weapons,

Western sector:

A building used by Israeli soldiers in the "Doviv" settlement was targeted with appropriate weapons.

Buildings used by Israeli soldiers in the "Granot HaGalil" settlement were targeted with appropriate weapons.

Yemeni military's operations on July 1:

Targeted the Israeli ship (MSC Unific) in the Arabian Sea with several cruise missiles, hit precisely.

Targeted the American oil tanker (Delonix) in the Red Sea with several ballistic and cruise missiles.

Targeted the British landing vessel (Anvil Point) in the Indian Ocean with several cruise missiles.

Targeted the (Lucky Sailor) ship in the Mediterranean Sea with several cruise missiles.

Islamic Resistance in Iraq's operations on July 1:

Targeted a military site in Umm Al-Rashrash ("Eilat") in the occupied Palestinian territories with a barrage of drones.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Hezbollah pummels Israeli outposts in response to aggression against southern Lebanon

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 July 2024 6:16 AM

Fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement have carried out a series of new attacks, targeting Israeli military positions along the Arab nation's border with the 1948 occupied territories.

The resistance fighters targeted the al-Samaqa site in the occupied Lebanese Kfar Shuba hills with artillery shells, hitting it directly.

Hezbollah said the operation was in retaliation for an Israeli drone strike against a two-story building in the southern Lebanese village of Houla on Saturday, which killed three of its members.

A barrage of artillery shells was also launched at Ma'ayan Baruch kibbutz, causing a fierce fire.

Moreover, Hezbollah members fired separate barrages of rockets at Israeli military barracks in Kfar Giladi, al-Metula and Doviv settlements, hitting the designated targets precisely.

The resistance group also claimed responsibility for launching rockets from Lebanon at an Israeli military position in Kfar Giladi kibbutz of the Galilee Panhandle, achieving direct hits.

Since early October last year, Hezbollah and Israel have been involved in a series of deadly clashes. The confrontations were initiated after the Tel Aviv regime launched a genocidal assault on the Gaza Strip following a surprise operation by the Palestinian Hamas resistance group.

Hezbollah has vowed to maintain its retaliatory strikes as long as the Israeli regime continues its Gaza war, which has resulted in the deaths of at least 37,900 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, and left 87,060 others injured.

Hezbollah officials have repeatedly said they do not want a war with Israel but if it happens they are ready.

According to Lebanon's Grand Shia Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan, Hezbollah has a massive arsenal of missiles of different types, warning that the resistance movement would fire up to half a million missiles toward the Israeli-occupied territories in case of a new war on Lebanon.

"In case of an open war between Lebanon and Israel, the latter should expect the launch of some 500,000 missiles [from southern Lebanon into the occupied lands]. The destructive power of these missiles can send the occupying regime back to 70 years ago," Qabalan said last month.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US targets firms over training of Chinese fighter pilots

The companies are tied to a South African flying school where Western ex-military allegedly trained Chinese pilots.

By Alex Willemyns for RFA 2024.07.02 -- The United States has placed trading restrictions on four foreign companies for their ties to a South African flying school where Western ex-military members allegedly trained Chinese fighter pilots.

U.S. companies and nationals will need to apply for a special license - with a "presumption of denial" - before doing any business with China's Global Training Solutions and Smartech Future, South Africa's Grace Air and the United Kingdom's Livingston Aerospace.

The firms were blacklisted "because of their links to the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA) and the training of China's military forces using Western  sources," according to a U.S. Department of Commerce federal filing set to be published on Wednesday.

TFASA itself was added to the Commerce Ministry's banned Entity List in June 2023 and is at the center of the former U.S. Marine and now Australian citizen Daniel Duggan's high-profile extradition case.

The United States has accused Duggan, who renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2016 and now has a family in Australia, of knowingly training Chinese military pilots at the South African school in 2012 in technical skills that included landing on aircraft carriers.

Duggan has denied the accusations and says he only thought he was training civilian Chinese pilots. His Australian family says the U.S. military is trying to make an example of him in order to warn other American ex-military members against training Chinese pilots.

In a memo last month, the U.S. military warned Western ex-military against lucrative job offers to train Chinese pilots, with recruitment by firms with ties to China's People's Liberation Army "not always obvious, as companies may not initially promote the PLA's role."

"Job locations may be in China, South Africa, or elsewhere, with lucrative contracts and the opportunity to fly exotic aircraft, with vague details on the ultimate customers," the June 5 memo said.

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 July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Manila: Philippines, China agree to 'de-escalate' South China Sea tensions

But both sides say "significant differences" remain on how to resolve their maritime dispute

Jason Gutierrez for BenarNews 2024.07.02 -- Manila and Beijing agreed to "de-escalate tensions" in the South China Sea following a tense standoff last month at a disputed shoal, Philippine officials said Tuesday after both sides held bilateral talks on the waterway.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong behind closed doors in Manila for the 9th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The two sides "had a frank and constructive discussion on the situation in the South China Sea," the statement said, adding that both "affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions."

Lazaro, however, told Chen that Manila would remain "relentless in protecting its interests and upholding its sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea," the statement said, using Manila's name for South China Sea waters within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

Both sides "affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions," the statement also said.

Lazaro and Chen, who headed their respective delegations at the talks in Makati, Manila's financial district, committed to implementing a "maritime communication mechanism" between their countries' coast guards and to form a joint committee to discuss such incidents, according to the statement.

It gave no further details on this point, and the two senior diplomats did not hold a joint press conference after their meeting. Similar agreements in the past to set up a South China Sea "hotline" to quickly address bilateral problems as they arise have not been effective.

"There was substantial progress on developing measures to manage the situation at sea, but significant differences remain," the statement said.

The talks in Manila followed a dramatic standoff between Filipino servicemen and Chinese coast guard personnel at Second Thomas, or Ayungin, Shoal on June 17, during which a Philippine navy sailor lost a finger.

Last week, Washington's ambassador to Manila, MaryKay Carlson, said that international support for the Philippines was growing in the wake of the incident at Ayungin.

U.S. President Joe Biden has stressed that the South China Sea should be "free and open" where local fishermen can ply their trade free from "coercion" from other countries, Carlson told the East-West Media Conference in Manila on June 26.

"With like-minded partners and all who support the rule of law, we urge [China] to cease harassment of Philippine vessels lawfully operating in the Philippine exclusive economic zones, to halt its disruption to states' sovereign rights to explore, utilize, conserve, and manage natural resources in their territories and EEZs," Carlson said.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, China reiterated its position that Manila's resupply missions to a Philippine military outpost at the shoal violate its jurisdiction, despite the reef being located within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

"The root cause of the current situation is that the Philippines infringed on China's rights and made deliberate provocations," Mao Ning, the Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, said during a news conference.

"The Philippines needs to stop those infringement activities and provocations at once, and return as soon as possible to the track of resolving differences through dialogue and consultation."

BenarNews is an online news outlet affiliated with Radio Free Asia.

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 July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Philippines 'ready' to discuss continental shelf with Vietnam

Manila says it is willing to explore a mutually beneficial solution to South China Sea issues with Hanoi.

By RFA Staff 2024.07.02 -- The Philippines says it is willing to hold talks with Vietnam after it called for consultations on a Philippine submission on an extended continental shelf claim in the South China Sea.

"We are ready to engage Vietnam on possible ways forward that would help achieve a mutually beneficial solution to South China Sea issues in accordance with international law, particularly the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea [UNCLOS]," the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The Philippines also welcomed Vietnam's recognition of the submission, filed on June 14 with the U.N. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, or CLCS, to register the Philippines' entitlement to an extended continental shelf in the West Palawan region of the South China Sea.

On June 20, responding to Manila's submission, Hanoi did not protest outright but instead said that while coastal states had the right to determine their outer continental shelf boundaries under UNCLOS, when submitting their claims "they must respect the legal and legitimate rights and interests of other relevant coastal nations with opposite or adjacent coasts."

A spokesperson for Vietnam said it stayed ready to hold talks with the Philippines to seek a solution that was mutually beneficial for both countries.

Meanwhile, China has rejected the Philippine submission, saying it infringed upon China's sovereign rights and jurisdiction and violated international law.

Beijing says it holds "historic rights" over most of the South China Sea but an arbitral tribunal under UNCLOS in 2016 rejected all of its claims. The Philippine submission, reinforcing the tribunal ruling, has not named China as a party for negotiations on the continental shelf.

China and the Philippines have recently been involved in tense confrontations over some reefs that both claim but lie within Philippine waters in the South China Sea.

Malaysia also "categorically rejects" the Philippines' submission on the basis that the Philippines' continental margin is projected from the baselines of the Malaysian state of Sabah.

"This clearly disregards Malaysia's indisputable sovereignty over the state of Sabah," said a statement issued by the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the U.N.

Acceptable solution

Nguyen Hong Thao, professor of international law at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, or DAV, noted Manila's willingness to discuss the delimitation of maritime boundaries with the relevant countries.

"Vietnam and the Philippines have been maintaining solidarity and cooperation for the common good," he told RFA.

It is unclear when the consultation is expected to begin.

The CLCS said it would look at the Philippine submission in a session between January and March next year.

The extended continental shelf is the stretch of seabed that extends to a maximum of 350 nautical miles (648 km) from the shore of a coastal state, which has exclusive rights to explore it or exploit its natural resources.

However, the Philippine submission may overlap with previous submissions by Vietnam and Malaysia, as well as with a Vietnam-Malaysia joint submission in 2009, against which the Philippines protested.

In a recent opinion piece, DAV's Thao argued that maritime limits, including the overlapping outer limits of the continental shelf in the South China Sea, need to be agreed upon by the countries involved.

He warned of a new "battle of note verbales," or diplomatic notes sent to the U.N. secretary-general to express concern, from neighbors of the Philippines.

The CLCS cannot make a determination if another party objects, and that is why in the immediate future, "the Philippines may consider withdrawing from its objection to the Vietnam-Malaysia joint submission and negotiating with these two countries to find an acceptable solution," the legal expert suggested.

Edited by Mike Firn and Matt Reed.

This story has been updated from statements made by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the U.N.

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 July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Wider Europe Briefing: Should Brussels Be Afraid Of Hungary's EU Presidency?

By Rikard Jozwiak July 02, 2024

Briefing #1: Bracing For The Hungarian EU Presidency

What You Need To Know: The European Union is bracing after Hungary took over the EU's rotating presidency on July 1. It could be an awkward six months for the EU leadership, given that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been on a collision course with Brussels, watering down EU sanctions on Russia, preventing military and financial aid for Ukraine, and questioning Kyiv's EU aspirations.

Hungary, a self-styled "illiberal democracy," has been penalized for what officials in Brussels see as backsliding on democracy, with the EU freezing 6 billion euros ($6.4 billion) of funds meant for the Central European country.

Yet despite the thorny relationship, Hungary's stint as president in the second half of 2024 may not be as dramatic and problematic as some may fear.

The rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, one of the main decision-making bodies of the bloc, which comprises government ministers from the member states, is alternately held for a period of six months by each of the member states. Under this arrangement, each member state has the opportunity to shape the council's agenda.

Deep Background: According to several sources in Brussels with knowledge of the issue, the Hungarian presidency isn't causing too many sleepless nights. This is largely due to two factors: the actual role of the presidency and the quirks of the political calendar.

Let's start with the first. The presidencies of the Council of the European Union are not what they used to be. There was a time when the country whose turn it was really did control the agenda, holding proper summits in their capitals and with their diplomats running the show behind the scenes.

This changed in 2004, when it was decided that all important summits should be held in the Belgian capital. The changes went deeper in 2009 with the advent of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, designed to improve the efficiency and democratic legitimacy of the EU, which created a number of new functions and essentially concentrated power in Brussels.

The Lisbon Treaty created a permanent president of the European Council, which mainly consists of the heads of state or government of the member states. The post is currently held by Belgian politician Charles Michel, who serves a five-year term and chairs all summits.

The council also has a much-expanded and powerful secretariat staffed by EU officials with expertise across all the policy fields. The Lisbon Treaty also created an EU foreign policy chief, currently held by Spanish politician Josep Borrell, and a diplomatic corps, the European External Action Service, to give the foreign policy position some heft. The main task of this person is to prepare and chair the monthly EU foreign affairs council where the bloc's foreign ministers meet to make decisions.

Drilling Down

How does this affect the Hungarian presidency? Well, it lessens the influence of the two most Brussels-bashing members of Hungary's national-conservative government, Orban and his foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto.

Budapest can, of course, still influence the conversation, as seen with the unveiling of their Donald Trump-inspired Make Europe Great Again (MEGA) slogan for the presidency last week. Hungary's bold move was dismissed as "trolling" by many in Brussels, with the feeling there would be more of that type of thing to come.

While the two men will still preside over informal ministerial meetings and even a summit in Budapest in November, their role will be fairly superficial. Notably, they will also have to face questions at press conferences and from foreign media, which they normally tend to shun.

What is concretely left for Hungary to do? Their other ministers, such as those responsible for agriculture or justice, will still chair council meetings in their fields, and Hungarian diplomats will do the same in preparatory working groups. The whole idea of the rotating presidency is that the incumbents are expected to be honest brokers, seeking consensus among member states.

Rather than causing trouble, Hungary might also decide to play nice. Speaking to officials from various member states, some have pointed out that while Hungary most certainly has an agenda -- and one that is often at odds with the consensus -- Hungarian officials have behaved professionally in the run-up to the presidency, underlining that everything will be done by the book.

The second factor that could curtail Hungarian ambitions to impose its agenda is the political calendar. The reality is that in the next six months, little will happen in Brussels in terms of new legislation. That's because the EU capital will be busy with appointing a new European Commission, the bloc's executive and proposer of new laws, a process that includes time-consuming hearings in the European Parliament to approve new commissioners (one from each member state). That process is expected to take up almost the entire fall, and Hungary has no role to play in the decision-making.

There has also been a frantic and largely successful attempt by the current Belgian presidency to clear the decks before Hungary assumed the role. That has meant signing off on a raft of new initiatives and policies. Another round of sanctions on Russia was passed on June 24; restrictive measures targeting Belarus are also expected to be agreed on June 26.

A green light was also given to Ukraine and Moldova to start accession talks on June 25. The process of screening the two EU candidates' various policy accession chapters is expected to take well over six months, and it's likely Budapest won't have to deal with Kyiv's EU accession at all and that it will be the next president of the EU Council, Poland, that will deal with this in 2025.

While Hungary has spoken out against Ukraine's readiness to join the EU, one of Budapest's priorities for the presidency is to advance the membership prospects of Albania and Serbia and possibly even those of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Georgia. (There probably won't be enough support from the member states to green-light the latter two.)

Ahead of Hungary's presidency, the EU even managed to send 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) worth of military aid to support Ukraine in defending itself against Russia. This money comes from the profits from Russian assets frozen in the EU, and Brussels got around the Budapest veto on this measure by noting that Hungary abstained from the original decision to set aside this money, so legally it didn't have a say in how that money would be used.

This is a good illustration of how the Hungarian presidency might well play out. During the discussions in Brussels on this issue last week, the Hungarian representative stayed silent the whole time, essentially waving through the measure, whereas Szijjarto posted an angry rant on Facebook about the legality of the move to freeze Hungary out. This could be Hungary's game plan: being constructive and compliant in Brussels while screaming bloody murder to its audience at home.

Then there is the question of money and those frozen EU funds earmarked for Hungary. While the 1.4 billion euros for Ukraine was passed, a Hungarian veto is still hanging over seven other tranches of military aid, worth nearly 7 billion euros, for the war-torn country.

Hungary is used to bargaining with Brussels and could attempt to link its support for further military aid to Ukraine to the 6 billion euros of EU funds it wants Brussels to release. If Budapest doesn't comply with the EU's rule-of-law requirements by the end of the year, Hungary will permanently lose 1 billion euros. That's one deal that the Hungarians will be keen on making.

Briefing #2: The New Top Jobs In The EU And NATO

What You Need To Know: Both NATO and the European Union last week finalized who will lead them in the coming years. First, the ambassadors of the transatlantic military alliance on June 26 confirmed what has already been known for a few weeks -- that outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will replace Jens Stoltenberg on October 1.

A day later, in another part of the Belgian capital, EU leaders gave Ursula von der Leyen another five-year-mandate as European Commission president. They also chose former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa to replace Charles Michel as the president of the European Council and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas to replace Josep Borrell as the bloc's foreign policy chief. It's not all in the bag yet for von der Leyen and Kallas, as they also need to be confirmed in European Parliament votes. For the former, the vote would take place in mid-July, whereas Kallas will face grueling hearings later in the fall.

So, if approved, what could we expect from these new leaders? First, a disclaimer: While personalities have an impact and their positions certainly carry weight, they are not deciding policy on their own. In the EU, as well as NATO, all important decisions are still made by member states via unanimity on issues such as sanctions and expanding membership.

In many ways Rutte, Costa, and Kallas will be chairing and cajoling an unruly set of leaders (foreign ministers, in the case of Kallas). While they will be the outward face for their respective institutions, their main task will essentially be to forge consensus on important decisions.

Deep Background: Of all of them, von der Leyen is politically the most powerful. The European Commission is the bloc's executive and proposer of new legislation. It can take its member states to court, negotiate trade deals, and police the EU's common market (as U.S. tech firms and Chinese companies have experienced after receiving large fines). The commission oversees a budget worth 2 trillion euros ($2.15 trillion) with considerable freedom of how to disperse and withhold that cash.

There is every reason to believe that von der Leyen will continue to be an influential leader, especially given Europe is facing something of a power vacuum. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to get a battering in the parliamentary elections in July and likely to be something of a lame duck until his term expires in 2027, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will likely be booted out of office by voters next year. The unenviable task of being the bulwark against growing populist forces both inside and outside the bloc may well fall to von der Leyen.

The political leadership in Ukraine will be happy that she is staying on. She has consistently championed Kyiv, helping to secure long-term funding even when "Ukraine fatigue" crept into other parts of the bloc. She was also instrumental in securing EU candidate status for the country, as well as Georgia and Moldova. This year, she also championed a 6 billion-euro plan for EU hopefuls in the Western Balkans.

Drilling Down

An issue for von der Leyen has been her supposedly fractious relationship with outgoing European Council President Michel, which was the source of endless Brussels gossip.

The institutional dysfunction could be a thing of the past, as von der Leyen apparently gets on famously with the incoming Costa, and the Portuguese prime minister appears liked by most EU heads of state and government. Articulate in both English and French, a number of EU officials, speaking on background as they aren't authorized to speak on the record, have told me that the 62-year-old is unlikely to be as fiercely ambitious as his younger predecessor and might even regard this job as his final contribution to high-level politics.

He also enjoys widespread respect in the Global South, and, with his father being half-Goan, half-Mozambican, Costa will be the first ever leader of an EU institution who is non-white.

There are, however, some qualms, notably surrounding his resignation as prime minister last year in the wake of revelations that some of his aides were involved in questionable investment deals for green hydrogen projects. While no longer under investigation, it's seen as a blemish on his record.

And that leads us to Kallas, a Russia hawk who has made it onto Moscow's wanted list. Her dislike of the Kremlin made her, at least in some Western capitals, unsuitable for the job of NATO secretary-general, a position she was also in the running for. Russia aside, she has been vocal about Georgia's democratic backsliding and, while she is an ardent enlargement supporter, it's thought she will be much tougher on Serbia than previous EU top diplomats. Many in Brussels wonder how her outspokenness to date will chime with the staffers of the EU's diplomatic corps. As a precautionary measure, Kallas has moderated her tone in recent months.

Her dislike of the Kremlin made her, at least in some Western capitals, unsuitable for the job of NATO secretary-general, a position she was also in the running for. Russia aside, she has been vocal about Georgia's democratic backsliding and, while she is an ardent enlargement supporter, it's thought she will be much tougher on Serbia than previous EU top diplomats. Many in Brussels wonder how her outspokenness to date will chime with the staffers of the EU's diplomatic corps. As a precautionary measure, Kallas has moderated her tone in recent months. And what about NATO? In many ways, Rutte will be an extension of Stoltenberg, the longest serving secretary-general in the military organization's history. Like Stoltenberg, he is experienced (Dutch prime minister for 14 years) and well-liked by leaders from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He is also known for being able to strike political compromises after heading numerous unwieldy multiparty governments in The Hague. Like Stoltenberg, Rutte is also thought to get on well with Ukraine's leadership and is reported to have the respect of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Looking Ahead

All eyes will be fixed on the second round of the French parliamentary elections on July 7. Most indicators point to a trouncing of Macron's centrist bloc and big gains for both an alliance of left-wing groups and Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN). A hung parliament, rather than an absolute majority for RN, appears to be the most likely outcome.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/hungary-eu-presidency- eu-nato-top-jobs/33017542.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






UN Secretary-General Hopes Kyrgyz-Tajik Border Issues Will Be Resolved Peacefully

By RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service July 02, 2024

CHOLPON-ATA, Kyrgyzstan -- The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed hope that Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will be able to resolve all border issues via peaceful means.

During his talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov in the resort city of Cholpon-Ata on the shores of the Lake Issyk-Kul on July 2, Guterres called on Kyrgyzstan to be "a symbol of peace."

"You make great peace-building efforts, be it border issues or others. I have been to the Ferghana Valley twice and know how difficult it is to settle border issues. It's like a puzzle there. It takes effort to understand and solve everything. We believe that the border issue with Tajikistan will be resolved diplomatically, peacefully, through negotiations, as it was with Uzbekistan," Guterres said.

The delimitation and demarcation of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border has been an issue for decades, but it gained added urgency in recent years after several deadly clashes took place along disputed segments of the frontier.

In spring 2021, an armed conflict along one segment of the border left 36 people dead, including two children, and 154 injured on the Kyrgyz side.

Tajik authorities said that 19 Tajik citizens were killed and 87 were injured during the clashes. However, local residents told RFE/RL's Tajik Service at the time that the number of people killed during the clashes was much higher.

The border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is 972 kilometers long, most of which have now been agreed upon.

Many border areas in Central Asian former Soviet republics have been disputed since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The situation is particularly complicated near the numerous exclaves in the volatile Ferghana Valley, where the borders of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan meet.

Tensions in those areas have led to clashes between local residents and border guards of the three countries.

Guterres arrived in Kyrgyzstan from Uzbekistan on July 1. He is expected to continue his Central Asian tour by visiting Kazakhstan on July 3.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/un-secretary-general-wishes-kyrgyzstan-tajikistan- resolve-border-issues-peacefully/33018420.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






As fighting rages in Sudan, refugee aid efforts expand to two new countries

UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

2 July 2024

GENEVA -- As the impact of the conflict in Sudan continues to spread, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and partners are seeking additional resources to support millions of people forced to flee.

Aid partners now require $1.5 billion, up from $1.4 billion in January, to assist and protect up to 3.3 million people forced to flee, as well as local communities in neighbouring countries, until the end of the year.

Two new countries, Libya and Uganda, have been incorporated into the regional refugee response, in addition to the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

In Libya, UNHCR has registered over 20,000 Sudanese refugees who have arrived in the country since April 2023, with estimates of many more having arrived in the East of the country. With more refugees continuing to arrive since the escalation of fighting in the Darfur region, local services available across the country are overstretched. Refugee families are being forced to sleep in the open as there is a lack of shelter. Medical facilities also cannot keep up with growing needs, putting children in particular at risk of malnutrition.

Uganda - the largest refugee hosting country in Africa -has received more than 39,000 Sudanese refugees since the start of the war. Of these, nearly 27,000 have arrived this year alone, almost three times more than had been expected. Most of them are being hosted in the Kiryandongo refugee settlement, in the west of the country, where they are receiving humanitarian assistance including food, shelter and health care. As more people arrive, these services continue to be stretched, while resources to expand assistance are lacking.

Fourteen months into the war, thousands are still leaving Sudan every day, fleeing brutal violence and abuse, death, disrupted services, limited access to humanitarian aid and looming famine.

In Egypt, more than 402,000 Sudanese refugees have so far been registered, with over 38,000 new arrivals in May alone and more expected to arrive in the coming months. Arrivals in Chad have increased in the past weeks following the recent escalation of fighting in El Fasher, North Darfur, and atrocities reported in Al Jazirah State. Over 600,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived in Chad since the start of the conflict in April 2023. Numbers are expected to continue to increase as many civilians remain trapped or spend weeks hiding during their flight. At least 1,000 people a day still cross the border into South Sudan.

Neighbouring countries have shown great solidarity in welcoming those fleeing the war, but services in host communities remain overstretched, making it extremely difficult for refugees to settle, make a living and rebuild their lives.

So far, only 19 per cent of the required funds for the refugee response have been received, abysmally insufficient to cover the most basic needs for people forced to flee. The cost of inaction is having grave consequences for refugees. Food rations have been drastically cut, leading to severe food insecurity, and exacerbating harmful coping strategies. In the Central African Republic, 24,000 refugees remain without any form of humanitarian aid while 180,000 new arrivals in Chad are still waiting to be relocated away from border areas. In Egypt, nearly 75,000 refugee children are not enrolled in school. South Sudan urgently needs to expand refugee camps and settlements to avoid severe overcrowding in existing facilities.

Expected heavy rains in some of the countries also risks complicating the delivery of humanitarian aid, particularly to border areas. As aid, essential services and opportunities remain insufficient, there is the risk of many refugees choosing to move further afield.

Through the appeal, host governments will be supported to ensure access to territory and asylum for people seeking international protection. Funds will also strengthen government-led efforts to deliver critical assistance such as registration and identification of the most vulnerable, services for gender-based violence survivors, mental health, food, transport, logistics, health, and education services among others. Efforts to improve resilience through enhanced livelihood opportunities for people forced to flee and host communities in integrated settlements and in areas of return will be prioritized.

UNHCR continues to urge for stronger donor support for the response.

Since the conflict started, 10 million people have fled their homes in Sudan, with many displaced multiple times in search of safety. Of these, nearly 2 million people have arrived in neighbouring countries, with 7.7 million newly internally displaced and 220,000 refugees who have self-relocated within the country.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






One child displaced every minute in Haiti as armed violence persists - UNICEF

UNICEF

Over 300,000 children now internally displaced in the country, a 60 per cent increase since March

02 July 2024

PORT-AU-PRINCE/NEW YORK, 2 JULY 2024 -- The number of internally displaced children in Haiti has increased by an estimated 60 per cent since March - the equivalent of one child every minute - a result of ongoing violence caused by armed groups.

According to latest estimates, almost 600,000 people - over half of whom are children - are now internally displaced in Haiti and in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

"Children in Haiti continue to endure an onslaught of multiple dangers, including horrific violence and critical levels of displacement," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. "The humanitarian catastrophe unfolding before our eyes is taking a devastating toll on children. Displaced children are in desperate need of a safe and protective environment, and increased support and funding from the international community."

Displaced children and adolescents in Haiti are at increased risk of violence, including sexual assault, exploitation and abuse, and family separation. They often face disrupted access to services, such as safe spaces, health care, and clean water and sanitation.

Poor hygiene conditions in camps and makeshift settlements put them at increased risk of disease, including cholera, while school closures and financial constraints caused by the ongoing violence have forced many to drop out of school.

Meanwhile, years of political turmoil, alongside the devastating economic conditions, has fueled the growth of armed groups. In the absence of other means of survival or protection, children are increasingly forced to join these groups - a clear violation of their rights and a breach of international law.

With ninety per cent of Haiti's population living in poverty and three million children in need of humanitarian assistance, this new wave of internally displaced people are also contending with what the National Emergency Operations Center announced as a "hyperactive" cyclone season. Last month, a tornado destroyed the homes of 650 children in Bassin Bleu, in the country's Northwest Department.

The crippled healthcare system that was barely able to cope with demand before the latest escalation of violence will have to contend with a rainy season that is expected to continue to worsen the situation, threatening to spike water-borne disease in a country that reported over 84,000 suspected cholera cases.

"The needs in Haiti continue to grow, alongside the dangers for children. Everyone has a role to play to change the trajectory, and ensure that children get back to school, that they are safe, and that they have access to basic services. Children should not be paying with their lives and their futures for a crisis created by adults," said Russell.

#####

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






10 years of crises: The forgotten children of the Central African Republic

UNICEF

This is a summary of what was said by UNICEF Representative in the Central African Republic Meritxell Relano Aranato whom quoted text may be attributed at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva

02 July 2024

GENEVA, 2 July 2024 -- "Today, the three million girls and boys of the Central Africa Republic face the highest registered level of overlapping and interconnected crises and deprivation in the world.

"The Central African Republic (CAR) now holds the tragic distinction of being ranked first among 191 countries as the most at-risk for humanitarian crises and disaster. This dire status underscores the severe and urgent challenges faced by its youngest citizens.

"Ten years of protracted conflict and instability in CAR has left every single one of CAR's three million children at risk.

"There is a host of distressing data that speaks to the lives of children in CAR; I will mention just four, though the briefing note James shares has more data:

1 in 2 children do not have access to health services.

Around just one-third (37%) of children attend school regularly.

Nearly two in three (61%) young women were married before the age of 18

Almost 40% of the children in the country suffer from chronic malnutrition.

"Weakened institutions and the constant threat of violence compound the multiple risks to the rights of children. The fact that the crisis in CAR has been stretched out over so many years - and that, sadly, so many other global crises continue to unfold in parallel - means that the children of CAR have become painfully invisible. But their pain and loss are profoundly evident.

"However, there is hope. Now is a critical moment; indeed, it is the moment for the international community to rally for a change of course for the children of CAR.

"The government's new National Development Plan, alongside other major commitments to improve children's rights, mean UNICEF and its partners have a viable mechanism to push for a change of course: to chart a new future for the children and the country.

"Amid this rare moment of opportunity, the greatest risk is that the champions these children rely oninternational donors, global media, and an informed publicmay turn their backs and look away in the face of simultaneous global crises.

"In my most clear and candid language: this will mean many children will unnecessarily die; many more will see their futures destroyed. A child is a child, and, as such, it is imperative that the international community does not forget the children of CAR."

###

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Gaza: 250,000 set to be displaced by new Khan Younis escalation

By Daniel Johnson 02 July 2024 - "Chaos and panic" are spreading in southern Gaza where an estimated 250,000 people are set to be impacted by new Israeli military evacuation orders from Khan Younis in Gaza, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.

In an alert detailing another night of heavy bombardment across the enclave, the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees, UNRWA, said that Gazans fleeing the southern city have had to erect shelters at the water's edge because displacement camps are already packed at the coast.

Only a few weeks ago, Khan Younis was deserted after intense Israeli bombardment damaged or destroyed homes and buildings, but families with few other options went there after Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) moved into Rafah at the beginning of May.

"It's another devasting blow to the humanitarian response here, it's another devasting blow to the people, the families on the ground. It seems that they've been forcibly displaced again and again," said UNRWA Senior Communications Officer Louise Wateridge.

'Impossible decisions'

Those forced to move now had a series of "impossible" decisions to make, she added.

"How do parents decide where to go; where is there to go? Already by this morning, just to the middle Gaza area, along the coastal road, you can see the makeshift shelters right up to the shoreline, right up to the water coming in. It is absolutely packed with families who have already had to move."

The UNRWA officer noted that heavy bombardment has continued "in the north, middle and south areas of the Gaza Stripno place is safe. Already on the ground, we are seeing families move away from this area. There is more chaos and panic spreading on the ground."

Despite a lack of fuel and safety, Ms. Wateridge insisted that the UN agency has continued to deliver water, food parcels, flour, nappies, mattresses, tarpaulins and healthcare.

"But it is becoming almost impossible for the UN to provide any kind of response due to the Israeli imposed siegeand now further displacement orders that once again impact our access to the Kerem Shalom border crossing to receive aid".

Echoing deep concerns about the lack of aid reaching Gaza, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted how the lack of fuel deliveries has "significantly compromised" care in the enclave.

Fuel in short supply

Gaza's healthcare sector alone requires 80,000 litres of fuel every day to function but only 195,000 to 200,000 litres last arrived at the end of June; "since then, no fuel has entered Gaza" via Kerem Shalom, said Dr Hanan Balkhy, regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean.

Speaking from Jerusalem via video link, the WHO official explained that the shipment had to be shared by all sectors including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) requiring 70,000 litres a day.

"As a result, hospitals are once again short on fuel, risking disruption to critical services are injured people are dying because ambulance services are facing delays due to shortage of fuel," Dr Balkhy said, adding that a lack of gasoline and diesel were also affecting essential water and sanitation services such as water, delivery, sewage pumping and waste collection.

Disease concerns

From 15 to 23 June the water and sanitation cluster received less than five per cent of the fuel required daily to keep services running and as a result, water service providers "are forced to ration operations of municipal groundwater wells and the two working water desalination plants, reducing water production even more".

This is "significantly contributing to the spread of diseases", the WHO official continued, highlighting concerning spikes in the number of adults and children suffering from waterborne diseases such as hepatitis A, diarrhoea, skin conditions and others.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Amid Deteriorating Situation in Gaza, Senior Humanitarian Coordinator, Briefing Security Council, Stresses Need for Ceasefire, Unimpeded Delivery of Aid

Meetings Coverage

Security Council

9678th Meetings (AM)

SC/15757

2 July 2024

Delegate Says Resolution 2720 (2023) Has Proven Ineffective, Condemns Israel's 'Deliberate Policy of Using Starvation as a Means of War'

Even as Gaza reels under violence and food insecurity, the international community must not lose sight of its recovery and reconstruction, the Security Council heard today as it met to consider the Palestinian question and the implementation of a recently adopted resolution.

"I would like to live in a home, like other children", an eight-year-old child from a camp in Gaza told Sigrid Kaag, Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, she recalled as she detailed her recent visit there. "Talking about recovery, reconstruction and financing can be abstract", but viewed through a human lens, it means dignified shelter, basic functioning health, sanitation and water systems and the rehabilitation of educational institutions, she said.

Underscoring the importance of not delaying such efforts, she said that while humanitarian aid delivery is the priority at the moment, Palestinians should not be expected to depend on it forever. Highlighting the need to create a modern local economy in Gaza, she said the international community needs to consider traditional development financing, the establishment of new trust funds and innovative financing instruments. "Ambitious reconstruction planning requires ambitious and generous financing", she said.

Turning to the implementation of Council resolution 2720 (2023), she noted that it "has been fraught with challenges". Calling for increased political will, she stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages and unimpeded delivery of aid. The mechanism for monitoring and verification of humanitarian assistance, mandated by the resolution, has begun capturing humanitarian aid shipments, and UN monitors, pending visa approvals, are getting ready to deploy to Gaza, she said.

When the floor opened, many Council members expressed alarm about the deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip and called on Israel to enable humanitarian aid delivery, in line with Council resolution 2720 (2023). That text demanded the parties to the conflict to allow the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to Palestinian civilians throughout that territory and established the aforementioned mechanism for speeding up the provision of humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza.

"Council resolution 2720 (2023) has proven ineffective", Algeria's delegate underscored, noting that tree leaves have become a commodity in Gaza  "not for livestock, but for people". While the mechanism was presented as a solution to obstacles imposed by the Israeli occupying administration, UN statistics clearly show an extremely low volume of aid delivery. Recalling images of more than 1,200 trucks waiting on the Egyptian side of the border, he pointed to the complex administrative processes required and condemned "the Israeli occupier's deliberate policy of using starvation as a means of war".

"We have no right to be surprised", said the representative of Slovenia, noting that the situation is not getting better in spite of four resolutions, the International Court of Justice order, the UN mechanism and various "assurances that we have received". "We have heard from Israel that there is no limit to aid reaching Gaza. We find it hard to believe", he said, asking why 50,000 children require treatment for acute malnutrition if there is no limit to the aid reaching Gaza.

Ecuador's delegate also expressed concern about the problems faced in the operationalization of the mechanism, adding that this is "due to a lack of political will", while Sierra Leone's delegate urged the Council to "refuse to normalize this human tragedy of epic proportions". Along similar lines, Guyana's delegate asked Council members to never "get accustomed or immune to the reports of pain and suffering of the Palestinian people". She also expressed concern that humanitarian workers appear to be targeted systematically  "presumably as part of a larger strategy" to annihilate as many Palestinians as possible through deprivation, she added.

The representative of the Russian Federation, President of the Security Council for July, speaking in his national capacity, noted that 274 humanitarian workers have been killed by Israel's military operation. Of these, 197 were UN personnel and 193 of them from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). "No matter how carefully Ms. Kaag chooses her words", he said, the reality is that humanitarian access is not being ensured. He also pointed out that the United States-built temporary pier has been destroyed several times due to inclement weather  instead of building the pier, the United States should demand that Israel lift the blockade, he said.

The United State, that country's delegate said, continues to press Israel to improve humanitarian access; however, "the best way to address the crisis is for Hamas to accept the ceasefire proposal". Citing her Government's announcement of an additional $404 million in life-saving humanitarian aid to support Palestinian civilians in the region, she said for humanitarian organizations to safely carry out their work, the Israel Defense Forces must improve the overall security environment inside Gaza.

THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, INCLUDING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION

Briefing

SIGRID KAAG, Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza pursuant to Security Council resolution 2720 (2023), noted that nearly nine months since the Hamas attack, the hostages' plight continues to torment the Israeli people, while Palestinian civilians in Gaza have been plunged into an abyss of suffering. Following the Israeli offensive against Rafah since 6 May, over 1 million people have been displaced once again. Recalling her visits to Gaza, she said she is asked repeatedly: "will our suffering ever end?". Stressing the need for a full and complete ceasefire in Gaza, she also demanded the release of all hostages and the delivery of aid at scale. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) must be allowed to deliver on its mandated role. Noting her meetings with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and key Cabinet members, she said the implementation of Security Council resolution 2720 (2023), which establishes a framework to accelerate the delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza, "has been fraught with challenges".

Stressing the importance of political will, she said the mechanism for monitoring and verification of humanitarian assistance, mandated by the resolution, is now capturing humanitarian aid shipments from Jordan, Cyprus, Israel and the West Bank into Gaza. The activation of the mechanism for supplies from Egypt is expected by mid-July. Subject to visa approvals, UN monitors are getting ready to deploy to the mechanism's newly established offices in Gaza, she said, adding that more contributions are urgently needed to address the $2.5 billion flash appeal. Highlighting the commitments made by the Israeli War Cabinet, related to resolution 2720 (2023), she said her mission has been monitoring their implementation, including the direct entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza from the north via the Zikim and Erez crossings, the use of the port of Ashdod and approval for the resumption of the electricity line to the desalination facility in Khan Younis.

Highlighting last week's evacuation of 21 Palestinian children with serious illnesses and their accompanying adults from Gaza to Egypt via Kerem Shalom crossing, she said discussions are ongoing to establish a more regular and predictable system of medical evacuations. Describing this as a priority, she called for the Council's urgent attention to this. "Many of you will be familiar with the images of supplies accumulated at Kerem Shalom crossing," she said, adding that the UN has asked Israel to find solutions to enable the safe delivery of aid. "We cannot ask Palestinian civilians to put their future on hold," she said, adding that while politics and conditions on the ground may dictate the pace and nature of recovery and reconstruction efforts, preparations should not wait. The Palestinian Authority has a critical role to play in Gaza, she said, calling on the international community to support its financial and governance capacities. The creation of a modern local economy in Gaza should be a priority, because Palestinians should not be expected to depend on humanitarian assistance, she underscored.

"Ambitious reconstruction planning requires ambitious and generous financing," she said, adding that the international community needs to consider a range of financing options and instruments, from traditional development financing to the establishment of new trust funds to tried-and-tested innovative financing instruments. "Talking about recovery, reconstruction and financing can be abstract, but if we view it through a human lens, it means dignified shelter while more permanent housing is being built or refurbished, the restoration of basic functioning health, sanitation and water systems and the rehabilitation of schools," among others, she said. Recalling meetings with many of the strong women of Gaza, she said their leadership should be integrated into the recovery and reconstruction process. The estimated 17,000 children orphaned by the war will need support as will the large numbers of people with disabilities, including the vast number of amputees who will require prostheses. While resolution 2720 (2023) has achieved significant progress, there is no substitute for political will, full respect for international humanitarian law, she said, relaying the words of an eight-year-old girl from Gaza: "I live in a camp, I would like to live in a home, like other children."

Statements

The representative of Japan , while noting that Israel's military operation continues, said that she was "relieved to hear of the significant progress in the coordination and management of humanitarian assistance to Gaza". Given the vast scale and scope of need, the work of the United Nations  including UNRWA, the backbone of the humanitarian response  is crucial and, therefore, requires further support. For its part, Japan has provided humanitarian aid worth more than $120 million since October 2023 in sectors such as food, water, sanitation, hygiene and medical care. Tokyo has also made extensive in-kind contributions of blankets, jerry-cans, plastic sheets and sleeping mats to UNRWA and other aid organizations. While emphasizing that her country will continue to provide necessary assistance  and encouraging others to do so as well  she stressed: "Ultimately, however, what is needed more than ever is the implementation of Security Council resolution 2735 (2024)."

The representative of China voiced concern over the unprecedented deterioration of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where  due to extreme shortages of supplies and dire health conditions  millions of people are struggling with hunger, disease and despair. Gaza  "an open-air prison"  has been under blockade for nine months, with the supply of water, electricity and fuel cut out. Further, the entry of humanitarian supplies into Gaza has been obstructed, and people have been denied access to the most basic necessities. The facilities of humanitarian agencies have become repeated targets, he said, adding that an unprecedented number of humanitarian workers were killed. Urging Israel to fulfil its obligations under international humanitarian law, he stated: "Hunger cannot be weaponized, humanitarian issues cannot be politicized and human-made exacerbation of the humanitarian disaster is unacceptable."

The representative of France , calling for the complete implementation of Council resolutions 2712 (2023), 2720 (2023), 2728 (2024) and 2735 (2024), expressed alarm that the number of civilian victims continues to increase, while famine is taking hold and 80 per cent of civilian infrastructure has been destroyed. "An entire generation of children have been traumatized and deprived of education", he said, calling on Israel to open the Rafah crossing and enable the delivery of aid throughout Gaza. Stressing the role of UNRWA, he said the goods delivered to Gaza must be distributed in a safe way, corresponding to the reality of the needs. Also stressing that the protection of humanitarian workers must be guaranteed, he said: "France demands an immediate ceasefire and release of all hostages." His country is against the offensive on Rafah in line with the International Court of Justice order, he said, adding that it is urgent to work towards the creation of a Palestinian State that includes Gaza.

The representative of Guyana expressed concern that humanitarian workers appear to be targeted systematically  "presumably as part of a larger strategy to annihilate as many Palestinians as possible through deprivation and other means". Detailing the dire situation in the Gaza Strip, she stressed that Israel must facilitate increased humanitarian access while recalling the relevant orders issued by the International Court of Justice on 26 January, 28 March and 24 May. "There is no substitute for land crossings", she added. Further, she called on the parties to ensure the safety of humanitarian personnel and demanded an end to the war, which must stop so that Palestinians can rebuild their lives. The international community must also facilitate the rebuilding of Gaza, which is critical for advancing the two-State solution. Urging Council members never to "get accustomed or immune to the reports of pain and suffering of the Palestinian people", she stressed: "Our hunger to act must never diminish."

The representative of Switzerland , sounding alarm over the appalling humanitarian situation in Gaza, condemned that the hostilities continue to claim many civilian victims, particularly among children and the 1.7 million displaced persons in the Strip. Around 95 per cent of the population there is facing high levels of acute food insecurity; within this, 15 per cent are at the catastrophic level. "The high risk of famine will persist as long as the conflict continues and humanitarian access is hampered," she stressed. In its orders, the International Court of Justice has confirmed the urgency of delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. Yet the level of aid remains clearly and vastly insufficient in the face of the immensity of the needs. Against this backdrop, she called for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

The representative of Sierra Leone said the situation of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip  from the massive death toll to food insecurity and famine  cannot be normalized. "We must refuse to normalize this human tragedy of epic proportions", he underscored, adding that the continuous escalation in conflict has impacted the ability of humanitarian agencies to provide life-saving assistance to civilians. Over 193 UN personnel have been killed during the conflict, as well as other humanitarian workers, he noted, expressing support for the office of the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator. Ongoing discussions with the Government of Israel should prioritize the issue of unimpeded provision of and access to humanitarian aid and essential services, he said, welcoming the operationalization of the mechanism provided for in resolution 2720 (2023) and improved access in the north. Noting the constraints UNRWA and other partners encounter on the ground to store, transport and distribute aid to south and central Gaza, he stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire.

The representative of Ecuador pointed out that, despite the Senior Coordinator's efforts, it has not been possible to deliver humanitarian aid sufficient to ensure the population's access to "services essential for its survival". Military operations in Rafah have affected the entry of aid  "which already was inadequate", he observed  and distribution remains a complex, dangerous task. While welcoming efforts to operationalize the mechanism provided for in resolution 2720 (2023), he said that the problems such efforts face are "due to a lack of political will". Without that, it will be impossible to increase the quality and quantity of aid; to adopt measures that allow for its safe, unimpeded distribution; or prepare for early recovery and reconstruction. Calling on all parties to the conflict to remember that resolution 2720 (2023) demands they cooperate with the Senior Coordinator, he urged them to "demonstrate their political will in this and all other aspects of the conflict".

The representative of Mozambique said "currently, we are witnessing deaths on a daily basis and a large scale in Gaza". Hostages have not yet been released and humanitarian assistance has not reached the millions of Gazans in need. "There are no plausible reasons for the current unjustified and unbearable suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza," he observed, stressing that the humanitarian catastrophe must end. Noting that humanitarian efforts in Gaza require a solid ceasefire, he reminded Council members of their duty to address the situation there as an urgent matter. In parallel, efforts must be made for the release of hostages, humanitarian access and assistance, dialogue for peace, the reconstruction of Gaza and the implementation of a two-State solution.

The representative of Malta , noting that more than 37,000 people have been killed as a result of the Israeli military operation, expressed concern about reports detailing the use of starvation as a method of warfare. Stressing the importance of unimpeded and safe delivery of humanitarian aid into and throughout Gaza, he said that land routes remain the most feasible and effective way to ensure that unprecedented levels of aid now enter the Strip. "Last week's killing of an MSF [Doctors without Borders] staffer is another tragic demonstration" of the high price humanitarian workers continue to pay, with impunity", he said, stressing that UNRWA is an irreplaceable actor. Urging both Hamas and Israel to accept the terms of the proposal outlined in resolution 2735 (2024), he said this is the only way to allow for the significant flooding of aid into and across Gaza. It would also allow the space for the massive recovery and reconstruction efforts necessary, he pointed out.

The representative of Algeria recalled that the mechanism contemplated by resolution 2720 (2023) was presented as a solution to obstacles imposed by the Israeli occupying administration. However, he stressed: "A quick look at the latest UN statistics shows an undisputed conclusion  resolution 2720 (2023) has proven ineffective." In June, the access rate did not exceed 73 trucks per day, and he said that "this small number is the result of the Israeli occupier's deliberate policy of using starvation as a means of war". Images of more than 1,200 trucks waiting on the Egyptian side of the border demonstrate the deterrent, complex administrative processes. Further, the increased entry rate in April proved that the smooth entry of aid "is linked only to international pressure and, unfortunately, to the occupier's willingness", he stated. Citing reports that tree leaves have become a commodity in Gaza  "not for livestock, but for people"  he said: "Without urgent action, the world will witness a humanitarian tragedy."

The representative of the United States , noting that the UN's response capabilities are essential, said that 96 per cent of the Gaza population  over 2 million people  will likely experience a catastrophic level of food insecurity between now and September. Underlining the need to provide sustained and unhindered humanitarian assistance, she stressed that opening all existing land crossings into Gaza is a vital step. Relatedly, she supported efforts to distribute aid within Gaza so it would reach the most vulnerable, including women and children. For humanitarian organizations to safely carry out their work, the Israel Defense Forces must improve the overall security environment inside Gaza, she asserted, adding that the United States continues to press Israel to improve humanitarian access. However, "the best way to address the crisis is for Hamas to accept the ceasefire proposal", she stated, noting that it would create the conditions to support a massive surge of relief for Palestinians and allow for increased commercial activities in Gaza. For its part, the United States announced in June an additional $404 million in life-saving humanitarian aid to support Palestinian civilians in Gaza, the West Bank and the region.

The representative of Slovenia , noting that the situation is not getting better in spite of four resolutions, the International Court of Justice order, the UN mechanism and various "assurances that we have received", added: "We have no right to be surprised." Famine in Gaza is human-made  a choice made by Hamas who is sacrificing its people and Israel not fulfilling its duty as the occupying Power, he said. Using starvation as a method of warfare is prohibited under international law and can amount to a war crime, he pointed out, adding: "We have heard from Israel that there is no limit to aid reaching Gaza. We find it hard to believe." If there is no limit to the aid reaching Gaza, why do 50,000 children require treatment for acute malnutrition? he asked. Welcoming the start of the work of the UN mechanism, he said: "We are missing the main ingredient for the mechanism's success  a ceasefire." The end of bombing in itself will not magically solve problems for civilians in Gaza; it is time for the Council to start reflecting on Gaza beyond a ceasefire, he stressed.

The representative of the Republic of Korea stressed that international law obliges Israel  not the UN or non-governmental organizations  to restore and ensure public order and safety in the Strip. "When aid cannot be delivered to civilians, the number of trucks crossing the border into Gaza is meaningless beyond mere statistics," he observed. Further, while humanitarian assistance alone cannot meet needs, permissions for commercial goods should not lead to a decrease in the humanitarian cargo entering Gaza. He also stated that Israel should do more to protect humanitarian workers and that all land crossings must be opened  which will not only increase the volume of aid, but also shorten the distance between entry and distribution points. To achieve all of this, however, an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages are needed. "People all around the world are eagerly watching to see the agreement detailed in resolution 2735 (2024) be finalized," he said.

The representative of the United Kingdom expressed concern over the devastating and deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza where "too many people have died". A negotiated pause in the fighting that leads to a sustainable ceasefire is the best way to both secure the release of the hostages and enable the major and essential scaling up of humanitarian aid. "There is now a deal on the table  endorsed by this Council  to achieve those goals", she said, calling on Hamas to accept it. She also urged Israel to fulfil its commitments to increase the amount of aid getting into Gaza and to meet its obligations to facilitate unhindered humanitarian access. Relatedly, the Rafah crossing must be immediately reopened and aid scaled up through all other crossing points.

The representative of the Russian Federation , President of the Security Council for July, speaking in his national capacity, noting that sustainable and adequate provision of aid in Gaza is impossible, said that Gazans are on the brink of famine. The ongoing military operation has resulted in over 38,000 deaths and displaced people are being asked to flee yet again. The system of deconfliction is not working, he noted, adding that 274 humanitarian workers have been killed by Israel's military operation. Of these, 197 were United Nations personnel and 193 of them from UNRWA. "No matter how carefully Ms. Kaag chooses her words", he said, the reality is that humanitarian access is not being ensured and the channels of delivery are limited. When they open, it is for a short time, he said, and citing Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, added that even after the Israel Defense Forces announce pauses of hostilities to enable aid delivery, nothing changes. Humanitarian organizations need to soberly assess the situation on the ground, he said, noting that the United States-built temporary pier has been destroyed several times due to inclement weather. Noting its high construction and operating costs, he said instead of building the pier, the United States should demand that Israel lift the blockade.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US, ROKAF conduct training to enhance tactical airlift capabilities

Published July 2, 2024

By Senior Airman Natalie Doan

374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNS) -- A formation of five C-130J Super Hercules from the U.S. Air Force and Republic of Korea Air Force executed a mass airdrop resupply mission as part of a training to strengthen tactical airlift capabilities in the Korean Peninsula June 25.

The event marked the first time the U.S. Air Force and ROKAF conducted a combined five-ship formation on the peninsula, underscoring efforts by both the ROKAF, 7th Air Force and 374th Airlift Wing to further develop their relationship and enhance interoperability.

We are here to support an airdrop sortie for a C-130 out of Yokota [Air Base], as well as a ROKAF unit out of Gimhae to do an airdrop of container delivery system bundles," said Capt. George Foggin, 607th Air Support Operations Group air mobility liaison officer, whose unit provided the ground control and coordination for the designated drop zone.

Airmen assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron flew four C-130Js from Yokota Air Base, Japan, to Gimhae Air Base, Republic of Korea, where container delivery system bundles were loaded onto each aircraft by Air Force and ROKAF personnel.

During this time, Air Force and ROKAF pilots also came together for a briefing to discuss the details of the mission.



"The 36th AS conducted this training to build interoperability with the Republic of Korea Air Force and facilitate tactical airdrop training," said Capt. Timothy Kim, 36th AS chief of theater engagement. "Practicing airdrops and tactical flying  especially in new airspaces and new drop zones  is always valuable training for the 36th AS. It was a great opportunity to interfly with our ROK allies."

The 36th AS and ROKAF last worked together during Operation Christmas Drop 2023 to deliver humanitarian assistance to 58 remote Micronesian islands. Prior to that, the two forces collaborated during Exercise Herk Guardians 23, where they conducted tactical formation training through low altitude flying and combined formation flights.

Capt. Heejoong Kim, 36th AS C-130J Super Hercules instructor pilot, served as the deputy mission commander for HG 23 and the mission commander for this most recent airdrop training. To him, the experience and relationships built during HG 23 paved the way for both forces to successfully coordinate mission plans in dispersed locations and execute a mass airdrop resupply.

"These trainings prove that we can work together and support each other in times of crisis," Heejong said. "The more we train together, the more comfortable we will be working together.

"There are challenges to overcome, from organizational culture to language barriers," he concluded. "These barriers can only be solved by working together and understanding each other better, enabling us to operate and execute missions effectively and efficiently as combined forces through partnership."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






USS MASON RETURNS TO MAYPORT FROM COMBAT DEPLOYMENT

US Navy

02 July 2024

From ENS Emily Moore

NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. -- Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) returned to Naval Station Mayport, July 2, 2024, after being deployed for more than eight months in the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command area of operations.

Mason was deployed for 263 days in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Mediterranean Sea, supporting freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce.

While deployed, Mason faced unprecedented attacks from the Houthi terrorist group based out of Yemen.

"I am extremely proud of this battle tested and battle proven crew who achieved unparalleled accomplishments while deployed," said Cmdr. Justin B. Smith, Mason's commanding officer. "No matter the threat or challenge, they demonstrated an innate ability to sustain a high level of readiness for eight months by thinking on their feet and quickly reacting. As result of their abilities, they protected Mason's crew and exceeded all mission tasking throughout deployment."

While deployed, Mason intercepted multiple unmanned aerial vessels and anti-ship ballistic missiles targeting merchant vessels and coalition warships. In support of the freedom of navigation and worldwide commerce, Mason escorted and saved 26 merchant vessels as they transited through the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait.

On Nov. 26, 2023, Mason responded to a distress call in the Gulf of Aden where five suspected pirates overtook M/V Central Park. Once Mason arrived, the suspected pirates fled, and Mason's Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure team took custody of the suspected pirates and freed the crew stuck in the ship's citadel.

Continuing the global support of the free flow of commerce, the crew displayed proficient interoperability between coalition partners through Liaison Naval Officers, helicopter cross deck operations, ship maneuvering exercises, and coordinated engagements.

Mason was deployed as part of the Dwight D. Eisenhower (IKE) Carrier Strike Group (CSG). IKECSG operated in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations to deepen strategic relationships with allies and partners, and to support maritime security and stability.

The strike group is commanded by CSG-2 and comprised of flagship Dwight D. Eisenhower, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 with its nine squadrons, USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 22 with its guided missile destroyers.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






USS Springfield Returns Home to Naval Station Guam Following Indo-Pacific Deployment

US Navy

02 July 2024

From Courtesy Story

NAVAL BASE GUAM -- The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Springfield (SSN 761) returned to its homeport June 29, after completing a routine deployment in the Indo-Pacific, reaffirming its vital role in maintaining security and stability in the region.

"Springfield exemplifies the excellence of our submarine force, serving as a cornerstone in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific," said Capt. Neil Steinhagen, commander, Submarine Squadron 15. "The crew has contributed uniquely to our mission, and their dedication reflects our steadfast commitment to our allies across the region and truly embodies their motto, United for Freedom."

During their deployment, Springfield conducted vital missions crucial to national security, enhancing operational capabilities and reinforcing deterrence efforts within the Indo-Pacific. The crew also had the opportunity to visit Japan for a routine port visit to Yokosuka, where they hosted Mr. Arima Yutaka, Assistant Minister (Ambassador) / Director-General of North American Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

"The true strength of our vessel lies in our Sailors, who consistently impress with their professionalism, teamwork, and unwavering dedication to enhancing the operational environment," said Cmdr. Andrew Domina, commanding officer, USS Springfield. "Outside of normal operations, our crew had the distinct honor of hosting our foreign allies and partners, allowing them to get a firsthand look at our submarines. This was a great opportunity for bilateral engagement and allowed our partners to gain a better understanding of who we are and what we do in support of our Pacific mission."

Springfield is the fourth ship of the United States Navy to bear the name. The boat was named in honor of both the cities of Springfield, Illinois and Springfield, Massachusetts. It was launched on Jan. 4, 1992 and commissioned on Jan. 9, 1993.

Assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 15 at Polaris Point, Naval Base Guam, Springfield is one of four Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines forward-deployed in the Pacific. Renowned for their unparalleled speed, endurance, stealth, and mobility, the Los Angeles-class submarines are the backbone of the Navy's submarine force, ensuring readiness and agility in safeguarding maritime interests worldwide.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UN: Israel's evacuation order for Khan Younis covers tens of thousands

By VOA News July 02, 2024

The United Nations expressed deep concern Tuesday over an Israeli evacuation order for a large swath of the southern Gaza Strip, which it said affects tens of thousands of civilians.

"Yesterday's order for evacuation of 117 square kilometers in Khan Younis and Rafah governorates applies to about a third of the Gaza Strip - making it the largest such order since October, when residents were ordered to evacuate northern Gaza," Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told reporters.

The U.N. agency that assists Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, estimates that nearly 250,000 people may have resided in the areas under the order at the time it was issued.

Dujarric said people in those areas are left with the "impossible choice" of having to relocate again, to areas that have barely any spaces or services, or staying where they know fighting will take place.

He said the new evacuation order covers an area with more than 90 schools, most of which are housing the displaced, as well as four medical points.

Israeli forces carried out attacks in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, with Palestinian health officials saying at least eight people were killed.

The attacks included bombardments of Khan Younis, a day after Israel issued its latest evacuation order to Palestinians in the city.

Israel's military said it carried out airstrikes overnight in an area of Khan Younis where militants had fired 20 rockets toward Israeli settlements.

More Israeli airstrikes targeted the southern city of Rafah, while Israeli ground troops conducted operations against Hamas in central Gaza, the military said.

Israel has repeatedly told Palestinians to leave certain parts of Gaza, usually ahead of military offensives, in a move Israel says is meant to protect civilians from the war. The evacuations, along with the fighting, have meant people have had to flee multiple times in search of safety.

A resident who lives in the targeted evacuation zone, Ahmad Najjar, told Agence France-Presse, "Fear and extreme anxiety have gripped people after the evacuation order." He observed that there has been "a large displacement of residents."

Aid flows

In New York, Sigrid Kaag, the U.N. senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council that since Israel began its military operation in Rafah in early May, the volume of aid entering and being distributed across Gaza "has dropped significantly."

"Military activity and the lack of safe routes inside Gaza continue to severely impact humanitarian operations," she said. "A near-total breakdown of civil order has further led to an environment of lawlessness and criminality."

Kaag said the United Nations has asked Israel to find solutions to allow for the safe delivery of aid. Israel disputes that it is not fulfilling its commitments and says it is allowing aid to flow into Gaza from several crossing points.

"Although intentions and commitments may be convincing, the only credible measure of change and progress are the improvements in the lives and well-being of Palestinian civilians in Gaza," she said.

Kaag has also been tasked by the Security Council with establishing a mechanism to monitor and verify the humanitarian nature of all aid entering Gaza to facilitate its speedy distribution. She said it is now operational.

"The mechanism is now capturing humanitarian aid shipments from Jordan, Cyprus, Israel, and the West Bank into Gaza, ensuring greater volume at certain times, transparency and prioritization," she said, adding the mechanism would be active for relief supplies coming from Egypt by mid-July.

Kaag said options are also being discussed on the feasibility and longer-term planning of the Cyprus Maritime Corridor. Relief supplies have been inspected in Cyprus and sent by ship to Gaza since mid-May, but the U.S.-constructed pier that receives them has been plagued with problems and is currently not functional.

Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed nearly 38,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, and left the densely built-up coastal enclave in ruins.

VOA U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Philippines, China agree to ease tensions in South China Sea

By VOA News July 02, 2024

The Philippines and China have agreed to "reduce tensions" in the South China Sea, said officials in Manila Tuesday following a recent clash in disputed waters.

Officials from the two sides held talks in Manila Tuesday.

Last month, the Philippines said Chinese Coast Guard personnel armed with knives, sticks and an axe, surrounded and took control of three Philippine Navy vessels near a disputed location, marking the most recent and severe incident in a series of dangerous confrontations.

During the June 17 altercation, a Filipino soldier lost a finger and Manila accused the Chinese Coast Guard of pilfering firearms and causing damage to three boats and navigational and communication equipment.

China's foreign ministry had disputed the Philippine account of the incident, claiming that the necessary measures taken were lawful, professional, and beyond reproach.

In previous incidents, Chinese forces have employed water cannons, military-grade lasers and clashed with Filipino resupply vessels and their escort ships.

"Noting recent incidents in the South China Sea, both sides recognized that there is a need to restore trust, rebuild confidence, and create conditions conducive to productive dialogue and interaction," the Philippine foreign ministry said Tuesday.

The Philippines and China have also agreed to consider cooperation between the coast guards and a framework for scientific collaboration, according to Manila.

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican's foreign minister, urged a peaceful conflict resolution, highlighting areas like the South China Sea.

China asserts control over nearly all of the South China Sea, disregarding rival claims from Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration said in 2016 that China's extensive claims in the South China Sea lack legal validity. China rejected the ruling.

"There was substantial progress on developing measures to manage the situation at sea, but significant differences remain," the Philippines Department of Foreign affairs (DFA) said in a statement.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Refugee flight from Sudan surging as war rages, funds dry up

By Lisa Schlein July 02, 2024

The U.N. refugee agency is expanding a humanitarian appeal for Sudan, as increasing numbers of people flee the country's war and widespread hunger in search of safety in neighboring countries.

The UNHCR reports more money is needed to aid and protect the swelling population of Sudanese refugees, and it is revising its appeal to $1.5 billion, up from $1.4 billion it requested in January. The appeal will help 3.3 million refugees and the local communities hosting them in neighboring countries through the end of the year.

Ewan Watson, UNHCR head of global communications, has just returned from visits to Sudan's White Nile State and a to the Renk and JamJin refugee camp in South Sudan's Unity State.

He described the situation there as "incredibly difficult, confusing, dangerous, and an appalling tragedy for civilians both still in Sudan and those who have had to leave the country due to the violence."

Briefing journalists Tuesday in Geneva, Watson said "It is one of the most neglected crises globally and for us, it is the most pressing displacement crisis in the world right now."

Since the conflict began in mid-April 2023, he noted that 10 million people have fled their homes in Sudan, "with many displaced multiple times."

Of these, the UNHCR reports nearly 8 million are displaced inside Sudan, while nearly 2 million people have gone to neighboring countries.

Money from the January appeal has been used to assist Sudanese refugees who fled to the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

The UNHCR's revised appeal has been expanded to include two new countries, Libya and Uganda. Since last year's power struggle between rival generals from the Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary Rapid Response Forces triggered this catastrophic conflict, the UNHCR has registered 20,000 new arrivals in Libya from Sudan, mainly fleeing Darfur.

"We understand that thousands more have arrived in Libya that are not registered and are in the East of the country. With more refugees continuing to arrive since the escalation of fighting in the Darfur region, local services available across the country are really overstretched," Watson said.

"Refugee families are being forced to sleep in the open as there is a lack of shelter," he said. "Medical facilities also cannot keep up with growing needs and this is putting children, in particular, at risk of malnutrition."

He observed that Uganda, which already was the largest refugee hosting country in Africa, is fast becoming home to a burgeoning Sudanese refugee population.

Since the outbreak of the war, he said more than 39,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to Sudan, "with 70 percent fleeing just this year. This is three times more than was initially expected or predicted."

"Most of them are arriving from Khartoum and have university level education and are looking to rebuild their lives," he said, noting that most are being hosted and receiving humanitarian aid, including food, shelter, and health care in the Kiryandongo refugee settlement in the west of the country.

"As more people arrive, these services continue to be stretched, while resources to expand assistance are lacking," he said, adding that only 19 percent of the money required to run its humanitarian operations has been received. "This is abysmally insufficient to cover the most basic needs for people forced to flee. The cost of inaction is having grave consequences for refugees."

The UNHCR official said heavy rains expected in some of the hosting countries risk complicating the delivery of humanitarian aid, particularly in border areas. He appealed to international donors to provide the funds needed to help strengthen government-led efforts to deliver critical assistance to millions of vulnerable people.

Otherwise, he warned more and more refugees will be forced to seek help "further afield in countries such as Libya, which are extremely difficult for refugees."

Last week, the United Nations published alarming new data showing that the rapid deterioration in food security in Sudan has left 755,000 people "in catastrophic conditions with a risk of famine in 14 areas."

Reacting to this latest food assessment by the Integrated Phase Classification, IPC, heads of three leading U.N. agencies warned that "Sudan is facing a devastating hunger catastrophe on a scale not seen since the Darfur crisis in the early 2000s."

In its latest update of fighting between the SAF and RSF in the southern town of Sinja the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, reports that more than 60,000 people have fled Sinja for safety, most moving east toward the state of Gedaref.

"The fighting continues, and people are on the move as we speak so the situation is very volatile and these numbers could increase in the coming days," Vanessa Huguenin, OCHA spokesperson told journalists in Geneva on Tuesday.

"We and our humanitarian partners are present in Gedaref and are preparing for the arrival of people that have been displaced by the clashes, with food and nutrition supplies  We have a window of opportunity to act but time is running out and we need more funding and access," she said.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Chad, Cameroon say Boko Haram in villages after strikes kill 70 terrorists

By Moki Edwin Kindzeka July 02, 2024

The Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad basin says several hundred fighters from jihadist groups Boko Karam and Islamic State West Africa Province have fled to Chad and Cameroon after the task force attacked camps and killed more than 70 terrorists Sunday.

The ongoing operation, dubbed Lake Sanity 2, aims to obliterate all terrorist camps around Lake Chad, the task force said.

In a video circulated on social media and broadcast on Chadian state TV, scores of villagers shouted that at least two dozen relatives died in attacks in villages along Cameroon's border with Nigeria, and that 12 more people were injured.

The four-nation task force, created to fight terrorism in Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, said the deceased seen in the video are some of the more than 70 Boko Haram and Islamic State terrorists "neutralized" in Sunday's attacks.

The joint task force also said many jihadists surrendered in the air and ground operations but did not give a precise number. The troops said they captured many fighters and recovered large consignments of weapons.

None of its ground troops suffered injuries, the task force said.

The task force's operations are targeting terrorist hideouts in border villages, including Mokolo and Waza in Cameroon. Moubi, Menchika and Madagali in Nigeria are also part of the operation.

A release from task force spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi said the goal is to wipe out terrorist camps in villages on the borders of Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria, as well as the portion of the Lake Chad basin shared by the three neighbors.

Midjiyawa Bakari, the governor of Cameroon's Far North region, asked civilians to watch for fleeing terrorists because, he said, they are infiltrating neighboring towns and villages. He asked local militias to help in the effort and for people in border towns and villages to report to government troops any strangers or groups of people entering the country.

Bakari, who spoke on Cameroonian state TV on Tuesday, said the porous nature of Cameroon's border with Chad and Nigeria makes it difficult for troops to single handedly stop jihadists without the assistance of civilians.

Chad's government said it also has deployed what it says are enough troops to stop terrorists from hiding in its territory. Chad said that within the past two days, its troops had killed or arrested many militants but provided no details.

Boko Haram began launching attacks in Nigeria in 2009. In 2013, Cameroon, Niger and Chad reported that the terror group had launched attacks in their territories. The task force, which was created in 2014 to fight the militants, says it has about 11,000 troops and rescue workers.

The United Nations says the conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, mainly in Nigeria, and forced 3 million to flee their homes.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russo-Ukraine War - 02 July 2024 - Day 860

Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that while speaking at the St Petersburg International Legal Forum, on 27 June 2024, the head of the Russian Investigative Committee Aleksandr Bastrykin claimed that Russian authorities had identified 30,000 migrants who had recently become Russian citizens who were not registered for military service. Bastrykin further boasted that 10,000 of these had already been sent to the operational zone in Ukraine. Bastrykin claimed these migrants would 'dig trenches' and conduct other duties in rear areas.

Russian independent media has previously reported that Russian law enforcement have been conducting a campaign of legal harassment against, particularly Central Asian, migrants in an attempt to induce them to enlist in the Russian Armed Forces in return for citizenship or to avoid arrest on invented charges. This is likely yet another inventive means of bolstering military recruitment while attempting to limit the impact on those parts of the Russian population that have greater political agency.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that since the beginning of the day, there have been 136 combat clashes. The Russian aggressor is trying to take advantage of live force and support from the air. During the day, a missile hit on the territory of Ukraine with one rocket. In addition, Russian forces committed 41 air strikes - in particular, dropped 58 cabiv. In addition, Russian forces deployed 457 kamikaze drones and carried out almost 3,000 shells on the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements using different types of weapons.

In the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces six times, supported by aviation, stormed the positions of Ukrainian units in the areas of Vovchansk and Glbokoye. In Vovchansk, the fight is still ongoing. The situation is under control.

According to the information available at this time, within the day, Russian forces lost 144 persons killed and wounded and 77 units of armaments and military equipment. In particular, a tank, two artsystems, 10 cars, four control points and a warehouse of fuel and lubricant materials were destroyed. In addition, three cannons, one rszv, tank, two cars and two units of special equipment were damaged. The count down is on

Ten times Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions in the Kupyan direction. Near synkivka concentrates efforts - five attacks hit, another - continues. Also, two Russian attempts to move forward deter Ukrainian warriors near Stelmahivka.

In the Lyman direction, Russian troops attacked Ukrainian defenders 16 times in the areas of four different settlements a day. Six clashes continue at this time. Russia is concentrating his efforts near Grekivka and Terniv. In addition, attacked Ukrainian positions in the areas of nevs kogo and makiivka. The situation is under control.

In the Siversky direction, Russian forces tried five times to push Ukrainian defenders out of positions in the areas of Ivano-Daryivka, Spirny and Viimka. Never been successful.

In the Kramators komu direction, eight attempts of zagarbnikiv to advance near the time yar and klis iivka. Currently, the fights are being sharpened in three more locations in the districts of Kalinivka, Ivanivsky and Chasovoye Yar.

The situation is tense in the Toretsky direction. The invaders 24 times attacked near Deliivka, Toretsk, Southern, New York and Northern. 15 clashes have been completed. The fighting continues in nine more locations.

Intensely Russian attacks of Ukrainian defenders in the Pokrovsky direction. Here, during the day, the Russian aggressor increased effort - in total, he carried out 43 assault and offensive actions. The greatest activity of the Russian occupiers is kept from the Ocheretynogo district, from where Russian forces in various directions tried to infiltrate Ukrainian combat orders. 31 attacks of Ukrainian defenders have already repelled, 12 more fighting continue, in particular, near Evgenivka and Novooleksandrivka. Russian forces are losing a lot of life force - for today, Ukrainian warriors have eliminated and wounded more than 350 Russian troops. At least 11 cannons and mortars were also destroyed and damaged. Russian losses are being specific.

In the Kurakhiv direction at this time of the day, there are 11 combat clashes. The Russian occupiers tried to advance unsuccessfully in the areas of the settlements of Georgiyivka and Paraskoviyvka. Near Krasnogorivka, where Russia is concentrating efforts, five attacks have already been repelled, the combat is ongoing.

In the Pridniprovsk direction, four Russian assault actions on the left bank of the Dnieper were unsuccessful. A loss of positions is not allowed.

In other directions, there have been no significant changes in the environment.

Today, the soldiers of the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Guardian General Mark Bezruchko should be noted for their effective combat work, who caused Russian forces tangible casualties in live force.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 57th, 115th mechanised brigades, and 113th Territorial Defence Brigade near Chumakovo, Yunakovka (Sumy region), Sotnitsky Kazachok, and Liptsy (Kharkov region).

Two counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU Vostok Special Operations Centre and 36th Marines Brigade were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 70 Ukrainian troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, three motor vehicles, one German-made 155-mm Panzerhaubitze-2000 self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-made 155-mm M198 howitzer, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer.

Units of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 14th, 115th mechanised brigades, and 3rd Assault Brigade near Pershotravnevoye (Kharkov region), Nadiya, and Stelmakhovka (Lugansk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 475 Ukrainian troops, one tank, one infantry fighting vehicle, five motor vehicles, one 152-mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzer, and one 122-mm Grad MLRS combat vehicle.

Moreover, three AFU artillery ammunition depots were destroyed.

Units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 56th Motorised Infantry Brigade near Kalinin (Donetsk People's Republic).

One counter-attack launched by assault detachments of the AFU 214th Opfor Separate Battalion was repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to more than 635 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, and 16 motor vehicles.

In the course of counter-battery warfare, one UK-made 155-mm FH-70 howitzer, one U.S.-made 155-mm M198 howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one UK-made 105-mm L-199 howitzer, and two U.S.-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery warfare stations.

Six AFU field ammunition depots were destroyed.

Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 47th Mechanised Brigade and 109th Territorial Defence Brigade near Rozovka, Novgorodskoye, and Novosyolka Pervaya (Donetsk People's Republic).

Six counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 23rd, 31st, 41st, 110th mechanised brigades, and 95th Air Assault Brigade were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 440 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer.

Units of the Vostok Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade near Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

One counter-attack launched by assault detachments of the AFU 123rd Territorial Defence Brigade was repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 110 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one U.S.-made 155-mm M198 howitzer, two 122-mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, and one 100-mm MT-12 Rapira anti-tank gun.

Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 65th Mechanised Brigade, 128th Mountain Assault Brigade, and 35th Marines Brigade near Malaya Tokmachka and Zherebyanka (Zaporozhye region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 70 Ukrainian troops and two motor vehicles. One electronic warfare station was destroyed.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces engaged AFU manpower and hardware clusters in 115 areas during the day.

Air defence units shot down six UK-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles, one French-made Hammer guided aerial bomb, one U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectile, 81 unmanned aerial vehicles, including one Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicle.

Nine aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force were neutralised.

As a result of a group strike by precision weaponry at the airfield, five Su-27 aircraft were destroyed and two Su-27 aircraft were damaged. One MiG-29 and one Su-27 Ukrainian aircraft were shot down by Russian air defence units.

In total, 625 airplanes and 276 helicopters, 27,121 unmanned aerial vehicles, 535 air defence missile systems, 16,478 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,362 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 11,215 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 23,238 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






Chinese private rocket company apologizes for test failure causing trouble, vows to compensate affected residents

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Jul 02, 2024 10:00 PM

Chinese private rocket company Space Pioneer, also known as Beijing Tianbing Technology Co, apologized on Tuesday afternoon for the failure of its reusable rocket model's static fire test that caused trouble and inconvenience to the affected residents near the launch site. The company has vowed to compensate their economic losses.

On Sunday, the first stage of the company's domestically designed and manufactured large liquid-propellent reusable rocket model Tianlong-3, also known as the Chinese "Falcon 9 equivalent," accidentally detached from its launch pad during its static fire test due to structural failure, resulting in an unintended launch and landed in a hilly area of Gongyi city, Central China's Henan Province, and caused fire.

eeishttps://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202406/1315137.shtml

The company extended its sincerest apologies to the public who have been supporting and following the company, expressing its regret for failing to meet their expectations.

According to the company, the launch site for this captive-fired testing was far from the urban area of Gongyi. Before the test, the company had cooperated with the local government to implement safety measures and organize the evacuation of nearby personnel in advance.

The rocket debris fell within a securely controlled area deep in the mountains. Although there were no casualties, it still led to unnecessary disruption and left negative impact on the nearby residents' life, the company said in the apology letter.

"We feel immensely regretful and extend our sincere apology to the people of Gongyi," the company said.

After the incident, the company's initial statement released on Sunday stirred an online uproar for the company's attitudes toward the accident. Many netizens criticized the poor management of the company which could have led to mass casualties, questioned why the company did not make an official apology for the accident but just excused themselves with no casualties caused without mentioning the impact on the company's on-site employees, and boasted its rocket's advancement in the technology.

According to the statement released by the company on Sunday, the test of the rocket with nine-engine parallel configuration is the most powerful propulsion system of China's current carrier rocket, two times the previous maximum thrust test in China's aerospace.

During the test, the first stage of the rocket ignited normally and the nine Tianhuo-12 variable thrust engines forming the rocket's first stage reached a most powerful propulsion of 820 tons, it said.

According to an industry insider, surnamed Liu, such a failure might be a low-level error resulted from insufficient experience. When testing a rocket engine, the thrust it generates and the restraining force of the test apparatus on the rocket need to be calculated in advance. The occurrence of such an error may be due to inadequate preliminary calculations or the on-site staff's lack of experience, Red Star News reported on Tuesday.

Other netizens hoped for a thorough investigation and rectification of this incident no matter from the technical or from the managerial perspective, which is not just for the sake of the company but for the interest of the entire Chinese private commercial aerospace sector, which is faced with fierce international competitions.

Other netizens also gave proposals on the selection of locations of future self-constructed launch sites by domestic private rocket companies. They suggested launch sites should be constructed in the desert.

After the incident, some observers have also called on the society to continue supporting China's commercial aerospace industry and not let this incident cast doubt on existing policies and the achievements that have been made in domestic reusable rocket researches.

In the apology letter, the company said that itis working with the local government to investigate, assess and compensate for the damaged houses in the surrounding area. The company promised to ensure that every resident who suffered from property losses due to the test failure receives timely, efficient and fair compensation.

The company also stressed its persistent endeavor in making innovations and breakthroughs. "We fully understand that every challenge to reach new heights comes with great risks and uncertainties. We will learn from this setback and implement 'safety first' in all future production work, prioritizing the safety of people's lives and property, comprehensively strengthening all aspects of safety management to ensure that subsequent tests are conducted safely and meticulously, leaving no room for error," the company wrote.

The company also welcomed the public's supervision and suggestions, noting that the setback it encountered this time will provide valuable experience for the steady progress of China's commercial aerospace industry, and called for the industry peers to unite and work together, contributing to the advancement of China's commercial aerospace endeavors.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Belarus Air Defense Forces, Including Polonez, Iskander on High Alert Amid Ukrainian Border Tensions

Sputnik News

20240702

The Belarusian Defense Ministry deployed additional air defense units last week to safeguard military and critical civilian infrastructure near the Ukrainian border, responding to heightened drone reconnaissance activity and the buildup of Ukrainian troops.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has ordered the country's forces to high alert after Ukraine massed troops at the border.

Lukashenko stated that due to the increased activity of Ukrainian military forces near the Belarusian border, the Belarusian and Russian Air Force and Air Defense Forces have been put on high combat readiness.

Polonez and Iskander long-range missile systems have also been deployed to their positions.

"The Air Force and Air Defense Forces are in high combat readiness. Both ours and Russia's. There is complete cooperation here," Lukashenko said on Tuesday during a ceremonial meeting in Minsk in honor of Belarus Independence Day. "The Polonez and Iskander missile systems are deployed in position. You also know what kind of ammunition they have."

"Border guards have been switched to enhanced state border protection," Lukashenko said. "Special operations forces have been deployed."

"Not only border guards but also our military today have blocked the potential enemy's movement directions," the president noted. He stressed that Belarusian security forces have previously conducted similar exercises, and now this experience was in demand.

Lukashenko stressed that there are no "red lines" a in the event of aggression, there would be "strikes with all types of weapons on designated targets."

"We have thought about everything... we have blocked both the southern border [with Ukraine] and the western border [with the EU countries], so that God forbid they are no mistakes, as it has already happened in our history," the Belarusian president said.

Lukashenko highlighted that Belarus will not allow any clashes on its border with Ukraine, and Kiev does not need them either.

"I guarantee that we will not allow any clashes on the border with Ukraine. There will be none, we do not need them," he said. "But Ukraine does not need them even more due to the events that are happening on their battlefield a it is getting worse and worse for Ukraine there."

At the same time, Lukashenko said that he would not instruct border guards to protect the border with Poland from illegal migrants.

"We're not going to catch them [migrants] here. Our business is to ensure the security of our people. I do not intend to order border guards, military and civilians to protect the European Union on the border between Belarus and Poland," Lukashenko said in his speech.

The president noted that the European Union has imposed sanctions on Belarus and is now trying to force Minsk to protect them from immigrants.

A Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Xi's Kazakhstan visit to draw new blueprint for ties, SCO

Global Times

By GT staff reporters in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan Published: Jul 02, 2024 10:44 PM

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Kazakhstan on Tuesday for the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and a state visit to Kazakhstan, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Observers said that the visit to Kazakhstan - the country where Xi made his first foreign visit in 2022 since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and proposed the Silk Road Economic Belt, an essential component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013 - underscores the rock-solid bilateral relationship and the high level of political trust built between the two countries and led by head-of-state diplomacy, and that the Central Asian region is of significant importance to China's foreign policy.

As this year marks the 32nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kazakhstan, the visit will draw a blueprint for future bilateral and regional comprehensive cooperation modes, analysts said, pointing to a wide range of areas for further collaboration, such as jointly safeguarding regional security and boosting connectivity, as well as facilitating people-to-people exchanges under the SCO and BRI frameworks.

The flourishing ties between China and Kazakhstan, as well as the Central Asian region, set a model for building a new type of international relations championed by SCO cooperation, that is respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development, discarding geopolitical thinking, observers said.

It serves as a sharp contrast to certain Western countries' geopolitical zero-sum mind-set under which they, in disregard of the genuine demands of Central Asian economies, ramp up pressure only to shape their influence on the continent and exclude other participants.

Xi said on Tuesday that China and Kazakhstan have established a unique permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. Xi made the remarks in a written statement upon his arrival in capital Astana.

Xi also hailed achievements of China-Kazakhstan cooperation in a signed article published in Kazakh media on Tuesday. Xi said that he looks forward to meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to plan the way forward for closer China-Kazakhstan cooperation and draw a new blueprint for further growth of bilateral relations and the SCO.

Expectations running high

The Global Times noticed that hundreds of local residents were waving the national flags of China and Kazakhstan near the landmark building Beijing Tower in Astana on Tuesday morning to extend a warm welcome to Xi's arrival. "Warm welcome!" The crowds made up of local residents, lined along both sides of the roads where the motorcade will pass, and cheered excitedly in Chinese.

Local residents and scholars hold high expectations for the visit, with some in particular highlighting the increased connectivity between China and Kazakhstan under the BRI.

"The Silk Road was one of the most important logistical means for transporting goods from Asia to Europe. I believe this is a sign of great cooperation between our countries and our neighbors, and that is going to lead to the future economic growth of both of our countries," a Kazakh college student named Konstantin told the Global Times.

"China is one of the largest countries in the world. Many Kazakhs travel to China and bring back a lot of useful information and technology. I think cooperation with China is having a very positive impact on our country," another Kazakh resident surnamed Salima told the Global Times.

Observers said the visit underscores that strategic guidance by the heads of state is a political advantage and a distinctive feature of China-Kazakhstan relations. Those close interactions at the highest level will "inject certainty and new impetus" into the development of the Central Asia and the world, against the backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions.

"For both China and Kazakhstan, it is important not only to maintain but also to consistently enhance the positive dynamic of our interaction, deepen the friendship between our peoples, and contribute to regional peace and stability. We are confident that the visit will lead to an even more productive and mutually beneficial [relationship]," Aliya Mussabekova, chief expert at the Asian Studies Department at Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

In 2013, Xi visited Kazakhstan and proposed the idea of building an "economic belt along the Silk Road", which, combined with the proposal of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, eventually became the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

He visited the Central Asian country in 2017 and 2022 to boost bilateral ties, according to a Xinhua News Agency report.

The two countries further advanced their relationship to a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership in 2019 during Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's state visit to China, reaching its historical high.

"Currently, China has established strategic partnerships or comprehensive strategic partnerships with many countries worldwide. However, defining the China-Kazakhstan relationship as a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership is uniquea The definition is objective, accurate, and reflects both sides' affirmation and positive expectations toward our friendship," Zhang Xiao, Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview.

China and Kazakhstan have been firm supporters of each other on issues concerning their core interests, despite an ever-changing international environment, which lays a solid foundation for bilateral ties to continue developing to even greater heights, according to analysts.

Kazakhstan has endorsed multiple China-proposed initiatives: the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. The two neighbours have also vowed to build a community of a shared future for mankind.

Relations between China and Kazakhstan are based on deep-rooted shared visions, as both countries have a vision of necessity to avoid further toxification of international relations, as well as an urgency to return to normalcy in international ties on the basis of mutual accommodation of legitimate interests of every member of the international community, Bolat Nurgaliyev, former SCO secretary-general, told the Global Times.

A model for cooperation

Kazakhstan is hosting the SCO summit in Astana and has pledged to make every effort to enhance the potential of the SCO, the Astana Times reported. After the Astana summit, China will assume the rotating presidency of the SCO for 2024-2025.

"One of the top items on the agenda at the SCO summit is to maintain regional stability. China and Kazakhstan could strengthen security cooperation, resolutely fight against the 'three evil forces' and guard against 'color revolutions' instigated by external forces," Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Another area for cooperation is the economy, and China, as the largest economy in the SCO with overarching trade ties with every member state, could play a constructive role in collaboration with Kazakhstan.

According to Cui, on the economic front, China and Kazakhstan could jointly promote the implementation of more regional infrastructure connectivity projects, such as the launch of the highway section of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, which could offer the most cost-effective passage in Eurasia amid rising geopolitical tensions.

Bilateral cooperation under the BRI between China and Kazakhstan has been "setting trends" in Eurasia, scholars said.

In 2023, trade between China and Kazakhstan hit a record of $41 billion, Xinhua reported, accounting for nearly half China's trade with Central Asia. Capacity and investment cooperation have generated a project list with a total value exceeding $21.2 billion. Through industrial collaboration and a synergy between the China-proposed BRI and Kazakhstan's "Bright Road" economic policy, Kazakhstan has built itself into a key regional transportation center and a crucial transit hub for China-Europe freight trains, with 80 percent of the cargo shipped by the flagship BRI project passing through the country.

Across Central Asia, China's collaborations with the other four regional countries have also been gaining momentum. China's bilateral trade with Tajikistan last year expanded 53.5 percent year-on-year to $3.93 billion, recording a new high, customs data showed. Chinese leader, at the invitation of President Emomali Rahmon of the Republic of Tajikistan, will also pay a state visit to Tajikistan, China's Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday.

"China is willing to use the SCO summit as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation and coordination with all five Central Asian countries, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and advocate for a fair multipolar world and inclusive globalization," Zhang said, stressing that the cooperation will continuously inject new energy into building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

Li Ziguo, a senior research fellow with the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday that more than 30 years of China-Central Asia cooperation has proven that China is a constructive player in the region. Whether through BRI projects or bilateral cooperation, China has been dedicated to the development of these countries without any geopolitical requirements attached, Li added.

While certain Western major powers are investing in the region for geopolitical competition, China has the industrial capacity that Central Asian countries truly need for their modernization, providing them with technologies and cost-effective products that are highly competitive, analysts said.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on July 2, 2024

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

2024-07-02 19:45

Premier Li Qiang of the State Council will attend the opening ceremony of the 2024 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance and deliver a speech on July 4 in Shanghai.

Dragon TV: You announced that Premier Li Qiang will attend the 2024 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai. Can you share more details?

Mao Ning: The rapid development of AI technology in recent years brings a multitude of risks and challenges as well as enormous socioeconomic benefits. Global AI governance has become a major task for all countries.

China advocates the principles of wide participation and consensus-based decision-making in global AI governance, and promotes broad international consensus based on full respect for differences in policies and practices of all countries. The World AI Conference has been held annually six times. The Conference this year, with the theme of Governing AI for Good and for All, aims to establish international cooperation and exchange platforms featuring openness, inclusiveness, and equal participation, advance global AI governance and develop an open, fair and effective governance mechanism.

The Conference brings together government officials, and representatives of international organizations, industries, universities and research institutes, among others. We look forward to full exchange of insights in Shanghai in the spirit of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, to build consensus and promote the healthy, safe and orderly development of AI.

Beijing Daily: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO views China's behaviors as challenging the alliance's values, interests and security. Russia is producing missiles and drones with the support of advanced technology imported from China, which makes Beijing accountable for instigating the largest conflict on the European soils since World War II. What's your comment?

Mao Ning: I'm not sure what exactly he meant by NATO's values. But if the values are to draw lines based on ideology and to create conflicts, stoke confrontation and escalate tensions along those lines, then China indeed cannot agree with it. The reality is, it is NATO that has been challenging China, interfering in China's domestic affairs, misrepresenting and vilifying our domestic and foreign policies and seriously challenging China's interests and security.

Speaking of the Ukraine crisis, China has been committed to promoting talks for peace and finding a political solution to the crisis. NATO needs to see the root cause of the crisis and take a hard look at what kind of role it has played for the peace of Europe and the world, rather than divert the attention and blame it all on others.

CCTV: We've learned that the resolution entitled "Enhancing international cooperation on capacity-building of artificial intelligence" submitted by China was reviewed and adopted by the 78th session of the UN General Assembly. Can you give us more details?

Mao Ning: The 78th session of the UNGA yesterday adopted by consensus the resolution "Enhancing international cooperation on capacity-building of artificial intelligence" proposed by China and co-sponsored by over 140 countries. The resolution reflects the extensive consensus among countries on enhancing AI capacity-building and speaks volumes about the political will of countries on enhancing capacity-building and bridging the AI divide through solidarity and cooperation.

The resolution, in line with the human-centric principle and the principle of artificial intelligence for good for all, is focused on AI capacity-building, stresses the importance of increasing the representation and say of developing countries in global AI governance, advocates a fair and nondiscriminatory business environment, supports the United Nations in playing a central role, encourages effective capacity-building assistance for developing countries through international cooperation and concrete actions, so as to realize the healthy and sustainable development of AI.

As the country that introduced the resolution, China followed the principles of transparency, openness, and inclusiveness during the discussions of the Resolution, widely accommodated legitimate opinions and suggestions, and strived to bridge the differences among all parties. China's efforts were spoken highly of by all the member states. The adoption of the resolution reflects that the international community and particularly developing countries are paying great attention to capacity-building, and have the strong will of actively participating in global AI governance. China highly commends all the member states for their tremendous support for the resolution, and for their important contribution to its adoption. China will take this adopted resolution as an opportunity to step up communication and cooperation with the international community, follow up on the implementation of the resolution, assist relevant countries in faster development of related capacities under the UN framework, so as to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 and jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Reuters: Yesterday, the Chinese Embassy and the Vanuatu government held a ceremony to hand over the government buildings that China had built. And the new Solomon Islands' Prime Minister is visiting China recently. Could you please speak to the strategic importance of these connections with the Pacific Islands region for China?

Mao Ning: China is committed to growing friendship and cooperation with Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and other Pacific Island countries and contributing to their endeavor to promote economic and social development, improve people's life and realize development and prosperity.

China News Service: To follow up on the resolution on "Enhancing International Cooperation on Capacity-building of Artificial Intelligence" proposed by China to the UN General Assembly (UNGA), we learned that the US is one of its co-sponsors. How would you assess China's dialogue and cooperation with the US on AI?

Mao Ning: China commends the US and other UN Member States for actively participating in the consultation on the UNGA draft resolution for enhancing international cooperation on AI capacity-building. We appreciate their support for the resolution's adoption by consensus.

China stands ready to work with the US to act on the common understandings reached by the two presidents in San Francisco, step up bilateral and multilateral dialogue and cooperation on AI, and make sure all humanity can share the benefits of AI.

Reuters: China's Embassy in the Philippines announced that a Chinese national had been kidnapped and killed. Could you please provide more information on what happened?

Mao Ning: According to verified information, a Chinese national was kidnapped and killed. After the kidnap took place, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines stayed in close touch with the Philippine side and urged it to make every possible effort to work on the case and take effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese nationals in the Philippines. Our Embassy also provided support and facilitation to the family of the victim. The Foreign Ministry will work with relevant departments to provide instructions to our Embassy in Manila to closely follow up on the case and make sure everything is properly handled.

Reuters: The Philippines has called the Chinese Coast Guard's actions on June 17 "escalatory" and "the most aggressive in recent history." Do you have any comment on this?

Mao Ning: We have said clearly several timesawhat recently happened between China and the Philippines near Ren'ai Jiaoaand what our position is. Ren'ai Jiao is China's territory. The root cause of the current situation is that the Philippines infringed on China's rights and made deliberate provocations. The Philippines needs to stop those infringement activities and provocations at once, and return as soon as possible to the track of resolving differences through dialogue and consultation.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Xi heads to Central Asia amid waning Russian influence

Once part of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan now look east.

By RFA Mandarin and Uyghar and Alim Seytoff for RFA Uyghur 2024.07.02 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Kazakhstan on Tuesday morning for the 24th annual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a group created by Beijing and Moscow to manage their shared - and competing - geopolitical interests in Central Asia.

Xi touched down in the Kazakh capital of Astana ahead of four days of meetings with leaders of the five primary Central Asian nations - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan - as well as periphery members Russia, Iran, India and Pakistan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will also attend this week's meetings, with plans to meet with Xi privately for talks. He will also meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will be in attendance as a "dialogue partner" of the regional grouping.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Xi's trip comes as China assumes the rotating presidency of the regional group this year, and that Xi will also pay official state visits to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan during the trip.

"China believes that this summit will consolidate more consensus among all parties, chart a new chapter of cooperation, and make positive contributions to promoting security, stability, development, revitalization," Hua said at a press briefing on Monday.

Established in 2001 by China and Russia, this year's summit is expected to focus on the economy, trade and energy, but Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its ramifications will also be on the table.

Who's backyard?

Central Asia has long been put forward by international relations strategists as a reason that Moscow and Beijing may never be able to forge long-term geopolitical bonds, with any friendship between the two nations said to be not able to withstand a rivalry over the region.

However, with Russia's growing economic and diplomatic reliance on its eastern neighbor amid its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow appears to have put its interests in Central Asia on the backburner for now.

Rushan Abbas, executive director of the U.S.-based Campaign for Uyghurs, said that this year's meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization comes as China cuts massive diplomatic in-roads into what was once indisputably Russia's sphere of influence.

"Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China has been aggressively marching into Central Asia, once a Russian backyard, and strengthening its political and economic relations with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan," Abbas told Radio Free Asia.

"These countries, fearing a similar fate like Ukraine, are also increasingly taking a pro-China position," she said.

China has long aimed to expand its influence in Central Asia but had been tied back by the region's lasting cultural and political ties to Moscow given its former life in the Soviet Union, said Anders Corr, the principal of the New York-based political risk firm Corr Analytics.

The region has "gas, many minerals, and inexpensive labor," he said. But it's not only that: "China sees it as semi-strategic," Corr explained, because it could allow rail links and oil-and-gas pipelines to Europe.

For the Central Asian nations, meanwhile, the biggest draw of closer relations with China would be access to its vast market as Russia's war economy creates future trade opportunities with their former patron.

But Corr said there may be another element at play, with the former Soviet republics looking wearily at Moscow's plans for Ukraine.

"They may also be trying to use China as a counterweight against Russia in order to solidify their independence - there may be an element of that," he said. "They may be thinking that somehow getting closer to China will give them a way to keep Russia at bay."

All roads lead to Europe

Putin will be playing defense while in Astana, as he is probably displeased by Beijing's growing influence.

"Putin very badly wants to maintain and strengthen his links to those five countries," said William Duiker, a former U.S. diplomat and now professor emeritus of East Asian studies at Pennsylvania State University.

"There is absolutely no doubt that there is an element of geopolitical competition and rivalry going on between Moscow and Beijing in this region," he said. "Anything that happens in that area related to either of these countries is primarily related to the geopolitical situation."

But while Putin's main attentions are focussed on Ukraine, he added, Beijing will be focussed on securing the construction of a key railroad through Central Asia that would link China to the edges of Europe and allow trade to flow there without permission of the Russians.

"If completed, this would bypass Russia and go through the Central Asian states, the Caucasus, Turkey, and to the Aegean Sea," he said, referring to an eastern Mediterranean bay.

"Chinese leaders see this as an important alternative route for goods going to Europe, especially if their current route through Siberia becomes problematic."

For Abbas of the Campaign for Uyghurs, though, the growing ties between China and the Turkic nations of Central Asia are a concern for Uyghurs facing genocide in China, many of whom in the past have looked west to escape Beijing's grip and religious persecution.

The warming ties were leading to China "exporting its repressive policies and tightening its grip on the Uyghur population living in these nations," she said, including those who have escaped China.

"It is crucial for the U.S.-led free world to pay close attention to Central Asia," Abbas said, "and not allow China to corrupt and coerce these countries to support its authoritarian form of governance."

Edited by Alex Willemyns 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 July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






July 2, 2024: In Ukraine, Russia took the lead in developing electronic jamming technology and Ukraine, the United States and its NATO allies are hustling to catch up. This wartime game of dueling improvements between electronic warfare (EW) and electronic countermeasures (ECM) to electronic warfare has been going on since at least 1940. At the level of small unmanned aerial vehicles, Ukrainian responses to new Russian UAV jamming techniques are currently only ten days behind new Russian advances.

Current Russian local and wide area jamming are making Ukrainian military radios inoperable and reducing the accuracy of GPS guided weapons supplied by NATO. The U.S. has come up with a partial solution to this, a missile that homes in sources of jamming. This capability wont be available until 2025, and that puts pressure on the Ukrainians to improvise.

This is not a new problem. Two years ago the U.S. sent some AGM-88 HARMs (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile) to Ukraine. Soon a photo appeared on the Internet showing the debris of a HARM missile used in Ukraine to destroy a Russian air defense radar. The U.S. admitted that some HARMS were being used by Ukrainian warplanes. This is possible via a HARM feature that uses the missiles own radar detection and homing capability. This is a short-range option, good for detecting and locating a radar up to 50 kilometers distant. The Ukrainian have demonstrated a skill at adapting military and equipment for new uses. Rigging a MiG-29 fighter or SU-25 ground attack aircraft to carry and use a HARM missile in HARM as Sensor mode is feasible. This enabled Ukrainian warplanes to use HARM to shut down the many Russian SAM (Surface to Air Missile) batteries that make it difficult for Ukrainian aircraft to operate freely. The HARM-carrying aircraft come in low and under the radar and fire the HARM when close enough for the detection sensors in the missile to become aware of the SAM radar. At that point the pilot launches the HARM and turns away. Until receiving HARM the only anti-radar missile Ukraine had was a Russian design that lacked many of the HARM capabilities.

The U.S. has lots of HARM missiles and they are continuously improved. The latest upgrade is a major one. Since 2012 the U.S. has been upgrading older ABM-88B HARMs to the AGM-88E/F AARGMs (Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles) standard. Upgrading older HARMs costs about half as much as buying a new AGM-88E. In most cases AARGMS are created by using the case, rocket motor and warhead of an AGM-88 HARM missile with new components, mainly guidance and control items.

New 88Es cost $1.26 million each. Originally the plan was to produce 1,879 AARGMs but increased demand from U.S. forces and sixteen export customers, including Ukraine led to the current goal, set in 2016, for 2,435 AARGMs. The increased demand was prompted by the improved air defense systems of potential adversaries that rendered the 88B model less effective. Most customers believed potential enemy defenses were still vulnerable to the AARGM upgrade. In 2023 the new HARM model became available.

For over half a century most guided missiles were built with these upgrades and refurbishments in mind. The older missiles not only have more advanced components installed, but the entire missile is examined and any component needing replacement gets that done. Older spare parts for the 88B are also replaced, as needed, with those that work in the 88E. Most AGM-88s are being used on the U.S.-made EA-18G electronic warfare (EW) aircraft, which now takes care of certain EW missions, like SEAD (suppression of enemy air defenses) for the air force and marines as well. To do that they need the latest model HARM. But the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps aviation also use some HARMs and AAARGMs.

The AGM-88 comes in various models, giving users lots of options. Some users only need the older 88B but most want the latest model. The AGM-88B HARM entered service in 1983 and used a passive radar seeker which homed on enemy fire-control radars emissions in order to destroy the radar and thus render surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems useless by destroying radars needed for target tracking. In 1999 (the Kosovo War against Serbia) the 88B HARM was found to be vulnerable. The Serbian forces limited their radar usage to a minimum and used quick radar shutdown techniques and pack and leave tactics for their SAM units. Because of these tactics, HARM had problems acquiring targets. Thats because the missile has precision guidance only when enemy radar is working all the time. Otherwise, the 88B reverts to offline mode that uses the less accurate INS (Inertial Guidance System) only.

NATO forces failed to silence most Serbian SAMs during the campaign. There were calls for upgrades to the 88B and some software upgrades seemed to deal with the problems encountered against Serbia. But the potential threats kept appearing and AGM-88 upgrades continued and resulted in some major changes and a new model HARM.

Not only is the E model an improved version of the 88B, but it also includes major modifications that enable it to hit moving ships. This makes the AGM-88E an effective anti-ship weapon as well. Meanwhile, another upgrade of the AGM-88 entered service. The AGM-88F is very similar to the 88E but comes from a different manufacturer and is aimed at export sales. The 88F completed testing in 2014 and entered production. This version also has the anti-ship capability.

All these upgrades seen in the 88E and 88F contributed to the missile getting a new name. Its now an AARGM (Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile) instead of a HARM. AARGM weighs 361 kg (794 pounds) and can detect and attack targets more than 150 kilometers away while traveling at a speed of 2,450 kilometers per hour. The AGM-88E can transmit a picture of the target, just before it is hit, so the user can be certain of what was taken out. The AARGM was developed jointly by U.S. and Italian firms.

The AGM-88F has GPS guidance added with less accurate but jam-proof INS as a backup. The older AGM-88D also used GPS so that the missile, which normally homes in on radar transmissions, could be used to attack targets by location alone. The F model expands on basic GPS capabilities and also includes other features that assist in defeating enemy electronic defenses. What the GPS/INS provides is a way for HARM to act on previous intelligence about where an enemy radar is while also using its radar signal homing capability and new anti-decoy features. Many countries now use a decoy emitter that sends out a fake radar signal to lure the HARM away from the real radar. The 88F model uses GPS and more sensors and new software to get around all known deceptions (and some that havent been invented yet).

There is also a longer-range AGM-88G. The AARGM-ER model has a different shape so that it will fit inside the internal bomb bay of the F-35A and C models. The G model also has improved performance including longer range, about 280 kilometers. This is twice the range of other AGM-88s. By carrying these missiles internally, the stealth of the F-35 is maximized. This is essential for the first aircraft encountering enemy air defenses. These aircraft will take out key radars so subsequent SEAD aircraft, like the non-stealthy EA-18G, can do their job with less risk of loss. The AARGM-ER will enter production after 2023 but it is not yet clear if it will replace or just supplement the existing AARGM. The development of the AARGM-ER began in 2016 and has remained on schedule with production starting in 2023.

The AGM-88 moves at high speed, as in 2,200 kilometers an hour or 36 kilometers a minute. The original 1960s anti-radiation missile (ARM) quickly evolved into the HARM. There were initial orders for over a thousand AGM-88E/Fs from the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, Italy, Australia and Germany. Over 25,000 AGM-88s, of all types, have been produced since the 1980s. Most are never used in combat or for training and are built for a long shelf, or storage, life of about 15 years. Manufacturers have found ways to extend the shelf life of these expensive devices to a decade or more, but often before that limit is reached new models of the missile appear with new features that are often essential to get the job done against enemies that have better countermeasures. For that reason, the trend is for guided missiles to be built to make it easier and cheaper to upgrade key components, like the guidance system, which is quite elaborate for a HARM missile. As time goes by successful missile designs result in more of the older models available for refurbishment and upgrades and this has become a major source of income for manufacturers.
Uyghur group wins appeal to probe alleged Uyghur slave labor

The court ordered UK authorities to reconsider investigating cotton imports from Xinjiang.

By Jilil Kashgary for RFA Uyghur 2024.07.02 -- Reversing a previous ruling, an appeals court in the United Kingdom ordered that the country's National Crime Agency reconsider whether to investigate whether cotton imports from the far-western Chinese region of Xinjiang allegedly use Uyghur slave labor.

Global Legal Action Network, or GLAN, and the World Uyghur Congress, or WUC, won the case in the U.K. Court of Appeal on June 27.

The groups took legal action after a High Court ruling in January 2023 accepted British authorities' position that it refused to exercise its powers to investigate whether the imports used slave labor and were therefore illegal.

It is unclear what conclusion the National Crime Agency, or NCA, will reach. But the two groups hope it will lead to commitment from the agency to stop goods made with forced labor from entering British markets.

The ruling is an example of how countries are cracking down on trade with China amid concerns about Uyghur forced labor, part of a series of human rights abuses that have taken place in the region in recent years.

It is also significant because it serves as a warning to companies with products made with forced labor in their supply chains that they risk being prosecuted for money laundering or having their criminal products confiscated, according to the two groups.

The High Court's ruling created "an untenable situation" based on "adequate consideration" whereby importers were permitted to knowingly acquire forced labor goods, and would not be prosecuted provided they had paid market price, WUC and GLAN, a nonprofit group that pursues legal action involving human rights violations, said in a statement.

"It makes it very clear that these companies must clean up their supply chains or risk prosecution or having their goods confiscated as the proceeds of crime," GLAN lawyer Leanna Burnard told Radio Free Asia.

Most Chinese cotton sold by retailers in the United Kingdom is implicated in forced labor, according to GLAN and WUC.

"This is the very first successful step towards accountability for Uyghurs," WUC president Dolkun Isa said in a statement.

"We hope that moving forward, U.K.-based companies will take adequate caution not trading or importing Uyghur forced labor goods, and that the government will also conduct investigations diligently," he said.

Edited by Roseanne Gerin 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 July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






China's Xi Arrives In Kazakhstan For State Visit, SCO Summit

By RFE/RL July 02, 2024

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Kazakhstan for a state visit and a chance to promote ties between China and the Central Asian county as he embarks on a trip that includes meetings with the other leaders of the nine-member alliance known as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev met his Chinese counterpart at the Astana international airport on July 2. TASS reported shortly after Xi's arrival that Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Xi on July 3 in Astana as part of the SCO summit.

Putin last met Xi in May when he visited China on his first foreign trip after being inaugurated for a fifth term as president. Putin also will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Astana, TASS reported. Turkey, though not a member of the SCO, often takes part in its meetings as a "dialogue partner."

In addition to Kazakhstan, Russia, and China, SCO members include India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Kazakh state media outlets on July 2 carried an article signed by Xi in which the Chinse leader praised bilateral ties between the two nations, stressing it was "in Kazakhstan 11 years ago that I first proposed the initiative of the Silk Road Economic Belt," which marked "a magnificent chapter in Belt and Road cooperation between our two countries."

Xi wrote that China "will support Kazakhstan in upholding its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in continuing on the development path suited to its national conditions, in implementing domestic and foreign policies in the interest of its development and prosperity, and in opposing interference in its internal affairs by any external forces."

Since Moscow launched its ongoing invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many in Kazakhstan and elsewhere have considered statements from Chinese leaders regarding Kazakhstan and other Central Asian nations to be a message to Russia, where in recent months, many pro-Kremlin politicians and political observers have hinted that Kazakhstan is a takeover target for Moscow.

Toqaev, in an interview with China's Xinhua agency published on July 2, said his country "has ambitious plans to further deepen multifaceted ties with China."

After ceremonies for the official state visit to Astana, Xi is expected to join talks with other SCO leaders.

He will later travel to Tajikistan. Beijing has ramped up diplomatic efforts in the region, largely through its flagship Belt and Road development.

With reporting by Xinhua, Kazinform, Kazakhstanskaya pravda, Tengrinews, TASS, Interfax, RIA Novosti, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/china-xi-visit-kazakhstan-tajikistan- shanghai-coooperation-sco-summit/33018280.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






China Warns NATO Not to Harm Asia-Pacific Region

Sputnik News

20240702

BEIJING (Sputnik) - NATO has already made a mess in Europe, so the alliance should not harm the Asia-Pacific region either, the Chinese Foreign Ministry told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"NATO has already made a mess in Europe, it should not harm the Asia-Pacific region either," the ministry said.

Stoltenberg openly stated that the alliance's promotion in the Asia-Pacific is designed to put pressure on China, to which Beijing protests, the ministry said.

"NATO Secretary General openly stated that NATO's eastward advance into the Asia-Pacific region is designed to put pressure on China, this reflects the consistent Cold War mentality [of the alliance], the intention to create tension, provoke confrontation, undermine regional peace and stability," the ministry said.

Earlier in the day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told told Japanese newspaper Yomiuri that China is responsible for the incitement to the largest military conflict in Europe since World War II. Russia is producing missiles and drones with the support of advanced technology imported from China, which makes Beijing accountable for instigating the conflict, Stoltenberg said.

A Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






North Korea hails successful test of missile carrying super-large warhead

South Korean military casts doubt on the North's claim of success saying it could be a 'deception'

By RFA Staff 2024.07.01 -- North Korea has successfully tested a "new-type" of tactical ballistic missile that can fire a 4.5 ton "super-large" warhead up to 500 km (311 miles), the North's state-run media reported on Tuesday but South Korea's military doubted that the announcement was true, its media reported.

The missile, the Hwasongpho-11 Da-4.5, was test fired on Monday, and the result of the test was "of great significance," said the North's Korean Central News Agency.

"The test-fire was conducted with a missile tipped with a simulated heavy warhead to verify flight stability and hit accuracy at the maximum range of 500 km [311 miles] and the minimum range of 90 km [55 miles]," the news agency reported.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, or JCS, said on Monday North Korea fired two ballistic missiles over the sea off its east coast early that day but the second one appeared to have flown abnormally and fallen to the ground.

Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for the JCS, told a regular briefing that South Korea was analyzing the North's launches but it suspected the North Korean announcement was not true, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

"[We] are conducting an analysis, while putting weight on the possibility that North Korea's public report is a [form of] deception," said Lee.

"It is extremely rare to conduct a test-launch inland and there is a high possibility that its claim of a success is a lie."

Lee said the South Korean military has assessed that the North's Hwasong-11 rocket could carry a warhead of up to 2.5 tons, but noted that a 4.5-ton warhead was theoretically possible.

The North Korean test came shortly after South Korea, the United States and Japan concluded joint military exercises.

The North, which regards such exercises as preparations by the U.S. and its allies to invade the country, condemned the exercise on Sunday and vowed to take "offensive and overwhelming countermeasures" to protect its sovereignty.

The North Korean news agency said Monday's test was "part of the regular activities of the administration and its affiliated defense science institutes."

North Korea would test the Hwasongpho-11 Da-4.5 this month to verify its flight characteristics, accuracy "and explosion power of super-large warhead at the medium range of 250 km [155 miles]," the news agency said.

Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.

Updated with South Korean reaction.

Copyright 1998-2016, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Deepening Russia-North Korea ties test US-South Korea deterrence strategy

By Young Gyo Kim July 01, 2024

The United States' commitment to providing extended deterrence to South Korea is being put to the test, with some South Korean politicians publicly questioning the effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear umbrella after Russia and North Korea reached a new defense pact.

Debate over the U.S. extended deterrence was sparked by Representative Na Kyung Won, a five-term lawmaker of South Korea's ruling People Power Party, who is running for the party leadership.

"The deterrence under the solid South Korea-U.S. alliance is currently working, but it does not guarantee the capacity to respond to the future changes in the security environment," Na said in a social media post last week.

"The international situation, such as cooperation between North Korea and Russia, is adding uncertainty to the security of South Korea," she added, referring to the stronger military ties between Russia and North Korea, bolstered by the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty signed by Russia's President Vladmir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang last month.

The new treaty mandates Russia and North Korea to immediately assist each other militarily if either of them is attacked by a third country. The prospect of quasi-automatic Russian involvement in any future war between the two Koreas is now causing alarm in Seoul.

The credibility of extended deterrence is a frequent topic of conversation in today's South Korea, where citizens must contend with seemingly endless threats and provocations from the North.

Seoul is doing its best to allay citizens' fears by invoking the April 2023 Washington Declaration, which reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to defend South Korea through its extended nuclear umbrella as well as robust missile defense and conventional forces.

The Washington Declaration outlined a series of measures, including the establishment of the bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), to deter North Korea's use of nuclear weapons.

In the joint declaration, the U.S. additionally vowed to enhance the visibility of its strategic assets, such as a nuclear-armed submarine, around the Korean Peninsula.

The Washington Declaration's measures are collectively sufficient to deter aggression from Pyongyang, according to some experts in the U.S.

The joint declaration was "unprecedented in its strength and clarity," Evans Revere, a former State Department official who negotiated with North Korea, told VOA's Korean Service on Sunday. "And the NCG process is designed to be flexible, creative, and allow for adaptation to a broad range of future contingencies."

Troop presence

David Maxwell, a former U.S. Special Forces colonel who served on the Combined Forces Command of the U.S and South Korea, told VOA's Korean Service on Sunday that a large troop presence on the Korean Peninsula demonstrates Washington's firm commitment to the defense of its key ally.

"How many Russian troops are committed to North Korea? There is no comparison as to the commitment," said Maxwell, who now serves as vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy.

Currently, the U.S. has about 28,500 service members deployed in South Korea.

In contrast, Elbridge Colby, who served as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development in the Trump administration, suggested the U.S. might have to go beyond the Washington Declaration to ensure the security of South Korea.

"I think we need to take very seriously how dire the threat from North Korea is, and that the Washington Declaration is not a solution," Colby told VOA's Korean Service on the phone last week.

"It's been a failure that both North Korea and China are a nuclear breakout. They're increasing the size and the sophistication of the nuclear forces. So it's very unsurprising that serious people in South Korea are coming to this conclusion."

Bruce Bennett, senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation, believes some South Koreans may lack confidence in the Washington Declaration because the NCG's work is not made public.

"Because the NCG that it established has carried out most of its work in secrecy and provided little substance to reassure the South Korean people, many of the South Koreans with whom I have spoken are concerned that it is an inadequate means for rebuilding South Korean trust," Bennett told VOA's Korean Service on Sunday.

Responding to an inquiry from VOA's Korean Service, a State Department spokesperson said Thursday that "the U.S. and the ROK are enhancing and strengthening extended deterrence through the Nuclear Consultative Group, established as part of the Washington Declaration."

The spokesperson also stressed that the Washington Declaration is "a landmark U.S. extended deterrence commitment to the Republic of Korea." The Republic of Korea is South Korea's official name.

Earlier last week, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell maintained that the series of mechanisms put in place between the United States and South Korea through the Washington Declaration "has given us what we need to work with" regarding the alliance's deterrence posture.

North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles Monday, one of which is presumed to have failed and fallen inland near Pyongyang. The latest missile test came just five days after North Korea conducted a ballistic missile test in which it claimed to have successfully tested its multiple-warhead missile technology. South Korean authorities have dismissed such a claim.

Eunjung Cho contributed to this report.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






DPRK: Statement by the Spokesperson on the recent launch of ballistic missiles

European External Action Service (EEAS)

02.07.2024

EEAS Press Team

The European Union strongly condemns the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) launch of ballistic missiles on 1 July, which constitutes another violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

The EU reiterates its call on the DPRK to cease all illegal actions that threaten regional and international peace and security. We urge the DPRK to accept the offers of dialogue by relevant parties and to comply with its obligations under UN Security Council resolutions to abandon its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.

We are also gravely concerned by deepening DPRK-Russia cooperation in flagrant violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. We reiterate our strong call on the DPRK and Russia to cease illegal arms transfers.

The EU is ready to work with all partners in promoting a meaningful diplomatic process aimed at the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






DPRK Missile Administration Conducts Test-fire of New-type Tactical Ballistic Missile

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK

Pyongyang, July 2 (KCNA) -- The DPRK Missile Administration successfully conducted a test-fire of new-type tactical ballistic missile Hwasongpho-11Da-4.5 on July 1.

The new-type missile is a tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying 4.5 ton-class super-large warhead.

The test-fire was conducted with a missile tipped with a simulated heavy warhead to verify flight stability and hit accuracy at the maximum range of 500 km and the minimum range of 90 km.

The Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea reported to the plenary meeting of the WPK Central Committee on the result of the Missile Administration's test which is of great significance.

The test of the new-type weapon system is part of the regular activities of the administration and its affiliated defence science institutes.

The Missile Administration said that it will test-fire new-type tactical ballistic missile Hwasongpho-11Da-4.5 to verify flight characteristics, hit accuracy and explosion power of super-large warhead at the medium range of 250km in July. -0-

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Statement on DPRK's Ballistic Missile Launch

Republic of the Philippines - Department of Foreign Affairs

MANILA 02 July 2024 -- The Philippines condemns the DPRK's latest ballistic missile launch, which provokes tensions and undermines economic progress, peace, and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the lndo-Pacific region. The Philippines has repeatedly called on the DPRK to also comply with its international obligations and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and to commit to constructive and peaceful dialogue with the Republic of Korea. The Philippines has consistently supported the call for a complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the DPRK. END

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






North Korea says successfully tests ballistic missile capable of carrying super-large warhead

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 July 2024 8:20 AM

North Korea says it has successfully tested a new tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying a "super-large warhead" following a recent joint military exercise by South Korea, Japan and the United States.

The Hwasongpho-11Da-4.5 missile is said to be capable of carrying a 4.5 ton-class super-large warhead.

"The test-fire was conducted with a missile tipped with a simulated heavy warhead to verify flight stability and hit accuracy at the maximum range of 500 kilometers (310 miles) and the minimum range of 90 kilometers," the state-owned Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Tuesday.

Pyongyang will test fire the missile again this month "to verify flight characteristics, hit accuracy and explosion power of super-large warhead at the medium range of 250 kilometers", according to KCNA.

Meanwhile, South Korea questioned North's reports of a successful test, saying they were likely a "lie" and that one of the missiles appeared to have failed in the early stages of flight.

The South's military claimed that missile's trajectory suggested a possible mid-air explosion over North Korea.

"It is extremely rare for test launches to be conducted inland, and the claim that they succeeded in such a launch is likely to be false," Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung-jun told reporters Tuesday.

The Monday test launches took place as North Korea criticized the joint military exercises held by Seoul, Tokyo and Washington last month.

North Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement that such drills show the relationship among the trio has developed into "the Asian version of NATO", warning of "fatal consequences."

It also vowed that the country will protect regional peace with a overwhelming response.

Pyongyang, which has been under harsh sanctions by the United States and the United Nations Security Council for years over its nuclear and ballistic-missile programs, says such military maneuvers amount to a rehearsal for invasion.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has repeatedly said his government is building up its military arsenal in preparation for war by the West that could "break out at any time" on the peninsula.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Is France's Far-Right Victory A Turning Point For Europe?

By Luke Allnutt July 01, 2024

France's far-right National Rally (RN) party, led by Marine Le Pen, has secured a clear victory in the first round of parliamentary elections. If the party wins an absolute majority in the July 7 runoff, France would have a far-right government for the first time since World War II.

This result marks another big setback for beleaguered French President Emmanuel Macron, who dissolved parliament and called for snap elections in an attempt to halt the far-right's progress after RN's record gains in the June 6-9 European Parliament elections.

So, What Happens Now?

Even if the second round doesn't lead to a National Rally government, this is perhaps the biggest political turmoil to engulf France in decades.

The key question is whether the RN can secure an absolute majority in the second round in the 577-seat National Assembly, France's lower house of parliament.

Efforts are already under way to form "Republican fronts" -- anti-Le Pen alliances aimed at preventing the RN from gaining a majority. Macron has urged voters who supported his centrist Ensemble alliance, which trailed in third place with about 20 percent, to back "clearly republican and democratic" candidates in constituencies where his party finished third.

Similarly, Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the left-wing France Unbowed, part of the second-placed New Popular Front coalition, announced that his alliance would withdraw candidates who finished third in the first round to consolidate the anti-Le Pen vote.

Eric Maurice, a policy analyst at the European Policy Center, said "all will depend on whether the left and center agree to remove candidates who came third and qualified for the second round. The more this happens, the less RN will be able to obtain an absolute majority."

What Are The Possible Outcomes?

Perhaps the most likely outcome, especially given the strong anti-Le Pen campaign, would be RN winning but unable to achieve an absolute majority, resulting in a hung parliament and political gridlock. This scenario would pit the far-right against the left in parliament, making it difficult to pass legislation.

If RN did win an absolute majority, it would have the opportunity to impose its nationalist, nativist, and conservative agenda and, according to Maurice, "could jeopardize rule of law in France."

Another scenario could be a government led by Ensemble, the coalition centered around Macron's party. However, RFE/RL's Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak says he is not sure Macron can "muster some sort of government of unity with a technocratic prime minister, as some are hoping for. And if he does, it will be an unstable one that can be voted down quite easily."

What Would An RN Victory Mean For France?

The RN's strong election performance shows the effectiveness of Marine Le Pen's drive to detoxify the party of her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, making it more appealing to the average voter in multicultural France.

After taking over the leadership in 2011, Marine Le Pen has changed the party's name from the National Front and tried to purge it of its neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic elements. She even expelled her own father, who has a history of inflammatory language against immigrants, and who once said the Nazi concentration camps were a "detail of history."

However, even if the RN did win the second round, there would still be constraints on the party. France has a semi-presidential system, in which the president and the prime minister share power. The prime minister and cabinet are responsible for managing daily government operations and domestic policy, whereas the president dominates national security and foreign policy and represents the country on the world stage.

Jordan Bardella, the RN's untested co-leader, would become prime minister, awkwardly -- and likely ineffectively -- sharing power with Macron.

And What Would It Mean For The European Union?

For the far right, it could be an opportune moment to influence the European Union. Hungary, led by Viktor Orban's national-conservative Fidesz party for more than a decade, has just begun its six-month stint as holder of the bloc's rotating presidency. Additionally, far-right parties made significant gains in the June 6-9 European Parliament elections, a sign of the growing nationalist and populist sentiments across the 27 countries of the EU.

The RN's influence could test aspects of the EU's Green Deal, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, eliminate pollution, and support sustainable industry. The RN has campaigned against EU environmental regulations, arguing that they harm jobs and French industry.

Immigration remains the RN's primary focus. The party advocates for stricter controls and aims to implement policies that prioritize French nationals for social benefits, housing, and jobs -- measures that are currently illegal under EU law.

It is here, according to Philippe Marliere, a professor of French and European politics at University College London, where RN distinguishes itself from other rightist parties in the EU, for example Orban's Fidesz party.

"Political scientists in France call it far right because it really is far right. If you study its program, it's the unreconstructed far right," he says. "Obsessively nativist, anti-immigration, and also obsessively discussing what is it to be French."

RFE/RL Europe Editor Jozwiak says that the EU is already heading in Le Pen's direction on immigration.

"Walls and barbed wire are commonplace along the EU's border, and deals are being struck with third countries to send back asylum seekers and to hold them back from coming in the first place," he says.

Significantly, the RN victory in the first round could induce a tactical shift among right-wing parties in the EU. Le Pen's party has moderated its stance on the EU in recent years. Rather than advocating for "Frexit," it now aims to reform the EU from within, aligning the bloc more closely with its right-wing views. Given the RN's success, other right-wing parties across the EU may follow suit.

How Could It Affect The War In Ukraine?

Le Pen is a professed admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, praising him as a defender of traditional European values against globalization and U.S. influence. In 2014, Le Pen supported Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea. And, if it wins power, the RN has promised to halt French deliveries of long-range missiles to Ukraine.

However, Le Pen's position has softened in recent years, condemning Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and proclaiming her support for the Ukrainian people -- all while taking care not to escalate the situation with Russia.

Mark Galeotti, a political analyst and honorary professor at University College London's School of Slavonic and East European Studies, told RFE/RL that it's unlikely that a France dominated by Le Pen "is going to suddenly break with the mainstream and say, 'We're not going to be supporting Ukraine anymore.'"

However, he adds, that "anything that clips Emmanuel Macron's wings is good news for the Kremlin" in its war against Ukraine, "because Macron has at the moment been trying to present himself as the hawkiest of hawks in Europe, talking about sending ground troops."

And, in Brussels, foot-dragging can sometimes be as effective as outright opposition. UCL professor Marliere says that a French far-right government wouldn't actually need to come out against Ukraine outright to have an affect on EU policy.

The drive for Ukraine entering the bloc would essentially be on on ice.

"You just drag your feet. You make it difficult. You waste time," he says. "And, of course, time is of the essence for Ukraine. They need weapons now and they need support now, so expect something much more messy, much more difficult for Europe."

With contributions from Dragan Stavljanin and Tony Wesolowsky

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/french-far-right- win-national-rally-marine-le-pen/33017406.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






July 2, 2024: In northeast Borno States female Boko Haram suicide bombers, set off their explosives at a wedding and then a funeral, leaving 32 dead and 42 wounded. Boko Haram became active in Borno during 2009 and since then have killed over 40,000 while two million were driven from their homes.

Another consistent security problem is the lack of an effective national police force. Since the 19 th Century there have been sporadic efforts to create a modern, reliable, honest and effective Nigerian national police force. All those efforts have failed and the current national police are still known for their corruption, brutality and ineffectiveness rather than effective policing. This has led to numerous local vigilante groups appearing when needed because of a local crisis. In many other cases the army is sent to restore order but does not stay because Nigerian law does not allow the military to replace the police on a permanent basis. Moreover, soldiers are trained for combat, not full time policing of neighborhoods in towns and cities as well as rural villages.

The military is active in fighting large outbreaks of banditry and terrorism. For example, in northwestern Katsina State, the air force responded to reports of a major Islamic terrorist raid on a group of rural villages as well as a local army base. Dozens of structures were being looted and set on fire. Local police and army forces were alerted but the air force arrived first and saw the fires and detected the Islamic terrorists fleeing on motorcycles and in vehicles. The air force confirmed the presence of the fleeing terrorists and attacked, killing at least 8o Islamic terrorists and attacking some of the rural camps they were living in. The air force and ground forces dont always have this much success when responding to reports of attacks. But in this instance the timing and location of the attacks resulted in heavy losses for the Islamic terrorists.

In most of Nigeria there has been less Islamic terrorist violence since 2020 as these terrorist groups faded away while tribal violence became responsible for most casualties. The Islamic terror groups main activity was staying alive, and they did so via banditry. In some parts of Nigeria, like Katsina State, the Islamic terrorist activity quietly grew. But when there was a major attack, the military was able to respond forcefully and decisively.

Back in 2004, Islamic terrorist violence in the northeast appeared and created some lasting problems. There are still millions of refugees plus substantial economic damage in the northeast (Borno State), where it all began. There seems to be no end in sight because of the local corruption, but more competent leadership in the security forces reduced the violence. All this was caused by a local group of Taliban wannabes calling themselves Boko Haram. Their activity in the capital of Borno State grew for a decade until in 2014 it seemed unstoppable. It took over a year for the government to finally muster sufficient military strength to cripple but not destroy Boko Haram. This did not get much media attention outside Africa, even though in 2014 Boko Haram killed more people than ISIL did in Syria and Iraq. The main reason for Boko Haram gains in 2014 and 2015 was corruption in the army, which severely crippled effective counterterror efforts.

By itself Boko Haram was too small to have much impact on a national scale but the inability to deal with this problem put a spotlight on the corruption that has hobbled all progress in Nigeria for decades. A new president was elected in 2023 and made considerable progress in changing the corruption. This included problems with tribal feuds and growing unrest throughout the country. This has been especially bad down south in the Niger River Delta region which was where most of the petroleum extraction took place. Violence against oil facilities continues, in part because local politicians and business leaders were part of the oil theft business. Northern Moslems want more control over the federal government and the oil money. In northern and central Nigeria, you have increasing violence as nomadic Moslem herders move south and clash with largely Christian farmers over land use and water supplies. For the last few years these tribal feuds have killed more people than Boko Haram. The situation is still capable of sliding into regional civil wars, over money and political power. Corruption and ethnic/tribal/religious rivalries threaten to trigger, at worse, another civil war and, at least, more street violence and public anger.
MoD inks MoU to set up testing facilities in Unmanned Aerial System, Electronic Warfare & Electro Optics domains in Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Posted On: 02 JUL 2024 6:50PM by PIB Delhi

Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed an MoU to establish three state-of-the-art testing facilities in Chennai under the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor - one each in Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), Electronic Warfare (EW) and Electro Optics (EO) domains. The MoU, under the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS), was exchanged between senior officials of MoD and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited in the presence of Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane in New Delhi on July 02, 2024.

With an outlay of Rs 400 crore, the DTIS was launched by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh in May 2020 to set up state-of-the-art testing facilities in collaboration with private industry and Central/State Government, promoting indigenous defence production, reducing military equipment imports and enhancing self-reliance. To provide impetus to the defence and aerospace sectors within the Defence Industrial Corridors, seven testing facilities were approved - four in Tamil Nadu and three in Uttar Pradesh. The MoU for three facilities in Tamil Nadu has been signed today.

The DTIS provides up to 75% government funding as 'Grant-in-Aid', with the remaining 25% funded by the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPVs), comprising Indian private entities and State/Central Governments.

For the UAS testing facility, Keltron, a government of Kerala undertaking, is the lead SPV member, with some private sector companies being the consortium members. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and India Optel Limited (IOL) are the lead SPV members in the EW and EO testing facilities respectively.

Upon the completion of the project, they will provide advanced testing equipment and services to both government and private industry, thus giving a boost to 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence.

ABB/Savvy/KB



(Release ID: 2030282)

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






WEAPON SYSTEMS SCHOOL INAUGURATED BY THE CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF AT BEGUMPET, HYDERABAD

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Posted On: 02 JUL 2024 2:11PM by PIB Delhi

A new chapter has been introduced in the history of the Indian Air Force (IAF) with the inauguration of the Weapon Systems School (WSS) by Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), at Air Force Station Begumpet, Hyderabad on 01 July 24. This follows the approval of a new branch of officers in the IAF, the Weapon System (WS) branch in 2022. Aimed at recalibrating and transforming the Indian Air Force as a future-oriented force, the formation of this new training establishment is a gigantic leap for the Armed Forces in general, and Indian Air Force in particular.

The CAS was welcomed by Air Vice Marshal Premkumar Krishnaswamy. Commandant, Weapon Systems School. The inauguration ceremony was also graced by the presence of Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Training Command, and other senior officers of the IAF including Commandant, Air Force Academy, Commandant, College of Air Warfare, Air Office Commanding, Air Force Station Hakimpet, and Station Commander, Air Force Station Begumpet.

The WSS will impart effect based training that is contemporary in nature and prepare officers of the newly formed branch in line with the requirements of the IAF. With inauguration of the WSS, Flight Cadets of WS Branch will undergo their second semester of training at this institute. The new branch will have four streams; Flying stream to operate the weapons and systems in airborne platforms like the Sukhoi-30 MKI and C-130J; Remote stream to operate Remotely Piloted Aircraft; Mission Commanders and operators for Surface to Air and Surface-to-Surface weapon systems, and Intelligence stream for handling space-based intelligence and imagery.

During the interaction, the CAS highlighted that with the creation of WS Branch, operators of ground based and specialist weapon systems will come under one umbrella, enhancing war fighting capabilities of the IAF significantly. He exhorted the instructors that being pioneers in a newly formed branch, they were the pillars on which the entire edifice of the envisioned training regime would stand firmly and deliver decisive air power. While complimenting the founding members of the School, the CAS urged all personnel to establish the School as a nodal centre for weapon systems training in the country.

The creation of the WS branch was announced by the CAS during the Air Force Day Parade celebrations on 08 October 2022.

***

ABB/AM/IS



(Release ID: 2030202)

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






INDIAN ARMY CONTINGENT DEPARTS FOR INDIA- THAILAND JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE MAITREE

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Posted On: 02 JUL 2024 10:32AM by PIB Delhi

The Indian Army contingent departed yesterday for the 13th edition of India- Thailand joint military Exercise MAITREE. The exercise is scheduled to be conducted from 1st to 15th July 2024 at Fort Vachiraprakan in Tak Province of Thailand. Last edition of the same exercise was conducted at Umroi, Meghalaya in September 2019.

The Indian Army contingent comprising 76 personnel is being represented mainly by a Battalion of the LADAKH SCOUTS along with personnel from other arms and services. The Royal Thailand Army contingent also comprises 76 personnel mainly from 1st Battalion, 14 Infantry Regiment of 4 Division.

Aim of Exercise MAITREE is to foster Military Cooperation between India and Thailand. The Exercise will enhance combined capabilities in executing Joint Counter Insurgency/ Terrorist Operations in Jungle and Urban Environment under Chapter VII of United Nations Charter. The Exercise will focus on high degree of physical fitness, joint planning and joint tactical drills.

Tactical Drills to be practiced during the exercise will include Creation of a Joint Operation Centre, establishing an Intelligence & Surveillance Centre, employment of Drones and Counter Drone Systems, Securing of a Landing Site, Small Team Insertion & Extraction, Special Heliborne Operations, Cordon and Search Operations, Room Intervention Drills and Demolition of Illegal Structures.

Exercise MAITREE will enable the two sides to share their best practices in Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for conduct of joint operations. The Exercise will facilitate developing inter-operability, bonhomie and camaraderie between soldiers of both the countries.

*******

SC



(Release ID: 2030153)

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Senior diplomat: Iran to use 'all means' to back Hezbollah if Lebanon attacked

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 July 2024 4:18 PM

A senior Iranian diplomat has warned Israel against launching a war on Lebanon, saying the Islamic Republic and all resistance groups in West Asia will support the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah in case of such military aggression.

Kamal Kharrazi, the head of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, told British daily newspaper the Financial Times in an interview that Israel's offensive against Lebanon will trigger a regional war in which Tehran and all forces of the Axis of Resistance will throw their weight behind Hezbollah by "all means".

Iran is "not interested" in a regional war, he said, urging the US to put pressure on Israel to prevent further escalation.

When asked if Iran would support Hezbollah in the event of a full-blown conflict, Kharrazi said, "All Lebanese people, Arab countries and members of the Axis of Resistance will support Lebanon against Israel."

"There would be a chance of expansion of the war to the whole region, in which all countries including Iran would become engaged," he said in the interview. "In that situation, we would have no choice, but to support Hezbollah by all means."

"The expansion of war is not in the interest of anyone a not Iran or the US."

Since early October last year, Hezbollah and Israel have been involved in a series of deadly clashes. These confrontations were initiated after the Tel Aviv regime launched a genocidal assault on the Gaza Strip following a surprise operation by the Palestinian Hamas resistance group.

Hezbollah has vowed to maintain its retaliatory strikes as long as the Israeli regime continues its Gaza war, which has resulted in the deaths of at least 37,900 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, and left 87,060 others injured.

Hezbollah officials have repeatedly said they do not want a war with Israel, but if it happens they are ready.

Iran's presidential election, nuclear program

Commenting on the Iranian presidential race and the country's foreign policy, Kharrazi said while there are "some differences" between the approaches of the candidates, "the overall foreign policy strategy" is determined by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and would remain the same.

"If they (Western countries) decide to cooperate, we are ready for cooperation", Kharrazi said.

The Islamic Republic would be willing to hold indirect negotiations with Washington about Tehran's nuclear program under a new administration, if it would lead to the US rejoining the 2015 Iran deal signed with world powers, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), he said.

"We are not for building nuclear weapons," Kharrazi said, citing a fatwa (Islamic decree) issued by Ayatollah Khamenei in 2003 banning the development of such munitions.

He said that if the West triggered "snapback" provisions to re-impose UN sanctions lifted when Tehran signed the JCPOA, in response to Iran's continued expansion of its program, "there would be a severe reaction from Iran in terms of changing its nuclear strategy".

"Up to now, we have not decided to go further than 60-percent enrichment," he said. "But we have been trying to expand our experience by using different machines and different set-ups."

Ukraine conflict

Elsewhere in his remarks, Kharrazi pointed to the Ukraine war and said Tehran is neutral in the conflict. He said Iran sold drones to Russia prior to the war.

He roundly dismissed Western allegations that Tehran could sell missiles to Moscow. "There have been such accusations, but it is not true."

However, he said, there was "no obstacle between Iran and Russia for arms deals." Tehran was in negotiations to buy Russian fighter jets, Kharrazi said. "We are due to sign a comprehensive strategic agreement with them in the near future."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Myanmar shuns ethnic party from planned elections

Junta banned more than 80 groups from political activities, including elections, the election committee announced.

By RFA Burmese 2024.07.02 -- Myanmar junta election officials have barred an ethnic minority political party from running in the military regime's proposed 2025 elections under a law that excludes groups with suspected links to "terrorists", the Election Commission announced.

The Arakan National Party, which represents the interests of the ethnic Rakhine people in western Myanmar's Rakhine state, had its application to run as a party rejected, the Union Election Commission announced.

The election organizer said the rejection was based on a section of the political party law that excludes parties if they are declared or associated with terrorist organizations, use resources owned by the state or from foreign governments or misuse "religion for political purposes."

Arakan National Party secretary general Khaing Pyi Soe told RFA that denying parties the chance to run in the election showed a lack of commitment to solving the country's problems.

"Political parties are formed to solve political problems through political solutions. Now, the Union Election Commission has rejected the political party's official application," he said. "So, I think that the regime and the commission itself have no intention to solve the current political problem through political means."

Even though the party is not allowed to register it would continue to exist whether the junta recognized it or not, he added.

The Union Election Commission did not respond to RFA's requests for comment.

Myanmar's military overthrew a civilian government in a February 2021 coup on the pretext of fraud in a November 2020 general election swept by the National League for Democracy party, led by Nobel laureate Aung Sang Suu Kyi.

The coup sparked a civil war as ordinary citizens took up arms to fight the junta, forming guerrilla bands of People's Defense Forces, which have linked up with ethnic minority insurgent forces fighting for years for self-determination.

The junta has faced setbacks since late last year in several parts of the country. The Arakan Army insurgent group, which draws its support from the Rakhine population, has made significant gains in the western state, seizing more than half of its townships since a ceasefire with the junta ended in November.

The Arakan National Party initially sided with the military junta after the 2021 coup but it resigned from the military's ruling council three months later.

Suspected links

A political analyst in Rakhine state said the junta may have rejected the party's application because of links some of its old members had in administering areas occupied by the Arakan Army.

"Former politicians of the Arakan National Party are now working in the ULA," said the analyst, who declined to be identified for security reasons, referring to a political organization the Arakan Army fights under.

The political party had withdrawn from the ULA, or the United League of Arakan, but it was not clear if the junta recognized that, the analyst said.

"I think they are unaware that they are no longer members of the party, so maybe that's why the junta canceled their application."

Democracy activists say the junta's promised election will be a sham given that the country's most popular political leader, Suu Kyi, has been jailed for 27 years on charges she denies, and the election commission has banned more than 80 parties.

The junta's Union Solidarity and Development Party is one of 47 parties that have registered since March.

Junta leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said in March in an interview with the ITAR-TASS news agency, that the first elections since the military seized power would be held if peace and stability can be restored to the country. No date has been set for a vote.

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 July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Vice President of Kansas Company Pleads Guilty to Crimes Related to Scheme to Illegally Export U.S. Avionics Equipment to Russia and Russian End Users

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

For Immediate Release

Office of Public Affairs

Defendant Pleads Guilty to Numerous Export Control and Money Laundering Violations

Douglas Edward Robertson, 56, of Olathe, Kansas, the former vice president of KanRus Trading Company Inc., pleaded guilty today for his role in a years-long conspiracy to circumvent U.S. export laws by filing false export forms with the U.S. government and, after Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, continuing to sell and export sophisticated and controlled avionics equipment to customers in Russia without the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

"Robertson, by his own admission, conspired to sell advanced U.S. avionics equipment to Russian customers in violation of U.S. law," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. "The Justice Department will not tolerate those who seek to undermine the effectiveness of export controls that protect critical U.S. technology and deter Russia's aggression in Ukraine."

"Robertson's guilty plea is reflective of the strong evidence gathered against him by federal investigators and the solid case presented by federal prosecutors,"A said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. "Our nation is both proud and grateful to these men and women at the Department of Justice who seek to protect the United States and our national security interests from adversaries both foreign and domestic."

"Those who seek to profit by illegally selling sophisticated U.S. technology to our adversaries are putting the national security of our country at risk and that cannot be tolerated," said Robert Wells, FBI Executive Assistant Director of the National Security Branch. "It is appalling that the defendant schemed to smuggle avionics equipment to customers overseas including Russia, a nation engaged in a long-running military conflict with Ukraine. The FBI will work with our partners to stop the illegal flow of sensitive U.S. equipment and technology to foreign adversaries."

"You might think that smuggling sensitive U.S.-origin technology to Russia, including to their Federal Security Service (FSB), means we're not in Kansas anymore. Unfortunately, in this case, we were," said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew A. Axelrod. "We will continue to hold individuals everywhere, including those at the highest rungs of the corporate ladder, accountable when they violate our laws by lying on forms and transshipping items through third countries."

According to court documents, as part of his guilty plea, Robertson admitted that between 2020 and when he was arrested in March 2023, he conspired with others - including co-defendants Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky of Lawrence, Kansas and Oleg Chistyakov, aka Olegs Aitsjakovs, of Riga, Latvia - to smuggle U.S.-origin avionics equipment to end users in Russia, as well as Russian end users in other foreign countries, by, among other actions, knowingly filing false export forms and failing to file required export forms with the U.S. government. In these forms, Robertson and his conspirators lied about the exports' value, end users, and end destinations.

Robertson further admitted that on at least one occasion in 2021, he, Buyanovsky, and Chistyakov smuggled a repaired Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) to the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) by removing the FSB sticker from the device before sending the device to a U.S. company to be repaired and then exporting the TCAS back to the FSB in Russia. At the time, the FSB was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, for its interference in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election.A A

Robertson further admitted that after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and the U.S. government tightened export controls concerning Russia, he, co-defendants Buyanovsky and Chistyakov, and other conspirators continued to purchase and export U.S.-origin avionics equipment to customers in Russia and took numerous steps to hide their illegal activity from law enforcement, including by lying to U.S. suppliers about the intended end users; shipping goods through intermediary companies in Armenia, Laos, the United Arab Emirates, and Cyprus; continuing to file false export forms with the U.S. government; and using foreign bank accounts in countries other than Russia, such as Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, and the Czech Republic, to promote their illegal export activity.

On Dec. 6, 2023, the U.S. Department of CommerceA CommerceA Commerce added many of the entities and individuals involved in KanRus and Robertson's illegal export scheme to the Commerce Department's Entity List

A as part of the U.S. government's interagency efforts to dismantle Russian procurement networks designed to circumvent U.S. export controls and sanctions imposed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Entity List imposes specific license requirements on all listed individuals and entities.

In December 2023, Buyanovsky, the former President and owner of KanRus, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and money laundering and consented to the forfeiture of over $450,000 worth of avionics equipment and accessories, and a $50,000 personal forfeiture judgment.

On March 19, Chistyakov, a former KanRus broker, was arrested in Riga, Latvia for his role in the illegal smuggling scheme. Chistyakov remains detained in Latvia pending extradition proceedings.

As a result of today's guilty plea, Robertson faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy count, 20 years in prison for each of the two Export Control Reform Act counts, and 20 years in prison for the money laundering count. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 3.

The FBI and the Department of Commerce's Office of Export Enforcement are investigating the case. The Latvian authorities are assisting the investigation. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection provided substantial assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Rask and Ryan Huschka of the District of Kansas and Trial Attorney Adam Barry of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs is providing valuable assistance.

The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department's Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia's unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022 and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department's tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

Topics: Export Control

National Security

Components: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

National Security Division (NSD)

Office of the Deputy Attorney General

USAO - Kansas

Press Release Number: 24-841

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Meeting with Gazprom Neft CEO Alexander Dyukov

Alexander Dyukov briefed the President about Gazprom Neft's performance: the company is increasing the volume of petroleum products production and supply to the domestic market, developing large fields in the Arctic and Eastern Siberia and creating technologies for the extraction of hard-to-recover reserves. The Omsk Oil Refinery has been modernised, and the Moscow Oil Refinery is being upgraded.

July 2, 2024

13:40

The Kremlin, Moscow

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Dyukov, Gazprom Neft has shown remarkable performance. Last year, the company achieved its highest ever sales revenue of 3.5 trillion rubles, and EBITDA of 1.3 trillion.

The company's capital investments are looking good - they have reached an impressive 570 billion rubles. The level of raw material processing is also at a record high, thanks to the utilisation of advanced technologies, including digital solutions.

What do you envision for the company's future prospects? How can we support you?

Gazprom Neft CEO Alexander Dyukov: Mr President,

You are absolutely correct. Last year was a successful one for our company. The first quarter of this year has also been promising, with strong performance. Gazprom Neft continues to operate steadily, meeting the demand for oil and petroleum products in both domestic and foreign markets. However, serving the needs of the domestic market remains our priority.

The Russian economy is growing at a rapid pace. There is an increasing demand for motor fuels and other oil products, lubricants, bitumen materials, and petrochemicals. Both the industry as a whole and Gazprom Neft are responding to this demand by increasing production volumes and supplies to the domestic market.

By doing so, we are able to enhance our financial performance and contribute more to the national budget. In the first quarter alone, our tax contributions increased by 57 percent compared to the same period in 2023.

I said that the company's operations are stable, but our goal is not only to remain stable but also to actively develop. This is the purpose of the investment programme in production. Last April, we launched the third unit of the Urengoyskoye field into industrial operation. We are developing several major fields in the Arctic and Eastern Siberia.

Developing technology and working with hard-to-recover reserves are crucial parts of our operations. Hard-to-recover reserves currently account for 65 percent, almost 70 percent, of the company's production portfolio. It is a very important segment.

It goes without saying that refining is also crucially important. We are completing comprehensive modernisation. Last year, we upgraded the Omsk Refinery, the largest in Russia, which has the capacity of 21 million tonnes. Now, it is essentially a new oil processing facility with a refinery yield of 99 percent. Ninety percent of the processing units are new.

Next year, we will complete comprehensive modernisation of the Moscow Refinery, also aiming to achieve the refinery yield of 99 percent.

Thanks to modernisation, we are not only boosting refinery yield but also expanding our line of oil products. The Omsk Refinery, for example, now produces more than 1,000 oil products, from motor fuel to lubricants, bitumen, needle coke for metal production, as well as catalysts and petrochemical products.

Overall, the industry has made significant progress in the past 25 years. Production has grown by 65 percent, putting Russia back among the leaders in oil production, and playing an important role in ensuring the stability of the global market. This growth has been driven by technological development, which prompted the development of new oil and gas regions in the Arctic and Eastern Siberia. As I said, another segment worth mentioning is operations with hard-to-recover reserves.

These operations require special materials, equipment and technology. A great deal has been achieved over the years. We have the necessary technology to operate in the new regions (there are certain specifics and nuances) and to work with hard-to-access reserves. These are operations that rely on new technology, equipment and digital development. We have everything we need.

Vladimir Putin: I know that your company pays much attention, as I have already mentioned, to the use of latest technologies and cutting-edge solutions, including digital ones.

Which technologies, out all those that you use, have given you the greatest returns and the most satisfaction? What would you like to focus on as the most promising areas?

Alexander Dyukov: Mr President, the oil sector is a knowledge-intensive sector. To discover, produce and process oil we need thousands of technologies and thousands of different types of equipment, specifically 1,400 types of basic equipment that are necessary for this purpose.

In fact, each type of equipment is important. I want to emphasise that when it comes to machine building and Russian oil companies, we have made a lot of progress during this time to achieve independence from imports and to ensure technological independence.

If we look at equipment shortage, currently it is only 200 items. The work that has been done over the recent years accounts for 1,200 items. We can be proud of each technology and type of equipment that we have learned to produce.

We have set ourselves the task of eliminating this equipment shortfall by 2027. In terms of technology, we are independent from imports, fully independent technologically. There is a slight dependence on equipment, but it will be eliminated by 2027. This will not only allow us to achieve technological independence, but it will also provide additional orders for our machine builders. According to our estimates, the value of these additional orders amounts to one trillion rubles.

Of course, digital technologies are very important and enable us to increase work productivity, both in dealing with hard-to-extract reserves and with traditional reserves. We apply them across the entire value chain, from prospecting to production, processing and marketing.

Vladimir Putin: Good.

<a>

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Prosecutors ask France's highest court to resolve Assad warrant

By VOA News July 02, 2024

French prosecutors on Tuesday asked the Court of Cassation, the highest court in France, to weigh in on the validity of an international arrest warrant against Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Assad is accused of being complicit in war crimes committed during the civil war in Syria, although prosecutors are asserting that Assad, as a head of state, should have complete immunity.

Appeals court judges last week ruled that the arrest warrant is valid and that it remains in force. Lawyers of victims say the ruling by the appeals court was a "giant step forward in the fight against impunity."

The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, along with a lawyers' group known as the Open Society Justice Initiative and the Syrian Archive, were involved in the initial complaint against the president.

According to the prosecutors' appeal, it is "necessary from a legal point of view" to consider personal immunity as head of state in relation to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The prosecutors have said that immunity for foreign heads of state should only be superseded by international prosecution, including the International Criminal Court.

"The challenge at France's supreme court by the Public Prosecutor's Office threatens once more the victims' relentless efforts to see Bashar Assad finally tried before an independent court," said Jeanne Sulzer and Clemence Witt in a statement. Sulzer and Witt are lawyers at the Paris Bar.

While Assad will likely not see trial in France, an arrest warrant for a world leader is rare. France is thought to be the first country to issue an arrest warrant for a sitting foreign head of state.

The French judiciary also has arrest warrants out for Maher Assad, his brother, and several others.

The war crimes in question include a 2013 chemical attack on Damascus suburbs then held by the opposition. More than 1,000 people were killed, while thousands more were injured.

After the attack, Washington and Moscow made a deal for Syria to forfeit its chemical weapons. Watchdog groups allege that Syria has continued staging chemical attacks.

The civil war in Syria killed upwards of a million people and displaced millions of others since it began in 2011.

The Court of Cassation's decision will be the final ruling.

The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse provided information for this report.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






19 PLA aircraft, ships detected near Taiwan: MND

ROC Central News Agency

07/02/2024 01:09 PM

Taipei, July 2 (CNA) Nineteen People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and vessels were detected in the airspace and waters around Taiwan in the 24-hour period starting at 6 a.m. on Monday, including a number of aircraft flying as close as 47 nautical miles from Keelung, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

Thirteen Chinese military aircraft were detected in Taiwan's vicinity, of which 10 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or its extension, entering the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), flight information released by the MND on Tuesday showed.

Of the 10 aircraft, some flew as close as 47 nautical miles (87 kilometers) from Taiwan's northern port city Keelung, according to the ministry.

An ADIZ is an area in which a country claims the right to identify, locate, and control approaching foreign aircraft, but it is not part of the country's territorial airspace as defined in international law.

Meanwhile, six PLA vessels were detected in waters off Taiwan during the same 24-hour period, according to the MND.

Taiwan's defense ministry said it was closely monitoring the situation and had deployed combat air patrol aircraft, coastal missile systems, and Navy vessels in response.

The MND started publishing daily numbers of PLA aircraft and ships detected around Taiwan in September 2020, when the frequency of Chinese military aircraft crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait saw a marked increase.

Such incursions now happen on a near-daily basis.

At a meeting with members of the United States Congress' U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission last week, President Lai Ching-te (ea) said that China had continued to "step up its military operations in and around the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea."

"Taiwan will continue to manage cross-strait relations responsibly and will endeavor to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific region", said Lai.

(By Sean Lin)

Enditem/JT

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

ROC Ministry of National Defense

2024/07/02

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan



1. Dateis



6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Monday to Tuesday, Jul. 1-2

2. PLA activitiesis



13 PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 10 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern, and southeastern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities.



NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






July 3, 2024: Ukraine has developed its own version of the French Caesar truck-mounted 155mm howitzer. The Ukrainian version is called the 2S22 Bogdana. This is a 28 ton, six-wheel truck armed with a NATO standard 155mm howitzer and operated by a crew of five. Development of the 2S22 began in 2015 and the first prototype was available in 2018 for test firings and other tests. Mass production began in January 2023 and by the end of 2023 production was ten 2S22s a month.

Currently 2S22a are replacing the many similar artillery systems sent to Ukraine after the 2022 Russian invasion. The first of these were eight Swedish Archer truck mounted 155mm artillery systems. Ukrainian artillerymen used the Archers for counterbattery, as in destroying enemy artillery. Ukrainians used UAVs to find targets for Archer and sent target locations to the nearest Archer system. Archer then fired a few 155mm shells at the target and moved, all in less than two minutes. Archer has 21 155mm shells onboard in a magazine that automatically loads these shells into the gun. This contributes to the speed of operation capability that makes Archer so effective. The Russians are also looking for counterbattery opportunities but have nothing like Archer, which can move, halt, fire and then resume moving faster than any Russian artillery. Archer can fire 20 shells at the rate of one every 7-8 seconds.

Archer counterbattery tactics have destroyed a growing number of Russian artillery and the Russians have not developed any defensive measures, except to shut down artillery operations and seek a hiding place from Archer. The Russians eventually developed the ability to use UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) to find and destroy these truck-mounted artillery systems.

In the 19902 a French firm developed the truck-mounted 155mm Caesar, which entered service in 2003. In 2009 France sent eight Caesar howitzers to Afghanistan. The roads in Afghanistan are pretty bad, and wheeled combat vehicles have a hard time of it, but Caesar was built to handle cross country operations. Afghanistan was the first time Caesar had served in combat and was successful. The French Army ordered about a hundred and another hundred have been exported. Caesar is the lightest of the truck-mounted 155mm howitzers, weighing 18 tons. Other nations have built heavier 20-30 ton systems, usually on a 6x6 heavy truck chassis.

None of these systems can be considered an exotic piece of technology. For example, Archer is an FH77 155mm/L52 howitzer mounted on a modified Volvo 6x6 dump truck. The vehicle, with the howitzer on board, weighs 30 tons. L52 means the barrel is 8 meters long, or 52 times the caliber. When the vehicle halts, the four-man crew can extend the metal braces in the rear, raise the barrel, and be firing within minutes. After firing, the vehicle can be moving in less than a minute. Archer can use the Excalibur GPS guided round, which means Archer and an ammo vehicle can supply lots of effective firepower without the need for constant resupply. Each Archer vehicle costs about $5 million.

This French experience with Caesar in Afghanistan encouraged Sweden about the ability of its Archer system to operate in the vast rural areas of Scandinavia. Some parts of rural Sweden are similar to Afghanistan, but worse, with more swamps. Sweden had had some Archer systems in service 2013 and 24 by 2017 and eventually 48. More were ordered because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The original Caesar system has been produced in larger quantities, with about 870 delivered or on order so far. Every time Caesar or similar systems like Archer have been used in combat, they have been successful. Their mobility has reduced losses and only four have been lost in combat so far. Three of those losses were in Ukraine, where these systems quickly experienced the most intense combat operations they were ever exposed to. Because of the demand by Ukrainian forces, production of Caesar systems has increased and Ukraine is supposed to receive over a hundred Caesar systems. Ukraine has already received 49 and lost about ten of them, usually to Russian UAVs. Ukraine is receiving lots of replacement systems in the form of the French Caesar, the Swedish Archer and the Ukrainian 2S22.
Q&A: Taiwan envoy to US discusses China 'lawfare,' intimidation acts

By Elizabeth Lee July 02, 2024

It has been more than a month since Lai Ching-te took office as Taiwan's newly elected president. Since the people of the self-governing island elected Lai in January, China has been increasing its pressure on Taiwan. Beijing considers Taiwan a part of its territory and views Lai as a "separatist."

China's ambassador to the U.S, Xie Feng, did not respond to VOA's request for an interview last year when he arrived in Washington. VOA sat down with Taiwan's top envoy to the U.S., Alexander Tah-Ray Yui, to talk about Lai's foreign policy vision, China's policies in the South China sea and new Chinese guidelines advocating for the punishment of those strongly supporting Taiwan independence. Also discussed was artificial intelligence and Taiwan's influence in the Caribbean, where five countries have diplomatic ties with the island.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

VOA: As a representative of Taiwan in the U.S., what is the single most important thing you hope to accomplish here?

Alexander Tah-Ray Yui, Taiwan's top envoy to the U.S.: Be it security, defense, be it technology, culture, education, etc. a and it's been steadily growing a obviously, my wish to accomplish here is to reach out, not only to the government, to Congress, but also to the American people to show that Taiwan-U.S. relations are relevant and are important for both of us. It's reciprocal, beneficial for both peoples, and we'll continue to promote that.

VOA: There's been mounting pressure from China, especially since the new [Taiwan] president started his office. What are some of the most challenging aspects of your diplomatic work here in the U.S., especially during an election year? And do you feel that pressure from China?

Yui: After President Lai Ching-te's assumption on May 20th, things have gotten even more aggressive a [China] conducted military maneuvers around the island, and the presence of military airplanes and ships, near and around our territorial waters is constant. At the same time, PRC [People's Republic of China] has been conducting what we call "lawfare" a law warfare a lately. [On] June 15th, they [China] implemented the Coast Guard Law number three, which in that law, again, I'm just loosely interpreting, [the] Chinese Coast Guard, using that law, can arrest and detain all within their territorial waters, which includes the whole South China Sea, East China Sea, etc., detain foreigners, seamen, if they deem that they're in unlawful activities. They can detain them [for] up to 60 days without due process.

[On June 21] they [China] announced the 22 suggestions on penalizing Taiwan independence. Any Taiwanese a or actually any person, even foreigners a who are aiding, abetting, promoting Taiwan independence could be under these penal sanctions. They can be arrested, put under judicial process a if even in absentia a and the most it could be, [is] under death penalty sanctions if [they are] deemed extreme pro-independence movement supporters. Again, they're using [the] law to justify that everything they claim is theirs. My government announced that we are elevating the travel warnings to orange, which is second highest level of warning to our citizens to not make unnecessary travel to mainland China, Hong [Kong] and Macao because of this.

You mentioned it is election season for the United States. Obviously, we all watch it with a lot of interest, a lot of attentiona But we're certain that no matter what the outcome of the elections, the relationship between Taiwan and the United States will continue to grow.

VOA: On to technology, Taiwan has been a world leader in semiconductors. China has been trying to be the global leader in artificial intelligence. How does Taiwan plan to compete with China?

Yui: Taiwan has a lot of relevance in terms of the AI revolution. China has been trying to, doing a lot of work, to advance AI a on microchips, semiconductors. They've devoted a lot of resources, a lot of money, a lot of manpower to try to replicate a I'm not saying overcome a just to replicate what Taiwan is doing. And so far, they have not been able to do so. So, it's important for us to maintain this superiority over mainland China. Because technology has to be used for good. It has to be used for exploring, expanding human imagination and benefits instead of being used to control its own people.

VOA: China has been active in the Caribbean with its infrastructure and investments. Some analysts even call it a key battleground for China to isolate Taiwan in the Caribbean. What is Taiwan's position?

Yui: PRC has been utilizing the Road and Belt Initiative to try to bring Chinese state-owned companies to build this large and often unnecessary infrastructure, through Chinese financing at high costs. What we are doing and what other countries a the United States and Europe a is that we offer a different alternative to these kind(s) of developments, which is more humanistic. We've always been allies offering through our technical commission the necessary cooperation that they need in terms of medical assistance, education, technology, agriculture, etc. [This] is what they really need and not all these humongous, unnecessary projects that cost a lot of money.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






July 2, 2024

Transcript

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Hosts Bilateral in Honor of His Excellency Rustem Umerov, Minister of Defense for Ukraine, at the Pentagon

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: Well, good morning, Minister Umerov, and welcome back to the Pentagon. Rustem, it was great to see you in Brussels three weeks ago for the 23rd meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. And thanks for your close and continuing partnership.

Now, Ukraine is in a tough fight and has been ever since the start of Putin's reckless war of choice. The Kremlin continues to intensify its bombardment of your cities and civilians. But I continue to be impressed by the skill of your forces, and your troops continue to fend off Russia's attacks with grit, ingenuity, and courage.

So, make no mistake. Ukraine is not alone, and the United States will never waver in our support. Alongside some 50 allies and partners, we'll continue to provide the critical capabilities that Ukraine needs to push back Russian aggression today and to deter Russian aggression tomorrow.

And I am proud that the United States will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine. This package under presidential drawdown authority will provide more air defense inceptors, anti-tank weapons, and other critical munitions from US inventories. It will also enable the United States to procure more Patriot and NASAMS air defense interceptors, which will be provided on an accelerated timeline by the re-sequencing of deliveries for some foreign military sales.

Now, as we look ahead to the NATO summit next week, Rustem, we'll take steps to build a bridge to NATO membership for Ukraine. Just weeks ago, President Zelenskyy and President Biden signed a crucial 10-year bilateral security agreement. That reflects our strong and enduring support for Ukraine. So, I look forward to discussing more ways to meet Ukraine's immediate security needs and to build a future force to ward off more Russian aggression.

And Rustem, it's great to see you. Thanks for making the trip. Andriy, welcome as well. Good to see you. I'm grateful for your partnership and friendship, and I look forward to a good discussion. Over to you now.

UKRAINE MINISTER OF DEFENSE RUSTEM UMEROV: Dear Secretary, thank you very much for hosting us. Thank you very much for personally leading the UDCG and our partners. We appreciate it. We appreciate the comprehensive assistance and all the support you have been giving us.

With that support, we have stopped Russia, stopped the aggression towards people, towards our values, national interests. And we look forward to discussing with you how we could continue our partnership and be, in the future, a member of NATO. Hopefully soon, Ukraine will receive its invitation. And a but at the moment, we will discuss the issues, how to increase our capabilities and plans. Thank you.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: Thanks, Mr. Minister. I look forward to a great discussion. Thanks, everybody.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3824954/

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Pentagon: Fresh weapons package worth over $2.3bn for Ukraine almost ready

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 July 2024 5:45 PM

The Pentagon has announced the near delivery of an over $2.3-billion weapons package for Ukraine.

"I am proud that the United States will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine," US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a meeting with Rustem Umerov, his visiting Ukrainian counterpart, at the Pentagon headquarters in Arlington County, Virginia, on Tuesday.

"This package, under presidential drawdown authority, will provide more air defense interceptors, anti-tank weapons and other critical munitions from the US inventories," Austin said.

In the meeting, Austin also gave his approval to Umerov to agree with Kiev's request to join NATO.

At next week's NATO summit in the United States, Austin said, "We will take steps to build a bridge to NATO membership for Ukraine."

Kiev had said previously it expected to make progress on its NATO membership bid at the summit, scheduled to be held from July 9 to 11 in Washington, DC.

The United States has provided more than $51.2 billion worth of weaponry for Ukraine since the conflict with Russia started in 2022, according to the Pentagon.

Meantime, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed the weapons and ammunition provided by the US military help give Kiev forces "a chance at victory" against the advancing Russian troops.

On Monday, Russia's Defense Ministry said two more east Ukrainian villages were liberated as its troops' victories continue against the Kiev forces.

The Russian troops liberated the village of Novopokrovske in the eastern Donetsk region and the village of Stepova Novoselivka in the northeast Kharkiv region, as they continue to pile pressure on Kiev forces in several directions for weeks.

The victories came after Russian troops freed two other villages over the weekend.

Russia troops have been steadily advancing westwards since it took the industrial hub of Avdiivka in February with Moscow announcing the liberation of a fresh village in Ukraine's east almost every week this summer.

Moscow has repeatedly warned against flooding Ukraine with weapons and ammunition, adding that it would take retaliatory measures against the West if the weaponry is used on targets inside Russia.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russia: More than 1,900 Ukrainian troops killed in 24 hours

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 July 2024 9:30 AM

Russia's Defense Ministry has announced that 1,940 Ukrainian military personnel were killed in 24 hours as Russian troops continued to gain ground.

In a statement issued on Monday, the ministry said 475 Ukrainian troops lost their lives in clashes with the western group of the Russian armed forces.

Ukraine's army also lost 405 troops in clashes with the central group, while 120 Ukrainian forces were killed in fighting with the eastern group.

According to the statement, 620 Ukrainian troops were also killed in clashes with the southern group of the Russian armed forces.

Meanwhile, the northern group defeated Ukrainian troops in areas in Kharkiv region and thwarted two Ukrainian attacks, leaving 320 troops killed.

That came as Russia launched a major operation against the Kharkiv region, which sits across the border from Belgorod, in May.

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.

According to the ministry's statement, the Russian armed forces took control of the settlement of Stepova Novoselivka in Kharkiv region on Monday.

The statement said that the settlement of Novopokrovka in Donetsk was also liberated.

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






U.S. To Provide $2.3 Billion In New Security Aid For Ukraine

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service July 02, 2024

The United States will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on July 2 during a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart at the Pentagon.

Ukrainian officials have been urging their allies for months to supply more air-defense systems to defend against frequent missile and drone attacks from Russian forces following Moscow's 2022 invasion.

Austin said the latest weapons package for Ukraine would include arms like anti-tank weapons and air-defense interceptors and will allow accelerated procurement of NASAMS and Patriot air defense interceptors.

Russian strikes killed at least four people and wounded more than two dozen others around Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, while more than a dozen people were killed in Russian attacks in the southern city of Kherson, officials said.

Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, claimed it destroyed up to five Ukrainian fighter jets in a ballistic missile strike on an air base in central Ukraine. A former Ukrainian military official confirmed the attack on the Myrhorod air base, but said the Russian claim was exaggerated.

In a post on Telegram, Vadym Filashkin, the head of the Ukrainian military administration for Donetsk, said that four people were killed in three separate villages on July 1. Another 27 people were wounded in the strikes, he said.

In Kherson, a southern city recaptured by Ukrainian forces in late 2022, Russian shelling wounded at least five people, the head of the local military administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, said.

After withdrawing to the eastern, opposite bank of the Dnieper River in late 2022, Russian forces have continued to bombard Kherson and outlying districts, terrorizing the populace and leaving the city in limbo.

After Ukraine's counteroffensive sputtered out earlier this year, Russia has been waging its own, more localized offensive effort in several locations across the 1,200-kilometer front line, including near the towns of Chasiv Yar and Pokrovsk.

In early May, Russian forces launched a new effort north of the city of Kharkiv. That has slowed in recent weeks, as Ukrainian troops redeployed and pushed back the advances, though Russian forces have been digging trenches and making more permanent defenses.

Still, Russia's air superiority has allowed its planes to use heavy munitions like glide bombs to devastate Ukrainian positions.

On July 2, the Russian Defense Ministry said it fired Iskander-M missiles at the Myrhorod air base, around 150 kilometers from the Russian border, a day earlier.

"As a result of the Russian military strike, five operational Su-27 multirole fighters were destroyed, and two that were under repair were damaged," the ministry said in a statement on Telegram.

The ministry also published video of what it said was the strike and its aftermath. The video showed gray smoke billowing at the airfield, where some parked planes were visible.

The claim about the planes being damaged could not be immediately verified, though both Russian and Ukrainian war bloggers reported extensively on the strike.

Ukraine's military made no statement on the claim. Yuriy Ihnat, who served as a spokesman for the air force until March, confirmed that the air base was hit but downplayed the damage.

"There was an attack. There are some losses, but not the ones the enemy claims," Ihnat said in a post to Facebook.

Ukraine's top air force commander, meanwhile, claimed military jets had hit a Russian ammunition depot on the occupied Crimean Peninsula on July 1.

In a post to Telegram, General Mykola Oleshchuk did not specify the exact location but posted a video from a local Telegram channel that purportedly showed the strike on Balaklava, a location near the major naval port of Sevastopol.

In recent months, Ukraine has stepped up aerial and maritime attacks on facilities and equipment in Crimea and its surrounding waters.

Maritime drones have damaged or sunk more than two dozen Black Sea Fleet warships, and Ukraine has used Western-supplied cruise missiles and kamikaze to hit naval repair facilities and even the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia- strikes-airfield-jets/33018542.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






Hungary's Orban Presents Zelenskiy With Cease-Fire Proposal On First Visit To Kyiv

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service July 02, 2024

KYIV -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he presented Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy with a cease-fire proposal aimed at pausing fighting with Russia more than two years into Moscow's all-out invasion.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with Zelenskiy in Kyiv, Orban gave no details about the contents of the proposal but said he asked Zelenskiy "whether it was possible to take a break, to stop the firing, and then continue the negotiations," adding that a cease-fire "could ensure speeding up the pace of these negotiations."

"I am very grateful to the president for his frank opinion on this issue," he added.

The talks, which came one day after Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the European Union, were notable because of Orban's vocal, persistent criticism of Western military aid for Kyiv.

Orban is also one of the few Western leaders to have met Russian President Vladimir Putin since the invasion.

Zelenskiy did not express his opinion on the proposal during the briefing with reporters, but a spokesman for Zelenskiy said later on July 2 that Zelenskiy gave Orban an opportunity to air his thoughts. Ihor Zhovkva, Zelenskiy's deputy chief of staff, also said Hungary is not the first country to come forth with a potential peace plan.

Zhovkva said Zelenskiy listened to Orban's proposal but stated Ukraine's "quite clear, understandable, and known" position in response.

Ukraine says its "territorial integrity" must be the foundation of any peace agreement -- a notion underscored by 80 countries that participated in the Ukrainian-initiated Global Peace Summit in Switzerland last month.

Zhovkva described the summit as a "tool" to achieve Kyiv's goals and said that Ukraine is preparing for a second summit. He said Zelenskiy spoke with Orban about these preparations during their meeting.

Since Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Orban has stood out among leaders from the European Union and NATO for his reluctance to sign onto the massive Western weapons and aid packages for Ukraine.

Last December, he left a room during a meeting of European Union leaders in order to avoid voting against opening EU accession talks with Ukraine.

The EU has since taken a step toward formalizing those talks to put Ukraine on the path to membership.

Russia and Ukraine have not held formal peace talks since the first months after Moscow's all-out invasion in February 2022. In recent weeks, Western news outlets have reported on the details of a potential deal that would have met many of Russia's demands while also putting off several major issues for a later date.

Last month, Putin said Russia would end its war -- which has killed and wounded at least 500,000 soldiers on both sides -- only if Kyiv met certain conditions. Those included renouncing its NATO ambitions and ceding four partially occupied regions that Russia claims in their entirety, in addition to Crimea. Ukraine dismissed the conditions as absurd and said they amounted to capitulation.

Freezing the front lines for a cease-fire now would leave Russia in control of some 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, and analysts warn that a pause could potentially allow Russia to chance to rearm and redeploy troops for a new offensive.

The Guardian, which reported on Orban's visit to Kyiv earlier along with the Financial Times, said the trip came together after lengthy negotiations on the issue of rights for Ukraine's Hungarian-speaking minority, who live mainly in western Ukraine close to the two countries' border.

During their July 2 appearance before reporters, the two leaders said they had agreed on the establishment of a Ukrainian school in Hungary for refugees from Ukraine, and they said they planned to sign a new agreement on bilateral relations at some point in the future.

"The contents of our dialogue on all today's issues can become the basis for a future bilateral document between our nations," Zelenskiy said. The agreement "will allow our people to enjoy all the benefits of unity in Europe."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-orban-kyiv- visit-zelenskiy-eu-presidency/33018155.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






Russian Forces Knock Out Nine Ukrainian Jets, Including Seven Su-27s

Sputnik News

20240702

Russian air defense systems struck nine Ukrainian Air Force aircraft, including seven Su-27s, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Tuesday.

"Two more Ukrainian aircraft, a MiG-29 and an Su-27, were shot down by Russian air defense systems," the ministry's statement said.

The ministry also noted that a surgical strike on an airfield wiped out five Su-27 fighters and damaged two others.

Additionally, Russian air defense shot down six Storm Shadow cruise missiles, a Hammer guided bomb, a HIMARS rocket, and 81 drones, including a Bayraktar TB2, over the past 24 hours.

Russian aviation, artillery, and drone units attacked concentrations of enemy troops and military equipment in 115 areas, the Russian Ministry of Defense added.

Moreover, within the last 24 hours, the Ukrainian armed forces have suffered significant casualties in clashes with Russia's Battlegroup Yug. More than 635 soldiers have been killed, in addition to the destruction of two armored fighting vehicles and 16 motor vehicles.

Battlegroup Tsentr successfully repelled six Ukrainian counterattacks, leading to the loss of up to 440 Ukrainian troops.

Additionally, Ukraine lost over 475 service members in clashes with Russia's Battlegroup Zapad, which also destroyed one tank, an infantry fighting vehicle, five motor vehicles, a 152-mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzer, and a 122-mm Grad MLRS combat vehicle. Likewise, Battlegroup Sever repelled two counterattacks, causing the loss of 70 Ukrainian soldiers.

A Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russian Iskander Missile Strikes Location of Ukraine Aircraft, 5 Planes Destroyed - MoD

Sputnik News

20240702

The Russian armed forces carried out a group strike against a parking location of Ukrainian military aircraft in Myrhorod in the Poltava Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

"The Russian armed forces carried out a group missile strike using the Iskander-M missile defense system on the parking lot of the Ukrainian military aircraft at the Myrhorod airfield. Objective control has confirmed the destruction of military aviation equipment," the statement read.

As a result of the Russian strike five active Su-27 mufti-purpose fighters were destroyed and two aircraft undergoing repair were damaged, the ministry clarified.

A Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Ukrainian delegation began its visit to the United States and met with Antony Blinken

President of Ukraine

2 July 2024 - 21:20

The Head of the Office of the President, together with Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna, Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov and Minister of Energy German Galushchenko, began his visit to the United States with a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Andriy Yermak thanked the United States for its continued support of Ukraine and assistance to our people.

"Your help with weapons and ammunition will strengthen our warriors on the battlefield and help our country fight against Russian aggression," Andriy Yermak said.

During the meeting, the parties discussed in detail the results of the inaugural Peace Summit, concrete steps to implement the points of the Peace Formula in the coming weeks and months, and joint work to establish a just peace in Ukraine.

Special attention was paid to the preparations for the NATO Summit, which will be held next week in Washington, D.C., with a focus on the documents to be concluded.

Olha Stefanishyna highlighted Ukraine's expectations from the NATO Summit. During the meeting, the participants discussed Ukraine's progress towards Euro-Atlantic integration and assured financial support for strengthening our country's defense capabilities at the Alliance level.

Rustem Umerov gave detailed information on the need to provide our Defense Forces with additional air defense systems to protect Ukrainian cities, communities, and critical infrastructure facilities.

German Galushchenko described the consequences of Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The participants discussed the state of our energy system and the joint decisions to be made with partner states that will help secure energy facilities before the beginning of the heating season.

The Head of the Presidential Office particularly stressed the importance of introducing sectoral sanctions against banking and financial institutions of the aggressor country.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






We Are Doing Our Best to Increase Electricity Imports, and This Should Be a European Decision a the Address by the President of Ukraine

President of Ukraine

2 July 2024 - 18:18

I wish you good health, dear Ukrainians!

Today is an eventful day.

The visit of the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor OrbAn, to Ukraine - for the first time in many years and the entire period of war. And what's more, it comes right after the beginning of Hungary's EU Presidency. This is a clear signal of how important it is for all of us in Europe to stay united and take joint steps. We have talked a lot about the path to peace, specifically to a just peace, a lasting, and honest one. I thanked him for participating in the Peace Summit and for supporting the CommuniquA. I described what we have already accomplished in our work with partners between the Summits, in preparations for the second Peace Summit. We have some good achievements, and more will follow. I have invited Hungary and Prime Minister OrbAn to join the respective efforts. We also have good bilateral results. In general, we see that this is a completely different relationship between Ukraine and Hungary: concrete, and we take into account mutual interests. We agreed on various details - economic and political - to be addressed by our teams. And a very important thing is that we will outline our relations, our achievements in a new document - an agreement that will define good neighborliness for Ukraine and Hungary.

The second thing for today. I spoke with Mark Rutte, and today there was a change of Government in the Netherlands. Mark will continue to work in the North Atlantic Alliance. I thanked him for his support over these years: the Netherlands, without exaggeration, helped save thousands and thousands of lives of our people. Ukraine will always be grateful for that. I also wish the new Government of the Netherlands, the new Prime Minister, success and truly effective leadership.

There were also several important reports today. Just now, the Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service delivered a report. A clear range of issues - about the threats we face and the opportunities we can seize. There are some good prospects.

In addition, there was a long, very detailed report by the Prime Minister of Ukraine. Now, our Government officials have begun to work extensively in the regions, including the Donetsk region. This is something we discussed after my visit to the region. There are many problems there, including social and purely infrastructural: water, reconstruction, and providing for people. Now, we already have draft decisions from the Government in various areas - on what is needed and what will be solved. In the same way, the Government officials will continue to work on other regions, all those that have particular issues because of the war.

The Prime Minister reported on defensive measures for energy facilities: active defense, electronic warfare and everything else. He also reported on reconstruction and our work with European partners to expand electricity imports to Ukraine. We are now consuming the full volume of imports agreed with the EU, and I am grateful to all our neighbors for this assistance. We are doing our best to increase imports, and this should be a European decision. Our Government officials are working on the respective approval.

I have instructed Deputy Prime Minister Fedorov to present me with an analysis of telecom operators at the next meeting of the Staff, showing what is being done to ensure communication during power outages and which telecom operators are not complying with the relevant decisions. I have also instructed the Minister of Energy to inform people literally on a daily basis about the progress of work in the energy sector, about the existing deficits, and about the country's efforts to fill them. The Government must also work much more actively to ensure that our people and our businesses have more opportunities to buy, produce and install all the equipment they need to get through this difficult period. I have also instructed the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, who is currently visiting the United States, to seek specific dates: when the additional Patriot systems, the ones we have agreed with our partners, will be delivered.

I thank everyone who really works hard for Ukraine and Ukrainians! I thank everyone who believes in Ukraine, who brings the results Ukraine needs closer!

Glory to Ukraine!

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Ukraine and the Czech Republic Held Another Round of Talks on Bilateral Security Agreement

President of Ukraine

2 July 2024 - 16:37

On the instructions of the President of Ukraine and the Head of the Presidential Office and in pursuance of the G7 Joint Declaration, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Ihor Zhovkva held another round of talks with the Czech side on signing a bilateral security agreement.

The Czech delegation was headed by David KoneckA, Director General for Security and Multilateral Issues of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.

The parties noted significant progress in the preparation of the draft future agreement and agreed on further steps to finalize it so that the state leaders could sign the document in the near future.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Hungary's EU Presidency, Security Issues, and the Bilateral Relations Agreement: Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Viktor OrbAn in Kyiv

President of Ukraine

2 July 2024 - 15:03

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor OrbAn in Kyiv. His visit took place immediately after the start of Hungary's EU presidency.

"This is clear evidence of our common European priorities and the importance of returning a just peace to Ukraine and the whole of Europe, resolving the existing difficulties and providing new foundations for the strengthening of Europe, economic and social growth," the President emphasized.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Hungary for supporting Ukrainians and providing humanitarian aid to our country. He also noted the country's participation in the first Peace Summit and support for the final communiquA.

"We have discussed in detail how Hungary can demonstrate its leadership in the preparation of the second Peace Summit. We see the possibility of organizing the second Peace Summit already this year, and we would very much like this to happen. We can complete all the preparatory work for this in the coming months," emphasized the Head of State.

The parties also discussed cooperation at the EU level and expectations from the Hungarian presidency.

Special attention was paid to the most fundamental topics of neighborly relations: trade, cross-border cooperation, infrastructure and energy issues. In particular, they agreed to open the first Ukrainian school in Hungary.

"Hungary will take on the funding of this school. As many Ukrainian schools will be opened as needed. It is important for us that Ukrainians feel at home in Hungary," emphasized Viktor OrbAn.

He also expressed hope for resolving issues concerning the Hungarian national minority and commended all the initiatives of the President of Ukraine aimed at achieving peace. The Prime Minister thanked Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his candid stance and assured him of Hungary's support.

"I wish all the best to Ukraine, and during the Hungarian presidency we will help you in any way we can," he said.

Viktor OrbAn said the purpose of his visit was to resolve issues of bilateral relations. He emphasized Hungary's willingness to improve them and sign a bilateral agreement in the future.

"The substance of our dialogue can become the basis for a new bilateral document between our countries that will regulate all our relations, based on a reciprocal approach to bilateral relations. Our teams will continue to work on the details of our common decisions," the President of Ukraine summed up.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Austin hosts Ukraine's defense chief ahead of NATO summit

By VOA News July 02, 2024

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is set to host talks Tuesday with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in a session the Pentagon says will show U.S. support for Ukraine's security.

The talks come a week before the United States hosts a NATO summit where military support for Ukraine to help it defend against a Russian invasion is set to top the agenda.

"Secretary Austin and Minister Umerov will discuss the bilateral defense cooperation, regional security issues and ways to strengthen the defense partnership between the United States and Ukraine," Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Monday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also is hosting talks Tuesday with Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The United States has been by far the biggest supporter of Ukraine in the more than two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

U.S. military aid is again flowing to Ukrainian forces after stalling for several months amid political gridlock in the U.S. Congress.

Zelenskyy said in a video address late Monday that he expects this month to "bring even more strength to Ukraine, particularly in protecting our sky and achieving real security for our country."

"Long-range weapons, fighter jets for Ukraineaof sufficient quality and quantity, and more air defense systemsaare crucial factors affecting the entire course of this war," Zelenskyy said.

Russia's daily aerial attacks with missiles and drones against Ukrainian cities have pushed Zelenskyy to seek more missile defense systems and to try to speed the delivery of fighter jets for Ukrainian forces to use.

Ukraine has also sought to bolster its domestic production of attack drones, and has been carrying out its own aerial attacks, especially targeting areas along the Ukraine-Russia border.

Russia's defense ministry said Tuesday it shot down four Ukrainian aerial drones over the Bryansk region, four drones over the Belgorod region and three more drones over Russia-occupied Crimea.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod, said the attacks injured two people and damaged a shopping center.

A Russian official in Crimea reported damage to several houses and cars, but no injuries.

Some information for this story was provided by Reuters.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Hungary's Orban visits Ukraine for first time since Russia's 2022 invasion

By VOA News July 02, 2024

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has leaned toward Moscow during Russia's two-year invasion of Ukraine, visited Kyiv on Tuesday, and declared the war "the most important issue for Europe."

Orban met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but in a sign of their still tense relations, the Kyiv leader did not publicly acknowledge the visit until hours after Orban's arrival. Zelenskyy said on the X social media platform that they had discussed trade, cross-border cooperation, infrastructure and energy.

The Ukrainian president's office did, however, release a video showing Zelenskyy thanking Orban for his visit and welcoming him to the country after shaking hands and then sitting across from each other at a round table with Hungarian, Ukrainian and European Union flags in the background.

The two countries have had a tense relationship since the war started, with Orban portraying himself as a champion for peace and calling for an immediate cease-fire and peace talks without expanding on what that would mean for Ukraine's territorial integrity. Orban has frequently been at odds with other EU countries and their continuing military and financial support for Ukraine.

This visit came the day after Hungary took over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU, a position that has little real power but can be used to set the tone of the bloc's agenda. Hungarian officials have signaled that they will act as "honest brokers" in the role, although some EU lawmakers are skeptical of Hungary's democratic track record.

Orban's press chief, Bertalan Havasi, told Hungarian news agency MTI early Tuesday the Orban-Zelenskyy meeting would be an opportunity to build peace as Ukraine fights off Russia's invasion.

During his visit, the Hungarian prime minister stated the obvious to Zelenskyy: "This is war and peace, war between Russia and Ukraine, the invasion of Russia against Ukraine." He added, "My target is to be here to understand how we could be helpful to Ukraine in the forthcoming six months."

But Orban has also long accused Kyiv of mistreating an ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine's western region of Zakarpattia, a community he has used to justify his refusal to provide weapons to Ukraine or allow their transfer across the two countries' shared border.

After their meeting, Zelenskyy told Orban, "We appreciate that your visit takes place right after the start of the Hungarian presidency of the European Union. This is a clear indication of our common European priorities, of how important it is to bring a just peace to Ukraine."

Ukrainian officials in Washington

Meanwhile, in Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov that the United States will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine.

Austin said the weapons package would include such arms as anti-tank weapons and air defense interceptors and will allow accelerated procurement of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and Patriot air defense interceptors.

The Austin-Umerov talks came a week before the United States hosts a NATO summit where military support for Ukraine to help it defend against Russia's invasion is set to top the agenda.

"Secretary Austin and Minister Umerov will discuss the bilateral defense cooperation, regional security issues and ways to strengthen the defense partnership between the United States and Ukraine," Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Monday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also is hosting talks Tuesday with Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff to Zelenskyy.

The United States has been by far the biggest supporter of Ukraine in the more than two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

U.S. military aid is again flowing to Ukrainian forces after stalling for several months amid political gridlock in the U.S. Congress.

Zelenskyy said in a video address late Monday that he expects this month to "bring even more strength to Ukraine, particularly in protecting our sky and achieving real security for our country."

"Long-range weapons, fighter jets for Ukraineaof sufficient quality and quantity, and more air defense systemsaare crucial factors affecting the entire course of this war," Zelenskyy said.

Russia's daily aerial attacks with missiles and drones against Ukrainian cities have pushed Zelenskyy to seek more missile defense systems and to try to speed the delivery of fighter jets for Ukrainian forces to use.

Ukraine has also sought to bolster its domestic production of attack drones, and has been carrying out its own aerial attacks, especially targeting areas along the Ukraine-Russia border.

Russia's defense ministry said Tuesday it shot down four Ukrainian aerial drones over the Bryansk region, four drones over the Belgorod region and three more drones over Russia-occupied Crimea.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod, said the attacks injured two people and damaged a shopping center.

A Russian official in Crimea reported damage to several houses and cars, but no injuries.

Some information for this story came from Reuters, Agence France-Presse and The Associated Press.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Chicago, July 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Construction Glass Market is projected to reach USD 144.3 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 5.2% from USD 112.0 billion in 2024, as per the recent study by MarketsandMarkets. The key segments in the construction industry include residential, commercial, and others. Others include construction of educational institutes, stadiums, airports, bridges, and others. The growth in the residential segment is high due to increase in population, urbanization, increase in the number of nuclear families, and the economic condition. The growth in the commercial segment can be attributed to factors such as growth in economy, increased need for IT industries, demand for retail, and increase in foreign trade resulting in the demand for warehousing, and others. This is fuelling the demand for construction glass from various applications of construction industry.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=107176999

Browse In-Depth TOC On "Construction Glass Market

360 - Market Data Tables

67 - Figures

291 - Pages

List of Key Players in Construction Glass Market:

AGC Inc. (Japan) NSG Group (Japan) Saint-Gobain (France) Guardian Industries (US) Sisecam (Turkey) SCHOTT AG (Germany) Central Glass Co., Ltd. (Japan) Vitro (Mexico) China Glass Holdings Limited (China) Corning Incorporated (US) Xinyi Glass Holdings Limited (China)

Drivers, Restraints and Opportunities in Construction Glass Market:

Drivers: Growing demand for energy-efficient buildings Restraints: Complex installation requirements. Opportunity: Renovation and retrofit projects. Challenge: Energy intensive manufacturing process

Get Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=107176999

Key Findings of the Study:

The special glass type segment accounted for the largest market share in 2023, in terms of value. Soda-lime chemical composition segment to remain the largest chemical composition type in terms of volume during the forecast period. Commercial application segment to remain the largest end-use application in terms of volume during the forecast period. Asia Pacific region accounted for the largest share in 2023, in terms of volume

Global construction glass market has been segmented based on the manufacturing processes. In 2023, float glass process dominated the market in terms of volume and value by contributing to the highest market share. The float glass process manufactures 100% flat glass. The flat glass produced is further processed as per the requirement. This glass is produced globally and is used mostly in the construction industry. The demand for flat glass varies as per the economic conditions of the construction sector.

In 2023, soda-lime chemical composition segment accounted for the largest market share of global construction glass market, in terms of volume. Soda-lime silicate is the flat glass used in the construction industry, obtained by melting the mixture at high temperature. The soda lime glass is the most widely used glass. The benefits of using soda-lime glass are that it is inexpensive, easy to melt & shape, and recyclable. It has certain limitations such as poor durability, low chemical resistance, and poor thermal shock resistance.

Get 10% Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=107176999

Based on type, the construction glass market is segmented into special glass, and low-E glass. In terms of value, and volume, special glass type dominated the global construction glass market. Special glass is further segmented into double glazing glass, laminated glass, and others. Double glazing glass accounts for high share of the construction glass and is widely used in windows and facades. Double glazing glass offers benefits such as energy cost savings, sound insulation, safety, reduce damage to furnishings, and provides limited condensation.

Based on the applications, the global construction glass market has been segmented into residential, commercial, and other applications (stadiums, educational institutes, and hospitals). The residential segment accounted for high market share in terms of volume in 2023 due to increase in urbanization and to make the buildings efficient. The rise in urban planning and population is driving the market for residential buildings. The main uses of glass in residential buildings are mainly for doors, facades, and windows. The building codes are driving the use of construction glass in residential buildings.

Browse Adjacent Markets Ceramics and Glass Market Research Reports & Consulting

Related Reports:
DLC, July 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- From June 10 to 14, 2024, Ms. Zhu Weiqing, Founder and Chairwoman of Shanghai Treasure Carbon New Energy Environmental Protection Technology Ltd. STC led a delegation on a four-day visit to Timor-Leste, engaging in a series of significant meetings with the local government. Timor-Leste President J. Ramos-Horta welcomed the STC delegation at the Presidential Palace and held a press conference.







During the visit, the STC delegation met with several high-ranking officials from the Timor-Leste government, including President J.Ramos-Horta, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Tourism and Environment Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, Timor-Leste Ambassador to China Loro Horta, Minister of State Administration Tomas Cabral, Minister of Trade and Industry Filipus Nino Pereira, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry Marcos Da Cruz, and Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment Gastao Francisco de Sousa. The cooperation and investment plans for the next decade were highlighted and discussed as a focal point.

This visit aimed to promote deep cooperation between the two parties in the areas of carbon credit projects and sustainable development, enhance international collaboration, advance sustainable development, and assist Timor-Leste in achieving its climate change goals.

Discussions with several ministers centered around key issues of sustainable development in Timor-Leste.



Focusing on sustainable development and carbon credit projects, the STC delegation held talks with the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste and several ministers. The discussions included promoting industrial growth through carbon credit projects, improving rural living conditions, supporting sustainable agriculture and forestry, and strengthening administrative capacity building and green technology investments.

This visit marks a significant step forward in the collaboration between Timor-Leste and Shanghai Treasure Carbon in addressing climate change and promoting economic development. STC looks forward to working hand in hand with the government and people of Timor-Leste to build a greener and more sustainable future.

Company: Shanghai Treasure Carbon New Energy Environmental Protection Technology Ltd.

Contact Person: Zhang Yuanfang

Email: cheryl.zhang@treasurecarbon.com

Website: https://www.treasurecarbon.com/

Telephone:18521419059

City: Shanghai, China

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/92cf43d1-7c4c-4176-9526-468f37efe03d
SINGAPORE, July 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OKX, a leading Web3 technology company, has issued updates for July 3, 2024.

OKX Wallet Now Integrated with LiNEAR Protocol, an Omni-Chain Liquid Restaking Solution Built on NEAR

OKX Wallet is now integrated with LiNEAR Protocol, an omni-chain liquid restaking solution built on the NEAR blockchain. With this integration, the OKX Web3 community can now seamlessly access the LiNEAR Protocol and its solutions via the OKX Wallet web extension.

LiNEAR Protocol enables users to simultaneously earn staking rewards through NEAR and engage with various DeFi protocols, allowing them to earn additional yield from staked assets.

NEAR is a user-friendly and carbon-neutral community-operated cloud infrastructure for hosting dApps. Its primary objective is to redefine system design and app development, potentially reshaping the very fabric of the web.

For more information, please visit the OKX Support Center.



For further information, please contact:

Media@okx.com



About OKX

A leading global technology company driving the future of Web3, OKX provides a comprehensive suite of products to meet the needs of beginners and experts alike, including:

OKX Wallet: The world's most powerful, secure and versatile crypto wallet which gives users access to over 85 blockchains while allowing them to take custody of their own funds. The wallet includes MPC technology which allows users to easily recover access to their wallet independently, removing the need for traditional, 'written down' seed phrases. In addition, OKX Wallets account abstraction-powered Smart Account enables users to pay for transactions on multiple blockchains using USDC or USDT, and interact with multiple contracts via a single transaction.

DEX: A multi-chain, cross-chain decentralized exchange aggregator of 400+ other DEXs and approximately 20 bridges, with 200,000+ coins and more than 20 blockchains supported.

NFT Marketplace: A multi-chain, zero-fee NFT marketplace that gives users access to NFT listings across seven top-tier marketplaces including OpenSea, MagicEden, LooksRare and Blur.

Web3 DeFi: A powerful DeFi platform that supports earning and staking on about 70 protocols across more than 10 chains.

OKX partners with a number of the world's top brands and athletes, including English Premier League champions Manchester City F.C., McLaren Formula 1, The Tribeca Festival and Olympian Scotty James.

OKX also regularly publishes articles, accessible via OKX Learn. These articles provide readers with in-depth analyses of all cryptocurrencies, including factors influencing Bitcoin prices and Ethereum prices.

To learn more about OKX, download our app or visit: okx.com



Disclaimer
Apparel Group hosted a lifestyle shoot in partnership with Anantara The Palm Resort, showcasing their summer collections that are available in store and on 6thstreet.com.



Celebrating Summer Time with Apparel Group Brands  Aldo, Aldo Accessories, Ardene, Asics, Athletes Co., Beverly Hills Polo Club, Birkenstock, Calvin Klein, Charles & Keith, Cold Stone Creamery, Crocs, Dune London, F5 Global, Forest Essentials, Forever New, Havaianas, Herschel, Inglot, Jamies Italian, La Vie En Rose, LC Waikiki, LCW Home, New Yorker, Nine West, Not Ordinary, Nysaa, R&B Kids, Rituals, Skechers, Steve Madden, The Childrens Place, Tim Hortons and Tommy Hilfiger

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apparel Group, a leading retail and lifestyle conglomerate, is excited to announce the release of their newest Summer Time campaign showcasing summer collections from more than 36 Apparel Group brands. In collaboration with Anantara The Palm Resort, this lifestyle shoot combines the fashion-forward expertise of Apparel Group with the luxurious ambiance and pristine settings, promising a summer collection that redefines style and elegance.

Mrs. Sima Ganwani Ved, Founder and Chairwoman of Apparel Group, expressed her enthusiasm for the launch, stating, "We are so excited to share Apparel Groups summer look-book for 2024, with over 36 of Apparel Group international and home grown brands, each bringing their unique flair to this exciting season. This summer campaign is not just about showcasing our summer collection but creating a lifestyle experience that resonates with our customers.

The summer campaign features a stellar lineup of Apparel Groups celebrated international and home grown brands, including Aldo, Aldo Accessories, Ardene, Asics, Athletes Co., Beverly Hills Polo Club, Birkenstock, Calvin Klein, Charles & Keith, Cold Stone Creamery, Crocs, Dune London, F5 Global, Forest Essentials, Forever New, Havaianas, Herschel, Inglot, Jamies Italian, La Vie En Rose, LC Waikiki, LCW Home, New Yorker, Nine West, Not Ordinary, Nysaa, R&B Kids, Rituals, Skechers, Steve Madden, The Childrens Place, Tim Hortons and Tommy Hilfiger. Each brand will bring its unique style and flair, offering everything from casual chic to summer glamour. The collection promises to cater to a wide range of style preferences, ensuring there is something special for everyone.

Customers eager to embrace the summer vibes can look forward to shopping the collection on Apparel Group store outlets and e-commerce platform, 6thStreet.com, where the full range of products will be available. Blending retail innovation with luxury hospitality, this campaign highlights the synergy between Apparel Group and Anantara The Palm Resort catering to residents and tourists positioning the region as the ultimate summer destination.

Stay tuned for a summer of style, sophistication, and scenic beauty, exclusively brought to you by Apparel Group and Anantara The Palm Resort.

ABOUT APPAREL GROUP LLC

Apparel Group is a global fashion and lifestyle retail conglomerate residing at the crossroads of the modern economy  Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Today, Apparel Group caters to thousands of eager shoppers through its 2200+ retail stores and 85+ brands on all platforms while employing over 22,000+ multicultural staff.

Apparel Group has carved its strong presence in the GCC and expanded thriving gateways to market in India, South Africa, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Egypt. Additionally, clear strategies are in place to enter emerging markets such as Hungary and Philippines.

Apparel Group has created an omni-channel experience, operating brands originating from the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The brands include leading names in fashion, footwear, and lifestyles such as Tommy Hilfiger, Charles & Keith, Skechers, Aldo, Nine West, Aeropostale, Jamies Italian, Tim Hortons, Cold Stone Creamery, Inglot, and Rituals.

Apparel Group owes its amazing growth to the vision and guidance of its dynamic Founder and Chairwoman, Mrs. Sima Ganwani Ved, who has taken the company from strength to strength since its inception in the last two decades.

https://apparelglobal.com/en/

PR@apparelglobal.com



About Anantara The Palm Resort

Anantara is a luxury hospitality brand for modern travellers, connecting them to genuine places, people and stories through personal experiences, and providing heartfelt hospitality in the worlds most exciting destinations. The collection of distinct, thoughtfully designed luxury hotels and resorts provides a window through which to journey into invigorating new territory, curating personal travel experiences.

From cosmopolitan cities to desert sands to lush islands, Anantara connects travellers to the indigenous, grounds them in authentic luxury, and hosts them with passionate expertise. The portfolio currently boasts over 40 stunning hotels and resorts located in Thailand, Maldives, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Seychelles, Mozambique, Zambia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Tunisia, Portugal, Spain, Hungary, The Netherlands, Italy, Ireland and France, with a pipeline of future properties across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and South America.

For more information on Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, please visit www.anantara.com

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/anantara; Twitter and Instagram: @anantara_hotels

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3c050648-49b9-4720-bd36-03eee8be5739

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/30b0f74f-7194-40d2-9530-8abe169e79c0
NACON

THIS PRESS RELEASE MUST NOT BE PUBLISHED OR DISTRIBUTED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA OR JAPAN. THIS PRESS RELEASE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR AN INVITATION TO BUY SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION.

Press release

Lesquin, 3 July 2024, 8.00 am

NACON LAUNCHES RIGHTS ISSUE WITH PRE-EMPTIVE RIGHTS OF APPROXIMATELY 16.50 MILLION, WHICH MAY BE INCREASED TO 19 MILLION IF THE EXTENSION OPTION IS EXERCISED IN FULL

Main terms

Issue with pre-emptive rights for shareholders

Subscription price: 1.10 per share, representing a discount of 7.3% to the closing price on 1 July 2024

Subscription ratio: 47 pre-emptive rights give the right to subscribe to 8 new shares

Subscription agreements: 80.79% of the issue is already secured by subscription agreements from existing shareholders

Detachment period and listing of DPS: from 4 July to 18 July 2024 inclusive

Subscription period: from 8 July to 22 July 2024 inclusive

Investment eligible for Article 150-0 B of the French General Tax Code (deferred taxation of capital gains) and the PEA PME-ETI tax regime





Nacon (Euronext Paris - ISIN FR0013482791  NACON.PA) today announces the launch of a rights issue with pre-emptive rights for shareholders of approximately 16.50 million, which may be increased to 19 million if the extension option is exercised in full. More than 80% of the issue is already secured by subscription agreements from existing shareholders.

1. Background and purpose of the issue and use of proceeds





Net proceeds from the Rights Issue are estimated at around 18.5 million.

Net proceeds from the issuing of the New Shares will add to the Companys current financial resources and help to support its growth, while also strengthening its equity (in respect of both subscriptions for New Shares paid up in cash as well as the subscription to be paid up by Bigben Interactive by means of the offsetting of liabilities). Net proceeds from the issue will also enable the Group to continue to develop new video games, which  on account of their development cycle  it will be able to release in the next three to four years.

The strengthening of the Companys equity should also enable it to obtain more favourable financing terms and conditions from its usual financial partners.

Alain Falc, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nacon, comments:

Since our initial public offering in February 2020, Nacon has successfully carried out most of its plans despite a delay in the development of some games and under complex circumstances. The Publishing division has since been reinforced with the acquisition of around 10 studios, allowing us to release between 10 and 15 games a year, with around 50 games continuously under development. This strategy has also enabled us to build up a solid back catalogue of games to be released over the next few years, centred around four target ranges: Racing, Sport, Simulation and Adventure. The back catalogue accounted for over 40% of games revenue in 2023/24. Development of the Accessories range has continued, driven by our ability to innovate and forge numerous technological partnerships in order to offer gamers premium products at an affordable price. This technological expertise will enable us to converge our two business lines with the creation of a single 360 business  combining editorial content and gaming accessories  in the sim racing market.

Finally, we recently announced our 2023/24 results, with strong revenue growth to 167.7 million and a 20.5% increase in operating income to 20.9 million.

Thanks to a line-up including 15 games to be released over the course of the year and the launch of innovative premium accessories, we are confident that we will be able to achieve further growth in 2024/25 coupled with improvement in operating income.

The proceeds from this rights issue will enable us to continue with our development plan, giving us additional means to finance our editorial programme and consolidate our position as a worldwide name in video games and premium accessories.

We would like to thank our shareholders in advance for continuing to put their trust in us, as well as our longstanding shareholders, whose subscription agreements already represent more than 80% of the total amount of the rights issue.

2. Main characteristics of the rights issue





The Rights Issue will be carried out with pre-emptive rights for shareholders, in accordance with the 14th and 16th resolutions of this combined general meeting of 21 July 2023, and will result in the issuing of a 14.992.440 new ordinary shares which may be increased to a maximum of 17,241,306 new ordinary shares (the New Shares) if the extension option is exercised in full, at a price of 1.10 per share, to be paid up in full at the time of subscription, representing gross proceeds, including additional paid-in capital, of 18,965,436.60.

Each shareholder will receive one pre-emptive right per share registered in their securities account at close of trading on 5 July 2024, according to the indicative timetable. 47 pre-emptive rights will give the right to subscribe to 8 New Shares with a par value of 1, at a price of 1.10 per share.

Shareholders will also be able to subscribe to additional New Shares on a pro rata basis. Any New Shares not absorbed by subscriptions as of right will be redistributed and allocated to shareholders who have subscribed to additional shares on a pro rata basis, the amount of which may be reduced.

In addition to the possibility of subscribing to shares as of right and to additional shares on a pro rata basis in accordance with the specified terms and conditions, any natural or legal person will be free to subscribe to the Rights Issue whether or not they hold pre-emptive rights. Anyone wanting to subscribe on this basis will need to send their request to their accredited financial intermediary at any time during the subscription period and pay the corresponding subscription price. In accordance with Article L. 225-134 of the French Commercial Code, subscriptions on a free basis will only be taken into account if subscriptions as of right and on a pro rata basis do not use up the entire Rights Issue.

On the basis of Nacons closing share price on 1 July 2024 of 1.1860, the subscription price for the New Shares presents a face value discount of 7.3%, the theoretical value of a pre-emptive right is 0.0125 and the theoretical ex-rights price is 1.1735 per share.

These values are without prejudice to the value of pre-emptive rights during the subscription period, the ex-rights value per share and discounts, as observed on the market.

The subscription period will be from 8 July to 22 July 2024 inclusive. Pre-emptive rights will be detached and available for trading from 4 July 2024 to 18 July 2024 inclusive on Euronext Paris, under ISIN code FR001400RBQ7, subject to the same terms as the existing shares. Pre-emptive rights not exercised at the end of the subscription period, i.e. 22 July 2024, shall become null and void.

The Rights Issue will only be open to the public in France.

Settlement and delivery is due to take place on 29 July 2024 and the New Shares will be admitted to trading on Euronext Paris on the same day. The New Shares will be immediately assimilated into existing shares. They will be traded under the same code as the existing shares on Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0013482791).

3. Extension option





Pursuant to the authorisation granted by the combined general meeting of 21 July 2023, at its meeting of 17 June 2024, the Board of Directors sub-delegated to the Company's Chief Executive Officer the power, depending on demand, to decide to increase the number of New Shares initially offered by a maximum of 15%, representing a maximum of 2,248,866 additional New Shares (the Extension Option).

The Extension Option can only be used to fulfil subscription orders on a pro rata basis from shareholders and/or those transferring pre-emptive rights that could not be fulfilled.

The decision to exercise the Extension Option will be made by the Company no later than the date of the results of the Rights Issue are published, planned for 25 July 2024 (according to the indicative timetable) and will be mentioned in the press release issued by the Company and made available on the Companys website and in the notice issued by Euronext Paris announcing the results of the Rights Issue.

4. Indicative timetable for the rights issue





Indicative timetable

17 June 2024 Meeting of the Board of Directors deciding in principle on the Rights Issue with pre-emptive rights for shareholders, and sub-delegation to the Chief Executive Officer of the power to carry out the Rights Issue 2 July 2024 Decision by the Chief Executive Officer to launch the Rights Issue

Approval of the Prospectus by the AMF 3 July 2024 Distribution of the Company press release announcing approval of the Prospectus by the AMF and describing the main characteristics of the Rights Issue and the means by which the Prospectus will be made available

Prospectus made available on the website

Publication by Euronext Paris of the notice relating to the Rights Issue announcing the listing of pre-emptive rights

Deadline for buying Existing Shares on the market giving the buyer the right to the associated pre-emptive rights 4 July 2024 Detachment of pre-emptive rights and start of trading of pre-emptive rights on Euronext Paris 5 July 2024 Publication of a BALO notice for beneficiaries of free shares in the process of being bought issued by the Company

Deadline for registration in an account of existing shares entitling the holder to pre-emptive rights 8 July 2024 Start of the subscription period for the Rights Issue 18 July 2024 End of the trading period for pre-emptive rights 22 July 2024 End of the subscription period for the Rights Issue

Last day of settlement and delivery of pre-emptive rights 24 July 2024 Results sent to the Company of the centralisation of subscriptions relating to the exercise of pre-emptive rights 25 July 2024 Decision by the Chief Executive Officer setting out the definitive characteristics of the Rights Issue and, if applicable, deciding to award shares not subscribed as of right or exercise the Extension Option in part or in full

Distribution of a press release by the Company announcing the result of subscriptions

Publication by Euronext of the results of the issue and notice of admission to trading of the New Shares, stating the final amount of the Rights Issue and the ratio for subscriptions for excess shares on a pro rata basis 29 July 2024 Issuing and admission to trading on Euronext Paris of the New Shares

Settlement and delivery of the New Shares

5. Subscription agreements and other commitments by Nacons main shareholders





As of the date of the Prospectus, the Company has the following Subscription Agreements from some of its main shareholders and Board members:

Bigben Interactive, which owns 56.04% of the Companys share capital before the Rights Issue, has agreed to subscribe as of right and on a pro rata basis to an amount corresponding to 9,007,180 New Shares for a total of 9,907,898, it being understood that the subscription amount will be paid up in full by means of offsetting against some liabilities;

Nord Sumatra 1, which owns 2.85% of the Companys share capital before the Rights Issue, has agreed to subscribe as of right and on a pro rata basis to an amount corresponding to 909,090 New Shares for a total of 999,999;

Bpifrance Investissements, which owns 2.06% of the Companys share capital before the Rights Issue, has agreed to subscribe as of right and on a pro rata basis to an amount corresponding to 1,818,181 New Shares for a total of 1,999,999; and

AF Invest, which owns 1.86% of the Companys share capital before the Rights Issue, has agreed to subscribe as of right and on a pro rata basis to an amount corresponding to 378,131 New Shares for a total of 415,944.

Total Subscription Agreements amount to 13,323,840 and represent 80.79% of the Rights Issue (excluding exercise of the Extension Option).

6. Abstention commitment





The Company has agreed, as of the date of the Prospectus and for a period ending 90 calendar days after the date of the Rights Issue, not to issue, offer, sell, pledge, announce its intention to or otherwise agree to issue or sell, sell options or other purchase commitments, buy options or other purchase commitments, grant options, rights or warrants with a view to buying or otherwise transferring or assigning, directly or indirectly, any shares of the Company or any other financial security substantially similar to said shares, or any financial security giving the right by means of conversion, exchange or redemption to, or which represents the right to receive shares or financial securities that are substantially similar to said shares, not to enter into any transactions involving derivatives or other transactions with a substantially equivalent economic effect concerning the Companys shares or other securities that are substantially similar to the Company's shares, without the prior agreement in writing of the Global Coordinator and the Bookrunner.

This commitment is given subject to certain exceptions, in particular:

the awarding of pre-emptive rights and the issuing of New Shares;





any free share plans, any profit-sharing schemes and any rights issues reserved for members of the company savings plan and/or rights issues reserved for Group employees implemented before this date or in future pursuant to the resolutions passed at the general meeting or resolutions with the same purpose that may be approved at the next annual general meeting of the Companys shareholders;





any share buyback programmes (including under a liquidity agreement); and





the issuing, sale, transfer or offering of the Companys shares to pay for the acquisition by the Company of shares or assets held by third parties, insofar as the subsequent rights issue does not exceed, to date, 10% of the Company's share capital, provided that this abstention commitment is taken over by the buyer of the new shares or securities giving access to the share capital.





7. Lock-up agreement for Bigben Interactive





Bigben Interactive has agreed, until the end of a period of 90 calendar days after the settlement and delivery date of the Rights Issue, without the prior agreement in writing of the Global Coordinator and the Bookrunner, and subject to any shares that may be delivered upon the exercising of bonds, not to (i) issue, offer, sell, pledge as security, sell any option or agreement to buy, buy any option or agreement to sell, grant any option, right or warrant or otherwise transfer or assign, directly or indirectly, the Companys ordinary shares or other securities that are substantially similar to the Companys ordinary shares, or securities that can be converted or redeemed, or exchanged for, or that represent the right to receive ordinary shares in the Company or substantially similar securities, (ii) make a short sale, enter into a derivatives contract, hedging contract or any other transaction with a substantially similar economic effect on the Companys ordinary shares or on these securities, (iii) enter into any other agreement or transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, ownership of any ordinary shares of the Company or (iv) announce its intention to carry out one or more of these transactions. This agreement is subject to the usual exceptions for intragroup transactions, mergers, spin-offs or public offers, as well as the exception allowing Bigben Interactive to transfer pre-emptive rights by any means (see paragraph 5.2.2 of the issue notice) and the right for it to provide security for a portion of the Nacon shares it holds.

The above commitment by Bigben Interactive shall end if the settlement and delivery of the Rights Issue does not take place.

8. Guarantee





The issuing of the New Shares is not subject to a completion guarantee within the meaning of Article L. 225-145 of the French Commercial Code or an underwriting agreement.

However, it should be noted that this Issue is subject to irrevocable Subscription Agreements, as of right and on a pro rata basis, representing 80.79% of the amount of the Issue (excluding the Extension Option), subject to the conditions described in Section 5.2.2 of the Issue Notice.

9. Dilution





As an indication, on a diluted basis, a shareholder holding 1% of share capital before the Rights Issue and who does not participate in the Rights Issue, will hold 0.84% after the New Shares are issued and if all the New Shares are subscribed.

10. Availability of the Prospectus





The prospectus (the Prospectus) comprising (i) Nacons universal registration document as filed with the AMF on 24 June 2024 under number D.24-0543 (the Universal Registration Document), (ii) an issue notice (including the summary of the Prospectus) approved by the AMF under number 24-258 on 2 July 2024 (the Issue Notice) and (iii) the summary of the Prospectus included in the Issue Notice, can be found on the AMF website (www.amf-france.org) and the Companys website (https://corporate.nacongaming.com/). Copies of the Prospectus are available free of charge from the Companys head office (396-466, Rue de la Voyette, CRT2, 59273 Fretin, France).

11. Financial intermediary





Funds paid in respect of subscriptions will be held centrally by Uptevia (90-110 Esplanade du General de Gaulle, 92931 Paris La Defense Cedex, France), which will be responsible for preparing the certificate of deposit of funds recording the completion of the Rights Issue.

Securities services and financial services for the Company's shares are provided by Uptevia (90-110 Esplanade du General de Gaulle, 92931 Paris La Defense Cedex, France).

12. Risk factors





Investors are also invited to take account of the risk factors described in Section 3 Risk factors of the Universal Registration Document and Section 2 Risk factors of the Issue Notice before making their investment decision. If some or all of these risks were to occur, this could have an adverse impact on the Companys activities, reputation, financial position, financial results or achievement of its targets. In addition, other risks not yet identified or not considered material by the Company as of the date of the Prospectus could also have an adverse impact.

13. Partners









ABOUT NACON



2023/2024 IFRS SALES:

167.7 million











WORKFORCE

More than 1,000 people











INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE

23 subsidiaries and a distribution network in 100 countries

https://corporate.nacongaming.com/ NACON is part of the Bigben group and was formed in 2019 to optimise its areas of expertise and generate synergies between them in the video game market. Combining its 16 development studios, AA video game publishing and the design and distribution of premium gaming peripherals, NACON has 30 years of expertise in serving gamers. This new unified business gives NACON a stronger position in its market and enables it to innovate by creating new and unique competitive advantages.







Listed on Euronext Paris, compartment B  Index: CAC Mid&Small

ISIN: FR0013482791; Reuters: NACON.PA; Bloomberg: NACON:FP).







CONTACT:

Cap Value  Gilles Broquelet gbroquelet@capvalue.fr - +33 1 80 81 50 01





Disclaimer

This press release does not constitute and should not be regarded as constituting an offer to the public, an offer to subscribe or a solicitation of public interest in connection with any offer to the public of Nacon securities.

A prospectus approved by the AMF under number 24-258 on 2 July 2024 is available on the AMF website (www.amf-france.org) and the Companys website (https://corporate.nacongaming.com/).

Copies of the prospectus are available free of charge from the Companys head office (396-466, Rue de la Voyette, CRT2, 59273 Fretin, France). The publics attention is drawn to the Risk factors sections of the prospectus.

This press release constitutes a promotional communication and does not constitute a prospectus within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament of 14 June 2017 (the Prospectus Regulation). Potential investors are invited to read the prospectus before making an investment decision in order to fully understand the potential risks and advantages associated with the decision to invest in marketable securities.

The AMFs approval of the prospectus should not be regarded as a favourable opinion of the marketable securities offered or admitted to trading on a regulated market.

As regards Member States of the European Economic Area other than France and the United Kingdom (the Member States Concerned), no action has been taken or shall be taken to allow for an offer to the public of Nacon securities requiring the publication of a prospectus in any of the Member States Concerned. As a result, the Nacon shares may be offered in the Member States Concerned only: (a) to legal persons who are qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive; or (b) in other cases not requiring the Company to publish a prospectus in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation.

In the United Kingdom, this document is sent to and intended only for persons who are considered to be (i) investment professionals (with professional investment experience) within the meaning of Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the Order), (ii) persons who fall within the scope of Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.) of the Order, or (iii) persons who may lawfully be invited or given an incentive to participate in an investment activity (within the meaning of Article 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) within the framework of the issuing or sale of financial securities (together referred to as the Persons Concerned). In the United Kingdom, this document is intended only for the Persons Concerned and should not be used by anyone other than a Person Concerned.

This document does not constitute an offer to sell Nacon shares in the United States. Nacon shares cannot be sold in the United States without registration or exemption from registration under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Nacon does not intend to register an offer in the United States or make any offer of shares to the public in the United States.

Distribution of this press release in some countries may constitute a breach of applicable legal requirements. The information contained in this press release does not constitute an offer of securities in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan or any other country. This press release must not be published, released or distributed, directly or indirectly, in the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan.

Finally, this press release may be written in French and English. If there are any differences between the two texts, the French version shall take precedence.

Attachment
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bedford Metals Corp. (TSX-V: BFM, FWB: O8D, ISIN: CA0762301012) (the Company or Bedford) announces that it has accelerated its due diligence on the Sheppard Lake Uranium Project in light of recent activities in the area. The recent takeover offer by Paladin Energy Ltd. for Fission Uranium Corp. has underscored the increasing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the Athabasca Basin, reinforcing Bedford s belief that the uranium industry in Canada is poised for significant expansion as nuclear energy is likely to play a pivotal role in the clean energy transformation.



The proposed acquisition by Paladin Energy, as reported by CarbonCredits.com on June 26, 2024, highlights the growing strategic importance of uranium in the global energy landscape. The article, titled "Paladin Energy Offers C$1.14 B to Canadas Fission Uranium. What does it mean for Uranium Mining?" by Saptakee S, notes:

Australian uranium mining giant Paladin Energy Ltd. has announced a C$1.14 billion ($833 million) all-stock offer to acquire Canadian mining firm Fission Uranium Corp. Using uranium in nuclear power significantly contributes to achieving climate goals by providing reliable energy that reduces the global carbon footprint. Thus, this deal can bring a paradigm shift in uranium mining.

Peter Born, President of Bedford , commented, The increased M&A activity in the Athabasca Basin, exemplified by Paladins offer for Fission Uranium, is a strong signal of the markets recognition of uraniums critical role in the transition to green energy. This reinforces our belief that the Sheppard Lake project and our Ubiquity Lake and Close Lake projects are strategically valuable and warrant accelerated due diligence and exploration efforts.

The Sheppard Lake Uranium Project, located just south of the Athabasca Basin, is of particular interest to Bedford . The projects strategic location and the promising results from recent surveys at the neighbouring Ubiquity Lake have strengthened the companys confidence in its potential. Identifying key uranium markers, such as anomalous helium and methane emissions at Ubiquity Lake, provides a robust foundation for targeted exploration.

Bedford remains committed to conducting all exploration activities to the highest environmental standards. The Company is dedicated to minimizing its environmental footprint and ensuring that all operations are sustainable and responsible. Additionally, Bedford values its relationships with local communities and indigenous groups and is committed to working collaboratively to ensure that its activities bring positive benefits to these stakeholders.

As the demand for clean energy solutions continues to grow, Bedford is poised to play a significant role in the global transition towards sustainable resource development. The Company will continue to leverage innovative techniques and ramp up its exploration efforts to maximize the value of its uranium projects and contribute to the worlds green energy future.

Dr. Peter Born, P.Geo., is the designated qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and the president of the Company and is responsible for and has approved the technical information contained in this release.

About Bedford Metals Corp.

Bedford Metals Corp. (TSX-V: BFM, FWB: O8D, ISIN: CA0762301012) is a mineral exploration company. We create value for our shareholders by identifying and developing highly prospective mineral exploration opportunities. Our strategy is to advance our projects from discovery to production.

The Ubiquity Lake Uranium Project, covering 1382 hectares, lies just south of the bottom lip of the Athabasca Basin, adjacent to ALX Uraniums Carpenter Lake Project to the east. Situated near the Cable Bay Shear Zone, parallel to the Virgin River Shear Zone, which hosts Camecos Centennial uranium deposit, the project holds immense potential. Furthermore, it is located 100 km west of Camecos past-producing Key Lake uranium mine, underscoring the strategic significance of its location.





The Close Lake Uranium Project lies on the eastern side of the Athabasca Basin, adjoining claims held by Cameco Corporation, the largest uranium producer in the world. The project is approximately 245 hectares and lies within the primary exploration corridor, which hosts the Keys Lake Mine, the Cigar Lake Mine and the McArthur River Mine. Access to the property is done through a network of roads and trails.





For further information, please contact the Company at info@bedfordmetals.com or 604-622-1199 or visit the Companys website at www.bedfordmetals.com .

On behalf of the Board,

Bedford Metals Corp.

Peter Born

President

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.

CONTACT:

MRKT360 INC

https://mrkt360.com

Alex Zertuche

alexz@mrkt360.com

For E.S.T Office Hours, Call 1 416-477-0587

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0d7531a8-ddf0-4ac0-9548-dacd7dc3d160

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/290fe4a9-1cee-4944-beb2-6e067557333f
WURZBURG, Germany and BERLIN, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pentixapharm AG, a clinical-stage biotech company discovering and developing novel targeted radiopharmaceuticals against a range of malignancies, has announced the execution of an agreement, effective July 1st, to acquire the target discovery business of Berlin-based Glycotope GmbH.



The deal encompasses a portfolio of preclinical antibodies against multiple oncology targets that can be developed into radiopharmaceuticals. It also includes Glycotopes laboratories, cell banks, tumor target data base, and the equipment needed to exploit the discovery platform, along with a range of patents, licenses, and other tangible assets. In total, Pentixapharm will be able to add an integrated team of 40 seasoned executives, R&D specialists, and administrators to its staff.

The acquisition will broaden Pentixapharms Intellectual Property portfolio beyond the one built around the CXCR4 receptor. This will immediately double the development pipeline and significantly expand the associated business and clinical development opportunities, explained Hakim Bouterfa, CEO of Pentixapharm AG. Glycotopes pipeline comprises several candidates that can be used immediately for proof-of-concept studies as next generation radiopharmaceuticals. We look forward to maximizing the synergy of Pentixapharms know-how and Glycotopes target discovery for the benefit of patients in both diagnostics and therapeutic applications.

The transaction provides Pentixapharm not just with a chance to build a clinical pipeline beyond the companys current CXCR4-ligand based programs, but also substantially strengthens its administrative and managerial capacities, noted Andreas Eckert, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of both Pentixapharm and mother company Eckert & Ziegler SE (EZAG). It adds a critical number of talents to the planned secession of Pentixapharm to Frankfurt Stock Exchange, thereby facilitating a seamless separation from EZAG. The offices and laboratories included in the deal are large enough to allow a consolidation of all Berlin-based activities into one location.

The transaction will also affect the composition of the Pentixapharm Management Board once the company becomes listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Hakim Bouterfa, current CEO of Pentixapharm, is designated to move to the Companys Supervisory Board. He will be succeeded by Dirk Pleimes, currently Pentixapharms Chief Medical Officer. Patrik Kehler, former Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of Glycotope, will assume the CSO position at Pentixapharm, while Glycotopes former CEO, Henner Kollenberg, will take over the responsibility for administrative and business development issues as Chief Business Officer.

Patrik Kehler, newly appointed Chief Scientific Officer of Pentixapharm, explained: The target discovery units development activities focus on tumor-associated carbohydrate structures, so-called GlycoTargets. Their major advantage is the reduced normal tissue binding compared to conventional antibodies. Based on their superior tumor-specificity, they are suitable for development in an array of different modes of action. In the radiopharmaceuticals field, they have the potential to close the treatment gap that exists for the majority of solid tumors.

About the Glycotope Target Discovery Unit

The target discovery unit utilizes a proprietary technology platform to develop uniquely tumor-specific monoclonal antibodies or fragments thereof. They target specific tumor-associated carbohydrate structures or protein/carbohydrate combined glycoepitopes (GlycoTargets). The unit has to date discovered in excess of 200 GlycoTargets (www.glycotope.com). Many of these have been outlicensed to major pharmaceutical companies around the world, where they are currently in pre-clinical and clinical development.

About Pentixapharm AG

Pentixapharm is a radiopharmaceutical development company founded in 2019 with its headquarters in Wurzburg, Germany. It is currently wholly owned by the Eckert & Ziegler Group but bound to be spun-off to the Frankfort Stock Exchange soon. Pentixapharm is committed to developing CXCR4 ligand-based first-in-class radiopharmaceutical approaches with a clear commercial pathway for diagnostic and therapeutic programs in a number of hematological and solid cancers, as well as cardiovascular, endocrine and inflammatory diseases.

Pentixapharms clinical pipeline encompasses PENTIXATHER, am Yttrium-90 based therapeutic against CNS lymphoma, and PENTIXAFOR, a Gallium-68 based companion diagnostic. Clinical studies for both compounds have already commenced in Europe, with a dose-finding study for PENTIXATHER and a Phase III registration study for PENTIXAFOR. Additionally, PENTIXAFOR is being developed as a diagnostic tool for primary aldosteronism (PA), a significant cause of hypertension. Pentixapharm is currently preparing a US centric Phase III registration study in PA that will start in 2025.

For more information, please contact:

Eckert & Ziegler SE

Karolin Riehle, Investor Relations

Robert-Rossle-Str. 10,

13125 Berlin, Germany

Tel.: +49 30 / 94 10 84-138

karolin.riehle@ezag.de, www.ezag.com

Pentixapharm AG

Phillip Eckert, Investor Relations

phillip.eckert@pentixapharm.com

Tel. +49 30 94 10 84 227

www.pentixapharm.com

Media Contact:

MC Services AG

Anne Hennecke

Tel. +49 211 529252 22

anne.hennecke@mc-services.eu


PUTIAN, China, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- From June 29 to 30, 2024, the notable Southern Shaolin Intangible Cultural Heritage Martial Arts Exchange Conference (the Conference) was successfully held at the Southern Shaolin Temple on Jiulian Mountain in Licheng District, Putian City, Fujian Province, China.



This two-day event brought together 300 martial arts masters, inheritors, and enthusiasts from 70 martial arts associations and groups from Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, as well as Europe, the Americas, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania to witness the charm and splendor of Chinese martial arts.

By means of keynote speeches, the release of martial arts preservation initiatives, exchanges & discussions, and cultural relic exhibitions, participants engaged in intensive discussions on topics such as the history, characteristics, inheritance, and development of Southern Shaolin martial arts during the Conference.

Additionally, the Conference accommodated the release of the achievements made by Putian Southern Shaolin Temple in protecting endangered martial arts styles, the launch of the Initiative for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage Martial Arts, and the signing of the Southern Shaolin Martial Arts Protection Convention.

During the Conference, well-known martial arts groups from home and abroad performed more than 80 types of martial arts styles, presenting the audience with a series of spectacular visual feasts. This Conference showcased the profound and unique charm of the martial arts at Southern Shaolin Temple as an intangible cultural heritage, and promoted exchanges and interactions among martial arts enthusiasts both domestically and internationally.

Source: Southern Shaolin Temple

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3c99a345-e73b-489b-998f-6a3446298205
MILAN, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The three-year communication and information campaign dedicated to the Syracuse Lemon PGI, promoted by the Consortium for the Protection of the Syracuse Lemon PGI, co-financed by the European Union and coordinated by CSO Italy, has officially started.

Quality, tradition and zero waste, the concepts behind the LemON project - Lemon of Syracuse PGI: capturing the essence of Sicily! - are aimed at Italy, Poland and Romania in a three-year period full of activities and appointments.

In particular, the integrated communication plan includes digital activities (social and influencer marketing), PR and Press Office, B2B and B2C, a TV campaign in Italy and Out of Home in major stations in Milan and Rome, Lemon Tour on the Peninsula. Plus workshops and B2B meetings aimed at large-scale retail and horeca buyers and for the first time also a TV campaign in Poland and Romania.

By the end of the project (March 2027), the Syracuse Lemon PGI will have "spoken" to more than 22million Purchase Managers in Italy and 11million young consumers and trades in Poland and Romania, for a total of nearly 34million people, and generated an increase in consumption equal to additional sales of more than 5million euros.

Considered one of the products of excellence in Europe's agri-food heritage, the Syracuse Lemon PGI represents, with the Consortium's social base, 100 percent of the certified product and is located in an area from which 32 percent of Italy's lemon production comes, which ranks second in Europe in terms of quantity, after Spain. The quality guaranteed by the production specification and the attention to detail handed down through years of experience translate into a product that can enhance the quality policies of the European Union by combining the communication of Made in Europe production excellence with fundamental values such as environmental sustainability and concrete strategies to combat food waste.

Of the Syracuse Lemon PGI, in fact, thanks to the production methods contained in the specification, you can eat everything, even the peel. The different uses during processing make it a symbolic "No-waste" product. In this sense, the decision to also target the Polish and Romanian markets is motivated precisely by the growing awareness and sensitivity to the issue of food waste that local policies are promoting.

For information:

SECNewgate Italy

Renato Pagani +39 335 6839561 - renato.pagani@secnewgate.it

Giorgia Rizzi +39 340 0010762 - giorgia.rizzi@secnewgate.it

News about the Consortium for the Protection of Syracuse Lemon PGI.

The Consorzio di Tutela del Limone di Siracusa IGP is one of the most important citrus growing communities in Europe. Formed on July 13, 2000, it includes 163 consortium members: 130 producers, 60 packers, 36 users and 62 ambassadors, for a vocated area of 1,450.91 hectares, representing 32% of Italian production. At the production level, the Consortium represents 100% of the production of Limone di Siracusa PGI, and at the national level 3 lemons out of 100 come from the Syracuse area. The Consortium's tasks include identifying the production areas and varieties to be subject to protection, supervising activities in the area of origin and in the markets on the correct use of the name "Limone di Siracusa IGP," and carrying out promotional initiatives in Italy and abroad aimed at spreading knowledge, the image of the product and the IGP trademark.

Funded by the European Union. However, the views expressed belong to the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting administration can be held responsible for them.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cf509523-bad6-46ad-a0ed-b503e66669fe




TORONTO, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lithium Ionic Corp. (TSXV: LTH; OTCQX: LTHCF; FSE: H3N) (Lithium Ionic or the Company) is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Neolit Minerals Participacoes Ltda (Neolit), has entered into an option agreement (the Agreement) with K2 Mineracao e Exportacao EIRELI, Super Classico Comercio, Importacao e Exportacao Ltda. and Minerales Empreendimentos, Mineracao e Participacoes Ltda. to acquire up to a 90% interest in select properties located in Itinga, within the Curralinho Pegmatite Field of the Aracuai Pegmatite District, Minas Gerais, Brazil (the Transaction).



Transaction Details:

The Agreement grants Neolit the option to acquire up to a 90% interest in each of three newly formed special purpose vehicles domiciled in Brazil (the SPVs), which collectively hold five mineral claims encompassing a total area of 2,983.22 hectares. Neolit shall initially hold a minority stake in each that can increase up to 90% upon fulfilling the terms of the Agreement.

Key Terms of the Agreement:

Neolit, at its option, has the right to conduct an exploration program and deliver a feasibility study for each SPV to acquire up to a 90% interest in the applicable SPV.

To achieve a 90% interest in each SPV, Neolit will be required to invest a minimum of R$21.3 million (~C$5.5 million) by Q1 2030.

The properties are strategically located within the lithium-rich Aracuai Pegmatite District, known for its significant spodumene deposits.



Blake Hylands, P.Geo., Chief Executive Officer of Lithium Ionic, commented, This transaction marks a significant milestone in our growth strategy, allowing us to expand our presence in Brazils premier lithium district. We are excited about the potential these properties hold and are committed to advancing them responsibly to create value for our shareholders and stakeholders.

The Transaction aligns with the Companys strategy to expand its footprint in one of the most promising lithium districts globally. The properties under option have demonstrated potential for significant lithium mineralization, which the Company aims to further explore and develop.

Next Steps:

Neolit will commence an extensive exploration program, including geological mapping, geochemical surveys, and drilling, to delineate potential resources within these properties. The Company will also engage with local communities and stakeholders to ensure the sustainable development of these projects.





Figure 1. Lithium Ionic Properties in the Lithium Valley and the Agreement Properties

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Lithium Ionic Corp.

Blake Hylands

Chief Executive Officer, Director

About Lithium Ionic Corp.

Lithium Ionic is a Canadian mining company exploring and developing its lithium properties in Brazil. Its flagship Itinga and Salinas projects cover ~17,000 hectares in the northeastern part of Minas Gerais state, a mining-friendly jurisdiction that is quickly emerging as a world-class hard-rock lithium district. The Itinga Project is situated in the same region as CBLs Cachoeira lithium mine, which has produced lithium for +30 years, as well as Sigma Lithium Corp.s Grota do Cirilo project, which hosts the largest hard-rock lithium deposit in the Americas.

Qualified Persons

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Carlos Costa, Vice President Exploration of Lithium Ionic and Blake Hylands, CEO and director of Lithium Ionic, and both are qualified persons as defined in NI 43-101.

Investor and Media Inquiries:

+1 647.316.2500

info@lithiumionic.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that constitute forward-statements. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. When used in this press release, the words estimate, project, belief, anticipate, intend, expect, plan, predict, may or should and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. The forward-looking statements and information in this press release include information relating to the prospectivity and development of the Companys mineral properties, the timing and results of the Agreement, the Transaction, the Companys ability to complete the Transaction, the Companys ability to obtain adequate financing and the Companys future plans. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information. 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. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that managements beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Information and links in this press release relating to other mineral resource companies are from their sources believed to be reliable, but that have not been independently verified by the Company.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/02b3df41-dc69-44db-861a-1ab826fa0505
Dublin, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Grow Lights Market by Offering (Hardware, Software & Services), Wattage (<300, >=300), Spectrum (Full Spectrum, Limited Spectrum), Cultivated Plant, Installation Type, Lighting Type, Sales Channel, Application and Region - Forecast to 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global grow lights market is expected to reach USD 6.4 billion by 2029 from USD 2 billion in 2024, at a CAGR of 26.5% during the 2024-2029 period.

The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in this market with information on the closest approximate revenues for the overall grow lights market and related segments. This report will help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to strengthen their position in the market and plan suitable go-to-market strategies. The report also helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provides them with information on key market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges.

LED grow lights have surpassed conventional lighting technologies in energy efficiency, lifespan, versatility, and color quality. With their increasing cost competitiveness, they're widely adopted in applications like vertical farms, indoor farms, and greenhouses, catering to various plant needs with different types, shapes, sizes, prices, and colors. LED grow lights outshine traditional high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps in energy efficiency and lifespan, offering a longer operating life of nearly 50,000 hours and consuming 50% to 85% less electricity.

Their ability to emit specific spectrums tailored to plant requirements maximizes growth potential and nutritional value while reducing energy costs. Additionally, LEDs are lighter, easier to install, and less heat-emitting, ensuring plants remain unharmed even when placed in proximity. Their resistance to vibrations, thermal shocks, water, and moisture makes them ideal for greenhouse environments. These attributes, coupled with advancements in spectral tailoring and light distribution control, position LED grow lights as the preferred choice for year-round crop production, mitigating weather-dependent limitations of traditional farming methods.



LED grow lights play a pivotal role in enabling farmers to produce high-quality crops throughout the year, irrespective of weather conditions. Their ability to provide photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) for photosynthesis enhances plant quality and productivity, particularly in regions with limited sunlight. By optimizing light spectra for specific crops and offering greater lighting control, LED grow lights maximize yields and nutritional values while minimizing energy costs.

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA), facilitated by LED lighting, allows for multiple harvests per year, with one indoor acre equivalent to several outdoor acres. The controlled environment minimizes pest infestation, post-harvest spoilage, and the impact of adverse weather conditions, ensuring high-quality, consistent yields. As climate change poses challenges to traditional farming, the adoption of CEA practices, powered by LED grow lights, is expected to surge, driving further demand for efficient indoor horticulture solutions.

Legalization of medicinal plants in different countries to increase the demand of grow lights

The legalization of medicinal plants, such as marijuana, has sparked a surge in the demand for grow lights, especially in areas where these plants are sanctioned. According to the report by National Conference of State Legislatures in April 2024, 24 states along with two territories and the District of Columbia, have legalized small amounts of cannabis (marijuana) for adult recreational use.

Recently, legislation in Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Rhode Island has been passed, permitting individuals aged 21 or older to possess specific quantities of cannabis. These new laws, except in Delaware, also allow individuals to cultivate marijuana at home, although the permitted number of plants varies by state. It's noteworthy that in all six of these areas, cannabis for medical purposes was legalized before recreational adult use.



In June 2022, Thailand marked a significant milestone by becoming the inaugural Asian nation to legalize cannabis. With this legislative change, cultivating and trading marijuana and hemp products, as well as utilizing plant parts for medicinal purposes, ceased to be criminal offenses. Consequently, methods such as grow tents, greenhouses, and vertical farms have become prevalent for indoor cannabis cultivation. However, all these methods necessitate the incorporation of artificial grow lights, thereby paving the way for promising market expansion opportunities.



With marijuana legalization, there's a noticeable trend among cannabis companies diversifying their product offerings. The increased legalization of cannabis cultivation has driven a higher demand for vertical farms and greenhouses, consequently boosting the need for LED-based grow lights. Cannabis grown without sunlight requires careful consideration of various factors. For instance, the heat emitted from HPS lights can damage the product, while LEDs, operating at lower temperatures, offer a solution to excessive heat emissions.



The advantages of LED lighting for cannabis growth are widely recognized: increased yields, shortened crop cycles, and consistent quality. Utilizing the appropriate blend of white, red, and blue LEDs promotes shorter, more compact cannabis plants with enhanced branching and improved THC/CBD potency.

Fruits & Vegetables segment of the grow lights market projected to record the highest market share during the forecast period

Grow lights ensure optimal plant growth and survival by providing tailored light spectra tailored to the specific requirements of different plants. The appropriate combination of light spectrum, intensity, and duration collectively stimulates plant growth, flowering, and reproduction. Fruits and vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, mint, basil, and strawberries are predominantly cultivated in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) facilities.



Outdoor cultivation of these fruits and vegetables necessitates suitable soil, favorable climatic conditions, sunlight, adequate water supply, and high-quality seeds or plant materials, typically yielding only two harvests per season. Failure to meet these conditions can result in poor-quality or inedible produce. However, in vertical farms and greenhouses, these fruits and vegetables thrive in a controlled environment with optimized water and light conditions, often without soil. Harvests in these environments are unaffected by seasonal changes, climatic fluctuations, excessive water usage, or soil variations.



During the vegetative stage, young plants require blue light for growth, while plants in the flowering stage benefit from red spectrum wavelengths, which accelerate stem growth, promote flowering, and enhance fruit and chlorophyll production. Plants respond to light shortly after germination, even before the appearance of the first leaf. Insufficient light exposure during this critical stage can lead to elongated stems and weak plant growth. Adequate spacing between plants is essential to ensure each receives sufficient light for proper growth. Red and blue wavelengths are the most utilized by plants for photosynthesis.



Strawberries are one of the most cultivated fruits in vertical farms, with the trend of vertical farming for strawberries on the rise. A single square foot of a strawberry tower foundation can accommodate around 100 strawberry plants, a significant increase compared to traditional land cultivation, with potential for further growth by increasing the height of the vertical tower.



In May 2024, Heliospectra launched 1500W MITRA X LED light featuring an increased output of 5700mol, wide beam optics, and 3.7 efficacy. With only 2 LED lights needed to cover a standard 8m trellis, the new MITRA X reduces investment costs for vegetable growers while ensuring high output and uniformity to optimize taste and yield. The expanded MITRA X platform emphasizes modularity and versatility, catering to various environments and crops to address the diverse requirements of contemporary growers.

New installations expected to have the largest market share of grow lights during the forecast period

The demand for fresh horticultural produce is increasing due to the rapidly growing global population. This is expected to encourage growers to set up new greenhouses and expand their existing production facilities to cultivate higher yields each year. The emergence of vertical farms, particularly in urban settings, contributes to the overall increase in horticultural output. Plants grown in vertical farms depend entirely on artificial lighting for photosynthesis; this factor drives the market for new installations.



LED grow lights are preferred over traditional ones in vertical farms for increased productivity and reduced power consumption. These lights have a lower weight and are easier to configure. They emit less heat than high-intensity discharge (HID) bulbs, so the risk of plants getting burned even if LEDs are placed close to them is relatively low. Additionally, LEDs have a long operating life of nearly 50,000 hours, enabling them to be used for more than five years with 14-18 hours of daily operations.

Key Attributes:





Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 231 Forecast Period 2024 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $2 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $6.4 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 26.5% Regions Covered Global



Premium Insights

Rising Demand for Grow Lights in Indoor Settings to Fuel Market Growth

New Installations Segment to Hold Larger Market Share Between 2024 and 2029

Fruits & Vegetables Segment to Lead Market During Forecast Period

Southeast Asia Grow Lights Market to Register Highest CAGR During Forecast Period

Case Study Analysis

Signify Holding Helps Topline Gerbera Nursery Transition to Full Led Lighting

Maximizing Berry Production at Nourse Farms with California Lightworks Megadrive Lighting System

Nipomo AG Harnesses California Lightworks Megadrive Led System to Thrive in Competitive Cannabis Market

Market Overview

Drivers

Surging Demand for Fresh Food Amid Declining Arable Land

Robust Government Support for Implementation of Solid-State Lighting Technology and Controlled-Environment Agriculture Methodologies

Rising Investments in Establishment of Vertical Farms, Greenhouses, and Advanced Technologies

Maximizing Horticulture Efficiency and Unlocking Year-Round Crop Production

Restraints

High Investments in Establishment and Installation

Optimizing Plant Growth Through Varied Light Spectrums

Risk to Human Health due to Led Grow Lights

Constraints in Optimal Grow Light Placement for Plant Growth

Opportunities

Legalization of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes

Technological Advancements in Led Grow Lights and Automation in Lighting Systems

Prospective Markets for Vertical Farming in Asia and Middle East

Integrated Hardware, Software, and Data Analytics Platforms for Horticultural Yield Estimation and Energy Conservation

Challenges

Complexities in Implementing Controlled Environment Agriculture Technology and Lack of Technical Expertise

Lack of Standardized Testing Protocols for Evaluating Horticulture Lighting Product Quality

Supply Chain Analysis

Research & Development Engineers

Component Providers/Input Suppliers

Original Equipment Manufacturers

System Integrators/Technology & Service Providers

Distributors & Sales Partners

Applications

Technology Analysis

Key Technologies

Led Grow Lights

UV and Far-Red Light Integration

Smart Lighting

Complementary Technologies

Climate Control Systems

Hydroponic and Aeroponic Systems

Adjacent Technology

Spectrum Control Technology

Company Profiles

Key Players

Signify Holding

Gavita International B.V.

Heliospectra

Ams-Osram AG

California Lightworks

Ledvance GmbH

Hortilux Schreder

Valoya

Iluminar Lighting LLC.

Savant Technologies LLC

Other Players

Econolux Industries Ltd.

Lemnis Oreon B.V.

Hyperion Grow Lights

Sananbio

Dongguan Ledestar Opto-Electronics Tech. Co. Ltd.

Viparspectra

Kind Led Grow Lights

Black Dog Horticulture Technologies & Consulting

Agrolux B.V.

Sollum Technologies

Mars Hydro

Biological Innovation and Optimization Systems, LLC

Everlight Electronics Co. Ltd.

Nichia Corporation

Thrive Agritech

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xxjjxc

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
MONTREAL, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TFI International Inc. (NYSE and TSX: TFII), a North American leader in the transportation and logistics industry, today announced that it will release its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024 via news release on Thursday, July 25, 2024 after market close. The company will host a webcast with Alain Bedard, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, on Friday, July 26, 2024 at 8:30 AM Eastern Time, to discuss results.



Webcast Details:

Date: Friday, July 26, 2024

Time: 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time

Live webcast & replay: Presentations & Reports within the Investors section of the Company website



ABOUT TFI INTERNATIONAL

TFI International Inc. is a North American leader in the transportation and logistics industry, operating across the United States, Canada and Mexico through its subsidiaries. TFI International creates value for shareholders by identifying strategic acquisitions and managing a growing network of wholly-owned operating subsidiaries. Under the TFI International umbrella, companies benefit from financial and operational resources to build their businesses and increase their efficiency. TFI International companies service the following segments:

Package and Courier;

Less-Than-Truckload;

Truckload;

Logistics.

TFI International Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol TFII. For more information, visit www.tfiintl.com.

For further information:

Alain Bedard

Chairman, President and CEO

TFI International Inc.

647-729-4079

abedard@tfiintl.com
Vancouver, British Columbia, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terra Balcanica Resources Corp. (Terra or the Company) (CSE:TERA; FRA:UB1), a multi-jurisdictional, polymetallic exploration company focused on supporting the global transition to clean energy, is pleased to announce the signing of the definitive option agreement dated July 2, 2024 (Agreement) between the Company, Fulcrum Metals Plc. (Fulcrum, AIM:FMET) and Fulcrum Metals (Canada) Ltd. (Fulcrum Canada), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fulcrum, pursuant to which the Company will obtain a four-year option (the Option) to acquire a 100% interest in Fulcrums uranium portfolio of exploration licences (the Licences) located in northern Saskatchewan, Canada and collectively encompassing 596.71 km2 of highly prospective ground for a uranium discovery.



Pursuant to the Agreement, on closing (the Option Closing Date), Fulcrum and Fulcrum Canada will grant Terra the Option to acquire a 100% interest in the Licences, comprising Fulcrums Charlot-Neely Lake, Fontaine Lake, Snowbird, and South Pendleton licence clusters located along northern and southeastern margins of the renowned Athabasca Basin, the supplier of ca. 20% of worlds uranium and home to significant uranium deposits.

In consideration for the Option, Terra has paid C$25,000 in cash to Fulcrum to date.

Additionally, Terra may exercise the Option by paying Fulcrum cash according to the schedule below:

C$50,000 on the first anniversary of the Option Closing Date;

C$75,000 on the second anniversary of the Option Closing Date;

C$75,000 on the third anniversary of the Option Closing Date;

C$75,000 on the fourth anniversary of the Option Closing Date; and

issue Fulcrum Canada common shares of Terra at the 10-day volume weighted average trading price of Terras shares ending three trading days prior to the date of issuance, subject to the minimum pricing requirements of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the CSE), as per the following schedule:

C$250,000 of Terra shares on the Option Closing Date;

C$350,000 of Terra shares on the anniversary of the Option Closing Date;

C$560,000 of Terra shares on the second anniversary of the Option Closing Date;

C$650,000 of Terra shares on the third anniversary of the Option Closing Date;

C$1,250,000 of Terra shares on the fourth anniversary of the Option Closing Date; and





Terra will also complete minimum work expenditures totalling C$3,250,000 prior to the fourth anniversary of the Option Agreement.

Upon the exercise of the Option, Terra will grant Fulcrum a 1.0% net smelter returns royalty (NSR) on all claims with a buy-down option for half of the NSR, being a 0.5% NSR, for the cash payment of C$1,000,000.

Global Energy Metals Corp. (Global Energy) acted as a finder for this transaction by introducing the parties and facilitating the negotiation of the Agreement. As compensation for Global Energys services, the Company, Fulcrum Canada and Global Energy entered into a finders agreement (the Finders Fee Agreement), in which Global Energy will be compensated with 1,198,291 shares of Terra on the Option Closing Date subject to the minimum pricing requirements of the CSE and, upon the exercise of the Option, the Company will grant Global Energy a 0.5% NSR on all of the Licences, subject to a buy-down option of the entire NSR for the cash payment C$500,000.

The Agreement replaces the Letter of Intent between the Company and Fulcrum signed on April 2nd, 2024 (see news release of the Company dated April 3rd, 2024).

The transaction contemplated under the Agreement and the Finders Fee Agreement are subject to the approval of the CSE.

The common shares of Terra issued under the terms of the Agreement and the Finders Fee Agreement will be subject to a hold period of four months from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities laws in Canada.

Highlights

596.71 km 2 of land tenure along northern and southeastern edges of the Athabasca Basin , a premium mining district and the leading global source of high-grade uranium with over 70 million lbs of U 3 O 8 produced;





, a premium mining district and the leading global source of high-grade uranium with over 70 million lbs of U O produced; Surface uranium samples of up to 6.22 % U 3 O 8 at Charlot-Neely and up to 1.44 % U 3 O 8 at Fontaine-Lake licences with anomalous surface radiometric readings of >7,000 cps as well as rare earth element assays;





with anomalous surface radiometric readings of >7,000 cps as well as rare earth element assays; A historic (non-43-101 compliant) diamond drill hole intercept of 3.91 g/t Au over 45.8 m from surface at the Charlot-Neely licence;





at the Charlot-Neely licence; The recent drill hole intercept of 1,309 cps over 8.7 m by Aero Energy and Fortune Bay on the Murmac project (see news release dated June 25 th , 2024) is located only 20 km SW of Terras Charlot-Neely Lake licence and marks the first Beaverlodge District uranium discovery in more than half a century





by Aero Energy and Fortune Bay on the Murmac project (see news release dated June 25 , 2024) is located and marks the first Beaverlodge District uranium discovery in more than half a century Historical work has demonstrated multiple occurrences of uranium mineralization along NE-SW structural corridors such as Black Bay fault, Black Lake shear, and the Snowbird tectonic zone and the many associated fault splays and graphitic conductors;





Terra Balcanica CEO, Dr. Aleksandar Miskovic, commented: The agreement signed with Fulcrum marks an exciting new chapter in Terras corporate history as a high-quality target generator and explorer of critically needed commodities. The Company is now exposed to a world-class uranium district that is experiencing a mining renaissance as evidenced by the recent discovery made just 20 km from of our flagship Charlot-Neely licence. With close to 600 km2 of land tenure, we are supremely positioned to take early-mover advantage of opportunities along the entire northern and eastern margins of Athabasca Basin. The optioned portfolio comprises geologically promising ground that has not seen modern surveying nor recent drilling. We are excited to approach it by applying the same level of technical rigor as we did in the Balkans to define drill targets with a high probability of success. In addition to multiple uranium occurrences, the licences feature gold, copper, nickel and cobalt showings. We are fortunate to have inherited a wealth of legacy data from Fulcrum along with the expertise of Mr. Gary Dunn, a veteran of uranium exploration in Saskatchewan. It will be an eventful autumn of prospecting, sampling, and structural mapping together with airborne geophysics to rapidly define drill targets.

Portfolio Overview

The optioned terrain in norther Saskatchewan is divided into 4 licence clusters targeting the NE-SW structures and associated electromagnetic conductors along strike from historic mines and projects that have attracted significant investment as zones most likely to host basement- and intrusive hosted uranium mineralizations (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Saskatchewans Athabasca Basin with the optioned licence portfolio (click here to view image).

Southeastern margins of the Athabasca Basin are known locations of world-class discoveries such as the Arrow deposit discovered by NexGen Energy Ltd. (4.3 Mt at 0.83% U 3 O 8 ), and the Triple R deposit (2.7 Mt at 1.94% U 3 O 8 ) being developed by Fission Uranium Corp. Such sizable accumulations of uranium ore have proved the concept of exploring along fluid bearing structures outside the Basin that have been genetically interpreted to form either the basement or the so-called Beaverlodge styles of mineralization (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Three styles of uranium mineralization in northern Saskatchewan on an idealized cross-section of the Athabasca Basin. Terra Balcanicas portfolio focuses on the margins of the Basin where the basement-hosted and so-called Beaverlodge-style mineralizations are found as surface expressions of deep-seated feeder dykes and crustal faults (click here to view image).

Terra will focus on this exploration paradigm however, the Company will aim to target major NE-SE trending faults and associated secondary structural corridors along northern margins of the Basin where close to 32,000 tons of U 3 O 8 have been produced in the Beaverlodge District alone.

Charlot  Neely Lake

The flagship Charlot-Nely Lake property (Figure 3) covers 163.72 km2 and is located at the heart of the historic Beaverlodge District, 13 km NE of Uranium City. It is found within 10 km radius of the 14 historic mines and uranium ore producers. The licence covers more than 20 km strike length of the major Black Bay Fault with 16 km of previously identified, fault-parallel graphitic conductors. It also hosts significant REE potential given the adjacent Alces REE discovery by Appia with historical samples of over 31% U 3 O 8 and over 16% REE.

Figure 3. Tenure map of the Beaverlodge District along northwestern margin of the Athabasca Basin with Terras flagship 168 km2 Charlot-Neely Lake property north of centre and 20 km NE along a major structural feature (Black Bay fault) from the recent drill intercept by Aero Energy Ltd.-Fortune Bay Corp. at the Murmac project (click here to view image).

The licence benefits from work completed in 2023 which confirmed uranium mineralization on surface of up to 0.55 % U and assays of 0.8% U 3 O 8 confirmed at Peacock showing in 2023, and extensive zones of up to 7,000 cps (counts per second) radioactivity. Historic occurrences are noted of up to 6.22 % U 3 O 8 . The first order controls for basement hosted mineralisation are present with large scale structural features, linear conductors that possibly contain graphitic horizons as important reductants and surface uranium anomalism. There is also note of gold drilling intercept of 3.91 g/t Au over 45.8 m from surface (DDH17) which adds additional exploration appeal to the licence (Figure 4).

The Company will focus on high-grade sources of the surficial uranium showings along most radioactive segments of the graphitic conductors as previously untested drill targets.

Figure 4. Charlot-Neely Lake licence cluster encompasses 168 km2 and captures 20 km of the along-strike extent of the Black Bay Fault system with its splays and associated electromagnetic conductors. These graphitic seams serve as favourable redox traps for oxidizing uranium-bearing fluids channelled by deeps seated faults and shears. Multiple anomalously radioactive locations are scattered throughout the tenure (click here to view image).

Fontaine Lake and Snowbird

These licences stretch over 388 km2 and straddle the Grease River Shear Zone, its sub-faults as well as the Snowbird Tectonic Zone (Figure 5). The Black Lake Shear Zone which also transects the Snowbird licence cluster can be traced for 200 km across the Athabasca Basin and is associated with Camecos Centennial project. Additionally, the Cora and Legs Lake Shear Zones contain multiple airborne radioactivity anomalies that were not followed up on trend. Haymac Mines has recently restarted mining at Nisto Mine which is known for having shipped 500 tons of high-grade ore to Uranium City in the 1950s with one shipment being 106 tons grading 1.6% U 3 O 8 . A minimal field program was completed at Fontaine Lake in 2008 with surficial showings of 1% uranium while further work was recommended by CanAlaska Uranium that leaves plenty of discovery potential.

South Pendleton

The South Pendleton property sits upon the Needle Falls Shear Zone and covers 44.76 km2 of terrain along southeastern edge of the Athabasca Basin. It is proximal to Skyharbour Resources South Falcon project. It features the same basement lithologies as those hosting the prolific Key Lake and Rabbit Lake mines however, several surficial radioactive anomalies and occurrences of uranium mineralization have not been explored yet.

Figure 5. Fontaine Lake and Snowbird licence clusters jointly encompass 388 km2 of terrain along northern and northeastern margins of the Athabasca Basin strategically covering both the Black Lake shear zone and the coupled Grease River and Snowbird Tectonic Zones with their NNE-SSW faults and splays (click here to view image).

Exploration Plan

The Company intends to review cumulative legacy data set by including company assessment reports, historic governmental maps and surveys, extracting findings from research papers, compiling locations of key showings and combining it all into an internally consistent GIS database. Subsequently, Terra will commission a combined, >3,000 line-kilometer, airborne geophysical survey comprising V-TEM Plus electromagnetic and radiometric measurements along a tight, 150-spaced flight grid over all four licence clusters. Data obtained from the geophysics will be combined with the existing GIS database to identify high-priority target zones to follow up by a month and a half of detailed field work including ground radiometrics and lithological sampling in autumn of 2024. Our goal is to immediately generate and rank a dozen drill targets along key structural corridors to be tested in early spring of 2025. Work with the local First Nations to obtain social license to operate and work collaboratively will begin in earnest this summer.

Qualified Person

Dr. Aleksandar Miskovic, P.Geo, is the Companys designated Qualified Person (QP) for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure of Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) and has reviewed and validated that the information contained in this news release as accurate. The QP has not directly verified the data disclosed, including sampling, analytical, and test data underlying the information contained in the press release except to perform a desktop overview of the legacy date provide by Fulcrum.

About the Company

Terra Balcanica is a polymetallic and energy metals exploration company targeting large-scale mineral systems in the Balkans of southeastern Europe and northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The Company has 90% interest in the Viogor-Zanik Project in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina and owns 100% of the Ceovishte mineral exploration licence in southern Serbia. The Canadian assets comprise a 100% optioned portfolio of uranium-prospective licences at the outskirts of the world-renowned Athabasca basin: Charlot-Neely Lake, Fontaine Lake, Snowbird, and South Pendleton. The Company emphasizes responsible engagement with local communities and stakeholders. It is committed to proactively implementing Good International Industry Practice (GIIP) and sustainable health, safety, and environmental management.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Terra Balcanica Resources Corp.

Aleksandar Miskovic

Aleksandar Miskovic

President and CEO

For the complete information on this news release, please contact Aleksandar Miskovic at amiskovic@terrabresources.com, +1 (514) 796-7577, or visit www.terrabresources.com/en/news.

Cautionary Statement

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively forward-looking statements). The use of any of the words will, intends and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Customers can now earn cash for sharing their experiences at the popular mac and cheese restaurant through the Thumzup app



Los Angeles, CA, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thumzup Media Corporation ("Thumzup" or the "Company") (OTCQB: TZUP), an innovator in social media branding and marketing solutions, is excited to welcome I Heart Mac & Cheese Los Angeles to its roster of advertising partners on its cutting-edge social media AdTech platform.

I Heart Mac & Cheese is a rapidly expanding fast-casual concept specializing in customizable, made-to-order macaroni and cheese bowls with a variety of health-conscious bases including quinoa, broccoli, cauliflower, gluten-free pasta, grilled cheese sandwiches. Fans of the restaurant now have a unique opportunity to earn money by sharing their delicious experiences via the Thumzup app.

This collaboration comes as I Heart Mac & Cheese and More continues to expand its footprint, bringing its beloved menu of cheesy delights to more communities. The restaurant offers a diverse selection of mac and cheese creations, from classic combinations to unique flavors, all made with high-quality ingredients and available in vegan and gluten-free options.

We are delighted to welcome I Heart Mac & Cheese and More to the Thumzup network, said Robert Steele, CEO and Founder of Thumzup. Their innovative approach to a classic favorite makes them an ideal partner for our platform. By teaming up with I Heart Mac & Cheese and More, we aim to help them engage with their loyal customers and attract new fans eager to share their culinary adventures.

The Thumzup app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play .

About Thumzup

Thumzup Media Corporation (Thumzup) is democratizing the multi-billion dollar social media branding and marketing industry. Its flagship product, the Thumzup platform, utilizes a robust programmatic advertiser dashboard coupled with a consumer-facing App to enable individuals to get paid cash for posting about participating advertisers on major social media outlets through the Thumzup App. The easy-to-use dashboard allows advertisers to programmatically customize their campaigns. Cash payments are made to App users/creators through PayPal and other digital payment systems.

Thumzup was featured on CBS News Los Angeles and is a publicly traded company (OTCQB stock ticker: TZUP). For more information, please visit https://www.thumzupmedia.com .

Legal Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include, without limitation, statements about its potential growth, impacts on the advertising industry, plans for potential uplisting, and planned expansion. These statements are identified by the use of the words "could," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "may," "continue," "predict," "potential," "project" and similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that these plans, objectives, expectations or intentions will be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience and present expectations or projections. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements and the trading price for our common stock may fluctuate significantly. Forward-looking statements also are affected by the risk factors described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Contact Info

investors@thumzupmedia.com

800-403-6150

Attachment
Sheridan, Wyoming, USA, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rafarma Pharmaceuticals (OTC: RAFA) - Rafarma Pharmaceuticals is pleased to announce the signing of a preliminary agreement to establish a joint industrial venture in Busan Technology Park (South Korea) as the Dongnam Industrial Park of Radiological & Medical Sciences. The partners in the venture are Rafarma and the Korean pharmaceutical company Woods Medical Care.



Woods Medical Care, Inc. was established to grow into a global pharmaceutical company producing radiopharmaceuticals by collaborating with Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute.

One of the priorities of the scientific and medical company Rafarma is the promotion of nuclear medicine as a high-tech method of cancer treatment. Nuclear medicine includes brachytherapy with embolization of inoperable metastases of prostate cancer and hepatocellular liver cancer and liver metastases as common complications of cancer.

We previously announced the creation of a similar facility in Hong Kong, but after much consideration, Korea was identified as a more attractive market for investment in the field of radiopharmacology and nuclear medicine.

The main goal of the joint venture is to organize and run a business for the production and sale of medical products based on the isotope Yttrium-90 (Y90), as well as boron and lithium capture therapy units.

International cooperation between companies includes:

1) Release of packaging of microsphere-based products for the East Asian markets and their promotion for the treatment of cancer;

2) Bench assembly of medical accelerators for lithium-capture therapy for cancer treatment;

3) Promotion of lithium capture technology in East Asia as a service to hospitals to promote this therapy for cancer treatment;

4) Organization of production and construction in the Busan Technopark of a plant for the production of microsources for brachytherapy based on iodine isotopes for treatment.

The potential revenue of the created enterprise can reach $50 million in the first 5 years, and the potential profit exceed $20 million in 4 years. The parties estimate the required investment in the project to be about $30 million.

ABOUT RAFARMA PHARMACEUTICALS

Rafarma Pharmaceuticals is a diversified pharmaceutical company dedicated to the new treatments and solutions development for patients in various fields. Regularly cooperating with leading research institutes and pharmaceutical companies around the world, the business has earned a reputation as a reliable manufacturer and distributor. Rafarma Pharmaceuticals has more than 25 programs in molecular biology, nuclear medicine, immunology, sustainable packaging, and many other fields at the moment.

For more information, please visit https://www.noyarp.com

CONTACTS:

RAFARMA PHARMACEUTICALS

babenko_press@rafapharm.com

+1 (307) 218-0292

Sheridan, Wyoming, 82801, USA

Source: Rafarma Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
SINGAPORE, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Together with Resorts World Sentosa, and EZ Buzz Pte. Ltd, WeRide launched its Robobus shuttle service at Sentosa in Singapore. This marks the official opening of Singapore's first publicly accessible, L4-level autonomous Robobus route for passenger operations.

The shuttle route spans 1.2 kilometers with four stops along the way, taking approximately 12 minutes to complete. Hotel guests and tourists can board the Robobus at the nearest stop.

Since obtaining Singapores M1 and T1 public road licenses for autonomous vehicles in December 2023, WeRide has rapidly deployed the Robobus, setting a new industry benchmark for implementation speed.

On June 20, Mr. Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Trade & Industry, Culture, Community & Youth of Singapore, visited Sentosa with his delegation to inspect and experience the autonomous driving shuttle robobus. He later shared on social media: "Two months ago, I visited WeRide's autonomous technologies at their Headquarters in Guangzhou. Yesterday, I witnessed their AV application here at Resorts World Sentosa!" He also noted that by integrating autonomous vehicle technology, we allow for a more productive use of our limited manpower resources and ensure a more sustainable and scalable transport solution.

As Asia's premier lifestyle destination, Resorts World Sentosa combines Universal Studios Singapore, S.E.A. Aquarium, Dolphin Island, Adventure Cove Waterpark, a cluster of five-star luxury hotels, an integrated resort, multiple theme parks, and numerous celebrity chef restaurants. For ten consecutive years, it has been recognized as the "Best Integrated Resort" by the TGG Travel Awards.

WeRide Robobus is the world's first purpose-built Level 4 autonomous driving minibus, specializing in micro-transit. It has been deployed and operated in nearly 30 cities worldwide, widely used in key cities, major passenger airports, luxury resorts, and popular tourist attractions. Wherever it runs, it becomes a popular spot for visitors to check in and experience.

WeRide's development in Singapore has been remarkably swift and successful. The consecutive commercial deployments of the Robosweeper and Robobus in Singapore once again highlight WeRide's leading position in the global autonomous driving technology field and the replicability of its business model.

In the future, WeRide will continue to collaborate with local partners to bring more validated products and business models to the Singapore and Southeast Asian markets. This will provide efficient and high-quality autonomous driving services to local citizens and tourists, contributing to the development of smart transportation systems in the region.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4c728e49-014e-4dc9-ab0d-48fd34929ff6

PR@WeRide.ai
Wilmington, Delaware, United States, Transparency Market Research Inc. - , July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The anticipated global machine-to-machine connection market size will reach USD 4 billion by 2034, with the projected advancement occurring at a moderate CAGR of 5.8% through the forecasted period. The last recorded size of the sector was USD 2.2 billion in 2023.

The use of machine-to-machine connections has significantly enhanced the ability of machines to communicate and transfer data. This has led to collective work and individual processing, thereby uplifting operational efficiency. Notably, this communication has played a crucial role in helping organizations optimize their supply chains.

With the growing emphasis on increasing the efficiency of supply chains, firms seek instruments that can reduce errors and help businesses gain control of key areas of supply chains. Such areas increase the importance of M2M connections as such connections can enhance the connectivity between machines.

Inventory tracking, warehouse management, etc., can be enhanced, which are key operations of supply chains of firms. The demand for machine-to-machine connections, thus, will increase, creating prospects for key players.

With the growing importance of IoT, cloud computing, big data, and other major technological advancements in business operations, the connectivity between two remote machines must be bolstered. This elevates the demand for M2M connections.

Request for sample PDF copy of report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=27167

The increasing importance of 5G networks and the rising infrastructure for the same has created several prospects for the machine-to-machine connection market. With the enhanced connection speed of 5G technology, the reach of such connections can be spread wide, which fuels the demand for the industry.

With the spurring urbanization, the installation of 5G towers has caught great speed. Due to this, the 5G network will likely be used regularly, creating growth prospects for the industry under consideration.

Key Findings from the Market Report

The global machine-to-machine connection market can be segmented based on different categories. Based on offerings, the sector is classified into hardware and software. The software segment is highly exploited due to the growing technological infrastructure. IoT, 5G network, and other key developments fuel the demand for the segment.

Based on the connection type, WiFi-connected devices are gaining traction due to the ability to connect remote machines. The use of the Internet has been increasing, which is a cost-effective option, surging the demand for the segment.

Based on the application, the industrys inventory management segment is expected to gain maximum attention. Due to the focus on bolstering the supply chain, organizations will use M2M connections for inventory management.

The end-user industry segment distributes the use of M2M connections uniformly, as several sectors use such connections to enhance the speed of operations.

Unlock Growth Potential in Your Industry! Download PDF Brochure: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=27167

Regional Profile

The rising urbanization rate in the Asia-Pacific region will generate more demand for M2M connections in the region, helping the area to contribute to the market.

Technological advancements in North America will help the region gain the largest space in the market.

The industrial revolution will likely elevate the demand for machine-to-machine connections in Europe.

In April 2024, Cisco Systems, Inc. acquired Isovalent. This strategic move will help the business gain more space in the landscape, helping the firm to consolidate brand value in the industry.

In April 2024, Intel Corporation invested about USD 20 billion in two new chip factories in Licking County, Ohio. This will help the business diversify its presence in the United States of America.

Competitive Landscape

Various marketers have active participation in the competitive landscape of the machine-to-machine connection market. Cisco Systems, Inc. is a key business that offers various end-to-end security features, agile networks, and many other services.

Commsolid GmbH is another key player offering ultra-low power solutions for the cellular IoT sector. The firm also offers Cat NB1 technology to users.

Intel Corporation is a key competitor that offers different processors specially designed for laptops and other digital display devices. The business also offers different software, including performance solutions, open source projects, and many more.

AT&T Intellectual Property

Cisco Systems Inc.

Commsolid GmbH

Deutsche Telekom AG

Intel Corporation

Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

NXP Semiconductors

PHYSEC GmbH

SEMTECH

Telit Cinterion

Texas Instruments Incorporated

Thales

TMobile USA Inc.

u-blox

Virscient

Market Segmentation

Offering

Hardware

Software

Wired

Ethernet

Modbus

Profinet

Foundation Fieldbus

Wireless

Wi-fi

Bluetooth

Cellular Network

Sigfox

LoRa

Others (RFID, NB-IoT, etc.)

Smart Meters

Smart Security Devices

Fleet Management

Industrial Automation

Smart Homes

Wearable Devices

Inventory Management

Others (Telemedicine Equipment, etc.)

Automotive & Transportation

Consumer Electronics

Industrial

Retail

Energy & Utilities

Others (Healthcare, etc.)

Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

South America

Buy this Premium Research Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=27167<ype=S

More Trending Reports by Transparency Market Research 

Battery Monitoring IC Market - The global battery monitoring IC market is expected to reach a value of US$ 4.8 Bn by the end of 2031, The review finds that the market for battery monitoring IC is likely to expand at a CAGR of 11.3% during the forecast period, from 2022 to 2031.

Cable Assembly Market - The global cable assembly market was estimated at a value of US$ 163.8 billion in 2021. It is anticipated to register a 6.2% CAGR from 2022 to 2031 and by 2031, the market is likely to attain US$ 292.6 billion by 2031.

About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques to gather and analyses information.

Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

Contact:

Transparency Market Research Inc.

CORPORATE HEADQUARTER DOWNTOWN,

1000 N. West Street,

Suite 1200, Wilmington, Delaware 19801 USA

Tel: +1-518-618-1030

USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453

Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eleven years ago, Hisense made a groundbreaking decision that has significantly contributed to the South African, and particularly the Western Cape province economy. Since opening its Factory in 2013, the factory has grown to become the largest TV production facility in sub-Saharan Africa. Today, Hisense celebrates this golden milestone with honourable Friends of Hisense.



Commitment to Community and Economic Empowerment

The significance of the factory extends beyond the production of appliances. It has created much-needed jobs and significant economic empowerment for the Western Cape community. Hisense is proud to have contributed to the livelihoods of many families, fostering a sustainable future for the communities in which it operates.

Corporate Social Investment and Community Engagement

Hisenses commitment to Corporate Social Investment (CSI) has been a cornerstone of its ethos. The partnership with various children's homes exemplifies this commitment, providing support and nurturing young minds. "Today, we are delighted to have the children from Ikamva Labantu with us, igniting their interest in technology and inspiring them to aspire towards shaping the future," said Luna, Hisense South Africa Deputy General Manager.

Environmental and Community Support

Hisense cares about the environment and is making a donation to SANParks, who assist in saving the penguins at Boulders Beach. Hisense is donating products worth R40,000, including two double door fridges, a microwave, and an 18KG top-loader washing machine. Additionally, an H670SIT-WD double door fridge is being donated to Ikamva Labantu to support local communities in Cape Town.

Achievements and Future Commitment

The achievement of Hisense TV being ranked Global No. 2 and Global No. 1 in 100-inch TVs underscores its commitment to quality and innovation. This positions Hisense as a key player in the global market, driving forward the ambition to continuously deliver excellence.

Reflecting on the 11-year journey in South Africa, Luna announced, The Atlantis factory has successfully manufactured an impressive 4.5 million TVs and 2.9 million refrigerator units, reaffirming our commitment to sustainability, innovation, and community empowerment.

The Hisense Atlantis factory is more than just a production facility; it is a symbol of hope, resilience, and the power of public-private partnerships in fostering economic development and community empowerment.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/767ca8d5-d6d7-43e9-8818-4f87d371eb86
Dublin, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Deep Brain Stimulation Market: Analysis by Product, Application, End Use, Region Size, Trends and Forecast up to 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global deep brain stimulation market value stood at US$1.31 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach US$2.56 billion by 2029. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.89% over the projected period of 2024-2029.

Global Deep Brain Stimulation Market Dynamics

Growth Drivers: The global deep brain stimulation market growth is predicted to be supported by numerous growth drivers such rise in the geriatric population, increasing prevalence of neurological disorders, expanding indications for DBS, growing healthcare infrastructure, increasing demand for minimally invasive surgery, growing awareness and acceptance and regulatory approvals and funding, etc. Initially, DBS was primarily used for managing Parkinson's disease and essential tremor. However, ongoing research and clinical trials have demonstrated its efficacy in treating a wider range of neurological and psychiatric conditions like Tourette syndrome, chronic pain, depression, and even Alzheimer's disease. This broadening of indications means that more patients with diverse medical conditions can benefit from DBS, increasing its overall market demand. Additionally, as the list of approved indications for DBS grows, insurance companies and national healthcare systems are more likely to cover these procedures. Expanded insurance coverage reduces the financial burden on patients, making DBS more accessible and further boosting its market growth.

Challenges: However, the market growth would be negatively impacted by various challenges such as potential side effects associated with DBS surgery, presence of alternative procedures, high cost, etc. The high cost of deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedures and devices poses a significant barrier to access, particularly for patients in less affluent regions or those lacking adequate insurance coverage. The expense encompasses several components: initial surgical implantation of electrodes and the neurostimulator; post-operative care, including monitoring and adjustment of stimulation settings; and potential replacement surgeries for device components over time, as batteries and leads may need to be replaced periodically. These costs can accumulate substantially, making DBS a financially prohibitive option for many patients.

Trends: The market is projected to grow at a fast pace during the forecasted period, due to market trends like telemedicine, automated deep brain stimulation, closed-loop brain stimulation, rechargeable devices with longer battery life, tapping into emerging markets, miniaturized DBS devices etc. The development of rechargeable DBS devices with longer battery life represents a significant advancement in neurosurgery, offering improved patient outcomes, enhanced therapy management, reduced healthcare costs, convenience, and technological reliability. Traditional DBS devices often require surgical procedures to replace depleted batteries, typically every three to five years. Rechargeable DBS systems, however, extend the battery life significantly, sometimes lasting up to 15 years or more. This advancement reduces the frequency of replacement surgeries, lowering the risk of complications and associated healthcare costs. These devices are poised to expand the applications of DBS and further improve the quality of care for patients with neurological disorders.

Market Segmentation Analysis

By Product: The dual channel segment of the global deep brain stimulation (DBS) market holds the highest share and is expected to be the fastest growing, due to its ability to offer enhanced therapeutic benefits through precise and customizable stimulation patterns across multiple brain regions. This capability is crucial for effectively managing complex neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease and essential tremor. Technological advancements in dual channel DBS systems, including improved implants and programming software, further bolster their attractiveness to healthcare providers seeking optimal treatment outcomes for their patients.

By Application: The Parkinson's disease segment dominates the market due to its established efficacy in alleviating motor symptoms such as tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia. The treatment's success in improving patients' quality of life and reducing medication dependency has driven its widespread adoption. On the other hand, epilepsy is expected to be the fastest-growing segment in the forecasted period due to several factors, such as increasing prevalence of drug-resistant epilepsy cases globally, advancements in neuroimaging techniques facilitating better patient selection for DBS, and ongoing development of closed-loop DBS systems that can detect and respond to seizure activity in real-time.

By End Use: Hospitals held the highest share in the market and is expected to be the fastest-growing segment in the forecasted period. Hospitals are equipped with specialized infrastructure and resources required for performing complex neurosurgical procedures like DBS, facilitated by advanced operating rooms and highly trained neurology and neurosurgery teams. They serve as central hubs for treating complex neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease and essential tremor, where DBS is a pivotal treatment option. Furthermore, hospitals provide comprehensive care through integrated multidisciplinary teams, ensuring patients receive thorough evaluation, precise surgical intervention, and ongoing management.

By Region: North America is the largest region of the deep brain stimulation market and presents a promising landscape due to its advanced healthcare infrastructure, significant investments in medical research, and a large patient population affected by neurological disorders. The region's strong focus on technological innovation has led to the development of DBS devices with enhanced efficacy and safety profiles, such as improved targeting capabilities and longer battery life. Additionally, favorable regulatory frameworks and robust reimbursement policies support widespread adoption of DBS therapies. These factors collectively create a conducive environment for the growth of the DBS market in North America, making it a leader in both innovation and treatment outcomes for neurological and movement disorders.

Asia Pacific stands out as the fastest-growing region in the deep brain stimulation sector due to aging population, urbanization, and increasing disposable income. An aging population contribute to a rising prevalence of neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease and essential tremor, driving demand for advanced treatment options like DBS. Secondly, improving healthcare infrastructure and increasing healthcare expenditure are expanding access to specialized neurological care, including DBS therapies. Thirdly, growing awareness among healthcare providers and patients about the efficacy of DBS in managing neurological conditions is accelerating adoption rates. Additionally, ongoing technological advancements and investments in research and development are fostering innovation in DBS technologies, further propelling market growth in the Asia Pacific region.

Competitive Landscape and Recent Developments

The global market is dominated by few of the key companies owing to their strong product portfolio, and key strategic decisions. These include a group of 3 key companies with wider geographic presence and persistent R&D, resulting in a strong product portfolio. The market is highly consolidated in nature, with three major players operating in the market i.e. Boston Scientific Corp., Medtronic and Abbott.

The key players in the global deep brain stimulation market are:

Abbott

Medtronic

Boston Scientific

Renishaw

Zimmer Biomet

Aleva Neurotherapeutics

Newronika

SceneRay Co. Ltd.

Some of the strategies among key players in the market are new launch, mergers, acquisitions, and collaborations. In July 2023, Boston Scientific Corp. made an announcement regarding the FDA approval of its Vercise Neural Navigator 5 Software. This software, when integrated with the Vercise Genus DBS systems, is poised to provide clinicians with essential data for optimizing treatment for individuals living with Parkinson's disease or essential tremor. Also, in September 2022, Aleva Neurotherapeutics received CE-mark approval for its magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) labelling for the directSTIM DBS system, allowing the technology to be used in a full-body MRI environment across Europe.

Key Attributes:





Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 153 Forecast Period 2024 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $1.46 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $2.56 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 11.9% Regions Covered Global





Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary

2. Introduction

3. Global Market Analysis

3.1 Global Deep Brain Stimulation Market Analysis

3.2 Global Deep Brain Stimulation Market Product Analysis

3.3 Global Deep Brain Stimulation Market Application Analysis

3.4 Global Deep Brain Stimulation Market End Use Analysis

4. Regional Market Analysis

4.1 North America Deep Brain Stimulation Market

4.2 Europe Deep Brain Stimulation Market

4.3 Asia Pacific Deep Brain Stimulation Market

4.4 Rest of the World Deep Brain Stimulation Market

5. Impact of COVID-19

6. Market Dynamics

6.1 Growth Drivers

6.1.1 Increase in the Global Geriatric Population

6.1.2 Growing Healthcare Expenditure

6.1.3 Increasing Prevalence of Neurological Disorders

6.1.4 Expanding Indications for DBS

6.1.5 Increasing Demand for Minimally Invasive Surgery

6.1.6 Growing Awareness and Acceptance

6.1.7 Regulatory Approvals and Funding

6.2 Challenges

6.2.1 High Cost of Treatment

6.2.2 Risks Associated with Deep Brain Stimulation

6.2.3 Presence of Alternative Procedures

6.3 Market Trends

6.3.1 Telemedicine: Remote Programming

6.3.2 Automated Deep Brain Stimulation

6.3.3 Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation

6.3.4 Rechargeable Devices with Longer Battery Life

6.3.5 Tapping Into Emerging Markets

6.3.6 Miniaturized DBS Devices

7. Competitive Landscape

7.1 Global Deep Brain Stimulation Market: Competitive Landscape

7.2 Global Deep Brain Stimulation Market Players: Product Comparison

8. Company Profiles



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1zgy28

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




Meet Eric Lund, Attorney at Melmed Law Group

LOS ANGELES, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Melmed Law Group , a leader in advocating for employee rights and workplace justice, proudly announces the addition of Eric Lund. Eric Lunds impressive academic background and diverse professional experiences make him a valuable asset to the firm.

About Eric Lund

Eric Lund graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), earning his Bachelors degree. At UCLA, Eric was recognized with a scholarship award and actively participated in school government and housing administration. He further pursued his legal education at California Western School of Law (CWSL), where he obtained his Juris Doctor. During his time at CWSL, Eric excelled academically, earning multiple CALI awards for achieving the highest grades in various subjects.

Professional Memberships and Affiliations

Orange County Bar Association

Los Angeles Bar Association

American Bar Association



Professional Journey

Erics strong academic credentials and abilities led him to work as a tutor for first-year law students. He gained practical experience through internships at prominent San Diego law firms, focusing on zoning and permitting issues, criminal matters, and civil litigation. Additionally, Eric interned at Alliance for HOPE International, an organization dedicated to advocating for the rights of victims of domestic violence. His dedication and hard work culminated in passing the California Bar Exam on his first attempt.

Personal Interests

In his spare time, Eric is committed to volunteering and enjoys running, fishing, and spending time with dogs.

Media Contact:

Paniz Rad

Marketing Director

Melmed Law Group

Phone: (310) 824-3828

Email: paniz@melmedlaw.com

About Melmed Law Group

Founded in 2015, Melmed Law Group has established itself as a champion for employees facing workplace harassment , discrimination , and wage theft . Under the leadership of Jonathan Melmed , the firm has successfully litigated and settled over 100 class actions, earning recognition as a top law firm for employee rights.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1492baca-4704-43f8-abcc-807f5a5ebfa9
Irvine, California, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Origence, the leading lending technology solutions provider for credit unions, raised $132,250 in its 30 Years of Impact campaign fundraiser for Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals as part of their 30th anniversary celebration.

Origence launched its 30 Years of Impact campaign in the beginning of June, inviting credit unions across the country to contribute a minimum of $300, with an overall goal of raising $30,000. Origence then matched the contribution to raise $30,000 more, doubling the impact of the collective gift. Donations continued and quickly climbed past the $60,000 total goal. The campaign ended with a total contribution of $132,250. Donors contributed online designating which Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals in their local community would receive the gift or opted to spread the support across all Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals nationwide. Top contributors included:

$10,000 Donations

America First Credit Union

Security Service Federal Credit Union

Redwood Credit Union

SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union

Mountain America Credit Union

$5,000 Donations

Golden 1 Credit Union

Centris Federal Credit Union

Financial Partners Credit Union

As our 30 Years of Impact campaign comes to a close, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all our credit union partners who participated and helped make this initiative a resounding success, said Tony Boutelle, CEO at Origence. Together, we have made a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families through Credit Unions for Kids / Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals. This campaign has reinforced our commitment to the principle of people helping people, and we look forward to continuing this spirit of giving and community support in the years to come.

Nothing is more beautiful than when partnership meets purpose. Thank you, Origence, for not only your donation but also standing shoulder to shoulder with us in our vision: Change Kids Health to Change the Future, said Aimee Daily, Ph.D., President and CEO of Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals. Along with the credit unions industry, together, we amplify our impact, making leaps towards a greater future for kids.

The online fundraiser ran for 30 days and concluded on June 27, 2024, at Origences final day of their Lending Tech Live conference hosted in San Diego, California at the Marriot Marquis hotel.

Lending Tech Live 24, a lending technology conference in the credit union industry, brings together credit union leaders from across the country to discuss how to serve the borrowing needs of credit union members. The conference provided insight into the latest strategies for building stronger, more profitable lending portfolios and reaching more members. Attendees also enjoyed a special celebration for Origence's 30th anniversary and heard from industry legends in a special retrospective of the last 30 years.

To learn more about the conference, visit the Lending Tech Live website.

About Origence

Origence provides lending technology solutions credit unions need to advance their total origination experience. We were established in 1994 as a credit union service organization (CUSO) and have helped thousands of credit unions process more than 88 million applications for $551 billion in funded loans. Our solutions include indirect lending, loan and account origination, auto shopping, marketing automation, lending operations, and more. Origence was named the 2023 CUSO of the year by NACUSO. Learn more at www.origence.com and follow us on X and LinkedIn.

About Credit Unions for Kids and Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals

Credit Unions for Kids is the brand under which Americas credit unions fundraise for Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals. The collaborative effort, driven by a people helping people philosophy, includes individual credit unions, local chapters, state leagues/associations, two national trade organizations, business partners, and several trade publications. Founded in 1996, Credit Unions for Kids has raised more than $150 million for affiliated childrens hospitals. Annually, credit unions are the fifth largest corporate contributor to Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals. The credit union community established a wonderful legacy at hospitals across the country, funding breakthrough research, numerous programs and services, and construction of new facilities. Fundraising activities run the gamut from major events to online giving campaigns to paper balloon icon sales. For more information on Credit Unions for Kids and Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals, please contact Nick Coleman at (515) 339-1723 or ncoleman@cmnhospitals.org.

###

Attachment
MIAMI, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PennantPark Investment Corporation (the "Company") (NYSE: PNNT) announced that it will report results for the third fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2024 on Wednesday, August 7, 2024 after the close of the financial markets.



The Company will also host a conference call at 12:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Thursday, August 8, 2024 to discuss its financial results. All interested parties are welcome to participate. You can access the conference call by dialing toll-free (888) 394-8218 approximately 5-10 minutes prior to the call. International callers should dial (646) 828-8193. All callers should reference conference ID #5909521 or PennantPark Investment Corporation. An archived replay will also be available on a webcast link located on the Quarterly Earnings page in the Investor section of PennantParks website.

ABOUT PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION

PennantPark Investment Corporation is a business development company which principally invests in U.S. middle-market private companies in the form of first lien secured debt, second lien secured debt, subordinated debt and equity investments. PennantPark Investment Corporation is managed by PennantPark Investment Advisers, LLC.

ABOUT PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT ADVISERS, LLC

PennantPark Investment Advisers, LLC is a leading middle market credit platform, managing $7.5 billion of investable capital, including potential leverage. Since its inception in 2007, PennantPark Investment Advisers, LLC has provided investors access to middle market credit by offering private equity firms and their portfolio companies as well as other middle-market borrowers a comprehensive range of creative and flexible financing solutions. PennantPark Investment Advisers, LLC is headquartered in Miami and has offices in New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and Amsterdam.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release are forward-looking statements and are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those described from time to time in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. PennantPark Investment Corporation undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement made herein. You should not place undue influence on such forward-looking statements as such statements speak only as of the date on which they are made.

CONTACT:

Richard T. Allorto, Jr.

PennantPark Investment Corporation

(212) 905-1000

www.pennantpark.com
NEW YORK, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of common stock of Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LW) between July 25, 2023 and April 3, 2024, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), of the important August 12, 2024 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Lamb Weston common stock during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Lamb Weston class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=26209 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than August 12, 2024. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made numerous material misrepresentations and omissions regarding the design and implementation of Lamb Westons new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Specifically, throughout the Class Period, defendants represented that, through the design of Lamb Westons new ERP system, Lamb Weston had strengthen[ed] [its] operational infrastructure. Lamb Weston also downplayed any issues it experienced with the implementation of the system as merely usual bumps, and told investors that its financial guidance for fiscal 2024 appropriately accounted for any negative financial impact associated with the systems deployment. As a result of these misrepresentations, Lamb Weston stock traded at artificially inflated prices during the Class Period. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Lamb Weston class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=26209 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

case@rosenlegal.com

www.rosenlegal.com
Denver, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Denver, Colorado -

Hyper Dog Media, an innovative digital marketing agency with a specialization in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), has recently taken a definitive position on a topic that has long sparked debate within the SEO community: the practice of link disavowal. In a comprehensive blog post, the agency debunks the necessity of disavowing links, stating that they would never ever disavow a linkprobably. This pronouncement is a reflection of the agency's allegiance to mastering Google's complex algorithms and best practices, highlighting their profound insight into the current dynamics of how search engines evaluate and attribute importance to backlinks.

The foundation of Hyper Dog Media's perspective is a meticulous analysis of the progression of Google's algorithm over the years. Currently, Google's algorithm boasts advanced features that enable it to automatically discern the quality of links and penalize or ignore those identified as spam or of poor quality. The blog post explores the original intention behind the creation of Google's disavow tool, designed as a measure of last resort for websites that find themselves grappling with severe penalties due to an accumulation of harmful backlinks. However, the emphasis is on the hidden risks associated with the tool, which might not be immediately obvious upon first examination.

Google has made significant strides in how it evaluates links, making the disavow tool essentially redundant for the majority of SEO scenarios we encounter, Jim Kreinbrink, the founder of Hyper Dog Media, explains. Our stance is informed by a deep understanding of these technological advancements. Instead of relying on disavowal, we advocate for the development of resilient SEO strategies that preempt the need for such extreme measures, choosing rather to concentrate on the generation of high-caliber content and the fostering of trust through effective link building.

Hyper Dog Media's blog post serves as a caution against precipitous decisions to use the disavow tool. The subtleties distinguishing harmful, neutral, and beneficial links are nuanced, and a misjudgment in this area could inadvertently sabotage a site's SEO performance. Aligning with advice from Google's own spokespeople, Hyper Dog Media concurs that the cons of disavowing links generally outweigh the pros unless there's a manual penalty applied directly by Google.

Our approach champions the pursuit of sustainable SEO success, Kreinbrink continues. Hasty decisions, such as the blanket disavowal of links, risk derailing the strategic objectives we've set for our clients. Our methodology is to adopt strategies that organically elevate our clients' online authority and reputation in a positive and lasting way.

By articulating their insights and the rationale behind this critical policy, Hyper Dog Media seeks to cast light on their nuanced and sophisticated understanding of SEO. This policy informs their wide array of services, including but not limited to, pay-per-click advertising, conversion optimization, and social media optimization. Their comprehensive strategy is aimed at enhancing a business's online visibility without resorting to the expedient use of link disavowal. For more information about Hyper Dog Media and their services, visit their website. Such an approach is not only in accord with Google's evolving algorithms but also embodies best practices that define successful SEO strategies in the contemporary digital landscape. This alignment assures a forward-looking and dynamic digital marketing strategy that further underscores the importance of a deep, strategic understanding of SEO beyond superficial fixes.

###

For more information about Hyper Dog Media, contact the company here:



Hyper Dog Media

Jim Kreinbrink

(720) 489-3790

jim@hyperdogmedia.com

https://www.hyperdogmedia.com/

PO Box 588

Eastlake, CO 80614
Sydney, July 2, 2024 - Established gold producer Austral Gold Ltd. (ASX: AGD) (TSXV: AGLD) (OTCQB: AGLDF) ("Austral" or the "Company") wishes to advise that Ms Chelsea Sheridan of Automic Group has resigned as Company Secretary of the Company, following her resignation from the Automic Group. The Board wishes to thank Ms Sheridan for her services to the Company.

Mr David Hwang and Mr Jose Bordogna are appointed as Joint Company Secretaries, effective immediately. For the purposes of Listing Rule 12.6, Mr Hwang will be appointed as the person responsible communication with ASX in relation to listing rule matters.

Mr Bordogna is the Company's Chief Financial Officer and will be adding this additional role to his duties.

Mr Hwang is a corporate lawyer, company secretary and advisor to Boards and management of ASX listed entities. Mr Hwang is the Managing Director of Confidant Partners, which provides ASX compliance, corporate legal, company secretarial and Board advisory services. Previously, David was a senior executive at a leading integrated technology solutions and professional services provider, where he led Australia's largest outsourced company secretarial and legal team.

In addition, in accordance with ASX Listing Rule 3.14, the Company advises that effective today, the Company's registered office and postal address have changed to the following:

Level 5, 137-139 Bathurst Street, Sydney NSW 2000

About Austral Gold

Austral Gold is a growing gold and silver mining producer building a portfolio of quality assets in the Americas based on three strategic pillars: production, exploration and equity investments. Austral continues to lay the foundation for its growth strategy by advancing its attractive portfolio of producing and exploration assets.

For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.australgold.com.

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.

Release approved by the Company's Chief Executive Officer of Austral Gold, Stabro Kasaneva. For additional information please contact:

Stabro Kasaneva

Chief Executive Officer

Austral Gold Limited

stabro.kasaneva@australgold.com

+56 9 9822 3563

Jose Bordogna

Chief Financial Officer and Joint Company Secretary

Austral Gold Limited

jose.bordogna@australgold.com

+61 466 892 307

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215293
VANCOUVER, July 3, 2024 - Group Eleven Resources Corp. (TSXV: ZNG) (OTCBB: GRLVF) (FRA: 3GE) ("Group Eleven" or the "Company") is pleased to announce details of its upcoming drill program at the Carrickittle West Prospect ("Carrickittle West"), Republic of Ireland. The prospect spans across the Company's 76.56%-owned Stonepark Project ("Stonepark") and the Company's 100%-owned PG West Project ("PG West"). The Company is also pleased to provide an update on its ongoing drill program at the Ballywire Zn-Pb-Ag discovery ("Ballywire"), located at PG West.

Highlights

Drilling at Carrickittle West (Stonepark and PG West) is planned to begin in calendar Q3 2024 and complete by year-end, with 4-5 holes totalling approx. 1,700m (hole depths of 350m to 550m)

Drilling will test targets on the southern margin of Limerick Volcanic Complex ("LVC"), a prospective area that measures approximately 11km in strike-length

Targets include areas of brecciation and mineralization seen in previous drilling, the Kilteely volcanic centre and the SW extensions of the Coonagh Castle Fault (first intersected by Group Eleven, see news release dated 16-Jun-2022)

Importantly, the volcanic centre at Kilteely, covering 2km x 6km, is the focus of renewed attention by the Company given its potential importance in localizing zinc mineralization; note that the only other interpreted volcanic centre in the LVC is located adjacent to the Pallas Green deposit 1 (only 5km to the north of Carrickittle West)

(only 5km to the north of Carrickittle West) Overall, drilling aims to make a significant zinc discovery at Carrickittle West

Separately, the two-rig drill program at Ballywire is progressing well, with next results expected in a few weeks

"We are excited to re-initiate exploration at the Carrickittle West Prospect," stated Bart Jaworski, CEO. "The identification of extensive brecciation, sulphide mineralization and a major fault structure in our previous drilling, along with the re-interpretation of the potential importance of the Kilteely volcanic centre, sets the stage for a very exciting next leg of this promising, large-scale, 'Pallas Green lookalike' target. We also look forward to providing the latest drill results from Ballywire in the near term."

Carrickittle West Prospect

The Carrickittle West Prospect extends approximately 11km along strike, at the southern margin of the Limerick Volcanic Complex, spanning the Stonepark Project (76.56%) and the PG West Project (100%; see Exhibit 1 and 2). Work to date by Group Eleven, including drilling, has identified areas with similar characteristics and styles of alteration to the Pallas Green deposit1, including areas of intense hydrothermal brecciation and sulphide (pyrite) mineralisation. Major structures have also been identified and interpreted, which may be a focus for hydrothermal fluid flow (prerequisite for mineralization). In addition, it is recognised that the centres of volcanic activity, such as those at the Pallas Green deposit and Group Eleven's Carrickittle West Prospect (see Exhibit 1), may have enhanced hydrothermal pathways (increasing prospectivity for zinc mineralization).

_____________________________

1 Pallas Green mineral resource estimate totals 45.4 million tonnes grading 7.2% Zn and 1.2% Pb (Inferred; Glencore Reserve and Resource Report, 2023)



Note: Pallas Green MRE is 45.4 million tonnes of 8.4% Zn+Pb (7.2% Zn + 1.2% Pb), Inferred (Glencore, Dec-31-2023); Stonepark MRE is 5.1 million tonnes of 11.3% Zn+Pb (8.7% Zn and 2.6% Pb), Inferred (Apr-17-2018); Outline of volcanic centres ("VC") derived from Peter Strogen (1983); G11-2531-01 intersected SW extensions of the Coonagh Castle Fault (news release dated 16-Jun-2022)

Drilling at Carrickittle West is planned to begin in calendar Q3 2024 and complete by year-end, with 4-5 holes totalling approx. 1,700m (hole depths of 350m to 550m). Hole locations are shown in Exhibit 1, testing the margins of the southern volcanic centre and the southwestern continuation of the Coonagh Castle Fault.

For background, in May 2019, the Company announced G11-450-02 (see Exhibit 1) which intersected a vertically extensive (230m thick) zone containing varying amounts of extensive iron-sulfide (pyrite and possible marcasite), chert (suspected to be either volcanogenic and/or hydrothermal) and brecciation (mostly hydrothermal). In June-2022, the Company announced G11-2531-01, drilled approx. 5km to the west, intersecting a major fault structure with a large vertical displacement (at least 150m), interpreted to be the SW continuation of the Coonagh Castle Fault.

Notes to Exhibit 2: (a) Stonepark MRE: see the 'NI 43-101 Independent Report on the Zinc-Lead Exploration Project at Stonepark, County Limerick, Ireland', by Gordon, Kelly and van Lente, with an effective date of April 26, 2018, as found on SEDAR; (b) the historic estimate at Denison was reported by Westland Exploration Limited in 'Report on Prospecting Licence 464' by Dermot Hughes dated May, 1988; (c) the historic estimate at Gortdrum was reported in 'The Geology and Genesis of the Gortdrum Cu-Ag-Hg Orebody' by G.M. Steed dated 1986; and (d) the historic estimate at Tullacondra was first reported by Munster Base Metals Ltd in 'Report on Mallow Property' by David Wilbur, dated December 1973; and later summarized in 'Cu-Ag Mineralization at Tullacondra, Mallow, Co. Cork' by Wilbur and Carter in 1986. The three historic estimates (b, c and d, above) have not been verified as current mineral resources; none of the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to prepare the historic estimates were reported and no resource categories were used. Significant data compilation, re-drilling and data verification may be required by a Qualified Person before the historic estimates can be verified and upgraded to be compliant with current NI 43-101 standard. Currently, no Qualified Person has done sufficient work to classify them as current mineral resources and the Company is not treating the historic estimates as current mineral resources. 'Rathdowney Trend' is the south-westerly projection of the Rathdowney Trend, hosting the historic Lisheen and Galmoy mines.

Qualified Person

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Mark Parker, BA, MIMMM, QMR, consultant at IGS (International Geoscience Services) Limited, and independent 'Qualified Person' as defined under Canadian National Instrument 43-101.

About Group Eleven Resources

Group Eleven Resources Corp. (TSX.V: ZNG; OTCBB: GRLVF and FRA: 3GE) is a mineral exploration company focused on advanced stage zinc exploration in the Republic of Ireland. Group Eleven announced the Ballywire discovery in September 2022. Key intercepts to date include:

3.3m of 12.5% Zn+Pb and 48 g/t Ag (G11-468-01)

10.8m of 10.0% Zn+Pb and 109 g/t Ag (G11-468-03)

10.1m of 8.6% Zn+Pb and 46 g/t Ag (G11-468-06)

10.5m of 14.7% Zn+Pb, 399 g/t Ag and 0.31% Cu (G11-468-12)

11.2m of 8.9% Zn+Pb and 83 g/t Ag (G11-3552-03) and

29.6m of 10.6% Zn+Pb, 78 g/t Ag and 0.15% Cu (G11-3552-12)

Additional information about the Company is available at www.groupelevenresources.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Bart Jaworski, P.Geo.

Chief Executive Officer

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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the future results of operations, performance and achievements of the Company, including the timing, content, cost and results of proposed work programs, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/ reserves and geological interpretations. 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 typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located. All of the Company's public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties.

SOURCE Group Eleven Resources Corp.
Vancouver, July 3, 2024 - Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. (the "Company") (CSE:GCC) (OTC:GCCFF) (WKN:A042CQ) (FSE:3TZ) is pleased to announce the introduction of an oriented core system on the active drill program at the Quesnelle Gold Quartz property. Drill core orientation preserves the original position of the rock retrieved during the drilling process, which allows for the collection of structural measurements of rock formations, veins and geologic structures as they were in-situ underground. It is expected that the oriented core data collected will be a key component in generating a geological and structural model for gold mineralization on the property.

The Company would also like to provide a drill production update for the Quesnelle Gold Quartz property. The Company has completed drilling holes QGQ24-09, QGQ24-10, QGQ24-11 and QGQ24-12 for a total of 1268.87 m (4162.3 ft) and drilling actively continues on hole QGQ24-13. Assay results are pending for all holes and the remaining 387.05 m (1269.9 ft) of hole QGQ24-08 (from 324.96 to 712.01 m, 1063.0 to 2336.0 ft).

Additionally, the Company has expanded the technical team with the addition of Sebastian Triebert, M.Sc. to the active program in Hixon, BC. Sebastian is a graduate from the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology and has experience working in both Germany and Finland exploring for battery and precious metals.

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 Project 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.

Additionally, forward-looking information involve a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, without limitation: that the Company will not receive the necessary exemptions and approvals to complete the Offering; that the Company will not complete the Offering on the terms disclosed, or at all; that the Company will be unable to use the proceeds for property exploration and for general working capital; that the Company may incur unanticipated costs; that the Company may not have the resources required to pursue its exploration plans; that the Company's operations could be adversely affected by possible future government legislation policies and controls or by changes in applicable laws and regulations; that the insider may not participate in the Offering on the terms and conditions and in the amount currently expected by management, or at all; and that the Company may not be able to rely on the exemption from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements on the basis currently expected. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Neither the Company nor any of its representatives make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, sufficiency or completeness of the information in this news release. Neither the Company nor any of its representatives shall have any liability whatsoever, under contract, tort, trust or otherwise, to you or any person resulting from the use of the information in this news release by you or any of your representatives or for omissions from the information in this news release.

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, July 3, 2024 - AJN Resources Inc. (CSE: AJN) (FSE: 5AT) (AJN or the Company) is pleased to announce that the Company's recent drilling program has intersected a highly weathered, 80 to 100m wide pegmatitic zone in granite on its Manono Northeast Project (PR 15282) that is clearly identified in two diamond drill holes completed on Line 4800N as shown in Figure 1. Spodumene and minor lepidolite mineralisation were identified in each of the diamond drill holes. The pegmatitic zone is flat dipping to the southeast and exposed over a minimum of 300m at surface as interpreted from reverse circulation (RC) drilling shown in section in Figure 2. Both diamond drill holes were stopped at the intersection of an interpreted intrusive sill, which was also intersected in the RC drill holes on lines 2800N and 4800N. It is likely that the sill intruded at a later stage within or at the base of the pegmatitic zone, the former suggesting broader widths of pegmatite can be expected below the intrusive. The drilling programme has been stopped and will recommence once all drill results have been received, which will guide the infill drilling programme going forward.





Figure 1: Drill hole location map showing RAB, RC and Diamond Hole Collars and the continuation of the Manono Pegmatites onto the Manono Northeast Project.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5922/215257_38fa983da42f3abf_001full.jpg

CEO and President Klaus Eckhof commented: "We are extremely excited that our drilling has uncovered a significant pegmatitic zone on the same trend as the high-grade lithium resources at Manono on our Manono Northeast Project. The zone lies in a similar geological setting to the Manono pegmatites being close to the granite contact and flat dipping to the southeast. We are further encouraged by the apparent occurrence of spodumene, which we expect will be confirmed via deeper drilling below the weathered zone and from assay results. The drilling has now brought us to the end of our due diligence phase and once all results have been reported, the Company expects that it will be in a good position to commit to the project and proceed to earn its initial 60% project interest."

Fifteen RC drill holes were completed for 982m, two diamond drill holes for 282m and 83 rotary air blast (RAB) drill holes for 1,313m. The RC and diamond drill holes were designed to follow up on prospective areas identified in the RAB drilling, interpreted to coincide with the continuation of the Manono pegmatites onto PR 15282. The Company's RC and diamond drilling work has tested 2km of potential extension of these pegmatites at two different locations. Only quartz with grain sizes varying from medium to blocky was recovered within in the RC drilling programme and is interpreted to represent the pegmatite zone, which is highly weathered in the upper 50 - 60m zone and is shown in section in Figure 2. The Company expects that the extent of mineralised pegmatites will be better defined from reported assay results when received. Granites were clearly identified at shallow levels when present in both the RC and RAB drilling.





Figure 2: Section across Line 4800N showing the extent of Pegmatites and the Interpreted Intrusion on the Manono Northeast Project.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5922/215257_38fa983da42f3abf_002full.jpg

Spodumene was identified within the weathered drill core as shown in Figure 3. The property's true lithium potential is expected to be realised in future drilling, which will target fresh, unweathered pegmatites at deeper levels.





Figure 3: Highly weathered Spodumene Minerals identified in the drill Core.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5922/215257_figure1.jpg

One RC hole, KLRC015, which was drilled under alluvial artisanal workings on line 1000N (Figure 1), intersected 25m of massive quartz from surface. Results from grab samples collected from the workings reported lithium grades of up to 0.04% lithium and up to 0.18% tin in highly weathered pegmatite boulders. The assay results and abundance of quartz in the drill chips suggest a second pegmatite zone potentially exists within granites to the east of the interpreted continuation of the main Manono pegmatites.

All samples are currently being prepared and will be submitted to COAL laboratories in Lubumbashi for sample preparation with a 100g sample to be sent to ALS Global in Ireland for analysis. Assay results are due within the next 4-6 weeks.

The Company intends to plan additional work programmes on its Manono Northeast Project, which has similar hallmarks to the Manono lithium occurrences. A future deeper drilling programme is required to intersect potential fresh pegmatite at depth.

QP Statement

Mr Stephen Alan Mawson is a consultant of AJN Resources Inc. and a qualified geologist. Mr Mawson is a registered Professional Natural Scientist (Geological Science) with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP Reg. No. 400074/03) and a member of the Geological Society of South Africa. Mr Mawson is a qualified person (QP) under NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.

About AJN Resources Inc.

AJN is a junior exploration company. AJN's management and directors possess over 75 years of collective industry experience and have been very successful in the areas of exploration, financing and developing major mines throughout the world, with a focus on Africa, especially the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

For further information, please contact Investor Relations:

Sheena Eckhof

Director, Investor Relations

sheena@eckhofconsulting.com



Visit us at www.ajnresources.com

Tel: +44 7496 291547

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Klaus Eckhof

CEO and President

klauseckhof@monaco.mc

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this news release may include certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward-looking statements. Although AJN Resources Inc. believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, AJN Resources Inc. disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215257
Muskoka - July 3rd, 2024 - Steadright Critical Minerals Inc. (the "Company") (CSE:SCM) is pleased to announce that it has signed an LOI for 53 Mineral claims with over 1,104 hectares known as the Trout Lake Silica Claims, which is just North of Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario on July 2nd, 2024, for 100% undivided interest in the claims.

The newly acquired Trout Lake Property has been tested in the past for high purity silica and is in very close proximity to the rail line and to international water way connections in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. As consideration for the Acquisition, the Company shall: (i) issue the Vendors an aggregate of 6,500,000 common shares (each, a "Common Share") in the capital of the Company at a deemed price of $0.04 per Common Share.

Once the acquisition is completed, the issuance of the Common Shares issued will be subject to a hold period of four months from the date of issuance.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Steadright Critical Minerals Inc. is a mineral exploration company established in 2019. Steadright currently holds an option on its RAM property near Port Cartier, Quebec within the Cote-Nord Region, which is accessible by route 138. The RAM project is comprised of over 13,000 acres and located on a Anorthositic complex that is in a highly prospective geological unit and historically been under explored for Ni, Cu, Co and precious metals.

For further information, please contact:

Simon Chapelle

Independent Director

Steadright Critical Minerals Inc.

Phone: (647)-637-8608

Email: info@steadright.ca

Web: www.steadright.ca

Notice Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is provided, and is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Not for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States

Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
Vancouver, July 3, 2024 - Riverside Resources Inc. (TSXV: RRI) (OTCQB: RVSDF) (FSE: 5YY) ("Riverside" or the "Company"), today announced that the company will be participating in the 2024 Rule Symposium Investor Conference on July 7-11, 2024. The conference, hosted by Rick Rule, is being held at The Boca Raton Resort in Boca Raton, Florida. Presentations will be recorded and available on the website and also through contacting the Company.

President and CEO, John-Mark Staude, states "Riverside has been a long standing sponsor and pleased again to join Rick Rule and his line up of investment professionals to discuss the latest trends in mineral resources and metals exploration. Riverside has had Rick Rule as a lasting strong supportive shareholder and welcomes the opportunity to meet investors in person, on-line and generally update about the coming company catalysts for Ontario, drilling with Fortuna Mining, copper discovery, rare earth elements and the royalty portfolio of Riverside."

In corporate news, Riverside has entered into an investor relations agreement (the "IR Agreement") with Incite Capital Markets ("Incite"). The IR Agreement is for a minimum term of six months commencing on June 27, 2024 with Incite acting as part-time investor relations, whereby Incite will be paid a fee of $7,500 per month. The IR Agreement is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Incite provides expertise in capital markets, corporate communications, and investor and media relations and does not hold any interest, directly or indirectly in Riverside or its securities.

About Riverside Resources Inc.:

Riverside is a well-funded exploration company driven by value generation and discovery. The Company has over $5M in cash, no debt and less than 75M shares outstanding with a strong portfolio of gold-silver and copper assets and royalties in North America. Riverside has extensive experience and knowledge operating in Canada and Mexico leveraging its large database to generate a portfolio of prospective mineral properties and royalties. In addition to Riverside's own exploration spending, the Company also strives to diversify risk by securing joint-venture and spin-out partnerships to advance multiple assets simultaneously and create more chances for discovery. Riverside has properties available for option, with information available on the Company's website at www.rivres.com.

ON BEHALF OF RIVERSIDE RESOURCES INC.

"John-Mark Staude"



Dr. John-Mark Staude, President & CEO

For additional information contact:

John-Mark Staude

President, CEO

Riverside Resources Inc.

info@rivres.com

Phone: (778) 327-6671

Fax: (778) 327-6675

Web: www.rivres.com

Eric Negraeff

Investor Relations

Riverside Resources Inc.

Phone: (778) 327-6671

TF: (877) RIV-RES1

Web: www.rivres.com

Certain statements in this press release may be considered forward-looking information. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology (e.g., "expect"," estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "plans"). Such information involves known and unknown risks -- including the availability of funds, the results of financing and exploration activities, the interpretation of exploration results and other geological data, or unanticipated costs and expenses and other risks identified by Riverside in its public securities filings that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215416
Vancouver - Lexston Mining Corp. (the "Company" or "Lexston") (CSE: LEXT) (OTCQB: LEXTF) (Frankfurt: W5G) wishes to make the following statements regarding certain market activity surrounding its common shares (the" Shares") traded on the OTCQB market pursuant to the request of OTC Markets Group Inc. ("OTC Markets").

1. Company's full understanding of the promotional activities is:

a)The Company became aware of the promotional activities on June 28, 2024. b)The effect of the promotional activities on the trading activity of the Company's security. The Shares of the Company started trading on the OTCQB market on May 17, 2024. On June 28, 2024, a newsletter was brought to the attention of the Company by OTC Markets. The Company observed increased trading volumes of the Shares on the OTCQB market on May 28, 2024, June 18, 2024, June 20, 2024, June 21, 2024, June 25, 2024, June 26, 2024, June 27, 2024 and June 28, 2024. The newsletter dated June 27, 2024, was not authorized or reviewed by the Company and promotes the shares of the Company as well as shares of certain other entities mentioned in the newsletter. The effect of the newsletter on the trading activity of the Company's shares is not clear. c)A clear description of the source and content of the promotional activities. The source of the promotional materials was the newsletter disseminated by Primetime Profiles. While the Company agrees with the identification of the mineral properties of the Company, the newsletter included information and promotional language that went beyond the factual statements in the Company's news releases. The Company is a junior exploration company and, as such cannot provide any assurance with respect to the future growth of value for its shareholders. Investment in the shares of the Company is highly speculative.

2. The Company, its officers and directors were not involved directly or indirectly with the creation, payment, or distribution of this newsletter.

3. The management of the Company did not review the newsletter before it was brought to the attention of the Company by OTC Markets. The newsletter presented some factual statements regarding the Company, its business and industry, seemingly drawn from the Company's news releases. While the Company agrees with the factual statements in the newsletter that were based on prior news releases, the newsletter included information and promotional language that went beyond the factual statements in the Company's news releases. The Company had no editorial control over the content in the newsletter and is unaware of the full nature of the advertising activity or the responsible parties.

4. The Company made inquiries and confirms that it is not aware of any directors, officers or shareholders owning 10% or more of the Company's Common Shares, that may have directly or indirectly been involved in any way with the creation or distribution of the newsletter. The Company was informed that its service provider Hillside Consulting and Media Inc., made a payment in the amount of $45,000 USD to Primetime Profiles to disseminate publicly available information about the Company. The Company was informed that Hillside Consulting Media Inc. and Primetime Profiles are not related entities.

5. The following is the information with respect to the purchase and/or sale of securities of the Company by directors, officers, insiders controlling shareholders and any third-party service providers known to the Company during the last 90 days. Hillside Consulting and Media Inc., a third-party service provider purchased 150,000 common shares. Mr. Bal, the CEO of the Company, purchased 1,000,000 units (consisting of 1 share and one share purchase warrant) pursuant to the last private placement, exercised 150,000 stock options and sold 1,010,500 common shares. Mr. Manhas, the CFO of the Company, purchased 166,667 units (consisting of 1 share and one share purchase warrant) pursuant to the last private placement. Mr. Sharples, a director of the Company, purchased 806,667 units (consisting of 1 share and one share purchase warrant) pursuant to the last private placement and sold 755,000 common shares. Mr. Garland, a director of a subsidiary of the Company, purchased 100,000 units (consisting of 1 share and one share purchase warrant) pursuant to the last private placement. Mr. Bal, Mr. Manhas, Mr. Sharples and Mr. Garland have reported their transactions on SEDI in compliance with insider reporting requirements under applicable securities laws. All directors, officers and reporting insiders are required to report their purchases and sales of Company securities on SEDI, and to, the knowledge of the Company, such filings are up to date in that regard.

To the knowledge of the Company, no other officer, director, control person or third-party service provider has sold or purchased the Company's securities within the past 90 days.

6. During the last twelve months marketing and advertising services to the Company have been provided by Hillside Consulting and Media Inc., which was retained as of June 12, 2024.

7. On May 15, 2024, the Company closed a non-brokered private placement of $419,960 through the issuance of 6,999,333 units at a price of $0.06 per unit (the "Private Placement"). Each unit consisted of one common share and one common share purchase warrant. Each common share purchase warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share at a price of $0.08 for two years from the date of issuance and will expire on May 15, 2026. All securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement are subject to a four-month statutory hold period until September 16, 2024. The Units pursuant to the Private Placement were issued priced in within the permitted discount pursuant to the Policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange.

The public disclosure record of the Company is available at www.sedarplus.ca under the profile of the Company.

About Lexston Mining Corporation

The Company is a Canadian mineral exploration company, focused on the acquisition and development of mineral projects. The Company has mineral exploration projects in British Columbia and Nunavut, Canada.

The Company (OTCQB: LEXTF) trades on the OTCQB Venture Market for early stage and developing U.S. and international companies. Companies are current in their reporting and undergo an annual verification and management certification process. Investors can find Real-Time quotes and market information for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

LEXSTON MINING CORPORATION

Jagdip Bal

Chief Executive Officer

Telephone: (604) 928-8913

Email: info@lexston.ca

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
With information technology so much cheaper and more powerful than it used to be, why do so many projects still fail so disastrously? There are plenty of successful projects, but we rarely hear much about them. The failures--from the collapse of California's motor-vehicle-system upgrade to the abandonment of a joint electronic health records system for the military and veterans, just to name a couple of recent ones--get plenty of ink.To avoid results like those, couldn't we do a better job of analyzing and planning at the beginning of the process and get better results in the end? The answer is yes, and the secrets of success are in the fundamentals.Good analysis is pretty straightforward: Identify the objectives we care about and the alternatives available to reach those objectives; estimate the consequences of each alternative for each objective; and--finally--choose the alternative with the best estimated result. This requires making sensible trade-offs when one alternative is better for one objective while another is better for a different objective. While analysis can be big or small, it always relies on the same fundamentals: objectives, alternatives, consequences and tradeoffs.Unfortunately, analysis in the world of government IT often misses one or more of these fundamentals:Missing objectives. For too many analyses, the objective is simply getting the right technology rather than getting the rightof technology. We seek cost-effective hardware and software rather than cost-effective information services (which must include the staffing and learning required to use the technology in capturing, storing, analyzing and communicating information). Even more dangerous, we ignore the biggest objectives, which are cost-effective ways of producing and delivering government services. What we really want isn't better technology but better outcomes, such as reduced crime, increased academic achievement, improved health care and efficient tax collection.Missing alternatives. Too many analyses don't include key alternatives or key elements of the alternatives thatanalyzed. To get value from IT, we need to take into account not only the technology but also the staff and work it takes to use the IT in producing information; the staff and work it takes to produce and deliver services in ways made possible by that new information; and the leadership and other activities required to transition to new patterns of work. Too many analyses ignore most of the real work required in creating value, and too many focus on a single recommendation instead of a range of options, especially those that might involve less risk or higher rewards than the option recommended.Misestimated consequences. Too many analyses estimate consequences by relying on technology and financial models that ignore key behavioral concerns. Most governments require a project to show that the technology chosen is sufficiently mature and far enough away from the "bleeding edge" to be safe. Most require proof that, if the technology works as expected, the ongoing costs can be sustained and justified. Unfortunately, such analysis underemphasizes--or completely ignores--whether the stakeholders will actually produce the behavior required for implementation. Will stakeholders know what they need to do and how to do it? Will they want to do what they need to do? The problems that kill projects--and roughly half of large government IT projects have been rated as failures--usually arise when the police or teachers or doctors or tax collectors or their managers either can't or won't accept their proposed new assignments. Our key misestimated consequences flow not from bad engineering or finances but rather from bad education, bad negotiation and, in general, bad interpersonal relationships and leadership.Missing tradeoffs. Too many analyses don't weigh and judge the tradeoffs among objectives, especially those involving uncertainty and risks. Predicting worker performance is much more uncertain than predicting technology performance. And the problems we care most about come from downside risks. Results that destroy trust in IT projects are those that go way late, way over budget and/or way short of predicted performance. Unfortunately, we rarely analyze the critically important behavioral uncertainties and conflicts up front. We define projects as "technology projects" rather than as what they really are: institutional-change projects that are enabled by technology.Why do we define our analyses too narrowly? One reason is history. Early technology was so costly and rigid that it was applicable only to high-volume, well-structured transactions such as in accounting. Only recently has technology become a tool supporting truly new and networked means of organizing work, such as online service production and delivery, much quicker and more detailed data feedback for accountability, and the capacity to organize larger and more specialized work groups assembled over increasingly large geographic regions. The earlier problem was getting the IT to work. Today's problem is using it to innovate and change how the real work--the delivery of critical services--is conducted.So, what should we do? First, we must analyze the real problem, which is not just the IT itself but using IT to change how we work. To analyze well, we need to assemble the right people and information and spend enough time and effort to do a thorough job.A key piece of advice is to send analysis teams to interview the early movers. We can learn a lot by meeting privately with the right people and asking them the right questions one on one, especially questions about stakeholder perceptions and behavior. Start upfront with the people and the politics, not just the technology; that would be a great way to both understand and respond to the real forces in play and avoid ending up as another story of failure.
Antonelli future to remain unclear for now

Toto Wolff is determined to keep his teenage protege Andrea 'Kimi' Antonelli on tenterhooks as he leaves a potential race seat wide open for Max Verstappen.

Kimi Antonelli, Austria test 2024

 Mercedes

The Mercedes boss says he didn't believe Verstappen's yes in Austria last week when the triple world champion was asked if he was sure he remained committed to Red Bull for 2025 and beyond.

He couldn't say anything else, could he? Wolff told motorsport-total.com this week. They had to force that answer out of him.

However, he admitted that what he perceived as a slightly non-committal answer from Verstappen doesn't mean he'll be at the wheel of a Mercedes in 2025.

When asked if he would 'put his hand in the fire' to predict that Verstappen will still be at Red Bull beyond this season, Wolff smiled: I would put my hand in the fire that Max will be in Formula 1 next year.

But that doesn't mean the Mercedes boss thinks he will be preparing a set of silver overalls for Verstappen over the winter period.

No. There is no reason for him to do that, Wolff admitted. Why would he? he added, confessing that Mercedes does not yet have a car fast enough to attract the 26-year-old Dutchman.

But 2026 is the year in which many things will change. I think it could be attractive to drive for us then, said Wolff. But whether Max will do that and whether he can get out of his contract, I don't know.

Wolff, however, is in the comfortable position of having 17-year-old Antonelli as the perfect 'plan A' for 2025 - whilst having the luxury of not actually confirming the deal until as late as possible.

I would have liked to have chosen Carlos Sainz, Wolff admits, "because he is very underrated and he works hard.

But I don't think he can wait as long as we need, because we might not make a decision until November.

(GMM)
Brad Pitt to appear on track at Spa GP in July

Hollywood icon Brad Pitt will be back in action at a Formula 1 circuit just after the forthcoming summer break.

Austrian GP 2024

 Red Bull

Last year at the Belgian GP, several sequences of the feature film with the working title 'Apex' were filmed at the fabled Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

However, due to the Hollywood writer's strike at the time, Pitt himself was not able to work. But the Belgian broadcaster RTBF reports that the American will be on the track at Spa on the weekend of July 26-28 .

Now the strike is in the past, the 60-year-old actor is expected to shoot the missing scenes, the report added.

'Apex' is a big-budget film production about Formula 1 with a scheduled release date of June 2025.

RTBF also reports that about half of the Spa-Francorchamps layout, including 600 metres of pitlane, will be resurfaced ahead of the 2024 Belgian GP in late July.

Work on the new asphalt - which is being laid between Blanchimont and Eau Rouge, Kemmel and Bruxelles, and Campus and Paul Frere - began in mid-June.

(GMM)
It's been almost two months since crews broke ground on the Skyline Trail in Green River, and work is steadily progressing.

The Skyline Trail is an extension to the current Greenbelt trail system and will encompass three different access points, starting with a parking lot off Upland Way, as well as having a parking lot at the top of South Hill and another access point behind Western Wyoming Community College's Green River campus. The trail will have one switchback near the Upland entrance, with grading under 8% on the South Hill side. The trail will be approximately four miles in total, will...
New York subscribers got exclusive early access to this story in Eating New York, a newsletter featuring food news and advice straight from our critics mouths. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. Quail egg and uni. Photo: Rafal Maslankiewicz

At Ikigai, opening in Fort Greene on July 23, dinner will begin at the back of the restaurant. A landscaped courtyard has been turned into a tea room, a sanctuary from the noise and traffic outside. We really wanted to get people grounded, says Ikigais owner, Dan Soha. Its hard coming off the streets, from the subway to a tasting menu. So guests will first congregate here for about 30 minutes with a welcome drink and Japanese milk bread. The courtyard also serves as a form of insurance, making this half-hour introduction a kind of grace period before service at the 12-seat counter. As Soha says, We cant get New Yorkers to arrive on time.

Soha has never run a restaurant before, but his first swing in the industry is big, if not in literal terms then in its ambition. The California transplant has spent the past two years remodeling a partially subterranean space on Lafayette Avenue that was previously home to a string of other restaurants. He replaced the ceiling with shou sugi ban wood sourced from Japan and charred in Oregon, hanging a custom-built Nelson lamp fixture inspired by the Japanese tree spirits kodama and adding a phone-charging shelf under the curved dining counter.

Dinner will be a tasting menu that runs between eight and ten courses and costs $165. The kitchen will be run by Rafal Maslankiewicz, who came to New York from Poland in 2014 and has spent a decade working in the kinds of restaurants that characters on The Bear revere: Masa, Eleven Madison Park, and, most recently, Wildflower Farms in the Hudson Valley. Through most of my career, Ive been using Japanese techniques and Japanese elements for cooking, Maslankiewicz says. His take on kaiseki will include the fresh-baked milk-bread service at the beginning of the meal as well as dishes like cacio e pepe udon with Peruvian mint, quail-egg-in-a-hole surrounded by uni (pictured), and duck with sansho pepper and concentrated plum puree.

But at its core  underneath the luxury ingredients and serene setting  Ikigai will be a not-for-profit enterprise with any money left over after operating expenses going to Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, an organization that redistributes what would otherwise be food waste from businesses to food-insecure communities and individuals. My parents moved here as immigrants, and looking back, I dont think I had a full appreciation of what we had or what we didnt have, Soha says, because our parents didnt let us know that. Being able to feed people that couldnt get food otherwise was just a really big deal for me.

Of course, many New York restaurants are not profitable, though not by choice. How did Soha come up with a business plan he thinks will work? To start, he owns the space and is not looking to recoup the costs of renovation, explaining that this is a labor of love for him. A serial entrepreneur  he estimates he has run 14 businesses in the past, in areas including online marketing and sock design  Soha says he didnt need to take on any investors or partners. There arent any loans, he says, and no landlord beside himself. Typically, a restaurants lease is 20 percent of its costs  if you get rid of 20 percent of your costs, the ability to be profitable is a whole lot easier.

Soha is also clear that in addition to running a well-meaning restaurant, he wants Ikigai to be a standout in a neighborhood that has recently seen high-caliber spots like Sailor, Strange Delight, and Sukh open. With a Japanese bent, Ikigai offers something different even as it pulls inspiration from places familiar to New Yorkers: One potential dessert will pair fresh raspberries with sugar and sour cream as Maslankiewiczs grandmother would serve them. The chef says they will accompany an updated version of knedele, fruit-filled potato dumplings hybridized with mochi by incorporating rice flour and potato into a single dough. I was just trying to picture how those two ingredients can meet in New York, Soha says, before he realized the solution: There has to be cheesecake inside.
Hafa adai yan buenas todus hamyo.

This summer, we introduce actionable steps community members like you can take to help conserve Guams endangered avian species, such as the koko, sali, and the Guam kingfisher.

The Kontra i Kulepbla, KIK, program, part of the Division of Aquatics and Wildlife Resources under the Department of Agriculture, will provide information and technical assistance this August in my home village. Join me on Thursday, Aug. 1st, at Malessos Senior Center from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

From San Dimas Church, drive up Chalan Joseph A. Cruz, known as Pigua, for about half a mile, then turn right before the water tank and across from the school.

Light refreshments will be provided as we cover the following topics:

Invasive species concerns: Discuss landowner concerns with invasive species such as the brown tree snake and share some of the islands solutions, like using traps to manage this cryptic predator. Islan Dano snake hunt: Sign up for a snake hunt on Saturday nights. Youll encounter a variety of invertebrates and a few birds in trees. You may even hear the koko sounding their alarm at dusk, as we heard a few Saturdays ago. Support Friends of Islan Dano: Learn how your organization can sponsor a boat ride as part of team-building activities or even participate in a team snake hunt. Engaging students: Speak with our KIK program team for innovative ideas and solutions to involve high school and college students in fiscal 2025. Hunters education training: Receive information on the next free training session provided by DAWR.

Only 130 Guam kingfishers in the world

Now, lets talk about our Guam kingfisher, also known as the Guam sihek.

Only 130 Guam Sihek exist in the world, and none are in the wild.

DAWRs goal is to bring these turquoise and orange feathered beauties back to Guam, their island home.

Partnership efforts with a few U.S. zoos are working together to support the Guam sihek.

A few baby birds will soon make the long trek from Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas to Palmyra Atoll.

Leading the group is little but mighty Tatuhun (meaning beginning), a 2-month-old female sihek described as a diva who attempts to feed herself before being capable of doing so.

Tatuhun may be small, but the impact she has made on those caring for her in many small ways is a start toward bringing our native birds back to our island.

We look forward to seeing you in Malesso as you enjoy the sunset drive, break away from town, and immerse yourself in nature while envisioning the return of our beloved birds, the sihek, koko and sali.

Adios, asta ki manalie hit talo (goodbye, until we meet again).
Superior Court Judge Arthur R. Barcinas accepted the governments motion to dismiss the cases of the last two defendants who were about to go on trial for the murder of Jason Susuico.

The court sees no basis for denying such a motion and will grant the motion for dismissal without prejudice, said Barcinas after hearing the last of oral arguments in the case on Wednesday.

Susuicos body was found decomposing in Yigo in January 2023. Susuico, an Army veteran, died of blunt force trauma, according to then-medical examiner Dr. Jeffrey Nine.

The first arrests in the murder case werent made until July 2023, when an informant led police to Cynthia Rose Quinata, who was initially charged with aggravated murder.

Other arrests followed: Brandon Rufus Chandler, Jason Keith Manibusan and Jordan Michael Babauta. A fifth suspect, Gregory Reese, severed his case from the others, and details of his indictment were not available.

After about a year of pre-trial detention, Chandler and Manibusan are free men. Quinata and Babauta were expected to follow that path following Barcinas reply. He had asked the defense about the AG offices motion to dismiss and attorneys Minakshi Hemlani and Vanessa Williams who represent Quinata and Babauta said that they did not object.

Leta Womack, assistant attorney general from the General Crimes Division of the Office of the Attorney General, appeared before Barcinas Wednesday morning. She had filed the motion to dismiss the cases of Cynthia Quinata and Jordan Babauta late afternoon Tuesday.

The day before, lead prosecutor Sean Brown had asked the court to dismiss the cases of Brandon Rufus Chandler and Jason Keith Manibusan.

Brown said that new evidence had come to light that suggested one of his former clients and former wife of the victim, Cheryl Susuico, could be more involved than we initially thought. He proceeded to disqualify himself from the case due to a conflict of interest.

Attorneys Hemlani and Williams had told Barcinas that the prosecution was not prepared to go forward with trial, since the defense continued to receive discovery as late as Friday, which prompted an emergency hearing on Monday.

William Gavras, who represented Chandler, presented the possibility of new suspects in the murder trial. He had brought up Cheryl Susuico as a possible suspect with a motive. Gavras said that there was a large amount of insurance money that could be collected following Jason Susuicos death.
Liguan Elementary School passed the Department of Public Health and Social Services sanitary inspection with 16 demerits, which is equivalent to B grade, the Guam Department of Education said on Tuesday.

Its the 20th GDOE school to pass the sanitary checks. Agueda Johnston Middle School and Oceanview Middle School also just recently cleared the inspections.

The latest inspection was conducted from May 28 through June 14.

GDOE said while 16 demerits indicate areas requiring attention, it also reflects Liguan Elementary Schools commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy environment for students and staff.

The GDOE, Guam Education Finance Foundation, and LES team are dedicated in addressing the noted areas of concern and will collaborate closely to ensure all standards set forth by DPHSS are met, GDOE said.

Education Superintendent Erik Swanson said the schools successful passing of the sanitation inspection is a direct result of the unified efforts and unwavering commitment of all team members under the leadership of Liguan Elementary School Principal Johansen Punongbayan.

As attention now turns to addressing the specifics outlined in the report, the same level of dedication and collaboration will be essential, Swanson added.

This comes weeks after Swanson reported to the Guam Education Board that as many as half of the 41 GDOE campuses may not clear sanitation inspections needed to be able to open next school year.

Under the law, schools need to pass a sanitation inspection by the June 30 deadline for them to be allowed to open the next school year.

Meanwhile, the principal of Liguan Elementary School said the seamless campus-community collaborations are critical to maintaining a safe and conducive learning environment, health, and well-being.

We will continue to work together to address our facility and ensure our school campus remains safe, Punongbayan said in a statement.
Nearly $2 million would be available for the Guam Police Department to buy new patrol vehicles if the U.S. House of Representatives approves this month a bill that includes Del. James Moylans proposed funding.

Moylan made the announcement about the approval of the Community Project Funding for GPDs patrol vehicles, during his July 1 congressional address.

The CPF totals $1.981 million and is included in the fiscal 2025 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which will be acted on by the House of Representatives this month, Moylans office said on Wednesday.

CPFs are opportunities for members of Congress to seek out funding for small projects or purchases in their districts, which would directly benefit the community.

In recent weeks, Moylan announced several approvals to assist Guams public safety agencies, along with funding for Todu Guam and Westcare, which will address health care access for the underserved, and a homeless shelter for at-risk youth, respectively.

I am excited to share this CPF approval, as it is critical to add to our GPD patrol fleet. Additional vehicles will increase presence by our officers in neighborhoods, which is vital for deterrence, Moylan said in a statement. This approval was also the largest dollar amount approval for patrol vehicle requests in the CJSR account, which reflects on the relationships and the respect levels for Guam.

Moylan said as a former law enforcement officer, his commitment to enhance resources for public safety agencies remains as steadfast today, as it did during his term in the Guam Legislature.

It is part of our vision in keeping our community safe, he said. I also would like to thank Chief of Police Stephen Ignacio for his partnership, as it was instrumental in the process.

The CJSR appropriations bill and seven additional appropriations bills are expected to be voted on by the House this month, and by the Senate in September, with the goal of enactment by Sept. 30, Moylans office said.

CPFs remain in the base text, which remains intact as the legislation goes through the process, it added.




Haiti - Politic : Prime Minister Garry Conille met with Luis Almagro (OAS)





Tuesday July 2nd, 2024, as part of his official visit to the United States, Prime Minister Garry Conille, accompanied by Ms. Dominique Dupuy, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ms. Ketleen Florestal, Minister of the Economy and Finance, met with Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) on the commitment of the hemispheric Organization in support of the transition and the efforts of the OAS around the priorities of the Haitian Government.



They also discussed challenges related to security, the rule of law as well as the reform of the Constitution and the upcoming elections.



"It is an honor to receive this morning the Prime Minister of Haiti, Garry Conille [...] The region and the OAS must continue to support Haiti. It is a priority to ensure human, financial, material resources and political support for the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti (MMSS). Likewise, it is essential to continue cooperation with the Haitian National Police.



Solutions for the country's security must be comprehensive; the strengthening of democracy and institutions must also be considered, as well as access to rights and opportunities for the human development of Haitians.



It is also essential that any support be accompanied by transparency and accountability mechanisms.



I reiterate the firmest commitment of the OAS General Secretariat to work in support of the Haitian people," said Luis Almagro.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Turks and Caicos Islands : Decrease in interceptions at sea of illegal Haitian migrants





So far this year, the Turks and Caicos Islands have seen a significant reduction in the number of migrants intercepted attempting to enter the country illegally from Haiti.



Mat Newton, Deputy Commissioner of Police, during a press conference at the police headquarters, revealed that last year, the country saw 4,016 irregular migrants intercepted from Haiti and that this year, for 6 first months there were 865 (727 men, 138 women including 8 minors) in total during 10 separate interceptions.



Newton noted, "It is fair to say that there will be some vessels that get through, but I think the headline here is we are being incredibly more successful in interdicting these irregular migrants. Secondly, the OPBAT partnership which many of you would be familiar with is more successful in terms of sharing intelligence and having to prove situational awareness and theres better coordination across the OPBAT partnership to make sure that were deploying all our air and marine assets effectively."



Newton also confirmed that infrastructure work on the new maritime radar has begun and it will be ready for deployment within the next four weeks. He said the radar, funded by the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office, will increase the ability to detect migrant boats...



Finally, he said "The investigations into the facilitators have been particularly effective over the last three months, working in collaboration with the border force. Weve got a number of individuals now who are remanded into custody with some fairly serious charges and we will target those facilitating this."



"We do believe that there is some measure of transnational organised criminality taking place in this context as well. We are digging deeper to see if we can identify those persons who are piggybacking on human smuggling as far as I am concerned for personal gains. We are really trying to identify this and bring those persons to justice," he said.



S/ HaitiLibre


















Many of the institutions and organisations that commented on the draft plan described it as a step in the right direction, albeit one that all but neglects some minority groups.

THE GOVERNMENT of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo s (NCP) draft action plan for combating racism and promoting equality received plenty of criticism during the public consultation round that ended on 10 June, reports Helsingin Sanomat.

Islamophobia, for example, is not recognised as a form of racism in the draft plan judging by the lack of measures set forth to combat it, estimated the Finnish Muslim Forum. This, the forum argued, is an indication that the government has not recognised the phenomenon as a societal problem or is reluctant to recognise its existence.

Antigypsyism is similarly not mentioned in the plan, observed the Finnish Roma Association.

The government dedicated an entire section on combating antisemitism, a problem that was identified as important in many of the comments. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), though, was one of several organisations that gauged that the section was asymmetric in light of the attention expended to other minority groups.

In the three-year action plan, 1.2 million euros, meaning almost a fifth of the total budget, has been allocated for a single minority group, wrote THL.

The government justified the emphasis by citing a recommendation issued by the European Commission.

The Ombudsman for Equality estimated that the draft plan fails to forward measures to combat structural discrimination, a covert form of discrimination that is manifested in, for example, hiring processes.

Most of the measures set forth in the plan deal with organising events and training seminars, producing assessments and reports, and supporting existing stakeholders such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Concerning the Sami People. The City of Oulu reminded that the effectiveness of campaigns and trainings has been shown to be limited, and that there should be no shortage of research data on racism.

If resources are scarce, should they be used not only to examine the current situation but also to weed out racism? it asked.

The draft plan also lacks clear objectives and mechanisms for measuring progress, according to many of the comments submitted during the consultation window. The Finnish League for Human Rights stated that many of the measures detailed in the draft action plan are fairly general and employ verbs such as assess and plan.

The government itself outlined that the plan focuses on active, concrete measures.

What concrete changes these measures are intended to cause and how they will be implemented is left unclear, the League for Human Rights wrote. The most serious problem in regards to a systematic effort to combat racism is that the draft action plan and its objectives contradict the governments own policies. Even a good plan will not help if you are simultaneously pushing through several bills that undermine human rights.

Although the action plan proposes many commendable measures to combat racism and promote equality, the broad-based negative revisions to the position and rights of people seeking protection and moving into the country challenge the credibility of the action plan, echoed the National Council of Women in Finland.

There were questions also about the amendments to the criminal code forwarded in the draft plan, such as the criminalisation of holocaust denial and the use of communist and Nazi symbols.

The League for Human Rights also highlighted that the plan contains no measures to tackle hate speech, reminding that the lack of such measures has also caught the attention of the UN Human Rights Committee.

The European Commission in 2022 launched an infringement procedure against Finland, taking issue especially with the narrow scope of application of the section in the criminal code on ethnic agitation. Minister of Justice Leena Meri (PS) dissolved a task force appointed to mull over racist crimes in April.

In light of these actions, it is evident that the government lacks the political will to utilise the criminal code to combat racism, viewed the League for Human Rights.

The government devised the action plan in response to widespread outrage about the racist actions, online comments and private messages of ex-Minister of Economic Affairs Vilhelm Junnila (PS), Minister of Finance Riikka Purra (PS) and Minister of Economic Affairs Wille Rydman (PS).

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
In March 2024, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs suspended the processing of visa applications for berry pickers from Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar

The occupational safety and health authority is set to supervise wild berry picking operations organized by berry companies during the upcoming picking season. This supervision comes in response to the mixed employment statuses of pickers, some of whom are in employment relationships while others operate as independent pickers.

due to serious suspected offenses in the berry sector. Consequently, during the 2024 harvest, berry companies can only recruit pickers from these countries under employment contracts, requiring an employee's residence permit. However, berry picking under the Berry Act remains permissible for those with other residence rights in Finland or for pickers invited from countries not mentioned above.

Enforcement of the Berry Act and Employment Standards

The occupational safety and health authority, in collaboration with other authorities, will supervise berry picking activities across Finland. During inspections, authorities will determine the applicable legislation. For pickers in an employment relationship, inspectors will ensure compliance with:

Minimum wage, bonuses, and working hours as per the collective agreement for rural industries

Provision of shift schedules according to the collective agreement

Non-discrimination policies

Arranged occupational healthcare

Accident insurance coverage

Verification of foreign employees' right to work

For independent pickers operating under the Berry Act, the inspectors will check that the berry companies:

Are deemed reliable by the TE Office

Have notified the occupational safety and health authority about the pickers' base

Informed pickers of the purchase prices and any costs charged to them

Do not set picking schedules or restrict pickers' rights to sell berries to others

Provided information on pickers' rights, obligations, and advisory services

Maintain contact information for officials available to pickers

The Berry Act does not stipulate minimum earnings or income for pickers not in employment relationships, hence inspectors cannot supervise these aspects.

Challenges in Enforcement

"Inspections are conducted at picker bases during the evenings. A single base can host over a hundred pickers, and inspectors can only interview a fraction with the help of interpreters. This makes it challenging to investigate the legal relationships between berry companies and different pickers," explains Niko Huru, an inspector from the Regional State Administrative Agency for Northern Finland's Occupational Safety and Health Division.

Information for Pickers in Multiple Languages

During inspections, guides published by the occupational safety and health authority will be distributed to both employees in employment relationships and independent pickers under the Berry Act. The guide "Wild Berry Pickers Rights" is available in Thai and English, with Ukrainian and Russian versions to be released during this picking period. Additionally, the guide "As a Foreign Employee in Finland" is available in 18 languages, including Thai.

These efforts aim to ensure that all berry pickers are well-informed of their rights and obligations, enhancing their protection during the berry picking season.

HT
Finland's strong social trust and widespread digital competence are pivotal in driving the digital transition.

A recent report by the European Commission has reaffirmed Finland's top position in digital public services within the European Union. The annual State of the Digital Decade report highlights Finland's comprehensive digital skills and the high level of digitalisation in small and medium-sized businesses as key strengths.

The report notes that 82% of Finns possess basic digital skills, significantly above the EU average of 55.6%. Despite this, the report emphasizes the need for continued efforts to ensure a steady supply of ICT specialists in the future.

The Commission commends Finland for its robust contribution to the EU's digital decade objectives, which include promoting competitiveness, resilience, sovereignty, European values, and climate action. In 2023, Finland made notable strides in deploying fixed one-gigabit broadband connections, although nationwide network coverage remains a challenge.

Excellence in Digital Public Services

Finland maintains its top ranking in digital public services for both citizens and businesses within the EU. However, the report suggests there is still potential to enhance e-health services and ensure the highest possible access to all digital public services.

Aligning National Goals with EU Objectives

The EU Digital Decade 2030 program requires Member States to develop national roadmaps for digitalisation. Finland's recently published country report is based on an analysis by the Commission and a roadmap submitted by Finland in December. This roadmap, derived from Finland's national digital compass, aligns with the EU's 2030 objectives.

Finland's national digital compass sets ambitious goals and significant investments to achieve the digital decade targets. It outlines objectives in four areas: skills, digital public services, business digitalisation, and digital infrastructure. This tool aims to simplify people's lives and support business operations through digitalisation.

Advancing the European Digital Identity Wallet

The report urges Member States to prioritize the development of the European digital identity wallet. In Finland, the Ministry of Finance launched a project in spring 2024 to develop a national wallet solution. Finland is also participating in several EU cross-border wallet trials.

An amended EU regulation mandates that Member States provide a digital wallet meeting specific requirements by 2026. Finland's active involvement in this initiative underscores its commitment to advancing digital identity solutions in line with EU goals.

As Finland continues to lead in digital public services and infrastructure, it sets a benchmark for other EU countries in the digital transformation journey.

HT
This article about Finlands schools in rural areas inviting students from abroad amid shrinking number of students, was published by The Economist on June 27.

Here is a selection of what the international press has published about Finland in the last week:

The article discusses a novel approach by high schools in Finland to counteract declining student numbers due to shrinking school-age populations, particularly in rural areas.

Marianne Korkalainen, head teacher of a high school in Rautavaara, plans to fill vacant seats by inviting students from poorer countries like Myanmar, Vietnam, and Tanzania to study in Finland, funded by Finnish taxpayers.

This initiative is driven by a startup called Finest Future, which offers Finnish lessons to students in various countries and refers those who become proficient to Finnish schools. This year, Finest Future aims to bring in around 1,500 foreign students and ultimately hopes to enroll about 15,000 new students annually. The government provides per-student funding for each foreign pupil, benefiting both the schools and the rural communities that receive these new students.

As the countrys population is projected to decline, attracting and educating young foreigners can help counteract this trend. These students, who adapt to Finnish culture and language early, are more likely to stay and contribute to the economy than adults brought in through skilled-worker programs.

However, the programs sustainability is uncertain, as the Finnish education ministry opposes funding foreign students and may change current policies.

Original story was published by The Economist on 27.06.2024 and can be found here.

Finnish PM urges parliament not to water down controversial deportation bill

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpos appeal to parliament not to dilute a deportation bill was covered in an article by Euronews on July 2. The article looks into the controversial bill that would allow border authorities to refuse asylum applications in specific circumstances.

This legislation is intended to address an increase in asylum seekers attempting to cross Finlands 1,340-kilometre border with Russia.

The bill has faced significant opposition due to potential violations of international non-refoulement and human rights obligations. Over 200 researchers and Michael OFlaherty, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, have criticized the bill, urging its rejection. The PM aims to secure a five-sixths majority in parliament for the bill, which would be effective for one year if passed.

From my perspective as Prime Minister, my stance is that Finland needs this law. And I hope that the Parliament will now find such solutions that we can secure the 5/6 majority, and after that, we can feel more secure, Orpo said.

Finnish officials claim the border closure since December was due to a hybrid influence operation by Moscow, despite the number of asylum seekers being within the average range last year. The parliament is expected to vote on the bill before the summer recess.

Original story was published by Euronews on 02.07.2024 and can be found here.

Finlands Gasum to end Russian LNG imports in line with EU sanctions

Gasum ending Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports was covered in an article by Reuters on June 25. The article explores the decision by Gasum, a major gas supplier in the Nordic region, to cease purchasing and importing Russian LNG starting July 26, in compliance with new European Union sanctions.

The decision follows the EU's adoption of a 14th sanctions package targeting Russian gas exports, specifically including a clause, prompted by Finland and Sweden, that prohibits importing Russian LNG through EU terminals not connected to the EU gas network.

Despite Gasums existing long-term LNG supply contract with Gazprom Export, the sanctions provide a legal basis, under force majeure, for halting these imports without breaching the contract. Gasum has already been sourcing the majority of its LNG from non-Russian sources and plans to replace the remaining Russian volumes accordingly. All Gasum-operated terminals in Sweden and Finland are affected by the new sanctions.

The sanctions come amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions and a Finnish border closure with Russia since December, aimed at countering a perceived hybrid influence operation by Moscow.

Original story was published by Reuters on 25.06.2024 and can be found here.

Diana project provides NATO tech dividend to Finland

This article about Finland benefitting from NATOs cyber defence and technology dividend was published by Computer Weekly on July 1. The article discusses NATOs technological research and development (R&D) facilities and test centers in Finland under the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (Diana) program.

This initiative, launched in 2021, aims to address future defense challenges by partnering with private sector companies to develop innovative technologies. The project is a collaboration between Finlands state-backed VTT technical research center and NATOs Diana program. It will involve constructing an accelerator in Helsinki and test centers in Oulu, focusing on defense communication systems, 6G technology, cybersecurity, space innovations, and quantum computing.

The initiative will primarily engage Finnish tech companies, especially startups and small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to develop dual-use technologies for both civilian and defense applications. This collaboration is expected to spotlight Finlands expertise in key technological areas and enable local companies to meet NATOs technical and procurement standards. The first application round for the Diana Challenge Programme will commence in the second half of 2024, targeting tech startups.

Original story was published by Computer Weekly on 01.07.2024 and can be found here.

How easing of monopoly laws could shift Nordic alcohol markets

The recent changes in alcohol regulations in Finland and Sweden were covered in an article by Just Drinks on June 20. The explainer explores the implications of the regulations for producers, retailers, and state-run alcohol monopolies.

In Finland, the parliament has increased the maximum alcohol content for drinks sold in supermarkets from 5.5% to 8% ABV, effective June 10, 2024. This change applies to wine and beer but not to ready-to-drink products and mixed alcoholic beverages, which remain capped at 5.5% ABV. As a result, Alko, Finlands state-run alcohol monopoly, anticipates a reduction in its market share by 6% to 11%, significantly impacting its wine sales.

The brewing industry has criticized the regulations for treating beverages with similar alcohol content differently based on production methods. Additionally, distilleries may face challenges due to reduced foot traffic in Alko stores, which could affect spirits sales.

In Sweden, the government plans to allow the direct sale of artisanally produced alcoholic beverages at production sites starting in early 2025. This change will enable small producers to sell limited quantities directly to visitors.

Original story was published by Just Drinks on 20.06.2024 and can be found here.

HT
VFW invites veterans to commemorate service on Wall of Honor

Henderson Countys Hedrick-Rhodes VFW Post 5206 is inviting veterans and families of veterans to commemorate their military service on the new Wall of Honor to be installed in the renovated VFW hall.

Criteria to be included on the honor wall include:

Honorable discharge

Military service in war time or peace in Active units, Reserves or National Guard

Next of kin may sponsor a deceased veteran

Must have a connection to Henderson County

Artifacts must be donated to the Wall of Honor program

Veterans ribbons and badges are displayed in 8x10-inch shadowboxes with their name on it. These shadowboxes will be placed in the first-floor lobby of the VFW building. If a veteran or family has lost their records, the VFW can help get copies from the National Archives. If some or all of their ribbons or badges are lost, the VFW can order replicas. There is no charge to the veteran or their families to create the shadowboxes.

The Wall and all completed shadowboxes will be installed this summer; others will be installed as they are completed. The VFW building, now a county owned and managed building, celebrated its grand opening on Wednesday.

Henderson Countys Veterans Service officers will move from their Spartanburg Highway office in the Health and Human Services building to the renovated building at Five Points this. VFW Post 5206, which sold the property to the county, will also move back into the building. For information, email Post5206@vfwnc.com.
Police arrest suspect in May 18 bomb threat at Pardee

After a thorough investigation by the Hendersonville Police Department, a suspect in a bomb threat incident at UNC Health Pardee Hospital on May 18 was identified as James Vigil of Greer, South Carolina.

Vigil has been arrested Monday on one felony count of making a false report concerning a destructive device. Police determined that Vigil acted alone during the incident and Pardee Hospital, staff, patients and first responders were never in danger.
ALMOST 700 was raised at an event held in Henley market place to mark Armed Forces Day on Saturday.

There was a Long Range Desert Group jeep display with artefacts and weapons used in the desert conflict during the Second World War.

Richard Pinches, who organises the annual Poppy Appeal collection for the Henley and Peppard branch of the Royal British Legion, was dressed in a desert uniform.

He had also brought with him his Second World War Willys Desert Jeep.

Representing various eras of the British army from the First World War to the Seventies was branch president John Green, Josh Thatcher, a member of the Military Vehicle Trust, and town councillor David Eggleton.

Mr Pinches said: It was a lovely day and many different people came to chat and donate, including some of the foreign visitors here for Henley Royal Regatta. It is always great to engage with people about what happened in the Second World War and keep the memories alive of those who fought and those who didnt come back.

We dont glorify war, were here to commemorate those sacrifices given in the name of peace. The young children always like my toy desert fox and desert rat  theyre always crowd-pleasers. Some of the slightly older children know quite a lot, even if some of it does come from video games.

Mayor Rory Hunt visited the display as did 98-year-old Poppy Appeal volunteer Walter Good, who served with the Coldstream Guards at the end of the Second World War. He came with a selection of photographs.
8.30am:

Upper Thames Rowing Club beat Nottingham Rowing Club in the Wyfold Challenge Cup by one and three-quarters of a length in a time of seven minutes and 23 seconds.

The race judge said the Henley crew rowed quickly and confidently into a dominating lead.

Steve Griffiths, 29, said: IIt was a race we were expecting to win so its good that we executed our plan. Its what we wanted to do.

We relaxed quite early on so I we wouldnt have expected the time to be particularly fast as we did what we needed to do.

Jordan Pepermans, 26, said: The conditions were good. Yesterday, there was a little bit tail and cross winds and today was really flat. Rowing so early in the morning, the water tends to be more flat. There was a bit of a boat wash but overall it was good.

You always have race nerves but you could be racing by yourself and youd still have those race nerves. I like it because it gets my adrenaline up.

Right now, we feel good but its a long regatta so were taking it day by day.

Coach David Lister added: Its early days but it was a more controlled row than yesterday. The crew has only been together since Easter.

7am:

WILL Satch is set to make his first competitive appearance at Henley Royal Regatta for years today (Wednesday).

He will be racing for Star and Arrow at 11.10am against a AKR Wurzburg and RG Speyer composite crew in the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup, for mens quadruple sculls.

Satch, 35, from Henley, who won Olympic gold in Rio in 2016, will be in the number two seat alongside Jack Beaumont (bow), Seb Devereaux and Sam Meijer (steer).

Beaumont, a former captain of Leander Club, won silver in the quadruple sculls in the Tokyo Games in 2020.

Meijer is a double world under-23 champion and world junior champion and is in the senior Great Britain team, alongside Seb Devereux.

There will be a total of 86 races across 12 events, starting at 8.30am, with the final contest at 7.30pm.

Henley Rowing Club and Leander Club will compete in their first races of this years competition.

Crews from Shiplake College and Reading Blue Coat School in Sonning will look to follow up their wins in Tuesdays heats of their events while Upper Thames Rowing Club crews are also in action.

The weather forecast is overcast with a maximum temperature of 18c. The Met Office predicts a 40 per cent chance of rain at noon.

Upper Thames Rowing Club face Nottingham Rowing Club in the first race of the day at 8.30am in the Wyfold Challenge Cup, for mens coxless fours.

Tom Wilkinson, the director of rowing at Pangbourne College and former student at The Henley College, is up against Askel Poulsen, of Denmark, at 9.15am in the Diamond Challenge Cup, for mens single scullers.

Shiplake College meet Saugatuck Rowing Club, USA, at 9.30am in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, for first school eights.

Leander Club face The Ivy Club, USA, at 10am in the Remenham Challenge Cup, for womens eights.

Reading Blue Coat School meet The Southport School, Australia, at 11.05am in the Princess Elizabeth.

Upper Thames B will face Marlow Rowing Club at 2.45pm in the Wargrave Challenge Cup, for womens club eights who are not former or current internationals.

Leander Club B will meet a composite of Hapoel MC and Tel Aviv Rowing Club, Israel, at 3.40pm in the Visitors Challenge Cup, for mens coxless fours.

A Henley Rowing Club and Drammen RK, Norway, composite face Leander Club A in the Visitors at 5.45pm.

Leander Club meet Lea Rowing Club at 6.35pm in the Thames Challenge Cup, for mens eights.

Upper Thames A face Tyne ARC at 7pm in the Wargrave and Leander Club are against Agecroft RC in the final race of the day at 7pm, in the Prince of Wales.

This page will be updated with results and reaction throughout the day.
Much like Jharkhand's Jamtara and Haryana's Nuh, Morigaon, a district in Assam located around 75 km from Guwahati City, emerged as a hub of cybercriminals in recent years.

Police have arrested over 200 youths from the district in just over a year for their alleged involvement in hundreds of online bank frauds.

The district acquired notoriety during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown period in 2020 and 2021 when a group of youth working in other states returned home after losing their jobs. They apparently ganged up to create a syndicate to carry out cyber fraud.

According to a senior police officer, who asked not to be named, a few of the youth who returned had lived in certain areas of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh where the police busted cybercrime hubs; during their stay in those states, the youth from Morigaon picked up tricks of the online fraud trade.

Investigation into Morigaons links to online frauds started in early 2023 when police found  after tracking the crimes  that many cases were linked to the district.

"Over 20 cases were registered in Assam itself, cases were also registered in different parts of the country. In all the cases, cyber security experts of the police department found that the fraudulent activities were being operated from Morigaon's Moirabari Laharighat and Bhuragaon areas," the investigating police officer quoted above said.

The distance between Moirabari and Bhuragaon is around 21 kilometres, and Laharighat is located at a distance of around 10 kilometres from both locations. Police said that the youth were operating from small shops, rooftops and neighbourhood computer centres.

Modus operandi

A farmer from Morigaon's Laharighat (on the condition of anonymity) said that he had applied for a bank loan in 2021, which was not approved. In 2023 when he again tried for a loan, the bank said that his Cibil Score  a summary of an individuals credit history  was low because he didn't repay some amounts. "They said, I took small loans multiple times but I had no idea about those loans," he said.

Similarly, a businessman from Moirabari said that he received a call from a bank one day and was told that there were over 20 loans by his name. "I immediately called the police and they registered a case of cyber fraud. The officials said fake documents were used," he said.

According to the additional superintendent of police (crime), Morigaon district, Samiran Baishya, the fraudsters collected details of an individuals Aadhar, PAN and bank accounts from various online applications.

"They used multiple ways to carry out fraudulent activities. What was common was forging documents to open bank accounts. Over 1000 such accounts were opened, mostly in the private banks," Baishya said. Loans were also issued from private finance companies.

"Most of these companies are operating from Mumbai and other cities. They compete among themselves and sometimes issue loans easily on the basis of documents without physical verification. The fraudsters used this as an opportunity," he said.

The amount of loans these fraudsters asked for between 10,000 and 2,00,000. "Though the amount of each loan was small, the number of loans was large and the total amount crossed 15 crore in the last few years," Baishya added.

The process of forging documents

The youth involved in these crimes were well-trained and created a syndicate across the Morigaon district and involved people with relevant skills in their team.

They created forged PAN cards by using editing applications like PAN Creator, which can be found on the Google PlayStore, police said.

"Their first step was to collect authentic Aadhar cards and PAN cards from different sources. Next was to mix the details with each other. They created the PAN card number of one person with the name of another person and a picture of someone else," Baishya said.

After creating fake PAN cards, they would create Aadhar cards with the help of local youth allegedly working for the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the agency which issues the identification cards. After creating these documents, they opened accounts in private banks and finance companies.

Members of the syndicate would arrange mobile SIM cards using the forged documents. After linking the mobile numbers with the bank accounts, they would start calling the banks and finance companies for loans.

They were provided loans without physical verification because thats a commonly followed practice for private finance companies. Once the loan was extracted, the gang members would destroy the SIM card, leaving no trace because the address and identity of the beneficiary were fake.

Police investigation

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) (Law and Order) Assam, Prasanta Kumar Bhuiyan said that after receiving multiple complaints, they created a special team to investigate the matter. Young officers with technological knowledge were included in the team.

"The cybercriminals are young and tech-savvy. We needed to create police teams with personnel who were equally tech-savvy and who could outsmart the criminals. By using geo-tracking technology, we found that almost all the accounts were created in Morigaon, he said.

The team studied the psychology of cybercriminals and attempted to predict their plans, in an effort to stay a step ahead of them. We tried to understand them, their psychology, background and the style of operations, he said.

"They (the suspects) were inspired by cybercriminals from other states.

After understanding their psychology, we started tracking them and looked at each case separately to find where it started. We tracked all the points, from their source of creating fake documents, to getting loans, to destroying the evidence. This wasn't easy, it took time and effort," Bhuyian said.

Subsequently, multiple raids were carried out in the district from 2023 and until May this year: Over 200 suspects have been taken into custody.

Police have seized 7688 fake sim cards, over 250 PAN cards, over 100 voter ID cards, 175 mobile phones, around 20 laptops, 300 ATM cards, around 200 chequebooks and a large number of bank passbooks.

The total amount of loans the fraudsters acquired in the last one and half years is 15,92,84,129. Police recovered cash of 44,51,20. Banks returned 19,00,000 to finance companies and froze 23,28,356 in different accounts, the police said.

The IGP said that though some cybercriminals were arrested in other parts of the state including Guwahati, but Morigaon was the hub and most major operations were carried out from the district.

" We had earlier sent a team to Jharkhand's Jamtara after Assam residents faced cyber fraud but we didn't find anyone there (to be involved) and from that point, we started closely studying this matter. The Morigaon case has similarities with (cyber fraud cases in) Jamtara," he said.

Bhuiyan said that Assam police is strengthening itself to combat cybercrime and seminars and training programmes have been organised for the force. Also, special cybercrime branches have been created.

According to him, public awareness could help prevent these crimes. "The victims report to us much (later) after the incidents. We keep telling people to stay away from clicking on unknown links but some people ignore these warnings," he added.

Future risks

According to the police, cybercriminals are known to change the way they operate. After the loan sector, they are now targeting credit cards and pension funds.

"The digital credit card is the next big target for cybercriminals. Also, they are targeting senior citizens with pension accounts in banks. We would appeal to the common people to stay away from any unauthorised calls or links," police said.

Police said the representatives from major finance companies came to Assam following these cases and they have made physical verification mandatory before sanctioning loans.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked people of the country saying that they rejected politics of deceit and propaganda while choosing to bank politics of trust in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. Addressing the Rajya Sabha, the prime minister said during his reply to the Motion of Thanks on President's Address, "We feel proud of the wisdom and intelligence of the people of this country, in these elections. They defeated propaganda. They prioritised performance. They rejected the politics of deceit and put a stamp of victory on the politics of trust." Prime Minister Narendra Modi replies to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Parliament session, in New Delhi.(PTI)

What PM Modi said on stock market

Reflecting on the stock markets, PM Modi said, Election results have not only boosted domestic capital markets, but also generated enthusiasm in world.

This comes as BSE Sensex touched a record high of 80,000 in today's session, rising from 75,000 in less than three months amid strong investor confidence and economic optimism. The rally gained significant momentum following the oath ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 9 after which Sensex hit the 77,000 mark the very next day.

Sensex's upward trajectory began on April 9 when the benchmark index first touched the 75,000 milestone. It then climbed steadily reaching 76,000 points on May 27. On June 10, less than a month after reaching 76,000, the Sensex hit another high, crossing the 77,000 mark. In just 15 days on June 25, the index breached the 78,000 mark and surged to 79,000 points in two days.

What PM Modi had said on stock market ahead of Lok Sabha election results?

While campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi said that the stock market would hit record highs after election results were declared. You will see that within one week after June 4, the day election results are to be declared, market participants will get tired. I can say with confidence that on June 4, as BJP hits record numbers, the stock market will also hit new record highs."
Several incidents where airline passengers needed medical attention have turned the attention to the problem of severe in-flight turbulence. In recent months, Singapore Airlines Ltd., Qatar Airways and Air Europa flights have suffered sudden drops in altitude. This resulted in passengers needing hospital treatment as well. In late May, Singapore Air Flight SQ321 encountered severe turbulence as it entered Thai airspace triggering an emergency landing in Bangkok. The flight was en route to Singapore from London. Turbulence is on the rise and in recent times, severe air turbulence has even caused death and serious injury (Shutterstock)

Flight routes which face most turbulence

This week, forty passengers were injured when an Air Europa flight hit severe turbulence on its way from Madrid to Montevideo in Uruguay. As per turbli database, most turbulent flights of all connect Santiago in Chile to Santa Cruz in Bolivia. Flights leaving Tokyo dominate the list of the roughest long-haul services as per the website. The website produced its rankings by analyzing 150,000 routes using data from UK and US government meteorological agencies.

Why does turbulence take place

Strong turbulence is produced when air streams traveling at significantly different speeds come together- typically encountered at the boundaries of jet streams, over mountains and in certain cloud storms, as per turbli website.

The website said that turbulence on the Santiago-Santa Cruz route is generated by winds from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean flowing almost perpendicular to the Andes. The equator is also a well-known region for turbulence.
CP Gurnani, former CEO of Tech Mahindra and founder of AIonOS, thanked OpenAI boss Sam Altman after developing a large-language model (LLM) for just $5 million. In a keynote speech at the fifth annual MachineCon GCC Summit in Bangalore last week, CP Gurnani said the LLM was developed within five months. Tech Mahindra developed an Indian LLM that can communicate in about 40 different local languages and dialects. Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI, during a panel session on day three of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.(Bloomberg)

Sam Altman challenged everybody that India will never be able to have an LLM. I spoke to my chief innovation officer that time at Tech Mahindra... Six hours later, he says I have a plan, he said.

"I am happy to share that they spent less than five million dollars on what Sam Altman said India will never be able to deliver," he added.

Last year in June Sam Altman said that it is totally hopeless to compete with us on training foundation models, asserting, "You shouldn't try. It's your job to like try anyway. I believe both of those things. I think it is pretty hopeless."

The comments resulted in a major controversy owing to which Sam Altman clarified on X (formerly Twitter), "The question was about competing with us with USD 10 million, which I really do think is not going to work. But I still said try! The right question is what a startup can do that's never been done before, that will contribute a new thing to the world. I have no doubt Indian startups can and will do that! and no one but the builders can answer that question."

Talking about how India is a major player in the AI race, CP Gurnani said, I'm very convinced that in India, as the semiconductor industry develops, five to seven years later, we would not be looking at someone else.

What you need to know about Project Indus

Tech Mahindra launched first phase of its LLM called Project Indus. Nikhil Malhotra, global head of the makers lab at Tech Mahindra, said, "Project Indus is our seminal effort to develop an LLM from the ground up. Through Makers Lab, our R&D arm, we created a roadmap, collected data from the Hindi-speaking population, and built the Indus model."

Indus LLM uses "GenAI in a box" framework to allow for a simple deployment of the model for enterprise use.
Anthony Klor, an American entrepreneur and founder of Catoff Gaming, faced a troubling incident during his hiring process in Karnataka capital Bengaluru after relocating from San Francisco to India. He shared the ordeal on social media site X, posting a screenshot of his WhatsApp messages with a job applicant. Anthony Klor, an American entrepreneur and founder of Catoff Gaming.(X)

The screenshot featured abusive messages from the applicant he decided not to hire. The disgruntled applicant's messages asked Klor to apologize to his mother for giving birth to him, and also included a profanity.

READ | The curious case of protein shake inside a Bengaluru auto: Rider's quest to find bottle owner

Sometimes job candidates in India dont take rejection very well Klor wrote in the post.

Should I call your mother and apologize? Klor had written to the applicant, to which the answer read, You should call your mother and apologize to her for giving u birth.

Klor then asked So are you still interested in the job?, and the applicant answered, Yes in a b*** -job from a foreigners mouth named Tony ******.

The post garnered 479.3K views at the time this article was being written, and more than 2,000 likes and 300 replies.

It means, thanks for considering me, but Im not qualified to work as a professional a user wrote in reply.

Give away his credentials. he is not fit to work anywhere, another user posted.

Sorry you had to go through all this, one more comment read.

However, others were not sold on Klor being the victim in the situation. whutt, why so serious. can we get more context ? a user shared.

READ | Commuters demand swift opening of double-decker flyover in Bengaluru: Report

"No recruiter has told me "Should I call your mother and apologise" as well. This is not the entire story," another response read.

Why exactly were you apologising to his mom? one asked, while another wrote, Well, you're the one who brought his mother into this conversation. So, it seems you started it.
A total of 39 cases were booked on the first day in Bengaluru after three new criminal laws came into force from July 1, reported The New Indian Express. Three new criminal lawsBharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita(BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) came into effect across the country on Monday, July 1. The new laws were introduced for the widespread changes in India's criminal justice system and to end colonial-era laws. Bengaluru recorded 39 new cases under new criminal laws on day 1: Report

Also Read - Curtains on IPC, CrPC as new criminal laws kick in

According to the report, the most number of cases were registered in the Whitefield division as nine out of 39 cases were from the police limits. Six cases in south east, five in west, four in south and east, three in north east and two each in north and central divisions were recorded on the first day. Other four cases were registered by the traffic police. A total of 80 FIRs were also registered under three new laws.

Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara said that the training is being given for the police officers regarding the new laws and it will take at least two months to get used to the change in laws. He said, We cannot reject all the provisions of the new criminal laws. We have imparted training to our police force but they will require at least two months to get accustomed to the new laws," the Minister told reporters.

Also Read - 3 new criminal laws come into effect: Are states, police prepared to implement them? 10 points

The minister also highlighted many provisions in the three criminal laws that require detailed discussions and debates.

"There are some provisions which are very good. We cannot discard every provision. They have tried to change the criminal laws introduced by the British rulers and introduced provisions that suit the modern world," Parameshwara added.
The opposition BJP leaders tried to lay siege to the chief minister's office-cum-residence here on Wednesday alleging rampant corruption by the ruling Congress government in Karnataka, but were stopped and taken into preventive custody. BJP leaders being detained by police during a protest march by the party against alleged corruption by the ruling Congress government in Bengaluru on Wednesday.(PTI)

The party leaders, including BJP state president B Y Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka, former ministers S Sunil Kumar, Araga Jnanendra, S Suresh Kumar, C N Ashwath Narayan and C T Ravi were accompanied by several MLAs and a large number of party workers.

Due to the heavy deployment of police forces, the BJP leaders could not reach their destination and were taken under preventive custody.

READ | The curious case of protein shake inside a Bengaluru auto: Rider's quest to find bottle owner

The party has alleged that there was around 4,000 crore worth of alternative sites (plots) scam in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in which one of the beneficiaries is Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi.

The party also charged that there were attempts to cover up over 180 crore Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation scam, which forced an accounts superintendent P Chandrasekharan to die by suicide.

"There is rampant corruption going on in the Congress government. The MUDA scam in the chief minister's home district Mysuru is much bigger than the scam in the Valmiki Corporation," Vijayendra told reporters before being taken into preventive custody.

Ashoka demanded that the government should hand over the MUDA scam to the CBI instead of assigning the case to a panel of IAS officers to probe the matter. He also demanded that the chief minister should resign from his position.

Dismissing the charge as false, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah rejected the BJPs demand for the CBI probe into the case.

"I have already ordered an inquiry. The BJP has no moral right to make such demands. Why are they asking us to assign this case to the CBI when they did not hand over a single case to the investigation agency during its tenure in the state," he told reporters.

READ | Commuters demand swift opening of double-decker flyover in Bengaluru: Report

The chief minister said his wife got the alternative sites under a scheme introduced by the previous BJP government in the state.

"The BJP leaders are charging that the policy of 50 per cent developed land to be given to the land losers has been misused. To see whether any misuse has happened or not, we have ordered an inquiry," Siddaramaiah said.

He also told reporters that all the sites (plots) that have been allotted by MUDA (as alternative plots) have been put under suspension.

"Once these sites are under suspension, where is the loss to the government? We have transferred all the officers during whose tenure the alternative sites were distributed. We are getting it investigated by a senior IAS officer. We will initiate action once the report comes," he added.
Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Wednesday reviewed the security situation and operational preparedness of the troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi interacting with soldiers in Poonch on Wednesday during his day-long visit to Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI Photo)

General Dwivedi, who assumed charge as the 30th chief of the Indian Army on June 30, reached Jammu on Wednesday morning and flew to the border district of Poonch, they said.

Accompanied by general officer commanding-in-chief, Northern Command, Lt Gen Suchindra Kumar and general officer commanding of Jammu-based White Knight Corps Lt Gen Navin Sachdeva, the army chief chaired a meeting of field commanders in Poonch before taking an aerial review of forward areas, they said.

The chief of army staff also interacted with some ex-servicemen at 93 Infantry Brigade.

General Dwivedi, who had served as the general officer commanding-in-chief of Northern Command from 2022-24, later flew back to Jammu. He is scheduled to return to Delhi on Wednesday evening, they said.

The army chiefs visit to Jammu and Kashmir assumes significance in view of the ongoing Amarnath Yatra and anti-terrorist operations in the Jammu region to counter attempts by terror handlers to spread their activities to the area.
Haryana transport minister Aseem Goel has urged Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to convince protesting farmers in Punjab to lift their agitation that would lead to the opening the Shambhu border adjoining Ambala district to alleviate the difficulties faced by local people and traders. Haryana transport minister Aseem Goel (right) calling on Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

Goel had met Chouhan in New Delhi on Tuesday. He said the farmers began their protest at Shambhu on the Haryana-Punjab border on February 13, resulting in the closure of the border since then.

This closure has caused difficulties for people, particularly traders, in conducting their business, Goel, who is the BJP MLA from Ambala City, told Chouhan, according to an official statement issued in Chandigarh.

The Haryana minister emphasised that the Centre should engage in discussions with the protesting farmers to convince them to open the border. Opening the border will provide relief to the local residents and facilitate easier business operations for traders, he said.

According to the statement, Chouhan assured Goel that the central government is serious about this issue and will take action soon.

Ambala traders observe bandh

Amid the ongoing standoff, scores of traders in Ambala observed a three-hour bandh on Wednesday to demand the opening of Haryana-Punjab border at Shambhu.

The closure since February has hit local industries and hoteliers.

Vishal Batra, the president of Wholesale Cloth Market Association, said that the Old Cloth Market, Kalka Chowk Market, Sarafa Bazaar, Dal Bazaar and Grain Market observed a total bandh.

The Haryana-Punjab border has been closed for almost six months. Half of our sale depends on Punjab. Many traders are on verge of closure and employees are being laid off. We are in touch with the government and have decided to meet Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini soon. Local MLA Goel met the Union agriculture minister and is seeking time to meet Union home minister Amit Shah as well, he said.

Haryana blocked highway, not us: Farmers

Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Wednesday claimed the farmers had not blocked the highway, but it was the government which had stopped their Delhi Chalo march in February by putting up barricades.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the Delhi Chalo march by farmers to press the government to accept their demands which include that the Centre should give a legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops.

The farmers have been staying put at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 when their march was stopped by the security forces.

Pandher said the protest has been going on at the Shambhu border point for the last 141 days and it will continue till the demands of farmers are met.

We have heard about the statement of Haryana transport minister. He said due to the morcha (protest) of farmers at Shambhu, the road has been blocked. During the Haryana ministers meeting with the Union agriculture minister, he said the Centre should engage in discussions with farmers, which is a good thing. But the allegation he levelled that the highway has been blocked due to farmers protests is a lie. The national highway had been blocked by the Haryana and central governments by putting up barricades. We request the government that the road should be opened, he said.
Despite a fall in area under cultivation, Indias wheat production touched an all-time high of 112.92 million tonnes in the 2023-24 rabi season, which is 2.9% higher than the previous year. Wheat harvesting in progress in April. Indias wheat production touched an all-time high of 112.92 million tonnes in the 2023-24 rabi season, which is 2.9% higher than the previous year. (HT file photo)

According to data released by the Karnal-based Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research on Tuesday, India, which is the second-largest wheat grower after China, recorded a yield of 110.55 million tonnes last year, which was also the highest till then.

Scientists at the institute, which comes under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), said that the country recorded an increase in wheat yield from 3,521 kg per hectare (kg/ha) in 2022-23 to 3,615 kg/ha this season, an increase of 84 kg/ha, which is an all-time high.

Dr Anuj Kumar, a principal scientist at the institute, said that an increase on both the parameters is phenomenal despite fall in area under wheat from 31.40 million hectares (Mha) in the previous season to 31.23 Mha this time.

Rich harvest in Punjab, Haryana

The data suggests that five major wheat-producing states, namely Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, account for 91.6% of the total national production.

Barring MP, the wheat yield in the four states was more than the national average of 3,615 kg/ha this time.

Punjab recorded a wheat yield of 5,069 kg/ha, followed by Haryana at 4,674 kg/ha, Rajasthan at 3,938 kg/ha and Uttar Pradesh at 3,804 kg/ha.

Scientists attribute the bumper yield to favourable weather, deployment of climate-resilient seed varieties and assured price on the crop.

Wheat scientist Ratan Tiwari, who took over as institute director in June, said the prolonged cold not only improved production but also the yield potential of the crop. There is a growing awareness among farmers about the changing weather patterns and they are shifting more to new heat-tolerant wheat varieties on a larger scale. Moreover, due to the assured price by the government, it remains a priority crop for farmers in areas with better irrigation and weather, the director said.

Climate-resilient varieties

The last two years witnessed extreme heatwaves around March, impacting the output and quality of the wheat. In 2022, scorching weather coupled with untimely rain restricted wheat production to about 100 million tonnes, prompting the farmers to opt for climate-resilient varieties.

The institute introduced climate-resilient and bio-fortified varieties that most of the states adopted, including DBW-303, DBW-327, DBW-370, DBW-371 and DBW-187, also called the mega variety or pan-India variety.

Principal scientist Anuj Kumar said, Farmers opted for new varieties and these have been introduced in 80% of the fields. The yield potential is better in these varieties and they are heat tolerant. No excessive rain during the critical December and January also proved to be favourable.
The Calcutta high court ordered immediate release of a Howrah district resident from custody on Wednesday, 72 hours after he was arrested on charges of not appearing before the local police for questioning in an alleged defamation case. The Calcutta high court. (File)

The accused, Shine Ershad, was released from judicial custody before 5pm as ordered by justice Amrita Sinha who questioned the role of the police in her five-page order, a copy of which was seen by HT.

My client wrote a Facebook post on June 24, raising questions against illegal constructions at several municipal wards in Howrah and the role of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, including minister Arup Roy, who is a local legislator, Sabyasachi Chatterjee, Ershads lawyer, said.

The Howrah police registered a defamation case on June 28 on the basis of a complaint lodged by Saikat Chatterjee, a local resident. Ershad was arrested on June 30 and remanded in judicial custody by the local court, Chatterjee added.

The petition at the high court was filed by Ershads wife Sarika Khatun. The State was represented by advocate general Kishore Datta.

In her order, justice Sinha said: Only because a citizen has protested or has raised his voice to highlight the illegalities or corruption by a member of the ruling dispensation and against the member of the Legislative Assembly, the police ought not to have taken such stringent steps to curtail the freedom of the said citizen. Fundamental right of a citizen of this country to move about freely ought not to be curtailed without abiding the due process of law.

Prima facie, it appears that the act of detention and arrest of the person concerned is sheer highhandedness on the part of the police officer, the order, which did not name minister Arup Roy, said.

The minister did not make any comment before the media.

TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said, Everybody has to abide by the orders of the high court. However, there also must be a debate on what can be written on social media in the name of freedom of expression.

Saikat Chatterjee, on whose complaint Ershad was arrested, told the local media that he filed his complaint as a citizen and not as a TMC leader.

After his release, Ershad said: I thought raising my concerns on social media will draw peoples attention to illegal constructions and filling up of water bodies. It seems those who raise their voice only land in jail.

The case will be heard again on July 10, the court said.
Devotees killed in the accident in Hathras on Tuesday include those from Uttar Pradesh as well as three other states. These include devotees from Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. The state government will provide financial assistance to the families of all the deceased, a government spokesperson said. UP CM Yogi Adityanath meeting people injured in the Hathras incident in hospital . (CMs office X handle)

Among those from Uttar Pradesh who died in the stampede incident, 22 are from Hathras, while 17 from Agra, 15 from Aligarh, 10 from Etah, eight each from Kasganj and Mathura, six from Badaun, five each from Shahjahanpur and Bulandshahr, two each from Auraiya and Sambhal, while one devotee each has died from Lalitpur, Firozabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri and Unnao.

In the list of the dead released by the district administration, six deceased are from other states. These include one devotee from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, one from Palwal in Haryana and three from Faridabad, while one devotee was from Deeg in Rajasthan.

Overall, 6 deaths from outside UP and 106 from Uttar Pradesh have been confirmed. Out of a total of 121 people killed, 112 have been identified so far. Of the dead, 113 are women, six children (5 boys and 1 girl) and 2 men.

Control room/helpline numbers 05722-227041, 42, 43, 45 have also been issued by the administration.
MumbaiFor the first time since his release on bail, Nawab Malik, a prominent member of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), attended a meeting convened by Ajit Pawar. The gathering, which took place amidst rumours of potential defections to the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar, also addressed strategies for the upcoming legislative council elections. NCP leader Nawab Malik leaves from the Hospital after being granted a Bail at Kurla. File Photo. (Photo by Vijay Bate/HT Photo) (Hindustan Times)

A video circulating on social media platforms showed Malik seated alongside other Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and senior party leaders, fuelling further speculation about his political alignment.

Party insiders revealed that Malik had been formally invited to the meeting. "He was unwell and thus avoiding meetings. Throughout this period, he was unavailable even at his constituency office, but has become active over the past week," a NCP source disclosed.

The meeting occurred against a backdrop of political tension. On 7 December, Devendra Fadnavis, the Deputy Chief Minister, penned a letter to his cabinet colleague Ajit Pawar, expressing opposition to Malik's inclusion in the ruling alliance led by Eknath Shinde. Malik, who faces charges in an Enforcement Directorate case, had earlier that day taken his seat on the treasury benches during the winter session of the state legislature in Nagpur.

"As a member of the assembly, he has a right to participate in proceedings," Fadnavis wrote. "We harbour no personal enmity towards him, but given the allegations he faces, we believe it would be inappropriate to include him in the Mahayuti alliance."

Fadnavis emphasised that while Malik was out on bail, he had not been exonerated of the charges against him. "It is your prerogative to decide party membership," he added, "but it is the duty of every alliance partner to ensure that decisions do not harm the Mahayuti."

In response, the NCP asserted its autonomy on Wednesday. "They may have reservations, but Malik is one of our most senior MLAs, and decisions regarding his role will be made by the NCP president," said Sanjay Tatkare, a party spokesperson. "The BJP cannot dictate our actions. We will do whatever is in the best interests of the party."

The political manoeuvring comes as the NCP grapples with internal divisions and external pressures, with the 7 lakh crore budget allocation for the upcoming fiscal year adding to the stakes of political allegiances.
Pune, The Pune district administration has imposed prohibitory orders at several popular picnic spots, including Bhushi Dam and the Pavana Dam region, to ensure the safety of tourists during the monsoon season. HT Image

The order, effective from July 2 to 31, prohibits gatherings of five or more persons, restricts individuals from entering deep water bodies, and bans taking selfies and creating reels at these sites. The administration has already outlined a series of safety measures for hazardous tourist locations, which includes identification and demarcation of dangerous areas, the presence of lifeguards and rescue teams, and the installation of warning boards. The move comes after anincident on Sunday when a woman and four children were swept away at a waterfall near the Bhushi Dam, a well-known picnic spot in the picturesque Lonavala hill station of Maharashtra's Pune district. According to a notification issued by Pune Collector Suhas Divase on Tuesday, section 163 of the newly implemented Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Disaster Management Act-2005 will be enforced at specific spots across Maval, Mulshi, Ambegaon, Khed, Junnar, Bhor, Velha, Indapur, and Haveli tehsils. Violators will face action under relevant legal provisions. The prohibitory orders will be enforced at specific sites, including the Bhushi Dam, Bendewadi and Dahuli waterfalls in Maval tehsil, as well as Tiger Point, Lion's Point, and Rajmachi Point in Khandala, Sahara Bridge, the Pavana Dam region, Tata Dam, and the Ghubad Lake. In Mulshi tehsil, the orders cover Mulshi Dam, Tamhini Ghat forest area, and Milkybar waterfall.

The areas in Haveli tehsil include Khadakwasla and Warasgaon dams, and the surroundings of Sinhgad Fort.

In Ambegaon tehsil, the order applies to the Bhimashankar region, Dimbhe Dam region, and Kondhwal waterfall area. In Junnar tehsil, Malshej Ghat, local dams, the Shivneri Fort region, and Manikdoh are covered.

The prohibitory measures extend to waterfalls around the Bhatghar Dam region and other water bodies and fort areas in Bhor and Velha tehsils. Similarly, water bodies and ghat sections in Khed and Indapur tehsils are included. Separately, in a joint action by the Lonavala Municipal Council and Central Railway, more than 60 makeshift shops near the Bhushi Dam have been demolished during an anti-encroachment drive. On Monday, Divase instructed the local administration to take action against unauthorised structures around tourist spots. Notably, the safety measures at certain locations were outlined amid accidents involving tourists at these locations. During the monsoon season, a large number of tourists visit the Bhushi and Pavana dams, Lonavala, Sinhgad, Malshej and Tamhini and other places, nestled in the Western Ghats in Pune district, often venturing into unknown and dangerous areas. The tranquil setting of the Pavana Dam in Lonavala has also been marred by a series of tragic drownings, underscoring the critical importance of implementing enhanced safety measures in the region. Four persons drowned in the Pavana Dam since January 2024, according to the Lonavala police. Rescue organisations like the Vanyajeev Rakshak Maval reported recovering 27 bodies from various water bodies in Maval tehsil between March and May this year The district collector had asked officials to identify the dangerous spots at various tourist places, such as dams, waterfalls, lakes, rivers, and cliffs, and mark them as prohibited areas by installing perimeter lines and warning boards, so that tourists do not venture beyond them. Places which are disaster-prone and where safety measures cannot be taken must be shut for tourists, he said. Agencies such as revenue, forest, railways, municipal corporations, and the Public Works Department should deploy divers, rescue boats, lifeguards, and life jackets at water bodies frequented by tourists. Ambulances with first aid facilities should also be deployed, the collector said. "If required, take action against those who violate the rules and regulations," Divase stated. He has asked local officials to implement all the measures and prevent loss of life.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (MKAUT), West Bengal, released the admit cards for the Post Graduate Entrance Test (PGET 2024) on July 3, 2024. Candidates who have registered for the exam and wish to download the admit cards can visit the official website at pget.examflix.in. Candidates who would like o download the hall tickets for the Post Graduate Entrance Test (PGET 2024) need to submit their login credentials in order to access the admit cards.(HT Photo)

Candidates who would like to download the hall tickets for the Post Graduate Entrance Test (PGET 2024) must submit their login credentials to access the admit cards. Login credentials like registration number, password and the security code that will be displayed on the screen are to be submitted to download the hall ticket.

Direct Link to download Post Graduate Entrance Test (PGET 2024) Admit Card

As per the information on the official website, the Post Graduate Entrance Test (PGET 2024) is scheduled to be conducted on July 6, 2024. Candidates can get information regarding the exam centre and other instructions on the admit card.

PGET 2024 is being conducted for admission in MTech and MPharm courses in Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (MKAUT) and affiliated colleges under MAKAUT, West Bengal.

Also Read: BPSC Headmaster, Head Teacher exam question papers released on bpsc.bih.nic.in, direct links

Candidates who would like to download their admit cards for the Post Graduate Entrance Test (PGET 2024) can follow the below mentioned steps.

Steps to download Post Graduate Entrance Test (PGET 2024) Admit Card:

Visit the official website of the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (MKAUT) at pget.examflix.in.

Look out for the link to download the Post Graduate Entrance Test (PGET 2024) Admit Card on the home page and click it

A new page appears and candidates need to submit their login credentials like registration number, password and security code to access the admit card

On submitting the login credentials, admit card will be displayed on the screen

Verify the details and save the page

Download the admit card and take a print out of the same for future needs.

For more information, visit the official website.

Also Read: AIAPGET admit card 2024 released on exams.nta.ac.in, direct link and how to download
Altogether 46 Uttar Pradesh (UP) resident women teachers were terminated from service in Aurangabad district of Bihar for getting grace marks against norms during selection in Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) teachers recruitment in 2023. The BPSC teachers recruitment advertisement mentioned that obtaining 60% marks in the Teachers eligibility test (TET) was essential. Only Women, SC/ST and OBC candidates from Bihar had been given 5% grace in the TET percentage.. (File Photo)

The women teachers, belonging to general category and residents of different districts in UP, were found getting 5% grace marks during selection against departmental rules, district program officer (establishment) Daya Shankar Singh said on Wednesday.

The BPSC teachers recruitment advertisement no. 27/2023 clearly mentioned that obtaining 60% marks in the Teachers eligibility test (TET) was essential for selection to the post. Only Women, SC/ST and OBC candidates from Bihar had been given 5% grace in the TET percentage.

Also read: BPSC Headmaster, Head Teacher exam question papers released on bpsc.bih.nic.in, direct links

But the UP-resident candidates got selected on the basis of the 5% grace mark against rules. When some departmental officials noticed the error and denied allowing the selected candidates to join on the posts in a north Bihar district, the candidates preferred a writ petition in the Patna High Court.

The high court denied to interfere in recruitment policy, followed by a letter by director education, Bihar on May 15 clearing that the candidates out of Bihar state were not eligible for 5% grace marks.

Read: BPSC TRE 3 re-exam dates announced, check time table here

Show cause notices were served to the teachers who accepted that they had not obtained 60% marks in the TET which was necessary for recruitment of out of state candidates. The appointment of teachers was cancelled and they were terminated from the service as their explanation was not satisfactory and they were not fulfilling the required criteria, DPO Singh said.

It was blunder of the officials who gave grace marks against rules and passed these candidates. A high-level probe is needed to reveal the nexus playing with the future of poor unemployed girls, a senior official said on condition of anonymity.
When Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck broke up in 2004, they cited relentless media scrutiny as a significant factor in their breakup. Fast-forward to their reunion in 2021, and the couple once again found themselves under the public eye, and Affleck feels it wasn't fair to ask JLo to be more discrete about their relationship. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez at the premiere of This Is Me...Now: A Love Story

The Batman actor always wanted to avoid the same level of intense scrutiny.

Affleck admitted that he initially preferred to keep their renewed romance off social media. Getting back together, I said, Listen, one of the things I dont want is a relationship on social media, he told the Daily Mail.

While addressing their 2004 breakup, Affleck said, When Jen and I broke up before, it was because of the massive amount of scrutiny around our private life.

Affleck soon realized that this request was unfair to Lopez, who had built much of her career and public persona around being open with her fans.

Then I sort of realized its not a fair thing to ask, he told DM. Its sort of like, youre gonna marry a boat captain and you go, Well, I dont like the water. Were just two people with different kinds of approaches trying to learn to compromise.

ALSO READ| Jennifer Lopez spends time with Ben Affleck at his production office, set to star in two films; business or love on?

Affleck reflected on how media scrutiny contributed to their breakup

The Argo star noted in Lopez's documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told: I had a very firm sense of boundaries initially around the press while Jen I don't think objected to it in the way I did, and added, I very much did object to it.

I would say [media attention] was about 50 percent [of what destroyed our relationship], Afflect told The Independent.

The idea that people hate you and they hate you together and that being together is poison and ugly and toxic and the thing none of us want to be part of. And who the f*** would want to have them to dinner? And what the f*** are they doing together?

ALSO READ| Ben Affleck spotted flashing his wedding ring in LA amid Jennifer Lopez divorce rumours

The couples decision to keep a low profile is understandable, given the role media attention played in their initial breakup, like what Prince Harry claimed over the years. In 2003, Lopez and Affleck called off their wedding and later announced their split.

Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date, they said in a joint statement.
Ahead of the release of Shawn Levy's buddy superhero movie Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds looked back at how the movie came to be. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ryan revealed that the original premise of the threequel was supposed to be a small road movie. (Also Read  Deadpool & Wolverine new teaser: Fans gets excited about face-off between Wolverine and Sabretooth) Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds in a still from the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer,

What Ryan said

Literally, it was a $5 or $6 million budget with no special effects. It was just a talkie-talkie road trip with me and Dopinder (Karan Soni's driver character) and some of the things we collected and saw along the way. It wasnt meant to be an event movie. If were on our way to Point C, it was meant to just get us to Point B. That was the weirdest one. I liked it. I thought it was kind of fun," said Ryan.

Ryan Reynolds first played Deadpool in Tim Miller's 2016 eponymous film. He followed it up with the sequel, David Leitch's Deadpool 2, in 2018. However, Disney acquired 21st Century Fox soon after, putting the fate of Deadpool 3 in jeopardy. I didnt know if Id ever be playing Deadpool again. Its not something I wouldve said necessarily publicly, but I didnt know how a character like that would fit into that world (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Ryan said.

About Deadpool 3

However, as fate would have it, Deadpool 3 turned out to be the biggest instalment in the franchise, with the entry of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. The actor, who bid adieu to the iconic character in James Mangold's 2017 film Logan, will now strike back as Wolverine in the Deadpool threequel. It's directed by Shawn Levy, who has previously worked with Ryan in Free Guy (2021) and The Adam Project (2022).

In the film, the Time Variance Authority (TVA) pulls Deadpool from his quiet life and sets him on a mission with Wolverine that will change the history of the MCU. Deadpool & Wolverine also stars Emma Corrin, Matthew MacFayden, Karan Soni, Aaron Stanford, and Jennifer Garner. Produced by Kevin Feige under Marvel Studios, Deadpool & Wolverine is slated to release in cinemas on July 26.
Director SS Rajamouli is known for the extensive casting and pre-production his films undergo. And even as his next film with Mahesh Babu, tentatively called SSMB 29, goes through pre-production, curiosity abounds about whos been cast for the film, apart from the main lead, of course. And the latest name to be attached to the project is Prithviraj Sukumaran. (Also Read: Mahesh Babu and SS Rajamouli's film to go on floors soon; here's everything we know) The casting of SS Rajamouli's film with Mahesh Babu is all anyone can talk about.

Prithviraj Sukumaran on board?

Pinkvilla recently reported that Prithviraj has been officially brought on board the action-adventure film. They quoted a source claiming that Prithviraj will face off against Mahesh in the movie. They also cited the source saying, Its a well-written part with an arc of its own. The character has his own backstory justifying the actions, and Prithviraj is also excited for his first-ever collaboration with both SS Rajamouli and Mahesh Babu.

Interestingly, till recently, it was Aamir Khans name that did rounds as the antagonist in the film. In 2023, TOI filed a report about the rumours in film circles that Aamir has been approached for the negative role. The rumour resurfaced this year, with Siasat Daily reporting that Aamir and Rajamouli even met in Mumbai.

Earlier this year, when Indonesian actor Chelsea Elizabeth Islan followed Rajamouli on Instagram, there were rumours that she has been roped in for the project.

What does the films team say?

The team of SSMB 29, however, maintains that until Rajamouli makes an official announcement, every rumour must be taken with a pinch of salt. A source from the films team tells Hindustan Times, Weve said it before, well say it againanything thats talked about the film right now is pure conjecture. The casting has not been finalised yet, it will be in due time. Unless Rajamouli or the producers announce it, its all gossip.

In May this year, the films team also busted rumours that Viren Swami had been hired as the casting director. They released a press release that read, It has come to our notice that the prominent publication has published an article regarding the casting of SS Rajamouli and Mahesh Babus project. We want to clarify that, contrary to what is stated in the article, Mr Viren Swami is not involved in any part of our film in any way. All official announcements will be made by the production house if and when necessary.

SSMB 29 is yet to go on floors.
Actor Kevin Spacey, who fell in sexual assault and misconduct allegations in 2017, recently admitted that he was broke due to legal fees and has even lost his house. Similarly, Hollywoods elite are facing a moment of reckoning as a wave of sexual assault allegations sweeps through the industry. From actors to rappers, no corner of the industry seems immune from the allegations that have surfaced. While some have denied the allegations on record, others chose to stay mum about it. Heres a roundup: Kanye West and Sean Diddy Combs

1. Kanye West

Kanye West is facing allegations of sexual harassment in a lawsuit brought by a former employee. According to Rolling Stone, Lauren Pisciotta, who collaborated with West on his Yeezy womens line and his album Donda, claims she endured explicit messages, including lewd texts, masturbating in front of her, and sex acts performed while on the phone with her. Pisciotta, who worked as Wests Executive Assistant/Personal Assistant, alleges intentional infliction of emotional distress and seeks $3 million in damages. In fact, Ye has even counter-sued his former assistant Pisciotta in the legal battle.

2. Terius Gesteelde-Diamant

Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, known as The-Dream, is being sued for rape, sexual battery, and sex trafficking by a former mentee, Chanaaz Mangroe. Mangroe accuses Gesteelde-Diamant of luring her into an abusive relationship under false promises of career advancement, alleging physical assaults, violent sexual encounters, and psychological manipulation. Gesteelde-Diamant, renowned for hits like Single Ladies and Umbrella, faces legal action in California federal court.

Also Read: Sean Diddy Combs runs from police in victory video amid sex trafficking probe

3. O-Yeong-Su

Oh Yeong-su, celebrated for his role in Squid Game, has been convicted of sexual misconduct by a South Korean court. In March this year, a district court found Oh guilty of inappropriate touching, including hugging, hand-holding, and kissing a fellow actress in 2017. Oh received an eight-month prison sentence, two years suspension, for sexual misconduct.

4. Sean Diddy Combs

Sean Diddy Combs, a household name in the music industry, is entangled in multiple civil lawsuits alleging sex trafficking, sexual abuse, and rape. Despite vehement denials by Combs and his legal team, federal agents raided his properties in Los Angeles and Miami as he faced a wave of accusations. Lawsuits, including one from former partner Cassie, alleging years of abuse, and another from producer Rodney Lil Rod Jones, accusing Combs of unwanted advances and involvement in sex-trafficking parties, have surfaced against the rapper. In fact, the rappers Instagram account caught everyones attention recently when he deleted all of his posts amid his legal troubles.

5. Shangela

Drag performer Shangela is facing accusations of sexual assault or coercion from five members of the LGBTQ community. This comes after a previous rape case, settled through mediation in February. The accusers recount incidents alleging assault or attempts to render individuals unable to consent due to intoxication. Shangela, known for appearances on Ru Pauls Drag Race and HBOs Were Here, is under scrutiny following these allegations.
Recently, actor Sonakshi Sinha opted for her mothers vintage saree for her intimate wedding ceremony with her husband, actor Zaheer Iqbal, bringing back memories of many other actors who have recently walked down the aisle on their wedding day, wearing or carrying their special something, be it their grand moms necklace or moms wedding outfit. From Parineeti Chopra and Kriti Kharbanda, heres a roundup of such brides who paid tributes and carried a piece of their hearts in their bridal attire: Parineeti Chopra and Sonakshi Sinha

1. Sonakshi Sinha

Actor Sonakshi Sinha donned a simple and chic saree on her big day with her husband Zaheer Iqbal on June 23. It was revealed that the chikankari saree she wore was one of her mother, Poonam Sinhas vintage sarees. It was an intricately embroidered white saree that added up to her minimalistic look. She paired it with a striped blouse. Her wedding look was also completed with a pearl necklace that belonged to her mom. Truly a tribute!

2. Kriti Kharbanda

Actor couple Kriti Kharbanda and Pulkit Samrat got married on March 15 in an intimate wedding ceremony in Delhi, with their close family and friends. The actor opted for a neon green plain saree along with a drop-off shouldered blouse, and gold jewellery at her Chooda ceremony. While the necklace belonged to her grandmother, the pink dupatta on her head was her mothers. While sharing the pictures on the Gram, she wrote, Naani ma ka haar aur ma ki shaadi ka dupatta! The two things I was sure I was going to adorn during my Chooda ceremony even before there was a boyfriend or a proposal bachpan ka Sapna tha.

3. Parineeti Chopra

Actor Parineeti Chopra and politician Raghav Chadha exchanged vows in Udaipur, Rajasthan, in September last year. Designer Manish Malhotra, who was behind her wedding outfit, had shared a post mentioning the special connection. She wore an ivory lehenga with sequin work, which also had her grandmothers traditional keychain. Malhotra wrote with the pics, Some details make all the difference. I remember discussing the lehenga design with Parineeti Chopra, who mentioned adding her Nanis challa (traditional keychain) to it! She wanted to pay a heartfelt tribute to her nani, who used to wear the same challa in her saree with the keys, a symbol of being the lady of the house.

4. Sonarika Bhadoria

Actor Sonarika Bhadoria tied the knot with beau, businessman Vikas Parashar in January this year and chose to carry a piece of her heart in her bridal outfit. It was her mums outfit that she went for, for her Mehndi ceremony. The kurti-style blouse in green was complemented by her moms traditional red lehenga as her dupatta and gharaara. Talking about the same in an interview, Bhadoria shared, The highlight of the ritual was my outfit choice. I aimed to emphasise sustainable fashion, so I opted for my mothers wedding attire  a timeless piece blending tradition and sentiment seamlessly.

5. Taapsee Pannu

Taapsee Pannu wedding outfit

Even actor Taapsee Pannu chose to wear a very light necklace and earrings that her grandmother gave to her mother at her intimate wedding with Mathias Boe in March. For the ceremony, she chose an authentic suit with their jewelry. While talking to us in an interview earlier, she shared, For the wedding, I wore traditional Punjabi saggi phull, which is a hair accessory, along with a very light necklace and earrings that my grandmother gave to my mother at her wedding. I had no other jing bhang for the Indian wedding. My chooda and kaleere also were very basic.
Its been over a year since Vivian Dsena was seen on screen, but the actor informs that soon he will be making his OTT debut. There are talks going on for a web show, I have done mock shoot for it. Its going to be my debut for OTT. We still have to start shooting, and we will do that post monsoons, he shares. Vivian Dsena set to make his OTT debut

Dsenas last show was Udaariyaan in 2023, and ever since his marriage in 2022, he has been traveling back and forth between Mumbai and Bahrain for work as his wife and daughter stay there. Ask him how he manages it, and he says, Who am I working for? Once you have a family, you do all that you can for them. I have this special connection with (comedian-actor) Zakir Khan and he once said, never blame your parents for what they did, because they must have done their best. And I love that. My family can of course travel to Mumbai when they want and even my father travel to Bahrain sometimes. With so much technology around, it isnt difficult. And its just 3.5-4 hours flight to Bahrain from Mumbai.

The 36-year-old has been a part of the industry since 2008 and feels happy that in a time when shows are going off air in two to three months, my shortest show has run for 10-11 months. Ask the actor if he ever fell attracted to the land of Bollywood in these 16 years in the industry and he says, I never had a Bollywood dream, I am sorry. At the beginning of my career, even before people knew who I am, my mother told me that if God gives you a position at a certain place, give your best every time at the same position. Dont try to wander around into a position where you have to start from scratch.
For Maya Neelakantan, who is being dubbed the rock goddess after her Americas Got Talent (season 19) audition clip went viral, fame is incidental. I had never expected all this, she gushes. Guitar prodigy Maya Neelakantan has gone viral for her America's Got Talent audition, for her rendition of Papa Roachs Last Resort infused with notes of Carnatic music.(Photo: Instagram)

The young guitarist, who hails from Chennai (Tamil Nadu), feels the fusion of Indian classical music with rock and metal is exciting and hasnt been explored much. These genres are so underrated together! I want to create my own music, which is more like the AGT performance, she shares.

The 11-year-old went on the reality show stage dressed in an embellished lehenga-kurta set, complete with traditional jewellery, and played Papa Roachs Last Resort infused with notes of classical Carnatic music, creating an audio-visual juxtaposition. I was representing all of India and wanted to make a place for traditional music, too. My amma helped me organise the outfit, with the earrings and everything, says the school student.

Neelakantan, who fell in love with Carnatic music at the age of two, learns it online with Prasanna Ramaswamy (Guitar Prasanna).

Speaking about business tycoon Anand Mahindra sharing her video, she said, I did not expect that at all. It was very nice of him to do this... I have received love and support from guitar lengends, many of whom are close friends. But for him to discover me in this way was very unexpected, and got me love from the entire country!

Support Matters

Counting her blessings, Neelakantan says that shes grateful for all the support she gets from her parents (Indian dad and Australian mum) and others: Ive received so much support from legends like Gary Holt (American guitarist), who flew all the way from Sacramento to Los Angeles to watch my AGT audition. She enjoys good following on the internet with 15.8K followers on YouTube and 49.2K on Instagram.

For more, follow @htcity.delhijunction
Disha Patani recently debuted some fresh ink in her latest Instagram post. Looking chic and chill, the actor sported an unmissable tattoo on her forearm which simply read, 'PD'. While the tattoo of course gave way to a sea of speculations about what it meant and who could it possibly hint at, one cannot help but acknowledge how it is a perfect fit for Disha's all-time favourite style  athleisure. While athleisure may define her go-to choice of fits, Disha isn't hesitant to occasionally switch things up with other inspired ensembles. Let's do a roundup of the Kalki 2898 AD actor's top aesthetics. Disha Patani's many aesthetics: From athleisure to cottagecore

Athleisure

Disha and athleisure are a match made in heaven, something that compliments the fact that the actor is self-admittedly a gym rat. The latest Instagram post which debuted her tattoo, featured Disha dressed in a baby blue tank top with a barely-there sequined butterfly paired with low-rise relaxed denims and a chainmail baguette, both in white.

Be it her Calvin Klein campaign or her shoot for a keynote magazine, relaxed bottoms and fitted top appear to be Disha's choice of uniform.

Her airport runs too comprise a mix of fitted and relaxed silhouettes, fitting the athleisure template.

Even for running errands with her younger brother, as can be seen in this photo, Disha opted for a simple tank top paired with cargo style pants in ash grey.

Her trip to Istanbul in May last year, too saw her keep it casual, sticking to her comfortable and chic template.

As a matter of fact, Disha appears to like living her life in athleisure, also seen donning a similar fit as she enjoys some downtime by the setting sun.

Cottagecore

Though athleisure wins hands down, cottagecore fits come in at a close second for Disha. Take this all beige off-the-shoulders ruffled dress for instance, seamlessly cinched in with a corseted tan belt  cottagecore at its best.

For her many trips around the globe, Disha has on a few occasions, ditched her comfy sweats for a well-cinched dress, much like this ruched backless one in white.

Adding a modern twist to the aesthetic, the actor sported a bright red maxi dress by the beach, complete with a thigh-high slit and ruffled hem.

Red-carpet ready

An appreciable occupational hazard of being in showbiz are the very many red-carpets that are rolled out multiple times across the year. While Disha evidently likes to keep things comfy in the dressing department, she switches up just as well for evenings that demand full-glam. Her most recent gown was an Aadnevik number featuring a fitted lace bodice followed by trails of tulle fashioned as the skirt.

Opting for white again at another red carpet event, Disha turned out in a full-length bodycon with risque cutouts.

Channeling Bond girl vibes, this look of Disha's featured her in a shimmering black full length number with a daring thigh-high slit. The blow-dried long bob added a touch of old Hollywood glam.

A special mention must be made of Disha's new-found love for the early 2000s aesthetic. Corsets seem to be reigning big in the actor's closet, be it in the form of regency-style gowns, sultry midis or even as is. Take this look for instance in which she pairs a white satin corset with a pair of casual blue denims.

This next look sees Disha ditch the neutrals in favour of some pink and orange. The structured corset with a shimmering gold bustier peaking through, gives way to a ballgown-esque skirt.

A while back, she opted for a slinky, shimmering co-ord set in a matte red. The low rise mini skirt paired with the cowl neck crop top was as 2000s as it gets.

She also posted photos from a a similar look in teal.

A more recent look from the actor puts the spotlight on this shimmering, powder blue slip dress from Clio Peppiatt with coral motifs in silver, red and green.

The Prabhas led Kalki 2898 AD, which also stars Disha is currently running in theatres.
At least 33 students of a government school have been hospitalised after consuming the mid-day meal served at their school in Kalaburagi district, a top health official familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. This comes a day after 17 students from Murarji Desai Residential School in Jevargi were hospitalised after eating breakfast. (HT Photo)

Kalaburagi district health officer (DHO) Dr Sharanbasappa Ganajalkhed said: A total of 33 students began experiencing symptoms such as stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea on Monday evening after having their mid-day meal at their school. They were promptly transported to the primary health centre and a government hospital in Vadi.

This comes a day after 17 students from Murarji Desai Residential School in Jevargi were hospitalised after eating breakfast.

Speaking on the latest food poisoning incident, Ganajalkhed said: Five students, who were more severely affected, were admitted to the taluka government hospital in Vadi, while the others were treated at Kollur PHC. Most of the children recovered and were discharged by Monday night, although those more seriously affected are still receiving treatment at Vadi hospital and are improving.

He further said that the 33 students were from Kanaganahalli higher primary school in Chittapur taluk. They were served rice as part of the mid-day meal scheme that had apparently been contaminated with rainwater.

Following the incident, a Class 7 student said: We dont know how the rainwater got mixed with the cooked rice that was served to us. She said that many students experienced severe stomach pain, vomiting, and dehydration by 3 pm. Some students said that the rice was spoiled and had an unpleasant smell.

One of the teachers, on condition of anonymity, said: We immediately informed the SDMC members, parents of the students, and the Block Education Officer and took the affected students to the hospitals.

Members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike in Chittapur taluk highlighted the communitys quick response, noting that villagers transported the sick students to hospitals on bikes and tractors instead of waiting for ambulances.

Chittapur block education officer (BEO) Jagadevi Hattur lauded the swift action taken by villagers and SDMC members. Most of the children recovered quickly because they were taken to the hospital immediately. I thank the villagers and SDMC members for their prompt actions, Hattur said.

Tahasildar Ambarish Biradar said that doctors examined all the students as a precaution, and no additional infections were found among those, who consumed the same meal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told the Opposition it must accept defeat in the general elections and not try to twist the mandate, as he attacked the Congress, promised that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would work 24x7 for a developed India by 2047, and vowed that reforms would move at triple speed and triple power for triple results during his third term. Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in the Lok Sabha during his speech in the parliament on Tuesday. (Sansad TV)

In a scathing speech in the Lok Sabha, Modi launched a charged rebuttal of the speech delivered the previous day by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of being childish, of his world view being amateurish, and of trying to defame Hindus who, the Prime Minister said, have been instrumental in Indias democracy flourishing. His reference was to Gandhi saying that some of the people who call themselves Hindu were indulging in violence. To be sure, some portions of Gandhis speech were later expunged.

ALSO READ| PM Narendra Modi's boss move offering water to heckling Opposition MPs | WATCH

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been trying to portray Gandhis comment as one that targets all Hindus.

Calling an entire community violent is a very serious matter, the PM said on Monday in Parliament, to which Gandhi was quick to respond that his comment was about the BJP and the RSS.

On Tuesday, Modi pushed ahead in the same vein: This act against the Hindus of this country will never be forgotten, he said.

The PM also sought to set the record straight at the beginning of the 18th Lok Sabha , in the context of a raucous Opposition -- they chanted slogans , including on Manipur, which did not find a mention in Modis speech through the afternoon -- and a ruling coalition that has seemed subdued.

This is the third straight time that the Congress has failed to cross 100 seats. It is their third-worst performance in Indias electoral history. It would have been good had they accepted their loss and introspected. Instead, their ecosystem is spending day and night trying to convince people that they have defeated us, Modi said in the Lok Sabha as he accused the Opposition of trying to spin the results as a fake victory.

The Opposition, now with bolstered numbers in the 18th Lok Sabha, heckled Modi throughout his address with chants of Manipur, Manipur and we want justice despite Speaker Om Birla chastising them repeatedly for upending the dignity of Parliament.

In a 2 hour, 13 minute reply to the Motion of Thanks on the Presidents Address, the PM touched on a spectrum of issues in an address split in two halves.

In the first part, he focussed largely on the BJPs economic achievements and his administrations aims over the next five years. Around 40 minutes into his speech, however, Modi turned his attention to the election results and the Oppositions showing.

The NDA coming to power for the third time is historic. After Independence, this privilege has come for the second time in this country, and after 60 years. Achieving this feat comes after a lot of hard work, Modi said, also pointing to the simultaneous elections in four states  Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh  all of which the BJP or its alliance partners won.

The Prime Minister underscored his partys improved vote shares in several states , apart from pointing out that the BJP had also secured a seat in Kerala for the first time and thanked the people of India for giving him and his party another chance to serve.

Underlining that the NDA has won the worlds biggest election and that the people have judged the government on every parameter the PM pitched for Viksit Bharat  the central theme of the Presidents speech -- and said, People have seen our intent and commitment. When country gets developed, then dreams of crores of people are fulfilled. Viksit Bharat means quality or life, dignity and it will make a major improvement in the urban and rural areas. Our cities will participate in global development and a developed India will also provide crores of opportunities for our people.

Stressing that confidence will become the driving force of development, Modi pitched for a strong, Viksit Bharat and said, In our third term, we will work with triple the speed. Our third term means we will put in thrice the strength. In our third term, we will ensure three times the results.

He then took aim at the Congress, a party that had set a world record in failure.

The Congress has not crossed 100 seats in the Lok Sabha for three consecutive terms. Instead of conceding defeat, they are being arrogant, he said, amid raucous protests by the Opposition.

Attempts to twist the narrative and spin their loss as a victory was like trying to pacify a child, Modi said, in an apparent reference to Gandhi.

If a child falls off a bicycle, the adults around them say, Oh look, nothing happened, just an ant died, a bird flew away... you ride the cycle so well. All of this is done to motivate and distract the child. The same attempts are also being made today, he said, repeatedly going back to the term balak buddhi (childish mind) to taunt the Congress.

I remember a story, he added. A child used to tell people he got 99 marks. But the teacher revealed that he didnt get 99 out of 100 but 99 out of 543 (total seats in Lok Sabha) . Who will tell the child that you have created a world record of failure?

He then called the Congress a parasitic party that ate into its allies votes or fed off their success, pointing to its performance in direct electoral contests against the BJP, vis a vis its improved success rate when allied with other parties. The CongressS strike rate against the BJP in 2024 was 29%, low, but a significant improvement from 8.3% in 2019. He further described the party as a parasite and said that in contests where it was the junior partner, the Oppositions strike rate improved to 50%.

Modi also accused the Congress of trying to sow social discord. They tried to create unrest by questioning Indias electoral process. They spread unrest about CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), and tried to create misunderstanding among people and the entire ecosystem strengthened them so that their political goals were fulfilled, he said, also accusing the party of using Rafale, HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) and LIC to mislead people.

In another apparent reference to Gandhi, Modi said: They know the truth  that they are on bail for embezzling thousands of crores of rupees (an allusion to the National Herald case), and they have been convicted for calling OBC people thieves (an allusion to Gandhis conviction in a defamation case, when his reference to economic offenders Lalit Modi and Nirav Modi was challenged by the BJP in court as a slur on the entire Modi community) and had to apologise for irresponsible comments on the countrys top court.

Modi said an attempt was made to mislead Parliament on the Agnipath army recruitment scheme . The Congress can never see a strong Indian army. Everyone knows how weak our forces were during Nehrus time. He listed a succession of corruption scandals relating to the procurement of defence equipment.

The Prime Minister also hit out at Gandhi for holding up a photo of Lord Shiva as a symbol of a deity in whom the Congress took refuge when faced with a volley of attacks by the ruling party. Jiske darshan hote hai, uske pradarshan nahi hote hai (the deity who is worshipped is not used to gain publicity), Modi said.

The Prime Minister briefly addressed the roiling controversy around irregularities in public examinations, especially surrounding the undergraduate level National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG).

The President expressed concerns about paper leaks in her address. I also want to tell students and youngsters that the government is serious about controlling such incidents and we are taking back-to-back steps on a war footing to fulfil our responsibilities, he said.

Those playing with the future of youngsters will not be spared, arrests are being made across the country in the NEET issue. The Centre has already framed strict laws and important steps are being taken to strengthen the entire system of conducting examinations, he added.

Modi said that an atmosphere of despair and dejection cloaked the country till 2014, with little motivation or hope among the countrys young. People used to say iss desh ka kuchh nahi ho sakta (nothing can happen in this country). Everyday, the newspapers were awash with news of scams, worth thousands of crores, he said.

My aim was to lift the country out of this mood of despair, bring its youth out of this sadness. Then, those who said iss desh ka kuchh nahi ho sakta, started saying iss desh mein sab kuchh ho sakta hai (anything is possible in the country), he added.

Globally, Indias status has grown. People have seen our only aim is nation first. Our policies, our work and decisions have only one parameter: India first. We have continued with reforms. We have continuously worked with the mantra Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas and Sarv path Samabhav, the PM said

In the 543-member House, the NDA has 293 members, as against 353 in 2019, with the BJP at 240, down from 303. The Oppositions Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) has 236 members, of which the Congress has 99.

Towards the end of his speech, Modi was informed about the deaths during a stampede in Hathras, and expressed regret over the tragic incident. I express my condolences to those who lost their lives in this incident. I hope for the speedy recovery of all the injured, he said.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday alleged negligence and lack of arrangements by the Uttar Pradesh government for the loss of lives in the stampede at a Satsang event in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district.



At least 121 people have died, and hundreds injured in a stampede at a religious event conducted by self-styled godman Narayan Sakar Hari, knows as Bhole Baba at Fulrai village in Hathras on Tuesday. New Delhi: Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav speaks to the media as he arrives to attend the Parliament session, in New Delhi, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Party MP Awadhesh Prasad is also seen. (PTI Photo/Shahbaz Khan)(PTI07_03_2024_000059B)(PTI)

Also read | Hathras News Live updates

According to the FIR registered at Sikandra Rau police station, the event was attended by nearly 2.5 lakh people and a stampede like situation arose when people rushed towards the godman to seek his blessings and collect some soil at the spot from where his car left.

The FIR did not name Bhole baba, but names Devdas Madhukar, head sevadar, among other organisers and unidentified individuals. The godman had reportedly left the place immediately with his associates as a stampede like situation arose.

The Uttar Pradesh government and administration are fully responsible for this incident. The loss of lives in this incident is due to the negligence of the government, Yadav was quoted by ANI as saying.

Also read | Rush for blessings led to stampede: Eyewitnesses say as toll rises to 121

Yadav also claimed lack of doctors and other medical facilities at a nearby hospital. They were unable to arrange vehicles and ambulances on time. And even if they reached the hospital for treatment, they did not get the adequate treatment that they should get. They did not get oxygen or medicines. What arrangements were made? Then the Bharatiya Janata Party government is responsible, added the MP from Kannauj.

Yadav said proper Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)'s should have been in place ahead of such large-scale gatherings.

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited Hathras on Wednesday to meet the injured and took stock of the situation. Previously, the state government announced compensation of 2 lakh to the families of those who perished in the tragedy.

In a related development, advocate Vishal Tiwari has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court seeking the appointment of an expert committee led by a retired high court judge to investigate the deaths of 121 people at Satsang in Hathras. The PIL also sought to survey and establish guidelines and directives to prevent similar incidents in the future.

(With ANI inputs)
The Calcutta high court is set to hear a defamation suit on Wednesday, July 3, filed by West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose against chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The hearing for the case is listed for hearing before the bench of Justice Krishna Rao, according to the high court's website. The Calcutta high court is scheduled to hear a defamation suit on Wednesday, filed by Governor C V Ananda Bose against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (PTI)

Also Read: Ensure theres no political bias in judiciary, Mamata Banerjee tells judges

On June 28, CV Ananda Bose filed a defamation case against the chief minister, a day after she claimed that women did not feel safe visiting the Raj Bhavan. In an administrative meeting in the state secretariat, Mamata Banerjee said, "Women have informed me they are afraid to visit Raj Bhavan due to recent incidents reported there".

Read more: Case registered after video shows man, said to be TMC leader, thrashing couple in Bengal

Mamata Banerjee's remarks were a reference to an allegation of molestation made against Bose on May 2 by a contractual woman employee of Raj Bhavan. The Kolkata Police has started an inquiry on the issue.

The governor reacted to her remarks, stating that it was not fitting for a public representative to create "erroneous and slanderous impressions". Bose also claimed that these were engineered narratives meant to hinder his ability to stop corruption in the state.

Also read: Bengal facing financial breakdown, says Guv, asks TMC to issue white paper

Under Article 361 of the Constitution, no criminal proceedings can be instituted against a governor during his/her term in office.

State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury, commented on the matter, saying, These allegations and counter-allegations are tarnishing the image of West Bengal. This is nothing but a shameful episode.

The West Bengal governor has also filed defamation suits against other TMC leaders for making similar comments, a source told news agency PTI.

Veteran CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said that the tussle between the Governor and Chief Minister is indicative of them both forgetting their constitutional responsibilities.
The Bihar government has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Patna high court decision striking down the law enhancing caste-based reservation to 65% in jobs and admissions and argued that the caste survey carried out by the state adequately satisfies the parameters required to breach the 50% ceiling on reservation set by the top court in the 1992 Indra Sawhney judgment. In its appeal filed through advocate Manish Kumar, the Bihar government told the top court the Indra Sawhney judgment held that the 50% reservation ceiling can be breached if there are exceptional circumstances. (HT Photo)

The Patna high court on June 20 decided a clutch of petitions challenging the Bihar Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services (for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes) Amendment Act, 2023 and Bihar Reservation (in Admission to Educational Institutions) Amendment Act, 2023 and held the two laws to be violative of Articles 14 (equality), 15 (right against discrimination), and 16 (right against discrimination in employment) of the Constitution of India.

ALSO READ| The Patna HC judgment on reservation and its implications on future quota policies

In its appeal filed through advocate Manish Kumar, the Bihar government told the top court the Indra Sawhney judgment held that the 50% reservation ceiling can be breached if there are exceptional circumstances. The state said that these exceptional circumstances were provided by the Bihar Caste Survey, an exercise conducted by the state to ascertain social and educational backwardness among scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, backward classes (BC), extremely backward classes (EBC), other castes and general category. The survey findings published in October last year found that these groups formed roughly 84% of the states population.

The Amendment Acts were passed pursuant to the Bihar Caste Survey 2022-23, which clearly satisfy the social test parameters affirmed by this Court to breach the 50% ceiling of reservation, the appeal said, adding, that such an exercise was not conducted by the Maharashtra government at the time when a five-judge bench struck down the Maratha quota law in 2021.

Bihar is the only State which carried out this exercise and published its caste survey report on socio-economic and educational conditions of entire population, the state told the top court. It further added that the HC failed to note this aspect and held that the two Acts endeavour to provide proportional representation when the aim of the Acts under challenge is to provide adequate representation to backward classes by enhancing the reservations to 65% from the existing 50%.

The state further argued that the HC exceeded the scope of judicial review by determining that the representation of backward classes in government services was adequate when this is to be determined by the state .

In the presence of relevant material for such satisfaction (caste survey), the states decision cannot be challenged on grounds of propriety, reasonableness, and sufficiency, the state submitted, seeking to set aside the HC decision.

The HC judgment pronounced by a bench of chief justice K Vinod Chandran and justice Harish Kumar struck down the legislations as bad in law for violating the 50% ceiling set by the nine-judge bench of the top court in Indra Sahwney.

It said, There is no requirement for an enhancement of reservations, as adequate representation now exists and there is no valid ground for breach of 50% rule, which in any way is not permissible.

It further held, The fact remains that backward communities are adequately represented in public employment, by virtue of reservation and also merit, which is an indication of one or other caste or community having reaped the benefits of reservation and the various beneficial welfare schemes implemented by the state in achieving an element of social capital.

Tamil Nadu, at present, has a law providing for 69% reservation for identified classes. Although a challenge to this law remains pending before the top court, it has been saved so far on the ground that the law received a presidential assent in 1993 and was also put in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides only limited scope of judicial review.
Former deputy prime minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart Lal Krishna Advani was admitted to the Apollo Hospital in New Delhi on Wednesday, ANI reported. Former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani.(PTI)

In a statement, the hospital said that Advani was admitted to Apollo Hospital under the observation of Dr Vinit Suri at 9 pm. He is under observation and stable.

Earlier this week, Advani was admitted to New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on June 26 due to old age-related issues. He was discharged the next day.

The 96-year-old veteran leader was evaluated by a team of doctors from different specialities including urology, cardiology and geriatric medicine.

Born in Karachi (present-day Pakistan) on November 8, 1927, LK Advani was recently conferred with Bharat Ratna by President Draupadi Murmu on March 30, 2024.

Advani started his political journey by joining the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a swayamsevak in 1942. He began his parliamentary career in 1970 when he was elected to the Rajya Sabha. He contested his first Lok Sabha election in 1989 from New Delhi, defeating Mohini Giri.

Advani catapulted the BJP into national reckoning with his Rath Yatra for Ayodhyas Ram Temple in the early 1990s.

Advani served as the deputy prime minister and home minister, playing crucial roles in the government during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule under Atal Bihari Vajpayee rule.

He also served as the BJP president from 1986 to 1990, then from 1993 to 1998, and from 2004 to 2005. Advani had served as the president of the party for the longest period since its inception in 1980.

In 2005, he had to step down from the party chiefs post following an uproar over his praise of Pakistans founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah during his visit to Lahore.

Though he remained committed to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanghs (RSS) ideology, his statement led to a temporary schism between him and the ideological fount of the party.

In recent years, he has taken a step back from active political engagements due to health issues.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested Aman Singh, an alleged co-conspirator in the NEET-UG question paper leak case from Jharkhands Dhanbad, people familiar with the development said. CBI has so far arrested seven people in its NEET related probes across the country. (Representative image)

Singh was a key person in the conspiracy behind the paper leak in Jharkhands Hazaribagh and Bihars Patna, which was allegedly executed by the Sanjeev Mukhia gang, they said.

This is the sixth arrest by the CBI in the Patna paper leak case.

Earlier, the federal agency arrested Ashutosh Kumar and Manish Kumar from Patna; Ehsanul Haque, the principal of Oasis School in Hazaribagh and Imtiaz Alam, the institutes vice principal; and a newspaper employee Jamaluddin Ansari from Hazaribagh.

Mukhia is absconding.

Officials said the federal agency has independently made a total of seven arrests in its NEET related probes across the country - the seventh arrest was that of Dixit Patel, a chairman of a school in Gujarats Godhra.

The 2024 NEET-UG, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to MBBS, BDS and other related undergraduate medical courses across India, has been beset with a series of allegations ranging from question paper leaks, inflated marking and arbitrary allowance of grace marks  issues that have become a nationwide flashpoint for political parties, leading to thousands of students protesting for weeks.

This years examination was conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 abroad, with 2.3 million candidates appearing for it.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive president Hemant Soren looked set to return as Jharkhands chief minister after he was elected the leader of the states ruling alliance and staked claim to form the government after the resignation of Champai Soren from the post on Wednesday, people aware of the matter said. Champai Soren (right) tenders his resignation as chief minister to governor CP Radhakrishnan, with Hemant Soren present. (PTI)

Champai, who took over as the chief minister on February 2, reached Raj Bhavan in the evening along with Soren andfive coalition leaders to tender his resignation to governor CP Radhakrishnan.

I have resigned on my own. This is a decision of our alliance, which is very strong. Earlier, the alliance had given me the responsibility in special political circumstances. Everyone knows what happened to Hemant babu. Now he is back. The alliance today decided unanimously to choose him as our leader. I am giving back the responsibility that was given to me, Champai said.

Soren immediately staked claim to form the government after Champais resignation. The chief minister has already said what needs to be said. You will be informed about future developments, he said. JMM general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said Soren was likely to take oath on July 7.

Read Here: Hemant Soren declares rebellion against BJP: We will drive out feudal forces

Soren resigned from the chief ministers post on January 31, and was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate hours later on money laundering charges in connection with an alleged land racket in the state capital. Champai, a trusted Soren aide and sitting minister at the time, was elected as the ruling coalitions leader on the same day. Soren, who has denied all charges, walked out of jail last Friday after the Jharkhand high court granted him bail.

In a statement, the Raj Bhavan said the governor has asked Champai to continue as the CM till an alternate arrangement is put in place.

Chief minister Champai Soren met governor CP Radhakrishnan and tendered his resignation. The governor has asked him to hold his post till an alternate arrangement is put in place. Following it, former CM Hemant Soren along with leaders of JMM, Congress, RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal), Communist Party of India (MarxistLeninist) Liberation and other legislators met and staked claim to form the next government. He (Soren) has also submitted a list of MLAs supporting him, the statement said.

Earlier in the day, legislators from the states ruling alliance met at Sorens residence and elected him as their leader. A decision was taken in the meeting to make Hemant Soren as the chief minister of the state again, a JMM leader aware of the details said on condition of anonymity.

Sorens return to the states helm is likely to provide impetus to the JMM-led alliance ahead of this years state elections, party leaders said.

Read Here: Hemant Soren set to return as chief minister of Jharkhand

He is the tallest leader in the state and people know how he was sent to jail in fabricated case. BJP will be reduced to single digit in the assembly elections, party spokesperson Manoj Pandey said.

The ruling grand alliance won 47 of the total 81 seats in the state in the 2019 assembly polls and the BJP managed to bag 25. The coalition swept the tribal seats in the elections, winning 26 of the 28 ST-reserved constituencies, while the BJP won the remaining two seats, down from the 11 it won in 2014. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won eight of the states 14 parliamentary seats, the JMM three, and the Congress two.

The BJP mounted an attack on the JMM over Sorens likely return as chief minister for the third time, accusing the party of indulging in dynastic politics. Soren is the son of JMM president and former CM Shibu Soren

The Champai Soren era is over in Jharkhand. In the family-oriented party, people outside the family have no political future, BJP MP from Dodda in Jharkhand Nishkant Dubey said.

State BJP chief Babulal Marandi said there was no space for tribal leaders outside the Shibu Soren family to excel in JMM. The incident is a lesson for tribal leaders in the JMM. They need to know their boundary. They are meant to only carry the burden of the Shibu Soren family, he said.

The JMM rejected the allegations, with Pandey accusing the BJP of instead being anti-tribal.

Meanwhile, people aware of the matter said that the ED was likely to challenge the bail given to Soren in the alleged land racket. The caseoriginated with the arrest of Bhanu Pratap Prasad, a land revenue sub-inspector of Bargain circle area in the state capital, in 2023. Prasad was allegedly part of a land-grab syndicate that falsified original land records. Several original land records were recovered from Prasad, along with an image on his phone showing an 8.86-acre land parcel allegedly in Sorens illegal possession.

The agency served 10 summons to Soren between August 14, 2023 to January 31, 2024 in the case. Soren failed to respond to eight out of 10 summonses before he agreed to record his statement at his official residence on January 20.
Ranchi: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Hemant Soren is set to become the chief minister of Jharkhand, replacing incumbent Champai Soren, who resigned from the post following Hemants return within days after coming out of jail on June 28 after being granted bail by the high court, in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. Champai Soren resigned as Jharkhand chief minister to Governor CP Radhakrishnan (Twitter Photo)

Champai took charge of the JMM-Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal coalition government in the state on February 2.

Hemant, who staked claim to form the next government on Wednesday soon after Champai resigned to Governor CP Radhakrishnan, is likely to take oath as chief minister for the third time on Thursday, ruling alliance leaders said.

I have resigned on my own. This is a decision of our alliance, which is very strong. Earlier, the alliance had given me the responsibility in special political circumstances. Now Hemant Babu is back. The alliance today decided unanimously to choose him as our leader. I am giving back the responsibility that was given to me, Champai told reporters outside Raj Bhawan, flanked by Hemant.

The unanimous decision to anoint Hemant was taken in the legislature party meeting of the INDIA alliance front, including the JMM, Congress and the RJD, at the residence of chief minister Champai on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by Hemant, Jharkhand Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir and state unit president Rajesh Thakur, among others.

The chief minister has already said what needs to be said. You will be informed about future developments, Hemant told reporters after the meeting.

The lone legislator of the Communist Party of India (MarxistLeninist) Liberation, Vinod Singh, who has extended his support to the JMM, was also present in the meeting.

JMM general secretary and spokesperson, who was also present at Raj Bhawan, said the governor is likely to invite Hemant for oath-taking on Friday.

Champai took charge of the JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government on February 2, three days after the directorate of enforcement (ED) arrested the then chief minister Hemant on January 31 on money laundering charges in connection with an alleged land scam in the state capital.

The decision to bring Hemant back at the helm comes five days after the JMM executive president came out of jail following bail granted by the Jharkhand high court in the ED case on June 28.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a debate in Parliament on the controversy over medical entrance exam NEET. Gandhis letter to Modi comes a day after he attacked the BJP government in Lok Sabha over alleged irregularities in the conduct of the examination that has taken the country by storm. Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a debate in Parliament on the controversy over medical entrance exam NEET. (PTI )

Gandhi said,I am writing to request for a debate in Parliament on NEET. As you are aware, the Oppositions request for a debate on this issue was denied in both Houses of Parliament on June 28. Yesterday, the Opposition had requested for a discussion on this issue again. The honourable Speaker of the Lok Sabha had given assurance to the opposition that he would discuss the matter with the government.

Calling the alleged paper leak a betrayal of a lifetime dream Gandhi said that lakhs of families have made tremendous personal sacrifices to support their children.

He added that the students and families are looking up to us, their public representatives to take bold and decisive steps to resolve the issue. The NEET examination deserves immediate attention because it has exposed the deep rot in our higher education system.

But there was no clarity on whether there will be a day=long debate and discussion on the issue.

Also read : In our 3rd term, we will work with 3X speed: PM Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha

In his letter, Gandhi said that the aim is to engage constructively to find a way forward saying that the only concern is the welfare of nearly 24 lakh NEET aspirants across India.

The past seven years have seen over 70 paper leaks, affecting over 2 crore students. The governments move to postpone other examinations and replace the Director General of the National Testing Agency is a move to cover up the systemic breakdown of our centralised testing system, he added.

He said,Our students deserve answers. A parliamentary debate is the first step towards rebuilding and restoring their faith. Given the urgency of the matter, I request the government to facilitate a debate in the House tomorrow. I believe that it would be fitting if you were to lead this debate in the interest of the students.

The controversy surrounding the NEET UG and UGC NET examinations in 2024 has escalated into a significant issue, marked by allegations of paper leaks, inflated scores, and administrative irregularities. Starting with the uproar over NEET UG results on June 4, subsequent events including the cancellation of UGC NET and the postponement of other exams have questioned the credibility of the National Testing Agency . Amid political criticism and legal petitions, the government has initiated investigation by CBI and dismissed the head of NTA .
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on the Manipur situation in Rajya Sabha.



In a post on social platform X, Ramesh said Modi had still not visited the crisis-hit state and his claims of normalcy were astounding. Jairam Ramesh slammed Prime Minister Modi over his remark's on Manipur in Rajya Sabha, stating that Modi had still not visited the crisis-hit state and his claims of normalcy were astounding.(PTI)

In Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Modi said that violence in Manipur was declining and that schools have been reopened in most parts of the state. He also added, that his government was making sure that peace and normalcy would return to the state.

Watch:Manipur MPs Big Attack On PM Modi In Lok Sabha; Govt Trying To Silence Tragedy Of | Watch

Ramesh said on X, "Today in the Rajya Sabha, after months of absolute silence on the issue, the non-biological PM made the astounding claim that the situation in Manipur is normal."

Also Read:Rajya Sabha session highlights: Manipur will soon reject Congress, says PM Modi

The Opposition had alleged earlier that the prime minister was deliberately turning his back on the situation in Manipur. The opposition MPs repeatedly chanted slogans related to Manipur during his speech in Parliament.

Also Read: No mention of Manipur crisis: State Cong condemns Presidents Lok Sabha address

Ramesh added, In actuality, the situation is still tense as the MP from Inner Manipur pointed out in the Lok Sabha on 1st July. And the non-biological Pradhan Mantri has still not visited Manipur since it erupted on the night of May 3rd, 2023 -- nor has he met with the political leaders of the state. The President's Address too was silent on the issue."

PM Modi had told the joint sitting of Parliament that 500 people had been arrested and 11,000 FIRs had been filed in Manipur. However, the Congress attacked the government for not letting the second MP from Manipur speak.

Congress MP from Inner Manipur had also stated on July 2, that the Modi government's silence was abnormal and proved to the people of Manipur that they did not matter for the nation.
MBABANE - Until everybody has been paid, we will not go back on duty.

This statement was made by On-Call Committee Chairperson Dr Zabenguni Mkhatshwa. Mkhatshwa said over 50 per cent of the on-call staff had confirmed to have received their monies so far. She said it was promising as more people were still confirming receipt of their monies. The chairperson said they would not work after hours, until everybody received what was due to them. She said even if the last person to receive the allowance got it minutes before 5pm, they were willing to take the overtime. Meanwhile, it was a challenging night for nurses working in the countrys hospitals, as there were no doctors in sight. Some of the hospitals that were faced with the challenging situation are the Mbabane Government and Hlatikhulu Government hospitals.

Observe

This reporter visited the Mbabane Government Hospital, which was busy after hours, especially after 9pm to observe the situation. The nurses at the emergency ward were seen being assisted by the sister-in-charge, who, however, left them, and informed them that they knew where to find her in case they encountered challenges. What was observed by this reporter was that most of the patients who were attended to did not require any surgeries, which eased the burden on the healthcare workers and prevented any crisis. The maternity wing also managed to pull through. Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union Deputy Secretary General (DSG) Saneliso Mavuso, confirmed that they received a report that the two abovementioned hospitals had to engage the sisters-in-charge as per the protocol when dealing with challenging situations.

Mavuso said the nurses did their best and there were no casualties reported. He said the healthcare professionals managed to handle the situation along with the sisters-in-charge and did not leave patients to die. However, he noted that senior medical officers (SMOs) in some of the hospitals had promised to avail themselves whenever the nurses encountered difficulties and required their assistance.He said the situation was inconveniencing and as an organisation, they felt that the health sector was among the neglected ones. We are the number one neglected sector in the country yet it should not be the case.

According to Mavuso, the health sector is very critical and requires all the attention it deserves, especially because they are taking care of the health of the nations economic drivers. He said even if government could be struggling, the health sector should be the last to suffer.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the creation of theatre commands to bolster national security was on track, the modernisation of the armed forces was in full swing and the government was working on reforms to ensure the military was always battle ready. The appointment of CDS (chief of defence staff) has strengthened integration in the armed forces, Modi said. (ANI )

In a combative speech in Lok Sabha during a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents address, he accused the Congress of blocking the reforms, including the Agnipath recruitment scheme, initiated by the government to boost the capabilities of the armed forces to deal with future challenges.

The appointment of CDS (chief of defence staff) has strengthened integration in the armed forces, Modi said. The need for theatre commands was felt for a very long time. Today I can say with satisfaction that we are making progress towards (setting up) theatre commands, which are necessary for national security, with the cooperation of our armed forces.

The creation of theatre commands is a long-standing and crucial reform for the best use of the militarys resources to fight future wars. On May 10, the government notified the Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Act, with the law aimed at pushing jointness among the three services.

Also read : PM Narendra Modi's boss move offering water to heckling Opposition MPs | WATCH

The Act will empower the government to notify the setting up of inter-services organisations, including joint services commands, and bestow powers on heads of such organisations to act against personnel from any of the three services to ensure discipline and effective discharge of duties.

The entire country is watching our armed forces and the reforms underway to strengthen them. These reforms never happened (until now) after independence. The armed forces are being modernised so that they can give a befitting reply to any challenge. We are making an all-out effort to ensure they stay battle ready, Modi said.

The theaterisation model seeks to set up three integrated commands  two land-centric theatres and a maritime theatre command. The armed forces have 17 single-service commands spread across the country. The army and air force have seven commands each, while the navy has three. Creating theatres would involve merging the existing commands.

Modi touched upon the Agnipath scheme for short-term induction of soldiers in the armed forces.

Our armed forces should be young. They are there to defeat the enemy. We must trust our youth The armed forces have suffered because of reforms not being initiated in time. The countrys security is a serious matter, he said.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked the government in Lok Sabha over the Agnipath scheme, claiming that the Agniveers recruited under it were not granted the status of martyrs and were akin to use and throw labour.

Also read : PM Narendra Modi set to address Rajya Sabha today, after firing salvos at Rahul Gandhi

The Congress opposes every reform that strengthens the countrys armed forces, Modi said. Now the Congress people know that the energy of youth is the biggest strength of the armed forces. They are spreading lies about recruitment so that the youth do not join the army. It is a conspiracy to stop them from joining the armed forces to defend the country, he said.

Reforms are crucial because of the changing nature of warfare, and it is a big responsibility to prepare the armed forces for future challenges, he said. In such times, when the armed forces are being modernised and strengthened, the Congress is spreading lies and trying to undermine the efforts towards defence reforms. They can never see the Indian armed forces becoming strong. In Nehrus time, the countrys armed forces were so weak.

He said the scams that took place when the Congress was in power had weakened the three services. They created a tradition of corruption since independence. Be it the Jeep scam, the submarine scam or the Bofors scam, all of these prevented the armed forces from becoming stronger. During the Congress rule, there was a time when our forces did not even have bulletproof jackets. They are now in the Opposition but persisting with their efforts to weaken the armed forces.

He said when the Congress was in power it did not equip the Indian Air Force with fighter jets. When we made efforts, the Congress resorted to every kind of conspiracy to ensure that IAF doesnt get the fighters, he said referring to Congresss opposition to the Rafale deal with France.
NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday sharply criticised opposition parties for walking out of the House during Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech, saying the Opposition had set a dangerous precedent antithetical to democratic values Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar during the ongoing session of Parliament in New Delhi on Wednesday (Sansad TV/ANI)

Their walkout today was extremely painful. It was a historic occasion. The government was in its third term with the prime minister heading it continually after six decades. They walked away from their constitutional ordainment and that has set a dangerous precedent antithetical to democratic values, Dhankhar said, a reference to the walkout during PM Modis reply to the debate on the motion to thank the Presidents address in the Rajya Sabha earlier in the day.

They have challenged the Constitution, outraged its spirit, and disregarded their oath. I am saddened sitting in this chair; the Constitution has been disrespected The Constitution is not a book to keep in hands; its a book to live by, he added.

MPs of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc led by the Congress walked out of the Rajya Sabha after Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge was not allowed to intervene during PM Modis speech.

Nationalist Congress Party-SCP chief Sharad Pawar later explained the decision. Mallikarjun Kharge is on a constitutional post. Be it the PM or the chairman of the House, it is their responsibility to respect him. But today, it was all ignored and hence the entire opposition is with him and we walked out, Pawar told reporters, according to news agency ANI.

Dhankhar condemned the walkout, saying this was an insult to the Constitution. He again referred to the walkout while making his concluding remarks at the end of the 264th session of Rajya Sabha.

I requested and allowed the Leader of the Opposition to speak without any objections. But today, they have not just left the House; they have abandoned its dignity. They have not just turned their backs on the chair, but on the Constitution itself.

Dhankar also pointed out the instance of Kharge entering the Well of the Rajya Sabha on Friday. It was extremely painful to notice that even the Leader of the Opposition walked into the Well of the House and that was a disgrace to parliamentary conduct and proprietary.He asked the members of the House to exemplify their conduct so that this becomes a temple for deliberations, discussion, dialogue and debate, he said.
India on Wednesday pressed Russia for the safe and speedy return of Indian nationals serving in the Russian military who are caught up in the Ukraine war as external affairs minister S Jaishankar met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to review bilateral relations. External affairs minister S Jaishankar with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. (PTI Photo)

The meeting between the two foreign ministers, on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in the Kazakhstan capital of Astana, also helped prepare the grounds for Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Moscow during July 8-9.

Jaishankar, who is representing India at the SCO Summit following Prime Minister Narendra Modis decision to skip the meet, indicated in a post on X that he had raised the issue of Indians serving in the Russian military. Raised our strong concern on Indian nationals who are currently in the war zone. Pressed for their safe and expeditious return, he said without directly referring to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Last month, India said it expects Russia to act on New Delhis demand for a verified stop to the recruitment of Indian nationals in the Russian Army following the death of four Indians while serving on the frontlines of the conflict with Ukraine.

The Indian side had demanded for a verified stop to further recruitment of Indians by the Russian Army on June 11 after the deaths of two Indians last month. India had resorted to the unusual step of making the demand soon after the foreign secretary attended the National Day reception at the Russian embassy.

About 25 Indians serving with the Russian military have so far contacted authorities seeking help to be released. Of them, 10 have been released and repatriated to India. Reports have suggested up to 200 Indians had been recruited by the Russian military to serve as support staff, such as cooks and helpers, though the people cited above said the number could be about 100.

India has so far refrained from censuring Russias invasion of Ukraine and only called for the two countries to end hostilities and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy to find a solution to their differences.

Jaishankar said in his post on X that he and Lavrov had a wide-ranging conversation on the bilateral partnership and contemporary issues. Noted the progress in many areas since our last meeting in December 2023. Also discussed the global strategic landscape and exchanged assessments and views, he said.

People familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that the meeting allowed the two sides to prepare for Modis upcoming visit to Russia, his first trip since 2019, and also the first since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to participate in the annual India-Russia Summit, which hasnt been held in the past two years. This meeting is expected to reinvigorate the bilateral relationship and set the course for the coming years, including cooperation in key areas such as energy, defence, space and civilian nuclear power.

Shortly after arriving in Astana on Tuesday, Jaishankar met Kazakh foreign minister Murat Nurtleu and discussed the bilateral strategic partnership and Indias increasing engagement with Central Asia. On Wednesday, Jaishankar is also expected to meet his counterparts from Belarus, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
New Delhi: Environmental activists have flagged large-scale clearing of vegetation using heavy machinery, and construction of roads and other structures in a forested area adjoining Dadri Khurd in Marihan Range of Mirzapur Forest Division of Uttar Pradesh. The area was to be notified a forest in 1952, but wasnt, and now risks being developed under the terms of a new law passed last year. Dadri Khurd in Marihan Range of Mirzapur Forest Division was to be notified a forest in 1952, but wasnt, and it now risks being developed under the terms of a new law passed last year. (HT)

The activists have alleged that the deemed forest land is under consideration for a thermal power project being developed by an Adani Group company. The FC Amendment Act or the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam 2023 which was passed last year exempts unrecorded deemed forests altogether from its purview , paving way for their diversion for various infrastructure and other projects.

The Vindhyan Ecology and Natural History Foundation wrote to Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on June 28 on a serious and grave violation of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980 and Rules, Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 in the Marihan Range of Mirzapur Forest Division in Uttar Pradesh.

This area is part of the proposed Sloth Bear Conservation Reserve and is a crucial habitat for exceptionally rich and threatened wildlife of the savannah and tropical dry deciduous hill forests of the unique Vindhyan-Kaimoor ecosystem. This ecosystem includes at least 24 terrestrial animals listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, well documented and recorded, the letter added.

VENHF undertook the first-ever scientific survey of wildlife in the Mirzapur Forest Division and Kaimoor Wildlife Division, using direct evidence surveys and camera trap surveys between 2016 and 2018. Based on their documentation, a Sloth Bear Conservation Reserve was proposed by the then Divisional Forest Office-Mirzapur Forest Division in Marihan, Sukrit, and Chunar Ranges in 2019, the letter said.

Species documented in the area include Sloth Bear, Leopard, Bengal Fox, Striped Hyena, Asiatic Wild Cat, Rusty Spotted Cat, Sambar, Chinkara, Blackbuck and Mugger Crocodile.

The range is also a haven for birding, with grassland species such as the Indian Courser, Yellow-Wattled Lapwing, Sandgrouse, Savannah Nightjar, Indian Nightjar; raptors such as Red-headed Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Indian Eagle Owl, Mottled Wood Owl, Short-eared Owl, Brown Fish Owl; and several other species, many of which are endemic, threatened, and migratory according to the VENHF.

Thermal Power Project may come up

The same site was once proposed for a 1320 MW Coal-based Thermal Power Plant by M/S Welspun Energy (UP) Pvt Ltd, which was later transferred to Mirzapur Energy (UP) Pvt Ltd.

When the project was still with Welspun Energy, its environmental clearance was set aside by the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal in Debadityo Sinha v. Union of India on December 21 2016, with a direction to restore the site to its original condition as per NGT judgement. Further on May 1 2017, NGT also quashed a review petition filed by the project proponent.

Mirzapur Thermal Energy (UP) Private Limited (MTEUPPL), a subsidiary of Adani Power Limited has now applied for fresh terms of reference (TOR)--one of the first steps in the process of environmental clearance, as per details available on environment ministrys Parivesh website. The proposal states its for a 2x800 MW Coal based Ultra Super Critical Thermal Power Project (TPP) at Village Dadri Khurd, Tehsil, Mirzapur Sardar, District Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh which was submitted on May 8, 2024. Land area requirement for the proposed power station of 1600 MW capacity is about 365.19 Ha. out of which 364.57 Ha is non forest land & 0.62 Ha is forest land inside plant boundary.

Adani Power did not respond to queries from HT.

Arvind Mishra, DFO Mirzapur said he is yet to check if there are any lapses on the ground. Officials, however, said that the constructions are not associated with the thermal power plant and appear to be by other parties.

The Union environment ministry did not respond immediately on the violation of forest conservation amendment act in the area.

The entire area of approximately 1000 acres where the project is proposed is surrounded by notified Reserve Forest in all directions and is located deep inside the Marihan Forest Range of the Mirzapur Division. This area is significantly important for wildlife and catchment of several rivers which flows and originate right inside the project site. The project proponent started altering the forest cover since 2010 and obtained Environmental Clearance in 2014 by showing it as barren land devoid of wildlife. The NGT set aside the Environmental Clearance in 2016, terming it as tainted with emphasis on the shoddy impact assessment, and denied reviewing the judgment. They subsequently withdrew the appeal in the Supreme Court, said Debadityo Sinha, Managing Trustee of VENHF and petitioner of NGT case.

As per a U.P. State Gazette Notification of 1952, the proposed place named Dadri Khurd was transferred to the forest department and was required to be notified under the Indian Forest Act of 1927, which is still pending. However, the area must be considered as forest recorded in government record as defined under the Section 1A of the Van Adhiniyam of 1980 and also the Supreme Court directions in the T.N. Godavarman case. This area is so rich and unique in wildlife diversity that a proposal for declaring the entire Marihan range along with its adjacent forest ranges as a Sloth Bear Conservation Reserve was forwarded by the Divisional Forest Officer-Mirzapur in 2019, Sinha added.
NEW DELHI: Hours before the LLB examinations scheduled to start on Thursday, Delhi Universitys (DU) Faculty of Law released a notice on Wednesday informing students that the examinations have been postponed. The Faculty of Laws LLB exams were scheduled to start on July 4 and end on July 26. (X/FacultyofLawDU)

Under the orders of the Honble Vice Chancellor, the examinations of LLB II, IV, VI term scheduled from 4th July are postponed, it said, without citing any reasons.

HT has reviewed the notice.

Anju Vali Tikoo, head and dean of Faculty of Law, said, The notice has been issued in accordance with the Vice Chancellors orders. New dates will be announced soon.

The exams were scheduled to start on July 4 and end on July 26.

Parichay Yadav (24), a term II LLB student, said: It is obviously inconvenient when the examination gets cancelled mere hours before. But at this point, we do not even know what happened or why they have been postponed, he said.

A lot of students had booked tickets to go home after the exams. Now they are having to cancel those as we do not even know how much the exams will be postponed, he added.
A political controversy has erupted between the DMK and BJP following the busting of gold smuggling syndicate in the Chennai International airport. The case involves the arrest of nine individuals for smuggling 267kg of gold worth 167 crore. The Lankan transit passenger who handed over the gold, along with the shop owner Ali and seven other staff of the shop, were arrested, remanded and sent to judicial custody on June 29 (HT)

The DMK accused a Chennai-based BJP functionary allegedly associated with Vidvedaa and close to the partys state and national leaders of playing a role in the smuggling. Skeletons will come tumbling down the closet soon, said DMK spokesperson A Saravanan.

Responding to the allegations, a senior BJP leader not wishing to be named dismissed charges that state president K Annamalai knew him. There is no clarity on the complaint here. The BJP functionary who is being named is no longer with the party, the leader said.

The syndicate began with the Air Intelligence Unit in Chennai searching and interrogating a sales executive of a shop named Airhub, located in the transit-departure area of Anna International Airport. The shop owner who is among those arrested is a YouTuber, Mohammed Sabir Ali. During the search, three bundles containing gold in the form of paste were found concealed in his rectum. He had received gold from a Sri Lankan national, a transit passenger in the Chennai airport.

Further enquiry revealed that smugglers based in Sri Lanka had rented the Airhub shop in International Departure of Anna International Airport through Sabir Ali, a Youtuber by entering into contract with Vidvedaa PRG, the principal commissioner of customs, Srinivasa Naik said. Vidvedaa is a third party agency roped in by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to manage commercial spaces within the airport, a senior official said.

The Lankan transit passenger who handed over the gold, along with the shop owner Ali and seven other staff of the shop, were arrested, remanded and sent to judicial custody on June 29.

All the seven employees admitted before the Judicial Magistrate that they have been smuggling gold for the last two months, said a senior official of the Customs department on condition of anonymity, Naik said.

The smuggling syndicate recruited a total of eight people to receive gold in paste form at the shop or in the toilets located in the departure area from transit passengers. These individuals would then conceal the gold in their rectums and smuggle it out of the airport, Naik added.
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday rejected the state governments report into the Harni lake tragedy, in which 12 students and two school teachers were killed, saying the probe report created a kind of a maze so that the court could not reach a conclusion. Twelve students and two teachers were killed when a boat capsized in Motnath lake in Harni on January 18 (File photo)

Either you withdraw this report and file a fresh report, otherwise we will make very serious observations on this report... we will look into the records and pass the order, a bench of Sunita Agarwal and justice Pranav Trivedi told the state government on Wednesday.

Twelve students and two teachers were killed when a boat capsized in Motnath lake in Harni on January 18

The high court, which took suo moto cognisance of the January 18 tragedy, has been critical of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation on previous hearings as well for the incident in which 14 lives were lost after an overcrowded boat carrying a school group on a picnic overturned in the lake.

The report reads like a storytheres a kind of maze created in the report so we may not be able to reach any conclusion, said justice Agarwal.

The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) awarded a contract to maintain and operate the lakefront project to a firm, Kotia Projects, whose partners were subsequently arrested for the tragedy.

The municipal commissioner himself signed the order, only thereafter the work order was issued. He was authorised by the board to take a decision on the grant of tender, he was the sole person. There may be some technical report A layperson can also understand that this person is not qualifying for the tender. How could the municipal commissioner sign that the tender and work order be issued. Then report says he has done nothing wrong. Okay, alright. We will look into the record and decideWe will say everything in our order, she said.

Advocate General Kamal Trivedi, appearing for the state government, said the government will undertake a fresh exercise and file a report.

Justice Agarwal explained that the report did not explicitly accuse anyone but rather hinted that the then commissioner should have exercised greater caution. She noted that the report also mentioned that it was a common practice for commissioners to typically approve such matters, suggesting any critique of this practice would reflect a systemic issue. To us, this report is misguiding, she said adding that the report indicated that the fault lay with technical officers and that action has been taken against them.

The bench also criticised the principal secretary (PS) of the Gujarat governments Urban Development and Urban Housing Department for preparing and submitting a report that seemed to suggest the municipal corporation should have acted differently, and yet found no fault with their actions.

The bench has fixed July 12 for further hearing on the matter.
New Delhi: The Congress party expressed shock over the Hathras incident and condolences to the bereaved families of the people who lost their lives following a stampede during a Satsang. The death toll in Hathras stampede has reached 121 (File Photo)

Deputy leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi addressed the Hathras incident in the Parliament and said, In these tough times we stand with the people of UP and Hathras. We extend our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wish for the speedy recovery of the injured.

In a tragic incident, at least 121 people were killed and more than 80 injured in a stampede during a religious event in Uttar Pradeshs Hathras district on Tuesday afternoon. The incident took place during the Satsang held by Suraj Pal, also known as Bhole Baba, near GT Road in the Phulrai Mugalgarhi village in the Hathras.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that the news of the death of many devotees due to the stampede during the Satsang in Hathras is extremely painful.

I express my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured. The government and administration are requested to provide every possible treatment to the injured and relief to the affected families, he said.

Gandhi further requested all workers of the INDIA bloc to provide their cooperation in relief and rescue and hoped for the speedy recovery of the injured.

The government and administration are requested to provide every possible treatment to the injured and relief to the affected families, he said.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi said the news of the death of a large number of devotees was heart-breaking.

May God grant peace to the departed souls. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured, she wrote on X.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge also took to X to express condolence. The news of the death of many devotees due to a stampede in the Satsang in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh is extremely painful. The scenes of the accident are extremely heart-rending. We express our deepest condolences to the bereaved families. We urge the government and administration to leave no stone unturned in treating the injured and provide immediate compensation to the victims. Workers of opposition parties are requested to provide all possible help to the people affected by the accident.

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday registered a first information report against the organisers of the religious congregation, however, it did not name Bhole Baba, as an accused.

(with PTI inputs)
Hathras stampede Highlights: Uttar Pradesh Police filed an FIR on Wednesday at Sikandra Rau police station regarding the death of 121 people in a stampede during a religious event organised in Hathras district on Tuesday. However, Bhole Baba, the man behind the 'Satsang' that led to the stampede, has not been named in the FIR....Read More

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited Hathras on Wednesday following a stampede at a religious congregation that claimed the lives of 121 people on Tuesday. Previously, the state government announced compensation of 2 lakh to the families of those who perished in the tragedy.

Latest updates here

- Scores of bodies lay on ice blocks inside the government hospital on Tuesday night following a deadly stampede at a religious gathering. Outside, in the drizzle, grieving relatives awaited to take their loved ones' remains home. Officials confirmed 121 deaths as of Wednesday morning. The victims gathered among thousands near Phulrai village in the Sikandrarau area for a 'Satsang' by religious preacher Bhole Baba.

- Meanwhile, RSS and Bajrang Dal workers and volunteers stayed at the hospital throughout the afternoon. They distributed water packets and guided medical procedures to relatives of victims who were in shock and grappling with the tragedy. "The number of ambulances was inadequate for the bodies we have seen here today," Aniket, a Bajrang Dal volunteer, told PTI while standing guard at the gate of the TB Department building, drenched in sweat.

- A woman sat in tears amid five or six bodies in a truck, pleading for assistance in retrieving her daughter's body. The state government stated that Agra's additional director general of police and Aligarh divisional commissioner are among those tasked with investigating the incident. They have been instructed to submit their findings within 24 hours.

- District Magistrate Ashish Kumar told the media that the event was a private function authorised by the sub-divisional magistrate. The local administration ensured security outside the venue, while internal arrangements were the responsibility of the organisers, he stated.
At 12.30pm on Tuesday, a ripple went through the waiting, breathless crowd of more than 200,000 people in Phulrai Mughalsarai village in Hathras. In a typical crisp white suit and white shoes, a 65-year-old-man ascended the stage, and sat down on a bejewelled throne. A man known by many names  Suraj Pal, Narayan Sarkar Hari, and Bhole Baba. A man who has lived many lives  as head constable with the Uttar Pradesh Police, as a member of the UP local intelligence unit, and for the past two decades, as a religious preacher with millions of followers ranging from the poor to the influential.

*NO SYNDICATION* Hathras, Uttar Pradesh - July 2, 2024: Suraj Pal aka Narayan Sakar alias Bhole Baba, a religious preacher. 107 people, mostly women, died in a stampede during Satsang held by Suraj Pal in Rati Bharpur village of Hathras district in Uttar Pradesh, India, on Tuesday, July 02, 2024. Credit: HT Photo
MBABANE  The Ministry of Home Affairs is calling upon anyone who was made to pay for an umphakatsi stamp to come forward.

The ministry wants members of the public, who were charged a fee for the umphakatsi stamp and other services from their royal kraals to report to the ministry. Reports of members of the public who were charged a fee for services that are obtainable at a royal kraals have caused the ministry disappointment. The ministry was reacting to reports that some residents complained about being made to pay for the royal kraal stamps and confirmation letters issued by the imiphakatsi.

The Communications Officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mlandvo Dlamini, said they were surprised to hear of reports about some people who failed to partake in the mopping exercise, because they did not have money to pay the umphakatsi stamp fee and they left empty-handed. Dlamini said these reports undermined governments efforts of ensuring that every liSwati got birth, marriage and death certificates, as well as registered for identification (ID) documents, among others, which are essential to possess. The communications officer said since the mopping exercise was free-of-charge, they expected royal kraals to play a major role in assisting them with the registration of all their subjects.

Challenges

Imiphakatsi must know that they are the ones who are usually faced with challenges anytime someone dies without proper documentation, when it is time for their burial. The Civic Registration Act of 2023 states that no one is going to be buried without a death certificate. This means that it is an offence for any umphakatsi to allow someone to be buried without a death certificate, said Dlamini. He pleaded with royal kraals to assist the ministry by signing all the letters required before the registration of important documents, such as IDs. On the issue of the fee paid before the issuance of confirmation letters, the ministry did not say much.

Dlamini stated that the issue of some people having been turned back during the mopping exercise had been reported to Minister of Home Affairs, Princess Lindiwe, who promised to escalate it to the relevant stakeholders. According to Dlamini, the minister herself was also disappointed by these reports. Let no one be left behind after completing the mopping exercise, Dlamini said. On the issue of those having been turned back, he was asked to clarify whether the ministry received reports from the officials on the ground. He said: It would be painful to ascertain that indeed some people turned back without getting the necessary service last Thursday at Ekutsimuleni, after failing to pay a certain fee to the royal kraal authorities. We will continue to engage the royal kraals regarding the issue. If what is being said is true, we will try and redo the mopping exercise. No one must be left behind, he said.
Envoys of several countries, including Germany, France and China, mourned the loss of lives in a stampede in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras on Tuesday and extended condolences to the victims' families. People stand around the bodies lying covered on stretchers outside the Sikandrarao hospital in Hathras district about 350 kilometers (217 miles) southwest of Lucknow, India, Tuesday(AP)

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a post on X said he was deeply distressed by the tragic incident.

"Deeply distressed by the tragic loss of lives in a stampede in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. Sincere condolences to the bereaved families. Pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," he wrote on the social media platform.

The stampede at a religious congregation killed 116 people as devotees suffocated to their deaths and bodies piled atop each other in the worst such tragedy in recent years.

ALSO READ| Hathras stampede: Bhole Baba: From intelligence man to preacher with a cult following

The incident took place as the devotees -- most of them women -- headed home after a 'satsang' in the Hathras district's Phulrai village. The 'satsang' was conducted by Baba Narayan Hari, who is also known as Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba.

German envoy Philipp Ackermann in a post on X in the evening offered condolences to the families that lost their loved ones in the stampede and said he was deeply saddened about the tragic incident.

"Deeply saddened about the tragic events in Hathras. My condolences to the families that lost their loved ones. We hope that help quickly reaches the injured," he wrote on the social media platform.

Later on Tuesday night, Chinese envoy Xu Feihong also took to X to mourn the loss of lives in the incident.

"Shocked and saddened about the tragic events in Hathras, UP. Deeply mourn for the lives lost and extend heartfelt sympathies to victims' families. Wish the injured a speedy recovery," he wrote on the social media platform.

ALSO READ| Cause of Hathras stampede: Multiple theories come to fore

French Ambassador to India Thierry Mathou also posted a message on X, which was reposted by the French Embassy in New Delhi.

"Deeply saddened by the loss of lives following the tragic stampede in Uttar Pradesh's #Hathras district. France expresses its deepest condolences to the bereaved families of the victims and wishes the injured a speedy recovery," the envoy wrote on X.

Israeli Ambassador Naor Gilon also echoed the sentiments expressed by the other envoys.

"Deeply saddened about the loss of lives at the tragic stampede in #Hathras, UP. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims. Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. Such incidents are truly heartbreaking," he wrote on X.
A letter by Hathras Sub divisional magistrate Sikandra Rao narrated the chain of events that ultimately led to stampede, claiming the lives of nearly 121 people and injuring hundreds at a religious Satsang event in Fulari village. People gather at the site of a stampede in Hathras in India's Uttar Pradesh state on July 3, 2024. Survivors of India's deadliest stampede in over a decade on July 3 recalled the horror of being crushed at a vastly overcrowded Hindu religious gathering that left 116 people dead. (Photo by Arun SANKAR)(AFP)

The event by self-styled godman Narayan Sakar Hari, also called Bhole Baba, was held near the village situated on the National Highway-91, Sirau to Etah road. Explaining the timeline, the letter said, A crowd of more than 2 lakhs was present in the Satsang platform. Shri Narayan Sakar Hari (Bhole Baba) reached the Satsang Pandal at around 12.30 pm and the programme continued for 1 hour.

Also read | Hathras News Live

On the events leading to the tragedy, the SDM letter explained, After this, at around 01.40 PM, Shri Narayan Sakar Hari (Bhole Baba) came out of the Pandal to go towards Etah on National Highway-91. Towards the path through which Bhole Baba was coming out, Satsangi women/men/children etc started taking his feet's rug and applying it on their forehead as a mark of darshan and touching his feet and blessings.

A large number of people, already standing for darshan on the divider built on the side and middle of the GT Road, tried to reach the godman. "When people started jumping and running towards Baba's vehicle to have darshan, his security personnel (Black Commando) and servants started pushing and shoving with the crowd who could not reach the Baba. Due to this, some people fell down. But the crowd did not agree, and an atmosphere of chaos was created, the letter elaborated.

Also read | Rush for blessings led to stampede: Eyewitnesses say as toll rises to 121

The crowd ran to the other side of the road towards the open field in front of the venue to get relief, where most of the people slipped and fell descending from the road to the field. After this, they could not get up again and the crowd started running here and there, passing over him, in which many women, men and children were injured/seriously injured, the letter added.

The SDM claimed that the revenue and police security personnel, sent the victims to the hospitals and community health centers nearby through ambulance and other means that were available on the spot.

On the death toll, the letter said, 89 devotees were declared dead on arrival and others were sent for treatment to Etah district, where 27 more devotees were declared dead, taking the death toll to 116.

The victims included children, women and men. A total of 23 people were injured, out of which 11 people are being treated at Bangla Hospital, Hathras, 6 people are at Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital, Aligarh and another 6 are at JNMC, Aligarh.

(With ANI inputs)
Chief minister Champai Soren was likely to resign on Wednesday to pave the way for Hemant Sorens return as Jharkhands top elected official days after the latter was released on bail, people aware of the matter said on Wednesday. Former chief minister Hemant Soren walked out of prison after the Jharkhand high court granted him bail on June 28. (PTI)

The people added that formalities for the new government formation would begin accordingly and a unanimous decision in this regard was taken at the legislature party meeting of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led alliance at Champai Sorens residence. Hemant Soren, Congresss Jharkhand in charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir were among those who attended the meeting.

Chief minister Champai Soren is likely to resign tonight [Wednesday] and formalities for new government formation would begin accordingly, said a JMM leader said.

Champai Soren took over as the chief minister of the JMM, Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal alliance government on February 2, three days after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Hemant Soren on January 31 over money laundering charges in connection with an alleged land scam. Hemant Soren walked out of prison after the Jharkhand high court granted him bail on June 28.

Hemant Soren has maintained that he was falsely implicated and that a conspiracy was hatched against him that forced him to spend five months in jail. He alleged that those who raised their voice against the central government were being suppressed.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday reacted over reports of the removal of Champai Soren as Jharkhand chief minister and return of Hemant Soren as the CM, calling it deeply distressing. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (File Photo)

The removal of a senior tribal leader from the post of Chief Minister in Jharkhand by the JMM and Congress party is deeply distressing. I am certain that the people of Jharkhand will strongly condemn this action and firmly reject it, Sarma wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Reports suggested that Champai Soren will resign on Wednesday to pave the way for Hemant Sorens return as Jharkhands chief minister. According to officials, the decision was taken at the legislature party meeting of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led alliance at Champai Sorens residence.

The development comes days after Hemant was released on bail in money laundering charges in connection with an alleged land racket in the state capital. He was the second chief minister to be arrested by the federal agency barely months before the Lok Sabha elections on January 31. Throughout his jail time, Hemant maintained that he was falsely implicated and asserted that a conspiracy was hatched against him.

Minutes before his arrest, Hemant resigned as the chief minister and passed on the baton to Champai Soren. While he was in jail, his party, JMM, won three Lok Sabha seats - two more than its tally in 2019.

Champai, a loyalist of Hemant and a close associate of the former Jharkhand CM's father Shibu Soren, took charge as the CM on February 2.

Meanwhile, amid the speculations of Champai resigning from the top post, another meeting of the JMM-led ruling alliance legislative party was held at his residence on Wednesday evening.

(With inputs from agencies)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday laid the roadmap for the future and promised that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would work 24x7 for a developed India by 2047 and vowed that reforms would move at triple speed and triple power for triple results during his third term. Modi announced no hurdles will deter his development plans and issued a stern warning to an anti-India ecosystem. (ANI photo)

In our 3rd term, we will work with 3X speed and it would mean 3X power to give people 3X results, he said replying to the debate on the Presidents speech.

In a scathing speech in the Lok Sabha, Modi launched a charged rebuttal of the speech delivered the previous day by Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of being childish, of his world view being amateurish, and of trying to defame Hindus who, the Prime Minister said, have been instrumental in Indias democracy flourishing.

His reference was to Gandhi saying that some of the people who call themselves Hindu were indulging in violence. To be sure, some portions of Gandhis speech were later expunged.

Modi announced no hurdles will deter his development plans and issued a stern warning to an anti-India ecosystem.

Their activities are to stop the countrys progress and derail development. I am warning them: every conspiracy will be met in the same language. This country will not tolerate anti-national conspiracies, the PM said.

PM Modi tried to rebut the Congress theory that the BJP, which failed to secure majority on its own, has suffered a defeat.

The Congress and its ecosystem are trying to establish that people have defeated us, Modi said as he underlined that the third term of NDA is historic.

Congress 3rd biggest loss

The PM pointed out that in the four assembly elections held alongside the Lok Sabha polls, the NDA achieved major success.

The NDA achieved major success. In Odisha, we formed a government. NDA had a clean sweep in Andhra Pradesh. We formed government again in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim and six months ago, we got a massive victory in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, he said.

Also Read:Accept defeat, dont spin mandate: PM Modi to Oppn

Modi pointed out that the BJP has opened account in Kerala for the first time and has improved their performance in Tamil Nadu.

In some states such as Karnataka and Punjab, the BJPs vote share has gone up.

In 2024, people have also given a verdict for the Congress: to sit in Opposition, Modi said even as INDIA allies stormed the Well in protest.

For the first time, the Congress couldnt reach 100 seats. It is their 3rd biggest defeat and it would have been better if the Congress accepted its result. But they are busy in shirshasana, he added.

He then took aim at the Congress, a party that had set a world record in failure.

The Congress has not crossed 100 seats in the Lok Sabha for three consecutive terms. Instead of conceding defeat, they are being arrogant, he said, amid raucous protests by the Opposition.

Attempts to twist the narrative and spin their loss as a victory was like trying to pacify a child, Modi said, in an apparent reference to Gandhi.

These days, their main job is to divert the childs attention. After 1984, there had been ten Lok Sabha elections. But the Congress couldnt reach the tally of 250. I remember a story: a child used to tell people he got 99 marks. But the teacher revealed that he didnt get 99 of 100 but 99 of 543 (total seats in Lok Sabha) But who will tell the child that you have created a world record of failure?, he said.

Modi further analysed the results and said, From 2024, Congress is a parasite. Congress eats away the vote of allies. States where Congress were major party, its strike rate was 26%. But states where Cong was a junior partner, the strike rate was 50%.

Governance roadmap

Stressing that confidence will become the driving force of development, Modi pitched for a strong, Viksit Bharat and said, In our third term, we will work with triple the speed. Our third term means we will put in thrice the strength. In our third term, we will ensure three times the results, he said.

People have seen our intent and commitment. When a country gets developed, then the dreams of crores of people are fulfilled. Viksit Bharat means quality or life, dignity and it will make a major improvement in the urban and rural areas. Our cities will participate in global development and a developed India will also provide crores of opportunities for our people. I want to assure the country that we will work with resolute and honesty. We will work 24X7 for 2047, Modi announced.

The speed we achieved in the past ten years, now our challenge is to make it faster. Now we will take the economy to the 3rd position. In ten years, we transformed India into a big mobile manufacturer and exporter. Now, in this tenure, we will do the same for semiconductor. The chips for the world will be made in India, by its young people, the PM announced, as he laid the ambitious roadmap for NDA 3.0.

Modi also pledged to construct three crore additional houses for poor and create three crore Lakhpati didis as he highlighted how 25 crore poor people have come out of poverty in past ten years and how the country has blessed the NDA for zero tolerance for corruption.

Globally, Indias status has grown. People have seen our only aim is nation first. Our policies, our work and decisions have only one parameter: India first. We have continued with reforms. We have continuously worked with the mantra Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas and Sarv path Samabhav, the PM said as he hit out at the Opposition for its appeasement policy.

For a long period, the country saw the appeasement model. For the first time, the country found the true model of secularism: No appeasement but gratification. When we talk about gratification, we mean, saturation of all schemes which in true sense is social justice and secularism, the PM announced.

Modi also stressed on the pre-2014 situation in the country.

Our biggest asset was peoples confidence, and it was lost. Unabashedly, there was an acknowledgement that of one Rupee that goes from the Centre, only 15 paisa reached the beneficiaries. There was policy paralysis, rampant nepotism and even for a gas connection, people had to run around MPs. But now, society has come out of the black hole of despair, the PM said.

The Prime Minister said that people have started believing that everything is possible in this country.

With 5G rollout, India can do anything. There was a time, when big leaders were tainted in coal scams, Now India can do anything. Major scams took place through phone banking (telephonic instructions by political leaders) Bank assets were looted as if it belonged to the family. After 2014, the policy changes and our commitment and speed of work turned banks into the most profitable, he added.

As India is progressing, challenges are new. Some people are helping powers to derail Indias growth. I want to warn the ecosystem: their activities to stop the countrys progress and derail development, every conspiracy will be met with same language. This country will not tolerate anti-national conspiracies. Whatever their claim might be for our numbers, but we didnt back out from reforms. Modi is not going to deter from any hurdles, the PM said.

Internal security and armed forces

The Prime Minister launched a sharp attack on the Congress for doing nothing to curb terrorism.

Every person knows, India can do anything for her security. Before 2014, there was a time, when terrorists could attack wherever they wanted. Innocent people were targeted, and the government remained a mute spectator. Todays India ghar mein ghuskar maara hai. We did surgical strike, air strike, he said.

Modi launched a frontal attack on the Congress for its criticism of the Agniveer scheme and alleged that Blatant lies are being spread on the entry in armed forces so that our young men dont join the forces. For whose benefits, the Congress is trying to weaken our forces?

The Congress can never see a strong Indian army. Everyone knows how weak our forces were during Nehrus time, the PM said.

The PM said that soldiers are pride of the country and hailed the defence sector reforms.

We are creating modern soldiers so that our forces give befitting reply to every challenge. After appointing the CDS, integration has improved. We are progressing in creating theatre command, he said.

NEET

In his first public response to the raging issue of NEET paper leak case, the Prime Minister assured the nation that anyone who is playing with the future of children will not be spared and announced that the government is working on war-footing to make the exam system fool-proof.

I want to tell students; government is very serious about stopping such incidents and we are taking one after another step in war-footing. Those who are playing with the future of our children and will not be spared. Centre has already made a strict law. We are taking key steps to make the exam system fool-proof, the PM said.

The Hindu row

A day after Gandhis comment on Hindus raked up a major controversy, the PM dubbed it as an unabashed act that amounts to slapping common people.

What happened yesterday, crores of people will not forgive. 131 years ago, Swami Vivekananda said in Chicago, I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. Thats why Indias democracy and diversity is thriving. But there is a conspiracy to level false allegations against Hindus, the PM said.

The Prime Minister also hit out at Gandhi for holding up a photo of Lord Shiva as a symbol of a deity in whom the Congress took refuge when faced with a volley of attacks by the ruling party. Jiske darshan hote hai, uske pradarshan nahi hote hai (the deity who is worshipped is not used to gain publicity), Modi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit out at the Congress and said the 2024 Lok Sabha elections verdict showed people have rejected propaganda and voted for performance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi replies to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Parliament session, in New Delhi, Wednesday.(PTI)

Replying to the debate on a motion thanking President Droupadi Murmu for her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, PM Narendra Modi said politics of misleading people has been defeated.

Modi also took potshots at the Congress for its statement that the country was bound to grow irrespective of who was in power. Those who ran the government on the auto-pilot mode can only make such statements, he said.

In his address in Rajya Sabha, Modi said for the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Constitution is not just a compilation of articles but its spirit and words are very important too.

It acts like a lighthouse for governments, Modi said adding the Constitution Day will disseminate the spirit of the Constitution in the country.

Modi said this is the first time in six decades that a government has returned to power after being in office for 10 years.

The third term for the BJP-led NDA is to make India a developed and self-reliant nation, he said.

The verdict is to make India the world's third-largest economy from the current fifth. Modi said.

Later, Opposition MPs staged a walk out during Modi's address at the Rajya Sabha.

Read more: PM Modi says Lok Sabha election results boosted domestic capital markets

Opposition can't face the truth, says PM Modi

"The country is watching that those who spread lies do not have the strength to hear the truth. Those who do not have the courage to face truth, do not have courage to listen to the answers to questions that were raised in these discussions. They are insulting the Upper House, the glorious tradition of the House," Modi said.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Dhankar slammed Opposition parties for staging walkout during PM's reply on Motion of Thanks to President's Address. "Opposition is not able to digest mandate given by 140 crore people to NDA, PM Modi asserted after Opposition MPs walked out from the Rajya Sabha.
New Delhi, Jul 3 (PTI) Raising slogans against the BJP-led Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA), the student outfits of some INDIA bloc parties staged a protest at the Jantar Mantar here on Wednesday against alleged irregularities in several competitive exams. Raising slogans against the BJP-led Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA), the student outfits of some INDIA bloc parties staged a protest against alleged irregularities in several competitive exams.(ANI )

In a separate protest, the Congress' youth wing, Indian Youth Congress (IYC), staged a demonstration against the irregularities near the protest site.

Several Youth Congress workers shaved their heads as a sign of protest while raising "anti-Modi" slogans.

The members of the Left-backed All India Students Association (AISA), Student Federation of India (SFI), All India Students' Federation (AISF), along with the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha and the Congress' students wing NSUI gathered at the Jantar Mantar to take out a march.

The student groups aimed to march to the Parliament to press for their demands of scrapping the National Testing Agency, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation and decentralisation of entrance tests.

However, the students were not able to hold the march due to heavy police deployment and barricading at the site.

They also demanded re-examination of the medical entrance test NEET-UG for all candidates, who had appeared in the May 5 exam.

Meanwhile, the police has registered an FIR under the new criminal laws against some students, who have been staging an indefinite sit-in at the Jantar Mantar against alleged rigging in the NTA held examinations.

Also read : Youth Congress protests in Gurugram over NEET paper leak

Over a dozen of these students belonging to different outfits, including Left backed AISA and Delhi University's KYS under the banner "India against NTA", were detained on Tuesday while attempting to march to the Parliament to press their demands. The police has now registered a case against the students under the new criminal laws, they said.

Their protest entered its eighth day on Wednesday as they joined the "Sansad Gherao" call by the student outfits of the INDIA bloc parties.

An FIR was also registered against NSUI national president Varun Choudhary and some others for barging into the NTA office and putting an iron lock and chain at its entrance gate last week.

On July 1, three new criminal laws -- the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) came into effect.

The NTA on Monday released the results of the re-test held for 1,565 candidates, who were given the opportunity to compensate for the loss of time due to late staring of the exam at six centres.

Various student outfits have been demanding re-examination of the NEET UG for all 24 lakh candidates, who had appeared in it.

In the line of fire over the alleged irregularities in the NEET and the PhD entrance NET, the Centre removed National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Subodh Singh last week and notified a high-level panel headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief R Radhakrishnan to ensure transparent, smooth and fair conduct of examinations through the NTA.

While the NEET is under the scanner over several irregularities, including alleged paper leaks, the UGC-NET was cancelled as the education ministry received inputs that the integrity of the exam was compromised. Both matters are being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Two other exams -- CSIR-UGC NET and NEET-PG -- were cancelled as a preemptive step.
NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in the Kazakhstan capital of Astana on Thursday, their first meeting in almost a year amid the military standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. External affairs minister S Jaishankar and Wang Yi are expected to hold talks on Thursday morning before he returns to India. (PTI FILE/)

Both foreign ministers are in Astana for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit held on July 3-4. While Jaishankar represented India at the summit in the absence of the prime minister, Wang is part of President Xi Jinpings delegation.

There was no formal announcement regarding the meeting by India or China, though the people cited above said on condition of anonymity that Jaishankar and Wang are expected to hold talks on Thursday morning before he returns to India.

Such a meeting would be an opportunity for the two sides to take stock of the situation along the LAC, with the face-off entering its fifth year in May. A deadly clash in Galwan Valley in June 2020, which killed 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops, sent ties plummeting to a six-decade low.

Jaishankar and Wang had a brief encounter on the margins of the Munich Security Conference in Germany in February, and they last held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of various Asean-related meetings in Jakarta on July 14, 2023.

The Indian leadership, including Jaishankar, has maintained that the overall relationship with China cannot be normalised without peace and tranquillity on the border. Jaishankar has also said that China is responsible for the current situation because it violated border management agreements and massed troops along the LAC.

However, even at his meeting with Jaishankar last July, Wang said that the two countries should not define overall relations with specific issues  a reference to Chinas position that the LAC issue should be put in its appropriate place in the overall relationship.

China has also lobbied in recent weeks for the resumption of direct flights to India and the easing of restrictions on issuing visas to Chinese nationals, especially technical personnel deputed to work with manufacturing units in India. The Indian side has given no indication that it intends to address these issues, with officials saying that all such issues are linked to the situation in the Ladakh sector, where both sides have arrayed about 50,000 troops each.

Despite dozens of rounds of diplomatic and military talks, India and China have been unable to address remaining friction points on the LAC such as Depsang and Demchok and the people said the Jaishankar-Wang meeting could pave the way for the next round of these discussions.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said that the opposition INDIA bloc parties walked out of the Rajya Sabha during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech as he was lying. He further lashed out at Modi, saying it is the Prime Minister's habit to lie and mislead people. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge (File Photo)(HT_PRINT)

Kharge's comment came shortly after the Opposition walked out of the upper House of the Parliament while Modi was speaking about the Constitution.

It's his habit to lie, mislead people, and say things beyond truth. They (BJP) say that we (Congress) are against the Constitution, but the truth is that BJP-RSS, Jan Sangh and their political forefathers had strongly opposed the Constitution of India. They had burnt the effigies of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru at that time. This was a shameful thing, Kharge told the media.

According to Kharge, Ambedkar had given the credit for drafting the Constitution to Congress.

I just wanted to clarify who was for the Constitution and who was against it. RSS wrote in their editorial in 1950 that the bad thing about the Constitution is that there is nothing about India's history. They opposed the Constitution. They are against it since the beginning and they say that they are for it, the Congress leader added.

Modi, during his reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's address in Rajya Sabha, spoke about the importance of the Constitution formulated by Dr BR Ambedkar and how it has enabled him to hold public office.

The Constitution is not just a compilation of rules for me, and I respect its spirit and every word in it, Modi said.

He further attacked the Opposition, saying that he had suggested November 26 be celebrated as Constitution Day, but it is those who wave around the Constitution these days who said that we already have Republic Day and rejected my idea. At this point, the Opposition leaders began protesting in the Parliament.

As the Opposition leader walked out, Modi said that the country was watching and that those who spread lies do not have the strength to hear the truth.

Those who do not have the courage to face the truth do not have the courage to listen to the answers to questions that were raised in these discussions. They are insulting the Upper House, the glorious tradition of the Upper House, he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday attacked the Congress for what he called save corrupt agitation while attacking the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for alleged corruption including in the now-scrapped 2021-22 Delhi excise policy. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is among the AAP leaders arrested for alleged irregularities in the policy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Rajya Sabha. (PTI)

Earlier, the Congress would question why the corrupt were not being punished. Today, when the government is taking strict action against corruption, they are protecting the culprits, said Modi in his reply in the Rajya Sabha to the motion of thanks to the Presidents address .

He listed the alleged scams involving AAP including the excise policy case. Modi questioned Congress on the evidence it once presented at a press conference against AAP. Now that the Congress and AAP are partners, was all the evidence presented a lie?

He accused the Congress and AAP of double standards. Those who are now accusing the Central government of misusing investigative agencies such as CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation] and ED [Enforcement Directorate] once appealed to the government to use them against the corrupt, said Modi. He said the AAP once urged the ED to arrest the then Congress chief minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel. How has the same ED and CBI become corrupt?
Astana, July 3 (UNI) Kazakh fighter jets painted the sky with colored smoke trails as Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev hosted on Wednesday a welcome ceremony for visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping.

A group of six jets, while flying over the presidential palace, left behind them colored smoke trails of red and yellow, colors of the Chinese national flag.

Xi arrived on Tuesday in Astana for a state visit to Kazakhstan, where he will also attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Three Kazakh Air Force fighter jets took off to escort Xi's plane after it entered the country's airspace. Tokayev held a grand welcome ceremony at the airport.

UNI/XINHUA ARN
The Congress is the biggest opponent of the Constitution and is running a fake narrative that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sought a brute mandate in the Lok Sabha elections to alter its provisions to mislead the public, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Parliament on Wednesday, as he launched an all-out attack on the opposition party, which ultimately staged a walkout along with its allies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in the Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. (ANI)

During his reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents address in the Rajya Sabha, Modi said the Constitution guides the citizens like a lighthouse and is not just a compilation of Articles but its spirit and imprint are extremely valuable.

He also invoked the Emergency that was imposed by the Congress in 1975 and stressed how the grand old party had disregarded the Constitution and undermined democratic processes.

In the run-up to the elections, the Congress and other opposition parties had accused the BJP of setting a target to win 400 out of 543 seats to change the Constitution and do away with caste-based quotas. Statements by BJP leaders like former lawmaker Lallu Singh and former Union minister Anantkumar Hegde on the need to revisit the Constitution fuelled the Oppositions campaign, even as Modi and his party dismissed the allegations.

Speaking in the House, Modi challenged the Oppositions claim that the recent parliamentary elections were fought to protect the Constitution.

There has been no bigger election to protect the Constitution than in 1977, when the country voted to restore democracy, Modi said, adding that the polls that year were fought to protect the Constitution following the Emergency.

He also took a swipe at the Congress and said the grand old party equated former prime minister Indira Gandhi with the country. They are the ones who said India is Indira, he said.

Modi said the Constitution is not just a compilation of Articles, but its spirit and imprint are extremely valuable. Our Constitution guides us like a lighthouse.., he said, adding that the people of the country gave the BJP the mandate for a third time with a sense of confidence and firm belief that it will make Indias economy the third largest in the world.

Though the BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 240 seats in the general elections, it fell short of the simple majority mark of 272 in the 543-member Lok Sabha, making it dependent on allies to form the next government. Overall, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) enjoys a comfortable majority with 293 seats.

While Modi, in his speech, did not refer to the partys losses in the polls, he read the verdict as a manifestation of peoples faith in the BJP. If the election this year was to defend the Constitution, then the people of the country put their faith in us, he said.

He attributed his rise in the echelons of power to the provisions of the Constitution drafted by BR Ambedkar, saying: It is the Constitution given by Babasaheb Ambedkar that allowed people like me, with zero political lineage, to enter politics and reach such a stage.

Read Here | PM Modi mocks Congress's 'Sirsasana' politics: 'Bachche ka mann behlane...'

Amid Modis relentless attack on the Congress, the party and its allies in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) staged a protest. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge tried to intervene but was not allowed to speak, prompting the bloc to stage a walkout midway through Modis speech. Later in the day, Kharge said INDIA parties walked out of Rajya Sabha because Modi was lying.

The Prime Minister, however, continued with his attack in the House. He said that some parties that suffered the excesses, including incarceration of their leaders, during the Emergency have now joined hands with the Congress. Without naming these parties, he dubbed them as avsarvadi or opportunists.

It was a humanitarian crisis... , he said, adding how Jayaprakash Narayan, who led the campaign against Emergency, was jailed and suffered health issues that he could not recover from. Many who left home never returned after the Emergency... he said and referred to excesses against minorities in Muzaffarnagar and Turkman Gate (in Delhi) during the period.

He alleged the Congress was guilty of several transgressions during its tenure from 2004 to 2014 and said the National Advisory Council (NAC)  an advisory body that was set up by the United Progressive Alliance in 2004 to advise then prime minister Manmohan Singh  was tackled through remote control.

Without naming former Congress chief and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi, he said: These people are used to running the government on autopilot and remote pilot. They dont believe in working, they just know how to wait.
The Centre on Tuesday rushed a 51-member medical team and 47 rescuers from the National Disaster Response Force to hospitals in Etah and Aligarh where local hospitals were struggling to cope with casualties from the stampede in Hathras. Police officials outside the Hathras Trauma Center. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Following the stampede at a religious event in the Uttar Pradesh district, that left 116 dead, Union home minister Amit Shah spoke with UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath to take stock of the situation.

NDRF teams are on their way to the spot, Shah said at 6.30pm.

Hours later, the 98 member NDRF team, equipped with medicines, stretchers and life support systems, from the 8th battalion at Ghaziabad was sent to the site.

The medical team has taken a bulk of medicines along with stretchers. There are also two pharmacists with the team. There are two ambulances  one with advance life support and another with basic. The team will be assisting the doctors at the hospitals. The district administration told us that the accident site is almost clear. NDRF is needed at the hospital so our teams are going there, Kunal Dutt, deputy commandant of the 8th battalion, said.

The 51-member team headed by two doctors will set up make-shift medical facilities at the hospitals where a bulk of the patients have been brought, a second NDRF officer said requesting anonymity.

We are told that over 200 are injured and many of them have critical injuries. The hospital there may not have sufficient facilities so the teams have taken all medicines and other equipments that are needed to deal with this medical emergency We are also carrying body bags. The local administration requested this too, the second official said.

Depending on the volume of cases, the NDRF is likely to send additional teams from other battalions.
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday hit out at the opposition, accusing it of misleading students by spreading lies on the NEET controversy. He said that the Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan (File Photo)

"Congress has a history of cheating the country on past and present issues. This intention of theirs has come out in the open in the NEET case as well. The intention of the INDI alliance to create instability by deviating from the issues with the help of lies and rumours is anti-national and anti-student," the minister wrote on X in Hindi.



Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement in the Rajya Sabha on NEET issue, Pradhan said,"During his speech in Rajya Sabha today, Prime Minister has again told the youth of the country that youth power and their bright future is the first priority of the government and this government is with every young student of the country. No injustice will be allowed to happen to anyone."

"The government is taking strict steps by bringing a law for this. The country is confident that no one guilty of irregularities in the examination will be spared. Now Congress party and Indi Alliance should stop their misleading cheat policy on NEET issue," he added.



Pradhan's remarks come after the prime minister in the Rajya Sabha assured strict action against those guilty in the alleged NEET paper leaks. The President mentioned the paper leak in her speech. I expect the entire house to rise above politics and discuss the issue. Unfortunately, its being politicised, which is concerning for the countrys future," he said.

The Narendra Modi government is under fire after reports of alleged irregularities in NEET-UG entrance examination. The CBI has been probing the alleged paper leaks and have arrested seven people in connection with the case.



The opposition has been relentlessly attacking the government both inside and outside parliament. The NEET examination deserves immediate attention because it has exposed the deep rot in our higher education system. The past seven years have seen over 70 paper leaks, affecting over two crore students, Lok Sabha's leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi had said on Tuesday.



(With PTI, ANI inputs)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday assured strict action against the people responsible for the alleged National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET-UG paper leak incident and said that they will not be spared by the government while accusing the opposition parties of playing politics with the future of the countrys youth. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the Rajya Sabha (Twitter Photo)

The President mentioned the paper leak in her speech. I expect the entire house to rise above politics and discuss the issue. Unfortunately, its being politicised, which is concerning for the countrys future, Modi said while responding to the Motion of Thanks on the Presidents address in the Rajya Sabha.

Also Read: CBI arrests Godhra school owner in NEET case

Assuring the youth that the government will not spare those who cheated them, Modi said, One action after the other is being taken to ensure that those who toyed with the future of the youth of my country get the strictest punishment. In Parliament, we have formed strict laws against these irregularities. We are strengthening the entire system so that the youth of my country do not have to be in a situation of apprehension in future and that they showcase their capability in a confident manner and get what is rightfully theirs... he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, while addressing the Lok Sabha, the PM said that the government will leave no stone unturned to dispense justice to the affected students and implicate persons responsible in the NEET paper leak case.

He assured that his government would not let anyone play around with the future of Indias youth.

His remarks came a day after the Leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday wrote a letter to PM Modi demanding a debate on the NEET-UG row and several members of the Opposition sought the scrapping of the National Testing Agency (NTA), the body which conducts the entrance examinations.

Our aim is to engage constructively to find a way forward, Gandhi wrote. At this moment, our only concern is the welfare of nearly 24 lakh NEET aspirants across India. Lakhs of families have made tremendous personal sacrifices to support their children. For many, the paper leak is a betrayal of a lifetime dream, the letter read.

Gandhi had claimed that in the past seven years, over 70 such leaks have impacted more than 20 million students.
The three new criminal laws, which came into effect on July 1, are old wine in new bottles, says Jasti Chelameswar, former Supreme Court judge. Retired Supreme Court judge Justice Jasti Chelameswar looks at the new criminal laws and whether they are all that different from the old laws(PTI File Photo)

There is a change in nomenclature. But basically, the replacements are cosmetic. It is no more than window dressing, Justice Chelameswar, who retired in June 2018 as the second most senior Supreme Court judge, told this reporter.

Also Read: Shah rejects criticism over new criminal laws, says most suggestions incorporated

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).

The government on August 11 2023, introduced three new bills in the Lok Sabha to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act of 1872 and the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973, which lie at the heart of the criminal justice system in India.

Also Read: Lawyers welcome community service as punitive action under new criminal laws

The move is aimed at simplifying procedures, making the laws relevant to the contemporary situation, providing speedy justice and taking the law out of its colonial mindset, where handing out punishment, rather than providing justice, was the aim of British rulers.

The point is, will the new laws deliver what they are proclaiming?

Chelameswar says, I have my great doubts. Even though I am still in the process of reading the law minutely, from what I can see prima facie, some of the changes and additions are superfluous.

Also Read: Curtains on IPC, CrPC as new criminal laws kick in

Under the changes introduced in the Indian Evidence Act, now known as the BSA, courts are allowed a maximum of two adjournments to avoid unnecessary delays in case hearings. Criminal case judgements must be delivered within 45 days after the trial ends. Charges must be framed within 60 days of the first hearing. How on earth are the courts going to deliver such stringent deadlines? Do we have the wherewithal, he said.

Chelameswar said everyone is familiar with the efficiency of the system. The judgement is not only in the hands of the judges. You need highly efficient and well-trained staff to meet deadlines. Do we have them? he asked.

According to him, it is highly doubtful if early disposals, the professed aims of the new laws, will morph into reality anytime soon.

For offences committed before 1 July 2024, the earlier IPC and the procedural Laws of CrPC and Evidence Act will apply, and trials will continue as such. For offences committed from 1 July 2024, the three new laws will come into force.

There are serious concerns that more than 80 percent of the court system in India lacks basic digital infra facilities, which poses a major challenge for implementing the new laws.

In Justice Chelameswars view, the bail provisions will become even more stringent and tortuous. "The maximum detention period in police custody is extended from 15 days to 90 days for serious offences - a significant departure from the CrPC's 15-day limit, he said.

This change has increased concerns about potential police excesses.

The former apex court judge also raised questions about the system of public prosecution in the country, a primary requisite for smoothing out the country's judicial system.

"Everyone knows how public prosecutors are appointed. Over a period, a lot of irrelevant and unwarranted considerations have crept into the selection and appointment process of public prosecutors all over the country. If in a case, the charges are not framed in accordance with the mandate of law, the blame must be squarely taken by both the bar and the bench. These maladies have not been addressed, said Justice Chelameswar.

According to the National Judicial Data Grid, approximately 3.4 crore cases are pending in Indias criminal justice system, already choking the existing infrastructure.

Judges of various courts and the police forces have been provided with mandatory and organised training sessions. However, there have been no such programmed/mandatory sessions for lawyers, who are going to ultimately argue their cases.
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, announced on Tuesday that a pilot project is underway in Maharashtra's Nagpur involving a 132-seater bus with airplane-like seating and a bus hostess. The bus will operate on non-polluting energy sources and is expected to be more cost-effective than regular diesel buses. Gadkari also talked about India's growing concern over pollution, highlighting the government's focus on promoting clean energy for both personal and public transportation. Union minister Nitin Gadkari (File Photo)

In an interview with NDTV, Gadkari expressed the government's ambition for India to transition from being a net energy importer to becoming a net energy exporter.

Here are the govt's measures that Gadkari mention to tackle pollution

- The Union minister highlighted pollution as India's foremost issue, particularly in cities like Delhi, stressing on the need for indigenous, cost-effective, and pollution-free transport solutions. Initiatives like electric vehicles, 300 ethanol pumps by Indian Oil, and flex vehicles aim to reduce reliance on petrol priced at 120 per litre, proposing a blend of electricity and ethanol at 60 per litre.

- Focus is also on reducing public transportation costs, citing diesel bus operation costs at 115/km versus 41 for AC electric buses and 37 for non-AC ones with subsidies, potentially reducing ticket prices by 15-20% without subsidies.

- In Nagpur, a pilot project with Tata involves a 132-seat electric bus traveling 49 km on a ring road, recharging in 40 seconds at stops every 40 km. Cost projections range between 35-40 per km, aiming for comfortable seating, air-conditioning, and amenities akin to air hostesses providing food and beverages.

- Innovations include construction equipment and tractors running on 50% ethanol and 50% CNG, benefiting farmers by increasing income and reducing pollution.

- Gadkari also acknowledged petroleum minister Hardeep Puri's collaboration saying Indian Oil initiated a project producing 1 lakh liters of ethanol and bio bitumen from stubble, nearing completion along with 76,000 tonnes of bio aviation fuel.

- Waste management efforts include reducing landfill heights in Delhi and Ahmedabad, converting sewage water into power generation, and utilising organic waste for bio CNG, bio LNG, or hydrogen production.

- Future plans encompass drones, ropeways, and funicular railways in mountainous regions like Uttarakhand, Himachal, and Ladakh to mitigate pollution.

- A major announcement was also made on GPS-based tolling, which is set to be implemented on 5,000 km of roads within three months. This will ensure accurate tolling based on distance travelled without stopping, deducted directly from bank accounts.

- Gadkari emphasised his vision for a green revolution in agriculture, welcomed investments in rupees to avoid currency fluctuations, and promoted financial stability for infrastructure projects.
The Prime Ministers reply to the debate on the Presidents address was marred by sloganeering and protests by a disruptive Opposition on Tuesday, leading to adoption of a resolution condemning their conduct in the very first session of the 18th Lok Sabha. Opposition pulled up for heckling during PM Modis speech(ANI)

Throughout Modis speech, several Opposition MPs shouted slogans, clapped, and stormed the Well of the House, ignoring repeated warnings from Speaker Om Birla, who reminded them that their representatives -- including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi -- were allowed to speak without constant heckling or interruptions.

As the PM started his speech, the Opposition initially demanded that a Manipur MP should be allowed to speak, but their protests soon veered into various issues -- from Manipur to NEET to dictatorship -- as some of them continuously chanted slogans from the Well even as most of the floor leaders sat silently in their seats.

The Prime Minister, at one point during his speech, requested the Speaker not to take the events of Monday and Tuesday lightly. I know you have a soft nature. But we cant protect the Constitution if we dont take what happened on Monday and Tuesday seriously. It was an insult to the Constitution, to the House and the makers of Constitution. We cant overlook them as childish thoughts. The intention is very serious, he said.

Also read : PM Modi mocks Congress's 'Sirsasana' politics: 'Bachche ka mann behlane...'

After Modis speech ended and the House approved the Presidents address without any amendments, defence minister Rajnath Singh moved a resolution condemning the Oppositions behaviour. When the Prime Minister addressed the House during the debate on the Presidents speech, the way the Opposition continuously shredded parliamentary dignity, I propose that the entire House condemns this action, Rajnath said.

Birla again slammed the Opposition MPs over the disruptions at this point. I allowed all members to speak till late evening. I had given 90 minutes to LoP (Rahul Gandhi). But your behaviour is neither appropriate for parliamentary principles nor in sync with the democratic traditions of the country. The whole country has seen today that when the Leader of House, the PM was speaking, the LoP was asking leaders to come to the Well of the House. This is not according to Parliamentary traditions. I have given all the (Opposition) parties extra time, the Speaker said.

The Union home minister then stood up and endorsed the defence ministers resolution, urging that it be adopted. The proposal was then adopted by a voice vote.

It is very rare that a resolution to condemn the Opposition has been taken up in the first session itself, said a senior Lok Sabha official, who asked not to be named.

While the short session was marked with heightened tension between the Opposition and the government, a second senior Lok Sabha official said that it was not a good sign as far as parliamentary decorum or precedent is concerned.
The controversy surrounding the Agnipath scheme for short-term induction of soldiers intensified on Wednesday, with Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi releasing a video purportedly of a father of an Agniveer, who said that the family had not received any compensation or help from the Centre after his son was killed in a landmine explosion in Naushera in Jammu & Kashmir in January. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi (PTI)

The army, however, clarified that this was not the case, and the chunk of the compensation was paid to the next of kin of Agniveer Ajay Kumar and the rest would be disbursed shortly.

Sharing the clip on X, Gandhi said: Defence minister Rajnath Singh lied in Parliament about the assistance given to the family of the martyred Agniveer. Martyr Agniveer Ajays father has himself told the truth and exposed their lies. The defence minister should apologise to the Parliament, the country, the army and the family of the martyr.

Hours later, the army posted on X: Certain posts on social media have brought out that compensation hasnt been paid to the Next of Kin of Agniveer Ajay Kumar who lost his life in the line of duty.

Read Here: Rahul Gandhi leads Opposition attack on BJP in Lok Sabha; PM Modi rebuts him

It added: It is emphasised that the Indian Army salutes the supreme sacrifice made by Agniveer Ajay Kumar. The last rites were carried out with full Military Honours. Of the total amount due, family of Agniveer Ajay has already been paid 98.39 lakhs. Ex-Gratia and other benefits amounting to approximately 67 lakhs, as applicable according to the provisions of the Agniveer Scheme, will be paid on Final Account Settlement shortly post due Police verification. The total amount will be 1.65 Cr approximately.

It also re-emphasised that emoluments due to a fallen hero are paid expeditiously to the next of kin of departed soldiers, including Agniveers.

The Agnipath scheme was at the centre of an intense debate in Parliament, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior ministers accusing the Congress of spreading lies about the recruitment model.

In the video shared by Gandhi, Kumars father can be heard saying, We have got nothing from the Centre but some help from the Punjab government. The defence minister said in Parliament that 1 crore is given to the family if an Agniveer dies but we have received nothing. Rahul Gandhi is raising the issue...this scheme should be scrapped.

On Monday, Gandhi attacked the government in Lok Sabha over the Agnipath scheme, claiming that Agniveers recruited under it were not granted the status of martyrs and were akin to use and throw labour.

LoP shouldnt mislead the house by giving wrong speeches. If an Agniveer dies during war or at border, his family gets 1 crore, the defence minister said in response.

On Tuesday, Modi said in Lok Sabha that the Congress opposed every reform that strengthens the countrys armed forces.
Lok Sabha leader of opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi has a new address in Parliament. Since Monday, the Congress leader has been sitting in room G-41 (the G is for ground floor) of the new Parliament House, at the opposite end of Union home minister Amit Shahs chamber on the same floor. And while its just been a day since the room was allocated, its already become the centre of the Opposition activity. Rahul Gandhi in Parliament on Tuesday. (PTI Photo)

On Tuesday, just before Gandhi headed to the Lok Sabha before Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech, members of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) visited the Congress leaders office for discussions.

But thats not the only new thing with the 54-year-old Congress leader. In a major outreach to the media, he has invited requests for all kinds of interviews and interactions. In a post on X, he said: Unhindered, unfiltered, undaunted  a free and fair conversation is the strength of our democracy! I am here to speak with you, listen to you, and facilitate the true expression of the idea of India.

To be sure, Gandhi has been quite regular in holding press conferences and taking questions from the media. What he has avoided altogether, however, are individual interviews during the entire election campaign.

In fact, even during the Bharat Jodo Yatras, Gandhi preferred to speak to YouTubers and influencers rather than newspapers and TV channels. In his Parliament speech on Monday, he said he believes that the media have been incessantly attacking him and been completely partisan towards the government. Relentless attack in the media, 24/7, every single day, abuse-attack, abuse-attack, he said in the Lok Sabha.

But just a day later, Gandhi invited emails from all those who wanted not just interviews but also off-record meetings, and not just legacy media but also social media platforms.

Rahul ji is sitting in his room, and he will meet everybody as LoP, said his party colleague and lawmaker K Suresh.

Gandhis team members, who did not want to be quoted, said that while he still believes the media have been unfair to him, he was always open to listening to all points of view. However, these interactions would not be with those who were clearly biased.

The reason why Rahul ji has also stayed away from granting interviews is because we couldnt decide who to give it to, and this would always lead to many others being unhappy and complaining, said one aide, adding, As LoP, he has to have an official system of interacting and we hope to have a calendar soon.

Gandhis deputy in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, feels that the outreach is just a continuation of his Bharat Jodo mission.

He felt it was best to reach out directly to the people, through both old and new media. As LoP, he has a greater responsibility to communicate with the people directly and voice their concerns to a larger platform, said Gogoi.

In the past year, Gandhi has been building relationships with his alliance partners too. Other than Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, HT learns that Gandhi has been speaking frequently with Trinamool Congresss Abhishek Banerjee. Once he is LoP, he represents the entire Opposition and this needs balancing, especially of the interests and needs of the smaller parties, said his former colleague and TMC lawmaker Sushmita Dev.
After his remark on Hinduism caused an uproar in the Parliament, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi took a similar jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday after the party office in Gujarat was vandalised allegedly by Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) members. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. (Sansad TV)

Rahul Gandhi, in an X post, said that the attack on the Gujarat Congress office was a cowardly act, and the incident only proved his point about the ruling BJP, expressing confidence that the INDIA alliance will emerge victorious in the state in the next assembly elections.

The Congress leader also reiterated his remarks on Hinduism that sparked a controversy, saying that the people of BJP who spread violence do not understand the basic principles of the religion.

The cowardly and violent attack on the Gujarat Congress office further strengthens my point about the BJP and the Sangh Parivar. The people of BJP who spread violence and hatred do not understand the basic principles of Hinduism, the Raebareli MP posted on X.

The people of Gujarat can clearly see through their lies and will teach the BJP government a decisive lesson. I am saying it again - INDIA is going to win in Gujarat! he added.

Following Rahul Gandhi's remarks in the Parliament, the Congress office in Ahmedabad was vandalised in protest. Party spokesperson Hemang Raval said that an FIR has been filed regarding the same, and alleged that the vandalism was carried out by Bajrang Dal and VHP.

Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress also clashed outside the party office on Tuesday evening, with stones being pelted at the building. BJP workers demanded that Gandhi apologise for his remarks in the Lok Sabha.

On Monday, Rahul Gandhi addressed the Lok Sabha and accused the BJP and RSS of spreading violence and hate in the name of Hinduism. Pointing to the Treasury Benches, he said that those who call themselves Hindus are engaged in violence and hate.

When NDA MPs raised objections on calling the entire Hindu society violent, Rahul Gandhi clarified, Narendra Modi is not the entire Hindu society. The BJP is not the entire Hindu society. The RSS is not the entire Hindu society The BJP has not taken any contract All are Hindus here.
Gaza, July 3 (UNI) Residents in the Gaza Strip have no safe place due to the Israeli war, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said, referring to an evacuation order issued by the Israeli army.

Israel on Monday issued evacuation orders stretching from the southernmost regions of Rafah to the eastern parts of Khan Younis, including the European Gaza Hospital (EGH), the ICRC said in a press statement on Tuesday.

"Thousands of people learned of the evacuation instructions late in the day and fled in panic and fear," it added, noting that this group includes patients, families and the medical professionals who are crucial for the running of EGH.

"Wherever people flee to, they will arrive scarred and traumatized. They will face a lack of food, drinking water, sanitation, health care - and the prospect of needing to flee again," it said.

On Monday, the Israeli army issued an evacuation order to the neighborhoods and areas in the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

This came hours after the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, claimed responsibility for launching 20 rockets at southern Israel.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on Tuesday estimated that 250,000 people will have to flee Khan Younis, just weeks after people were forced to return to the devastated Khan Younis.

So far about 1.9 million people, or 80 percent of Gaza's population, have been displaced across Gaza, the United Nations Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag said on Tuesday.

Israel has been launching 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 more than 200 were taken hostage.

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 37,877, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Sunday.

UNI/XINHUA ARN
Rajya Sabha session highlights: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha today, Wednesday, a day after fiery attacks on the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha proceedings resumed on July 3 at 11 am while the Lok Sabha was adjourned on Tuesday evening sine die after the NDA and INDIA bloc MPs clashed over PM Modi's speech in the lower House....Read More

"Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi will speak in the Rajya Sabha at around 12 noon. He will take part in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address," PMO said in a post on X.

As proceedings of Rajya Sabha began this morning, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar offered condolences on the loss of lives in the stampede in Hathras in Uttar Pradesh. Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge called on the government to enact legislation aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.

Prime Minister addressed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday following which the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die. Speaker Om Birla said it recorded a productivity of 103 per cent. PM Modi, during his address in the lower house, attacked the INDIA bloc and Rahul Gandhi over their remarks on Hinduism and other issues.

The discussion in the Rajya Sabha is expected to range from NEET paper leak issue to Manipur violence. Opposition members on Tuesday cornered the government in the Rajya Sabha over the recent examination paper leaks, saying it is hurting the future of the youths and the morale of students who have toiled hard.
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday ordered a judicial inquiry into the stampede at a religious congregation in Hathras district that has killed 121 people. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath inspects the site of a stampede in which 121 people were killed during a religious event in Hathras on Wednesday (HT Photo/Sunil Ghosh)

The chief minister, who flew down to Hathras and met the injured, later told reporters that the inquiry panel would be headed by a retired high court judge and comprise retired administrative and police officers. The panel will also be asked to recommend standard operating procedures to be adopted to prevent such incidents in future, he said.

Five more people died on Wednesday morning, raising the toll in the stampede to 121. The tragedy took place at the end of a satsang organised by a religious preacher Bhole Baba, originally named Suraj Pal. Yogi Adityanath said the injured told him that the incident took place when the convoy of the katha vachak (preacher) reached GT Road after the programme and scores of devotees moved towards him to touch him. A crowd followed them, climbing over each other, the injured told the chief ministers, adding that the sevadars, or staffers of the preachers organisation, pushed the people leading to a stampede on both sides of the GT Road.

A first information officer (FIR) registered on the statement of a local police officer on Tuesday night named Devdas Madhukar, the head sevadar of Pals organisation and unnamed organisers of the religious congregation on Tuesday as accused in the case. Police said the accused were absconding.

The arrangements inside the entire event were made by the sevadars associated with the event, while the administration made police arrangements outside. But when the tragedy happened, the sevadars fled the spot, the chief minister said.

They did not even make arrangements to take people to the hospital after the accident, he said, adding that the saddest aspect of the tragedy was that the sevadars, who do not allow the administration to enter such programmes, also tried to suppress the accident.

The organisers of the satsang will be called for interrogation and they will be asked about the reasons for the incident. The accountability for the negligence and the responsibility of those involved in the incident will be fixed, he said.

Yogi stressed that everyone responsible for the Hathras accident will be punished. No culprit will be spared and the state government will get to the bottom of this entire incident, he said.

To probe the entire incident, we have constituted an SIT (Special Investigation Team) under the chairmanship of ADG Agra, which has given its preliminary report. She (ADG Agra Anupam Kulshreshtra) has been asked to get to the bottom of this incident. There are many such aspects, which are very important to investigate.

Asked why the influential preacher Bhole Baba hadnt been named in the FIR, the chief minister said, Prima facie, FIR is lodged against those who had sought permission for the application. During the probe, when the scope increases, all those who are responsible for this incident will come under the scanner.

The chief minister said three ministers Lakshmi Narayan Chaudhary, Sandeep Singh and Asim Arun, chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh and director general of police Prashant Kumar were camping at the spot.

All are working to fix the accountability of those responsible for this incident. The state government has constituted special teams that will visit various districts to take forward the investigation and act against the culprits, he said.

The deceased were mostly from 16 districts of Uttar Pradesh. Six of the victims were from Madhya Pradesh (Gwalior), four from Haryana and one from Rajasthan. Among the injured, 31 are being treated in hospitals in Hathras, Aligarh, Etah and Agra and are out of danger, he said.

Yogi also hit out at opposition parties for criticising the government for the tragedy, saying some people indulge in politics even over sad and painful incidents.

Such people have arrogance even after indulging in malpractices, he said. People know with whom the katha vachak (preacher) has photos, who has political relations with him. You must be aware where such stampedes used to happen during rallies in the past and who was behind them. I think it is necessary to get to the bottom of all the aspects. Those who play with the lives of innocent people should be held accountable, he said.
The expansion of the Telangana state cabinet headed by chief minister A Revanth Reddy is likely to take place in a day or two, once the Congress high command gives its green signal to the list of prospective ministers, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. Revanth Reddy travelled to New Delhi with a list of potential ministers who could be appointed to the cabinet on Wednesday afternoon. BRS leader K Keshava Rao joins Congress in the presence of Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, in New Delhi on Wednesday. Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, MPs Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, and Deepa Das Munshi are also present. (Congress X)

Meanwhile, his Andhra Pradesh counterpart, Chandrababu Naidu also reached Delhi on Wednesday evening and is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. The presence of chief ministers of two Telugu-speaking states in the national capital is a coincidence. The two are, however, expected to meet in Hyderabad later this week to sort out pending issues between carved-out Telangana and residual Andhra Pradesh.

On Wednesday afternoon, Revanth Reddy met All india congress committee president Mallikarjun Kharge in the evening and held discussions with him on the cabinet expansion.

In all probability, the names of ministers to be inducted into the cabinet will be finalised by Thursday. The chief minister, who met state governor CP Radhakrishnan on Monday, already indicated to him about the probable expansion of the cabinet this weekend, a party leader privy to the development said.

Read Here: BRS stares at crisis in Telangana after six MLAs defect to Congress

Meanwhile, former BRS leader K Keshava Rao returned to the Congress fold Kharge describing it as a worthy homecoming.

In a post on X, Kharge said: Worthy homecoming! We welcome senior leader, Shri K. Keshav Rao ji to the Congress party. We are confident that his vast experience in public service will strengthen the Congress party in Telangana.

At present, there are 11 members in the state cabinet, including the chief minister and there is a scope for including another six ministers. The vacancies have been lying vacant since December 7, when the Congress government was formed in Telangana. For now, Revanth Reddy may induct four ministers and keep two more berths vacant for a future expansion, the leader said.

The chief minister might also undertake a reshuffle of portfolios as part of the expansion. Many important portfolios like home, education, and social welfare are still with the chief minister and they will be allotted during the cabinet reshuffle, the party leader quoted above said.

Apart from approving the cabinet expansion, the Congress high command is also likely to finalise the new president for Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee in place of Revanth Reddy by Thursday.

Among those who are aspiring for the PCC chief post are: present working president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, former MP Madhu Yashki, AICC secretary A Sampath Kumar, and former Union minister and Mahabubabad MP P Balram Naik.

While Mahesh Kumar and Madhu Yashki are from the OBC community, Sampath Kumar is an SC, and Balram Naik is an ST leader. Since a leader from the Reddy community is already the chief minister, the party high command might prefer an OBC or an SC or an ST leader as the PCC chief to balance the caste equation, the Congress leader said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday extended his condolences to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the tragic Hathras stampede incident in Uttar Pradesh, in which 121 people lost their lives. Russian President Vladimir Putin (AP)

Kindly accept the most sincere condolences over the tragic accident in Uttar Pradesh. Please convey words of sympathy and support to the near and dear ones of the deceased as well as wishes for a speedy recovery of all injured, the message read.

The stampede took place on Tuesday when thousands of people gathered at a specially laid tent in the Rati Bhanpur village in the Sikandra Rau area of Hathras district for a Satsang, a religious event organised by a religious preacher, Bhole Baba.

According to the police, massive overcrowding, insufficient exits, bad weather and other factors may have contributed to the high death toll.

Meanwhile, the injured victims, who have been admitted to a nearby hospital, said that the incident took place after the programme was over when the preacher of the Satsang was coming down from the stage. Several people rushed towards him to touch him, causing a stampede, one of the victims said.

The initial report from the authorities also suggested that as thousands of people thronged towards the exit, many slipped on the muddy ground, causing them to fall and be crushed by the crowds.

On Wednesday, the Uttar Pradesh police lodged an FIR against the organisers of the religious congregation, accusing them of hiding evidence and flouting conditions with 2.5 lakh people gathering for the event in which only 80,000 were permitted. However, Bhole Baba, the man behind the 'Satsang' that led to the stampede, has not been named in the FIR.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath announced that a judicial probe has been ordered into the incident. We have formed an SIT, led by ADG Agra. It has submitted a preliminary report. They have been told to investigate this deeply. Several angles need to be investigated, the CM told the media.
Holding that the constitutional right to a speedy trial cannot depend on the severity of the alleged crime, the Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a stern reprimand to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for its delay in prosecuting a counterfeit currency case, which resulted in the accused being imprisoned for four years without trial. The bench criticised the delay in the trial and urged the NIA to uphold the right to a speedy trial. (ANI file photo)

A bench comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan underscored the constitutional right to a speedy trial under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, irrespective of the severity of the alleged crime, as it granted bail to the accused in the case.

You are the NIA. Please do not make a mockery of justice. It is four years, and the trial has not commenced. This is not done. Whatever offence the accused has committed, he has the right to a speedy trial, the bench remarked emphatically.

It stated in the order: Howsoever a serious crime may be, accused has a right to speedy trial, as enshrined under the Constitution of India. We are convinced that the manner in which the court and the prosecuting agency have proceeded in this case, the right to speedy trial has been frustrated, thereby violating Article 21.

The Court was hearing an appeal against a February 2024 Bombay high court order that had denied bail to Javed Gulam Nabi Shaikh.

He was apprehended by the Mumbai police in 2020, leading to the recovery of counterfeit currency notes allegedly originating from Pakistan. The NIA later assumed control of the investigation, claiming that Shaikh had visited Dubai in February 2020 and received the counterfeit currency there.

At the outset of the proceedings on Wednesday, the bench criticised the delay in the trial and urged the NIA to uphold the right to a speedy trial, rather than make a mockery of justice by seeking time after time to submit its counter affidavit in the matter.

Furthermore, the bench observed that two co-accused had already been granted bail, with one bail order currently under challenge before the Supreme Court but there being no stay on the bail.

The bench pointed out that Shaikh had been detained as an undertrial for four years, the trial court had not yet framed charges and the prosecution was expected to examine 80 witnesses.

We wonder when the trial will commence and when it can get concluded, it commented.

Based on these considerations, the bench set aside the Bombay high court order and granted bail to Shaikh, subject to conditions set by the trial court. Additionally, the top court directed Shaikh not to leave Mumbai during the bail and report to the NIAs Mumbai office every 15 days.

Also Read:Let them resign: Supreme Court dismisses plea against competency test for teachers in Bihar

Article 21 of the Constitution gives all individuals the fundamental right to life and personal liberty. Through a catena of SC judgments, the right to speedy trial has been acknowledged as an extension of Article 21.

In Kartar Singh Vs State of Punjab (1994), a constitution bench of the Supreme Court unequivocally construed the right of speedy trial as a fundamental right. The concept of speedy trial is read into Article 21 as an essential part of the fundamental right to life and libert guaranteed and preserved under our Constitution. The right to speedy trial begins with the actual restraint imposed by arrest and consequent incarceration and continues at all stages..., it held.

Similarly, the apex court in Hussainara Khatoon (I) Vs Home Secretary, State of Bihar, said: No procedure which does not ensure a reasonably quick trial can be regarded as reasonable, fair or just and it would fall foul of Article 21. There can, therefore, be no doubt that speedy trial, and by speedy trial we mean reasonably expeditious trial, is an integral and essential part of the fundamental right to life and liberty enshrined in Article 21.

Another constitution bench in Abdul Rehman Antulay Vs RS Nayak, (1992) underscored that this right to speedy trial is implicit in Article 21 of the Constitution and is also reflected in Section 309 of the CrPC, 1973; that it encompasses all stages, viz., investigation, inquiry, trial, appeal, revision and re-trial; that the burden lies on the prosecution to justify and explain the delay; that the court must engage in a balancing test to determine whether this right had been denied in the particular case before it.

The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the new code that has replaced the CrPC with effect from July 1, has sought to address delayed justice through some new provisions. BNSS requires sessions courts to frame charges within 60 days from the first hearing and deliver judgments within 30 days (extendable to 60 days) after completing arguments. Plea bargaining applications must be filed within 30 days of framing charges.

The revised BNSS mandates that medical practitioners examining rape victims submit reports within seven days to investigating officers. Victims must be informed of investigation progress within 90 days. To avoid trial delays, BNSS allows evidence collected by retired or transferred officers to be presented by their successors. Trials can proceed without an accused declared a proclaimed offender, and judgments can be pronounced against such accused.
New Delhi: An association in Jammu and Kashmir cannot be permitted to blatantly indulge in secessionist activities and cannot ague that seeking a plebiscite does not amount to unlawful activity under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), a tribunal has ruled while confirming the Union home ministrys ban on Muslim League Jammu Kashmir, which is led by separatist leader Masarat Alam Bhat (MLJK-MA). An association in Jammu and Kashmir cannot be permitted to blatantly indulge in secessionist activities and cannot ague that seeking a plebiscite does not amount to unlawful activity under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), a tribunal has ruled (ANI)

The tribunal also said that the outfit cannot take refuge behind the UN resolutions of 1948 or any international treaty for the purpose of its unlawful activities. The said UN resolution is in a peculiar historical context and susceptible to various interpretations, the tribunal consisting of Justice Sachin Datta at the Delhi high court has said.

To be sure, the tribunal passed its judgment on June 22, but it was made public by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Monday evening.

ALSO READ| Terrorists associate held in Jammu and Kashmirs Sopore

The ministry had banned the organisation on December 27,2023, saying it was involved in anti-national and secessionist activities in J&K, supporting terrorist activities, and inciting people to establish Islamic rule in the state. To adjudicate the ban, a tribunal was set up at the Delhi high court on January 24. The tribunal conducted a hearing and heard representations by the Indian probe and intelligence agencies, and lawyers of MLJK-MA.

According to Indian agencies, Masarat Alam Bhat is known for his anti-India and pro-Pakistan propaganda. He became the chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference following the death of Syed Ali Shah Geelani. He has been in jail since 2010 for his alleged involvement in violent protests in the Kashmir valley.

During the hearings before the tribunal, the outfit claimed that since its inception in 2008 to the present day, MLJK-MA has maintained its status as a purely political entity, and has never indulged in or propagated violent or militant means of resistance.

It further argued that its core mission has revolved around implementing the resolution passed on January 5, 1949 by the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan, which advocated for a plebiscite to determine the accession of the J&K to either India or Pakistan. The outfit submitted that seeking a plebiscite does not amount to an unlawful activity within the meaning of section 2(1)(o) of the UAPA.

Appearing for the Central government, additional solicitor general of India, Aishwarya Bhati argued that advocating right of self-determination is nothing but camouflage and a facade to advocate secessionism and cessation of part of the territory of Union of India.

Bhati further argued,Had the intention of organization was to bring political reform in the territory of Jammu and Kashmir while it being a part of India, it would not have advocated plebiscite as per UNCIP since the territory of J&K is integral part of India as per Article 1 read with Schedule I of Indian Constitution. The only natural corollary of demand of plebiscite is to have secession of territory of J&K from India so that it can merge with Pakistan, Bhati said in her arguments before the tribunal.

Agreeing with the government, the tribunal ruled that MLJK-MA is by definition an unlawful association as defined in the UAPA.

The association in J&K cannot be permitted to blatantly indulge in secessionist activities or activities inimical to the territorial integrity of India and claim legal immunity on account of such actions. There is simply no warrant or basis either in UAPA or in the Constitution for claiming such immunity, the tribunal said in the order.

On the demand for plebiscite, the tribunal said, The contention on behalf of MLJK-MA that seeking a plebiscite does not amount to an unlawful activity within the meaning of section 2(o) of the UAPA, is thoroughly misconceived.

The demand for a so-called plebiscite is nothing but a devise or a mechanism to undermine the territorial integrity of India and to encourage secession of part of the territory of India. The attempt on the part of the association to legitimise the same cannot be countenanced in law. Moreover, the views that may have been expressed by authors/political personalities in the years immediately following the Independence, cannot impart any legal basis to propagate secessionism. There is no gainsaying that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India is inviolable; the same cannot be rendered violable in the guise of any demand for a so-called plebiscite or the like, the judge said.

The tribunal under justice Datta, which heard the proceedings related to ban on another Kashmir-based organisation  Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH), confirmed the move. The TeH was formed by separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in 2004, currently being headed by Amir Hamza Shah. It was banned by MHA on December 31.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla informed the House that 103 per cent of the Parliament's productivity was achieved in its first session, according to the Lok Sabha Secretariat. Speaker Om Birla says First Session of Lok Sabha had 103 percent productivity (PTI)

Read more: 'Balak buddhi, tumse na ho paaega': PM Modi takes jibe at Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha commenced on June 24 and was concluded on July 2, with the Prime Minister's reply. The session was spread over seven sittings and lasted for 34 hours. 50 members gave speeches throughout the session.

Read more: BJP demands apology from Rahul Gandhi over remarks in Lok Sabha speech

The President's address on June 27 led to an 18-hour discussion, with 68 members participating. The session ended with the passage of the Motion of Thanks by the President for the joint sitting of Parliament.

Read more: 'Selective expunction': Rahul Gandhi wants Om Birla to restore Lok Sabha speech

Over the first two days, 539 members from both houses of Parliament took their oaths to join public office. The proceedings in the first session were marked by fiery speeches across the board.

Issues such as the NEET-UG exam, paper leaks, the Agnipath scheme and Manipur, dominated the discussion. Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, also courted controversy, with remarks that PM Modi and the BJP were spreading messages of violence and hatred towards minorities and that they were not real Hindus. Several of his comments were expunged from the record by order of the Speaker.

Prime Minister Modi also hit back and stated that Rahul Gandhi had a balak buddhi, tumse na ho paega (you have a childish mind even though you're a grown person, you won't be able to perform well).

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh moved a resolution condemning the Opposition's behaviour during Prime Minister Modi's reply, as they were sloganeering and disrupting his speech.
Philanthropist and author Sudha Murty, in her maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, called for a government-sponsored vaccination programme to combat cervical cancer, and also pitched for promoting domestic tourism. Sudha Murty was nominated by the President to the Rajya Sabha on the eve of International Women's Day. Congress MP Rajeev Shukla reacts as Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty speaks in the House during the Parliament session in New Delhi on July 2, 2024. (PTI)

"There is a vaccination which is given to girls, between the age of nine and 14, known as a cervical vaccination. If the girls take that, it (cancer) can be avoided ... we should promote vaccination for the benefit of our girls because prevention is better than cure," Sudha Murty, the wife of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murty and the mother-in-law of the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said.

Quoting her father, the philanthropist said when a mother dies, it is counted as one death in the hospital, but for the family, a mother is lost forever.

Watch the video here:

The government has handled a very big vaccination drive during Covid so it may not be very difficult to provide cervical vaccination to girls in the age group of 9-14 years, Sudha Murty said while speaking during a discussion on the motion of thanks on the President's Address.

Sudha Murty said the cervical vaccination has been developed in the West, and it is being used for the last 20 years.

"It worked very well. It is not expensive. Today it is 1,400 for people like me who are in the field. If the government intervenes and negotiates...you can bring it to 700-800. We have such a large population. It will be beneficial for our girls in future," she said.

Rajeev Shukla, who was at the chair, asked Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to convey the message to the health minister.

Sudha Murthy on tourism

Speaking on domestic tourism, Sudha Murty said there are 57 domestic tourist sites which should be considered as World Heritage Sites. These include Bahubali statue at Shravanabela Gola in Karnataka, Lingaraja Temple, Unakoti rock carvings in Tripura, Shivaji forts in Maharashtra, Chausath Yogini temple in Mitawali, Lothal in Gujarat, and Gol Gumbad, etc.

"In India, we have 42 World Heritage sites but 57 are pending ... we should bother about those 57 sites," Murty said.

She said the temples in Srirangam are marvellous.

She said a group of old monuments of Sarnath, which are 2,500 years old, are still not among World Heritage Sites.

Murty said that old Parliament Building design prototyping has been done from the thousands-year-old Chausath Yogini temple at Mitawali in Madhya Pradesh.

(With inputs from agencies)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged lawmakers of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to acquaint themselves with issues pertaining to their constituencies, spend more time participating in parliamentary affairs, refrain from speaking to media out of turn, and focus on working as a team, people familiar with the matter said. Modi said the oppositions arrogance and ego prevented it from accepting that the result was a mandate for the NDA to form government for the third straight term(ANI )

At the first meeting of the NDAs parliamentary party since forming the government at the Centre last month, emphasis was on cooperation and collaboration among the alliance partners. Referring to the June 4 results of the Lok Sabha elections, which he hailed as a big win for the NDA, Modi said the oppositions arrogance and ego prevented it from accepting that the result was a mandate for the NDA to form government for the third straight term, one person aware of the details said.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said the PM shared an important mantra with all the lawmakers of the NDA. ...He (PM) said that every MP has been elected to the House to serve the nation. Irrespective of the party they belong to, service to the nation is our first responsibility. Every NDA MP has to work by prioritising the country, Rijiju said.

Modi also guided the NDA lawmakers on how they should conduct themselves. He said every MP should present the matters of their constituency in the House very well (and) as per rules. He also told us to develop expertise in other issues of interest  be it water, environment, or social (sector) area, and urged NDA MPs to follow the rules of Parliament, the Parliamentary democracy system and conduct, which is essential to becoming a good MP, Rjiju said. I think this guidance by the PM is a good mantra for all MPs, especially first-time MPs.

It is customary for Modi to address BJP lawmakers during Parliament session, but since the party has had to rely on 14 allies to form government at the Centre for the third straight term, the meeting included MPs from alliance partners as well. The BJP, which won 240 seats in the elections to the 543-member Lok Sabha, fell short of the half-way mark, and could form government for the third time after securing support from the allies.

Also read : Opposition walks out of Lok Sabha amid NDA vs INDIA over NEET

Modi is learnt to have underlined the need to have regular meetings between the allies and appoint a spokesperson for the alliance. The focus on keeping the allies close is an indication of the BJP having recalibrated its approach to the partners. In 2014 after the BJP came to power at the Centre with a clear majority and in 2019 when it retained power with a bigger mandate, the BJP fell out with some of its old allies, including the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Janata Dal (United) or JD(U), which are now part of the ruling NDA at the Centre and run coalition governments with the BJP in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, respectively.

Hailing the recent poll results as the big win for the ruling alliance, Modi said the arrogance and ego of the ghamandia gathbandhan (arrogant alliance)  an apparent reference to the opposition INDIA bloc  prevented it from accepting the verdict, a person aware of the details said.

Without taking any names, Modi also said only one family has a problem accepting that the NDA has returned to power for the third time in a row. Modi said the family, an oblique reference to the Gandhis, have had a problem honouring prime ministers who do not belong to their clan, a second person privy to the details said.

He urged the lawmakers to visit the PM museum and get a first-hand account of how the BJP government has shown respect to PMs of all parties, the second person said.
New Delhi/ Jaipur In the winter of 2023, Sanjna Jatav was at a difficult crossroads. Just 25, the mother of two had just suffered a narrow defeat in the assembly elections in Rajasthan after being trounced by the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate by 409 votes. Days later, even as the cultivator family was reeling from the loss, her father died. Heartbroken and bereaved, with two toddlers to take care of, it seemed curtains for Jatavs still-fledgling political career. Sanjana Jatav has been elected as Congress MP from Bharatpur. (Arvind Yadav/HT photo)

Six months on, the contrast couldnt be sharper as Jatav ascended the steps of the new Parliament building this week, her head shielded from the scalding sun by the canopy of her sky blue saree, her mother and mother-in-law standing in the background.

Walking down to the lectern that day to take oath as one of the youngest members of Parliament, she could scarcely believe what the last six months had brought her  a parliamentary ticket from the Congress, a campaign in the BJP stronghold that forced chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma to respond with a roadshow, and erasing a 300,000 vote deficit with a 17 percentage point vote share swing to register an improbable victory.

If it happened, it all happened because of ordinary people. Theyre the ones who funded me, theyre the ones who defeated the BJP, she said.

The Dalit womans achievement was representative of the Congresss revival in a state where it had drawn a blank in the last two general elections, and her rooted campaign and youthful spontaneity  seen in the impromptu dance she broke into the moment results were announced on June 4  part of why the opposition party improved its strike rate against the BJP in head-to-head contests from 9% in 2019 to 28% now. Most of all, the Oppositions narrative that the BJP will effect changes in the Constitution struck a chord with Dalit people such as Jatav, helping her consolidate that important base. The BJP had thought they could win on the basis of PM Modis name alone. But the ordinary man, the ordinary Dalit was angry, and it reflected in the result.

Born in 1998 in Bharatpur district, Jatav married police constable Kaptan Singh at 18 in Alwar districts Kathumar town. That year was also her first foray into politics when the village panchayat seat Singhs father held was reserved for women. Jatav held a graduate degree in arts, and was a fresh young face. She won the election by 4,000 votes. It was a big deal for me, coming from a small family of farmers, she said.

Jatav had joined the Congress shortly before the election, and the muck of mainstream politics didnt leave her untouched. Alarmed by her rise, a rival leader dug a deep pit outside her house and registered a complaint against Singh with the Rajasthan Police. They started troubling her family, said Congress leader Bhupendra Gurjar.

In 2022, Congress leader Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Yatra passed through Rajasthan, giving Jatav an opportunity to sink deeper roots in the party organisation. She helped prepare for the yatra in Alwar; she also participated in Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadras Ladki Hun Lad Sakti Hun campaign, holding meetings and rallies and bringing many young girls into the party fold.

During the yatra, Sanjana met Priyanka Gandhi, who was impressed with her work. She told Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, a former Congress MP from Alwar, to groom Jatav, said a senior Congress leader. She got the ticket for the 2023 assembly elections but lost.

Woh mushkil daur tha (it was a difficult period). I was jolted. An election is a big thing for an ordinary person. It was very difficult to get out of it for 2-3 months. My fathers absence rankled, she said.

Fighting another election was not on the cards at the point. We didnt even have enough money, her husband Singh said.

But politics was slowly creeping back into her life.When the Congress was deciding candidates for the Bharatpur Lok Sabha seat, local leaders thought Jatav could be a fresh face and a strong candidate against the BJP, which had also dropped its incumbent.

When she started campaigning, Jatav realised she had a chance. The public wanted a change from the high-handed attitude of the previous winners, she said.

Bharatpur was a prestige seat for the BJP because it is the home district of chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, and the National Democratic Alliance held seven of the eight assembly segments that make up the constituency. We knew that our USP was rootedness so we went to every village, every home even as our opponents were confident that the PMs name would make him win. Everywhere people told us they didnt have employment or amenities such as water.

Throughout the campaign, they did three things  keep the focus on local amenities and lack of opportunities in Bharatpur to not allow the BJP to make the election national, talk about the Constitution and the perceived threat to protections for marginalised groups, and the Congress as a genuine alternative in a state where the chief minister is facing some internal dissension. We are poor people but people themselves arranged vehicles for us. People were distressed and they made their voices heard, she said.

Life has come full circle for the family since June 4. Yet, Jatav finds herself balancing her old persona of a rural woman with her new identity as one of Indias 543 parliamentarians. These few days in Delhi are only an intermission. I wake up at 4am everyday to feed the buffaloes, finish household chores, then cook for the children and get them ready, before tending to the fields, she said.

As she spoke, her four-year-old sauntered in from another room, hungry. Quickly coddling him, Jatav turned to her husband. We are ordinary people. Our friends are ordinary. Our relatives are ordinary. We didnt have a single important person in our phone books, she said. But, you know, such ordinary people are 90% of the country. Jatav nodded in agreement: Thats why we won.
New Delhi, July 3 (UNI) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday sent a message of condolence to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the tragic accident in Uttar Pradeshs Hathras in which 121 people were killed in a stampede.

In his message, the Russian President wrote:

Esteemed Mrs President,

Esteemed Mr Prime Minister,

Kindly accept the most sincere condolences over the tragic accident in Uttar Pradesh.

Please convey words of sympathy and support to the near and dear ones of the deceased as well as wishes for a speedy recovery of all injured.

Respectfully,

Vladimir Putin.

The stampede occurred during a 'satsang' (prayer meeting) organised by a self-styled godman, Bhole Baba aka Narayan Saakar Hari, in Hathras.

At least 121 people, including women and children, were killed in the stampede on Tuesday afternoon.

UNI RN
Radhika Merchant is all set to tie the knot with Anant Ambani on July 12. After their two extravagant pre-wedding bash  one that took place in Jamnagar, and the other that happened on a cruise across Europe, the couple will be getting married by the second week of July. A day back, the Ambani family hosted a mass wedding ceremony in Mumbai where they blessed underprivileged couples and facilitated their wedding ceremonies. The Mameru ceremony took place in Mumbai on Wednesday and it was as extravagant as ever. The Ambani family looked gorgeous as they visited the venue and posed for the pictures. Here's what Radhika, Isha, Shloka wore for the Mameru ceremony.(Viral Bhayani, Varinder Chawla)

ALSO READ: Nita Ambani, Isha Ambani, Shloka Ambani look stunning in ethnic at mass wedding

Bride-to-be Radhika Merchant looked too gorgeous in a lehenga

We caught a glimpse of Radhika Merchant entering the Mameru venue and we are busy taking notes. Radhika looked gorgeous in a pink and orange embellished lehenga with golden zari details. Radhika teamed her attire with a gorgeous golden maang tika, a golden necklace and bangles.

ALSO READ: Nita Ambani in silk saree, Radhika Merchant in anarkali stun at dinner. Watch

Isha Ambani opted for an orange ruffled saree for the festivities

Isha Ambani and family posed for pictures together.(HT Photos/Varinder Chawla)

Isha Ambanis festive looks ae goals for us Isha looked pretty as ever in a orange ruffled saree with golden zari work at the borders. The saree also featured intricate details in golden Resham threads throughout the body. In a matching golden embellished blouse with a sweetheart neckline, a statement golden and green necklace, golden jhumkas and a matching maang tika, Isha rounded off her look.

Shloka Ambanis pink and orange salwar suit is as festive as it can get

Shloka Ambani looked gorgeous in a salwar suit.(HT Photos/Varinder Chawla)

Badi Bahu of the Ambani clan  Shloka Ambani  looked stunning in a heavily embellished pink and orange salwar suit. The attire featured golden embellishments, heavy zari borders and threadwork. In a diamond necklace, diamond drop earrings and bangles, Shloka posed for the pictures.

ALSO READ: Radhika Merchant-Anant Ambani attend a friend's wedding; here's what she wore

Anant and Radhika ae childhood friends who fell in love later. The couple made their relationship official with a picture together in 2018. They are slated to get married on July 12.
Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani are set to get married. The couple announced their wedding date  July 12. Ahead of the wedding, the couple had two extravagant pre-wedding ceremonies  one that was a star-studded ceremony that took place in Jamnagar, and the other one where the couple took off with their family members and other celebrities on a cruise across Europe. A day back, the Ambani clan organised a mass wedding ceremony in Mumbai where they blessed underprivileged couples and got them married. On Wednesday, the Ambani family walked into the venue of the Mameru ceremony. Radhika Merchant looked gorgeous in a lehenga for her Mameru ceremony.(Viral Bhayani)

What is Mameru?

Mameru/Mosalu is a traditional ceremony celebrated in Gujarati culture a few days before the actual wedding. In Mosalu, the grooms mothers family, in this case members from Nita Ambanis side of the family, led by her mother Purnima Dalal and her sister Mamta Dalal, came to the residence to bless the couple along with gifts and offerings.

The grooms maternal uncles and family presented the bride & groom with a traditional set of gifts known as "Mameru." In a way Mosalu and Mameru reflect the respect given to and involving the larger family in wedding festivities. These occasions highlight the importance of the wedding for the extended family and becomes an occasion for them to celebrate together. Nita Ambanis family were present in large numbers for the ceremony.

ALSO READ: Radhika Merchant, Isha Ambani and Shloka Ambani shine in stunning ethnics for Mameru ceremony

Heres what the Ambani clan wore for the Mameru ceremony

The Mameru ceremony was equally extravagant for the Ambani family. On Wednesday afternoon, the bride-to-be Radhika Merchant walked into the Mameru venue in a stunning orange and pink lehenga with golden embellishments. The entire Ambani family was present to bless the couple.

Isha Ambani  Mukesh Ambanis daughter and groom-to-be Anant Ambanis sister posed for pictures with her husband Anand Piramal and kids. Isha looked gorgeous in an orange silk ruffled saree featuring golden zari work and intricate golden thread work. The family posed for pictures and looked stunning in ethnics.

ALSO READ: Isha Ambani's mustard kurta set from Ambani family's mass wedding event is worth...

Ambani familys Badi bahu Shloka Ambani decked up in a pink and orange salwar suit featuring heavy golden embellishments. In a diamond necklace with diamond drop earrings, Shloka accessorised her look.

Anant and Radhikas love story is made for the movies. The couple are childhood friends, who fell in love later in life. One of Radhikas gowns for her pre-wedding cruise ride featured a love letter that Anant wrote to her. Anant and Radhika made their relationship official in 2018 with a picture on Instagram. The couple are set to tie the knot on July 12 this year.
US Independence Day 2024: Americans celebrate the Fourth of July with patriotic fervour. People bask in the glory of independence and celebrate on the streets with parades, posters and slogans. Rush travelling is also experienced on this special day. 248 years back, on the special day of the Fourth of July, America became an independent state after the document of the Declaration of Independence was published. As we gear up to celebrate the special day with pride and grandeur, here are a few things that we should know. Every year, US Independence Day is observed on July 4. (Unsplash)

US Independence Day 2024: Date

Every year, US Independence Day is observed on July 4. This year, the Fourth of July falls on Thursday.

ALSO READ: Happy US Independence Day 2024: Fourth of July wishes, images, quotes, SMS, greetings, WhatsApp and Facebook status

US Independence Day 2024: History

In 1775, the American Revolutionary War started after thirteen American colonies revolted to gain independence from British rule under King George III. The desire to gain freedom from oppressive British policies and have self-governance drove this freedom struggle. On July 2, 1776, the Congress secretly voted to end the British rule in America  this marked the start of an independent state. After the decisive vote of the Congress, on July 4, 1776, the final wording of the Declaration of Independence was approved and published. The first public reading of the Declaration of Independence happened four days after it was published  July 8, 1776. The Declaration of Independence was formally signed on August 2, 1776.

US Independence Day 2024: Significance

The Fourth of July marks the start of America as an independent state and the historical occasion of breaking away from the oppressive British rule. Americans bask in patriotism and festivities on this day. The Fourth of July is marked with concerts, slogans, parades and family gatherings all over the country. It is observed as a federal holiday with schools, government offices and stock market remaining closed.
Two tourists recently went viral on the internet for catching a pickpocket in the streets of London. The video features a short snippet of a man holding the pickpockets hands in the back and waiting for the police to arrive, while a woman can be seen shouting and arguing with the thief. Two tourists in London caught a pickpocket thief.(Instagram)

The thief can be seen trying to negotiate with the tourists but the woman can be seen asking the thief to stay quiet. In no time, after being shared on Instagram, netizens pointed out that the woman in the video has been caught. Heres the video  take a look.

This further brings our attention to the surge of pickpocket incidences while travelling. It is essential to stay safe and save our wallets, jewellery and money when exploring a new place.

ALSO READ: From budgeting to safety: 10 expert tips for stress-free and efficient travel planning

Travel tips to stay safe from pickpockets:

Theft-proof pants:

Often, it gets easy for pickpockets to pick up wallets and phones when the pant pockets do not have zippers to keep them safe. It is essential to wear theft-proof trousers with zippers on pockets to stay away from pickpocketing experiences.

Wear a fanny pack:

Wearing a fanny pack or a belt bag ensures that we have our valuables in our view when we are travelling on public transport or visiting a crowded place. This also helps us to carry multiple essential things.

ALSO READ: Travelling safely in post-pandemic world: Health and safety tips for travellers

Carry a hidden money belt:

Instead of keeping all your money in your wallet, keeping a stack of cash in a hidden money belt is best. We should always remember to wear the money belt under our clothes. Wearing it around the neck can make it easier for pickpocket thieves to cut it with a pair of scissors.

Avoid standing in a corner with phone in hand:

Multiple instances have shown that standing in a corner of a street with our phone in hand makes it easier for thieves to drive past or walk past us, snatch the phone, and leave.

Keep keys and money in separate bags:

The best way to prevent losing everything at once is to delegate separate bags for each of our valuables. That way, we do not end up losing everything together.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) celebrated its 27th anniversary on June 6. As Indias role gains heightened significance amidst a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, BIMSTEC emerges as a crucial platform that could unlock the countrys potential as a regional leader. Agartala, Oct 30 (ANI): People gather as the Akhaura-Agartala rail link enters the Indo-Bangladesh border during its trial run, at Nischintapur, in Agartala on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will jointly inaugurate the cross-border railway project on November 01. (ANI Photo) (Abhishek Saha)

In its existence of over two decades, its significance has been overshadowed by other regional blocs, with the most prominent being the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has become moribund due to the souring of India-Pakistan ties. There has been a renewal of attention on the BIMSTEC in recent years as India seeks to strengthen its strategic partnerships and counterbalance the influence of other major regional powers, particularly China and its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The BIMSTEC charter was signed and adopted during the 5th BIMSTEC Summit held in virtual format in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on March 30 this year, paving the way for partnerships and admission of new members and observers. Key areas of cooperation include economic development, trade, investment, technology transfer, connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges. One of the key advantages of BIMSTEC is its strategic location, spanning the Indian Ocean and the Southeast Asian regions. This positioning offers India a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between South Asia and Southeast Asia, fostering greater economic integration and enhancing regional connectivity.

India can play a pivotal role in shaping the regions economic and infrastructural development agenda, which is crucial given the regions infrastructure gap estimated at $1.7 trillion per year. aligns with Indias broader foreign policy objectives, including the Act East Policy, emphasising the importance of promoting a rules-based international order, strengthening regional cooperation, and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region. By actively engaging with BIMSTEC, India can fortify its position as a responsible regional power, committed to fostering peace, stability, and prosperity in its immediate neighbourhood.

One of the critical areas where BIMSTEC can yield tangible benefits is in the realm of trade and investment. BIMSTEC members collectively represent a market of over 1.8 billion people, approximately 22% of the global population, and a combined Gross Domestic Product estimated at $4.5 trillion. By enhancing economic cooperation and removing barriers to trade and investment, India can tap into this vast economic potential, creating new business opportunities and fostering inclusive growth across the region. Currently, intra-BIMSTEC trade accounts for only around 6% of the total trade among member countries, highlighting the untapped potential for deeper economic integration.

BIMSTEC provides a platform for addressing shared challenges, such as climate change, natural disasters, and transnational security threats. Collective action and cooperation in these areas can not only strengthen regional resilience but also reinforce Indias position as a responsible global stakeholder committed to sustainable development and regional stability. This is crucial given the regions vulnerability to the climate crisis, with rising sea levels and extreme weather events posing significant risks to coastal communities and economies.

BIMSTECs member States collectively possess a diverse array of natural resources, skilled labour, and manufacturing capabilities that can be leveraged to create robust regional value chains. By fostering deeper economic integration, harmonising regulatory frameworks, and investing in regional infrastructure projects, India can tap into the complementary strengths of its neighbours to establish efficient and cost-effective supply chains. This could involve sourcing raw materials and intermediate goods from resource-rich countries like Myanmar, leveraging low-cost labour in nations like Nepal and Bhutan for labour-intensive manufacturing processes, and utilising Indias technological prowess and logistical capabilities to add value to global value chains. By fostering regional economic interdependence, India can gain a competitive edge in attracting foreign investment for the region, integrating into global production networks, and playing a pivotal node in the intricate web of global value chains.

There is a need for greater political will and commitment from all members. Historically, progress within BIMSTEC has been hampered by internal political dynamics, divergent priorities, and a lack of sustained engagement. India, as the largest economy and a major regional player, must lead in driving the organisations agenda and fostering a shared vision for regional integration. Secondly, BIMSTEC must prioritise tangible projects and initiatives that deliver measurable benefits. This could include enhancing physical connectivity by developing regional infrastructure projects like the BIMSTEC Transport Connectivity Master Plan, fostering greater people-to-people exchanges through initiatives like the BIMSTEC network of policy think tanks, and collaborating on tourism, agriculture, and renewable energy. Currently, only a handful of BIMSTEC projects, like the BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection and the BIMSTEC Motor Vehicle Agreement, have made notable progress. Thirdly, India must approach BIMSTEC as a complementary initiative to its other regional and global engagements, such as Quad, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), and the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI), and leverage BIMSTECs unique strengths and partnerships to further its broader strategic objectives in the Indo-Pacific.

Success depends on astute diplomacy, tangible results, and solidifying Indias regional leadership. It is an opportunity to pursue mutually beneficial partnerships, sustainable development, and a prosperous Indo-Pacific vision. With an effectively functioning BIMSTEC, India can create an interconnected, secure neighbourhood while counterbalancing other major regional powers.

Syed Munir Khasru is chairman of IPAG India, an international think tank with presence in Dhaka, Delhi, Melbourne, Dubai, and Vienna. The views expressed are personal
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's pre-wedding celebrations officially began with the lavish Mameru ceremony, which took place at their home- Antilia in Mumbai. For the unversed, the mameru ceremony is a Gujarati wedding tradition where the maternal uncle (mama) of the bride visits her with sweets and gifts such as jewellery, saree among other things. Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani are celebrating the mameru ceremony today.

A video of Antilia donned with lavish decorations for the ceremony was shared on Instagram. A striking combination of red, pink, white and orange flowers decorated the home, giving the atmosphere a festive feel. Golden lighting was also seen outside the home. A few musicians can also be seen standing outside the house. (Also Read: 'Shaadi se pehle: Anant Ambani visits Krishna Kali temple in Maharashtra ahead of wedding with Radhika Merchant)

Watch the video of Antilia decorated for the mameru ceremony here:

Another video from the ceremony shows Anant and Radhika standing on a pedestal while numerous guests cheer for them. Radhika Merchant can be seen wearing a beautiful traditional pink-orange coloured lehenga, while Anant Ambani wore a orange-coloured sherwani with a jacket. The clip also shows Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani walking towards the couple.

On June 2, the Ambani family held a mass wedding of the underprivileged in Navi Mumbai. A video that photographer Varinder Chawla posted on Instagram shows the interior of the mass wedding venue. A few of the couples getting ready for the event are also captured. Photographer Viral Bhayani also posted footage from the location. Mukesh and Nita Ambani can be seen in the footage entering the venue with their hands folded. Nita Ambani is dressed stunningly in a red saree, while Mukesh Ambani is dressed in black pants and a white shirt.

Earlier this year, Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant celebrated their first pre-wedding in Jamnagar, Gujarat. Business moguls like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg were among the dignitaries in attendance, along with celebrities from throughout India. During the festivities, a number of artists gave performances, including Rihanna, Diljit Dosanjh and more. For their second pre-wedding event, the Ambanis planned a Mediterranean cruise that lasted for four days.
CARACAS, Venezuela  Two Russian naval ships docked Tuesday in the Venezuelan port of La Guaira after exercises in the Atlantic Ocean that Moscow said were to show the flag in remote, important regions, and an initial stopover in Cuba. After a stop in Cuba, 2 Russian ships dock in Venezuelan port as part of 'show the flag' exercises

The frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the oil tanker Akademik Pashin are part of Russias Northern Fleet, which since May 17 has been carrying out tasks that include guaranteeing the Russian naval presence in remote areas of the oceans, Russian news agency Tass cited Russias Ministry of Defense as saying.

The stopover was to last several days and highlight the close ties between Moscow and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduros government.

Like his predecessor, the late President Hugo Chavez, Maduro has forged a close relationship with Russia. The visit comes before Maduro seeks reelection in July 28 elections.

Venezuelan authorities have not reported the arrival of the Russian vessels, which could barely be seen from afar docked at La Guaira, but Associated Press journalists saw their crewmembers in the citys historic center.

In mid-June, the Admiral Gosrhkov and the tanker were among the Russian vessels that docked in Havana, Cuba.

The other vessels present at that stop included a nuclear-powered submarine, and they stayed docked there for five days following drills in the Atlantic Ocean. The exercise was seen by some as a show of strength by Moscow against the backdrop of tensions as U.S. and other Western nations support Kyiv in Russias war on Ukraine.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
PHNOM PENH -A Cambodian court handed jail terms of up to eight years to 10 activists of environmental group Mother Nature, on charges of plotting against the government and insulting the king, the group's founder and a lawyer said on Tuesday. Cambodian court jails activists for plotting against government, insulting king

The verdict comes amid growing concerns about freedom of expression in Cambodia under Prime Minister Hun Manet, who took power last year after the decades-long rule of his father, Hun Sen.

Five defendants who belonged to the group, which had called the case politically motivated, were arrested outside the court in Phnom Penh immediately after the verdict, as supporters dressed in white held placards reading, "Justice is Dead".

The group's lawyer, Sam Chomreun, confirmed the sentences for the 10 activists.

"This regime is not only disconnected from reality, it has also shown us how inhumane and cruel it can be towards those who dare to stand up for what is right," the group's founder, Alejandro Gonzales-Davidson, said of the court decision.

"However, this will not be in vain. Today, a new generation of activists has been created."

A Spanish national, Gonzales-Davidson told Reuters he was one of three activists held guilty of infringing Cambodia's lese majeste law and sentenced to eight years in prison.

Seven received six-year jail terms for plotting against the government, added Gonzales-Davidson, who was sentenced in absentia after having been deported from Cambodia almost a decade ago.

The government was not targeting its critics, but only those who broke the law, its spokesman, Pen Bona, said.

"I appeal to civil society groups to differentiate between criticisms and crimes," he added. "They are two different things."

The government has previously denied the trial was politically motivated, saying it did not prosecute critics, only those who commit crimes.

Mother Nature has long campaigned against environmental destruction in Cambodia, highlighting deforestation, illegal sand mining and corruption in development projects.

The accusations of plotting against the state had not been clarified in court, said Gonzales-Davidson, but three members were arrested after documenting suspected pollution run-off into the Tonle Sap River in Phnom Penh, the capital, in 2021.

The lese majeste charges relate to an internal Zoom meeting about political cartooning that was leaked.

The European Union expressed concern about increasing persecution and arrests of human rights defenders in Cambodia.

"We call for the upholding of democratic standards and respect for human rights, including the right to peaceful protest," its Cambodia mission added in a statement on Facebook.

Tuesday's verdict was devastating, said New York-based Human Rights Watch.

"It also sends an appalling message to Cambodia's youth that the government will side with special interests over the environment every chance it gets," it added in a statement.

The rights group had previously warned that Hun Manet, like his father, appeared intent on muzzling criticism of the government.

Under Hun Sen, the opposition was all but dismantled, independent media shuttered and dozens of activists jailed.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
TALLINN, Estonia  A prominent Belarusian opposition politician suffering from a severe form of cancer was released Wednesday from prison, his son-in-law said, three years after his arrest in the crackdown on dissent by the country's authoritarian ruler, Alexander Lukashenko. Cancer-stricken Belarusian political prisoner is released after authoritarian president's promise

Ryhor Kastusiou's release came a day after President Lukashenko announced he would free seriously ill political who were jailed in the 2020 protests against his rule, including those who were breaking up the country and tearing it apart.

The protests rocked Belarus after Lukashenko's disputed reelection to a sixth term in office. Since first taking office in 1994, Lukashenko has persistently stifled opposition.

During the crackdown following the vote, more than 35,000 people were arrested, thousands were brutally beaten in custody, journalists were jailed and dozens of independent news organizations and human rights groups were closed.

According to the Viasna human rights center, there are currently 1,409 political prisoners in Belarus, including Ales Bialiatski, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. At least six have died behind bars, activists say.

The United Nations had appealed to Belarusian authorities over the health of Kastusiou, who ran against Lukashenko in the 2010 presidential elections.

Independent analyst Valery Karbalevich said Lukashenko's move may have come with the 2025 presidential election in mind.

Lukashenko clearly wants to change his image as a cannibal," Karbalevich told The Associated Press. But even if "authorities release a dozen political prisoners and stop there, it will be a one-time action, a beautiful gesture, and not a sustainable political trend.

According to Kastusiou's son-in-law, Dmitry Antonchyk, he arrived home and reunited with his wife, looking tired but happy.

Lukashenko, who spoke on the eve of Belarus Independence Day, did not say how many political prisoners would be freed.

These are really seriously ill people, mostly with cancer," Lukashenko said on Tuesday. "We approach and treat everyone humanely.

A Viasna representative, Pavel Sapelka told The Associated Press that as of the beginning of May, at least 254 political prisoners were known to be at particular health risk and 91 were in serious condition.

Belarusian prisons torture all political prisoners by depriving them of medical care and information from the outside world, Sapelka said.

A healthy person in a Belarusian prison quickly becomes sick, he said.

Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, whose husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski was sentenced to 19 1/2 years in prison, told the that 15-20 people are arrested every day in Belarus for political reasons and the repression continues.

The urgent release of people in critical condition is not a political issue, but a humanitarian one, Tsikhanouskaya said. They should be released without any conditions.

The U.S. State Department has called for the release of all political prisoners in Belarus.

We honor the courage of the 1,500 Belarusian political prisoners held captive simply for trying to exercise the freedoms independence is supposed to convey," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday in a statement to mark Belarus' Independence Day.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Britain and the Maldives are allowed to intervene in Gambia's Myanmar genocide case with the International Court of Justice, the ICJ said in a statement on Wednesday. Myanmar has denied genocide, rejecting the U.N. findings as "biased and flawed". It says its crackdown was aimed at Rohingya rebels who had carried out attacks. (AFP)

The countries had asked to intervene in the case at the ICJ, also known as the World Court, in November 2023.

"The seven States concerned will... be allowed to submit their written observations on the subject-matter of their interventions," the ICJ also said in the statement.

"The Court will determine at a later date whether they should ICJ be authorized to make observations in the course of the oral proceedings."

In 2017 Gambia, a predominantly Muslim West African country, filed a case against Myanmar at the ICJ accusing it of committing genocide against the Rohingya, a minority Muslim group in Myanmar.

A United Nations fact-finding mission concluded that a 2017 military campaign by Myanmar that drove 730,000 Rohingya into neighbouring Bangladesh had included "genocidal acts".

Myanmar has denied genocide, rejecting the U.N. findings as "biased and flawed". It says its crackdown was aimed at Rohingya rebels who had carried out attacks.

The World Court rejected Myanmar's objections to the genocide proceedings in July 2022, paving the way for the case to be heard in full but no date has yet been set.ey)
Contaminated water from a gold mine in Ivory Coast that leaked into a river from a cracked valve "slightly poisoned" 185 people, officials said Tuesday. Gold mine leak 'poisons' 185 people in ICoast: officials

The Cavally River, an important resource for drinking water and fish for the region's inhabitants, runs for several hundred kilometres along the west of the country.

Local official Moussa Dao told AFP that at the end of June, "a rupture in one of the mine's pipes" allowed "some of the water to flow" into the river.

"The alert was given directly to the local population by Endeavour Mining," said Dao, adding that "dead fish were found the next day".

Dao said that 185 people were "slightly poisoned" and were reporting "bloating and vomiting" at the Ouyatouo village health centre where they were treated.

No new cases of poisoning have since been reported, he said.

The country's environment ministry confirmed Tuesday that the accident resulted from a "broken valve" in a pipe carrying cyanide-laced mud from the extraction process at the mine, which spilled into a nearby river that eventually flowed into the Cavally.

It said the pollution had caused "vomiting and headaches" for residents as well as "massive deaths of fish".

According to the local chief, Celestin Balla, every day since the incident people who had consumed the water and fish "have been showing signs of diarrhoea, headaches and aches".

In a statement sent to AFP on Tuesday, Endeavour Mining "categorically rejects the allegations of massive pollution of the Cavally River and of endangering local populations".

The group does, however, acknowledge an incident involving a "faulty valve... resulting in a leak of around three cubic metres of sludge and decantation water into the site's diversion channel", "a small part of which could have been discharged into the Cavally River".

In a statement on Sunday, it acknowledged that the liquid had reached the river.

But Endeavour said it had replaced the faulty valves and "monitored and tested" the water in the river to ensure there was "no contamination".

Dao said he had taken a number of measures, including banning the consumption of fish and drinking water from the river, and the provision of drinking water to residents.

The Ivorian anti-pollution centre went to the site to take samples and is due to report its findings in the next few days.

bam/pid/nmc/cw/js/nro

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Israel has approved the largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in over three decades, a settlement tracking group said Wednesday, a move that is likely to worsen already soaring tensions linked to the war in Gaza. The Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim in the occupied West Bank on the outskirts of Jerusalem. (AFP)

Israel's aggressive expansion in the West Bank reflects the settler community's strong influence in the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the most religious and nationalist in the country's history. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler himself, has turbocharged the policy of expansion, seizing new authorities over settlement development and saying he aims to solidify Israel's hold on the territory and prevent the creation of a Palestinian state.

Authorities recently approved the appropriation of 12.7 square kilometers (nearly 5 square miles) of land in the Jordan Valley, according to a copy of the order obtained by The Associated Press. Data from Peace Now, the tracking group, indicate it was the largest single appropriation approved since the 1993 Oslo accords at the start of the peace process.

Settlement monitors said the land grab connects Israeli settlements along a key corridor bordering Jordan, a move they said undermines the prospect of a contiguous Palestinian state.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called it a step in the wrong direction, adding that the direction we want to be heading is to find a negotiated two-state solution.

The newly seized land is in an area of the West Bank where, even before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, settler violence was displacing communities of Palestinians. That violence has only surged since Hamas Oct. 7 attack ignited the war in Gaza. Settlers have carried out more than 1,000 attacks on Palestinians since October in the West Bank, causing deaths and damaging property, according to the U.N.

The land seizure, which was approved late last month but only publicized on Wednesday, comes after the seizure of 8 square kilometers (roughly 3 square miles) of land in the West Bank in March and 2.6 square kilometers (1 square mile) in February.

That makes 2024 by far the peak year for Israeli land seizure in the West Bank, Peace Now said.

By declaring them state lands, the government opens them up to being leased to Israelis and prohibits private Palestinian ownership. This year's land seizures are contiguous, linking two already existing settlements to create a solid block near the border with Jordan. The lands were declared to be closed Israeli military zones before they were declared state land.

The Palestinians view the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank as the main barrier to any lasting peace agreement, preventing any possibility of a cohesive state. Most of the international community considers settlements illegal or illegitimate.

Israel captured the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, territories the Palestinians want for a future state. Israels current government considers the West Bank to be the historical and religious heartland of the Jewish people and opposes Palestinian statehood.

Israel has built well over 100 settlements across the West Bank, some of which resemble fully developed suburbs or small towns. They are home to over 500,000 Jewish settlers who have Israeli citizenship.

The 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank live under seemingly open-ended Israeli military rule. The Palestinian Authority administers enclaves scattered across the territory, but is barred from operating in 60% of the West Bank, which includes the settlements as well as areas with a population of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

Yoni Mizrachi, the head of settlement tracking at Peace Now, described the land grab announced Wednesday as part of a strategy to establish a buffer zone between Jordan and Palestinian lands and choke off the practical possibility of a Palestinian state. The aim, he believes, is to push Palestinians into isolated islands surrounded by Israeli land.

They definitely see this area as a strategic area, as the first and one of the easiest ways to begin annexation, he said.

Prominent human rights organizations have pointed to Israel's rule over the West Bank in accusing it of the international crime of apartheid, allegations Israel rejects as an attack on its legitimacy.

Smotrich was granted expanded powers over Israel's administration of the occupied territory under Netanyahu's governing coalition. Smotrich laid out his plans for the West Bank at a conference for his ultranationalist Religious Zionism Party last month, a recording of which was obtained by Peace Now. He said he intended to appropriate up to 15 square kilometers (nearly 6 square miles) of land in the West Bank this year.

We came to settle the land, to build it, and to prevent its division and the establishment of a Palestinian state, God forbid, he said during the conference. He vowed to change the map dramatically" by claiming more West Bank land than ever before as state land.

He also promised to expand the establishment of farming outposts, which hard-line settlers have used to extend their control of rural areas, and to crack down on Palestinian construction.

The proliferation of outposts has driven up settler violence in the West Bank since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, rights groups say, leading several Palestinian villages to pick up and leave their land.

Palestinians say the violence is geared toward putting wide swaths of land under Israeli control and pushing the prospect of a Palestinian state further from reach.

The U.S., E.U., UK and Canada have imposed high-level sanctions against violent settlers and settler organizations, but some of those targeted have told The AP that the measures have had little effect.

The declaration published Wednesday was signed under the authority of Hillel Roth, a deputy Smotrich appointed earlier this year to boost settlement expansion and state land declarations in the West Bank, Peace Now said.

The declaration came a day after Peace Now said Israeli authorities were scheduled to approve or advance construction of over 6,000 new settlement homes in the occupied West Bank in the coming days.

COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of civilian affairs in the West Bank, was not immediately available for comment.

Hamas cited the expansion of West Bank settlements as one of its justifications for the Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took around 250 hostage. Israel has launched a massive offensive in response that has killed over 37,900 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not say how many were fighters.

The war has caused massive devastation across Gaza and displaced most of its 2.3 million people, often multiple times. Israeli restrictions, the ongoing fighting and the breakdown of law and order have curtailed humanitarian aid efforts, causing widespread hunger and sparking fears of famine.
By Sarah Morland and Michelle Nichols Kenyan police arrival in Haiti marks new era for security, prime minister tells UN

UNITED NATIONS, - Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that the arrival of the first Kenyan police officers under a U.N.-backed mission marked a critical stage to restoring security in a country ravaged by gang violence.

"The arrival of the first contingent of the Multinational Security Support kicks off a new era in Haiti," Conille told diplomats in New York.

"Haiti is currently at a critical point with 12,000 armed individuals holding a population of 12 million hostage."

Some 200 Kenyan police arrived in Haiti last week as part of the long-delayed mission mandated to help national police fight armed gangs that have taken over most of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince - fueling a humanitarian crisis that has driven nearly 600,000 from their homes and 5 million into severe food insecurity.

The full force is set to number over 2,500, but it remains unclear when these could arrive, while funding has lagged far behind requirements.

Haiti's outgunned and under-resourced police, meanwhile, counted just over 12,000 officers at the end of May - down 1,000 since the start of the year - according to a report by the U.N. Integrated Mission in Haiti .

Neighboring Dominican Republic's Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez in the meeting made "an urgent appeal to all countries that have committed funding to the MSS to fulfill their pledges and to deposit those funds as soon as possible," referring to the Multinational Security Support by its acronym.

Without substantial additional funding, BINUH said, the mission will be unable to complete a 12-month deployment, whose initial mandate ends in October.

BINUH also warned that more clashes between police and gangs meant that more civilians, including very young children, were being killed by stray bullets and it had reports of police summarily killing passers-by.

Gangs are also recruiting and arming more children in preparation for the MSS deployment, it said, warning it was difficult to identify the ages of those killed or injured in clashes.

Conille said reforming the national police, whose chief he replaced shortly after coming to power last month, was "indispensable" for restoring public trust.

Kenya's U.N. deputy envoy Njambi Kinyungu said the first contingent had been warmly received and was beginning joint operations with Haitian police.

Diplomats from China and Russia also emphasized stemming the flow of firearms to gangs. Most illegal guns seized in Haiti, and across the wider Caribbean, have been traced back to the United States.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the U.N. should strengthen its sanctions regime by targeting traffickers, who unlike the five local gang leaders already sanctioned, are more vulnerable to foreign asset freezes and travel bans.

"We do not see the current embargo doing anything to prevent the flow of arms from the U.S.," Nebenzia said. "The committee experts are clearly not eager to get into a disagreement with Washington."

Speaking before Nebenzia, the United States' U.N. ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said the government was "actively working" to enforce the arms embargo, citing recent prosecutions, a new e-tracing agreement and rules to reduce gun sales without background checks.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Meghan Markle is venturing into a new business endeavor akin to former Hollywood power couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Meghan Markle leaves after an exhibition sitting volleyball match in Abuja, Nigeria, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)(AP)

Reports indicate that the Duchess of Sussex is preparing to launch a rose wine under her luxury brand. This move follows her earlier teasers about potential products like raspberry and strawberry jam pots and dog biscuits through her American Riviera Orchard label.

The 42-year-old duchess wants to introduce rose wine as the first item available for the public to purchase.

According to The Daily Mail, Meghan's upcoming venture into rose wine aligns strategically as her inaugural product.

It would make commercial sense for Meghans first product to be a wine, the report suggests, noting a trend among celebrities such as Cameron Diaz, George Clooney, Kylie Minogue, Francis Ford Coppola, and, of course, Pitt, who have successfully introduced their own wine lines.

ALSO READ| Prince William has no brother or mother to share these feelings

The Sussexes' business spectrum

Since stepping back from royal duties in 2020 and relocating to the US from Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, Meghan and Prince Harry have ventured into various personal and business endeavours. These include Prince Harry's memoir Spare and their bombshell Netflix documentary series Harry & Meghan.

Rose has become a hot sector for celebrities to launch their own brands in, branding expert Lucie Green told Fabulous.

It's a segment that has broad consumer appeal and many leading brands are focusing on concept and lifestyle vs connoisseur wine drinkers, she said, and added, In that sense, it's almost perfect for a budding lifestyle brand like Markle's.

While addressing American Riviera's jam and dog biscuit venture, the brand expert said, I imagine the pop-ups and the seeding, and a series of dinners will continue until some kind of official launch.

ALSO READ| King Charles stings Meghan Markle with behind-the-back Royal bees move as tensions brew

It could be that she's still courting investment. If the brand is direct to consumer, versus wholesale, there will need to be a substantial marketing budget for consumer acquisition. It's unclear what leadership she has in place at this point, too.

Pitt's renowned Miraval rose, for instance, commands approximately 25 at supermarkets.
JERSEY CITY, N.J.  New Jersey officials say financial concerns spurred state lawmakers to rescind $24 million in funding for a planned outpost of Paris acclaimed Pompidou Center in Jersey City. But the city's mayor said he believes his deteriorating relationship with Gov. Phil Murphy led to the decision. Money issues may sink proposed New Jersey branch of acclaimed Paris museum. Mayor blames politics

Centre Pompidou x Jersey City was to be built on the site of a gutted industrial building, not far from where the Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor. At the time, it was seen as a way to attract tourists and New Yorkers into Jersey City's rapidly developing Journal Square neighborhood  an area that historically hasn't been widely visited but is an easy train ride from Lower Manhattan.

The satellite museum would have been the French museums first venture in North America.

While both the city and state agreed $176 million in construction costs would be fully funded by public money, they disagreed about the annual operating budget. The city said $19 million in annual expenses would be covered by ticketing, venue rentals, donations and a proposed tax on new buildings in the area. But the state viewed that amount as a regular deficit.

Due to the ongoing impact of Covid and multiple global conflicts on the supply chain, rising costs, an irreconcilable operating gap and the corresponding financial burdens it will create for New Jerseys taxpayers, the Legislature has rescinded financial support, leaving us to determine that this project is unfortunately no longer feasible," Tim Sullivan, chief executive of the state's Economic Development Authority, said in a recent letter to museum officials.

Mayor Steve Fulop disputed those claims and told The New York Times that while Murphy initially supported the museum when the plans were announced in 2021, the situation changed after he rescinded his support for Murphy's wife, Tammy, in her bid to be the Democratic nominee in this year's U.S. Senate race. Fulop instead backed Rep. Andy Kim.

Tammy Murphy bowed out of the contest in March, saying she did not want to engage in a negative campaign against a fellow Democrat. Kim, who won the primary last month, is now seeking the seat that is currently held by Bob Menendez, who is on trial for federal bribery charges.

There is no question in my mind that this is directly related to my support of Andy Kim, Fulop told the newspaper.

Natalie Hamilton, a Murphy spokeswoman, noted that the governor had voiced concerns in April about the museum's potential operating deficit, stressing at the time that it had literally zero to do" with politics.

"We cant marry ourselves to a $19 million deficit forever and always, Murphy said at the time.

In a statement issued to the newspaper, a spokesman for the Pompidou Center said the museum remains committed to ongoing discussions with the mayor of Jersey City to jointly determine the projects future direction.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
* Passengers from diverted Air Europa flight recount turbulence ordeal

Flight from Madrid to Montevideo had to land in Brazil

*

Some 30 passengers hurt, six remain in hospital

*

Replacement Air Europa flight takes off for Uruguay

By Alexandre Lago

NATAL, Brazil, - Passengers from an Air Europa flight diverted to northeastern Brazil due to severe turbulence on Monday said they feared for their lives during the incident which injured around 40 people, four of whom were taken to intensive care units.

"There are passengers with fractures and injuries to their arms, faces, and legs," one passenger told Reuters in the Brazilian city of Natal, where flight UX045 from Madrid to the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, made an unscheduled landing just after 2.30 a.m. local time .

"It was a pretty horrible feeling. We thought we were going to die there," said the man, Stevan, giving only his first name.

Another passenger, Maximiliano, said the plane - a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with 325 passengers on board - had suddenly started to plunge.

"From one moment to the next, the plane destabilized and went into a dive," he said. "The people who didn't have seat belts went up in the air and hit the ceiling, and they got hurt - those who had seat belts on, not so much."

Air Europa said in a statement on Tuesday that six people were still in hospital in Natal and were being assisted by ground personnel from Brazil and Spain.

"Air Europa deeply regrets what happened, as well as the inconvenience caused to its customers. The airline hopes for a speedy recovery of the affected passengers and is at the disposal of all its customers to assist them," the airline added.

The secretariat from the government of Rio Grande do Norte state, where Natal is located, said on Tuesday that four people had been taken to intensive care units, from a total of 40 passengers that had been sent to hospitals, up from some 30 initially reported on Monday.

Air Europa said a replacement flight to take the passengers on to Montevideo had left earlier in the day, with passengers transported from Natal to Recife's larger airport by bus.

It added that the aircraft was being reviewed to establish the extent of the damage.

The airline did not immediately respond to a request for further comment about the incident, which took place less than two months after a passenger died and dozens were hurt when turbulence hit a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore.

Some scientists have warned of worsening turbulence tied to climate change.

The most common cause of turbulence are unstable weather patterns that trigger storms. These can normally be detected by weather radar, allowing pilots to fly around them.

Recent incidents have increased concern in the air travel industry about seat belt and safety practices.

An international agreement, the Montreal Convention, makes airlines liable for physical injuries from accidents on international flights, which can include turbulence, regardless of whether they were negligent.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
President Vladimir Putin trumpeted Russias fully-fledged partnership with China as he met Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for the second time in less than two months, highlighting Moscows deepening embrace of Beijing. Since Xi and Putin last sat down in May, the Russian leader has been strengthening his partnerships around Asia. (AP)

Russo-Chinese ties are at their best in history, Putin said at a meeting on the sidelines of a security summit on Wednesday in Astana, Kazakhstan. Theyre built on equality, mutual benefit and respect for each others sovereignty.

My dear friend, I am very happy at our new meeting, Xi said.

China and Russia should continue to strengthen strategic coordination and oppose external interference, Xi also said, according to a readout from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. He added China supports Russia in fulfilling its duties as the rotating chair of the BRICS, uniting the Global South nations, preventing a new cold war and opposing illegal unilateral sanctions and hegemony.

On Ukraine, Xi reiterated China is always on the right side of history and is willing to make positive efforts to promote peace talks and political resolution.

Since Xi and Putin last sat down in May, the Russian leader has been strengthening his partnerships around Asia. Putin made his first trip to North Korea in 24 years last month, where he signed an agreement with Kim Jong Un to come to each others aid if attacked. Kim also pledged to unconditionally support Russia in its war on Ukraine.

Putin followed that with a visit to Vietnam, where he said Moscow was considering changing its nuclear doctrine in response to talks in the West about lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. Russia recently held combat drills to practice the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

The Russian leaders threats to use nuclear weapons since his February 2022 invasion of his neighbor have drawn condemnation from the US and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies. Xi, too, has warned against resorting to nuclear weapons.

China and Russia have united in a mission to counter the US, as both nations face growing scrutiny from the West over their military goals. Their leaders have responded by pushing to broaden groups in which they have more sway. The BRICS bloc of emerging-market nations doubled this year, welcoming Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Egypt.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit is expected to see Belarus become the 10th member of the regional grouping set up by China, the SCOs Secretary-General Zhang Ming told Chinese media outlets Monday. Iran joined last year. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed interest in joining the bloc and met Putin earlier on Wednesday at the summit.

Erdogan invited Putin to Turkey and said that Ankara is ready to assist talks over ending the war in Ukraine. The Turkish leader told his Russian counterpart that a fair peace that can satisfy both sides is possible, a Turkish government statement said.

The meeting between the two leaders was the first since Turkey approved Swedens entry into NATO earlier this year, a response to Russias invasion of Ukraine, and comes ahead of Erdogans participation in a summit of the alliances leaders in Washington next week.

Xi stressed the importance for Global South nations to exert greater influence on international affairs at an event in Beijing last week. Developing nations need to work together to be a stabilizing force for peace, he said.

Chinas Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in a regular briefing Monday that the SCO had become a fine example of a new type of international relations and regional cooperation. Beijing hopes the summit will contribute to the security, stability, development and prosperity of all countries, she added.

China will take over the SCOs rotating presidency after the summit in Astana. Xi will also visit Tajikistan this week.
By Ank Kuipers Suriname's Saamaka community demands government prevent industry encroachment on pristine territory

PARAMARIBO, - Suriname must protect the Saamaka Maroons in the country's interior and prevent further encroachment on their lands by extractive industries such as logging, the Association of Saamaka Communities said on Wednesday.

Around 80 Saamaka Maroons, mostly women, arrived in Suriname's capital, Paramaribo, after hours of traveling from the country's south, to present the government with a petition seeking environmental protections for the regions they call home.

While Suriname's government touts the country's green credentials, much of its territory is covered in pristine jungle, recent decisions to open the country up to bauxite mining and other extractive activities have raised concerns among environmental groups.

Suriname's southern region, which borders Brazil, is covered in Amazon rainforest.

"The Saamaka are constantly confronted with the violation of their rights and the destruction of the forest that has increased at a rapid pace," according to the petition, which was signed by 4,500 people.

The petition was received by a representative of President Chan Santokhi, as well as Marinus Bee, the speaker of Suriname's parliament.

Bee told reporters he would discuss the issues raised in the petition with Santokhi, who did not immediately comment on the matter.

In 2007, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that the Surinamese government must stop awarding logging and mining concessions in the Saamaka peoples' territory.

In a report published last week, advocacy group the International Land Coalition said that, despite the ruling, Suriname's government of persistently granting concessions for logging and mining on Saamaka territory, without getting free prior and informed consent from the communities first.

The government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

According to the Saamaka petition, an illegal road stretching 43 kilometers was built through their territory last year.

"That road has exposed the most pristine forest to indiscriminate mining, logging and poaching," the petition said.

The Saamaka, descendents of formerly enslaved Africans who fought Dutch colonizers for their freedom, are one of six tribal peoples in Suriname, making up some 20% of the country's total population.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
TORONTO: It isnt just Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus ruling Liberal Party that is losing the confidence of the countrys voters, even its partner, the New Democratic Party or NDP, is bleeding support, according to a new poll. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends an announcement on the planned Great Bear Sea PFP project, accompanied by Dallas Smith, acting Chief for Tlowitsis Nation, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on June 25. (REUTERS)

The NDP, led by Indo-Canadian Jagmeet Singh, will see the percentage of support it has going down from nearly 18 per cent during the 2021 Federal elections to 17 per cent, if polls were to be held now, according to a survey from the agency Leger for the outlet National Post.

Significantly, more of the those sampled felt their impression of the NDP and Singh had worsened, at 32 per cent, as against 20 per cent who viewed them more favourably.

The troubling signs for the NDP were also evident during the June Federal by-poll for Toronto-St Paul, which saw its vote share drop from 17 per cent to 11 per cent, in what proved a catastrophic outcome for Trudeaus party as it lost a seat is had held since 1993.

Singh became leader of the NDP in October 2017. In the Federal election prior to his leadership, the NDP had 44 seats in the House of Commons and nearly 20 per cent vote share. In 2021, both those numbers were markedly lower  with 25 NDP MPs elected and a vote share of approximately 18 per cent.

Last week, Singh said, We look at this as really people sending their message. They are frustrated with Trudeau. Theyre done with Trudeau, and they are frustrated with the Liberal party, and theyve got reasons to. However, the minority Trudeau Government is surviving with the support of the NDP, after they entered into a supply and confidence agreement in March 2022.

Singh hasnt stated whether he will continue to back Trudeau, even though he said, We hear this again and again: things are getting worse, not better. The Liberals have had nine years to make improvements, and they havent.

As per the overall figures from the Leger poll, the Conservative Party has 41 per cent support, far ahead of the Liberals, who are at 27 per cent. If elections were held now, the Conservatives would secure 218 seats, as against just 67 for the incumbent.
Millions of voters across the United Kingdom (UK) will vote on July 4 to elect a new government. Voters across the country will elect 650 members to the House of Commons, the lower house in the UK's Parliament. The party winning a majority of seats in the country's First past the post electoral system will form a new government. This combination photo shows the leaders of the political parties in Britain. Clockwise from top left are Conservative Party leader Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, Liberal Democrat Party leader Ed Davey, Reform UK Party leader Nigel Farage, Scottish National Party John Swinney and Green Party co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay. (AP Photo)(AP)

The United Kingdom includes countries like England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak from the Conservative party, who succeeded the short-lived Lis Truss led government, aims for a second term in power. Sunak, a Hindu, is also the first non-white prime minister.

Also read | UK elections: Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer clash in testy final TV debate

The Conservatives and the Labour party dominate British politics. The former has been in power for 14 years and had five different prime ministers.

Voter survey by a company Survation has predicted a dramatic loss for the Conservatives. Keir Starmer from the Labour Party is predicted to win 484 of the 650 seats in Parliament, far more than the party's record of 418 seats in the 1997 election under Tony Blair.

The Conservatives are predicted to win just 64 seats, the fewest since the party was founded in 1834. Right-wing Reform UK party, known for its anti-immigration and Eurosceptic stance is projected to win seven seats.

Who are the key candidates?

PM Rishi Sunak (44), Conservatives - An Oxford graduate and former hedge fund manager at Goldman Sachs, he claims to have steadied Britain's economy after the Brexit turmoil. Critics say he lacks political judgement and stays out of touch with ordinary voters.

Keir Starmer (61), Labour party - He is a former lawyer and a chief prosecutor for England and Wales. Known to be a centrist, he is credited with moving the party away from its overtly socialist orientation. Labour Party has surged in popularity under his leadership, but critics call him unexciting and unambitious.

Ed Davey (58), Liberal Democrats - A former economics researcher, he has also served as climate and energy secretary under the previous Conservative coalition government. Davey gained fame for taking to bungee-jumping to urge voters to take a leap of faith.

Nigel Farage (60), Reform UK - A former staunch proponent of Brexit, Farage is known for his anti-immigrant and Eurosceptic stance. He has contested for Parliament seven times but never won.

John Swinney (60), Scottish National Party (SNP) - He is credited for bringing stability to the party, after abrupt exit of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. She had quit after her husband was found guilty of violating campaign finance rules.

Key promises

The Conservatives have promised more spending on public health and a boost in defence spending. The party also promised tax cuts to avoid evasion and build a stronger economy. One of the contentious decisions to cap immigration and move asylum seekers to Rwanda remains.

The Labour Party has promised more wealth creation and investment to improve Britain's infrastructure, majorly the railways. A windfall tax will be imposed on oil and gas giants to set up a state-owned clean power company to boost energy security. The party will tax private schools to pay for thousands of new teachers in state schools and also cut record-high public health waiting times.

Key promise of the Liberal Democrats is free nursing care at home by improving social health systems. The party has also promised to lower the voting age to 16 and rejoin the European Union (EU)s single market.

Right-wing Reform UK has promised to focus on "British values". The party will freeze all nonessential immigration and also bar international students from bringing their dependents into the UK. It also seeks to leave the European Convention on Human Rights so that asylum-seekers can be deported without interventions from the courts.

SNP has promised to open Scottish independence negotiations with the government in London. Seeking to rejoin the EU and its single market. It also wants to scrap the UKs Scotland-based nuclear deterrent and an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.

The Greens led by Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay has promised to phase out nuclear power and to net zero emission targets by 2040. A 40 billion will be raised by a carbon tax to invest in the green economy. A new wealth tax on the very rich and an income tax hike for high-earning individuals is also on cards.

Key issues at stake

The UK is facing sluggish economic growth since the 2008 global financial crisis, even when the Conservatives have been in power since 2010. Britain's economy has been the second weakest among G7 since the COVID-19 pandemic. Living standards are predicted to suffer over the years for the first time since 1950's.

Private investors are wary of investing in an economy marred by years of political instability since the referendum to leave the EU in 2016.

Inactivity rate, a measure of working-age people who are neither employed nor seeking a job - is higher than before the coronavirus pandemic.

Increased long-term illness since the pandemic and an ageing population have led to labour shortages, which are met by increased immigration. This has led to strain in public funded National Health Service (NHS) and other social systems.

Wait time for non-urgent treatment at the NHS, already growing since 2010, hit almost 8 million in late 2023 in England alone, almost doubling from four years earlier. NHS is far behind the target to treat almost all non-urgent patients within 18 weeks and also missing the target to treat emergency patients promptly. Slow increase in health spending despite an ageing and growing population remains a challenge.

Conservatives have missed targets to scrap immigration despite scrapping free movement for workers from the EU.

(With inputs from AP, Reuters)
Rishi Sunak has covered thousands of miles in the past few weeks, but he hasnt outrun the expectation that his time as Britains prime minister is in its final hours. United Kingdom voters will cast ballots in a national election Thursday, passing judgement on Sunaks 20 months in office and might elect a Labour government this time(AFP)

Watch: This Is UK's Next PM? Keir Starmer's Rags-To-Riches Story, Labour Party Rise, Rishi Sunak Challenge

United Kingdom voters will cast ballots in a national election Thursday, passing judgement on Sunaks 20 months in office, and on the four Conservative prime ministers before him. They are widely expected to do something they have not done since 2005: Elect a Labour Party government.

During a hectic final two days of campaigning that saw him visit a food distribution warehouse, a supermarket, a farm and more, Sunak insisted the outcome of this election is not a foregone conclusion.

Also Read:Incoming Labour looks to India

People can see that we have turned a corner, said the Conservative leader, who has been in office since October 2022. It has been a difficult few years, but undeniably things are in a better place now than they were.

But even a last-minute pep talk at a Conservative rally Tuesday night by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson  who led the party to a thumping election victory in 2019  did little to lift the party's mood. Conservative Cabinet minister Mel Stride said Wednesday it looked like Labour was heading for an extraordinary landslide."

Also Read: At Neasden Temple, UK's Rishi Sunak opens up on his Hindu faith: It teaches us to

Labour warned against taking the election result for granted, imploring supporters not to grow complacent about polls that have given the party a solid double-digit lead since before the campaign began. Labour leader Keir Starmer has spent the six-week campaign urging voters to take a chance on his center-left party and vote for change. Most people, including analysts and politicians, expect they will.

Labour has not set pulses racing with its pledges to get the sluggish economy growing, invest in infrastructure and make Britain a clean energy superpower.

But nothing has really gone wrong, either. The party has won the support of large chunks of the business community and endorsements from traditionally conservative newspapers including the Rupert Murdoch-owned Sunday Times.

Former Labour candidate Douglas Beattie, author of the book How Labour Wins (and Why it Loses), said Starmers quiet stability probably chimes with the mood of the country right now.

The country is looking for fresh ideas, moving away from a government thats exhausted and divided, Beattie said. So Labour are pushing at an open door.

The Conservatives, meanwhile, have been plagued by gaffes. The campaign got off to an inauspicious start when rain drenched Sunak as he made the announcement outside 10 Downing St. on May 22. Then on June 6, Sunak went home early from commemorations in France marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, missing a ceremony alongside United States President Joe Biden and Frances Emmanuel Macron.

Several Conservatives close to Sunak are being investigated by the gambling regulator over suspicions they used inside information to place bets on the date of the election before it was announced.

It has all made it harder for Sunak to shake off the taint of political chaos and mismanagement thats gathered around the Conservatives since Johnson and his staff held lockdown-breaching partie s during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Johnsons successor, Liz Truss, rocked the COVID-weakened economy with a package of drastic tax cuts, making a cost-of-living crisis worse, and lasted just 49 days in office. There is widespread dissatisfaction over a host of issues, from a dysfunctional public health care system to crumbling infrastructure.

But for many voters, the lack of trust applies not just to Conservatives, but to politicians in general. Veteran rouser of the right, Nigel Farage, has leaped into that breach with his Reform U.K. party and grabbed headlines, and voters attention, with his anti-immigration rhetoric.

The centrist Liberal Democrats and environmentalist Green Party also want to sweep up disaffected voters from the bigger parties.

Across the country, voters say they want change but arent optimistic it will come.

I dont know whos for me as a working person, said Michelle Bird, a port worker in Southampton on Englands south coast who was undecided about whether to vote Labour or Conservative. I dont know whether its the devil you know or the devil you dont.

Conner Filsell, a young office worker in the London suburbs, would like a roof of his own.

I still live at home. I would love to be able to have my own place, but the way things are going its just not on the cards, he said.

Lise Butler, senior lecturer in modern history at City University of London, said that signs point to this being a change election in which the Conservatives are punished. But she said that if Starmer wins, the years to come  may be challenging.

Hell probably be facing constant attacks on various grounds from left and right, she said. So I think that while the outcome of this election is pretty clear, I think all bets are off in terms of what, what Labours support is going to look like over the next few years.

Starmer has agreed that his biggest challenge is the mindset in some voters that everythings broken, nothing can be fixed.

And secondly, a sense of mistrust in politics because of so many promises having been made over the last 14 years which werent carried through, he told broadcaster ITV on Tuesday. We have to reach in and turn that around.

Many election experts expect a low turnout, below the 67% recorded in 2019. Yet this election may bring a scale of change Britain has not seen for decades if it delivers a big Labour majority and a diminished Conservative Party.

In Moreton-in-Marsh, a pretty town of honey-coloured stone buildings in western Englands Cotswold hills, 25-year-old Evie Smith-Lomas relished the chance to eject the areas longstanding Conservative lawmaker.

This has been a Tory seat forever, for 32 years, longer than Ive been alive, she said. Im excited at the prospect of someone new. I mean I think 32 years in any job is too long. You surely have run out of ideas by now.
President Joe Biden defiantly vowed on Wednesday to keep running for reelection, rejecting growing pressure from within his Democratic Party to withdraw after a disastrous debate performance raised questions about his readiness. He said he would not be forced from the race. Biden and Harris made a surprise appearance on a Democratic National Committee call, according to three people familiar with the matter who were given anonymity to discuss the private conversation.(Bloomberg)

I am running. I am the leader of the Democratic Party. No one is pushing me out," Biden said, according to a top aide who posted his comment on the X social media platform.

"Ive been knocked down before and counted out my whole life. When you get knocked down you get back up.

Biden and Harris made a surprise appearance on a Democratic National Committee call, according to three people familiar with the matter who were given anonymity to discuss the private conversation. The people said it was a pep talk, stressing the stakes of the election and returning to Biden's previous post-debate comments that he would get back up after being knocked down.

It was one of several efforts by the president and his top aides to try to calm increasing anxiety among his allies on Capitol Hill and at top levels of his party.

Democrats are unsatisfied with the explanations of Biden's debate performance, from both White House staff and Biden himself. And there is a deeper frustration among some Democrats who feel Biden should have handled questions about his stumbling debate performance much sooner and that he has put them in a difficult position by staying in the race.

White House official urges staffers to tune out the noise

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients urged people during an earlier all-staff meeting Wednesday to tune out the noise and focus on the task of governing.

Even as Zients acknowledged that the days since the Atlanta matchup between Biden and Republican Donald Trump have been challenging, the chief of staff stressed to more than 500 White House aides on the call the accomplishments and the track record of the Democratic administration and said governing will only become more crucial once the campaign season heats up, particularly after the Fourth of July holiday, according to a White House official.

Biden himself began making personal outreach on his own, speaking privately with senior Democratic lawmakers such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Delaware Sen. Chris Coons and South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, according to a second White House official and others with knowledge of the conversations. Zients also spoke personally with Schumer and Clyburn earlier Wednesday.

On Capitol Hill, there is increasing anxiety with each day as Biden had been slow to reach out to top Democrats and rank-and-file members, according to people familiar with ongoing conversations.

Zients tried to rally the staff's confidence in Biden's reelection apparatus, noting that the president has a strong campaign team in place and that the White House's job was to focus on continuing to implement Biden's agenda. He also told staff that Biden has always made it through tough times, despite being counted out over his decades in public office.

The chief of staff also encouraged aides to continue being a team and, while acknowledging the increasing political chatter, to tune it out and stay disciplined, according to the official, who was granted anonymity to relay Zients' private remarks. Zients also urged White House staff to ask questions and offer feedback.

Staff-wide White House calls aren't unusual, but Wednesdays' 15-minute check-in came as Biden and senior White House officials were working to assuage rattled lawmakers, donors and other allies within the party amid sharpening questions about whether the 81-year-old president had the competency to run for a second term in office.

A memo sent Wednesday by campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez insists the election between Biden and Trump will still be close, seeking to downplay the lasting effects of the debate.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were also scheduled to hold one of their sporadic lunches on Wednesday, and the president was planning on hosting an assortment of Democratic governors at the White House in the evening.

Among the Democratic governors who were planning to attend in person were Tim Walz of Minnesota, who leads the Democratic Governors Association, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Daniel McKee of Rhode Island, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Gavin Newsom of California, according to their aides. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy were planning on attending virtually. (AP) AMS
A Delta Airlines flight bound for the Netherlands with 277 passengers onboard made an emergency landing in New York City after contaminated in-flight meals were served. Delta Flight 136 from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport was on its way to Amsterdam when it was forced to make an unscheduled stop at John F. Kennedy International Airport around 4 AM on Wednesday. A Delta flight bound for Amsterdam was forced to make an emergency stop in New York City(Getty Images via AFP)

Delta flight makes emergency landing at JFK

The Airbus A330 was flying over Saint Pierre and Miquelon  a French archipelago south of Canadas Newfoundland when it was diverted to New York, according to data from FlightRadar24. A spokesperson for Delta confirmed in a press release that the aircraft turned around after reports that a portion of the Main Cabin in-flight meal service was spoiled.

ALSO READ: Biden told key ally he's contemplating whether to continue his 2024 run: Report

Medical crews met the aircraft to treat any affected passengers and crew members. Deltas Food Safety team has engaged our suppliers to immediately isolate the product and launch a thorough investigation into the incident, the spokesperson continued, adding that the service is not what the airline is known for. We sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels.

Meanwhile, the Port Authority of New York told Newsweek that there were 24 aided cases upon landing. Those cases included 10 members of the flight crew and 14 passengers. However, all of them declined to receive medical attention. The airport authority further said that the passengers were provided with hotel rooms and transportation and will be rebooked to continue to their destination.

ALSO READ: NASA shares good news about Boeing Starliner as Sunita Williams still in space

An affected passenger named Virginia, who goes by @tralala_bk on X, formerly Twitter, wrote on the platform, @delta I need to know how youre going to get me to Amsterdam today - Im on the plane thats emergency landing at JFK because you served passengers contaminated food - I dont need hotel/food vouchers I need to arrive in Amsterdam today.
A recent decision by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals could have significant ramifications for the future of H-1B visas in the United States and potentially lead to increased litigation against American companies employing foreign workers. The court reversed the dismissal of a proposed class action against Meta Platforms, Facebook's parent company, which was accused of discriminating against U.S. citizens in its hiring practices. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed the lower court's dismissal that accused Meta of preferring to hire H-1B visa holders against US citizen.(Representational Image)

What is the case against Meta and what did the court say?

The class action was filed by Purushothaman Rajaram, an Indian origin U.S. citizen, who claimed that Meta refused to hire him in favour of "noncitizens holding H1B visas to whom it can pay lower wages." Initially, a California federal judge dismissed Rajaram's claim, holding that section 1981 does not bar discrimination based on U.S. citizenship. However, the Ninth Circuit's recent ruling overturned this decision in a 2-1 vote, stating that 42 U.S.C. section 1981 prohibits employment discrimination against U.S. citizens based on their citizenship.

Rajaram claimed, between 2020 and 2022, he unsuccessfully applied to work at Meta Platforms but was denied a job as, "Meta violated section 1981 by discriminating against United States citizens in hiring.

"The disputed question is whether section 1981 prohibits employers from discriminating against United States citizens. The statutory text answers that question in the affirmative. An employer that discriminates against United States citizens gives one class of peoplenoncitizens, or perhaps some subset of noncitizensa greater right to make contracts than white citizens.

If some noncitizens have a greater right to make contracts than white citizens, then it is not true that [a]ll persons have the same right to make contracts as white citizens. That is precisely what the literal text of the statute prohibits.

Debate over Section 1981: Does it bar hiring based on citizenship?

In this court observation, Judge Miller observed, that section 1981 guarantees equal rights in contracting for "all persons" within the U.S., extending protections to citizens and noncitizens alike. He went on to argue that if employers discriminate against citizens in favour of non-citizens, they violate the statute's mandate for equal contractual rights.

The judge also dismissed Meta's reliance on other statutes and previous court decisions that interpreted section 1981 differently, asserting that such interpretations do not align with the statute's explicit language and intent.

However, in his dissent against the ruling Judge Vandyke argued that Section 1981 is not as clear-cut as the majority suggests. The phrase "same rights ... as enjoyed by white citizens" could imply a "leveling-up" requirement, where everyone gets rights equivalent to those of white citizens. Citizens, who inherently possess these rights, might not need protection under this statute if interpreted strictly. Alternatively, if the statute aims at strict equalization, mentioning "white citizens" seems redundant.

Ultimately, the court ruled in favour of Rajaram, concluding that he has sufficiently alleged discrimination under section 1981 based on Meta's hiring practices.

Potential Impact of Meta ruling on H-1B Visas and Employment Litigation

Experts believe this ruling has the potential to create a circuit court split, as it directly contradicts a 1986 ruling by the Fifth Circuit, which held that the law does not prohibit bias against U.S. citizens. If Meta appeals, the case could escalate to the U.S. Supreme Court to resolve these conflicting interpretations.

However, this decision is being seen as a seteback against H-1B and can lead to more lawsuits by U.S.-born workers against companies that hire temporary visa holders. Hence, potentially challenging the employment practices of many tech giants and other companies that rely heavily on H-1B visa holders.
In a week marked by heightened scrutiny over President Biden's health and the ongoing criminal proceedings involving Hunter Biden, the president's son has now made headlines by joining White House meetings, reportedly causing confusion among staff. This development comes as the Biden family convened at Camp David on Sunday, a gathering that has raised eyebrows amidst the charged political climate. U.S. President Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk from Marine One at Fort McNair in Washington, U.S. July 1, 2024. (REUTERS)

Hunter Biden assisting father Joe Biden in presidential work

Hunter Biden has been actively participating in White House meetings with top aides, closely advising his father, President Biden, and unexpectedly appearing in meetings and phone calls, according to an NBC News report citing multiple sources. These sources have expressed surprise at Hunter's sudden involvement, with reactions ranging from confusion to concern about potential conflicts of interest.

"Experts have long pointed to Hunter Biden's role as a top adviser to the president, marking a clear conflict of interest," the report states. "This person said Hunter Biden has "popped into" a couple of meetings and phone calls the president has had with some of his advisers."

Given Hunter Biden's recent legal troubles, this report has only intensified concerns. Hunter was convicted last month in a Delaware federal court on gun charges and remains under indictment for tax-related felonies, charges to which he has pleaded not guilty.

In addition to his legal battles, Hunter Biden is reportedly a staunch advocate for his father's re-election campaign. During the family meeting at Camp David, Hunter was said to be one of the most vocal supporters of President Biden's decision to remain in the race, despite a lackluster debate performance.

Critics are arguing that Hunter's involvement as an adviser to the president represents a conflict of interest, particularly given the possibility of presidential pardons.

Mike Howell, the executive director of the Oversight Project at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital, "It's just a pure and simple massive interest in his dad staying president so he can pardon not only Hunter, but Joe and the rest of the family for the crimes they committed, and probably Merrick Garland, too, for his role in the cover-up."

The presidents health has also been a topic of discussion, with figures like Nancy Pelosi suggesting it is legitimate to question the fitness of both President Biden and former President Trump for office. This debate over presidential fitness has added another layer of complexity to the ongoing election cycle.

White House downplays the situation Hunter Bidens presence

In response to concerns about Hunter Bidens presence, White House spokesman Andrew Bates downplayed the situation, explaining that Hunter had simply accompanied the president back from Camp David and joined him in speech preparation. Similarly, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reassured reporters that the president is "very close to his family" and that Hunters involvement was part of their routine family interactions during the holiday week.

"This is a holiday week, 4th of July," Jean-Pierre said during a Tuesday news conference. He spent time with his family, as you all know, and reported at Camp David. Hunter came back with him and walked with him into that meeting, that prep, that speech prep.
Ivanka Trump will be supporting her father and will reportedly be in attendance when Donald Trump officially accepts the Republican nomination for president. Ivanka has admitted that Trumps recent conviction was painful, New York Post reported. Ivanka to attend RNC to support Donald Trump, says dad's conviction is painful(AP)

Ivanka has left politics, but will watch her dads speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this month, according to her spokesperson. However, she will not serve at the event in any political capacity.

The RNC is set to run from July 15-18 at the Fiserv Forum, which Ivanka will simply attend to support Trump. In contrast, she introduced her father to the stage at the 2020 RNC.

Ivanka was also a huge part of the 2016 convention. During the 2016 campaign, Ivanka opened up about her father being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in relation to a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.

I wish it didnt have to be this way

In a new interview this week, Ivanka told podcaster Fridman, On a human level, its my father and I love him very much, so its painful to experience, but ultimately, I wish it didnt have to be this way.

Both Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, served in the White House during Trumps presidency. However, Ivanka later revealed that she would not be a part of her fathers 2024 campaign.

Ivanka, Kushner, and their children  Arabella, 12, Joseph, 9, and Theodore, 7  later left Washington, DC, and moved to Miami. I think first and foremost, it was a decision rooted in me being a parent, really thinking about what they need from me now, Ivanka told Fridman. Politics is a rough, rough business and I think its one that you also cant dabble in. I think you have to either be all in or all out.

And I know today, the cost [my children] would pay for me being all in, emotionally in terms of my absence at such a formative point in their life. And Im not willing to make them bear that cost, she said, adding, I think there are a lot of ways you can serve.

Ivanka said that she discussed with Kushner the enormity of what they can achieve in service, but believed that there is something equally valuable in helping within the community. I also think for politics, its a pretty dark world. Theres a lot of darkness, a lot of negativity, and its just really at odds with what feels good for me as a human being, she said.
Ivanka Trump, who stayed away from Donald Trump's hush money trial unlike her brothers, has finally spoken out about her father's New York hush money conviction. Following his conviction on 34 felony charges in the Stormy Daniels hush money case , Ivanka posted a childhood picture of herself with her dad with the phrase I love you dad. Ivanka Trump, 42, talked about her father's protracted legal troubles and gave her explanation for withdrawing from the 2024 presidential campaign. (AP File Photo)

Appearing on a podcast episode with Lex Fridman, she also broke down in tears while speaking about her impossibly glamorous late mother Ivana.

Ivanka, 42, talked about her father's protracted legal troubles and gave her explanation for withdrawing from the 2024 presidential campaign. She called the situation painful.

On a human level, it's my father and I love him very much, so it's painful to experience, but ultimately, I wish it didn't have to be this way, Trump's daughter replied when the host asked about the personal impact of her father's legal battles.

Ivanka, who formerly served as an important player in the White House and on Trump's campaign trail in the past, declared in 2022 that she would like to spend time with her family and children before going back into politics.

She informed Fridman that she made the decision in her capacity as a mom, stressing that I'm not willing to make them (her kids) bear that cost. Ivanka went on to call politics a rough business and said

Politics is a pretty dark world, she continued. Theres a lot of darkness, a lot of negativity, and its just really at odds with what feels good for me as a human being.

Ivanka's remarks come after the announcement that Trump's sentencing had been rescheduled. His sentencing was originally set for this Thursday, but the Supreme Court's decision regarding presidential immunity caused it to be delayed until September 18.

In Trump's hush money case, a group of twelve Manhattan jurors in a unanimous verdict in May found the former president guilty on all counts of fabricating financial records.

A number of witnesses testified in court throughout the trial, including Stormy Daniels, a former adult film star whose claimed sexual encounter with the former president. Trump was charged with hiding hush money payments intended to purchase Daniels' silence ahead of the 2016 election.

Trump denounced the hush money verdict as "disgrace".

Also Read: Trump outraises Biden with $331 million in second-quarter campaign funds

Ivanka calls mother Ivana trailblazer

On being asked if she misses her mother Ivana, who passed away in July 2022 at the age of 73, Ivanka became noticeably emotional, stating "so much".

"It's unbelievable how dislocating the loss of a parent is. And her mother lives with me still, my grandmother who helped raise us, so that's very special," she said while pausing to fight back tears.

She called her mother a trailblazer who was married to Trump from 1977 to 1990.

Ivana, as per her daughter, was an athlete, a fashion mogul, a real estate executive and builder.
Joe Biden has now claimed that he was so exhausted after foreign travel that he almost fell asleep during the presidential debate against Donald Trump on July 27. The president, however, did get as many as 13 days to rest after his most recent foreign trip, including a full week at Camp David where he is believed to have enjoyed afternoon naps. Joe Biden says foreign travel left him exhausted before debate (REUTERS/Marco Bello/File Photo)(REUTERS)

Bidens latest excuse comes amid growing calls for him to drop out of the race.

I decided to travel around the world a couple of times shortly before the debate, Biden told Democratic donors in McLean, Virginia, according to New York Post. It wasnt very smart [to be] traveling around the world a couple times.

I didnt listen to my staff and then I almost fell asleep on stage, he added.

Joe Bidens recent foreign tours

Biden made just two brief trips abroad in recent times. He travelled on June 5-9 to France to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, and was in Italy from June 12 to 14 for the annual G7 summit.

Biden spent the entire first day of his French trip at his hotel, and reportedly had to attend no public events. Before travelling to Camp David, he was at his Rehoboth Beach getaway June 18-20. The week before the debate, he stayed here, away from the public eye. Meanwhile, a report by The New York Times stated that debate prep sessions never started before 11 a.m. and Mr. Biden was given time for an afternoon nap each day.

Bidens debate performance was dubbed disastrous, but he still vowed to return for a second debate against Trump. According to CNN senior White House correspondent Kayla Tausche, an adviser insisted that the president will return to the debate stage in September.

The Democratic Party was alarmed after the presidents debate performance, where he stumbled, froze and stared blankly, and misspoke. There are concerns from even his own party members, but Biden is reportedly determined not to drop out.
US President Joe Biden is scheduled to have lunch with Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday amid calls to step out of the White House race following his poor debate performance. Joe Biden is also set to hold meetings with Kamala Harris and Democratic governors amid efforts to allay worries about his candidacy.(AP)

The meeting also comes after Representative Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first Democratic member of Congress on Tuesday to publicly call on Biden to step down from the race.

The 81-year-old Commander-in-Chief has indicated that he does not plan to withdraw, even after a lackluster debate performance against the presumed Republican nominee, Donald Trump.

Democrats were alarmed by Biden's dismal performance, which also brought attention to questions about his age and ability to serve as president for a further four years.

If Biden were to step down, Harris is one of the most prominent contenders being considered to take his position at the helm of the Democratic ticket.

Last week, Harris defended Biden in the wake of his debate performance, admitting to CNN: Yes, there was a slow start, but it was a strong finish.

What became very clear over the course of the night is that Joe Biden is fighting on behalf of the American people on substance, on policy, on performance," she added.

On Wednesday night, Biden is also set to hold a meeting with Democratic governors amid efforts to allay worries about his candidacy.

According to the Associated Press, the White House said on Tuesday that Biden would speak with congressional leaders later this week, hold a press conference in coming days, and give an interview to George Stephanopoulos of ABC.

Also Read: Michelle Obama addresses calls to announce presidency

Biden's campaign sends out memo to staffers; here's what it say

Biden's campaign sent a memo to staffers depicting the incumbent President lagging behind former President Donald Trump.

Politico reported that the memo features internal polling that revealed that Biden had lost ground in key swing states both before and after his debate performance.

Prior to the debate, Biden and Trump had the same percentage of the vote (43%), but according to the document, by Tuesday, Biden had dropped to 42% while Trump's vote share increased by 0.2 percentage points.

Top campaign executives for Biden, Jen O'Malley Dillon and Julie Chavez Rodriguez, seemed to be prepping staff for a fresh poll that is "likely to show a slightly larger swing in the race," according to the memo. The poll is not yet released publicly.

According to the campaign memo: Polls are a snapshot in time and we should all expect them to continue to fluctuate  it will take a few weeks, not a few days, to get a full picture of the race.

Polls have already started showing how Biden's reelection campaign has lost momentum as an outcome of his debate performance. According to a CBS survey that was released on Wednesday, Trump was up 2 points nationwide and up 3 points in crucial states.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed speculations that Joe Biden has dementia after a reporter asked her the question at an event. A video of the incident has gone viral. Karine Jean-Pierre addresses rumours Joe Biden has dementia (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)(AP)

I'm gonna ask something delicate and you, you may not like it, the president may not like to hear it if he's watching, the reporter asked Jean-Pierre on Tuesday, July 2.

I think the American people need to get a yes or no answer on this. Does President Biden, at 81 years old, have Alzheimer's, any form of dementia or degenerative illness that cause these sorts of lapses? And it's a yes or no question, the reporter added.

Jean-Pierre replied, I have an answer for you. Are you ready for it? Yes. It's a no, and I hope you're asking the other guy the same exact question.

These rumours were promoted by Bidens frequent gaffes and absentmindedness at public events. But concerns grew following his disastrous presidential debate performance, where he came face-to-face with Donald Trump on the stage.

If she tells the truth shell lose her position as Press Secretary

In the comment section of the above video, X users alleged that Jean-Pierre was not telling the truth. If she tells the truth shell lose her position as Press Secretary. Its called job security, one user wrote. We dont need an answer from her. Karine does enough lying. We see through it. We have watched him countless times stutter. Forget his train of thought. The fact that she is openly being dishonest is gross. She knows it. We know it. The world knows it, another user said. One wrote, Just curious, are Press Secretaries legally allowed to lie from the pulpit?

Im curious as to how shes qualified to answer any questions about Joe Bidens health without referring to a very recent physical and cognitive evaluation report, one user said, while another wrote, KJP is a habitual liar. The press would be better off just writing their own stories without her lies. I'm pretty sure millions of Americans considered the debate between Biden and Trump a cognitive test and Joe Biden failed it spectacularly, one user said.
Fitzroy Morrissey at Literary Review:

Shortly before his death in 1974, R C Zaehner, Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at Oxford, observed that young Westerners who had turned away from Christianity were more often drawn to the religions of India and the Far East than to Islam. The young, the devoutly Catholic Zaehner stated, are not interested in switching from one dogmatic monotheistic faith to another: hence they are little interested in Islam except when Islam itself is turned upside down and becomes Sufism, which in its developed form is barely distinguishable from Vedanta. Indeed, he went on, that egregious populariser Idries Shah has gone so far as to claim Zen as a manifestation of Sufism. This, Zaehner declared, was historical nonsense and academically detestable.

Zaehner was referring to Shahs The Sufis, which, since its publication in 1964, had become the most widely read book on Sufism in English. Helped by an introduction by the poet Robert Graves, The Sufis had met with critical acclaim. Writing in The Listener, the weekly magazine of the BBC, Ted Hughes described the book as astonishing, while, in The Spectator, Doris Lessing wrote that she couldnt remember being more provoked or stimulated.

more here.
Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States, has addressed the calls to run as the presidential candidate of the Democratic party, replacing incumbent Joe Biden. Michelle Obama's office has again confirmed that she will not run for president in 2024.(AFP)

This comes amidst Democrats' concerns regarding the rerun of 81-year-old Biden following his disastrous presidential debate performance and worries around his mental and physical fitness. They believe these concerns may well be resolved if they manage to convince Michelle Obama to declare her candidacy.

According to NBC News, Michelle's office has again confirmed that she will not run for president in 2024. As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president.

Calling politics hard, she said: It's got to be in your soul, because it is so important. It is not in my soul.

Michelle intends to support the Biden campaign, focusing on voter turnout.

Is Michelle Obama only Biden alternative to beat Trump?

Michelle Obama, 60, is the only potential opponent who can defeat Republican leader Donald Trump in the 2024 White House race, as per a new poll.

According to a Reuters and Ipsos poll, the former first lady would defeat Trump, 78, by ten points, and no other contender could defeat the former president.

Last week, Biden made a number of verbal blunders during the catastrophic debate performance in which US President.

Michelle's support skyrocketed despite previously declaring that she wouldn't run for office and continue to support Biden's reelection.

When asked which Democratic candidate they would prefer, half of the respondents stated they would vote for Michelle, while only 39% indicated they would vote for Trump.

If Biden steps down from the race, the front-runners who can succeed him include Gavin Newsom or Kamala Harris. However, they were polled significantly lower than Trump.

According to the poll, one in three Democrats believe that the president should withdraw from the campaign following the CNN debate. However, no well-known elected Democrat performed any better than Biden. Nearly fifty percent of the respondents surveyed felt that Trump should withdraw from the race, while three out of five believe that Biden should.

Also Read: Biden mocks Trump for thinking he had the 'greatest economy in the world'

Biden admits he fell asleep on stage

Biden blamed his poor debate performance on two international travels in June that involved "going through 100 time zones". He made this claim during a meeting with his family members and confidants at Camp David.

[I] didnt listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage, he stated while attributing his lackluster performance to jet lag. Thats no excuse but it is an explanation.
Amid the growing concerns about the Boeing Starliner's return to Earth, NASA has shared some good news. The space agency revealed at a conference last week that the spacecraft is in fairly good shape and can stay in orbit beyond its 45-day limit. Launched on June 5, the spacecraft was initially due for a one-week mission. But, the Starliner experienced helium leaks from its service module, forcing it to remain docked at the International Space Station (ISS). In this photo provided by NASA, Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams pose for a portrait inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station's Harmony module and Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on June 13, 2024. (NASA via AP)(AP)

Boeing Starliner can stay in orbit beyond 45 days

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams managed to dock at the ISS after the spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral. However, in the lead-up to the docking, five of its 28 thrusters of the Reaction Control System (RCS) failed. This caused an indefinite extension of the mission. The consecutive delays in the spacecraft's return to Earth raised eyebrows over the safety of its crew.

ALSO READ: Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks: Here are the best viewing spots in NYC

However, NASA provided some respite during the conference on Friday. Steve Stich, the manager of the space agency's Commercial Crew Program, told reporters, We talked about a 45-day limit, limited by the crew module batteries on Starliner, and we're in the process of updating that limit. We've been looking at those batteries and their performance on orbit, he added.

READ MORE: Is Boeing Starliner stuck in space? Return to earth delayed for 3rd time, sparking concerns

Stich continued, They're getting recharged by station, and that risk hasn't really changed. So the risk for the next 45 days is essentially the same as the first 45 days, adding, What we really are doing now is looking at the performance of the battery in flight. We don't see any degradation in any of the cells where the batteries are, according to Space.com
Oprah Winfrey recently opened up about a painful experience of public body-shaming by comedian Joan Rivers asking, Why are you so fat? during her first appearance on The Tonight Show back in 1985. Oprah Winfrey walks on stage to present the Entertainer of the Year Award at the 55th NAACP Image Awards at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 16, 2024. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni(REUTERS)

The media mogul recalled the harrowing experience on Mondays episode of the Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast.

I've been shamed on The Tonight Show by Joan Rivers. I had my first appearance on The Tonight Show, she claimed.

Winfrey recalled how she was initially invited to discuss her burgeoning television show, A.M. Chicago. However, Rivers shifted the conversation to Winfreys weight. Joan Rivers turns to me and she says, Tell me, why are you so fat? Winfrey recounted to Lima.

The media mogul was caught off guard by the comment, feeling stunned on national television and absolutely had no idea what to do with that and how to respond to such a direct and public attack.

ALSO READ| Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are on outs with long time ally Oprah Winfrey?

Winfrey somehow tried to handle the situation by adding humor and responded, Well, I just love potato chips, Joan. However, Rivers continued to criticize her, saying, No seriously! Shame on you! Shame on you! The comedian then added, Ill let you come back if you lose 15 lbs. You need to lose 15 lbs.

I accepted that I should be shamed, because how dare me, be sitting up here on The Tonight Show, she admitted.

Steven Spielberg assured Winfrey she is not fat

Winfrey confessed to Lima that she did notlose wieght. Instead, she found herself gaining more weight. Of course, I didnt lose the 15 lbs. I went and ate my way to another 10 lbs, she shared.

The encounter with Rivers was a catalyst for Winfrey to seek help at a health retreat, aka fat farms. Around the same time, Winfrey was struggling with the belief that her weight might cost her a role in the film The Color Purple. She recalled crying and praying over the possibility.

"I cried and prayed some more, and in the moment I felt the release... a woman comes running out and she says, "There's a phone call for you." The phone call from Steven Spielberg saying, I hear you're at a fat farm. You lose a pound, you could lose this part, the media mogul shared.

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey on Jamie Kern Lima Show(Jamie Kern Lima Show)

Winfrey heeded this advice and eventually earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Sofia in the critically acclaimed film.

ALSO READ| Oprah Winfrey hospitalized with very serious thing

The fact that it happened in the instant I'd known I'd let it go was the greatest life lesson I have ever received, and that is: Do everything you can, work as hard as you can, and then let it go.

Winfrey has been vocal about the challenges and discrimination she has faced due to her weight. I cannot tell you how many weight-loss shows and makeovers I have done, she said earlier in a three-hour long WeightWatchers special.
A Pennsylvania restaurant reportedly filed a civil lawsuit against a customer after he left a $3,000 tip for a waitress. Kind as the gesture seemed, it was not as simple as the waitress first thought. Pennsylvania eatery sues customer who left $3,000 tip on $13 meal (Pixabay - representational image)

Back in June 2022, the staff at Alfredos Cafe in Scranton were shocked to find that Eric Smith, a customer, left this huge tip after coming to the cafe and ordering a stromboli which only cost $13.25. Mariana Lambert, the waitress who served him, became emotional and overwhelmed upon seeing his gesture.

"It really meant a lot to me because everyone's going through stuff. It really touched my heart. I still can't believe it. I'm still in shock," Lambert later said.

However, finding the move obviously unusual and to make sure Smith had not accidentally left the money, Matt Martini of Alfredo's Cafe went to verify the figure and collect additional ID from the customer. Interestingly, Smith had written Tips for Jesus on the check.

Martini asked Smith about the note, and it is then that the customer revealed that he had left the tip after being inspired by a social media trend called 'Tips for Jesus. He decided to do it after seeing how hospitable Lambert was.

Things took a turn for the worse

Martini tried to make sure the tip was above board, but things only got worse. A few weeks later, the cafe received a letter saying Smith was disputing the charge for the tip.

Zachary Jacobson, a worker at the cafe, recalled, according to Unilad, "We thought somebody was actually trying to do a good thing. And then now we are, what, three months later? Not even, and there's nothing. There's nothing to show for it at this point."

Alfredo's had already given the $3,000 to Lambert. Therefore, the eatery had to repay Smith out of their own pockets. They tried to communicate with Smith on Facebook, but eventually launched a civil lawsuit against him.

"Unfortunately, we had to file charges through the magistrate's office because now we're just out of this money at this point. And he told us to sue him. So that's what we're going to end up doing, I guess, Jacobson said.

Community members launched a GoFundMe to help Alfredo's raise funds, but the fundraiser was shut down after the business refused to accept cash.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been in the limelight for various reasons after they moved to the United States to start a new life with their kids. The couple is under scrutiny for their ongoing rift with the Royal family and keeping Archie and Lilibet away from the royalty. The Duke and Duchess, who reside in Montecito, California, have now planned a special celebration with their children, according to GB News. Prince Harry and Meghan brought their kids to a Fourth of July parade in Montecito last year.

In 2020, the couple left their royal positions and relocated to the United States. Since then, Meghan, an American citizen, has set a tradition to celebrate Fourth of July with her family every year.

On July 4, the US commemorates Independence Day, a federal holiday marking the Declaration of Independence.

A look at past celebrations

The Sussexes brought their kids to a Fourth of July parade in Montecito last year. During the parade, Prince Harry was spotted holding Lilibet.

The royals watched the array of antique automobiles and parades from neighbourhood groups alongside the residents.

In 2022, Meghan and Harry marked Independence Day celebrations in the valley of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Also Read: Queen Elizabeth left 'disappointed' when Prince Harry, Meghan Markle did not bring Archie and Lilibet to

Is King Charles planning to visit Archie and Lilibet?

Archie and Lilibet haven't been to the UK since 2022, but Prince Harry has been to London on several occasions. He visited Britain twice this year: first when King Charles announced his cancer diagnosis and later to attend Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary Service at St Paul's Cathedral.

According to reports, the monarch, who has only met Princess Lilibet only once, is upset about Harry and Meghan's position on their kids.

King Charles intends to enjoy some time with his grandkids and he is not content with only seeing Archie and Lilibet via video calls with Harry.

Meanwhile, Royal commentator Tom Quinn have claimed that the King is desperate to see both Harry's kids and may be planning a trip to the US soon.

Charles has had discussions about an official visit to the United States at some time in the future, and there is no doubt if it goes ahead he would build in time to visit his youngest son and his grandchildren, Quinn told The Mirror.

King Charles detests contemplating that Archie and Lilibet won't see him as the kind, considerate grandfather he aspires to be, he added.
OXFORD, Miss.  A former engineer at a U.S. military air logistics center has been charged with making false statements and obstructing justice during the criminal investigation into a 2017 military plane crash in Mississippi that killed all 16 service members aboard, prosecutors said Wednesday. Propulsion engineer is charged with obstructing probe of deadly 2017 US military plane crash

James Michael Fisher, 67, was arrested Tuesday after a federal grand jury in northern Mississippi indicted him, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner.

The release said Fisher is a former lead propulsion engineer at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex in Warner Robins, Georgia. Fisher, who now lives in Portugal, made an initial court appearance in Jacksonville, Florida.

A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office in northern Mississippi said she did not have information Wednesday about whether Fisher is represented by an attorney.

Fifteen Marines and one Navy corpsman were killed July 10, 2017, when the Marine Corps KC-130T transport plane broke into pieces in the sky and slammed into a soybean field near Itta Bena, Mississippi.

The plane was based at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York, and it was taking Marine special operations forces from North Carolina to Arizona for training. The crash was the deadliest Marine Corps air disaster since 2005, when a transport helicopter went down during a sandstorm in Iraq, killing 30 Marines and a sailor.

The indictment alleges Fisher knowingly concealed engineering documents and made false statements to investigators about his engineering decisions that might have been related to the crash, according to the news release from Joyner.

Fisher faces up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted on the two false statements and two obstruction of justice charges.

Three agencies that are investigating the crash joined the federal prosecutor in announcing Fisher's arrest. They are the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
An illegal immigrant accused of brutally raping and killing Maryland mom Rachel Morin was indicted this week. An attorney of the victims family has called this a crucial step. Rachel Morin's alleged killer Victor Martinez-Hernandez indicted in crucial step in pursuing justice' (Rachel Morin/Facebook, Harford County Sheriff's Office)

A Maryland grand jury voted to formally charge 23-year-old Victor Martinez Hernandez with two counts of murder, two counts of rape and one count each of sex offense and kidnapping for the ruthless attack on Morin in 2023. Martinez-Hernandez allegedly ambushed and killed her on a Maryland hiking trail last year.

The indictment marks a crucial step in pursuing justice for Rachel Morin and her family, attorney Randolph Rice said in a statement, according to New York Post. This is a significant step toward achieving justice for Rachel Morin and holding the defendant accountable for this heinous crime.

Im sure she was thinking of her children and thinking about all the things shes going to lose

Martinez-Hernandez, a migrant from El Salvador, is believed to have had connections to Salvadoran street gangs. He allegedly has a violent past, and is accused of at least one more murder. After a nationwide manhunt, he was arrested last month at a bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Morins mother, Patty Morin, said she is haunted by the thoughts of what her daughters final moments may have been like. Im sure she knew she wasnt going to live, Patty told Fox News Digital in the past. Im sure she was thinking of her children and thinking about all the things shes going to lose, and this is going to be the end of her life. She must have felt so helpless.

Martinez-Hernandez is reportedly due back in Harford County Circuit Court July 22. He is believed to have crossed into the US illegally in February 2023, and stayed in the US for six months before attacking Morin, who was walking alone on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air.
A heated exchange unfolded on CNN as Republican operative Scott Jennings and Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons clashed over Hunter Biden's involvement in White House affairs. Hunter Bidens White House presence and President Joe Bidens health spark a heated exchange between Scott Jennings and Jamal Simmons on CNN.(YouTube)

The feud started when Jennings questioned Simmons about Hunter's presence in senior staff meetings.

Are you comfortable, Jamal, are you comfortable with Hunter Biden running White House senior staff meetings? Jennings pressed and went on, Do you think this is good? Do you think this is good?

Simmons, the former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris, responded with a composed demeanour, asking, Why are you yelling at me?

Jennings' frustration was triggered by recent revelations regarding President Joe Biden's health, which had been called into question following the lacklustre debate performance. However, the president tried to ease her poor performance saying, I'am not a young man, but I know" how to run White House.

ALSO READ| Joe Biden is set to sit for first unscripted interview since the CNN presidential debate

Reports indicated that Biden's physical and mental health were more compromised than previously acknowledged.

Biden's shaky performance on CNN Presidential Debate

The New York Times corroborated that Biden's mental lapses during the debate, witnessed by an audience of 50 million, were not isolated incidents but part of a growing pattern of concern. Plus, Hunter Biden's involvement in his father's administration had reportedly increased, despite his recent conviction for lying about his crack addiction when obtaining a gun permit.

Jennings did not mince words about the situation, asserting, This is what you call a high-speed come apart. The White House is off the rails. The president has effectively admitted tonight that he is not up to both campaigning for president and being president.

I don't know where we're going from here but this has been a momentous day and I'll be shocked if there aren't more Democrats who come out and say what are we doing, we are walking into disaster if we stick with this, he added.

Simmons countered with former President Donald Trump's secret documents case at Mar-a-Lago. Are we sure, Scott, that you weren't talking about the criminal felon that had the secret documents that he was holding in his bathroom in Mar-a-Lago?

ALSO READ| Biden mocks Trump for thinking he had the 'greatest economy in the world,' former prez's supporters fact check him

Jennings, visibly agitated, retorted, Listen... I'm asking. We're talking about Joe Biden  we're talking about Joe Biden tonight who is admitting to his own donors, people in your party that he can't both perform and campaign and you want to talk about the Mar-a-Lago documents case which is not going to come to trial before November.
A new study has warned that major coastal cities could be be "inundated" with untreated waste water that seeps into basements and streets. These cities include New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia. US major city study found that by the end of the century, sea levels will increase by about six feet, increasing the likelihood of sewage floods by 21 to 66 percent(AP)

The 1850s pipe networkswere made to cope with up to 1.75 inches of rainfall per hour in places likeNew York City. However, new estimates suggest the volume of precipitation might approach two inches per hour over next 30 years.

Researchers at Drexel University examined a flood-prone location, Camden in New Jersey, to ascertain how climate change would affect the systems along the East Coast.

According to a new study published in the journal Water Management Modeling, the team used climate models to predict flooding and Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), which may occur when systems combine sewage, industrial waste, and precipitation runoff into a single pipe by 2100.

The city's rainfall has already surpassed the 1999 baseline by up to ten percent, but the new model predicted a thirty percent increase in precipitation in the future.

The study also found that by the end of the century, sea levels will increase by about six feet, increasing the likelihood of sewage floods by 21 to 66 percent, Daily Mail reported.

According to the findings, floods contaminated by sewage might linger for about 65 days.

Floods in US(AP)

Researchers suggest one solution

While federal officials have stated in recent years that they are making attempts to address the sewage flooding, the researchers termed their efforts insufficient.

The researchers have suggested one solution that would be to channel upstream rainwater away from Cramer's Hill, the primary sewer system in Camden.

Drexel University's professor Franco Montalto, a lead author, stated: It's exciting to work with them now on the development of solutions that can also reduce flooding and make Camden's neighborhoods more resilient to climate change.

Also Read: Train bridge collapses into river near Iowa after severe flooding in the region

Govt proposed $62mn project to replace sewers with huge pipes

The Department of Environmental Protection proposed a $62 million project to replace the sewers with huge pipes to improve infrastructure. But last year's intense rainfall caused basement flooding in New York residences.

In September, a storm inundated parts of New York, releasing over 7,400 miles of pipelines carrying sewage water into roadways, subway systems, and houses of citizens.

A man working to clean drain in NY. (AP)

Speaking to Daniel A. Zarrilli, mayor's former climate policy advisor, told New York Times: We're in this new territory where we're seeing higher intensity rainfalls like this.
By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali US set to announce over $2.3 billion arms package for Ukraine, Pentagon says

WASHINGTON, - The United States will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday during a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart at the Pentagon.

Austin also gave a nod to Ukraine's aspirations to eventually join NATO, more than two years after Russia's full-scale invasion. Referring to next week's NATO summit in Washington, he said, "We will take steps to build a bridge to NATO membership for Ukraine."

He did not elaborate.

Ukrainian officials have been urging their allies for months to supply more air defense systems to counter frequent missile and drone attacks from Russian forces.

Austin said the latest weapons package for Ukraine would include arms such as anti-tank weapons and air defense interceptors, and would allow accelerated procurement of NASAMS and Patriot air defense interceptors.

"I am proud that the United States will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine," Austin said just before entering a meeting with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.

"This package, under presidential drawdown authority, will provide more air defense interceptors, anti-tank weapons and other critical munitions from the U.S. inventories."

The United States has provided Ukraine with more than $50 billion worth of military aid since 2022, but there are concerns about the future of U.S. support for Kyiv should Donald Trump win the Nov. 5 presidential election.

Two key advisers to Trump have presented him with a plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine, if he is elected. It involves telling Ukraine that it will get more U.S. weapons only if it enters peace talks with Moscow.

The proposal would mark a big shift in the U.S. position on the war and face opposition from European allies and within Trump's own Republican Party.

NATO MEMBERSHIP

During the meeting with Austin, Umerov said Ukraine was looking forward to becoming a member of NATO. "Hopefully soon Ukraine will receive its invitation."

Umerov, in comments posted later on the Telegram messaging app, expressed thanks for the new assistance.

Work is proceeding "so that Ukraine will receive more air defence systems as quickly as possible," he said.

He added that Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyn had described as vital that detailed steps be taken at the NATO summit, particularly to ensure funding from the alliance to boost Ukraine's defence capability.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who lobbied unsuccessfully for a political invitation to join the alliance at its summit in Vilnius last summer, has said that this year's summit should resolve the matter of inviting Kyiv to join.

While NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Washington have both said they do not expect the alliance's 32 members at the July 9-11 summit to invite Ukraine to join while it remained at war with Russia, Stoltenberg has said he hopes to show Kyiv that it is moving closer to membership.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
On Tuesday, a judge in Florida ordered the release of the transcripts from a 2006 prosecution of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, which have reportedly linked former President Donald Trump to the sex scandal in a very direct fashion. NBC News aired footage which showed Trump partying with Jeffrey Epstein at the former's Mar-a-Lago property in Florida in 1992.

Did Donald Trump have any massage appointments with Jeffrey Epstein?

After the Florida federal judge's order, new set of evidence against sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein is circulating on the internet. Anti-Trump camp claims this time the evidence proves a strong link between Trump and Epstein.

This era demands we speak the truth. Facts: Donald Trump is a pedophile who raped 12 AND 13 year old's - Jeffrey Epstein was the pimp, one user posted, while another wrote, Trump and Epstein were closer than we thought.

The memo screenshots that have been sourced from the Office of State Attorney Dave Aronberg of Palm Beach County provide notes of Trump's phone calls with Epstein. In the original documents, these memos were in a triangular marked folder, a code sign for the notorious paedophile-related case.

ALSO READ| Donald Trump outraises Joe Biden with $331 million in second-quarter campaign funds

One released memo shows a scheduled call for Epstein from Trump at 5.18 pm on the ***-***-4449 phone number, whereas another one slated for 5.15 (am/pm not specified) on the same phone number. However, it wasn't clear why the calls were made. But many netizens claimed it was because Trump was on Epstein's massage client's list.

The documents have come out thanks to a law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, allowing what normally is non-disclosure to be disclosed primarily because of public interest involved in the case.

What do the new Epstein files expose about Donald Trump?

The grand jury transcript mainly revealed the the notorious paedophile sexually assaulted two minor girls before cutting a plea deal. The transcript clearly showed how those two girls were later treated as criminals rather than victims. And now social media is flooded with court documents dated 2016 and some memos alleging Trump was a regular massaging client of Epstein and raped those minors.

With new claims being made that Trump contacted Epstein multiple times between 2004 and 2006. These previously unseen screenshots were sealed in 2008 as part of Alexander Acosta's deal for Epstein and were released for the first time by the State of Florida on July 1.

ALSO READ| Newly released documents expose severe flaws in 2006 Jeffrey Epstein case handling. What went wrong?

However, Trump's name did appear in the transcripts. A possible explanation for why the former president was not investigated at the time could be that he was not yet a political figure in 2004.

Epstein's list, released in January, noted that the late paedophile held business links with several A-listers and political figures, including Trump, Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Stephen Hawking and more.

What did January documents mention about Trump's links to Epstein?

The January document is part of a defamation lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, a sexually harassed victim of Epstein. The document was among the more than 200 pieces released at that time. But the January 3 one named Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Prince Andrew and Richard Branson.

Sarah Ransomewas the one who unsealed some photos of Epstein and his clients and claimed she was sitting on a videotape of Trump that would back up her allegations.

How has Donald Trump reacted to reports of links with Jeffrey Epstein?

Trump's spokesperson, Steven Cheung, thoroughly debunked any claims regarding Trump's relationship with the notorious paedophile. However, the former president had never addressed Epstein, even not on his X-dupe platform, Truth Social.
Amidst calls to withdraw from the presidential race, Joe Biden has been hit by a scathing report, claiming that White House employees have been pressured to tread carefully around the 81-year-old POTUS while briefing him on particular subjects. This is because they do not want to incur his wrath and are scared stless of him. Some Biden advisers believe the White House workers have to navigate a minefield before meetings to prevent him from becoming agitated. (REUTERS)

Some Biden advisers believe the White House workers have to navigate a minefield before meetings to prevent him from becoming agitated. Describing the situation, one senior administration official told Politico, saying, It's like, 'You can't include that, that will set him off,' or 'Put that in, he likes that.

It's a Rorschach test, not a briefing, the source declared, calling Biden an unpleasant person to be around while giving him briefings. Its very difficult, and people are scared sless of him.

The insider further claimed that Biden takes advice only from handful of top advisers, making his inner circle extremely close-knit.

Meanwhile, White House's Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates strongly refuted the report about the president's characterization, stating to Fox News Digital that's simply not who he is.

Biden's family members blame staff for poor debate performance: Report

Politico also revealed that Biden's family members have severely criticized his staff members, claiming they failed to sufficiently prepare the president to launch a more dedicated campaign, to concentrate on outlining his four-year plan rather than defending his past performance, and to let him work too much without getting enough sleep.

According to Politico, the family's criticism was specifically directed toward senior adviser Anita Dunn and her husband Bob Bauer, Biden's attorney who played Donald Trump during debate rehearsals at Camp David, and ex-chief of staff Ron Klain.

Democrats are in a state of turmoil following Biden's disastrous debate performance and they are becoming anxious about their prospects of winning the November elections.

Also Read: Joe Biden says he 'almost fell asleep on stage during debate, blames it on

White House official, Biden's former and current staffers react

Not just White House, Biden's current and former staffers also contested his characterization during briefings.

I personally helped brief President Biden many times and this was not my experience. In fact, it was the opposite  we were overinclusive about flagging downsides of any recommended course of action so he could fully evaluate costs and benefits, stated Bharat Ramamurti, a former deputy director of the National Economic Council.

In a statement, Bates also slammed the assertions as "unfair distortions of processes that exist in every administration".

According to him, employees in every administration would prefer to spend more time with the president and other high-ranking officials.

While Biden has acknowledged his mistakes during the presidential debate, his campaign has confirmed that he will take part in an ABC News-hosted debate with Trump on September 10.

In addition, Biden will participate in an interview with ABC, which will be televised later this week.
One year after a woman was killed while riding in a convertible, Florida police are still trying to solve the mystery behind who shot her.

Destiny Bucknor, 19, lost her life to a single bullet shortly after 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale.

Bucknor was a passenger in a convertible Slingshot vehicle driven by an man, traveling westbound on Northwest Eighth Street, when an unidentified subject shot at them as they approached the 2900 block, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.

The office's homicide detectives continue to look for the killer and are turning to the public for help identifying the suspect.

Anyone with information on the case is being urgently asked to come forward.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward up to $5,000 for any information leading to the arrest of the suspect(s) responsible for the homicide of the 19-year-old.

The motive behind the crime remains unknown.
Authorities are searching for a woman accused of fatally ramming her Los Angeles boyfriend with a pickup truck and leaving his dead body in the street.

Erika Zimmerman, 37, is wanted on a charge of murder in connection with the death of Louie Martin Cervantes, 46, according to the sheriff's department.

In April, the couple were believed to be involved in a domestic dispute in L.A. County, when Cervantes was struck and killed by a pickup truck allegedly driven by Zimmerman. It's unclear what led to the dispute.

Shortly after the incident, deputies announced a woman by the name of "Erika" was wanted for questioning.

On Monday, the LASD officially identified Zimmerman as the murder suspect in Cervantes' slaying.

Zimmerman is described as a white female with blonde hair and blue eyes. She is 5-foot 3-inches tall and 140 lbs.

Anyone with information on Zimmerman's whereabouts is urged to contact LASD detectives at (323) 890-5500.
Billy Booth, the Nebraska man who shot seven Hispanic family members before taking his own life, had previous run-ins with the family prior to the incident.

Five weeks before the shooting, the Guatemalan family told authorities that Booth had tried to initiate a fight and "flipped them off."

One of the victims, Maria Garcia Sanchez, said she had told her son, who was being harassed by Booth, to stop engaging with him.

"The guy went over to tell him 'f--- you,' and that's when my son got mad, and he said, 'What do you want? Why do you talk to me like that?'" Sanchez revealed to NBC News.

Weeks later, it was the same son who rushed to call police after he found several of his family members bleeding and wounded following Booth's shoot-out.

On May 21, the family called police to report that Booth was calling them names but said no direct threat was made, according to the police department.

The officers took statements from family members but said they were "not interested in being involved in a legal dispute."

Booth had been previously involved in altercations with several of his white neighbors, as well as the Guatemalan family.

He told his Hispanic neighbors to "go back to their country" before shooting seven of them, four of whom are children, on June 28.

Dave Hansen, who lives next door to Booth, told the news outlet he did not believe the shooting was racially motivated.

"I don't care what the police say. I lived next to that guy for 10 years, and he wasn't racist," Hansen said.

Hansaen claims Booth often antagonized residents over decreasing property values and that he was "all over anyone who didn't take care of their yard," adding that "the last seven years were hell."

Booth shot four kids, between the ages of 3 and 10, at a house across the street from his residence on June 28.

Additionally, three adults between the ages of 22 and 43 suffered gunshot wounds as Booth unleashed a hail of gunfire on his unsuspecting neighbors.

The victims all suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Months after a pregnant 17-year-old teen was fatally stabbed in South Carolina, and a 62-year-old woman is charged with killing her.

Jaqueline Reid, 62, is charged with two counts of murder and was booked into the Barnwell County Detention Center on Monday. Police say she repeatedly stabbed the teen and her unborn child in early February.

The slain teen was identified as Maylashia Hogg, along with her unborn baby girl named Londyn Charity. She was reported missing on Valentine's Day, just days before she was due to deliver her daughter.

Her body was found days later in a ditch.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) was called in by the Barnwell Police Department on February 18 to investigate the death of a pregnant teen found earlier that day.

Maylashia's stepfather, Michael Sapp, described her as an outgoing and outspoken child who wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

"Recently, she has been only excited about having this baby," said Sapp. "That's what's been on her mind-having this baby."

Detectives found forensic evidence at Reid's home linking her to the crime, according to WJBF-TV.

Family members expressed their pain upon seeing Reid in court.

"She's heartless? I mean, if I took someone's life and saw how the family was affected by it, I would have to show some kind of concern. I say I'm sorry; I shouldn't have done it. But she's heartless-very heartless," said Judy Hogg, Maylashia's aunt.

State investigators say they pursued the case for months to arrest a suspect.

"No matter where you live, no matter where you're from, everybody in this state deserves an equal level of law enforcement services," SLED Chief Mark Keel said. "Every case is important, and every victim deserves justice."

Police did not release a motive for the killing and say the investigation is active and ongoing.
China is may be developing even deadlier kamikaze-style drones for Russia, according to United States allies.

Company officials in China, who wish to remain anonymous, discussed collaborating in 2023 to recreate Iran's Shahed drone and started developing and testing a version this year in preparation for shipment to Russia, according to Bloomberg.

The Chinese drones have yet to be used in Ukraine, they said.

Providing Russia with a Shahed-like drone would deepen Beijing's support for Moscow, despite US and ally warnings. While President Xi Jinping claims China is neutral in the Ukraine conflict, Western officials say China has aided Putin's forces.

US officials say China is holding back on supplying weapons and artillery, as this would escalate tensions and likely result in sanctions against the world's second-largest economy.

"On the Ukraine crisis, it is quite clear to the international community who is calling for dialogue and striving for peace, and who is fueling the fight and inciting confrontation,"Liu Pengyu, the spokesman for China's embassy in the US, noted in a statement.

"We urge the relevant countries to immediately stop fueling the fight and inciting confrontation."

Since the war began, Russia has used thousands of Shahed drones against Ukraine and built a factory to mass-produce them. These Iranian drones are cheap to make but costly to defend against.

Russia relies heavily on countries like North Korea and Iran for supplies and on China for critical parts; however, there's major concern over China producing Shahed-like drones at a much higher rate than Iran or Russia.

Officials didn't name the drone being developed, but Chinese defense websites and media reports suggest it is a kamikaze drone called the Sunflower 200 that resembles the Iranian Shahed 136.

On Tuesday, US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith told Bloomberg,

"China takes every effort, every chance it can get to argue that somehow it's a neutral player in this war in Ukraine, but in reality, the People's Republic of China (RPC) is providing a long list of dual-use components, things like machine tools and microelectronics, that are enabling Russia to pursue this war of aggression in Ukraine."

Smith added:

"Here inside NATO, we're making sure that we can expose the fact that the PRC is no longer a neutral player and warn China about the risk of getting behind Russia in this unprovoked war of aggression."

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said President Xi had given him his word at the G-7 summit that he would not provide Russia with weapons.
Police in Australia are frantically searching for a missing child who may have been dragged off by a crocodile in the country's Northern Territory.

Northern Territory Police were searching for the missing child on Wednesday near the remote community of Palumpa.

Around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday police received reports of a missing 12-year-old girl who was last seen swimming at Mango Creek.

Initial reports stated she had been attacked by a crocodile and then went missing.

Community members and police immediately began searching for the girl.

A Search and Rescue team was later deployed into the area.

"Our thoughts are with the family and the community," Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson said. "Officers are currently searching a large section of the creek via boat and we thank the community for their ongoing assistance."

Police Minister Brent Potter said is was no longer a rescue but the operation was now in the "recovery phase" the BBC reported.

"It's a tragic incident for any parent or family member to lose a young child," Potter said. "Especially in the circumstances like that, taken by a crocodile."
A 39-year-old New York woman is under arrest after allegedly beating a man to death on a Manhattan street over unpaid sex.

The NYPD confirms that Sabrina Charles faces murder, possession of stolen property and weapons possession charges.

The killing took place about 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday in Harlem, according to police.

Police found the man unconscious and unresponsive with trauma to his head and body.

EMS rushed him to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital but it was too late to save his life.

The woman reportedly beat him to death after he refused to pay for a sex act she performed on him.

Charles used a piece of wooden furniture to attack him, according to WPIX-TV.

The report claimed that the pair knew each other and were allegedly doing drugs before the incident.
Earlier this week, Mexican officials unearthed a grim discovery: 19 bodies were found in a dump truck on a remote dirt road.

Authorities believe the victims are linked to the escalating violence of a brutal trafficking war that is ravaging Mexico's poorest and southernmost state.

The men had all been shot dead, according to Mexico's Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection.

Their bodies were found in and around the abandoned truck, and six were found with Guatemalan identification on them.

On Tuesday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador described the loss of life as "lamentable" and blamed it on a conflict between two armed groups.

"What motivates this?" asked Lopez Obrador.

"The traffic of drugs and also the traffic of migrants, of people."

The Sinaloa Cartel and its major rival, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, have been long vying for control of valuable smuggling routes in Chiapas, which borders Guatemala.

It's unclear if the deceased were linked to the Jalisco cartel or if they were killed in a shootout or executed.

Mike Vigil, former head of the Drug Enforcement Administration's overseas operations, said,

"Unfortunately, Chiapas has been caught in the middle of this trafficking war for both drugs and migrants," adding that "smuggling migrants has now become a multibillion dollar business for the cartels."

The region, a crucial route for cocaine from South America and migrants from Central America heading to the US, has drawn criminal gangs to its jungle, mountains, and rivers, where much of the population is Indigenous, according to The Los Angeles Times.

"Violence has spread like a cancer in our state," reported the Chiapas-based Fray Bartolome de las Casas Center for Human Rights in April.

La Concordia, the Chiapas municipality where the bodies were found, has seen rapid waves of violence in recent months.

In the weeks before last month's elections in Chiapas, a wave of attacks on mayoral candidates and their teams left at least 16 people dead, including 28-year-old Lucero Esmeralda Lopez Maza, who was running for mayor in La Concordia.
Habyt, the world's leading flexible housing provider, and QH Development 2 GmbH & CO KG announce the opening of 182 new units in Berlin's groundbreaking Europacity, an entirely new part of the city located close of the "Hauptbahnhof" main train station.

With a total of 7,466 sqm, the newly constructed building also features several amenities including a stylish community space on the ground floor and a relaxing courtyard.

Located in the district of Mitte, the project will be ready to welcome the first move-ins in August 2024. Designed for long-term stays, the project features 134 studios and 18 spacious apartments split between two buildings.

Habyt and Montibus, the asset manager of the district on behalf of the owners, are proud to announce the opening of 182 units at Quartier Heidestrae, a new urban environment located in Europacity, one of the largest and most innovative development areas in Berlin with an impressive 61 hectare. This groundbreaking project signifies a major expansion in Habyt's portfolio and emphasizes its commitment to offering modern, convenient, and well-connected living spaces in one of Berlin's most dynamic neighborhoods. In addition, this new development is a perfect fit for our tenants, offering a modern housing solution in an exciting new area of the city.

Situated within walking distance of Berlin's main train station "Hauptbahnhof", Quartier Heidestrae is evolving into a vibrant destination for living, shopping, and working. Its close proximity to several public transportation (national and international connections, underground and suburban trains, bus and tram lines) offers easy and convenient access to other parts of Berlin, making it a desirable inner-city location. The quarter is also a few blocks away from several government institutions, major companies such as SAP and KPMG, and everyday conveniences like supermarkets, pharmacies, and gyms.

Spanning over 7,400 square meters, Habyt will operate a total of 182 units within Quartier Heidestrae, including very spacious studios and apartments for long-term stays. Every living space comes fully furnished and equipped, offering a stylish sanctuary that suits different lifestyles and modern needs. Selected apartments also offer ample balconies and privileged views of the iconic Berlin TV Tower, the highest point in the city.

In addition, this newly constructed building - closely located to our apartments at Klara-Franke-Strae - features several amenities such as a community space on the ground floor and a relaxing courtyard for all residents to enjoy. Tenants are also welcome to explore other modern areas of the Quartier, including the nearby rooftop bar.

Europacity, a testament to Berlin's forward-thinking urban development, aims to create a balanced mix of residential, commercial, and recreational spaces. As a major player in the flexible housing market, Habyt is thrilled to contribute to this vision by offering high-quality living spaces that cater to the needs of today's urban renters. Habyt's new studios and apartments will be ready to welcome new residents in August 2024.

Hotel website
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts proudly presents its inaugural property in the Greek Islands, InterContinental Crete. Bolstering IHG Hotels & Resorts' luxury and lifestyle portfolio - now the second largest in the world - InterContinental Crete is the embodiment of contemporary Grecian hospitality and one of the first openings to follow the brand's announcement of a transformative evolution. InterContinental is reimagining the luxury travel experience, building on its heritage dating back over 75 years, as it turns the page on this next chapter.

Panoramic bay views and a rugged coastal backdrop set the scene for InterContinental Crete. The pristine coastline resort, complete with striking modern architecture and state-of-the art amenities, cocoons guests in its tranquillity, which is within walking distance of the cosmopolitan coastal city of Agios Nikolaos. The island's capital, Heraklion and Heraklion airport can be reached in under an hour.

Amenities of InterContinental Crete include two outdoor infinity pools overlooking Mirabello Bay, three Mediterranean-inspired restaurants led by prolific Michelin-starred Chef Consultant, Nikos Roussos, a nature-inspired wellness centre, and various family-friendly facilities. The hotel's impressive selection of guestrooms, most complete with private plunge pools and many with interconnecting capabilities, are ideal for couples, families, or multi-generational travellers.

Opening doors to a 'world of fascination', InterContinental Hotels & Resorts are dedicated to those who appreciate travel and the cultured state of mind it brings, the wonder of fascinating places and fresh perspectives. The evolution of InterContinental is driven by the brand's long held belief in the power of travel to expand the mind and connect cultures.

InterContinental Crete is strongly connected to the landscape, expressed through its otherworldly design. Drawing inspiration from the rich Cretan terrain and a majestic rock formation that commands the centre of the building, the detailed approach reflects the island's beauty and mythology through curated works from local artists.

When entering the reception area, guests are greeted by an original sculpture representing a hybrid between the Sphinx and Minotaur - two icons of the island's ancient history. An original work reflective of branches and lungs stretches vertically behind the reception, symbolizing life and vitality. Bronze creatures elegantly adorn the handrails of the corridors, discovered by guests as make their way to their rooms.

At the helm of the hotel's three Greek eateries - ZEUS, KNOSSOS, and MINOAN - is Chef Consultant Nikos Roussos. Roussos has been awarded with 2** Michelin stars and today is the executive chef / co-owner of esteemed modern Greek restaurants in London. The Chef, staying true to his commitment for modern Greek food and seasonality, creates menus featuring elegant comfort dishes that reflect the Cretan culinary heritage using handpicked local ingredients.

The wine list features wines of indigenous grape varieties, while cocktail menus have been concocted by award-winning mixologist, Elias Stergiopoulos and demonstrate his distinguished knowledge of the Greek palate with drinks designed to complement the hotel's scenic setting.

The Aegeo Spa offers several traditional and one-of-a-kind treatments including a Cretan massage infused with local olive oil, a Saffron infused anti-aging face and neck massage, and an antioxidant-rich cryotherapy treatment. A hammam, sauna, steam room, indoor pool and relaxation area complement the Spa's four treatment rooms, two of which are double for couples to take treatments together. A fully equipped gym is also available.

Each of the resort's 199 guestrooms and suites evoke a sense of serenity and elegance through interiors that harmoniously blend crisp contemporary linens and soft furnishings with organic-inspired elements and traditional Cretan influences. Minimalist design marries sophisticated elegance in the Classic and Premium rooms, which boast private plunge pools, balconies, coffee-making facilities, walk-in showers, and luxury toiletries. For a Cretan home-away-from-home, guests can select from a range of spacious suites featuring super king beds, furnished balconies offering stunning sea views, walk-in showers, and comfortable added sofa beds.

InterContinental colleagues serve as cultural connectors, helping guests embrace and explore cities and local neighbourhoods in over 70 countries where its hotels and resorts reside. Bringing to life the Insider Expertise of InterContinental Crete is The Concierge, on hand to facilitate cultural exploration by introducing guests to in-the-know discoveries and bespoke experiences such as excursions to the island's archaeological sites and traditional villages, natural gorges, small vineyards, and olive groves.

Nestled amongst the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Crete beckons with its timeless natural beauty and captivating contrasts. As Greece's largest island, Crete boasts a rich history, unique culture, stunning landscapes, and panoramic vistas. From the majestic White Mountains to the vibrant Samaria Gorge, the island offers endless opportunities for exploration and adventure. Alongside its archaeological treasures, Crete's warm hospitality and delectable cuisine provide a window into the island's vibrant soul. The coastline, particularly picturesque Mirabello Bay, invites travelers to relax on its sun-drenched shores and sail its crystal-clear waters, framed by charming villages like Agios Nikolaos. Crete's blend of ancient marvels, natural scenery, and distinct culture creates an unforgettable journey through Greece's original island paradise.

Hotel website
ONYX Hospitality Group, a renowned leader in hotel management, is proud to announce the opening of Shama Suasana Johor Bahru, marking the debut of the first Shama hotel and serviced apartment in Malaysia. This milestone expansion further strengthens the Shama brand's presence in Southeast Asia, and is particularly significant as it makes Malaysia the first country, outside of Thailand, to host all three ONYX Hospitality Group brands: Amari, OZO, and Shama. Shama is dedicated to offering a unique blend of comfort, style, and convenience to both business and leisure travellers, combining fully-furnished apartments with hotel-level service. Shama Suasana Johor Bahru welcomes guests on a journey into the heart of Johor Bahru. A perfect blend of homely comfort and sophistication awaits, with 87 elegantly appointed suites ranging from one-bedroom to executive three-bedroom suites.

Johor Bahru, located just across the border from Singapore, is the southernmost city in Malaysia. It's a bustling hub known for its great value and diverse shopping experiences and vibrant food scene. Strategically positioned in the bustling city centre, Shama Suasana Johor Bahru provides guests with unparalleled access to the city's key attractions, embodying the 'Freedom to Explore' concept that is central to the Shama brand experience. Nearby are an endless choice of eateries and shopping opportunities, with the famous Zenith Mall adjacent to the property. Other shopping malls KOMTAR JBCC and City Square Johor Bahru are also close by.The Rapid Transport System, just five minutes away, offers easy access to explore the city. In addition, the nearest CIQ crossing (customs, immigration, and quarantine checkpoint for cars, buses, and the JB Sentral train station), heritage sites, and enriching activities like the Johor Bahru Heritage Trail are all within close proximity.The property also offers an array of facilities designed to enhance guests' stay, including a state-of-the-art fitness centre, an outdoor swimming pool with panoramic city views, a residents' lounge for relaxation and socialising, meeting rooms equipped with the latest technology, and 24-hour security and concierge services. As part of its commitment to sustainability and community engagement, Shama Suasana Johor Bahru will implement various eco-friendly initiatives and partner with local businesses to provide guests with authentic local experiences.

The launch of Shama Suasana Johor Bahru aligns with ONYX Hospitality Group's vision to become the best medium-sized hospitality management company in Southeast Asia. This opening marks a significant step in ONYX Hospitality group's expansion plans, with the aim of operating over 50 properties across the region by 2025.

Hotel website
The Crescent Hotel, Fort Worth proudly welcomes Roberto van Geenen as its new General Manager. With an illustrious career spanning over 35 years in luxury hotel management, Mr. van Geenen brings a legacy of exceptional service and operational excellence to his new role.

Mr. van Geenen's career spans renowned luxury properties globally, including notable locations in London, Amsterdam, and Curacao, the Netherlands Antilles. His leadership has been pivotal in the successful opening and conversion of six hotels, consistently raising standards and garnering acclaim. Notably, he has played pivotal roles in achieving Forbes Five Stars at hotels, such as The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, Palm Beach, and Naples and three AAA Five Diamond award-winning resorts in the U.S. His early career was marked by significant contributions to The Savoy in London, a cornerstone of the hospitality industry.

Beginning his journey in hospitality at an early age in his father's restaurants, Mr. van Geenen's commitment to service was further shaped by a distinguished military career as an officer in the Royal Marines. He continued to serve in the Royal Marines' Reserves for 20 years, demonstrating his dedication to leadership and discipline. A graduate of the Maastricht Hotel Management School in the Netherlands, Mr. van Geenen is fluent in English, French, German, and Dutch.
As the new General Manager of Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, Chris Akoury also brings 20 years of senior experience to this pivotal role, leading the hotel team across day-to-day operations and strategic efforts to drive bookings to the property. He joins the Orlando team from AAA 4 Diamond Hilton Short Hills, New Jersey, where he held the role of General Manager for six years, demonstrating expertise in strategic planning, revenue management, and marketing campaigns. Prior to joining Hilton Bonnet Creek Complex, Akoury held progressively senior positions, including Vice President of Operations/Asset Management at Friendwell Group of Companies, General Manager of Embassy Suites Parsippany & Embassy Suites Piscataway at Hilton, and Director of Food & Beverage at Interstate Hotels & Resorts.

As long-standing hospitality professionals, Grosso and Akoury are deeply rooted in the hospitality industry, possessing extensive knowledge of the Orlando market and a history of exceptional achievements, making them the ideal fit for continued success.
Derrick Williams has dedicated nearly 21 years to the human resources department within Marriott Hotels. Most recently, he was the Market Director of Human Resources for the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center and Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Detroit. Prior to that, Williams held the Director of Human Resources position at The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit where he successfully led the team through the many activities involved in the integration with the Marriott brand. Williams began his career journey at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel as an intern where he worked his way up to Human Resources Manager and eventually Assistant Director of Human Resources. Williams is a graduate of Western Illinois University where he holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management. He enjoys traveling with his wife, Shameka, and sons Jay, Will and Jacob where they love spending time outdoors and in the water.
The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans has announced the appointment of industry veteran, Wayne Morris, to General Manager. Morris' luxury hospitality roots are within The Ritz-Carlton, as he first began his career in 2000 on Canal Street at the beloved French Quarter hotel, and later spent over 8 years with the brand. More than two decades later, Morris will lead The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans into its next era as the hotel anticipates a milestone 25th anniversary in 2025.

As General Manager, Morris will oversee all aspects of the hotel's operations, ensuring the highest standards of service, hospitality and guest satisfaction, alongside the day-to-day operations and growth of its Ladies & Gentlemen. Throughout his career, he has played an integral role in several Ritz-Carlton properties including Aspen Highlands, Sarasota, South Beach, and Reynolds Lake Oconee, strengthening each hotels' position as premier luxury destinations in their respective markets. Morris looks forward to doing the same within New Orleans' competitive luxury hotel scene, while maintaining The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans' legacy of exceptional hospitality.

Most recently, Morris served as Vice President of the Health and Wellness Division at Ochsner Health, the largest health system in Louisiana. During his tenure, he spearheaded several corporate initiatives such as "Best Place to Work" programs and developed new business and service lines, increasing revenues by over $150 million. Morris holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree from The University of Southern Mississippi. Beyond his professional achievements, he is passionate about philanthropy, and he serves on multiple boards and committees to raise funds to fight against heart disease.
Whether youve completed an undergraduate degree and want to continue studying or youre a seasoned professional doing a master's program to develop your career, theres plenty to think about. For example, what accreditations should you look for, how will you structure your graduate degree program around your existing commitments, and what universities have the best links with employers in your industry?

In this article, we examine the factors to consider when choosing the right master's degree. There are no shortcuts in this process. However, by conducting thorough research, you can ensure the program ticks all the relevant boxes and delivers an excellent overall experience. This empowers you to make an informed decision that aligns with your career goals and aspirations.

Seven factors to consider when choosing a master's program

1. Your career prospects

The first thing to consider is: Why do you want to pursue a master's degree? Is it necessary to accelerate your progress or help you break into your intended career? In general, studies have shown that people who have a masters degree earn 23% more than those who have only a bachelors. This increased earning potential can open up new doors and opportunities for career advancement, making it worth investigating to find the right program for your career path.

Certain careers require a master's degree for entry. Most jobs in education require some form of postgraduate qualification, and some managerial roles are only accessible to those with a master's.

Legal professionals such as solicitors, lawyers, and barristers must also complete a specialist postgraduate course in a specific area of law, although it doesnt necessarily have to be a master's.

If you have a particular employer in mind, its well worth contacting them to ask what qualifications they look for in applicants and whether a master's will enhance your chances. Looking at job adverts for your intended career and the employability rate on the courses you are considering will also give you an idea of how a master's could enhance your career.

2. Accreditations

When choosing a master's program, it is important to look for specific accreditations, certifications, and memberships to ensure the program meets high-quality standards. These markers of quality ensure that your degree will be recognized and considered credible by employers, academic institutions, and government agencies.

Institutional accreditation applies to the entire university. It uses self-review or self-reporting by the university, combined with audits by a countrys national or regional accrediting body (such as NECHE, which accredits EHL Hospitality Business School). Other key accreditations include AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) for business programs, ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) for engineering programs, and APA (American Psychological Association) for psychology programs.

Programmatic or program-specific accreditation applies only to specific educational programs. This is a form of third-party accreditation, which means that a program is delivered by an institution but established and recognized by an external institution or association. Some professions, such as nursing, dentistry, engineering, and psychology, require programs to be certified by specialized accreditation agencies.

Memberships: Educational institutions may join councils, foundations, and other types of educational and business associations that confer membership to parties that share their vision and standards for excellence in education. Examples of such memberships include the AACSB and the EMFD. Furthermore, membership in professional organizations related to the field of study can indicate that the program aligns with industry standards and best practices.

Certification & Partnerships: Additionally, institutions may establish partnerships or certifications through partner universities or professional associations to enhance the content or recognition of the program. For example, certifications such as PMP (Project Management Professional) for project management programs and SHRM-CP (Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional) for HR programs can add value to the master's degree.

If you have any doubts or need more examples, check out this guide to accreditation for masters degree students.

3. Taught or research-based

Something else to consider is whether your course is a taught or research-based program. Both will typically take one to two years to complete, but the way that learning is structured is very different.

In a taught masters program, youll follow a similar studying method to your undergraduate degree, with core and optional mobiles delivered via lectures, tutorials, and workshops. On the other hand, a research-based program allows you to immerse yourself in an independent research project and has far fewer timetabled hours.

When making your decision, think about the profession you want to enter. Generally, a taught master's program with a focus on practical skills and knowledge may be more appealing to employers in industries such as business, engineering, or healthcare, where specific skill sets are highly valued. On the other hand, research-based master's programs may be better suited for individuals pursuing academic careers, scientific research, or roles requiring advanced research and analytical skills.

In some cases, having a research-based master's degree can demonstrate a strong aptitude for independent thinking, problem-solving, and deep subject matter expertise, which may be desirable for specific roles and industries. Additionally, in fields where advanced research and development are crucial, such as technology and innovation, a research-based master's program could provide a competitive edge in securing certain positions.

Ultimately, the career outcomes between taught and research-based master's programs depend on the specific industry, job requirements, and individual career goals, so it's essential that you carefully consider your professional aspirations when choosing the type of master's program to pursue.

You should also consider your preferred method of study. If you like working alone and enjoyed writing your dissertation as an undergraduate, a research program could be for you. Alternatively, a taught program will be more suitable if you want to attend lectures and seminars and learn from others.

4. Industry links

Something that can impact your career prospects is the university or graduate schools links with the industry you want to go into. Work placements and internships are vital parts of many master's programs as they allow you to gain real-world experience and get your foot in the door.

In addition to industry placements, many programs host guest lectures and workshops with industry professionals. These invaluable opportunities not only allow you to gain real-world experience but also reassure you that the program is relevant and practical. They enable you to start building your professional network and learn from those putting the theory into practice in the real world.

Career and personal development are also essential components of a masters degree experience, even though these elements may not be part of the core program. Look for student support services, mentorship opportunities, recruitment platforms, alumni involvement, and other activities that will broaden your professional circle and give you the guidance you need to succeed in your next career steps.

5. Flexibility and program structure

A master's program typically takes one year to complete full-time or two years part-time. If you work full-time or have other ongoing commitments, youll usually be better suited to part-time study. While full-time courses are taught from 9 am to 6 pm during the week, part-time classes are generally in the evenings or on the weekends so students can combine their work and study.

You must also decide whether an on-campus, hybrid, or online-only course makes more sense. Online courses involve the same amount of work but reduce your travel time and give you more freedom to choose your university or school if youre tied to a particular location.

6. Location

The location of the program is another major consideration. The prestige of the university or school and its reputation in your subject can impact your professional prospects. You must also consider practical aspects, such as living and travel expenses. Tuition fees vary by course and university, with some programs costing significantly more than others.

Your choice will also depend on your individual preferences and lifestyle priorities. You may want to stay at or return to your undergraduate university, change scenery, or even consider studying abroad. Some establishments dont accommodate master's students, so thats another consideration.

7. The finer details

Once youve narrowed down your search, you can start to look into the details of the program and, importantly, the entry requirements. Youll typically need certain academic qualifications, but its not necessarily the end if you dont. Many institutions are flexible and may accept professional experience instead.

You should look at details like the number of contact hours with your teachers, the availability of IT and library services, and the size of your cohort. If one course costs significantly more than another but has fewer hours of teaching support, you need to ask why. Equally, if the student-to-teacher ratio is exceptionally high, thats not usually a good sign.

Take your time

Choosing the right masters program is not something you should rush. It requires careful thought and plenty of research into everything from accreditations and your career prospects to the flexibility and structure of the course. Keeping your professional ambitions in mind throughout the process and discussing your decision with family and friends will help you settle on the best option.

If youre interested in pursuing a master's degree in hospitality:

READ & WATCH

About EHL Group

EHL Group is the global reference in education, innovation and consulting for the hospitality and service sector.

With expertise dating back to 1893, EHL Group now offers a wide range of leading educational programs from apprenticeships to master's degrees, as well as professional and executive education, on three campuses in Switzerland and Singapore. EHL Group also offers consulting and certification services to companies and learning centers around the world. True to its values and committed to building a sustainable world, EHL Group's purpose is to provide education, services and working environments that are people-centered and open to the world. www.ehlgroup.com

EHL Hospitality Business School

Communications Department

+41 21 785 1354

EHL

View source
After careful review and conducting in-depth interviews, the HFTP nominating committee  comprising past HFTP Global past presidents, advisory council chairs and chapter presidents  has selected the HFTP members who will replace the outgoing directors of the HFTP Global Board. Here is the official slate for the 2024-2025 HFTP Global Executive Committee and Board of Directors.

HFTP Global Executive Committee

(pictured top row, left to right in primary cover photo)

New HFTP Global Directors

(pictured bottom row, left to right in primary cover photo)

In accordance with Article X, Section 3, of the bylaws, should the slate above remain uncontested, the HFTP Secretary will cast a single ballot at the HFTP Annual Business Meeting at the HFTP 2024 Annual Convention, October 23-25 at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut USA. The secretary will then declare the mentioned individuals as duly elected.

About HFTP

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), established in 1952, is a hospitality nonprofit association headquartered in Austin, Texas USA with an offices in the EU. HFTP is recognized as a group supporting the finance and technology segments of the hospitality industry with an international network of members and stakeholders. HFTP offers expert networks, educational resources, career development programs, research, leadership opportunities and conferences and events. HFTP produces international events throughout the year, including the world's largest hospitality technology tradeshow and conference brand: HITEC. In addition, it oversees the hospitality-specific Pineapplesearch.com and the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI), Hotel-Online and Hospitality Upgrade Magazine. For more information about HFTP, visit www.hftp.org.
In 2014, Alvaro Moreno was still in the early stages of his hospitality career. His professional journey had taken him to a major hotel in a Nang where he was helping to build out an operations team and he reached out to his former business school in Galicia, Spain, he was connected with Jacobo Priegue. Their meeting proved serendipitous  they both clearly saw the vast opportunities in Vietnam's rapidly-growing hospitality industry and two years ago, the duo decided to launch a platform that could transform it.

Like most startups, SODA reflects the founders experiences and personality. In this case, it exists because Moreno and Priegue recognized an opportunity to help owners and their teams power their hotels in a new and more sustainable way.

As is common for startups, the pairs core idea evolved over time as the initial product grew and matured in response to changes in the market and customer needs. SODA offers hotels a full suite of hotel management services both for pre-opening and operating hotels. Ultimately, their most important product epiphany wasnt about their platform at all, but refining the expectations for who their customers would be.

Where better to begin a new venture than by leveraging years of effort and established trust? Thus, SODAs first customers were their former employers: an international luxury hotel group.

While this initial customer base provided SODA a solid foundation upon which to build, new partners are key to scaling. At this current stage, SODA is keeping its circle of clients small, so theyve been focused on identifying hotels that align with their values, express a desire to think outside the box and are perhaps even willing to go out of their comfort zones for the sake of innovation and having a more efficient and better-performing business.

This comes back to the original ethos of SODA: going above and beyond what's required with the awareness that success will require operations free of the restrictions that typically confine the hospitality industry.

SODA approaches challenges as only those with experience in Vietnam can. The team is familiar with the countrys unique cultural and professional preferences and communication styles. This is perhaps best exemplified when, on a recent trip to a Nang, they needed to go to the airport to catch a flight, but couldnt book a rideshare car. To make it in time, they grabbed a xe om while wearing full suits, making it with minutes to spare, even passing their clients car with a wave en route.

SODAs founders know their idiosyncratic approach isnt for everyone and may be an acquired taste, but for free-thinking hotels that value long-term partnerships and are willing to entrust their business to others, the duo is keen to become part of their family, rather than mere consultants. Such an arrangement involves working with the hotels existing stakeholders, their teams and the staff from top to bottom. Instead of bringing in new people, SODA wants to empower those already in the organization. To that end, the pair spends weeks listening before they implement any changes or make recommendations.

It may take some time, but eventually, Moreno and Priegue trust that their methods will become more widely adopted standards. SODA could be seen not as a maverick startup, but as the first place to turn when opening a hotel in Vietnam.

About SODA | Hotel Management Platform:

SODA was founded and established in Vietnam in 2023 by Alvaro Moreno and Jacobo Priegue, two proud hoteliers from Spain with over a decade of experience in Vietnam's international hotel management scene. The company's mission is to redefine the ways hotels are managed and their essence is simple: they make hotel management.

They offer hotel management services for pre-opening hotels that are preparing to open their doors, as well as for operating hotels that are looking to enhance their growth. Their clients include free-spirited hotels, emerging hotel groups, and visionary hotel developers.

Their commitment extends beyond businessSODA collaborates with teams to transform their establishments into world-class hospitality businesses. Ultimately, SODA's goal is to elevate owners and teams to become maestros in hospitality, envisioning a world connected by authentic hospitality.

Jacobo Priegue

Co-Founder

Australian Hospitality Alumni Network Vietnam

View source
Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection - Luminara

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection announces its expansion into the Asia-Pacific region with Luminara, offering 10 new journeys between December 2025 and May 2026. These voyages will explore 28 ports across 10 countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, and beyond.

As luxury travelers continue to seek unforgettable, personalized experiences around the world, we are thrilled to introduce voyages in the Asia-Pacific region, commented Jim Murren, Executive Chairman and CEO of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. These new itineraries exemplify our steadfast commitment to continually raising the bar in luxury cruising, offering innovative ways to experience our superyachts and explore vibrant local cultures across the globe.

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is dedicated to inspiring guests by creating experiences that fuel curiosity and foster genuine connections. The 10 enchanting journeys, ranging from 10 to 15 nights in length and departing from either Tokyo, Hong Kong, or Singapore, provide guests with the opportunity to discover the ancient treasures, modern marvels, and the exotic, off-the-beaten-path locations the region has to offer. Itineraries will include stops in coveted ports such as Ha Long Bay, Vietnam; Puerto Princesa, Philippines, and access to lively city centers such as Seoul, South Korea; Osaka, Japan; Bangkok, Thailand, and more.

Advertisement



As the first luxury hotel brand to venture into the cruise space, we are thrilled to announce the expansion of our yacht voyages into Asias most sought-after destinations. This milestone underscores our commitment to providing exclusive and immersive experiences that cater to the discerning tastes of luxury travelers, said. Todays sophisticated adventurers seek intimate, authentic, personalized journeys that go well beyond traditional hospitality, and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection offers guests unparalleled access to the worlds most exquisite destinations, all while enjoying the hallmarks of luxury and personalized service for which The Ritz-Carlton brand is renowned.

Among the thoughtfully crafted itineraries are voyages including:

December 30, 2025 | 14-Night Singapore to Hong Kong Voyage

Toast the New Year with a celebration aboard Luminara and then relax into 2026 on the renowned beaches of Koh Samui before sailing for an overnight stay in the vibrant Thai capital of Bangkok. Vietnam tells fascinating tales of history in the subterranean Cu Chi Tunnels outside Ho Chi Minh City and in the capital of Hanoi, which you might explore during your stay in scenic Ha Long Bay.

January 13, 2026 | 12-Night Hong Kong to Singapore Voyage

The heart of this journey explores the islands of the Philippines, including the forested mountains and white sand beaches of Busuanga, El Nido, and Puerto Princesa. Equally spectacular is the island of Borneo, where gentle waves lap at the beaches and proboscis monkeys inhabit the treetops of Bako National Park near Kuching.

March 20, 2026 | 10-Night Tokyo Round-Trip Voyage

The cultural treasures of Japan are even more impressive during cherry blossom season, when the blooms blanket the grounds of Osaka Castle and accent the views of Mount Sakurajima from Kagoshima. This voyage also calls on UNESCO World Heritage sites ranging from the floating shrine and peace memorial of Hiroshima to the remains of Christian castles and cathedrals in the Nagasaki region.

March 30, 2026 | 12-Night Tokyo to Hong Kong Voyage

Considered a food capital of the world, Osaka merits in-depth exploration, while Japans UNESCO-listed castles of Himeji, Nara and Kyoto are also nearby. South Koreas dynamic capital of Seoul boasts its own UNESCO palaces along with traditional villages offering authentic cuisine and crafts. During an overnight in Shanghai, experience a performance of the ancient art of acrobatics before sailing for Hong Kong.

Opportunities for enrichment are endless when journeying with The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Guests are invited to choose from Select Group Excursions, Pre-Designed Private Excursions, or Custom Private Excursions. Whether kiteboarding in the Philippines, exploring the iconic street food in Thailand, white water rafting in Malaysia, or discovering museums in Vietnam, guests are encouraged to tailor their journey, diving into their personal passions from the leisurely to the more adventurous.

The debut of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection marked the first time a luxury hospitality company expanded into the cruising category. Since its debut with Evrima in October 2022, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has welcomed travelers to embark on extraordinary journeys of discovery. With the upcoming launch of Ilma, the collections second luxury superyacht, slated for this September 2024, and the debut of Luminara, the third luxury superyacht, slated to set sail in July 2025, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection continues to redefine the category, delivering unforgettable explorations at sea.

Luminara will offer 226 spacious suites, accommodating up to 452 guests. The onboard experience will feature world-class dining, an extensive wine collection, a signature Ritz-Carlton Spa, and an expanded dynamic marina providing direct access to the sea. Upholding The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collections commitment to enriching experiences and legendary service, Luminara ensures an intimate journey with one of the highest staff and space ratios in at sea. Luminara will also offer itineraries in the Mediterranean during its inaugural launch season.

Reservations for the Asia-Pacific itineraries are now open to the public. For more information, please visit ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com. For reservations, contact a Reservations Services Agent at (833) 999-7292 (U.S. & Canada) or contact your travel professional.
DoubleTree by Hilton Kyoto Station - Image Credit Hilton

DoubleTree by Hilton marks another significant milestone as it surpasses 100 properties in Asia Pacific, reinforcing Hilton's leadership and commitment to growth in one of the world's most dynamic hospitality markets.

This milestone is being driven by recent and upcoming hotel openings across the region, including:

DoubleTree by Hilton Jakarta Kemayoran and DoubleTree by Hilton Jakarta Bintaro Jaya in Indonesia

DoubleTree by Hilton Kyoto Station and DoubleTree by Hilton Osaka Castle in Japan

DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Whitefield in India and,

and, DoubleTree by Hilton Yantai Golden Coast in China

The companys recent franchise model expansion with the DoubleTree by Hilton brand is set to significantly boost this growth  offering owners in Greater China enhanced opportunities to leverage the brands strong market presence and Hiltons robust commercial engine and network effect. This is particularly significant as demand is on the rise for quality and diverse travel experiences, as well as the warm and comfortable stays that the DoubleTree by Hilton brand is known for.

The expanding footprint of DoubleTree by Hilton  now with more than 100 properties in Asia Pacific  reaffirms Hiltons commitment to delivering warm hospitality and thoughtful service, catering to the dynamic needs of business and leisure travelers in gateway cities, said Clarence Tan, senior vice president, Development, Asia Pacific. Our expanded franchise model paves the way for further growth, as we stay focused on delivering reliable and friendly stays to guests, and best-in-class returns to owners. We are optimistic about the brand's growth momentum and look forward to capturing even more opportunities in this segment.

Since its debut, DoubleTree by Hilton has stayed true to its philosophy of making guests feel welcome with contemporary accommodations, comfort food and thoughtful amenities. The brands signature chocolate chip cookie continues to be a lasting trademark, underscoring its commitment to prioritizing spaces and moments that leave guests uplifted and inspired.

With our 100th property milestone, DoubleTree by Hiltons continued growth in the region promises warm, friendly and approachable hospitality to even more guests, said Vincent Ong, vice president, Brand Management, Full Service, Asia Pacific, Hilton. As one of the fastest-growing Hilton brands in Asia Pacific, we are excited to deliver a double dose of comfort, starting from the moment guests come through our doors to receive our signature, warm chocolate chip cookie right until they check out.

With nearly 80 additional DoubleTree by Hilton properties in the Asia Pacific pipeline, the brand will contribute to Hilton's target to surpass 1,000 trading hotels in the region by 2025.
Guestroom at the InterContinental Crete Hotel - Image Credit IHG

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts presents its inaugural property in the Greek Islands, InterContinental Crete.

Panoramic bay views and a rugged coastal backdrop set the scene for InterContinental Crete. The pristine coastline resort, complete with striking modern architecture and state-of-the art amenities, cocoons guests in its tranquillity, which is within walking distance of the cosmopolitan coastal city of Agios Nikolaos. The islands capital, Heraklion and Heraklion airport can be reached in under an hour.

Amenities of InterContinental Crete include two outdoor infinity pools overlooking Mirabello Bay, three Mediterranean-inspired restaurants led by prolific Michelin-starred Chef Consultant, Nikos Roussos, a nature-inspired wellness centre, and various family-friendly facilities. The hotels impressive selection of guestrooms, most complete with private plunge pools and many with interconnecting capabilities, are ideal for couples, families, or multi-generational travellers.

Nikolaos Iliadis, General Manager of InterContinental Crete said: "As we open the doors to InterContinental Crete, we are proud to introduce both InterContinental and IHG to the Greek Islands. InterContinental Crete celebrates the newly reimagined InterContinental brand evolution and brings to life a range of new initiatives for the modern luxury traveller. We are thrilled to set a new standard for luxury hospitality in the Greek isles as we connect guests with our culture through cutting-edge technology, innovative design, and the exceptional talents of our diverse team members at InterContinental Crete."

Opening doors to a world of fascination, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts are dedicated to those who appreciate travel and the cultured state of mind it brings, the wonder of fascinating places and fresh perspectives. The evolution of InterContinental is driven by the brands long held belief in the power of travel to expand the mind and connect cultures.

InterContinental Crete is strongly connected to the landscape, expressed through its otherworldly design. Drawing inspiration from the rich Cretan terrain and a majestic rock formation that commands the centre of the building, the detailed approach reflects the island's beauty and mythology through curated works from local artists.

When entering the reception area, guests are greeted by an original sculpture representing a hybrid between the Sphinx and Minotaur  two icons of the islands ancient history. An original work reflective of branches and lungs stretches vertically behind the reception, symbolizing life and vitality. Bronze creatures elegantly adorn the handrails of the corridors, discovered by guests as make their way to their rooms.

At the helm of the hotel's three Greek eateries  ZEUS, KNOSSOS, and MINOAN  is Chef Consultant Nikos Roussos. Roussos has been awarded with 2** Michelin stars and today is the executive chef / co-owner of esteemed modern Greek restaurants in London. The Chef, staying true to his commitment for modern Greek food and seasonality, creates menus featuring elegant comfort dishes that reflect the Cretan culinary heritage using handpicked local ingredients.

The wine list features wines of indigenous grape varieties, while cocktail menus have been concocted by award-winning mixologist, Elias Stergiopoulos and demonstrate his distinguished knowledge of the Greek palate with drinks designed to complement the hotels scenic setting.

Advertisement



The Aegeo Spa offers several traditional and one-of-a-kind treatments including a Cretan massage infused with local olive oil, a Saffron infused anti-aging face and neck massage, and an antioxidant-rich cryotherapy treatment. A hammam, sauna, steam room, indoor pool and relaxation area complement the Spas four treatment rooms, two of which are double for couples to take treatments together. A fully equipped gym is also available.

Each of the resort's 199 guestrooms and suites evoke a sense of serenity and elegance through interiors that harmoniously blend crisp contemporary linens and soft furnishings with organic-inspired elements and traditional Cretan influences. Minimalist design marries sophisticated elegance in the Classic and Premium rooms, which boast private plunge pools, balconies, coffee-making facilities, walk-in showers, and luxury toiletries. For a Cretan home-away-from-home, guests can select from a range of spacious suites featuring super king beds, furnished balconies offering stunning sea views, walk-in showers, and comfortable added sofa beds.

InterContinental colleagues serve as cultural connectors, helping guests embrace and explore cities and local neighbourhoods in over 70 countries where its hotels and resorts reside. Bringing to life the Insider Expertise of InterContinental Crete is The Concierge, on hand to facilitate cultural exploration by introducing guests to in-the-know discoveries and bespoke experiences such as excursions to the islands archaeological sites and traditional villages, natural gorges, small vineyards, and olive groves.

Nestled amongst the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Crete beckons with its timeless natural beauty and captivating contrasts. As Greece's largest island, Crete boasts a rich history, unique culture, stunning landscapes, and panoramic vistas. From the majestic White Mountains to the vibrant Samaria Gorge, the island offers endless opportunities for exploration and adventure. Alongside its archaeological treasures, Crete's warm hospitality and delectable cuisine provide a window into the island's vibrant soul. The coastline, particularly picturesque Mirabello Bay, invites travelers to relax on its sun-drenched shores and sail its crystal-clear waters, framed by charming villages like Agios Nikolaos. Crete's blend of ancient marvels, natural scenery, and distinct culture creates an unforgettable journey through Greece's original island paradise.

InterContinental Crete is now open with rooms starting at 205 per night for members of IHG One Rewards.
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.
8 lessons on How to Build a Superfan Community

Learn why loyal and engaged fans are crucial to sustaining a successful career and how to build a superfan community.

How to build a superfan community

by Rob Abelow from Wheres Music Going

Fred Again is the model for musics future.

Hes a masterclass in building fandom, redefining what fan interactivity & involvement look like.

Direct fan relationships

Community over everything

More of a friend-dom than a fandom

Here are all the things Fred is doing right  and what we can learn:

1. BUILD DIRECT RELATIONSHIPS

Fred has focused on direct fan engagement from day 1, prioritizing real-time, personal interactions & lean-in locations over mass broadcast channels.

 Discord & Reddit communities

 Exclusive Whatsapp chats

 1:1 direct messaging

The results may appear smaller at first, but it creates genuine community, a true understanding of your fans, and the ability to activate them in real-time.

Everything builds on this foundation.

Its not just about big numbers.

Its about deep interactions.

2. EMBRACE AUTHENTICITY

Hes pouring beers behind the bar & attending quiz night with fans. His music samples from everyday moments creating a collaborative diary.

 self-shot videos

 voice memos from friends

 sharing facetimes with collaborators

There is no pretense. Its never about being slick. Or coming across as bigger, better & more famous than you.

Youre all along for the ride.

3: COMMUNITY COMES FIRST

For the launch of Actual Life 3, Fred asked the most engaged fans in his Discord to host 18 launch parties across the globe.

 Set up events

 Spread the word

 Listen to the album 1 day early

Superfans became the central nodes, rallying the community to connect more deeply in-person with Fred as the context.

First, feed the community.

Then, the masses.

4. REWARD FANDOM

Before his Los Angeles coliseum show, Fred hosted a secret listening party for 150 fans he found & invited who went to his first LA show in 2021.

 He greeted each personally,

 handed out mugs of tea,

 & previewed new songs.

All 2 days before his first arena show in front of 77,000.

Show fans theyre seen.

Show them theyre valued.

5. GET FANS INVOLVED

Fred is constantly including fans in his process, asking for input & cultivating community-generated content.

 Voting on which tracks to release

 Asking fans to suggest local venues

 Video recaps from the dancefloor

 Co-creating material

Dont serve fans content.

Make them part of the journey.

6. CREATE MAGICAL MOMENTS

Fred is the king of pop-up shows.

 No roll-out

 No pre-hype

 Fans find out first

Every event feels like youre lucky to be there. You had to be in the know. Its alive. Its ephemeral. Fans band together on Discord & Reddit, creating guides to help each other get into the next one.

Theyre marketing through magic. Through fomo. By understanding that every event or sale isnt about maximizing profits, but investing in your lore.

Whats crazy?

Hes taking the pop-up show mentality to arena tours & selling them out on 3-day notice with a $0 ad budget. These decisions are backed by direct fan data, not vanity metrics like monthly listeners.

Know your fans, know your worth.

The best marketing is from the ground up.

7. MAKE FANS A MAIN CHARACTER

When a fan accidentally paused Freds decks during his now iconic Boiler Room set, he simply flashed a smile, embraced him & it became the most memorable moment of the now viral set.

Later, Fred invited this fan to accept his Best Live Act award by DJ Mag. He took this fans worst moment & made it his best.

Lift your fans up.

Everyones in it together.

8. BE A CONNECTOR

Fred finds ways to bring people together around his art.

Like leading a massive community bike ride across London to celebrate the release of Actual Life 3. Or facilitating a fans marriage proposal in the middle of his set.

What people want more than anything else is human connection.

This is the dopamine Fred delivers.

There Is No Formula

No rinse and repeat. But there are lessons to learn.

Create direct fan relationships Embrace authenticity Put community first Reward your fans Encourage participation Create magical moments Make fans a main character Bring people together

Community building may be the most important skill you can have today.

And when done right, community can be the best fuel for momentum & curting through. Your magical moments go viral. The word-of-mouth is sticky. Youve created a space others want to enter.

If you lean all the way in, your reach will grow.

And it will last.

 Rob

More on how to build a superfan community

Share on:
MCLA to Host 2024 Leadership Conference

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) announces the campus will host the 2024 Leadership Conference from July 5 to 7  the culminating experience for the Leadership Academy 2023 cohort.

Dr. Darcy Fernandes, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) senior associate commissioner will open the conference with a keynote presentation on Friday, July 5 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Murdock Hall, Room 218. Additional keynote presentations include Vice Provost of Equity and Belonging at MCLA Andre Lynch on July 6, and Anti-bias Education Consultant Phil Fogelman on July 7.

"Alumni Talks" will be offered on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 9 to 9:45 a.m. Conference sessions will run on July 6 and 7 from 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., and are presented by members of the Leadership Academy 2023 cohort on topics ranging from leading inclusive, anti-racist schools to implementing instructional programs that enhance success for all. Sessions are organized according to the four standards established by MA DESE's Professional Standards for Administrator Leadership (PSAL); instructional leadership, management and operations, family and community engagement, and professional culture.

The conference will be held in person at Bowman Hall on MCLA's campus. "Remote access is available for all sessions, and we welcome all educators to join us in person or virtually," said MCLA Leadership Academy Director Marianne Young.
Koperniak Homers Twice in AAA Win

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Hoosac Valley graduate Matt Koperniak recorded his second two-home run game of the year on Tuesday for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds.

Koperniak went 3-for-5 with four RBIs for the St. Louis Cardinals affiliate in a 13-11, extra-inning win over the Nashville Sounds.

Koperniak's seventh-inning round-tripper to straightaway center field came in a five-run rally for Memphis to overcome a four-run deficit.

For the season, Koperniak is hitting .321 with 41 runs batted in and 12 homers. He has a slugging percentage of .517 for the Redbirds, who are 5-3 after Tuesday's win to lead the International League West in the second half of the season.

Memphis finished the first half of the season in fourth place in the 10-team division with a record of 38-37.
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

Hugh Grant issued a scathing attack on Rishi Sunaks Conservative Party ahead of polls opening in the UK general election.

The Notting Hill star hit out at the Tories ahead of what is expected to be a devastating wipeout for Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks party.

On Tuesday (2 July) the actor re-shared an anti-Tory post by broadcaster Carol Vorderman, who revealed that a website aiming to tactically topple the Conservative Party into third place has amassed four million views.

Nearly FOUR MILLION VIEWS on our website so far. Just type in your postcode, she wrote.

We can make history TOGETHER Aiming for Tories into 3rd place just as the Survation indicates can happen #TacticalVoting.

In response, Grant, who has long been a critic of the Tories, pointed his fans to the website, adding: They destroyed our country. Lets destroy them.

open image in gallery Hugh Grant has long been critical of the Conservative Party ( Getty Images )

His remarks came as former Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a last ditch appeal for voters to get behind the Conservatives before the polls opened on Thursday (4 July),

In the last few days, Sunak has attempted to re-build support, claiming that only 130,000 voters were needed to stop a Labour supermajority, which Johnson said would be the height of insanity in a speech described as a desperate new low.

open image in gallery Hugh Grant hits out at the Tories days before the general election ( X/Twitter )

Johnson also took aim at Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in the speech, and urged Conservative voters who were considering voting for Nigel Farages Reform UK to think again, dubbing the party leader a Kremlin crawler.

Grant has been a vocal critic of the government under the Conservatives for years.

When the Conservative party won the general election in 2019, Grant tweeted minutes after the Exit Poll data was released, which showed a landslide majority for Johnson.

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

There goes the neighbourhood, he wrote, issuing a warning of the impact he believed Johnsons leadership would have on the UK.

In 2022, he called the party insecure nut jobs after then-culture secretary Nadine Dorris said the Tories would change BBC funding in 2027.
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

EastEnders actor Brian Conley has revealed the real reason he quit the soap and will not be returning.

The 62-year-old joined the popular drama in May 2021 and played the role of Tom Rocky Cotton (formerly Terry Cant). He made his last appearance on Albert Square in December 2023, amid reports of a fierce clash with the shows executives.

Both the BBC and Conley denied the rumours at the time, but the actor has since confirmed that there was some truth to speculation about a disagreement.

Promoting his appearance as host of the forthcoming Radio Times Soap Awards, the musical theatre performer responded to Susanna Reids probing about a possible return.

You havent been in EastEnders for six months, but because youre in prison there is a release date at some point, she asked.

You could go back, but youve said actually its probably too much?

Conley responded, I left because youre not allowed to do anything else.

The actor reportedly earns a six-figure sum from his role as Buttons in the pantomime Cinderella, and was told at the time that it clashed with contractual obligations to his work on the soap.

open image in gallery Conley said he had been told he was not allowed to do anything else ( ITV/Good Morning Britain )

Although Ive now found out you can, the actor continued, slightly frustrated. But at the time, they said you cant do anything.

The TV personality, who has also hosted a number of prominent awards shows including the Royal Variety Performance, is preparing to star in a forthcoming production of Goldilocks and the Three Bears on the panto circuit from December.

Im a live performer, I love being live, I love getting out there - musicals and my own show which Im currently doing, he continued.

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

So for me I felt very restricted with those sorts of ties.

open image in gallery Actor played Tom Rocky Cotton on the popular show ( BBC/Jack Barnes )

However, he added his character might return, saying Never say never, I could always wander in or I could make an escape...

In September, the star shared a video to his Instagram page in an attempt to quell any rumours of a fight.

You might have heard reports that Im leaving EastEnders and it was a tough decision, but it is true. I am going, he addressed the shows fans.

I made it for many reasons, that decision, and it is tough because theyre such a wonderful crowd  in front of the cameras and behind the cameras  and Ive loved my three years there.

Thats the truth in the reports. Theres other parts of the reports saying I clashed with TV bosses and crew. I didnt clash with anyone, I didnt have a rant.

A spokesperson for the BBC, told The Independent at the time: We can confirm that Brian Conley will be leaving EastEnders. There is absolutely no truth in any claims of a feud with bosses and the show fully supports Brian in his decision to leave, which was made some time ago.

We wish him the best of luck for the future as we continue to work towards his exit storyline which has been in the works for some time.

The actor previously described joining the shows cast assuch an incredible moment for me, adding that EastEnders was his fathers favourite show.
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

ITV has announced a shake-up to its morning show programming  and the change is imminent.

A number of daytime shows will be affected, including Good Morning Britain, Loose Women, This Morning, and Lorraine.

The general election on Thursday 4 July is the reason for the change, which will see the channels usual line-up switched ip.

Broadcaster Tom Bradby  who anchored election nights in 2015, 2017, and 2019  will be joined on the evening of the election by Ed Balls, George Osborne and Nicola Sturgeon for Election 2024 Live: The Results which will air on ITV1, ITVX, STV, and STV Player.

It will be a busy couple of days for former Labour MP Balls who is expected to work the night of the live coverage, and then again for GMB presenting duties at 6am the next day. He will be joined by Susanna Reid for the Friday programme in another change, as Reid does not usually present on Fridays.

Election coverage will spill over to the Friday after as GMB is extended by 25 minutes. The show, which begins at 6am, will end at 9:25am as opposed to its usual 9am finish.

The following slot which is usually reserved for Lorraine, will instead feature further election coverage lead by Julie Etchingham. ITV has said that dramatic political questions are likely to be answered during the live coverage on Day 2.

This means that Lorraine, This Morning, and Loose Women, will all be cancelled for the day as analysis and results are further shared live on air.

ITV confirmed the cancellation of episodes ofThis Morning and Loose Women, in a statement to The Sun.

open image in gallery ( ITV/ Good Morning Britain )

Michael Jermey, ITVs Director of News and Current Affairs, said; ITV will be on air from just before the polls close right through until the full results are known. Tom Bradby and his guests will share great analysis and insider knowledge with our viewers through the night. With cameras and reporters right around the country well follow the political story wherever it goes.

Good Morning Britain will be on air in its regular slot and then through the rest of day two, as politicians head to Westminster having learned the results, Julie Etchingham and our team of political correspondents will be live on ITV1 reporting on all the events in Westminster and Downing Street. It promises to be a dramatic day.
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

Netflixs new docuseries The Man with 1000 Kids has left viewers shocked and outraged.

The three-part documentary, released on Wednesday (July 3), centers on the controversial case of Dutch musician and sperm donor Jonathan Jacob Meijer, who was banned from making any further donations after he admitted to having fathered more than 500 children.

It also mentions another donor, Leon, who has sired around 415 children. Hes alleged to have secretly competed with Meijer to see who could have the highest number of offspring. Meijer denied this to The Independent.

The Man with 1000 Kids donor responds to Netflix allegations: I think I got too carried away

Numerous viewers have reacted angrily to the stories shared in the series by the mothers affected by Meijer and Leons actions.

Holy smokes!! The Man with 1000 Kids is just enraging, one person tweeted. Jonathan and Leon deserve some kind of punishment. Thats disgusting on so many levels.

Its shocking to say the least and its incredibly f***ed up, a second agreed. The lies and deception people make. Some will just use other peoples vulnerability and weakness for their own agenda.

A third was left speechless. I honestly dont know what to say. I thought Our Father was bad, they said, referring to the 2022 documentary about fertility specialist Donald Cline who was convicted after it was discovered that he had covertly inseminated dozens of patients with his sperm. But this... idek [I dont even know]. I have no words. Every episode had a new twist that made everything even worse and I was just like...

open image in gallery Jonathan Jacob Meijer, the compulsive sperm donor known to have hundreds of children ( Netflix )

Yet more proof that we should raze human civilisation to the ground, one wrote.

This man is going to cause so many problems for these kids in the future, another argued, while one added: They are guaranteed to run into a sibling and not know.

Despite it being actually F***ING CRAZY, someone else noted that they 100% recommend watching the series.

Speaking to The Independent, one mother, Suzanne, expressed her worry about how Meijers misdeeds would impact the lives of the children.

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

open image in gallery Donor mothers Suzanne and Natalie speak out against Jonathan Meijer in Netflixs The Man with 1000 Kids ( Netflix )

They can never just date somebody or have intercourse with somebody, they will always need to take care and even then they might not be aware that theyre a donor child, she said. Its a very dangerous and unhealthy situation for these children, and for their children and grandchildren.

Its a public health hazard waiting to happen, her partner Natalie added. Its not about the number, its about the dangers that lie beneath the number. The bigger the number, the more dangerous it is.

Meijer has denied many of the accusations made against him in the documentary.

Addressing the most shocking one of all, that he and Leon mixed their sperm together before giving it to a recipient in order to see whose would win, he called it total slander.

Its insane, Meijer told The Independent. Why should I do that? Why should anyone do that? If its in the documentary, be prepared, I will definitely sue the hell out of the whole Netflix crew.

The Man with 1000 Kids is streaming now on Netflix.
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

Rob Brydon has addressed negative reports about his Gavin & Stacey co-star James Corden.

Brydon plays Uncle Bryn in the hit BBC sitcom, which is returning this Christmas for one final special written by Corden, who plays Smithy, and Nessa star Ruth Jones.

Corden, who can currently be seen performing on stage at Londons Old Vic theatre, has found himself at the centre of numerous reports about his alleged off-screen behaviour in recent years.

However, My Lady Jane actor Brydon has now said that the version of Corden reported on by the press differs from the one he knows personally. The comedian told The Times: The James Corden I know is not the person I sometimes see being reported on. He gets a lot of stick.

Brydon continued: Im hugely fond of him. Id never heard of him when we met on a show in 2002, but I vividly remember saying to myself, Oh Ive got to pull my socks up here; this kid is really good.

In 2022, restaurant owner Keith McNally, who owns Balthazar, described Corden as a tiny cretin of a man for allegedly making nasty comments and demands of his workers on two occasions.

Writing in an Instagram post, McNally declared he had 86d the comedian from his New York restaurant and Corden was no longer welcome there. However, after Corden admitted that he made a rude, rude comment, adding that it was never my intention to upset the staff, McNally lifted the ban.

open image in gallery Rob Brydon and James Corden in Gavin & Stacey ( BBC )

Later that year, during an appearance on The Big Narstie Show, Spice Girls star Mel B branded Corden the biggest d***head celebrity shes ever met  a scathing criticism she doubled down on the following year.

In March 2024, Sharon Osbourne, while featuring on ITVs Celebrity Big Brother, complained about Corden for his name-dropping habits. She told her fellow housemates: I tell you who does that: James Corden  he does that all the time.

I go to him, I really like your shoes, and he goes, Yes, Stella McCartney, she explained, adding: Im like, I didnt ask you who made them. He constantly, constantly throws out names.

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

Corden, who started his career as an actor and writer in the UK, moved to the US in 2015 when he scored a gig presenting The Late Late Show up until last year.

open image in gallery James Corden regularly finds himself at the centre of negative reports ( Getty Images )

Reflecting on the comedy stars arrival in the US, Osbourne said: When he got to America, he played the LA game really well. Osbourne concurred when her former X Factor co-star Louis Walsh said he kissed all the right people.

While discussing her time on the series with husband Ozzy, daughter Kelly and son Jack, Sharon described her assessment of Corden as fair, stating: I mean, hes fair game. That fake laugh.
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

Taiwan has called for the release of a fishing boat and its crew allegedly seized by Chinese officials from near an island primarily patrolled by Taiwanese coast guard.

According to Taiwanese maritime officials, the Chinese coast guard boarded the boat, Dajinman 88, near the Kinmen archipelago and steered it towards a port in mainland China late on 2 July.

The coast guard calls on the mainland to refrain from engaging in political manipulation and harming cross-strait relations and to release the Dajinman ship and crew as soon as possible, Taiwans maritime authorities said.

Kinmen, an island with a significant Taiwanese military presence and a frontline just 3km away from Chinese shores, has a history of frequent skirmishes and is primarily patrolled by Taiwans coast guard in its surrounding waters.

The boat had six crew members including the captain and five migrant workers, the Taiwanese Central News Agency reported.

According to the Associated Press, Taiwan said Chinese coast guard officials ordered their Taiwanese counterparts to stay away from interfering in the detention of the fishing boat.

Hsieh Ching-chin, a spokesperson for Taiwans coast guard, said the boat was not in Chinas waters when it was boarded by Chinese agents and steered to a port in Fujian province.

Two Taiwanese vessels were dispatched to rescue Dajinman 88 after two Chinese vessels intercepted the fishing boat. However, a statement from the maritime authorities said that the pursuit was called off to avoid any escalation.

China considers Taiwan a part of its territory and president Xi Jinping has threatened to reunite the island with the mainland by force if necessary, while the democratically-elected government of Taiwan says only the islands people can choose their future.

Beijings claim to be the only legitimate Chinese government is known as the One China Principle, and this has been accepted or acknowledged by all but a handful of nations who would otherwise risk being cut off from trading with the mainland. The US formally acknowledges the One China Principle but maintains close informal relations with Taiwan, and does not accept Beijings claim to sovereignty over the island.

Earlier, Taiwans defence ministry announced that it was not increasing its military presence on the islands near China, including the Matsu archipelago north of Kinmen.

In February this year, six Chinese coast guard officers boarded a Taiwanese tourist boat with 23 passengers and 11 crew members in Kinmen islands. They stayed on the sight-seeing ferry King Xia for half an hour, checking route plans, certificates and crew licences before leaving, Taiwans coast guard said.

Additional reporting with agencies.
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 }}

North Koreas campaign of sending hundreds of trash-filled balloons into South Korea is a form of soft terrorism which shouldnt be taken lightly, an American think tank has said.

Pyongyang sent seven waves of balloons between 28 May to 26 June, marking the return of psychological warfare that was employed by the US, South Korea and North Korea during the Korean War in the 1950s, the Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a report released by its Korea chair Victor Cha and associate fellow Andy Lim.

The balloons were filled with animal and human faeces, batteries, cigarette butts, clothes, dark soil, plastic bottles, toilet paper, wastepaper, and vinyl, prompting South Korea to advise people against going outside.

The North has defended the campaign as a strictly responsive act after the South flew balloons carrying propaganda leaflets the other way.

The think tank argued that the Norths balloon campaign is the latest manifestation of its decoupling policy from South Korea.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced in January that he will no longer seek reconciliation and reunification with South Korea and labelled their relationship as belligerent and hostile.

The Kim regime is extremely angry with both the conservative and liberal political parties in South Korea, the report said.

The Norths balloon launches are a direct response to the South Korean government under president Yoon Suk Yeol permitting its people to resume sending balloons to the neighbouring country, it said.

However, while these balloons reflect North Korean weakness and insecurity, they should not be taken lightly, it said. The trash-filled balloons and the damage they do is a form of soft terrorism.

The report mulled a hypothetical scenario where North Korea could escalate their psychological warfare by sending an unidentified white powder on the balloons. It would create panic in South Korea among the public and impact the foreign capital in the countrys economy, it said.

The report also warned of escalation as Mr Kims sister Kim Yo-jong has threatened to destroy the South Korean loudspeakers, installed near the border to broadcast propaganda to the North, with military fire.

This would amount to dangerous escalation alongside the recent GPS signal jamming, encroachments into the demilitarised zone and missile demonstrations, it 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 SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

More than one million people have signed a petition calling for the impeachment of South Koreas president Yoon Suk Yeol.

The National Assemblys website experienced delays and temporarily crashed after hundreds of thousands of people visited it to sign the petition earlier this week.

The petition, which went live on 20 June, urges the parliament to impeach Mr Yoon for alleged corruption, stoking war with North Korea and failing to stop the release of radioactive waste from Japans Fukushima nuclear plant.

The petition surpassed a million signatures on Wednesday, Korea Times reported, with a daily average of 100,000 signatures over a period of 10 days.

It is backed by the opposition Democratic Party of Korea, which said that the huge turnout reflected the publics unfavourable view of Mr Yoon.

"The president must change first for the state affairs, now on the verge of a catastrophe, to get back on track," the partys floor leader Park Chan-dae said.

open image in gallery Yoon Suk Yeol boards the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier at the South Korean naval base in Busan on 25 June 2024 ( AP )

South Koreas laws require the parliament to assign any petition that draws more than 50,000 signatures from the public to a committee, which must then decide whether to put it up for a vote.

The presidents office has accused the opposition of playing dirty tricks. "The DPK should immediately stop anti-civilisational attempts to destroy the constitution and its unheard-of legislative violence and coup detat," a senior presidential official told Yonhap News Agency.

Political analysts have said the petition reflects anger and dissatisfaction with the president and that it could translate into mass protests if the parliamentary committee doesnt put the petition up for a vote.

South Koreas parliament has impeached two presidents, Roh Moo-hyun in 2004 and Park Geun-hye in 2017.

Mr Yoon, leader of the conservative People Power Party, became president in May 2022 after a narrow victory over Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party.

His presidency has been beset by low popularity, with approval ratings lingering near 25 per cent since April.

Mr Yoons party faced a crushing defeat in Aprils parliamentary election, widely perceived as a midterm confidence vote on the president.

Mr Yoons approval ratings dropped after he vetoed a bill seeking an investigation against first lady Kim Keon-Hee over the Dior bag controversy. He also obstructed another bill to investigate allegations that the presidents office interfered in a probe into the drowning of a marine corporal during a flood rescue mission last year.
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

At least 121 people, most of them women and children, were killed in a crowd crush at a religious event in Indias northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

Nearly 80 devotees were also injured in the stampede that occurred at a satsang, or religious gathering, in Hathras, about 200km southeast of New Delhi, at about 3.30pm local time, police said.

A preliminary investigation found that thousands more than expected turned up at the event and as it got over, hundreds attempted to collect the soil the religious preacher had walked on before he left the venue, The Indian Express reported.

Manoj Kumar Singh, a senior state official, said 72 of the deceased had been identified so far. No person is missing.

Bodies of the victims who were yet to be identified lay on blocks of ice inside a government hospital in Hathras, India Today reported.

Scores of relatives of the victims were gathered outside the hospital waiting to take the remains home.

Mr Singh said around 80,000 people were expected at the event but many more arrived, breaching the limit.

The Associated Press reported that the organisers had permission for only 5,000 people to attend the event, which was held in a tent. But, according to Reuters, nearly 250,000 people eventually gathered.

I am told people rushed to touch his feet and tried to collect soil from where he walked and a stampede took place, Mr Singh said, referring to the religious preacher. Many people fell into a nearby drain.

State authorities said even though the event had permission to go ahead from local law enforcement, a committee had been set up to investigate if arrangements inside the venue were done properly or not.

Uttar Pradeshs police chief, Prashant Kumar, said the organisers did not follow the conditions imposed by the authorities for the programme, The Indian Express reported.

open image in gallery Forensic experts gather evidence from the site of the stampede in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, on 3 July 2024 ( EPA )

Several eyewitnesses described scenes of horror as the stampede began. One witness identified only as Shakuntala by the Press Trust of India said people started falling one upon another, one upon another.

Those who were crushed died. People there pulled them out, she said.

Vijay Singh, 45, from Agra told The Guardian that the scenes were unbelievably horrific.

His sister-in-law was among the victims. She was pushed into a ditch after the family were separated. My wife said the crowd was pushing each other because they were struggling to breathe. My sister-in-law fell in the ditch and due to the violent pushing many others fell in the ditch.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi announced ex gratia relief of Rs200,000 (1,887) each to the kin of the dead and Rs50,000 (472) for the injured.

open image in gallery Police manage the mourners as bodies of the victims of the Hathras stampede are brought to a hospital in Uttar Pradesh on 2 July 2024 ( AFP via Getty )

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath was likely to visit Hathras on Wednesday.

Our government will get to the bottom of this and give appropriate punishment to the conspirators and those responsible. The state government is investigating this entire incident. We will see whether it is an accident or a conspiracy, he said on Tuesday.

Among those under the police scanner was the preacher, Suraj Pal Singh, 58, known by his followers as Bhole Baba. A former state police constable, he renamed himself Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari or Bhole Baba after quitting the force in the 1990s.

Police were trying to ascertain his whereabouts, ANI news agency reported.

open image in gallery A relative grieves a loved one killed in the Hathras stampede outside a hospital morgue in Indias Uttar Pradesh state on 3 July 2024 ( AFP via Getty )

Opposition members blamed state and federal governments, both run by Mr Modis Bharatiya Janata Party, for the tragedy. Look what happened and how many people have lost their lives. Will anyone be accountable? Rajesh Kumar Jha, a member of parliament, asked.

He said the stampede resulted from an administrative failure to manage large crowds and warned that people will keep on dying if authorities did not take safety protocols seriously enough.

Every year, these kinds of incidents keep repeating themselves, and we learn nothing, Manoj Kumar Jha, another MP, told The New York Times. Both the state and federal governments have failed to develop a sensitive approach toward crowd management. As a nation we are good at drawing crowds but not good at managing them.

In 2013, at least 115 people died in a crowd crush at a temple in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. In a similar incident two years earlier, more than 100 devotees were killed in a stampede at a religious festival in the southern state of Kerala.

More recently in early 2022, at least 12 people died and more were injured in a stampede at the Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu and Kashmir after a crowd of devotees tried to enter the shrine through a narrow entrance.

Additional reporting by agencies.
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

Opposition lawmakers staged a walkout as prime minister Narendra Modi delivered the first address of his new term to the Indian parliament on Wednesday.

The opposition INDIA bloc, led by the Congress party, feels emboldened after an unexpectedly impressive performance in last months national election. Belying expectations and exit polls, they denied Mr Modi an outright parliamentary majority, leaving him reliant on mercurial allies to rule for a third consecutive term.

As Mr Modi began speaking on a motion of thanks for the Indian presidents customary inaugural address, opposition members in the Rajya Sabha, the parliaments upper house, demanded that he answer their questions about the situation in Manipur, a remote northeastern state ravaged by a deadly ethnic war.

The prime minister has not visited the state since the violence started more than a year ago.

Speaking in the house earlier, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi sought justice for Manipur.

The opposition lawmakers, shouting justice for Manipur as Mr Modi spoke, asked for their floor leader, Mallikarjun Kharge, to respond to the prime ministers claims in his speech but were denied by the Rajya Sabha chair.

As the lawmakers walked out, Mr Modi said they were running away because they cannot hear the truth.

They are not able to digest defeat, he added.

Mr Kharge later said he and his allies walked out because Mr Modi has a habit of lying.

We walked out because the prime minister said some wrong things to the house. Its his habit to lie and say things beyond truth.

Mr Modis address marked the conclusion of the first session of the new parliament.

The session saw fiery speeches by opposition members buoyed by their performance in the last election.

In a speech on Monday, Mr Gandhi hit out at Mr Modi and his Hindu nationalist ruling party for allegedly inciting religious hatred and violence.

He also accused Mr Modi and his government of favouring billionaires Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani.

Some of his remarks were later expunged from the parliamentary record, reportedly after some ministers met the speaker and flagged inaccuracies in the opposition leaders speech.

The decision sparked condemnation from the opposition.

Saying the truth cannot be expunged, Mr Gandhi told the speaker: "Taking off from records my considered remarks goes against the very tenets of parliamentary democracy.
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

A distillery in India has been accused of employing child labourers and making them work 11-hour shifts in an unsafe manner that caused chemical burns.

Police in central Madhya Pradesh state are investigating the use of child labour at a Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd factory after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights found as many as 59 children working there illegally.

The children, aged 13 to 17 years, were made to fill and pack liquor bottles, the states government said following an inspection.

Government officials said 39 boys and 20 girls were rescued from the factory in June.

open image in gallery Children found working at a distillery in Raisen, Madhya Pradesh ( Reuters )

The national child rights body released photos of children with their hands showing chemical burns and said some of them were transported to the factory in school buses.

The inspection report was prepared by Madhya Pradeshs industrial health and safety department after interviewing 27 child workers, the youngest of among them just 13, Reuters reported.

They were made to toil 11 hours a day in the factory, according to the report, which has not been made public.

The state prohibits anyone aged under 21 from being employed in a liquor factory.

The report said the children working in the Som distillery were not trained to protect themselves from harmful chemicals.

"Since it is hazardous work, there should have been a health centre at the factory," the report pointed out.

Following the inspection, the state government on 19 June suspended the licence of Som Distilleries. But the company this week claimed to have obtained a stay on the suspension order from the state high court.

The states chief minister, Mohan Yadav, last month said Som Distilleries has been booked for the heinous crime of child labour so its licence has been suspended and that the careless officials related to this case have been suspended.

The small Som distillery in Madhya Pradesh is typical of India's thriving alcohol industry, in which both domestic and foreign players operate.

The company website describes it as an "internationally acclaimed brand" available in more than 20 markets, including the US, UK and New Zealand.

The alcohol industry is notorious for using child labour.

In 2021, Reuters reported that an external audit of two Carlsberg warehouses found underage labourers at a location in the eastern state of Jharkhand. Carlsberg said at the time it had terminated the services of the third-party provider.

Som said the Madhya Pradesh plant was run by its "associate private limited company" and used workers supplied by contractors who may not have carried out proper age checks.

The Independent has reached out to Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd for a comment.

Additional reporting by agencies.
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

India registered the first cases under its new criminal code against street vendors as the laws replacing colonial legislation came into force amid criticism from opposition parties and rights groups.

The parliament passed the most sweeping changes to the criminal justice system in 150 years in December last year after more than 140 opposition MPs were suspended from the lower house.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi called it a "watershed moment" despite facing backlash for passing the laws without debate. The new sets of laws came into force on 1 July.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 replaced the Indian Penal Code of 1860 and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 replaced the Indian Evidence Act 1872. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 was introduced in place of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1882.

The first case under the new laws was filed against a street vendor in the capital New Delhi for allegedly blocking a footbridge, according to media reports. It was quashed, however, following criticism on social media.

Two cases were also filed against street vendors for public obstruction in Mr Modi's home state of Gujarat, The Indian Express reported.

A similar complaint was registered against a vendor in the coastal state of Goa for causing "inconvenience to the general public and general flow of traffic" by intentionally moving his handcart carrying coconuts at the roadside and selling tender coconuts in public.

The Goa police also booked a tarpaulin seller the same day.

As criticism against the cases grew loud, home minister Amit Shah said the first case was filed at 12.10am in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, for motorcycle theft.

"Police, using the provisions of review, dismissed this case, Mr Shah said about the case filed in New Delhi.

open image in gallery A roadside vendor sells iced lemonade in New Delhi ( AP )

The new laws include several contentious provisions such as the extension of the limit for police detention without charge from 15 days to upto 90 days, classification of terror offences under ordinary criminal proceedings, formal decriminalisation of homosexuality and adultery, and introduction of community service as a form of punishment.

A previous law criminalising sodomy has been removed from the new code.

Sedition, for long seen as a colonial legacy in Indias legal system but rendered inoperable by the Supreme Court in 2022, has been replaced by an equally controversial offence of treason.

"About 77 years after independence, our criminal justice system is becoming completely indigenous and will run on Indian ethos," Mr Shah said on Monday.

"Instead of punishment, there will now be justice."

P Chidambaram, member of the opposition Congress party and former home minister, said the parliament session in December did not hold any "worthwhile debate" before passing the laws.

He said there was only marginal improvement in the new laws which could anyway have been introduced as amendments to existing laws. "The initial impact will be to throw the administration of criminal justice into disarray," he said on X.

Amnesty International called on the Indian government to repeal the "repressive" new criminal laws.

"The provisions of the amendments to and overhaul of criminal laws in India would have debilitating consequences on the effective realisation of the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and fair trial," Aakar Patel, chair of board at Amnesty International India, 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 SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

Japans top court has ruled that a defunct eugenics law under which thousands of people were forcibly sterilised between 1948 and 1996 was unconstitutional.

People who were forcibly sterilised had filed lawsuits across the country claiming the treatment meted out to them was unconstitutional and sought state compensation.

The Eugenic Protection Law, in place for 48 years until 1996, permitted doctors to sterilise people with mental or intellectual disabilities. The law was brought in to curb the population during food shortages after the Second World War.

In its ruling on Wednesday, the court also said the 20-year statute of limitation on compensation claims could not be applied in this case, marking a significant victory for the victims.

Regional courts had been divided on the validity of compensation claims given the statute of limitations, but the supreme courts ruling may prompt the government to take more responsibility and address the legacy of the law.

Around 25,000 people were sterilised under the law, including some who consented under pressure, NHK Japan reported.

The government initially contended it was not liable to pay compensation because a long time had passed since the surgeries.

In 2019, however, it agreed to pay 17,700 in compensation to each of the victims.

Shinzo Abe, then the prime minister, also issued a public apology to the victims and said the eugenics law had caused great suffering.

As per a parliamentary report released last year, children as young as nine were among those sterilised.

Though forced sterilisation was outlawed in 1996, high school textbooks as recently as 1975 stated that Japans government was making efforts for the countrys eugenics to improve and enhance the genetic predisposition of the entire public.

open image in gallery Supporters and lawyers of victims of forced sterilisation march toward Japans supreme court in Tokyo on 3 July 2024 ( AFP via Getty )

I have spent an agonising 66 years because of the government surgery. I want my life back that I was robbed of, one victim who used the pseudonym Saburo Kita, now 81-years-old, said before the ruling.

The ruling will hopefully pave the way for active steps to be taken by the government to eliminate the kind of eugenic mentality that it created, Naoto Sekiya, lawyer of Mr Kita, told AFP.

Another lawyer, Yutaka Yoshiyama, who represented two of the plaintiffs, was quoted as saying by the BBC: From here, I believe that the government must take a hard turn and move forward at full speed toward a full-fledged resolution.

open image in gallery Victims of the forced sterilisation programme outside the supreme court in Tokyo on 3 July 2024 ( AFP via Getty )

Japan is not the only country to have conducted forced sterilisations.

In 1997, records were uncovered showing Sweden sterilised 60,000 women between 1935 and 1976, some due to physical or mental disabilities, others because they were seen to be inferior racial types.

The government later passed legislation giving 14,250 in compensation to each of the victims of the programme.
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

Kanye Wests wife, Bianca Censori, has denied allegations that she sent porn to staff members of his company, Yeezy, some of whom are minors.

A federal lawsuit was filed earlier this week accusing West of engaging in forced labor and cruel inhuman, or degrading treatment. Eight former employees claimed that they were not paid for working long hours, and subjected to derogatory behavior. The lawsuit also alleges that Censori sent one of the employees a link to watch hardcore sexual content after the rapper announced the launch of the adult film branch of his business, Yeezy Porn, in April.

No guardrails were put in place to prevent the underage YZYVSN workers from working on Yeezy Porn, or to prevent them from being exposed to and being forced to view pornography to perform their work, the lawsuit states, according to The Washington Post.

While Censori herself is not the target of the lawsuit, her involvement was used as an example of the poor work environment.

The Independent has contacted representatives of both West and Censori for comment. Wests former chief of staff, Milo Yiannopoulos, pushed back on the allegations, in a statement to the New York Post.

open image in gallery Bianca Censori was accused of sending porn to underage employees of Yeezy ( Getty Images for Marni Srl )

Ive been authorized by Bianca to stress that any allegation that she showed or caused to be shown any pornographic material to minors is offensive, disgusting, abhorrent and categorically and wholly false, Yiannopoulos told Page Six.

Yiannopoulos said that the staffer who filed the claim was never employed by Yeezy, calling the allegations in the suit a repulsive pack of lies that are tragic, desperate [and] attention-seeking.

Yiannopoulos also claimed that Yeezy Porn doesnt exist.

I made sure of that by falling on my sword and quitting over it, the former chief of staff said. He was referring to his resignation from the company back in May.

Last month, West reached a settlement over a copyright dispute with the estate of Donna Summer after being accused of sampling her 1977 song I Feel Love in the 2024 album, Vultures 1, despite being denied permission to do so.

The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Los Angeles, said that Summers estate denied permission because they wanted no association with Wests controversial history.

In the face of this rejection, defendants arrogantly and unilaterally decided they would simply steal I Feel Love and use it without permission, the complaint read.
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

This Thursday, Americans will be donning red, white and blue in honor of Fourth of July celebrations across the country.

The Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day, marks the 248th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The original celebration occurred when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, which established the United States as its own sovereign nation apart from its original status as colonies of Great Britain.

Aside from the day being a federal holiday  with banks, post offices, government offices, and the stock market all being closed  many Americans tend to celebrate the holiday with a few classic activities.

In addition to sporting patriotic attire, some Americans celebrate with a backyard barbecue, complete with hamburgers and hot dogs; trips to the beach; and firework displays. However, other cities across the US have some traditions that arent as conventional.

New York

Every year at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, famous hot dog brand Nathans holds a contest in which both men and women try to eat as many hot dogs as they can in 10 minutes.

This years competition has already gained national attention, as reigning champion Joey Chestnut was barred from the 2024 contest due to a sponsorship with a competing plant-based hot dog brand.

California

The city of San Diego in California has a marshmallow fight every year on the Fourth of July. The tradition started when a few families in Ocean Beach began to randomly throw the classic smores ingredients at each other.

The event ended up growing in size until large crowds got involved. However, due to a lack of cleaning up the sugary mess in recent years, Ocean Beach has asked residents to eat marshmallows instead of throwing them.

Meanwhile in northern California, the communities of Bolinas and Stinson Beach in San Francisco host a century-old tug-of-war event across the water that separates the two communities.

Missouri

Hannibal, Missouri  the hometown of author Mark Twain, who wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer  combines the Fourth of July with what is called Tom Sawyer Days. Every year around the holiday, the town reenacts a famous scene from the novel, in which Tom convinces people to paint a fence for him.

For the towns contest, people dress up like characters from the book and compete in a race to paint an assigned patch of their fence the fastest.

Maine

For the Fourth of July, Bar Harbor in Maine leans into their well-known reputation for seafood, specifically lobster.

To celebrate, the city holds lobster races with live lobsters. Participants are allowed to place bets on which lobster they think will win, as they stand on the sidelines to cheer for the sea creatures.

Idaho

The town of Hailey, Idaho, used to put an interesting spin on their annual Fourth of July parade, called the Road Apple Roulette. To play this game, residents would buy one out of 10,000 squares that fell within the path of the parade.

Throughout the parade, horses dropped road apples along the way. If these apples landed in the square you bought, your name went in a drum and you could win big prizes, while the money went to local charities in the area.
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

An influencers visit to a Turkish hospital for cheaper medical exams has sparked debate about the American healthcare system on TikTok.

In a viral TikTok video, influencer Bryn Elise (@bryn.elise) gave her followers a behind-the-scenes look into the VIP experience at a hospital in Turkey, which included 30 exams - ordinarily expensive in the United States - for the low price of $810. She started the video by saying: I flew to Turkey for the most in-depth checkup of my life.

Doing this in the US would have cost me thousands and taken months to line up, she said, adding later that the hospital was a highly-lauded memorial group hospital accredited by the Joint Commission International. But in one day, were doing it all - scans, tests, meetings with specialists - and the price of everything is jaw-dropping.

The video continued to show what Elise called the fanciest hospital shed ever seen, and she consulted with a translator and coordinator named Sam who showed her around the facility. She first got her blood drawn, then underwent an EKG test for blood pressure, and measured her height and weight.

Next, doctors had her head to radiology for a chest X-ray as well as an abdominal and thyroid ultrasound. After that, she was escorted to the nuclear medicine wing where she received a bone density scan.

She then took a lunch break, eating food from popular restaurant BigChefs Market, which supplied the whole hospital and gave patients the option to order food to their rooms. Afterward, she met with the hospitals internal medicine doctor, who went over the results of the more than 30 exams, scans, and cancer markers she received.

Once she asked all of her pressing questions, she went to the gynecologist to get a pap smear and the ophthalmologist to get her eyes checked. She also saw a cardiologist to do a stress test and analyze her heartbeat.

Elise was able to get more exams and scans done than most American patients could afford with the countrys skyrocketing healthcare prices. In the comment section, users were flabbergasted by just how much she was able to do for under $1,000.

This is like ACTUALLY a checkup, one person wrote. Meanwhile, in the US at an annual [appointment] they tap your knee, take your [blood pressure] and send you off.

Another added: EVERY SINGLE specialty doc in one day is life-changing!

Its an absolute crime that we cant do this once a year in America and have it covered by insurance, someone else said. We are so behind.

This isnt the first time that a debate about expensive medical bills in the US has sparked on TikTok. In 2021, one California woman went viral on the app when she revealed that her hospital had billed her more than $50,000 for the birth of her baby. Her insurance plan ultimately paid $50,816.02 for her delivery, and she only owed $250.

However, she explained that most people don't have a spare $50,000 to have a baby, noting it was like a down payment on a house in some place.
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 construction elevator that killed five people when it collapsed last year in Stockholm was missing the bolts that were supposed to hold its mast together, authorities said Wednesday.

The deadly crash was caused by failure to perform relevant safety inspections of the hoist assembly, the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority said.

In the December 2023 accident, the elevator plummeted 20 meters (66 feet) with five people inside, during work on a 14-story building the Stockholm suburb of Sundbyberg.

The agency said its probe had showed that five of the nut and bolt assemblies required to hold sections of the elevator's mast together were missing, leaving the shaft standing only because of friction between its sections.

Before the accident, the mast was extended to the ninth floor. The assemblies likely were already missing, the report said.

The accident occurred when the load on the mast ... became greater than the structure could hold, leading to the mast sections separating and the hoist car falling to the ground, the authority wrote.

It has not yet been decided whether to press any criminal charges and it was not known when a decision could be made. The public prosecutors office is still investigating the incident for possible work environment violations.
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

More than 120 people died in a stampede after a religious gathering in northern India, making it one of the deadliest such accidents in recent years.

Authorities are investigating what led to the huge stampede, which is believed to have erupted as the event, led by a Hindu guru known locally as Bhole Baba, drew to a close on Tuesday.

What happened?

It was not immediately clear what sparked the panic, but authorities believe massive overcrowding, insufficient exits, bad weather and other factors may have contributed to the high death toll.

The event was held in a large tent in a village in Hathras district, located in Uttar Pradesh state, amid sweltering heat and high humidity.

Initial reports suggest that the closed enclosure of the tent led to suffocation, causing discomfort and panic among attendees, said senior police officer Shalabh Mathur.

Poor planning was another key issue: some 250,000 people turned up for the event, which was permitted for 80,000 and held in a tent in a muddy field. Its not clear how many were inside the tent.

open image in gallery Relatives and villagers in Daukeli village mourn those who died in a stampede during a cremation ceremony in Hathras, India ( Getty Images )

As the preacher descended from the stage, officials said, devotees inside the tent surged forward to touch him, causing chaos as volunteers struggled to intervene.

An initial report from police suggests that thousands of people then thronged toward the exit. Many also slipped on the muddy ground, causing them to fall and be crushed by the crowds. Witnesses described a scene of utter chaos as a number of devotees also ran after the preacher as he departed from the venue in his car. Most of the dead were women.

Who is Bhole Baba, and why did hundreds of thousands come to see him?

Hundreds of thousands of Bhol's devotees from across the state and nearby turned up to attend his sermon.

The preachers Sri Jagar Guru Baba organization had spent more than two weeks preparing for the event.

The Hindu gurus name is Suraj Pal, but he goes by the alias Bhole Baba.

Bhole is a Dalit, a group that's at the bottom of Indias caste pyramid, and many of his followers are also from lower castes, female and poor.

open image in gallery India Stampede ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

open image in gallery People walk around the venue of a stampede a day after it occurred on July 03, 2024 in Hathras, India ( Getty Images )

open image in gallery Relatives and villagers in Daukeli village mourn those who died in a stampede during a cremation ceremony in Hathras, India ( Getty Images )

He was a policeman until the late 1990s, when he quit his job to become a preacher. While not a household name nationally, he enjoys a large following in Uttar Pradesh state as well as nearby states. Now in his 60s, he's known for dressing in all white, often sporting blue mirrored aviator sunglasses.

Bhole runs two ashrams in the state and holds weekly religious gatherings, known as satsangs, where he often talks about leading a simple and virtuous life.

Following the stampede, police launched a search for Bhole and other organizers of the event.

In May 2022, Bhole held a gathering that drew over 50,000 people, but no casualties were reported.

How common are stampedes in India?

Deadly crowd surges are fairly common in India, especially during religious festivals where huge gatherings, sometimes in the millions, are held often in cramped areas with shoddy infrastructure and few safety measures.

There have been a number of stampedes in India over the past two decades, as many religious events are organized without adequate preparations, crowd control measures or even prior permission, said Sanjay Srivastava, a disaster management expert.

Often such functions are held so regularly that sometimes police dont check whether guidelines are being followed, he said.

The event on Tuesday violated general safety norms, Srivastava added.

The function was held in a makeshift tent without ensuring multiple exit routes. Typically, there should be eight to 10 well-marked exits opening into open areas, he said.

Instead, officials said it appeared the tent had only one small exit.

One of the last major such accidents occurred in 2013, when pilgrims visiting a temple for a popular Hindu festival in central Madhya Pradesh state trampled each other amid fears that a bridge would collapse. At least 115 were crushed to death or died in the river.
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 }}

In a landmark decision, Japans Supreme Court ordered the government Wednesday to pay suitable compensation to about a dozen victims who were forcibly sterilized under a now-defunct Eugenics Protection Law that was designed to eliminate offspring of people with disabilities.

An estimated 25,000 people were sterilized between the 1950s and 1970s without consent to prevent the birth of poor-quality descendants" under law, described by plaintiffs lawyers as the biggest human rights violation in the post-war era" in Japan.

The supreme court said the 1948 eugenics law was unconstitutional and rejected the governments claim that the 20-year statute of limitations should prevent it from paying restitution.

Wednesdays decision involved 11 of the 39 plaintiffs who fought at five lower courts across Japan to get their case heard by the country's top court. Cases involving the other litigants are still pending.

The plaintiffs, a number of them in wheelchairs, held up signs saying thank you and victory outside the court after the ruling. I couldnt be happier and I could have never done this alone, said an 81-year-old plaintiff in Tokyo who uses the pseudonym Saburo Kita.

Kita said he was sterilized in 1957 at age of 14 when he lived in an orphanage. He told his wife his long-buried secret just before she died several years ago, adding that he regretted their inability to have children because of him.

Judge Saburo Tokura ruled that sterilization surgeries were performed with no rational reasons and in clear discrimination against the plaintiffs because of their disability, according to court documents released by their lawyers. The court also said the procedure severely violated their dignity, adding that the continuous discrimination and severe violation of human rights for 48 years at the hands of the government was a very serious matter.

In 2019, in response to several lower court rulings holding it accountable, the government offered one-time redress money of 3.2 million yen ($19,800) to each plaintiff. However, the supreme court declared Wednesday the compensation was insufficient.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed sincere regret and heartfelt apology to the victims and said he hoped to meet the plaintiffs to apologize in person. Kishida said the government will consider a new compensation scheme.

The eugenics protection law has created a society that considers people with disabilities as inferior people. We call on the society to further promote effort toward eliminating prejudice and discrimination in response to the ruling, said plaintiffs lawyers Koji Niizato and Takehiko Nishimura said in a statement.

About 10,000 leprosy patients were also among those who underwent sterilization procedures while being confined in isolated institutions. In 1996, the leprosy prevention law was abolished, allowing them to be part of society. The government has offered them compensation and an apology for its forced isolation policy.

In addition to the forced sterilizations at the time, more than 8,000 others were sterilized with consent, though likely under pressure, while nearly 60,000 women had abortions because of hereditary illnesses.

In October, the supreme court also ruled that a law requiring transgender people to undergo sterilization in order to change their gender on official documents was unconstitutional, a landmark verdict welcomed by human rights advocates as a sign of growing acceptance of LGBTQ+ rights.
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 U.S. Interior Department approved the proposed Atlantic Shores offshore wind farm in New Jersey on Tuesday, giving a major boost to a project that would be the state's first.

The project still requires an additional federal approval of its construction and operations plan, along with two state-level permits, before construction can begin.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said the department's decision marked the ninth offshore wind project approved under the Biden administration, green-lighting 13 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power 5 million homes.

The Biden-Harris administration is building momentum every day for our clean energy future, and todays milestone is yet another step toward our ambitious goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore energy by 2030, she said in a statement. Our clean energy future is now a reality. We are addressing climate change, fostering job growth, and promoting equitable economic opportunities for all communities.

The project, consisting of two phases, would be built between Atlantic City and Long Beach Island in southern New Jersey. It would generate 2,800 megawatts, enough to power 1 million homes.

This milestone brings us one step closer to delivering New Jerseys first offshore wind projects, and for the state achieving its ambitious goal of 100% clean energy by 2035, Joris Veldhoven, Atlantic Shores' CEO, said in a statement. "We recognize the significance of this milestone, and were thrilled to work with our supply chain partners to continue making near-term investments and creating great paying union jobs.

Opponents of offshore wind are well organized and vocal in New Jersey, and one of several groups against the plan, Protect Our Coast-NJ, said the federal and state governments are forging ahead like a bull in a China shop, hurting overburdened communities and our incredible ocean with unwanted industrial construction projects.

Offshore wind construction and operations disrupts wildlife and ecosystems, and threatens the livelihoods of commercial fishermen and small businesses up and down the East coast, the group said in a statement.

Atlantic Shores, which was given preliminary approval in 2021 by New Jersey utility regulators, has now gotten nearly as far as a previously approved project that would have been New Jersey's first offshore wind farm. Danish wind developer Orsted was close to beginning work on two offshore wind farms but scrapped the project in Oct. 2023 after deciding it would not be economical.

Many of the state's major environmental groups issued statements praising Atlantic Shores' approval, saying it proves that offshore wind has regained its footing in New Jersey after the Orsted setback.

The Biden administrations approval of the Atlantic Shores project is good for our climate, our public health, our workers, and our wallets," said Anjuli Busot-Ramos, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. We are proud to see New Jersey move towards renewable energy and offshore wind development, and away from dirty fossil fuels.

Doug O'Malley, director of Environment New Jersey, added: On the cusp of a historic heat wave, there is no better week for the federal government to give a green light to the Atlantic Shores offshore wind project. Every year without offshore wind providing power to our electric grid is another year we are overly dependent on fossil fuels to power our electric grid.

The Interior Department said the project would be about 8.7 miles from shore at its closest point. But the company has previously said that it will not built right up to that line and that the closest turbines will be at least 12.8 miles from shore.

Atlantic Shores is a joint partnership between Shell New Energies US LLC and EDF-RE Offshore Development LLC.

The Interior Department approved construction of 195 wind turbines as part of the project; the company had sought up to 200.

___

Follow Wayne Parry on X at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC
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 }}

Taiwan says China ordered Taiwans coast guard away from interfering in the detention of a Taiwanese fishing boat off the Chinese coast in what is seen as an increasing Chinese attempt to encroach on Taiwanese territory.

Taiwan's coast guard has called for the release of the boat and its crew members who were taken from waters off the Taiwanese controlled island of Kinmen just off the Chinese coast on Tuesday night.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

An alternative healer accused of the manslaughter of a 71-year-old diabetic woman who died after stopping taking her insulin at his slapping therapy workshop was previously prosecuted for the death of a six-year-old boy, a court has heard.

Hongchi Xiao, 61, of Cloudbreak, California, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of the manslaughter by gross negligence of Danielle Carr-Gomm, from Lewes, East Sussex.

Carr-Gomm died at Cleeve House in Seend, Wiltshire, where she was taking part in the event in October 2016 which promoted Paida Lajin therapy, which sees patients being slapped or slapping themselves repeatedly.

The trial heard that Xiao was previously convicted in an Australian court for the manslaughter of the six-year-old boy who died after his parents stopped giving him his insulin after attending his workshops.

The court heard that Xiao told the boys parents to stop giving the life-saving medication to him and although it is not suggested the defendant gave a similar instruction to Carr-Gomm, the prosecution claims the defendant congratulated Carr-Gomm after she informed him she had stopped her medication.

Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, had been attending an event promoting Paida Lajin therapy in Wiltshire in 2016 ( PA )

The youngster started to become seriously ill and started vomiting black liquid, which Xiao put down to just part of self-healing body adjustment, and the boy then died in April 2015, 18 months before Carr-Gomm.

Duncan Atkinson KC, prosecuting, told the jury the family attended Xiaos Paida Lajin workshops in Hurstville, Sydney, which involved the participants slapping themselves and each other, and fasting.

He said: The defendant himself did not perform any slapping on any of the participants.

Shortly after the start of the workshop, as the judge who dealt with him in Australia found, the defendant told [the boys] mother to stop [his] insulin injections.

Such an instruction is clear evidence of how strongly held the defendants views were, for example, as to insulin being poison.

Mr Atkinson said that by day three the boys mother told the workshop group of her sons deteriorating health and that he was vomiting, had high blood sugar levels and high ketone levels.

Despite this, Xiao continued to instruct the mother to continue not giving the insulin to her son, the court heard, and his health continued to deteriorate.

The alternative healer is accused of the manslaughter of a 71-year-old diabetic woman who died after stopping taking her insulin at his slapping therapy workshop ( Elizabeth Cook/PA )

By the fifth day he was required to be pushed in a pram because he could not walk or stand to dress himself and started to vomit yellow and black liquid, the court heard.

The court was told the mother confronted Xiao and told him: Look at this picture, last night he vomiting black stuff, all these things, to which he replied: Is the detox. All the bad stuff come from  come out from his body, his organ. Its just part of self-healing body adjustment.

Four days later, the boy was accompanied by his grandmother in his room when he began vomiting black liquid and had a seizure.

As the grandmother went for help, she locked herself out of the room and hotel staff arrived who found the boy on the bed motionless, the court heard.

Mr Atkinson said that Xiao also returned and began slapping the boys inner elbows until paramedics arrived, but they were unable to resuscitate him and he died as a result of diabetic ketoacidosis.

Mr Atkinson told the jury: The defendant was ultimately prosecuted for and convicted of [the boy] manslaughter.

It follows that there can be no question but that the defendant owed [the boy] a duty of care whilst he was an attendee at his workshop, and that he breached that duty.

He deprecated and deterred the use of conventional medicine even when he knew that to do so risked very serious consequences which could in turn be life-threatening.

He advocated a course that he knew was not medically justified and was contrary to medical experience, and a boy died as a result.

His actions towards Danielle Carr-Gomm occurred when the very real, obvious and serious risk of death had become all the more real and all the more obvious.

They involved similar conduct, congratulating a type 1 diabetic who replaced insulin with Paida Lajin, and taking no action to secure her help despite the cruel lesson that ought to have been provided by the boys untimely death.

Xiao denies the charge and the trial continues.
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 City worker was warned Youre going to be destroyed and sent a video of a man holding a loaded gun after he managed to track down his stolen iPhone to China.

Christopher Bramah-Calvert received the shocking messages after his phone was snatched from his hands by an e-bike rider outside a gym in High Holborn in central London.

The 38-year-old tracked his phone on the Find My app across two locations in London before it suddenly appeared in Shenzhen, in southern China, a month after the theft.

The street it was located in, Huafa South Road, is where hundreds of stolen phones from the UK have been turning up, with criminal gangs believed to be sending the devices en masse to the city for resale or parts.

Its also easier to unlock and sell stolen iPhones in Shenzhen, which has the largest electronics market in the world, police chiefs have told The Independent  but the criminals require the devices to be disconnected from the victims Apple accounts.

iPhone victim sent threatening video showing man armed with a gun

Mr Bramah-Calvert, whose phone was an iPhone 13, said: Id been following it for days and then was surprised to see it suddenly in China, and then I started getting messages to my husbands phone.

At first they were from someone claiming to have bought it and asking I disconnect it  but then it turned threatening, and I was then sent a video of a man holding a gun. At first, I was completely taken aback by it.

The PR worker then went online and discovered that other phone-snatch victims had also tracked their phones to the same location in the Chinese city, and had been sent similar messages, although not accompanied by the video of an armed man.

One of the messages, seen by The Independent, said I know who you are and where you live and ur whole family will get slaughtered.

Christopher Bramah-Calvert (left) with his husband Stephen. The pair received threatening messages when Christophers iPhone was stolen and tracked to China ( Christopher Bramah-Calvert )

Mr Bramah-Calvert ignored the demands on advice from police and his insurance company, before the phone disappeared from the tracking app.

He said: The threats and language were obviously all part of the tactics to get me to release the device, and the video would have been very intimidating for some people. I was shocked by the language.

I knew nothing would come of it, but if it was my parents, they could have dealt with it in a different way.

A search online shows that Mr Bramah-Calverts story is not rare.

Apples own discussion boards and Reddit forums feature many other victims whose stolen phones have ended up in Shenzhen, some saying they have been asked for Apple ID and screen lock passwords.

Screengrab from the video sent to Christopher Bramah-Calverts husband demanding he release his stolen iPhone from his Apple account ( Christopher Bramah-Calvert )

The tight security of iPhones means that it is difficult for a criminal who has stolen one to get into or use the device without its passcode or the owners Apple account password, unless it is remotely removed from that account for someone else to use, which also requires a login.

That means the phones are largely useless to any thief who does not have the required security information  and attackers can resort to violent or threatening messages in an attempt to obtain it.

The number of mobile phone thefts hit a record high in 2023, with almost 85,000 across England and Wales, according to data obtained by The Times.

Inspector Dan Green, from the City of London Police proactive crime team, urged people not to cooperate with the criminals demands, and to pass on tracking information on devices to police forces as soon it becomes available.

He said: I can see why [victims] go Yes, fine take it, but thats what they are preying on  they are making these messages and violent demands in the hope that people will just give in and buckle.

The theft of Mr Bramah-Calverts phone was reported to the Metropolitan Police, but Insp Green said his force has also dealt with instances of stolen devices ending up in China.

His team uncovered an operation last year in which hundreds of phones were taken during crimes, including muggings, knife-point robberies and distraction burglaries, with some of the devices then being sent to Shenzhen.

The force has taken a proactive approach to the issue after mobile phone thefts peaked at 143 cases in July 2022  but Insp Green called on victims to report all the tracking information, adding that there is not a lot the police can do once the phones reach China.

He said: We will normally try and have a look, but we will try and manage their expectations as well, and say, Look, its not as easy as turning up, smashing a door down and getting your phone. Theres a lot more to it than that.

But without us getting that information, were never going to know.

Insp Green said it isnt known how the phones are sent to China, but that many phones can be packaged up and posted abroad.

While a stolen phone could be too hot to handle in the UK, he said, in China, it was unlikely to be flagged up anywhere when reused legitimately, adding: Id suggest [they are] more valuable out there, where they can either be recycled or dismantled.

The Met Police said Mr Bramah-Calverts phone theft was investigated but the case was closed pending further new investigative opportunities.
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 }}

An arrest warrant for a man who is also a suspect in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann has been lifted.

The warrant was lifted on Wednesday by a German court in an ongoing trial over several unrelated sexual offenses he is alleged to have committed in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.

However, the 47-year-old German, who has been identified by media as Christian Bruckner, will remain jailed because he is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for a rape he committed in Portugal in 2005.

The Braunschweig state court said it lifted the arrest warrant in the current case  in which Bruckner has been accused of three counts of rape and two of sexual abuse of children  because there is no urgent suspicion, German news agency dpa reported.

The suspect hasnt been charged in the Madeleine McCann case. He spent many years in Portugal, including in the resort of Praia da Luz around the time of Madeleines disappearance there in 2007. He has denied any involvement in her disappearance.

Christian B. arrives at the start of his trial, at Braunschweig district court, in Brunswick ( (c) dpa Pool )

In the current trial, prosecutors had claimed that, at an unspecified time between 2000 and 2006, the suspect allegedly tied up and raped an elderly woman in her vacation apartment in Portugal. He allegedly beat the victim several times with a whip and recorded the incident on video.

During the same time period, he is alleged to have tied a German-speaking girl aged at least 14 to a wooden post in the living room of his residence in Praia da Luz, allegedly beating her with a whip and forcing her to perform oral sex.

However, Bruckner's attorneys filed a motion during the trial to quash the arrest warrant because they no longer saw any reason for one after evidence in the alleged crimes had been taken in court. The court ruled that there was no strong suspicion with regard to all charges, dpa reported.

A verdict in the ongoing trial is expected in the fall.

In May this year Madeleine McCanns family said they are still living in limbo as they marked 17 years since their little girl vanished.

Gerry, left, and Kate McCann, hold up a poster of their four-year old Madeleine ( AP2007 )

In a social media post to mark the painful anniversary, her parents wrote: Its 17 years since Madeleine was taken from us.

Its hard to even say that number without shaking our heads in disbelief, they said. Whilst we are fortunate in many ways and able to live a relatively normal and enjoyable life now, the living in limbo is still very unsettling. And the absence still aches.

Your support continues to encourage us and bolsters our strength to keep going. We know the love and hope for Madeleine and the will to find her, even after so many years, remains, and we are truly thankful for that. Thank you again for remembering Madeleine and all missing children.
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 }}

Sir Ian McKellen has assured fans that he is on the mend after injuring his neck and wrists in a dramatic fall while performing on a West End stage.

The veteran actor, 85, pulled out of the remainder of the run of Player Kings earlier this week after sustaining the injuries on 17 June.

He told fans in a statement posted to social media that he is expected to make a complete recovery on the condition that he steps back from his work for a few weeks.

The actor spent three nights in hospital after the incident, which is believed to have been caused by a stray prop that he tripped on during a fight scene.

He announced on Monday that he would be stepping back from his role as Sir John Falstaff and allowing his understudy, David Semark, to play at the remaining shows in Bristol, Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle.

Taking to X, he wrote: Just two weeks after my accident onstage I want to assure my many well-wishers that the injuries (to wrist and neck) are on the mend.

My doctors promise a complete recovery  but only if I avoid work over the next few weeks.

Ian McKellen will miss the remainder of the run of Player Kings ( Getty )

McKellen continued: Meanwhile, the show goes on and the Player Kings company start their four weeks tour without me.

My understudy David Semark, who with panache took over for the final performances at the Noel Coward Theatre in the West End of London, will play Falstaff again in Bristol, Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle.

The actor stressed that while he is no longer a part of the production, which fans hoped he would return to, he has stressed that the masterful retelling of Shakespeares Henry IV Parts 1 & 2 remains intact.

Any actor will say that missing a performance feels somewhat shameful, even when he is not to blame, he added.

None of us ever wants to let down our audience.

But Robert Ickes masterful production remains intact. His mise-en-scene is compelling throughout and his actors, led by Toheeb Jimoh and Richard Coyle as Prince Hal and his father, remain on top form. Go see for yourself!

The actor is expected to make a complete recovery. ( PA Archive )

The star was not the only person hospitalised as a result of the incident at the Noel Coward Theatre last month, so too was a female audience member, who was hospitalised for the night.

Getting crushed by Gandalf the Grey, thats something you dont expect, Johanna, 30, who asked for her surname not to be disclosed, told the BBC.

McKellens understudy David Semark, 52, has several notable acting credits to his name including EastEnders, Doctors, Law & Order UK and The Bill.

Player Kings will open at the Bristol Hippodrome today (3 July).
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 mother of a young Briton who vanished off the coast of Tenerife five years ago has described the pain of knowing her son is still missing.

Ricardo Scott Santana, 23, disappeared while on a Jet Ski safari with friends at around 11.30am on June 15, 2019 - a day before he was due to fly home.

Ricardo smiles with his mother ( Family Supplied )

His family are still desperately looking for the loving youth worker, who disappeared while riding off a jet ski near Palm Mar, just a few miles from Los Cristianos where Jay Slater was staying on the party island.

Now all that is left for friends and family to do is pray that one of these days he is found Ricardo with his mother Natasha ( Family handout )

His family said the jet ski was later found abandoned but his body has never been found.

His mother, Natasha Samantha Scott, 50, who is deaf, said she has struggled to get any updates on her sons whereabouts without a BSL interpreter.

She told The Independent: He was with a group of friends for a nice holiday. Its thought he may have jumped into the sea off his jet ski to swim in the water. It doesnt make sense. He is a fighter and a strong swimmer. He vanished underwater the undercurrent must have been so strong.

The jet ski was found abandoned and the rescue mission was launched.

Boats and helicopters went out to look for him for three days but they closed the report just two days later June 17.

Its been such a long time. They never found a body.

I feel so sorry for Jay Slaters family. I have seen her tears. To lose a son, she is suffering and crying just like me.

Ricardo vanished in the sea off Tenerife five years ago ( Family Handout )

The grandmother of four said she last saw Ricardo for a family meal in April 2019 and but she will always cherish the last happy messages he sent her from the holiday.

She added: Its been such hard work. My younger son has autism he is angry and upset. He always loses his temper asking where his older brother has gone. He asks Why has he never come back to see us?

Ricardo was so good and supportive with children he would always work hard to stop bullies.

Debbie Duncan gave a tearful interview ( PA/ITN )

Its too late to describe my pain over these last five years. I try to stay strong and positive. I will never give up and never forget him but I have had problems with my health.

Every day I think about him from my heart.

( Deborah Clarke-Topper )

His friends sent out missing posters and set up a charity in his name RVS Foundation to raise legal fees to get his body, if ever discovered, finally returned home. It has raised just 1,721 over the past five years.

A statement on the Just Giving page read: Now all that is left for friends and family to do is pray that one of these days he is found.

Deborah Clarke-Topper lives on the island and has been helping the search for Jay Slater and others through her Facebook group Missing Persons Tenerife.

She told The Independent: As a result of publicising Ricardos case five years later, we may enable his family to know more about what happened and help get the documentation, at least a police report, so that they may have closure.

Overall, there are 10 cases that have occurred and remain open since the beginning of the year that we have identified at Missing Persons Tenerife.

One of the reasons the case of 19-year-old Briton Jay Slater has caught the attention of so many is that he is a young man on holiday who should have been having the time of his life.

In addition to recent cases, there are a number of historical cases that have never been resolved, particularly of young British men on holiday or working in the tourist areas of Tenerife, Britain being a large source of tourism.

Once the golden hours of the first days of a search are over, the chances of someone being found safe and well are reduced. However, even if not safe and well it is important for family and friends to get closure and to know what happened to their loved ones.

A Spanish police officer looks over the village of Masca, Tenerife, during the search for missing British teenager Jay Slater (James Manning/PA) ( PA Wire )

It came as Jay Slaters father voiced his frustration at the lack of officials assisting the search for his son and called for Interpol to take over.

Warren Slater has called for the British authorities and the international police authorities to get involved after the Spanish Police search for the apprentice bricklayer ended on June 30.

He told MailOnline: We need to, as a full family, do a proper press conference and ask the British authorities to help. Hes a British citizen. Get Interpol involved.

Its just us. I havent got a team. We need a team to come over here and find out for us what the police are doing and what we need to do.

Our hands are tied over here, we need experts. How long can you stay here for? Itll take an army 10 years to cover all this. Id employ a team of Gurkhas.

The search for his 19-year-old son has now entered its fourth week. Warren and Jays brother Zak are continuing to search near to his last known location in a treacherous gorge with a small group of local volunteers.
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 }}

The son of a jailed British citizen detained by China has urged a Labour government to help release his father amid fears he could die in prison.

Sebastien Lai, son of media mogul Jimmy Lai, said Labour must increase pressure on Hong Kong to secure the release of his 76-year-old father if the party takes power after Thursday.

Jimmy Lai, a lifelong opponent of the Chinese Communist Party, is facing a life sentence under charges described as politically motivated after being locked up for three years.

Sebastien Lai told The Independent: My hope is that my father gets out of jail before it is too late. In order for that to happen, a Labour government must increase pressure on Hong Kong, otherwise he may well die in jail.

I dont think Labour or the Conservatives want my father to die in jail, but it is now a matter of time. It has been three and a half years and at his age it could happen at any time.

Jimmy Lai is a lifelong critic of the Chinese Communist Party ( AFP/Getty )

Jimmy Lai was the founder of Hong Kongs tabloid newspaper Apple Daily, which was highly critical of the Chinese Communist Party for over the two decades it was printed.

His trial, which was delayed for a year, started in December 2023. He is one of more than 250 activists, lawmakers and protesters detained under the national security law and sedition charges.

Jimmy Lai was charged with four offences under Chinas national security law, one of which included lighting a candle in commemoration of the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989.

In December last year, UK foreign secretary David Cameron urged Chinese authorities to end the prosecution of Jimmy and called for his release.

In December 2023, The Independent demanded Mr Lais release ( The Independent )

Lord Cameron said: As a prominent and outspoken journalist and publisher, Jimmy Lai has been targeted in a clear attempt to stop the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of expression and association.

I urge the Chinese authorities to repeal the national security law and end the prosecution of all individuals charged under it. I call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their prosecution and release Jimmy Lai.

In April, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said Labour would adopt an approach that simultaneously challenges, competes against, and cooperates with China as appropriate.

Mr Lammy, who is likely to become Britains top diplomat if his poll-leading party takes power, added: It is in everyones interest that Chinas relationship with the West endures and evolves.

The Labour Party was approached for comment.
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 }}

Britains upcoming general election is widely expected to lead to a change of government for the first time in 14 years. Many analysts believe it will be one of the countrys most consequential elections since the end of World War II.

Ahead of the July 4 vote, The Associated Press takes a look back at other landmark U.K. elections since the war.

___

When former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called an election in December 2019, it was essentially about one issue: Brexit.

General elections in the U.K. are typically held in the spring or early summer. But in the fall of 2019, the recently-appointed Johnson gambled on holding one on December 12, when most people just want to get ready for Christmas and would rather think of anything but politics.

For Johnson, desperate times called for desperate measures. The June 23, 2016 Brexit referendum, won narrowly by those backing an exit from the European Union, triggered a chaotic period in politics.

Former Prime Minister David Cameron, who had campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU, had resigned immediately after his side lost the referendum.

His successor, Theresa May, tried but failed to find a Brexit formula that a majority in Parliament would back. Everyone seemingly had a different idea as to what post-Brexit deal the U.K. should have with the EU, and the original day of departure  March 2019  was delayed.

Parliament was in chaos, and Johnson, who succeeded May, pledged that he would get Get Brexit Done.

With Labours Brexit policy unclear and its left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn deeply unpopular, Johnsons Conservatives won their biggest majority since 1987 under Margaret Thatcher. Labour suffered its worst election result in terms of seats since the 1930s.

Johnson prevailed largely because his message was clear, especially in parts of the country that voted Brexit but had for decades voted Labour. The U.K. left the European Union on Jan. 31, 2020.

Any celebrations were short-lived, however, with a deadly coronavirus pandemic soon spreading around the world.

Johnson was forced to resign in the summer of 2022 after he was found to have lied to Parliament over lockdown-breaching parties at his offices in Downing Street. The 49-day tenure of his successor, Liz Truss, was even more chaotic after she unveiled unfunded tax cuts that roiled financial markets and sent borrowing costs for homeowners surging.

It's a dual legacy that their successor Rishi Sunak has had to contend with ahead of Thursday's election.
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 }}

Voters have been required to bring photographic identification for certain elections in the UK since May 2023.

This came after parliament passed the Elections Act in April 2022, enacting a recommendation the Electoral Commission first made in 2014.

Voter ID is now required at by-elections and recall petitions, general elections, local elections and referendums in England, and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales.

The new rules do not apply to Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd, or council elections taking place in Scotland or Wales.

The new ID laws have already been in place in many local elections and by-elections since being implemented. But 2024 will be the first year they are in place for a general election, after Rishi Sunak announced a snap election on July 4 at the end of May.

Heres everything you need to know about voter ID ahead of upcoming general election:

What ID do I need to vote?

There are many different forms of ID that will be accepted at the polling station. It must be photographic ID - meaning a bank card is not valid, for instance.

Accepted forms of ID include:

Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state, or a Commonwealth country

A photo driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (including a provisional driving licence)

A Blue Badge

Older Persons Bus Pass

Disabled Persons Bus Pass

Freedom Pass

Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)

Biometric immigration document

Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)

National identity card issued by an EEA state

Anonymous Electors Document

You can use an out-of-date photo ID provided it still looks like you. A full list of accepted forms of ID can be found on the Electoral Commission website.

What if I dont have voter ID?

If you do not have any of the accepted forms of photo ID, you are able to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. Its free to apply for, and will be accepted at the polling station when you want to vote.

You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate on the Electoral Commission website. It is free and they do not expire, although it is recommended you reapply every 10 years to ensure your likeness remains similar to the ID.

A voter leaves a polling station after voting in the Rochdale by-election on February 29 ( Getty Images )

If you dont bring an accepted form of photo ID to the polling station, you will be turned away.

What are the issues around voter ID?

The government sought to pass the new voter ID laws to crack down on election fraud, specifically personation. This is a criminal offence, where a person votes at an election pretending to be someone theyre not.

Writing after they were passed, then-levelling up minister Kemi Badenoch said the new law means we can eliminate election fraud and make elections more inclusive, ensuring that everyone eligible to vote will continue to have the opportunity to do so.

However, critics of the voter ID rules have pointed out that cases of electoral fraud are rare in the UK, and personation even more so. Latest data from the Electoral Commission shows that, between 2018 and 2022, only 11 of the 1,386 alleged cases of electoral fraud resulted in convictions.

There are also concerns that voter ID laws can disproportionately affect marginalised communities ability to vote.

In 2021, government-commissioned research found that those with limiting disabilities, the unemployed, people without qualifications, and those who had never voted before were among the least likely to hold a valid form of photo ID.

Further research presented to the House of Commons found that the changes may result in 1.1 million fewer people voting in the next general election.

As there is no justification for this threat to the right to vote, it feels like an opportunistic attack on the rights of some of the most marginalised people in society, said a spokesperson for the Liberty human rights advocacy group in 2021.

A classic example of ruling through division and distrust.

The governments choice to accept forms of local travel photo ID for older people, but not younger people, has also come under scrutiny. Neither the 16-25 or 26-30 railcard are accepted.

Labour MP Nadia Whittome said: The new voter ID requirement will stop many young people from voting  and it seems that is by design, not by accident.

The government has given older voters, who are more likely to vote Conservative, a large range of acceptable forms of ID, while providing very few options for young people.

Levelling up minister Dehenna Davison has defended the decision, saying: Young persons railcards are generally offered in both digital and hard copy formats.

The government did not specifically include digital format documents for the roll-out of the policy, in order to support its effective delivery.
Even when the situation is hopeless, the leaders of a doomed party in a general election usually try to show a brave face. They have set phrases to rely on in such difficult circumstances. The only poll that matters is the one on polling day. All to play for. Lots of undecideds out there. Thats not what were hearing. Its too early to say, lets see what the results are.

Indeed, that has been the pattern this year, too  until now. In effect conceding defeat, and a heavy one at that, top Tories are now asking voters to back them to provide a strong opposition to the expected Labour landslide, or supermajority, as theyre calling it. That, translated, means dont vote for Reform UK or the Liberal Democrats, as well as not voting for Labour. It is a transparent effort to rally the wavering Tories, and/or a hint that Labour voters neednt turn out.

Grant Shapps was the first to get this chatter going about a week ago, and now Mel Stride, a close ally of Rishi Sunak, is claiming that the scale of the Labour majority in the Commons will exceed that of New Labour in 1997, or the National Government in 1931. Everyone agrees that this election will be historic  but how historic and record-breaking it will be remains to be seen.

As always with Britains idiosyncratic voting system, its (almost) a matter of how well the parties are doing not in absolute terms, but in relation to their rivals. Lead is the thing, and everything is relative, as Einstein never quite said...

Will Labours majority be the largest in history?

Probably not  but near enough. Stride cited the unique example of 1931  held in the middle of a financial crisis, when a new, cross-party National Government was asking for a doctors mandate to deal with it. The majority for all the groups supporting the government then was 493, after they won a massive 554 seats out of 615 in the Commons. Thats rather more than even the best recent poll showing for Labour.

That said, Keir Starmer does have a good chance of beating the majorities of Tony Blair in 1997 (179), Margaret Thatcher in 1983 (144), Clement Attlee in 1945 (146), and Henry Campbell-Bannerman in 1906 (140). So, most likely, it will be the second largest ever, and the largest ever for Labour.

What will Labours popular mandate look like?

Surprisingly weak. If, say, Starmer wins 39 per cent of the vote, that will be less than Blair won in 1997 and 2001, less than Wilson in 1964, Attlee in 1945, or even what Jeremy Corbyn achieved when he lost in 2017. On a turnout of, say, 65 per cent, that will translate into just 25 per cent of the total electorate. Thats actually a little worse than, say, David Cameron in 2015, Theresa Mays minority administration in 2017, or either of Wilsons narrow wins in 1974; but better, on this metric, than Blair in 2001 or 2005.

Why does such a routine vote for Labour translate into such a dominant position in the House of Commons?

Britain doesnt have a system of proportional representation, and the combination of first-past-the-post and territorial constituencies tends to exaggerate swings in opinion, rewarding parties with efficient vote distribution. Thus Reform, with about 10 to 20 per cent of the vote almost everywhere but very few places where they will get more than that, will end up with only a few MPs. The Lib Dems, on far fewer votes, are more targeted, and will get 50 plus.

The British system also starts to go haywire when the traditional two-party set-up breaks down  and arguably, Britain now has a five-party set-up, not including the nationalists in Scotland and Wales. Then things get very disproportionate or unfair.

We had similarly bizarre situations in the 1980s, when the SDP-Liberal Alliance split the centre/left vote and rewarded Thatchers Tories with huge majorities on a fairly mediocre vote. Similarly random outcomes arose in the 1920s, when Labour began to eclipse the Liberals.

Because of a strong showing for the Greens, Reform UK, and, to a lesser degree, the Liberal Democrats, the 2024 election will probably see the lowest combined vote for the two main parties ever (say 60 to 65 per cent vs 75.7 per cent in 2019 and 82.4 per cent in 2017).

Its the gap between the two major parties that matters. With a Labour lead of around 20 percentage points (roughly a 2:1 ratio), no winning party has had such an advantage, with the single exception of the National Government in 1931. The same goes for the swing from 2019  which is likely to be the biggest ever, with a concomitant collapse in the Tory vote and the scale of tactical voting.

What about the Tories?

They are quite possibly looking at their worst result ever in a general election, or leastways since the passage of the Great Reform Act of 1832. The Commons benchmarks are the 165 MPs (out of 659) elected in 1997, and the 157 (out of 670) secured by AJ Balfour in 1906. In terms of share of the vote, the 19 to 23 per cent that most polls point to is easily their worst ever. The previous nadir was 31.5 per cent in 1997.

In terms of any principal opposition partys strength, theres a strong chance that Sunak will still manage to exceed Labours pitiful 52 members elected in 1931; if the Conservatives are in that sort of territory, then theyll probably be coming third and ceding the title of official opposition to the Liberal Democrats. In that case, Ed Davey will find himself the first Liberal leader of the opposition since 1906.
Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent 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 Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

New polling has forecast how the UKs different ethnic minority groups will likely be voting on Thursday, with the war in Gaza a major concern for 1 in 5 of the nations Asian voters.

Exclusive polling for The Independent by More In Common shows that Black voters are still far more likely to vote Labour than any other party and more than any other ethnicity.

Despite the Labours recent race rows, some 64 per cent of Black voters are set to rally behind Sir Keir Starmers party, compared with 37 per cent of the countrys white population.

Ethnic minority voters aged 55+ are twice as likely (29 per cent) to vote Conservative as those aged 25-34 (14 per cent), and four times more than 18-24 year olds (seven per cent).

Ed Hodgson, research manager at More In Common, said: Labour looks set to match their strong national performance with a strong vote share among ethnic minority voters. Given the younger skew of this group, many of them will have voted Labour at every election since 2010, and never voted in a Labour Government.

Ethnic minority voters overwhelmingly think that a Labour government would make their life better, so this election marks the first chance for Labour to prove that this is the case.

Middle East conflict a factor impacting votes

The Independents exclusive polling also shows that the attacks in Gaza are seen as a top issue among one in five Asian voters.

This means that Asian voters are six times more likely to see the Middle East conflict as a major issue than white voters; 20 per cent compared to three per cent.

Mr Hodgson from More In Common said Labour has harmed its reputation with Muslim voters over its early stance on Israels campaign against Hamas, although they may still stay loyal.

Mr Hodgson added: For some of Britains Muslim Community, Labour has lost their trust over their stance on Gaza. However, given that less than a quarter list Gaza in their top three election issues, Labours vote share remains strong.

This means that, for the most part, regaining the trust of Britains Muslims will be a challenge for after the election.

Labours leadership has faced criticism from within the party and beyond over its initial stance on the conflict, with Sir Keir criticised for refusing to back an immediate ceasefire in favour of calling for humanitarian pauses.

Zara Mohammed, the General Secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain, told The Independent that our polling highlights significant concerns across Muslim communities and wider British society.

Many are pained by what is happening in Gaza and are dissatisfied with the political response from the major parties and the current leadership, Ms Mohammed said.

There is also a strong desire to ensure that Britain is not complicit in the ongoing genocide case against Israel. For the upcoming election, it will be crucial for the next Prime Minister and government to effectively achieve a long-term peaceful solution in the Middle East.

Amid these tensions, 19 per cent of Asian voters believe that a Labour government may actually make their life worse.

Overall, however, 43 per cent of ethnic minority voters still believe a Labour government will make their life better.

While half of all ethnic minority voters believe Labour reflects their views, a third of young voters (18-24) and older voters (45+) do not feel represented by the policies of Sir Keirs party.

Labour has recently been embroiled in a number of racism rows around its treatment of barrister Martin Forde, longstanding MP Diane Abbott, and prospective parliamentarian and academic Faiza Shaheen.

Last month, The Independent revealed that Labour attempted to gag Mr Forde, who authored a report that exposed a hierarchy of racism within the party.

Meanwhile, Ms Abbott had the Labour whip restored last month, following suspension, but it was briefed out that she might be barred from running for the party in the General Election.

For days, Sir Keir declined to say whether she would be defending her Hackney North and Stoke Newington seat on July 4, as he faced claims of a purge of left-wing candidates.

Ethnic minority voters are also far more likely to be concerned about jobs and unemployment than white voters, with 1 in 3 Asian voters and Black voters focusing on these issues, compared to 1 in 10 white voters.

Recent analysis by the Trade Union Congress highlighted that the unemployment rate for Black, minority and ethnic workers is more than double that of white workers.

In a similar vein, Black voters are twice as likely to be concerned about affordable housing in this election (32 per cent ) compared to white voters (15 per cent), according to our poll.

Across England and Wales, people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities face disproportionate homelessness. Black people in particular are four times more likely to be homeless than the wider population.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: Racial inequity is hard-wired into our housing system. Structural racism and discrimination mean the odds are often stacked against people of colour: they are less likely to have a safe and secure home and more likely to become homeless.

Whoever gets the keys to Number 10 must prioritise building a new generation of genuinely affordable social homes. We also need robust renting regulation to root out discrimination in private renting.
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 }}

Voters in the UK will visit polling stations up and down the country on July 4 to have their say in which political party they want to represent their area and country.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak announced the snap general election at the end of May, sparking six frantic weeks of political campaigning. June has seen leaders, candidates and activists fight for every last vote: knocking on doors, taking part in televised debates, and trying to avoid controversy.

For the latest political updates ahead of the general election, follow The Independents live coverage

Polling suggests the election will mark the end of 14 years of Conservative governance, with Labour flying ahead in projected voting intention. Some also predict smaller parties like the Lib Dems, Greens and Nigel Farages Reform UK could pick up record seats.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer during their BBC head-to-head debate ( PA Media )

The true picture will remain unclear until July 5, when the UK will wake up to a new administration. Before that, the electorate must take to their local polling stations to cast their votes (if they have not done so already via a postal vote).

To ensure everyone gets a fair and equal chance to participate in this democratic process, there are a number of rules in place which must be followed in and around polling stations.

Heres everything you need to know about polling day.

Where is my polling station and when does it open?

After registering to vote, you should be sent your polling card, which will tell you where your local polling station is. This is the only one you can visit on polling day, as staff there will carry your details. You do not need to take this document with you to vote.

If you have not received your polling card, the Electoral Commission  which oversees UK elections  offers a service to check where yours will be by postcode.

All polling stations open at 7am and close at 10pm. If you are queuing up to vote before 10pm and it goes past this time, polling station staff must still allow you to place your vote.

Filling out your ballot

To fill out your ballot, you need to put a single X in the box to the right of the candidate you want to vote for. You will then fold your ballot in half and put it in the clearly marked ballot box nearby.

If you put more than one mark, write anything on your ballot, leave it blank or otherwise stray too far from the intended method of filling it in, it will be considered a spoilt ballot and not counted towards any candidate.

It is best not to put a tick or any other mark, as count assistants  who need to work very fast  may read this as a spoilt ballot. If you make a mistake, you should ask the polling station staff for a replacement, rather than trying to correct it.

You can use either the pencil provided, or use your own pen or pencil if you wish. Pens are generally not provided due to the possibility of the ink smudging.

Remembering your voter ID

This will be the first UK general election where ID is required to vote, after new laws came into place in 2022. This means you must bring an accepted for of photographic identification to be permitted to cast your ballot.

Accepted forms of ID include:

Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state, or a Commonwealth country

A photo driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (including a provisional driving licence)

A Blue Badge

Older Persons Bus Pass

Disabled Persons Bus Pass

Freedom Pass

Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)

Biometric immigration document

Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)

National identity card issued by an EEA state

Anonymous Electors Document

For more information, The Independent has prepared a handy guide to voter ID.

Taking your postal vote to the polling station

If youve applied for a postal vote, but its either arrived too late or youve not managed to post it in time: fear not. You are able to take your postal vote to the polling station by no later than 10pm on polling day and it will still be counted.

You are also able to ask a trusted person to take it in for you, if you cant make it to the station yourself on the day.

Bringing dogs (or other pets) to the polling station

You can bring your dog to the polling station. For some, its a tradition. Its up to the discretion of the station staff, but in most cases they will ask that dogs (or other pets) be tied up outside.

Yes, you can bring your dog to the polling station ( Getty Images )

The exception is assistance dogs, which are always permitted.

Talking to other voters

When it comes to chatting with other voters inside the polling station, theres just one rule. Conversation is perfectly welcome, so long as you dont engage in political discussion.

This is because such chat could be considered political campaigning, which is strictly forbidden inside polling stations. Instead, try the weather, pets, or holiday plans (provided your fellow voter is happy to engage).

Taking selfies at the polling station

If you want to let all your friends and/or followers know that youve voted on July 4, a selfie is a great way to do it  but be wary.

While you are allowed to take pictures (including selfies) outside the polling station, you must not take any inside. The Electoral Commission  which oversees UK elections  says this is because it risks the secrecy of the ballot.

If you reveal how someone else voted, even by accident, you could be hit with a 5,000 fine or six months in prison. Best not to risk it.

Bringing children with you to vote

Parents are very welcome to bring their children with them to polling stations and can bring them inside.

Children are allowed to accompany their parents at all times in the station, or can wait in a safe place if preferable. But they must not mark a ballot paper themselves.
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 warned voters against enabling a Labour supermajority at the general election on Thursday as his party continues to lag behind in the polls.

The prime minister tested out the new line on the campaign trail in the run-up to polling day in a decidedly defensive move against Sir Keir Starmers Labour Party.

The outcome of this election is not a foregone conclusion, said Mr Sunak. If just 130,000 people switch their vote and lend us their support, we can deny Starmer that supermajority.

Just think about that: you have the power to use your vote to prevent an unchecked Labour government.

For the latest political updates ahead of the general election, follow The Independents live coverage

Rishi Sunak delivers a speech in central London while on the general election campaign trai ( James Manning/PA Wire )

In making this warning, the prime minister doubtless has in mind his partys position in the polls. Most experts are putting Conservatives an average of 20 points behind Labour, with the gap only widening since the general election was called.

Some worst-case projections for the Tories see the party gaining as few as 120 seats. This would be a drop of 245 from 2019, and mark the partys worst-ever result.

Meanwhile, Labour could win as many as 420 seats, up by 217 and far exceeding the 326 needed for a majority. This would give them a majority of 190.

This would even pip Labours 1997 result under Tony Blair when the party won 419 seats and secured a majority of 179, a figure that remains the record high for any political party.

If these predictions become reality, it would certainly be a very large majority for Labour  but is the prime minister right in warning of a supermajority?

Heres everything you need to know about the term and what it could mean for UK politics.

What is a supermajority?

The term supermajority is most typically used in reference to US politics. This is because it is a crucial part of the US federal system, where a supermajority refers to a qualified majority of two-thirds.

In the US Congress a supermajority vote is needed for some major legislative actions, such as removing an impeached president from office, declaring a president incapable of serving, or amending the constitution.

It is slightly different for the Senate, where a majority of 60 per cent (meaning 60 of the 100 members) is needed to close a debate or bill without interference from minority members.

However, actually achieving these numbers is exceedingly rare, meaning bargains often need to be made. The last time any party enjoyed a supermajority in Congress was in 1965, when the Democrats under Lyndon B. Johnson had a majority of 68 per cent.

Sir Keir Starmer may be on the verge of becoming Britains next prime minister ( PA Wire )

Could we get a supermajority in the UK?

If considering just the technical definition of the term, the concept of a supermajority does not apply to UK parliament.

The governing party in the country will generally be whichever won a majority of seats at the general election. If no party gains a majority, it is a hung parliament and the leader can either form a minority government or strike a deal with another party to push them over the line. This is what happened after both the 2010 and 2017 general elections.

To pass legislation in the House of Commons, 50 per cent of MPs (plus one) need to vote on legislation for it to pass. This means the governing party is rarely defeated when attempting to pass a bill. The last time a government bill was outvoted in its final stage was 1977.

In parliamentary terms, the difference between an 80-seat and 200-seat majority is not material, writes Institute for Government director Dr Hannah White.

The most significant factor for democracy is the attitude a government takes to the role of parliament and the value of scrutiny.

It is this last point that Mr Sunak may have been alluding to more in his campaigning. In parliament, a key scrutiny measure comes from select committees, cross-party groups of backbench MPs will will hold the government to account on specific issues.

The chairs and members of these committees will be distributed based on the strength of each party in parliament. If Labour holds a record majority, they will have more of their own members holding them to account.

Another factor likely hanging over the prime minister is the reduction of funds allocated to parties with fewer seats. Short money is given to opposition parties with either two seats of more than 150,000 votes in one seat.

These parties will receive 21,438 a year for every seat they win, plus 42.82 for every 200 votes and a portion of travel expenses. The leader of the oppositions office also gets an annual 998,817.

However, none of this is much different to the situation Labour and smaller parties face currently. Experts have generally criticised Mr Sunak for stoking fears of a supermajority, pointing out that it would simply be a similar scenario to the circumstances his party has enjoyed for the last 14 years.
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 }}

Rishi Sunak will lead the Conservatives to their worst election result in history, with a major poll for The Independent suggesting that the party will hold on to just 82 seats.

The Techne survey, released on the eve of the general election, put Labour on course for a 272-seat majority, with Sir Keir Starmer winning 461 seats.

Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign

After a day of Tory infighting over the potential outcome of the election, with one of Mr Sunaks closest allies conceding that Labour will win in a record-breaking landslide, four polls predicted how many seats each party would gain.

While there was a range of results, the worst outcome put the Tories on course to drop below 100 seats, while the best-case scenario saw them winning just 126. This would far exceed the defeat faced by John Major in 1997, when the number of Conservative seats fell to 165.

All outcomes would beat the Tories worst election result in history, which came in 1906 when the party won just 156 seats and Arthur Balfour, who had quit as prime minister a month earlier, lost in his own constituency.

The unprecedented drubbing predicted in Thursdays election marks an incredible fall from grace for the party, which won 365 seats just five years ago under Boris Johnson. Even members of Mr Sunaks inner circle have warned that he could lose in his constituency of Richmond and Northallerton, one of the safest Tory seats in the country.

The Techne poll for The Independent forecast that Sir Keir would become prime minister with 461 seats, the Conservatives would come second with 82, and the Liberal Democrats third with 55. Meanwhile, it suggested that Nigel Farages Reform UK would win seven seats, including Clacton in Essex where Mr Farage is standing.

The bombshell survey came as the prime minister was forced to insist he was still fighting hard for every vote after cabinet minister Mel Stride said Britain was heading for the largest Labour landslide this country has ever seen.

Rishi Sunaks Conservatives are heading for a record defeat ( PA Wire )

Meanwhile, former home secretary Suella Braverman declared the race over, urging the party to prepare for the reality and frustration of opposition.

As walls crumbled around the Conservatives, Sir Keir remained cautious, denying that a Labour landslide was inevitable and telling voters: I say, if you want change, you have to vote for it.

Keir Starmer is on course to win an even bigger majority than Tony Blair ( PA Wire )

But after weeks of Labour sitting 20 points or more ahead of the Conservatives in the opinion polls, the slew of surveys suggested that Mr Sunak would lead his party to a crushing defeat.

A poll by More in Common predicted that the party would win just 126 seats, with Labour on a total of 430. It also indicated that the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, defence secretary Grant Shapps, and veterans minister Johnny Mercer are all on course to be ousted by their constituents.

Speaking to Times Radio on Wednesday, work and pensions secretary Mr Stride made the extraordinary concession: I totally accept that where the polls are at the moment means that tomorrow is likely to see the largest Labour landslide majority this country has ever seen  much bigger than 1997.

But brushing off the doom and gloom, Mr Sunak told ITVs This Morning: We just saw some analysis which showed that just 130,000 people can make the difference in this election. So, everyone watching who thinks, Oh, this is all a foregone conclusion  its not.

The eve of the election also saw the publication of a poll by Focaldata suggesting that the Conservatives would retain just 108 seats, with Labour storming to power on 444.

And YouGovs final survey of the general election projected that Labour would win 431 seats, with the Conservative Party suffering its worst ever result with just 102.

Among those set to lose their seats is chancellor Jeremy Hunt, polls suggest ( PA )

Mr Sunak will be hoping that a last-minute intervention by Mr Johnson will be enough to stem some of the losses. At a rally for the Tory faithful on Tuesday night, the former prime minister made his first in-person appearance on the campaign trail. Warning against a Labour sledgehammer majority ... pregnant with horrors, Mr Johnson urged Tory activists to fight for every possible vote in the remaining hours of the campaign.

But former chancellor George Osborne said Mr Johnsons intervention had made him wonder what was the point of changing leaders in the first place.

The senior Tory said on his Political Thinking podcast that the party would descend into chaos after the results were counted on Friday. He said: Tory discipline  which is fraying, to put it mildly  will completely collapse on the night, adding: All hell is going to break out in the Tory party in the early hours of Friday morning.

Mr Osborne said that Labour, by contrast, will see discipline become even stronger. Theres not going to be anyone who wants to say anything that is going to damage their chances of being in Keir Starmers cabinet, he added.

Suella Braverman says the election is over and has called on her party to prepare for opposition ( Getty )

After the last day of campaigning, Mr Sunak said he has a clear conscience in relation to the work he has done as prime minister.

He said: In terms of how I do this job, I work as hard as I can, I do what I believe is right for the country. That clear conscience is the softest pillow, as my father-in-law says.

As long as I can look [at] myself in the mirror and know that I am working as hard as I can, doing what I believe is right for the country, that is how I get through, and that is what I believe I am doing.
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 }}

Sierra Leone officially banned child marriages with president Julius Maada Bio signing into law a bill that aimed at ending the practice in a major win for childrens rights.

The law, passed by parliament, criminalises the marriage of girls under the age of 18 and prescribes jail term of up to 15 years for offenders and a fine of around $4,000 (3200). Parents or those attending such marriage ceremonies could also face fines.

"Freedom has come for our women," Mr Bio said in the capital Freetown, during a ceremony organised by first lady Fatima Bio.

It is a "beacon of hope in Africa where women have boundless opportunities to be and determine their own future and inspire the world, the president said, reported AFP.

Advocates hope the new legislation will better protect girls in Sierra Leone, around a third of whom are married underage, increasing the maternal death rate due to the physical risks they face from pregnancy, according to the health ministry.

Khadijatu Barrie, a university student, who welcomed the ban lamented the delay in bringing in the bill that could have prevented her younger sibling from being married off at 14.

I really wish it had happened earlier, Ms Barrie, 26, told BBC News. I could have at least saved my sister and my friends and other neighbours.

She was faced with a similar fate at the age of 10, the gender studies student told the British However, she resisted and fled from the house before finding teachers and sympathetic activists willing to fund her education.

The US Bureau of African Affairs welcomed the passage of the bill as a "significant milestone (that) not only protects girls but promotes robust human rights protections".

West and Central Africa has the highest prevalence of child marriage in the world and is home to nearly 60 million child brides, according to the UN childrens agency Unicef.

A 21-year-old Sierra Leonean former child bride, who requested anonymity, told Reuters that she was forced into marriage at the age of 14 and was considering going to court since the new law would allow her to file for an annulment.

The legislation should "break the cycle of early marriage and its devastating consequences," said Human Rights Watch researcher Betty Kabari. "It also sets a pathway forward for other African nations, such as Tanzania and Zambia, to revoke laws that permit child marriage."

Additional reporting by agencies
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 }}

Behind the scenes at the first debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the buzzy atmosphere of the spin room descended into horror-struck silence within a first few minutes of the president opening his mouth. While Trump told bombastic lies in front of us, Biden struggled to recall what were obviously canned responses.

At one point, a former prominent TV commentator got up from their seat and started pacing back and forth, worriedly. Biden aides and surrogates, who had been in constant communication with each of us throughout the day, fell silent, one by one.

When the cameras stopped rolling and the debate was over, a whole team of Trump surrogates flooded onto the spin room floor. That included multiple Republicans  Ben Carson and Lindsey Graham among them  who have been vying for the ex-presidents favor as he seeks a new veep pick.

All of those Republican operators and MAGA staff members were eager to tell us reporters how Bidens performance had telegraphed weakness on the world stage. They confidently declared that Trump had won.

By contrast, the Biden surrogates were nowhere to be found.

While some of the assembled press were interested in what the Republicans had to say, the vast majority were looking for Bidens backers to defend his performance.

Finally, they came out as a group, grim-faced, to face a wave of reporters, producers and videographers at the far end of the spin room. Their sudden appearance led to a comically packed scrum, with your correspondent being crushed between an NBC reporter, a Biden spokesperson and the sitting governor of California, Gavin Newsom  who everyone had already started whispering about replacing the president.

I held up a recorder to capture their words as they recited their talking points, struggling to breathe.

Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler told us that viewers saw in the presidents performance a very clear contrast with Trump and a very clear choice in this election. He also said Trump had took the stage and lied the entire night, grew increasingly unhinged throughout the night and reminded the American people by the end of the debate exactly why they fired him in the first place four years ago.

But we all knew the real truth. And most of us also knew why.

Earlier in the week, I spoke to multiple Biden campaign strategists and former Democratic operatives about how the president was preparing for the debate at Camp David. All of them described a punishing and rigorous process during which Biden would practise hitting back at various criticisms and insults expected from Trump on the night.

Their strategy had one major flaw: it relied on memory  not the presidents strong point, at 81 years of age  and on the delivery of facts. Facts are all very well and good during a political campaign and, of course, are paramount for policy. But debates are about who you are. Trump knows that very well.

Indeed, when my colleague Eric Garcia asked Democratic representatives in Congress what they thought Biden should remember on the stage ahead of Thursday night, they kept repeating one line: Be himself.

Senator Lindsey Graham shares his post-debate views ( The Independent/Andrew Feinberg )

Yet Biden had very little space to be himself among those pre-prepared lines. He was at his best when he was being extemporaneous during the debate (for there were good moments for the president, even if they were few and far between) rather than recalling minutiae. Where he couldve projected personality, he instead exposed his own concerning downsides.

Trump, in contrast, relied on being himself, and came out looking just fine. The supposed facts he often pulls out the air may be questionable, but thats not what matters when the lights are on and the cameras are rolling.

A close confidante of the president who assisted with his debate prep for the past week replied to a query from The Independent about Bidens early stumbles by pointing out that he was starting to hit back on Trump harder than he had in the past. And its true that Biden did try that. Fifteen minutes in, he finally began landing blows, at one point hitting Trump as a sucker and loser after he claimed to have done more to help injured veterans than Biden, who earlier this year signed the largest veterans aid bill to pass Congress in decades. He also took aim at Trumps status as a convicted felon, his anti-Nato isolationism, and the ex-presidents frequent and blatant lies about the legal cases he faces in three other state and federal courts.

Rep Jasmine Crockett speaks as Senator Raphael Warnock and Gavin Newsom look on. Newsom said that he would never turn [his] back on President Biden ( The Independent/Andrew Feinberg )

But it just wasnt enough.

Gavin Newsom, who for months has been alleged to be positioning himself as waiting in the wings when Biden withdraws, echoed other surrogates talking points to reporters right after the debate wrapped up.

Im a little old-fashioned. I care about policy. I care about facts, he said.

As campaign aides shouted down reporters who attempted to ask him if hed step in as Bidens replacement if called on, Newsom said he was very proud of the presidents performance.

He also vehemently denied that he would even consider stepping in were Biden to be removed or step down.

I would never turn my back on President Biden, he said.

Whether he might help him out by taking over if called upon, however, might be another thing entirely.
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 }}

Campaign staffers are preparing to shift their focus to elevating, then electing, Vice President Kamala Harris, sources have told The Independent, even as Joe Biden vehemently denies any intention to stand aside from the 2024 election race.

A steady stream of Democrats have begun calling for Biden to withdraw his candidacy after he spent the 90-minute face-off against former President Donald Trump delivering a number of rambling, nonsensical answers and appearing to lose his train of thought on multiple occasions, leaving supporters aghast at his condition.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spent much of Wednesdays press briefing telling reporters that it is Bidens intention to stay in, and he reportedly told campaign staff on a conference call earlier in the day that he intends to remain on the ballot in this years election. A Biden campaign spokesperson, Seth Schuster, told The Independent that Biden is absolutely not dropping out.

Schuster also disputed reporting that the president was even considering doing so, calling it categorically false.

Biden spoke in his own defense on a call with campaign staff on Wednesday. According to a source familiar with the call, the president said: Im in this race to the end and were going to win because when Democrats unite, we will always win. Just as we beat Donald Trump in 2020, wre going to beat him again in 2024.

Harris, who was also on the call, echoed his comments, telling campaign aides: We will not back down. We will follow our presidents lead. We will fight, and we will win.

The presidents defiant stance came after Biden and his allies have spent the last week putting forth numerous shifting explanations for his poor performance, at first blaming a cold and then jet lag. Some insiders think its inevitable for the president to drop out of the race in favor of his running-mate.

One Democratic strategist who worked on Bidens 2020 campaign and still speaks regularly to senior campaign officials told The Independent on Wednesday that theres no question that Harris would soon be passed the torch and described it as not so much a matter of whether Biden will make the unprecedented decision, but when.

The strategist said campaign officials have been counseling prominent Democrats to refrain from explicitly calling for Biden to withdraw his candidacy in favor of letting him make the decision on his own.

He doesnt want to be pushed out. He wants to make the choice, he said.

The Independent understands that Bidens campaign staff and White House officials are set to participate in all-hands calls throughout Wednesday, during which leaders will attempt to reassure them that all is well and lay out the way forward.

But a second source close to the campaign says this weekend will likely see Biden make the decision on whether to withdraw and elevate Harris.

Tomorrow [Thursday] is when Biden is going to sit down with the family. Like, thats going to be the really big decision  its not even really a decision because I think we all know where its going, they said.

The source added that right now, its just about how it happens and how smoothly it happens.

Biden has spent the last week hunkered down with top advisers in hopes that he could weather the firestorm that erupted within minutes of the primetime debate.

After initially acknowledging that hed had a bad night and telling supporters the next day that he realizes that he does not debate as well as he once did, Biden debuted a new explanation for his troubles at a private fundraiser late Tuesday, telling donors he was fatigued from a taxing travel schedule.

I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through I dont know how many time zones  in the couple of weeks before the debate, he said. And I didnt listen to my staff. And I came back and I nearly fell asleep onstage.

Biden has agreed to an interview with ABCs George Stephanopolous to be taped on Friday for the networks Sunday public affairs program, This Week. It is understood that clips from the longer show will be aired Friday night on David Muirs World News Tonight.

The president has also committed to a press conference at next weeks NATO summit, which he is hosting in Washington.

But behind the scenes, he has privately told allies that his efforts at damage control may be all for naught. According to CNN, he told one confidante: Its not working, and left the impression that he would stand down if polling does not improve and fundraising takes a toll following the ABC interview.
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 }}

Buc-ees superfans were left heartbroken after the original location of the iconic chain was destroyed in a massive Monday fire.

Emergency services from multiple agencies responded to the blaze around 10.30am at the store in Luling, Texas, and blocked off the area as fire crews fought to control the blaze.

Photos shared online by the Luling Fire Department showed enormous plumes of smoke, contrasting with the chains happy, smiling beaver mascot.

Caldwell County Office of Emergency Management later said that the fire had been extinguished and that clean-up operations were underway, though advised the public to avoid the area if possible. No further information has been released as to the cause of the blaze.

The original Buc-ees building opened more than two decades ago in 2003, but was replaced by a brand new center, directly across the road, which opened on June 10.

The original Buc-ees building opened more than two decades ago in 2003, but was replaced by a brand new center, directly across the road, which opened on June 10 ( Getty Images )

At 75,000-square-foot with 120 gas pumps, the new Buc-ees is the largest convenience store in the world. Over 200 people will be employed there, providing thousands of snack, meal and drink options for travelers on the go, the company told USA Today.

The American chain of enormous gas stations and general stores has become known for roadside snacks  featuring BBQ brisket sandwiches and its signature Beaver Nuggets  as well as the worlds cleanest bathrooms and the friendliest beaver mascot. Over the years it has attracted a cult following across the states.

"The new Buc-ees Luling will be the largest Buc-ees location in the country, bringing the largest Buc-ees back where the legend began," the company said in a press release last month, prior to the fire.

The previous record-holding Buc-ees in Sevierville, Tennessee, which also has 120 pumps, 22 electric vehicle charging stations, and a 250-foot-long car wash within its 74,707 square foot location.

A new location is scheduled to break ground along Interstate 75 near Ocala, Florida, next year.

While it was initially reported that the Florida chain was set to break Lulings record at a staggering 80,000 square feet, the company maintained that the largest convenience store will remain in its home state of Texas.

"Buc-ees is currently in the design and permitting phase for a 74,000 square foot-store in Ocala, FL, which is our largest store model outside the state of Texas, Stan Beard, Buc-ees director of real estate and development, told the Daytona Beach News-Journal on June 7.

"Regarding square footage, the largest store outside of Texas will not exceed 74,000 square feet.

Buc-ees travel center was founded in 1982 in Texas, and began its expansion across the US in 2018 with the opening of a location in Alabama.

The company has since opened 14 other locations in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri and Colorado. Earlier this year, Buc-ees announced the opening of its first location in North Carolina.

The Associated Press 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 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 has deported 116 Chinese migrants back home in the first large charter flight in five years, the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday.

The flight, which happened over the weekend, comes as Chinese immigration has become the subject of intense political debate in the upcoming US presidential election.

"We will continue to enforce our immigration laws and remove individuals without a legal basis to remain in the United States, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.

The department said it was working with China to reduce and deter irregular migration and to disrupt illicit human smuggling through expanded law enforcement efforts.

It did not respond to questions about how long the migrants had been in the US.

In recent years, the United States has had a difficult time returning Chinese nationals who do not have the right to stay in America because China has resisted taking them back. Last year, the United States saw a drastic surge in the number of Chinese immigrants entering the country illegally from Mexico.

US border officials arrested more than 37,000 Chinese nationals on the southern border in 2023, 10 times the number during the previous year.

Chinese migration has increasingly become a rallying cry for Republicans and former President Donald Trump who have raised suspicions about why Chinese migrants are coming to the US.

Asian advocacy organizations are concerned that the rhetoric could encourage harassment of Asians, while migrants themselves have said theyre coming to escape poverty and repression.

Earlier this year, the US and China resumed cooperation on migration issues.

The Chinese government has said it is firmly opposed to all forms of illegal immigration. In a statement in May, China's Embassy in the US said the country's law enforcement was cracking down hard on crimes that harm the tranquillity of national border, and maintained a high pressure against all kinds of smuggling organizations and offenders.

Homeland Security said they are working with China on more removal flights in the future but did not give a timeline for when the next one would happen.

Earlier this year, a charter flight carried a small but unknown number of deportees to the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang, according to Thomas Cartwright of Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks deportation flights.

Homeland Security officials did not say how many people were on that 30 March flight, but the Gulfstream V aircraft typically has a seating capacity of 14. It also made a stop in South Korea before heading back to the US, Mr Cartwright said.

The announcement of the large charter flight comes after Ecuador cut off a key route used by Chinese migrants to get to the Western Hemisphere.

Ecuador was one of only two mainland countries in the Americas to offer visa-free entry to Chinese nationals and had become a popular starting point for Chinese migrants to then trek north to the US.

As of 1 July, Ecuador has effectively reinstated visas for Chinese nationals after the South American country said it had seen a worrying increase in irregular migration.
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 home where convicted murderer Chad Daybell killed his wife and buried the charred remains of his new lover Lori Vallows children has been snapped up just days after hitting the market.

Daybell, 55, was sentenced to death last month for murdering his wife Tammy Daybell and Vallows children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua JJ Vallow, 7. He could be executed by firing squad thanks to a law that went into effect last year.

The killers home went on the market this month and appears to have been sold after several days, as its now listed as pending, according to Realtor.com. The buyer and the sale price remain undisclosed.

On June 24, the four-bed converted bungalow Rexburg, Idaho, was put up for sale with an asking price of $350,000. With a brick facade, large windows and sprawling 3.75 acre grassy lot, the agent boasted that it has lots of potential. But the unassuming home harbors a dark secret.

There is a very tragic situation with this home, the Realtor.com listing for the property continued in block capitals. Please have your realtor investigate for you.

The property in Rexburg, Idaho, has been listed almost five years after Chad Daybells triple murder. ( Realtor.com )

In September 2019, Vallows two children vanished. In June 2020, their bodies were found buried in a shallow grave on Daybells Rexburg property grounds, strewn among the corpses of dead pets. The remains of his girlfriends youngest child, JJ, were found bound, charred and wrapped in trash bags.

One month after the childrens murders, first wife Tammy Daybell was found dead in the property. Two weeks after her murder, Daybell married Vallow on a beach in Hawaii.

Daybell, a self-styled doomsday cult prophet, believed people could be possessed by evil spirits and turned into zombies or dark spirits. He said that the only way to save a persons soul was for the body to die, the court heard.

Following two months of testimony, 12 jurors deliberated for just six hours in May before finding Daybell guilty of three counts of first-degree murder, insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit murder and grand theft in connection with the 2019 deaths.

The four bedroom, fully-furnished house sits on near-four acre plot of land. ( Realtor.com )

Prosecutors said that it was the doomsday couples desire for sex, power, and money that led to the murders. The couple did endorse and teach religious beliefs for the purpose of justifying the deaths of the children, the indictment stated.

In July of last year, in the same Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Vallow was also convicted of the three murders and sentenced to life in prison.

The Independent has reached out to the propertys listing agent regarding the initial offer, and whether there has been further interest in the property.
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 }}

An Arizona man has been arrested after his wife, who police suspect was murdered, went missing last week.

Daniel Paduchowski, 58, was taken into custody on Monday after he told authorities that his wife, Kelly Paduchowski, 45, had vanished.

Court records obtained by Arizonas Family TV station show that neighbors told investigators they heard a woman screaming around 8.30am on Sunday.

One neighbor claims she saw the woman lying on the ground of her Flagstaff backyard on her stomach. She was motionless, the person told authorities. Police said the man was on top of his wife with his hands on her shoulder area.

Five minutes later, the neighbors husband allegedly saw the woman lying on her side but the man was gone. Then, the woman, too, vanished from the backyard. The neighbor alleged they later saw the husband spraying the spot in the backyard where his wife had been.

According to police, Daniel Paduchowski said he last saw his wife going for a run at about 1.30pm, adding that she was going to Lake Mary for a swim. The pair had ridden bikes together at Schultz Creek Trail earlier in the day. He reported his wife missing at around 7.30pm.

Daniel Anthony Paduchowski, 58, was arrested on Monday after he told authorities that his wife, Kelly Paduchowski, 45, had vanished ( Flagstaff Police Department )

Officials ultimately found the womans car at Campbell Mesa Trailhead, where her husband had been.

As the police interviewed Daniel, they said they spotted fresh blood outside the garage door of the couples home, court records showed. Officials also found blood on the patio that included a bloody footprint, the outlet reported.

Some of the evidence collected from the residence included a gray shirt, pants, and a hat that looked as if it belonged to the mans wife. The items were located inside a trash can.

At one point, authorities confronted Daniel about his wifes disappearance and said that the situation appeared suspicious as if he had lied to police. The man then asked for a lawyer and did not confirm or deny the allegations.

Additionally, the man appeared to have injuries on his hands and knee and described his wife in the past tense as a beautiful woman. The husband was arrested and booked into jail on charges of aggravated assault and possession of dangerous drugs. His bond has been set at $500,000.
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 pins spread across the map, from coast to coast, in 40 states. Each of the 118 locations marked represents a Red Roof Inn hotel where women claim they were victims of sex trafficking, and each has a tale of horror behind it.

In rooms of these hotels, victims say they were forced by someone into commercial sex work against their will, often while facing physical and psychological abuse.

The map was compiled from a database provided to The Independent by attorneys working on the cases of hundreds of sex trafficking victims as they prepare to file lawsuits against the company. Those cases are the subject of a wider investigation into sex trafficking at the hotel chain published this week by The Independent .

The map is also supplemented by publicly reported criminal cases of sex trafficking at Red Roof Inn hotels.

The victims in the cases provided by law firms, some of whom were underage at the time, accuse the company of allowing its rooms to be rented to the sex traffickers who held them.

They claim the signs of their trafficking were so obvious they could not have been missed by the company. The filed lawsuits are littered with references to malnourished and underage girls and women under the control of pimps who conducted their business in front of hotel staff, renting numerous hotel rooms where male customers came and went, night after night.

But this map is only the tip of the iceberg. Most of the locations named were provided by one law firm, which canvassed hundreds of their clients in the process of building their cases.

Recommended The shocking scale of sex trafficking allegations at Red Roof Inn hotels across the US

Steven Babin, the attorney who provided the database, is representing close to 1,000 sex trafficking victims in cases involving Red Roof Inn. He told The Independent that sex trafficking had reached an epidemic level across the hotel chain, and estimated the true number of victims to be in the many thousands.

Red Roof Inn, which has some 624 properties across the US, has repeatedly denied that it ignored sex trafficking at its hotels.

Following a settlement in a recent lawsuit in Atlanta, Georgia, Red Roof Inn said in a statement that it denies all allegations and condemns prostitution and sex trafficking in all forms. It also claimed to have taken steps to mitigate criminal activity at Red Roof properties, without clarifying further.

The Smyrna Red Roof Inn, Atlanta, was one of the locations mentioned in a recent trial ( Google )

Last week, 11 victims settled a case with Red Roof Inn over sex trafficking at two locations in Atlanta. Several other locations on the map have been the site of sex trafficking that have resulted in arrests and convictions over the past few years, the details of which are publicly available.

Earlier this year , a man pled guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering and was sentenced up to 25 years in prison. Ohio law enforcement was tipped off after he handed out a card pretending to be a modeling agency at the Red Roof Inn Columbus West (Hilliard).

The perpetrator was found to have used Red Roof Inn and other hotels as a location to drug his victims and force them into sex trafficking.

Meanwhile, in Missouri , a couple were convicted for more than 20 years each for sex trafficking a minor. According to reports at the time , this incident of child sex trafficking took place at the Red Roof Inn in Springfield.

The pair gave drugs to the victim and arranged for her to have sex with a stranger at the motel, while also actively seeking out other minors to be involved. The location is not currently mentioned in an active lawsuit against the hotel chain.

Ohio tops the list with at least 14 Red Roof Inn locations where sex trafficking has been alleged. This is also where the law firm that is bringing the cases is based.

Texas (12) and Florida (11) also have a high number of Red Roof Inn branches where sex trafficking has been alleged, while 62 per cent of the chains locations in California have been named by victims. This article was made possible by the generosity of our readers. If you would like to support future special reports and investigations, please make a contribution.

If you or someone you know is experiencing human trafficking and is in need of support, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline by calling 1-888-373-7888, by texting 233733, or online via webchat at humantraffickinghotline.org . The hotline operates 24/7 and help is available in 200 languages. All calls are confidential.
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 suspect has been arrested after pushing a 74-year-old woman into the path of a San Francisco train, causing her death.

Trevor Belmont, 49, who is also known as Hoak Taing, was arrested on suspicion of pushing Corazon Dandan, 74, of San Mateo County, into a Millbrae-bound train at Powell Street station. Belmont is believed to be homeless, according to authorities.

The incident occurred at 11.05pm Monday, the Bay Area Rapid Transit, police said. Dandan was pushed as a train approached, hit her head on the train and fell on the platform.

The train was arriving at the platform, coming into the platform when the victim was pushed, said Kevin Franklin, police chief for BART, adding that investigators believe the suspect intentionally pushed the 74-year-old into the oncoming train, causing serious injuries.

Dandan was transported to San Francisco General Hospital, where she later died, police said.

Her niece told NBC that Dandan she was pushed on her way home from work.

Dandan worked at a hotel  the Westin St Francis in Union Square  as a telephone operator for 40 years, and took the same route every day to and from her night shifts, which sometimes ended as late as 1am, her nephew Dr Alvin Dandan told the San Francisco Chronicle.

It is a tragic way of passing away, that is the most painful part, her nephew told the outlet. The tragedy occurred just a week after her relatives tried to convince her to start driving to work rather than taking public transit, her nephew said.

He described his aunt as a brave, independent woman and praised her for putting him through medical school.

She was in the process of building a vacation home on a lake in the Philippines, where she grew up until moving to the US in the 1980s, the outlet reported. Dr Dandan lamented: We were in the process of building it and now shes gone.

Belmont was arrested on the platform of the Powell Street station shortly after the incident. He will be booked into San Francisco County Jail on suspicion of murder and inflicting injury on elder or dependent adult likely to cause great bodily injury, according to his arrest report.

We have had contacts with this person in the past but not for any serious crimes such as this one, Franklin said.

The incident is under investigation. BART PD is interviewing witnesses and processing evidence. The investigation includes the review of surveillance video, police said.

A motive for the attack has not been revealed.

Authorities confirmed that Dandans death is the first homicide of the year on the BART system.
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 }}

More than a dozen dolphins died over the weekend after 125 of the mammals became trapped in shallow water near Cape Cod.

Animal rescuers managed to lead approximately 100 of the Atlanticwhite-sided dolphins away from the shallow waters off the Massachusetts coast, but an estimated 13 ultimately died. One of the animals had to be euthanized, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

The fund, a nonprofit advocating for the protection of animals, helped to lead the rescue efforts, and said the mass stranding was the largest it had dealt with on the Cape in its 26-year history in the region.

Rescuers said there's no single reason why the dolphins ended up stranded other than the location. Cape Cod has been identified as a global stranding hotspot due to the shape of its shores and the movement of its tides, WSFA12 reports.

On Saturday, rescuers in Massachusetts found a group of 10 stranded dolphins swimming in extremely shallow water. They managed to guide the dolphins back into deep water.

Rescuers assist stranded dolphins caught off the coast of Cape Cod. Approximately 125 dolphins were stranded in late June, but rescuers managed to save all but 13 of the animals ( screengrab/WCVB5 )

After that, a second group of 25 dolphins was spotted swimming dangerously close to the shore in Eastham, according to the fund. Rescuers again worked to herd them back into safer waters.

The bulk of the dolphin deaths occurred on Friday at a spot called The Gut, which is near the Herring River in Wellfleet. The Gut has been notorious for stranding events, according to marine experts.

One resident near The Gut spotted a dying dolphin lying stranded on its side, and described her anguish at its suffering to USA TODAY.

I jumped in the water, crying, because I heard it suffering. Its giving out little noises, and I didnt expect to hear that, and that just tore me apart," Marina Costello, 54, told the outlet. "After it passed, I was just heartbroken, to see such a magnificent, majestic animal die, it was a tragedy happening.

She tried to save the dolphin herself, but the animals was 300 pounds, much too large for her to move on her own.

Rescuers had to overcome muddy terrain to reach the dolphins, which were spread out across a wide area along the eastern coast.

It was a 12-hour exhausting response in the unrelenting sun, but the team was able to overcome the various challenges and give the dolphins their best chance at survival, Misty Niemeyer, the funds stranding coordinator, told the broadcaster.

The rescuers walked into the shallows to coax the dolphins away from the shore. Once they were in deeper waters, boats equipped with underwater pinging devices  which make noises underwater  were used to push the animals further out into deeper 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 }}

Red Roof Inn, one of the largest budget hotel chains in America, is set to face lawsuits from hundreds of sex trafficking victims who claim the company turned a blind eye and profited from their abuse for years.

An investigation by The Independent has found that at least 42 federal lawsuits are underway against the hotel chain and its franchisees. Hundreds more victims are in the process of filing legal action, according to attorneys working on their cases.

The victims, some of whom were underage at the time, accuse the company of allowing its rooms to be rented on a grand scale to sex traffickers who forced them into commercial sex work and controlled nearly every aspect of their lives.

They claim the signs of their trafficking were so obvious they could not have been missed by the company. The lawsuits are littered with references to malnourished and underage girls and women under the control of pimps who conducted their business in front of hotel staff, renting numerous hotel rooms where male customers came and went, night after night.

The lawsuits, and those yet to be filed, span the length and breadth of the country, across 39 states and at least 117 Red Roof Inn hotels. As part of this investigation, The Independent has plotted those locations on a map to show the scale and spread of the alleged incidents.

The lawsuits also revealed that a senior Red Roof Inn employee joked about the presence of pimps and hos at one of the hotels under his management.

Steven Babin, an attorney who is representing close to 1,000 sex trafficking victims in cases involving Red Roof Inn, told The Independent that sex trafficking had reached an epidemic level across the hotel chain, and estimated the true number of victims to be in the many thousands.

Sex trafficking is the crime of using force, fraud or coercion to induce another individual to sell sex.

Red Roof Inn intentionally ignored the problem of human sex trafficking in its hotels and completely failed to put any meaningful policies and procedures in place. Instead, their focus was on one thing: money, he claimed.

Red Roof Inn is only one hotel chain among many facing similar allegations, but a trial in which the company is defending itself against 11 alleged victims of sex trafficking in Atlanta, Georgia, made history last month as the first of its kind against a national hotel chain. That trial offered a rare and disturbing close-up view of how trafficking operations were run from two Red Roof Inn hotels in the city, and precisely what the company knew.

I still have scars

The Atlanta courtroom fell silent as Tiffeny entered. She was visibly pregnant and nervous as she took her seat in the witness box. Over the course of the next hour, she described in detail how she was brutally trafficked at a Red Roof Inn hotel when she was 17 by two men named Bless and Bags, between December 2010 and May 2011.

We had to take customers morning, lunch, dinner, midnight, after club hours, she told the court, at times breaking into tears. It was just around the clock. We had to make a quota of a minimum $1,000 a day if we wanted to eat.

Tiffeny and the rest of the plaintiffs filed their lawsuits under a 2008 law that allows victims of sex trafficking to seek civil damages against any entity or individual that knowingly profited from the trafficking activities. Her testimony was historic: She is the first victim of sex trafficking to ever testify at a trial seeking damages from a national hotel chain accused of profiting from the crime.

They were told about it, their employees knew about it, the front desk people knew about it, housekeeping, everybody knew about it Jonathan Tonge, attorney for the 11 plaintiffs in the Atlanta case

Eight days into the trial, Red Roof Inn agreed to an undisclosed settlement with the victims. But even though the trial was cut short, the testimony shone a light on what sex trafficking conducted from hotels really looks like.

Tiffeny described how the pimps would travel in groups and gather in the parking lot of the hotel to coordinate customers while the women worked inside the rooms. Her trafficker would decide when she slept and when she ate, although she said she didnt remember much eating. If she refused to see a customer or disobeyed him she would be choked or beaten.

Throughout this time, she said no Red Roof Inn employees ever asked if she needed help.

Should they have? the attorney for the plaintiffs asked during the trial.

I think its just pretty suspicious to see teenage girls dressed in club wear at 9:00, 10:00 in the morning paying for a hotel room during the week, she replied.

The harrowing court testimony continued with Melissa, who was trafficked in 2015 and 2016 after dropping out of college. She described being forced to have sex with eight men a day, for days at a time at the Red Roof Inn. She spoke about witnessing a pregnant woman being beaten to a bloody pulp by her trafficker in the bathroom and how housekeeping staff came each morning to remove garbage cans filled with condoms and bloody towels.

Its hard to explain because I had to be so numb to the experience, she said. Having random people inside of me every single day, and the pain that my body had to go through of having sex every  it never stopped. It did not stop.

Alexa was 17 years old and in a relationship with her trafficker before he threatened her family with violence if she did not obey him. She has scars on her forehead and her midsection from violence meted out against her by him. She testified that she was forced to get a tattoo of an eye on her leg  a brand her trafficker used to claim ownership of her.

The Red Roof Inn was chosen by the trafficker because of its lax attitude towards what was going on," she said. If things were slow, she could go out into the parking lot to find dates and bring them back to her room.

The Smyrna Red Roof Inn, where some of the plaintiffs in the Atlanta trial say they were trafficked. ( Google )

Each of the victims who testified that day told a similar story. The trafficking was so blatant, they argued, that Red Roof Inn employees could not have missed it.

Dozens of lawsuits filed against Red Roof Inn across the US and reviewed by The Independent tell a similar story. In each of the cases, women were allegedly lured or pressured into a situation where traffickers controlled every aspect of their lives, where they were abused and trafficked for months at a time.

In one lawsuit centered on a Red Roof Inn in Kentucky, a 16-year-old girl said she was forced to have sex with at least 10-12 paying customers a day at the hotel, while enduring brutal physical abuse, rape, exploitation, psychological torment, kidnapping, and imprisonment.

If these girls and women are being trafficked at a hotel, you will see the malnourished body, the way that they are dressed, the demeanor in which they walk, the lack of eye contact Anique Whitmore, expert witness at the Atlanta trial

Another victim was trafficked for three years at Red Roof Inn hotels in Washington, DC, and Maryland, where she claimed staff witnessed her physically and verbally abused by her captors in public areas of the hotel.

Yet another woman, who was trafficked for three years at a Red Roof Inn in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, said in her lawsuit that she encountered many of the same hotel staff repeatedly. Those employees witnessed her trafficker being frequently violent with her and loud sounds of abuse could often be heard from the room, the lawsuit alleges.

The hotel chain, which has some 624 properties across the US, has repeatedly denied that it ignored sex trafficking at its hotels. In some of the cases, Red Roof Inn cast doubt on victims claims that they had been trafficked at all. During cross-examination in the Atlanta trial, the defense team highlighted instances where they argued that the women were able to escape from their traffickers and subsequently went back to them.

The warning signs

The testimonies of the plaintiffs in the Atlanta case, and in lawsuits across the country, leave little doubt that sex trafficking took place at Red Roof Inn hotels. But the question at the center of all of these lawsuits is whether the hotel chain should be held liable for it  especially when the location in question was owned by a franchisee.

Red Roof Inn has been moving further towards the franchise model in recent years by reducing the number of properties it owns directly. Because no cases had gone to trial, it was unclear how that might impact liability.

But in denying a summary judgment motion in the Atlanta trial, the judge agreed with an earlier court ruling that said the evidence shows that the Red Roof Defendants and their employees were aware that they were profiting from renting rooms to those pimps and prostitutes, and that even after the Atlanta location in question was sold to a franchisee, there is evidence that the Red Roof Defendants continued to participate in this venture, although to a lesser degree.

Red Roof Inn contends that trafficking is by its very nature an illicit activity, conducted in secret. For that reason, the company has argued that it could not be expected to identify it, and therefore should not be held responsible.

But experts in the Atlanta case testified that although much of the control exerted over sex trafficking victims is psychological, there are clear red flags.

Anique Whitmore, an expert witness in the Atlanta trial who has trained police departments across Georgia on how to recognize trafficking, said the crime is often clear enough so that you can see it with a naked eye.

These are women, men, children who are being forced into selling their bodies for sex. That money is handed over to somebody, and you receive zero. Your compensation might be some french fries the next day, she told the court.

If girls and women are being trafficked at a hotel, you will see the malnourished body, the way that they are dressed, the demeanor in which they walk, the lack of eye contact  the inability to have their own voice and speak without permission, she said.

To be frank, youd be quite ignorant if you didnt see it, she added.

The victims lawyers contend that the scale of prostitution was so great across Red Roof Inn properties that by turning a blind eye, the company created the conditions for sex trafficking to take place.

Anyone who set foot on the Smyrna and Buckhead Red Roof Inn properties witnessed an open-air prostitution market, the Atlanta lawsuit claimed. It added that those hotels did not just tolerate prostitution, they knowingly chose to profit from it.

my pimps and hos love them some snacks to go with their smokes Jay Moyer, then-regional vice president of operations for Red Roof Inn

Alan Borowsky, an attorney who has taken on dozens of cases relating to sex trafficking at Red Roof Inn, told The Independent that the scale and signs of prostitution were so obvious that the law required action to be taken. Even if you have an instance where sex trafficking may not be outwardly distinguishable from non-coerced sex work, you still have situations where clearly there is some type of commercial sex venture, and it can be discovered through the course of reasonable expectations of observation and investigation that a sex trafficking venture is afoot, he said.

And thats where the liability comes in, he said.

Tonge, the lawyer in the Atlanta case, put it succinctly: If you get rid of all prostitution, then you get rid of all sex trafficking. So just do that.

The claims of widespread prostitution are supported by testimony from former staff and reviews of the hotels posted online by customers.

An analysis of customer reviews of Red Roof Inn hotels by The Independent found that customers mentioned prostitution at 176 properties. This information is publicly available, and evidence presented in the trial showed that Red Roof Inn employed an outside company to monitor reviews.

The reviews, the content of which could not be verified by The Independent, show that customers saw visible signs of prostitution at Red Roof Inn locations across the country for years.

Aaron, a former night manager at several Red Roof Inn hotels, told The Independent prostitution was heavy at the locations where he worked.

While I was with Red Roof, all three of the properties had problems with prostitution, he said in a phone interview.

Aaron said he didnt knowingly witness any sex trafficking, but the scenes he described fit the description of a sex trafficking operation.

They would bring girls in, he said, referring to the men who were managing the operation. Theyd be there two weeks, sometimes. And then theyd send those girls away and bring in some more.

Aaron added that the men who appeared to be running the operation would sometimes pay for the rooms, rather than the girls themselves.

Like other employees who were cited in the lawsuits, he said he received no training on how to identify sex trafficking from Red Roof Inn and that the company prioritized profits over everything else.

Its heads in beds, he said. They want every door sold. They dont care how you do it. Your manager has that pressure of having to do that consistently, so if you can get prostitutes and drug dealers to come in there and keep them in order, youre selling out.

My pimps and hos

It wasnt just the hotel staff that knew about the sex trafficking, but all the way up the Red Roof Inn corporate management chain, according to the lawsuits. The Atlanta lawsuits contained depositions and internal communications between hotel staff and corporate Red Roof Inn employees that attorneys for the plaintiffs argue show a clear awareness that sex trafficking was taking place.

In one email, Jay Moyer, the then-regional vice president of operations responsible for both Atlanta hotels, joked about a vending machine being introduced to one of the properties, writing that my pimps and hos love them some snacks to go with their smokes.

Moyer claimed in a deposition that he was quoting customer reviews, but lawyers for the plaintiffs said that even if that were true, the email confirms that he was aware that the [...] property regularly rented rooms to suspected prostitutes and pimps, which would also indicate knowledge of sex trafficking.

Numerous former Red Roof Inn employees testified in depositions that they passed their concerns about prostitution and sex trafficking to Moyer and other managers.

The law says you dont have to be Superman, you dont have to go rescue trafficking victims to follow the law, you dont have to send traffickers to jail. You just need to exercise reasonable diligence to not make money from human trafficking Steven Babin, an attorney with hundreds of clients who claim to have been victims of sex trafficking at Red Roof Inn

Vanessa Cole, a general manager at one of the hotels between 2011 and 2012, said in her deposition that prostitution was a consistent problem that she reported up the chain, including to Moyer. She said Moyer responded by saying: yes, we understand we have to, you know, clean up the place, but we also need to sell rooms.

Another former employee, Michael Thomas, testified that Moyer told him to book suspected sex workers in the back of the hotel, where they would be less visible to other guests.

On at least one occasion, reports of sex trafficking made their way to the president of the company, Andy Alexander. In December 2015, a former board member of an international anti-trafficking organization, Michele Sarkisian, called Alexander to tell him a known sex trafficker was trafficking women at one of the Atlanta hotels, according to the Atlanta lawsuit. Red Roof Inn did not disclose what action they took in response.

Employees at both Atlanta hotels testified that they did not receive any training on safety and security, prostitution or sex trafficking during the time in question. The company introduced sex trafficking training in August 2014, but it was only for general managers.

A lot of people dont have the power to stop trafficking, but when youre a multi-million dollar corporation with control or at least significant influence over the place where people are being trafficked, you can, and should, be held liable if you consciously disregard the safety of others Emma Hetherington, director of the Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation (CEASE) Clinic

Jonathan Tonge, an attorney for the 11 victims in the Atlanta case, told The Independent that the entire company knew women were being trafficked.

What we accuse them of doing is just blatantly allowing not just prostitution, but sex trafficking. They were told about it, their employees knew about it, the front desk people knew about it, housekeeping, everybody knew about it, he said.

And because of that our clients got hurt. Our clients were trafficked there because Red Roof allowed sex trafficking, he alleged.

According to Babin, Red Roof Inn had significant knowledge of sex trafficking at its properties, and what they did with that knowledge is the key question here.

The law says you dont have to be Superman, you dont have to go rescue trafficking victims to follow the law, you dont have to send traffickers to jail. You just need to exercise reasonable diligence to not make money from human trafficking, he said.

A reckoning

The rise of the internet moved prostitution, and with it sex trafficking, from the streets to hotels  and behind closed doors. An estimated 80 percent of sex trafficking takes place at hotels today.

Anti-trafficking signs with phone numbers for hotlines for people to report suspected trafficking are now routinely hung up in hotel rooms.

Red Roof Inn itself conceded during the trial that hotels are on the frontline of combating sex trafficking, but it didnt introduce training for years after the problem was widespread.

Following the settlement in the Atlanta case, Red Roof Inn said in a statement that it denies all allegations and condemns prostitution and sex trafficking in all forms. It also claimed to have taken steps to mitigate criminal activity at Red Roof properties, without clarifying further.

Emma Hetherington, director of the Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation (CEASE) Clinic and an associate professor at the University of Georgia School of Law, attended the Atlanta trial for seven days and concluded that the company failed to respond in a reasonable or appropriate manner to the many reports of sex trafficking.

A sign displaying the phone number for the National Human Trafficking Hotline on the back of a door at a New York City hotel. ( Richard Hall / The Independent )

A lot of people dont have the power to stop trafficking, but when youre a multimillion-dollar corporation with control or at least significant influence over the place where people are being trafficked, you can, and should, be held liable if you consciously disregard the safety of others, she added.

A verdict in the trial would have answered key questions about the legal liability of national hotel chains and sex trafficking. Although the exact terms of the settlement in the Atlanta case are confidential, Hetherington said the very fact it got to trial is a step forward for the 11 victims who testified.

Most survivors never get their day in court, Hetherington said. Several of the survivors described feeling relieved after testifying, being able to get a good nights sleep for the first time in years, and feeling free for the first time. Civil lawsuits can be a powerful vehicle for healing and can provide a sense of empowerment for people whose autonomy and self-worth were stolen from them.

Babin, the Ohio lawyer with almost 1,000 cases, also believes the trial demonstrated progress.

Trials  no matter what  will help you determine the value of a case. Trials win, lose or draw  show that the cases have facts that are sufficient to get to trial, he said.

Babin said he foresees a reckoning for the hotel industry for its involvement in sex trafficking.

The industry has stuck their head in the sand for a very, very long time. They knew that this was gonna come. At conferences, way before any cases were filed, they were alluding to the fact that they might one day actually have to take responsibility for whats going on in these hotels, he said.

One of the big hotel chains will end up going bankrupt as a result of this litigation. And they deserve way worse.

This article was made possible by the generosity of our readers. If you would like to support future special reports and investigations, please make a contribution.

If you or someone you know is experiencing human trafficking and is in need of support, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline by calling 1-888-373-7888, by texting 233733, or online via webchat at humantraffickinghotline.org . The hotline operates 24/7 and help is available in 200 languages. All calls are confidential.
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

Hurricane Beryl has forced several major cruise lines to divert and change their itineraries as the Category 4 storm barrels through the Caribbean.

The storm, which broke records as both the earliest Category 4 and Category 5 hurricane, has already killed six people in the eastern Caribbean. Now, the life-threatening hurricane is moving towards Jamaica, where its expected to hit on Wednesday. From there, the storm could reach as far north as Texas, according to predictions from the National Weather Service.

As a result, several Caribbean cruises are changing plans to keep their passengers safe.

Royal Caribbeans Icon of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, is among those changing their itineraries, the travel site Cruise reports. It will now forgo visits to two islands in the southeastern Caribbean, according to the site.

The lines Wonder of the Seas has also cancelled stops in Roatan and Costa Maya, instead opting to sail to Nassau as Hurricane Beryl rages on, according to Cruise.

open image in gallery Royal Caribbeans Icon of the Seas, the worlds largest cruise ship, had to change its itinerary to avoid Hurricane Beryl this week ( Getty Images )

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean did not provide the exact number of ships impacted but said guests will be notified directly about itinerary changes.

The safety of our guests, crew and communities we visit is our top priority, the spokesperson said. Along with our Chief Meteorologist, we are closely monitoring the progression of Hurricane Beryl, and are making adjustments to some of our Caribbean sailings for the comfort and safety of our guests and crew.

Meanwhile, Norwegian Cruise Line almost entirely altered its week-long itinerary for the Norwegian Breakaway ship.

To circumvent the path of hurricane Beryl and forecasted inclement weather, we have made the decision to take a safer, alternative route, the cruise line said in a letter to passengers. Despite our best efforts, and with the weather disturbances out of our control, we have canceled our calls to Roatan Bay Islands, Honduras; Harvest Caye, Belize; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.

Hurricane Beryl tears roof off school as storm rips through Caribbean

Passengers have been sharing their experiences on social media.

We left out on Harmony of the Seas this afternoon and they changed our itinerary to avoid the storm...cruise director said captain and crew will just find some great sunny weather and plan plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy onboard for 3 sea days, one passenger wrote on Facebook.

This is the reason I NEVER cruise during Hurricane season, another user posted.

Hurricane Beryl has caused widespread devastation, destroying hundreds of homes and knocking out power to several communities.

open image in gallery Fishermen attempt to pull a destroyed boat out of the water after Hurricane Beryl roared through Barbados on Monday ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

The storm killed at least three people in Grenada and Carriacou. One of them died in St Georges, Grenadas capital after a tree fell on their home.

This hits home, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said. The deceased person is in fact the relative of one of the persons who spent the last 36 hours with us here at the National Emergency Operating Center.

open image in gallery A tree lies on the roof of a house in Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, after Hurricane Beryl on Monday ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

One person was also killed in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said on Monday.

Meanwhile, officials reported two deaths in northern Venezuela, as well as five people missing amid heavy rainfall from the hurricane, the Associated Press reports.
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 }}

Hurricane Beryl ripped through the Caribbean and devastated communities in Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines on Monday - with shocking aerial photos showing the widespread damage.

Beryl, now a Category 3 storm, is currently tracking towards the Cayman Islands and Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday, having caused mass destruction to Jamaica, and islands in southeastern Caribbean earlier in the week.

The deadly storms core is due to pass over the Yucatan Peninsula early Friday, before emerging over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico Friday night, with southern Texas also told to monitor Beryls path.

Follow latest updates on Hurricane Beryl

Life-threatening winds and rain knocked out power to areas of Jamaica. There are more than 900 shelters across the island and an evacuation process was put in place for those in flood-prone and low-lying areas, Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon said as Beryl approached the island earlier in the week.

Jamaica has since discontinued its Hurricane Warning after the hurricane started to move away from the island.

As for the Cayman Islands, weather conditions were already deteriorating Thursday morning as Beryl nears, with more than 1,000 people evacuated ahead of the impact, George Town officials said, the New York Times reports.

Beryl has already left a deadly path in its wake, destroying buildings and killing at least eight, including one in Jamaica and three in Venezuela where outer rings of the hurricane caused heavy rainfall.

A person stands among debris in Union Island, Saint Vincent and the Grenadine after Hurricane Beryl ( via REUTERS )

Almost total damage or destruction of all buildings, whether they be public buildings, homes or other private facilities, Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said, according to CBS News. Complete devastation and destruction of agriculture. Complete and total destruction of the natural environment. There is literally no vegetation left anywhere on the island of Carriacou.

While the storms path over the weekend is still uncertain, it has the potential to hit southern Texas and Louisiana overnight Sunday into Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

Before and after: Hurricane Beryl devastates the eastern Caribbean

Grenadas Petite Martinique island as it looked when pictured in May 2023 ( Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies )

Grenadas Petite Martinique island pictured on July 2 after Hurricane Beryl caused destruction ( Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies )

Grenadas Petite Martinique island, pictured in May 2023 and on July 2, 2024, just one day after Hurricane Beryl swept through the eastern Caribbean. Grenada suffered unimaginable destruction after the storm passed through, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said.

Officials have identified at least three people in Grenada who were killed by the hurricane, including a relative of a government official who died in St Georges after a tree collapsed on them.

This hits home, Mitchell said. The deceased person is in fact the relative of one of the persons who spent the last 36 hours with us here at the National Emergency Operating Center.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Petit St Vincent island as it looked when pictured in 2023 ( Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies )

The state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Petit St Vincent island after Hurricane Beryl ripped through on July 2 2024 ( Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies )

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Petit St Vincent island, pictured in May 2023 and on July 2, 2024. At least one person died in the nation after Hurricane Beryl slammed into the eastern Caribbean. Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said there may be more fatalities reported in the coming days as an islandwide blackout affects the nation.

There are a few communities which do not have water because of the system having been blocked, Gonsalves said.

The faces of our men and women are strained and anxious, he continued. But tomorrow, we get up with the conviction to rebuild our individual lives and our familys lives. To rebuild our country, to recover.

Grenadas Carriacou Island pictured in 2023 ( Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies )

Grenadas Carriacou Island pictured on July 2 2024 after it was flattened by Hurricane Beryl ( Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies )

Grenadas Carriacou Island pictured in May 2023 and on July 2, 2024. The small island was flattened within half an hour by Hurricane Beryl on Monday, according to Mitchell.

The storm tore off 95 percent of roofs on Carriacou and Petit Martinique. Carriacou Island also saw an almost complete destruction of the electrical grid, according to the prime minister.

The entire communication system is completely destroyed...many people have lost their entire homes, Mitchell said.

The community of Argyle on Carriacou Island pictured in 2023 ( Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies )

The extent of the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Beryl pictured on July 2 2024 ( Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies )

Argyle, Carriacou, pictured in May 2023 and on July 2, 2024. Mitchell described Carriacou as armageddon-like in the wake of Hurricane Beryl with scenes of almost total destruction.

Complete devastation and destruction of agriculture, complete and total destruction of the natural environment, Mitchell said. There is literally no vegetation left anywhere on the island of Carriacou.

United Nations officials in Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are working closely with local leaders to help with recovery efforts.

Secretary General Antonio Guterres has asked for the international community to show solidarity with all the Caribbean countries in Hurricane Beryls path, a UN spokesperson 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 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 missing 14-year-old teenager from Louisiana who was last seen in New Orleans in May could be a trafficking victim, according to police.

Kristhal Chinchilla-Canizales was on a day trip to a museum in New Orleans when she disappeared. Investigators now consider her to be a critical missing juvenile.

The teen was in the custody of the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) on May 22 when they went on a group trip to the museum, New Orleans police told Fox News Digital.

Police say that at some point during the trip she left the group and has not been seen since. Authorities have not said why they believe she may be a victim of trafficking.

The teenager, who is described as being 52 and 135 lbs was last seen wearing a blue yoga-style jumpsuit and a black Harley-Davidson pullover.

Anyone with information regarding the childs disappearance is encouraged to call the New Orleans Police Departments Special Investigations Division at 504-658-5267.

Kristhal Chinchilla-Canizales, 14, went missing in May in New Orleans ( New Orleans Police Department )

No additional information regarding the childs disappearance has been released.
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 Texas man is facing an animal cruelty charge after he killed his wifes Teacup Pomeranian during a fight, police said.

Pengfei Ji, of Richmond, was arrested on June 28 after officials responded to a veterinarian clinic in Cinco Ranch for reports of an injured animal.

Prosecutors were informed that Ji, 31, caused deadly injuries to his wifes dog at their home, according to Fox 26.

Surveillance video showed Ji grabbing the dog by its legs, swinging it over its head and slamming it into a dog house before putting the injured animal in his yard. The animal was declared dead upon arrival at the vets office.

Police told ABC 13 that Ji had accused his wife of loving the dog more than she loved him.

Pengfei Ji was arrested on animal cruelty charges after killing his wifes Teacup Pomeranian during a fight, police said ( Fort Bend Precinct 1 )

The footage was on Jis wife's phone of the alleged assault that they saw, but authorities said the suspect deleted it.

The man was taken into custody on charges of third-degree felony cruelty to animals and was booked into the Fort Bend County Jail. He was also charged with evidence tampering.

This just leaves me speechless, Constable Chad Norvell told the outlet. Im glad we were able to put him in jail and that hell face justice for his horrendous actions.
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 }}

Two Russian naval ships docked Tuesday in the Venezuelan port of La Guaira after exercises in the Atlantic Ocean that Moscow said were to show the flag in remote, important regions, and an initial stopover in Cuba.

The frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the oil tanker Akademik Pashin are part of Russias Northern Fleet, which since May 17 has been carrying out tasks that include guaranteeing the Russian naval presence in remote areas of the oceans, Russian news agency Tass cited Russias Ministry of Defense as saying.

The stopover was to last several days and highlight the close ties between Moscow and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduros government.

Like his predecessor, the late President Hugo Chavez, Maduro has forged a close relationship with Russia. The visit comes before Maduro seeks reelection in July 28 elections.

Russian crew members toast with a traditional Venezuelan drink during a welcoming tour by official authorities ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Venezuelan authorities have not reported the arrival of the Russian vessels, which could barely be seen from afar docked at La Guaira, but Associated Press journalists saw their crewmembers in the citys historic center.

In mid-June, the Admiral Gosrhkov and the tanker were among the Russian vessels that docked in Havana, Cuba.

The other vessels present at that stop included a nuclear-powered submarine, and they stayed docked there for five days following drills in the Atlantic Ocean. The exercise was seen by some as a show of strength by Moscow against the backdrop of tensions as U.S. and other Western nations support Kyiv in Russias war on Ukraine.

The fleet, made up of the frigate Gorshkov, the nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, the tanker Pashin, and the tug Nikolai Chiker, was received in Havana with a 21-gun salute.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel visited the frigate on Saturday and interacted with the sailors, according to a post by the president on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Venezuelan Vice Adm. Edward Centeno Mass, left, speaks with a member of the Russian Armed Forces during a welcoming tour ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Meanwhile, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio rejected the presence of the American submarine at Guantanamo Base, stating it was unwelcome and uninvited.

An ex-spy has warned that the US should be concerned by Russian ships visiting Cuba, but the Kremlin has insisted that there is nothing to worry about.

Former KGB spy Jack Barsky, who spent a decade spying for the Soviet Union in the US before he was discovered by the FBI, told NewsNation that the US should be worried after Russia sent three warships and a nuclear-powered submarine into Cuban waters  just 90 miles from Florida  for routine military exercises.
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 }}

To save the spotted owl from potential extinction, wildlife officials in Amercia will deploy trained shooters to kill almost a half-million barred owls that are crowding out their smaller cousins.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday was expected to release its final plan to prop up declining spotted owl populations in Oregon, Washington state and California.

California spotted owls were proposed for federal protections last year. A decision is pending.

Under former President Donald Trump, government officials stripped habitat protections for spotted owls at the behest of the timber industry. Those were reinstated under President Joe Biden after the Interior Department said political appointees under Trump relied on faulty science to justify their weakening of protections.

The plan calls for killing up to 470,000 barred owls over three decades after the birds from the eastern U.S. encroached into the territory of two West Coast owls: northern spotted owls and California spotted owls. The smaller spotted owls have been unable to compete for food and habitat with the invaders.

Past efforts to save spotted owls focused on protecting the forests where they live. But the proliferation of barred owls in recent years is undermining that earlier work, officials said.

We're at a crossroads. We have the science that indicates what we need to do to conserve the spotted owls, and that requires that we take action on the barred owls, said Bridget Moran, a deputy state supervisor for the Fish and Wildlife Service in Oregon.

The notion of killing one bird species to save another has divided wildlife advocates and conservationists. Some grudgingly accepted the proposal after a draft version was announced last year; others denounced it as reckless and a diversion from needed forest preservation.

Barred owls already are being killed in spotted owl habitats for research purposes, with about 4,500 removed since 2009, said Robin Bown, barred owl strategy leader for the Fish and Wildlife Service. Those targeted included barred owls in California's Sierra Nevada region, where the animals have only recently arrived and officials want to stop populations from taking hold.

In other areas where barred owls are more established, officials aim to reduce their numbers but acknowledge shooting owls is unlikely to eliminate them entirely.

The new plan follows decades of conflict between conservationists and timber companies that cut down vast areas of older forests where spotted owls reside.

Early efforts to save the birds culminated in logging bans in the 1990s that roiled the timber industry and its political supporters in Congress.

The Interior Department said political appointees under Trump relied on faulty science to justify their weakening of protections ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Yet spotted owl populations continued to decline after barred owls first started showing up on the West Coast several decades ago.

Opponents say the mass killing of barred owls would cause severe disruption to forest ecosystems and could lead to other species  including spotted owls  being mistakenly shot. Theyve also challenged the notion that barred owls dont belong on the West Coast, characterizing their expanding range as a natural ecological phenomenon.

The practical elements of the plan are unworkable, and its adverse collateral effects would ripple throughout these forest habitats, critics of the plan wrote in a letter earlier this year to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland that was signed by representatives of dozens of animal welfare groups.

Researchers say barred owls moved westward by one of two routes: across the Great Plains, where trees planted by settlers gave them a foothold in new areas; or via Canadas boreal forests, which have become more hospitable as temperatures rise because of climate change.

Supporters of killing barred owls to save spotted owls include the American Bird Conservancy and other conservation groups.

Our organizations stand in full support of barred owl removal as a necessary measure, together with increased habitat protections for all remaining mature and old-growth forests," the groups said in comments on a draft proposal to remove barred owls that was released last year.

Northern spotted owls are federally protected as a threatened species. Federal officials determined in 2020 that their continued decline merited an upgrade to the more critical designation of endangered. But the Fish and Wildlife Service refused to do so at the time, saying other species took priority.
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 Texas man has died after hiking in an unforgiving area of the Grand Canyon that can reach up to 120F in the shade during summer months.

Scott Sims, of Austin, Texas, was found semi-conscious on the River Trail, in the Arizona national park, at around 7pm on June 29 by other members of the public.

Shortly after the 69-year-old became unresponsive, and although both bystanders and paramedics from the National Park Service attempted CPR on him, they were unsuccessful.

According to the NPS, Sims had been attempting to reach Phantom Ranch for an overnight stay via the South Kaibab Trail.

During summer, the area where he was discovered, between the Silver Trail and the Black Trail, temperatures on exposed parts of the trail can reach over 120F in the shade.

A man has died after hiking on the River Trail, near to Phantom Ranch in the Grand Canyon, where exposed areas can reach up to 120F in the shade ( National Park Service )

An investigation into the incident is being conducted by the NPS in coordination with the Coconino County Medical Examiner. No additional information is available at this time, the parks service said.

Sims niece, Jessica Ryan, later posted about the incident on Facebook, and urged others not to underestimate nature.

There are no words for the events that transpired and the emotions we are feeling right now, she wrote, sharing a picture with her uncle.

Its not only what you see in movies. The most beautiful places are unforgiving. Be prepared. Dont underestimate nature. Hike smart.

Scott Sims (center right) is pictured with his niece Jessica Ryan, on a Grand Canyon trail, who issued a warning to other hikers following her uncles death ( Jessica Ryan/ Facebook )

Park rangers strongly advise not hiking in the inner canyon during the heat of the day between the hours of 10am and 4pm.

They also advise that anyone hiking in heat should balance food and water intake, drink when thirsty, and get wet to stay cool.

Whenever you are near water, make sure that you wet (actually soak) yourself down. If you hike while soaking wet you will stay reasonably cool, the NPS says.

Be aware that efforts to assist hikers may be delayed during the summer months due to limited staff, the number of rescue calls, employee safety requirements, and limited helicopter flying capability during periods of extreme heat or inclement weather.
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

More than 30 million people are expected to pass through the nations airports during the Fourth of July holiday weekend and TSA is warning people to be prepared for the chaos.

Officials with the Transportation Security Administration are asking travelers to come to the airport early and be prepared for every step of the travel process. The busiest days to travel any week are Sunday and Monday, as well as Thursday and Friday  and this will be especially true in 2024 as July 4 lands on a Thursday.

More than 32 million people are expected to fly between June 28 through July 8, which is a 5.4 percent increase over the same time period last year.

The peak travel day will be July 7 - at the end of the holiday weekend  when the agency expects to screen more than three million individuals at 434 airports. Twelve of the agencys top 15 busiest travel days nationally have occurred since mid-May.

TSA says it will try to meet goal of having only 10-minute waits for its PreCheck lines and 30-minutes in standard airport security.

open image in gallery The peak travel day will be July 7 - at the end of the holiday weekend - when the TSA expects to screen more than 3 million individuals at 434 airports ( Getty Images )

We have been anticipating the arrival of the Fourth of July travel period and planning our security operations to ensure that we are prepared for the surge in travelers who will be coming to the airport, TSA Federal Security Director for Colorado Douglas Cruz said.

TSA will be on the job with security screening officers extending their shifts to ensure travelers have a smooth trip,

We are asking travelers to be good partners with TSA and ensure that they are prepared for the screening process. Please dont bring prohibited items in your carry-on luggage and allow plenty of time for every step of the travel process.

Travelers should be reminded that fireworks are not allowed in carry-on or checked baggage. Passengers are also asked to have boarding passes ready along with their photo ID.

At the Roanoke regional airport in Virginia, officials are warning people about the expected chaos to come with holiday travel.

The check-in counters will be busier, the TSA screening, the parking lots, theres a lot going on, Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport public relations officer Alexa Briehl told WDBJ.

The airport in Louisville, Kentucky, expects a similar scene.

We do expect it to be very busy, Louisville airport spokeswoman Natalie Ciresi Chaudoin told WDBR. Its going to be pretty similar to what we saw last year, which was a record-setting year for us.

open image in gallery AAA is projecting that 70.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from their homes over the Independence holiday travel season ( Getty Images )

AAA is projecting that 70.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from their homes over the Independence holiday travel season, defined as a nine-day period, between June 29 and July 7.

With summer vacations in full swing and the flexibility of remote work, more Americans are taking extended trips around Independence Day, said Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel.

We anticipate this July 4th week will be the busiest ever with an additional 5.7 million people traveling compared to 2019.
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 }}

As World UFO Day arrives there are several things to consider.

A former US Air Force intelligence officer told Congress last summer about a government program that retrieves and reverse engineers unidentified flying objects.

The Mexican Congress held an unprecedented session in September during which supposed mummies were presented as nonhuman beings that are not part of our terrestrial evolution.

And NASA now has a director of research for unidentified flying objects, or what it calls unidentified anomalous phenomena.

Never mind that the Pentagon denied the former intelligence officer's claims; that Mexican researchers said the mummies made no sense; and that a NASA study found no evidence of extraterrestrials.

There's still never been a better time to mark World UFO Day.

World UFO Day ( AP1997 )

World UFO Day has its roots in the so-called Roswell Incident on July 2, 1947. On that date, something crashed at what was then the J.B. Foster ranch in New Mexico. There were reports that the US military had recovered a flying disc. But officials later said the debris was merely the remnants of a high-altitude weather balloon.

The Air Force investigated the incident in 1994 amid charges that it was covering up the truth. It concluded that the supposed alien spacecraft was likely a secret Army Air Force balloon designed to monitor Soviet nuclear testing.

The material found near Roswell consisted of foil-wrapped fabric, wooden sticks, rubber pieces, and small I-beams with strange markings on them. A local newspaper headline described the find dramatically and unequivocally: Air Force Captures Flying Saucer On Ranch.

The Air Force research did not locate or develop any information that the Roswell Incident was a UFO event, wrote Col. Richard Weaver, author of the report.

The Air Force released another report addressing UFO claims in 1997, stating that alleged alien bodies found near Roswell were just dummies used in parachute tests.

Some UFO researchers pushed back against that explanation, noting that such dummies weren't used until 10 years after the Roswell Incident. And they said it would be a stretch for people who claimed to see alien bodies to mix up their dates so badly.

The life-size dummies were used in high-altitude parachute drops from 1954 to 1959. The majority landed outside the confines of military bases in eastern New Mexico, near Roswell, according to the Air Force report.

The dummies had a skeleton of aluminum or steel, skin of latex or plastic, a cast aluminum skull, and an instrument cavity in the torso and head.

The Air Force said the existence of such dummies was not widely known outside of scientific circles and "easily could have been mistaken for something they were not.

In 2022, Congress held its first hearing on UFOs in half a century as the Pentagon investigated hundreds of unexplained sightings in the sky.

The spotted objects appeared to be aircraft flying without any discernible means of propulsion. They have been reported near military bases and coastlines, raising the prospect that what witnesses actually spotted was secret Chinese or Russian technology.

A 2021 government report reviewed 144 sightings of aircraft or other devices that were apparently flying at mysterious speeds or trajectories. It found no extraterrestrial links but drew few other conclusions and called for better data collection.

Lawmakers from both parties have said the UFOs are a national security concern. But the sightings are usually fleeting. Some appear for no more than an instant on camera  and then sometimes end up distorted by the camera lens.

Ronald Moultrie, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, said during a 2022 hearing that the Pentagon was trying to destigmatize the issue and encourage pilots and other military personnel to report anything unusual they see.

Then things got a little strange last year.

During a congressional hearing in late July, retired Air Force Maj. David Grusch testified that the US is concealing a longstanding program that retrieves and reverse engineers unidentified flying objects.

Asked whether the US government had information about extraterrestrial life, Grusch said the US likely has been aware of nonhuman activity since the 1930s.

The Pentagon denied Gruschs claims of a cover-up and denied the existence of any such program.

he Pentagon is seen from Air Force One as it flies over Washington, ( Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

Unlike the hearings in the US, the testimony before lawmakers in the Mexican Congress included alleged evidence of aliens.

During an unprecedented session in September, Mexican journalist Jose Jaime Maussan presented two boxes containing shriveled bodies with shrunken, warped heads  supposed mummies found in Peru.

Its the queen of all evidence, Maussan claimed. That is, if the DNA is showing us that they are nonhuman beings and that there is nothing that looks like this in the world, we should take it as such.

The apparently desiccated bodies date back to 2017 and were found deep underground in the sandy Peruvian coastal desert of Nazca. Most attribute the famous Nazca Lines to ancient Indigenous communities.

Julieta Fierro, researcher at the Institute of Astronomy at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, was among those to express skepticism, saying that many details about the figures made no sense.

She noted that scientists would need more advanced technology than the X-rays they claimed to use to determine if the allegedly calcified bodies were nonhuman.

At another hearing in November, Maussan made the case again, citing a nonhuman that did not have lungs or ribs.

The Pentagon released a study in March that had examined the many UFO sightings over nearly the past century and found no evidence of aliens or extraterrestrial intelligence.

The report analyzed US government investigations since 1945. It also found no evidence that the US or private companies had reverse-engineered extraterrestrial technology.

The Pentagon's report arrived about six months after NASA released a report on UFOs, which also found no evidence of extraterrestrials.

But NASA Administrator Bill Nelson did acknowledge that another Earth-like planet could exist within the billions of galaxies in the universe.

If you ask me, do I believe theres life in a universe that is so vast that its hard for me to comprehend how big it is? My personal answer is yes, Nelson said at a news conference.

When pressed by reporters on whether the US or other governments are hiding aliens or otherworldly spaceships, Nelson said: Show me the evidence.
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 }}

Barack Obama has privately raised concerns about Joe Bidens path to re-election after his shaky debate performance, a sharp deviation from his public comments.

The former president has told allies that he is worried about Democrats ability to defeat Donald Trump in November and has warned Biden in recent months about the challenges ahead, according toThe Washington Post.

Before the first presidential debate last week, Obama reminded his friend and former vice president about the stakes of the campaign. This echos his long-held concerns about Trumps political strength going into the 2024 election, the report says.

But Biden failed to live up to, or exceed, expectations during the CNN debate, mumbling and at times appearing to lose his train of thought. After the debate, Obama called Biden to offer advice,The Post reported. It is unclear what Obama said or how he addressed Bidens performance.

Joe Biden and Barack Obama pictured on November 5, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Obama has privately raised concerns about Biden s path to re-election after his shaky debate performance, according to a new report ( Getty Images )

The Independent has contacted the Biden campaign, and the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama, for comment.

Publicly, Obama has been a strong supporter of Biden but acknowledged his poor performance last week. Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know, Obama wrote on X on Thursday night.

But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself. Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight  and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit. Last night didnt change that, and its why so much is at stake in November.

Obamas sentiment echoed similar statements made by leaders in the Democratic Party, like former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senator John Fetterman.

Their efforts are an attempt to cool concerns from voters and other Democrats that Biden is not well enough to run a successful campaign or defeat Trump in November.

Post-debate polls show voters confidence in the president has dramatically decreased. Some surveys from swing states like New Hampshire and Michigan show Bidens lost whatever lead he had over Trump.

But those surveys, and public support, may change in the coming months as Biden continues to campaign.
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 }}

President Joe Biden has insisted to his campaign staff that no one is pushing him out and that hes not leaving his re-election campaign after multiple reports have suggested that he is preparing to drop out if he fails crucial campaign tests in the days and weeks ahead.

Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can, as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running, he reportedly told campaign staff on a call on Wednesday.

No ones pushing me out, he said. Im not leaving. Im in this race to the end and were going to win.

The president reportedly admitted that he will have to end his re-election campaign if he cannot convince voters that he is up for the job after his flailing performance at last weeks debate against Donald Trump.

A key ally to the president told The New York Times that while Biden remains committed to the race, his next several crucial public appearances could shape his plans for 2024.

Biden is scheduled for an interview with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos on Friday followed by campaign stops in critical swing states Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

He knows if he has two more events like that, were in a different place by the end of the weekend, according to the ally, speaking anonymously to The Times.

White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates told The Independent that claim is absolutely false.

If the New York Times had provided us with more than seven minutes to comment we would have told them so, he added.

A spokesperson for Bidens campaign told The Independent that the report is wrong.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the reporting is absolutely false.

But an ally also told CNN that Mr Biden remains clear-eyed about his viability in the aftermath of his abysmal debate performance.

The polls are plummeting, the fundraising is drying up, and the interviews are going badly, the person told the network. Hes not oblivious.

President Joe Biden prepares to deliver remarks at the White House on 1 July ( Getty )

The statements appear to be the first from within the presidents camp that suggest he is mulling his departure from the race, as polling shows him slipping considerably in his rematch against his twice-impeached and criminally convicted Republican rival.

Bidens campaign team and White House chief of staff Jeff Zients have each called all-hands meetings with staff on Wednesday.

The president is also meeting with Democratic governors at the White House on Wednesday, as party officials across the country fear that the presidents shrinking chances of victory imperil other down-ballot Democratic races.

Major newspaper editorials and prominent allies have argued that the president should end his re-election campaign, or that his campaign and the Democratic Party should seriously confront nosediving poll numbers and growing concerns about the presidents age and future.

Representative Lloyd Doggett of Texas is the first Democratic member of Congress to urge Mr Biden to leave the race, warning in a statement on Tuesday that too much is at stake to risk a Trump victory, and that it is too great a risk to assume that what could not be turned around in a year, what was not turned around in the debate, can be turned around now.

Former president Barack Obama, who has maintained a close relationship with his former vice-president, has also reportedly privately raised concerns about Mr Bidens chances of re-election.

I think its a legitimate question to say, Is this an episode or is this a condition, former House speaker Nancy Pelosi told MSNBC on Tuesday.

In an op-ed for Newsweek, former Democratic congressman Tim Ryan called on vice-president Kamala Harris to replace Biden as the partys nominee.

President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and son Hunter Biden, left, arrive in Washington DC on 1 July ( AP )

White House staff and others have reportedly also been baffled by the presence of Hunter Biden at the executive mansion in recent days.

Ms Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday that Hunter traveled with his father back to the White House from Camp David and joined meetings to prepare for Mr Bidens response to a massive Supreme Court ruling that granted Mr Trump some immunity from criminal prosecution.

Mr Bidens exhaustive debate preparations followed back-to-back trips to Europe. But he spent time with family and advisers for six days, never beginning before 11am, and his team allowed Mr Biden time for an afternoon nap each day, according to The New York Times.

I didnt have my best night, Mr Biden quipped to supporters at a campaign event on Tuesday night. I decided to travel around the world a couple of times, going through I dont know how many time zones  I figure it was about 50 time zones  in the couple of weeks before the debate.

And I didnt listen to my staff, he added. And I came back and I fell asleep onstage.

In a relatively energized campaign rally speech the day after the debate, Mr Biden admitted that he doesnt speak or debate as well as he used to, but I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job.
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 }}

Sleepy Joe Biden gave the Democratic Party a wake-up call on June 27. And concerns about the incumbent presidents age and mental fitness have not gone away.

Last months first presidential debate in Atlanta, Georgia, was the presidents shot to bat away questions about whether he can effectively serve a second term, one that would end with him leaving the Oval Office for the final time aged 86.

Instead, apparently battling a cold, Biden appeared frail, raspy and hoarse onstage, forgetting his words at times and at other points seemingly losing track of his point altogether.

Democratic sources who spoke to The Independent and a wide range of other media outlets immediately after the debate were in panic mode, with some openly fretting about whether it was possible for their party to do the unthinkable: replace a sitting, incumbent president on the ticket after he breezed through primary season virtually uncontested.

Five days later, the first sitting Democratic lawmaker came out with a public call for Biden to drop out fo the race.

Many more have since followed, with influential California Congressman Adam Schiff the most prominent to do so publicly, although former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have reportedly told the president in private that they believe it is time to go.

Biden has insisted in post-debate interviews that only the Lord Almighty could persuade him to step away, his obstinate stance tempered only slightly by subsequent suggestions that convincing polling or a doctor diagnosing him with a medical condition could change his mind. On July 18, reports emerged that Biden  recently diagnosed with Covid  had privately become more receptive to talk of another Democrat at the top of the ticket, and could reach that conclusion as soon as this weekend.

So is it even possible for Biden to drop out of the running and make way for a younger success to take on Donald Trump?

The short answer is yes, it is possible. But it would be messy.

Thats because Biden is not technically the Democratic Partys nominee for president. Not yet.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is set to hold its nominating convention from August 19 to 22, when thousands of delegates, elected officials, union leaders, activists, party bigwigs, lobbyists and others will descend on Chicago for a four-day summit at which Biden (or somebody else) will officially be nominated.

The president (or his replacement) will then accept the nomination and deliver a keynote speech on the final night of the convention.

The first 2024 presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump ( Getty )

Heres the catch: the outcome of that nominating process is already Bidens unless he refuses it.

The president won all 50 states and all US territories in the Democratic Party primaries this spring, netting him all but a few of the delegates whose votes are needed to secure the nomination.

Theyre bound to vote for him on the first ballot in the nominating process  the same round in which unbound superdelegates, who can cast their votes as they please, are prohibited from participating.

So, unless Biden himself drops out, the incumbent president will very much be his partys nominee come August.

If he does exit the race, however, that would lead to the prospect of an open convention  all those delegates bound to vote for Biden would spend the weeks leading up to the convention being courted by whichever Democrats jumped into the race to replace the president on the party ticket.

Voters, who actually participated in the primary process this year, would have no say at all  the outcome would be decided in a series of ballots at the August convention, with each candidate working to consolidate the required total.

If that happens, there are a few prominent members of the presidents party who could throw their hats in the ring:

Kamala Harris

The most likely replacement for Biden is his deputy, Vice-President Kamala Harris, whose constitutional duties include stepping in if the president is unable to continue serving in office.

Vice-President Kamala Harris would be the obvious person to step in to fill Bidens shoes given her constitutional duties  but her run for the nomination in 2020 was notably unsuccessful ( AP )

Shes only one out of two of the likely suspects who has actually run a presidential campaign (albeit an unsuccessful one) and has the most national name recognition of any Democrat who could convincingly join the presidential race.

However, the former California attorney general and US senator does not enjoy widespread public support and is something of a hate figure for the right, who have long alleged that Biden is only a Trojan horse candidate being used to win back the White House before stepping down to allow her to take over.

That conspiracy theory was directly referred to in one of Trumps most recent attack videos, in which she was referred to as Cackling Kamala.

Pete Buttigieg

Bidens transport secretary, Buttigieg is another former 2020 contender (along with Harris) who could make a bid for the White House if Biden were to bow out.

Pete Buttigieg ran for the Democratic nomination in 2020 and has served as transportation secretary since Biden took office ( AP )

The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is naturally charismatic and has military service on his resume, which would put him apart from his fellows, not least Trump, recipient of no fewer than five draft deferrals to excuse him from participating in the Vietnam War during his youth.

However, as transport secretary, Buttigieg has often been the administrations fall guy, left holding the bag when air-traffic control disasters, major train derailments or bridge collapses take place, undoing a lot of the good work he does in taking the fight to conservative media, appearing semi-regularly on Fox News to offer vigorous counter-arguments.

Gretchen Whitmer

The Michigan governor is widely popular in her state and is seen as one of the leaders of the moderate wing of the Democratic Party in the post-Biden era.

Gretchen Whitmer is seen as one of the leaders of the moderate wing of the Democratic Party ( AP )

She won re-election in 2022 by a wide margin buoyed by support for reproductive rights and her management of the Covid pandemic, turning a purple state blue with relative ease.

Not everyone relished her tough leadership in lockdown, though, and she remains best known nationally for a Michigan militia groups plot to kidnap her, which was fortunately foiled by undercover FBI agents.

Whitmer has come out as a strong Biden supporter since the debate and has rejected any suggestion she might be interested in challenging Trump in his stead.

Gavin Newsom

One of the most obvious choices to succeed Biden as a nominee is the California governor, whose personal wealth and prolific fundraising abilities would make him a fearsome adversary on the money front.

Gavin Newsom has pledged to finish his second term as governor of California ( AP )

Newsom is in the middle of a second term as governor of his state  therein lies a problem, however, as he pledged during his 2022 re-election campaign that he would serve a full four years in office if sent back to the office.

Like Buttigieg, he has won plaudits for arguing the Democratic point-of-view on Fox and memorably went head-to-head with his Florida counterpart Ron DeSantis  who he has trolled with a series of adverts  in a televised debate last year.

Newsom has been an enthusiastic cheerleader for Biden, including in the immediate aftermath of the Atlanta debacle.

Wes Moore

The first-term Maryland governor would be a long shot for the nomination against others with more national recognition but he makes up for his relative political obscurity with an unmistakable talent for being in front of the cameras and a positive track record in his short time in office.

Wes Moore gained some national profile during his response to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in his home state of Maryland ( AP )

He has secured the future of the Baltimore Orioles in the state and has also been the public face of Marylands rebuilding efforts following a disaster that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, an iconic Baltimore landmark and essential part of the citys port infrastructure.

Moore graduated from Johns Hopkins University, and, like Buttigieg, is both a former Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and a military veteran.

He is also the author of five books, one of which is a young adult novel.

JB Pritzker

The Illinois governor has been in office since 2019. A member of the wealthy Pritzker family, which owns the hotel chain Hyatt, the attorney and businessman has long been a financial benefactor of the Democrats.

He won a packed primary in 2018 to become the Democratic nominee and he was re-elected in 2022.

JB Pritzker won a crowded 2018 primary to become the Democratic nominee for Illinois governor ( Getty )

His early political career included stints on congressional legislative staffs in the 1980s and founding an organization focused on attracting younger voters to the party.

Chairing the Illinois Human Rights Commission from 2003 to 2006, he went on to serve as a national co-chairman of Hillary Clintons 2008 presidential campaign and was a delegate to the 2008 and 2016 Democratic conventions.

In a 1998 Democratic primary for the 9th congressional district in Illinois, he finished third in a field of five candidates.
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 }}

President Joe Bidens polling numbers have begun to fall in key swing states following his dismal debate performance last week.

Thats according to a confidential polling memo obtained by Puck News. It reveals that states where Biden was clearly ahead, such as New Mexico, Virginia, and New Hampshire, may now be winnable for former President Donald Trump.

Biden is now behind other possible candidates in the polls looking at possible matchups with Trump, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the memo from OpenLabs shows.

The progressive nonprofit conducts polling and tests messages for a number of Democratic groups, including the nonprofit linked to Biden Super PAC Future Forward.

While OpenLabs doesnt seek publicity and doesnt share its client list, its products are trusted among Democrats and are usually shared among small groups of operatives and clients.

Forty percent of those who voted for Biden in 2020 and who took part in a post-debate poll said that the president should now end his campaign. The poll was conducted in the three days after the debate and sent out on Sunday.

Donald Trump leads Joe Biden in several swing states after the first presidential debate ( EPA / AP )

A similar poll found that about a quarter of Biden voters thought the president should have left the race when they were asked in May.

Swing voters also appeared displeased with Bidens debate performance  by a two-to-one margin they now also say that Biden should drop his bid to return to the White House in January 2025.

It should be noted, however, that this is one poll conducted just after the debate and it will take a few weeks to determine how the race shapes up and what the final impact of Bidens dismal debate will be. But polling from OpenLabs is something Democratic campaigns are unlikely to easily brush off.

Nationally, the survey found that Biden has dropped by 0.8 points. The Biden campaign has attempted to calm the nerves of panicked Democrats by arguing that the debate didnt have a major impact on the national mood.

On 29 June, two days after the debate, Biden pollster Geoff Garin wrote on X: I am finishing my second battleground state poll post-debate and both surveys show the same thing: the debate had no effect on the vote choice. The election was extremely close and competitive before the debate, and it is still extremely close and competitive today.

Similarly, CNN reported that only five percent of respondents said in a poll after the debate that the showdown had changed who they would vote for.

But according to OpenLabs, Biden is doing noticeably worse in key swing states. In a poll that included third-party and independent candidates, Biden was down by about two percent across states which are key to winning the electoral college. States that werent thought to be up for grabs also saw declines in support for Biden.

Biden is now behind by seven points in Pennsylvania, where he was trailing by five points before the debate on 27 June. Its a similar story in Michigan, where hes also behind by seven points. In Georgia and Arizona, Biden is behind by 10 points and hes trailing by nine points in Nevada.

In Virginia, Maine, Minnesota, and New Mexico, Biden is now only ahead by a fraction of a point, and in Colorado, he only leads by two points, according to OpenLabs.

The group also found that Biden is now losing New Hampshire, which a Saint Anselm College poll also recently discovered.

The Biden campaign will be looking for any signs that top Democrats may begin to waver on their support for the president.

Crucially, if congressional Democrats begin to believe that the House and the Senate may be in jeopardy, they may publically call for Biden to step aside before the Democratic National Convention next month.

Of the other possible candidates that OpenLabs decided to poll in matchups with Trump, Harris, Whitmer, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg all poll ahead of Biden in the key states. In September, OpenLabs found little difference between the president and the other candidates.
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 }}

Joe Bidens campaign raised more than Donald Trump in June, despite the presidents disastrous debate performance last week.

The Biden campaign raised $127 million in June, compared to Trumps $111.8m, according to announcements from both campaigns on Tuesday.

The presidents June fundraising haul includes $38m in the four days after the 2024 debate. During the face-off against Trump, the 81-year-old president at times muddled his words and appeared to lose his train of thought.

As a result, the president is facing a growing chorus of calls to step down, including some from within his own party.

On Tuesday, the president blamed his poor debate performance on jet lag, telling reporters that he wasnt very smart for travelling around the world a couple of times before the event.

Joe Bidens campaign raised more than Donald Trump in June, despite the presidents disastrous debate performance last week ( EPA / AP )

However, some Democrats werent convinced. Representative Lloyd Doggett, of Texas, became the first sitting Democratic lawmaker to publicly call for Biden to step aside. Former Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan wrote in a Newsweek op-ed that he believes Vice President Kamala Harris is the partys best path forward, accusing those who believe she has less of a chance of beating Trump than the Joe Biden we saw the other night and will continue to see of not living in reality.

Despite Bidens campaign haul in June - boosted by a $30m LA fundraiser featuring George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Barack Obama - the Trump campaign raised more overall in the second quarter.

Trumps campaign and the Republican National Committee raised $331m in the second quarter, according to their report, while Bidens campaign and the Democratic National Committee raised $264m in the same period.

The Trump campaign ended June with more cash on hand than the Democrats, raising $284.9m to Bidens $240m.

However, Trump has been forced to balance his campaign costs with his growing legal bills. The former president spent $55m on legal bills in 2023, according to the Federal Election Commission.

Trump started May owing his lawyers a seven-figure sum. The Save America leadership political action committee (PAC), founded and controlled by Trump, continues to absorb most of the cost from his legal troubles.
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 }}

Following weeks of pressure and speculation, Joe Biden announced in a letter on Sunday, July 21, that he would drop out of the race for the White House and was backing his vice president, Kamala Harris, to take his place.

Following a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump on June 27, when he appeared confused and frail, made several gaffes, and lost his train of thought, more than 30 Democratic lawmakers publicly called for him to end his candidacy in favor of a younger candidate. Senior voices behind the scenes  like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer  were said to be encouraging him to step aside.

Insiders had previously told The Independent that they believed there was no question Vice President Kamala Harris would receive the baton if and when Biden chose not to run in November.

But how would replacing Biden actually work? Heres the process:

The clock is ticking

The partys nominee will be officially chosen at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago between 19 and 22 August.

Almost all of the nearly 4,000 Democratic delegates are currently pledged to Biden after he swept the primary races.

But during a press conference earlier this month, Biden had already said of the delegates: Theyre free to do whatever they want.

President Joe Biden bowed to weeks of pressure and decided to step off the Democratic ticket ( AP )

Tomorrow, if all of a sudden I show up at the convention and everyone says we want someone else, thats the democratic process. Its not going to happen.

But its a bit more complicated than that. During the roll call vote to officially select the nominee, delegates who choose not to back the acknowledged candidate would have to vote present rather than vote for a different candidate.

Now that he has stepped aside, delegates will have to vote for someone else.

Brookings senior fellow Elaine Kamarck told CNN that the rule for electing nominees, in place since the 1984 convention, states that delegates should in all good conscience vote for the person they were selected to represent.

But she added: Its never been tested. Theres no legal history on what in all good conscience means ... Weve never had a convention where a lot of people voted against the person that they got elected with.

Now Biden has stepped aside

Now that Biden is no longer a candidate, Democrats will have to pick a new presidential nominee. And the logistics surrounding that are not simple.

The modern primary campaigning and nominating process began in earnest during John F Kennedys 1960 run for president. Before that, nominating a candidate bore more resemblance to proverbial smoke-filled rooms where party elders selected the nominee away from the eyes and ears of the public.

Thats infeasible at this moment, particularly for a party that bills itself as a defender of democracy.

At the same time, Democrats would risk a battle royale if too many candidates were to emerge in the race.

With Biden out, the process will have to be carefully handled to make sure this didnt scupper the partys chances against Trump in November.

A process that is open, transparent, and energizing

Enter James Zogby, member of the Democratic National Committee, who worked on Jesse Jacksons campaigns and whom Bernie Sanders nominated to serve on the party platform committee in 2016.

Zogby recently sent a memo, seen by The Independent, to DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison laying out how to replace Biden in the event that he would step down.

The central idea is to create a process that is open, transparent, and energizing, while, at the same time, legitimate and democratic, the memo reads. And it is one that is deeply respectful of the president and his accomplishments.

The plan would require that any prospective candidate secure the endorsement of 40 committee members  since most members are elected officials  and that they must include four members from each region.

Kamala is seen as the top candidate to replace Biden ( AFP via Getty Images )

After the deadline, candidates would appear during televised events to make their case to voters. That would culminate in a nominating process at the Democratic National Convention in August.

It is not a coronation, the memo says. ...For at least one month, national media will be focused on our candidates and their exciting process, drawing sharp contrast with the antics of GOP nominee. Given that we can likely predict the pool of potential candidates (Vice President Harris, Governors, Senators, Members of Congress)  the debate they will have will no doubt be respectful and substantive.

Zogbys proposal is an audacious one. It would require TV networks to comply and broadcast the debate. And despite his optimism, there is no guarantee that the contest for delegates would be a clean fight.

Indeed, the old ways were rife with kickbacks, corruption, and back-scratching. And Republicans would make hay of the disarray that Democrats face.

But it might be one of the few options the party has. In 2020, Democratic primary voters chose Biden almost as soon as he won in South Carolina, and then, as a way to prohibit a challenger, the party moved the state up the calendar in 2024. Democrats ostracized heretics like Representative Dean Phillips who suggested something different, even if he was an admittedly imperfect messenger for his cause.

Many Democrats might now want to take a look at Zogbys proposal.

A question of cash

There are a number of reasons that party leaders think Harris will now be handed the nomination  one of them being the campaign cash.

Biden and Harris have raised hundreds of millions of dollars over the last couple of years. The money has been divided between the Democratic National Committee, the Biden campaign, almost all state Democratic parties, as well as a number of joint fundraising committees that send cash around all those groups.

Those entities had collectively about $240m in cash in hand as of June 30. While most of the funds, such as those controlled by the Democratic National Committee, wouldnt be affected by changing the top of the ticket, the most valuable cash is held by the Biden-Harris campaign committee, which had a $91m war chest as of May 30. Those funds have been raised by, and belong to, the Biden-Harris ticket, and which follow those two candidates.

Harris will be able to access those funds.

However, if Harris isnt chosen as the partys nominee, the funds would have to be refunded or, as is more likely, transferred to a federal Super PAC. But those funds would then no longer be directly controlled by the campaign.
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 }}

Nearly 20 million people who owe student loans are not making payments, according to the latest Department of Education data.

Following a three-year timeout on payments that began in 2020 during the pandemic, the government has restarted collecting the $1.6 trillion it is owed.

At the end of March, six months after the hiatus ended, nearly 20 million borrowers were making payments as scheduled. However, almost 19 million were not, leaving their accounts delinquent, in default, or still on pause.

Seven million people were at least 30 days overdue on payments at the end of 2023 - marking the highest delinquency rate since 2016.

Millions more had their accounts frozen through deferment or forbearance - meaning they did not have to pay their loans or they did not acquire interest - while nearly six million student loans were still in default from before the pandemic. For most federal student loans, you default if you have not made a payment in more than 270 days.

The nonpayment rate really is emblematic of a system thats not doing its job, Persis Yu, managing counsel for the Student Borrower Protection Center, told the New York Times.

Throughout his presidency, Biden has sought to eliminate student debt, putting forward a major proposal to cancel as much as $400bn in loans. That proposal was struck down by the Supreme Court, which ruled that the move was unconstitutional.

President Biden also created the SAVE plan last year, which includes the cancellation of up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers earning less than $125,000 annually.

President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt at Madison College, April 8, 2024, in Madison, Wis. Nearly 20 million people who owe student loans are not making payments, according to the education department ( AP )

The plan includes reforms to income-driven repayment plans, reducing the percentage of discretionary income that borrowers must pay each month from 10 percent to 5 percent. Additionally, the proposal aims to protect more income from being considered in repayment calculations, and to forgive loan balances after 10 years of payments for those with loan balances of $12,000 or less.

Two coalitions of Republicans filed lawsuits against SAVE, accusing the president of unilaterally trying to impose an extraordinarily expensive and controversial policy that he could not get through Congress.

Last week, federal judges in Kansas and Missouri temporarily blocked elements of the SAVE program, ruling in favor of states that contested the presidents authority to impose such generous terms without congressional approval.

In the Kansas suit, the states called the presidents debt relief maneuvers a rushed product to evasively do what the Supreme Court already told defendants they cannot do.

But on Sunday, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily reversed the Kansas decision, paving the way for the Department of Education to proceed with planned payment reductions this month for millions of borrowers.

Following the ruling, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said the court sided with student loan borrowers across the country who stand to benefit from the SAVE Plan  the most affordable repayment plan in history.

The White House has said that more than 20 million borrowers could benefit from the SAVE Plan. The administration in May said 8 million are already enrolled, including 4.6 million whose monthly payments have been reduced to $0.

More than one in 10 Americans hold federal student debt.
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 }}

A new poll from CBS News shows that Donald Trump has taken a slight lead over President Joe Biden. The former president slightly trailed Biden last month.

The poll comes after Bidens lackluster debate performance against Trump in Atlanta, which sent Democrats into a panic. Some Democrats have even speculated that Biden might need to be replaced.

CBS News surveyed 2,826 registered voters between in the days after the debate between June 28 and July 2, with a margin of error of 2.3 points.

The poll showed that 51 per cent of voters would pick Trump compared to 48 percent of voters who would pick Biden. The numbers are a reversal from last month, when 50 percent of voters said that they would pick Biden and 49 percent said they would pick Trump. That poll came days after a jury in New York found the former president guilty on 34 criminal charges of falsifying business records as part of a conspiracy to corruptly influence the 2016 election results.

Trump led Biden 51 to 48 percent in battleground states in the latest poll, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Bidens hoarse voice, nonsensical statements and his constantly interrupting himself raised questions about his mental acuity, though the White House denied that Biden had dementia at a tense press conference this week.

But the recent survey showed voters had serious concerns about Bidens age and capacity to serve as president, as 69 percent of voters said that Bidens age is a factor in their vote. Meanwhile, only 48 percent of registered voters said that Trumps age is a factor for them.

In addition, 69 percent of voters said Biden should not be running and 53 percent of voters said that the debate made them think worse of Biden. By comparison, 27 percent of voters said that the debate made them think worse of Trump but 48 percent said it did not make change their opinion of Trump at all.

The poll is just the latest hurdle that Biden faces as he and his campaign team attempt to convince not only voters but other Democrats that he has the capacity to run for a second term for president. If he did win a second term, he would be 82 years old on Inauguration Day.
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 massive search is underway in northern Australia for a 12-year-old child officials suspect is a victim of a crocodile attack.

The child went missing around 5.30pm on Tuesday after a swim near the remote Northern Territory community of Palumpa, located about 350km from the capital city of Darwin, police said on Wednesday morning.

NT police said "initial reports stated the child had been attacked by a crocodile" during a swim at Mango Creek. They said search and rescue teams were looking for the child.

Senior Sgt Erica Gibson said her thoughts were with the family and that they are searching in a large section.

Officers are currently searching a large section of the creek via boat and we thank the community for their ongoing assistance, she said.

The NT is a federal territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia.

The members of the community in Palumpa arrived on the scene in the afternoon and joined the rescue operation with the police.

An aerial search could be launched for the child, local media said.

It is home to around 100,000 saltwater crocodiles that are known to be larger and more dangerous to humans.

The whole estimated population of NT is 252,469 people while Palumpa has just 364 people, according to federal data.

Last month, a crocodile terrorising the residents of NT was killed and eaten by villagers. The 3.6m (11.8ft) reptile was blamed for devouring pets and chasing children. The authorities deemed it a significant risk to the community.

Police said they shot the crocodile after consultation with traditional owners, elders, community members and Parks and Wildlife.

In January, A nine-year-old boy was left fighting for life after being attacked by a crocodile while swimming in Australia.

Last year an Australian man dramatically escaped an attack by a saltwater crocodile after prising its jaws off his head.

Marcus McGowan, 51, from Brisbane, was snorkelling at a luxury private island resort on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia when he was attacked.

This article was amended on 4 July 2024. It had initially referred to a missing boy, as reported by many news outlets. The article was subsequently updated to reflect the official statement from the authorities, which does not state the gender of the missing child.
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 }}

Health authorities in Australia's Queensland have ordered the destruction of thousands of frozen sperms after a report revealed the samples were in a risk of being misidentified amid concerns over lack of regulation at fertility clinics.

The Office of the Health Ombudsman found that 42 per cent of the audited sperm samples were at medium or high risk of being misidentified.

Ombudsman Lynne Coulson Barr said the investigation into Australia's largest IVF industry unearthed "significant systemic issues" and lapses in reporting protocol in providers' practice.

The report has sparked fear of accidental incest as the mixups resulted in the parents and donor children being unaware of the genetic information and medical records.

The health watchdog's office found errors such as "identification mix-ups, loss of viability of gametes or embryos, and suspected deterioration beyond laboratory standards".

One provider failed to report incidents of "incorrect labelling of frozen semen and unclear labelling of straws, were not reported.

A woman reported that the sperm donor she used had donated on more than 200 occasions at the same clinic, the Australian Associated Press reported.

When investigating a number of clinics, the authorities were unable to establish the number of families created or how many siblings a child may have from the same donor.

The report cautioned that the excessive recurrent use of sperm donations in fertility treatments could pose the risk of donor-conceived individuals "inadvertently having a sexual relationship" with a blood relative.

The ombudsman has recommended that all clinics in Queensland dispose of stored eggs, sperm and embryos that do not meet current identification standards.

The mass destruction would put pressure on the already shortage of donated sperm amid high demand in the country. The impact on consumers and the donor-conceived children in cases of gamete mix-ups cannot be underestimated, the report found.

Appropriate counselling should be offered by ART providers  to manage the emotional turmoil created with uncertainty about paternity and genetic origins. The implications for families from such errors are lifelong, it said.

Anastasia Gunn, who has sued one of the facilities in Queensland for providing her with the wrong sperm in 2014, said she was horrified [but] not surprised by the report.

It is scary to think how many patients may have unknowingly conceived with the wrong sperm, she told the Australian Guardian.

Why were the clinics not double-checking when they were making humans? The effects of these errors last for generations, she added.

Health minister Shannon Fentiman said on Wednesday she was shocked by the findings. We need to make sure that our laws keep up with technology, she told reporters, adding that she requested the investigation following more than 200 complaints.
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 }}

Giorgio Melon has admonished the youth wing of her far-right Brothers of Italy party after an news outlet published videos showing some of its members glorifying fascism.

The online news outlet Fanpage released the videos last month filmed with a hidden camera by a journalist posing as an activist with Brothers of Italys youth wing. They showed members of the group praising the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, doing fascist salutes and yelling the Nazi cry Sieg Heil.

Two youth members resigned last week after the second instalment of the expose was released.

I have said and repeated dozens of times, but perhaps I need to repeat it: There is no space in Brothers of Italy for racist or antisemitic positions, just as there is no space for nostalgics of totalitarianism of the 1900s, or for any other show of stupid folklore, Meloni said in a letter to her party published by Italian media on Tuesday.

Meloni has decried the fascist regime's anti-Jewish racial laws and the suppression of democracy, but critics have long said she has not done enough to distance herself from her partys neo-fascist roots.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks during a final media conference at the G7 in Borgo Egnazia, near Bari in southern Italy ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

The Brothers of Italy has its origins in the Italian Social Movement, or MSI, which was founded in 1946 by former Mussolini officials and drew fascist sympathizers into its ranks. It remained a small far-right party until the 1990s, when it became the National Alliance and worked to distance itself from its neo-fascist past.

Meloni herself has looked to distance herself from the far right in recent years and says her party is mainstream conservative.

She was a member of the youth branches of MSI and the National Alliance, and founded Brothers of Italy in 2012, keeping the tricolor flame symbol of the MSI in her party logo.

Liliana Segre, a 93-year-old senator for life and Holocaust survivor, told Italy's La7 private television that such sentiments had always existed in Italy but that with the new far-right-led government they dont have shame in anything.

She said the Nazi mottos had revived memories of being deported. Now at my age, will I be forced from my country, as I was already once?
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 bishop has put off any decision on whether to remove mosaics by an ex-Jesuit artist accused of abusing women.

Adding that the work will stay for now on the Lourdes shrine but that eventually they should be removed.

The mosaics will no longer be highlighted each night during the evening prayer, said Lourdes Bishop Jean-Marc Micas, in a statement. But he told the French Catholic daily La Croix that he had decided not to remove them now because he didnt want to tear the church apart.

My deep, formed, intimate conviction is that they will one day need to be removed: they prevent Lourdes from reaching all the people for whom the sanctuarys message is intended, Micas was quoted as saying. But I have decided not to remove them immediately, given the passions and violence the subject incites.

The Rev. Marko Rupnik has been accused by over 20 women of psychological, spiritual and sexual abuses over decades. He hasn't responded to the allegations and refused to cooperate with an investigation by his former Jesuit order, but his collaborators have denounced what they called a media lynching.

The Jesuits expelled him last year after determining the women's claims were very highly credible." Some women say the abuse occurred during the creation of the artwork itself, rendering the mosaics a triggering and traumatic reminder of what they endured.

The Vatican opened a canonical investigation into Rupnik last October, after an outcry that his victims hadnt received justice and suspicions that he had been protected by Jesuits up to and including Pope Francis. The pope denied any significant involvement but confirmed Rupnik had been excommunicated for committing one of the Catholic Church's most serious crimes: using the confessional to absolve a woman with whom he had engaged in sexual activity.

A mosaic by ex-Jesuit artist Marko Rupnik is seen on the main facade of the Church of Our Lady of the Canadian Martyrs ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

The debate about what to do with his mosaics has simmered for two years, precisely because the works are so widespread: They grace some of the Catholic Church's most important and visited shrines, basilicas and sanctuaries around the world.

The debate exploded anew last week after the Vaticans communications chief strongly defended continuing to use Rupnik artwork on the Vatican News website.

His position prompted the pope's top anti-abuse adviser, Cardinal Sean OMalley, to send a letter to all Vatican offices urging them to stop featuring Rupniks artwork. OMalley said continuing to promote it ignores the pain of victims and could imply a defense of the Slovene priest.

Micas acknowledged as much in his statement and interview with La Croix, saying he understood that the mosaics have become a barrier to victims coming to pray at Lourdes because they associate them with abuse.

A study commission he formed to offer advice provided diverging recommendations: some said removing the mosaics wouldnt do anything for victims, and that removing them would succumb to the trend of cancel culture.

On the other side, the point of view was that the church risked prioritizing an object over people once again. Artistic or economic considerations could overshadow the churchs proclaimed care for victims of abuse by clergy, Micas said.

Given the polarization, he decided to continue studying the issue.

On the day O'Malley sent a letter to the Vatican, five women  who accused Rupnik of abusing them  sent letters to bishops around the world urging them to remove their Rupnik mosaics.

One of them, French Sister Samuelle, told The Associated Press that Rupnik had touched her intimately precisely as they were putting up a mosaic, on a scaffolding.

Today, how can I be at peace in front of certain mosaics for which I vividly remember certain things?" Sister Samuelle told AP. "In front of that Madonna, or in that church, or that other place I know that Rupnik, as soon as he had finished this piece of mosaic, approached and began to touch my back. How can I look at these mosaics in peace today? How can I see the image of God without remembering the violence of these gestures and the psychological violence and pressure from Rupnik? I cant.
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 }}

At least seven people have been arrested in Germany and Sweden on suspicion of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes in Syria in 2012-2014, authorities in the two countries said Wednesday.

In a coordinated effort that also involved the European Union judicial cooperation agency Eurojust, the EU police agency Europol, and several other unnamed European countries, four were arrested in Germany and three in Sweden.

The German federal prosecutor said that those arrested in Germany were strongly suspected of killing and attempting to kill civilians. Some of those arrested also were suspected of torture.

The four arrested in Germany are known only as Jihad A., Mahmoud A., Sameer S. and Wael S. and had been affiliated with the Free Palestine Movement, an armed militia in Syria, since early 2011. German prosecutors did not give their last names in line with privacy rules. Sweden did not identify the three it arrested.

At the time, the militia exercised control over Damascus mostly Palestinian district of al-Yarmouk on behalf of the Syrian regime, Germanys federal prosecutor said. Since July 2013, the Syrian regime had cordoned off the area completely, resulting in a shortage of food, water, and medical supplies.

Among other crimes, all suspects allegedly participated in the violent crackdown of a peaceful anti-government protest in al-Yarmouk on July 13, 2012, specifically targeting civilian protesters by shooting at them. Six individuals died while others were seriously injured, the German statement said.

Germanys federal prosecutor alleged that some of them also abused civilians from al-Yarmouk severely and repeatedly. The events occurred between mid-2012 and 2014.

In one case, an individual was handed over to the Syrian Military Intelligence Service, which reportedly incarcerated and tortured him. In another case, a woman was allegedly forced to pay with her family jewels for the release of her minor son, and was threatened with rape.

Three of those arrested  Jihad A., Sameer S. and Wael S.  are stateless Syrian Palestinians, while Mazhar J. is a Syrian national.

The four were arrested in Berlin, in Frankenthal and near Boizenburg, in southwestern and northeast Germany, respectively. The home of another suspect, whose name was not given and who was not arrested, was searched in the western city of Essen.

They are due to be brought before an investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice, who will read out their arrest warrants and decide on pre-trial detention. The arraignment will take place Monday and Tuesday, the prosecutors statement said.

In Sweden, the Prosecution Authority gave no details regarding those arrested. The prosecution authority said it must be decided before noon Saturday whether they should be detained or released.

___

Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet Thursday for the second time in as many months as they travel to Kazakhstan for a session of an international group founded to counter Western alliances.

Putin and Xi last got together in May when the Kremlin leader visited Beijing to underscore their close partnership that opposes the U.S.-led democratic order and seeks to promote a more multipolar world.

Now theyll be attending a session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Kazakh capital of Astana. A look at the summit:

What is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established in 2001 by China and Russia to discuss security concerns in Central Asia and the wider region, Other members are Iran, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Observer states and dialogue partners include Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Who's attending this year?

Besides Putin and Xi, and summit host President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, other leaders there will be Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Emomali Rakhmon of Tajikistan, and President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan. President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus will attend because his nation is becoming a full member.

Iran is still choosing a successor to President Ebrahim Raisi, killed in a helicopter crash in May, with a runoff election Friday, so acting President Mohammad Mokhbar will attend.

Other guests of the SCO include President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan.

Also present will be U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is visiting Central Asia. Guterres wants to position the U.N. as an inclusive organization thats talking to all the big clubs, said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

What SCO leaders won't be there?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India is sending his foreign minister. Indian media reports speculated the recently reelected Modi was busy with the parliament session that began last week. He attended the recent Group of Seven summit in Italy, and some reports also speculated he wants to balance India's relationship with Russia and the West.

What are their goals?

Putin wants to show that Russia is not isolated over Western sanctions from the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

An arrest warrant has been issued for him by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for abductions of children from Ukraine. Kazakhstan is not party to the Rome Statute and thus is not obliged to arrest him.

For Putin, the meeting is about prestige and the symbolic optics that hes not alone, Gabuev said.

The meeting is another chance for Putin and Xi to demonstrate the strong personal ties in their strategic partnership as they both face soaring tensions with the West. They have met more than 40 times.

Putin's meeting with Xi in May showed how China has offered diplomatic support to Moscow and is a top market for its oil and gas. Russia has relied on Beijing as a main source of high-tech imports to keep its military machine running.

The SCO helps China project its influence, especially across Central Asia and the Global South. Xi called for bridges of communication between countries last week and wants to further promote China as an alternative to the U.S. and its allies.

Erdogan could use the meeting to hold talks with Putin, who has postponed several visits to Turkey. The leader of the NATO member has balanced relations with both Russia and Ukraine since the war began, frequently offering to serve as a mediator.

For host Kazakhstan and the other Central Asian nations, the meeting is a way to further their cooperation with bigger, more powerful neighbors. Kazakhstan, for instance, frequently engages with both neighboring Russia and China, while also pursuing links with the West, with visits this year from U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron.

What will be discussed?

Countering terrorism is a key focus. Russia had what it has called two terrorist attacks this year, with more 145 people killed by gunmen at a Moscow concert hall in March, and at least 21 people were killed in attacks on police and houses of worship in the southern republic of Dagestan in June. In the March violence, the U.S. warned Russian officials about the possibility of an attack  information that was dismissed by Moscow.

The SCO is not a collective security or economic alliance, and there are significant security differences between its members, said Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London and a former British ambassador to Belarus. The principal value of the organization lies in the optics of non-Western countries gathering together, he added.

Gabuev agreed, saying the SCO is a place for conversation rather than a platform where "collective decisions are made, implemented and have an impact.

This year, close Moscow ally Belarus will become a full member of the organization, and its admission indicates how Russia wants to bolster blocs of non-Western countries. Gould-Davies said the SCO is raising its profile by growing its membership rather than by deepening its cooperation."

Are there tensions within the SCO?

Political differences among some of SCO members  such as India and Pakistan over disputed Kashmir  also make it difficult to reach collective agreement on some issues.

China has backed Moscow amid the fighting in Ukraine, but at a meeting of the SCO in 2022, Putin referred to Beijings unspecified concerns over the conflict. Indias Modi then called for an end to the fighting without voicing explicit disapproval of Moscows action.

The Central Asian countries balance relations with Russia and China while also remaining on good terms with Western nations. None of the five former Soviet republics in Central Asia have publicly backed the war, although all abstained on a U.N. vote condemning it.

Guterres may use the meeting to talk to Putin about how Russia is disrupting the coherence of the U.N., Gabuev said. Russia has vetoed U.N. Security Council sanctions on monitoring North Korea and a vote on stopping an arms race in outer space.

With Guterres unlikely to visit Moscow, the Astana meeting is likely his best chance to speak to Putin, Gabuev added.

Will Ukraine be discussed?

Neither Ukraine nor any of its Western backers are attending, and major talks  or breakthroughs  on the war are not expected.

But because it's rare these days for any meeting to include the heads of Russia, China, Turkey and the U.N., the possibility of talks about the war might be raised, at least on the peripheries of the summit, probably behind closed doors.

There could be a lot of sideline discussions on Ukraine, as it is a big issue which concerns all of us, a senior Kazakh official told The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to talk publicly, and thus spoke on condition of anonymity.

Gabuev said Putin will try to show there's a big club of countries that are ambivalent toward the war in Ukraine.

-

Burrows reported from London. Associated Press writers Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan, Krutika Pathi in New Delhi, and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.
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

Sad dogs and cats and fake TV broadcasts are among the ads being pushed to the public as the UKs election campaign draws to an end.

Ahead of the election, many had speculated that social media  including TikTok, which has grown dramatically since the last election  could have an outsized role in campaigning. In the event, the campaign appears to have focused largely on traditional media, and during the campaign the Conservatives appeared to pull their online paid-for marketing almost entirely.

As election day approaches, however, the two main parties have seen a huge increase in their spending on online marketing. Both the Labour and Conservative parties have significantly increased the amount they are spending in recent days  though the increase is more dramatic for the Tories, which had spent considerably less than Labour and even Reform in late June.

View more

The Conservatives last-minute campaign blitz appears largely to be focused on one message: the slogan dont surrender your familys future to Keir Starmer. But those ads are presented in a variety of different ways, with pictures seemingly aimed at evoking emotional reactions in those that see them.

They include pictures of sad dogs, including one that appears to be carrying an empty food bowl amid a warning about family finances. Another includes a picture of a sad cat, presumably for the same reason, though none of the ads makes any specific claims about animals.

open image in gallery ( Conservative Party/Meta )

One of the videos that avoids that slogan is one that is mocked up to look like a news broadcast from 2026, and suggests that Mr Starmer will stay in power for decades because he plans to give votes to 16 year olds. Who Targets Me, an organisation that tracks online political advertising, call the ad pretty extraordinary and noted that most experts think votes at 16 will have limited impact.

Another Tory ad warns users not to risk a Keir Starmer supermajority, and is specifically focused on certain key constituencies. Those appear to be focused on what were previously Conservative safe seats  amid warnings that many once reliable constituencies may now be on a knife-edge and could lead to a near-wipeout for the Conservatives.

After a relatively quiet online campaign, those ads were launched in the last couple of days, as the election period drew to a close.

Labour has also significantly stepped up its campaigning, though less dramatically. Its ads are much more various, including different videos and a range of slogans.

The Conservatives appeared to have focused largely on Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram, and away from Google, which offers ads on its search as well as other platforms such as YouTube. The only ad published by the Tories on Google platforms since mid-June is a YouTube ad specifically focused on Lewis Cocking, its candidate for Broxbourne.

Labour, however, have run a much more substantial campaign on Google. That has included buying advertising on Google searches that look to encourage users to read its manifesto and include slogans such as its time for change.

View more

TikTok does not permit political advertising on its platforms. Both the Conservatives and Labour have continued to post on their official accounts as the election has approached, though Labour has done so considerably more.

View more

Nigel Farage may be the winner on that platform, however. Through the election period, his views have attracted the most views  with Labour in second.
A family in West Lothian have welcomed naturally-conceived quadruplets - a 1 in 700,000 rarity thought to be the first of its kind in the area of Scotland.

Rory, Harrison, Ben, and Noah weighed just three pounds each when they were born via a planned caesarean section at 30 weeks, with 20 medics involved in the operation.

I just cant wait to get home and be a nice wee family...or big family, said dad, John Mitchell on GMB, who already has two children with his partner and mum to the newborns, Arlene.

Theres a 15 million to one chance the babies will be identical.
The Amazon Web Services (AWS) logo. The company is looking at three more data centres in Ireland. Photo: Getty

An Bord Pleanala has rejected a call for it to stage an oral hearing into plans by Amazon Web Services to construct three new data centres in north Dublin.

Last year, Fingal County Council granted planning permission to AWS firm Universal Developers LLC for the three new data centre buildings with a combined power load of 73MW for the AWS data centre campus on a 65 acre land-holding at Cruiserath Road, Dublin 15.

The council granted planning permission despite opposition from Friends of the Earth, Not Here Not Anywhere, Gluaiseacht and others.

Five third-parties lodged appeals against the grant of planning permission  Friends of the Earth, the Fingal One Future Group, Dr Colin Doyle, John Conway and Louth Environmental Group and Mannix Coyne.

On behalf of Friends of the Earth, its head of policy Jerry MacEvilly requested An Bord Pleanala stage an oral hearing.

Mr MacEvilly told the appeals board that the proposed development will impose significant pressures on electricity sector decarbonisation and it is at best unclear how the operation of the proposed development will be compatible with the increasingly stringent carbon budgets.

However, in a letter to parties, the appeals board has stated that it has decided to determine the appeal without an oral hearing.

The appeals board has told the AWS firm, the council and the appellants that it has concluded that the appeal can be dealt with adequately through written procedures.

The letter explained that the board has absolute discretion to hold an oral hearing and generally holds one where this will help its understanding of a particularly complex case or where it considers that, in a case involving significant national or local issues, the written submissions need to be supplemented by an oral hearing of the issues.

The appeals were lodged last October and An Bord Pleanala has twice written to parties to defer a decision in the case.

The appeals board had been aiming to make a decision on May 10 but wrote to parties on May 8 advising that it wasnt able to meet the revised timeline as a consequence of the current backlog of cases on hand. The letter states that this case will be determined as soon as practicable.

Revenues at the Irish arm of Amazon Web Services data centre business grew by 1.22bn to 6.08bn last year.
Almost twice as many British business leaders would prefer Labours Angela Rayner to be the next deputy prime minister over the Conservative incumbent, Oliver Dowden, according to a new poll, despite concern about her workers rights agenda.

Some 34pc of the 1,000 UK business decision-makers surveyed by polling firm Savanta in June said they would prefer Rayner, who served as shadow secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities before Parliament was dissolved. That compares with 17pc for Dowden, prime minister Rishi Sunaks right-hand man and the current deputy prime minister.

Around 32pc of respondents said they preferred neither. Those who took part were owners and directors for small businesses, and senior managers or executives for medium and large companies.

Rayner remains the favorite even though some 51pc of respondents said they were concerned about the workers rights plan that she has championed.

That compares with 67pc who said they worried about the economy if Labour took power and 61pc who said that immigration would be a concern.

Our research suggests that business leaders are more concerned about what impact a Labour government might have on fundamentals such as the economy and taxation, rather than more controversial topics such as workers rights and EDI policy  implying the Conservatives dont necessarily understand the needs of a usually receptive key audience, said Chris Hopkins, political research director at Savanta.

Still, half said that Keir Starmers opposition party would be the best choice for business, giving it a 22-point lead over Sunaks Tories.

Head-to-head, business decision-makers prefer Labour figures over most of their Conservative counterparts by a pretty convincing margin, Hopkins said.

Some 42pc preferred Starmer to be the UKs next prime minister, giving him a 15-percentage-point lead over Sunak. Rachel Reeves held a narrower, five-point lead over Conservative chancellor Jeremy Hunt to get top post at the treasury.

Labours business-secretary-in-waiting, Jonathan Reynolds, was favoured over incumbent Kemi Badenoch, 26pc to 19pc. The only Conservative official preferred by more businesses over his Labour counterpart was foreign secretary David Cameron, whom led would-be replacement David Lammy, 34pc to 25pc.
Eirs billionaire owner Xavier Niel offered to buy out other shareholders of Millicom International Cellular in a deal valuing the carrier, which primarily serves Latin America, at about $4.1bn (3.8bn).

Niels Atlas Luxco Sarl is offering $24 a share in cash, a premium of 1.8pc compared to Millicoms May 22 closing price in the US and 1.2pc in Sweden, it said in a statement yesterday.

May 22 was the last day of trading before a Bloomberg News report about a potential public offer for the company, which the company referred to as market speculation in the statement.

Since then, Millicoms US-listed shares have risen 4.1pc, closing at $24.55 on Friday.

The offer is fully financed through funds available to Atlas and financing provided by banks.

Atlas, already the top shareholder of Millicom, has been exploring a bid to buy out other shareholders for months, Bloomberg News previously reported.

Luxembourg-based Millicoms board hasnt made a formal recommendation regarding the offers. Representatives for Millicom did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Atlas wants to continue expanding the reach and capacity of Millicoms networks and distribution capabilities to grow its customer base and better leverage its comprehensive telecom expertise, Atlas said in the statement.

Millicom, which provides fixed and mobile telecom services under the Tigo brand to more than 50 million subscribers in Latin America, was in talks last year on a possible sale to Apollo Global Management and Claure Group. Niel took a stake in the company amid those discussions.

Atlas proposed deal is a sign Niel sees Millicoms cash-generation potential as undervalued, said BI analyst Matthew Bloxham, who compared it to billionaire Patrick Drahis investment in BT.

These wealthy private investors made their money in the sector, suggesting they have a high degree of confidence in their ability make an attractive return on the investments, he said.

Millicoms Latin American operations have shown a mixed performance in recent years, he added, reflecting competition in its key markets, a volatile economy and demand.

Thats been a key factor in keeping valuation multiples subdued, he said.

The company reported sales last year of $5.6bn, according to its website.
Stock market listed pharmaceutical services firm Hvivo is set to enrol up to 1,000 volunteers as part of its largest field study to date.

The contract, signed with a US client, will see Hvivo test an influenza drug, with the study to begin later this year.

Irish-founded Hvivo, previously known as Open Orphan, runs drug trials known as challenge studies from its London clinics.

The new contract is part of a multicentre study, with Hvivos London location the sole UK clinical site.

The randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study will feature volunteers who register through the companys recruitment arm which is known as FluCamp.

The volunteers will be then sent to Hvivos Plumbers Row site in London, the former location of the companys corporate office. Hvivo said it will expand its outpatient capacity at the site to support further field study contracts.

Patients will be administered with the influenza drug candidate or a placebo at Plumbers Row and then will have regular clinical check-ups over the following months

The study is expected to begin in the final three months of the year, with the revenue from the contract expected next year.

Hvivo reported that the new contract supports a new income stream. It added that it is expanding its services to include field studies in a move which is expected to boost revenues, improve staff utilisation and leverage its recruitment platform.

This is our largest field study contract to date, further evidencing the recognition we have earned for our highly effective recruitment capabilities and also opens up a new growth opportunity for the group," chief executive Yamin Mo Khan said.

This project comes at a time when we are in the process of expanding our screening site in London to accommodate these types of studies, he said.

Hvivo reported a 44pc rise in earnings in 2023 in a record year for the group.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) increased to 13m (15.2m) from 9m (10.5m) a year earlier.

Revenue was up 16pc across the year to 56m, while the group had cash of 37m at the end of 2023, up from 28.4m.

Hvivo is also set to share a trading update for the first six months of the year on July 17.
The Guinness brewery at St James's Gate. A route through the north inner city would add up to 1.09m in costs, and 121 tonnes of CO2, the brewery said.

Guinness-maker Diageo is in ongoing talks with the National Transport Authority and Dublin City Council about the restrictions on traffic along the north and south quays of the Liffey due to come into effect next month.

The iconic St Jamess Gate brewery is one of several city-centre businesses that has concerns about the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan, which aims to reduce the number of private cars in the capital.

Fine Gael junior minister Emer Higgins has called for it to be postponed.

The first measure will be the insertion of bus gates on Bachelors Walk and Aston Quay between 7am and 7pm, restricting use to public transport. This will have a direct impact on Diageos operations at the St Jamess Gate Brewery, which has an annual capacity of 1.2 billion pints, 75pc of which is exported.

In a submission to the public consultation phase, Diageo pointed out that it is a key Irish-based exporter, whose shipments transit through Dublin Port and whose HGVs use the north and south quays.

Any restrictions to HGV traffic on this route would therefore represent a commercial and operational risk to Diageo, as well as having negative externalities in terms of road safety and carbon emissions, it said.

A route through the north inner city, via Church Street and Drumcondra Road, would add up to 1.09m in costs, and 121 tonnes of CO2, the brewery said.

Talks between the two sides have been continuing for months, including about alternative routes. It seems unlikely that council officials will agree to 40 round-trips by Guinness trucks each day through the narrow streets of the north inner city.

While their original plan proposed shutting the quays permanently to private traffic, the 7am-7pm concession does not solve Diageos problem. Dublin Port closes at 5.30pm, and it does not have extensive over-night storage for freight.

Noise restrictions at St Jamess Gate, imposed by the council itself, mean Diageo cannot operate there all night.

A Diageo spokesperson said: We take our responsibilities as a major employer and civic stakeholder in Dublin City very seriously and support the overall goal of the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan of making Dublin a more sustainable, dynamic and inclusive city.

We have engaged with Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority on a number of issues regarding the plan  these engagements are continuing, and we hope that solutions can soon be agreed upon.
Tata Steel workers in Britain suspended a planned all-out strike and overtime ban yesterday, following a warning from the company that it would bring forward the planned closure of its two blast furnaces in the country if the walkouts went ahead.

Workers at the Port Talbot and Llanwern sites in Wales, represented by the Unite union, are locked in a dispute with India-owned Tata Steel over its decision to close the blast furnaces and cut up to 2,800 jobs.

Around 1,500 workers at the sites, who had already begun an overtime ban on June 17, were also due to start an indefinite strike from July 8.

But the union said it had paused industrial action after confirmation from the company that it was prepared to enter talks about future investment for its operations and not just redundancies.

This is a significant development in the battle to protect jobs, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said. It is essential that these talks progress swiftly and in good faith with the focus on fresh investment.

A spokesperson for the company welcomed the unions move to suspend strikes.

Given we can now be confident of ensuring appropriate resourcing of activities to operate safely, we will halt preparations for the early cessation of operations on Blast Furnace 4 and the wider heavy end in Port Talbot, they said.

The resumption of talks will focus on the future investments and aspirations for the business, and not on a renegotiation of our existing plan for the heavy-end closure, the spokesperson added.

The company, which employs over 8,000 people in Britain, has previously said that its steelmaking assets were near the end of their life, operationally unstable and causing unsustainable losses of 1m.
The rise and fall of Yevgeny Prigozhin: how Putins chef became a foiled coup leader

The former prisoner challenged Putins authority  and died suspiciously. A new book explores his chequered past

Yevgeny Prigozhin served 10 years in a Soviet penal colony. Photo via Reuters

Ksenia Samotiy Wed 3 Jul 2024 at 03:30







For a brief moment last summer, the Putin regime seemed paralysed. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the infamous Wagner Group of mercenaries, launched a mutiny, turning his troops away from the Ukrainian frontline and heading towards Moscow. The rest of the world watched on, wondering what on earth was happening. Within 36 hours, the rebellion was over, thanks to some murky behind-the-scenes negotiations.
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is produced by Hat Trick Productions, the company behind Derry Girls and Father Ted

Irelands next big Netflix hit has officially entered production. Lisa McGee, esteemed creator of the Bafta-winning sitcom Derry Girls, has announced details of her new comedy thriller, How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, which tells the story of three childhood pals who embark on a dark, dangerous and hilarious odyssey through Ireland and beyond following the untimely death of a fourth friend.

I couldnt be more excited to start production on How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, says McGee, the shows creator, writer and executive producer. Ive loved writing Saoirse, Robyn and Dara  three flawed, funny women who are about to embark on the most thrilling and terrifying adventure of their lives. A mystery full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing and make you laugh out loud. Lets go girls!

Fun times, and the show sounds promising. But whos in it, whos behind the camera, where is McGees new series being filmed, and when can we hope to see it on our screens? Lets find out.

What is How to Get to Heaven from Belfast about?

McGees new series concerns a close-knit group of friends whove been through everything together. There is Saoirse, a television writer whose life is more than a little chaotic; Robyn, the glamorous mother-of-three whos almost at breaking point, and carer Dara, the quiet, dependable member of the group. Now in their late 30s, the women are just as close as they were in school  but there used to be a fourth member of the gang.

What, exactly, happened to Greta, and why did she fall out of touch with her mates? Thats for us to find out, and when an email arrives notifying the trio of their old friends death, it sets off a chain of eerie events from which there is no turning back. The official synopsis describes How to Get to Heaven from Belfast (a chewy title, but a good one) as a show about friendship, memory and what happens when life doesnt turn out quite like youd expected. Relatable stuff  it should be huge.

Whos in How to Get to Heaven from Belfast ?

The Bafta-nominated Roisin Gallagher, aka Shiv Sheridan in The Dry and Janet in The Lovers, portrays Saoirse. Another Bafta nominee, the great Sinead Keenan (Little Boy Blue, Being Human, Unforgotten) takes on the role of Robyn, while IFTA nominee Caoilfhionn Dunne (Love/Hate, Industry, and the forthcoming A Thousand Blows) will play Dara. A tremendous line-up there, and the folks at Netflix have informed us that a supporting cast will be announced at a later date. Let the speculation begin.

The lead cast will include Roisin Gallagher, Sinead Keenan and Caoilfhionn Dunne

Why did How to Get to Heaven from Belfast move from Channel 4 to Netflix?

Complicated funding issues, apparently. Produced by Hat Trick Productions (Father Ted, Derry Girls), the show was originally commissioned by Channel 4, which announced its involvement in August 2023. However, the channel then released a statement to Variety in March 2024 explaining its decision to part ways with McGees new venture.

According to a Channel 4 spokesperson: We loved Lisa McGees How to Get to Heaven from Belfast and offered a substantial license fee to be its UK home. Unfortunately, due to changes in editorial direction as the development process progressed, coupled with rising costs and the recent cooling in the US co-production market, it became impossible to get the right international partner and funding plan in place. We wish Lisa and Hat Trick Productions all the best and look forward to working together on future projects.

Its a sad result for Channel 4, the original home of Derry Girls. How to Get to Heaven from Belfast was subsequently picked up by Netflix, who will now give McGees new series the sort of international reach that most television writers can only dream of. Alls well that ends well  for McGee, at least.

McGee has rounded up some of her old Derry Girls colleagues to help bring this intriguing new series to life

Where is How to Get to Heaven from Belfast being filmed?

The series is being shot in Northern Ireland, and McGee was pictured outside the Duke of York pub in Belfast for the official Netflix announcement. It will be a hometown shoot for Roisin Gallagher, who also filmed the 2023 Sky Atlantic romantic comedy The Lovers in Belfast. However, the shows synopsis teases an adventure through Ireland and beyond, so that might entail a spot of national and, indeed, international travel (the fancy Netflix budget will come in handy there). Elsewhere, the streamer has announced eight 60-minute episodes, which seems a lot for a comedy, but hey, thats how television works now. The bigger the show, the bigger the impact, apparently.

Who else is involved in How to Get to Heaven from Belfast ?

Deep breath, everyone. McGee has rounded up some of her old Derry Girls colleagues to help bring this intriguing new series to life. The great Liz Lewin lends a helping hand as executive producer, alongside Caroline Leddy and Hat Trick Productions co-founder Jimmy Mulville.

Acclaimed producer Brian J Falconer (Derry Girls, Breathtaking, Ordinary Love, The Dig) is also involved, and the series will be directed by Michael Lennox, who directed all three seasons of Derry Girls. Its like one big family reunion, and with so many of the old crew popping up behind the scenes, wed be surprised if we didnt see any of the beloved Derry Girls cast members added to the performers sheet. Fingers crossed.

When is How to Get to Heaven from Belfast released?

Some patience is required here. The folks at Netflix havent yet disclosed a release date  understandable given that production has just commenced on the series. These things take ages, and the rest of the year is already looking a little crowded in the release department. Might it be too much to expect an early 2025 premiere? Maybe, but a winter unveiling will guarantee a wider reach and a sharper focus on this thrilling new comedy.

Well keep you posted.
A binge-drinking man with a significant intellectual disability, who carried out a "horrific" sexual assault on a sleeping woman, has been handed a five-year suspended sentence.

The accused, in his 20s, who cannot be identified, was warned he was obliged to remain under psychological supervision and sober for eight years.
A Dublin woman who helped expose a laboratory computer glitch behind the delay in thousands of CervicalCheck screening tests has called for a major change in the treatment of whistleblowers after she settled her case against the HSE.
A growing number of older doctors are turning to a confidential service for help with anxiety, depression, burnout and substance use, a new report reveals today.

There were 107 new presentations seeking support from the service last year, most of whom were doctors as well as a number of dentists and pharmacists, with some contemplating suicide.

The Practitioner Health Matters Programme was set up to provide private support to doctors and other health professionals in distress, many of whom feel a stigma about reaching out.

Those using the service include an increasing number of older consultants and GPs, according to the bodys annual report, and some have worked beyond their capacity.

Sixty-eight doctors were in the 26 to 49 year age group but more senior medics are now seeking assistance.

Dr Ide Delargy, the programmes medical director, said: Practitioners may struggle for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it relates to unaddressed, underlying vulnerabilities or stressors in their personal lives.

What we do know is that the demands and responsibility of the job they do can be a precipitant for acute anxiety, depression or burnout.

Many try to conceal their distress and continue to wear the mask of normality by continuing to work.

The link between physician health and wellbeing to patient outcomes is well documented and therefore all efforts need to be made to ensure our practitioners get help when needed and are supported in being healthy and well.

Practitioners worry about confidentiality, particularly if they are suffering with a mental health or substance-use disorder.

The confidentiality aspect is a key component of the support and offers a safe place for someone to share their vulnerabilities and get the help required to return to full health again.

The report showed a 48pc increase in the number of presentations in the five-year period from 2018. Of those presenting, 87pc were doctors, including 27 consultants and 21 GPs. Eighteen of those presenting were graduate-entry doctors and there are additional stressors in this particular group.

The main issues are anxiety, depression, burnout and substance use issues.

The programme is expanding its network of therapists around the country with expertise in the nuances and complexities of working with practitioners.

Professor Frank Murray, chair of the programme, said: The importance of having a confidential, independent programme is evident and we are pleased to be able to offer such a service to our colleagues. We recognise that seeking help can be difficult for a practitioner, with many barriers preventing easy access to support.

Our aim is to be accessible in a timely manner when someone contacts the programme, recognising that practitioners often present late and sometimes in crisis work and without the commitment, expertise and the support.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article, call Samaritans free on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.ie; or call Pieta on freephone 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444.
If landlords are found to have committed improper conduct, they can be hit with significant financial sanctions. Stock image

Irelands rental watchdog is investigating dozens of landlords who registered new tenancies after evicting people because they claimed they were selling the property.

Owen Keegan, interim director of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), said an analysis was carried out on notices to quit that were issued in the last three months of 2022.

In May this year, the RTB followed up to see what happened to the properties where landlords evicted tenants because they claimed they intended to sell.

Read more Charlie Weston: Residential Tenancies Board shows no urgency in tackling blatant breaches of rent caps

Landlords issued 4,300 eviction notices in quarter four of 2022, with more than half of those (2,514) served as they were selling the rental property.

Mr Keegan said in 75pc of cases, the tenancy had ended and no new tenancy was registered, which would be legitimate.

Around 17pc of the tenancies did not end and the renter remained in situ.

However, in 5.5pc of cases, a new tenancy had been registered by a landlord who previously evicted tenants because they claimed they were selling.

Mr Keegan said the RTB is now investigating to make sure there has been compliance with the legislation.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 2nd

He said it may not be proof of non-compliance in all cases, as a landlord may have changed their mind about selling the property.

In 2pc of the cases, there was a new tenancy registered with a new landlord, which would indicate the property had been sold.

Members of the RTB appeared before the joint committee on housing, local Government and heritage.

The committee heard how there had been a significant increase in both the number of disputes being reported to the RTB and the number of eviction notices issued this year.

Mr Keegan said between January and May this year, there was a 10pc rise in disputes when compared to the same period last year.

The average time for determining disputes that go to adjudication is 22 weeks, while those that proceed to a tribunal hearing are taking around 29 weeks to be resolved.

Mr Keegan said there was a 60pc rise in complaints between 2016 and 2023.

While the RTB vowed to improve the time it is taking to resolve disputes, Mr Keegan said that came with a caveat because the level of complaints is continually increasing due to a much more pressurised rental market.

He said the RTB intends to carry out more analysis work to ensure landlords are complying with the Residential Tenancies Act.

The once-off research on landlords serving notices to quit because they claimed to be selling the properties is set to be repeated.

The RTB has powers to investigate certain breaches of rental law by landlords called improper conducts. If landlords are found to have committed improper conduct, they can be sanctioned with a written caution and/or a sanction of up to 15,000 and up to 15,000 in costs.

If a landlord says they intend to sell the house, they must offer the tenancy back if they do not enter into an agreement to sell the property within nine months from the expiry of the notice period.
In 2010, a Dutch woman named Natalie decided she wanted to have a child. Its not easy if youre a lesbian, she recalled with a chuckle. I cant just go out and have some fun and become pregnant. It takes a little bit of planning.

After ruling out male friends, Natalie went online and weighed up her options. At first, she considered a donor clinic, but was put off by the Dutch law that prevents donor-conceived children from learning the identity of the donor until they turn 16. I was afraid there could be an identity crisis lying ahead, she said. Thats something I dont wish for any child.
Like the opening few days of the Leaving Cert examinations  where the sun comes out of hibernation  my week travelling Ireland in a camper van is almost certainly guaranteed to be dominated by rain.

In hindsight, choosing Donegal as our first destination probably heightened the odds, but hey, it was the middle of June, so there was hope.

Thankfully, our transport/home for the midweek break was the Volkswagen California  a factory-fitted gaff on wheels complete with two bedrooms, chest fridge, two-ring gas cooker, kitchen sink and plenty of storage.

For the more outdoorsy types, theres even a makeshift shower at the rear  ideal if you want to wash off your wetsuit after catching that killer wave off Lahinch.

More importantly, it comes with its own central-heating system which is operated independently and is controlled from a digital panel in the roof.

It proved a godsend after the weather took a turn for the worst in Teelin, a stunning little hamlet just a few kilometres from the fishing town of Killybegs.

We arrived around teatime and the sun was beating down.

I got the chefs hat on and rustled up a couple of rib-eye steaks. The two ravenous travellers dined al fresco on the cleverly stowed-away table and chairs in the tailgate.

A visit to the Rusty Mackerel  chosen by the Lonely Planet as one of the top 20 pubs in Ireland  is highly recommended and the Guinness is to die for.

Leaving after dark, the heavens opened, the wind swept in from the coast and it came down in sheets. No bother to the Cali, as my son Cameron and I were snug as bugs. The red canvas roof withstood the battering with gusto, even if it was a bit noisy.

Being typical tourists, we decided the inclement conditions wouldnt dampen our spirits, so the awning was unfurled and the pair of us enjoyed a decent breakfast the following morning.

Packing up, which takes minutes thanks to the electric roof, we decided to head south for sunnier climes and the legendary Cliffs of Moher.

Hitting the N17, my co-pilot reminded me that the 316km trek would take over four hours and possibly a bit more with couple of pitstops before we hit Doolin.

Luckily the California is built on the same platform as the Transporter van, and is powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine which generates 190bhp.

Twin that with its sublime seven-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox and super-comfy armchair-like seats with twin armrests, and no journey seems too daunting.

There is plenty of low-down torque, which we needed to drag it and all our gear up steep hills along the Wild Atlantic Way, and some quite narrow boreens. Theres also the option of all-wheel drive for those who fancy going completely off grid.

On major roads and carriageways, the Cali cruised effortlessly and proved really efficient, returning an average of 4.7 litres/100km, or 50mpg.

On more challenging B roads, the only complaint is the background noise of your plates and cutlery bashing about inside the cupboards.

On a brief stopover in Cong to pay homage to John Wayne and Maureen OHara (and a photo with The Quiet Man statue), the clouds lifted and with it so did our spirits.

Fresh as daisies, we hit the Banner County at around 6pm  just in time for fish and chips at Gus OConnors and a couple of Irish tunes.

It lashed again that night and the following day, but sure theres always next year.

In the meantime, Ill be California dreaming.

Prices for the VW California start at 66,800.
I remember the day well. It was May 1, 1997. A Thursday, as I recall. Why do I remember such a distant date so clearly and so distinctly when I cant remember things that happened last week?

Well, that was the night when the UK changed. After more than two decades of Tory rule, Tony Blairs New Labour swept aside the old guard with a majority of 179 seats, bringing them to a grand total of 418 seats overall. It was the most comprehensive election victory Labour had ever enjoyed.
The prospect of a victory for Marine Le Pen's National Rally party will cause consternation in many European capitals. Photo: Reuters

You know horses are smarter than people. You never heard of a horse going broke betting on people, Will Rogers once joked.

Emmanuel Macron ought also to have known predicting what the public will do seldom pays off. Nor can Frances president console himself that this was bad luck. It was bad play.

And now, France and the European Union are likely to be left spinning as a result of this particular ill-advised turn of the roulette wheel.

Mr Macron seemed convinced that by not risking anything, he risked even more.

But to illustrate just how far the miscalculation went: in the first round of parliamentary elections in 2022, 4.2 million French people voted for the far-right National Rally (RN) party. That number was around 11 million at the weekend.

The payout is going to be big for the famously Eurosceptic Marine Le Pen, RNs far-right matriarch.

Centrist and left-wing parties will be red-eyed working on permutations to block her path to power,

They must decide from today whether to pull candidates out of hundreds of election run-offs.

And they make for uncommon bedfellows. Their only mutual feeling is their antipathy towards Ms Le Pens party. But having won 33.2pc in the first round  ahead of the left-wing New Popular Front on 28pc and Mr Macrons Ensemble alliance on 22.4pc  there is no hiding from the consequences of this political earthquake.

Ms Le Pen may have extended her appeal by rowing back on the nuclear option of a Frexit. But her partys manifesto makes no secret that it is highly sceptical about the countrys relationship with Europe. She is trenchantly opposed to closer ties.

The seismic nature of the change may not only be reflected in the French republics constitution. As things stand, the presidents remit is in foreign policy and security. The government governs the country. But Ms Le Pen has other ideas. Control of borders and taking back lost sovereignty are central to RNs raison detre.

Brussels  and many other European capitals  will be concerned that RN could forge alliances with Italys Giorgia Meloni and Hungarys Viktor Orban, both far-right allies. This would give them significant heft within the bloc, making them a force to be reckoned with. Ms Le Pens known admiration for Vladimir Putin is also a source of consternation, especially in the context of the EUs commitments to Ukraine.

Mr Macron called the election out of a conviction that France needed a moment of political clarification. He has got what he asked for.

The picture could hardly be clearer, but from his perspective and from that of many others, it may yet make for an appalling vista.

The chokehold of the far right on French politics, which he hoped to break, could be stronger than ever, and may even extend to the EU. One sure bet at least is that there will be many anxious eyes trained on next Sundays second-round vote results.
Former White House strategist Steve Bannon has reported to prison in Connecticut.

The long-time ally  and occasional foe  of Donald Trump previously acted as the former US presidents right-hand man and chief orchestrator of his successful election campaign.

This week, the notoriously outspoken Bannon was handed a four-month jail sentence following charges of defying a subpoena into the investigation of the 2021 assault on Capitol Hill.

Surrendering himself on Monday, Bannon declared that he was proud to go to prison.

The former Navy officer-turned-investment banker rose to prominence as a leading figure in right-wing media throughout the 2000s, before eventually aligning himself with Trump and taking up his formal role in the White House.

The move wasnt without controversy, as a fallout between the two led Trump to label his one-time close confidant Sloppy Steve before dismissing him from his cabinet.

No stranger to headlines, Bannon has been described as one of this centurys most notable far-right agitators, forging ties with other controversial politicians such as French presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Rory Tevlin is joined by New York-based reporter and news director of WSHU Public Radio, Terry Sheridan. They look at Bannons mystifying rise to power and ask whether he might yield more influence inside prison than outside.
The 17-year-old is described as being approximately 5 foot 11 inches with a slim build, short dark brown hair and blue eyes

Gardai are seeking the public's assistance in tracing the whereabouts of Daniel O'Mahony (17) who was last seen on the afternoon of Monday, July 1 in Cork city centre at approximately 2.45pm.

Daniel is described as being approximately 5 foot 11 inches with a slim build, short dark brown hair and blue eyes. When last seen he was wearing a blue jumper, blue jogger pants and white runners.

Daniel is known to frequent Cork City.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Midleton Garda Station on (021) 462 1550, the Garda Confidential line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
Grants from a total Toy Show Appeal fund of 3.6 million will be provided to over 100 charities from across the country.

A north Cork group is one of the nine charities from across the county which will benefit from a grant from the RTE Toy Show Appeal, which was fundraised by the viewers of last Novembers Late Late Toy Show.

YANA (You Are Not Alone) North Cork Domestic Violence Project, which works with women and children who have experienced or are experiencing domestic violence, will receive a grant of 18,000 from the Toy Show Appeal.

The Crann Centre, which is aiming to deliver inclusive and fun social activities from its accessible recreational spaces for neuro-physical disabilities children, teens and their families, will receive a grant of 40,000.

Rainbow Club Cork Centre for Autism, which wants to run a programme providing life skills and mentorship for young people with autism, will also get a grant of 40,000.

Jack and Jill Childrens Foundation and Nasc, the Migrant and Refugee Rights Centre, which provides for the essential needs of refugee children arriving in Ireland, will both receive 40,000 from the Toy Show Appeal.

Graffiti Theatre Company will receive a grant of 40,000 for its programme which helps DEIS primary school pupils and young people with disabilities in Cork to explore their creative expression through theatre.

Huruma CGL t/a Wellsprings will get a grant of 39,000 for engaging care experienced families and their children with therapeutic supports and positive prosocial connections

Feed Cork will be provided with 18,000 from the Toy Show Appeal for its work providing healthy meals to DEIS school children at risk of food poverty,

Clonakilty Friends of Asylum Seekers, which is running an active migrant kids community integration project, will receive a grant of 12,000.

A total of 122 Toy Show Appeal grants were announced last week for charities that aid children, young people and families from all over Ireland. The grants will be drawn from a total fund of 3.6 million.

Five charities each received a grant of 120,000 from the fund, while the rest of the money raised was split amongst over 100 groups from across the country. The latter process, which saw the nine Cork charities awarded grants, was managed by RTEs charity partner Community Foundation Ireland.
Artist Liliane Puthod in her father's old Renault 4 which she drove from France to Dublin for a new art exhibition

A French artist who found her dads old Renault 4 in the shed at home in France, ended up driving the car to Dublin to become part of an art exhibition.
The events will take place from 4-8pm each Sunday until August 25

A series of free musical, artistic, and dance performances will be held in Dublin city centre every Sunday over the coming weeks.

Business group DublinTown and Dublin City Councils Coordination Office have joined forces to organise some family fun in the city for the summer.

Summer in Dublin is a series of events taking place on Sunday afternoons from July 7 until Sunday, August 25, between 4 and 8pm.

South Anne Street, Drury Street, Liffey Street, Capel Street, and North Earl Street by the Dublin Portal are expected to have performances taking place.

With a mix of music, dance, and art, the pop-up activations will not only celebrate Dublins cultural diversity, but also provide a chance to get together as a community and support local talent, said Dublin Town CEO, Richard Guiney.

Karl Mitchell, Director of Services for Dublin City Council, added: There is so much to do in Dublin city centre for people of all ages.

Some of the highlights include street performers and musicians who will bring the streets alive.

Summer in Dublin has been organised especially to encourage people to experience all that is good about the city at this time of year.

Other musical attractions will include New Orleans-style New Brass Kings, three-piece trad band Sin Deri Si, and Latin group Havana Club Trio.

There will also be a fantastic collection of Irish, Bolivian, and Latina dancers and aerial artists. The streets will also be filled with the musical styles of locally based Sam Clifford, Sarah Fitzsimon and Adam Grimes.

Local visual arts will also play a huge part, from the creation of murals to vibrant street displays with the cooperation and input of local businesses.
Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly out canvassing in Newbridge, Co Kildare in the lead up to last month's European elections. Photo: Gerry Mooney

Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly has revealed his decision to join the European Parliaments Renew group, saying the move best fits the needs of his constituents.

The Lanesboro natives announcement comes after one of the European Democratic Partys most senior figures gave Mr Mulloolys candidacy the seal of approval.

Follow Independent Longford on Facebook

In a letter penned by French MEP, Sandro Gozi to the leaders of Renew Group, the EDPS secretary-general said the former RTE journalists proposed nomination had been met with unanimous support among its party membership.

Mr Mulloolys decision to join our ranks has been met with unanimous support from all members of our party, he wrote.

We are confident that his values, vision, and dedication align perfectly with the principles and objectives of the European Democratic Party.

Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly out canvassing in Newbridge, Co Kildare in the lead up to last month's European elections. Photo: Gerry Mooney

In a post on his own Facebook page this morning (Wednesday) Mr Mullooly said his new position within the grouping would see him head up a key agricultural position within the EDP.

After three weeks of talks with the parties in Brussels I have joined the European Democratic Party (EDP), a separate party within the Renew Group - which has my good friend and the former MEP for Ireland Marian Harkin as its Vice President, he said.

I made this decision after I became the unanimous choice of The European Democratic Party 8 MEPs at the European Parliament to lead that partys agriculture portfolio in the next parliament as the crucial discussions on CAP begin.

The 57-year-old has already taken up an outspoken stance in relation to certain policy decisions taken at EU level.

Just days after claiming the final seat in the Midlands-North West constituency, the father of two hit out at the passing of the nature restoration law.

Ciaran Mullooly at the Midlands-North-West count centre in Castlebar (Cillian Sherlock/PA)

The flagship policy which requires member states to introduce measures restoring nature on a fifth of their land and sea by 2030 came in for criticism from the former Longford County Council employee.

He said both the timing of its passing so soon after the European elections and its slim ratification had done little to alter a broader reticent perception when it came to the political arena.

We are already seeing the immense need for MEPs with foresight, he said.

Im not a bit surprised voters are cynical of politics and career politicians when these are the stunts being pulled in Europe.
A young father, Wexford FC Captain Ethan Boyle has expressed concerns for his son going forward after a recent racist encounter at a local playground.

Having played for the likes of Shamrock Rovers, Waterford and Finn Harps, it was a big coup to bring the Wexford man back to his hometown club as part of a re-brand and a major shake-up behind the scenes at Wexford FC.
It was the end of an era in the parishes of Blessington and Valleymount last weekend as the priest who saw them through covid presided over his final masses.

Fr Richard Behan had been an ear and a friend for west Wicklow parishioners since the summer of 2015, and in a double blow those parishioners also said goodbye last weekend to much-loved pastoral worker Aine Egan.

Trying to put into words the profound effect Fr Richard has had on the people of Blessington, Parish Secretary Carol Murphy said: Fr Richard has enjoyed himself in his time in the area, taking time to talk the parishioners and making friends easily. He has great time for the elderly and the bereaved in the area and has been a very kind and approachable priest, with a friendly and happy outlook on life.

Through covid-19, he kept the parish going with daily mass, which many people watched with the use of the webcam. The sacraments continued also. When regulations allowed, the communion and confirmation ceremonies returned, all be it in smaller group numbers.

Aine Egan Parish Pastoral Worker and Fr Richard Behan, who are both leaving the Valleymount and Blessington Parish. Photo: Barry Hamilton

She added: Recently Fr. Richard celebrated his 40th Jubilee here in the parish, the small get-together was a great surprise to him and it was great to see the happiness in the room.

The kindness, friendship, and affection Fr Richard has for the community is evident in many ways, mostly in the friendships he has formed with the other priests of the parish and the surrounding areas. This was very apparent in his friendships with the Late F. Kevin Lyon, of Crosschapel and Fr Teddy Downes, who was curate in Valleymount, both of whom are missed very much.

As Fr Richard heads north to south Dublin to take up his new role as parish priest to Killiney, Ballybrack and Loughlinstown, Blessington pastoral worker Aine Egan will also be moving on to the parish of Celbridge after seven years of service.

Carol said: Aine has been an asset to the parish in many ways. She is welcoming, kind and helpful to everyone who has needed anything in any way.

"She has worked closely with the local schools, especially with the communion classes.

She has set up new initiatives in the parish, such as Play and Pray and The Women's Breakfast to name but a few. Hopefully, these will continue after her new appointment.

She concluded: It is with great sadness we say goodbye to Fr. Richard and Aine, But the time has come for them to move to new parishes to continue their good work. We wish them well in their new positions and hope that they thrive in their new parishes.

Fr Gerry Kane will take over from Fr Richard from this weekend.
The death toll from a stampede at a Hindu religious congregation in northern India has risen to 121, news agency ANI reported on Wednesday, where a police report said the number of people present was more than triple the permitted capacity.

The stampede on Tuesday was at the religious event in a village in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh state, about 200 km (125 miles) southeast of New Delhi, where police had given permission for 80,000 people to gather, according to the document, the first information report.
UK elections: What Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer are each telling voters on final campaign day

Keir Starmer will conclude a whirlwind tour of the country on Wednesday in a final bid secure Labours return to power after 14 yearsRishi Sunak makes last ditch plea to voters not to back unchecked Labour majority

Sir Keir Starmer is set to visit England, Wales and Scotland on the final day of campaigning (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Christopher McKeon and David Lynch Wed 3 Jul 2024 at 07:59







UKS Labour Party has issued its final plea to voters as the election enters its last day, saying: Change is in your hands.
Europe

Africans recruited to work in Russia say they were duped into building drones for use in Ukraine
Democratic governors demand crisis meeting at White House over Joe Bidens disastrous debate

Group startled over lack of contact with the president since his poor performance

US president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden. Photo: AP

Mike Bedigan UK Independent Wed 3 Jul 2024 at 03:30







A group of Democratic governors has demanded a meeting at the White House to get reassurances from Joe Biden and advisers in the wake of his disastrous first debate.
Melania Trump is unlikely to take up the role of full-time first lady if her husband wins a second term as president, according to a report.

A Trumpworld insider told the Page Six news website that the Slovenian former model has cut a deal with Donald Trump that if he takes back the White House in November she would not have to be on first lady duty 24/7.
The truth about Trumps $50m donor and his Irish ancestors

Billionaire Timothy Mellon is from Tyrone stock but he is not the first member of his family to support anti-immigrant politics

Trump has accused Biden of opening the US border to people that are from prisons...insane asylums, terrorists. Photo: Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Tom Deignan Wed 3 Jul 2024 at 03:30

The day after Donald Trump was convicted of 34 felony charges relating to hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, Timothy Mellon gave $50m to the former presidents re-election campaign.
Andhra Pradesh Reignites Amaravati Capital City Ambition

The long-overdue ambition to establish Amaravati as a green capital city of the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh appears to be back on track. In June, the newly formed state government published a Gazette notice regarding the greenfield capital project. Although nearly eight years have passed since Amaravati was announced as the new state capital following Telanganas bifurcation from Andhra Pradesh, no significant changes have been made to the area.

Things appear to be turning around for Andhra Pradesh. Upon the release of a white paper on Amaravati on July 3, 2024, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said that Singapore has prepared three master plans for Andhra Pradeshs capital city, which would house nine different regions: government, health, finance, sports, electronics, justice, tourism, and knowledge.

The Amaravati Government Complex Master Plan was formally unveiled on June 29, 2024, by the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA). By outlining specific zoning regulations and criteria for urban design, the roughly 1,575-acre plan aims to encourage planned and sustainable growth in the region.

Shortly after Naidu, the head of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), took over as the state chief minister on June 12, 2024, a number of statements regarding the city were made. The state government is reportedly planning to publish a white paper on Amaravati in the second week of July this year.

Latest developments on the Amaravati city project

Andhra Pradesh recently reappointed retired IAS officer Lakshimi Parthsarathy as the chairperson of the Amaravati Development Corporation to oversee the new capital citys development, implementation, and operation. She first served as the chairperson of Amaravati Development Corporation from January 2016 to July 2019. It has been announced that an upcoming white paper will detail Amaravatis current status and address the effects of the projects hiatus under the previous administration.

Chief Minister Naidu also announced his decision to keep Amaravati as the sole capital region of the state. Shortly after gaining a landslide victory in the state assembly elections, Naidu addressed a joint meeting of the states NDA parties, the BJP, TDP, and the Jana Sena Party, and proclaimed that there will be no games under the guise of three capitals and that Amaravati would be the only capital of Andhra Pradesh.

Timeline on Amaravati greenfield city project

The state of Andhra Pradesh was officially bifurcated under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. This led to the official formation of Telangana, Indias youngest state, with its state capital being the city of Hyderabad.

N. Chandrababu Naidu assumed the charge as the first chief minister of bifurcated Andhra Pradesh between 2014 and 2019. He floated the idea of Amaravati as the capital city. Amaravati was selected as the new capital because of its strategic location between Vijayawada and Guntur.

The proposed greenfield capital was supposed to be developed through a land pooling scheme where farmers would donate land for the establishment of Amaravati. Thousands of farmers contributed to the scheme during Naidus last tenure as the states chief minister.

In 2015, Naidu laid the foundation stone for the Amaravati capital, and in 2019, he laid the foundation stone for a permanent secretariat in the region.

However, the project suffered a setback in 2019 when the Naidu-led TDP lost power and the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP party won a landslide victory in the assembly elections.

Shortly after assuming charge, Jagan floated a three-capital plan for Andhra Pradesh: Visakhapatnam as the administrative capital, Amaravati as the legislative capital, and Kurnool as the judicial capital.

The three-capital plan hit a legal hurdle, and as a result, Andhra Pradesh continued without any capital till 2024.

On June 2, 2024, Hyderabad ceased to be the joint capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as the bifurcation of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh entered its 10th year.

Phase-wise implementation

In June 2024, Andhra Pradesh Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana announced that the development of Amaravati, the capital city, would be completed in two and a half years. Narayana stated that Amaravati aims to be one of the top five capital cities globally, with plans from the past being implemented to achieve this goal. The minister highlighted that the development involves collaboration with the Singapore government, particularly in designing the city to benefit all districts financially. In 2015, the then state administration officials visited countries such as Singapore, China, Japan, Russia, and Malaysia in a bid to gather the best design ideas for Amaravati.

Shortly after, the state invited Singapore and Japan to partner with the Andhra government to help with the establishment of the new capital. The invitation to the two island nations came after the Singapore government submitted the final master plan for what will be the core administrative borough of the capital region.

Narayana explained that tenders worth INR 480 billion (US$5.7 billion) were previously issued to provide amenities in most areas of Amaravati, with INR 90 billion (US$1.07 billion) already spent. The minister noted that 90 percent of the residential quarters for bureaucrats, legislators, and others have been constructed.

After the land pooling notification on January 1, 2015, farmers handed over 34,000 acres of land by February 28, 2015.

Amaravati citys master plan will be implemented in three phases, with the first phase costing INR 480 billion (US$5.7 billion) and the second phase focusing on metro rail infrastructure and mass public transport.

Legal issues and other roadblocks

The Amaravati Master Plan project was given to the design firm Foster+Partner in 2015, and the said project was expected to be completed in 2025. However, the project was abandoned in 2019 after the YSR Congress Party won the state elections. The new state government, under the leadership of then Chief Minister YSR Jagan Reddy, insisted on proposing a plan that divided government functions among different locations.

In 2022, the UK Architects Journal reported that a lawsuit was filed against the government-run Amaravati Metropolitan Region Development Authority (AMRDA) as the agency failed to address Foster + Partners requests for payment, which date back to 2019.

Foster+Partners had been working with AMRDA for several years to create an administrative city for the state of Andhra Pradesh. At an estimated cost of 500 million (US$600 million), the project featured a new legislative building, judicial facilities, and an office building complex.

Conclusion

The long-overdue ambition of making Amaravati the green capital city of Andhra Pradesh is gradually gathering momentum. The Amaravati Master Plan spans an area of 1,575 acres and outlines particular zoning laws and urban design standards to promote planned and sustainable growth. The newly elected Naidu-led TDP government has made a number of significant statements regarding the citys developments in an attempt to jump-start Amaravatis growth in phases as well as attract foreign cooperation and financial investments.

(US$1 = INR 83.53)
Photo courtesy: Pixabay

Bengaluru: SoftBank-backed edtech startup Unacademy has laid off 250 employees in a new round of company-wide layoffs, media reported.

According to sources familiar with the situation, around 100 of the affected employees are from core functions such as business development and marketing, while the remaining are from the sales department, reported the Economic Times.

As part of our ongoing efforts to streamline operations and enhance business efficiency, we have recently undergone a restructuring exercise. This was necessary keeping in mind the companys goals and vision for the year, as we focus all our efforts on sustainable growth and profitability. Consequently, some roles have been impacted, the company, which counts Peak XV Partners and General Atlantic among its investors, said in a statement.

With this Unacademy concluded its third round of layoffs in three years. In March 2023, the company cut its workforce by 12%, impacting about 380 employees. In April 2022, roughly 1,000 full-time and contractual employees were dismissed.

Last month, co-founder Hemesh Singh stepped down as Chief Technology Officer and moved into an advisory role.

On May 31, ET reported that Unacademy, after an initial boom due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saw a slowdown in its online business.

Consequently, the company shifted its focus to expanding its offline presence in the test preparation segment, competing with Byjus-owned Aakash, Bodhi Tree-backed Allen Career Institute, and GSV Ventures-backed PhysicsWallah.

Companys CEO Gaurav Munjal, informed employees last December that the company had Rs 1,800 crore (nearly $216 million) in reserves, providing a cash runway of four years.

He also mentioned that Unacademy had reduced its cash burn by 60% in 2023 and aimed to extend its runway to eight years in 2024 through further burn reductions.

The Bengaluru-based startup's losses narrowed by 41% to Rs 1,678 crore in FY23, while revenue increased by 26% to Rs 907 crore during the same period. Unacademy has yet to disclose its financial results for FY24, the report said.
Photo Courtesy: SHAREALIKE 3.0 UNPORTED/Wikimedia Commons

Reserve Bank of India has been collaborating bilaterally with various countries to link Indias Fast Payments System (FPS)  the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), with their respective FPSs for cross-border Person to Person (P2P) and Person to Merchant (P2M) payments.

While India and its partner countries can continue to benefit through such bilateral connectivity of Fast Payment Systems, a multilateral approach will provide further impetus to our efforts in expanding the international reach of Indian payment systems.

What is Project Nexus?

The Reserve Bank of India has now joined the Project Nexus, a multilateral international initiative to enable instant cross-border retail payments by interlinking domestic FPSs.

"Nexus, conceptualised by the Innovation Hub of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), aims to connect the FPSs of four ASEAN countries (Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand); and India, who would be the founding members and first mover countries of this platform," read a statement issued by the RBI.

An agreement to this effect was signed by the BIS and the central banks of the founding countries i.e., Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Bank of Thailand (BOT), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and Reserve Bank of India on June 30, 2024, in Basel, Switzerland. Indonesia, which has been involved from the early stages, continues to be involved as a special observer.

The platform can be extended to more countries, going forward.

The platform is expected to go live by 2026.

Once functional, Nexus will play an important role in making retail cross-border payments efficient, faster, and more cost effective.
Photo Courtesy: PIB

The trade ties between India and Russia have strengthened with volume touching $65.7 billion in the financial year ending in March 2024, media reports said.

In a landmark development, India has supplied aluminum to Russia, which itself is the worlds second-largest exporter of the metal, according to Sputniks analysis of Indian customs data.

India sold 44,800 tons of unprocessed aluminum to Russian companies for $16.5 million in April, according to the figures furnished, the Russian news agency reported.

Intensifying the trade and economic relations has been identified as a priority area by both the leaders, who had earlier set the targets of increasing bilateral investment to $50 billion and bilateral trade to $30 billion by 2025, as per Indian Embassy in Russia website.

"As per figures of Department of Commerce, in FY 2023-24, bilateral trade has reached an all-time high of $ 65.70 billion [Total bilateral merchandise trade for FY 2023-24: USD 65.70 billion; Indias exports: USD 4.26 billion; and Indias imports: USD 61.44 billion]," the statement said.

Major items of export from India include pharmaceuticals, organic chemicals, electrical machinery and mechanical appliances, iron & steel, while major items of import from Russia include oil and petroleum products, fertilizers, mineral resources, precious stones and metals, vegetable oils, etc.
Image Credit: Koo/Koo Global

Bengaluru: Indian social media app Koo, once considered a potential future rival to the micro-blogging platform X, has shut down today, is closing down, founder Aprameya Radhakrishna announced on LinkedIn on Wednesday.

This decision came after several failed discussions for a potential sale or merger with various companies, including Dailyhunt, according to sources familiar with the matter. Koo is supported by investors Accel and Tiger Global.

And when one of these companies takes off, it can't be left to the whims of the capital market, which goes up and down. It needs a strategic outlook to safeguard it and make it thrive, Radhakrishna said in the post. These aren't to be looked at as profit churning machines in two years from launch. They need to be nurtured for a larger long-term play. We would love to see that long-term view for large bets from India.

Koo was last valued at $274 million after it raised more than $66 million from investors, including 3one4 Capital.

Before founding Koo, Radhakrishna established the ride-hailing company TaxiForSure, which was acquired by Ola in 2015.

Bidawatka was a colleague of Radhakrishna at TaxiForSure.

Koo had been struggling to raise new capital since last year, prompting it to explore mergers with various platforms, but none of the discussions materialized.

Sources mentioned that the company still possesses some digital assets, such as cloud credits, which may be sold to potential buyers.

They (Koo) were under a lot of pressure from the board and investors too. The company fired the majority of staff and even cut down on burn, but eventually nothing worked out, a person aware of the matter said.

Radhakrishna said, We explored partnerships with multiple larger internet companies, conglomerates and media houses, but these talks didnt yield the outcome we wanted. Most of them didnt want to deal with user-generated content and the wild nature of a social media company.

The LinkedIn post from the Koo founders said the prolonged funding winter got the better of us.

We needed five to six years of aggressive, long-term and patient capital to make this dream a reality, they said.

Koos struggle brings to attention the difficulties local social media platforms face for survival while competing against global rivals.

Koo used to have a 10% like ratio, almost 7-10x the ratio Twitter had, making Koo a more favourable platform for creators. At our peak, we were at about 2.1 million daily active users and 10 million monthly active users, over 9,000 VIPs that included some of the most eminent personalities from various fields, the joint post from Koo founders said.

We were just months away from beating Twitter in India in 2022 and could have doubled down on that short-term goal with capital behind us.

Koo had expanded operations to Brazil last year.

The little yellow bird says its final goodbye, the post said.
In image Hathras stampede/ courtesy: Videograb from X

Envoys of several nations, including Israel and France, mourned the loss of lives in a stampede at a religious gathering, known as 'satsang', in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district on Tuesday.

German envoy Philipp Ackermann posted on X: "Deeply saddened about the tragic events in Hathras.My condolences to the families that lost their loved ones.We hope that help quickly reaches the injured."

Deeply saddened about the tragic events in Hathras.



My condolences to the families that lost their loved ones.



We hope that help quickly reaches the injured.  Dr Philipp Ackermann (@AmbAckermann) July 2, 2024

Chinese envoy Xu Feihong expressed his shock at the loss of lives in the tragedy.

Shocked and saddened about the tragic events in Hathras, UP.

Deeply mourn for the lives lost and extend heartfelt sympathies to victims' families. Wish the injured a speedy recovery.  Xu Feihong (@China_Amb_India) July 2, 2024

"Shocked and saddened about the tragic events in Hathras, UP. Deeply mourn for the lives lost and extend heartfelt sympathies to victims' families. Wish the injured a speedy recovery," he posted on X.

French ambassador to India Thierry Mathou said: "Deeply saddened by the loss of lives following the tragic stampede in Uttar Pradeshs #Hathras district."

Deeply saddened by the loss of lives following the tragic stampede in Uttar Pradeshs #Hathras district.



France expresses its deepest condolences to the bereaved families of the victims and wishes the injured a speedy recovery.  Thierry Mathou (@thierry_mathou) July 2, 2024

"France expresses its deepest condolences to the bereaved families of the victims and wishes the injured a speedy recovery," he said.

Israeli envoy Naor Gilon said the stampede tragedy in the north Indian state left him deeply saddened.

Deeply saddened about the loss of lives at the tragic stampede in #Hathras, UP.



Our thoughts are with the families of the victims.

Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.

Such incidents are truly heartbreaking.



    Naor Gilon (@NaorGilon) July 2, 2024

"Deeply saddened about the loss of lives at the tragic stampede in #Hathras, UP," he wrote on X.

"Our thoughts are with the families of the victims. Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. Such incidents are truly heartbreaking," the envoy said.

At least 116 people, including women and three children, were killed after a stampede broke out at a religious event in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras on Tuesday, officials have said.

The stampede occurred during a 'satsang' (prayer meeting) which was attended by hundreds.

Visuals from the Community Health Centre showed several bodies being brought there in buses and tempos in the presence of crying family members.

Manav Mangal Milan Sadbhavna Samagam Committee hosted the religious event.

A case has been reportedly filed against the organisers of the event.

The organisers have been charged under sections 105, 110, 126 (2), 223, and 238 of the country's new criminal code Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Self-styled godman's name emerge

According to reports, the religious event was hosted by a self-styled godman Narayan Saakar Hari aka Bhole Baba.

The self-styled religious leader was reportedly a former UP police staffer.

He took voluntary retirement in 1990 to pursue his spiritual journey.
Photo Courtesy: PIB

The Indian Army contingent departed recently for the 13th edition of India- Thailand joint military Exercise MAITREE.

The exercise is scheduled to be conducted from 1st to 15th July 2024 at Fort Vachiraprakan in Tak Province of Thailand.

Last edition of the same exercise was conducted at Umroi, Meghalaya in September 2019.

Also read: Project Nexus: Reserve Bank of India joins ASEAN nations to create platform for instantaneous cross-border payments

The Indian Army contingent comprising 76 personnel is being represented mainly by a Battalion of the LADAKH SCOUTS along with personnel from other arms and services.

The Royal Thailand Army contingent also comprises 76 personnel mainly from 1st Battalion, 14 Infantry Regiment of 4 Division.

Aim of Exercise MAITREE is to foster Military Cooperation between India and Thailand. The Exercise will enhance combined capabilities in executing Joint Counter Insurgency/ Terrorist Operations in Jungle and Urban Environment under Chapter VII of United Nations Charter. The Exercise will focus on high degree of physical fitness, joint planning and joint tactical drills.

Tactical Drills to be practiced during the exercise will include Creation of a Joint Operation Centre, establishing an Intelligence & Surveillance Centre, employment of Drones and Counter Drone Systems, Securing of a Landing Site, Small Team Insertion & Extraction, Special Heliborne Operations, Cordon and Search Operations, Room Intervention Drills and Demolition of Illegal Structures.

Exercise MAITREE will enable the two sides to share their best practices in Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for conduct of joint operations.

The Exercise will facilitate developing inter-operability, bonhomie and camaraderie between soldiers of both the countries.
In image Hathras stampede/ courtesy: Videograb from X

Hathras/IBNS: Bhole Baba, the self-styled godman at whose Satsang 121 people died in stampede in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras on Tuesday, is still at large, police said.

Police said they could not find Bhole Baba after a search operation was carried out at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in the Mainpuri district.

"We did not find Baba ji inside the campus...He is not here...," Deputy Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar said as quoted by Hindustan Times.

At least 121 people, mostly women, were killed after a stampede broke out at a religious event in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras on Tuesday, officials have said.

The stampede occurred during a 'satsang' (prayer meeting) which was attended by hundreds.

Also Read: Several envoys express shock, sadness over Hathras stampede tragedy which left 116 people dead

Visuals from the Community Health Centre showed several bodies being brought there in buses and tempos in the presence of crying family members.

Manav Mangal Milan Sadbhavna Samagam Committee hosted the religious event.

A case has been reportedly filed against the organisers of the event.

The organisers have been charged under sections 105, 110, 126 (2), 223, and 238 of the country's new criminal code Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Self-styled godman's name emerge

According to reports, the religious event was hosted by a self-styled godman Narayan Saakar Hari aka Bhole Baba.

The self-styled religious leader was reportedly a former UP police staffer.

He took voluntary retirement in 1990 to pursue his spiritual journey.
Campus of the Mumbai college where dress code has been issued | Photo courtesy: acharyamarathecollege.in

Mumbai/IBNS: Days after banning hijab , NG Acharya and DK Marathe College in Mumbai has barred students from wearing torn jeans, t-shirts and "revealing dresses" on the campus, media reports said.

The notice issued by the college administration has asked students to wear "formal and decent dress" on its premises.

"Students should wear formal and decent dress while on campus. They can wear half shirt or full shirt and trouser. Girls can wear and Indian and western outfit.

"Students shall not wear any dress which reveals religion or shows cultural disparity. Jeans, t-shirts, revealing dresses and jerseys are not allowed," the notice reads.

The college had previously barred students from wearing hijab, burkha, naqab, caps et al.

The previous notice dated June 27, 2024 reads, "Hijab, burka, naqab, stoles, caps and badges can be removed by going to common rooms on the ground floor and then only they can move throughout college campus."

The institution has claimed the directives passed are applicable for all students irrespective of religion and caste.

The college claims it aims to bring a uniform dress code and not against the Muslim community.
In the wake of recent electoral victories by a couple of radical leaders in Punjab, a dangerous trend has emerged with Pro-Khalistan Elements leveraging these outcomes to gain legitimacy and mobilize support in mainstream politics across the West.

This surge in extremist influence poses a significant threat that the international community, particularly Western democracies, must urgently address.

These elected leaders pledged to uphold the Indian Constitution and pursue their goals within its legal framework.

However, this commitment is being misrepresented by certain groups in Western nations, who are promoting a narrative of widespread resentment within the Sikh community and support for Khalistan.

These elements are using the electoral victories to validate their cause, creating a misleading impression that the rise of Khalistan ideology in Punjab reflects broader support for separatism, which could not be farther from the truth.

The electoral victory of these radical candidates is attributed to a shift in Panthic votes from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to these radicals, driven by dissatisfaction with the SADs handling of sacrilege incidents.

Their victories are in no way an endorsement of extremist ideologies. The SADs decline in Panthic appeal has merely opened the door for certain factions to realign voter support in their favor.

The defeat of candidates like Simranjit Singh Mann of the SAD is a clear message from the Sikhs in Punjab: they reject the idea of Khalistan and are committed to being part of India.

The manipulation extends beyond rhetoric. In Canada, the Pro-Khalistan Elements have found platforms to broadcast their message, drawing on the electoral success in Punjab as a springboard to gain traction.

This situation is not isolated to Canada. In the United States, Pro-Khalistan Elements are actively lobbying senators and congressmen, especially in politically significant states like California, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

By targeting politicians who are electorally vulnerable or in dire need of campaign funds, Pro-Khalistan Elements exploit the political landscape, masking their extremist agenda under the guise of advocating for human rights. This strategic lobbying is a calculated move to capitalize on the political vulnerabilities of U.S. lawmakers who require financial and voter support for upcoming elections.

This influence is deeply concerning.

The financial and electoral backing provided by Pro-Khalistan Elements is wielded as leverage, potentially compromising the integrity of U.S. political positions on international issues.

By manipulating politicians into supporting their cause, Pro-Khalistan Elements are not merely advocating for human rights but are advancing a extremist agenda that could have far-reaching consequences.

Similar patterns are observable in the UK and Germany, where Pro-Khalistan Elements organize protests and public demonstrations to commemorate historical events and underscore the electoral success of pro-Khalistan candidates.

These efforts are aimed at mainstreaming the Khalistan issue in Western discourse, seeking to normalize and legitimize the extremist narrative.

By mobilizing support in Western democracies, Pro-Khalistan Elements are attempting to exert influence on international platforms, portraying their separatist movement as a legitimate struggle for self-determination.

The potential consequences of the Wests susceptibility to such extremist manipulation are profound. Diplomatic relations with India, a key partner in various geopolitical and economic spheres, could be significantly strained.

The endorsement of extremist movements not only undermines the sovereignty of nations but also risks destabilizing regions with complex socio-political fabrics.

The ramifications extend beyond immediate political implications; they threaten to sow discord and conflict in already volatile areas.

It is imperative that Western democracies recognize and reject the manipulation by Pro-Khalistan Elements.

While advocating for human rights and addressing legitimate grievances is crucial, it must not come at the cost of endorsing extremist ideologies.

The international community must discern between genuine advocacy and manipulation, ensuring that their political platforms are not hijacked by elements with separatist and extremist motives.

Western nations must take a principled stand against the exploitation of their political systems.

By fostering transparency and accountability in lobbying practices, and by scrutinizing the sources of political funding, they can safeguard their democratic institutions from being co-opted by extremist agendas.

Additionally, fostering a nuanced understanding of regional dynamics, such as the electoral shifts in Punjab, can prevent the misinterpretation of local political outcomes as endorsements of extremist movements.

Moreover, the Sikh diaspora in Western countries has a pivotal role to play. By promoting a balanced narrative that emphasizes unity and constructive dialogue, the diaspora can counteract the extremist propaganda disseminated by Pro-Khalistan Elements.

Engaging in community outreach and fostering a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding the Khalistan issue can help mitigate the influence of radical elements.

The rise of extremist manipulation by Pro-Khalistan Elements is a pressing concern that demands a robust and informed response from the West.

By rejecting the exploitation of their political systems and fostering a balanced discourse, Western democracies can thwart the advance of extremist agendas that threaten regional stability and international relations.

The time to act is now, before the seeds of discord sown by extremist elements take root and bear dangerous fruit.

(Image and text courtesy: Khalsavox.com)
Photo courtesy: X/@srijitspeaketh

Kolkata/IBNS: Srijit Mukherji 's biopic on maestro Mrinal Sen , titled Padatik, will hit the big screens on August 15 on the occasion of Independence Day.

The biopic stars Bangladeshi actor Chanchal Chowdhury and actress Monami Ghosh in the lead.

Chanchal Chowdhury plays the titular role while Monami Ghosh essays Mrinal Sen's wife Geeta Sen in the film, which is a birth centenary homage to the legend.

The teaser of the film was unveiled on May 14 marking Sen's 101th birth anniversary.

The 1:37-minute teaser begins with a scene where a massive crowd is following the last journey of presumably Rabindranath Tagore.

The teaser, which then delves into how Geeta Sen motivates Mrinal Sen to make parallel cinema, captures Sen's journey as a filmmaker amid the turbulent times with his wife by his side.

The title of the biopic is same as that of Sen's 1973 film, which is considered as the third installment of the Calcutta Trilogy by the filmmaker, starring Dhritiman Chatterjee, Simi Garewal and Bijon Bhattacharya in the lead.

Speaking of the biopic, Srijit says, "Padatik is a biographical account of the maestro Mrinal Sens life and time which spans over a narrative period of almost 70 years.

"It deals with Mrinal Sens works, his essays on cinema, his relationship with his wife, with his son, with his peers, most notably with Satyajit Ray, and of course the politics of his films and the way he used to react to the turbulent time around him."

"The treatment of Padatik follows the quintessential cinematic style of Mrinal Sen using jump cuts, freezes, handling the camera, stills, and existing footage. Padatik is a humble tribute to the maestro in his centenary year," he adds.

The film is produced by Friends Communication.
Photo Courtesy: UNFPA/Bisan Ouda

Chaos and panic are spreading in southern Gaza where an estimated 250,000 people are set to be impacted by new Israeli military evacuation orders from Khan Younis in Gaza, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.

In an alert detailing another night of heavy bombardment across the enclave, the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees, UNRWA, said that Gazans fleeing the southern city have had to erect shelters at the waters edge because displacement camps are already packed at the coast.

Only a few weeks ago, Khan Younis was deserted after intense Israeli bombardment damaged or destroyed homes and buildings, but families with few other options went there after Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) moved into Rafah at the beginning of May.

Its another devasting blow to the humanitarian response here, its another devasting blow to the people, the families on the ground. It seems that theyve been forcibly displaced again and again, said UNRWA Senior Communications Officer Louise Wateridge.

Impossible decisions

Tweet URL

Those forced to move now had a series of impossible decisions to make, she added.

How do parents decide where to go; where is there to go? Already by this morning, just to the middle Gaza area, along the coastal road, you can see the makeshift shelters right up to the shoreline, right up to the water coming in. It is absolutely packed with families who have already had to move.

The UNRWA officer noted that heavy bombardment has continued in the north, middle and south areas of the Gaza Stripno place is safe. Already on the ground, we are seeing families move away from this area. There is more chaos and panic spreading on the ground.

Despite a lack of fuel and safety, Ms. Wateridge insisted that the UN agency has continued to deliver water, food parcels, flour, nappies, mattresses, tarpaulins and healthcare.

But it is becoming almost impossible for the UN to provide any kind of response due to the Israeli imposed siegeand now further displacement orders that once again impact our access to the Kerem Shalom border crossing to receive aid.

Echoing deep concerns about the lack of aid reaching Gaza, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted how the lack of fuel deliveries has significantly compromised care in the enclave.

Fuel in short supply

Gazas healthcare sector alone requires 80,000 litres of fuel every day to function but only 195,000 to 200,000 litres last arrived at the end of June; since then, no fuel has entered Gaza via Kerem Shalom, said Dr Hanan Balkhy, regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean.

Speaking from Jerusalem via video link, the WHO official explained that the shipment had to be shared by all sectors including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) requiring 70,000 litres a day.

As a result, hospitals are once again short on fuel, risking disruption to critical services are injured people are dying because ambulance services are facing delays due to shortage of fuel, Dr Balkhy said, adding that a lack of gasoline and diesel were also affecting essential water and sanitation services such as water, delivery, sewage pumping and waste collection.

Disease concerns

From 15 to 23 June the water and sanitation cluster received less than five per cent of the fuel required daily to keep services running and as a result, water service providers are forced to ration operations of municipal groundwater wells and the two working water desalination plants, reducing water production even more.

This is significantly contributing to the spread of diseases, the WHO official continued, highlighting concerning spikes in the number of adults and children suffering from waterborne diseases such as hepatitis A, diarrhoea, skin conditions and others.
Photo Courtesy: IOM

Millions of displaced people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are suffering amid one of the worlds most neglected crises, the UN International Organization of Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.

The situation is particularly concerning in the restive province of North Kivu, home to 2.8 million displaced people.

In the last one week, more than 150,000 were displaced due to continued fighting in the town of Lubero and the strategically important town of Kanyabayonga was seized by M23 rebels.

Situation rapidly deteriorating

The situation in capital Goma is rapidly deteriorating as it remains isolated from supply routes, IOM reported, adding that civilians face theft, burglary, abuse and harassment.

The proximity of frontlines and the presence of weapons in and around displacement sites significantly compromise the security of displaced populations, the agency added.

The situation is further complicated by the threat of disasters, including heavy rains, landslides and floods, particularly in South Kivu and Tanganyika, which displaced tens of thousands in May.

Attacks of humanitarian workers

The region is also particularly perilous for humanitarians.

On Sunday, a humanitarian convoy was attacked in the town of Butembo, North Kivu, killing two relief workers.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 170 security incidents have directly targeted humanitarian workers, causing at least four deaths and 20 injuries.

Over a dozen humanitarian workers have also been kidnapped in the first half of 2024.

Bruno Lemarquis, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the DRC, condemned the attack, stressing humanitarians are not targets, just as civilian populations are not targets.

The security and protection of humanitarian workers must be ensured, and the perpetrators of these actions must be identified and brought to justice, he added.

Funding needed urgently

Alongside insecurity, limited resources are also constraining aid efforts.

According to the UN Office for Coordination of the Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the $2.6 billion Humanitarian Response Plan for the DRC only 26 per cent funded, at $669 million.

Fully funded, the Plan will enable UN agencies and humanitarian partners provide assistance and protection to about 8.7 million most vulnerable people.
Photo courtesy: Unsplash

In a bid to prevent the formation of the country's first far-right government, France's left-wing and centrist parties have withdrawn hundreds of candidates from Sundays parliamentary elections, media reports said.

The mass exit came before a Tuesday registration deadline before the final run-off vote on Sunday, reported Al Jazeera news channel.

The people who resigned were mostly allies of French President Emmanuel Macron or from left-wing parties.

Also Read: French National Assembly polls: Far-right dominates show in first round, Emmanuel Macron receives blow

Macron called for a snap poll after his party performed poorly in European elections.

Marine Le Pens far-right National Rally (RN) party put up a strong show by winning most of the seats in the first round polling held on June 30.

Le Pens party, which portrays itself as an anti-immigration platform, has expressed hope of winning enough seats in the second round to form the government.

Le Pen told Al Jazeera on Tuesday the party will still seek to form a government even if it falls just short of the 289-seat absolute majority in the 577-seat National Assembly.

Macrons centrists and the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) hope they can prevent such an event, with the president telling a closed-door meeting of ministers at the Elysee Palace on Tuesday that the top priority was blocking the RN from power, the news channel reported.
Photo courtesy: UNI

Kathmandu/IBNS: KP Sharma Oli is set to return as the Nepali Prime Minister after the Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) have forged an alliance at midnight, media reports said.

The new alliance will lead the existing government, which was forced on March 4, to collapse.

A senior Nepali Congress leader, who was present in the meeting, told ANI as quoted by The Print, "Agreement has been signed between Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Debua and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli overnight to form a new government.

"As per which Oli will lead the government for next one and half years and Deuba the remaining time until the election which lies three years ahead."

"The party who will be leading the government will not get the Home Ministry has been agreed. Apart from the union government, the CPN-UML will be forming a government in Koshi, Lumbini and Karnali provinces while the Congress will lead the Bagmati, Gandaki and Far-Western provinces.

"The Madhesh-based parties will lead the government in Madhesh Province has been agreed in between the two leaders," he added.

As per the leader, the two parties have also reached a deal over the ministries.

As per the agreement, Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba and UML chairman Oli will share term as the Prime Minister for 1.5-year each.

The two parties have excluded the incumbent government which is spearheaded by Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda.

Before signing the agreement, leaders from the new formation had informed President Ram Chandra Paudel about the change in the constituents of the alliance.

However, the ruling party has briefed the cabinet that the alliance is intact hinting at no change in the dynamics of the coalition.

Quoting Prime Minister Dahal, Minister Rekha Sharma said as quoted by The Print, "The reports in the media are just rumours. We are still in dialogue with our coalition partners."

"The Prime Minister briefed us on the internal situation and dismissed external rumours," she added.

Sharma further quoted Dahal saying, "I have been in regular dialogue with UML Chairman Oli. We are in discussions on all matters, Dahal stated in the Cabinet meeting, The ongoing talks are just rumours. This coalition will last long."
Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

Five people allegedly gouged out the eyes of a man in a brutal torture episode at a village in Pakistan's Bahawalpur region, media reports said.

The incident happened within the jurisdiction of Baghdadul Jadid police station on Monday.

According to police and other sources, the suspects tortured Sufian on charges of stealing a donkey cart. During the torture, the suspects allegedly gouged out his eyes, reported Dawn News.

The police spokesman told Dawn that victim Sufian has completely lost vision in one eye, while the other eye was seriously damaged.

The victim sustained torture scars in different parts of the body.

Following orders from DPO Asad Sarfraz, a police team was dispatched to the scene to arrest the culprits, while the victim was admitted to the emergency ward of Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH), the newspaper reported.
Representative Image: Unsplash

Unknown armed people blew up a pipeline that supplied gas to Quetta region in Pakistan on Sunday.

The incident happened in Bolan region.

According to officials, unknown people planted explosives under the pipeline and detonated it with remote control, resulting in suspension of gas supply to a vast area,reported Dawn News.

The miscreants used IED for blowing up the 12-inch pipeline, a police officer told Dawn from Mach by phone.

A spokesperson for the Sui Southern Gas Company confirmed the blast, saying that gas supply was suspended to various areas of the province, including Quetta, for a brief period.


This raises significant questions about why Calgary, in particular, has been chosen as the venue for the next Khalistan referendum, and the ties between local leadership and radical organizations.

Political Support in Calgary

The Dashmesh Culture Centre in Martindale, Calgary, known for its radical stance, will host this event. The Gurdwara has banners glorifying terrorists, including Parmar, as Canadian Singhs Who Attained Martyrdom for Khalistan. Despite this, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek have shown support for the organization. Just last month, a political parade with banners glorifying Khalistani terrorists was attended by Mayor Gondek and other political figures, including MPs from both the Liberal and Conservative parties.

This level of political support is troubling. The RCMP, Calgary Police, and Canadian Armed Forces participated in the same parade, showcasing an alarming endorsement of an event that glorified Babbar Khalsa terrorists and depicted Indias Prime Minister Modi in a jail suit.

Media Silence and Political Complicity

The mainstream medias coverage of these events has been minimal, often focusing on the impact on local traffic rather than the deeper issues at play. Dr. Paul Bullen, an expert on political science and religion, highlights the medias incapability of delivering a comprehensive analysis of Sikh Khalistani terrorism. The lack of critical media coverage and political complicity embolden these radical organizations.

The Dashmesh Gurdwara is also favored by the World Sikh Organization (WSO), which promotes the establishment of Khalistan and holds significant influence at all levels of Canadian government. The Gurdwara is set to host another Sikhs for Justice event prior to the main event at the end of July, with a promotional convoy originating from the Dashmesh Cultural Centre on July 6, coinciding with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievres visit to Calgary for the Stampede.

Why Calgary?

The choice of Calgary as the venue for this event is telling. Calgary has become a welcoming place for Khalistani terror-glorifying events, largely due to the support from local political leaders. Mayor Jyoti Gondek, the daughter of a former WSO board member, has been supportive of the host Gurdwara. Premier Danielle Smith and other political figures have also expressed their support, while local law enforcement participates in these events.

A Call for Accountability

Canadian politicians and police institutions must distance themselves from religious organizations that host events glorifying terrorists like Talwinder Singh Parmar. Failing to do so emboldens this behavior and sends the message that Calgary is a haven for terror-glorification events. This is not the message that Calgarians, Albertans, and Canadians want to send to the world.

Calgarys leaders must be held accountable for their support of these radical organizations. It is imperative that they take a stand against terrorism and violence, rather than aligning themselves with groups that glorify such acts. The future of Calgary and its reputation depend on it.

(With text and photo courtesy from Khalsavox.com)
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant are set to get married in an extravagant ceremony from 12th to 14th July. The Ambanis are hosting a 'Mameru' ceremony in Antilia today to begin the wedding ceremonies. Now, videos of Nita Ambani, Radhika and others greeting their guests have been shared on social media by celebrity paparazzo Viral Bhayani. Videos show a decked Antilia, and other clips show Janhvi Kapoor, Shikhar Pahariya, Orry and other guests arriving for the ceremony.

In another video, an excited Nita Ambani can be seen waving at people who are coming to be a part of the event.



Check out the videos here:



Guests at Mameru ceremony

What is the Mameru ceremony?

Traditionally, the bride receives presents and sweets from her maternal uncle, or "mama," during the Mameru ceremony, a beloved Gujarati wedding custom. The presents usually consist of jewelry, chura (bangles) made of ivory or white, a Panetar saree, and a gorgeously organized tray of sweets and dried fruits.

Also read: Gold, cash and groceries: Ambanis' gracious gifts for 50 underprivileged couples at the mass wedding

Ambanis organise Samuhik Vivah

Ambanis organised a mass wedding on July 2 in Mumbai where 50 underprivileged couples from Palghar got married. In a video that went viral yesterday, the underprivileged couples could be seen taking blessings from Nita and Mukesh Ambani.



Talking about the same, she told ANI, "I feel extremely happy seeing the newlywed couples here... I give my blessing to all these couples. 'Shubh-lagna' ceremonies of Anant and Radhika begin today with today's mass wedding event..."



Pre-wedding events

Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant held their first pre-wedding celebration in Jamnagar, Gujarat, earlier this year. Prominent figures from across India were there, including business leaders such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. In addition, the Ambanis organised a four-day Mediterranean cruise for their second pre-wedding event.



Also read: 'Ye meri puri shaadi ka budget hai', Internet reacts as Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchants wedding invite goes viral

This is just the beginning! The Ambanis are likely to plan a number of events in the next few days that will lead up to the wedding. It is all going to be a grand affair because its an Ambani wedding after all!

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


First, there were rumours that Sonakshi Sinha's father Shatrughan was not happy with her wedding to longtime boyfriend Zaheer Iqbal. Then, it was said that her brothers Luv and Kush were also miffed with her over her choice. However, the buzz remained unconfirmed. Adding fuel to the speculations, the twin brothers weren't spotted at either the wedding or the reception. Now, Luv has finally revealed the reason behind skipping her sister's big day.

Why did Sonakshi Sinha's brother Luv Sinha didn't attend her wedding?

Image Credit: Twitter

Luv first tweeted out a news link in which he hinted the reason behind his absence was brother-in-law Zaheer Iqbal's father. Days later, he deleted the post and claimed that the article "incorrectly attributed" him.

In the tweet, he wrote, "The reasons are very clear as to why I didnt attend, and would not associate with some people no matter what. Im glad a member of the media did their research instead of relying on creative stories being put out by a PR team".

Also Read: Hitting Back At Sonakshi And Luv Sinha, Amaal Mallik Ends The Debate With An Epic FB Post!

Along with this, he also shared a paragraph from the article that read, "Apparently, one reason for anxiety was a rumour about the grooms antecedents. With carefully curated news stories about his family business, nobody tread grey areas like the grooms fathers proximity to a politician whose ED enquiries had vanished in the 'washing machine'. Nor was there a whiff of the grooms fathers stint in Dubai, which was rumoured to have ended rather abruptly."

Luv says he has deleted the post as the matter is now closed

The reasons are very clear as to why I didnt attend, and would not associate with some people no matter what. Im glad a member of the media did their research instead of relying on creative stories being put out by a PR team.  Luv S Sinha (@LuvSinha) July 1, 2024

After deleting the post, he tweeted, "The quote that is being incorrectly attributed to me is not my statement and was written in an article by a senior journalist . The matter is now closed, and I will not be commenting on it any further."

Also Read: Some Actors Cant Act But Will Continue To Get Work: Shatrughan Sinhas Son Luv Sinha

All you need to know about Zaheer Iqbal's father Iqbal Ratansi?

Iqbal Ratansi is a well-known jeweler in Mumbai who ventured into real estate in 2005 with his company called Stelmac Developers Private Limited. Until 2011, he served as the director as well, but later he joined Blackstone Housing and Infrastructure Private Limited. In 2016, Ratansi introduced Film Tools Lights and Grip, a company that supplies lighting equipment to Bollywood. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he launched Zahero Media and Internet Private Limited.

Image Credit: Twitter

Zaheer Iqbal's father Iqbal Ratansi is good friends with Salman Khan

Ratansi is a close friend of Salman Khan and has been supporting him for a long time. He once provided financial assistance to Salman Khan during the 1980s. The Bollywood actor had himself tweeted about the same writing, "Iqbal Ratansi used to work like my personal bank during my teenage years. Even today, I have a loan of Rs. 2011 from him. Thank God that to date he has not asked for interest on his loan."

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.
The internet is full of horror stories about people getting scammed by fraudsters pretending to be friends, family members, or even law enforcement officials. The ease and rapid adoption of online money transfers have also made it a goldmine of opportunities for potential scammers.

Unsplash

However, recently a scammer learned the hard way that not everyone can be fooled easily after the fraudster got scammed. A social media user shared his story on how he dealt with a scammer who was trying to make some quick money from him.

Also read: Man 'scammed a scammer' by cursing with black magic

Scammer asks potential victim for money

The social media user, who goes by the name Jay, shared the details of his conversation with the scammer. It appears that the conversation started on a dating app before moving to WhatsApp. The scammer, who goes by the name Yami Tinderella and is presumably a man pretending to be a woman, asks Jay if he can do her a favor. She asked Jay if he could send her Rs 1,000, which she promised to return in a few hours. She also shared her Google Pay number with Jay to transfer the amount.

Also read: 'Honest' Scammer Reveals All Scamming Techniques To Bengaluru Man

Unsplash

How scammer got scammed

For the scammer, everything was going as per plan till now, but out of the blue, something changed. Jay sent her a message saying that he tried transferring money to her account but was failing due to some technical reasons. Jay then asked the scammer to try transferring Rs 20 to his account to check if everything was working fine. When Yami did the same, Jay confirmed that he got the money and soon blocked the scammer. Jay shared the entire episode on social media with a caption reading "Scammer got scammed."

How social media reacted

The post soon went viral, and many on social media lauded Jay for his quick thinking to outsmart the scammer. Many called him a legend and even sought tips from him. Some also suggested that Jay should be awarded.

For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Want to get away to somewhere far from everyone around you? Point Nemo in the Pacific Ocean is the best place to do it. That is because Point Nemo is located in the middle of an ocean and is the farthest place from land on planet Earth.

Named after Captain Nemo

Point Nemo is 2,688 km away from the Pitcairn Islands, Moto Nui in the Easter Islands, and Maher Island in Antarctica, its 'closest' land masses. The name means 'no one' in Latin and is named after Captain Nemo from Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

NOAA

Point Nemo, not an island

It should be noted that Point Nemo, which is a location in the South Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and Chile, is not an island or any landmass, but a part of the ocean. Point Nemo, which is also referred to as the oceanic pole of inaccessibility, was discovered by Hrvoje Lukatela, a Croatian-Canadian survey engineer, in 1992, using a geo-spatial computer programme.

Also read: Point Nemo Is Where Satellites Die As They Fall From Sky

phys

A pole of inaccessibility refers to a place on Earth that is the most inaccessible to reach according to set criteria. On land, it often refers to the point that is farthest from the coastline.

Cemetery for space junk

According to some reports, due to its remoteness, Point Nemo has become a cemetery of sorts for space junk. Over 100 decommissioned spacecraft are thought to lie in the area.

Also read: NASA Is Building A Gecko-Inspired Robot To Clean Up Space Junk

phys

First person to reach Point Nemo

In March 2024, British explorer Chris Brown made history by becoming the first person to reach Point Nemo. The 61-year-old tech entrepreneur hailing from Yorkshire set sail along with his son on March 12 and reached Point Nemo on March 20. Brown's journey to Point Nemo is part of his ambition to visit all eight of the Earth's poles of inaccessibility, which he started in 2019.

For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
After a 12-year quest, PhD graduate Gouming Martens has finally found his birth parents. When he was four years old, a Dutch couple adopted him from a Chinese orphanage. Many people on the internet have been inspired by his journey to discover his origins. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Gouming Martens became lost while traveling with his parents from their home in eastern China's Jiangsu province to his mother's hometown in southwestern Sichuan province in 1994, when he was only three years old.

Who adopted the lost Chinese man?

Jozef and Maria Martens, a Dutch couple adopted him | Image: Sydney Today

He was adopted by Jozef and Maria Martens, a Dutch couple, in 1996 after being placed in an orphanage by a few caring persons.



Also read: Chinese Man Earned More Than 3 Crores By Using 4600 Phones To Fake Live-Stream Views, Arrested

The orphanage gave him the name Gouming, which the Dutch couple chose to maintain. His adopted parents encouraged him to track for his biological parents, and the family returned to China in 2007 to look for clues, but the orphanage was no longer there.

However, Gouming Martens continued to look. He spent five years relearning Mandarin and working part-time to pay for three trips to China during his university years.

Gouming Martens joined the volunteer charity Baobeihuijia (Baby Come Home) in 2012, which assists people in locating lost families. With the help of volunteers, he found his biological parents.

When did the Chinese find his birth parents?

Last year, Gouming Martens received wonderful news | Image: Sydney Today

Last year, Gouming Martens received wonderful news: volunteers told him that his DNA matched that of his birth mother, Wen Xurong. According to SCMP, his birth parents never gave up on finding the boy they named Gao Yang. Nonetheless, their narrative was tragic.



According to the South China Morning Post, Gouming Martens' biological father lost sight of his wife, Wen Xurong, at a railway station. He then got into a fight with a gang of hooligans while searching for his wife and lost Gao Yang.

Also read: Viral Sensation: The Internet's Response To A Chinese Man's Bold Blue Hair

Wen was tricked into going home with a vagabond who forced her to have a son. After giving birth, the tramp left her. Wen Xurong returned to her hometown, although she was experiencing mental health problems. She remarried and gave birth to a daughter.

According to the media outlet, Gao senior trekked from Sichuan to Jiangsu province, 1,700 kilometers away, begging for food and desperately looking for Gao Yang.

He died in 2009. Then, in 2017, Gao senior's brother approached Wen Xurong and asked that she register her DNA with the authorities and post her son's information on Baobeihuijia.

What did the man do after finding his birth parents?

During the Spring Festival holiday in February, Gouming Martens visited Wen Xurong and his half-siblings | Image: Sydney Today

A DNA test later confirmed this fortuitous coincidence. On the Chinese agricultural calendar, Gouming Martens' true birthday was October 12, when volunteers notified him that his 12-year hunt had been successful.



However, Gouming Martens' adoptive mother died before the good news reached them. He added that his adoptive father was ecstatic for him.

During the Spring Festival holiday in February, Gouming Martens visited Wen Xurong and his half-siblings in Sichuan, southwest China.

What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments.

For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram.
Indias liquor industry is blooming. With new brands launching on the daily, many citizens now prefer homegrown brands over international ones. This boom has benefited Lalit Khatian tenfold! He has become the nations newest billionaire. The 80-year-old businessman is the chairman of Radico Khaitan, a Delhi-based liquor company with a revenue of $380 million (Rs 3,200 crore).



This company sells the popular 8 PM whiskey, Old Admiral brandy, Magic Moments vodka and Rampur single malt.

Radico Khaitan saw more than a 50 percent jump in the last year

forbes

Last year, this company, listed on the stock exchange, experienced a significant increase in its stock price, surpassing a 50% rise. This growth was fueled by rising sales and the successful introduction of new products such as the "Happiness in a Bottle" gin. As of July 2, 2024, Radico Khaitan commands a market capitalization of around Rs 23,700 crore and is one of Indias largest IMFL companies.

Lalit Khaitan early life

money control

Born in Kolkata, Lalit Khaitan received his education at Mayo College in Ajmer and later at St. Xavier's College in Kolkata. In 1972-73, he assumed leadership of Radico Khaitan at a time when the company was grappling with financial challenges. Under his stewardship, Lalit Khaitan navigated the company to remarkable success.



All you need to know about the company Radico Khaitan

Originally focused on bottling, Radico Khaitan shifted into bulk alcohol production before making a strategic move into branded beverages in 1997, influenced by the arrival of Lalit Khaitan's perceptive son, Abhishek, within the company.

In its competitive landscape, Radico Khaitan faces significant rivalry from United Spirits, a Diageo-owned subsidiary once led by the charismatic liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya. It also contends with niche producers like Stilldistilling Spirits India from Goa, renowned for Maka Zai rum, and Third Eye Distillery Holdings, creators of Stranger & Sons gin.

radico khaitan

Today, Radico Khaitan stands as a major player in the Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) industry, exporting its diverse portfolio of brands to more than 85 countries worldwide.



Radico Khaitan recently launched the Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin 'Gold Edition'

jaisalmer gin

This recent addition continues to build upon the achievements of Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin, which currently commands a remarkable 50% market share in the luxury gin segment.

The Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin 'Gold Edition' sets new standards in premium spirits in India, featuring saffron, the world's most expensive spice, and passing through gold filters for enhanced smoothness and purity. With 18 botanicals, it offers a refined taste for connoisseurs seeking luxury.

The Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin 'Gold Edition' will debut in a 500 ml bottle, priced between Rs 4000 and Rs 7000, varying based on state excise regulations. Initially launching in Uttar Pradesh and subsequently expanding to Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Karnataka from July onwards, it aims to captivate gin enthusiasts across India's primary markets.

Lalit Khaitans net worth

With a substantial 40% ownership in the company, Khaitan's total worth is estimated at $1.1 billion (Rs 9,188 crore).
Protest at Northrop Grumman Manufacturing Facility during Week Against Weapons by Sunnyvale Location

Singing and chanting at pro Palestine demonstration outside weapons manufacturer in Sunnyvale, California

On Monday, June 24, over two dozen protesters gathered in Sunnyvale to protest against weapons manufacturer Northrop Grumman and to demand that the war industry be shut down. The protest was called by San Jose Against War as part of Anti War Action Networks national Week Against Weapons.



The protest began at the Sunnyvale train station, where organizers passed out flyers to weekday commuters with information about local South Bay weapons manufacturers such as Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and L3Harris. The crowd then marched to the Northrop Grumman manufacturing facility a few blocks away. During the march, people held signs declaring Northrop Grumman kills children and chanted slogans such as Northrop Grumman, you cant hide  we charge you with genocide!



Upon arriving at the manufacturing facility, protesters gathered in front of the Northrop Grumman sign just outside the gated complex. Several Sunnyvale police and Northrop Grumman private security surveilled the protest from nearby. Protesters remained undeterred and continued chanting directly to the Northrop Grumman employees inside.



The Raging Grannies led the crowd in a powerful anti-war protest song. Noble Mushtak of San Jose Against War spoke to the crowd about Northrop Grummans direct role in the bombing of Palestine, saying, Northrop Grumman is directly complicit in the Israeli genocide. They have an agreement with Elbit Systems, Israel's largest military contractor, to provide the component parts that are necessary for Israels main aircraft, the F35 aircraft.



Entire article at link here
Pasoks beleaguered leader Nikos Androulakis has defended his leadership record, admitting that his partys poor performance in recent elections triggered his call for a leadership race this fall.

Speaking to a local broadcaster and emphasising achievements such as reopening local chapters and securing victories in municipal elections, Mr. Androulakis said his tenure saw Pasoks

political fortunes grow from a support base of 8 percent to 13 percent.

Still, despite Pasoks improved performance in the European elections, dissent from leading party members grew, forcing the socialist leader as he said to promptly calling for a leadership race, aiming to foster unity.

Athens mayor Haris Doukas was the first to openly contend. Former culture minister Pavlos Geroulanos, Milena Apostolaki and Michalis Katrinishave since then announced their candidacies for the October 6 race.

If no candidate secures an absolute majority of votes, a second round will be held the week after.

PASOKs recent performance in the European elections kept it in third position, snatching just 12.8 percent of the vote.

   iefimerida.gr
Marketing Greece, the leading association promoting Greek tourism, announced the launch of Pythia, an innovative digital assistant on its popular travel platform, Discovergreece.com.

Pythia, named after the oracle of Delphi, is designed to enhance the travel experience for visitors exploring Greece's

rich culture history , and landscapes.

Pythia, which has been operational for several days, utilises artificial intelligence to provide personalized recommendations and answer questions about various aspects of Greek travel. The chatbot, provided as a service by Matador Ventures, allows users to easily book hotels through a collaboration with WebHotelier, search for flights on Skyscanner, and explore various activities and tours through the platform's dedicated section.

The new feature is expected to significantly streamline the travel planning process for tourists, offering a seamless and convenient way to organise their Greek adventure. By incorporating Pythia into Discovergreece.com, Marketing Greece aims to attract a wider audience and further solidify Greece's position as a premier tourist destination.

The launch of Pythia marks a significant step forward in the integration of AI technology within the tourism industry, showcasing the potential of digital tools to enhance customer experiences and provide valuable support for travellers.

As Marketing Greece continues to invest in innovative solutions, the association is confident that Pythia will become an indispensable resource for travellers seeking an unforgettable Greek experience.



   iefimerida.gr
Two plundered marble vases that adorned ancient Athenian graves over 2,000 years ago have been returned to Greece from Switzerland after a lengthy legal battle, the Greek Culture Ministry announced Tuesday.

The white marble vases, both adorned with relief sculptures, date

back to the 4th century BC and are believed to have marked family graves near Athens . One depicts an emotional farewell scene between a seated elderly man, his wife, and his son , clad in the armor of an ancient Athenian soldier. The other is decorated with plant motifs.

Both vases are damaged, missing their necks and parts of their bases. The larger stands 60 centimeters (23 inches) tall, while the smaller is 54 centimeters (21 inches). Despite their clandestine excavation and illicit export, the vases hold immense historical and cultural value.

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni stressed the repatriation of looted antiquities as a "top political priority" for the ministry, highlighting recent successful efforts to reclaim national treasures.

The vases were first discovered in 2002 during a raid on an Italian antiquities dealer's warehouse in Basel, Switzerland. However, an Italian court ruled in 2014 that they were not of Italian origin and returned them to the dealer.

In 2017, Greek authorities spotted the vases being offered for sale by a Swiss dealer and successfully sought their seizure by Switzerland. It was revealed that Swiss authorities had sold the artifacts to the second dealer to cover the Italian dealer's legal fees.

After more than six years of legal battles, the vases were finally handed over to Greek officials on June 26th following out-of-court negotiations, marking a significant victory in the fight against antiquities theft.

   iefimerida.gr
At least five Benue girls, who were trafficked to Cote DIvoire by a syndicate in the state have been rescued and awaiting repatriation to the country.

INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that some girls, who fall between the age of 14, 21, said to have been sold to the West African country, were spotted in a recent video, making wave on social media platforms.

The girls, who spoke Tiv, disclosed that they were trafficked to the country for prostitution by a syndicate led by a lady who is based in Jato Aka, Kwande Local Government Area of the state.

Advertisement

One of them was heard saying: We are here for three weeks so far. The only one, the youngest, was sold to another place. She is 14 years old, and we havent seen her.

We were told that we were coming to work, but after the work, we will refund the cost of our transportation. That our salary would be N50,000, and we would pay N70,000 for transportation.

Confirming the rescue of the girls to the public on Tuesday, the Commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Makurdi Zonal Command, Mrs. Gloria Bai, revealed that the girls were already in custody of the Nigerian Embassy in Cote DIvoire.

READ MORE: Police Arrest Suspect With Human Skulls, Flesh, Charms In Ondo

She said: We have seen the video and the girls. The girls are there in Cote DIvoire. For now they are five and we spoke to them yesterday and they are safe at the Nigerian Embassy in Cote DIvoire.

As at this (Tuesday) morning arrangement is being made for them to be brought back to the country and we are monitoring the situation to ensure that they are brought back safely and handed over to us.

Mrs Gloria, while speaking over the syndicate boss, disclosed that she has been arrested and currently in police custody.

She said: She was picked up yesterday ( Tuesday ) and she is right now with the Nigerian Police in Kwande.

We are also working with the Police to see that we also have audience with her to know her involvement.
Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has said that the issue of releasing the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, was not part of his discussion with the South-East governors in Enugu State on Tuesday.

INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that the regions Governors, had resolved to visit President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and interface with the FG to secure the release of the detained IPOB leader.

Obasanjo, who admitted that he and a former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, met with the governors to discuss regional development, disclosed that the purported planned release of Kanu by the President Tinubus led government was not part of what was discussed.

Advertisement

This was contained in a statement made available on Wednesday by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi.

The statement read, The regional development issues discussed include that of security and infrastructure.

READ MORE: 2027: Give Nnamdi Kanu Contract, Like Tompolo To Secure South-East Votes  Isaac Fayose To Tinubu

Others were economic and cooperative/collaboration, which was meant to complement the national economic development agenda.

The meeting with them was at my invitation and of Chief Emeka Anyaoku before their summit begins.

The issue of Nnamdi Kanu was not on the agenda and was not discussed in my presence.

There have been calls from different quarters recently for the release of Kanu.

Among those calling for his release are Senators from the South-East led by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.

The lawmakers claimed that unless Kanu is released, the social and economic activities in the South-East region will continue to be stagnant.
Seun Kuti, a popular Nigerian artist, has revealed why he isnt worried about being betrayed by controversial activist Verydarkman.

It should be noted that the saxophonist has been speaking out in support of Verydarkman during his feud with actress Iyabo Ojo.

Seun Kuti took to Instagram on Tuesday to raise attention to what he has heard about Verydarkman subsequently betraying him.

Advertisement

He made it clear that he had nothing to conceal, thus he is not afraid.

Seun went on to say that there is nothing to be afraid of because he has never cheated anyone.

READ MORE: Iyabo Ojo: Samklef Slams Seun Kuti, Says He Sings Afronoise, Not Afrobeat, Has No Hit Song

On his Instagram story section, he wrote,

DEM SAY @VERYDARKBLACKMAN WILL BETRAY ME. I DONT STEAL. THERE IS NOTHING TO FEAR. I DONT DEFRAUD, THERE IS NOTHING TO FEAR.

SEE POST:
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, on Tuesday, decried the rate at which public funds are being stolen in the country.

In a statement by EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the Chairman stated this while receiving the management team of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, led by its chairman, Mohammed Shehu.

Advertisement

When I look at some case files and see the humongous amount of money stolen, I wonder how we are still surviving. If you see some case files, you will weep. The way they move unspent budget allocation to private accounts in commercial banks before midnight at the end of a budget circle, you will wonder what kind of spirit drives us as Nigerians, Olukoyede said.

He also said publiccorruption ranks as the biggest cause of corruption in Nigeria, adding that if public corruption was taken out of the polity, the country would fare better than many countries of the world.

READ ALSO: Alleged Money Laundering: Transfer My Case With EFCC To Kogi  Yahaya Bello Begs Court

A situation where somebody would hold a public office or position of trust for years and you call him to account and he says, no, he would not account, is not acceptable, he said.

He stressed that transparency and accountability should be embedded in both the public and private sectors for optimal development of the country.

The preventive framework for tackling corruption offers more prospects for results and impact. To this end, the EFCC now has a Department of Fraud Risk and Assessment and Control.

Lets look at our system of revenue generation. It is a system that allows leakages in mobilisation and appropriation of funds. If we dont look at the system, we will continue to chase shadows. In this direction, we are not just going to investigate and recover; what we have decided to do in the EFCC is policy review. If we can block some of these leakages and have 50 per cent of capital project execution in Nigeria, the country would be fine, he added.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has called on Nigerians to rally around President Bola Tinubu for the success of his administration.

The former governor of Akwa Ibom state made this known during the launch of the Kugbo Bus Terminal in Abuja, on Tuesday.

He emphasized that with the support of the citizens, the Tinubus led administration will thrive.

Advertisement

The Senate President added that many Nigerians will hardly recognize their country in seven years from now.

Akpabio said: I have no doubt that by the time the president is through with his tenure in the country, seven years from today, many people will not recognise FCT, they will not recognise Nigeria again.

So, all I can say is, let us continue to pray for him and be hopeful that the challenges you see today, tomorrow, you will see them no more.

Akpabio noted that the flag-off of the Abuja project signals the governments commitment to the welfare of the residents of the FCT.

He said: This is for me another major wonder of President Bola Ahmed Tinubus administration. This is a way to cater to a city of this nature.

READ MORE: Student Bags 21-Year Jail Term For Attempted Assault On Minor

This is a way to cater to the people of the area councils, the FCT residents and visitors alike.

So, I believe that you are a square peg in a square hole, and I must thank the President for having the eyes to pinpoint those who can perform and bringing them.

He did it in Lagos and today, Lagos is one of the best, one of the largest economies in Africa when we are talking about cities.
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) Ilela border command in Sokoto State detained Rukaya Hassan, a 25-year-old lady, for attempting to smuggle two minor females across the border to the Niger Republic.

Mohammed Abdullahi, the Command Public Relations Officer (CPRO), revealed this in a statement released on Tuesday.

Abdullahi added that the victims had been turned over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation.

Advertisement

He stated that the action was a quick response to the incoming Comptroller-General of Immigration (CGI), Mrs Kemi Nandaps, request to boost morale.

According to him, during interrogation, Hassan, a native of the Giribshi district of Sokoto, admitted that she did not know the two young girls she was travelling with to Niger.

She claimed they were handed over to her by a woman in Sokoto named Maman Adnan, who paid for their transport to Niger.

She also claimed the woman requested her help to take the two girls to another woman in Niger named Amina Yunusa, who would provide them jobs in her restaurant in Niamey, he said.

READ MORE: Any Woman Who Has A Child For My Late Son Should Come Forward  Mohbads Father

Abdullahi further stated that upon further investigation, the two teens, Nabila Ibrahim, 17, and her sister Zainab Ibrahim, 15, revealed that they were from Zuru LGA in Kebbi State.

They explained they were going to Niger to resume work at a certain restaurant whose owner they did not know, but their parents had approved of the trip.

In response, the Comptroller of Immigration, Ilela Command, Tony Akuneme, who conducted the interviews, urged NAPTIP Sokoto State to take control of the two victims and the accused trafficker.

Akuneme emphasised his commitment to continuing the war against migrant smuggling (SOM) and human trafficking (TIPs) to support the CGIs efforts.
Interview: Xi's visit highlights China's commitment to regional cooperation, SCO unity, says Kazakh scholar

Xinhua) 08:11, July 03, 2024

ASTANA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's ongoing trip to Kazakhstan underscores China's commitment to regional cooperation and growing efforts to deepen closer partnerships while promoting unity within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), said Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of Kazakhstan's China Studies Center.

Xi's trip, which includes a state visit to Kazakhstan and attending the 24th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO, bears great significance, Shaimergenova said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

"President Xi's presence at the summit highlights China's leadership role and its vision for a more interconnected and prosperous region," she said.

The visit also demonstrates China's focus on regional cooperation and its strategic interests in the region, and will "strengthen the unity and effectiveness of the SCO," she added.

The expert noted that over 23 years since its establishment, the SCO has successfully developed an effective model for maintaining and strengthening regional security, and has also "become a driving force for economic integration and development."

"Member states have leveraged the organization's strengths to deepen trade ties, enhance connectivity, and unlock investment opportunities," she said.

Meanwhile, she pointed out that Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the SCO during the past year came amid increasing geopolitical tensions, growing challenges, and the risk of worsening and new conflicts.

Despite all the challenges, "Kazakhstan will make every effort to modernize the organization and further transform it into a more effective multilateral platform to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation and traditional ties of friendship between SCO member states," she said.

Relations between Kazakhstan and China have also been steadily progressing in the spirit of friendship, good neighborliness, and a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. The leaders of both countries have opened a new "golden 30 years" of bilateral cooperation, Shaimergenova said.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has visited China three times since 2023, and the mutual trade turnover between the two countries has reached an unprecedented level of 41 billion U.S. dollars last year, she said.

Kazakhstan and China must develop comprehensive cooperation in key areas such as trade, economy, energy, finance, transport, nuclear industry, mechanical engineering, tourism, e-commerce, and high technology, according to the expert.

"Kazakhstan and China are close neighbors, true friends, and partners. Today, both countries are at a key stage of their development and revival," she said.

Joint work of the SCO member states will bring tangible benefits, which will contribute to long-term peace, stability and economic prosperity in the region, said the expert.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has criticised those he described as unpatriotic politicians in the northern region for allegedly plotting against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that some northern leaders have been realigning politically ahead of the 2027 poll.

It was gathered that the former presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai have been seen together, with Atiku Abubakar, the flag bearer of Peoples Democratic Party, having meeting ahead of the next general election.

Advertisement

As part of this plan made by the northern political gladiators to unseat Tinubu, Salihu Lukman, a former national vice chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress, also rebuked northern politicians in Tinubus administration.

He claimed that the regions political representative have been reduced to mere sycophants and cheerleaders.

Reacting to the development in a statement released on Tuesday, by his spokesman, Henshaw Ogubike, said that the North have derived numerous benefits from President Tinubus administration.

READ MORE: Tinubus Govt Has Turned Northern Politicians To Cheerleaders  Former APC Chieftain

The former Zamfara State governor, listed several key appointments held by Northerners, including himself as Minister of State for Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar as Minister of Defence, and others in critical ministries.

He said: They include but are not limited to: Muhammed Idris Minister of Information and National orientation, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare , Ali Pate, Minister of Agriculture and food security -Abubakar kyari and Minister of Youths- Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim.

Minister of Foreign Affairs  Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Budget and Economic planning  Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Water resources and sanitation  Joseph Utsve, Minister of Steel development  Shuaibu Audu, Minister of State, Agriculture  Sabi Abdullahi, Minister of Special duties  Zephaniah Jisalo, Minister of Education Tahir Maman SAN and Minister of State Education Yusuf Sununu.

Minister of Police affairs Ibrahim Geidam, Minister of State Police Affairs Hon imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of State Water Resources Bello Goronto, Minister of Housing and Urban development Ahmed Dangiwa, Minister of State Housing and urban Development Abdullahi Gwarzo.

The North has appointments like the National Security Adviser, NSA, Director- General DSS, Director-General NIA, Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Group Managing Director (GMD) NNPCL and MD Nigerian Ports Authority, just to mention a few.

Speaking further, Matawalle stressed that no plans by the northern politicians will stop President Tinubu from completing his second term.

He added No amount of political gang up can unseat the President, and no amount of blackmail can stop him from contesting for the Presidential election come 2027.

The alleged move, by some selfish Northern Politicians masquerading as oracle for the North is just mere power play by some unpatriotic northern politician without grassroots base.
Operatives of the Rivers state police command have arrested a man in the Omoku council headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the state.

The commands policemen, who identified the suspect as Felix Nwaobokata, said that he was the immediate past commander of the local vigilante group, popularly known as ONELGA Security and Peace Advisory Committee (OSPAC).

Spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Wednesday.

Advertisement

She said that Nwaobokata was arrested alongside three others following accusations of abducting a member of the Hausa community in Omoku.

Grace said that the arrest was part of a clampdown on the excesses of OSPAC in Omoku and other parts of the state.

The statement reads: The Rivers State Police Command has commenced a clampdown on the excesses of vigilante groups operating within the state.

This follows numerous complaints about the operations of the ONELGA Security and Peace Advisory Committee in different parts of the State, predominantly in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, as well as clashes with other Security Agencies by this Vigilante Group.

READ MORE: Rivers Police Neutralise Notorious Cult Leader

On May 9, 2024, Alhaji Usman Seleh, the Chairman of the Hausa Indigenous Group in ONELGA, reported that OSPAC had abducted a member of his group. He proceeded to report the matter to the police. Consequently, the police invited the ONELGA OSPAC Commander, Felix Nwaobakata, who refused to honour several invitations.

Instead, the OSPAC outfit coordinated an attack on the police division in Omoku but the attack was thwarted as the police repelled them.

Following this development, Tactical Units of the command stormed the ONELGA OSPAC Camp at Omoku and arrested Cheta Benjamin, Joshua Ekwosa, Innocent Ahiakwu, and four others.

The ONELGA OSPAC Commander, Felix Nwaobakata, was subsequently arrested in his hideout in Omoku on June 17, 2024 where two human skulls and human bones were found in his possession.

The arrested OSPAC Commander, Felix Nwaobakata, is also a principal suspect in the murder of two brothers, Collins Ugorji (32) and Newman Ugorji (39), of the Idu Community in ONELGA.
A Bill proposing the creation of Etiti State from Anambra, Abia, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi States, has passed first reading at the House of Representatives.

The Bill to create one more state from the South-East was presented for initial review during plenary on Tuesday.

Advertisement

Five members of the House of Representatives; Amobi Ogah, Miriam Onuoha, Kama Nkemkama, Chinwe Nnabuife, and Anayo Onwuegbu, presented the proposal to form a new state from the five states in the region.

The proposed State would consist of 11 Local Government Areas (LGAs) selected from the mentioned states with the capital designated to be situated in Lokpanta.

The proposed Bill aims to make changes to three sections of the 1999 constitution.

Etiti would come right after Enugu in the list of States in the amended 1999 Constitution.

READ ALSO: Edo Govt Gives Philip Shaibu Seven-Day Ultimatum To Return Toyota Armored Jeep, 21 Other Vehicles

The LGAs to be affected by the creation of the proposed state are Isuikwuato and Umu-Nneochi in Abia, Orumba North and Orumba South in Anambra, Ivo and Ohaozara in Ebonyi, Aninri, Awgu, and Oji River in Enugu, as well as Okigwe and Onuimo in Imo.

Also, the Bill seeking to create Adada State, an additional State in the South-East geo-political zone, passed its first reading in the Senate.

The bill, which has been cited as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2024 (SB. 482) was sponsored by the lawmaker representing the Enugu North Senatorial District, Okey Ezea.

According to Ezea, it seeks to amend Section 3(1) and the First Schedule, Part 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to allow for the creation of another state in the South-East region.

The move was aimed at bringing the number of states in the region to six as it is in other geo-political zones.

The agitation for the creation of Adada State had started since 1983 when the late Senator Isaiah Ani, who represented the Nsukka senatorial zone in the Second Republic, presented the Bill.
Governors under the aegis of South-East Governors Forum, on Tuesday, resolved to meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to seek the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State who is also the Chairman of the Forum, announced the resolution at the end of a meeting of the Governors held in Enugu.

In attendance were; Alex Otti of Abia, Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra, Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi, and Peter Mbah of Enugu.

Advertisement

Uzodinma noted that the forum commiserated with the government and people of Abia State, Ebonyi State, Imo State, South-East Nigeria, and Chief Ogbonnaya Onus family on the demise of His Excellency, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.

READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu To Appeal After Losing N1bn Suit Against FG

The forum received the delegation of the former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, GCON, and His Royal Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe CFR, Obi of Onitsha, who came on a solidarity visit to the forum.

The forum deliberated on the reviewed report of the south-east security and economic summit held in Owerri on the 28th of September 2023 and agreed to implement the aspects of the report pertaining to security and economic integration and affirmed its desire to put actionable plans on the key issues agreed.

The forum resolved to visit Mr. President to discuss pressing issues concerning the south-east region.

The forum also resolved to interface with the federal government to secure the release of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.

Kanu has been on trial in 2015 when he was arrested over his secessionist push.

He fled the country in 2017 after being granted bail but he was rearrested in Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria in 2021 and has been in the DSS detention since then.
The former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Salihu Lukman, has decried the rising insecurity and poverty affecting northern Nigeria.

Lukman also criticised President Bola Tinubu for allegedly creating disunity and marginalising the North-Central region in key political appointments, adding that all political appointees in the region have been reduced into cheerleaders position.

In a statement released to the public on Monday, titled, Explosive North: Open Letter to Northern Politicians, the former APC chieftain said that political leaders in the country must be cautioned.

Advertisement

He added that things might get out of hand any moment from now especially in the North and if care is not taken, hungry people who are everywhere in the region will start breaking into homes and looting properties of innocent citizens.

The statement reads: So far, one year has passed into President Asiwaju Tinubus administration. No doubt, Northern political leaders are becoming weaker and more disorganised. Even the Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima GCON, who is the highest office holder and by virtue of that should have served as the needed rallying point for Northern politicians, is anything but a political leader.

With every respect, hardly any official of the current administration of President Asiwaju Tinubu from the North, including Sen. Shettima, is willing and able to take the needed risk to defend the interest of the North. Painfully, what is emerging is that most leaders from the North are more concerned about self-preservation in the government.

Because of self-preservation, already scheming for 2027 has commenced. Within the Presidency, there are indicative cold war dynamics and positioning, which is alleged to be responsible for the praise-singing disposition of Vice President Shettima.

READ MORE: El-Rufai Saga: Your Actions Will Hurt You  Lukman To Uba Sani

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mal. Nuhu Ribadu has devalued an exalted office almost to the status of a Protocol Office to President Asiwaju Tinubu.

Virtually all other Northern politicians holding offices in this government, including the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume are absentee public servants who have been reduced to members of a choir group poorly singing on your mandate we stand irrespective of the shaky and staggering reality being demonstrated by the mandate holder with reference to poor service delivery and crashing living conditions in the last one year.
A professor and former head of the business management department at the University of Maiduguri, identified as Mrs Ruth Wazis, has been killed in a car accident at her home over the weekend.

In a statement made available by The Public Relations Officer of Borno state Police command, on Tuesday, Nahum Kenneth, disclosed that Mrs Ruth was killed by her vehicle, following her attempt to open the gate on getting to her house.

Advertisement

Kenneth noted that the investigation conducted by the commands operatives, shows that the area is not a flat surface, adding that the car rammed into the deceased.

The statement reads: Incidence and accidents are bound to happen both technical and human failure may contribute.

The sad, tragic garage incident happened on 30th June 2024 in the late evening at Judari Polo Area Maiduguri where late Professor Mrs Ruth Wazis (former Head of the Department of Business Management, University of Maiduguri) alighted from her vehicle and attempted to open her residential gate to park her car in her garage.

READ MORE: Borno: Notorious Boko Haram Terrorist Surrenders To Army

But, unfortunately, a high slope and sudden mechanical malfunction caused the vehicle to accelerate unexpectedly, knocking her to the gate and on the ground, stepping on her chest, and she, unfortunately, succumbed with severe injuries before taken to the hospital at University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital where she was confirmed dead by a doctor.
Martins Vincent Otse often known as VeryDarkMan, a controversial activist, has dragged Ashmusy once again, alleging that she took 73 from a client but failed to deliver on the arrangement.

This is coming after the activist initially accused her of failing to honour an agreement after receiving N1 million.

Advertisement

In addition to returning the money to the client in question, Ashmusy also apologised for the inconvenience.

However, she had lashed out at Verydarkman for criticizing her, using offensive language to describe him.

In response on his Instagram page on Tuesday, Verydarkman claimed that she had collected 73 from a client since July 2020 but had not delivered on the arrangement.

He said that the cash was intended to pay for a class on selling hair and wigs.

Ashmusy never gave her the class, and following a lot of agitation from the aforementioned client, she purportedly asked for additional payment.

Verydarkman claimed that on November 6, the client gave another 59, but she still did not attend the lesson.

READ MORE: Police Arrest Verydarkman Over Defamation Charges, Sparks Controversy

Sharing the video, VeryDarkMan captioned,

ashmusy I know Im a p!!g like you said but what do you mean by the client made me feel comfortable una dey nak una clients? Also please your are still owing about 120 to this other woman, kindly pay up with immediate effect(MR

loves you)

SEE POST:
Burlington Township Mayor E.L. Pete Green at the construction site of a 500-unit apartment complex at The Crossings, a mixed-use development, including warehouses, on the former Burlington Center mall property on Route 541. Read more

The Burlington Centers closing in 2018 and its demolition three years later left Burlington Township with 270 acres of vacant land along busy Route 541  and more than a few questions.

We had to find out what would be the right fit for the property, the township, our residents, and the region, Mayor E.L. Pete Green said.

Advertisement

Six years later, answers are taking shape in the form of three warehouses, as well as a half-dozen restaurants and retail shops at a development called The Crossings.

Site preparation has begun on a $125 million, 500-unit rental complex that will include 100 affordable apartments. Plans for a five-story, 143-room extended- and short-term-stay hotel have been approved as well.

A grocery store or other additional retail development also is possible, the mayor said.

The Moorestown Mall and similar shopping centers in the region are adding apartments, health-care facilities, and other nontraditional elements. But warehouses in proximity to what the developer describes as an upscale, amenity-rich, class A multifamily community is unusual.

This is smart, responsible development because the infrastructure was already there, with roads that were designed in a way to accommodate large-scale projects, said Drew Chapman, senior vice president and partner with the Jefferson Apartment Group of McClean, Va., which is developing the rental community.

The 40-acre J Centra Burlington development site gives distance from the warehouses, he said. There is so much space, with walking trails, two pools, and gazebos, that it creates its own environment.

Baltimore-based MRP Industrial, along with Clarion Partners of Dallas, is overseeing the $200 million, 1.5 million square feet of warehouse space. Two buildings are leased, one is available, and construction of a fourth is expected next year. The two firms are the projects master developers.

Weve been building warehouses long before that was in vogue, MRP managing principal Dan Hudson said.

While its not typical to mix warehouses and retail uses, he said, township leaders very much wanted retail incorporated into the overall project. The development is the work of the Florida-based Ferber Co.

 READ MORE: First warehouses and now restaurants are rising on former mall site in Burlington Township

In this case we had to marry our interests with those of the township, which had lost a mall, Hudson said.

They were not going to approve a development of 100% warehouses, he said. Clearly, we had an interest, and the township had an interest in seeing what was once a vibrant location become vibrant again.

From farmland to suburbia

With fewer than 4,000 residents in 1950, Burlington Township was 14 square miles of farms and hamlets until Burlington County began suburbanizing in the 1960s. The townships 1980 population of 11,527 had nearly doubled to 22,294 by 2010 and stood at 24,108 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census.

What put the township on the map was the opening of the Burlington Center, a two-level mall that eventually included Philadelphias beloved Strawbridge & Clothier, two other department stores, and 100 smaller shops. It became a focal point of community activities, and, a sculpture of an elephant named Petal became a popular gathering place.

 READ MORE: Saved from a doomed mall, Petal the Elephant still needs a home

But as happened at the Echelon Mall in Voorhees and other malls across the country, Burlington Center began losing tenants after the 2008 economic crash and as brick-and-mortar retailing struggled amid the rising popularity of online shopping. Macys left Burlington Center in 2010, and the mall continued its slow-motion death spiral until 2018.

Tim Evans, director of research for New Jersey Future, an organization that advocates for smart growth in the state, said large tracts of car-dependent suburban land are challenging to retrofit as traditional town centers.

He also said he wasnt aware of efforts to incorporate retail, market-rate housing, affordable housing, and other uses in warehouse developments in New Jersey.

But its interesting that this piece of land is located in a spot where all of these uses make sense to incorporate, said Evans, adding that mixing affordable and market-rate units in the new apartment community at the Crossings is noteworthy.

The development is one of the larger in Burlington County and South Jersey in terms of the number of affordable units, said Esme Devenney, a staff attorney with the Fair Share Housing Center. Like the majority of municipalities in the state, Burlington Township has signed a legally binding agreement to provide housing at below-market rates to income-eligible renters and buyers.

Neighbors have concerns

The mall was beautifully landscaped and was just a nice, well-maintained place, longtime township resident Chuck McConnell said.

Now theyve bulldozed it for warehouses that look like plastic buildings on a Monopoly board, said McConnell, a retiree who remembers when the land where two warehouses now stand was known as Hancocks Farm.

McConnell resides in the Wyngate neighborhood not far from the J Centra construction site and said he understands that the township must provide affordable housing. Nevertheless, he said, hes worried about maintaining the neighborhoods property values.

Longtime resident Lisa Vaughn said she has heard similar concerns among some local homeowners  although Im sure a lot of people are for the apartment complex.

A dental hygienist who lives in the Hancock Hollow neighborhood, Vaughn said she would rather see something happening than have the old mall sitting there.

She also likes the idea of upscale apartments coming, as well as the prospect of a hotel.

But lets get some more retail, Vaughn said.

Not looking for a new downtown

Green has fond memories of the mall, but he said the redevelopment project is not an attempt to create a town center.

Burlington City is our downtown, he said.

The mayor also said truck traffic to and from the warehouses would be prohibited in the townships residential areas. The site represents the last big chunk of available land in a town that has not seen a large-scale multifamily housing development in many years.

Im looking forward to cutting the ribbons, said Green.
It has been one year since a man dressed in body armor and armed with a homemade assault rifle casually walked nearly a mile through the streets of Kingsessing and shot eight people at random.

The carnage of July 3, 2023, one of the deadliest mass shootings in Philadelphia history, is forever seared into the minds of every victim, relative, and first responder at the scene. The deafening screams and gunfire. The trails of blood and bullet casings. A doctors indelible words: Despite our best efforts ...

Five people were killed: DaJuan Brown, 15; Dymir Stanton, 29; Ralph Moralis, 59; Joseph Wamah, 31; and Lashyd Merritt, 21.

And three others were wounded. A 13-year-old boy was shot in the leg, its bone shattered. A mother driving her 2-year-old twins to a family barbecue was struck in the eye with shattered glass and her sons struck by bullets and fragments when the gunmen fired more than a dozen shots into her Jeep.

The shooter, whom police have identified as 41-year-old Kimbrady Carriker, was arrested at the scene and remains in jail as the case awaits trial. Police have said Carriker, who is Black, confessed to the crime and said he wanted to help police fight gun violence by targeting Black men in the neighborhood.

 READ MORE: Remembering the lives lost in the Kingsessing mass shooting

Inquirer reporters spoke with more than a dozen people whose lives were altered by the shooting spree that day to see how they are doing one year later. Many said they have struggled to move forward with their lives, their days shrouded by a haze of anger and grief.

There is the 10-year-old who suffers from anxiety and struggles to sleep. A toddler who now walks on his tippy-toes after he was shot in the leg. A police officer who has yet to speak about the night with his wife.

Twelve months later, the survivors and the families of those who died are still reeling. Here are their stories.

A mother, her twins, and 10-year-old niece

It took nearly half a year for Octavia Browns life to return to a semblance of normalcy.

The gunman shot more than a dozen times into her car as she drove through the neighborhood with her toddlers and 10-year-old niece that summer evening.

By-Kir, her now-3-year-old son, was shot in the leg just above his knee. For five months, he refused to walk or fully straighten his leg. His limp went away about three months ago, she said, but he started walking on his toes to avoid the pain, a habit that continues. His twin brother, Jy-Fir, who was cut by glass and bullet fragments, took up the habit, too, because he likes to copy his brother, Brown said.

MeNyiah Johnson was in the front passenger seat when the bullets burst through. She dropped to the car floor and wedged herself under the dashboard so tightly that her aunt had to pull her out once they reached the hospital.

For weeks after the shooting, MeNyiah, now 11, wouldnt eat. She was afraid to be alone or go outside. She was doing better, she said, until April, when gunfire erupted at an Eid al-Fitr celebration she attended with her family in West Philadelphia. The progress she had made emotionally was lost.

Today, she cannot sleep without melatonin because of anxiety, she said, and seeing strangers wearing ski masks, as Carriker did, can send her into a panic. Still, she said, my life is getting better now. She is about to start the sixth grade and hopes to join the dance team.

Brown, meanwhile, said she is grateful for the outpouring of community support that enabled her to replace her car, pay off the thousands of dollars in medical bills, and get by a few weeks without working as she and her sons healed.

But challenges remain. About two months after the shooting, the twins father, James Ford, was shot and killed by his nephew after a dispute over a car. Then, at the repast following Fords funeral, gunfire erupted again. Four people were shot, one fatally. The twins were there and had to dive to the floor with their older siblings.

In time, Brown said, the twins will learn all that 2023 took from them. For now, when Brown shows them a photo of their father, they just say Dada.

The boys are still jumpy at loud noises, and are working in speech therapy, Brown said. Sometimes By-Kir will pat the side of his leg, where two scars remain, and say: Mom, hurt. On a recent day, Brown asked him what had happened as he held his knee.

A car, he said.

A family divided

The death of DaJuan Brown created a fissure within his already fragile family.

DaJuan, 15, was shot multiple times after he rushed into the street to try to save his best friend, Ryan, who had been shot in the leg by the gunman. As DaJuan ran home to get help, the shooter turned to the teen and opened fire.

DaJuans parents and siblings say their days are now clouded by anger, resentment, and sadness. His mother, Nyshyia Thomas, was hospitalized in November after experiencing a mental health crisis related to her grief, she said. She is now on medication and regularly sees a therapist  help she believes other members of her family need but are not yet ready to accept.

DaJuans father, Tyejuan Brown, said hes always on edge. Its like Im waiting for someone to push my buttons, he said. I feel trapped. I couldnt protect my son, and I cant hurt the person who hurt him.

Their 20-year-old son, Daquan, bottles up his feelings and avoids his parents, opting to stay in his room or work late.

I feel trapped. I couldnt protect my son, and I cant hurt the person who hurt him. Tyejuan Brown, DaJuan's father

And their 13-year-old, Nesiyah, said she now rides the bus to school alone, and finds it hard to focus in class. Her grades slipped and she is required to attend summer school in July. She started getting into fights. Kids know that her brother is her pressure point, she said, and will often say things about him that trigger her anger.

They know thats the only thing that can get under my skin, she said as she sucked her thumb.

DaJuan was spending the week at his grandparents in Kingsessing, where he had a lot of friends, at the time of his death. Thomas was supposed to pick him up the next morning.

I feel like I failed my son as a mother. Nyshyia Thomas

That eats away at her, she said. She agonizes over why she didnt make him come home sooner. She resents DaJuans grandmother and can no longer be around Browns family without conflict. Thomas believes that, as a nurse, she may have been able to stop his bleeding.

I feel like I failed my son as a mother, she said.

She said theyre trying to do better as a family. On a recent day, Thomas, Brown, and their daughter lay together on the couch. Thomas draped herself across their laps, nestling up her daughter, who kissed her cheek and said, I love you.

We are strong, Thomas said.

A tighter bond

Officer Ryan Howell remembers running toward the sound of gunfire. Seeing victims on the ground.

Body! Body! Howell shouted, directing colleagues to a victim as he kept running.

Close the distance, he told himself, the gunfire echoing closer. Find the shooter. End the chaos.

Sgt. Jeff Donahue and Officer Masoeli Musonge ran alongside Howell toward the shots, using cars as cover.

Musonge and Howell took the gunman into custody that night. They spotted him in a dark alleyway with two guns and arrested him without incident, something 12th District Police Captain Joe Green called a level of restraint you cant even measure and evaluate.

Despite 16 years on the force, Donahue and Musonge said the shooting was like nothing they had ever experienced. They were scared, Donahue said, but on autopilot, steered by the guiding principle of the job: Preserve life.

You just dont realize what you did until people start telling you what you did, he said.

Most officers who were on the scene have spoken about it only with one another. Its easier that way, they said  family and friends who have never done the job will never fully understand.

District leadership ordered all of the officers to go through peer-to-peer counseling, and they say it brought them closer.

Its more of a family than coworkers, Donahue said, and thats only strengthened their commitment to the job.

Loved ones trapped in mourning

Marie Merritts youngest son, Lashyd, lurks at the edge of her thoughts. Sudden noises or fireworks jolt her awake at night. She has moved away from the Kingsessing home that she and her family had shared for five years, and tries to keep busy by caring for her six grandchildren.

But it sometimes feels as if her life is in limbo, she said, grief clinging to her and sneaking up at inopportune moments.

I still want my son. I still want him around. I still want to see his smile. I still want to hear his laugh. I still want to see him be happy and just live his life, because thats what made me happy. Marie Merritt, mother of Lashyd Merritt

At 21 years old, Lashyd Merritt, known affectionately as Shyd, had his life mapped out. He had his first real girlfriend, a job at the IRS, a plan to travel the world before settling down and getting married. His mother thinks often of all he could have been.

I still want my son, said Merritt. I still want him around. I still want to see his smile. I still want to hear his laugh. I still want to see him be happy and just live his life, because thats what made me happy.

Tamika Veney said family gatherings and holidays feel emptier without Ralph Moralis, her former partner with whom she shares one daughter. Ralph was their connector, she said, but from weddings to Christmas morning, a piece is now missing.

Jonah Wamahs grief interrupts his thoughts and has made it nearly impossible for him to work. His son, Joseph, was his best friend.

Wamah, 70, and his son lived together in their house on South 56th Street for 15 years. They ran a successful wedding photography business, and Joseph, 31, followed in his fathers footsteps as an actor.

Jonah was the one who found his son, riddled with bullets, lying on their living room floor that night. It has been determined that the younger Wamah had been shot nearly two days before by the same gunman.

Id rather sleep and be dreaming, than wake up in real life. Jonah Wamah

Wamah has since moved away from Kingsessing, unable to handle being inside the space where he found his sons body. And his woes worsened when, in September, someone broke into the 56th Street rowhouse and stole thousands of dollars worth of photo and video equipment he and his son used for their business, he said. No one has been arrested, but police continue to investigate.

Wamah now lives in Lansdowne and spends much of his days agonizing over what happened, checking in with police about the burglary and poring over old news articles and conversations with law enforcement about the shooting.

He prefers to retreat to the comfort of dreams, he said, where he still sees his sons handsome face and hears his smooth voice.
Philadelphia police on the scene at 27th and Dickinson streets in the Gray's Ferry section of the city, where five people were shot at a Chinese restaurant at about 10:30 Monday night. More than 40 shell casings were found at the scene. Read more

Five people were shot in a barrage of gunfire inside a crowded Chinese restaurant in South Philadelphia on Monday night, police said.

Shortly before 10:30 p.m., police responded to a report of gunshots at Twin Dragon restaurant, at 27th and Dickinson Streets. When officers arrived, they found a man with a gunshot wound to the leg and took him to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, said Chief Inspector Scott Small.

Advertisement

Three other men later arrived at the hospital in a private car and said they had been shot at the restaurant, Small said. And yet another victim of the shooting, a 21-year-old man, was taken to Cooper University Medical Center in Camden, police said.

All five victims were in stable condition, police said.

A 23-year-old man was shot four times  twice in the left leg and twice in the right thigh. A 45-year-old man was shot once in the left thigh. Three 21-year-olds were also shot, police said, one in his right arm, another multiple times in both legs, and the third in his right ankle and left knee.

Police said they do not know what prompted the spray of gunfire inside the cramped takeout restaurant. Neighbors said there were 10 people inside at the time of the shooting. More than 40 shell casings were found at the scene.

No arrests have been made, and the motive for the shooting was unclear, police said.

On Tuesday morning, metal shutters covered the windows and doorway of the restaurant, which opens daily at 4:30 p.m. No one answered the phone number for the business.

Outside, more than 20 circles of blue police chalk, marking where shell casings fell, dotted the intersection of 27th and Dickinson Streets. Splatters of dried blood stained the pavement for a block west of the restaurant.

On steps a few houses down, residents said they heard gunshots around 10:30 p.m. the night before. The sound was so sustained, around 15 seconds, they said, that some of them thought it might be fireworks.

One man, who asked not to be identified out of fear for his safety, said he was sitting on his front steps on Monday night when he saw two men enter the restaurant. About 10 minutes later, he said, he saw the men run outside, then turn and fire at least a dozen bullets into the restaurant before jumping in their car and speeding away.

Mondays shooting was the latest violent incident at Twin Dragon over the years.

In December 2017, Nasir Livingston, 17, was shot in the head when one of two masked gunmen fired through the restaurants glass door, police said. Livingston died from his injuries three days later at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.

Police said Livingstons death was part of a bitter feud between rival gangs  the 27th Street group and the 31st Street group. Livingston was connected with the 27th Street group, police said, while the shooters were connected to the 31st Street group.

Two men, Khalid Harrison and Mujihad Deen, were charged in 2019 with murder, conspiracy, and related crimes in the shooting. The outcome of those cases was not immediately clear.

In March 2012, Damon G. Stafford, 20, was fatally shot at the takeout spot in a murder-for-hire plot, police said. A man police say was the getaway driver for the shooters was charged with murder and related crimes in 2012. The outcome of that case, too, was unclear.

Anyone with information about Monday nights crime is asked to call the departments shooting investigation unit at 215-686-8270. People can also submit tips anonymously by calling or texting the departments tip line at 215-686-8477.
More than four years after an off-duty Philadelphia police officer was shot while trying to subdue an armed and suicidal man inside a South Philly CVS, the man who wounded the officer has been sentenced to up to 51 years in prison.

Richard Kralle, 54, of Philadelphia, was convicted of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, and related crimes in February and now faces 25 to 51 years behind bars for the May 2020 shooting of Lt. Robert Friel during a struggle in the South Philadelphia store. In Friels own words, the officers injury would have led to his death if it werent for his fellow officers, who quickly applied a tourniquet to stop the blood that had been flowing from a major artery.

Advertisement

A spokesperson for the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, the police officers union, declined to comment on the sentence handed down Monday by Common Pleas Court Judge Diana L. Anhalt.

On May 29, 2020, Friel had just finished his shift in South Philadelphia when he saw Kralle, who had been reported missing, near the CVS. Inside the store, Friel and another officer confronted Kralle, who was armed, on drugs, and suicidal, police said. Police said Kralle, a bodybuilder, had suspected ties to a biker gang.

As Friel and a fellow officer struggled to subdue Kralle, wrestling inside the store, Kralle pulled out a 9 mm handgun and fired twice: once from the 9mm and once after grabbing an officers gun. Friel was struck in the leg and officers acted quickly to save him, applying a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

Friel had been on the force for 28 years, and had recently been promoted as a lieutenant, assigned to the Third District in South Philadelphia. Kralle was apprehended and Friel was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he underwent surgery for a broken femur, police said.

Friels family had previously lost someone in the line of duty. In 1994, Friels older brother Joseph was killed at age 25 when a drunken driver struck his cruiser in Roxborough.

Efforts to reach Friel were unsuccessful Tuesday.

District Attorney Larry Krasner on Tuesday said the sentence was a just outcome and commended Friel for his bravery and his fellow officers for their quick thinking to save their colleague.
The girl, whom police did not identify, was reportedly in stable condition after Tuesday's shooting. Read more

A 14-year-old girl was shot in the chest late Tuesday during a fight among teenagers in Pottstown, according to police.

The shooting took place about 7:30 p.m. on Myrtle Street, within the Bright Hope Community apartment complex, police said. The girl, whom investigators did not identify, was taken to Reading Hospital and later Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, where she was listed in stable condition.

The victims mother, Dayjona Garrett, told WFMZ that her daughter was playing in the front yard of their apartment on Tuesday when a group of girls pulled up in a car, confronted her and began arguing. Her daughter was shot while defending herself from the group, Garrett said.

I hope the person comes forth and just turns themselves in, Garrett told the news station. If anyone does know anything, I please ask you to come forward.

No arrests have been made in the shooting, and Pottstown police are asking anyone with information to call them at 610-970-6574.
Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, speaks at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington on May 17. Pringle and the NEA are meeting in Philadelphia this week. Read more

As the nations largest teachers union convenes in Philadelphia this week, Becky Pringle has a big mission on the agenda: protecting public education.

Pringle  a North Philadelphia native and Girls High graduate who became president of the National Education Association in 2020  sees the public education system as under attack amid intensifying efforts nationally by school-choice proponents to send public money toward private school voucher programs.

Advertisement

She sat down with The Inquirer ahead of the start of the NEAs meeting Wednesday, which is expected to draw 7,000 delegates from across the country to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and discussed some of the other issues confronting teachers.

 READ MORE: President Biden will speak at a teachers union event in Philadelphia on Sunday

Pennsylvania is facing an ongoing teacher shortage. The state certified 5,500 new teachers last year, down from more than 16,000 a decade earlier. There were more than 2,000 teaching vacancies last year. How do we solve this problem?

We need to understand that its a chronic problem. And the reason I point that out is because if we try to solve things like we usually do in education, silver bullet one time this and that  were not going to solve it. The NEA has been following this for almost two decades.

... Now I call it a five-alarm crisis because its worse. ...We did a poll. ... I really was shocked with the findings. Fifty-five percent of our members reported to us that they werent thinking about it  they were planning to leave the profession. With our Latino teachers, that went to almost 60%. With our Black teachers, it was over 63%. ... Weve always suffered from what we call a wage penalty gap, where other professions  same amount of schooling, same level of experience, teachers earn 23% less. But after the pandemic, we saw those numbers start to rise and then in some parts of the country, it was it was pushing to 30%.

Its a crazy, surreal bizarro world that [teachers] live in that as a professional, they dont get to make teaching and learning decisions  everybody else gets to do that for them. And so because of the pandemic .... light was shining on schools, right? Everyone wanted to say, Oh we need to do this ... Then that transitioned to what I call, affectionately, the crazy and the stupid. Like, Im sorry, you dont want us to teach about slavery and the impact? ... So now you have teachers afraid  Wait a minute, can I teach about Harriet Tubman? ... Teachers are saying, Im not doing this. I cant do this. And you dont pay me enough to do this.

Besides the teacher shortage, what are the top challenges in education right now?

The theme of our convention is promote public education as a common good, as the foundation of our democracy. ... Weve seen the uptick in the passage of legislation across the country, or certainly putting in legislation around vouchers. ... Its a deliberate effort to dismantle public schools. A democratic society is based on that. And if you dont have an educated citizenry that can use critical thinking skills ... youre not gonna have democracy.

Im curious what you think about the science of reading movement and calls for schools to adopt a more structured literacy approach.

Unless and until educators are at the core of any conversation about what happens in reading or science or math ... the educators have to be given the resources. The educators and the schools have to have the funding to implement anything they do with fidelity.

NEA members will be voting this week on calls for the union to align with the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement, defend educators who support Palestine, and withhold endorsement of President Joe Biden until he ends military aid to Israel. Do you have a position on this? In the classroom, what should teachers roles be in navigating these conflicts?

In February, our board of directors came together and we are on record for calling for a cease-fire, the return of all hostages. We talk about the need for working toward the future where both Palestinians and Israeli people have a homeland ... and theyre free to live in peace. We call for addressing the rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia, and the continuous learning of people ourselves. ... I made a commitment after last year to travel to the region, and I did.

... Were part of a larger organization, Education International. We have an Israeli teachers union and a Palestinian teachers union. And so weve been working directly with them, in addressing specifically education needs, the displacement of students in Gaza.

... As far as educators in classrooms and worksites across the country, as a union, of course were defending their right to free speech. Were making sure they know their rights. ... Our educators are part of the greater society. We, the NEA, are a microcosm of that societys great diversity. And with diversity comes incredible strength and beauty and challenges because people have different opinions.

Theres been so much debate about kids and cell phones. Do you think schools should ban them? And what about other technology use?

I was a part of the debate about whether we should let kids use calculators. In education, those debates have brewed. ... Were not stopping that. Its already here. Generative AI is a different beast, and we have a lot to do around that.

... [On cell phones], parents are making decisions about that. We shouldnt make that decision by ourselves. We should come together as a community and say, these are the downsides of it. Its interrupting education, its increasing bullying ... and think about what policy makes sense for your community.

Philly is considering moving toward a year-round school program. A pilot will offer free before- and after-care next year along with summer programming. Its voluntary for now. Do you think this is a good idea?

Broken record here, it is about having that conversation. What does that mean? How does that impact the community? How does it impact parents, schools, students? ... Are you giving educators the time to figure it out? ... Those are the questions that need to be asked.
John A. Fry, president of Drexel University, will become the next president of Temple University. Read more

After word spread last week that John A. Fry was the top candidate to be Temple Universitys next president, board chair Mitchell L. Morgan heard from 150 people.

When Fry was officially made president through a unanimous vote Wednesday morning, the reaction kept coming.

Advertisement

 READ MORE: As Drexels John Fry gets voted in as Temples next president, heres what he plans to do

Heres what some local leaders are saying about his appointment:

Gov. Josh Shapiro: Ive admired John Frys exceptional leadership at Drexel University over the past 14 years  and I have appreciated his advice and guidance during that time. Hes a wise leader, a strong communicator, and a good man  and his blend of academic and civic leadership puts him in a unique position to lead Temple University. Im pleased to see his next step will keep him in Philadelphia as he leads Temple University into its next chapter  a chapter I firmly believe holds great opportunity for the Temple community, the city of Philadelphia, and our commonwealth.

Temple Association of University Professors, the faculty union: Welcome to Temple University! the executive leadership of the 2,300-member union said in a letter to Fry. After years of instability, we are excited that the presidential search process is over and that you will be joining the Temple community.

The union told Fry about its membership, its current contract negotiations and the challenges its members face, citing concerns about a lack of job security, widespread gendered and racialized salary inequity, issues within the research office, and significant attrition. TAUP invited Fry to a meeting as soon as possible.

We hope you will champion our principles of equity, dignity, and job security while taking active steps to build a constructive, collaborative relationship with the real Temple community: the organized labor, faculty, staff, and students that make us a world-class university, the union wrote.

Amy Goldberg, dean of Temples medical school and a member of the selection committee: Boy, I think we really hit it out of the park.

Fry, she said, is an experienced leader who believes in Temples mission and its commitment to teaching, research and service to the community. He has shown he can make tough decisions, has emotional intelligence and a vision with a strategy to get the university there, she said.

Of the many things that are so impressive about John is the relationships he has with so many different groups of people, whether thats the students and the faculty or the researchers or the community or industry. He really knows how to communicate and engage all of those different constituents.

Richard Greenawalt, chair of Drexel Universitys board of trustees: We have been fortunate to have John serve as our president since 2010. Over his tenure, he implemented a dynamic vision for how an urban university can attract and inspire excellent students, conduct pathbreaking research and serve our communities.

In a message to the campus community, Greenawalt said the university would form a search committee to look for a new president in the coming weeks.

Uncertainty and concern accompany any transition, he said. Rest assured, we have prepared a plan that prioritizes stability and continuity during this period.

Pa. State Sen. Vincent Hughes, whose district includes Drexel: John Fry is one of the nations brightest spots in higher education. He is one of the countrys best, most talented and most accomplished presidents of any university. I think coming out of the heartbreak of the loss of the previous president, this is a great selection. ... Weve partnered throughout his entire tenure there.

Hughes said Fry is very knowledgeable about the needs of the community.

Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson: Johnson called Fry an excellent choice.

As a graduate student attending Penn in the early 2000s, I had the privilege of witnessing his exceptional leadership firsthand marked by transformational changes that benefited the university as well as the surrounding communities. John has the ability to forge strong partnerships and create positive change that will positively [impact] Temples students, faculty, and the North Philadelphia community. I look forward to seeing his remarkable advancements that will propel Temple University to new heights.

Temple University Graduate Students Association, the union for graduate student workers:

While we remain hopeful that President Fry will be an attentive and competent leader, the process by which he was appointed is a disappointing indication that the board of trustees, under the leadership of Chair Mitchell Morgan, remains committed to the exact business-as-usual approach that has led to our current leadership crisis and the continued degradation of Temples educational integrity.

Unions were not included in the search and selection, they said in a statement, and they were also critical of Frys background, stating that he has not been a dean or provost or conducted research, or worked for a public university or dealt with faculty unions. (Fry has a bachelors from Lafayette College and an MBA from New York Universitys Stern School of Business and has noted that he has dealt with other types of unions, both at Drexel and at the University of Pennsylvania where he was an executive vice president for seven years. He also served as president of Franklin and Marshall College for eight years.)

We wish President Fry well in his efforts, the graduate student union wrote. This is, of course, assuming that we share the same idea of what Temples mission ultimately is. We can only hope that he approaches this position with a different perspective and set of values than former President [Jason] Wingard.

Shohreh Amini, professor of biology and president of Temples faculty senate, who served on the search committee: She said she liked that Fry was interested in every aspect of the job and knows Philadelphia well.

He can get up and running the first day, she said.

She said she was not bothered by Frys not having a doctoral degree, noting his MBA.

His experience way overcomes the lack of a degree, she said.

Quaiser Abdullah, assistant professor of instruction in the College of Media and Communication, who served on the search committee: Our faculty have not always felt heard when it comes to university developments. During this search, faculty voices were heard and respected. ... I am confident that Temple has chosen someone who will help us build on this universitys standing as a global center of academic excellence.

Temple Student Government: After an extensive search, Temple Student Government is thrilled to welcome Fry into this crucial leadership role. During his 14 years as Drexels president, Fry demonstrated a fervent commitment to fostering a flourishing educational environment and was always available to listen to the concerns of both students and longtime residents near campus.

At Drexel, Frys numerous accomplishments included helping to revitalize local neighborhoods in West Philadelphia, expanding the schools international presence, and successful fundraising. His record makes clear that when Fry commits to a leadership role, he is all in.
John A. Fry was named the next president of Temple University Wednesday by unanimous vote of the trustees. Read more

John A. Fry, who was named Temple Universitys next president on Wednesday, was born in Brooklyn and got his bachelors degree from Lafayette College.

Fry, 64, also has an MBA from New York Universitys Stern School of Business and started his career not in academia, but in the auditing division of what is now KPMG, and then moved to Coopers & Lybrand to run a Philadelphia consulting operation dealing with colleges.

Advertisement

 READ MORE: Drexel Universitys John Fry expected to become Temples next president, sources say

He moved to the University of Pennsylvania in 1995 where he became executive vice president, then president of Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster in 2002 and president of Drexel University in West Philadelphia in 2010. Hes a resident of Newtown Square, where he lives with his wife, Cara, an art historian. They have been married for 37 years and have three children: Mia, 33, an attorney and Penn law grad; Nat, 29, a Drexel grad who owns a woodworking business and lives in Philadelphia; and Phoebe, 23, also a Drexel grad who is a videographer and musician and lives in Manhattan.

Heres a look at some of his favorite things.

Favorite movie: Chariots of Fire

Favorite performing artist or band: Jackson Browne

Favorite kind of music: Classical music by the Philadelphia Orchestra

Favorite foods: Sashimi and pumpkin pie in season

Favorite vacation spot: Amagansett, Long Island

Book currently reading or most recently read: From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life by Arthur Brooks

Favorite book: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

Exercise of choice: The gym

Motto to live by: The harder you work, the luckier you get.

How you feel about walking into this next chapter of your life: Humbled, very humbled.
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered near the Pennsylvania Convention Center to call on the National Education Association to pass agenda items "in support of Palestinian liberation," and to rescind the union's endorsement of Biden, in Philadelphia on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Counter-protesters gathered nearby. Read more

Pro-Palestinian teachers are pushing the nations largest teachers union to support boycott efforts of Israel and rescind its endorsement of President Joe Biden over his role in the war in Gaza. Their campaign met with protest Wednesday in Philadelphia, where the National Education Association is meeting.

As NEA delegates gathered inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the Educators for Palestine group rallied outside at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in support of a series of actions it placed on the unions annual agenda  including proposals that the union educate members about the boycott, divest and sanctions (BDS) movement, and communicate to members that anti-Zionism is not antisemitic.

Advertisement

But organizers of a counter rally said the groups proposals are antisemitic  and are calling on NEA delegates to vote them down.

What were seeing is a group of extremists who are hijacking the system  and use it as a way to make a statement about geopolitics, which we dont believe belongs in the NEAs wheelhouse, said David Smokler, director of K-12 educator outreach at StandWithUs, a pro-Israel organization.

Smokler, a former public schoolteacher in Massachusetts, said Israel was the only foreign country targeted on the unions agenda. He called the BDS movement a discriminatory campaign that seeks to delegitimize Jewish self-determination.  This is an organization that seeks one thing, which is the destruction of Israel.

Samy El-Baroudi, an Iowa teacher involved with Educators for Palestine, said the group was not for the destruction of Israel.

We are not calling for harm to anyone. We are calling for an end to the harm that is happening now, said El-Baroudi, a member of the Des Moines Education Association who founded the NEAs Arab-American Educators Caucus seven years ago. This is about human rights  all humans. We need to stop this process of devaluing the lives of brown people that get in the way of white people.

The debate comes as tensions have flared in schools around the region since Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the Israeli military offensive that has followed. In Philadelphia, the school district was accused of censoring a student podcast about Palestinian resistance art due to concerns of antisemitism, while board members in area districts have resigned over anti-Israel social media posts.

Both Philadelphia and Central Bucks are the subject of federal complaints alleging antisemitism by teachers in classrooms and on social media. Muslim students and teachers have also reported incidents of Islamophobia.

El-Baroudi said Educators for Palestine aimed to both recognize the horrors of Oct. 7, and shed light on injustices perpetuated on Palestinians before Oct. 7. He also said the group wanted to clearly make sure we distinguish between antisemitism and anti-Zionism.

Other NEA members, in a statement, explained their reasons for joining Educators for Palestine. As a unionist, I want my union to be in solidarity with the rest of the labor movement in advocating for what is best for U.S. safety, security, and well-being. That means money for schools, not war, said Melissa Tomlinson, an Atlantic County, N.J., teacher.

Among at least 10 items on the unions agenda that the group is backing are calls for the NEA to use its digital communication tools to educate members on the Nakba  the 1948 expulsion of Palestinians after the founding of Israel  and to defend educators and students speech in defense of Palestine.

The group is also calling on the NEA to hold a secret ballot vote to rescind its endorsement of President Joe Biden until he stops funding the Israeli military, decries Israels war crimes, and brings about an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.

Biden is expected to speak at the NEA meeting on Sunday.

Philly Educators for Palestine said it supports the pro-Palestinian efforts of NEA teachers. (Philadelphia School District teachers are represented by the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, a local of the American Federation of Teachers, a union separate from the NEA.)

In an interview Tuesday, the NEAs president, Becky Pringle, didnt comment on the specific proposals, which the unions 7,000 delegates are able to add to the agenda, with petitions signed by at least 50 delegates.

But Pringle noted the NEAs statement in February supporting a cease-fire, along with the return of hostages by Hamas and the issuance of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Pringle  who said she traveled to the region last year, and was committed to continuous learning on the topic  said the union would be defending teachers right to free speech. Were making sure they know their rights.
Protesters lock arms at the Ben Franklin Statue on Penn campus as police clear the Pro Palestinian Encampment at University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia on May 10. Read more

Four students involved in pro-Palestinian protests at the University of Pennsylvania have been suspended for their actions, a student group said.

Two students were suspended for one semester, and two for a full year. Two graduate students and two undergraduates received the discipline, which has not yet gone into effect and can still be appealed by the students.

Advertisement

The sanctions follow a 16-day encampment at the university that ended in May with police breaking up the encampment and 33 arrests, including nine student arrests.

The suspensions were handed down by the University of Pennsylvanias disciplinary office, the Center for Community Standards and Accountability.

Penn continues to review student conduct cases in connection with campus demonstrations this spring, a university spokesperson said Tuesday. The University affords due process to all students in accordance with our policies and recommends sanctions as appropriate on a case-by-case basis.

The student suspensions come after months of relentless university repression and targeted discipline against pro-Palestine students, the group Freedom School for Palestine, a pro-Palestinian student group, said in a statement. These students have been robbed of their access to education, income, work-study jobs, and health insurance as a result of this suspension.

Hilah Kohen, a Penn graduate student in comparative literature and literary theory, received a one-year suspension for participation in pro-Palestinian activities, they said. They condemned Penns dictatorial actions.

Kohen, a Falk Fellow in Jewish Studies at the university, said the student movements solidarity with Palestine is just one part of a global whole. ...Any ethical thinker must keep their focus on Palestinian resistance to genocide.

Kohen was arrested when the encampment was broken up, and have also been banned from campus indefinitely by another university body. That ban still holds, they said.

Iman, a junior design undergraduate whose last name is being withheld because he is afraid for his safety, has been suspended for one semester. He was also arrested when police broke up the encampment, but criminal charges were later dropped for both him and Kohen. The reasons the university cited for suspending him were confusing, he said  they were specific to building codes and a threat to student safety, even though my charges were completely dropped and there is no criminal case. I have no record whatsoever.

Theres a history of protests at Penn, Iman said, but he believes the university is cracking down specifically on pro-Palestinian activism on our campus.

The suspension shifts a lot of things for me, Iman said. He lives off campus, so he still has a place to live, but will lose a stipend the university paid him for that housing.

Iman also had a work-study job throughout his time at Penn; one of my jobs next semester for sure will not be able to hire me. Im not even able to step on campus for any resources. I am losing access to health care through Penns insurance. I am losing many opportunities to look for jobs.

The group said the university meant to stifle speech and action, which threaten Penns interests.

Last month, Penn released new guidelines on student protests; it specifically banned encampments, a move the student group characterized as a crackdown on free speech that threatens to expand beyond this specific issue in order to erode the norms of university life.

The student group called on Penn officials to drop the disciplinary cases.

Controversy began at Penn in September when the Palestine Writes literary festival, which critics said included speakers with a history of making antisemitic remarks, was held on campus. Tension escalated after Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel and Israels subsequent military response. Donors criticized the university for not doing enough to protect Jewish students, and then-Penn president Liz Magill resigned in December following a backlash over her congressional testimony about the universitys handling of antisemitic incidents.

Pro-Palestinian students and faculty said the university didnt do enough to protect their rights, and the encampment was erected at the end of April.

The encampment members called for the university to disclose its financial holdings, divest from any investments in the war, and provide amnesty for pro-Palestinian students facing discipline over past protests.
John A. Fry recalled a conversation he had decades ago when he was executive vice president at the University of Pennsylvania and was speaking with Lee Stetson, the former dean of undergraduate admissions there.

He said, John, this is all about safety, Fry recalled in an exclusive interview Monday. A safe and clean campus is what I need to do my job. He was very worried about the perception that Penn was not safe.

Advertisement

Back then, in the mid-1990s, Penn was dealing with concerns about crime in its West Philadelphia neighborhood, and Fry was the chief architect of a plan to revitalize the area. He helped bring in a movie theater and grocery, create the public Penn Alexander School, and launch the University City District, fostering relationships among colleges, retailers and residents.

 READ MORE: More than a year after a Temple police officer was shot and killed, where does the universitys safety stand?

Now, Fry, who was hired as Temple Universitys next president Wednesday morning by a unanimous vote of university trustees, will face a similar challenge in its North Philadelphia neighborhood. Though Temple has launched efforts to improve safety around its campus in the last couple of years under Jennifer Griffin, a former Delaware State Police captain, Temple has lost 24% of its enrollment since 2017. And university officials have acknowledged that some of that has been due to perceptions about safety.

That will clearly be an early priority of mine, said Fry, who has been president of Drexel University in West Philadelphia for 14 years.

Fry said he has read the Temple safety audit report by former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, whose company was hired by the university after the shooting death of student Samuel Collington outside his off-campus residence in November 2021. Concerns mounted again when Temple police officer Christopher Fitzgerald was shot to death while on duty in February 2023.

Temple has already implemented dozens of safety recommendations that came from the audit by 21CP Solutions, the company started by Ramsey. The university has added shuttle stops; extended walking escort service to 24 hours a day; updated more than 400 security cameras; added equipment including handguns, long guns and radios; expanded bike and foot patrols; and changed officers shifts to 12-hour stints to ensure coverage and allow for alternating three-day weekends.

This spring, the university reported that aggravated assaults, robbery and auto theft in and around campus were down significantly in 2023 from 2022. Recruitment of officers, though, has remained challenging.

 READ MORE: Temple hopes 29% increase in deposits from prospective first-years signals more enrollment

University officials also reported last month that the enrollment picture may be improving, citing a 29% increase in deposits from first-year admitted students over the same time last year.

Fry said he will focus on continuing to execute the Ramsey plan, making sure all the right resources are in place and that police and security are getting the investments they need to best do their jobs. He said he wants to ride with the Temple police and get to know them and the Temple neighborhood.

Drexel, he said, has benefited from an extensive safety network in West Philadelphia that includes Penn police, Amtrak and SEPTA police, city police and the University City District.

Everyone is highly coordinated, he said. Temple doesnt have the benefit of that kind of security network. So I think Temples job is a very hard job.

But he said he would like to work on building that network.

I just dont know who the other partners would be, he said, until I get on the ground and start understanding whats going on.
NEW YORK  TikTok and its bite-sized videos arrived in the United States as a global version of the Chinese app Douyin. Less than six years later, the social media platform is deeply woven into the fabric of American consumerism, having shortened the shelf life of trends and revamped how people engage with food and fashion.

The popularity of TikTok coupled with its roots in Beijing led Congress, citing national security concerns, to pass a law that would ban the video-sharing app unless its Chinese parent company sells its stake. Both the company, ByteDance, and TikTok have sued on First Amendment grounds.

Advertisement

But while the platform faces uncertain times, its influence remains undisputed  and for now, arguably unrivaled.

 READ MORE: Sixers draft pick Jared McCain is a TikTok star. Here are some of our favorites.

Interest in bright pink blush and brown lipstick soared last year, for example, after the cosmetics were featured in TikTok videos with looks labeled as "cold girl" and "latte" makeup. An abundance of clothing fads with quirky names, from "cottagecore" to "coastal grandma," similarly owe their pervasiveness to TikTok.

Silly video snippets have spun food hacks like smash burger tacos - a burger fried with a tortilla on top - and girl dinners  shorthand for a snack plate that requires less cooking and cleaning up than a typical evening meal - into cultural currency. And sometimes, into actual dollars for creators and brands.

#smashburgers #streettacos  original sound - chilesandsmoke @chilesandsmoke Smashburger Tacos are hitting the streets. Grab some tortillas and lets GO! Ive been working on this process for a bit and realized that smashing the meat with the flour tortilla directly on the griddle is very effective, and saves a few steps of preparation. The full walkthrough is in my bio. These cook quickly, and with a tortilla instead of the buns you can crush more meat + toppings. #smashburgertacos

Plenty of TikTok-spawned crazes last only a week or two before losing steam. Yet even mini trends have challenged businesses to decipher which ones are worth jumping on and stocking up for. A majority of the more than 170 million Americans who use TikTok belong to the under-30 age group coveted by retailers, according to the Pew Research Center. Whether fans of the platform or not, shoppers may have a #tiktokmademebuyit moment without knowing the origin story behind an eye-catching product.

The impact has been almost immeasurable, Christopher Douglas, a senior manager of strategy at the influencer marketing agency Billion Dollar Boy, said.

What made TikTok such a trendsetter compared to predecessor platforms? Researchers and marketing analysts have often described the platforms personalized recommendation algorithm as the secret sauce of TikToks success. The company has disclosed little about the technology it employs to populate users For You feeds.

Jake Bjorseth, founder of the advertising agency Trndsttrs, which specializes in Generation Z, thinks the apps use of an interest-based algorithm instead of personal contacts to connect like-minded people is what gave TikTok the edge. Predecessors like Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat were known more for peer-to-peer networks.

 READ MORE: From Penn student to record deal: How a 15-second TikTok video changed my life | Opinion

TikTok also changed the standard for what was considered desirable in social media content. Because the platform was designed to be easy to use, many videos lacked filters, lighting setups or production-level audio. These minimally planned and produced recordings made TikTok creators seem more authentic and allowed them to develop more intimate relationships with their followers than earlier breeds of influencers, Bjorseth said.

In the early days of the app, TikTok recruited influencers from rival platforms by paying them to join and post content, according to Brendan Gahan, the CEO of influencer marketing agency Creator Authority. Video-makers with as few as 1,000 followers still can earn commissions by promoting products in their videos, although those with at least 10,000 followers - and a minimum number of video views - are eligible for programs that pay them based on viewership.

The platform naturally has plenty of critics. Some experts argue that TikTok, like other social media sites, can be addictive and promote hours of endless scrolling, as well as unnecessary spending. Others accuse TikTok of promoting harmful behavior, like young girls engaging in skin care rituals and procedures intended for older women.

 READ MORE: A TikTok tradwife made sunscreen from scratch. It didnt go over well.

Some observers accuse prolific TikTok video-makers of using gimmicks to concoct ersatz trends or repackaging the looks of an earlier era with attention-grabbing names. Yet for all the detractors who wont mourn TikTok if it goes away, a vocal base of fans hopes it doesnt come to that.

Niki Maragos, a 26-year-old digital marketer from Charlotte, North Carolina, is one. She credits TikTok with transforming her personal style. Before frequenting the platform, she wore clothes from a single genre at a time and followed the same makeup routine.

Now shes into experimenting. To attend a recent music festival, for example, Maragos wore white ruffled bloomers, a black top and cowboy boots  a vintage-inspired look known as cottagecore in TikTok speak. Shes also tried applying faux freckles  a sun-kissed cosmetics trick that's experiencing a renaissance  and latte-toned makeup.

TikTok has allowed everybody to be their own fashionista, Maragos said. I have become free. I am going outside the box.

 READ MORE: TikTok got me through the pandemic. Then its algorithm turned on me. | Opinion

Fashion and accessories

Casey Lewis, a trend analyst based in New York who previously worked as an editor at Teen Vogue, said TikTok's clout in the fashion arena first became apparent to her when videos about Birkenstock's Boston clogs overtook her "For You" feed in 2022.

Lewis thought it was odd since her brother, whom she described as a "frat boy" and not a fashionista, wore the cork-soled comfort shoes in college. As the number of TikTok videos exploded, some creators took to advising their followers where they could find the suddenly sold-out clogs.

Im not a psychologist, but Im sure theres some psychology where your brain goes from thinking like, How weird? Is that fashion?'" she said. "And then suddenly youre obsessed with it."

Eventually, two other out-of-style shoes, UGG boots and Crocs, also saw their sales rebound after gaining a foothold with young consumers, Lewis said. The pace with which TikTok-shaped trends popped up  many of them tagged with the suffix core in a reference to the wearers style  was so dizzying that Lewis devoted much of her Substack newsletter to them.

In the last year, the hot pink ensembles of Barbiecore coexisted with the down-to-earth, deliberately unsexy looks of dadcore  think chunky white sneakers, baggy jeans and polo shirts. The oversized cardigans and linen separates of coastal grandmother, meanwhile, gave rise to eclectic grandpa a unisex aesthetic featuring sweater vests, loafers and mismatched prints.

Looks based on the reimagined aesthetics of mob wives and Gilded Age author Edith Wharton also had short-lived moments. While the rotating cast of "cores may not drive their adherents to buy entire wardrobes, theyre influencing spending in small ways, and that adds up, Lewis said.

It's easy to dismiss them as simply micro-trends that arent actually meaningful when it comes to consumer spending, she said. But often, they actually are more meaningful.

Daniella Lopez White, 21, who graduated from Emerson College in Boston this year and is on a tight budget, said TikTok influencers have helped her with tips on how to find affordable clothes at places like H&M and thrift shops. But the platform also connected Lopez White to plus-size creators who feature fashions for larger-bodied women, which made her more confident in trying out new styles.

Those TikTok trends really helped me figure out what parts of my body I want to accentuate and feel cute in and still incorporate my sense of style, she said.

After trying the dark academia trend, a blend of vintage fashion, tweed blazers and turtleneck sweaters, and cottagecore, she has moved onto the office siren look, which combines corporate clothing with form-fitting pieces like pencil skirts and cinched blazers.

 READ MORE: 20 must-follow Philly TikTok accounts, from Door Dashers and rappers to Gritty

Food

With easy-to-follow cooking videos and clever hacks, TikTok became a go-to spot for home cooks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The platform made humble ingredients a star but in the process earned endorsements from some of the stars of the food world.

"Every day, honestly, I am blown away by the creativity from the FoodTok community, restaurateur and chef Gordon Ramsay said in a TikTok video late last year.

 READ MORE: The crookie, the TikTok love child of a croissant and a cookie, has landed

Like the clothing styles of earlier eras, foods that had fallen out of fashion were resurrected via TikTok. U.S. sales of cottage cheese jumped 34% between April 2022 and April 2024 after videos promoting cottage cheese ice cream, cottage cheese toast and other recipes racked up millions of views.

Ben Sokolsky, the general manager of sales and marketing for Dallas-based dairy company Daisy Brand, said cottage cheese is seeing its highest sustained growth in nearly 50 years. The curdled milk product used to be a secret sensation, but social media helped expose new customers to the protein-rich, low-carb food, Sokolsky said.

The trend has had real impacts for Daisy Brand, which saw its cottage cheese sales double over the last five years. In April, the company announced a $626.5 million investment to expand a manufacturing facility in Iowa with at least 106 new jobs.

Some topics that went viral on TikTok even spawned analog equivalents. Last summer, TikToker Olivia Maher posted what she called her girl dinner of bread, cheese, pickles and grapes. It was a hit, with more than 1.6 million views. A handful of girl dinner cookbooks soon followed.

But the eagerness to try trendy foods had its downside. A 14-year-old in Massachusetts died after trying an extremely spicy tortilla chip popularized in so-called One Chip Challenge videos on TikTok and other social media sites. An autopsy of the boy, who had a congenital heart defect, found that eating a large quantity of chile pepper extract caused his death. Paqui, the maker of the chip, pulled it off the market.

 READ MORE: Autopsy confirms teen died from eating Paqui spicy chip challenge

Beauty

TikTok has upended the cosmetics industry by promoting do-it-yourself skin and hair treatments, causing ingredients to get labeled as the next miracle cure or to be avoided, and featuring videos of people gleefully applying or panning the contents of their latest shopping hauls.

Get Ready with Me videos, which first became popular on YouTube, are also everywhere these days in shorter forms mainly due to TikTok. Makeup tutorials also were a fixture on YouTube before TikTok turbo-charged purchases for creating a new look du jour, such as the glazed donut skin and strawberry makeup popularized by Hailey Bieber.

Influencers on TikTok and elsewhere have made freckles an asset with clips showing how to add faux ones with eyebrow pencils or broccoli florets. The clean girl aesthetic, a renamed version of the no-makeup makeup look, prompted both luxury and drugstore brands to rush out their own versions of skin tints and lip oils.

Tiffany Watson, a college student who posts makeup tutorials on TikTok, says the platform has made the beauty space more fun by giving specific looks winsome titles.

It brings lightheartedness. Its fun to be able to put a cute little name on it, try something new and then see a community of people trying the same thing, said Watson, who currently has more than 31,000 followers on TikTok and has done paid partnerships with brands like Colourpop Cosmetics.

Similar to YouTube, TikTok has helped popularize so-called "dupes"  less expensive alternatives to pricier products  to the benefit of brands such as e.l.f. Beauty, Revolution Beauty and NYX .

TikTok is one of the highly effective platforms for our community to talk to us  and each other  directly," Kory Marchisotto, the chief marketing officer at cosmetics brand e.l.f. Beauty, said. Theyll directly compare it to more expensive premium products, sometimes as a split-screen with e.l.f. and another brand.

Some veteran users of TikTok have noted the platform is almost too good in its role as both a tastemaker and a shopping search engine. Videos of influencers decluttering drawers filled with piles of barely used lipsticks, blushes and eyeshadow palettes are often as popular as the ones of people reviewing the products from their shopping sprees.

 READ MORE: The U.S. is considering a TikTok ban. Philadelphia content creators dont care.

On the positive side, its defenders credit TikTok with promoting a more inclusive image of beauty and forcing brands to create products for a wider range of skin tones and hair types. Beauty retailer Sephora, which has more than 1.3 million followers on TikTok, announced last year a partnership to help new brands owned by women of color to expand their presence on the platform.

Though the desire for clicks can encourage creators to follow the same hair and makeup trends, it also has given a diverse group of influencers a larger platform on which to champion or call out brands, Lewis said. She pointed to a recent controversy involving Youthforia, a brand that was criticized by some Black content creators after it released a foundation shade that resembled jet black paint.

With TikTok, people who otherwise werent heard were suddenly heard, Lewis said.

Watson, too, says the platform has helped bring more diversity to beauty videos compared to other platforms, where users had to intentionally seek out the type of creators they wanted to follow.

I see more diversity on TikTok because (with) every video youre swiping, youre seeing somebody new, she said.
Benefits Data Trust appears on the directory in the lobby at 1500 Market St. in Philadelphia. Read more

Nearly 80 current and former Benefits Data Trust employees published an open letter online Tuesday demanding an explanation for the Philadelphia nonprofits abrupt announcement last week that it would close in two months.

The letter noted that the organization helped more than 120,000 people nationally access government benefits in 2023 and was on track to have a similar impact this year.

Advertisement

We need to ensure BDTs legacy is secure and that appropriate responsibility and care are taken to serve all who seek public benefits, the letter said.

BDT was a fundraising darling in the world of human services nonprofits, scoring a $20 million no-strings-attached grant from MacKenzie Scott in 2022. Former CEO Trooper Sanders, who was ousted last month, said at the time that BDT would use that money to make the challenge of benefits access a thing of the past over the next decade.

Now, current and former employees are worried about theend of their own benefits when BDT closes.

BDTs board offered no explanation for its unanimous decision to wind down over the next two months, beyond saying that a perfect storm of circumstances led to the decision at the organization, which had $12 million in unrestricted reserves at the end of last year and expected $32 million in revenue this year.

In their letter, current and former employees asked for a public comprehensive response by next Wednesday on how the organization got into such dire straits and what plans there are to pass BDTs services on to other agencies. It recommended that BDT use proceeds from asset sales to aid employees who will lose their jobs when BDT closes in August.

The closure of BDT has profound and far-reaching consequences for the vulnerable populations we serve, the dedicated staff who have worked tirelessly to fulfill our mission, and the many partners, government agencies, hospitals, schools, and nonprofits that relied on BDT as a lifeline for their communities. We are calling on you to provide immediate transparency, the letter said.

 READ MORE: Inside the nonprofit targeting RHD and other financially troubled health and human services agencies
In the city of Philadelphia, the summertime dangers posed by ticks arent necessarily top of mind for residents. But with one of the most extensive parks systems in the country, Philadelphia health officials are warning that its still possible to pick up ticks that frequent leafy, green areas  and the serious diseases they spread.

Between 2013 and 2023, health department workers found blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, at 18 out of 25 sites regularly checked for ticks. More than a third of them tested positive for Lyme disease, the states most common tick-borne illness.

Advertisement

Were a city, and people dont expect it, said Dana Perella, program manager for the city health departments acute communicable disease program.

Lyme disease causes a telltale circular rash at the site of a ticks bite, and can also cause a fever, chills, fatigue, and muscle aches. A person can later develop complications like headaches, rashes elsewhere on the body, drooping facial muscles, severe arthritis, and even heart palpitations and brain inflammation.

Because early symptoms of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases can mimic the flu, cases may go undetected.

The symptoms can be very nonspecific. It may be like a summertime flu, and with COVID still around, folks may get confused about that, too, Perella said. Its good to speak with your doctor, particularly if youve had extensive outdoor exposure, and youre having these kind of flulike symptoms during summer time.

A national rise in Lyme cases

Nationwide, cases of Lyme disease have been rising since the 1990s, despite a sharp drop in reported cases in 2020 and 2021, the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Philadelphia saw around 200 cases of Lyme disease a year between 2015 and 2021. The city reported 325 cases in 2022, the last year for which complete data were available.

That spike is due in part to a change in the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Lyme disease reporting requirements for areas like Pennsylvania that typically see high incidences of the disease. Previously, health departments had to confirm Lyme disease cases based on lab testing and a physicians clinical observations, but now, they can confirm cases through lab testing alone.

Case counts for Philly area and Pa.

In Pennsylvania (excluding Philadelphia, which keeps its own data), reported cases of Lyme disease dropped significantly in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the first year with the new reporting requirements, cases spiked to more than 8,400 and jumped again to more than 11,000 in 2023.

So far this year, the state has reported more than 3,800 Lyme disease cases.

In the Philadelphia suburbs, Chester County has the highest number of Lyme disease cases among residents, with 376 confirmed as of June 26.

The rise nationally may be linked to climate change, as higher temperatures can increase the population of disease-spreading ticks and mosquitoes, putting more people in a wider swath of the country at risk, the CDC says.

Other tick-borne diseases

Philadelphia also sees a handful of cases of other tick-borne illnesses per year, including anaplasmosis and babesiosis, which cause similar symptoms to Lyme disease but can be particularly dangerous for immunocompromised people. Both are also spread by the blacklegged tick.

The city logged one case of Powassan virus in 2020. In severe cases, this can cause encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, or meningitis, an inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord. The case was likely contracted elsewhere in the state, city officials said.

Health officials have also identified Lone Star ticks in the city, which can cause a person to become allergic to red meats and spread other viruses.

Preventing tick-borne illnesses

Philadelphias health department regularly checks in with neighborhood associations and block captains to make them aware of the potential of tick- and mosquito-spread diseases.

We provide guidance on steps with groups that are likely to do cleanups about how to make outdoor areas less friendly to mosquitoes and ticks, like making sure youre clearing leaf litter and mowing any grassy areas, Perella said. Neighborhood groups can also make sure that childrens play areas are not situated next to wooded areas and use wood chips to create barriers between people and the areas that ticks frequent.

Heres what else you need to know to protect yourself:

People should wear bug spray with at least 20% of DEET, the insect-repelling chemical, if they walk through brush or tall grasses or in heavily wooded areas. Clothing and hiking gear treated with the insecticide permethrin can also repel ticks. Pets should be treated with a tick repellent as well. When hiking, people should stay in the middle of a trail. Showering or taking a bath once home can help remove ticks, and a 10-minute high heat cycle in a dryer can kill them on clothing and gear. People should conduct a full-body check for ticks on themselves and any pets, Perella said, and remove any they find as soon as possible. Use tweezers to pull ticks off, and dont use home remedies like smothering a tick in Vaseline. Then, wash the area with soap and water.

For more information on tick-borne diseases statewide, check this dashboard of case counts (excluding Philadelphia) maintained by the Pennsylvania health department. In Philadelphia, health officials have also issued information about tick-borne diseases and advice on preventing tick bites.
American statesman Benjamin Franklin helped open Pennsylvania Hospital, the nations first, in 1751 setting in motion Philadelphias role in medical innovation. Read more

This weeks newsletter is a party of sorts to celebrate the 248th birthday of the United States  and no party is complete without a game.

We start off with a quiz testing your knowledge about the firsts that Phillys premier medical institutions can claim.

Advertisement

We then bring you up to speed on a busy news week: ChristianaCare attending physicians formed a union (speaking of firsts), Crozer lost its bid to keep its surgical residency alive, and Cooper completed the acquisition of a hospital on the Shore.

Also, whats happening at Benefits Data Trust, and where did Ala Stanford land a faculty appointment? Lets get into it!

If someone forwarded you this newsletter, sign up here.

 Abraham Gutman and Aubrey Whelan, Inquirer health reporters, @abrahamgutman and @aubreywhelan.

In celebration of Philadelphia, the nations birthplace, we put together a quiz to test your knowledge of the firsts for which our medical institutions can claim bragging rights. (You are welcome, America!)

Before diving in, we also wanted to highlight a few Philadelphians who pioneered medicine as we now know it: Of course, we start with Benjamin Franklin, who founded the nations first hospital (Spoiler alert: This is the first item in our quiz). Thats also where Benjamin Rush, the father of American psychiatry, worked. A few blocks away, Nathan Francis Mossell, Penns first Black medical graduate, founded one of the nations first Black owned and operated hospitals, Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital.

Lets name drop a little more: While working on a lab bench at Fox Chase Cancer Center, Baruch Blumberg discovered the hepatitis B virus, winning him the Nobel Prize. Hilary Koprowski, who developed the polio vaccine, led the Wistar Institute. And at the University of Pennsylvania, Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman cracked the code on the mRNA technology that powered the first COVID-19 vaccines  and earned the scientists Phillys latest Nobel Prize.

Now its your turn: how well do you know the firsts that Philadelphias premier medical institutions can claim? Give our quiz a try!

This hospital is the oldest in the United States. This hospital, founded by the Quakers in 1817, was the first private institution in the U.S. to exclusively focus on mental health. This was the first coed medical school in the U.S. to appoint a woman as its dean in 1982.

Want more? Check out the full quiz. You can also find the answers to these three questions at the bottom of the newsletter.

The latest news to pay attention to

This weeks number: $21,000.

Thats how much a patient with glioblastoma would have to pay every month for Tumor Treating Fields therapy.

Penn researchers are testing an experimental treatment using TTF on the aggressive brain cancer. It pairs AI-powered MRIs with a device that sends electric fields through the brain to keep cancer cells from growing. The MRI takes the tumors temperature to flag the earliest signs of its return, allowing doctors to swiftly pivot their care plan.

In a phase 3 trial, patients who wore the device 70-80% of the time lived an average of 21 months, compared to 15 months among the patients who received standard treatment. The FDA first approved the TFF therapy device, made by Swiss pharmaceutical company Novocure, in 2011.

The overall survival of this disease hasnt changed in the last 25 years, Suyash Mohan, Penns director of neuroradiology research, said. We have to reassess how we approach this tumor.

Each week, we highlight the results of various hospital inspections in the region. Up this week: Kensington Hospital. State inspectors did not conduct an on-site investigation between November 2023 and April.

Teens are filling gaps in their sexual education with advice from social media influencers that is sometimes sus  to borrow Gen Z slang.

Some teens are reportedly scared to use birth control because of misinformation on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Nemours experts Courtney Kaye, a pediatric resident, and Rima Himelstein, an adolescent medicine specialist, want parents to talk to their kids about sex.

Parents, even if your teen is not sexually active, you should make sure theyre getting accurate information about birth control, they wrote for The Inquirer.

Ala Stanford is joining the University of Pennsylvania with a triple appointment.

The surgeon rose to prominence when she founded the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, helping to address the pandemics impact on Black people in neighborhoods that the city failed to reach.

Stanford will teach undergraduates in Penns biology department, conduct research on health communications at the Annenberg school, and lead the outreach for Drew Weissmans RNA institute.

We were able to do a lot with my bank account, GoFundMe, and later some state and federal funds, Stanford said. Imagine what we can do with the backing of an institution like Penn.

She shares how chance encounters that led to this position. And you can hear Stanford tell her full story at her Kimmel Center book launch event next month.

Hospitals are replacing registered nurses with lower paid health-care workers amid a nursing shortage, but a new Penn Nursing study found that having more RNs keeps patients alive.

The study looked at outcomes at hospitals, compared to the percentage of the staff composed of RNs. The researchers found the lower the proportion of RNs, the higher the rate of in-hospital deaths, deaths after discharge, and readmissions.

The study, published in the journal Medical Care, is based on an analysis of the records of nearly 6.6 million Medicare beneficiaries at 2,676 hospitals.

The findings show that replacing RNs with non-RN staff is dangerous to patients, Karen Lasater, associate professor of nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and the studys lead author, said in a statement.

Instead, the researchers recommend that hospitals work to prevent burnout by improving the working conditions of RNs.

So how did you do on our quiz? The answers to the three questions above are, in order: Pennsylvania Hospital, Friends Hospital, and Jefferson. We hope you clicked through to take the full quiz! And whats our regions most impressive first in your area of health care? For a chance to be featured in this newsletter, email us back.

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.
A FEMA official with Eastwick residents after Hurricane Floyd flooded the neighborhood in 1999. Read more

Philadelphia will receive more than $2 million in federal funding to combat flooding in one of its most flood-prone neighborhoods, according to an announcement Tuesday from President Joe Bidens administration.

Eastwick, located in the citys southwestern corner, frequently experiences storm-related flooding from the nearby confluence of Cobbs and Darby Creeks.

Advertisement

Flood waters have damaged Eastwick homes, businesses, and infrastructure over the years, leaving local officials and neighborhood groups scrambling for solutions through proposals of structural engineering or community relocation.

Those projects, however, carry price tags in the millions, and the funding is expected to advance flood-mitigation efforts in the neighborhood.

Philadelphia will receive $2.12 million for flood mitigation in Eastwick, according to the citys Office of Sustainability.

The Biden administration, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services and Federal Emergency Management Agency, will allot $1 billion in funds to a host of American communities to fund climate resiliency projects, according to a statement. Nearly $400 million of the total comes from Bidens Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Eastwick project will boost resilience by mitigating flood risks, according to the statement. The announcement came with no additional specifics.

The Office of Sustainability will need to combine several funding sources to erect near-term flood barriers in Eastwick, a spokesperson said Tuesday.

In addition to the tranche of FEMA funds, the Eastwick project will also be buoyed by $1.3 million earmarked in a recent government funding package. The office will also search for a local match, according to the spokesperson.

The Parker Administration welcomes the federal governments continued support to augment the work that the City is doing to ameliorate these long-standing issues in Eastwick, the spokesperson said.

More than 600 projects across the country are set to receive funding, according to FEMA.

The money will help state and local governments address current and future risks from natural disasters including extreme heat, wildfires, drought, hurricanes, earthquakes and increased flooding, FEMA said.

The search for a solution to Eastwick flooding woes has been brewing for decades.

Last fall, the Army Corps of Engineers proposed building a 1,400-foot-long levee along Cobbs Creek.

At an estimated cost of $13 million, the project would mainly address flooding in the areas between 78th and 82nd Streets, from Cobbs Creek to Chelwynde Avenue. It was Eastwicks first proposal for a levee; a retaining wall, built in recent years, already blocks flooding from Lower Darby Creek.

The Army Corps proposed paying for over 60% of the project, though it would need additional sources of funding.

That proposal appears to differ from the near-term flood project cited in the FEMA funding announcement.

A spokesperson for the Army Corps deferred comment on the levee project to the Office of Sustainability.
Gov. Josh Shapiro delivers his second budget address Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024 in the rotunda in the Capitol building in Harrisburg. Read more

HARRISBURG  Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will be among the Democratic governors meeting with President Joe Biden Wednesday night to discuss a path forward for his presidential campaign.

Shapiro has issued several clear-throated statements in support of Biden and his reelection  although he was among the first Democratic officials to publicly acknowledge Bidens poor debate performance that has sent Democrats into a frenzy about whether the 81-year-old president should drop out of the race.

Advertisement

Ill be the first to admit that that was not a good look in that debate last night but it doesnt change the fact that there are stark competing differences in this race, Shapiro said on CNN the morning after the debate.

Joe Biden had a bad debate night, and Donald Trump was a bad president and would be a bad president, Shapiro repeated at a news conference Monday. Nothing about Thursday nights debate changed the fact that theres a clear choice in the race.

Shapiro will join the call virtually, a spokesperson said, as the first-term governor negotiates his second budget deal with the GOP-controlled state Senate and narrow Democratic majority in the state House. The budget was due on Sunday to start the new fiscal year.

Governor Shapiro will stay in Pennsylvania tomorrow and continue working with Democratic and Republican leaders in the legislature to close a budget deal, said Manuel Bonder, Shapiros press secretary.

The closed-door meeting will take place in-person and virtually from the White Houses Roosevelt Room on Wednesday night, the New York Times reported. Among those expected to attend in-person include Democratic Governors Association chair and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, CBS News reported.

In a fundraising email for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Newsom said he was on his way to Washington, D.C. to meet and stand with the president at the White House later tonight before he plans to stop in Pennsylvania to campaign for Casey.

Shapiro  a potential 2028 presidential candidate  has been on several short lists of potential replacement candidates for Biden. However, the first-term governor of a critical battleground state is unlikely to be a first-choice replacement, if Biden were to choose to leave the race.

The New York Times reported Wednesday that Biden is considering whether he should stay in the race, but is still deeply in the fight for re-election and knows his upcoming appearances in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are crucial for the future of his campaign.

Biden will visit Philadelphia on Sunday to speak at a National Education Association conference, which is the nations largest teachers union.
Proud Boy Brian Healion (right) poses for a selfie with Freedom Vy (left) a fellow member of the far-right group's Philadelphia chapter, near the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021. Read more

WASHINGTON  A former member of the Philadelphia Proud Boys who stormed the Capitol along with top leaders of the militant, far-right organization was sentenced to 100 days behind bars Tuesday  far less than what prosecutors had sought.

Brian Healion, 34, of Drexel Hill, apologized for his actions during the unprecedented riot, which interrupted Congressional certification of Joe Bidens 2020 election victory and threatened the peaceful transfer of presidential power.

Advertisement

I made a big mistake, he told U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly during a hearing Tuesday in Washington. I let a lot of people down  and Im very sorry for that.

But Kelly  who has presided over several Jan. 6 cases involving the Proud Boys including the last years sedition trial of three top-ranking members and its former national chairman, Enrique Tarrio  said he viewed Healions association with the right-wing organization as relevant only on the margins when it came to determining his punishment.

I dont think the fact that he is a member of the Proud Boys  or any organized group is particularly relevant, the judge said, adding later: Many, many people showed up that day and did things that were much, much worse.  The core thing Im looking at are his actions.

Prosecutors disagreed. Theyd pushed for 15 months  more than two times what was recommended by federal sentencing guidelines in Healions case.

His conduct during the riot may not have differed significantly from the hundreds of others who have been charged with only misdemeanors and sentenced to terms of probation  he did not assault police; he did not destroy property. But his participation in the Proud Boys early planning for violence that day set him apart and was worthy of a more significant sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle M. McWaters said.

Healions choice to march to and invade the Capitol grounds with other Proud Boys intent on obstruction and violence  and even sedition  made his conduct all the more dangerous, McWaters wrote, and the objective  obstruction of the certification  all the more likely to succeed.

Healion, an assistant store manager for Fresh Grocer, is the second member of the Proud Boys Philadelphia chapter to be sentenced for playing a role in the Capitol attack. Its former leader, Zachary Rehl, is serving a 15-year sentence at a federal prison in Virginia after he was convicted at the sedition trial last year.

 READ MORE: Proud Boys trial: Zach Rehl, the right-wing groups Philly leader, and three others convicted in Jan. 6 sedition case

Two others  Isaiah Giddings, 31, and Freedom Vy, 39  have both pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts and are awaiting sentencing.

Healions case fell somewhere in-between. While he pleaded guilty in February to one count of interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder, his involvement in the pre-riot planning was minimal  and, Kelly noted, prosecutors had not opted to charge him with participating in the conspiracy.

In December 2020, Rehl hand-selected Healion and a few other members of Philadelphia Proud Boys to participate in the groups preparations for Jan. 6.

 READ MORE: Pennsylvania Proud Boys played a big role in Jan. 6 planning: Key takeaways from Capitol riot sedition trial

With other elite Proud Boys members from across the country, they participated in a series of encrypted group chats  known as the Ministry of Self Defense  to plan the groups presence in Washington as thousands of supporters of then-President Donald Trump prepared to descend on the city.

Gonna be war soon, one member of the chat posted three days before the attack, prompting another to respond: Time to stack those bodies in front of Capitol Hill.

Others wondered: Are the normies  an apparent reference to Trump supporters not affiliated with the Proud Boys  and other attendees going to push through police lines and storm the Capitol building?

But Healions involvement in those discussions was minimal, his lawyer Paul F. Enzinna noted Tuesday, and consisted solely of asking Tarrio what sort of equipment he should bring to Washington to be ready. (Tarrio suggested body armor.)

Prosecutors maintained that advice  as well as the fact that Healion, Rehl, Giddings and traded emergency contacts and blood types before setting out from Philadelphia on Jan. 5  suggested they came to Washington prepared to engage in violence.

Were not just alleging Mr. Healion was a member of the [Proud Boys,] McWaters said Tuesday. He was an active member of this group, and he knew what the Proud Boys were trying to do that day.

Rehl, Healion, Giddings and Vy were among the first crowd of rioters to burst through the security perimeter surrounding the Capitol building and, after storming up toward the buildings Upper West Terrace, paused to snap selfies of themselves making the OK hand gesture adopted by Proud Boys and other white power groups.

All around them, rioters were engaged in scuffles with police, some violent.

But as officers struggled to reestablish a security perimeter, Healion broke off from his fellow Proud Boys to join the fracas and grabbed at the bike rack barricades, attempting to wrest them away from police struggling to keep the angry mob at bay. Moments after, Rehl sprayed one cop in the face with what prosecutors have described as some sort of chemical irritant.

Eventually, Healion and Rehl rejoined Giddings and Vy to enter the Capitol building. Security footage showed them carousing with other rioters in the office of U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D., Ore.) and passing around a joint of marijuana as Rehl smoked a cigarette nearby.

But once the riot was quelled and the magnitude of what had occurred that day began to sink in, Healion texted the Proud Boys encrypted group chat.

The immediate widespread condemnation of the riot, he wrote, shows us that a lot of [people] arent ready to go to the next level. He added: Thats probably a bad thing in the long run  a remark the judge described Tuesday as pretty ominous and as one that gave him pause when it came to sentencing.

Enzinna, however, dismissed that talk as little more than the type of chest-beating and testosterone talk common among Healion and his Proud Boys brethren.

The defense lawyer reminded Kelly that at the end of the day all his client had actually done was enter the Capitol illegally and briefly grab onto a police bike rack.

Weve seen what Mr. Healion did, Enzinna said. And frankly, were it not for his association with Proud Boys, we would not be having this discussion.

In addition to his prison term, Healion was ordered Tuesday to pay $2,000 in restitution and to submit to three years of court supervision upon his release.
Former Philadelphia Police detective Robert Redanauer, who had a history of erratic behavior in the department, was arrested in April 2021 for allegedly threatening a man at gunpoint while off-duty. Read more

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ordered that charges of assault and making terroristic threats be reinstated against a former detective whose acquittal three years ago raised questions about whether police officers receive favorable treatment from some Philadelphia judges.

Robert Redanauer, 54, who was terminated by then-Commissioner Danielle Outlaw after his arrest, will now have to return to Common Pleas Court to determine whether there is enough evidence for the case to move forward.

Advertisement

Everything about the case has been unusual.

The arrest: Internal Affairs alleged that Redanauer had threatened a 16-year-old boy and pulled a gun on his 23-year-old brother while naked and stumbling around their mothers Northeast Philadelphia home in April 2021.

Come here. ... I am going to shoot you, Redanauer allegedly said while aiming a handgun at the mans face.

 READ MORE: Please, dont shoot me: Complaints and lawsuits piled up for years before a Philly detective was arrested

The acquittal: In July 2021, Judge James Murray Lynn, based on a procedural technicality, acquitted Redanauer of all charges and retroactively ruled that the Municipal Court preliminary hearing that had just taken place was, in fact, the Common Pleas Court trial.

Legal experts who reviewed the transcript told The Inquirer at the time that they were perplexed by Lynns ruling, describing it as weird and stunning.

The prosecutor, defense attorney, Lynn, and the stenographer each described the proceeding as a preliminary hearing. The title of the transcript was preliminary hearing.

The state Supreme Court agreed in the opinion it issued Monday, quoting Lynn himself during the proceeding: We are at a preliminary hearing.

Lynn, however, had accepted an argument by Redanauers attorney, Raymond Driscoll, for changing the preliminary hearing to a trial after the fact, based on Driscolls assertion that the DAs Office had improperly filed one of its requests for a Common Pleas jury trial. Lynn has since retired.

District Attorney Larry Krasner on Wednesday described that argument as bizarre and welcomed the state Supreme Courts ruling.

We cannot tolerate a justice system that operates unequally, like a caste system, Krasner said in a statement. My administration fully intends to bring this case back for a preliminary hearing soon and pursue evenhanded justice, just as we do in all cases.

The high court ruling came just days after the Common Pleas Court filed a notice of intent indicating that the old charges against Redanauer would be expunged.

Court documents, interviews, and previously confidential Police Department records examined by The Inquirer following Redanauers arrest in 2021 revealed years of erratic behavior, including at least six settled lawsuits.

He is alleged to have opened fire on an unarmed suspect and shot a fellow officer in the leg; smashed a car windshield in what police say was an act of vandalism; made wrongful arrests; and attacked a firefighter outside a bar, among other alleged assaults.

When officers behave in a way that does not honor their oath to protect others from harm, and in fact, create harm, it is made clear that the individual has no place within our ranks and must be removed, Outlaw said in a statement after Redanauers arrest.

Redanauers attorney did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment.
Matthew Paul McCaffery voted for Donald Trump in 2016 but changed his mind after seeing how the former president disrespected the military and the rule of law, such as on Jan. 6, 2021. Read more

With the passing of Memorial Day, the 80th anniversary of D-Day, and July Fourth, Ive spent a lot of time reflecting on the state of the country. Im a lifelong conservative, a combat veteran, a local Republican committee chairman in Upper Merion, and the former vice-mayor of the city of New Port Richey, Fla. I served in the military, and Im proud to have defended our country in battle.

As a former Trump voter, I can never forget that he never cared for me or my brothers and sisters in the armed forces.

Advertisement

When Donald Trump was invited to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris, where thousands of Americans killed in combat are buried, he refused and called the heroes buried there suckers and losers. I dont agree with Joe Biden on a lot, but he had enough honor to visit the cemetery and pay his respects.

Of all Trumps disrespect of the military, though, nothing was worse than his treatment of John McCain, who was  by any objective definition  an American hero. He devoted his life to our country as a Navy pilot and a true leader. He spent six years being tortured in captivity. As a senator, he understood what it meant to be a conservative.

But Trump didnt care about all of that. He had a running feud with McCain, and it came to a boiling point when Trump was asked about McCain at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa, in 2015, where he said McCain was not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who werent captured.

This from the guy who dodged the draft and claimed his personal Vietnam was trying to avoid catching a venereal disease.

Trump spits in the face of the sacrifice we veterans made, and I cannot believe I brought myself to vote for him in 2016.

At the time, I thought a change in the political status quo made sense. I figured Trump was a political amateur, so he would change once he took office, and he was saying extreme things during the 2016 campaign just for shock value. Once he took office, I realized I was wrong.

I served under James Mattis, who was Trumps secretary of defense from 2017 to 2018. I believe Mattis when he said in 2020 that Trump is a threat to democracy.

I can get over Trumps name-calling  Sleepy Joe, Ron DeSanctimonius, Governor Newscum. Its all sticks and stones. But his disparagement of my fellow veterans reveals something so deeply sinister about Trump: a complete lack of understanding of duty and sacrifice. And thats something I cant get over.

Im not offended by him. I pity him. And I dont trust him to be president again.

I also cant get over the impact of Trumps words on the American psyche. Since hes been making his vile speeches, hatred has become normalized. Its now OK to publicly name-call, bully, and disparage people you dont like. Weve lost our civility.

And Trumps words hold weight. His supporters take everything he says to heart. He told them the election was stolen, both before and after the 2020 election. He told them to come to the U.S. Capitol to protest on Jan. 6, 2021. He told them it would be wild. And he told them to march to the Capitol while Congress certified the election. His supporters did everything he said, culminating in one of the darkest days in our countrys history.

Weve lost our civility.

And for 187 minutes, our then-commander in chief did nothing to stop the riot unfolding at our nations Capitol. Hell tell you he tweeted for them to go home. This is his revisionist history. He wants people like me to forget that day. He wants me to forget that his supporters, enthralled by his lies, attacked police officers, chanted Hang Mike Pence, and defaced the center of government our founders built and my fellow soldiers died for.

But I remember that day all too well. It is seared into my brain, into my soul, and I will never forget that Trump abandoned his post as leader of the free world because he lost an election. He wanted America to crumble that day.

But as always, we held strong.

Trumps supporters are happier than ever that hes running again, but everyday Republicans like me are tired. He will never win me back. And I hope my fellow Republicans, and especially those who served in the military, will reject him this November. Trump does not deserve to lead the strongest, noblest military in the world, and we have to let him know it.

 READ MORE: To serve his country, Donald Trump should leave the race | Editorial

I am pledging to do everything I can to prevent a second Trump term. I made a video for Republican Voters Against Trump, a testimonial where I gave my reasons why I wont support Trump again.

So I humbly ask my fellow veterans, conservatives, and anyone who will listen: Join me. Take a stand against Trump. Submit a video to Republican Voters Against Trump. Put your face on billboards. Write to your local paper.

As a veteran, I took an oath to serve my country. This year, that service includes proudly voting for a Democrat in November.

Matthew Paul McCaffery, from Conshohocken, is a veteran and participant in Republican Voters Against Trump, a nationwide campaign of former Donald Trump voters who are not supporting him in 2024.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden wave at the crowd as they make their way out at Strath Haven Middle School in Wallingford on Friday, March 8, 2024. Read more

ALLENTOWN  Four years ago, Jill Biden straight-armed a protester charging at her husband, making largely positive headlines as a proudly protective wife who told reporters, Im a good Philly girl.

Back then, the Washington Post called her a hero for protecting her husband. No longer is that the mood. Last week, when she greeted her husband on stage following a disappointing debate performance and appeared to help him down some steps, the footage was used to illustrate calls for him to drop out of the presidential race.

Advertisement

Through the lens of the 2024 election, in which a majority of voters believe that Biden is too old to serve another term, and in the wake of a debate performance that only inflamed those worries, the first lady is facing renewed scrutiny over her role as her husbands chief defender.

Biden is her husbands closest adviser, one of his most active surrogates, and a supportive force behind his reelection run, even after the tough debate performance.

Shes drawn fire from Democrats and pundits this week, skeptical of Bidens abilities, who think she should convince him to decline the nomination. Conservative media have long tried to portray her as an opportunist eager to remain in political power.

 READ MORE: Panicked Pennsylvania Democrats launch into cleanup mode after Bidens bad debate night

As she became a flashpoint in the conversation surrounding Bidens candidacy, she was featured on the cover of Vogue in an article staunchly defending her husband. The timing of the spread in a fashion magazine drew some criticism and only further emphasized her role in the campaign.

The campaign will not let those 90 minutes define the four years hes been president, she told Vogue in a statement added to the top of the magazine feature after it was published. We will continue to fight. She added that her husband would always do whats best for the country.

The magazine spread had been in the works for months and Elizabeth Alexander, the first ladys communications director, described the backlash to her appearance in the glossy as symptomatic of the double standard applied to powerful women.

Society has put all first ladies, including Dr. Biden, in an impossible situation  with Twitter/X magnifying this on steroids in todays world, Alexander said.

In the midst of one of the most challenging moments of her husbands reelection campaign, Biden visited the Allentown campus building of Lehigh Carbon Community College on Tuesday.

Are you working during the summer? Biden asked community college employees gathered for her visit. Im working, too, in a different sense.

 READ MORE: Gathered at Camp David, Bidens family tells him to stay in the race and keep fighting

At the event, scheduled well before last weeks debate to discuss Latino educational and career advancement opportunities with U.S. Rep. Susan Wild (D., Pa), Biden made no mention of the debate, which has sent the campaign into damage control.

Like many White House and campaign events, the visit to Allentown was largely scripted. Biden read off a teleprompter, listing some of her husbands accomplishments that have benefited Latinos. She listened to a roundtable conversation about the benefits of programming in the region, some of which was funded by her husbands signature American Rescue Plan. She did not take any questions from reporters.

Among Bidens reelection challenges is waning support among Latino voters whom he won overwhelmingly in 2020 but who, polls show, are abandoning the president.

I remember every slight

While Biden is no stranger to campaigns  shes been with her husband for 15 of them  she has repeatedly said over the years that she doesnt like politics, which never came naturally to her.

The president has plenty of political and policy advisers  thats never been her role, Alexander said. ... She supports his career and he supports hers.

A career teacher for more than 30 years, Biden has taken just three school years off from teaching and is the only first lady to hold a full-time job while her husband is in office. She has been a professor of English at Northern Virginia Community College since 2009  a relatable working-woman identity that the campaign has leveraged along with her middle-class Philadelphia upbringing.

Teaching isnt just what I do, its who I am, she said Tuesday in Allentown. And Joe understands this, and he knows that the key to our tomorrows is in our classrooms.

 READ MORE: First lady Jill Biden to Philly donors: Lets talk about age

As the closest person to the president, Jill Biden has been the one the campaign sees as best equipped to respond to concerns about Bidens age and health.

In the aftermath of the debate, she has not spoken about his health explicitly, but for years she has said he is capable of serving another term.

Shes also described herself as fiercely protective of her family. In her 2019 memoir, she acknowledges shes the grudge-holder in the family.

Joe will be friendly and make conversation with anyone, even if its a colleague who previously bad-mouthed him, she writes. But that means I end up being the holder of the grudges. Im the one who wants to stomp up the hill to confront the mean kid. I remember every slight committed against the people I love.

She often recounts the tragedies and triumphs that have defined the couples nearly 50 years of marriage. Shes been with Biden through three presidential campaigns, six Senate campaigns, the loss of their son, Hunter Bidens struggles with addiction, and the brutal 2020 campaign against then-President Donald Trump. To say theyve been in foxholes together doesnt even begin to explain their bond, Alexander said.

The two went on their first date in Philadelphia in 1975, when she was a 24-year-old senior in college. Biden was a freshman senator, whose wife and daughter had been killed in a car accident two years earlier.

At a fundraising event in Chestnut Hill last month, Jill Biden retold their courtship story and described her husband as the strong, steady one. Always unflappable, she said. Always unflinching.
Sen. John Fetterman (D, Pa.) criticized the Abandon Biden movement as part of his fierce defense of President Joe Biden in the midst of a postdebate panic among Democrats.

Abandon Biden is a group of Muslim activists and allies who previously supported Biden and want to punish him for supporting Israel in its war on Hamas, which began in the immediate aftermath of Hamas deadly Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel and has resulted in thousands of deaths in Gaza. The national movement has focused its efforts on swing states like Pennsylvania, where it launched in February, and Michigan, where it launched in December.

Advertisement

That whole Abandon Biden thing, thats the dumbest s Ive ever heard, said Fetterman, a devout supporter of Israel, in an interview on Fox News Sunday with Shannon Bream.

 READ MORE: John Fettermans strong support of Israel, progressivism distancing, The Joker and other takeaways from The New Yorkers profile

Abandon Biden bolstered a broader coalition of progressive activists who encouraged voters to cast protest votes in the primaries  the impact of which was largely symbolic. But Abandon Biden wants to go beyond the symbolism and actually boot Biden from the White House in November. The group has not decided whether it will endorse another candidate for the general election, but some of its leaders have made clear they do not support former President Donald Trump, pointing to his Muslim ban and rhetoric about Israel needing to finish the job in Gaza.

 READ MORE: Abandon Biden activists disagree over whether to consider supporting Trump

In the Fox interview, Fetterman argued that if voters who would be more inclined to vote for a Democrat or be a Democrat are walking away from Biden, theyre essentially helping Trump. That argument, which will continue to echo throughout the country as the general election approaches, mirrors past fractures within left-wing politics over progressives who opted to vote third party instead of choosing who they see as the lesser of two evils. (Remember Ralph Nader in 2000?)

If they want to play with that kind of fire, they better earn that burn, Fetterman said.

 READ MORE: John Fettermans fight with the left is no longer just about Israel

In response to his Fox appearance, national Abandon Biden spokesperson Hudhayfah Ahmad criticized Fettermans support of Israel, and said he isnt someone to look toward for moral clarity and commitment to democratic values because hes received donations from pro-Israel groups.

John Fetterman has spent nine months completely abandoning progressives and demanding that the U.S.-backed Israeli devastation of Palestinian life and land continue, Ahmad said in a statement.

 READ MORE: Netanyahu called John Fetterman Israels best friend during the senators first visit to the country

The conversation took place just days after Bidens debate performance worried Democrats and stirred up rumors about potential nominees to replace him. But Fetterman told Bream that calls for Biden to step down from the race dont have merit, and hes repeated that sentiment on X by sharing screenshots of news articles, and of course, a meme involving middle fingers.

 READ MORE: Group chats were  as young Dems trashed Joe Bidens debate performance

Fetterman has cited his own debate mishap during his 2022 campaign that caused Democrats to question his viability as a candidate as he was recovering from a stroke.

 READ MORE: Panicked Pennsylvania Democrats launch into cleanup mode after Bidens bad debate night

There was that same kind of a freakout after my debate, Fetterman said in the Fox interview. And in fact, I might even say that I had a more difficult evening than the president did, and here I am right now having this conversation.

 READ MORE: Bob Casey says Joe Biden had a tough night in his first comments on the presidents debate performance

The senator said that just as Trumps 34 felonies arent defining his candidacy, one debate shouldnt define Bidens. Fetterman said he believes Biden will beat Trump despite all of the Democrats wetting the bed, and praised the presidents handling of COVID-19 and the economy. That being said, he acknowledged its a tight race.

The president has done a really good job and he deserves a second term, Fetterman said. But I really do want to be clear  its going to be very close. Ive said this before and thats not gonna change.

 READ MORE: Trump and Biden are tied in Pa., but past polls underestimated the former presidents appeal, the Washington Post says

The two candidates are fighting head-to-head in Pennsylvania, a critical swing state.

The host referenced a Fox poll showing a tie between the two men in Pennsylvania, but preferring Trump on certain issues.

The only poll thats really gonna matter is Election Day, Fetterman responded.
President Joe Biden will visit Philadelphia for a campaign event on Sunday, his campaign confirmed.

The campaign did not provide details on where Biden will be, but sources told The Inquirer he is planning to speak at a conference of the National Education Association, the nations largest teachers union, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Advertisement

The visit comes a little more than a week after a rough debate performance by the 81-year-old president sent questions about his age and ability to serve four more years into overdrive.

 READ MORE: Bob Casey is cautiously backing Joe Biden while campaigning for his own high-stakes reelection

Biden spoke at a rally in Raleigh the day after the debate, promising a comeback. He has several planned campaign events in the next week.

Like millions of Americans, I know when you get knocked down, you get back up, Biden told the crowd, in a portion of his speech that the campaign has turned into an ad.

 READ MORE: As the nations largest teachers union comes to Philly, its leader talks vouchers, Israel-Gaza and the surreal bizarro world educators must navigate

Biden has visited Philadelphia, the largest city in a crucial swing state, numerous times throughout his presidency. But Sundays visit will be his first to Pennsylvania since the debate, and it will come as the presidents standing in the polls appears to be slipping.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has been an ardent defender of Biden in the last week, making several media appearances. His name has also been floated as one of the many Democrats who could replace Biden on the ticket in the highly unlikely event he declines the nomination.
Under Section 206F of the Corporations Act, ASIC can disqualify a person from managing corporations for up to five years if they have been an officer of two or more companies that were liquidated and reported as unable to pay their debts within a seven-year period.
Were committed to increasing financial literacy because we know it is vital to long-term financial health which helps people build a more confident future, he said. We look forward to working with FNF through this grant and continuing our journey of cultural learning to deliver better experiences for our First Nations customers.
This approach to client service and a commitment to long-term business relationships means we have many shared values with Japans corporate culture, Howden said. With the appointment of Mr. Tada, who has extensive industry experience, Howden is perfectly placed to provide innovative and imaginative risk solutions to our Japanese clients. And by bringing new choice to one of the world's largest and most advanced economies, I'm looking forward to a new chapter for the Japanese insurance market.
Alongside Brocklebank on the board of directors are: Nancy Lyon Callahan, a global strategy and technology executive; Nora Crouch, a former Fortune 500 financial services executive; Ann Pelham Culham, who was previously in the media industry as a publisher of Legal Times; Patrick J Mullen, director of strategic capital partnerships at Arctaris Impact Investors; Charles M Timmons Jr, who served Canal Insurance in a host of positions from 1972 to 2009; and Gregory Vezzosi, who retired back in 2016 on the back of a career that included working at the likes of CNA, St Paul Travelers and Chubb.
Beadles: I'm really eager to see how this plays out. It's hard to predict exactly, as much depends on upcoming electoral decisions. But what I anticipate is a shift toward a more open market scenario for cannabis insurance. Rather than just a few specialized players, I think we'll see broader participation, particularly in retail, which could drive more competitive premium ratesnot necessarily lower, but definitely more competitive. This broader involvement will also mean more parties in the insurance sector analyzing claims and risks, which will really grow our data and give risk managers and underwriters a lot more to work with.
Key recommendations

Establish an office of Community Rating System Assistance (CRSA): This proposed office would help communities join FEMAs CRS program, which offers flood insurance discounts based on proactive floodplain management efforts. Improve disclosures during the home-buying process: The Task Force advocates for legislation to ensure better disclosure of flood risks and insurance requirements to potential buyers. Incorporate continuing education credits: Flood risk and insurance courses should be integrated into the continuing education requirements for insurance producers, real estate agents, and mortgage lenders. Enhance education and outreach: The Task Force recommends a robust outreach program to inform homeowners, renters, and business owners about the benefits of flood insurance. Incentivize home mitigation through tax credits: Tax incentives for flood mitigation measures would encourage homeowners to take preventive actions. Enhance coverage for water damage: Insurance companies should be encouraged to offer endorsements for water-related damages. Incorporate flood resiliency into building codes: The Uniform Construction Code Review and Advisory Council should integrate flood resilience into building standards. Propose a Pennsylvania Flood Insurance Relief Act: This legislation would allow for state income tax deductions on flood insurance premiums. Further study innovative solutions: Ongoing exploration of new insurance models such as microinsurance and group coverage is recommended to bolster community resilience.

Addressing market challenges

Floods are one of the most devastating natural disasters in the United States. The report highlights that an inch of water can cause up to $25,000 in damage, a financial burden many households are ill-prepared to bear. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), established in 1968, initially provided affordable flood insurance but has faced significant challenges following major disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy. Legislative reforms and new pricing approaches, such as Risk Rating 2.0, aim to stabilize the program financially and ensure premiums reflect actual risk.
Insurance Business America has opened nominations for 5-Star Professional Liability 2024, which will recognize brokers who go above and beyond to deliver for their clients.
American Integrity highlighted that Floridas property insurance market was strained by frivolous claims and litigation for nearly 10 years. It said the enactment of Senate Bill 2A in December 2022 was a turning point, eliminating one-way attorney fees and the assignment of benefits to thwart the predatory practices of so-called billboard attorneys who exploited regulatory loopholes.
A federal appeals court has ruled that Virginias $350,000 punitive damages cap applies on a per-plaintiff basis in a case against white supremacists who organized the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in August 2017.

A Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals panel in a 3-0 vote reversed a federal district court that had limited the punitive damages that the eight plaintiffs would receive to $350,000 aggregate. The appeals court found that in a case where there are multiple plaintiffs, the $350,000 cap applies to each plaintiff, not to the group as a whole.

In the opinion written by Chief Judge Albert Diaz, the appeals court rested its decision largely on the statutes not mentioning plaintiffs and the fact that the state did not permit multiple plaintiff actions until well after the cap statute was drafted and enacted.

As a civil jury trial in 2022 proved, the protester-defendants  who included white nationalists, white supremacists, and neo-Nazis conspired to commit racially motivated violence to, in part, defend Western civilization and white men against perceived enemiesspecifically, Jewish persons, Black persons, and their white gentile traitor allies. The protesters sought violence, planned for violence, sparked violence, engaged in violence, and afterwards, glorified the violence committed.

The jury found the defendants guilty of civil conspiracy; racial, religious, or ethnic harassment under Virginias hate-crime statute; assault and battery; and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Jury Award

The jurys damages award against the protester-defendants totaled over $26 million, split among compensatory damages which the district court assigned jointly and severally against the defendants, and a historic $24 million in punitive damages. The district court ultimately slashed the punitive damages to $350,000 by applying Virginias punitive damages cap across the eight plaintiffs who sought them.

Defendants Michael Hill, Michael Tubbs, League of the South, and Nathan Damigo challenged the district courts decision to hold them jointly and severally liable for the $26 million in compensatory damages award, while the plaintiffs challenged the district courts decision to apply Virginias punitive damages cap across all plaintiffs.

Because the jury found that all the defendants engaged in a conspiracy, the district court applied the collective compensatory damages. The Fourth Circuit found no error in this part of the district courts decision.

The defendants also argued that Virginias punitive damages cap should apply to the jurys punitive damages award, reducing them to $350,000, and that the damages were constitutionally excessive.

The plaintiffs argued that the punitive damages cap only applies in run-of-the-mill tort and insurance cases and not at all than in the hate-crime context. The plaintiffs fallback contention was that the cap applies on a per-plaintiff basis, with each plaintiff receiving $350,000.

The district court rejected the plaintiffs arguments that the punitive damages cap should not be applied at all and that the cap applies on a per-plaintiff basis.

The Fourth Circuit also rejected the plaintiffs argument that punitive damages statute does not apply to hate crimes. The court cited the plain language of the statute that says it applies to all actions and not just some actions. The court noted that Virginia passed its hate-crime statute only a year after passing its punitive damages cap. It therefore had an opportunity to exclude hate crimes from the caps purview but it didnt.

However, citing history, statute language and public policy, the Fourth Circuit agreed with the plaintiffs that the cap applies per-plaintiff.

The statute says in part that the total amount awarded for punitive damages against all defendants found to be liable shall be determined by the trier of fact. In no event shall the total amount awarded for punitive damages exceed $350,000.

First the appeals court noted that the punitive damages statute doesnt include similar all plaintiffs language as it does all defendants and the court believes there are good reasons for that legislative drafting. If lawmakers meant to treat defendants and plaintiffs equally under the statute, even with the all defendants qualifier, that would render that term superfluous.

Another reason relates to the states historical understanding of joinder. and the fact that when the punitive damages cap was enacted in 1987 the common law largely didnt permit separate plaintiffs to jointly adjudicate their claims. So an action was typically one plaintiff prosecuting one claim. There were no multiple plaintiff actions.

Virginia adhered to this common-law approach until 1995, when the General Assembly permitted a court to join separate actions, or six or more plaintiffs to join in a single action. But these joinder principles were enacted after the punitive damages cap passed in 1987.

As a matter of text and history then, the General Assembly could not have contemplated including a multi-plaintiff limitation in the punitive damages cap because single-plaintiff actions were the norm, the appeals court explained.

Furthermore, the court found that a per- plaintiff reading serves public policy interests by incentivizing plaintiffs to join their claims where appropriate. Were we to hold otherwise, any plaintiffs seeking punitive damages against a defendant (or defendants) for a single occurrence would have 350,000 reasons not to join their claims. And had that been the law here, the district court likely would have faced eight trials in a loop of repeat operative facts and players, Judge Diaz wrote.

Photo: James Kolenich, left, attorney for Jason Kessler, speaks with the media after a jury gave a partial verdict in Sines v Kessler case Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021, at the Federal Courthouse in Charlottesville, Va. A jury ordered white nationalist leaders and organizations to pay more than $25 million in damages Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021, over violence that erupted during the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. The lawsuit accused some of the countrys most well-known white nationalists of plotting the violence, including Jason Kessler. (Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress via AP)

Topics Virginia
China is moving closer to unveiling its financial stability law, which includes setting up a fund to rescue troubled financial institutions, as part of Beijings broader efforts to prevent systemic financial risks in the worlds second-biggest economy.

A revised draft of the bill underwent a second review by the nations top legislative body, the National Peoples Congress (NPC) Standing Committee last week. Chinas legislative body usually passes a bill after a third review.

Here is what we know about the new law and the financial stability guarantee fund:

WHAT IS THE FINANCIAL STABILITY LAW?

The bill is Chinas first comprehensive piece of legislation specifically focused on the prevention, resolution, and disposal of risk in the countrys $66 trillion financial sector, which includes banks, insurers, asset managers and securities firms.

China has previously enacted industry-specific bills for commercial banks, securities and insurance, but this new law fills a crucial gap in the regulatory framework, according to a note by Chinese law firm JunHe.

The law provides a top-level design for systemic financial risk prevention and cross-agencies supervision, addressing the need for better coordination among different financial regulators and market participants to prevent systemic financial risks, analysts at Huatai Securities said in a report on Monday.

The bill underwent the first review in December 2022. New revisions released on Monday said a central financial work leading body would be responsible for decision-making and supervision of financial stability and development policies.

Financial regulators and local governments should also fulfill the responsibilities of preventing and defusing financial risks, according to the revisions.

WHAT IS THE FINANCIAL STABILITY FUND AND HOW IS IT FUNDED?

A key priority of the law is the establishment of a financial stability guarantee fund. The fund is designed as a backup funding source to rescue troubled financial institutions to prevent contagion risks. The fund would primarily raise money from financial institutions, according to the bill.

Chinas central bank can also provide cheap loans through the relending facility, it said, adding the loans should be repaid by income from the disposal of risky institutions.

The exact size of the fund has not been officially disclosed. However, in 2022, Chinas banking regulator said the fund had initially raised 64.6 billion yuan ($8.89 billion) from financial institutions.

Eventually the fund is expected to raise 120 billion yuan to 180 billion yuan each year, analysts at China Securities said, which would make it big enough to deal with any major financial crisis.

The fund would cover systemically important financial firms that are too big to fail, such as major banks and insurers, as well as institutions that are identified as having high risks, the analysts said.

To mitigate moral hazard, the bill stipulates that troubled financial firms and their major shareholders are required to rescue themselves first and to take all necessary steps to clean up debt and recover losses before seeking external help.

WHY DOES CHINA NEED THE FUND NOW?

The setting up of the fund aligns China with international practices. Major developed economies including the U.S. and the European Union have similar funds to provide capital support to troubled systemically important institutions.

China has already set up deposit insurance, an insurance guarantee fund and a trust guarantee fund, but scale of these funds is not enough to deal with systemic financial risks.

The rescue of troubled small regional lender Baoshang Bank in 2019 used more than half of the deposit insurance fund, which had a balance of 121.6 billion yuan as of the end of 2019.

Chinas financial system currently faces multiple challenges stemming from an ongoing property crisis and a sluggish economic recovery. Small and medium-sized banks have emerged as a vulnerable part of the financial industry.

Chinas financial stability is also threatened by the $9 trillion debt amassed by local government financing vehicles (LGFVs), platforms created to fund local government projects.

This debt burden poses potential contagion risks, as a wide range of financial institutions including regional banks and trust companies have high exposure to LGFVs.

($1 = 7.2666 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Ziyi Tang and Ryan Woo; editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Jamie Freed)

Related:

Topics China
Hurricane Beryl churned toward Jamaica with violent winds, heavy rains and a life-threatening storm surge that could cause more than $1 billion in damage.

Beryls winds roared at 145 miles (230 kilometers) per hour early Wednesday, making it a Category 4 storm, the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. It has weakened slightly after becoming the Atlantics earliest Category 5 hurricane on record late Monday, but it remains extremely dangerous.

Beryl is forecast to be at or near major hurricane intensity while it passes near Jamaica later today and the Cayman Islands tonight or early Thursday, the NHC said. Additional weakening is expected thereafter, though Beryl is forecast to remain a hurricane in the northwestern Caribbean.

Beryl Becomes Earliest Ever Category 5 Hurricane in Atlantic

The eye of the storm was located about 185 miles east-southeast of Kingston, according to the notice at 5 a.m. New York time.

This is at least a billion-dollar event for Jamaica, said Chuck Watson, a disaster modeler with Enki Research. If Beryls track shifts, damages could be even higher. Prime Minister Andrew Holness has urged residents to prepare by stocking up on supplies and food.

The Associated Press reported at least six deaths as the hurricane raged across the southeast Caribbean. In Jamaica, the storm surge could raise some coastal water levels by as much as 9 feet, and rainfall could reach 12 inches in some areas, according to the NHC.

Beryl made landfall Monday on Carriacou, the second largest of Grenadas islands. Authorities reported widespread damage, though power was being partially restored and the Grenada Airports Authority on Wednesday showed both arrivals and departures.

To some extent we dodged a bazooka, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said earlier. We have to count our blessings.

This is a modal window.

The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.

US President Joe Biden said he is following the storms progress.

People impacted, islands and communities are in our prayers, and we stand by to provide assistance, he said during remarks at the DC Emergency Operations Center. Extreme weather events drive home a point that Ive been saying for so long: ignoring climate change is deadly and dangerous and irresponsible.

While the humanitarian losses are still being assessed, there are signs Beryl is having an impact on markets.

European insurers stocks fell as the storm raised worries that an unusually active storm season will drive up claims. Munich Re and Swiss Re, the two biggest reinsurers, on Wednesday continued their slide Wednesday, after dropping 3.3% and 4% respectively in trading Tuesday.

There is a risk that a significantly weaker Beryl will spiral into the northern Gulf of Mexico next week. The storm has a 30% to 40% chance of reaching the upper Gulf as a tropical storm or weak hurricane, but it probably wouldnt cause any damage, said Matt Rogers, president of the Commodity Weather Group LLC.

I think it may stay farther south into Mexico like Alberto and Chris did, particularly if it starts to weaken in coming days as projected, but the odds of an upper Gulf entry have increased, Rogers said.

In the last two weeks, Tropical Storms Alberto and Chris developed off Mexicos east coast and quickly made landfall without causing extensive damage.

Typically, the first hurricane arrives in the Atlantic by Aug. 11 and the first major storm  Category 3 or stronger on the Saffir-Simpson scale  comes by Sept. 1, according to the National Hurricane Center. The other Category 5 system to occur in the Atlantic basin during July was Emily in 2005.

Unfortunately, Beryl is breaking records that were set in 1933 and 2005  two of the busiest Atlantic hurricane seasons on record, said Phil Klotzbach, a senior research scientist at Colorado State University. It likely points to a hyperactive season, he added.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Hurricane
Hub International, a global insurance brokerage, has acquired Georgia-based Skinner & Co., a brokerage offering commercial coverage, performance bonds and risk management services.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Todd Skinner and team, in Marietta, Georgia, will now join Hub Gulf South and the firm will be referred to as Skinner & Company, a Hub International company, the brokerage said in a news release.

Hub is headquartered in Chicago and has more than 17,000 employees in North America. It has continued to expand, with at least four U.S. acquisitions in June alone.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Georgia
DARIEN, Ga. (AP)  A man has been charged with starting a fire that destroyed a nearly century-old home on the site of a coastal Georgia rice plantation thats associated with the largest slave auction in U.S. history, authorities said Friday.

Firefighters raced to the Huston House in McIntosh County on Wednesday after smoke was seen billowing from the spacious white farmhouse. But flames completely destroyed the home, built in 1927 by former New York Yankees co-owner T.L. Huston.

Witnesses described a man they spotted leaving the house after the fire began, and a sheriffs deputy detained a suspect fitting that description, McIntosh County Sheriffs Lt. Mike Ward said in a news release Friday. He said the 33-year-old man had items taken from the house and was charged with arson, theft and other crimes after being questioned by investigators.

Long before Huston built a home there, the site had spent decades as a rice plantation before the Civil War. In 1859, owner Pierce Mease Butler infamously took more than 400 enslaved people to Savannah and sold them in whats considered the largest slave auction in U.S. history. Held amid a torrential downpour, the sale became known as the Weeping Time.

By the time of the fire, the Huston House and the surrounding property were owned by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The home was unoccupied and had fallen into disrepair.

The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation included the house on its 2019 list of Georgias most threatened historic sites.

Despite the sites association with a difficult period in the history of our state, the property is nonetheless an important historic resource that allows us to tell Georgias full and complete story, W. Wright Mitchell, the Georgia Trusts president and CEO, said in a news release. Unfortunately, when historic buildings are allowed to sit vacant and neglected for long periods of time, fire is not uncommon.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Georgia
Firefighters increased containment on the biggest wildfire currently burning in California, but triple-digit temperatures are expected to bake the state and increase wildfire risk.

The Basin Fire in Fresno County has burned 13,551 acres and is 17% contained, but from 0% contained a day ago. Evacuation orders and warnings have been issued for the fire, which started on Wednesday, according to CalFire.

Meteorologists say a heat dome will send temperatures skyrocketing in central California by midweek. A forecast high of 115 degrees in Fresno on Saturday would tie the all-time record high from July 8, 1905.

PG&E Corp. cut power to about 2,000 homes and businesses in Northern California on Tuesday due to the temperatures, strong winds and low humidity that heightened the risk of wildfires.

The Basin Fire is one of several burning across California. The Fresno June Lighting Complex fire has burned 10,616 acres and is 82% contained, and the Pizona Fire iun Mino County has burned 2,160 acres and is 60% contained.

With the year only half over, CalFire reports 2,829 wildfires and 131,483 acres burned so far a 1600% increase in acres burned this year compared to last year looking at that same timeframe.

A few big wildfires have occurred across the state since June.

Residents of a California area near the town of Paradise, the site of the most destructive wildfire in state history, were ordered to evacuate and roads were closed as a wildfire spread. The Apache Fire in Palermo destroyed two structures and caused one injury. A wildfire raged through a large swath of western Sacramento Valley after igniting in mid-June and spreading to more than 15,000 acres. Evacuations were ordered in rural areas around the Sites Fire in Colusa County, which burned roughly 70 miles northwest of Sacramento. Both fires have been fully controlled.

Topics California Wildfire
Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidlers office issued more than $500,000 in fines in May and June for violations of state insurance laws and regulations, including fining Unite Health Share Ministries $300,000 for acting as an unauthorized insurer in Washington.

Kreidlers office opened an investigation after receiving a complaint that Unite Health had paid only $5,000 on a consumers medical claim, reportedly leaving the consumer with nearly $200,000 in medical bills.

Unite Health markets itself as a healthcare sharing ministry, but fails to meet the legal definition under state law, according to Kreidlers office.

Unite Health acted as an unauthorized insurer when it enrolled more than 320 Washington residents in its membership program and collected membership fees. From 2019 to 2023, Unite Health collected a reported $2.9 million in membership fees from Washington residents, leaving it with $74,999 in unpaid premium taxes.

Unite Health has 90 days to request a hearing.

Other fines and the reported offenses in May and June included:

First Premier Home Warranty Corp., Brooklyn, NY; fined $50,000

First Premier submitted a service contract provider application to Kreidlers office in August of 2022, but never included the documents required to complete the process. The company sold 22 service contracts, received $20,859.22 in payments and paid $5,549.83 to consumers without being registered to conduct business in Washington.

Midwest Family Mutual Insurance Company, West Des Moines, Iowa; fined $5,000

The company incorrectly applied commercial property loss costs and rating factors to 50 business policies and failed to file exceptions to two rating rules before issuing policies.

Allstate Fire & Casualty Insurance Company, Northbrook, Ill.; fined $25,000

Allstate mishandled an auto insurance claim and incorrectly stated that the policyholders right to an appraisal could not be invoked after repairs were made. Allstate initially paid $8,816 in two installments, but eventually adjusted the payment amount to $27,607 after both parties hired appraisers.

Zurich American Insurance Company of Illinois, Schaumburg, Ill.; fined $1,000

The company applied incorrect rating factors on commercial package policies in 2022.

American Zurich Insurance Co., Schaumburg, Ill.; fined $1,000

The company applied incorrect rating factors on commercial package policies in 2022.

Towers Administrators LLC, Middletown, Del.; fined $25,000

The company operated as a discount plan organization without obtaining a valid license to do so in Washington.

James Bischoff, Las Vegas, Nevada; fined $1,000

Bischoff was ordered to stop representing himself as a certified financial education instructor, which he had been doing without holding active certification.

United of Omaha Life Insurance Company, Omaha, Nebr.; fined $3,000

United of Omaha was fined for failing to timely file large group negotiated rates.

GadgetGuard, LLC; fined $30,000

The company sold GuardPlusISM, which it marketed as an insurance policy, on its website without being authorized to transact insurance business in Washington state. In addition to the fine, GadgetGuard was ordered to stop conducting insurance business in Washington.

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington, Seattle, Wash.; fined $30,000

Kaiser failed to include required language in 17 gender-affirming care denial letters sent in 2022.

Apogee Insurance Group, unlicensed; fined $7,500

Gateway Underwriters Agency, Inc. was doing business as Apogee Insurance Group, which was a trade name not registered with the insurance commissioners office.

RLI Insurance Company, Peoria, Ill.; fined $5,000

RLI issued policies using incorrect loss cost multipliers and construction classifications from 2020 to 2022, impacting 236 policies.

Jeffrey H. Franco, Blaine, Wash.; fined $2,000

Franco, an employee of Community Health Plan of Washington, changed consumers health plans without their knowledge or consent.

Blue Star Gas  Seattle Co., Tukwila, Wash.; fined $3,000

The company acted as an unauthorized insurer by servicing home heating fuel contracts without first registering with the insurance commissioners office.

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, Bloomington, Ill.; fined $25,000

State Farm filed to include Fair Credit Reporting Act notices on renewal policies and new business declarations in 2023.

Since 2021, Kreidlers office has assessed more than $41 million in fines, which are directed to the states general fund to pay for state services.

Topics Washington
The EU is working on a proposal to impose import duties on cheap goods bought from online platforms outside the bloc, a move that would primarily target Chinese retailers such as Temu, AliExpress, and Shein, according to people familiar with the matter.

The EU currently has a 150 duty-free threshold for online purchases that is meant for small gifts or personal packages, but that has enabled a surge in small-value imports from those platforms, the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

The proposal would aim to stem this flow and would apply to all non-EU e-commerce platforms, they added.

The plan was first reported by the Financial Times.

Spokespeople for the European Commission did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

While it remains to be seen if there is consensus across member states to take action, the effort adds to the growing momentum of protectionism against Chinese companies as its cheaper goods threaten local producers.

This month, the EU will introduce provisional tariffs of as high as 38% on Chinese electric vehicles.

In the US, which has a similar duty exemption for low-value personal packages, several bills are before congress that would close off or lower what is known as the de minimis threshold.

Still, inflation across the US and Europe means that there is substantial demand among consumers for the cheap wares sold by platforms like PDD Holdings Incs Temu and those operated by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

The rise of Shein has taken market share from European apparel retailers like Hennes & Mauritz AB and Inditexs Zara, while Amazon is planning to launch its own low-cost online storefront.

Bloomberg
A brace of land parcels in East Cork are currently on the market with Ballyhooly-based auctioneer Paul ODriscoll.

The first is a 25-acre holding in the townland of Ballinwillin, near Bartlemy. It is 6km from Rathcormac and 15km from the M8.

The land has good road frontage and is in one block, including approximately 8.75 acres of disused quarry.

Theres about seven acres of that which is under a Special Area of Conservation, says Paul. The rest of the land is in excellent condition.

The second parcel is an 18.5-acre one in the townland of Glenagoul, 7km from Rathcormac and only 9km from the M8.

The 18.5-acre parcel of land is available to buy in roughly equal-sized lots.

This has superb land and its very long road frontage makes it conducive to subdivision, with the choice of purchasing it in roughly equal-sized lots.

We would consider selling that one in two lots, says Paul. Its a beautiful piece of ground, with fabulous views from it.

Theres great interest in both properties, says Paul. Weve interest from local farmers and theres outside interest too.

Dairy farmers are naturally to the fore of interested buyers, as well as hobby farmers  particularly for the Glenagoul farm.

The 25-acre property at Ballinwillin is guiding at 350,000 (14,000/acre) while the 18.5-acre piece of land at Glenagoul, Kildinan is guiding at 300,000 (16,200/acre).
The cheers from the O'Reilly Building last week resonated across the entire UCD campus, you could feel the excitement in the air from the new graduate vets and their families. I was honoured to attend the event on behalf of Veterinary Ireland and present the Veterinary Ireland Award our to Elle Kohlar.

I remember my graduation as if it was yesterday - unfortunately, it was over ten years ago now - that feeling of disbelief that I was a fully qualified vet. My first decade as a vet has been so rewarding however certainly not without its challenges.

As I look down the hall from the stage, I can see so much veterinary potential before me, whether thats in the field of farm animals, small animals, equine, research or all the other doors that a veterinary career can open.

It is paramount now that the working environment that these new graduates enter is of the highest standard to tackle the current recruitment and retention issues facing the Veterinary profession. This is a well-documented issue in today's media; I do not doubt that you all have read about vet shortages, especially in rural areas.

Many vets are leaving clinical practice before they are eight years qualified, and this needs to change. Farmers can play a role in ensuring the success of these new graduate vets in practice over the next year.

In my new graduate days in Kerry, I was blessed with meeting the kindest, most patient farmers and it set me up for the next decade of farm practice. It was the cups of tea and the chats by the van that helped to form great working relationships with the farmers.

Excepting an invite for that cup of tea or even that five minutes of chatting by the van, it helped to find out more about their farming system, the farmer themselves and their families. The vet is very much part of the wider farm team and new graduates need to invest time in knowing their clients and visa versa.

You may have heard of the saying find your why; this is what the chats on the farm can do. They help the new graduate to discover the farmers why - the underlying principles which guide the way they farm.

It also applies to the farmer as they can learn more about the new graduate's why they chose to study veterinary and why they set out to be a large animal vet. It may sound trivial to take time to get to know the new vet, but it can mean the world to be welcomed on a farm.

Confidence is something that builds with experience; a new graduate will have the most knowledge of any vet in practice as its all fresh in their memory from exams. Farmers should utilise this knowledge to find out the latest evidence-based medicine. They may not have seen the more unusual cases just yet, but allowing them the time and space to enquire from more experienced vets in the practice will benefit everyone.

As part of the mentoring process in any practice, discussion of cases is encouraged, I still see unusual cases I need to ask colleagues about to this day. Even this week I got asked a question about a laying hen and I was straight on the phone to a colleague, "Help I have a chicken case". It is all part of career development, nobody has all the answers to all questions.

New Graduate vets are the most up-to-date with all the latest diagnostics tests available, without evidence, it can be tough to reach a definitive diagnosis. Doing a full clinical exam is vital for all cases and getting a full history from the farmer, unfortunately, the cow can't tell us herself what is bothering her. They are thought to work up cases to the highest standard in university and it is important to encourage this on the farm.

I realise it can be a big change to have a new graduate vet on the farm for the first time. Patience is so important as they may not find that vein the first time around, or they might make numerous visits to the van for things they have forgotten. My step count as a new graduate was through the roof.

I used to say to vet students who were with me in the van that today is a good vein day - always a joyous day. As a farmer, restraining the cow or calf correctly can make all the difference for IV injections; even asking what side they prefer to inject can help.

Safety on the farm is paramount for everyone; good handling facilities are essential to reduce the risk of injury when examining an animal. I know I was particularly accident-prone when I first qualified; thank God for health insurance!

Out-of-hours is a huge culture shock for most new graduates. They may have done some out-of-hours when seeing practice but were not out on their own and it's 2 am. Always try to give good directions when you call, especially at night, as eircodes can sometimes bring you to the home house or the "top of the lane".

Keep the phone on loud as a panic "I'm a little lost" call could be a real possibility. I always remember my first-night call and the adrenaline flowing through my veins as I made my way to the farm, it was reassuring to be greeted by a smile on arrival.

The future of farm animal Veterinary is in all of our hands, as vets we need to supply the mentoring and support that new graduates require and as farmers, simple attributes such as patience and kindness can make a lasting difference in a new graduate's career. Positive experiences on the farm help new graduates stay in practice and protect the service we provide to farmers night and day.

Best of luck to the class of 2024, Veterinary is a wonderful and fulfilling career, there will be bad days but they are soon followed by brighter ones, enjoy the journey.
A new farmers' charter will be published in the coming days following agreement between the main farm organisations and the Department of Agriculture.

The charter sets out the timelines for applications, payments, inspections and appeals. The new charter will come into effect immediately upon publication.

Following agreement this week, a charter monitoring committee will be established to monitor agreed targets and standards.

This committee will be comprised of representatives of the farm organisations and staff of the department.

Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue has appointed Sean Brady as the independent chairperson of the committee. His appointment was unanimously supported by all six farm organisations.

The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA), Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), Macra, Irish Cattle and Sheep Association (ICSA), Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) and the Irish Co-operative Society (ICOS) participated in the negotiations on the charter.

I am keenly aware of the importance of the farmers charter and the targets set down within it. I recognise the importance of farm payments and I believe the ambitious targets set out in the new charter are evidence of my departments commitment to farmers," the minister said.

Payments

Referring to farm payments under the new CAP Strategic Plan, Mr McConalogue said that last year was the first year of the new CAP and "it was a significant undertaking for all involved".

"There was a lot of work for farmers, their advisors and my own department in administering new schemes in the first year," Mr McConalogue said.

"There were strong outcomes last year with a lot of good work done to ensure that a very high percentage of farmers were paid on the dates that were set out at the start of the year for scheme payments.

"Almost 1.8bn was paid to farmers across the country during the last quarter of 2023. At EU level, Ireland ranks amongst the most efficient member states in getting payments to farmers expediently and in line with the legal requirements. I am confident that this will continue to be the case."

ACRES difficulties

Mr McConalogue acknowledged the difficulties in particular with the rollout of the new Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).

"I was glad to ensure places in the scheme were made available for all 55,000 farmers that applied in order to support farmers engaging in positive environmental action on their farms and some 230m has issued to ACRES applicants to date, including through interim payments earlier this year," the minister said.

While there is an obligation on the department to make recoupments in the cases of any overpayment arising from interim payments at the first opportunity, I have asked my department to engage positively with any farmer that contacts them and show flexibility in cases of financial hardship.

"Further details of how farmers can contact the department to request this flexibility will be notified to farmers in the near future.

I am fully committed to leading the department in ensuring that payments to farmers under the various schemes are paid on the dates set out in the charter and to the maximum number of farmers possible on the target dates.

'Challenging' negotiations

Speaking after the charter meeting this week, IFA Connacht regional chairman Brendan Golden said that negotiations have been challenging, but progress has been made on a number of issues, "all of which will serve farmers well in a practical and real way over the next number of years in their interaction with the Department of Agriculture and their participation in schemes".

Farm payments will return to their traditional payment schedule for 2024, with ANC reverting to the third week of September. A framework for TAMS approvals was agreed, starting from the closing date of each tranche," Mr Golden said.

"Inspections in the main will be announced in the new charter, with inspectors required to provide a written preliminary report before leaving the farm, rather than in the subsequent days, as originally proposed by the department."

Deputy president of the ICMSA Eamon Carroll said that it was disappointing the charter discussions took so long, and that the negotiations should have concluded in 2023.

"Farmers had paid a heavy price during that period in the absence of the charter. Payment delays were a particular problem in 2023," Mr Carroll said.
Bone consumption has a rich culinary history, used in broths and stews, for example. So it's no surprise next-generation food and drink companies have turned their attention to this portion of the world's meat and fish, which is often discarded in the food waste and estimated to generate 8%-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Bones should be a no-brainer part of the sustainable food boom, a global industry sector into which an estimated 21bn of capital has been injected over the past 10 years.

However, a company in Finland called SuperGround has stolen a march and may have cornered the bone market, and enabled an entire rethink of meat processing.

The world's conventional farmers will be happy to see its food innovation, which supports rather than threatens the world's meat and fish industries.

And consumers will welcome a sustainable food innovation miles away from the likes of ultra-processed plant-based "meat" and "dairy" products, foods from fermentation using genetically modified micro-organisms, laboratory-grown meat and plants, and insect-based foods.

These have been the go-to innovations in order to feed an expected population rise of two billion in the next 30 years, while coping with the effect of climate change on crops, along with wars and trade barriers.

Unlike others, SuperGround did not ignore the obvious, the world's growing meat consumption (set to increase 14% by 2030).

Carbon emissions

Nor did SuperGround ignore meat production's carbon emissions. Instead, the company accepted there were no signs of meat consumption decreasing globally, and that we cannot just tell people to stop eating meat.

SuperGround looked for solutions to make meat production more efficient and sustainable, while producing foods that are safe, nutritious, and tasty.

The company concentrated first on poultry, production of which consumes less land and water than other meats.

The company zeroed in on the 25%30% of a chickens net weight, the skeleton, which is often completely wasted, despite its calcium and other nutrients such as gelatin, protein, and fats from the bone marrow.

Food scientist, microbiologist, and entrepreneur, Santtu Vekkeli is one of the founders of SuperGround, He recognised the opportunity and developed the technology that transforms fish and poultry bones into tasty and nutritious foods.

He recognised the avoidance of bones in food is more psychological than technological, with bones often seen as a biting hazard, which is why fish and poultry are deboned before reaching our plates.

This leaves companies with bones for disposal. In fish processing, up to 70% of the total fish weight is discarded.

SuperGround has developed and patented processes to upcycle poultry and fish bones, using only heat, pressure and mechanical shear forces.

The first end-products are pastes which can be added to meat and fish products, proven in blind tasting at sensory laboratories to improve the taste of, for example chicken nuggets, and the nutritional value.

Now, rainbow trout fishballs, popular in restaurants in Finland, are 30% SuperGround paste from upcycled fish bones. More products will be launched soon.

SuperGrounds technology can be used for many fish and poultry products such as nuggets, sausages, kebabs, patties, cold cuts, and soups.

By using undervalued fish and poultry side streams to yield an extra 30%-60% from fish, and 30% from chicken, SuperGround paste and "hybrid meat" can reduce CO2 emissions per kilo of food by as much as 40%.

SuperGround aims to contribute to the EU Green Deal by developing sustainable and nutritional seafoods. The company's main business model is to partner with industrial companies for industrial-scale production.

The company is one of the finalists for this years FoodTech 500 of global entrepreneurs at the intersection between food, technology and sustainability.
Most of us dont tend to think of flies as being in any way noteworthy. Houseflies can certainly be an annoyance at this time of year. Because flies have taste buds on their feet, it is by walking all over our precious slice of cheesecake that they can decipher whether it is edible, hence the habit of trampling all over our food. In response we swat them, electrocute them, poison and curse them. But houseflies are far from the only flies, in fact there are over 3,300 different species of fly in Ireland alone. Here, as across the globe, flies collectively contribute a great deal to the healthy functioning of ecosystems, which in turn, are what sustain all of us.

Flies are differentiated from other flying insects by having two wings, hence the scientific name Diptera (two-winged). For a fly to stay airborne and move forward, this single pair of wings beat around 200 times per second. The Diptera family is incredibly diverse, with over 240,000 known species. Aside from houseflies, there are crane flies, caddis flies, stoneflies, fruit flies, sand flies, dung flies, stiletto flies, fireflies, and many more. Relative to the human population, it is estimated that there are 17 million flies each person on earth. Impressive.

Flies have a baffling variety of life strategies and functioning roles in every ecosystem. Tens of thousands of different species of aquatic flies, spending most of their lives underwater, are the main food source for fish such as salmon and trout. Many species of fly decompose sludge, dung, and dead things; without them, we would be inundated with waste. But flies are also the most important pollinators after bees, a service that is rarely acknowledged.

If you like chocolate, it is flies you have to thank for the luxury. The tiny chocolate midge fly pollinates the cocoa plants that we derive chocolate from. In the tropics where cocoa plants grow, the chocolate midge drinks nectar from cocoa flowers and transports pollen from one plant to another. Without these little flies, we would all be without chocolate chip cookies, dairy milk bars, the flake in your 99, or whatever your favourite form of chocolate is.

Hoverflies are active in the garden at the moment.

If you love a heather-clad hillside in late summer, thats also thanks to flies. The gorgeous purple heather blossoms are pollinated tiny, specialist midges, also of the fly family. Heather is not only beautiful, but it is home to an array of specialist bugs and butterflies such as the heather ladybird and increasingly rare heath butterfly, as well as providing habitat for many upland and ground-nesting birds.

Hoverflies are a family of flies that are especially associated with flowers and are thus crucial pollinators in almost every type of habitat. Only solitary bees and bumblebees are more valuable than hoverflies as commercial pollinators, making hoverflies a crucial player in ensuring global food security, though bees seem to get all the credit for this service.

Hoverflies are active in the garden too at the moment, making them easy to observe. Here in Ireland, we have 180 different species of hoverflies, many of them mimic bees and wasps. The Drone fly, for example, is a hoverfly that looks almost exactly like a honey bee. Other hoverflies imitate the many species of solitary bees we have in Ireland. Their hovering flight is the tell-tale sign that these are flies rather than bees or wasps.

If you can look closely, observe the number of wings. Bees and wasps have 2 pairs of wings, but a hoverfly imitating a bee or a wasp still only has 1 pair of wings. Because these flies arent in any way dangerous, it makes sense for them to imitate a more threatening insect, such as a stinging bee or wasp. Looking dangerous can be almost as effective as actually being dangerous.

Having hoverflies in the garden can be a very good thing. The larvae of lots of hoverfly species, when tiny and without any wings at all, are avid consumers of aphids, otherwise known as greenfly or blackfly. Spraying the aphids with pesticides will in turn damage hoverfly populations, meaning less pest control and less pollination.

Swifts, swallows, house martins, and other avian acrobats that we so love, feed exclusively on flying insects, mostly flies. Without a plentiful supply of midges, hoverflies and other flies at this time of year, these birds would be unable to nourish the next generation transcontinental adventurers. As night falls, bats take over from swifts, swallows and housemartins in the insect easting shift. Their ultrasonic hunting has evolved especially to locate and catch midges, flies and other night-flying insects such as moths and caddisflies.

An entomologist named Vincent G. Dethier wrote a seminal work on flies in 1962, called To Know a Fly. In it, he states Like taxes, the fly is always with us.

I'll add to that, like taxes, flies are necessary for the healthy functioning of society, though that doesnt necessarily mean we always appreciate or celebrate them.
The summer of 1988 was a glorious time, worthy of a Brian Adams tune. Not only had Ray Houghton stuck the ball in the English net, sending the country into delirium, but the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, touched down on Cork soil.

My idol was in my hometown, moon walking and hee-heeing his way into the balmy Cork evening.

Michael Jackson was the first real global phenomenon I had witnessed. He was a universally recognisable figure, like Coca Cola, the McDonalds golden arches, or the Nike swish. He was a phenomenon.

That once-in-a-while white whale that generates incomprehensible wealth for anyone in its orbit.

Elvis and The Beatles are probably the only other similar musical phenomena. I have watched videos of Beatlemania  the madness of the crowd, the insanity of adoration  and wondered how the band clung on to any semblance of normality.

Paul McCartney always strikes me as a down-to-earth guy, having experienced a lifetime of worship and reverence; Im often left wondering how he managed that.

But some people just radiate positivity, and appreciate what they have achieved. They take that responsibility seriously and leave their fans feeling a little better for having been in their company, albeit from a distance.

Ireland has recently experienced the latest pop sensation to sweep this planet: Taylor Swift. She is another phenomenon.

A global act, like The Beatles, she is a happening. That once-in-a-while stratospheric icon, who impacts a countrys GDP by simply turning up and singing a few songs.

Its incredible what she has achieved. Whether you like her music or not, you have to admire the success she has, as a solo female artist.

Even Donald Trump was worried that she might endorse US president Joe Biden, such is her influence and reach.

Being the father of three girls, Im delighted that the latest phenomenon to rock this planet is a female.

Its a great message for girls: Dream big, your gender will not hold you back from becoming a musical juggernaut.

I am writing this article as I hurtle over the Himalayas, heading back to Ireland, having spent 10 days in the Philippines working with the beautiful children of the Badjao tribe. There were plenty of Swifties in the tribe. Her songs linked us.

The children assuring me, screaming into the humid evening, that they were never ever getting back together with whoever broke their hearts!

They love her. Our students connected with the children through her songs. Swifts audience is united to each other through their love for her and her music.

I have been to plenty of concerts in my time: I have even seen a Beatle play a couple of times. Bruce Springsteen can be quite a spiritual experience. U2 can connect an audience and make them feel something resembling a collective consciousness.

But I have been more impressed by the spirit Swift brings to her performances. I was watching, from Davao, all the commotion about Swifts arrival in Ireland, where she was staying and who would be with her on stage.

The escort through the Dublin streets was like something from a Beatles movie. She was all over the news. I watched as Instagram became a hive of celebrities posting their outfits and videos from the concert. The buzz was brilliant.

Unfortunately, I wasnt in the country to go with my daughters. But I stayed up to Facetime them while they were at the concert, and I was immediately taken by the vibe I witnessed down the phone.

The utter joy of my 10-year-old Swiftie, excitedly telling me how people loved all the friendship bracelets she had made and how some people even exchanged bracelets with her.

My wife described the atmosphere as like nothing she had ever experienced before. The positivity was remarkable. I sensed that through the pixels on my phone. It seemed like something unique was taking place.

There is something inexplicable about Swift and her fans. They seem connected in a way I have never witnessed before. The video of young Clara OSullivan receiving the special 22 hat was a particularly lovely moment in the concert.

Thats what I find myself reacting to. Connection is such a vital part of a childs development.

Feeling connected to others helps develop a sense of self. True resilience is found in a childs sense of place in their community.

Children need to feel they are valued and have something valuable to contribute to their community.

I think Taylor Swift allows her fans to feel connected to her in a way that has rarely been achieved by other artists. They feel empowered by her and her message.

Their love for each other is another remarkable part of the Swift phenomenon. Her fans are a community, connected to each other through her lyrics and her positive interactions with them.

I have been a long-time music snob, but I really enjoy some of her songs; she can write a catchy chorus. And her impact on young girls in particular is nothing short of therapeutic

My own daughter loved every minute in her presence. It was one of those moments that will stay long in the memory.

What a positive gift to give young people.
A US-born woman who posed as an Irish heiress to scam thousands of dollars from several victims has been flown to the UK to face additional charges there.

Marianne Smyth is accused of stealing more than $170,000 from five people whom she met through her jobs at UK-based mortgage companies between 2008 and 2010.

For years, Smyth feigned being a witch, psychic and friend of A-list celebrities to deceive others into giving her money.

Notably, Smyth stole nearly $100,000 from a television producer, Johnathan Walton, who later helped send her to prison and publicized her crimes on a hit podcast.

A spokesperson for the justice department confirmed to the AP on Tuesday that Smyth had been extradited and referred additional questions to Northern Ireland authorities.

A statement on Tuesday from Northern Ireland police confirmed a woman matching Smyths description had been extradited on Saturday from the US to stand trial  for a number of fraud offences.

It didnt name Smyth but said she had made an initial appearance in front of a judge on Saturday.

Smyth was arrested February 23 in Maine after being released from prison for defrauding Walton, who detailed Smyths crime spree in the Queen of the Con: The Irish Heiress podcast.

The podcast explained how Smyth defrauded him and others, including in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was Walton who provided authorities with Smyths location  a short-term rental  prior to her arrest in Maine.

In 2009, police in Belfast had been planning on arresting Smyth after several victims reported her. Smyth was facing theft and fraud charges in the Northern Ireland capital.

But Smyth managed to flee, allegedly killing more than a dozen dogs that were living with her at the time, according to what her daughter said on Waltons podcast.

Years later, a listener of the Queen of Con podcast alerted Walton to where Smyth was staying. Walton, in turn, told the police.

In May, a US magistrate judge determined that there was enough evidence to justify Smyths extradition. In a statement to the Guardian on Smyths extradition order, Walton said: Its been said the pen is mightier than the sword, but let me tell you, the podcast is mightier still.

My only desire now is for justice at long last for the victims in Northern Ireland.

Smyth reportedly said she was afraid that she would be murdered if she was returned to Northern Ireland, according to a court transcript obtained by the Guardian.

Her attorney also unsuccessfully argued that there was not enough evidence to extradite her.
A new treatment for slowing the impact of early Alzheimers disease has been approved in the US and welcomed by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland.

This follows earlier American approval of a drug called Lecanemab, which is already under assessment for use in Europe.

The new drug, Kisunla, is also known as donanemab-azbt.

It slowed cognitive and functional decline by up to 35% compared to the effects of a placebo at 18 months, trials by manufacturer Eli Lilly showed.

Side-effects were also noted, however, including the risk of brain bleeds.

Kisunla targets amyloid plaques in the brain.

The build-up of these plagues is suspected by many scientists as causing damage leading to Alzheimers.

The trials showed an infusion of this treatment once a month for 30 minutes led to a reduction of amyloid plaques on average by 84% compared to at the start of the study.

It was approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration this week for patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia stage of disease.

Safety warnings are given around the risk of "aria", which the FDA said was temporary swelling in areas of the brain that usually resolves over time and may be accompanied by small spots of bleeding in or on the surface of the brain.

Alzheimer Society of Ireland research and policy manager Dr Laura OPhilbin said the FDA decision showed this was another credible treatment option for slowing disease progression.

We have entered a new era in which there are now two treatment options for early Alzheimers disease available in the United States, she said.

However, she cautioned: These drugs are not cures and they can have serious side-effects.

They are only suitable for "a small number of people", she added.

The drugs cannot yet be used in Ireland as they have not so far been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The EMA is expected to decide on Lecanemab by the end of this summer, which means it could reach Irish patients in the next couple of years, Dr O'Philbin said.

Should this happen, significant investment is required to ensure our health system is ready to deliver them, she added.

It would be devastating if we had a safe and effective treatment that our health system could not deliver.

An estimated 64,000 people live with some form of dementia in Ireland.

This is expected to more than double by 2045.
A hearing to establish whether there is sufficient evidence to send former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson to trial over historical sex offences will take place later.

Donaldson, 61, and his wife and co-accused Eleanor Donaldson, 58, of Dublinhill Road, Dromore, will appear for the committal proceedings  known as a preliminary enquiry (PE)  at Newry Magistrates Court.

At his first appearance in court in April, Donaldson had faced 11 charges brought by police.

An evidence file has since been reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in Northern Ireland and the former DUP leader will now face 18 charges.

There was a large police and media presence for Donaldsons last court appearance in April (Niall Carson/PA)

He is accused of one charge of rape, four of gross indecency and 13 charges of indecent assault.

The charges span a time period between 1985 and 2008.

The previous holding charges will be withdrawn in court on Wednesday.

Donaldson has previously indicated that he will contest the charges against him.

Eleanor Donaldson faces charges of aiding and abetting in connection with the alleged offences.

The number of charges she faces has increased from four to five.

There are two alleged victims.

The number of charges being faced by Eleanor Donaldson has increased from four to five (Niall Carson/PA)

It has already been confirmed that Donaldson, who was the long-standing MP for Lagan Valley, is not running for re-election in the UK general election this week.

He was arrested and charged in relation to the historical sexual allegations at the end of March.

Donaldson resigned as DUP leader and was suspended from the party after the allegations against him emerged.

It is understood that in a letter to DUP party officers at the time, he made clear he would be strenuously contesting all charges against him.

Weeks prior to his arrest, he had led the DUP back into Stormont following a two-year boycott of the powersharing institutions.

Previous deputy leader Gavin Robinson has been appointed his successor as DUP leader.

There was a large media and police presence when the two accused made their first appearance at Newry courthouse in April.

They have not been required to appear in court for subsequent hearings, but have been told by district judge Eamonn King that they will need to attend for the PE hearing.
A book of evidence was served on Wednesday on a 32-year-old man accused of attempted murder arising out of an investigation into the alleged arson of a house in Cork city on Christmas Day.

On the application of Sergeant Gearoid Davis, Judge Mary Dorgan sent the case forward from Cork District Court to the Central Criminal Court. A date will be set by that court for a trial of the case.

Representing the accused man, Shane Casey, defence solicitor Diarmuid Kelleher applied to have legal aid extended for a barrister and senior counsel to represent the accused at the Central Criminal Court. Judge Dorgan granted that application.

Detective Garda Brian Barron charged Shane Casey of Shanowen, Rathcormac, County Cork, with the attempted murder of Billy Murphy, the owner of the house at Dyke Parade, Cork, who is a man in his 60s.

He also charged him with assault causing harm to Billy Murphy, production of an article, namely a blade, in the course of the assault, and finally causing criminal damage to the house with intent to endanger life.

All four charges are contained in the book of evidence that was served on Wednesday.

Defence solicitor Diarmuid Kelleher said sufficient time had elapsed where a renewed bail application could be brought but that in any event this could not be brought at district court level because one of the counts is of attempted murder. On such a charge only the High Court can decide on the question of bail.

Evidence

It was previously alleged that the accused set fire to the house on Dyke Parade, Cork, just after 6pm on December 25, 2023 when four people were present in the house and that the accused man stood outside swinging a blade when the first person ran from the burning building, telling him: You are going to die here tonight.

Referring to CCTV and other evidence, Detective Garda Barron said: At 6.05pm, he exits and stands looking in the open front door at the fire taking hold. At 6.06pm, it is alleged that he closes the front door and attempts to barricade the front door from the outside, using a piece of timber to jam to the side and then under the door.

It is alleged he takes a blade from his pocket and holds it out in front of him and waits outside. At 6.08pm, the front door bursts open and [one of the men] attempts to escape the now blazing house.

"It was alleged he said (to one injured party), 'My name is Shane Casey and you remember me from two days ago  you are going to die here tonight.'

It was further alleged that one woman had to be rescued from the roof and that it took six units of the fire service more than six hours to bring the fire under control and make the building safe and the fire caused thousands of euro in damage, the detective said.
In the second half of the 20th century, the structure of the British electorate was relatively straightforward.

At its core, identifying with a party came down to your attitude to economic inequality and what (if anything) you thought the state should do about it.

Its a simplification, but not a massive one, to say the political map was one-dimensional: left versus right, Labour versus Conservative.

But this has changed in recent decades. The EU referendum did not break down along left-right lines. Instead, Brexit divided the electorate into social liberals and social conservatives.

Social liberals feel a society is richer if it contains a diversity of ethnicities, religions, languages, genders, and social norms. They tend to see immigration in positive terms.

Social conservatives value community cohesion and see the diversity that liberals value as a threat to social order. They tend to see immigration in negative terms.

At the National Centre for Social Research, we have been running the British Social Attitudes survey since 1983. This produces data that shows how these emerging identities have redrawn the electoral map.

British prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer during their BBC head-to-head debate in Nottingham last month.

Our analysis involved using machine learning to look at thousands of combinations of different survey questions about social and political issues, to see which combination performed this task most effectively.

We ended up with 12 questions that sort the electorate into six distinct groups. These six groups differ according to three main dimensions: the old left versus right split, the now-familiar liberal versus conservative split, and the degree to which people are engaged with politics.

The issues that dominate elections are different every time. And while in 2024 the key issues are the NHS, the economy, and the competence of our elected representatives, zoom out and youll see that these are just ripples on the surface.

There are deeper tides of public opinion that are more stable and more structured. On the big issues, about the kind of society we want to live in and way we want to get there, the public are divided. This is the long-term challenge for political parties.

The British electorate can now be divided into these six groups:

The 'middle Britons', who are largely in the centre politically. They have no clear party affiliation and are hard to win over. They account for more than a quarter of the electorate;

The 'well-off traditionalists', who are politically engaged, with economically right-wing and socially conservative views that align with the Conservative party. Theyre likely to live in the south-east;

The 'apolitical centrists', who are the least politically engaged group. They are relatively young and tend to have lower incomes. Theyre the least likely to vote, but if they do, they are likely to choose either the Conservatives or Labour;

The 'left-behind patriots', who have left-wing economic views but are conservative in their social outlook. They mostly voted for Brexit, and are more likely than any other group to support Nigel Farages Reform UK party;

The 'urban progressives', who are graduates and professionals, and are very likely to vote. They lean strongly to the left on economic issues and are liberal on social issues;

The 'soft-left liberals', who are also likely to vote. They are university-educated and left-leaning on social issues, but more centrist on the economy.

Navigating this political map is not straightforward for political parties. Britains electoral system is complex because the location of voters matters.

Weve overlaid our six key voter types onto English and Welsh constituencies, to see which voter groups are more common in different places.

The 'left-behind patriots', have left-wing economic views but are conservative in their social outlook. They mostly voted for Brexit, and are more likely than any other group to support Nigel Farages Reform UK party.

For instance, urban progressives are over-represented in the Brighton Pavilion constituency, while in neighbouring Lewes, voters are more likely to be well-off traditionalists.

The Labour partys core support comes from urban progressives, a group of highly engaged voters who tend to live in urban constituencies that already have strong Labour majorities (although in Scotland, Labour is competing for its vote with the SNP).

To win, the party needs to appeal to a broader coalition, including some voters who are only slightly left leaning economically (the soft-left liberals and the middle Britons), and other voters who are left-wing but socially conservative and politically disengaged (the left-behind patriots).

On some issues, the coalition of voters the Labour party is targeting is relatively united, such as inequality and the NHS. But on other issues, such as immigration or transgender rights, this same coalition is divided. Some of Labours target voters are highly engaged, and will vocally criticise any perceived missteps, whereas others are harder to reach.

This is why Labours election campaign is focusing heavily on the NHS and the economy, while the party simply refuses to state a clear position on others.

For the Conservatives, the picture is perhaps even more challenging. Their core vote comes from a relatively small group of politically engaged voters who are economically right-wing and socially conservative: the well-off traditionalists.

But they also need to appeal to voters who fit into other groups: left-behind patriots who are socially conservative and economically left wing, as well as soft-left liberals who are economically centrist and socially liberal. This voter coalition is divided on both the left-right dimension and the liberal-conservative dimension.

The Conservatives do not have a dominant political narrative that appeals across voter types  such as 2019s Get Brexit done. This helps explain why it is struggling to hold that 2019 coalition together.

Bernard Steen is research director in Communities, Work and Income at the UK's National Centre for Social Research. This article appeared on The Conversation, a news and analysis website written by academics
US president Joe Biden has blamed his poor performance at a TV debate with Donald Trump on jet lag.

During a campaign event, the 81-year-old Mr Biden pointed to two back-to-back European trips, saying: I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple of times.

The president added that he didnt listen to my staff about travel and joked that he fell asleep on stage during the debate.

President Joe Biden has faced calls to step aside from the presidential race (Evan Vucci/AP)

However, Democratic leaders were increasingly signalling that they were not buying White House attempts to brush off Mr Bidens performance in the face-off as a momentary lapse, after he gave halting and nonsensical answers and trailed off at times.

It comes as the president is set to meet with congressional leaders and Democratic governors, sit for a network TV interview and hold a press conference in the coming days, a blitz designed to push back against growing pressure for him to step aside from the 2024 race after the disastrous performance.

We really want to turn the page on this, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said of the intensifying calls for Mr Biden to bow out of the race.

She added that the president had no intention of stepping aside, characterising his debate failings as simply evidence of a bad night when he had a cold.

There is growing anxiety among donors and on Capitol Hill about the presidents ability to win come November. It is not helping that Mr Biden has yet to reach out to legislators, who are growing increasingly frustrated that the White House has not satisfactorily explained how such a seasoned politician could have performed so badly.

President Joe Biden, right, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump during the debate (John Bazemore/AP)

Questions swirled about whether this was an isolated incident or part of a pattern. Two people who spent time with Mr Biden behind closed doors described him similarly. He was often very sharp and focused, but he also had moments, particularly later in the evening, when his thoughts seemed jumbled and he would trail off mid-sentence or seem confused.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told MSNBC that she believes it is a legitimate question whether Mr Bidens performance was just an episode or is this a condition.

When people ask that question, its legitimate  of both candidates, Mrs Pelosi said.

But she did not go so far as to ask him to step aside.

Mrs Pelosi said she had not spoken with Mr Biden since the debate, but she emphasised that the president is on top of his game, in terms of knowing the issues and what is at stake.

A spokesman later said Mrs Pelosi had full confidence in Mr Biden and looks forward to attending his inauguration on January 20, 2025.

Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi has also weighed into the debate, saying that Biden is on top of his game (J Scott Applewhite/AP)

Mr Biden has acknowledged that he had performed poorly, telling supporters he was not as young as he once was, but that he knew how to deliver doing the job.But allies worry that the next inevitable misstep by Biden  even if its not at the magnitude of his debate disaster  will resurrect voter concerns about the presidents fitness for office.

The president has been encouraged by his family to stay in the race. The two people who carry the most weight  first lady Jill Biden and his son Hunter  have said he should keep fighting.
A Russian missile and drone attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Wednesday killed five civilians and injured 47 others, including a 14-year-old girl, authorities said.

Blasts blew out some windows of a shopping mall, raining shards onto the street, photos published by local officials showed.

Mayor Borys Filatov said the daytime attack also shattered windows in two schools and three kindergartens. Debris struck the intensive care unit of a childrens hospital and a fire broke out in another hospital.

Dnipro. Russian terrorists have struck our city again. As of now, five people have been killed, and thirty-four injured, including a child. All necessary services are on site, and rescuers are helping all the victims.



Only two things can stop this Russian terror  modern air pic.twitter.com/nqhPYmlbxR  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) July 3, 2024

A video posted on social media by President Volodymyr Zelensky showed a missile with a fiery trail streaking over buildings in Ukraines fourth-largest city, and debris flying into the air from its impact.

The war, now in its third year since Russia invaded its neighbour, has killed more than 10,000 civilians and wounded around 20,000 others, the United Nations says.

In the Kharkiv region in the north east, Russian shelling struck a village council building, killing one person and injuring two others, regional head Oleh Suniehubov said.

Debris from Russias missile attack struck a shopping mall, two schools, three kindergartens and the intensive care unit of a childrens hospital (Dnipro Regional Administration via AP)

Elsewhere in the region, a Russian glide bomb struck a residential building in the village of Ruska Lozova, injuring at least two people. Others could be trapped under rubble, Mr Syniehubov said.

Also on Wednesday, Ukraine received 2.2 billion dollars (1.7 billion) from the International Monetary Fund under an ongoing credit facility, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced.

The credit program foresees the disbursement of 16 billion dollars (12.5 billion), but Ukraine must pass IMF reviews of its progress on key economic and fiscal benchmarks before each part is released.

The latest funds will be used for welfare payments and the salaries of doctors and teachers, among other things, Mr Shmyhal said.
A construction elevator that killed five people when it collapsed in Stockholm last year was missing the bolts that were supposed to hold its mast together, authorities said on Wednesday.

The deadly crash was caused by failure to perform relevant safety inspections of the hoist assembly, the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority said.

In the December 2023 accident, the elevator plummeted 20m (66ft) with five people inside, during work on a 14-storey building in the Stockholm suburb of Sundbyberg.

The accident occurred when the load on the mast ... became greater than the structure could hold, leading to the mast sections separating and the hoist car falling to the ground

The agency said its probe had showed that five of the nut and bolt assemblies required to hold sections of the elevators mast together were missing, leaving the shaft standing only because of friction between its sections.

Before the accident, the mast was extended to the ninth floor. The assemblies were likely already missing, the report said.

The accident occurred when the load on the mast  became greater than the structure could hold, leading to the mast sections separating and the hoist car falling to the ground, the authority wrote.

It has not yet been decided whether to press any criminal charges and it was not known when a decision could be made. The public prosecutors office is still investigating the incident for possible work environment violations.
Another pollster has forecasted the Tories worst ever loss in Thursdays vote, with Labour set to outperform its 1997 landslide victory in this years General Election.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer are set to lose their seats, according to More In Commons MRP poll of 13,556 adults across Great Britain, for The News Agents podcast.

Labour is set for an upset in Islington North, where the partys former leader Jeremy Corbyn has a 91% chance of winning, but is on for around 430 seats in total, reducing the Conservatives Partys House of Commons tally to 126.

More in Common has also forecasted Reform UK winning two seats, likely Ashfield in Nottinghamshire which the partys Lee Anderson won in 2019 as a Conservative and Clacton in Essex, where Nigel Farage is standing.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is standing as an independent candidate in Islington North (Lucy North/PA)

The Green Party is tipped to win Brighton Pavilion where Caroline Lucas was the partys only MP between 2010 and 2024, with its target constituency Bristol Central  where party co-leader Carla Denyer is a challenger to Labour shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire  too close to call.

It comes after Survation quizzed 34,558 respondents and found it is 99% certain Labour would win more than 418 seats  the number which Labour took under Tony Blairs leadership 27 years ago.

The Conservative Party is virtually certain to win a lower share of the vote than at any past general election, Survation analysts wrote.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had earlier rejected the suggestion of defeat and said he is fighting hard for every vote.

He told ITVs This Morning: We just saw some analysis which showed that just 130,000 people can make the difference in this election.

So, everyone watching who thinks, oh, this is all a foregone conclusion, its not.

His rival Keir Starmer on the campaign trail in Carmarthenshire, said: I think the Tories have run a very negative campaign and theyre failing to answer the question of what positive change they bring for the country.

The Labour leader accused Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, who told ITVs Good Morning Britain that a Labour majority is the one very clear conclusion in the General Election, of voter suppression and added the ministers comment amounted to trying to get people to stay at home rather than to go out and vote.

Mr Starmer said: I say if you want change, you have to vote for it.

I want people to be part of the change.

Among the Conservative Party upsets forecasted by More In Common are losses to Labour in Welwyn Hatfield (contested by Mr Shapps), Monmouthshire (Welsh Secretary David TC Davies), Caerfyrddin (Chief Whip Simon Hart), Banbury (Attorney General Victoria Prentis) and Plymouth Moor View (Mr Mercer).

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Banbury in Oxfordshire, where he met Attorney General and local candidate Victoria Prentis in the final week of the General Election campaign (Jonathan Brady/PA)

More In Common has listed Portsmouth North, which former Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt is contesting, as too close to call.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, contesting Godalming and Ash, and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, contesting Cheltenham, are among the forecasted Conservative losses to the Liberal Democrats.

The pollsters have forecasted the Ed Daveys party taking 52 seats and 13.5% of the vote share, against 39.3% for Labour, 22.7% for the Conservatives and 13.1% for Reform UK.

The Lib Dems took just 11 seats at the 2019 election.

More In Common found former Labour MP Keith Vaz is in a too-close-to-call race with his former party in Leicester East.

In Scotland, the SNPs 48-seat total could be slashed by two thirds, to 16 seats.

The party is set to lose all three of its Edinburgh seats to Labour, with Labour set to hold Edinburgh South and the Liberal Democrats Edinburgh West.

The SNP is also set to lose all of its Glasgow constituencies to Labour, along with the two seats in Paisley and Renfrewshire, North and South.

Plaid Cymru is forecasted to win Ceredigion Preseli and Dwyfor Meirionnydd.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on Wednesday for the second time in as many months as they visited Kazakhstan for a session of an international group founded to counter Western alliances.

Mr Putin and Mr Xi last got together in May when the Kremlin leader visited Beijing to underscore their close partnership that opposes the US-led democratic order and seeks to promote a more multipolar world.

Now they will be holding meetings amid the annual session of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation taking place on Wednesday and Thursday in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was established in 2001 by China and Russia to discuss security concerns in Central Asia and the wider region. Other members are Iran, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands as they pose for photos (Sergey Guneyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Observer states and dialogue partners include Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Besides Mr Putin and Mr Xi, and summit host President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev; other leaders there will be Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan; President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan; President Emomali Rakhmon of Tajikistan; and President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan.

President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus will attend because his nation is becoming a full member.

Also present will be UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is visiting central Asia. Mr Guterres wants to position the UN as an inclusive organisation thats talking to all the big clubs, said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in Astana (Kazakhstans Presidential Press Office via AP)

Mr Putin wants to show that Russia is not isolated over Western sanctions from the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

An arrest warrant has been issued for him by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for abductions of children from Ukraine. Kazakhstan is not party to the Rome Statute and thus is not obliged to arrest him.

For Mr Putin, the meeting is about prestige and the symbolic optics that hes not alone, Mr Gabuev said.

Indeed, the Russian leader on Wednesday had multiple meetings with other leaders on the side-lines of the summit, all diligently aired by Russian state TV.

Vladimir Putin shakes hands with diplomats upon his arrival at the international airport in Astana (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

At a meeting with Mr Xi on Wednesday, Mr Putin hailed the SCO as one of the key pillars of a fair, multipolar world order, and said ties between Moscow and Beijing are experiencing the best period in their history.

Both face soaring tensions with the West and have met about 40 times.

Their meeting in China in May underscored Beijings diplomatic support for Moscow and how it is a top market for its oil and gas. Russia has relied on Beijing as a main source of high-tech imports to keep its military machine running.

The SCO helps China project its influence, especially across central Asia and the Global South. Mr Xi called for bridges of communication between countries last week and wants to further promote China as an alternative to the US and its allies.

For host Kazakhstan and the other central Asian nations, the meeting is a way to further their co-operation with bigger, more powerful neighbours.

This year, close Moscow ally Belarus will become a full member of the organisation, and its admission indicates how Russia wants to bolster blocs of non-Western countries.

China has backed Moscow amid the fighting in Ukraine, but at a meeting of the SCO in 2022, Mr Putin referred to Beijings unspecified concerns over the conflict.

Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi then called for an end to the fighting without voicing explicit disapproval of Moscows action.

Neither Ukraine nor any of its Western backers are attending, and major talks  or breakthroughs  on the war are not expected.

But because it is rare these days for any meeting to include the heads of Russia, China, Turkey and the UN, the possibility of talks about the war might be raised, at least on the peripheries of the summit, probably behind closed doors.

There could be a lot of side-line discussions on Ukraine, as it is a big issue which concerns all of us, a senior Kazakh official told the Associated Press.
Nigel Farage has lead crowds at a rally in a chant of we want our country back as he said the 2024 election is the tip of the iceberg for Reform.

The Reform UK leader entered his partys rally at Clacton pier in Essex on an army vehicle to the tune of Without Me by Eminem.

The vehicle drove through the crowds before reversing, narrowly avoiding contact with a woman on a mobility scooter.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage gives a speech to supporters on Clacton Pier in Essex, while on the General Election campaign trail (Lucy North/PA)

The crowd booed when Mr Farage referenced British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, referring to him as slippery Rishi.

He said: He tells you that for low taxes, he tells you therefore reduced immigration, but they promise that in the last four manifestos, so why the hell should we believe them on the fifth?

He added: For all of us that voted Brexit, for everybody that helped (the Conservatives) win that 80 seat majority under Boris Johnson in 2019 they have betrayed our trust and they deserve to lose the election.

Mr Farage sarcastically called Labour leader Keir Starmer one of the great charisma filled characters of the 21st century, saying talk about boring, God help us.

He got some of his biggest reactions from the crowd when he moved on to talk about what he claims should be the defining issue of the General Election  immigration.

He said: (Keir Starmer) doesnt mention the boats crossing the English Channel, doesnt mention the 4,000 dinghys filled with young men who as soon as they arrive, get medical care, get dental care. How are you getting on for dentists in Clacton? You should have come by dinghy.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage gives a speech to supporters on Clacton Pier in Essex, while on the General Election campaign trail (Ian West/PA)

And of course, four star hotels, three square meals a day and not one of them that comes illegally has ever been deported to Rwanda and were spending billions and billions on this.

And I sense amongst the British people there is a profound sense, this is unfair, this is wrong and this needs to stop and stop soon.

Mr Farage said Reforms ambitions stretch far beyond the results on Thursday.

He said: This is the first step of a new political movement, but this is not just about winning seats in Parliament, which we will, its about forming an opposition to a Starmer led government with a big majority.

The Conservatives cant do that. They say split, theyre so divided and frankly, I think pretty devoid of talent.

He added: Im determined, Im not frightened of anybody, I stand up for what I believe in, I always say what I think, I will not be bullied by anybody, whether its the European Commission, national Westminster bank, or a Keir Starmer government.

A Reform UK supporter ducks as a gull flies past a group of people gathered near to Clacton Pier in Essex, as they wait for Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to give a speech (Ian West/PA)

But heres the important thing. Everybody talks about whos going to be sitting in Parliament. But for us that is the tip of the iceberg.

My aim and ambition over the next few years is to turn this into a massive grass roots movement of millions of people.

From atop the tank, the Reform leader then got the crowd chanting We want our country back.

He continued: Weve had enough of being talked down to by media, by politicians, by people in schools telling our kids all the wrong things.

I believe, I really believe that tomorrow marks the first step of what is going to be a truly historic political change in the direction of our country.

David Howell who attended the rally said he loved Mr Farage, describing him as the best politician going and hes so relatable to the ordinary man.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage gives a speech to supporters on Clacton Pier in Essex, while on the General Election campaign trail (Ian West/PA)

Asked about Mr Farages prospects at this election, Mr Howell said: I think hell make a little spark, hopefully a big spark and next election though that will be different.

I predict hell take over the Tory party and Reform and the Tories will merge. And then therell be a more right of centre party.

20-year-old Clacton resident Joshua Millar described his home town as the most racist place probably in the UK and said he came out to see Mr Farage because he finds it funny that hes here.

Mr Millar said the Reform UK leader 100% villainises migrants, saying Mr Farage villainises them, makes them seem like theyre monsters, but theyre not.

Asked who he would be supporting at the polls, Mr Millar said: Im not voting, because I feel like its a waste of time, frankly.

Life-long Tory voter Morgan Hopkins said that immigration was the biggest issue for him at this election, but he was switching to Reform after the Conservatives lost his vote for violating lockdown rules.

He said: Ive become so disillusioned with partygate, and particularly the way that people were partying after the Queen lost her husband, that its time for the Tories to go.

Mr Hopkins said the Conservatives bringing Boris Johnson out to speak at a rally solidified the fact that theyre worried and that theyre panicking. Theyre pulling out all the stops.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More
( Middle East Monitor )  Israel never learns from its mistakes.

What Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is trying to implement in Gaza is but a poor copy of previous strategies that were used in the past by other Israeli leaders. If these strategies had succeeded, Israel would not be in this position in the first place.

The main reason behind Netanyahus lack of clarity about his real objectives in Gaza is that neither he nor his generals can determine the outcomes of their futile war on the Strip, a war that has killed tens of thousands of innocent civilians.

And, no matter how hard he tries, Netanyahu will not be able to reproduce the past.

Following the Israeli occupation of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem in June 1967, Israeli politicians and generals saw eye to eye on many things. The government wanted to translate its astounding military victory against Arab armies into a permanent occupation. The army wanted to use the newly acquired territories to create buffer zones, security corridors and the like, to strangulate the Palestinians even further.

Both, government and military, found the establishment of new colonies to be the perfect answer to their shared vision. Indeed, todays illegal settlements were originally planned as part of two massive security corridors projected by then-Labour Minister, Yigal Allon.

The Allon Plan was predicated on several elements. Among other ideas and designs, it called for the building of a security corridor along the Jordan River, and another along the so-called Green Line, Israels pre-1967 borders. The new demarcations were meant to expand the Israeli borders  which were never defined, to begin with  thus providing Israel with greater strategic depth. The plan was the original annexation scheme, which has been resurrected by Netanyahu in 2019, and is being advanced by current Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich.

Netanyahu is also sorting through previous governments archives with the hope of finding a solution to his disastrous war in Gaza. Here, too, the Allon Plan is relevant.

In 1971, then Israeli General, Ariel Sharon, attempted to implement Allons idea regarding complete control over Gaza, but with his own unique touch. He invented what became known as Sharons five fingers.

The fingers were a reference to military zones and colonies, which were meant to divide the Gaza Strip into sections, and to separate the southern city of Rafah from the Sinai region.

To do so, thousands of Palestinian homes were destroyed throughout Gaza, particularly in the north. As for the south, thousands of Palestinian families, mostly Bedouin tribes, were ethnically cleansed to the Sinai desert.

Sharons plan, an extension of Allons plan, was never fully implemented, though many aspects of it were carried out, at the expense of the Palestinians, whose resistance continued for many years. It is that resistance, expressed through the collective defiance of the population of the Strip, which forced Sharon, then a prime minister, to abandon Gaza altogether. He called his 2005 military redeployment, and subsequent siege on Gaza, the disengagement plan.

The relatively new plan, which Netanyahu rejected back then, and is trying to revive now, seemed to be the rational answer to Israels unsuccessful occupation of Gaza. After 38 years of military occupation, the experienced Israeli General, known to Palestinians as the bulldozer, realised that Gaza simply cannot be subdued, let alone governed.

Al Jazeera English Video: Why Israel ordered yet another evacuation of Gazas Khan Younis

Instead of learning from Sharons experience, Netanyahu is trying to repeat the original mistake.

Though Netanyahu has revealed little details about his future plans in Gaza, he has spoken often of retaining security control over the Strip and the West Bank, as well. Israel will maintain operational freedom of action in the entire Gaza Strip, he said last February.

Since then, his army began constructing what seemed to be a long-term military presence in central Gaza, known as the Netzarim Corridor  a large finger of military routes and encampments that splits Gaza into two halves.

Netzarim, named after a previous settlement south-west of Gaza City evacuated in 2005, also gives Israel control over the areas two main highways, Salah Al-Din Road and the coastal Rashid Road.

The Philadelphi Corridor, located between Rafah and the Egyptian border, was occupied by Israel on 7 May. It is meant to be another finger. Additional buffer zones already exist in all of Gazas border regions, with the aim of fully suffocating Gaza and giving Israel total control over aid.

Netanyahus plan is doomed to fail, however.

The historical circumstances of the 67 Israeli occupation of Gaza are entirely different from what is taking place now. The former emerged as an outcome of a major Arab defeat, while the latter is an outcome of Israels military and intelligence failure.

Moreover, the regional circumstances are working in Palestines favour, and the global knowledge of Israels ongoing genocide in Gaza makes a permanent war nearly impossible.

Another important point to keep in mind is that the current generation of Gazans is empowered and fearless. Its ongoing resistance is only a reflection of a popular reawakening throughout Palestine.

Finally, the Israeli unity that followed the 67 war is nowhere to be found, as Israel today is divided along many fault lines.

It behoves Netanyahu to revisit his foolish decision to maintain a permanent presence in Gaza, as defeating Gaza proved to be an impossible task even for far superior military men of his country.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor or Informed Comment.

Via Middle East Monitor
VANCOUVER, BC, July 2, 2024 /CNW/ - Jul 3rd, 2024  Sydney, Australia Patriot Battery Metals Inc. (the "Company" or "Patriot") (TSX: PMET) (ASX: PMT) (OTCQX: PMETF) (FSE: R9GA) advises that Mr Blair Way has retired from his role as Chief Operating Officer, effective 30 June. Mr Way will continue to serve on the Patriot Board as a Non-Executive Director and provide advisory services on a consulting basis over the coming months, ensuring a smooth transition for site and studies works.

Patriot's President and CEO, Ken Brinsden, expressed his appreciation for Blair's involvement in the Company to date: "On behalf of the Board and management team, I would like to extend our gratitude and best wishes to Blair on his retirement from executive duties. His contribution cannot be understated, having led Patriot Battery Metals through its formation and the extraordinary Corvette lithium discovery, through the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic and external market conditions over the past four years. Blair's tireless efforts and leadership have been instrumental in the success of the Company to date, growing from a sub $10 million market cap in late 2020 to now being one of the leading lithium raw materials development projects globally.

"We thank him for his exceptional contribution to Patriot's growth and development, wishing him and his family all the best for the future," Mr Brinsden added.

Blair Way said: "It has been a privilege to have had a hand in PMET's remarkable journey over the last four years and, as a director and significant shareholder, I look forward to the continued success of the Company as it transitions from explorer to producer under Ken's experienced leadership."

Further building on the commitment to grow capacity in Canada and Quebec, the Company is also pleased to announce the appointment of John Drapack to the role of Director, Studies and Cathryn Moffett to the role of Director, Environment. John has over 30 years' experience as a Mining and Mineral Process Engineer, including the project management of extensive underground and open pit study and development initiatives. John will be instrumental in the progress of our upcoming PEA/Scoping Study, and the ongoing Feasibility Study which is targeted for completion in the September Quarter of 2025. Cathryn has over 15 years experience in Environmental and Social Impact Assessments including numerous mining projects requiring fish compensation and offset plans. Cathryn will be critical to the oversight of the ESIA which is on track for completion immediately following the Feasibility Study.

About the CV Lithium Trend

The CV Lithium Trend is an emerging spodumene pegmatite district discovered by the Company in 2017 and is interpreted to span more than 50 kilometres across the Corvette Property. The core area includes the approximate 4.6 km long CV5 Spodumene Pegmatite, which hosts a maiden Mineral Resource estimate of 109.2 Mt at 1.42% Li 2 O Inferred1.

To date, eight (8) distinct clusters of lithium pegmatite have been discovered across the Corvette Property  CV4, CV5, CV8, CV9, CV10, CV12, CV13, and the recently discovered CV14. Given the proximity of some pegmatite outcrops to each other, as well as the shallow till cover in the area, it is probable that some of the outcrops may reflect a discontinuous surface exposure of a single, larger pegmatite "outcrop" subsurface.

Qualified/Competent Person

The information in this news release that relates to exploration results for the Corvette Property is based on, and fairly represents, information compiled by Mr. Darren L. Smith, M.Sc., P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and member in good standing with the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec (Geologist Permit number 01968), and with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (member number 87868). Mr. Smith has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

Mr. Smith is Vice President of Exploration for Patriot Battery Metals Inc. and holds common shares and options in the Company.

Mr. Smith has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralization, type of deposit under consideration, and to the activities being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as described by the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the JORC Code). Mr. Smith consents to the inclusion in this news release of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

About Patriot Battery Metals Inc.

Patriot Battery Metals Inc. is a hard-rock lithium exploration company focused on advancing its district-scale 100% owned Corvette Property located in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec, Canada, and proximal to regional road and powerline infrastructure. The Corvette Property hosts the CV5 Spodumene Pegmatite with a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate of 109.2 Mt at 1.42% Li 2 O Inferred1 and ranks as the largest lithium pegmatite resource in the Americas based on contained lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE), and one of the top 10 largest lithium pegmatite resources in the world. Additionally, the Corvette Property hosts multiple other spodumene pegmatite clusters that remain to be drill tested, as well as more than 20 km of prospective trend that remains to be assessed.

1 The CV5 Mineral Resource Estimate (109.2 Mt at 1.42% Li 2 O and 160 ppm Ta 2 O 5 Inferred) is reported at a cut-off grade of 0.40% Li 2 O with an Effective Date of June 25, 2023 (through drill hole CV23-190). Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves as they do not have demonstrated economic viability. Largest lithium pegmatite resource in the Americas based on contained LCE.

This news release has been approved by the Board of Directors.

"KEN BRINSDEN"

Kenneth Brinsden, President, CEO, & Managing Director

For further information, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling +1 (604) 279-8709, or visit www.patriotbatterymetals.com. Please also refer to the Company's continuous disclosure filings, available under its profile at www.sedarplus.ca and www.asx.com.au, for available exploration data.

Disclaimer for Forward-looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are included to provide information about management's current expectations and plans that allows investors and others to have a better understanding of the Company's business plans and financial performance and condition.

All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this news release, regarding the Company's strategy, future operations, technical assessments, prospects, production potential, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "plan", "expect", "estimate", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved.

Forward-looking information is based upon certain assumptions and other important factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such information or statements. There can be no assurance that such information or statements will prove to be accurate. Key assumptions upon which the Company's forward-looking information is based include that proposed exploration and mineral resource estimate work on the Corvette Property will continue as expected, and that exploration and development results continue to support management's current plans for Corvette Property development

Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used. Forward-looking statements are also subject to risks and uncertainties facing the Company's business, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. Some of the risks the Company faces and the uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the ability to execute on plans relating to the Company's Corvette Project, including the timing thereof. In addition, readers are directed to carefully review the detailed risk discussion in the Company's most recent Annual Information Form filed on SEDAR+, which discussion is incorporated by reference in this news release, for a fuller understanding of the risks and uncertainties that affect the Company's business and operations.

Although the Company believes its expectations are based upon reasonable assumptions and has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. As such, these risks are not exhaustive; however, they should be considered carefully. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements found herein. Due to the risks, uncertainties and assumptions inherent in forward-looking statements, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements contained herein are presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's business plans, financial performance and condition and may not be appropriate for other purposes.

The forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as of the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law. The Company qualifies all of its forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

Competent Person Statement (ASX Listing Rule 5.22)

The mineral resource estimate in this release was reported by the Company in accordance with ASX Listing Rule 5.8 on July 31, 2023. The Company confirms it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the announcement and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the competent person's findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement.
2024 exploration has begun on the newly acquired Clear Creek property

First diamond drilling program ever to be completed on the Rhosgobel Intrusion since historical shallow reverse circulation drilling in 1995 to follow up on holes 95-15 which intersected 50.3 m of 1.07 g/t gold and 95-16 which intersected 67.1 m of 1.03 g/t gold with both holes ending in strong gold mineralization.

Grid geochemistry currently underway to infill gaps to the south of the Blackjack deposit on the high potential Pukelman West intrusion and G2 zone on the newly acquired Clear Creek claims.

Integration of newly acquired datasets (geological, geophysical, geochemical) with Sitka Gold data.

Geological mapping and prospecting following up on the high grade G2 zone, Contact zone and other highly prospective gold targets.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / Sitka Gold Corp. ("Sitka" or the "Company") (TSXV:SIG) (FSE:1RF) (OTCQB:SITKF) is pleased to announce that it has expanded the planned 2024 exploration program at its contiguous, 431 square kilometre RC Gold Project ("RC Gold" or the "Project") in Yukon to include diamond drilling and additional soil geochemistry surveys, geological mapping, prospecting and data integration and analysis on its newly acquired Clear Creek property ("Clear Creek") claims that complete the consolidation of the Clear Creek Intrusive Complex (see Figure 1). The Company is currently diamond drilling at RC Gold in conjunction with a planned 15,000 metre drilling program for 2024.

"The accumulation of data from several years of systematic exploration by previous operators on the newly acquired Clear Creek Property has generated several high-quality exploration targets," said Cor Coe, Director and CEO of Sitka Gold. "The newly acquired claims cover at least three intrusion related gold targets that are geologically similar to our developing Blackjack gold deposit and the team is very excited to begin assessing the property by testing the Rhosgobel intrusion, where historical work strongly indicates the potential for the presence of a multi-million ounce gold deposit. Sitka's initial discovery of the Blackjack and Eiger gold deposits came about through a similar process of review and compilation of a large historical database and we see the ability to accelerate the discovery of additional gold deposits by utilizing our growing knowledge of the intrusion-related gold systems in this area in conjunction with the comprehensive Clear Creek data-set as we continue our exploration activities across this emerging mining district."

The newly consolidated Project includes four high-priority areas that have had previous reverse circulation and/or diamond drilling that require additional drilling. These areas are the Rhosgobel intrusion where historical drilling intersected up to 1.03 g/t gold over 67.1 m , the Contact zone with drill results up to 20.3 g/t gold over 10.7 m , the Bear Paw Breccia which intersected up to 1.87 g/t gold over 42.6 m and the Pukelman intrusion with results of 1.20 g/t gold over 10.0 m (see Figure 2, Table 1). The first target area to be tested is the Rhosgobel Intrusion where shallow historical drilling in 1995 by Kennecott outlined a large area of intrusion related gold mineralization (see Figure 3). Previous drilling at Rhosgobel was limited to a vertical depth of approximately 60 metres. The gold mineralization observed at Rhosgobel is sheeted quartz veins hosted in a megacrystic quartz monzonite similar to the Blackjack deposit located 5 km to the north along the recently discovered Blackjack Mineralized Corridor. The first drill hole will be a step out to drill underneath the mineralized zone intersected in Holes 15 and 16 in shallow reverse circulation drilling (see Figure 4). This will be the first diamond drill hole ever drilled in the Rhosgobel intrusion. Geological interpretation of a steeply dipping mineralized zone is consistent with controls on mineralization observed elsewhere on the property.

The Company has recently engaged GroundTruth Exploration to conduct grid based soil sampling in an area south of the Blackjack deposit where prospecting in 2015 identified a highly prospective area. The G2 zone was prospected in 2015 and 13 surface float samples were collected with a range of trace to 43.4 g/t gold (see Figure 5) within mineralized intrusive and metasedimentary rocks. Three other samples returned values of 5.9, 7.2 and 13.6 g/t gold . This area is located approximately 2 km south of the Blackjack gold deposit area, within the Blackjack Mineralized Corridor in proximity to the West Pukelman intrusion. Previous reconnaissance scale soil sampling encountered anomalous gold in soil in the area. The G2 zone is located approximately 1 km west of the Pukelman West intrusion within an extensional corridor containing both the Pukelman and Pukelman West intrusions and several previously reported lamprophyre dykes. The Pukelman West intrusion is located approximately 1.5 km south of the Blackjack deposit where recent drilling has intersected higher-grade mineralization associated with the N-S trending Blackjack fault. The intersection of these structural zones is interpreted by Sitka to be highly prospective for the discovery of additional gold mineralization.

Prospecting in 2015 also focused on the Contact zone located at the southern margin of the Pukelman intrusion. Nineteen samples were collected ranging from trace to 166.2 g/t gold . Seven additional samples of mainly quartz vein material taken from float and outcrop assayed above 1.0 g/t gold including 86.0, 31.8, 47.2, 27.4, 18.1, 2.8, and 1.5 g/t gold (see Figure 5). The sampling indicates that the extent of the Contact zone could be much larger than the area previously drilled. Additional mapping and prospecting is planned to refine drill targets in anticipation of drilling this area.

Geological mapping and prospecting in the G2 to Pukelman West corridor and along the Blackjack fault mineralized corridor from the Blackjack deposit south through the Pukelman West and Rhosgobel intrusion for additional areas of undiscovered gold mineralization will also be conducted with the goal of identifying additional drill targets.

Recently acquired data encompassing the southern portion of the Clear Creek Intrusive Complex is being integrated within the Sitka database and plans for drilling additional known areas of mineralization are being developed.

Figure 1 - The acquisition of the Clear Creek property now completes Sitka Gold's 100% ownership of the Clear Creek Intrusive Complex and adds several underexplored areas that have strong potential for new gold discoveries in addition to four high-quality drill targets.

Figure 2 - The purchase of the Clear Creek Property (outlined in yellow boundary) now completes Sitka Gold's ownership of 100% of the Clear Creek Intrusive Complex, an area of approximately 8 km x 15 km that includes several known surface intrusions with associated gold mineralization. The newly acquired property contains four highly prospective areas with limited historical drilling and several areas that have produced high-grade surface samples but remain under-explored and undrilled.

Figure 3 - Shallow reverse circulation drilling in the Rhosgobel intrusion in 1995 produced numerous intersections of gold mineralization consisting of sheeted quartz veins with megacrystic quartz monzonite. Holes 15 and 16 were drilled in opposite directions at 60 degrees dip intersected mineralization over their entire lengths. The holes intersected 50.3 m grading 1.07 g/t gold and 67.1m of 1.03 g/t gold respectively with both holes ending in mineralization.

Figure 4 - Cross-section of previous drilling at Rhosgobel along holes 15 and 16 which ended in mineralization. The first ever diamond drill hole proposed in the Rhosgobel intrusion (PROS-24-A) will step back and drill underneath holes 15 and 16 to test the width of the mineralized zone intersected in 1995.

Figure 5 - Prospecting in 2015 was conducted in the G2 zone and the Contact Zone and produced many high-grade results. Additional grid soil sampling (shown in Figure 2) will be conducted in these areas and south where previous soil sampling has been conducted at only wide spacings. Current drilling is expanding the Blackjack deposit to the south towards this highly prospective area.

Table 1: Significant drill hole results from the Clear Creek Property

*Intervals are drilled core length, as insufficient drilling has been completed at this time to determine true widths

Table References

Robinson, S.D. and R. A. Doherty, 1988. Geological, Geochemical, Geophysical and Diamond Drilling 1988 Summary Report on the Rum, Rye and Roll Claims ((assessment report 092748) Feulgen, S. and J.C. Stephen, 1989, Initial Diamond Drilling Report on the Rain, Wind, Sleet Claims, Left Clear Creek, Yukon (assessment report 092752) Bidwell, G., 1993. Clear Creek Project, 1992 Reverse Circulation Drill Program (assessment report 093097) Coombes, S., 1995. 1995 Assessment Report on the Clear Creek Option; prepared by Kennecott Canada Inc. (assessment report 093372). Stammers, M.A., 2000. 1999 Geochemical and Diamond Drilling Assessment Report on the Clear Creek Property (assessment report 094058) Weeks, S. and R. Falls, 2001, 2000 Geological, Geochemical and Diamond Drilling Assessment Report on the Clear Creek Property (assessment report 94165) O'Brien, 2010;Assessment Report, 2010 Diamond Drilling Program, Clear Creek Property (Assessment report 095539) Shutty, 2011; Assessment Report, 2011 Exploration Program, Clear Creek Property (Assessment Report 095984)

The Company cautions that none of the historically reported assay results from the newly acquired Clear Creek property have been verified by Sitka.

About the Flagship RC Gold Project

The RC Gold Project consists of a 431 square kilometre contiguous district-scale land package located in the heart of Yukon's Tombstone Gold Belt. The project is located approximately 100 kilometres east of Dawson City, which has a 5,000 foot paved runway, and is accessed via a secondary gravel road from the Klondike Highway which is usable year-round and is an approximate 2 hour drive from Dawson City. It is the largest consolidated land package strategically positioned mid-way between Victoria Gold's Eagle Gold Mine - Yukon's newest gold mine which reached commercial production in the summer of 2020 - and Victoria Gold's former producing Brewery Creek Gold Mine.

On January 19, 2023 Sitka Gold announced an Initial Mineral Resource Estimate prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") guidelines for the RC Gold Property of 1,340,000 ounces of gold (1) . The road accessible, pit constrained Mineral Resource is classified as inferred and is contained in two zones: The Blackjack and Eiger deposits. Both of these deposits are at/near surface, are potentially open pit minable and amenable to heap leaching, with initial bottle roll tests indicating that the gold is not refractory and has high gold recoveries of up to 94% with minimal NaCN consumption (see News Release July 13, 2022). The Mineral Resource estimate is presented in the following table at a base case cut-off grade of 0.25 g/t Au:

RC Gold Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate

COG g/t Au Blackjack Zone Eiger Zone Combined Tonnes 000's Au g/t 0z Au 000's Tonnes 000's Au g/t 0z Au 000's Tonnes 000's Au g/t 0z Au 000's 0.20 35,798 0.80 921 32,523 0.45 471 68,321 0.63 1,391 0.25 33,743 0.83 900 27,362 0.50 440 61,105 0.68 1,340 0.30 31,282 0.88 885 22,253 0.55 393 53,535 0.74 1,279 0.35 29,065 0.92 860 17,817 0.60 344 46,882 0.80 1,203 0.40 26,975 0.96 833 14,506 0.66 308 41,481 0.86 1,140

Notes

Mineral resource estimate prepared by Ronald G. Simpson of GeoSim Services Inc. with an effective date of January 19, 2023. Mineral Resources are classified using the 2014 CIM Definition Standards. The cut-off grade of 0.25 g/t Au is believed to provide a reasonable margin over operating and sustaining costs for open-pit mining and processing Mineral resources are constrained by an optimised pit shell using the following assumptions: US$1800/oz Au price; a 45 pit slope; assumed metallurgical recovery of 85%; mining costs of US$2.00 per tonne; processing costs of US$8.00 per tonne; G&A of US$1.50/t. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

To date, 56 diamond drill holes have been drilled into this system for a total of approximately 19,962 metres including 16 drill holes totalling 6,515 metres completed in 2023 focused on expanding the initial resource. The drilling in 2023 produced results of up to 219.0 m of 1.34 g/t gold including 124.8 m of 2.01 g/t gold and 55.0 m of 3.11 g/t gold in drill hole DDRCCC-23-047 at Blackjack (see news release dated September 26, 2023). The Company is currently diamond drilling at RC Gold in conjunction with a planned 15,000 metre drilling program.

Simpson, R. January 19, 2023. Clear Creek Property, RC Gold Project, NI 43-101 Technical Report, Dawson Mining District, Yukon Territory

RC Gold Deposit Model

Exploration on the Property has mainly focused on identifying an intrusion-related gold system ("IRGS"). The property is within the Tombstone Gold Belt which is the prominent host to IRGS deposits within the Tintina Gold Province in Yukon and Alaska. Notable deposits from the belt include: Fort Knox Mine in Alaska with current Proven and Probable Reserves of 230 million tonnes at 0.3 g/t Au (2.471 million ounces; Sims 2018) (1) ; Eagle Gold Mine with current Measured and Indicated Resources of 233 million tonnes at a grade of 0.57 g/t Au at the Eagle Main Zone (4.303 million ounces; Harvey et al, 2022) (2) ; the Brewery Creek deposit with current Indicated Mineral Resource of 22.2 million tonnes at a gold grade of 1.11 g/t (0.789 million ounces; Hulse et al. 2020) (3) ; the Florin Gold deposit, located adjacent to Sitka's RC Gold project, with a current Inferred Mineral Resource of 170.99 million tonnes grading 0.45 g/t (2.47 million ounces; Simpson 2021) (4) and the AurMac Project with an Inferred Mineral Resource of 347.49 million tonnes grading 0.63 gram per tonne gold (7.00 million ounces) (5) .

Sims J. Fort Knox Mine Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, USA National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report. June 11, 2018. https://s2.q4cdn.com/496390694/files/doc_downloads/2018/Fort-Knox-June-2018-Technical-Report.pdf Harvey N., Gray P., Winterton J., Jutras M., Levy M.,Technical Report for the Eagle Gold Mine, Yukon Territory, Canada. Victoria Gold Corp. December 31, 2022. https://vgcx.com/site/assets/files/6534/vgcx_-_2023_eagle_mine_technical_report_final.pdf Hulse D, Emanuel C, Cook C. NI 43-101 Technical Report on Mineral Resources. Gustavson Associates. May 31, 2020. https://minedocs.com/22/Brewery-Creek-PEA-01182022.pdf Simpson R. Florin Gold Project NI 43-101 Technical Report. Geosim Services Inc. April 21, 2021. https://sedar.com/GetFile.do?lang=EN&docClass=24&issuerNo=00005795&issuerType=03&projectNo=03236138&docI d=4984158 Banyan Gold News Release Dated February 7, 2023 (Technical Report to be filed within 45 days of news release) https://banyangold.com/news-releases/2024/banyan-announces-7-million-ounce-gold-updated-mineral-resource-estimate-aurmac-project-yukon-canada/

Upcoming Events

Sitka Gold will be attending and/or presenting at the following events*:

Takestock Investor Forum, Stampede Event, Calgary, Alberta: July 3, 2024

Kelowna Capital Events, Kelowna, BC: July 19 - 21, 2024

Precious Metals Summit, Beaver Creek, Colorado: September 10 - 13, 2024

Yukon Geoscience, Whitehorse, Yukon: November 17 - 20, 2024

*All events are subject to change.

About Sitka Gold Corp.

Sitka Gold Corp. is a well-funded mineral exploration company headquartered in Canada. The Company is managed by a team of experienced industry professionals and is focused on exploring for economically viable mineral deposits with its primary emphasis on gold, silver and copper mineral properties of merit. Sitka is currently exploring its 100% owned, 431 square kilometre flagship RC Gold Project within the Tombstone Gold Belt in the Yukon Territory with a 15,000 metre diamond drill program planned for 2024. The Company is also advancing the Alpha Gold Project in Nevada and currently has drill permits for its Burro Creek Gold and Silver Project in Arizona and the Coppermine River Project in Nunavut.

The Company recently announced an NI 43-101 compliant initial inferred Mineral Resource Estimate of 1,340,000 ounces of gold (1) beginning at surface and grading 0.68 g/t at its RC Gold Project in Yukon (see news release dated January 19, 2023).

Simpson, R. January 19, 2023. Clear Creek Property, RC Gold Project, NI 43-101 Technical Report, Dawson Mining District, Yukon Territory

*For more detailed information on the underlying properties please visit our website at www.sitkagoldcorp.com

The scientific and technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Cor Coe, P.Geo., Director and CEO of the Company, and a Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF

SITKA GOLD CORP.

" Donald Penner "

President and Director

For more information contact:

Donald Penner

President & Director

778-212-1950

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

or

Cor Coe

CEO & Director

604-817-4753

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 policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary and Forward-Looking Statements

This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forwardlooking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements regarding discussions of future plans, estimates and forecasts and statements as to management's expectations and intentions with respect to, among other things, the use of the proceeds raised under the Offering and the Company's anticipated work programs.

In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that the Company will complete its anticipated work programs and use the proceeds of the Offering as currently anticipated.

These forwardlooking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, market uncertainty, the results of the Company's anticipated work programs and that the Company will not use the proceeds of the Offering as currently anticipated.

Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. We seek safe harbor.
Key Highlights

Comprehensive technical workshop led by world-renowned structural geologist Brett Davis .

. Several new targets identified on the district-scale land package along both the Cape Ray Shear Zone ("CRSZ") and Hermitage Flexure.

A total of 37 targets in various stages defined and added to project portfolio.

Target ranking in progress with proposed work programs being developed ahead of prioritisation.

Phase one diamond drilling continues, with assays pending.

EDMONTON, AB, July 3, 2024 /CNW/ - AuMEGA Metals Ltd (formerly Matador Mining Ltd) (ASX: AAM) (TSXV: AUM) (OTCQB: AUMMF) ("AuMEGA" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the outcomes of its recently completed comprehensive technical workshop, which was led by world-renowned structural geologist Brett Davis. The workshop was carried out in Port aux Basque, Newfoundland and included AuMEGA Chair Justin Osborne, Company personnel and B2Gold geologists.

The main outcomes of the workshop included the identification of several new structural and geochemical targets based on mineral systems concepts, with each target assigned a score for ranking and prioritisation.

AuMEGA Metal's Managing Director and CEO, Sam Pazuki commented: "We have a massive land package on the two largest known gold structures in Newfoundland. With ten discrete projects in our portfolio, we have developed a best-in-class approach to exploration, particularly exploring beneath the concealing overburden. We have an incredibly supportive shareholder base that recognises the potential of our district-scale land package, and who appreciates our systematic approach to exploration. These are all critical elements for any successful exploration business.

"With the highly prospective land package we have, it is imperative that we ensure we properly identify, rank and prioritise our many targets. The key to success is then developing the appropriate exploration programs and allocate capital efficiently with return on investment as a key criterion, to advance the best targets through the exploration lifecycle. We brought together a considerable amount of brain power and experience at the successful technical workshop, with active participation by those who have made major mineral discoveries globally in their respective careers.

"I am very pleased with the outcomes of this workshop which exceeded my expectations with nine new targets identified. The bottom line is that we have no shortage of outstanding targets. While the O-2 target remains one of our best targets following our highly successful winter RC drill program, we have confirmed very exciting new opportunities at both Hermitage and Cape Ray. The next step is to finalise the ranking of the 37 targets identified by our team, create specific work programs for the top-ranking projects initially, define the return-on-investment potential, and advance our exploration activities on the resulting priority projects. We expect to pull together this information and future work programs over the coming weeks. It's also important to note that the targets we have is based on where we have enough data to support them as targets. Much of the land package is untested, unknown and under cover.

"Our conviction in our portfolio has only grown over the past two years and the workshop outcomes not only further confirm our beliefs, but also supports the work we are doing, with our ultimate goal of unlocking significant value for shareholders through the discovery of mega deposits."

Workshop Overview

The technical workshop entailed a review of the significant data that has been collected historically and by the Company from the CRSZ and Hermitage Flexure through geophysical surveys, diamond and RC drilling, prospecting, sampling, mapping and desktop analysis.

Targets were ranked using a mineral systems approach, defined by the key criteria common to world-class gold deposits. The resultant conceptual rankings are used in conjunction with factual empirical data and are subdivided by stage in the exploration pipeline. This objective ranking methodology allows for targets in various stages of exploration, with different empirical data sets, to be ranked against each other to best select targets for further work. Such a systematic approach to ranking and prioritisation allows for efficient and effective deployment of capital to drive discovery.

Workshop Outcomes

In total, the Company has now defined 37 targets within its portfolio. As a result of the workshop, nine new targets were identified based on geophysical and geochemical data previously collected and re-interpreted. These new targets were then combined with existing targets and subsequently assigned a score based on both conceptual and empirical criteria with the overarching defining criteria being the potential of the target to host a multi-million-ounce deposit. Three (O-2 West, O-2 East and Grandy's East) of these nine targets are a result of the Company's successful winter RC drill program at Malachite.

Of the total targets that the Company has identified, 30 are in the early stages of exploration while five targets are in the intermediate stage and two in the advanced stage, both of which we are currently drilling within the resource corridor. Another three intermediate targets are part of the phase two diamond drill program including O-2 West which delivered the best results from the winter RC drill program.

Next Steps

The Company is currently ranking each of the targets and will create more specific work plans for each that don't currently have them in place. The work plans will be on the top ranking targets and will include the scope of work and expected outcomes, including the necessary outcomes required to continue to advance targets through the exploration lifecycle. This work is expected to be completed in the coming weeks in conjunction with ongoing field exploration work.

Current Field Work Update

The Company continues the first phase of the diamond drill program and expects to complete it within the next couple of weeks, with assays expected over the next few weeks. In July 2024, the Company's exploration activities include mainly geophysical and geochemical surveys in the resource corridor, Bunker Hill and Hermitage. Assays from the first drillhole at Central Zone are pending, as are three remaining geotechnical holes.

This announcement has been authorised for release by the Company's Board of Directors.

About the Company

AuMEGA Metals Ltd (ASX: AAM | TSXV: AUM | OTCQB: AUMMF) is utilising best-in-class exploration to explore on its district scale land package that spans 110 kilometers along the Cape Ray Shear Zone, a significant under-explored geological feature recognised as Newfoundland, Canada's largest identified gold structure. This zone currently hosts Calibre Mining's (TSX: CXB) Valentine Gold Project, which is the region's largest gold deposit (+5 million ounces), along with AuMEGA's expanding Mineral Resource.

The Company is supported by a diverse shareholder registry of prominent global institutional investors, and strategic investment from B2Gold Corp, a leading, multi-million-ounce a year gold producer.

Additionally, AuMEGA holds a 27-kilometer stretch of the highly prospective Hermitage Flexure and has also secured an Option Agreement for the Blue Cove Copper Project in southeastern Newfoundland, which exhibits strong potential for copper and other base metals.

AuMEGA's Cape Ray Shear Zone hosts several dozen high potential targets along with its existing defined gold Mineral Resource of 6.1 million tonnes of ore grading an average of 2.25 g/t, totaling 450,000 ounces of Indicated Resources, and 3.4 million tonnes of ore grading an average of 1.44 g/t, totaling 160,000 ounces in Inferred Resources.

AuMEGA acknowledges the financial support of the Junior Exploration Assistance Program, Department of Industry, Energy and Technology, Provincial Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Reference to Previous ASX Announcements

In relation to this news release, all data used to assess targets have been previously disclosed by the Company and referenced in previous JORC Table 1 releases. Please see announcements dated: Mineral Resource estimate announced on 30 May 2023, Company 2024 exploration announcements on 28 August 2019, 31 October 2019, 29 October 2020, 16 January 2024 and 23 May 2024, Malachite announcements dated 20 April 2022, 8 June 2022, 12 September 2022, 14 September 2022, 6 October 2022, 12 December 2022, 25 January 2023 and 11 October 2023, Long Range announcements on 14 April 2021, 31 October 2019, 23 February 2023 and 24 August 2023, Bunker Hill announcements on 14 April 2021, 22 March 2023 and 6 April 2023, Hermitage prospecting results announced on 18 May 2023 and 13 November 2023, Grandy's announcements on 29 October 2020, 17 February 2021, 18 November 2021, 11 October 2023, Intersection related announcements 16 January 2024 and 29 October 2020, Hermitage announcement on 18 March 2024, Winter RC drill results reported on 23 April 2024 and 28 May 2024 and the Resource Corridor announcement on 5 June 2024.

In relation to the Mineral Resource estimate announced on 30 May 2023, the Company confirms that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in that announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Person's findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement.

Competent Person's Statements

The information contained in this announcement that relates to exploration results is based upon information reviewed by Mr. Spencer Vatcher, P. Geo. who is an independent consultant employed with Silvertip Exploration Consultants Inc. Mr. Vatcher is a Member of the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland and Labrador (PEGNL) and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code 2012. Mr. Vatcher consents to the inclusion in the announcement of the matters based upon the information in the form and context in which it appears.

The information in this report that relates to Exploration Results and specifically the new targets generated is based on information reviewed by Mr. Justin Osborne who is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr. Osborne holds shares and options in and is Non Executive Chair of AuMEGA Metals Ltd and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation under consideration to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Mr. Osborne consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on the information reviewed by him, in the form and context in which it appears.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Atico Mining Corporation (the Company or Atico) (TSX.V: ATY | OTC: ATCMF) is pleased to announce the results of the Definitive Feasibility Study (the DFS or the Study) for its 100% owned La Plata Project (La Plata) located in Ecuador. The DFS was prepared in accordance with the National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Please note that all financial figures in this press release are in United States dollars, unless otherwise noted.

Key Highlights:

Initial Probable Mineral Reserves for the La Plata project 2.51 Mt with an average grade of 1.59% Cu, 2.28 g/t Au, 30.41 g/t Ag, and 2.18% Zn.

Updated Indicated Resources of 2.345 Mt with an average grade of 2.13% Cu, 2.98 g/t Au, 40 g/t Ag, 3.05% Zn and Inferred Resources of 380 Kt at average grade of 0.96% Cu, 1.75 g/t Au, 38 g/t Ag, 2.29% Zn.

Average annual production of 9.71 Mlbs Cu, 15,929 oz Au, 226,299 oz Ag, and 13.25 Mlbs Zn in concentrates over 8.1 years Life of Mine (LOM)

Initial Capex of US$91 Million, including a 9.8% contingency

Average AISC of US$2.70 1 per payable lb of Cu equivalent produced over LOM

per payable lb of Cu equivalent produced over LOM After Tax NPV of US$93M at a 5% discount rate and an IRR of 25.1%

Underexplored VMS camp, currently identified resources are contained in only 1.6% of total land package

Fernando E. Ganoza, CEO and Director, commented, Completion of this study is yet another important milestone that the Company has achieved this year as it provides for an important foundation upon which to continue building the La Plata project. As a next step, we have already commenced and advanced basic and detailed engineering where we continue to see significant opportunities yet to be captured. Mr. Ganoza continued, The current reserves and resources at the La Plata project are a good starting point, however, historic and recent exploration work performed here tells us that these areas still provide significant exploration potential. We intend to test this hypothesis in the very near future. In addition, the currently identified resources are contained in only 1.6% of the total land package, where we see tremendous opportunities for further exploration success in the regional target areas.

Metallurgy and Processing

Metallurgical testwork has shown that the production of two concentrates provide the best economic performance for the operation, a zinc concentrate and a bulk concentrate. The testwork results are shown in Table 1 and were used in the estimation of the Mineral Reserve.

Table 1. Metallurgical Testwork Results

Parameter Algorithm Models Parameter Algorithm Models Bulk conc recovery, % - Au 58 Zn conc Recovery, % - Au 12 Bulk conc recovery, % - Ag Cu>=3.33 69.3 Zn conc Recovery, % - Ag Cu>=3.33 8.1 Cu<3.33 53.5 Cu<3.33 21.1 Bulk conc recovery, % - Cu Cu>=3.33 92.64 Zn conc Recovery, % - Cu Cu>=3.33 1.73 Cu<3.33 79.53 Cu<3.33 9.65 Bulk conc recovery, % - Pb Cu>=3.33 87.05 Zn conc Recovery, % - Pb Cu>=3.33 4 Cu<3.33 max(0.6675-0.0639*(Cu/Zn),0.474) Cu<3.33 12.9 Bulk conc recovery, % - Zn Fe>=9.34 59 Zn conc Recovery, % - Zn Fe>=9.34 33.1 Fe<9.34 18.2 Fe<9.34 70.7

The process plant design for the La Plata Project is based on a conventional metallurgical flowsheet to treat sulphide ore to produce bulk copper and zinc concentrates. The flowsheet is based on metallurgical test work, industry standards and conventional unit operations.

The process plant will nominally treat 850 tonnes per day (t/d) of ore and will consist of comminution and flotation circuits. Flotation tailings will be dewatered to produce a filtered tailings for storage onsite. The figure below represents the overall flowsheet for the La Plata Project.

The key project design criteria for the process plant are listed below:

Throughput of 310 kilo-tonnes per year (kt/y) of ore

Crushing plant availability of 75%

Grinding and flotation circuits availability of 92%

Filtered tailings availability of 85%

Comminution circuit to produce a particle size of 80% passing (P80) of 75 m

Bulk concentrate average mass pull of 12%

Zinc concentrate average mass pull of 6%

Equipment selection based on suitability for the required duty, reliability, and ease of maintenance

The Feasibility study proposes to construct, at a cost of US$1.6M, a 69kV transmission line for the power usage at the mine site using a new 8-kilometer connection to the power grid. Rain water will be collected from contact areas and fresh water will be pumped by pipeline from surface collection sumps. The company will also construct a filtered, stacked tailings impoundment facility to accommodate tails from the milling operations.

Mineral Resource Estimate

The Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of the La Plata volcanogenic polymetallic massive sulphide (VMS) project (the Project or La Plata) presented herein represents an update from the previous MRE issued in the La Mina Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) report, completed by SGS Canada Inc. (SGS) in March 2019.

The current MRE is based on the updated drillhole database received on March 8, 2021, which includes additional data from the 2020 and 2021 infill drilling programs completed since the previous MRE. Since the 2019 PEA, there has been significant progress in the geological understanding of the deposit due to infill drilling programs conducted on the Project. Most of the drilling was dedicated to infill drilling to convert Inferred resources to Indicated category for inclusion in this Feasibility Study (FS).

Table 2. La Plata Project Mineral Resource Statement as of August 1st, 2023

Resource Classification Tonnes (t)

(Mt) CuEq (%) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Cu (%) Pb (%) Zn (%) Indicated North Block 1.148 5.21 2.61 30 2.44 0.36 2.66 South Block 1.014 6.00 3.79 56 1.84 0.70 3.85 Guatuza 0.183 2.66 0.75 9 1.78 0.10 1.04 Total 2.345 5.36 2.98 40 2.13 0.49 3.05 Inferred North Block 0.022 3.43 2.16 29 0.97 0.43 2.54 South Block 0.308 3.24 1.81 42 0.91 0.44 2.45 Guatuza 0.051 2.51 1.16 17 1.23 0.19 1.24 Total 0.380 3.16 1.75 38 0.96 0.41 2.29

*Notes on Mineral Resources: 1. The Mineral Resource described above have been prepared in accordance with the CIM Standards (Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, 2014) and follow the Best Practices outline by the CIM (2019). 2. The Qualified Person (QP) for this Mineral Resource Estimate is Christian Beaulieu, P.Geo. consultant for G Mining Services inc. Mr. Beaulieu is a member of the lOrdre des geologues du Quebec (#1072). 3. The lower cut-offs for reporting underground mineral resources are US$70 NSR for Long Hole and US$90 NSR for Cut and Fill/Room and Pillar projected mining methods. The NSR was calculated based on the following assumptions (described in detail in Section 15 and Table 15.3 of the ucoming Technical Report except for different commodity prices): Commodity price assumptions: Gold = US$1,900 per ounce, Silver = US$26.50 per ounce, Copper = US$4.50 per lb, Zinc = US$1.40 per lb, Lead = US$0.92 per lb. Various project related economic assumptions considered, including sale terms and conditions (% payables by metal and concentrate type, treatment and refining costs ($88/dmt, $0.09/lb Cu, $0.60/oz Ag, 0.8% Gold price with min $8/oz Au), penalties ($2/dmt min. for Pb and Zn)), transportation costs ($68/t). 4. Metal grades outlined above have not been adjusted for metallurgical recoveries. Copper Equivalent grade calculation (CuEq) is based on metal prices above and has not been adjusted for metallurgical recoveries or related economic assumptions as presented above. 5. The La Plata deposit has been classified as Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources depending on drill spacing and estimation pass. No Measured Mineral Resources are quoted. 6. Known underground workings have been incorporated into the block model with a zero-density value within voids to exclude them from the resource tabulation. 7. Bulk Density has been estimated in the block model using ID2 from drill core measurements. Other geological units were assigned by lithology and weathering types. 8. A minimum thickness of 1.5 m was used when interpreting the wireframes. Areas of isolated clusters of blocks and where minimum thickness was not reached have been removed from the calculations. 9. The tonnages and grades outlined above are reported inside a block model with a parent block size of 5 m x 5 m x 3 m, and subblocks 1 m x 1 m x 1 m. 10. Tonnage and metal content have been expressed in the metric system, except for gold and silver metal content which is expressed in troy ounces. Tonnages have been rounded to the nearest 1,000 tonnes, and metal content has been rounded to the nearest 100 tonnes or 1,000 ounces. Differences may occur in totals due to rounding. 11. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves as they have not demonstrated economic viability. The quantity and grade of reported inferred mineral resources are uncertain in nature. The QP is not aware of any factors or issues that materially affect the MRE other than normal risks faced by mining projects in the country in terms of environmental, permitting, taxation, socio-economic and marketing factors, and additional risk factors regarding indicated and inferred resources. Political and social factors that may influence the MRE is the current instability in the country of Ecuador related to the recent events tied to drug trafficking, which may affect market perception of the projects risk profile; 12. There is no guarantee Mineral Resources will become Mineral Reserves and no guarantee that Mineral Resources will be mined.

Mineral Reserve Estimate

The mine design and Mineral Reserve estimate were completed to a level appropriate for feasibility studies. The Mineral Reserve estimate stated herein is consistent with the CIM definitions and is suitable for public reporting. As such, the Mineral Reserves are based on Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources and do not include any Inferred Mineral Resources. The Inferred Mineral Resources contained within the mine design are treated as waste.

The Mineral Resources estimate reported below are the basis for the Mineral Reserve Estimate. Only Measured and Indicated Resources are deemed to have sufficient confidence to be used for the Mineral Reserve estimate. Indicated Resources are the basis for the estimate of Probable Mineral Reserves.

The Mineral Reserves for the La Plata Project are estimated at 2.51 Mt, at an average grade of 1.59% Cu, 2.28 g/t Au, 30.41 g/t Ag, 0.36% Pb, and 2.18% Zn, as summarized in Table 3 below.

Table 3. La Plata Project Mineral Reserve Statement as of July 5, 2023

Reserve Category Tonnes (t)

(Mt) CuEq (%) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Cu (%) Pb (%) Zn (%) Probable 2.51 3.51 2.28 30.41 1.59 0.36 2.18

*Notes on Mineral Reserves: 1. Mineral Reserves are as defined by CIM definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves 2014. 2. The Mineral Reserves were estimated from the Indicated Mineral Resource estimates. Inferred Mineral Resources were not considered to be converted into Mineral Reserve estimates. 3. Mineral Reserves are reported using an NSR breakeven cut-off value of 70 US$/t for bench and fill (Long Hole) and 90 US$/t for Cut and Fill/Room and Pillar projected mining methods; 4. Metal prices used were US$1,800.00/troy ounce Au, US$23.00/troy ounce Ag, US$4.00/lb Cu, US$0.92/lb Pb and US$1.30/lb Zn; 5. Metal grades outlined above have not been adjusted for metallurgical recoveries. Copper Equivalent grade calculation (CuEq) is based on metal prices above and has been adjusted for metallurgical recoveries. 6. The Mineral Reserve estimates were prepared by Mr. Thomas Kelly, RM-SME, president of Andes Colorado Corp., who is a Qualified Person for the estimate and independent of Atico Mining and its subsidiaries. The estimate has an effective date of July 5, 2023; 7. Modifying factors for conversion of resources to reserves included consideration for planned dilution which is based on spatial and geotechnical aspects of the designed stopes and economic zones, additional dilution consideration due to unplanned events, materials handling and other operating aspects, and mining recovery factors. Mineable shapes were used as geometric constraints; 8. Reserves are estimated based on mining material that can be mined, processed and smelted; 9. Values are rounded and may differ from those presented in the press release. Totals may not sum precisely due to rounding; 10. Inclusion of ore blocks in the Mineral Reserve does not guarantee that they will be mined; 11. Figures in the table are rounded to reflect estimate precision; small differences are not regarded as material to the estimate; 12. There is no guarantee that Mineral Reserves will be mined.

Capital and Operating Costs

Capital and operating costs for the La Plata Project were estimated by KCA and Atico Mining, with input from G-Mining for material take-offs and Sinco for infrastructure costs. The scope of these costs includes expenditures for all mining equipment, process facilities, and infrastructure for the project. The estimated capital and operating costs are considered to have an accuracy of +/-15%, and are discussed in greater detail in this Section.

The total capital cost for the Project is US$138 million including VAT (US$121 million without VAT); all VAT is assumed to be fully refundable. The table below presents the capital requirements for the La Plata Project.

Capital Cost Summary

Capital Costs (Excluding VAT) Initial Capital $91 million LOM Sustaining Capital $30 million Total LOM Capital $121 million Working Capital & Initial Fills $2 million Closure Costs $1 million

The total life of mine operating cost for the Project is US$91.03 per tonne of ore processed, excluding preproduction. The table below presents the operating cost requirements for the La Plata Project.

Operating Cost Summary

Operating Costs (Average LOM) Mining (moved) $34.38 /Tonne moved Mining (processed) $44.39 /Tonne processed Processing & Support $32.40 /Tonne processed G&A $14.24 /Tonne processed Total Operating Cost $91.03 /Tonne processed

VAT is not included in the operating costs.

Mining Methods

There will be three mining methods used for stoping at La Plata. Given the amorphous shape of the deposit and the associated geotechnical conditions, the stoping methodology will change to adapt to changes in the characteristics of the deposit. The three methods are bench-and-fill (Avoca), room-and-pillar and cut-and-fill.

Avoca mining will be used where the structure is steeply dipping, wider than 2.5 meters, and the RMR is over 40; additionally, each Avoca block requires access from both ends of each block on the drilling sublevel. Bench heights are variable from 10-m to 20-m. A long hole (bench) drill will be used for drilling and the mucking will be by remote controlled scoops. This method is high productivity with low operating costs.

Drift-and-fill mining will be applied in the relatively flat parts of the deposit. Stoping is with the same equipment as mine development (jumbos, scoops, haul trucks) with breasting the faces for high productivity. Pillars of cemented rock fill (CRF) will be left to support the hangingwall and rock mass above the stope blocks. After the first stage of stoping the pillars are mined and the overlying load from the rock mass is transferred to the CRF pillars.

Cut-and-fill mining will be applied to areas where the deposit is too flat to allow for Avoca mining and too steep for room-and-pillar mining. In addition, if the RMR is less than 40 cut-and-fill mining will be used. As with drift-and-fill mining, the equipment fleet for room-and-pillar is the same as the mine development fleet. Lifts advance as breasting lifts after the initial lift which uses a pull round. The fill medium may be waste rock from mine development or CRF, depending upon local circumstances.

Project Economics and Sensitivities

The life of mine production data for the La Plata project is presented in Table 6 below.

Table 6. La Plata Production Data

Production Data Life of Mine 8.1 Years Mine Throughput per day 850 Tonnes/day Mine Throughput per year 310,250 Tonnes/year Total Tonnes to Crusher 2,506,009 Tonnes Grade Au (Avg.) 2.28 g/t Grade Ag (Avg.) 30.41 g/t Grade Cu (Avg.) 1.59 % Grade Zn (Avg.) 2.18 % Total Gold Produced 128,474 Ounces Total Silver Produced 1,825,143 Ounces Total Copper Produced 78,297,363 Pounds Total Zinc Produced 106,869,075 Pounds Total Payable Gold 114,935 Ounces Total Payable Silver 1,383,519 Ounces Total Payable Copper 66,691,030 Pounds Total Payable Zinc 66,700,898 Pounds LOM Underground Strip Ratio (W:O) 0.29

The financial analysis for the base-case, which evaluates a stand-alone owners operation and indicates an after-tax NPV at a 5% discount rate, of US$93M with an IRR of 25.1% and a payback period of 3.4 years2. In this scenario the project is expected to generate US$212M pre-tax operating cash flow.

Table 7 and Table 8 below present the financial analysis for the La Plata project.

Table 7. Base Case Financial Analysis

Base-Case Gold Price Assumption $1,920 /Ounce Silver Price Assumption $23 /Ounce Copper Price Assumption $4.05 /Pound Zinc Price Assumption $1.50 /Pound Average Annual Cashflow (Pre-Tax) $38 million Average Annual Cashflow (After-Tax) $31 million Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Pre-Tax 32.9% Internal Rate of Return (IRR), After-Tax 25.1% NPV @ 5% (Pre-Tax) $137 million NPV @ 5% (After-Tax) $93 million Pay-Back Period (Rears based on After-Tax) 3.4 Years

Table 8. Sensitivity analysis to current metal prices.

June 2024 Average Prices Gold Price Assumption $2,325 /Ounce Silver Price Assumption $29 /Ounce Copper Price Assumption $4.45 /Pound Zinc Price Assumption $1.27 /Pound Average Annual Cashflow (Pre-Tax) $46 million Average Annual Cashflow (After-Tax) $35 million Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Pre-Tax 41.8% Internal Rate of Return (IRR), After-Tax 31.3% NPV @ 5% (Pre-Tax) $184 million NPV @ 5% (After-Tax) $123 million Pay-Back Period (Rears based on After-Tax) 2.8 Years

Qualified Person

The definitive feasibility study was prepared by leading independent industry consultants. The Qualified Persons who prepared the June 2024 NI 43-101 Technical Report are:

Travis Manning

Thomas Kelly

Christian Beaulieu

Neil Lincoln

Donald Hickson

Felipe Riquelme

Adam Johnston

The QPs have reviewed and approved the content of this news release.

The following consultants participated in the Study:

Kappes, Cassiday & Associates

Andes Colorado Corp.

G Mining

Envis

Transmin

IMSS

Sinco

The NI 43-101 Technical Report will be filed on SEDAR+ within 45 days of this press release.

About Atico Mining Corporation

Atico is a growth-oriented Company, focused on exploring, developing and mining copper and gold projects in Latin America. The Company generates significant cash flow through the operation of the El Roble mine and is developing its high-grade La Plata VMS project in Ecuador. The Company is also pursuing additional acquisition of advanced stage opportunities. For more information, please visit www.aticomining.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Fernando E. Ganoza

CEO

Atico Mining Corporation

Trading symbols: TSX.V: ATY | OTC: ATCMF

Investor Relations

Igor Dutina

Tel: +1.604.633.9022

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.

No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The securities being offered 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 in the United States, or to, or for the account or benefit of, a "U.S. person" (as defined in Regulation S of the U.S. Securities Act) unless pursuant to an exemption therefrom. This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of the Company in any jurisdiction.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This announcement includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation the use of net proceeds, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties and are based on certain factors and assumptions. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Companys expectations include uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; uncertainty of estimates of capital and operating costs; the need to obtain additional financing to maintain its interest in and/or explore and develop the Companys mineral projects; uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones for the Companys mineral projects; the world-wide economic and social impact of COVID-19 is managed and the duration and extent of the coronavirus pandemic is minimized or not long-term; disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic or other health and safety issues, or the responses of governments, communities, the Company and others to such pandemic or other issues; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed under the heading Risk Factors in the prospectus of the Company dated March 2, 2012 filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release refers to All In Sustaining Cost (AISC) a non-GAAP financial measures which is used by the Company for project evaluation and operating performance. These measures are widely reported in the mining industry but do not have a standardized meaning and may differ from methods used by other companies with similar descriptions. The Company believes that certain investors use these non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate the Companys operations. Accordingly, non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. Readers should refer to Non-GAAP Financial Measures in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2023, as filed on SEDAR and as available on the Company's website for further details.

______________________________

1 *Alternative performance measures; please refer to Non-GAAP Financial Measures at the end of this release.
Vancouver, Canada, 3 July 2024  TheNewswire  Electrum Discovery Corp. (Electrum, or the Company) (TSX-V:ELY |FRA:R8N |OTC:ELDCF) is pleased to announce significant extensions of previously outlined copper-gold soil anomaly at Timok East, named Bambino and located five kilometers east of Zijin Minings world-class Bor copper-gold mining complex in the Western Tethyan Belt in the Republic of Serbia.

Large scale copper deposits, especially with a gold credit have come into focus as the price of copper, essential for electrification and gold have both increased in price recently. Large scale deposits are increasingly more difficult to find and districts with large mines are typically the best area to look for them.

In the recent times, the Timok region in Serbia has seen and continues to see significant new exploration, discoveries and investment. Zijin Mining of China bought control of the historic Bor mining complex as well as most recently discovered Cukari Peki copper-gold deposit where it has successfully initiated production. Dundee Precious Metals continues to advance its Coka Rakita project, located on the edge and to the west of the traditional exploration district. Electrum holds a large land position just to the east of the traditional exploration area, so called Timok Magmatic Complex (TMC) in the same district.

Highlights: The copper-gold Bambino anomaly has been extended to 1.8 kilometers in length, from 550 meters in initial sampling and remains open to the north and south.

A separate parallel adjacent gold anomaly has been defined over a one kilometer strike length.

Initial results from Bambino released on May 8, 2024, defined a substantial copper-gold anomaly in soils, with copper levels ranging from 500 to 8238 ppm and rock chip samples returning grades of 2.85% and 0.32% copper. The Bambino anomaly is situated within Lower Paleozoic-age schists and marbles, and a potential intrusive rock characterized by stockwork-style veining in outcrops. Recent assays confirm high continuity of copper grades within the anomaly, which continues to exhibit outward zoning from a central core.

Furthermore, new results identify two distinct parallel trends of gold anomalies: the eastern trend extends over 600 meters strike, correlating with the highest-grade copper anomalism, while the western anomaly extends over 1 kilometer strike with less correlation with copper anomalism, potentially sourced for an overprinting structurally controlled style of gold mineralization.

Dr Elena Clarici, CEO of Electrum Discovery Corp. "The extension of copper-gold anomaly over 1.8 kilometers adds significant scale to the Bambino target. The recent exploration success of Dundee Precious Metals at Coka Rakita on the western boundary of the Timok Magmatic Complex highlights the potential for discoveries in the underexplored boundary areas of the traditional Timok district.

Electrum is currently engaged in detailed geological interpretation of the Bambino anomaly to better understand potential deposit types and controls on mineralisation.

Figure 1: Overview schematic map of the Timok Mining region, showing major mining and exploration projects in relation to Timok East and the Timok Magmatic Complex outline Source: Electrum Discovery Corp, and Companies Annual Reports1,2,3.

Please note that Electrums results are preliminary in nature and considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them. The vicinity of the historic and known mineral resources does not indicate or provide certainty that Electrum will be able to define similar or any mineral resources at Timok East.

Figure 2: Geology map of Bambino, showing all copper assay results to-date, highlighting the 1.8 kilometer long copper trend in Blue.

Figure 3: Geology map of Bambino, showing all gold assay results to-date, highlighting the 1 kilometer long gold only trend in Blue.

Sample Collection, QA/QC, Preparation and Analysis

Soil samples reported in this news release were collected from the B-horizon from a depth of between 15-40 centimetres. Each sample location was recorded using a Garmin handheld GPS with a nominal accuracy of 3 meters, and the location was then photographed with the labelled sample. Soil samples were dried and pulverized in their entirety, with 85% passing 75 microns. Samples were then analysed using a combination of four-acid digest with an AAS finish for copper and 50g fire assay with an AAS finish for gold analysis (1-2000ppb). Samples were submitted in batches of 45, made up of 40 samples, two CRMs, two blanks, and one duplicate. QA/QC samples performed well, with all batches passing Company criteria. Samples were prepared and analysed at SGS Serbia and Bulgaria.

About Electrum Discovery Corp.

Electrum Discovery Corp. is an emerging, Canadian-based mineral exploration and development company focused on copper and gold on the prolific Western Tethyan Belt with activities in the Republic of Serbia. The Company is currently pursuing two projects: the Timok East copper-gold project adjacent to the world-class Bor mining complex and the New Tlamino gold project, located in Southern Serbia.

Electrum's management team is focused on maximizing shareholder value through the acquisition and advancement of a large portfolio of copper-gold assets, while fostering sustainability, governance and knowledge transfer in the region.

Additional information on Electrum Discovery Corp. can be found by reviewing the Company's page on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

For more information contact:

Dr Elena Clarici, Chief Executive Officer and Director

T: +1 604 801 5432 | E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | W: electrumdiscovery.com

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical contents of this news release have been reviewed and approved by Chris Wilson, B.Sc. (Hons), PhD, FAusIMM (CP), FSEG, FGS. Dr. Wilson is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Dr Wilson is a consultant to the Company.

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

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information. Such statements include Companys expected achievement of specified milestones, results of operations, and expected financial results of the Company. Often, but not always, this forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "estimate", "estimates", "estimated", "potential", "open", "future", "assumed", "projected", "used", "detailed", "has been", "gain", "upgraded", "offset", "limited", "contained", "reflecting", "containing", "remaining", "to be", "periodically", or statements that events, "could" or "should" occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations.

Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Electrum, to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information. Such uncertainties and factors include, among others, uncertainties inherent in the PEA and the estimation of mineral resources; risks related to the failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; risks associated with the results of exploration and development activities, and the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; unanticipated costs and expenses; and such other risks detailed from time to time in Electrum's quarterly and annual filings with securities regulators and available under Electrum's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Although Electrum has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward-looking information contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management. Forward-looking information has been made as of the date hereof and Electrum disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

1 NI 43-101 Technical Report Timok Project Pre-Feasibility Study Zagubica, Serbia, Prepared for Dundee Precious Metals Inc, March 30, 2021: https://dundeeprecious.com/site/assets/files/13809/timok_technical_report_2021.pdf



2 Maiden Mineral Resource Estimate  Coka Rakita Gold Project, Serbia Technical Report for NI 43-101 Prepared for Dundee Precious Metals Inc. 24 January 2024:https://dundeeprecious.com/site/assets/files/16594/crp100-0000-1000-tmp-0002-o-a-r315-2023-coka-rakita-ni.pdf



3 Jelenkovic, Rade & Milovanovic, Dragan & Kozelj, Dejan & Banjesevic, Miodrag. (2016). The Mineral Resources of the Bor Metallogenic Zone: A Review. Geologia Croatica. 69. 143-155. DOI: 10.4154/GC.2016.11.
Drilling Critical Elements in the Bathurst Mining Camp

July 3rd, 2024  TheNewswire - Miramichi, New Brunswick  SLAM Exploration Ltd. (TSXV:SXL) (SLAM or the Company) is pleased to report preliminary results from the third hole (GW24-03) drilled on its wholly owned Goodwin Project in the Bathurst Mining Camp (BMC) of New Brunswick. The Goodwin Project is located 5 kilometers southwest of the Half Mile copper zinc silver deposit owned by Trevali Mining Corporation in the BMC.

Hole GW24-03 highlights include a 23.55 meter core interval with 15% pyrrhotite starting at 72.90 meters, a 13.65 meter interval with 15% pyrrhotite mineralization starting at 94.8 meters and a 20.85 meter zone with 15% pyrrhotite from 113.15 meters to 134.00 meters. These intervals combine for 58 meters of pyrrhotite mineralization, which, according to previous workers, generally contains nickel at Goodwin. GW24-03 was drilled from a site located 900 meters southeast of hole GW24-02. DDH GW24-03 was drilled at a dip of 500 toward azimuth 0400 to a depth of 248 meters. The summary log reads as follows:

Interval Meters Description Mineralization 0.00  4.50 Casing 6.00 - 24.60 Pegmatite gabbro Pyrrhotite traces 24.60- 62.90 Gabbro, coarse grained 56.60-62.90 Mineralized gabbro 15% pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite traces 62.90-72.90 Mafic volcanic 72.90-96.45 Mineralized gabbro, coarse grained, local pegmatite 15% pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite traces 94.80-94.85 Mineralized gabbro 20% chalcopyrite 96.45-97.80 Felsic dyke 97.80-111.45 Gabbro coarse grained 15% pyrrhotite 106.75-106.85 Mineralized gabbro 75% pyrrhotite 111.45-113.15 Mafic volcanic 113.15-114.9 Mineralized gabbro 15% pyrrhotite 114.90-115.55 Mafic volcanic 10% pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite traces 115.55- 134.00 Gabbro 15% pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite traces 134.00 169.50m Gabbro, fine grained 2-5% pyrrhotite 169.50- 219.00 Gabbro Pyrrhotite traces 219.00-248.00 Mafic volcanic Pyrrhotite traces and films 248.00 End of Hole

The core has been delivered to a secure facility in Bathurst New Brunswick for detailed logging and sampling.

Goodwin Project Highlights: The Company sawed 35 meters of mineralized core from hole GW24-01 and bagged 38 samples. The sawn core samples were delivered to ALS Chemex Inc. in Moncton New Brunswick for copper, nickel, silver, cobalt, bismuth, platinum, palladium and gold analyses as well as other elements using ALS multi-element package ME-ICP41 and method PGM-ICP23. Samples that run over 1% copper and/or 1% nickel will be analyzed using an over-limit method ME-OG46.

Logging and sampling are in progress on diamond drill hole GW24-02 and GW24-03. Holes GW24-01 and GW24-02 tested the Granges zone where previous workers cored a 5.7 meter interval grading 1.79% copper plus 1.51% nickel in diamond drill hole GR87-55. The core length in meters may not equal the true width of this interval. HoleGW24-03 located 900 meters southeast of hole GW24-02 was drilled to test for pyrrhotite and associated nickel mineralization in the Farquharson zone which was discovered by Noranda in a 1960 drilling program. Upon completion of GW24-03, the drill was de-mobilized.

The Goodwin Project consists of 8 original claims plus 5 recently optioned claims that combine for 159 units that cover 3,474 hectares of prospective mineral ground. The project is underlain by the Goodwin Lake gabbro, a 6,500 meter long body of intrusive rocks hosting the 3 copper nickel occurrences referenced above. Permits are in place for a trenching and drilling program to test for copper nickel mineralization as well as gold and platinum group metals. The Goodwin project is accessible by logging roads from the Fraser Burchill road off Route 430 which connects to the city of Miramichi 90 kilometers to the southeast.

QA-QC Procedures: The results described above are from news releases and reports that predate NI43-101 regulations. The numbers can only be validated by additional drilling but the Company deems these results to be useful to plan additional drilling. The core descriptions and the summary log for hole GW24-03 are based on visual observations of the core.

About SLAM Exploration Ltd: SLAM Exploration Ltd. a public resource company with a large portfolio of mineral claim holdings built around its wholly owned Menneval gold project in the mineral-rich province of New Brunswick. SLAM has discovered multiple gold veins at Menneval and previously reported gold bearing core intervals including 162.5 g/t gold over 0.2 m and 56.90 g/t gold over 0.5 m (news releases December 13, 2021 and November 22, 2022). The Company reported quartz float grading up to 39.2 g/t gold on its Jake Lee project in the vicinity of the Clarence Stream gold deposit where Galway Metals Inc. is working on a 2.3 M ounce gold deposit in southern New Brunswick.

The Company holds the Goodwin copper nickel project and the Mine Road VMS copper zinc silver project in the mineral rich Bathurst Mining Camp of New Brunswick. Previous workers discovered 3 copper nickel occurrences at Goodwin. Mineralized core intercepts were drilled including 1.79% copper plus 1.51% nickel over 5.7 meters in diamond drill hole GR89-55 on the Goodwin project.

Successful diamond drill holes by previous workers include IL2014-003 with a 9-meter core interval grading 14.51% zinc, 5.86% lead, 0.67% copper and 139.9 g/t silver on the Railroad zone at Mine Road. (Doe Run Canadian Exploration ULC; 2015, New Brunswick Assessment Files, Report of Work 477877), The Railroad zone is 7,000 m east of the 20 M tonne former producing Heath Steele B Zone.

The Company is a project generator and has received significant cash and share payments over the last 6 months as follows; $150,000 cash and 50,000 shares from S2 Minerals Inc. (STWO) on December 19, 2023 pursuant to the Reserve Creek gold agreement; 534,000 shares and 333,000 warrants (exercisable at $0.01) issued by Nine Mile Metals Inc. (NINE) on March 01, 2024 pursuant to the Wedge project agreement and $25,000 cash plus 2,500,000 shares of Lode Gold Resources Inc. (LOD) pursuant to the Ramsay gold agreement. The Company holds NSR royalties and expects additional cash and share payments on the Wedge copper zinc project and on the Ramsay, Reserve Creek and Opikeigen gold projects.

To view SLAMs corporate presentation, click SXL-Presentation. Additional information is available on SLAMs website and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Follow us on X @SLAMGold.

Qualifying Statements: Mike Taylor P.Geo, President and CEO of SLAM Exploration Ltd., is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and has approved the contents of this news release.

Certain information in this press release may constitute forward-looking information, including statements regarding mineral resources and the Companys plans with respect to the exploration and development of its properties. This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward looking-statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Company. There are a number of risk factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those described herein. Information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Mike Taylor, President & CEO

Contact: 506-623-8960 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Eugene Beukman, CFO

Contact: 604-687-2038 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. SEDAR+: 00012459
Ju Ji Hoon surprised fans when the teaser for the upcoming movie "Project Silence" showed the actor's radical transformation.

Ditching his usual sleek and dapper looks as seen on his previous drama "Blood Free," the 42-year-old actor dons a completely new look.

Ju Ji Hoon takes on a challenging role as s tow truck driver Jo Bak in the disaster movie "Project Silence." Helmed by "The Sunshine Boys" director Kim Tae Gon, the upcoming film centers around a group of people who are trying to survive a chaotic and out-of-control military experiment. They release military dogs on an airport bridge that is on the verge of collapsing.

For his big-screen comeback, Ju Ji Hoon transforms into a hobo-looking Jo Bak, showcasing his free-spirited soul and vibrant energy.

'Project Silence' Release Date and Cast

Initially screened at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2023, "Project Silence" will have its theatrical release on July 12.

Late actor Lee Sun Kyun, who played the role of Jung Won, also joined the film and played the role of a security office administrator.

Amid the chaos, Jung Won is heading to the airport to send off his daughter, Kyung Min, played by Kim Soo Ahn, who will be studying abroad.

Adding to the list of "Project Silence" cast lineup is Kim Hee Won as Dr. Yang, the man behind the secretive mission known as "Project Silence."

Ju Ji Hoon's Long Hair in 'Project Silence' Was His Idea

Interestingly, his unique and remarkable appearance in "Project Silence" was reportedly not planned in the script. Instead, it was Ju Ji Hoon himself who recommended the long-haired visual.

In a report, having Jo Bak with long hair was the actor's idea, which added excitement to his character.

In a separate report, "Project Silence" director Kim Tae Gon teased fans about Ju Ji Hoon's transformation as Jo Bak. He said that besides the actor's new look, viewers will be drawn to his captivating presence, especially with his expressions and actions.

"Ju Ji-hoon's sense of humor and wit added to the comic elements of the character 'Jobak,' making him even more lovable."

In addition to this, Jo Bak will also be teaming up with his adorable pet Jody, which will be the film's highlight and not be missed.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that Ju Ji Hoon has gone to greater lengths for a role.

Showing his dedication and how immersed he is in his role, he suggested to the director if he could do a bold hairstyle in the 2018 movie "Dark Figure of Crime."

Portraying a convict named Kang Tae Oh, he admitted to the crimes that he committed prior to his arrest.

As for his character, Ju Ji Hoon asked director Kim Tae Gyoon if he could shave his hair off.

"Thinking about Kang, who complains, 'even after killing seven, no inmate shows me due respect,' I thought that after he was imprisoned in the jungle of heinous criminals, he must have wanted to look strong," Ju Ji Hoon explained according to media outlet The Korea Times.

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Flores
Jeon Yeo Bin might return to the romance genre as she is being courted to headline the drama "Our Movie" with award-winning actor Namgoong Min.

Keep on reading to know more details about their possible screen team-up.

'Our Movie' Introduces Jeon Yeo Bin, Namgoong Min as Possible Lead Stars

A media outlet reported on July 3 that Jeon Yeo Bin is in discussion to play the lead role in a new romance drama "Our Movie."

According to the actress' label, she is already in the final stages of considering appearing in the project, signaling a positive response that she is expected to return to the romance-comedy genre.

Previously, Namgoong Min was in discussion to play the male protagonist of the series.

The series tells the story of a film director and an actress who has been given a terminal diagnosis.

Jeon Yeo Bin is offered to portray the actress who stars in a film as she faces a big crisis in her life.

Namgoong Min was reportedly in talks for the role of the director, who meets Jeon Yeo Bin's character while struggling through a slump in his promising career, and later finds himself falling in love with her.

What We Know So Far About 'Our Movie'

"Our Movie" is said to be helmed by Director Lee Jung Heum, who is known for his work "Inspector Koo" and "Nobody Knows." The script will be penned by Han Ga Eun and Kang Kyung Min, and the drama is expected to be produced by Beyond J.

In addition to the upcoming series, the production team is already finalizing the casting of the main and supporting roles so they can finally begin filming. It will also be released on tvN.

Where To See Jeon Yeo Bin This 2024

Meanwhile, Jeon Yeo Bin is booked with various projects.

Following "Cobweb," "Glitch," "A Time Called You," and "Vincenzo," new doors opened for the actress, making her known as one of the promising stars today.

Apart from her possible drama comeback, Jeon Yeo Bin is also preparing for her silver screen return. She is currently filming the movie "The Black Nuns" where she will share the frame with Song Hye Kyo.

In addition to this, she is set to meet the viewers through the soon-to-release movie "Harbin," along with Hyun Bin, Park Jeong Min, Jo Woo Jin, Yoo Jae Myung, Lee Dong Wook, Park Hoon, and more

Jeon Yeo Bin is also in talks to join the stellar cast of the forthcoming series "Made in Korea."

What can you say about Jeon Yeo Bin and Namgoong Min's tandem? 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.




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - During Tuesday's weekly anti-government protests in the Nairobi Central Business District, goons flocked to the area and looted business premises, including Quickmart supermarket.

Police watched as the alleged state-sponsored goons looted without doing anything.

It is alleged that the goons had been hired by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to loot business premises and portray Gen Z protests as violent.

A photo of the goons being paid after looting and destroying properties has emerged.

Check this out.





The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - A high-ranking official at State House reportedly lives an extravagant lifestyle that has left his colleagues, friends, and neighbours talking.

Word has it that the influential government official flies from his Nandi home to Nairobi daily in a chopper.

The trip cost taxpayers Ksh 250,000 per hour.

This comes even as President William Ruto urges Kenyans to take austerity measures.

At the same time, Ruto promised to address the opulence and extravagance displayed by some state officers.

In an interview with the media at State House on Sunday, the president promised Kenyans that they would see changes in the future, including reduced government spending.

I promise you, watch this space. Going forward you will see changes because we must do something about opulence and extravagance.

"We are going to take measures that will put us in the right place, Ruto said.

















The Kenyan DAILY POST.






Wednesday, July 03, 2024 - A Canada-based African lawyer, Tomilola, who is married to a white man, has called out one of her followers for bashing white people on her Instagram page.

The lady had commented on one of Tomilola's pregnancy posts with her husband, saying that white people are vindictive, untrustworthy, harbour a lot of hate and jealousy.

It's unfortunate that I even have to address this but please note that you are not allowed to put out general statements bashing white people on my page for a couple of reasons, Tomi wrote in an Instagram story on Tuesday.

It's hateful to bash an entire race of people. My husband is white, my daughter is half-white, meaning half of my family is mostly white, so I clearly don't share your views.






Tuesday, July 02, 2024 - At least 30 people were injured on Monday, July 1, after an Air Europa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight hit turbulence over the Atlantic, sending passengers flying out of their seats with one man appearing to have gotten stuck in the overhead bins.

Passengers aboard Flight UX045 from Spain to Uruguay shared a harrowing video of the damage and aftermath caused by turbulence.

One customer uploaded a video on X showing a man stuck in the overhead luggage compartment.

The mans feet could be seen poking out of a bin after he was allegedly hurled up there by the turbulence, with a group of people huddling together to pull him down as a crying baby could be heard in the background.

Other footage taken by passengers shows ceiling panels torn off by the impact of the turbulence, oxygen masks dandling overhead and at least one destroyed seat.

Air Europa said the flight, carrying 325 passengers and bound for the Uruguayan capital, was hit by turbulence while flying over the Atlantic Ocean and was forced to land in Natal, in north-eastern Brazil.

The plane has landed normally and the injuries of varying degrees that were recorded are already being treated, Air Europa said in a statement.

One passenger, who identified himself as Norys, said he was enjoying his flight back home from a European tour when the captain gave a warning about turbulence and urged passengers to remain seated and fasten their seatbelts

A long time after that, there was a very, very slight turbulence, it was barely felt, and from one moment to the next the plane abruptly fell and we all went up, Norys told Uruguayan outlet El Observador.

Those who did not have seatbelts flew and some remained hooked to the roof, he added.





Another passenger, named Juan, echoed other passengers description that the whole incident felt like something out of a horror movie, comparing it to a near-death experience.

The sensation was one of terror, feeling that you are falling and that it does not end, he told El Observador.

And you are aware that you are falling at an incalculable speed. And you felt that it ended there, that you died.

Uruguays Foreign Ministry said the injured are being treated at the Monsenhor Walfredo Gurgel Hospital, in Natal, with transportation being readied for them to return to Montevideo.

Air Europa said a new plane will leave Madrid to pick up any remaining passengers who did not opt to take a bus ride back to Uruguay.

Watch the videos below.

One of the passengers on board the Air Europa flight that hit turbulence over the Atlantic had to be rescued from the overhead luggage compartment. https://t.co/UKtfioCRU4 pic.twitter.com/vU2BX6HX5z  Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) July 1, 2024






Tuesday, July 02, 2024 - Ben Affleck is leaning on his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner amid his marital crisis with Jennifer Lopez.

The actor, 54, was pictured on Sunday, June 30, paying a visit to his ex-wife, Garner's home.

Affleck has been staying nearby in a Brentwood rental property while rumours swirl about the state of his marriage to Jennifer Lopez.

Jennifer Garner, 52, has been a steady presence in Bens life and has reportedly encouraged Affleck to work on his marriage with Lopez.

Meanwhile, Affleck and Lopez seem to be on the verge of splitting up.

Page Six exclusively reported that the high-profile pair are selling pieces of art from their $60 million home, which is also up for sale.

Collectors and interested buyers were purchasing art and some pieces that were newly on sale from the pairs home in early June.

They bought the mansion in 2023 and put it on the market almost exactly a year later.

The union has been the subject of speculation since Affleck moved his belongings out of the family home. He is now staying near the three children he shares with Garner: Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12.

Affleck removed his things while Lopez, 54, was on a solo vacation to Europe.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have tried their best to put on a united front, but the couples marriage has allegedly been over for months.

According to sources, theyve been apart since March, but Affleck is very protective of Jennifer.

Rumours of the couples split hit a fever pitch in May after Affleck was noticeably absent from J.Los side at major red-carpet events, like the Met Gala, which she co-chaired this year.

Back in May, a source told Page Six that Affleck had come to his senses about his and J.Los short-lived marriage and wanted to call it quits.

If there was a way to divorce on grounds of temporary insanity, he would, the insider told the publication.

He feels like the last two years was just a fever dream, and hes come to his senses now and understands there is just no way this is going to work.
Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakumicha said the government has been taking care of the bills accrued by all Kenyans who had been injured during protests and treated at referral hospitals.

In a social media post on Tuesday, Nakumicha wondered why someone is purporting to pay hospital bills for the injured yet the government has waived fees for 235 patients out of 295 patients that had been treated at Kenyatta National Hospital and other referral hospitals.

The CS said 58 others remain admitted in various hospitals, while one is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

She added that three others await surgery.

"My attention has been drawn to efforts by some individuals to raise funds from the public to pay hospital bills for persons injured during the demonstrations.

"Out of the total 294 casualties attended to in our Referral Hospitals, 235 have been treated for various degrees of injuries and discharged and non has been asked for payment. 58 are still admitted with 1 in ICU, and 3 waiting for theatre. We wish them a quick recovery," Nakhumicha said.

Nakumicha spoke even as Kenyans continued to send millions of shillings to activist Hanifa's account who claimed that she was paying hospital bills for the injured.

Responding to the CS, who is among people with questionable academic qualifications in Rutos government, Hanifa stated that Kenyatta National Hospital only waived the bills after a local TV station aired the plight of one of the injured protesters.

She asked Nakhumicha to stop politicizing the issue.

"There are so many people in KNH complaining up to now that they havent received surgery yet and are in pain. We transferred 5 people from KNH to Nairobi West and theyre doing well," the activist claimed.

In another post on X, Hanifa said they have been paying hospital bills for those injured in other parts of the country and they await invoices from some who are receiving treatment.

"Weve been paying for Moi referral hospital, Were paying for Embu level 5 and other public hospitals as well. Even people in Mbagathi, we visited them and we are waiting for the invoices. Im repeating, do not play politics with peoples lives," she said.

By Monday this week, Hanifa had raised over Sh 20 million on her M-changa account.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Wednesday, July 03, 2024 - A diabetic woman died after a therapeutic evangelist persuaded her to stop taking insulin, a court has heard.

Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, looked for other treatments for her Diabetes condition due to her fear of needles.

She flew from her home in East Sussex, UK to Bulgaria in July 2026 after hearing about Hongchi Xiao

After the visit, she stopped taking her insulin, making her seriously unwell.

She also started vomiting and refused to listen to her loved ones who had to beg her to start taking insulin again before she recovered.

However, in October of that year, she went to a retreat hosted in Seend, Wiltshire, by Xiao, 61, who was described in the programme for the event as Master Xiao. There he evangelized his Paida Lajin therapy as a replacement for insulin, and Danielle described him as a messenger sent by God.

She stopped taking insulin again and became ill again. She died on the fourth day of the retreat after Xiao failed to call for help.

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson said: It is said to be a method of self-healing in which poisonous waste is expelled from the body through patting and slapping parts of the body.

He knew that Mrs Carr-Gomm was risking death, and he knew that he had an influence over her decision.





In short, therefore he chose to congratulate a diabetic who stopped injecting, rather than to persuade them not to take so grievous a risk to their life.

Mr Atkinson told the jury that Xiao had already been prosecuted for manslaughter after a six-year-old boy died in 2015.

The boy had stopped taking insulin after his parents took him to the alternative therapy.

Xiao denies manslaughter, claiming he had no influence over the students at all and no more responsibility than anyone else at the retreat.

Charles Row KC, defending Xiao, told the jury that the defendant denied caring for Danielle who he had made absolutely clear to that he was not medically trained. He also said Xiao told her not to suddenly stop taking her insulin.

The trial continues.




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja is a cancer ailing the city, judging by his behavior during the ongoing Gen Z-organized demonstrations.

Sakaja, who has been operating underground like a skunk, is accused of hiring goons to destroy the city by burning and looting businesses owned by members of the Kikuyu community.

A goon, who requested anonymity, revealed that he was hired from the Makadara constituency and instructed to meet Sakaja at City Hall on Monday.

The goon said Sakaja ordered them to infiltrate the Tuesday Gen Z protests and start looting and destroying businesses owned by Mt. Kenya people, as they are the ones alleged to be financing and supporting the Gen Z demonstrations.

In fact, Quickmart Supermarket at Bus Station was looted by Sakaja's goons, who were guarded by police for three hours.

Sakaja, acting on orders from the State House, believes that former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua are financing and supporting the young generation's demonstrations that have exposed Rutos regime.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Wednesday, July 03, 2024 - Former US President, Donald Trump's 11 July sentencing in his hush-money case is expected to be delayed after his lawyers asked the judge to set aside his conviction in the wake of the Supreme Court's immunity ruling.

In a letter to Justice Juan Merchan, Manhattan prosecutors said that while they believed Trump's motion to overturn his conviction to be "without merit", they did not object to his request to delay the sentencing.

The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for "official actions" they take while in office.

In May, Trump's conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records was based in part on evidence of meetings and communications that occurred while he was president.

A letter sent by Trump's lawyers to the judge cites Monday's ruling that granted the former president immunity from prosecution for "official actions" he took while in office.

Manhattan prosecutors have asked that the judge respond to Trump's motion by 24 July.

Judge Merchan must now rule on whether to formally adjourn the sentencing.

Trump's team points out that the former president signed off on the records in the hush money case while in office in 2017, but one lawyer suggested this was unlikely to be considered an official act.

His lawyers also argued that during his Manhattan trial, prosecutors shared "highly prejudicial" evidence that should have never been presented to the jury because it was from during his time in the White House, including Trump's 2017 social media posts and testimony about events in the Oval Office.

"The verdicts in this case violate the presidential immunity doctrine and create grave risks of 'an Executive Branch that cannibalizes itself,'" Trump's lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote in the letter to Justice Merchan.

Last year, Trump's lawyers similarly argued that the allegations in the case involved that were within the scope of his official presidential duties.

However, a federal judge wrote that Trump had failed to show that his conduct was "for or relating to any act performed by or for the President under [scope] of the official acts of a president".

Monday's ruling by the Supreme Court was hailed by Trump as a "big win" for democracy.

The justices ruled that a president had immunity for "official acts" but was not immune for "unofficial acts".

That ruling related to a separate case against Trump: he is suspected of trying to illegally overturn the 2020 presidential election result that gave victory to Joe Biden.

Reacting to the Supreme Court ruling, President Biden described it as a "dangerous precedent" that undermined the "rule of law" in America.




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - President William Ruto's economic advisor David Ndii has warned of a deep recession should the country fail to meet its debt obligations.

In response to questions by Kenyans on X, Ndii noted that there would be repercussions should Kenya fail on its obligations despite the tough economic times that have been exacerbated by Rutos refusal to sign the Finance Bill 2024, which will deny his government a whopping Sh300 billion.

A deep recession is a period of economic downtime characterized by mass job losses, a rise in unemployment, and a rise in consumer goods.

"You must tell them to be realistic. What's the worst if we default?" Mutisya Willy stated.

"A deep recession," Ndii responded.

Kenya's outstanding debt as of March 31, 2024, was Ksh10.4 trillion for domestic and foreign debts.

However, domestic debts take a majority of the debt portfolio.

Ksh 5.16 trillion is owed to external lenders while the country owes Ksh5.26 trillion to domestic lenders such as banks.

According to the Office of the Controller of Budget, the strengthening of the shilling has helped reduce the debt portfolio to Ksh1 trillion.

The majority of the external debt is owed to countries like China and multinational lenders such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Notably, Kenya has already paid the USD 2 Billion Eurobond that was due next month.

On the other hand, President William Ruto has assured that the government will meet all the debt obligations hence his push for Kenya to raise its own revenue.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Tuesday, July 02, 2024 - Dozens of worshippers have been crushed to death at a Hindu religious gathering in northern India, government medics have said.

The death toll has risen to 87, Indian news site NDTV reports, citing officials.

More have been injured and there are fears the death toll could increase further.

According to Mail Online, the crowds had gathered to celebrate the Hindu deity Shiva in the town of Sikandra Kao, Uttar Pradesh state, some 120 miles (200km) southeast of New Delhi.

'I can't give the exact toll at the moment, but it is approximately 60... There is a possibility that the toll may go up,' district police spokesperson Manish Chikara said.

State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said his thoughts were with the bereaved families and he ordered an urgent investigation into the incident.

'Instructions have been given to the concerned officials to conduct relief and rescue operations on war footing and to provide proper treatment to the injured,' he wrote on X.

Hathras District Magistrate Ashish Kumar said that, according to numbers received from the community health centre, between 50 and 60 people were killed.

'The stampede broke out in a village within the Sikandra Rao police station limits in Hathras. The injured are being taken to hospitals,' he said.

He added: 'This was a private event and permission had been given by the sub-divisional magistrate.

'Security arrangements were made by the administration but the other arrangements were supposed to be made by the organisers,' Mr Kumar said.

Umesh Kumar Tripathi, chief medical officer, said many injured have been admitted to hospital and added: 'The primary reason is a stampede during a religious event.'

He previously told reporters that 27 people had been killed, of whom 25 were women and two were men.

Uttar Pradesh state senior medical officer Ram Mohan Tiwari said earlier: 'We have received 27 bodies so far... bodies are still coming.'




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba has advised President William Ruto's administration to reconsider its proposal to increase the Road Maintenance Levy.

Rutos government had proposed raising the levy from Ksh18 per litre of fuel to Ksh25 after public opposition led to the dropping of the motor vehicle tax included in the now-defunct Finance Bill 2024.

However, Wamuchomba called on the government to halt this exercise, stating that the current political climate in the country, led by the Gen Z revolution, could not endure the imposition of another bill.

"In the spirit of concessions, the process of public participation to amend section 3 of the Road Maintenance Levy Fund Act to increase fuel Levies on petroleum Fuels as advertised by the Kenya Roads Board under The Ministry of Roads and Transport should be halted," she stated.

"The public mood is not right to propose any increase of fuel levies. We must listen to what Kenyans are saying now."

"The executive seems to be blatantly adamant about the pressing economic issues that are affecting peoples livelihoods. In such a crisis, we must be deliberate in looking for peace not adding to the jitters," she added.

Road Maintenance Levy is a charge imposed on all petroleum fuels imported to Kenya for home use.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - A freelance photographer escaped death by a whisker on Tuesday while covering anti-government protests in Nairobi Central Business District, after a plain-clothed police officer threatened to shoot him.

He was documenting the cop firing live bullets at protesters when the rogue cop aimed a pistol at him and threatened to shoot him.

My life flashed before my eyes, the photographer recounted.

The killer cop was among the rogue police officers deployed to Nairobi CBD to fire live bullets at the protesters.

See his photos.













The Kenyan DAILY POST.






Wednesday, July 03, 2024 - A notorious Haitian gang stormed a police station in the country and slaughtered dozens of police officers, according to reports.

Reports are emerging that members of a gang led by the infamous warlord Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier attacked a police station in Gressier, Port-au-Prince, and killed at least 20 officers.

The assault is believed to have begun on Sunday, June 30.

Haiti Libre said the attack was carried out by members of the "Vivre Ensemble" gang coalition led by "Barbecue". Other reports stated that the Bougoy Gang were involved.

As far as the assault on the police station is concered, reports stated that a "musculat counter-offensive" from police saw several gang members killed.

Haiti Libre stated that Bougoy leader Ti Bebe Bougoy, who had boasted the day before the attack of being stronger than the police forces, was captured.

It had been reported that the bandits were using "heavy machinery" to destroy the police station. This has reportedly been seized by authorities.

In June 2022 it was reported that the gang had been rounding up homeless and at-risk teens, to use as foot soldiers in gang wars.






Tuesday, July 02, 2024 - A Missouri couples wedding night turned into a nightmare after masked gunmen stormed into their backyard reception and shot the groom in the head in front of his bride and guests during a failed armed robbery.

Manuel and Dulce Gonzalez had been together for over a decade and were already the parents of two small children when they held an intimate wedding ceremony for about 50 of their close friends and family in the backyard of their St. Louis home on Friday, June 28, Fox 2 Now reported Monday, July 1.

However, while celebrating the couples love, two gunmen wearing ski masks stormed into the backyard, shouting at the guest not to move and demanding money as the night came to a close at around 1 a.m. Saturday, June 29, police told the outlet.

As one of the cold-hearted criminals began rummaging through the guests pockets, the other stood behind the groom and held him at gunpoint.

Then, without any warning, the thug shot Manuel Gonzalez in the head in front of his tight-knit family and friends, according to Fox 2 Now.

After the shots rang out, both men fled on foot without stealing a single dollar or item from guests.

They took nothing, yet they took everything from us, The brides sister, Yaribeth Pena, told the outlet.

The 32-year-old groom was rushed to the hospital and was listed in critical condition.

Pena, who ran into the house when the men stormed into the backyard, said the situation unfolded in about 30 seconds before her brother-in-law was shot.

I didnt witness when he got shot. I heard the gunshot when I was running through the house, she told KSDK.

She added that she suspects the armed thieves shot her brother-in-law while he was going for his wallet.

Maybe they thought he was going for a weapon, Pena said.

She believes the suspects are two teenagers, describing one as being shorter than the other.

Ring Doorbell footage obtained by KSDK from the couples home shows the two suspects approaching the house before the attempted robbery and then taking off down the road after shooting Manuel Gonzalez.





No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Manuel Gonzalezs father-in-law said on Monday, July 1, that his son-in-law had made some hand movements since being admitted to the hospital but remains in critical condition.

Pena shared that her sister is distraught about what happened to her husband.

Shes depressed, shes heartbroken, Pena said.

Hes fighting for his life. We are hoping he pulls through.

The sister-in-law described Manuel Gonzalez as a good father who treats her sister with respect and is known as a hard-working family man.

Hes just an all-around good person that, I dont know, he didnt deserve this, Pena told Fox 2 Now of her brother-in-law.

Pena, who lives next door to her sister and brother-in-laws home, shared she now worries about her familys safety with the violent criminals still on the loose.

The family is also asking anyone with information or a Ring door video that may have caught a glimpse of the suspects to come forward.






Tuesday, July 02, 2024 - A South African woman, Jabu Nxumalo, has narrated how her Ugandan boyfriend, Joseph Ssekasi, vanished with her R510,000 four months after they met on dating app, Tinder last year.

Nxumalo said she was innocently hoping to get an honest, loving boyfriend when she joined the dating app, and soon she had Ssekasi courting her.

At the time, he called himself Deron Mundari, and claimed to be from South Sudan. Honestly, there was nothing amiss about the guy, Nxumalo said in an interview with IOL News as part of an ongoing series on romance scams in South Africa.

He seemed like a down to earth and a respectful person. Little did I know that he was in this relationship for a paycheck in the name of love.

According to Nxumalo, part of the fraud involved a purported ancestors voice which instructed her to approach different banks and raise R500,000 which she handed over to him at his place in Brakpan.

This money, Nxumalo was told, was her contribution in a mysterious scheme which involved ancestors and prayers

Ssekasi also claimed that the Brakpan house, where Nxumalo visited, was his but she later found that the house was rented

As the newfound love was blossoming, and Nxumalo had handed over her R510,000, the loving Ssekasi also appeared to hand over over R700,000 as his contribution into the investment.

Days later, Ssekasi notified Nxumalo that a business outing had come up and he would be out of Gauteng for days.

Ssekasi bid farewell to Jabu on May 1, 2023, claiming to be travelling to Limpopo.

While he was supposedly in Limpopo, the lovebirds continued to communicate via calls and text messages.

Days later, Nxumalo realised that her messages to Ssekasi had abruptly stopped going through, and she then suspected it could be a network issue

At this stage, Nxumalo kept dismissing her natural instinct which kept telling her to go and check out Ssekasis house in Brakpan, where she had parted ways with her R510,000

"Honestly, my intuition was telling me to go to his place but I stopped myself several times. I was asking myself, who will open for me, when I get there? On May 11, 2023, the date he had said he would be travelling back from Limpopo, I decided to drive to his place during lunch time. That is when I found a house to let sign on the house, she said.

I was shocked and devastated. I then realised instantly that I had been scammed.

The following day, Jabu went to open a case at Boksburg police station.

When I got to the front desk, I waited for my turn and asked to speak to the constable in a private space, Nxumalo said.

The constable treatment me with respect, he took me to private boardroom and took my statement. He was empathetic and promised me that the police will do the best to assist me. I left the station with so much hope.

A day after, Nxumalo was to be admitted in a psychiatric hospital as she had become suicidal.

I had not slept for two nights. Just a day before I was discharged, I was called by a detective Khumalo from Boksburg police station who wanted us to meet the day after I leave the hospital. I then went with my brother to meet the detective, Nxumalo said

While I was narrating my story, she stopped me and told me that as police, they can only arrest people they know their whereabouts, and that with cases of this nature, there is a low likelihood that a criminal can be sentenced, she said.

During our conversation, I showed her the picture of Ssekasi, the person who scammed me. Detective Khumalo did not event take the photo, and to-date she does not have a photo of my scammer, the person SAPS is hoping to catch one day.

That engagement with the police detective actually depressed me more. I ended up asking detective Khumalo, if she was trying to tell me that there is nothing the police can do to help me, said Nxumalo

Nxumalo told IOL that while still in conversation with the detective, a woman sergeant joined them in the office.

The sergeant came in and asked her colleague: Khumalo, how much did this one lose? and Khumalo told her I had lost R500,000. The sergeant remarked that instead of giving the money to the scammer, I should have given her the money instead, she said.

At that point, I was so broken and shattered. It was on that day, after that engagement with the police that I started planning how I was going to end my life. But by God's grace, I'm here to tell my story.

More than a year later, the bubbly Nxumalo has not allowed the scam to bring her life down, but she is now actively involved in campaigns to raise awareness on the rampant love scams which are spiraling across South Africa

IOL this week approached the South African Police Service in Gauteng, and it confirmed that the docket in Jabus case was temporarily closed, pending the resurgence of new evidence or information on the alleged swindler.

Gauteng provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo told IOL that if new evidence emerges regarding the whereabouts of the alleged swindler, the docket will be re-opened

"This is a case of fraud and the case will be re-opened once there is new evidence or once we can get the suspect, he said.

Masondo said the SAPS requests Ssekasi to contact the nearest police station. Community members who recognise Ssekasi should alert the police.

Anyone who sees him is requested to call the nearest police station. He is required to help police with the investigation, said Masondo

Meanwhile, Nxumalo appealed to women to be vigilant in love relationships  a trait which would have saved her R500,000.

Red flags include a new boyfriend who is very interested in where you work and what you do. They will ask random questions, like are you renting or is it your house. The scammer will love bomb their victims, which means attempting to influence you as a woman through over-the-top displays of attention and affection, said Nxumalo.

The scammers claim to be deeply in love within a few weeks of meeting for the first time. Within days or weeks, he will want to introduce the unsuspecting victim to his family. But most of all, if the new boyfriend wants to borrow some money from you  run for your life."




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - Kileleshwa Ward MCA, Robert Alai, has said he will not support the looting and burning of businesses in Nairobi allegedly organized by Governor Johnson Sakaja.

Sakaja is accused of allegedly hiring goons on Monday to burn businesses in the city.

This was witnessed on Tuesday when goons broke into Quickmart supermarket at Bus Station and looted properties worth millions of shillings.

In reaction, Alai, who is a close ally of Sakaja, said as the Kileleshwa MCA, he will not support the burning and looting of Quickmart supermarkets since they have employed many of his voters,

Alai said Quickmart supermarket has three branches in his ward, namely Gitanga, Waiyaki Way, and Mandera Road, and has employed thousands of his voters.

Businesses like #Quickmart have been working with our community in Kileleshwa Ward to provide relief food and support to poor households.

"They have even considered many young men and women from slums since August 2022 for employment in Kileleshwa Ward where we have 3 branches (Gitanga, Waiyaki Way, and Mandera Road).

"Someone wants me to support the looting and burning of the branches of such businesses?

"I wouldnt do that guys. Sorry!, Alai wrote on his X platform.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - A middle-aged man, suspected to be a hired goon, was caught attempting to burn down the Isiolo County Government offices.

According to Isiolo Governor, Abdi Guyo, the suspect had been hired by Senator Fatuma Dullo.

He was cornered by police and responsible Gen Zs, who had organized peaceful protests in the county.

Guyo alleged that the same Senator hijacked peaceful demos last week to vandalize the office of Isiolo County Woman Rep Mumina Bonaya for supporting the finance bill.

The suspect was caught with petrol and a matchbox.

The picture below captures one of the goons mobilised by Senator Fatuma Dullo to burn down Isiolo County Government Offices but caught in the act by Police and responsible Gen-Zs.

The boy who is now in police custody was found with petrol and a matchbox in his possession ready to set County Offices ablaze.

This criminal act is happening once again after the same Senator last week successfully hijacked a peaceful demo by Gen-Zs to vandalize the Office of the County MP @muminabonaya for voting Yes.

As responsible leaders and peace-loving citizens, we will not allow rogue politicians to take advantage of otherwise peaceful demo by Gen-Zs to cause mayhem in the County, vandalize properties and businesses, the Governor wrote on his X account.













The Kenyan DAILY POST.






Wednesday, July 03, 2024 - A Ghanaian Member of Parliament has warned his colleagues not to "pass bad laws" after Kenyans stormed parliament during anti-tax protests that engulfed the nation.

At least 39 people were killed with 361 injured in the recent anti-government protests in Kenya as activists continue a new round of protests this week.

The toll, announced on Monday by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), is almost double the figure previously disclosed by the Government for those killed while demonstrating against a raft of unpopular tax increases that have now been withdrawn.

The Ghanaian lawmaker speaking to his colleagues warned that they shouldn't let such a scenario occur in Ghana.

"Kenyan public are beating up Members of Parliament for passing bad laws. Mr Speaker, it is a serious matter. I saw colleagues Members of Parliament beaten to a pulp." He said on Tuesday, July 3

"Mr Speaker, advise us on how to pass good laws to avoid being beaten by the public. We should be worried. It is not a laughing matter. It is not a joke."






Wednesday, July 03, 2024 - Ivanka Trump broke her silence regarding her fathers recent hush money criminal conviction during a podcast appearance released Tuesday, July 2.

The former US First Daughter and White House staffer said the experience has been agonizing.

"On a human level, its my father and I love him very much, so its painful to experience, but ultimately, I wish it didnt have to be this way," she said on "The Lex Fridman Podcast."

In May, ex-President Donald Trump was found guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in his New York trial related to a dalliance with adult film star Stormy Daniels, and his efforts to cover up payments made to keep her quiet.

However, sentencing in the case was delayed until September following the Supreme Courts controversial ruling regarding presidential immunity earlier this week.

Ivanka Trump worked in the White House during her fathers time in office but has said she is stepping away from politics, which she described as a "rough, rough business."

She reiterated those sentiments in Tuesdays interview.

She said: "It was a decision rooted in me being a parent, really thinking about what (my children) need from me now.

"Politics is a rough business and I think its one that you also cant dabble in, I think you have to be either all in or all out."

Ivanka, who has not been a public presence as her dad seeks reelection, added it could be very hard on her kids to get fully involved in the campaign and that shes "not willing to make them bear that cost."

"As their mom, I think its really important that I do whats right for them. I think there are lot of ways you can serve, the enormity, the scale of what can be accomplished in government service, but I think theres something equally valuable in helping in your own community," she added.

Trump also faces criminal charges related to election interference stemming from the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol and mishandling of classified documents, as well as separate election interference charges in Georgia.






Wednesday, July 03, 2024 - US President Joe Biden is reportedly facing mutiny as 25 Democrats prepare to call for the ailing president, 81, to step aside after his disappointing debate against Donald Trump.

Support for Biden appears to be crumbling among fellow Democrats, as Maine's Jared Golden, Lloyd Doggett of Texas, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Alaska all either told Biden to drop out or said they believed he would lose to Trump.

It was also gathered that West Virginia moderate Joe Manchin had to be convinced by Washington insiders not to publicly abandon the president, and left-wing Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin is refusing to campaign with Biden in her swing state on Friday, according to Mail Online.

A House Democratic aide has said that no less than 25 Democratic members of the House of Representatives preparing to call for Biden to step aside if he seems shaky in the coming days.

A second House Democratic aide said moderate House Democrats in competitive districts - often called 'frontliners' were getting hammered with questions in their districts this week.

Whether Biden continues his 2024 bid for president after his halting debate performance against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is largely his decision, Democrats and political strategists have said.

U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett became the first congressional Democrat to call for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race on Tuesday. He told NBC News in an interview that he hoped other Democratic lawmakers would follow his lead.

'It looks like the dam has broken,' the second aide said.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi highlighted Biden's multiple legislative accomplishments during an interview with MSNBC Tuesday but said it was legitimate to ask whether his debate performance was a one-night thing or a broader health problem. She said Trump should be given the same scrutiny.

'I think it's a legitimate question to say, 'Is this an episode or is this a condition?' And so when people ask that question, it's legitimate, of both candidates,' Pelosi said.

Biden, speaking at a campaign event in Virginia on Tuesday evening without a teleprompter, blamed his performance on a lack of sleep and said his campaign had raised $38 million since the debate.

'The fact is that you know, I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones ... before ... the debate. Didnt listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage,' he said. 'That's no excuse but it is an explanation.'




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale was fired up today during the Senate session as he took a strong stance against extravagance and corruption within government ranks.

Speaking on the floor of the House, Khalwale expressed his dismay at the lavish donations made by certain MPs and Cabinet Secretaries in the Kenya Kwanza government.

"I offended someone I didn't name in Kakamega over the weekend regarding the issue of opulence. I questioned how an MP could donate Ksh20 million at a Harambee, which upset him greatly," Khalwale stated.

Khalwale's criticisms did not stop there. He also highlighted another incident involving a government minister flaunting a significant amount of money.

"At another event, I saw a minister from this government carrying a large bag and announcing the millions it contained," he recounted during the Senate proceedings.

The legislator asked the Senate to draft a law that would stop such displays of opulence that have angered the public.

"If we don't reject these actions, people like Murkomen will think they are giving us their own money. It's not their money; those are proceeds of corruption," Khalwale said amid cheers from the House.

This was the second time that Khalwale was training his guns on Sudi within one week.

At the same time, Khalwale took issue with Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa, wondering how a mere MP that he once knew could afford to buy a chopper just like that.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Wednesday, July 03, 2024 - Ellen DeGeneres has responded to the "mean girl" allegations that surrounded her talk show, ultimately leading to its end.

During a recent stand-up performance in Santa Rosa, California, the comedian addressed the controversy directly.

Speaking to a nearly full audience, DeGeneres stated, I am many things, but I am not mean. While defending herself, she acknowledged, "I can be demanding, impatient, and tough. I am a strong woman."

DeGeneres stepped away from her famous talk show in 2022 following accusations from former staffers about a toxic workplace environment. She told the audience that the scandal had forced her to confront and break down some of her personal barriers.

In her recent stand-up appearances, DeGeneres has been more open about the impact of the controversy. During a gig last month, she discussed the toll that the negative publicity took on her self-esteem, admitting that she avoided news coverage portraying her in a negative light.




Wednesday, July 3, 2024  The Transport Ministry, led by CS Kipchumba Murkomen, has been embroiled in another multi-billion scandal.

A damning audit of Kenya's smart card driving license initiative revealed mismanagement and financial misappropriation within the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).

The audit highlights a staggering Ksh1.2 billion discrepancy in funds and a severe delay in project implementation.

Initiated in 2017 with ambitious plans to roll out five million second-generation smart card-based driving licenses, the project has fallen drastically behind schedule.

According to Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, NTSA's management failed to enforce the use of these smart driving licenses effectively, resulting in substantial financial losses.

Out of the allocated Ksh2.03 billion, only 4,042,050 smart cards were delivered by the supplier, with a significant portion2,562,874 cardsremaining unused in NTSA's storage, valued at approximately Ksh788.85 million.

"The failure to utilise these smart cards represents a serious lapse in financial management," stated Gathungu, emphasising the project's inability to achieve value for the Ksh1.2 billion already expended.

In addition to the smart card debacle, the audit scrutinized NTSA's implementation of the Transport Integrated Management System (TIMS), designed to centralise vehicle registrations, inspections, and driver licensing.

Despite an investment of Ksh186.48 million in the system, significant deficiencies were noted.

The TIMS, managed through the E-Citizen platform since March 2023, lacks comprehensive reporting capabilities, hindering the accurate analysis of revenue streams across NTSA's regional offices.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - Fast-fading political analyst, Mutahi Ngunyi, has continued to link Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua with the ongoing countrywide anti-government protests.

In fact, even the National Intelligence Service(NIS) has also been linking Gachagua and former President Uhuru Kenyatta with the demos that have shaken President William Ruto and his cronies.

In a social media post on Tuesday, Ngunyi, who is on the state payroll, urged Gachagua that his hired goons, whom he termed as chocolate soldiers will be melted by the sun before they meet Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).

Mutahi also asked the anti-government protesters what they wanted yet Ruto agreed to their demands and withdrew the Finance Bill 2024.

Ruto REJECTED the Finance Bill 2024. FACT.

"What MORE do you ASK of a constitutionally ELECTED president?

"The Will of the PEOPLE prevailed. Dear Riggy, your CHOCOLATE SOLDIERS will be MELTED by the SUN on the streets before they meet KDF, Mutahi Ngunyi wrote on X (formerly Twitter)

Mutahi Ngunyi is among the social media influencers who have allegedly been hired by State House operatives to portray Gachagua as the mastermind behind the protests that have unsettled Ruto and his allies.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - A popular restaurant in Mombasa dubbed, Qaffee Point, is among the business premises that were looted after anti-government protests turned chaotic on Tuesday.

The owner of the restaurant, a licensed gun holder, fired live bullets as he tried to disperse the protesters.

3 protesters were shot during the fracas.

The businessman was forced to run for his dear life after the situation escalated.

It is now emerging that he might be targeted for being friends with President Ruto.

Ruto was pictured at the restaurant even before he became President.

See photos.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.






Wednesday, July 03, 2024 - A primary school head teacher sacked for assault after tapping her toddlers hand while he played with a bottle of hand sanitiser, has been awarded more than 100,000 as compensation.

Shelly-Ann Malabver-Goulbourne used two fingers to get her three-year-old sons attention while trying to stop him from playing with the hand gel in her office at a London primary school.

Malabver-Goulbourne was the head of Northwold Primary School in Hackney, East London.

The interaction was witnessed by the schools safeguarding official who filed an official complaint, leading to Ms Malabver-Goulbournes suspension and the police being called.

But despite police officers deeming it reasonable chastisement by a parent, the 46-year-old lost her job after being found guilty of gross misconduct.

The dismissal has now been ruled unfair by an employment judge who awarded Ms Malabver-Goulbourne 102,328 in compensation.

The hearing was told she had been a teacher for many years, joining the trust in 2005 and serving as head since 2017.

She was working late in her office when the incident with her child occurred on January 17, 2022.

While packing up her things following a meeting with the safeguarding lead, her 11-year-old daughter told her that her younger brother had poured sanitiser on the floor.

After taking the bottle from him, Employment Judge, Julia Jones said, the head teacher likely bent down to his level to speak to him about why he should not be playing with hand sanitiser.

She added: When she did so he turned his face away from her and she tapped him with two fingers on the back of his hand to get his attention so that he would look at her to hear what she was saying.

The tribunal heard how two weeks earlier the boy put hand sanitiser in his eye.

It was with the knowledge of that earlier experience that she wanted to speak to him again to ensure that he understood that hand sanitiser was not a toy that he should be playing with, the judge said.

The safeguarding lead accused her of hurting her child and compared the incident to a form of corporal punishment.





Ms Malabver-Goulbourne defended herself by claiming that her actions were designed to get her sons attention and not to hurt him.

The panel was told: She described this action as meaning, Look at me when I am talking to you, focus on me and what I am saying as he looked away when she was talking to him.

[She said] that her son had not cried from her tapping the top of his hand, he started whining because she took the bottle away from him. She had not done it in anger or as a punishment.

She tapped him on the top of his hand to get his attention to explain to him the danger of playing with hand sanitiser as she was worried about what could happen to him. She was clear that she had not smacked him.

In May 2022, the trust sacked Ms Malabver-Goulbourne for gross misconduct.

The Trust expressly forbids any physical chastisement or contact of any kind, she was told.

Therefore, whether a tap or otherwise, this was unnecessary physical contact with a pupil, which constitutes an assault, and therefore a breach of policies and statutory guidance.

However, the judge in his ruling, said that the schools code of conduct does not prohibit all physical contact between pupils and teachers and pointed out that as a parent of pupils that would be a difficult rule for the head teacher to abide by.




Wednesday, July 3, 2024  UDA Nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda has come up with brilliant advice to embattled President William Ruto on how to bring the political pressure in the country down amid ongoing demonstrations by Gen Z.

According to Mutinda, Ruto should scrap the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and use the money to repay debts.

The Senator urged all MPs, regardless of political affiliation, to submit an amendment to scrap the kitty and reallocate the funds.

All Members of parliament need to scrap CDF; they need to get into parliament with the agenda of removing CDF. The funds should then be redirected to clear the National Debt, she stated.

Mutinda further argued that the protests which are being largely fuelled by the Gen-Z would stop if such stringent measures were adopted.

According to the Senator, another convincing action that would get the Kenyan Youth to calm down would be a Cabinet reshuffle.

However, she proposed that the President be allowed enough time to make the changes in his Cabinet.

This follows an uproar across several platforms where Kenyans have lamented about certain Cabinet members' incompetence.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 3, 2024  The government of President William Ruto has identified the real financiers of the Gen Z revolution causing ripples across the country.

According to reports, police are investigating six politicians, a businessman, and two Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for funding the ongoing demonstrations against Ruto and his government.

The six politicians are accused of mobilizing protestors from slums in the capital and other regions, infiltrating the planned peaceful demonstrations, and paying some of the protestors.

Additionally, they are accused of providing other forms of support, such as transport to and from the demonstrations.

Among those being investigated are a politician from Rift Valley, three from Nairobi, and two from Central Kenya. The businessman is also based in Rift Valley. The investigation includes both a local NGO and an international NGO.

The reports alleged that the politicians from Nairobi were accused of hiring goons from Kibera and Baba Dogo and holding night meetings for the protests while the one from Rift Valley was accused of paying the youth at his house in Nairobi.

The allegations of NGOs being part of the protests' financier come a week after Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei called upon the National Intelligence Service to rein in on the organizations.

Cherargei revealed that the police had pinpointed NGOs paying the organizers of the demonstrations.

Police are yet to make any arrests in relation to these allegations.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - Fresh details have emerged over how the Kenya Kwanza Alliance regime has stooped too low to the extent of hiring goons to destroy Nairobis Central Business District (CBD)

Following weeks of demonstrations organized by Gen Z over the controversial Finance Bill 2024, President William Ruto has been exposed and this has resulted in his regime employing unorthodox means to counter the protests.

During a security meeting over the weekend, Ruto's close advisors, including Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, authorised the hiring of goons to infiltrate Gen Z protests.

Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja and another pro-government MP were tasked with the job of hiring goons to destroy and loot Nairobis Central Business District (CBD)

The goons managed to loot businesses in the city, including Quick Mart Supermarket located at the Bus station in Nairobi.

The goons were hired by the county governor through his City Hall operatives.

President William Ruto was reportedly aware of the hiring of the goons

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - Photos of the official residence of Vihiga Governor, Wilbur Ottichilo, have surfaced on social media and sparked reactions among Kenyans.

Ottichilos residence is situated on a two-hectare parcel at Enderi in the Sabatia sub-county.

He built the home during his first time at a cost of Ksh 80 million.

During a local radio show, Ottichilo explained that as a governor, he needed an official residence where he could conduct his official businesses away from his private home.

Ottichilos residence resembles a hospital.

See photos.

















The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - The National Intelligence Service(NIS) is a shadow of its former self, going by how they are advising President William Ruto over the ongoing protests by Gen Z.

For the past few weeks, Gen Z has been demonstrating across major cities and towns against the punitive Finance Bill 2024, which the President withdrew last week.

In regards to these demos that have exposed Ruto and his regime, NIS has been offering the president intelligence briefs that have left the country shocked.

In one of the latest intelligence briefs, the Noordin Haji-led agency urged the President that the demonstrations are being financed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.

The NIS further told the President that Uhuru, Gachagua, and Owino are organsing transport for the youth to demonstrate in major cities.

What Haji and his NIS team don't realize is that the Gen Z protests are organic and not funded by anyone.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - A video has emerged of a National Police Service officer on the receiving end from goons who infiltrated the Gen Z protests in Nairobi on Tuesday.

The police officer, who had a gun, was surrounded by the hired goons who proceeded to assault him for allegedly tear-gassing peaceful demonstrators in Nairobis Central Business District (CBD)

The poor officer was rescued by concerned members of the public who prevailed upon the goons from finishing him up

Here is the video

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Wednesday, July 03, 2024 - Infamous British nurse, Lucy Letby has been found guilty of the attempted murder of a baby girl.

The 34-year-old convicted child killer has been found guilty of the murder of Baby K, much to the relief of the baby's parents after a jury failed to reach a verdict previously in August.

Letby was previously given 14 whole-life orders in prison at Manchester Crown Court for the murder of seven young babies and trying to murder six others, when she was working at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.

The jury found Letby guilty on Tuesday July 2 of trying to murder the very premature baby by dislodging her breathing tube 90 minutes after her birth.

It took the jury almost four hours to deliver their verdict following the four-week retrial.

As the guilty verdict was read out, Letby reportedly sat in the dock and showed no emotion on her face.

Baby K was targeted by Letby after she was moved from the delivery room to the neo-natal unit after her premature birth.

The prosecution said Letby interfered with Baby Ks breathing tube on two more occasions during the same shift to create the impression that Baby K was displacing her own tube.

The court heard how consultant paediatrician Dr Ravi Jayaram caught Letby virtually red-handed when he entered the neo-natal unit at 3.45am on February 17 2016.

He said he saw no evidence that Letby was doing anything to try and help Baby K as she stood by her incubator.

When Baby Ks oxygen levels dropped, he told the court he heard no call for help from Letby or alarms sounding.

The victim, Baby K was moved to a specialist hospital afterwards because of her premature birth but died three days later.

The baby's cause of death was certified as extreme prematurity and severe respiratory distress syndrome but a post-mortem examination was not carried out.

Letby told the jury that she had no recollection of this event and denied the offences she had been convicted of.

But almost two years later Letby searched Baby Ks surname on Facebook in April 2018.

Prosecutor Nick Johnson KC said this behaviour by Letby became a pattern.

Johnson told the court: The truth is that Lucy Letby had a fascination with the babies she had murdered and attempted to murder, and with their families. She took pleasure in her murderous handiwork.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Nicola Wyn Williams said: Lucy Letby has continually denied that she tried to kill this baby or any of the babies that she has been convicted of murdering or attempting to murder. The jury has heard all of the detailed evidence including from her in her own defence and formed its own view.

Our case included direct evidence from a doctor who walked into the nursery to find a very premature baby desaturating with Letby standing by, taking no action to help or to raise the alarm. She had deliberately dislodged the breathing tube in an attempt to kill her.

Staff at the unit had to think the unthinkable  that one of their own was deliberately harming and killing babies in their care.

Letby dislodged the tube a further two times over the following few hours in an attempt to cover her tracks and suggest that the first dislodgment was accidental. These were the actions of a cold-blooded, calculated killer.

The grief that the family of Baby K have felt is unimaginable. Our thoughts remain with them and all those affected by this case at this time.

Letby will be sentenced for the attempted murder of Baby K on July 5 at Manchester Crown Court.

In September, a public inquiry is set to be launched as to how Letby was able to commit her crimes.






Tuesday, July 02, 2024 - The ongoing countrywide anti-government demonstrations are now expected to fall after State House struck a deal with activists behind the protests.

It has now emerged that vocal activists Boniface Mwangi and Khalif Kairo were compromised by State House to stop their push to continue with the protests.

Boniface Mwangi and Khalif Khalif Kairo were previously vocal on social media calling for the removal of President William Ruto even after the President withdrew the controversial Finance Bill 2024 after deadly protests across the country against the new taxes in the Bill.

According to sources, the two were allegedly paid Sh15 million each to stop taking part in the protests and also end the Gen Z demands to occupy State House during their weekly protests.

Boniface and Khalif failed to turn up for the Gen Z protests on Tuesday after their State House deal which was sealed after President William Rutos round table TV interview.

Another Gen Z protests activist, Hanifa was also approached by State House but she declined the offer.

Hanifa later exposed those who agreed to take money to stop the demos and she even expressed her anger on the betrayal by the two on her X account.





The muslim activist known by the name Honey Farsafi on X platform is currently leading a charity campaign to fundraise money for medical bills in aid of the injured and killed youth in the demos.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has reported that, so far, 39 people have lost their lives in the anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests.

In a statement on Wednesday, June 26, KNCHR faulted the National Police Service for using excessive force on protesters.




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has explained the rationale behind the government's proposal to impose a levy on freehold land within urban areas and cities.

Speaking during an interview, Wahome explained that the withdrawn Lands Amendment Bill 2023 was aimed at creating equity among Kenyans who own land in cities such as Nairobi.

She revealed that most freehold land in Nairobi was in leafy suburbs such as Karen, Muthaiga, and Lavington.

Wahome detailed that the freehold system was inherited from the colonial administration and favoured white settlers.

Therefore, freehold landowners in such suburbs only pay land rates to the County Government.

Conversely, land in Eastlands and other middle-class estates is owned on a leasehold tenure with the owners paying land rates to the county governments in addition to land rent which is paid to the national government.

Therefore, the CS explained that it was unfair that some landowners in Nairobi were paying more than their counterparts in posh estates.

"In the cities, you enjoy extra services that are funded by the taxpayer. It cannot be okay for some people to pay for land within the urban areas and some people do not pay.

"For instance, in Buruburu one will pay land rate to the county government and land rent to the national government. We thought it was time to address the inequality," she explained.

On the other hand, Wahome acknowledged that there was a public uproar over the proposals, adding that there was a lot of misinformation regarding the proposals.

For starters, the CS indicated that the law was not aimed at changing freehold land to leasehold lands.

She added that the proposals were only targeting land in urban areas and cities.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Tuesday, July 02, 2024 - Influential Donald Trump ally, Steve Bannon, reported to prison on Monday, July 1 to serve a four-month sentence after he was convicted for defying a congressional subpoena from the committee that probed the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack.

Bannon arrived at a low-security federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, and spoke to reporters amid a cheering group of supporters.

He called himself a "political prisoner" and said his right-wing populist followers would spread his message while he served his sentence.

"I'm proud of going to prison today," Bannon said. "I have not only no regrets, I'm proud of what I did."

After addressing the cameras, Bannon entered a dark-coloured SUV that drove into the prison complex.

The sentence could keep Bannon imprisoned almost to Election Day.

Inmates in federal prison do not have access to the internet or social media, making it difficult for Bannon to communicate with fans of his "War Room" podcast.

His decision on Monday comes after he lost a last-ditch effort to stay out of prison when the Supreme Court rejected his request to delay his sentence while he exhausts the appeals process for his conviction.

He was sentenced to four months after being convicted in 2022 of two misdemeanour counts of contempt of Congress. He was charged after he refused to turn over documents or testify to a Democratic-led House of Representatives committee investigating the Capitol riot by Trump supporters who had sought to prevent congressional certification of Biden's 2020 election win.

Bannon was a key adviser to Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and then served as his chief White House strategist in 2017. Former President Trump is the Republican candidate challenging Democratic President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 U.S. election and Bannon's sentence might last till the start of the election.






Tuesday, July 02, 2024 - Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City and one-time celebrated prosecutor, has been disbarred in New York after being found guilty of making repeated false statements regarding the 2020 election.

The New York Appellate Court issued the decision on Tuesday, marking a significant fall from grace for Giuliani, who was once revered as a formidable U.S. prosecutor and later praised for his leadership in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks.

As the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Giuliani earned a reputation as a tough prosecutor who took on the mob. His prominence grew, culminating in being named Times Person of the Year in 2001.

The 31-page ruling partly read;

"Giuliani is disbarred from the practice of law, effective immediately, and until the further order of this Court, and his name stricken from the roll of attorneys and counselors-at-law in the State of New York.

The disciplinary charges stem from the allegations that respondent communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers, and the public at large in his capacity as lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump and the Trump campaign in connection with Trumps failed effort at reelection in 2020.

These false statements were made to improperly bolster respondents narrative that due to widespread voter fraud, victory in the 2020 United States presidential election was stolen from his client.

Giuliani's New York law license had already been suspended in June 2021 after the division determined that his claims of a stolen election from Donald Trump constituted a serious violation. This latest decision by the New York Appellate Court on Tuesday, July 2, cements his disbarment.

This disbarment marks a dramatic downfall for Giuliani, who was once hailed as a tough prosecutor against organized crime and lauded for his leadership in New York City following the 9/11 terror attacks.

Giuliani has arguably faced much wider repercussions for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election than Trump himself. He also faces disbarment in Washington, where the D.C. Bars Board of Professional Responsibility recently recommended that Giuliani be disbarred.

In May, Giuliani was suspended by WABC radio and had his show cancelled for continuing to make false statements about the 2020 election, which could have potentially opened the station up to legal liability.

Two Georgia poll workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, were awarded $148 million by a jury after a federal judge found Guiliani liable for falsely accusing them of election fraud, allegations which had zero factual basis. Because of surveillance video that had spurred conspiracy theorists online, Giuliani had falsely accused the mother-daughter duo of passing around USB drives like vials of heroin or cocaine, when, in fact, they were passing a ginger mint. The allegations set off a wave of racist attacks and threats against the pair.






Tuesday, July 02, 2024 - Ukraine has foiled an alleged plot to overthrow the government that would have played into Russias hands, Ukraine's Security Service has revealed.

In a Telegram post on Monday night, July 1, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claimed the alleged coup organizers planned to trigger a riot in Kyiv on June 30 as a distraction to seize control of the Ukrainian parliament and remove the military and political leadership from power.

Russia has waged a devastating full-scale invasion against its neighbour for nearly two and a half years but as of press time, it is unclear if Russia had any connection to the alleged coup attempt.

Four suspects have been identified, with two held in custody, the SBU said.

The suspects face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. The SBU said it seized weapons and ammunition, as well as cellphones, computers and other records with evidence of criminal action.

According to Ukraines Prosecutor Generals Office, the alleged coup leader rented a hall with a capacity of 2,000 people and recruited military personnel and armed guards from private companies to carry out the seizure of parliament. It is unclear if prosecutors are looking for more suspects.

To implement the criminal plan, the main organizer involved several accomplicesrepresentatives of the community organizations from Kyiv, Dnipro, and other regions, the SBU said.

The alleged plot in Kyiv comes as Russia has made battlefield gains in recent months, exploiting Ukraines reliance on the West for weapons.

Also, Russian forces killed seven people, including three children, in a missile strike on the southern town of Vilniansk on Saturday, according to Ukrainian officials, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to appeal for more long-range weapons.

I am grateful to all partners who are helping. And the decisions we need must be accelerated. Any delay in decisions in this war means losing human lives, Zelensky wrote on Telegram.




Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu has accused President William Ruto of poorly handling the demonstrations by the Gen Zs, saying he has no choice now but to resign.

Speaking during an interview, Waititu claimed that Ruto should consider resigning, owing to the unrelenting anti-government protests being experienced across the country.

"He will not be the first to be ousted, from Algeria to Tunisia the signs were similar. At the end of the day even this one (Ruto), he will have no other option but to go," he stated.

Besides, Waititu accused Ruto of unleashing brutal force against unarmed Gen Zs during protests, leading to several killings and injuries.

At the same time, Waititu explained that Ruto had failed to honor his numerous promises to Kenyans and did not offer Kenyans an explanation leading to the current unrest in the country.

The politician gave examples of other countries where Heads of State were impeached or forced to step down due to their failure to fulfill their promises to the electorate.

Waitutu noted that currently, Kenyans were now alert and aware that Ruto made false promises.

The former governor added that the unrest in the country was a result of many factors fuelled by the high cost of living experienced under the Kenya Kwanza regime.

He further criticized Ruto for not giving adequate responses when taken to task by Kenyans and gave the example of Ruto's first address to the nation after the protests staged last Tuesday.

"Instead of sympathising and sending condolences to the families whose children died, he was busy complaining about what had been destroyed," Waititu remarked.

Waititu emphasized Ruto was supposed to empathise with the citizens, apologise for his wrongdoings and outline a way forward.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Tuesday, July 02, 2024 - A young Melbourne woman, Manpreet Kaur, tragically died on a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Delhi, just hours before she was set to reunite with her family for the first time in four years.

Manpreet Kaur, a 24-year-old student with dreams of becoming a chef, boarded the flight on June 20 despite feeling unwell before arriving at the airport.

However, upon attempting to fasten her seatbelt, she collapsed and "died on the spot," according to her friend Gurdip Grewal.

The plane was still at the gate in Melbourne when cabin crew and emergency services rushed to assist her.

"When she got on the plane, she was struggling to put her seatbelt on," Grewal told the Herald Sun. "Just before her flight started, she fell in front of her seat and died on the spot."

It is believed that Ms Kaur likely succumbed to tuberculosis, an infectious disease primarily affecting the lungs, as reported by the Herald Sun.

Ms Kaur had been working at Australia Post while studying cookery, aiming to become a chef.

Her roommate, Kuldeep, described her as "kind and honest," adding, "She loved to travel with her friends around Victoria."

Manpreet Kaur was returning to India to see her parents for the first time since moving to Australia in March 2020.
As a physician, you are accustomed to thinking about the future and planning for the well-being of your patients. However, have you considered applying the same foresight to your financial future? Investing in residential assisted living (RAL) homes is an opportunity that offers both financial security and the chance to make a meaningful impact on the lives of seniors. Heres why RAL homes are an excellent investment now and for decades to come.

What are residential assisted living homes?

Residential assisted living homes (RAL homes) are properties designed to provide care and assistance to seniors who need help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and medication management. Unlike traditional nursing homes, RAL homes offer a more intimate and home-like environment, typically accommodating 5-16 residents, depending on location. This setting allows for personalized care and a higher quality of life for the residents.

The growing demand for residential assisted living

The demand for assisted living facilities is set to skyrocket due to demographic shifts. The baby boomer generation, 77 million strong, is rapidly aging. Every day, 10,000 baby boomers turn 65, and this trend will continue until 2030. Moreover, the U.S. Census Bureau projects that the number of Americans aged 65 and older will double to over 95 million by 2060. This surge in the elderly population will significantly increase the demand for long-term care facilities, including RAL homes. Currently, the U.S. is already short by about 1 million assisted living beds, a deficit expected to grow.

Why this demand matters

As the population ages, the need for quality assisted living options becomes more pressing. Many seniors prefer the comfort and familiarity of a home-like environment over large, institutional settings. The COVID-19 pandemic further emphasized this. RAL homes meet this need by offering a more personal and comfortable living situation with a higher caregiver-to-resident ratio, making them highly attractive to families seeking care for their elderly loved ones.

Transforming the assisted living landscape

As physicians and health care professionals, investing in RAL homes offers more than just financial returns. You have the unique opportunity to transform the assisted living care landscape by providing the compassionate, high-quality care that seniors deserve. Your medical background and commitment to patient care can help set a new standard in the industry, ensuring that elderly residents receive the best possible support in a nurturing environment, allowing them to live out their days in a community that cares.

Profit potential of residential assisted living homes

Outside of passively lending money or investing in a residential assisted living syndication, physicians who want to take a more active approach can consider two typical models:

1. The lease-to-operator model. In the lease-to-operator model, you, as the investor, own the property and lease it to an experienced operator who runs the assisted living business. This model provides a stable and predictable income through long-term commercial leases, typically ranging from three to five years. Depending on the class of the home, occupancy rates, and the quality of the operator, you can earn anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 per month in relatively passive income. The operator handles all the day-to-day management and maintenance of the home, reducing your responsibilities and increasing your cash flow. This hands-off approach is particularly appealing to busy physicians who want to invest in real estate without the demands of daily management.

2. The owner-operator model. If you prefer a more hands-on approach, you can choose to own and operate the RAL home yourself (or with a manager). This model has the potential for higher returns as you would retain all the profits from the business. By managing both the property and the operations, you can make from $5,000 to $15,000 per month or more, depending on occupancy and service levels offered. However, it also requires more time and involvement in the daily operations. You would need to manage staff, handle resident care, and ensure the property meets all regulatory requirements. While this approach demands a greater commitment, it offers the satisfaction of directly impacting the lives of seniors and their families.

Residential assisted living homes represent an unparalleled investment opportunity for physicians to ride the silver tsunami while generating substantial cash flow and providing exceptional care.

Alex Schloe is a family physician.
The Police have arrested a man suspected of hacking a 4-year-old boy to death at Takajjunge village, Mukono district.

The suspect identified as Dauda Jjumba, is reported to have killed Adam Matovu and dumped his body in a pit latrine.

A neighbour said the incident happened last week when a stranger was seen scaling over a perimeter wall and after a chase, he dumped a bag in which they found a blood-stained knife. In the aftermath, a child from a neighboring village was reported missing before his body was found in a pit latrine.

Luke Owoyesigyire, the Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson confirms the arrest.

We have made arrest of one suspect who is helping us in the investigation, Dauda Jumba and we have managed to recover a bag, knife and some samples of the suspected blood stains, these will be submitted to our experts to help us in identifying weather this suspect actively participated Owoyesigyire said.
Tirlan, Irelands leading food and nutrition business, has unveiled a new Governance Academy as part of its ongoing work to build a diverse and vibrant farmer representative structure for the future.

The new bespoke educational programme will set even higher standards for governance excellence for the farmer-owned co-operative.

Tirlan Chairperson John Murphy highlighted the important role the new Governance Academy will take in helping to build a deeper knowledge of the Tirlan organisation for the future.

Weve launched the Governance Academy to provide our members with the tools and knowledge they need to excel in their governance roles to represent their fellow farmers. By investing in the Governance Academy, we are strengthening our foundation for sustainable growth and innovation," said John Murphy.

It will offer educational opportunities for members that wish to fulfil governance roles within the representative structure and it follows the endorsement by Members last year for a series of proposals to enhance and modernise our Co-op, delivering greater gender-balance and involvement of our younger farmers.

The exciting new collaboration between Tirlan, University College Cork (UCC) and the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) represents Tirlans latest step in fostering a culture of responsible governance and leadership excellence.

The Governance Academy is structured in Tiers which will facilitate a gradual entry / re-entry to study and encompass development up to and including Board level. It will provide the opportunity to achieve academic awards accredited by UCC.

The first intake of 25 farmers includes non-shareholders, primarily sons and daughters of existing shareholder suppliers. They were chosen from among over 100 expressions of interest for the inaugural programme.

The course involves a blend of in-person workshops, online webinars, interactive case studies and expert-led discussions to deliver a dynamic and engaging learning experience that encompasses key aspects of co-op governance.

Participants will also have access to industry-leading experts, thought leaders and peer networking opportunities, providing invaluable insights and perspectives on governance challenges and opportunities facing the dairy and grains sector.

Im delighted to be involved in Tirlans Governance Academy as I have recently joined my local regional committee, North Kilkenny," said Anne-Marie Doheny, Tirlan dairy farmer.

As both a dairy farmer and a lecturer in agriculture, I know first-hand the power of education not only to develop knowledge and personal confidence but also to build a social connection amongst my peers. As one of the 11,000 shareholders that own Tirlan, I cant wait to learn more about my Co-op.
MSN reports:

George Latimer defeated New York Representative Jamaal Bowman in the most expensive congressional primary in US history, a race that exposed the stark divisions within the Democratic Party over the Israel-Hamas war. Latimer, Westchester Countys top elected official, was leading Bowman by 55.8% to 44.3% with 71% of the votes counted in New Yorks 16th Congressional district, according to the Associated Press.

Good.

Bowmans standing may have been hurt by his sometimes bizarre behavior. He authored blog posts that appeared to give credence to 9/11 conspiracy theories. Last year he was charged with a misdemeanor after pulling a fire alarm in the US Capitol building as members of Congress were attempting to cast a vote. And his recent rally with Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders was held in the South Bronx, which isnt in his district. Its very hard for an incumbent to lose. And Congressman Bowman did everything possible to make that happen, J.C. Polanco, a political analyst and professor of ethnic and race studies at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, said in an interview before the race was called. His team committed incredible political malpractice.

Heres some of what Bowman has done or said:

Set off a fire alarm to delay a vote

Was one of 10 votes against a resolution supporting Israel after the 7 October terrorist attacks

Claimed allegations of rape of Israeli women by Hamas attackers was a lie

Promoted 9/11 conspiracy theories

followed an array of unhinged YouTube accounts that promoted everything from flat-earth content to claims about aliens and time travel to Chinese and Russian disinformation.

No longer supports a two state solution for Israel and Palestine (wants Jews as a minority in a Palestinian state)

Called his Democratic challenger an anti-Black racist

Share this: Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Reddit

WhatsApp

More

Pinterest

Print

Tumblr


Randall Fox faces five criminal charges related to the discovery of two people found dead in a basement on Ridgemont Drive on May 21.
By Pyo Kyung-min

KAMPALA, Uganda  The Inter-Religious Family Festival 2024, an inaugural event hosted by the U.S.-based nonprofit organization Global Peace Foundation (GPF), successfully drew curtains with some 20,000 attendees at Uganda's Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, Saturday.

The festival, held in collaboration with the GPF and the Ugandan government, was organized under the theme of "Celebrating Family, Faith, Freedom: One Family Under God for African Renaissance," inviting citizens of all ages, including middle and high schoolers.

Staying true to its theme, the event began with performances from various cultural and religious groups, followed by opening sessions featuring interfaith fellowship and testimonies from families that highlighted how extended family values benefit society. This included speeches from different religious leaders, such as Apostle Serwadda Joseph, Rev. Mukonzo Nyongeza and Sheikh Nasib Musenene.

A standout moment of the festival was when Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was greeted with enthusiastic cheers from the Ugandan people upon his arrival.

During his speech, Museveni emphasized the values of the traditional African family, which include fearing God, respecting the spirits of ancestors, caring for living family members, creating wealth, producing and caring for children, respecting and obeying parents and valuing education.

"Even traditionally, you had to learn how to fight, but also some people learned other things like Emyooga (Ugandan dialect meaning specialized skills groups), such as skills, farming and defense," he said.

He also noted that religions brought by foreigners have added value to African traditions.

"These religions did not come to replace our base but to enrich it, and when you take it like that, you will not go wrong. The modern religions such as Christianity, Islam and others added value to whatever we are doing," Museveni emphasized.

He acknowledged, however, that some traditional practices had weaknesses that needed to be addressed.

"The traditional way had some weaknesses which we must get rid of like the mistreatment of women, rivalism among families, among others."

Museveni further advised young people to take life seriously to ensure a bright future and cautioned them against engaging in immoral acts.

"Don't play with your life; you need to be very strict with it. When you are young, respect your parents, study and help your parents at home. Parents should also expose their children to life and work," he said.

Ubuntu values

Kambula Milton, peace service ambassador and president of the GPF's Uganda chapter, also took the stage to emphasize the importance of family in building a peaceful and prosperous society.

"We are truly one family under God  And it is through this understanding that we can achieve a world free of conflict, poverty and violence," Milton said, expressing gratitude to the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) and the GPF for their roles in coordinating the event.

Milton highlighted Uganda's recognition of its 10,000-year-old civilization and its commitment to promoting shared values of Ubuntu, which refers to the African philosophy of humanity to others, such as living for the greater good, compassion, sharing, forgiveness and love.

"We will not behave contrary to what is in the scripture  We must do what God designed us to do in the original composition and menu of humanity," he said.

GPF founder and Chairperson Hyun Jin Preston Moon also gave a keynote speech during the festival in his typically powerful, cheer-eliciting manner.

"The purpose of creation is family; a family of a man and a woman who are co-creating with God in building His kingdom, and that is one family under God," Moon said, revealing the foundation's vision.

Closing the event were the Ugandan president and Moon jointly signing the Family Vision Statement from Africa, accompanied by GPF International President James Flynn, IRCU Council of Presidents and Ugandan first lady Janet Museveni who doubles as Minister of Education and Sports. They pledged to uphold the values of unity, compassion, forgiveness and peace for the ultimate renaissance of the African continent.
Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday it has completed construction of an electric vehicle (EV) battery plant built jointly with LG Energy Solution in Indonesia, allowing the Korean automotive giant a fully-integrated EV production system in the Southeast Asian nation.

Hyundai Motor Group said it held a completion ceremony for the Hyundai LG Indonesia Green Power (HLI Green Power) battery plant in Karawang New Industry City, a manufacturing hub located in East Jakarta of the Southeast Asian country.

The group's separate car manufacturing plant in Indonesia plant will begin mass production of the KONA Electric EV starting this month using battery cells produced by HLI Green Power, Hyundai said.

From the opening of HLI Green Power, Hyundai Motor Group said it has established a local integrated production system in Indonesia  from EV battery cells to finished vehicles  allowing a strategic advantage in the Southeast Asian EV market beyond Indonesia.

According to Hyundai, HLI Green Power has started production since the second quarter of this year.

The completion ceremony was held in the presence of 300 dignitaries and guests from Indonesia and Korea.

They included Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, as well as Korean Trade Minister Chung In-kyo, Euisun Chung, executive chair of Hyundai Motor Group, Chang Jae-hoon, CEO and president of Hyundai Motor Co., and LG Energy Solution CEO Kim Dong-myung.

In his congratulatory speech, Chung said the completion of the plant and the mass production of the Kona Electric in the country were the fruits of the collaboration between Hyundai Motor Group and Indonesia.

He added Hyundai Motor and Indonesia are shaping the future of the EV ecosystem together, not only in Asia but globally, while setting new standards for potential customers in the Southeast Asian region.

Chung also pledged that his automotive group will further strengthen cooperation with the nation in other areas as well, including in hydrogen solution and future air mobility.

Spanning a total area of 320,000 square meters, HLI Green Power houses electrode processing, assembly and activation processes facilities, and has an annual output capacity of 10 gigawatt-hours, sufficient for over 150,000 EVs.

The battery cells produced here will be used not only in EVs manufactured at Hyundai's Indonesian plant but also in various Hyundai and Kia models in other countries.

The Kona Electric is the second EV model to be produced at Hyundai's Indonesian plant, following the Ioniq 5. Hyundai anticipates the Kona Electric to play a significant role in the growth of the Indonesian EV market.

Under a goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, Indonesia has announced an ambitious policy to foster its EV industry, including a target to produce 600,000 EVs by 2030. (Yonhap)
A new Disney+ original capturing the latest trip by BTS members Jimin and Jungkook before their military enlistment will captivate fans with its release next month.

"Are You Sure?!" set to premiere Aug. 8, highlights the strong chemistry of the duo, known affectionately as Busanz, owing to their Busan origins, BigHit Music, the group's agency, said Wednesday.

Jimin and Jungkook have been serving in the Korean military since December last year.

Their latest journey together takes them from the United States to Jeju Island in Korea and then to Sapporo in Japan.

The unplanned nature of their trip leads to various situations where they frequently ask each other, "Are you sure?" Throughout their travels, they enjoy simple daily pleasures and engage in outdoor adventures, such as camping, canoeing and road trips.

A teaser video and season poster have been released on BTS' official social media channels, showcasing photos from different locations of their trip.

One poster shows Jimin and Jungkook kayaking on an American lake, conveying a cool and refreshing vibe.

"Are You Sure?!" will feature eight episodes, with the first two episodes premiering on the launch date. The subsequent episodes will be released every Thursday starting Aug. 15. (Yonhap)
By KTimes

Han So-hee has surprised her fans by lopping off her long locks in favor of a chic shoulder-length new cut. She shared a striking selfie on her Instagram on Tuesday, showcasing her new haircut paired with bold smokey makeup and a sultry expression, exuding a chic charm.

Fans responded enthusiastically to her new look with comments like "Even with short hair, you look beautiful. Love you, So-hee!," "Short hair suits you well," and "Your sexy and carefree vibe is incredible."

Additionally, a fashion magazine, W Korea featured her on the cover of their July issue, highlighting her photoshoot for a collaboration with an exclusive French jewelry brand in a village in Southern France.

The shoot captured her unique aura, mesmerizing gaze, and professional poise, showcasing her versatility and commanding presence.

Han is set to star in the upcoming Netflix original series "Gyeongseong Creature Season 2." She has also been cast alongside Jeon Jong-seo in "Project Y," a tentatively titled noir drama set in Seoul's Gangnam District.

This article is translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.
By Lee Gyu-lee

Korea's obsession with education is no secret. The eagerness of students and their parents for prestigious schools has triggered cutthroat competition for college admissions here. This, naturally, has led to the flourishing of private education with institutions such as "hagwon," or private educational academies, being incredibly sought after.

JTBC's series "Sky Castle" became a sensational hit in 2018, captivating the country with its close-up look into the lives of upper-class families striving to secure their children's academic success.

Since then, content depicting overeager "tiger parents" and the struggles of students have often been portrayed in series such as "The Penthouse: War in Life" (2020-21), "High Class" (2021) and "Green Mothers' Club" (2022).

However, when the tvN series "Crash Course in Romance" rolled out last year, offering another aspect of Korea's intense educational competition, the spotlight shifted toward hagwon instructors, stirring the curiosity of viewers about the life of those who are the pillars of the private education field.

The romantic comedy series follows a single mom (Jeon Do-yeon) falling in love with a celebrity math instructor (Jung Kyung-ho). Immensely popular, it combines a feel-good romane with a look into the competitive lives of instructors responsible for students' grades  key to their future success  and the coming-of-age stories of the students themselves.

Jung, who played a sensitive but dedicated celebrity instructor, shared that he had researched the real-life classes of hagwon instructors for two months to learn the unfamiliar world and help create his character.

Following the success of "Crash Course in Romance," more stories of hagwon instructors have emerged, including the drama film "The Daechi Scandal," which hit theaters in June, and the melodrama series "The Midnight Romance in Hagwon," which started airing in May.

Another series, "War of Daechi-dong's Number Ones" (tentative title), about top-tier, high-paid instructors' lives and their challenges headlined by Kim Ah-joong, is under development.

Pop culture critic Kim Sung-soo noted that such a shift is a mere reflection of the country's current society, backed by a surge in creative freedom with the rise of streaming services.

"Drama content, or popular cultural content, is like a mirror that shows us our reality. It reflects how much our society's perception of education has changed  In the past, private education was reserved for wealthy people, and it wasn't a time when everyone could widely have access to tutoring. But now, (it's different), so dramas have begun to reflect these generational changes," he told The Korea Times.

"In some ways, back when terrestrial broadcasters still held a monopoly, they couldn't feature top instructors due to the absurd criticism that it might promote private education. But now, it's the (streaming) era."

He explained that particular stories, specific to Korean culture, trigger interest not only domestically but also on a global level.

"There is a peculiar boundary that Korean society has created, and I often say this boundary acts as a pathway that helps increase (foreigners') interest in Korean society. Hence, this characteristic is the DNA of Korean content," the critic said.

"Due to excessive competition, Korean society is currently structured to have private education play a significant role in helping individuals overcome each hurdle. This means a substantial portion of educational expenses are pushed onto individuals. And people around the world find this situation very intriguing, which makes them look at our society and serves as a differentiating factor of our content from theirs."

"The Midnight Romance in Hagwon" finished on Sunday with its highest viewership rating recorded at 6.6 percent. The series follows the romance between a star Korean language instructor (Jung Ryeo-won) and her former student and fellow instructor (Wi Ha-joon) while working together in the epicenter of private education: the Daechi neighborhood in Gangnam.

The series' writer, Park Kyung-hwa, shared that she intended to shed light on the behind-the-scenes lives of the instructors who work around their students' school schedules to help them improve their academic outcomes.

"Most hagwon instructors can have their personal lives only after 10 p.m. They live on a completely different schedule from ordinary office workers. The poster of the series, showing a small stove lit up in a dark hagwon while only a few shops are open, suggests their way of life," she said.

"As the two characters pursue their love, they also question their identities as instructors and ponder the duties and roles of a teacher. I hope the paradox of seeking the path to good education in the heart of the private education hub is conveyed well."

Critic Kim noted the relatable portrayals of instructors, who are perceived as unique, have developed as a tool to stir up conversation regarding education in Korean society, something the nation has been struggling with.

"The lives of top instructors seem very special, yet they also encompass universal aspects of human life. This makes their lives both fascinating and relatable. So, they are excellent subjects for popular culture content," he said.

"What's interesting is that the ways of depicting these top instructors have become increasingly sophisticated, now directly addressing fundamental educational issues. In the past, these unique professionals were primarily used as intriguing plots. However, now they are actively used as a lens to explore and question societal issues."
By Yoon Ja-young

As a manufacturing powerhouse that relies on exports, Korea needs experts in trade financing. Otherwise, mistakes and errors could occur during complicated procedures, incurring unnecessary costs.

The Certificate for Documentary Credit Specialists (CDCS), which verifies ones expertise in trade financing, is thus gaining a spotlight. Many global banks require document reviewers to hold CDCS certification, which proves a comprehensive understanding of the products, parties, processes and rules that underpin documentary credit transactions.

Jointly developed by the International Chamber of Commerce and the London Institute of Banking and Finance, CDCS was introduced in Korea by Kim Sang-kyung, president of the Korea Institute of International Finance. It marks its 25th anniversary here this year. Those wishing to get the certificate can take courses at the institute and apply for the CDCS.

The Asian financial crisis made Koreans realize that even banks can falter. The best preparation against such a crisis that can repeat at any time is to invest in education of employees, just as manufacturing companies invest in R&D. I decided that nurturing trade financing experts is essential for Korea to become a developed country, Kim told The Korea Times.

Currently acknowledged in some 120 countries around the world, the certificate has been bestowed on more than 30,000 professionals so far. Nearly 12,000 people hold this certification in China, while there are over 3,500 in India. Korea has over 2,600 professionals with this certificate, most of whom work in major banks.

Global trade has become complicated. It became challenging to verify trading partners, prices and the nature of goods, as well as keeping updated on changing trade rules and sanctions. Consequently, a thorough document review became essential for banks when signing international trade documents, Kim said.

People used to learn from their more experienced colleagues in the past, but this was only a temporary solution. Banks prefer employees who can demonstrate the appropriate level of competence, particularly when significant money and the bank's reputation are at stake, she stressed.

It isnt easy to get the certificate  only about 60 percent of those who apply for the certificate succeed.

But the certificate is definitely worth the hard work, Kim said.
CEOs from 16 securities firms deliver tax concerns to FSS chief

By Anna J. Park

CEOs from 16 securities companies have requested financial authorities to reconsider the implementation of the controversial Financial Investment Income Tax scheduled for early next year.

During their meeting with Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) Governor Lee Bok-hyun in Seoul, Wednesday, the 16 brokerage firms jointly expressed their concerns about the practical difficulties of rolling out the new tax scheme at the start of next year.

They cited several issues, including the lack of detailed tax collection standards, which makes it virtually impossible for companies to preemptively prepare their systems. They also highlighted the challenges of accurately calculating profit and loss due to limitations in information sharing between institutions. Additionally, the firms pointed out potential customer declines at small and medium-sized brokerage firms due to the inconvenience of tax payment sytems, and the reduction of investment resources available to investors.

The 16 securities companies that attended the meeting included 14 Korean firms  Mirae Asset, NH, Korea Investment & Securities, Samsung, KB, Shinhan, Meritz, Hana, Kiwoom, Daishin, Kyobo, Hanwha, Kakao and Toss  and two foreign firms, JPMorgan and UBS.

Conveying such concerns to the head of the state-run financial regulator, the CEOs emphasized that the implementation of the financial investment income tax should be postponed until necessary improvements are made.

They suggested that the investment income tax payment system be modified to the current method used to collect capital gains tax on foreign stocks. Some CEOs also advocated for a complete reconsideration of the tax from scratch, if the government truly aims to invigorate the domestic capital and stock markets.

The FSS chief responded that he would faithfully reflect the brokerage industry's opinions in market supervision.

At the same time, Lee urged the CEOs to continue to play a significant role in stabilizing real estate project financing, assume greater accountability to strengthen internal controls and stably establish a short selling electronic system as a matter of necessity.

"It is necessary for securities companies to shift their focus from real estate and alternative assets and take on a greater role in supplying high-quality capital to innovative venture companies in areas such as AI and big data, which will drive the country's future growth," the FSS governor said during the meeting.

He also urged the CEOs  the final parties in charge of internal control matters  to make their utmost efforts to prevent their employees from committing financial crimes, in hopes of changing the industry's highly concerning track record of embezzlement cases.
Asia-focused PEF acquires Japanese vitamin maker to bolster health care portfolio

By Anna J. Park

MBK Partners, one of the largest private equity firms focusing on East Asia, will acquire Alinamin Pharmaceutical, a Japanese supplement maker, from U.S.-headquartered investment giant Blackstone for around 3 trillion won ($2.1 billion), industry sources said.

Investment banking sources told The Korea Times that MBK Partners is slated to sign a stock purchase agreement (SPA) with Blackstone in the U.S. on Wednesday, local time.

MBK Partners' acquisition of the Japanese drug maker illustrates the private equity firm's strategic focus on enhancing its investment portfolio in the health care sector, which it sees as a pivotal opportunity amid an aging population in the region.

The East Asia-focused private equity firm has made it clear in its previous annual letters to investors that it views aging as a major demographic trend in Northeast Asia including Korea, Japan and China, and has been seeking opportunities through active acquisitions in the sector.

Earlier this month, MBK Partners participated in preliminary bidding for the sale of the Japanese pharmaceutical company, alongside other global private equity firms, reportedly including CVC Capital and EQT Partners.

In 2020, Blackstone acquired Japan's Takeda Consumer Healthcare Company Limited  which was later renamed Alinamin Pharmaceutical  from its parent company Takeda Pharmaceutical for around 242 billion Japanese yen. The company is now calculated at around $1.49 billion, or about 2 trillion Korean won.

A leading provider of over-the-counter medicines in Japan for over six decades, the company's flagship vitamin drug Alinamin, has been a staple product in Japanese households.

The investment banking industry sees MBK's acquisition as aiming to target not only the local markets in Japan, but also the potential to expand into overseas markets.

The Japanese supplement maker has posted a rapid level of growth through additional mergers and acquisitions since it was taken over by Blackstone four years ago.

This year alone, MBK Partners has closed two deals worth billions of dollars in the health care sector with Blackstone. In April, MBK Partners signed an SPA with the U.S. investment firm to acquire Geo-Young, the largest pharmaceutical wholesaler in Korea.

Last year, the private equity firm acquired dental scanner solution provider Medit and dental implant company Osstem Implant, strengthening its health care-focused investment portfolio.
The financial regulator imposed record fines Wednesday on two global investment banks (IBs) in Korea for illegal stock short selling.

The Financial Services Commission (FSC) said it has imposed a combined 27.17 billion won ($19.6 million) in fines on UBS AG and Credit Suisse Singapore.

UBS AG, while previously operating as Credit Suisse AG, placed naked short selling orders for over 160,000 shares of some 20 listed firms in the country between April 2021 and June 2022, while Credit Suisse Singapore placed naked short selling orders worth over 60 billion won between November 2021 and June 2022, according to the FSC.

The imposed fines "marked the largest amount imposed since the country introduced a fine system for illegal stock short selling in April 2021," it said in a press release.

The financial regulator has been inspecting 14 major global IBs here since late 2023 after detecting illegal stock short selling activities at two investment banks.

The FSC earlier said it has since detected alleged illegal short selling activities at nine IBs.

Stock short selling has been temporarily banned since November 2023. The ban was earlier scheduled to be lifted at the end of June but has been extended until March 30, 2025. (Yonhap)
Bestselling 'Crying in H Mart' author to trace her year-long Korean language journey in upcoming book

By Park Han-sol

Throughout her early life, Michelle Zauners biennial summer escape to Korea was a journey filled with stuffy heat, live seafood dishes and her halmonis (grandmother) cozy three-bedroom apartment.

These trips from her home in Oregon to Seoul were a consistent thread connecting Zauner, a biracial Asian American child, to the Korean side of her family. During the six-week visits, she and her mother would stay with her halmoni and two aunts, filling the already snug apartment with jubilant "hwatu" card game nights and the fermented, garlic-infused aromas of homemade dishes.

This cherished summertime ritual was upended in her teens after her grandmothers death. And just years later, Zauner, in her early 20s, faced the loss of both her mother and aunt to cancer.

From 2014 onward, she immersed herself in a series of creative pursuits  the endeavors that served not only to navigate the waves of grief but to gather "evidence that the Korean half of my identity didnt die when they did."

She penned the soul-stirring New York Times bestseller Crying in H Mart (2021), memorializing her fraught and volatile relationship with her late mother as the two wandered lost without fully recognizing their cultural divide. Under the band Japanese Breakfast, she crafted dreamy music as both an ode to her pain and a celebration of eventual joy, culminating in two Grammy nominations for her third album, "Jubilee."

And perhaps most profoundly, she sought out food that embodied memories hovering on the brink of fading away.

For a long time, I couldnt remember my mother before she was sick because the last concentrated period I spent with her was as her caregiver. That was really heartbreaking for me, Zauner told The Korea Times in an interview held before a talk at the recently-ended Seoul International Book Fair, her first major literary event in the country.

Then, when I started going to H Mart [the Korean American supermarket chain], I found a can of pat [red bean] and suddenly had a very visceral image of my mother in a sundress, looking very healthy with long hair, grinding an ice machine and laughing as she made patbingsu [red bean shaved ice].

That was when it hit her: if she kept coming back to these aisles, stuffed with fermented sauces, dried seafood and bundles of scallions, she could reclaim with her body the spirited image of her now-gone mother  in the kitchen, in the garage with a camp stove and in the living room of her grandmothers apartment.

So, she returned again and again to savor those flavors that encapsulated her memories.

I realized if I dont do this kind of upkeep, I was going to lose this part of myself. For me, it was like cultural maintenance, the 35-year-old recalled.

Zauner's commitment to cultural preservation now includes learning the Korean language. She has immersed herself in Seoul, living the life of what she describes as a "humble Korean student" for nearly six months, studying at Sogang University's Korean Language Education Center.

In fact, she is planning her second book to document her year-long adventure of acquiring a second language, one that had always existed as a distant echo in her life. Its pages will also be sprinkled with funny anecdotes of what its like to be a 35-year-old Grammy nominee among a bunch of students much younger than me, the author said with a chuckle.

When youre learning to speak another language, your personality starts to change a lot, because you have to be very careful with your words. Words that you know are so much smaller than everyone elses, and they become very valuable, she added.

A full year in Korea is the longest period she has ever spent in her mothers homeland. No longer just a brief summer family vacation destination, the country has now become entirely hers to explore and discover.

A big part of the new book is going to be about finding my own version of Korea in the alternative creative scene and the queer community  parts of the country that my mom and my family would have never experienced or exposed me to, she said.

Most recently, this journey of discovery is what led her to perform onstage alongside female indie musicians, Lee Min-hwi and Lee Lang, at the Asian Pop Festival in Incheon, where the three belted out the mellow 90s hit, A Million Roses.

Being surrounded by Korean friends has also helped her reflect on her mother and her expressions of parental affection in a new light  an experience that she didnt get to have growing up as the only Asian American kid at a school in suburban Eugene, Oregon.

All that time, I thought it was just my mom being a difficult person until I heard from them that there are other Korean daughters and mothers who have this kind of issue, she recalled. She wasnt the only daughter getting yelled at whenever she bought her mother a gift. She wasnt the only one navigating life under an overbearing yet devoted eye.

That was really comforting to know, but also a little sad. If I knew that as a younger person, I could have understood her better. Our relationship could have been easier.

This October marks the 10th anniversary of her mother Chongmis passing. And Zauner feels like her grief is always changing.

I dont think theres anything that you can do but ride that emotion, she noted. Now, when it comes to me, Im honestly very grateful because it reminds me that I loved someone so much that my body is still feeling it. Holding on to these emotions is the closest way I can keep her with me.

And if her writing can bring any comfort to someone going through that inevitable experience and finding bits and pieces of themselves within the pages, she added, she can die happily, feeling she has served a purpose in this world.
By Park Jin-hai

Is the summer heat getting unbearable, making you crave a thrill that chills you to the bone?

Here are some horror experiences  immersive and terrifyingly real  that will make you beat the heat for a while. Forget horror movies and be prepared to confront your deepest fears in a mysterious and nail-biting adventure that will leave you breathless.

Junji Ito's 'Horror House'

"Please press the emergency stop button if you wish to exit (during the tour)," announces the guide before entering the experience zone, as screams echo from the shadows just beyond the entrance.

The Japanese horror manga artist's immersive exhibition "Junji Ito Horror House" begins with visitors forming a single line, each holding onto a rope, as they step into the artwork. With candles flickering in front of them, Junji Ito's most popular manga protagonist, Tomie, an immortal femme fatale, whispers, "I want you to die for me."

Clutching the rope for guidance and comfort, groups of five or six visitors venture into the pitch-black exhibition hall, embarking on a chilling maze exploration.

The exhibition features spaces themed after various manga, including "The Long Hair in the Attic," "The Long Dream," "The Story of the Mysterious Tunnel," "Tomie's Photos," "Groaning Drain Pipes," "Soichi's Beloved Pet" and "The Hanging Balloons."

Visitors walk through a room filled with books that touch their toes, and when they open the door to a darkroom filled with red light, they feel as if they have stepped into the middle of one of Ito's manga.

Seo Ye-jin, 19, a big Ito fan since high school, said she likes Ito's Uzumaki series, Soichi and the Tomie series the most.

"The dubbing of 'Tomie' was especially good. The voice actor sounded exactly like their Japanese counterpart  same tone, pitch, even the way they spoke. It was like they pulled out all the stops to capture every detail," Seo said.

"Just as I watch horror movies, I think visual stimulation is the biggest appeal of this experience. It's like a rush of dopamine. It's like enjoying spicy food. I seem to like the feeling of being hunched up and scared."

During the 15-minute experience  which can last longer if the first one holding the rope is hesitant to open each door leading to the next experience or wants to immerse in the artist's world longer  visitors can meet actors portraying creepy manga characters including the two-faced Tomie as well as grotesque works of the artist.

After the immersive experience zone, visitors can also see the original drawings and scripts of the artist who has drawn inspiration from traditional Japanese folklore and supernatural elements. In the interview, streamed from the television screen placed in one corner, Ito says his horror works could be categorized as "the scariest thing is people" genre and politely adds, "Please enjoy the horror."

Alexis Cabada, 25, from the United States, said as soon as she saw this exhibition on Instagram, she decided that she simply had to see it. "I don't think we have exhibitions like this in America. I've assumed it was just like exhibitions with pictures showing how it was created. It wasn't until I walked in and we got the rope (I recognized how immersive it was). It's really cool to go inside. It's like a haunted house." she said, adding that "Gyo" series is her favorite. "It was really like immersive and it's really surprising to figure out how everything was incorporated."

Ito's Seoul exhibition, available for ages 14 and up, runs until Sept. 8 at LC Tower DEUX, near Hongik University Station.

Supernatural experience at OPCI

For those craving supernatural chills over cheap jump scares, the Organization for Psychic Case Investigation (OPCI) is the place to be.

This immersive horror experience throws you into the world of the "OPCI, the World's First Paranormal Investigation Agency." Donning an outfit straight out of the 1980s, your guide ushers you in, detailing the OPCI's illustrious 400-year history since its founding in 1624. The unsettling atmosphere is amplified by the backdrop  a chilling display of photographs depicting past test subjects, smeared red stains hinting at violence, outdated mobile phones and severed fingers.

After the organizers equip you with heart rate monitors, you, as the applicants recruited for the agency's field trip, embark on this chilling adventure. The mission takes visitors through a series of rooms that are filled with scary sights and sounds. Leveraging the power of AI-generated images, virtual reality technology and other immersive media, such as holograms and projection mapping, the OPCI goes beyond cheap thrills, transporting the visitor to a realm of unsettling and otherworldly horror.

The entire experience, for people aged 15 and up, takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. It is currently open to the public at Times Square mall in Yeongdeungpo District in southwestern Seoul.

Haunted Korean Folk Village

Korean Folk Village, a history theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, offers Korean-themed horror experiences. "Salguiok" (A Haunted Prison) is set in the fictional village of Sindanggol that has been transformed into a haunted prison by an evil shaman.

Participants, in groups of four to six, navigate a winding 400-meter path through the village, encountering various scenes of horror and the ghouls that inhabit Salguiok. Along the way, they must solve puzzles and perform tasks in order to progress through the experience and escape Salguiok alive.

Be prepared for intense and unpredictable scares as ghost actors, strategically placed throughout the village, utilize a variety of techniques to startle and frighten participants. These include sudden appearances, loud noises and even physical contact. The experience also makes use of sensory elements such as strobe lights, fog machines and creepy sounds to heighten the sense of dread and anticipation.

When you successfully escape the prison, you can get a "bujeok," or a paper talisman imbued with spiritual energy.

If you prefer a lesser fearful experience, you can also book for "Gwigul: Hyeolansikgwi" (A Haunted Den). This haunted house experience takes place in a dimly lit indoor, set in a Joseon-era village ravaged by famine. The pungent aroma of decay wafts from the abandoned houses, their vacant windows like vacant eyes staring into the abyss. The air is thick with an unsettling stillness, broken only by the creaking of ancient timbers and the occasional rustle of unseen creatures. Dare to enter a world where shadows whisper secrets and the unknown lurks around every corner.

Both experiences, lasting for about 15 to 20 minutes, are available for those aged 13 and up and are running only on Fridays, weekends and holidays until Nov. 10.
Korea has declared its super-low birthrate a "national emergency" and poured billions into encouraging citizens to marry and reproduce, but one YouTuber has found happiness and success promoting the opposite ideal.

At her home in rural Korea, Seen Aromi practices yoga, sleeps in as long as she wants and encourages her more than 200,000 YouTube followers to not feel afraid, ashamed or guilty about being single.

"Not getting married is my greatest achievement," 37-year-old Seen told AFP, saying that she had never seen becoming a "good" wife or mother as the ultimate purpose of her life.

"They say it's a 'disaster'" that women are not having children in Korea, she said, referring to official concern over the looming demographic crisis in the country, which has the world's lowest birth rate and a rapidly aging population.

"But when I think about the potential downsides of not having children, (for me) there is nothing," she added.

Seen wrote about the joy she found in opting out of society's expectations and embracing solo living, and her book  "I Can't Help but Live Well On My Own"  has become a surprise hit.

It briefly topped a major bestseller chart in Korea, with an enthusiastic response not only from other single women in their 30s, but also from an older generation, including people who had been widowed or divorced.

She enthused in the book about having "the freedom to be as lazy as I want" and not being criticized for it.

"While some people might marry because they dislike being alone, others choose not to meet anyone simply because they enjoy lying around," she wrote.

Traditional trappings

Experts have suggested that many young Koreans opt out of marriage and child-rearing at least in part for economic reasons, pointing to stagnant growth, sky-high home prices in the capital Seoul, and intense competition for well-paying jobs.

Others say broader cultural issues are at play. The country remains socially conservative, single parenthood is frowned upon, same-sex marriage is not recognized, and married women often end up leaving the workforce  data shows they spend 3.5 times more hours a day on household chores and childcare than male spouses.

"Traditionally defined gender role expectations in the family domain as well as tension between genders are definitely related to the current low birthrate," Hyeyoung Woo, a sociology professor at Portland State University, told AFP.

For Seen, letting go of the traditional Korean trappings of success  a Seoul apartment, a high-paying job, a loving spouse  has allowed her to find genuine happiness.

"I've never worked for a big conglomerate, do not live in the city, and never been married," she told AFP.

Her life in Seoul was miserable, Seen told AFP, as she had to suffer through an exhausting commute and a stressful, abusive workplace.

After living overseas for years, working random jobs from hotel housekeeper to packing meat in a chicken factory, and posting videos about her life online, she returned to Korea and settled in a rural town.

She renovated an old family house that used to belong to her late grandfather and her YouTube channel grew in popularity, eventually picking up more than 200,000 subscribers for her posts, which deal with everything from living alone to travelling, fitness and yoga.

A single YouTube video now earns her five times more than she used to get monthly as a salaried worker in Seoul, and she can "live a much more autonomous life  which is extremely satisfying," she said.

Backlash

Her social media posts about her joyful single life have attracted backlash online, with critics claiming that in reality, Seen must be lonely, or calling her "selfish" for not getting married.

"Married people often post photos of their children and share happy images of their married life, and no one really criticizes that," Seen said.

"But when I said I was happy, (some people) strongly denied it. They seemed to think 'there's no way that could be true.'"

Seen said she had been in several fulfilling relationships, but her autonomy and adventurous lifestyle are her top priority, over starting a family.

The fact that her book has become a runaway success proves that you "can still be the best at something even though you live a non-mainstream life," she said.

Most couples who have children do it because it will make them happy, not out of concern for humanity's future  and people who live alone have also made choices aimed at happiness, which should be respected, she said.

Seen told AFP that she was proud of her contributions to the world.

While others were having children, she said, "I gave birth to two YouTube channels and a book." (AFP)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited major munitions and machinery factories, calling for efforts to expand production in the overall economic sector, according to state media Wednesday.

The inspection took place Tuesday, a day after North Korea wrapped up four days of a plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Accompanied by party officials, Kim visited a defense industrial enterprise, which the North said plays a key role in bolstering the country's defense capabilities.

He stressed the need for party officials to "thoroughly study and arm themselves in order to properly organize and guide the modernization of production lines at all units in the economic field," the KCNA said.

Later in the day, Kim also visited major machine and medical appliance factories.

During the latest plenary meeting, Kim expressed his satisfaction with the economic performance in the first half of the year, saying the country's economic situations are markedly on an upturn.

The inspection appears to be aimed at encouraging party officials to expand the modernization of the defense industry to other economic sectors.

Photos released show that Kim was accompanied not only by top party officials and close aides from relevant sectors but also by many other officials.

Given reports that the visit took place right after the plenary meeting, it appears that Kim led the participants of the meeting to the factory for an observational tour.

North Korea has been intensifying its efforts to revitalize the defense industry, with experts suggesting that this is not only for strengthening its defense capabilities but also to benefit from Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine.

Kim had previously visited key defense industry facilities multiple times in May. (Yonhap)
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul has met with former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and discussed a broad range of issues, including growing military ties between Russia and North Korea, the upcoming U.S. presidential election and the bilateral alliance, Cho's office said Wednesday.

The meeting took place Tuesday as Rice was visiting South Korea this week to speak at a forum hosted by an international Christian radio network. Rice served as the top U.S. diplomat and the national security adviser under the administration of George W. Bush.

At the meeting, Cho and Rice shared serious concerns over the expanding military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, and exchanged opinions on the outlook of the relationship and ways to respond to their deepening ties.

Cho "stressed that South Korea will take action in response to the threats posed by the Russia-North Korea cooperation through the staunch South Korea-U.S. alliance and the trilateral security cooperation with the United States and Japan," the ministry said in a release.

Rice "expressed support for South Korea's efforts to ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the international community," it said.

The ministry also quoted Rice as noting how the bilateral alliance and the three-way cooperation with Japan have been strengthening under the leadership of President Yoon Suk Yeol, and pointing out that the U.S. alliance with South Korea will continue to develop regardless of who becomes the next U.S. president. (Yonhap)
By Jung Min-ho

Korean tourists and residents in China have been warned of the growing risk of legal issues there after a new rule came into force on July 1, which allows Chinese police to conduct a stop-and-search to inspect the electronic devices of any person it deems necessary on grounds of national security.

According to a message from Koreas National Intelligence Service (NIS), shared on Tuesday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Koreans in China should be aware and careful of the potential risks regarding what they say or have stored in their mobile phones, as state officers now can inspect them simply on suspicion of espionage without requiring a court warrant.

Videos, audio files, text messages, emails or anything the phones have access to could potentially cause legal troubles. Using a virtual private network to access Facebook, KakaoTalk or any other online services, which are blocked in China also carries the risk of penalty including detention.

Thus, they should be careful of (text) messages and pictures saved in their smartphones or laptop computers, the NIS said.

Any mention of Chinas political leaders, Taiwan, issues of ethnic minorities, human rights as well as religious activities are among the things Koreans staying there should be particularly careful of, it noted.

If anyone becomes a target for inspection, he or she should avoid arguing with authorities in China and seek help from Korean consular officials there if necessary, the NIS said.

This comes as exchanges between the two countries are increasing rapidly. According to Hana Tour, a leading Korean tour company, wednesday, the number of tourists who visited China in the first quarter of this year using its package tours surged by more than 450 percent, compared with the same period last year.

Meanwhile, some 1,820,000 Chinese tourists visited Korea between January and May, which is about 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
Korea Times Global Business Club explores UAE's business environment with embassy, KEZAD Group

By Kim Hyun-bin

Strategic partnerships between Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will offer robust business opportunities for Korean companies and institutions, and Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD) Group will play a pivotal role as a bridge, UAE officials said, Wednesday.

They introduced the Middle Eastern country and its business environment during the UAE Business Forum with KEZAD. This event was held under The Korea Times' Global Business Club in Seoul, in collaboration with the UAE Embassy and KEZAD Group.

UAE Ambassador to Korea Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi highlighted the significance of the event as a pivotal moment for the flourishing partnership between the two nations.

Following UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyans state visit to Korea, the two countries have reaffirmed their commitment to advancing collaboration in multiple sectors, including energy production and storage, transportation and logistics, defense and aerospace, bio-pharma and trade and investment, Al Nuaimi said, emphasizing the dedication to solidifying relations through the recently signed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the two nations.

The ambassador elaborated on the purpose of the business forum, emphasizing its role in showcasing Abu Dhabis investment-friendly environment and KEZADs mission to enhance trade activities and investments.

He highlighted the potential for B2B (business-to-business) and B2G (business-to-government) collaboration models, which can leverage the thematic strengths of both countries to foster innovation and growth.

The UAE-Korea partnership is a framework for a shared future of prosperity and sustainable growth, he said, encouraging attendees to seek out the opportunities presented by the strong bilateral relations. Al Nuaimi expressed his confidence that through collaborative efforts and proactive engagement, both nations can attract businesses, showcase market strengths and explore synergies.

Citing Korea and the UAE as prime examples, The Korea Times President-Publisher Oh Young-jin praised the transformative journeys of both countries.

"Once a battlefield of colonial interests, the UAE is now an exciting source of inspiration, with its achievements spanning space exploration, development model-setting and tourism to women's rights," he said. "Korea, also a victim of the turn of the 20th-century world power game, has now joined the world's top 10 economies, with its K-pop culture drawing oohs and aahs from fans across the globe."

Oh highlighted the deep and multifaceted partnership between the two countries, stating, "The two nations are all-encompassing strategic partners. Considering the scale of their cooperation, I wouldn't hesitate to say that we are brothers."

He further asserted that Korea, the UAE, and other middle powers are advancing globalization even as major powers falter. "We are pushing the limits of globalization further and further," he said.

Khalid Al Marzooqi, vice president of KEZAD Group, introduced Abu Dhabi's KEZAD Group at the event, highlighting the strategic benefits and opportunities offered by the UAEs largest provider and operator of fully integrated economic cities and free trade zones.

Noting that the UAE is Koreas second-largest Arab trading partner, Al Marzooqi said, "The UAE accounts for 20 percent of trade with Korean companies in the region." He added that non-oil bilateral trade between the two countries reached $5.3 billion in 2023.

"We are excited to showcase to you today how KEZAD Group provides strategic market access, lower operating costs and ease of doing business," Al Marzooqi said, specifically mentioning the appeal to Korean companies in sectors such as metals, automobiles, food and agtech, life sciences, and oil and gas.

The speeches were followed by an IR session focused on Abu Dhabi's market situation, led by Eman Z. Al Hashmi, senior manager at KEZAD Group.

Afterward, Lee Yoon-suk, KEZAD representative for the Korean market, conducted a session on the business environment and investment policies in the UAE. The event concluded with Q and A sessions.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul expressed hope Wednesday that Korea and Luxembourg will further deepen their relations going forward as the European nation launched its embassy in Seoul, his office said.

Cho made the remark during the talks with Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who doubles as the country's foreign minister, in Seoul, congratulating him on Luxembourg's official opening of its embassy in Korea, the foreign ministry said.

Cho said Korea is also preparing to open its embassy in Luxembourg and the mutual launch of the diplomatic missions mean opportunities for the two countries to further develop their bilateral relations and cooperation.

Cho also called Luxembourg a longtime partner and "values-sharing" country that sent one of the largest number of troops to Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War.

Bettel, in response, described Korea as a major economy with advanced science technologies and expressed hope that his country will be able to expand cooperation in such areas as investment, defense and medical technologies.

Bettel also reaffirmed his country's continued support for Korea's efforts to ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

The two ministers also discussed the latest situations in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Ahead of their talks Wednesday, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on a working holiday program, paving the way for as many as 200 people aged 18-35 to travel from and to each other's countries for study and work. (Yonhap)
By Jon Dunbar

Central Seoul's Haebangchon has seen a handful of new restaurants come and go this year, and probably the most welcomed of all of them is Hangry Plate.

The menu, at first glance, looks crazy: gumbo, beef bourguignon, chili, mac n cheese and three pastas. American, French, Mexican, British and Italian cuisine, all in one place? (And are we really comfortable with identifying macaroni and cheese as British?)

Why these items? Hangry Plate prepares them all in a similar way, with each one going into a wok and cooked pretty fast on the spot. They're all the types of food you'd eat with a spoon or fork, not something you'd ever pick up with your hands. And they're all comfort foods, even if you never thought beef bourguignon could be considered a comfort food. They're hearty but not overly heavy, and they're simple to eat, exactly what you need when you're feeling "hangry."

It's hard picking a favorite, because everything is good, and it's also difficult seeing a weak spot on the menu. Sometimes you just have to order what you're craving on a particular day. It's an easy restaurant to order something different each time.

While the gumbo and the beef bourguignon are first on the menu, the pastas aren't to be missed either. The carbonara pasta is not drowning in a creamy sauce  it's made properly, with noodles cooked in egg. Andrew Han, owner of Hangry Plate, shied away from calling it "authentic," instead saying it's a "fusion" carbonara.

The prices for everything are reasonable, and you can get many of the dishes in small, medium or large. However, if I'm particularly hungry, I like to get two small portions of different menu items, rather than one large item. There are also add-ons for some of the dishes, such as mashed potato for the beef bourguignon, broccoli for the mac n cheese and extra shrimp for the gumbo, plus sides of bread and rice.

After a week-long break during which Han got married, Hangry Plate will reopen on Thursday. The restaurant is open every Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Visit linktr.ee/thehangryplate for more information.
Administrative shifts, lack of legislative efforts stymie progress

By Lee Hyo-jin

The planned launch of an immigration agency, a campaign pledge by President Yoon Suk Yeol, appears to have stalled, as the government shifts focus to establishing a population ministry that would also be tasked with handling immigration policies.

Critics argue that over two years into Yoon's presidency, the government still lacks a cohesive approach to immigration, which is a crucial component to addressing Korea's population crisis.

Earlier on Monday, the government announced plans to launch a deputy prime minister-level ministry tasked with addressing the low birthrate and aging population, tentatively named the Ministry of Population Strategy Planning. This organization will serve as a control tower for demographic issues, including the low birthrate, aging population, workforce and immigration.

"This ministry will be tasked with developing workforce plans tailored to sector-specific labor demands, including for women, foreigners and older adults, as well as shaping immigration policies," Kim Jung-ki, director of the organization bureau at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said during a briefing.

Kim also mentioned that the population ministry would oversee preparations for the potential launch of the immigration agency.

The announcement, which came amid the government's efforts to establish the immigration agency under the Ministry of Justice, has left experts puzzled about whether the population ministry will take over immigration-related policies from the justice ministry.

"From my understanding, the population ministry will be responsible for developing comprehensive immigration plans from a population perspective, while the immigration agency, after it is launched, will focus on implementing these policies," said Yoo Min-yi, a research fellow at the Seoul-based Migration Research and Training Center.

However, Yoo noted that progress on the immigration agency has been slow, saying, "The ball now seems to be in the National Assembly's court, but we are not seeing meaningful legislative efforts."

Creating the immigration agency was a campaign pledge of President Yoon. With about 2.5 million foreign nationals residing in the nation  accounting for roughly 5 percent of the total 51.5 million population  Korea has been facing an increasing need to pursue cohesive immigration policies by creating a separate government entity.

Former Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon spearheaded initial efforts for the launch of the immigration agency. He served as the inaugural justice minister of the Yoon administration until December 2023 before entering politics with the ruling People Power Party (PPP).

In December 2023, the ministry outlined plans for the immigration agency to implement unified immigration policies, strengthen border controls and support immigrant integration.

Following this, in February this year, lawmakers from the PPP proposed an amendment to the Government Organization Act, which aimed to establish the immigration agency under the justice ministry.

However, the bill faltered as the 21st National Assembly concluded in May.

In the current 22nd Assembly, discussions about the immigration agency have stagnated.

An immigration expert, who requested anonymity, attributed the stalled discussions to political considerations. He suggested that lawmakers seem to be prioritizing their own political interests over policy advancement.

"Since the idea of launching the immigration agency was championed by former Minister Han, who has now become a prominent figure within the ruling party, lawmakers who do not support him seem to be approaching the idea cautiously, mindful of its potential to serve Han's political interests. Once the immigration agency is launched, Han may take all the credit for it," the expert said.

"I've also heard that the policy lost momentum within the justice ministry after Han left."

Moon Byung-ki, former head of the Korean International Migration Studies Association, called for the swift launch of the immigration agency through cooperation with the government and the Assembly, advocating for an integrated approach to foreigner-related policies.

"Instead of announcing short-term policies and creating committees scattered across several ministries, there should be a pan-governmental body to foster foreigner-related policies in the long term," Moon said.

A justice ministry official told The Korea Times in an email that it will "continue efforts to reintroduce the amendment to the Government Organization Act for the establishment of the agency by continuing discussions with members of the 22nd National Assembly and relevant ministries."
By Nam Hyun-woo

Descendants of United Nations Forces veterans who fought in the Korean War are spending a week in South Korea to commemorate and honor the veterans' commitment to safeguarding democracy, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said Wednesday.

According to the ministry, a total 148 of university students and descendants of Korean War veterans from 19 countries who fought in the 1950-53 war participated in the 2024 U.N. Korean War Peace Camp hosted by the ministry from Monday to Sunday.

The ministry has been holding the event annually since 2009, except for the pandemic-hit 2020, to pass on the bonds formed with the countries that participated in the Korean War to future generations so that South Korea's coalition for freedom with those countries can remain steadfast.

The event started its official program with opening ceremony on Tuesday, which featured a conference on globalization and the importance of exchanges.

On Wednesday, the participants visited the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas, Dora Observatory and Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, to reflect on the importance of freedom and peace. They also visited the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul and paid respects to the fallen soldiers from countries that participated in the war.

The participants will ride bicycles for 6.25 kilometers along the Han River on Thursday to commemorate the Korean War, which broke out on June 25, and recall the historical significance of the area, which was a fierce battleground during the war.

At the turnaround point at Yanghwa Children's Park, they will plant 625 kerria to create a "Forest of Remembrance." Kerria's language of flower is elegance, and the ministry said planting it symbolizes the elegant spirit of U.N. Forces veterans. A commemorative sculpture representing unity and solidarity will also be unveiled during the event.

Participants will visit Busan on Friday to pay respects at the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Korea and tour the U.N. Peace Memorial Hall. The camp will wrap up on Saturday, and they will exchange ideas on the best ways to commemorate the Korean War and veterans.

"The camp is a project aimed at passing down the bonds formed through the valiant efforts and noble sacrifices of the Korean War heroes to future generations," Patriots and Veterans Affairs Minister Kang Jung-ai said.

"The ministry will continue to strengthen exchange activities to ensure that the history of U.N. Forces' participation in the defense of freedom and democracy will never be forgotten and will be upheld by the descendants of both South Korea and the U.N. member nations."
By Nam Hyun-woo

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is attempting to impeach four prosecutors who have been investigating major political scandals with alleged links to Rep. Lee Jae-myung, its former chairman. This move is drawing a backlash from ruling party lawmakers and prosecutors, who claim that the DPK is exploiting its majority to protect its chief from legal troubles.

Rep. Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), said in a press conference Wednesday that the DPK is "destroying the very reason for the National Assembly's existence only to protect former Chairman Lee."

"The defendant Lee Jae-myung and his confidants threatening retaliatory impeachment against prosecutors is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black," Choo said. "All these actions by the DPK are blatant attempts to obstruct justice and (support) Lee's ambitions for the presidency."

A day earlier, the DPK, which holds 175 of the 300 Assembly seats, passed bills unilaterally on impeaching four prosecutors who investigated land development scandals in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and an unauthorized remittance to North Korea by a South Korean firm.

Lee, indicted for his alleged involvement in those cases, has been attending trials since last year. Lee resigned from the chairman post last month to renew his chairmanship in the party's national convention in August.

The DPK claims that those prosecutors "are politically motivated and have committed illegalities." DPK spokesperson Rep. Kang Yu-jung said in a press conference Wednesday that the prosecutors "misappropriated personal information, engaged in backdoor dealings and intimidated suspects into providing false testimony."

However, the PPP's Choo said the DPK's accusation is "based solely on the DPK's unilateral claims, and there is no objective evidence proving the suspicion."

Prosecutors are also expressing strong opposition to the DPK's move. Prosecutor General Lee One-seok told reporters Tuesday that the impeachment attempt is "equivalent to having former Chairman Lee, who is the defendant, preside over his own trial while the DPK and the National Assembly take on the role of the judiciary."

The country's law stipulates that a person against whom an impeachment bill is passed at the Assembly is immediately suspended from their job. The top prosecutor said, "By suspending the investigation and trial of former Chairman Lee, the DPK is attempting to deprive the prosecution of the judiciary's function."

Yonhap News Agency reported that many prosecutors left comments on the prosecutors' intranet, with Lee Chang-soo, head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, commenting, "This kind of abuse of impeachment power shouldn't be repeated."

A group of former prosecutors also released a statement and slammed the impeachment attempt, saying it "clearly lacks legal grounds and constitutes defamation against prosecutors," adding it is a blatant abuse of lawmakers' authority.

As the impeachment bills passed at the plenary session, they were delivered to the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. The committee's chairman will deliver them to the Constitutional Court for a trial, and have the authority to interrogate the individuals facing impeachment during the trial. The committee is now headed by DPK Rep. Jung Chung-rae.
E-commerce giant initiates contract cancellations with violators

By Jun Ji-hye

Over 40,000 workers at 90 delivery subcontractors of Coupang have not been provided with employment insurance and industrial accident insurance, which are considered major social security nets offered to laborers, according to the Korea Workers Compensation and Welfare Service (K-COMWEL), Wednesday.

K-COMWEL, which is under the direct control of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, announced the findings of an investigation into 528 delivery subcontractors and 11 logistics subcontractors that signed contracts with Coupang Logistics Service, the subsidiary of the Korean e-commerce giant.

The investigation was carried out from Dec. 20 to May 30 and looked into cases for the past three years.

K-COMWEL said it discovered 90 delivery subcontractors had failed to offer proper social insurance services to a total of 40,948 workers. Among them, 20,080 workers were not provided with employment insurance, while 20,868 workers were not offered industrial accident insurance.

Given that there is a significant overlap between laborers covered by employment insurance and industrial accident insurance, the number of workers affected by the insurance provision failure of Coupang's subcontractors was approximately 20,000.

Korean laws oblige all workplaces, which have even one employee including temporary and part-time workers, to offer the social insurance within 14 days since the worker has been employed.

Following the investigation, K-COMWEL has ensured that the subcontractors in question provide proper insurance coverage to these uninsured workers.

It also plans to impose 4.74 billion won ($3.4 million) in unpaid insurance premiums, which should have been paid if these subcontractors had insured the workers at the correct time, along with a fine of 296 million won.

Employment insurance and industrial accident insurance must be offered regardless of the size and type of workplaces, K-COMWEL President Park Jong-kil said.

We will continue to investigate similar industries to prevent a recurrence of failures to insure workers, he added.

The investigation was initiated after a subcontractor operating Coupangs logistics center was found to have requested employees to sign documents waiving their rights to be provided with industrial accident insurance last year.

Through this practice, company owners typically aim to evade compliance with labor laws or the responsibility of paying for insurance coverage.

Regarding the results of the investigation, Coupang said cases of uninsured workers were linked not only to its subsidiary but also to other logistics companies, citing that the probe examined incidents over the past three years.

Even before the investigation began, we have consistently encouraged our subcontractors to insure workers, a Coupang official said.

We have already undertaken the process to cancel contracts with some subcontractors that have not offered sufficient insurance services to workers.
The Seoul city government said Wednesday it will significantly beef up the strength of pedestrian guardrails and take other safety measures after a deadly car crash that left nine people dead earlier this week.

On Monday night, a sedan driven by a 68-year-old darted in the wrong direction for some 200 meters on a one-way road near Seoul City Hall before crashing into sidewalk guardrails, striking pedestrians and ramming into two other cars.

"We began to review measures to improve the protective fencing for pedestrians," a city official said. "We will make improvements in a direction that protects pedestrians by making fences stronger and beefing up safety."

The guardrail lined up along the sidewalk was of no use in protecting people, with most of the iron guardrails seen bent in pieces after the crash.

A city official said the safety fences were set up to separate the sidewalk from the road and to prevent passersby from crossing over to the road and were not designed to withstand a vehicle dashing at such high speed.

Experts agree that the safety fences need improvement, but are skeptical it can act as a fundamental solution to the problem.

"Even if the safety factor is strengthened (for the guardrail), it will be difficult to protect pedestrians from a vehicle that barrels into them at such immense speed," said Kim Pil-soo, professor at the division of automotive engineering at Daelim University College.

The city government also plans to begin talks with the National Police Agency to discuss ways to strengthen the driving suitability test for senior citizens aged 65 or older, and encourage them to voluntarily give up driver's licenses.

The number of traffic accidents caused by seniors aged 65 or older has increased for three years straight, recording 39,614 cases last year, the highest since record-keeping began.

Local governments provide cash worth 100,000 won ($72) to 300,000 won as incentives to seniors who voluntarily give up their driver's licenses, but participation remains low at about 2 percent each year. (Yonhap)
Asylum applications continue to pour in this year, no sign of peace deal ahead

By Jung Min-ho

The number of Russians seeking asylum in Korea has soared to nearly 9,000 since Moscows invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

An official at the Ministry of Justice told The Korea Times on Wednesday that 8,871 Russians had applied for refugee status here between January 2022 and this May.

Given that only 45 Russians sought asylum during the whole year of 2021, most, if not all, of the 1,038 Russians who sent their applications to the ministrys asylum adjudicators in 2022 are believed to have come to Korea after the war in Ukraine started.

During the first five months of this year, 2,083 applications were already sent in, an average of 416 every month. If this trend continues into 2024, the number is expected to exceed last years total, 5,705, by the end of the year.

Russian men seeking asylum in Korea and other countries have gained much attention since the beginning of Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with hundreds of thousands of Russians leaving their country since  many of them fleeing military conscription.

When asked how many of the Russian asylum-seekers have obtained the status here so far, the ministry official refused to answer, citing privacy and security.

However, administrative and judicial precedents suggest that their chances are extremely low. In May, a court in Seoul ruled in favor of a Russian national who was challenging the ministrys rejection of his asylum application, the first known instance of such a ruling.

The exceptional ruling was possible, thanks only to evidence that clearly showed that the man had expressed his opposition to the Kremlins war on social media openly and repeatedly and that he participated in anti-war protests before entering Korea in November 2022.

Those who do not have such evidence will likely be disappointed as Korea's Refugee Act acknowledges one of only five reasons as acceptable  the risk of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political view and social status as a member of certain groups. The refusal of conscription does not fall into any of those categories.

Korea is known for its high rejection rate for asylum applications among developed countries. In 2023, only 101 out of 18,838 were given refugee status here.

A surge in the number of asylum-seeking Russian men has become a conundrum for many other countries as well.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials reportedly encountered more than 57,000 Russians at U.S. borders in the 2023 fiscal year, up from some 13,000 the previous year.

Germany received 7,663 first-time asylum applications from Russians last year, up from 2,851 in 2022.
Police investigating the deadly car crash that killed nine people in downtown Seoul earlier this week said Wednesday they will speed up the probe as soon as the injured perpetrator's physical condition improves.

The Seoul Namdaemun Police Station said it has asked the National Forensic Service (NIS) to scrutinize the perpetrator's sedan to ascertain whether his claim of sudden unintended acceleration as the cause of the crash is true.

An NIS analysis of a vehicle's event data recorder (EDR) usually takes one to two months, the station said. Considering the seriousness of the case, however, the analysis period is expected to be shortened, it said in a media briefing.

Surveillance camera footage shows a Hyundai Genesis sedan driven by the 68-year-old man, surnamed Cha, went against traffic about 200 meters after leaving a hotel near Seoul City Hall at 9:27 p.m. Monday before striking many pedestrians and two vehicles, crossing an intersection and stopping near City Hall Station.

The police said the number of people injured from the car crash has increased by one to seven, as a pedestrian was rushed to a hospital without being reported to officers on the scene. Cha himself was hospitalized with broken ribs.

Some experts have raised the possibility of the driver's carelessness or inattention, rather than sudden unintended acceleration, citing many circumstances, including the fact that the vehicle eventually stopped by itself.

Jung Yong-woo, a Namdaemun officer in charge of the probe, said it has been confirmed that Cha's car began speeding from the entrance of the hotel after coming out of its underground parking lot, though he declined to comment on the speed at that time.

He said Cha's wife, in her 60s, who was in the car at the time of the accident, was questioned as a witness Tuesday. "She made a statement to the effect that the brakes did not work," Jung said. He also declined to disclose the content of the car's dash cam video.

Reversing their previous announcement of skid marks left on the scene, police also said there were no skid marks. They said they had mistaken traces of engine coolant leaks for tire marks.

Skid marks can serve as a crucial clue in traffic accident investigations as they can be used to calculate the speed of a vehicle at the time of an accident and determine whether the driver attempted to brake before a collision.

Meanwhile, the officer denied some media speculation that the accident may have been triggered by a quarrel between Cha and his wife. (Yonhap)
The number of people demanding the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol surpassed the 1 million mark Wednesday on the National Assembly's petition website.

The petition, calling on the National Assembly to propose a bill on Yoon's impeachment, gained a daily average of 100,000 signatures over a period of 10 days after it was posted on June 24.

Lawmakers of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) backed the petition, saying the number of petition approvals rightfully reflects the public's views of Yoon.

"The president must change first for the state affairs, now on the verge of a catastrophe, to get back on track," DPK floor leader Park Chan-dae said during a Supreme Council meeting.

During the meeting, Rep. Jung Chung-rae also said the petition is "the people's voice" demanding the "judgment" of the Yoon administration.

A petition approved by more than 50,000 people within 30 days is referred to a parliamentary subcommittee that reviews petitions under the legislation and judiciary committee, and can be submitted to a plenary session.

Amid deepening political strife, the presidential office accused the opposition of trying to railroad contentious bills and pushing for the impeachment of high-ranking officials.

"The DPK should immediately stop anti-civilizational attempts to destroy the Constitution and its unheard-of legislative violence and coup d'etat," a senior presidential official told Yonhap News Agency.

On Tuesday, the DPK proposed a motion to impeach four prosecutors, including those involved in corruption investigations into former party leader Lee Jae-myung.

The DPK, which holds a controlling majority in parliament, is also pushing to put forth a bill calling for a special counsel probe into the government's alleged interference with a military probe into a Marine's death despite opposition by the ruling People Power Party.

The bill, seen as ultimately aiming to investigate suspicions of Yoon's interference with the probe, had been vetoed by the president in the previous National Assembly, but the DPK proposed it again after the new National Assembly began its term in late May. (Yonhap)
Korea must prepare for the uncertainty of American politics



By Kim Won-soo

The year 2024 has been labeled as the super-election year. Elections are being held in about 70 countries around the world. Even one more election is added unexpectedly in France in the wake of the surprising victory of far-right parties at the European Parliament election. The election is going on in a way backfiring against the intention of French President Emmanuel Macron. Its first-round outcome only reaffirmed the troubling trends of the rise of far-right parties across Europe.

Much more troubling and important is the election of the United States. The recent presidential debate reveals the unpopular nature of the election. Rather than fighting over policy lines, both candidates were mostly engaged in a contest trying to show who should be disliked more. Despite mounting pressure following the debate, President Biden remains steadfast in staying the course.

If the election is held today, former President Trump is largely expected to win. But it is still too early to tell since unexpected developments can happen in the next four months until the election day.

The U.S. election exposes the following two risks to the world. The first is the immediate risk former President Trump's return may pose. Among others, many pundits warn of a hasty discontinuation of U.S. assistance to Ukraine and the weakening of the alliance relationships. He also avows to withdraw again from the Paris climate accord.

The second risk is more structural and long-term. Trump's continued influence, despite facing criminal allegations, reflects a growing trend in American politics toward intolerance and isolationism. A country of immigrants is increasingly turning inward and isolationist. In this respect, the Trump phenomenon must be taken not as a cause but as a serious symptom of the polarization of American politics.

These two risks together highlight the following three implications for the rest of the world. Firstly, the world must be cognizant of the U.S. retreat from its self-assumed role as the world's police and the guardian of the liberal international order since the end of World War II. The perceived U.S. retreat is likely to cause uncertainty and volatility along the geopolitical tectonic fault lines located between the Global West and East.

Secondly, the growing deficit of global leadership due to a U.S. retreat augurs ill for global governance at a time when it is needed most. Humanity as a whole is facing perfect storm of existential threats, such as the twin WMDs  weapons of mass destruction and weapons of mass disruption  and the intensifying climate crisis. These threats are global and therefore solutions must be global. Without U.S. leadership, however, it would be unimaginable to expect solutions to emerge anytime soon.

Thirdly, the worsening U.S. political climate represents the declining appeal of the liberal democracies of the Global West to the rest of the world, including, in particular, the Global South. Behind the recent rise of the far-right parties in the Global West are lurking four I's: inequality, intolerance, injustice and insecurity. These four I's provide fertile grounds for populism to thrive on extreme polarization of politics and society. Korea also appears to be no exception to the malaise of four I's. Liberal democracies need to find a way to overcome the tides of the four I's sooner rather than later. Otherwise the world will be devoid of a political role model to be emulated.

Korea stands at the frontier of the above risks and implications arising from drifting American politics. Any possible fallout must be analyzed carefully and prepared meticulously. Korea must do whatever it takes to mitigate the immediate risk Trump 2.0 may pose. Korea must also be vigilant against the long-term risk the American retreat may entail. Korea cannot do these jobs alone. A coalition of the like-minded countries must be actively explored. Perspectives need to be enlarged beyond the geographical constraints of Korea's immediate neighborhood. The first priority of partnership should be on the U.S. allies and partners sharing the same interests and concerns. A support base in the Global South also needs to be cultivated. Most importantly, Korea must put its domestic affairs in order. Political leaders in Korea must find a new path to steer its politics away from polarized populism and toward a new social contract aimed at overcoming the four I's.

Kim Won-soo is the former under-secretary-general and the high representative for disarmament of the United Nations. He is now the chair of the international advisory board of the Taejae Future Consensus Institute and a chair professor at Kyung Hee University. He is a guest editorial writer for The Korea Times.
By Ko Dong-hwan

Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi (KEZAD) Group, the biggest operator of fully integrated economic cities, ports and business services in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), wants to broaden its partnership with Seoul and is now searching for communicative channels that can connect critical needs from both ends, according to Lee Yoon-suk, KEZAD representative to the Korean market.

Lee said in his recent interview with The Korea Times that representatives of the Abu Dhabi-based group have arrived in Seoul to meet their counterparts from government bodies and state or private companies here in order to form new business partnerships. Korean companies in the fields of food, smart farms, cosmetics, logistics and manufacturing as well as government agencies under the city governments of Seoul, Busan and Daegu were among the key groups the envoys wanted to meet, he added.

KEZAD Group, a subsidiary of AD Ports Group, an exclusive developer and regulator of ports and related infrastructure in Abu Dhabi, offers business solutions to foreign companies by providing strategic market access via transportation and low operating costs. Korean companies in the metal, automobile, food, agricultural technology, life science, oil and gas sectors are among 17 key industrial sectors served by KEZAD Group.

Lee said that for a bilateral partnership to succeed, an effective bridge must be present. The importance of this role has recently risen regarding the Middle East. Thanks to the regions lucrative oil resources and the will of regional states to take advantage of those resources, the region has now become a global business hotspot.

However, he said that he has seen many cases where Korean companies failed when trying to expand into the region since they didn't fully understand the intricacies of the market there.

They simply werent prepared enough, Lee said in the interview ahead of the UAE-KEZAD Business Forum held under Global Business Club jointly hosted by The Korea Times and the UAE Embassy in Seoul on Wednesday. There are people on social media who claim to be experts in the Middle East but turn out to be a flop. These are the signs that discourage Korean firms from investing in the Middle East.

Lee claims to be a true expert in Arab culture and business. Before taking charge of KEZAD Groups Korean office in 2021, he spent 10 years living and working in the region. He first worked for Kumho Tire as an overseas official in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Ending his corporate career, he became an entrepreneur selling consumer and industrial products to local home shopping channels.

Lee has accumulated years of experience and now gives talks to the Korean government and major companies on the regions unique business environment and how to conduct business there. One of his main weapons now is his network in the local public and private sectors of Abu Dhabi, which has helped to familiarize him with the local business environment.

A strict top-down ordering system exists in all Arab countries. This requires companies from outside the region to carefully plan how to approach their target country in the region, Lee said. According to his five steps to business ventures in the Middle East, the first step is to clearly understand the target areas in terms of religion, ethnicity, statecraft and economic structure.

As one of a few Korean Middle East experts, Ill keep to my current post and try to bridge Korean government agencies and firms to trustworthy UAE counterparts like KEZAD. I would like to see some win-win situations between the two countries, he added.

KEZAD Group operates infrastructure and services across 12 designated economic zones in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain cities and the Al Dhafra region. The groups presence covers a total area of 550 square kilometers throughout the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The group also services more than 40 staff accommodation complexes, which are branded under its subsidiary business KEZAD Communities.
The Philippines' biggest fast-food chain Jollibee Foods will acquire a majority stake in Korea's Compose Coffee, as part of a deal valuing the target at $340 million, the company said on Tuesday.

Jollibee's largest acquisition by number of stores continues the company's expansion overseas, which will account for majority of its branches in the future.

Jollibee's unit Jollibee Worldwide Pte will acquire 70 percent of privately held Compose Coffee for $238 million, and its majority-owned Titan Fund will take 5 percent, the fast-food firm said in a statement. The remaining 25 percent will be held by private equity firm Elevation, it said.

Shares in Jollibee, which has a market value of $4.29 billion, rose 0.44 percent on Tuesday, outpacing the 0.62 percent decline in the broader stock market index.

"This is a good move by Jollibee to further expand its global footprint and take advantage of attractive opportunities in promising markets," said Juan Paolo Colet, managing director at investment bank China Bank Capital in Manila. The acquisition is expected to be cash accretive, creating shareholder value over the long run, he added.

Compose Coffee has 2,470 stores, all franchised, giving it a debt-free balance sheet, and good cash returns and profit margins, said Jollibee, which will increase its global store network to 10,000 with the deal.

The investment gives Jollibee access to Korea, which ranks third globally in terms of coffee consumption per capita, the company said.

Compose Coffee and its roasting facility were founded in Busan in 2014.

Known for its sweet-style spaghetti, burgers and fried chicken, Jollibee is dominant in the Philippines, outselling McDonald's and Yum Brands' KFC.

In 2019, Jollibee invested $100 million to acquire loss-making Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. (Reuters)
UAE business innovator opens pathways for Korean firms in Middle Eastern economic hub

By Ko Dong-hwan

Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi (KEZAD) Group is seeking to attract investments from Korea's state-run and private companies to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the Middle Eastern state is keen on drawing Korean interest using its biggest operator of local ports, trade infrastructure and integrated business ecosystems, according to the multinational group and the UAE Embassy in Seoul, Wednesday.

The two countries have begun a new chapter in their business partnership following Korean President Yoon Suk Yeols state visit to Abu Dhabi in January last year. The UAE Business Forum with KEZAD, held under the Global Business Club 2024 initiative jointly hosted by The Korea Times and the UAE Embassy, extended from the bilateral summit, inviting representatives of Korean government agencies and state-run and private companies to share how business-friendly Abu Dhabi has become for foreign investors.

KEZADs presence is big in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi which accounts for 87 percent of the UAE's land area. The group said that with its 12 economic zones over sites totaling 550 square kilometers of area throughout the Abu Dhabi region, Korean investors can successfully launch sustainable business ventures.

We run the largest economic zones in the UAE and the Middle East, said Eman Al Hashmi, senior manager at KEZAD Group. Being in KEZAD means you have the privilege of global connectivity and access to the global market. Over 2,000 global clients of KEZAD have sent their employees to our economic zones in Abu Dhabis Musaffah and Al Ain to use warehouses built over 540,000 square meters of site and over 40 staff accommodation facilities that can house over 450,000 people.

KEZADs strength lies partly in having global connections via critical transport hubs in the UAE, including Khalifa Port. Located between the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the port connects to over 1,000 ports worldwide. Its average general cargo capacity per year is 25 million tons, and it has terminals dedicated to cars, liquids and gas, as well as refrigerated cargo and silos.

COSCO, MSC and CMA-CGM which are three of the top five global shipping lines, have dedicated terminals at Khalifa Port, Hashmi said.

Also supporting air transportation and its new railway freight expected to launch later this year under Etihad Rail, KEZAD has five international airports and eight international ports in close proximity. Over 3.5 billion people in the Middle East, Africa and Asia are within fast reach of the group.

KEZAD said that having a business in the UAE means having business shortcuts to other countries that have signed pacts with the UAE. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) and comprehensive economic partnership agreements (CEPA) have laid out bridges between the UAE and nearly 30 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, including Korea. President Yoon signed a CEPA with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in May when the UAE president paid a state visit to Seoul.

The trade pacts include exempting custom duties and taxes for goods, services, government procurement, intellectual property, administration and dispute settlement.

We offer 100 percent foreign ownership and zero percent custom duty to our foreign investors so they can perform businesses in the UAE without unnecessary financial concerns, Hashmi said.

Specialized clusters

KEZAD supports a wide range of industries and has categorized them into 10 key sectors, including metals, automotives, plastic and polymers, food and agricultural technology and oil and gas. The group provides investors entities in the UAE with cost-competitive rates, business-friendly environments and solutions for unforeseen troubles.

For the logistics and retail sector, KEZAD has signed partnerships with Amazon and Noon (an online shopping platform in the UAE) to develop Abu Dhabi as a global e-commerce hub. As to the life science sector, the group has established The Hope Consortium to provide a complete supply chain for global vaccine sourcing and transport. For the oil and gas sector, KEZAD offers an extensive range of connectivity from offshore rigs to ports, highways and railways to make Abu Dhabi Emirates 96 percent share of the UAEs entire oil and gas reserves accessible to investors.

KEZAD is home of a wide range of different industrial clusters, Hashmi said. Our robust statistical figures prove the vibrant business ecosystems we provide to those industrial sectors.

Lee Yoon-suk, KEZAD's representative to the Korea market, said during the forum that starting a business in the UAE requires understanding of the countrys culture, respecting the people and coming up with localized products or services. He said that many Korean investors who tried to conduct business there failed because they failed to understand the place.

The most important step in the five stages of business venture in the Middle East is developing a localized model for what you want to sell, Lee said. Some of the Korean cosmetic products that became popular in the UAE were not made by popular large-size companies in Korea. They were rather made by unknown companies here that had successfully transitioned their ideas into localized products.
LG Electronics said Wednesday it has signed a deal to acquire the Netherlands-based home automation company Athom B.V. in a bid to create an open smart home ecosystem and enhance connectivity to home appliances and IoT devices.

According to the company, LG Electronics will initially acquire an 80 percent stake in Athom, with plans to acquire the remaining 20 percent over the next three years. But it did not disclose further financial details.

Founded in 2014, Athom is a smart home platform company renowned for its Homey smart home hub, which connects home appliances and IoT devices. Homey is available in Europe, Australia, North America, and Singapore.

The Dutch company has secured a loyal customer base with its unique smart home ecosystem, which is highly open and supports various connection methods, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Matter, and Thread.

Homey is compatible with products from global brands, such as Philips and Ikea.

LG Electronics said it plans to create AI-operated homes that understand customers' needs and provide optimal solutions through the purchase of Athom. This will be achieved by leveraging Athom's connectivity and integrating generative AI into LG's ThinQ platform

The acquisition of Athom will also enable LG Electronics to integrate third-party devices and services to obtain more customer usage data and accelerate the delivery of customized services.

LG Electronics said it will keep Athom's operating system and brand independent after the acquisition in a way to maximize the Dutch firm's growth engines and unique strengths, while promoting synergies in terms of business and R&D capabilities and platforms.

The Korean tech company has been advancing its digital transformation strategy, aiming to evolve into a software-based platform company beyond its traditional hardware focus.

In 2021, LG Electronics acquired the U.S.-based TV data analysis startup Alphonso for $80 million to enhance its software and service capabilities in the TV business. (Yonhap)
By Lee Min-hyung

Hyundai Motor Group has established a complete production chain for electric vehicles (EV) in Indonesia, securing a key position for EV leadership in Southeast Asia, the automaker said Wednesday.

The group has completed construction of the Hyundai LG Indonesia (HLI) Green Power factory, dedicated to mass-producing EV battery cells. This facility is part of a joint venture between the carmaker and LG Energy Solution.

This enables Hyundai Motor Group to produce not just EV battery cells, but assemble vehicles in the country. Earlier, Hyundai Motor and LG identified Indonesia as the ideal place for EV battery production, as the country is the worlds biggest producer of nickel, a key material for batteries.

The carmaker expected the opening of the factory to boost its EV presence across Southeast Asia. Indonesia is the fourth-most-populous nation in the world and has huge economic growth potential.

Hyundai Motors Kona Electric will be the first EV equipped with batteries manufactured at the HLI Green Power factory. The vehicle will be assembled at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (HMMI).

Vehicles produced and sold in Indonesia will set a new standard for potential customers in Southeast Asia, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun said. The activation of the Indonesian EV industry will provide fresh economic opportunities to Southeast Asia.

The head of the carmaker also pledged to level up its mobility partnership with Indonesia in various sectors, such as hydrogen solutions and urban air mobility.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo and a group of 300 government officials from both countries also attended the event to celebrate the opening of the battery cell plant and the mass-production of the Kona Electric.

Hyundai Motor Group is expected to gain an upper hand for the expansion of its EV footing there, as the company is the only carmaker that can manufacture battery cells, battery packs and EVs in the country.

With the EV production chain, the company can react flexibly to the EV demand and widen its market share for eco-friendly vehicles faster than its rivals, it said.

Hyundai Motor Group plans to diversify its EV sales lineup there. The Kona Electric is the second EV that is being mass-produced at HMMI following the IONIQ 5.

We will aggressively promote sales for the Kona Electric, so the vehicle wins a title as the most representative EV in Indonesia, an official from the carmaker said.

After driving the popularization of EVs with the model in Indonesia, the automaker will launch more EVs localized for the market.

This stands in line with the Indonesian governments drive for carbon neutrality, as the country plans to produce more than 600,000 EVs by 2030.
By Park Jae-hyuk

Hanwha Ocean's investors and politicians from Geoje Island, where the shipbuilder is based, are increasingly concerned about the company's potential exclusion from a 7.8 trillion won ($5.6 billion) KDDX project to construct the Republic of Korea Navy's next-generation destroyers, according to industry officials, Wednesday.

Multiple media outlets reported Tuesday that the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) will hold a meeting this month to task HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) with drafting a detailed design of the KDDX-class destroyers and constructing the first ship without any competitive bidding process.

The HD Hyundai subsidiary secured the bid in 2020 for the basic design of the destroyers, potentially enabling the Republic of Korea Navy to begin operating the warships as scheduled in 2030 through a sole-source contract.

DAPA dismissed the reports as groundless.

We will make decisions in compliance with laws and regulations, after reviewing the projects significance, necessity and impacts on the naval vessel industry, the administration said in a text message sent to reporters on Tuesday night.

However, Hanwha Oceans shareholders expressed concerns over the state-run arms procurement agencys forthcoming decisions.

Rep. Seo Il-jun of the ruling People Power Party, who represents the constituency of Geoje, issued a statement calling for a fair selection of the project's participants.

The shipbuilder also called for a competitive bidding process to select multiple companies as participants in the project.

A sole-source contract will unfairly provide preferential treatment to a certain company, nullifying penalties imposed on that company for its illegal acquisition of our conceptual design for the KDDX project, a Hanwha Ocean official said.

Hanwha Ocean was in charge of the conceptual design of the destroyers, when it was Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) before Hanwhas acquisition.

Although former HD HHI employees were found guilty of stealing DSMEs conceptual design, DAPA allowed HD HHI to bid for the KDDX and other warship construction projects for the ROK Navy.

Last Friday, members of the Geoje City Council unanimously passed a resolution urging the central government not to sign a sole-source contract with HD HHI for the KDDX project.

We warn that the government will face a strong backlash from Geoje residents, if it signs a sole-source contract with HD HHI, the council said in a statement.

Geoje Mayor Park Jong-woo also said last month that it is nonsense to select HD HHI as the only company to handle the KDDX project, considering the shipbuilders theft of military secrets from Hanwha Ocean.

In contrast, politicians in Ulsan, which accommodates HD HHIs shipyard, claimed that the government will suffer severe financial losses, if it asks a different company to handle the KDDX project.

HD HHI is the nations leading defense systems exporter and plays a major role in the regional economy, Ulsan Mayor Kim Doo-gyeom said in May.
By Park Jae-hyuk

A consortium led by Hyundai Engineering & Construction (E&C) started signing contracts with future owners of units in the Hillstate Gajang The First apartment complex in Daejeon, the construction firm said Wednesday.

The apartment complex comprised of 15 buildings is under construction near Daejeons redeveloped Doma-dong and Byeon-dong areas. Its residents will start living there in June 2027.

Hyundai E&C emphasized that the apartment complexs size and location have been drawing attention.

Hillstate Gajang The First is the leading apartment complex near the redeveloped areas, so it has drawn huge attention from Daejeon residents, a Hyundai E&C official said. In addition to people who want to reside in Hillstate Gajang The First, those who plan to buy its apartment units for investment purposes have also been inquiring about the apartment complex.

The apartment complex is adjacent to Yongmun Station of Daejeon Metro Line 1 and Seodaejeon train station. Doma Station of the Chungcheong Region Railway will also open in a couple of years near the apartment complex. In addition, the construction of Yongdu Station of the Chungcheong Region Railway and Daejeon Metro Line 1 will begin during the second half of this year.

In March last year, Gyochon-dong of Daejeons Yuseong District, which is close to Hillstate Gajang The First, was chosen as a candidate site for the establishment of a nano and semiconductor national industrial complex. Within a 1.5-kilometer radius of the apartment complex are many elementary and middle schools.

It is also close to private educational institutes, shopping districts, government buildings and parks.

Hillstate Gajang The First will also be equipped with a community facility, where its residents can exercise, watch movies and read books.
By Baek Byung-yeul

Lotte Biologics aims to join the global top 10 in the contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) business through its plant in Songdo, Incheon, its CEO Richard Lee said Tuesday.

"(The plant's construction) is the starting point for Lotte Biologics to leap forward as a new standard for K-bio in the global market," Lee said in a press conference held a day before the plant's groundbreaking ceremony in Songdo. "By developing and producing biopharmaceuticals with the best technology and quality, we will solidify our position as a global TOP 10 CDMO."

In March, Lotte Biologics began building its CDMO plant in Songdo. CDMO refers to a business that develops and manufactures drugs for client companies. The company said the Songdo plant will start production in 2027.

"Lotte Biologics was established in 2022 to make (biologics) Lotte Group's core new business, and through a two-track strategy of acquisition and establishment, we acquired the U.S.-based (Bristol Myers Squibb) plant to generate stable revenue from the CDMO business and gradually expand our client base," the CEO said.

Lee added the company aims to reach 1.5 trillion won ($1 billion) in revenue by 2030, which would put it in the global top 10 in terms of revenue.

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin said during the groundbreaking ceremony held Wednesday that its Songdo plant will not only be the future growth engine of Lotte Group, but also the center of Korea's bio industry.

"For the successful creation of the bio cluster in Songdo, Incheon, we will do our utmost to contribute to Korea's leadership in the global bio industry," the chairman said.

Lotte Biologics plans to invest 4.6 trillion won in Songdo by 2030 to build a total of three plants, in addition to the one currently under construction.

"The company's Songdo Bio Campus will have a total floor area of around 200,000 square meters, and we plan to build three biopharmaceutical production plants, each with a capacity of 120,000 liters. When fully operational, the production capacity will reach a total of 400,000 liters, with 360,000 liters in Songdo and 40,000 liters in Syracuse in the U.S.," the company said.

Through strategic alliances with global players, Lotte Biologics will apply world-class production equipment and IT systems at Songdo Bio Campus to maximize plant efficiency and quality levels and prepare for stable production through validation.

In addition, the company plans to create a Bio-Venture Initiative to promote mutual growth with bio venture companies and contribute to the creation of a domestic biotech company ecosystem, the company added.
Thousands of people at a religious gathering in India rushed to leave a makeshift tent, setting off a stampede Tuesday that killed more than 100 and left scores injured, officials said.

It was not immediately clear what triggered the panic following an event with a Hindu guru known locally as Bhole Baba. Local news reports cited authorities who said heat and suffocation in the tent could have been a factor. Video of the aftermath showed the structure appeared to have collapsed.

At least 116 people died, most of them women and children, said Prashant Kumar, the director-general of police in northern India's state of Uttar Pradesh, where the stampede occurred.

More than 80 others were injured and admitted to hospitals, senior police officer Shalabh Mathur said.

People started falling one upon another, one upon another. Those who were crushed died. People there pulled them out, witness Shakuntala Devi told the Press Trust of India news agency.

Relatives wailed in distress as bodies of the dead, placed on stretchers and covered in white sheets, lined the grounds of a local hospital. A bus that arrived there carried more victims, whose bodies were lying on the seats inside.

Deadly stampedes are relatively common around Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas with shoddy infrastructure and few safety measures.

Police officer Rajesh Singh said there was likely overcrowding at the event in a village in Hathras district about 350 kilometers (220 miles) southwest of the state capital, Lucknow.

Initial reports said organizers had permission to host about 5,000 people, but more than 15,000 came for the event by the Hindu preacher, who used to be a police officer in the state before he left his job to give religious sermons. He has led other such gatherings over the last two decades.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to the families of the dead and said the federal government was working with state authorities to ensure the injured received help.

Uttar Pradesh's chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, called the stampede "heart-wrenching in a post on X. He said authorities were investigating.

Look what happened and how many people have lost their lives. Will anyone be accountable? Rajesh Kumar Jha, a member of parliament, told reporters. He said the stampede was a failure by the state and federal governments to manage large crowds, adding that people will keep on dying if authorities do not take safety protocols seriously enough.

In 2013, pilgrims visiting a temple for a popular Hindu festival in central Madhya Pradesh state trampled each other amid fears that a bridge would collapse. At least 115 were crushed to death or died in the river.

In 2011, more than 100 Hindu devotees died in a crush at a religious festival in the southern state of Kerala. (AP)
An Air Europa flight from Madrid to Montevideo was diverted to a Brazilian airport on Monday after hitting severe turbulence, the carrier said, adding that injured passengers were being treated.

Flight UX045 made an emergency landing at the Natal Airport in northeastern Brazil at 2:32 a.m. local time (0532 GMT), according to local airport operator Zurich Airport Brazil.

A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft was flying the route, FlightRadar24 data showed.

"Our flight bound for Montevideo was diverted to Natal due to strong turbulence," Air Europa said in a statement on social media. "The plane landed normally and those injured of varying severity are already being treated."

Zurich Airport said in a separate statement that the passengers who needed medical assistance were taken by ambulance to Natal hospitals.

The government of Rio Grande do Norte state, where Natal is located, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to Air Europa, a second plane was set to depart from Madrid later on Monday to pick up the passengers and continue the trip to Uruguay. (Reuters)
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof gave his first speech to parliament on Wednesday, pledging that he will work hard at one of his new goverments main aims: reducing immigration.

The biggest of those concerns is asylum and migration. That is the crux of the matter, no matter how you look at it, said Schoof , who is not a member of any of the four parties that make up the coalition government.

Schoof formally took the reins from long serving prime minister Mark Rutte on Tuesday. The 67-year old former head of the Dutch intelligence agency and counterterrorism office was a surprise choice for the top spot.

The anti-immigration party of firebrand Geert Wilders won the largest share of seats in elections last year and took 223 days to form a four-party government. Opposition from other coalition partners prevented the controversial Wilders from taking the prime ministers job.

The four parties in the coalition are Wilders Party for Freedom, Ruttes center-right Peoples Party for Freedom and Democracy, the populist Farmer Citizen Movement and the centrist New Social Contract party.

Schoof is now expected to shepherd the coalition agreement into government policy.

The formal agreement creating the new government, titled Hope, courage and pride, introduces strict measures on asylum-seekers, scraps family reunification for refugees and seeks to reduce the number of international students studying in the country.

Migration puts too much pressure on social services and social cohesion. The asylum and migration figures are high and so is the pressure on society, Schoof told the Dutch lawmakers.

Opposition politicians wasted no time in criticizing the new government. For the first time, a party with extreme right-wing ideas is taking a seat in (the cabinet), said Frans Timmermans, leader of the social democrat-greens alliance, addressing parliament immediately after Schoof.

Timmermans then called the policies of Wilders party racist and announced he would submit a motion of no-confidence against two of its cabinet members over their views on repopulation" and believe in conspiracy theories alleging a plot to diminish the influence of white people.

Wilders denied accusations that any of his party members are racist. Not a single (Party For Freedom) member in the House, in the cabinet, in the country, has anything to do with racist Nazi theories, he said in the assembly.

The debate will continue through Thursday. (AP)
NCT Dream is back in Singapore for the third time with their sensational concert: The Dream Show 3: Dream( )Scape. The atmosphere at the start was electric, with fans (known as Czennies) buzzing with anticipation.

As the lights dimmed, the powerful instrumentals of "icantfeelanything" filled the air, accompanied by an impressive light show. The stage, cloaked in darkness with only six spotlights, began to open, teasing the audience with glimpses of the members.

Suddenly, a bright white light and smoky projections revealed the full stage, and the crowd erupted as the members made a dramatic entrance, kicking off with "BOX" and dazzling everyone with their synchronized moves.

The group then launched into their hard-hitting tracks like "119," "SOS," and the classic "Go," all while clad in striking red and black leather suits. The crowd went wild, especially for Jeno and Jaemin, whose revealing jackets showcased their impressive physiques.

After these high-energy performances, the group paused for introductions, led by Mark. Each member expressed their excitement to be in Singapore, promising to give their all for the fans.

Chenle, in particular, shared his joy at being in Singapore for the first time, having missed the last tour. Jeno then introduced the next song, "Poison," featuring duo dances that highlighted the team's chemistry, followed by the fan-favorite "Drippin" from the We Go Up album.

A VCR segment perfectly captured the haunting dreamscape theme, leading to the boys returning in playful jerseys and matching ties, ready to perform upbeat tracks like "Arcade," "We Go Up," and "Bungee."

Mark then engaged the crowd with a balance game, asking whether they preferred cute, sexy, or youthful concepts. The overwhelming support for "sexy" had Mark agreeing it was the right answer, and the members delighted fans with their interpretations of "sexy."

Slowing the pace, they performed "Walk With You" on a set resembling a snowy wonderland, complete with white confetti. The intimate vibe continued with "Never Goodbye" and "Breathing," showcasing their vocal prowess. Mark dedicated "Unknown" to Singapore, bringing an emotional moment that resonated deeply with fans.

With renewed energy, the members returned in fresh outfits to perform "Tangerine Love (Favourite)," "Yogurt Shake," "Pretzel," and the beloved "Candy." They interacted with fans, running to the ends of the stage and sharing laughable moments, enhancing the concert's joyful atmosphere.

The camera crew knew just how to keep the excitement high, zooming in on moments that drove fans wild. With a wardrobe change into princely jackets, Jaemin initiated a crowd wave, praising Singapore for the most beautiful one he'd seen.

Mark's quick "Swee Lah" and Chenle's sudden appearance with sunglasses set the tone for the next segment, featuring "Dream Run," "Better Than Gold," "Fireflies," and "Hello Future." The stadium was alive with jumping and singing fans, and the boys didn't miss a beat in their playful interactions.

A skatepark set revealed the energetic "Skateboard," complete with freestyle dances, cool flips, and acrobatic stunts. The energy remained high with "ISTJ" and "Smoothie," which had the crowd chanting along.

For the encore, after an agonizing wait, fans' signs were showcased, many expressing love for Renjun, who couldn't be there. The members returned in silly bathrobes and hair accessories, singing "Dive Into You" and "ANL" while engaging with fans and creating heartwarming moments for the cameras.

The night concluded with a group photo and heartfelt closing remarks.

Chenle expressed his eagerness for future visits, while Haechan promised a return as a complete group.

Jisung threw confetti, creating another memorable moment, and thanked fans for their unwavering support.

Jaemin and Jeno echoed the sentiments, praising the fans' energy.

Mark humorously shared his love for Singapore's chili crab, though not as much as for the fans, and expressed his gratitude for their palpable love.

The final song, "Like We Just Met," felt more like a heartfelt promise to see each other again, closing the night on an emotional and hopeful note.

Special thanks to Live Nation SG for inviting KpopStarz to cover 2024 NCT DREAM WORLD TOUR < THE DREAM SHOW 3 : DREAM( )SCAPE > in Singapore.



Writer: Madeline Yeo | Photo Credits: Live Nation SG
In a surprising turn of events, a fansite dedicated to (G)I-DLE Shuhua found itself embroiled in controversy after uploading allegedly unedited photos of the idol from a recent fansign event.

The incident, which unfolded online among Chinese fans, highlights a growing debate within the K-Pop community regarding the authenticity and perception of idol images.

Fansites are typically known for meticulously editing photos of idols to enhance their visual appeal, often employing techniques like skin tone adjustments and facial feature enhancements.

These alterations, though commonplace, occasionally draw criticism for promoting unrealistic beauty standards and distorting the true appearance of idols.

However, when the fansite in question uploaded what appeared to be unedited or minimally edited pictures of Shuhua, it sparked unexpected backlash.

Chinese fans, accustomed to heavily edited images that emphasize flawless beauty, accused the fansite of "not accurately representing" Shuhua's appearance.

READ MORE: Is This the End of (G)I-DLE? Alarming Trademark Activity Sparks Panic Among Fans

Some even went so far as to label the fansite as anti-fan for posting what they perceived as unflattering photos.

This reaction stands in stark contrast to the usual praise Shuhua receives for her "natural beauty," often in photos that are subtly edited to highlight her features.

The irony wasn't lost on observers who pointed out the contradiction in praising edited images while criticizing actual unedited ones.

The controversy escalated to the point where the fansite chose to delete the photos to quell the mounting criticism.

Amid the uproar, other fans rallied to the defense of both Shuhua and the fansite, asserting that the unedited photos were perfectly fine and that there was no justification for the harsh backlash.

"Calling someone ugly just because their face bloated for one day out of 365 days is so petty lol"

"Seriously, did you lose your mind leaving a comment on mobile? Shuhua is pretty even in just random press photos."

"Having seen the members in person, Shuhua doesn't look that great compared to the screen. Among idols who don't look good in person, she seems to be at the top. Seriously, in person, she's just pure and pretty. Yuqi and Shuhua stood out the most to me."

"Ugh, here comes the troublemaker again, trying to stir up trouble."

"The person commenting seems to be someone who enjoys criticizing others lol When they criticized Chungha, Miyeon, and Shuhua before, it was quite malicious. Seems like they're probably the one writing these comments themselves lol."

The incident serves as a reminder of the complexities surrounding image management in the K-Pop industry, where fans, idols, and fansites navigate a delicate balance between authenticity and idealization.

As K-Pop continues to garner global attention, discussions about the ethics of image editing and its impact on fan perceptions are likely to persist.

READ ALSO: (G)I-DLE MIYEON & SHUHUA Nearly Crash Due to Reckless Driver: 'That Could Have Been a Major Accident If...'

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Cassidy Jones.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
China will formulate more than 50 national and industrial standards for artificial intelligence (AI) by 2026 and develop a standard system to guide the high-quality development of the sector, according to guidelines jointly unveiled by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and three other government organs.

The guidelines specified seven key areas for developing the AI standard system in the country, including standards for key technologies, intelligent products and services, and industry applications.

Developing AI standards can help promote technological progress, enterprise development and industrial upgrading, thus better leveraging AI to empower new industrialization, according to the guidelines.

In recent years, China's AI industry has achieved progress in technological innovation, product creation, industry applications and other areas. The sector has presented new features with the accelerated development of new technologies like large models.

China now hosts more than 4,500 AI companies. Its core AI industry reached a scale of more than 578 billion yuan (about 81 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, up 13.9 percent year on year, according to official data.

In this year's government work report, China unveiled an AI Plus initiative, a strategic move designed to propel the digital economy's expansion and spearhead the transformation and modernization of manufacturing sectors.
With summer already here, heat waves are expected. President Joe Biden is proposing new laws to protect millions of workers from extreme temperatures as climate change makes the planet grow hotter and hotter.

Tens of millions of Americans are under heat advisories, with high temperatures already being the country's leading weather-related killer. In these measures, President Biden proposes that to protect workers from injuries related to heat exposure on the job, the first major federal safety standard of its kind must be established.

As the Associated Press noted, the workers most affected by extreme temperatures are farmworkers, delivery and construction workers, landscapers, and indoor workers in warehouses, factories, and kitchens.

These latest steps are being made to address extreme weather, as Hurricane Beryl is already breaking records in extreme weather and causing much damage to several Caribbean countries and potentially threatening parts of the southern United States.

The president added that this was just one of five steps that his c administration is taking to address extreme weather. He also blasted Republican lawmakers who deny the existence of climate change, saying, "It's not only outrageous, it's really stupid."

The president also noted the human and financial costs of climate change, pointing out that weather-inflicted damage last year cost the economy $90 billion.

"More people die from extreme heat than floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes combined," said the president. "These climate-fueled extreme weather events don't just affect people's lives. They also cost money. They hurt the economy, and they have a significant negative psychological effect on people."

Biden also announced that FEMA is releasing $1 billion in grants to help communities deal with natural disasters. At the same time, the EPA is also s releasing a new report on climate change's impacts, with the White House itself revealing plans to hold a conference titled "White House Summit on Extreme Heat" in the next few months.

READ MORE: Midwest Flooding Causes Bridge Connecting Iowa to South Dakota to Collapse, Evacuations Triggered

Brutal Heat Waves and Wild Fires Expected This Summer

In this week alone, the western US is expected to suffer sweltering conditions that would coincide with Fourth of July celebrations. These might cause power to shut down in some areas, as well as a a severe uptick in wildfire risks.

Almost 90 million people were under heat alerts from the National Weather Service on Tuesday, according to The Guardian, with parts of California being predicted to suffer from "extreme" levels of heat risk that will last until Sunday or longer.

Joe Biden Slams Supreme Court Decision on Presidential Immunity

As for President Biden, he recently blasted the Supreme Court after it decided that presidents are absolutely immune as long as the crimes are committed as official acts.

"Now the American people will have to do what the court should have been willing to do and would not: Americans will have to render a judgment about Donald Trump's behavior," he said.

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: Pres. Biden proposes guidelines for working in excessive heat; Texas likely to oppose - FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth
Hurricane Beryl, a Category 4 storm, swept through open waters Tuesday, heading towards Jamaica after hitting the southeast Caribbean, causing six deaths.

Warnings were issued for Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Cayman Brac, and southern Haiti.

The National Hurricane Center forecasted Beryl to weaken but remain a major hurricane as it neared Jamaica early Wednesday, the Cayman Islands Thursday, and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula Friday.

Previously the earliest Cat 5 Atlantic storm, Beryl was downgraded to Cat 4, according to AP News.

With expected life-threatening winds and storm surges, Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged residents to prepare for possible evacuations.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Beryl was 125 miles southeast of Isla Beata in the Dominican Republic, with winds at 155 mph, moving west-northwest at 22 mph.

National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan stressed Jamaica was in Beryl's direct path, advising residents to seek safe shelter and remain there through Wednesday.

READ NEXT: Caribbean Devastated by Record-Breaking Category 4 Hurricane Beryl

Initial Impacts and Preparations

By 11 PM Monday, Hurricane Beryl's winds intensified to 160 mph, becoming a Cat 5 storm approaching Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

This marked the second July Atlantic hurricane to reach such strength since Hurricane Emily in 2005.

Beryl made landfall around 11 AM Monday on Grenada's Carriacou Island, bringing 150 mph winds, heavy rain, and 6 to 9 feet of storm surge, causing widespread power outages.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves described the storm as severe and warned of worse conditions ahead.

Beryl's eye passed the island chain, heading towards Jamaica, the Miami Herald reports.

By Wednesday, forecasters predicted atmospheric conditions could weaken Beryl to a Category 2 or 3 storm.

Jamaica issued a hurricane watch, while Haiti and the Dominican Republic upgraded their tropical storm watches to warnings.

By 8 PM, Beryl was about 575 miles east-southeast of Isla Beata and 910 miles east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, with sustained winds near 155 mph, maintaining its Category 4 status.

The Jamaican government issued a hurricane warning, expecting tropical storm-force winds within 36 hours.

The southern coast of the Dominican Republic and Haiti remained under tropical storm warnings.

Beryl's Growing Impact and Future Path

Early Monday, hurricane hunter planes observed Beryl in the final stages of an eyewall replacement cycle, which expanded its wind field, increasing storm surge and wind effects in the eastern Caribbean.

By 8 PM, hurricane-force winds extended 40 miles from the center, and tropical storm-force winds reached 125 miles out.

Initial reports indicated widespread flooding and damage, with no confirmed deaths.

CARICOM chairman and Guyana President Mohamed Irfaan Ali noted significant infrastructure and private property damage.

Residents in Carriacou, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines faced strong Category 4 winds and heavy surf, with Prime Minister Gonsalves reporting severe damage in Grenada.

Record-breaking sea temperatures, driven by climate change, fuel a dangerous hurricane season.

The NOAA has forecast an "extraordinary" season with 17 to 25 named storms, eight to 13 hurricanes, and four to seven major hurricanes.

Beryl, the earliest Cat 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic, highlights the impact of warmer water temperatures on storm intensification.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged residents to prepare while Haiti's vulnerable population remains at risk, Reuters noted.

Hurricane Beryl, the strongest storm to hit the southeastern Caribbean in 20 years, continues threatening Jamaica and other Caribbean regions with significant rainfall and potential damage.

READ MORE: Panama's New President Jose Raul Mulino Sworn In, Vows to Crack Down on Migration

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ross Key

WATCH: Beryl heads toward Jamaica as a major hurricane after ripping through the southeast Caribbean - From WFAA
Yet another mass shooting in America as a white Nebraska man targeted, shot, and wounded seven Guatemalan immigrants who were his neighbors. Investigators say they are not ruling out racist motives from the shooter, who had been described by locals as "reclusive and confrontational."

Of the seven Guatemalan immigrants who were wounded, four were children ages 3 to 10. However, they are expected to survive. As for the shooter, he has been identified as 74-year-old Billy Booth, a white man who police say has a history of conflict with his neighbors.

According to police records obtained by the Associated Press, the shooting happened mostly in the yard of the Guatemalan migrants' home in Crete, Nebraska, which is 70 miles (110 kilometers) southwest of Omaha. Police say 15 people were at home when Booth opened fire from his house with a shotgun.

After wounding some of the people on his neighbors' property, Booth then turned the gun on himself in an act of suicide.

While the Nebraska man often confronted his Guatemalan immigrant neighbors and forced them to "speak English," thus leading to the investigation on whether this was also a racist attack or not, his other neighbors have also spoken out and revealed that Booth was also confrontational towards his other neighbors, who were also white like him.

"He hated everybody," Dave Hansen, whose home is next door to Booth's, told the Associated Press.

White Nebraska Shooter Called Guatemalan Immigrant Neighbors Names Prior to Shooting

Crete, Nebraska was considered a diverse community, with 25% of residents being foreign-born and around half being Hispanic. However, living in such a diverse neighborhood did not stop Booth from making his allegedly racist attack on his immigrant neighbors.

READ MORE: Alex Jones Bankruptcy Plan Rejected by Judge, Forced to Liquidate Assets and May Include InfoWars

Crete Police Chief Gary Young stated that the Guatemalan family living in the house next to Booth's previously filed a complaint against him. In that complaint, the family noted that Booth made an obscene gesture and told them to go back to where they came from, as well as told them to "speak English."

The name of the Guatemalan immigrant family was not released, as the family stated that they were "not interested in being involved in a legal dispute," according to NBC News.

Before the attack, the family stated that Booth did not directly threaten to shoot them but did make several racist remarks whenever he made his usual confrontations.

Nebraska Shooting Victims Out of the Hospital After Alleged Racist Attack

Crete police immediately responded as the shooting happened as officers reported that they could "hear gunfire still occurring." Once there, the officers noted that "They located several victims inside a home on Crestline Drive and identified that the gunfire was coming from a house across the street."

Soon enough, more officers and EMTs arrived and evacuated the other family members. SWAT also arrived "at approximately 6:40 pm... made entry into the home where the gunfire had originated, 1810 Parkland Street, and located the occupant deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The SWAT team located a shotgun near the suspect."

As for the Nebraska shooting victims, a source told CNN that they have all been released from area hospitals, including the four children.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Claims He Does Not Know His Rhetoric Mirrored Adolf Hitler, But Reports Say Otherwise

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Nebraska State Patrol investigating if there was 'racial component' to Friday's mass shooting - KETV NewsWatch 7
Mexico authorities have unearthed a disturbing scene in La Concordia, Chiapas, where 19 male bodies were discovered in a dumper truck.

The victims, all attired in black with tactical vests reminiscent of criminal gang attire, were found fatally wounded, most inside the truck and three more nearby on a dirt track, according to BBC.

The region's transit routes, crucial paths for migrants heading north to the US, have increasingly become targets for criminal infiltration.

These groups exploit migrants for financial gain and smuggle arms, ammunition, and drugs from Guatemala into Mexico, as confirmed by the presence of Guatemalan identity papers among the deceased.

The discovery was prompted by a video uploaded to social media on June 28, which depicted men claiming to be members of the Sinaloa cartel displaying the bodies in the truck, labeling them as rivals from the "Chiapas and Guatemala cartel."

The next day, locals in La Concordia reported finding the bodies near their community, leading to immediate alerts to local authorities.

READ NEXT: Mexico Violence: Displaced Residents Fear Returning Home After Drug Gang Attack

President Lopez Obrador Addresses the Incident

Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador addressed a violent clash in Chiapas involving rival groups in drug trafficking and migrant smuggling during a press conference.

He underscored the government's commitment to protecting the region amid ongoing violence linked to organized crime, EL Paiz reports.

Lopez Obrador described the incident as a longstanding confrontation between two Mexico gangs, exacerbated by dual motives of drug trafficking and migrant smuggling, complicating security efforts.

Chiapas has seen a surge in violent incidents, including the murder of mayoral candidate Lucero Lopez Maza and a deadly confrontation near La Angostura dam involving the National Guard and criminals.

The government responded by deploying additional security forces to the southern border with Guatemala, aiming to stabilize the region.

However, concerns persist among residents about the effectiveness of these measures and the displacement of hundreds due to escalating violence.

Located on key trafficking routes, Chiapas faces transnational criminal activities involving drugs, arms, and human smuggling, with Mexico gangs like the Sinaloa cartel and CJNG vying for control.

Professor Javier Oliva Posada highlighted the area's vulnerability to such activities, underscoring the complex challenges of security and stability in the region.

Impact on Local Communities and Human Rights

The escalation of violence in Chiapas has deeply affected local communities, exposing them to daily threats and instability, Aljazeera noted.

Civilians endure intimidation, displacement, and economic loss amid criminal conflicts, disrupting daily life.

The violence also disrupts political processes, with incidents like the murder of mayoral candidates undermining local governance through intimidation.

The discovery of 19 bodies highlights the need for comprehensive strategies to address Mexico's southern border insecurity.

Priorities include protecting vulnerable populations, enhancing law enforcement, and fostering socio-economic development to combat criminal influence.

International cooperation is crucial for regional stability and human rights protection. Chiapas underscores the urgent need for sustained efforts to achieve peace and security in affected areas.

READ MORE: Haiti Prime Minister Garry Conille Vows to "Reclaim Control" from Gangs

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ross Key

WATCH: 24 people charged in money laundering involving Mexico's Sinaloa cartel - From ABC7
Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro has announced that his government is willing to re-enter talks with the US after his administration broke promises regarding free and fair elections when the Maduro-aligned Supreme Court upheld the disqualification of the election's previous frontrunner, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

The strongman stated that his government will renew dialogue with the US from next Wednesday. Maduro claimed that it was Washington that initiated the proposal and that it was his government that agreed to it after two months of careful consideration.

As France 24 noted, the US partially lifted several oil-related sanctions against Venezuela after a secret deal between the two governments in Qatar. Venezuela also made several concessions, including allowing banned candidates to run in the next election, including Machado.

However, as soon as the Maduro-aligned Supreme Court reaffirmed her disqualification and Maduro resumed his usual repression of any form of opposition, the US re-imposed those sanctions.

"We're going to debate and find new agreements so that everything is respected, (especially) what we signed in Qatar" in September," claimed Maduro as he addressed the nation on state television. He added that he hoped for "dialogue, understanding, a future for our relationship."

The US also suspended several sanctions when the Maduro regime agreed with the opposition in last year's conference in Barbados to hold elections this year. However, they agreed that the election must be free and fair and allow banned candidates to run. Maduro broke this agreement.

READ MORE: Venezuela Citizens Testify Against Dictator Nicolas Maduro in Argentina Court Over Crimes Against Humanity

Venezuela Opposition Welcomes Nicolas Maduro Announcement on Dialogue With US

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan opposition, which is allied to the United States, welcomed the president's announcement just one day before the promised negotiations are about to restart, with the opposition coalition Unitary Platform's executive secretary, Omar Barboza, praising the move.

"Differences must be resolved through peaceful means, through dialogue," he stated, adding that the opposition's negotiators will be ready to participate in bilateral discussions if they are needed, adding that this would be in the interest of the "electoral process and respect for democratic guarantees."

However, the Associated Press noted that the US government itself has not yet confirmed any planned negotiations with the Maduro regime, as negotiations with the Biden administration have so far proven to be rocky and complicated.

Venezuela Citizens Pinning Decision to Migrate on Results of July Elections

Venezuela is facing a historic exodus of its citizens under the Maduro regime, which has been accused of crimes against humanity. Under Maduro, people are leaving because of the economic difficulties living in the country, as well as continued government repression.

With the elections happening on July 11, some Venezuelans are putting their plans to migrate on hold for now, as Maduro currently trails in the polls. However, with a history of alleged cheating, citizens are holding their breaths.

"I'd like to stay in Venezuela because I know that if the government changes, the oil industry will return in full force," said Maracaibo, Venezuela resident Daniel Briseno.

The Korea Times noted that many Venezuelans say they want to vote against the dictator because they want to "halt the deterioration of their quality of life" in the country.

READ MORE: Colombia Gives Legal Status to 540,000 Migrants from Venezuela

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: President Maduro authorizes dialogues with the U.S. in Qatar - TeleSUR English
The United States Supreme Court declined on Tuesday to review a challenge against Illinois' law prohibiting certain semi-automatic rifles and large-capacity magazines, solidifying the measure's status.

This decision marks the court's refusal to reconsider the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit's preliminary affirmation of Illinois assault weapons ban, a law enacted in response to escalating gun violence incidents, according to CBS News.

The legal battle over the Illinois assault weapons ban has seen multiple attempts to reach the Supreme Court, with previous emergency appeals failing to halt the law's enforcement pending judicial review.

The latest rejection follows a similar path as the court recently opted not to address Maryland's comparable law until after a federal appeals court ruling.

Currently, ten states and the District of Columbia have laws prohibiting assault-style weapons.

Justice Samuel Alito expressed dissent, advocating for the court to assess the ban's constitutionality.

Meanwhile, Justice Clarence Thomas highlighted the need for future deliberation, particularly concerning the Second Amendment's protection of widely owned semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15.

READ NEXT: Supreme Court to Review Social Media Laws in Florida and Texas

Illinois Law and Legislative Intent

The Illinois legislation, enacted in 2023, was a response to a tragic incident where an individual armed with an AR-15-style rifle carried out a devastating attack during an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, resulting in seven deaths and numerous injuries.

This law specifically targets semi-automatic "assault weapons" and large-capacity magazines, defining them as unsuitable for civilian self-defense due to their potential for rapid and extensive firepower.

Governor J.B. Pritzker, following the law's passage, emphasized its role as part of broader efforts to curb gun violence while acknowledging the ongoing challenge of ensuring public safety in the face of firearm-related incidents, The New Republic reports.

The legal argument hinges on the interpretation of the Second Amendment's protection of "Arms" and historical traditions of firearm regulation.

The 7th Circuit upheld the ban, reasoning that firearms like the AR-15 resemble military-grade weaponry more than tools for individual protection, thus falling outside constitutional protections under existing Supreme Court precedents.

Justice Clarence Thomas criticized this rationale, questioning how widely owned firearms could be excluded from Second Amendment safeguards, Politico noted.

He underscored the need for a comprehensive framework to assess restrictions on firearms, advocating for clarity on defining which weapons qualify as "dangerous" and "unusual" under constitutional scrutiny.

Future Implications and Political Responses

The Supreme Court's decision to decline review leaves intact the 7th Circuit's stance, prompting reactions from both proponents and opponents of stricter gun control measures.

Advocates for gun rights argue that such bans infringe on constitutional liberties, limiting access to firearms commonly owned for lawful purposes.

Conversely, supporters of the Illinois law, including Attorney General Kwame Raoul, underscore its alignment with public safety interests and legislative authority to regulate firearms deemed particularly hazardous in civilian settings.

The Supreme Court's refusal to intervene in the Illinois assault weapons ban underscores ongoing debates over gun rights and public safety in the United States.

As states continue to grapple with gun violence through legislative measures, the legal landscape remains contentious, balancing constitutional protections with efforts to mitigate the impact of firearm-related tragedies.

Future developments in judicial interpretations and legislative actions will likely shape the trajectory of gun policy in America, influencing both legal precedent and societal responses to firearm regulation.

READ MORE: Florida Man Critically Injured in Shark Attack During Boating Trip

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ross Key

WATCH: Supreme Court leaves Illinois assault weapons ban in place for now - From CBS Chicago
Many Republicans are not happy with Florida Republican lawmaker and accused pedophile sex trafficker Matt Gaetz, and a new attack ad from a Republican primary challenger shows this. The 30-second ad notes his ties to convicted sex trafficker and former close friend Joel Greenberg.

Gaetz and Greenberg have been close friends for a long time, but their relationship ended when Greenberg was caught and sentenced for sex trafficking minors. The former Seminole County tax collector pleaded guilty in 2022 to underage sex trafficking, wire fraud, stalking, and related charges and has been cooperating with authorities in the investigations against Gaetz.

Gaetz has earned the ire of his fellow Republicans after he initiated the removal of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his position. McCarthy alleges that Gaetz had him removed after allowing a House Ethics inquiry against the Donald Trump ally. The ouster of McCarthy has led to the current chaos in the House, and many Republicans are still blaming Gaetz for it.

"2017. Congressman Matt Gaetz forms a close friendship with future convicted sex trafficker Joel Greenberg," the ad's narration stated. "Matt Gaetz is going to the White House and Joel Greenberg is going with him."

"Gaetz allegedly grooms Greenberg for higher political office, then makes payments to him. Greenberg reportedly uses a sugar daddy app to find college girls and pays for sex on Congressman Gaetz's behalf," continued the ad as it showed images of the two Florida politicians together. "That's a close friendship with the real Matt Gaetz."

The Florida MAGA congressman is currently under investigation for not only his sex trafficking activities that included minors but also his alleged drug use. He has so far denied all allegations.

Who Is Behind the New Ad Vs. Matt Gaetz?

A big mystery has now popped up regarding the ad, which was first reported by Punchbowl News. However, the outlet admitted, "We don't know who is behind this super PAC. But Gaetz voted against former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy has used super PACs to go after other rivals, including House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good (R-Va.), who appears to be losing to John McGuire."

READ MORE: Matt Gaetz Is Trying to Keep Steve Bannon Out of Jail, Gets Slammed for Hypocrisy

McCarthy has been supporting primary opponents against the eight Republican lawmakers who voted to remove him, especially Matt Gaetz, whom he accuses of removing him from office just because he "slept with a 17-year-old."

The Super PAC is reportedly tied to the Florida Patriots PAC, which is boosting Gaetz's GOP primary challenger, Aaron Dimmock. The two will face off in the primaries on August 20th.

House Ethics Committee Has Already Spoken to Witnesses in Matt Gaetz Probe

As for the investigation itself, the House Ethics Committee has said that it has already spoken with more than a dozen witnesses regarding the accusations against Gaetz. It has also issued 25 subpoenas and reviewed thousands of pages of documents.

It is also investigating whether the MAGA lawmaker "dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship," according to the Associated Press.

READ MORE: Kevin McCarthy Says He Is Not Speaker of the House Anymore Because Matt Gaetz 'Slept With a 17-Year-Old'

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: New anti-Gaetz ad - Team Punchbowl News
Fireworks displays and other events to commemorate the Fourth of July started as early as last weekend at some locations in the Lehigh Valley, but several local communities that have historically celebrated on the actual holiday are keeping the tradition alive this year.

Heres a list of fireworks displays and other events scheduled Thursday. (Did we miss something? Email details to web@lehighvalleylive.com for consideration to be added to the list.):

ALLENTOWN | The citys annual Fourth of July celebration is scheduled for 5-10 p.m. Thursday at J. Birney Crum Stadium, according to Discover Lehigh Valley. The fireworks show begins at 9:20 p.m. Admission is free.

ALLENTOWN | Coca-Cola Park is hosting the Great American Blast on Thursday. General admission tickets are $8 to the stadium, and parking is $5. Gate open at 6 p.m. with the fireworks, billed as the ballparks biggest display of the year, set for 9:15 p.m. Guests can sit in the seating bowl or in select areas on the field.

BETHLEHEM | The city will host its annual fireworks display starting at 9:15 p.m. Thursday. Fired from Sand Island, the fireworks will be visible from various areas of the city particularly around the City Center Plaza on East Church Street, an advisory from the city said. The Bethlehem Municipal Band is set to perform a free concert at 7:30 p.m. at the plaza. Sand Island East is closing to the public at 7:30 a.m. Thursday for set-up of the fireworks.

NAZARETH | The borough will hold its annual Kazoo Parade on Thursday with marchers gathering at Nazareth Area High School at 9:45 a.m. and the actual parade starting at 10 a.m., the borough said in an email. The parade will proceed into the downtown and end at Council Chambers, the email said. There will be no program at the conclusion. Kazoos will be provided at no charge while supplies last. The parade dates back to 2005 but did not take place in 2020 during the COVID pandemic.

S. WHITEHALL TWP. | Dorney Park will start a fireworks display around 9:30 p.m. Thursday as part of its Star-Spangled Nights celebration. Displays are also scheduled for the same time Friday and Saturday nights. Pennsylvania State Police advise motorists not to park anywhere on Interstate 78 to take in the show.

Note that Easton holds its annual fireworks display the weekend after July 4 as part of the citys annual Heritage Day celebration. For this year, the display is scheduled for around 9:30 p.m. Sunday, July 7, following a full day of events around the noon re-enactment of the July 8, 1776, reading of the Declaration of Independence in what is now Centre Square. The city lists the following viewing sites on its website: Northampton County parking lot (Sixth and Washington streets); Palmer Park Mall parking lot; Fisk Field parking lot (17th Street and Wood Avenue); Easton Area High School; and Meuser Park (22nd and Northampton streets). Wilson Borough Donald Barrett, however, posted on Facebook to say the boroughs Meuser Park and Fisk Field at Lower Hackett Park will be closed at dusk and will not be available for viewing the fireworks.
ASTANA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Kazakhstan on Tuesday for a state visit and to attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This is Xi's fifth visit to Kazakhstan and the second one in less than two years, following his previous state visit in September 2022. The visit this time is expected to bring a renewed focus on the multifaceted aspects of bilateral ties and cooperation. Calling the China-Kazakhstan partnership "unique," Xi said upon his arrival here that the everlasting friendship of the two nations has grown stronger over time, and set an example of solidarity, mutual benefit, and mutual success between neighboring countries. In a series of meetings scheduled with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Xi is expected to engage in detailed discussions aimed at further strengthening cooperation between the two nations. The focal points of these talks are expected to cover trade and investment, infrastructure development, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. "The leaders of our countries launched a new 'golden 30 years' of cooperation between Kazakhstan and China," said Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of Kazakhstan's China Studies Center, referring to a joint announcement by the two heads of state during Xi's visit in 2022. With Kazakhstan-China relations growing at a high level, it is believed that Xi's visit to Kazakhstan will open up new prospects for bilateral cooperation, she said. During Tokayev's visit to China in 2019, the two countries decided to elevate their ties to a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. Speaking at a daily briefing in Beijing on Monday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that it is expected that Xi's visit this time will further strengthen bilateral relations. The deepening mutual trust and political ties between China and Kazakhstan have been accompanied by a remarkable growth in their trade and economic cooperation over the past three decades. China was Kazakhstan's largest trading partner in 2023, with two-way trade up by 32 percent year-on-year to reach 41 billion U.S. dollars. Key exports from Kazakhstan to China include crude oil, metals, and agricultural products, and in turn China has supplied Kazakhstan with machinery, electronics, and consumer goods, according to Kazakh government data. The Central Asian nation has also become a critical partner in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to boost connectivity and promote global prosperity through infrastructure development and trade and investment facilitation. It was in Kazakhstan in 2013 that Xi first proposed the initiative of the Silk Road Economic Belt. "This marked a magnificent chapter in Belt and Road cooperation between our two countries. And the development of China-Kazakhstan relations has since entered a new stage," Xi said in a signed article in the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper and Kazinform International News Agency on Tuesday. Since then, the two countries have made significant strides in enhancing connectivity and economic integration through various BRI projects. Among the recently completed and commissioned ventures are the Zhanatas wind farm, the Turgusun hydropower station, and the modernization of the Shymkent Oil Refinery. These developments underscore the robust energy cooperation fueling both countries' development. The China-Kazakhstan crude oil and natural gas pipelines are also operating with remarkable stability and safety, ensuring a consistent energy supply vital for both economies. This dynamic partnership has also extended into transportation infrastructure, with key transport and logistics hubs, such as the terminal in Xi'an, the Western Europe-Western China Highway, and the China-Europe Railway Express, functioning seamlessly. BRI's support for cross-border transport infrastructure has benefited Kazakh connectivity, according to a World Bank report, entitled "South Caucasus and Central Asia: The Belt and Road Initiative Kazakhstan Country Case Study." For more than a decade, Kazakhstan has invested substantially to improve its own transport network, but due to more limited improvements in trade facilitation and limitations of resources in many neighboring countries, the gaps have been difficult to fill. The focus of BRI on expanding transport infrastructure and economic integration and China's drive to connect its western and central regions more effectively to Europe and to West Asia provide an opportunity to address these gaps, according to the World Bank report. "Kazakhstan is likely to be among the larger beneficiaries of the BRI," it concluded. Meanwhile, consensus on deepening cultural and people-to-people exchanges is expected to be reached during Xi's visit. Both nations have for long recognized the importance of fostering greater understanding and friendship between their peoples, viewing cultural exchanges as one major cornerstone of their bilateral relationship. So far, a China-Kazakhstan agreement on mutual establishment of cultural centers has been signed. Chinese and Kazakh filmmakers have co-produced a film entitled "The Composer," which is their first co-production. Bilateral programs for cultural cooperation, including a Chinese university campus in Kazakhstan, a Luban Workshop, and a center of traditional Chinese medicine, have been implemented. Thanks to the mutual visa-exemption arrangements, a total of 600,000 cross-border trips were recorded in 2023. In the first quarter of this year, the number of visits in both directions amounted to 200,000 and are expected to reach a new high, official data from both sides have shown. In an exclusive written interview with Xinhua before Xi arrived here, Tokayev emphasized the significance of cultural and people-to-people communications between the two countries, as the opening ceremony of the "Kazakhstan Tourism Year" in China was held in March in Beijing. "Cultural and people-to-people cooperation plays an important role in strengthening bilateral ties and fostering friendship between the peoples of our countries," he said.
Nathans Famous Fourth of July hot dog-eating contest is coming up Thursday, and eastern Pennsylvania is well-represented among those vying for glizzy glory.

The yearly bun fight, which dates back to 1972, sees large crowds of fans in foam hot-dog hats gather in front of the original Nathans Famous restaurant in Coney Island, Brooklyn, to cheer on the competitors as they chow down. The contestants are allowed to dunk the dogs in cups of water to soften them up, creating a stomach-churning spectacle.

The field has shifted this year as Joey Jaws Chestnut, the reigning champion of the contest, will not participate in Thursdays event after signing a deal with a rival brand.

Instead, Chestnut will take his hot dog-downing talents to an army base in Texas for Americas Independence Day. Chestnut, of Indiana, will compete against soldiers in Fort Bliss, in El Paso, in a 5-minute hot dog eating contest. In 2021, Chestnut set the current record of 76 hot dogs, in 10 minutes.

With Chestnut out, those vying for second place in Brooklyn in the past might have renewed hope to chomp their way to victory this year.

Last years second-place winner was Geoffrey Esper from Oxford, Massachusetts, who downed 49 dogs to Chestnuts 62. Third place went to Australias James Webb with 47.

Miki Sudo, of Tampa, Florida, holds the womens record of 48.5 in 10 minutes. Miki won her ninth title at the Nathans Famous contest last year with 39.5 hot dogs and buns eaten.

Contestants hail from 13 states and several countries.

A list of U.S.-based contestants from The Associated Press includes a pair of competitors from Monroe County, and another from Chester County: Mens competitors George Chiger and Sean Yeager hail from Pocono Pines and Phoenixville, respectively, in addition to womens competitor Larell Marie Mele, of Long Pond.

If you cant make it to Coney Island, ESPN will be airing and streaming the competition. Coverage of the womens competition begins at 10:45 a.m. ET on ESPN3. The mens competition airs at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2, with re-airs at 5 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

The Associated Press and Kurt Bresswein contributed to this report. Reach him at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
One of the Jersey Shores most enduring attractions was reintroduced Friday to some of its biggest fans at a sneak peek before the grand reopening.

The 114-year-old carousel on the Seaside Heights boardwalk, officially known as the Floyd L. Moreland Carousel, opened at 1 p.m. for a limited audience for the first time since it was taken apart in 2019 and shipped to Ohio for a restoration project.

It will fully open to the public on Wednesday at 6 p.m., borough officials said.

15 1 / 15 Preview of the Seaside Heights preview

Visitors on Friday included Floyd Moreland, a retired dean and classics professor at the City University of New York who visited the carousel as a child, and in the 1980s spearheaded a successful campaign to save it.

The restored carousel will have room for about 70 customers per ride, said Seaside Heights Business Administrator Chris Vaz said. The fee is $4, with children under 42 inches tall riding for free.

Rides will last for just under four minutes, with just under four revolutions per minute, Vaz said.

Carousels  often referred to as merry-go-rounds  are an iconic amusement ride whose production peaked in the first half of the 20th Century.

The Seaside Heights carousel is the longest surviving and operating vintage carousel on the Jersey Shore, which until the 1960s was home to dozens, said Patrick Wentzel, president of the National Carousel Association.

Of the more than 3,500 carousels built in the U.S. between the late 1800s through the 1930s, it is among fewer than 175 still in use, Wentzel said.

For its first century, the carousel was privately-owned. However, in 2014 then-owner Casino Pier transferred the carousel  valued at the time for more than $2 million  to Seaside Heights, in exchange for 1.36 acres of beach property.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism you rely on and trust.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.
The U.S. is issuing a travel warning for Americans traveling to several Caribbean islands this week because they may be hit by a Category 5 hurricane.

The U.S. Embassy warned Americans visiting countries in the path of Hurricane Beryl  Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  to check the weather forecasts and monitor changes in conditions.

Beryl will likely bring devastating impacts to Jamaica Wednesday, The Weather Channel said.

Beryl, which became the earliest Category 5 storm to form in the Atlantic Ocean, is a Category 4 storm that is currently churning toward Jamaica, according to The Weather Channel. It is expected to hit the Cayman Islands on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, followed by Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula on Friday and potentially the western Gulf Coast, from Texas to Mexico, on Sunday or early Monday.

The U.S. Embassy is also urging citizens to register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), a free service for Americans traveling or living overseas to register their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

This program allows Americans to receive important information about what is going on in their country for safety reasons, and gives the U.S. Embassy as well as family and friends a way to contact you in case of an emergency.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.
Authorities in Carbon County were continuing to investigate the death of a male victim in an incident Monday on the Lehigh River.

Carbon County Coroner Mark K. Smith on Tuesday said Felix Dejesus Jr., of Jim Thorpe, was pronounced dead at 1:17 p.m. Monday by Deputy Coroner Dave Stianche.

Following an autopsy Tuesday, the cause and manner of death remained pending toxicology testing, Smith said in a news release.

The incident occurred just downriver from the wastewater treatment plant in Jim Thorpe, in Carbons Mahoning Township.

Assisting with recovery efforts on the river were the Jim Thorpe and Lehighton fire departments.

Along with the coroners office, the death remains under investigation by the Carbon County District Attorneys Office, Pennsylvania State Police at Lehighton and Jim Thorpe police.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
An Easton, Pennsylvania, man has died in a chain of events along Interstate 78 after his motorcycle struck a car and then he was struck by oncoming traffic in Warren County, state police said.

New Jersey State Police Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron told lehighvalleylive.com the collision just after 10 p.m. Tuesday began along I-78 at mile marker 5.1 in Greenwich Township. The 45-year-old motorcyclist and the driver of a 2017 Toyota Camry were both headed east when the motorcycle struck the back of the Toyota, Lebron said.

The motorcyclist was then ejected from the BMW bike prior to being struck by an oncoming 2020 Toyota Camry, Lebron said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene, he said. The identity of the deceased is being withheld by authorities until family is notified.

The driver of the 2017 Toyota Camry suffered minor injuries. There were no other reported injuries.

Tuesdays crash remains under investigation by New Jersey State Police.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
UPDATE: Warren County homicide victim was college student who cherished her family

A 21-year-old woman has been identified as the victim of a homicide last week in Warren County.

Warren County Acting Prosecutor Anthony Picione on Tuesday identified the victim as Amanda Pulver.

She and the suspect, who is in custody, were familiar with each other, Picione said.

Police were called about 8:20 a.m. Thursday to a shooting on Alphano Road in Independence Township, the prosecutors office said. Pulver lived in Independence, the prosecutors office says.

Authorities on Thursday confirmed the suspect, 34-year-old Anthony J. Garvin, of Netcong, New Jersey, was taken into custody and sent to the Berks County Prison in Leesport, Pennsylvania.

Garvin remained in the Berks prison Tuesday, awaiting extradition to New Jersey. He faces charges of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, a crime of the second degree, according to the prosecutors office.

Pennsylvania court records show Garvin was taken into custody in Berks by the Wyomissing Borough Police Department and imprisoned with bail denied.

A Wyomissing police log shows police there took a male wanted for homicide into custody about 11:20 a.m. Thursday on Crossing Drive.

If convicted on the murder charge, Garvin would face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

A Facebook post by Pulvers father, Darrin Pulver, remembers her as beautiful, sweet, thoughtful, kind, intelligent. The post states her puppy, Dunkin, also was killed: It appears he was taken from us while trying to save Amanda.

The devastation caused to her mother, her two amazing brothers, her grandparents, extended family and her friends cannot be overstated, the post states.

The prosecutors office said it was assisted in the homicide investigation by Independence Township and Wyomissing police, New Jersey and Pennsylvania State Police, and the Warren County Tactical Team.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
A man was caught driving in Portlaoise without insurance or a licence three times in the space of a month.

Salman Dylan Mughal (21) of 386 Market Mews, Maryborough Village, Portlaoise admitted driving without insurance or a licence at Clonroosk Little, Mountrath Road on May 8, on the Mountrath Road at Knockmay on May 16 and again at Market Mews, Maryborough Village on June 8, 2024.

Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the defendant was stopped in the same vehicle and on the last occasion was the third time in a month he was driving while disqualified. He said the man had three previous convictions and had been disqualified due to an accumulation of penalty points in April for a period of six months.

Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said her client hadnt realised he had been disqualified on the first occasion he was stopped. She said the man is an Irish national of Czech descent who lives with his mother. She said the car is now disposed of.

Ms Fitzpatrick said the man told her his sister suffers with seizures and he had been travelling on one of the occasions to get medication.

She asked the judge to take his early plea into account and also the fact that there was no drugs or alcohol involved in the offending. She said the man was on jobseekers allowance.

Judge Andrew Cody imposed a 12 months sentence which he suspended for three years. He fined the man a total of 1,200 and disqualified him from driving for six years.
The addition of up to six years onto the mandatory retirement age of prison officers serving at jails in Laois and elsewhere has come in for share criticism from their main trade union.

The Prison Officers Association has issued a joint statement of the representatives of firefighters and those in the Defence Forces in response to a potential new retirement age of 66.

General Secretary, Karl Dalton, spoke on behalf of his members.

The proposed legislation would allow a Minister for Justice to increase the pension age of prison officers from 60 to 66 without any consultation with those impacted. Like our colleagues throughout the uniformed services, the traumatic events prison officers have to deal with during their career and the impact this has on their health is the reason for the current retirement age of 60.

We have sought to meet the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, to no avail. This proposed change without prior consultation with the representative bodies is unacceptable, he said in statement.

Mr Dalton told the Leinster Express Laois Live that the Bill that the Government is trying to push through states that the Minister for Justice, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure, make regulations on the retirement of prison officers. He says it makes clear that the the normal retirement age, which at present is 66, could be fixed that new mandatory retirement age.

While Mr Daltion said the change to 60 to 62 is not a major issue, he said prison officers can currently retire at 55 and must retire at 60 but the new laws can make both rules redundant.

"It is giving them unfettered powers into the future- this is a huge issue for trade unions," he said.

He said the law could potentially see the mandatory retirement age of prison officers extended beyond 66 if Government decided that the standard retirement age should change.

He said the change would also impact the pensions paid to more recently recruited prison officers who are not entitled to a so-called supplementary pension.

Mr Dalton said there was 'absolutely no consultation' on a bill that gives far-reaching powers.

MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO) Deputy Secretary General, Derek Priestley also commented as the new retirement rules in the Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 were brought before the Dail on July 2.

"As it stands the Bill will only further deteriorate terms and conditions for members and further negatively impact on recruitment and retention in the defence, prison, policing and fire services.

It does nothing to solve the problem for workers who joined these services after 2013 facing serious financial hardship in the first years of their retirement. This is due to their fast accrual pension schemes making insufficient allowance for their contractual earlier retirement ages, he said.

SIPTU Organiser, Geoff McEvoy, said: The Bill, in its current form, creates a real uncertainty and fear that the retirement age will be further increased for new entrants, effectively ending fast accrual for them. This will worsen the retention and recruitment crisis in these essential frontline services, likely weakening them beyond repair.

We urge the government to reconsider this Bill and engage in meaningful consultation with stakeholders to develop a solution that is fair and sustainable for all, he said.

The Department of Justice said the Bill would provide for an increase in the mandatory retirement for uniformed public servants, including Gardai, from 60 to 62 years of age.

I am pleased to have secured Government approval to legislate for an increase in the mandatory retirement age for uniformed public servants, including members of An Garda Siochana and the Irish Prison Service. This decision reflects the reality that people are living longer, and many want to continue working in their chosen career for longer, said Minister McEntee.

Her Department said the Bill will facilitate an increase in the mandatory retirement age for uniformed public servants from 60 to 62 years, within the context of the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reforms fast accrual pensions policy
The Festival of the Mountain organisers are "pulling out all the stops this year," with the event to be the biggest yet.

Rosenalis will hold their annual Festival of the Mountain and vintage rally in August, with a new trad music tent promised this year.

"We're pulling out all the stops this year, it's looking to be a very big and successful event," said organiser Daniel McDonald.

"There will be sheep shearing from internationally known sheep-shearer George Graham, and a vintage vehicle exhibit for all to enjoy.

There will also be an interactive drumming circle, where 30 to 40 participants on individual drums will follow a facilitator," said Mr McDonald.

The festival promises live music from Glor Tire winner Aisling Rafferty, and the Malva Ukrainian Choir, who have written new songs for the event.

Organisers are calling on all traditional musicians for a session in the new trad music tent. There will also be free yoga lessons on the mountain for the first time ever.

"There are plenty of creative workshops planned, including wood carving, basket weaving, flower arranging, and even griddle bread making.

"There will be plenty of creative workshops for all to get involved, where attendees can engage with local artists to create their own mementos to take home," said organisers.

There will be a wide array of attractions for the kids, including free face painting, live animals and amusements. There will be tug of war, and plenty of market stalls to enjoy, along with a dog show.

"We may have a surprise or two as well, nearer to the time," organisers hinted.

The festival will kick off at midday on Sunday August 25, with admission 10 per person. Children aged 16 and under have free entry.

For more information, visit the Rosenalis Festival of the Mountain Facebook page.
A vintage Laois cinema will host an exclusive Irish screening of a Kildare made movie this month, attended by its USA resident director, and some of the cast and crew.

Irishman Paul Pender lives in Connecticut for some 30 years, but is flying home for the screening of his film Charlie Gormans Wake, in the community run Balcony Cinema in Mountmellick Community Arts Centre on Tuesday, July 9.

Filmed in Kilmeague, Kildare and Connecticut, it won Best Comedy at the Crown Point International Film Festival 2023, and has featured in a host of other US film festivals.

It tells the story of friendship among the patrons of the fictional Gorman's Bar, filled with humour and moments of sadness too.

The Mountmellick connection comes about in the form of a local publican at the Druid Inn, Gerry Mulvaney.

Im a mate of Pauls for nearly 30 years. He is a musician and I met him when he played in Sean Dohertys Rathfarnham where I was a barman. We visit each other often, Gerry told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

I thought it would be nice to do something in Mountmellick, we have the lovely Balcony cinema but it's only used one night a week. This will be a way to help them out and bring in a bit of revenue, Gerry said.

Gerry Mulvaney of The Druid Inn Mountmellick with friend and film director Paul Pender.

The film is co-directed by Paul and Katie Santacroce, and is written by Paul who also acts in it along with Katie and Pauls mother Maureen who lives in Kilmeague. A host of experienced local theatre actors include Brian Beirne, Kevin Connolly and Marian Cronin.

Paul told the Leinster Express how the exclusive for Mountmellick came about.

I was hoping to get it into the Galway Film Fleadh but I only found out two weeks ago that it was not accepted.

Its been in loads of film festivals in the states but only was accepted to two in Ireland. Its disappointing for an Irish movie mostly made in Ireland with nearly all Irish actors, he said.

One of those film festivals was even in Hollywood.

We were at the Chinese Theatre while they were setting up for the Oscars. Weve gone the whole festival route here, he said.

A proud Dublin man like Gerry, he has grown fond of Laois on his visits.

I played for Gerrys opening weekend in The Druid, and I go to Mountmellick every single time I come home. My grandmother was from Laois, Anne McDonald from Ballylinan, he said.

He is looking forward to seeing his movie in the lovely Balcony movie theatre, a restored 1950s plush venue seating just 136.

They tried it out on the big screen in the Balcony cinema a year and a half ago. It looked great. I got the tour of the arts centre by Mick Feeley, its beautiful. Id love to put it on as a play there. Mountmellick Drama Group even have a copy of the play, he said.

He explained how he made his first movie, helped by movie making professionals who came on board for free, impressed by its potential.

I had an Irish pub in Connecticut called The Old Dublin and I wrote it as a play and got the New Haven Players to put it on stage. It was a huge success. I thought it could be a movie so I wrote a screenplay and we shot a DVD of the play. I asked the stage cast who already knew their characters so well to perform it in my pub. We shot it over a few years because I had to raise the money, Paul said.

The exterior scenes were then filmed back in Kildare.

His film cost less than $100,000 to make, largely because the actors and crew worked for free.

Tickets are available on Eventbrite at 20, which include a copy of the movie, which supporters can then get autographed by the director and some of the crew. Tickets will also be available on the door. It screens at 8pm, on Tuesday night, July 9.

I hope people will come out on the night and support the cinema, Gerry said.

Watch a trailer on www.charliegormanswakethefilm.com
Gardai were called to Portarlington train station following reports of antisocial behaviour on the 5:30pm Heuston to Galway service.

The train arrived into Portarlington station at 6:15pm, and was allegedly delayed for 32 minutes due to antisocial behaviour that required Gardai intervention.

Gardai attended the scene and removed a passenger from the service.

Gardai spoke to us on the matter;

"Gardai were made aware of a public order incident at the Portarlington Train Station, Co. Laois Tuesday, 1stJuly at approximately 6pm. No offenses have been disclosed."

A spokesperson for Irish Rail responded to Laois Live/ Leinster Express's request for comment;

"The Gardai were called to Portarlington on Monday evening to meet the 17:30hrs Heuston to Galway train due to a passenger engaging in anti-social behaviour. The train arrived at Portarlington at 18:15 and Gardai removed the customer at 18:47 and the train continued on its journey 32mins late.

Iarnrod Eireann apologises to the customers onboard this service who were delayed as a result of this incident."

Last April, Irish Rail announced that the level of anti-social behaviour on Irelands trains surged by over 50% last year.

Figures show that there were nearly 1,000 incidents reported  including 110 assaults and 562 incidents of aggressive behaviour.

The list includes assaults, fights, muggings, theft, attacks on staff and lewd behaviour.
Representatives from Portlaoise Family Resource Centre met with members of the Oireachtas at a briefing event in Buswells Hotel, Dublin, to urge them to adequately fund community services in Laois in this years Budget, so that they can provide the level of support services that are desperately needed in local communities.

The event was run by the Family Resource Centre National Forum, the national representative body for Family Resource Centres, to officially launch its Budget 2025 submission.

The Family Resource Centre programme is the largest community-based family support programme in Ireland. Through a network of 121 FRCs, it supports families in communities experiencing poverty and disadvantage.

The primary call on Government as part of the submission, is for an increase in core funding for all 121 FRCs, to 240,000.

Photographed at the launch of the Family Resource Centre National Forums pre-Budget submission in Buswells Hotel were Fergal Landy CEO of FRCNF; Joan Bolger, Portlaoise FRC; and Brian Stanley TD

Earlier this year, Minister Roderic OGorman raised the minimum level of core funding to 160,000 per FRC. However, this figure was identified six years ago as the basic level of funding for new FRCs. For Budget 2025, the FRCNF has identified the required level of funding per FRC as 240,000, for them to be able to adequately provide the services required of them.

Commenting on their pre-Budget submission, Fergal Landy, CEO of the FRCNF said, Budget 2025 will be a key opportunity for Government to maximise the potential of the FRC National Programme to increase its capacity to deliver for children, families, individuals, and communities in Laois and throughout Ireland, and in doing so, provide additional supports to communities coping with many challenges such as the housing crisis, poverty, the cost of living, and integrating new communities. But this cannot be achieved without adequate funding for our 121 FRCs.

The current level of funding of 160,000 per FRC is intended to cover the salary of three full-time staff members, operational costs and the running of services in the centre. This is just not realistic nor sustainable. The shortfall in core funding is leading to a recruitment and retention crisis of suitable, qualified staff and difficulties in maintaining appropriate premises to deliver the high quality supports our FRCs have become known for.

In addition to the increase in core funding, the FRCNF is also calling for:

No new Family Resource Centres, until the funding of existing FRCs is addressed; and involvement of FRCs in the decision-making process, when the programme is expanded to ensure alignment to the existing FRC programme approach.

Ensure consistent, long-term funding for counselling and therapeutic supports in FRCs nationwide.

Develop and introduce a dedicated capital funding stream for FRCs.



Last year, over 70,000 therapeutic support sessions were provided to adults and children in FRCs across Ireland. As a result of these services being made available, 71% of FRCs reported a decrease in their waiting lists for services like play therapy, one-to-one psychotherapy, and parenting workshops. The funding that was made available for these services made a huge impact in communities in Laois and across the country, and showed us the potential of what could be achieved at a local level  if long-term funding was provided.

We are calling on Government to commit to long-term funding so that we can plan for the future, invest in full-time practitioners and ensure that appropriate therapeutic supports are consistently available for families when they need it most. We are also aware that Government is considering increasing the number of FRCs in 2025, however, we urge that the current funding issues be addressed before adding new centres to the programme.

In every corner of the country, the FRC National Programme plays a vital role in providing services for its community. However, FRCs have long experienced a reduced level of core funding, in comparison to similar organisations, and we are now urging the Government to put communities at the heart of Budget 2025 and invest where it is needed most.
Laois Volunteer Centre has recently set up star weaving workshops as part of a national endeavour to provide an inclusive community arts project connecting communities across Ireland.

The workshops take place weekly in Portlaoise Library and are part of Ambers One Million Stars Ireland project which is an inclusive community arts project connecting communities across Ireland in solidarity against domestic abuse and all forms of violence.

The project comprises star-weaving groups of people who commit to weaving between 10,000 and one million stars over a two-to-five-year period. These woven stars symbolize solidarity in ending all forms of violence, including violence against women. Once they reach their target, the groups display their stars, contributing to the global goal of weaving one billion stars by 2032.

The group in Portlaoise was launched in June and welcomes everybody interested in developing arts and crafts with an emphasis on the integration of diverse groups living in Laois. The workshops are free of charge and all materials are provided. To date, the national programme has worked with diverse groups including TY students, care home residents, new community groups, Respond, Rehab Ireland, Mental Health Ireland, Irish Wheelchair Association and many others.

The Laois Volunteer Centre Manager Caitriona Ryan spoke about the project. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Pictured: Bundles of Stars made at the workshop.

Its a great opportunity for diverse groups of people to enjoy crafts and at the same time meet new people. The star weaving workshops create an awareness of global and domestic violence. We invite guest speakers weekly to give the group an outline of work based in Laois and, to date, we have had speakers from PATH (Portlaoise Action to Homelessness), Sosad who offer support and services for people who are struggling with suicidal ideation, depression, bereavement and stress, Laois Domestic Abuse Service and the Guild of St Philip who provides a befriending service for prisoners in Portlaoise and the Midlands Prison, said Ms Ryan.

Ukrainian born Zhanna Dubinina and her 14-year-old daughter Mariam have been participants of the programme in recent weeks. Zhanna is an accomplished artist.

I want to help the community and I am interested in learning about the theme of the programme. I enjoy the star making and its a good opportunity to meet people, she said.

Laois Volunteer Centre plan to set up a further star weaving group in Rathdowney in the autumn.

If you would like to be a star weaver or if you have some spare time at home to prepare star weaving kits, contact Caitriona Ryan, Manager Laois Volunteer Centre on info@volunteerlaois.ie or phone 0872499659.

For more on volunteering in Laois check out www.volunteerlaois.ie
Local Senator and Newbridge resident Fiona OLoughlin has called for a national debate on how we deal with illegal encampments in the Seanad today.

Senator O'Loughlin said, I once again had to raise the issue of illegal encampments on the Curragh Plains in the Senate this morning. This is an issue I have raised consistently over the years, and I have even introduced legislation in Leinster House, on two occasions, once in the Dail and once in the Seanad which would effectively deal with encampments on the Curragh but to no avail.

The current encampment, consisting of 40 vans, is a huge concern. I have been speaking to local people who have expressed concern in terms of animal welfare and in terms of the potential damage to the Curragh itself.

We need a better system to deal with illegal encampments as they arise and this is not just on the Curragh, but in general. There is issues when it comes to dealing with such encampments, the length of time and the potential legal costs to the local authority for example."

O'Loughlin concluded, I have been in touch with local gardai and the Tanaistes office in terms of the current encampment, but we need to see progress in terms of the wider issue of dealing with illegal encampments.
Kildare advocate Gillian Dunne joined Rare Diseases Ireland (RDI) at a briefing event at Leinster House on 25th June to warn Oireachtas members that the number of diseases screened for using newborn bloodspot screening (NBS) in Ireland, also known as the "heel prick test, must be doubled from the current nine to the European average of 18.

The heel prick test is delivered by the HSE National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme (NNBSP), and it involves taking a small sample of blood from a newborn babys heel between 72 and 120 hours after birth for the early identification of serious medical conditions and rare diseases.

NBS currently screens for nine rare but serious diseases. Screening enables early identification and treatment of these conditions, significantly improving health outcomes for affected infants. Each year, approximately 120 babies are diagnosed with one of these nine diseases through the NNBSP.

Ms Dunne joined RDI to call for the expansion of the NBS at a briefing event in Government Buildings for TDs, Senators and Government officials as part of its current Get Rare Aware campaign, which is highlighting how Ireland screens newborn babies for fewer diseases than 75 per cent of European countries*.

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 20 conditions*.

RDI told attending politicians that an expanded NBS would ensure early diagnosis and treatment for an estimated 200-plus infants each year in Ireland, including in Kildare, leading to enhanced health outcomes and quality of life for more children, and providing them with the opportunity to live long relatively normal lives.

Addressing the briefing, CEO of RDI, Vicky McGrath, told Oireachtas members that only one disease has been added to Irelands newborn screening programme in the last five years.

According to Ms McGrath, Irelands National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC) has recommended three tests be added to NBS, with a further 34 diseases to be assessed for inclusion, however inadequate resources at the HSE remain a barrier to expansion.

Ms McGrath told politicians that the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly approved the NSAC recommendation to add a group of conditions known as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) to the NBS Programme in January 2023. She pointed out that the lifting of the HSE recruitment moratorium, announced by Minister Donnelly in recent weeks, finally enables recruitment to commence and work on implementation to proceed at the HSE.

There are estimated to be one to two cases of SCID each year in Ireland. Without treatment SCID is typically fatal in infancy. Early detection and treatment of SCID with bone marrow transplant or gene therapy will save the lives of affected babies, according to RDI.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a further condition recommended for inclusion. There are an estimated six to seven children born with SMA every year in Ireland. SMA can be treated with a gene therapy that replaces the non-working gene with a working gene. This therapy is best given early in life, as permanent damage may result if treatment is delayed until symptom onset.

Ms McGrath highlighted how screening for many of the 34 diseases is already in place across Europe, and pointed out that even though decision-making criteria are similar, the NSAC requires further reviews and assessments, taking up to 18 months each, to be conducted prior to issuing a recommendation. According to Ms McGrath: This is both wasteful of resources and denies newborns in Ireland access to care and treatment that they would receive if they were born in other EU member states.

Rare disease diagnostic odyssey  Ireland versus rest of Europe

As part of its Get Rare Aware campaign, RDI is also highlighting recent research from Rare Barometer, the survey initiative of EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe**, revealing that the average time between first symptoms and confirmed diagnosis of rare diseases is 6.1 years in Ireland as compared with the European average of 4.7 years.

Speaking at Government Buildings, Ms McGrath said: With this years Get Rare Aware campaign, we are calling on TDs, senators and MEPs representing Kildare to bring Irelands heel prick test into line with the rest of Europe. The comparisons between Ireland and the rest of Europe in relation to newborn bloodspot screening and the lengthy delays achieving a diagnosis for people living with rare diseases show just how far Ireland is lagging behind our European counterparts.

Babies born with rare diseases in Kildare deserve a better start to life, and to be provided with early access to transformative therapies and treatments that will give them the best opportunity to lead a normal life. Parents and families deserve to be empowered to care for their newborns and provide them with the chance to live their best lives.

Government must act now and provide the resources needed to expand newborn screening and transform the lives of many more babies born with rare diseases in Kildare today, tomorrow and into the future.

For more information about the 2024 Get Rare Aware campaign, go to www.getrareaware.ie.
Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (ETB) is calling on the Government to commit to tackling inequalities in the education sector by supporting the priorities laid out in the #SupportYourLocalETB campaign.

Representatives from Kildare and Wicklow ETB met with members of the Oireachtas at a briefing event in Buswells Hotel, Dublin, last week where they expressed their concerns. Kildare TDs in attendance included Deputy Martin Heydon.

The event marked the official launch of the #SupportYourLocalETB campaign and was organised by Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), the representative body of 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) nationwide. The four priorities outlined in the #SupportYourLocalETB campaign that ETBI and its members are calling for government support on include:

Increase the number and profile of Community National Schools nationwide; Increase in the Deputy Principal allocation in ETB post-primary schools with DEIS designation; Increase in funding for Further Education and Training (FET) so that funds reflect the proportion of learners, and ring-fence 600m in funding for the FET Colleges of the Future project, due to commence in 2028; Restore funding for youth work to pre-austerity levels and ensure pay parity for youth workers.

Launching the campaign at Buswells Hotel, last week, ETBI General Secretary Paddy Lavelle told invited TDs: The 16 ETBs across Ireland provide education and training opportunities for over 450,000 people. We do this through running primary and post-primary schools, and providing Further Education and Training opportunities, including apprenticeships. We are also heavily involved in youth work.

Kildare and Wicklow ETB and all ETBs nationwide offer excellent, equality-based, inclusive educational opportunities to learners of all ages. We are proud to support Irelands diverse population of learners  and have a proven track record of doing so. We are delighted to launch our #SupportYourLocalETB campaign and our political priorities for the coming year. We are calling on the Government to commit to supporting our work.

TDs can also raise these issues at local and national levels of Government, and ensure these priorities are included in their partys manifesto for the next General Election, Mr Lavelle said.

ETBIs priorities for the next year are available to read here: https://we.tl/t-H9JS5oMXiJ
A warning remains in place about increased levels of cryptosporidiosis, a severe stomach bug, reported from areas of Spain, particularly Salou in Catalonia.

The warning remains in place on the Department of Foreign Affairs website as peak holiday season arrives.

The HSE is advising people to take extra hygiene precautions when travelling in this area. More information can be found on the HSEs website here.

According to the HSE, Cryptosporidiosis is a diarrhoeal disease caused by a microscopic parasite (Cryptosporidium). Once an animal or person is infected, the parasite lives in the intestine and passes in the stool.

The parasite is protected by an outer shell that allows it to survive outside the body for long periods of time and makes it very resistant to chlorine-based disinfectants.

It can survive temperatures greater than 70oC. It is found (particularly in water) through the world.

Cryptosporidium lives in the intestine of infected humans or animals. Millions of parasites can be released in a bowel movement from an infected human or animal. It is therefore found in soil, food, water, or surfaces that have been contaminated with human or animal faeces. It is a common cause of waterborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis.



The most common symptom of cryptosporidiosis is watery diarrhoea. Other symptoms include:

Dehydration

Weight loss

Stomach cramps or pain

Fever

Nausea

Vomiting

Some people with cryptosporidiosis will have no symptoms at all.

Cryptosporidium can be quite contagious. These simple measures will reduce the likelihood of spread:
Margaret 'Rita' McManus celebrated her 100th birthday on June 19 last.

She is currently a resident in St Phelim's Nursing Home, Dromahair, where she had a very special birthday party and received her personalised letter from President Higgins, along with many cards, flowers and a cake.

Born on June 19, 1924, Margaret, affectionately known as Rita, is the eldest of four brothers and three sisters.

Rita is pictured blowing out the candles on her birthday cake

She trained as a nurse in England before emigrating to New York where she had a very successful nursing career. She returned to Ireland every year to visit her family and friends.

Later in her retirement years she moved back home to Blacklion. Always good humoured, kind and loving, she is very much loved by her family, friends and all the Nursing staff in St Phelim's Nursing Home, Dromahair.

Rita says she "might even make it to another 100 years"!
New murals now adorn the walls of Ballinamore and Cavan, created by lettering and mural artist Vanessa Power. Originally from Dublin, Vanessa moved to Ballinamore last year to embrace rural life with her new husband.

In 2014, she founded her business 'Signs of Power,' initially focusing on painting shop signs and commissions throughout Dublin and Ireland.

Over time, she transitioned to large-scale word-based murals, allowing her to fully unleash her creativity and refine her distinctive lettering style. Her vivid approach bridges the traditional craft of sign painting with the captivating aesthetics of the pop art movement.

Cowboy Paul Duffy and mural artist Vanessa Power

Vanessa's murals often feature common phrases and positive slogans, uplifting and inspiring viewers. She meticulously scales her original designs for painting, using diverse techniques and mediums - from emulsion to spray paint - chosen to suit each wall.

Through her murals, Vanessa infuses colour and vibrancy into neighbourhoods, thriving on the feedback she receives from the public who appreciate the joy her art brings to their communities.

One recent mural, titled Little House on the Prairie, decorates a gable end outside Ballinamore. Inspired by the tenant Paul Duffys love of country and western life, it depicts a prairie sunset with cacti and bold western-themed lettering. This mural brightens an otherwise mundane road, with one frequent passerby commenting that it makes them smile every time they drive past.

Her most recent work in collaboration with Breifne College in Cavan features a quote by Cavan native and writer John Boyle

OReilly: Be true to your work, your word, and your friend.

This message encourages students to live with integrity, staying committed and honest in their academic duties, personal promises, and friendships.

The mural is adorned with vibrant Irish flowers such as foxgloves, daisies, buttercups, and spear thistles, interwoven with the lettering to create a truly unique piece.

The mural was painted with the help of two eager students over the course of several days. Their assistance was much appreciated and encouraged by the art teacher Edel Crowe.

Vanessa Power with her mural at Breifne College, Cavan

Vanessa thoroughly enjoys working with teenagers on murals for schools as it's incredibly fulfilling to see them take pride in their contributions and gain a sense of accomplishment from the finished mural.

Murals in schools leave a lasting impact, transforming the environment into a more inspiring and welcoming place. Knowing that the art they've created together will be enjoyed by students and staff for years to come is incredibly gratifying to Vanessa.

To view more of Vanessas work visit her website www.signsofpower.com. And keep an eye out for more murals appearing in the Leitrim area soon.
On Tuesday, July 2, 2024 Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team were tasked to the Benbulben forest walk area, where a climber had sustained a serious injury.

"Two local climbers were out climbing a gully above the Benbulben Forest Walk when the accident occurred," stated Henry Doherty, Spokesperson for Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team.

"The climber, a local man in his forties," continued Henry Doherty, "slipped while climbing the gully, sustaining a serious head injury. Both climbers were active members of Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team."

15 Mountain Rescue volunteers responded to the call and rushed to the scene; they were accompanied by two ambulances from the National Ambulance Service and Members of An Garda Siochana. Irish Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 118 was dispatched from Strandhill to assist in the operation.

A helicopter rescue from the mountain could not be attempted due to the location and prevailing winds but was able to provide extra illumination from the helicopter as the light began to fade. Four paramedics attended the scene alongside mountain rescue personnel and despite their best efforts they could not revive their colleague.

He was lifted onto a stretcher to be lowered off the mountain. The operation to retrieve their colleague was very precarious as the terrain was very steep and the weather started to deteriorate, making conditions very difficult underfoot. A break rope was deployed on the stretcher to assist with extraction off the mountain.

Despite the worsening conditions there was a concerted effort by all team members to bring their friend home.

"As a team we are all devastated at the loss of our friend and colleague, for almost decade he was a dedicated member of the team coming to assist those in need.

"He was compassionate, professional, friendly and always had a big smile wherever you would meet him," concluded Mr. Doherty.

"We would like to extend our deepest condolences to his family at what is a very difficult time.

"We would also like to reassure the public that as we go through this period of mourning that the team is fully operational and ready to respond to anyone who may get into difficulty in the upland areas of Sligo and Leitrim.

"Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team wish to thank An Garda Siochana, the National Ambulance Service and Coast Guard Rescue 118 for their assistance in the operation."
Irish Farmers' Assocation (IFA) Deputy President Alice Doyle has called on farmers, contractors and machinery owners to take urgent and immediate actions to protect their property, machinery, tools and equipment, particularly GPS systems.

It appears that an organised criminal gang has once again set its sights on the farming sector and has targeted farms in Dublin and Wexford.

Over the last three days, thieves stole six systems in the Wexford area and one in North Dublin. The estimated value is up to 100k. One man was arrested in North Dublin and was before the courts charged with attempted theft. He pleaded guilty and was remanded in custody for sentencing on Friday.

"This is a great result for An Garda Siochana. Were asking Gardai to work with other agencies to see if these stolen items can be prevented from leaving the State for Eastern Europe and beyond and returned to their owners," Alice Doyle said.

"It is very important that this cycle of theft of specialised equipment is stopped. IFA is calling for the establishment of a dedicated Garda Rural Safety Unit to tackle what has become an international business for organised crime gangs," she said.

The Ukrainian war and subsequent embargo on Russia had led to a criminal market for the supply of agricultural equipment. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have suffered badly with the same criminal gangs targeting rural areas.

The IFA Deputy President said that Northern Ireland, Scotland and several of the UK regions have dedicated rural crime teams solely focused on these crimes and the prevention of same.

"They liaise with other agencies and police forces in a co-ordinated approach, sharing intelligence and best practices. Ireland needs the same. The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris should establish such a unit immediately," she concluded.
Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board (ETB) is calling on the Government to commit to tackling inequalities in the education sector by supporting the priorities laid out in the #SupportYourLocalETB campaign.

Representatives from Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim ETB met with members of the Oireachtas at a briefing event in Buswells Hotel, Dublin, last week where they expressed their concerns.

Leitrim TDs in attendance included Deputy Frank Feighan and Deputy Marian Harkin.

The event marked the official launch of the #SupportYourLocalETB campaign and was organised by Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), the representative body of 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) nationwide.

The four priorities outlined in the #SupportYourLocalETB campaign that ETBI and its members are calling for government support on include:

Increase the number and profile of Community National Schools nationwide; Increase in the Deputy Principal allocation in ETB post-primary schools with DEIS designation; Increase in funding for Further Education and Training (FET) so that funds reflect the proportion of learners, and ring-fence 600m in funding for the FET Colleges of the Future project, due to commence in 2028; Restore funding for youth work to pre-austerity levels and ensure pay parity for youth workers.

Tom Grady, Chief Executive, Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim ETB; Marian Harkin, TD; Senator Lisa Chambers and Peter Egan Director of FET, Mayo Sligo and Leitrim ETB.

Launching the campaign at Buswells Hotel, last week, ETBI General Secretary Paddy Lavelle told invited TDs: "The 16 ETBs across Ireland provide education and training opportunities for over 450,000 people.

"We do this through running primary and post-primary schools, and providing Further Education and Training opportunities, including apprenticeships. We are also heavily involved in youth work."

"Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim ETB and all ETBs nationwide offer excellent, equality-based, inclusive educational opportunities to learners of all ages. We are proud to support Irelands diverse population of learners  and have a proven track record of doing so.

"We are delighted to launch our #SupportYourLocalETB campaign and our political priorities for the coming year. We are calling on the Government to commit to supporting our work.

"TDs can also raise these issues at local and national levels of Government, and ensure these priorities are included in their partys manifesto for the next General Election," Mr Lavelle said.

ETBIs priorities for the next year are available to read here: https://we.tl/t-H9JS5oMXiJ
Talen Energy Corporation Announces Results of Director Elections





HOUSTON, July 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Talen Energy Corporation ("Talen" or the "Company") (OTCQX: TLNE), announced today that the Company has received the requisite consents from holders of its common stock, par value $0.001 ("common stock"), for the re-election of each of the seven members of its Board of Directors (the "Board") pursuant to the Company's recent consent solicitation (the "Consent Solicitation").

Effective as of July 2, 2024, the date on which the Company received certification of written consents representing a majority of its issued and outstanding common stock, Company nominees Stephen Schaefer, Mark "Mac" McFarland, Gizman Abbas, Anthony Horton, Karen Hyde, Joseph Nigro, and Christine Benson Schwartzstein were each elected to serve for an additional one-year term on the Board. After receiving certification of the requisite stockholder consents, the Company ended further action under the Consent Solicitation in accordance with the terms of the Consent Solicitation Statement, which was first mailed to the Company's stockholders on May 31, 2024.

The Company expects to hold an annual meeting of its stockholders in the second quarter of 2025.

About Talen

Talen owns and operates approximately 10.7 gigawatts of power infrastructure in the United States. We produce and sell electricity, capacity, and ancillary services into wholesale U.S. power markets, including PJM and WECC, with our generation fleet principally located in the Mid-Atlantic and Montana. Talen is headquartered in Houston, Texas. For more information visit https://www.talenenergy.com/.

Talen trades on the OTCQX Best Market under the ticker "TLNE." OTCQX companies meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, demonstrate compliance with U.S. securities laws, and have a professional third-party sponsor introduction. Investors can find current financial disclosures and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the Company on www.otcmarkets.com/stock/TLNE/overview.

Additional Information

For additional information and updates about Talen, please visit our Investor Relations webpage at https://talenenergy.investorroom.com, or contact:

Investor Relations:

Ellen Liu

Senior Director, Investor Relations

[email protected]

(281) 203-5435

Media:

Taryne Williams

Director, Corporate Communications

[email protected]

(610) 601-0327

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this communication, or incorporated by reference into this communication, are forward-looking statements. Throughout this communication, we have attempted to identify forward-looking statements by using words such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecasts," "goal," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "seek," "should," "will," or other forms of these words or similar words or expressions or the negative thereof, although not all forward-looking statements contain these terms. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions concerning, among other things, capital expenditures, earnings, litigation, regulatory matters, hedging, liquidity and capital resources and accounting matters. Forward-looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause our future business, financial condition, results of operations or performance to differ materially from our historical results or those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement contained in this communication. All of our forward-looking statements include assumptions underlying or relating to such statements that may cause actual results to differ materially from expectations and are subject to numerous factors that present considerable risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements beyond what is required under applicable securities law.

SOURCE Talen Energy Corporation

2 july 2024 at 16:15

News published onand distributed by:
Zeta Global Partners With RallyPoint To Enhance Experiences and Increase Support For The Military and Veteran Community





In celebration of the nation's Independence Day, Zeta Global (NYSE: ZETA), the AI-Powered Marketing Cloud, is proud to announce its partnership with RallyPoint, the leading digital platform for military personnel and Veterans, to better serve the military and Veteran community.

Zeta is committed to giving back to those who have defended and continue to protect the nation's freedom. Through this partnership, Zeta will leverage its expertise in personalization to deepen member engagement to help RallyPoint optimize communications channels, amplifying the way RallyPoint's peer-driven community connects the members of the military and Veterans for career and life success. Zeta's AI-powered platform empowers RallyPoint to enhance and extend its services in support of critical areas, such as recruiting, readiness, transition assistance and mental health for Veterans, their families and caregivers.

Zeta's platform will be used to help grow RallyPoint's community to include more American service members, Veterans, family members, caregivers, survivors of the fallen, and civilian supporters. In addition, as part of the partnership, RallyPoint will help the US government access and leverage Zeta's capabilities, unlocking untapped benefits for the US government agencies that serve the military and Veteran community in this new market for Zeta.

"Military personnel and Veterans often encounter complex challenges, ranging from health and wellness concerns to finding employment and navigating benefits," said David A. Steinberg, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Zeta Global. "Our partnership with RallyPoint underscores Zeta's commitment to supporting those who serve our country, ensuring they have access to the resources and connections they need to thrive, by bridging the gap between the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs and private and public sector organizations."

"Through this partnership, we aim to extend our reach to Americans who are serving or have served, as well as to their family members, caregivers and survivors," said RallyPoint CEO David Gowel. "By leveraging Zeta's market-leading assets and capabilities, RallyPoint will be able to deliver more personalized and timely support to the military and Veteran community, ensuring that no one is left behind."

RallyPoint's ultimate goal is to engage the tens of millions of Americans who are members of the broader Veteran and military community. Together, Zeta and RallyPoint are poised to transform the way military personnel and Veterans connect with vital resources, fostering a stronger, more supportive community for those who have given so much for the nation and the freedoms Americans celebrate and enjoy every day.

About Zeta Global

Zeta Global (NYSE: ZETA) is the AI-Powered Marketing Cloud that leverages advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and trillions of consumer signals to make it easier for marketers to acquire, grow, and retain customers more efficiently. Through the Zeta Marketing Platform (ZMP), our vision is to make sophisticated marketing simple by unifying identity, intelligence, and omnichannel activation into a single platform ? powered by one of the industry's largest proprietary databases and AI. Our enterprise customers across multiple verticals are empowered to personalize experiences with consumers at an individual level across every channel, delivering better results for marketing programs. Zeta was founded in 2007 by David A. Steinberg and John Sculley and is headquartered in New York City with offices around the world. To learn more, go to www.zetaglobal.com.

About RallyPoint

RallyPoint is the premiere digital platform for the military community to come together and discuss military topics both socially and professionally. Our members include military service members, Veterans, family members, caregivers, survivors, and supporters of those in uniform. RallyPoint connects members and provides tools to succeed along their entire lifetime journey - from recruit through retirement and beyond. Members build peer to peer relationships across branches, generations, and conflicts forged by the common bond of service. Within the community, members can build their professional network, ask questions, share photos and stories, connect with members in a secure environment, and explore educational and career opportunities. To learn more, go to www.rallypoint.com.

2 july 2024 at 16:20

News published onand distributed by:
The Wings Club Foundation Announces Carsten Spohr as Its 2024 Distinguished Achievement Award Recipient





The Wings Club Foundation, Inc. is pleased to announce that Carsten Spohr, Chief Executive Officer, Deutsche Lufthansa AG will be the recipient of this year's Distinguished Achievement Award. Acknowledging Mr. Spohr's outstanding accomplishments in the field of aviation, The Wings Club Foundation will present this award on Oct. 18, 2024, at the 82nd Annual Awards Gala to be held at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York.

Mr. Spohr has served as Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Lufthansa AG since May 2014. He leads the Lufthansa Group with the business segments Network Airlines, Eurowings, Logistics and MRO with around 100,000 employees worldwide.

After graduating with a degree in industrial engineering from the University of Karlsruhe, Mr. Spohr obtained a commercial pilot's license at the Lufthansa Flight Training school in Bremen and Phoenix. As a member of the central junior research group, he then completed the trainee program at Deutsche Aerospace AG, Munich.

In 1994 Mr. Spohr returned to Deutsche Lufthansa and initially took over the management of central personnel marketing. He then served as Executive Assistant to the Chairman of the Executive Board until he assumed responsibility for Lufthansa's regional partnerships in Europe.

In 2000, Mr. Spohr was appointed head of the alliance management of Deutsche Lufthansa. In this function, he was responsible for the management and coordination of Lufthansa's worldwide cooperation partners, including the Star Alliance and regional partners.

Mr. Spohr was then appointed to the Executive Board of Lufthansa German Airlines in 2004. His responsibilities included the hub management, cabin crew and personnel management.

In 2007, Mr. Spohr was appointed Chairman of the Executive Board of Lufthansa Cargo AG. From January 2011, he was a member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Chairman of the Lufthansa German Airlines Executive Board.

Carsten Spohr holds the Lufthansa Captain's license for the Airbus A320 Family air-craft types. He is married and has two daughters.

The Wings Club Foundation, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Its mission is to focus on initiatives aimed at supporting scholarships for students who will pursue a career in aviation or aerospace, providing programs to educate in the field of aviation, and supporting charitable organizations that use aviation to help those in need. The Wings Club Foundation comprises more than 1,100 members including industry leaders, pilots, professionals in related service organizations, and students of aviation.

Recognizing significant achievements that contribute to the advancement of aviation and aeronautics, The Wings Club Foundation presents not only the Distinguished Achievement Award, but also the Outstanding Aviator Award and the Distinguished Scholar Awards. For more information on The Wings Club Foundation, visit www.wingsclub.org. Follow us on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook

2 july 2024 at 17:30

News published onand distributed by:
VidAU: Leading the Future of AI Video Creation with New Investment





SINGAPORE, July 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- VidAU, a promising player in the AI video creation sector, has recently secured funding from an influential anonymous fund in the industry. This angel investment will further develop VidAU's intelligent algorithms and AI video models, enhancing the platform's capabilities.

Making Video Creation Effortless for Everyone

VidAU is on a mission to simplify the video creation process. With VidAU, users can effortlessly create engaging videos using product links or descriptions. The platform features lifelike avatars that act as spokespersons, speaking in various languages and accents for diverse applications, including TikTok, YouTube, marketing, training videos, and more. Additionally, users can access a comprehensive suite of video editing tools such as face swapping, translation, watermark removal, and video mixing.

Rapid Market Adoption and Impressive Results

VidAU's AI video creation platform is quickly gaining traction. The company boasts a growing active user base, including leading companies and e-commerce platforms. Clients appreciate VidAU's efficient video creation capabilities and exceptional localized solutions, which enable them to succeed in international markets. These solutions significantly reduce content marketing costs and boost efficiency, with clients experiencing substantially improving production efficiency. VidAU also significantly enhances commercial conversion rates.

Innovative Leadership Driving Success

Under the visionary leadership of founder Joanna, VidAU has consistently focused on AI video tools and international expansion. With a predominantly technical team (over 80%), VidAU is well-positioned to capitalize on the anticipated AI boom in 2024. Leveraging extensive global experience, VidAU addresses real-world business challenges for its clients. The launch of their SaaS version, VidAU.AI, has garnered high praise for its practicality and innovation in global markets, driving strong growth momentum among users worldwide.

Customized AI Models for Brand Success

VidAU excels in accelerating the adoption of AI technology. Through AI Avatars, or AI Avatar Spokespersons, VidAU enables clients to create proprietary video domain models that align with their unique brand identity and target audience. These AI Avatars continuously self-learn and optimize performance, giving VidAU a competitive edge over rivals relying on generic industry tools.

Success Stories Highlighting Real-World Impact

VidAU's impact is evident in its client success stories. For instance, a leading e-commerce platform used VidAU to produce numerous videos daily, achieving an adoption rate exceeding 70% and significantly improving production efficiency. Additionally, a pet supplies seller leveraged VidAU's AI to create TikTok videos that garnered over a million views in the United States.

Pioneering the Future of Video Localization

By utilizing AI tools such as video translation and face swapping, VidAU has developed a robust model for video localization that balances efficiency and quality. This model has been successfully implemented for numerous clients in the short movie and e-commerce sectors, allowing businesses to localize their video content for global audiences seamlessly.

Looking Forward: A Commitment to Excellence

Founder Joanna outlines VidAU's future goals:

Optimize application scenarios and partner with leading global brands to enhance model accuracy and richness, ensuring VidAU's success in the competitive global landscape. Enhance AIGC R&D and application capabilities, deepen industry understanding, and deliver exceptional customer service to overcome global market challenges.

Discover More

Explore the full potential of VidAU's platform at VidAU's website: https://www.vidau.ai

SOURCE VidAU

3 july 2024 at 01:28

News published onand distributed by:
Scorpios' Summer Cultural Series Redefines AI & Visual Art in Mykonos & Bodrum





LONDON, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Scorpios, the renowned beach concept and creative gathering place, in partnership with art tech pioneers HOFA Gallery, announces 'Evolving Perspectives' the second edition of their Encounters summer arts programme. Running from 18 July to 18 September, this 9-week series expands to take place across Scorpios' two stunning beachfront locations, Mykonos and the newly opened Bodrum. Featuring immersive installations and live music performances, the programme will showcase AI and visual artists, headlined by Joseph Klibansky, Random International, and Sougwen Chung ? all revered for pushing the boundaries of art and technology.

Building on the success of 2023's inaugural edition launched with Turkish AI artist and director Refik Anadol, his special collaboration with the Yawanawa Indigenous communities of Brazil's Amazon, was regarded as a profound exploration of the relationship between human consciousness and nature. Over half a million people attended last year's programme, generating $3 million in artwork sales, with Refik Anadol's Yawanawa heritage project alone selling out in hours and raising $1.5 million for the preservation campaign.

HOFA Co-founder Elio D'Anna says: "The 2023 season of Encounters was a groundbreaking and very successful programme that brought together AI and digital artists, musicians, and an audience of global changemakers and creatives through a series of live performances and installations.

"This year's 'Evolving Perspectives' programme continues to push boundaries, making it the most exciting synchronisation of visual art and cultural engagement, while also delivering a very powerful message on the power of AI and human-machine collaboration to help us achieve a more harmonious coexistence with nature."

The Mykonos lineup headlines Dutch contemporary artist Joseph Klibansky from 18-21 July 2024. Celebrated for his innovative use of technology in art and sculpture, will present 'Tree of Life' merging digital art with environmental stewardship. This collection creates a unified visual narrative rich in depth and storytelling, featuring intricate patterns and vibrant colours inspired by nature. The new 'Tree of Life' collection includes a large-scale video sculpture installation to be exhibited at Scorpios Mykonos, along with 1,000 unique digitally painted fine art prints with a matching digital companion. Each artwork boasts its own unique traits, ensuring every piece is one-of-a-kind.

Moreover, Klibansky combines visual art with environmental awareness. For every artwork sold, the partnering non-profit One Tree Planted will plant physical trees in the Amazon.

In Bodrum between 22-25 August 2024, the art group Random International, a German duo with studios in London and Stockholm, will present an immersive installation that invites visitors to engage physically with a seemingly sentient, digital swarm. Titled 'When Tomorrow Comes', the work features a custom tracking system and flocking algorithm to create an interactive digital sculpture blending technology with human perception and interaction. 3 sets of 150 limited signed edition prints of 'When Tomorrow Comes' will be available for purchase.

A global name in human-machine collaboration, and multi-award winning Chinese-Canadian artist Sougwen ?? Chung will perform a live showcase with the robotic system D.O.U.G. (Drawing Operations Unit Generation at Scorpios Bodrum between 5-8 September 2024. The single scheduled performance during that weekend offers a unique opportunity to experience their groundbreaking collaborative work. Chung's innovative approach to combining human artistry with AI technology has earned them international acclaim, including a spot on TIME Magazine's TIME100 AI list as one of the world's most influential people in AI and the TIME Impact Award 2024.

Accompanying the performance will be the debut of 'Genesis II: Body Machine', a collection of unique artworks. The works in 'Body Machine' speculate on the future of the robotic form intertwined with the human body. Each bespoke work is generated from the artist's drawing choreography captured in three dimensions and paired with exclusive signed prints.

All prints and digital artworks will be available for purchase through Scorpios Collect.

The headline artist events are also supported by a programme of featured AI and visual artists, encompassing music into these collaborative events, they will take place throughout the 2024 summer season in both Mykonos and Bodrum.

Scorpios Co-Founder Thomas Heyne says: "We use digital art to create holistic experiences. Interaction and immersion enhance the overall experience, taking guests on a journey where they feel inspired. We are excited to welcome Joseph Klibansky, Random International, and Sougwen Chung to this year's Encounters program, showcasing how AI can teach us about living in harmony with nature."

WWW.THEHOUSEOFFINEART.COM

WWW.SCORPIOS.COM

WWW.SCORPIOS.COM/ENCOUNTERS

WWW.SCORPIOSCOLLECT.COM

Media contact: Emma-Louise O'Neill; [email protected]; +44 7515 136909

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2452902/Tree_of_Life_Joesph_Klibanksy_HOFA_Gallery.jpg

3 july 2024 at 03:00

News published onand distributed by:
Evome Medical Technologies Retains irlabs for Investor Relations Services





NEW YORK, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evome Medical Technologies Inc. (the "Company" or "Evome") (TSXV: EVMT) is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement ("Agreement") with IR Labs Inc. ("irlabs") to provide the Company with investor relations and communications services.



"We look forward to this partnership with irlabs as we work to raise our profile in the investment community," said Mike Seckler, CEO. "In tandem with their expert team, we're confident we can amplify our story and strive to create value for our shareholders."

"We're thrilled to assist Evome with getting its story to the market and engaging with investors," said Alyssa Barry, Co-Founder and Principal at irlabs. "Evome is strategically positioned, and we eagerly anticipate aiding the Company in realizing its long-term goals and objectives."

Pursuant to the agreement with irlabs dated and commending July 1, 2024, for a period of 12 months, irlabs has agreed to provide investor relations and communications services to the Company in exchange for a monthly fee of USD$5,000, increasing to USD$10,000 as of January 1, 2025, plus a monthly expense reimbursement equal to 3% of the monthly fee. The services include developing and managing a broad investor relations and communications program including capital markets advisory and stakeholder relations. The Company is at arm's length from irlabs, and compensation payable to irlabs does not include any securities in the Company, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, ?does irlabs currently own, directly or indirectly, any securities in the Company or any right or intent to acquire any securities of the Company. irlabs contact information: Alyssa Barry, Principal and Co-Founder, 400-22 E 5th Ave., Vancouver, BC, V5T 1G8, [email protected], 1-833-947-5227. The Agreement remains subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Evome

Evome Medical Technologies Inc. (TSXV: EVMT) specializes in human performance and rehabilitative solutions achieved through strategic acquisitions and leveraging the intellectual properties of specialized companies under our wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company's aim is to create a large, broad-based medical device company with global reach. For more information visit www.evomemedical.com.

About irlabs

irlabs is a modern investor relations firm that applies innovative strategies to create visibility, drive investor engagement and make an impact. Industry and sector agnostic, irlabs supports both private and public companies with their investor relations programs, corporate communications and ESG initiatives. For more information, visit www.irlabs.ca.

For Additional Information Contact:

Mike Seckler ?

Chief Executive Officer ?

1 (800) 760-6826 ?

[email protected]?

For Media and Investor Relations:

irlabs

Alyssa Barry

Principal and Co-Founder

1 (833) 947-5227

[email protected]

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.?

3 july 2024 at 07:30

News published onand distributed by:
AMERICAN SALARS TO INCORPORATE ARGENTINA BASED "MINING COMPANY" SUBSIDIARY FOR POCITOS SALAR PROJECT





VANCOUVER, BC, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMERICAN SALARS LITHIUM INC. ("AMERICAN SALARS" OR THE "COMPANY") (CSE: USLI, OTC: ASALF, FWB: Z3P, WKN: A3E2NY) announces the Company is registering a mining company in Argentina operating under the name "American Salars Pocitos SA", a 100% owned subsidiary of American Salars, a crucial next step as the Company matures from the acquisition, discovery and delineation of inferred mineral resources, to the establishment of measured and indicated resources, economics, environmental, tax efficiency, development and the potential for pilot and eventual commercial production at the Pocitos 1 lithium project ("Pocitos 1"). Upon completion of the option of the Candela II project on Salar de Incahuasi the Company will register an additional Argentina subsidiary to hold that project.



About Pocitos 1 Lithium Deposit

WSP Australia completed an update of the NI 43-101 report initially written by Phillip Thomas QP in June 2023 and estimated on an inferred basis using a block model with 6% and 14% porosity for the clay and sand lithologies respectively and a Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") of 760,000 tonnes of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent ("LCE") on the combined Pocitos 1 (800 Ha) and neighbouring Pocitos 2 block (532 Ha). American Salars does not own the neighboring Pocitos 2 ground which comprises 40% of the gross land package that makes up the resource however it is notable that all drilling to date has been completed on American Salars' Pocitos 1 block.

Figure 1. Drilling at Pocitos 1 Lithium Brine Project (Salta, Argentina)

Click here for image

The Pocitos 1 project is located approximately 10 kilometers from the township of Pocitos where there is gas, electricity, and accommodation. Pocitos 1 is approximately 800 hectares (1,977 acres) and is accessible by road. Collective exploration since 2017 totals over US$2.0 million in project development, including surface sampling, trenching, TEM and MT geophysics and the drilling of three wells that returned outstanding brine flow results. Locations for immediate follow up drilling have already been identified for upcoming exploration based on the most recent MT survey.

Lithium values of 169 ppm from drill hole PCT22-03 packer test assayed from laboratory analysis conducted by Alex Stewart were recorded during the project's December 2022 drill campaigns. A packer sampling system was used in HQ Diamond drill holes that were drilled to a depth of up to 409 metres. The flow of brine was observed to continue for more than five hours with all holes exhibiting exceptional brine flow rates. An NI 43-101 updated report completed by WSP Australia has been released on the Pocitos 1 project.

Ekosolve Ltd. a DLE technology company was able to produce 99.8% purity lithium carbonate and extraction was above 94% of the contained lithium in the brine i.e. 158.86ppm of lithium would have been recovered from 169ppm.

About Candela II Lithium Deposit

The Candela II Lithium deposit is on the southern and lowest end of the Incahuasi Salar, located in the Province of Salta, Argentina. Candela II is situated approximately 45 kilometers from town of Tolar Grande, 267 kilometers from Salta, and close in proximity to advanced and renowned lithium salars such as Arizaro (Lithium Chile) and Pocitos (Hanaq). Volcanoes Cerro Aracar, Medina and Pular contribute lithium to the Incahuasi salar through aquifers.

Figure 2. Road on Candela II Lithium Brine Project 2022 (Salta, Argentina)

Click here for image

The Candela II Lithium Brine Project contains a National Instrument 43-101 mineral resource estimate ("MRE") completed by WSP Australia Pty. Ltd. (see Spey Resources Corp. news dated September 26th, 2023). This NI 43-101 resource report estimates the project to contain lithium metal of 86,000 tonnes which equates to 457,500 tonnes of in-situ lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) and a lithium yield of 48,000 tonnes of LCE from 9,000 tonnes of lithium metal. The calculations assume no losses from lithium metal and a porosity average that will be updated in the next drilling phase.

American Salars CEO & Director R. Nick Horsley states, "This is a crucial step for the long-term structuring of our operations in Argentina. Each asset will be held in its own Argentina subsidiary to position them for development and or future exits while maximizing tax efficiency within Argentina."

Qualified Person

Phillip Thomas, BSc Geol, MBusM, FAusIMM, MAIG, MAIMVA, (CMV), a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101 regulations, has reviewed the technical information that forms the basis for portions of this news release, and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr Thomas is a shareholder of American Salars lithium shares.

About American Salars Lithium Inc.

About American Salars Lithium Inc. American Salars Lithium Inc. is an exploration company focused on exploring and developing high-value battery metals projects to meet the demands of the advancing electric vehicle market. The Company the Pocitos 1 and the Candela II Lithium Salar Projects in Argentina which feature a NI 43-101 inferred resource.

All Stakeholders are encouraged to follow the Company on its social media profiles on LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

" R. Nick Horsley "

R. Nick Horsley, CEO

For further information, please contact:

American Salars Lithium Inc.



Phone: 604.880.2189

E-Mail: [email protected]



Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding American Salar's intention to continue to identify potential transactions and make certain corporate changes and applications. Forward looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance, or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits American Salars will obtain from them. These forward-looking statements reflect managements' current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including American Salars results of exploration or review of properties that American Salars does acquire. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and American Salars assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results differed from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

3 july 2024 at 08:30

News published onand distributed by:
Hydrexia and ICE SEDCE Hydrogen Form Joint Venture for Hydrogen Development





KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia and SHANGHAI, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In conjunction with the recent Asia Pacific Green Hydrogen Conference & Exhibition 2024 in Malaysia, Hydrexia Borneo Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hydrexia Holding Limited (Hydrexia), a leading integrated hydrogen solution provider in China, and ICE SEDCE Hydrogen Sdn Bhd (ISHSB) in Malaysia announced that the two companies have signed a Heads of Agreement (HOA) to form a joint venture for the development, operation and maintenance of hydrogen refueling station (HRS) and hydrogen storage solutions. The HOA is intended to leverage the technological and market strengths of both companies to best meet the hydrogen development needs in Malaysia.

Under the terms of the HOA, Hydrexia and ISHSB will form a joint venture for the operation and maintenance of HRS and hydrogen storage solutions for the Rembus depot of the Automated Rapid Transit System, which is the first phase of the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project. The key joint venture initiatives will be carried out in phases. Both companies will jointly explore HRS and hydrogen storage business opportunities leveraging Hydrexia's experiences and technologies in HRS and hydrogen storage solutions.

This newly formed joint venture will further enhance Hydrexia's market expansion strategy in Malaysia following a successful strategic partnership with Lestari last month. Meanwhile, it further reinforces the strong commitment of Hydrexia to serve the growing hydrogen business needs in the region by collaborating with local partners.

"We are excited about forming this joint venture with ISHSB. This new venture will help us to further penetrate the Malaysian hydrogen market by working with a trusted local partner like ISHSB," said George Gan, the Chief Executive Officer of Hydrexia Southeast Asia. "The new venture will also help us to best utilize our hydrogen technology solutions to serve the needs of our customers in Malaysia," Gan added.

"We are equally excited about this new joint venture with Hydrexia and what it can potentially bring to sufficiently meet the demand for HRS and hydrogen storage in our market," said Abdul Jalil Maraicar, Group Managing Director of ICE Petroleum, representing ISHSB. "We look forward to working with Hydrexia to best utilize its technology capability and solutions to meet the needs of our local hydrogen market. I am confident about the prospects of this new joint venture,"Abdul Jalil continued.

Hydrexia has been actively expanding its business operation in the hydrogen markets in Southeast Asian countries where its business has been growing rapidly, having secured strategic partnership, joint venture, and business contracts in 2024. Hydrexia is fully committed to serving the technology and solution needs of its customers globally.

[About ISHSB]

ISHSB is a joint venture between ICE Petroleum and SEDC Energy to develop the hydrogen production, storage and refuelling system at Rembus depot for the ART system under the KUTS project in Sarawak, Malaysia. ICE Petroleum is an enabling partner for investment, development and owner representation to help drive the energy transition agenda. SEDC Energy is a wholly owned unit of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation, established to enhance the global presence of Sarawak's emerging new energy and downstream oil & gas businesses.

[About Hydrexia]

Hydrexia Holding Limited is a leading integrated hydrogen technology solution provider in China with global reach. The company specializes in providing technology solutions for hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and end-use applications. Leveraging its solid R&D capabilities and industry-leading technology, Hydrexia aims to effectively address the technology and application needs across the global hydrogen industry value chain.

SOURCE Hydrexia

3 july 2024 at 09:00

News published onand distributed by:
Global Times: Xi's Kazakhstan visit to draw new blueprint for ties, SCO





BEIJING, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Kazakhstan on Tuesday for the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and a state visit to Kazakhstan, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Observers said that the visit to Kazakhstan - the country where Xi made his first foreign visit in 2022 since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and proposed the Silk Road Economic Belt, an essential component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013 - underscores the rock-solid bilateral relationship and the high level of political trust built between the two countries and led by head-of-state diplomacy, and that the Central Asian region is of significant importance to China's foreign policy.

As this year marks the 32nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kazakhstan, the visit will draw a blueprint for future bilateral and regional comprehensive cooperation modes, analysts said, pointing to a wide range of areas for further collaboration, such as jointly safeguarding regional security and boosting connectivity, as well as facilitating people-to-people exchanges under the SCO and BRI frameworks.

The flourishing ties between China and Kazakhstan, as well as the Central Asian region, set a model for building a new type of international relations championed by SCO cooperation, that is respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development, discarding geopolitical thinking, observers said.

Xi said on Tuesday that China and Kazakhstan have established a unique permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. Xi made the remarks in a written statement upon his arrival in capital Astana.

Xi also hailed achievements of China-Kazakhstan cooperation in a signed article published in Kazakh media on Tuesday. Xi said that he looks forward to meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to plan the way forward for closer China-Kazakhstan cooperation and draw a new blueprint for further growth of bilateral relations and the SCO.

Expectations running high

The Global Times noticed that hundreds of local residents were waving the national flags of China and Kazakhstan near the landmark building Beijing Tower in Astana on Tuesday morning to extend a warm welcome to Xi's arrival. "Warm welcome!" The crowds made up of local residents, lined along both sides of the roads where the motorcade will pass, and cheered excitedly in Chinese.

Local residents and scholars hold high expectations for the visit, with some in particular highlighting the increased connectivity between China and Kazakhstan under the BRI.

"The Silk Road was one of the most important logistical means for transporting goods from Asia to Europe. I believe this is a sign of great cooperation between our countries and our neighbors, and that is going to lead to the future economic growth of both of our countries," a Kazakh college student named Konstantin told the Global Times.

"China is one of the largest countries in the world. Many Kazakhs travel to China and bring back a lot of useful information and technology. I think cooperation with China is having a very positive impact on our country," another Kazakh resident surnamed Salima told the Global Times.

Observers said the visit underscores that strategic guidance by the heads of state is a political advantage and a distinctive feature of China-Kazakhstan relations. Those close interactions at the highest level will "inject certainty and new impetus" into the development of the Central Asia and the world, against the backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions.

"For both China and Kazakhstan, it is important not only to maintain but also to consistently enhance the positive dynamic of our interaction, deepen the friendship between our peoples, and contribute to regional peace and stability. We are confident that the visit will lead to an even more productive and mutually beneficial [relationship]," Aliya Mussabekova, chief expert at the Asian Studies Department at Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

In 2013, Xi visited Kazakhstan and proposed the idea of building an "economic belt along the Silk Road", which, combined with the proposal of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, eventually became the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

He visited the Central Asian country in 2017 and 2022 to boost bilateral ties, according to a Xinhua News Agency report.

The two countries further advanced their relationship to a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership in 2019 during Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's state visit to China, reaching its historical high.

"Currently, China has established strategic partnerships or comprehensive strategic partnerships with many countries worldwide. However, defining the China-Kazakhstan relationship as a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership is unique... The definition is objective, accurate, and reflects both sides' affirmation and positive expectations toward our friendship," Zhang Xiao, Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview.

China and Kazakhstan have been firm supporters of each other on issues concerning their core interests, despite an ever-changing international environment, which lays a solid foundation for bilateral ties to continue developing to even greater heights, according to analysts.

Kazakhstan has endorsed multiple China-proposed initiatives: the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. The two neighbors have also vowed to build a community of a shared future for mankind.

Relations between China and Kazakhstan are based on deep-rooted shared visions, as both countries have a vision of necessity to avoid further toxification of international relations, as well as an urgency to return to normalcy in international ties on the basis of mutual accommodation of legitimate interests of every member of the international community, Bolat Nurgaliyev, former SCO secretary-general, told the Global Times.

A model for cooperation

Kazakhstan is hosting the SCO summit in Astana and has pledged to make every effort to enhance the potential of the SCO, the Astana Times reported. After the Astana summit, China will assume the rotating presidency of the SCO for 2024-2025.

"One of the top items on the agenda at the SCO summit is to maintain regional stability. China and Kazakhstan could strengthen security cooperation, resolutely fight against the 'three evil forces' and guard against 'color revolutions' instigated by external forces," Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Another area for cooperation is the economy, and China, as the largest economy in the SCO with overarching trade ties with every member state, could play a constructive role in collaboration with Kazakhstan.

According to Cui, on the economic front, China and Kazakhstan could jointly promote the implementation of more regional infrastructure connectivity projects, such as the launch of the highway section of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, which could offer the most cost-effective passage in Eurasia amid rising geopolitical tensions.

Bilateral cooperation under the BRI between China and Kazakhstan has been "setting trends" in Eurasia, scholars said.

In 2023, trade between China and Kazakhstan hit a record of $41 billion, Xinhua reported, accounting for nearly half China's trade with Central Asia. Capacity and investment cooperation have generated a project list with a total value exceeding $21.2 billion. Through industrial collaboration and a synergy between the China-proposed BRI and Kazakhstan's "Bright Road" economic policy, Kazakhstan has built itself into a key regional transportation center and a crucial transit hub for China-Europe freight trains, with 80 percent of the cargo shipped by the flagship BRI project passing through the country.

Across Central Asia, China's collaborations with the other four regional countries have also been gaining momentum. China's bilateral trade with Tajikistan last year expanded 53.5 percent year-on-year to $3.93 billion, recording a new high, customs data showed. Chinese leader, at the invitation of President Emomali Rahmon of the Republic of Tajikistan, will also pay a state visit to Tajikistan, China's Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday.

"China is willing to use the SCO summit as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation and coordination with all five Central Asian countries, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and advocate for a fair multipolar world and inclusive globalization," Zhang said, stressing that the cooperation will continuously inject new energy into building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

Li Ziguo, a senior research fellow with the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday that more than 30 years of China-Central Asia cooperation has proven that China is a constructive player in the region. Whether through BRI projects or bilateral cooperation, China has been dedicated to the development of these countries without any geopolitical requirements attached, Li added.

China has the industrial capacity that Central Asian countries truly need for their modernization, providing them with technologies and cost-effective products that are highly competitive, analysts said.

SOURCE Global Times

3 july 2024 at 09:30

News published onand distributed by:
Appeal launched to support people impacted by Hurricane Beryl





OTTAWA, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Red Cross has launched the Hurricane Beryl Appeal to help those affected by the hurricane.

The Red Cross is working to help those impacted by Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean region as quickly as possible. Money raised will enable the Red Cross to provide immediate relief, support recovery efforts, and resilience and preparedness activities for future events. The activities and areas impacted may evolve based on emerging needs and compounding future events.

Canadians wishing to make a donation to the Hurricane Beryl Appeal can do so online at redcross.ca or by calling 1-800-418-1111.

Additional Resources

@RedCrossCanada | facebook.com/CanadianRedCross | redcross.ca/blog

Red Cross donor inquiries: [email protected] or 1-800-418-1111

About the Canadian Red Cross

Here in Canada and overseas, the Red Cross stands ready to help people before, during and after a disaster. As a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement ? which is made up of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and 191 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies ? the Canadian Red Cross is dedicated to helping people and communities in Canada and around the world in times of need and supporting them in strengthening their resilience.

MEDIA CONTACTS

English Media: 1-877-599-9602

French Media: 1-888-418-9111

3 july 2024 at 10:35

News published onand distributed by:
Carbon Trade eXchange (CTX) Launches ITMO Carbon Auction: Investors Can Now Enter Most Important Carbon Market on Earth





The long awaited ITMO Auction is ready to take buyer Registration via the worlds first and leading global Voluntary Carbon platform, Carbon Trade Exchange (CTX). Carbon market brokers, investors plus new players like family offices or funds can participate.

The Auction will commence on Tuesday 16th July to finish on Tuesday 23rd July 2024, hosted at https://ctxglobal.com/auctions/. Auction starting price is $10 USD per credit, with minimum starting bid of only $250,000.

Featuring 1.5 million issued credits for sale, already escrowed in CTX's Gold Standard Registry account, triggers much needed climate finance, benefiting people across Malawi. ITMO prices are forecast by many exerts to be $100+ by 2030.

The Dual Certified project (Gold Standard and UNFCCC CDM) has Malawi Government Letter of Authorisation under Article 6 - Malawi support this Auction. "We want the carbon market to boost the country's economy, create jobs and real benefits in our towns and villages and so we look forward to a successful auction and hope this can be the first of many," says Malawi's Vice President and Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change, Honourable Michael Usi.

Over 550,000 households benefit from this High Quality Gold Standard project which disseminates the "Chitetezo Mbaula" cleaner cook stove, designed, developed and produced in Malawi: tackling 7 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Stove reduces 46% in-home particles and carbon monoxide by 44%, and decreases firewood consumption by 40%, combating deforestation. By lowering emissions by 2 tCO 2 e annually per family ? Carbon Credits can finance the project.

Final bid credits can be immediately transferred to any GS Registry account or held under escrow by CTX for future resale or cancellation ? Voluntary or Nations or CORSIA.

"Finding High Quality ITMOs since we launched the Auction concept at COP28, has been like digging for gold," says CTX CEO, Wayne Sharpe. "We found the richest vein we could hope for, in our long-standing partners, Gold Standard, and a well-established CTX client. Putting funds into Cookstoves in Malawi ticks every box we ever created CTX for in the first place."

Gold Standard CEO, Margaret Kim added, "Projects like this one, funded by the purchase of carbon credits, make a real difference to the planet and to people's health and livelihoods."

3 july 2024 at 13:50

News published onand distributed by:
More than 70,000 Canada Summer Job Opportunities for youth across Canada





QUEBEC, July 3, 2024 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is creating generational fairness by creating opportunities for young Canadians to develop their skills and to bolster their experience so they can not only enter, but thrive within the workforce.

Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, on behalf of the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, highlighted the impact of the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program in creating over 70 000 job opportunities for youth across Canada. In Quebec only, this represented nearly 15,000 jobs created for young Canadians in 2023. This initiative is part of the Government of Canada's ongoing commitment to support young Canadians, making life more affordable and providing them with the skills and experience needed to build a better future.

The Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) Program prioritizes projects that support youth who face barriers to employment. This includes youth with disabilities, Indigenous youth, as well as Black and other racialized youth. By providing all young people with equitable opportunities to develop their skills, Canada Summer Jobs can help them to succeed in an evolving labour market.

This year's budget includes a proposed $200.5 million investment for 2025-26 to continue the Canada Summer Jobs program, further demonstrating our commitment to creating opportunities for young Canadians. These job opportunities have enabled youth to gain valuable work experience, develop essential skills, and earn money over the summer in various sectors, including those facing critical labor shortages such as housing construction.

Canada's success depends on the success of its youngest generations. Gen Z are a diverse group, from those who are starting to think about their future career years from now, to those just starting their first full-time job. They have a lifetime of opportunity ahead?and we are empowering them to aim high.

Lifting up Gen Z by ensuring they have good opportunities to launch their career will be critical to Canada's economic growth potential in the years to come. As baby boomers are increasingly reaching retirement age, our younger workforce must be equipped with opportunities to build their skills and gain meaningful work experience. Gen Z needs the confidence of knowing they will find a good job that will help them get ahead.

Through initiatives like Canada Summer Jobs, the Government of Canada is committed to supporting youth at every stage of their journey towards a bright and prosperous future. Our focus remains on making life more affordable and providing the opportunities young Canadians need to thrive. Together, we are building a fairer generation and a stronger Canada.

Quotes

"The Canada Summer Jobs program is more than just an employment program, it's an investment in the potential of young Canadians and the economic vitality of our communities. This program gives thousands of employers the opportunity to meet their staffing needs over the summer, and it gives youth valuable work experience that will set them up for a lifetime of success in the job market. It's a win-win for employers and for young people across Canada."

? The Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

"Youth in Canada are one of our most important resources and we are committed to providing meaningful work experiences to help them grow and develop. Through the Canada Summer Jobs program, we are supporting youth at every stage of their journey towards a bright and prosperous future."

? The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement

Quick Facts?

To help younger Canadians pursue and achieve their dreams, the Government is investing to create more youth job opportunities and ensure that hard work pays off for the next generation. In Budget 2024, the Government proposed to provide $200.5 million in 2025?26 for Canada Summer Jobs to provide well-paying summer job opportunities, including in sectors facing critical labour shortages, such as housing construction.

in 2025?26 for Canada Summer Jobs to provide well-paying summer job opportunities, including in sectors facing critical labour shortages, such as housing construction. CSJ-funded jobs are full-time (30?40 hours per week) and have a duration of 6?16?weeks (average duration being 8?weeks).

Since 2020, CSJ has created more than 380,000 job opportunities for youth. Last year, CSJ surpassed its job creation target of 70,000 with over 74,200 jobs created.

In Quebec only, this represented nearly 15,000 jobs created for young Canadians and an investment of more than $60 million in 2023.

only, this represented nearly 15,000 jobs created for young Canadians and an investment of more than in 2023. In a survey of CSJ youth participants for 2023, 92% of respondents reported having more confidence in multiple skills needed for future employment than they had at the beginning of their CSJ work placement. Additionally, 89% indicated that they had developed a positive attitude about their future employment prospects.

Youth are also encouraged to explore additional opportunities available through other federal departments under the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy: Every year, Parks Canada hires a large number of young people to work in spectacular locations and gain real-world experience in a wide variety of occupations, including in visitor experience, heritage presentation, conservation, biology, finance and administration, human resources and more. Candidates can apply to up to 10 work locations at once through the Summer Jobs Inventory. Visit Parks Canada student and youth jobs to find out more.



Related product

Backgrounder: Canada Summer Jobs 2024

Associated Links?

Canada Summer Jobs

jobbank.gc.ca/youth

Follow us on X (Twitter)

Follow us on Facebook

SOURCE Government of Canada

3 july 2024 at 14:43

News published onand distributed by:
Fishing boats destroyed by Hurricane Beryl at the Bridgetown Fish Market, Barbados, on July 1, 2024. RANDY BROOKS / AFP

Jamaica is on high alert as Hurricane Beryl closes in. According to forecasts by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), this extremely powerful tropical storm is expected to reach the island nation in the Greater Antilles on Wednesday, July 3. Based in Miami (Florida), this leading meteorological center for hurricane monitoring predicted "devastating hurricane-force winds" in excess of 230 km/h, "near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves" for this island nation of 2.8 million inhabitants, as well as in the Cayman Islands, a British overseas territory with a population of 60,000.

"We have 48 hours to prepare," warned Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in a televised address on Monday, during which he urged his compatriots to "take the hurricane seriously," adding that it was "not the time to panic." Several hundred foreign nationals evacuated the island on Tuesday, ahead of the closure of its three international airports.

These measures are not excessive: Two days before reaching Jamaica, Beryl devastated several islands in the Lesser Antilles grouping. On Monday morning, the eye of the storm, the center of the most intense zone of the phenomenon, passed through Carriacou, a small island of 10,000 inhabitants that is part of Grenada, a micro-state in the southeast of the Caribbean archipelago. "The situation is grim. There is no power and there is almost complete destruction of homes and buildings on the island. The roads are not passable, and in many instances, they are cut off because of the large quantity of debris strewn all over the streets," said Dickon Mitchell, the prime minister of this small Commonwealth country, during a bleak video message broadcast on Tuesday morning.

Four-meter waves

Authorities in the region have already reported seven victims: two in Carriacou, one on the island of Grenada, another in the neighboring archipelago of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, several islands of which were ravaged, and three in Venezuela. Several people are still missing. Mitchell did not rule out "the possibility that there may be more fatalities remains a grim reality as movement is still highly restricted." Rescue and road-clearing operations were just barely getting underway, in conditions that remained difficult.

With many telecommunications links cut and a large number of service stations and vehicles destroyed, it will likely be several days before an initial assessment of the damage can be made  though it is plain to see. On the island of Saint Lucia, "the wind blew very hard and devastated a lot of banana plantations," reported communications specialist Nelcia Charlemagne, who works for an association of small women farmers, speaking to Le Monde. "The farmers had just recovered from the ravages of tropical storm Bret, in June 2023," she added.

You have 57.19% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
A mosaic by ex-Jesuit artist Marko Rupnik is seen on the main facade of the Church of Our Lady of the Canadian Martyrs, in Rome, Friday, June 28, 2024. ANDREW MEDICHINI / AP

Victims of an artist priest accused of sexual assault welcomed a decision by the Catholic pilgrimage site of Lourdes to no longer illuminate his mosaics, on Wednesday, July 3.

Slovenian priest Marko Rupnik, 69, is being investigated for psychological and sexual violence on at least 20 women over a period of nearly 30 years. Many of the women who accuse Rupnik of abuse are nuns from a convent in Ljubljana he co-founded in the early 1990s. Other accusations involve Rupnik's time at a Rome art institute he subsequently founded.

Five of the women last month asked the dioceses where Rupnik's works are displayed to take them down  a request that the French diocese of Tarbes-Lourdes said it would honor in part. The diocese said Rupnik's mosaics within the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes  one of the world's biggest Catholic pilgrimage sites  would no longer be lit up during a procession each evening.

Read more Subscribers only The Catholic Church can't decide what to do with artwork created by predator priests

The Italian lawyer for the women, Laura Sgro, called the decision "a first step that we welcome." But she said the mosaics will still be visible during the day and "will continue to fuel the uneasiness of the faithful and the victims' pain."

In Lourdes, a think-tank including bishops, art experts, victims and psychologists had been assembled to decide whether or not the mosaics be removed. Bishop Jean-Marc Micas said he personally wanted to remove the mosaics, while cautioning that this did not have "widespread support."

More than 200 of Rupnik's mosaics adorn churches around the world, from Madrid to Washington and at pilgrimage sites including Fatima in Portugal and the Vatican itself.

The Church briefly excommunicated Rupnik in 2020 after he absolved someone of having sexual relations with him, but reinstated him after he formally repented. Then in June 2023, Rupnik was expelled from the Jesuit order  of which Pope Francis is a member. In October, Francis waived the statute of limitations on the offenses, opening the way for potential disciplinary proceedings.

Read more Subscribers only Ten years of Pope Francis's pontificate in ten words
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (left) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a meeting in Kyiv on July 2, 2024. ZOLTAN FISCHER/HUNGARIAN PM'S PRESS OFFICE/MTI VIA AP

Considered to be the European leader closest to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Ukraine on Tuesday, July 2, for the first time since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. The visit comes after Hungary took over the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) the previous day.

Orban, who regularly blocks or delays EU initiatives to help Ukraine, held talks in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In contrast to the positions of the Ukrainians and their European allies, he called on the Ukrainian president to "quickly consider the possibility of a ceasefire," which would be "limited in time and would make it possible to speed up the peace negotiations." Orban also promised to "report" the content of their "frank" discussion to the Council of the EU, "so that the necessary decisions" could be taken.

Zelensky insisted on the need to bring "a just peace" to Ukraine and Europe. "I have invited Hungary and Prime Minister Viktor Orban to join the efforts being made" to organize a new peace summit by Ukraine, said the president in his daily address, in a de facto rejection of the idea. In the past, he had already firmly rejected the idea of a truce with Russia, believing that Moscow would only use the time to reinforce its army. Ukraine regards the withdrawal of Russian forces from its territory as a prerequisite for peace, while Moscow is demanding that Kyiv cede five regions and give up its ambitions to join NATO.

'Rising to the top'

Orban's last visit to Kyiv was in 2012, two years before the annexation of Crimea and the start of the war in Donbas. Tuesday's trip had been prepared in secret since winter. "Orban chose the second day of his EU presidency to visit Ukraine. It's a great opportunity for him to show his potential and signal his new international stature," said Sergiy Gerasymchuk, deputy executive director of the Prism UA consultancy and one of Hungary's leading Ukrainian specialists. "He wants to show that he presides over the EU and not just Hungary, in which he feels cramped."

Read more Subscribers only Hungary's Orban takes over Council of the European Union presidency for six months

Hence the proposal for a ceasefire as a precondition for negotiating a political settlement to the war. "It's Orban's bluff, of course," continued the expert. "The Hungarian prime minister wants to put himself in the big league by pointing out that he is the only European to have met Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping [the Chinese president] and, now, Volodymyr Zelensky in recent times. In this way, he hopes to demonstrate that he is at the center of the diplomatic game, as a mediator, even though Hungary is a small country." In Kyiv, however, the Hungarian prime minister failed to make an impression: "Putin doesn't need Orban to get his message across. He talks with his guns," said Gerasymchuk.

You have 44.92% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
GARDAI have arrested a juvenile in connection with a pitched battle that broke out on the forecourt of a busy filling station on the main Limerick to Cork road.

One man in his 40s was hospitalised following the incident involving a number of males at the petrol station at ORourkes Cross, Bruree on Saturday afternoon, June 1 shortly after 5pm. The business premises had to be closed for a number of hours.

Gardai have confirmed a youth has been arrested in connection with the investigation into assault and criminal damage.

"A male youth was arrested in connection with the incident on June 20. He was detained pursuant to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a garda station in the Limerick area.

"He has since been released pending a referral to the Garda Youth Diversion Programme. Investigations are ongoing," said a garda spokesperson.

Footage of the incident, which was shared on social media, shows a man running into the shop to escape from an assailant chasing him.

He barricades himself inside the store by holding the door closed when the glass is smashed by a man who appears to be wearing a balaclava.

Outside on the forecourt, a number of males wearing luminous neon T-shirts can be seen fighting while a bare-chested man looks on. A staff member can be seen running into the shop for safety.

Two women, also wearing brightly-coloured clothing, can be seen fleeing from the chaos on the forecourt. There was a heavy garda presence at the location for a number of hours afterwards.

READ MORE: Gardai investigate after windows smashed at house in Limerick

It is not known what sparked the violent scenes but one school of thought is that they are feuding families who both pulled in to get fuel at the same time.

Whatever the reason for it, it was absolutely disgraceful carry-on, said one local who spoke to Limerick Live.

It's a very popular and busy filling station - an innocent member of the public could easily have been caught up in that mayhem.

This was around 5pm on the sunniest day of the year and they are carrying on like that in a busy place. It's disgraceful behaviour and they'd want to take a good, long look at themselves in the mirror.

To think an elderly person who had pulled in to get some 99s for their grandchildren had to witness that. And for the poor staff to have to experience it. It's absolutely shocking. The shop was closed for a number of hours too so the owner is out of pocket all because of these hooligans, he said.
COUNCIL bosses are considering introducing a pop-up night cinema to increase evening trade in the city centre.

At a briefing between gardai and city centre traders, the councils new night-time economy manager Ashlene Reyburn outlined the measure, which is popular in cities across Europe.

She suggested there would be opportunities for restaurants to collaborate with this, potentially offering discounts or partner deals.

Another idea council staff are weighing up is a busk at dusk competition.

READ MORE: Limerick gardai freed up for frontline duties as immigration duties are 'transferred'

This, Ms Reyburn said, would include creating a vibrant atmosphere in the evening in the city centre.

The reward for the competition would incentivise quality performers and new talent, while voting would ensure community participation.

Newly-elected metropolitan district leader Cllr Kieran OHanlon said hed like to see a gig-rig set up at Arthurs Quay Park to allow a dedicated space for artists to perform.

Where groups could actually perform free of charge if they wish. It could be brass and reed bands, pipe bands or traditional music or pop artists or hip hop artists, explained Cllr OHanlon.

He thinks it should be a permanent structure and have the facilities required to support artists, like electricity and lighting.

I know my own Garryowen Comhaltas used to perform down there before Covid. We used to go on a Wednesday at lunchtime to play there. It would be great for the music and cultural industry to have something there, he said.

The northside councillor used his victory speech at Fridays council annual general meeting to call for the old tourist office in Arthurs Quay Park - now out of use for a number of years - to become a garda kiosk.

In the past, there were several city centre cinemas.

But the city centre has been left without a cinema since 1997 when the Theatre Royal in Upper Cecil Street closed.

Irish Film Institute-backed films are screened on a Monday night in the Belltable. The nearest permanent cinemas now are located in Castletroy, Dooradoyle and at Ennis Road.
THE Irish Blood Transfusion Service have issued an urgent appeal for blood donors.

They are looking for an extra 2,000 donations over the next four weeks, as the national blood supply for some blood groups has now fallen to under three days.

There is a clinic in Castletroy on July 8 and 9 in Castletroy Park Hotel from 4.20pm until 7.40pm, in the Woodlands House Hotel in Adare on July 10 from 4.50pm until 8.10pm and in Pallasgreen Community Centre on July 11 from 4.50pm until 8.10pm.

New donors are always welcome.

New and existing donors can call 1800 222 111 for an appointment.

The Director of donor services and logistics, Paul McKinney told Limerick Live: The IBTS aims to have 7 days supply, but current levels including O negative and B negative are at just 2 days supply, and O positive which relates to nearly half the total population is at just over 3 days.

There has been a consistently high hospital demand for blood since the June bank holiday weekend and we need to boost our collections by nearly 500 donations per week in the above blood groups to meet that demand. The start of summer holiday travel and high sickness levels in the community has also had an impact on donor availability.

READ MORE: Exciting new extension plans confirmed for Limerick city schoolsa

"We are asking regular donors who are texted over the next few weeks to make an extra effort to attend their nearest clinic, especially in Dublin and Cork where we have clinic availability every week. This is vital to address the current increased demand from hospitals. For the longer term, we would also urge donors to consider giving blood if they are eligible before they go on holidays this summer.

In addition, new donor attendances have not recovered fully since pre Covid and anybody interested in giving blood should visit here to check their eligibility before coming to a clinic and call us on 1800 731137 to make an appointment. We would particularly encourage new donors of African heritage to join the National blood donor panel to help us diversify the donor base and get better blood type matches for patients."

He added: "A pre-amber alert letter was issued to all hospitals on the 25th of June, restricting issues of O negative blood and hospitals have been asked to reduce their stock holding. This enables the IBTS to manage the limited blood supply available more effectively across the health service. If the IBTS has to issue an amber alert letter which is the next escalation level of the blood shortage plan, it would have an immediate implication for hospitals and for elective surgical procedures requiring blood support."
Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI) is urging more businesses based in the Limerick and Clare region to be involved in delivering its various education programmes.

These programmes are guaranteed to be a worthwhile employee engagement experience, enable the company to forge closer links with the local community and help tackle educational disadvantage.

Through its network of regional co-ordinators, BITCI pairs and supports companys volunteers to deliver education programmes with local DEIS schools.

BITCI offer six education programmes  Two operating within the primary school system aimed at improving literacy and numeracy among 2nd and 3rd class pupils. These are delivered on a one-to-one and group-based setting. While the post primary programmes involve mentorship, workplace visits, sharing career insights and advice and work placements. All programmes are designed to provide pupils with an improved understanding of the world of work, raise their own career expectations, create a level playing field and increase their self-confidence. Approximately, 5000 pupils across Ireland benefit from these programmes annually.

The collaboration between schools and businesses is a core plank to the work of BITCI whose purpose is to inspire and enable businesses to bring about a sustainable, low carbon economy and an inclusive society where everyone thrives. Our team of experts work with companies to embed all aspects of sustainability into their business models. We know that when companies invest in community engagement actions strategically rather than in a siloed way, it improves their productivity, employee morale and helps tackle social inequality in their area.

Andrea Lazenby Simpson, BITCI head of education said: Already we run these programmes with a number of local businesses (large and small in size) but now the number of schools keen to participate has increased rapidly. Wed like to respond to this demand and ensure more pupils benefit from these programmes but need local companies to join us. So far all feedback from all involved have been really positive so it is a win win experience for all.

For the company it is an opportunity to give back to their local communities, identify future talent and increase awareness of the workplace. For the school, it leads to improved attendance and engagement by the pupils involved.

Insights from recent evaluations found:

100% of volunteers found Time to Read a meaningful employee volunteering experience.

 An invaluable programme for students to get involved with companies they may not otherwise get the chance to and a great way to develop their skills outside the classroom. Principal

 It is an opportunity for me to share the life experiences and lessons I've learnt with my mentee to hopefully encourage and steer them in their future career paths.  Mentor

If your company is interested in getting involved, please check out Are you a Business? - Business in the Community Ireland (bitc.ie) or email alazenbysimpson@bitc.ie.

Follow us:

LinkedIn - Business in the Community Ireland

X - @BITCIreland

YouTube - BITCIreland
Kana Labs and Chainwith announce a strategic partnership to enhance blockchain innovation, leveraging Kana Labs' expertise to redefine community-driven ecosystems within the C2E Wallet.

London, United Kingdom - February 19, 2024 - Kana Labs, a trailblazer in Web3 and blockchain infrastructure solutions, is pleased to announce its partnership with Chainwith, a leading blockchain firm focused on revolutionising community-driven ecosystems through its innovative C2E protocol. The collaboration between the two firms is a major milestone, particularly within community-driven ecosystems.

As part of this partnership, Chainwith's flagship product, the C2E Wallet, will undergo substantial enhancements leveraging Kana Labs' cutting-edge cross-chain technology and expertise. The Chainwiths ecosystem is primarily built on top of its innovative and pioneering C2E (Community To Earn) model which has been designed to seamlessly integrate a coin reward system with community activities and platforms.

With Kana Labs' expertise, Chainwith aims to revolutionize the C2E Model, ensuring unparalleled accessibility and user-friendly experiences within the C2E Wallet ecosystem. By integrating Kana Labs' SDKs, including the Miral SDK and Cross-Chain SDK, Chainwith is poised to unlock new possibilities within the C2E ecosystem. Chainwith archives this by leveraging Kana Labs' expertise in simplifying complexities within the decentralized finance (DeFi) and GameFi markets thereby enhancing its scalability and interoperability capabilities across multiple blockchain networks.

Kana Labs is an up-and-comer in the APAC market that has been gaining significant popularity and traction in the South Korean and Japanese markets recently. It is well known for its reputation for simplifying complexities in DeFi and GameFi markets underlined by its cutting-edge cross-chain and EIP-4337-based products. They are also known for one another unique aspect, the only large multi-chain ecosystem that supports and facilitates direct on-chain transactions between EVM & non-EVM chains under the same roof in the same UI.

Jeon Yoon, CEO at Chainwith said As the representative of Chainwith, I am enthusiastic about forming a partnership with Kana Labs, a company that shares our commitment to fostering the widespread adoption of blockchain technology. This collaboration represents a significant step forward in our shared vision of bridging the gap between Web 2.0 users and the Web 3.0 ecosystem. Our joint efforts aim to address and surmount the challenges that have hindered this transition, paving the way for a more integrated and accessible digital future.

Karthik Subramaniam, CEO of Kana Labs added Extremely thrilled to be working with Chainwith and helping their in their transition to web3. We are sure that their C2E model would be unique and innovative and set a trend for the industry as a whole. Looking forward to seeing it work on their platform and excited to share their success with others .

About the firm - Kana Labs - Kana Labs is a pioneering force in the Web3 and blockchain infrastructure space, simplifying the complexities of DeFi and GameFi markets. Their platform offers a vast multi-chain ecosystem, seamlessly integrating both EVM and non-EVM chains, catering to the needs of both end users and developers/founders. Kana Labs empowers users and businesses to access, navigate, and thrive in the world of decentralized finance and gaming through innovative tools and solutions.

Chainwith - Chainwith is a Seoul-based blockchain firm committed to connecting the world through blockchain technology. With a focus on the C2E protocol, Chainwith empowers communities by incentivizing active participation and engagement through its innovative C2E Wallet ecosystem.
Boeing faces an unprecedented decision in the next several days: plead guilty, or argue at trial why it is innocent of a crime it already said it committed.

The worlds largest aerospace company has no good option now that prosecutors have decided to revoke its corporate probation over a crime that preceded the first of two fatal 737 MAX crashes more than five years ago. Boeing admitted in 2021 that it misled air-safety regulators about an aspect of the 737 MAX that was implicated in the disasters, which killed 346 people.

Pleading guilty would be a reputational stain, but it might be the companys best strategy. It likely would close the book on Boeings criminal liability.

Going to trial carries more risk. Prosecutors could introduce evidence regarding other alleged acts of wrongdoing to show why they tore up the deal Boeing received in 2021.

You have the equivalent of a taped confession," said Robert Luskin, a partner at Paul Hastings who defends high-profile corporate clients in government investigations. An acquittal here is not realistic."

Boeing admitted that two former employees defrauded the Federal Aviation Administration by misleading it about an antistall feature on the 737 MAX. Instead of facing an indictment, the company received a deferred-prosecution agreement, a form of corporate probation.

As part of the deal, it paid $2.5 billion, including a $243.6 million criminal fine and $500 million, to compensate the families of deceased passengers.

Companies usually serve a probationary period and then have the charges dismissed. But Boeings case has been anything but typical.

The families of those who perished in the crashes were outraged by Boeings original sentence and the lack of charges against executives. They pushed a federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, to redo the agreement or scrap it. A series of legal gaffes and stumblesinvolving both the government and the companyaided their cause and revived the criminal case.

The Justice Department said in May that Boeing failed to comply with a core requirement of its deferred-prosecution agreement: maintaining an effective compliance program. That allowed prosecutors to void the earlier deal.

Authorities now hold the trump card. Boeings admissions can be used against it at trial. The statements establish beyond a reasonable doubt the charge set forth," the company acknowledged.

Boeing has a week to decide how to respond to the Justice Departments demand that it plead guilty. A company spokeswoman declined to comment.

Prosecutors have told the families that, under a guilty plea, Boeing would pay an additional $243.6 million finebringing the total criminal penalty to $487 millionand would have to accept an independent compliance monitor for three years.

An outside law firm or consulting company is typically hired as a monitor, which reports concerns to the Justice Department or a court. Big companies have a strong aversion to monitors, Luskin said, because the overseers have the ability to roam freely in the company, look at anything and talk to anyone and examine whatever they want."

That makes senior managements blood run cold," he said.

Companies with felony convictions face the prospect of being suspended or barred as military contractors, though they can seek a waiver.

Paul Cassell, an attorney for the victims families, said the companys best option is to plead guilty, even though he argues the consequences arent severe enough. The families oppose a plea that doesnt say Boeing caused the passengers deaths, he said. The fine Boeing paid was a low-ball number that doesnt recognize the families losses, said Cassell, who has told prosecutors the maximum possible fine should be $24.7 billion.

I think it will take Boeing somewhere in between three and four seconds to decide to take this deal, because it is such a good deal for them," Cassell said.

The families think the guilty pleas terms are too lenient and will oppose it, Cassell said.

Boeing investors appear so far to be unmoved by Boeings latest legal troubles. Its share price rose Monday, the day after prosecutors guilty plea demand became public and the company said it would buy Spirit Aerosystems, a fuselage supplier, for $4.7 billion.

Boeing might be on the hook for additional restitution to the crash victims families if it pleads guilty. Courts are permitted to order restitution to victims when a defendant is convicted of a crime. The Justice Department has told the families it wouldnt support or oppose restitution.

Boeing has said it lived up to its requirements under the deferred-prosecution agreement. If Boeing opts to fight the charge, it could try to convince U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor that prosecutors nullified the agreement without adequately showing why its compliance program fell short. Such a strategy is a long shot that comes with its own risks, attorneys said. Probationary settlements give prosecutors unilateral authority to decide if a company complied with its deal.

Boeing could add to its problems by forcing the government to go to trial, attorneys said, because prosecutors would have the opportunity to file new charges based on other alleged acts of wrongdoing they might have found.

Prosecutors are already looking into a separate incident in which a fuselage panel blew off a 737 MAX that Alaska Airlines was operating. And Chief Executive David Calhoun acknowledged in Senate testimony last month that Boeing is responsible for the 737 MAX crashes and that whistleblowers inside the company sometimes face blowback for pointing out problems.

Calhouns own signature is on the agreement in which Boeing admitted its misconduct tied to the 737 MAX.

There is no defense," Cassell said of the companys next move. There is nothing to mull over."

Write to Dave Michaels at dave.michaels@wsj.com
Boeing Co. may deliver sharply fewer aircraft to Indian airlines next year as it slows production, while Pratt & Whitney (P&W) continues to inspect hundreds of engines on Airbus neos, industry executives said. The result: While Air India Express and Akasa Air can't get their hands on promised Boeing Max planes, market leader IndiGo awaits delivery of new and inspected Airbus 320 neo planes with P&W engines.

Boeing has guaranteed Max deliveries till December, an executive at one of the airlines operating the plane said. The delivery outlook beyond December 2024 looks grim, and may impact our expansion plans in 2025," the executive said on condition of anonymity.

Setback for industry

The bankruptcies of Jet Airways and GoFirst, followed by the grounding of many aircraft by IndiGo and SpiceJet, and the upcoming delay in aircraft deliveries will set back India's aviation industry, analysts said. Slower fleet expansion may also bump up airfares in 2025, even as more Indians take to air every year. Indian airlines carried a record 152 million passengers in 2023, a 23% increase from 2022 and a 5% increase from 2019. As per the latest data from Directorate General of Civil Aviation for 2024, the domestic air traffic from January to May rose 4% on year to 13.8 million passengers.

This (reduced aircraft delivery) is set to impact the aviation market negatively. Fares will go up, and that is set to impact passenger growth, negatively. For instance, a return flight to Kochi from Delhi is more expensive than flying to Vietnam... So, this is set to impact domestic tourism too," said Mark Martin, CEO at Martin Consulting, an aviation consulting firm.

According to a second executive, Air India Express and Akasa have been lucky so far. This is because some Chinese airlines decided not to take delivery of the planes they ordered, and Boeing diverted them to India. "However, this would only cover the first 50 Max deliveries for Air India Express and around 25 Max deliveries for Akasa. Beyond that, it will be dependent on supply chains and the rate of Max manufacturing rate," the executive said on condition of anonymity.

A third executive attributed the delay in Max deliveries to slower production. A slower delivery is set to impact our expansion plans and would mean higher fares, which may impact passenger growth too," the executive said on condition of anonymity.

Outlook ahead

While Air India Express may receive 27 more aircraft this year and has given no outlook for next year, Akasa Air is inducting fewer than the planned 12-14 aircraft per year, informed the first executive.

Akasa Air founder and CEO Vinay Dube had said in February 2023 that the airline hoped to reach a fleet size of 25-30 aircraft by the end of FY24. However, as the airline has reached a fleet size of 24 aircraft as of June 2024, it seems that the induction plan for now has slowed down as compared to the earlier guidance. In February, Dube had further added that the airline expected to add around 12-14 aircraft every year until 2027.

A Reuters report on 11 June said Boeing is producing fewer Max single-aisle jets to improve manufacturing quality, after the 5 January mid-air blowout of a door plug on a 737 Max 9 jet raised scrutiny from regulators. In May, Boeing delivered 24 commercial planes, less than half of what it delivered a year earlier, as it operated a slower assembly line to complete pending work. Out of this, 19 were Max, three more than in April, but down 45% from the 35 in May 2023.

In response to a Mint query, a Boeing spokesperson said the company can't comment on delivery schedules. An Akasa spokesperson declined to share any direction on aircraft deliveries, while an Air India Express spokesperson did not respond a query.

Meanwhile, more than 70 Airbus aircraft belonging to Indias largest carrier IndiGo remain grounded due to issues with the Pratt & Whitney engines and their impending inspection, as well as a shortage of engines from the US company. The airline has been scouting the used aircraft market for leased aircraft and talking to lessors to extend leases on the aircraft that were about to be returned.

Also read: Air India Express wants to double market share in five years

"Boeing 737 MAX-9, the flight variant involved in the door blowout incident is not currently in operation in India. The orders by Akasa and Air India Express comprise Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 and 737 MAX 10 models. However, due to scaling down of production as a fallout of the incident, coupled with a resumption in deliveries of new flight orders to China, this could end up creating a production bottleneck for Boeing and might delay the delivery targets set by Akasa and Air India Express. Boeing has restricted the production of 737 MAX to below 38 per month from 47 per month as targeted earlier from August this year," said Pragya Priyadarshini, vice-president at Primus Partners, a consulting firm.

Air India Express and Akasa together have over 300 aircraft on order. SpiceJet also is a Max operator and has over 200 aircraft on order, but it is not taking deliveries due to financial problems.

Air India had placed a mega-order for 470 aircraft in February 2023, including 190 Boeing Max aircraft. Of this, Air India Express is expected to receive around 170 Boeing Max aircraft.

Akasa Air, which started operations in Aug 2022, has a total orderbook of 226 Max aircraft. While the airline has refrained from providing delivery timelines in the recent past, it was more confident of its delivery timelines a year ago - as per the planned induction exercise a year ago, the airline had hoped to add 12-14 aircraft ever year till March 2027.

Also read: Akasa Air warns of high air fares if seats not increased under bilateral rights
(Bloomberg) -- Senator Elizabeth Warren says Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is giving bank chief executive officers too much opportunity to influence key policies, including executive-compensation and bank-capital proposals.

In a letter sent Tuesday to Powell, Warren criticized him for having multiple private meetings and talks with top executives  including 19 with JPMorgan Chase & Co. CEO Jamie Dimon since February 2018.

Warren wrote that these meetings and conversations between Powell and the executives appear to be shaping Fed policy and that the regulator is now floating a gutted proposal, referring to the bank-capital plan.

The Massachusetts Democrat asked Powell a series of questions, including whether he had made any commitments to Dimon or other big-bank executives related to the capital overhaul, which is tied to Basel III, an international agreement that followed the 2008 financial crisis.

Warren also requested information on any discussions about bank-merger guidelines and executive-pay reform. She asked for a list of the topics covered in all of Powells meetings with Dimon.

We have received the letter and plan to respond, the central bank said in a statement Tuesday.

In May, the Wall Street Journal reported that Dimon had pushed his peers to avoid Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr, seen as the architect of the bank-capital plan, and instead lobby Powell and other Fed governors about changing the proposal. Shortly after, Warren sent a separate letter accusing Powell of doing Mr. Dimons bidding.

Warren is a member of the Senate Banking Committee where Powell is set to testify next week.

In March, the central bank chief told lawmakers that he expected broad and material changes to the proposal that American regulators released last July. That original plan could have forced the USs eight largest banks to set aside about 19% more in capital.

(Updates with details on upcoming Powell testimony in penultimate paragraph.)

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
One 97 Communications Limited (OCL) that owns the Paytm brand, has announced the launch of 'Paytm Health Saathi', an exclusive health and income protection plan for its merchant partners, available on the Paytm for Business app.

This initiative is part of Paytm's ongoing efforts to support its vast network of merchant partners by providing them with affordable, comprehensive healthcare benefits. The launch of 'Paytm Health Saathi aims to safeguard the well-being of its merchants, ensuring their health and business continuity. With this service, Paytm continues to empower its merchant partners, bolstering their resilience, while democratising access to affordable coverage.

According to a Paytm spokesperson, "The introduction of Paytm Health Saathi underscores our unwavering dedication to the well-being of our merchant partners. This initiative is crucial to our mission to provide them with comprehensive and affordable coverage that aids their ongoing operations. Through customized solutions that meet their specific needs, we strive to enhance the robust support system we offer to our community of business owners."

1)Starting at just 35 per month on a monthly subscription, Paytm Health Saathi offers a range of services that include unlimited doctor teleconsultation and in-person doctor visits (OPD) within its partner network.

2)It also includes income protection cover in the event of business interruptions due to accidents or natural calamities such as floods, fires, or strikes.

3)The doctor teleconsultation service provides additional benefits, including discounts at leading pharmacies and on diagnostic tests.

4)The claim process is streamlined and can be completed with just a few clicks, within the app

5) The 'Paytm Health Saathi' pilot started in May and has already seen over 3000 merchant partners avail of the plan. Following its initial success, the company rolled out this feature to all its merchants earlier this month.

Paytm share price Shares of One 97 Communications are trading -0.63% lower at 418.15 compared to their last closing price. They have been trading in the price range of 425.00 and 417.50. The company posted a net profit of -549.60 Crores in its last quarter.
Bengaluru/Mumbai: Private equity major Lighthouse Funds is looking to exit its six-year-old bet in footwear maker Aqualite Industries, and it has already started early talks with prospective investors, two people familiar with the matter told Mint .

Lighthousethat had invested 250 crore in 2018 from its third fundfor a minority stake (16.4%) in the company, is now looking to cash out its investment, the first person cited above said.

Bankers will be appointed soon, and a formal process will begin. At present, the company has held initial talks with other PE funds to gauge their interest," the person added, requesting to remain anonymous.

Lighthousea leading mid-market private equity firm that typically focuses on growth investments in Indias consumer sectorincludes prominent brands such as Nykaa, Bikaji Foods, Tynor Orthotics, and Fabindia, among others, in its portfolio.

It is also looking to cash out of its investment in Tynor, Mint reported on Tuesday.

Slow walking

Growth for Aqualite has been slow after the company's performance was hit by the effects of the pandemic.

In FY23, the company managed to clock 922 crore in revenue, up from 744 crore a year earlier, as per a report by ratings agency Crisil in September 2023.

The report added that there could be a marginal increase in 2024, with revenues expected in the range of 950-1,000 crores, driven by the company's shift in focus to prioritising sales in higher-margin segments.

In recent years, the company's profitability has been under pressure due to reduced margins that have shrunk because of low bargaining power in a price-sensitive market.

The Crisil report highlighted that Aqualite has been unable to pass on the increase in prices of raw materials to customers, even as it faces intense competition from unorganized players and other established brands.

Its operating margin, which was a dismal 0.2% in FY22 and even lower during the first half of FY23, has however improved in the subsequent quarters. The company reported operating margins of 10.6% for FY23 as it benefited from price increases to offset rising input costs, the Crisil report noted.

Queries emailed to Lighthouse and Aqualite did not elicit any response till the time of publishing.

The report further noted that an increase in the sales of its higher margin segments, which include non-Hawaii items and shoes, coupled with a rise in export orders, has helped improved the companys financials.

A branded opportunity

Aqualites origins go back to 1981 when managing director Davinder Gupta, a first-generation entrepreneur, started the company with a mission to make lightweight footwear for farmers near Delhi.

As more Indians gravitated towards style and fashion post the liberalisation wave in the 1990s and beyond, the company expanded its offerings to cater to the needs of the middle class and other segments.

The company today offers more than 6,500 products and has manufacturing units in Haryana and Rajasthan, with a pan-India distribution network of about 35,000 retailers. It claims to have a significant presence in north and east India.

As per a recent report from market intelligence platform Statista, India's footwear market generated reveues of $26.06 billion in 2024.

It is expected that the market will grow annually by 4.85% (CAGR 2024-2028). In relation to the total population figures, it is expected that per person revenues of $18.20 will be generated in the footwear market in India in 2024. The market volume is expected to amount to 2,226 million pairs by 2028, with a volume growth of 0.4% expected in 2025," the report stated.
Koo, an Indian social media app once seen as a rival to X (formerly Twitter) and backed by American investment firm Tiger Global, is shutting down. Founder Aprameya Radhakrishna announced in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday, July 3.

Sources familiar with the matter said the decision followed unsuccessful negotiations for a potential sale or merger with several companies, including DailyHunt.

Here's Aprameya Radhakrishna's LinkedIn post verbatim: Here's the final update from our end. Our partnership talks fell through and we will be discontinuing our service to the public. We explored partnerships with multiple larger internet companies, conglomerates and media houses but these talks didn't yield the outcome we wanted. Most of them didn't want to deal with user generated content and the wild nature of a social media company. A couple of them changed priority almost close to signing. While we would've liked to keep the app running, the cost of technology services to keep a social media app running is high and we've had to take this tough decision.

Koo has been built with a lot of heart. We saw a big gap between the languages the world speaks and the fact that most social products, especially X/Twitter in India are English dominant. In a world where 80% of the population speaks a language other than English, this is a strong need. We wanted to democratize expression and enable a better way to connect people in their local languages. Most global products are dominated by Americans. We believe that India should have a place at the table.

Also Read | Power Finance Corp share price Today Live Updates : Power Finance Corp Stock Soaring in Positive Trading Today

We built a globally scalable product in a fraction of the time that X/Twitter did, with superior systems, algorithms and strong stakeholder-first philosophies. Koo used to have a 10% like ratio, almost 7-10x the ratio Twitter had - making Koo a more favorable platform for creators. At our peak we were at about 2.1 million daily active users and ~10 million monthly active users, 9000+ VIPs, that included some of the most eminent personalities from various fields. We were just months away from beating Twitter in India in 2022 and could have doubled down on that short term goal with capital behind us.

A prolonged funding winter which hit us at our peak hurt our plans at the time and we had to tone down on our growth trajectory. Social media is probably one of the toughest companies to build even with all resources available as you need to grow users to a significant scale before one thinks of revenue. We needed 5 to 6 years of aggressive, long term and patient capital to make this dream a reality.

Unfortunately for us, the mood of the market and the funding winter got the better of us. Timing the market is an underestimated variable. It can define and discount everything at times. Koo could have easily scaled internationally and given India a global brand that was truly made in India. This dream will remain.

We're grateful to all those who've supported us along in our journey. Our team, that worked thousands of man hours to bring to life this beautiful product and company, our investors that backed us, millions of creators and users that poured their hearts out on the platform and spent millions of hours consuming content and our journalist friends that covered our updates with the public at large.

Our team stuck around with us through thick and thin all along the way. We are very fortunate to have worked with such a passionate bunch of folks who believed in the purpose of our company. It's been a long journey of 4+ years from thought to finish. We've had our highest highs and lowest lows while running Koo. It's given us our fondest professional memories and we are grateful to the little bird for that.

What we've built is truly magnificent. We will be happy to share some of these assets with someone with a great vision for India's foray into social media. We will also evaluate making this into a digital public good to enable social conversations in native languages, around the world. This is very difficult and complicated tech and we've built it painstakingly in record time.

Patient, long term capital is essential to build ambitious, world beating products from India - be it in social media, AI, space, EV or other futuristic categories. It will need a lot more capital when the space has a global giant already. And when one of these companies takes off, it can't be left to the whims of the capital market, which goes up and down. It needs a strategic outlook to safeguard it and make it thrive. These aren't to be looked at as profit churning machines in 2 years from launch. They need to be nurtured for a larger long term play. We would love to see that long term view for large bets from India.

As for us, we are entrepreneurs at heart and you will see us back in the arena one way or another. Till then, thank you for your time, attention, good wishes and love.

The little yellow bird says its final goodbye...
Bengaluru: IPO-bound e-commerce enablement company Unicommerce will continue prioritizing profitability after its listing, according to chief executive Kapil Makhija.

Unicommerce's growth strategy revolves around three pillars: domestic expansion, international expansion, and new product launches, Makhija said.

Profitability is a key ethos, so we continue to be profitable and that as an ethos is not going away. We want to continue to drive sustainable growth, and we're very clear on that as an organisation, Kapil Makhija, CEO of the company, told Mint in an interaction.

Unicommerce plans to increase its penetration in India by attracting more brands and boosting revenue from existing ones. As for international expansion, we are already present in six-plus countries outside of India, largely focused on Southeast Asia and the Middle East, he said.

The company will continue to launch new products to ensure that brands have a single vendor solution to take care of post-purchase experience, Makhija said.

Founded in 2012, Unicommerce, acquired by Snapdeal, is an integrated e-commerce enablement SaaS platform that offers solutions to fulfil the needs of sellers and D2C brands to streamline business operations. Some of its clients include Lenskart, Fabindia and Zivame.

The company received the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) approval for its initial public offering (IPO) plan on Monday, according to the markets regulator filing.

It plans to offer up to 29.8 million equity shares with a face value of 1 per share. Promoters of Unicommerce, such as AceVector Ltd, formerly known as Snapdeal, have planned to offer 11.4 million shares for the offer-for-sale.

B2 Capital Partners and SB Investment Holdings (UK) Ltd have planned to dilute about 2.2 million equity shares and about 16 million equity shares, respectively.

Domestic expansion The domestic expansion plan is mainly about getting more brands on the platform. The idea is to get more brands on the platform as well as drive more revenue from the existing brands as our revenue is transactional, said Makhija.

The company is banking on integrations to execute that. Recently, the company launched quick commerce integration, which lets brands fast-track quick commerce orders for their products.

In the last 12 months, quick commerce has become a very salient model and that's why we extended our offering to also provide quick commerce integrations. Particularly for health and nutrition categories as well as food and personal care categories, we are seeing a high amount of salience of these channels, said Makhija.

The company has launched two new products  UniShip (a tech-tool to simplify order tracking, returns and exchanges) and UniReco (a tool that helps reconcile products ordered and returned, automates fee computation for different marketplaces, etc.) in the last one year.

While multi-channel order management and warehouse management systems are the key revenue drivers, the company has seen rapid adoption of its newer offering omnichannel retail management solution, according to Makhija.

We are working with 750-plus enterprises, so we keep engaging with them on a regular basis to understand their new needs to cater to. There are parallel experiments that are in the works, but our immediate focus will be to stabilize some of the new launches, he said.

The company is also pushing to capture the market in Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns. It's not that we can let go of metros because a lot of brands still continue to get created in metros as well. But at the same time, I think, let's say five years ago, we may not be making a very concerted effort in reaching out to Tier 2, Tier 3 cities. Now we've started to do that.

International expansion While the immediate focus for the company is to go deeper into existing geographies like Southeast Asia and West Asia, there is a parallel deliberation happening on what will be the next set of geographies, according to Makhija.

Talking about the companys solution, he said, It could be relevant to an African geography, it could be relevant to a Latin geography, it could be relevant to a European geography as well.

For the quarter ended September 2023, The company had 46 international clients, contributing to over 3.23% of the companys revenue. This number was 2.74% in the fiscal 2023.

Sustainable growth "The whole wave of B2C dropship movement is very recent, only three to four years old. That's where we have seen our revenue growth also coming in, Makhija said.

Automation has also been a key lever in maintaining its profitability, he said. We require a lot of automation internally to make sure that we are able to keep our costs in check. We have a lot of optimizations that run to ensure that we are able to not only keep our fixed costs, overheads as well as the direct costs which go in serving these businesses in check.

About the IPO, Makhija said From a readiness perspective, as an organization, we felt that we are ready for itIt will allow not only existing but also prospective shareholders to participate and enable a public market for equity shares.

Unicommerces revenue from operations rose 52.5% to 90 crore in FY23 as compared to 59 crore in FY22. Its profit increased from 5.98 crore to 6.64 crore during the same period.
MUMBAI : Temasek, the private equity (PE) arm of the Singapore government, is the front runner to acquire significant minority stake in Tynor Orthotics, a Mohali, Punjab-based medical equipment maker, according to three people with knowledge of the development.

The manufacturer and exporter of orthopaedic and fracture aids, which is backed by consumer-focused PE firm Lighthouse Funds, is being valued at 3,000 crore, three people with knowledge of the development said.

The final bids have come in and Temasek is the front runner," the first person cited above said on condition of anonymity, adding that the other bidders who made it to the final round include global PE firms Warburg Pincus and Norwest Venture Partners.

The person further said that Temasek has bid for an up to 30-35% stake in the company for $100-120 million ( 850-900 crore).

The new funding is largely a secondary round with Lighthouse looking to sell its stake five years after it invested in the company. In 2018, Tynor had raised Rs 143 crore from Lighthouse Funds and Thuasne Participations, a French manufacturer of wearable medical devices.

A small portion of the fund raise will go towards primary capital to fund the companys expansion plans into newer geographies outside of India," the second person cited above said, also requesting anonymity.

The company has been reportedly looking to invest 800 crore for its expansion into international markets.

Tynor, which competes with brands such as Flamingo and Visco, has a 30% market share in its category and is the fastest growing player, the third person cited above said, making it an ideal candidate for investment by PE funds.

The category is likely to see steady growth in India as well as overseas. The funds are betting big on it," the third person added.

A Temasek spokesperson declined to comment when contacted.

Emailed queries to the company's founder Dr. Pushvinder Jit Singh, and spokespersons of Warburg Pincus, Temasek and Norwest Venture Partners remained unanswered till press time.

The company

Founded in 1993, Tynor had revenues of more than 500 crore in FY24, according to data from Tracxn, and sells to more than 60 countries.

It has a product portfolio of more than 150 items including body braces, supports, fracture and walking aids, traction kits, advanced knee braces, finger splints, silicone and foot care, and cervical aids, among others.

The company plans to set up a new manufacturing plant to grow its mobility portfolio," the third person cited above said. Today, the business is run by the second generation of the Singh family.

The medical equipment and devices industry in India is expected to grow at more than 10% over the next five to six years, various industry estimates show. The market, which is largely unorganized, is expected to be a $20-billion category by 2030, these estimates show.
TASHKENT, UzbekistanWhen Vladimir Putin visited this arid capital as part of a recent jet-setting charm offensive in Asia, local officials decorated the boulevards with posters of the Russian leaders facean expected tribute in a former Soviet republic where Moscow still casts a large shadow.

But beneath the posters was evidence of a shift with gloomy implications for Moscows international heft: More and more cars with Chinese brand names such as BYD and Geely are zooming around the streets of Uzbekistan as the number of Russian Ladas dwindles.

Relations between China and Russia are at a historic high as the authoritarian powers band together to confront what they see as a Western campaign to hem them both in. But in Central Asia, which Moscow regards as its backyard, the friendship that Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping declared as having no limits" is colliding with Beijings global ambitions.

That tension hovers in the background with Xi and Putin both in Kazakhstan this week for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional political and security bloc. Xi is scheduled to continue on to Tajikistan as part of his eighth visit to Central Asia since becoming Chinas president in 2013.

China has seized on the Ukraine invasion to chip away at traditional Russian spheres of influence. In Central Asia, as in the Arctic, Moscows reliance on Beijing to sustain its war machine forces it to acquiesce to the encroachments.

Across the strategically situated region, Beijing is drawing local economies into its orbit. Chinese investments are diverting the regions young workers away from Russia. A Chinese-funded railroad promises to connect it with Europe, bypassing Russian territory. Chinese renewable energy projects are helping reduce its reliance on Russian gas.

Sanjarbek Qulmatov, a 29-year old worker at a Chinese factory in central Uzbekistan, said Chinese money had dramatically changed the job prospects for him and his countrymen.

Roughly 1.3 million Uzbeks were working in Russia in 2023, according to the United Nations International Organization for Migration, down from 1.45 million in the year before. The reasons for the drop are complex, but Qulmatov attributes part of it to the rise of Chinese-funded alternatives.

Anyone who is unemployed can find a job here instead of having to go to Russia," he said.

For Tsarist Russia, Central Asia was akin to what the West was to American pioneers: a supposedly wild territory to expand into, modernize and extract resources from. The exploitation and modernization continued under the Soviets, who jealously guarded the borders of their empire against Chinese encroachment.

The power shift in the region has been in the making for years but accelerated after Russias invasion of Ukraine, which was seen by many in the region as a blithe and ominous violation of the territorial integrity of a fellow former Soviet republic. Instead of supporting Moscow, all five Central Asian states opted to stay neutral on the invasion.

China provides an image of the future for Central Asia. Russia is a shortsighted political regime that doesnt invest in Central Asias own strategic goals," said Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

For China and Russia, two land-based powers, Central Asia is an increasingly important thoroughfare. It gives Putin more direct access to markets in South Asia. And it is central to Xis Belt and Road Initiative, the vast infrastructure project that aims to connect China through various land and sea routes with the rest of the Eurasian continent.

The U.S., too, has recently increased efforts to regain its influence in Central Asia, dispatching a string of senior-level officials to the region, though its focus has been mostly limited to fighting any resurgent terrorism from Afghanistan.

For years, Russia and China have had a tacit division of labor in the region: Russia is the main security provider while China focuses on development and investment.

Now, Beijing is tipping that balance by leaning harder into its roleusing its enormous economic clout to increase its political sway. Trade between China and Central Asia rose to $98 billion last year, more than tripling since 2016.

In Uzbekistan, the most populous and industrialized of the five post-Soviet Central Asian nations, China knocked Russia from the top trade partner spot in 2023, according to official statistics. The country has been trying to integrate with the global economy after two decades of isolationism.

The Peng Sheng Industrial Park, where Qulmatov works, was launched with Chinese funding near the central Uzbek city of Sirdaryo in 2009. With a recent influx of investment, it is now home to more than a dozen Chinese companies.

Qulmatov said he likes to take his son to a park, also built with Chinese money, next to the industrial zone and hopes to send the child to a new kindergarten there that teaches in Chinese and English.

Id like to see even more Chinese companies here," he said.

One newly arrived Chinese company, electric-vehicle company BYD, started production on Thursday at a new factory in Jizzax, the province where Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was born, with the aim to make 50,000 vehicles per year. Batteries and other key components will be shipped from China, while local workers handle anything from welding and painting to car assembly.

In 2023, nearly 80% of the more than 73,000 vehicles Uzbekistan imported came from China, according to official statistics. Russia exported around 4,500 cars to Uzbekistan in 2021, but demand has fallen so low that the countrys cars are now pooled under the other countries" category.

A new 12-mile Chinese-built tunnel opened a path for the first ever direct rail connection between the Fergana Valley, in far eastern Uzbekistan, and the rest of the country. A Chinese-built highway linking northern and southern Tajikistan has cut travel time by eight hours.

In the past, most of the rail lines and highways the Soviets had built in Central Asia led to Moscow. A lack of connections internally and with the rest of the world made Central Asia one of the worlds most isolated places.

Bigger changes could be coming. In early June, the presidents of China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed a key agreement for the construction of a railroad line meant to connect their countries that had been in discussion since 1997. The project would shorten travel between East Asia to the Middle East and southern Europe by hundreds of miles by circumventing Russia.

For years, Russian has used its influence on Kyrgyzstan, a member of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, to slow down the progress of the routes development, according to Mirshohid Aslanov, founder of the Tashkent-based think tank Center for Progressive Reforms, who previously worked as an Uzbek diplomat. But sanctions related to the Ukraine war have changed the dynamics around running trade through Russia.

China is also challenging Russia in energy, a sector Moscow has traditionally dominated. Uzbekistan signed a deal to buy Russian gas in 2023 after a string of blackouts, but limited the contract to two years so far in what analysts say is a hedge against Russia using gas as political leverage.

Meanwhile, trucks and trains carrying solar modules and wind turbines from Chinese renewable champions LONGi and Goldwind can be seen crisscrossing the countrypart of Tashkents push to get at least 40% of electricity production from renewable energy sources by 2030.

We are friends with Russia but at the same time, we are looking for opportunities," said Aslanov. Very eagerly, we are looking eastwards."

China cant fully usurp the role of Russia. The careers and networks of the regions elites are deeply intertwined with Moscow, and Russian remains the lingua franca. People across the region still tend to view Russia more favorably than China, according to a 2022 survey by the nonprofit Central Asia Barometer.

Chinas reputation has been hurt by its treatment of Turkic Muslim Uyghurs, with whom many in Central Asia share a similar culture and language, and by anti-Chinese sentiment fanned by some Russian-language media.

But there are already signs China is making inroads with a new generation of Central Asian elites.

Nodirxon Mahmudov, a 19-year-old business student who graduated from an elite high school in Uzbekistan, said three of his 26 classmates went to China to study and none went to Russia. In the past, he said, many would have applied to Russian universities.

Mahmudov, who says he covets a BYD, also works as a marketing manager at Hong Kong Academy, a private language-tutoring company. On a summer afternoon, eight students between the ages of 11 and 21 were diligently cramming Chinese characters in a beginners class.

Government officials and business people were also coming to the academy in search of Chinese tutors for professional advancement, according to Mahmudov. They all think China is the future," he said.

Askar Jumanov contributed to this article.

Write to Sha Hua at sha.hua@wsj.com
New Delhi: On Wednesday, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) hosted its Global India AI Summitconducting an executive council meeting to forward the agenda on global collaboration of artificial intelligence (AI), as well as a ministerial council meeting on the same. While the Union government and private industry officials reiterated Indias approach to building sovereign AI capacity, industry stakeholders underlined a need for urgency in ramping up efforts and use cases.

Speaking at a roundtable session at the Summit, Gaurav Aggarwal, vice-president of AI at telecom and technology group Reliance Jio, said, While the Centres decision to assign 4,000 crore to building AI compute capacity of 10,000 GPUs through a state-run platform is positive, its important to ramp up urgency in building this capacity. There is available GPU capacity with vendors and data centres alikeits important to move fast to procure and deploy the capacity if we are to build AI use cases that enable industries imminently.

On Monday, the sixth ministerial council meeting under the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) reached a 19-point consensus on the way forward for a collaborative development model for AI globally. The council nominated Serbia as the lead chair nation for GPAI for FY25, which will host the summits next edition later this year.

Building capacity The availability of GPU capacity is key to opening up the ability for companies to build and develop AI applications for users. At present, accessing processors to train AI models, alongside collating databases of Indic languages, is the biggest challenge. One such challenge was underlined by Pratyush Kumar, cofounder of Lightspeed, Peak XV-backed startup Sarvam AI.

Talking to Mint, Kumar said, If we want an indigenous AI model to be used in offering support and assistance in neonatal care, our available models are not good enough at the moment. Ramping up cross-referencing of domestic datasets and extensively training the models will be key to achieving that, and this will be the biggest benefit of AI to users.

Read | How Yotta plans to lure global clients for its AI cloud service While Sarvam already accesses publicly available Indic language datasets built and maintained as open-source resources by Meitys Bhashini initiative, training models on a more diverse set of datasets will be key.

The urgency to build AI capabilities stem from current geopolitical concerns, too. Tanuj Bhowani, head of Nandan Nilekani-backed AI development platform People+AI, underlined limited development of Indias indigenous capacities in both computing and software as a hurdle towards building services for people.

Export control regulations from a certain nation can leave India without leverage to access compute. There is also the need to ramp up our capacity in software developmentright now, even in all of the software that we use, none of the kernels, platforms and app marketplaces that we use are Indian. The eventual idea is to use AI to build services for peoplebe it in education or healthcare. What we need right now is to address these challenges, where AI can play a significant role, he added.

Crucial juncture To address these challenges, India stands at a crucial juncture of ramping up development capacity and urgencyone that industry stakeholders said will require concerted effort from both public and private sectors. Earlier in the day, at the opening address, Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reiterated Indias push to play a key role in global AI development, and also stated that a state-run platform that will offer GPU capacities, AI frameworks and incubation support is in the worksand is likely to be promoted soon.

Srinivas Narayanan, vice-president of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, reiterated Big Techs interest in the India market. AI has added speed and dynamism to the already-dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem in India. Entrepreneurs understand market gaps, and build innovative products to fill them. By reducing the cost of intelligenceAI can make engineers far more productive, open up opportunities for higher-level problem solving and open up computing for the masses, he said.

Narayanan, who helps AI development at one of the worlds most-watched startups, said that OpenAI is committed to supporting the IndiaAI Missions Application Development Initiative, and would also continue its conversations with Meity to gauge where we may be able to add the most value.

Mohit Sewak, head of AI research and developer relations at in-demand chipmaker Nvidia, told Mint at the sidelines of the Summit that to support use-case development, the worlds most valuable company has opened up developer relations in India this yearand is in process of ramping up this support. Sewak also underlined that while the cost of training Indian languages remains higher than the cost of training English models due to the nature and availability of respective datasets, making compute capacity available in line with the Centres India AI Mission will be key.
Mumbai: Reserve Bank of India governor Shaktikanta Das on Wednesday urged heads of select public and private sector banks to step up efforts against mule accounts and asked them to intensify efforts to curb digital frauds.

In a meeting with the bank chiefs, which was also attended by RBI deputy governors M. Rajeshwar Rao and Swaminathan J., Das emphasized the need for lenders to ensure robust cybersecurity controls and asked them to effectively manage third-party risks. He also highlighted the importance of further strengthening the governance standards, risk management practices and compliance culture in banks.

Mule accounts Mule accounts are bank accounts that serve as conduits in money-laundering process, receiving funds from illicit activities and then transferring them to other destinations. The RBI, National Payments Corporation of India, and the ministry of home affairs are working closely with financial institutions and technology security firms to crack down on such bank accounts.

Other issues that were discussed include the persisting gap between credit and deposit growth, trends in unsecured retail lending and liquidity risk management. The bankers also discussed the usage of rupee for cross-border transactions and credit flows to small businesses.
New Delhi: The Union health and family welfare ministry (MoHFW) has asked state governments to monitor the increasing cases of the Zika virus, especially among pregnant women who test positive.

On Wednesday, the ministry issued an advisory, emphasizing the need for constant vigilance over the situation, following reports of Zika virus cases in Maharashtra.

As Zika is associated with microcephaly and neurological consequences in the fetus of the affected pregnant lady, states have been advised to alert the clinicians for close monitoring," Dr. Atul Goel, director general health services (DGHS), MoHFW, said in a statement.

"States are urged to instruct the health facilities in affected areas or those catering cases from affected areas to screen pregnant women for Zika virus infection, monitor growth of the fetus for expecting mothers who have tested positive for Zika, and act as per central government guidelines," he added.

Steps to be taken

The ministry asked states to ask health facilities and hospitals to appoint a nodal officer to monitor and ensure premises remain Aedes mosquito-free It also said that states must strengthen entomological surveillance and intensify vector control activities in residential areas, workplaces, schools, construction sites, institutions, and health facilities.

States must promote awareness through precautionary IEC (information, education and communication) messages on social media, and other platforms, to alleviate concerns of citizens, as Zika is like any other viral infection, with most cases being asymptomatic and mild, it added.

The Zika virus is primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, which mostly bite during the day. Symptoms include rash, fever, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise, and headache, lasting 27 days.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause infants to be born with microcephaly and other congenital malformations, and may also result in preterm birth and miscarriage. The infection is associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome, neuropathy, and myelitis in adults and children.

Zika testing

However, the health ministry said no cases of Zika-associated microcephaly have been reported in India since 2016. To ensure timely detection and control of any potential outbreak, state authorities have been advised to be vigilant, prepared, and ensure the availability of appropriate logistics at all levels.

States were also urged to immediately report any detected cases to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and the National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC).

Zika testing is available at the National Institute of Virology, Pune, National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi, and selected virus research and diagnostic laboratories of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

While the DGHS had issued an advisory on 26 April to forewarn states about Zika, Dengue, and Chikungunya, which are transmitted by the same vector mosquito, the director of NCVBDC had issued two advisories in February and April.

In 2016, India reported its first Zika case in Gujarat. Since then, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Karnataka have reported cases. In 2024 (as of 2 July), Maharashtra reported eight casessix cases in Pune, and one each from Kolhapur and Sangamner.
Bansal Wire IPO: Stainless steel wire manufacturing company Bansal Wire Industries launched its initial public offering (IPO) on Wednesday to raise 745 crore from primary market. Bansal Wire IPO has received strong demand from investors as the issue got fully subscribed on the first day itself.

Bansal Wire IPO opened for subscription on Wednesday, July 3, and will close on Friday, July 5. The IPO allotment is expected to be finalised on July 8 and the IPO listing date is July 10. The equity shares of Bansal Wire Industries will be listed on both the stock exchanges - BSE and NSE.

Bansal Wire IPO price band is set at 243 to 256 per share. The IPO lot size is 58 shares.

The company has already raised over 223 crore from anchor investors on July 2, ahead of the opening of its IPO. It allocated 87,30,468 equity shares to anchor investors at a price of 256 per share.

Also Read | Bansal Wire IPO fully booked on first day of bidding on strong retail,NII demand

SBI Capital Markets and Dam Capital Advisors Ltd are the book running lead managers of the Bansal Wire IPO, while Kfin Technologies is the IPO registrar.

Before investing in Bansal Wire IPO, investors must understand the companys business, financial performance, key risks and many other factors. Here we take a look at the 10 key risks for the Bansal Wire Industries as mentioned in the Red-Herring Prospectus (RHP).

Bansal Wire Industries IPO key details

Bansal Wire IPO: Key risk factors 1] Bansal Wire Industries heavily relies on its top 10 suppliers for raw materials. Any shortages, delay or disruption in the supply of the raw materials it uses in the manufacturing process may have a material adverse effect on its business operations and financial condition.

2] The company faces substantial working capital requirements and may need additional financing, impacting financial stability.

3] The costs of the raw materials that the company uses in its manufacturing process are subject to volatility. Increases or fluctuations in raw material prices is a key risk factor.

4| The company had low EBITDA and PAT margins in the last three Fiscals.

5] Negative cash flows in prior periods and potential future negative cash flows pose financial challenges.

6| Its performance is closely tied to the steel wires market and any adverse market conditions could adversely affect financial health.

7] Legal proceedings involving the company, its promoters, directors, subsidiaries, and group companies could impact business and operations adversely.

8] Expansion plans into new geographical regions pose risks of significant liability and potential loss of investment.

9] Use of unsecured borrowings which can be recalled by lenders at any time also poses financial risk.

10] The companys inability to maintain their distribution network in India and attract additional dealers may have a material adverse effect on their results of operations and financial condition.

Bansal Wire IPO Review Analysts are positive on Bansal Wire IPO and have advised subscribing to the issue with a long-term perspective.

The company's P/E ratio is 50.8 times based on its FY24 earnings, with a market capitalization of 40,078.3 million after the issuance of equity shares and a market cap-to-sales ratio of 1.62 times its FY24 earnings. The Company and its subsidiary, Bansal Steel & Power Limited, offer one of Indias most extensive steel wire product portfolios, with over 3,000 SKUs across high carbon steel, mild steel (low carbon), and stainless-steel wires. The Company offers around 2,000 SKUs, while the subsidiary provides approximately 1,500 SKUs. Looking at these factors we recommend a Subscribe  Long Term rating to the IPO, brokerage firm Anand Rathi said in a note.

Meanwhile, considering both the company's strengths and potential risks, Swastika Investmart Ltd recommended investors only with a high-risk tolerance to subscribe to the issue.
Stock Market today: Multibagger TARC Ltd share price gained 8% to all-time high during intraday trades on Wednesday. The TARC share price that opened at 209.25, slightly higher than the previous close of 208.15, however gained more than 8% to scale 52-week high of 225 on Wednesday. TARC share price ended at 217.4 levels on the BSE, up 4.44%

TARC share price having gained 243% during last one year has given Multibagger returns to investors.

The Anant Raj Corporation, or TARC Ltd., was founded as a construction and contracting business and has since grown well having developed large land banks and transformed to be a significantly big real estate development firm in the Delhi National capital region. TARC Limited with a large land bank of more than 500 acres is eyeing to become a large luxury housing developer highlighted Ambit Research , who remains bullish on the TARC prospects.

Ambit Research that has initiated coverage on TARC Ltd, sees almost 50% upside for the TARC stock trading at 217 levels. The target price for TARC share price is 325 as per Ambit.

TARC continues to develop architecture and nurturing partnerships which alongside strategic prime land parcels are expected to drive pre-sales of over 15,000 crore (over FY25-FY27), as per Ambit estimates

further supported by strong cash flows, TARC is expected to deleverage balance sheet . The debt to equity ratio is expected to come down to 0.1 times in FY25 compared to 1 times in FY24 as per Ambit

Ambit Believes TARC at present is where DLF was in early 2000. If executed well will be a structural RE compounding play over next two decades.

While TARC will become Net debt free by FY26 . As deleveraging will provide a triggers, as per Ambit project additions and smooth delivery of launched projects will lead to rerating.
Stock Market Today: Reliance Industries share price having gained more than 20% year to date is poised for more upside believe analysts. The Reliance Industries share price has remained in spotlight post the telecom tariff hikes announced by most telecom operators. As the analysts see improved profitability in the telecom business, boosting earnings prospects they also remain positive on the retail business prospects.

UBS Research target price of 3420 indicates almost 10% more upside for Reliance Industries share price trading at close to 3110 levels

Consumer business to drive earnings. UBS research that expects Reliance Industries earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation are set to rise 5% year on year during Q1. They add that the mix has tilted towards the consumer businesses.

The performance of digital (Jio) and retail should remain strong with Ebitda rising 12% year-on-year an 3% sequentially leading to the share of these businesses rising to 50% compared to Q4 share of 45%.

UBS expects Reliance Q1 FY25 Ebitda at around 40,200 core, up 5% YoY but down 6% sequentially impacted by a decline in O2C (oil to chemicals) earnings that offsets a sustained performance for the consumer business.

The O2C earnings are expected to moderate sequentially for Reliance Industries due to a sharp decline in refining margins, while petchem segment also remain subdued. Overall, they estimate consolidated net profit at Rs16300 crore (up 2% YoY, down 14% sequentially, assuming a 25% tax rate).

Jio subscribers increase, while retail sales growth persists

With Jio, US Research anticipates robust net subscriber additions of 10.0 million in Q1FY25 (42.5 million in FY24) and constant Average revenue per user *ARPU) of Rs182 per month, which will propel a 2% quarterly increase in Ebitda to Rs14,900 crore. With a steady Ebitda margin of 7.6%, they also project year on year and sequential gross revenue growth in retail of 16% and 6% respectively, helped by store expansion during the previous two years.
Stock market today: The domestic benchmark equity indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, finished Thursday's session in positive territory after a sluggish start, boosted by advances in key sectors and a favourable global economic outlook.

The 30-share BSE Sensex ended up 141.34 points, or 0.18%, at 77,478.93, while the Nifty 50 closed at 23,567.00, up 51.00 points, or 0.22%.

The trading session began flat, but gained pace as the day continued. Among the Nifty 50 firms, 28 rose while 21 fell, indicating a largely favourable market outlook.

The mid- and small-cap indices beat large-cap equities, pointing to a bigger market rebound.

Leading the drive were firms like as Hindalco, Grasim Industries, JSW Steel, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and Adani Ports.

According to Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services, despite enormous volatility, the domestic market closed the day on a positive note. In the immediate term, market attention is expected to be concentrated on the upcoming Union budget and monsoon season. On a global scale, the decline in US bond rates has enabled considerable FII inflows in recent days. Fertilizer stocks increased considerably, driven by the projected GST reduction and MSP increases.

Trade setup for Friday According to Prashanth Tapse, Research Analyst, Senior Vice President of Research at Mehta Equities, the trading theme revolves around markets increasing bets into the narrative that a soft landing in the US is underway.

Nifty 50's immediate goal post seen at its psychological 23,750 mark and then aggressive targets placed at 24,000 mark.

The line in the sand is at Nifty 50's make-or-break support at 23,350 mark. Nifty 50's 200 DMA is placed at 21,310 mark.

Buy or sell stock ideas by experts Stock experts Sumeet Bagadia, Executive Director at Choice Broking, and Ganesh Dongre, Senior Manager of Technical Research at Anand Rathi, have recommended five stocks to buy or sell today.

Sumeet Bagadia's stocks to buy today Buy Stove Kraft Ltd in cash at  574.3; Stop Loss at  550; Target Price at  610 Stove Kraft Ltd daily chart analysis reveals a notable shift in market dynamics, transitioning from a period of minor declines and sideways consolidation to a promising upside bounce. The current trading session reflects an up move, potentially signalling an upside breakout from narrow range momentum. This development aligns with a positive short-term trend, further reinforced by a surge in trading volume.

Key technical indicators, such as the Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 71.85, underscore the stock's positive momentum. The RSI not only exhibits positive signals, but the stock is also trading above crucial moving averagesspecifically, the 20-day, 50-day, and 100-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMA). This convergence suggests sustained strength in Stove Kraft price action.

Based on the above analysis, we recommend buying Stove Kraft in cash at a CMP of 574.3 for the target of 610 with a stop loss of 550.

Buy Thirumalai Chemicals Ltd in cash at  326.8; Stop Loss at  315; Target Price at  345 Thirumalai Chemicals Ltd daily chart analysis offers a favourable view for the following week, indicating a steady, higher advance. Notably, the stock has produced a notable higher high and higher low pattern, and the company's recent upward swing has effectively violated the neckline, establishing a new week high. This breakthrough indicates the possibility of a significant follow-through upward increase in the stock price.

Adding to the positive momentum, there has been an increase in trading volume, indicating growing market interest. The stock formed a strong bullish candle, signifying a potential continuation of the uptrend following, and the daily strength indicator RSI (14) is moving upwards, indicating a positive bias. Furthermore, Thirumalai Chemicals is currently trading above its crucial 20-day, 50-day, and 100-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) levels, reinforcing the bullish trend. Given the overall chart pattern, the analysis suggests a favourable long-term trading opportunity for investors.

Based on the above analysis, we recommend buying Thirumalai Chemicals in cash at a CMP of 326.8 for the target of 345 with a stop loss of 315.

Ganesh Dongre's shares to buy today Buy Birla Corporation Ltd at  1,575; Stoploss at  1,520; Target Price at  1,650 We have seen a major support in this stock around 1,520. So, at the current juncture, the stock has again seen a reversal price action formation at the 1,575 price level, which may continue its rally till its next resistance level of 1,650 so traders can buy and hold this stock with a stop loss of 1,530 for the target price of 1,650 in the upcoming weeks.

Buy Punjab National Bank at  129; Stoploss at  124; Target Price at  135 In the short-term trend, the stock has seen a bullish reversal pattern, technically retrenchment could be possible till Rs.135 so, holding the support level of Rs.124 this stock can bounce toward the level Rs.135 in the short term, so the trader can go along with a stop loss of Rs.124 for the target price of Rs.135

Buy Ramco Cements Ltd at  867; Stoploss at  850; Target Price at  890 We have seen a major support in this stock around 850, So, at the current juncture, the stock has again seen a reversal price action formation at the 867 price level, which may continue its rally till its next resistance level of 890 so traders can buy and hold this stock with a stop loss of 850 for the target price of 890 in the upcoming weeks.
Indian stock market: The market benchmarksthe Sensex and the Nifty 50recorded substantial gains, reaching new all-time highs during the session and closing at fresh peaks, on July 3.

The Sensex surpassed the significant 80,000 mark for the first time, peaking at 80,074.3 during the session. Meanwhile, the Nifty 50 also achieved a new high of 24,309.15. The Sensex concluded the day with a gain of 545 points, or 0.69 percent, closing at 79,986.80, while the Nifty 50 ended 163 points, or 0.67 percent, higher at 24,286.50.

Markets continued their ongoing streak of making new highs supported by firm global trends. Nifty crossed the 24300 mark while Sensex breached the historic 80,000 mark amid buying in banking stocks. Nifty closed with gains of 163 points (0.7%) at 24287 levels. All sectors ended in green including broader space. Private Banks saw healthy buying of 2% after HDFC Bank released its Q1FY25 shareholding data, wherein the FII ownership has declined to 54.8%, below the 55% mark, indicating greater MSCI inflows. Markets cheered the dovish commentary from US Fed Chair Powell. This along with healthy domestic macros and hope of a growth-focused budget led to a positive up-move in the market. We expect this ongoing momentum to continue in the near term. Indian Equities tomorrow would react to release of US Fed meeting minutes and US, Europe, and Asia -Service and Composite PMI data today, said Siddhartha Khemka, Head - Retail Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.

Brokerage firm Motilal Oswal has recommended these three stocks to buy this week - Grasim, Dixon Technologies and Apollo Tyres.

Stocks to buy Grasim: Buy at  2670 | Target price:  2850 | Stop Loss:  2600 Grasim is in strong uptrend and trading at life time high territory. On monthly scale the stock is forming higher highs structure from past many months and formed a strong bullish candle. On weekly scale it has given Inside Bar breakout and managed to close above the same. On daily scale it gave consolidation breakout on daily chart and forming higher top-higher bottom formation. Buying is visible across Cement space which may support the ongoing up move. RSI oscillator is placed in the bullish territory which will take the price to higher levels. Thus looking at the overall chart structure we are recommending to buy the stock with keeping stop loss below 2600 levels on closing basis for a new life time high target towards 2850 zones.

Also Read | SEBI circular for MIIs: How it may affect brokerage firms

Dixon Technologies: Buy at  11971 | Target price:  12700 | Stop Loss:  11600 Dixon tech is in strong uptrend and gave consolidation breakout on daily scale after nine sessions. On weekly scale the structure of higher highs  higher lows is intact and base of the stock is shifting higher. It is trading above it short term moving averages and momentum RSI oscillator gave bullish crossover which suggests momentum to continue in coming sessions. Thus looking at the overall chart structure we are recommending to buy the stock with keeping stop loss below 11600 levels on closing basis for a new high target towards 12700 zones.

Apollo tyres: Buy at  541 | Target price:  585 | Stop Loss:  520 Apollo tyres is in strong uptrend and gave trend line breakout on weekly scale after twenty one weeks. On daily scale the stock managed to close above 520 zones and forming higher lows from past two sessions. Good buying interest is visible in tyre stocks and stock likely to scale new record highs. Relative strength index (RSI) is also near 70 zones which suggests overall strength is the stock. Thus looking at the overall chart structure we are recommending to buy the stock with keeping stop loss below 520 levels on closing basis for a new life time high target towards 585 zones.
Employee Provident Fund (EPF) and National Pension Scheme (NPS) are two essential retirement-savings tools for employees that help them build a tax-efficient corpus. If an employee plans smartly with either or both, he can retire with a handsome corpus.

EFP vs NPS

EPF is a scheme run by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to provide social security and retirement benefits to employees. Employers with 20 or more employees earning up to 15,000 monthly must contribute to EPF. However, employers can voluntarily contribute even if these conditions are not met.

Both the employer and employee contribute 12% of the basic salary plus dearness allowance to EPF, with the employer's contribution at 3.67% for the PF and 8.33% for the pension account. Additionally, employers contribute 0.50% to the Employees Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI) and 0.50% towards administrative charges. For salaries above 15,000, the employers pension contribution is capped at 8.33% of 15,000, with the excess going into the PF account.

Also read | How financial planning helped this Mumbai family

NPS is a voluntary retirement savings scheme administered and regulated by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). Unlike with EPS, any Indian citizen, employee or self-employed, can join NPS individually or through an employer.

NPS allows for flexible investments in equity, government bonds and corporate debentures, and subscribers can also choose their pension fund managers (PFMs). It offers two types of accounts  Tier I (mandatory retirement) and Tier II (voluntary savings). Tier II provides greater flexibility on withdrawals. Tier I accounts have no upper limit for investments, but at least 1,000 must be invested annually. Subscribers can switch between investment options and fund managers, choosing between active and auto investment compositions.

Also read | How the national pension scheme can be used for early retirement

What are the returns like?

EPF has historically yielded an average annual return of 8% to 8.5%. NPS offers varying returns depending on what the subscriber invests in. Typically, equity investments yield between 15% and 17%, while government bonds and corporate debentures generate 7% to 9% returns. Alternative investment funds provide returns in the range of 6% to 8%.

In the table, we have compared the returns under EPS and NPS of an employee who is 40 years old, and earns a basic salary of 1 lakh. It is assumed that the contributions to EPF and NPS are equal, and that he will retire at the age of 60.

View Full Image (Graphics: Mint)

The contribution to the EPF will be 12% for each employee and employer. The contribution to the NPS will be 10% by the employer and 14% by the employee.

As you can see, NPS has the potential to get you a higher pension. However, NPS suits those with higher risk appetites, who don't mind accepting market fluctuations in return for higher growth.

Choosing between EPF and NPS thus depends on factors such as your risk profile, desired retirement corpus, and tax planning preferences. EPF offers stability and guaranteed returns, and is suitable for employees with low risk appetites. NPS is for investors who want market exposure. Given that markets can often be volatile, it's best to have a balanced retirement strategy by investing in both EPF and NPS.

Naveen Wadhwa is vice president, Taxmann. Sagar Phukela, an associate at Taxmann, contributed to the article.
For quite some time now, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been collaborating with various countries to link Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with the respective fast payment systems (FPSs) of other countries.

Since this multilateral approach is likely to give impetus to expanding the international reach of Indian payment systems, RBI has joined the Project Nexus, which is a multilateral international initiative to enable instant cross-border retail payments by interlinking domestic FPSs.

Conceptualised by the Innovation Hub of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), it aims to connect the FPSs of four ASEAN countries (Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand); and India. These five countries will be the founding members and first mover countries of this platform.

A written agreement was signed by the BIS and the central banks of the founding countries i.e., Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Bank of Thailand (BOT), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and Reserve Bank of India on June 30, 2024, in Basel, Switzerland.

At the same time, Indonesiainvolved since the beginning  continues to be involved as a special observer.

The platform can be extended to more countries in the coming time. The platform is likely to go live in two years i.e. 2026. Once functional, Nexus will play an important role in making retail cross-border payments efficient, faster, and more cost effective.

Meanwhile, RBI and NPCI International Payments (NIPL) are working on a plan to extend the UPI to 20 countries by FY29. According to the RBI Annual Report, efforts will be made to expand the global presence of UPI and RuPay.

In light of goals for Viksit Bharat 2047, the Reserve Bank, along with NIPL will work towards taking UPI to 20 countries with initiation timeline of 2024-25 and completion timeline of 2028-29, the report said.

The RBI and the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) signed an MoU in July 2023 to link their payment infrastructures.

In February 2024, RuPay cards and UPI connectivity between India and Mauritius was launched. This enables Indian tourists in Mauritius to make payments to merchants using UPI apps and vice versa for Mauritian travellers in India.
President Joe Biden blamed travel plans that took him to France and Italy in the weeks ahead of his disastrous debate against Donald Trump for his poor performance on stage, seeking to explain a moment that has upended the 2024 race and imperiled his reelection prospects.

I didnt have my best night but the fact is that you know, I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones. For real, I think it was about 15 time zones, Biden told Democratic donors at a Tuesday fundraiser in Virginia.

Didnt listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage. Thats no excuse but it is an explanation, Biden said, offering some of his most extended remarks yet on his condition during the first debate with Trump this election cycle.

Biden in June went to France for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings and a state dinner. He returned to Europe days later for the Group of Seven leaders summit, which was followed by a trip to Los Angeles for a celebrity-laden fundraiser. Before his encounter with Trump in Atlanta, Biden spent more than a week out of the public eye, visiting his vacation home in Delaware and preparing for the debate at Camp David.

The jet lag explanation came after Bidens advisers had previously chalked up his shaky performance to a cold. He was still struggling with the illness but had not taken medicine before his debate with Trump, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday.

Bidens disastrous performance touched off a storm of Democratic angst, escalating worries about his fitness and leaving party members to openly call for him to stand aside. To counter that, Biden this week plans to meet with Democratic governors and lawmakers, travel to two battleground states and sit for his first televised interview in an attempt to reassure anxious supporters.

The peril Biden faces as he presses on with his reelection campaign only heightened earlier Tuesday, when Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first sitting US House Democrat to call on him to exit the race and new polls showed the presidents support fading.

The presidents troubles were further exacerbated by a report in the New York Times that cited US and foreign officials expressing concern over a series of instances in which he seemed to be struggling.

Bidens meeting Wednesday with the governors is expected to be held virtually, with many joining via video call, according to people familiar with the matter. But a spokesman for Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, says he will be at the White House.

ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos will interview Biden on Friday.

Biden plans to travel on Friday to Wisconsin and to Philadelphia on Sunday then hold a press conference next week at the NATO summit in Washington, Jean-Pierre announced Tuesday. The president is also expected to speak with leaders on Capitol Hill, she said.

Were going to turn the page. Were going to get out there across the country. Americans are going to see him for themselves, Jean-Pierre told reporters.

White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients will also hold an all-hands meeting on Wednesday and is expected to emphasize the importance of continuing to execute on the administrations mission, according to people familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity. The meeting, set for 12:30 p.m. local time, is scheduled to last 15 minutes.

Democratic Fears

The effort is meant to counter brewing discontent among top Democratic donors, aides and elected officials over what happened at the debate, which has deepened their fears that Trump will return to the White House.

Three quarters of US voters said Democrats would have a better chance of retaining control of the White House if someone else was atop the ticket, according to a CNN poll released Tuesday. Biden polled worse in head-to-head match ups than other prominent Democrats  including governors like Californias Gavin Newsom and Michigans Gretchen Whitmer  who are expected to be on Wednesdays call.

Puck, a news site, also published a leaked memo from a pollster for a leading Democratic political action committee, finding that Bidens favorability numbers plummeted after the debate in the largest single-week drop in nearly three years.

Earlier: Biden Plummets in Leaked Democratic Polling Memo, Puck Says

Prominent Democrats have begun to wonder aloud about the presidents mental state.

It is a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is it a condition? former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday on MSNBC. So when people ask that question it is legitimate, of both candidates.

The governors meeting, reported earlier by CBS News, is a chance for Biden to persuade them he should remain the partys standard bearer as some privately harbor concerns about Bidens viability. Whitmer said Monday that she stands behind the president, pushing back against suggestions there were tensions between her team and Bidens.

Despite the fears about Bidens candidacy in many corners of the Democratic Party, no top lawmakers, governors or cabinet officials have publicly said the president should end his campaign. Newsom and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker have also issued statements supportive of Biden.

Too Much Is at Stake

News of the meeting with Biden came a day after Democratic governors held their own call, during which some expressed concern about the president and said they wanted to speak to him, CNN reported. Bidens team was in touch with the governors and their staffs about Mondays meeting, according to a Democratic official.

Vice President Kamala Harris also plans to have lunch with Biden on Wednesday, according to a White House official. The two have shared midday meals on a semi-regular basis but this one comes at a time when she has also been mentioned as a possible stand-in for Biden.

Biden, however, received unwelcome news on Tuesday when Doggett released his statement. Too much is at stake to risk a Trump victory, Doggett said.

The president and his team have sought to shift the publics focus away from his mental fitness and onto Trumps conduct following the Supreme Courts decision that the former president is partly immune from criminal prosecution. That argument represents Bidens narrow path to victory, but thus far his case has fallen flat with voters.

The president in a Monday speech at the White House called on voters to render a judgment on whether the presumptive Republican nominees involvement in his supporters Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol makes him unfit for public office.

Blame Game

Bidens team also touted his $127 million June fundraising haul to counter post-debate angst. Thats $15 million more than Trump raised last month, though the Republican now has a cash advantage. Campaign officials, including chairwoman Jennifer OMalley Dillon, on Monday held a question-and-answer session with donors intended at reassuring them that Biden has a path to victory, according to people familiar with the call.

After acknowledging the debate went poorly, Bidens campaign went on the offensive against party figures and media personalities who have called on him to drop out of the 2024 race, labeling them disloyal bed wetters.

Members of Bidens family and donors have also blamed the presidents close-knit circle of advisers for last Thursdays debacle against Trump. But Bidens apparent refusal to even consider a campaign shakeup has rattled outside Democrats who are calling for a course correction.
A court in Delhi on Wednesday, July 3, extended the judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal until July 12 in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy 2021-22. Arvind Kejriwal had appeared before the Rouse Avenue Court through video conferencing.

The court also reserved its orders on Kejriwals plea seeking the presence of his wife during the medical consultations with the special board constituted by AIIMS under the court's orders on April 22. The court will pronounce its orders on Saturday, July 6, 2024.

Also Read | Hathras Stampede LIVE: CM Yogi Adityanath announces judicial inquiry

Earlier on Saturday, the Delhi chief minister was sent to judicial custody till July 12 following a plea by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had arrested Kejriwal on June 26.

Delhi HC Bail Application Earlier in the day, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor moved the Delhi High Court seeking bail in the corruption case registered by the CBI in connection with the alleged excise policy scam.

His counsel, Rajat Bharadwaj, urged the matter for urgent listing before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, alleging that Kejriwal was taken into illegal custody without complying with Section 41 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

As the counsel insisted on fixing the plea for hearing on Thursday, the court said, Let the learned judge go through the papers. We will have it day after.

The high court agreed to hear the bail application on Friday.

Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar Jail, where he is still lodged in judicial custody in a connected money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The Delhi chief minister, who was arrested by the ED on March 21, was granted bail by the trial court in the money laundering case on June 20. However, the trial court's order was stayed by the high court.

Also Read | Video: Sea of people rushing towards Bhole Baba moments before Hathras tragedy
Days after labour department officials inspected Apple supplier Foxconns factory near Chennai in Tamil Nadu over allegations that the company refused to hire married women, a media report said no evidence of discrimination in recruitment practices was found at the factory.

Quoting sources, news agency ANI reported that the Regional Labour Commissioner Chennai submitted a report, in which all the employees confirmed that they are not facing any form of discrimination concerning wages and promotions.

"As per the report submitted by the Regional Labour Commissioner Chennai, no evidence has been found showing discrimination against married women in employment and recruitment practices at the Foxconn iPhone factory in Chennai. The action, prompted by allegations of discriminatory practices, involved detailed interviews and examination of records. The team, which visited the plant recently, conducted thorough interrogations of 21 married female employees. All the employees confirmed that they are not facing any form of discrimination concerning wages and promotions," ANI quoted the sources as saying.

On Monday, a five-member team of the state governments regional labour department visited the Foxconn factory near Chennai.

The inspection was conducted after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notices to the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre seeking a detailed report.

Also Read | Foxconn bias: Govt asks TN for report on discrimination against married women

The NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports that Foxconn, a major manufacturer of Apple devices, has systematically excluded married women from jobs at its iPhone assembly plant in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, the notice had said.

The central government had also asked the Regional Chief Labour Commissioner to provide a detailed report on the issue.

The govt's statement: The central government issued a statement on June 26, citing Section 5 of the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976.

"Section 5 of the Equal Remuneration Act 1976 clearly stipulates that no discrimination is to be made while recruiting men and women workers. As the state government is the appropriate authority for the enforcement and administration of the provisions of this Act, the report has been sought from it," it said.

A Reuters investigative story had alleged that Foxconn systematically excluded married women from the assembly jobs at its main iPhone plant in India.
Hathras Stampede: Sikandra Rao, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), wrote to Hathras DM on Wednesday, explaining the reason for the massive death toll, which has climbed to 121 and left up to 28 people injured in the Hathras stampede case. He stated that the security guards pushed away some people who were trying to reach close to Bhole Baba, which led to a series of events that caused panic among the crowd.

Sikandra Rao, SDM, stated, Narayan Hari Saarkar reached the venue at 12.30, and the event went on for an hour. When the Baba left the venue, people started rushing towards him to seek his blessings. A large number of people were already standing on the divider at the GT road and started running towards Baba.

He further wrote, To prevent the crowd from reaching Baba, his private security and 'Sevadar' pushed some people, and they fell down. The crowd went out of control and panicked. To get relief from this, people rushed towards the open field nearby, where multiple people slipped on a slope, and the people started running over them.

Etah's Additional Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ram Mohan Tiwari, informed news agency PTI that asphyxia due to compression was the leading cause of death among the victims of the Hathras stampede. The stampede victims majorly women were brought to the district hospital in neighbouring Etah on Tuesday. He further noted that the majority of the people were in the 40-50 age group.

The Uttar Pradesh Police filed an FIR on Wednesday that accused the organisers of hiding evidence and flouting conditions. The FIR alleged that permission for a gathering of 80,000 people was granted, but the event saw over three times the mass turnout, equivalent to 2.5 lakh people, much above the permit.

Also Read | Hathras tragedy: List of major stampedes at religious gatherings in India
The Uttar Pradesh government has confirmed the identification of most of the 121 people who lost their lives in a stampede during a 'satsang' event held in Sikandra Rao, Hathras district.

Devotees from across Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states had gathered for the religious gathering, underscoring the widespread impact of the incident across the region.

Office of Relief Commissioner said that 121 people have died in the stampede incident in Hathras.

Etah and Hathras are adjacent districts, and people from Etah have also come to attend the satsang.

Rush for raj According to an eyewitness, the stampede at the 'satsang' event in Sikandra Rao, Hathras district, occurred due to a rush among followers of Bhole Baba to collect raj (dust) from the path where the preacher's vehicle had passed while leaving the venue. This tragic incident underscores the intense devotion and the unfortunate consequences that arose during the gathering.

Sikandra Rau sub-divisional magistrate Ravindra Kumar said the stampede took place when devotees tried to get a glimpse of Bhole Baba after the event ended. They also wanted to collect some soil from around the babas feet (raj), he told PTI.

Meanwhile, after the Uttar Pradesh police searched Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district for Bhole Baba; Deputy Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar revealed that Baba ji was not found inside the campus.

"We did not find Baba ji inside the campus...He is not here..." said Deputy SP Sunil Kumar.

Also Read: List of major stampedes at religious gatherings across India

Suffocation inside tent Authorities have indicated that heat and suffocation inside the tent may have contributed to the stampede at the event held in a village in Hathras district, located approximately 350 kilometres southwest of Lucknow, the state capital.

UP Police officer Rajesh Singh said that overcrowding was likely a significant factor. Initial reports suggested organizers had permission for 5,000 attendees, yet more than 15,000 people ultimately arrived.

A participant, Shakuntala Devi told PTI that the stampede took place while people were leaving the venue. People fell atop each other, one after the other, she said, and then the bodies were pulled out.

'Satsang' participant Sonu Kumar blamed the slippery ground for the stampede.

When Guru ji left the place after almost one and half hours, all of a sudden devotees ran behind him to touch his feet, he said. When they turned back, some slipped.

Meanwhile, Rajesh Kumar Jha, a member of parliament, told reporters, Look what happened and how many people have lost their lives. Will anyone be accountable? He said the stampede was a failure by the state and federal governments to manage large crowds, adding that people will keep on dying if authorities do not take safety protocols seriously enough, AP reported.

Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh government announced 2 lakh compensation to the kin of those who died in the incident and also ordered a thorough investigation into the incident.
Hathras stampede: Uttar Pradesh Police have been conducting a search operation since last night at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district for 'Bhole Baba', who organised the satsang in Hathras in Pulrai village on July 2, where a stampede claimed 121 lives. Deputy Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar confirmed that Baba ji was not located on the premises.

We did not find Baba inside the campus...He is not here... said Deputy SP Sunil Kumar, as reported by ANI.

The state government has registered an FIR against the event organisers.

Who is Narayan Saakar Hari alias Bhole Baba? Narayan Saakar Hari, also known as Bhole Baba and Sakar Vishwa Hari Baba of Patiali, hails from Patiyali in Etah district, Uttar Pradesh, and was the spiritual leader hosting the 'satsang' event in Hathras where the tragic stampede has claimed over a 100 lives.

According to a report from Navbharat Times, Bhole Baba assisted his father in farming before pursuing spirituality. Born Suraj Pal in Bahadur Nagari village to farmer Nanne Lal and Katori Devi, he completed his early education locally and later served as a head constable in the UP police's Local Intelligence Unit.

Claiming to have worked with the Intelligence Bureau, he resigned from the police in the 1990s to dedicate himself fully to spiritual teachings. Unlike many other spiritual leaders, Bhole Baba prefers white suits with ties or kurta-pyjamas over saffron robes. He is accompanied by his wife, Prem Bati, during his sermons.

Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu expressed her heartfelt condolences on social media regarding this tragedy, and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge conveyed his deep sorrow over the incident.

In response to the tragedy, the Prime Minister's Office and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced ex-gratia compensation of 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the families of each deceased victim and 50,000 for the injured.
After 121 of his devotees were killed in a stampede, Bhole Baba, the self-styled Godman Narayan Sakar Hari, issued a statement on Wednesday saying that the chaos erupted after he left the 'satsang' venue in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras. The godman also blamed 'anti-social elements' for the occurrence of stampede.

In an official statement issued by Bhole Baba, the Godman expressed his "deepest condolences" to the family of those killed in the stampede, while also hoping for a speedy recovery of the injured.

I/we also authorised Dr AP Singh Ji, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court to take further legal action in regard of stamped create by some anti-social elements after over of Samagam/Satsang I left for the Samagam a long time ago on 02-07-2024 at Vill. Fulari, Sikandrarau, Hathras, UP, his letter, as reported by India Today, read.

However, LiveMint could not independently verify the letter.

Also Read | Video: Sea of people rushing towards Bhole Baba moments before Hathras tragedy

Bhole Babas name missing as main accused in FIR In the first information report (FIR) the Uttar Pradesh Police registered against the organisers of the religious congregation in the Hathras, but Bhole Baba has not been named as an accused.

'Mukhya sevadar' (main organizer) Devprakash Madhukar and other organizers have been named in the FIR lodged at the Sikandara Rao police station, a senior officer told news agency PTI.

After the conclusion of the gathering, the uncontrollable crowd exiting the venue resulted in people seated on the ground being crushed, as per the FIR.

Organizers allegedly used sticks to try and restrain the crowd in water and mud-filled fields, exacerbating the situation and causing casualties among women, children, and men.

The FIR also stated that despite efforts from police and administrative officials, who utilized available resources to transport the injured to hospitals, the organizers did not cooperate.

Overcrowded venue Despite the permission for only 80,000 people, about 2,50,000 devotees were gathered at the satsang venue, according to an initial police report.

Also Read | Hathras tragedy: List of major stampedes at religious gatherings in India
Hathras stampede: The Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday registered a first information report (FIR) against the organisers of the religious congregation in the Hathras, where at least 122 people died following a stampede.

The FIR, however, does not name Baba Narayan Hari  also known as Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba  as an accused.

Meanwhile, a senior officer informed newswire PTI that 'Mukhya sevadar' (main organizer) Devprakash Madhukar and other organizers have been named in the FIR lodged at the Sikandara Rao police station late Tuesday, July 2.

What does the FIR say? According to the FIR filed in the Hathras stampede case, the religious gathering was conducted by Suraj Pal, also known as Narayan Hari, Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba, or simply 'Bhole Baba', near GT Road in Phulrai Mugalgarhi village, Hathras district.

Devprakash Madhukar obtained permission from the administration to have approximately 80,000 attendees, and traffic and safety arrangements were made accordingly. However, an estimated 2.5 lakh people assembled, causing severe traffic congestion and halting vehicular movement.

After the conclusion of the gathering, the uncontrollable crowd exiting the venue resulted in people seated on the ground being crushed, as per the FIR. Organizers allegedly used sticks to try and restrain the crowd in water and mud-filled fields, exacerbating the situation and causing casualties among women, children, and men.

The FIR also stated that despite efforts from police and administrative officials, who utilized available resources to transport the injured to hospitals, the organizers did not cooperate.

Additionally, the FIR mentioned that Bhole Baba's convoy left the venue around 2 pm on Tuesday.

No entry/exit, emergency points for visitors According to a report by News18 citing sources from the UP Police, several lapses were identified in organising the event where the stampede occurred.

It was stated that the event did not adhere to norms requiring separate entry and exit points for gatherings of 80,000 people, nor were emergency routes or exits established. Sources further told News18 that no provisions were made for food and water, and the route taken by the preacher's procession lacked barricades.

Additionally, essential crowd control measures near the stage were reportedly absent, prompting attendees to rush towards the preacher. Investigations have indicated that the administration and organizers failed to fully disclose necessary details in their permissions, highlighting significant negligence in event planning and management.

VVIP treatment for Baba Bhole Meanwhile, elaborate arrangements were made for Suraj Pal, also known as Bhole Baba, during his Satsang in Phulrai village, including VVIP facilities. A video circulating online showed the stage and washroom specially constructed for the preacher at the venue.

Special measures by Indian Railways The railways have implemented special measures for approximately 3,000 individuals who are in the process of returning home after participating in a religious gathering in Hathras district. To ensure the crowd's safety, the railway ministry has imposed a speed restriction of 15 kmph on all trains passing through Sikandar Rau station.

Besides, many trains such as Mathura-Tanakpur Fair Special, Agra Fort-Kasganj Passenger Special and Bandra Terminus Antyodaya Express, among others, have been given extra stoppage at the Sikandar Rau station as well as special stoppage at other stations along the train route for the convenience of passengers, PTI reported.
A self-styled Indian-origin "guru," who presents himself as the head priest of a religious society in England, is facing a multimillion-pound lawsuit in the High Court in London this week following allegations of sexual assault by his former disciples, PTI reported.

Rajinder Kalia, 68, the defendant, has been accused by many women of using his sermons, teachings, and purported "miracles" to unduly influence his followers. The claimants, all of Indian origin, had previously succeeded in a legal battle two years ago, allowing the case to proceed to trial.

"There are triable issues to be determined in this case, with many of the factual issues being intertwined and subject to the claimants' cases as to the coercive control that the defendant (Kalia) exercised over them," Judge Deputy Master Richard Grimshaw concluded in June 2022.

The trial, which opened last week at the Royal Courts of Justice before Justice Martin Spencer, is slated to conclude next week. PTI reported that a judgment in the sexual assault case is expected in the coming months.

"I am horrified by the claims being made against me. They are demonstrably false, which makes them all the more puzzling," the PTI report quoted Kalia as saying via a statement.

"While I have always believed that everyone should be given a voice, this right must only be used fairly and responsibly. So, it is with great sadness that I sense an elaborate conspiracy to damage me within my community...The truth will soon be out. Until then, I would like to thank all those who have helped sustain me and my family at this challenging time," he said in the statement.

Punjab-born Kalia broke his leg "badly" in a motorcycle accident in his late teens, and was told by medical professionals that he would not walk again, as per a submission in the court. However, after a visit to Deotsidh, Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh - the origins of Baba Balak Nath - he was able to walk again without crutches. He believes that this was a miracle and enhanced his Hindu faith, particularly in Baba Balak Nath, as per the PTI report.

Kalia moved to the United Kingdom in January 1977 and began preaching in 1983 from his home. He also purchased some land in Coventry before establishing a "temple" in memory of Baba Balak Nath. The Sidh Baba Balak Nath Ji Society of Coventry England is registered with the country's Charity Commission and is run by trustees and volunteers, as per the report.

The temple serves food three times a week and helps the elderly in the community, according to the court documents. Kalia is its head priest, or 'guru', referring to himself as a servant of God Jinder Das, as per the report.

The women disciples allege that "serious sexual assaults" took place on a regular basis over many years in the "priest's room" at the temple.

Kalia has denied the charges. He said his legal team will challenge them on several grounds as the case progresses through the lengthy trial.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested Aman Singh, a key conspirator in the NEET-UG paper leak, from Jharkhand's Dhanbad. This is the seventh arrest by the central probe agency concerning the NEET-UG exam 2024 investigation.

On Sunday, June 30, the agency arrested Dixit Patel, owner of a private school in Gujarats Godhra, for alleged malpractices in the NEET-UG 2024 exam. Patel, the sixth arrest in the case, was held in the early hours of Sunday from his residence in Panchmahal district.

Patel's Jay Jalaram School was one of the designated centres where the NEET-UG exam was held on May 5. It has been alleged that the school was the epicentre of alleged malpractices and fraud in connection with the exam.

Also Read | NEET UG 2024: Counselling likely on THIS date

Patel allegedly demanded 10 lakh each from at least 27 candidates to help them clear the test. According to Gujarat Police, he allegedly asked the candidates not to attempt a question if they did not know the answer.

A preliminary investigation by the CBI uncovered that Patel asked candidates willing to adopt illegal means to obtain high scores in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-Under Graduate) to opt for Jay Jalaram School as the exam centre.

Also Read | PM Modi vows strict action in first comment on NEET-UG paper leak case

On Saturday, June 29, the probe agency arrested Jamaluddin Ansarithe fifth accusedin the NEET UG question paper leak case, a day after arresting the principal and vice-principal of Oasis School in Jharkhands Hazaribagh.

Ansari is a marketing professional with a Hindi media organisation. His brother Salauddin also works at the same organisation as a bureau chief.

Also Read | Rahul Gandhi writes to Modi, asks PM to lead Parliamentary debate on NEET tomor

The agency arrested Oasis School Principal Dr Ehsanul Haque and his deputy Imtiaz Alam on Friday in connection with the case. Principal Haque was the district coordinator of the NEET examination in Hazaribag, and his deputy Imtiaz Alam was the exam centre superintendent at Oasis School, in addition to being the National Testing Agency (NTA)s observer. Two others, who allegedly provided safe premises to NEET candidates where burnt question papers were recovered by Bihar Police were also arrested by the agency.

Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the central government was on a war footing to deal with the crisis that has rattled medical aspirants across the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Sudha Murty while replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Parliament session on Wednesday.

Narendra Modi thanked Sudha Murty for bringing up relevant issues in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Philanthropist and author Sudha Murty on Tuesday pressed for a government-sponsored vaccination programme to combat cervical cancer.

In her maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha, she also pitched for promoting domestic tourism.

The President nominated Sudha Murty to the Upper House on International Women's Day on March 8, 2024.

"There is a vaccination which is given to girls, between the age of nine to 14, known as a cervical vaccination. If the girls take that, it (cancer) can be avoided ... we should promote vaccination for the benefit of our girls because prevention is better than cure," Sudha Murty said in her speech in Rajya Sabha.

Sudha Murty continued by saying that cervical vaccination was created in the West and has been in use for the previous 20 years. "It worked very well. It is not expensive. Today, it is 1,400 for people like me who are in the field. If the government intervenes and negotiates, you can bring it to 700-800. We have such a large population. It will be beneficial for our girls in the future," she said.

In addition to women's health, Sudha Murty proposed for the growth of domestic travel. She suggested 57 domestic tourist destinations be put forward for nomination as World Heritage Sites.

There is a marvellous statue of Bahubali at Shravanabela Gola in Karnataka. There are group of monuments in Mandu in Madhya Pradesh who are very very beautiful. If you go to East, you have Tripura state, and they have fantastic sculpture known as Unakoti, natural roots bridge in Mizoram and eastern part of India which is God's gift to us, she added.

She further added, There are beautiful Mughal gardens in Kashmir. We always go and see the film shootings, but we never realise that they are not in the World Heritage Sites. The package should be done very well so that people can come and see them. The package should be conveniently done so that we should have good toilets and roads so that the tourists can come. It will increase our revenue in our own country."

She mentioned that some of the 2,500-year-old Sarnath monuments are still not listed as World Heritage Sites.
At least 107 people were killed on Tuesday following a stampede in Uttar Pradesh. The incident took place during a 'satsang' in Pulrai village of Hathras after people had gathered in large numbers. Initial reports suggested that over 15,000 people had gathered for the event that had permission to host about 5,000.

It was a closed enclosure of tent and prima facie it seems that suffocation led to discomfort and those gathered ran here and there leading to stampede, said Aligarh Range IG Shalabh Mathur.

Meanwhile Sikandra Rao police station SHO Ashish Kumar told PTI that the stampede had apparently occurred due to overcrowding. According to an eyewitness the incident took place as people leaving the venue at the end of the 'satsang'.

After the satsang ended, everyone came out. Outside, the road was built on a height with a drain below. One after the other, people started falling into it. Some people got crushed, Shakuntala told PTI.

District administration is investigating the matter. The injured are being taken to the hospital and people are still being recoveredA figure of nearly 50-60 deaths has been reported to me by the doctors... Permission for the event to be held was given by the SDM and it was a private eventA high-level committee has been formed to investigate the matter... The primary focus of the administration is to provide all possible help to the injured and kin of the deceased, added Hathras DM Ashish Kumar.

"I have spoken with injured victims and eyewitnesses. After the event was over the chief spokesperson (Baba Ji) was leaving and people rushed to seek his blessings. Following this, a few people fell off and other people fell over them. Many started running and a stampede occurred as the path was very narrow. 116 people have died and 22 have been hospitalised. 20 bodies have been unidentified. It is difficult to show bodies and it is difficult for the person also who gets to see the bodies," said BJP MLA Arun Asim who interacted with the victims and eyewitnesses of the Hathras stampede on Wednesday.

The Uttar Pradesh government has since announced 2 lakh compensation for the kin of those killed in the incident. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also ordered a thorough investigation into the incident. PM Modi also spoke with the CM following the stampede and condoled the loss of lives.
New Delhi: Silkworms, unlike the hungry caterpillar they resemble, have a preference for mulberry leaves. But India's textile ministry is hoping the moths will acquire a taste for the medicinal castor leaves.

The ministry has proposed using castor leaves to produce silk to boost the country's silk production and create more employment opportunities, two people directly involved in the process said.

India is the world's second-largest producer of silk and its sericulture, or silk production, industry employs an estimated 9.2 million people in rural and semi-urban areas. But it also imports silk from several nations given the high domestic demand for this costly fabric.

The Union textile ministry is working on a plan for a pilot project in Bihar, beginning with the district of Bhagalpur, a major castor-producing area. Other districts in Bihar that produce significant amounts of castor include Purnea, Munger, Saran, Champaran, and Muzaffarpur. The pilot may be extended to other parts of the country to make castor an alternative for silk production.

The silk produced from castor leaves is known as eri silk. It is soft, warm and durable, with a wool-like texture, making it more suitable as winter wear.

The concept note is being prepared, and the project may start within the first 125 days of the newly formed NDA government, one of the people said.

Queries sent to the textiles ministry remained unanswered.

Also read: Your next dental implant could be made of fabric

"The insect samia ricini will now be grown on the leaves of castor plants, which are known for producing seeds used in medicine and lubricants, and stems used for making thatched roofs, this person added.

Diversifying the types of silk produced helps reduce dependence on a single source. Using castor leaves for eri silk production will provide an alternative to the more common mulberry silk," the second person said.

Besides, castor plants are versatile and have multiple uses beyond silk production. They produce seeds used in medicine and lubricants and stems used for making thatched roofs. This versatility can provide additional economic benefits to farmers," this person said.

Increasing silk production This initiative is also aimed at increasing silk production to reduce the country's dependence on imports. India imports silks from Vietnam, China, Myanmar, Brazil and Hong Kong, among others.

"India's silk imports have consistently exceeded its exports over the years. India imports silk mainly to meet the demand for high-quality raw and finished silk products as local production is not enough to satisfy the needs of the textile and fashion industries, said Ajay Srivastava, who heads Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI).

According to commerce ministry data, export values have fluctuated from $83.95 million in FY20 to $79.21 million in FY21, $116.46 million in FY22, $101.22 million in FY23, and $124.05 million in FY24.

Imports followed a similar trend, from $210.41 million in FY20 to $99.26 million in FY21, $147.96 million in FY22, $271.35 million in FY23, and $208.54 million in FY24, the data showed.

The trade deficit, which represents the difference between exports and imports, increased as imports rose. It was $126.46 million in FY20, $20.05 million in FY21, $31.5 million in FY22, $170.13 million in FY23, and $84.49 million in FY24.

V. Balasubramanian, president of the Silk Association of India (SAI), said, "Actually, there has not been any successful story of producing silk from castor or any other leaves."

Mulberry silk dominates The world's silk has traditionally been dominated by mulberry because its leaves have a higher protein content than others. This makes mulberry silk highly sought-after. But if mulberry leaves are not available, silkworms can be raised on alternative leaves, said Balasubramanian.

Since land is very costly, I dont think farmers would like to diversify their crops. Castor is grown in India primarily as a border crop to protect the main crops from cattle, rather than for extensive agricultural production, Balasubramanian said.

India is the world's second-largest producer of silk. The sericulture (silk production) industry employs about 9.2 million people in rural and semi-urban areas (as of FY23) and is a major contributor to foreign-exchange earnings.

Major silk-producing states include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Karnataka contributed 32.3% of India's total silk production in FY23, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 26.0%.

Sericulture activities are spread across 52,360 villages, and India produces four types of natural silksmulberry, eri, tasar, and muga. These are used to make garments, fabrics, carpets, shawls, scarves, cushion covers and various accessories.
Today is marked by a series of important events both nationally and globally. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is leading the delegation at the SCO Summit under Kazakhstan's chairmanship, focusing on regional cooperation.

Take a look:

EAM S Jaishankar to lead Indian delegation to SCO Summit EAM S Jaishankar is leading the Indian delegation at the SCO Summit, which is being held under Kazakhstan's chairmanship from July 3-4.

The 24th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State (SCO Summit) will be held under the presidency of Kazakhstan on July 4.

At the Summit, the leaders are expected to review the organization's activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of multilateral cooperation. Topical issues of regional and international importance are also expected to be discussed at the meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release.

India's priorities in SCO are shaped by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a 'SECURE' SCO, wherein, 'SECURE' stands for Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environmental protection.

Bharti Airtel announces 10-21% hike in mobile tariffs from today Telecom major Bharti Airtel has raised mobile tariffs effective 3 July.

In an exchange filing, Airtel said it maintains that the mobile average revenue per user (ARPU) needs to be upwards of 300, to enable a financially healthy business model for telcos in India.

We believe that this level of ARPU will enable the substantial investments required in network technology and spectrum and offer a modest return on capital. In this light, we welcome the announcements in the industry to repair tariffs. Airtel will also revise its mobile tariffs as indicated below, from July 3rd, 2024, it stated. Read here.

Economic Survey document is likely to be released today The Economic Survey document is likely to be released on July 3, according to a report by News18 citing government sources.

This will be the full Union Budget announcement by the government. An Interim budget was announced by Sitharaman on February 1, 2024, due to then-impending Lok Sabha Elections.

Sitharaman took charge of the Finance Ministry, the same portfolio she held in the previous government, after the NDA got a majority to form the government. Read here.

Delhi excise policy case: Arvind Kejriwal's judicial custody ends today Today, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's judicial custody in a money laundering case related to an alleged excise scam ends. Special Judge Niyay Bindu had extended Kejriwal's custody until July 3 during a hearing on June 19, despite opposition from his counsel, who argued that there were insufficient grounds for the extension sought by the Enforcement Directorate.

Delhi High Court to hear patent officers exam irregularities petition The Delhi High Court scheduled July 3 as the next hearing date for a petition requesting the cancellation of nationwide exams to select 553 'Group A' patent officers.

The petition cites alleged irregularities in the recruitment process conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which has been under scrutiny for malpractices in other entrance tests it administered.

Japan to launch new banknotes today Japan is preparing to introduce a fresh series of banknotes, marking the first major redesign in twenty years.

The updated 10,000, 5,000, and 1,000 notes will include state-of-the-art anti-counterfeiting measures and showcase prominent historical figures, symbolizing a blend of modern security advancements with cultural significance.

Other top events: Delhi Excise Case: Court extends judicial custody of BRS leader K Kavitha till July 3

BJP lawmaker Om Birla orders the construction work in the Parliament complex should be finished by July 3

Kallakurichi hooch tragedy: Madras High Court grants time till July 3 for State to file status report on CB-CID probe

Rape-accused MLC Suraj Revanna remanded to police custody till July 3

Pune bar drug video case: Police custody of 10 accused extended till July 3

Valmiki Corp scam: BJP to lay siege to CM Siddaramaiah's house on July 3

Telangana HC to hear BRS leader's pleas for MLA disqualification today

PSU, Petronet LNG has fixed July 12, 2024 as the record date for final dividend

Namita Thapar's Emcure Pharma IPO to open today

Jio to raise mobile services rates by 12-27% from today

Nearly 10 petitions are expected to be heard by NCLT Bengaluru on Jul 3 against Byju

Bansal Wire Industries IPO to open today
Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, faced a major crisis on Wednesday, July 3, when a key ally in his multi-party coalition withdrew its support, reducing his government to a minority. The government was formed just four months ago following Parliamentary elections.

Eight ministers from the Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) resign en-masse from the government, formally exiting the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led cabinet. The party had given a 24-hour deadline to Pushpa Kamal Dahal to step down as the prime minister.

The party that withdrew support from the coalition government in Nepal was the biggest party in the alliance. "We will soon inform the Prime Minister that we are walking out of the government and ministers will submit their resignation," Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula told ANI.

Also Read | Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal wins vote of confidence, third in over a year

Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) led by KP Sharma Oli on Tuesday, July 2, held the resignations of its ministers and gave 24-hour ultimatum to PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal to step down.

"The party secretariat meeting held at the party office has decided to call on the Prime Minister to step down from the post within 24 hours paving the way for the formation of a new government. The new government will be formed in line with the agreement sealed between the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML as per Clause 76 (2) of the Nepal constitution. The ministers would resign from the post on Thursday morning and the party will formally withdraw the support extended to the incumbent government," Yogesh Bhattarai, Secretary of CPN-UML, said.

Also Read | Nepal becomes first South Asian nation to formally register same-sex marriage

Pushpa Kamal Dahal has shown reluctance to resign from his post and his party, too, has decided to instead face a trust vote within 30 days.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a blistering attack at the Congress in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, July 2, mocking Congress leader and Raebareli MP Rahul Gandhi using Gangs of Wasseypur dialogues, "balak budhi" and "tumse na ho payega."



In his address to express gratitude to the President, the PM slammed the Congress, saying it had become a "parasite" on its allies and has made "lies" a weapon of its politics. He accused the Leader of Opposition of linking Hindus with violence.
(Bloomberg) -- President Vladimir Putin trumpeted Russias fully-fledged partnership with China as he met Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for the second time in less than two months, highlighting Moscows deepening embrace of Beijing.

Russo-Chinese ties are at their best in history, Putin said at a meeting on the sidelines of a security summit on Wednesday in Astana, Kazakhstan. Theyre built on equality, mutual benefit and respect for each others sovereignty.

My dear friend, I am very happy at our new meeting, Xi said.

China and Russia should continue to strengthen strategic coordination and oppose external interference, Xi also said, according to a readout from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. He added China supports Russia in fulfilling its duties as the rotating chair of the BRICS, uniting the Global South nations, preventing a new cold war and opposing illegal unilateral sanctions and hegemony.

On Ukraine, Xi reiterated China is always on the right side of history and is willing to make positive efforts to promote peace talks and political resolution.

Since Xi and Putin last sat down in May, the Russian leader has been strengthening his partnerships around Asia. Putin made his first trip to North Korea in 24 years last month, where he signed an agreement with Kim Jong Un to come to each others aid if attacked. Kim also pledged to unconditionally support Russia in its war on Ukraine.

Putin followed that with a visit to Vietnam, where he said Moscow was considering changing its nuclear doctrine in response to talks in the West about lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. Russia recently held combat drills to practice the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

The Russian leaders threats to use nuclear weapons since his February 2022 invasion of his neighbor have drawn condemnation from the US and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies. Xi, too, has warned against resorting to nuclear weapons.

China and Russia have united in a mission to counter the US, as both nations face growing scrutiny from the West over their military goals. Their leaders have responded by pushing to broaden groups in which they have more sway. The BRICS bloc of emerging-market nations doubled this year, welcoming Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Egypt.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit is expected to see Belarus become the 10th member of the regional grouping set up by China, the SCOs Secretary-General Zhang Ming told Chinese media outlets Monday. Iran joined last year. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed interest in joining the bloc and met Putin earlier on Wednesday at the summit.

Erdogan invited Putin to Turkey and said that Ankara is ready to assist talks over ending the war in Ukraine. The Turkish leader told his Russian counterpart that a fair peace that can satisfy both sides is possible, a Turkish government statement said.

The meeting between the two leaders was the first since Turkey approved Swedens entry into NATO earlier this year, a response to Russias invasion of Ukraine, and comes ahead of Erdogans participation in a summit of the alliances leaders in Washington next week.

Xi stressed the importance for Global South nations to exert greater influence on international affairs at an event in Beijing last week. Developing nations need to work together to be a stabilizing force for peace, he said.

Chinas Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in a regular briefing Monday that the SCO had become a fine example of a new type of international relations and regional cooperation. Beijing hopes the summit will contribute to the security, stability, development and prosperity of all countries, she added.

China will take over the SCOs rotating presidency after the summit in Astana. Xi will also visit Tajikistan this week.

--With assistance from Henry Meyer, Selcan Hacaoglu, Firat Kozok and Foster Wong.

(Updates with Chinas readout statement from fourth paragraph.)

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday that 116 Chinese nationals were deported back to China, a move that came after a surge of Chinese migrants entering at the U.S. southern border in recent years.

The charter flight took place over the weekend and in coordination with the Chinese government, according to the DHS, which said it was the first large such flight since 2018.

The removal operation followed recent engagement between U.S. and Chinese authorities. In early June, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Chinese Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong held a videoconference discussing deepening cooperation in such areas as drug control, repatriation of migrants and combating transnational crime, according to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

The U.S. started to see a surge in Chinese migrants coming through Latin America in 2023. Since the start of the governments budget year in October through May, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have apprehended 31,077 Chinese nationals along the southwestern border, about a quarter of total arrests at the border during the period.

The Chinese migrants crossing the border are generally people from underprivileged groups, with low incomes, education levels and skills and with little or no chance of securing a U.S. visa. Their departures have often been driven by economic hardship or traumatic encounters with Chinese authorities.

Between January and May, some 10,171 Chinese migrants crossed the Darien Gap, the 60 miles or so of treacherous terrain connecting South and Central America. That compares with 25,565 for the full year in 2023, and a total of 2,381 in the years from 2010 to 2022, according to Panama migration data. Chinese nationals were the fourth-largest group making the Darien crossing from Colombia in 2024, the data showed. Many pay smugglers to help them en route.

Mayorkas told a House Appropriations panel in April that he had engaged with his Chinese counterpart about accepting removal flights, and said that there was one deportation flight to China for the first time in a number of years.

We will continue to enforce our immigration laws and remove individuals without a legal basis to remain in the United States, Mayorkas said in a statement Tuesday. People should not believe the lies of smugglers.

The department said it would continue to cooperate with Beijing for additional removal flights, adding that the two countries were working to reduce and deter irregular migration and to disrupt illicit human smuggling through expanded law-enforcement efforts.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for Chinas Embassy in Washington, affirmed that Beijing would continue to carry out pragmatic law enforcement cooperation with relevant national authorities.

Without specifying the U.S., he said Chinas National Immigration Administration had worked with immigration law-enforcement departments to repatriate the planners and organizers of smuggling activities and illegal immigrants to their original places of residence, and pursued their legal responsibility in accordance with the law.

Ecuador this month stopped waiving visas for Chinese citizens. The South American country was one of the few in the Americas to offer visa-free travel for Chinese nationals, providing an entry point for many Chinese migrants bound for the U.S.

The DHS said in its statement that the U.S. welcomed Ecuadors move given smugglers efforts to exploit that route.

In China, a new hashtag#zouxian, roughly translated as trekstarted gaining popularity about two years ago, when some migrants posted footage of their journeys through Latin America on TikTok and its Chinese counterpart, Douyin. TikTok has banned the search term #zouxian in Chinese, citing violations of its guidelines. Searches of #zouxian on Douyin now yield few clips about migrants experiences.

Li Xiaosan, a Chinese migrant whose crossing of the southern U.S. border last year was chronicled by The Wall Street Journal, said rumors about the impending deportations started to make the rounds several days ago on Chinese chat groups, putting many Chinese who like him are applying for asylum in the U.S. on edge.

He said some migrants who have crossed the border in recent months have been reluctant to report their whereabouts to U.S. immigration authorities, as required by U.S. law, for fear of being repatriated.

Li, now based in New York, is set to appear in a final court hearing in a month deciding whether he will be allowed to stay in the U.S.

A critic of the Chinese government, Li is applying for asylum on the grounds that he was persecuted in China. Im afraid they will remove everyone indiscriminately, he said. What am I going to do if I get deported?
Some of President Bidens top donors have latched on to a Star Wars" analogy aimed at keeping nervous supporters from defecting: President Biden is like Yodaold and frail yet wise and influentialwhereas Donald Trump is like Jabba the Hutt, a gluttonous and powerful gangster.

When talking to Wall Street supporters, Biden loyalists have drawn comparisons to the famed investor Warren Buffett, pointing out that the chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway made a vast amount of his fortune between the ages of 83 and 93.

The comparisons are part of a frantic effort to salvage Bidens candidacy in the face of growing concerns about the 81-year-old incumbents ability to beat Trump, his presumptive Republican opponent in Novembers election. Some so-called bundlers, supporters who solicit donations from other donors, said they are refraining from asking donors for more money in the wake of the debate given the presidents poor performance.

Cracks in what had been a unified front of support from Democratic lawmakers began to emerge Tuesday. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D., Texas) called on Biden to exit from the race.

Biden, at a fundraiser Tuesday in McLean, Va., said he didnt have my best debate night," but pointed to his campaigns ability to raise $38 million since then. So far, so good," he said. Im feeling good about whats happening."

Biden added that he wasnt very smart" before the debate because he kept a busy travel schedule. And then I came back and nearly fell asleep on stage," he said, prompting laughter from the audience. Biden actually spent roughly a week at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, preparing for the debate after his trips to France and Italy.

Among those publicly leading the pro-Biden effort are Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, whose team has fielded hundreds of calls, emails and other forms of outreach since Bidens debate Thursday. Some want Hoffman, a venture capitalist and Democratic megadonor, to urge Biden to abandon his bid, or to tone down his support for the president, according to people familiar with the matter. The Biden campaign reiterated on Tuesday that the president has no plans to drop out.

Among Bidens donor defenders, there is a sense that they cant hide his declining physical frailty. Instead, some are making the case that, while his physical appearance might look old, his mental acuity is still intact.

Hoffmans team, which has shared the Star Wars and Buffett analogies, got a top researcher in aging and brain health to study Bidens and Trumps debate performances and other recent public engagements for reassurance. The person concluded that Bidens cognitive ability wasnt on the decline though he had a significant decline in motor and mechanical capabilities, according to people familiar with the matter. It is unclear whether that is assuaging donors.

Some reluctant donors want to see Biden do an interview for reassurance of his acuity. The White House said Tuesday that Biden would sit for an interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News. The president also plans to hold meetings with lawmakers and Democratic governors and travel to Wisconsin this week.

Among some top business leaders, there is a push to draft a chief executive to replace Biden on the Democratic ticket. That effort has centered on trying to persuade Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase to run as he has fielded calls from business people and politicians, according to people familiar with the situation. Dimon has rebuffed those overtures, these people said. One person said that while Dimon would enjoy the job of president, he doesnt want to run in an election.

Many donors this past weekend said they were reassured by fundraising events Biden held in the New York area. But by Tuesday, there were signs that encouragement was giving way to increasing concern about the viability of Bidens candidacy.

I found nobody that was abandoning him at the Hamptons event," said one person who attended an East Hampton, N.Y., fundraiser over the weekend, adding that Biden seemed like his normal self at the event and spoke lucidly. "I came out of it thinking he will survive this and it will be a blip and he will move on. I dont have that opinion today."

In the past day, on private calls with political-action committees and among donors, many have called for Biden to step down as nominee, people involved in or briefed on the calls said. The feeling that he has to drop out, at least among the donors I speak to and calls Ive been on, has metastasized," said the person who attended the East Hampton fundraiser.

In one political-action committee call with about 100 donors Tuesday, many attendees spoke about the need for Biden to step aside, the person said. They all were in agreement that he had led well as president, but there was a consensus that he wouldnt be able to defeat Trump given the debate performance, the people said.

Some discussed potential replacements, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. All three have publicly maintained their support for keeping Biden on the ticket.

Alexander Saeedy contributed to this article.

Write to Emily Glazer at Emily.Glazer@wsj.com, Preetika Rana at preetika.rana@wsj.com and Dana Mattioli at dana.mattioli@wsj.com
The drumbeat of pressure on President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race intensified Wednesday with a bombshell report in the New York Times that he had conceded the possibility to a key ally, as well as movement within his own party to demand his withdrawal.

The White House and Bidens campaign quickly denied the Times report suggesting the president had vocalized to a supporter that he could ill-afford another misstep that would irrevocably damage his campaign. But time is running out for the beleaguered president to convince anxious Democratic officials, donors and voters that he remains viable in his effort to keep former President Donald Trump from returning to office.

In another blow, dozens of Democratic lawmakers are considering signing a letter demanding Biden withdraw from the race, a senior party official said.

The conversations the president has been having with Democrats across the country is going to reassure them that he is in this race, that he knows that he needs to reassure the American people, and that our campaign is going to continue to build and scale to win in November, Biden deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks told CNN.

That anxiety has only been fueled by a flood of recent reporting suggesting other Democrats are eyeing possible replacement candidates  and the Times reporting that Biden had recognized he could not afford another misstep that would reinforce perceptions about his age and acuity fanned by the debate.

Biden told his ally the race would be in a different place if upcoming events went poorly, the Times reported. Biden plans to sit for an interview with ABC News on Friday, and hold a rally in Madison, Wisconsin. On Sunday, hell travel to Philadelphia for another campaign event.

Biden has been calling senior Democratic lawmakers  including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries  in a bid to shore up support on Capitol Hill, even as members of his party are publicly expressing dismay about his campaign.

So far, only one sitting House Democrat  Lloyd Doggett of Texas  has publicly called for Biden to step aside. But the president may not be able to survive a coordinated revolt among Democratic lawmakers worried that his poor performance could cost them seats or a shot at control of the House and Senate in the upcoming election.

The president will also need to navigate a hastily arranged meeting Wednesday evening with Democratic governors, many of whom are at the center of speculation about possibly replacing him on the ticket.

Crisis Meeting

Some nationally prominent governors with extensive fundraising networks like Californias Gavin Newsom, Michigans Gretchen Whitmer, Marylands Wes Moore and Illinoiss JB Pritzker will head to the White House for the crisis meeting in person, while others will join virtually.

Newsom told donors he would stand with Biden at the meeting and attend campaign events to support him following the gathering.

I understand that folks are anxious right now, Newsom said in a fundraising appeal.

Other recent reports have also spurred speculation among Democratic allies. On Tuesday, the Washington Post reported that former President Barack Obama had privately conveyed to allies that Bidens path to reelection was more challenging following his debate performance.

Reuters published a new poll showing Vice President Kamala Harris  the most likely successor if Biden were to step aside  trailing Trump, the Republican candidate, by a single point. Momentum behind the vice president, who could take over the campaigns sizable war chest, has gathered in recent days. Harris and Biden planned to have lunch together Wednesday afternoon.

A Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll in May showed Harris gaining trust among swing-state voters, 48% of whom say shes ready to assume the duties of the presidency if Biden were unable to continue.

The Leadership Now Project, a group of business leaders who had organized to counter what they saw as threats to democracy during the last Trump administration, called for Biden to cede his place as the Democratic nominee.

This process will undoubtedly be messy and is not without risk, the group said in a statement. However, the stakes are too high not to act.

All-Hands Meetings

In Wilmington, Delaware, staffers at Bidens campaign headquarters received an email from campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez and chair Jen OMalley Dillon saying the campaign would increase its cadence of all-staff calls and emails to better coordinate, including a meeting Wednesday afternoon.

White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients held a similar all-hands call with staffers there on Wednesday, imploring them to keep their heads held high and continue executing on their responsibilities while acknowledging Biden didnt have a great night.

People are looking for chatter, he said, according to a recording of the call obtained by Bloomberg. Tune it out.

The campaigns memo asked staffers to emphasize the full picture of Bidens support, downplaying recent polls that have shown a noticeable tilt toward Trump.

Polls are a snapshot in time and we should all expect them to continue to fluctuate  it will take a few weeks, not a few days, to get a full picture of the race, the pair wrote.

Part of that effort included sending a memo to congressional staffers stressing that polls remained within the margin of error, and the campaigns belief that a bad showing in the coming weeks did not actually indicate a reshaping of the race.

A CBS News survey released Wednesday showed the Republican candidate holding a three-point edge over Biden in battleground states, and two-point lead nationally. Nearly seven in 10 voters said Bidens age was a factor in their vote.

South Carolina Democrat Jim Clyburn, a leading Biden supporter who spoke with the president on Wednesday, told CNN he wants to see the president in town-hall type events now and performing there would calm some fears.

With assistance from Amanda Gordon, Erik Wasson, Jennifer Jacobs, David Welch, Gregory Korte and Billy House.
The buzz about a luxury car purportedly purchased by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's wife, Olena Zelenska, has added a new twist to a slew of corruption accusations against the couple.

The latest allegation came from a French website, which posted the invoice for the purchase of a Bugatti Tourbillon. However, fact-checkers have identified the video supporting the claim as a deepfake, linked to known Kremlin propagandists.

In December 2022, social media was abuzz with reports alleging that during a visit to Paris, Zelenska indulged in an extravagant shopping spree, spending $42,500. A Newsweek investigation later debunked these reports.

President Zelensky was also accused of amassing a property portfolio across the U.S., Italy, the U.K., and France, and even claimed that the first lady had purchased a private island. This, too was debunked, as per the report.

A French-language website, Verite Cachee ("Hidden Truth"), published an article titled "Olena Zelenska became the first owner of the all-new Bugatti Tourbillon." The report alleged that during their recent visit to France for the 75th-anniversary commemorations of the D-Day Normandy landings, the Zelenskyys received a private presentation of the vehicle from Bugatti.

The article claimed that Olena Zelenska was "impressed" with the car and placed an order for one of the first 250 cars planned for production, priced at 4.5 million euros ($4.8 million). The publication even posted what it claimed was a copy of the invoice for the car, which is to be available in 2026.

Fact check The French website featured a video purportedly showing Jacques Bertin, an employee of the Bugatti dealership in Paris. This video, however, was amplified by other dubious websites and the X user 'Aussie Cossack,' a pro-Putin YouTuber and commentator.

A post on X identified the video as a deepfake, casting doubt on the authenticity of both the speaker and the invoice. "This video is a deepfake video. This guy is not real and this was never said," the post stated. It also described 'Aussie Cossack' as Simeon Boikov, "a known Kremlin propagandist."

Kyle Glen from the Center for Information Resilience, an organization countering disinformation, noted on X that "the video is obviously AI-generated but that's not the best thing about this ludicrous claim."

"The operators of the website are so lazy that they haven't even removed the instructions from their Russian handlers," Glen added, pointing out explicit instructions within an article about a new Ukrainian drone, showing clear biases favouring Trump and Russia, while opposing the war in Ukraine and pharmaceutical companies.

The Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation also weighed in, noting that the French website was only created on June 22, 2024, and contained pro-Russian articles about the war in Ukraine. They highlighted that the supposed Bugatti employee had only four posts on Instagram, with the first one published just days before the claim surfaced. Signs of artificial content generation were evident in the video, as per a Newsweek report.

Also Read | Bharat Heavy Electricals Share Price Live blog for 03 Jul 2024

"Russian propagandists launched this fake before the NATO summit to discredit Ukraine's top leadership in the international arena," the Ukrainian Center stated.

The claim that Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska, spent millions on a luxury car appeared on a website flagged by Ukrainian disinformation watchdogs as newly established.
Vice President Kamala Harris is reportedly the top alternative to replace US President Joe Biden if he decides not to continue his reelection campaign, sources were quoted as saying by Reuters. The speculation to replace Joe Biden fueled after his first-debate with Republican rival Donald Trump set off panic among the Democrats.

Besides Indian-origin Kamala Harris, some other names being floated to replace Joe Biden include Gavin Newsom from California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania. Sources have told the news agency that the other probable candidates may not be able to sidestep Kamala Harris as the top contender.

The latest CNN poll has also mentioned that Kamala Harris, may have a better chance at retaining the White House. Joe Biden is 81 years old and has been caught fumbling, prompting concerns over his mental health.

According to the CNN poll conducted by SRS, Trump, 78, is ahead of Biden by six points.

The poll found Kamala Harris, 59, within striking distance of Trump in a hypothetical matchup: 47 per cent of registered voters support Trump, 45 per cent back Harris.

The polls mentioned that Kamala Harris slightly stronger showing against Trump rests at least in part on broader support from women (50% of female voters back Harris over Trump vs. 44% for Biden against Trump) and independents (43% Harris vs. 34% Biden).

A Reuters poll also showed Kamala Harris trailing Donald Trump by one percentage point at 42% to 43%, respectively.

"It's pretty near impossible to win the nomination over the vice president," said Michael Trujillo, a Democratic strategist from California who worked for Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2008 and 2016.

Meanwhile, aides of Kamala Harris have dismissed such report, saying the vice president looks forward to serving a second term with President Joe Biden.

"People may have dreams of another superhero but there is a process and the last time I checked it's a Biden-Harris ticket, she's number two on the ticket," Donna Brazile, the former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee, said.
The UK general election on Thursday is expected to deliver the most diverse Parliament in the countrys history, including in the number of parliamentarians of Indian heritage likely to be elected from across the nation.

According to an analysis by the British Future think tank, the Labour Party is set to have by far the largest number of ethnic minority MPs if the party wins an overall majority and even more in a landslide scenario.

With around 14 per cent of MPs coming from an ethnic minority background this time, the analysis finds that the new Parliament will be closer than ever to reflecting the diversity of the British electorate.

This election will see the biggest rise in ethnic minority representation and the most diverse Parliament ever, said Sunder Katwala, Director of British Future.

In the space of 40 years, well have gone from zero to one in seven MPs being from an ethnic minority background. Britain is closing the gap between the diversity of Parliament and the electorate much faster than anyone thought possible, he said.

The last general election in 2019 resulted in 15 MPs of Indian heritage crossing over the line, many of whom are contesting again alongside several first-timers.

Also Read | If Prince Harry and Meghan Markle return, UK taxpayers will have to pay for it

Conservative Party MP Alok Sharma and Labour veteran Virendra Sharma are among the most high-profile British Indians not seeking re-election this time, from Reading West and Ealing Southall, respectively.

The latter constituency, with a large Punjabi electorate, has two British Sikh candidates contesting as Independents  Sangeet Kaur Bhail and Jaginder Singh.

Some of the key British Indian candidates to watch in Thursday's polls include Praful Nargund, who is contesting for the Labour Party in Islington North  the seat of the partys now-suspended former leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is contesting as an Independent candidate.

Jas Athwal is contesting in another Labour stronghold of Iford South, while Baggy Shanker in Derby South, Satvir Kaur in Southampton Test, and Harpreet Uppal in Huddersfield are contesting more marginal seats for the party.

Rajesh Agrawal, the Indore-born former Deputy Mayor of London for Business, is fighting to become a first-time MP from Leicester East and is up against a fellow British Indian Conservative candidate, Shivani Raja.

This constituency, representing a large Indian heritage electorate, will be keenly watched as its former long-term Goan-origin MP, Keith Vaz, is also in the race as an Independent candidate.

Also Read | UK election 2024: Key issues at stake in polls as Rishi Sunak faces Keir Starmer

British Sikhs, including solicitor Warinder Juss from Wolverhampton West in central England and Gurinder Singh Josan from Smethwick, will be hoping to make gains for Labour, as will Bihar-born Kanishka Narayan contesting in Vale of Glamorgan  hoping to be elected as the first Indian-origin MP from Wales, and Sonia Kumar hoping to overturn a Tory majority in Dudley.

For the Conservative Party, Chandra Kanneganti in Stoke-on-Trent Central and Ameet Jogia in Hendon are facing a tough fight in a race consistently forecast in favour of the Opposition Labour Party.

A diverse parliament brings different perspectives to its work, which can lead to more effective policy-making. MPs who come from different backgrounds can be role models for their communities, inspiring young people to vote and get involved in politics, says Jill Rutter, British Future Associate Fellow who led the think tanks analysis.

Also Read | From Trudeau to Sunak  14 leaders PM Modi met at G7 and what they discussed

Of the sitting MPs, the British Indians most vulnerable to a Labour swing in the election include Tory MPs Shailesh Vara from North West Cambridgeshire, Gagan Mohindra from South West Hertfordshire and Claire Coutinho from East Surrey.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to hold on to his seat of Richmond and Northallerton in northern England, as are former Cabinet colleagues Priti Patel in Witham in Essex and Suella Braverman in Fareham and Waterlooville.
US Presidential polls 2024: A recent CNN poll shows Vice President Kamala Harris has a better chance of winning the upcoming US presidential election in November than President Joe Biden. Biden's approval rating of 81 has dropped sharply following his poor debate performance in Atlanta last week against Donald Trump. Since the debate, there has been growing support within the Democratic Party for Biden to resign and allow another candidate to lead the charge for the crucial November 5 election.

According to the CNN poll by SRS, Trump leads Biden by six points.

The poll also indicates that Harris is competitive against Trump in a theoretical matchup, with 47 per cent of registered voters favouring Trump and 45 per cent favouring Harris. This result falls within the margin of error, suggesting no definitive frontrunner in such a scenario.

The poll notes, "Harris' slightly stronger performance against Trump is partly due to broader support among women (50% favour Harris over Trump compared to 44% for Biden against Trump) and independents (43% favour Harris vs 34% for Biden)."

Biden attributes poor debate performance to exhaustion from global travel. Speaking at a campaign event in Virginia on Tuesday evening without a teleprompter, Joe Biden acknowledged his debate performance was subpar, attributing it to lack of sleep. He mentioned his campaign had raised $38 million since the debate.

"I made a mistake. I travelled around the world a few times, through about 100 time zones ... before ... the debate. I didn't listen to my staff, so I returned and almost fell asleep on stage," Biden admitted. "That's not an excuse, but it's an explanation."

Whether Biden continues his 2024 bid for president after his halting debate performance against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is primarily his decision, Democrats and political strategists have said.

However, Biden is facing increasing pressure. Some donors have urged him to withdraw, and other Democrats are openly expressing doubts about his ability to defeat Trump in November.

According to a House Democratic aide, 25 Democratic members of the House of Representatives are preparing to call for Biden to step aside. Another aide noted that moderate House Democrats from competitive districts are considering addressing their concerns to Biden directly after facing intense questioning from constituents this week.

"It appears that opinions are shifting," the source commented.

After the debate, a Reuters/Ipsos poll indicated that one in three Democrats believes Biden should end his re-election campaign.

Biden's verbal missteps and occasionally rambling responses during the debate have heightened concern.
Employees at Citigroups New York headquarters are facing multiple indignities. Not only does a growing contingent now have to be back in office full time, but to get to their desks, they must walk through a throng of protestors who have been camped outside the bank for much of June.

Activists are calling the campaign the Summer of Heat," vowing to show up outside Citi week after week" and month after month" to protest its funding of the fossil fuel industry. The protests have gotten so disruptive that Citi put out a statement Wednesday advising employees to keep our cool" and avoid engaging."

You might think Citi ended up in the spotlight because its the worst offender in the financial sector. The bank is far from it. Citi is the sixth-largest provider of loans to oil, gas and coal since the 2015 Paris agreement, according to analysis by Bloomberg News, and its fossil fuel lending has steadily declined in recent years; so far in 2024, its the 12th biggest provider of loans to the fossil fuel sector.

Citis progress is likely what in part made it a target. It has shown that it cares about its sustainability reputation and the activist group is capitalizing on that. Protesters have said as much, noting on their website that they are going after Citi because we know we can push them to do the right thing."

On her first day as Citi CEO in 2021, Jane Fraser said the company would reach net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions in its financing activities by 2050, and has committed $1 trillion for financing sustainability efforts by 2030.

Researchers call it the target enhancing effect": Companies investing in climate action or other social initiatives are attractive targets for activists. Charlotte Moore, managing director at Sigwatch, which tracks and collects data on activism directed at corporations, told me people are always surprised to learn that the most targeted energy company is not Exxon Mobil or Saudi Aramco.

Rather its usually a European firm like Shell or TotalEnergies, because they are willing to change or be seen as changing. The idea is that if you get a lead company in the space to move on something, it changes the industry expectations and consumer expectations and everyone else has to fall in line," she says.

There are limits to how effective this kind of pressure can be. Researchers have found that the best-performing companies from an environmental standpoint have very little incentive to do more because it only further raises this threat of environmental activism.

And in general, Moore told me applying public pressure makes companies more reluctant to put their heads above the parapet." She adds: If the move you make is seen as not good enough or genuine enough, then you do open yourself up to targeting and criticism."

ESG politics has only gotten more complex. Not only are firms being attacked by activists on the left, they also face a backlash from the political right. Citi, for example, is among a group of banks that has been punished by Republican states for its boycotting" of the fossil fuel industry and discriminating" against the gun industry.

These dynamics have shifted the peer effect that activists hope to exploitthe idea that top managers are more likely to take action if they see a competitor being targeted by activists.

Instead, companies have become even less eager to lead on these issues. CEOs are saying and doing even less on ESG and DEI out of fear that they will become a target of the anti-woke mob. The Walt Disney Company, for example, became a favourite punching bag for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over its opposition to the states Dont Say Gay Bill. Or take Target and Anheuser-Busch, which faced boycotts from conservative consumers for their LGBTQIA+ solidarity.

Over at Citi, its turning into the Summer of Heat in more ways than one. Activists are attacking the bank at a delicate moment for its CEO: The clock is ticking on Jane Frasers Citigroup Turnaround," read a Wall Street Journal headline, with the piece noting that its profitability and stock performance are lagging behind its US rivals.

The protests are giving Fraser a headache, which climate activists would argue is the whole point  disrupting business as usual to force companies to face such an urgent cause.

But in doing so, they risk making one of their allies even more vulnerable. The Summer-of-Heat crew should let things cool off at Citi and go light a match under a truly bad actor. Or better yet, consider switching tactics: In this charged environment, it may be more effective to work behind the scenes with companies that are ready to engage. As the greenhushing trend has shown, there are firms that are open to improving their policies, but dont want to talk about it. bloomberg
The just-concluded general elections have once again proven the vitality of Indian democracy. The democratic process has established that the democratic institutions of this country are more than capable of giving all sections of society a voice, especially the marginalized. With the formation of a new government, parliamentary processes have kicked in.

With that, the formal process of political communication between electors and the elected has also begun. Parliamentary debates are an important element of this. Elected representatives of the people make their position on various issues official by engaging in debates on the floor of the two Houses of Parliament.

There is no denying the fact that in this day-and-age of electronic media, both conventional and social, there is no dearth of instruments available for political messaging. This has led some political commentators to question the relevance of parliamentary debates.

They contend that these often repeat what has already been said in the public sphere by political campaigners, party spokespersons and Members of Parliament (MPs), and there is nothing new that these debates offer in terms of either political positions or information.

They also question the deliberative effect of such debates, since instances of a climbdown or revision of a previously-held position by an opponent in the light of what German political thinker Jurgen Habermas called the better argument" are few and far between.

This might be true to an extent, as parliamentary debates are no paragons of Habermasian virtuewhich aims for an Ideal Speech Situation, where participants are swayed by reason and reason alone. Politics being essentially contested, such a situation is neither feasible nor desirable.

But what such opinions ignore is the unique ability of parliamentary debates not only to provide a multi-perspective view on political issues, but also impart authenticity to the positions taken by national political players by making them official. This kind of validity is not available to expressions and assertions of a political stance in other mediums such as the news media.

Positions taken in Parliament are what act as a record for the electorate to assess the conduct of political representatives. In the absence of such clarity, it would be difficult for the electorate to evaluate their work and vote accordingly.

Statements and assertions made elsewhere, though important, do not serve as concrete indicators to help a voter reward or punish a representative. Moreover, political statements and assertions made by political players elsewhere run the risk of being lost amid vast waves of media messages.

As for the other purpose of parliamentary debates, critics are not entirely off the mark when they say that these discussions are not deliberative, as they neither influence opponents to revise their positions, nor help in reaching a consensus.

Critics argue that such debates are almost entirely strategic and thus partisan in nature, and that their real aim is to influence the electorate outside the House rather than help make better legislative decisions within Parliament, which is anyway done by voting on motions.

In other words, numbers rather than arguments determine enactments. This view, though largely true in its observations, underestimates the beneficial effects of such debates on the countrys electorate despite their partisan nature.

Politics is a contest for political power, and, by presenting an all-round perspective on a political issue and reflecting all shades of opinion across the political spectrum, parliamentary debates help voters make up their mind. This is essential to democracy, which demands not just voting but informed voting for it to function as well as envisaged.

Observers might also contend that these debates, though televised, are not keenly followed by the larger electorate and therefore the idea that they are educative is far-fetched. In response to this, it can be said that important debates that matter more are widely shown on air by various news channels and also widely reported.

The sharp political positions taken in these debates are also disseminated to voters at large through press conferences and political speeches. In short, what is important in these debates for the electorate somehow reaches it, directly or indirectly, helping voters decide their preferences.

Just as Parliament is the most visible symbol of our democracy, parliamentary debates are the most obvious examples of democracy in action. In the words of James De Mille, A parliamentary debate, when carried on by able men, is one of the finest exhibitions of the powers of the human mind that can be witnessed."

Thinkers like Habermas observe that a communicative society is much better placed to resolve its conflicts than a non-communicative one, as the former provides institutional structures for flagging issues and raising concerns as well as discussing and resolving them.

Houses of Parliament are core sites of deliberation where national issues can be discussed and solutions found through argument. To paraphrase Robert E. Goodin, talking is a good discovery procedure, while voting is a good decision procedure, and talking before voting is always good for democracy.

What makes Parliament unique is its special ability to combine elements of aggregation and deliberation that can confer higher political legitimacy on participants. For all these reasons, we must give parliamentary debates their due and remain hopeful that we will have plenty of them.
The open sewer runs straight for 10 kilometres. In a gorge about 8 metres deep and 50 metres wide, with sides sloping such that 20 metres of its width in the middle is flat. The 6-metre-wide sewer is in the middle of this flat stretch. An elevated highway runs over this gorge for its entire length of 10 kilometres, about 20 metres above the sewer and about 12 metres above the land on the banks of the gorge.

A busy railway line runs parallel to the southern bank for most of the stretch, and a road on the northern bank. The highway above covers the entire width of the gorge. From the high-speed six-lane highway, the gorge with the sewer in the middle is not visible because it is right underneath.

Swirling dark muck flows fast in the sewer. It is the worst of the waste from a city of over 2 million people. The stench is thick and settled. Over 2,000 families live on the slopes of the gorge. In shanties made of discarded plastic, metal sheets and rotting wood.

The sewer overflows during monsoon rains, so the shanties are only up to half the distance down the naked slopes, with no obstruction to the eye, stark from both banks of the gorge. At intervals along the sewer, frayed saris can be seen wrapped around four bamboo sticks dug in the ground to form a two-by-two square foot toilet.

Outside the gorge, even those who live nearby believe that the shanties house hooch-makers, drug-peddlers and other petty criminals. But if you do not judge from the high banks and brave a descent into the gorge, you will meet the typical poverty-stricken Indian.

A labourer, traffic signal-vendor or a beggar, doing what it takes to survive. There must be a few criminals amid them, but unlikely to be any more than in the swanky high-rises that are visible from parts of that gorge.

Why do these families live there? Because nobody chases them away. Not the police, not land sharks, not even the good Samaritans who want to keep the city clean. The sewer is their sanctuary.

Anywhere else in the cityunder a flyover, on footpaths, beside a railway line, or anywhere elsesomeone or the other hounds them because land is gold in the city. But why live there at all? Because back in their villages, they cant even eke out that one meal that fends off starvation.

Majestic is the expanse of our holiest river. It is visible from that elevated highway. Its waters are not like the sewers, but the devout likely trade sin for disease when they wash in it. The water is clean, but its banks are notnot even a thousand kilometres upstream at one of the countrys sacred pilgrimage centres.

From another gleaming highway, we can see muck-laden banks with familiar plastic-metal-wood shanties. Poverty chased the inhabitants of these out of their villages, but no one chases them off these mucky banks, so long as they voluntarily vacate every time a mela or fair is held, major or minor.

A piety-fuelled construction boom in the vicinity gives them some daily-wage work. Or at least they have the safety net of alms from the everyday thousands who come to take a dip in the holy river.

Children dont go to school, neither from the sewer zone, nor from the mucky banks. They are not given admission, and if they are, its too dangerous to cross the busy railway line or highway. Families dont have ration-cardswhich means they have no access to the public distribution system of grains.

Most have no documents to access Indias public health schemes. Water to drink is a daily struggle and acquiring it takes away their earnings or work-hours or both. Temples are out of bounds. Births are fraught, with no access to the public health system, and private delivery unimaginably beyond reach. Death demands funereal dignity, often resulting in a slide deeper into poverty for family members left alive.

Two thousand kilometres south of this place of pilgrimage, from another spanking highway hugging another drain of urban waste, one can see a series of the same plastic-metal-wood shanties.

Its just another mid-sized city, where the precarity of livelihood is less (if only infinitesimally so) than in their villages, yet sufficient to offer them the hope of a higher chance of survival. Which is the case across all our cities, and why these shanties are everywhere.

What was once a phenomenon of our large cities has spread to most small and mid-sized urban centres. But these are not slums. Perhaps ultra-slums, much further down the precipice of life. If we dont create enough decent jobs and livelihood opportunities, and ensure theyre distributed evenly across India, the core problem will not be addressed.

It doesnt appear that we know how to do that, not only as a nation but even globally. Acknowledging that we dont know may be a start for the kind of deep efforts that are required on every dimensionfrom research and policy to action on the ground and business.

But this doesnt mean that in the meanwhile we dont do the most basic of things for the poorest of our people. If we can have high-speed highways for our cars, why should they not have food, water, basic health and education? We have welfare systems for most of these, but residents of ultra-slums have almost no access to them. We must change that. Sewers need not be sanctuaries for fellow citizens.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 3 asserted that his government has given a free hand to central probe agencies in investigating corruption. Weeding out corruption, the PM said, was his mission and conviction.

"I have given a free hand to central agencies to go after the corrupt. The centre will not intervene if they work with honesty and for honesty. Nobody will be spared, this is Modi's guarantee," PM Modi said while speaking during the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister's remarks were in response to Opposition's charge of misusing central agencies by his government in recent times. Many opposition leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren were arrested in alleged money-laundering cases.

The Opposition has often raised questions over what it calls deliberate targeting of its leaders through probes by the ED, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the Income-Tax department.

The Prime Minister listed incidents before 2014 when many leaders, now in the opposition camp, had accused Congress-led UPA governments of abusing investigation agencies. He recalled how former UP chief minister late Mulayam Singh Yadav had once blamed the Congress government at the centre for misusing central investigating agencies. The PM also cited the 2013 Supreme Court verdict calling Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) a caged parrot.

Also Read | Will Hemant Soren return as Jharkhand CM? Key meeting of INDIA bloc today

The PM's address was marred by disruptions by members of opposition parties led by Congress president Malikarjun Kharge in the Rajya Sabha. The protesting MPs raised slogans asking that the Leader of Opposition be allowed to speak in the upper house of the Parliament.
Chaos erupted in the Rajya Sabha as the Opposition staged a walkout on Wednesday, July 3, during the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address, protesting the refusal to let the Leader of the Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge intervene despite repeated pleas.

After the walkout, Mallikarjun Kharge launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of misleading the public and speaking against the truth. Mallikarjun Kharge further criticised Narendra Modi, stating that the prime minister has a habit of lying.

WHAT HAPPENED IN RAJYA SABHA? Mallikarjun Kharge wanted to intervene during Narendra Modi's reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President Droupadi Murmu's address to the joint sitting of Parliament.

When Rajya Sabha Chaiman Jagdeep Dhankar did not heed to his requests to be allowed to speak, the Opposition MPs chanted slogans disrupting the prime minister's address and staged a walkout, inviting criticism from the ruling party members.

Opposition members walkout of the Rajya Sabha during Prime Minister Narendra Modi address

Despite the disruptions, Narendra Modi continued his speech amid the slogan-shouting.

KHARGE VS MODI IN RAJYA SABHA Vice President Dhankar and PM Modi accused the Opposition of insulting the Constitution.

I say with all seriousness that Congress is biggest opponent of Constitution. Word 'Constitution' does not suit you, said PM Modi to Congress during his speech, adding, People voted for us as they know only we can safeguard Constitution.

Jagdeep Dhankhar condemned their act of walkout, saying this was an insult to the Constitution. Khargeji insulted oath of the office through the walkout. They have made a mockery of the Constitution. I hope they introspect, Dhankhar said.

The Rajya Sabha chairman also clarified that Mallikarjun Kharge was given enough time to speak without any interruptions. Today, they did not show me their back, they showed it to the Constitution of India. They did not insult me or you, they insulted the oath of the Constitution that they took.There can be no bigger insult to the Constitution of India than this, he said.

After the walkout, Mallikarjun Kharge said Narendra Modi's habit is to lie. he said, We walked out from the House because the PM was speaking some wrong things during the reply to the motion of thanks. His habit is to lie, mislead people and speak against the truth. I just asked him that he did not make the Constitution and they were against it. I just wanted to clarify who was for Constitution and who was against it.They opposed the Constitution. They are against it since the beginning and they say that they are for it. Now they are saying that we are against it.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took a dig at Congress for its repeated 1/3rd government comment in Parliament, saying nothing could be a bigger truth than this.

In his address in the Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Parliament, Modi said he was grateful to a few colleagues in Congress". He said he observed a colleague who was not supported by his party, but he held his party's flag all alone".



Modi went on to say:"unke muh mein ghee shakkar. Why am I saying this? He repeatedly said "1/3rd government". What can be a bigger truth than this? We have completed 10 years now and there is 20 more to go. So, we have completed 1/3rd, 2/3rd remains. So, 'unke muh mein ghee shakkar' for his prophecy."

On Tuesday, the opposition MPs were shouting slogans throughout PM's speech in Lok Sabha. However, he continued his speech in Lok Sabha amid chants of Justice for Manipur and Bharat Jodo by the opposition members. The PM accused the Congress and its ecosystem of insulting Hindus and plotting a conspiracy to falsely claim Hindus were violent.

The Prime Minister urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to take strict action on what happened Monday, which, he said, was a "slap on the wisdom of our people and our great national traditions." Though he did not name Rahul Gandhi, the PM was referring to the speech of the Leader of Opposition's (LoP) speech in Lok Sabha on July 1, in which he launched a scathing attack on Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) for an alleged assault on the idea of India.

In his first speech as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi displayed posters of religious figures, including Lord Shiva, to target the ruling party. Portions of remarks from Rahul Gandhi's speech were expunged from the records of Parliament on July 2.

Modi dismissed Rahul Gandhi's passionate speech as Balak Buddhi in his own address. Modi brought up a past political event when he said, When this childish behaviour takes over, they hug anyone in parliament. When this childish behaviour crosses its limits, then they wink while sitting inside the House referring to an occasion in 2018 where Rahul Gandhi had hugged the Prime Minister and then winked at other MP's a few hours later.

Modi ended his speech by saying, I pray to God to give them wisdom. Balak buddhi ko bhi sadbuddhi de, roughly translated as Please God, give wisdom to the childs mind, clearly referring to opposing political leader Rahul Gandhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi got emotional while replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Parliament session on Wednesday and said, Mai desh ka sevak hun (I am a servant of the nation), and noted that We focus on development and not on vote-bank politics.

Here are the top ten updates from the PM Modi's Motion of Thanks:

1. PM Modi said, The next five years are to ensure saturation of basic facilities and for the fight against poverty. This country will emerge victorious against poverty in the next five years, and I am saying this based on the experience of the past 10 years. When India will become the third largest economy in the world, its impact will be on every sphere of life. Mai desh ka sevak hun (I am a servant of the nation), and noted that We focus on development and not on vote-bank politics.

2. Opposition MPs raise slogans of 'LoP ko bolne do' as PM Narendra Modi speaks in Rajya Sabha on Motion of Thanks to President's Address and alleged that the LoP was not allowed to speak. As they walk out, PM Modi says, The country is watching that those who spread lies do not have the strength to hear the truth. Those who do not have the courage to face truth, do not have courage to listen to the answers to questions that were raised in these discussions. They are insulting the Upper House, the glorious tradition of the Upper House.

3. PM Modi added, We feel proud of the wisdom and intelligence of the people of this country in these elections. They defeated propaganda. They prioritised performance. They rejected the politics of deceit and put the stamp of victory on the politics of trust. He further added, This opportunity given to us for the third time by the people of the country is to realise 'Viksit Bharat' and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

4. Taking a jibe at the opposition, PM Modi said, I would like to extend hearty gratitude to a few colleagues in Congress. Ever since the results came, I was taking note of a colleague - who was not supported by his party but he held his party's flag all alone. For what he said, unke muh mein ghee shakkar. Why am I saying this? He repeatedly said 1/3rd government. What can be a bigger truth than this? We have completed 10 years now and there is 20 more to go. So, we have completed 1/3rd, 2/3rd remains. So, 'unke muh mein ghee shakkar' for his prophecy.

5. PM Modi further took a jibe at the Congress and said, During Congresss tenure, there was a scheme for 60,000 crore farmers' loan waiver, but names of the needy small farmers were not even included in the list of beneficiaries. He further noted, Opposition is not able to digest mandate given by 140 cr people to NDA.

PM Modi noted that in the history of independent India & parliamentary journey, It has happened after many decades that the public has given the mandate to a government for the third consecutive time. After 60 years, it has happened that the government has returned after being in power for 10 years. I realise this is not an ordinary thing. Some people deliberately tried to black out this decision given by the public.

6. PM said that in the last two and a half days, around 70 MPs participated in this discussion. I express gratitude to all of you MPs for enriching this discussion on the President's Address, he added.

7. "It acts like a lighthouse for governments, he said, adding that Constitution Day will disseminate the spirit of the Constitution in the country. The verdict is to make India the world's third-largest economy from the current fifth. he said.

8. He took potshots at the Congress for its statement that the country was bound to grow irrespective of who was in power. Those who ran the government on the auto-pilot mode can only make such statements, he said.

9. Highlighting women's empowerment, PM Modi said, Benefits of women empowerment are visible across all sectors. One crore women in self-help groups have become 'lakhpati didis', number will increase to 3 crores in coming years. India has taken decisive steps towards women-led development, and today, we are its results. We have also worked in the areas of women's health, sanitation and wellness, he added.

10. PM Modi deplores the selective approach of opposition towards atrocities against women. He targets the opposition for not talking about the public flogging of a woman in West Bengal and the Sandeshkhali incidents.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said constant efforts to bring peace in Manipur. State and Centre talking to all stake holders to bring peace and also urged everyone to cooperate.

Noting that incidents of violence on decline in the North East state PM Modi said during debate on the 'Motion of Thanks' on the President's address in Rajya Sabha.11000 FIRs, 500 arrests in Manipur. Incidents of violence coming down. This means peace is possible. Govt trying to control situation.

He further said, inter- tribe attrrocities is an extremely deep-rooted issue in Manipur. So stop politicising Manipur issue, one day Manipur will reject you

Opposition stages walk out The opposition MPs of the INDIA bloc staged a walkout as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was replying to the debate on the 'Motion of Thanks' on the President's address in the Rajya Sabha today.

The opposition MPs said that the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, was not allowed to speak. Protesting against this, they engaged in sloganeering against the Prime Minister and staged a walkout.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar criticised the INDIA bloc MPs and said that they "challenged the Constitution".

The opposition members have challenged the Constitution, outraged the spirit of the Constitution, and disregarded the oath they took", Dhankhar said.

He added that LoP Kharge "insulted" oath to the office by walking out of the Upper House.

"Khargeji insulted oath of the office through the walkout. They (opposition MPs) have made a mockery of the Constitution. I hope they introspect", said the RS Chairman.

Jagdeep Dhankar also asserted that the LoP was provided with adequate time to speak without any interruptions.

"I urged them the LoP was given adequate time to speak without any interruptions. Today, they did not leave the House behind, they have left behind dignity. Today, they did not show me their back, they showed it to the Constitution of India. They did not insult me or you, they insulted the oath of the Constitution that they took", he said.
ASTANA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China and Kazakhstan have established a unique permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. Xi made the remarks in a written statement upon his arrival in Astana for a state visit to Kazakhstan, where he will also attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The Chinese president said he is delighted to visit the beautiful country of Kazakhstan at the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and to attend the SCO summit, adding that he, on behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, conveyed sincere greetings and best wishes to Tokayev and the friendly Kazakh people. China and Kazakhstan share a long tradition of friendship, Xi noted. More than 2,000 years ago, the ancient Silk Road closely connected the two countries, marking the beginning of a history of friendly exchanges, he said. Over the past 32 years since China and Kazakhstan established diplomatic ties, the relationship has withstood the test of time and the vicissitudes of the international landscape, evolving into a unique permanent comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi added. He also said that the everlasting friendship of the two nations has grown stronger over time, and set an example of solidarity, mutual benefit, and mutual success between neighboring countries. Xi recalled that 11 years ago, he first put forward the initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt in Kazakhstan, adding that today, Belt and Road cooperation between China and Kazakhstan has yielded fruitful results. Two-way economic and trade cooperation has reached new highs, people-to-people and cultural exchanges have featured numerous highlights, and the two sides' international cooperation has been close and efficient, which has not only improved the well-being of the two peoples, but also injected more stability and positive energy into the international and regional situation, Xi added. He said that during the visit, he will have talks with President Tokayev and have an in-depth exchange of views on China-Kazakhstan relations, all-round cooperation and other international and regional issues of common concern, in a bid to make new plans and arrangements for the development of China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. Xi also said that he looks forward to attending the SCO summit, and discussing with all parties the future of the organization and ways to advance cooperation, so as to achieve new and greater progress for this important multilateral mechanism. Three Kazakh Air Force fighter jets took off to escort Xi's plane after it entered the country's airspace. Tokayev held a grand welcoming ceremony at the airport to welcome Xi. A group of Kazakh children sang the song "Ode to the Motherland" in Chinese. On Tuesday evening, Xi and Tokayev had a cordial and friendly exchange over dinner in a pleasant and warm atmosphere, discussing issues related to China-Kazakhstan relations and issues of common concerns.
CP Gurnani, the former CEO of Tech Mahindra, has successfully met a challenge issued by Sam Altman of OpenAI. Speaking at the fifth annual MachineCon GCC Summit in Bangalore last week, Gurnani revealed that his team developed a large-language model (LLM) in just five months for under $5 million. This project, which Gurnani announced as Project Indus," can communicate in approximately 40 different local languages and dialects (via Newsweek).

As per the publication, Gurnani recounted the challenge posed by Altman during his visit to India last year, where Altman expressed skepticism about India's ability to compete in the LLM space. Altmans remarks, made at an event organized by the Economic Times, implied that it would be hopeless" for India to train foundation models with a budget of $10 million. This statement sparked a wave of determination among Indian tech leaders, leading Gurnani to take immediate action.

"I spoke to my chief innovation officer at that time, and within six hours, he had a plan," Gurnani said. "I am happy to share that we spent less than $5 million on what Sam Altman said India would never be able to deliver."

Altman later clarified his comments on social media, suggesting that while he believed a $10 million budget would be insufficient for competing with OpenAI, he encouraged startups to try and innovate in ways that have never been done before. He emphasized that the question should focus on unique contributions rather than direct competition.

Project Indus, launched by Tech Mahindra, aims to revolutionize AI communication in India by supporting a multitude of Indic languages and dialects. This initiative not only underscores India's growing capabilities in AI but also its potential to become self-reliant in technological advancements. Nikhil Malhotra, the global head of Makers Lab at Tech Mahindra, highlighted the extensive efforts involved in building the Indus model, including data collection from Hindi-speaking populations.

The project uses Dell Technologies "GenAI in a box" framework for simple enterprise deployment. Denise Millard of Dell Technologies emphasized the importance of accessibility and scalability in adopting AI solutions. The collaboration is expected to transform AI applications across various sectors, including healthcare, rural education, banking, finance, agriculture, and telecom.

Moreover, Tech Mahindra plans to extend Project Indus to preserve Bahasa Indonesia, Indonesias official language. This effort will enable people and companies to communicate in local dialects online, demonstrating the model's versatility and broader impact.

Gurnani's announcement signifies a pivotal moment in the AI race, positioning India as a formidable player in developing and deploying advanced AI technologies.

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!
The rise of remote work and, in turn, employee-monitoring software sparked a boom in mouse and keyboard jigglers and other hacks to help staffers fake computer activityoften so they can step away to do laundry or a school pickup.

Now some companies are cracking down on the subterfuge, deploying tools that can better spot the phony busywork.

The latest salvo in this productivity-tracking arms race came in a recent regulatory filing from Wells Fargo. In the disclosure, first reported on by Bloomberg News, the bank said it had fired more than a dozen employees in its wealth and investment management unit for allegedly simulating keyboard activity to create the impression of active work."

Wells Fargo declined to say exactly how it detected the suspicious activity or whether the workers were remote, only that it does not tolerate unethical behavior." Across Reddit and other social-media forums, the report sparked angst, and questions. Anyone else concerned?" wrote one Reddit user. Another, more to the point, asked: Can IT detect my mouse jiggler?"

The answer, increasingly, is yes. The share of companies using some kind of electronic worker-surveillance system surged during the pandemic, reaching nearly 50% in 2023, according to a survey of nearly 300 medium to large employers by research and advisory firm Gartner.

These systems, which track how active workers are at their computers, have long been able to detect some installed software or extra hardware.

More of these software systems, such as Teramind and Hubstaff, now also use machine-learning tools that can identify repetitive cursor movements or irregular patterns in someones computer activity. In addition, some worker-monitoring software can randomly scrape screen images to check whether screen activity is changing as the computer mouse moves.

Not so undetectable

Most mouse jigglers on the market are detectable, says Ilya Kleyman, Teraminds chief growth officer.

A typical jiggler works like one sold under the brand Tech8 USA for $19.99 on Amazonessentially a mini turntable that swivels the mouse in different directions. On Tech8 USAs site, it claims to be undetectable since it doesnt require installing software on a work computer and shifts the mouse around at seemingly random intervals and speeds.

Retailers also sell devices that can manually tap a key or mouse at random.

Neither technique is likely to foil Teraminds algorithms, Kleyman says. It wont look like normal human mouse cursor activity that regularly clicks, drags, etc.," he says. Plus, the software can flag artificial activity in general, such as when a cursor is active over the same static Wikipedia page for hours on end.

Diana Rodriguez, marketing director for Tech8 USA, says such surveillance tools detection capabilities can vary significantly and sometimes incorrectly flag a persons work patterns as suspicious or unproductive. In customer surveys, most people say micromanagement is the main reason they buy the companys devices.

Our objective with products like the mouse jiggler is to provide tools that help employees navigate these pressures," she says.

When Teramind examined an anonymized sample of 1,000,000 workers at 5,000 corporate clients late last year, it says it found 7% of employees appeared to be faking work activity on their machines. It has since fine-tuned the algorithms and rerun the test, this time finding over 8%.

The true number is almost certainly higher," Kleyman says, since the company found no false-positive results when it investigated the findings. That doesnt mean employers always act on the information. Many are looking out for the most egregious cases of faking work activity and often use findings to examine work loads and how people are managed before taking disciplinary action.

Nobody wants to fire workers," Kleyman says. Its the worst possible outcome."

Digital busy work

Other work hacks, such as starting up a PowerPoint presentation or other slideshow to keep a computer screen awake, can also be detected, says Hubstaff CEO Jared Brown. The Hubstaff platform takes screenshots of employees screens, so the repetition of screenshots from the same PowerPoint presentation would raise a red flag to employers.

He recalls one instance flagged by Hubstaffs software: An employee had set up a mouse jiggler to run for four to six hours a day on a work computer. The employer investigated further and fired the staffer after finding the worker was spending some of that time playing videogames on another device, Brown says.

Even with a few people doing it, the costs add up," he says. Its enough that employers want to put a stop to that."

Legally, employers have broad latitude to use tracking tools, though they have prompted privacy concerns among worker advocates. Theres also evidence that over-surveillance can be counterproductive. In a survey of 2,300 professionals by job-review site Glassdoor last summer, 41% said employer monitoring of their work devices made them feel less productive.

Gabrielle Judge, a career influencer who goes by Antiwork Girl Boss on social media, provides links to a few mouse jigglers on her Amazon Storefront. She thinks theyre useful when remote workers finish up early or need to take care of an errand, but says they should be used wisely.

Ultimately, she advises workers to ask themselves why they need to use a mouse jiggler in the first place. Often, its a sign theyre in a workplace that values busy-ness over actual output.

I would beg to question if thats a good working environment to begin with," she says.
The legal appeals for a California man fined for refusing to obtain a permit to operate a small suction dredge on the South Fork of the Clearwater River appears to be exhausted.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court turned away a petition from Shannon Poe asking it to review lower court decisions finding he was required to have a pollution discharge permit.

Suction dredges work by vacuuming up sediment from the river bed and running the material through a sluice box that separates gold and other heavy metals from the rest of the sediment and waste, which is then deposited back into the river.

Poe was fined $150,000 after being sued by the Idaho Conservation League in 2018 in Idaho District Court. The group said he operated his floating suction dredge mine on the South Fork in 2014, 2015 and 2018 without obtaining a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit. The district court agreed and levied the fine.

In an unsuccessful appeal to the 9th Circuit, Poe argued running his dredge doesnt add pollution to the river so he doesnt not need a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit. To further his argument, Poe cited two former Supreme Court cases in which the justices said the simple transfer of polluted water within the same water body does not constitute adding a new pollutant and thus does not violate the Clean Water Act. In one case, a previous iteration of the Supreme Court likened it to dipping a ladle into the water, lifting it up and then pouring the water back in.

Poe has also argued that if he does need a permit, it would be from the Army Corps of Engineers and not the EPA.

The appellate court rejected Poes arguments and said the cases he cited covered activity much different than suction dredge mining.

Poe excavated rocks, gravel, sand, sediment, and silt from the riverbed, the three-judge panel wrote. Poe punched holes in the riverbed by excavating through layers of riverbed down to the bedrock. Poe then processed the materials by running them through the sluice on his dredge, and then discarded the waste material into the water. This added a plume of turbid wastewater to the South Fork. These materials were not already suspended in the water; they were previously deposited in the riverbed. Poes dredging was therefore not a simple water transfer.

By refusing to take his case, the Supreme Court affirmed that decision.
PULLMAN  A 22-year-old Moscow man was airlifted to a Spokane hospital after being stabbed Monday evening at Pullman.

Pullman police officers arrested 38-year-old Cesar Marmolejos, of Pullman, for suspicion of first-degree assault that night, according to a news release sent Tuesday morning by the department.

The agency said in the news release multiple people had been fighting at the Sunset Mart parking lot on southeast Bishop Boulevard around 5 p.m. Monday. Marmolejos was allegedly armed with a knife.
The Nez Perce Tribe will begin to use its own jurisdiction for tribal victims of certain crimes like domestic violence even if the offender is nontribal.

Beginning Oct. 1, the 2022 Violence Against Women Act as authorized by the U.S. Congress gives tribes Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction within the reservation for certain crimes, including assault of tribal justice personnel, child violence, dating violence, domestic violence, obstruction of justice, sexual violence, sex trafficking, stalking and criminal violations of protection orders. Tribes can only exercise the jurisdiction if the victim is a tribal member, except for crimes involving assault on tribal justice personnel or obstruction of justice, according to a news release from the Nez Perce Tribe.

Nez Perce Tribe Prosecutor Anne Kelleher said the process began in 2013 when the first Violence Against Women Act was passed by Congress. One of the requirements of the act was to have a law-trained judge, prosecutor and public defender, which the tribe already had in place. The real work was revising the code to allow the special jurisdiction.

The code revisions were worked on through the years and then the Violence Against Womens Act was again passed by Congress in 2022. Kelleher said the tribe looked at the differences between the 2013 act and the 2022 act and decided to make the revisions needed to fit the most recent act.

The process took a long time to make sure the language was correct but Kelleher worked with the tribal council, neighboring counties and the Office of Legal Counsel, as well as learning from other tribes that already enacted the Violence Against Women Act. That process was completed and the final stage is to present it before the tribal council and then to the tribal members for comment.

The act does come with some funding and the tribe will be able to reimburse the federal government for prosecutor and public defender costs in cases where the defendant is nontribal.

Implementing the Violence Against Women Act will help resolve jurisdictional gaps to protect residents of the Nez Perce Reservation against those crimes of violence. It also helps in cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people, intimate and dating partners and children exposed to crimes of violence and people protected by court orders, according to the news release.

Currently, pursuing these cases on tribal reservations depends on where the crime was committed, who committed the crime and who the victim is. Kelleher said criminal jurisdictions in Indian Country take a long time to understand because its so complex. The state cant take a case if the victim is a tribal member and the tribe couldnt take the case if the offender was nontribal.

The only ones who have jurisdiction over an offense against a Native American where the offender is nontribal were the feds, Kelleher said.

This move allows the tribe to pursue those cases instead of going to the federal government. Another gap the special jurisdiction will help close is misdemeanor cases.

Theres no real avenue for misdemeanors, Kelleher said, in cases that dont reach the federal level. Misdemeanor cases, like many domestic violence cases, can now be handled by the local tribe.

Theres a slew of individuals who are not seeing any criminal repercussions for their actions, Kelleher said.
Every city across the country will be celebrating Americas birthday this week. Many towns will be holding Independence Day events, with some happening nearby.

Clarkston

Day of Fun in Vernon Park

12-4 p.m. Thursday

Vernon Park, Sixth and Chestnut streets, Clarkston

The free Fourth of July celebration includes face painting, horseshoes, lawn darts and rock painting. The We All Scream For Ice Cream scooter will be on hand.

Community Spirit Fireworks Show

10 p.m. Thursday

Adams Field, 401 Chestnut St., Clarkston

The Lewiston-Clarkston Valleys marquee fireworks display will start at 10 p.m. Thursday. Adams Field will be closed to spectators again this year and there wont be a preshow concert, according to a news release from American Insurance, one of the major sponsors.

But the fireworks will be launched higher and be larger than in past years so the show can be more impressive for viewing at a distance, according to the news release. Organizers have added extra 4-and 5-inch shell fireworks for a brighter, more expansive show that can be viewed from a variety of locations around the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley.

Patriotic music to accompany the show will be played on Canyon Country 106.9-FM, The River 105.1-FM, News Talk 95.5-FM and Z-Rock 96.5-FM.

Those who want to donate to the annual fireworks show can send checks to Community Spirit, 55 Southway Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501.

Lewiston

Walking with Ancestors tour

8:30 a.m. Thursday

Normal Hill Cemetery, 1122 Seventh St., Lewiston

The Twin Rivers Genealogy Society will be sharing the history of several individuals buried at the Normal Hill Cemetery. Presentations this year include the Choates, Joslins, Gibbs, Walkers and Clarks.

Community Band Concert

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday

Pioneer Park Bandshell, 203 Fifth St., Lewiston

The Lewis Clark Community Band will perform patriotic music at this event.

Fourth of July Celebration

8:30-10:30 p.m. Thursday

Lewiston First United Methodist Church, 1906 Broadview Dr., Lewiston

The church offers a great view of the fireworks show, along with ice cream and patriotic music.

Moscow

Latah County 4th of July Parade

10 a.m. Thursday

Main St., Moscow

The third annual parade in downtown Moscow will celebrate Independence Day.

Pullman

Fourth of July in Pullman
Alvin Ridley was acquitted of murdering his wife Virginia in 1997. His attorney and friend, McCracken Poston, spoke with Local 3 News about his life and legacy.
Business & Finance

By Long Island Published: July 02 2024

The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy late last month, revealing a debt of $29.4 million.

Bob's Stores, the beloved family apparel and shoe retailer, has announced the closure of all 21 of its locations throughout the Northeast due to bankruptcy.

The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy late last month, revealing a debt of $29.4 million in court documents.

Bob's Stores President Dave Barton expressed his apologies to the communities impacted by the closures. "We regret that our financial position necessitated the liquidation of Bob's Stores. Bob's has been a stalwart of our local communities for nearly 70 years, and we know our customers remember us as having been there for major moments in their lives. We remain grateful to our vendors, suppliers, customers, and employees for all of their support over the years," said Barton.

Bob's Stores has locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.
New Jersey Man Arrested for $85,000 Grand Larceny Scam in North New Hyde Park

Crime

By Long Island Published: July 02 2024

A female victim, 74, stated she was approached at her residence by an unknown male advising the victim that her roof needed repairs.

The Third Squad reports the arrest of a New Jersey man for a Grand Larceny that occurred on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. in North New Hyde Park.

According to Detectives, a female victim, 74, stated she was approached at her residence located on North 4th Street by an unknown male advising the victim that her roof needed repairs. The subject represented himself as a roof contractor and instructed the victim on multiple occasions to withdraw money from her bank account. The victim complied each time, withdrawing approximately $85,000.00 in total.

The victim grew suspicious and contacted a family member who called 911.

After a thorough investigation, defendant Danny Burton, 26, of 410 S Randolphville Road, Piscataway was arrested without incident on Monday, July 1, 2024 in front of the victims residence.

Defendant Burton is being charged with Grand Larceny 2nd degree, Criminal Mischief 2nd degree, two counts of Scheme to Defraud 1st degree and Conspiracy 5th degree. He was arraigned on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 at 99 Main Street, Hempstead.

The Nassau County Police Department urges the community to be on alert and to remind vulnerable family members, friends and neighbors about potential scams or fraud.

Detectives request anyone with information on the above listed crime to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS or call 911.
Toddler Dies after being Found Unresponsive in Pool

Local News

By Long Island Published: July 03 2024

Police respond to 911 call reporting a child found unresponsive in a pool, located at 211 Sunflower Lane

Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating an incident where a child was pulled unresponsive from a residential pool in Islandia.

Fourth Precinct officers responded to a 911 call reporting a child found unresponsive in a pool, located at 211 Sunflower Lane, at approximately 12:40 p.m. Chosen Johnson-Pierre, 2, was pulled out of the water by a family member. Family started CPR until first responders arrived on scene.

Johnson-Pierre, a resident of the home, was transported to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore where he was pronounced dead.
Governor Kathy Hochul today signed a legislative package that protects marine animals and wildlife populations. The legislation gives the Department of Environmental Conservation continued regulatory authorities pertaining to the cultivation of sharks, scallops, American lobster, striped bass, monkfish, migratory game birds, deer and birds.

As we kick off the summer in New York State, Im signing legislation to continue protecting the wildlife that makes our state so special, Governor Hochul said. Our animal populations are at the center of industry and culture for much of our state and serve an intrinsic purpose for all of us  we must take every measure necessary to protect them.

Legislation S.9341/A.10072 extends the Department of Environmental Conservations authority to limit the taking of sharks to the use of non-stainless steel non-offset circle hooks. Legislation S.9319/A.10206, S.9318/A.10347, S.9320/A.10348, S.9340/A.10349 and S.9317/A.10073 extend the authority of the Department of Environmental Conservation to manage scallops, American lobster, striped bass, monkfish, deer and bear. Legislation S.9367/A.10074 extends the provisions of the Environmental Conservation Law that allow annual federal regulations to set the states migratory game bird hunting seasons and bag limits unless the state adopts regulations.

State Senator Pete Harckham said, The dwindling shark population worldwide is attributable to overfishing and harmful stainless-steel hooks that maul these marine creatures or cause them grave internal damage. I thank Governor Hochul for signing my bill that requires inline or non-offset circular hooks that are made of non-stainless-steel material for commercial and recreational shark fishing. This will reduce needless shark mortality and put New York State in compliance with regional efforts to manage coastal shark fishing and support conservation-minded anglers.

State Senator Kevin Thomas said, I thank Governor Hochul for signing this essential bill. Extending the DEC's regulatory authority over scallops is crucial to protecting these fisheries. This action safeguards recreational opportunities, supports those who rely on scallops for their livelihood, and maintains the sustainability of our fisheries for future generations.

State Senator Monica R. Martinez said, By enhancing this regulatory authority, we are safeguarding the livelihoods of those who depend on these fisheries for both recreational and economic purposes. More importantly, we are committing to the sustainability of our fisheries, ensuring they remain vibrant and accessible for future generations. I extend my gratitude to Governor Hochul for signing this bill into law and taking a significant step towards protecting our valuable marine resources.

State Senator Rachel May said, New York is blessed with valuable natural resources and diverse wildlife. It is our responsibility to appreciate and protect these gifts for future generations. My bill is essential for the responsible management of our state's wildlife and conservation efforts. Thank you to Governor Hochul for signing my bill and leading the effort to preserve New York's wildlife and natural beauty.

Assemblymember Fred W. Thiele, Jr said, Our marine resources are critical to both our environment and our economy, especially across Long Island. The commercial and recreational fishing industries create jobs and foster traditions that span generations. The legislation which I sponsored, which the Governor signs today, will ensure that New York strikes the right balance in managing these resources. It is imperative that responsible management provides for both economic and environmental sustainability. The actions of the Governor today are a major step in fostering these goals.

Assemblymember Gina L. Sillitti said, Extending the DEC's regulatory authority to manage scallops is essential to preserving Long Island's historic scallop fishing industry, ensuring sustainability for recreational and economic benefits for future generations.

Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick said, As we see more species challenged by the dual threats of climate change and habitat loss, I applaud Governor Hochul for ensuring the Department of Environmental Conservation has the authority and tools it needs to protect vital marine life and other wildlife. New York is fortunate to have such diverse areas of the state that are home to different types of species each requiring careful monitoring and management to guarantee their continued well being. These measures are vital to maintain healthy ecosystems & support strong populations of these animals.

Assemblymember William Conrad said, I was pleased to once again sponsor this bill to align hunting zone boundaries with those of the federal government, as these periodic adjustments must coincide with fluctuating environmental factors. This allows us to afford appropriate hunting opportunity and to help maintain wildlife habitats and ecosystem health. New York is a naturally wondrous state, and it's a privilege to do what we can as lawmakers to ensure that is forever the case.
IDF Mountain Brigade troops train in northern Israel. (IDF photo)

Hezbollah launched rockets at northern Israeli communities hours after a senior Hezbollah commander was killed. An Israeli airstrike killed Muhammad Nimah Nasser in the city of Tyre on the coast of southern Lebanon on July 3.

Nasser was the commander of Hezbollahs Aziz Unit, and his death comes two and a half weeks after another Israeli airstrike killed the commander of Hezbollahs Nasr Unit, Taleb Sami Abdallah, on June 12. Hezbollah previously fired more than 215 rockets at Israel in response to the killing of Abdallah.

The pro-Iran media outlet Al-Mayadeen reported that Nasser was born in 1965 in Haddatha, a small village in the Bint Jbeil District in southern Lebanon thats about five miles from the Israeli border. The report claimed he was killed in a drone strike that targeted a car he was in with other men. Another member of Hezbollah, Muhammad Ghassan Khashab, was also killed.

The IDF said that it eliminated the terrorist Muhammad Nimah Nasser, the commander of the Hezbollah terrorist organizations Aziz Unit which is responsible for firing from southwestern Lebanon at Israeli territory. According to the IDF statement, Nasser took over the Aziz unit in 2016 and led the firing of rockets and anti-tank missiles from southwestern Lebanon toward Israeli civilians, communities, and security forces. Furthermore, Nasser directed a large number of terror attacks toward Israel both during and before the war, and he previously held several central roles within the Hezbollah terrorist organization.

The IDF noted that Nasser was a counterpart of Abdullah, the commander of the Nasr Unit, who was eliminated last month. Together, they served as two of the most significant Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah carried out new attacks on Israel in the wake of the latest killing. Sirens sounded in the various areas, including the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona. The city was evacuated in October, and only a few thousand of its 24,000 residents remain. Sirens also sounded in Metula and Manara, two Israeli communities on the Lebanon border. Later in the afternoon, more sirens sounded in Beit Hillel and Kfar Giladi in the Huleh Valley before sunset. In addition, there were sirens in Misgav Am, Margaliot, and Tel Hai, all areas near Kiryat Shmona.

The airstrike on Nasser follows two months of Hezbollah escalation and a desire by Israeli officials to end Hezbollahs eight months of attacks on northern Israeli communities. Hezbollah has said it will not stop its attacks until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.

Iranian media have emphasized claims of Hezbollahs success in these attacks. An article on July 3 in Irans Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) claimed that fleeing Zionist settlers have become refugees in Israeli hotels over the last eight months due to Hezbollahs attacks. Around 50,000 Israelis remain evacuated from northern communities; many reside in hotels, and Iran and Hezbollah see this situation as a victory.

In other developments, Irans top diplomat, acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani, warned on July 3 that if Israel increases attacks on Hezbollah, leading to a wider war, then Hezbollah will turn Lebanon into an eternal hell for any Israeli invasion.

Hezbollahs response to the killing of Nasser followed attacks on July 2 when the group launched 15 rockets at northern Israel.

Additionally, IDF troops identified a terrorist entering a Hezbollah military structure in the area of Yarine in southern Lebanon. Shortly following the identification, the IAF struck the military structure from which the terrorist operated, the IDF said. Overnight between July 2 and July 3, the Israeli Air Force struck Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, including Blida, Yaroun, Aitaroun, Labbouneh, Chihine, and Tayr Harfa.

The IDF continues to prepare for a possible escalation in the north. Israel recently established the 810th Brigade, called the Mountain Brigade, which is designed to guard Mount Dov and Mount Hermon on the border with Lebanon. This new territorial brigade, stationed at a key border area between Israeli forces in the Galilee and the Golan Heights, is designed to ease the burden on the 91st Division, also deployed on the Lebanon border. The new brigade comes under the command of the 210th Division in the Golan.

The Mountain Brigade recently conducted a drill designed to increase its readiness for operations in the north. Various units deployed in northern Israel have conducted similar training as Israel prepares for a possible escalation with Hezbollah.

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).
It wasnt the tidy resolution her supporters had been hoping for, but when Karen Reads murder trial ended in a mistrial on Monday, it might have been the result we deserved.

The nationally watched courtroom drama, set in a tidy Boston suburb, replete with its colorful cast of characters, plot twists, a conspiracy-inclined cheering section and unsatisfying Sopranos in the diner ending, was purpose-built for our true crime-obsessed, parasocial age.

Only Murders in Canton, anyone?

In case you missed it, heres the recap: Read, 44, of Mansfield, was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence, and leaving the scene of an accident causing personal injury or death.

Prosecutors accused her of intentionally backing her SUV into John OKeefe, 46, her boyfriend and a Boston police officer, after a night of drinking amid turmoil in their relationship in January 2022.

And now itll be back for season 2. Because Norfolk County prosecutors say they intend to retry the case.

Reads supporters once again will be looking for a happy ending. Prosecutors? One suspects only the Law & Order sound effects over the credits will do.

Experts tell us that we love true crime stories for reasons that include concerns about the fairness of the judicial system and having a front-row seat to a real-life whodunnit.

Reads trial certainly had that, with a vocal band of Free Karen Read supporters convinced that she was set up by law enforcement and that others were responsible for OKeefes death.

They were so loyal that when Read asked her supporters to wear pink, they went all in and made their own merch, MassLives Will Katcher reported.

There were Free Karen Read T-shirts and hats, Not Guilty tees plastered with American flags, and Jackson and Yannetti 2024 campaign-style shirts, homages to Read attorneys Alan Jackson and David Yannetti, who have become household names to their clients supporters, Katcher wrote.

We were planning this for a week, Read supporter Samantha Torres said.

Its a safe bet that many of Reads supporters saw themselves in the defendant, believing, like most of us, that they could be one bad day away from sitting in the dock and on trial for their lives.

Or maybe they saw themselves in Read and OKeefes troubled relationship, whose final hours were marked by a series of increasingly frenzied voicemails, according to The New Yorker.

Those bonds, we know, are strengthened by social media, where relationships with people we dont know, or scarcely know at all, often can feel as real, or more real, than the real thing.

And in the controversial blogger Turtleboy, Read had her staunchest evangelist. The online personality, born Aidan Kearney, separately faces charges of witness intimidation related to his coverage of the case.

He has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors were challenged from the jump; their case dealt a damaging blow by the cases lead investigator, Michael Proctor, a Massachusetts State Police trooper who sent friends graphic and offensive texts about Read.

Proctor, who has been relieved of duty, also has become a stand-in for everything thats wrong with a rudderless agency thats been hit with wholesale calls for reform, and now appears set for even more scrutiny.

In a statement, the Massachusetts State Police Association, the union that represents more than 2,000 people at the agency, kept its feet firmly between two stools.

The trial shined a bright light on our judicial process and the nuances of legal proceedings, the union argued, even as it insisted that Proctors texts [had] no relationship to salacious allegations of cover-ups, collusion or conspiracies offered by the defense.

On a night that apparently was lubricated by epic amounts of booze, as The New Yorker noted, it may eventually end up impossible to know what really happened, or how OKeefe, who has not stopped being dead, ended up in the snow on a frigid New England winter night.

And that, away from the T-shirts, the drama, and everything else, remains the one uncontested fact in the case.

Guilty or not guilty. For the defendant and the deceased, there needs to be a conclusive result next time out.
A Dorchester man appeared in a Boston courthouse on Monday after he was charged in connection with taking an upskirt photo of an 11-year-old girl in June, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Haydens office announced.

Agustin Jaramillo, 28, was charged with indecent assault and battery on a person under 14, Haydens office said in a statement released Tuesday. Judge Thomas Kaplanes ordered Jaramillo be held on $500 bail.

He is expected to appear in court for a pre-trial hearing on Sept. 24.

Boston police arrived at the Conservatory Lab Charter School in Dorchester on June 6, Haydens office said. The officers met with a student, the 11-year-old girl, who told school staff that a man approached her while she was walking to the bus stop that morning.

Jaramillo gave her a cord and asked her to help him tie a knot, Haydens office said. Jaramillo then bent down and said he would pull up her sock before he used his cell phone to take a picture up her skirt and rubbed his hand against her leg.

After investigators saw a man matching the girls description of Jaramillo, they received a tip on Facebook Messenger that identified him as Jaramillo on June 27, Haydens office said. Two days later, an arrest warrant was issued.

This young girl deserves great credit for relaying to school officials what happened to her that morning, Hayden said in his statement. That information, along with valuable assistance from a community member, helped police make an identification and arrest. This is yet another example of the community working with law enforcement to increase safety for all.
A Connecticut man accused of killing a 1-year-old girl during a hit-and-run crash in Hartford was driving a car with an illegally-tinted windshield when he struck the toddler the night of June 3, according to court documents.

Hartford resident Melvin Daniels, 30, is facing charges of second-degree manslaughter, evading responsibility involving death and having an illegally-tinted windshield in connection with the death of 19-month-old Camila Elizabeth Ramirez-Carcamo, Hartford police said previously.

Camila died in a hospital after wandering out the door of Top Kat Laundromat and onto New Britain Avenue where she was hit by a car, police said previously. Daniels is accused of striking her with his BMW 328xi and then fleeing the scene, but court documents paint a clearer picture of what factors may have led to the crash.

Security video from the night of the crash shows Camila leaving the laundromat through its motion-activated doors wearing a dark-colored dress, according to court documents. She made it to the center line of the road before she was struck.

Officers responded to the crash around 10:55 p.m. and found her in a pool of blood, according to court documents. She was rushed to Connecticut Childrens Hospital, but was later declared dead.

Investigators identified Daniels and his BMW through traffic camera and security video footage, according to court documents.

These videos purportedly show the BMWs driver navigating normally before hitting Camila but driving away from the scene erratically after hitting her.

The car does not stop after the crash. It can be seen going through red lights and stop signs and swerving into the opposite lane of traffic to get around other cars.

Based on my training and experience, sudden erratic behavior immediately after an incident such as this indicates that accused Daniels was aware of what had occurred and was attempting to create quick and immediate distance between himself and the scene, Hartford Det. Lane Bradford wrote in Daniels arrest warrant.

After reviewing the footage of the crash, Hartford police went looking for the BMW at Daniels known addresses, but came up empty, according to court documents.

They then notified other law enforcement agencies that they were looking for the car, and about 20 minutes before midnight, the BMW was detected by a plate reader in New Haven.

The next morning, officers found Daniels sleeping in the BMW in the parking lot of a New Haven McDonalds, according to court documents. Investigators soon noticed that the BMW had front-end damage, including a missing front grill that matched debris found at the scene of the crash.

They also discovered that all the cars windows had been tinted past the point of legality using a film that would typically be applied after purchasing a vehicle, according to court documents. In particular, the cars front windshield was so tinted that let in approximately 15% less light than is legally allowed in Connecticut.

Knowingly operating a vehicle at night with a windshield that only allows 18% of all light to pass through creates an unjustifiable risk that the operator will be unable to safely and clearly view everything within their path of travel, leading to a situation such as this, Bradford wrote.

Officers interviewed Daniels, who said hed left work in New Hartford around 10:15 p.m. the night before and drove directly to his cousins house in New Haven, according to court documents. He denied having been in Hartford the previous night and said the damage to his car was from a prior accident.

Having concluded that Daniels account of his whereabouts on the evening of June 3 was in conflict with video and physical evidence, on Monday, Hartford police obtained a warrant for his arrest, according to court documents. Daniels turned himself in later that day, and at his arraignment later that day, his bond was set at $300,000.

Daniels did not enter a plea during his arraignment, according to The Hartford Courant. He posted bail the same day and was released on the conditions that he wear a GPS monitor, refrain from driving and be confined to his home except for work, medical appointments and meetings with his lawyer. His next court date is scheduled for July 15.
A 33-year-old Massachusetts man stole food from a driver at a Burger King drive-thru window in Reading and ran away, according to the Reading Police Department.

At around 10:30 p.m. on Monday, police said they responded to reports of a man causing a disturbance and stealing food at a Reading Burger King. The man, according to police, had stolen a food order from one of the drivers at the drive-thru window.

He then ran away, police said.

The man, who is known to police, was found again about 20 minutes later when a resident on Main Street reported that a man was in their backyard and refused to leave, police said. He had also exposed himself while in the backyard, police said.

When police arrived, the man was standing over a Burger King bag. Police arrested the man and charged him with unarmed robbery, disorderly conduct, open and gross lewdness and larceny under $1,200.

He was scheduled to be arraigned in Woburn District Court.
Worcester police are investigating after a dead turtle was hung outside the home of blogger Aiden Turtleboy Kearneys parents home Monday morning, the police department confirmed to MassLive.

Kearney shared graphic photos of the dead turtle  which had been tied by its head to a metal bannister outside the home  on social media on Monday.

This morning someone left a large murdered turtle hanging from a railing at my parents house. It had a hole through its head, he wrote.

Worcester detectives are investigating it as an incident of harassment and animal cruelty, the police department said.

The incident comes on the heels of the trial of Karen Read  a 44-year-old Mansfield woman accused of murdering her boyfriend whose innocence Kearney has been a vocal advocate for. Kearney  a 42-year-old Holden resident  has been prolifically writing about her case on his blog and on social media for over a year now, and is also facing witness intimidation charges in connection with her case.

Less than two weeks ago, Kearney was involved in another incident in which a woman with ties to the Read case was accused of attacking him outside a Canton restaurant by hitting his phone out of his hand. The woman and another man were charged with assault following the incident.

On Monday, a Norfolk County judge declared Reads case a mistrial due to the jury remaining starkly divided after five days of deliberation. Norfolk County prosecutors say they plan to retry Read.
James didnt speak any English when he arrived in the U.S. at 16 years old after fleeing gang threats in El Salvador. Within two years, he found himself in an intense sexual relationship with his school counselor at Boston International Newcomers Academy.

Thats according to a civil lawsuit filed on June 28 in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts by the now-28-year-old man, identified in court documents as James Jones No 10. The man alleges he was groomed, sexually assaulted and harassed by the masters level school counselor starting in the 10th grade, when he was an undocumented student who spoke no English and lacked an adults understanding of social and sexual relationships.
One day after the Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, lead investigator in the Karen Read case, was relieved of duty, a police union official said, we do not condone what Proctor wrote about Read in text messages.

Read, 44, of Mansfield, was charged with the January 2022 murder of her Boston police officer boyfriend John OKeefe, 46, who police say she hit with her car after a night of drinking.

The State Police Association of Massachusetts announced its hope that justice will be served for OKeefes family to receive the closure they deserve, according to a statement from Brian Williams, association president.

This trial shined a bright light on our judicial process and the nuances of legal proceedings, Williams said. It also blurred the lines between fact and innuendo presented during the defense of the accused.

The statement then addressed how the focus has shifted to yesterdays disciplinary action taken against Trooper Michael Proctor. During his testimony in the trial, Proctor admitted to sending text messages where he described Read in a degrading manner and told his sister, Hopefully [Read] kills herself and called her a whack job.

It is our understanding that this discipline came as a result of the troopers private text message exchanges that were made public during the trial, Williams said in his statement. We also understand that it has no relationship to salacious allegations of cover-ups, collusion or conspiracies offered by the defense ... we must be clear that we do not condone the language used in text messages presented as evidence during the trial.

After five days of jury deliberations, Norfolk County Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial in Reads case when jurors said they could not reach a verdict.

On Tuesday, Gov. Maura Healey said she backed the State Police decision to relieve Proctor of duty and called it the right decision.

This was the right move to remove him, Healey said, according to The Boston Globe. Theres no tolerance for that behavior, frankly, with anyone in law enforcement, with anyone in public service.
Those planning a summer vacation to Trinidad and Tobago should consider changing their plans as the U.S. Department of State issued a travel advisory for the popular Caribbean island on Tuesday.

The advisory, which is listed at Level 3, tells tourists to reconsider travel to Trinidad and Tobago due to crime.

Traveling to the tourist destination could be dangerous because of terrorism, kidnapping and violent crimes, the advisory states.

In addition, U.S. government personnel are not allowed to travel to several areas in Port of Spain because of frequent violence and shootings, according to the advisory.

Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas, the advisory reads.

Anyone who does choose to travel to Trinidad and Tobago should do the following, according to the advisory:
Gov. Maura Healey will be among the Democratic governors meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday evening as the president attempts to keep his reelection campaign afloat after last weeks politically-disastrous debate showing.

The governors office said Wednesday morning that Healey will travel to D.C. to attend 6:30 p.m. meeting in the Roosevelt Room.

Healey last week called Bidens performance in the first debate against Republican Donald Trump tough to watch but did not answer a question about whether the party should rethink Bidens nomination as she walked away from reporters. She was among the two dozen Democratic governors who held a call Monday to discuss the presidents reelection prospects amongst themselves, POLITICO reported.

Calls for Biden, 81, to step aside and allow for someone else to carry the Democrat Party nomination to the general election have been gaining momentum, and the Wednesday evening meeting with governors  some of whom are often mentioned as potential replacement nominees  is likely to serve dual purposes. Biden and his team will want to calm the governors nerves, and governors like Healey who put their political capital on the line as surrogates for Biden will want to see evidence that he can win and serve another term.

Some Bay State Democrats, Sen. Jason Lewis among them, have called for Biden to make way for another nominee who might stand a better chance at defeating Trump this November. Others, like Rep. Mike Connolly, have highlighted the need to figure out a way to stop Trump from winning the election. And some, like Attorney General Andrea Campbell, have said Biden should absolutely not cede the nomination to someone else.

The National Governors Association has its summer meetings scheduled for Thursday and Friday, July 11-12, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The State House News Service asked Healeys office on Tuesday if she planned to attend and has not heard back.
There might be plenty of summer vacation left to go, but one Massachusetts lawmaker alreadyb is urging Bay State school districts to plan ahead in one big way.

This week, U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-4th District, called on the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to encourage school districts to share federal resources on safe firearms storage with parents and others.

"When guns are securely stored, the risk of children and teenagers accessing them and potentially causing harm to themselves or otherswhether intentionally or accidentally  significantly decreases Auchincloss wrote Tuesday to the agencys acting commissioner Russell D. Johnston.

Proper storage is crucial for preventing tragedy and our schools can play a role in keeping our kids safe from the dangers of gun violence, he continued.

The Newtown Democrat is an outspoken advocate for gun violence reduction efforts.

Earlier this year, he announced that hed rebranded his existing political action committee, formerly dubbed MA4Dems to the Beyond Thoughts and Prayers PAC.

The PAC will work to elect like-minded lawmakers as Democrats look to take back the U.S. House and expand their margins in the U.S. Senate in November, MassLive previously reported.

In January, the Biden administration announced a suite of new executive actions aimed at promoting safe firearms storage, noting that gun violence is the leading cause of death for American children.

Those included new communications tools and a guide to safe firearms storage put out by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The need is a pressing one, the White House argued.

More than three-quarters (76%) of all school shootings were committed with a gun taken from the home, according to the White House. The same number contributed to unintentional shootings in the home, the data showed.

In addition, 8 in 10 firearm suicides among children aged 18 and younger also involved a gun that belonged to a family member, the White House noted in its fact sheet.

In a statement, Auchincloss urged state regulators to move swiftly since the U.S. Department of Education does not yet require school districts to share that safety information.

Today, 4.6 million American children live in homes with access to an unlocked or unsupervised gun, and every year, thousands of kids are injured or killed as a result. These tragedies are devastating but preventable. Proper storage of a firearm has been proven to reduce unintentional shootings, Mark Collins, the federal policy director at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said in that same statement.

Collins credited the White House for its executive action, but said its now up to communities to the rest.

The "research on safe storage is clear - securely storing firearms saves lives. Massachusetts has long been a leader in requiring gun owners to store their firearms safely, but there is a lack of public education and awareness about these laws, Ruth Zakarin, the CEO of the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, said.

Ensuring that the Department of Education provides resources to parents and guardians about safely storing their firearms and the dangers of unsecured firearms will save lives and prevent future trauma, Zakarin continued.
MIAMI  It would be an understatement to say that first half of Masataka Yoshidas second season in the big leagues didnt go to plan. The Red Sox $90 million man lost his position in the field, missed 37 games with a mysterious thumb strain and didnt produce, providing the Sox with a putrid .663 OPS out of the designated hitter spot.

Through 81 games, a player Alex Cora had challenged to hit .320 this year had an average nearly 75 points lower at .246. In his first nine games after coming off the injured list June 11, Yoshida was 4-for-34, good for a .118 average. With the Red Sox closer to full strength after Wilyer Abreu returned from injury, there were questions over whether or not Cora would give some more DH at-bats to Tyler ONeill instead of jamming Yoshida in the lineup day after day. Finally, in the last week, Yoshida has begun to wake up.
You might want to bring an umbrella to your Fourth of July barbecue.

Although no washouts are expected, some scattered showers could impact your Fourth of July plans, the National Weather Service warned.

The weather service shared a chart showing the probability of precipitation. Most of Thursday afternoon and evening remains between 20-30% across the state. However, Saturday into Saturday night will be a bit more active, the weather service said.

No washouts expected, but a few scattered showers are possible for #IndependenceDay  and Friday. Saturday into Saturday night will be a bit more active, with drying expected Sunday afternoon into Monday. #MAwx #CTwx #RIwx pic.twitter.com/wHp9CJXqOv  NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) July 3, 2024

On Saturday, rain is expected in the afternoon and evening. It is most likely in Western Massachusetts, Worcester and Boston with lower chances on Cape Cod.

In May, the long-range weather prediction for Farmers Almanac said Fourth of July weekend is expected to be generally pleasant with fair skies. This includes July 4-7.

It is the only few days the Farmers Almanac isnt predicting rain in July.
SPRINGFIELD  One person was killed in a crash on Interstate-91 Tuesday afternoon.

The crash took place at about 4:30 p.m. northbound near Exit 5 in Springfield, Massachusetts State Police officials said.

State Police troopers assigned to the Springfield barracks initially responded and provided emergency medical care. When paramedics arrived on the scene shortly after, they determined the victim had died, police said.
WE ALL know how lucky we are here in the west of Ireland to have an international airport on our doorstep. Ireland West Airport has been open now for more that 38 years, and despite coming to standstill during the Covid pandemic, the airport has bounced back and is now currently experiencing its busiest ever summer.

However, there has long been a train of thought that we are not getting the most out of the airport in terms of development around the east Mayo region, and that it really should be a bustling hub creating hundreds more jobs.

The creation of a Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) is the obvious way forward for the airport, and the appointment this week of a designated Project Manager is a significant step in the right direction.

The Steering Committee of the SDZ announced the appointment of Dominick Healy today (Tuesday), July 2, following the Governments decision to allocate funding to Mayo County Council. He will take up the role on August 22

In a statement, Mayo County Council said Mr Healy has extensive experience as a civil engineer in the construction industry, having worked for more than 15 years in both the private and public sectors.

The council states his first priority will be to prepare a roadmap and programme for the development of the SDZ, working with the multi-agency Steering Committee established by Government.

Leadership

Kevin Kelly, Chief Executive of Mayo County Council and Chair of the Steering Committee, said: I am delighted to make this announcement and to welcome Dominick Healy to our team. This is an important appointment, and his leadership and experience will play a vital role in charting the vision and future for the SDZ at IWA.

Welcoming the appointment of Mr Healy, Minister of State with responsibility for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary, TD, said the vision for Ireland West Airport is that it will be a dynamic regional airport and business campus that will become an economic gateway to the west and northwest.

It has been previously stated that the development of a SDZ around the airport has the potential to deliver over 4,000 jobs.

If built out to full capacity, the site could deliver 95,025 square metres of commercial, business and enterprise space, along with 44,000 square metres of aviation economic development and services, and 11,000 square meters of hotel accommodation and conference floor space.

Promotion

Also this week, Tourism Ireland teamed up with Ireland West Airport to organise a workshop and networking event in Cologne, Germany, to promote the Wild Atlantic Way.

The event saw over 20 Irish tourism companies connect with 40 leading German tour operators and travel agents, with a similar event taking place in Milan, to highlight Ryanair flights from Milan Bergamo to Knock to key Italian travel professionals and journalists.

Tourism Ireland aims to sustainably support the economies of communities right across the country, growing revenue to our regions outside of the peak summer season by an average of six and a half percent a year to 2030. A key part of that strategy involves working with regional airports and airlines to promote flights which deliver visitors right to our regions.

With a dedicated project manager now appointed, concrete proposals can now be put in place and a clear path mapped out for the establishment of the SDZ at Mayos most important piece of infrastructure.

These are clearly exciting times for everyone involved with the airport, and it is hugely important that not only the people of Mayo, but the whole western region, continue to utilise the fantastic facilities available there.
The country is up in arms over the suspended sentence doled out to soldier Cathal Crotty for his violent assault of Natasha OBrien. Twenty-four-year-old Natasha, meanwhile, is criticising not just the sentence itself, but the manner in which it was dispensed, the reasons given to justify it, and the insensitivity with which her case was handled by Judge Tom ODonnell.

In recent days, she has led an incredibly impressive, commendable and articulate campaign to change how victims are treated in courts, describing how her own treatment retraumatised her.

It can be argued  based not just on Natashas case, but on countless others too  that the State, by means of the judicial system, further abuses victims of violent crimes by treating them insensitively and with hostility, and by lenient sentencing which does nothing to condemn or deter such crimes. The case has also shone a light, once again, on the epidemic of violence against women that taints our society, and how the judiciary can heap more hurt upon victims.

I vividly remember, back in 1993, when Lavinia Kerwick became the first victim of rape in Ireland to waive her anonymity, after her then boyfriend William Conry raped her on a night out. I also remember an older male relative at the time suggesting that because of what Lavinia had been wearing at the time, and the time and location of the attack, that she was somehow complicit in her own rape. Even as a child, I knew enough to be outraged at this insinuation.

Lavinia was an incredibly brave woman who moved mountains in Ireland at huge personal cost and to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude. Last week, Lavinia criticised the leniency of Crottys sentence, stating it was like history repeating itself.

Rightly, nobody apart from the very worst of anonymous internet trolls, is blaming Natasha for the horrific assault she endured. Yet still, female victims of rape and sexual violence are frequently implicated in their own assaults and 31 years after Lavinia Kerwick took a stand, men are still being handed suspended sentences for the most horrific of violent acts against women.

Why do we remain so dehumanised, seen as of so little worth, by male judges? And what can be done about it?

I repeat a call I have made in this column several times over the past decade, to men. It may make for uncomfortable reading, but if you are reading, you need to step up and take action, and you really need to stop taking offense at being asked.

Several protests have been held around the country in recent days, and the lack of men in the crowds has been notable. In the online discourse, men have been presented with a plea to consider how they might react if it were their own wife, sister or daughter in this scenario. Nonsense  women deserve to be considered in our own right, rather than as a mans female relation.

I am asking every man reading this column to ask themselves whether they believe that any and every woman should be entitled to walk safely down the street, at any time of day or night  something not a single woman I know would claim to feel  and if you agree that they should, then you really need to start doing something about it.

You can listen to women. You can vote for us. You can challenge sexism and misogyny and educate your sons. You could stand alongside us and call out injustice where you see it, and demand changes to the judiciary system on our behalf from our predominantly male elected representatives. Because the sad fact of the matter is, men still hold the balance of power in Ireland, and men listen to other men. Natasha OBrien has told lawmakers and judges around the country to do better in respect of sentencing laws for serious crimes. The fact of the matter is that men need to do better, full stop.

Solicitor Sarah Ryan, who represented Crotty in the court case, last week spoke in support of Judge Tom ODonnell on the day of his (unrelated) retirement, describing him as an inherently decent, polite and conscientious man who had attended to the work of the court with the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, patience and fairness. This may well be the case, but evidence showing that the same judge has dispensed several other such lenient sentences in recent years calls into question either his professional judgement, the judicial system, or both.

There is certainly no disputing the lack of empathy displayed in the case of Natasha OBrien, and at the very least, she deserves apology, but that is not enough. It is nowhere near enough. Like Lavinia Kerwick, she is laying her trauma bare for the world to see, in the hope that other women will not have to go through what she has gone through.

Women are sick and tired of hearing never again platitudes from politicians. Its always never again  until it happens again. Three decades after Lavinia spoke up, what has changed in the courts?

If Minister Helen McEntee and Taoiseach Simon Harris follow through on their vows to ensure changes are made this time around, brave Natasha OBrien, speaking truth to power, will have achieved nothing short of a miracle. But I, for one, am deeply grateful to her for trying.
Work on a long-promised flood relief scheme in Crossmolina could commence as early as October, Minister of State, Alan Dillon TD has said.

Relief works to prevent damaging flooding in the North Mayo town are currently awaiting a decision from the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe.

Minister Dillon said work could begin as soon as October if the scheme is approved by the end of July.

The flood relief scheme has been delayed by mandatory environmental assessments which must take place before any work can commence.

Approximately 120 properties were affected when the Deel River last burst its banks in December 2015. Roughly the same number are said to be at risk if flooding reoccurs.

Minister Dillon has written to the Minister of the Office of Public Works (OPW), Kieran ODonnell, seeking an update on the River Deel (Crossmolina) Flood Relief Scheme.

In response to Minister Dillons inquiry, the OPW stated: By correspondence at the end of June 2024, the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DEPR) requested the OPW to confirm that they can comply with a number of specified conditions in the event that the scheme is given Ministerial Consent. The OPW responded to DPER on July 1 2024, confirming that they can comply with the specified conditions should the scheme be given Ministerial Consent.

Minister Dillon thanked the OPW, Mayo County Council and the Steering Group for the Crossmolina FRS for their work in delivering the flood relief scheme.

To facilitate any potential commencement of work in the event that the scheme is confirmed, the OPW are progressing the detailed design of the scheme and reviewing/updating arrangements for the procuring of relevant goods/services where needed, he added.

Mayo TD Michael Ring Deputy Ring said he had no doubt that Minister Paschal Donohoe would give consent to this scheme. The people of Crossmolina have been waiting a long time for progress to be made on this. I am very pleased with this update, Deputy Ring stated.
Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and Mayo County Council have announced a new collaboration focusing on sustainability education and training.

The announcement comes in line with a key objective of the Councils recently launched Mayo Council Climate Action Plan 2024-2029, which aims for Mayo County Council to be a climate resilient and low carbon organisation that inspires, leads and facilitates just and ambitious climate action across the county.

This means the Council will endeavour to embed not just climate action but all SDGs into their work. Mayo County Council have also recently been named as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Champion for 2024/24.

ATUs draft Strategic Development Plan puts sustainability as a core guiding principle.

The university, and the Mayo campus in particular, has a distinguished record of action and achievement in this area, being the first Institute of Technology (IOT) in Ireland to be awarded An Taisce Green Campus status (2012) and the first IOT to be awarded the Biodiversity Flag (2014).

Staff in the Department of Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences have developed key strengths in cross-disciplinary collaboration, sustainability leadership, place-based learning, experiential learning, and community development.

They were recently awarded funding from Community Foundation Ireland (CFI) to deliver a project titled Consortium for Change which will see the roll-out of a new Postgraduate Certificate Sustainability Leadership programme, commencing September 2024.

The new Level nine programme, which is 80 percent funded by CFI, will be delivered in a blended format with participants attending residential workshops (class-room based) in monthly blocks throughout the semester and preparing for these sessions in the intervening period with designated on-line materials on the ATU Virtual Learning platform.

Key elements involve self-directed learning, participation and collaboration and problem-orientation delivered in an interdisciplinary way with different inputs from social, environmental, and economic perspectives.

Dr Deirdre Garvey, Head of the ATU Department of Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences, said: Experts have highlighted that most of the tools, technologies and change mechanisms exist today to make the transition to decarbonise the economy and prepare for climate change, but the key to change relies on leadership.

We hope the programme will help in considering the complexity of the sustainability challenges and how we can take action at a local level and create that capacity for change and embed a commitment to action for the longer term, she added.

She said the availability of funded Level six and Level nine programmes aligned to the strategic vision of a sustainable resilient future, which provides a great opportunity for Mayo to lead by our collective actions.

Separately, the ATU Galway-Mayo Centre for Sustainability developed the Level six Certificate in The Sustainable Development Goals, Partnership, People, Planet and Prosperity.

Dr John Scahill, SDG programme chair, ATU, explained: The programme offers students the opportunity to explore the SDGs in an Irish context. It aims to encourage knowledge of and reflection on how the SDG framework can be applied in a local context to encourage the implementation of environmentally sustainable, living and working practices, that support a just transition to a more equitable society.

For further information on these two programmes, see the ATU website.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, July 2, 2024

Regulators in Europe have made a preliminary finding that Meta Platforms violates the Digital Markets Act by requiring Facebook and Instagram users to choose between accepting online ad targeting or paying subscription fees for ad-free versions of the services.

Meta's pay-for-privacy model, unveiled last October, falls short of the Digital Market Act's requirements in two ways, the European Commission stated when announcing its preliminary opinion.

First, according to regulators, the approach doesn't allow users to choose an equivalent service that uses less personal data.

Secondly, Meta's model does not allow users to exercise their right to freely consent to the combination of their personal data, the commission wrote.

Users who do not consent should still get access to an equivalent service which uses less of their personal data, in this case for the personalization of advertising, the commission wrote.

advertisement advertisement

The opinion comes around nine months after Meta said it would charge residents of the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland monthly fees for ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram on Android or iOS operating systems. Residents of those areas who didn't pay fees could continue to access the services, but only if they accepted personalized ads, Meta said.

A Meta spokesperson said the company's approach complies with the Digital Markets Act and follows the direction of the highest court in Europe, referring to a July 2023 decision by the European Court of Justice.

We look forward to further constructive dialogue with the European Commission to bring this investigation to a close, the spokesperson said.

The European judges said in the 2023 ruling that social networking companies could not deny service to people who didn't consent to the processing of their data, unless the companies offered an equivalent alternative service -- if necessary for an appropriate fee -- that didn't involve data processing.

The decision interpreted the General Data Protection Regulation, which requires companies to have a valid basis to process residents' data. That standard allows companies to process data if people consent, but only if the consent is freely given.

The newer Digital Markets Act, which took effect earlier this year, also broadly requires gatekeepers -- meaning Meta and other large tech companies -- to obtain users' consent before tracking them for ad targeting purposes.

Despite last year's ruling by the European Court of Justice, privacy officials at the European Data Protection Board recently cast doubt on Meta's pay-or-consent approach to data.

In most cases, it will not be possible for large online platforms to comply with the requirements for valid consent if they confront users only with a binary choice between consenting to processing of personal data for behavioral advertising purposes and paying a fee, that board said in a non-binding opinion issued in April.

The board handed down the opinion at the request of Dutch, Norwegian and German authorities who asked the agency to weigh in on whether large platforms can lawfully implement consent-or-pay approaches to behavioral targeting.

The European agency said in its ruling that requiring people to either consent to behavioral advertising or pay for services should not be the default way forward for controllers.

The board added that large online platforms should offer users a free equivalent alternative to accepting behavioral advertising.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, July 2, 2024

Four bipartisan lawmakers are urging the Department of Justice to promptly review allegations by the Federal Trade Commission that TikTok may be violating the federal children's privacy law.

In a letter sent Tuesday to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Congress members say the Justice Department should quickly take action if it determines that TikTok ran afoul of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

The FTC referral against TikTok is particularly worrisome given its history of failing to comply with COPPA, Senators Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) and Representatives Tim Walberg (R-Michigan) and Kathy Castor (D-Florida) write.

The letter comes two weeks after the FTC took the unusual step of publicly stating it has reason to believe that TikTok is violating or about to violate COPPA, and has referred a case against the company to the Justice Department.

advertisement advertisement

That law prohibits web companies from knowingly collecting personal information form children under 13, without parental consent.

In 2019, TikTok agreed to pay $5.7 million to settle an FTC complaint alleging the company violated the statute. The following year, advocacy groups including Fairplay and the Center for Digital Democracy accused TikTok of continuing to violate the children's privacy law.

The FTC said on June 18 that its referral to the Justice Department stems from a compliance review of the 2019 settlement -- as well as an investigation into additional violations of the children's privacy law and the FTC Act.

TikTok declined to comment Tuesday about the lawmakers' letter, but a company spokesperson said two weeks ago that TikTok strongly disagrees with the FTC's allegations, and that many of those allegations relate to past events and practices that are factually inaccurate or have been addressed.

"We've been working with the FTC for more than a year to address its concerns, the spokesperson said in June. We're disappointed the agency is pursuing litigation instead of continuing to work with us on a reasonable solution.

News of the FTC's referral came as TikTok is challenging a new law that will ban the app nationwide unless it's sold by China-based parent company ByteDance.

Lawmakers who supported that bill expressed concerns that the Chinese government would be able to obtain data from TikTok about Americans, and that Chinese Communist Party would use the app to spread propaganda.

TikTok argues that the law violates the company's free speech rights, as well as the rights of its users, and that Congress passed the measure based on speculative concerns.
by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, July 2, 2024

Walmart may still be the worlds largest retailer, but a new report from Deutsche Bank says the consumer heavyweight is poised to become a non-retail powerhouse, too. While Walmart is still doing well in its core retail operations, Deutsche says its gathering steam from alternative value streams, which are boosting revenue and pumping up profits.

Specifically, Walmart is doing well in five pools of opportunity within the ecommerce world, including Walmart Connect, its retail media network, membership fees, marketplace transactions, fulfillment services, and data monetization. These five value streams are fast growing with high margins, and management emphasized that these categories are key drivers in the underlying transformation of the business, writes Krisztina Katai, an analyst who follows Walmart for Deutsche Bank.

advertisement advertisement

Advertising is a significant component. It is a $3.4 billion business growing at 20%-25% annually, with about a 70% contribution to margin. The key difference between Walmart and other digital advertisers is the ability to attribute an ad to a specific customer in both a digital and physical experience, she says. That means Walmart can deliver a digital ad and see how it impacts customers a week later in a store. Further, Walmart can monitor advertisements and track trends, which can be shared with brands, giving them the ability to monetize in different ways.

At an investor meeting hosted by Deutsche Bank in Europe recently, Walmart execs said the recent acquisition of Vizio, the connected TV company, creates new opportunities for advertisers. They said they believe that the contribution of ad sales to the companys gross merchandise volume could grow as high as 8 to 10%, which Deutsche notes is roughly in line with Amazon.

Walmart Fulfillment Services is also making strides, as are efforts to monetize its extensive data library.

The executives also indicated that its retail backbone is strong, with no significant changes in the spending confidence of its customers. The team noted that there isn't any indication that its customer is under particular stress compared with a few months ago, says Katai, but that the customer has remained value-focused and general merchandise -challenged.

Looking ahead, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer says it continues to beieve that higher-income shoppers are the most significant opportunity and that this cohort is changing its perception of Walmart.

Deutsche Bank, which continues to rate Walmart as a buy, also noted that the retailer is gaining strength in private-label products, which now account for 20% of Walmart's sales and 30% of Sams Club's sales.
by Ray Schultz , July 3, 2024

Mano Sundaresan has been named head of editorial content for Pitchfork, a provider of music-related news and analysis owned by Conde Nast.

From my first discussion with Mano, he made it clear that there is a huge opportunity to combine the longstanding institutional authority of Pitchfork with the creator-first language of internet music culture today, says Will Welch, global editorial director of GQ and Pitchfork, to whom Sundaresan will report.

Welch adds that we will use the many platforms at our disposal, from columns to podcasting to social video, to prioritize powerful individual voices who can bring audiences inside the shows, scenes, and subcultures that matter.

Sundaresan arrives No Bells, an internet music and reviews site he founded in 2021 to focus on under-covered scenes. Prior to that, he worked at NPR.

Im excited to adapt Pitchfork to a more decentralized music media ecosystem, one where institutional power is so often in the hands of singular voices that cut through the noise, Sundaresans says.
by Tanya Gazdik , July 2, 2024

Tesla is reporting a 5% drop in vehicle deliveries in the second quarter, which is smaller than what some analysts predicted.

The electric vehicle maker has been cutting prices and offering incentives to help spur demand.

Tesla shares rallied more than 10% on Tuesday, hitting the highest level in nearly six months.

Prior to the report, Cox Automotive analysts predicted Tesla sales would fall 15.3% compared to the year ago period, and Barclays expected an 11% drop in second-quarter deliveries.

Tesla has exhausted its bag of tricks, says Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds head of insights.

Times are tough for Tesla: EV sales have slowed, many EV competitors have also been generous with incentives, and the companys haphazard price cuts and incentives have become less effective in capturing the attention of shoppers the more frequently theyre leveraged, Caldwell says. In fact, these tactics are arguably more effective these days in drawing the ire of Tesla owners as they watch the residual values of their vehicles dwindle away.

advertisement advertisement

Plentiful incentives give consumers an expectation that they are always available, which has long-term negative consequences for the brands that overuse them, she says.

Given the affordability crisis, and Teslas latest offering is on the pricey side, Tesla is suffering from a narrow product portfolio  the company has less room to nudge consumers into other vehicles and price points that might be more appropriate in the macro environment, Caldwell says. Even competing with their attractively priced used counterparts is likely a challenge for new Teslas.

While perception of the brand has historically been a selling point for Tesla, Elon Musk's antics and his takeover of Twitter haven't exactly helped prop up Teslas image, she says.

Compounding the issue, Tesla is shifting away from being a premium brand and going more mainstream.

According to Edmunds trade-in data from the second quarter, just 39% of consumers who traded in Teslas to dealerships went to a luxury brand, which is a notable decrease compared to the 51.5% from the second quarter of 2021.

The one thing that is going according to plan for Tesla is that Elon Musks brand appears to be spreading the EV gospel,  she says.

According to Edmunds data, fewer owners are reverting back to gas-powered vehicles when trading in their Teslas. In the second quarter, 30.7% of Teslas traded in went to the purchase of another EV, a stat up from 17.8% two years ago.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, July 3, 2024

Attorneys general in 30 states and the District of Columbia are urging a federal appeals court to rule that the ecommerce platform Shopify -- which is headquartered in Canada and has two U.S. divisions based in Delaware -- can be sued in California over alleged privacy violations.

In a friend-of-the-court brief filed Tuesday with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the law enforcement officials argue that internet companies that aim conduct at residents of a particular state can be sued in that state.

Otherwise, the coalition argues, attorneys general who want to bring enforcement actions against online companies would have to either sue out of state, or attempt to raise federal claims that could be litigated in federal court located in the attorneys general's home state.

Such an extreme result could potentially operate to immunize these companies from ever facing enforcement actions from state attorneys general seeking to protect their states citizens, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch and Nebraska Attorney General Aaron Ford write in a brief joined by 29 other attorneys general.

advertisement advertisement

They are weighing in on a dispute dating to August 2021, when California resident Brandon Briskin alleged in a class-action complaint that Shopify surreptitiously collected his personal data when he made a purchase from the online retailer IABMFG (iambecoming.com).

Briskin alleged that the checkout page linked to Shopify code that enabled it to intercept his data. He also said Shopify analyzed and processed his data, and transmitted the information to the payment processor Stripe, which also analyzed and processed the information. Additionally, he alleged that Shopify used his data to create a profile of him that was then provided to other merchants.

The complaint included claims that Shopify violated a California wiretap law that prohibits the interception of electronic communications without both parties' consent.

U.S. District Court Judge Phyllis Hamilton in the Northern District of California dismissed the case in May 2022, ruling that the allegations, even if proven true, wouldn't show that Shopify was subject to the jurisdiction of California courts. Instead, she said, the allegations could establish only that Shopify was a vendor for the retailer IABMFG.

A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit initially upheld that ruling, writing in an opinion issued in November that Shopify didn't specifically direct its activity toward California residents.

In May, the 9th Circuit withdrew that opinion and said it would reconsider whether Shopify would have to face suit in a California court.

The appellate court is expected to hear arguments in the case the week of September 23, in San Francisco.
  Trusted Source

Dengue and severe dengue



Go to source Trusted Source



#Dengue fever is caused by four different types of dengue viruses (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4), all transmitted by Aedes #mosquitoes.

Insights on Dengue Fever

Dengue and severe dengue - (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue)

According to Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, Karnataka has seen a 42% increase in dengue ) cases compared to last year.He also directed the officers to take up awareness programmes by carrying out the door-to-door campaign in the capital city of Bengaluru. Rao said 6,187 positive cases of dengue have been detected in the state while six persons have died since January.He said that cases have been also reported from Bengaluru, Chikkamagaluru, Mysuru, Haveri, Chitradurga, Shivamogga and Dakshina Kannada districts.Health officers have been directed to fix prices for private hospitals for testing. Deaths can only be prevented when the dengue is detected at an early stage. The officers are instructed to act and be vigilant in this regard, Minister Rao said.He said that Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officers and Asha workers should carry out door-to-door campaigning in Bengaluru and create awareness about dengue in Bengaluru.The medical officers of primary health units in rural areas should pay a compulsory visit to schools and children should be made aware of dengue. The science teachers have already been trained regarding the destruction of larva and dengue, the minister said. He said that the government will also start a campaign on Friday over the containment of dengue.Source-IANS
  Trusted Source

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in Japan



Go to source Trusted Source



Hand foot and mouth disease tends to have seasonal peaks, often occurring in summer and early autumn in temperate climates. #handfootmouth 

What is Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in Japan - (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level1/hfmd-japan)

The number of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) infections in Japan has surpassed the warning level nationwide for the first time in nearly five years ().An average of 6.31 patients per medical institution were reported in about 3,000 pediatric clinics nationwide during the week leading up to June 23, the latest NIID report said.Marking the 13th consecutive week of increase, the figure exceeded the warning-level threshold of five patients per medical institution, which had not been surpassed since August 2019, reported Xinhua news agency.Regionally, the central Japanese prefecture of Mie reported the highest number of cases with an average of 16.36 patients per clinic, followed by Hyogo prefecture at 11.12. HFMD, a viral infection causing blister-like rashes on the hands, feet, and inside the mouth, primarily affects children under the age of four.Symptoms include fever , loss of appetite, feeling unwell, skin rashes and sore throat. Mouth sores and ulcers on the tongue, gums and the inside of the cheeks can also indicate HFMD infection.Children are at higher risk of contracting the illness which may lead to serious complications such as encephalitis or dehydration . Given that HFMD peaks in summer, Japan's health ministry is urging the public to practice thorough handwashing to prevent the spread of the disease.Source-IANS
Ensuring optimal warehouse operations is crucial for business success

With an MSc. in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Cranfield School of Management, Gavin Parnell is well placed to advise clients on a wide range of aspects around warehouse management systems, logistics and supply chain strategies. As co-founder of The Supply Chain Consulting Group and with an impressive team of experts behind him, his company does exactly what it says it does.

Having over 22 years of experience in the field, Gavin originally worked in third-party logistics from 1996 and transitioned into consulting in 2004. Along with co-founder and fellow Director, Craig Ryder, he set up Go Supply Chain Consulting in 2013. The company merged with leading supply chain and Logistics Consultancy ,Gideon Hillman Consulting, in 2018 and at the same time the company name changed to The Supply Chain Consulting Group. They are now one of the fastest growing European logistics and supply chain consultancies based in the UK, with offices in Slough, Leamington Spa and Manchester.

MHW caught up with Gavin to discuss more about their offering.

Gavin explained Our warehouse consultants make implementable and realistic recommendations as to how capacity and productivity can be improved, process changes, recommend investments and provide supporting cost/benefit analysis for our clients warehouses. A poorly designed warehouse layout is more than inefficient. It also slows down operations, increases costs, and becomes a safety hazard.

For growing businesses, successful operational design is pivotal but knowing exactly what is required takes knowledge and expertise. Our specialist warehousing consultants are on hand to answer questions and work with companies to help them solve issues and grow their business.

Our clients comprise medium sized companies to global corporations, which include supermarkets, Retailers, FMCG and Industrial Manufacturers , Wholesalers and Third-Party Logistics companies, both in the UK and globally.

The events of the last few years have created new challenges for warehouse operations, capacity and staffing

Typically clients contact us for help and advice because, for example, they are running out of space, have started to embrace eCommerce or are offering a new range, or perhaps have just acquired a new business and are seeing rapid growth. Around 65% of our work involves warehouse related needs, be that new build, re-design or improvements, or systems management.

We can look at warehouse placement, where to build, size of building needed and then we look at operational design, inside the building, the internal layout, equipment needs, storage and handling, including automated solutions. There is no one-size fits all solution and our recommendations are always bespoke to each situation.

Space and labour can represent around 65% of the warehouse operating budget in a labour-intensive environment.

Warehouse Management Systems

The events of the last few years have created new challenges for warehouse operations, capacity and staffing. Previous systems and ways of working may no longer be fit for purpose as storage and distribution operation grow in complexity. That is why a Warehouse Management System (WMS) is becoming essential to make sure that processes are undertaken correctly, accurately and efficiently.

The right WMS will save time and money, increase accuracy, optimise the teams performance and streamline operations. WMS vendors are experts in WMS, but not necessarily experts in warehouse design, logistics strategy, warehouse process, or your industry, which is why our offering is so valuable.

We work across all sectors, from end user companies with their own fleets and warehousing, to companies looking for help with selecting their 3rd party logistics support. We are here to support organisations in choosing and implementing a warehouse management system in addition to aspects such as transport optimisation, logistic outsourcing and supply chain systems.

We can help organisations to select the most suitable system of their needs, starting with a feet on the ground walk through their current processes, assessing all the (often missed) nuances. Spending time on site then enables us to provide an in-depth operational review. We then work with clients to analyse business data and understand the material flows, order profiles, stockholding, growth aspirations etc., which feeds into a warehouse technology need evaluation. Ultimately providing process design to support the recommended ways of working.

An eCommerce site, picking and packing individual sites for onward dispatch to consumers, will have very different requirements to say a large FMCG company, who is dealing in pallets, for example.

Its all in the data

We have a crack team of analysts who can interrogate client data to then enable us to undertake resource modelling, operational costs analysis etc. We have expertise in managing projects requiring the modelling of large data sets that may be from different sources e.g. different business units or different businesses (in the case of a merger or acquisition).

Our highly experienced team uses business intelligence tools, linear programming techniques and route scheduling software (PTV) to develop options models that can be relied on for informed decision making at company board level. Warehouse operational design, operational improvement, cost and resource modelling; and the specification and procurement of automated warehouse equipment are just some of the areas of expertise we can offer.

We can undertake transport modelling, warehouse design/improvement (including As-Is and To-Be process mapping, pick face optimisation and material flow modelling), for both automated and manual operations, Logistics Strategy Development and Operational Overviews and advise on where and how we can suggest improvements, with all analysis transparent and linked back to the original data

Clients get detailed reports and detailed layout drawings and full racking and equipment requirement specifications, utilising our in-house CAD design facilities, combined with development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).We also support companies with project and stakeholder management deliver our recommendations.

Ensuring optimal warehouse operations is crucial for business success. Our warehouse consultants assist from solution design through to implementation, helping you achieve this goal.
An Army family at Fort Cavazos in Texas was awarded $10.3 million Monday after living in a mold-infested home run by a private Army housing company and repeated hospitalizations of their newborn infant for respiratory difficulties.

Sgt. Jason Kiernan's wife Sarah was having constant health problems, including respiratory issues, during her pregnancy while living in the house, according to the lawsuit. Two months later, their newborn was hospitalized for 20 days. The family eventually discovered black mold behind the walls.

The arbitration award is among the most significant in recent military history as mold has become a top issue that service leaders have struggled to remedy. Meanwhile, private military housing providers operate with relatively little oversight from the Army despite years of outcry from service members and lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Read Next: Here's What Biden and Trump Actually Did for Veterans as President

The house the Kiernans lived in and its subsequent maintenance was managed by Cavalry Family Housing, which has some 5,000 homes around Fort Cavazos in its portfolio. The housing company did not return a request for comment.

"We feel violated," Sarah Kiernan told Military.com. "Those houses really are harming people."

She added that during her pregnancy she suffered from rashes, sore throats and respiratory troubles.

As her health complications became more severe, the doctor performed an emergency C-section in February 2019. Her newborn son, Grant, immediately had respiratory troubles. He was hospitalized and flown to Austin, Texas, in April that same year, suffering from asthma at two months old, which the family and their attorney argued was caused by the mold in the home.

After returning home from pediatric intensive care, Grant was again hospitalized two days later. A month after that, he was taken to a pediatrician due to breathing difficulties.

"Every time we went back home, he got sick," Sarah Kiernan said.

In May 2019, one of the Kiernans' older sons was playing and fell through a wall that was soggy; mold was revealed behind the wet drywall. The Army then reassigned the Kiernans to Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Now, all of the Kiernans children are suffering from illnesses consistent with long-term exposure to mold, according to the lawsuit. The youngest has asthma and seizures. The other two sons -- and Jason Kiernan, who has since left the Army -- have various respiratory problems that did not exist prior to 2019 when they lived in the mold-infested house.

Meanwhile, the Army is looking to also privatize its barracks as the service has struggled to manage the buildings and keep up with basic infrastructure maintenance. Those junior enlisted quarters have their own history with mold, pests and other poor conditions. But some momentum is building on Capitol Hill toward privatization.

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth noted in an interview with Military.com in October that the service would be scrutinizing potential partners for contracts.

"If we did pursue privatized barracks on a broader scale, I don't think we'd necessarily be working with bad partners," she said at the time.

Related: Army Eyes Privatized Barracks as It Struggles to Find a Solution to Poor Living Conditions for Soldiers
More than 160 years after they were captured and executed by Confederate rebels, two U.S. soldiers are set to be posthumously recognized for their valor during the Civil War with the Medal of Honor.

Pvts. Philip Shadrach and George Wilson will be recognized for their actions in 1862 when they, alongside 20 other Union soldiers and two civilians, infiltrated rebel territory and stole a train, taking it northward and destroying as much of the train tracks, bridges and other key logistical infrastructure as they could. It was a mobile raid over roughly 200 miles during the course of a week while they were constantly pursued by Confederates.

President Joe Biden is set to present the medals to the soldiers' descendants at the White House on Wednesday afternoon. Shadrach and Wilson's awards were approved by Congress in 2008, but the ceremony kept getting shifted and was eventually forgotten about.

Read Next: Airman Killed and Multiple Injured in Humvee Crash in Montana, Marking Latest Incident at Nuclear Missile Bases

The raid is known as the Great Locomotive Chase, and was meant to cripple Confederate logistics and severely restrict where Southern troops could fight -- as trains were the key means of supplying the front lines. In particular, the mission was to obliterate train tracks, bridges and telegraph wires between Atlanta, Georgia, and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Today, the Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in the military. However, during the Civil War, it was the only award for valor, and members of the locomotive raid became its very first recipients.

Union soldiers, including Shadrach and Wilson of the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment, snuck behind enemy lines and captured a train called "The General" in Atlanta when its crew stopped for lunch, and were quickly pursued by William Fuller, the conductor of the captured train, by handcar. Fuller would eventually take control of another train to pursue the Union soldiers during their raid.

Roughly 18 miles outside of Chattanooga, the Union soldiers abandoned their captured train. They were all captured within two weeks, including Shadrach and Wilson, and six were imprisoned for about a year and eventually freed in prisoner exchanges.

Eight of them, including Shadrach and Wilson, were hanged in Atlanta.

But a handful of others did manage to escape and, traveling hundreds of miles on foot, made it back to Union lines.

The soldiers who returned were awarded the new-at-the-time Medal of Honor; 1st Lt. Jacob Parrott, who was severely tortured as a prisoner of war, became the very first recipient.

They also were offered commissions to serve as officers by the Union Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. At least one, Parrott, took that commission offer.

Related: Malcolm Gladwell's New Podcast 'Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage' Explores the True Nature of Sacrifice
NORFOLK, Va.  For those of you who don't celebrate World UFO Day, consider this:

A former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer told Congress last summer about a government program that retrieves and reverse engineers unidentified flying objects.

The Mexican Congress held an unprecedented session in September during which supposed mummies were presented as nonhuman beings that are not part of our terrestrial evolution.

And NASA now has a director of research for unidentified flying objects, or what it calls unidentified anomalous phenomena.

Never mind that the Pentagon denied the former intelligence officer's claims; that Mexican researchers said the mummies made no sense; and that a NASA study found no evidence of extraterrestrials.

There's still never been a better time to mark World UFO Day.

A look at the history of World UFO Day:

Aliens? Or just balloons and crash test dummies?

World UFO Day has its roots in the so-called Roswell Incident on July 2, 1947. On that date, something crashed at what was then the J.B. Foster ranch in New Mexico. There were reports that the U.S. military had recovered a flying disc. But officials later said the debris was merely the remnants of a high-altitude weather balloon.

The Air Force investigated the incident in 1994 amid charges that it was covering up the truth. It concluded that the supposed alien spacecraft was likely a secret Army Air Force balloon designed to monitor Soviet nuclear testing.

The material found near Roswell consisted of foil-wrapped fabric, wooden sticks, rubber pieces, and small I-beams with strange markings on them. A local newspaper headline described the find dramatically and unequivocally: Air Force Captures Flying Saucer On Ranch.

The Air Force research did not locate or develop any information that the Roswell Incident was a UFO event, wrote Col. Richard Weaver, author of the report.

The Air Force released another report addressing UFO claims in 1997, stating that alleged alien bodies found near Roswell were just dummies used in parachute tests.

Some UFO researchers pushed back against that explanation, noting that such dummies weren't used until 10 years after the Roswell Incident. And they said it would be a stretch for people who claimed to see alien bodies to mix up their dates so badly.

The life-size dummies were used in high-altitude parachute drops from 1954 to 1959. The majority landed outside the confines of military bases in eastern New Mexico, near Roswell, according to the Air Force report.

The dummies had a skeleton of aluminum or steel, skin of latex or plastic, a cast aluminum skull, and an instrument cavity in the torso and head.

The Air Force said the existence of such dummies was not widely known outside of scientific circles and "easily could have been mistaken for something they were not.

UFOs are a national security concern

In 2022, Congress held its first hearing on UFOs in half a century as the Pentagon investigated hundreds of unexplained sightings in the sky.

The spotted objects appeared to be aircraft flying without any discernible means of propulsion. They have been reported near military bases and coastlines, raising the prospect that what witnesses actually spotted was secret Chinese or Russian technology.

A 2021 government report reviewed 144 sightings of aircraft or other devices that were apparently flying at mysterious speeds or trajectories. It found no extraterrestrial links but drew few other conclusions and called for better data collection.

Lawmakers from both parties have said the UFOs are a national security concern. But the sightings are usually fleeting. Some appear for no more than an instant on camera  and then sometimes end up distorted by the camera lens.

Ronald Moultrie, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, said during a 2022 hearing that the Pentagon was trying to destigmatize the issue and encourage pilots and other military personnel to report anything unusual they see.

Then things got a little strange last year.

During a congressional hearing in late July, retired Air Force Maj. David Grusch testified that the U.S. is concealing a longstanding program that retrieves and reverse engineers unidentified flying objects.

Asked whether the U.S. government had information about extraterrestrial life, Grusch said the U.S. likely has been aware of nonhuman activity since the 1930s.

The Pentagon denied Gruschs claims of a cover-up and denied the existence of any such program.

Shriveled bodies with shrunken heads

Unlike the hearings in the U.S., the testimony before lawmakers in the Mexican Congress included alleged evidence of aliens.

During an unprecedented session in September, Mexican journalist Jose Jaime Maussan presented two boxes containing shriveled bodies with shrunken, warped heads  supposed mummies found in Peru.

Its the queen of all evidence, Maussan claimed. That is, if the DNA is showing us that they are nonhuman beings and that there is nothing that looks like this in the world, we should take it as such.

The apparently desiccated bodies date back to 2017 and were found deep underground in the sandy Peruvian coastal desert of Nazca. Most attribute the famous Nazca Lines to ancient Indigenous communities.

Julieta Fierro, researcher at the Institute of Astronomy at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, was among those to express skepticism, saying that many details about the figures made no sense.

She noted that scientists would need more advanced technology than the X-rays they claimed to use to determine if the allegedly calcified bodies were nonhuman.

At another hearing in November, Maussan made the case again, citing a nonhuman that did not have lungs or ribs.

NASA chief: Show me the evidence

The Pentagon released a study in March that had examined the many UFO sightings over nearly the past century and found no evidence of aliens or extraterrestrial intelligence.

The report analyzed U.S. government investigations since 1945. It also found no evidence that the U.S. or private companies had reverse-engineered extraterrestrial technology.

The Pentagon's report arrived about six months after NASA released a report on UFOs, which also found no evidence of extraterrestrials.

But NASA Administrator Bill Nelson did acknowledge that another Earth-like planet could exist within the billions of galaxies in the universe.

If you ask me, do I believe theres life in a universe that is so vast that its hard for me to comprehend how big it is? My personal answer is yes, Nelson said at a news conference.

When pressed by reporters on whether the U.S. or other governments are hiding aliens or otherworldly spaceships, Nelson said: Show me the evidence.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark  At least seven people have been arrested in Germany and Sweden on suspicion of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes in Syria in 2012-2014, authorities in the two countries said Wednesday.

In a coordinated effort that also involved the European Union judicial cooperation agency Eurojust, the EU police agency Europol, and several other unnamed European countries, four were arrested in Germany and three in Sweden.

The German federal prosecutor said that those arrested in Germany were strongly suspected of killing and attempting to kill civilians. Some of those arrested also were suspected of torture.

The four arrested in Germany are known only as Jihad A., Mahmoud A., Sameer S. and Wael S. and had been affiliated with the Free Palestine Movement, an armed militia in Syria, since early 2011. German prosecutors did not give their last names in line with privacy rules. Sweden did not identify the three it arrested.

At the time, the militia exercised control over Damascus mostly Palestinian district of al-Yarmouk on behalf of the Syrian regime, Germanys federal prosecutor said. Since July 2013, the Syrian regime had cordoned off the area completely, resulting in a shortage of food, water, and medical supplies.

Among other crimes, all suspects allegedly participated in the violent crackdown of a peaceful anti-government protest in al-Yarmouk on July 13, 2012, specifically targeting civilian protesters by shooting at them. Six individuals died while others were seriously injured, the German statement said.

Germanys federal prosecutor alleged that some of them also abused civilians from al-Yarmouk severely and repeatedly. The events occurred between mid-2012 and 2014.

In one case, an individual was handed over to the Syrian Military Intelligence Service, which reportedly incarcerated and tortured him. In another case, a woman was allegedly forced to pay with her family jewels for the release of her minor son, and was threatened with rape.

Three of those arrested  Jihad A., Sameer S. and Wael S.  are stateless Syrian Palestinians, while Mazhar J. is a Syrian national.

The four were arrested in Berlin, in Frankenthal and near Boizenburg, in southwestern and northeast Germany, respectively. The home of another suspect, whose name was not given and who was not arrested, was searched in the western city of Essen.

They are due to be brought before an investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice, who will read out their arrest warrants and decide on pre-trial detention. The arraignment will take place Monday and Tuesday, the prosecutors statement said.

In Sweden, the Prosecution Authority gave no details regarding those arrested. The prosecution authority said it must be decided before noon Saturday whether they should be detained or released.

___

Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.
At this years Exercise Rim of the Pacific, the U.S. military is putting a major emphasis on logistics and new technology as it looks at operations across the Pacific. One technology thats getting special attention is 3D printers, a rapidly evolving technology that uses computers and manufacturing equipment to quickly build tools and components to machinesin this case, military vehicles and weapons systems.

As the military looks at vulnerable supply chains and struggling manufacturing hubs, 3D printers are an appealing tool to commanders.

This is the largest exercise of this type that has been conducted,  said U.S. Marine Chief Warrant Officer Matt Pine, who specializes in military capabilities for the technology. Weve been working at Camp Pendleton aggressively getting out into exercises, taking our capabilities out, showcasing it through the fleet.

The 3D printing aspect of RIMPAC is being put together in part by FleetWerx, a technology and strategy initiative associated with the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.

The whole goal of what were doing here is for all the services, the Coast Guard, the Marine Corps, the Army,  said Patrick Tucker, a contractor with FleetWerx. Were trying to bring together advanced manufacturing in one exercise. Its aspirational, but I think were advancing with it.

For the exercise, a series of 3D printers are both on land and at sea, with a printer aboard the warship USS Somerset. Military planners envision a network of printers  put in key locations to help troops and commanders more quickly get critical parts in the field. Pine said senior leaders at the NPS told him that they want to see how big we can go and how fast.

An important part of that is ensuring that theyre big enough to make quality parts while also small enough to transport. Tucker showed reporters a series of 3D printers that were built into modified shipping containers and presently operating at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe. They are expected to move by truck to different locations during the exercise.

The prospect of placing them on or near battlefields poses challenges. The sort of 3D printers theyre working with are expensive and hard to replace. But Tucker said that if theyre protected by troops, they can stay relatively safe.

Tensions have been on the rise in the Pacific as China finds itself embroiled in a series of territorial disputes with neighboring countries over maritime territorial and navigation rights. In June, members of the Chinese coast guard rammed and boarded Philippine navy boats that were resupplying an outpost in disputed territory, resulting in one Philippine navy sailor losing a finger during the altercation.

The Chinese military has been stepping up operations around the Philippines and around Taiwana self-ruled island democracy that Beijing considers a rogue province. Meanwhile, the U.S. military has conducted near-constant freedom of navigation  operations in the area over Chinas objections. Though diplomats have worked to cool tensions, analysts worry about the prospect of a major Pacific conflict breaking out. U.S. military leaders are looking to all tools it could use in that event.

At RIMPAC the U.S. military is pushing 3D printing technology further than it has before, according to officials overseeing the exercise. Pine said, The scaling is exponentially higher than anything that weve ever worked before. And having all of these other units available as resources gives us a global reach in global logistics issues.

The containers at MCBH are products of Spee3D, an Australian company. These printers have seen real-world use in the war in Ukraine, where they have been used to rapidly make highly in-demand parts for armored vehicles and weapon systems that Ukrainian forces rely on to hold the line against invading Russian forces.

Tucker said that when it comes to the U.S. defense industrial base, in some areas its very healthy ; in others its very weak. Sometimes where its very weak is actually some of the more important weapon systems that we have.

Russian drone and artillery strikes frequently disrupt supply lines. But by being able to build spare parts near the front line, Ukrainian forces are able to compensate for that. Tucker said, The biggest thing this is trying to get after is not to have to do back-and-forth between the contested zone, if you can at least limit it.

Military leaders are mindful of that in the context of the vast expanse of the Pacific. Strategists often bemoan the tyranny of distance the challenges of both moving troops across the large region while also keeping them supplied with the weapons, fuel, water, food and spare parts they need to keep operating.

The rapidly evolving capabilities that 3D printing offers are potentially game-changing. But Tucker cautions that while it can help troops with supply-line troubles, it doesnt solve them outright.

Its going to chew on the problem ; its not going to completely change the problem because (of ) the pace that we need parts, and machines dont keep up with that,  Tucker said.

___

(c)2024 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Visit The Honolulu Star-Advertiser at www.staradvertiser.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Troops at Colorado Space Force Base Will Have to Bring Their Own To-Go Boxes for Dining Hall

While the initiative is aimed at reducing waste on base, the spokesperson added that they hope it will give troops on base...
Facebook owns WhatsApp.







(Does Facebook Own Whatsapp)

It is hard to argue that WhatsApp has been owned by Facebook for a long time. However, this is the truth.

When Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014, it was seen as an investment in the growth of mobile messaging technology. It believed that this would be a sustainable way to expand its user base and become more dominant in the market.

However, as time went on, Facebook realized that WhatsApps core business model was different from that of its main platform. They decided to abandon their efforts in developing WhatsApp and focus on other areas such as artificial intelligence, voice recognition, and advertising.

As a result, WhatsApp was no longer able to sustain its operations and was forced to sell the company to its own subsidiaries in 2016. The sale was worth $78 billion at the time, making it one of the largest corporate acquisitions in history.

Despite the loss of its core business, Facebook has continued to invest in other areas such as virtual assistants, social media platforms, and cloud computing services. This has helped to support the growth of the social media industry and increase Facebooks revenue.







(Does Facebook Own Whatsapp)

In conclusion, while Facebook owns WhatsApp, it is not clear if they will continue to develop or maintain this company for the long term. It is likely that other companies will take over the business and create new opportunities for growth.
Title: How Does Facebook Work?







(How Does Facebook Work)

As a language model, I can provide you with some basic information about how Facebook works.

Facebook is an online social networking site that was launched by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004. It started as a personal messaging app for friends and family, but it quickly became popular among young people and began to integrate with other platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

To create a new account on Facebook, users need to create an account and sign up using their email address or social media login. Once they have created an account, users can use it to send messages, photos, videos, events, groups, pages, and more. They can also connect with friends and family, join groups related to their interests, and participate in conversations with other users.

One of the key features of Facebook is its advertising system. Users can post ads on the platform and reach out to other users who are interested in what they are promoting. Facebook then uses data from users interactions to personalize their ads and display them to those who are most likely to be interested in their content.

Another important aspect of Facebooks business model is its revenue streams. Facebook makes money through ads, user engagement, and subscription fees. In addition to its advertising income, Facebook also generates revenue from advertising partnerships with other companies, including search engines, news organizations, and content creators.

However, Facebook has faced criticism over its treatment of user data and privacy concerns. For example, Facebook has been accused of monitoring and analyzing user behavior and potentially collecting personal data without the users consent. Additionally, Facebook has been criticized for hiding costs associated with running ads and denying claims that it is working towards reducing its impact on the environment.

Despite these challenges, Facebook continues to evolve and expand its reach and offerings. It continues to integrate with other platforms and offers new features such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and photo editing tools. In addition, Facebook has been investing heavily in AI and machine learning to improve its marketing capabilities and make it even more effective at targeting its users.







(How Does Facebook Work)

In conclusion, Facebook is an online social networking site that is well-regarded for its functionality and advertising system. While there have been concerns about the companys treatment of user data and privacy, Facebook continues to evolve and expand its reach and offerings. Its ongoing efforts to improve its marketing capabilities and target its users show that it remains committed to providing a safe and engaging social network.
Title: How to Create a Page on Facebook







(How To Create A Page On Facebook)

Introduction:

Facebook is the largest social media platform used by individuals worldwide, providing an easy way for people to connect, share information, and connect with others from all over the world. Creating a page on Facebook involves creating a new account, adding content, and setting up settings such as privacy policy and ad targeting.

Creating a Page on Facebook:

To create a page on Facebook, follow these steps:

1. Go to Facebooks Graph Menu and click on New Profile.

2. Click on Create Page.

3. Choose your desired name and description for your page.

4. Add a profile picture that reflects your personality and interests.

5. Choose a background image if you have one available.

6. Name your page in a short and descriptive phrase, such as My Account.

7. Set up privacy policies for your page. You can do this by clicking on the Privacy & Security button and selecting Edit Privacy Policy under the Account & Settings tab.

8. Click on Save Changes.

Creating a Page on Facebook:

Once your page is created, its time to add content. Facebook allows you to create pages based on your interests and hobbies. Here are some tips for creating a page on Facebook:

1. Choose topics that align with your interests and passions.

2. Include relevant photos or videos that reflect your brand identity.

3. Use high-quality graphics and images that showcase your skills and expertise.

4. Make sure your content is engaging and informative.

5. Use strong call-to-action options that encourage users to interact with your page.

Setting Up Ads for Your Page:

Facebook offers a range of ads, including targeted ads that will reach specific audiences based on demographics, location, interests, and behaviors. Setting up ads requires creating a list of relevant keywords and phrases, as well as a budget. You can use Facebooks advertising platform to set up your ads and track their performance.

Conclusion:







(How To Create A Page On Facebook)

Facebook provides an excellent platform for creating a personal brand and building a following on the internet. By following these steps, you can create a successful page and reach your target audience on the platform. Remember to focus on creating valuable content, using high-quality visuals, and utilizing advanced targeting options to reach your ideal audience. Good luck!
Title: How to invite People to Like a Facebook Page







(How To Invite People To Like A Facebook Page)

In todays digital age, we rely on social media platforms like Facebook for communication and networking. While these platforms provide an easy way to connect with people from all over the world, it can also be difficult to find and invite people to follow your pages. In this blog post, Ill share some tips on how to invite people to like your Facebook page without having to worry about format or language barriers.

1. Choose the Right Platform: Before you start inviting people to like your page, its essential to choose the right platform that suits your needs. Facebook is a global platform that connects millions of users across different countries and regions. If youre looking to expand your reach, consider using Instagram or LinkedIn instead of Facebook.

2. Customize Your Page: Once youve chosen the platform, its important to customize your page so that it looks appealing and engaging to your audience. You can use different colors, fonts, and graphics to make your page stand out from others. Additionally, consider adding videos and images to your page to keep your content fresh and interesting.

3. Use Social Media Advertising: Social media advertising is another great way to reach people who might not have visited your page yet. There are many social media advertising options available, including targeted ads and organic content. Targeting ads based on demographics, interests, and behaviors can help you reach people who are more likely to engage with your page.

4. Share Promotions and Updates: Regularly sharing promotions and updates on your page can help keep your followers engaged and interested. Share news articles, behind-the-scenes footage, and photos that showcase your work and community activities. Additionally, consider offering exclusive access to new content and discounts through your Facebook page.

5. Encourage Interactivity: Finally, consider encouraging engagement on your page by responding to comments and messages, asking questions, and holding events or workshops. Encouraging interaction with your audience can help build relationships and foster a sense of community.







(How To Invite People To Like A Facebook Page)

In conclusion, inviting people to like your Facebook page doesnt have to be complicated or time-consuming. With careful planning and attention to detail, you can create a engaging and effective page that will attract and retain your target audience. By choosing the right platform, customizing your page, using social media advertising, sharing promotions and updates, and encouraging engagement, you can create a powerful presence online and beyond.
WEXFORD COUNTY, MI -- A 58-year-old Interlochen man died Tuesday following a crash that took place around 3:30 p.m. in Springville Township. According to the Wexford County Sheriff, the man appears to have lost control of the van he was driving and hit a guardrail before landing in the Manistee River.

The van was submerged in the water and the man was pinned inside according to police. After crews were able to pull him from the water, the man was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A Delta flight that departed from Detroit Tuesday night had to turn around and land in New York City after some of the in-flight meals were found to be spoiled. According to the Associated Press, the flight was supposed to land in Amsterdam Wednesday, but had to make a detour and landed at JFK Airport around 4 a.m.

It is unknown how many of the 277 passengers on the flight ate the contaminated food, but after consulting with medical experts, Delta made the decision to turn the plane around. Medical crews met the passengers at the gate to assist anyone needing medical care and ended up treating 12 people.

Delta says it is working with suppliers to isolate the spoiled product and is working to determine what happened.

This is not the service Delta is known for and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels, a Delta spokesperson said in a statement.
OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- A pastors lawsuit claiming religious discrimination by Ottawa County commissioners has survived an initial legal challenge.

A federal judge on Tuesday, July 2, ruled against Ottawa Countys effort to have the case dismissed.

U.S. District Judge Jane Beckering, in a written opinion, said the claims against the Ottawa County board are plausible and not completely abstract as alleged by county attorneys.

Rev. Jared Cramer of St. Johns Episcopal Church in Grand Haven filed the lawsuit in October after asking twice to be scheduled as a speaker for the county boards twice-monthly meetings.

Traditionally, the board invites a pastor or faith leader to give an opening prayer.

RELATED: Pastor who advocates for LGBTQ+ files lawsuit against Ottawa County government leader

Cramer said he sent a May 9, 2023, email to county board Chair Joe Moss, commissioners Roger Belknap and Roger Bergman and county Administrator John Gibbs, but received no response. He then sent an Aug. 30 registered letter through the U.S. Mail to the same people, also with no response.

Cramer alleges that Moss, whose conservative group called Ottawa Impact commands a majority on the board, dd not want him to speak because he supports LGBTQ rights.

Ottawa County attorneys said the lack of an invitation was simply an oversight. Moss claimed he never saw Cramers May 9 email and the registered letter later was found stuck in the bottom of Moss mail cubby.

They said that, upon learning that Cramer wanted to speak, they invited him to a board meeting in November 2023. Cramer had a scheduling conflict, but did speak at a February 2023 meeting.

Commissioners in January also adopted a new invocation policy that gives pastors the opportunity to speak on a first-come, first-served basis, as long as they submit their request to their districts commissioner.

While the countys corporate counsel claimed Cramer cannot identify a specific injury covered by law, Beckering said she must view the allegations in a light most favorable to Cramer.

Viewed in that light, his allegations identify a specific wrongful act, to wit: Defendants refusal to allow him (and likeminded clergy) the opportunity to lead the prayer because of or in retaliation for religious beliefs that differ from the beliefs held by OI Commissioners, she wrote.

Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter.
HILLSDALE, MI  Hillsdale County Sheriffs Deputy William Henry Butler Jr. was not alone as he and his family rode to the Lakeview Cemetery for his internment.

Thousands of friends, family, well-wishers and law enforcement officers from across Michigan assembled in Hillsdale Thursday, July 3, to honor and show their respect for Butler, killed last week in the line of duty.

An estimated 2,500 attended the funeral service at the massive, classical Christ Chapel on the campus of Hillsdale College. Outside the chapel, more than 100 police cruisers and motorcycles parked, ready to escort Butler to his final resting place two miles down the road.

Along the procession path hundreds of Hillsdale County residents lined the streets waving American flags and saluting. Some held signs of support with one reading, We are praying for you as a long line of blinking red, white and blue lights filled the road.

Related: Community, law enforcement mourn at funeral for fallen Michigan sheriffs deputy

One way we could say thank you to a fallen hero, said Brenda Frank, 62, of Osseo, who stood somberly along Bacon Road wearing red, white and blue. She had tears her eyes as the procession passed.

Butler, 51, died Thursday, June 27. A man shot him while he assisted a detective sergeant performing a traffic stop near Osseo, eight miles southeast of Hillsdale. The man escaped and later died in a shootout with police, Michigan State Police said.

Related: Deputy fatally shot during traffic stop identified as Iraq War veteran, father of 5

Butler served on the sheriffs offices road patrol, marine division and corrections divisions during his time with the department, Hilldale County Sheriffs Office Capt. Kevin Bradley said.

Prior to his death, Butler had finished training to be a scene reconstructionist and was prepared to start investigating serious vehicle crashes, Bradley said.

He was a model deputy. I couldnt ask for anything else, Bradley said. Butler had so many years with us and had so many more years to go. He is going to be sadly missed.

Along the procession path to and at his gravesite, a large American flag hung between two fire department ladder trucks.

He received military honors with a rifle salute and the playing of Taps. But first, a police helicopter did a fly-over the gravesite to honor Butler once more.

Fore more than two decades, Butler was a member of the Army National Guard and served in the Iraq War.

Butlers friends and colleagues mourn the loss, but try to remain hopeful, remembering better times.

He was just a wonderful human. Served his country. Served his community. Loved his family. He could have been arrogant, but he never was, said friend Jason Woodard. Bill was a close childhood friend. So many great memories. The first time I ever saw MTV was at his house.

Woodard recalled the last time he saw him. It was at a gas station in Battle Creek. They hadnt seen each other in years, but it felt like no time had had passed.

I was on my way to work and he was in his Army fatigues on his way to serve for the weekend, Woodard said. Had a great conversation and could have talked all day. He was super excited about his wife and beautiful family and all they had going on. He was the kind of old friend that you could not see for years on end and then when you did see them, start up a conversation like you never missed a beat.

The loss also affected many who did not personally know Butler.

Mary Stantz, 60, of Woodstock Township in Lenawee County painted the windows of her GMC Envoy. In memory of Deputy Butler, RIP and Back the Blue it says in white and blue letters.

She drove the SUV, decorated with blue ribbons, to the cemetery Wednesday.

I am a patriot, said Stantz, who spent most of her life in Hillsdale County. Her porch and yard is dotted and draped with American flags and banners. She lowered the largest of them since Butler died and staked a hand-drawn memorial sign in her yard.

Her father was in the U.S. Navy and whenever she sees police officers, she thanks them for their service, she said. They are here to help us, not hurt us.

She lamented the loss and the actions of the shooter, who had ridden dirt bikes with her son when they were teenagers years ago. Its so sad. It bothers me a lot, she said. You just dont do stuff like that.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered flags be lowered to half-staff on July 3 to honor Butler for his sacrifice.

Related: Whitmer orders flags to lower in honor of slain Hillsdale County deputy

Deputy Butler was a proud family man, small business owner, and dedicated officer who served both his nation and his neighbors in uniform, Whitmer said in a statement. As a sheriffs deputy, he served Hillsdale County admirably, making a real difference in the lives of the people he loved most. As we mourn his loss, our hearts are with his wife, Sarah, their five children, their two grandchildren, and all those who knew and served with him in Hillsdale and overseas.

Butler graduated from Hillsdale High School in 1991 and began working at Bailey Factory in Hillsdale before joining the military, according to his obituary. He was in the National Guard for 26 years and later worked as a recruiter. Butler then joined the sheriffs office, serving 12 years.

When he wasnt patrolling Hillsdale County, Butler was also the broker-owner and realtor for Pure Realty Team, a Hillsdale Real Estate affiliate.

He enjoyed traveling, boating, fishing, and spending time with his family. Deputy Butler is survived by Sarah Butler and his children, grandchildren, parents and sister.

Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Jackson daily newsletter.
KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI  Dan and Chelsea Savage of Kalamazoo and their three boys did everything together.

Now, their family is devastated.

Dan Savage died and two of his boys were critically injured in a crash Sunday, June 30, in Allegan Countys Fillmore Township. His wife and other son are recovering from injuries.

They just had a vacation to Disney a few weeks ago, and it was a family outing they were going on when this happened, Dan Savages aunt, Tina Josten, told MLive.

Everything was about family for them.

The crash happened around 1 p.m. at 136th Avenue and 58th Street, south of Holland. Allegan County sheriffs deputies said the father was going west on 136th Avenue when he failed to stop for a stop sign and his car collided with a northbound pickup truck.

The pickup driver was not injured.

Dan Savage died at the scene. His wife and children - Mason, 14, Parker, 11, and Levi 9  were taken to area hospitals. The older boys suffered devastating head injuries, said Joe Josten, a cousin to the father.

He has set up a GoFundMe page to help the family.

I am starting this fundraiser on behalf of my beloved cousin and his family who recently experienced a devastating event, he wrote.

This is an incredibly shocking and heartbreaking tragedy for everyone involved. We are seeking donations to support the family during these uncertain times, helping with funeral costs and medical expenses.

Tina Josten, Joes mother, said no one can understand how the crash happened because her nephew was a safe driver.

They know he loved his wife and the boys.

He was a ray of sunshine for the whole family, she said. He was wonderful and I would love for people to know what a great daddy he was and husband.

He was supposed to put in carpet in his mothers three-season room on Sunday but the boys had other ideas. He said he would put carpet in the next day.

He was such a good daddy, his aunt wrote to MLive. His boys were ALWAYS first.

The loss of the father and severe injuries to the two boys have overwhelmed the family, she said.

Dan and Chelsea had a beautiful love story. These two were true soul mates and amazing parents.
BAY CITY, MI  A year ago, a Saginaw man was communicating online with a teenage girl across the country, soliciting lewd images from her. When the minor later cut off contact with him, he threatened to fly to her Seattle home, rape, and kill her.

He went so far as to send the girl a photo of a plane ticket hed purchased. Bafflingly, the ticket bore the mans email address, leading FBI agents to his door.
Michigan regulators OKd a $17.3 million electric rate increase for Indiana Michigan Power on Tuesday, July 2, while giving the power company an earful over how it handled the process of asking to up customers bills.

The rate hike is roughly half what was requested by the utility, serving some 130,000 customers in the southwest corner of the state. It translates to an increase of 4.13%, or $3.66, for a residential customer using 500 kilowatt-hours per month, according to the Michigan Public Service Commission.
The resolution on "Enhancing International Cooperation on Capacity-building of Artificial Intelligence" emphasizes that the development of artificial intelligence should adhere to "the principles of being human-centered," promoting beneficial intelligence, and benefiting humanity. UNITED NATIONS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Monday unanimously adopted the resolution, proposed by China and co-sponsored by over 140 countries, on strengthening international cooperation in the capacity building of artificial intelligence (AI). The resolution on "Enhancing International Cooperation on Capacity-building of Artificial Intelligence" emphasizes that the development of artificial intelligence should adhere to "the principles of being human-centered," promoting beneficial intelligence, and benefiting humanity. It encourages international cooperation and practical actions to help countries, especially developing countries, strengthen their AI capacity building, enhance their representation and voice in global AI governance, advocate for "an open, fair, and non-discriminatory business environment," and support the United Nations in playing a central role in international cooperation. The resolution aims to achieve inclusive, beneficial, and sustainable development of artificial intelligence, thereby contributing to the realization of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China's permanent representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, stated while introducing the draft resolution at the General Assembly plenary session that the rapid development of global AI technology is having a profound impact on the economic and social development of countries and the progress of human civilization. However, most countries, especially developing ones, have yet to truly access, use, and benefit from AI, and the global digital divide continues to widen, he noted. "Many UN member states widely anticipate strengthening international cooperation on AI capacity building, developing and utilizing AI technology equally, and sharing the knowledge and achievements of AI," he said. Fu noted that this resolution focuses on AI capacity building, proposing a series of significant and practical measures to strengthen related international cooperation. "The goal is to help all countries, especially developing ones, equally benefit from AI development, bridge the digital divide, improve global AI governance, and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," said the ambassador. "The unanimous adoption of the resolution indicates broad agreement among member states to enhance global AI governance through dialogue and cooperation, fully demonstrating China's responsible attitude and leading role in AI development and governance," said Fu. The ambassador added that China looks forward to using the adoption of this resolution as an opportunity "to actively promote its subsequent implementation with the broad membership," adhering to development priorities, being human-centered, ensuring equality and mutual benefit, and upholding innovation. "China aims to help developing countries strengthen AI capacity building with practical actions, promote sustainable development empowered by AI, enhance the common well-being of humanity, and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind," he said. A spokesperson of the Chinese permanent mission to the United Nations stated that UN member states, especially developing countries, warmly welcomed the unanimous adoption of the resolution and highly appreciated China's leadership role in promoting global AI cooperation and governance, as well as accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. They unanimously agreed that the resolution's focus on AI capacity building and its series of practical measures are of significant milestone importance in bridging the global digital divide and promoting the shared benefits of AI development among countries, he said. The spokesperson also mentioned that in October 2023, the Chinese leader announced the Global AI Governance Initiative, which provides direction for global AI development and governance. As the UN's first resolution on international cooperation in AI capacity building, it fully reflects the core essence of the Global AI Governance Initiative and the Global Development Initiative. It meets "the eager expectations" of the broad membership, especially developing countries, and "demonstrates strong support for multilateralism and the United Nations," the spokesperson said. "It is another major step in practicing the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind on the UN platform," the spokesperson noted.
BENTON HARBOR, MI  Ashley Cole-Wick brushed a walking pole across the tops of thin-leafed sedges in a groundwater-fed prairie fen in southern Michigan when a tiny, brown butterfly took flight.

The endangered Mitchells satyr bobbled through the air low along the tops of the tall sedges and landed again only a few feet away. That male butterfly found in the wild was among the last of the 2024 season to be counted in the field by the conservation scientist with the Michigan Natural Features Inventory.

Thats about as fast as they ever go, Cole-Wick said. Females are a little bit bigger and a tiny bit lighter. But you really have to see a lot to be able to tell that without having side by sides.

Cole-Wick is a wild butterfly expert. She can call out both common and rare species as soon as she spots them: eyed browns, mulberry winged skippers, and Baltimore checkerspots.

But the focus of much of her efforts in recent years is the Mitchells satyr (pronounced SAY-der), considered one of the rarest butterflies in the world. It solely lives in prairie fen habitats, which are groundwater-fed wetlands also becoming increasingly rare because of disruptions to aquifers and loss of historical use of fire on the landscape.

Its alkaline rather than acidic like a bog because of the limestone bedrock. As the water travels underground, before it comes out in the seeps and springs, its gathering all those nutrients like calcium carbonate, Cole-Wick said.

These plants then have all those extra nutrients, and we get a really diverse plant community. And then we also get a diverse animal community, she said while standing in the marshy terrain.

Scientist Ashley Cole-Wick of the Michigan Natural Features Inventory walks into a rare prairie fen habitat to look for endangered Mitchell's satyr butterflies on July 1, 2024, at Sarett Nature Center near Benton Harbor. (Sheri McWhirter | MLive.com)Sheri McWhirter

The Mitchells satyr butterfly is considered an indicator species, an organism which shows the overall wellbeing of an environment. And as prairie fens disappear, as do these little brown butterflies with black spots and soft, orange lines.

Scientists can currently only find the Mitchells satyr in six places in Michigan, down from 17 spots a decade ago. The endangered butterfly recently disappeared from Indiana, where scientists have not been able to find it in more than five years and a reintroduction attempt failed.

Sarett Nature Center near Benton Harbor is the only publicly known place for butterfly enthusiasts to spot the Mitchells satyr in the wild. Its where Cole-Wick conducted a field survey for the endangered species on Monday, July 1, 2024.

Im recording the sex, what it was doing, and how far away it was from me, she said, explaining the species 10-day adult flight season came more than a week earlier than normal this year, likely because of climate change impacts.

Her annual Mitchells satyr survey is part of a bigger conservation effort underway to save the critically imperiled butterfly from extinction.

Scientists have for years pursued a captive breeding program in which they catch a certain number of the butterflies in the wild and then mate them, now at John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids.

Bill Flanagan, John Balls conservation manager, said biodiversity is needed for our food, clean air, and water, so scientists at the zoo are doing what they can to make sure the species persists here in Michigan.

This is an endangered Mitchell's satyr butterfly at John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Michigan.David Pavlik

The rapid decline of the Mitchells satyr coincides with the decline of so many other species that use the same habitat in Michigan, Flanagan said. When the satyrs do poorly, so do many other species. By working to reverse this trend, countless other species will benefit.

In recent years the conservation team released captive-reared Mitchells satyrs at an undisclosed prairie fen in Washtenaw County and saw some success  more than a half-dozen were this year found to have survived winter to continue the life cycle. Now this season they are releasing 50 butterflies there to help further bolster the wild population.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is scouting more sites for future releases, including some in northern Michigan for an attempt at assisted migration. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds have also helped pay for efforts to maintain the special prairie fen habitats by cutting back trees and shrubs that encroach from the surrounding forests.

To help diversify the genetics in the Mitchells satyr captive-rearing project, Cole-Wick and another scientist traveled to Alabama and Mississippi two years ago to collect samples of a cousin butterfly  a subgroup of the satyr. The pending question is whether when kept in an enclosure together they will mate, and if they do mate, whether the offspring will be able to breed or will be infertile like mules.

She said its another part of the multi-pronged effort to keep the butterfly from disappearing altogether. The scientists are trying everything they can to save the species.

Once that genetic material is gone, were going to have to get into some Jurassic Park-type of experiment to be getting it back, Cole-Wick said. I think of every individual species as like money in our biodiversity bank, and when we lose them, its money were never getting back.

Sarett Nature Center will host an educational program about the Mitchells satyr from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, July 13, including a guided walk in the fen with explanation of how the species uses the habitat.

This is an endangered Mitchell's satyr butterfly.Laura Mueller

The satyr flight season is so early this year that the chances of seeing a Mitchells satyr is low, but not impossible, said Nate Fuller, center director.

Visitors who come during other times are encouraged to check in at the front desk of the nature center, where there are educational materials to help people with identification of butterflies and other species.

Our naturalists will also be able to give visitors an update on how many Mitchells satyrs have been seen recently and details on where to look for them, Fuller said.

He emphasized that visitors need to stay on the maintained trails for their own safety and to protect the endangered butterflies  which can be seen from the trails, especially with the use of binoculars.

The fen is additionally known habitat for venomous massasauga rattlesnakes, poison sumac, paper-wasps, and ample ankle-wrecking sinkholes.

Weve had issues with photographers getting too eager to get a photo going off trail and trampling areas that likely had Mitchells satyr eggs, Fuller said.

Other biodiversity programs planned by the nature center include presentations on box turtles on July 6, wild birds on July 20, and monarch butterflies on July 27 during the Monarch Festival at Love Creek County Park. Learn more at www.sarett.org online.

John Ball Zoo is also launching a new and free program about Michigans native butterflies, including the Mitchells satyr.

Related articles:

Beaver Island celebrates its monarch butterfly island status

If trees had feet: Tree migration brings climate resiliency to Michigan forests

As tiny, rare butterfly nears extinction, Michigan is helping bring it back from the brink

Northern Michigan town with butterfly-friendly gardens named Monarch City
*We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies.

Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy

*I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age

I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl

I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites

I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS

Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue.

I Accept
USER CONSENT

We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy.

*We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies.

Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy

*I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age

I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl

I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites

I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS

Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue.

I Accept
China's commitment to further open up its financial sector is presenting huge opportunities for Pay-Pal, as the US-based online payment company strives to bridge Chinese merchants with overseas consumers for growth, its top executive said. Hannah Qiu Han, CEO of PayPal China and senior vice-president of PayPal, said the company is pleased to see the Chinese government's "proactive" efforts to promote further openness in the financial sector. "We have consistently observed new policies being introduced by the Chinese government for further financial opening-up, which we warmly welcome," Qiu said in an exclusive interview with China Daily during the 15th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province, last week. "We also hope that more policies will be introduced in the future to further beef up our presence in the Chinese market," she said. In 2019, PayPal became the first foreign company licensed to provide online payment services in China. It was also the first foreign operator with full control of a payment platform in the country. In recent years, the US payment firm has increased its investment in its Chinese businesses twice, which Qiu believes demonstrates the company's "confidence in China's openness and economic prospects". "The importance of the Chinese market to PayPal is undeniable. China, as a global manufacturing hub, is an important part of the global industrial chain," she said. By serving more than 400,000 merchants in China, PayPal not only helps Chinese merchants to venture abroad, but also enriches choices for overseas consumers, Qiu said. "China is the world's second-largest economy. As PayPal is dedicated to connecting Chinese merchants with overseas consumers, the Chinese market is definitely a link that cannot be ignored," she added. Since the beginning of this year, China has been seeking greater breakthroughs in facilitating payments for foreign visitors and has launched more visa-free policies to attract foreign tourists. "These measures reflect China's commitment to openness and determination to develop the digital economy. They will also greatly facilitate cross-border payments, providing broader market opportunities for payment service providers like us," she said. In terms of finance and innovative technology, Qiu noted that China is a pioneer in the application of digital payment solutions. "PayPal will strive to seize this opportunity to contribute to China's e-commerce and payment ecosystem and to become a partner of Chinese financial institutions and technology platforms," she said. As US tech firm OpenAI's ChatGPT has taken the tech world by storm, Qiu said artificial intelligence is playing a crucial role in the online payment sector and such technologies have already been applied in daily operations. PayPal, for instance, uses machine learning to detect fraud, including registration fraud, login fraud and payment fraud, she said. "By leveraging machine learning technology, we can detect risky behavior in real-time so as to improve risk management capabilities and protect customer interests," she added.
Sunshine in Sonora View Photo

Update at 4:45 p.m.: The Tuolumne County Office of Emergency Services (OES) sent out a scam alert earlier today warning the public that scammers were posing as OES officials and calling residents and asking for personal information, but it turned out to be staffers from a state disaster/emergency program making those calls.

Tuolumne County OES shared that there was a miscommunication and that this was a false alarm. Instead, Listos California, a program under Cal OES, has mobilized teams of community members to make personalized, unique phone calls, which help lead Californians to sign up for local emergency alerts and receive emergency preparedness tips. Tuolumne County OES Assistant Director, Dore Bietz, stated that the county OES was not notified of this prior to and that is why we took calls from concerned citizens as serious. She added, Please accept our apologies for causing any fear about your personal information. The State of California has been contacted, and we have requested that they communicate in the future prior to any similar action so that we are aware and we can pass on that information to the public.

The information received was from the voter registration system, not Tuolumne County OES, nor did they get it from our Emergency Alert Notification System. We are thankful that nothing was compromised, shared Bietz.

Tuolumne County OES advises that staff will only ask you questions regarding your notification record upon your request. They do not call random residents, asking them for personal information. Any official communication will come from the main office number, 209-533-6395.

Original post at 1:55 p.m.: Sonora, CA  The Tuolumne County Office of Emergency Services (OES) wants to alert the public to suspicious phone calls that have scammers targeting events like this weeks heatwave.

County OES officials say scammers are currently calling residents and posing as either their office or the state OES office. The caller asks for information regarding the emergency alert notification system and wants to verify personal information or ask if you have signed up.

We will never call you directly asking to verify any information in our emergency alert notification system, advised Dore Bietz, county OES assistant director. We will only ask you questions regarding your notification record upon your request. We do not call random residents, asking them for personal information.

Additionally, Bietz noted that any official communication will come from their main office number, 209-533-6395. She says that the Tuolumne County Sheriffs Office, Cal OES, and Everbridge Alert representatives have all been notified and are aware of the situation. Questions can be directed to the Tuolumne County OES at (209) 533-6395, or email OES@co.tuolumne.ca.us.
National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) has developed a method for simultaneous analysis of PFAS in soil and published the provisional manual (in English and Japanese) on its website. This manual will enable the efficient and stable analysis of a variety of PFAS in soil, which has been difficult until now. We anticipate that many experimental researchers use the manual and give us comments to improve the contents of the manual, reliability and versatility of the analysis method. We also expect that a large amount of data will be accumulated by using the manual, which will lead to a clarification of the actual state of PFAS distribution in soil all around the world.

Overview

Among the wide variety of organic fluorine compounds, the effects of PFAS (a generic term for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds) are of concern. Food Safety Commission of Japan has assessed the tolerable daily intake of two types of PFAS, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) (20 nanograms per day per 1 kg body weight for each). But the actual status of PFAS in the agricultural environment has not yet been elucidated. To establish a method for measuring PFAS concentrations in agricultural environments, NARO, in collaboration with consortium members (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Research Institute of Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries, Osaka Prefecture), has developed a method for extracting and detecting various types of PFAS in agricultural soil and compiled it into a provisional manual, and published it on the NARO website. (https://www.naro.go.jp/publicity_report/publication/pamphlet/tech-pamph/163758.html).

Special features of this manual are: Simultaneous analysis of multiple PFAS including representative PFAS such as PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS is possible

The system can simultaneously analyze soil concentrations of 30 selected PFAS species included in overseas assessments of drinking water and environmental water.

The system can simultaneously analyze soil concentrations of 30 selected PFAS species included in overseas assessments of drinking water and environmental water. Simplified process for multiple sample analysis

To reduce analysis time and resources, insoluble matter was removed by centrifugation, and the solution was transferred by decantation.

To reduce analysis time and resources, insoluble matter was removed by centrifugation, and the solution was transferred by decantation. Easy-to-understand visual explanation of analysis procedures

The process from sample preparation to content measurement, including soil sample collection and pretreatment, is explained in an easy-to-understand manner with illustrations.

The process from sample preparation to content measurement, including soil sample collection and pretreatment, is explained in an easy-to-understand manner with illustrations. Immediate analysis possible by specifying condition settings

The analytical parameters that are compatible with the models used are included in the manual with the cooperation of liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) manufacturers.

Although the development of a method to simultaneously analyze multiple types of PFAS in agricultural environments has just begun, but by publishing it as a "provisional manual", it is anticipated to be used by many analysts as an analysis method for PFAS in soil. We will accumulate the feedback and data from those analysts and will improve the manual to be more reliable and versatile that can be used for more types of soil in the future. It is expected that its widespread use will lead to a clarification of the actual status of PFAS in agricultural environments.

Related Information

Budget: This work was supported by the project "FY2022 Comprehensive Regulatory Science Research Promotion Project for Stable Supply of Safe Agricultural, Livestock and Fishery Products (Basic research on transfer (accumulation dynamics) of PFAS such as PFOA and PFOS from agricultural environment (water, soil, etc.) to agricultural products)" (JPJ008617. 22682068), funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).

For inquiries

Contact: http://www.naro.go.jp/english/inquiry/index.html
Genocide denial: US Congress passes amendment denying Gaza death toll

The majority of members of the US Congress, including more than 60 Democrats, have voted in favour of an amendment that would bar the State Department from using the Gaza health ministry's count for the death toll in Gaza

(Article republished from MiddleEastEye.net)

The vote pushes forward a piece of legislation that, if it passes, could further silence the discussion within the US government about the devastating impact that Israel's war on Gaza has had on the enclave's Palestinian population.

The amendment, a part of the State Department's annual appropriations bill, passed on Thursday with a 269-144 vote. Sixty-two Democrats joined the vote, while only two Republicans did not vote in favour of it.

On the day of the vote, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib spoke on the floor of Congress, saying that the amendment was essentially "genocide denial". The International Court of Justice ruled earlier this year there was a plausible case of Israel committing genocide in Gaza, after South Africa submitted a case on the issue.

"It's disgusting that my colleagues would support legislation to prohibit US officials from even citing the Palestinian death toll," Tlaib, the lone Palestinian lawmaker in US Congress, said on the House floor.

"They want to erase the Palestinians who are living, and now they are trying to erase the Palestinians who are dead. This is genocide denial."

Since Israel's war on Gaza began in October, many international NGOs as well as the United Nations have relied on the Gaza health ministry to know how many Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces.

Its disgusting that my colleagues would support legislation to prohibit U.S. officials from even citing the Palestinian death toll. They want to erase the Palestinians who are living, and now they are trying to erase the Palestinians who are dead. This is genocide denial. pic.twitter.com/ZY3x0BIlQ0  Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) June 27, 2024

It has been the sole source of regularly updated information on the death toll, as Israeli forces have decimated the enclave's health infrastructure and repeatedly laid siege to several hospitals.

So far, the death toll stands at nearly 38,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children.

However, with thousands of Palestinians likely under the rubble and the ministry facing a lack of resources, health experts believe the death toll is likely to be far higher.

While the legislation would force the State Department not to use the death toll, the Biden administration had already cast doubt on it early on in the war.

"[There is] no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people were killed," Biden said in a press conference in late October.

Those comments sparked outrage not just among Palestinians but also among rights groups and NGOs working on the ground in Gaza.

That same week of Biden's denial of the death toll, reports surfaced that officials within the Biden administration had cited the Gaza health ministry's death count in 20 different situation reports, with one official saying at the time that the toll was likely an undercount, not an overestimate.

Read more at: MiddleEastEye.net
FBI on the hunt for 500 truckers possibly involved in hundreds of MURDERS

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is reportedly looking for 500 truckers possibly involved in hundreds of murders over the last 35 years.

Former FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Frank Figliuzzi disclosed this in his second book "Long Haul: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers." According to him, the federal law enforcement agency's Highway Serial Killings (HSK) initiative has gathered a list of 850 murders that may be linked to long-haul truckers in its database.

Figliuzzi approached the topic from different angles while writing his book. He spent many hours riding with a long-haul driver and he also interviewed social workers and academics who helped at-risk people avoid human traffickers and pimps, who once frequented rest stop parking lots but now use the internet for their dealings. Figliuzzi also talked to the crime analysts trying to catch the suspects, who are allegedly exclusively men, who commit what the FBI classifies as highway homicides.

According to the FBI, highway homicides involve "female victims last seen at or near rest stops, truck stops or in very close proximity to a highway; who were either assaulted or killed; and who were dumped near a highway." While several truckers have been convicted of serial murders throughout the years, in America at least one quarter of the cases in the database are still unsolved. This means there are several active serial killers working as semitruck drivers, explained Figliuzzi.

His book also discussed in forensic detail how hundreds of truckers scour rest stops, motels and roadside restaurants for their victims. Because of the transitory nature of their job, they can kill and remain almost untraceable.

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 FBI's HSK estimates that at least 400 to 500 truckers could be connected to many murders from the past 35 years. While at least 850 women have disappeared or been found dead along the main interstate routes, only a small fraction of killers have been apprehended.

Serial killer truckers obsessed with CONTROL

While companies do conduct a cursory background check, Figliuzzi added that some trucking companies will prominently advertise that they are "second-chance companies" for people with felony records. He added that trucking itself could be "made less alienating or less attractive to people with violent ideas" by enforcing better screening procedures, something he believes must be better legislated.

The Daily Mail also shared one example of serial killers working as truckers, just like what Figliuzzi touches on in his book, who were brought to justice. Bruce Mendenhall, 56, was arrested in 2007 and later convicted for the murders of Samantha Winters and Sara Nicole Hulbert, both 25 years old. Both victims were found covered in plastic and duct tape, and shot in the head.

Further investigation revealed that Mendenhall was also involved in the murder of Carma Purpura, a single mother of two, based on DNA samples recovered from his truck. Sex worker Robin Bishop and hitchhiker Belinda Cartwright were also on the list of his alleged victims. (Related: Right Now with Ann Vandersteel: Deanna Williams recounts her story of abuse and manipulation  Brighteon.TV.)

For FBI crime analyst Catherine DeVane, who also heads the HSK initiative, there are two main reasons why serial killer truckers do what they do. Some want to "control life and death" because they need to "feel the power of controlling the outcome." Killers in the first category will usually rape and sexually torture their victims because they enjoy inflicting fear and pain.

Others, meanwhile, kill out of compulsion. According to DeVane, these kinds of serial murderers do not want to have sex with their victims but "want to murder someone." She warned that the two categories can overlap, like in the case of Mendenhall.

Social work professor Celia Williamson of the University of Toledo in Ohio spent 30 years studying adult prostitution and the sex trafficking of minors in the United States. She highlighted the fact that all the power is on the truckers' side.

Despite this alarming fact, prostitutes are desperate to earn money because they are beaten up if they don't meet their targets. Enter the truckers, who have money and have control of the meeting place  the cab of their truck. Once the encounters are over, they can just drive away.

Additionally, prostitutes who report sex abuse are often dismissed, especially after police officers find out what they do for a living.

Visit Twisted.news for similar stories.

Watch this clip about the arrest of a suspected serial killer of the homeless in Los Angeles.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Dark side of glam: Models expose sexual harassment, dangerous working conditions in fashion industry.

Murder rates across U.S. soared in 2021 to record levels amid engineered collapse of society.

CANNIBAL gangs are roving Haiti on murder sprees, "eating people they've killed."

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

CrimeReads.com

Brighteon.com
Yemens Houthis claim to have used a domestically made HYPERSONIC MISSILE against an Israeli ship

The Houthi movement of northern Yemen claims to have used a domestically made hypersonic missile for the first time against an Israeli vessel traveling through the Arabian Sea.

"The Yemeni Armed Forces reveal for the first time the identity of the missile that targeted the Israeli ship (MSC Sarah V) in the Arabian Sea," Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree wrote on X in Arabic. "It is a locally made hypersonic missile that possesses advanced technology, is accurate in hitting and reaches long ranges. Scenes of the launch, along with the rest of the details, will be distributed via the military media later, God willing." (Related: Yemeni military reiterates warning to Israeli-linked ships not to pass through the Red Sea after claiming to have sunk 2 ships that violated the blockade.)

Reports indicate that the hypersonic missile, dubbed the "Palestine," targeted the Liberian-flagged and Greek-managed container ship MSC Sarah V. The assault also targeted the MSC Sarah V farther away than nearly all of the previous assaults the Houthis have launched against ships.

Tracking data shows that the MSC Sarah V was bound for Abu Dhabi and had entered the Persian Gulf the next evening, indicating that the attack did not cripple the container ship. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations confirmed the attack, noting that the MSC Sarah V's crew reported an explosion near the ship's hull but that the incident caused no injuries.

Earlier, the Houthis released footage of the Palestine being launched at the Israeli Red Sea port city of Eilat. Israeli officials confirmed that a hypersonic missile had targeted the city, but claimed that the missile did not cause any damage or injuries.

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.

Analysts note that the Palestine may indeed be locally made, but its design seems to be heavily influenced by similar Iranian hypersonic missiles.

Houthi hypersonic missile likely designed in Iran

The launch of the Palestine occurred just one day before the Houthis released a video of the launch of another domestically manufactured hypersonic missile, known as the "Hatem-2" or "Hadim-2."

The text on the video claims the Hatem-2 is a solid-fuel missile with an intelligent control system and that the Houthis have already stockpiled multiple generations of the missile, with each successive generation being more advanced and able to reach targets farther away from Houthi-controlled territory in northern Yemen.

Saree noted in a statement that the missile was developed by the Yemeni Military Industrialization Corporation. It is unclear how the Houthis were able to develop the capability to manufacture such advanced military technologies as hypersonic missiles, which are classified as missiles that can travel at speeds of Mach 5 or faster, preventing standard anti-missile defense systems from easily intercepting them.

However, it should be noted that, in the past, the Houthis have been heavily reliant on weapons and military tech from Iran, which Tehran has allegedly been supplying the Houthis in contravention of a United Nations-sponsored arms embargo.

Analysis of the video shared by the Houthis even indicates that the Hatem-2 resembles the Fattah-1, an Iranian hypersonic missile that Tehran claims can travel at an effective speed of up to Mach 13, or 13 times the speed of sound.

Markus Schiller, director of ST Analytics, a German consulting firm that specializes in missile and space technology research, believes the missile was designed in Iran.

"Definitely something from the Iranian Fattah family of missiles, which date back to the 1990s and were continuously advanced since then," said Schiller, further noting that Tehran has recently been touting the latest versions of the Fattah missiles as hypersonic, and that the Houthis are unlikely to have developed that technology on their own.

"Hypersonic in this case is clearly a buzzword, trying to create hype," added Schiller, who does not believe that either the Hatem-2 or the Palestine actually are hypersonic missiles.

Learn more about the conflict in Israel and the Middle East at IsraelCollapse.com.

Watch this Hindustan Times report from March discussing how the Houthis were testing their hypersonic missiles on Israeli-affiliated ships passing through the Red Sea.

This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Yemen's Houthis attack bulk carrier in Red Sea with suicide drone boat  first time in this conflict.

Houthis claim missile attack on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in Red Sea; DoD says attack never happened.

Alleged American-Israeli SPY RING in Yemen nabbed by Houthis, accused of sabotage.

Houthi blockades prompt Israeli port of Eilat to lay off half its workers.

Houthi rebels attack two US destroyers in the Red Sea with devastating drone strike.

Sources include:

SputnikGlobe.com

ABCNews.go.com

BusinessInsider.com

Brighteon.com
Experts: Hunter Bidens FAILURE to register as a foreign agent could finally land him in jail

According to experts, Hunter Biden's failure to register as a foreign agent during his years of overseas business dealings could finally land him in jail.

The federal Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) passed in 1938 requires individuals acting as "an agent, representative, employee, or servant  at the order, request, or under the direction or control of a 'foreign principal,'" to register with the U.S. government. Failure to do so is a crime punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

"Foreign principal" is broadly defined, and can include government officials, foreign corporations, political organizations, influential private interests and more. Thus, the FARA has been employed in recent years to shine a light on foreign advocacy and lobbying in the United States. In this case, the presidential son's dealings with Ukraine, China and other nations necessitated his compliance with the FARA's stipulations.

"The recent disclosures of additional foreign contacts has only strengthened what was already a strong case. Indeed, in the last few weeks, the compelling basis for a FARA charge has become unassailable and undeniable," said Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University. "The influence peddling schemes directly reference the president and [Joe Biden] is repeatedly cited as a possible recipient of funds."

Meanwhile, FARA expert Craig Engle recounted the presidential son's tenure at the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma. Hunter introduced Vadym Pozharskyi  one of the company's top executives  to his father, according to emails found in the so-called "laptop from hell." Less than a year after this introduction, the elder Biden  who was already vice president  pressured government officials in Ukraine to fire prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who was investigating Burisma, in March 2016.

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.

"If Hunter relayed the request for U.S. government assistance [to fire Shokin], then that would be a FARA-registrable event," said Engle, who heads the political law practice at the Washington, D.C.-based firm Arent Fox Schiff. "Given the nature of the client, given the nature of the work, and given his relationship with Joe as demonstrated on his calendar, it makes it likely that FARA is part of an investigation."

Sen. Johnson doubts if Hunter will be held accountable for FARA violations

According to the New York Post, the presidential son's overseas exploits have run the gamut of potential behavior possibly violating FARA. In China, Hunter's work for energy company CEFC and its now-disgraced boss Ye Jianming dovetailed with the company's interest in gaining influence in the United States. Further revelations from the Post in 2020 promoted Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to send a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) demanding a review of possible FARA violations.

Emails from the controversial laptop also revealed that Hunter and Rosemont Seneca Partners (RSP) President Eric Schwerin even discussed their worries over domestic and foreign lobbying rules. The first son and the head of RSP, which Hunter owns, purportedly chose to remain unregistered.

But at least one lawmaker expressed skepticism over the possibility of Hunter being brought to justice for FARA violations.

"Unless the person indicted is a Republican, FARA has historically been a difficult law to prosecute and obtain a conviction for," lamented Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI). "I have always been suspicious that the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden is another example of the unequal application of justice, with Democrats and their elite allies getting kid glove treatment." (Related: Hunter Biden DEFIES House Oversight Committee subpoena.)

"My concern is that [the] DOJ will indict Hunter on watered-down charges, and then enter into a plea agreement that includes sealing the records on the case. That would be a travesty, because it would deny the American people of knowing the truth and full extent of Biden family corruption."

Watch this clip about Hunter Biden being found guilty of gun charges.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Hunter Biden found GUILTY of felony gun charges.

Tom Fitton: Congress HAS THE POWER to ARREST Hunter Biden.

White House press secretary: No presidential pardon for Hunter Biden.

Whistleblower: Secret Service prevented the FBI from interviewing Hunter Biden.

Journalist called 'secret cell phone' paid for by Hunter Biden and says Joe Biden answered.

Sources include:

NYPost.com

Brighteon.com
Pentagon chief recommends avoiding Israel-Hezbollah war but sends fighter jets to Israel anyway

For U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin an immediate diplomatic solution is needed to prevent a "costly war" between Israel and Lebanon despite "Hezbollah's provocations."

"Diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation. We're urgently seeking a diplomatic agreement that restores lasting calm to Israels northern border and enables civilians to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border," Austin claimed to reporters during a meeting at the Pentagon with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on June 25.

Hezbollah and Israeli forces have exchanged fire on a near-daily basis since the beginning of the war in Gaza, but escalating attacks over the last several weeks have caused growing unease. And the U.S. official blamed the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah's threats. "Hezbollah's provocations threaten to drag the Israeli and Lebanese people into a war that they do not want and such a war would be a catastrophe for Lebanon and it would be devastating for innocent Israeli and Lebanese civilians," Austin told Gallant. "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."

Previously, Gallant suggested Israel pursue a large-scale war against Hezbollah but during the meeting, he said he was "working closely" with Austin to find a diplomatic resolution. However, they also discussed military "readiness in every possible scenario." Gallant insisted on the threat of nuclear war with Iran, telling Austin that "time is running out."

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 greatest threat to the future of the world and the future of our region is Iran," he told Austin. "Now is the time to realize the commitment of the American administrations over the years to promise to prevent Iran from possessing nuclear weapons." Austin's reply to Gallant indicated that the Biden regime "will always support Israel's right to defend itself and the United States will always ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself."

The defense chief vowed Washington's commitment to Israel as a third squadron of F-35 fighter jets is already set to make its way to Israel. "We stand together to ensure that Iran  can never achieve a nuclear weapon," Austin added.

However, Israeli military officials and experts continue to raise doubts about the army's capabilities in a scenario against Hezbollah. Israel Defense Forces chief General Yitzhak Brik previously said that "waging war on Hezbollah is a step tantamount to mass suicide," adding that the Israeli "army is small in size and it is unable to win even in one front and certainly not in six fronts at the same time." (Related: Israel moves resources north in preparation for WAR with Hezbollah despite U.S. officials warning conflict could overwhelm Israeli defenses.)

Iran FM warns if Israel's regime threatens destruction, it has to be destroyed as well

On Friday, Iran's mission to the United Nations posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that if Israel embarks on full-scale military aggression in Lebanon against Hezbollah, they will immediately retaliate and an obliterating war will ensue. "All options, including the full involvement of all resistance fronts, are on the table," it added.

Albeit Iran deems as psychological warfare the Zionist regimes propaganda about intending to attack Lebanon, should it embark on full-scale military aggression, an obliterating war will ensue. All options, incl. the full involvement of all Resistance Fronts, are on the table.  I.R.IRAN Mission to UN, NY (@Iran_UN) June 28, 2024

Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded saying that if "Hezbollah does not cease its fire and withdraw from southern Lebanon, we will act against it with full force until security is restored and residents can return to their homes. A regime that threatens destruction deserves to be destroyed."

The Axis of Resistance, an informal Iranian-led political and military coalition in West Asia and North Africa, which includes Hezbollah, Hamas, Yemen's Houthis and other groups in Syria and Iraq has been targeting Israel since it started its genocidal retaliation to the initial Hamas attack in Gaza.

Iran itself also launched an unprecedented missile-and-drone strike on Israel on April 14, two weeks after an alleged Israel airstrike near Tehran's embassy in Damascus killed several senior officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Iranian strike was almost entirely repelled by Israel, the United States and other allies, though a seven-year-old girl was seriously injured in the attack.

Back on June 19, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said during a speech that no place in Israel would be spared from the group's weapons in case of a full-blown war, adding that Hezbollah would fight with "no rules" and "no ceilings." Nasrallah also blasted Cyprus for allowing Israel to use its territory for military exercises and appeared to threaten Israels offshore gas rigs. "Israel knows that what also awaits it in the Mediterranean is very big," the militant group's leader said.

Speaking at a ceremony commemorating senior Hezbollah commander Taleb Abdullah, whom Israel killed in an airstrike a week before, Nasrallah said the Shiite terror group does not want "total war" but is only acting in support of Hamas. "We will continue to support Gaza and we are ready for anything. We are not afraid," said Nasrallah. "Our demand is clear: A complete and permanent ceasefire in Gaza."

IsraelCollapse.com contains more stories related to the ongoing conflicts between Israel and other nations.

Sources for this article include:

TheCradle.co

AlJazeera.com

TimesOfIsrael.com
Putin to send Russian children to North Korean summer camps

Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to send children from his Movement of the First Youth organization to a summer camp in North Korea, where they will be expected to polish statues of leaders and undergo enforced exercise routines.

Grigory Gurov, the head of the Movement of the First Youth, announced the plan as part of the military pact that Putin and Kim signed in Pyongyang on June 19. Kim gifted Putin a luxury car during his visit to Pyongyang, and in return, Putin promised to send children from the Movement of the First Youth to the Songdowon camp. (Related: North Koreas Kim Jong Un, Russias Vladimir Putin sign mutual defense treaty.)

The Movement of the First Youth, established by Putin in 2022 shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, seeks to instill Kremlin ideology among Russian youth. Its members, easily recognizable by their red berets and neck scarves, are often seen carrying flags at official ceremonies. Meanwhile, the Songdowon camp, built by Kim II-sung, the grandfather of dictator Kim Jong-un, in 1960, is a peculiar mix of a boarding house with frequent blackouts, early wake-ups and roll calls, combined with a Disney-themed water park.

Artem Samsonov, a former Communist Party official who visited the camp in 2015, provided a vivid description of the camp on the Livejournal blogging platform. He recounted children waking at 6:30 a.m. to clean the area in front of the Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il statues, using special pads to polish the statues.

Samsonov, who was later imprisoned in 2022 for molesting a child, detailed a tightly packed schedule for the children, including enforced exercise, state-approved lessons, cleaning and evening discos. He also mentioned that the food at the camp was consistent, with "soup, rice, potatoes" always on the menu.

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.

"We received special attention and were given not brooms but special pads and were allowed to wipe the statue itself," he wrote next to photographs of Russian children polishing a stone plinth.

Meaning to say, this initiative is the latest indication of strengthening ties between Russia and North Korea as they prepare for any potential invasion. The treaty obligates the signatories to provide "military and other assistance with all means in their possession without delay" if either nation faces an armed invasion.

Russian parents voice concerns about sending children to North Korea

The plan has sparked a wave of concern among Russian parents, who have taken to social media to voice their worries.

One parent humorously suggested that the only way to escape the camp would be to "walk through the jungle to South Korea." Another user attempted to reassure skeptics, sharing her positive experience at Songdowon in 2017, which she claimed was better than a Russian youth camp in occupied Crimea.

"Compared to Artek, it's a good camp," she said. "It has the same pools, water parks, stadiums, just with a different culture and completely without the internet."

But then, Gurov tried to assuage these worries and stated: "We will now form our delegation. Conditions there are good."

Learn more about the increasing animosity between the Western world and Russia, North Korea and their allies at WWIII.news.

Watch this video showing Russian President Vladimir Putin's arrival in Pyongyang.

This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Gearing up for WWIII? Putin suggests sending missiles to North Korea.

North Korean troops could join Russias war action against Ukraine.

North Korea, Russia vow to form NEW WORLD ORDER free of U.S. domination.

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:

Yahoo.com

DailyMail.co.uk
Russia accuses U.S. of expanding biological weapons research in Africa

Russia is now accusing the United States of expanding its bioweapons research on the African continent.

Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, head of the Russian Armed Forces' Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Forces, made this claim earlier in the week based on information his troops have garnered. The information alleges that the U.S. is shifting gears after similar programs that America had underway in former Ukrainian territories were stopped by Russia during the conflict there.

Kirillov stated: "Because Russia has managed to halt the implementation of biological warfare programs in Ukraines liberated territories, the Pentagon is forced to transfer incomplete research under Ukrainian projects to other regions.

He claimed that U.S. Department of Defense contractors are working on such programs in a number of African countries, including as South Africa, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

According to Kirillov, the U.S. works with outside parties in an attempt to obscure this activity. They named a number of intermediaries, such as EcoHealth Alliance and Metabiota, that they believe are being used as part of the expanded bioweapon biological warfare programs in Africa.

He also identified several examples to support his claims. For example, he pointed to U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases staff carrying out a large-scale study of hantavirus from bats in Kenya last October.

In a more recent example, he cited a meeting between officials from the Pentagon and the Department of Health and Human Services with disease control officials in Africa to explore the possibility of developing lab capabilities there.

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.

In the past, Kirillov has accused the U.S. of carrying out research on dangerous pathogens and components of bioweapons in Ukraine.

Biological research facilities around the world

There are believed to be more than 300 biological research facilities run by the Pentagon throughout the world, and Africa is considered to be a hot spot. In many cases, these facilities are set up under the pretense of improve the areas health services or fighting local epidemics, but the involvement of agencies like the Pentagon indicates something more is going on.

Russian military intelligence maintains that there are at least four American bio labs in Nigeria alone, and Kirillov has drawn attention in the past to what he termed a strange coincidence of epidemic outbreaks in the area surrounding the facilities.

There have also been reports of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Forest Glen Park, Maryland carrying out activities at the facilities belonging to the Nigerian Ministry of Defense. This involves testing dangerous pathogens that could be exposing countless Nigerians to a major biohazard.

Kirillov even went so far as to call on the World Health Organization to look into the activities at labs in the Nigerian cities of Lagos, Zaria and Abuja funded by the U.S. and share its findings with the world.

U.S. accuses Russia of disinformation

The U.S. insists these labs are harmless and has accused Russia of being engaged in disinformation, suggesting it could be part of a broader plan to further its efforts in Ukraine.

The U.S. Government is concerned that this false narrative may be a prelude for a false-flag operation where Russia itself uses biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons in Ukraine, and then attempts to blame it on Ukraine and/or the United States, the State Departments Global Engagement Center warned last year.

It added that Russia continues to maintain an offensive biological weapons program in violation of its obligations under the Biological Weapons Convention.

Sources for this article include:

RT.com

GlobalResearch.ca

State.gov
On July 1, the China-Serbia Free Trade Agreement officially came into effect. On the same day, Xuancheng Customs issued the first certificate of origin under China-Serbia Free Trade Agreement for a batch of non-woven fabrics exported by Xingyi Synthetic Leather Co., Ltd. in Ningguo City, Anhui Province, to Serbia. The shipment, valued at 56,500 yuan, allows the company to enjoy nearly 3,000 yuan in tariff reductions in the importing country with the certificate. This marks Anhui's first certificate of origin under China-Serbia Free Trade Agreement. The China-Serbia Free Trade Agreement is the first free trade agreement signed between China and a Central and Eastern European country, and the 22nd free trade agreement signed by China. According to the agreement, China and Serbia will mutually eliminate tariffs on 90% of tariff items, with over 60% of items seeing immediate tariff elimination upon the agreement's effect. China will include Serbian-origin products such as generators, electric motors, tires, beef, wine, and nuts under zero tariffs, with related product tariffs gradually reduced from 5% - 20% down to zero. Similarly, Serbia will include Chinese-origin products such as automobiles, photovoltaic components, lithium batteries, machinery equipment, refractory materials, and certain agricultural and aquatic products under zero tariffs, with related product tariffs also gradually reduced from the current 5% - 20% down to zero. The Deputy Director of the Tariff Department of Hefei Customs stated, "We will further strengthen the promotion of free trade agreement policies, actively guide import and export enterprises to standardize their declarations, and fully utilize the rules of origin and tariff reduction measures under the agreement. At the same time, we will continue to promote the 'self-printing + intelligent review' model for certificates of origin, implement trade facilitation measures between China and Serbia, and support the high-quality development of Anhui's foreign trade."

Source: Anhui Daily
Rep. Massie: Trump has proposed eliminating the income tax and replacing it with tariffs

Former President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating the income tax and replacing it with an "all-tariff" policy on imports , according to a Republican lawmaker.

Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie disclosed this in a post on X, citing a private meeting Trump had with GOP lawmakers at the Capitol Hill Club last month. "Most intriguing policy idea from the GOP meeting: Trump briefly floated the concept of eliminating the income tax and replacing it with tariffs," he wrote.

An "all-tariff policy" would ultimately enable the U.S. to get rid of the income tax, as per En-Volve. The former president also reportedly talked about using tariffs to leverage negotiating power over bad actors, according to another source in the room.

"The remarks show Trump, who championed tariffs as a foreign policy multi-tool during his first term in office, is considering a drastically more protectionist trade agenda if he defeats President Joe Biden in November," CNBC reported.

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green also lauded the meeting: "I was thrilled to hear [former] President Trump suggest we raise tariffs and reduce the income tax for Americans to zero as a new tax policy after the tax plan expires this year. This will really help struggling Americans get back on their feet after four bad years of Bidenomics. (Related: Americans are much worse off financially under Biden compared to Trump, survey reveals.)

During the meeting, Trump also urged lawmakers to cut taxes on income from tips. Trump used tariffs aggressively during his first term in office, placing levies of up to 25 percent on a wide range of Chinese products as one of many efforts to thwart competition.

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.

South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds said cutting taxes on tips could help the GOP win over working-class voters. "If there was something we could do to really energize that particular segment of the population, that might be a real popular thing to do," he told reporters.

The former chief executive also criticized a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine that recently passed with GOP support. Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon recounted: "He's like, 'If Ukraine wins, what will be the benefit?'"

Trump to ease Wall Street from "burdensome regulations"

Back in April, Trump vowed to sharply reduce the power of U.S. financial regulators the second he returns to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, according to a review of public documents and interviews with people allied with the former president.

According to Reuters, Trump would likely renew his efforts to scale back reforms if elected and pare protections for small-scale investors and borrowers. He would also allow companies to raise money with less scrutiny. The news outlet spoke with about a dozen people who have provided advice or been consulted by Trump or his allies.

Trump has not yet announced a formal policy staff or released detailed positions on how he would regulate Wall Street aside from short videos and snippets in campaign appearances. But the sources said that a constellation of experts and Trump allies are pitching regulatory rewrites, identifying potential staff and floating ideas on TV, in op-eds and directly to Trump at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.

Some of the ideas in Trump's current policy orbit have long circulated in conservative economic conversation. They include curtailing the Dodd-Frank Act, a set of post-2008 financial crisis rules intended to reduce systemic risk.

Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign, said the former president had success in peeling back regulations during his administration. She stated in an email to Reuters: "Trump's pro-growth, deregulatory agenda ignited the greatest economy in history."

Watch the video below about Trump's tax cuts when he was still president five years ago.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

ESCAPE FROM NY: Rigged Trump trial will devastate NY real estate and commercial investment sector.

Marjorie Taylor Greene calls for no federal funding to New York over Trump conviction.

BREAKING: Trump promises to stop taxing tips.

Sources include:

En-Volve.com

CNBC.com

Yahoo.com

Reuters.com

Brighteon.com
U.K. uses AI developed by Amazon to read peoples moods at train stations

A series of artificial intelligence (AI) trials in the U.K. involving thousands of train passengers who were unwittingly subjected to emotion-detecting software has raised privacy concerns

The technology, developed by Amazon and employed at various major train stations, including London's Euston and Waterloo, used AI to scan faces and assess emotional states along with age and gender. Documents obtained by the civil liberties group Big Brother Watch through a Freedom of Information request uncovered these practices, which might soon influence advertising strategies.

These trials used CCTV technology and older cameras linked to cloud-based systems to monitor a range of activities, including detecting trespassing on train tracks, managing crowd sizes on platforms and identifying antisocial behaviors such as shouting or smoking. The trials even monitored potential bike theft and other safety-related incidents. (Related:AI surveillance tech can find out who your friends are.)

The data derived from these systems could be utilized to enhance advertising revenues by gauging passenger satisfaction through their emotional states, captured when individuals crossed virtual tripwires near ticket barriers. Critics argue that the technology is unreliable and have called for its prohibition.

Over the past two years, eight train stations around the U.K. have tested AI surveillance technology, with CCTV cameras intending to alert staff to safety incidents and potentially reduce certain types of crime.

The extensive trials, overseen by rail infrastructure body Network Rail, have used object recognition  a type of machine learning that can identify items in video feeds. Separate trials have used wireless sensors to detect slippery floors, full bins and drains that may overflow.

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 rollout and normalization of AI surveillance in these public spaces, without much consultation and conversation, is quite a concerning step," said Jake Hurfurt, research and investigations head of Big Brother Watch.

Using technology to detect emotions is unreliable

AI researchers have frequently warned that using the technology to detect emotions is "unreliable," and some say the technology should be banned due to the difficulty of working out how someone may be feeling from audio or video. In October 2022, the U.K.'s data regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office, issued a public statement warning against the use of emotion analysis, saying the technologies are "immature" and "they may not work yet, or indeed ever."

Privacy advocates are particularly alarmed by the opaque nature and the potential for overreach in the use of AI in public spaces. Hurfurt has expressed significant concerns about the normalization of such invasive surveillance without adequate public discourse or oversight.

"Network Rail had no right to deploy discredited emotion recognition technology against unwitting commuters at some of Britain's biggest stations, and I have submitted a complaint to the Information Commissioner about this trial," Hurfurt said.

"It is alarming that as a public body, it decided to roll out a large-scale trial of Amazon-made AI surveillance in several stations with no public awareness, especially when Network Rail mixed safety tech in with pseudoscientific tools and suggested the data could be given to advertisers," he added.

"Technology can have a role to play in making the railways safer, but there needs to be a robust public debate about the necessity and proportionality of tools used. AI-powered surveillance could put all our privacy at risk, especially if misused, and Network Rail's disregard of those concerns shows a contempt for our rights."

Visit FutureTech.news for similar stories.

Watch Stanford University professor Michael Snyder explaining how AI is used to collect data on people below.

This video is from the Nonvaxer420 channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Google censors all AI that generates supposed "hate speech" in Google Play Store.

Former OpenAI employees release A Right to Warn document warning about advanced AI risks.

Database leak reveals ALARMING list of Googles privacy blunders, including recording childrens voices and exposing license plates seen on Street View.

FASCIST INCEST: Ex-NSA chief joins board of OpenAI to expand tentacles of military-industrial complex.

AI candidate running for U.K. parliament to appear on the ballot for general elections in July.

Sources include:

ReclaimTheNet.org

Brighteon.com
Military analyst: Zelensky established drone unit in Ukrainian Armed Forces to SWINDLE MORE MONEY

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky established a drone unit in the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) to swindle more money from the West , according to military analyst Alexander Mikhailov.

In February, Zelensky signed a decree creating the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF), which exclusively focuses on the use of drones in the battlefield. The Ukrainian president's office said the USF will seek to "increase the capabilities of [the AFU] and to use unmanned and robotic air, sea and ground systems."

"This year should be decisive in many aspects  and obviously on the battlefield," Zelensky said at the time. "Drones  unmanned systems  have proven their effectiveness in battles on land, in the sky and at sea."

The USF was formally established in June, with Col. Vadym Sukharevsky being appointed its commander on the 26th. Military reference book publisher Jane's has even named it "the world's first unmanned force."

But for Mikhailov, the head of the Russian think tank Bureau of Military-Political Analysis (BVPA), the USF's establishment has provided the corrupt Zelensky with another opportunity to demand more money from the West.

"A separate military branch requires the allocation of separate funding from the budget of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (MOU). Since the [MOU] is entirely funded by the collective West, [Kyiv] will send new, increased bills to [its] Western curators for the creation of this new force," he told Sputnik News.

"One should not see Ukraine as some kind of a military model. As far as I know, neither in the U.S., nor in Israel, nor European countries have separate military branches for unmanned vehicles."

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.

According to Mikhailov, the success of drone warfare cannot be determined by the number of new military branches. Rather, it is determined by the reality on the ground  where unmanned and electronic warfare (EW) systems work in tandem to ensure the army's readiness, agility and survivability.

Mikhailov also comments on Russia's drone and electronic warfare capability

The BVPA head also commented on Russia's drone and electronic warfare capability during his interview with Sputnik News. Moscow's military has been increasingly implementing unmanned robotic systems in virtually all branches of the Russian Armed Forces (AFR), he said.

Mikhailov mentioned several examples of this. According to him, Russian motorized rifle regiments "have their own small drones, which provide terrain reconnaissance and transmission of artillery data." The AFR has also utilized drones that provide additional security to combat vehicles that accompany crews and has also made use of unmanned vehicles that deliver ammunition to troops on the front line.

Before the start of Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022, it was hardly the leader in military drone technology, said Mikhailov. But this has changed since then, with the military firm Kalashnikov Concern making a huge contribution to the war effort  with its state-of-the-art Lancet and Kub drones.

Other military corporations in Russia have also begun production of new unmanned systems, he added. These include the Almaz-Antey Corporation, the United Aircraft Corporation and Russian Helicopters.

Mikhailov also mentioned to Sputnik News that Russia's EW capability has taken on a new significance amid the ongoing "drone war" in Ukraine. Modern challenges posed by unmanned systems have catalyzed the development of Moscow's EW capabilities  turning it into one of the most important forms of battlefield support, he continued.

"Russia has the scientific and technical expertise to create electronic warfare systems and complexes. Now, there is a great demand for mobile EW stations, portable systems that can detect enemy drones and ensure (the) safety of both military units and individual combat vehicles and fighters."

Head over to Corruption.news for similar stories.

Watch this clip of Russian troops taking out a Ukrainian drone using a portable air defense system.

This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Russia making progress toward goal of MASS PRODUCING combat drones to rival Ukraine's Western-supplied drone fleet.

Ukraine claims to be developing "unstoppable" AI-controlled drones that can attack targets on the battlefield.

Ukrainian DRONE SWARMS target four Russian oil refineries in largest drone attack yet.

Ukraine unleashes KAMIKAZE drone boats against Russian ships in the Black Sea.

Russia unveils new ANTI-DRONE ROBOT named "Wall-E."

Sources include:

SputnikGlobe.com

KyivIndependent.com

Brighteon.com
Bidens DISMAL performance in debate against Trump threatens to undermine his candidacy, causes panic among Dems

President Joe Biden's dismal performance in his debate against former President Donald Trump threatens to undermine his candidacy and causes panic among Democrats.

Biden frequently froze and misspoke during his first, and probably only, debate against Trump on June 27. Notably, the 81-year-old chief executive lost his line of thought for about nine seconds, looking down at his lectern before showing up again to declare that he "finally beat Medicare."

Even his soft, scratchy voice failed to win voters over. Aides attributed this to a cold he seemingly picked up during his week-long out-of-the-public view preparation for the debate held in Atlanta. (Related: Another GAFFE? Biden blurts incoherent outburst at reporters a day after Hollywood fundraiser freezing moment.)

Several Democratic Party sources shared their pessimism to the New York Post, with one source describing Biden's performance as "abysmal." They continued: "If I knew nothing about Donald Trump before that debate and judged him solely on that performance, I'd vote for him."

A second source meanwhile said it was to be decided whether Biden was still going to be the party's nominee  with two months to go before the Democratic National Convention in August, to be held in Chicago.

"Biden misspoke," the second source quipped. "He saved Medicare, but now someone needs to save Biden."

A third Democratic insider offered no defense when asked to reply to Biden's Medicare comment. "I don't know what he meant," the simply said.

Dems in a deep, wide and very aggressive PANIC

Former New York State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, a Democrat, acknowledged that Biden is a "good, honorable man" with "much to be proud of" in a post on X following the June 27 debate. She nevertheless acknowledged that "it is time to step aside and call off this run."

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.

Other Democrats decided to brief secretly, with CNN reporter John King starting the network's post-debate coverage by reporting "a deep, a wide and a very aggressive panic in the Democratic Party."

"It started minutes into the debate  and it continues right now," King added. "It involves party strategists. It involves elected officials. It involves fundraisers, and they're having conversations about the president's performance, which they think was abysmal, which they think will hurt other people down the party ticket, and they're having conversations about what they should do about it."

"Questions about Biden's age and frailty have dragged down his polling numbers for months," NBC News pointed out. "The public issues are aggravated by carefully edited videos, some of which have gone viral, that cut off appropriate parts of an event, making it appear as if Biden is wandering or confused."

"This was Biden's first chance since the State of the Union speech to dismiss that narrative. Instead of a fresh start, several Democrats viewed it as a moment for panic."

A party strategist who has served on presidential campaigns lamented how "Democrats just committed collective suicide," pointing out that the June 27 debate "is a nail in the political coffin."

"Biden sounds hoarse, looks tired and is babbling," the strategist continued. "He is reaffirming everything voters already perceived. President Biden can't win."

A Democratic consultant who deals with down-ballot races also echoed the strategist's thoughts. "It's hard to argue that we shouldn't nominate someone else," they commented.

Follow JoeBiden.news for more stories about the incumbent president.

Watch this clip about the Democrats panicking over Biden's shaky performance in his debate with Trump.

This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Corporate media conspiracy unfolds after CNN declares NO COMMENTARY ALLOWED on Trump-Biden debate.

Trump calls out MSMs DOUBLE STANDARD when it comes to reporting about his cognitive health vs. Bidens.

Debate commission co-chair believes Trump campaign got rolled when it agreed to Biden campaigns stipulations for debates.

Sources include:

NYPost.com

NBCNews.com

Brighteon.com
Want to boost brain health and prevent dementia? Vitamin D supplementation is the key, says study

Vitamin D is often linked to many health benefits such as strong bones and teeth and a healthy immune system. Reports also suggest that having adequate levels of vitamin D can help reduce your risk of depression . But science says vitamin D can offer more.

According to a recent study by researchers from Canada and the U.K., supplementing with vitamin D can also help reduce your risk of dementia. Dementia is an umbrella term for cognitive issues that commonly plague older adults, often characterized by an impaired ability to think, remember or make decisions. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, and it affects an estimated 6.9 million Americans aged 65 and older today.

Vitamin D: a potent nutrient for dementia prevention

Numerous studies have long reported about the connection between vitamin D deficiency and dementia. For instance, a 2014 study published in the journal Neurology analyzed data from 1,658 older adults and found that being deficient in vitamin D substantially increased their risks of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease. However, despite this association, the potential of vitamin D supplementation to lower these risks remains largely unexplored.

To address this, researchers from the University of Calgary and the University of Exeter conducted a prospective cohort study to investigate the effects of vitamin D on dementia incidence. All data used in the study came from the National Alzheimer's Coordination Center database, a centralized data repository for the National Institute of Aging's (NIA) Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRC) Program, and were obtained from a total of 12,388 participants. These individuals were all dementia-free at the beginning of data collection (baseline).

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 researchers divided the participants into two groups: those with baseline exposure to vitamin D and those without prior to the onset of dementia. They also looked at the effect of three different types of vitamin D supplement, namely, calciumvitamin D, cholecalciferol and ergocalciferol. They hypothesized that taking any of these commonly used vitamin D supplements would be associated with a lower incidence of dementia. (Related: 6 Mushrooms you can eat to prevent cognitive impairment and reduce your dementia risk.)

Aside from age, sex, education, race, cognitive diagnosis and depression, the researchers also adjusted for apolipoprotein E (APOE) e4 status. APOE is a protein that combines with lipids to form lipoproteins, which are responsible for packaging and transporting cholesterol through the bloodstream. The APOE gene has three versions, one of which (e4) has been found to increase a person's risk of developing early-onset Alzheimer's disease. The APOE e4 allele can be inherited from one or both parents, with the latter case resulting in an even greater risk of Alzheimer's.

Data analyses revealed that exposure to any form of vitamin D was associated with significantly longer dementia-free survival as well as a lower incidence rate of Alzheimer's compared to no exposure. In fact, supplementing with vitamin D reduced dementia risk among the participants by 40 percent. The researchers also noted that the effects of vitamin D were significantly greater among women than men and among those with normal cognition than those with mild cognitive impairment.

Lastly, the researchers noted that the "effect of vitamin D on [dementia] incidence rate differed significantly across the strata of sex, cognitive status, and APOE e4 status." In particular, the effects of vitamin D supplementation were significantly greater among individuals who did not carry the APOE e4 gene than those who inherited the gene from either one or both parents.

Although the researchers were unsure why the participants visited an ADRC and why they were taking vitamin D supplements, their findings nevertheless "implicate vitamin D as a potential agent for dementia prevention and provide additional support for its use in at-risk individuals for [Alzheimer's disease] dementia."

Vitamin D is important for brain function

In an earlier study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, researchers at Tufts University in Massachusetts sought to understand the role of vitamin D in the brain and why a person's vitamin D levels have a huge impact on his cognitive performance. Lead author Kyla Shea, an associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts, explained that they "wanted to know if vitamin D is even present in the brain, and if it is, how those concentrations are linked to cognitive decline."

To achieve their objective, the researchers examined brain samples collected from 209 participants in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a long-term study whose goal was to identify the post-mortem indices linking genetic and environmental risk factors to the development of Alzheimer's. They looked for vitamin D in four different regions of the human brain.

Two of those brain regions are associated with changes observed in Alzheimer's disease, while one is associated with forms of dementia that have been linked to blood flow. The last region has no established link to Alzheimer's or vascular disease-related cognitive decline. (Related: Research shows Lions mane mushroom can combat dementia and cognitive decline.)

The researchers found that vitamin D is a natural component of brain tissue. In fact, the presence of high levels of vitamin D in all four regions of the brain that they examined correlated with better brain performance and a 25 to 30 percent lower risk of dementia or mild cognitive impairment. The researchers identified 25(OH)D3, or calcifediol, as the most abundant form of vitamin D in brain tissue.

Inadequate levels of vitamin D have been shown to have a detrimental effect on brain structure and function. In mice, vitamin D deficiency not only affects their learning ability but also reduces perineuronal nets in the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with learning and memory formation. These perineuronal nets are said to act like scaffolding in the brain that helps stabilize the connections between brain cells (neurons).

Researchers believe that insufficient vitamin D levels in the brain cause these perineuronal nets to weaken, making them more susceptible to degradation by enzymes. Because neurons in the hippocampus cannot maintain connections without these supportive nets, cognitive functions associated with the hippocampus, such as learning, short- and long-term memory and visual-spatial memory, become impaired. This is why maintaining healthy vitamin D levels is important for brain health and function.

Despite these findings, researchers caution adults not to take large doses of vitamin D without first consulting a healthcare professional. Too much vitamin D can cause calcium to build up in your blood -- a condition known as hypercalcemia. Vitamin D toxicity can also cause bone pain and calcium stones to form in your kidneys.

The recommended daily intake of vitamin D for adults 51 to 70 years of age is 15 micrograms (mcg) or 600 International Units (IU). For adults 71 years old and above, the recommended daily vitamin D intake is 20 mcg or 800 IU. Adults aged 19 to 50 years are also advised to get 15 mcg or 600 IU of vitamin D every day. (Related: Vitamin D supplementation can REDUCE cancer death risk by 16%, study shows.)

Two forms of vitamin D are present in foods of supplements: vitamin D2, or ergocalciferol, and vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol. Both forms of vitamin D are well-absorbed in the small intestine.

For the latest research about vitamin D, visit VitaminD.news.

Watch the following video to learn about vitamin D for brain power and mood benefits.

This video is from the Holistic Herbalist channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Vitamin D deficiency is common  heres how it can affect your health.

Vitamin D found to prevent diabetes: STUDY.

STUDY: Eating a junk food-filled diet during adolescence could lead to long-term memory impairment in adulthood.

Study: Consuming more antioxidant flavanols slows memory decline in older adults.

Wild blueberries found to improve cardiovascular health and cognitive performance in older adults.

Sources included:

Healthline.com

StudyFinds.org

CDC.gov

Alz.org

Neurology.org

MedlinePlus.gov

ALZ-Journals.OnlineLibrary.Wiley.com 1

NIA.NIH.gov

News.Exeter.ac.uk

News-Medical.net

Karger.com

ALZ-Journals.OnlineLibrary.Wiley.com 2

MedicalNewsToday.com

MayoClinic.org

ODS.OD.NIH.gov

Brighteon.com
GROOMER ISLAND: Canadian university to sponsor drag classes for kids at anti-family summer camp on remote island

A Canadian university is set to sponsor drag classes for minors on a remote island.

The University of British Columbia (UBC) will be sponsoring the anti-family LGBT summer camp called "UBC CampOUT" at Camp Fircom on Gambier Island from July 4 to 7. Located near Vancouver, the remote Gambier Island is accessible only by boat. The camp  which has been running since 2009  now targets potential queer, trans, two-spirit, questioning and allied youths aged 14 to 21 across British Columbia and the Yukon region.

A news release from UBC confirmed that Daniel Gallardo, a doctoral student in the university's faculty of education, will lead classes on drag performance and gender identity alongside to other "drag parents." The camp will also offer gender-related activities, including drag workshops, leadership-building opportunities and community engagement sessions. Gallardo is also a drag queen, performing under the name "Gaia Lacandona." (Related: LEGO produces pride video with Drag Queens and Furries.)

"Young people questioning their gender identity are encouraged to attend 'drag workshops, leadership building opportunities and community,'" said Gallardo. "I want them to embody their imagination and free themselves from social constructions that have been imposed on our identities, like gender and the nuclear family."

Furthermore, he stated that the camp seeks to get kids to "imagine being whomever they want," to allow kids to be "free" from what it says are "colonial notions" such as the "nuclear family," along with the biological fact that there are only male and female genders. According to Gallardo, one of his goals is to have some of his "drag children" choose their "drag" name during the camp.

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.

Canadians push back against LGBT agenda targeting children

In response to all this youth indoctrination, Canadians are pushing back against the LGBT agenda targeting children.

Recently, Canadian clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson stated that LGBT indoctrination in Canadian schools "has to stop" after a concerned citizen named Chanel Pfahl posted a photo of third-grade students on X, formerly known as Twitter, being taught about drag queens and drag kings. The classroom, set at Tony Pontes Public School in Caledon, Ontario, displayed a slide titled "What is Pride Month?" Pfahl captioned the picture, mockingly describing it as third-grade education under Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

The concerned citizen and former high school teacher wrote, addressing Toronto Education Minister Todd Smith: "Maybe more academics and less of whatever this is would be a good thing for [third-graders]? What do you think?"

Peterson replied to the concerned citizen's post in June 2022, calling the attention of both the school and the Ontario premier. "This has to stop," he began his reply on X. "The K-12 system is almost entirely in the hands of the anti-liberal/anti-conservative radicals. A very bad long-term strategy for traditionalists or even the merely sane."

This was not the first time that Peterson, a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, blasted Pride month. He earlier remarked that Pride is not a "celebration of love" but a "celebration of casual hedonistic self-centered sex."

Head over to Groomers.news for more stories about drag performances that involve children.

Watch InfoWars host Owen Shroyer discussing a viral video of drag queens teaching children to dance like strippers at a drag show.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Air Force accused of promoting DRAG and other LGBT Pride events for military personnel and their families using taxpayer money.

Drag queen feted by Kamala Harris accused of multiple sexual assault.

Drag queen CEO of United Airlines accused of mocking employees who applied for religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

DRAG MONEY: Crime-riddled San Francisco appoints nations first drag laureate, pays him $55,000 for celebrating drag culture.

Drag queens dressed as Disney characters perform in front of kids at Tennessee brewery.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com 1

LifeSiteNews.com 2
DNC considering early nomination for Biden after clown show debate performance

To ensure his name remains on November ballots, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) wants to nominate Joe Biden early so Democrat insiders will not have the ability to replace him.

Internal discussions are reportedly ongoing about whether Biden should be retired and replaced, which is striking fear into those at the DNC who seem to recognize that apart from major fraud, Donald Trump will win the 2024 election  especially if Biden is removed and replaced at the last minute.

In an effort to try to unify the Democrat Party following Biden's dismal debate performance, the DNC hopes to fast-track Biden's nomination to as soon as July 21 during the DNC credentials committee meeting.

"The strategy has been met with mixed reactions, with some viewing it as a necessary step to maintain party unity, while others see it as a risky move that could alienate certain factions within the party," reads a Grok summary of posts on X about the situation.

(Related: Some leftists want Biden to order the assassination of Trump now that he has full immunity just like Trump.)

Is it even legal to replace Biden with anyone other than Kamala Harris?

Someone named "Dana Houle" (@DanaHoule) wrote that what the DNC is scheming up right now may not even be possible, legally speaking.

"Democrats cannot nominate anyone except Joe Biden or Kamala Harris," Houle wrote. "It's impossible."

"If the Biden candidacy ends, so does the Biden campaign. It's not transferable. Anyone else other than possibly Kamala Harris would have to start from nothing. That can't be done."

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.

Newsweek ran an entire piece calling for Harris to be nominated instead of Biden for the Democrat ticket. Cackling Kamala, tweeted Tim Ryan (@TimRyan), "has significantly grown into her job" and will "destroy Trump in debate, highlight choice issue, energize our base, bring back young voters and give us generational change."

How Ryan estimates that Harris will accomplish all of this in between her blank stares and constant hyena-like laughing is not specified in his tweet or in the Newsweek article.

"Biden drops out, GOP lawyers block the ballot change in Wisconsin so Harris has to run as a write-in, and the election goes to Trump because 1000 people couldn't spell Kamala," joked "Shadow Of The Nerdtree" (@agraybee) about something that could potentially happen, believe it or not.

If the DNC can successfully nominate Biden early, it will prevent an open convention from taking place that allows voters the chance to pick someone else who is much younger and actually qualified.

Hunter Biden, Joe's drug-addicted criminal son, is reportedly the "strongest voice" in the family right now that is calling for his dad to remain in the race. According to Hunter, Joe is the "smartest" man he knows.

"Hunter Biden wants Americans to see the version of his father that he knows  scrappy and in command of the facts  rather than the stumbling, aging president Americans saw on Thursday night," The New York Times reported.

Others speculated that perhaps the DNC will keep Joe in the president slot and replace Harris with Gavin Newsom, California's Democrat governor, or Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan's Democrat governor. Both Newsom and Whitmer proved during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "pandemic" that they are fully on board with full-scale tyranny, so they are a perfect fit as a later replacement for senile Biden.

"We have no idea what the democrats will do but there are real legal obstacles to removing Biden at this point," tweeted attorney Tom Renz. "Unless Biden agrees to step aside, removing him would be very difficult under the law of a number of states. That said, the democrats dont care about the law so who knows."

The latest news about the 2024 election can be found at Rigged.news.

Sources for this article include:

X.com

NaturalNews.com
Finland offers BIRD FLU vaccine to humans, but many experts warn against it

Finland has sparked a heated debate about vaccine safety and necessity after announcing that it will offer bird flu vaccine to humans  the first country to do so.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) announced plans to begin administering H5N8 bird flu vaccines to select individuals despite the absence of human infection in the country. The unprecedented move comes as global health experts express conflicting views on the threat posed by bird flu. While Finnish officials cite the need for preemptive protection, critics argue the vaccination program is premature and potentially dangerous.

The Finnish announcement comes just two weeks after the European Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (HERA) program announced the purchase of 665,000 doses of CSL Seqirus' H5N8 avian influenza vaccine, with an option to acquire another 40 million doses over the next four years. HERA has already obtained 111 million doses of GSK's bird flu vaccine.

Helsinki plans to offer the CSL Seqirus H5N8 bird flu vaccine to approximately 10,000 people deemed at high risk of exposure to the virus. Mia Kontio, a health security official at THL, told STAT News that the country was awaiting the arrival of 20,000 doses, with plans to administer them "as soon as the vaccines are in the country." (Related: Finland to provide bird flu vaccinations to all workers exposed to animals.)

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has caused widespread concern among health authorities in recent years, leading to the culling of hundreds of millions of poultry globally, according to Reuters.

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.

Globally, human infections remain rare. Since December 2021, only eight cases of bird flu have been reported in humans worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

Experts: Injecting bird flu vaccines to humans is a BAD IDEA

Dr. Peter McCullough argued that even if the bird flu crossed to humans, it would be less dangerous. He added that the alarming statistics on human mortality rates are from long-ago cases in Southeast Asia and that such concerns are "not appropriate" for today's strains. "Increased transmissibility of H5N1 has a tradeoff of decreased virulence," he wrote on Substack.

McCullough warned that mass vaccination could lead to a "highly prevalent pandemic" because it "promotes resistant strains of the virus in the vaccinated." He suggested alternative strategies, including "dilute iodine nasal sprays and gargles, oseltamivir, hydroxychloroquine and other antivirals" for prevention and early treatment.

Internist and bioweapons expert Dr. Meryl Nass pointed out that the product information for the H5N8 bird flu vaccine includes no clinical data for this specific vaccine strain. Meaning, it has not been tested in humans.

Nass noted that scientists don't have a clear way to measure if the vaccine protects against H5 types of bird flu and that it's unclear whether the vaccine would work against other similar strains of the virus. She called the product "a dangerous vaccine for a disease that does not exist."

Jessica Rose, a vaccine analyst and biomathematics specialist, said she has many reservations about the vaccine. "There's no need for this vaccine, and it poses dangers including tolerization and autoimmune reactions from molecular mimicry," she told the Defender.

Tolerization occurs when the immune system becomes less responsive to a particular antigen over time, potentially reducing the vaccine's effectiveness. Meanwhile, molecular mimicry refers to similarities between vaccine components and human proteins, which could lead the immune system to mistakenly attack the body's tissues and potentially trigger autoimmune disorders.

Geert Vanden Bossche, a renowned virologist, voiced similar concerns. He told the Defender: "Any large-scale vax program using whatever vaccine administered during a pandemic or a panzootic transmissible to humans is at risk of causing large-scale antibody-dependent enhancement of disease and large-scale immune escape."

Antibody-dependent enhancement is a phenomenon where antibodies produced by the immune system in response to a vaccine or previous infection can worsen a subsequent infection. Instead of protecting against the virus, these antibodies can help the virus enter cells more easily, potentially leading to more severe illness.

Visit Vaccines.news for similar stories.

Watch as Dr. Jane Ruby discusses bird flu, the new plandemic.

This video is from MyPodcastDropped2320 channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Australian supermarket chain imposes limits on EGG PURCHASES following bird flu-related poultry culls.

Dr. Peter McCullough: Bill Gates donated $9.5 million to create H5N1 mutations that could infect humans.

Avian bird flu suddenly becomes COW FLU as dairy farms begin culling animals to destroy the domestic food supply.

FEAR PSYOP: High mortality bird flu could already be engineered for rapid human transmission, warns former CDC head Dr. Robert Redfield.

BIOTERRORISM: Gates Foundation awarded $9.5 million to UW-Madison to make H5N1 bird flu transmissible to humans.

Sources include:

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

Brighteon.com
Globalist Mark Rutte named as new NATO head

Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister (PM) Mark Rutte has been appointed as the next secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a post he will assume in October.

NATO ambassadors confirmed the appointment at a meeting in their headquarters in Brussels, saying that Rutte will assume his function as the secretary-general beginning Oct. 1. Rutte is set to replace Jens Stoltenberg, whose 10-year term will expire on that day.

The outgoing Dutch PM who graduated with a degree in history from Leiden University was first elected in 2010. After 14 years in power, he resigned in July of last year after his four-party coalition fell apart over disagreements on how to curb migration. However, Rutte has taken on a caretaker PM role for the Netherlands until the new government set to replace him irons out matters on their end.

"The [NATO] alliance is and will remain the cornerstone of our collective security," Rutte said, adding that leading the group is a responsibility he does "not take lightly." The outgoing Dutch leader's NATO appointment took longer than expected, Euronews pointed out.

Throughout his tenure, Rutte has navigated numerous political challenges, including the 2021 child benefits scandal that collapsed his third coalition government. Despite this setback, he led his conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy to victory in the subsequent national elections and formed his fourth coalition.

Known for his casual and smiling manner, Rutte has earned the nickname "Teflon Mark" due to his ability to avoid scandals. He is the longest-serving prime minister in the Netherlands.

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.

Teflon Mark's leadership style has been widely appreciated by his colleagues in the European Union. Even German Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised Rutte, stating: "Your experience, your security policy expertise and your diplomatic skills are in the right place."

Rutte to move from Amsterdam to Brussels

Starting in October, the 57-year-old Rutte will move to Brussels and leverage his extensive experience in leading four different governments to navigate NATO through a challenging geopolitical landscape, including the ongoing war at Europe's borders.

His only competitor, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, withdrew from the race about two weeks ago. Despite his seemingly aggressive stance on Russia, Rutte was considered the least aggressive successor to Stoltenberg.

His candidacy gained momentum when he secured support from Hungary's PM Viktor Orban despite tensions between them. The Hungarian leader initially resisted Rutte's appointment over several concerns, including the issue of spending Budapest's money on supporting Ukraine. But after assurances that NATO won't deploy Hungary's military or spend its funds on Kyiv, Budapest lifted its veto  demonstrating Rutte's adeptness in international relations.

Rutte, also a globalist, has been a steadfast supporter of Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022. This was one of the reasons he sought the NATO leadership role, and his commitment to assisting Ukraine has been evident in his actions and statements. He has played a significant role in Europe's military support for Kyiv emphasizing that defeating Moscow is crucial for peace in Europe. (Related: NATO offers Ukraine a new HQ in Germany  a "bridge" to Kyiv's eventual membership.)

In June, Rutte attended a Ukraine summit in Switzerland, where he promised continued Dutch support for Ukraine. Under his leadership, the Netherlands has pledged significant military hardware to Kyiv, including advanced air defense systems and artillery. Although the country previously fell short of the NATO target of spending two percent of its GDP on defense, it is expected to exceed this target this year, reaching 2.05 percent, up from around 1.2 percent a decade ago.

Head over to BigGovernment.news for more stories like this.

Watch this video about Russian President Vladimir Putin ordering the drafting of a master plan to tackle U.S. spy drones and other NATO provocations.

This video is from the Vampire Slayer channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

NATO considers deploying more nuclear weapons to operational status.

NATO chief calls for annual contribution of 40 BILLION EUROS for Ukraine until Russia is defeated.

Hungary hops off "NATO Train," calls Wests escalation of war in Ukraine "hopeless."

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com

Euronews.com

Brighteon.com
If Israel attacks Lebanon, Iran says it will respond with obliterating war

Iran has drawn a red line for all-out regional war in the Middle East should Israel launch a full-scale attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations (UN) issued a statement that any "full-scale military aggression" by Israel against Hezbollah will result in "an obliterating war" that will burn the entire region.

"All options, including the full involvement of all resistance fronts, are on the table," the statement posted to X further reads.

What Iran means by "resistance fronts" in this context are the various militia groups it supports in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Iran's threat in commenting that a "seven-front war" could soon erupt in the Middle East as Iran activates its regional proxies.

For a number of years now, Israel has been sending jets to attack "Iranian assets" inside Damascus, Lebanon's capital, in order to weaken the Assad regime. Keep in mind that Russia also has a military presence in the northwest coastal region.

Down in the south, meanwhile, Israel continues to blast Hezbollah as the situation escalates. Word through the grapevine says the United States is also on the verge of getting involve as it sends amphibious military ships to the eastern Mediterranean.

Should signs appear of an imminent attack, Americans could have to be evacuated from the region.

"In the past few hours, warplanes attacked several Hezbollah targets, including a military site for the organisation in the Zabqin area, two operational infrastructure sites in the Khiam area, and a Hezbollah building in the al-Adissa [Odaisseh] area," reported Yedioth Ahronoth, an Israeli newspaper.

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.

??Hezb-Allah published footage of them striking the Barkat Risha site of the Israeli enemy army on the southern Lebanese border pic.twitter.com/8hLii7fIA5  War Monitor (@WarMonitors) June 29, 2024

(Related: The U.S. flushed $230 million down the toilet with the failed Gaza humanitarian aid pier scandal.)

Hezbollah puts Israel on notice

In his own statement coordinated with that of Iran, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel to back off or else face a war with no limits. Should that happen, Israel would likely lose as its military forces (IDF) are stretched thinly right now with a heavy presence in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

The general sentiment is that Hezbollah in Lebanon is a much different and much stronger force than Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In fact, any Iran-linked group in the Middle East will be a much tougher animal than Hamas, which means Israel's hands are about to be full.

Back during the 2006 Lebanon war, reports emerged to suggest that the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) of Iran, also known as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, were presented on the ground in Lebanon to assist Hezbollah.

Simply put, the entire Middle East will put Israel in their crosshairs the moment Israel launches an attack on Hezbollah. Then, all bets are off.

"This isn't our fight," noted one online commenter about the situation in the Middle East and how it pertains to Americans. "This isn't the fight of the populace of western nations. It is the fight of the Zionist Occupied Governments of our nations. Not our problem."

"Israel went one kibbutz too far," wrote another. "The world has had enough of their nonsense ... because of that, America will suffer the most."

Others criticized Netanyahu for his war hawk behavior with one calling him "a maniacal moron" and another calling him a "psychopath."

"Is it just me or is Israel and its dual citizens causing chaos all over the world while playing the victim?" asked another.

Will war in the Middle East ever end? Find out more at Prophecy.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
Man accused of threatening to kill GOP presidential candidates FOUND DEAD while on trial

A New Hampshire man charged with threatening the lives of multiple presidential candidates last year has been found dead , according to court filings.

The Daily Express reported that jury deliberations for the trial of Tyler Anderson, 30, began on June 25. They were set to continue two days later on June 27, but prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss the case as the defendant was already dead.

Anderson, a resident of the city of Dover in the Granite State, was accused of sending threatening text messages to the campaigns of entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie last year. The three candidates challenged former President Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, but were all unsuccessful. The defendant's lawyer did not immediately respond to email and phone messages seeking comment. (Related: TARGETED: DHS intelligence group views Trump supporters, military members and religious Americans as "domestic terrorism threats.")

The office of the U.S. attorney for New Hampshire said Anderson allegedly threatened to "impale" and "disembowel" one presidential candidate in a November text message. The following month, Anderson threatened a second candidate that he would "blow" their head off in a "mass shooting." Still in December, the 30-year-old threatened a third candidate that he would "blow [their] brains out" and "kill everyone" who would attend an upcoming campaign event.

A federal grand jury indicted Anderson in December on three counts of sending a threat using interstate commerce. Each charge provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

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.

Authorities arrested him on Dec. 9 and he was released on Dec. 14, but not without a federal judge setting forth several conditions for his release. The judge ordered him to avoid contact with any presidential candidate and their political campaigns. Anderson, who was receiving mental health treatment, was also ordered to take all of his prescribed medications.

Law enforcement discovers Anderson's unexplained demise

Members of the Concord Police Department (CPD) in New Hampshire were asked to help look for Anderson after he failed to show up for court. He was eventually located inside a car in a garage at Concord Hospital at about 8:30 p.m., according to CPD Deputy Chief John Thomas.

When Anderson was arrested, a spokesperson for Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said the texts were directed at his campaign. The defendant had told the FBI in an interview that he sent similar texts to "multiple other campaigns," according to a court document.

According to court documents, Anderson had received a text message from Ramaswamys campaign notifying him of a breakfast event in Portsmouth.

The campaign staff got two text messages in response. One threatened to shoot the candidate in the head, and the other threatened to kill everyone at the event and desecrate their corpses. The charges say similar texts were sent to two different candidates before the Ramaswamy messages, on Nov. 22 and Dec. 6.

A court document filed when Anderson was arrested included a screenshot of texts from Dec. 6, threatening a mass shooting in response to an invitation to see Christie.

Visit Violence.news for similar stories.

Watch Glenn Beck pointing out a double standard about who can make presidential death threats in the clip below.

This video is from High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Death threats against CNN are nothing compared to the outrageous, repeated death threats against vaccine safety researchers.

Biden administration denies Secret Service protection for RFK Jr. despite repeated death threats.

After southern California school district decided to inform parents of LGBT students about their gender transitions, trans mob responds with DEATH threats.

Death threats from unhinged Leftists did nothing to sway Electoral College outcome; electors ignored the idiots and did their duty.

Angry liberals send DEATH threats to web designer behind Supreme Court decision upholding free speech and the First Amendment.

Sources include:

The-Express.com

Brighteon.com
Trojan horse child safety regulation is a CENSORSHIP bill in disguise

Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Ct.) introduced bipartisan legislation called the "Kids Online Safety Act" (KOSA) that, contrary to its name, would do nothing to protect children from the horrors on the internet.

KOSA is simply a Trojan horse bill from both sides of the aisle in Congress that aims to use the excuse of "child safety" to "impose sweeping new obligations on an array of digital platforms," to quote The Washington Post. Such obligations include requiring that tech platforms "exercise[e] reasonable care" to prevent children from "bullying, harassment, and other harms."

The New York Times reported that this "duty of care" imposed on "social media platforms and video games" will protect minors from "depression, eating disorders, violence, sexual exploitation and predatory marketing."

(Related: The United Kingdom just passed a similar "Online Safety Act" that goes after freedom of speech online.)

"Bullying" is subjective

Over the past 10 or so years, the concept of "bullying" has really taken the limelight as a worthy censorship cause. The calculated reason for this is that "bullying" is a subjective concept much like a "hate crime" that allows tyranny to slip in undetected.

The more they can recategorize certain forms of free speech as "hate speech" or "bullying," the easier they can trample on the First Amendment, which is exactly what this is all about.

"Conservative" Blackburn and "liberal" Blumenthal are working together to build another Trojan horse weapon against free speech. By coupling the concept of "bullying" with "the children," these two political stooges hope to pull the wool over the eyes of Americans as they chip away at our constitutional rights.

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 has been an open secret for several years now that regime censors have preferred euphemisms related to safety," Revolver reports.

"There is the notorious scam of 'brand safety,' in which censorious shakedown artists threaten companies for advertising with organizations that have fallen politically afoul of the regime. Then, of course, there's the fact that the censorship teams within Big Tech companies operate under the offices of so-called 'Trust and Safety.'"

Since the censorship protocols already in place are apparently not enough to stifle online free speech, Blackburn and Blumenthal are delivering KOSA as the next attempt at a solution.

KOSA would complement the censorship boards that are already in place within the Big Tech structure by adding another layer of censorship boards directly controlled by the government.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) head Rebecca Slaughter, a Joe Biden appointee, infamously stated that she wants the agency she oversees to make "anti-racism" a top priority in antitrust enforcement. Slaughter also stated on record that not enough was being done at the time to censor "misinformation" about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) in Spanish-language media.

Blackburn, by the way, has a lengthy history of trying to "discipline" Big Tech for their many crimes against humanity. Every time she attempts this, online censorship somehow gets worse, particularly for conservatives.

The mainstream media would be unaffected by Blackburn and Blumenthal's censorship bill, it is also important to note. The term "covered platform" as defined in the legislation online includes internet-based media sources, not media broadcast over the air or via cable or satellite.

This carve-out will allow for the legacy corporate media to continue pumping out all the propaganda it wants with few restrictions. This was made possible by the News Media Alliance, a lobbying group that represents the interests of the mainstream media.

The bill's number-one target seems to be video games, believe it or not. Blackburn and Blumenthal feel as though the government should be in charge of video game content.

The latest news about the political witch hunt to censor Americans and ultimately all of the non-"elite" can be found at Censorship.news.

Sources for this article include:

Revolver.news

NaturalNews.com
U.S. Embassy in Beirut tells Americans: DONT TRAVEL to Lebanon

With tensions escalating between Israel and Hezbollah, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut has issued a heightened travel advisory for American citizens considering travel to Lebanon.

The advisory strongly advises against travel to Lebanon, particularly in southern regions and border areas with Syria, and cautions against visiting refugee settlements.

In the event of sudden outbreaks of violence or armed conflict, the notice emphasizes that neither the Lebanese government nor the U.S. Embassy can ensure the safety of U.S. citizens. Several European nations have also advised their nationals to evacuate Lebanon.

Recent weeks have witnessed escalating tit-for-tat strikes along the Israel-Lebanon border, with Israeli attacks extending deeper into Lebanese territory and increasing in frequency. (Related: Israel OKs plans for ALL-OUT WAR in Lebanon to wipe out Hezbollah.)

The Pentagon anticipates a potential escalation and has positioned U.S. military assets closer to Israel and Lebanon. This includes deploying the USS Wasp, an amphibious assault ship and Marines from the 24th Expeditionary Unit into the eastern Mediterranean. Their readiness is aimed at supporting Military Assisted Departure operations and other contingencies.

Simultaneously, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are conducting extensive drills along the northern border with Lebanon.

These drills, which involve combat simulations and strategic planning, have been intensified following Israeli government approval of potential war plans against Hezbollah.

The IDF's maneuvers include scenarios of a broader offensive response to ongoing Hezbollah drone and rocket launches into northern 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. 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 IDF's operations encompass diverse combat scenarios, including engagements in complex terrains simulating northern routes and mountainous regions, involving infantry, armor and fire forces. The presence of units like the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade underscores Israel's preparation for significant military actions, potentially including operations in southern Lebanon.

This military buildup and the strategic movements of both U.S. and Israeli forces indicate a heightened state of readiness amid concerns over a possible escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, with implications for regional stability and international security.

Iran warns Israel against full-scale military actions in Lebanon

Meanwhile, Iran has issued a stark warning to Israel against potential full-scale military actions in Lebanon, cautioning that such actions could escalate into a devastating conflict, as conveyed by Iran's United Nations mission.

The mission stated that all options, including full engagement of various resistance groups aligned with Iran across the region, are on the table.

Describing Israel's threats against Hezbollah in Lebanon as psychological warfare and propaganda, the mission emphasized the gravity of the situation along the border, which has witnessed daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah since the onset of the Gaza conflict on October 7.

Tensions escalated notably when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated preparations for what he termed "a very tense operation" along the Lebanese border.

Shortly thereafter, Israeli warplanes conducted a series of attacks on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including military sites and infrastructure facilities, according to reports from the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant clarified that while Israel prefers a political resolution, it remains prepared for all scenarios, including conflict with Hezbollah. He underscored Israel's military readiness and capability to inflict significant damage on Lebanon if war were to break out.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah responded to the escalating tensions by warning of an unrestrained and unbounded war in case of a major Israeli offensive against Lebanon, stating that there would be "no restraint, no rules and no ceilings" in such a conflict.

Head over to WWIII.news to get more updates on the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Watch this report from "Grafted In The Vine" discussing Israel's escalating cross-border strikes on targets in Lebanon.

This video is from the Grafted In The Vine channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Israeli military approves plan for invasion of southern Lebanon and new offensive against Hezbollah.

Hezbollah "storing missiles and explosives at Lebanons main airport," Western media claims without evidence.

Israel preparing for "mass burials" ahead of impending offensive in Lebanon.

Sources include:

Zerohedge.com

AlJazeera.com
The country's agriculture minister describes this positive growth in the population of endangered Mekong dolphins in Cambodia as the biggest environmental breakthrough.

The development has generated a wave of optimism among the general public and conservationists alike.

Delivering Conservation Efforts

For decades, one of the most elusive creatures of the animal kingdom has swum up and down the middle of Southeast Asia: the Irrawaddy dolphins in the Mekong River.

Illegal fishing, habitat loss, and increasing pollution have caused them to dwindle for decades. From an estimated 200 in 1997, by 2020 it had dropped to just 89. But recent conservation efforts appear to be turning things around.

Minister of Agriculture Dith Tina declared it now tops 100, a breakthrough point for the conservation of freshwater mammals.

The rise to around 105 dolphins has been realized following the addition of eight births in the first half of 2024, against just two reported deaths.

Trials And Triumphs Of Cambodia's Conservation Efforts

There may be positive news to draw from all this, but serious challenges remain. For one thing, about 70% of the dolphins are now too old and infertile to reproduce, and their habitats are still being destroyed by upstream dams and climate change.

However, the stringent efforts of the ministry against destructive fishing and increased awareness among the community members keep the dolphins alive.

Into The Future

The increase in the number of Mekong dolphins is not just a success story for Cambodia; it has evolved into an example to be emulated across the board by conservationists globally.

Clearly, it illustrates that with political will and concert of effort, recovering an endangered species is possible, even when its challenges are overwhelming.

With the world celebrating this success, attention turns to sustaining of momentum and securing a long-lasting future for the Mekong dolphins and the river habitat they call home.

Also Read: 10 Disturbing Facts About Dolphins You'll Wish You Never Knew!

Which Other Endangered Species Can Be Found In Cambodia?

Some interesting species are threatened with extinction in this rich country of biodiversity. One such species is the Asian Elephant, for even though tall, with shrinking habitats and rising human encroachment, it stands vulnerable.

The other is that of the Siamese Crocodile, lurking in the waters but critically endangered through habitat destruction and risky hunting practices.

Whereas the Wild Water Buffalo, once Johnnie Walking across in such wetlands, is now fighting for survival due to the gradual wearing down of its natural environment; probably more ominous is the fate awaiting the Germain's Silver Langur-a silvery-sheened primate threatened by relentless deforestation and poaching.

These species, coupled with Cambodia's large waterbird populations and other aquatic life within the Mekong River, help to further symbolize the pressing urgency of continued conservation efforts in protecting the natural heritage of this Southeastern Asian nation.

What Organizations Are Working In Terms Of Wildlife Conservation In Cambodia?

At the very heart of verdant Southeast Asia, conservation efforts are in place to safeguard Cambodia's wildlife under a coalition of dedicated organizations.

WCS has been defending the natural heritage of Cambodia since 1999 by using science and engaging communities in the protection of wildlife and wild places.

Global WWF has continued securing the diversity of life on earth inclusive of rich ecosystems in the Khmer nation.

This century has also been characterized by the main role played by Conservation International by keeping focus on the intrinsic value of nature and its services to support life.

Last but not least, Fauna and Flora International and BirdLife International engage deeply in the discourse of conservation to save threatened species and their habitats.

The Wildlife Alliance also conserves, outright, the forests and wildlife of Cambodia, treating rescued animals at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center.

All these organizations combine to become one force with a common goal of thriving wildlife in Cambodia's future.

Related article: Extremely Rare Dolphin Found Dead in a Beach in the Philippines
With maximum sustained winds of 165 mph and a minimum pressure of 934 mb, Hurricane Beryl-the second named storm and the first major hurricane of the Atlantic hurricane season of 2024-moved west-northwestward, causing immense devastation and havoc throughout the Caribbean.

Beryl surpassed Hurricane Audrey of 1957 on June 27, 1957, to become the first-ever Category 5 Atlantic storm on record. Beryl is also the first hurricane to reach Category 4 in June history, the storm that has reached Category 4 from the furthest east, and the first storm to transition from a tropical depression to a major hurricane in less than 48 hours before September.

Meteorological history and forecast of Beryl

Around June 25, Beryl originated from a tropical wave that broke off from the African coast. When the wave traveled westward over warm waters in the tropical Atlantic on June 28, around 1,225 miles east-southeast of Barbados, it did indeed quickly develop and was named Tropical Depression Two.

After six hours, the depression eventually became Tropical Storm Beryl, which started a fast development process that ended the following day, June 29, when it became a hurricane.

Beryl did indeed continue to strengthen as it moved toward the Lesser Antilles, strengthening to a Category 4 hurricane on June 30 and reaching landfall on the island of Carriacou, Grenada, on July 1 with gusts as high as 155 mph.

Extending its path westward, Beryl eventually entered the Caribbean Sea. On July 2, it peaked as a Category 5 hurricane, registering winds of 165 mph and a pressure of 934 mb (27.6 inHg).

It will weaken a bit due to increasing wind shear and dry air, but it's going to be an extremely dangerous hurricane when Beryl passes within a few miles of Jamaica on the 3rd and the Cayman Islands on the 4th.

As forecast, Beryl will make landfall-its center just west of Montego Bay, Jamaica-as a strong Category 4 hurricane, with sustained winds of 140 mph, and again near George Town, Grand Cayman, as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 125 mph.

Beryl will then move into the Gulf of Mexico, where it may gain some strength before making a final landfall near Cancun, Mexico, as a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds on July 5. From there, Beryl will rapidly weaken over land and dissipate over the Yucatan Peninsula on July 6.

Also Read: Hurricane Category 3 Origin: What Are Its Impact to Humans and the Environment?

Impact and Aftermath of Beryl

Beryl, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Carriacou, caused severe damage and fatalities on several Caribbean islands.

The island had 20 inches of rainfall, a 15-foot storm surge, and winds of 155 mph, which resulted in extensive flooding, landslides, and power outages.

Numerous buildings, including residences, schools, churches, and hospitals, were either destroyed or reduced to rubble.

The airport and port are also severely damaged, and this makes the relief effort difficult. On the island, four people died, some others were injured, and many were reported missing.

Preliminary assessments of damage in Carriacou are pegged at US$500 million, making it one of the worst disasters the island has ever seen.

Other islands that became part of Beryl's pathway also sustained heavy damage; these included Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Martinique, where tropical storm warnings were issued.

Off the South American mainland, two people were killed and five others missing when a fishing boat capsized in rough seas caused by Beryl in Venezuela.

Puerto Rico remains unstable from the 2017 destruction caused by Hurricane Maria and was not struck directly by Beryl. However, it still encountered torrential rain and powerful gusty winds, with some flashes of flooding and power blackouts.

On July 2, tropical storm Beryl resulted in eight deaths and over $1 billion in damages.

These numbers are expected to rise further as Beryl further advances into much more populated and vulnerable areas like Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and Mexico.

The different governments concerned have declared a state of emergency and called for international support. Teams from the United Nations, the Red Cross, and other humanitarian agencies have been sent to provide assistance and relief to the victims of Beryl.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center has urged residents to follow advice from local authorities and to be prepared for Beryl's life-threatening impacts.

Are there any relief efforts underway?

Relief efforts in response to Hurricane Beryl are in full swing across the Caribbean. The Global Empowerment Mission, a Doral-based organization, is spearheading support initiatives for the islands most affected by the storm.

Emergency evacuations and aid distributions are actively taking place amidst widespread damage. Central Florida has dispatched a relief plane loaded with water purifiers, piloted by veteran Joe Hurston, who has over four decades of experience in disaster relief.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is poised to send personnel to assist local and regional emergency management authorities with relief and recovery operations, while closely monitoring the hurricane's potential impact on Jamaica, Haiti, and Central America.

Additionally, Direct Relief is addressing the urgent medical needs on the ground, having prepped Hurricane Preparedness Packs and mobilized their Caribbean Rapid Response Team.

These collective efforts are vital for providing immediate aid and facilitating the recovery process for those devastated by Hurricane Beryl.

Related article: Hurricane Beryl to Bring Storm Surge, Strong Winds to Caribbean
Recent research reveals that an ant in need of help due to a broken limb would quickly resort to another ant, which would bite its broken limb to save its life.

This behavior demonstrated that ants are so far the only creatures other than humans that cut off their own body parts for medicinal purposes.

Amputated Procedures

The primary author of the study, Dr. Erik Frank, who is a lecturer at the University of Lausanne, said that ants could minimize the lives of the injured ants as much as possible by assessing and treating their wounds, to some extent.

The researchers removed the right hind limbs of Florida carpenter ants, Camponotus floridanus, and then observed how fellow ants within the nest responded.

The results revealed 13 out of 17 ants with thigh or femur injuries had their legs cut off by their mates within the trochanter, which is the skeletal structure connecting the thigh with the hip.

These researchers observed this process where nest mates licking the injured area moved up the injured part using their mandibles to the trochanter, the joint between the hip and the femur of this insect, and subsequently these ants bit it till it broke off.

On the other hand, none of the nine ants that had wounds on their tibia, or lower leg, had any amputations. Rather, the only wound treatment these ants received from their nestmates was licking.

When the setup was carried out again using ants that had infected wounds, the scientists noticed identical outcomes.

An additional series of tests showed that, compared to ants with sterile wounds, solitary ants with infected wounds had a significantly higher chance of dying.

But if the injured ants were either sent back to their colonies, indicating that the care offered by their nest mates was helpful, or if the researchers severed the affected limb, well, that helped only with thigh wounds, their chances of survival increased significantly.

Read Also: Ants Reveal the Importance of Plant Diversity for Eco Fuels

Social Insect Workers

Frank stated that initially, it seemed paradoxical that amputations did not also help wounds on the lower legs. Further research, however, indicated that damage to structures that pumped a blood-like liquid around the ants' bodies was linked to thigh wounds but not lower-leg wounds.

Because of this, infections in the lower leg spread throughout the body far more quickly than those in the thigh, hence, amputation of the former did not significantly increase survival.

He also added that ants are more likely to get injuries during territorial conflicts with nearby colonies, although tending to the injured has advantages.

"We see in these Camponotus species that roughly 10-11% of the ants that go out hunting or looking for food carry an injury from a previous day. So they still make up an important part of the colony," he said.

Prof. Francis Ratnieks of Sussex University said he was not surprised by the results. He stressed that this is how social insect employees operate within the colony, helping each other as need may be while benefiting the entire community.

Related Article: Meranoplus Bicolor: New Ant Specie in the Philippines Discovered in Mikey Bustos' Backyard




Smuggled turtles were found inside the bag of a Chinese woman who was attempting to cross a lake along the United States-Canada border recently.

Border Patrol agents arrested the woman in the US side of the border where they found a total of 29 eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina). The suspected wildlife trafficker was crossing Vermont Lake into Canada by using a kayak in broad daylight.

The smuggled turtle species is native to the Eastern US but the recovered animals from the suspect's bag were sold from the "Chinese black market," the border agents reported. This is not the first instance local authorities arrested a person over charges of wildlife trafficking along the US-Canada border.

In 2018, a man attempted to smuggle Burmese python snakes on a bus from Montreal to New York City.

Smuggled Turtles Found in Woman's Bag

In the morning of Friday, June 28, Border Patrol agents arrested a woman from China, named Wan Yee Ng, at an Airbnb accommodation in the town of Canaan in Essex County, Vermont. The suspect was attempting to board an inflatable kayak on Lake Wallace while carrying a duffel bag, where the agents found the smuggled turtles. All of the smuggled eastern box turtles are still alive, but they were wrapped in socks.

According to a local Chinese media outlet, the protected turtle species are being sold on the Chinese black market for $1,000 each, based on a cited statement from the Border Patrol agents.

In addition to the arrested individual, the border authorities were also notified by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that two other people were involved in the turtle smuggling incident in the area.

Also Read: Wildlife Trafficking Plummeted Amidst the Pandemic, Giving Perfect Opportunity for Long-Term Solutions

Wildlife Trafficking

The eastern box turtle species can be found not only in the Eastern US but also across North America, as well as in the eastern Gulf coast of Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula in Central America. According to the Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, eastern box turtles have a conservation status of "vulnerable." This means that the species is not endangered but is facing significant existential risks.

In their natural habitats, turtles and other wild animals are threatened not only by natural factors but also by human activities, including wildlife trafficking.

For several decades, wildlife trafficking has been a major global problem that impacts wild animals in their natural habitats. This criminal act involves poaching, wildlife smuggling, illegal wildlife trade, or unauthorized collection of wildlife, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

According to multiple studies and conservation reports, approximately over 350 million animals are trafficked worldwide annually, in the context of animal trafficking and poaching. This wildlife crime has persisted because the demand for animal products, including their body parts, has continued. While the network is global, wild animals in Africa are suffering the most, according to conservation experts.

Related Article: Wildlife Trafficking: 130 Poisonous Frogs Found Inside Luggage of Brazilian Woman at Colombia Airport
Tamil Nadu: Udayanidhi Stalin launches TN-RISE to empower rural women entrepreneurs

T

amil Nadu Minister Udayanidhi Stalin launched TN-RISE, a platform supported by the World Bank, aimed at empowering rural women entrepreneurs by addressing challenges in finance, credit, and marketing. The initiative includes partnerships with companies like Flipkart and HP to offer training and support, marking a significant step towards advancing women-led startups in the state.

TN-RISE Initiative Launched to Empower Rural Women Entrepreneurs in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Minister Udayanidhi Stalin announced the launch of TN-RISE, aimed at empowering rural women entrepreneurs.

Collaboration: The Tamil Nadu Women Development Corporation, with financial support from the World Bank, unveiled TN-RISE.

Objective: TN-RISE aims to Address Challenges faced by Women Entrepreneurs in accessing finance, credit, and marketing opportunities.

Alignment with Dravidian Movement: The initiative aligns with the progressive principles of the Dravidian movement and the current state governments efforts.

Material and Cultural Domains: Emphasis on liberating women from both material and cultural constraints.

MoUs with Multinational Companies: TN-RISE signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with companies like Flipkart and HP to provide guidance and training.

Support Mechanisms: TN-RISE will offer customized market linkages, financing, operational advice, and business incubation services.

Invitation for Collaboration: Minister Stalin invited industries and entrepreneurs to join the government in this initiative.

Exclusive Start-up Mission: An exclusive "Start-up Mission" dedicated to assisting women entrepreneurs with finance, credit, and marketing challenges was announced.

Launch Event: The launch event included key stakeholders from the government, industry leaders, investors, and aspiring women entrepreneurs.

Tamil Nadu Minister Udayanidhi Stalin announced the launch of a new initiative aimed at empowering rural women entrepreneurs if the state.

The Tamil Nadu Women Development Corporation, with financial support from the World Bank, unveiled a special platform named TN-RISE. This initiative seeks to address the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in accessing finance, credit, and marketing opportunities.

"Based on the announcement of our honourable Chief Minister in TN Legislative Assembly, Tamil Nadu Women Development Corporation is launching a special platform called TN-RISE with the Financial assistance of World Bank. The main focus of this initiative is to bring more women entrepreneurs from the rural areas of Tamil Nadu," Stalin said.

Stalin emphasized that the TN-RISE initiative aligns with the progressive principles of the Dravidian movement, which continues to guide the current state government's efforts.

"This reflects the progressive tradition of our Dravidian movement, which is represented in the current government of Tamil Nadu. We refer to it as the Dravidian Model government," Stalin added.

Stalin highlighted that women are "enslaved in two domains: the material domain and the cultural domain."

He said that while organizations like the World Bank work to empower women in the material domain, the Dravidian movement strives to free women from cultural constraints. He expressed pride in the Dravidian Model government's collaboration with the World Bank to advance women's empowerment in the material domain as well.

"There are organizations like The World Bank working to liberate women in the material domain. Likewise, our Dravidian movement, strives hard to liberate women from enslavement in the cultural domain. Now, our Dravidian Model government is proud to join hands with The World Bank in empowering women in the material domain as well," the minister said.

"Women entrepreneurs face numerous challenges in advancing their business ideas, as well as in accessing finance, credit, and marketing opportunities. TN RISE aims to eliminate these obstacles by offering customized market linkages, financing, and operational advice. Also, it will provide high-end business incubation services to women-led rural enterprises," he added.

Minister Stalin also announced that TN-RISE has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with multinational companies such as Flipkart and HP to offer guidance and training to emerging women entrepreneurs

"I am proud to say that TN-RISE had signed MoUs with various multinational companies like Flipkart, HP to provide guidance and training for our budding women entrepreneurs," Stalin said.

"I would like to invite industries, entrepreneurs to join hands with our government for the noble cause of making more women entrepreneurs from our State of Tamil Nadu," he added.

The launch of TN-RISE marks a significant step in supporting and elevating women-led startups across the state.

The launch event gathered key stakeholders from the government, industry leaders, investors, and aspiring women entrepreneurs, setting the stage for TN-RISE to drive growth and success for women-led rural enterprises. The Tamil Nadu Government also announced the establishment of an exclusive "Start-up Mission" dedicated to assisting women entrepreneurs with finance, credit, and marketing challenges.

Through TN-RISE, the government aims to build on existing platforms and address gaps in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, creating a robust infrastructure and providing professional expertise to support women-led rural businesses.

 Tamil Nadu: Udayanidhi Stalin launches TN-RISE to empower rural women entrepreneurs

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
Will Sunak's Conservatives buck UK poll predictions or Starmer's Labour reprise 1997 landslide?

W

ill UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak succeed in retaining power in an election under his leadership, or will his Labour opponent, Sir Keir Starmer, pull off a landslide, reminiscent of 1997 when Tony Blair dislodged the Conservatives who had won the previous five elections since 1979?

And what will be the way ahead for the UK, battered by severe domestic challenges for over a decade now, let alone the volatile global environment?

People will head out to vote for a new government on Thursday, in what will be an acid test for both Prime Minister Sunak and Starmer in their first electoral contest as leaders, amid significant public disenchantment over the state of the economy, dipping standards of living, and governance issues.

While the results of the recent regional polls and pre-poll surveys indicate a landslide Labour victory, the party itself has warned members and supporters of complacency and urged them to continue their efforts. On the other hand, the Conservatives, under Sunak - the party's third Prime Minister since the 2019 polls - are still hawkish as they engage in a last-ditch effort.

Surveys paint an advantage for Labour. As per a BBC poll tracker, as of July 1, based on 20 polls conducted by members of the British Polling Council, Labour is predicted to gain an average of 40 per cent votes (35 to 45 per cent), down from a high of 45 per cent as of June 1. On the other hand, the Conservatives are estimated to get 20 per cent (15 to 25 per cent), down from 24 per cent on June 1.

Similar to the right-wing wave sweeping Europe, as seen in the victory of Marine Le-Pen's National Rally in both the European Parliament and the first round of the French National Assembly elections, the gains by Alternative for Democracy (AfD) in Germany, and the performance of Geert Wilders' PVV in the recent elections in the Netherlands, the Reform UK, which had championed Brexit, is in third position.

The Nigel Farage-led party is expected to garner 16 per cent votes (13 to 19 per cent) - not far behind the Conservatives, even as two of its candidates switched over to the Conservatives over "rampant racism" in the party, while three were dropped due to their "offensive comments," including against Sunak - the first non-white PM of the UK.

In fourth place, are the Liberal Democrats, with 11 per cent (8 to 14 per cent), even as they seek to retain their number three position. Party chief Sir Ed Davey, on Tuesday, indulged in his first bungee jump as he asked voters to take the plunge and support his party while asserting its mission of uprooting the Conservatives. The party, which helped the Conservatives come to power in 2010 by entering into a coalition with it, has ruled out any such eventuality now. However, it is open to tying with Labour.

The Greens follow with 6 per cent of the vote (3 to 9 per cent), followed by regional parties, Scottish National Party (Scotland) with 3 per cent (2 to 4 per cent) and Plaid Cymru (Wales) with 1 per cent.

The final days of the contest have both principal parties in full attack mode. PM Sunak is extolling his own record in his small stint in power and warning against the "dangers" of a Labour government and the implications of its proposed tax policies. On the other hand, Starmer, with the party slogan of "Change. Be a part of it," stresses the need to remove the present dispensation while clarifying the party position on sensitive issues like taxation, immigration, and prison reforms.

However, a lot of voters still remain alienated.

While there are many who blame the Conservatives, in power since 2010, for most of the present economic and social malaises - especially the long waiting lists for National Health Service (NHS), deprecate as the Brexit episode, the shenanigans - and attempted coverups - of Prime Minister Boris Johnson during Covid lockdown, and the rapid leadership turnover, Labour is not an automatic alternative.

The party, deemed even a lot less radical now than under Jeremy Corbyn, after Starmer took over in 2020 and, as per his own admission, "reformed" it, also has to address the trust deficit.

Some voters, including those of South Asian origin, admit that they see no difference between both parties in addressing their concerns and problems, despite all the rhetoric and promises on the campaign stump and the manifestos.

No matter who wins, the task of surmounting the legacy social and economic issues, the tendency of distrust in major parties, the growing rise of far-right populists - as la Europe - and finally, finding the post-EU UK's place in the world will be major and enduring challenges.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)

 Will Sunak's Conservatives buck UK poll predictions or Starmer's Labour reprise 1997 landslide?

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
Ali Fazal joined hands with celebrity gym trainer Rohit Nair to prep for 'Mirzapur 3' makeover

A

ctor Ali Fazal has elevated his fitness regime for his role as Guddu Bhaiya in 'Mirzapur 3', with an intensive workout plan designed by celebrated fitness trainer Rohit Nair.

The plan focuses on building a bulky and powerful look to meet the physical demands of his character in the series.

Nair said that working with Ali has been an incredible experience.

His dedication and commitment to achieving the desired physique are commendable. We have pushed boundaries, and the results are evident. Fans will be amazed at the transformation when they see 'Mirzapur 3'," he added.

Ali also praised Nair for his effort throughout this journey.

"Rohits expertise and his understanding of what my character needed have been pivotal. We've formed a strong camaraderie over these months, and his motivation has kept me going, even during the toughest workouts. The transformation you will see on screen is a testament to Rohit's hard work and our shared vision," Ali said.

The 'Mirzapur' series focuses on the power play between Guddu and Pankaj Tripathis character, Kaleen Bhaiya.

The first season dropped in 2018 and is set in Mirzapur, Purvanchal, Uttar Pradesh.

The third season, consisting of ten episodes, is directed by Gurmmeet Singh and Anand Iyer. It will premiere on Prime Video from July 5.

 Ali Fazal joined hands with celebrity gym trainer Rohit Nair to prep for 'Mirzapur 3' makeover

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
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 major challenge in developing a vaccine for HIV is that the virus mutates fast-;very fast. Although a person initially becomes infected with one or a few HIV strains, the virus replicates and mutates quickly, resulting in a "swarm" of viral strains existing in a single body. But scientists at Scripps Research; IAVI; the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard; La Jolla Institute for Immunology; and additional institutions have conducted a series of preclinical trials indicating that they're potentially closer to an immunization regimen than ever before-;one that could produce rare antibodies that would be effective against a wide range of HIV strains.

Published in Science, Science Immunology, and Science Translation Medicine on May 16, 2024, the findings are outlined in four individual papers and build on a 2022 phase I clinical trial conducted by the nonprofit scientific research organization IAVI. The findings represent a key step forward in an immunization strategy that could protect against the virus.

"All in all, these studies show that we have a good chance at creating an effective HIV vaccine-;we just need to keep iterating and build on these findings in future clinical trials," says co-senior author of all four studies, William Schief, PhD, who is also a Scripps Research professor; vice president for antigen design and selection, Infectious Disease Research, at Moderna, Inc.; and executive director of vaccine design at IAVI's Neutralizing Antibody Center.

The HIV vaccine strategy involves stimulating the body to produce mature broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). bnAbs are among the immune system's key players in fighting HIV, since they can block many variants of the virus. The problem is that bnAbs produced by the human body are rare. The IAVI trial, spearheaded in part by Schief, focused on inducing the immune cells that could eventually evolve into the right bnAbs-;ones that could protect host cells from multiple HIV strains. These precursor immune cells, known as B cells, were stimulated with the help of a priming immunogen-;a customized molecule to "prime" the immune system and elicit responses from the correct precursor cells.

But the primer also requires additional "booster" immunogens to coax the immune system into producing not just precursor cells, but coveted VRC01-class bnAbs-;a rare and specific class of antibodies known to neutralize more than 90 percent of diverse HIV strains. Boosters are also needed for the production of BG18-;another important bnAb class that binds to sugars on the HIV spike protein. That's where the new studies come in: Researchers developed immunization regimens that could prime either VRC01 or BG18 precursors, and subsequently boost those precursors further down the path toward becoming bnAbs.

The results contained in these papers are deeply exciting and further support the germline-targeting strategy to HIV vaccine development that IAVI and our partners are pursuing. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Scripps Research and partners to advance further research building on these promising findings." Mark Feinberg, MD, PhD, president and CEO of IAVI

This groundbreaking science is enabled by collaboration between scientific institutions and funding partners. Without the ongoing, critical support of the Scripps Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery (CAVD), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Moderna (the manufacturer of the mRNA used in these studies), this research would not have been possible.

Priming rare antibodies

In the first study, which focused on BG18, Scripps Research scientists collaborated with co-senior authors Shane Crotty, PhD, chief scientific officer at La Jolla Institute for Immunology, and Devin Sok, PhD, former vice president, discovery and innovation at IAVI. Using a priming immunogen, they consistently primed exceptionally rare BG18 precursors in a wild-type animal model.

To confirm they were able to prime the correct precursors, the researchers then teamed up with Andrew Ward, PhD, Scripps Research integrative structural and computational biology professor and co-senior author of the study. Using cryo-EM structural analysis, they validated that the antibodies were indeed part of the BG18 class.

"The fact that priming worked well in macaques suggests that it has a good chance of succeeding in humans," says co-first author, Jon Steichen, PhD, an institute investigator in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research.

Steichen was also co-first author on a second study, in which mice were modified to produce a low frequency of BG18 precursors. Scripps Research and IAVI scientists, along with the team of co-senior author Facundo Batista, PhD, associate director and scientific director of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, used priming methods similar to the ones used in the first paper. However, a key difference was that this time, they also administered one of two boost immunogens using RNA technology. This resulted in boosting the primed B cells to adapt to recognize more native-like versions of HIV.

"This study showed that we can start to walk the B cells along toward bnAb development," Steichen explains.

Supercharging the immune system into action

For the third study, Schief and his team worked with IAVI scientists, wherein they primed a mouse model with the same immunogen used in the 2022 IAVI clinical trial. This resulted in mice that produced VRC01-class precursor B cells similar to those found in people. But the researchers also designed a new booster immunogen to drive the antibody response toward becoming matured bnAbs-;the next vital step in a sequential immunization series that could effectively fight HIV. The results: a "prime-boost" regimen that can drive VRC01-class B cells toward bnAb development.

"The findings demonstrate that we are able to make the antibody responses go in the right direction using this heterologous booster, which administers a different version of the vaccine than was given previously," says Christopher Cottrell, PhD, a senior staff scientist at Scripps Research who was the first co-author on this study.

Understanding the immunology

In the fourth and final study, on which Cottrell was also a co-first author, the team worked again with Batista's team at the Ragon Institute and used the same immunogens-;but in a different mouse model where his team could control the frequency of bnAb precursors that were modified to be similar to those found in humans. This allowed the researchers to take a deeper dive into the immunology associated with HIV vaccination by examining the germinal centers-;specialized microstructures in the body that protect against viral reinfection. Germinal centers provide B cells with a space to rapidly increase and mutate their antibody genes, ultimately helping the immune system fight off viral strains.

In addition, the researchers examined how germinal centers accumulate HIV mutations over time. They found that a prime-boost regimen increased precursor B-cell activity in germinal centers across different lineages, which could eventually lead to an increase in matured VRC01-class bnAbs.

What's next

Overall, all four papers confirm that the priming step to turn on the right bnAb precursors is possible when it comes to developing an HIV vaccine. Three of those papers specifically demonstrate that it's also possible to guide antibody precursors toward becoming bnAbs that can fight HIV.

"Taken together, the findings give us more confidence that we're able to prime precursors from multiple bnAb targets, and they also show that we're starting to learn the rules for how to advance precursor maturation through heterologous boosting," Schief added.

Following these results, the researchers are advancing phase 1, experimental medicine trials for both the VRC01 and BG18 projects. Vaccines aiming to prime and boost VRC01-class antibodies are being further evaluated in two clinical trials run by IAVI, IAVI G002 and IAVI G003, and a vaccine to prime BG18-class responses is being evaluated in HVTN144. These studies use both adjuvanted protein immunizations (IAVI G001 and HVTN144) and mRNA delivery (IAVI G002 and G003).

The results of these studies will guide the critical next steps on the discovery path to an HIV vaccine.
In a recent study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine suggest the cell's messenger RNA (mRNA) -; the major translator and regulator of genetic material -; along with a critical protein called ZAK, spur the cell's initial response to UV radiation damage and play a critical role in whether the cell lives or dies.

While UV radiation has long been known to damage DNA, it also damages mRNA, and the latest findings, published June 5 in Cell, indicate that mRNAs act as first responders in telling the cells how to manage the stress.

RNA is a canary in the coal mine. It's telling the cell, 'We've got major damage here and we need to do something.'"

Rachel Green, Ph.D., a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Daniel Nathans Director of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Green, also an investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute, is the corresponding author of the new study.

ZAK is a key player in a process that identifies cellular damage by sensing the collisions of ribosomes, tiny macromolecular machines that help RNA translate the language of genes into the language of proteins. Collisions occur when ribosomes move along UV-damaged mRNAs and, unable to decode the damaged message, cause stalled ribosomes to get "rear-ended" by upstream ribosomes. Ribosome collisions activate ZAK, which triggers a cellular signaling program known as the ribotoxic stress response. ZAK then instigates a cascade of downstream events that decide the cell's fate.

A more comprehensive understanding of how cellular life-and-death decisions are made upon encountering UV radiation could help investigators understand underlying causes of skin and other cancers, says Niladri Sinha, Ph.D., Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund Postdoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Companies developing drugs that target ribosomes may also find that ZAK could be a driver of cell death across cancer types, he says.

The findings indicate that ZAK senses the extent of cellular damage and responds depending on how much UV radiation the cell receives, offering a more nuanced understanding of UV-caused cell death and identifying new ways to keep ZAK's activity under control, Green says.

"There are graded ways that ZAK responds, it's not all or nothing," she says.

The research also "very clearly shows" that, for example, a skin cell's fate in the immediate aftermath of UV radiation is "driven primarily by the extent of colliding ribosomes and ZAK signaling," Green says.

In this regime, DNA damage and the well-characterized DNA damage response pathway, including the key protein p53, do not significantly determine cell fate decisions." Rachel Green, Ph.D., a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics

DNA damage repair is critical and occurs in a subset of cells that are copying their genetic material, but these pathways are not the major "deciders" of cell fate, she says.

Green co-led the research with Sergi Regot, Ph.D., associate professor of molecular biology and genetics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Alban Ordureau, Ph.D., assistant member of the Cell Biology Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's Sloan Kettering Institute and an assistant professor at Weill Cornell.

To conduct their research, the scientists exposed human cellular models to a UV lamp mimicking the sun's radiation. Using proteomics to understand cell signaling in an approach led by Ordureau, they evaluated ZAK's role and made predictions about how cells would respond to different levels of stress. From there, live cell imaging experiments led by Regot, in addition to in-house ribosome biochemistry -; the workhorse of Green's laboratory -; helped characterize how cellular death is regulated as a consequence of ZAK-mediated UV radiation.

In the future, the researchers plan to investigate cell types with different protein synthesis regimes, including those in melanoma and other cancers. The researchers suspect that fast-growing cells will rely on ZAK-mediated regulation more than others, Green says.

Funding for this research was provided by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the National Institutes of Health (NIH 1R35GM133499), a National Science Foundation Career grant, the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research Fellowship, and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Sloan Kettering Institute startup funds, Pew Charitable Trusts, a Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center support grant, and the Basic Science Research Program from the National Research Foundation of Korea; Ministry of Education.

Other scientists who contributed to this study are Connor McKenney, Zhong Y. Yeow, and Jeffrey J. Li of Johns Hopkins; Ki Hong Nam of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's Sloan Kettering Institute; and Tomer M. Yaron-Barir, Jared L. Johnson, Emily M. Huntsman and Lewis C. Cantley of Weill Cornell Medicine.

Green is a member of the scientific advisory board of Alltrna, Initial Therapeutics and Arrakis Pharmaceuticals, consults for Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Celgene), Monta Rosa Therapeutics and Flagship Pioneering, and served on the scientific advisory board at Moderna.

Green, Regot, Sinha and McKenney have filed for a patent related to work described in this research.
With a $300,000 grant, the Welch Foundation is supporting University of Texas at Arlington research into creating new materials to safely and effectively deliver medications to treat diseases such as cancer.

Since its founding in 1954, the Houston-based Welch Foundation has contributed over $1.1 billion to the advancement of chemistry through research grants, departmental programs, endowed chairs and other special projects in Texas.

As one of the nation's largest private funding sources for chemical research, we are committed to supporting the field in a way that advances science while changing lives. Medications can only be so effective at treating diseases if we can't get them to the parts of the body that need them most. I look forward to seeing how Dr. Junha Jeon's research can help advance and improve drug production so we can improve lives." Adam Kuspa, president of the Welch Foundation

Junha Jeon, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UTA, is leading the project to study "arynes," a chemical compound formed by removing two hydrogen atoms from benzene. Although scientists have known about arynes for more than 100 years, they only recently discovered that the compounds have a unique ability to deliver antibiotics and anti-tumor medications.

"I'm honored that the Welch Foundation sees the value in supporting our research," Dr. Jeon said. "Worldwide, an estimated 2 million people are diagnosed with cancer each year, and about one in five people will develop cancer at some time during their lifetime. I'm proud we can research new ways to improve outcomes for people living with cancer and other diseases."

The transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction is one of the most widely used and powerful tools in organic synthesis-;the art and science of reconstructing substances in the lab. This technique is extensively used to establish crucial chemical bonds and produce biomedical molecules necessary in modern medicine. Currently, most drugs use transition metal catalysts to deliver medications. However, metals often leave impurities that can lead to side effects from otherwise beneficial medications.

Little is known about widely available transition metal-free cross-coupling, especially one that can be used to deliver medicines. The overarching goal of this project is to develop sustainable transition metal-free cross-coupling technologies using arynes. Chemically speaking, arynes are short-lived intermediates holding a functional group with an extremely strained triple bond into a small ring. The strain-driven reactivity of the arynes makes them very useful for the development of cross-coupling reactions.

"Uncovering this new sustainable aryne-forming strategy without using a transition metal catalyst will be valuable for various areas of research, including the production of drugs," said Jeon. "I'm grateful to the support of the Welch Foundation for our research project."
Julie Rovner KFF Health News @jrovner

Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News' weekly health policy news podcast, "What the Health?" A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book "Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z," now in its third edition.

It was a busy year for health-related cases at the Supreme Court. Among other issues, the justices grappled with two abortion cases, a separate case touching on the opioid epidemic, and a case challenging whether localities can bar homeless people from sleeping in public spaces. Also, the court struck down a decades-old precedent that could dramatically change how the federal government oversees health care and other types of policy.

In this special episode of "What the Health?", Sarah Somers, legal director of the National Health Law Program, joins KFF Health News' chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner, to discuss how the justices disposed of the term's health-related cases and what those decisions could mean going forward.

On the functioning of government:

Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, challenging the "Chevron doctrine" that required courts to defer in most cases to the expertise of federal agencies in interpreting laws passed by Congress.

Corner Post Inc. v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, challenging the statute of limitations for bringing a case against a federal agency's actions.

On abortion:

Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, challenging the FDA's approval of the abortion pill mifepristone.

Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States, about whether the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act requirement that hospitals participating in Medicare provide the care needed to stabilize a patient's condition overrides Idaho's near-complete abortion ban when a pregnant patient experiences a medical emergency.

On other health issues:

Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, about whether federal bankruptcy law can shield an entity from future claims without the consent of all claimants.

City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, about whether banning sleeping in public subjects those with no other place to sleep to "cruel and unusual punishment" under the U.S. Constitution.

"SCOTUS Ruling Strips Power From Federal Health Agencies," June 28

"SCOTUS Rejects Abortion Pill Challenge  For Now," June 13

"Waiting for SCOTUS," May 30

"Abortion  Again  At the Supreme Court," April 25

"The Supreme Court and the Abortion Pill," March 28

"Health Enters the Presidential Race," Jan. 25

"The Supreme Court vs. the Bureaucracy," Jan. 18

Transcript: SCOTUS Term Wraps With a Bang

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?'

Episode Title: 'SCOTUS Term Wraps With a Bang'

Episode Number: 354

Published: July 3, 2024

[Editor's note: This transcript was generated using both transcription software and a human's light touch. It has been edited for style and clarity.]

Mila Atmos: The future of America is in your hands. This is not a movie trailer and it's not a political ad, but it is a call to action. I'm Mila Atmos and I'm passionate about unlocking the power of everyday citizens. On our podcast "Future Hindsight," we take big ideas about civic life and democracy and turn them into action items for you and me. Every Thursday we talk to bold activists and civic innovators to help you understand your power and your power to change the status quo. Find us @futurehindsight.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Julie Rovner: Hello and welcome back to "What the Health?" I'm Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News, and I'm joined by some of the best and smartest health reporters in Washington. We're taping this week on Tuesday, July 2, at 11 a.m. As always, news happens fast and things might have changed by the time you hear this, so here we go.

If you're a regular listener, you'll remember that the week of Memorial Day we did a roundup of the health policy-related Supreme Court cases whose decisions we expected to come in June. Well, now it's the week of July Fourth, and we're going to follow up and talk about how those cases got resolved. We are pleased to welcome back to the podcast Sarah Somers, legal director of the National Health Law Program. Last winter, Sarah helped us understand what was at stake in perhaps the most significant health-related case of the term. Sarah, welcome back to "What the Health?"

Sarah Somers: Hello, Julie. Thank you so much for having me.

Rovner: So let's talk about the big kahuna first, or should I say the big herring? Tell us about the court's decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. Technically, this was a case about herring fishing and who should pay for government observers on fishing boats. But the reverberations from this will be felt all over the federal government, right?

Somers: Absolutely. This is yet another example of the kind of case that can sneak up out of nowhere for those of us who are interested in health policy, because it doesn't have anything to do with health policy or our usual subjects. What this had to do with is a Department of Commerce regulation that required fishing boats to pay for observers to the extent to which they were fishing. And so this was something that normally would not concern us, but the parties introduced a much broader question, which is whether they should overturn a case called Chevron, which deals with the extent to which courts should defer to agency interpretations. Chevron was decided in 1984, and what it's meant is that if a statute is clear, then a court needs to follow the statute. But if it's ambiguous, then the court needs to defer to a reasonable interpretation by the administrative agency.

And so this is a particularly troubling case because the regulation at issue had been withdrawn and the fishermen involved in the case had been reimbursed for any fees that they'd paid. So this wasn't really a live issue. And it just shows the extent to which the court was really eager to get to this question. Conservative lawyers and scholars and judges have had Chevron in their sights for a good while  and have been critical of it saying that it gives agencies too much power. Now, those of us who work in health policy think it actually gives the agencies an appropriate amount of power. The agencies are the ones who have the expertise, who have the time, and who have the official function of interpreting what a statute means. In the case, the work that we do, Medicaid is the statute that we're most interested in. Medicaid, a notoriously hypertechnical and confusing statute, and just one of hundreds that agencies are interpreting all over the federal government.

What administrative agencies do touches on the lives of every American in so many ways: environmental, transportation, health, I could go on and on, but it's all-encompassing. Yeah, the war on Chevron has finally culminated in this final battle, and now the court has ruled that the court doesn't have to give particular deferences to agencies anymore. They can take a fresh look at everything and say, "I don't care what you say, accountable experts, with all of your time and your know-how, we're going to take a look at this and see if we agree or not. And if we don't, then it's a whole new day."

Rovner: So what kind of health issues are we most concerned about here that we would now not necessarily be giving deference to the administrative agency?

Somers: I was thinking about this as falling into two categories. There are sort of the high-profile, more controversial, or ideological issues. Issues like bans on discrimination and treatment for LGBTQ people; protections for discrimination for people with disabilities; regulations that ensure access to services for people with limited English proficiency; anything to do with abortion; a lot of things to do with family planning. These are the kind of things that draw controversy and are always vulnerable to challenge. But then there's a whole 'nother world of things that people don't really think about, which is the complexities of how rates are determined for hospitals; how rates are determined for managed-care plans; how patient billing is conducted; all the myriad regulations that govern how hospitals function. And these are the kind of things that just grind along and keep the wheels of the health care industry turning. And what this does is it throws a lot of sand in those gears and sometimes can bring things to a halt.

And so it can influence these high-profile issues where people might be more vulnerable to discrimination, not have access to services in their language. But also the kind of invisible things that you don't see  but you just know as a patient, as a provider that the works are being gummed up and it's not working efficiently and quickly the way it's supposed to.

Rovner: I've seen a few people write that they're worried about agencies getting more timid in light of this. That they might be less inclined to regulate on things that they wouldn't normally regulate about.

Somers: I think that's absolutely true. And I already think the agencies are quite cautious because they're always vulnerable to challenge under the Administrative Procedure Act. But this is just going to turn up the heat several notches and keep them out of areas that they really are very much needed, where their expertise and their experience is needed. I think that's absolutely true. If you want to talk about the other decision that goes hand in hand with this one then 

Rovner: We'll get there in a second, but before that, I've also seen commentary about the concern that this will give an advantage to businesses, or basically entities that have enough money to continue to go to court. Because those are the ones who'll be able to file and complain about regulations. Whereas people who might be affected by other regulations will not have as much access to the courts.

Somers: Absolutely. This is a deep-pocket industry, and it's just going to open the floodgates to more litigation for the well-resourced and connected among us  these big agencies, big corporations. It's true that from the beneficiary side, or the patient side, you also may want to argue with an interpretation of a regulation, but it's much less likely that you will have the resources and the time and really the knowledge to be able to do it. So the deck is really stacked in favor of industry after this.

Rovner: So one of the things that was in this decision or that [Chief] Justice [John] Roberts wrote was that this did not open the floodgates to go back and look at previous regulations. You couldn't go backwards. I know that was a big concern. But there was another case that kind of said, "Well, maybe you can tell us about that other case."

Somers: Yes. And let me just comment for a second on what Justice Roberts said, which is that, oh, this doesn't mean that cases decided under Chevron aren't good law anymore. In order to disrupt that you'd need some kind of special factors or special consideration. As Justice [Elena] Kagan pointed out, we don't know what that would look like and anybody can come up with a special reason, an important reason it should be overturned. And it also, more importantly, forget the ones that are settled, the ones that have never been challenged because industry might've thought, well, it's not worth it. Well, now it is worth it, right? And that bleeds to the next case, which is about Corner Post v. Board of Governors of [the] Federal Reserve [System]. And I will say, speaking for myself, this one snuck up on me a little bit. We've been watching Loper Bright for a long time. Our organization filed an amicus brief in the case.

The Corner Post kind of snuck up. And it's about, once again something very far removed from health policy, about debit card fees that get passed on to merchants, and they hate it. And so two big industry groups came after this regulation, saying even though the statute of limitations had passed, we're challenging it. Normally it's six years after a regulation is final you have to challenge it. But they said that's not fair, we didn't even exist. And so now that we're harmed by it, we should be able to challenge it. And sure enough, six out of the three justices said, "Yeah, that's right." And so what that means is everybody can look around and take a fresh look at things that have been on the books seven years, 10 years, 20 years, who knows? Including as Justice [Ketanji Brown] Jackson pointed out, cases about drug approval like approving mifepristone, the drug that's used in abortions. So it all just weaves together into a web that is going to tangle up health advocates, patients, providers, and it's really scary.

Rovner: Well, let's move on to the abortion cases. There were two this term. One of the two was challenging the FDA's approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. The other was asking whether a federal law that requires hospitals to provide emergency stabilizing care for pregnant women and others  including potentially abortion  overrides Idaho's near-total ban on the procedure. In both cases, the court avoided reaching the merit. So we don't really know what the justices think or what they might've ruled, but let's take them one at a time. Let's talk about what happened with the abortion pill case. That was the one brought by a group of conservative health professionals in Texas.

Somers: Right. These providers, doctors, and dentists said that it violated their religious beliefs to have to have anything to do with abortion. And even though they were not going to ever prescribe it, they argued, What if somehow we had to be burdened by treating somebody who had taken this pill? Well, they didn't actually have any evidence that that had happened. And so what the court said was, you actually don't have a stake in this other than a political one. And we're not here to get into political questions like that. That's not what the courts are for. You have to have what's called standing, meaning, what's your stake in this? How are you going to be harmed? Which is absolutely true and kind of a mark in contrast to Loper Bright, where really was the standing of these groups that were suing. But anyway, what goes on here in this case is that the court said you don't have standing, but that doesn't mean nobody could have standing. Who knows?

And so, sure enough, the states are waiting in the wings to bring it up themselves and argue anew that they're the ones who are being harmed by it. So it's an undead kind of issue, and it's almost certain to come back and haunt us.

Rovner: You already mentioned that drugmakers in general have been kind of freaked out by the idea of judges making scientific decisions that overrule the FDA. That could still happen, right?

Somers: Absolutely. And the FDA is barraged by lawsuits. They have so many fronts on which already they have to defend themselves. And in addition to agencies being timid, there long have been concerns about industry capture in different parts of the agency. And so there already are so many areas on which they're vulnerable in trying to regulate drugs. This is just one new blow.

Rovner: So the other case, as I said, pits Idaho's abortion ban against the Federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, EMTALA. Remind us again what EMTALA is and how it could relate to abortion.

Somers: What EMTALA is is a very important federal law that says that hospitals have to provide necessary stabling treatment to people who arrive in an emergency medical condition. And this means not just treatment to save somebody's life, but also to prevent any kind of serious impairment to bodily functions or great pain or serious dysfunction or other types of jeopardy. So what that meant is EMTALA is requiring hospitals in every state to provide certain kinds of treatment that are banned by Idaho's abortion ban. For example, Idaho's abortion ban says you can't provide any kind of abortion care unless someone is at the verge of death. And so there are a lot of situations  and they've already been happening in Idaho, while this law has been in effect  where you might have devastation to your reproductive organs, you might be in horrible pain. The pregnancy isn't viable and you're suffering because of this law that is conflicting with EMTALA.

And so the argument is: Federal law is superior to state law, and federal law has to rule if there's a conflict with state law. And so in this case, the district court in Idaho said, "Yeah, this violates EMTALA." And the court ended up taking it away from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court did, and lifting the stay. And now what that meant was that the law was in effect, pregnant people were suffering horribly, having to be airlifted out of the state. And what does the court do at the end of the day but come back and say, "Yeah, we shouldn't have done that. We're going to let this go back and they're going to figure this out more fully." And the stay is going to stay in effect. That's all fine and good in Idaho, for now. But then you already have the 5th Circuit, which has similar laws that are in effect. And so those people down there and the doctors who are trying to treat them are still in limbo.

And that's what Justice Jackson said in her dissent, which is like you're just leaving all these people in the lurch and doctors don't know what to do. They're scared of getting prosecuted, and so you should have just decided this instead of saving it for another day. And the majority kind of gave a roadmap to the court of appeals like, here's how you can show that this actually doesn't conflict with EMTALA.

Rovner: Which, I mean, the general rule is that federal laws are supreme to conflicting state laws, right? That's a kind of 

Somers: Exactly. Federal law preempts state law, and it shouldn't be a hard question. It's the kind of thing that 10 years ago, regardless of Dobbs [v. Jackson Women's Health Organization] would not have been a closed question.

Rovner: And technically the court just kind of said, "Oops, we shouldn't have taken this case, or at least we shouldn't have taken it now." I read that as being they could not come to an agreement that they were likely, like, split 3-3-3. Is that your reading, too?

Somers: That's the speculation. We never really know what goes on behind those closed doors. But it did seem like a real punt and a throwing up of the hands like, well, we don't know what to do. So we're just going to call this whole thing off. It was interesting too, to see Justice Jackson along with Justice [Clarence] Thomas and [Samuel] Alito saying, "We should decide this." But they wanted to decide it very differently. They wanted to just call the question once and for all, but that's not what happened.

Rovner: In both of these abortion cases, if Donald Trump is returned to office, his administration could likely just do itself what the plaintiffs are seeking here, right?

Somers: Yeah. A federal law could be passed if Congress was all Republican and Trump was president. There are all kinds of things that they could do through this. They could try to amend EMTALA. Who knows the mischief they could get into, the policymakers?

Rovner: But even if Congress remains, or at least one house of Congress remains in Democratic hands, one presumes that the administration would be pushed to both alter its interpretation of EMTALA and perhaps revoke the approval of mifepristone. Those are both theoretical things that the administration could do, right?

Somers: Absolutely. There's executive action that could endanger access to abortion. Of course legislative action. And then there are these legal issues looming in the courts that could just come back again.

Rovner: So none of these cases are over. The court in the past few weeks also ruled in a couple of cases I call health care-adjacent. In one, the justices overturned a bankruptcy settlement reached between state governments and families of people who died of opioid overdoses, and Purdue Pharma, the company that made OxyContin and lied about how addictive it was. What happened in this case? What was the Supreme Court doing in a bankruptcy case?

Somers: Yes, questions were raised about the settlement. This is a huge settlement, billions of dollars on behalf of all the people who died and suffered from addiction because of the drugs that were being prescribed at a time when people weren't aware of how addictive they were. The majority said that the settlement was not adequate to protect debtors or even the creditors and other victims. And all this work had gone into, all this time to try to come up with the settlement, but the majority was saying, this just gets the defendants too much off the hook. They still have too much of themselves protected from bankruptcy and from debtors and from creditors.

Rovner: One of the terms of the settlement was that it would basically eliminate any future claims against the Sackler family, the people who own Purdue Pharma.

Somers: Exactly. It really arguably let them off the hook. But at the same time, the dissent in this case said, "Look, this has been so hard-fought. It's been so difficult to get everybody on the same page. There's so much money at stake. And some of these people are in really dire straits and they need the money now." So it was a real trade-off between are you really letting the bad actors off the hook, and what do you take today so that you can get the most relief for people as quickly as possible? Definitely not something as a health advocate I thought I'd have to think about bankruptcy, but think about it I did.

Rovner: And it was not decided ideologically.

Somers: Not at all.

Rovner: It was a very odd breakdown of justices with liberals and conservatives on both sides.

Somers: Exactly. And you can see the liberal and conservative arguments on both. You know what I mean?

Rovner: Let's put it this way, I was glad I wasn't being asked to decide that case.

Somers: 100%, oh my gosh, yes.

Rovner: Finally, the court ruled in a case out of Grants Pass, Oregon, that cities can enforce bans against sleeping in public even if the sleepers have no homes and no other access to shelter. This is also kind of health care-adjacent but could have repercussions, right?

Somers: Yeah, it's health care-adjacent in two senses. One is the arguments that the local governments were making, which is that having people camping in public places is a public health problem. There's a lot of attendant problems that the local governments say they have to deal with that affect the health of the community. But it's also an important health issue from the perspective of the people who are unhoused, who are forced to sleep in their cars or in public, because housing is one of the primary drivers of health. And we know there's a horrible housing crisis in this country. It's not just people who have limited income who can't find housing. People at higher and higher income levels are struggling to find housing now. And so it just seemed like the ultimate cruelty to say to people, yes, we know you don't have housing. We know it's impossibly unaffordable. We know there's a shortage. And the same time, too bad for you.

The underpinning of this decision is for years they had said it's a cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment to have criminal penalties against people because of their status. Like you can't have criminal penalties for being an addict. You can't have criminal penalties for someone being homeless. But what they split this hair and said, well, it's not for being homeless it's because they're camping. And Justice [Sonia] Sotomayor in her dissent sort of said, "Oh, come on. That's really a distinction without a difference." And it's the real concern on the part of Justice [Neil] Gorsuch  writing for the majority  was for the local governments and how hard this was on them and how difficult. And OK, but it's really hard on the people who are going to be forced to stay awake or go to jail.

Rovner: And it's not like a lot of these people can just move on. Many of them have jobs in the community. They just don't pay enough for them to be able to afford housing.

Somers: They have jobs and they have families and their kids can be in school. There's all kinds of reasons they want to stay there. And there was also discussion of, well, there really is shelter space but people don't want to go because they don't want to be forced to go to religious services, because they don't want to be in a sober house. Well, I don't know. That was subject to dispute in the record. But also there's other reasons of safety and concern not going to shelters. And something that looks available on paper may not actually be available. So, it's very cruel.

Rovner: To wrap up, which of these cases do you think is going to have the most lasting significance when it comes to health care?

Somers: That's a really good question. Right now, because of the potential chaos it can unleash, I would say sort of the one-two punch of Loper Bright and Corner Post. It seems like that could be a real shock to the system and cause a real upheaval in administrative law. Sometimes these things don't shake out as badly as we think they do. It may be that most judges who are faced with these cases that aren't ideological may be like, "You know what? I do want to defer to the agency because I don't know anything about the Two-Midnight Rule in Medicare. I don't know anything about actuarial soundness and Medicaid managed care, so why don't I let the agency do that?" But at least in the short term it's going to be pretty disruptive.

Rovner: Yeah. And to be clear, the ruling didn't say they can't defer to the agency. The ruling just said they don't have to defer to the agency.

Somers: Exactly. And Justice Roberts in his majority opinion cited a case called Skidmore [doctrine], which is a level of deference to the agency that's like a step below Chevron [doctrine]. And it just says you need to give it respectful deference based on how reasonable it is. And sometimes in practice, Chevron and Skidmore may not look that different. And so I remain hopeful that courts will still show respectful deference to the civil servants who really know what's going on.

Rovner: We shall keep an eye on it. Sarah Somers, thank you so much for this Supreme Court wrap-up.

Somers: Sure. I'm happy to do it.

Rovner: So, OK, that is our show for this holiday week. As always, if you enjoy the podcast, you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. We'd appreciate it if you left us a review; that helps other people find us, too. Special thanks as always to our technical guru, Francis Ying, and our editor, Emmarie Huetteman. As always, you can email us your comments or questions. Were at [email protected], or you can still find me at X, @jrovner. We will be back in your feed next week. Have a lovely holiday. And until then, be healthy.
A multinational team led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators developed a test that will help measure the persistence of HIV in people affected by viral strains found predominantly in Africa-;a vital tool in the search for an HIV cure that will benefit patients around the world.

The study, published in Nature Communications on July 2, helps fill a major gap in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) research. Most HIV studies have focused on strains circulating in Western countries, predominantly in men who have sex with men affected by subtype B. Few studies have examined strains circulating in Africa, where women are disproportionately affected.

HIV cure research tends to focus on viral strains circulating in developed countries, but to achieve a cure that is globally applicable, we must study viral strains that are affecting other regions of the world." Dr. Guinevere Lee, Assistant Professor, Virology in Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine

Dr. Guinevere Lee is assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medicine.

The findings show-;like other studies in developed countries-;that HIV strains circulating in Africa establish viral reservoirs in the human body. Although antiretroviral therapy can reduce the level of HIV in the blood to an undetectable level, these dormant reservoirs continue to survive. They contain a large number of defective proviral DNA genomes which can't produce new infectious viruses, but a small number of genomes remain genetically intact and ready to produce active viruses if antiretroviral treatment is interrupted.

The large proportion of defective viral genomes obscures researchers' attempts to accurately quantify the copies of intact proviruses. "We are looking for a needle in a haystack: To achieve an HIV cure, we need to first find out whether any genome-intact proviruses remain in the body during antiretroviral treatment. Our new assay allows us to do this. Then we need to target and eliminate the intact proviral DNA capable of producing new viruses," Dr. Lee explained.

Broadening the lens of HIV research with a new assay

Dr. Lee and her colleagues analyzed DNA from immune cells called CD4+ T cells, where viral DNA hides, of 16 women and 7 men receiving antiretroviral HIV treatment in Uganda. Genetic sequencing of the virus revealed two predominant HIV-1 subtypes: A1 and D (a notoriously aggressive strain). The study also identified viral hybrids of A1 and D.

The team then modified existing laboratory tests that identify HIV subtype B proviruses to detect proviruses that are subtypes A1 and D. "The new assay we've developed will help researchers home in on the intact proviral genomes relevant to HIV cure research for patients affected by these under studied strains," Dr. Lee said.

Dr. Lee and her multinational, multi-institution collaborators are already using the new assay to study long-term viral persistence in Uganda. Their findings show that the composition of the HIV proviral genomic landscape is broadly comparable between subtypes A1, D and B suggesting that approaches to target intact HIV reservoirs in Africa will face similar "needle-in-a-haystack" challenges as in North America and Europe. Future studies will also need to evaluate differences in non-B subtypes to understand whether subtype-specific factors impact persistence, reactivation or clearance in viral reservoirs.

Senior authors on the paper include Dr. Andrew Redd, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, and Dr. Jessica Prodger, assistant professor, Departments of Microbiology & Immunology and Epidemiology & Biostatistics at Western University, Canada.

Researchers from Simon Fraser University, Canada; British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Canada; Rakai Health Sciences Program, Uganda; University of Cape Town, South Africa; and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine also contributed to this study.

The National Institutes of Health is funding this work through the Research Enterprise to Advance a Cure for HIV (REACH) Martin Delaney Collaboratory, which is co-led by Dr. Brad Jones, associate professor of immunology in medicine and also associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medicine, and Dr. Marina Caskey, professor of clinical investigation at Rockefeller University and an adjunct professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and attending infectious disease physician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The REACH Collaboratory is one of 10 NIH-funded collaborative research groups worldwide focused on finding an HIV cure.
Transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse people face barriers to accessing surgery and to the health system in general, describe authors in two new research papers published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

In many areas of life, people who identify as transgender, nonbinary, and gender diverse experience discrimination even where there are laws to protect transgender human rights. Health systems also pose barriers for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse people, who are more likely to delay obtaining medical care because of fear of discrimination and other factors.

In two research articles, authors describe the experiences of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse people in accessing gender-affirming surgery. A related humanities article argues that gender self-determination is a medical right.

As there are few Canadian studies on the surgical experiences of people who self-identify as members of these populations, authors sought to understand the experience of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse people when seeking gender-affirming care. Participants in the research studies reported barriers in accessing gender-affirming care, which also affected their general experiences with the health care system.

"The stress of negotiating presurgical bureaucracy often stood in sharp contrast to the positive feelings [participants] experienced when deciding to seek gender-affirming surgery," writes Dr. Hilary MacCormick, an anesthesiologist in the Department of Women's and Obstetric Anesthesia, IWK Health, and assistant professor at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, with coauthors in one of the studies https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.240061. "Participants described the need to self-advocate when interacting with health care professionals who had a lack of experience with or negative attitude toward [transgender or nonbinary] people."

These barriers and marginalization can cause additional trauma in a situation where patients of any background might feel stress and anxiety because of surgery.

"Our data support the need for more in-depth and nuanced discussions surrounding shared decision-making, and consideration of potential effects of past traumas, instances of invalidation, or negative interactions within health care," the authors conclude.

The findings of the study on the lived experiences of people seeking publicly funded penile-inversion vaginoplasty were similar. "Health care systems need to improve access to gender-affirmation surgery, reduce wait times for care by increasing capacity for gender-affirmation surgery, and improve care experiences," writes Dr. Gianni Lorello, a scientist at the Women's College Research and Innovation Institute, anesthesiologist at University Health Network, and associate professor at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, with coauthors https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.231250.

In a related humanities articlehttps://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.230935, Florence Ashley, assistant professor, Faculty of Law and John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, argues that gender self-determination is a medical right and that health care providers are ethically bound to respect this and examine their gatekeeping practices.

The burden of justifying barriers to care should fall on the health care providers who erect them and not on those seeking care to affirm their gender." Florence Ashley, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law and John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre at the University of Alberta

"Health care providers working with transgender communities should carefully examine their gatekeeping practices to ascertain whether they are justified by clear and compelling evidence and abandon those that cannot meet this justificatory threshold."
In India, many entrepreneurs have started their journey from humble beginnings and have gone on to become some of the biggest businessmen. One such company that has become extremely popular and successful, particularly in Bihar, is Rudra Biscuits. The Biscuit company is as popular as Britannia in the state of Bihar.

In almost every household in the district of Begusarai, Bihar, be it children, youth, or adults, everyone enjoys Rudra biscuits. But the journey of the company has been quite impressive.

Rudra Biscuits were started by Pawan Kumar Gupta. He decided to start the business after he had fallen ill and was not given permission to take leave from his office. Gupta is the son of Lalbabu Prahad, who is a resident of Darha village in the Bakhri Nagar Parishad area, 25 km away from Begusarai. He has worked as an interior designer in Delhi for the last 18 years. He had a good salary, but he didnt get enough leave during his tenure. He revealed that he got extremely ill in 2023, but the MNC refused to give him leave. It was found that after the refusal, he decided to quit his job and go back to his village.

He revealed that during his job, there was a biscuit company near his office, and he had seen how biscuits were made in the factory. This gave him an idea of how to start a biscuit-making factory. He figured out that this business could become a good source of income and, as a result, decided to start it in his village. He even received financial support of Rs 25 lakh from the PMFME scheme that is run by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

One of the factory managers revealed that there are currently 12 factory workers. The factor also makes bread, buns, biscuits, and rusks that make up a sale of up to Rs 10 lakh every month in Begusarai, Khagaria, Samastipur and Patna districts.
Petrol, and Diesel Prices On July 3, 2024: OMCs have announced fresh petrol and diesel prices on Wednesday, July 3. The countrys Petrol and diesel prices depend on crude oil prices internationally. Fluctuations in crude oil prices lead to changes in fuel prices in India. Check the latest petrol, and diesel prices to know if there is an increase in the amount customers will have to shell out for a litre.

Government oil marketing companies release the latest petrol and diesel prices daily at 6 am in the country.

The prices have remained unchanged in most parts of the country since March 2024 when the central government cut petrol prices by Rs 2. Before that, the fuel prices remained steady since May 2022, following a reduction in fuel taxes by the central government and several states.

Companies like Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, and Indian Oil Corporation of India release the prices of petrol and diesel on their websites. Let us know the latest fuel prices.

Petrol Diesel Price Today In India (Check city-wise rate table below)

Check city-wise petrol and diesel prices on July 3;

City Petrol Price (Rs/litre) Diesel Price (Rs/litre) Delhi 94.72 87.62 Mumbai 103.44 89.97 Chennai 100.85 92.44 Kolkata 103.94 90.76 Noida 94.66 87.76 Lucknow 94.65 87.76 Bengaluru 102.86 88.94 Hyderabad 107.41 95.65 Jaipur 104.88 90.36 Trivandrum 107.62 96.43 Bhubaneswar 101.06 92.91

Factors Affecting Petrol And Diesel Prices In India

Crude oil price: The primary raw material for the production of petrol and diesel is crude oil; as such, its price directly influences the ultimate cost of these fuels.

The exchange rate between the Indian rupee and the US dollar: As a major importer of crude oil, Indias petrol and diesel prices are also influenced by the exchange rate between the Indian and US dollar.

Tax: Various taxes on petrol and diesel are imposed by both the central and state governments. These taxes may differ across states, exerting a notable influence on the ultimate prices of petrol and diesel.

The cost of refining:

The final price of petrol and diesel is additionally influenced by the expenses incurred in refining crude oil into these fuels. The refining process can be costly, and the refining expenses may fluctuate based on factors like the type of crude oil utilised and the refinerys efficiency.

The demand for petrol and diesel: The demand for petrol and diesel can also affect their prices. If demand for these fuels increases, it can lead to higher prices.

Know the price of petrol and diesel through SMS

You can also find out the latest petrol and diesel prices in your city through SMS. If you are a customer of Indian Oil, then you will have to write RSP along with the city code and send it to 9224992249. If you are a customer of BPCL, then you can get information about the new price of petrol and diesel by writing RSP and sending it to 9223112222. Whereas, if you are a customer of HPCL, then you can find out the price of petrol and diesel by writing HP Price and sending it to 9222201122.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the Lok Sabha election results have not only boosted domestic capital markets but also generated enthusiasm in the world.

Replying to a debate on a motion thanking President Droupadi Murmu for her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, PM Modi also said when India becomes the third largest economy, it will have a positive impact not only domestically but also at the global level.

Our economy has moved from 10th position in the world to fifth. We have got a mandate to make India the third largest economy, PM Modi said.

There will be a rapid transformation in public transportation in the country. Technology footprints will be seen in many sectors, he added.

He added that the benefits of womens empowerment are visible across all sectors

One crore women in self-help groups have become lakhpati didis, the number will increase to 3 crores in coming years.

The government has strengthened the agriculture sector with micro planning ranging from farm to market, PM Modi said.

Stock Market Update July 3

Equity benchmark indices started the trade on an optimistic note on Wednesday, with the Sensex breaching the historic 80,000 mark for the first time ever and the Nifty hitting its fresh lifetime high, amid heavy buying in bank stocks and firm global market trends.

The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 597.77 points to hit a new lifetime high of 80,039.22. The Nifty climbed 168.3 points to hit a fresh record peak of 24,292.15.

Among the Sensex pack, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bajaj Finance, IndusInd Bank, Bharti Airtel and Nestle were the biggest gainers.

Tata Consultancy Services, Sun Pharma, Infosys and Tata Motors were among the laggards.

In Asian markets, Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong were trading in the positive territory while Shanghai quoted lower.

US markets ended higher on Tuesday.

The BSE benchmark declined 34.74 points or 0.04 per cent to settle at 79,441.45 in a volatile trade on Tuesday. During the day, it jumped 379.68 points or 0.47 per cent to hit a record peak of 79,855.87.

The Nifty declined by 18.10 points or 0.07 per cent to 24,123.85. Intra-day, it climbed 94.4 points or 0.39 per cent to hit a lifetime high of 24,236.35.
Homegrown microblogging startup Koo on Wednesday announced the discontinuation of its services. In a LinkedIn post, its co-founders Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka said that at the companys peak, Koo used to have 10 per cent like ratio, which was 7-10x the ratio Twitter had, and was just months away from beating Twitter in India in 2022.

During its peak, Koo was the main rival of Twitter, whose name was changed to X after Elon Musk acquired it in 2022.

Why Has Koo Decided To Shut Down Its Operations?

Koo said the company will discontinue its service to the public as its partnership talks failed.

We explored partnerships with multiple larger internet companies, conglomerates and media houses but these talks didnt yield the outcome we wanted. Most of them didnt want to deal with user generated content and the wild nature of a social media company, Koos co-founders said in a statement on LinkedIn.

A couple of them, the founders said, changed priority almost close to signing.

Why Was Koo Looking For Partnerships?

After the coronavirus pandemic, most tech companies faced a cash crunch from 2022 onwards due to funding winter. Koo was also hit by that. During the period, the company also laid off nearly 40 employees. Subsequently, in 2023 also, the company cautioned employees for more layoffs.

It happened due to a capital crisis at the company.

A prolonged funding winter which hit us at our peak hurt our plans at the time and we had to tone down on our growth trajectory, Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka stated.

Social media, the co-founders said, is probably one of the toughest companies to build even with all resources available as you need to grow users to a significant scale before one thinks of revenue.

Koo could have easily scaled internationally and given India a global brand that was truly made in India. The company needed 5-6 years of aggressive, long-term and patient capital to make this dream a reality, they said.

On the winddown of the company, Aprameya and Mayank said, While we would have liked to keep the app running, the cost of technology services to keep a social media app running is high and we have had to take this tough decision.

Koos Peak

Koo said it built a globally scalable product in a fraction of the time that X/ Twitter did, with superior systems, algorithms and strong stakeholder-first philosophies.

Koo used to have a 10 per cent like ratio, almost 7-10x the ratio Twitter had  making Koo a more favourable platform for creators, the co-founders said.

At our peak, we were at about 2.1 million daily active users and ~ 10 million monthly active users, 9000+ VIPs, which included some of the most eminent personalities from various fields. We were just months away from beating Twitter in India in 2022 and could have doubled down on that short-term goal with capital behind us, according to Aprameya and Mayank.

We were just months away from beating Twitter in India in 2022 and could have doubled down on that short-term goal with capital behind us, he added.

It has been a long journey of over 4 years from thought to finish. The company has its highest highs and lowest lows while running Koo, they said.

Patient, long-term capital is essential to build ambitious, world-beating products from India  be it in social media, AI, space, EV or other futuristic category, the co-founders said, adding that it will need a lot more capital when the space has a global giant already.

These are not to be looked at as profit-churning machines in two years from launch, they added.

Koos Financial Overview

Koo did manage to reduce its monthly cash burn to around Rs 10.2 crore in April 2023, from roughly Rs 16 crore in January 2023, according to a Moneycontrol report earlier.

The monthly cash burn of Rs 10.2 crore in April 2023, however, is far from the target of Rs 6.5 crore Koo had set for itself by March-end of that year.

The Tiger Global-backed company had raised $65 million so far from Accel, 3one4 Capital, Naval Ravikant, Balaji Srinivasan, Kalaari Capital and several others.
In a shocking event, a 17-year-old student from a private pre-university college in Karnatakas Kolar district gave birth on campus Monday, according to a report by the Indian Express. The Class 11 student delivered her baby in the womens toilet, a police officer confirmed.

Immediately following the birth, both the girl and her newborn were taken to a hospital for medical attention. The girls parents later filed a complaint at the Kolar Womens Police Station, prompting the police to take swift action. A police officer confirmed that they have initiated a case and launched a manhunt to apprehend the accused.

According to the police, a complaint has been filed under Section 376 (2)(n) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, which deal with aggravated penetrative sexual assault and serial rape of the same victim.

The investigation revealed that the girl and a boy had been in a relationship for the past two years. Despite the girls pregnancy, it remains unclear how her family did not notice her condition or why she chose to conceal it. As the girl recovers post-delivery, we will speak to her with the assistance of a female counselor, a police officer was quoted by the Indian Express.

Despite the case being reported after the introduction of new criminal laws, the alleged crime occurred nine months ago, rendering the new laws inapplicable in this instance, explained the police.

Earlier this year, a similar incident was reported in Karnataka, in which a class 9 girl from a government residential school reportedly delivered a newborn boy in a hospital, prompting the registration of a rape case under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and POCSO. The 14-year-old girl was residing in the hostel of a government boarding school in the district of Tumakuru.

Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website.
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) recently commenced the online application process for Round 1 of the NEET MDS 2024 counselling. Students who have cleared their National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test for Masters of Dental Surgery (NEET MDS) this year can apply for the counselling process by visiting the official website at mcc.nic.in/mds-counselling/.

After completing the online registration procedure, students can proceed to fill out their seat allocation preferences. All candidates seeking admission should prioritise their options based on their preferences. These choices will be used to determine the seat allotment results for NEET MDS Round 1.

As per the schedule, the online registration process for Round 1 of the NEET MDS 2024 counselling started on July 1 and will conclude on July 7. It is important to note that there will be three rounds of counselling, including a stray vacancy round. This counselling process is for those who have cleared the NEET MDS 2024 entrance exam.

NEET MDS 2024 Counselling Round 1: Steps To Apply

Step 1: Go to the official counselling website of NEET MDS at mcc.nic.in/mds-counselling

Step 2: On the homepage, look for and click on the NEET MDS counselling registration link.

Step 3: As a new window opens, enter the required login details in the fields provided.

Step 4: To complete the process, submit the mandatory registration fee.

Step 5: Then save the login details to complete the choice-filling process.

Step 6: Fill out the preferences carefully and submit the option.

NEET MDS 2024 Counselling Round 1: Important Dates

 Online Registration Process/Payment of Fee: July 1, 2024, to July 7, 2024, up to 12 noon.

 Choice Filling Process /Locking of seats: July 2, 2024 to July 7, 2024.

(Choice filling process until 11:55 PM on July 7, 2024, while Locking of seats from 4 PM to 11:55 PM)

 Processing of Seat Allotment: July 8 2024 to July 9, 2024.

 Counselling Result Accouchement: July 10, 2024.

 Reporting at allotted colleges: July 11, 2024 to July 17, 2024.

 Document verification of joined candidates by institutes: July 18, 2024, to July 19, 2024.

The Round 1 seat allotment results will be declared based on the choices made by candidates, the rank obtained, and seat availability. Candidates who are satisfied with their first-round allotment must report to the designated college with all required documents and certifications for verification and admission.

Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website.
NEET 2024 Live Updates: CBI Arrests Principal, Vice Principal of Oasis School in Hazaribagh The CBI on June 28 arrested the principal and vice principal of a school in Jharkhands Hazaribagh in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak case, officials said. Who were arrested?  Ehsanul Haque, the principal of Oasis School, who was the city coordinator of Hazaribagh for NEET UG  Vice Principal Imtiaz Alam who was designated as the NTAs observer and the centre coordinator at the Oasis School The CBI is also questioning five more people from the district in connection with the paper leak case, officials told PTI

Congress Don't Want to Discuss, They Want Chaos: Dharmendra Pradhan On NEET Row Congress doesnt want discussion they only want chaos, confusion, and obstacles in the functioning of the parliament. They are only doing politics on the issueNTA has got a new leadership now a committee has been formed under K Radhakrishnan, the education minister said. Read full Article

Former ISRO Chief to Lead Expert Panel for Reforming NTA Exam Processes A high-level expert group chaired by former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan has been established by the Ministry of Education to guarantee the fair, transparent, and seamless administration of exams administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA). According to the Ministrys Department of Higher Education, the seven-member group will offer recommendations for changes to the NTAs organisation and operations, data security standards, and examination process mechanism. Read full Article

NEET PG 2024 Live Updates: DMK Student Wing Protests Against NEET in Tamil Nadu The DMKs student wing protested against NEET in Tamil Nadu, demanding its abolition for medical admissions, reported PTI. Led by CVMP Ezhilarasan, the protest No More NEET saw senior leader RS Bharathi addressing protesters at Valluvar Kottam. This comes after the Tamil Nadu Assemblys resolution seeking NEET exemption, amid recent test irregularities. DMK opposes NEET, advocating class 12 exam marks for medical admissions, citing social justice and states rights concerns.

"DMK Student Wing Protests Against NEET in Tamil Nadu" The DMKs student wing protested against NEET in Tamil Nadu, demanding its abolition for medical admissions, reported PTI. Led by CVMP Ezhilarasan, the protest No More NEET saw senior leader RS Bharathi addressing protesters at Valluvar Kottam. This comes after the Tamil Nadu Assemblys resolution seeking NEET exemption, amid recent test irregularities. DMK opposes NEET, advocating class 12 exam marks for medical admissions, citing social justice and states rights concerns.

NEET PG 2024 Live Updates: How to Check Revised Dates Once Released? Step 1: Go to the official website of NBE, natboard.edu.in. Step 2: Select the NEET PG 2024 option. Step 3: Now, click on the corresponding notifications. Step 4: A PDF with the exam date, time, and other information will display on the screen. Step 5: Download the updated NEET PG 2024 dates and save them for future reference

NEET PG 2024 Live Updates: PM Modi Vows Strict Action on NEET Paper Leak Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, pledging decisive action regarding the NEET paper leak scandal, asserting that the government would ensure those accountable face consequences. He further criticised opposition parties for politicising issues that impact the future of Indias youth. Read full Article

'Deep Rot in Our Higher Education System': Rahul Gandhi Writes to PM Modi The Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has written to PM Narendra Modi, demanding a discussion on the NEET issue in Parliament. This follows the Oppositions request for a discussion on this matter being refused by both Houses of Parliament on June 28. In his letter, Gandhi asked the Prime Minister for a discussion on the NEET UG paper leak problem and wrote on X, I believe that it would be fitting if you were to lead this debate. Dear Prime Minister, I am writing to request for a debate in Parliament on NEET tomorrow. Our aim is to engage constructively in the interest of 24 lakh NEET aspirants who deserve answers. I believe that it would be fitting if you were to lead this debate. pic.twitter.com/PXqV8LnYVO  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 2, 2024 Read full Article

'Those Playing With Youth's Future Will Not Be Spared': PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on Tuesday that those responsible for the paper leak will face consequences, emphasising the governments commitment to addressing the issue. During his response to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the Presidents address in the Lok Sabha, he underscored the enactment of laws aimed at tackling paper leaks and highlighted ongoing efforts to fortify the education system. Those who play with the future of the youth will not be spared. Continuous arrests are being made across the country in the NEET case, the PM added. Read full Article

NEET PG 2024 Live Updates: Where to Check Revised Date? The rescheduled date for the NEET PG test will be announced on the National Board of Examinations official website, natboard.edu.in.

Actor Vijay Supports TN Assembly's Call to Abolish NEET Medical Entrance Exam Tamil actor-turned-politician Vijay expressed his support for abolishing the NEET medical entrance exam during a recent political event. As the head of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), he emphasized that eliminating NEET is the necessary solution, echoing the sentiment that public trust in the examination has diminished. Read full Article

NEET PG 2024 Live Updates: NEET UG Pleas to be Heard on July 8 The majority of the petitions submitted for NEET UG 2024 claimed anomalies will be considered on 8 July, when the Supreme Court returns for summer session. The NEET petition will be considered by a bench that includes CJI DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra. Several students and coaching institutes have filed petitions challenging the NEET UG 2024 results.

NEET-PG Online Preparedness Discussed in Union Home Ministry Meeting The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), its technical partner Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), representatives from the health ministry, and representatives of the Cyber Cell convened in the Union home ministry on Monday to deliberate on the readiness for the online NEET-PG exam.

NEET-PG Likely to Be Held in Mid-August: Sources According to reports, the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Post Graduate (NEET-PG) 2024 would likely be held in mid-August. The medical entrance exams rescheduled date is anticipated to be published this week. Read full Article

Centre's High-level Committee Seeks Input on NTA Exam Reforms from Parents, Students The Education Ministry established a high-level committee on June 22, 2024, to investigate the NTA examination process. In order to propose changes to the agencys test procedure, the panel, which was presided over by Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, the former chairman of ISRO, has now asked for opinions, ideas, and proposals from various stakeholders, especially parents and students. The proposals can be submitted between June 27 and July 7, 2024. Read full Article

NEET PG 2024 Date Live Updates: NBE to Issue Fresh Admit Cards The NEET PG test was postponed by the government due to mounting concerns over suspected anomalies in the NEET-UG and other exams. With the test postponed, the NBE is anticipated to issue fresh admit cards with the new exam date.

NEET Is A 'Commercial Exam' Designed For 'Rich Kids': Rahul Gandhi Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition (LoP), raised the NEET issue in Lok Sabha on July 1, calling the medical entrance test a commercial exam rather than a professional one. Gandhi further attacked what he saw as a institutional failure to address these disparities. We can send a message from Parliament to the students that the issue of NEET is very important for us, Gandhi added. Read full Article

Why is the NEET PG Conducted? According to Section 61(2) of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 read with Chapter IV of the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, NEET-PG is an eligibility-cum-ranking test that is required as the only entrance exam for admission to various MD/MS and PG Diploma Courses.

New Dates for NTA Exams Like UGC NET and CSIR NET Announced Prior to the postponing of NEET PG, the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the UGC NET exam and postponed the CSIR NET examination. New dates for both tests have been announced.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Post Graduate (NEET-PG) 2024 is likely to be held mid-August, sources said on Tuesday. The revised date for the medical entrance exam is expected to be announced this week.

A meeting was held in the Union home ministry on Monday, in which officials from the health ministry, National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), along with its technical partner Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and Cyber Cell officials discussed the preparedness for the NEET-PG, which is to be held online.

Besides the NEET-PG, the meeting was held to evaluate the robustness of the system for the conduct of the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination, which is scheduled for July 6, a source said.

Mondays meeting was held to check the robustness of the system for the conduct of the exam in the coming days, the sources added. It was learnt that the TCS top brass briefed the meeting about the various aspects of the exam procedure.

On June 22, the Union health ministry postponed the NEET-PG entrance examination, scheduled to be held on June 23, as a precautionary measure in the wake of allegations on the integrity of certain competitive exams.

The health ministry had said it will undertake a thorough assessment of the robustness of the processes of the NEET-PG, conducted by the NBEMS along with its technical partner TCS for medical students.

Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, promising strong action in the NEET paper leak controversy and emphasising that those responsible would not be spared by the government. He also went on to say that the opposition parties were meddling with the future of the youth of India for political purposes.

Expanding on his point, PM Modi noted that since the President had addressed the issue of the paper leak in her speech, he anticipated that the entire house would transcend political differences to discuss the matter. Unfortunately, the issue, which is about the future of the country, is being politicised by them. What can be more unfortunate than this?, PM Modi questioned during his response to the Motion of Thanks on the Presidents address in the Upper House.

He assured the youth of the country, saying, I promise you one thing  this government will not spare those who cheat you, and strict actions are being taken against those found accountable.

We have implemented strict laws to address the issue and are strengthening the entire system, PM Modi added

He reassured students that the government is dedicated to fostering an atmosphere in which they may focus on their academics without being concerned about the conduct of the exams.

The Opposition has consistently pushed for a thorough discussion on the NEET issue within Parliament. This demand has led to frequent disruptions in both houses as the INDIA bloc insisted on addressing the matter urgently. On Monday, the Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha appealed to the Speaker to designate a specific day, following the debate on the Motion of Thanks, dedicated solely to deliberating the NEET concern.

Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website.
While a few ponder on taking a gap year to score better, others who scored lower than what they had got originally are worried over getting a seat at a good government medical college a day after the National Testing Agency (NTA) released the results to the re-test of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024. The exam was conducted for 1,563 candidates, who were previously allotted grace marks to compensate for time lost at the exam centres on May 5.

For a 17-year-old from Haryanas Jhajjar, whose revised score has fallen below the original one where grace marks were given, the struggle is not if they would get admission, but that the dream of grabbing a seat at a top government college might not be fulfilled with this score.

My ambition was to get into AIIMS, Delhi, but I know I wont be able to get it now. I am considering if I should drop this year and prepare again for the exam next year, even as, my family believes that if not AIIMS, I may get admission to another good government college, the student said not wishing to be identified.

A score of 700 or above is required for entry into AIIMS Delhi. A score of 600 and above can get one admission to other top-ranking government colleges.

The NEET-UG counselling process through which seats are allotted to students in different medical colleges is set to begin on July 6. This is despite several petitions filed in the Supreme Court to either defer the counselling schedule or scrap the exam.

Students Worried After Change in Scores

Most affected students and parents have been worried, unwilling to speak on the issue due to change in scores and the uncertainty that surrounds the NEET results and admissions this year. The exam has been embroiled in a controversy that refuses to die with new developments of leaks and those involved in it merging every other day as part of the ongoing investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the matter.

The parents of another student from Haryana who took the re-test held on June 23 said that they were worried if their son would be able to secure a seat at a government college. They will sit through the counselling process and thereupon decide if another attempt is required.

There is a significant difference in the revised score than the original score. We will wait and watch once the counseling for admissions starts, the students father said.

According to the re-test results announced by the NTA, none of the 813 of the 1,563 candidates who appeared for it on June 23, got a perfect score of 720/720, bringing down the tally of toppers from 67 to 61. This includes those six candidates from the same Haryana exam centre, who had got full marks in the exam previously conducted on May 5.

Re-test Held at 7 Centres

The total 1,563 candidates identified for the re-test were from six different exam centres across the country, who had complained to the NTA after the exam on May 5 that they did not get the scheduled duration (3 hours and 20 minutes) to write the exam due to various administrative reasons including distribution of a wrong set of question papers at a few centres. These candidates were allotted grace marks in the original score cards.

After the re-test on June 23, the NTA has issued revised score cards to those who sat for it. There are a few whose score cards have improved over the original exam as well, the agency said.

The re-test was held at seven exam centres across Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Meghalaya.

Those students who did not opt for the re-test will be given their original scores without the grace marks, said NTA officials.

NEET-UG in Online Mode Soon?

According to officials, there are talks going on to consider conducting NEET-UG in the online mode from next year. Things are at a very primary stage. It will depend on what the panel says in its report, said an official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Last month, the Union Ministry of Education (MoE) had set up a seven-member high-level panel to review the functioning of the NTA and recommend changes to conduct fool-proof exams. The committee set up in June 21 is to come out with its report within two months from then.

Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website.
Filming for Khatron Ke Khiladi Season 14 was underway in Romania last month. Yet to be aired, glimpses from Rohit Shettys show sparked a lot of buzz during its shoot. Now, the contestants have wrapped up the shooting schedule. The contestants have now returned to Mumbai, with videos of their airport arrival circulating widely online. Among them, former Bigg Boss contestant Abhishek Kumar was spotted. He shared his experiences from the show during a brief interaction with the media.

It was the best experience of my life. Earlier, I wasnt even planning to join the show, but now Im all about action, he said. Sporting a casual look, Abhishek Kumar looked stylish in a white Polo T-shirt paired with blue jeans and sneakers. He was joined by his parents who came to pick him up at the airport. Before making his way out of the terminal, the Udaariyaan actor posed for the shutterbugs with his family.

Krishna Shroff, daughter of Jackie Shroff and sister of Tiger Shroff, was captured arriving at Mumbai airport on Wednesday in another video. She was joined by Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia and Niyati Fatnani. Upon her arrival, Krishna was warmly greeted by her proud father, Jackie Shroff.

Earlier this week, the makers of KKK14 dropped the first promo of the show. Rohit Shetty, the host of the show and popular director, shared the video featuring contestants. Through the promo, the Singham Again director introduced all the celebrity contestants of the show. It was captioned, KhatronKeKhiladi14 coming soon @colorstv.

Among the contestants who participated in the show this year are Gashmeer Mahajani, Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia, Sumona Chakravarti, Karan Veer Mehra, Asim Riaz and Shalin Bhanot apart from Krishna Shroff and Abhishek Kumar among others.

Coming back to Abhishek Kumar, the television actor is best known for his performance as Amrik Singh Virk in the popular show Udaariyaan. He garnered significant love for his appearance in the controversial reality show Bigg Boss 17 and secured the position of first runner-up. Later, he was also featured in a couple of music videos, including Akhil Sachdevas Saanware and Khaali Botal.
Khatron Ke Khiladi Season 14 is set to air soon on Colors TV. Recently, the shoot for the show was completed. Following the intense schedule, the contestants flew from Romania where the shoot was underway. On Wednesday morning, they arrived in Mumbai. Upon their arrival, the celebrity contestants were welcomed by their family members and close ones. Among all, Shalin Bhanot was welcomed in the cutest manner. An adorable video that emerged online showcases Bhanot being greeted by his pet dog.

In the video, we can see Shalin Bhanots furry companion jumping on him as he arrives at the airport. The paw-dorable reunion is too cute to miss. The way Bhanots pet cuddles him screams pure love and joy. For his arrival in Mumbai, the Bigg Boss 16 contestant wore a white T-shirt layered with a black jacket and black jeans. He completed the look with blue sneakers.

If the reports are to be believed, Shalin Bhanot emerged as one of the finalists in the Rohit Shetty-hosted show. Throughout the shoot, the actor kept us engaged through his Instagram posts wherein he gave a sneak peek of his time in Romania. As the team wrapped up the shoot of the project, the television actor shared a wrap-up video featuring Nimrit Ahluwalia, Krishna Shroff and Niyati Fatnani, among others. The video also included the huge crew of the show. It was captioned, Woww.. Wrap Up To Another Beautiful Chapter! Khatron Ke Khiladi in Romania, what a season, cant wait for all of you to see this one soon.Yeh season hoga best !!!

Before jetting off overseas for the shoot of Khatron Ke Khiladi 14, Shalin spoke to ETimes TV. During the interaction, he revealed the reason behind signing the show. Reflecting on why he took up the stunt-based show, Bhanot jokingly said it was Abhishek Kumar who forced him to join the show more than the makers. He said, Hes probably one of the main reasons behind saying yes to the show. Abhishek forced me so much to do this show, that I had to give in.

Hosted by Rohit Shetty, Khatron Ke Khiladi 14 will also be streaming on JioCinema. However, the premiere date of the show is yet to be confirmed by the makers.
A 19-year-old man, who was sleepwalking, died after falling from his balcony on the sixth floor in Mazgaon near Mumbai. Mustafa Ibrahim Chunawala, 19, was suffering from Somnambulism, also known as sleepwalking, which is a disorder that causes people to move around or perform unexpected activities while asleep.

According to Byculla police officials, Chunawala for sleepwalking for the past three to four days. The balcony from which he fell had no grille. His body was found in a pool of blood at the buildings third-floor podium by the residents who informed the victims family. He was rushed to Saifee Hospital in Charni Road where the doctors declared him dead before arrival.

What is Sleepwalking?

It is a sleep disorder that involves walking in a deep sleep. Besides, patients can also be seen sitting up in bed, opening the refrigerator, preparing food or even driving while asleep.

A recent survey found that around 1% of preschool children and 2% of school-aged children sleepwalk at least a few nights each week, as mentioned in an article by John Hopkins Medicine.

What causes Sleepwalking?

In most cases, the person experiencing sleepwalking are either sleep deprived, fatigued or have a family history of the disorder.

Lack of sufficient sleep or poor sleep quality can increase the likelihood of sleepwalking. Sleep deprivation can affect mental health and overall well-being, potentially contributing to psychological problems, explains Dubai-based Devika Mankani, a holistic psychologist told Gulf News.

Other common triggers for sleepwalking include the use of sedative agents like alcohol and some medicines. Extreme anxiety or stress may also cause someone to start sleepwalking. Illnesses and fevers, chronic sleep deprivation, migraines, certain medications like sleeping pills, sleeping with a full bladder, head or brain injuries, and other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, or insomnia, can also trigger the condition, according to VeryWellMind.com.

Sleep is divided into REM and non-REM sleep. Sleepwalking usually occurs during the deeper states of non-REM sleep. These deeper states of non-REM sleep are more common in the first third of the night, and therefore sleepwalking is more common in the early part of the night.

What are the Symptoms of Sleepwalking?

Talking in sleep, screaming during sleep, unusual behaviour such as urinating in closets or doorways, which is more common among children, little or no memory of the event and difficulty arousing the person from the episode or violent reactions from the person when aroused are some of the symptoms of sleepwalking.

What are the Risks Involved?

According to the experts, sleepwalking may occasionally be a sign of a more serious medical issue, particularly if it occurs frequently or in addition to other sleep-related issues.

Dubai-based clinical psychologist Saliha Afridi explained to Gulf News that sleepwalking can sometimes be associated with mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

According to a study that was published in the Sleep journal, people who sleepwalk do not get good nights sleep and may be more prone to increased fatigue, which can have an adverse effect on mental health.

The study also found that sleepwalkers are more prone to have night terrors, which may have a detrimental effect on their general wellbeing.

Can Sleepwalking Be Prevented?

If the episodes of sleepwalking recur twice a week or several times per night, one should consult a doctor. A physician may decide to administer any drug.

Treatment plans can also include alarms that sound if the patient gets out of bed and starts to roam, or they can involve keeping sharp things hidden and out of reach.

Psychotherapy can also assist the patient in managing the anxiety levels that may lead to or cause sleepwalking.

Regular exercise can also help you sleep better, but its best done at least 5 to 6 hours before bedtime, according to John Hopkins.
The Karnataka food safety authority has found pani puri or golgappa  one of the most popular street foods in the country  unsafe for consumption as it fell short of safety standards. The officials have also taken action against restaurants and hotels selling shawarma containing harmful bacteria and yeast.

The government had in March banned the use of harmful colouring agents in gobi manchurian and cotton candy. The health minister had said that consumption of such snacks may pose long-term health risks, including cancer.

What Did The Authorities Find?

The FSSAI of Karnataka found that 22% of pani puri samples tested failed to meet quality standards.

A total of 260 samples were collected from across Karnataka, of which 41 were found to include artificial colours and cancer-causing agents. FSSAI recently banned the use of artificial colours in the preparation of veg, chicken, and fish kebabs.

The government had earlier banned Rhodamine B, a chemical colour, used in dyeing clothes, paper, leather, printing, and plastics. It is used to give red and pink colours. The dye is not fit for consumption and may lead to acute toxicity. Exposure to the chemical may also damage the eye and cause irritation in the respiratory tract.

Pani Puri: According to a report by The Times of India, the primary chemicals found in the popular street food were brilliant blue, sunset yellow and tartrazine. Consumption of these substances can lead to stomachache, heart disease and autoimmune disorders. The other chemical called Brilliant Blue FCF, or FD&C Blue No. 1 or E133, is a synthetic dye often used in foods and cosmetics. Overconsumption can lead to skin allergies, digestive issues, and hyperactivity in children. Though rare, these effects usually occur with excessive intake. Another synthetic food dye called Sunset Yellow may cause allergic reactions, including skin rashes and itching. It is also linked to hyperactivity in children and can cause digestive discomfort in high doses. Tartrazine, a synthetic yellow dye made from petroleum products, is used to make foods and drinks more visually appealing. It can cause allergic reactions, asthma, and skin rashes.

Shawarma: The Karnataka food authorities collected Shawarma samples from 10 districts, including hotels from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bengaluru Urban limits, and found them to be of poor quality. They detected bacteria and yeast traces in eight samples that could jeopardise consumers health. Officials attributed the bacteria and yeast contamination in Shawarma to insufficient cleanliness during preparation and extended storage of the meat.

What are the Food Colours Allowed by FSSAI?

According to the FSSAI, only very few natural and synthetic colours in food items are allowed. Rhodamine B is a common red dye, which is also used in Holi colours. However, it is thought to be a carcinogen and its use is not permitted in food product.

According to one expert Saurabh Arora, founder of the Food Safety Helpline, quoted by The Indian Express, only 10 colours are allowed to be used in foods. These are: carotene and carotenoids (yellow, orange), chlorophyll (green), riboflavin (yellow), caramel, Annatto (orange-red, derived from the seed of an American tree), saffron, and circumin (yellow, from turmeric). The synthetic colours allowed include red from Ponceau 4R, Carmoisine, and Erythrosine; yellow from Tartrazine and Sunset Yellow FCF, blue from Indigo Carmine and Brilliant Blue FCF, and green from: Fast Green FCF.

What are the Penalties?

As per Rule 16 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulation 2011), no artificial colours should be used in the preparation of food. Certain food colours are allowed to be used within the approved limits, while non-permitted colours, including rhodamine-b, should not be used in the preparation of cotton candy.

The Food Safety and Standards Act stipulate a fine of not less than Rs 10 lakh and a jail term of a minimum of seven years, extending to life imprisonment, against those using banned chemical substances in food products.
A woman, who ran a nursing home in Bihars Madhaura, was arrested after she cut off the private parts of her lover and flushed them in a toilet when he refused to marry her in Saran district, police said.

The woman, identified as Abhilasha, had been in a relationship with Vedprakash, a ward councillor of the same nursing home, for the past several years.

According to an India Today report, Abhilasha alleged that she got pregnant, and Vedprakash deceived her in the name of marriage many times. She claimed that Vedprakash asked her to do a court marriage, therefore, she applied mehendi on her hands.

However, when he refused to marry her again, the woman cut off his private parts with a knife and disposed of them in a toilet. Vedprakash is admitted to Patna Medical College and his condition is reported to be serious.

Police arrested Abhilasha and recovered the knife that was used in the crime. She said she had no regrets over the attack on her lover.

Saran Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kumar Ashish said the woman was upset by her mans repeated refusal to marry her and that the wedding date was fixed seven to eight times.

A woman runs a private medical centre and had an affair with this boy for many years. The wedding date was also fixed seven to eight times, but the marriage could not happen. Upset by this, the woman called the young man and cut off his private parts, Kumar Ashish was quoted by India Today as saying.

The police, on getting immediate information, sent the man for treatment. The woman was arrested with a knife. Further action is being taken. It will also be investigated whether her nursing home is registered or not, the SSP added.

Last month, a 20-year-old man was allegedly tricked into a hospital visit by his friend who allegedly colluded with doctors of the Begrajpur Medical College in Uttar Pradesh to carry out the sex reassignment surgery.

The victim woke up in a hospital in Muzaffarnagar district to find out that his genitals had been removed and his sex change operation done. His friend threatened the victim that he would now have to live with him as no one from his family or community would accept him, or he would shoot his father and seize his share of the family land.
Vigilance at Delhis Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport led to the arrest of a passenger arriving from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on charges of smuggling cocaine worth Rs 22 crore, announced customs officials in an official statement on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as a national of Cameroon, was apprehended after customs officers grew suspicious of his movements upon arrival at the airport on Friday, June 28. Upon his arrival, the officers promptly subjected him to a thorough security check. During the inspection, the officers instructed the passenger to raise his hands and then conducted a detailed search on him and his luggage.

Their suspicions were confirmed when they discovered 70 capsules containing a white powder-like substance. Further examination revealed that the capsules contained approximately 1,472.5 grams of what is believed to be cocaine. The officials acted swiftly on it, leading to the immediate apprehension of the suspect. However, the exact concealment method of these capsules was not disclosed by the authorities.

The seized contraband was confirmed to be cocaine, with an estimated street value of Rs 22.09 crore. This incident highlights the ongoing efforts of customs officials at Delhi airport to curb smuggling activities, particularly involving narcotics.

This arrest comes in the wake of another recent smuggling case at the same airport, where officials intercepted a Nigerian citizen attempting to smuggle 2 kg of amphetamine. The arrested individual is now in police custody, and legal proceedings are underway as the investigation continues.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday agreed to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals plea seeking bail in the corruption case registered by the CBI in connection with the alleged excise policy scam on July 5.

The development came after the counsel for Kejriwal mentioned the matter for urgent listing before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela which said it would be heard on Friday.

Advocate Rajat Bhardwaj, appearing for Kejriwal, asserted that the applicant was taken into illegal custody without following the due procedure of law and he has filed a bail plea.

As the counsel insisted on fixing the plea for hearing on Thursday, Justice Manmohan said, Let the learned judge go through the papers. We will have it day after.

The Delhi CM, who remains in judicial custody at Tihar Jail since his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on June 26, is also facing charges in the same case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader had contested his arrest in the CBI case, with his plea currently pending before the high court.

Earlier, Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in the money laundering case, and was granted bail by a trial court on June 20. However, the high court subsequently stayed the trial courts order.

The excise policy under scrutiny was annulled in 2022 following an order from the Delhi lieutenant governor for a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities and corruption surrounding its formulation and execution.

According to investigations by the CBI and ED, the excise policy modifications involved irregularities and allegations of undue benefits conferred upon license holders.

On Tuesday, Kejriwals lawyer informed the Delhi High Court that the Chief Minister intends to file an application for regular bail in connection with the corruption case linked to the alleged excise scam. In response, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna issued a notice to the CBI, directing them to submit their reply within seven days.

The court allowed Kejriwals counsel to file a rejoinder, if necessary, within two days following the CBIs response. The case is scheduled for further arguments on July 17.

(With inputs from PTI)
A Delhi Court on Wednesday extended till July 12 the judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam.

Kejriwal appeared before the court of Special Judge Kaveri Baweja through video conference.

In addition to this, the court also reserved its orders on the application moved by Kejriwal seeking the presence of his wife during the medical consultations being done with the special board constituted by AIIMS under the orders of the court on April 22. The court will pronounce its orders on July 6.

Earlier on Saturday, the city court sent Kejriwal to judicial custody till July 12 on the plea of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The central agency arrested the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor on June 26 after Kejriwal was granted bail in connection to the excise policy scam.

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal had moved the Delhi High Court in connection with the case registered by CBI against him.

The Delhi Chief Minister was arrested by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar Jail, where he is still lodged in judicial custody in a connected money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED on March 21, was granted bail by the trial court in the money laundering case on June 20. However, the trial courts order was stayed by the high court.
An FIR has been filed against the organizers of the religious congregation in Uttar Pradeshs Hathras after a tragic stampede resulted in the death of 121 people and injuries to many more.

The FIR alleges that organizers sought permission for an 80,000-person gathering while withholding information about a previous event that drew hundreds of thousands. Nearly 2.5 lakh people were present at the site when the incident happened.

Among the victims, 108 were women and seven were children who were part of a large crowd near Phulrai village in the Sikandrarau area attending the satsang led by the religious preacher Bhole Baba, who is being hunted by UP police. Here are some of the other top updates on the tragic incident that shook the country:

Asphyxia Caused Most Deaths

Asphyxia due to compression was the leading cause of death among the victims of the Hathras stampede who were brought to the district hospital in neighbouring Etah on Tuesday, a senior doctor said. The hospital performed four times the usual number of autopsies in a day in the aftermath of the stampede, he said.

As many as 27 bodies were brought to the mortuary of the district hospital here after the stampede at Hathras Phulrai village on Tuesday. The overall toll stood at 121 and bodies were taken to various hospitals in nearby areas including Etah and Aligarh.

FIR Against Organisers

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday registered an FIR against the organisers of the religious congregation. Mukhya sevadar Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers have been named in the first information report (FIR) filed at the Sikandara Rao police station late Tuesday, a senior officer told PTI.

The FIR has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 126 (2) (wrongful restraint), 223 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by the public servant), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence), the officer said.

Plea Filed in Supreme Court

A fresh plea has been filed in the Supreme Court concerning the Hathras stampede, underlining glaring lapses in administrative responsibility and safety measures. The plea points to a concerning pattern of not learning from past incidents, alleging a failure on the part of government authorities to uphold their duty toward public safety.

The petition outlines several grievances, asserting that the incident starkly reflects serious lapses in responsibility, negligence, and a lack of faithful duty of care by government authorities. It criticizes the inadequate security arrangements and facilities that were evidently insufficient in preventing such an unexpected tragedy.

Hunt For Bhole Baba

A search operation was conducted at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district to locate Baba Narayan Hari, also known as Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba. We did not find Baba ji inside the campus. He is not here, Deputy Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar told ANI.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Visuals from Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district.

A search operation was underway for Bhole Baba, who conducted a Satsang in Hathras where a stampede took place yesterday claiming the lives of 116 people. pic.twitter.com/6J2tAHyxrF  ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

Foreign Envoys Express Greif

Envoys from several countries, including Germany, France and China, have mourned the loss of lives in a stampede in Hathras and extended condolences to the victims families. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a post on X on Tuesday said he was deeply distressed by the tragic incident.

Deeply distressed by the tragic loss of lives in a stampede in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. Sincere condolences to the bereaved families. Pray for the speedy recovery of the injured, he wrote on the social media platform.

What Happened in Hathras

On Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh said overcrowding was one of the reasons behind the stampede. After the satsang, devotees were running after the vehicle of Bhole Baba and had organised the event, while some bent down to collect soil from the venue and fell, Singh said.

Overcrowding is one of the reasons (behind the stampede). There was a race among people who were running after his (Bhole Babas) vehicle. It has also been learnt that people collect soil from there (the path where the baba walked) and worship it. As a result, people started bending down and fell, the chief secretary told PTI.

UP Govt In Action

The Uttar Pradesh government official said the chief minister Yogi Adityanath is taking stock of the situation around the clock. A team consisting of ADG Agra and Aligarh Divisional Commissioner has been constituted to inquire into the cause of the incident. The report is to be submitted within 24 hours, the government said in a statement. A forensic unit and a dog squad were seen at the Hathras site on Wednesday morning.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Forensic unit along with dog squad at the incident site in Hathras, where a stampede took place yesterday, claiming the lives of 116 people. pic.twitter.com/fOlNtEHdtL ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

Bodies Being identified

On Tuesday, several bodies were lying on blocks of ice inside the government hospital in the aftermath of the deadly stampede, as the wailing relatives of the victims waited outside in drizzle to take mortal remains back home. Most of the people who died in a stampede during a satsang organised have been identified.

Etah and Hathras are adjacent districts and people from Etah had also come to attend the satsang. Efforts are being made to identify the remaining bodies. Earlier, Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, while giving details of the casualties to journalists, said that out of the victims, seven are children, one man and the rest are women.

Victims Account

Rajesh, who lives in Kasganj district, said he was looking for his mother, while Shivam searched for his paternal aunt (bua). Both carried mobile phones in their hands showing pictures of their relatives. I watched my mothers picture on a news channel and recognised her. She had come for the programme here along with two dozen other people from our village, Rajesh said.

Anshu and Pabal Kumar waited near the CHC in their small pick-up truck, loaded with empty milk containers, hoping to find Gopal Singh, 40, the missing father of their cousin. He went for the programme but hasnt returned home yet. He is not street smart, doesnt even carry a phone, Anshu told PTI. He said Singh was not a follower of Baba but had gone to the event for the first time on the insistence of an acquaintance.

Meena Devi, who lost her mother Sudama Devi (65), said, It was drizzling in the area (Sadiqpur) where I live, otherwise I had planned to go to the sangat with my mother. An inconsolable Meena sat outside the TB department of the Bagla Combined District Hospital where scores of bodies were kept on the ground floor. Vinod Kumar Suryavanshi, who lives in Barse village in the Sasni Tehsil, lost his 72-year-old maternal aunt while his mother luckily survived.
An FIR has been filed against the organisers of a religious gathering in Hathras, where a stampede claimed the lives of 121 individuals. The complaint alleges that the organisers concealed evidence and violated regulations, as the event drew 2.5 lakh attendees despite permission for only 80,000.

The FIR filed by the Uttar Pradesh Police, however, does not name Jagat Guru Saakar Vishwahari, the conductor of the satsang, despite being mentioned in the complaint.

According to the FIR, the organisers misrepresented the expected attendance when seeking permission, neglected traffic management responsibilities, and attempted to hide evidence following the tragic stampede.

The incident happened when attendees stopped to collect mud from the path of the babas passing vehicle.

Meanwhile, according to the sub-divisional magistrates report, a large crowd had gathered at the GT Road divider, with many attempting to get a closer view of Baba. Security personnel and Sevdars intervened to prevent the crowd from approaching Baba, leading to pushing that resulted in some individuals falling, resulting in a stampede.

The FIR, which was filed late Tuesday at the Sikandara Rao police station, names Mukhya sevadar Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers, a senior police officer told news agency PTI.

According to the officer, the FIR has been registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 126 (2) (wrongful restraint), 223 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by the public servant), and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence).

The FIR apparently gave a clean chit to the police and administration, saying they did whatever possible from the available resources.

In his FIR, complainant Brijesh Pandey said the satsang programe of the baba was organised between Fulrai and Mugalgarhi on GT road in Sikandarrau area by Devprakash Madhukar and others on Tuesday.

The organisers had sought permission for about 80,000 people, for which police and administration made arrangements. However, over 2.5 lakh people gathered at the event, causing traffic jams on GT road. Police and administration officials were reportedly working to clear the congestion, as mentioned in the FIR.

Meanwhile, around 2 pm, the baba, who was the main speaker of the satsang, emerged in his vehicle, prompting devotees to gather and collect mud from the area. The heavy rush led to people lying down to gather mud being trampled upon.

As people tried to flee the area, they were stopped by stick-wielding helpers of the baba on the opposite side of a three-feet deep field filled with water and slush, resulting in men, women, and children being crushed, according to the FIR.

Despite the immense crowd pressure, the police and administration officials reportedly took all possible measures, utilising available resources to transport the injured to hospitals. The FIR further stated that the organisers and sevadars did not cooperate, attempting to conceal the true number of attendees by disposing of evidence and discarding slippers and belongings in nearby fields.

(With inputs from PTI)
Bhole Baba, aka Narayan Sakar Hari aka Suraj Pal on Wednesday reacted for the first time on the stampede during his satsang that claimed 121 lives and left several injured on Tuesday. Through his lawyer, Bhole Baba expressed condolence to the bereaved families of the deceased. He claimed that the stampede was carried out by anti-social elements. He also stated that he had left before the incident took place.

According to reports, advocate AP Singh is representing Bhole Baba. He is the same advocate who represented the four convicts of the Nirbhaya case, who were hanged till death.

On behalf of Bhole Baba, his advocate, AP Singh said, We will make sure the victims are short of no resources, be it medicine, healthcare, or treatment. We condemn allegations that a stampede happened while women tried to touch his feet. He never allows such an act.

Bhole Baba aka Narayan Sakar Hari will cooperate in the investigation in all possible ways, Singh added.

I will represent legally all those who are named in the FIR. We believe this all was done by some anti-social elements, Singh further added.

Sources said that an investigation into all the ashrams and lands owned by Bhole Baba has begun. Another satsang of Bhole Baba, slated for Thursday in Uttar Pradeshs Agra, has been cancelled.

Earlier in the day, police filed an FIR against the organisers, accusing them of hiding evidence and flouting conditions with 2.5 lakh people crammed into a venue in which only 80,000 were permitted. Without naming anyone, the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, Some people have the tendency to politicise such sad and painful incidents.

These people have the nature of chori bhi aur seenazori bhi. Everyone knows with whom the gentlemans (preacher) photos are and with whom he has political connections. You must have seen that during the rallies in the past days, where was the stampede and who was behind it? It is necessary for us to know about it. Those who play with the lives of innocent people will be held accountable for this, he added.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath also announced a judicial probe into the Hathras stampede on Wednesday.

Along with the organisers, the UP CM held the sevadars (helpers) responsible for the death of devotees. They (sevadars) should have helped manage the crowd. But what happened instead was devotees died one by one as the sevadars eloped from the stampede site, he said.

We have formed an SIT, led by ADG Agra. It has submitted a preliminary report. They have been told to investigate this deeply. There are several angles that need to be investigated. The state government has decided to go for a judicial inquiry which will be led by a retired High Court judge, he added.
The Indian Army, in a social media post on Wednesday, said Agniveer Ajay Kumars family was paid Rs 98.39 lakh after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that defence minister Rajnath Singh lied about compensation given to the family of a soldier who was killed in the line of duty.

Certain posts on Social Media have brought out that compensation hasnt been paid to the Next of Kin of Agniveer Ajay Kumar who lost his life in the line of duty, the army said.

The last rites were carried out with full military honours. Of the total amount due, family of Agniveer Ajay has already been paid Rs 98.39 lakh. Ex-gratia and other benefits amounting to approximately Rs 67 lakh, as applicable according to the provisions of the Agniveer Scheme, will be paid on Final Account Settlement shortly post due Police verification. The total amount will be Rs 1.65 cr approximately, it said.

*CLARIFICATION ON EMOLUMENTS TO AGNIVEER AJAY KUMAR*Certain posts on Social Media have brought out that compensation hasnt been paid to the Next of Kin of Agniveer Ajay Kumar who lost his life in the line of duty. It is emphasised that the Indian Army salutes the supreme pic.twitter.com/yMl9QhIbGM  ADG PI  INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) July 3, 2024

According to Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources, the breakup of the amount being given to the family of the Agniveer is as follows 

Rs 48 lakhs as insurance from GoI

Rs 50 lakhs as insurance from financial institutions under an MoU

Rs 39,000 additional sum

44 lakhs  Ex gratia

Rs 8 lakhs  Army welfare fund

Balance of pay till completion of his tenure- Rs13 lakhs (approximately)

Seva Nidhi- 2.3 lakhs ( total 67.3 lakhs will be paid after due process)

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also quoted the Armys X post and wrote, Indian Army is committed to the welfare of Agniveers!

Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi alleged that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lied in Parliament over compensation to families of martyr Agniveers and demanded an apology for it.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday inspected the site in Hathras where a stampede broke out during a religious event a day before and ordered a judicial inquiry to determine whether it was an accident or a conspiracy. The CM also said that special operating procedures (SOPs) would be issued to prevent a repeat.

Other than announcing financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh (Rs 2 lakh each from state and Centre) for the family of every deceased, the chief minister also said that the UP government would bear the schooling expenses of the children affected by the tragedy.

At least 121 people, including 106 women and seven children, were killed and over 250 were seriously injured after the stampede broke out during a satsang (prayer meeting). The function was addressed by self-styled godman Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari, who also calls himself Bhole Baba, and was attended by thousands in Phulrai village of Sikanda Rau tehsil of Uttar Pradeshs Hathras district.

In the incident around 121 devotees, not only from UP but also from neighbouring states like Haryana and Rajasthan have lost their lives in the stampede which broke out at a religious event, held in Hathras on Tuesday, Yogi Adityanath said while addressing a press briefing.

The chief minister said that a majority of those who died were from 16 districts of UP including Hathras, Badaun, Kasganj, Aligarh, Shahjahanpur, Agra, Gautam Budh Nagar, Mathura, and Lakhimpur Khiri. Two were from Madhya Pradesh and four others from Rajasthan.

On the basis of my interaction with the survivors, it came to my notice that the incident took place when some women rushed after the preacher who addressed the satsang to touch his feet when they were stopped by the sevadars (volunteers) and the stampede occurred, the UP CM said.

The chief minister said that the first priority of the state government was to carry out relief work, which would be followed by interrogation of the accused, and then responsibility would be fixed. In such events, the organisers manage the gathering while the police force or administrative officials generally remain on the outer ring. Hence, it is a matter of investigation where things went wrong, he said.

The CM said that after things went out of control, the sevadars should have helped the victims instead of running away. We have formed an SIT under ADG Agra that would investigate the matter as there are many points which are yet to be explored, he said.

On the question of why godman Narayan Sakar Vishwa Haris name was not included in the first information report, the CM said that registering an FIR is the first step of any such investigation. In case the investigating agency finds more people guilty, more names would be included in the FIR, he added.

The judicial inquiry into the incident would be led by a retired high court judge along with senior officials from the police and UP government. Those who are behind the incident would be held responsible and would be punished, vowed the CM.
Exposure to tattoos may be linked to an increased risk of cancer, a latest Swedish study has found. The study, published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet, found that tattooed individuals have a 21 per cent increased risk of malignant lymphoma versus non-tattooed individuals.

The cancer in the lymphatic system, which includes lymphoid tissues and lymph nodes, is called lymphoma and if this cancer spreads, it is known as malignant lymphoma. The study found no evidence of increasing risk with a larger area of total tattooed body surface.

The study  conducted by three researchers from Skane University and Lund University  claims to be the first to provide insight into a potential association between tattoo exposure and lymphoma using a population-based study design with a large sample size. However, the authors have asked for further research to strengthen their findings. The causality cannot be conferred from a single epidemiologic study, and more research is needed.

According to the studys findings, tattoo ink often contains carcinogenic or cancer-causing substances such as primary aromatic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and metals.

The tattooing process triggers an immune response, leading to the movement of tattoo ink from the injection site. While pigment deposition in lymph nodes has been documented, the long-term health implications are still unknown, according to the study.

How the study was conducted

The study utilised Swedish National Authority Registers, which cover the entire population, to examine the correlation between tattoo exposure and the incidence of malignant lymphoma and its subtypes.

The study included a sample size of 11,905 individuals. Among these participants, 54 per cent of the cases (those who had the condition being studied, totalling 1,398 individuals) responded, and 47 per cent of the controls (those who did not have the condition, totalling 4,193 individuals) responded.

The tattoo prevalence was 21 per cent among cases and 18 per cent among controls, said the study. Tattooed individuals had a higher adjusted risk of overall lymphoma. The risk of lymphoma was highest in individuals with less than two years between their first tattoo and the index year.

Index year means a specific year used as a reference point when the individual got the tattoo.

Important to monitor substances that go into making of tattoo inks: Indian Experts

According to Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, Convener, Scientific Committee and past president, India Medical Association (IMA), Cochin, such studies are not conclusive proof of tattoos causing cancer but are the starting point of a more thorough enquiry from other researchers from other centres and countries.

It is a case-control study which is ideal for the purpose, where a group of people with a relatively uncommon disease are compared with people without the disease, and both groups are asked about a specific exposure such as smoking or alcohol.

Dr Vishal Rao, chief of head and neck surgical oncology and robotic surgery at HCG Cancer Centre, Bangalore, labelled the study as ground-breaking. The study illuminates a potential link between tattoos and a higher risk of lymphoma, emphasising the need for rigorous regulatory measures on tattoo ink composition.

Rao highlighted the importance of monitoring the substances that go into the making of tattoo inks. While further epidemiologic research is crucial to establish direct causality, the findings underscore the importance of monitoring and controlling the carcinogenic chemicals in tattoo inks to safeguard public health.

Experts pointed out that all research methods have their limitations. For instance, Jayadevan explained that a case-control study is fraught with recall bias.

This means that a person who is suffering from cancer is more likely to recall and respond to a question of whether they received a tattoo in the past. The study had several people in both groups who did not respond to the question. It is possible that the group with cancer felt it was important to respond to the question, and hence the percentage was greater, Jayadevan added.

It is also possible that the people who received a tattoo had some other form of exposure or lifestyle risk factors (these are called confounders) which could explain the observed difference.

Another observation, Jayadevan added, is the distinct link with laser tattoo removal. This is especially interesting because laser is known to further alter the ink, leading to new chemical compounds, as well as a risk of inhaling these chemicals during the process, increasing the quantum of exposure.
Several lapses have been found in the manner in which the entire religious event in Hathras was organised, leading to the tragic stampede that has left 121 people dead and several injured on Tuesday. From no entry-exit points to lack of emergency routes, the Uttar Pradesh Police sources have pointed out at grave errors that led to the tragedy even as VVIP arrangements were made for the religious preacher Bhole Baba.

According to the UP Police sources, the entry and exit points were not made. Norms suggest that for a gathering of 80,000 people, different entry and exit points should be made, which was not followed at this event. Sources have also told News18 that there was no emergency route or emergency exit made.

While the gathering was huge, there was no medical team present at the spot. The event didnt even have sufficient fans and coolers despite the hot and humid weather.

No arrangements were made for food and water, said sources.

The route through which the preachers cavalcade went had no barricading. Sources said that in big gatherings like these, there is a section made in front of the stage to control the crowd that was not made due to which people started running trying to get close to the baba, sources added.

The police sources have also said that the organisers did not disclose the exact details in the permission that they sought from the administration. In the investigations so far, it has become clear that severe carelessness was shown in the manner in which permissions were given by the administration and by the organisers as well, sources stated.

VVIP Arrangements For Baba

Meanwhile, VVIP arrangements were made for Suraj Pal Singh aka Bhole Baba for his satsang at the Phulrai village. A video of the stage and washroom constructed for the preacher at the satsang venue was going viral on the Internet. Singh remained absconding as the UP Police have been searching for him post the tragedy.

VIDEO | Hathras Stampede: VVIP arrangements were made for Suraj Pal Singh aka Bhole Baba for his satsang in Phulrai village. Visuals of the stage and washroom constructed for Baba at the satsang venue.(Full videos available on PTI Videos  https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/1qn7CTskD6  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 3, 2024

A search operation was conducted at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district to locate Baba Narayan Hari, also known as Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba. We did not find Baba ji inside the campus. He is not here, Deputy Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar told ANI.

FIR Filed

The Uttar Pradesh Police have registered an FIR against the organisers of the religious congregation. Mukhya sevadar Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers have been named in the first information report (FIR) filed at the Sikandara Rao police station late Tuesday, a senior officer told PTI.

The FIR has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 126 (2) (wrongful restraint), 223 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by the public servant), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence), the officer said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced on Wednesday a judicial probe into the Hathras stampede, a day after the tragic incident resulted in a death toll of 121, with most victims being women and children.

Yogi said that among those killed, six were from other states: four from Haryana, and one each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Along with the organisers, the UP CM held the sevadars (helpers) responsible for the death of devotees. They (sevadars) should have helped manage the crowd. But what happened instead was devotees died one by one as the sevadars eloped from the stampede site, he said.

We have formed an SIT, led by ADG Agra. It has submitted a preliminary report. They have been told to investigate this deeply. There are several angles that need to be investigated. The state government has decided to go for a judicial inquiry which will be led by a retired High Court judge, he said.

#WATCH | Hathras stampede incident | We have formed an SIT, led by ADG Agra. It has submitted a preliminary report. They have been told to investigate this deeply. There are several angles that need to be investigatedState Government has decided to have a judicial inquiry as pic.twitter.com/rWTKTtchWs ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

On Wednesday, police filed an FIR against the organisers, accusing them of hiding evidence and flouting conditions with 2.5 lakh people crammed into a venue in which only 80,000 were permitted. Without naming anyone, the UP CM said, Some people have the tendency to politicise such sad and painful incidents.

These people have the nature of chori bhi aur seenazori bhi. Everyone knows with whom the gentlemans (preacher) photos are and with whom he has political connections. You must have seen that during the rallies in the past days, where was the stampede and who was behind it? It is necessary for us to know about it. Those who play with the lives of innocent people will be held accountable for this, he added.

A day after the stampede in Phulrai village at a congregation by religious preacher Bhole Baba snuffed out the lives of their loved ones, stunned families tried to come to terms with their loss. Crowds gathered around hospitals, some looking for those missing, some there to identify bodies and others tending to the injured. A team consisting of ADG Agra and Aligarh Divisional Commissioner has been constituted to inquire into the cause of the incident.

The report is likely to be submitted on Wednesday. According to the Office of the Relief Commissioner, the number of people injured stands at 28. Only four of the 121 bodies remained to be identified. Of the 116 who died on Tuesday, all were women, except for seven children and one man. A pile of slippers at the spot were mute testimony to the tragedy that had befallen so many. Where was Baba Narayan Hari, also known as Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba, the preacher who conducted the satsang? That was the question as he remained missing and police launched a search for him.

While the state police lodged an FIR against the organisers, his name is not in the list of accused though it is there in the complaint. Giving a sense of what took place, the FIR alleged that the organisers hid the actual number of devotees coming to the satsang while seeking permission, did not cooperate in traffic management and hid evidence after the incident. The FIR apparently gave a clean chit to the police and administration, saying they did whatever possible from the available resources.
Vicky Kaushal, Triptii Dimri and Ammy Virk starrer Bad Newzs first song Tauba Tauba was released on Tuesday. It has been trending since then. Today, Ananya Panday shared the song on her social handle and called it a vibe. She even praised Vicky Kaushal and called him Makkhan. The film will be released on July 19.

Taking to her Instagram stories, Ananya Panday wrote, Vicky Kaushal makkhan!!! This song is such a vibe. The song is sung by Karan Aujla. It features the sizzling chemistry between Vicky and Triptii. In the video, Vicky Kaushal is seen dressed in a black suit with matching goggles. Needless to say, he looks as hot as ever. The trailers offbeat storyline, where Dimris character finds out shes expecting twins from two different fathers, portrayed by Kaushal and Virk, has intrigued audiences and sparked curiosity about the movies plot.

Take a look here:

Well, it is reported that Ananya Panday will be making a cameo in the film. Mid-Day report says Ananya Panday will be playing a popular film star in Bad Newz and her track will be related to Triptii Dimri who will be seen as a chef. The report adds that some of Ananyas scenes in the film were shot last month at a Juhu five-star hotel. One of the sequences that has been shot will see Ananyas character arriving at the hotel followed by paparazzi and fans. Apart from this, she has shot one more scene with Triptii.

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 shoot 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 Bandish Bandits fame director Anand Tiwari.

On the work front, Ananya Panday has an exciting lineup of projects in her kitty. The actress is set to feature in the TV series Call Me Bae alongside Varun Dhawan and Vir Das. The storyline revolves around a billionaire fashionista who, following a scandalous controversy, is disowned by her ultra-rich family and navigates life independently. Ananya is also part of projects like Control, Battle Thy Seeds, Darbadar, Shankara, The Untold Story of C Sankaran Nair, and Run For Young.
Arti Singh has lashed out at a media portal for claiming that she is facing troubles in her married life just two months after she tied the knot with Dipak Chauhan. Recently, Arti took to her Instagram stories and asked everyone to calm down. She then dismissed reports of problems in her married life and asked everyone to be responsible.

Calm down guys @e24official I think u are still known atleast u people should be more responsible and not write anything for the sake of writing. Dont become one of those news channel who are no where and write rubbish. Not done. I follow my GURUJI and keep posting his sayings. I hv so many people following me post this tht dont know who might need to hear this and can get message from universe. For god sake be little responsible and keep your reputation, Arti wrote as quoted by Sportboye.

In another Instagram story, Arti the 39-year-old actress schooled publications and accused them of writing rubbish in a desperate attempt to get likes or views on social media. Get your facts right not only for me for anyone Because its doesnt matter to us but being a respectable platform U should be responsible, she concluded.

Arti Singh married Dipak Chauhan on April 25, 2024. Their wedding ceremony took place at the ISKCON temple in Mumbai. It was a star-studded affair which was attended by several celebrities. Krushna Abhisheks The Great Indian Kapil Show co-stars Kapil Sharma, Archana Puran Singh, Sunil Grover and Rajiv Thakur graced the wedding. Arti Singhs Bigg Boss 13 co-contestants including Shefali Jariwala, Vishal Aditya Singh and Hindustani Bhau also attended to bless her.

The highlight of Arti Singhs wedding was her actor-uncle Govinda. He was not on talking terms with his nephew Krushna Abhishek, Artis elder brother. The duo had a huge fallout in 2016 and have often made statements against each other. Therefore, everyone was unsure about Govinda attending Artis wedding especially after he skipped the TV stars Haldi, Sangeet and Mehendi ceremonies. However, Govinda graced the wedding reception and surprised all.

Later, Govinda also blessed Arti and Dipak and told Instant Bollywood, Ishvar se praarthana hai, jo kripa Arti par hui hai kisi prakaar ka vastu dosh na lage (I pray for her wellbeing and may god protect her from evil eyes).
The bungalows of Bollywood stars stand as the perfect blend of opulence and grandeur. These architectural marvels are not merely homes but embodiments of success, ambition, and the enduring allure of Bollywoods glittering world. From lavish penthouses to sprawling mansions, the house encapsulates a realm of dreams transformed into reality. In this article, lets take a look at Bobby Deols home in Juhu, Mumbai. For more than five decades, the actor has resided in the bungalow with his family. The bungalow has been home to the Deol family, including Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, and others.

In a recent interview with Curly Tales, the Animal actor gave an exclusive tour of his family home. Full of luxury and a touch of traditional Indian decor, the home has a modern-meets-traditional vibe. With a warm colour palette of beige and brown, the house interiors feature wooden furniture, artefacts, and family pictures. The media outlet further highlights Bobbys solo photos and carved wall art pieces around the place that add a unique character to the house. While it has traditional wooden flooring and huge glass doors, it has an inviting, homely feel in the presence of the whole family.

As per Curly Tales, Bobby credits his wife, Tanya Deol, for putting together the home. The star shares that Tanya loves decorating the house, and everything from the paintings on the wall to the furniture has been decided by her.

While talking to Kamiya Jani, the actor revealed that he has been living in his Juhu home for more than 50 years! He continues to live with his wife Tanya Deol, their two sons, Aryaman Deol and Dharam Deol, his parents, Dharmendra and his first wife Prakash Kaur, his brother Sunny Deol, and his family. As per him, the Deol family shares a lot of love and has enough space to accommodate everyone, which is why they all still live together as a joint family.

The actor further expressed that he loves to live in a joint family, and he always misses his family when he is out for long outdoor shoots. He also recalled his childhood days, when he used to play with his brother, sister, and cousins while growing up.

Lastly, the celebrated actor mentioned that while theyre all busy with their schedules, the family comes together often to spend time, reported the media outlet.
A report on Wednesday claimed that CISF constable Kulwinder Kaur, who allegedly slapped Kangana Ranaut, has been transferred from Chandigarh. It was reported that she was transferred and reinstated in Bengaluru. The officer has been transferred a little less than a month after her incident with the actress-turned-BJP MP.

However, the CISF has issued a statement to give more clarity on the situation. Speaking with ANI, a spokesperson said, CISF constable Kulwinder Kaur, who allegedly slapped BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, is still suspended and a departmental inquiry against her is still on.

CISF constable Kulwinder Kaur, who allegedly slapped BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, is still suspended and a departmental inquiry against her is still on: CISF ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

For the unversed, on June 6, Kangana was travelling to New Delhi when she was slapped by an on-duty female CISF constable at the Chandigarh Airport. The female CISF staff identified as Kulwinder Kaur and was allegedly unhappy with Kanganas comment on Punjab ladies during the farmers agitation against the three farm laws, suggesting they participated in the protest for money. Sources say that the female constable will be suspended soon, and a case is likely to be filed against her.

Following the incident, Kangana released a video in which she addressed the incident. I have been getting a lot of phone calls from the media and my well-wishers. I am safe, I am perfectly fine. What happened at the Chandigarh airport today was during the security check. When I left after the security check, the CISF personnel hit me on my face. She abused me. When I asked her why she did it, she told me that she supports farmers protests. I am safe but my concern is, how do we handle terror in Punjab? she said.

Journalist Faye DSouza penned a post condemning the slap incident involving Kangana and the CISF constable. Several Bollywood stars such as Alia Bhatt and Hrithik Roshan liked the post.
Fans of South Korean actress Lee Yoo Young, known for her role in Dare to Love Me, are in for a big surprise. The popular actress is expecting her first child, as confirmed by her agency, ACE FACTORY, on June 3. The announcement also revealed that Lee Yoo Young registered her marriage with her non-celebrity husband in May. The couple is now eagerly anticipating the arrival of their first child, with the actress due in September.

Hello, This is Lee Yoo Youngs agency ACE FACTORY. First of all, we would like to express our gratitude to everyone who has been watching and supporting Lee Yoo Youngs activities. We would like to deliver the marriage news of Lee Yoo Young. Lee Yoo Young registered her marriage with her non-celebrity husband in May of this year, and they have officially become a married couple, read the statement, reports Soompi.

The agency further said they became a married couple based on deep affection and trust for each other. As the delivery date is approaching, the couple has no plans for a separate wedding ceremony or any celebration at this time.

We would appreciate your warm interest and congratulatory messages for Lee Yoo Young, who will embark on a new chapter in her life both as a wife and a mother, the agency concluded.

Lee Yoo Young reportedly began dating her now-husband in 2023. Earlier, the actress shared a series of photos of herself lying on a bed with her head resting on a mans arm. Fans speculated that she was announcing her relationship based on this post.

This news garnered significant attention as it marks her first public relationship since the passing of her previous partner, late actor Kim Joo Hyuk, about six years ago.

In addition to her personal milestones, Lee Yoo Young has been making waves professionally. She debuted in 2014 with the film Late Spring, earning the Best Actress award at the 14th Milan International Film Festival the following year. This accolade made her the first Korean actress to receive the honour for a debut film.

After her debut success, Lee Yoo Young continued to earn acclaim for her roles in notable films such as The Treacherous, Marionette, Diva, and Perhaps Love. She also gained popularity on television with dramas like Tunnel, You Drive Me Crazy, Your Honor, and Insider. Her most recent work, Dare to Love Me, concluded yesterday, on July 2, 2024.
Actress Divya Dutta has had a diverse career spanning over three decades, playing various characters. She debuted in 1994, but her breakthrough came a decade later in 2004 with Yash Chopras Veer Zaara. In the film, she played Shabina Ibrahim, the best friend of Preity Zintas character, Zaara. Speaking to Kannan, Divya, now 46, recalled holding her mothers hand at the premiere and thinking that being in a YRF film would finally bring her into the spotlight.

Despite liking the movie, Divya Dutta worried she might be typecast as the best friend of every heroine in showbiz. She said, There is a herd mentality in our industry. Everyone runs after the one who looks good and leaves the rest behind.

During the interval of Sheer Qorma, the actress shared that even though her mother praised her performance, she continued to hide behind her. She wanted to be a Yash Chopra heroine, not just a supporting character. But then, she received a call from the filmmaker himself and was met with a cheering crowd. Yash Chopra was asked if he had discovered Divya from Pakistan, despite her long career.

In an interview with Hauterfly last year, Divya had opened up on body image issues. She had said, Firstly, I was busty. Then, I wasnt very tall so I wasnt considered to be one of those stereotypical tall beautiful girls. I used to look so young. And at that time, there were mostly action heroes, who were, of course, big. To fit into the mold was a little difficult. To become like those tall, very thin, pretty girls. I never felt like I looked like a heroine, I had to learn how to become one. Divya added that as she kept working in the industry, she started gaining more confidence in her skill because of the roles she was playing. The things that were first told to me, like shes busty, (now) I myself offer if I should unbutton the top button. I say its okay its fine. It is my asset. I consider myself an asset with everything that I have and I feel men consider me sexy and so do women, she said.
The first trailer of Emmanuelle, a remake of one of cinemas most iconic erotic films, has just been dropped. The new version stars Noemie Merlant as the titular character, who goes on a journey to rediscover her lost pleasures in the city of Hong Kong. First released in 1974, various studios worldwide have produced their own version and now, Audrey Diwan is set to bring a new perspective on Marayat Rollet-Andrianes popular novel. What sets this remake apart, is that its made from a female viewpoint, unlike previous versions. Other than Merlant, the film also stars Naomi Watts, Will Sharpe, Jamie Campbell Bower, Chacha Huang and Anthony Wong.

The trailer opens with Merlants character on a business trip to Hong Kong, where she comes across several intriguing individuals, including Kei, played by Sharpe, who keeps his distance from her. Emmanuelle is heard asking, What goes on in a persons mind in front of a closed door when theyre unsure if they truly want whats behind it?" To which Kei responds, It depends whos behind the door." Despite interacting and having multiple sexual experiences, Emmanuelle remains obsessed with Kei. Her obsession escalates and she sneaks into Keis room just to taste his bathwater.

While the Emmanuelle trailer features strong chemistry between Noemie Merlant and Will Sharpe, the films dramatic background music by Evgueni and Sacha Galperine perfectly highlights the escalating tension and Emmanuelles growing desire for Kei. Interestingly, the upcoming movie is the eighth instalment in the Emmanuelle series and the 15th film in total.

In an interview with Deadline after wrapping filming in Hong Kong and Paris, director Audrey Diwan speaking about the film noted, This movie is based on a quest for pleasure and a lost pleasure. I try to tell the movie through Emmanuelles sensations. Each sequence is like an exploration. It didnt take me long to realise we were doing the opposite of pornography, which asks people not to think about something. Eroticism makes you the subject. Its easy to see the poetry."

Diwan made her debut with Losing It, followed by Happening, which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2021. Her upcoming movie, Emmanuelle, starring French actress Noemie Merlant, premiered on September 20 at the 72nd San Sebastian International Film Festival. The film will later be released in France, a week later on September 25.
While fans might be eager to watch the banter and bromance between Deadpool & Wolverine in the MCU film, the hilarious back-and-forth between the two on social media has grabbed everyones attention. While Ryan Reynolds never fails to mock Hugh Jackman in his epic Deadpool style, the latter also makes sure to pay him back. Their internet war shows no signs of stopping, leaving fans in splits over their dynamics. In a recent one, Hugh sneaked into Reynolds room and shared a behind-the-scenes picture of the actor.

Adding a comical element to it, Hugh wrote, You want me to put this away?  Ryan Reynolds, co-star, mouth breather, a****le. Reynolds reacted to the post with a hilarious threat that read, This photo is from my private collection. How dare you? Later, he also reshared the post on his Instagram Stories and chided Hugh for bringing shame upon his house.

While the Deadpool star had an epic comeback to the post, it was his wife Blake Livelys comment that caught attention. Admiring her husband, Blake wrote, My thirst has been trapped.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hugh Jackman (@thehughjackman)

The banter didnt just end here, as the Logan star went on to share a picture of his Deadpool & Wolverine co-star and wrote, Youre so vein, to which the latter joked, Jugular is my middle name.

Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds Promote Deadpool & Wolverine

In the first stop of their films promotional tour, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman visited Shanghai and attended a grand event with fans and media. Reportedly, the fans were treated to a special 36-minute screening of the film, spoilers of which are making the rounds on the internet. They were accompanied by director Shawn Levy, who also spoke to the media and shared details about the film.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds)

After wrapping up the Shanghai leg of promotions, Reynolds shared a long post with pictures from their visit. Leaving Shanghai is bittersweet This was the first stop on the #DeadpoolAndWolverineTour. As we make our way to Korea, we want to thank the people of Shanghai for their incredible hospitality and warmth. Ive been lucky to visit China five times, and as of today, the beautiful sights and sounds of Shanghai for a third time. Thank you from the heart of our bottom and thank you @theshanghaimuseum for the unforgettable tour last night, he wrote.

Deadpool & Wolverine will be released on July 26.
Malayalam actor Suresh Gopi, with his charismatic screen presence and commanding performance, has carved a niche in the South film industry. Undoubtedly, the superstar is a force to be reckoned with in regional cinema. Are you aware of his first appearance in movies? Recently, a fascinating piece of trivia has been doing the rounds on the internet, capturing the attention of viewers online. Viewers spotted the now-famous superstar playing a role as a child in a black-and-white film that was released in 1965. Yes, you heard that right. Now, a photo of Suresh Gopi from the films set is going viral.

Suresh Gopi made his debut in the light-camera-action world as a child artist with the movie Odayil Ninnu. Directed by KS Sethumadhavan, the Malayalam film saw the actor essaying the role of a feudal lords son. The beginning of his magnificent career started with a terrifying sight. During a media interview in 2015, Suresh Gopi recalled his first encounter on a film set. Sharing his dramatic memories with legendary actor Sathyan, who was one of the leading figures in Malayalam cinema, he recounted, The first thing I saw when I went there with my father was a knife being held to Sathyans masters neck. Though it was to shave his beard before applying make-up, that scared the hell out of me, and I ran out of the Ashram guest house.

Despite witnessing the shocking sight, Suresh Gopis father persuaded him to return to the set and fulfil his role in the film.

Later, he marked his debut as an adult in Malayalam cinema in 1986 with an uncredited role in Niramulla Raavukal. The star finally got a breakthrough by playing the lead role in Shaji Kailass Thalastaanam in 1992, which was written by Renji Panicker. He established himself as a bankable star in Malayalam cinema through Ekalavyan. Since then, Suresh has acted in more than 250 films. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Kaliyattam in 1998.

The actor stepped into the political world in 2016. He has been serving as the Minister of Tourism and the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas since June 2024. He was elected as a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) in the 2024 general elections from the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency, becoming the first BJP MP from Kerala.
Girls Will Be Girls, the debut production of soon-to-be parents Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, is making records. The coming-of-age movie has recently bagged the Grand Jury Prize at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA). Celebrating the milestone, Richas close friend and Hrithik Roshans beau Saba Azad posted a story on Instagram. Giving a shoutout to the couple, Saba reshared the Fukrey actress post and wrote, Hell to the yeahhhh!!! GO GO GO!!! She also tagged Richa and Ali in her story to congratulate them.

The original post shared by Richa Chadha featured a few images depicting the milestones achieved by the film. The Heeramandi actress accompanied the post with an elaborate note wherein she expressed gratitude to the cast and crew of the film. She wrote, Before the day ends, I wanna express my gratitude to the team of Girls Will Be Girls  this film is a gift that keeps on giving! We will always be proud of it!

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Richa Chadha (@therichachadha)

Reflecting on the achievements, she added in her caption, After a great run at Transylvania International Film Festival @transilvaniafilm where we won the Grand Jury Prize and Biarritz Film Festival in France, our humble film won the Grand Jury prize at @indianfilmfestival ! I wish we could travel but the reason as you know is that @alifazal9 and I are bringing in a little home production.

Proceeding further, Richa Chadha also heaped praises on Kani Kusruti and Preeti Panigrahi. The duo played the lead roles in the film. She concluded by saying, We hope to bring this lovely film to India, it is an Indian film after all and we want our people to see it.

Directed by Shuchi Talati, Girls Will Be Girls has been backed by Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal under their production house Pushing Buttons Studios. Additionally, Crawling Angel Films, Blink Digital and Frances Dolce Vita Films also joined them to back the movie.

Girls Will Be Girls navigates the life of 16-year-old Mira (Panigrahi). Her tumultuous relationship with her mother (Kusruti) and the journey of teenage love through the lens of the societal judgment of female desire form the basic plot of the film.

As for the personal life of Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, the couple is set to embrace parenthood in July this year. The couple got married in 2020 and celebrated their union with friends and family in 2022.
Earlier this year, speculations were rife that Kabir Khan and Salman Khan are set to join forces for the fourth time after Ek Tha Tiger, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Tubelight. Reports claimed that Kabir would direct the superstar in Babbar Sher and added that their earliest discussions took place towards the end of 2023. It was also claimed that the filmmaker would begin work on the film post the release of Chandu Champion. Touted to be one of Kabirs most ambitious projects to date, Salman was apparently his first choice for Babbar Sher.

But seems like theres no truth to these stories. In an exclusive conversation with News18 Showsha, Kabir debunks all speculations by saying, These are all conjectures in the market (laughs). Theres no Babbar Sher right now. Further, when fans learnt that Salman and Kabir were collaborating once again, they expressed their desire to see the superstar and Katrina together. The maker, however, is in no rush.

Talking about how he would approach Katrina only if the script is good enough for her, he says, Katrina is somebody Ive collaborated with on many films. I would love to work with her again. But its all about the script and creating material thats good enough for me to take to her. Only if Im excited about it will she be excited about it. Whenever that happens, I would love to reunite with her. Theres absolutely no doubt that if theres suitable material, well surely work again.

At present, Kabir is riding high on the love that has come his way for Chandu Champion which is still running in theatres. Lauding Kartik Aaryan who plays the title character, he states, The hard work an actor puts into a film is very apparent, you cant fake that. As a director, I speak to so many of my fellow directors and they all reacted to the hard work that Kartik has put in. He went into it with so much conviction and cut himself off from everything except for the world of Chandu Champion.

The New York and Phantom director predicts that Kartik will emerge as one of the most sought-after actors soon. Sometimes you may have a daunting character and you wonder as a director if the actor will be able to give it his all. But when you see this film, youll realise that his honesty comes across strongly. As a director, thats what were looking for. Were looking for an actor whos ready to go that extra mile for the character, the filmmaker says.

Following the release of his last directorial 83, Kabir shared that it was his favourite work. So, has his opinion changed after Chandu Champion? Its too early to say that (laughs). There are so many films Ive done At this point, Chandu Champion is a film Im very proud of. Favourite is a very difficult term. Its like picking one child out of so many children and thats unfair. Its a film thats making me overwhelmed because of all the love Im getting. In a few years from now, if I look back, it may be my favourite film, he smiles.
Kareena Kapoor Khan is a doting mother and there is no doubt about it. She often shares photos with them. Well, today Kareena shared a photo in which she revealed that she loves relishing her kids Taimur and Jehs leftovers. It has gone viral too.

Taking to her Instagram stories, Kareena shared a photo in which we can see an empty plate along with a bowl full of cream and another bowl of strawberries. I am the mother who eats her kids leftovers. She is currently on vacation with her family in London and has been sharing a lot of photos.

Take a look here:

Kareena Kapoor Khan will be soon seen in a murder mystery film titled The Buckingham Murders. The makes have announced the release date along with new posters. The film is all set to hit the theatres on September 13. Earlier, Sara Ali Khan, Aditya Roy Kapur starrer Metro In Dino was supposed to be released on this date but now the film will be released on November 29, 2024.

Taking to their Instagram handle, Balaji Motion Pictures shared two posters featuring Kareena Kapoor Khan in a different avatar. In one of the posters, policemen are seen forcefully holding Kareena as she wants to run. Were thrilled to announce that #TheBuckinghamMurders is coming to theatres on 13th September 2024. Directed by @hansalmehta and starring @kareenakapoorkhan, read the caption.

The Buckingham Murders, directed by Hansal Mehta, garnered acclaim from the crowd at its global premiere at the BFI London Film Festival 2023. It was also screened at the 2023 Mumbai Film Festival at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in October.

During a discussion on Netflixs The Actors Roundtable 2023, Kareena Kapoor shared insights into her role in the upcoming film, The Buckingham Murders. Revealing key details, she disclosed that her character is a grieving mother in the movie. The narrative unfolds with a tragic incident in the opening scene where her characters child is shot, prompting her transformation into a detective. Fleeing her hometown, she arrives in another, where she grapples with the complexities of the case assigned to her.
Karisma Kapoor is making heads turn and how! The actress has a different kind of charm, wit and sensitivity and her impeccable fashion taste is proof of the same. The actress recently glammed up in an all black ensemble and was a complete vision to behold.

Karisma looked effortlessly glam. Her high collared gown featured a thigh-high slit. She completed her look with kohl-rimmed eyes, dewy make up and stone studded earrings. She found the right balance between elegance and charm, as she posed for the shutterbugs.

Have a look at the photos:

Karisma Kapoor has come a long way in showbiz, with rich content-driven and commercial films to her credit. After creating a niche of herself, the actress took some time off from her hectic life, stayed away from the limelight. In an new interview, the actress shared it was a conscious decision to do so, as she wanted to focus on her family.

In an interview with Grazia, Karisma shared, I chose to stay away from the limelight- I had young children, and it was important for me as a mother that I didnt want to miss out on those moments. I think thats a choice that each individual needs to make and thats a choice I made.

After being away from the industry for quite a while, Karisma Kapoor made a bumper return with Homi Adjanias Murder Mubarak. The film, which also marked her OTT debut, shows the actress in the role of Shehnaaz Noorani.

Featuring a stellar cast of Pankaj Tripathi, Sara Ali Khan, Vijay Varma, Dimple Kapadia, Sanjay Kapoor, and Tisca Chopra, among others, the murder mystery is set in the background of a crime at the Royal Delhi Club with high society guests under suspicion. After a murder occurs, enters ACP Bhavani Singh (played by Pankaj Tripathi), who investigates the matter and reveals many more secrets and lies.

Fans have been loving the film, with the leading actors also receiving praise for their performances. Murder Mubarak is streaming on Netflix.
Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamets relationship often grabs headlines. One of the most secretive affairs in Hollywood, Kylie and Timothees relationship is going strong. Unlike other celebrity couples, the lovebirds are trying to keep their romance under the radar. Recently, a source close to the couple reflected on their relationship in an interaction with US Weekly. The source informed, Kylie and Timothee hang out with each other frequently and communicate on a regular basis. Theyve gone on a number of dates recently, but they always do their best to try and stay under the radar as much as possible.

Adding that the power couple have a relationship away from camera, the source revealed, Kylie and Timothee definitely still have a connection and they really like each other and care about each other a lot, the source explains to Us. They enjoy the chemistry they have with each other. Theyre taking each day as it comes and just having fun.

Not long ago, Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet were spotted together during a date night. The couple visited the TCL Chinese Theatre for a rare movie night together. Reportedly, this was the first time in several months that the Kardashians star and the Wonka actor made a public appearance together. The talented duo was dressed casually for the movie outing. Twinning in all black ensembles, the couple exuded romantic vibes. While the Cosmetics founder chose a white tube top, flared joggers and a jacket for their date night, the Dune actor rocked a black sweatshirt and baggy shorts.

For the last few months, the couple has been experiencing a long-distance relationship. Kylie Jenner is residing in California with her children  daughter Stormi and son Aire. Kylie welcomed both the kids with his ex Travis Scott. Timothee Chalamet, on the other hand, is engrossed in the filming of a biopic about Bob Dylan called A Complete Unknown.

Having been linked for the first time in 2023, Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet refrained from making public appearances until the Golden Globes 2024. Following their appearance at the award ceremony, they went under the radar, sparking separation rumours among the fans. Refuting the claims, a source confirmed that the lovebirds see a long-lasting relationship together.
Shabana Azmi recently opened up about her marriage with Javed Akhtar when she revealed that his first wife, Honey Irani, was feeling bitter when Javed and Shabana got together. In a recent interview, Shabana spoke about embracing her step-children, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, when she spoke about Honeys initial reaction to their relationship. Shabana also recalled her reaction when she found out that Javed was still in touch with his first wife.

For more info: Shabana Azmi Says Javed Akhtars First Wife Felt Rejected, Bitter When He Remarried: We Decided

In a recent interview, actor Nana Patekar discussed his challenging experience working with director Vidhu Vinod Chopra on the 1989 film Parinda. He mentioned that they often clashed on set and now wishes each meeting with the filmmaker to be their last. Both known for their fiery temperaments, their conflicts on the Parinda set were also mentioned by Chopra last year while promoting his project, 12th Fail. During an appearance on the singing reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, host Aditya Narayan asked Vidhu Vinod Chopra about his on-set relationship with Nana Patekar. In response, Chopra shared several anecdotes about their heated interactions. Id seen Nana in a play called Purush, and its very important to say this, but those days, I never used to curse. I was a very well-behaved young man from Kashmir. But it all changed because of Nana, said the filmmaker.

For more info: Vidhu Vinod Chopra Says He Tore Nana Patekars Kurta When He Hurled Abuses At Him: The Cops Said

Armaan Maliks first wife, Payal has called out his double standards. In a recent interview, Payal was asked about her husbands statement that even though she accepted his second marriage, he could never see her with another man. Talking about the same, Payal has now said that even she could not tolerate when Armaan decided to marry Kritika.

For more info: Armaan Maliks 1st Wife Payal Calls Out His Double Standards: I Could Not Stand His 2nd Marriage

Days after tying the knot, Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal are soaking up the romance on their honeymoon. On Tuesday, Sonakshi shared a couple of dreamy photos on her Instagram stories. The first snap shows the newlyweds taking a sweet selfie in a pool, basking in the sunset. In another photo, Sonakshi is sitting on the pools edge with Zaheer holding her. While Sonakshi didnt add a caption, the photos speak volumes of their love. That apart, Zaheer shared a video where Sonakshi, dressed in a simple black tee, is seen laughing uncontrollably. He captioned it, She wanted to shout at me but I made her laugh instead. He hashtagged it Husband Hacks. The clip shows Sonakshi laughing with her hand over her mouth.

For more info: Sonakshi Sinhas Husband Zaheer Iqbal Says She Wanted To Shout At Him On Honeymoon: I Made Her

A report on Wednesday claimed that CISF constable Kulwinder Kaur, who allegedly slapped Kangana Ranaut, has been transferred from Chandigarh. It was reported that she was transferred and reinstated in Bengaluru. The officer has been transferred a little less than a month after her incident with the actress-turned-BJP MP.

For more info: CISF Constable Who Slapped Kangana Ranaut in Chandigarh Transferred To Bengaluru? Heres What We Know
Sonakshi Sinha is all set to feature in a horror comedy film Kakuda film. The makers have released the trailer and it looks impressive. Well, the film will be released on July 5 and also stars Riteish Deshmukh and Saqib Saleem. The horror film can be watched on Zee 5. Today, Sonakshis husband Zaheer Iqbal took to his social handle and praised the trailer.

He shared the trailer on his Instagram stories and wrote, Mere biwi ko daraana mushkil hi nahi namumkin hai. Well done Kakuda. The movie will mark the Hindi directorial debut of filmmaker Aditya Sarpotdar, known for critically-acclaimed Marathi films Classmates, Mauli and Faster Fene. Kakuda explores the legend of a strange curse in a village stuck in time and how three people are confronted with a challenging ghost who makes them question superstition, tradition and love in a rollercoaster ride filled with fear and fun.

Watch the trailer here:

The trailer begins by introducing a village of Ratodi which is cursed. Each house in the village has two doors: one big and one small. The smaller door is for a ghost named Kakuda. Saqib and Sonakshi love each other and got married. However, their love story takes a surprising turn when they encounter a curse from Kakuda. On their wedding night, at 7:15 pm, Sunny forgot to open the small door for Kakuda. The ghost is known for placing a curse on the head of the household as a punishment. With Sunnys life in danger, Sonakshi seeks help from Victor, an intriguing ghost hunter played by Riteish.

Coming to Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal, they tied the knot on June 23. The couple hosted an intimate ceremony at the formers Bandra residence. After their wedding, Sonakshi shared beautiful photos on social media and penned a long note. Whattttt a day!!!! The love, the laughter, the togetherness, the excitement, the warmth, the support from every one of our friends, families and teams it was like the universe came together for two people in love to give them exactly what theyve always hoped, wished and prayed for If this is not divine intervention we dont know what is We are both truly blessed to have each other and so much love protecting us, she wrote.
Anurag Kashyaps Kennedy, starring Sunny Leone and Rahul Bhat in the lead, has been creating a lot of buzz. Last year, the film received a 7-minute-long standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. Later, it was also screened at the Sydney Film Festival when it received a standing ovation from the audience. However, despite all the praise at the global level, the film has not been released in India yet.

In a recent interview with News18 Showsha, actor Abhilash Thapliyal, who also plays a key role in Kennedy, also talked about the films pending release in India. There is just one person who can answer this, it is Anurag (Kashyap) sir. I am sure Kennedy will be out soon for the world, for the audiences to see. It is an amazing film. We took it to Cannes last year. It was a very proud moment for all of us. Having Anurag Kashyap as a director in your IMDb list is a big thing for any actor. I am lucky to have him as a director. I dont know when will Kennedy be out but I hope it comes out soon and people get to see the Anurag Kashyap magic one more time, he said.

Thapliyal, known for his hit series, Aspirants (2021), further talked about all the praises Kennedy received at Cannes 2023 and added, I think every validation means a lot for me. As I always say, we actors work for either gaali or taali. Whenever you get a taali, it feels great. Primarily, when you go to Cannes, people there are filmmakers or critics, they understand the craft. When they watch and appreciate it, it always feels great. I go and ready every review of my film or web show.

Written and directed by Anurag Kashyap, Kennedy has been produced by Zee Studios and Ranjan Singh Kabir & Ahuja of Good Bad Films. The film follows a sleep-deprived police officer on a quest for redemption amidst diverse situations.

Last year, Kennedy was also screened in India at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.
Afghanistans acting Refugee and Repatriation Minister Khalil-ur-Rehman Haqqani had revealed a startling detail in a documentary released on December 29, 2023. He had disclosed that the Pakistani army had facilitated the release of former Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Baitullah Mehsud and several other prominent terrorist leaders. This highlights the dual nature of Pakistans security establishment. While it claims to be facing the challenge of growing terrorism resulting in a significant increase in casualties, especially among security forces, it continues to facilitate the release of terrorist leaders.

In 2023, Pakistan witnessed a significant surge in terrorist activities, resulting in the highest number of casualties among security personnel during the last eight years. Islamabad found itself increasingly frustrated following the collapse of the governments ceasefire with the TTP in November 2022. This brief truce was an ill-conceived effort by Pakistani authorities to end the 14-year-long conflict with the TTP. After the ceasefire failed, a wave of violence erupted, highlighted by the devastating TTP attack on a mosque within Peshawars police lines in January 2023, claiming nearly a hundred lives and sending shockwaves throughout the country.

The revival of TTP underscores the groups capacity to adjust and reaffirm its influence in Pakistan. The brazenness and high frequency of these attacks suggest a carefully orchestrated strategy, testing the efficacy of Pakistans counter-terrorism efforts. The rise in terrorist attacks has not only stretched Pakistans security mechanism but has also heightened public anxiety. Amidst an atmosphere of uncertainty, the governments task of preserving stability in Pakistan has become more complex and challenging.

The TTP has adopted a new strategy characterised by centralized command but decentralised operations. This objective is to create confusion, protect its operatives, and garner political support for terror activities. Despite estimates from the US Department of Defense and a UN report suggesting that the TTP has between three to six thousand fighters in Afghanistan, the dispersion of TTP cells in Pakistani urban centres obscures their actual strength. According to its annual report for the previous year, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for 881 attacks across Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of over 2,193 Pakistani soldiers.

The TTPs decentralised operations model allows them to remain evasive and unpredictable posing a major challenge for Pakistani security forces. This approach not only helps them avoid large-scale confrontations but also facilitates effective guerrilla warfare. Moving away from territorial control to a fluid, cell-based operational approach has made it challenging for the Pakistani military to locate and neutralise TTP members. This shift in tactics reflects the TTPs adaptability and their grasp of evolving security dynamics.

On July 14, 2023, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media arm of the Pakistan army, issued a strong statement expressing concerns over the safe havens and operational freedom enjoyed by the TTP in Afghanistan. This statement followed a series of deadly incidents, including a TTP assault on a military base in Zhob district on July 12, 2023, resulting in the deaths of nine soldiers. Despite Pakistans efforts to conduct intelligence-driven operations against terrorists, there has been no significant improvement in the security situation with TTP attacks on Pakistani security forces continuing without pause.

The ongoing assaults have revealed weaknesses in Pakistans security framework and placed significant strain on the military. The ISPRs statement underscores the militarys frustration and the formidable challenges it faces in countering TTP activities. The failure to find a lasting resolution has not only dampened the militarys morale but also shaken public trust in the governments ability to ensure the safety of citizens. The persistent nature of these attacks demonstrates the TTPs operational effectiveness and their ability to sustain a protracted insurgency.

In response to the escalating terrorism threat, Pakistans Prime Minister authorised the commencement of Operation Azam-e-Istehkam on June 22, 2024. This nationwide counter-terrorism campaign involves all stakeholders and covers even Gilgit-Baltistan, and Pakistan Occupied Jammu-Kashmir (PoJK). This operation follows a previous initiative launched by the PDM government in April 2023, which did not achieve the expected outcome.

The situation in 2024 differs greatly from that of 2008 when TTP was targeted for the first time by conducting extensive military operations against it. At that time, the TTP held substantial territory. Pakistans security forces had conducted operations to dislodge militants and restore state control. However, the TTP no longer maintains territorial control to the same extent and its fighters are now dispersed across the Pak-Afghan border regions. This reduces the feasibility of large-scale military actions. The financial constraints faced by the Pakistani government have also restricted support for such expansive military campaigns.

It is clear that the dispersed TTP fighters and Pakistans economic challenges have greatly limited the militarys capacity for large-scale operations. Unlike previous campaigns targeting TTP strongholds, the current situation demands a more intricate and strategic approach. The emphasis now lies on intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling the TTPs decentralised networks. However, the effectiveness of these operations is limited due to resource constraints and the challenging terrain of the border regions.

Public backing for military campaigns against the TTP has also diminished remarkably. The previous operations against it had led to extensive displacement. A large number of displaced people had to move to refugee camps with no facilities. There was widespread destruction of homes and loss of livelihoods. This had left the Pakhtun community incensed. Protests across regions like Swat, directed against both the TTP and military interventions, underscore this sentiment. The emergence of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), which critiques military strategies and highlights Pakhtun hardships, has further complicated efforts to garner public endorsement for state-led military efforts.

The present security landscape in Pakistan is characterised by a convergence of obstacles that have derailed its counter-terrorism operations. The decentralised structure of TTP activities, the governments financial limitations, and insufficient public backing for military measures collectively contribute to a fragile scenario.

The writer is an author and columnist and has written several books. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
The Simla Accord, inked 52 years ago on July 2, 1972, by then-Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistani President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, bears testimony to Islamabads refusal to learn its lessons. Its also a missed opportunity for Pakistan to evolve as a well-meaning, affable, and socio-economic development partner on the western borders that Bharat was looking for.

The 1947 partition of Bharat by departing British imperial forces inflicted a huge injury that cannot be easily forgotten. Instead of metamorphosing into a well-meaning society based on true Islamic values, Pakistan resorted to the genocide of Bengali Hindus in East Pakistan in the most inhuman way in 1971.

Pakistan had to eat humble pie after its defeat at the hands of the Indian Army and the consequent liberation of Bangladesh. The Simla Agreement, concluded in Barnes Court (now christened Raj Bhavan), was intended to bring about lasting peace in South Asia, especially between Bharat and Pakistan. However, this did not happen as predicted, even before the ink on the Simla Agreement had dried. Things did not work out as the Sunni extremist leadership refused to acknowledge the magnanimity of Bharat in returning their 93,000 war prisoners without a word. Questions were raised about the intent of Indira Gandhi, who returned all major territories of Pakistan that had come under Bharats control in the aftermath of the war.

The intentions and goals articulated in the Simla Agreement appeared magnificent on paper, but rang hollow in reality. While the commitment to a direct, bilateral approach to problem-solving and an emphasis on face-to-face interactions were laudable on the surface, Pakistan, with its long history of deception and broken promises, saw the accord as a strategic pause rather than a genuine peace initiative.

Of the Simla Agreements six important clauses, the pledge to observe the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir was the most significant. Yet, it was this very commitment that Pakistan repeatedly and flagrantly violated. The agreements stipulation that disagreements be settled amicably and that neither government would unilaterally alter the status quo was similarly disregarded.

Pakistan, true to its increasingly rogue nature, continued to stoke the fires of turmoil, culminating in the Kargil War in 1999. This blatant violation of the LoC served as a stark reminder that Pakistan had never truly embraced the principles of the Simla Agreement.

The accords emphasis on mutual respect for each others geographical integrity and political independence was blatantly disregarded by Pakistan. Driven by its malicious intent toward Kashmir, Pakistan repeatedly attempted to intervene in Indias domestic affairs, shattering the very foundation of the agreement. The pledge to desist from hostile propaganda proved to be a sham, as Pakistans official machinery continued to spew anti-India rhetoric, actively fuelling hatred and division.

Despite the Simla Agreement, Pakistans conduct over the decades has demonstrated its deceit. The Kargil conflict, in which Pakistani soldiers penetrated Indian territory along the LoC, was a clear act of aggression that shattered the already fragile agreement. This fight, which lasted for more than 60 days, exposed Pakistans true character, reinforcing its reputation as an untrustworthy neighbour.

Indira Gandhi, acclaimed as a competent leader, was heavily criticised for signing the Simla Agreement without achieving a resolution to the Kashmir conflict. The pact was viewed as a strategic failure, a concession that failed to capitalise on Indias resounding victory in the 1971 war. Pakistans claim to Kashmir, combined with its repeated efforts to internationalise the issue, has rendered the Simla Agreement ineffective and meaningless.

The accords history is one of unfulfilled promises and broken expectations. It underscores the futility of trusting a country that has repeatedly proven its propensity to destabilise peace for geographical advantage. Pakistans repeated betrayals, from the Kargil conflict to its current backing of cross-border terrorism, demonstrate that it never intended to comply with the Simla Agreement.

The agreement, while ostensibly a plan for peace, was a strategic failure that failed to address the two countries core challenges. It allowed Pakistan to recover and rearm, which eventually led to other instances of conflict. Indias generous gesture of returning prisoners of war (POWs) and territory was met with Pakistans unwavering enmity, demonstrating once more that Pakistans word could not be trusted.

Pakistans reluctance to respect its pledges, as well as its ongoing efforts to destabilise the region, have shown that any agreement with such a nation is worthless. The Simla Agreement serves as a clear reminder of the drawbacks of naive diplomacy and the importance of taking a hard stance when dealing with a fraudulent neighbour like Pakistan.

The author is a doctoral fellow at Amity University in Gwalior, content head at Centre for Integrated and Holistic Studies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modis 135-minute speech in Parliament on Tuesday, the Opposition packed in a month of interminable screaming and sloganeering.

The lung power and stamina were admirable, the content and intent absolutely low-grade, childish, and dismissive of the Prime Ministers position as well as every tradition of Indias Parliament. It was led by the Leader of the Opposition from the Congress, Rahul Gandhi.

The Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla, had to chide Rahul for standing up while PM Modi spoke, turning around, inciting his bunch to storm the Well of the House.

But Rahul Gandhi has tasted blood after improving Congresss tally from 52 to 99 and restricting the BJP to 240 in the general elections, and he would have none of it.

He is on an adrenaline rush to avenge all the mockery of failure that he has endured, ironically after leading the Congress to its third biggest failure in parliamentary history. When you set your bar at the height of a door threshold, clearing it feels like an equestrian feat.

But Rahul Gandhis misbehaviour is not as recklessly spontaneous as it seems. The abrasiveness and vicious mocking by the Opposition including Rahul, Akhilesh Yadav and TMC leaders are aimed at constantly humiliating Modi and shattering his strongman image. A vulnerable Modi is going to be like a falcon without its beak. The Opposition reckons that if it can drag him to that state of helplessness, his image of invincibility will disappear among his supporters and opponents alike. His allies will desert him. The government will fall.

But here is the caveat.

Modi became what he is today after being hounded by a ruthless Congress and a biased, predatory mainstream media for 12 years.

He is firmly getting work done, both on and off the stage. Unfazed by the ruckus, the new Parliaments first session posted 104 per cent productivity and had seven sittings of about 34 hours. A total of 41 matters were taken up under Rule 377, three Statements were made under Direction 73A, and 338 papers were laid during the Session. In all, 539 members took oath. The Prime Minister introduced the Council of Ministers. The Motion of Thanks to the Presidents Address went on for over 18 hours, and 68 members spoke. Fifty other members delivered speeches.

Rahuls unruly and disrespectful behaviour towards the PM and Parliament, his attack on Hindus, and his looming air of arrogance are not going to go down well with Indian voters. If the nations collective wisdom has snipped the BJP down to coalition size because of complacency, the Congresss hubris without heft will quickly be punished.

And lastly, the Congress should at least be careful, not cavalier, against a political force like the BJP. It still controls all the institutions, and is privy to every misconduct, scam, or treachery. PM Modi sounded ominous on Tuesday when he warned the Opposition that every affront, every conspiracy by the ecosystem will be answered in its own language.

His opponents will be naive not to take note.

Abhijit Majumder is a senior journalist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
The US presidential debates are a series of televised debates which are a crucial part of the electoral process, allowing candidates to present their policies, discuss pressing issues, and engage in direct exchanges with each other. (Illustration: News18)
Indians can travel visa-free to 61 countries as its passport is ranked 81st in the list of worlds most powerful passports. (Illustration: News18)
October 08, 2024, 09:58 AM IST | Episode 147

Telangana minister Konda Surekha blamed KT Rama Rao for the divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, triggering a storm of criticism from the Telugu film industry as well as the Opposition. Given the marriage of stardom and politics in the south, to what extent can the two be kept separate?
A day after BJP veteran LK Advani was admitted to Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, the former deputy prime minister was discharged on Thursday evening.

Advani was discharged from the Apollo Hospital around 5 pm, the sources said. The sources further said that his condition remained stable after being admitted to the hospital on Wednesday night.

He was brought to the facility around 9 pm on Wednesday and was accompanied by his daughter Pratibha Advani.

Advani, who was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, was earlier discharged on June 27.

The details of Advanis ailment were not known immediately.

He was recently conferred with Bharat Ratna by President Draupadi Murmu on March 30, 2024.

Born in Karachi (present-day Pakistan) on November 8, 1927, Advani joined the RSS as a Swayamsevak in 1942. He served as the BJP national president from 1986 to 1990, then from 1993 to 1998, and from 2004 to 2005. Advani had served as the president of the party for the longest period since its inception in 1980.

Capping a parliamentary career of nearly three decades, LK Advani served as the Deputy Prime Minister in the cabinet of Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1999-2004).

According to the official website of the BJP, in the run-up to the 2009 elections, Advani being the Leader of the Opposition in a parliamentary democracy was assumingly considered the BJPs Prime Ministerial candidate for the general elections, ending on 16 May 2009.

On 10 December 2007, the Parliamentary Board of BJP formally announced Advani as its Prime Ministerial candidate for the general elections due in 2009. But when Congress and its allies won the 2009 general elections, Advani paved the way for Sushma Swaraj to become the Leader of the Opposition in the 15th Lok Sabha.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren on Wednesday resigned from the top post, setting the stage for the return of Hemant Soren as the CM again. According to the sources, Hemant Soren met Governor CP Radhakrishnan and is set to stake claim to form the government in the state.

Hemant Soren has been elected as leader of the ruling Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc parties in the Assembly and is set to return as the 13th Chief Minister of the state.

Soren was granted bail in a land scam case by the Jharkhand High Court on June 28, nearly five months after he was jailed in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He had resigned as the CM before his arrest on January 31. The court observed that prima facie there seems to be no evidence supporting the EDs charge against Hemant Soren.

Champai Soren Was A Stopgap CM: BJP Alleges

Soren family does not tolerate power staying out of their handsChampai Soren was a stopgap CM. JMM had then claimed that he would stay full term. Even when Champai was the CMhe was humiliated. He was called in the jail where instructions about transfers and postings were given to him. This just shows how family fiefdom runs in the state, BJP spokesperson Pratul Shehdeo said.

Will Hemant Soren Give Better Results In Jharkhand Assembly Polls?

A Congress leader, in charge of Jharkhand, told News18 that the INDIA Front believes Hemant Soren leading the alliance in the upcoming Assembly elections will give them better results. Jharkhand state elections are due by the end of this year.

The Lok Sabha results show that tribals in Jharkhand believed that Hemant was wronged. The corruption charges against him did not stick. There could be further consolidation in India blocks favour once he is back in the saddle, he said.

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, the INDIA front won five seats in the tribal-dominated state and the BJP-led NDA won nine of 14 seats. JMM won three seats, while the Congress party registered victory over two seats in Jharkhand. Notably, the INDIA Bloc also defeated big BJP faces like Arjun Munda from Khunti.

Meanwhile, the party cites these wins to argue that allegations of corruption have not stuck to Hemant Soren. The High Courts observations in its bail order are also being cited to argue that Hemant was a victim of the political witch hunt.
Repeated disruptions marked the House proceedings in Parliament in the last two days. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on Wednesday, but not before the Opposition staged a walkout as their Mallikarjun Kharge wanted to intervene during the prime ministers reply to a discussion on the motion thanking the President for her address to the joint sitting of Parliament.

Condemning such disruptive behaviour, government sources said these instances are scary for any person who believes in democratic principles and wants a vibrant parliamentary democracy.

It is very obvious that this provocation to disturb and destabilise healthy debate is a part of a larger and sinister plan, they said, adding that the question now arises if this will be shown in passing as a routine occurrence or be taken to the public with an important message on how democracy is being undermined.

Here are five instances of disruptions in Parliament over the past two days:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that violence is declining in Manipur and schools have reopened in most part of the state, and efforts are being made to ensure a return of complete peace. In his response to the debate on the motion of thanks, PM Modi added that over 500 people have been arrested and more than 11,000 FIRs have been registered in Manipur.

Giving a strong response to the Opposition on the Manipur issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminded Congress on Wednesday that Presidents rule had to be imposed in the northeastern state previously.

Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Modi said that the opposition should rise above politics and work towards restoring normalcy in Manipur. In a sharp response, he said the amount of work the BJP government has done in the northeast region in the last 5 years would have taken 20 years for Congress to do. We should all rise above politics and work towards normalcy in Manipur. I want to warn those who are trying to fuel the fire there: they will be rejected by Manipur, he said.

#WATCH | Speaking on Manipur in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi says, The government is continuously making efforts to normalise the situation in Manipur. More than 11,000 FIRs have been registered and over 500 people arrested. Incidents of violence are continuously reducing in Manipur. pic.twitter.com/LYKNdfiXyW ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

Manipur plunged into violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities in May last year. Since then some 200 people have been killed, while thousands have been displaced following large-scale arson that has gutted homes and government buildings.

Incidents of violence are continuously reducing in Manipur. Today, schools, colleges, offices and other institutions are open in the state. Central & State govt is talking to all stakeholders to restore peace, he said.

Speaking on the flood situation in the state, Modi said the central government is extending all cooperation to Manipur to tackle the flood situation. Modis strong response came after the Congress on Wednesday hit out at the government over its second MP from Manipur not having been allowed to speak before Modis address in Lok Sabha. The Opposition party also alleged that it seems the prime minister is deliberately turning his back to the plight of Manipur.

In his speech replying to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the Presidents Address in the Lower House, Modi was faced with continuous slogan-shouting on the Manipur issue by opposition members. Just ahead of the PMs address, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress had demanded that its MP from outer Manipur, Alfred Arthur, be allowed to speak.

Addressing the media, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said, We saw very sad scenes in the Lok Sabha. The Congress and Rahul Gandhi wanted both the MPs from Manipur to speak during the debate on the Motion of thanks to the Presidents address. The demand was made by Gandhi repeatedly. Gandhi had gone to Manipur and saw the division in society that there is a civil war-like environment prevailing there, Gogol said.

On Monday, Congress Inner Manipur Lok Sabha member A Bimol Akoijam had expressed his anguish over the absence of any reference to ethnic violence-hit Manipur in President Droupadi Murmus address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament.
Amid widespread protests and clashes between the BJP and Congress over remarks made by Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha, the government condemned the Leader of Oppositions disruptive behaviour in Parliament calling the visuals from the day before scary for any person who believes in democratic principles and wants a vibrant parliamentary democracy.

According to government sources, the visuals from the Lok Sabha on Tuesday (July 2) are scary for those who believe in democratic principles and want a vibrant parliamentary democracy. It is very obvious that this provocation to disturb and destabilise healthy debate is a part of a larger and sinister plan, sources said.

Sources further said the question is if this will be shown in passing as a routine occurrence or be taken to the public with an important message on how democracy is being undermined. The objections to Gandhis conduct come even as Delhi BJP leaders held a protest on Wednesday against his not Hindus remark attacking the BJP.

Senior BJP leader Amit Malviya took a swipe at Gandhi by calling him balak buddhi, the same term used for the Congress MP by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech, and said the opposition leaders conduct is neither surprising nor new.

Posting a video of the Lok Sabha proceedings featuring Gandhi, he wrote on X: What Balak Buddhi Rahul Gandhi did yesterday is neither surprising nor new. His mother Sonia Gandhi would do the same. to heckle Prime Minister Vajpayee But Mr Modi is no Vajpayee and Rahul isnt Sonia either. Third Time Fail Rahul Gandhi has reduced himself to a caricature

What Balak Buddhi Rahul Gandhi did yesterday is neither surprising nor new. His mother Sonia Gandhi would do the same. to heckle Prime Minister Vajpayee But Mr Modi is no Vajpayee and Rahul isnt Sonia either.Third Time Fail Rahul Gandhi has reduced himself to a caricature pic.twitter.com/9rByuCqR5A Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 3, 2024

Before being adjourned sine die, the Lok Sabha also passed a resolution condemning the oppositions disruptions during the prime ministers address, with Union defence minister Rajnath Singh saying these actions shredded parliamentary norms.

Singh moved the resolution following Modis speech. The manner in which the Opposition shredded parliamentary norms when the PM was speaking on the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents address, I propose that the House condemns this action, he said.

On July 1, too, Gandhis fiery speech in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the Motion of Thanks for the Presidents address drew massive protests from the treasury benches, with the prime minister slamming him for calling the entire Hindu community violent. The Congress leaders remarks, however, were expunged from record.

The Congress leader, meanwhile, condemned the cowardly and violent attack on the Gujarat Congress office and said this further strengthens his point about the BJP and the Sangh Parivar. The people of BJP who spread violence and hatred do not understand the basic principles of Hinduism. The people of Gujarat can clearly see through their lies and will teach the BJP government a decisive lesson. I am saying it again  INDIA is going to win in Gujarat! he said in Hindi in a post on X.

                                                       Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 3, 2024

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die after the passage of the Motion of Thanks on the Presidents address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament. The session, which began on June 24, had seven sittings spread over 34 hours and the productivity of the House was 103 per cent, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said.
Pandemonium erupted in the Rajya Sabha during Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech on Wednesday, culminating in a walkout by the Opposition, which was admonished by both Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and the PM himself for their act.

The country is watching that those who spread lies do not have the strength to hear the truth. Those who do not have the courage to face truth, do not have courage to listen to the answers to questions that were raised in these discussions. They are insulting the Upper House, the glorious tradition of the Upper House, PM Modi said.

The Opposition alleged that their Leader in the Upper House, Mallikarjun Kharge, was not allowed to speak, and thundered LoP, LoP even as Modi continued with his speech.

Dhankhar, the Rajya Sabha chairman, condemned the Oppositions behaviour. the LoP was given adequate time to speak without any interruptions. Today, they did not just leave the House, they have left behind dignity. Today, they did not show me their back, they showed it to the Constitution of India. They did not insult me or you, they insulted the oath of the Constitution that they took. There can be no bigger insult to the Constitution of India than thisI condemn their conduct

It is an occasion where they have challenged the Indian Constitution. They outraged the spirit of Indian Constitution, they have disregarded the oath they have undertakenIndian Constitution is not something to hold in your hands, it is the book to way of life. I hope that they will self-introspect and walk the path of duty, Dhankhar said.

#WATCH | After Opposition MPs walk out of the Rajya Sabha while PM speaks on Motion of Thanks to Presidents Address, Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar says, I urged them the LoP was given adequate time to speak without any interruptions. Today, they pic.twitter.com/Am2HflpoVc ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

Later, Congress leader Kharge said the Opposition walked out because the PM had said some false things in his address. He said he wanted to put his point across, but was not allowed.

In the House, the PM harped on his vision for India, his governments commitment towards eradicating poverty, and other issues in his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents address in the House without the Opposition. Modi said the 2024 general election verdict showed people had rejected propaganda and voted for performance.

On Tuesday, when PM Modi spoke in the Lok Sabha, the Opposition shouted slogans, prompting a rebuke directed at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by Speaker Om Birla.
Dissent within the party and lack of cooperation from the district administrative machinery were two key factors that led to the BJPs poor show in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha elections, the partys task force has said its report submitted to chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The BJPs tally dropped to 33 seats versus the 62 it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Soon after the task force submitted its report, Adityanath transferred as many as 12 district magistrates (DMs)  mostly from the districts falling in the constituencies from where BJP lost in the 2024 polls.

District Magistrates in Sitapur, Banda, Basti, Shrawasti, Kaushambi, Sambhal, Saharanpur, Moradabad, and Hathras were transferred while DMs in Kasganj, Chitrakoot, and Auraiya  which come under Etah, Banda, and Etawah constituencies  were reassigned. These changes reflect the BJPs losses in all these constituencies except for Hathras.

The task force also blamed BJPs odd ticket distribution, Oppositions Threat to Constitution narrative, and a shift of the BSP vote base to Samajwadi Party (SP)  which successfully managed to woo the Dalit and Muslims voters by playing its Picchda Dalit Alpsankhyak (PDA) card  for the partys dismal show.

Humein to apno ne loota, gairo mein kahaan dum tha, humari kashti bhi wahan doobi jahan paani kam tha a party functionary in the know of the task forces findings said, adding that BJPs downfall was less destined and more scripted.

He said: A significant factor behind the BJPs decline was internal dissent, attributed primarily to issues with ticket distribution and dissatisfaction within the Thakur community.

One of the controversies that cost the BJP was when Rajya Sabha MP Parshottam Rupala criticised erstwhile royal families for aligning with the British, contrasting the stand with the steadfastness of the Dalit community which, he claimed, did not alter its religion or form such alliances despite severe persecution.

Rupalas comments sparked outrage among Kshatriya organisations, including Thakurs (Rajputs), especially in Saurashtra, Gujarat, where they are regarded descendants of princely families. While Rupala won the Rajkot seat, his statements adversely affected the BJPs image in other regions, notably in UPs Purvanchal, a Thakur-dominated area. This backlash contributed to a significant decline in the BJP-led NDAs performance, with their tally dropping from 20 to 11 out of 27 seats in this critical belt during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

A senior party functionary said big Thakur names, including Kunda MLA and Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) chief Raghuraj Pratap Singh  popularly known as Raja Bhaiya  former MP and strongman politician Dhananjay Singh as well as Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Brijesh Singh, and Abhay Singh hold substantial sway in Purvanchal when it comes to UP politics.

Raja Bhaiya announced that he will not support any political party or candidate in the Lok Sabha elections. Similarly, Dinesh Pratap Singh, the BJPs Raebareli candidate, reportedly faced discontent within the saffron camp. Singh, who was up against Rahul Gandhi, faced resistance from BJP MLA Aditi Singh and former rebel SP leader Manoj Kumar Pandey. The candidature of former Union Minister of State for home affairs Ajay Mishra Teni was also not welcomed by the ranks, he added.

Other than this, the partys task force found that the Oppositions Threat to Constitution narrative hurt the BJPs prospects.

The row began soon after a video of BJPs candidate Lallu Singh went viral where he said the government would need two-thirds majority in Parliament to make a new Constitution. A government formed with 272 seats cannot amend the Constitution. For that, or even if a new Constitution is to be made, there is a need of over two-thirds majority, he was heard saying.

The speech gave fresh ammunition to the Opposition, which tried to corner the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre. Congress leader Pawan Khera said the remarks came to light days after PM Modi had assured the country that the Constitution couldnt be changed even if Ambedkar himself tried to do it. Singhs controversial remark, the political observer said, turned out to be catastrophic for the party.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that his government had completed 10 years at the Centre and that it would stay in power for at least 20 more years, a witty comeback to the Congresss charge of one-third government.

Some people are calling ours a one-third government. Its true. We have completed one-third of our term and two-thirds of it remain, PM Modi said in the Rajya Sabha, replying to the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents address.

In the bitterly fought 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 240 seats  32 short of majority. But the National Democratic Alliance, of which the BJP is a part, won a comfortable majority with 293 seats, paving the way for a historic third term for PM Modi. The Congress and its allies improved their performance in comparison with their showing in the 2014 and 2019 elections.

The Congress has claimed moral victory, saying the people in the country did not give the BJP an overwhelming majority for the third consecutive time. The Opposition has said that PM Modi and the BJP are dependent on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United), which won 12 seats in the general elections, and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidus Telugu Desam Party, which clinched 16 seats. Because of the importance of the two allies in the NDA, the Congress has been taunting Modi 3.0 as a one-third government.

In his speech, PM Modi also pointed out that after decades, it was his government that got a rare third term. There was an attempt to black out this historic victory, but I can see that over the last couple of days, the defeat is being accepted by them, he said. People of this country have defeated propaganda and chose performance.

On Tuesday, in another fiery speech in the Lok Sabha, PM Modi tore into the Congress party and its leader, Rahul Gandhi, who is also the Opposition leader in the Lower House. The PMs message was: accept the mandate of the Lok Sabha elections and introspect, instead of claiming moral victory. To drive his point home, the Prime Minister used data, relied at times on humour, and issued sombre warnings in the same breath against what he called attempts to spread anarchy and misinformation by the Congress.
Koo, which was seen as Indias local alternative to Twitter (now X), is shutting down. The news was first reported earlier on Wednesday and now confirmed by the companys co-founders via post on LinkedIn. Mayank Bidawatka, co-founder, Koo has talked about the companys decision to wind up after their talks for partnership fell through.

He mentions that Koo was in talks with multiple larger internet companies and even media houses. He even cited that one of its talks fell through at the last moment because of changed priorities. Speaking to News18 Tech earlier, Aprameya Radhakrishna, co-founder, Koo had referred to Koo as a global player and a platform that wanted to localise social media needs according to the norm of each country.

The platforms growing ambition needed funds and Bidawatka claims that the funding winter hurt its plans to grow. He even talks about the difficulty in building a social media platform and the need for such companies to get long term and patient capital to grow rather than start focusing on profits and revenues from year two of their origin.

The Koo co-founders claim they have built a globally scalable product in a fraction of the time that X did and even cites figures to validate those claims. Once we crack the Indian market, any other country with multiple languages would love to have the same solution as Koo. So, that is our plan, Radhakrishna had mentioned to us in 2022.

But the overall picture of the platform and the last few months at the company, which involved salary cuts and outstanding payments, were heavily reliant on these supposed partnerships coming through.

He concludes the post by suggesting measures that are needed for world-beating products from India and their evident support for a lot more capital where the competition with global players is fierce and capital intensive to keep the business running.

Koos trajectory over the last four years since its debut shows the value of these companies and how they need big behemoths to support their running, systems and technology costs that are never going to come cheap or be easily available.
When it comes to chats between a job seeker and the recruiter, both parties make sure to be on their best behaviour. But an American entrepreneur who relocated to Bengaluru from San Francisco did not have this experience. Tony Klor, who is currently part of blockchain platform Solana, recently shared a screenshot from his chat with a candidate who went on to abuse him during the recruitment process. It is unclear what prompted the candidate to forgo his professionalism, but nonetheless, the chat shows him using abusive words in Hindi.

The chat shows that when Tony Klor asked the applicant if he was still interested in the job, the candidate said, Yes in a b***-job from a foreigners mouth named Tony. Tony Klor shared this screenshot on X and wrote, Sometimes job candidates in India dont take rejection very well.

Sometimes job candidates in India dont take rejection very wellWtf is a chutya? pic.twitter.com/ZxrRHWHqh2  Tony Klor (@TonyCatoff) July 2, 2024

In the comments, many people asked Tony Klor to reveal the identity of the candidate so that he could be blacklisted. A user wrote, Sorry you had to go through all this. Giving up his credentials will certainly help a lot of recruiters in blacklisting. Such people should never be hired by any employers.

Sorry you had to go through all this. Giving up his credentials will certainly help a lot of recruiters in blacklisting. Such people should never be hired by any employers Abhishek poojari (@abbysp1) July 2, 2024

Another person said, Tell me about it, as much as we believe some people are decent enough they arent. Maybe we should strip them in public to show that work is work and there is a decent way to accept rejections.

Tell me about it, as much as we believe some people decent enough they aren't.May be we should strip them in public to show that work is work and there is a decent way to accept rejections. Humblefool  (@abhiarys) July 2, 2024

Many people also asked Tony Klor to give them a full context of the chat and even doubted that perhaps the candidate must have been provoked to be rude. Making this point, a user noted, So are we completely going to ignore the part where you as a recruiter were trying to apologise to his mom for something before he started abusing?

So are we completely going to ignore the part where you as recruiter was trying to apologise to his mom for something before he started abusing? Former WIMP (@former_wimp) July 2, 2024

A user also mentioned, Please dont come to the conclusion that everyone behaves in such an absurd way in India. This guy surely didnt deserve it, but there could be many more potential candidates here who might meet your requirements.

Please don't come to the conclusion that everyone behaves in such an absurd way in India. This guy surely didn't deserve it, but there could be many more potential candidates here who might meet your requirements. RD (@splitrajesh) July 2, 2024

Tony Klors post got over four lakh views since it was shared on June 2. It will be interesting to see if he chooses to disclose more about the chat, considering the attention the screenshot is getting.
A case of a woman being oblivious to the fact that her boyfriend was cheating her and sucking her finances dry has come to the fore from China. A court in Shanghai convicted a man of fraud for stealing 2.6 million yuan (approximately Rs 3 crore) from his girlfriend by pretending to be a doctor at a prestigious hospital. The man, identified as Zhang, received a sentence of 11 years and six months in prison. While the court revealed the case in May, the exact dates of the crime were not disclosed. Zhang, who was actually employed at a hotel, began his fraudulent scheme in 2016 after being introduced to Huang, a shopping mall employee. Throughout their six-year relationship, Zhang claimed to be an obstetrician-gynaecologist at a prestigious hospital in Shanghai and a graduate of a renowned medical school in China. Zhang crafted a convincing persona as a successful professional, and Huang never questioned his story. They started dating approximately three months after they first met.

During this time, he often took money from Huang in the name of home investment and spent it on gambling and paying off his debts. Whenever Huang would want to visit him at work, Zhang used to come up with excuses of being busy with work. Huangs family began to express concerns about the relationship when Zhang started to avoid returning the money he had taken from her. Eventually, Huang grew suspicious and contacted the hospital to verify Zhangs employment, only to find out that he did not work there.

According to court documents, during the trial, the prosecutor said: While love is beautiful, one must also be wary of sweet traps. Zhang has been sentenced to 11 years in jail for cheating.and fraud. Huang has received support online from many users once the case became viral on Chinese social media.
High electricity bills can be a major worry during the summer season and people in various parts of the country are complaining about receiving bills with excessive amounts. In yet another case, a family in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh was in shock recently after they received an electricity bill of nearly Rs 3.9 lakh rupees for using basic household items, like a cooler, a fridge and two fans. According to India Today, an official from the electricity department later explained that the bill was high due to a technical error from their side.

Chandrashekhar, the homeowner, had not received any bills for the past few months. However, when he finally visited the local electricity office, he was taken aback by the unexpected bill amount.

Srikant Rangeela, the spokesperson from Kanpur Electricity Supply Company (Kesco), explained that the department was aware about the issue and confirmed that the high bill was generated by a technical glitch in the billing system. He also guaranteed that the problem would be resolved and the consumer would not have to pay the high bill.

Rangeela added, Due to the changes made to the server of Kesco, some of the electricity meters have developed technical faults, due to which correct data could not be registered.

According to ABP News, Chandrashekhar, who lives in Sanjay Nagar, Phoolbagh with his daughter and son-in-law, earns a monthly salary of just Rs 9000 and found it impossible to pay such a hefty amount. When the family received a bill of Rs 3.9 lakh, they struggled to correct the mistake as their complaints were ignored by officials. They claimed that even if they sold all their belongings, they couldnt pay the bill, as their previous bills had never exceeded Rs 2000.

Recently, another man from Delhi couldnt believe his eyes after he received a Rs 30,000 electricity bill for June. He took to Reddit to share his shock and posted a screenshot of the bill, which left many others equally stunned. Sharing the post, the user wrote, How is this even possible? Bought new ACs thinking itll save money. It did not, in fact, save money. 4 ACs, out of which at least 2 are running at a time.

Posts from the delhicommunity on Reddit

Delhi suffered record breaking hot temperatures before rains brought much needed relief earlier this week. Residents complained about boiling water coming from their taps and air conditioners werent working due to the intense heat.
Most of us would not imagine voluntarily swimming around sharks. However, a 29-year-old teacher from Indonesia, Muthi Annuriy, confronted her lifelong fear of sharks during her recent vacation. Muthi Annuriy was on a trip to Maldives when she decided to take a swim with them. She swam with some 20-odd nurse sharks in the clear water of the Indian Ocean. Now a video of her swimming session with nurse sharks is going viral.

The fear of sharks is called galeophobia, which comes from the Greek words galeos (shark) and phobia (fear). People with galeophobia are reluctant to go to the beach, they avoid swimming or even sailing in the ocean. In extreme cases, they may even avoid watching shark-related movies or documentaries

View this post on Instagram A post shared by New York Post (@nypost)

In Maldives, there are many services that provide specialised and safe shark snorkelling or shark diving services. These services allow people to swim alongside tame shark species like nurse sharks or blacktip reef sharks. The sharks in the above-mentioned video were nurse sharks that are believed to be calm and non-aggressive towards humans.

The New York Post shared a clip of Muthi Annuriys swimming session with sharks on Instagram. Commenting on it, an Instagram user wrote, Why would anyone want to tame their fear of sharks? Another person wrote, Why does she need to cure that fear? Seems like being afraid of sharks would be a healthy fear!

Someone else remarked, Cmon now! Those are Nurse Sharks, you have to put a finger in them for them to be able to bite you! People shared their experiences of swimming with nurse sharks. An Instagram user wrote, Nurse sharks dont do anything Ive dived in a tank with them. Someone else wrote, They are nurse sharks. You dont touch them, they wont bother you. I did this too in the Maldives, it was fun but not scary.

Nurse sharks are about seven to nine feet long. Unlike most large shark species, they are not greyish but yellowish-brown. They are found at the bottom of shallow coral reefs or seagrass flats. Their location makes them easier to spot. As per Oceana, an ocean conservation organisation, nurse sharks may seem harmless but it is unwise to touch them as they can launch an attack in self-defence.
Britain will hold a parliamentary election on July 4 which opinion polls indicate will hand power to Keir Starmers Labour Party and end 14 years of Conservative Party-led government.

2024 UK Election: Full Coverage

HOW IS THE WINNER DECIDED?

To win outright, one party needs to win at least 326 out of the 650 parliamentary seats. The leader of that party becomes prime minister.

In each of the 650 constituencies, voters elect a local candidate who is usually affiliated with a larger political party. Voters choose one candidate and the candidate with the most votes wins the seat.

A hung parliament occurs if no single party wins a majority. In this case the incumbent prime minister remains in power and is given the first chance to form a government either by building a coalition or governing with a minority.

FIRST PAST THE POST

The United Kingdom is divided into 650 areas called constituencies, each of which elects a single Member of Parliament (MP) to represent its residents at the Parliament in Westminster. Voters mark a cross against the name of their preferred candidate on their ballot paper. The candidate with the most votes, known as the first past the post, wins the election for that constituency.

The candidate does not need to receive a majority of the votes cast in that constituency, only more votes than any other candidate. The political party with the most MPs overall wins the general election. If that party has more MPs than all other parties combined, it is said to have a Commons majority and forms the government. The leader of that party automatically becomes the Prime Minister.

WHAT IS A SUPERMAJORITY?

During the Conservative Partys campaign, it warned that Labour could win a supermajority that would embolden it to make more radical reforms than those set out in its manifesto.

In some democracies, a supermajority is a legally defined threshold, higher than a simple majority, required to make major changes such as to a constitution.

In Britain, however, there is no definition of a supermajority that gives governments any special powers and the term has no clear meaning in its political lexicon.

WHEN WILL THE RESULTS BE ANNOUNCED?

An exit poll is released by broadcasters immediately after voting ends at 10 p.m. (2100 GMT).

Vote counting begins immediately and first results come within hours. Most are declared overnight and the outcome is usually clear between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m.

WHEN WILL THE NEW PRIME MINISTER TAKE OFFICE?

Once the overall result is clear, and if the governing party has lost, the prime minister would be expected to tender his resignation to the king on Friday.

The leader of the winning party will then meet the king, who will request he or she form a government. They will then head to Downing Street to make a speech to the British public as the new prime minister.

WHAT HAPPENS ONCE A NEW PRIME MINISTER IS IN PLACE?

The new prime minister will begin appointing ministers, starting with senior positions.

Parliament is scheduled to return on July 9. The Speaker of the House of Commons  parliaments lower chamber  will be elected from among members of parliament (MPs).

Each MP will then in turn swear the oath of allegiance to the king or make a solemn affirmation. This usually takes a few days.

The State Opening of Parliament and Kings Speech, setting out a governments programme of legislation for the parliamentary session, is due to take place on July 17, although this date could be changed by a new government.

WHO CAN VOTE AND HOW?

Voters must be aged 18 or over on polling day, and be either a British citizen, Irish citizen or qualifying Commonwealth citizen.

Close to 50 million people are registered to vote. Polling stations open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (0600-2100 GMT). Votes can be cast in person, by post, or through a proxy.

Voters must take photo I.D. with them to vote, the first national election at which that has been required.

Overseas British citizens will also get to vote regardless of how long they have been living outside the country.

(with inputs from Reuters and BBC)
US President Joe Biden has blamed his hectic foreign travels for his debate debacle, adding Its not an excuse, but an explanation. I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple of times  shortly before the debate, Biden said on Tuesday while talking to donors at a fundraiser in a Virginia suburb of Washington DC.

I didnt listen to my staff  and then I almost fell asleep on stage, he added. Biden admitted that he did not have a good debate, and said he wasnt very smart for travelling around the world a couple times before the debate. Biden also apologised by saying he was sorry for the performance. Its not an excuse but an explanation.

The US presidents remarks at the fundraiser was far shorter than what he speaks on such occasions. Meanwhile, the White House said Biden will travel to Wisconsin on Friday. He will conduct a sit-down interview with George Stephanopoulos from ABC News, while on the campaign trail. He will travel to Philadelphia on Sunday.

On Tuesday, US media reports said that Democrats shocked by Bidens dismal debate performance urged the president to be transparent about his mental fitness as he faced the first call from his own side to drop out of the election.

Some supporters have expressed growing doubts about him after last weeks televised showdown with Donald Trump when Biden stumbled over his words and lost his train of thought. US Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday she was proud to be Joe Bidens running mate, amid swirling speculation about the fate of the Democratic Partys White House ticket following Bidens dismal debate against Donald Trump.

The 59-year-old Harris has been cited as perhaps the most obvious candidate to replace the 81-year-old Biden should he decide to withdraw from the race, but she told CBS News: I am proud to be Joe Bidens running mate. Joe Biden is our nominee. We beat Trump once and were going to beat him again, Harris said.

(With agency inputs)
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday returned to the forefront of the Conservative Partys election campaign to bolster support for current party leader and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, just days ahead of the general election.

Johnson won a big majority at the last election in 2019 before being forced to resign in 2022 by a Tory mutiny which Sunak helped to start, and which exposed deep splits in the governing party. Johnsons unexpected resurgence in campaigning comes amid fears within the Conservative ranks of a potential Labour Party landslide victory.

BREAKING: Boris Johnsons surprise speech at Rishi Sunaks rally in full Starmer is Jeremy Corbyns disciple To Reform voters: Dont let the Putinistas deliver the Corbynistas  opposite of what you want This gigantic Labour majority is pregnant with horrors pic.twitter.com/ZNzHwzg47f  Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) July 2, 2024

I couldnt say no

His presence at recent rallies and speeches aims to galvanize traditional Conservative voters and sway undecided voters away from Labour leader Keir Starmer. None of us can sit back as a Labour government prepares to use a sledgehammer majority to destroy so much of what we have achieved, he said. Acknowledging that some might be surprised to see him, he said he was glad to be asked to help by Sunak. Of course I couldnt say no, he added.

The former British Prime Ministers reappearance marks a strategic move by Tory strategists to leverage his popularity and appeal among the party faithful. His influence was evident as he passionately addressed crowds, urging them to prevent what he described as a looming threat of a left-wing Labour government with a significant parliamentary majority.

During his speeches, Johnson did not shy away from slamming Labours policies, particularly targeting what he termed as mandatory wokery, uncontrolled immigration, and a perceived lack of firmness against global adversaries like Vladimir Putin, the Daily Mail reported. His rhetoric also included jabs at Nigel Farage, whom he branded a Kremlin crawler, aligning himself firmly against Labours agenda.

This is what unites us.We need to stop the Labour supermajority that will put up your taxes. The only way to do that is to vote Conservative tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/qxlt3T8O1K  Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) July 3, 2024

Johnsons role in the campaign has been pivotal, especially as he seeks to dispel any notions of internal party discord between himself and Sunak. He affirmed his commitment to supporting the Conservative cause, aligning their vision for Brexit, economic policy, and national security. The timing of Johnsons return was strategic, coming just days before the general election, when polls indicated a tightening race but still favored Labour.

His presence at rallies alongside Sunak was seen as a morale booster for the party faithful, reassuring them of the Conservative Partys resilience in the face of a formidable electoral challenge. However, opposition parties and some commentators have criticised Johnsons return, accusing him of attempting to overshadow Sunak and exploit lingering discontent within the Conservative ranks. Some have labeled his campaign appearances as a desperate attempt to salvage his political legacy after stepping down from office.

(With agency inputs)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday raised the issue of Indian nationals in the war zone and pressed for their safe return during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov here.

Jaishankar arrived here on Tuesday to represent India at the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Good to meet Russian FM Sergey Lavrov in Astana today. Wide ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership and contemporary issues. Noted the progress in many areas since our last meeting in December 2023, Jaishankar posted on X.

Good to meet Russian FM Sergey Lavrov in Astana today.Wide ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership and contemporary issues. Noted the progress in many areas since our last meeting in December 2023. Raised our strong concern on Indian nationals who are currently in pic.twitter.com/pPlM4HSesr  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 3, 2024

The meeting between the two foreign ministers happened days before Prime Minister Narendra Modis planned visit to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Raised our strong concern on Indian nationals who are currently in the war zone. Pressed for their safe and expeditious return, he added in his post, which also had photos from the meeting. The External Affairs Minister also discussed the global strategic landscape and exchanged assessments and views with Lavrov.

Earlier on Tuesday, Jaishankar met Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu and discussed expanding Strategic Partnership and Indias increasing engagement with Central Asia in various formats. He also exchanged views on regional and global issues with Nurtleu, who also holds the portfolio as Kazakhstans Foreign Minister.
Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, who is sought in India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, is extraditable under the plain provisions of the US-India extradition treaty, a US attorney has told a federal court.

Assistant US Attorney, Criminal Appeals Chief Bram Alden was making a closing argument before the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, where Rana has appealed against the order by a US District Court in California that denied the writ of habeas corpus.

In May, Rana, 63, had filed a writ of habeas corpus challenging the court order, which acceded with the request of the US government that the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks accused be extradited to India. Rana is extraditable to India under the plain provisions of the treaty, and India has established probable cause to prosecute him for his role in terrorist attacks that resulted in 166 deaths and 239 injuries, Alden said.

In his deposition before the court on June 5, Alden, who left the position last week, said both India and the United States have agreed on the meaning of the treaty provision, the non-bis provision in Article 6-1. Both parties have now stated what they intended, that that provision be interpreted based on the elements of the offence and not based on the conduct underlying those crimes. That is consistent with long-standing Supreme Court double jeopardy precedent, he argued.

Rana, currently lodged in a jail in Los Angeles, faces charges for his role in the Mumbai attacks and is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Rana has never even attempted to argue that he cannot show that the same elements India seeks to prosecute him for were those he was prosecuted for in Chicago, Alden said. Representing Rana, attorney John D Cline said theres no competent evidence supporting probable cause.

Alden said the evidence is overwhelming to support probable cause, that low standard that Rana knew about what was going to happen in India between 2006 and 2008. He met with (David) Headley multiple times. There is documentary evidence that supports Hadleys testimony, including the fake visa applications that were provided so that Hadley could operate a fraudulent business in India in order to conduct surveillance, in order to carry out those terrorist attacks, he said.

There was a phone call, of course, after the fact where Rana said that he was informed about what was going on by one of their co-conspirators in Pakistan. And his praise for what was carried out in a gruesome terrorist attack that killed 166 people, injured 239 more, and cost India USD 1.5 billion, Alden said.

It was primarily at the Taj Mahal Hotel, but the terrorists attacked a number of bars, restaurants, and the Chabad House. There were other targets in India that they were attacking in Mumbai. And it was their 9/11, he said. It was a devastating attack over the course of multiple days that resulted in 166 deaths, including six Americans, he added. That is why India wants to prosecute this case and, under the extradition treaty, has every right to do so, Alden argued.

The extent he wants to raise humanitarian concerns or even concerns about the process, the acquittal, the fact that he is facing extradition, those all get raised and can be raised to the Secretary of State, he said in response to a question from the judge.

Representing Rana, Cline, in his deposition, said the central question here is whether the known bis in idem provision in the US-India extradition treaty, the double jeopardy provision, permits the extradition of a man who was acquitted by an American jury for prosecution in a foreign country on that same conduct.

Thats the question here. The answer to that question is no, and the answer is no for four principal reasons, Cline said as he listed the four provisions. A total of 166 people, including six Americans, were killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which 10 Pakistani terrorists laid a more than 60-hour siege, attacking and killing people at iconic and vital locations of Mumbai.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told members of his inner circle that he is concerned about losing his constituency at the general election on Thursday, a report by the Guardian said. The UK Prime Minister Sunak, according to the UK-based newspaper, confided to people in his inner circle that he is fearful of losing his seat.

Sunak told people close to him that he thinks the vote in Richmond and Northallerton was too close to call. Sunak won the Richmond seat with a majority of more than 27,000 and 63% of the vote.

If Sunak were to lose his seat, he would be the first incumbent UK PM to lose his seat.

According to the Institute for Government, no incumbent prime minister has ever lost their seat. Since 1974, only 12 serving cabinet ministers have lost their seats.

He is genuinely fearful of a defeat in Richmond: the risk that it could be tight has hit him hard. Hes rattled  he cant quite believe its coming so close, the Guardian quoted one of the members of his close circle as saying.

However, one member of his close circle flatly denied the development. The PM is confident he will hold his seat, the unnamed confidant of Sunak was quoted as saying by the Guardian.

Another member of Sunaks close circle said they were amazed to see the UK PM carrying on despite so much friendly fire, referring to his detractors within his own party.

Sunak ally Mel Stride, the work and pensions secretary, said Wednesday the electorate would regret handing Labour untrammelled power without an effective Tory opposition.

He also told Times Radio that Labour victory will be the largest landslide the UK has ever seen.

Polls have shown mixed results, with many indicating that Sunak will likely keep his seat even if Labour wins decisively across the country. However, a study by Savanta and Electoral Calculus for the Telegraph suggested that he might lose it.

According to the Guardian, Sunak is considering a return to the financial services industry, regardless of whether he remains an MP. A former colleague has offered him office space in Mayfair, London.

He has also considered spending more time in California, where he owns a home, though he has no immediate plans to move there permanently, the newspaper said.

A person familiar with the developments denied the rumour and said that Sunak has no interest in returning to financial services and intends to stay in Yorkshire come what may.
Given the very trusting nature of the relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, no topic was off-limits for the two leaders when they meet here soon, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

The dates of Prime Minister Modis visit to Moscow will be announced a bit later but preparations for it are already at their final stages, Peskov said. Putin and Modi will discuss regional and global security, trade and all other topics on the agenda during their meeting, Peskov was quoted as saying by Russias state-owned TASS news agency.

We (Russia and India) jointly take part in integration processes, so regional affairs, regional security and global security are always at the top of the agenda. In addition, of course, our bilateral trade and economic interaction is always a focal point, the Kremlin official said, answering a question about what topics will be discussed at the negotiations between Putin and Modi.

Describing Prime Minister Modis visit as very important, the official noted that Moscow and New Delhi have mutual political will to develop cooperation in a variety of areas. Given the very trusting nature of the relationship between President Putin and Prime Minister Modi, we can expect that there will be an exchange of views on all issues that are on the agenda, and there are many of them, Peskov added.

We will announce this visit officially later, after coordination with our Indian friends, I can only confirm to you once again that the visit is in the final stages of preparation, he said, replying to a question on the dates of Modis visit to Russia. Diplomatic sources in New Delhi had said the Indian prime ministers day-long visit is being planned around July 8, adding there is no finality on the date yet and various options are being explored.

The visit, if it takes place, will be Modis first trip to Russia in nearly five years. His last visit to Russia was in 2019 when he attended an economic conclave in the Far East city of Vladivostok. If Modi travels to Russia, then he and President Putin are set to hold the India-Russia annual summit after a gap of three years.

The annual summit between the Prime Minister of India and the President of Russia is the highest institutional dialogue mechanism in the strategic partnership between the two countries. So far, 21 annual summits have taken place alternatively in India and Russia. The last summit was held on December 6, 2021, in New Delhi. Putin, as head of the Russian state, has visited India nine times.
Nigel Farage, seeking to become a British MP on Thursday at the eighth attempt, has risen from fringe Eurosceptic rabble-rouser to attention-grabbing figurehead who wants to reshape right-wing UK politics.

The 60-year-old former European parliamentarian (MEP) was a driving force behind Britains 2016 Brexit vote, before forging a career as a presenter on the brash right-wing TV channel GB News.

2024 UK Election: Full Coverage

A vocal Donald Trump advocate nicknamed Mr Brexit by the former US president, Farage is a divisive figure, loved and loathed in equal measure by supporters and detractors.

Seen as one of Britains most effective communicators and campaigners, his decision to stand in a Eurosceptic seat in Clacton, southeast England, poses particular peril for the ruling Conservatives.

His candidacy has spurred a surge in support for his hard-right Reform UK party, which has campaigned on a pro-Brexit, anti-immigration, anti-net zero platform that threatens to draw right-wing support away from the Tories.

That could help the main Labour opposition, which polls show is on course to win by a landslide, putting Farage in a powerful position as remaining Tories grapple over the partys future direction.

Farage said his long-term aim is to stage a takeover of the Conservatives, likening his bid to similar efforts in Canada in the 1990s to the Conservative Party.

I want to reshape the centre-right, he told the Sunday Times, adding that he did not have any trust in the Tories, who have been in power since 2010.

First, though, he has to finally become an MP after seven failed attempts.

Everyman

Nigel Paul Farage, a beer-loving divorced father-of-four, is on paper an unlikely man of the people, appearing to embody much of what he rails against.

The son of a stockbroker, the privately educated former commodities trader was an MEP in Brussels for 20 years, yet railed against the European Union that paid his salary and regularly lambasts both career politicians and the global elite.

Cheered by his supporters as a straight-talking, pint-swilling everyman, opponents accuse him of being a hypocrite who plays to racists and far-right ideologues.

Reform has ditched scores of would-be candidates this year over offensive comments, according to a monitor, while Farage was criticised by opponents for saying during the campaign that the West provoked Russias war in Ukraine.

Farage has an uncanny ability to capture media attention, capitalising on right-wing voters frustrations over how Brexit has been handled.

In 1985 he had a cancerous testicle removed, and was hit by a car after a night out in 1987, suffering serious head and leg injuries.

Once recovered, he married his nurse, and the couple had two sons.

Profile

Following their divorce in 1997, Farage married second wife Kirsten Mehr, a German, with whom he has two daughters. They separated in 2017.

On general election day in May 2010, a light aircraft he was in crashed after a campaign banner got caught in a propeller.

He escaped relatively unscathed with just broken bones and a punctured lung.

Farages political ascent began in 1993 when Britain, under Conservative prime minister John Major, joined in a process of deeper European integration.

He quit the Tories in disgust to co-found the Eurosceptic UK Independence Party (UKIP) and six years later was elected to the European Parliament aged 35.

Farage had two stints leading UKIP, pulling off an unprecedented win in the 2014 European Parliament elections, as Euroscepticism, once a fringe Tory view, became more mainstream.

The 2014 results heaped pressure on then-prime minister David Cameron to call the EU membership referendum that would eventually seal his demise.

Farage was kept out of the official Leave campaign because of fears his brand was too divisive.

But he maintained a high profile, hammering away at the immigration issue  and sparking claims of racism with a poster of refugees under the slogan breaking point.

In the afterglow of victory, Farage stepped down as UKIP leader, claiming his mission was complete.

But he soon returned to frontline politics, founding the Brexit Party in response to the political paralysis around leaving the EU and then helping rebrand it as Reform following the UKs eventual withdrawal in 2020.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a drug made by Eli Lilly on Tuesday that is designed to treat the early symptoms of Alzheimers disease.

The drug known as Kisunla should be used by patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia stage of disease, the FDA said in a statement announcing its decision to approve the drug. Patients treated with Kisunla demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in clinical decline, and a range of other criteria, it added.

Kisunla, which is the brand name for the drug donanemab-azbt, joins only a handful of other drugs currently approved by the US regulator to treat Alzheimers, which currently affects more than 6.5 million Americans.

Kisunla demonstrated very meaningful results for people with early symptomatic Alzheimers disease, Eli Lilly executive vice president Anne White said in a statement published by the US pharmaceutical company.

We know these medicines have the greatest potential benefit when people are treated earlier in their disease, and we are working hard in partnership with others to improve detection and diagnosis, she added. The FDAs decision was welcomed by the Alzheimers Association, a non-profit organization focused on eradication the disease.

This is real progress, the associations president, Joanne Pike, said in a statement. Todays approval allows people more options and greater opportunity to have more time. Having multiple treatment options is the kind of advancement weve all been waiting for  all of us who have been touched, even blindsided, by this difficult and devastating disease, she added.

(With agency inputs)
Two members of Andrews' Raiders, a legendary contingent of the Union Army that stole a Confederate train during the Civil War, are getting the Medal of Honor. Six members of the group, made up of 22 soldiers and two civilians, were awarded the very first Medals of Honor in the nation's history on March 25, 1863. Over the next two decades, another 13 members were recognized for their role in what became known as the Great Locomotive Chase, per WTVC . A century and a half later, George Wilson and Philip Shadrach, both hanged for their actions, will be the 20th and 21st to receive the medal after a campaign led by the Shadrach family and historian and author Brad Quinlin.

All 24 men left Shelbyville, Tennessee, in early April 1862, bound for Marietta, Georgia, where they planned to steal the Confederate Army's General train and destroy the rail line between Atlanta and Chattanooga. Just 22 made it to Marietta and two overslept the following morning so that only 20 boarded the train on April 12, 1862, per WTVC. They seized control of the locomotive near Kennesaw, then rode the train northward toward Chattanooga, "doing as much damage as possible to the vital Western and Atlantic Railroad line as they went," according to the Medal of Honor Heritage Center. The mission "was extremely important for the morale of the north," retired Army Gen. BB Bell tells WTVC, noting "enlistments skyrocketed" in the aftermath.

The 22 men who reached Marietta were eventually captured after the train was abandoned north of Ringgold. Wilson and Shadrach were among eight to be court-martialed as spies and hanged. "Wilson was considered the most remarkable man of the whole group," per WKRC. "He spoke before he was hanged saying he had no hard feelings for the southerners," whom he claimed were deceived by their leaders and would come to regret the rebellion against the United States. It's unclear why Wilson and Shadrach weren't recognized previously. Even a Raiders member who was stopped by Confederates before reaching Georgia was offered a Medal of Honor, though he declined it, per WTVC. The medals will be posthumously awarded Wednesday at the White House. (More Medal of Honor stories.)
Since the late 1700s, the Juneau Ice Field, interconnected glaciers that stretch across 1,500 square miles of Alaska and British Columbia, has lost about a quarter of its volume. But it's an "incredibly worrying" phenomenon that took place between 2010 and 2020 that has scientists especially concerned: The remote swath, which features the famous Mendenhall Glacier, dropped 1.4 cubic miles of ice annually during that decade-long period, double the rate of ice melt before 2010, reports the New York Times . In their study published Tuesday in Nature Communications , researchers add that rates of "area shrinkage" were five times faster from 2015 to 2019 than they were from 1979 to 1990.

The team led by Newcastle University glaciologist Bethan Davies pulled together decades of glacial measurements using aerial views, surveys, maps, and satellite imagery, supplementing that with in-the-field verification and research into tree rings and peat to try to figure out previous environments in the ice field. What they found was that every single one of the area's 1,050 glaciers receded between 1770 and 2019, with 108 glaciers vanishing altogether; dozens of new lakes formed as a result. Scientists say the melt is affected by tourism; soot from wildfires that lands on the ice and expedites melting; and the wide, flat surface of thinning ice that further exposes it to warming air, among other factors.

Just because Alaska is a far-flung spot for most of the planet's inhabitants, the glacial melt there matters "tremendously," per the Times, which notes that "in no other region of the planet are melting glaciers predicted to contribute more to global sea-level rise this century." Plus, scientists fear that ice fields elsewhere, including in Greenland, Norway, and other Arctic-adjacent locations, could meet the same fate, per Reuters. Global warming will likely continue to further exacerbate the situation, with one climatologist warning of a possible "death spiral" for the glaciers, per the AP. "If we reduce carbon, then we have more hope of retaining these wonderful ice masses," Davies tells the Times. "The more carbon we put in, the more we risk irreversible, complete removal of them." (More glacial melt stories.)
In what AV Club calls a "bizarre" court ruling, a US rapper has been ordered to submit his future songs for approval by the federal government before they are released, at least until his sentence in a criminal case has been served. The situation revolves around rapper BG (short for "Baby Gangsta"), born Christopher Dorsey and a former member of the Cash Money Records group Hot Boys along with fellow New Orleans rappers Lil Wayne and Juvenile. Dorsey was in 2012 sentenced to 14 years on illegal gun possession charges, and is currently on supervised release. Prosecutors wanted Dorsey to be barred "from promoting and glorifying future gun violence/murder" in his songs or at his shows while he is on supervised release, but the judge denied that request in a mixed ruling, the Guardian reports.

The judge ruled that such a ban could violate Dorsey's free speech rights, but he did order the rapper to submit his songs to the government moving forward. If the lyrics are found to be inconsistent with Dorsey's rehabilitation goals, prosecutors could request that the terms of the rapper's supervised release be made more strict. Dorsey was arrested in March after performing at a concert in Las Vegas, where he currently lives, alongside Boosie and Gucci Mane, who have felony convictionsone typical condition of supervised release is no unnecessary association with felons. Dorsey was released after his attorneys pointed out that halfway house monitors had given him permission, but prosecutors then made their request that he be barred from glorifying violence in the future, prompting his return to court. The case has big implications for the movement against using rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials; more on that here. (More rapper stories.)
President Biden's explanation for his near universally-panned debate performance against Donald Trump? Jet lag. "I didn't have my best night," Biden said Tuesday while speaking to supporters at a Virginia fundraiser. "I wasn't very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple of times, going through I don't how many time zones. I didn't listen to my staff. And then I came back and I nearly fell asleep on stage," he said, to laughs. "It's not an excuse but an explanation." USA Today and the BBC , however, note Biden had last returned from abroad on June 15, a full 12 days before the debate. (Also Tuesday, the White House press secretary repeated the explanation that Biden had a cold during the debate, the New York Times reports.)

He was in France from June 5 to 9 and in Italy from June 12 to 14, then returned to the States the following day and immediately traveled to California for a Hollywood fundraiser. He returned to the White House June 16, was at his Delaware home June 18, and spent June 20 to 27 at the Camp David presidential retreat. On Tuesday, Biden apologized for his performance at the debate, and said it's "critical" to beat Trump in November. As USA Today notes, as Biden's age and fitness for office are already being questioned by some, his Tuesday comments "could invite even more scrutiny over whether the 81-year-old president is up to the rigorous traveling, packed schedules, and other demands of a second term in the White House." (In a first, a House Democrat has called for Biden to step aside.)
Last summer, the Food and Drug Administration gave the thumbs-up to Leqembi, the first drug shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Now, almost a year to the day after that move, the government agency has greenlit a second drug: Eli Lilly's donanemab, sold under the brand name Kisunla, was given the OK on Tuesday, for mild or early dementia cases spurred by Alzheimer's, reports the AP.

How it works: Kisunla clears out the protein amyloid, which has been found to cluster together to form plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's patients years before symptoms even appear, per the New York Times.

Kisunla clears out the protein amyloid, which has been found to cluster together to form plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's patients years before symptoms even appear, per the New York Times. Results: The FDA approved Kisunla after an 18-month clinical trial in which patients with mild dementia or mild cognitive impairment who received the drug saw their cognitive decline slow by up to 7.5 months more than those who received a placebo.
A Seattle-area plastic surgery provider accused of threatening patients over negative reviews and posting fake positive ones must pay $5 million to the state attorney general's office and thousands of Washington patients, according to a federal consent decree filed Monday. The consent decree resolves a lawsuit brought by Attorney General Bob Ferguson in December 2022. It accused Allure Esthetic and owner Dr. Javad Sajan of violating state and federal consumer protection laws by posting the false reviews and forcing patients to sign nondisclosure agreements barring them from posting or saying anything negative about Allure, reports the AP .

The resolution, filed in US District Court for the Western District of Washington, requires Allure to pay about $1.5 million in restitution to about 21,000 people. People who were forced to sign illegal NDAs will each receive $50, while those who paid a nonrefundable consultation fee before they signed an illegal NDA will receive $120. The remainder of the money, about $3.5 million, will go to Ferguson's office for attorney fees, litigation costs, and monitoring and enforcing of the consent decree, according to the resolution.

Allure threatened to sue and did sue some patients if they didn't take down negative reviews, according to the complaint. In some instances it offered patients cash and free services or products in exchange for taking down negative reviews. The practice also had more than 10,000 patients sign nondisclosure agreements before receiving treatment that restricted them from posting negative reviews online, the lawsuit said. Sajan also allegedly directed employees to create fake email accounts to pose as patients and post positive reviews.

story continues below

According to the lawsuit, the company also rigged "best doctor" competitions hosted by local media outlets, kept tens of thousands of dollars in rebates intended for patients, and altered before-and-after photos of procedures on patients. "The cooperative settlement, while not admitting fault and resolving claims asserted by both sides, allows Allure Esthetic to continue to focus on its core mission of providing compassionate care to patients," said a lawyer for Allure Esthetic.

(More online review stories.)
/

Sunday May Be the Busiest Air Travel Day Ever in the US

TSA expects to screen 3M passengers as part of the holiday weekend
A 26-year-old woman posted a photo on social media suggesting she's in a same-sex relationship. In many other nations, that wouldn't cause much of a stir. But Brenda Biya is the daughter of the president of Cameroon, a country where such a relationship is illegal and punishable by five years behind bars. Her Instagram post shows her embracing and kissing Layyons Valenca, a Brazilian model, the BBC reports, with a love emoji and the caption, "I'm crazy about you & I want the world to know."

The Advocate's interpretation is "the daughter of the nation's president has come out." Although she didn't specifically say that in her post, Biya later shared a Le Monde article that reached the same conclusion, per the BBC. She also shared messages of support. The post could be a "turning point for the LGBTQ+ community in Cameroon," a transgender activist said. President Paul Biya's daughter is a musician who calls herself King Nasty and lives in Belgium.

Others questioned whether coming out is a privilege not available to most people in the Central African nation. An LGBT activist welcomed the revelation in a Facebook post but said it reflects a stark reality. "Anti-LGBT laws in Cameroon disproportionately target the poor," Bandy Kiki said. "Wealth and connections create a shield for some, while others face severe consequences." (More Cameroon stories.)
Aotearoa is in for cold, frosty starts next week as a weather system moves over the country.

Meteorologist Ben Noll, from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), said there was some "active weather" hitting New Zealand at the moment.

Noll said heavy rain was forecast for the northern South Island and western part of the North Island on Wednesday as it moves up the country. The wet weather is expected to reach Auckland Wednesday evening.

MetService has one weather warning in place - a heavy swell warning for Wairarapa's Turakirae Head to Mataikona from 9am to 5pm on Wednesday.

"Southwest combined waves 5.5 to 6 metres, easing to 4.5 metres this afternoon. Peak period 14 seconds," MetService warned.

But it's not the brunt of the wild weather to come.
The family of the woman killed during an armed robbery while on holiday in the US say they are still coming to terms with their loss.

Patricia McKay and her husband, prominent businessman Doug McKay, were outside Fashion Island shopping centre in California when two people tried to rob them.

"During the robbery, one suspect fired a handgun three times, though no one was struck by gunfire," Newport Beach Police Department said in a statement.

Local police said Patricia was then pulled onto the street where she was hit by a car being driven by a third suspect.

Patricia died at the scene.
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.
It pays to be digital  digitally engaged employees have more money saved, feel more confident and experience better retirement outcomes

TORONTO, July 3, 2024 /CNW/ - With mounting cost of living pressures, Canadians are struggling when it comes to planning and saving for retirement. A recent study done by the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) for Sun Life shows that one third of Canadians struggle to plan for retirement and that 75% of people say their cost of living is negatively impacting their retirement savings.

Sun Lifes new Retirement Planner powered by Sun Life One Plan.

Over half of respondents are worried they do not have enough money to retire. While financial situations vary considerably, some cited a lack of confidence in where to find quality information. Planning for retirement can have a huge impact on feeling prepared when it comes time to exit the workforce.

"There are many factors to think about for Canadians when it comes to saving for retirement," says Eric Monteiro, Senior Vice-President, Group Retirement Services, Sun Life. "Planning can significantly affect someone's ability to retire. Considering what you want your retirement to look like, and building a roadmap to get there is essential."

When saving for retirement - it pays to be digital

When it comes to saving, employees who are digitally engaged have more money saved, feel more confident about their plan, and experience better retirement outcomes. Logging-in and being engaged pays:

Members who are digitally engaged see an average balance 230% higher than those who are not engaged ( $123,800 versus $51,800 ).

versus ). Digital members contribute 61% more to their savings accounts than those who aren't online ( $8,700 versus $3,400 ).

versus ). Digital members are two times as likely to maximize an employer match. While 30% of non-digital members maximized that match in 2023, this compares to 61% of digital members.

Those who are digitally engaged are also more likely to make lump sum contributions and are more likely to withdraw less money from their savings. These findings are part of Sun Life's Designed for Savings: Digital Engagement report that uses data from 1.45 million Sun Life Group Retirement plan members to identify workplace savings trends in Canada. The data shows a clear correlation between digital engagement and stronger retirement readiness.

"It's important that people not only prepare for retirement but feel confident in the decisions they've made. It's clear that those who regularly log-in online see the long-term benefits of embracing the convenience of digital tools. These numbers paint a vivid picture about how technology can empower people to take control of their financial future," said Monteiro.

Sun Life recently launched their new Retirement Planner powered by Sun Life One Plan. The tool is available to plan members and helps create a financial assessment in less than five minutes. It includes personalized insights and projections to help people plan for the retirement of their dreams. Plan members also have the option to seek advice from one of our licensed consultants* to go deeper into their planning experience creating a financial roadmap to unlock a lifetime of possibilities.

Learn more about the new Retirement Planner powered by Sun Life One Plan now.

*Registered as financial security advisors in Quebec.

About Sun Life

Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of March 31, 2024, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.47 trillion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars

Media Relations Contact:

Alexandra Dalipi

Manager

Corporate Communications

T. 416-526-6881

[email protected]

SOURCE Sun Life Financial Canada
Company makes strides in key areas toward achieving environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals

TORONTO, July 3, 2024 /CNW/ - Purolator today released its sixth annual Sustainability Report, titled Going the Extra Mile. The report outlines the company's 2023 achievements in its commitment to its people, communities and the planet, and details how Purolator is advancing its goal to be an industry leader in corporate sustainability.

Highlights of Purolator's 2023 corporate sustainability achievements

Purolator today released its sixth annual Sustainability Report, titled Going the Extra Mile. (CNW Group/Purolator Inc.)

Delivering for the planet

Achieved an 11 per cent reduction in absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions (2020 baseline), with the goal of reducing by 42 per cent by 2030.

Transitioned over 500,000 litres of fuel from diesel to renewable diesel, significantly lowering the environmental impact of operations.

Reduced emissions from electricity use by 70 per cent through the procurement of renewable sources (2020 baseline), with a goal of 100 per cent by 2030.

Exceeded its 2030 landfill waste diversion goal, reaching a 72 per cent diversion rate from landfills seven years ahead of schedule.

Reported, for the first time, against the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

Empowering its people

Achieved a 48 per cent reduction in lost-time injury frequency, surpassing goal of 40 per cent (2019 baseline).

Delivered 18,400 hours of mental health training for employees across the company.

Continued integrating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within business practices by developing a DEI governance framework, publishing an Accessibility Plan, enhancing training programs and expanding employee resource groups.

As part of the company's Purolator Health program, prepared for the 2024 launch of on-site workplace health screenings to enhance access to preventative healthcare for frontline operations employees.

Helping its neighbours

Raised 2.3 million pounds of food for Canadian food banks, exceeding the 2023 donation goal, while celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Purolator Tackle Hunger  program.

program. Awarded $100,000 in grant prizes to four small businesses across Canada through the Purolator True North Small Business Grant contest.

"In 2023, Purolator delivered record safety performance, made unprecedented investments in the health and well-being of our employees and continued to decarbonize our business," said John Ferguson, President and CEO, Purolator. "With our focus on continuous improvement, we also optimized our network to further reduce our carbon emissions. These achievements are a testament to Purolator's people-first, One Team culture and moved us forward on our path to reach net-zero emissions by 2050."

Purolator's Sustainability Report is aligned with international standards including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

For more information on Purolator's performance, please read the 2023 Sustainability Report found on the corporate sustainability page of purolator.com.

About Purolator

Purolator Inc. is a leading integrated freight, package and logistics solutions provider. Delivering its customers' promises since 1960, Purolator continues to expand its reach and renowned service levels and reliability to more people, more businesses and more places across the country and around the world. Purolator is proud of its Canadian heritage and is focused on sustainably positioning itself for future growth and success. Purolator is also committed to contributing to the well-being of the communities it serves and where more than 14,000 of its employees live, work and play.

SOURCE Purolator Inc.

Media contact: Tom Kennedy, Senior Consultant, Communications, Purolator, 416 717-0378, [email protected]
TSXV Trading Symbol: VPI

VANCOUVER, BC, July 2, 2024 /CNW/ - Vitality Products Inc. (TSXV: VPI) (the "Company" or "Vitality"), a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of premium vitamins and supplements, is pleased to report its financial results for the first quarter ended April 30, 2024 and provide a business update.

Quarter 1 Results: Strong Gross Margins and Reduced Net Loss in Q1

Year-Over-Year Financial Highlights:

Reduced Net Loss by 65%

Maintained Sales in Q1

Achieved 72% Gross Margin on Product Sales

Reduced General Selling Expenses by 48%

Reduced General and Administrative Expenses by 22%

The financial performance of the Company for the three months ended April 30, 2024 and 2023 show a 65% reduction in net loss as the Company continues to make significant strides towards its goal of profitability on a quarterly basis. The financial results of the Company for the three months ended April 30, 2024 show a net loss of $40,455 or $0.00 per share compared to a net loss of $115,747 or $0.00 per share for the same period last year.

Sales of the Company's premium natural health products for the three months ended April 30, 2024 increased 1% to $196,879 (2023 - $195,069). The Company's gross margin on its sales for the three months ended April 30, 2024 was $141,662 or 72% of sales (2023 - $142,786 or 73% of sales) as the Company continues to have strong gross margins due to the uniqueness of its natural health products. During the three months ended April 30, 2024, sales were impacted by product stock outs due to higher demand for VITALITY Glow Collagen + Cranberry (all sizes) and VITALITY Glow Collagen + Biotin (255 grams). All other products are in stock.

The Company's general selling expenses for the three months ended April 30, 2024 decreased 48% to $40,364 (2023 - $77,591). The Company's general and administrative expenses for the three months ended April 30, 2024 decreased 22% to $137,871 (2023 - $176,595) as consulting fees decreased to $4,911 (2023 - $37,772). The Company continues its effort to improve overall operating efficiencies while focused on expanding distribution and growing sales in Canada and the United States.

Business Update

"Following the success of improving operations, Management is focused on growing sales" says Cheryl Grant, President and CEO. "We believe in the significant potential of Vitality to change people's health and be a leading name in natural health."

Meetings with Potential Investors and Business Opportunities

Management has explored multiple business opportunities for international sales, potential acquisition or mergers with similar businesses including AI, digital health applications, and product lines. Management continues to look at opportunities to grow the business.

Increasing Sales Staff for Sales Growth

Management plans to hire two additional sales staff to support sales in fiscal 2025 to increase product turn at retail stores and increase points of distribution. The staff are anticipated to join the Company in July 2024.

Marketing VITALITY to Retailers and Consumers

During Q1, VITALITY exhibited at three significant industry tradeshows and co-hosted consumer seminars. Consumer seminars have been unavailable at key retailers since the pandemic began in March 2020. The Company met with prospective retailer buyers at Natural Products Expo West in California (March 2024), CHFA NOW in Vancouver (April 2024) and SENPA Healthfest in Dallas, Texas (April 2024). VITALITY had its first Whole Foods Markets national endcap in Canada in April 2024.

Winner of a Delicious Living Award  Consumer Choice  Children's Health

The prestigious Delicious Living award, which is recognized as the leading award in the natural health industry in the United States, was awarded to VITALITY Magnesium + Chamomile for Kids at Natural Products Expo West. This is VITALITY's first recognition with a Delicious Living award.

The Company's condensed interim financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the three months ended April 30, 2024 and 2023 are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com.

About Vitality

VITALITY is an award-winning line of clean vitamins and supplements, marketed to natural health retailers and health and wellness conscious consumers. Manufactured in Canada and currently sold in natural health stores and online, the products are non-GMO and third party tested for quality. Following the proven success of the line through repeat orders and same store sales growth, the Company is focused on expanding distribution and growing sales in-store and online; evaluating, researching and developing new products for future distribution; and exploring new markets for its products. To view our products, visit: www.vitality.ca.

On behalf of the Board of

VITALITY PRODUCTS INC.

"Cheryl A. Grant" (signed)

__________________________________

Cheryl A. Grant, President & CEO

Forward-Looking Information

Information set forth in this news release involves forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address a company's 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, or other similar expressions. 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: risks associated with marketing and sale of securities; the need for additional financing; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers or directors with certain other projects; and the volatility of common share price and volume. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE SECURITIES LEGISLATION.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

SOURCE Vitality Products Inc.

Contact : For further information, please contact: Vitality Products Inc., Cheryl A. Grant, President and CEO, (604) 591-1322, [email protected]
Tenants at a Downtown Jersey City apartment complex have filed a $400 million federal class action lawsuit against landlord Equity Residential, the latest salvo in what has become a multi-year fight against double-digit rent increases.

Portside Towers two tenant associations and four individual tenants sued Equity Residential Tuesday, demanding the landlord return rent payments  plus interest and multiplied three times  that they argue were illegally charged for more than 20 years.
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.
Three Bronx, New York men were charged with committing a home invasion in Teaneck in January, where four people were tied up, assaulted and robbed by gun-toting robbers, authorities said.

The three men were arrested on Tuesday in the Bronx in a joint operation with New York and Teaneck police, the FBI and the Bergen County Prosecutors Office, said Prosecutor Mark Musella.

Arrested were Frank A. Salcedo, 43, Francisco Sandoval, 42; and Brain Arias, 40, who were charged with armed robbery, kidnapping, weapons and other offenses after an investigation that spanned several months, the prosecutor said.

The home invasion at an East Tryon Avenue residence occurred on Jan. 12. Teaneck police were called at 2:58 p.m., and officers found that two adult victims had been restrained inside the home with zip-ties by three male suspects who were wearing masks and armed with handguns since around 10:30 a.m., authorities said.

Two other adults arrived at the home and were held at gunpoint by the suspects. During several hours of captivity, one of the victims was attacked with a hammer and assaulted. The suspects also threatened to torture and kill one of the victims two minor children if the person did not turn over money, authorities said.

The suspects also ransacked the home, punching holes in walls; ripping apart couches, destroying furniture, and pulling vents and cabinets off the walls in an attempt to locate money they thought was hidden in the house, officials said. Once the suspects left the house, a victim was able to get free and call police.

The Prosecutors Special Investigations Squad and Teaneck police identified the trio after finding two suspect vehicles that were involved in the home invasion. Investigators found a GPS tracking device that was surreptitiously attached to one of the victims vehicles by the suspects, authorities said.

Salcedo, Sandoval and Arias were each charged with four counts of first-degree kidnapping, first-degree armed robbery, second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, two counts of third-degree aggravated assault, and second-degree armed burglary.

All three suspects are in the custody of New York police pending their extradition to Bergen County.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @CommutingLarry.
A man from Cumberland County was charged with manslaughter and vehicular homicide by the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office after a fiery crash on Route 1 in April that killed three people in a van, authorities said.

Joseph Vega, 43, of Bridgeton was charged with three counts of first-degree aggravated manslaughter and three counts of second-degree vehicular homicide in May and was arrested by U.S. Marshals on July 3 in Georgia.

The crash occurred at 9:36 a.m. on April 12 on Route 1 in South Brunswick when the tractor-trailer driven by Vega struck a Sprinter van at the Ridge Road intersection, which caused the van to hit two other vehicles, officials said. The van and the tractor-trailer traveled another 100 yards north of the intersection and caught fire, police said.

Driver Charisse Nelson-Bailey, 24, and passengers Daniel Vida, 28 and Maria Passalaris, 25, died following the crash in the van, which was traveling to Community Options in West Windsor. The agency serves adults with disabilities.

An investigation by South Brunswick Police Officer Bryan Sites and Middlesex Prosecutors Sgt. Jonathan Berman found the tractor-trailer was transporting an oversized concrete load when it failed to stop for a red light at the intersection, which resulted in the fatal crash.

Vega is being held in Georgia pending extradition to New Jersey, officials said.

The investigation is active and continuing. Anyone with information may call South Brunswick Police Officer Sites at 732-329-4646 or Sgt. Berman at the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office at 732-745-4328.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @CommutingLarry
An Ocean County man remains at large after he was charged with murder in connection to the shooting death of a Seaside woman on June 27, Ocean County officials said Wednesday.

Maxwell Johnston, 35, of Manchester Township was charged with murder and weapons offenses in the death of Gabriella Caroleo, 25, of Seaside Heights, the Ocean County Prosecutors Office said.

Johnston remains at large and a warrant has been issued for his arrest, authorities said.

Manchester Township police responded to the area of Ridgeway Road and Hope Chapel Road, not far from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst around 4:55 p.m. on June 27 for a report of a person suffering from a gunshot wound, authorities said.

Officers found Caroleo with a gunshot wound to the stomach. She was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune where she later succumbed to her injuries, according to officials. An obituary for Caroleo online said she had a young son.

Authorities said an investigation into the shooting by the Ocean County Prosecutors Offices Major Crimes Unit, Manchester Police Department and the Ocean County Sheriffs Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit identified Johnston as the primary suspect.

We have been working diligently with our law enforcement partners to locate (Johnston), Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said in a press release. We are focused on finding (Johnston) and bringing him into custody.

Anyone with information on Johnstons whereabouts is asked to call Detective Denis Mitchell of the Ocean County Prosecutors Office at 732-929-2027, extension 2476 or Detective Richard Conklin of the Manchester Police Department at 732-657-2009, extension 4211.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X
A family living in an upstairs apartment was displaced by an early morning fire Wednesday that damaged their dwelling and a business below it, according to Gloucester Township police.

The fire broke out on the Black Horse Pike around 1:05 a.m. in Gloucester Townships Blackwood section, police said. The family of five all evacuated the building, but were displaced and are being sheltered by relatives, police said.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation, but fire officials dont believe it started by suspicious causes.

Strong plumes of smoke were coming from the apartment when firefighters arrived at the building, which has multiple first-floor business tenants. Its unclear if any businesses were unable to open Wednesday.

A portion of the Black Horse Pike was closed for several hours while firefighters cleared the scene.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com.
Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost.

If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below.
State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada

Postal Code
The judicial injunction barring Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita from enforcing Indiana's age verification mandate for adult-oriented websites is likely to remain in effect until at least next year.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a challenge to a similar Texas law during its next term that begins in October.

In that case, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals permitted a portion of the Texas age verification statute to take effect, notwithstanding prior Supreme Court rulings limiting the government's ability to infringe on the free speech rights of adults in the name of protecting children from perceived harms.

The Texas case has not yet been scheduled for oral arguments at the nation's high court. Any ruling by the nine Supreme Court justices probably won't be issued until 2025.

The Indiana litigation likely will be on pause until then since lower courts considering nearly identical cases typically opt not to waste judicial resources when a definitive Supreme Court ruling, with nationwide effect, is in the offing.

Last month, U.S. District Senior Judge Richard Young determined Senate Enrolled Act 17 (2024) likely violates the 1st Amendment rights of Hoosier adults in its zeal to prevent individuals younger than 18 years old from accessing adult-oriented content online.

The statute preemptively prohibited adult-oriented websites from publishing their content in Indiana unless the site employed a rigorous age verification system to prevent minors from accessing the website.

Young said, in accordance with the Constitution and prior U.S. Supreme Court rulings, any law infringing on protected speech, including adult-oriented content, must advance a compelling government interest and be narrowly tailored to that interest so there are no less restrictive alternatives.

The Indiana law, he said, "is not close" as minors based in Indiana still could access adult-oriented websites because the method of determining a website user's home state is not reliable, it easily can be hidden or altered using a free virtual private network (VPN) connection, and the law excludes search engines and social media sites that make available plenty of adult-oriented content.

"In sum, the act does not sufficiently advance the government's interests in protecting minors from harmful obscene speech because minors can easily circumvent the law using technology or searching for websites not covered by the act," Young said.

Young also noted a less restrictive alternative is available in the form of filtering and blocking software that Hoosier parents can install or activate on their children's computers and mobile devices to prevent them from accessing adult-oriented content online.

"Indiana's Legislature chose an ineffective and more broad method to protect minors from harmful materials than other alternatives. The First Amendment does not allow such imprecision," Young said. "Indiana's age verification requirements are likely unconstitutional."

The Indiana attorney general has not yet issued a public statement responding to the federal court ruling.

Gallery: Get to know these new Indiana laws that took effect July 1 Beekeeping Biomarker testing Bobcat hunting Boundary marker Contraceptives Digital currency Dog sales Drink server Driver safety Drones Food and beverage tax Foreigner land acquisition Gary gun lawsuit Green alert Guardian ad litem Happy hour Intellectual diversity Lake Michigan Mixed beverages Penal facilities Phones in schools Psilocybin Public access counselor Reading Regional planning Religious instruction Sanctuary cities State superintendent Thirteenth check Virtual revenge porn Website age verification Wetlands Xylazine
Robert Towne, whose screenplay for Roman Polanskis Chinatown won an Oscar, and whose work on that and other important films established him as one of the leading screenwriters of the so-called New Hollywood, died on Monday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 89.

His publicist, Carri McClure, confirmed the death. She did not cite a cause.

Mr. Townes Academy Award was part of a phenomenal run. He was nominated for best-screenplay Oscars three years in a row; his Chinatown win, in 1974, came between nominations for The Last Detail and Shampoo, both directed by Hal Ashby. He had also worked as an uncredited script doctor on Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and The Godfather (1972).

He was widely regarded as a master at writing dialogue, though he was less gifted at meeting deadlines  he was notorious for delivering long, unshapely scripts way past their due dates. The film historian David Thomson called him a fascinating contradiction: in many ways idealistic, sentimental and very talented; in others a devout compromiser, a delayer, so insecure that he can sometimes seem devious.
More Democrats aired doubts about President Bidens candidacy on Tuesday, the most public and direct voicing of concern since his disastrous debate performance on Thursday.

Only one lawmaker called for the president to withdraw from the race, but that person, Representative Lloyd Doggett of Texas, invoked a historical comparison that is particularly resonant.

I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson, Doggett said. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw, he added, calling on Biden to take the same step that Johnson did in 1968.

Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Bidens first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw, Doggett said.
President Biden acknowledged on Tuesday that he fell asleep on the stage during his disastrous debate last week, blaming his performance on the fact that he had traveled around the world a couple times in the two weeks before the face-off with former President Donald J. Trump.

I wasnt very smart, Mr. Biden, 81, told donors at a fund-raiser in Virginia. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, I dont know how many time zones.

Its not an excuse but an explanation, he said.

White House officials have blamed Mr. Bidens having a cold at the time for his disjointed debate performance. Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, repeated that explanation at a briefing for reporters on Tuesday afternoon.

But Mr. Biden offered a different reason to the donors on Tuesday night. He referred to his decision to travel to France for several days two weeks before the debate and return to the United States before heading back to Europe for the Group of 7 summit in Italy.
Follow the latest 2024 presidential polls.

Two House Democrats facing challenging re-election races in rural districts said on Tuesday that President Biden would lose in November to former President Donald J. Trump, adding to widespread pessimism within the Democratic Party about its presidential nominee.

The two Democrats, Representatives Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, did not call on Mr. Biden to step aside, nor did they indicate that any other Democrat stood a better chance of defeating Mr. Trump in the fall.

But Mr. Golden and Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez, who are some of the most vulnerable incumbents in Congress this election cycle, essentially delivered a warning that they were preparing for Mr. Biden to be a critical liability at the top of the ticket. A poor performance by Mr. Biden in the presidential election could doom their own chances for re-election.

In an opinion essay in The Bangor Daily News, Mr. Golden, who represents a district that Mr. Trump won in 2020, said that he had assumed Mr. Trump would win for months now and that he had made his peace with that outcome.
Plans to build an outpost of the Pompidou Center in the heart of Jersey City were put on hold after the State Legislature voted last week to rescind $24 million in funding for the Paris museums project.

Another $34 million in state and federal assistance for what would have been the Pompidous first satellite location in North America was also put in jeopardy by the vote.

Tim Sullivan, chief executive of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, addressed a letter to museum officials saying that the project was called off.

Due to the ongoing impact of Covid and multiple global conflicts on the supply chain, rising costs, an irreconcilable operating gap and the corresponding financial burdens it will create for New Jerseys taxpayers, the Legislature has rescinded financial support, Mr. Sullivan wrote, leaving us to determine that this project is unfortunately no longer feasible.
On a recent clear day, visitors were wandering through the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to gawk at works by Yayoi Kusama and Alexander Calder, and, a few blocks away, making their way through the galleries at the Contemporary Jewish Museum and the Museum of the African Diaspora.

That evening, music lovers poured in to Davies Symphony Hall to hear Esa-Pekka Salonen conduct the San Francisco Symphony and into the War Memorial Opera House across the street, where the San Francisco Opera was giving the American premiere of Kaija Saariahos Innocence.

Although attendance at the citys arts institutions remains down from prepandemic levels  with tourism, hotel occupancy and office attendance yet to fully recover  its cultural ecosystem has been showing signs of inching its way back.

Arts organizations around the nation have been struggling to regain audiences since the pandemic, with Broadway attendance about 17 percent lower than before and precipitous declines at many regional theaters, museums, orchestras and opera companies.
When the French animation studio Illumination was developing Despicable Me, an ingratiating family comedy about a second rate supervillain and his adopted children, the team decided that the movie needed some lighthearted relief to help make the movies antihero, Gru (Steve Carell), more sympathetic.

So the directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, alongside the character designer Eric Guillon and the producer Chris Meledandri, came up with the Minions, a flock of mischievous yellow creatures that would scurry about in the background and cheer on their nefarious leader.

Coffin, a French Indonesian animator, offered to improvise some high-pitched gibberish dialogue for the characters, which hed occasionally done working previously in commercials, until a celebrity voice actor could be added at a later date.

But as it turned out, Coffins voice stuck: Test audiences loved his distinctive staccato giggle and melodic nonsense speak. And so, since 2010, Coffin has been the unlikely star of one of the largest pop cultural phenomena of the century, reprising the role for the sixth time on the big screen in the new sequel Despicable Me 4, which comes to theaters Wednesday.
President Biden called into his campaigns all-staff meeting today and unequivocally declared that he was in this race to the end. His press secretary also told reporters that Biden was absolutely not considering withdrawal.

But Biden has privately confided to key allies that he knows he may not be able to salvage his campaign if he cannot convince the public in the coming days that he is up for the job after his disastrous debate performance. A new Times poll showed that the presidents support slipped in the days after the debate.

Nationally, Donald Trump now leads Biden 49 percent to 43 percent among likely voters, a three-point swing for Trump from just a week ago. The poll also found that 74 percent of voters now view Biden as too old for the presidency.

Tonight, Biden is scheduled to meet at the White House with more than 20 Democratic governors in an effort to reassure them that he can still win in November. In the coming days, the president is looking to prove his acuity by sitting down for an interview on Friday with ABC News and holding campaign events in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Bidens lapses have grown increasingly common

President Biden appeared confused or listless in the weeks and months before his devastating debate performance last week, according to current and former officials who said that the lapses seemed to be growing more frequent, more pronounced and more worrisome.

Biden, 81, is apparently not always that way: Many of those who were with him in the days since the debate described him as alert, coherent and capable. But by many accounts, he is not the same today as he was even when he took office three and a half years ago.

Speaking in Virginia yesterday, Biden acknowledged that he fell asleep on the stage during his disastrous debate last week, blaming his performance on the fact that he had traveled around the world a couple times in the two weeks before. Its not an excuse but an explanation, he said.

Opponent: Donald Trump, 78, has shown his own signs of slipping over the years and often makes statements that are incoherent. While voters have expressed worries about his age as well, their concerns about him have not been to the same degree as those about Biden.
Plan B talks get louder

The Biden campaigns attempts to soothe panicked Democrats and donors after the presidents calamitous debate appear to have cratered.

One Democratic lawmaker has openly called on President Biden to withdraw from the race, while others are sharply criticizing his campaigns response. Polls show his approval ratings are falling. And many party backers remain as nervous about sticking with him as they were last week  but also worry about the alternatives.

The latest: Representative Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first sitting Democrat to demand that Biden step aside. And some Biden allies qualified their post-debate defenses: Representative Jim Clyburn of South Carolina told The Hill on NewsNation, I think that the American people want an explanation.

Barack Obama has said privately that Bidens already tough fight has gotten harder, according to The Washington Post. Democrats and foreign allies worry that Biden has increasingly seemed confused or listless, The Times reports.
On the lush, rolling savannas that link northern Tanzania to Amboseli National Park in Kenya, foraging elephants move back and forth on a sloping landscape in the shadow of snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro.

The animals are accustomed to open-sided 4x4s full of tourists on the Kenyan side and seem to sense no danger from the visitors pointing phones. But what the animals probably do not know is that just across the border on the Tanzanian side, which for three decades was just as safe as the park, there are now people pointing guns, not cameras.

Since September, five bull elephants from a population centered around Amboseli have been shot and killed, most likely by trophy hunters, in the Tanzanian part of this wildlife corridor. At least two were so-called super tuskers, with tusks so long that they swept the ground.

There hasnt been a similar cluster of rapid killings in the area since the mid-1990s. Conservationists say it points to a breakdown of a tacit agreement between the countries that banned hunting in the border zone.
Three years later, things are not going to plan. Gov. Kathy Hochul has called New Yorks legalization rollout a disaster. Mayor Eric Adams has spent months demanding that Albany fix the current system. What happened? The New Yorker recently asked in a feature on the collapse of the states marijuana revolution. Many New Yorkers are asking the same thing.

There are around 140 recreational dispensaries operating statewide  about one for every 148,000 New Yorkers. Instead of shopping legally, New Yorkers tend to get their weed from the illegal shops that now blanket the state. Estimates suggest that there are anywhere from 2,000 to 8,000 in New York City alone, with uncounted more from Ithaca to Oneonta. Recent crackdowns have temporarily sealed more than 400 stores  only a small fraction of the total in the city.
In December, the Ukrainian culture ministry issued a warning about a Russian TV series that was being widely (and illegally) viewed across the besieged nation. There was no explicit mention of the offending show, which was described as hostile propaganda, but none was needed: Everyone knew it was Slovo Patsana: Krov na Asphalte, a new series about the youth gangs, or gruppirovki, that came to dominate the central Russian city Kazan in the final years of the Soviet Union.

The shows title is usually translated to The Boys Word, though patsan has an edgier connotation. When we first meet the protagonist, Andrey Vasilyev, he is a sensitive teenager who plays the piano; then he is recruited into the Universam gang by a young man named Marat. Patsan was what such gangsters called one another, as if they were a unique breed of citizen. The opposite of the patsan was a chushpan: a loser, a rube, a working stiff. A patsan might die in a brawl or go to prison, but that was still better than sitting through workers committee meetings at the Tupolev helicopter factory. Were the street, Marat says, after a brawl in a discotheque. (Im translating loosely.) In this city of weaklings, we are the only human beings.

After its release last fall, the show bested Squid Game as Russias most streamed; in its first month, it saw more queries on the Russian search engine Yandex than SVO, the acronym for the special military operation in Ukraine. Its first half is concerned with a hat Andreys mother loses in a game of three-card monte; the second is about the contested ownership of a VCR, which spins into a bloody gang rivalry. Its the story of young men living in a society where there is no longer a unifying principle, David MacFadyen, a professor of musicology and comparative literature and expert in Russian popular culture at the University of California Los Angeles, told me. All thats left is physical violence.

At one point, Andreys affection for an older official  played by Anastasiya Krasovskaya, a Belarusian model who doesnt exactly square with my recollections of Soviet martinets  brings him to a small party of would-be rockers whose Dylanesque sensibility he doesnt share. Andrey stuns the hipsters by playing a few soulful chords on a piano. Then he abruptly slams the fallboard down, growling, I see you around the neighborhood, I bury you. In just three episodes, he has gone from Little Mozart to Ivan Drago. So would Russia go, in three decades, from the young democracy tempting Harvard Business School quants to a rogue superpower embracing North Korea.
The French movie director Benoit Jacquot was charged on Wednesday with the rape of two actresses, Julia Roy and Isild Le Besco, several years ago, according to the Paris prosecutors office.

Mr. Jacquot, 77, is one of two directors facing a wave of #MeToo accusations that have roiled Frances movie industry since the actress Judith Godreche came forward to say he had raped her during an abusive relationship that started when she was 14 and he was 39.

In the wake of Ms. Godreches accusations, Ms. Roy, 34, and Ms. Le Besco, 41, publicly accused Mr. Jacquot of keeping them in similarly abusive relationships and of sexually abusing them when they were much younger actresses who starred in his films.

Ms. Le Besco has accused Mr. Jacquot of raping her between the ages of 16 and 25. Ms. Roy, who acted in some of Mr. Jacquots films between 2016 and 2021, had accused him of sexual and physical abuse.
Some of Hollywoods most durable genre conventions have to do with outsiders and underdogs, often two categories rolled into one, who show up the self-important elites. The cowboy who rolls into town and brings justice in a not-quite-law-abiding way. The lovable con artist who makes a fool of the uppity society folks. The washed-up cop or spy called in for one last covert mission. The stereotypical sorority girl who turns out to be a secret legal genius.

That last one is, of course, the Legally Blonde heroine Elle Woods, a fashion major who decides on a whim to go to Harvard Law School and discovers her unconventional qualifications give her insight that her more buttoned up classmates lack. Rex Simpson, the protagonist of Space Cadet, bears more than a passing resemblance to Elle, and not just because the actress Emma Roberts could play, at a squint, Reese Witherspoons niece. (Her actual aunt, Julia Roberts, played another scrappy underdog in Erin Brockovich.)

Robertss most famous work might be in Ryan Murphys shows American Horror Story and Scream Queens, in which her knack for playing a certain kind of queen bee  gorgeous, cruel, one crisis away from combustion  makes her a magnetic presence. Shes great at a caricature, elevating those characters to satire without diluting their sugary poison. That flair for exaggeration would seem to make Rex Simpson the right role for her.

Space Cadet, a comedy written and directed by Liz W. Garcia, is cast closely along the lines of Legally Blonde, with some beats lifted so clearly from that movie I started to wonder if they werent meant as jabs. Rex is a neon-wearing bartender in Florida who wrestles alligators and loves to party on the beach, but theres more than meets the eye: She was a bit of a science genius in high school, and dreamed of being an astronaut. When her mother died, she turned down a full ride to Georgia Tech. By the time she attends her 10-year high school reunion with her best friend, Nadine (Poppy Liu), shes down in the dumps over her failure to, uh, launch.
City living presupposes closeness. Even when youre alone in your apartment, dozens of people are likely to be sitting, cooking, napping, fighting or having sex within feet of you, separated by walls that are usually way too thin. But to live an urban life without getting overstimulated requires developing an artificial sense of distance, the ability to be alone in public, to ignore others while maintaining a sense of alertness. A pair of noise-canceling headphones. A bit of tunnel vision.

This Closeness, a microbudget indie directed by Kit Zauhar, wittily examines the ways we create and avoid closeness in modern life, both by choice and, especially when were young, necessity. The main couple at its center, Tessa (Zauhar) and Ben (Zane Pais), are New Yorkers whove rented a room in an Airbnb in Philadelphia so Ben can attend his five-year high school reunion. Its the kind of Airbnb you get when you cant or dont want to spend much money: Theyll have a bedroom to themselves, but share the bathroom and common spaces with a host, a stranger named Adam (Ian Edlund).
Over 7,300 migrants in New York City are expected to receive debit cards to pay for food and baby items over the next six months, city officials said, as part of an expansion of a pilot program that has been met with fierce pushback.

The debit card program began earlier this year and started with around 900 families, or around 3,000 migrants. During the programs first 13 weeks, the cards were used to feed more than 1,300 children and 42 pregnant women, our colleagues Emma G. Fitzsimmons and Luis Ferre-Sadurni reported.
When Mayor Eric Adams of New York declared that he would shut off water service to nonpaying customers, he cast the effort as a fight against big landlords bilking city taxpayers.

The biggest delinquent customer of all, however, went unnamed: New York State, according to an internal city list of the top 20 water delinquents obtained by The New York Times.

The top three nonpaying customers on that list are the state-controlled Metropolitan Transportation Authority; Riverbank State Park, on Manhattans West Side; and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a bistate agency that manages the regions ports and airports. Together, they owe a cumulative $76.5 million in overdue payments, according to the citys calculations.

In all, New York City is owed roughly $1 billion in delinquent water and wastewater payments as of April. According to the citys calculations, the M.T.A., Port Authority and Riverbank account for nearly 8 percent of that total.
Given the breathtaking sweep of the Supreme Courts decisions in the final days of its term, its easy to overlook a decision that had no sweep at all because it was a decision not to decide.

Im referring to the courts dismissal of the case about whether Idaho can violate federal law by barring hospitals from performing emergency abortions for women whose pregnancies present a severe threat not necessarily to their life but to their health, including their future fertility.

Last Thursday, nine weeks after hearing the argument, the court dismissed the case as improvidently granted, meaning that the court, upon reflection, should not have accepted the case for review. The litigation in the lower federal courts involved a dispute over Idahos defiance of that federal law. The case now returns to the lower courts, where it stood before the Supreme Court intervened on the states behalf.

This unexpected turn obviously pales in significance beside the courts aggressive dismantling of the administrative state and its generous grant of substantial immunity to Donald Trump. Dismissal of a case, which happens maybe once or twice a term, has no formal meaning as a precedent and usually not much meaning at all. But it seems to me that the fate of this particular case, Moyle v. United States, has much to tell us about the Supreme Court at a supremely fraught moment. Its brief life on the courts docket opens a window on the courts internal tensions more revealing than the carefully polished opinions through which the justices usually speak.
After last weeks debate disaster, some Democrats are trying to circle the wagons to protect President Biden, noting that Barack Obama lost his first debate as an incumbent president, too.

But this one doesnt pass the smell test. Mr. Obama wasnt 81 years old at the time of his debate debacle. And he came into the debate as a strong favorite in the election, whereas Mr. Biden was behind (with just a 35 percent chance of winning).

A 35 percent chance is not nothing. But Mr. Biden needed to shake up the race, not just preserve the status quo. Instead, hes dug himself a deeper hole.

Polls beyond the straight horse-race numbers between Mr. Biden and Donald Trump  ones that include Democratic Senate candidate races in close swing-state races  suggest something even more troubling about Mr. Bidens chances but also offer a glimpse of hope for Democrats.
In responding to the war in Gaza for more than eight months, President Biden has often seemed weak  upset over the humanitarian toll but not acting firmly to reduce it.

But in one case, Biden was uncharacteristically decisive: After Israel alleged involvement in terrorism by staff members of the United Nations agency at the center of efforts to avert starvation in Gaza, Biden swiftly suspended funding for the agency. Congress then extended the funding freeze.

Yet it now appears that Biden blew it, for the factual basis behind accusations against the agency has proved elusive. It pains me that in a misguided effort to impose accountability, the United States instead appears to have layered additional misery on hungry people.

Far-right Israeli politicians are pushing to abolish the agency in question, UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, which provides schools, clinics and other services in the region. A bill in the Israeli Parliament that would ban UNRWA as a terrorist organization easily passed a first reading, leading to international condemnation. Doctors Without Borders called the move an outrageous attack on humanitarian assistance, and the European Union described UNRWA as crucial and irreplaceable.
The outcome seems predestined. The British Conservative Party, moribund after 14 years in office and struggling to defend its record of routine corruption and economic mismanagement, is heading into Thursdays general election with the backing of just 20 percent of the electorate. The opposition Labour Party, having run a colorless campaign whose main aim was to channel frustration with the government, is projected to win a huge parliamentary majority. That means that Labours leader, Keir Starmer, will be the countrys next prime minister.

How is he likely to govern? A former lawyer with a bland rhetorical style and a tendency to modify his policies, Mr. Starmer is accused by critics on the left and right alike of lacking conviction. He is labeled an enigma, a man who stands for nothing, with no plans and no principles. His election manifesto, which The Telegraph pronounced the dullest on record, appears to confirm the sense that he is a void and that the character of his administration defies prediction.

But a closer look at Mr. Starmers back story belies this narrative. His politics are, in fact, relatively coherent and consistent. Their cardinal feature is loyalty to the British state. In practice, this often means coming down hard on those who threaten it. Throughout his legal and political career, Mr. Starmer has displayed a deeply authoritarian impulse, acting on behalf of the powerful. He is now set to carry that instinct into government. The implications for Britain  a country in need of renewal, not retrenchment  are dire.

Mr. Starmer has seldom dwelt on the specifics of his legal career, and his personal motives are, of course, unknowable. But it seems clear, based on his track record, that Mr. Starmers outlook began to take shape around the turn of the millennium. By that time, he had gained a reputation as a progressive barrister who worked pro bono for trade unionists and environmentalists. But in 1999 he surprised many of his colleagues by agreeing to defend a British soldier who had shot and killed a Catholic teenager in Belfast. Four years later, he was hired as a human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board  a role in which he reportedly helped police officers justify the use of guns, water cannons and plastic bullets.
Amid the public fretting and finger-pointing rage over how to deal with a Democratic presidential nominee who most Americans think is too old for the job, some of the frustration is being directed at the first lady, Jill Biden. Which has me thinking back to one of the viral moments from her husbands 2020 campaign.

On the night of Super Tuesday, as Joe Biden was delivering his celebratory speech at a rally in Los Angeles, two anti-dairy demonstrators rushed the stage, only to run smack up against the protective wall of Dr. Biden. With impressively fleet feet  rocking metallic sling-back pumps, no less  she inserted herself between her man and potential harm. There is an amazing photo of her grimacing and holding a protester at bay by the wrists as Mr. Biden looks on with concern. Were OK, she assured everyone once the spectacle was over. Were OK.

Notably, this was not the first time the candidates wife had served as a human shield for him in that race. Less than a month earlier, on the eve of the New Hampshire primary, she blocked an aggressive heckler and then showed him the door, joking afterward, Im a good Philly girl.

Philly tough. That is who Dr. Biden is, fiercely and reflexively, when it comes to protecting and supporting her husband. This has been her role since the couples courting days, when he was a young senator struggling to recover from losing his first wife and baby daughter in a car crash. And those looking to recruit her to encourage Mr. Biden to reconsider his presidential bid may sorely misunderstand her  and their marriage.
After his shockingly poor performance in last weeks debate, President Biden is facing mounting pressure to drop out of the 2024 election. Influential voices in his own party have called for him to step aside. Polls indicate that many voters hope he will. Yet so far, he is staying the course.

Theres a formal name for this trap: escalation of commitment to a losing course of action. In the face of impending failure, extensive evidence shows, instead of rethinking our plans, we often double down on our decisions. It feels better to be a fighter than a quitter.

One of the tragedies of the human condition is that we use our big brains not to make rational decisions but rather to rationalize the decisions weve already made. We stick around too long in dead-end jobs. We stay in unhappy marriages even after friends have counseled us to leave. We stand by candidates even after they violate our principles.

Some of the worst leadership decisions of our time can be traced to escalation of commitment. Many people lost their lives because American presidents pursued a futile war in Vietnam and continued searching for weapons of mass destruction that werent in Iraq. As George Ball warned in a 1965 letter to President Lyndon Johnson: Once we suffer large casualties, we will have started a well-nigh irreversible process. Our involvement will be so great that we cannot  without national humiliation  stop short of achieving our complete objectives. Of the two possibilities I think humiliation will be more likely.
When I asked readers who identified as spiritual but not religious to reach out to me, I was astounded by how much variety there was in the faith experiences of individuals in this group. Some said they found spirituality both in the beauty of the physical world and in communing with other people.

I found the 12-step program to be sort of a spirituality that worked for me, a woman named Maggie who lives in the Northeast told me. (Im not using her last name because one of the tenets of her 12-step program is anonymity.) Its about making a connection with a higher power. Its about trying to improve that connection with prayer and meditation, she said.

Maggie lost her taste for organized religion, she said, after being disappointed by the way her church handled a situation in which a minister had an affair with an employee. She finds the 12-step program to be free of that kind of hypocrisy and appreciates the bone-scraping honesty of her fellow group members. People talk about whats really going on in their lives, she said. Its refreshing and often relatable, and it feeds me.

As I read and listened to the wide range of spiritual stories that readers shared with me over the past few weeks, I thought about the way that nones  the catchall term that describes atheists, agnostics and nothing in particulars  can imply blankness and almost a kind of nihilism.
V. Craig Jordan, a pharmacologist whose discovery that a failed contraceptive, tamoxifen, could block the growth of breast cancer cells opened up a whole new class of drugs and helped save the lives of millions of women, died on June 9 at his home in Houston. He was 76.

Balkees Abderrahman, a researcher who worked closely with Dr. Jordan and was his caregiver for several years, said the cause was renal cancer.

Dr. Jordan was known as a meticulous, even obsessive researcher, a quality demonstrated in his work on tamoxifen. The drug was first synthesized in 1962, though it was discarded after not only failing to prevent conception but, in some cases, promoting it.

But Dr. Jordan, then still a doctoral student at the University of Leeds in Britain, saw something that no one else did. It had long been known that estrogen promoted breast cancer growth in postmenopausal women  and he suspected that tamoxifen could help stop it.
Tour companies that offer multiday trips arrange most everything for you: lodging, sightseeing, food and transportation. But group size, style of travel and budget are among the considerations travelers should assess before picking a tour. Read on for tips.

Big group or small

Start your research by thinking about how many people you want to travel with and what your tolerance is for the social demands dictated by group size.

Smaller groups can move more nimbly and possibly see more. But they can also be more intensely social as you spend a great deal of time with the same people touring and dining.

Larger groups tend to require more time to get around, but they can also offer more social variety  for example, you can change up your lunch partners more easily.
Democratic leaders in the House and Senate refrained on Wednesday from urging their members to rally around President Biden and were instead listening to a barrage of complaints streaming in from both the partys centrist wing and its progressives.

The private message from congressional leaders was that members should feel free to take whatever position about Mr. Bidens candidacy was best for their districts, according to several people involved in the conversations who insisted on anonymity to discuss them.

For some, that meant joining the trickle of elected Democrats who have blasted the presidents performance and either called on him to withdraw or suggested he should seriously consider it.

Representative Raul M. Grijalva of Arizona became the second Democrat in Congress to urge Mr. Biden to leave the race, following Representative Lloyd Doggett of Texas, who made his call on Tuesday.
Jill Biden, the first lady, sought to reassure a roomful of Michigan Democrats on Wednesday that her husband was up to the job and that he could still win a second term in the White House despite a rocky debate performance last week. Not all of them were convinced.

Because theres a lot of talk out there, Dr. Biden told a crowd celebrating the opening of a campaign office on the outskirts of Traverse City, let me repeat what my husband has said plainly and clearly: Joe is the Democratic nominee, and he is going to beat Donald Trump just like he did in 2020.

But inside and outside the cramped office where the first lady spoke, some Democrats voiced concerns about President Bidens age and said they feared he could lose in November.

Reba Leiding, 74, who was riding her bike outside the event, said she was sick with worry. She said she planned to vote for Mr. Biden if he stayed in the race, but she thought others might not.
The Biden campaign sent out a pair of memos on Wednesday  one to staff members and another to Congressional Democrats  attempting to quell concerns about President Bidens struggling re-election effort as a growing chorus of Democrats publicly vented its frustrations and fears that he could lose in November.

The memos, obtained by The New York Times and first reported by Politico, highlighted internal polling that showed a close race between Mr. Biden and Donald J. Trump, as well as Mr. Bidens strong June fund-raising.

Our internal battleground toplines from last night show a steady race: we estimate that were down just 1 point in margin, Jennifer OMalley Dillon, the Biden campaign chair, and Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the campaign manager, wrote in the memo to campaign staff members. All of this is well within the margin of error.

Mr. Bidens stumbling performance in the presidential debate last week set off panic among Democrats about whether he should continue in the race. Two House Democrats have publicly said they believe Mr. Biden will be defeated in November. Another called for him to drop out of the race.
President Biden is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with several Democratic governors in a closed-door meeting at the White House, part of a push to reassure the presidents supporters that he can still win the election in November despite his debate debacle last week.

The White House has not released the names of the governors who will be meeting with Mr. Biden in the Roosevelt Room, just down the hall from the Oval Office.

The meeting was added to the presidents schedule even as he is trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy in the middle of the biggest political crisis since he took office almost four years ago. Before meeting with the governors, Mr. Biden will posthumously present the Medal of Honor to two Civil War Army soldiers for their actions fighting the Confederacy in 1862.

But the situation swirling around the president is anything but normal.

Democrats are openly talking about whether Mr. Biden, 81, should abandon his bid for re-election because he is too old to effectively campaign against former President Donald J. Trump. Representative Lloyd Doggett, Democrat of Texas, called for Mr. Biden to step aside on Tuesday.
The plan was bold, but ultimately doomed.

In the spring of 1862, a small group of Union Army saboteurs came up with a daring idea to cut off Confederate supply lines near Chattanooga by stealing a train, tearing up railroad tracks, burning bridges and cutting down telegraph wires  which would have denied means of travel and communication to enemy forces in the area.

Dressed in plain clothes, they launched their mission in April, sneaking behind enemy lines in Georgia, taking over a locomotive near Marietta and wreaking havoc for seven hours along miles of railway in an effort to help take the battle deep into Tennessee.

But the stolen train, called the General, ran out of fuel 18 miles from Chattanooga, according to a U.S. Army account of the heist, which became known as the Great Locomotive Chase. The Union soldiers and civilians who took part in the mission fled, but all were captured after less than two weeks on the run.

Most were sent to prisoner of war camps. The rest were hanged as spies.

In 1863, six survivors of the raid were the first American soldiers awarded the Medal of Honor, the nations highest decoration for valor in combat, which had been authorized by President Abraham Lincoln the year before.
Donald J. Trumps lead in the 2024 presidential race has widened after President Bidens fumbling debate performance last week, as concerns that Mr. Biden is too old to govern effectively rose to new heights among Democrats and independent voters, a new poll from The New York Times and Siena College showed.

Mr. Trump now leads Mr. Biden 49 percent to 43 percent among likely voters nationally, a three-point swing toward the Republican from just a week earlier, before the debate. It is the largest lead Mr. Trump has recorded in a Times/Siena poll since 2015. Mr. Trump leads by even more among registered voters, 49 percent to 41 percent.

Doubts about Mr. Bidens age and acuity are widespread and growing. A majority of every demographic, geographic and ideological group in the poll  including Black voters and those who said they will still be voting for him  believe Mr. Biden, 81, is too old to be effective.

[The poll does not show a fundamental change in the race, but it adds to longstanding concerns, Nate Cohn writes.]
Reed Hastings, the Netflix co-founder who in recent years has become one of the biggest donors to the Democratic Party, called on Wednesday for President Biden to relinquish his place atop of the Democratic presidential ticket.

Mr. Hastings became one of the first to say publicly what many Democratic megadonors are saying privately. Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous, he said in an email with The Times.

Mr. Biden and White House officials have said he has no plans to step aside. But Mr. Hastingss public statements represent another crack in the armor in the presidents foundation of support.

Mr. Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, during the Trump era joined the Democratic Partys most generous donor couples. Together they have given more than $20 million to support the party over the last few years, including as much as $1.5 million to back Mr. Biden during the 2020 presidential race, and $100,000 last summer to support Mr. Biden in 2024. Most of their donations have gone to super PACs meant to help House and Senate Democrats.
When a fast-moving wildfire began marching across thousands of acres of Butte County on Tuesday, David Pittman didnt panic. He packed up his family, including their 90-pound African sulcata tortoise, and drove to his sisters house across town in Oroville, Calif.

Thats where hes planning to stay for the next several days  at least until firefighters get a handle on the Thompson fire, which has engulfed several homes and vehicles and has prompted about 26,000 people to evacuate, including Mr. Pittman.

I hate to say it, but were experienced in this kind of stuff, he said on Wednesday.

Mr. Pittman, 70, is the mayor of Oroville, a small Northern California town that has roots in the Gold Rush and is tucked near the states second-largest reservoir about 65 miles north of Sacramento. He is also a retired local fire chief who has watched his region face calamity after calamity in recent years.
Extreme wildfires are becoming more common, more intense and more of a pressing problem for public health. This week, more than 20,000 people in Northern California evacuated their homes as flames destroyed houses and cars.

Wildfire smoke presents its own challenge. There is most likely no safe level of exposure to wildfire smoke, said Jennifer Stowell, a climate and health research scientist at the Boston University School of Public Health. But there are precautions you can take to minimize its toll on your health.

What to look for

Dont rely on only your eyes to determine when the air quality is poor, said Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, a pulmonary and critical care medicine physician at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Get in the habit of checking air quality indexes every day, especially in the summer, when wildfires are more common. You can look at AirNow.Gov for a measure of your local air quality; Fire.airnow.gov also has a helpful map of fire and smoke patterns and how they are influencing air quality.

Its also important to know your personal risk. Wildfire smoke can exacerbate respiratory conditions: People with asthma may be prone to more attacks, and those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can experience more difficulty breathing.
The president of the small West African country of Sierra Leone signed a law on Tuesday that banned marriage for children age 18 and younger and would impose steep fines on adult spouses. The move was a victory for activists who had long fought to eradicate the widespread practice.

The new legislation goes further than many other similar laws in Africa, experts said, by penalizing people who enable the marriage  like the parents, the officiant and even the wedding guests  in addition to the husband.

There were about 800,000 girls under the age of 18 who were married in Sierra Leone, UNICEF reported in 2020, which is about a third of the girls in the country. Half had been married by the time they turned 15. About 4 percent of boys are wedded by 18, according to Human Rights Watch.

Under the new law, those married as children can seek financial compensation. They also have a path out of their marriages: petitioning for an annulment.
One king has been barricaded in the palace, protected from potential usurpers by hundreds of subjects armed with sticks and machetes.

Another king, evicted from the same palace in May, is living in an annex down the road, dispatching lawyers to courthouses in an attempt to regain the throne.

The battle unfolding for the emirate of Kano  one of West Africas oldest and most revered kingdoms  is not just a struggle for an ancient throne, but also part of a wider contest for control over the most populous state in Africas most populous country.

The emirs of Kano once had absolute power, ruling over their subjects from the intricately decorated palace in the city of Kano, an ancient commercial hub just south of the Sahara.
As Hurricane Beryl headed toward Jamaica and the Cayman Islands early Wednesday as a powerful Category 4 storm, a clearer picture emerged of the devastation it had caused on two small islands in Grenada, with that countrys leader calling the destruction unimaginable and total.

We have to rebuild from the ground up, Grenadas prime minister, Dickon Mitchell, said at a briefing after visiting the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, which were ravaged by Beryl on Monday.

Officials said about 98 percent of the buildings on the islands, where between 9,000 and 10,000 people live, had been damaged or destroyed, including Carriacous main health facility, the Princess Royal Hospital, and its airport and marinas. As of Tuesday night, there was no electricity on either island, and communications were down. Crops had been ravaged, and fallen trees and utility poles littered the streets.

The natural environment also took a beating. There is literally no vegetation left anywhere on the island of Carriacou, the mangroves are totally destroyed, Mr. Mitchell said.
With Russia mired in a long war in Ukraine and increasingly dependent on China for supplies, Beijing is moving quickly to expand its sway in Central Asia, a region that was once in the Kremlins sphere of influence.

Russia, for its part, is pushing back hard.

As the leaders of Central Asian countries meet with the presidents of China and Russia this week in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, Chinas rising presence is visible in the region. New rail lines and other infrastructure are being built, while trade and investment are rising.

Flag-waving Kazakh children who sang in Chinese greeted Xi Jinping, Chinas leader, upon his arrival in Astana on Tuesday. He praised ties with Kazakhstan as a friendship that has endured for generations.

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia arrived on Wednesday for the start of the gathering in Astana, an annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and he met with Mr. Xi, according to Xinhua, the state-run news agency.
Chinas Coast Guard has seized a Taiwanese fishing boat and its crew of five and forced it to a port on the mainland Chinese coast, a move that could add to tensions between Beijing and President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan.

The fishing boat, Ta Chin Man 88, was in Chinese waters 27 miles northeast of Kinmen, a Taiwanese-controlled island close to the Chinese coast, when two Chinese Coast Guard ships boarded and took control of it on Tuesday night, Taiwans Coast Guard Administration said. Taiwanese Coast Guard vessels that sailed to the area to help the fishing boat were blocked by their Chinese counterparts, the administration added.

The situation in the seas around Taiwan, a self-governed island that China claims as its own, has become more and more tense, with coast guard standoffs between the two sides seemingly on the rise. The concern among officials is that such encounters bring the risk of a clash that could deepen antagonism between the sides or even set off a regional crisis.

The Taiwanese Coast Guard vessels broadcast demands for the Chinese Coast Guard to free the fishing boat, but the Chinese ships responded only by demanding no interference, the statement from Taiwan said. The fishing boat had two crew members from Taiwan and three from Indonesia, officials said. Many workers on Taiwanese fishing boats are from Indonesia or other Southeast Asian countries.
Allies of the United States had already been looking at the countrys upcoming election with anxiety. Now, with the United States Supreme Court granting an unprecedented expansion of executive power by giving presidents legal immunity, analysts in some of those countries are even more concerned about the reliability of American power.

Across Asia and Europe, where allied leaders have grown accustomed to dealing with threats from authoritarian leaders in Russia, North Korea and China, the idea that they might also have to deal with an unfettered American president is an unsettling prospect.

If the U.S. president is free from the restrictions of criminal law, if he has that level of criminal immunity, the other leaders of the allied nations cannot trust the U.S., said Keigo Komamura, a professor of law at Keio University in Tokyo. We cannot maintain a stable national security relationship.

Mr. Komamura added that the Supreme Courts decision now gave the perception of an American president who can operate above the law. This may be rude to the U.S., but it is not that different from Xi Jinping in China, he said. The rule of law has become the rule of power.
Spoofing, along with GPS jamming, has sharply risen over the past three years, particularly near war zones in Ukraine and Gaza, where militaries interfere with navigation signals to thwart missile and drone attacks.

The Middle East has emerged as a spoofing hot spot. The University of Texas researchers did not say how many spoofing attacks they had linked to the military base, but a separate analysis estimated that more than 50,000 flights have been spoofed in the region this year.

The attacks have made pilots think that they were above airports in Beirut or Cairo when they were not, according to researchers at SkAI Data Services and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, who analyzed data from the OpenSky Network.

Swiss International Air Lines say their flights are spoofed almost every day over the Middle East.

Separately, Estonia and other Baltic nations have blamed Russia for disrupting signals in their airspaces. In April, Finnair temporarily suspended flights to an Estonian airport after turning back two flights because of severe GPS jamming.

The attacks now cover large swaths of the globe far from any battlefield.

In addition to causing navigation confusion, spoofing can trigger false alerts that airplanes are too close to the ground. But the attacks have not yet made flying dangerous because pilots can use alternative navigation methods.
When a young British man disappeared while vacationing on the Spanish island of Tenerife in mid-June, a familiar routine unfolded: search and rescue workers combing through the landscape, regular updates from tearful family members, a steady drumbeat of unconfirmed reports that he had been spotted.

And soon after, they were joined by another increasingly common feature of disappearances: online sleuths who are certain that they can do what the police have not yet done and solve the case.

This weekend, the Spanish authorities called off their search for Jay Slater, a 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer from England who was visiting Tenerife, a popular vacation destination. But even after the 14-day search officially ended, conspiracies and other theories have continued to spread online.

Theres a small minority that believes and engages with these things, said Aleksandra Cichocka, a professor of political psychology at the University of Kent. But they can be really disturbing to the family and the whole process of the investigation.
Israeli forces killed a senior Hezbollah commander on Wednesday in a drone strike in southern Lebanon, prompting the Lebanese militia to retaliate with a heavy rocket barrage across the border.

The flare-up came as Western diplomats worked to avoid a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah, a danger that appears to have grown in recent weeks. Cross-border exchanges of fire have intensified, and Israeli officials have publicly spoken of shifting their military focus from Hamas in the Gaza Strip to Hezbollah, a far more advanced and potent threat.

Amos Hochstein, a senior White House adviser who has become the de facto U.S. envoy in tamping down the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, conferred on Wednesday with French officials in Paris to discuss how to defuse the rising tensions. Jean-Yves Le Drian, President Emmanuel Macrons special envoy to Lebanon, was among the people with whom he met, according to a person close to the talks, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy.

The Israeli military said its drone strike had killed Mohammad Naameh Nasser, also known as Abu Naameh, who was among the highest-ranking Hezbollah fighters to die in nearly nine months of conflict, according to a senior Lebanese intelligence official, who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue. He said Mr. Nasser had led Hezbollahs Aziz unit, one of the groups main fighting forces along the Lebanese border.
An evacuation order by the Israeli military this week covering roughly a third of the Gaza Strip came as people there are less and less equipped to handle repeated forced displacements, after nearly nine months of war that have left tens of thousands dead and injured and put the territory at risk of famine.

The order, which the United Nations has estimated affects about 250,000 people, was the largest since October, when about a million residents of northern Gaza were told to flee their homes, the organization said on Tuesday.

Its an endless cycle of death and displacement, said Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for the main U.N. agency that aids Palestinians, UNRWA, in voice messages from central Gaza on Wednesday. People express here that they are losing hope, they are losing the willpower, faced with another forced displacement and absolutely no certainty of safety.

On Monday the Israeli military issued the warning to leave large parts of the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, and by Tuesday thousands of people had begun to flee. The order was followed by a night of heavy bombardment in areas of southern and central Gaza. The order came after the Israeli military said Palestinian armed groups fired a barrage of roughly 20 rockets from Gaza toward Israeli cities on Monday.

The spokesman for the U.N. secretary-general, Stephane Dujarric, said Tuesday that his colleagues were deeply concerned about the impact of the order.

People are left with the impossible choice of having to relocate  some most likely for the second or even the third time  to areas that have barely any spaces or services, or staying in areas where they know heavy fighting will take place, he said.
At least five Srilankan fishermen have tragically lost their lives and three more are in critical condition after consuming the mysterious contents of bottles found floating in the open sea.

The Sri Lanka Navy recently reported that at least five fishermen have died after consuming an unknown liquid from bottles they found while at sea, around 320 nautical miles from Tangalle, a town on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Its unclear how many of these mysterious bottles were found floating out at sea, but a Navy spokesperson told journalists that they contained some sort of alcohol. The bottles were shared among the sailors of the fishing vessel named Devon, and before long, some of them started feeling sick. Despite receiving rudimentary assistance on the boat from Sri Lanka Navy medical personnel, at least five of the fishermen have died, and another is in critical condition. Unfortunately, the crew is believed to have shared the mysterious bottles with other fishing boats.

Photo: Lakshya Thakur/Unsplash

The tragic incident prompted protests in the coastal town of Tangalle, where the families of the dead sailors blamed the Sri Lankan Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources for the incident, and those of the other fishermen called for them to be brought back to land to get proper treatment. Meanwhile, Srilankan authorities have been scrambling to prevent further deaths due to the mysterious bottles.

Two other sick fishermen believed to have consumed the toxic content in the bottles were taken aboard a Singaporean merchant ship and were given emergency treatment, but it is unclear how many bottles were originally found by the crew of the Devon, and how many other people they were shared to. The Navy has been making efforts to contact all the ships the Devons crew interacted with since it set sail on June 4th.



Authorities are also investigating the contents of the mysterious bottles in order to understand what is killing people who consumed them.
Floridas Ballard Partners has signed on L3Harris Technologies for business development and procurement matters.

The $20B Melbourne, FL-based company brands itself as a trusted disruptor in the defense industry

It posted a 17 percent rise in Q1 revenues to $5.2B, powered by the 2023 $4.7B acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne, maker of rocket engines and propulsion systems.

L3Harris also received a boost as it recently earned US Navy approval for its next-generation electronic warfare technology for the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet aircraft.

Ballard Partners is noted for its close ties to Donald Trump.

Susie Wiles, who headed Ballards Tallahassee office for a decade, ran Trumps Florida campaign in 2016. She exited Ballard in 2019. Wiles in 2021 became CEO of Trumps Save America PAC.

Brian Ballard was Trumps top fundraiser in Florida.

He is working the L3Harris business with Ballard Partners senior partner Syl Lukis and managing partner Eugene OFlaherty.
Ripley PR signs on as agency of record for Contractor in Charge, which provides customer engagement, appointment booking, bookkeeping and controller services for home service contractors, and Women in HVACR, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration trades. Conractor in Charge offers monthly P&Ls and budgets, cash flow and planning, outbound appointment setting, administrative office tasks, dispatch, custom greeting and call screening. WHVACR, which was launched in 2002, works to empower women in the skilled trades sector by offering networking opportunities and educational platforms. It has more than 1,200 members and offers a variety of scholarships and training programs for women in the industry. The Ripley PR team have a proven record of helping businesses in the home services sector grow into industry leaders," said Contractor in Charge CEO Lynn Wise. "They have the specialized skill to support their clients' success, and they have demonstrated unmatched expertise and knowledge of our field.

Magrino picks up two Korean restaurants from Hand HospitalityJoo Ok and ODREthat are set to open in New York City later this summer. The agency is also appointed AOR for The Docents Collection, a private loft collection in the heart of Portland, Maine. Magrino is working on the opening of the restaurants, which both place a strong emphasis on seasonal ingreients, and is developing additional press strategies to keep momentum moving. For Docents, the agency will be focusing on media relations, organizing events and media tours, and fostering a strong brand image through targeted campaigns. Each of The Docents Collections private lofts (seen as an alternative to standard hotels) is fully furnished with flexible floor plans.

Campstories, which works with clients in the travel, tourism, hospitality and lifestyle sectors, is engaged as PR agency of record for Ski.com, a provider of ski vacation packages that offers services including flights, lodging and equipment rental, giving customers an independent point of view on mountain travel, trends, destinations, whats new and trending, best-of lists and next-level story ideas. The Campstories team brings a storytelling-first lens that encourages emotional connection with Ski.com and mountain travel. Their authenticity in the ski, travel and greater outdoor market makes them an ideal partner as we roll out a new evolution of our website and core service offerings, said Ski.com CMO Dan Sherman.
Stop the malarkey, Joe. The clock is ticking.

As your campaign staff attempts to spin your disastrous debate performance (e.g, you either had a cold or were tired), Americas democracy becomes more and more imperiled.

Staffers also claim that you just had a bad night, just like the one that Barack Obama had when he first debated Mitt Romney.

Big difference is that when Obama debated Romney, he was 51, which was thirty years younger than what Biden is now.

Obama didnt display the cognitive decline that the whole world witnessed in horror during Bidens debate with Donald Trump.

Unfortunately for Biden (and the rest of us), time marches on. The presidents mental state is not going to improve.

America is ill-served by Bidens toady counselors who put personal loyalty to their chief ahead of whats good for the country. That Biden bubble has to burst.

Bidens campaign rightfully called Donald Trump a threat to our democratic system.

The Supreme Courts July 1 decision to grant absolute immunity from prosecution to a president for official acts, and presumptive immunity for other acts paves the way for a Trump dictatorship. He did promise to be a dictator on Day 1 of his restoration.

In her powerful dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote: The relationship between the president and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably. In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law.

The Supreme Courts timing is ironic as its presidential immunity decision was released three days before America celebrates its independence from the King of England.

The nightmare of King Donald I looms. With the blessing of the Supreme Court, Trump would act like an out-of-control kid in a candy store during his second term in office.

Already campaigning on nothing but an agenda of retribution, Trumps weaponized Justice Department would go after his perceived enemies.

He has already proposed treason charges against Liz Cheney, who co-chaired the House Select Committee to Investigate the US Capitol Attack. The former reality show host wants televised military tribunals for Cheney. Think of the ratings.

Pardons for the January 6 rioters, you betcha. They were Trumps loyal storm-troopers. The currently jailed J6 choir will soon be performing at White House events.

And what about the media, a group bashed by Trump as the enemy of the people. Hell sic the IRS on MSNBC, CNN, Washington Post, New York Times and other thorns in his side

Trumps off-the-wall economic proposalssuch as replacing the federal income tax with fees from tariffswould drive the nation into recession and trigger a global trade war. And his tax cuts for the wealthy would widen the yawning equity gap.

A Democratic presidential win in November is the only thing that can safeguard democracy.

Biden has been a transformational president. He has accomplished more than any commander-in-chief since Franklin Roosevelt.

Despite his many achievements, Biden does not have a god-given right to a second term.

By running a doomed-to-fail re-election campaign, the president would flush his legacy down the toilet. He will be remembered more for his hubris than for his infrastructure bill, and for rallying US allies in defense of Ukraine.

Biden also would be blamed for serving as a co-conspirator with Trump for upending US democracy.

Texas Democrat Lloyd Doggett, who was the first Congressman to publicly urge Biden to withdraw, said it best.

President Biden saved our democracy by delivering us from Trump in 2020," said Doggett in a July 2 statement. "He must not deliver us to Trump in 2024.

Step away, Joe.
Wilson (NC) is looking for a firm to brand its historic downtown as the heart of an inclusive community where arts, culture, entertainment and local businesses create a welcoming lifestyle that draws people day and night.
As the trend towards the international dispersion of certain value chain activities produces challenges, discover policies to meet these
THE major new library and arts centre project in Edenderry has moved to the tender preparation phase.

The scheme has been described as a flagship for the town and county and is seen as key to the revitalisation of the town centre.

A meeting of the Edenderry Municipal District was told last week that the County Council has instructed the project architects to proceed with tender preparation.

This is the first step in securing a contractor, Caroline Dempsey, acting director of service with the council told councillors.

However, replying to a query from Cllr Noel Cribbin, Fine Gael, Ms Dempsey said tender preparation and the assessment of tenders could take six months and the appointment of a contractor would then take place.

That tender process can be quite drawn out, said Ms Dempsey.

Planning permission for the project was granted in January of this year and in February financial aid was sought from the Government's Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF).

Then in May the Department of Rural and Community Development granted 12.2m for the scheme, a move which Cllr Liam Quinn, Fine Gael said was the largest project funded in that round of the RRDF in the country.

Cllr Cribbin said 2m had already been spent and a further million euros is to come from Offaly County Council.

It's a huge project for Edenderry. It'll be a flagship not just for Edenderry and Offaly but it will be one of the finest buildings in the country, said Cllr Cribbin.

The councillor said the overall project will be a great boost for the town and its main street.

The library and arts base will be located in the town centre at the site of the former Tesco building which was demolished in 2022.

It will be the first phase of a major urban regeneration redevelopment project on a 33-acre site off JKL Street.
Home Instead, the leading provider of home care services in Ireland, were delighted to host CAREGiver Appreciation Week recently. This special week is devoted to Home Instead CAREGivers who embody the heart of compassionate care in Ireland.

With nearly four thousand CAREGivers nationwide, Home Instead holds their dedication to caring in high esteem, acknowledging the fact that CAREGivers are the lifeblood of the organisation.

CAREGivers play a vital role in providing exceptional care to older adults, allowing them to age gracefully and comfortably in the place they call home. Their professional expertise and compassionate acts of kindness have a profound impact on the lives they touch, creating a sense of security, companionship, and overall wellbeing.

As a company deeply committed to the well-being of ageing adults, Home Instead acknowledges the immeasurable value that CAREGivers bring to local communities throughout the country.

With unbridled gratitude, Home Instead is extending a heartfelt thank you to all its professional CAREGivers for their remarkable contributions and unwavering commitment to delivering care that truly makes a difference.

"All of us at Home Instead feel honoured and privileged to work alongside these exceptional professionals dedicated to the wellbeing of ageing adults," expressed Lorraine McLaughlin, General Manager at Home Instead Westmeath, Longford and Offaly.

"During CAREGiver Appreciation Week, we wanted to illuminate these remarkable individuals and convey just how valued and cherished they are. Their dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment is the very essence of Home Instead's success."

Throughout CAREGiver Appreciation Week, Home Instead were out and about in the midlands, including the County Arms Hotel Birr, Greville Arms Hotel Mullingar and Castle Varagh Hotel Castlepollard. At these events, CAREGivers received service awards and had lunch with fellow staff.

"Home Instead firmly believes that our CAREGivers are the backbone of our organisation," added Lorraine. "Their inspiring dedication to caring and their ability to connect with our clients and their families is truly awe-inspiring. We owe our success and the positive impact we make on individuals' lives to their unwavering commitment and exceptional care."

To learn more about Home Instead or explore career opportunities, visit careers.homeinstead.ie or contact 044 938 5260.

*Sponsored Content
Chinese premier urges unswerving efforts on flood control, disaster relief

Xinhua) 08:15, July 03, 2024

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, communicates with local emergency-response staff at a dike in Jiujiang, east China's Jiangxi Province, July 1, 2024. Li inspected flood-prevention and control work in the city of Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

NANCHANG, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang has stressed remaining alert to risks, strengthening preparedness and working unswervingly on flood control, disaster relief and rescue work to ensure the safety of people's lives and property, as well as overall social stability.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when inspecting flood-prevention and control work in the city of Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, from Monday to Tuesday.

When visiting a hydrologic station at the confluence of the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake, Li highlighted the important role of forecasting and early warning in disaster prevention, urging efforts to strengthen interdepartmental joint consultation and improve the accuracy of forecasting.

Li was also briefed on the work on Yangtze River levee reinforcement and checked the storage of flood-control materials. When communicating with local emergency-response staff, he underlined the need to enhance the inspection and protection of embankments during harsh weather conditions and stockpile adequate materials.

At a geological disaster site in Bailu Town, in the city of Lushan, Li urged prioritizing disaster prevention in a period when landslides and debris flows occur frequently, and evacuating residents in areas prone to disasters promptly once dangers have been detected.

Li also presided over a meeting on flood control in the town of Bailu. Noting the frequent occurrence of extreme weather conditions this year, Li called for efforts to strictly prevent secondary disasters caused by heavy rainfall, investigate weak links in urban flood-control and drainage systems, and strengthen flood prevention on farmland.

He also urged giving full play to the role of water-conservancy projects in flood-control work, preparing adequate precautionary measures for extreme situations, and carrying out rescue work immediately in the event of disasters.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, presides over a meeting on flood control in Bailu Town, Lushan City, east China's Jiangxi Province, July 2, 2024. Li inspected flood-prevention and control work in the city of Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
FR Petition filed to delay Presidential Election in Sri Lanka

Posted by Editor on July 3, 2024 - 1:00 pm

A fundamental rights petition has been filed with Sri Lankas Supreme Court by a businessman, requesting the Court to interpret the tenure of the current President according to the Constitution.

The petition was filed by an entrepreneur from Moratuwa, named Chamindra D. Lenawa.

The petition names the Chairman of the Election Commission, its members, and the Attorney General as respondents.

The petitioner argues that Section 30(2) of the Constitution, amended by Section 3 of the 19th Amendment, is controversial. He claims that the 19th Amendment was not properly enacted and violates the Constitution when considering the 12th Chapter.

The amendment reduced the Presidents term from six years to five and was intended to apply to the sitting President at the time. However, any amendment affecting the sitting President should be subjected to a public referendum under Section 12, which did not happen.

Lenawa points out that Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected President on November 16, 2019, after the 19th Amendment was implemented.

He argues that since the amendment was not properly enacted, Rajapaksas term should be six years. Any successor President chosen by Parliament should serve the remaining duration of this term.

The petitioner stresses the importance of the Supreme Court interpreting the 19th Amendment to determine its proper enactment.

He cites Section 82(6) of the Constitution, which gives the Supreme Court the power to interpret any law. He emphasizes that holding the Presidential election without this interpretation would violate the peoples fundamental rights and misuse public funds.

The petition also requests an interim order to prevent the Election Commission from conducting the Presidential Election during the currently scheduled period until the Court decides on the Presidents tenure.
A lucky Betsafe player wins 2.8 million as Relax Gaming's Dream Drop Mega Jackpot hits for the sixteenth time, enhancing player engagement.

Relax Gaming, the renowned iGaming aggregator and supplier of unique content, has marked a significant milestone with its Dream Drop Mega Jackpot winners. A lucky player from Betsafe, part of the Betsson Group's portfolio, won an impressive 2.8 million (2,853,712.01) after placing a 0.92 bet on Relax Gaming's Templar Tumble 2 Dream Drop.

Impressive Win on Templar Tumble 2 Dream Drop

The player's win on Templar Tumble 2 Dream Drop follows the jackpot's fifteenth Mega Jackpot drop in June, bringing the total payout for 2024 to over 10.3 million. Released in November 2022, Templar Tumble 2 Dream Drop takes players on an epic crusade alongside fearless knights, featuring Win Multipliers, Mystery Reveal, and a max win of 20,000x to keep players engaged.

Templar Tumble 2 Dream Drop Screenshot:

Significant Player Engagement

Martin Stalros, CEO of Relax Gaming, commented on the win: "This is the fourth Dream Drop millionaire of 2024, and at this rate, we could see many more before 2025. Dream Drop has increased player engagement with our content due to the excitement the jackpot creates. We look forward to celebrating our seventeenth Mega winner soon. Congratulations to the lucky player."

Excitement at Betsson Group

Phil Lam, Director of Gaming Performance at Betsson Group, shared his excitement: "We are thrilled to see another Betsafe player become a millionaire through the Dream Drop Mega Jackpot. This win highlights the excitement and engagement Relax Gaming's content brings to our platform. We are proud to partner with Relax Gaming and anticipate more big wins for our players."

Award-Winning Performance

Relax Gaming continues to establish itself as a leading B2B supplier in the industry. The company was awarded GGA's Product Launch of the Year in February 2023 for Dream Drop Jackpots. Additionally, Money Train 3 received the CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards 2023, among other accolades. Relax Gaming's extensive portfolio includes over 4,000 online casino games, proprietary slots, and content from third-party studios through partnership programs.

About Relax Gaming

Founded in 2010, Relax Gaming aims to simplify B2B content delivery in the modern iGaming landscape. With a focus on business simplicity and collaboration, the company provides access to over 4,000 casino games to more than 700 operator brands. Relax Gaming holds licenses in multiple jurisdictions, including the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, the Malta Gaming Authority, and the UK Gambling Commission, among others.

Relax Gaming's commitment to high-quality content and its strategic partnerships continue to drive its success and growth in regulated markets worldwide.

The recent 2.8 million win underscores the growing popularity and engagement of Relax Gaming's Dream Drop Mega Jackpot, setting the stage for even more thrilling gaming experiences and significant rewards for players.
If Joe Biden wants to recuperate his lagging campaign and demonstrate his presidential strength, he should immediately seize upon the opportunity just presented to him by the six wingnuts on the Supreme Court in their ruling in Trump v. United States (the most appropriately named case this term). He should begin by unilaterally (or unitarily as the theory goes) defining what constitute official acts of the President.

One of his Majesty's first so-called official acts" should be to issue an arrest warrant for his insurrectionist predecessor, Donald Trump, for trying to overthrow the U.S. government and the constitution. After that, pack the court with sane justices to restore law and order in the land.
Dear Annie: You told a reader to call doctors by their last name until invited otherwise. Your writer had called the doctor by the first name on the first visit. Had she never been to a doctor before? No one should think this is appropriate!

This is a formal, professional relationship, and a measure of respect is needed. This is not a casual friend relationship, but one of enormous importance and confidentiality and absolutely requires the separation of a doctor-patient relationship. Its not, Lets be pals during a first visit.

Yes, a friendly relationship may develop, but over many years and with mutual respect. I would think in college this patient called their professors Dr. So and So, but she doesnt understand what to call her physician?

The health care environment has multiple providers, such as nurse practitioners, physicians assistants and physical therapists. It is important to understand who is delivering your care and the expectations of that providers role, which includes using the term doctor or nurse, or, if the provider prefers only a first name, informing the patient of this preference.

If the doctor says, Hello, I am Dr. Franconia, the patient should use Dr. Franconia. Its really that simple. -- Doctor for 30 years

Dear Doctor for 30 Years: Thank you for your letter. Several other doctors wrote in expressing similar thoughts, including this one:

Dear Annie. Thank you for your thoughtful response to Just Wondering, who was confused when her doctor told her it was inappropriate to call her by her first name.

I disagree with one thing. I have been a physician for 39 years and would NEVER address an adult patient by their first name unless they specifically invited me to use it. The patients mistake was awkward. The doctors was rude. -- Manners Matter

Dear Manners Matter: I love how you signed your letter and could not agree more with you that manners do matter.

Dear Annie: For over 50 years, I have been enjoying advice columns. Never, before today, have I felt compelled to write in. Your answer to Just Wondering, who asked about calling her doctor by her first name, was frustrating. Where is the young doctors respect for her patients? If young doctors expect others to address them as doctor out of professional respect, they should address older patients as Mr. or Ms. out of personal respect.

This is a formality often ignored today, but in the instance where others expect formality, they should reciprocate. -- Respectful Patient

Dear Respectful Patient: Thank you for your insight. Its really a variation of the golden rule, to treat others as you want to be treated.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM
The man Vancouver police killed June 17 was wielding a replica gun at the time, investigators said Wednesday.

Video footage previously released by Vancouver police shows officers closing in on Jonathan Nelson, 40, after he had allegedly threatened people in a McDonalds parking lot with a gun. As Nelson walked down Northeast Andresen Road around 1 a.m., he refused police commands to stop, and officers released a police dog to take him down.
As a veteran, a Democrat and a former health care worker, I am gravely concerned about the fitness of President Joe Biden, (A halting Biden tries to confront Trump at debate but sparks Democratic anxiety about his candidacy, June 27). If a commercial airline pilot exhibited the confusion and lack of coherent thought exhibited by the president during the debate, that pilot should be denied the privilege to fly.

No individual has a right to the presidency; it is a privilege conferred by the American people. I could never in good conscience vote for a candidate who so obviously lacks the cognitive ability to perform the functions of the presidency 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
On Thursday at 10:11 a.m. the National Weather Service issued an updated excessive heat warning valid from Friday noon until Thursday 10 p.m. for Eastern Columbia River Gorge of Oregon, Lower Columbia Basin of Oregon, Foothills of the Northern Blue Mountains of Oregon, Foothills of the Southern Blue Mountains of Oregon and North Central Oregon.

"Dangerously hot conditions with little overnight relief. Afternoon high temperatures of 95 to 110 degrees. Morning low temperatures in the lower 60s to lower 70s," explains the weather service. "Major to locally Extreme HeatRisk (risk of heat-related impacts) is anticipated through the duration of the event."

"Heat-related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat events," explains the weather service.

Hot weather safety: Weather service tips for staying safe and healthy

Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids.

Find cool shelter: Stay indoors in an air-conditioned room to keep cool.

Avoid sun exposure: Stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Child and pet safety: Do not leave young children and pets unattended in vehicles when car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.

Caution outdoors: If you must work or spend time outdoors, take extra precautions.

Optimal timing: If possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening when the heat is less intense.

Recognize heat-related issues: Learn to identify the warning signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Dress for comfort: Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing.

Additional tips for outdoor workers:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas for outdoor workers.

If someone succumbs to the heat, promptly relocate them to a cool, shaded location.

In emergencies, call 911 for immediate assistance.

These NWS heat safety directives are essential for safeguarding your well-being when facing high temperatures. Stay well-informed and take the necessary precautions to shield yourself and others from the potential hazards of extreme heat.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
Soaring temperatures through the July Fourth weekend mean increased demand for electricity for cooling, which can stress electrical equipment and lead to potential power outages.

Ahead of the National Weather Services excessive heat warning for Thursday to Sunday night, Portland General Electric is encouraging customers to safely reduce their power use.

John Farmer, a spokesperson for PGE, spoke to The Oregonian/OregonLive on Wednesday about the upcoming heat wave and what consumers can expect. Here are the takeaways.

PGE does not plan any preemptive power outages to conserve electricity

Power outages can be tools to protect the grid and to keep customers safe, said Farmer. A public safety power shut off is a proactive step we take in response to wildfire risk. Our job is not to shut off power. Our job is to serve power.

If components of the electrical grid get too hot or other events cause unplanned outages, Farmer said PGE has crews on standby starting Friday through the weekend to respond.

PGE is encouraging customers to reduce energy use through the weekend

Thats especially true between the hours of 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Anyone with an air conditioner who can safely do so, should bump it up a few degrees in the evenings. Customers also may shift when they use major appliances such as ovens, dishwashers and washing machines. People should use them first thing in the morning or right before they go to bed when its naturally cooler.

PGE is not sweating this heat wave  yet

We have weathered several heat events in the past and our system has done fairly well, Farmer said. As long as nighttime temperatures are in the 60s, were feeling okay.

During last years extreme heat in August, PGE said that customers helped reduce load on the power grid by 90 megawatts during evening peak hours. Thats enough energy to power 70,000 to 80,000 homes for four hours. Read more tips on saving energy here.

 Riya Sharma covers Here is Oregon feature stories. Reach her at rsharma@oregonian.com or 503-294-5996.
As dangerously hot weather approaches, most Portland metro-area cities and counties have issued burn bans prohibiting certain types of outdoor burning in an effort to stem the spread of wildfires.

Washington County notified residents of its burn ban on Monday.

Multnomah Countys more restrictive ban began Tuesday and includes recreational campfires, fire pits and all types of agricultural burning in Portland, Gresham, Corbett and Sauvie Island.

Clark Countys ban begins July 5 and includes all land clearing and residential burning in the county.

Clackamas Countys burn season ended June 15. No backyard burning is allowed.

Most bans are in place until local agencies announce theyve been lifted.

Burn bans are not unusual during the summer months, and often begin near the Fourth of July holiday in western Oregon. But this year the bans are especially important as a heat wave featuring temperatures higher than 100 degrees coincides with the holiday weekend.

A debris fire went out of control Tuesday in rural Washington County, with Forest Grove firefighters worked on open flames and hot spots in a field of cut crimson clover. Winds helped embers from a nearby debris fire spread into the field, according to Forest Grove Fire & Rescue. The county had announced its burn ban on Monday.

Fire agencies always recommend you check with your nearest fire station or look online to learn about burn bans in place in your area before attempting a burn. Wildfires can spread in minutes and those who ignore burn bans can be fined and cited by fire officials.

The State of Oregon has several tips to keep your home safe from wildfires and on where to call to learn about burn bans. Visit this page: wildfire.oregon.gov/prevention.
Portland will get one more sunny day Wednesday with average temps in the low 80s before a more persistent heat up kicks in on the Fourth of July.

There may be a few morning clouds in the metro area Wednesday, but skies should gradually clear to mostly sunny by the afternoon. The high will be about 82 degrees.

The National Weather Service says Thursday will be the first day in a long string of hot days that will extend into the weekend and likely into early next week. Winds will be north/northeasterly and will shut off the cooler air we get when they blow northwesterly. An excessive heat warning begins Thursday afternoon and now continues through Sunday. It may be extended.

Your Fourth of July will be sunny all day and the high temp will reach about 92 degrees. Which is still plenty hot. Folks who plan outdoor activities to celebrate the holiday should use caution and plan for plenty of time in the shade or indoors in cool areas. Drink plenty of water and watch for signs of heat stroke, especially in younger children and the elderly.

Heat stroke is an emergency. Call 911.NOAA

Friday will be the first in a string of at least three days with triple digit heat. High temps are likely to hit 102 in the metro area. Saturday will be even hotter as temps climb to about 105. Currently probabilities of temps higher than 105 degrees on Friday are 20-50%. On Saturday those chances rise to 60-80%. The highest chances are along the Interstate 5 corridor at elevations below 300 feet, according to the weather service.

Another factor creating uncomfortable conditions and health concerns are the overnight low temperatures which will not cool enough to give residents without A/C or other cooling methods much relief. The overnight low on Friday is near 68 degrees, and on Saturday will be about 69.

Sunday was initially supposed to cool down below 100, but current models show another hot day with highs near 104. Theres a 70% chance of temps of 105 or hotter in urban areas around Salem, Hillsboro, Portland, and Vancouver.

Theres high confidence in forecast models that show a continued period of hot temperatures into the middle of next week. NOAAs Climate Prediction Center is keeping the entire region under a moderate risk of excessive heat through July 12. The weather service warns residents that they should be prepared to deal with the cumulative effects of long-duration heat into at least the middle of next week.
A community of Southeast Asians living in upstate New York is looking for answers and justice after police badly shot a 13-year-old emigrant who supposedly pointed a replica gun at officers.

Utica Community Unites in Grief and Anger After Teenager's Death

Members of the Karen ethnic minority in Utica, New York, situated about 55 miles east of Syracuse, have come together in animosity and grief since the teenager's passing on Friday night.

The Karens are among the groups in combat with Myanmar's military rulers, the Southeast Asian nation previously known as Burma.

Before being shot, Nyah Mway was grappled to the ground after a chase by police, who reported he was one of two youths stopped in connection with an armed robbery investigation.

Police indicated Nyah Mway matched the description of a suspect involved in the robbery. As officers frisked him, he fled and allegedly aimed a replica gun at them, officials stated.

On Monday, LuPway Doh, a leader in the Karen community in Utica, asserted that there is no valid rationale for the incident. "We have many unanswered questions, particularly why the youths were stopped and why lethal force was deemed necessary."

Doh emphasized that the community demands to know if the teenagers were racially profiled during the stop and whether excessive force was used by the police.

Police released body camera footage on Saturday, showing an officer stating the need to pat down the juveniles for weapons. Immediately after, Nyah, identified by police, fled.

Officials froze frames from the video showing Nyah running and appearing to aim the replica gun at pursuing officers. Police edited the video, highlighting the replica weapon with a red circle for clarity. The replica was identified by police as a Glock 17 Gen 5 handgun with a detachable magazine.

A bystander's Facebook video depicts an officer pursuing and tackling Nyah to the ground, with two additional officers arriving. A gunshot is heard while Nyah is on the ground.

Police indicated that the teenagers fit the descriptions of robbery suspects and were near the location of the incident. One teen was also walking in violation of state traffic laws.

According to a GoFundMe page for Nyah's family, he had recently completed the eighth grade and was returning home from a barbecue when stopped by police.

Nyah's sister expressed on the fundraising page that he had a clean record with law enforcement and was a well-behaved child. She questioned the discrepancies between the body camera footage, witness statements, and the information provided to her family, particularly regarding the mention of a shootout with her non-English-speaking parents.

She emphasized the need for explanations, noting that a police officer was heard questioning why shots were fired in the body camera footage. Nyah's parents and siblings are devastated, as shared on the GoFundMe page.

Nyah enjoyed spending time outdoors, biking, and playing with friends and family. The family explained that their ancestors fled war and oppressive military regimes to escape persecution by American law enforcement.

Utica Police Spokesperson Clarification on Communication Regarding Incident

A Utica police spokesperson clarified on Monday that officials "do not believe the family was ever informed that there was a shootout. There may have been a misunderstanding in translation, but we would not have said that." The spokesperson added that no further information was available as of Monday.

Utica, with a population of approximately 65,000, is home to over 4,200 people from Myanmar, according to The Center, a nonprofit assisting refugee resettlement.

Doh estimates the actual number closer to 8,000 or 9,000, noting that many in the Karen community fled Myanmar to escape oppression, making Nyah's death particularly painful.

"It brings back a lot of traumas that we don't even want to talk about, but unfortunately we have to relive them," Doh said. "Many parents, many older adults who experienced trauma in their homeland are now traumatized again, having to tell their kids that they could be killed by police when they go out."

Since the shooting, Karens have protested multiple times at City Hall, Doh reported, each gathering drawing more than 100 demonstrators.

Nyah's grieving mother attended a protest on Saturday during a City Hall news conference with Mayor Michael Galime and Police Chief Mark Williams, where she screamed and cried loudly.

Galime acknowledged the heart-wrenching response, stating it should be met with the understanding it deserves.

At the news conference, Williams highlighted the split-second decisions officers often face in chaotic and evolving situations. He mentioned that our officers frequently face fast-changing and chaotic situations, requiring swift decisions. They react to threats of deadly force by using deadly force, regardless of whether the weapon is genuine or a replica handgun.

State Attorney General Letitia James announced on Saturday that her office's prosecutors are investigating Nyah's death.

On Sunday, Galime met with the community at Tabernacle Baptist Church to field further questions about the shooting. He emphasized the importance of his attendance to gain insight from residents.

Mayor Galime expressed the importance of observing, sensing, and comprehending the community's experience beyond just their initial reaction.
A federal judge halts Mississippi's online age verification law for implementation. A temporary order against a controversial Mississippi law that would have mandated age verification for users of websites and digital platforms has been blocked.

The decision was made on the day the Mississippi law for online age verification was supposed to start working. NetChoice, a tech industry group including Google, Snap Inc., and Meta, led this legal challenge.

Judge Halts Online Age Verification Law Into Effect

Mississippi lawmakers proposed the age verification law to protect children from sexually explicit content. Governor Tate Reeves, a Republican, approved the bill, which was supported by the GOP-run House and Senate with no objections.

Lawmakers argued that age verification for digital services is necessary to protect minors according to the law. Nevertheless, NetChoice argued that the legislation would unlawfully limit the ability to access online content for minors and adults.

The legal action, submitted on June 7, argued that the age verification rules could lead users to reveal personal details or ID, risking privacy and restricting free expression.

Chris Marchese, who is the director of the NetChoice Litigation Center, claimed that the law ought to be permanently invalidated.

Marchese stated that requiring age and identity verification for digital services will harm privacy and suppress the open exchange of thoughts. He stressed that residents of Mississippi have the right to access legal information online without government interference, protected by the First Amendment.

Court's Considerations and Ruling

U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, in his ruling, recognized the legislature's intent to address serious issues but highlighted that laws impacting speech must undergo strict scrutiny, regardless of the government's motives. He observed that the law not only seeks to shield children from harmful material but also goes as far as restricting free speech by regulating non-expressive behavior.

Judge Ozerden acknowledged the gravity of the matter the legislature tried to tackle and the good intentions behind the law's enactment. Nevertheless, he emphasized that any legislation addressing speech will be closely examined.

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, while supporting the law, stated that confirming age could assist in reducing negative effects like sex trafficking, child pornography, and other types of mistreatment and harm against minors.

Fitch maintained that the law regulates non-expressive conduct rather than limiting speech, a point Judge Ozerden found unpersuasive.

Blocked Free Speech

NetChoice's legal victory in Mississippi is part of a broader battle against similar laws in other states. The tech industry group has successfully blocked age verification laws in Arkansas, California, and Ohio. These regulations are frequently met with resistance because of worries about privacy and the risk of censorship.

Utah encountered legal struggles due to its strict social media regulations designed to safeguard minors in a comparable situation. In response to these difficulties, lawmakers in Utah updated legislation by eliminating the need for parental approval because of worries about jeopardizing internet safety.

The situation in Mississippi highlights the constant struggle between safeguarding children from harmful online material and respecting the values of free speech and privacy.

As more states contemplate comparable laws, the results of these legal disputes are likely to impact future decision-making in the digital era.
The U.S. government is giving $176 million to Moderna for the growth of an mRNA vaccine targeting bird flu amid the current epidemic influencing dairy cows nationwide.

US Allocates $176 Million to Moderna for Bird Flu mRNA Vaccine

This vaccine is still in the early growth stage and is anticipated to be available no sooner than next year, declared Dawn O'Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Department of Health and Human Services, during a Tuesday press call.

O'Connell signified that while the timetable might be modified, the proposal is to start phase three trials in 2025. The vaccine will mark the H5N1 strain, but the mRNA technology offers swift improvement if a new flu strain appears.

Since the epidemic started in March, three dairy workers have tested positive for the virus, all of whom encountered mild cases and have recuperated.

There is no recent proof that this bird flu strain escalates easily from person to person. However, there is regard that extended distribution among mammals could outcome in mutation into a more contagious form.

Dr. Nirav Shah, principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, declared during the call that the danger to the general population stays low and the CDC's evaluation has not changed.

So far, 137 herds in twelve states - Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming - have been affected. Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, and Texas have been utmost hit, each with over 20 cases.

Read Also : Michigan Farmworker Becomes Second Person in US to Contract Bird Flu Linked to Dairy Cows

Moderna's Vaccine Separate from Stockpiled Doses, Pending FDA Approval

Moderna's vaccine will differ from the 4.8 million doses of traditional bird flu vaccines already stockpiled by the government, which are anticipated to be available from mid-July onwards. The Food and Drug Administration must authorize either vaccine before public use.

Shah noted it is too early to recommend the vaccine to any specific group, including dairy workers. Since March, more than 780 individuals who had contact with infected cows have been under observation, with 53 undergoing testing for H5N1.

Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, emphasized the importance of developing multiple types of bird flu vaccines but criticized the government's response as not being "fast enough or aggressive enough."

Rivers expressed concern that while the virus currently does not pose an immediate pandemic threat to humans, its presence in agricultural animals is unprecedented and should motivate us to take more proactive measures.

Rivers urged health officials to be transparent about the criteria for rolling out bird flu vaccines to the public.

Additionally, health officials reassured that the commercial milk supply is safe. A recent study by the FDA and Department of Agriculture confirmed that heating milk to 161F for 15 seconds effectively deactivated added H5N1 virus particles in milk samples.

Don Prater, acting director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, reported that in each of the nine repeated experiments, the virus was fully deactivated.
The U.S. Independence Day 2024 on July 4th is a federal holiday, with government offices, schools, and the stock market shut.

Americans commonly commemorate the Fourth of July with a powerful sense of loyalty. People often signify American flags at their homes, and parades are organized in major cities. The holiday also sees a surge in travel each year.

US Independence Day on the Fourth of July

The Fourth of July, or the U.S. Independence Day, recognizes the annals, ancestry, and human beings of the United States of America.

In 1775, the thirteen American territories started their battle for freedom from British decree under King George III. This combat marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, driven by the colonists' motive for self-governance and independence from brutal British policies.

The drive for liberty spiked on July 2, 1776, when Congress quietly voted to depart from Great Britain, paving the way for a remarkable revelation.

On July 4, 1776, the final statement of the Declaration of Independence was authorized and formally circulated, symbolizing an important stage in the American annal.

The first public reading of the Declaration took place on July 8, 1776, declaring meaningful news to the colonists. The proper signing started on August 2, 1776, with representatives signing the record, strengthening their accountability to American freedom.

The U.S. Independence Day 2024, which is annually commemorated every July 4, symbolizes 248 years since the acceptance of the Declaration of Independence. This national holiday commemorates the beginning of the United States as a liberated society, with celebrations containing fireworks, parades, concerts, and family events across the country.

As Americans respect their history and demonstrate the worth of independence and justice, the day will be filled with devoted displays and a sense of wholeness, reminding everyone of the suffering spirit of the nation's establishment.

What's Open and Closed on Independence Day 2024

As a federal holiday, Independence Day results in the shutting of many enterprises and services. All government offices, including courthouses and public libraries, will be shut though essential services like police and fire departments will stay functional.

The USPS will not transport mail on July 4, with services starting again on July 5, and private couriers like FedEx and UPS will have restricted services.

Most banks and stock markets will be shut, with trading resuming on July 5. Many primary retail stores and supermarkets will remain available, often with lessened hours.

Public transportation will function on altered schedules, and trash collection will be postponed by a day. National parks and local recreational areas will be open, hosting special gatherings, while many restaurants and bars will present special menus and gatherings, often needing reservations.

Independence Day 2024 guarantees a day full of devoted commemorations, parades, and community events. Fireworks remain extremely popular throughout the U.S., with major cities hosting large public displays accompanied by music and live performances.

This year the 4th of July 2024 falls on a Thursday, giving Americans the opportunity to enjoy a prolonged holiday weekend.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating a potential link between death and mushroom-infused chocolates or sweets from the Diamond Shruumz brand.

FDA Reports Illnesses and Hospitalizations Due to Diamond Shruumz Products

As of Monday, 48 diseases and 27 hospitalizations have been linked to these products, according to the FDA.

Prophet Premium Blends, based in Santa Ana, California, which develops the Diamond Shruumz items, introduced a nationwide recall of their chocolate bars, cones, and gummies on Thursday, with the declaration made on the FDA's website on Friday.

The FDA, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), poison control centers, and local agencies, is inspecting the diseases.

People who fell sick after eating the mushroom-infused sweets recorded intense manifestations such as convulsion, loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness, agitation, abnormal heart rates, high or low blood pressure, nausea, and vomiting, according to the FDA.

Prophet Premium Blends has not yet commented on the situation. On their website, Diamond Shruumz urged consumers to refrain from ingesting their products while the investigation into the cause of the adverse effects continues.

Illnesses connected to the products have been recorded in 24 states, and poison control centers nationwide have gotten 82 reports of risk to the candies.

Prophet Premium Blends declared that the recalled products include muscimol, a chemical in some mushrooms, which could cause the recorded manifestations. The company received two complaints on May 27 about consumers becoming ill after eating an entire chocolate bar. A review revealed "higher than normal amounts of muscimol" in the products.

Research circulated in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine signified that muscimol can essentially change mood, perception, cognition, and behavior, and can be deadly in high doses.

The chemical slows the central nervous system, causing effects similar to alcohol or benzodiazepines, such as dizziness, nausea, tiredness, a feeling of weightlessness, visual and auditory hypersensitivity, space distortion, unawareness of time, and hallucinations.

The review noted the increasing availability of products containing muscimol, such as gummies and vapes, and called for a "new regulatory approach" for these products.

Read Also : Michigan Health Department Officials Urge Residents to Avoid Diamond-Shruumz Products as FDA Investigates

Officials Urge Immediate Disposal of Diamond Shruumz Chocolates and Candies

Officials have warned customers to discard any Diamond Shruumz chocolates or candies immediately, as they may appeal to children and teenagers.

Retailers have been instructed to stop selling or distributing the products and to secure them until further instructions on how to return or dispose of them safely are provided.

Diamond Shruumz markets its products as intended for microdosing, although the company's website states they do not contain psychedelic substances and do not appear to contain psilocybin.

Several toxicology experts said that mushrooms listed as ingredients, such as lion's mane or ashwagandha, do not produce effects like relaxation or euphoria, as the company claims.

The FDA has not approved muscimol as a food additive, and it remains largely unregulated. Muscimol is not a federally controlled substance.

Last month, the CDC warned healthcare providers about the increasing availability of products with psychoactive ingredients in the U.S., often sold as gummy candies or chocolate, which may contain undisclosed or potentially harmful ingredients not approved for use in food.
Anti-Catholic Reformed Protestant James Swan dug up a book, Catholic Scholars Dialogue With Luther (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1970; edited by Jared Wicks, SJ), and highlighted Harry J. McSorley, C.S.P.s chapter, Erasmus versus Luther- Compounding the Reformation Tragedy. His goal was to prove that Erasmus was a Pelagian or Semi-Pelagian (variations of the heresy of works-salvation), who supposedly denied the Catholic Churchs official teachings on grace. As usual with Swan and Anything Catholic, he was dead wrong.

He cited McSorley at length. I will counter his claims against Erasmus with the words of Erasmus himself, from his 1526 work, Hyperaspistes (Peter Macardle and Clarence H. Miller, translators, Charles Trinkhaus, editor, Collected Works of Erasmus, Vol. 76: Controversies: De Libero Arbitrio / Hyperaspistes I, Univ. of Toronto Press, 1999).

Fr. McSorleys words will be in plain black and indented, while those of Erasmus will be in blue.

*****

First, Erasmus shows little appreciation of the genuine meaning of Luthers thesis of the unfree will, namely, that the will of fallen man apart from grace is totally incapable of doing anything for salvation, totally unfree to do anything that is good in Gods sight. (p. 111)

And then, what need is there for simple Christians to dispute about contingencies and the will as merely passive, since the magisterium of the church regards as settled that the will does do something but that what it does is ineffectual unless grace constantly lends its aid? Christian people have held this doctrine for fifteen hundred years, nor is it right to dispute about it, except in a restrained way and so as to better establish what the church has handed down. (p. 139)

Instead of defining free will in terms of the ability to choose between certain alternatives, Erasmus defines free will in terms of salvationwithout mentioning grace. Erasmus gives no hint in his definition that man the sinner is enslaved to sin until he is liberated by grace. . . . A third striking fact about De libero arbitrio is Erasmus unawareness that the Church, centuries before, had taken an official stand against a modified version of Pelagianism that came to be known, late in the sixteenth century, as Semipelagianism. . . . Such biblically oriented theologians as Bernard, Anselm, Thomas Aquinas, and Gregory of Rimini, who recognized Augustine as their theological master, especially in the doctrine of grace, were all agreed that the sinner is a slave to sin unless he is liberated by the prevenient grace of Christ. Thomas, without knowing of the decrees of Orange II, was even able to say that it is a truth of faith that the very beginning of faith is in us from God (p. 112) Erasmus reveals his total unawareness of the Churchs rejection of Semipelagianism in the Hyperaspistes, his lengthy response to Luthers reply to him in De servo arbitrio [The Bondage of the Will]. (p. 113)

How will a person rise up against God if he knows that he has in himself no hope of salvation without the singular grace of God, if he is persuaded that all human powers are of no avail for salvation without the aid of grace, especially since he is not unaware that everything he can do by his natural powers is the free gift of God? If a person wishes to cross the ocean, is he confident that he can achieve this without a ship and wind? And yet he is not idle while he is sailing. For professing free will does not tend to make a person attribute less to the mercy of God but rather keeps him from not responding to operating grace and gives him reason to blame himself if he perishes. I exalt Gods mercy so much, I diminish human power so much, that in the matter of salvation no one can claim anything for himself, since the very fact of his existence and whatever he can do by his natural endowments is the gift of God. (p. 186)

***

Please Hit Subscribe! If you have received benefit from this or any of my other 4,600+ articles, please follow this blog by signing up (with your email address) on the sidebar to the right (you may have to scroll down a bit), above where there is an icon bar, Sign Me Up!: to receive notice when I post a new blog article. This is the equivalent of subscribing to a YouTube channel. Please also consider following me on Twitter / X and purchasing one or more of my 55 books. All of this helps me get more exposure, and (however little!) more income for my full-time apologetics work. Thanks so much and happy reading!

***

We have not compared Erasmus opinion to the teachings of Orange II and Trent in order to indict Erasmus as a heretic. His unawareness that the Church had once taken a definitive stand in favor of the doctrine of fallen mans bondage to sin exculpates him from the charge of formal error or heresy. That the decrees of the Second Council of Orange went astray and that a new form of the old Semipelagian error arose among late medieval theologians would seem to be more than anything else the result of negligence in the exercise of the Churchs teaching office (p. 114) As for Erasmus, it is sufficient to point out that his views on grace and free will are not normative for Roman Catholics. The Catholic commitment to the grace of God is recorded above all in Scripture and in the Councils of Orange II, Trent, Vatican I and Vatican II. . . . the Council of Trent reaffirmed what was taught by the Second Council of Orange, . . . Martin Luther . . . proclaimed that fallen man could do nothing whatever without grace to prepare himself for salvation. This he did at a time in which many, many Catholics  -including Erasmushad either lost this truth or were uncertain about it. (p. 117)

. . . in my Discussion I so distinctly and so clearly explain that there is no contradiction in saying that the sum and substance of a good deed should be attributed to God and asserting also that the human will does something, however tiny its share may be. (p. 154)

For why should anyone have faith in himself if he knows that he can neither begin nor complete anything without the help of Gods grace, to whom I profess that the sum and substance of all things rightly done ought to be attributed? Nor is there any difference between you and me except that I make our will cooperate with the grace of God and you make it completely passive. (p. 185)

When you say that a person taken captive by sin cannot by his own power turn his will to good unless he is blown upon by the breath of grace, we also profess this, especially if you mean turning effectively. (p. 188)

. . . you remove grace from free will, but when I say free will does something good, I join it with grace, and while it obeys grace it is acted upon and it acts felicitously. (p. 190)

Now see how you bear down upon me: it effects nothing without grace; therefore it does nothing at all with grace. Is this the trap you have set to catch me? (p. 190)

***

Erasmus asserted his orthodoxy and obedience to the binding teachings of the Catholic Church many times in the same book:

But let me show you how you have slandered me twice over: first I myself explicitly exclude from Scepticism whatever is set forth in Sacred Scripture or whatever has been handed down to us by the authority of the church. (p. 118)

I think it is sufficiently clear from my writings how much I attribute to Sacred Scripture and how unwaveringly I am in the articles of faith. On these points I am so far from desiring or having a Sceptical outlook that I would not hesitate to face death to uphold them. . . . now that the church has defined them [various controverted teachings] also, I have no use for human arguments but rather follow the decision of the church and cease to be a Sceptic. (pp. 118-119)

Whatever has been handed down as part of our faith is not to be sifted and searched so as to call it into question; rather it is to be professed. . . . Nor do I condemn in an unqualified way those who engage in moderate disputation, seeking to investigate some point which is not expressed in Sacred Scripture or defined by the church, . . . I do not condemn moderate investigation but rather obstinate strife to the detriment of religion and harmony. (p. 120)

I do not place more hope or find more consolation anywhere than in Holy Scripture, from which I believe I have derived so much light that I may hope for eternal salvation by the mercy of God . . . the decrees of the Catholic church, especially those issued by general councils and fully approved by a consensus of Christian people, carry such weight with me that, even if my tiny intellect cannot fully understand the human reasons underlying what is prescribed, I will embrace it as if it were an oracle issued by God, . . . call me a dyed-in-the-wool papist. . . . together with all good men I have desired the correction of the church, . . . (p. 127)

For what does it mean to submit human understanding to the judgment of the church if not to believe what the church prescribes? (p. 128)

I am at peace with the Catholic church, to whose judgment I have submitted my writings, to detect any human error in them, . . . (p. 141)

Am I in danger of offending the Spirit of God if I am afraid to dissent from the church of Christ? (p. 146)

***

Related Reading

Luther Meets His Match (Seven Parts, Feb. 2009):

*

*

***
In the liturgical calendars of the Eastern churches, as well as among the Anglicans and Lutherans, the 1st of July is celebrated as feast for Abba Moses the Ethiopian, perhaps more commonly known as Abba Moses the Black. The Latin calendar observes this feast on the 28th of August.

I try to notice when his feast rolls around in the calendar and to share a few words about him.

Ive mentioned on occasion how important Thomas Mertons Wisdom of the Desert is to me. It recounts some of the teachings of the desert fathers and mothers, Christian monastics in the fourth and fifth centuries who lived in the Egyptian deserts. Their stories on occasion recall the sayings and actions of the Chan masters of Medieval China.

In fact there is some scholarly speculation that it is exactly in the deserts of Syria and Egypt and in the beginnings of Christian monastic structures that we may find hints of Buddhist connections.

Actually, it was a small sadness when I started reading other versions of those lives and it became obvious Father Merton had carefully curated his collection and even slightly reworked an account or two to enhance that sense of similarity many have found between the traditions.

Nonetheless the broader collection of the sayings of the desert and specifically Father Mertons version remain a source of genuine wisdom. And those collections remain among my consistent guides on the way I walk. And, I recommend both that book, well, most of all that book, but also visiting the more authentic accounts, as well. They, too, are past interesting to those who care about the great struggles of the spiritual way.

Among the figures who grace Father Mertons book and the literature of the Desert monastics are various people. I think of St Anthony. I think of John the Dwarf. And I think of Abba Moses the Black.

Abba Moses appears to have started out as a fourth century Nubian slave who became an Egyptian gang leader. He was a thief, and possibly a murderer. But then out of an encounter with a desert monk, he repented his wasted life, and joined the community.

There he slowly gained fame for his holiness and wisdom.

Two illustrative stories, in my own paraphrases from the collections:

Once he was called to join in the trial of a brother. He took a large bag of water slung over his shoulder as he walked. It had a small hole causing it to leak as he walked. When he arrived as he had been ordered and told help render judgment, he replied, I walk along with my sins spilling out behind me. How can I possibly judge another?

On another occasion during a time set aside for fasting, traveling monks arrived at his hut. He immediately invited them in, and set to cooking them a simple meal. When a fellow monk saw that he was eating during a fast he complained to their abbot. The abbot replied that Moses was faced with obeying their human made rule to fast, or Gods commandment to hospitality, and made the only right choice.

For me these are illustrations of someone who has found something genuine, and is conveying it the only way one really can, in all the choices he made in his lived life.

Eventually a community gathered around him, which was said to grow to include seventy-five monks, the same number as had been in his gang. At some point Abba Moses was ordained a priest.

He died a martyr in 405, when he refused to leave his monastery as a Barbarian hoard descended on his community.

There are, no doubt, many Christianities. Perhaps a different one for everyone who cares.

Actually I believe this is true no matter what the religion it is we each of us profess. I think of Father Mertons religion as presented in his little book, and my heart is stirred. And my own path is illuminated. A way is pointed. All I need do is put my own feet into motion.

I remain so grateful. Among those for whom Im grateful is Abba Moses, certainly one showing the intimate way with enormous heart.

Revealing a love that stands above all creeds.

And that is one thing of which I am sure. If your religion doesnt manifest in love, youve made a terrible mistake.

Of course theres more to it. For me it is mostly about a letting go, a surrender. But. But.

Somewhere in the mystery of our being, within the cloud of unknowing that love is the search and it is the finding. Thats the message.

The Icon of Abba Moses was found here.
TL;DR: Affordable business web hosting is easy with HostVerge. Get a lifetime subscription for more than $500 off at just $178.99 now.

Running a business comes with a lot of costs, and it behooves you to limit recurring charges as much as possible. Your business website can quickly become an expensive boondoggle with monthly hosting fees, which is why a lifetime subscription to HostVerge can be so valuable for your business.

This top-tier hosting services is geared towards creative agencies, e-commerce businesses, and small business owners. You can seamlessly migrate your existing website over and enjoy unlimited SSD storage, a free Content Delivery Network (CDN), and SSL certificates to keep your site secure and efficient. You can easily integrate with platforms like WordPress and Joomla, and get support for unlimited websites, bandwidth, and 24/7 customer support. Youll get elite support for your business and be able to pass that on to your customers.

Find out why HostVerge has earned 4.0/5 stars on Trustpilot.

Right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to HostVerge for 74% off $699 at just $178.99 (reg. $699).

HostVerge: Lifetime Subscription (Tier 4)  $178.99

See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.
Professor Stephen Adei has noted that, the flagship programme on education by the New Patriotic party (NPP) government, the Free Senior High School (SHS) does not need a legislation but a practical approach to see to its sustenance.



The professor, who is an astute Educationist posited that, the government does not need to enact any bill to see to the proper implementation of the Free SHS programme but rather, the implementation needs a practical approach to tackle the challenges that befalls it.



Professor Stephen Adei, who was the past rector for the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) said on PM Express on Joynews, What theyve done for the past several years has not been illegal; its been by government policy and is acceptable.



The Free SHS has been in the news for some time following an intention by the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo- Markin, and the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei-Adutwum, to lay a bill before parliament to protect the Free SHS bill for subsequent governments to follow.



In a recent interview, the Education Minister confirmed to the media that the Free SHS Bill, 2024, will be presented to Cabinet for debate this week.



The purpose of the bill is to give a legal backing to free and compulsory Senior High School (SHS) education coupled with several other changes to ensure that the quality in service delivery is achieved.



Also, some changes in the education system, which includes, the restructuring of Junior High School (JHS) and the cancellation of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) as a prerequisite for SHS admission are contained in the proposed bill which is yet to be laid before the floor of Parliament.



The Education Minister stated, What we need is a law that says there should be free, compulsory universal secondary education. This means the minimum education for the Ghanaian should be a Senior High School and not Junior High School, he said, adding it is our responsibility to provide the support for them.



However, Professor Stephen Adei argues that the idea of having a legislation to support the education policy is laudable but added that there should be plans on refining the implementation.



He said, There must be a reason why they want to bring in a law now, adding that, Ive been in public service all my life until retirement, and this is a very weird way of doing policy.





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
Fifty-five volunteers last Saturday donated 55 pints of blood to the Akyem Oda Government Hospital which was in dire need of blood to enhance its work.



The Community Group of Companies comprising two Oda-based private radio stations, Community FM and Strong FM organised the blood donation exercise which was sponsored by eight organisations at Oda.



The sponsors were Be Kind Enterprise, Frimpong Enterprise, Sammy Agro Chemicals, Jehovah Jireh Cosmetic and Mother Care Centre, Reginald Ventures, Fat Joe Phones and Accessories, Thy Grace Bakery and Ampabees Construction Limited.



The National Ambulance Service supplemented with items such as T-shirts and bags. The blood donors were presented with tins of milk, milo, loaves of bread, T-shirts, bags and certificates.



Among the voluntary donors was Henrietta Marfo Acquah, the wife of the Member of Parliament for Oda, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, who is also a Deputy Minister of Health.



Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mrs Acquah said she took the initiative to encourage as many people as possible to emulate her example. The other donors included the staff of the two FM stations led by their General Manager, Maxwell Kofi Anti, teachers, students, traders and businessmen.



The first voluntary donor, a 26-year-old Accra-based trotro driver said while on his way to Oda from Accra, he saw a banner at the Oda Government Hospital requesting voluntary blood donors, so he decided to get down from his vehicle to donate blood to save lives.



Another donor by the name Nana Agyemang Attafuah said it was his second time donating blood to a hospital, adding that his first blood donation was six years ago when Angel FM organised a similar exercise in Accra.



Two donors, Gabriel Owusu, 43, who travelled from Bawjiase after hearing radio announcements and Elizabeth Boateng, a 25-year-old teacher at Oda, said they voluntarily donated the blood because they felt sad whenever they heard that people had lost their lives for lack of blood in hospitals.



Need

Speaking to the media, the acting Medical Superintendent of the Oda Government Hospital, Dr Felix Asiedu, said he was grateful to the management and staff of the two radio stations and the voluntary blood donors for their gesture.



He stressed that as the hospital was a referral facility serving many people from parts of the Eastern, Central and Ashanti regions, it always needed blood to save lives. Dr Asiedu said the hospital's main source of blood supply was Zip Line, a company located at Suhum which provided essential medicines to hospitals through drones.



He appealed to the public to patronise blood donation exercises at hospitals in their numbers for the facilities to have a reserve at its blood bank at all times to save lives.



Dr Asiedu thanked the Eastern Regional Director of Health Services for allowing the blood donation exercise to take place at the hospital and also the media for giving the exercise the deserved publicity which resulted in its tremendous success.



The General Manager of Community Group of Companies, Maxwell Kofi Anti, thanked the donors, the hospital management and staff, and the sponsors of the programme. He urged the hospitals management to contact the group anytime the facility needed blood.

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 non-profitable organisation, Kokrokoo Charities Foundation, last Friday presented an infant incubator to the Effiduase Government Hospital, as part of its effort to lower infant mortality rate among pre-term babies in the country.



The presentation, which was the 60th since the foundation started the campaign to provide health facilities with at least an incubator, was sponsored by the GCB bank. The objective of the foundation is to donate 100 incubators to health facilities across the country to keep pre-term babies alive.



An infant incubator, sometimes referred to as a neonatal incubator and can be mostly found in neonatal intensive care units, is an enclosed apparatus in which premature or unusually small babies are placed and which provides a controlled and protective environment for their care and growth.



Kokrokoo Charities



Handing over the incubator to the Effiduase Hospital, the Chairman of Kokrokoo Charities Foundation, Kwami Sefa Kayi, said he was happy that the foundation had been able to deliver 60 incubators to hospitals with 40 more to be donated.



He said the journey had not been easy but was optimistic that the foundation would deliver on its promise. He said most of the first 55 incubators donated were procured with funds solicited from individuals and philanthropists.



Mr Kayi added that the GCB Bank had decided to sponsor five incubators at the cost of $50,000. He said the five would be distributed to the Effiduase Government Hospital, Donkorkrom Presbyterian Hospital, Yendi Municipal Hospital, Oti Hospital and Nkwanta South District Hospital.



Mr Kayi said the foundation would continue in its small way to deliver and contribute effectively to ensure quality healthcare delivery system in the country.



Premature delivery



The District Director of Health, Dr Justice Ofori Amoah, said the district had delivered 23 pre-term babies from May to June this year with two deaths. This machine has come at the right time where the Effiduase Government Hospital is able to deliver 100 babies a month, he said.



The incubator presented to the Effiduase Government Hospital



He said although the hospital recorded over 400 antenatal care monthly, only about 100 were able to deliver at the hospital due to limited space. He said the rest resorted to all kinds of means to deliver their babies and therefore appealed to the Kokrokoo Charities Foundation and other philanthropists to support the hospital to complete and equip the new maternity block currently under construction for more space to cater for pregnant women.



About 10 years ago, Kokroko Charity Foundation embarked on a mission to solicit for funds from institutions, individuals and philanthropists to purchase and supply 100 infant incubators to health facilities across the country.



Some of the health facilities that have benefited from the donation include, the Ho Teaching Hospital, KNUST Hospital, Kumasi South Hospital, Bono East District Hospital, Sene West District Hospital among others.















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 third Accused in the ongoing Ambulance case, Richard Jakpa, has reiterated to the Court that due process was followed for the procurement of the ambulances as well.



According to him the specifications for the ambulances were sanctioned by Cabinet and Parliament.



Mr. Jakpas statement was an answer to a question posed by the Attorney-General, Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame, who had raised the questions of transparency and integrity of the procurement process.



On July 2, 2024, there was a court hearing for the ongoing ambulance case where Mr. Jakpa stands trial alongside the minority leader and former deputy Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, in whose tenure the said ambulances were procured.



Mr. Jakpa emphasised that the approval process underwent rigorous examination at various levels, so as to ensure that the specifications for the ambulances were adhered to by the manufacturers.



He added that, both the Cabinet and Parliament conducted a comprehensive evaluation including cost assessments and technical reviews, before giving their final approval.



Mr. Jakpa maintained that, the strict process adopted was designed to make sure that Ghana got the best of deals best fit for the health delivery services.



Mr Dame launched the prosecution of this case, voicing concerns about potential irregularities in the procurement process and alleged financial loss to the state.



The Attorney-General noted some discrepancies in the pricing and quality of the ambulances, suggesting that due diligence might not have been carried out by the stakeholders.



In court, Mr Jakpa provided detailed documentation to substantiate his claims, including minutes of meetings, evaluation reports, and correspondence between relevant government bodies.



He contended that the evidence showcased the governments commitment to transparency and accountability in the procurement of ambulances.



Mr Jakpa further reassured the court that the entire process was in compliance with national procurement laws and international best practices.

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
The domestic cocoa industry is witnessing encouraging results from ongoing reforms aimed at enhancing efficiency and financial viability, according to Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, Director-Economic Strategy and Research Division, Ministry of Finance.



Speaking at the Inaugural Quarterly Economic Roundtable, Dr. Iddrisu highlighted collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Food and Agriculture to revitalise the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD). We are working together to ensure that COCOBOD is put on the radar and being monitored to be certain we improve its operational efficiency and financial viability, he stated.



One of the key reforms showing positive outcomes is COCOBODs phasing out of road construction activities. Dr. Iddrisu explained, COCOBOD is phasing out its road construction. The consensus is that theres a Ministry of Roads and the ministry is a better place to do some roads than COCOBOD itself.



This shift has already led to significant cost reductions, with Dr. Iddrisu noting: The huge COCOBOD Roads expenditures that were hitting the books of COCOBOD have been rationalised and reduced significantly.



Another promising reform involves changes to the producer price determination mechanism. The new system, based on FOB prices, aims to reduce shocks to COCOBODs finances by reflecting global price volatilities more accurately. Thats the way to go, so when there are volatilities in the prices they are reflected immediately into the pricing regime  reducing any shock to the books of COCOBOD, Dr. Iddrisu explained.



The Ministry of Finance is also strengthening its oversight of COCOBOD, a move that Dr. Iddrisu believes will further improve the institutions financial management.



These positive developments align with the International Monetary Funds (IMF) US$3billion Extended Credit Facility programme for Ghana. Stephane Roudet, the IMF Mission Chief for Ghana, recently expressed satisfaction with the countrys implementation of reforms in the cocoa sector. We understand that government and COCOBOD are committed to ensuring their activities, such as quasi-fiscal activities, are being curtailed and kept within an envelope which ensures their finances are sustainable, Mr. Roudet stated.



As Ghana  the worlds second-largest cocoa producer  continues to implement these reforms, early signs of success are encouraging. The rationalisation of expenditures, improved pricing mechanisms and enhanced financial oversight are all positive indicators that COCOBOD is on the right track toward achieving greater efficiency and financial stability.



These reforms are expected to have far-reaching impacts on Ghanas cocoa industry, potentially reshaping the landscape of cocoa production in West Africa.

Source: B&FT









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The National Peace Council (NPC) has launched an initiative dubbed the National Peace Crusade Tour to promote peaceful elections across the country.



It was to rally the citizenry to ensure peace before, during and after the December 7 general election.



The launch, on the theme: "Working Together for Peaceful Elections in 2024: The Role of Faith-Based and Interfaith Groups and Related Stakeholders, was attended by dignitaries including Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng; the Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong; Eastern Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ebenezer Twumasi Ankrah, and the Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Michael Okyere Baafi.



Others were the President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, a representative of the Omanhene of New Juaben, Daasebre Kwaku Boateng III; some clergymen, students from senior high schools and other members of the public.



Accept outcome

At the launch in Koforidua last Sunday, the Executive Secretary of the NPC, George Amoh, urged the citizenry to accept and support whoever emerged the winner of the upcoming presidential election, regardless of their political affiliation.



Participants in the National Peace Crusade in Koforidua last Sunday



He cautioned that if a particular candidate does not win, their supporters should not engage in any negative activities that could mar the peaceful elections. Instead, they should wait for their turn in four years.



Mr Amoh said the NPC has lined up activities to ensure peaceful elections which include setting up a political party trust-building platform, monitoring the code of conduct of the media and political parties, and establishing an election response group at the national level.



This group would coordinate with regional offices to address early warning signs and ensure quick responses to any challenges that might arise. Hotspots have been identified, and the United Nations West African Office, including the Sahel, will be involved in the processes, he said.



Intelligence reports

For his part, the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Asamoah Boateng, said his outfit was privy to intelligence reports, and if the nation relaxed, this years elections would face a lot of challenges.



"If we are not careful, we will be dangerously drifting into very challenging times ahead," he stated. Mr Boateng, however, gave an assurance that state institutions would do their best to ensure peaceful elections.



The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Acheampong, and the Police Commander, DCOP Ankrah, gave an assurance of their commitment to peace, while the President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, urged students to preach peace on their campuses.







Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The Minority caucus in Ghanas Parliament has announced that they will boycott the vetting of Deputy Minister for Trade designate, Kofi Ahenkorah Marfo.



The NDC minority caucus in parliament made their intention known to the media during a press conference, delivered by the Minority leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.



The minority argued that, the President is not being sensitive to the economic challenges the country faces each passing day. Dr. Ato Forson stated that, instead of reducing the size of government to reduce the huge expenditure of government, the Akufo-Addo led government is rather increasing the size of his government.



The minority highlighted a number of severe challenges, including a crippling economic crisis, food insecurity, debt default due to excessive borrowing, government corruption, and wasteful expenditures as their reason for boycotting the deputy ministerial vetting of Mr. Ahenkorah.



They emphasized their refusal to participate in decisions that would further burden the already struggling Ghanaian, especially given the financial strain of the bloated government.



Dr. Ato Forson, on behalf of the minority caucus said, Members of the Minority Caucus on the Appointments Committee of Parliament will not participate in todays vetting of the Presidents nominee for the post of Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry.



The Caucus is affronted by the already large size of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government and its poor economic performance.



We are again unable to support this nomination by President Akufo-Addo at this time because our country has gone through (and continues to go through) very difficult periods, including crippling economic crisis, food insecurity, debt default as a result of excessive borrowing, corruption in government and wasteful and reckless expenditures.

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
Tension gripped Parliament today as members of the Minority Caucus on the Appointments Committee took a decisive stand by boycotting the scheduled vetting of Kofi Ahenkorah-Marfo, the Deputy Minister-designate for Trade and Industry.



The looming vetting session for Ahenkorah-Marfo was overshadowed by an unexpected turn of events following a press release issued by the Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson.



In the widely circulated statement, it was announced that the minority representatives would abstain from the vetting process, citing profound concerns over the prevailing economic challenges besieging the nation.



Echoing dissatisfaction with current economic conditions, the Opposition highlighted the mass relocation of international corporations from Ghana as a pressing issue that necessitates urgent government intervention.

The Minoritys stance centered on advocating for a reduction in governmental size rather than further appointments, emphasizing that the ongoing economic tumult mandates prudent fiscal decisions to alleviate citizens distress.



In a poignant excerpt from the press release, the Minority asserted, We are again unable to support this nomination by President Akufo-Addo at this time because our country has gone through (and continues to go through) very difficult periods, including the crippling economic crisis, food insecurity, debt default as a result of excessive borrowing, corruption in government, and wasteful and reckless expenditures.



Furthermore, the Minority underscored their refusal to engage in activities that might exacerbate the financial burden on Ghanaians already grappling with extreme hardship.



The absence of the Minority members during the vetting session resonates as a potent display of dissent against what they perceive as a disregard for the dire economic plight faced by ordinary citizens.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Professor Kofi Agyekum has advised Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh to engage in self-introspection as his name has dropped for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Running Mate position.



The New Patriotic Party will hold a National Council meeting on Thursday, July 4, on the choice of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Energy Minister cum Manhyia South MP, to partner Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia into the December 7 elections.



As Dr. Opoku Prempeh, affectionately called "NAPO", awaits his approval by the National Council, already there is protest against him.



The Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North, Andy Appiah-Kubi in an interview on Joy News rejected Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh saying I wouldnt speak to a majority because we have not been consulted as a caucus for us to state our position. But for me, Appiah-Kubi, you can solicit my view on that. If it were up to me to choose, I wouldnt choose him. He is not my preference. Appiah-Kubi is saying that he is not my preference, but that doesnt mean he is not qualified.



He added; I would want somebody who would be open with the people on the ground, who would be able to deliver the votes, who would submit to the presidency, and who would be important in bringing Parliament closer to the executive.



Assessing the different thoughts about NAPO, Professor Kofi Agyekum, Head of Linguistics at the University of Ghana, urged the Minister to look into himself and revise his behavior that is causing aversion in some people.



Listen to Opanin Kofi Agyekum's full submissions on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show:





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Kwesi Pratt Jnr., Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, has raised concerns over the abolition of the celebration of 1st July as statutory holiday.



1st July marks Republic Day on the historic calendar of Ghana.



The day used to be a statutory holiday but President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, after assuming office in 2017, changed the status to a commemorative day.



The Constitution Day (7th January) has been designated to replace the Republic Day.



But Kwesi Pratt, discussing the day during "Kokrokoo" panel discussion programme on Peace FM, called for restoration of the Republic Day.



He noted that the day marks a significant milestone in the history of Ghana, hence found it disrespectful that it is no longer statutory holiday.



"We don't respect 1st July. We don't respect Republic Day. Why? The day we became truly independent!", he exclaimed.



To Mr. Pratt, 1st July must be retained as the big day for Ghanaians.





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
Movie actor Kwadwo Nkansah popularly known as Lil Win on Sunday took off his neck brace after 'receiving instant healing' from his pastor, Stephen Adom Kyei-Duah.



Lil Win had been in a neck brace since May 25 following a car accident at Amakom in Kumasi.



The accident happened near the Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) and led to the death of a 3-year-old boy.



The 3-year-old boy, Nana Yaw, was in a vehicle with his father when they were hit by Lil Wins car.



Some eyewitnesses said Lil Win was speeding in the congested area of Amakom.



Following the crash, Nana Yaw and his father were rushed to a nearby health facility and later transferred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.



The 3-year-old Nana Yaw died later.



Arrest and charge



Lil Win was arrested on 10 days later on June 3, by officers from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Manhyia Divisional Police Command shortly after being discharged from hospital.



His arrest was after an intensified call from the family of the deceased for justice.



The police had earlier cited Lil Win's ill health as the reason for the delay in causing his arrest.



When he was arraigned at the Asokore Mampong District Court, he was granted bail in the sum of GH50,000 with two sureties.



He has been charged with dangerous driving and negligently causing harm.







Source: graphiconline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Ghanaian influencer Mona Faiz Montrage, popularly known as Hajia4Real, has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison for her role in a series of romance frauds that defrauded over 40 victims, according to the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.



United States (US) District Judge J. Paul Oetken handed down the sentence on June 28, 2024, following Montrage's guilty plea on February 21, 2024, to conspiracy to receive stolen money.



US Attorney Damian Williams highlighted the severity of Montrage's actions, stating, "Mona Faiz Montrage knowingly received illegal funds from older Americans who were victims of romance scams and now faces serious consequences for her actions."



The court revealed that from at least 2013 to 2019, Montrage was part of a West Africa-based criminal enterprise that targeted vulnerable, elderly individuals in the U.S. with romance scams.



The scammers deceived their victims through emails, text messages, and social media, creating fake romantic relationships to gain trust and eventually coerce them into transferring money under false pretenses.



Montrage, known for her influential Instagram profile "Hajia4Reall" which once boasted approximately 3.4 million followers, received money from around 40 victims.



The fraudulent schemes included fabricated stories about transporting gold, resolving fake FBI investigations, and assisting a fake U.S. Army officer in receiving funds from Afghanistan. The bank accounts Montrage controlled amassed over $2 million in fraudulent funds.



In addition to her prison term, Montrage, 32, of Accra, Ghana, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $216,475 and pay $1,387,458 in restitution.



U.S. Attorney Williams praised the efforts of the FBI in bringing Montrage to justice, underscoring the commitment to pursue fraudsters who target Americans.



The case was prosecuted by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the US Attorneys Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mitzi Steiner and Kevin Mead leading the prosecution.

Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The U.S. Department of Labor has fined a Perry County company more than $60,000.

Inspectors with the departments Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation of S&L Roofing, Gutters and Siding after the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry notified the agency that the owners 12- and 14-year-old sons were doing roofing work.

OSHA determined the minors were exposed to injuries while using an incorrectly set extension ladder and pneumatic nail guns, in violation of federal regulations. OSHA said the company owner risked the lives of two of his children by exposing them to falls from heights while they worked on roofs atop a Mechanicsburg-area apartment complex in June.

The agency issued the contractor a citation for five safety violations, including two classified as willful, and assessed $64,759 in proposed penalties, an amount set by federal statute.

Allowing children to perform roofing work is illegal and permitting them to do so without fall protection makes this case even more disturbing, Kevin T. Chambers, OSHA-area director in Harrisburg, said in a news release. Falls from heights kill hundreds of workers each year and leave many more with permanent and often disabling injuries. Once again, S&L Roofing, Gutters and Siding is ignoring mandatory federal regulations and putting people  this time his own children  in danger.

S&L Roofing, a 13-year-old company based in Liverpool Township, was also cited by Pennsylvania safety inspectors in 2023. OSHA also cited the company for three violations for failing to use fall protective systems in two inspections in 2015.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHAs area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
UPDATE: This post was updated at 9:26 a.m. Wednesday with some new information about the current status of the four city officers involved in the June 22 shooting.

Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo has determined that four Harrisburg police officers were justified in shooting at a drug suspect they were trying to arrest near Scott Elementary School June 22.
A Pennsylvania man and member of the far-right Proud Boys organization was sentenced to 100 days in prison and 36 months of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge related to the Jan. 6, 2021, uprising at the U.S. Capitol, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday.

Brian Healion, 33, of Upper Darby, pleaded guilty to one felony count of civil disorder on Feb. 22, 2024, according to a press release.
Keke Jabbar, a reality TV personality from OWNs Love & Marriage: Huntsville, has died at the age of 42.

On Tuesday, July 2, social media personality Marcella Speaks announced Jabbars death after she received a statement from Jabbars family. During a YouTube livestream, Speaks said that Jabbar died peacefully at home surrounded in love.

So far, a cause of death has yet to be revealed.

It is with extreme sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Keke. She passed away peacefully at home surrounded by love. She was a mom, a sister, and a great friend full of life, love and laughter. She will be sorely missed and at this time, we are asking for respect and privacy in our moment of grief while we process this great loss. The Jabbar Family and the Scott Family, read a statement.

LaTisha Moore Scott, a cast member on the reality series and Jabbars cousin, addressed the sad news in a post on social media.

At this time we are asking for RESPECT, and PRIVACY in our moment of grief, while we process this great loss! Scott shared on Instagram. This is hard for our Family!!!!!

Fans flocked to the comment section of Jabbars last Instagram post to express their condolences. The stars last post was a video from May 26 that captured her announcing her swim wig line during Memorial Day weekend.

Wow! Terrible and tragic news! She can finally be at peace, one user wrote.

I hope someone makes sure that her line comes out, another user wrote.

Jabbar is survived by her three children, husband and her parents.

Love & Marriage: Huntsville follows three influential African-American couples who are longtime friends. They join forces to revitalize Huntsville, Alabama, through their joint venture, The Comeback Group.
By MATTHEW BROWN, The Associated Press

To save the imperiled spotted owl from potential extinction, U.S. wildlife officials are embracing a contentious plan to deploy trained shooters into dense West Coast forests to kill almost a half-million barred owls that are crowding out their smaller cousins.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday was expected to release its final plan to prop up declining spotted owl populations in Oregon, Washington state and California. The Associated Press obtained details in advance.

The plan calls for killing up to 470,000 barred owls over three decades after the birds from the eastern U.S. encroached into the territory of two West Coast owls: northern spotted owls and California spotted owls. The smaller spotted owls have been unable to compete for food and habitat with the invaders.

Past efforts to save spotted owls focused on protecting the forests where they live. But the proliferation of barred owls in recent years is undermining that earlier work, officials said.

Were at a crossroads. We have the science that indicates what we need to do to conserve the spotted owls, and that requires that we take action on the barred owls, said Bridget Moran, a deputy state supervisor for the Fish and Wildlife Service in Oregon.

A female Spotted Owl sits perched on a branch of a tree among old growth near Mount Rainier forest land in Washington, June 27, 2008. (Chris Joseph Taylor/Seattle Times/TNS, file)TNS

The notion of killing one bird species to save another has divided wildlife advocates and conservationists. Some grudgingly accepted the proposal after a draft version was announced last year; others denounced it as reckless and a diversion from needed forest preservation.

Barred owls already are being killed in spotted owl habitats for research purposes, with about 4,500 removed since 2009, said Robin Bown, barred owl strategy leader for the Fish and Wildlife Service. Those targeted included barred owls in Californias Sierra Nevada region, where the animals have only recently arrived and officials want to stop populations from taking hold.

In other areas where barred owls are more established, officials aim to reduce their numbers but acknowledge shooting owls is unlikely to eliminate them.

The new plan follows decades of conflict between conservationists and timber companies that cut down vast areas of older forests where spotted owls reside.

Early efforts to save the birds culminated in logging bans in the 1990s that roiled the timber industry and its political supporters in Congress. Yet spotted owl populations continued to decline after barred owls first started showing up on the West Coast several decades ago.

Opponents say the mass killing of barred owls would cause severe disruption to forest ecosystems and could lead to other species  including spotted owls  being mistakenly shot. Theyve also challenged the notion that barred owls dont belong on the West Coast, characterizing their expanding range as a natural ecological phenomenon.

Barred owl perching in Minnesota. (Guoqiang Xue/Dreamstime/TNS, file)TNS

The practical elements of the plan are unworkable, and its adverse collateral effects would ripple throughout these forest habitats, critics of the plan wrote in a letter earlier this year to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland that was signed by representatives of dozens of animal welfare groups.

Supporters of killing barred owls to save spotted owls include the American Bird Conservancy and other conservation groups.

Northern spotted owls are federally protected as a threatened species. Federal officials determined in 2020 that their continued decline merited an upgrade to the more critical designation of endangered. But the Fish and Wildlife Service refused to do so at the time, saying other species took priority.

California spotted owls were proposed for federal protections last year. A decision is pending.

Under former President Donald Trump, government officials stripped habitat protections for spotted owls at the behest of the timber industry. Those were reinstated under President Joe Biden after the Interior Department said political appointees under Trump relied on faulty science to justify their weakening of protections.
Money could be headed your way from Costco.

Theres a class action lawsuit settlement involving Costco, where the retailer was ordered to pay $2 million to customers who purchased Kirkland Signature Moist Flushable Wipes from the store between July 1, 2011, and May 31, 2017.

The lawsuit says Costco claimed the wipes were flushable but instead they caused damage to pipes, septic systems, sewage lines and other plumbing, the suit stated.

Per the settlement, customers wouldnt have bought the wipes if they knew that they werent flushable in the first place.

The wholesale giant has not admitted to any wrongdoing but chose to agree to pay $2 million to resolve the false advertising class action lawsuit.

Costco denies this allegation and maintains that the product performs as advertised, the company said in the settlement.

Class members can receive $1.30 per each purchased product for a minimum of $7.50 and a maximum of $55.90 by claiming up to 43 products.

Proof of purchase is not required to receive payment. Affected customers have a deadline of Aug. 9 to submit a valid claim, which must be made on this website or via mail.
A bill that would repeal Pennsylvanias same-sex marriage ban passed the state House of Representatives Tuesday on a bipartisan vote, with proponents saying the change was necessary to protect marriage equality if federal case law was overturned.

The measure passed 133-to-68 in Tuesdays final vote, with all but one member of the Democratic majority and 32 Republicans in support. The bill now heads to the GOP-controlled state Senate.

The bill would eliminate a clause in state law that requires marriage to be between one man and one woman, and declaring that same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions will not be honored in Pennsylvania.

That statute is unenforceable, having been superseded by the U.S. Supreme Courts 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which rendered same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional.

Further, in 2022, Congress passed  and President Joe Biden signed  a law prohibiting states from refusing to recognize marriages from other states based on the sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of the married couple.

The bill that passed the House on Tuesday would also change the legal definition of marriage to be a civil contract between two individuals, as opposed to an exclusively heterosexual arrangement.

Proponents argued that the change is necessary to ensure that  regardless of ones personal feelings about same-sex relationships  Pennsylvania upholds the principle of equal legal protections.

I dont need your respect, I dont need your acceptance, I dont need you to understand my relationship or for it to line up with what is taught in your particular faith, said Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, who himself is in a same-sex marriage.

What this bill is about is our laws accepting established jurisprudence, said Kenyatta, the bills prime sponsor.

In pitching the idea earlier this year, Kenyatta had voiced concern over the recent suggestion by conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas that  in light of the courts ruling overturning federal abortion rights  the court should revisit similar rulings on contraception and the Obergefell same-sex marriage precedent.

If Obergefell were to be overturned, Pennsylvania would be one of about two dozen states that would revert to laws invalidating same-sex marriages performed in-state, according to a Poynter Institute analysis.

Said Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, the bill's sponsor, 'What this bill is about is our laws accepting established jurisprudence.' June 3, 2024 Trebor Maitin for PennLive.comTrebor Maitin for PennLive.com

Throughout this commonwealth there are loving couples who are raising families together who dont deserve to have their family torn apart because a court decision is overturned, said Rep. Jessica Benham, D-Allegheny County.

Those who have opposed Kenyattas measure have said the state should have a specific interest in heterosexual marriage, although for differing reasons. During a committee meeting last month, Rep. Paul Schemel, R-Franklin County, argued that this was necessary to promote procreation and the raising of children by their biological parents.

Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, R-Clinton County, couched her opposition Tuesday in specifically religious terms, describing marriage as a sacred covenant institution created by god between a man and a woman and noting that Democratic leaders  such as Barack Obama and Joe Biden  had opposed same-sex marriage early in their careers.

Approval of same-sex marriages by the American public has risen steadily over nearly three decades, according to polling from Gallup, but did not exceed the 50% mark until 2011. Currently, around 70% of Americans believe same-sex couples should have the same marriage rights as others, according to polling averages.
A bill that would update Pennsylvanias background check process so that the commonwealth could finally implement interstate licensing for nurses is heading to Gov. Josh Shapiros desk.

The state Senate on Wednesday approved a House bill that would implement FBI background check standards into the licensing process for healthcare professionals, something that has been holding up the years-long process to get Pennsylvania healthcare workers licenses accepted in other states, and vice versa.

This represents months of negotiation between the state and federal government, Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria County, the bills prime sponsor, said in a news release after the Senate vote.

As a result, it will make Pennsylvanias interstate compacts operational, which help health systems to have more flexibility in hiring and for health practitioners from out-of-state to find jobs in Pennsylvania, Burns continued.

The bill would require the Pennsylvania Department of State to submit applicants fingerprints for an FBI check, use those results in determining a license applicants eligibility, and develop procedures to comply with federal information handling standards.

This process is required by a number of inter-state license reciprocity systems, which Pennsylvania is in various stages of joining.

In September, for instance, nurses from other states in the 41-state Nurse Licensure Compact could begin practicing in Pennsylvania without getting a separate Pennsylvania nursing license  but not the other way around.

Asked about the issue during a budget hearing earlier this year, state department officials said FBI background check compliance was the primary holdup in getting Pennsylvania medical licenses recognized in other states.

Fully joining license compacts, lawmakers say, could help address Pennsylvanias shortages of skilled healthcare professionals and the brain drain of students who get licensed out-of-state in order to be more mobile.

Nursing capacity is of particular concern. A study by The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania found that vacancy rates for direct-care registered nurses rose from 20.5% to 30.7% between 2019 and 2022.

A labor market study from economic consultant Mercer in 2021 projected that Pennsylvania will face the largest nursing gap out of the 50 states by 2026, with 20,345 fewer registered nurses than needed.
By Olivia M. Miller, LNP, Lancaster, Pa. (TNS)

A 9-year-old Amish girl died after a horse pulled her down a road in Salisbury Township on the morning of June 25, according to the Lancaster County coroner.

Anna King, 9, of Salisbury Township, died after something spooked the horse she was leading, causing it to run, according to coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni. King was walking, got caught in the reins and was pulled with the running horse.

Emergency crews responded to the 100 block of Snake Lane at 10:30 a.m. to help the girl. The coroners office pronounced her dead at Lancaster General Hospital and determined her cause of death as multiple traumatic injuries, ruling it an accident.

State police said King died after being pulled through a field.

King was the daughter of Ivan and Mary S. Lantz King and attended the Old Order Amish Church, according to her obituary. She is survived by her parents, five brothers and three grandparents.

Lancaster County, the states leading agricultural producer, has more farm-related deaths than any other county in the state.

A 3-year-old Amish boy from Christiana was killed June 3 when he came in contact with ventilation machinery in a barn.

The county has seen from one to seven farm deaths a year since 2000, and children are the most likely victims. Children 5 or younger account for 13 of the 25 farm deaths covered by LNP since 2016; teenagers and young children account for six other deaths.
By Bruce Shipkowski, The Associated Press

A union that represents thousands of Philadelphia city employees asked a judge Tuesday to block Mayor Cherelle Parkers requirement that they return to their offices full time as of July 15.

The lawsuit, filed by District Council 47 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, claims the mandate violates its contract and will harm city workers. The union, which represents 6,000 administrative and supervisory employees, also filed an unfair-practices complaint with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board.

Parker announced the mandate in May, saying she wanted to create a more visible and accessible government. The decision ended the citys virtual work policy, put in place in 2021, and essentially returns employee scheduling to what it was before the coronavirus pandemic.

About 80% of the citys 26,000 employees have been working fully on-site since last year, while the rest have worked on site 31 to 75 hours per pay period, Parker said. Former Mayor Jim Kenney had left hybrid work decisions up to department heads.

The union sharply criticized the decision when it was announced, saying it was unilaterally imposed instead of going through collective bargaining. They also believe the policy will worsen the worker shortage the city has suffered since the pandemic.

They also argue that the city lacks enough office space to bring all employees back and that making the change over the summer, when children are out of school, complicates schedules for parents.

Parker, a Democrat, has said her administration does not believe the new policy is subject to collective bargaining. She also noted changes that were made to be more worker-friendly, such as extending paid parental leave from six to eight weeks and designating the Friday after Thanksgiving as a holiday. Officials have also said there will be relaxed restrictions on sick leave to care for family members.

Business leaders welcomed the announcement, saying it will benefit workers and the vibrancy of Philadelphias downtown.
By Jennifer Jacobs, Akayla Gardner and Justin Sink, Bloomberg News (TNS)

WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden blamed travel plans that took him to France and Italy in the weeks ahead of his disastrous debate against Donald Trump for his poor performance on stage, seeking to explain a moment that has upended the 2024 race and imperiled his reelection prospects.

I didnt have my best night but the fact is that you know, I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones. For real, I think it was about 15 time zones, Biden told Democratic donors at a Tuesday fundraiser in Virginia.

Didnt listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage. Thats no excuse but it is an explanation, Biden said, offering some of his most extended remarks yet on his condition during the first debate with Trump this election cycle.

Biden in June went to France for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings and a state dinner. He returned to Europe days later for the Group of Seven leaders summit, which was followed by a trip to Los Angeles for a celebrity-laden fundraiser. Before his encounter with Trump in Atlanta, Biden spent more than a week out of the public eye, visiting his vacation home in Delaware and preparing for the debate at Camp David.

The jet lag explanation came after Bidens advisers had previously chalked up his shaky performance to a cold. He was still struggling with the illness but had not taken medicine before his debate with Trump, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday.

Bidens disastrous performance touched off a storm of Democratic angst, escalating worries about his fitness and leaving party members to openly call for him to stand aside. To counter that, Biden this week plans to meet with Democratic governors and lawmakers, travel to two battleground states and sit for his first televised interview in an attempt to reassure anxious supporters.

The peril Biden faces as he presses on with his reelection campaign only heightened earlier Tuesday, when Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first sitting U.S. House Democrat to call on him to exit the race and new polls showed the presidents support fading.

The presidents troubles were further exacerbated by a report in The New York Times that cited U.S. and foreign officials expressing concern over a series of instances in which he seemed to be struggling.

Bidens meeting Wednesday with the governors is expected to be held virtually, with many joining via video call, according to people familiar with the matter. But a spokesman for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, says he will be at the White House.

ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos will interview Biden on Friday.

Biden plans to travel on Friday to Wisconsin and on Sunday to Philadelphia, then hold a press conference next week at the NATO summit in Washington, Jean-Pierre announced Tuesday. The president is also expected to speak with leaders on Capitol Hill, she said.

Were going to turn the page. Were going to get out there across the country. Americans are going to see him for themselves, Jean-Pierre told reporters.
As the nation prepares to celebrate its Independence Day, Pennsylvania will mark the holiday without a state budget in place.

Lawmakers left the Capitol Wednesday without voting on a budget bill and the House is not planning to return to session until Saturday to try to finalize a state spending plan that will likely be in the $47 billion range  about a billion shy of Gov. Josh Shapiros proposed budget, sources say.
Alaskas Supreme Court justices on Friday reversed a Superior Court ruling that struck down key components of the states correspondence school program.

Nearly 23,000 homeschool students may continue to use their allotments of state education money to pay for private school tuition until the Anchorage Superior Court reconsiders the case.

The Supreme Court made its decision a day after oral arguments in an appeal of the ruling in State of Alaska, Department of Education and Early Development v. Alexander, in which plaintiffs argued that it is unconstitutional for public education money to be sp...
David Eldridge has overcome a 476 entry-field inside the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas and defeated poker Hall-of-Famer Brian Rast heads-up to claim his second World Series of Poker bracelet and the $2,246,728 first-place prize.

Eldridge, who is commonly known by his friends as "Diamond Dave," won his last bracelet in 2021 in an online event. The Pennsylvania native overcame an over 5:1 chip deficit against Rast heads-up after putting on a show of poker prowess in the back-and-forth battle. His win today represents his largest tournament score by nearly a factor of ten and has effectively doubled his live tournament earnings.

Event #73: $25,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha Final Table Results

Place Winner Country (Prize in USD) 1 David Eldridge United States $2,246,728 2 Brian Rast United States $1,497,824 3 Ethan Cahn United States $1,038,097 4 Yang Wang China $731,819 5 Juha Helppi Finland $524,911 6 Billy Tarango United States $383,191 7 Liran Twito Israel $284,794 8 Anuj Agarwal United States $215,563

Winner's Reaction

"I'm feeling good. It was a long four days, but things worked out," Eldridge said shortly after winning the event.

Eldridge suffered a beat from Rast early in the day in a hand that would have given him about half the chips in play. Humble in victory, Eldridge explained that he was able to maintain his composure and make good hands in key spots.

"That hand [against Rast] was a really big deal. I would have had about half the chips in play, and Rast would have been eliminated, so I think that was a pretty big swing. But, I just kept grinding, and I made a lot of good hands, fortunately."

Eldridge said that, despite the score, his plan for the series will remain unchanged.

"This win doesn't change anything. I'm just going to play the Main Event and then go home!"

Day 4 Action

Rast entered as one of the short stacks alongside Juha Helppi, but quickly found himself trailing after Helppi chipped up early. However, Rast scored a key double up after going runner-runner to crack Eldridge's bottom set.

Helppi made a nice call against Eldridge to get himself back to an average chip stack, but ended up exiting in fifth place after getting all in with a set of tens on the flop and losing to Rast, who held a combo draw and ended up making a wheel to assume the chip lead.

Juha Helppi

After a bit of a lull, Yang Wang lost a few small pots to find himself on the short stack. Wang committed the rest of his chips against Eldridge after flopping an open-ended straight draw with two overs against Eldridge's two pair. Eldridge ended up drilling a full house on the turn to send Wang out in fourth.

Three-handed play started with a bang as Ethan Cahn was quickly able to score a double up against Eldridge to even out their stacks. Not long after, Rast made the nuts with Broadway and was paid off by Cahn to leave him the short stack. However, the New York native proved resilient, and Cahn managed to double up again with aces in a blind versus blind confrontation against Rast. Despite the valiant effort, Cahn was forced out in third place after running ace-king-queen-deuce into Rast's ace-queen-six-five double-suited all in preflop. Rast turned a straight to leave Cahn drawing dead and set up heads-up play.

Rast looked to make quick work of Eldridge and hopped out to an early 5:1 chip lead, but "Diamond Dave" refused to go down without a fight. After winning series of small pots, Eldridge ended up on the right side of a cooler after flopping top set against Rast's bottom set to score a double up and take the chip lead.

Brian Rast - David Eldridge

Rast managed to wrangle a slight chip lead back in the hands that followed and caught Eldridge bluffing to get back up to a 2:1 chip lead. Eldridge answered right back, however, by doubling through Rast with two pair and fading Rast's flush draw.

Eldridge followed the double up with a key hand that saw Eldridge bluff Rast off of a straight, followed by getting value with quads with pocket kings to leave Rast on the brink.

Rast made his last stand with ace-ten-eight-six double-suited all in preflop, but he couldn't win the flip against Eldridge's ace-queen-nine-seven to fall just shy of his seventh career bracelet.

This concludes PokerNews coverage of the event. Be sure to check out our live-reporting hub for continuing coverage of the 2024 WSOP and other events around the globe.
The White House announced that President Biden will visit multiple swing states, do a national TV interview, and hold a press conference over the next week.

The AP reported on the news made by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at a briefing with reporters:

Jean-Pierre said Biden, who has not taken questions from reporters since Thursday nights debate, would meet with Democratic governors and top congressional leaders on Wednesday. And Biden also agreed to sit for an interview Friday with ABCs George Stephanopoulos that will air Friday. He has planned trips to Wisconsin on Friday and Philadelphia on Monday. And will hold a press conference during the NATO summit in Washington next week.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump currently has no events scheduled for the next week.

One advantage they have not been taking advantage of is that Donald Trump barely campaigns one day a week. If the Biden campaign wanted to, they could have the President out in front of the cameras daily and dispel any age-related concerns that are raging after the debate.

The Biden campaign should have their candidate out there. Biden is a better campaigner than Trump, and voters should be reassured about the president, who is also better on the stump than Trump.

Biden has the opportunity to eliminate any post-debate concerns. He just needs to take it.
Buried in a story about Biden contained one paragraph that noted Trumps mental decline and lack of transparency on his medical records.

The New York Times buried this small but important paragraph in their story:

Mr. Trump, 78, has also shown signs of slipping over the years since he was first elected to the White House. He often confuses names and details and makes statements that are incoherent. He maintains a lighter public schedule than Mr. Biden, does not exercise and repeatedly appeared to fall asleep in the middle of his recent hush money trial. His campaign has released only a three-paragraph health summary. Voters have expressed concern about his age as well, but not to the same degree as Mr. Bidens.

Trump maintains a lighter schedule than Biden, but yet, the current president is the one who the media is freaking out about. The nation is still waiting for Donald Trump to participate in an interview with one of the major networks beyond the taped interview he did with Kristen Welker on Meet The Press.

The media also seems to ignore that Trump holds many events that he calls press conferences where he doesnt take any questions. Biden is scheduled to hold a press conference next week.

The two oldest presidential nominees in history need to be treated equally. Voters deserve to see the media put Trump under the same age and cognitive ability scrutiny that Biden is currently facing.

The New York Times buried the paragraph, but at least they finally published the reality that Donald Trump is far from cognitively fine.
The White House pushed back forcefully on a New York Times report that President Biden is considering dropping out.

White House adviser Andrew Bates responded to The New York Times report:

That claim is absolutely false. If the New York Times had provided us with more than 7 minutes to comment we would have told them so. https://t.co/SRTYIVTy7v  Andrew Bates (@AndrewJBates46) July 3, 2024

It is possible that Biden had all sorts of conversations with allies after the debate. Hes probably been sounding out a lot of people close to him about what he should do.

After the Supreme Courts immunity ruling, Bidens choice is about much more than a presidential campaign. Democracy is on the line, and the President has to weigh how he gets past the fallout from the debate, and protects the nation so that the United States is still a democracy on Inauguration Day 2025.

The reality is that if Biden would step down as the nominee, which still strikes me as suicidal move of self-destruction, Vice President Harris would almost have to be the nominee. The only thing dumber than forcing Biden out, would be forcing Biden out and holding an open convention of chaos.

Unless something goes very wrong over the next week, Joe Biden isnt going anywhere, and if that is the case, people will have learned a lot about the agenda of The New York Times.
The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Health system released a statement this week concerning the shortage of IV fluid bags that are affecting medical facilities across the state of South Carolina after Hurricane Helene. Read moreMUSC Health addresses IV fluid supply chain challenges
Goose Creek, SC (29445)

Today

Clear skies. Low around 50F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low around 50F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph.
COLUMBIA  Gov. Henry McMaster has rejected a pair of budget provisos that would have granted coastal landowners broad leeway to maintain illegal seawalls on their property, handing conservationist groups a temporary win amid lingering tensions over the future of how South Carolina manages its coastline.

The two budget stipulations sponsored by Murrells Inlet Republican Sen. Stephen Goldfinch would have temporarily paused a process outlined under the 1988 S.C. Beachfront Management Act to redraw arbitrary lines defining what is a manageable public beachfront and what is not.

The changes were intended to protect private property owners along the coast who had installed erosion-causing seawalls that protect landowners' private property at the potential loss of sand on the publicly managed beaches in front of them.

It's not a new problem.

The South Carolina Legislature has considered amending the 1988 law in the past, only to be rejected by McMaster, while communities like Isle of Palms have consistently grappled with balancing tensions between local landowners and the surrounding oceanfront.

Goldfinch's provisos, in his words, would have bought those communities time as the state prepares to draw new lines of jurisdiction outlining where the beach ends and individuals' property rights begin.

If allowed to take effect, the provisos would have temporarily redefined what qualified as a "beach" under state law. It also would have required South Carolina beach regulators to allow some coastal property owners to sue the state in an effort to rebuild seawalls the former state Department of Health and Environmental Conservation  now the S.C. Department of Environmental Services  had ordered them to remove, potentially costing the state millions in legal fees.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 19:30:29

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 310 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

SALT LAKE CITY, UT / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / As we commemorate Independence Day, it's crucial to reflect on the significance of this holiday and the freedoms we cherish. In a pivotal election year, America faces tough challenges, including international threats to our democracy. According to a report from Freedom House, global freedom is threatened by political violence and the erosion of democratic institutions.ReadyWise , the leading manufacturer of emergency foods, is here to remind everyone that self-sufficiency and preparedness are vital in these uncertain times. Our 4th of July sale offers a rareBuy 1, Get 1 Freedeal on select emergency items, which can be mixed and matched, plus 25% off sitewide on everything else with code FREEDOM24 at checkout."Now is the time to be prepared with essential life-saving products," said Brandon Eriksson, Spokesperson for ReadyWise. "In a world becoming increasingly uncertain, relying solely on government support is not enough. Take your freedom into your own hands this 4th of July and ensure you are ready to face challenges head-on." ReadyWise offers a wide selection of both short-term and long-term solutions to meet the needs of every family. Choose what suits your family best from our wide range of products, including single ingredient #10 cans, organic, and gluten-free options. Our emergency food supplies provide peace of mind and act as "insurance you can eat." For more information on the ReadyWise 4th of July sale and to browse our range of emergency preparedness products, visit https://readywise.com/ ReadyWise Emergency FoodAbout ReadyWise: ReadyWise is a leading provider of emergency food supplies, committed to helping families and individuals prepare for the unexpected. Our products are designed for long-term storage lasting up to 25 years, ensuring that you and your loved ones have access to nutritious meals in any emergency.Contact DetailsReadyWise Amalie Jorgensenajorgensen@ readywise.com Company WebsiteSOURCE: READYWISE
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 15:40:32

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 921 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / In the ever-evolving landscape of the cryptocurrency market, a new player has emerged, promising to revolutionize the way we perceive and interact with digital assets. Artemis Coin, a groundbreaking project, is poised to disrupt the crypto world by introducing the first-ever eBay-like platform for buying, selling, and trading goods, services and assets.As the crypto industry continues to gain mainstream acceptance, the need for innovative solutions that cater to the diverse needs of investors and enthusiasts has become increasingly apparent. Artemis Coin aims to bridge this gap by providing a user-friendly, secure, and transparent platform that empowers individuals to seamlessly navigate the intricate world of cryptocurrencies.The Importance of Crypto InvestmentsThe rise of cryptocurrencies has ushered in a new era of financial freedom and decentralization. As traditional investment avenues face unprecedented challenges, the crypto market has emerged as a viable alternative, offering lucrative opportunities for those willing to embrace the digital revolution.Investing in cryptocurrencies is not merely a financial decision; it is a strategic move that aligns with the principles of transparency, security, and global accessibility. By diversifying their portfolios with digital assets, investors can potentially mitigate risks associated with traditional markets and capitalize on the immense growth potential of this burgeoning industry.What Makes Artemis Coin Unique?Artemis Coin stands out from the crowd by introducing a groundbreaking concept: an eBay-like platform tailored specifically for the crypto world. This innovative approach aims to simplify the process of buying, selling, and trading digital assets, making it accessible to both seasoned investors and newcomers alike.User-Friendly Interface: Artemis Coin's platform boasts an intuitive and user-friendly interface, ensuring a seamless experience for individuals of all technical backgrounds.Secure Transactions: Leveraging cutting-edge blockchain technology, Artemis Coin prioritizes the security and privacy of its users, ensuring that all transactions are encrypted and immutable.Transparent Marketplace: The platform operates on a decentralized and transparent model, eliminating the need for intermediaries and fostering trust among participants.Diverse Asset Offerings: Artemis Coin aims to support a wide range of digital assets, from established cryptocurrencies to emerging tokens, providing investors with a comprehensive selection of investment opportunities.Cex Listings: 4 top Tier 2 Cex listings are reserved and confirmed for the launch. It will be officially announced at launch and more Tier 1 and Tier 2 listings to come.Exploring the Artemis Coin PresaleAs a testament to its commitment to transparency and community engagement, Artemis Coin has launched an exciting presale event. This presale offers early investors the opportunity to secure their stake in the project at a discounted rate, while also contributing to the development and growth of the platform.During the presale, a limited number of Artemis Coins will be made available for purchase, allowing participants to acquire the digital asset before its official launch on various crypto exchanges. This early investment not only provides a potential for substantial returns but also demonstrates support for the project's vision and mission.Benefits of Investing in Artemis Coin PresaleInvesting in the Artemis Coin presale offers a multitude of benefits that extend beyond the potential for financial gains. Here are some key advantages:Early Adoption: By participating in the presale, investors can secure their position as early adopters of Artemis Coin, potentially benefiting from the platform's growth and adoption in the long run.Discounted Pricing: The presale offers tokens at a discounted rate, providing investors with an opportunity to maximize their returns on investment.Community Involvement: Investors can become part of a vibrant and engaged community, contributing to the development and success of the project through their support and feedback.Potential for Growth: As the platform gains traction and attracts more users, the demand for Artemis Coin is expected to increase, potentially leading to significant price appreciation.TOKENOMICSPresale Allocation: 15% (15,000,000,000)COMMUNITY Rewards: 15% (15,000,000,000)Project FUNDS: 25% (25,000,000,000)Liquidity Pool: 10% (10,000,000,000)Marketing & Partnerships: 25% (25,000,000,000)STAKING: 10% (10,000,000,000)How to Invest in Artemis Coin PresaleInvesting in the Artemis Coin presale is a straightforward process designed to accommodate investors of all backgrounds. Here are the steps to follow:Create a Cryptocurrency Wallet: Investors will need to set up a compatible cryptocurrency wallet to securely store their Artemis Coins. Popular options include MetaMask, Trust Wallet, and Ledger hardware wallets.Acquire Supported Cryptocurrencies: The presale accepts various cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum (ETH), Bitcoin (BTC), and others. Investors can purchase these cryptocurrencies through reputable exchanges or peer-to-peer platforms.Visit the Artemis Coin Presale Website: The officialArtemis Coinwebsite will provide detailed instructions and guidelines for participating in the presale.Follow the Instructions: Investors will need to carefully follow the provided instructions, which may include connecting their cryptocurrency wallet, selecting the desired investment amount, and completing the transaction.Secure Your Artemis Coins: Once the presale process is complete, the acquired Artemis Coins will be securely stored in the investor's designated cryptocurrency wallet.Maximizing Profits with Artemis CoinWhile investing in the Artemis Coin presale presents an exciting opportunity, it is crucial for investors to develop a well-rounded strategy to maximize their potential profits. Here are some tips to consider:Diversify Your Portfolio: While Artemis Coin may be a promising investment, it is advisable to diversify your portfolio by allocating funds across various cryptocurrencies and traditional assets to mitigate risk.Stay Informed: Stay up-to-date with the latest developments, news, and updates surrounding Artemis Coin and the broader crypto market. This knowledge can inform your investment decisions and help you identify potential opportunities or risks.Utilize Analytical Tools: Leverage advanced analytical tools and resources to conduct thorough research and analysis, enabling you to make informed decisions based on market trends, technical i
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 11:01:03

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 340 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

Temporary toll pass provides up to 80% savings in rental car toll feesORLANDO, FL / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) announces expanded distribution of its Visitor Toll Pass at Orlando International Airport (MCO) with additional pick up and drop off locations in Terminals A, B and C. An alternative to costly rental car toll programs, Visitor Toll Pass is a free temporary toll pass for rental car customers traveling roundtrip through the airport.Visitor Toll Pass Kiosk at Orlando International Airport VTP KioskWith Visitor Toll Pass, drivers always pay the lowest toll rate throughout Florida with no hidden or extra fees, saving as much as 80% compared to rental car toll programs.Reservations can be made from anywhere in minutes by downloading the free Visitor Toll Pass app on Google Play and the Apple App Store, following easy on-screen instructions and providing trip and rental car information. When setting up a Visitor Toll Pass reservation on the app, customers can enable notifications to receive trip and toll activity updates and notices.Visitors can pick up their pass at any of the six locations in MCO's Terminal A, B or C and will need to decline the rental car company's toll program. Next, Visitor Toll Pass customers just add their rental car license plate number in the app, hang it on the rental car rearview mirror and leave the airport ready for non-stop travel. At the end of their trip, customers simply return the toll pass to one of 14 return drop boxes located throughout the airport. All tolls will be billed to the customer's credit card associated with the pass with no additional fees or charges.Visitor Toll Pass is the first of its kind in the U.S. and was created to enhance the visitor experience in Central Florida, the No. 1 travel destination in the country with more than 200 miles of local toll roads.Contact InformationBrian HutchingsManager of Community Engagementbrian.hutchings@cfxway.com 407-413-2391SOURCE: Central Florida Expressway AuthorityView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 14:14:59

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 521 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

NIAGARA FALLS, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / The City of Niagara Falls is excited to announce its exclusive partnership with Solar Simplified to bring innovative Community Solar solutions to local residents and businesses. This forward-thinking initiative guarantees a 10% savings on all applied solar credits directly on customers' utility bills, prioritizing support for Low and Moderate Income (LMI) households.By choosing Solar Simplified, Niagara Falls is leading the way in making solar energy more accessible and cost-effective. This partnership not only delivers significant savings to those who need it most but also sets a new standard for sustainable energy solutions in urban environments. The city's proactive decision to embrace Community Solar means residents and businesses can now benefit from renewable energy without needing individual solar panel installations."Solar Simplified is on a mission to democratize solar energy, ensuring it's accessible and affordable for everyone, especially Low and Moderate Income households," said Aviv Shalgi, CEO of Solar Simplified. "Our collaboration with the City of Niagara Falls will not only help residents save on their electricity bills but also contribute to the growth of renewable energy infrastructure in New York State. This project exemplifies our commitment to serving communities with tailored solar solutions." Mayor Robert Restaino expressed strong support for the initiative, emphasizing its alignment with the city's sustainability goals and dedication to providing economic relief for residents."The City of Niagara Falls is proud to join forces with Solar Simplified to deliver the transformative benefits of Community Solar to our community," said Mayor Robert Restaino. "This initiative not only underscores our commitment to clean energy but also ensures our most vulnerable residents reap significant savings on their electricity bills. We are thrilled to be at the forefront of a greener, more sustainable future for Niagara Falls." Community Solar projects allow multiple customers to subscribe to a single solar array, providing each subscriber with a share of the energy generated. This model is particularly beneficial for individuals and businesses without the resources or suitable property for individual solar installations. By joining this Community Solar initiative, all Niagara Falls residents and businesses can actively support the city's green initiatives while enjoying lower energy costs.Residents and businesses interested in participating in Community Solar can enroll at www.SolarSimplified.com/NF or contact Solar Simplified at 888-420-9831 to learn more.About Solar Simplified: Solar Simplified is a leading national Community Solar aggregator, revolutionizing the industry by removing customer-associated barriers and risks, allowing Solar Developers and IPPs to scale quickly and effectively. With a commitment to sustainability and equity, we aim to make clean energy accessible to all through community-focused engagement and consumer education. The ability to handle acquisition, management, billing, and collection makes Solar Simplified the best choice for Community Solar aggregation.If you're a developer, IPP, asset owner, or financier of community solar projects and want to learn how Solar Simplified can improve your project economics, please reach out to us at developers@ solarsimplified.com Contact InformationSasha LukovenkoVP of Sales and Marketingsasha@ solarsimplified.com 312-216-0978SOURCE: Solar SimplifiedView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 02:32:01

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 852 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

THUNDER BAY, ON / ACCESSWIRE / July 2, 2024 / Clean Air Metals Inc. ("Clean Air Metals" or the "Company") (TSXV:AIR)(FRA:CKU)(OTCQB:CLRMF) announces that it has filed its unaudited consolidated interim financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the three-month period ended April 30, 2024, available for viewing on www.sedarplus.ca Financial HighlightsTotal assets as at April 30, 2024 of $38,552,693Total cash as at April 30, 2024 of $5,206,521Working capital as at April 30, 2024 of $2,272,846Shareholder's equity as at April 30, 2024 of $34,862,849Financial SummaryFor the three months endedApril 30, 2024April 30, 2023Operating Expenses863,264977,172Net Loss and Comprehensive Loss(863,264(905,500Loss per share -Basic and Diluted(0.00(0.00April 30, 2024January 31, 2024Total Assets38,552,69339,205,074Total Liabilities3,689,8443,478,961Total Shareholders' Equity34,862,84935,726,113Full details of the financial reports and operating results for the three-month period ended April 30, 2024 are described in the Company's unaudited consolidated interim financial statements with accompanying notes and related Management's Discussion and Analysis, available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca About Clean Air MetalsClean Air Metals is a development and exploration company advancing its flagship, 100% owned Thunder Bay North Critical Minerals ("TBN") project, 40 km northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The TBN project, accessible by road and next to established infrastructure, hosts two (2) deposits - the Current and Escape deposits, only 2.5 km apart. Together, the deposits host a 13.8 Mt indicated mineral resource containing 2.4M Pt eq. oz (Technical Report on the Thunder Bay North Project, Ontario Canada, NI43-101, SLR Consulting Canada Ltd, June 19, 2023) with significant potential for expansion down-plunge.One of the rare primary platinum resources outside of South Africa, the TBN project is in a stable and mining-friendly jurisdiction and benefits from longstanding relationships with local First Nations. With its proven technical team, Clean Air Metals is committed to growing the resources at the TBN project and creating long-term value for shareholders.Social EngagementClean Air Metals Inc. acknowledges that the Thunder Bay North Critical Minerals Project is located within the area encompassed by the Robinson-Superior Treaty of 1850, and includes the territories of the Fort William First Nation, Red Rock Indian Band, Biinjitiwabik Zaaging Anishinabek and Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek. Clean Air Metals also acknowledges the contributions of the Metis Nation of Ontario, Region 2 and the Red Sky Metis Independent Nation to the rich history of our area.The Company appreciates the opportunity to work in these territories and remains committed to the recognition and respect of those who have lived, traveled, and gathered on the lands since time immemorial. Clean Air Metals is committed to stewarding Indigenous heritage and remains committed to building, fostering and encouraging a respectful relationship with First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples based upon principles of mutual trust, respect, reciprocity and collaboration in the spirit of reconciliation.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS"Mike Garbutt"Mike Garbutt, CEO of Clean Air Metals Inc.Connect with us on X/ Facebook/ Instagram.Visit www.cleanairmetals.ca for more information or contact:Mia Boiridy Director of Communications and Investor Relations250-575-3305 mboiridy@ cleanairmetals.ca 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.Cautionary NoteThe information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertaintieswhich could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in explorationor development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty ofproduction and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections.SOURCE: Clean Air Metals, Inc.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 18:18:22

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 / July 3, 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: 2024-07-03 01:06:16

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 1029 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

THIS PRESS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.KELOWNA, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 2, 2024 / Diamcor Mining Inc. (TSXV:DMI)(OTCQB:DMIFF)(FRA:DC3A), ("Diamcor" or the "Company"), (the "Company") announces that it has closed a second and final tranche of CND$600,300.00 of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Offering"), bringing the total of the Offering to CND$2,006,300.00. The Company previously announced the closing of a first tranche of the Offering for gross proceeds totalling CND$1,406,000.00 on June 4, 2024. Existing insiders, management and directors, and larger shareholders subscribed for an aggregate of $1,375,000.00 of the Offering.The Company will issue 40,126,000 units in total from the Offering at a price of CND $0.05, with each unit consisting of one Class "A" Common share in the authorized capital of the Company (a "Share"), and one non-transferable share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional Class "A" Common share at an exercise price of CND $0.075 for a period of 36 months following the close of each of the respective tranches.Proceeds from the offering will be used for the continued advancement of the Company's Krone-Endora at Venetia Project (the "Project), the work programmes currently underway, the announced efforts surrounding drilling and bulk sampling on the greater portions of the Project, the advancement of discussions on potential acquisitions of additional opportunities aimed at increasing long-term shareholder value and added growth, and for general corporate purposes. The Company also plans to continue to advance ongoing discussions with financiers and industry related parties on additional funding scenarios which may be beneficial in further supporting the above noted objectives aimed at increasing long-term shareholder value and added growth.All private placements are subject to regulatory and/or final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange along with completion of all definitive documentation and filings as required. Securities issued pursuant to the Offering are subject to a hold period of four months plus one day following the date of their issuance. For securities issued on June 4, 2024, the hold period will expire on October 5, 2024 and for securities issued on July 2, 2024, the hold period will expire on November 3, 2024.The securities sold in the Offering have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under such Act or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.About Diamcor Mining Inc.Diamcor Mining Inc. is a fully reporting publicly traded diamond mining company with a proven history, which is focused on building a growing supply of ethically sourced, non-conflict, natural rough diamonds to some of the world's most reputable diamantaire's and luxury retailers. The Company has a long-term strategic alliance with world famous Tiffany & Co, and currently, its primary focus is on the development of its Krone-Endora at Venetia Project which is co-located and directly related to De Beers' flagship Venetia Diamond Mine in South Africa. The Venetia diamond mine is long recognized as one of the world's top diamond-producing mines, and the deposits which occur on Company's Krone-Endora Project have been identified as being the result of shift and subsequent erosion of an estimated 50M tonnes of material from the higher grounds of Venetia to the lower surrounding areas in the direction of Krone and Endora. The Company is also focused on the acquisition and development of additional mid-tier projects with near-term production capabilities to allow the Company to position itself as a growing supplier of ethically and responsibly mined non-conflict natural rough diamonds to reputable diamantaires and select luxury retailers. The Company has a strong commitment to junior mining, social responsibility, women in mining, supporting local communities, and to protecting the environment.About the Tiffany & Co. AllianceThe Company has an established long-term strategic alliance with Tiffany & Co. Canada, a subsidiary of world-famous New York based Tiffany & Co., to purchase up to 100% of the future production of rough diamonds from the Krone-Endora at Venetia Project at market prices. In conjunction with this first right of refusal, Tiffany & Co. Canada also provided the Company with financing in an effort to advance the Project as quickly as possible. Tiffany & Co. is now owned by Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (LVMH), a publicly traded company which is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange (Euronext) under the symbol LVMH and on the OTC under the symbol LVMHF. For additional information on Tiffany & Co., please visit their website at www.tiffany.com Qualified Person Statement:Mr. James P. Hawkins (B.Sc., P.Geo.), is Manager of Exploration & Special Projects for Diamcor Mining Inc., and the Qualified Person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 responsible for overseeing the execution of Diamcor's exploration programmes and a Member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta ("APEGA"). Mr. Hawkins has reviewed this press release and approved of its contents.On behalf of the Board of Directors:Mr. Dean H. TaylorDiamcor Mining Inc DeanT@ Diamcor.com +1 250 862-3212For Investor Relations contact:Mr. Rich MatthewsIntegrous Communications rmatthews@ integcom.us +1 (604) 355-7179This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. While these forward-looking statements represent our best current judgement, they are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict and which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Further, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.WE SEEK SAFE HARBOURNeither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) acce
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 10:04:46

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 586 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

Golden Elite Deco is adjusting its product range of bathroom vanities and flooring solutions in Montreal for the 2024 season.QUEBEC, CANADA / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / Golden Elite Deco, a home renovation products provider, has made changes to its range of bathroom vanities and flooring solutions for the 2024 season in Montreal. This adjustment aims to address home improvement needs in the local market.The change by Golden Elite Deco affects its bathroom vanities. Customers visiting thebathroom vanity storecan find styles and materials for interior design preferences. The service covers aspects of bathroom needs, from newer to older aesthetics, providing choices for room sizes and layouts.Golden Elite Deco's team considers home improvement trends. Their approach involves looking at aspects of each product. The team reviews industry developments to inform their product choices.Daniel Barg, Marketing Specialist of Golden Elite Deco, commented on the change: "We aim to offer Montreal residents choices for their home renovation projects. Our team considers product aspects and customer needs. We believe in providing items that align with home design trends." One aspect of the change is the revision of product lines as trends emerge. Factors such as material changes, design shifts, or environmental considerations can impact product choices. The Golden Elite Deco team observes these changes and adjusts its offerings. This process helps ensure that the available products reflect market preferences.In addition to bathroom products, the company offers flooring. Theflooring storeallows customers to look at materials and styles for their home improvement projects. The items include choices for areas of the home, from busy zones to damp spaces.Customers can see the products at four locations in Montreal. The store arrangements help customers find products or look at choices. Each location has areas that show how products might look in a home setting.As home renovation interest continues, providers like Golden Elite Deco may influence how homeowners approach their projects. By offering products and advice, such services can help customers with their renovation results. The company's staff members can discuss product aspects and setup considerations with customers.The company notes that its product range is one resource among many that customers can use when thinking about their home improvement projects. They suggest customers research and compare choices to find solutions that fit their needs.For plans, Golden Elite Deco intends to continue adjusting its product range. Future changes may includeSPC flooring . There are also plans to add home renovation information, possibly including guides on how to measure spaces for new vanities or flooring.As the 2024 renovation season nears, this product change shows how market needs and design trends affect home improvement. It presents choices for those wanting to change their homes, whether planning a large renovation or a small change.The company also mentions the importance of professional setup for many of their products. While they don't provide setup services directly, they can share information on proper setup techniques and considerations.About Golden Elite DecoStarted in 2004, Golden Elite Deco provides home renovation products and solutions. The company focuses on bathroom vanities and flooring. With time in the retail business, Golden Elite Deco's team includes employees at retail stores and distribution centres, looking at aspects of home renovation needs and trends. The company aims to stay aware of industry changes and customer preferences to guide their product offerings.Media Contact:Name: Daniel Barg Company: Golden Elite Deco Email: contact@ goldenelitedeco.comAddress: 88 boul. Brunswick, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, Canada, H9B2C5 Phone Number: 514-684-4209 Website: https://goldenelitedeco.com SOURCE: Golden Elite Deco
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 19:00:56

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 441 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / In an industry where success often hinges on the backing of major labels, Boston-born hip-hop artist and MIH Universal founder Matt Corman has defied the odds. Grossing over $1 million from digital streaming alone, Corman has risen to the top 1% of musicians and songwriters worldwide, all while remaining completely independent.Matt Corman Matt Corman for ZIPLOCK music videoCorman, celebrated for his hit single "Word to the Wise," has shared stages with big names like Post Malone, Rae Sremmurd, and Trippie Redd. His impressive career took off when he made history as the first alumnus to perform at his college homecoming concert, attracting over 3,000 attendees. This success paved the way for sold-out headline shows across the United States, proving his wide appeal and drawing power.When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Corman saw an opportunity. Doubling down on his music, he committed to releasing a song every Friday. This relentless work ethic and strategic consistency paid off, leading to millions in streaming revenue and a rapidly growing fan base.In addition to his solo success, Corman's entrepreneurial spirit shines through in his partnership with E11even Vodka, the official vodka brand of 11miami. Together, they released the song "LIVE MORE," which he performed to a packed house at Club 11, further cementing his influence in both the music and business worlds.As the founder of MIH Universal, Corman has released over 200 singles, amassing over 200 million streams and maintaining 5 million monthly listeners. His story is a testament to the power of perseverance, innovation, and self-belief in a fiercely competitive industry.Before his full-time music career, Corman graduated from Southern New Hampshire University and worked in various corporate roles, including at Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Toast Inc. However, the pandemic marked a turning point, driving him to fully immerse himself in his passion for music.Matt Corman's journey is a beacon of hope for independent artists worldwide. In a cut-throat and challenging industry, he has shown that with hard work, strategic planning, and unwavering dedication, it is possible to achieve monumental success without the support of a major label.For more information on Matt Corman and his latest projects, please visit his website or follow him on social mediaAbout Matt Corman Matt Corman is a Boston-born hip-hop artist and entrepreneur celebrated for his hit single "Word to the Wise." Corman's independent releases have garnered over 200 million streams and 5 million monthly listeners. He is the founder of MIH Universal and a pioneer in music production, personal branding, development, and marketing.Contact InformationDan GardnerMedia Managergdan83102@ gmail.com SOURCE: MIH UniversalView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 11:13:02

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 448 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

LAKE GENEVA, WI / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / Sonja Akright, proprietor of Old Time Eyes, will host a book signing event for her recently published work, "The Sanitariums of Lake Geneva." The event will take place on Tuesday, July 16th, 2024, at 6:00 pm, at Geneva Lake Museum, Lake Geneva, featuring a reading from the book, a book talk with a Q&A session, and an opportunity for attendees to have their copies signed by the author.Akright, a seasoned genealogist and historian, has dedicated over 15 years to the local history community, serving on the City of Lake Geneva Historic Preservation Commission and as a Director at the Geneva Lake Museum. The book includes extensive research and narration of stories, particularly from the 1880s to the 1920s."The Sanitariums of Lake Geneva" investigates the rich history of the sanitariums that once characterized the region, providing an immersive overview of these institutions, its founders, staff, and patients. The entire work honors the past while also calling for the preservation of local heritage for future generations.Reflecting on her work, Sonja Akright stated, "I wrote 'The Sanitariums of Lake Geneva' because I feel a deep connection to the rich history of our community and the people who lived here. These sanitariums played a crucial role in the lives of many, yet their stories have largely been forgotten. I felt a compelling need to bring these stories to light and share them with the world. Through this book, I hope to honor the legacy of these institutions and inspire others to recognize the importance of preserving our local history." About the Book:"The Sanitariums of Lake Geneva" by Sonja Akright explores the history of the sanitariums in the Lake Geneva area, capturing the essence of these once-prominent institutions. Through detailed archival research and vivid storytelling, Akright brings to life the experiences of the patients, staff, and founders of these sanitariums, painting a comprehensive picture of their impact on the community. The book serves as both a historical account and a reminder of the importance of preserving local history for future generations.About Sonja Akright:Sonja Akright is a dedicated historian and genealogist with a profound interest in the local history of Lake Geneva. She is known for her engaging presentations and comprehensive research, which bring historical narratives to life. Akright's work on "The Sanitariums of Lake Geneva" is her attempt to narrate the detailed historical accounts as captivating stories that would resonate with readers and audiences alike.Media Contact:Sonja AkrightEmail:staff@ genevalakemuseum.orgTelephone:(262) 248-6060Website: https://sonjaakright.com/ For more information about the event and to RSVP, please inquire atstaff@ genevalakemuseum.org SOURCE: Sonja Akright
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 19:18:35

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 476 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

Exploring Blockchain Use Cases for Enhanced Financial ServicesSAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / Metallicus, the core developer ofMetal Blockchain , a foundational Layer 0 blockchain, today announced Illiana Financial Credit Union 's enrollment in its Banking Innovation Program. This move signifies Illiana Financial Credit Union's proactive approach to investigating blockchain technology's potential and harnessing Metallicus' expertise to elevate its technological prowess."By joining our Banking Innovation Program, Illiana Financial Credit Union is playing a critical role in advancing our mission to transform the financial industry with blockchain technology," commentedFrank Mazza , Director of Blockchain for Institutions & Fintechs at Metallicus. "We look forward to partnering with Illiana Financial Credit Union, offering them the resources and expertise to lead innovation and adapt to the shifting financial environment." "Blockchain technology has been on our radar for the past few years, so a partnership with Metallicus feels like a perfect fit. We look forward to tapping into their expertise and collaborating with other credit unions as we explore the possibilities and potential that blockchain technology can provide our membership" commentedJim Henmueller , CEO of Illiana Financial Credit Union.The Banking Innovation Program by Metal Blockchain enables institutions like Illiana Financial Credit Union to navigate and adopt customized blockchain solutions, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards while addressing their distinct operational demands. Drawing on Metallicus' unparalleled blockchain expertise and a distinguished advisory board, the program offers innovation workshops, fintech partnerships, R&D grants, and bespoke development, positioning participants to lead and innovate within the dynamic financial sector.The Metal Blockchain Banking Innovation Program is designed to support financial institutions' journey into blockchain technology at no cost. With a focus on tackling use cases around Digital Identity, Single Sign-On (SSO), Private Subnets, Tokenization of Assets, and more, the program equips participants with the tools and resources needed to drive profitability, lower costs, reduce risks, and deliver unparalleled customer experiences.Financial institutions keen on participating in theMetal Blockchain Banking Innovation Programcan express their interest or learn more by contacting bizdev@ metallicus.com About Metal Blockchain:Metal Blockchain, developed by Metallicus, is an innovative Layer 0 blockchain technology dedicated to tackling global finance challenges with its scalable, secure, and decentralized infrastructure built on the foundation of BSA Compliance. The versatile nature of Metal Blockchain's infrastructure enables developers to craft customized solutions for a wide range of financial applications, promoting innovation and growth within the global financial sector. Guided by the vision of CEO Marshall Hayner, Metal Blockchain aims to transform the financial industry by embracing compliance-driven innovation.About Illiana Financial Credit Union:Chartered in 1936, Illiana Financial is a community-based credit union headquartered in Calumet City, Illinois. With 23,000 members and $260 million in assets, the credit union serves communities from both Illinois and Indiana.For Media Contact:Cesar HernandezOmni Public813.277.6540 ch@ omnipublic.global Illiana Financial Jim Henmuellerjimh@ illiana.org Metallicus Will cleaverwill@ metallicus.com SOURCE: Metallicus
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 11:01:51

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 633 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Harbor Diversified, Inc. ("Harbor Diversified" or "the Company") (OTC PINK:HRBR) and certain of its officers.Class Definition:This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Harbor Diversified securities between May 10, 2022 and March 29, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/HRBR Case Details:According to the Complaint, Harbor Diversified describes itself as "a non-operating holding company that is the parent of a consolidated group of subsidiaries, including AWAC Aviation, Inc. (AWAC'), which is the sole member of Air Wisconsin Airlines LLC (Air Wisconsin'), a regional air carrier. Harbor is also the direct parent of three other subsidiaries: (1) Lotus Aviation Leasing, LLC (Lotus'), which leases flight equipment to Air Wisconsin, (2) Air Wisconsin Funding LLC (AWF'), which provides flight equipment financing to Air Wisconsin, and (3) Harbor Therapeutics, Inc. (Therapeutics'), which is a non-operating entity with no material assets." The Complaint alleges that Harbor Diversified made materially false and/or misleading statements because the Company misrepresented and failed to disclose the following adverse facts pertaining to the Company's business, operations, and prospects, which were known to Defendants or recklessly disregarded by them. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that:(1) Harbor Diversified's financial statements from May 9, 2022 to the present were misstated due to improper revenue recognition;(2) Harbor Diversified lacked adequate internal controls; and(3) as a result, Harbor Diversified's statements about its business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all times.The truth began to emerge, according to the Complaint, on March 29, 2024, when Harbor Diversified filed with the SEC a current report on Form 8-K in which it announced that certain of its previously-issued financial statements would need to be restated as a result of improper revenue recognition. Further, Harbor Diversified disclosed a material weakness in its internal controls that has the company's management evaluating "appropriate remediation actions." On this news, according to the Complaint, the price of Harbor Diversified stock fell by $0.28 per share, or14.25% , to close at $1.73 on April 1, 2024.Therefore, the Complaint further alleges that as a result of Defendants' wrongful acts and omissions, and the precipitous decline in the market value of the Harbor Diversified's common shares, investors have suffered significant losses and damages.What's Next?A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/HRBR or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 332-239-2660. If you suffered a loss in Harbor Diversified you have until July 8, 2024, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.There is No Cost to YouWe represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.Contact:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Nathan Miller 332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 18:17:06

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 336 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago (Lurie Children's) has disclosed a data breach affecting personal information of its patients and other individuals. The breach impacted over 791,000 individuals, exposing sensitive personal information including full names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, health insurance information and medical information.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?Compensation may be available for Lurie Children's patients and individuals who received notice that their personal information was impacted by the data breach.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 Lurie Children's, you are affected. Follow the link below to find out if you may be eligible for compensation.Levi & Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected customers are entitled to compensation. If you have received a notice about the data breach, you may be entitled to 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: 2024-07-03 04:59:49

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 732 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

HALIFAX, NS / ACCESSWIRE / July 2, 2024 / MedMira Inc. (MedMira) (TSXV:MIR), reported today on its financial results for the quarter ended April 30, 2024.Corporate updateIn Q3 FY2024, MedMira focused on the launch of MedMira's latest US FDA approved Reveal G4 Rapid HIV 1/2 antibody test and continued its regulatory work in Canada and the United States. At the same time, the Company collaborated with a third party to complete MedMira's next commercial prototype for its patented MiRO Qsystem.MedMira successfully launched the Reveal G4 Rapid HIV 1/2 with its existing distribution partners and secured a number of direct clients through MedMira's US based sales team. As a result the Company was able to close a number of strategically important key accounts. In addition, the Company partnered with new distributors such as Thomas Scientific to complement MedMira's existing distribution partners (VWR/Avantor), Cardinal Health and Medline Industries). This allows the Company to access the majority of the hospital and laboratory market in the USA and in Canada.Subsequent to Q3 FY2024, the Company received the award confirmation for its latest funded clinical trials in Canada. ReachNexus has committed to fully fund and support MedMira's Health Canada approval, including the multi-million dollar clinical trials. MedMira's unique Complete Syphilis (Tp/nTP) test has been selected for this award. MedMira will issue a press release after the 17th of July 2024, at the time the official announcement has been made by the funding agency.Profit and Loss HighlightsRevenue: The Company recorded revenues in Q3 FY2024 of $81,548 compared to Q2 FY2024 $148,696 and $106,010 in the same period last year.Gross Profit: The Company recorded a gross profit in Q2 FY2024 of $50,305 compared to $68,137 in Q2 FY2024 and $71,257 in the same period last year.Operating expenses: The Company recorded for this quarter operating expenses of $653,398 compared to $579,374 in Q2 FY2024 and $693,673 in the same period last year.Net loss: The Company recorded a net loss of $603,093 compared to a loss of $632,416 for the same period last year.Balance Sheet HighlightsAssets: The Company recorded an increase of its assets by $1,899,329 between Q2 FY2024 and Q3 FY2024 which was mainly due to the cash received from an investor.Liabilities: The Company's liabilities increased by $2,679,476 between Q2 FY2024 and Q3 FY2024. The Company's current liabilities increased by $2,750,899 which was mainly due to increase in advances.Loans in default decreased by $6,309 due to the fluctuations in the United States Dollar and the Swiss Franc. All other long and short terms debts are currently under negotiation to restructure terms and conditions of repayment.Working Capital deficit: As a result of the changes noted above, the Company recorded a lower working capital deficit of $796,370 or 5% compared to last quarter.The Company's financial statements and management's discussion and analysis are available on the Company's profile on SEDAR atwww.sedar.com . For matters of going concern, reference is made to the Auditor's Emphasis of Matter statement in the fiscal year ended 2023 Auditors Report and note 2b in the audited financial statements which are also available on SEDAR.About MedMiraMedMira is the developer and owner of Rapid Vertical Flow (RVF) Technology. The Company's rapid test applications built on RVF Technology provide hospitals, labs, clinics and individuals with instant diagnosis for diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C in just three easy steps. The Company's tests are sold under the Reveal, Multiplo and Miriad brands in global markets. MedMira's corporate offices and manufacturing facilities are located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and the Company has a sales and customer service office located in the United States. For more information visitmedmira.com . Follow us onTwitterandLinkedIn .This news release contains forward-looking statements, which involve risk and uncertainties and reflect the Company's current expectation regarding future events including statements regarding possible approval and launch of new products, future growth, and new business opportunities. Actual events could materially differ from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors including, but not limited to, changing market conditions, successful and timely completion of clinical studies, uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process, establishment of corporate alliances and other risks detailed from time to time in the company quarterly filings.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.MedMira Contacts:Markus Meile, CFOTel: 902-450-1588Email: ir@ medmira.com SOURCE: MedMira, Inc.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 13:30:35

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 996 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 /Metallic Minerals Corp. ( TSX.V:MMG)(OTCQB:MMNGF) ("Metallic Minerals" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed the second and final tranche (the "Final Tranche") of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Offering"). Under the Final Tranche, investors subscribed for an additional 1,062,500 flow-through common shares (the "FT Common Shares") of the Company at a price of $0.40 per FT Common Share for gross proceeds of $425,000, bringing the total Offering to $2,025,000.Greg Johnson, CEO and Chairman, stated, "We are pleased to complete this funding round for our Keno Silver and Klondike Gold projects. Preparations are underway to begin drilling on the Keno Silver project, with a priority on resource expansion and potential new discoveries. Work will start at the Formo target, which is the largest of the four deposits contributing to the initial resources announced earlier this year. The Company also intends to direct funds toward development of our alluvial gold royalty properties in the Yukon's storied Klondike Gold district. Also, as previously announced, field activities are underway at our La Plata project in southwest Colorado, and we look forward to providing further updates on each of our programs and initiatives as they advance." Proceeds from the Offering will be used toward eligible Canadian Exploration Expenses, within the meaning of the Canadian Income Tax Act. The Company may pay finders' fees under the Offering in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued pursuant to the Offering are subject to a hold period of four months and one day from their date of issuance, under applicable Canadian securities laws. Completion of the Offering is subject to the acceptance of the TSX-V.The FT Common Shares have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons, absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws.Certain directors and officers of the Company subscribed for 127,500 shares of the offering for gross proceeds of $51,000. Participation of the officers and directors in the offering is considered a related party transaction within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 -- Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions. The transaction is exempt from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements in MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the securities to be issued, nor the fair market value of the consideration for the securities to be issued, insofar as it involves such insiders, exceeds 25 per cent of the Company's market capitalization.About Metallic MineralsMetallic Minerals Corp. is a resource-stage mineral exploration company, focused on copper, silver, gold, and platinum group elements in districts that have the potential to host tier 1 deposits in the US and Canada. Our objective is to create shareholder value through a systematic, entrepreneurial approach to making exploration discoveries, growing resources, and advancing projects toward development.At the Company's La Plata project in southwestern Colorado, the expanded NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate highlights a significant porphyry copper-silver resource containing 1.2 Blbs copper and 17.6 Moz of silver, with numerous additional targets showing potential for a district scale porphyry system. In May 2023, the Company announced a 9.5% strategic investment by Newmont Corporation (previously Newcrest Mining which was acquired by Newmont Corporation in November 2023). The U.S. Geological Survey ("USGS") has identified the La Plata mining district as a potential critical minerals resource area under the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative program and in 2023 completed significant geologic and geophysical studies to enhance understanding of the critical mineral occurrence in the district.In Canada's Yukon Territory, Metallic Minerals has the second-largest land position in the historic high-grade Keno Hill silver district, directly adjacent to Hecla Mining Company's operations, with more than 300 Moz of high-grade silver in past production and current M&I resources. The new 2024 Resource Estimate at the Company's Keno Silver Project adds 18.2 Moz silver equivalent to the Company's total resources. Hecla is the largest primary silver producer in the USA and soon to be Canada's largest with full production at its Keno Hill operations in 2024.The Company is also one of the largest holders of alluvial gold claims in the Yukon and is building a production royalty business by partnering with experienced mining operators.Metallic Minerals is led by a team with a track record of discovery and exploration success on several major precious and base metal deposits in North America, as well as having large-scale development, permitting and project financing expertise. The Metallic Minerals team is committed to responsible and sustainable resource development and is working collaboratively with Canadian First Nation groups, US Tribal/Native Corporations, and local communities to support successful exploration at our projects.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:Phone: 604-629-7800Toll Free: 1-888-570-4420Website: www.mmgsilver.com Email: cackerman@ mmgsilver.com Forward-Looking StatementsThis news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, historic production, estimation of mineral resources, the realization of mineral resource estimates, interpretation of prior exploration and potential exploration results, the timing and success of exploration activities generally, the timing and results of future resource estimates, permitting time lines, metal prices and currency exchange rates, availability of capital, government regulation of exploration operations, environmental risks, reclamation, title, statements about expected results of operations, royalties, cash flows, financial position and future dividends as well as financial position, prospects, and future plans and objectives of the Company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Metallic Minerals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 15:30:37

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 966 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

HALIFAX, NS / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / Namibia Critical Metals Inc. ("Namibia Critical Metals" or the "Company" or "NCMI") (TSXV:NMI)(OTCQB:NMREF) is pleased to announce that on July 3, 2024, it has signed a non-binding, non-exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Copenhagen Atomics A/S ("CA") to sell thorium produced from the Lofdal Heavy Rare Earth Project.Key HighlightsThe MOU provides the framework for the parties to negotiate a binding commercial offtake agreement for the supply of thorium from the Lofdal Project.Annual production of thorium oxide from the Lofdal project is expected to be about 100 tonnes in full production.Provides an additional potential revenue stream from a waste product for NCMI.The parties intend to move forward and outline a conditional purchase order with a given quantity, delivery date and quality, which CA will submit to NCMI before Jan 2025.The MOU will be effective for 12 months from date singing, unless terminated by written notice by either party.Darrin Campbell, President of Namibia Critical Metals, stated:"We are very pleased to provide this opportunity to our shareholders and JOGMEC partner to provide a new potential revenue stream from a radioactive product that was planned to be put back into tailings." About Copenhagen AtomicsCA is a private technology company, started in 2014, who has developed a thorium molten salt reactor, which is scheduled for mass manufacturing. CA expects to have their first operational reactor in 2027 and start commercial deployment in 2029. The company has developed a number of new technologies to support molten salt reactors. CA also supplies other fusion and fission companies with components and fuel salt products, to help the global nuclear industry to reach its full potential.About Namibia Critical Metals Inc.NCMI is developing the Tier-1 Heavy Rare Earth Project, Lofdal, a globally significant deposit of the heavy rare earth metals dysprosium and terbium. Demand for these critical metals used in permanent magnets for electric vehicles, wind turbines and other electronics is driven by innovations linked to energy and technology transformations. The geopolitical risks associated with sourcing many of these metals has become a repeated concern for manufacturers and end users. Namibia is a proven and stable mining jurisdiction. The Lofdal Project is fully permitted with a 25-year Mining License and is under a Joint Venture agreement with Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC).About Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) and the JVJOGMEC is a Japanese government independent administrative agency which seeks to secure stable resource supplies for Japan. JOGMEC has a strong reputation as a long term, strategic partner in mineral projects globally. JOGMEC facilitates opportunities with Japanese private companies to secure supplies of natural resources for the benefit of the country's economic development.Rare earth elements are of critical importance to Japanese industrial interests and JOGMEC has extensive experience with all aspects of the sector. JOGMEC provided Lynas with USD$250,000,000 in loans and equity in 2011 to ensure supplies of the Light Rare Earths metals suite to the Japanese industry.Namibia Critical Metals owns a 95% interest in the Lofdal project with the remaining 5% held for the benefit of historically disadvantaged Namibians. The terms of the JOGMEC joint venture agreement with the Company stipulate that JOGMEC provides C$3,000,000 in Term 1 and C$7,000,000 in Term 2 to earn a 40% interest in the Lofdal project. Term 3 calls for a further C$10,000,000 of expenditures to earn an additional 10% interest. JOGMEC can also purchase another 1% for C$5,000,000 and has first right of refusal to fully fund the project through to commercial production and to purchase all production at market prices. The collective interests of NCMI and historically disadvantaged Namibians cannot be diluted below a 26% carried working interest upon payment of C$5,000,000 to JOGMEC for the dilution protection. NMI may elect to participate up to a maximum of 44% by funding pro rata after the earn in period is completed.To date, JOGMEC has completed Term 2 and earned a 40% interest by reaching the C$10 million expenditure requirement. Total approved project funding to date is C$14,541,000 of the $20,000,000 Earn-In requirement to reach 50% interest.The common shares of Namibia Critical Metals Inc. trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "NMI" and the OTCQB Market under the symbol "NMREF".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 more information please contact -Namibia Critical Metals Inc. Darrin Campbell, PresidentTel: +01 (902) 835-8760Email: Info@ NamibiaCMI.com Web site: www.NamibiaCriticalMetals.com This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is provided, and is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.SOURCE: Namibia Critical Metals Inc.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 09:05:20

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 682 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / Norrland Gold Corporation ("Norrland" or "the Company", (TSX-V:NORR)(Frankfurt Exchange:8VC) is pleased to announce substantial amendments and improvements in the Swedish regulatory framework, enabling the company to commence the previously announced drilling campaign. The amendments of most significance for Norrland are:The requirements for Municipal water and environmental permits prior to drilling are now abolished. These requirements were major bottlenecks.The requirement for a permit for motorized transport in the terrain during drilling is abolished.In general, political as well as public perceptions of exploration and mining have greatly improved, demonstrated by for example:On May 23, 2024, the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act entered into force, giving priority to mining projects of national interest over other land-uses.Environmental Impact Assessments of "Natura 2000" areas are now only required at the mining stage, as part of the process of an application for an environmental permit for mining, not prior to that stage. This was earlier a major bottleneck.After the improvements, the required environmental permit as well as the consent of the stakeholders were granted to Norrland in record time.The anomalies at Vittantrasket will now be the subject of shallow exploratory drilling to investigate the geology below recent glacial moraine cover.The Vittantrasket tenement is covered by one of the most substantial soil geochemical gold anomalies in Sweden, (figure 1). Similar gold-soil geochemical anomalies are located at known deposits, such as for example at the Barsele deposit of Agnico-Eagle / First Nordic Metals.A significant north-south trending magnetic high anomaly is partly overlapping the area covered by anomalous gold-in moraine samples, taken during the widely spaced regional surveys of the Swedish Geological Survey (SGU). Moraine is un-sorted boulder debris, left behind by the glaciation of northern Europe approximately 10,000 years ago. Since that time, the moraine has been in-situ and subjected to natural geochemical processes. The moraine cover is substantial in the gold-prospective region in northern Sweden; thus, potential exists for previously un-discovered deposits.A shallow sub-surface scout drilling program will be undertaken by the end of August 2024 by conventional track-mounted drilling equipment to interpret the geology. Results from the program are expected on or around the end of the third quarter of 2024.Anders West, CEO, commented:It is encouraging to note the Swedish government actions that are supportive for mineral exploration. I look forward to upcoming drilling and updating the market in due course.NORRLAND GOLD CORP.Anders West, CEOQualified Person: The scientific and technical data contained in this news release, pertaining to the Vittantrasket project, has been reviewed and approved by Douglas J. Kirwin, who served as the qualified person (QP) under the definition of National Instrument 43-101.Please visit us at www.norrlandgold.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking StatementsThis news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "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 or realities may differ materially from those in 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 law, 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.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 press release.Figure 1For further information please contact:Investor RelationsTel: 604-684-2181SOURCE: Norrland Gold Corp.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 19:00:46

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 530 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

Local Entrepreneurs Bring Financial Expertise to Serve Small Businesses in The TriangleWAKE FOREST, NC / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / Payroll Vault , a leading provider of payroll and workforce management services for small businesses, is excited to announce its first location in the Tar Heel State. The new location, owned and operated by husband-and-wife Ryan and Shannon Mulhearn, plans to begin serving local businesses in August.Shannon Mulhearn of Payroll Vault of Wake ForestShannon brings an impressive background in mortgage-backed securities and a long career at Wells Fargo, and Ryan brings 30 years of experience in accounting and finance as a CPA. The two bring a wealth of knowledge and dedication to the venture."Opening a Payroll Vault franchise was a perfect fit for us in terms of the business model and our personal goals," said Shannon Mulhearn. "We've been a part of The Triangle for almost 20 years and recognized the need for dedicated, personalized payroll services for our local small businesses." Raleigh is one of the fastest-growing metros in the country.The U.S. Census Bureaureported that Raleigh grew by more than 8,800 people from 2022 to 2023, the 10th largest increase in the country. With growth comes more small businesses that need payroll and HR services.As part of their commitment to the community, the Mulhearns are involved in local organizations, including the Wake Area and North Raleigh Chambers of Commerce. They aim to build a business that's not only about providing services but also about fostering community growth and success."Our goal is to embed Payroll Vault within the community so that local businesses recognize us as a trusted source," said Mulhearn. "We look forward to serving locally owned small businesses and becoming an extension of their teams, offering prompt and personalized service." Payroll Vault of Wake Forestwill offer a comprehensive suite of services, including payroll, HR, time and attendance, background checks, workers' compensation, labor law poster services, and point of sale services in partnership with MiCamp. These offerings are designed to streamline business operations, ensure compliance, and support the growth of local businesses."Shannon and Ryan's accounting and financial expertise, passion for helping small businesses, and dedication to personalized services make them the ideal Payroll Vault franchisee," said Sean Manning, CEO of Payroll Vault. "We can't wait to watch the Mulhearn's business grow." To learn more about franchising opportunities with Payroll Vault, visit https://www.payrollvault.com/franchise/ Media Contact:Jennifer Williams 919.459.3592 jwilliams@919 marketing.com ###About Payroll Vault FranchisingPayroll and workforce management services are growing requirements for small businesses. Payroll Vault Franchising aims to help these businesses avoid penalties by focusing on core business operations while providing the opportunity for prospective franchisees to own a boutique-style full-service payroll company supported by a team of experts and a nationally recognized brand. Franchisees are trained on business best practices and provided systems and strategies to operate a payroll business in an increasingly in-demand industry. From the franchise launch in 2012, Payroll Vault Franchising has rapidly grown as a result of exemplary client service and is an industry leader, receiving numerous accolades and awards nationally. For more information, visit PayrollVault.com/franchise SOURCE: Payroll Vault
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 14:00:43

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 850 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

Joint Program to Upgrade Columbia Model 107-II Helicopters to New and Enhanced Model-107-III Configuration; Coatesville Heliplex Selected as Development SiteCOATESVILLE, PA / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 /Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PiAC), a global leader in advanced Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft development, and Columbia Helicopters (CHI), the world's premier tandem rotor helicopter OEM, MRO, and operator, today announced a strategic collaboration to deliver upgraded heavy-lift helicopters worldwide.Piasecki and Columbia Helicopters Sign Partnership Agreement From left: David Balevic, Columbia Helicopters; Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey; John Piasecki, Piasecki AircraftThe collaboration will upgrade existing Model 107-II helicopters to a new, more fuel-efficient, powerful and robust Columbia Model CHI-107-III configuration. This partnership supports customers in essential services such as emergency response, aerial firefighting, forestry, infrastructure, and defense. The military variant of the Model 107-II is the CH-46E Sea Knight (Phrog), which served with the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy, as well as allies in Sweden and Japan.Modifications and testing will take place at Piasecki's 219,000-square-foot heliplex facility in Coatesville, Pennsylvania - acquired in 2023 from Lockheed Martin Sikorsky after the S-76 and S-92 helicopter production lines at the site were closed and hundreds of jobs were lost. Piasecki's acquisition of the facility was championed by Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (PA-6), Governor Josh Shapiro, and the Chester County Economic Development Council to create new jobs that leverage the unique aerospace skills in the region."For generations, Pennsylvanians have served their country and supported their families by manufacturing military helicopters at this Coatesville facility. I fought to support Piasecki's helicopter remanufacturing because nobody is more up to the task of maintaining our Nation's military aircrafts than the workers here in Southeastern Pennsylvania," said Senator Casey in a separate announcement. "This is a new chapter for Coatesville and I'll keep fighting to make sure these jobs are here to stay." "Piasecki, with its state-of-the-art manufacturing and robust tech workforce, is a driving force of revitalization in Coatesville," said Representative Houlahan in a separate announcement. "Now, with the announcement of the production of CH-46 helicopters and additional jobs being created, our region will continue to lead the way in domestic aviation manufacturing. I look forward to seeing Piasecki grow and will continue to do everything I can to support that." The Heliplex will also serve as CHI's new field site, expanding opportunities on the East Coast. The partnership covers the development of comprehensive product support plans for the Columbia Model CHI-107-III - including establishing an FAA Part 145 Repair Station at the facility."We are thrilled to partner with Columbia Helicopters, a company that shares our heritage with the tandem helicopter, and our commitment to innovation and excellence in the rotorcraft industry," said John Piasecki, CEO of Piasecki Aircraft. "This collaboration represents a significant step forward in the evolution of tandem rotor helicopters and promises to deliver enhanced capabilities to a wide range of military and civil applications. We look forward to working together to advance the future of this vertical lift technology and generate hundreds of jobs for our communities." "The new Columbia Model 107-III will transform the heavy-lift helicopter market, providing unrivaled performance and versatility for our customers," said David Balevic, CEO of Columbia Helicopters. "We are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and together with our partners at Piasecki, will deliver enhanced heavy-lift aircraft that save lives, protect nations, and build industries for decades to come." About Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PiAC)Piasecki is an award-winning developer of vertical lift aircraft. It specializes in the design, fabrication, and flight testing of experimental rotorcraft and unmanned air vehicles and has developed and flown more than 25 advanced VTOL and UAV aircraft to date. Customers include the U.S. Air Force Research Lab and AFWERX; the U.S. Army Futures Command Aviation and Missile Center and Medical R&D Command; NAVAIR; DARPA; and SOCOM; as well as leading OEMs such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Piasecki is a recipient of numerous awards including the Presidential National Medal of Technology, Smithsonian Air & Space Achievement Award, and the prestigious Tibbitts Award for small business innovation from the U.S. Department of Defense. PiAC has been a proud member of the Vertical Flight Society for more than 50 years. For more information, please visit piasecki.com About Columbia Helicopters (CHI)Columbia Helicopters is the global leader in heavy-lift helicopter operations and a trusted expert in maintenance, repair, and overhaul services. Backed by over 65 years of experience, Columbia operates internationally, often conducting operations in remote, austere conditions, providing safe and reliable aircraft and qualified personnel that meet demanding global transport requirements. Columbia leverages its position as the OEM and FAA Type Certificate holder for both the Model 234 Chinook and 107-II helicopters to provide responsive modifications, lifecycle support, and MRO services trusted worldwide by a diverse customer base. For more information, please visit www.colheli.com Contact InformationAaron Endrepiasecki@ endrecommunications.com Esme Robertsesme.roberts@williamsnicolson.com SOURCE: Piasecki AircraftView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 09:05:39

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 1028 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

Highlights:Four (4) additional holes for approximately 1,215 metres (m) have been drilled at the Cisco discovery zone (CO1 Zone) as drilling continues to the CO3 Zone, located 750 m southwest, confirming and extending previously encountered mineralization.Drill hole CS24-011 encountered six (6) individual spodumene pegmatite intervals, for a total cumulative width of 125.1 m.Drill hole CS24-012 encountered eight (8) spodumene pegmatite intervals, for a total cumulative width of 78.1 m.Drill hole CS24-013 encountered twelve (12) spodumene pegmatite intervals for a total cumulative width of 120.0 m.Drill hole CS24-014 encountered thirteen (13) spodumene pegmatite intervals for a total cumulative width of 131.6 m.VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / Q2 Metals Corp. ( TSX.V:QTWO)(OTCQB:QUEXF)(FSE:458) ("Q2" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update from its 2024 exploration program at the Cisco Lithium Property (the "Property" or the "Cisco Property") located within the greater Nemaska traditional territory of the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec, Canada.The Company commenced its 2024 drill program at the Cisco Property (the "Spring 2024 Drill Campaign") in May, with the primary objective of confirming and expanding upon the mineralized zone where the Property vendors worked in 2023 (the "CO1 Zone"). As previously announced on June 17, 2024 the Company encountered wide intervals of spodumene-pegmatite including:Drill hole CS24-010 which encountered five (5) spodumene-mineralized intervals that were greater than 10 m wide.The sum of all spodumene-mineralized intervals in hole CS24-010 was 194.8 m, with the widest individual interval measuring 86.6 m.Since then, four additional holes (CS24-011 to 014) have been completed for approximately 1,215 m and targeted the extension of the CO1 outcrop area towards the CO3 outcrop area. A total strike length of 750 m of spodumene mineralized pegmatite has now been defined and is open in all directions."Our Spring 2024 drill program has advanced extremely well in a short amount of time," said Neil McCallum, Q2 Metals VP of Exploration. "Every hole drilled this campaign has intersected mineralized pegmatite and we are eager to continue to define and expand on the scale of Cisco and its potential to be a significant deposit." Spring 2024 Drill CampaignThe four drill holes reported on herein were primarily focused on expanding the previously intersected mineralization and suggest that the pegmatite body is trending roughly 45 to 60 degrees in a northeast-southwest direction. It should be noted that the mineralized intervals in all the holes drilled thus far are not representative of the true width and the modelled pegmatite zone is being refined with every additional hole.The interpretation that mineralization continues between the outcrop zones CO1 to CO3 has been verified with the most recent four holes. The widely spaced holes have confirmed several mineralized spodumene pegmatite intervals over a strike length of at least 750 metres and is open in all directions along strike and at depth. This verification has implications for the possible continuation of mineralization between other mineralized intervals in the 1.1 by 1.7 kilometre (km) area.The drill program will continue to test the mineralization along strike in either direction in the CO1-CO3 Zones. Following that, the Company intends on testing other zones that are mineralized at surface, including the CO2 outcrop area. The CO2 Zone is located approximately 1.2 km to the east of the CO1 Zone, with an outcrop area measuring 30 m wide by 100 m long.Figure 1. Summary of Drilling at the CO1 to CO3 zonesTable 1. Summary of Spodumene Pegmatite intervals at CO1 to CO3 Zone, Cisco PropertyTable 2. Summary of Drill Hole Collar Information, Cisco Property (CS24-011 to 014)Figure 2. Extent of spodumene pegmatite mineralized zones at Cisco PropertyAbout the Cisco PropertyThe Cisco Property is comprised of 222 mineral claims and is 11,374 hectares in size. It is located less than 10 km east of the Billy Diamond Highway, and is approximately 150 km north of Matagami, a small town that contains the closest rail link to much of James Bay. The Property lies within the greater Nemaska Community lands of the Eeyou Istchee Territory, James Bay, Quebec.The Property is situated along the Frotet Evans Greenstone Belt, comprised of a volcanic package dominated by mafic to felsic metavolcanic rocks, of the southern James Bay Lithium District, the same belt that hosts the Sirmac and Moblan lithium deposits, located 130 km and 180 km away, respectively.Sampling, Analytical Methods and QA/QC ProtocolsAll rock samples collected and drill core samples were shipped to SGS Canada's preparation facility in Val D'Or, Quebec, for standard sample preparation (code PRP92) which includes drying at 105C, crush to 90% passing 2 mm, riffle split 500 g, and pulverize 85% passing 75 microns. The pulps will be shipped by air to SGS Canada's laboratory in Burnaby, BC, where the samples will be homogenized and subsequently analyzed for multi-element (including Li and Ta) using sodium peroxide fusion with ICP-AES/MS finish (code GE_ICM91A50).A Quality Assurance / Quality Control protocol following industry best practices was incorporated into the sampling program.Qualified PersonNeil McCallum, B.Sc., P.Geol, is a registered permit holder with the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and has reviewed the technical information in this news release. Mr. McCallum is a director and VP Exploration for Q2.About Q2 Metals CorpQ2 Metals is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on unlocking its portfolio of lithium projects in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec, Canada, that includes both its 100-per-cent-owned Mia Lithium Property and the Cisco Lithium Property.The Cisco lithium property is located approximately 150 km north of Matagami, Que., and comprises 222 mineral claims and is 11,374 ha in size. The property has district-scale potential with an already identified mineralized zone and a discovery drill result of 115.4 metres of 1.40 percent lithium oxide (hole CS-23-05), cumulatively in five separate pegmatites.The Company's exploration advancement at its 8,668-hectare flagship Mia lithium property is focused on the more than 10-kilometre-long Mia trend which is host to both the Mia 1 and Mia 2 lithium occurrences and 11 other mineralized zones along trend.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:Alicia Milne President & CEOAlicia@ Q2metals.com Jason McBrideCorporate CommunicationsJason@ Q2metals.com Tel
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 09:00:18

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 802 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 /Scorpios, the renowned beach concept and creative gathering place, in partnership with art tech pioneers HOFA Gallery, announces Evolving Perspectives,' the second edition of their Encounters summer arts programme. Running from July 18 to September 18, this 9-week series expands to take place across Scorpios' two stunning beachfront locations, Mykonos and the newly opened Bodrum. Featuring immersive installations and live music performances, the programme will showcase AI and visual artists, headlined by Joseph Klibansky, Random International, and Sougwen Chung - all revered for pushing the boundaries of art and technology.Tree of Life, Joseph Klibansky Tree of Life, Joseph KlibanskyBuilding on the success of 2023's inaugural edition launched with Turkish AI artist and director Refik Anadol, his special collaboration with the Yawanawa Indigenous communities of Brazil's Amazon was regarded as a profound exploration of the relationship between human consciousness and nature. Over half a million people attended last year's programme, generating $3 million in artwork sales, with Refik Anadol's Yawanawa heritage project alone selling out in hours and raising $1.5 million for the preservation campaign.HOFA Co-founder Elio D'Anna says: "The 2023 season of Encounters was a groundbreaking and very successful programme that brought together AI and digital artists, musicians, and an audience of global changemakers and creatives through a series of live performances and installations."This year's Evolving Perspectives' programme continues to push boundaries, making it the most exciting synchronisation of visual art and cultural engagement, while also delivering a very powerful message on the power of AI and human-machine collaboration to help us achieve a more harmonious coexistence with nature." The Mykonos lineup headlines Dutch contemporary artist Joseph Klibansky from July 18-21, 2024. Celebrated for his innovative use of technology in art and sculpture, he will present Tree of Life' merging digital art with environmental stewardship. This collection creates a unified visual narrative rich in depth and storytelling, featuring intricate patterns and vibrant colours inspired by nature. The new Tree of Life' collection includes a large-scale video sculpture installation to be exhibited at Scorpios Mykonos, along with 1,000 unique digitally painted fine art prints with a matching digital companion. Each artwork boasts its own unique traits, ensuring every piece is one-of-a-kind.Moreover, Klibansky combines visual art with environmental awareness. For every artwork sold, the partnering non-profit One Tree Planted will plant physical trees in the Amazon.In Bodrum between August 22-25, 2024, the art group Random International, a German duo with studios in London and Stockholm, will present an immersive installation that invites visitors to engage physically with a seemingly sentient, digital swarm. Titled When Tomorrow Comes,' the work features a custom tracking system and flocking algorithm to create an interactive digital sculpture blending technology with human perception and interaction. Three sets of 150 limited signed edition prints of When Tomorrow Comes' will be available for purchase.A global name in human-machine collaboration, and multi-award-winning Chinese-Canadian artist Sougwen  Chung will perform a live showcase with the robotic system D.O.U.G. (Drawing Operations Unit Generation at Scorpios Bodrum between September 5-8, 2024. The single scheduled performance during that weekend offers a unique opportunity to experience their groundbreaking collaborative work. Chung's innovative approach to combining human artistry with AI technology has earned them international acclaim, including a spot on TIME Magazine's TIME100 AI list as one of the world's most influential people in AI and the TIME Impact Award 2024.Accompanying the performance will be the debut of Genesis II: Body Machine,' a collection of unique artworks. The works in Body Machine' speculate on the future of the robotic form intertwined with the human body. Each bespoke work is generated from the artist's drawing choreography captured in three dimensions and paired with exclusive signed prints.All prints and digital artworks will be available for purchase through Scorpios Collect.The headline artist events are also supported by a programme of featured AI and visual artists, encompassing music into these collaborative events, they will take place throughout the 2024 summer season in both Mykonos and Bodrum.Scorpios Co-Founder Thomas Heyne says: "We use digital art to create holistic experiences. Interaction and immersion enhance the overall experience, taking guests on a journey where they feel inspired. We are excited to welcome Joseph Klibansky, Random International, and Sougwen Chung to this year's Encounters program, showcasing how AI can teach us about living in harmony with nature." Press Contact:Emma-Louise O'Neill / emmalouise@ thehouseoffineart.com / +44 7515 136909Contact Information:Emma-Louise O'NeillComms & Brand Collaborations Directoremmalouise@ thehouseoffineart.com +447515136909Related ImagesTree of Life, Joseph Klibansky Tree of Life, Joseph Klibansky When Tomorrow Comes, Random International When Tomorrow Comes, Random International Sougwen Chung, DOUG4 Process (Courtesy Of Artist) Sougwen Chung, DOUG4 Process (Courtesy Of Artist) Related VideoSOURCE: HOFA GalleryView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 23:00:19

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 731 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / Sendero Resources Corp. (TSXV:SEND) (the "Company" or "Sendero") announces the formation of a special committee (the "Independent Committee") comprised of the independent directors of the Company to explore and evaluate potential strategic alternatives (the "Potential Strategic Transactions") that may be available to the Company with the goal of maximizing value for Sendero shareholders and other stakeholders of the Company. The Independent Committee will make recommendations to the Company's board of directors in respect of all such matters.No decisions relating to any specific Potential Strategic Transaction has been made as at the date of this news release and there are no assurances that any Potential Strategic Transaction, or transactions, will result from the formation of the Independent Committee and the strategic review process, generally. The Company does not intend to comment further with respect to the strategic review process unless and until it determines that additional disclosure is appropriate in the circumstances and in accordance with applicable securities laws.Further to Sendero's press release dated May 23, 2024, the Company will not proceed with the previously announced equity financing while the Independent Committee considers Potential Strategic Transactions.The Company also announces that effective today the Net Smelter Royalty Agreement dated March 15, 2023 between the Company and an executive officer of the Company in respect of a 1.5% net smelter royalty (the "NSR") on the Penas Negras Project (the "Property") has been surrendered. Accordingly, the Property, which is 100% owned by the Company, is now free and clear of any NSRs.About Sendero Resources Corp.The Company is focused on copper-gold exploration at its 100% owned Penas Negras Project in the Vicuna Belt in Argentina. The Penas Negras Project has similar geological characteristics to other deposits in the Vicuna Belt and a cluster of porphyry and epithermal targets have been identified on the project. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Barton SAS, is the holder of ten granted mining concessions covering 120 km2 in the province of La Rioja, Argentina. The Company also has an option agreement to earn 80% interest on eight granted mining concessions covering 91.7 km2 adjacent to the East of the Penas Negras Project.Further InformationFor further information, please contact:Sendero Resources Corp.Raymond D. Harari, President Email: rdh@ canaliscapital.com Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking InformationThis press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this press release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected" "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could, "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. 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 the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.Cautionary StatementNeither 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.SOURCE: Sendero Resources
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 13:30:24

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 1030 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / Silver X Mining Corp. (TSXV:AGX)(OTCQB:AGXPF)(F:AGX) ("Silver X" or the "Company") today announced the appointment of David Gleit as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective immediately. David succeeds Jason Tong, who served as the Company's interim CFO and who will remain with the Company as the corporate controller.David brings more than 25 years of experience as a financial executive with a strong background in international mining, construction, and asset-management. He has advised and led financial strategy and operations for companies at various stages of growth and currently resides in Lima, Peru."We are delighted to welcome David as our new CFO," said Silver X CEO Jose M. Garcia. "His expertise in international mining and his impressive track record in strategic financial management will be essential as we expand our operations in Peru and refine our growth strategies. We are confident that David's leadership will be integral in our ongoing efforts to become a leading silver producer." About David Gleit Prior to joining Silver X, David served as an independent consultant, advising companies on strategic planning, finance, and administration. He previously held the position of CFO at Sierra Sun Group, a privately held group of Peruvian mining companies.David also served as CFO and corporate strategy & risk officer at STRACON, a Peruvian-based provider of integrated mining and construction services throughout the Americas. At Volcan Compania Minera, one of the world's leading producers of silver & zinc, David served as Corporate Development Officer, responsible for Volcan's growth strategy, including M&A. David became the investor relations officer for Volcan, developing the Company's first investor relations department, receiving top IR honours by Institutional Investor magazine readers in 2015 and 2017.David holds an MBA in Finance from Drexel University and a BA from the University of Vermont. He is certified in NI 43-101 Technical Reports for Mining Projects and IFRS Accounting for Mining. David was both a director and founding member of CFA Society Peru and is a member of the Institute of Mining Engineers of Peru.About Silver X Mining Corp. Silver X Mining Corp. is a premier silver mining company with a focus on exploration, development, and production in South America. Our flagship asset, the Nueva Recuperada Silver District in Peru, is positioned in a prolific silver-producing region, with extensive high-grade silver, gold, lead, and zinc mineralization. Our mission is to deliver outstanding value to stakeholders through sustainable and socially responsible mining practices.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Jose M. Garcia, CEO and DirectorFor further information, please contact: Susan XuInvestor Relations778-323-0959 ir@ silverxmining.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation ("forward-looking information"). 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 acts, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". All information contained in this press release, other than statements of current and historical fact, is forward-looking information. Forward-looking information contained in this press release may include, without limitation, exploration plans, results of operations, expected performance at the Project, the Company's belief that the Tangana system will provide considerable resource expansion potential, that the Company will be able to mine the Tangana Mining Unit in an economic manner, and the expected financial performance of the Company.The following are some of the assumptions upon which forward-looking information is based: that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner; demand for, and stable or improving price for the commodities we produce; receipt of regulatory and governmental approvals, permits and renewals in a timely manner; that the Company will not experience any material accident, labour dispute or failure of plant or equipment or other material disruption in the Company's operations at the Project and Nueva Recuperada Plant; the availability of financing for operations and development; the Company's ability to procure equipment and operating supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis; that the estimates of the resources at the Project and the geological, operational and price assumptions on which these and the Company's operations are based are within reasonable bounds of accuracy (including with respect to size, grade and recovery); the Company's ability to attract and retain skilled personnel and directors; and the ability of management to execute strategic goals.Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to those risks described in the Company's annual and interim MD&As and in its public documents filed onsedarplus.ca from time to time. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.SOURCE: Silver X Mi
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 05:18:53

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 970 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

~20koz Au shallow Mineral Resources with further extension potentialADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA / ACCESSWIRE / July 2, 2024 / Barton Gold Holdings LimitedHIGHLIGHTSTarcoola JORC (2012) Mineral Resources increased to ~20koz @ ~2 g/t Au at PerseveranceResources within 60 - 80 metres of open pit floor, with potential depth / strike extensionsFig 1 - Plan view showing Perseverance open pit JORC MRE outline and key geological controlsBarton Gold Holdings Limited (ASX:BGD),(FRA:BGD3),(OTCQB:BGDFF) ( Barton or Company ) is pleased to confirm an updated Mineral Resources Estimate for its South Australian Tarcoola Gold Project ( Tarcoola ).Approximately 1,688m of recent Barton drilling has delivered an updated JORC (2012) Mineral Resources Estimate (MRE) of 19.9koz Au within 60 - 80m of the Perseverance Mine open pit floor. The total Tarcoola MRE is now 29.5koz Au (0.54Mt @ 1.70 g/t Au) , with ~45% classified as Indicated' category, including 9.6koz Au contained in lower-grade existing stockpiles next to the Perseverance Mine.Commenting on the Perseverance Mine's JORC MRE update, Barton MD Alex Scanlon said:"This is an excellent starting point for the second phase of our regional strategy. Tarcoola now holds ~530,000 tonnes of JORC Resources in stockpiles and in the pit floor, with potential extensions, on an existing Mining Lease."With an existing fully permitted mill, even minor pit extensions can offer high-value ounces. We plan to continue incrementally building these Resources while testing priority regional targets for new Tarcoola mineralisation." Background & Recent DrillingThe historical Tarcoola Goldfield produced ~77koz Au at an average grade of ~37.5 g/t during 1893 - 1955 from shallow workings on Barton's Mining Lease 6455, and a small open pit mine (Perseverance) produced ore grading 2 - 4 g/t Au to Barton's Central Gawler Mill during 2016 - 2018. [1] Notwithstanding this ~130 year history, relatively little has been historically invested to evaluate the goldfield's architecture or locating prospective repeats' of shallow, high-grade mineralisation in the surrounding area.Barton's regional development strategy is to establish large-scale, bulk open pit mineralisation combined with nearby higher-grade blending feed to realise the benefits of economies of scale, and to potentially support an early Stage 1' operation leveraging the existing Central Gawler Mill to process these materials.Barton has rapidly grown the neighbouring Tunkillia Gold Project ( Tunkillia ) to a JORC MRE of 1.5Moz Au (51.3Mt @ 0.91 g/t Au) over the past two years. [2] A preliminary Scoping Study is now underway to test a prospective 5Mtpa processing model, and to identify key cost drivers for subsequent optimisation.Barton is now evaluating the Tarcoola Goldfield for potential higher-grade mineralisation. In December 2023 and April 2024 Barton drilled 1,688m (26 holes) in the Perseverance pit floor, confirming high-grade extensions of pit floor mineralisation grading up to ~12 g/t Au, and new structures below the open pit. [3]Barton has remodelled the open pit mineralisation to include these recent drilling results, and has also identified extensions for additional investigation and further potential JORC MRE growth.Fig 2 - Tarcoola Gold Project map showing ML6455 and priority western targets' zoneUpdated Tarcoola Block Model & MREUpdated modelling shows two key areas where mineralisation has been converted to an updated JORC MRE in the north and central open pit floor areas. The updated MRE has been estimated to 25mRL only, with all JORC Resources within 60 - 80 metres of the southern and northern pit floor areas (respectively).Mineralisation also extends below the new MRE, and into the Deliverance zone south of the pit (see Figure 3). These areas are not yet JORC classified and present opportunities for further drilling and MRE growth.Fig 3 - Long Section showing updated Perseverance MRE and unclassified mineralised extensionsFig 4 - Hole TBM0109 showing Granite Vein extensions in the north end of the Perseverance Mine[4] Updated Tarcoola JORC MRE StatementThe Tarcoola JORC MRE was last estimated during November 2020. [5]Further to the updated Perseverance Mine JORC MRE detailed in this announcement, Tarcoola's overall Mineral Resource endowment has grown by ~87% to a total 29.5koz Au (0.54Mt @ 1.70 g/t Au).The updated Tarcoola JORC MRE (as at June 2024) is shown below at Table 1.Table 1 - Tarcoola MRE (June 2024)The previously reported Tarcoola MRE (as at November 2020) is shown below at Table 2.Table 2 - Tarcoola MRE (November 2020) 9Ongoing Tarcoola Goldfield DrillingBarton's December 2023 and April 2024 drilling program was the first since the Company published a new regional architectural map of the Tarcoola Goldfield following two years of geophysical investigation in parallel with its Tunkillia growth drilling programs. [6]This modelling has identified multiple local structures analogous to the structure which hosts the Perseverance Mine and is the first time in the ~130 year history of the Tarcoola Goldfield that all known historical gold occurrences can be put into a consistent structure framework.Following the completion of open pit drilling at the Perseverance Mine, Barton commenced a ~7,000m reverse circulation ( RC ) drilling program as a preliminary test of multiple interpreted priority targets, including Tolmer, Mulgathing and Warburton. [7]The objective of this program is to test for the existence of interpreted structures, validate and refine new methodologies and techniques that Barton is developing for exploration under cover in the region, and to define a new regional structural model. Barton also hopes to identify new potential sources of higher-grade mineralisation similar to that produced in the area of and surrounding the Perseverance Mine.This program was subsequently expanded to ~9,000m and remains ongoing. The program is anticipated to complete during July 2024. Certain priority samples dispatched to Barton lab services provider for fire assay analyses and Barton expects to publish the results of all drilling during July and August 2024. [8]Fig 5 - Interpreted 3D architecture of the historical high-grade Tarcoola Goldfield [9] Updated Global Barton JORC MRE StatementFurther to the updated MRE detailed in this announcement for the Perseverance Mine, Barton's total attributable JORC (2012) Mineral Resource endowment has grown by approximately 1% to a total 1,588koz Au (52.3Mt @ 0.94 g/t Au). Table 3 below provides the full details of Barton's global MRE endowment.Table 3 - Barton Global JORC MRE Inventory (June 2024)Mineral
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 18:18:58

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 333 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 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. www.schallfirm.com Office: 310-301-3335 info@ schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 19:30:37

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 518 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

VRCCO veterinarians serve beer at Ponch's Place for "Meet the Vet" nightsBEND, OR / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / The veterinarians at the Veterinary Referral Center of Central Oregon have received advanced training in a range of different specialties, however, one particular subject may come as a surprise. A group of veterinarians recently completed a course to receive their Oregon alcohol servers permit in order to tend bar at Ponch's Place, VRCCO's beer and food truck pavilion.You may be wondering why this hospital or these veterinarians have a desire to serve beer. You can find the answer straight from the company's core values: personalized experience, beyond expectations, one team, compassion and education. Interestingly, their participation at Ponch's Place connects to each one of these values.Ponch's Place and VRCCO plan to hold "meet the vet" nights: Doctor Rounds at Ponch's Placethroughout the year to benefit their Care Fund. Proceeds of the beer poured will go toward providing medical services to Central Oregon's pets that are in need of financial support. VRCCO started this fund from a place of compassion. Using their one team mentality, their staff is determined to help this initiative succeed. The more awareness and support they can achieve, the more animals will benefit from their work.Ponch's Place provides VRCCO the opportunity to educate the public about their philanthropic efforts. Additionally, "meet the vet" nights will offer educational opportunities and a chance for pet parents to ask questions about the hospital and the services their organization provides.VRCCO understands that the relationship between a parent and a veterinarian is often made through stressful experiences with their pets. Ponch's Place gives VRCCO the ability to create these experiences that hopefully exceed expectations, eliminate stress, and allow pet parents to enjoy some time (over a beer) with their veterinarian.Ponch's Place was also created as a space for their team and the community to gather and connect. Doctor Rounds at Ponch's Place is a way to strengthen this connection and provide more personalized experiences with VRCCO. The Veterinary Referral Center feels fortunate to have the ability to create these unique events that will foster the relationships they hope to build in Central Oregon.VRCCO hopes that you will come out to "meet the vet" for the nextDoctor Rounds at Ponch's Placeon Thursday, July 18, 2024, from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. during trivia night with QuizHead Games.TheVeterinary Referral Center of Central Oregonoffers the most advanced emergency and specialty care options to members of the Central Oregon community and beyond. TheVRCCO Care Fund uses 100% of its funds to provide financial assistance to pet parents facing financial hardship in their community. The funds raised will provide medical services to the neglected, abused and financially constrained animals with otherwise good prognoses that find their way into the VRCCO Emergency and Specialty Hospital. To learn more about this initiative, to donate or attend VRCCO's annual gala, please visit: www.vrcvet.com/donations Contact InformationKatie SedivecMarketing Directormarketing@ vrcvet.com 541-209-6960SOURCE: Veterinary Referral Center of Central OregonView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-03 23:17:10

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 379 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

Jason McNary joins WOC Retail Alliance's board as the first male member, leveraging 25+ years in global fashion to advance equity and leadership for women of color.NEW ALBANY, OH / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2024 / WOC Retail Alliance (WOCRA), a global non-profit organization focusing on closing the leadershipand pay gap for women of color in the retail industry, today announced the addition of Jason McNary to its Board of Directors.McNary, a renowned entrepreneurial and Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) expert, becomes the first man to join WOCRA's board. WOCRA retained Avant Executive Search, a global executive recruiting firm based in Atlanta, GA, to conduct the search to fill the organization's open board seat. "We are thrilled to welcome Jason to our Board of Directors," said Kimberly Lee Minor, CEO of WOCRA. "His board experience and his strategic acumen will be invaluable as we continue our mission to ensure women of color to thrive and succeed in the retail industry." McNary brings over 25 years of global fashion experience to the board. He currently serves as CEO - North America at PDPAOLA. His previous roles include President at Brandon Blackwood, CEO of UNOde50, and President at agnes b. McNary has also held executive positions with Hoss Intropia, B.C.B.G. Max Azria, and Abercrombie & Fitch. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, McNary has served as CEO and President in the Americas, leading commercial strategies and retail organizations from Canada to Brazil and the Caribbean.His expertise spans retail, e-commerce, wholesale, franchise, travel, and licensing across all categories. "I am honored to join the WOCRA Board of Directors," said McNary. "I look forward to contributing to the organization's important work in advancing leadership and financial equity in the retail industry." McNary also serves on the Board of Directors for Faherty Brand, Calypso St. Barth, and Ansea.About WOC Retail Alliance (WOCRA) is aglobal non-profit organization dedicated to training, development, advocacy, and enablementto ensure that women of color have opportunities to thrive and succeed in the retail industry. WOCRA focuses on closing the leadership and pay gap while creating a supportive community for women in the retail sector.For more information, please contact:Jennifer Peterson (jenniferpeterson09@ gmail.com) WOC Retail Alliance info@ wocretailalliance.org SOURCE: Women of Color Retail Alliance
dLocal, a leading cross-border payment platform specialising in emerging markets, on Tuesday announced a strategic partnership with Wakanow Group.

This partnership, according to the company, aims to streamline and simplify cross-border payments for Wakanows customers throughout Africa, supporting the companys expansion into new African markets.

Founded in 2008, Wakanow is a prominent online travel agency (OTA) based in Nigeria, widely recognised as one of the leading travel service providers in Africa.

Currently valued at nearly $13 trillion, the global travel industry sees only 30 per cent of its bookings in Africa conducted online, considerably lower than the global average of 50 per cent. Wakanow is at the forefront of changing this dynamic in a market with significant growth potential, the company said in a statement.

This collaboration, according to the company, will allow Wakanow customers throughout Africa to pay in their local currencies or preferred payment methods.

It added that the partnership is set to broaden Wakanows operational footprint across the continent, enhancing payment flexibility and accessibility for African travellers.

The statement explained that the partnership was facilitated by Wakanows travel fintech subsidiary, Kalabash, dedicated to revolutionising the payment experience within the travel industry across Africa.

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 partnership has already facilitated dLocal-powered payments in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Tanzania, with further expansion plans, including South Africa, in the pipeline.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of Wakanow, Bayo Adedeji, said: When we sought a payment solution that could handle the complexities of African travel markets, dLocal was a clear choice.

Their strong presence and expertise within the continent, alongside their scalable solutions, made them an ideal partner. We are eager to accelerate our growth with the support of dLocals robust platform and team, he said.

Ladi Ojuri, chief executive officer of Kalabash, said: This partnership marks a pivotal moment for Kalabash as we enhance our capabilities to serve not only the Nigerian market but the broader African market with cutting-edge payment solutions.

Working with dLocal enables us to offer a more seamless and efficient transaction experience, which is fundamental as we push the boundaries of what is possible in travel finance and tech.

Agustin Botta, head of EMEA from dLocal, said the partnership with the Wakanow Group presents an exciting opportunity.

As Wakanow continues to dominate the travel industry in Africa, and particularly Nigeria, our collaboration will serve as a pivotal bridge between the continent and the global economy.

Offering local payment options not only simplifies transactions but also makes global travel more accessible and convenient for millions across Africa, enhancing the customer experience and opening up new markets for business.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued an alert over the unauthorised production and sale of an unregistered drug in the country.

The product name is B-GAG Healthy Medicine with batch number 0070.

According to NAFDAC, the product was detected during surveillance activities in Maiduguri, Borno State, and Keffi, Nasarawa State.

NCDC in a statement on Tuesday said the medicine by Babban Agalawa General Enterprises has not been approved by the agency.

NAFDAC noted that the product was found to be without an assigned registration number and with misleading labelling information.

It added that the product may pose potential health risks to consumers, urging the public to exercise caution and avoid using the unregistered medicine.

Call to action

NAFDAC has, therefore, urged all zonal directors and state coordinators to launch a comprehensive surveillance operation to identify and confiscate illegal medicines across 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

The statement noted that the coordinated effort aims to rid the market of unregistered medicines and ensure public safety.

Consumers and caregivers are hereby advised to exercise caution and vigilance to avoid the use of the product. All medical products must be obtained from authorised/licensed suppliers, NAFDAC noted in the statement.

The products authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked. Healthcare professionals and consumers are advised to report any suspicion of the sale of substandard and falsified medicines or medical devices to the nearest NAFDAC office.

Falsified injection

Recently, NAFDAC issued an alert over a falsified batch of Giga-S injection identified in Aba, Abia State.

It noted that the falsified product was purchased from a renowned store located at Ariara Market in the southeastern state.

READ ALSO: NAFDAC shuts 100 shops in Enugu market

According to the agency, the Giga -S injection Ceftriaxone + Sulbactam Inj.1.5g IM/IV is indicated for the treatment of severe infections because of susceptible organisms, including septicemia, pneumonia, and meningitis.

NAFDAC noted that it is essential to detect and remove the product, which may have been distributed to other parts of the country, from circulation to prevent harm to patients.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Nurses and midwives in Oyo State on Wednesday insisted that their ongoing strike would not be called off until their demands were met by the state government.

Samuel Adeyemi, chairman of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan, said there was no going back on the industrial action.

NAN reports that the nurses and midwives in the state government-owned hospitals and health centres began an indefinite strike on 21 May.

NAN also reports that the industrial action has been taking its toll on patients, who throng the hospitals without nurses and midwives to attend to them.

NANNMs demands include urgent mass recruitment of nurses and midwives and correction of the wrong notional date on the promotion letters of members who were due in 2017/2018.

Others are the adoption and implementation of lateral conversion/career progression for nurses, as it is in other states of the federation.

The association is also demanding payment of withheld 2011 salary arrears, which, according to it, had been paid to other workers.

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

Mr Adeyemi, however, maintained that the indefinite strike would continue until Gov. Seyi Makinde took appropriate action.

Thats the decision of our congress since there is absolutely none of our agitations met, aside the advertisement of recruitment of nurses which could be a delay tactics.

This is like one or two out of the eight items; even the advert has not culminated in employment.

You can imagine the kind of society we are living in. No respect for human life. Strike in the health industry means a lot and will never be allowed in civilised countries.

But the adverse is the case here. In conclusion, our indefinite strike continues, Adeyemi said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the State Hospitals Management Board (SHMB), Akin Fagbemi, said that recruitment was a key area of demand from the striking nurses.

Mr Fagbemi recalled that in 2020, the state government recruited health workers in the state and the board had been given the directive to do replacements if there were vacancies.

He said that an advert had been within the public place to recruit competent hands, including doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and physiotherapists, among others.

The SHMB chairman appealed to the striking nurses and midwives to call off their strike in the interest of the people of the state.

The recruitment of healthcare workers in the state is a continuous process and before the end of the year, the board will look at the gaps in the hospitals and do the needful, Mr Fagbemi said.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Senators from the South-east have met with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to demand the release of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu.

The senators made the call on Wednesday in Abuja during their close-door meeting with Mr Fagbemi.

The senators, numbering 15, were led by Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South).

They claimed that unless Mr Kanu were released, social and economic activities in the South-east region would continue to be stagnant.

The senators handed over their letter of appeal for the release to Mr Fagbemi for onward transmission to President Bola Tinubu.

Mr Abaribe, a former deputy governor of Abia State, who spoke to journalists on behalf of his colleagues, lamented that the economy and social life in the South-east had suffered enough due to the continued incarceration of the Biafra nation agitator.

He noted with grave concern that the peaceful demand of the detained IPOB leader had been hijacked by hoodlums and hardened criminals, leading to wanton killings of innocent people, including security operatives.

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

Mr Abaribe said he had already met with Mr Kanu at the headquarters of the State Security Service (SSS) and that Mr Kanu had agreed to abide by any conditional release.

He expressed optimism that once Mr Kanu is released, the tension and acrimonies engulfing the South-east region since 2021 when he was clamped into SSS custody would become a thing of the past.

The senators, therefore, pleaded with the AGF to convey their message to President Tinubu and for the AGF to use his position to terminate all charges brought against the IPOB leader by the federal government.

They said that virtually all political leaders, religious leaders and stakeholders have unanimously agreed that Mr Kanu be released for peace to bounce back to the region.

It would be recalled that Mr Kanu was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 by the federal government and brought to the country for trial on terrorism charges.

Although he pleaded not guilty to the charges, Binta Nyako, a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, declined to admit him to bail on the ground that he had earlier jumped bail in which Mr Abaribe was his surety.

Mr Kanu has been in the custody of the SSS on the orders of the court.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Jimoh Ibrahim, has said there are over 277 guns within the National Assembly and the Presidential Villa.

Mr Ibrahim disclosed this during the plenary on Wednesday when he was contributing to a motion sponsored by the Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, on the recent bombings in Gwoza town of Borno State.

The senator explained that he has an application on his mobile phone which can detect the number of guns within his jurisdictions.

He did not, however, mention those bearing the guns.

I dont want to take much of your time but I will say clearly it costs nothing for the intelligent army to get devices in their phone to know where these notorious criminals live.

As I am here, I check my phone regularly and I know the number of guns that are very close to me here. This is just less than one thousand installations. Within us now, there are over 277 guns around here just because an armoury is close to this place, he said.

He advised the Nigerian military to adopt the use of technology rather than deploying officers to crime scenes.

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

So, what I am saying is, with technology, just like distinguished Senator Ndume had said, to deploy technology rather than using soldiers.

How to track guns with bullets

While Mr Ibrahim was speaking, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, interrupted him and asked how one could determine whether the detected guns had bullets.

Do you know out of the 277 guns around you here now, do you know how many of them have bullets inside? Mr Akpabio asked.

The senator laughed and said there was a probability that half of the guns would be equipped with bullets.

Mr Senate President, we can actually do a probability, if we have 277 guns close to you within the radius of one kilometre, there is a probability that half of them have bullets and that is dangerous and we need to find out the source of those guns but because I can locate that the armoury close to us and very close to the villa , then I can understand that we are safe, he said.

Conventional war

Mr Ibrahim, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) urged the military to prioritise the use of technology in tracking criminals and their hideouts.

I want to say very clearly that the military should stop using unconventional strategies to fight insurgency in Nigeria. There is a distinction between unconventional and conventional strategy. We need to use conventional strategy to fight unconventional war. Boko Haram is an unconventional war.

We are all aware of what happened in Kenya. We cannot close our eyes, we need to wake up. So, I will finally suggest to you, Mr Senate President and my distinguished colleagues that this Senate under your leadership must have a closed-door meeting for one day and then use that whole day to discuss security matters.

Our lives are very important. Living with insecurity cannot be the only way to understand security, we should not get to that.

How can you be going for a wedding and somebody just put a bomb to attack you and people started dying. It is uncalled for, it is rejected in totality of its formulation.

The proliferation, circulation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons in the country in recent years are alarming. There have been killings in different regions of the country. Civilians and security operatives have been victims of these killings.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The House of Representatives has called on all stakeholders to submit memoranda for consideration on the ongoing process of restructuring government agencies by the House.

Ibrahim Isiaka (APC-Ogun), chairman Special Committee on Restructuring of Federal Agencies and Commissions, made the call on Tuesday at a news conference in Abuja.

Mr Isiaka also invited all interested individuals and organisations to a public hearing on the Oronsaye Report and other related matters on Wednesday 10 July.

He said the hearing will hold in hearing room Room 0. 28, New Building Extension of the House of Representatives.

The lawmaker said all memoranda should be submitted to the Clerk of the Committee, Kwayama Jehu, at Room HB40A, White House, National Assembly Complex.

Mr Isiaka said the world is evolving rapidly, and government agencies and commissions needed to be structured to enable them to deliver on their mandates effectively and efficiently.

He said, We aim to identify redundancies, duplicate government agencies and commissions needed to federal government agencies and commissions.

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 legislator said there was a pressing need to review the Oronsaye report and all other white papers on the restructuring of federal government agencies, parastatals, and commissions.

Mr Isiaka recalled that the Oronsaye report, which was published in 2012, highlighted various recommendations aimed at rationalising and optimising the operations of government agencies to enhance efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

It is imperative for us to make recommendations of the Oronsaye report and other pertinent white papers to ensure that we are aligning our government structures with current realities, best practices, and the changing needs of our society.

Our goal is to apply the legislative approach in streamlining operations, eliminate duplication of functions, enhance service delivery, and optimise resource allocation.

This review will be comprehensive, taking into cognisance the diverse perspectives and expertise available to us.

We acknowledge the importance of stakeholder engagement in this process, and we will be seeking input from various stakeholders, including government officials, civil society experts, organisations, and the general public.

Transparency, accountability, and inclusivity will be the guiding principles of our review process, he said.

He said the committee is committed to fostering a more efficient, effective, and responsive government that meets the needs of the Nigerian people.

President Bola Tinubu had in February directed the implementation of the Oronsaye Report.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Director of the Primary Health Care (PHC) in Nangere Local Government Area of Yobe State, Ibrahim Lawan, has accepted responsibility for the diversion of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) under his care.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the states PHC Board had suspended Mr Lawal for diverting and misusing the food supplements.

Adamu Abba, the boards spokesperson, who announced the suspension on Wednesday in Damaturu, said that a five-member committee had been set up to investigate the matter.

But while reacting to the allegations in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Lawan said he and some staffers of the PHC actually tampered with the therapeutic food supplements.

Actually, I and some of my staffers have tampered with some of the therapeutic food supplements, but the quantity is not as much as they are alleging.

The allegation was that I diverted about 120 cartons. This is not true.

However, I take responsibility for all that happened since I was the leader at the time.

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 am appealing to the state government to temper justice with mercy, since I have cooperated and made investigation easier for them, he said

NAN reports that the PHC board, while announcing Mr Lawans indefinite suspension, named Ibrahim Disa as acting director of the PHC in Nangere pending the outcome of the investigation.

The investigation committee is also expected to recommend a strategy for ensuring accountability in the distribution of supplements and other medical consumables.

NAN reports that RUTF is a packaged highly nutritious food supplement used in treating severe and acute malnourished children.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Omar Touray, says the bloc is planning a special summit on the future of regional integration to address the subregions multifaceted challenges.

Mr Touray announced this at the 52nd Ordinary Session of ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said the summit was necessitated by the challenges of development and the rapidly changing geo-strategic and geo-political environment, which complicate regional cohesion and integration processes.

As we commemorate the 49th anniversary of our collective regional integration project, our region is still confronted with multiple interlocking threats, including existential ones, posing significant challenges.

The Sahel faces climate and man-made crises, leading to terrorism and violent extremism, while the Gulf of Guinea faces illegal fishing, drug trafficking, and dumping of toxic waste; thus, affecting livelihoods.

Governance deficits and marginalization have strained social contracts, engendering bitter political rivalries, resource competition, organised crime and violence.

The commission has, in light of the foregoing, commenced technical preparations towards the holding of an inclusive Special Summit on the Future of Regional Integration in West Africa, 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 commissions president said that ECOWAS ambassadors had earlier met on 29 June 2024 at the Mediation and Security Council session to discuss the subregions security situation.

He said that the ambassadors also deliberated on the efforts being undertaken by the commission at the political, security, humanitarian and preventive diplomacy levels, as well as the summits agenda.

Mr Touray said that the summit would consider the report of the meeting of the 40th MSC at the Ambassadorial Level and the memorandum on the political, peace and security situations in the subregion.

He said the summit would also consider the memorandum on the operationalisation of the ECOWAS security architecture and the presentation of the report of the meeting of ministers of finance and defence, among other things.

Mr Touray expressed confidence that the deliberations at the summit would contribute to informed conclusions and constructive recommendations for the consideration of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Isaac Umurie, a priest in the Anglican Church has been killed by his son in Delta State, South-south Nigeria.

The deceased was one of the ministers attached to St. Johns Anglican Church Okpare-Olumu in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.

The cleric was hacked to death in his sleep, early on Wednesday by his 28-year-old son, Ufuoma Umurie, Punch newspaper reported.

Bright Edafe, the police in the state confirmed the incident to Punch newspaper. Mr Edafe, a superintendent of police, told the newspaper the suspect is in custody and would be prosecuted.

The incident, according to the newspaper, occurred around 2 a.m., with the suspects mother narrowly escaping being killed along with her husband.

The suspect is said to have used a cutlass to hack his fathers skull and other parts of the body while he was still sleeping before neighbours and church members gained access to the apartment.

It is not clear why the suspect committed the crime but a source told the Punch that the suspect was mentally unstable and that the incident was the second time he would attack his father.

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

During the first attack, according to the source, it took the intervention of the community vigilante group for the suspect to stop beating his father. The father, after the incident, pleaded that the community should not report his sons action to the police.

The incident occurred about two weeks after the police in the state declared a father wanted for allegedly killing his six-year-old daughter.

The suspect, Stanley Overmureye, fled the scene to escape arrest after committing the crime, PREMIUM TIMES reported.

This newspaper, three months ago, reported a similar incident, in Abia State, South-east Nigeria, where a 70-year-old man was arrested for allegedly killing his son over food.

Theophilus Udeh shot dead his 27-year-old son, Sunday, for eating food apparently meant for him (the father).

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has taken over the prosecution of Polaris Bank and a staff member, Chinenye Duru, for alleged N16.5 billion fraud.

The office of the Inspector General of Police, which filed the case in December 2023, accused Polaris Bank and Mr Duru of fraudulently diverting over N16.5 billion from a customers various accounts within nearly eight years.

The police identified the bank customer and the victim of the alleged crime as Onukogu Victor Hezekiah, the spiritual head of the Living Christ Mission Church, Onitsha, Anambra State, South-east Nigeria.

According to the prosecution, the defendants diverted the money from Mr Hezekiahs accounts between 2017 and 2023, while Mr Duru served as the customers account officer. Mr Hezekiah is fondly called Daddy Hezkiah by his followers.

A lawyer from the AGF office, V.J. Alma, informed the trial judge, Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that Mr Fagbemi directed the takeover of the case from the police in the exercise of his powers as the AGF under Section 174(1)(b) of the Nigerian constitution.

Mr Alma did not give any reason for the AGF offices decision to take over the case.

We have written a letter to the Nigerian police notifying them of this position and requesting the original case file in a letter dated 29 May 2024, the lawyer said. We are still waiting for the original case file.

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

Mr Ekwo asked Mr Alma if the AGF office had written to the court about the development, and the lawyer responded in affirmative.

Mr Alma urged the court to fix the matter for trial on a date after the about-to-commence annual vacation of judges.

The judge then told Mr Durus lawyer, Chidi Ezenwafor, to advise Polaris Bank, the 1st defendant in the case, to engage a lawyer to represent it in the case.

Mr Ekwo postponed the hearing in the case till 18 and 19 November for trial.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Inspector-General of Police arraigned Mr Duru on 11 counts on 19 January.

He pleaded not guilty to the counts.

The judge remanded Mr Duru in a correctional facility pending the hearing of his bail application.

Polaris Bank Plc and Mr Duru are the first and the 2nd defendants in the case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/603/2023.

Charges

In the charges, the prosecution accused Polaris Bank and Mr Duru of fraudulently withdrawing N16.5 billion from Mr Hezekiahs account numbers 1040495455 and 1060104735 between 17 November 2017 and 14 August 2023.

Within the same period, the prosecution alleged that the defendants also fraudulently withdrew N75.534 million from the customers other account, 4010023601.

According to the prosecution, the defendants also fraudulently withdrew N13.3 million from the customers account number 40910106770 and N16.3 million from his other account number 411054152 within the same period.

The charges said the defendants withdrew the money without authorisation from the owner of the accounts with the intent of converting it for their personal use.

The police charged the offences under sections 18 (2) and 21 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022. Some of the offences are punishable under section 18(3) of the money laundering law, the police said.

(NAN)

.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Senate on Tuesday called on the management of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) to make details of possible flooding in different parts of the country available to Nigerians.

The call was a sequel to a motion sponsored by Fasuyi Oluwole (APC, Ekiti North) during the plenary.

Mt Oluwole, while presenting his motion, complained that flood had wreaked havoc on the Ipao, Itapaju and Oke-Ako communities in the Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

He said many of the residents are now facing untold hardship after the flood had destroyed their homes and businesses.

The lawmaker also noted that NiMet and other relevant government agencies failed to issue a warning to the residents before the flood occurred.

Mr Oluwole thereafter demanded that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster, Management and Social Development and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) send relief materials to the flood victims.

He also asked the upper chamber to mandate its Committees on Environment and Legislative Compliance to ensure strict compliance with the resolution.

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

Contributions

The majority of the senators who contributed to the motion supported it.

Ide Dafinone (Delta Central) seconded the motion

Mr Dafinone, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said when NiMet failed to issue flood warnings for his constituency, he wrote the agency requesting to know if there would be flooding.

He accused the NiMet officials of demanding a sum of N3 million from him before the flooding predictions could be issued.

I took it upon myself to write them to ask for the following: Weather forecast and predictions relating to Delta Central; historical data on flooding incidents in the region; recommendations and strategies for flood preparedness.

I was to receive a reply from NiMet asking me to pay a sum of N3 million to get that information.

I want to suggest here that when we get to the prayers, additional prayers should be raised to reflect that NiMet should be required to make all flooding warnings available to the public and then specifically to the state governments so that they can adequately prepare for the potential victims of flooding, Mr Dafinone said.

Joel Thomas (Delta South) said flooding has caused disaster in many parts of the country.

The issue of flooding has become a perennial disaster. Government agencies must be proactive and up-to-date in providing information for people to get ready. 

READ ALSO: How soldiers killed two local security guards in Enugu Senate panel

After the contributions, the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary, put the motion to vote, and the majority of the senators supported it through voice votes.

Mr Jibrin thereafter directed NiMet to immediately make flooding predictions in different parts of the country available to the people.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The House of Representatives has resolved to probe alleged exploitative and predatory pricing practices against Nigerian businesses by foreign multinationals operating in Nigeria.

The House also asked the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to immediately halt the unfair business practices perpetrated by some foreign businesses operating in Nigeria.

The decision to embark on the probe followed a motion moved by Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos) on Tuesday during plenary.

Moving the motion, Mr Benson stated that international business ethics and standards require businesses to operate in a fair, healthy, and efficient manner while ensuring competitive trade practices at home and abroad. However, some of these companies have not been doing that.

He cited the example of Air Peace Airline at Gatwick Airport in the UK and the recent allegation by Dangote Oil Refinery and Petrochemicals Company against international oil companies.

Prior to the commencement of the Lagos-London route by Air Peace Airlines for below N1 million, foreign airlines like British Airways and Ethiopian Airlines sold their one-way air tickets for as high as N4 million. As soon as Air Peace Airlines commenced the sale of their tickets at a lower price, other airlines dropped their prices far below that of Air Peace Airlines, he said.

The House mandated the Committees on Aviation, Commerce, Petroleum (Upstream and Downstream), and Foreign Affairs to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged predatory pricing practices.

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 addition, the House asked the committees to investigate the alleged unethical business competitive behaviours by foreign airlines and IOCs and report within four weeks for further legislative action.

The House also mandated the Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.

The motion was adopted unanimously when it was put to vote by the presiding officer, Deputy Speaker Ben Kalu.

Motion amid mass exit of companies from Nigeria

This motion is coming amid what has been termed a mass exodus by multinationals in Nigeria.

In the last couple of years, the number of companies that have closed their shops in Nigeria has increased.

The companies have cited the devaluation of the naira and the increased cost of operations for their exit.

In August 2023, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Nigeria Plc, the second-biggest drug producer in Nigeria, ceased operation in the country by terminating its marketing and distribution agreement and appointed third-party distributors to sell their medications and vaccines.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the exit of US consumer goods powerhouse Procter & Gamble (P&G) from Nigeria in 2023.

P&G, the maker of iconic brands including Pampers, Gillette, Ariel, Always, and Oral-B, could incur charges anywhere between $1 billion and $1.5 billion after-tax from restructuring its operations in Nigeria and Argentina, two markets where the business has been problematic for the corporation.

READ ALSO: Reps to organise a public hearing on the Oronsaye report

In March 2023, Unilever announced an end to the production of its homecare and skin-cleansing products in the country because those categories were margin dilutive, and the decision needed to be taken to make its Nigerian operation profitable.

There are two different committees of the House probing the exit of these companies from Nigeria.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Ireti Kingibe is the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and currently one of the only four female senators in the 10th National Assembly.

The senator has recently been in the news due to a heated rift with the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike. Mr Wike has gone as far as threatening to block her reelection in 2027, adding a twist to the political saga.

On Monday, she spoke with ARISE TVs Reuben Abati in an interview, during which she talked extensively about the rift between her and the FCT minister.

During the 26-minute interview, Ms Kingibe, 70, dwelt on how Mr Wike has overlooked the priority needs of the bulk of FCT people partly due to a lack of communication between her and the minister. She highlighted how this discord impacts her activities in the Senate.

She assessed President Bola Tinubus administrations performance since his inauguration last year and suggested putting legislation in place to boost womens participation in politics in Nigeria.

Falmata Daniel and Fortune Ose Eromonsele of PREMIUM TIMES bring you a transcript of the interview:

ARISE TV: Since you won your election to be the senator of the Federal Republic, one persistent complaint has been that you are not allowed to represent your people. As recently as about a week ago Senator Godswill Akpabio had to remind you that if you wanted to make a contribution to the budget for the FCT you needed to go through the process by serving a motion or notice and then raising objections, rather for you to just complain that you are being sidelined. You know you didnt follow the process. So why would anyone sideline you, when you are representing your people who voted for you.

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

Senator Kingibe: Well, Reuben the truth is that I did go through the process but at this point in time I think that since we are in the process of discussion and sorting it out, I would like us to leave that and go to how my constituency is being marginalised generally.

FCT has the unique situation of having the president as the de-facto governor of the federal capital territory and he administers that territory through a minister and one elected senator and two House of Reps members; also, all members of the National Assembly because they are, in fact, the equivalent of the state assemblies for the Federal Capital Territory. They are also responsible for ensuring that the rights of the people of the FCT are maintained, just like any other state assembly.

So, it is not just that, but because I am the highest elected official in the FCT, everything that happens in the FCT the people complain to me and expect me to go through whatever authorities I need to, to get it sorted out.

A few days ago, there was a fire in Abuja, it was me they told. This is what we need, this is what must be done, you must get the minister to do this, ABCD.

In the past, that arrangement has always worked very well. But it has not been so seamless with the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. I am not sure why, but he has said that I claim that I am the senator of the FCT.

ARISE TV: You claim, or you are?

Senator Kingibe: Thats what he says. I am the senator, but he said in interviews that I claim that I am the senator of the FCT, and he is not obliged to deal with me. But I am saying that by sections 122 and 124 of the Evidence Act, he is bound by the judicial notice of the occupier of the seat of the senator of the FCT.

I am also saying that section 24 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, imbues on him a duty, that is, the honourable minister, (I am not calling any names because anybody who is the minister is bound by those same laws and duties) to abide by the constitution, to respect all its ideals, institutions and legitimate authorities entirely.

So just the same way that some Nigerians would have voted for the president, and some would not have, but as soon as he is declared the president, he becomes the president for everybody, and nobody can pick and choose who would rather be the president. And therefore, same applies to all offices regardless of party or any other position.

ARISE TV: But madam, the man you are talking about, his name is Nyesom Wike, former Governor of Rivers State, and he is now the Minister of FCT. Now he has responded to the issues you have raised. He says you want him to be your friend and that he does not want to be your friend, that is it by force? That you should leave him alone.

Senator Kingibe: Please what constitutes friendship between two people who have never met each other? I have never sat in the same room with the minister except in the senate committee. So how does friendship arise? Why would I want to be the friend of somebody I do not know?

The truth of the matter is that the minister refuses to speak or communicate in any way with the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory. So, how are the wishes and the needs of the people to be communicated to him? Please tell me if you know a way.

ARISE TV: Well, but he says he is the minister, and that he is doing his job. He has commissioned some roads, he has renamed some roads, he has built some projects. He appointed permanent secretaries, and he says he is concentrating on his work in Abuja and that he does not want blackmail. He says you are blackmailing him.

Senator Kingibe: To do what, to regard the needs of the people? The minister may be a great minister in a ministry that has no people. But the unique situation of the FCT minister is that apart from infrastructure and roads, he also has to take into consideration the needs of the people in that territory; that is the difference between him and, say, the minister of works or any other minister.

The Minister of FCT is almost acting as the governor for the president, so its not just being a regular minister. He says he commissioned roads. Yes, those roads were started by Mohammed Bello, and I commend him for finishing some of them. But also, just like the people took me on when those roads were commissioned, they said, Madam you people are celebrating roads in Maitama, Asokoro, and the Central Business District, bulk of the people do not live there. Show me the projects where the people live; thats the difference. Its almost like the governor telling you that he built some roads, so he does not care what the needs of the people are.

They have needs so its not good enough. The people are not impressed. I commend him because I see that some things are being done but at the end of the day, they do not have water. The fire that happened in Karu could have been prevented if there was water. But I dont know if you know Abuja, any fire truck has to go all the way to Asokoro to get water, to spray the fire and then come back, not to talk about the fact that there were no access roads into the market and a whole litany of issues. Who do you think is going to sort out those issues? The minister? But the people are going to tell the senator not the minister. The same way insecurity, the people scream senator, senator, senator.

Senator says minister sort insecurity, he says he does not have to speak to me, so I spoke to him on Channels, just like a lot of the issues that I am going to bring up today he will hear from Arise.

ARISE TV: Okay madam, do you think that your complaint is not just about Wike? You have also been quoted as saying that you have been excluded from most of the key decisions affecting the Federal Capital Territory in the Senate. Do you think this is because you are from a minority party, the Labour Party, or do you think its because you are a woman, four of you, four women in the National Assembly?

Senator Kingibe: It is not because I am a woman, in all fairness to the Senate as a body. It is not very difficult to exclude the women and they do not exclude us; we get involved in as many things as we like to. And most of the time, yes, your party matters a little bit, but not seriously.

If you want me to be honest, this boils down to the fact that the Senate President is a personal friend of the honourable Minister of FCT. So, when things that they think Senator Kingibe might object to are brought, I am not quite sure as I said, this is a topic that I would rather (let) wait, since I plan on coming back to you in another week to discuss in detail.

I was planning to have a general discussion with you today. But I am on several committees, not excluded from any of them. I am aware of every little detail that goes on in every other committee. Why is this committee special? You would think it will be the reverse because I am the senator representing that place as most other senators are called when things affect their constituency. So, it is something that needs to be sorted out privately in the Senate and if it is not sorted out privately in the Senate, then we can discuss it in public.

ARISE TV: I get the point about the friendship between Akpabio and Wike, but there is also something about style and communication. If you, as the senator from the Labour Party, if from the floor of the Senate you behave like these Obidients on the social media, that could create a problem. Because Wike has said that you expect that he will report to you, and that he, as a minister, will not report to a senator.

Senator Kingibe: No minister has ever reported to any senator. If you look back several years, most ministers and the senators do not even usually come from the same party, but they worked in synergy. Synergy is the keyword. Reporting to anybody does not arise and our proceedings in the National Assembly are recorded. Being cantankerous or disorganised is not my style. In fact, I think I have been quieter than I normally am, because I was studying the Senate and the dynamics of the place. So, I doubt that it has to do with my style. But if it is, you can look at the Senate proceedings and advise me because they are all recorded.

ARISE TV: Okay but you say key decisions are affecting the FCT, what are your own priorities that you think have not been addressed in the best interest of the people in the Federal Capital Territory?

Senator Kingibe: Actually, some of my interests are not specific to the Senate, but they are specific to the honourable minister. But just like any state assembly, when a governor is not taking care of the rights and needs of the people, the state assembly draws his attention to it and makes him do it. For one thing, in Abuja, there is no water. Let me even take the last budget that was passed; the supplementary budget 

ARISE TV: N98.15 billion, the supplementary budget?

Senator Kingibe: Yes, lets not even go into the big budget; lets just deal with that little one. In that budget of N98 billion, only N18 billion has anything to do with the people; N20 billion for renovating 20 schools. Now everything else, we are building a road to EFCC, another one to DSS and all those things. Please, with all due respect, those roads may need renovating, maybe the road to the presidential wing all needs work. I am saying that for an impoverished nation, for a territory where insecurity is so high  a few days ago (I live in Maitama), my guard, just walking down the road, was hacked. This is in Maitama; (it) just shows you the level of insecurity.

We have so many issues and we do not have the funds to do them. So, in the bid to prioritise, I think that the needs of the people, that is, the majority of the people  healthcare, education, security, and water. As basic as water (is), we do not have. Those things, we can do those things when we are more liquid, but we are not. Those are my issues.

Another thing, one of these things may be the local government (matters). Like the markets I am complaining about, the local government needs to take care of it. But the honourable ministers predecessors would join hands with the National Assembly and tell the local government chairman, Youve got to do this, youve got to do this. So, him alone against the rest of us, he will do them. But when everybody is working in silos, the people of my constituency suffer, thats the truth.

ARISE TV: Okay Madam, I mean I asked you the question that, is it a problem that you are from the Labour Party? Because before you became the representative of the people of the FCT, there was Philip Aduda there. I know him, he was there when I was in government. Now Philip Aduda seems to be having a good relationship with Wike.

Senator Kingibe: Philip Aduda is not the current sitting senator, so he does not have to look out for the interest of the people. When there was a fire, they did not call Philip Aduda, in spite of the fact that it was his ward, they called me. So, if Aduda has a good relationship with Wike, that is fine, it does not help the people of the Federal Capital Territory.

I have to draw your attention to the fact that the last minister was APC, (and) Philip Aduda was PDP. At the time, I was APC and the minister worked well with Aduda, and we said to him, Minister whats your problem?, and he said, No, madam  not just to me, but all of us in APC, that, sorry, for this place to work well, the minister has to work with the senator; it does not matter that he is not in our party. He is the senator representing this territory, and we accepted it as good enough reason because he was.

So being in different parties, this is not the first time its happening, it has happened with several senators in FCT, because FCT has its own unique way of voting.

ARISE TV: Madam, you know Wike likes to talk, so I am sure he will watch this interview, he will come out.

Senator Kingibe: And I will come back next week.

ARISE TV: However, the real matter is not about his friendship with the APC. He himself is from the PDP. I hope this is not about land allocation. You are a civil engineer. I hope this is not about contracts, because civil engineers, we know, do contracts. I hope Wike will not come and say Madam wants land, madam wants engineering contracts.

Senator Kingibe: Mr Abati I will interrupt you here. I have been in FCT politics for the last 20 years; you can go and verify. There is no minister who will come to you; I live in a house that I have lived in; I have owned the land since 1991. If you find any other federal allocation of land for me in the FCT, come and call me out on it.

I am a firm believer that if everybody took their one or two pieces of land there will be enough for everybody, I am not interested in land.

When the last minister was there, I was very instrumental; I worked with him in the beginning as APC leader. When contracts were being given out, he asked (he is there you can verify from him), Where is madams own?. He spoke to me and I said, Oh, sorry honourable minister I am not a contractor. And that is the truth, I am not. I am not a contractor.

I am a professional and if I wanted land, I have lived in the FCT since when FCT was just all forest and bush, when there were only two houses on Osuma Street. It goes without saying that I could have acquired a lot more land.

So, whenever the honourable minister Wike comes and talks, you should verify. I want to be his friend? He should show you the indicators of friendship with somebody you have never spoken to one on one. I have only spoken to him across a long table in a committee meeting, so how does friendship comes into our relationship?

ARISE TV: Okay, you have been quoted as saying bad governance brought you into the senatorial race to make a difference. Now you tried the first time, it did not work, second time, it worked. Do you think that there is good governance in Nigeria now, especially in the month of June when we are celebrating one year of the Tinubu Administration?

Senator Kingibe: Well, absolutely not.

ARISE TV: You think the Tinubu Administration is not doing well?

Senator Kingibe: No, it isnt. I have the utmost goodwill and respect for the president and there is no doubt that he probably wanted to be president so he could make a difference, but as things are right now, it does not augur well for his legacy.

A president is only as good as his team. Any leader is only as good as their team. Even little me, I am constantly tweaking the people who work with me to get the maximum efficiency.

So, no, I am sorry, it is not; the people are suffering. I feel that there are several things that can be done  a marshal plan that can alleviate things for the moment  and I do not see it being done. All of it is not his fault. There was a build-up to this point, but I also do not see a credible marshal plan to solve the problems that we are now in, we only see it getting worse.

ARISE TV: Well, an ordinary person listening to you will say, well you are a member of the Labour party, that this is typical Obidient talks.

Senator Kingibe: Well, lets put it this way: I turned 70 early this week, and I will think that my mindset will be a little bit different.

ARISE TV: 70?

Senator Kingibe: Yes, it will be a little bit different from the average Obidient who are all young people. But that being said, we cannot look away from the fact that at least 70 per cent of our population is under 40. So, when decisions are being taken, you have to consider the fact that this is how young people feel, this is how they think.

A lot of things that my children do, and I do not quite understand, I would not do it that way. It does not change the fact that this is their time, and, therefore, we need to listen to them. So the fact that I am Labour (Party), I am Labour yes, because I think things need to change. I have been in PDP, I have been in APC, I am an idealist. I am thinking that, Okay, maybe there is somewhere where we can all go and change this country and make it the country that we can be proud of. But notwithstanding, even when I was in APC, I still have the same beliefs that we can still do better.

You all know I was an ardent Buharist. There was nothing I did not do, (You also remember from my times on ARISE that I believed that Buhari was going to change this country). So, I did everything, my strength, my money, everything to ensure thatThe time they called me in, he did not think that he was going to get 25 per cent (vote) in the FCT; he got 48 per cent, because we all mobilised for him.

But he did not also do anything, and things are only getting progressively worse. We are fast getting to where I fear that we are pushing the people to the wall, because now they are hungry. People can absolve everything, as a nation we are resilient, we are complacent, we are able to take things in our stride. But I do not think we can take hunger in our stride, and that being said, certain things need to be done urgently, nationally.

ARISE TV: Madam, as we begin to wrap up, let me ask you about women in politics. I mean we talk about women representation in politics, I think in the senate now, we have just about four women.

Senator Kingibe: Yes.

ARISE TV: Generally, we do not even have about up to 5 per cent if we take the entire National Assembly (as a whole), yet we have very well-educated women. There are public spirited women like your good self, and, yet, they cannot get into decision-making positions, except they are made coordinator of women affairs in the parties, or they are made ministers of women affairs. What can we do ahead of 2027 to correct this situation?

Senator Kingibe: I believe that Nigeria needs legislation.

ARISE: Affirmative action?

Senator Kingibe: Yes, women inclusion. I know it works because in the party. Let me give you an example. When they ask for three delegates from each ward; they will all just come and bring male delegates. Immediately the party said three delegates from each ward, but one must be a woman, they all started to bring the women. I am not trying to say that we are always law abiding, but it would help if it was the law, number one. Then it means that the onus will be on parties, government, agencies, or whatever, to look for competent women. Do you understand? And they are there.

And I also, as I have said several times, if you look at countries that have more women in governance, they have shown that there is a direct correlation between economic development and women in governance and policy and decision-making processes.

ARISE TV: Okay, one final question, based on what you just said, I have this said again and again, that women do not support women in Nigeria, every election day is mostly women who turn out to vote but women folks will not support their own kind, they will go and support the men.

Senator Kingibe: Well, that has not been by experience

ARISE TV: So, what is being done to mobilise women, to say, Look, you guys have about 50 per cent of the population, why dont you use your voter power to put your own kind in government?

Senator Kingibe: Okay, I will tell you. The truth is that, maybe that was so in the past, but the awareness and the thinking of women have changed somewhat. I know that I got a lot of support from women across board, across parties, across everything, (that is number one).

Number two, myself and some other women are working on creating a database of women all across the country, so we can use women voters as a lobby block, because it is not enough to say do something; you have to show me that, Okay, if I dont do it, what will you do? And that will help.

And the second thing why women are not voting for women; how many women do you see on the ballot? That is also a problem. Even as proactive as I expected the Labour party to be, out of 109 tickets, maybe only two or three were female, and that is across board. So, unless women are on the ballot, you cannot say that they are not being voted for.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Nigerian government has threatened to jail government employees who leak official documents, a move that could deter whistleblowers from exposing wrongdoings within the government.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, on Tuesday, warned that unauthorised disclosure or leakage of official documents, which can negatively impact the country, is a punishable offence.

Journalists and civil society organisations sometimes rely on such leaks to expose corruption and wrongdoings within the government.

Although Nigeria has a law protecting whistleblowers, an investigation published by PREMIUM TIMES showed that many of them suffer from exposing wrongdoings in government agencies. Anti-corruption experts and advocates have also identified secrecy in government as one reason that corruption thrives in the country.

Mr Akume spoke at a workshop organised by the Bureau for Public Service Reforms (BPSR) in collaboration with the Office of the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop is themed: Renewing hope and strengthening of national unity through effective communication and the role of the Official Secret Acts in maintaining confidentiality and national security.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the SGF, Nnamdi Mbaeri, Mr Akume said the unauthorised leakage of sensitive official documents constitutes a felony, and there is no defence for such, either in the Constitution or Freedom of Information Act.

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

NAN reports that Section 97 (2) of the Criminal Code Act of Nigeria, provides: Any person who, being employed in the public service, without proper authority abstracts, or makes a copy of, any document the property of his employer is guilty of a misdemeanour and is liable to imprisonment for one year.

Mr Akume recalled that the government had devised measures in the past to contain the leakage of sensitive official information in MDAs through the issuance of service-wide circulars by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation in August 2021.

This was reinforced by the issuance of another service-wide circular in February 2024 on the unauthorised circulation of official documents with information on social media.

This was done to re-emphasise other extant regulations prohibiting unauthorised disclosure or leakage of official documents

There is the need to regulate the activities of the civil society organisations who use the Freedom of Information Act to harass, intimidate and siphon resources from public officers through the dissemination of fake and unfounded information.

This should be properly addressed by all the practitioners in the communication and related industries, he said.

Mr Akume commended the BPSR for organising the workshop, saying it underlines the importance the government places on the dissemination of correct and truthful information.

The Director-General of the Bureau, Dasuki Arabi, urged participants to equip themselves with the Official Secrets Act and effectively communicate government policies and programmes to the public.

Your role as communication managers in MDAs is crucial, especially in our increasingly complex information ecosystem.

In todays environment, communications and platforms are highly fragmented. The government cannot afford to be reactive.

It must lead the communication landscape to prevent misinformation and ensure that citizens are all informed about the activities, objectives of government and benefits of its policies and programmes to the citizens of the country.

Accurate and prompt information delivery is essential and cannot be compromised as its impact on service delivery and governance is profound, he said.

Mr Arabi tasked the communication managers to take advantage of the training to use the traditional and social media platforms to ensure the public is well informed about government initiatives, programmes and services.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ben Kalu, has reacted to the allegation of bias against new members, saying there is no discrimination in the parliament.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that a member of the House, Cyril Hart, staged a walkout during Tuesdays plenary session in protest against what he described as bias by the deputy speaker against new members.

During a debate on a motion on the recent bomb attacks in Borno State, Mr Hart alleged that whenever the deputy speaker is presiding over plenary sessions, he consistently overlooks new members when they try to participate in debates.

Reacting to the allegation, Mr Kalu, in a statement released after the session on Tuesday by his press secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, refuted the allegation, stating that everyone in the parliament is equal.

He explained that he only selected speakers based on the division along the rows in the House because of the lack of time to entertain everyone.

The row where the member was sitting had earlier been given an opportunity to speak, Mr Kalu said in the statement.

The deputy speaker added that members are, however, recognised to make their valuable contributions to debates based on their sitting arrangement and not by their age, tribe, geopolitical zones, or political or legislative experience.

He said, The presiding officers are not bosses to the members but only servant-leaders committed to upholding democratic ethos and tenets by providing the needed direction to help realise the mandate of the House in the overall interest 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

Mr Kalu emphasised that their privileged positions as first among equals do not elevate them above their colleagues, assuring that the members will always be accorded the needed respect and recognition in the spirit of equality and brotherhood.

In the current House, over 70 per cent of the lawmakers are first-timers.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The President of the Nigerian Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has talked down on Ireti Kingibe, a fellow senator, over the quarrel between her and Nyesom Wike, minister of the FCT.

Mrs Ireti represents FCT District under the platform of the Labour Party.

Mr Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but works for APC-led Nigerian government.

The quarrel

Mrs Kingibe, while appearing on Arise TV on Monday, said that she was being sidelined by Mr Wike in the running of the FCT.

The senator claimed that her constituency was being marginalised, pointing out that there was no clean water for the residents of Abuja.

She further accused Mr Wike of overlooking the priority needs of the majority of FCT people because of the lack of communication between her and the minister.

Mr Wike, in response later on Monday, threatened to unseat the senator in the 2027 election for criticising his successes as the FCT minister.

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

Although the minister did not call any name, his mention of federal lawmaker castigating him on Arise TV, suggested he was referring to Mrs Kingibe.

Akpabios outburst against colleague

On Tuesday, Mr Akpabio, a member of the APC, flagged off the construction of Kugbo Bus Terminal in the FCT which is being constructed by the minister.

A video clip of the event was uploaded on Channels TVs X handle on Tuesday.

At the flag off ceremony, the Senate president, praised Mr Wike for transforming the nations capital, but veered of to speak on the quarrel between the minister and FCT senator.

Mr Akpabio suprisingly talked down on Mrs Kingibe for criticising Mr Wike.

I saw one of the legislators on television talking about you (Wike) and mentioning the fact that she was not carried along, he said.

Well, she is a member of the Senate. Once a decision is taken, she is bound by the decision. So, please ignore every distraction (from her) and be rest assured that no matter what you do, not everyone will praise you. Others will still try to find faults, Mr Akpabio told Mr Wike, who was beaming with smiles.

Many other Senators were present at the event.

Long-term allies

Messrs Akpabio and Wike have been long-term political allies.

Mr Akpabio served as the governor of Akwa Ibom between 2007 and 2015 under the PDP platform before defecting to the APC in August 2018.

Mr Wike, on his part, has remained a member of the PDP despite working for the APC government.

The former Rivers governor was said to have prevailed on some PDP senators to support Mr Akpabio to emerge as Senate president last year.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Federal High Court, Abuja, ordered on Wednesday the remand of a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) official, Tosin Olagunju, who is facing prosecution for alleged employment fraud.

The judge, Binta Nyako, ordered her to be remanded in the custody of the Suleja Correctional Centre pending the hearing of her bail application scheduled for 9 October.

The judge gave the order after Mrs Olagunju the police arraigned on four counts of obtaining by false pretence with intent to defraud job seekers.

Other charges include criminal conspiracy.

The police accused her of fraudulently obtaining N12.4 million from job seekers under false pretence, promising to help them secure employment in the NSCDC.

She pleaded not guilty to the counts.

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 News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the office of the Inspector-General of Police filed the charges against Ms Olagunju as the sole defendant in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/183/2024.

Shortly after she took her plea, the prosecuting lawyer, Princewill Eke, applied for a date for the commencement of trial.

However, Ms Olagunjus lawyer, M. A. Oloniruka, told the court that he had just filed a bail application before the courts sitting.

Upon being told by the judge that the application was not in the courts file and could not be heard immediately, Mr Oloniruka sought to apply orally for his clients bail.

The judge, Mrs Nyako, rejected the defence lawyers request to make an oral presentation of his clients application for bail.

The judge said that the court, being a court of record, lawyers must make applications in writing.

This matter is adjourned till 9 October for trial. The defendant should be remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre, Mrs Nyako declared.

The prosecution alleged in Count 1 that, sometime between 2010 and 2023, Mrs Olagunju obtained, by false pretence and with intent to defraud Nigerians, N12.4 million, pretending to have the capacity to help them secure employment with the NSCDC.

The alleged offences are punishable under Section 1(1)(c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Senate on Wednesday rejected a motion to stop service chiefs from diverting funds meant for the procurement of ammunition to the construction of universities and other unprioritised projects.

The upper chamber, however, condemned the suicide bombings in Gwoza, Borno State on Saturday.

It also observed a minute silence in honour of those who lost their lives in the attack.

The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by the Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, on the need to sympathise with the people of Gwoza town for the bombing incidents.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the multiple explosions allegedly detonated by female suicide bombers suspected to be members of the Boko Haram terrorist group.

The police initially said six people were killed in the attacks, but the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on Sunday confirmed 18 deaths.

The Director-General of Borno SEMA, Barkindo Saidu, noted that the 18 dead were adult males, females and children.

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

Mr Ndume, the senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, while presenting his motion, said about 32 people were killed in the attack while several others sustained various degrees of injury.

He said the attack had raised concerns about the security situation in the region and the safety of the people.

The whip, therefore, demanded that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) provide relief materials to victims of the attacks.

He also urged the federal government to direct various security agencies in the country to deploy technology in the fight against insurgency and secure hotspots inhabited by the insurgents, namely, the Lake Chad Region, Sambisa Forest, and the Mandara Mountains, respectively.

Mr Ndume requested a minute silence in honour of those who lost their lives in the attack.

Contribution

Aliyu Wamako (APC, Sokoto North) seconded the motion.

Mr Wamako, a former governor of Sokoto State, called on the federal government to adopt the use of technology in the fight against insecurity.

Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North) expressed displeasure with the resurgence of suicide bombings in his statement.

Mr Monguno recalled how weddings, burials and other ceremonial functions were organised secretly in the past because of the fear of suicide bombing.

He said the resurgence of suicide bombing in the state should be addressed immediately through the use of technology to avoid subsequent attacks.

Guns in National Assembly

Jimoh Ibrahim (APC, Ondo South) said if he had a chance, he would have directed the suspension of the days plenary to honour victims of the attacks.

Mr Ibrahim explained that he has an application on his mobile phone which has the capacity to detect the number of guns within his jurisdiction.

He said the application indicated 277 guns currently within the National Assembly environment.

The senator thereafter advised the Nigerian military to adopt the use of technology rather than the unconventional method of fighting terrorism and other criminal activities.

Imasuen Bernards (LP, Edo South) said there had been several security meetings in the Senate chamber with security chiefs, but nothing much has been recorded.

He specifically said intelligence has failed and that the fire brigade approach to fighting insecurity is not working.

Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) proposed additional prayer to the motion to stop service chiefs from diverting funds meant for procurement of ammunition and improvement of the security situation of the country.

He accused previous service chiefs of diverting security funds for the construction of universities in their respective villages.

Responding, the senate president put the amendment proposed by Mr Oshiomhole to vote, and the majority of the senators voted against it. Mr Akpabio ruled accordingly.

The senators subsequently supported the prayers proposed by Mr Ndume in his motion.

The senate president then directed members of the upper chamber to observe a minute silence in honour of the people killed in the attack.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Nigerias electricity distribution companies (DisCos), on Wednesday, announced the upward review of electricity tariffs for Band A customers.

The upward review takes effect from 1 July, some of the nations distribution companies disclosed in statements posted on their X handles on Wednesday.

In April, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) ordered the immediate upward review of electricity tariffs.

The NERC Vice Chairman, Musiliu Oseni, said only 15 per cent of the electricity consumers are affected by the hike.

Accordingly, he said, power distribution companies (DisCos) will be allowed to raise electricity prices to N225 ($0.15) per kilowatt-hour from N68.

The decision attracted criticism among Nigerians.

On 30 April, the House of Representatives asked NERC to suspend the tariff hike pending an investigation by the House.

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 resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Kama Nkem-Kanma (LP, Ebonyi) during plenary.

Mr Nkem-Kanma, in his motion, faulted the arbitrary hike in the tariff and the discriminatory nature of the policy.

Following the resolution by the House, DisCos, on 6 May, announced tariff reduction. Announcing the reduction at the time, the distribution companies said customers in Band A will now pay N206.80/kwh from N225/kwh.

Upward review

On Wednesday, the distribution companies said customers in Band A will now pay N209.5/kwh from N206.80/kwh.

The companies noted that the tariff for Bands B, C, D, and E remains unchanged.

The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Plc (PHED) said: Dear esteemed customers, Please be informed that there is an upward tariff review for our Band A feeders from N206.80/kWh to N209.5/kwh effective 1st July 2024. The guaranteed availability of a minimum of 20 hrs per day still stands.

The tariff for Bands B, C, D, and E remains unchanged, it said.

The Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (Kaduna Electric) said: Dear esteemed customers, the management of Kaduna Electric informs the public of an upward review in the tariff of Band A feeders from N206.80/kWh to N209.5/kWh.

The review is effective from 1st July 2024 and affects prepaid and postpaid customers. Kaduna Electric assures customers on its Band A feeders of the continued availability of 20-24 hrs daily as stipulated in the service-based tariff regime.

The public should please note that the tariff for Bands B, C, D and E remains unchanged, it said.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja chapter, has insisted that its ongoing strike will continue indefinitely if the university management fails to address its demands.

The unions chairperson, Sylavnus Ugoh, said this during the unions first congress held Tuesday at the unions branch secretariat building on campus.

This was the unions first congress meeting since the appointment of an acting vice-chancellor, Aisha Maikudi, a professor of Law, who assumed office on 1 July.

Mr Ugoh announced that the reason for the congress was to discuss the unresolved issues which led to the beginning of the ongoing strike in May

Today marks the 62nd day since we began this strike. We have been pressing down our demands since the administration of the past VC, and till now, none of them has been resolved. We have explored different avenues for these issues to be resolved, but unfortunately, nothing has been done to address this, he said.

The union said despite efforts by the union to have the issues resolved, they have remained unmet.

Mr Ugoh emphasised that the struggle had just begun if the new administration did not accede to their demands, reiterating the unions commitment to continue the strike until their issues are resolved.

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 been oppressed, and with this, the union has decided, with the support of the national body, to continue the struggle till these issues are resolved. Therefore, our resolution is to continue with the strike, he added.

But the university has denied all the allegations, insisting that every action taken by the university followed laid down procedures and guidelines.

The institutions spokesman, Habeeb Yakoob, spoke with PREMIUM TIMES on the phone on Wednesday.

Strike

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the union embarked on an indefinite action in May over a series unresolved differences with the university management under the leadership of the immediate past Vice-Chancellor, Abdul-Rasheed NaAllah.

The union said its congress, the board of trustees and the national leadership of the union had all sanctioned the strike.

Mr NaAllah, who served from 2019 until 30 June, faced opposition from the union due to alleged violations of the universitys establishment laws, particularly regarding appointments and promotions without a governing council.

In April, the universitys management advertised for the vice-chancellors position, but the union opposed the move, insisting that such appointments are the exclusive responsibility of the universitys governing council.

The dissolution of the governing councils by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023 exacerbated the tension, leaving many federal universities, including the University of Abuja, without a council.

However, the university senate appointed a professor of law, Aisha Maikudi, in an acting capacity. The decision followed

A directive from the National Universities Commission (NUC) asking outgoing vice-chancellors to nominate a deputy to serve in an acting capacity pending the reconstitution of governing councils.

Ms Maikudi, previously the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of academic affairs, assumed office on 1 July.

Issues in contention

Meanwhile, the lecturers union listed some of the issues in contention to include the aborted selection processes for Mr NaAllahs replacement, alleged staff promotion without following due process, the appointment of acting dean without a governing council and the removal of ASUU as a shareholder from the university microfinance bank registration details, among others.

The union said, It was Nallahs agenda to enrol his own candidate of choice into the system. He took advantage of the confusion about the suspension of a governing council, and he advertised for the position, something that is unheard of in the history of the university. The rules of engagement are very clear, but he chooses to do otherwise. There are many eminent people in the university who are qualified for the position to lead us. Still, typically, due to arrogance, deceit and a lot of haughty presence, he didnt listen.

The union claims that the university management has recruited more than 200 workers without adhering to proper procedures,

University speaks

The university spokesperson, Mr Yakoob, denied the allegations, noting that the advertisement for the vice-chancellors position was approved by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, since there was no governing council in place.

He said: There was also no illegal recruitment because the university, as usual, went through due process in recruiting its most recent staff. Management had, at several meetings with ASUU, provided facts and details to explain the legality of the recruitment exercise.

On the promotion of staff, he said though academic staff in some federal universities are being promoted, the management agreed to suspend the 2023/2024 promotion exercise until the governing council is in place, while it was also agreed that the earlier promotion exercises that were already ongoing should be completed immediately.

Speaking on the university microfinance bank, he noted that the management has since approved one person to represent the union on the board.

We have asked ASUU to, as a matter of urgency, send its representative to the management for onward transmission to the board to incorporate such member on the board. I doubt they have done this, he said.

He added that for the deanship election, the management agreed to hold all the remaining deanship elections within 2 to 3 Days of ASUU calling off the strike.

The good thing is that the acting vice-chancellor, Professor Aisha Maikudi, will be meeting the members of ASUU any moment to see how to resolve the issues raised by the union. The governing council of the university will also be inaugurated on Thursday. They will be looking at some of these issues when they resume, he said.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Three Indians and one Nigerian who were kidnapped along the Sagamu-Ijebu Ode expressway on Sunday night have regained their freedom.

They were freed on Wednesday when men of the Ogun State Police Command stormed the hideout of the abductors and engaged them in a gun duel.

Two of the kidnappers were reportedly killed in the ensuing shoot-out.

The state Commissioner of Police (CP), Abiodun Alamutu, who disclosed this while addressing journalists at the command headquarters at Eleweran, Abeokuta, said some of the kidnappers escaped with gunshot wounds.

The police recovered 109 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, five AK47 rifles, eight AK magazines, and two cell phones from the kidnappers.

Mr Alamutu recalled that on 30 June, the Divisional Police Officer in Ikenne received a distress call reporting the kidnapping incident at around 7:10 p.m. near Delabo junction on the Sagamu-Ijebu Ode expressway.

He explained that some unidentified armed individuals, believed to be kidnappers, accosted a grey Toyota RAV 4 jeep with registration number AGL 16 JE.

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 armed men, who emerged from an unregistered Venza car, fired four shots at the drivers side tyre and another at the rear side of the driver, forcing the vehicle to a stop. Subsequently, they forcefully abducted the occupants of the vehicle and fled towards Ijebu Ode.

Upon receiving the distress call, the anti-kidnapping squad of the Ogun State Command was dispatched with explicit instructions to pursue the fleeing suspects, he said.

The police commissioner disclosed that through a covert operation, the suspects were located in a bush where they were hiding. He said that upon noticing the police officers flashlight, they engaged in a gun battle with the law enforcement team.

The anti-kidnapping squads superior firepower led to the elimination of two suspects, while the remaining criminals escaped with injuries, leaving behind their weapons. The victims, later identified as one Nigerian and three Indian nationals, were safely rescued unharmed and reunited with their families, he added.

Mr Alamutu said that the state police command remains dedicated to safeguarding lives and property, which is considered its primary duty.

He explained that a rapid response team has also been deployed to enhance security along the Sagamu-Benin expressway.

Also, he enjoined members of the public to report individuals displaying gunshot wounds under reasonable suspicion as this would help in arresting other fleeing suspects for the dastardly act.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Kaduna State Government has said there was no suicide attack or related incident on the Kaduna-Abuja road.

The states Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, stated this on Wednesday, urging Nigerians to disregard reports of such incident on the highway.

The attention of the Ministry has been drawn to reports being circulated, alleging the occurrence of a suicide attack or a similar incident along the Kaduna-Abuja Road.

The Ministry wishes to clarify that as of the time of this update (5:00PM, Wednesday 3rd July 2024), no such incident  suicide attack or otherwise  has occurred on the Kaduna-Abuja Road.

Security forces and intelligence sources along the route are in constant touch with the Government, supported by the ongoing conduct of physical inspection and security assessments, Mr Aruwan said.

The security agencies deployed along the Kaduna-Abuja Road and in the general area will sustain monitoring and full engagement of all protocols towards the security of citizens and commuters, he added.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Senate on Wednesday constituted a 15-member committee to unravel the circumstances surrounding the persistent importation of hazardous petroleum products by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the composition of the committee during the plenary.

He said the committee will be chaired by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele.

Other members are Asuquo Ekpeyong (Cross River), Abdullahi Yahaya (Kebbi), Tahir Monguno (Borno) Olamilekan Adeola (Ogun) Diket Plang (Plateau) and Abdul Ningi (Bauchi), Khabeeb Mustapha (Jigawa), Ipanibo Banigo (Rivers), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Adetokunbo Abiru (Lagos), Osita Izunaso (Imo), Sahabi Yau (Zamfara), Olajide Ipinsagba (Ondo) and Ekong Sampson (Akwa-Ibom).

The resolution to investigate the importation of hazardous petroleum products was sequel to a motion sponsored by Mr Ekpeyong .

The Senate and a motion

Mr Ekpeyong, in his motion, expressed displeasure with the persistent importation of adulterated fuel into the country.

The senator said 12 cargoes conveying a total of 660kt of diesel were exported by refineries to offshore Lome, Togo, Nigeria and some West African countries on 16 June.

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 noted that the said petroleum products are below the standard quality of Nigeria and have been circulated across the markets.

On 16th of June, 2024, it was reported that 12 diesel cargoes, conveying a total of 660kt of diesel was exported by refineries to offshore Lome, Togo for further distribution to West African markets, mainly Nigeria.

The senator said in spite of the substandard nature of the diesel, it still found its way into the Nigerian markets on Mt Kalle which arrived Lome on the 16 of June, which immediately did ship-to-ship (STS) transfer to DV MT and then proceeded to discharge into a jetty in Warri on 21% June, 2024.

Mr Ekpeyong warned against the consequences of adulterated fuel on vehicles and generators.

He called for a total ban of importation of diesel and development of local refineries.

Senate launches probe

The Senate Whip, Ali Ndume, expressed concern that Nigeria is importing adulterated petroleum products from Russia for the benefit of private individuals despite the existence of local refineries.

Mr Ndume urged the federal government to ensure that refineries are productive.

Sani Musa (APC, Niger East) said it was necessary to review the Petroleum Industrial Act which, according to him, gave many powers to individuals.

Mr Musa complained that Nigeria has yet to see any significant investment in the oil and gas sector since the PIA compared to Ghana which had attracted up to $12 billion.

Responding, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said the upper chamber will consider amending the PIA in order to confer more powers to the NNPCL to ensure effective regulation.

Mr Akpabio regretted that Nigeria has yet to make its refineries functional.

The senate president thereafter constituted a committee to look into the issue.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Countries must adapt to changing times and not treat any age-old institution no longer able to effectively perform its basic duty as somehow sacrosanct and immutable. The capacity to rethink, reimagine, and make bold changes is partly what differentiates safe environments from unsafe ones. It is time to ensure policing is brought to the grassroots level and stop the harms being done to communities across Nigeria.

Former Inspector General of Police, Dr Solomon Arase, presented an interesting perspective on the issue of state police during a 25 June address at the Nigeria Bar Association Benin Branch Law Week 2024. Arase rose to the pinnacle of policing in Nigeria. While legitimate questions may be asked about the performance of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) while he was in office, his views undoubtedly deserve serious attention. It is also intrinsically worthwhile and beneficial for the robustness of the debate to hear from those who have been at the helm of our current policing architecture. The address was posted on one of my alma maters WhatsApp groups (the Afrograms Abeokuta Seniors) by former Deputy Inspector General of Police, Adeleye Oyebade, who famously chose policing over academia. I am grateful to Dr Tokunbo Sowunmi for drawing my attention to the post.

By way of introduction, I study the police use of force and terrorism. I served as special adviser to the Government of Alberta, Canada on the Police Act Review. Several of my recommendations were passed into law through the Police Amendment Act, 2022. These are some of the most comprehensive set of changes to policing in Alberta and Canada within the last 30 years.

Solomon Arase notes that the transition to state policing entails complex considerations, including ensuring equitable resource allocation, maintaining national cohesion, and upholding constitutional frameworks, which require careful deliberation and strategic planning to effectively address Nigerias multifaceted security challenges. Nonetheless, he seems reticent about state police.

The notion of a monolithic police service for a country as complex and massive as Nigeria is unreasonable and unfit for purpose. At least some of Nigerias security challenges are traceable to this antiquated model of policing. Decentralisation of policing in Nigeria ought to have begun in the 1980s or 1990s at the latest. Those who impeded efforts towards instituting state policing in the 1990s, in particular, did the country a major disservice, wittingly or unwittingly. It is didactic that some of those entities are now putting in place security outfits akin to state police.

Critics of state police often point to the potential for abuse of power. Arase does make a similar argument. That is a possibility but it is not unique to state police or Nigeria. There was a time when some police chiefs in the US were active members of the KKK. Deaths of unarmed civilians in the hands of police still happen in the US to this day. In Canada, three officers from the Lethbridge Police Service conducted illegal surveillance on a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta between 2017 and 2018. The police watchdog recommended charges against the officers, although the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service declined to charge them to court. These are real issues in policing in various parts of the world. State police is worth the effort despite its flaws. We need to put in place the right system and allow it to grow to maturity.

There is a need to regularly assess how institutions are performing: whether they meet current or potential challenges and what changes may be necessary for effective service delivery. The tendency to take things as given and uncritically continue to deploy obsolete equipment and methodologies is a remarkably consistent feature of our system in Nigeria. We need to change that.

Arase mentions Canada in his comment. I am quite familiar with the Canadian context. I am privileged to be one of the most recognised public intellectuals on the public safety discourse and policy in Canada. Canada uses a hybrid approach. Several cities have their own police services; some provinces also have theirs, while the RCMP (the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) is the federal police. The RCMP engages in contract policing on behalf of several municipalities through cost-share agreements among multiple tiers of government. For example, smaller, rural areas often utilise the RCMP, while many cities have their own police services.

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

Dominic LeBlanc, Canadas public safety minister, was quoted in a CBC report in June 2024 indicating that the government intends to make federal policing separate and distinct from the RCMPs boots-on-the-ground policing obligations in the provinces and territories. The stance of the government is that the federal police mandate (terrorism, organised crime, espionage, etc.) is being neglected because of the demands of contract (i.e. mundane issues) policing. The head of the RCMP, Commissioner Mike Duheme, has responded that If I had a magic wand, Id want it in place by tomorrow.

More cities are setting up police services. For example, after some legal entanglements and political theatre, Surrey, one of the largest cities in British Columbia (the third most populous province in Canada), will have a change of command from the RCMP to the newly formed Surrey Police Service on 29 November. In Alberta, the Grande Prairie Police Service was established by City Council in 2023 and formally took off in April. There is a Police Act in each of those provinces to guide the activities of their respective police services. All of the laws at the municipal and provincial levels must also conform to federal laws and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This is federalism at work for solving real problems.

There is a need to regularly assess how institutions are performing: whether they meet current or potential challenges and what changes may be necessary for effective service delivery. The tendency to take things as given and uncritically continue to deploy obsolete equipment and methodologies is a remarkably consistent feature of our system in Nigeria. We need to change that.

We all agree that the Nigeria Police Force is a colonial creation with all the problems that entails. Nonetheless, the real issue is that it no longer meets the security challenges of today.

There is already an expanding backdoor to state police in Nigeria. Daily Trust estimates that 23 states have security organisations. We should be worried about the lack of a proper framework for these organisations and their overall limited efficiency. Such outfits cannot function well without a sound socio-legal framework, beginning with an Act of the National Assembly

Former IGP Solomon Arase appears to favour a recommendation by the Dan Madami Presidential Committee on Police Reforms to utilise the existing NPF structure, with some more latitude at a regional level. The idea is genuinely creative but is unlikely to provide the kind of solution Nigeria requires, given the level of insecurity in the country. If implemented, some of those Deputy Inspectors-General (DIGs) in charge of geo-political zones may be frustrated by the bottleneck and a self-preserving status quo.

There is already an expanding backdoor to state police in Nigeria. Daily Trust estimates that 23 states have security organisations. We should be worried about the lack of a proper framework for these organisations and their overall limited efficiency. Such outfits cannot function well without a sound socio-legal framework, beginning with an Act of the National Assembly, standardised training and entry requirements, and mechanisms for collaboration with federal and other state law enforcement organisations.

Part of my remit as special adviser to the Government of Alberta was to examine Canadas peer countries, such as Norway, New Zealand, Germany, Finland, Sweden, etc. to see what lessons we might glean from them. We realised there were countries that had better outcomes in terms of the use of force, civilian fatalities in encounters with police and deaths of officers in the line of duty.

Countries must adapt to changing times and not treat any age-old institution no longer able to effectively perform its basic duty as somehow sacrosanct and immutable. The capacity to rethink, reimagine, and make bold changes is partly what differentiates safe environments from unsafe ones. It is time to ensure policing is brought to the grassroots level and stop the harms being done to communities across Nigeria.

Tope Oriola is professor of Criminology at the University of Alberta and 2023 recipient of the Gerald L. Gall Award for excellence in the protection and promotion of human rights in Canada through legislative change.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Until the impact of corruption outweighs concerns around national interest, countries are unlikely to take serious measures on it. So what do we do? The UNCAC mechanism needs to have teeth, while taking some cue from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)  by setting standards and penalising countries that dont take measures in implementing an integrated set of provisions.

The worlds largest forum for combating corruption just concluded a gathering of almost two thousand participants from all over the world in Vilnius, Lithuania to discuss what it has been talking about since 1983 in terms of global corruption and related matters. Every two years, industry leaders converge to advance the anti-corruption agenda through the mechanisms of engagement, discussions and exchange of ideas.

From the quality of organisation and presence of global anti-corruption leaders such as Peter Eigen, the founder of Transparency International, and Raymond Baker, the founding president of Global Financial Integrity, to dozens of academics from all over the world, hundreds of investigative journalists who have been on the field combating corruption, global institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to members of the United Nations Convention against Corruption Coalition  which has over 350 civil society organisations under its umbrella, there was certainly an abundance of opinions and proposals to solving every corruption related problem in the world.

There is a global consensus on how corruption has led to global instability, widened inequality, deepened poverty, in addition to promoting organised crime and conflicts that threaten democracies. But where is the world on combating corruption today? Professor Joseph Pozsgai-Alvarez of the Japan Network of Anti-Corruption Researchers runs a forum of several academics from around the world who are studying the different measurements of corruption  from procurement fraud, abuse of power, improper access to public information, clientelism, conflict of interests, nepotism, lack of due diligence, electoral fraud, regulatory capture and so many others  to assess the reduction of the menace or the lack thereof. In the last 29 series of the forum  we are having the 30th next week  dozens of scholars have discussed several mechanisms, such as the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) of Transparency International (TI), the Index of Public Integrity (IPI), the Control of Corruption Indicator of the World Bank Governance Indicators, the Bertelsmann Stiftungs Sustainable Government Indicators, PRS Groups International Country Risk Guide and UNODCs measurement of bribery and other forms of corruption.

The bottomline is that these measurements, ranging from official statistics and perception surveys to experience-based surveys, are tools to guide action in the reduction of corruption. The data from most of these measurements are mostly not promising. Like climate change, the world is talking more than acting on resolving the problem of corruption. As such, the question remains: how many governments are listening?

The International Anti-Corruption Academy also has a Global Programme on Measuring Corruption, in which senior academics like Professor Liz David-Barrett of the Centre for the Study of Corruption, University of Sussex and Daniel Kaufmann of the Brooking Institute are active. There are equally local mechanisms such as the Transparency and Integrity Index in Africa by the Center for Fiscal Transparency, Nigeria.

The bottomline is that these measurements, ranging from official statistics and perception surveys to experience-based surveys, are tools to guide action in the reduction of corruption. The data from most of these measurements are mostly not promising. Like climate change, the world is talking more than acting on resolving the problem of corruption. As such, the question remains: how many governments are listening? Even though most speakers point to countries in the Global South when giving examples of the bad and ugly, the data from different types of measurement, indexes and ranking shows that even though the Global North may have lower incidences of some types of corruption, it is the major beneficiary of laundered funds and illicit financial flows.

A peek into Raymond Bakers book Invisible Trillions  How Financial Secrecy is Imperilling Capitalism and Democracy shows how governments, banks, corporations, lawyers, accountants and international institutions are enabling and accelerating the global disorder and economic inequality. I am sure that there are dozens of works of research and books in alignment with this argument. For example, the biggest bribe payers are often the multinational companies coming from the top ranked anti-corruption countries. As of 2019, the top cases that resulted in settlements and fines under the USAs Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) involved companies based in the least corrupt countries, according to the CPI.

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

A Monitoring Committee, reflective of an equal number of members from the Global North and Global South, with its leadership rotating among countries on a two to five-year basis, should be formed to oversee the implementation of the new measurable standards. The rotational leadership could boost competition for compliance among member countries.

What is silently evident is that international politics and the global financial system, driven by technology and national interests, are moving faster than the solutions to corruption proffered by analysts and mechanisms. Until the impact of corruption outweighs concerns around national interest, countries are unlikely to take serious measures on it. So what do we do? The UNCAC mechanism needs to have teeth, while taking some cue from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)  by setting standards and penalising countries that dont take measures in implementing an integrated set of provisions. All the previous mentioned mechanisms should be considered in designing measurable standards in technical compliance, monitoring and effectiveness.

A Monitoring Committee, reflective of an equal number of members from the Global North and Global South, with its leadership rotating among countries on a two to five-year basis, should be formed to oversee the implementation of the new measurable standards. The rotational leadership could boost competition for compliance among member countries. There should also be a Sanctions Committee comprising an equal number of countries and other members, like the Basel Institute of Governance and Global Financial Integrity. Both committees should reflect strong representatives from civil society, academia, and investigative journalists. Just like how the world came together in action on global security in 1945, it is time to put together a similar act on this global problem  whilst bearing in mind and negotiating the gaps of 1945  to save humanity from the cancer of corruption.

Umar Yakubu writes from the Center for Fiscal Transparency, Nigeria and a member of the UNCAC Coalition; Twitter: @umaryakubu

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Senate on Wednesday called on the federal government to include states in the North-eastern region of the country in the Renewed Hope Legacy Road Infrastructure Projects of President Bola Tinubu.

The call was a sequel to a motion sponsored by Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central) during the plenary.

The legacy road projects of the Tinubu administration are the Sokoto  Badagry Superhighway (SBS), connecting Sokoto (North-west) to Badagri (South-west); Lagos  Calabar Coastal Highway (LCCH) (South-south) and Calabar  Ebonyi  Benue  Kogi  Nasarawa  Abuja Superhighway (South-west and North-central, respectively).

The roads will interconnect the country and bring unprecedented socio-economic growth as well as foster national unity and integration.

Mr Goje, a former Gombe governor and ex-minister of state for power and steel, in his motion, complained that the North-east was marginalised in the siting of the projects.

He stressed that the non-inclusion of the North-eastern states in the projects will further worsen the infrastructural challenges of the region.

The senator blamed banditry, terrorism, Boko Haram and other security challenges in the region on the lack of adequate road infrastructure networks.

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

Mr Goje also maintained that the marginalisation of the region in the siting of road projects will affect the economy of the country.

He, therefore, requested that President Tinubu accommodate the North-east in the road legacy projects.

The senator specifically wanted the federal government to include the Calabar-Makurdi-Jalingo-Yola-Maiduguri Highway in the project because it will integrate the North-east into the road project.

Contributions

Diket Plang (APC, Plateau Central) seconded the motion.

Mr Plang stressed that including the North-east in the road projects will improve the economy of the region.

He recalled that in 2016, the Federal Executive Council, under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, approved the construction of the road from Akwanga in Nasarawa State to Jos and Adamawa States, but it was not executed.

Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South) also supported the motion.

There is nowhere you can get to Abuja without passing through the Akwanga  Jos road. The best way to travel is to go by road because that is when you will meet and greet people.  he added.

Responding, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, expressed gratitude to Mr Goje for sponsoring the motion.

I want to thank the distinguished Senator Goje for bringing this motion. It is clear,  he said.

The Senate president, after that, put the motion to vote, and the majority of the senators supported it through voice votes.

Mr Akpabio subsequently ruled accordingly.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) committed suicide at his residence in Abuja on Monday.

The deceased, male, is said to be a member of the Course 5 of the EFCC Academy, but no other details about him, including his name, is publicly known as of Wednesday morning.

We have also not been able to ascertain how the EFCC operative could have possibly taken his life or his Abuja home address where the incident took place.

EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, who confirmed the incident to PR Nigeria, said investigation was underway to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the sad incident.

According to PR Nigeria, EFCC is investigating wide-ranging factors, including potential mental health issues and family challenges, that could have triggered the suspected suicide.

Mr Oyewale said the commission would refrain from issuing any further statements, including releasing the details deceased operatives name, until after investigation.

Not the first time

This is not the first time an EFCC operative would be suspected to have committed a suicide.

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 2019, the Edo State Police Command initiated an investigation into the suspected suicidal death of Williams Oyibogare, an EFCC operative.

Mr Oyibogare was suspected to have committed suicide as bottles of a pesticide brand, Sniper, were discovered in his home in the Giwa Amu area, along the Airport Road in Benin, the Edo State capital.

Additionally, the police reportedly recovered a purported suicide note found on his phone.

Then-EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed Mr Oyibogares death but stated that the commission was awaiting the completion of police investigation before making any further comments.

It is true that one of our operatives has died. The police have begun an investigation into the matter, and we hope to hear from them soon. That is all we can say for now, Mr Uwujaren said.

Chidi Nwabuzor, Police Public Relations Officer for the Edo State Policd Command, said at the time that the police were waiting the autopsy results before making further comments on the matter.

Investigations are ongoing, and it would be premature to draw any conclusions at this stage; it is too early to make any pronouncements. An autopsy will be conducted to ascertain the cause of death and what transpired, Mr Nwabuzor said.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


At least two people have been killed after a migration of cattle herders from Katsina State ignited clashes with crop farmers in three local government areas of Jigawa State.

The clashes started on 26 June at four villages of Kalai, Waza, Baranda and Katanga in Dutse, Kiyawa and Birnin Kudu local government areas with residents saying six people were killed but the police saying no death was recorded.

In the second incident which happened on Tuesday in Gauraki village of Birnin Kudu LGA, the police acknowledged that two persons were killed and three injured. Many farmland were also destroyed in the clashes.

The police spokesperson in the state, Lawan Adam, said the recent hostilities were caused by migrant herders from Katsina State invited into Jigawa by indigenous herders.

Mr Adam said the police on Tuesday received information about the presence of a large number of cattle herders from Katsina State. He said the herders were sighted moving towards Safa and Gauraki villages in Birnin Kudu LGA, destroying farmlands along their route and sparking clashes in which two lives were lost.

On receipt of the ugly report, the Area Commander of Birnin Kudu Area Command mobilised patrol teams alongside Nigeria Security And Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), and Vigilantee Group of Nigeria (VGN) and rushed to the scenes.

Farmers were also mobilised in large numbers to defend their farmlands before the arrival of a team. Consequently, the duo attacked themselves, though, the team succeeded in dispersing the warring 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

As the visiting herders made off with their cows, two (2) peopleone from each sidelost their lives, three (3) of the Indigenous herders houses were set on fire, fifteen (15) of the visiting herders abandoned cows were found, and five (5) Indigenous herders who were thought to have invited the herders were taken into custody, the police spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the Jigawa State Government, on Tuesday, inaugurated a 27-member peace committee to check the recurring clashes.

Inaugurating the committee, the Secretary to the State Government, Bala Ibrahim, said the move is part of efforts of the state government to mitigate the clashes between farmers and herders in Baranda village and its neighbours for greater productivity in crop and livestock agriculture.

Mr Ibrahim said that the committee will educate communities on the importance of peaceful coexistence.

For fairness and equity, all interested stakeholders are included in the committee, including traditional rulers, Imams, herdsmen, farmers, security outfits and others, Mr Ibrahim said.

He urged the committee members to be fair and just in discharging their responsibility.

Let me assure all the citizens of the affected communities that the committee, which is headed by the District Head of Dutse, Alhaji Jamilu Basiru Sanusi, will be just in making peace between farmers and herders in the Area, Mr Ibrahim said.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Senate Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions has narrated how some soldiers killed two local security guards on a mission to foil a robbery attack at 9th Mile, Udi Local Government area of Enugu State.

The security guards, Chukwuemeka Okeh and Nechinyere Mbah, were members of the Eke Neighbourhood Guards.

They were killed by soldiers on 29 June 2023 after the robbery gang attacked the area.

Chairman of the committee, Imasuen Bernards, said while presenting its report on the incident during plenary on Tuesday that the soldiers unjustly killed the local guards.

The senator, who represents Edo South Senatorial District, noted that, apart from the killing of Messrs Okeh and Mbah, the military personnel also injured three other members of the neighbourhood guard.

One faithful day, precisely on Thursday, 29th June 2023, some members of the Eke Neighborhood watch, while attending an event at 9th Mile, Udi Local Government, Enugu state, received a distress call around 6 p.m. in the evening, that some hoodlums has blocked the road leading to Eke Community from the Nigerian Breweries Pic. (AMA Breweries)

Prompted by the intelligence reports they received about the robbery attack along Eke road, the Neighborhood watch embarked on a rescue mission to salvage the situation.

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

On receiving the distress call, the CSO of the Neighborhood Watch, his deputy and some members of the vigilante group who were all at 9th Mile for the event notified the DPO 9th Mile Police Station of their intention to proceed to the crime scene to rescue the victims and based on his assurance that the police are also coming, they immediately proceeded to the scene of the incident.

On their way to the crime scene, they met a traffic gridlock around the AMA Breweries (Nigerian Breweries plc.), which made it impossible for them to arrive at the crime scene with their Patrol vehicle, hence, they had no option but to proceed to the scene on foot.

On getting to the scene of the robbery, they met three soldiers who ordered them to stop, and they obliged.

After they stopped, the guards, who were fully kitted with their uniforms and identification cards but without their patrol vehicle, informed the soldiers that they were members of the Eke Neighborhood Vigilante Group; this made the soldiers ask them to proceed.

On getting closer to the soldiers, the soldiers opened fire on them at close range, killing two people, namely Mr. Chukwuemeka Okeh and Mrs. Nechinyere Mbah. While the Assistant CSO, Mr Emeka Anigbo, Mr Obinna Offor and Mr Okolo Chinedu sustained various degrees of Gunshot Injuries, he narrated.

Committee Recommendations

The committee recommended that the Nigerian Army pay a condolence visit to the community to condole with families of the slain guards and pay some compensation.

It also recommended that the Nigerian Army orientate the civilians on the mode of operation of the military.

The committee also suggested collaboration of the Nigerian Army, the police and other paramilitary agencies to secure the nation.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


A three-month-old baby abandoned in front of a college in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria, has been picked up by a good Samaritan.

The baby was abandoned in front of the Oraukwu Boys Technical College in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the man who picked up the baby brought him to Eziowelle Divisional Police Headquarters.

Eziowelle is a neighbouring community to Oraukwu in the same council area.

Efforts to trace the babys parents or relatives have been unsuccessful, the police said.

The police have handed over the baby to the Director of the Welfare Department Idemili North Local Government Area for safe custody, Mr Ikenga 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 police spokesperson urged residents who can assist the police in identifying the parents and reuniting the baby with the parents to visit the police facility.

Not the first time

This is not the first time a newborn baby would be abandoned in Anambra State.

The latest development occurred exactly one month after a yet-to-be-identified woman dumped her one-day-old baby in a heap of refuse along the road in Awka, the state capital.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has warned its customers against fraudsters demanding money for prepaid metre applications.

The spokesperson for the EEDC, Emeka Ezeh, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

EEDC is the power distribution company in charge of electricity supply in south-east Nigeria.

No N5,000 for metre application

On Sunday, a man, Okechukwu Obioha, who claimed to be the national chairperson South-east Electricity Consumers Association, announced the requirements for metre application.

In a post on his Facebook page, Mr Obioha, among other requirements, asked electricity consumers in the South-east to pay N5,000 to the association for metre application.

He published the account details of the association and his personal mobile phone number, saying the pay was for data and other logistics.

EEDC reacts

Reacting to the development, Mr Ezeh, in a statement on Tuesday, stressed that EEDC does not charge its customers for metre application.

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

EEDC has an online metre application infrastructure in place that allows customers to apply for prepaid metres and monitor their applications seamlessly, he said.

Thr EEDC spokesperson described the announcement asking its customers to pay for metre application as worrisome, fraudulent and unacceptable.

He said that the management of EEDC has frowned at the ugly development deliberately designed to defraud its customers.

We call on our customers not to allow themselves to be defrauded by paying for metre application as it is illegal, inapplicable and unnecessary.

It is only the cost of the metre that customers are expected to pay for under the meter asset provider programme after a demand notice must have been issued to them, having formally applied for the metre through the approved official channel, Mr Ezeh explained.

READ ALSO: EFCC operative commits suicide

The spokesperson advised customers who want to apply for metre to log on to the EEDC website and fill metre application form to initiate the process or visit the companys office for assistance.

With this note of caution, EEDC will not be liable for any financial loss by any of its customers who fall victim to this illegal activity by this group, he stated.

He urged customers to always seek clarification and make enquiries at any EEDC office and social media handle.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied discussing the release of Nnamdi Kanu with South East governors in Enugu on Tuesday.

This is contained in a statement by the Special Assistant on Media to the former President, Kehinde Akinyemi, on Wednesday in Abeokuta.

He said that contrary to media reports, Mr Obasanjo and Emeka Anyaoku, a former Commonwealth secretary-general, met with the governors on their own invitation to discuss regional development issues.

Mr Akinyemi said that the purported release of Mr Kanu by the Federal Government was not part of it.

He said that the regional development issues discussed include security and infrastructure, economic and cooperative collaboration among others.

The meeting with them was at my invitation and of Anyaoku before their summit began.

The issue of Nnamdi Kanu was not on the agenda and was not discussed in my presence, the statement quoted Mr Obasanjo as saying.

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

Governor Alex Otti of Abia had at the end of the South-East Governors meeting on Tuesday posted a message on X, which some interpreted to mean that Mr Obasanjo joined in taking a decision to engage the Federal Government over Mr Kanus case.

Mr Ottis post reads as follows:

We have just concluded the South East Governors Forum meeting in Enugu, where we deliberated on critical issues affecting our region. After thorough discussions with fellow Governors and stakeholders, the following resolutions were reached:

The Forum commiserated with the Government and people of Abia State, Ebonyi State, Imo State, and the entire South East and Nigeria, along with the Onu Family, on the passing of His Excellency, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.

The Forum welcomed a distinguished delegation including Former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR, Chief Emeka Anyaoku GCON, and His Royal Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe CFR, the Obi of Onitsha, who visited in solidarity.

We reviewed the report from the South East Security and Economic Summit held in Owerri on September 28, 2023. The Forum agreed to implement key recommendations related to security and economic integration, reaffirming our commitment to actionable plans on these critical issues.

The Forum resolved to visit Mr. President to discuss pressing concerns affecting the South East Region.

Additionally, we resolved to engage with the Federal Government to secure the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The communique was signed by,

His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma, CON

His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR

His Excellency, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, CFR

His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru

His Excellency, Dr. Peter Mbah

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


A two-day protest by factory workers at Sumal Foods Limited, Ibadan, Oyo State, has left one of the protesters dead, two others injured and some properties destroyed.

Sumal Foods, with factories located in Oluyole extension, Ring Road Ibadan, Oyo State, produces Yale biscuits and a range of other snacks.

On Monday, scores of casual workers at the companys Yale 3 branch in Ibadan, had mobilised to protest unfair labour practices, among other issues. As a result, they declined to work the night shift and suspended production in nine factories.

But, according to a witness who identified himself as Jelili Ismail, while the workers were peacefully expressing their grievances against the company, heavily armed police officers fired tear gas canisters and gunshots at the crowd. The police shootings reportedly killed one protester and injured two others.

With tears in their eyes, the workers rushed their injured colleagues to a nearby hospital, lifted the corpse and took it to the companys headquarters at Town Planning, Ring Road, on a motorcycle.

When they arrived at the headquarters, they found that more armed police officers had been stationed at the premises. The corpse was deposited inside the company, he said.

Some of the aggrieved workers spoke to PREMIUM TIMES but chose to be anonymous for fear of being victimised.

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 first protester claimed that Sumal Foods allegedly withheld palliatives offered to them by the federal government for six months.

He alleged that the federal government gave all workers in both private and public organisations palliatives to cushion the effect of hardship in February and that the organisation refused to give theirs to them.

He claimed that the company posted an internal memorandum denying them membership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), as well as the right to palliatives.

They said we are not under TUC and NLC, and that we are on our own. At the same time, they added 14 per cent tax to our salary, he said.

Buttressing the points raised by the first respondent, another factory worker, whose name is withheld, said: They told us that we were in the private sector (Sumal) and not the government. They offered to add 200 naira to our salary and we refused. The salary cannot even buy two congos of rice and garri, he said.

Another aggrieved worker, speaking on what transpired on day one of the protests, said heavily armed police officers dispersed the crowd using tear gas and also fired gunshots into the air.

He stated that it was during the confusion that ensued that the deceased was hit by a bullet. He said the company has refused to release the corpse.

Police confirm death

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Police Command, on Tuesday, the second day of the protest, confirmed that the protest that rocked one of the factories belonging to Sumal Foods, Oluyole extension, Ibadan on Monday, turned violent.

One death was recorded during the violent protest, the police said in a statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso.

The police also confirmed the arrest of 12 suspects in connection with the violent protest, stating that normalcy has returned to the affected area with the immediate deployment of the Commands operational and tactical assets to prevent future recurrence.

The command said that preliminary investigation revealed that the protest was premised on a piece of widespread false information authored and peddled by some of the workers concerning the disbursement of palliative to all private-owned companies and firms in the country.

Their grouse, however, was that they were being denied the welfare package. Sadly, the protest was hijacked by criminal elements who forced their way into the factory, destroying vehicles and property worth millions of naira, the statement said.

While the police also confirmed the arrest of 12 persons in connection with the protest, it was silent on the allegation that the deceased was killed when armed police personnel fired gunshots into the air to disperse the protesters.

Furthermore, the CP has ordered that the entire case be taken up by the Homicide Department of the Criminal Investigation Department with the Deputy Commissioner of Police directly in charge of investigations, Mr Osifeso said.

Efforts to speak with officials of Sumal Foods Limited were unsuccessful as our correspondent was turned down by security operatives stationed at the companys premises.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


JACKSON, Miss., July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AARP has announced 4 organizations throughout Mississippi will receive 2024 Community Challenge grants  part of AARP's largest Investment in communities to date with $3.8 million awarded among 343 organizations nationwide. Grantees will implement quick-action projects that help communities become more livable by improving public places; transportation; housing; digital connections; and more, with an emphasis on the needs of adults ages 50 and older.

"AARP Mississippi is committed to working with local leaders, advocates and policymakers to make our communities better places to live for Mississippians of all ages, especially those 50 and older," said AARP Mississippi State Director Kimberly L. Campbell, Esq. "We are proud to collaborate with this year's grantees as they make immediate improvements to address long-standing and emerging challenges across our communities."

Here in Mississippi, projects funded include:

Harrison County Library System: This project will provide wheeled walkers at three library branches, enabling older visitors to peruse the shelves independently. In addition, the library will expand its collection of large print books to give older patrons more reading choices. The grant amount is $7,628.

Jackson Heart Foundation: This project will create hydration stations and rest areas along a walking and biking trail frequented by older adults. Planned amenities include new water bottle filling stations, benches, bike racks, trash cans and shade trees. The grant amount is $18,000.

Laurel-Jones County Library System Inc.: This project will transform a donated trolley into a mobile library and technology resource for older adults living in rural areas. Equipped with laptops, printers and Wi-Fi, this will give residents online access to health care and financial assistance, technology classes and other resources. The grant amount is $20,000.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College: This project will install outdoor fitness stations along a walking track popular with older adults. Several stations will feature ADA-complaint designs. The grant amount is $20,000.

This year, AARP awarded three different grant opportunities, including flagship grants, capacity-building microgrants for improving walkability, bikeability and accessible home modifications, and demonstration grants that focus on equitable engagement to reconnect communities, housing choice design competitions and improving digital connections to endure disasters.

With funding support from Toyota Motor North America, the program is increasing its investment in pedestrian safety projects that will improve streets and sidewalks, create vibrant pedestrian infrastructure, engage community members and much more. AARP is also bolstering its investment in community resilience, rural communities, and addressing disparities.

"Whether it's helping people access high speed internet or protecting public transit riders from rain and snow, small community projects can have a big impact on people of all ages," said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer. "AARP Community Challenge grantees make our commitment to creating better places to live a reality through quick, innovative solutions."

The grant program is part of AARP's nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages, with an emphasis on people ages 50 and older. Since 2017, AARP Mississippi has awarded 23 grants and $328,828 through the program to nonprofit organizations and government entities across the state.

AARP Community Challenge grant projects will be funded in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. True to the program's quick-action nature, projects must be completed by December 15, 2024.

View the full list of grantees and their project descriptions at aarp.org/communitychallenge and learn more about AARP's livable communities work at aarp.org/livable.

About AARP

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/espanol or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspanol and @AARPadvocates on social media.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Ronda Gooden

601-898-5417

[email protected]

SOURCE AARP Mississippi
LYSAKER, Akershus, Norway, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Aker BP (OSE: AKRBP) (OTCQX: AKRBF) (OTCQX: AKRBY) will publish its report for the second quarter 2024 on Friday 12 July. Today, the company provides its preliminary production and sales figures for the quarter and an update on its full-year production forecast.

Production and sales

The company's equity production for the quarter was 444.1 thousand barrels of oil equivalents per day (mboepd). Net volume sold in the quarter was 460.9 mboepd:

Volume (mboepd) Q2-24 Q1-24 Net production 444.1 448.0 Overlift/(underlift) 16.7 (19.0) Net volume sold 460.9 428.9 Of which liquids 398.2 364.5 Of which natural gas 62.7 64.4





Realised prices (USD/boe) Q2-24 Q1-24 Liquids 83.1 82.9 Natural gas 57.2 51.4

Full-year production guidance

Average production for the first half of 2024 was 446 mboepd. For the second half, production is expected to be impacted by planned maintenance activities. The full-year production is now forecasted to be 420-440 mboepd, revised from the previous guidance of 410-440 mboepd.

Reporting date

The company will release its report for the second quarter 2024 on Friday 12 July 2024 at 06:00 CEST. At 08:30 CEST the same day, the management will present the results on a webcast available at www.akerbp.com/en. The presentation will be followed by an online Q&A session.

CONTACT:

Kjetil Bakken, Head of IR, tel.: +47 918 89 889

Carl Christian Bachke, IR Officer, tel.: +47 909 80 848

Martin Seland Simensen, IR Officer, tel.: +47 416 92 087

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/aker-bp-asa/r/aker-bp-second-quarter-2024-trading-update,c4010336

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE Aker BP ASA
Browse in-depth TOC on "Anti-Migrating Agent Market"

157  Tables

79  Figures

240  Pages

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=18108292

The amphoteric agent type is the fastest growing type, in terms of value, during the forecast period.

The amphoteric agent segment is estimated to be the fastest-growing product type in the anti-migrating market due to its versatile nature. Amphoteric agents, which can carry both positive and negative charges depending on the pH, offer versatility in their application. This adaptability makes them suitable for processes that require stability across varying pH levels. Amphoteric agents are often used in complex textile treatments and specialty coatings where pH variations can occur.

Based on application, digital printing is the fastest growing application in terms of value in the anti-migrating market.

Digital printing application is the fastest-growing application in anti-migrating market due to the high demand for high-quality digital prints on fabrics and other materials has surged with advancements in printing technology. Anti-migrating agent ensures that the inks used in digital printing do not spread or blur, providing sharp and clear images. This application is particularly important in the fashion industry, custom apparel, and home textiles where precise and vibrant prints are highly valued.

Based on chemistry, the organic segment is the second fastest growing chemistry in the anti-migrating market.

Organic chemistry is estimated to be the second fastest growing end-use industry of the anti-migrating market, due to the growing demand from textile and printing industries. One of the major advantages of organic anti-migrating agents is their biodegradability and lower environmental impact compared to inorganic agents. This characteristic aligns with the growing demand for eco-friendly solutions in various industries. However, organic agents can sometimes be less stable under extreme conditions, such as high temperatures or strong chemical exposure, which can limit their application in certain scenarios.

Based on source, natural segment the is the fastest growing source in the anti-migrating market.

The natural segment is estimated to be the fastest-growing source in the anti-migrating market, due to the growing demand for eco-friendly products. Natural anti-migrating agents, derived from natural materials like plant extracts, biopolymers, and other renewable resources, these agents provide an environmentally sustainable solution that meets the growing demand for green and sustainable textile production. These agents are biodegradable and typically have a lower environmental impact compared to their synthetic counterparts. Incorporating these agents allows the textile industry to enhance the quality and durability of dyed fabrics while supporting sustainable and eco-friendly manufacturing practices.

Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=18108292

Based on grade, pharma grade is estimated to be the fastest-growing segment of the anti-migrating market.

The pharma grade is estimated to be the fastest growing grade in the anti-migrating market. These agents are used to prevent the unwanted migration of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) or excipients during the manufacturing and storage processes of various pharmaceutical products, including tablets, capsules, and topical formulations. Formulated with high purity and consistency, pharma-grade anti-migrating agents ensure the stability and uniform distribution of APIs within the product, which is critical for maintaining efficacy and safety. They are developed to comply with regulatory requirements set by authorities such as the FDA and EMA, ensuring that they are free from contaminants and impurities.

Based on end-use industry, textile end-use industry is estimated to be the fastest-growing segment of the anti-migrating market.

The textile industry is estimated to be the fastest growing end-use industry of the anti-migrating market, due to the increasing consumer demand for high-quality, durable textiles and the rise of e-commerce. Additionally, advancements in textile manufacturing technologies, such as digital printing and sustainable dyeing processes, are further boosting the demand for effective anti-migrating agent. Moreover, the textile industry increasingly demands sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions. Many modern anti-migrating agents are developed to be biodegradable and non-toxic, aligning with the industry's move towards greener practices. This not only helps in reducing the environmental impact of textile production but also meets consumer preferences for eco-friendly products.

Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region, in terms of value, during the forecast period in the anti-migrating market.

Asia Pacific represents the fastest-growing region in the anti-migrating market during the forecast period due to its robust industrial base, particularly in textiles. Countries like China, India, and Bangladesh are major global players in textile manufacturing, producing vast quantities of garments and fabrics that require high-quality dyeing and printing processes. The textile industry's growth in these countries necessitates the extensive use of anti-migrating agent to ensure the quality and durability of textile products. Additionally, the increasing adoption of digital printing technologies in Asia Pacific is boosting the demand for anti-migrating agents. Digital printing requires precise control over dye and pigment behavior to achieve high-resolution prints, making anti-migrating agents essential. China's leadership in technology adoption and innovation in manufacturing processes further supports this trend.

Request Customization: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=18108292

Market Players

Some of the key players in the global anti-migrating market are SNF (Germany), Rudolf GmbH (Indonesia), Zschimmer & Schwarz Holding GmbH & Co KG (Germany), Sarex Chemicals (India), Archroma (Switzerland) and others. These players have adopted various strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, and expansion to strengthen their market position.

Browse Adjacent Market: Specialty Chemicals Market Research Reports

Related Reports:

TEXTILE CHEMICALS MARKET - Global Forecast to 2026

FABRIC FINISHING CHEMICALS MARKET - Global Forecast to 2024

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: [email protected]

Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/anti-migrating-agent-market.asp

Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/

Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/anti-migrating-agent.asp

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1951202/4609423/MarketsandMarkets.jpg

SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
A NAVY SEAL SHARES HIS INTIMATE ACCOUNT WITH DR. KEVIN BRENNER

LOS ANGELES, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In this rare two-part episode of Beyond the O.R., hosted by Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon Dr. Kevin Brenner, a highly decorated Navy SEAL steps out from behind the enigmatic curtain of military special operations. Mark Owen, best-selling author and executive co-producer on the CBS hit show "SEAL Team", takes us step by step through the preparation and peril associated with life among the elite forces that killed Osama bin Laden. How do you eat an elephant? Here's your peek into exactly how SEAL Team 6 gets the job done!

Finding himself at the tip of Operation Neptune Spear, Mark (who uses a pseudonym to protect his family's anonymity) shares with Dr. B. and co-host Elizabeth Morales the unvarnished feelings that operators run up against  the stark silence inside a Black Hawk chopper deploying SEALS on a risky mission, the pang of constantly saying goodbye to loved ones, and the humility in constantly being put to the test physically and mentally. Mark also opens up about the challenges vets face while transitioning back to civilian life and what it feels like to go up against the federal government when you pen a popular but controversial account that leaps to the top of the New York Times' bestseller list.

"People think SEALS are fearless. That's bulls%^&. I've been scared plenty of times," says Mark, "but I just break down what I'm scared of and why, then mitigate the risk as best I can." How'd that work out? Well, for starters, Mark is the recipient of the Silver Star, 5 Bronze Stars with Valor, Joint Commendation Medal with Valor, Navy Commendation with Valor and a Purple Heart.

You'll find out what the Trident ethos means in the mind of a Navy SEAL and how stories about "the best of the best" inspired big dreams in a little boy who grew up riding his snowmobile to school in rural Alaska. "My sister is a teacher and not in a million years could I handle kids in a classroom. It's where you put your commitment level. I don't care who you are or what you do, a commitment's a commitment," says our guest, who also walks us through the world's most rigorous initiation: Hell Week (Think: relentless noise, mud, sand, sleep deprivation and unrelenting intimidation!).

"The biggest thing is that when your time is up, it's up. I don't care how good you are or how hard you've trained, you're just going to be lucky or you're not," says Mark, whose phone contacts include the names of far too many former team members lost in the line of duty.

Don't miss this uniquely intimate conversation with a man who has been dropped into the razor's edge situations for which SEAL teams tirelessly train and the rest of us can only imagine. Their toolkits include skills such as underwater demolition skills, skydiving, distance swimming and partnering with special sonar-sensing dolphins.

Whatever the mission, Special Operations Forces come hyper-prepared  and it's that bone-deep preparation that buffers high-stakes, and high-stress situations. "Whether you have someone shooting at you with an AK-47 or you have someone asleep on the O.R. table," says Dr. B., himself a seasoned plastic surgeon, "You have to stay focused on what you can control. You can't freak out because it doesn't do you any favors or anyone else around you."

Learn why Mark is happy to be a civilian after 14 years of serving in the Navy's special operations community, but remains actively committed to supporting fellow veterans in transition through programs like Valor for Life and Special Operations Care Fund.

Mark Owen is at work on his third book, "No Easy Way" coming out in 2025, following the popular success of "No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden" and "No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL." You can also check out the hit CBS show he executive co-produces here or stream it on Paramount+.

Follow this link to access all three seasons of Beyond the O.R., an ongoing podcast series featuring some of the fascinating, fun and noteworthy people from Dr. Kevin Brenner's world of plastic surgery  and beyond!

About Beyond the O.R.

This popular podcast is focused on the fascinating people  authors, actors, Navy SEALS, medical pioneers, entrepreneurs  that populate the orbit of Dr. Kevin Brenner and his producer/co-host, Elizabeth Morales. In its first three seasons the show has featured Beverly Hills Mayor, Lili Bosse, scene-stealing film star, Natasha Henstridge, influential entrepreneur, David Palmer, and celebrity makeup artist, Troy Jensen. The program also tackles topics ranging from the comic gold in menopause to the very serious challenges of Breast Implant Illness and what can be done surgically and otherwise to bring women back to robust health. Available on your favorite streaming platform.

About Dr. Kevin Brenner:

Dr. Kevin Brenner is not only a board-certified Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon, but also a board-certified General Surgeon, giving him qualifications to perform some of the most complex reconstructive procedures. His specialty lies in breast surgery (especially managing Breast Implant Illness) and natural fat transfer to the face and breasts, using his expertise to restore a youthful, shapely appearance where it has been lost to age or other factors. Dr. Brenner has also done advanced training in rhinoplasty and is one of a select group of plastic surgeons specifically trained to utilize advanced techniques such as rib grafting for challenging revision cases. A sought-after speaker and author, Dr. Brenner is also a physician member of Valor for Life.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

BBPR

Dani Benson

949.244.2031

[email protected]

SOURCE Kevin Brenner MD
SHENZHEN, China, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BTC Digital Ltd. ("BTC Digital" or the "Company") today announced the signing of a significant acquisition agreement, marking the successful purchase of an Arkansas-registered company. This acquisition includes a Bitcoin mining facility in Arkansas equipped with a 6MV long-term stable power load, with the total consideration for the purchase amounting to $1.99 million. With the completion of this acquisition, BTC Digital will hold 100% ownership of the acquired company.

This strategic move is set to substantially enhance BTC Digital's core competitiveness in several key areas:

1. Reduction in Operational Costs: The acquisition will lower the mining operational costs for the Company. As Bitcoin mining difficulties continue to rise, possessing increased computational power and lower costs will allow the company to maintain a competitive edge in the fiercely competitive market.

2. Long-Term Stable Energy Supply: Owning and operating a mining facility ensures a stable, long-term energy supply. This stability helps mitigate the risks associated with mining operations and increases the company's ability to withstand industry and market fluctuations, ensuring sustainable development of mining operations.

3. Leading Mining Machine Hosting Services: The Company will offer leading, customized end-to-end mining machine hosting services to meet the growing demand for BTC mining. This initiative will further solidify BTC Digital's leading position in the cryptocurrency mining industry and contribute to the industry's development.

The management team of BTC Digital stated that this acquisition represents a critical step in the Company's strategic development plan and a positive response to the future trends in the cryptocurrency mining industry. The Company will continue to seek appropriate expansion opportunities and commit to providing efficient and reliable mining solutions, contributing positively to the sustainable growth of the cryptocurrency industry.

About BTC Digital Ltd.

BTC Digital Ltd.is a blockchain technology company, with a long-term strategy to create value across the metaverse, blockchain and cryptocurrency mining industry. The Company is committed to developing blockchain related businesses in North America, including cryptocurrency mining, mining farm construction, and mining pool and data center operation.

For more information, please visit: https://meten.investorroom.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "future", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", "target", "going forward", "outlook" and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control, which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under law.

SOURCE BTC Digital Ltd.
CHICAGO, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe: CBOE), the world's leading derivatives and securities exchange network, today reported June 2024 trading volume statistics across its global business lines and provided guidance for selected revenue per contract/net revenue capture metrics for the second quarter of 2024.

The data sheet "Cboe Global Markets Monthly Volume & RPC/Net Revenue Capture Report" contains an overview of certain June trading statistics and market share by business segment, volume in select index products, and RPC/net capture, which is reported on a one-month lag, across business lines.

Average Daily Trading Volume (ADV) by Month Year-To-Date

















Jun

2024 Jun

2023 %

Chg May

2024 %

Chg Jun

2024 Jun

2023 %

Chg Multiply-listed options (contracts, k) 11,002 11,467 -4.0 % 9,962 10.4 % 10,553 10,842 -2.7 % Index options (contracts, k) 3,913 3,917 -0.1 % 3,776 3.6 % 4,052 3,639 11.3 % Futures (contracts, k) 235.1 198 18.8 % 214 10.0 % 237 215 10.4 % U.S. Equities - On-Exchange (matched shares, mn) 1,293 1,366 -5.4 % 1,424 -9.2 % 1,426 1,435 -0.6 % U.S. Equities - Off-Exchange (matched shares, mn)1 73 77 -5.4 % 79 -7.4 % 78 84 -6.8 % Canadian Equities (matched shares, k) 154,818 120,591 28.4 % 140,175 10.4 % 148,479 137,531 8.0 % European Equities (, mn) 9,678 8,730 10.9 % 8,634 12.1 % 9,744 10,314 -5.5 % Cboe Clear Europe Cleared Trades2 (k) 95,010 90,994 4.4 % 96,641 -1.7 % 593,345 634,938 -6.6 % Cboe Clear Europe Net Settlements2 (k) 875 844 3.7 % 953 -8.2 % 5,289 5,064 4.4 % Australian Equities (AUD, mn) 792 688 15.1 % 737 7.4 % 763 719 6.2 % Japanese Equities (JPY, bn) 296 164 80.6 % 333 -11.1 % 316 184 71.7 % Global FX ($, mn) 48,651 44,834 8.5 % 43,351 12.2 % 46,475 43,726 6.3 %

1 U.S. Equities  Off-Exchange ATS Block metrics restated to incorporate a tier of sell-side activity from July 2023 and forward, previously excluded from reporting. 2 Cboe Clear Europe figures are totals (not ADV) for the months and years-to-date. As of April 2023, data has been restated to reflect both On-Book and Off-Book cleared trades.

June and Second Quarter 2024 Trading Volume Highlights

Cboe Europe

Cboe Clear Europe achieved a monthly market share record of 47% on venues that support interoperable clearing arrangements, beating the previous high of 46% set in April 2024 .

Global FX

Global FX reported a new quarterly Spot average daily notional value (ADNV) record of $47.7 billion .

Cboe Japan

Cboe Japan achieved a new quarterly lit market share record of 5.5%, its second consecutive quarter with record market share.

Second-Quarter 2024 RPC/Net Revenue Capture Guidance

The projected RPC/net capture metrics for the second quarter of 2024 are estimated, preliminary and may change. There can be no assurance that our final RPC for the three months ended June 30, 2024, will not differ materially from these projections.

(In USD unless stated otherwise)

Three-Months Ended Product: 2Q Projection May-24 Apr-24 Mar-24 Multiply-Listed Options (per contract) $0.063 $0.064 $0.065 $0.064 Index Options $0.896 $0.902 $0.911 $0.915 Total Options $0.295 $0.302 $0.304 $0.299 Futures (per contract) $1.750 $1.746 $1.741 $1.749 U.S. Equities - Exchange (per 100 touched shares) $0.026 $0.026 $0.022 $0.019 U.S. Equities - Off-Exchange (per 100 touched shares) $0.134 $0.131 $0.133 $0.132 Canadian Equities (per 10,000 touched shares) CAD 4.060 CAD 4.046 CAD 4.006 CAD 3.997 European Equities (per matched notional value) 0.250 0.249 0.246 0.249 Australian Equities (per matched notional value) 0.158 0.156 0.156 0.142 Japanese Equities (per matched notional value) 0.229 0.232 0.220 0.227 Global FX (per one million dollars traded) $2.705 $2.677 $2.650 $2.622 Cboe Clear Europe Fee per Trade Cleared  0.008  0.008  0.008  0.008 Cboe Clear Europe Net Fee per Settlement  1.060  1.042  1.069  1.072

The above represents average revenue per contract (RPC) or net capture is based on a three-month rolling average, reported on a one-month lag. Average transaction fees per contract can be affected by various factors, including exchange fee rates, volume-based discounts and transaction mix by contract type and product type.

For Options and Futures, the average RPC represents total net transaction fees recognized for the period divided by total contracts traded during the period for options exchanges: BZX Options, Cboe Options, C2 Options and EDGX Options; futures include contracts traded on Cboe Futures Exchange, LLC (CFE).

For U.S. Equities, "net capture per 100 touched shares" refers to transaction fees less liquidity payments and routing and clearing costs divided by the product of one-hundredth ADV of touched shares on BZX, BYX, EDGX and EDGA and the number of trading days for the period.

For U.S. Equities  Off-Exchange, "net capture per 100 touched shares" refers to transaction fees less OMS/EMS costs and clearing costs divided by the product of one-hundredth ADV of touched shares on BIDS Trading and the number of trading days for the period.

For Canadian Equities, "net capture per 10,000 touched shares" refers to transaction fees divided by the product of one-ten thousandth ADV of shares for Cboe Canada and the number of trading days for the period and includes revenue.

For European Equities, "net capture per matched notional value" refers to transaction fees less liquidity payments in British pounds divided by the product of ADNV in British pounds of shares matched on Cboe Europe Equities and the number of trading days.

For Australian Equities, "net capture per matched notional value" refers to transaction fees less trading fee relief in Australian Dollars divided by the product of ADNV in Australian Dollars of shares matched on Cboe Australia and the number of trading days.

For Japanese Equities, "net capture per matched notional value" refers to transaction fees less liquidity payments in Japanese Yen divided by the product of ADNV in Japanese Yen of shares matched on Cboe Japan and the number of trading days.

For Global FX, "net capture per one million dollars traded" refers to transaction fees less liquidity payments, if any, divided by the Spot and SEF products of one-thousandth of ADNV traded on the Cboe FX Markets and the number of trading days, divided by two, which represents the buyer and seller that are both charged on the transaction.

traded" refers to transaction fees less liquidity payments, if any, divided by the Spot and SEF products of one-thousandth of ADNV traded on the Cboe FX Markets and the number of trading days, divided by two, which represents the buyer and seller that are both charged on the transaction. For Cboe Clear Europe, "Fee per Trade Cleared" refers to clearing fees divided by number of non-interoperable trades cleared and "Net Fee per Settlement" refers to settlement fees less direct costs incurred to settle divided by the number of settlements executed after netting.

About Cboe Global Markets

Cboe Global Markets (Cboe: CBOE), the world's leading derivatives and securities exchange network, delivers cutting-edge trading, clearing and investment solutions to people around the world. Cboe provides trading solutions and products in multiple asset classes, including equities, derivatives, FX, and digital assets, across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Above all, we are committed to building a trusted, inclusive global marketplace that enables people to pursue a sustainable financial future. To learn more about the Exchange for the World Stage, visit www.cboe.com.

CBOE-V

Cboe, Cboe Global Markets, Cboe Clear, and CFE are registered trademarks of Cboe Exchange, Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "may," "might," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or "continue," and the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. All statements that reflect our expectations, assumptions or projections about the future other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.

Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include: the loss of our right to exclusively list and trade certain index options and futures products; economic, political and market conditions; compliance with legal and regulatory obligations; price competition and consolidation in our industry; decreases in trading or clearing volumes, market data fees or a shift in the mix of products traded on our exchanges; legislative or regulatory changes or changes in tax regimes; our ability to protect our systems and communication networks from security vulnerabilities and breaches; our ability to attract and retain skilled management and other personnel; increasing competition by foreign and domestic entities; our dependence on and exposure to risk from third parties; global expansion of operations; factors that impact the quality and integrity of our and other applicable indices; our ability to manage our growth and strategic acquisitions or alliances effectively; our ability to operate our business without violating the intellectual property rights of others and the costs associated with protecting our intellectual property rights; our ability to minimize the risks, including our credit, counterparty, investment, and default risks, associated with operating a European clearinghouse; our ability to accommodate trading and clearing volume and transaction traffic, including significant increases, without failure or degradation of performance of our systems; misconduct by those who use our markets or our products or for whom we clear transactions; challenges to our use of open source software code; our ability to meet our compliance obligations, including managing potential conflicts between our regulatory responsibilities and our for-profit status; our ability to maintain BIDS Trading as an independently managed and operated trading venue, separate from and not integrated with our registered national securities exchanges; damage to our reputation; the ability of our compliance and risk management methods to effectively monitor and manage our risks; restrictions imposed by our debt obligations and our ability to make payments on or refinance our debt obligations; our ability to maintain an investment grade credit rating; impairment of our goodwill, long-lived assets, investments or intangible assets; the impacts of pandemics; the accuracy of our estimates and expectations; litigation risks and other liabilities; and risks relating to digital assets, including winding down the Cboe Digital spot crypto market, operating a digital assets futures clearinghouse, cybercrime, changes in digital asset regulation, and fluctuations in digital asset prices. More detailed information about factors that may affect our actual results to differ may be found in our filings with the SEC, including in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and other filings made from time to time with the SEC.

We do not undertake, and we expressly disclaim, any duty to update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

SOURCE Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
NEW YORK, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global cinnamon market size is estimated to grow by USD 412.9 million from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of about 7.97% during the forecast period. Rising awareness about health benefits of cinnamon is driving market growth, with a trend towards growing application of cinnamon in pharmaceuticals. However, compliance constraints with international food standards and export regulations poses a challenge. Key market players include Biofoods Pvt. Ltd., Cell Foods, Ceylon Spice Co., Cinnamon Exports Pvt Ltd., EHL Ltd., Elite Spice Inc., EOAS Organics Pvt Ltd., First Spice Mixing Co., Goya Foods Inc., HDDES Group, McCormick and Co. Inc., Organic Spices Inc., Ozone Naturals, Sauer Brands Inc., SDS Spices, Taj Agro International, The Bart Ingredients Co., The Great American Spice Co., True Ceylon Spices, and Vijaya Enterprises.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Cinnamon 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 Product (Cassia cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon), Application (Residential and Commercial), and Geography (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa) Region Covered APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa Key companies profiled Biofoods Pvt. Ltd., Cell Foods, Ceylon Spice Co., Cinnamon Exports Pvt Ltd., EHL Ltd., Elite Spice Inc., EOAS Organics Pvt Ltd., First Spice Mixing Co., Goya Foods Inc., HDDES Group, McCormick and Co. Inc., Organic Spices Inc., Ozone Naturals, Sauer Brands Inc., SDS Spices, Taj Agro International, The Bart Ingredients Co., The Great American Spice Co., True Ceylon Spices, and Vijaya Enterprises

Key Market Trends Fueling Growth

The global cinnamon market is experiencing growth due to the increasing use of cinnamon and cinnamon oil in medicine and pharmaceuticals. Their antimicrobial properties, particularly the ability of cinnamaldehyde to break up bacterial biofilms, make them a potential replacement for antibiotics in treating infections. This development is significant given the rising number of bacterial species resistant to antibiotics. Cinnamon's role in the medical sector is expected to continue expanding.

The Cinnamon market is currently experiencing significant growth in demand for its unique and versatile flavors. Minerals, nuts, and almonds are popular ingredients used in cinnamon-based products. These include aromatics, casseis, and condiments. Diabetes and health-conscious consumers are particularly interested in cinnamon's benefits. Cinnamon is used in various forms, such as sticks, powder, and essential oils. Cosmetics and spice blends also utilize cinnamon. Brands are focusing on sustainable farming practices and organic production to cater to consumer preferences. The future looks bright for the cinnamon industry, with a strong focus on innovation and product development.

Research report provides comprehensive data on impact of trend. For more details- Download a Sample Report

Market Challenges

The global cinnamon market has faced challenges due to exporting countries like Sri Lanka not meeting buyer specifications. Strict regulations in importing countries, such as Western European nations, require compliance with the European Spice Association's Quality Minima Document and the General Food Law. Intergovernmental organizations are working to enhance product quality standards in Sri Lanka , but these regulations may initially restrict market growth and increase production costs for key exporters.

not meeting buyer specifications. Strict regulations in importing countries, such as Western European nations, require compliance with the European Spice Association's Quality Minima Document and the General Food Law. Intergovernmental organizations are working to enhance product quality standards in , but these regulations may initially restrict market growth and increase production costs for key exporters. The Cinnamon market faces several challenges in the production and procurement process. Condiments like cinnamon are essential in food production, but obtaining high-quality cinnamon consistently can be difficult. The supply chain involves various countries, including China , Indonesia , and Sri Lanka . Producers in these countries must contend with factors such as weather conditions, labor availability, and regulatory compliance. Additionally, the price of cinnamon can be volatile due to market fluctuations and production issues. To address these challenges, companies must build strong relationships with suppliers and implement effective supply chain management strategies. Furthermore, investing in research and development to improve production methods and quality control can help mitigate risks and ensure a consistent supply of cinnamon.

For more insights on driver and challenges - Download a Sample Report

Segment Overview

This cinnamon market report extensively covers market segmentation by

Product

1.1 Cassia cinnamon

1.2 Ceylon cinnamon

Application

2.1 Residential

2.2 Commercial

Geography

3.1 APAC

3.2 North America

3.3 Europe

3.4 South America

3.5 Middle East and Africa



1.1 Cassia cinnamon- The Cassia cinnamon segment, led by Indonesian and Indian varieties, dominates the global cinnamon market due to their affordability and widespread use as flavoring agents in baked goods and beverages. However, concerns over health risks from coumarin and production challenges may lead to a decline in market share and slower growth compared to the Ceylon cinnamon segment. Saigon cinnamon, with its unique spiciness and applications in food and medicine, also contributes to the market. Regulations and quality standards are expected to impact Cassia cinnamon's growth in the US and Europe.

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 global Cinnamon market is experiencing significant growth due to its numerous health benefits and versatile applications in various food products and savory cuisines. Cinnamon, a popular spice and culinary ingredient, is rich in minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants. It is known to help regulate blood glucose levels, making it beneficial for individuals with diabetes. Additionally, cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties and is believed to aid in the prevention and relief of medical conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, infections, common cold, stomach spasms, muscular spasms, nausea, vomiting, gas, and diarrhea. Cinnamon consumption can be found in poultry industry, antibiotic growth promotors, beverages, bakeries, confectionery, and organic foods. Healthy eating trends and the desire for natural flavor enhancers continue to drive the demand for this savory spice.

Market Research Overview

The Cinnamon Market encompasses a diverse range of products and services, primarily centered around the versatile and aromatic spice, cinnamon. This market includes the production, processing, and distribution of cinnamon in its various forms, such as sticks, powder, and essential oil. Consumers utilize cinnamon in numerous applications, including culinary uses, traditional medicines, and industrial processes. The market spans across multiple regions, with significant production in countries like Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and China. Producers and suppliers employ various methods to ensure the quality and consistency of their cinnamon offerings. Additionally, the market experiences fluctuations in demand due to seasonal trends and consumer preferences. Overall, the Cinnamon Market is a dynamic and intriguing sector that caters to a wide array of industries and applications.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation

Product

Cassia Cinnamon



Ceylon Cinnamon

Application

Residential



Commercial

Geography

APAC



North America



Europe



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
ONTARIO, Calif., July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ontario International Airport (ONT) today welcomed news that travelers can now enroll or renew their membership in TSA PreCheck in either of the popular Southern California gateway's two terminals.

CLEAR, an authorized TSA PreCheck enrollment provider, announced that travelers who are pre-enrolled in the Trusted Traveler program can complete the process in minutes by heading to any available enrollment location on the lower level of Terminal 2 or 4. In addition to being pre-enrolled, travelers must have a passport or other accepted form of identification. No appointment is needed.

Existing TSA PreCheck members can renew in person or directly on CLEAR's authorized TSA PreCheck website, regardless of the provider they enrolled with originally.

TSA PreCheck provides expedited screening of passengers, with wait times of 10 minutes or less for about 99% of members at airport checkpoints nationwide. Members also benefit from the convenience of keeping shoes, belts and light jackets on through the security checkpoint, and keeping electronics and 3-1-1 compliant liquids in carry-on bags.

"We are delighted to offer this added benefit to our travelers and our community. TSA PreCheck is a great travel amenity, and with our new CLEAR TSA PreCheck centers, the enrollment process is more convenient than ever," said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority.

In addition to offering TSA PreCheck enrollment on site, ONT also has a U.S. Customers & Border Protection Global Entry Enrollment Center at its international arrival facility. Global Entry uses specialized processing technology and dedicated lanes to expedite clearance for arriving international travelers who have passed a rigorous background check and in-person interview. To set up an interview at the Global Entry Enrollment Center, travelers must first receive online pre-approval.

About Ontario International Airport

Ontario International Airport (ONT) is California's most popular airport, according to J.D. Power's most recent North America Airport Satisfaction Study. Located in the Inland Empire, ONT is approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California. It is a full-service airport which offers nonstop commercial jet service to two dozen major airports in the U.S., Mexico, Central America and Taiwan. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com. Follow @flyONT on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram

About the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA)

The OIAA was formed in August 2012 by a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Ontario and the County of San Bernardino to provide overall direction for the management, operations, development and marketing of ONT for the benefit of the Southern California economy and the residents of the airport's four-county catchment area. OIAA leaders include Ontario City Council Member Alan D. Wapner (President), San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman (Vice President), Ontario City Council Member Jim W. Bowman (Secretary), Retired Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge (Treasurer) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner).

OIAA Media Contact:

Steve Lambert (909) 841-7527 [email protected]

SOURCE Ontario International Airport
JACKSON, Mich., July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CMS Energy announced today it will provide 2024 second quarter results along with a business and financial outlook at 9:30 a.m. EDT on Thursday, July 25, 2024.

A webcast of the presentation will be available on CMS Energy's website, cmsenergy.com. An audio replay will be available approximately three hours after the webcast and will be archived for 30 days on CMS Energy's website in the "Investor Relations" section.

CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS) is a Michigan-based energy company featuring Consumers Energy as its primary business. It also owns and operates independent power generation businesses.

For more information on CMS Energy, please visit our website at cmsenergy.com. To sign up for email alert notifications, please visit the Investor Relations section of our website.

SOURCE CMS Energy
FRANKLIN, Tenn., July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated (NYSE: CHCT) today announced that on Tuesday evening, July 30, 2024, after the market closes, it will report results for the second quarter of 2024.

On July 31, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time, Community Healthcare Trust will hold a conference call to discuss earnings results, quarterly activities, general operations of the Company and industry trends. Simultaneously, a webcast of the conference call will be available to interested parties via an Internet link at www.chct.reit under the Investor Relations section. A webcast replay will be available following the call at the same Internet site address.

Conference Call Details

Domestic Dial-In Number: 1-888-347-1332

International Dial-In Number: 1-412-902-4278

Canada Toll Free: 1-855-669-9657

Replay Conference Call Details

Domestic Dial-In Number: 1-877-344-7529

International Dial-In Number: 1-412-317-0088

Canada Toll Free: 1-855-669-9658

Conference ID: 4951888

About Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated

Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated (the "Company") is a real estate investment trust that focuses on owning income-producing real estate properties associated primarily with the delivery of outpatient healthcare services in our target sub-markets throughout the United States. As of March 31, 2024, the Company had investments of approximately $1.1 billion in 197 real estate properties (including a portion of one property accounted for as a sales-type lease and two properties classified as held for sale). The properties are located in 35 states, totaling approximately 4.4 million square feet in the aggregate.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

In addition to the historical information contained within, the matters discussed in this press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes", "expects", "may", "will," "should", "seeks", "approximately", "intends", "plans", "estimates", "anticipates" or other similar words or expressions, including the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and can include future expectations, future plans and strategies, financial and operating projections or other forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. Because forward-looking statements relate to future events, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of the control of Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated (the "Company"). Thus, the Company's actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements. Some factors that might cause such a difference include the following: general volatility of the capital markets and the market price of the Company's common stock, changes in the Company's business strategy, availability, terms and deployment of capital, the Company's ability to refinance existing indebtedness at or prior to maturity on favorable terms, or at all, changes in the real estate industry in general, interest rates or the general economy, adverse developments related to the healthcare industry, changes in governmental regulations, the degree and nature of the Company's competition, the ability to consummate acquisitions under contract, catastrophic or extreme weather and other natural events and the physical effects of climate change, the occurrence of cyber incidents, effects on global and national markets as well as businesses resulting from increased inflation, rising interest rates, supply chain disruptions, labor conditions, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and/or new and ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hamas, and the other factors described in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained herein which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company intends these forward-looking statements to speak only as of the time of this press release and undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

CONTACT: Bill Monroe, 615-771-3052

SOURCE Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated
WASHINGTON, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA astronaut Patrick G. Forrester retired June 29, after a career spanning 31 years of service and three spaceflights. He went on to become chief of NASA's Astronaut Office, and most recently served as an advisor to the associate administrator for the Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

Forrester joined the agency in 1993 as an aerospace engineer at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and was selected to become an astronaut in 1996. He dedicated his early career to the assembly of the International Space Station, spending 40 days in space and completing four spacewalks totaling 25 hours and 30 minutes.

"Pat's dedication and commitment to the advancement of human space exploration over the past three decades has been an inspiration, not just to the Johnson workforce, but the Artemis generation as well," said NASA's Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche. "I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Pat for his outstanding contributions. His legacy will continue to impact the agency and the next generation of explorers for many years to come. Many congratulations to Pat; I wish him all the best in his retirement."

Forrester launched to the space station for the first time in August 2001 aboard space shuttle Discovery in support of STS-105. Forrester was the mission's prime robotics operator, helping to install the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module that would help deliver 2.7 metric tons of supplies to the station. He flew again with STS-117 in June 2007 aboard space shuttle Atlantis, delivering the orbiting laboratory's second starboard truss and its third set of solar arrays. His final spaceflight, STS-128 aboard Discovery, launched in August 2009. As prime robotics officer, Forrester again installed Leonardo and the crew transferred 18,000 pounds of supplies.

Forrester continued to support the astronaut corps through numerous leadership positions, serving as technical assistant to the director of Flight Crew Operations. He was a crew representative of robotics development on the space station and shuttle training and onboard crew procedures. Forrester also held the role of spacecraft communicator, or CAPCOM, for both station and shuttle missions.

In 2017, Forrester became chief of the Astronaut Office, overseeing the first flights of NASA's Commercial Crew Program and helping develop the initial architecture for the agency's Artemis campaign. In 2020, he stepped down from his chief position, handing over to NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman.

"Pat's leadership was instrumental during a time where NASA was just starting to launch our astronauts from American soil again," said Norm Knight, director of flight operations at NASA Johnson. "I admire his courage, his tenacity, and his character during such a dynamic time in our history, and I thank him for laying a strong foundation, not just in his role as chief astronaut, but through his career in human spaceflight. To me, he is a mentor and a friend, and I wish him all the best."

At the time of his retirement, Forrester supported the Space Operations Mission Directorate, serving as the director of the Cross-Directorate Technical Integration Office and an adviser to the directorate's associate administrator and fellow NASA astronaut Ken Bowersox.

"Pat is an incredible leader who has provided invaluable service to NASA's astronaut corps and human spaceflight during his career," said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for space operations at NASA. "In the Space Operations Mission Directorate, his influence will be felt long after his departure as we continue to work every day in low Earth orbit and prepare for the future near Earth, at the Moon, Mars and into the solar system."

An El Paso, Texas, native, Forrester earned a bachelor of science degree in applied sciences and engineering from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York, and a master of science in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. A retired colonel in the U.S. Army, Forrester logged more than 5,300 hours of flight time in over 50 different aircraft as an operational aviator and test pilot, retiring in 2005.

"It has been an honor to serve our nation as a member of the NASA family. Many of the stories I will tell for the rest of my life will be related to my experiences here," said Forrester. "I look forward to watching my friends and colleagues circle the Moon and eventually land on its surface - with the help of all those serving faithfully on the ground. I am forever grateful."

Read Forrester's full biography at:

https://go.nasa.gov/45NnfUA

NASA Johnson Space Center news releases and other information are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to [email protected]. In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type "subscribe hsfnews" (no quotes). This will add the email address that sent the subscribe message to the news release distribution list. The system will reply with a confirmation via E-mail of each subscription. Once you have subscribed you will receive future news releases via e-mail.

SOURCE NASA
MICRO2 aims to validate early evidence demonstrating MCGs ability to aid in the noninvasive diagnosis of Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction

MASON, Ohio, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Genetesis, Inc., a leader in the field of magnetocardiography (MCG), today announced the formal launch of the MICRO2 trial, marked by the enrollment of the trial's first patient at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, under Drs. Edouard Daher, MD, and Nishtha Sareen, MD, MPH, FACC, FSCAI.

MICRO2 (Magnetocardiography as a Noninvasive Diagnostic Strategy for Suspected Myocardial Ischemia with the Absence of Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease) is a multicenter, prospective, observational study powered to validate magnetocardiographys ability to detect myocardial ischemia caused by underlying coronary microvascular dysfunction. The study will compare the diagnostic performance of MCG to a reference standard of invasively measured Coronary Flow Reserve (CFR). MICRO2 is expected to enroll at least 135 patients and will be conducted with the support of at least six enrolling sites  Ascension St. John Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center, Saint Lukes Health System Kansas City, The Christ Hospital, and University of Florida  and is funded by Genetesis, Inc.

Evidence clearly supports the recognition of CMD as a distinct clinical entity, but diagnosing CMD effectively poses a major challenge for the current standard of care, as traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease, like atherosclerosis, have not proven to correlate with the presence of CMD. For patients seeking a diagnosis, the first step in their journey typically involves being classified as suffering from ischemia with no evidence of obstructed arteries (INOCA).

"Many of the patients we speak to who suffer from CMD often describe a diagnostic journey that begins with being told their symptoms are non-cardiac due to a negative result on CCTA or invasive angiography. Unfortunately, these patients are being told something that is later proven to be untrue," said Rhea Malhotra, Vice President of Product Development at Genetesis. "Offering these patients a 90-second diagnostic option for diagnosing ischemia that could be used at the beginning of this diagnostic journey would be a huge step forward in fixing this unmet clinical need today."

INOCA is currently estimated to impact at least 4 million people in the United States today, with over 50% of these patients believed to suffer from some form of CMD. Worse still, there is overwhelming evidence demonstrating that these patients will see more physicians and have more hospitalizations than otherwise healthy people while suffering from measurably worse outcomes, both in terms of quality of life and long-term health. For reasons that are not entirely understood quite yet, the vast majority of these patients today are women.

The application of CardioFlux MCG for diagnosing these patients would represent a significant opportunity to reduce the cost and burden typically associated with a diagnosis without compromising on diagnostic accuracy, and if validated by MICRO2, could make the possibility of a diagnosis far more accessible than it currently is today.

MICRO2 trial enrollment is expected to close by the end of 2024, with results reported in Q1 of 2025. Positive results would be followed by a De Novo request for market authorization to FDA shortly thereafter, and if successful, would represent the first diagnostic to be FDA approved for this application.

About Genetesis

To support the ischemia-first paradigm that is needed to address the entire spectrum of ischemic heart disease, Genetesis, Inc. has translated over 60 years of magnetocardiography research into CardioFlux MCG, a 90-second cardiac imaging modality administered to patients without the need for ionizing radiation, pharmaceuticals, or induced stress. CardioFlux MCG has already been 510(k) cleared by the FDA and is currently being studied for its potential to provide patients and physicians with a near-instant functional assessment of myocardial ischemia, including the ability to independently assess microvascular function.

Based in Mason, Ohio, Genetesis has been working to redefine the way ischemic heart disease is detected and understood since 2013. For more information, visit https://www.genetesis.com.

SOURCE Genetesis
BEIJING, July 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Paying visits to museums and historical sites in Shanghai and Beijing that chronicle the CPC's pursuit of Chinese people's happiness, renewing vows during patrol duties in the South China Sea, singing revolutionary songs and receiving the Party emblems while patrolling the border in Northwest China's Xinjiang region.

On Monday, various activities were held across China to celebrate the 103rd founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

With nearly 100 million members, the CPC is set to embark on a new phase of profound reforms aimed at guiding 1.4 billion Chinese people toward a better life and advancing Chinese modernization. Analysts point to the upcoming third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee scheduled to be held in Beijing from July 15 to 18, as being a significant milestone for the CPC to lead Chinese people to further pursue national development and rejuvenation.

"It is my will to join the Communist Party of China..." In Shanghai, the CPC's birthplace, hundreds of new Party members read the Party admission oath in unison at the Memorial of the CPC's First National Congress, with their right fists clenched and placed next to their ears.

Along with the solemn oath-taking ceremony, a series of activities were held at the memorial on Monday morning to celebrate the 103rd founding anniversary of the CPC, including a national flag raising ceremony, poetry reading, and song and dance performances.

Many Shanghai residents, of different age groups, participated in the activities and visited the memorial on the day, to learn about the CPC's continuous efforts for the peace and development of China, and for the better lives for the Chinese people.

Resident Zeng Feng, 65, went to the memorial with his wife early in the morning specifically for the celebrations. "Over the past 103 years, the Communist Party of China has gone through trials and tribulations, working hard to unite and lead the people forward," Zeng told the Global Times in the memorial.

Both Zeng and his wife have been CPC members for more than 30 years. "We feel honored and confident to have such a strong party leading our country to prosperity and great rejuvenation," said Zeng.

A series of activities have also been held in border areas in the Xinjiang and Xizang regions in recent days to celebrate the 103rd founding anniversary of the CPC.

On Thursday, police officers from the Ying'ate border police station of Aksu prefecture in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region celebrated the anniversary with border guards who are stationed at the Zhendan mountain pass, which is located at an altitude of over 3,800 meters.

Tursun Shader, a 37-year-old border guard and also a CPC member from the station, said that "July 1 marks the 103rd birthday of the Party. I deeply feel that the Party's leadership has brought us the happiness and prosperity we enjoy today. As a border guard, in my daily work, I will continue to diligently protect our borders and safeguard our homeland."

On Sunday, in Medog county, Nyingchi, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, a spectacular gala of "red song" performances was staged in the center of the township, with people being reminded of their duty to defend the border area and build their hometown.

The county also simultaneously carried out activities such as cultural performances and border patrols, the Global Times learned from the local government. Medog, the last county in China to have highway access, has now become a popular destination for tourists.

In Yadong county, Xigaze, which borders Bhutan and India, various celebratory activities were also held. Besides holding promotional activities and visiting patriotic education bases, local leaders and Party members visited veteran Party members, including Tenzin Gyalpo, who was presented with a special holiday gift - the "50 Years of Glory in the Party" Commemorative Medal.

"This is a great honor, and also a responsibility. Although I have retired, my identity as a Party member never retires. I will carry this honor and continue to do my best, setting an example for young Party members and officials," Tenzin Gyalpo said.

Recently, officers of the China Coast Guard (CCG) aboard the Wanshan 3301 vessel, who are on patrol duty in the South China Sea, also held an unforgettable celebration. On board, members renewed their Party admission oath, watched "red movies," shared stories of Party history, and experienced the revolutionary ancestors' passion and noble beliefs.

New task to better serve the people

The 103rd anniversary of the founding of the CPC is not just a numerical milestone, it also commemorates the rare significance and influence of a centenarian party on the global political stage, analysts said.

They noted that throughout its century-long journey, the CPC has weathered countless storms and challenges, always demonstrating courage, steadfastness, and composure, continuously advancing forward with the Chinese people. This political character and resilience define the CPC's essence and embody its perpetual spirit of progress. Therefore, the 103-year journey is not only a celebration of the past but also an expectation for the future, showcasing the CPC's increasing vitality and vigor.

According to a CPC statistical report released on Sunday, the number of CPC members reached 99.185 million as of the end of 2023, up 1.2 percent year-on-year. Among the 2.408 million new members in 2023, 82.4 percent are aged 35 or younger.

As the CPC's membership grows, the emphasis has shifted toward maintaining member quality over quantity. While grass-roots Party organizations have involved various social aspects, with nearly 100 million members, it's essential to uphold stringent admission standards and select individuals who will devote themselves to the cause of the CPC and the Chinese people, Su Wei, a professor from the Party School of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee, told the Global Times on Monday.

The third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee will be held in Beijing from July 15 to 18. Some analysts reached by the Global Times said it will further demonstrate the Party's leadership and provide clear direction and impetus for the country's development to modernization against the backdrop of global disruptions, economic downturns, and unprecedented global changes.

The core of Chinese modernization and the primary advantage of socialism with Chinese characteristics lie in the CPC's leadership, said Su, adding that the CPC leadership integrates immediate and long-term interests, as well as local and national concerns, laying a sustainable path for ecological and social development.

Moreover, China, with a population of 1.4 billion people, would find it challenging to succeed without the leadership of the CPC. "It's akin to navigating in the ocean: Without the Party's guidance, China could disperse like loose sand and would have to struggle to compete with the capitalist powerhouse," said Su.

As a party with nearly 100 million members tasked with leading Chinese modernization and rejuvenation, the CPC also confronts challenges, particularly in combating corruption, analysts said.

Recent reports on senior corrupt officials in certain key sectors have underscored the need for all Party members to advance the Party's self-revolution vigorously. Only through continual self-purification, improvement, renewal, and elevation can the Party uphold its progress and integrity, effectively navigate challenges, and ensure the long-term stability and growth of both the Party and the country, said Su.

SOURCE Global Times
Arbitrators found private contractors showed "lack of care or concern for families" living in mold-infested military housing

SAN ANTONIO, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A U.S. Army sergeant's family forced into arbitration over medical problems and economic losses caused by their toxic, mold-infested military housing at Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood) has been awarded $10.3 million, according to their lawyers at Guerra LLP and Pulman, Cappuccio & Pullen, LLP.

In an interim award Monday, an American Arbitration Association (AAA) panel ordered respondents Fort Hood Family Housing LP, FHFH, Inc., and Lendlease US Public Partnerships, LLC to pay economic damages, mental anguish damages, attorneys' fees, and pre-judgment interest to claimants Sgt. Jason Kiernan and Sarah Kiernan and their three children.

The arbitrators ruled that the companies showed a "lack of care or concern for families living in military housing." Evidence in the case indicated Fort Hood Family Housing employees used numeric codes in company maintenance reports to hide references to mold and withheld the company's prior knowledge of construction or design defects that promoted mold growth in Fort Cavazos homes.

The Kiernan family is represented by Frank Guerra, Robert Brzezinski, and Jennifer Neal of Guerra LLP; Ryan C. Reed, of Pulman, Cappuccio & Pullen, LLP, in San Antonio, Texas; and Wes Johnson of Johnson Reist, PLLC in Plano, Texas.

According to court filings, the Kiernan family began experiencing health effects of their mold-infested housing in early 2019 during Sarah Kiernan's pregnancy. Two months later, their infant son was life-flighted to Dell Children's Medical Center where he was hospitalized for 20 days. Weeks later, the Kiernans' older sons fell through a wall in the home, exposing black mold in the walls.

The Kiernan family initially filed their claims in federal court, alleging multiple causes of action against the military housing companies including Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA) violations; breach of statutory implied warranty of habitability; breach of contract; negligence; negligent misrepresentation; gross negligence; statutory fraud in a real estate transaction; common law fraud; unjust enrichment; and violations of the Texas Property Code.

The Kiernans' dispute, along with many other military families, arose due to complaints about the living conditions at Fort Hood Family Housing under the Military Housing Privatization Act. A federal court judge found that the lease agreements signed by servicemembers at Fort Cavazos required disputes to be arbitrated, pursuant to Section 18 of the Residential Lease Agreement.

"The overwhelming evidence revealed that Respondents' gave Claimants a false sense of security that the home was properly repaired and was safe for them to occupy with families and infants," according to the panel which also found "false, misleading, deceptive, and unconscionable conduct" by the companies  and "contempt and a lack of concern for the Kiernans."

Frank Guerra, of Guerra LLP, said, "This important ruling proves that military families like the Kiernans have the right to expect safe homes and they are right in holding these companies accountable. Mold is a terrible risk to those exposed to it at home  and the evidence shows these companies could not have cared less."

Ryan C. Reed, of Pulman, Cappuccio & Pullen, LLP, said, "The Kiernans are grateful that their concerns and those of other military families were heard by the arbitration panel. We hope this case is an important step forward in helping address the nation's military housing crisis. Our service members and their families cannot be expected to live in fear of their homes and continue to be abused by the corporate-controlled military housing system."

Jennifer A. Neal, of Guerra LLP, said, "The private companies hired and paid to maintain base housing must be held accountable for their deceptive conduct. We consistently hear of this same pattern of behavior from military families all over the country. We will continue to answer the call in forcing these companies to do what they promised to do  provide our service members safe housing."

Robert Brzezinski, of Guerra, LLP, said, "No person, and certainly no serving member of our country's military or their loved ones, should ever be gaslighted by their landlord about a supposedly safe home which is, in fact, riddled with mold, water leaks, and other unsafe conditions. This is a small but significant step in the fight to provide military families with a safe roof over their heads."

The panel found that the Kiernans shall recover economic damages of $2,361,963.27, trebled three times, for a total award of economic damages in the amount of $7,085,889.81; mental anguish damages valued in the amount of $974,081.75, which is trebled, in the amount of $2,922,245.25; attorneys' fees and costs to be determined at a later date; pre-judgment interest in the amount of $304,517.07; and; post-judgment interest.

The case is Jason Kiernan v. Fort Hood Family Housing LP, FHFH, Inc., and Lendlease US Public Partnerships, LLC, AAA Case No. 01-22-0005-4250.

Contact: Erin Powers, Powers MediaWorks LLC, for Guerra LLP, 281.703.6000 or [email protected].

SOURCE Guerra LLP
WASHINGTON, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has selected astronaut Andre Douglas as its backup crew member for the agency's Artemis II test flight, the first crewed mission under NASA's Artemis campaign.

Douglas will train alongside NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

NASA astronaut Andre Douglas poses for a portrait at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston. Credits: NASA/Josh Valcarcel

In the event a NASA astronaut is unable to take part in the flight, Douglas would join the Artemis II crew.

"Andre's educational background and extensive operational experience in his various jobs prior to joining NASA are clear evidence of his readiness to support this mission," said Joe Acaba, chief astronaut at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "He excelled in his astronaut candidate training and technical assignments, and we are confident he will continue to do so as NASA's backup crew member for Artemis II."

The CSA announced Jenni Gibbons as its backup crew member in November 2023. Gibbons would step into the mission to represent Canada should Hansen not be available.

"Canada's seat on the historic Artemis II flight is a direct result of our contribution of Canadarm3 to the lunar Gateway. Jenni Gibbons' assignment as backup is of utmost importance for our country," said CSA President Lisa Campbell. "Since being recruited, Jenni has distinguished herself repeatedly through her work with NASA and the CSA. She is also a tremendous role model for Canada's future scientists, engineers, and explorers."

The selection of Douglas and Gibbons as backup crew members for Artemis II is independent of the selection of crew members for Artemis III. NASA has not yet selected crew members for Artemis flights beyond Artemis II. All active NASA astronauts are eligible for assignment to any human spaceflight mission.

The approximately 10-day Artemis II test flight will launch on the agency's powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, prove the Orion spacecraft's life-support systems, and validate the capabilities and techniques needed for humans to live and work in deep space.

More on Artemis II backup crew

Douglas graduated from NASA's astronaut candidate training program in March 2024. He is a Virginia native and earned a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, as well as four post-graduate degrees from various institutions, including a doctorate in Systems Engineering from George Washington University in Washington. Douglas served in the U.S. Coast Guard as a naval architect, salvage engineer, damage control assistant, and officer of the deck. He also worked as a staff member at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, working on maritime robotics, planetary defense, and space exploration missions for NASA. Douglas participated in the Joint EVA and Human Surface Mobility Test Team 5, working with a specialized group that develops, integrates, and executes human-in-the-loop tests, analog missions, and Moonwalks. Most recently, Douglas worked with teams on the development of the lunar terrain vehicle, pressurized rover, lunar Gateway and lunar spacesuit.

Gibbons was recruited as a CSA astronaut in 2017 and completed her basic training in 2020. Since then, Gibbons has continued to serve Canada's space program and has worked in different positions, including Mission Control as a capsule communicator (CAPCOM) during spacewalks, and commercial spacecraft and daily International Space Station operations. Gibbons holds an honors bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University in Montreal. While at McGill, she conducted research on flame propagation in microgravity in collaboration with CSA and Canada's National Research Council Flight Research Laboratory in Ontario. She holds a doctorate in engineering from Jesus College at the University of Cambridge, England.

Under NASA's Artemis campaign, the agency is establishing the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface, and prepare for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all.

Learn more about NASA's Artemis campaign at:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

SOURCE NASA
BRUSSELS, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Last month, NJI sponsored the Public Affairs Council's Brussels Public Affairs Forum and Study Tour, gatherings that brought together leading minds in global public affairs to discuss the dynamic landscape of the European Union (EU). The forum offered attendees insights into the challenges and opportunities within the field of public affairs.

With ongoing regulatory changes and shifting political landscapes, understanding the intricacies of the EU is more critical than ever. A key highlight of the forum was the discussion on the role of effective messaging in EU public affairs campaigns. In an era of information overload, crafting content that resonates with specific audiences is paramount. Speakers emphasized the importance of clarity, relevance, and emotional appeal in public affairs messaging.

"Public affairs practitioners value imaginative creative that cuts through the noise and drives meaningful engagement with stakeholders." - NJI's CEO and co-Founder Josh Shultz Post this

Reflecting on the event, NJI's CEO and co-Founder, Josh Shultz, remarked, "The Brussels PAC Forum underscored that public affairs practitioners value the importance of imaginative creative that cuts through the noise and drives meaningful engagement with stakeholders."

With the rise of digital technologies and the increasing importance of transparency and accountability, public affairs professionals must stay ahead of the curve. Emerging trends include data analytics in campaign strategy, the growing influence of social media, and the need for proactive crisis management.

Shultz continued, "As we navigate the global challenges and opportunities ahead, NJI remains committed to helping our clients harness the power of creativity and innovation to achieve their public affairs goals."

About NJI

NJI is an award-winning global agency that provides creative strategy for public affairs. Rooted in Washington, D.C., with a global reach, NJI develops audience-driven strategies and exceptional creative to help clients solve complex public affairs and policy challenges. Learn more at https://njimedia.com .

SOURCE NJI
VANCOUVER, BC, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - OceanaGold Corporation (TSX: OGC) (OTCQX: OCANF) ("OceanaGold" or the "Company") will release its operational and financial results for the second quarter of 2024 after market close on Tuesday July 30th, 2024. The results will be made available on the Company's website at www.oceanagold.com.

Senior management will host a conference call / webcast to discuss the results on Wednesday July 31st, 2024, at 10:00 am Eastern Time.

Webcast and Conference Call Details:

To register, please copy and paste the link into your browser: https://app.webinar.net/X9WPjZkrnl2

Toll-free North America: +1 888 390-0546

International: +1 416 764-8688

If you are unable to attend the call, a recording will be made available on the Company's website.

About OceanaGold

OceanaGold is a growing intermediate gold and copper producer committed to safely and responsibly maximizing the generation of Free Cash Flow from our operations and delivering strong returns for our shareholders. We have a portfolio of four operating mines: the Haile Gold Mine in the United States of America; Didipio Mine in the Philippines; and the Macraes and Waihi operations in New Zealand.

SOURCE OceanaGold Corporation
TUSTIN, Calif., July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union , the largest credit union in California and the largest serving school employees and their families, today announced its sponsorship of monthly school employee recognitions at Sacramento Republic FC matches during the 2024 season.

From Left: Indomitable Educator Award recipients Jessica Ibarra and Pam Sullivan // Julie DePrada-Schott, school and community relations specialist for SchoolsFirst FCU

At each of seven matches, March through September, one teacher and one classified school employee from a local school district are honored for their exemplary work and dedication to creating an inspiring learning environment for students. Each school district represented by the honorees receives 65 tickets to the match, so school employees and their families can attend.

"We're excited about our partnership with Sacramento Republic FC, because we value the team's commitment to the Greater Sacramento community and their interest in supporting excellence in education," said Josh Smith, vice president, school and community relations for SchoolsFirst FCU. "Each of the 14 individuals honored during the 2024 season exemplify creativity and initiative, qualities that benefit Sacramento-area schools, students and the community," said Julie DePrada-Schott, specialist, school and community relations for Schools First FCU.

About SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union

SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union is the largest credit union serving school employees, and once again Forbes has named SchoolsFirst FCU the top credit union in California. Serving school employees and their families, the organization is dedicated to delivering World-Class Personal Service and improving the financial lives of its Members. Today they serve more than 1.4 million Members with a full range of financial products and services. SchoolsFirst FCU was founded in 1934, when 126 school employees pooled $1,200 and established a Member-owned cooperative to help improve each other's lives. In 2024, the Credit Union reported more than $30 billion in assets and remains the largest credit union in California. For more information about SchoolsFirst FCU, visit schoolsfirstfcu.org.

Insured by NCUA.

SOURCE SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union
LONDON, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Scorpios, the renowned beach concept and creative gathering place, in partnership with art tech pioneers HOFA Gallery, announces 'Evolving Perspectives' the second edition of their Encounters summer arts programme. Running from 18 July to 18 September, this 9-week series expands to take place across Scorpios' two stunning beachfront locations, Mykonos and the newly opened Bodrum. Featuring immersive installations and live music performances, the programme will showcase AI and visual artists, headlined by Joseph Klibansky, Random International, and Sougwen Chung  all revered for pushing the boundaries of art and technology.

Tree of Life, Joesph Klibanksy (HOFA Gallery)

Building on the success of 2023's inaugural edition launched with Turkish AI artist and director Refik Anadol, his special collaboration with the Yawanawa Indigenous communities of Brazil's Amazon, was regarded as a profound exploration of the relationship between human consciousness and nature. Over half a million people attended last year's programme, generating $3 million in artwork sales, with Refik Anadol's Yawanawa heritage project alone selling out in hours and raising $1.5 million for the preservation campaign.

HOFA Co-founder Elio D'Anna says: "The 2023 season of Encounters was a groundbreaking and very successful programme that brought together AI and digital artists, musicians, and an audience of global changemakers and creatives through a series of live performances and installations.

"This year's 'Evolving Perspectives' programme continues to push boundaries, making it the most exciting synchronisation of visual art and cultural engagement, while also delivering a very powerful message on the power of AI and human-machine collaboration to help us achieve a more harmonious coexistence with nature."

The Mykonos lineup headlines Dutch contemporary artist Joseph Klibansky from 18-21 July 2024. Celebrated for his innovative use of technology in art and sculpture, will present 'Tree of Life' merging digital art with environmental stewardship. This collection creates a unified visual narrative rich in depth and storytelling, featuring intricate patterns and vibrant colours inspired by nature. The new 'Tree of Life' collection includes a large-scale video sculpture installation to be exhibited at Scorpios Mykonos, along with 1,000 unique digitally painted fine art prints with a matching digital companion. Each artwork boasts its own unique traits, ensuring every piece is one-of-a-kind.

Moreover, Klibansky combines visual art with environmental awareness. For every artwork sold, the partnering non-profit One Tree Planted will plant physical trees in the Amazon.

In Bodrum between 22-25 August 2024, the art group Random International, a German duo with studios in London and Stockholm, will present an immersive installation that invites visitors to engage physically with a seemingly sentient, digital swarm. Titled 'When Tomorrow Comes', the work features a custom tracking system and flocking algorithm to create an interactive digital sculpture blending technology with human perception and interaction. 3 sets of 150 limited signed edition prints of 'When Tomorrow Comes' will be available for purchase.

A global name in human-machine collaboration, and multi-award winning Chinese-Canadian artist Sougwen  Chung will perform a live showcase with the robotic system D.O.U.G. (Drawing Operations Unit Generation at Scorpios Bodrum between 5-8 September 2024. The single scheduled performance during that weekend offers a unique opportunity to experience their groundbreaking collaborative work. Chung's innovative approach to combining human artistry with AI technology has earned them international acclaim, including a spot on TIME Magazine's TIME100 AI list as one of the world's most influential people in AI and the TIME Impact Award 2024.

Accompanying the performance will be the debut of 'Genesis II: Body Machine', a collection of unique artworks. The works in 'Body Machine' speculate on the future of the robotic form intertwined with the human body. Each bespoke work is generated from the artist's drawing choreography captured in three dimensions and paired with exclusive signed prints.

All prints and digital artworks will be available for purchase through Scorpios Collect.

The headline artist events are also supported by a programme of featured AI and visual artists, encompassing music into these collaborative events, they will take place throughout the 2024 summer season in both Mykonos and Bodrum.

Scorpios Co-Founder Thomas Heyne says: "We use digital art to create holistic experiences. Interaction and immersion enhance the overall experience, taking guests on a journey where they feel inspired. We are excited to welcome Joseph Klibansky, Random International, and Sougwen Chung to this year's Encounters program, showcasing how AI can teach us about living in harmony with nature."

WWW.THEHOUSEOFFINEART.COM

WWW.SCORPIOS.COM

WWW.SCORPIOS.COM/ENCOUNTERS

WWW.SCORPIOSCOLLECT.COM

Media contact: Emma-Louise O'Neill; [email protected]; +44 7515 136909

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2452902/Tree_of_Life_Joesph_Klibanksy_HOFA_Gallery.jpg
STOCKHOLM, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Skanska has signed an additional contract with AECOM to repair Norfolk Naval Shipyard berths in Portsmouth, Virginia, USA. The contract is worth USD 97M, about SEK 1.0 billion, which will be included in its US order bookings for the second quarter of 2024.

The work includes refurbishing the structural components of berths 40 and 41 at the entrance to dry dock 8 by replacing deteriorated pile systems, pile caps, cast-in-place concrete systems, concrete beams, and fender pile systems.

Work is slated to begin in November 2024 and expected completion is July 2027.

CONTACT:

Maritza Ferreira, Vice President of Communications, Skanska USA, tel +1 (678) 492 2003

Andreas Joons, Press Officer, Skanska AB, tel +46 (0)10 449 04 94

Direct line for media, tel +46 (0)10 448 88 99

This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/skanska/r/skanska-repairs-naval-shipyard-berths-in-portsmouth--virginia--usa--for-usd-97m--about-sek-1-0-billi,c4010415

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/95/4010415/2898357.pdf 20240703 US repairment shipyard

SOURCE Skanska
LISBON, Portugal, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Portugal, the Museu de Marinha in Lisbon is hosting the Special Exhibition of Song Dynasty Paintings from the China Historical Paintings Series. The exhibition, which opened on June 24, 2024, is a joint venture between the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and Zhejiang University.

The opening ceremony was attended by a number of dignitaries, including:

Xu Wenguang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Executive Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province ;

; Lidia Monteiro , Member of the Board, Turismo de Portugal and Member of the Board of Directors of Turismo de Portugal ;

, Member of the Board, Turismo de and Member of the Board of Directors of Turismo de ; Gan Ping, Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Portugal ;

; Xu Peng , First-Class Inspector from the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism;

, First-Class Inspector from the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism; Chen Haitao, Deputy Director and First-Class Inspector of Zhejiang Provincial Development and Reform Commission;

Wang Hongwei , Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Zhejiang Provincial People's Government;

, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Zhejiang Provincial People's Government; Miguel Moraes , Trade Marketing Director at Turismo de Portugal ; and,

, Trade Marketing Director at Turismo de ; and, Ricardo Roque , Board Member of the Port Authority of Lisbon ,

alongside approximately 120 guests representing Portugal's vibrant cultural, tourism, educational, and media sectors.

Visitors to the exhibition can explore four thematic sections: Twin Peaks Standing Side by Side, The Spiritual Essence Mirrored in Form, Illustrating History through Images, and The Auspicious Glow of a Flourishing Era. These sections collectively feature over a hundred masterpieces from the Collection of Song Paintings of the Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings. High- proof drafts, color-tuned to perfection, are also on display, offering an intimate look at the grandeur of ancient Chinese civilization.

Launched in 2022, the Exhibition of Song Dynasty Paintings has toured internationally, promoting cultural exchange and deepening the cultural ties between China and Portugal. This special exhibition not only marks a historical moment but also aims to enhance cultural cooperation and friendship between the two nations.
Study suggests COVID-19 vaccination might have broader benefits for children living with asthma

WILMINGTON, Del., July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- States with high rates of COVID-19 vaccination saw more pediatric asthma patients get a break from their symptoms, according to new research published today in JAMA Network Open by leaders from Nemours Children's Health and Endeavor Health.

"Asthma is one of the most common chronic illnesses among children in the United States, with about 4.7 million children experiencing symptoms each year," said lead author Matthew M. Davis, MD, MAPP, Executive Vice-President, Enterprise Physician-in-Chief and Chief Scientific Officer of Nemours Children's Health. "Whether asthma is mild or severe, it affects children's quality of life. So anything we can do to help kids avoid flare-ups is beneficial."

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, social distancing and school closures are thought to have resulted in fewer flares of asthma for many pediatric patients. Dr. Davis and coauthor Lakshmi Halasyamani, MD, Chief Clinical Officer of Endeavor Health in Evanston, Illinois, wondered whether that benefit extended into 2021, as the first vaccines against COVID-19 were being widely administered to adults and then children.

In the study, Drs. Davis and Halasyamani compared the change in parent-reported childhood asthma symptoms between 2018-2019 and 2020-2021. They combined that data with state COVID-19 vaccination rates for people ages 5 and up in 2020-2021, as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The researchers found that with each increase of 10 percentage points in COVID-19 vaccination coverage, parent-reported child asthma symptoms decreased by .36 percentage points.

States in the highest quarter of COVID-19 vaccination rates overall had a decrease in asthma symptoms of 1.7 percentage pointsan almost 3 times more favorable impact than states in the lowest quarter of COVID-19 vaccination rates overall, which saw an average decrease in asthma symptoms of only 0.6 percentage points in 2020-2021, compared with 2018-2019.

The coauthors explained that several factors could have contributed to the reduction in asthma symptoms. Community-level immunity, also called "herd immunity," in states with higher vaccination rates may have helped reduce children's risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing asthma complications. Another possibility is that children living in states with higher COVID-19 vaccination rates may have been more likely to get the shots soon after immunizations were approved for their age groups.

According to the coauthors, these findings also raise the possibility that COVID-19 vaccinations may effectively fight other illnesses that stem from coronaviruses, including the common cold.

"Ongoing vaccination against COVID-19 may offer direct benefits for children with a history of asthma, but this must be confirmed with further research," said Dr. Halasyamani. "It also raises the question of whether broader population-level COVID-19 vaccination among children and adults can help protect children with asthma, too."

The coauthors pointed out that one limitation of the study is that it did not measure vaccination rates specifically in children with asthma. In addition, while parent-reported data is considered a meaningful measure of patient experience, additional data such as hospital stays or emergency department visits could be used to verify these findings.

About Nemours Children's Health

Nemours Children's Health is one of the nation's largest multistate pediatric health systems, which includes two freestanding children's hospitals and a network of more than 70 primary and specialty care practices. Nemours Children's seeks to transform the health of children by adopting a holistic health model that utilizes innovative, safe, and high-quality care, while also addressing children's needs well beyond medicine. In producing the highly acclaimed, award-winning pediatric medicine podcast Well Beyond Medicine, Nemours underscores that commitment by featuring the people, programs and partnerships addressing whole child health. Nemours Children's also powers the world's most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, Nemours KidsHealth.org.

The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families and communities it serves. For more information, visit Nemours.org.

About Endeavor Health

Endeavor Health is a Chicagoland-based integrated health system driven by the mission to help everyone in their communities be their best. Illinois' third-largest health system and third-largest medical group serves an area of more than 4.2 million residents across seven northeast Illinois counties. More than 27,000 team members and more than 7,100 physician and advance practice provider partners deliver seamless access to personalized, pioneering, world-class patient care across more than 300 ambulatory locations and nine hospitals, including eight Magnet-recognized acute care hospitals  Edward (Naperville), Elmhurst, Evanston, Glenbrook (Glenview), Highland Park, Northwest Community (Arlington Heights), Skokie and Swedish (Chicago) and Linden Oak Behavioral Health Hospital (Naperville). For more information, visit www.endeavorhealth.org.

Nemours Media Contact:

Endeavor Media Contact: Kathryn Skeen

Keith Hartenberger [email protected]

[email protected] 302.690.0604

312.771.2525

SOURCE Endeavor Health
Pioneering Swiss fintech strengthened position in domestic

and international markets



Automated dividend forecasting feature introduced to wealth platform, alongside more than twenty upgrades to existing functionalities



Strong commitment to the industry community by enhancing business development programmes and communication activities

ZUG, Switzerland, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Altoo AG, a fintech empowering ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and investment professionals to easily understand every aspect of the complex wealth under their care, announced that its commitment to client satisfaction and innovation has taken the company to new heights in 2024. The company made further progress in implementing its business development strategy and consistently pushed ahead with its innovation projects for the Altoo Wealth Platform.



High satisfaction among growing client base



Since the start of this year, Altoo has welcomed new clients in six countries across three continents and maintained an industry-leading client retention rate.

The substantial growth momentum was primarily attributed to the first six months of the year, which saw a double-digit increase in new clients. The company received an impressive 98% customer satisfaction score from respondents to a survey conducted this March. The ability to effortlessly view all of their assets in one place was rated by 93% of respondents as the Altoo Wealth Platform's main selling point and the top benefit of utilising this digital wealth management solution. In addition, 64% of respondents indicated that Altoo's servicing team exceeded or greatly exceeded their expectations.

Besides the continuous growth and investment into the platform Altoo welcomed various new team members to support the continued growth and ensure service and support levels remain as high as of today with expected additional asset volume and overall clientele.

Enhancements to the flagship product

As of this May, the Altoo Wealth Platform  the company's primary offering, recognised by Forbes for four years running as one of the best family office software solutions  featured automated dividend forecasting. Altoo clients now have an easy way to incorporate upcoming securities dividend payments into their cash flow and liquidity planning. This new feature is one of over twenty technical improvements rolled out during the first half of this year, including enhanced capabilities for monitoring cash flows as well as tagging and filtering asset records.

"These recent upgrades are the latest examples of how we strive to put clients' needs in the center. Our primary objective is to make managing complex wealth simple for our clients. We want to continuously deliver an even better user experience and strengthen our foundation for future innovation," explains Ian Keates, CEO of Altoo AG.

Meeting industry and client communication needs

Under the guidance of Ian Keates, a highly experienced technology leader and strong advocate for open finance solutions, Altoo AG has been actively focusing on business development plans, striving to meet the needs of its industry community, and increasing awareness about digital wealth management solutions.

The company attended the Europe Investment Family Office Summit 2024 in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the SFO Week in London, to talk about important industry issues besides connecting to peers and customers.



To continue finding new ways to apply Altoo knowledge, the Altoo Insights Podcast series debuted this March. Its goal has been to shed light on the influence that digitalization and affluent individuals' evolving expectations have on the wealth management industry. In particular, in the first episode, Ian Keates stressed the importance of investing in modern technology to improve and personalise the client experience.

About Altoo AG

Altoo is a wealth management fintech founded in 2017 and headquartered in Zug, Switzerland. The company's flagship product, the Altoo Wealth Platform, aggregates wealth data from multiple sources to deliver comprehensive wealth analysis, performance and reporting. It is a modern and sophisticated, highly secure, SaaS platform, 100% Swiss developed and hosted. Altoo AG was named among the best providers of Family Office Software by Forbes Magazine and a Top 5 Growth Startup at the Swiss Fintech Awards in 2023. Constantly seeking new ways to simplify complex wealth for clients in over 20 countries, Altoo AG recently partnered with Divizend GmbH to optimise the Altoo Wealth Platform's cash flow and liquidity planning features.

Additional resources:

Company website: The Altoo Wealth Platform | Altoo AG

Corporate Blog Altoo Insights: Insights | Altoo AG

Newsletter Subscription: Subscribe | Altoo AG

Media Enquires: Media Enquiries | Altoo AG

Media Contact:



Alexandra Sabolova

+41 78 311 5625

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2244340/Altoo_logo.jpg

SOURCE Altoo AG
BOISE, Idaho, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Sharon E. Oster, MD, is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Life Member for her contributions to the fields of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases.

Dr. Oster began her scholarship at the University of Colorado where she completed a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from The Phi Beta Kappa Society. She followed this accomplishment at East Virginia Medical School where she completed a medical degree in 1980. Recognized as the Resident of the Year award, the doctor completed her residency at the Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center.

The doctor had extensive experience prior to her current position working at Saint Alphonsus Hospital from 1999 to 2006 and then serving as Chief of the Infection Control Committee in Pinole, CA, from 1990 to 1998. She also served with the AIDS clinics in Martinez and Oakland, CA, from 1985 to 1999, and as an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California at Davis from 1985 to 1989.

Considered a leader in her field, Dr. Oster is considered an expert in internal medicine and infectious diseases. She is the owner and a practicing physician at Oster Medical Group in Boise, ID and attributes her success to her talent for connecting with her patients. Dedicated to providing the latest innovations in internal medicine and infectious diseases, Dr. Oster is a member of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM); the American Board of Internal Medicine; and her respective state and county medical associations. A testament to her expertise, the doctor was recognized with America's Best in Medicine Award by the American Health Council in 2019.

In addition to her professional pursuits, Dr. Oster volunteers with the Idaho Historical Society and participates as an accomplished flutist in the Canyon County Flute Orchestra as well as the Mulligan Capital City Band. She also enjoys reading mysteries. Dr. Oster wishes to honor the loving memory of her dear husband, David; her father, Robert; her mother, Caroline; and her grandmother, Ellen Evans. She would also like to acknowledge her daughter, Stephanie, and thank her for her love and support. In the future, Dr. Oster hopes to retire soon.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE The Inner Circle
ATLANTA, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals named three Ameris Bank mortgage originators to the 2024 Top 250 Mortgage Originators List. The Association works as advisors and advocates to champion homeownership for the Hispanic community.

Ameris Mortgage President Robert Odom said, "We are proud of these bankers not only for their mortgage volume, but also for their professionalism and attention to customer care."

Armando SanMiguel, Ameris Bank Mortgage Originator  Nashville, TN Jesse Esqueda, Ameris Bank Mortgage Originator  Lawrenceville, GA Carlos Adorno, Ameris Bank Mortgage Originator  Lawrenceville, GA

Armando SanMiguel is ranked #1 in the Midwest and #2 nationally among all Latino mortgage originators. SanMiguel is based in the Nashville, TN area.

"I have a heart for the community and take great pride in serving the people of Tennessee," SanMiguel said. "Buying a home is a major life event, and I want to ensure that the loan process proceeds smoothly for each homebuyer."

Jesse Esqueda ranked #24 in the Southeast this year and is based in Lawrenceville, GA.

"I care about my clients and really listen to their needs, and I work to stay abreast of new mortgage products to offer the best solutions," Esqueda said.

Carlos Adorno was ranked #41 in the Southeast and is also based in Lawrenceville, GA. Adorno ranked #166 nationally, as well.

"I get the most satisfaction seeing a first-time homebuyer get their keys at closing," Adorno said. "My relationships with real estate agents are based on trust and honesty, and we work together as partners for homebuyers."

Ameris Mortgage has a dedicated team of mortgage bankers offering a range of loans and special programs to advance homeownership across eight states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Find a mortgage banker here.

About Ameris Bank

Ameris Bank, a subsidiary of Ameris Bancorp (Nasdaq: ABCB), is a state-chartered bank headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Ameris operates 164 financial centers across the Southeast and serves consumer and business customers nationwide through select lending channels. Ameris manages $25.7 billion in assets as of March 31, 2024, and provides a full range of traditional banking and lending products, treasury and cash management, insurance premium financing, and mortgage and refinancing services. Learn more about Ameris at www.amerisbank.com.

SOURCE Ameris Bank
BEIJING, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Facing an increasingly unpredictable geopolitical environment to its east and south, China has every reason to stabilize relations with its neighbors to the north and west, among which Kazakhstan is of unique strategic importance for not only its strengths in logistics, energy and resources, but also its strong regional influence as a major player in Central Asia.

Kazakhstan also attaches strategic significance to its ties with the world's second-largest economy to its east. It is looking to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation and strategic coordination in a bid to drive its economic growth and maintain a favorable external development environment.

Working together, the two countries have turned the Belt and Road Initiative, which President Xi Jinping proposed during his visit to Kazakhstan in 2013, from vision to reality. That is evidenced by the tangible benefits Belt and Road projects have brought the Kazakh people and the fact that the inland country has been able to leverage the BRI to tap into its development potential against the overall Eurasian scenario. In the process, Kazakhstan has transformed itself from a not-so-eyecatching economy to both Europe and East Asia to a key logistics hub linked to almost all the major ports and industrial bases of the two global growth engines. In 2023, the trade volume between China and Kazakhstan reached $41 billion, a year-on-year increase of 32 percent, which was remarkable as global trade as a whole declined 1.1 percent that year.

Aside from the trade and economic aspects, what makes China-Kazakhstan relations all-weather is the two countries' deep mutual political trust that originates from their similar positions on not only the principles of international relations but also how disputes should be settled.

Both countries champion the vision of common, comprehensive cooperative and sustainable security. And both are committed to acting as a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order. That explains why they jointly created a China-Central Asia cooperation mechanism, and maintain close coordination and collaboration in the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, among other multilateral platforms.

These efforts have helped to stabilize the whole of Central Asia. While the Red Sea and other sea routes are jeopardized by regional tensions, the peace and stability of Central Asia, with Kazakhstan as its backbone country, have contributed to stabilizing global industry and supply chains. By actively supporting each other's constructive proposals for international cooperation, and taking resolute measures to safeguard their shared strategic, security, and development interests, the two neighbors have seen their mutual political trust continuously reach a new level over these years.

In that sense, both Beijing and Astana have enough reasons to take advantage of President Xi's ongoing visit to Kazakhstan that started on Tuesday, which is his fifth visit to the country as the head of state, to renew their traditional friendship and deepen their all-round bilateral cooperation, taking the China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights.

To buttress the upgrading of the two countries' partnership, China supports Kazakhstan participating in the BRICS cooperation mechanism, and it is willing to further promote greater synergy between Belt and Road cooperation and the development strategy of Kazakhstan at a faster pace, and further open its super-sized market to Kazakhstan. The two sides have set a new goal of doubling bilateral trade at an early date. To that end they can further deepen cooperation in traditional sectors, and enhance the efficiency of customs clearance at border ports. Meanwhile the two countries are looking to significantly unleash the potential for cooperation in high-tech areas, as indicated by the joint statement they issued and series of cooperation agreements they inked during Xi's visit on new energy, the digital economy, artificial intelligence, cross-border e-commerce, aviation and aerospace. Building more industry and supply chains with high added-value in line with the green transition will inject new impetus into their cooperation.

Under the guidance of successful heads of state diplomacy, the two neighbors are jointly opening a new chapter for their friendly relations and drawing up a blueprint for closer cooperation.

SOURCE China Daily
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
United Nations, July 3 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for strengthened collaboration to counter terrorism and extremism across Africa -- from Sudan and the Horn of Africa to the Sahel, the Great Lakes region and beyond.

In a video message to the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development, Guterres said on Tuesday that the international community must support Africa's potential as the world's food basket and its ambition to become a renewable energy superpower while making sure that critical minerals benefit Africans in the first place, reported by Xinhua news agency.

"Above all, we need peace," the UN Chief stressed, noting: "We must strengthen our collaboration to safeguard human rights, counter terrorism and violent extremism, and silence the guns across Africa -- from Sudan and the Horn of Africa to the Sahel, the Great Lakes region and beyond."

The UN Security Council's recent resolution, which calls for supporting peace operations led by regional partners, notably the African Union, with mandates from the Council and funded by assessed contributions, "will help us do this," he said.

Guterres added that the Aswan forum arrives at a difficult moment for Africa and the global family, as sustainable peace and development are being obstructed by enormous challenges that affect Africa and Africans, "in outsized ways".

From poverty, hunger, inequalities, climate change, and crushing debt burdens, to conflicts, terrorism and unconstitutional changes of government, "the path forward is clear," he said.

"We must accelerate efforts to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals," he noted.

Affordable, long-term financing is the fuel of development, but many African countries are running on empty, Guterres said, emphasising that they need massive debt relief, lower borrowing costs, and expanded access to concessional finance.

"That is why I am calling for an SDG Stimulus, and deep reforms to the global financial architecture, so developing countries can invest in jobs, gender equality and education -- the African Union's theme this year," he added.

The UN Chief said that Africa also needs "a quantum leap" in infrastructure development to support the people and economies of the continent, including massive investments in universal electrification, broadband access and closing the digital divide.

The forum's theme this year, "Africa in a Changing World: Re-Envisioning Global Governance for Peace and Development," also reminds us of the need to re-envision global governance, and amplify Africa's voice and leadership on the world stage, including the UN Security Council and across the global financial system, Guterres added.

"I look forward to strong and vocal African leadership at September's Summit of the Future in New York," said the UN Chief.

The fourth Aswan forum is held in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Kathmandu, July 3 : The ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) has called on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to step down to clear the way for the formation of a "national consensus government".

The ruling partner set Wednesday evening as the deadline for Dahal to step down and support the formation of the "national consensus government" to be headed by K.P. Sharma Oli, CPN-UML's chairman and a former Prime Minister.

The move came after the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, the two largest parties in the House of Representatives, agreed on Monday night to join hands for a new coalition, Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.

"We have called on the Prime Minister to resign to support the formation of the national consensus government under the leadership of our party chairperson," said Rajendra Gautam, publicity department chief of the CPN-UML.

"Our party wants all the parties, including the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) led by Dahal, to join the new government," Gautam told Xinhua.

He said his party would quit the government and withdraw its support only if Dahal refused to resign.

The CPN (Maoist Center) has announced that Dahal would not resign from his post but rather seek a vote of confidence in the Lower House.

Dahal became the head of a coalition government in December 2022 as the general election in November produced no majority party in the Lower House, and the Prime Minister has formed alliances with both the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML ever since.
Ankara, July 3 : Turkish Police detained 474 more suspects two days ago over "provocative protests" against Syrian refugees across Turkey, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.

Yerlikaya said on Tuesday that "provocative actions were organised" against Syrians on Monday night in some cities across the country after a Syrian girl was harassed by a Syrian man in Turkey's central Kayseri province on June 30, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Two hundred eighty-five of the detainees had previous criminal records for offences such as drugs, looting, theft, damage to property, and sexual harassment," the Turkish Minister said on the social media platform X.

The anti-Syrian riots first started in Kayseri province, where residents last Sunday set fire to houses and businesses belonging to Syrians and vandalised their vehicles.

The violence spread to the provinces of Hatay, Kilis, Gaziantep, Konya and Antalya while the Turkish government has been urging for calm.

The riots against Syrians in Turkey also sparked a backlash in northern Syria.

Footages of a group of people desecrating the Turkish flag and attacking trucks from Turkey circulated across social media.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the "exploitation" of the incidents in Kayseri for provocations in Syria is wrong and warned against provocations.
Jerusalem, July 3 : Israel has killed about 900 militants in Rafah since the beginning of Israel's ground assault on the southernmost city in Gaza in early May, Israel's military Chief Herzi Halevi said.

The casualties include "at least one battalion commander, many company commanders, and many operatives," Halevi said on Tuesday when inspecting a military logistic post in the southern Gaza Strip, according to a statement released by the Israel Defense Forces.

He added that the offensive in Rafah is expected to be completed within weeks, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Now the effort focuses on the destruction of the infrastructure and the destruction of the underground infrastructure, and it takes time," he said, noting, "This campaign is long because we don't want to leave Rafah with the infrastructure intact."

Before the launch of the ground offensive, Rafah was one of the few locations where civilians sought refuge from the massive Israeli bombardments across the Palestinian enclave.
Warsaw, July 3 : Poland and Germany will cooperate to enhance the protection of the European Union's (EU) external borders and to promote European air defence, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.

At a joint press conference with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Tusk said on Tuesday that he was pleased to hear that Germany was ready to share the responsibilities for the protection of the EU's eastern borders along with other EU member states.

According to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), Tuesday's meeting at the Polish Prime Minister's Office has been the first inter-governmental consultation since 2018, Xinhua news agency reported.

Tusk has recently announced a significant initiative to strengthen Poland's border with Belarus and Russia, known as East Shield. Talks have been underway to integrate this effort with a similar project proposed by the Baltic states.

The East Shield project, in collaboration with the Baltic states, is an infrastructural one, designed to bolster the security of the European border, Tusk emphasised.

There is no doubt that it is also in the interest of Germany that the border can be protected effectively, the Polish Prime Minister added.

Tusk welcomed cooperation between Poland and Germany on bilateral solutions and the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI).

The ESSI, launched by Germany in August 2022, aims to bolster ground-based air defence across Europe.

At present, 21 countries participate in the initiative, according to PAP.

For his part, Scholz said: "We want to take a leadership role in the Baltic region within the framework of NATO and in protecting the eastern flank of the alliance."

He added that Poland and Germany are among the countries providing the most support to Ukraine politically, militarily, and in terms of accepting refugees from the war-torn country.

Scholz also said that Germany "wants a strong Polish voice in Europe... but in order to shape a good future, a clear view of the past is needed".

He added that the German Federal Cabinet has decided to create a memorial in Berlin for the Polish victims of the Second World War and the Nazi occupation.
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
Lucknow, July 3 : An increasing dog population, resource scarcity, and extreme heat conditions have led to a spurt in cases of animal bites in Lucknow, veterinary doctors said.

The state capital has recorded a 50 per cent rise in animal bite cases in the last two months, with dog attacks accounting for 90 per cent of the cases.

Other cases are of cat and monkey bites.

Data from three major government hospitals shows that 120 bite cases are being reported daily.

If follow-up patients receiving anti-rabies vaccines are included, then the number comes to around 350 daily.

Most of the cases are from densely populated areas like Chowk, Maulviganj, Wazirganj, Rakabganj and Saadatganj.

N.B. Singh from Balrampur Hospital noted a rise in vaccinations from 80-90 to 150.

Lokbandhu and SPM Civil hospitals report similar trends with more than 130 patients getting inoculated. Earlier, it was around 80 daily.

Former Director, the Animal Husbandry department, S.K. Malik, links the rise in such cases to an increasing canine population and scarcity of resources, resulting in aggressive behaviour.

"Conduct regular surveys to monitor dog population and adjust the control programmes accordingly," he suggested.

High temperatures and UV exposure may also be contributing to this trend, affecting dogs' dopamine levels and increasing aggression, he said.

Pramod Kumar Tripathi, a private veterinarian, pointed to the May-June breeding season, where higher cortisol levels and the absence of sweat glands lead to irritability among dogs.

Lucknow Municipal Corporation Animal Welfare Officer, Abhinav Verma, said that the increase in bite cases is due to population growth, adding: "About 75 per cent of the estimated 105,000 dogs in Lucknow have been sterilised."
Kyiv, July 3 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with visiting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to discuss initiatives designed to bring peace to Ukraine and preparations for the second peace summit, Zelensky's press service reported.

They also discussed security issues and cooperation in the infrastructure and energy sectors, cross-border collaboration, and bilateral trade on Tuesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

The issues concerning the Hungarian national minority in Ukraine were another topic of the talks.

Zelensky thanked Hungary for supporting Ukrainians and providing humanitarian aid to the country.

For his part, Orban pledged that Budapest would support Ukraine during the Hungarian presidency of the European Union (EU).

Orban also suggested that Ukraine and Hungary may sign a bilateral agreement that will regulate their relations.

Orban arrived in Kyiv earlier in the day for his first visit to Ukraine in 12 years.

On July 1, Hungary took over the Council of the EU rotating presidency for six months.
Sanaa, July 3 : Yemen's Houthi group said that they, along with the Iraqi Shiite militia, launched cruise missiles at "a vital target" in the Israeli city of Haifa.

"The joint military operation targeting a vital target in Haifa with several cruise missiles. The operation achieved its goals successfully," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV on Tuesday.

He vowed to launch more attacks against Israel until the war in the Gaza Strip stops, reports Xinhua news agency.

Since November last year, the Houthi group has been conducting drone and missile attacks against Israeli cities and ships in the Red Sea that are related to Israel to show its solidarity with the Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

In response, the US-UK naval coalition has since January been conducting air raids and missile strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen but failed so far to deter the group from launching further attacks on Israeli targets and ships in the Red Sea.
La Paz, July 3 : More than 30 civilian and military suspects are under investigation for their alleged role in the failed coup attempt against Bolivian President Luis Arce on June 26, the Prosecutor's Office said.

"We must stress that, in general, it is quite a complex case," Prosecutor Franklin Alborta told reporters, adding: "Preliminarily, we are reporting that more than 30 people are already formally under investigation."

One of the suspects most recently arrested on Monday was Vladimir Lupa Salamanca, the commander of F10, an elite group of the armed forces, reports Xinhua news agency.

He is scheduled to give testimony to prosecutors in La Paz.

Among the main defendants are former army commander and coup leader General Juan Jose Zuniga, former navy commander Juan Arnez, and former air force commander Marcelo Zegarra.
Washington, July 3 : A Pentagon spokesperson criticised North Korea's recent ballistic missile launches as "irresponsible," and reiterated the US' calls for the recalcitrant regime to return to diplomacy.

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder made the remarks after Pyongyang claimed to have conducted a multiple warhead missile capability test last week, and test-fired a new tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying a super-large warhead this week, Yonhap news agency reported.

"Again, we continue to highlight the fact that this kind of destabilising, disruptive behavior is irresponsible. We continue to call on North Korea to return to diplomatic discussions," Ryder told a press briefing.

"But in those particular launches, while there was no assessment that it posed a threat to the US or our allies or partners in the region, it is something that we will continue to take seriously," he added.

The North's stated pursuit of multiple warhead technology has been a new source of security concern as the technology, if acquired, would enable the regime to strike multiple targets with a single missile.

Commenting on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit slated to take place from July 9-11 in Washington, Ryder said that the transatlantic alliance's partnership with South Korea and other regional partners would be an agenda item.

"During the summit, Secretary Austin will be engaged in discussions to ramp up transatlantic defence industrial production, ensure adequate defence investments from allies and the deepening of practical cooperation between NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners to include Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea," he said, referring to South Korea by its official name.

He further said, "Since its creation 75 years ago, NATO has been the greatest defensive alliance in human history. Next week's summit underscores the US' unwavering commitment to NATO and the alliance's critical role in maintaining global security and stability."
Jammu, July 3 : Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi arrived here on Wednesday on his maiden visit to J&K after taking over as the country's COAS.

After arriving here General Dwivedi immediately flew to Poonch district.

"The COAS visited the Brigade headquarters in Poonch where he interacted with the field commanders about the latest situation on the Line of Control (LoC) and the hinterland with emphasis on the continuing anti-militancy operations in Poonch and Rajouri district in light of the terror incidents in Poonch, Rajouri and adjacent district," said officials here.

"After interacting with the field commanders, General Dwivedi will visit the forward posts to take first-hand stock of the security situation. The COAS will fly back to Jammu and leave for Delhi later today," officials said.

For General Upendra Dwivedi coming to J&K is like homecoming. He has served as the Army commander of the Udhampur headquartered Northern Command that controls all three Army corps in J&K and the Ladakh region.
Mumbai, July 3 : Actor Ali Fazal has elevated his fitness regime for his role as Guddu Bhaiya in 'Mirzapur 3', with an intensive workout plan designed by celebrated fitness trainer Rohit Nair.

The plan focuses on building a bulky and powerful look to meet the physical demands of his character in the series.

Nair said that working with Ali has been an incredible experience.

aHis dedication and commitment to achieving the desired physique are commendable. We have pushed boundaries, and the results are evident. Fans will be amazed at the transformation when they see 'Mirzapur 3'," he added.

Ali also praised Nair for his effort throughout this journey.

"Rohitas expertise and his understanding of what my character needed have been pivotal. We've formed a strong camaraderie over these months, and his motivation has kept me going, even during the toughest workouts. The transformation you will see on screen is a testament to Rohit's hard work and our shared vision," Ali said.

The 'Mirzapur' series focuses on the power play between Guddu and Pankaj Tripathias character, Kaleen Bhaiya.

The first season dropped in 2018 and is set in Mirzapur, Purvanchal, Uttar Pradesh.

The third season, consisting of ten episodes, is directed by Gurmmeet Singh and Anand Iyer. It will premiere on Prime Video from July 5.
New Delhi, July 3 : India stands at the forefront of global Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation and the government's commitment is to foster an inclusive and robust AI ecosystem via skill penetration and substantial investments in nurturing AI startups, Jitin Prasada, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, and Electronics and IT, said here on Wednesday.

Addressing the 'Global IndiaAI Summit 2024' in the national Capital, the minister said that India has been reinforcing its commitment to democratising AI with its benefits in an ethical and responsible way.

"Our vision of AI is to make AI in India and make AI work for India and we have been emphasising on the significance of utilising AI and Machine Learning to enhance each and every sector of our economy," the minister told the gathering.

This vision lays the framework for building a vibrant AI ecosystem in India and to enable AI for all, "we need to work collaboratively to develop solutions for AI to solve problems and challenges in key sectors like healthcare, agriculture and education," Minister Prasada noted.

Under the IndiaAI mission, the government is working on AI-based applications to solve real-life problems.

The minister said, "We also need to be aware of the risks that AI poses for democracies across the world. We need to work collaboratively to mitigate these evolving strategies and tools to identify deep fakes and AI generated images and videos."

As AI begins to percolate across industries amid privacy concerns, the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March this year approved the comprehensive national-level IndiaAI Mission with a budget outlay of Rs 10,371.92 crore.

The mission will drive responsible, inclusive growth of India's AI ecosystem.
Agartala, July 3 : Eleven Bangladeshi nationals, including nine women, were arrested from Agartala railway station for entering India without any valid travel document, police said on Wednesday.

Acting on a tip-off, the Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel arrested the Bangladeshi nationals, aged between 13 to 36 years, from the railway station on Tuesday night just before they boarded a Guwahati-bound train.

Out of nine women detainees, three kids accompanied their three mothers.

The Bangladeshi citizens told the GRP personnel that they came to Tripura illegally to go to Delhi or other cities of India by train in search of jobs.

A Tripura police official said that they are investigating whether these Bangladeshi nationals are part of any human trafficking attempts.

With these fresh detainees, 33 Bangladeshi nationals were arrested from Agartala railway station in the last four days while over 92 citizens of the neighbouring country have so far been arrested in Tripura in the last two months.

All of the Bangladeshi nationals had entered Tripura through a clandestine route intending to go to other states in India, in search of jobs.

Despite most parts of the 856 km India-Bangladesh border in Tripura being already fenced and strict security maintained, Bangladeshi nationals are often being caught in the northeastern state.
Mumbai, July 3 : Screenwriter, producer, and television host Haarsh Limbachiyaa on Wednesday penned a heartwarming birthday note for his wife and comedian Bharti Singh as she turned 40, wishing her "endless love."

Taking to Instagram, Haarsh shared an unseen romantic picture with Bharti.

In the photo, Bharti is wearing a yellow dress, while Haarsh is dressed in a pink coat and matching pants. They are posing against the backdrop of the wide sea, with a heart made of roses that says, "Will you marry me?"

Haarsh captioned the post: "To my amazing wife, happy birthday and endless love," followed by a red heart emoji.

Actress Anita Hassanandani commented on the post, saying: "Happy birthday."

Shilpa Shetty took to her Instagram stories and shared a throwback picture with Bharti.

The actress wrote: "Happy birthday! Wishing you as much laughter and joy as you give others, sending you loads of blessings on your special day!"

Maniesh Paul also shared a throwback photo with Bharti and wrote: "Happy birthday meri behen... socha humaari best pic daalon aaj."

Adaa Khan posted a wedding picture of Bharti and Haarsh, adding: "Lots n lots of love... happiness, and good health to you... Happy birthday."

Rohit Saraf posted a picture with Bharti and Haarsh, captioned: "Happy birthday Bharti jiiiii."

On the personal front, Bharti married Haarsh in December 2017. The duo hosts a 'LOL Podcast' on the YouTube channel Bharti TV, which has 2.96 million subscribers.

Bharti was the second runner-up in the stand-up comedy show 'The Great Indian Laughter Challenge.' She then appeared as a contestant on 'Comedy Circus.' She has also co-hosted the show 'Comedy Nights Bachao' with Krishna Abhishek.

She has hosted several reality shows, including 'India's Got Talent 5', 'India's Got Talent 7', 'India's Got Talent 8', 'India's Best Dancer', 'Dance Deewane 3', and 'Dance Deewane 4'.

Bharti also participated in the stunt-based reality shows 'Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 9' and 'Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi - Made in India.'
Mumbai, July 3 : Pakistani star Fawad Khan and Indian actress Vaani Kapoor will be seen sharing screen space in an upcoming romantic-comedy film directed by Aarti Bagdi.

The yet-untitled international project, a Hindi language film, will be entirely shot in the UK.

"Fawad Khan has a massive international pull given his popularity among South Asians worldwide. He has also been a part of the Marvel cinematic universe. Details of this project are being kept under wraps, and everyone is tight-lipped about it," shared a trade source.

"The producers will announce this project just before it starts its filming schedule in the UK," informs a trade source.

This project marks Eastwood Studios' first international collaboration.

The romantic comedy film tells the story of how two broken people come together by a stroke of luck and end up helping each other, unintentionally falling in love.

"Vaani Kapoor has been a part of big films, and she was the perfect choice for this project, given how she has protected herself from being overexposed," the source said.

"The makers wanted an incredibly fresh cast where Fawad falls in love with a gorgeous Indian girl and Vaani fits right in," informed the source.

The project is set to go on floors in September this year and will wrap by November.

Vaani's upcoming projects include 'Badtameez Gill', produced by Nickky Bhagnani, Viicky Bhagnani, Vinay Aggarwal, Ankur Takrani, and Akshad Ghone. She also has 'Khel Khel Mein' and 'Raid 2' in the pipeline.

Talking about Fawad, his upcoming work includes 'Barzakh' with Sanam Saeed. The trailer was launched recently and showcased a tale of love, loss, and the afterlife

The film is directed by Asim Abbasi, known for directing Zindagi's first Pakistani original 'Churails' and the feature film 'Cake', which was Pakistan's entry for the 2019 Oscars.
Astana, July 3 : External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Wednesday pressed for the safe and expeditious return of Indian nationals currently in the war zone in Ukraine during his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Kazakhstan's capital Astana.

"Wide ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership and contemporary issues. Noted the progress in many areas since our last meeting in December 2023. Raised our strong concern on Indian nationals who are currently in the war zone. Pressed for their safe and expeditious return," the EAM posted on X after his meeting with Lavrov.

"Also discussed the global strategic landscape and exchanged assessments and views," Jaishankar added.

The EAM is leading the Indian delegation at the 24th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State which will be held on Thursday.

The Indian government revealed last month that two Indian nationals recruited by the Russian Army have been killed in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Later, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that as many as 10 Indians recruited by the Russian Army have been released and repatriated back to India.

The ministry had strongly taken up the matter with the Russian Ambassador in New Delhi and with Russian authorities in Moscow for early release and return of all Indian nationals who are with the Russian Army.

India had also demanded that there be a verified stop to any further recruitment of its nationals by the Russian Army.

"Such activities would not be in consonance with our partnership. We also urge Indian nationals to exercise caution while seeking employment opportunities in Russia," the MEA stated on June 11.

After meeting Lavrov, the EAM paid homage to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Pushkin Park in Astana. He was also joined by members of the Indian community and friends of India.

Earlier, soon after his arrival in Astana on Tuesday evening, Jaishankar met Murat Nurtleu, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan.

"Discussed our expanding Strategic Partnership and Indiaas increasing engagement with Central Asia in various formats. Also exchanged views on regional and global issues," said the EAM after the meeting.

India on Tuesday made it clear that its priorities at the SCO Summit are shaped by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of SECURE, which stands for Security, Economic development, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environmental protection.

The MEA said that the leaders attending the summit are expected to review the organisation's activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of multilateral cooperation.

Topical issues of regional and international importance are also expected to be discussed at the meeting.

The principle of SECURE reflected the theme of India's first-ever presidency of SCO, as was asserted by PM Modi during the virtual SCO Summit hosted by New Delhi on July 4, last year.
New Delhi, July 3 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, replying to the Motion of Thanks on President's Address in the Rajya Sabha, hit out at the Opposition over its 'selective politics' on atrocities against women and termed it a matter of concern.

New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, replying to the Motion of Thanks on President's Address in the Rajya Sabha, hit out at the Opposition over its aselective politicsa on atrocities against women and termed it a matter of concern.

PM Modi termed the selective outrage as a worrying phenomenon and also raised Bengalas Sandeshkhali incident in his Rajya Sabha speech.

Referring to the viral video of a flogging incident from West Bengal, where a woman was brutally thrashed with no one coming forward to help, PM Modi pointed out, "Prominent leaders of various parties have not uttered a word about it. Even those who champion women's safety and consider themselves as progressive women leaders have maintained silence on this issue because it might affect their political equations."

Further highlighting India's progress towards women's development, PM Modi remarked, "In times when even developed countries do not talk much about women-led development, India has taken significant strides in this area, which is visible across all sectors."

PM Modi also expressed gratitude to Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murthy for her focus on women's health. He emphasised the government's efforts over the past decade in prioritising women's health, sanitation, and wellness.

"From toilets, sanitary pads, gas connections, to vaccination facilities during pregnancy, all have benefitted our country's women," he said.

PM Modi also highlighted the government's initiatives to make women 'atmanirbhar' (self-reliant) and noted that out of the four crore houses built, most are for women.

"The opening of bank accounts has enabled women to benefit from schemes like Mudra, Sukanya, and Samruddhi, increasing their participation in financial decisions both outside and within their families," the Prime Minister added.

PM Modi also highlighted the impact of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), stating that almost one crore women have become aLakhpati Didia, with plans to increase this number to three crore. "Our government wants women to lead every sector," he asserted.

To ensure women can access new technology more quickly, the aNamo Didia programme has been implemented.

"Now, women in villages are using drones to assist farmers, which is acting as a driving force in their development," PM Modi explained.
Kolkata, July 3 : The West Bengal Police, on Wednesday, arrested Budha Mohammad, a co-accused in the case of assault on a woman in a Kangaroo court at Chopra in North Dinajpur district.

Budha is known to be a close associate of Tejemul a.k.a. JCB, the prime accused in the case who is already in police custody.

State police sources said in the video, which went viral on social media, Buddha was spotted accompanying JCB.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress has already censored the party legislator Hamidul Rahman for his initial comments where he tried to downplay the incident after the video had gone viral.

Rahman known to be the political mentor of JCB was personally reprimanded over the telephone by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with the latter asking him to ensure that no such Kangaroo Court is summoned within his constituency, sources said.

Trinamool Congress leadership has directed all the panchayat heads and local club authorities in Chopra to keep a strict vigil on similar Kangaroo Courts.

Complaints have also surfaced that in Chopra such Kangaroo Courts are quite common in certain cases; those found guilty in such courts are even forced to pay financial penalties.

Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Tuesday launched a scathing attack against the state government and the police for their failure to stop such menaces.

"A virtual bloodbath is going on in West Bengal. I wonder whether there is any police minister in the state at all. Is it not the duty of the police to prevent such events? It seems that all the sinners have vacated hell and gone to West Bengal. People are being beaten up or even killed out of sheer adventure. This cannot continue. The state government should take responsibility," the Governor said.
Bhubaneswar, July 3 : In a shocking incident, a senior faculty of a private law college here stabbed his father to death over a money-related dispute at Rangamatia on Wednesday morning.

The accused, Anirudha Choudhury, who works as an Assistant Professor, used to stay with his wife at an apartment near his parent's residence in Rangamatia area under Mancheswar police station limits of the city.

Anirudha was reportedly residing at his parent's (65-year-old deceased Sunil Choudhury and his wife Sunita Choudhury) apartment for the past few days.

As per the sources, the deceased father and accused Anirudha engaged in a heated argument reportedly over monetary issues during the wee hours on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Anirudha suddenly became furious and in a fit of rage, stabbed his father with a sharp weapon multiple times before his mother Sunita.

A profusely bleeding Sunil was immediately rushed to the Capital hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.

Speaking to media persons, DCP Prateek Singh said that Mancheswar Police has already arrested the accused who is also the son of the deceased, and have registered a case under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

He added that the investigation has been initiated. The weapon of offence, apparel worn by the accused and other evidence are being collected from the crime scene. Singh said that police will also record the statements of witnesses including the deceased's wife and other relatives.

"We came to know from preliminary investigation that the accused, who works as a faculty in a private college in the city, was under severe depression due to huge debt. The accused had asked for monetary help from his father who refused to give him money. So, an angry Anirudha assaulted him today early this morning," said DCP Singh.
Chandigarh, July 3 : Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable Kulwinder Kaur, who allegedly slapped actor-turned-politician and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut at the Chandigarh airport last month, has been transferred to Bengaluru, sources said on Wednesday.

After the incident, she was suspended. Official sources said she has been reinstated and posted in Bengaluru.

Kaur was booked under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 341 (wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The CISF constable was initially detained and later suspended after Kangana told CISF officials on her arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi that she was slapped and abused by a woman constable at the Chandigarh Airport before she boarded the flight to Delhi.

"I was hit on the face, abused. I am safe but concerned about terrorism in Punjab," Ranaut had said in a video uploaded on her X handle with the caption, "Shocking rise in terror and violence in Punjab".

The constable, who was on duty at the Chandigarh Airport for the past two-and-a-half years, was seen on television channels after the incident, stating that she was upset because of the kind of statements made by Kangana during the farmers' agitation.

"She (Kangana) made a statement that the farmers were sitting in protest for Rs 100. Will she go and sit there? My mother was sitting there and protesting when she made this statement," Kaur had added.
Hyderabad, July 3 : Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao on Wednesday condemned the criminal case against party MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy.

He alleged that the Huzurabad MLA was booked as he was fighting against the Congress government's corruption.

Rama Rao made it clear that the BRS leaders will not be cowed down by such threatening tactics by the ruling party.

KTR, as the BRS leader is popularly known, alleged that the government is booking false cases against those questioning it.

He slammed the Congress government for implicating public representatives in false cases for questioning "people's government".

The BRS working president asked in a statement if it was a crime to raise people's issues during the Zilla Parishad meeting. He also asked if it was wrong on the part of the MLA to hold a meeting on the facilities being provided to students in government schools in his constituency. He questioned how the District Educational Officer can issue notices to Mandal Education Officers for attending the meeting.

KTR said the BRS would legally face false cases being booked against its leaders by the Congress government.

Another BRS leader T. Harish Rao alleged that the Congress government failed to effectively govern the state and to hide this "failure", it was hatching conspiracies and booking cases against the government.

The former minister said the Congress had thrown governance to the wind and as a result, there are atrocities, murders and suicides everywhere.

One Town Police Station in Karimnagar on Wednesday registered a case against Kaushik Reddy, the BRS MLA from Huzurabad constituency, for obstructing officials from their duty during the meeting of Karimnagar Zilla Parishad.

Kaushik Reddy became the first MLA in Telangana to be booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the new criminal code which came into effect on July 1.

On a complaint by Zilla Parishad CEO Srinivas, police registered a case against Kaushik Reddy under BNS sections 221 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and126 (2) (wrongful restraint).

The MLA had staged a protest during the Zilla Parishad general body meeting on Tuesday demanding the suspension of the District Education Officer (DEO).

The BRS leader along with other ZPTCs sat at the meeting hall door preventing Collector Pamela Sathpathy from leaving the hall.

Kaushik Reddy was demanding the suspension of DEO V. S. Janardhan Rao for issuing notices to Mandal Education Officers (MEOs) for participating in the Huzurabad constituency-level education meeting organised by him.
New Delhi, July 3 : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed an appeal seeking the disqualification of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from contesting Lok Sabha elections or being a member of the Lok Sabha from the Varanasi constituency.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed that the single-judge bench was absolutely correct in holding that the petition contained unsubstantiated allegations.

In his plea, Captain Deepak Kumar alleged that PM Modi submitted a false oath or affirmation to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India.

Opining that the appellant required medical assistance, the division bench asked the concerned authorities, including jurisdictional SHO and SDM, to keep a watch on him under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, if necessary.

Earlier on May 30, a single-judge bench of Justice Sachin Datta had dismissed the plea observing that the petitioner made reckless and unsubstantiated allegations in the plea, the purpose of which was to make scandalous allegations without any basis.

It had said that the petition was tainted with mala fide and oblique motives.

The petition claimed that PM Modi has influenced the Delhi Police to avoid registering cases against him and his accomplices concerning serious allegations of corruption and national security threats, including an attempted but unsuccessful plan to cause a fatal crash of Air India Flight AI 459 on July 8, 2018.

The petitioner urged the High Court to call upon records from the file of the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, to confirm these allegations.

The petitioner alleged that PM Modi has been shielding his accomplices from lawful scrutiny, leveraging his position as Prime Minister to obstruct investigations into a national-level criminal conspiracy.

The petitioner also claimed that PM Modi made a false oath or affirmation, which should be submitted after the filing of the nomination paper and before the date of scrutiny of nominations.

The petition identified PM Modi's alleged accomplices as Thawarchand Gehlot, IFCI VCFSC, IL&FS Trust Company Limited, and Air India Limited.

It was alleged that these individuals and entities attempted an act of terrorism by planning to kill the petitioner, who was the pilot in command of Flight AI 459 on July 8, 2018.

This attempt, the petition claimed, amounts to a terror attack on India's democratic sovereignty, thereby destabilising national and internal security.

Furthermore, the petitioner alleged that PM Modi has obstructed the investigation of serious allegations against him and his accomplices.

The petitioner, being from a scheduled caste, claimed to have faced an economic and social boycott orchestrated by PM Modi's accomplices.

The petition argued that PM Modi is abusing his position as Prime Minister to shield himself and his accomplices from legal scrutiny.
Bhopal, July 3 : Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister, Jagdeesh Devda, who is also the Finance Minister of the state, presented the annual budget report amid din by the Opposition in the House on Wednesday.

Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar repeatedly urged Congress MLAs to maintain silence and help in the smooth functioning of the House.

However, the Opposition members kept shouting slogans and accusing the government of corruption.

"You are being watched by the people of Madhya Pradesh. I would urge you to sit in your place and let the Finance Minister read the budget. You will have ample opportunity to express your opinion about the budget," the Speaker was heard repeatedly saying in the House.

The Speaker further stated that in the last two days, the Opposition was given ample time to debate on the nursing collegesa irregularities issue.

"A debate on the nursing colleges issue was conducted on the Opposition's request and a healthy discussion was held yesterday. Now, the Opposition should co-operate in running the House," Tomar added.

However, the Congress legislators, led by Leader of Opposition (LoP), Umang Singhar continued to create disturbance.

Meanwhile, Devda kept reading the budget report amid the din.

He highlighted the welfare schemes run by the state and Centre in Madhya Pradesh.
Bengaluru, July 3 : A couple who got a photoshoot done of their infant child dressed in jail uniform with jailed Kannada superstar Darshan's prisoner number written on it have landed in trouble with the state child rights body taking suo moto cognizance of the matter and directing the police to track them down.

Bengaluru, July 3 (IANS) A couple who got a photoshoot done of their infant child dressed in jail uniform with jailed Kannada superstar Darshanas prisoner number written on it have landed in trouble with the state child rights body taking suo moto cognizance of the matter and directing the police to track them down.

The photo of the baby in a white dress, and the image of handcuffs with the jailed actor Darshanas prisoner number had gone viral on social media in Karnataka, raising concerns. The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights took suo moto cognizance of the matter and registered a case. The commission has also asked the state police to locate the parents.

Shashidhar Kosambe, member of the Commission, stated on Wednesday that the photo shoot of the baby in this manner is condemnable and hence cognizance was taken of the matter. Those who got the photo shoot done will be found and legal action would be initiated against them.

He stated that this is also a clear violation of the Juvenile Justice Act. Action would be initiated under all provisions of the law, he added.

Meanwhile, Darshanas prisoner number a6106a has gone viral on social media with fans of the actor getting it tattooed and vehicles sporting number a6106a. The film chamber has also been approached for registration of titles like aKhaidi no 6106a. The authorities have expressed concern about these developments.

Darshan, his 'partner' Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others were arrested on charges of murdering Renukaswamy (33), a resident of Chitradurga.

The probe revealed that Renukaswamy, a big fan of Darshan, had sent derogatory messages to Pavithra Gowda on social media. The victim was allegedly kidnapped, brought to Bengaluru, kept in a shed, and tortured to death. Darshan is presently in judicial custody till July 4.
Moscow, July 3 : Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday sent a condolence message to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the stampede in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district.

"Esteemed Mrs President, Esteemed Mr Prime Minister, kindly accept the most sincere condolences over the tragic accident in Uttar Pradesh. Please convey words of sympathy and support to the near and dear ones of the deceased as well as wishes for a speedy recovery of all injured," Putin said in his condolence message.

PM Modi is expected to visit Moscow next week to hold bilateral talks with the Russian President.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the preparations for Prime Minister Modi's visit to Russia are in the "final stages", and the dates will be announced soon.

"We will announce this visit officially a little later, by agreement with our Indian friends. I can only confirm to you once again that the visit is in the final stage of preparation," Peskov was quoted as saying by local media during a media briefing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's Press Secretary also stated that PM Modi's visit, widely expected to be around July 8, is a "very important" event.

In New York, as Russia took over the monthly Presidency of the UN Security Council on Monday, the country's Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia highlighted the special privileged strategic partnership between the two countries and asserted that "serious messages" will come out of PM Modi's visit to Moscow.

"India is a longtime friend of Russia. We cooperate in so many areas, and I think there will be substantive conversations on the whole range of issues that our countries cooperate on," he told reporters.

"I'm not aware of what kind of documents will be the result of that visit, but I'm sure that there will be serious messages coming out of it, and, I presume, in the form of joint documents as well. I expect Russian-Indian relations to blossom even better," added the Russian diplomat.

Prime Minister Modi last visited Russia for the 20th India-Russia Bilateral Summit held on the sidelines of the 5th Eastern Economic Summit - where he was the guest of honour - at Vladivostok in September 2019.

The visit acted as a game-changer as far as India's focus on the Russian Far East was concerned and paved the way for New Delhi's larger cooperation with Moscow in the fields of oil and gas, road transport, defence, trade and investment sectors.

PM Modi, who is not attending the SCO Heads of State meeting being held in Astana, last paid an official visit to Moscow in 2015.
New Delhi, July 3 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, slammed the Opposition for politicising the Manipur issue, saying that the state "will soon reject them."

PM Modi urged everyone to look beyond politics and work together to ensure stability in the region. He warned those trying to exacerbate the situation, saying, "Those adding fuel to the fire, I warn them Manipur will reject them soon."

PM Modi also highlighted the reduction in violent incidents in the region over the past few months.

"We are continuously trying to maintain peace and stability in Manipur. More than 11,000 FIRs have been registered, and more than 500 people have been arrested in Manipur, which is a very small state. Now, the incidents of violence are coming down. This means peace is possible," he said.

He pointed out that schools, colleges, and offices in Manipur are operating like in any other state in the country, and all examinations were held as scheduled.

"Both Central and state governments are actively working to resolve regional issues with patience and peace. Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Manipur and stayed for weeks there, engaging with relevant stakeholders," said the Prime Minister, adding that besides political leaders, various government officials also visited the state to assess and address the situation.

Reflecting on the history of the state, he said that Manipur has had a history of disharmony and hostility among certain sections and also cited a 1993 incident.

He pointed out that the Congress party should remember that President's Rule was imposed in the state ten times during their tenure and also recalled the spate of violence in 1993 that lasted for about five years.

PM Modi added that those who are questioning the situation in the northeastern states must know that the BJP has worked to make this region a powerful engine of growth.

He said that numerous efforts have been made to maintain peace in the North-East, yielding "hopeful" results. He noted that inter-border rifts between states have historically sparked conflicts since Independence, but the current government has been working to end these rifts by working for agreements between states, achieving significant success.
New Delhi, July 3 : India has a unique approach to making AI more beneficial for people and OpenAI is committed to learning from it, Srinivas Narayanan, Vice President of Engineering at OpenAI, said here on Wednesday.

He said that India had made AI use more impactful while reducing user harm through initiatives like the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and OpenAI was committed to learning from the country in order to make this technology more impactful.

Speaking at the 'Global IndiaAI Summit' here, Narayanan said an ascendant India has a leading role to play in the development of digital institutions and leading the beneficial adoption of AI towards becoming 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047.

"We are really committed to learning more from India. We want AI to be aligned with human values and safety is deeply at the core of our mission. We want to maximise the benefits while reducing the harms," he told the gathering.

He said that India is already harnessing the power of AI.

"First, AI has added speed and dynamism to the already dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem in India. Entrepreneurs are building innovative products with tools like ChatGPT which are helping them accelerate in a completely new way. We're reducing the cost of intelligence," Narayanan told a packed house.

He said that OpenAI is enabling developers to write code and helping them create completely conversational and natural interfaces to computing.

"OpenAI is committed to supporting the IndiaAI mission which has set a great example not just in Global South but also around the world," the company executive noted.
Tokyo, July 3 : Hundreds of Japanese citizens have gathered here in Tokyo to strongly protest against the Japanese government for concealing the alleged sexual assault cases involving US military personnel in Japan from the public.

Over 350 protesters gathered in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the heart of Tokyo to express their outrage over the silence of the government on Tuesday evening, wielding placards and banners that read "Silenced Cries of Okinawan Girls," "Restore Dignity to Okinawan Women," and "No More Govt Cover-Ups of US Troop Crimes", reported Xinhua news agency.

According to local media reports, a 21-year-old US Marine in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa has been indicted on charges of nonconsensual sexual intercourse resulting in injury in May, following the indictment of a US Air Force member for the alleged kidnap and sexual assault of a girl under 16 in December.

The Japanese government, however, did not disclose the cases until local media exposed them at the end of June, sparking widespread anger across the nation.

"The Japanese government, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, knew it but chose to remain silent. This is undemocratic. They are ignoring the people of Japan, the women of Japan, and the people of Okinawa," condemned Mizuho Fukushima, head of the opposition Social Democratic Party, during her speech at the protest.

"While claiming to protect the victims, the government is sheltering the offenders," criticised Suzuyo Takazato, leader of an Okinawan civic group.

Hatsuko Aoki, a 76-year-old protester from the Okinawan city of Nago, could barely hold back her anger when recalling witnessing her elders being threatened by US military men during her childhood.

"As long as US military bases remain in Japan, such incidents will continue to take place," bellowed the elderly citizen.

"I can't forgive the government for concealing the US military sexual assault cases," Aoki told Xinhua, condemning the Japanese government for colluding with the US military to conceal these crimes, not only to manipulate the election results but also to suppress protests against the construction of US military's new Henoko base in Japan.

In the mid-June Okinawa Prefectural Assembly elections, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, Komeito, who support the relocation plan of the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, gained a majority for the first time in 16 years.

Representatives from multiple civil groups at Tuesday's protest stressed that if the assault cases had been disclosed before the elections, the LDP would have struggled to secure a majority, indicating ulterior motives of the government.

Amid overcast skies and drizzly rain, many female citizens brought bouquets to the site to show solidarity with the victims of the assaults. Among them was Rei Saito, who came to express her empathy as a young woman.

She said, "What's even more unforgivable is that the Okinawa police didn't report the cases to the prefectural government. They seem to believe they can act with impunity, a trend of which is becoming more blatant".

Okinawa hosts 70 per cent of all US military bases in Japan while accounting for only 0.6 percent of the country's total land area. Crimes committed by US service members and nonmilitary personnel have been a constant source of grievance for locals.

Tragedies continue to occur decades after massive protests in Japan when in 1995 a 12-year-old girl was raped by three US servicemen. "Okinawans do not know how much similar harm they have to endure for the Japanese government," a protester lamented.
New Delhi, July 3 : Amid the rise in Zika virus cases in Pune, the Centre, on Wednesday, issued an advisory to all states asking them to step up vigil.

Zika virus disease (ZVD) is a mosquito-borne disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. While it is usually mild to moderate disease in adults and requires no specific treatment, in pregnant women, it may cause microcephaly -- a condition in which the head is significantly smaller due to abnormal brain development -- in the foetus.

Maharashtra has reported eight cases of Zika virus till July 2. Of these, six are from Pune, one each from Kolhapur and Sangamner, and 2 are pregnant women.

"In view of some reported cases of Zika virus from Maharashtra, Dr Atul Goel, Director General of Health Services (DGHS), has issued an advisory to states highlighting the need for maintaining a state of constant vigil over the Zika virus situation in the country," the Health Ministry said.

The ministry urged states "to instruct the health facilities in the aiected areas or those catering cases from aiected areas to screen the pregnant women for Zika virus infection."

The health workers must also "monitor the growth of the foetus" of Zika-positive women and "act as per Central government guidelines," the ministry said.

It also asked health facilities and hospitals to identify a nodal officer to monitor and act to keep the premises free of Aedes mosquitoes.

Besides, the advisory called on states to "strengthen entomological surveillance and intensify vector control activities in residential areas, workplaces, schools, construction sites, institutions, and health facilities."

Currently, Zika testing facilities are available at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune; the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi; and a few selected virus research and diagnostic laboratories of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The ministry will continue to monitor the situation closely, the advisory noted.
Calcutta HC gives relief to Suvendu Adhikari against police action in JU case. Image Source: IANS News

Kolkata, July 3 : The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday permitted Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, to stage a demonstration in front of Raj Bhavan over post-poll violence.

The single-judge Bench of Justice Amrita Sinha, while giving the permission, said that the dharna should be held for just four hours on July 14, which is a Sunday.

As per the order, the demonstration can be held by a maximum of 300 people without any weapons.

The agitation will be held from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. and no provocative statements can be made from the venue.

The programme should be conducted while strictly following pollution norms, the court said.

On Wednesday, the state governmentas counsel also informed the court that the administration did not have any objection to the schedule of the demonstration.
Shillong, July 3 : The two-week-long India-Mongolia joint military exercise 'Nomadic Elephant' commenced on Wednesday in Meghalaya's Umroi to boost the military capabilities of both sides to undertake counter-insurgency operations in a sub-conventional scenario under the United Nations mandate.

Shillong, July 3 (IANS) The two-week-long India-Mongolia joint military exercise aNomadic Elephanta commenced on Wednesday in Meghalayaas Umroi to boost the military capabilities of both sides to undertake counter-insurgency operations in a sub-conventional scenario under the United Nations mandate.

Defence spokesman Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said that in the 16th edition of the joint military exercise, the 45-member Indian contingent is being represented by a Sikkim Scouts Battalion along with personnel from other services.

The Mongolian contingent is being represented by personnel from the 150 Quick Reaction Force Battalion of the Mongolian Army.

aNomadic Elephanta, which is being held at the Foreign Training Node in Umroi, is an annual training event conducted alternatively in India and Mongolia. The last edition was conducted in Mongolia in July 2023.

The opening ceremony of the joint exercise was attended by the Mongolian Ambassador to India, Dambajavyn Ganbold, and Major General Prasanna Joshi, General Officer Commanding, 51 Sub Area of the Indian Army.

The defence PRO said the joint exercise aims to enhance the military capabilities of both sides to undertake counter-insurgency operations in a sub-conventional scenario under Chapter VII of the United Nations Mandate.

The joint exercise, which will conclude on July 16, is focused on operations in the semi-urban and mountainous terrains.

According to Lt Col Rawat, tactical drills during the exercise include response to terrorist action, the establishment of a joint command post, an intelligence and surveillance centre, securing of a helipad/ landing site, small team insertion and extraction, special heliborne operations, cordon and search operations, besides employment of drones and counter-drone systems, among others.

Major General Gyanbyamba Sunrev, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Mongolia, is scheduled to attend the closing ceremony on July 16 along with Lieutenant General Zubin A Minwalla, General Officer Commanding, 33 Corps of the Indian Army.

aNomadic Elephanta aims to enable both sides to share their best practices in tactics, techniques, and procedures for conducting joint operations.

The exercise would also facilitate developing interoperability, bonhomie and camaraderie between the two armies which would enhance the level of defence cooperation, further augmenting the bilateral relations between the two friendly nations, the defence spokesman added.
Mumbai, July 3 : Actor Sai Ketan Rao was seen expressing his frustration over his 'Bigg Boss OTT 3' housemate Sana Makbul's reaction to the newly appointed kitchen duties in the show.

Mumbai, July 3 (IANS) Actor Sai Ketan Rao was seen expressing his frustration over his aBigg Boss OTT 3a housemate Sana Makbulas reaction to the newly appointed kitchen duties in the show.

Sai indulged in a candid conversation with housemate Sana Sultan wherein he ranted about a recent interaction with Sana regarding their kitchen duties.

The 29-year-old actor recalled how he requested Sana to come for her chopping duties on time. However, Sana felt offended by Saias comments on arriving on time.

An upset Sai said: "I just wanted her to understand the importance of being punctual, especially since cooking is her assigned duty. But she completely misunderstood my intention and got offended."

Sai, who quit his corporate job to pursue a career in acting, made his debut with 'Agni Sakshi' but gained recognition with his work in the show 'Mehndi Hai Rachne Waali'.

He was then seen in 'Chashni', while his work in 'Imlie' helped him gain major stardom.

Apart from television, the actor has worked in Hindi and Telugu web series such as 'Three Half Bottles', 'Beyond Breakup', 'Love Studio', 'Lovely', 'Aham Bhramhasmi', 'The Baker and The Beauty'.

'Bigg Boss OTT 3' airs on Jiocinema Premium.
Lucknow, July 3 : The noose has started tightening around godman Bhole Baba, aka Narayan Saakar Hari, whose religious discourse in UP's Hathras district on Tuesday culminated in a devastating stampede that left at least 121 dead and a dozen others injured.

Though Bhole Baba's name does not figure in the initial FIR filed in connection with the incident, the police have cordoned off his ashram in Mainpuri, following reports that the godman could be hiding in his palatial abode.

"We have found the location of his mobile phone to be near his ashram and we are keeping a close watch," said a senior police official.

Meanwhile, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who visited Hathras on Wednesday has announced a judicial probe into the stampede incident.

He interacted with the injured persons in the hospital and took first-hand information about the circumstances leading to the tragedy.

"I had a conversation with several eyewitnesses and they informed me that the incident took place after the programme was over when the preacher of the Satsang was coming down from the stage. Suddenly several women started going towards him to touch him and the sevadars (volunteers) stopped them, due to which this accident happened. The administration was not allowed to enter inside by the sevadars," the Chief Minister said at a press conference.

A video clip has also gone viral on social media which shows the godman leaving the venue in his car and hundreds of devotees running behind his car to gather the dust as a token of blessings.

The report submitted by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate claims that the behaviour of the godman's sevadars was responsible for the incident, as they tried to push back the devotees which led to the stampede.

The report also says that the number of devotees who arrived at the discourse was three times more than the number for which permission had been sought.

In a related development, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) plea has been filed before the Allahabad High Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the Hathras stampede incident. The event was organised by self-styled godman, Bhole Baba, at Fulrai village under the Sikandrarau police station area of Hathras district.

The PIL plea, moved by advocate Gaurav Dwivedi, claims that the district authorities were "totally responsible" for its "negligent" act due to which the stampede occurred and that this type of inappropriate law and order situation in the state would lead to people losing faith in the government. It further states that the district authorities have mechanisms in place to prevent and control any unwarranted situations, and the state government is investing substantial public funds in new techniques for better administration but still such an incident occurred.

Further, the petitioner has submitted that he is very concerned about the safety of devotees who would be attending Maha Kumbh, the world's largest religious gathering, which is scheduled to take place in Prayagraj in 2025.
Seoul, July 3 : A taxi crashed into a hospital in South Korea on Wednesday, injuring two people, police said.

The vehicle plowed into the emergency ward of the National Medical Center in the central district of Jung at 5.15 p.m., leaving two people injured, one seriously, Yonhap news agency reported.

The driver was not under the influence of alcohol.

Police were investigating the circumstances of the accident.
Seoul, July 3 : The number of people demanding the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol surpassed the 1 million mark Wednesday on the National Assembly's petition website.

The petition, calling on the National Assembly to propose a bill on Yoon's impeachment, gained a daily average of 100,000 signatures over a period of 10 days after it was posted on June 24, Yonhap news agency reported.

Lawmakers of the Democratic Party (DP) backed the petition, saying the number of petition approvals rightfully reflects the public's views of Yoon.

"The president must change first for the state affairs, now on the verge of a catastrophe, to get back on track," DP floor leader Park Chan-dae said during a Supreme Council meeting.

During the meeting, Rep. Jung Chung-rae also said the petition is "the people's voice" demanding the "judgment" of the Yoon administration.

A petition approved by more than 50,000 people within 30 days is referred to a parliamentary subcommittee that reviews petitions under the legislation and judiciary committee, and can be submitted to a plenary session.

DP spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said the committee and the subcommittee will impartially examine the petition and they would consider holding a hearing or taking other necessary steps, if needed, over the course of the examination.

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) lashed out at the move.

"The DP is abusing the petition as a means of political fighting," PPP spokesperson Kwak Gyu-taek told reporters, claiming that it is "obvious that there are no grounds" for Yoon's impeachment.

Amid deepening political strife, the presidential office accused the opposition of trying to railroad contentious bills and pushing for the impeachment of high-ranking officials.

"The DP should immediately stop anti-civilizational attempts to destroy the Constitution and its unheard-of legislative violence and coup d'etat," a senior presidential official told Yonhap News Agency.

On Tuesday, the DP proposed a motion to impeach four prosecutors, including those involved in corruption investigations into former party leader Lee Jae-myung.

The DP, which holds a controlling majority in parliament, is also pushing to put forth a bill calling for a special counsel probe into the government's alleged interference with a military probe into a Marine's death despite opposition by the ruling People Power Party.

The bill, seen as ultimately aiming to investigate suspicions of Yoon's interference with the probe, had been vetoed by the president in the previous National Assembly, but the DP proposed it again after the new National Assembly began its term in late May.
Seoul, July 3 : South Korea's top nuclear envoy discussed the deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia in meetings on Korean Peninsula issues with foreign diplomats in Seoul, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Lee Jun-il, director general for Korean Peninsula policy, invited the ambassadors and diplomats from 30 countries to two separate roundtable sessions on North Korean issues on Monday and Wednesday, the ministry said, Yonhap news agency reported.

The participating countries either have a diplomatic presence in North Korea, or have their top envoys to Seoul double as their ambassadors to Pyongyang.

They include Guatemala, Norway, Denmark, Laos, Bulgaria, Brazil, Spain, the Czech Republic, France and Australia, as well as the European Union.

Lee stressed at the meetings that the closer ties between Moscow and Pyongyang clearly demonstrate how security in Asia is closely linked to that in Europe, and called for the international community to sternly deal with the potential threats posed by their relationship.

As North Korea continues to threaten the South with missile launches, and lately with the GPS signal jamming and the sending of trash-carrying balloons across the border, South Korea will firmly deal with any future provocations by the North, the ministry quoted Lee as telling the groups.

The diplomats shared the understanding that countries need to send a strong message to the North about the potential threats posed by its cooperation with Russia, urging Pyongyang to stop acts that raise tensions, the ministry said.
Patna, July 3 : While Congress leaders claimed that the Constitution is under threat under the Narendra Modi government, JD (U) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha highlighted how the Congress 'respected' the Constitution when it was in power at the Centre.

In his maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha during the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address on Wednesday, Jha detailed how the Congress leadership twisted the Constitution in 2005.

He stated, "The President of India discussed the emergency period in her speech, and Bihar was the biggest battleground of it. Under the leadership of Jai Prakash Narayan, the total revolution movement was started. The emergency was imposed in the country in 1975, but I want to point out two things on the floor of the House. In 2005, there was a UPA government at the Centre, and the assembly election was held in Bihar in February. At that time, a hung assembly emerged. After two months, Nitish Kumar managed to achieve a majority in the Bihar assembly and was about to form the government. At that time, Buta Singh was the governor of Bihar. He called for a cabinet meeting. The then President (APJ Abdul Kalam) was in Moscow. The paper was sent to the Bihar governor by fax, and President's Rule was imposed in Bihar. This is the reality of the Congress's expression of love towards the Constitution," Jha said.

He pointed out two incidents of that time. While quoting the Union law minister Hans Raj Bhardwaj, he said: "Bhardwaj, in his statement, pointed out that he was under tremendous pressure from the Manmohan Singh government to get a favorable order from the Supreme Court to impose President's Rule in Bihar in 2005 to prevent the JD (U) and BJP combined government from coming to power. Bhardwaj said that he met Chief Justice YK Sabbarwal who headed the constitution bench which deals with the case to get a favorable judgment."

"The five-judge bench held that the imposition of President's Rule was a misuse of article 356 and was clearly politically motivated based on the report of Governor Buta Singh," Jha said.

While quoting Hans Raj Bhardwaj again, Jha said: "The former law minister Hans Raj Bhardwaj in his statement said Justice Sabbarwal was his family friend but was a tough judge and he could not muster the courage to ask him any favour on this issue when we met him for a cup of coffee."

"Then BJP leader Arun Jaitley objected to President's Rule in Bihar," Jha said.

Sanjay Jha also referred to some content from a book called "The Turning Point" written by the then President APJ Abdul Kalam.

"As soon as the verdict was known (on President's Rule in Bihar), I wrote a letter of resignation and was about to send it to the then Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who was a seasoned politician and a lawyer. He was away from the country at that time. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wanted to see me for some other discussion. We met in my office in the afternoon. After finishing the discussion, I said that I had decided to resign from the post of the President and showed him the letter. The Prime Minister was disturbed as soon as he saw the letter. The scene was touching and I do not want to describe it. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pleaded that I should not do it in this difficult time. He said that the result of it may create such a circumstance that even the government might fall. Hence, I did not give the resignation," Jha said while quoting from the book of the then President APJ Abdul Kalam.

"Now, they are roaming with the Constitution book while the law minister of the UPA government went to the President's House and took the signature for President's Rule in Bihar at night. Everyone knew who was running the government at that time. Who was the superpower and imposed President's Rule in Bihar," Jha said.
Lucknow, July 3 : The noose has started tightening around self-styled godman Bhole Baba, a.k.a Narayan Saakar Hari during whose religious event the stampede took place in Uttar Pradesh's Fulrai Village in Hathras District on Tuesday.

As many as 121 lives were lost in the tragedy that also left over 25 people injured.

Though Bhole Baba's name does not figure in the initial FIR filed in connection with the incident in which mostly women were killed, the police have cordoned off his ashram in Mainpuri, following reports that the godman could be hiding in his palatial abode.

"We have found the location of his mobile phone to be near his ashram and we are keeping a close watch," said a senior police officer.

Meanwhile, UP Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath who visited Hathras on Wednesday has announced a judicial probe into the stampede.

Yogi Adityanath interacted with injured people in hospital and took first hand information about the circumstances leading to the tragedy.

"I talked to several eyewitnesses and they informed me that the incident took place after the 'satsang' ended and the preacher was coming down from the stage. Suddenly several women started going towards him to touch his feet and the 'sevadars' stopped them, due to which the mishap took place. The administration was not allowed by the 'sevadars' to enter the area," Chief Minister Adityanath said at a press conference.

A video clip has also gone viral on social media which shows the godman leaving the venue in his car and hundreds of devotees running behind his car to gather the dust as a token of blessing.

The report submitted by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate states that the behaviour of the godman's 'sevadars' was responsible for the tragedy. The 'sevadars' tried to push back the devotees which led to the stampede.

The report also says that the number of devotees who arrived at the discourse was three times more than the number for which permission had been sought.

In a related development, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Allahabad High Court seeking a CBI enquiry into the Hathras stampede.

The PIL moved by Advocate Gaurav Dwivedi, states that the district authorities were "totally responsible" for the "negligence" due to which the tragedy occurred and that this poor law and order situation in the state would lead to people losing faith in the UP government.

The PIL further states that the district authorities have mechanisms in place to prevent and control any unwarranted situations, and the state government is investing substantial public funds in new techniques, for better administration. Despite this, the incident occurred.

Further, the petitioner has submitted that he is very concerned about the safety of devotees who would be attending the Maha Kumbh, the world's largest religious gathering, which is scheduled to take place in Prayagraj in 2025.
Mumbai, July 3 : Actor Ranvir Shorey, who is currently a part of the streaming reality show 'Bigg Boss OTT 3', spoke with his fellow contestant Armaan Malik about the friendship between Vishal and Lovekesh.

Mumbai, July 3 (IANS) Actor Ranvir Shorey, who is currently a part of the streaming reality show aBigg Boss OTT 3a, spoke with his fellow contestant Armaan Malik about the friendship between Vishal and Lovekesh.

The duo concluded that the friendship between Vishal and Lovekesh is just for the show, as it lacks substance in real life.

Armaan also expressed his disappointment over a recent disagreement with Lovekesh, saying, "After our fight yesterday, I had to eat leftover roti because he didn't make fresh ones for me. Later, I heard he was telling others that I should have made fresh rotis for him to appear generous even after our argument."

Ranvir questioned if Lovekesh's actions were merely for the show, to which Armaan affirmed, noting his familiarity with the show's format.

Ranvir said, "I feel Lovekesh and Vishal are playing up this brotherly friendship angle for the cameras. It seems like a strategy they've planned from outside -- to stick together and subtly undermine others."

Armaan concurred as he suggested that their friendship might not be as genuine as portrayed.

aBigg Boss OTT 3a streams on JioCinema Premium.
Palghar : , July 3 (IANS) The Maharashtra Police has cracked a major inter-state drug racket operating in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh, seizing drugs and related stuff valued at Rs 327.69 crore, and arresting 15 persons, officials said on Wednesday.

Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar Commissioner of Police Madhukar Pandey told media persons that the racket, with mafia connections, also led to the seizure of four weapons and several live cartridges from one of the accused in Palghar.

The seizures include the drug mephedrone (MD), raw materials and other articles like vehicles from manufacturing dens in UP and Telangana, and cash from Gujarat.

The accused arrested comprise eight people from UP, three each from Telangana and Maharashtra, and one from Gujarat, with more arrests likely, Pandey said.

The investigations started on May 15 when the MBVV Crime Branch, Kashimira Police Unit 1 sleuths seized one kg MD valued at Rs 2 crore and nabbed two persons, both of Vasai town in Palghar, at a checkpost in Chenagaon (Thane). Their sustained interrogation led to unravelling the tentacles spread in other states where police teams were rushed to probe.

One of the teams raided a manufacturing den at Narsapur in Telangana on May 17, seized 103 gms MD valued at Rs 20.60 lakh and another 25 kg raw materials valued at Rs 25 crore, besides arresting two persons.

The questioning led the police to an associate in Mumbai's Goregaon suburb and the seizure of MD amounting to 71.10 gms valued at Rs 14.38 crore, plus the arrest of another person in Varanasi.

The combined probe continued with the dragnet then falling on a person at Padgha village in Thane, with the seizure of raw materials valued at nearly Rs 54,000. Pandey said that the probe teams have detected that one person from Mumbai a" who is still absconding a" had allegedly transferred funds for the manufacture of the drugs through an associate in Surat. The other person was nabbed from Surat along with Rs 10.90 lakh in cash, which was being remitted through the Indian traditional personal couriers called aAngadiyasa.

Accordingly, the probe shifted to a couple of Angadiyas in south Mumbai from whom the police seized Rs 680,000 that was delivered to them by the Surat accused. The probe led to the detection of an MD manufacturing unit in UP's Jaunpur, from where the police seized 300 kg of raw materials worth Rs 300 crore and nabbed three more on June 25, followed by three more arrests from Lucknow on June 25/26.

They tipped the police about another associate operating from Nala Sopara in Palghar from whom the police teams recovered a revolver, 3 pistols and 33 bullets, Pandey said, adding that further probe is on.

The accused arrested in the entire scam over the past couple of months include Shoaib H. Memon and Nicholas L. Tritus (both from Vasai in Palghar), Dayanand M. Mudanar alias Daya and Nasir J. Shaikh alias Baba (both from Telangana), Ghanshyam R. Saroj (Varanasi), Mohamed S. Moin (Mumbai), Bharat S. Jadhav alias Babu (Thane), and Murtuza M. Kothari alias Zulfikar (Surat, Gujarat).
Mumbai, July 3 : Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha's brother Luv Sinha, who recently shared the reason behind not attending his sister's wedding in Mumbai on social media, has now deleted the said post.

Luv Sinha, who was last seen in the Sunny Deol-starrer 'Gadar 2', earlier took to X to state that he didn't approve of his sister's marriage to Zaheer Iqbal.

Sharing a news article with his post, the actor wrote, "Why I chose not to attend. Running an online campaign against me on a false premise won't change the fact that for me, my family will always come first."

However, now the actor has deleted the post in question and issued another statement saying that the words in his second tweet were wrongly attributed to him.

He wrote, "The quote that is being incorrectly attributed to me is not my statement, and was written in an article by a senior journalist. The matter is now closed, and I will not be commenting on it any further".

Sonakshi and Zaheer exchanged wedding vows on June 23 in Mumbai under the Special Marriage Act of the Indian Constitution. While the celebrations of the newly-wed couple were attended by the bigwigs from the film fraternity, her twin brothers Luv and Kush were absent from the festivities.
Chandigarh: Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh saying the government action against him 'was not about his arrest but an attack on the Sikh community' in a live video. (Photo:IANS/Twitter). Image Source: IANS News

Chandigarh, July 3 : Pro-Khalistani separatist and MP-elect Amritpal Singh, who is detained under the National Security Act (NSA) in Assam's Dibrugarh jail, has been granted parole and will take oath as a member of Parliament on July 5, the day another jailed MP-elect, Engineer Rashid, will also be sworn in.

Faridkot MP Sarabjit Singh Khalsa told the media on Wednesday that he met Speaker Om Birla at his residence in Delhi on Wednesday morning and he agreed to administer the oath to Amritpal Singh at his chamber in the Parliament.

Both Amritpal Singh and Khalsa won the Lok Sabha polls as Independents.

The Khadoor Sahib MP-elect was given parole for four days by the Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar from July 5.

"The parole will be allowed only for oath-taking. The parole of up to four days is given to make sure that he can be flown in on any of these four days if the weather does not allow his transit," an official source said.

The Punjab Home Secretary had written to the Lok Sabha Speaker, forwarding Amritpal Singhas plea that he should be allowed to take oath.

Official sources said the decision to grant permission to Amritpal Singh to take oath comes a day after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) gave its consent to jailed Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid, known as Engineer Rashid, to take oath as a Lok Sabha member on July 5.

Engineer Rashid is lodged in Tihar Jail in Delhi in connection with a 2017 terror funding case. A Delhi court on Tuesday granted custody parole for two hours to him to take the oath as an MP.

Rashid won the Lok Sabha elections as an Independent candidate from the Baramulla constituency in Jammu and Kashmir by defeating his nearest rival and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah by a margin of more than 2 lakh votes.

Sikh radical Amritpal Singh, head of 'Waris Punjab De' and currently locked up in an Assam jail won the Khadoor Sahib seat by 197,120 votes over his nearest rival, Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira. In the Faridkot (reserved) seat, Khalsa, the son of one of the assassins of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, won by 70,053 votes over his nearest rival, Karamjit Singh Anmol of the AAP.
Bengaluru, July 3 : Karnataka JD (S) MLA H.D. Revanna visited his son, prime accused in the sex video scandal, Prajwal Revanna in the central prison on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Wednesday. Prajwal is a former JD (S) MP and grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. This was Revanna's first visit to prison to see his younger son since his arrest.

Bengaluru, July 3 (IANS) Karnataka JD (S) MLA H.D. Revanna visited his son, prime accused in the sex video scandal, Prajwal Revanna in the central prison on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Wednesday. Prajwal is a former JD (S) MP and grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. This was Revanna's first visit to prison to see his younger son since his arrest.

H. D. Revanna became angry at media persons while his vehicle was entering the prison road and did not react to questions. Prajwal is being kept in the quarantine centre of the jail. His mother Bhavani Revanna had visited him in the prison on Tuesday.

Prajwal's father had stated on Tuesday that he won't go to meet his son in prison. Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, HD Revanna had stated, "I won't go to meet Prajwal Revanna in prison. If I go to meet him, people will say that I have conveyed something to him. In this backdrop, I won't go."

However, contrary to his statement he visited Prajwal the very next day.

Revanna had also stated that, "Only God is there for us now. Who else is there? On Monday my wife went to prison to meet Prajwal. I don't know what mother and son spoke about. I didn't even ask," he had stated.

Prajwal Revanna is charged with repeated rape, kidnapping, and threats, videographing sexual acts and is the prime accused in the sex videos case.

His elder brother, JD (S) MLC Suraj Revanna is facing charges of forcing unnatural sex on JD(S) workers. Suraj Revanna was arrested and is being investigated by a Special Investigation Team.
Gurugram, July 3 : A team from the cyber cell of the Gurugram police has arrested a SBI official for allegedly providing bank accounts for cyber fraud, the police said.

Priyanshu Diwan, Assistant Commissioner of Police (cybercrime), said that the accused has been identified as Rahul, a resident of Sector-77 in Gurugram.

According to the police, a man filed a complaint at the Cyber Crime Police Station East on February 15, 2024, that he was duped of Rs 52.14 lakh in the name of investing in the stock market.

Inspector Savit Kumar, SHO of the police station, arrested the suspect on Wednesday. He was later taken on police remand.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that he was an employee of SBI bank and he kept in touch with the cyber thugs and provided bank accounts.

"The accused had provided bank accounts to cyber crooks based on fake documents. In return the accused transferred Rs 9 lakh to his account," Diwan said.
Bengaluru, July 3 : The 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court on Wednesday remanded former Prime Minister, HD Deve Gowda's grandson and JD(S) MLC Suraj Revanna to judicial custody till July 18.

Suraj Revanna is facing charges of indulging in forceful unnatural sex with JD(S) workers.

Suraj was investigated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) after the victims registered cases against him in Holenarasipura Rural police station.

He was arrested on June 22 after being summoned for questioning.

The government had later handed over the case to the special wing of the CID.

Earlier, JD(S) MLA HD Revanna, whose two sons have been arrested in different cases of sexual assault, asserted, "I have faith that Suraj will come out clean soon. I won't speak about any other matter as all is before the court. Let everything get over, I will explain everything."
London, July 3 : UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday appealed to the voters to stop the Labour "supermajority", saying that it will raise the taxes.

"Under the Labour, every working family will pay 2,094 Pounds in tax," he warned in a post on X.

The UK PM added: "Labour Party candidate Kier Starmer stands for higher taxes and weak borders."

Earlier, the Conservative Party leader had warned that if Starmer becomes Prime Minister then all illegal migrants will be on the streets. "Do not surrender our borders to the Labour Party," Sunak said.

"Your pension, your council tax, your home, your car, you name it and they will tax it. That's the change that will be coming so do not surrender to that," the Tory leader said.

Pre-poll surveys have predicted a landslide win for the Labour Party.
Kolkata, July 3 : The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday acquitted a person who was arrested on the charge of criticizing a state minister on social media.

A single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha directed that Ershad Sultan be released immediately.

The matter related to a meeting of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with members of her cabinet, bureaucrats, police officers and heads of the different municipalities in the state on June 28.

The administration arranged for the live streaming of the entire meeting. During the meeting the arrested person made a comment accusing West Bengal minister Arup Roy and some local Trinamool Congress leaders of encouraging illegal constructions in Howrah by illegally filling up the water bodies.

The police registered a FIR against Sultan the same day and he was arrested on June 30. His family members approached the High Court against the arrest and the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday.

During the hearing Justice Sinha raised some questions on the arrest. Her first question was whether the police can arrest anyone if the latter complains or expresses a grievance against anyone. She also questioned whether the arrest was prompted by a complaint from the minister?

Finally she observed that the police has unnecessarily intervened in the matter on the basis of a complaint by a third person.
Bengaluru, July 3 : The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, on Wednesday called CM Siddaramaiah the most "corrupt Chief Minister" the state has ever seen.

"CM Siddaramaiah is the most corrupt, narcissist and is indulging in the loot," Ashoka said in a post on X.

The senior BJP leader said this after the CM's name cropped up in the alleged multi-crore Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam.

"Mr Hypocrite Siddaramaiah, why did your close confidante Urban Development Minister Bhyrathi Suresh not initiate action even though the District Commissioner of Mysuru City wrote to him 15 times asking him to cancel the site allotments under the 50:50 scheme through MUDA," Ashoka questioned.

"Who decided to allot sites on a 50:50 scheme to the land owners without the subject being presented and consented to in the Cabinet meeting? To whose benefit was the decision of allotments of sites by the MUDA made? Who is responsible for the huge losses incurred in the process of granting compensation, allotment of parallel sites, and granting of land which was done without the knowledge of the authority," Ashoka asked.

"Mr Siddaramaiah, you have got 14 sites measuring 38,824 square feet in prime locality in the name of your wife as compensation for the 3.16 acres of land owned by your wife in Kesare village. Is this not corruption?" the BJP leader said.

Karnataka BJP alleged the involvement of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a Rs 4,000 crore land scam on Tuesday. However, the Chief Minister has refuted the charges, calling them baseless.

Karnataka BJP leaders, including state unit chief B.Y. Vijayendra and Ashoka, were detained by the police at the Kumara Krupa Guest House in Bengaluru on Wednesday while preparing to march to the CM's residence demanding a probe into his alleged role in the MUDA scam.
Chandigarh, July 3 : To ensure smooth and safe passage to devotees going for the Shri Amarnath Yatra, Punjab's Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla on Wednesday chaired a meeting of security agencies to take stock of the arrangements.

Chandigarh, July 3 (IANS) To ensure smooth and safe passage to devotees going for the Shri Amarnath Yatra, Punjabas Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla on Wednesday chaired a meeting of security agencies to take stock of the arrangements.

The meeting, which was held in Pathankot, focused on strategic preparations for the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, encompassing diverse aspects such as police deployment, security measures, traffic management, and disaster management.

The review also focused on recent incidents involving sightings of armed suspects in Kot Bhattian village and an encounter with an armed suspect in Kathua district.

The meeting was attended by senior officers from the Punjab Police, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Himachal Pradesh Police, the Army, the Air Force, the Border Security Force and other Central agencies.

Shukla deliberated on securing the international border and ensuring the safety of the devotees going for the Shri Amarnath Yatra.

He said the Punjab Police has boosted the security with the deployment of 550 personnel, sniper detachments, bomb disposal and other commando units. A high alert has been sounded with an eight second line of defence checkpoints established by the police.

He said the route has been divided into five sectors for effective management and four companies of CAPF have been stationed along the route. Special security arrangements have been made at alangara sites.
Kolkata, July 3 : The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday expressed its ire over the indefinite delay by the West Bengal Chief Secretary in granting approval for initiating trial against state government employees named as accused in the multi-crore cash-for-school-jobs case.

The division bench of Justice Arijit Banerjee and Justice Apurba Sinha Ray said that although June 7 was the deadline for the Chief Secretary's office to communicate to the court the time by when the approval will be given, the communication has not come yet though nearly a month has passed since then.

The bench noted that although the requisite approval has come from the office of West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, formalities for beginning the trial could not be initiated as there has been no communication on this matter from the office of the Chief Secretary.

The bench on Wednesday set a deadline of three more weeks for the Chief Secretary to reply in the matter.

Noting that the court wants a quick reply in this matter, the bench said no further extension will be granted and necessary actions will follow in case of non-compliance.
Chandigarh, July 3 : The Punjab Police's Cyber Crime Division has arrested two travel agents for trafficking people from the state to Cambodia and other South East Asian countries, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said here on Wednesday.

Chandigarh, July 3 (IANS) The Punjab Policeas Cyber Crime Division has arrested two travel agents for trafficking people from the state to Cambodia and other South East Asian countries, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said here on Wednesday.

The accused have been identified as Amarjeet Singh, owner of Visa Palace Immigration in Mohali, and his accomplice Gurjodh Singh.

As per information, the arrested travel agents were sending people from Punjab to Cambodia, promising them data entry jobs. On arrival at Siam Reap in Cambodia, their passports were taken away from them and they were forced or tortured to work in cyber scamming call centres to target people to commit financial fraud.

DGP Yadav said following the information from a victim, who managed to escape from Cambodia after getting in touch with the Indian Embassy, the state Cyber Crime Police Station had registered a first information report and started investigations in this case.

He said preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused have fraudulently sent many people to Cambodia and other South East Asian countries, where they are forcibly made to work at centres engaged in cyber scamming Indians.

The details of the people, who are in cyber slavery, are being obtained and contacts are being established with them and their families, he added.

Sharing details, ADGP (Cyber Crime) V. Neeraja said police teams led by Inspector Deepak Bhatia conducted a raid at the office of Visa Palace and arrested both the accused.

She said the accused have revealed that they were carrying on these illegal activities in connivance with other agents belonging to different states.

She exhorted the people to be aware of such fraudulent immigration activities and not fall prey to the fake promises of travel agents offering lucrative job opportunities abroad.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs has set up an Overseas Workers Resource Centre as a single-window facilitation centre to provide support services to people desirous of going abroad for employment.
Washington, July 3 : Kamala Harris, the Indian American Vice President, is emerging as a leading choice for Democrats to take over from President Joe Biden should he step aside, bowing to growing calls from within the party following his disastrous performance in the first president debate of the 2024 cycle last week.

A new poll shows she is within striking distance of former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, in a head-to-head matchup.

Harris herself is being the loyal Vice-President of Biden, telling reporters that Biden is the party nominee and he will beat Trump again, after 2020.

That hasnat stopped Democrats from across the party from announcing their support for Harris.

"I ran for President in 2020. I was the first Presidential candidate to endorse Joe Biden in 2020. I love America. I love our Party. I love Joe Biden," former Congressman Tim Ryan has written in a signed piece in Newsweek magazine.

"The Democratic Nominee in 2024 should be Kamala Harris."

Ryan ran in the 2020 primaries, which was eventually won by Biden who went on to win the race.

"Witnessing Joe Biden's struggle was heartbreaking," Ryan wrote, referring to the debate. "And we must forge a new path forward."

A fierce debate has been underway in the Democratic party since the debate last Thursday over Bidenas candidacy. No one disputes that Biden had a terrible debate. His supporters have sought to portray it as "one bad night", which does not define his candidacy.

But there are those, including Ryan, who are arguing that the debate showed Biden is not up to the job and he should make way for someone younger and able.

Even former President Barack Obama, a steadfast supporter of his former Vice-President, has privately expressed concerns about Bidenas chances after the debate, according to a report in The Washington Post.

Other Democrats on the list of possible replacements include California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (whose family owns the Hyatt hotel chain), Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and Maryland Governor Wes Moore.

Nothing can or will change until Biden himself chooses to step aside as he holds most of the party delegates who will meet in August to officially nominate him as the party candidate for the White House. These delegates are tied to him by party rules and they cannot switch their vote. Only Biden can change all this by stepping aside, but so far he and his campaign have appeared dug in and determined to ride out this storm.

Should he change his mind, Harris will be a serious contender for his mantle.

Of all the probables, she is the only one to have gone through the kind of vetting that candidates for the White House are subjected to. As Bidenas running mate, Harris went through the wringer in 2020. Her past, her career, personality traits, and her family were subjected to close scrutiny. As Bidenas Vice-President, she can justifiably claim the achievements of his administration, which are plenty, although not reflected in polls.

In a new poll published by CNN on Tuesday, Harris fell only 2 percentage points between Trump in a matchup - 45 per cent to 47 per cent - which is really within the statistical margin of error. She performs better against Trump than her boss Biden, who trails the Republican nominee 43 per cent to 49 per cent. If Harris does get the nomination, she will become the first Indian American to become the presidential nominee for a major party. There have been several who run for the nomination in both parties but no one has made it out of the primaries - Harris herself was a candidate for the nomination in 2020.

Among Republicans, Nikki Haley, the former Ambassador to the UN, was a contender for the nomination in 2024, ending her race just some months ago. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal ran for the Republican nomination in 2016, but did not survive the primaries.
New Delhi, July 3 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, replying to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in Rajya Sabha, launched a tirade at the Opposition for orchestrating a 'samvidhaan bachaao' campaign despite having a dark history of abusing it for 'personal interests' and also boasted about the government's achievements and vision for next five years.

PM Modi started off his speech in the Rajya Sabha by turning the tables on Congress '1/3rd government' jibe with his 20 more years retort and said that nothing could be bigger truth than this.

"A Congress colleague repeatedly said 1/3rd government. We have completed 10 years now and there is 20 more to go. So, we have completed 1/3rd term, 2/3rd remains. So, 'unke muh mein ghee shakkar' for his prophecy," said PM Modi, drawing cheers from the Treasury benches.

During the later part of the speech, PM Modi came down heavily on the Congress over waving booklets of the Constitution and reminded how it abused the supreme rule book and took the democracy for a ride during its rule.

He reminded the party of the dark period of Emergency, belittling the chair of Prime Minister in UPA I and II by 'Super PM' and tearing apart of the Cabinet note by the then Congress MP (Rahul Gandhi).

The Prime Minister underlined that the Constitution is not just a compilation of Articles but its spirit and imprint are extremely valuable.

"It is the Constitution given by Baba Saheb Ambedkar which has allowed people like me, who have zero political lineage, to enter politics and reach such a stage," he said.

PM Modi also recalled that there was a staunch opposition when his government had proposed to commemorate November 26 as the "Constitution Day".

He said that Congress ran its governments on auto-pilot mode, left people to fend for themselves and is now resorting to fake propaganda campaign to mislead and misguide the public.

The Prime Minister added that it is not surprising to see the party 'reducing itself to mere slogan-shouting group'.

PM Modi, further speaking about the achievements and milestones of his government, said that the people of the country voted the NDA to power thrice to achieve the goals of development and reliance through 'Viksit Bharat' and 'Atamnirbhar Bharat'.

"The country has seen its economy rising from tenth to the fifth-largest economy in the last 10 years despite challenges like global disturbances and pandemic. This mandate is to take the economy to third place from the present fifth place," he said.

Speaking about the government's priorities and developmental pitch, PM Modi underlined the importance of strengthening the four pillars of farmers, poor, narishakti and youth and impressed upon the members on how the Kisan Credit Card and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and Kisan Kalyan Schemes were benefitting crores of farmers.

PM Modi said that his government gave a subsidy of Rs 12 lakh crores for fertilizers to the poor farmers, the highest figure since Independence.

The Prime Minister said that the era of 'ifs and buts' has ceased to exist today as Bharat has gone global and is now welcoming foreign investments which are paving the way for employment opportunities for its youth while also showcasing their potential and talent on an international platform.

He also recalled the time of the 1977 Lok Sabha elections when the press and radio were curtailed and people's voices were muted.

The Prime Minister expressed concern for the tendency to protect the corrupt by certain quarters in the opposition.

Mentioning various scams committed by the various governments run by the opposition parties, the Prime Minister rejected the charge of misusing enforcement agencies. He also criticised double standards in the sphere of the fight against corruption.

"They join ranks with a motive, accuse the Centre of misusing investigative agencies and then plot a conspiracy against their own alliance partners in the states," he said.

Reiterating the President's concern over the recent paper leaks, PM Modi assured the youth that his government is taking strict action against those playing with the future of our country and will not let them go unpunished.

On Manipur, PM Modi reiterated that the government was continuously making efforts to ease the situation in the northeastern state. He added that there were more than 11,000 FIRs lodged and more than 500 wrongdoers were arrested during and after the unrest in Manipur.

"We must acknowledge the fact that the incidents of violence in Manipur are on a continuous downward trajectory and this means that the hope for peace was a definite possibility in Manipur," he emphasised.
Moscow, July 3 : The Russian Foreign Ministry has declared a diplomat working at the Romanian Embassy in Moscow persona non grata, according to a Ministry statement issued on Wednesday.

Romanian Ambassador to Russia Cristian Istrate was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday and "handed a note declaring a staff member of the Romanian Embassy persona non grata", the statement said.

It added that the move was taken in response to Romania's recent decision to declare a Russian embassy worker persona non grata, reported Xinhua news agency.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry declared a diplomat working at the Russian Embassy in Bucharest persona non grata on May 24 for "actions that contradict the provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations".
Colombo, July 3 : Labelling it as a "major scam", the extended family of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) chief Velupillai Prabhakaran has urged all Tamils in India and around the world not to fall into the trap laid out by certain elements in the diaspora fraternity who have been collecting millions of dollars by saying that the slain Tamil leader is still alive.

Karthic Manoharan, the son of Prabhakaran's elder brother Velupillai Manoharan, told IANS that a "mafia gang" which wants to use Prabhakaran as a "brand name" and collects funds from Tamils living around the world is operating at a major scale.

V. Prabhakaran was killed during the final stages of Sri Lanka's 26-year-long bloody war against the LTTE, which was crushed by the Lankan security forces in May 2009.

"Give due respect to the dead. Not a penny given to the gang of fraudsters, who had been claiming that Prabhakran is alive, will go to the family or the poor and suffering Tamils in war-ravaged Sri Lanka, and instead end up in their pockets," said Karthic, the 43-year-old nephew of the late LTTE supreme leader.

Branding the alleged fraudsters as "liars", Karthic named some Indian Tamil leaders and Lankan-born Tamil Eelam campaigners for running a campaign to resurrect his dead uncle Prabhakaran and his only daughter Dwaraka Prabhakaran.

Manoharan's family has maintained an extremely low profile since they left Sri Lanka in 1983. They finally broke their silence after some diaspora groups in Switzerland enacted a fake drama with an AI-manipulated video speech of Dwaraka Prabhakaran on 'Maaveerar Naal' or 'Great Heroes Day' on November 27, 2023.

"We need to put an end to this nonsense. My uncle with his entire family died during the last stages of the war. This had been confirmed and if any of them were alive, they would have contacted us as we all were quite close and he used to call us from Sri Lanka," the nephew said.

He added that the final conversation his family had with Prabhakaran was in 2008, a year before the war came to an end.

"My uncle, in what turned out to be his last call, said that the situation was really bad in Sri Lanka," Karthic said.

Prabhakaran's parents were taken to India by Karthic's father Manoharan in 1983 along with the rest of the family after the ethnic war broke out in Sri Lanka, with the military hunting for the LTTE leader.

The family lived in Tamil Nadu for 13 years till 1998 and then migrated to Denmark through a UN agency.

"My father was planning to start a business in India but then Rajiv Gandhi's assassination happened and my uncle was the suspect. So, my dad was asked to leave India," the Tamil rebel leader's nephew told IANS.

The family later approached the UNHCR and moved to the Scandinavian country in 1996 which accepted their plea first.

However, Karthic said that because the family was related to the LTTE leader, they received "ill-treatment" from some diaspora groups in Denmark who had been amassing money in the name of the rebel movement.

"Having travelled from India, we were also branded as RAW agents," said Karthic, who expressed gratitude to the Indian government for allowing the family to stay in the country for more than a decade.

Karthic initially believed that his grandparents were also killed during the last days of the war in May 2009. The family later came to know that they were alive and had been kept in an army camp until his grandfather's death was announced in 2010. Prabhakaran's mother also died later.

One of Karthic's aunts (sister of Prabhakaran) still lives in India with her family while another resides in Canada.

However, he said, the extended family still cannot meet each other or travel due to many visa issues and fear of not being able to return.
New Delhi, July 3 : The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has successfully procured 266 lakh metric tonnes of wheat during the current Rabi marketing season 2024-25, surpassing last year's figure of 262 lakh metric tonnes to secure the nation's foodgrain sufficiency, the Ministry of Food and Public Distribution said on Wednesday.

More than 22 lakh Indian farmers have been benefited as Rs 61 lakh crore have been directly credited to their bank accounts on purchase of wheat at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

The procurement of wheat under MSP normally commences on the 1st of April every year; however, for the convenience of farmers, the date was advanced by about a fortnight this year in most of the states.

This achievement highlights the government's continued commitment to safeguarding the farmer's interests and ensuring food security for all, according to the official statement.

According to the provisional figures collected from various states, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have shown significant improvements in their wheat procurement quantities.

Uttar Pradesh has recorded a procurement of 9.31 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) compared to 2.20 LMT last year, while Rajasthan has achieved 12.06 LMT, up from 4.38 LMT in the previous season.

The substantial quantity of wheat procurement has helped FCI to ensure a steady flow of foodgrains into the Public Distribution System (PDS).

This entire procurement process has been pivotal in meeting the annual requirement of approximately 184 LMT of wheat under various welfare schemes, including PMGKAY, the Ministry statement added.

The Central government declared a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 2,275 per quintal for wheat for the Rabi Marketing Season, 2024-25.

The MSP acts as a safety net, ensuring that farmers receive a fair price.

Farmers are also free to sell their foodgrains in the open market, if they find better prices, thereby fostering a competitive market environment.

The assurance of MSP and the flexibility to sell in the open market have collectively resulted in better income security for farmers, the official said.

In addition to wheat, during the Kharif Marketing Season 2023-24, paddy procurement for the central pool exceeded 775 LMT, benefiting more than one crore farmers by way of disbursement of more than Rs 1.74 lakh crore to the bank accounts of these farmers towards purchase of their paddy at MSP.

With the current stock level of rice, the country exceeds not only its buffer stock norms but also its entire annual requirement.

Besides, procurement under the next Kharif Marketing Season 2024-25 is also likely to begin in October 2024, the statement added.
New Delhi, July 3 : The 'Sindhu Darshan Puja' held at Nimu, a forward brigade post in Ladakh, stands as a testament to cultural resilience and ceremonial significance. Every year, the Sindhu Mahotsav in Leh attracts participants from all corners of India to partake in this unique river worship festival, symbolising the deep-rooted cultural traditions of Leh-Ladakh.

Initiated in 1996, the festival's inception aimed at environmental conservation alongside the preservation of local culture and heritage.

On July 3, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surprise visit to Ladakh included a poignant moment when he participated in the traditional 'Sindhu Darshan Puja' on the banks of the river at Nimu.

The 'Sindhu Darshan Puja', an ancient ritual spanning millennia, holds profound significance in the cultural fabric of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

During his participation, Prime Minister Modi offered prayers for the nation's peace and prosperity. He also paid homage to the 20 brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Galwan Valley clash with Chinese troops in Ladakh.

Today, the 'Sindhu Darshan Puja' in Leh allows every Hindu to partake in this revered tradition.

Following Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure, the Sindhu Ghat lost prominence until it was revitalised under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in 2014.

On social media, old photographs from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unexpected visit to Ladakh on July 3, 2020, resurfaced on the 'Modi Archive' X handle.

These images gained traction exactly four years after the event on Wednesday, underscoring the historical perspectives that, after Independence, the entire Indus river came under Pakistan's control.

However, the rediscovery of sections flowing from Leh district in 1996 prompted the initiation of the 'Sindhu Darshan Yatra' in 1997.

This historic event saw participation from 72 prominent figures nationwide, including Narendra Modi during his tenure with the BJP, alongside political stalwarts like Lal Krishna Advani, George Fernandes, Sahib Singh Verma, and Farooq Abdullah.

During his inaugural journey, PM Modi shared a memorable moment with Pandit Jasraj, singing devotional songs on the riverbank.

Since its inception in 1997, Narendra Modi has been a regular participant in the Sindhu Darshan Yatra.

In 2000, serving as the BJP's national general secretary, he attended when Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee inaugurated the annual festival celebrating the cultural and spiritual heritage of the Indus River.
Islamabad, July 3 : Pakistan and Afghan Taliban held important talks during an informal dinner meeting on the sidelines of the Doha process for Afghanistan earlier this week.

While both sides have officially stated that the talks were "positive in nature", inside sources revealed that many critical roadblocks still persist.

The meeting between Pakistan's Special Envoy on Afghanistan, Ambassador Asif Durrani, and Afghan Taliban's Chief Spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid was held at the residence of Pakistan's Ambassador to Qatar.

The all-important UN-backed Doha process meeting was attended by several countries, including India.

During the Pak-Afghan meeting, many crucial and sensitive matters were discussed with both sides putting forward their demands and recommendations on the table.

As per reliable sources, Durrani highlighted the issue of the operational presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Afghanistan soil and told the Afghan Taliban to take action against the outfit.

Pakistan insisted that TTP militants are being trained, funded, facilitated, and supported on Afghan territory and are attempting to penetrate into Pakistan through many pockets of the porous Pak-Afghan border.

"Pakistan also briefed the Afghan Taliban on the scope of 'Operation Azm-e-Istehkam', asserting that there would be no talks with the TTP and the operation to take down TTP militants would not be compromised," said a source on the condition of anonymity.

On the other hand, the Afghan Taliban raised serious concerns over the decision of the Pakistan government to repatriate 1.7 million illegal Afghans without consulting the Afghan Taliban and called for an immediate halt to the ongoing process.

The Afghan Taliban also reiterated its previous recommendations for peace talks between Pakistan and the TTP and expressed its readiness to facilitate them.

"Afghan Taliban's demands were clearly negated by the Pakistan side," the source stated.

Pakistan has already conducted air strikes on Afghan territory in the past and claimed to have destroyed TTP training centres operating freely on the Afghan side.

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also recently said that the option of conducting air strikes and military operations in Afghanistan to take down TTP militants remains an option and would be considered only if Afghan Taliban continues to ignore Islamabad's demands of taking action against TTP on Afghan soil.

The Afghan Taliban also responded to the statement, threatening serious consequences to Pakistan if such an attempt was made.

Experts believe that while there was nothing achieved from the meeting in Doha, it can pave the way to more consultations and talks between the two sides which can be considered as a positive development.

"The meeting was part of renewed efforts by Pakistan to convince the Afghan Taliban to get rid of TTP and its affiliates. It would not be wrong to say that Pakistan's hint of extending its military operation into Afghanistan has forced the Afghan Taliban side to table talks," said senior political analyst Kamran Yousaf.
Amaravati, July 3 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday reiterated his resolve to build Amaravati as a world-class capital but admitted that restoring the investors' confidence after the "destruction during the last five years" will not be easy.

He said he would have to talk to the Singapore government, which had prepared the master plan, and a consortium of Singapore companies, which had signed an agreement for the Amaravati Capital City Startup Project during the earlier TDP rule but then, the venture was cancelled by the previous YSRCP government.

Asserting that his government will live up to the people's expectations by overcoming challenges and legal hurdles to build the state capital as per the earlier vision document and master plan, he, however, said he was open to new ideas and improved versions.

The Chief Minister was talking to media persons after releasing a White Paper on Amaravati, whose foundation stone was laid in 2016 when he was the Chief Minister.

He lashed out at his predecessor Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who stopped construction of Amaravati after coming to power in 2019 by mooting the idea of three state capitals.

"This is a case of one person destroying the future of the coming generations. We need to introspect if such persons should occupy a public office," he said, adding that as a result of the previous governmentas policies, investor confidence was lost and Andhra Pradesh's brand image suffered.

"For example, the Singapore government. I need to talk to them. They may come or may not come. They have their own experience. They donat need to lose money for us. There are hundreds of such countries and states for them," he said.

Naidu said investors may have apprehensions about the future as the man responsible for the destruction of the last five years is still in politics. "They feel why they should take risks. They say you have a good track record but what about tomorrow? How can you give assurances," he said.

The TDP chief said people need to ponder whether such a person is fit to remain in politics. "I am speaking for the future of five crore people of this state," he said.

The Chief Minister, whose TDP is a partner in BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, said he would use all opportunities and take the help of the Centre to restart the works in Amaravati. He said he would talk to all investors including individuals, companies and institutions and reiterated his vision to create a world-class capital which boosts the image of the state and improves the confidence of the people.

"We need to restart the construction activity, restore the investor confidence, rebuild the brand image and resurrect the economy," he said. The Chief Minister said if the original plan was implemented between 2019 to 2024, a world-class capital for the state would have been in place, 50,000 to 1,00,000 people would have been residing in the capital, seven lakh jobs could have been created during construction and Rs 2 lakh crore would have been added to the GDP. There would have been Rs 10,000 crore of income through state taxes every year with an increment of 15 per cent every year, he added.

There would have also been an increase in property prices and wealth generation across the state.

Naidu alleged that the previous government systematically weakened and destroyed Amaravati. Land acquisition notification for 1,197.30 acres was withdrawn, annuity for 2,903 farmers was stopped, pensions stopped for 4,422 families and the Rs 485.32 crore budget of the APCRDA lapsed.

The contract of Master Architect for Amaravati Government Complex (AGC) Norman+ Foster was cancelled. It was ordered to limit the civil works to Rs 3,000 crore out of the balance works of Rs 35,583.5 crore, while the YSRCP government complained to the World Bank and stopped the $300 million funding and also the Centre's Rs 1,000 crore grant. He mentioned that 122 out of 130 land allottees, mostly top institutions in various sectors like education, health and hospitality, lost confidence.

He said due to systematic destruction, buildings remained unfinished and roads got damaged. Credit ratings of the Amaravati bonds were negatively affected.

"The pride and self-respect of Andhra Pradesh people shattered. There was a sharp depreciation in property prices. Wealth generation did not happen. It led to the migration of people from the state to other states as new job creation stopped. There was a loss of existing jobs as businesses moved out due to uncertainty," Naidu said.

There was cost escalation, damages to the structure, cost of demobilisation of men and machinery, loss of jobs for the labour working, funds locked up in incomplete works, loss of revenue (GST & income tax), theft of materials and probable ill-effect on the structural stability due to long exposure to elements.

He recalled that the state government had taken recommendations of the K.C. Siva Rama Krishnan Committee as well as opinions of various stakeholders for choosing Amaravati as the state capital. On September 3, 2014, the Assembly passed a resolution to establish Amaravati as the state capital. It was centrally located and was planned as a liveable city, a self-financed project, and a growth engine.

Naidu claimed that the largest land pooling exercise in the world was taken up for Amaravati as 29,966 farmers voluntarily came forward to give 34,400 acres of land. Farmers and the APCRDA had entered into a binding agreement under which farmers were promised an annuity for 10 years at the rate of Rs 30,000 per acre for dry land and Rs 50,000 per acre for wet land, while there was a provision for an annual increment of Rs 3,000 per acre for dry land and Rs 5,000 per acre for wet land.

For each acre, farmers were given a returnable plot of 1,000 square yards (residential) and 250 square yards (commercial) for dry land, and 1,000 square yards (residential) plus 450 square yards (commercial) for wet land. Naidu also mentioned that the cost of the total project including tier I and tier II infrastructure and Amaravati Government Complex was Rs 51,687 crore. Tenders were called for a value of Rs 41,170.78 crore out of which all works were grounded and Rs 4,318.67 crore was paid. Rs 1,268.81 crore has to be paid as of date, says the White Paper.
Imphal, July 3 : Incessant rainfall since Monday caused flooding at many places in Manipur's five valley districts, including Imphal West and Imphal East, as two major rivers breached their embankments, officials said on Wednesday.

The flood waters inundated low-lying areas and human habitations and entered a large number of houses, and government and private offices, forcing the state government to declare a holiday for all government offices on Wednesday, while educational institutions would remain closed till Thursday.

Several thousand families were affected in the five valley districts, including the capital Imphal. Disaster management officials said that the Imphal River breached its embankment at Singjamei Oinam Thingel in Imphal West district, and the Kongba River at Kongba Irong and parts of Keirao in Imphal East district.

The repairs of the river bank and rescue operations are going on right now. The Iril River is also overflowing in several places of Imphal East district.

Several highways including the India-Myanmar road have also been flooded. Relief and rescue operations are underway for the affected people, officials said.

A district official said that the body of a 25-year-old man, who fell into the Senapati River on Tuesday afternoon, was recovered by a team of the Indian Red Cross Society with help from locals.

After visiting some flood-affected areas, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said on X : "Visited the flood affected zones at Singjamei and its surrounding areas. Necessary measures are being undertaken to assist the affected families while preparations are underway to tackle and address any eventualities. I urge all to remain calm and cooperate with the authorities for any issues and challenges".

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur in the state in the coming two days. A round-the-clock control room has been set up to coordinate rescue, relief, and rehabilitation efforts and to address the requirements of the people affected by heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides.
New Delhi, July 3 : Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has vehemently criticised Defence Minister Rajnath Singh regarding the controversial Agnipath scheme for recruitment of Agniveers into the armed forces.

In a statement issued on X on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi accused Rajnath Singh of misleading the Parliament on the Agnipath scheme.

In fact, during Rahul Gandhi's maiden speech in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Rajnath Singh had interrupted, alleging that the Congress MP was intentionally misinforming the House. The Defence Minister had claimed that every martyr in the Indian Army covered under this scheme receives compensation exceeding Rs 1 crore.

"Protection of truth is the foundation of every religion. But Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lied in the Parliament about the assistance given to the family of a martyred Agniveer," Rahul Gandhi wrote on X.

The Congress leader intensified his criticism of the Defence Minister by sharing a video featuring an interview with the father of Shaheed Ajay Singh, who stated that "their family had not received" any compensation from the Central government.

In the video, Rahul Gandhi also displayed a picture of Lord Shiva, which he had brandished in the Lok Sabha on Monday, saying Rajnath Singh lied in front of Shivji's photo.

Rahul Gandhi also accused the Defence Minister of deceiving the Parliament regarding the assistance provided to the family of the martyred Agniveer, alleging that the father of martyr Ajay Singh exposed these falsehoods as he demanded an apology from Rajnath Singh to the Parliament, the nation, the armed forces, and the bereaved family.

Rahul Gandhi, who has been critical of the Agnipath scheme, reiterated his opposition during his first speech as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

He accused the government of creating division among soldiers by providing pensions to some and not others, stating, "Agniveer is a disposable tool. One soldier receives pension, while another does not. You are fostering a divide among soldiers."

Rajnath Singh countered Rahul Gandhi's allegations, accusing him of spreading misinformation. He also emphasised that the government provides Rs 1 crore in compensation to the families of martyred Agniveers.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also shared the video of Rahul Gandhi on her X handle, stating, "When opposition leader Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of Agniveer, the BJP government responded with falsehoods in Parliament.

"By lying, they insulted the sacrifice and martyrdom of families who have given their sons for the nation. Is this the BJP's nationalism? The Prime Minister owes the nation an apology for lying and disrespecting the martyrs."
New Delhi, July 3 : The Indian Army clarified on Wednesday night that martyred Agniveer Ajay Kumar's family was paid Rs 98.39 lakh as compensation, rebutting Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's claim that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had "lied" about recompensating the family on the floor of the Lok Sabha.

The clarification came soon after Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said in a video message on X: "Protection of truth is the foundation of every religion. But Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lied in the Parliament about the assistance given to the family of a martyred Agniveer."

Rahul Gandhi also accused the Defence Minister of deceiving the Parliament regarding the 'assistance' provided to the family of martyred Agniveer Ajay Singh, as he demanded an apology from Rajnath Singh to the Parliament, the nation, the armed forces, and the bereaved family.

Clearing the air, the Army said in a post on X: "Certain posts on social media have brought out that compensation hasn't been paid to the next of kin of Agniveer Ajay Kumar who lost his life in the line of duty. It is emphasised that the Indian Army salutes the supreme sacrifice made by Agniveer Ajay Kumar. The last rites were carried out with full military honours.

"Of the total amount due, the family of Agniveer Ajay has already been paid Rs 98.39 lakh. Ex-gratia and other benefits amounting to approximately 67 lakh, as applicable according to the provisions of the Agniveer scheme, will be paid on final account settlement shortly post due police verification. The total amount will be Rs 1.65 crore approximately.

"It is re-emphasised that emoluments due to a fallen hero are paid expeditiously to the next of kin of departed soldiers, including Agniveers."

To recall, Rahul Gandhi, who has always been critical of the Agnipath scheme of recruiting Agniveers into the armed forces, reiterated his opposition to the scheme during his first speech as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

He accused the government of creating division among soldiers by providing pensions to some and not others, stating, "Agniveer is a disposable tool. One soldier receives pension, while another does not. You are fostering a divide among soldiers."

Rajnath Singh countered Rahul Gandhi's allegations, accusing him of spreading misinformation. He also emphasised that the government provides Rs 1 crore in compensation to the families of martyred Agniveers.
Thiruvananthapuram, July 3 : A day after the Kerala Police arrested three people suspected of being part of a gang which allegedly killed a 20-year-old housewife 15 years back in Alappuzha, a district court on Wednesday sent the trio to police custody.

The three, who had been arraigned as the accused in the FIR registered on Tuesday, are Jinu, Pramod, and Soman, all hailing from Mannar in Alappuzha.

Kala, 20, disappeared from Mannar 15 years back and a missing person case was registered. However, despite efforts by the police, nothing came out and her husband Anil later remarried.

Anil has been named as the first accused and is presently employed in Israel and the police have been trying to reach him.

This case resurfaced last month when the local police received an anonymous letter revealing crucial information about Kala and alleging that she was murdered. Soon the police got into action and picked up five people, of which three were arrested and produced before the court, which sent them to police custody.

Based on the questioning, on Tuesday, a police team arrived at Anilas house and opened a septic tank for checking. After emptying it and with forensic experts presently engaged in scientific examination of what they recovered, the police expect they will be able to crack the case.

But with the arrested giving contrasting versions, the police are leaving nothing to chance, as first, the accused said Kalaas body was thrown into a river and on further questioning, they said it was put into the septic tank.

A forensic expert said through a DNA test, things can be resolved but the challenge is with 15 years now passing, it is doubtful whether there is still the presence of bone marrow.

"Moreover, if a body is dumped into a septic tank, the decaying takes a different line as compared to being buried in a pit. Inside a septic tank, a lot of reactions take place due to the human excreta. Only a detailed and thorough forensic analysis will bring out the real test report on what has been recovered from the septic tank," the expert said.

Meanwhile, Kalaas 16-year-old son said he would not believe that his mother was dead and gone, while Anilas father claimed that Kala had long back left Anil to live with another person.
Mumbai, July 3 : Top Congress leaders on Wednesday gave a call for the ouster of Maharashtra's MahaYuti government and a return of the Maha Vikas Aghadi regime in the October Assembly elections.

AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala and state unit President Nana Patole said that Congress is a party which takes along all sections of society because of which the MVA notched a resounding victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, bagging 31 of the 48 seats in the state.

"Even in the upcoming October Assembly polls, we will make all efforts to ensure that all sections of society get proper representation. All party workers must work with the same zeal right from the taluka level to the polling booth levels and ensure the corrupt MahaYuti regime is weeded out," Chennithala said.

Patole said that though the LS elections are over, the political struggle continues with the next target being the Assembly polls for which all must work unitedly and hoist the victory flag over the Mantralaya.

"Various special cells and departments of the state Congress played a commendable role in the partyas huge victory in the Lok Sabha polls. Our activists went door-to-door in all villages to spread the Congressa message of 5 Nyays and 25 Guarantees which created a huge impact and led to the success," he added.

Chennithala and Patole were accorded a grand felicitation at a function held by the state Congress in Mumbai where speakers lauded their leadership role that helped reap a rich harvest of seats for the MVA in the LS polls.

They also slammed various policies of the MahaYuti of the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-Nationalist Congress Party, and how they spin fake narratives, make false promises, and failed to implement them, leaving the masses high and dry without taking any responsibility, while dividing the society.

The Congress SC-ST-OBC and Minority Department's National Coordinator K. Raju, SC Department chief Rajesh Lilhotia, state Minority Department chief Wajahat Mirza, besides Pragya Waghmare, Nana Gawande, Pramod More, Pratibha Shinde, and others were present and honoured for the party work in the elections.
Islamabad, July 3 : At least three people were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the police said on Wednesday.

According to the police, the blast occurred in Bajaur district of the province, killing three people on the spot, including a former member of the Senate.

The police said that scores of people had gathered for the campaign for the upcoming bypolls in the district when the bomb planted on a roadside exploded.

An investigation has been launched to find the motives behind the incident.

After the explosion, the police and security forces rushed to the site immediately and cordoned off the area to launch a search operation.

No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
Jerusalem, July 3 : Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection and Ministry of Health revealed on Wednesday that it has detected, during a monitoring operation, mosquitoes that were later found to be infected with the West Nile virus.

Mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus were captured in Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Kiryat Ono, Petah Tikva, the Lev Hasharon Regional Council, Central District, as well as in Eilat and the Aylot Regional Council in the south of the country.

In accordance with the results of the monitoring, the ministries asked the public to protect themselves against mosquitoes by following the issued guidelines to help the national effort to reduce the mosquito hazard.

Oren Ashet Kathabi, Director of the Department of Zoonotic Diseases in the Public Health Division of the Ministry of Health, explained that West Nile Fever is a disease that originates from animals and is also transmitted to humans.

It is caused by a virus found mainly in poultry, and is transmitted to humans and animals through mosquitoes that feed on infected birds. In most cases, it is a mild flu-like illness that goes away on its own.

The disease is often characterised by fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, conjunctivitis, and sometimes nausea and diarrhea. Rare complications are possible or meningitis, and rarely the disease ends in death.

To avoid mosquito bites and hazards, the Israeli ministry has recommended draining and drying stagnant water sources that may constitute habitats for mosquitoes.
Kolkata, July 3 : The office of West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Wednesday sent a communique to state secretariat of Nabanna seeking disciplinary action against the District Magistrate and District Superintendent of Police of Darjeeling district, and the Commissioner of the Siliguri City Police on charges of breach of official protocol.

Raj Bhavan sources said the Governor was in Siliguri for quite some time on Tuesday.

As per the protocol, if the Governor makes an official visit to any district, the concerned District Magistrate, DSP, or Police Commissioner should come and meet him.

However, the sources said that despite informing the state secretariat about the Governor's scheduled visit to Siliguri 24 hours in advance, neither the District Magistrate nor any senior police officer were present when he reached Siliguri and headed to the Circuit House.

The sources also pointed out that despite the Governor spending a few hours at the Circuit House, none of the three senior administrative officials came and met him there.

From Siliguri, the Governor was supposed to go to Chopra in North Dinajpur district to meet the women who were mercilessly beaten up by a local Trinamool Congress leader running a kangaroo court there.

However, later the Governor cancelled the trip to Chopra and went back to Delhi from Siliguri.
Jaipur, July 3 : Rajasthan Police have arrested three main accused in paper leak cases, including a woman government teacher, who were absconding for the past many months.

Those arrested include Om Prakash Dhaka and Sunil Beniwal, who were nabbed from Hyderabad, and Shami Bishnoi, a government teacher.

A police team from Jodhpur arrested Dhaka and Beniwal from Hyderabad and brought them to Jaipur on Wednesday. All three accused have been handed over to the Special Operations Group of the Rajasthan Police.

Dhaka was carrying a reward of Rs 75,000, while Shami Bishnoi and Sunil Beniwal were carrying rewards of Rs 70,000 and Rs 25,000, respectively.

Jodhpur IG Vikas Kumar said that Dhaka and Beniwal were hiding in a flat in Hyderabad from where they were caught, while Bishnoi was nabbed from the Barsana village in Bharatpur district.

The officer also said that the police were chasing the three accused persons for the last two months.

After they received input about two of the accused hiding at a flat in Hyderabad, police personnel disguised as LPG cylinder delivery boy reached there. As soon as they opened the door, the duo was arrested.

Similarly, Bishnoi was spotted at a few temples in Barsana, from where the police arrested her and brought her to Jaipur.

While Dhaka is one of the main accused in cases of paper leak by a gang led by Jagdish Vishnoi, Shami Bishnoi arranged dummy candidates. She also appeared as dummy candidate herself in many exams.

Beniwal also appeared as a dummy candidate and arranged for the same.
Ramanagar, : , July 4 (IANS) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar on Wednesday dismissed allegations of any wrong-doings in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allocation as he asserted that there have been no scams during the Congress government's tenure in the state.

Talking to reporters after a aGovernment at your doorstepa programme in the taluk, he said: "All the scams that the state witnessed have taken place during the BJP tenure. We will respond to all the allegations during the (Assembly) session."

The BJP is demanding resignation of CM Siddaramaiah alleging his role in the alleged MUDA scam.

Reacting to Union Minister and JD-S leader H.D. Kumaraswamyas 'Jana Samparka' programmes in Mandya district, Shivakumar said: "Let him do it. It is good for the people if leaders do programmes like this, even if it is a copy of someone else."

To a query on the announcement of candidates for bypolls, he said: "Let the election dates be announced. Then the candidates will come and file nominations."

Asked about BJP leader G. Devaraje Gowdaas allegation that Shivakumar was behind his arrest, the Deputy CM said: "It is a good thing if he is remembering me."

Gowda had alleged that Shivakumar had lured him to defame former PM Dave Gowda's family in sex video case and he was arrested when he refused to do so.

Shivakumar also said that Channapatna town will become Bengaluru under his leadership.

"We are all from Bengaluru district. We were in Bengaluru and we are in Bengaluru. We donat have to lose the name, wait for a couple of days. You may check the textbooks on all our origins. Hosakote, Devanahalli, Magadi, Kanakapura, all surrounding cities of state capital, all belong to Bengaluru."

On Union Minister Kumaraswamyas promise that he would make Ramanagara and Channapatna twin cities, he said: "He was the Chief Minister twice, why did he not fulfil his promises. I will keep my word."
People sometimes forget that the entire Tennessee River Basin is connected, and that the North Georgia high country is where people can go to see where the mighty Tennessee River gathers waters in the pristine mountain creeks and streams Post this

The stunning vistas, water features and captivating landforms that the byway connects visitors to makes it a most appealing road trip any time of year, but especially in the hot months when temperatures in the Southern Appalachian high country are comfortably lower than anywhere else in the region.

Scenic Awe Away from Summer's Simmer

From the observation deck and museum complex atop Brasstown Bald, visitors can see four states and gaze in amazement at a 360-degree view of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountain vastness and Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest arboreal grandeur.

The 8,000-square-foot museum features interactive cultural and natural history exhibits. A short film about the dramatic weather and changing seasons at Brasstown Bald plays regularly in the mountaintop theater. Because of the copious rainfall, higher elevations and cooler temperatures, many of the plants and animals found on Brasstown Bald are more similar to those endemic to mountainous regions hundreds of miles north.

In fact, some of those species are found nowhere else but in North Georgia.

Bald, Not Barren

The "balds" of Southern Appalachia are picturesque, biodiverse swaths of grassy and low-bush meadows at higher elevations  typically located at elevations above 4,000 feet.

No one knows for certain the origin of these treeless areas. One theory is that the Cherokee Indians cleared land and burned vegetation to provide lookouts, camps and hunting areas. Another explanation is that the European settlers cleared these flat areas for farming and pasture. Still another theory points to natural causes  a combination of elevation, severe climate, and fire may have combined to produce and maintain these balds.

Whatever their origin, they are an unforgettably pleasant place to hike and explore when in other places it feels too hot to move.

Brasstown Bald also serves as the headwater wellspring of the Chattahoochee, Coosa, Savanna Rivers  as well as the Hiawassee and Nottely Rivers, which are major tributaries of the Tennessee River.

"People sometimes forget that the entire Tennessee River Basin is connected, and that the North Georgia high country is where people can go to see where the mighty Tennessee River gathers waters in the pristine mountain creeks and streams," said Julie Graham, volunteer executive director of the Tennessee River Valley Stewardship Council, which emphasizes both local and region-wide approaches to conservation and heritage protection. "It's crucial to conserve woodland areas and for communities in the remote and mountainous regions of the Tennessee River headwaters to preserve their heritage and capitalize on sustainable tourism, like hiking in wilderness areas."

Georgia's 'Wilderness Road'

Just a couple hours' drive-time from sweltering population centers like Chattanooga and Atlanta, the Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway offers an abundance of escapes throughout its circular course

This officially designated National Scenic Byway is a must-see, offering visitors a chance to explore some of Georgia's most beautiful and protected lands  including federally designated tracts that are part of the national Wilderness Preservation System, which this year is celebrating the 60th year of its establishment.

The Brasstown Wilderness, encompassing 12,853 acres, is a highlight of the region. Known for its highest unobstructed overlook in the state, this area is a "virtual stairway to the heavens," providing visitors with a divine panoramic perspective of the surrounding wilderness. The diverse flora and fauna, including regionally uncommon subspecies of rabbits and shrews, make it a paradise for wildlife watchers and nature photographers.

In addition to Brasstown Wilderness, the byway connects four other wilderness areas: the 16,620-acre Mark Trail Wilderness, the 9,700-acre Tray Mountain Wilderness, the 9,114-acre Raven Cliffs Wilderness, and the 7,742-acre Blood Mountain Wilderness. Each of these areas offers unique hiking trails, scenic overlooks, and opportunities for solitude and reflection in nature.

The Tennessee River Valley Stewardship Council, a 501 c3 nonprofit, serves as the steering committee and editorial board for the Geotourism MapGuide website. It is comprised of volunteers from a seven state region. The Council's efforts are made possible through the generous support of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

Media Contact

Julie Graham, TRV Stewardship Council, 8655850811, [email protected], https://www.trvstewardshipcouncil.org/mission/

SOURCE TRV Stewardship Council
Book2Look, the embeddable book widget service that offers a "view inside" books, has partnered with bookseller Books-A-Million in the U.S. and publisher HarperCollins worldwide. The agreements expand the German company's presence in the U.S. following its partnership with Bookshop.org, which was announced last year.

Book2Looks widgets, which the company has dubbed biblets, provide a preview of numerous pages while browsing. The service offers such additional features as reviews, video and audio clips, buy links, and built-in analytics that give insight into user engagement.

Founded in Germany in 2008 by publishing veteran Rolf Mollers, the company was initially built for the German book industry, but has become an alternative to Amazons Look Inside technology. The company works with Bowker to market Book2Look's services to the U.S. industry.

"It really comes down to discoverabilitythere are more books being published every year, so creating online marketing tools that can help a title stand out matters, said Beat Barblan, general manager at Bowker. Ideally, this will lead to increased sales. Market research from Nielsen shows that the option to look inside a book before purchase is among the top deciding factors after author, topic, genre, and price, said Mary Carlomagno, director of sales and business development for Bowker.

Results have been positive enough, Carlomagno said, that Book2Look in now part of the marketing plans for over 400 publishers. Moving forward, Carlomagno added, she is "working in the U.S. and Australia to solidify more distribution channels and to continue to sign up more social media savvy presses.

Andy Hunter, CEO of Bookshop.org, said he has been pleased with the results his company has had with Book2Look. When someone clicks on a Book2Look widget on a title, it is "three times more likely to be purchased and have a 35% increase in likelihood of being put into a shopping cart, he said.

Publishers, too, are pleased with the effectiveness of the service. "We are seeing an expanded digital footprint for our catalog, increased press brand awareness, and easily accessed quality content in a variety of formats for our readers and for booksellers interested in shelving our titlesall of which drives sales and furthers audience engagement, said Jayne Royal, editor-in-chief and publisher at Regal House.

Kelly Hannagan, senior digital manager for Johns Hopkins University Press, confirmed the stickiness of the biblets in keeping potential customers on the publishers site. "Since integrating this functionality, we have seen a remarkable surge of 350% in the duration spent on our book pages, she said. Mary Barr of the Warbler Press added: "After creating and posting biblets for my entire list, my sales increased by ten percent in the first month."

To attract customers to the service, Bowker offers a variety of promotions, including free biblets for backlist books when the service is purchased for frontlist titles. The service is also available to self-publishers through Bowker's website.
In The Mystics Would Like a Word: Six Women Who Met God and Found a Spirituality for Today (Convergent, Sept.) Shannon K. Evans, spirituality and culture editor at the National Catholic Reporter weaves her own life experiencesbattling depression, buying a T-shirt that said "Cute but psycho. Things even out," losing a job with a ministry for being too progressiveinto her exploration of the modern relevance of ancient wise women of faith. Each chapter suggests ways readers can relate to the lives of nuns Teresa of Avila , Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Siena, and Therese of Lisieux, plus a married woman, Margery Kempe, who bore 14 children before demanding her autonomy, convincing her husband to let her live a celibate life of service.

Evans notes in the book that when she learned Teresa was labeled in her lifetime as a "restless gadabout," and a teacher of "wicked doctrines," her response was, "Well, all right then, sister. Ill follow your ass off a cliff." Hildegard, creative in the arts, science, and healing, who claimed her identity as one beloved by God and all God's creationwas a "radical," writes Evans, because, "Really finding your voice, and learning how to trust and use it, is one of the most radical things a woman can do."

PW talks with Evans about mystics then and now.

What's your definition of a "mystic"?

A mystic is someone who has experienced a glimpse of the eternal and chosen to pursue more. These are women in the Christian tradition who believed they were attuned to the voice of God and resolved to let God become the compass, the guiding force, in their lives rather than cultural or social expectations. We all have the potential for this.

How did you choose these six women from among many mystics, martyrs, and saints?

The criteria for inclusion was that the person had written a book so that I was going to be able to read their own words. As I note in the book, that's how it wound up being six white European women because these are people whose words were preserved and translated and passed down in books while other women didn't have that opportunity.

In the book, you say you omitted these women's views that reflected "antisemitism, xenophobia, misogyny, (and) toxic asceticism." Would knowing this about them disqualify them as mentors today?

I state that up front such instances existed in these mystics' lives in the times and places they lived in. But my choice in this book was to explore the stuff that I and my peers are wrestling with in this moment as women. I'm not representing these mystics as perfect people but there's something to be learned from imperfect people as well.

Why did researching this book affect you women so deeply?

This won't come as a shock to point out that being a woman in Christianity is really difficult right now. I have really been grappling with what is the value of this tradition in my life. Is it worth the cost that I feel? It surprised me how relevant their insights were to my life. I would say in a lot of ways they saved my faith. They have become companions for me.

One of the book's mystics is Julian of Norwich, maybe best known for her bedrock belief of God's assurance, "I shall make all things well." Is she right?

When I say, "All shall be well," I think that's what the mystics experienced within themselves. They trusted God,. They felt safe. They rested in God. It's a that's a big decision to believe that like God is not just above or around you, but also within you.
Zondervan is banking on the people who made pastor Timothy Keller and philosopher Dallas Willard bestselling Christian authors will reach for new titles created from their writings even after their deaths.

The fourth devotional of prayers and short readings under Keller's name, Forward in Love: A Year of Daily Readings from Timothy Keller, will be released in the U.S. in October. It was published last year by Keller's U.K. publisher, edited in conjunction with his estate, Zondervan v-p and publisher Webster Younce told PW.

The new book draws from earlier books including The Reason for God (2009), The Prodigal God (2011), The Meaning of Marriage (2013), Walking with God through Pain and Suffering (2015), and more, according to the publisher.

Before his death in May 2023, Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York, authored more than 21 books, selling more than six million copies. The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association gave him its highest honor, the Pinnacle Award, in 2022.

The Dallas Willard title, The Scandal of the Kingdom: How the Parables of Jesus Revolutionize Life with God, also publishing in October, is all never-before-released material, edited under the direction of his daughter, Becky Heatley.

Willard, who died in 2013, was a University of Southern California philosophy professor and evangelical Christian who wrote about spirituality in books such as The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God (Harper, 1998).

Younce predicted in a press release that the new book, an analysis of Jesus' parables written with their application in mind, is a follow-up on The Divine Conspiracy that "will leave no reader unchanged." Willard, who wrote several titles and an audio series on the parables, writes that Jesus' parables "provided people the opportunity to take responsibility for opening the door to their heart, seeking the truth and hunting for even more truth. Teaching in parables helped him give people a vision of how life in the kingdom of God fit into their everyday, ordinary life.
Property details:

Asking $29,000 for a beautiful, wooded, (31,799 sq ft), (0.73 acres), vacant, residential lot located at 4600 Briggs-Chaney Rd, Beltsville, MD 20705.Parcel ID: 01-0044479Legal Description: PT PAR 78 FAILAND, ADMIN/RES 95Zoned: RSCF95 (Residential Single Family)Located in Prince George's County & Cross Creek Club neighborhood.The property has a creek running through it & the property is in floodplains. Nearby schools include:Private Schools:Beltsville Sda School, KG-8, 0.71 mi,St. Joseph Catholic...

Price: $ 29,000 Seller State of Residence: Ohio Type: Homesite, Lot Property Address: 4600 Briggs-Chaney Rd, Beltsville, MD Zip/Postal Code: 20705 Zoning: Residential City: Beltsville State/Province: Maryland Location: 207**, Beltsville, Maryland

You will be redirected to eBay



When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.

Nearby Maryland
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
Property details:

Asking $20,000 for a beautiful, (1.61 acres), (70,132 sqft), residential, vacant lot located on Sleeth Rd, Commerce Township, MI 48382. Please Make Us Your Best offer!Legal Description: Lot 24 Block 46 of Whispering Woods SubdivisionParcel ID: 17-09-376-059Coordinates: 4235'24.2"N 8330'37.9"WNearby roads: Juniper Dr & Birkdale Dr.Located in Oakland County. The lot has public water & sewer. School District: Huron Valley.Nearby schools:Country Oaks Elementary School, Grades: PK-5, Distance: 2....

Price: $ 20,000 Seller State of Residence: Ohio Type: Homesite, Lot Property Address: Sleeth Rd, Commerce Township, MI Zip/Postal Code: 48382 Zoning: Residential City: Commerce Township State/Province: Michigan Location: 483**, Commerce Township, Michigan

You will be redirected to eBay



When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.

Nearby Michigan
Property details:

We are offering a 20 Acre Mining Claim On Soldier Creek in Josephine County Oregon Cost: $3999 Claim Features: We are offering a 20 acre mining claim on Soldier Creek, a Briggs Creek tributary. This claim offers easy gold, lots of water, and world class camping. There is an extreme amount of exposed bedrock covered in virgin cracks, and a large amount of unworked high bench material. Access is an easy walk (generally about 50-200 feet from the road). There is great camping suitable for a small t...

Price: $ 2,499 Seller State of Residence: Oregon State/Province: Oregon Location: 975**, Merlin, Oregon

You will be redirected to eBay



When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.

Nearby Oregon
Property details:

Vacant lot located on the west side of Olga Drive in Pass Christian, Harrison County, Mississippi. - Dimensions are 50 ft X 150 ft. This lot backs up to a canal connected to Bay St Louis. There is an occupied parcel on the North side of the lot. This occupied parcel is between this lot for sale and Jones Road (as shown in one of the photographs). The parcel for sale is described in Harrison County as Lot 3 Block 6 Knollwood Subdivision Unit 1, Parcel Number 0412L-01-027.000. Seller purchased thi...

Price: $ 1,590 Seller State of Residence: Michigan Type: Homesite, Lot Property Address: Olga Drive (Harrison Co. Parcel 0412L-01-027.000) Zip/Postal Code: 39571 Zoning: Residential City: Pass Christian State/Province: Mississippi Location: 395**, Pass Christian, Mississippi

You will be redirected to eBay



When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.

Nearby Mississippi
Property details:

Grand Lodge On Peak 7 Breckenridge, Colorado All images in this listing are general images of the resort and do not necessarily reflect the actual resort or units. Please perform your own due diligence Item Description__________________ Grand Lodge on Peak 7 is one of the Breckenridge Grand Vacations resorts. In winter, it offers ski-in/ski-out convenience to Breckenridge Ski Resort, and in summer, access to hiking and biking. Accommodations feature granite countertops, stainless steel app...

Price: $ 3,999 Seller State of Residence: Florida Property Address: 1979 Ski Hill Rd Number of Bedrooms: 1 Number of Bathrooms: 1 Zip/Postal Code: 80424 City: BRECKENRIDGE State/Province: Colorado Location: 804**, Breckenridge, Colorado

You will be redirected to eBay



When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.

Nearby Colorado
Property details:

All points available for use at completion of transfer, no dues until July 1st, 2025 so you have FREE USE of 75,000 points!!!75,000 Annual RCI Points deeded at Vacation Village at Bonaventure Points distribution is July 1st every year Seller paying closing costs and resort transfer fees!!! We are not affiliated with, nor do we represent the resort described in this item ad. (The Pictures In This Ad Are General In Nature)****Shipping**** Although the listing states that this item is available f...

Price: $ 0 Seller State of Residence: Kentucky Type: Attractions State/Province: Florida Location: 402**, Louisville, Kentucky

You will be redirected to eBay



When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.

Nearby Florida
Property details:

Bluegreen Points Home Resort: La PensionNew Orleans, Louisiana THIS IS FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE TIMESHARE OWNERSHIP IN PERPETUITY. DETAILS:PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS AN ODD YEAR OWNERSHIP Size:78,000 Points are issued every ODD Year Bluegreen Points (The below week and unit numbers are for deeding purposes only, this is being sold as points) 203/51O, 302/4O, 302/6O, 408/28O, 408/41O, 503/4O, 701/44O Usage Time: ODD YEAR USAGE Anniversary: March 1st Type of Ownership: Membership Expires: Never Tradi...

Price: $ 1 Seller State of Residence: Florida Property Address: 115 Decatur St Zip/Postal Code: 70130 City: New Orleans State/Province: Louisiana Location: , Multiple

You will be redirected to eBay



When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.

Nearby Louisiana
Property details:

THE MANHATTAN CLUB BLUEGREEN VACATIONS New York City, NY Situated between Broadway and Seventh Avenue, The Manhattan Club in exciting midtown Manhattan is within walking distance of some of New York City's finest attractions, hottest bars, restaurants, nightclubs, theaters and more! Stroll through renowned Central Park on your way to world-class shopping on Fifth and Madison Avenues. Rockefeller Center, Carnegie Hall and Times Square are must-visit locations while the Broadway Theater District p...

Price: $ 500 Seller State of Residence: Missouri Property Address: 200 West 56th Street, New York City, NY Zip/Postal Code: 10019 City: New York State/Province: New York Location: 658**, Springfield, Missouri

You will be redirected to eBay



When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.

Nearby New York
Property details:

Purchase Incentive of $500.00 to be paid to winning bidder at completion of transfer!!!Bluegreen Vacation Club 26,000 Annual Points Home resort is Mountain LoftPoints are in Trust Fund A/Sales Type EAnniversary date for points is December 1st every year Seller paying closing costs and resort transfer fee!!! We are not affiliated with, nor do we represent the resort described in this items ad. (The Pictures In This Ad Are General In Nature)****OWNERSHIP DETAILS**** Usage:AnnualPoints: 26,000 Annu...

Price: $ 0 Seller State of Residence: Kentucky Type: Attractions State/Province: Tennessee Location: 402**, Louisville, Kentucky

You will be redirected to eBay



When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.

Nearby Tennessee
Property details:

Purchase Incentive of $1,000.00 to be paid to winning bidder at completion of transfer!!!Bluegreen Vacation Club 26,000 Annual Points 20,000 Annual Points at The Soundings and 6,000 Annual Points at The BlakePoints are in Trust Fund A/Sales Type EAnniversary date for points is November 1st every year Seller paying closing costs and resort transfer fee!!! We are not affiliated with, nor do we represent the resort described in this items ad. (The Pictures In This Ad Are General In Nature)****OWNER...

Price: $ 0 Seller State of Residence: Kentucky Type: Attractions State/Province: Massachusetts Location: 402**, Louisville, Kentucky

You will be redirected to eBay



When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.

Nearby Massachusetts
Property details:

Club de Soleil - FREE USE IN 2024!!!2 Bedroom/2 Bath Unit - Annual UseFloating week - Floats weeks 1 through 51 Seller paying closing costs and resort transfer fees!!! We are not affiliated with, nor do we represent the resort described in this item ad. (The Pictures In This Ad Are General In Nature)****Shipping**** Although the listing states that this item is available for pick up only, this is a default eBay setting in the shipping category that cannot be changed. The closing process will b...

Price: $ 0 Seller State of Residence: Kentucky Type: Attractions Number of Bedrooms: 2 Number of Bathrooms: 2 City: Las Vegas State/Province: Nevada Location: 402**, Louisville, Kentucky

You will be redirected to eBay



When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.

Nearby Nevada
Property details:

FREE USE IN 2024!!!London Bridge Resort - Annual Use1 Bedroom/1 Bath UnitFloating week - Floats weeks 1 through 52Annual Use Seller paying closing costs and resort transfer fees!!! Maintenance fees of $975.00 have already been paid for 2024 so you have FREE USE!!! We are not affiliated with, nor do we represent the resort described in this item ad. (The Pictures In This Ad Are General In Nature)****Shipping**** Although the listing states that this item is available for pick up only, this is a...

Price: $ 0 Seller State of Residence: Kentucky Type: Lakefront Number of Bedrooms: 1 Number of Bathrooms: 1 City: Lake Havasu State/Province: Arizona Location: 402**, Louisville, Kentucky

You will be redirected to eBay



When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.

Nearby Arizona
Property details:

Winning bidder receives a purchase incentive of $500.00 at completion of transfer and you get FREE USE IN 2024!!!Massanutten - Shenandoah Villas at Killy Court1 Bedroom/1 Bath Unit - Annual Use!!! Check in is Nov. 8th, 9th or 10th for 2024Fixed week 44/Floating unit, Phase CMaintenance fees of $750.00 have already been paid for you to have FREE USE in 2024!!! Seller paying closing costs and resort transfer fees!!! We are not affiliated with, nor do we represent the resort described in this item ...

Price: $ 0 Seller State of Residence: Kentucky Type: Attractions Number of Bedrooms: 1 Number of Bathrooms: 1 City: McGayhesville State/Province: Virginia Location: 402**, Louisville, Kentucky

You will be redirected to eBay



When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.

Nearby Virginia
Property details:

Global Title Group Is NOT Affiliated with this resort. (Due to West Virginia guidelines on purchasing Real Estate; West Virginia Residents will not be able to participate in this Auction) SHERATON BROADWAY PLANATION-PALMETTO2 BEDROOM LOCKOFFANNUALTIMESHARE FOR SALE!! Season: Gold PlusWeek: 38 Floats 15-23; 36-42Unit Size: 2 Bedroom/2 BathroomUsage: Annual Starting 2025Trading Company: Interval InternationalMortgage: Paid in Full, Title is Free & Clear Maintenance Fee (Approx.): $1,476.12 (Annual...

Price: $ 1 Seller State of Residence: Texas Type: Attractions Property Address: 3301 Robert M. Grissom Park Number of Bedrooms: 2 Number of Bathrooms: 2 Zip/Postal Code: 29577 City: Myrtle Beach State/Province: South Carolina Location: 347**, Kissimmee, Florida

You will be redirected to eBay



When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.

Nearby South Carolina
Property details:

TAHITI VILLAGE RESORT & SPA 7200 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89119 Tahiti Village is a 27-acre resort located right on the famed Las Vegas Boulevard. This Tahitian themed resort includes three multi-unit residential towers surrounding a lushly landscaped courtyard. The heart of Tahitian themed resort is the beautiful main pool area, complete with a lagoon style pool, with sandy beach, a lazy river, a cascading waterfall, wet decks for lounging, hot tub, and other on-site amenities. Resort Am...

Price: $ 1 Seller State of Residence: Missouri Property Address: 7200 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV Number of Bedrooms: 1 Number of Bathrooms: 1 Zip/Postal Code: 89119 City: Las Vegas State/Province: Nevada Location: 658**, Springfield, Missouri

You will be redirected to eBay



When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.

Nearby Nevada
Property details:

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE WYNDHAM AT WAIKIKI BEACH WALKTIMESHARE FOR SALE 154,000 POINTS-ANNUAL! We are not affiliated with nor do we represent the resort described in this item ad. (The Pictures In This Ad Are General In Nature) ****OWNERSHIP DETAILS**** Usage: Annual Points: 154,000 Points Anniversary: October 1st First Year Use: 2024 Estimated Maintenance Fees & Taxes: $97.98 Monthly Mortgage: Paid in Full, Title is Free and Clear Type Of Ownership: Deeded ****Resort Desc...

Price: $ 407 Seller State of Residence: New York Property Address: 227 Lewers St Zip/Postal Code: 96815 City: Honolulu State/Province: Hawaii Location: 101**, New York, New York

You will be redirected to eBay



When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.

Nearby Hawaii
Ten days before Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding, Nita and Mukesh Ambani hosted a heartwarming event at the Reliance Corporate Park in Ghansoli, Navi Mumbai.

Nitaben and Mukeshbhai hosted a mass wedding for 50 underprivileged couples from Palghar, a town located about 100 kilometres from Mumbai.

Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com captures glimpses from the event:

IMAGE: Nita and Mukesh Ambani arrive to bless the couples.

All photographs: Hitesh Harisinghani/ Rediff.com IMAGE: The venue for the mass wedding gets ready.

IMAGE: A close up of the gifts that the couples received: The mangalsutra, wedding rings, anklets, toe and ear rings and, of course. the garland.

IMAGE: The wedding ceremony begins.

IMAGE: A bride is seen recording her special day. Who wouldn't?

IMAGE: Garlands are exchanged.

IMAGE: 'Maang mein sindoor bhar diya jayein!'

IMAGE: Nitaben made sure to bless each couple for their happy future.

IMAGE: What's the serious discussion at this happy moment, we wonder.

IMAGE: Nitaben and Mukeshbhai, Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal, Shloka an Anant Ambani with the newly weds.

We wish every couple a Healthy and Lovely Future.
India SME Forum, an organisation for small and medium businesses, has called for creating a dedicated fund of Rs 5000 crore for the export capacity development, promotion, and marketing of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in its Budget recommendation.

The forum for MSMEs with over 98,000 members said that to enhance India's global competitiveness and increase its market share in global exports, it was crucial to increase the number of active exporters and enable at least 3-4 lakh first-time micro, small, and medium exporters while supporting them in promoting Indian products globally.

It suggested setting up an export promotion and development organisation to support MSMEs in market intelligence, trade opportunities, business-to-business (B2B) outreach and connections.

The organisation also pitched for promoting Indian products in the global market, much like the US Commercial Service, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), and the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (AUSTRADE).

Implementing a massive open export familiarisation programme to support first-time MSMEs in visiting and exhibiting in sectoral, business-to-business (B2B) exhibitions, in potential markets much like China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and (South) Korea, which offer such opportunities to thousands of small enterprises every year, said Vinod Kumar, President of the India SME Forum.

The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) recommended certain concessions for Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and large companies joining Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) be considered.

Large companies can be allowed additional funding by banks to the extent of 50 per cent of MSMEs' annual purchases, and all companies with an annual turnover exceeding Rs 250 crore should be advised to register on TReDS platforms to improve the quicker realisation of dues of the MSMEs, it said.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched TReDS in 2014 to facilitate the discounting of invoices and bills of exchange of MSME suppliers.

The process of TReDS involves uploading invoices and bills by MSMEs for discounting by converting them into factoring units, which have to be accepted by corporate buyers before their discounting can take place by financiers, who will then receive their payments from the bank of the corporate buyer.

Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) President, Sanjay Nayar said there was a compelling need to establish MSME universities with specialised courses and training programmes aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs on a global scale.

These universities would serve as hubs of knowledge and innovation, equipping MSMEs with essential skills in areas such as technology adoption, financial management, quality management, market strategy, and compliance with international regulations, he added.

Kumar also recommended that to bolster the creditworthiness of informal enterprises, the government should consider bringing all enterprises under the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, even if their turnover is less than Rs 40 lakh (for goods) and Rs 20 lakh (for services) and are not required to register for GST payment.

By mandating GST registration for all and recording all transactions, the government can create a comprehensive digital footprint of their financial activities.

"This data can also serve as a reliable source for lenders to assess the creditworthiness of these enterprises, enabling access to finance, added Kumar.

To promote Geographical Indications (GIs) products, SME industry bodies asked for the creation of a Rs 500 crore fund for its promotion.

India has 643 Geographical Indications (GIs) as of June 2024.

We recommend the creation of a Rs. 500 crore fund as it is imperative to initiate a comprehensive programme aimed at identifying, strengthening, promoting, and popularising Indian GIs on a global scale through implementing agencies with experience in enterprise acceleration and global promotion, said Kumar.

India SME Forum
One hopes the new Lok Sabha will mark a break from a dismal tradition -- lack of interest and inputs in defence and security policies, argues Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).

IMAGE: Indian soldiers stand guard as vehicles pass through the Zojila Pass on their way to the Ladakh frontier.

The Narendra D Modi government has not permitted a discussion in Parliament on the four year stand-off with China in Ladakh. Photograph: PTI Photo from the Rediff Archives

India has just elected a new Lok Sabha and a new government has taken office. One hopes the new Lok Sabha will mark a break from a dismal tradition -- lack of interest and inputs in defence and security policies.

In 1993, George Tanham, then vice president at the Rand Corporation, a prominent American think-tank, issued a pamphlet on India's lack of a strategic culture. He had discussed his draft with me. While I argued against his conclusions as a patriotic Indian, in my heart, I had to agree with his thesis.

India has been infamous for lacking a strategic culture. Throughout the 150 years of British domination on the subcontinent, the numbers of Englishmen hovered around the 0.15 million mark in a population of over 200 million.

The highest number was in 1947 when they numbered 0.8 million in a population of 400 million.

Despite this dismal history, Parliament has shied away from playing its legitimate role in defence related decision making.

I was at the defence ministry in 1990. Whenever grants of a ministry are being discussed in Parliament senior officials get to attend the session and sit in the officials's gallery.

I had never been to Parliament and was curious to see it from the inside. It was an evening debate and India's approach to nuclear weapons were being discussed.

To my horror, I found there were barely a handful of MPs present including the then minister of state for defence, Dr Raja Rammana.

I was aghast and checked with other colleagues at the ministry and they told me that debates and deliberations on defence do not interest most MPs and there is a mutual agreement to not raise the issue of a lack of quorum.

It has been a long time since but I believe that that apathetic attitude continues.

Who can forget the 2019 debate on the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft from France when the august members of the Opposition were throwing paper planes to mark their protests!

Photograph: Rajesh Karkera/ Rediff.com IMAGE: The debut batch of Agniveervayus -- the name given to Agniveers of the Indian Air Force -- graduated from the IAF's training academy in Belagavi, Karnataka, June 3, 2023.

The governing party has been guilty of ramming through a transformative decision like the Agniveer scheme or theatre-isation of higher military commands without deliberations in parliamentary committees.

While one can understand that parties grand stand in the House, select committees working behind closed doors can conduct meaningful debates away from the public gaze.

The select committees also have the authority to call in experts to give testimony.

This major advantage of parliamentary democracy has been frittered away by our MPs in the past.

IMAGE: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inspects a Pika machine gun at Stakna in Leh. Photograph: ANI Photo

The 1962 military debacle against China was caused by 'ignorant public opinion, goaded by opposition forced Nehru into a conflict for which India was not prepared': These quotes in an otherwise biased account by Neville Maxwell (India's China War) are quite accurate.

Then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru ought to have told Parliament and the country that China had not captured any Indian territory since the border between India and Tibet in the Ladakh area was ambiguous.

There were two versions, the more easterly Ardagh-Johnson Line and the less ambitious Macdonald-Macartney line. India did not exercise any admirative control over these areas. China did not 'conquer' any Indian territory but occupied a no man's land area on the border.

If debated rationally at that time, 1962 could have well been avoided. But who can forget the quip by Mr Mahavir Tyagi that just because no hair grows on his head (he was bald), is it useless? This was in reaction to Nehru's assertion that not a blade of grass grows in the Aksai Chin area claimed by China. Parliament failed to debate the issue rationally and the rest is history.

IMAGE: The 155 mm/52 Cal Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System. Photograph: DRDO

In most democracies, the issues of defence and security are treated as bipartisan issues since irrespective of the party in power, the nation's security is a necessary precondition for holding domestic power.

At times one feels that Indians have lapsed back to the 19th century when the British played one Indian against the other and ruled over us.

The various maharajas and nawabs of that era did not hesitate to collaborate with the foreign power in order to resolve domestic dispute/competition.

It needs to be remembered that in 1999 Atal Bihari Vajpayee won the elections on the back of successful Kargil defence operations.

In 2019, Narendra Modi won a resounding electoral victory on the strength of retaliatory air strikes in response to the Pulwama terror attack.

It is hoped that the government and Opposition have learnt their lessons and one can hope for genuine and fruitful debates and superior decision making on the issues of defence and national security.

Democracy ought to be a force multiplier in this area and not a deficit.

Colonel Anil A Athale (retd) is a military historian whose earlier columns can be read here.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
'Just because the NDA has a majority and the BJP is the single largest party does not mean that this Modi government enjoys a majority in the Lok Sabha.'

'It is always possible that some members (of the NDA and even the BJP) may defect, some members may not want him to be the prime minister and they might vote differently (against Modi) in the confidence vote.'

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi, flanked by Home Minister Amita A Shah and Health Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party President J P Nadda, leaves after attending the National Democratic Alliance Parliamentary Party meeting, July 2, 2024. Photograph: Rahul Singh/ANI Photo

"Just as there is no necessity for the BJP to celebrate, there is also no great necessity for the Congress or the Opposition parties to celebrate (the 2024 verdict) because the INDIA bloc unity of 18 parties were able to win only 232 seats," veteran journalist, shrewd political analyst and former Congress Rajya Sabha MP Kumar Ketkar tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com.

How different was this election compared to the 2019 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections?

The 2024 Lok Sabha election is not comparable with any other election so far. This is a completely unique election in every respect. Certainly, it is not comparable with the 2014 or 2019 elections which were directed, coordinated and conducted by Narendra Modi.

For the first time in 2014, not just the single largest party, but also the majority party in Parliament was the BJP under Modi.

Until Modi arrived on the scene, every single government had been a coalition government ever since 1989-1990 -- the coalition government of V P (Vishwanath Pratap) Singh in 1989-1990; the Chandra Shekhar government of 1990-1991; after that the Narasimha Rao government (from 1991 to 1996); after that even the Atal Bihari Vajpayee governments and in fact every single government including that of Dr Manmohan Singh (both UPA I between 2004 and 2009 and UPA II between 2009 and 2014) governments were coalition governments.

2014 was the first time after 30 years, after Rajiv Gandhi's 1984 results, when the first government with full majority of its own was formed and therefore the 2024 elections has to be seen in the backdrop of 2014 and 2019 because Narendra Modi actually thought, and arguably quite confidently thought, that he would be able to cross or at least equal Rajiv Gandhi's performance of 1984.

Because of the two huge sweeps that the BJP under Narendra Modi's leadership had garnered one can say that it was Modi's politically legitimate expectation that the NDA under him would win more than 400 Lok Sabha seats.

When the election mood started in January 2024, there was no INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc. There was no Opposition unity. There was hardly any hawa or mood which can be described as anti-Modi or anti-BJP.

And yet in the 2024 election, the Opposition mobilised into reality the INDIA bloc with as many as 18 political parties coming together under that umbrella. This experiment itself was quite bold and unique. Such Opposition unity was not seen in 2014 or 2019. That also makes this election quite different.

Second unique point about the 2024 election is that it came only after Prime Minister Modi participated in the pran pratishtha of the Ram Mandir on January 22, 2024.

Now most people thought that the momentum created by the Ram Mandir's pran pratishtha and the overall atmosphere of Hindu-Muslim polarisation in last ten years was so intense that it was difficult to penetrate that polarised wall.

That belief was reinforced on the pran pratishtha day on January 22, 2024, to the extent that Modi said in public that January 22 should be declared as another Independence Day because Ram coming back to Ayodhya was a rising, a new awakening of an India out of its slavery of 1,000 years of foreign rule.

A tremendously polarised atmosphere (since 2014 when Modi's first term as the prime minister began), further triggered by the Ram Mandir inauguration clearly showed that Modi's confidence of winning more than 400 seats was not completely out of place. It was distinctly in the realm of possibility.

And that this did not happen, according to me, is the most significant aspect of this election.

What changed between January 22, 2024 and June 4, 2024? What changed between these six months that the BJP received a huge setback in this election?

I would not say that BJP has received a huge setback. But BJP has definitely received a setback. There is certainly no question of celebration in the BJP because they could not get even a simple majority (272 Lok Sabha seats in a 543-member Lok Sabha).

Just as there is no necessity for the BJP to celebrate, there is also no great necessity for the Congress or the Opposition parties to celebrate (the 2024 verdict) in a big way because the INDIA bloc unity of 18 parties were able to win only 232 seats.

If the INDIA bloc feels that Modi has been reduced to 240 it does not mean that the anti-BJP front has been able to capture power.

Ultimately the NDA has been able to secure 293 seats and Modi has been elected immediately by the NDA as its prime ministerial candidate.

But the 240 elected BJP Lok Sabha MPs are yet to elect Narendra Modi as their leader in the Lok Sabha?

The meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Party has not even been held. He has not been chosen as (the BJP's) leader in the Lok Sabha.

He has bypassed the parliamentary party and gone straight over to the NDA.

Every prime minister nominated, appointed, sworn in has to go through the confidence motion. A prime minister-elect becomes a legitimate prime minister only after he wins the confidence of the House after the confidence motion is passed in the Lok Sabha.

The prime minister (Narendra Modi) today, according to me, conventionally is not yet a legitimate prime minister because he has not gone through the motion of confidence vote.

Now confidence motion is important because it is not always possible that the confidence vote comes as per the majority in the Lok Sabha.

Just because the NDA has a majority and the BJP is the single largest party does not mean that this Modi government enjoys a majority in the Lok Sabha as it is always possible that some members (of the NDA and even the BJP) may defect, some members may not want him to be the prime minister and they might vote differently (against Modi) in the confidence vote.

Therefore, the confidence motion is extremely essential which Modi has completely bypassed (as of today) just as he has bypassed the BJP parliamentary party. This according to me is -- I don't know whether legal or not, Constitutional or not -- certainly a completely unconventional and undemocratic act.
Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, who is sought in India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, is extraditable under the plain provisions of the United States-India extradition treaty, a US attorney has told a federal court.

IMAGE: Tahawwur Rana. Photograph: ANI Photo

Assistant US Attorney, Criminal Appeals Chief Bram Alden was making a closing argument before the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, where Rana has appealed against the order by a US District Court in California that denied the writ of habeas corpus.

In May, Rana, 63, had filed a writ of habeas corpus challenging the court order, which acceded with the request of the US government that the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks accused be extradited to India.

Rana is extraditable to India under the plain provisions of the treaty, and India has established probable cause to prosecute him for his role in terrorist attacks that resulted in 166 deaths and 239 injuries, Alden said.

In his deposition before the court on June 5, Alden, who left the position last week, said both India and the United States have agreed on the meaning of the treaty provision, the non-bis provision in Article 6-1.

Both parties have now stated what they intended, that that provision be interpreted based on the elements of the offence and not based on the conduct underlying those crimes. That is consistent with long-standing Supreme Court double jeopardy precedent, he argued.

Rana, currently lodged in a jail in Los Angeles, faces charges for his role in the Mumbai attacks and is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Rana has never even attempted to argue that he cannot show that the same elements India seeks to prosecute him for were those he was prosecuted for in Chicago, Alden said.

Representing Rana, attorney John D Cline said there's no competent evidence supporting probable cause.

Alden said the evidence is overwhelming to support probable cause, that low standard that Rana knew about what was going to happen in India between 2006 and 2008.

He met with (David) Headley multiple times. There is documentary evidence that supports Hadley's testimony, including the fake visa applications that were provided so that Hadley could operate a fraudulent business in India in order to conduct surveillance, in order to carry out those terrorist attacks, he said.

There was a phone call, of course, after the fact where Rana said that he was informed about what was going on by one of their co-conspirators in Pakistan. And his praise for what was carried out in a gruesome terrorist attack that killed 166 people, injured 239 more, and cost India USD 1.5 billion, Alden said.

It was primarily at the Taj Mahal Hotel, but the terrorists attacked a number of bars, restaurants, and the Chabad House. There were other targets in India that they were attacking in Mumbai. And it was their 9/11," he said.

"It was a devastating attack over the course of multiple days that resulted in 166 deaths, including six Americans, he added.

That is why India wants to prosecute this case and, under the extradition treaty, has every right to do so, Alden argued.

The extent he wants to raise humanitarian concerns or even concerns about the process, the acquittal, the fact that he is facing extradition, those all get raised and can be raised to the Secretary of State, he said in response to a question from the judge.

Representing Rana, Cline, in his deposition, said the central question here is whether the known bis in idem provision in the US-India extradition treaty, the double jeopardy provision, permits the extradition of a man who was acquitted by an American jury for prosecution in a foreign country on that same conduct.

That's the question here. The answer to that question is no, and the answer is no for four principal reasons, Cline said as he listed the four provisions.

A total of 166 people, including six Americans, were killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which 10 Pakistani terrorists laid a more than 60-hour siege, attacking and killing people at iconic and vital locations of Mumbai.
More than six years after allowing a woman to live with her parents instead of her husband who belongs to another religious faith, the Supreme Court on Wednesday took note of a fresh plea by the man that his wife be freed from their custody and asked a sessions judge to ascertain whether she now wanted to live with him.

IMAGE: A view of the Supreme Court of India. Photograph: ANI Photo

The row over the interfaith marriage had reached the apex court in 2018 when petitioner Mohammad Danish approached it for a direction to free his wife, then 20, from the custody of her parents.

A bench headed by the then Chief Justice, Dipak Misra, had on May 17, 2018 allowed the woman to go back to her parents, who claimed the 'nikahnama' furnished by Danish was fake and that he had abducted their daughter.

The judges, after interacting with the woman, had allowed her to live with her parents, saying being an adult she was "free" to lead her life as per her wish.

The woman had then expressed her desire to go with her parents in Haldwani district of Uttarakhand.

The top court had disposed of the habeas corpus petition filed by Danish to produce his wife without touching upon the aspect of their marriage and nkahnama.

"After we made some queries, we found that she has a clear mind and intends to stay with her parents. In view of the aforesaid, the habeas corpus petition filed by the petitioner shall stand disposed of," the bench had said.

On Wednesday, a vacation bench of justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Ahsanuddin Amanullah took note of the fresh plea filed by Danish claiming his wife now wanted to come back to him.

Considering this, we direct the first additional sessions judge, Haldwani to visit the place and record her statement, the bench said and directed the state administration to render assistance to the judicial officer in compliance of its orders.

The bench asked the judicial officer to record the statement within two weeks and file a report. The matter will be taken up one week thereafter.

The parents of the woman, who accompanied her to the courtroom back in May 2018, had alleged her so-called husband had kidnapped her and executed a "fake" nikahnama (marriage contract).

The counsel for the Uttarakhand government had then told the court that the nikahnama and the marriage certificate were fake. He had claimed it was a clear case of abduction and Danish's petition should be dismissed.

The Uttarakhand police had arrested the couple from Delhi in 2018 after lodging an FIR for alleged abduction following a complaint by the woman's parents.

Danish had then moved the court seeking reunion with his wife saying he was arrested by the police and lodged in Haldwani jail for alleged abduction of his wife, a Hindu girl, who had later converted to Islam of her own free will and taken a different name.

His petition said both of them hailed from Haldwani district and were pursuing Bachelors in Business Administration in Bheemtal town where they fell in love.

Danish had claimed since her parents were opposed to their relationship, they got married in Ghaziabad as per Islamic rituals and customs.
The Indian Army on Wednesday rejected claims in social media posts that compensation hasn't been paid to the next of kin of Agniveer Ajay Kumar who lost his life in the line of duty, and said the family has already been paid Rs 98.39 lakh out of the amount due.

IMAGE: The 3rd batch of Agniveer soldiers jubiliate after the passing out parade at Gaur Drill Ground, BRC, Danapur in Patna. Photograph: ANI Photo

The total amount will be Rs 1.65 crore approximately, it said in the "clarification" that came after Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi shared on X a video purportedly of Kumar's father, who stated he had not received any money.

Gandhi cited Kumar's case to allege in his post that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has "lied" in Parliament about the issue of compensation to families of martyred Agniveers and demanded an apology for it.

Singh, while intervening when Gandhi was speaking on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in Lok Sabha, had said on Monday that an Agniveer who lays down his life in the line of duty gets a compensation of Rs 1 crore.

In a post on 'X', the additional directorate general of public information of the Army said that the Indian Army "salutes the supreme sacrifice made by Agniveer Ajay Kumar" and emphasised that the emoluments due to a fallen hero are paid expeditiously to the next of kin of departed soldiers, including Agniveers.

"Certain posts on the social media have brought out that compensation hasn't been paid to the next of kin of Agniveer Kumar who lost his life in the line of duty," it wrote.

"It is emphasised that the Indian Army salutes the supreme sacrifice made by Agniveer Ajay Kumar. The last rites were carried out with full military honours. Of the total amount due, family of Agniveer Ajay has already been paid Rs 98.39 lakhs," the Army said in the post.

"Ex-gratia and other benefits amounting to approximately Rs 67 lakhs, as applicable according to the provisions of the Agniveer Scheme, will be paid on final account settlement shortly post due police verification.

"The total amount will be Rs 1.65 cr approximately. It is re-emphasised that emoluments due to a fallen hero are paid expeditiously to the next of kin of departed soldiers, including Agniveers. #IndianArmy," it added.

The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, 2022, provides for the recruitment of youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years and 21 for only four years, with a provision to retain 25 percent of them for 15 more years. The government extended the upper age limit to 23 years later that year.

In his video message on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi said that he had stated in his speech in Parliament that the protection of truth is the basis of every religion.

"In reply, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, before Lord Shiva's photo, lied to the country, its armed forces and Agniveers about compensation," Gandhi said in the video.

He referred to the purported statement by the Ajay's father that Rajnath Singh made the statement that families of martyrs have been given Rs 1 crore compensation but no such assistance had been received by his family.

Gandhi said the defence minister had "lied" to the family of martyr Ajay, the armed forces and the youth of the country, and must apologise to them.

Gandh's fresh attack came after Rajnath Singh rebutted the Leader of Opposition's claims in the Lok Sabha on the Agnipath military recruitment scheme.

The Congress leader had on Monday criticised the Agnipath scheme for short-term military recruitment and said that the government does not even give them the status of a "shaheed" (martyr) and that no compensation is extended to their families if they are killed in action.

The Union minister had asked Gandhi not to mislead Parliament and also requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to expunge the former Congress president's claims on the Agnipath scheme.

Intervening, the defence minister had said, "I would like to humbly request the leader of the opposition not to try to mislead Parliament. Regarding the Agniveer scheme, direct communication was established with many people, 158 organisations, their suggestions were taken, then this Agniveer scheme was brought. This scheme has been brought after a lot of thought."

"And, I would also like to make it clear that these kinds of schemes are operational in many countries. It is there in the US, in the UK. People there do not have any objection. Without understanding the Agniveer scheme, without getting proper information about it... to mislead the House like this, cannot be deemed appropriate," the minister added.

After Singh's rebuttal, Gandhi had said, "Rajnath Singh has an opinion and I have an opinion but Agniveers know the truth. Agniveers know what they have to face."

Sharing Rahul Gandhi's video, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said when he raised the issue of Agniveer from the opposition side, the Bharatiya Janata Party government "lied" in Parliament.

"The BJP is insulting the sacrifice of the families who gave up their sons for the country by telling lies. Is this the nationalism of BJP? The prime minister should apologise to the public for lying to the country and insulting the martyrs," she said in a post in Hindi on X.
United States President Joe Biden has admitted that he "almost fell asleep on stage" and "was not very smart" enough to handle his schedule before the first presidential debate with Donald Trump, blaming his extensive foreign travels for his disastrous performance.

IMAGE: United States President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump hit out at one another in a televised debate -- the first of the 2024 US presidential election -- on June 27, 2024. Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters

Biden, 81, seeking a second term in the White House, stumbled in his first televised presidential debate with his predecessor Trump, 78, on Thursday night last week, setting off alarm bells among top Democrats about whether the incumbent president can stay atop in the gruelling months ahead of the elections.

During their roughly 90-minute debate defined by personal attacks, Trump, the presumptive Republican Party candidate in the November 5 presidential election, clashed right from the start with Biden, arguing pointedly about the American economy, foreign relations and migration.

I wasn't very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple of times...shortly before the debate, Biden said while talking to donors at a fundraiser in a Virginia suburb of Washington DC on Tuesday.

I didn't listen to my staff...and then I almost fell asleep on stage, he said, amidst pressure on Biden to quit the race for the White House due to his advancing age.

Biden admitted that he did not have a good debate, and apologised by saying that he was sorry for the performance.

"It's not an excuse but an explanation," he said.

The president's remarks at the fundraiser lasted just six minutes, which is far shorter than what he speaks on such occasions.

Meanwhile, the White House also acknowledged on Tuesday that President Biden did not have a great (debate) night, but asserted that he knew how to get things done and is ready to run the country for the next four years.

Honestly, this is something that the president has addressed himself multiple times since this past Thursday. First of all, I want to say, we understand the concerns. We get it. The president did not have a great night. As you all know and many of you reached out during the debate, the president had a cold. He had a hoarse voice, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference.

You all heard it, that's why you reached out. But I will say this, and the president said this over the past couple of days, certainly right after the debate. He knows how to do the job and he knows how to do the job, not because he says it, because his record proves it. Because for three and a half years, almost four years, the president's record has been unprecedented, delivering for the American people, she said.

Jean-Pierre was flooded with questions about Biden's health, his status of mental health, and his ability to run the country for the next four years.

Another thing that he said that I would add is he knows right from wrong. He knows how to tell the truth. And again, he knows how to deliver for the American people. Joe Biden is a person, take away his title, he is someone who has dealt with tragedy. He is someone who has confronted that head-on. He is someone who knows how to get back up once you've been knocked down, she said.

That is something that he understands very, very well and I think, and we believe that's something that many Americans across the country understand as well. He knows how to come back. He knows how to come back. So, the president is going to continue to focus on what he's been doing the past three and a half years, Jean-Pierre said.

Biden, she said, is going to continue to focus on the American people. She quoted the remarks of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that it is not about performance in terms of a debate, it's about performance in a presidency.

"This is a president, you've heard me say this, we've talked about this. He's been able to give us an economic recovery, the strongest economic recovery in modern history. Let's not forget, during the midterms of 2022, many people, many of you all, some of you in this room said that it was going to be a red wave and that didn't happen. He defeated Big Pharma, Jean-Pierre said.

"We have seen a historic low in crime in more than down to 50 year low and then you had Representative Clyburn who said the president has done a great job leading for the last three and a half years.

"The best predictor of future behaviour is past performance. This is from Clyburn. And when you look at the record of President Biden versus former President Trump, you see President Biden who has delivered the strongest recovery in modern history versus the previous administration whose plans hurt the middle class," she said.

Jean-Pierre said it is not uncommon for incumbents to have a bad night on their first debate. "I think the president's record certainly speaks for itself," she said.

Biden will travel to Wisconsin on Friday where he will have a sit-down interview with George Stephanopoulos from ABC News, while on the campaign trail.

He will travel to Philadelphia on Sunday. And next week, he will host a NATO press conference, Jean-Pierre said.
The Gujarat high court on Wednesday rejected an inquiry report submitted by the state government into a boat tragedy in Vadodara and ordered a fresh probe, noting it absolves a former civic chief, and questioned his decision to award contract to operate the lakefront where the incident took place to an unqualified firm.

IMAGE: Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel inspects the accident site of Harani Lake after a boat carrying children capsised, in Vadodara. Photograph: ANI Photo

The HC also criticised the principal secretary of the urban development and urban housing department for preparing and submitting such a report, nearly 6 months after 14 persons lost their lives in the tragedy.

Twelve students and two teachers died when a boat capsized in Motnath lake in the Harni area of Vadodara city on January 18.

A division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Pranav Trivedi is hearing a suo motu (on its own) PIL on the incident.

The Vadodara Municipal Corporation had awarded a contract to maintain and operate the lakefront project to a firm, Kotia Projects, whose partners were subsequently arrested for the tragedy.

Expressing displeasure over the report, the bench noted it tries to protect the then-municipal commissioner (MC) of Vadodara despite the fact that the contractor was not qualified to bag the project.

"The then-commissioner had himself signed the order granting work order to that contractor. So he was the sole person who gave permission. Even a lay person can see that the contractor is not qualified. But, the report said he did nothing wrong. We want an impartial and fair inquiry. Take back this report and make a fresh inquiry," noted the CJ.

The chief justice also criticised the principal secretary of the urban development and urban housing department for preparing and submitting such a report.

"The PS can not say that they (MC) were required to act in a manner but they have not. So, there was no fault on their (MC) part? MC approved the tender, yet he is not at fault? This type of report can not be submitted to the court. You either withdraw this report and file a fresh report otherwise we will make very serious observations," cautioned CJ Agarwal.

Advocate General Kamal Trivedi, appearing for the state government, initially tried to defend the contents of the report, but eventually he admitted that "perhaps language could have been much better".

Referring to the report, he admitted that the contracting firm which was rejected in the first attempt of inviting Expressions of Interest (EoIs), should not have been given a contract in the second one.

The Advocate General then agreed with the court's instruction and said the state government will undertake a fresh probe and submit a new report.

The bench fixed July 12 for further hearing on the matter.

During a previous hearing on June 27, when the report was submitted to the court, the bench said the report tried to protect the then-municipal commissioner who had given his approval to Kotia Projects to run a recreation facility, including boating, at Motnath lake.

Citing the report, the bench had also noted that though Kotia Projects was disqualified when the VMC invited EoIs to develop the lakefront for the first time, it was eventually awarded the contract in the second attempt when tenders were invited.

During a hearing on April 25, the bench had ordered a departmental inquiry against then-Vadodara municipal commissioner in connection with the incident after observing he appeared to have illegally granted the contract in 2015-16 for the Harni Motnath lakefront project to Kotia Projects.

As per the incumbency chart of civic chiefs on the VMC website, HS Patel was the municipal commissioner from February 25, 2015 to June 23, 2016. He was succeeded by Dr Vinod Rao, who held the post from June 24, 2016 to July 17, 2018.
Asphyxia due to compression was the leading cause of death among the victims of the Hathras stampede who were brought to the district hospital in neighbouring Etah on Tuesday, a senior doctor said.

IMAGE: Police personnel outside the hospital in Etah ask survivors how the tragic incident occurred. Photograph: ANI Photo

The hospital performed four times the usual number of autopsies in a day in the aftermath of the stampede, he said.

As many as 27 bodies were brought to the mortuary of the district hospital in Etah after the stampede at Hathras' Phulrai village on Tuesday.

The overall toll stood at 121 and bodies were taken to various hospitals in nearby areas including Etah and Aligarh.

"Of the 27 bodies brought here, the post-mortem of 19 was concluded while the mortuary staff prepared for the 20th autopsy around midnight," Etah's Additional Chief Medical Officer Dr Ram Mohan Tiwari told PTI.

Six bodies remained to be identified, he said.

"Asphyxia due to compression was found to be the cause of death in almost all the cases," Tiwari said, adding a majority of the victims were women in the 40-50 age group.

Asked about the situation at the hospital, the senior doctor said they see four to five post mortems on an average daily in the district.

The count of Tuesday's bodies was 'much more' than the average, prompting hospital staff and officials to work beyond routine hours, he added.

On victims undergoing treatment, he said there were four patients brought here of whom one was discharged after primary aid itself.

Two others are out of danger and one pregnant woman is undergoing treatment but is stable, Tiwari added.

Police Circle officer (Sakeet area) Sanjay Kumar Singh said 21 of the 27 bodies brought to Etah government hospital were identified by midnight.

Once the bodies are identified, they would be handed over to the families after due procedures, Singh said.

Among the fatalities were mostly women as devotees suffocated to their deaths and bodies piled atop each other in the worst such tragedy in recent years.

The stampede took place as the 'satsang' ended. Some accounts said people slipped in the slush as they ran after the preacher's car, triggering the stampede.

Around 2.5 lakh of devotees had gathered in the Hathras district's Phulrai village for the 'satsang', police said.
"We never thought that such an incident would take place," father of a three-year-old boy, who died in the stampede at a religious congregation in Hathras, said on Wednesday.

IMAGE: People outside a hospital mourn near the mortal remains of victims of the stampede in Hathras, on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Satyendra Yadav, 29, works as a driver in Delhi and had reached Hathras with his family members on Tuesday morning to attend a 'satsang'.

"As I reached my vehicle (a three-wheeler loader) along with my mother, who had come to the event from the village, I got a call from my wife...she said, 'Pilua thaane aa jaao, Chhota khatam ho gayaa hai' (Come to the Pilua police station, Chhota is no more)," Yadav told PTI.

The three-year-old son of Yadav, Rovin, was affectionately called as Chhota by his family. He was among the 121 people, who died in the stampede in Hathras on Tuesday.

"I, along with my wife, her two sisters and our two sons, left Delhi on Monday night at around 11 pm and by 5.30 am (on Tuesday), we reached here," Yadav said.

"The incident is indeed very devastating for my family," Yadav, who is in his village in Uttar Pradesh's Etah, said.

Rovin's last rites were performed in their village on Tuesday night, he added.

Recalling some of the scenes from the stampede, Yadav said, "I do not remember anything about the commotion that took place. Later on, I saw some people carrying a woman somewhere. I thought that she might have fainted (due to the weather), and hence she would be given medical treatment. I had not seriously thought about the incident."

"Then, I got a call from my wife. My voice was reaching her, but I could not hear what she was saying. So, I told her to come to the place where I had parked my vehicle," he said.

Sometime later, when he got another call from her, she, along with her sisters, was at the Pilua police station (in Etah) and informed him about Rovin's death, Yadav said, adding that he then informed his brother, who subsequently informed their father.

Later, a large number of people from Yadav's village, including the village pradhan, reached the spot, he said.

Similarly, for the brother-sister duo Kaavya (3) and Ayush (9), the bus journey from Jaipur, Rajasthan, on Monday evening to the event venue proved to be their last.

Ramlakhan, who was accompanying his brother-in-law and the father of the deceased siblings, Anad, to Shahjahanpur in a bus, said that he has yet not given the tragic news to him, fearing it would shock him.

"I came to know about the tragic incident around 5 pm. They (Kaavya and Ayush) had gone to the 'satsang' along with my wife, who is their paternal aunt. We belong to Shahjahanpur but I work in Jaipur. The children, along with other family members, had left Jaipur on Monday evening and they had reached the programme venue by 6 am," Ramlakhan said.

"I was very attached to both the children and on Sunday, I had spoken to them. This is a very tragic incident and a sad moment for our family. We had never expected that such an incident would take place. The children and family members had attended 'satsang' programmes on earlier occasions as well," he said, adding that he has come to know that there was overcrowding at the venue.

"The father of Ayush and Kaavya is with me (in the bus). I have not told him about the tragic news so that he does not get a shock," Ramlakhan said.

He said that he spoke to his wife Rama between 5 pm and 6 pm on Tuesday, and it was the police personnel who facilitated the conversation as she does not have a mobile phone.

For both the families, the deaths of their children have come as a profound shock.

A stampede at a religious congregation on Tuesday in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh killed 121 people, most of them women, as devotees suffocated to death and bodies piled atop each other.

The stampede took place as the 'satsang' ended. Some accounts said people slipped in the slush as they ran after the preacher's car, triggering the stampede.

The victims were part of the crowd which had gathered near Phulrai village in the Sikandrarau area for the 'satsang' by religious preacher Baba Narayan Hari, also known as Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba.

Around 2.5 lakh of devotees had gathered in the Hathras district's Phulrai village for the 'satsang', police said.
Koo, the Indian replica of Twitter (now X), is shutting down operations, its co-founders announced on Wednesday blaming the platform's failed attempts at partnerships and harsh funding winter for the closure.

The announcement brings curtains down on Koo -- which was launched in 2000 and whose popularity in India soared around 2021 following the Indian government's spat with X (then Twitter).

Back then, amid growing calls for expanding the ecosystem of homegrown digital platforms, several Union ministers, politicians and government departments had signed up on Koo.

In the days of its heady growth, Koo snapped up about 2.1 million daily active users and about 10 million monthly active users, and had marquee investors like Tiger Global, Accel, 3one4 Capital, and Kalaari Capital backing it.

However, prolonged funding winter and failed acquisition talks took a toll on the platform which later struggled with dwindling user base and resorted to layoffs, last year.

In a post on LinkedIn on Wednesday, co-founders Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka announced that the platform will be discontinuing its services to the public and that the little yellow bird is bidding a final goodbye (a reference to Koo's logo).

'We explored partnership with multiple larger internet companies, conglomerates and media houses but these talks didn't yield the outcome we wanted,' the two co-founders wrote.

Flagging the unsuccessful attempts at partnerships, the co-founders said, while most did not want to deal with user-generated content and the wild nature of a social media company, a couple of them changed priority almost close to signing.

The duo said they would have liked to keep the app running but then 'the cost of technology services to keep social media app running is high' and hence the 'tough decision'.

Koo, they said, was built with a 'lot of heart' to 'democratise expression' and enable a better way to connect people in their local languages (at its prime, the platform supported multiple Indian languages like Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Assamese and Punjabi).

'Most global products are dominated by Americans. We believe that India should have a place at the table,' the co-founders said.

They asserted that Koo was just months away from beating Twitter in India in 2022, but rued that lack of capital brought the platform's ambitious march, to a halt.

According to the two co-founders, Koo was a globally scalable product built in a fraction of the time as X 'with superior systems, algorithms and strong stakeholder first philosophies'.

A funding winter, however, hit the company at its peak, hurting plans and forcing the platform to 'tone down' its growth trajectory.

'Social media is probably one of the toughest companies to build even with all resources available as you need to grow users to a significant scale before one thinks of revenue. We needed 5 to 6 years of aggressive, long term and patient capital to make this dream a reality,' the co-founders said in their note.

They conceded that the mood of the market and the funding winter got better of the company.

'Koo could have easily scaled internationally and given India a global brand that was truly made in India. This dream will remain,' according to the note.

The co-founders further said that Koo will evaluate making its assets into a digital public good to enable social conversations in native languages, around the world.

'What we have built is truly magnificent. We will be happy to share some of these assets with someone with a great vision for India's foray into social media,' the note read.
In a shocking incident, Anirudha Choudhury (38), an assistant professor at a private law college in Bhubaneswar, has been arrested for allegedly murdering his father on Wednesday, the police said.

Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: ANI Photo

The victim, identified as Sunil Choudhury, a retired officer of central public sector undertaking Nalco, was fatally stabbed multiple times in the chest and stomach with a knife, Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh said.

Anirudh had been residing with his parents in an apartment in Kalarahanga area under Mancheswar police station in Bhubaneswar following a dispute with his wife.

The tragic incident unfolded in the morning in front of his mother, Sunita, the police added.

Upon receiving information, a PCR van rushed to the scene around 4:30 am and shifted the severely injured victim to Capital Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead upon arrival, Singh said.

Preliminary investigations suggest that financial disputes may have triggered the fatal confrontation.

Anirudh, reportedly distressed over substantial debts accumulated from various sources, had been embroiled in arguments with his father over financial support.

When Sunil allegedly refused to give money, the situation escalated, resulting in the violent assault, the police added.

Mancheswar police have registered a case under Section 103 (murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Forensic experts have collected evidence from the crime scene, including the weapon used in the crime and the clothes worn by both the accused and the victim.

The deceased's body has been sent for postmortem examination, while further investigations are underway. Anirudh's mother will also be questioned to gather more details about the incident, police said.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh "lied" in Parliament about the issue of compensation to families of martyred Agniveers and demanded an apology for it.

IMAGE: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar MP Sharad Pawar at the Parliament in New Delhi, July 3, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Congress leader also shared a video on X purportedly of the father of a deceased Agniveer who stated that Rajnath Singh had claimed that Rs 1 crore compensation had been given to the next of kin of martyred Agniveers but no such assistance was received by his family.

Sharing the video message posted by her brother, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also accused the BJP of "insulting the sacrifice of the families" who gave up their sons for the country

In his video, Rahul Gandhi said that he had stated in his speech in Parliament that the protection of truth is the basis of every religion.

"In reply, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, before Lord Shiva's photo, lied to the country, its armed forces and Agniveers about compensation," Gandhi said in the video.

He then referred to the purported statement by the father of an Agniveer martyr Ajay Singh.

Ajay Singh's father said that Rajnath Singh made the statement that families of martyrs have been given Rs 1 crore compensation but no such assistance had been received by his family.

"Rahul Gandhi is raising our voice in Parliament that families of martyrs must get all necessary help. Agniveer recruitment must stop and regular recruitment should be reinstated," he said.

Gandhi said the defence minister had "lied" to the family of martyr Ajay Singh, the armed forces and the youth of the country, and must apologise to them.

Gandh's fresh attack came after Rajnath Singh rebutted the Leader of Opposition's claims in the Lok Sabha on the Agnipath military recruitment scheme, saying it was rolled out after taking suggestions from 158 organisations.

The Congress leader had on Monday criticised the Agnipath scheme for short-term military recruitment and said that the government does not even give them the status of a "shaheed" (martyr) and that no compensation is extended to their families if they are killed in action.

Singh, who intervened when Gandhi was speaking on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, said that an Agniveer who lays down his life in the line of duty gets a compensation of Rs 1 crore.

The Union minister had asked Gandhi not to mislead Parliament and also requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to expunge the former Congress president's claims on the Agnipath scheme.

Intervening, the defence minister had said, "I would like to humbly request the leader of the opposition not to try to mislead Parliament. Regarding the Agniveer scheme, direct communication was established with many people, 158 organisations, their suggestions were taken, then this Agniveer scheme was brought. This scheme has been brought after a lot of thought."

"And, I would also like to make it clear that these kinds of schemes are operational in many countries. It is there in the US, in the UK. People there do not have any objection. Without understanding the Agniveer scheme, without getting proper information about it... to mislead the House like this, cannot be deemed appropriate," the minister added.

After Singh's rebuttal, Gandhi had said, "Rajnath Singh has an opinion and I have an opinion but Agniveers know the truth. Agniveers know what they have to face."

Sharing Rahul Gandhi's video, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said when he raised the issue of Agniveer from the opposition, the BJP government "lied" in Parliament.

"The BJP is insulting the martyrdom of the families who sacrificed their sons for the country by telling lies. Is this the nationalism of BJP? The Prime Minister should apologise to the public for lying to the country and insulting the martyrs," she said in a post in Hindi on X.
"We do not trust the state", an angry Supreme Court said on Wednesday as it fulminated against the Manipur government over an undertrial prisoner belonging to the minority Kuki community not being taken to hospital for treatment over safety concerns.

IMAGE: File photo of security personnel patrol in Churachandpur district of Manipur. Photograph: ANI Photo

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan made some strong observations against the state while hearing a plea filed by Lunkhongam Haokip that he was suffering from piles and tuberculosis and was not taken to hospital by jail officials despite having severe backache.

"We do not trust the state...The accused was not taken to hospital because he is from the Kuki community. So sad! We direct him to be examined now. If the medical report reveals something serious, we will take you to task," the bench said.

The counsel for Haokip claimed the jail officials did not pay heed to persistent requests for medical help.

The bench perused an order of the Manipur High Court and found that the undertrial prisoner was not taken to hospital since he was from the Kuki community and "shifting him to a hospital will be hazardous taking into account the law and order situation".

Manipur has been in the grip of an ethnic conflict between the minority Kuki and majority Meitei communities.

The bench directed the jail superintendent and the state authorities to make necessary arrangements for his transportation to the Gauhati Medical College and get him examined therein. The medical exam shall be as regards piles, TB, tonsillitis, abdominal pain as well as problems in lower lumbar spine".

It sought a detailed medical report on or before July 15 and asked the state to bear all the expenses including the treatment cost.

Manipur descended into chaos and violence in May last year over a high court order directing the state government to consider including the non-tribal Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes.

More than 170 people have been killed and several hundred others injured since ethnic violence first broke out in the state on May 3 last year when a tribal solidarity march' was organised in hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for ST status.
The Delhi Police has stepped up security outside Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's residence following an intelligence input of disturbance by right wing groups, sources said on Wednesday.

IMAGE: Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, MP Tejasvi Surya and other party leaders stage a protest against Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over his remarks made in the Parliament, at Congress Party HQ In New Delhi on Wednesday. Photograph: Rahul Singh/ANI Photo

One platoon of paramilitary, including the local police personnel, have been deployed around Gandhi's residence, sources said.

Gandhi's remarks against the saffron party had created ruckus in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Sources said an input regarding disturbance by right wing group members was received on Tuesday after which the security has been increased around the Congress leader's residence in central Delhi.

The police have suspected the people may gather with placard or hoardings outside his residence.

The local police has been asked to increase the vigil for 24 hours around his residence, sources said.

Gandhi enjoys Z plus security with L (advanced security liaison) category under the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) personnel.

On Wednesday, the Delhi BJP leaders and workers staged a protest here over Gandhi's remarks against the saffron party and sought an apology from him.

The protesters assembled near Jaisalmer House and tried to move towards the Congress headquarters on Akbar Road, raising slogans against Gandhi and his party.

On June 27, a group of men pasted posters outside the residence of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi in central Delhi, demanding his suspension from the Lok Sabha, for his remark during oath ceremony in the Lok Sabha.

The Delhi Police has registered an FIR in connection with the matter.
Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren resigned on Wednesday and Hemant Soren, who is out on bail in a money laundering case, staked claim to form the government, hours after leaders of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led alliance in the state unanimously elected him as the legislature party leader.

IMAGE: Jharkhand CM Champai Soren (right) speaks to the media after after stepping down, as former CM Hemant Soren (left) looks on, in Ranchi, July 3, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Champai Soren, who had taken oath as the 12th chief minister of Jharkhand on February 2 after Hemant Soren's arrest, met Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan and tendered his resignation in the presence of the JMM executive president, capping a day-long drama full of speculations.

Hemant Soren staked claim to form the government and the swearing-in ceremony is likely to be held soon. If sworn in, Hemant Soren will be the 13th chief minister of Jharkhand, which was carved out of Bihar on November 15, 2000.

According to Congress MLA Banna Gupta, Raj Bhavan will come out with the swearing-in time by 11 am on Thursday.

"I have resigned as per the decision of the JMM-led alliance. Our alliance is strong," Champai Soren said after coming out of Raj Bhavan.

"All know what had happened with Hemant Soren Ji... I was given the responsibility by the coalition partners. Now, the alliance has decided in favour of Hemant Soren Ji," he said.

Hemant Soren told the media all formalities to form the government are complete.

"Everything will be disclosed soon," the JMM executive president said when asked about the swearing-in.

Earlier, leaders and MLAs of the alliance during a meeting at Champai Soren's residence here unanimously decided to elect Hemant Soren as the JMM legislature party leader, party sources said.

"A decision was taken in the meeting to make Hemant Soren as the Chief Minister of the state again," a party source told PTI.

Congress's Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir and its state president Rajesh Thakur also attended the meeting, besides Hemant Soren's brother Basant and wife Kalpana.

Hemant Soren, son of JMM supremo Shibu Soren was released from jail on June 28 after nearly five months, after the high court granted him bail in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He had resigned as the CM shortly before his arrest on January 31 by the ED.

Meanwhile, official sources in New Delhi said the Enforcement Directorate is soon expected to approach the Supreme Court with an SLP against the Jharkhand High Court order that granted bail to Hemant Soren in a money laundering case.

The ED is likely to challenge the June 28 order passed by the single bench of Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay stating that the court's belief that the petitioner (Soren) is "not guilty" was erroneous and the accused does not satisfy the twin conditions as required under section 45 of the PMLA, sources said.

Meanwhile, in a post on X, BJP MP Nishkant Dubey said, "The Champai Soren era is over in Jharkhand. In the family-oriented party, people outside the family have no political future. I wish the chief minister drew inspiration from Bhagwan Birsa Munda and stood up against the corrupt Hemant Soren ji."

Jharkhand Bharatiya Janata Party president Babulal Marandi asserted that the tribals outside Shibu Soren's family are only temporary faces in JMM. He also alleged that the family believes in using people as per their needs and requirements.

Marandi alleged that the real face of JMM, which had talked about rising above nepotism and electing a new chief minister five months ago, has once again been exposed.

He claimed that the "tiger of Kolhan", as Champai Soren is known in political circles, has been turned into a mouse today.

While Jharkhand can have 12 ministers, the state Cabinet at present has a strength of 10.

After the Lok Sabha elections, the strength of the JMM-led alliance in the state was reduced to 45 MLAs -- JMM-27, Congress-17 and RJD-1.

Two JMM MLAs, Nalin Soren and Joba Majhi, are now parliamentarians, while Jama legislator Sita Soren resigned to contest the general elections on a BJP ticket.

The JMM expelled two more legislators -- Bishunpur MLA Chamra Linda and Boriyo MLA Lobin Hembrom -- from the party.

Likewise, the BJP's strength in the assembly has reduced to 24, as two of its MLAs -- Dhulu Mahto (Baghmara) and Manish Jaiswal (Hazaribag) -- are now MPs.

The saffron party has expelled Mandu MLA Jaiprakash Bhai Patel after he joined the Congress to contest the polls.

The current strength of the 81-member Jharkhand assembly is 76.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that violence in Manipur is continuously declining and educational institutes along with businesses have opened in most parts of the state.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in the Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, in New Delhi on Wednesday. Photograph: Sansad TV/ANI Photo

He asserted that all efforts are being made to ensure a return of complete peace in the state.

Replying on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address to to a joint sitting of Parliament, Modi said the Centre is working with the state government and others to restore normalcy in the state.

The prime minister noted that more than 500 people have been arrested and over 11,000 first information reports (FIRs) have been registered in Manipur.

Modi further said Manipur is facing flood situation as well, and the Centre has dispatched two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to the state.

Recalling his elaborate speech concerning Manipur in the previous session of Rajya Sabha, Modi reiterated that the 'Government is continuously making efforts to bring normalcy in Manipur'.

"We must acknowledge the fact that the incidents of violence in Manipur are on a continuous downward trajectory," he said, adding that this meant the hope for peace is a definite possibility in Manipur.

Modi informed the Upper House house that schools, colleges, offices and other institutions are now functioning normally in Manipur.

The prime minister underlined that the central and state governments are in discussion with all the stakeholders to ensure peace and cordiality in Manipur.

Modi said the Union home minister himself led the efforts of peace from the front by being in Manipur. He further added that even the senior officials were pressed into the task of finding solutions to the problems and ensuring peace.

Many opposition members, including Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, had criticised the prime minister for not visiting Manipur.

The prime minister also expressed concern about the difficult flood situation in Manipur currently. He informed that two companies of NDRF have been deployed for the flood relief work.

Modi stressed that the central government is closely working with the state government in relief efforts.

"We must all rise above politics and cooperate towards normalising the situation there. It is our responsibility," he said.

Modi asked the dissidents to stop provoking and further endangering the security situation of Manipur.

"I want to warn the elements trying to add fuel to fire in Manipur to stop such activities. A time will come when Manipur itself will reject such people," he said.

The prime minister pointed out that the social conflict in Manipur is deeply rooted with a long history, leading to the imposition of President's rule 10 times since Independence. He also mentioned about the five-year-long social conflict in Manipur from 1993 onwards.

Modi emphasised that there is a need to handle the situation with wisdom and patience. He invited all the like-minded people to help him in his efforts to ensure normalcy and peace in Manipur.

Prime Minister Modi said the Northeast is fast becoming the gateway of the nation's progress as he highlighted steps taken by the government for the development of this region.

He mentioned about the unprecedented growth of infrastructure in the Northeast.

Modi expressed hope for a long-lasting impact of the efforts to ensure permanent peace in the region as boundary disputes among the states are being addressed in a meaningful manner with consensus.
Sanjay Jha's importance lies in his connections to senior BJP and RSS leaders to maintain a smooth relationship within the NDA government in Bihar and at the Centre and to contest the 2025 Bihar assembly elections together under Nitish Kumar's leadership.

IMAGE: Sanjay Jha, left, with Nitish Kumar, centre, and N Chandrababu Naidu, right, at the swearing in of the Union council of ministers in New Delhi, June 9, 2024. Photograph: Ishant/ANI Photo

Nearly 12 years after Sanjay Kumar Jha quit the Bharatiya Janata Party and joined the Janata Dal-United, he was appointed the JD-U's first ever working president at the national executive meeting in New Delhi on Saturday, June 29, 2024.

A day after this political development, it was widely reported that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is also the JD-U national president, promoted Jha to this position in the party for his loyalty and trust in him.

Jha's importance lies in his connections to senior BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leaders to maintain a smooth relationship within the National Democratic Alliance government in Bihar and at the Centre and to contest the 2025 Bihar assembly elections together under Nitish Kumar's leadership.

IMAGE: Nitish Kumar being felicitated by Janata Dal-United leaders at the party's national executive meeting in New Delhi, June 29, 2024. Photograph: Ishant/ANI Photo

In his first reaction after appointing Jha as the JD-U working president, Nitish Kumar said on Sunday, June 30, that Jha will stay in Delhi and look after party work.

With this, he made it clear that Jha will function as his main communication link with the BJP leadership.

Jha, who is in his mid 50s, began his career in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad background, the RSS' student wing, before graduating to the BJP.

"In the past decade, Jha has maintained communication channels with the BJP despite Nitish Kumar twice dumping the BJP during this period and joining hands with Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal to form the government in 2015 and 2022," says a young JD-U leader known to be close to Jha.

"Whenever there was a need to establish communication with the BJP, Nitishji assigned this task to Jha who successfully completed it in 2017 and in January 2024 when we dumped the RJD and returned to the NDA fold," the JD-U leader added.

Newspapers in Patna had reported in 2012 that Nitish Kumar inducted Jha in the JD-U on BJP leader Arun Jaitley's recommendation.

IMAGE: Sanjay Kumar Jha interacts with Narendra Modi during an election meeting in Purnea. Photograph: ANI Photo

A senior JD-U leader at the party's state headquarters in Patna recalled that soon after Jha joined the JD-U in 2012, he expressed his commitment to strengthening the then National Democratic Alliance government in Bihar, ignoring criticism by some BJP leaders for jumping ship.

"The message he gave was 'I am still in the NDA and I will continue working for strengthening the alliance in the state and elsewhere', and it assumes much significance in the given political situation now. Jha will work for continuation of the NDA's government in the state and Centre," the senior JD-U leader said.

A senior BJP leader, who has known Jha since his student days at the Jawharlal Nehru University, said when he was in the BJP and close to Arun Jaitley, he (Jha) worked as a link between the BJP stalwart and Nitish Kumar.

"Though Jaitley groomed Jha in politics and introduced him to several leaders, Jha grew close to Nitish Kumar when the latter was a Cabinet minister in the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and earned his trust through his loyalty, helping him maintain a relationship with BJP leaders, mainly Jaitley," the BJP leader said.

By appointing Jha as the working president, Nitish Kumar has made him virtually the number 2 in the party after him.

"This is the first time Nitish Kumar has handed over the party command to a leader (Jha) known for his ABVP and BJP background. It never happened before," says a political activist, who was with Nitish Kumar in the Samata Party days in the mid-1990s.

"Nitish Kumar has chosen George Fernandes, Sharad Yadav, R C P Singh, an IAS officer turned politician and his close confidant Rajeev Ranjan alias Lalan Singh as JD-U presidents, all of them were either from the Janata Party Parivar or from a non BJP background," the erstwhile associate added.

"Jha will now run the party as Nitish Kumar's health is not good," this political associate claimed, adding that the Bihar chief minister understands that Brand Nitish has weakened and the BJP is in the role of big brother in the state as well as at the Centre.

"Jha has been elevated to the post to keep the communication with the BJP open and easy," he added.

Jha's appointment as working president ended speculation that Nitish Kumar would hand over the party's command to his advisor Manish Varma, a former IAS officer, as he had earlier done with R C P Singh.

Besides, Jha's promotion also ended the belief that Nitish Kumar's son Nishant Kumar would enter politics.

IMAGE: Nitish Kumar and Sanjay Jha, third from right, during an election meeting at Runni Sandpur in Sitamarhi. Photograph: ANI Photo

In February, Nitish Kumar chose Jha for the only Rajya Sabha seat the JD-U would win from Bihar. Before that, he was an MLC and a minister in the Bihar government.

In the first week of March, Jha accompanied Nitish Kumar during his visit to the United Kingdom.

Last week, Kumar nominated Jha as the leader of the JD-U's parliamentary party.

As Nitish Kumar is apparently not well, he finds it difficult to manage JD-U organisational work while simultaneously running the Bihar government.

According to JD-U leaders in Patna, Jha played a key role in Nitish Kumar's decision to dump the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan and return to the NDA on January 28, 2024.

It was not the first time that Jha had revived the JD-U-BJP alliance. In 2017, he had convinced Jaitley -- who was known to be close to Narendra D Modi -- about the same.

"Jha held several meetings with BJP leaders in New Delhi in January 2024 before Nitish Kumar announced that the JD-U would join hands with the BJP again," says a party insider.

"Jha acted as Nitishji's representative to finalise a deal with the BJP over berths in the government and the JD-U's share of seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," the insider adds.

IMAGE: Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar administers the oath of office to Sanjay Kumar Jha as a member of the Rajya Sabha. Photograph: Ishant/ANI Photo

BJP leaders in Patna credit Jha, a native of Jhanjharpur in Madhubani district, who belongs to the powerful Brahmin caste in the Mithilanchal region, for his close relationship with national BJP leaders that resulted in the setting up of Darbhanga airport and the approval to establish an AIIMS in Darbhanga.

Jha became an MLC from the BJP in 2006. Before that, he was the media advisor to then Union minister Rajeev Pratap Rudy from 2001 to 2004.

He joined the JD-U in 2012 and unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He was elected as an MLC in 2019, and appointed as a minister in Nitish Kumar's government.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 39F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 39F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.
Experts predict it will increase trade and tourism between two nations connected only by rail.

An international passenger train travels on the KoreaRussia Friendship Bridge, July 15, 2014, leaving North Korea (DPRK) and entering Russia over the Tumen River. The bridge is the sole crossing point on the 17 km long North KoreaRussia border.

North Korea and Russia plan to build a new road bridge connecting their countries over the Tumen River, which separates them in North Koreas northeast.

The two sides agreed to the Tumen River Bridge plan during Russian President Vladimir Putins recent visit to Pyongyang on June 19.

North Korea is only connected on land to Russia by rail, so the new bridge would allow road traffic, meaning it would likely boost trade and tourism. Russian trucks and buses full of Russian tourists could travel across it, although roads need to be built on both sides to link it to existing roads.

Experts immediately made comparisons to the New Yalu River Bridge, a road bridge that connects North Korea and China in North Koreas northwest.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un take a ride, June 20, 2024 in Pyongyang, North Korea. (KCNA via Reuters)

Though that bridge was completed almost a decade ago, it still remains unopened, because the North Korean side has yet to install the proper infrastructure.

Road traffic between North Koreas Sinuiju and Chinas Dandong, the two major hubs in Sino-Korean trade, must settle for a single reversible lane on the aging Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, which was built in 1943 towards the end of Japans colonial occupation of Korea and primarily handles rail traffic.

North Korea and Russia have been discussing road bridge construction since 2015, but talks ended in 2016 when North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test.

Renewed closeness

Unlike the new bridge to China, North Koreas renewed closeness to Russia makes it highly likely that the bridge to the Russian Far East will be completed and opened without much delay, Choi Eun-ju, a Research Fellow at the Sejong Institute in South Korea, told RFA Korean.

She said that even if war in Ukraine ends and Russia has less incentive to engage with North Korea, the two sides will likely remain close in the long term.

Related Stories

China agrees to finish bridge to North Korea

North Korea installs electric fences around new bridge to China

Choi said that Russia, which believes that the international order can change from a unipolar system centered on the United States to a multipolar system in the future, is actively trying to attract North Korea, while Pyongyang wants to gain practical benefits by increasing its presence through cooperation with Russia.

The agreement to build a land route to Russia is meaningful because unlike with China, there is no road to Russia, Kang Dongwan, a professor of political science at South Koreas Dong-A University, told RFA.

Since the agreement has been signed, regardless of the issue of whether to open the bridge later, it seems that Russia will naturally provide capital and begin construction, he said. Isnt this the best time for North Korea-Russia relations for each other? So, we expect that such exchanges will definitely take place.

Russian construction machinery moves toward a construction site in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Oct. 4, 2008, following a ground-breaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the Khasan-Rajin railway. (Zhang Binyang/Xinhua)

Kang said the New Yalu River Bridge is an entirely different project and its problems should not affect the Tumen River Bridge, which he said will maximize the benefits between the two countries through trade and people-to-people exchanges.

I do not agree with the idea that construction can be stopped midway due to changes in international relations, he said. If we say that construction is not possible due to a lack of support from Russia or a breakdown in North Korea-Russia relations, we are greatly underestimating the relationship that North Korea and Russia have traditionally had.

Different dynamics

North Korea expert Andrei Lankov, a professor at Kookmin University, told RFA that the relationship between Russia and North Korea is very different from that of China and North Korea.

The reason North Korea opposed the completion of the New Yalu River Bridge in the past was because it was cautious due to a fear of Chinese interference and influence, he said, adding that he felt the bridge would be built to completion.

The bridge will increase trade between Russia and North Korea, said Joung Eunlee, a research Fellow at Korea Institute for National Unification.

A photo of Russia's President Vladimir Putin shaking hands with late North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il hangs on the wall, Nov. 21, 2017, at the office of RasonConTrans deputy director Roman Minkevich, at Rajin harbour in the Rason Special Economic Zone. (Ed Jones/AFP)

Much more cargo can be actively transported than through railways, and people can also be transported, she said. Transportation time will be faster, and trade volume will increase.

However, Lankov, who also writes a weekly column for RFA Korean, noted that the site of the Tumen River Bridge has no roads connected on the Russian side, and no paved roads on the North Koreans side. So he believes its effect on trade and movement of people in the short-term will be limited.

Send more workers?

Kang predicted that North Korea would push for dispatching more workers to Russia once the bridge is completed.

So far, North Korea has been limited in sending workers by rail or sea, but if it does so over the road, foreign currency earnings through human exchange will become more active, he said. North Korea requires its workers in other countries to send a hefty chunk of their earnings back to the government, which relies on these funds as a key source of revenue.

A man walks with a cow and a cart along a road outside Rason, near the border with Russia and China, November 21, 2017. (Ed Jones/AFP)

What North Korea and Russia currently have in common is that Russia needs manpower during the war in Ukraine, and North Korea needs to earn foreign currency by exporting manpower, he said. Both of these issues are trapped within the framework of sanctions against North Korea.

He said that both countries intend to overcome the constraints of sanctions, and the bridge would be a way to do that.

Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong.
One shell hit a house killing a family of six as they were eating breakfast in their kitchen, neighbors said.

Houses in Lashio town were destroyed by shelling on July 3, 2024.

Updated July 3, 2024, 3:21 p.m. ET

Shelling during a clash in northern Myanmar killed seven civilians on Wednesday, including three children, residents told Radio Free Asia, as fighting between junta troops and ethnic minority insurgents escalated following the breakdown of a ceasefire.

Forces allied with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDAA, began an offensive in Lashio township on Wednesday morning, residents told RFA.

Lashio is an administrative center and the home of the military juntas Northeastern Military Commands headquarters. It also sits at the junction of a highway that connects mainland Myanmar with the Chinese border.

Both sides fired heavy weapons into the township, and shells hit homes in one neighborhood.

RELATED STORIES

Junta troops destroy roads in northern Myanmar as renewed fighting looms

China awaits junta approval to resume border trade with Myanmar's Shan state

Talks between Myanmar rebel alliance and junta focus on Chinese interests

One shell killed a family of six in their house, said a resident, who declined to be identified in fear of reprisals.

It happened while they were eating in the kitchen. The dead bodies have been sent to the morgue, he said. Weve heard the sound of heavy guns firing all morning but Im not sure if the junta army or the revolutionary group was responsible.

Those killed were Zel Zaung, 14, Dwel Aung and Zel Nwel, both 15, Sai Khon and May Yi, both 30, and Mar Gyi, 70.

A shell hit another Lashio house early in the day, killing a woman and wounding two men, residents said. RFA could not confirm their identities.

Residents added that flights have been suspended indefinitely, and all roads have been blocked.

Insurgent fighters and their junta army rivals blamed each other for the civilian deaths.

Fighting between Lashio-based junta soldiers and the autonomy-seeking rebels resumed on June 25 after the collapse of a ceasefire brokered by Chinese officials in a series of meetings that began in January.

The Taang National Liberation Army, an ally of the MNDAA, announced the capture of 26 junta camps in the days following the end of the ceasefire

RFA attempted to contact MNDAA spokesperson Li Kyarwen and called Shan states junta spokesperson Khun Thein Maung for more information on the attacks but calls went unanswered.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan, Mike Firn and Matt Reed.

This story has been updated to correct that MNDAA fighters were involved in the clashes.
Myanmar did not request the return of draft-dodgers, said Thai police.

A group of Myanmar refugees crossing the Moei river from Myanmar to Thailand after a battle erupted between Myanmar's soldiers and rebels, on Nov. 8, 2010.

Thai and Myanmar police have agreed to the extradition of suspected criminals from each others countries, but the deal will not apply to Myanmar citizens who have fled to Thailand to avoid conscription or have committed minor crimes, said a senior Thai officer.

A memorandum of understanding was signed at Thai police headquarters in Bangkok during a visit last week by Myanmars interior minister and police chief, Lt. Gen. Ni Lin Aung, said assistant to the Thai police chief Pol. Lt. Gen. Itthipol Achariyapradit.

Weve struck an agreement on extradition, Itthipol told Radio Free Asia.

If a Myanmar person commits a crime in our country and flees across the border or vice versa, we will cooperate to bring them to justice, he said, adding that the cooperation was aimed at major crimes such as murder, drug or human trafficking.

Asked whether Ni Lin Aung had requested that Thai police send back to Myanmar its citizens fleeing to avoid conscription, Itthipol said: They didnt raise the issue.

In February, Myanmars junta enacted a Peoples Military Service Law after its forces suffered battlefield defeats to rebel factions, making men between the ages of 18 and 35 and women between 18 and 27 liable for conscription into the armed forces. Married women and women with children are exempt from service.

The announcement triggered a wave of assassinations of administrators enforcing the law and drove thousands of draft-dodgers into rebel-controlled territory and abroad, in particular to Thailand.

RELATED STORY

Thailand denies restricting student visas for Myanmar nationals

Thailand offers to mediate in Myanmar, urges ASEAN involvement

Thai seminar with exiled Myanmar leaders signals shift, say analysts

For decades Thailand has been host to thousands of refugees from Myanmar fleeing fighting between ethnic minority insurgents and the military.

Thailand has also been an unofficial refuge for dissidents, and other opponents of Myanmars military rulers, who slip across the long, porous border. Thai authorities often turn a blind eye to their presence while promoting cordial relations with Myanmar authorities.

Fast-growing Thailand has for years also been a major destination for workers from Myanmar, on both an official and unofficial basis, seeking employment in fishing, agriculture, factories and the service sector.

Ittipol said there had long been cooperation between the neighbors, noting that Thailand had sent back to Myanmar its nationals suspected of crimes in their homeland and Myanmar helped to repatriate Thai and other Southeast Asian citizens caught in human-trafficking operations and online scam centers in Myanmar, such as in Laukkaing township in Shan state.

Ni Lin Aung is a former military commander who was sanctioned by the European Union in 2022 for suspected human rights abuses, including the massacre of nearly 50 civilians in Kayah state the previous year.

Edited by Taejun Kang.
Taiwan asks China to release its fishing vessel seized on Tuesday amid tensions in Taiwan Strait.

A Chinese Coast Guard ship is docked near a China Customs building in Xiamen in southeast China's Fujian province on Dec. 26, 2023.

Updated July 3, 2024, 04:30 a.m. ET.

China seized a Taiwanese fishing vessel in waters near the outlying Kinmen islands, Taiwans coast guard said on Wednesday, the latest in a recent series of incidents that has raised tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

The coast guards deputy director-general, Hsieh Ching-chin, told a press briefing in Taipei that the boat was detained at a location northeast of Kinmen on Tuesday evening.

The Penghu-registered boat Da Jin Man 88 with six crew, most of them Indonesian migrant workers, was fishing for squid outside Taiwan-controlled waters when the Chinese coast guard boarded it and forcibly diverted it to a port in mainland China.

The Taiwanese coast guard dispatched three ships in an attempt to rescue the fishing boat but had to stop to avoid escalating tensions as more Chinese ships approached the scene, the coast guard said earlier.

Chinas coast guard said its Fujian branch seized the Taiwanese boat for alleged illegal fishing activities.

Kinmen is less than 10 km (6.2 miles) from Chinas Fujian province.

Despite some tacit boundaries between the two sides, Chinese and Taiwanese fishermen often operate in the area without problems.

However, as tension rises between Beijing and the government of Taiwans new president Lai Ching-te, the presence of Chinese law enforcement vessels around Kinmen has increased.

RELATED STORIES

China trying to normalize incursions in Taiwan Strait, Taipei says

Cross-Strait tensions at risk of rising after Kinmen incident

Taiwans Kinmen serves as a reminder of Chinas aggression

Beijing noticeably stepped up patrols in the area after an incident in February, when two Chinese fishermen drowned while being chased by Taiwans coast guard.

China has also announced a unilateral fishing moratorium in the waters it claims.

Hsieh said that China should clarify details surrounding the Da Jin Man 88s detention. Normally, if caught during fishing bans, fishermen are released after paying a fine.

Liu Dejun, spokesperson for the Chinese coast guard, was quoted by China Daily as saying that the boat was engaged in illegal trawling operations and the fishing gear used had mesh sizes significantly smaller than the minimum sizes mandated by national regulations, thereby damaging marine fishery resources and the ecological environment.

Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council and the Fisheries Agency are communicating with relevant Chinese authorities to secure the fishing vessels release, the Taiwanese coast guard said in a statement.

The islands defense minister, Wellington Koo, said last month that China was trying to normalize its increased incursions into the waters around Taiwans outlying islands.

The Chinese coast guard has reportedly adopted a new model of conducting law enforcement near Kinmen, by expanding its scope and intensity, as well as making it all-weather enforcement.

Edited by Mike Firn.

Updated with China's reaction.








A group of children help the Dalai Lama blow out a candle on his birthday cake at the University of California, Irvine, July 6, 2015.

The Chinese government is intensifying already stringent social media restrictions on Tibetans to keep them from celebrating the July 6 birthday of the Dalai Lama, two Tibetan sources said.

Authorities already ban the possession of photos of the Tibetan Buddhist leader, who turns 89, and posting images of him or religious symbols on social media.

But during the past three weeks, authorities have more frequently and rigorously checked the cell phones of Tibetan travelers to ensure they have not downloaded any photos, said the sources who live inside the western region of China and who requested anonymity for safety reasons.

Police also have summoned individuals deemed suspicious to local offices to warn them not to contact family members living outside the Tibet Autonomous Region, they said.

Exile Tibetans in traditional attire carry cakes to mark the 87th birthday of the Dalai Lama at the Tsuglakhang temple in Dharmsala, India, July 6, 2022. (Ashwini Bhatia/AP)

Every year, authorities intensify their monitoring of Tibetans in the run-up to the birthday of the Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in northern India since 1959 and is viewed by China as a splittist seeking independence for Tibet.

The Dalai Lama has maintained that he does not advocate independence but rather genuine autonomy to allow Tibetans to maintain their culture, religion and language under Chinas rule, which has sought to Sinicize Tibetan-populated areas.

Knee surgery in US

This year, authorities are extra vigilant because Tibetans concerned about the Dalai Lamas health following his recent knee replacement surgery in the United States may have downloaded his photo to their phones to pray for a speedy recovery, the sources said.

Chinese authorities turned down visa requests by some Tibetans who planned to travel to the U.S., after asking them if they were going to see the Dalai Lama there, sources in Tibet said.

Authorities have prohibited Tibetans inside the Tibet Autonomous Region and in Tibetan-populated areas of Chinas western provinces from communicating with the outside world about the Dalai Lamas birthday, the first source said.

Tibetan children gather around a cake during an event marking the 82nd birthday celebration of Dalai Lama in Lalitpur, Nepal, July 6, 2017. (Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)

The second Tibetan said whenever he travels from Lhasa to Shigatse, the regions second-largest city, authorities now closely monitor his mobile phone.

I am questioned about whether I possess a photo of the Dalai Lama or if I have been in contact with anyone, he said.

In Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in southeastern Qinghai province, Chinese officials and monastery heads have ramped up propaganda efforts, urging Tibetans to exercise caution and self-control on social media.

Despite the governments strict measures, Tibetans in Tibet continue to celebrate the Dalai Lamas birthday each year by posting poems and childhood photos of their spiritual leader.

Many also make traditional smoke offerings in the mountains and observe moments of silence.

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.
The move is aimed at making Tibetans more loyal to China than to Buddhism, experts say.

Students attend a Chinese language class at Nagqu No. 2 Senior High School, a public boarding school for students from northern Tibet, in Lhasa, capital of western China's Tibet Autonomous Region, June 1, 2021.

Chinese authorities have closed Buddhist schools at two monasteries in Tibetan-populated areas of western China and forced hundreds of novice monks to attend state-run boarding schools that teach a curriculum in Mandarin, Tibetans with knowledge of the situation said.

Officials said young monks in training at Kirti Monastery in Ngaba county and Lhamo Kirti Monastery in Dzoge county  both located in Sichuan province  had not attained the age at which they could receive monastic education, the sources said.

Chinese authorities have now set that age at 18, though children as young as 5 or 6 years old previously had been allowed to enroll in schools at monasteries, they said.

This month, authorities pressured parents not to send their young children back to the monasteries  now patrolled by police  after summer break, said the sources from inside Tibet who declined to be named for fear of retribution.

Instead, the roughly 1,000 novices at Kirti Monastery and 600 novices at Lhamo Kirti Monastery must now attend government-administered residential schools.

RELATED STORIES

China restricts religious debate event for monks

Congressional hearing examines Chinese repression in Tibet

Tibetans forced to demolish school in Sichuans Kardze

Tibetan rights activists and U.S. lawmakers call such educational institutions colonial-style boarding schools, where Tibetan children are separated from their families and taught a Chinese-language curriculum.

The measures are part of the Chinese governments systematic efforts to Sinicize Tibetan Buddhism by making Tibetans more loyal to the Chinese Communist Party and its political agenda than to their own religious doctrine, experts say.

To this end, Chinese authorities also restrict the entry of new monks into monasteries, interfere in religious activities especially around politically sensitive dates, require Buddhist monks to translate texts from Tibetan to Mandarin, and force monasteries to display portraits of party leaders.

All the young monks between the ages of 6 and 15 joined Kirti Monastery in Ngaba county voluntarily and did not violate any Chinese laws by doing so, though Chinese authorities suspect that the head lama ordered their admission, one source said.

Tibetan students learn Tibetan writing in a first-grade class at the Shangri-La Key Boarding School during a media-organized tour, in Dabpa county, Kardze Prefecture, southwestern China's Sichuan province, Sept. 5, 2023. (Andy Wong/AP)

But this April, provincial authorities ordered the monastery to send novices and young monks under the age of 18 to government-run residential schools, he said.

In response, monastery administrators said the government had to bear responsibility for educating the youngsters. Otherwise, they would not expel them from the school.

Authorities also met with administrators at Lhamo Kirti Monastery and demanded that all 600 students be enrolled in government-run schools, another source said.

Security personnel guarded the entrance to the monastery to prevent parents from entering, he added.

Chinese authorities also have forbidden young novices from entering Ngaba Nangshug and Gomang monasteries in Sichuan province and Labrang Monastery in Sangchu county of neighboring Gansu province.

Translated by Rigdhen Dolma. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.
Says Thich Minh Tue should be released if he is being unjustly detained.

An ethnic Vietnamese congressman from the California State House of Representatives has written to the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam about the case of Buddhist monk Thich Minh Tue, who went missing for a second time on June 12.

On July 1, Thich Minh Tues younger brother Le Anh Thin wrote to the police at the commune, district and provincial level requesting help finding his brother.

The same day, congressman Ta Duc Tri wrote to U.S. Ambassador Marc Knapper, to express his concern about Tue, who became an internet sensation after going on a pilgrimage across Vietnam.

Tue, whose real name is Le Anh Tu, drew a wide following on social media in May when influencers documented his journey across Vietnam on TikTok and other social media platforms. Supporters were drawn to his simple lifestyle and humble demeanor.

Congressman Tri had already written to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom on June 4 to voice his concerns about religious freedom in Vietnam, after Tue and more than 70 mendicants were rounded up in a police raid and sent to their home provinces.

Unfortunately, since I wrote that letter, the situation with Thich Minh Tue has deteriorated and my concern for his wellbeing has grown considerably, the congressman wrote.

In a letter on his Facebook page, the congressman, who was once mayor of Westminster city, which has a large Vietnamese population, said he had no confidence in the Vietnamese government to give a truthful account of Tues condition.

I hope you will stand with me for religious freedom as a fundamental human right and immediately call to end the religious persecution of Thich Minh Tue and for his release if he is in fact being held unjustly. The United States must continue to press this issue at every available opportunity with the government in Vietnam, the congressman wrote.

Radio Free Asia emailed the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam with requests for comment on the congressmans letter but they did not immediately respond.

Family call for help

Thich Minh Tue does not claim to be a monk but he has become a symbol for many Buddhists by drawing attention to what many people say is the lack of religious freedom in Vietnam.

Freedom of religion is technically enshrined in Vietnams constitution but Tue does not belong to a Buddhist sect that is recognized by the state. Without recognition, religious groups are not allowed to organize.

RELATED STORIES

No word from Thich Min Tue in nearly 3 weeks, monk's relatives say

Facebook user fined in Vietnam for posts about missing monk

Mendicant monk Thich Min Tue offers an embarrassing contrast to Vietnam elites

According to Tues family, he told relatives on June 12 he would leave the temple where he has been staying for five to seven days before returning to continue practicing Buddhism.

On July 1, when Tue had still not returned, his family became worried.

In a video clip posted to the NSN YouTube channel on July 2, Tues brother, Le Anh Thin, said he was working with the authorities on Tues case.

"Yesterday I went to work with the authorities and they said that Mr Le Anh Tu is a normal citizen, he did not violate any laws, so they have no right to detain him," he told RFA.

He said the police "did not know where the monk was and only accepted applications to help."

A Buddhist monk in Ho Chi Minh City who has closely followed Tues story said the authorities forced monks to write commitments not to walk, beg for alms, wear robes or let their images spread on social networks, even though the Constitution and the 2016 Law on Religious Beliefs stipulate that citizens have the right to follow any religion.

The Ho Chi Minh City monk, D.H.T. Hoa, told RFA he believed the government's methods were not transparent and legal.

"Thin and his family have just filed an application. We need to wait and see how the government reacts to this story, but things seem to be quite complicated, he said.

Because monk Thich Minh Tue has a citizens ID card, the local government must guarantee him all the civil rights stated in the constitution."

An activist in Hanoi, who didnt want to be identified for security reasons, said that Gia Lai provincial police were responsible for the safety of Le Anh Tu.

I dont think that the danger  comes from the government but may come from those who are taking advantage of religious practices to profit from people's offerings, because his asceticism awakens people and they no longer go to commercial temples like they did for a long time, he said.

Translated by RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Mike Firn.
At least 18 people were killed and 92 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.

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.
One year ago, Hamas -- the U.S.- and EU-designated Palestinian terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip -- carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel, the deadliest in the countrys history.

In response, Israel launched an aerial bombardment and ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave to destroy Hamas and rescue the 251 hostages taken by the group.

Israel has expanded its war in recent weeks by invading Lebanon and launching air strikes targeting Hezbollah, the armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon.

RFE/RL spoke to Lior Yohanani, manager of quantitative research at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based independent research center, which on October 7 released a wide-ranging survey of Israeli public opinion after one year of war.

RFE/RL: Can you explain what your study found as to how Israelis view the past year since Hamas's October 7 attack?



Lior Yohanani: Well, I think Israelis still don't see October 7 as an event that's over. Sure, the actual horrific events of that day ended, but Israelis are still living with the consequences.

There are two main aspects to this. First, since October 7, Israel has been in this multifront war that doesn't seem to have an end in sight. And then, of course, there is the issue of the hostages still being held in Gaza. So, we're seeing a sharp drop in people's sense of personal security. Almost three quarters of the public feel less safe compared to before October 7, and that's despite a year of war and some significant military achievements. On the flip side, we're also seeing that most people say their lives have returned to normal when it comes to things like work, media consumption, and family and social gatherings.

Another thing we're noticing is that the Israeli public is giving pretty low marks to all the political and military leaders for the performance since October 7. For example, almost two-thirds of Israelis are rating Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu's performance since then as poor or not good.

RFE/RL: How has Israel's involvement in a two-front conflict, in both Gaza and Lebanon, as well as a confrontation with Iran affected public opinion among Israelis?



Yohanani: It's tough to answer that question, because we're at the point where things could go in a few different directions. In the last few weeks, we've seen a major escalation in the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and just last week, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, which Israel is expected to respond to. In a survey we just did recently, we asked whether Israeli society and the military could handle fighting on two or more fronts for an extended period of time, and the results were pretty striking. Over 70 percent believe that yes, both Israeli society and the military can handle that kind of prolonged fighting. So, while the situation is complex and evolving, there seems to be a strong sense of resilience and capability among Israelis, even in the face of these multiple threats. But of course, public opinion could shift depending on how events unfold in the coming weeks or months.



RFE/RL: Is there support for Netanyahus response to October 7? Is there debate in Israeli society, as well as political circles, over Netanyahus strategic choices?



Yohanani: First of all, it's important to say that the Israeli public has largely supported significant military operation against Hamas in Gaza. That said, the Israeli discourse around the October 7 events, the ongoing war, and especially toward Prime Minister Netanyahu, is very polarized between right-wing supporters on the one hand and left and center supporters on the other.

People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term."

So, on the left and the center, there is a high level of distrust and suspicion toward Netanyahu and his government. For instance, Netanyahu's apparent reluctance to pursue a deal for returning the hostages in exchange for ending the fighting in Gaza is seen by large parts of the public, even on the right, as resulting from Netanyahu's dependence on far-right, ultranationalist members of his government who refuse any compromise or ceasefire.

Now for a long time, Netanyahu and his ministers argued that only significant military force would lead Hamas to compromise and release the hostages. Now, with military attention and resources shifting to the north, people are asking, where is this massive military force that was supposed to bring the hostages home?

One question we have asked several times since October 7 in our polls is what should be the main goal in Gaza: Dismantling Hamas or bringing back the hostages? And as time goes on, public opinion is increasingly supporting the return of hostages. In our current survey, 62 percent saw bringing the bringing back the hostages as Israel's main goal, while only 29 percent pointed to dismantling Hamas as the primary objective.

RFE/RL: How do ordinary Israelis see the question of the remaining hostages amid the continued protests by the hostages' families?



Yohanani: As I mentioned before, most of the public supports a deal to release the hostages, even if it means ending the war and withdrawing the military forces from Gaza. There's this widespread feeling that we've left the hostages behind, and that's really hitting at our sense of solidarity, which is a deep and fundamental value, I think, in Jewish history in general and in Israel society in particular.

At the same time, the campaign run by the Hostages And Missing Families Forum has become very politicized. Many right-wing supporters see it as weakening Israel. As time goes on, we're seeing more and more harassment of protesters who support bringing the hostages back. There are cases of passersby cursing, even hitting and throwing eggs, at hostages' families. In our latest survey, we asked about the effectiveness of the protests and actions taken by the hostages' families.

Despite most of the public feeling empathetic toward the hostage issue, only less than a third think these actions are actually helping to advance a deal for the hostages' release, while almost 40 percent think they're actually hurting the cause. So, you've got this complex situation where people want the hostages back, but there is disagreement and some backlash about how to make that happen.

RFE/RL: Can you explain the reasons behind the apparent contradiction in views regarding prioritizing a negotiated return of the hostages, or destroying Hamas?

Yohanani: You're right to point out that apparent contradiction. Let me break it down a bit. As I mentioned earlier, a clear majority of the public sees a deal to release the hostages as the main goal. But there is a big gap between political camps on this issue. In the center and left, about 80 percent support the deal for the hostages' release, while the opinions on the right are evenly split. So, for most of the left and center, the fighting in Gaza has run its course. They feel most military objectives have been achieved, and Hamas's military power has been significantly weakened. From their perspective, continuing the fight now only puts the hostages at greater risk.

It's important to know that about half of the right-wing also shares this view of prioritizing the hostages' release, but the other half of those on the far-right thinks dismantling Hamas is more important.

Why? For a couple of reasons.

First, there's a security stance that Hamas must be wiped out and not allowed to recover. There is also a very strong sentiment of revenge, with minimal consideration for the cost, whether it's the lives of the hostages, soldiers, let alone innocent civilians in Gaza. Another significant component openly discussed in religious nationalist circles is the return of Jewish settlement to the Gaza Strip after Israel evacuated Jewish settlements from there in 2005.

RFE/RL: Is there public confidence that Israel will ultimately be able to remove the threat of Hamas and Hezbollah and come out of this conflict with greater prospects for a peaceful and stable near-term future?



Yohanani: Right now, the Israeli public isn't showing a lot of optimism. In our current survey, when we asked people if they're optimistic or pessimistic about Israel's future, we found more pessimists, 48 percent, than optimists, 45 percent.

I also think it's important to note that a peaceful future, as you put it, or peace in general, isn't really a common concept in the current Israeli discourse. I would say the hope of Israelis is that the military actions against Hezbollah and Iran will lead to a situation where Israel's existence isn't in question, and that Israeli military superiority will prevent events like October 7 from happening again. So, it's less about peace in the traditional sense, and more about security and deterrence. People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term.
MINSK -- The leader of the opposition Belarusian Popular Front, Ryhor Kastusyou, who was serving a lengthy prison term, has been released after the country's authoritarian ruler signed a law on a mass amnesty to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from Nazi Germany.

Kastusyou's son-in-law, Dzmitry Antonchyk, who resides in Poland, told RFE/RL that the 67-year-old politician was released on July 3.

Kastusyou, a presidential candidate in 2010, was convicted in September 2022 of conspiracy to seize power and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He spent more than three years in prison including his time in pretrial detention.

While in prison, Kastusyou was diagnosed with cancer.

The Vyasna (Spring) human rights group said on July 3 that, in all, four political prisoners, including two women, were released from prison under the amnesty law that was made public earlier in the day. Vyasna did not mention the names of the people released, citing privacy reasons.

Authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka signed the law on July 2. According to the official announcement, the amnesty will affect 7, 850 convicts, of whom 2,090 will be released, while the remainder of the suspended sentences of 800 people will be forgiven and the administrative arrests of 40 people will be canceled. The prison sentences of 260 people will be replaced by parole-like sentences, while 4,550 convicts will have their terms cut by one year.

The Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.

On July 2, Lukashenka publicly said that some of those serving prison terms for taking part in 2020 mass protests against official results of the presidential poll that named him the winner may be released. Lukashenka stressed, however, that mostly "seriously ill, mainly persons with cancer," will be eligible for early release.

As of July 3, there are 1,409 political prisoners in Belarus recognized by human rights groups, while the actual number of those convicted on politically motivated charges may be higher.

The Vyasna (Spring) human rights group said earlier that as of May 1, there were at least 254 political prisoners in Belarus with serious medical conditions or disabilities.

Lukashenka's decree says that "the amnesty will not be applied to persons involved in extremist and terrorist activities."

Since the 2020 mass protests challenging the official result of the presidential election that many in Belarus and abroad said was rigged, Belarusian authorities have added more than 4,000 to the registry of extremists. The Belarusian KGB has added more than 400 persons to the list of "terrorists" since then.

Lukashenka, 69, has been in power since 1994. He has tightened his grip on the country since the August 2020 election by arresting -- sometimes violently -- more than 35,000 people. Fearing for their safety, most opposition members have fled the country.

The West has refused to recognize the results of the election and does not consider Lukashenka to be the country's legitimate leader.



Many countries have imposed sanctions against Lukashenka's regime in response to the suppression of dissent in the country.
SOFIA -- At a historic summit next week in Washington, NATO will be celebrating its 75th anniversary and strategizing how to further aid Ukraine against Russia's full-scale invasion.

Heads of state and government from the alliance's 32 members -- including Sweden, which just joined in March, and Finland, which joined in April 2023 -- are scheduled to attend the gathering from July 9-11.

Noticeably absent, however, will be the president of Bulgaria, which has been a member of NATO since 2004. Rumen Radev has said he was not consulted over a document to be presented at the summit that spells out Bulgaria's official stance on Russia's war against Ukraine and the alliance's commitments to helping Kyiv. Instead, only acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev will attend, instead of together with Radev as had been planned.

Radev, 61, whose position is largely ceremonial but offers a platform to influence public opinion, has made clear he does not support sending military aid to Ukraine, arguing such assistance only prolongs the conflict. He has referred to those who favor such support as "warmongers."

Delyan Peevski, leader of the liberal Movement For Rights And Freedoms (DPS) and one of Radev's more vocal critics, called the refusal "a confirmation that Radev's positions serve foreign, not national interests and are subjected to dependencies and ties in the East, contrary to the Euro-Atlantic values and principles." (Peevski has been sanctioned by the United States and Britain for alleged corruption.)

Others have expressed relief that Radev will not be accompanying Glavchev to the summit, amid worries the former air force pilot could use the gathering as a platform to air his Kremlin-friendly views.

"In order to find a positive in the whole picture, at least we won't have any worries that Bulgaria will have an ambiguous position at the meeting in Washington," offered Elena Poptodorova, a former Bulgarian ambassador to the United States.

"Otherwise, we would have been nervously waiting to see exactly how the president would represent the national position if he were Bulgaria's official spokesperson in Washington," Poptodorova told RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service.

NATO Skepticism

Radev said his decision to boycott the NATO summit hinged on his role, or lack thereof, in crafting Bulgaria's official stance and its commitments regarding Russia's war on Ukraine. Radev said he was not consulted when the Council of Ministers -- Bulgaria's top executive body comprising the prime minister and other senior ministers -- agreed on the provisions of this position, his office said on June 27.

Failure to publicly release the government's position has fueled speculation by some politicians, mostly those friendly to the Kremlin, that officials were up to something more sinister.

"I hope that we will all see what is written in this text and understand why it was in no way consulted in advance with the president, [and] why there are reservations about it being presented to [parliament]," said Vice President Iliana Iotova, Radev's running mate in the 2016 presidential election, on June 27.

On June 28, the government press office did state that the position staked out by the Council of Ministers includes a reaffirmation of Sofia's military support for Kyiv, as well as an understanding that Ukraine should not be forced to give up territory to achieve any peace with Russia.

Acting Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov added that the official position could not be published because it also contained classified information.

A few days later on July 1, acting premier Glavchev did say he would send later that day the contents of Sofia's official position to the Classified Information Registry of parliament. That would allow deputies in the National Assembly, Bulgaria's unicameral parliament, to familiarize themselves with its content.

Glavchev dismissed as "absurd" allegations that the cabinet may be pushing Bulgaria into war. "There is nothing in it that is different from the positions and the resolutions of the National Assembly," he added.

Radev has long voiced skepticism of NATO aiding Ukraine and has tried to block such efforts, claiming it will only fuel a wider conflict, a narrative embraced by other pro-Kremlin figures, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

In fact, in May, when Sofia hosted a meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Radev instead traveled to Budapest for talks with Orban, whose government has also worked to block aid to Ukraine.

The upcoming summit in Washington will focus on three major topics, according to Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's secretary-general, with supporting Ukraine's efforts to defend itself "the most urgent" agenda item.

By not attending, Radev will be sending a "harmful" message to Bulgaria's NATO's partners, said Assen Agov, a former Bulgarian lawmaker and ex-deputy chairman of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

"He's discrediting the country, thinking he's scoring points in some peace process that doesn't exist," Agov told RFE/RL.
Welcome back to the China In Eurasia briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter tracking China's resurgent influence from Eastern Europe to Central Asia.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Reid Standish and here's what I'm following right now.

A Blueprint For Eurasia

Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other leaders who are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will kick off a two-day summit in Kazakhstan starting on July 3 as the bloc is poised to grow again.

But where does this club of mostly illiberal states fit into Beijing and Moscows wider plans?

Finding Perspective: The SCO is helmed by China and Russia, but also includes India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan as members. This years summit is headlined by the admission of Belarus into the organization.

This marks a trajectory of growth for the SCO over its 23-year history. Since it was founded in 2001, the bloc has shifted from a forum mostly focused on Central Asia into a Eurasia-wide organization with ever-growing ambitions.

In its early days, this was centered on China settling its borders with its western neighbors following the collapse of the Soviet Union and looking to expand its influence, while assuaging any anxieties in Moscow. Over time, things have shifted to counterterrorism, economic development, and regional security.

But its also increasingly becoming a venue for Beijing to show its growing heft around the region, a development that is continuing as Xi arrived early in the Kazakh capital, Astana, for a state visit and then will do the same in Tajikistan after the summit.

The bloc has also begun to feature more prominently in shared statements from China and Russia, with the SCO getting notable shout-outs during Xi and Putins no-limits partnership summit in February 2022 and other meetings between both leaders as they look to cooperate more through the organization.

Beijing And Moscow: China and Russias shifting dynamic has been a boost for the SCO.

After years of Russia using the bloc to water down Chinese influence in the region  and blocking Chinese-initiatives like an SCO development bank and free-trade zone  the Kremlin shifted to working more closely with China.

This began during Russia's isolation from the West that took hold in 2014 and has only grown since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has also started to accept that it has fewer cards to freeze out China and that the SCO can serve as a valuable forum to build support and undermine Western claims that the war in Ukraine has turned it into an international pariah.

Why It Matters: As the SCO has grown, its true value rests in symbolism rather than in any practical policy.

On paper, its one of the worlds largest regional organizations, accounting for around one-third of global GDP, roughly 40 percent of the worlds population, and nearly two-thirds of the entire Eurasian landmass.

While China has experimented with multiple iterations of the SCO, its main role has been in offering alternatives to the U.S.-led system and being another forum for Beijing to portray itself as the leader of the Global South.

China still has lots of work ahead if it wants to transform the SCO beyond its reputation as a talk shop for authoritarians. India and Pakistans rivalry will always be an impediment to the organization, but recently its been Beijing and New Delhis fraught relationship thats a factor.

Last years SCO summit in India became a virtual one, reportedly due to an unwillingness to welcome Xi, and at this years summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only leader not attending in person.

Three More Stories From Eurasia

1. NATO Keeps An Eye On The Asia-Pacific

Russias war in Ukraine is the main issue on NATOs mind, but when leaders from the military alliance gather in Washington on July 9-11, theyll also be turning their attention toward China.

The Details: NATO officials told RFE/RL that the upcoming summit will have a special China session, and the military alliance is looking to include Asia-Pacific partners like Japan, South Korea, and Australia, who have all been invited at the highest level.

While NATO is a defensive alliance focused on European security, China has become more of a focus in recent years.

Outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned in the past about the risks posed by Chinese state firms building critical infrastructure in Europe and said in June that Beijing should face consequences for supplying Russias war effort with dual-use goods.

2. Is Central Europe Back On The Menu?

After years of setbacks that saw all three Baltic countries withdraw from Chinas forum to engage with Central and Eastern Europe and others downgrade it, Beijing is on a charm offensive that could swing the pendulum in the other direction.

What It Means: Polish President Andrzej Duda recently wrapped up a visit to China, where he praised ties with Beijing and was lauded by Chinese media for his warm attitude.

Hungary is and remains a key partner for China in the region and recently took over the rotating presidency of the EU Council for the rest of 2024 amid tense trade spats between Beijing and Brussels.

In Slovakia, the countrys populist, Euroskeptic government is also apparently flirting with stepping up engagement in the 14+1, the Chinese forum that was previously the 17+1 before Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania pulled out.

Matej Simalcik, executive director of the Central European Institute of Asian Studies, said that Jiang Yu, Chinas special envoy for the 14+1, recently held meetings with Slovak officials in Beijing. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is also slated to visit China this fall.

Now, Duda is nearing the end of his term and Poland elected Donald Tusk, whose stance on China is more critical, as prime minister in December. Duda also used part of his visit to attempt to foster division between Beijing and Moscow during a speech to Chinese university students by bringing up how territories along their shared border were lost to Russia during tsarist times.

The Czech Republic continues to have a government and president that hasnt been shy to criticize Beijing, but a change of government in the near future isnt out of the question.

With populist former Prime Minister Andrej Babis polling strongly, the Czechs could also start to walk back some of their tougher positions if the ruling coalition doesnt survive the next vote.

3. A Megaproject Comeback

While China has been the main source of foreign direct investment in Central Asia in recent years, Beijing took a step back when it came to building sprawling infrastructure projects.

But with a much-discussed railway between China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan getting the green light, that may be about to change.

What You Need To Know: My Almaty-based colleague Chris Rickleton looked at Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Central Asias two poorest countries, and recent projects and large deals signed with Chinese companies and lenders.

The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway agreement is significant in that it offers some revealing details about the divisions of financial responsibility.

According to the agreement, the 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.

But the issue of its funding is still somewhat unclear. Kyrgyz official estimates for the cost of the railway vary from $4.5 billion to $8 billion. That will likely require large loans from a major Chinese state bank. The agreement proposes using a structure where Kyrgyzstan could limit its debt exposure by granting full control of its portion to a Chinese firm and forfeiting part of the revenue the railway generates from transit fees until building costs are repaid.

In Tajikistan, Chinese investors pledged $500 million in new deals at an expo in June, as well as a $1.5 billion commitment from a Chinese company to build a solar power plant near Tajikistans border with Afghanistan.

The deals could be crucial for Tajikistans investment-starved economy, but the country is already highly indebted to China and has few avenues to pay it down.

Across The Supercontinent

The EV Expansion: The first batch of plug-in hybrids rolled off the assembly line at a new plant from Chinas BYD in Uzbekistan. The Central Asian country is aiming to position itself as the main hub for Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) as the automaker eyes the region for expansion.

Modi To Moscow: Worried by Russias deepening ties with China, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will head to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin, Bloomberg reports.

Rare Earth Edict: Chinas State Council issued a raft of regulations to tighten management of rare earth minerals, which are playing an increasingly strategic role in the global technology race.

Indirect Trade: While much of Chinas support for Russia amid its war in Ukraine occurs bilaterally, an increasing percentage is diverted through Central Asia and other locations. The Atlantic Councils Joseph Webster breaks it down here.

One Thing To Watch

Nicholas Burns, Washingtons ambassador in Beijing, gave an interview to The Wall Street Journal where he rebuked Chinese authorities for undermining attempts to repair ties with the United States, interrogating and intimidating Chinese citizens who attend U.S.-organized events in China, and whipping up anti-American sentiment.

The comments reflect unusually forceful language from Burns and show ongoing frustration over a lack of progress on any attempts at improving relations between Beijing and Washington.

Thats all from me for now. Dont forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you might have.

Until next time,

Reid Standish

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every other Wednesday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met on July 3 in Kazakhstan as part of a two-day summit for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which is poised to admit Belarus as a member.

The expected expansion of the club of Eurasian countries is part of another push from Beijing and Moscow to use the regional security bloc as a counterweight to promote alternatives to the Western institutions that make up the U.S.-led world order.

Putin told Xi ahead of their bilateral meeting that Russia's ties with China were stronger than ever and touted the SCO as a powerful instrument to advance their foreign policy agendas.

"Russian-Chinese relations, our comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, are experiencing their best period in history," Putin said in comments broadcast on Russian state TV. He hailed the SCO for "strengthening its role as one of the key pillars of a fair multipolar world order."

Moscow and Beijing have deepened their political, military and economic links since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

In his opening remarks, Xi told Putin that China and Russia should "uphold the original aspiration of friendship for generations" in response to an "ever-changing international situation."

Calling Putin an "old friend," Xi alluded to the progress the two countries had made in putting in place "plans and arrangements for the next development of bilateral relations."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also met with Putin at the SCO, offering to help end the Ukraine-Russia war. Erdogan said he believed a fair peace suiting both sides was possible, according to the Turkish presidency. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Erdogan could not play the role of an intermediary.

"No, it's not possible," Peskov said when asked whether Erdogan could assume such a role, according to TASS. There was no explanation for why the Kremlin was opposed to Erdogan's participation.



The SCO summit, which ends of July 4, was also set to focus on better coordination for counterterrorism in the region, which remains high on the agenda for members following Moscow's Crocus City Hall attack in April. The security situation in Afghanistan and a new mechanism for an investment fund proposed by Kazakhstan will also be discussed by leaders.

"The mandate for the SCO can be quite vague and far-reaching," Eva Seiwert, an analyst at the Berlin-based MERICS think tank, told RFE/RL. "Officially speaking, this is a security organization that focuses on improving collaboration among its member states and building mutual trust throughout the region."

The bloc was founded in 2001 with China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan as members with a focus on settling territorial disputes and has grown to tackle issues like regional security and economic development. The SCO added India and Pakistan in 2017, Iran in 2023, and is set to grow again with the addition of Belarus this year.

The SCO's evolution over its 23-year history has largely been shaped by China and Russia's evolving relationship.

At times, Moscow has looked to water down or block Chinese-led plans for the bloc, including proposals for a regional development bank and a free-trade zone. But as Xi and Putin have built stronger ties between their countries in recent years -- especially since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine -- the two leaders have more actively made the SCO a part of their broader cooperation together and a centerpiece of their shared anti-U.S. worldview.

"For a long time, China wanted to make sure that the SCO is not portrayed as an anti-Western organization, but this has changed, especially since Iran joined," Seiwert said. "It's becoming clear that the SCO doesn't care so much about what the West thinks anymore."

At a meeting of senior Russian officials in June, Putin spoke about the creation of "a new system of bilateral and multilateral guarantees of collective security in Eurasia," with the help of existing organizations like the SCO, to work toward gradually "phasing out the military presence of external powers in the Eurasian region."

Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin, told RFE/RL that while the SCO is increasing its international visibility and geopolitical weight, it still remains an organization that is heavy on symbolism but light on substance.

"It's still trying to figure out what it is now and what it can be," he said. "At the end of the day, its main advantage is just the sheer size and its collective GDP, but there are still almost no substantial results."

In the absence of a clear mandate, the SCO is largely serving as a diplomatic forum for regional leaders to get sought-after face time with Xi and Putin.

Leaders and representatives from nonmember states like Azerbaijan, Qatar, Mongolia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkmenistan, and Turkey are also expected to attend, as is United Nation Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Notably absent from this year's summit is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar attending in his place.

Niva Yau, a fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub, says that India appears to be losing interest in the SCO, in part due to New Delhi's tense rivalry with Pakistan, but also over ongoing tensions with China amid a multiyear border dispute.

She says that this growing reticence from India may hamstring the bloc's potential and Beijing's future plans for it.

"It reduces the SCO's global profile and limits some of China's bigger plans," she told RFE/RL.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters
Deirdre Collins is among the team of student archaeologists from the United States who are in Ballintubber for the summer examining the local 12th century Anglo-Norman castle.

Deirdres grandfather Thomas Collins emigrated from Ballintubber in the 1950s.

The Castles in Communities Archaeological Field School and Research Project is in its eight season in the Roscommon village.

The programme provides training in archaeological survey, excavation, and laboratory analysis to the US based students.
The National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park has received a Travellers' Choice Award for 2024 from Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform.

This special recognition is awarded to an attraction based on reviews from the previous year. The top 10% attractions worldwide receive this particular award.

The Travellers' Choice awards honour visitors' favourite destinations, hotels, restaurants, and things to do, based on the reviews and opinions collected from travellers and diners around the world on Tripadvisor over a 12-month period.

The National Famine Museum is internationally recognised as the main interpreter of the Great Famine, a pivotal event in Irelands History.

Developed by the Irish Heritage Trust in partnership with Failte Ireland and owners of the property, Westward Holdings, the flagship facility opened in October 2022 following a 5m investment programme.

On the Strokestown Park Facebook page, delight was expressed that this first class visitor attraction had received the award.


The construction of a warehouse for maturation, which is an essential part of whiskey production, has been given the planning go-ahead on a site in Boyle where a craft whiskey distillery is being developed.

Developer Neil Stewart has been granted permission by Roscommon County Council for the erection of a maturation warehouse at Mocmoyne, Boyle. In the related planning documents, it is noted that maturation is a crucial part of whiskey production.

Legally, produce from distilleries cannot be branded as Irish whiskey unless it has been matured for a period of at least three years, it is noted in the documents.

In a separate but related application, Mr Stewart was also granted planning permission for the modification, extension and change of use of an original office/store on the same site to a retail outlet and tasting area, along with the provision of toilet facilities.

Last April, Mr Stewart was given the go-ahead by the council for the change of use of part of an existing mill building complex on the site from the production of grain and maize products to a whiskey distillery.

Comprising a floor area of more than 14,500 square foot, the proposed distillery will be developed in the vicinity of the mill complex, which is a protected structure. Owned by the Stewart Family for generations, the mill, over 200 years old, is a four and five-storey building that was a former feed plant.

Documents with that planning application noted that the applicant had invested extensive time and resources in putting together a two-phase business plan.

The first phase is the setting up of the distillery for the production of a premium quality whiskey on site followed by phase two, the restoration of part of the mill for what is being described as a unique visitor experience for tourists.

It is intended to use the spring water from the St. Patricks well located within the proposed development area as the main source of water to be used in the whiskey distillation process.

An architects report on that planning file explained that Stewarts Mill propose to establish a craft and environmentally sympathetic distillery to produce triple pot stilled premium Irish malt whiskeys and Irish whiskeys from locally sourced ingredients, distilled in the traditional way in the historic town of Boyle. Since 1880, the Stewart family have been entrepreneurs in developing business opportunities on the banks of the Boyle River. Continuing this tradition for future generations we see an opportunity to create a craft whiskey distillery producing premium Irish whiskey for sale at home and abroad, it stated.
A very exciting live music programme has been assembled for Boyle Arts Festival 2024.

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 11th.

BAF 2024 will run from July 18th to 27th and some of the names to watch out for in the live music genre include Paul Brady, Stocktons Wing, Rebecca Storm, Eddi Reader and the Alan Kelly gang, Regina Nathan, Bridin, Mack Fleetwood, James Nelson and The Men Who Knew Too Much. 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.

St. Josephs Hall will once again be transformed into a music venue with a full bar and it will play host to four live concerts during BAF 2024.

On July 19th 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 the Boyle Arts Festival on Saturday, July 20th.

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', '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 26th.

Closing BAF 2024 on July 27th 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 21st 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 Boyle Arts Festival on July 18th 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 20th. 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.

The festival is delighted to have Dave Byrne back after a five year hiatus from the music scene. Dave will bring his solo acoustic show to Daly's Lounge on July 22nd, where you can expect an evening of rock n roll, folk and pop classics from the 1950's to the 1990s.

Keep an eye out for the 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 11th until July 27th. Call in for programmes, information and tickets. For further information, please visit www.boylearts.com, telephone 089 9722477, email info@boylearts.com or follow on Facebook, Instagram and X.

Boyle Arts Festival is supported by The Arts Council, local sponsors, Roscommon County Council, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Roscommon County Council Creative Ireland Programme 2024.
Hathras Stampede Death Toll Rises To 121, Police Looking For 'Godman'

Hathras Stampede, Helpline Numbers: 05722-227041 and 05722-227042

Hathras Stampede Death Toll Latest News: July 2 was a black day in the history of Hatharas, Uttar Pradesh as more than 100 people, including women and children, were killed after a stampede broke out at a 'satsang' (prayer meeting) organized by a self-styled godman, Bhole Baba aka Narayan Saakar Hari, in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras on Tuesday.

According to information, Narayan Saakar Hari is believed to be at his 'ashram' in Mainpuri, about 100 km from the Phulrai village, where the event was attended by thousands of devotees. Several senior police officials reached the Hathras stampede site, while others started hunting the "Godman" at his ashram, the Ram Kutir Charitable Trust.

Advertisement

In the meantime, a committee has been established to investigate the incident. Likewise, an FIR has been registered against organisers of religious congregation.

On the other hand, President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed their condolences to the families of the victims.

PM Modi said, "Spoke to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ji regarding the tragic incident in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. The UP government is engaged in providing all possible help to all the victims. My condolences are with those who have lost their loved ones in this. Along with this, I wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured."

Advertisement

(For more news apart from Hathras Stampede Death Toll Latest News, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
July 3, 2024 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsflash

Newsroom, 03.07.2024, 19:49

Powerplant. The project for the building of Units 3 and 4 of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant (in south-eastern Romania) has received the positive opinion of the European Commission regarding the technical and nuclear safety aspects, the Romanian Energy Ministry has announced. The project is carried out by the company EnergoNuclear, fully owned by Nuclearelectrica National Company. According to the Euratom Treaty, the developers of nuclear projects have the obligation to submit investment projects to the European Commission in advance and demonstrate their compliance with the highest nuclear safety standards. Romania sent a notification in May of last year, and the point of view of the European Commission is, according to the Ministry of Energy, the result of a thorough assessment.

OSCE. The works of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly hosted by Bucharest have come to an end. A final declaration was adopted containing the resolutions of the internal committees, including one on the deterioration of the human rights situation in the break-away region of Transnistria, in the Republic of Moldova. Another important subject discussed over the five days of the session was the war waged by Russia against Ukraine. It was for this reason that the delegations of Russia and Belarus were not present at this annual meeting, explained the Romanian foreign minister Luminita Odobescu. Until Russia halts this unjustified aggression against a sovereign state, this organisation, including its parliamentary assembly, cannot resume its normal works and remains a forum where Russia is held responsible for violating international law, Odobescu emphasised.

Expulsion. A member of the Romanian embassy in Russia was declared persona non grata by Moscow. The Russian foreign ministry says the move is in response to a previous unjustified decision by the Romanian side to declare a Russian diplomat to Bucharest persona non grata. The Romanian foreign ministry confirmed that the Romanian ambassador to Moscow Cristian Istrate was summoned at the Russian foreign ministry where he was handed a memo stating the above. Bucharest has described Moscows decision as unfounded and recalled that the decision to expel a Russian diplomat on 24th May was motivated by the latters carrying out activities that run counter to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. More precisely, the diplomat in question was involved in a case of espionage and treason, in which a Romanian citizen is accused of providing the Russian embassy with military intelligence and photographs of combat technology taken from Romanian or NATO military facilities in Tulcea county. Foreign diplomats benefit from immunity and expulsion is the most severe measure a state can take.

Elections. The calendar for the presidential and parliamentary elections in Romania could be set on Thursday, when the ruling coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party are to meet again. The talks come after the discussions that the Social-Democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu had for two days with the main political competitors. Most delegations requested that the elections take place on the legal deadline, towards the end of the year, and not be held at the same time. Others agreed that the first round of the presidential elections should be held simultaneously with the parliamentary elections, either on December 1 or 8, with the second presidential round being held on either December 15 or 22. In March, the Liberals and the Social Democrats had agreed that the presidential elections should be scheduled for September, and the legislative ballot for December.
Ireland's service sector growth softened in June as new grew at the slowest pace since January and input prices climbed at the slowest rate since February 2021, survey results from S&P Global showed on Wednesday.

The AIB Irish Services Purchasing Managers' Index fell to 54.2 in June from 55.0 in the previous month. A score above 50.0 indicates expansion.

The current expansionary sequence was extended to three years and four months.

Demand for services continued to increase in June but the rate of growth was the weakest since January.

Despite slower growth in new business, the level of incomplete work continued to increase. Services employment growth was the weakest in the current 40-month sequence of job creation.

On the price front, input price inflation slowed to the weakest since February 2021. Likewise, charges rose at the second-slowest pace in over three years.

Confidence among service providers was the weakest since April 2023.

Further, the survey showed that the composite output index fell to 50.1 in June from 52.5 in May. The stagnation in growth reflected a slower rise in services activity and a faster decrease in manufacturing production.

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
Oil prices inched up slightly on Wednesday after closing lower in the previous session.

Benchmark Brent crude futures edged up 0.2 percent to $86.37 a barrel, while WTI crude futures were up 0.2 percent at $82.94.

Prices traded higher today as industry data showed a large draw in U.S. inventories.

According to the American Petroleum Institute, crude oil inventories in the U.S. declined by 9.16 million barrels for the week ending June 28 against market expectations of 0.15 million barrels dip.

Gasoline stocks rose by 2.47 million barrels during the week, while distillate stocks (including diesel and heating oil) decreased by about 740,000 barrels.

The Energy Information Administration will release its weekly inventory data later today.

Investors were also reacting to weak service sector activity data from China and a Reuters survey suggesting that the oil output by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) increased in June for a second consecutive month on the back of higher supplies from Nigeria and Iran.

A private survey showed services sector activity in China cooled to the weakest in eight months in June.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Maryam Hassanein, the first Muslim Americanappointee under the Biden administration, has resigned in protest against President Joe Biden's policy supporting Israel in the war on Gaza.

"Marginalized communities in our country have long been denied the justice they deserve. I joined the Biden-Harris administration with the belief that my voice and diverse perspective would lend a hand in the pursuit of that justice," Hassanein said in a statement announcing her resignation from the post of Special Assistant and Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management.

Hassanein, who was a Biden political appointee in the Interior Department, alleged that "Instead of using US leverage to stop the killing, President Biden has continued funding this violence, while fueling hate crimes against Palestinian Americans by repeating anti-Arab tropes and outright lies."

"As a Muslim American, I cannot continue working for an administration that disregards its diverse staff's concerns by supporting and enabling Israel's actions in Gaza, which I see as genocide against Palestinians," said 24 year-old Hassanein, who is the youngest among a number of Biden administration officials who have recently resigned over U.S. Government's policy on Israel.

"This administration has chosen to uphold the status quo instead of listening to the diverse voices of staff urgently demanding freedom and justice for Palestinians," she added.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Rep Lloyd Doggett, a U.S. representative from Texas, has demanded that President Joe Biden must step aside to make way for a better candidate in the upcoming U.S. Presidential election.

"I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw. President Biden should do the same," Doggett said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden's first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so," he added.

Doggett is the first Democratic member of the U.S. Congress to make such a call following Biden's below par performance at the presidential debate last week.

The 77-year-old lawmaker, who serves as Ranking Member of the Health Subcommittee on the House Ways & Means Committee, later told CNN that he should have made this call "much earlier in the process."

A poll conducted after the U.S. presidential debate suggests American voters' rising concern over whether incumbent Joe Biden has the cognitive enough to serve a second term.

In an alarming line of thought from the electorate for the Biden campaign, 45 percent of registered Democrats who took part in the poll said they prefer an alternative for Biden as the party candidate for president.

Biden stumbled at many stages of the 90-minute debate while Trump appeared more confident though using multiple falsehoods in attacking his rival.

First lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama were among top Democrats who have reportedly acknowledged it was not Biden's best campaign performance, but none of them agreed to calls for him to step aside to make way for a better candidate.

Biden put the blame for his poor performance on jet lag after "travelling around the world a couple of times" before the debate.

"I didn't listen to my staff... and then I nearly fell asleep on stage," he said at a private fundraiser in Virginia on Tuesday evening, referring to his extensive European tour last month.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
The United States will soon announce a new military assistance package for Ukraine.

The package, valued at more than $2.3 billion, includes additional air defense interceptors and other critical munitions.

The Pentagon said that the latest U.S. security assistance aims to provide Ukraine with a significant number of urgently needed air defense interceptors to protect Ukrainian cities from Russia's unrelenting aerial attacks, as well as artillery and anti-tank weapons to support Ukraine's needs on the frontlines.

The air defense capabilities will be delivered to Ukraine's front lines under an accelerated timeline enabled by the Pentagon's recent announcement that it would prioritize deliveries in favor of Ukraine ahead of some foreign military sales to other allies to ensure Ukraine has what it needs at a critical point in the war.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin previewed the new military assistance package as he met with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov at the Pentagon Tuesday.

"Ukraine is in a tough fight and has been ever since the start of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's reckless war of choice," Austin said. "The Kremlin continues to intensify its bombardment of your cities and civilians. But I continue to be impressed by the skill of your forces, and your troops continue to fend off Russia's attacks with grit, ingenuity and courage."

The two leaders also discussed the upcoming NATO Summit in Washington and the steps Allies are taking to support Ukraine and ensure there's a bridge to Ukraine's future membership in the Alliance.



Umerov provided Austin an update of dynamics on the ground in Ukraine, as Ukraine's forces continue to fight Russian aggression.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Montgomery County Circuit Judge James Anderson has decided to issue another temporary restraining order on the paused licensing process for medical cannabis licenses.

The legal battle involves approximately 30 companies vying for these licenses. Those companies that were denied licenses have filed lawsuits contesting the procedures, rules, and decisions of the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC), which was established by the Legislature to oversee the new industry.

The request for the new restraining order comes from Alabama Always, a company that is contesting the licenses granted to other companies as well as their own denial, claiming that they cannot argue for their license without addressing the circumstances of those who were awarded licenses.

The lawsuit alleges that the AMCC did not follow the required procedures outlined in the Compassion Act, the Alabama Administrative Procedures Act, and the Open Meetings Act when granting licenses, which led to Alabama Always being denied an integrated license despite having a facility in Montgomery.

Attorney Will Somerville, representing Alabama Always, argued that the commission should adhere to the Alabama Administrative Procedure Act by allowing denied applicants to challenge awarded licenses. He emphasized the need for a fair process where applicants can contest the qualifications of license recipients. Somerville proposed two potential resolutions for the case: either compel the Commission to draft new regulations and restart the process or appoint a special master. While Anderson expressed reservations about appointing a special master, Somerville advocated for this solution due to the urgency of the situation and the Commission's alleged failure to fulfill its duties.

The investigative hearing proposed by the Commission was intended to provide due process to the plaintiffs, allowing them to challenge the issuance of licenses to other companies. However, concerns were raised about the potential remedies available in this process.

Anderson acknowledged the limitations imposed by the Legislature in granting only five integrated licenses, highlighting the challenges faced by denied applicants. However, Anderson emphasized that under the current constraints, such flexibility does not exist.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Health officials in the Florida Keys have issued a dengue fever alert in response to the confirmation of two locally acquired cases of the mosquito-borne disease.

These cases mark the seventh and eighth instances reported in the Lower 48 this year, while over 700 cases have been linked to travel.

The emergence of these infections follows a notice from the CDC regarding a surge in dengue cases across the Americas. It's important to note that dengue fever is transmitted through the Aedes aegypti mosquito and is not contagious between humans.

The CDC has highlighted that dengue transmission peaks during warmer, wetter months in many tropical and subtropical regions. Moreover, it warns that the number of dengue cases is likely to increase as global temperatures rise.

According to the CDC, individuals infected with the dengue virus may experience symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Mild symptoms include fever, joint, muscle, bone, or eye pain, headache, nausea, vomiting, or rash. On the other hand, severe symptoms can be life-threatening, potentially leading to shock, internal bleeding, and even death, which may necessitate hospitalization.

In response to the new dengue cases in Florida, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District has recommended several preventive measures. These include draining water from various containers, discarding unused items that can hold water, and ensuring the cleanliness of water sources such as birdbaths and pet bowls. Additionally, other preventive measures involve protecting vehicles and boats from rain, properly maintaining swimming pools, using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing, and eliminating stagnant water sources where mosquitoes can breed.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu has signed a bill to launch a two-year statewide program, ensuring a comprehensive early cancer detection screening for all active and retired firefighters.

The bill makes New Hampshire the first state in New England to institute such a pilot program for firefighters, who are in a constant danger of exposure to carcinogenic chemicals.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the U.S. firefighters have a 9 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer, and a 14 percent higher risk of dying from cancer, compared to the general public.

"I am proud to have worked with President Brian Ryll and the Professional Firefighters of New Hampshire to secure critical funding for a cancer screening pilot program earlier this year," said Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington.

The bill approves an amount of $5 million to conduct a one-time screening of the firefighters, which includes a blood test, an ultrasound of vital organs, and a possible lung scan.

"The dangers of being a firefighter go beyond running into a burning building, and today, New Hampshire is taking a leading role in having the backs of these heroes, " Gov. Sununu commented. "This cancer screening program will have a lifesaving impact".

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Health News
The Trypillia culture flourished in western/central Ukraine, Moldova and eastern Romania for over two millennia from the end of the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age (5400-2700 BCE).

The Trypillia culture is a Neolithic European culture that arose in Ukraine between the Seret and Bug rivers, with extensions south into modern-day Romania and Moldova and east to the Dnieper River, in the 5th millennium BCE.

Also known as the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture, it is characterized by advanced agriculture, developed metallurgy, pottery-making, sophisticated architecture and social organization.

Trypillian society was matriarchal, with women heading the household, doing agricultural work, and manufacturing pottery, textiles and clothing. Hunting, keeping domestic animals and making tools were the responsibilities of the men.

Between c. 4200 and 3600 BCE, the so-called Trypillia mega-sites were established on the northern limits of the Pontic Steppe, said Dr. Robert Hofmann and his colleagues from the University of Kiel.

With sizes of up to 320 ha and around 10,000 inhabitants, they are among the largest prehistoric communities in Europe.

These settlements were built in a partially open forest-steppe landscape with very fertile loess-based soils.

They were agricultural settlements inhabited all year round, with an economy based on the cultivation of cereals and pulses and on intensive and extensive animal husbandry centred on cattle.

To explore changing levels of inequality across the three geographical regions of the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture, the archaeologists used variability in the sizes of 7,000 houses at 38 settlements.

We assume that the new social organisation of the mega-sites enabled the population to actively participate in political decision-making processes, Dr. Hofmann explained.

Such a reformist character at the time could have been the trigger for the enormous appeal of these settlements, as a result of which a large number of people joined these communities.

We used the variability of house sizes in 38 Trypillia settlements to calculate how the level of inequality has changed in the three geographical regions over 2,000 years using the Gini coefficient, said Dr. Nils Muller-Scheeel, an archaeologist at the University of Kiel.

The results of the analyses show little variability in house sizes between 4300 and 3800 BCE.

We can deduce that Trypillia mega-sites between 4300 and 3800 BCE exhibited a low level of social inequality.

There must have been effective mechanisms to prevent social inequality in the Trypillia communities, said University of Kiels Professor Johannes Muller.

This may have included mechanisms to balance interests and redistribute surpluses.

The development of differences in house sizes and political institutions suggests that the opportunities to participate in political decision-making processes deteriorated over time and that the original egalitarian principles of the settlement founders were gradually abandoned.

This resulted in increasing social differentiation and growing differences in prosperity.

In our opinion, this was a decisive factor in the later gradual disappearance of the large mega-sites, Dr. Hofmann said.

The phenomenon of mega-sites is thus part of a series of historical examples that show that an increase in the complexity of societies does not necessarily go hand in hand with an increase in vertical social differentiation.

Rather, the emergence and disintegration were based on democratic political decisions made by the individuals and communities who lived in these huge settlements and eventually decided to leave them.

The teams work was published in the April 2024 issue of the journal Antiquity.

_____

Robert Hofmann et al. 2024. Trypillia mega-sites: a social levelling concept? Antiquity 98 (398): 380-400; doi: 10.15184/aqy.2024.18
Episodic memory and mental time travel have been viewed as uniquely human traits. This view began to shift with the development of behavioral criteria to assess what is referred to as episodic-like memory in animals. Key findings have ranged from evidence of what-where-when memory in scrub-jays, rats, and bees. In a new study, scientists examined episodic-like memory and future-oriented behavior in wild free-foraging Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus). They found that the fruit bats rely on mental temporal maps and exhibit future-oriented behaviors when foraging. They also found that the time-mapping ability requires experience and is lacking in inexperienced bats.

For many years the cognitive abilities to recall personal experiences (episodic memory) and plan ahead were considered exclusive to humans, said Professor Yossi Yovel from Tel Aviv University.

But more and more studies have suggested that various animals also possess such capabilities, but nearly all of these studies were conducted under laboratory conditions, since field studies on these issues are difficult to perform.

Attempting to test these abilities in wild animals, we designed a unique experiment relying on the colony of free-ranging fruit bats.

The researchers assumed that bats depending on fruit trees for their survival would need to develop an ability to track the availability of food both spatially (where are the fruit trees?) and over time (when does each tree give fruit?).

Navigating through landscapes with numerous fruit and nectar trees, they would need to mentally track the resources in order to revisit them at the appropriate time.

To test this hypothesis, a tiny high-resolution GPS tracker was attached to each bat, enabling the documentation of flight routes and trees visited for many months.

The vast data collected in this way were thoroughly analyzed, producing some amazing results.

The first research question was: Do bats form a time map in their minds? Tel Aviv Universitys Dr. Lee Harten.

To explore this issue, we prevented the bats from leaving the colony for varying periods of time, from one day to a week.

We wanted to see whether the bats could tell that time had elapsed and behave accordingly.

We found that after one day of captivity, the bats would return to trees visited on the previous night. However, when a whole week had gone by, the older bats, based on past experience, avoided trees that had stopped bearing fruit in the interval.

In other words: they were able to estimate how much time had passed since their last visit to each tree, and knew which trees bore fruit for a short time and were no longer worth visiting.

Young, inexperienced bats were unable to do this, indicating that this is an acquired skill that must be learned.

While the first research question looked at past experiences, the second dealt with the future: Do the bats exhibit future-oriented behaviors? Are they capable of planning ahead?

To address this issue the researchers observed each bats route to the first tree of the evening, possibly indicative of plans made before leaving the colony.

We found that usually the bats fly directly to a specific tree they know, sometimes 20 or 30 minutes away, said Tel Aviv Universitys Dr. Chen Xing.

Being hungry, they fly faster when that tree is further away, suggesting that they plan where they are heading.

Moreover, focused on their chosen target, they will pass by other trees, even good sources visited just yesterday  indicating a capacity for delayed gratification.

We also found that the first bats to leave the colony choose trees bearing fruits rich in sugar, while the bats that leave later seek proteins.

The findings suggest that the bats plan their foraging before they leave the colony, and know exactly where they are flying and what kind of nourishment they are looking for.

The cognitive gap between humans and animals is one of the most fascinating issues in science, Professor Yovel said.

Our study demonstrates that fruit bats are capable of quite a complex decision-making process involving the three questions indicative of cognitive abilities: Where? (each trees location); When? (when the tree bears fruit); and What? (the nourishment it provides  sugar vs. proteins).

Once again we find that the gap is not cleat-cut, and that humans are not as unique as some might think.

Apparently, humans and animals are all located on a spectrum, with almost any human ability found in animals as well.

A paper on the findings was published in the journal Current Biology.

_____

Lee Harten et al. Time-mapping and future-oriented behavior in free-ranging wild fruit bats. Current Biology, published online June 20, 2024; doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.046

This article is a version of a press-release from Tel Aviv University.
Technology

Spotlight

Low-income San Franciscans scramble to deal with internet subsidys end

Millions of Americans  including tens of thousands of San Franciscans  recently received some unwelcome news: Their internet bills are set to go up.

The effective rate hike was the result of the end of a federal subsidy program that has its roots in the nations response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dubbed the Affordable Connectivity Program, the initiative was designed to close the long-lingering digital divide by providing significantly discounted internet access to low-income families, even allowing some to get broadband service for free.

But the program ended at the end of May after Congress  despite bipartisan support  failed to continue funding it. That left participants in The City and across the country facing the choice of swallowing costs formerly paid by the government, reducing their service to lower-cost offerings or canceling their internet access altogether.

The end of the program means that the most vulnerable people in our economy, in our community, are going to be left behind at an accelerating pace, said Sunne Wright McPeak, CEO of the California Emerging Technology Fund, a nonprofit established by the California Public Utilities Commission charged with helping get such citizens online. Were going to be right back into not just ... a digital divide, but a digital cliff.

Craig Lee/The Examiner George Chan, Chinese Newcomers Service Center Executive Director, pictured in Chinatown on Stockton Street in San Francisco on Friday, June 28, 2024. Chinese Newcomers Service Center helped sign up people in Chinatown for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which subsidized internet access for low-income people.

The nation has long contended with a digital divide between those who have internet access  particularly high-speed access they could use with computers in their homes  and those who dont. But the pandemic brought into sharp relief the societal problems associated with those gaps. During the lockdowns that were put into place to control the outbreak, online connections became critical tools for people to work remotely, go to school, see their doctors, order groceries and more.

To help those who couldnt afford connections during that period because they had low-paying jobs, or lost wages or their positions due to the pandemic, Congress created the Emergency Broadband Benefit. That program temporarily offered a $50 a month discount off internet access and $75 a month to those who lived on tribal lands.

In late 2021, as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Congress created the Affordable Connectivity Program, which was intended to be a longer-term replacement for the EBB.

Although the new program reduced the subsidy for people outside of tribal lands to $30, it expanded the pool of eligible people. Under EBB, households qualified only if their incomes were at or below 135% of the federal poverty line. ACP bumped that up to 200% of the poverty line. That meant that some 49 million people nationwide  including 5.8 million in California  were eligible for the discounts, according to data from CETF.

The new program, like the old, also offered a one-time $100 discount off the purchase of computers or tablets.

Courtesy of CETF Sunne Wright McPeak, the CEO of the California Emerging Technology Fund, a nonprofit founded by the CPUC to close the digital divide. Were going to be right back into not just  a digital divide, but a digital cliff, McPeak said of funding ending for a federal internet subsidy.

To ensure that households could use the ACP money to get fast connections, the Biden administration secured commitments from 20 of the nations leading broadband providers, including Comcast and AT&T, to allow enrollees to use their $30 subsidy to completely cover the cost of service that provided download speeds of at least 100 megabits per second.

Although the Federal Communications Commission quickly rolled out rules to govern it, uptake was initially relatively slow. By November 2022, about 30% of eligible households nationwide and 32% in California had signed up for it.

Those involved in helping get the word out about the program or help people sign up for it say they faced numerous challenges. Eligible enrollees can be difficult to reach, in part because many didnt have internet connections at all before the program.

Additionally, there was little advertising done to get the word out about ACP around the state and particularly in San Francisco. And at least some of the advertising was done online  where those without connections werent going to see it.

A lot of people didnt know about this program, said Andrew Broderick, a project co-director at the SF Tech Council, which works with other community organizations to close The Citys digital divide. That was a challenge in itself.

Part of the dearth of advertising was due to the state being late to distribute funds to promote the program, said Rey LaChaux, a digital equity manager in the San Francisco Mayors Office of Housing and Community Development. But The City and surrounding communities also spent little themselves to tout it, McPeak said.

Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press file. President Joe Biden speaks at an event on lowering the cost of high-speed internet in the Rose Garden of the White House, Monday, May 9, 2022, in Washington. Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and Alicia Jones, a beneficiary of the Affordable Connectivity program, listen. The ACP ended June 1, 2024 after Congress failed to continue funding it.

It would have been ideal to be able to advertise the program on TV or via targeted ads on Facebook and other social-media services, LaChaux said, but most of the steps his office took to get the word out about ACP were done with little to no funding.

That would have been awesome to have a budget for that, LaChaux said.

Even when people knew about ACP, signing up for it could be a challenge. The FCC application for it was available in English and Spanish, but many of those eligible speak neither language.

To prove eligibility, people had to submit documentation that they were enrolled in programs such as MediCal, which offers health insurance for low-income state residents, or CalFresh, the states food-stamp program. But collecting and submitting such documentation could be difficult.

About 80% of those who enrolled in the program in California were able to do so on their own, McPeak said. But the application process could be time-consuming and, for some, required a lot of assistance.

In the sessions the SF Tech Council held to help people sign up for ACP, it took people at least 30 minutes to complete an application and often as long as two hours, said Karla Suomala, another project co-director at the organization. During a three-hour session, the Tech Council would help about 40 people sign up  despite having 20 to 30 volunteers helping out, she said.

The application was really complicated, Suomala said.

Even with such challenges, the state and nation made significant progress toward closing the digital divide. By February, when the FCC froze sign-ups in anticipation of the programs end, 23.3 million households  including 2.9 million in California  had signed up for ACP, according to CETF figures. That amounts to 48% of eligible households nationwide and about 50% in the state.

In San Francisco, 48,150 households enrolled in the program, about 38% of those eligible, according to CETF.

Bao Jie Wang, 76, was among the San Francisco residents who signed up. Before the ACP, she didnt have internet access. Starting in May 2022, when she enrolled, she used the program to pay for a low-cost connection from Comcast.

Wang said she was glad to have it. She uses her connection to watch videos on YouTube, read news sites, get health information and communicate with friends and relatives in Asia via WeChat.

Now that the ACP subsidy is going away, she plans to pay the $10 monthly cost out of her own pocket, potentially reducing what she spends on food or clothes to afford it, she said.

Without the internet, Id be very bored in my life, Wang said. I have no choice but to pay that.

But other enrollees will likely downgrade their connections.

One Tenderloin resident, who asked that her name not be used, said she signed up for the ACP with the help of MNC, a neighborhood group that works with low-income residents. The woman, who is middle-aged and has a disability, said she used the connection to pay for a high-speed connection from Comcast.

Craig Lee/The Examiner MNC Digital Navigator Benny Tan, pictured at the groups computer lab on Friday, June 28, 2024, helped a Tenderloin resident who spoke with The Examiner sign up for a now-expired federal internet subsidy. She said she worries the speed that service provides wont allow her to do video calls with her friends, family or doctor anymore.

Her disability has often inhibited her from going out and interacting with people, because many often arent willing to accommodate people like her, she said. But her connection  the first home-internet service she said she had in a while  has opened up a new world for her, she said.

She said she used the connection to stream movies, check the news and hold video calls with her doctor and with family and friends overseas. She even planned to use it to take part in a virtual stage performance, she said.

Now that the subsidy is going away, she has cut back her service to Comcasts low-tier offering, which costs about $10 a month. She said she worries the speed that service provides wont allow her to stream movies or do video calls anymore.

What can I do? she said. I just take what I can do and afford what I can afford.

Other enrollees are cutting their connections entirely, advocates say. Even $10 a month is more than many people can afford, they say.

The Chinese Newcomers Service Center in Chinatown helped hundreds of people sign up for ACP, said George Chan, its executive director. Now, it has 10 to 20 people coming in asking for help because their internet bills have suddenly spiked, he said.

Those his organization helped enroll in the program used their new connections to communicate with their families on WeChat or watch TV, videos and the news, he said. The access it provided to such programming was important, because radio and TV reception in Chinatown can be bad, he said.

Without the subsidy or the discounted program, they give up, Chan said. They think theyve lost their connection with the world.

If you have a tip about tech, startups or the venture industry, contact Troy Wolverton at twolverton@sfexaminer.com or via text or Signal at 415.515.5594.If you have a tip about tech, startups or the venture industry, contact Troy Wolverton at twolverton@sfexaminer.com or via text or Signal at 415.515.5594.
Average private rents in Great Britain have climbed to record highs, prompting a call for the next government to prioritise measures to help create an extra 120,000 rental properties. Data shows that the typical advertised rent outside London reached a record 1,316 a calendar month in May, the property website Rightmove said. The figure for London was 2,652 a month  almost three times the 894 asked for in north-east England.  Guardian

Much has changed in Belfast since the 1930s. Yet through the second world war, decades of Troubles and the steep decline of heavy industry, the Short Brothers factory has continued to make planes and parts. Yet now a takeover by US planemaker Boeing of the factorys owner, Spirit AeroSystems, has raised questions over its future. Workers and politicians fear a new ownership structure could lead to steep job cuts at one of Northern Irelands main manufacturers, which has about 3,500 employees.  Guardian

Dozens of airports across Europe are unprepared for new post-Brexit fingerprinting rules scheduled to be introduced in months, threatening chaos for British tourists unless the timeline is delayed. Senior industry figures have expressed alarm that many smaller airports across the EU have so far failed to install fingerprint technology that is set to be activated in October. Under the so-called European Entry/Exit System (EES), all British nationals travelling to the EU will have to have their biometric data taken upon crossing the border for the first time.  Telegraph

Marks & Spencer has faced shareholder questions over paying an annual dividend of only 3p, despite handing millions of pounds in bonuses to its bosses. At the retailers annual meeting on Tuesday, several investors told the board they were really disappointed with the really low dividend payment that it awarded  its first for four years  after delivering forecast-busting profits. Archie Norman, its chairman, said the dividend should have hopefully put a nice little bit of a chink in peoples pockets, but admitted that it was a modest return.  The Times

The founder of Hipgnosis Songs Fund is to step down as chairman of its investment adviser as part of the $1.58 billion takeover of the London-listed music rights investment company by Blackstone. Merck Mercuriadis, 60, will depart Hipgnosis Song Management, the investment adviser, once Blackstones $1.31-per-share acquisition closes, bringing to an end an acrimonious period.  The Times
The 'Global IndiaAI Summit 2024', set to take place on July 3-4 in New Delhi, will be inaugurated by Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Railways, and I&B, Ashwini Vaishnaw, according to an announcement from the IT Ministry.

Minister of State for Electronics and IT and Commerce and Industry, Jitin Prasad, is also scheduled to address attendees at the event.

The summit aims to assemble a diverse group of international delegates, AI specialists, and policymakers. On its first day, the event will feature an extensive range of sessions focusing on pivotal aspects of AI application and governance. Among these, the session IndiaAI: Large Language Models will delve into how advanced AI models can manage India's linguistic variety while adhering to ethical norms.

Simultaneously, the GPAI Convening on Global Health and AI session will explore how AI can be harnessed to improve healthcare in underserved regions, positioning India as a leader in promoting inclusive healthcare through innovation.

Empowering Talent through AI Education & Skilling will address the AI skills gap by highlighting educational strategies and career opportunities. Concurrently, 'AI for Global Good: Empowering the Global South' will engage in discussions on developing inclusive AI, reflecting Indias commitment to equitable global AI access, as stated by the IT Ministry. The second day will emphasize fostering talent and scaling AI innovations. A session titledwill address the AI skills gap by highlighting educational strategies and career opportunities. Concurrently, 'AI for Global Good: Empowering the Global South' will engage in discussions on developing inclusive AI, reflecting Indias commitment to equitable, as stated by the IT Ministry.

This summit underscores Indias dedication to advancing AI for societal benefit and strengthening its role as a key player in the global AI landscape.
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden defiantly vowed on Wednesday to keep running for reelection, rejecting growing pressure from within his Democratic Party to withdraw after a disastrous debate performance raised questions about his readiness. He said he would not be forced from the race.

I am running. I am the leader of the Democratic Party. No one is pushing me out, Biden said, according to a top aide who posted his comment on the X social media platform.

The New York Times, however, reported Wednesday that the president informed a key ally that he may not be able to stay in the race against former President Donald Trump.

The White House denied the report, calling the claim absolutely false, according to CNBC.

Biden and Harris made a surprise appearance on a Democratic National Committee call, according to three people familiar with the matter who were given anonymity to discuss the private conversation. The people said it was a pep talk, stressing the stakes of the election and returning to Bidens previous post-debate comments that he would get back up after being knocked down.

It was one of several efforts by the president and his top aides to try to calm increasing anxiety among his allies on Capitol Hill and at top levels of his party.

Democrats are unsatisfied with the explanations of Bidens debate performance, from both White House staff and Biden himself. And there is a deeper frustration among some Democrats who feel Biden should have handled questions about his stumbling debate performance much sooner and that he has put them in a difficult position by staying in the race.

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients urged people during an earlier all-staff meeting Wednesday to tune out the noise and focus on the task of governing.

Even as Zients acknowledged that the days since the Atlanta matchup between Biden and Republican Donald Trump have been challenging, the chief of staff stressed to more than 500 White House aides on the call the accomplishments and the track record of the Democratic administration and said governing will only become more crucial once the campaign season heats up, particularly after the Fourth of July holiday, according to a White House official.

Biden himself began making personal outreach on his own, speaking privately with senior Democratic lawmakers such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Delaware Sen. Chris Coons and South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, according to a second White House official and others with knowledge of the conversations. Zients also spoke personally with Schumer and Clyburn earlier Wednesday.

On Capitol Hill, there is increasing anxiety with each day as Biden had been slow to reach out to top Democrats and rank-and-file members, according to people familiar with ongoing conversations.

Zients tried to rally the staffs confidence in Bidens reelection apparatus, noting that the president has a strong campaign team in place and that the White Houses job was to focus on continuing to implement Bidens agenda. He also told staff that Biden has always made it through tough times, despite being counted out over his decades in public office.

The chief of staff also encouraged aides to continue being a team and, while acknowledging the increasing political chatter, to tune it out and stay disciplined, according to the official, who was granted anonymity to relay Zients private remarks. Zients also urged White House staff to ask questions and offer feedback.

Staff-wide White House calls arent unusual, but Wednesdays 15-minute check-in came as Biden and senior White House officials were working to assuage rattled lawmakers, donors and other allies within the party amid sharpening questions about whether the 81-year-old president had the competency to run for a second term in office.

A memo sent Wednesday by campaign chair Jen OMalley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez insists the election between Biden and Trump will still be close, seeking to downplay the lasting effects of the debate.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were also scheduled to hold one of their sporadic lunches on Wednesday, and the president was planning on hosting an assortment of Democratic governors at the White House in the evening.

Among the Democratic governors who were planning to attend in person were Tim Walz of Minnesota, who leads the Democratic Governors Association, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Daniel McKee of Rhode Island, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Gavin Newsom of California, according to their aides. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy were planning on attending virtually.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) introduced legislation on Wednesday that would fine tax-exempt schools across the country for encroaching on a students civil rights, after antisemitic incidents on college campuses increased following the Hamas attacks on Israel in October.

The University Accountability Act would force colleges and universities that meet the penalty criteria to pay a fine of either five percent of the schools aggregate administrative compensation as reported on the schools Form 990, or $100,000, whichever is greater, a written statement explained.

The violation would need to breach the Civil Rights Acts Title VI.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provides that no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

Should the institution have more than three civil rights violations, the bill would mandate that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) examination of the college or universitys tax-exempt status for possible revocation.

Since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, antisemitic incidents against Jewish students on college campuses increased by 700% over the same period last year, according to Jewish campus organization Hillel International.

Should the bill be ratified, Columbia University, which has been at the epicenter of anti-Israel protests and horrific antisemitic attacks against those of the Jewish faith, would be fined $1.9 million, according to a press release issued by Malliotakis office.

Universities have a responsibility to protect their students from violence and discrimination, and instead were seeing a disturbing increase in antisemitic attacks and rhetoric on college campuses, Malliotakis said. If these schools are receiving generous tax benefits from the federal government at the expense of American taxpayers, they should be doing more than simply giving a slap on the wrist to perpetrators of hate. Our legislation seeks to hold these institutions accountable with lofty financial punishments that would encourage them to investigate and crack down on instances of antisemitism and help foster a safer a safer academic environment for all students, regardless of their gender, race or religion.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  New York City data shows an outside-the-box deer control program is paying off, and officials confirmed last week that the effort would continue for another five years.

The city Parks Department extended its contract with White Buffalo Inc., the Connecticut-based company that has run the local deer vasectomy program since 2016, until September 2029 to the tune of nearly $2.5 million.

Parks Chief of Education and Wildlife Sarah Aucoin touted city data published in September last year highlighting the decline in the local white-tailed deer population since the vasectomy program began.

The Parks Departments report listed the current deer population estimate as 1,273  a 41% drop from an initial estimate of 2,166. Counts are based on a number compiled by White Buffalo.

Additionally, Aucoin said there had been a 60% decrease in deer vehicle collisions and an overall decrease in in black-legged ticks seen on the Island.

White Buffalo is a leading expert in population control of white-tailed deer and has extensive experience using fertility control, she said. This new sterilization contract will ensure that we maintain a high level of vasectomized bucks on Staten Island and continue to see the overall population of deer, and the impacts of deer, decrease.

The citys first contract with White Buffalo, announced in 2016, was for $3.3 million over three years, and estimated an annual deer population reduction between 10% and 30%, according to Advance/SILive.com reporting at the time.

Despite not reaching those annual benchmarks, the city signed another contract with White Buffalo in 2019 for about $2.6 million over five years, according to records from when the contract was available for public review.

De Blasios 2016 announcement of the vasectomy program followed years of growing concerns about the deers impact on Staten Island that gained momentum in the late 2000s.

Though deer had long been thought eradicated from the Island, there were sporadic sitings as far back as the 1990s as deer swam across from New Jersey, according to Advance records.

The citys deer efforts on Staten Island launched in 2016 have also included a variety of educational efforts, including visits to local classrooms, road signs warning of deer and a public-messaging campaign.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Several dozen residents rallied in Port Richmond Tuesday night to speak out against the citys plans to shelter migrants in the basement of a neighborhood church.

With a sizable police presence, protesters were corralled behind metal barriers directly across from Faith United Methodist Church at the corner of Heberton and Castleton avenues as several speakers took to the mic.

With some waving American flags and holding up placards, the enthusiastic crowd welcomed artist/activist Scott LoBaido, Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo (R-Mid Island), Guardian Angels founder and former mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, North Shore state Senate candidate Marko Kepi, John Tabacco and several Port Richmond residents, among others.

Meanwhile, a raucous group of just over a dozen counter-protesters stood atop the church steps across the street loudly attempting to interrupt the rally with chants of weve got to fight back and youre a racist at the rally speakers who attempted to drown them out with chants of shame on you and U.S.A.

Just over a dozen counter protesters stood atop the church steps across the street Tuesday night loudly attempting to interrupt the rally speakers. (Staten Island Advance/Scott R. Axelrod)Scott R. Axelrod

A member of that group was initially speaking through a microphone, but when LoBaido questioned police as to whether the man was in possession of a sound permit, the counter-protesters were forced to chant without audio assistance.

LoBaido went on to ask whether the good people across the street would like to have the migrant men dropped off at their homes, as the group continued to chant through the remainder of the rally.

As the event wrapped up, Sliwa told the group that $4 million has already been spent to house migrants throughout the city. Adding that Mayor Eric Adams should come to the annual 4th of July Parade in Travis to explain to residents why migrants are being placed in a house of worship.

Ive been arrested to stop this outrage, to stop this chaos, Sliwa said before teasing a second run at Gracie Mansion. Next year, you know, Im doing it all again with Eric Adams.

Church leaders at Faith United Methodist  including its pastor, the Rev. John Wood  have not responded to multiple requests for comment about the shelter.
President Joe Biden at last seems to know how calamitous his debate performance against former President Donald Trump was.

A report in the New York Times says that Biden told a top ally that he is weighing whether to continue the race.

Biden, 81, is said to have acknowledged that if he stumbles again at campaign events in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin this weekend, the end could be nigh.

The White House said that the report was absolutely false.

But even if Biden pulls the plug, he wont be easy to replace at the top of the ticket.

Heres why.

The money, honey

The hundreds of millions of dollars raised by Bidens campaign committee cant simply be transferred to another candidate. Not unless Vice President Kamala Harris, whose name is also on the campaign committee, is at the top of the ticket. And Dems want that even less than they want Biden at the top of the ticket.

Whos next?

Some Dems are salivating at the thought of California Gov. Gavin Newsom stepping in for Biden. But that would mean that Harris, also from California, might have to go. Thats because of a potential Electoral College quirk in the 12th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution doing with presidential and vice presidential candidates coming from the same state. And Harris wouldnt go without a fight, nor likely agree to serve as Newsoms number two. And shes got the money.

Running for president aint easy

Its four months until Election Day. It would be a herculean task for anybody to step in, raise the necessary money and be ready to run a national campaign. Its a titanic logistical effort, with campaign staffs and offices from coast to coast. Campaign messaging would have to be crafted. Advertising bought. It takes years of preparation to launch a viable presidential campaign.

Dem infighting would be brutal

Dem leaders, not voters, would choose the next nominee, with the party convention just six weeks away. Can the party, splitting at the seams right now over Biden, possibly unify in such a short time? And who makes the final call?

Biden might not leave after all

Biden first ran for president back in 1988. He served two terms as loyal vice president to President Barack Obama. Hes craved the presidency his entire life. He may decide to tough it out. And if he stays, theres nothing the party can do about it.

Dems have insisted that Trump has had to go since the day he was elected president in 2016. Anybody would be a better president, we were told.

Now we know thats just not true. This is what the anyone-but-Trump movement has brought us: a president in Biden whose mental and physical decline can no longer be denied.

Dems should have known that they were in trouble when Biden stumbled out of the gate in the 2020 primaries and looked finished. It was only after Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina endorsed Biden that Bidens campaign took off.

Which is why its the height of irony to see Clyburn come out and say that it was perfectly legitimate for people to raise the issue of Bidens advanced age in the campaign.

But if Biden did step aside, how can American voters trust the Democrats to come up with the next nominee? Theyre the same ones whove conned us for years about Bidens fitness for office.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  City officials visited Staten Island Tuesday to discuss a project set to transform lots ravaged by Hurricane Sandy into 23 new housing units.

Those units will be spread across Midland Beach and South Beach in seven single-family and eight two-family homes, which will be sold to buyers at 80%-100% of the area median income or those who make about $111,000 to $150,000 annually, Stephen Erdman, the executive director of home ownership and shared equity at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).

Were thinking about firefighters, EMTs, nurses  you know, workforce families, he said. The types of people who live in Staten Island and the community currently, thats really what the project is for.

Each of the lots were part of the citys Build It Back program, which typically helped those with Hurricane Sandy-ravaged homes with repairs after the 2012 storm. But in some cases, the city bought out the homes.

City officials plan to redevelop this property on Hamden Avenue shown Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Staten Island Advance/Paul Liotta)

HPD plans to sell the sites of the 15 houses for $1 a piece to Urban Ecospaces, a company that specializes in resilient construction of affordable homes.

That company will later sell the homes at HPD-set affordability rates to first-time home buyers who will have to owner-occupy the buildings for a set period of time with the opportunity to rent any additional units on their property.

The 23 units of housing will be spread out across each of the 15 buildings with 11 three-bedroom units, eight two-bedroom units and four one-bedroom units, according to HPD.

All of the homes will be built using prefabricated modules, a cheaper and more sustainable type of construction.

Tamia Perry, Urban Ecospaces CEO, said they had done previous work on the Island around Build it Back, and in Queens and Brooklyn.

[A modular home] looks just like a regular home. The only distinction is that its going to come in modules or like LEGO bricks, she said. When youre building on site from the ground up, theres less disruption to the community, so we thought that this would be better. The community has already been through a lot with the hurricane.

An artist's rendering shows the future Midland Beach location of a home on Hamden Avenue that will be part of a New York City program. (Courtesy: New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development)HPD

New York City began its partnership with Urban Ecospaces following a 2018 request for proposals, and the new homes will be part of HPDs Open Door program.

That program typically funds construction of cooperative and condominium buildings affordable to moderate- and middle-income families, but also funds the construction of new one- to three-family homes where lot size permits. The city may also help cover some of the construction costs.

Councilman David Carr (R-Mid-Island/South Brooklyn) said last month that hes working with the city and developer to ensure Staten Islanders have advanced opportunity to purchase the homes.

These are sites purchased through the Build It Back Acquisition for Redevelopment program. They will have new one- or two-family homes that will be built according to post-Sandy resiliency standards and consistent with the local zoning text, he said. I am currently working to ensure that the city and the building sponsor advertise the process for applying locally so that Staten Islanders can take advantage of these new home ownership opportunities.

An artist's rendering shows the future appearance of a Midland beach home on Greeley Avenue that will be part of a New York City program. (Courtesy: New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development)HPD

Carrs office shared some literature it received from Urban Ecospaces outlining its efforts to market to Staten Islanders in line with HPD guidelines. The houses will be sold through a lottery system that will give weighted preference to Staten Islanders, according to HPD.

All buildings will be built within the existing zoning and will incorporate the surrounding context of the neighborhood, an HPD spokesperson said.

The properties to be developed are in South Beach at 123 Father Capodanno Blvd. and in Midland Beach at 398 Hamden Ave., 181-187 Moreland St., 176 Kiswick St., 455-457 Lincoln Ave., 521 Lincoln Ave. 111 Grimsby St., 770 Patterson Ave., 529 Greeley Ave. and 1144 Olympia Blvd.

Records from the Richmond County Clerk show several of those properties listed in a transfer to HPD with several other New Dorp Beach and Oakwood Beach properties not included in the affordable housing project.

HPD has not confirmed what will become of those other properties, but Urban Ecospaces website says their local work will be a 40-unit project consisting of 24 scattered-site lots across Staten Island.

A virtual hearing on the current project is set to be held July 24 at 10 a.m. where members of the public will have the chance to comment. The call-in number for that hearing will be 1-646-992-2010 with access code 717 876 299.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Get ready for sharks to take over the summer TV schedule in July when Shark Week 2024 returns.

The summer tradition airs every year on the Discovery Channel  typically running for a full week. This years series will start on Sunday, July 7, and will wrap up on Saturday, July 13.

If youre looking to catch brand-new episodes, Discovery has released its schedule for the full seven days of programming.

If you are a cord-cutter, you can watch Shark Week on fuboTV, which is currently offering a free trial.

This year, it will be hosted by actor and professional wrestler John Cena.

The annual television event promises to be an electrifying and unforgettable experience that will leave you in awe of the world beneath the waves.

WATCH SHARK WEEK ON FUBOTV OR PHILO WITH A FREE TRIAL

Shark Week will also be available to stream on Max.

The Shark Week experience will be brought to viewers across digital and social media platforms. You can follow Discovery on TikTok, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates on programming and fun shark facts.

Heres a look at the full schedule for Shark Week 2024.

SUNDAY, JULY 7

8 p.m.  Belly of the Beast: Bigger and Bloodier

One of last years most popular Shark Week shows returns. Marine biologist Dr. Austin Gallagher, marine scientist Liv Dixon, and legendary cameraman Kina Scollay travel to a new location and head back into the belly of a 29-foot whale decoy with new shark attractant features to create the biggest feeding frenzy ever with 18-foot Breeder sharks in New Zealand.

9 p.m.  Jaws vs Leviathan

Orcas and other toothed whales are attacking Great Whites in record numbers, marking the latest chapter in a 60-million-year battle between Sharks and Whales. This rivalry began with The Leviathan, a prehistoric whale that once went tooth to tooth with the greatest predator to ever swim the oceansThe Meg. Now, Dr. Tristan Guttridge, Dr. Sona Kim, and Kina Scollay recreate these epic battles and study orca tactics to discover the ultimate predator.

10 p.m.  Makozilla

A wave of savage assaults against the sea lion population off Californias coast has sparked fears of a monstrous predator dubbed Mako-Zilla. Recent discoveries, including a 600-pound mauled sea lion with massive gashes, hint that a 16-foot-long predator could be responsible. A team of shark experts, including bite specialist Jeff Harris and Dr. Craig OConnell, embark on a mission to unveil the identity of the colossal predator haunting the coast.

11 p.m.  Sydney Harbor Shark Invasion

Returning to the site of his own 2009 shark attack for the first time, Paul de Gelder joins Madison Stewart to investigate a recent Great White Shark attack that occurred near Sydney Harbor, Australia  the first fatal incident in the region in almost 60 years. The dramatic encounter, which was captured on camera, was the sixth attack to occur in as many weeks. Within this aquatic arena, Great Whites contend with Bull Sharks, Tiger Sharks, and even humans in a colossal battle for supremacy. The unfolding saga raises the compelling question of who will emerge victorious in this intense struggle for dominance.

MONDAY, JULY 8

8 p.m.  Big Shark Energy

Shark experts Dr. Riley Elliott and Kori Burkhardt put on a one-of-a-kind shark competition to determine which male Great White Shark is the alpha in a pack of massive adults. In the waters off New Zealand, they compare the sharks speed, hunting ability, and fearlessness to determine who has the swagger to swim away with a female shark.

9 p.m.  Shark Frenzy: Mating Games

Dr. Craig OConnell explores the love lives of Oceanic White Tips & Tiger Sharks, suggesting that feeding frenzies spark romance vital for species survival. Armed with advanced gear, he orchestrates feeding events to uncover the mating link, which is crucial for species protection.

10 p.m.  Great White Serial Killer: Sea of Blood

After three fatal Great White shark attacks occurred off a small Mexican fishing village  including one in which a victim was decapitated - shark attack survivor Paul De Gelder joins shark investigator Brandon McMillan and local biologist Gador Mutaner to launch a plan to ID the killers and keep the villagers in the Sea of Cortez safe.

TUESDAY, JULY 9

8 p.m.  Deadliest Bite

Using cutting edge technology, Dr. Tristan Guttridge, Annie Guttridge, Paul De Gelder and Skye Minnis unveil the secrets of Bull, Tiger, Hammerhead, Great White, and rare shark species jaw mechanics and delve deep into how these sharks jaws and teeth deliver lethal attacks.

9 p.m.  6000lb. Shark

Marine Biologists Tom The Blowfish Hird and Leigh de Necker go searching for the fattest Great White Sharks off the coast of New Zealand and attempt to obtain their poop to study what they are eating. Using cutting-edge science, they aim to weigh a great white accurately for the first time, revealing if they can reach a staggering 6,000 pounds.

10 p.m.  Monster Hammerheads: Species X

Dr. Austin Gallagher and his team of researchers including Liv Dixon, Zandi Ndhlovu, and Dr. Tristan Guttridge, investigate an aggressive population of Hammerhead Sharks in Turks and Caicos, which they believe could be an entirely new species.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10

Great White North

Theres a growing population of aggressive White Sharks in an unlikely location, Canada. Shark expert Andy Casagrande heads out on an expedition along Nova Scotias coast to investigate a surge of Great White Shark encounters and figure out if this new population could be the largest in the world.

9 p.m.  Expedition Unknown: Sharks vs. Nazis in Paradise

Global adventurer Josh Gates and shark biologist Tristan Guttridge team up with natures deadliest predator to search for a lost wreck sunk by a Nazi U-Boat during World War II.

10 p.m.  Alien Sharks: Ghosts of Japan

Japans waters are home to the largest diversity of shark species on the planet, most of which take otherworldly forms. Wildlife biologist Forrest Galante, along with deep-sea marine scientist Christina de Silva and deep-water surveyors, track down and study these alien sharks in their mission to uncover whether the critically endangered Angel Shark remains in Japans waters. Along the way, Forrest will uncover 17 different and unique species and witness the births of little-known Velvet Dogfish sharks.

THURSDAY, JULY 11

8 p.m.  Monster of Oz

In southwestern Australia, an unknown predator with a taste for Great White and Mako Sharks ignites fears of sea monsters in the abyss. Filmmakers Dave and Jennene Riggs join Dr. Tristan Guttridge and Rosie Moore in attempt to track down the killer.

9 p.m.  Caught! When Sharks Attack

Researchers are witnessing an unusual amount of shark aggression and attacks. A team of experts will analyze the most intense shark encounters Caught! on camera, unveiling mysterious new behaviors within these dangerous interactions.

10 p.m.  Great White Danger Zone

Alison Towner and her team investigate a new Great White hotspot off the coast of South Africa. Equipped with cutting-edge fin cameras, tracking tags, and underwater surveillance, researchers unveil unusual behavior in these massive apex predators.

FRIDAY, JULY 12

8 p.m.  The Real Sharkano

Shark advocate and attack survivor Paul De Gelder visits an ultra-remote island of shark-worshiping natives to see if their secret ways of swimming with deadly sharks holds the secret to humans and sharks living together in peace.

9 p.m.  Sharks of the Dead Zone

Significant marine pollution and algal bloom outbreaks are creating eerie dead zones in North Americas most biodiverse estuary. Dr. Tiara Moore, along with Dr. Craig OConnell, explores whether Bull Sharks can persist in the Indian River Lagoon, a vital nursery, despite the oxygen-depleted waters. Her mission could unlock the secrets to shark survival in changing oceans.

10 p.m.  Shark Attack Island premieres at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery

A South Pacific paradise has become a shark attack hot spot with Bull, Tiger, and Great White sharks moving closer and closer to the resort beaches, fatally attacking seven people in the last five years. Dr. Riley Elliot, Paul De Gelder, and Kori Burkhardt conduct experiments to identify the species responsible and find out why they are attacking.

SATURDAY, JULY 13

8 p.m.  Sharktopia

In Indonesias Raja Ampat Islands, a team of researchers hunt for one of the regions last living leopard sharks. But as they venture deeper into the unknown, the journey brings them face to face with some of the weirdest and wildest sharks on earth.

9 p.m.  Mothersharker: Hammer Time

Using the latest underwater ultrasound and birthing tag technology, researchers Dr. James Sulikowski and Beckah Campbell aim to solve the mystery of where the elusive pregnant scalloped hammerheads give birth  and it may be closer than anyone realizes.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that more than $40 million in capital grants will be awarded to support critical needs of nonprofit organizations serving New York families and veterans, including nearly $100,000 for Community Health Action of Staten Island (CHASI).

This round of funding will help organizations across our state continue to deliver critical services to the New Yorkers who need them  including veterans and families, said Hochul in a written statement Monday.

The grants, awarded through the Nonprofit Infrastructure Capital Investment Program and the Veterans Nonprofit Capital Program, build on what the governor describes as her longstanding commitment to supporting New York service providers and bolstering its nonprofit sector.

From transformative renovations to service facilities to basic upgrades that keep them running, these awards will help to bolster our nonprofit sector, strengthen communities, and ensure that New York families can stay connected to vital services, Hochul continued.

Qualifying nonprofit organizations were eligible to receive between $50,000 and $500,000 in NICIP funding for reimbursement of eligible capital costs including technology, renovations and expansion of space used for direct program services, as well as renovations that enhance energy efficiency or accessibility.

The program awarded an estimated $39.6 million to 118 human service organizations across New York, and CHASI received $99,520 of this share.

CHASI is a social services organization that has served the Staten Island community for 35 years. CHASI services are spread throughout the Island, but it is the Port Richmond sites that will benefit from the funding -- specifically, their food pantry services.

Emilie Tippins, Vice President of Communications and Development for CHASI, communicated how the pantry services would utilize the money.

When people think of food pantry services, they think of donating the food, which is a huge part of what we do, said Tippins. But another vital part of the cost is infrastructure.

The three main areas supported by the grant are a roll gate for the outside of the pantry, a new floor and a new roof.

Its very critical to us that we make sure that our infrastructure, which is our literal foundation, are stable as it helps us with things such as climate control and accessibility. This way, we are well-equipped to serving as many families as we can across Staten Island, added Tippins.

The Nonprofit Infrastructure Capital Investment Program opportunity was originally launched in October 2023 to make targeted investments throughout the state that improve the quality, efficiency and accessibility of nonprofit human services organizations.

Weve actually replaced the roll gate already, which serves as security for the food pantry, so the projects are absolutely happening, and will continue to happen, confirmed Tippins. Port Richmond is right by the water, so the new flooring will be slip resistant, which will be more accommodating to all.

Grants, such as the one awarded to CHASI, help nonprofit organizations to function properly, and safely.

We wish to make sure our infrastructure is as safe as possible, and this money is going to make a huge difference on what we do at our sites, concluded Tippins.

An additional $1.13 million in awards were granted to 18 veterans services organizations through the Veterans Nonprofit Capital Program, Hochul said.

In addition to CHASI, a full list of awardees through the grant program is available online.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  In honor of those who have died, here is a summary of obituaries posted on SILive.com. Viewing times and guest books can be seen here.

Dr. Michael A. Paglia, 95, a USAF Veteran, surgical oncologist, and family man died on Thursday, June 27.

Born on February 25, 1929, to immigrant parents in Newark, NJ, Dr. Paglia was a distinguished surgical oncologist who practiced medicine for over 40 years in New York City. He was a beloved father, grandfather, friend, and physician, who served two years in the Air Force as a flight surgeon.

Dr. Paglia belonged to multiple medical societies, including Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Society of Surgical Oncology, American Medical Association, New York State Medical Society, New York Surgical Society, and Richmond County Medical Society. He was an active member of the American Cancer Society in the New York City Division and the Staten Island unit.

Read the full obituary on SILive.com.
Among the companys database of 5000 rock chips, fewer than 500 samples have been analysed for a full suite of rare earths, while only EV drill samples from its Boulder area have been analysed.

Management says it has been buoyed by the results of recent studies by the Queensland Department of Resources, the University of Queensland and James Cook University as part of the States New Economy Minerals Initiative. The studies highlight the companys Khartoum project as sitting in the centre of a significant area several times the size of the project itself, containing mineralisation styles with the potential to host critical minerals listed by the Australian Government.

EV Resources executive director Adrian Paul said: Our geological assessment of the Mossman Orogen, in which our Khartoum Project occurs, is endorsed by the New Economy Minerals Initiative study. EVR is in an excellent position to capitalise on the findings of the study. Prospective targets are being defined for Gallium, Germanium, and Rare Earth Elements, all critical minerals being sought by industry.

The styles of mineralisation at Khartoum include volcanic-hosted massive sulphide deposits (VHMS), epithermal deposit potential throughout the entire project area and granite-related deposits hosted by big batholiths in both tenement areas. The company says it is planning a staged approach to exploring for gallium and germanium and is contemplating following up the original reconnaissance work with geochemical surface sampling, then collating geochemical results against geology, geophysics and mapping observations.

It says it might then employ a bit of wildcat drilling where appropriate to test initial geochemical, geological and geophysical targets as they present. The third-dimensional perspective will assist with coming to grips with the regolith, the near-surface oxidation environment and element migration patterns.

EV sees the fortunes of gallium metal and germanium semi-metal, which sit like twins side-by-side in the Periodic Table of the elements, as being strongly tied to current market forces related to the global electrification imperative and it expects to see exponential growth in their respective markets.

The demand for gallium is predicted to be six times its current production volume next year. The United States and European Union both list gallium as a critical resource, which means it is of immense economic importance, but of finite availability.

The current global gallium production capacity is said to be exhausted, but demand is surging, while the Fraunhofer Institute predicts demand is about six times higher than world production.

Germanium is among the rarest metals on Earth. While it is considered a semiconductor, its properties continue to amaze scientists.

Traditionally  and for a long time  germanium was the leading raw material in electronics. It is now indispensable in fibre optics and is a critical and fundamental component of modern technology.

In the territory of fibre optic cables, it is predicted that demand for germanium will increase eight-fold through the next six years, which will mean a serious price increase is due sooner rather than later.

It is early days for EV in this space, but it looks well-dressed and ready to go and already has the ground and the encouragement from analyses and other high-powered research to give it a good head-start in its new quest for some unique critical metals.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au
Kathy doesnt quite know what shes unearthed when she walks into a bar one night to meet a girlfriend whos taken up with one of the bikers. Wide-eyed and quaking, she has just batted away a series of improper propositions and is preparing to leave when she spots a soulful-looking Benny (Austin Butler) peering into his beer glass while pondering nothing much.

The star interviewee is Kathy Bauer, wife of Benny Cross, the gangs Brando-ish glamour boy. Played by Jodie Comer employing a satirically broad midwestern accent, she supplies the narration and shes the main reason for seeing the film.

Welcome to Macho Central, the bolshie heart of the Vandals, a Chicago biker gang enjoying their heyday in the mid-1960s and early 70s. The Bikeriders is a fictional version of a book by photojournalist Danny Lyon, who rode with a Chicago club, the Outlaws, for almost two years, taking pictures and recording his conversations with its members and their intimates.

By the next day, her boyfriend has walked out and Benny has moved in. However, shes about to realise there are a couple of unbreakable strings attached to her new relationship. The toughest and most durable is Bennys love of the Vandals, and working in tandem with this is his devotion to Johnny Davis (Tom Hardy), the clubs leader, who regards him as his protege and closest ally. In other words, its a mans world and Kathy has to get on with it or get out.

Jodie Comer plays Kathy, who is married to Vandal Benny (Austin Butler). Credit:

Writer-director Jeff Nichols is best known for 2016s Loving, the story of Richard and Mildred Loving, who took the state of Virginia to court in 1967 over its ban on interracial marriage. All of his films have been set in regional America, a place that emerges from them as an incubator of the oddest of extremes in human behaviour, and The Bikeriders, set in Chicagos outskirts, fits the same pattern.

Its a study in hypermasculinity and there are times when I wasnt sure if Nichols was sending it up or buying into it. His cameras spend a lot of time in thrall to Bennys silent ruminations, which are worth such attention only if youre fascinated by his extraordinarily long eyelashes.

Benny has just one preoccupation  the need to resist anyone rash enough to try to separate him from his biker jacket. Youll have to kill me first, he tells a couple of thugs who want to do just that, and the gusto with which they accept this challenge results in a predictable amount of damage all around.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size In the new thriller MaXXXine, her third collaboration with filmmaker Ti West, Mia Goth plays an up-and-coming underground star who earns her Hollywood breakout in a delirious horror sequel. The irony is not lost on the 30-year-old. Its bizarre, isnt it? Especially now, seeing it all in retrospect, says Goth, over Zoom from Los Angeles, with a London accent so beguiling you want to hear her talk about the rain in Spain. It was, after all, her bombastic performance in Wests Pearl  the second film in their so-called X trilogy, after X, both released in 2022  that, a decade into her acting career, suddenly forced the worlds attention on Goth. Mia Goth in her breakout, Pearl. Credit: Christopher Moss/A24 So revered was her performance in the film  a Technicolor spectacle set amid the Spanish Flu that somehow merged The Wizard of Oz, Sirkian melodrama, and B-movie horror into a young womans bloody coming-of-age  that when the following years Oscar nominations were announced, it was Goths face leading countless articles decrying the Academys biggest snubs. When I look back at the last four years and who I was when we started day one on the set of X and who Maxine was in that movie, and then fast-forward to 2024 and where were both at, theres been this parallel throughout thats just so surreal, says Goth. Mia Goth, pictured at the premiere of MaXXXine in Los Angeles last month. Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP Shes been feeling the attention out in the streets lately, she says, in Toronto where shes been filming Guillermo del Toros Frankenstein alongside Australias Jacob Elordi. People come up to me and they have tattoos of Pearl, its, um its pretty cool, she says, contemplating her words. Its odd, but its not to the point where I dislike it. Its just exciting to have been part of something that connected with people as much as it has.

Advertisement

In a sort of cosmic coincidence that proves something out there is running things, Goth is, yes, Mias actual birth name. To have a real-life Goth become a horror superstar is ridiculously serendipitous. Its like if Will Ferrells name was Will Clown. Is she that much a fan of the genre? Sometimes yeah, if its a good one, says Goth. I just like good movies in general, regardless of the genre. Goth with Elizabeth Debicki in MaXXXine. Credit: Justin Lubin So what signifies a good horror movie to her? Hmm Great performances. Horror movies that are character-driven. When I think of the ultimate horror movie, like The Shining, its driven first and foremost by those performances from Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, and then everything else comes after that. As an actor, thats what I look for in movies. If the performances are compelling, then Im gonna stick around and watch the whole movie. Goth is living the brief. In X, she performed dual roles as the amateur porn actor Maxine Minx and the skin-crawling biddy Pearl, a role she later breathed such vivacity into in Xs prequel Pearl. In MaXXXine, the trilogys big closer, she picks up Minxs story after the events in X, with Maxine now firmly embedded in 80s LAs flourishing skin-flicks industry, but with a ruthless drive to be taken seriously. Once again highlighting his genre credentials, West has made MaXXXine with the true cocaine spirit (and splattery theatrics) of 80s straight-to-video psychosexual thrillers. Like the rest of the trilogy, its a movie about movies, in both form and content.

Advertisement

Set amid the eras real-life Night Stalker threat while evoking auteurist classics like Brian De Palmas Dressed to Kill, William Friedkins To Live and Die in LA, Alex Coxs Repo Man and Bob Fosses coke-fumed Star 80, the film frolics in the periods over-the-top sleaze and satirises a Hollywood hustle that remains timeless, whatever the hairstyles. But even in a cast that includes a fabulous Kevin Bacon playing a slimy, unscrupulous private detective and Elizabeth Debicki as a terse horror director with big ideas (a West stand-in), Goth is magnetic as Maxine  her disgusted pout, her spontaneous rage, her thousand-mile stare driving the films seedy depiction of an industrys star-making machinations. The X Factor: The final film in the trilogy follows Maxine into the seedy world of LAs 80s skin flicks. Credit: Dons Lens Discovered at an all-ages music festival and signed to a modelling contract at 14, Goth never formally studied acting, settling for the School of Lars von Trier instead. I was gonna go to school and then I got Nymphomaniac and I decided to go do that instead, she says of her first role in the Danish directors controversial 2013 film (where she also met her partner, actor Shia LaBeouf; the pair share a daughter, Isabel). Shes come up with her own approach to acting since, she says, built from watching movies, reading books, talking to directors, and following contemporary actors she respects such as Jessie Buckley, Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal (all the Irish, she jokes). Goth with co-star Halsey. Credit: A24 You get bits n bobs from here or there, which really is what all the other methods are anyway, she says. But its an elusive thing and every film is so different. One thing that might work on one set with one group of actors might not fly at all on another movie set, so you have to stay flexible and adaptable.

Advertisement

Even before he recruited her for X, West had been a fan of Goths and was determined to work with her. She has a really unique sense of authenticity and she has such a fearlessness and an unpredictable nature to her performances, he says. When I met her for X to play Maxine, she hadnt really had the chance to be the lead of a movie and she wanted the responsibility and challenge of that and she wanted to be seen, I think, by other people a little bit more how she saw herself. She was just ready to step up. Ti West, the X trilogys director, writer and editor. Credit: Justin Lubin Three films into their collaboration, hes lost count of the times hes seen firsthand her ability to imbue a scene with the sort of live-wire energy that cant be taught. Take her majestic monologue in Pearl, for example, an emotional masterclass that finds Goth running the gamut from vulnerable to unhinged to menacing for a mesmerising 10 minutes. Look, its one thing to see that on paper, but its another thing to actually see someone do it  and then do it over and over again, recalls West. Its the climactic moment of the movie and its entirely on her shoulders to carry this emotional load throughout that scene, and she just did it. I watched it happen and I was like, okay, this is a perfect encapsulation of what shes capable of. Fearless is a word that often comes up around Goths work. Look at her dual work in X, or her wild performance in Brandon Cronenbergs Infinity Pool, or the scene in MaXXXine where her heads completely covered in a molten plaster cast, and you might understand her commitment to her art.

Advertisement

You know, its funny, she would probably say shes not fearless but when she signs on to a movie, shes very much down for the cause, says West. Shes game for it all. When youre trying to do something like make a movie, which takes years, thats what you really look for in someone. So is there anything Goth would never do on screen? Um I would be really hard-pressed to say no to anything, she says. Maybe unless its something violent towards children, or something really awful like that. But I would pretty much try anything for a scene. A star is born: After farewelling Maxine, Goth has upcoming roles in major blockbusters. Credit: Justin Lubin/A24 via AP Back when her career was still fledgling, Goth told an interviewer shes only drawn to roles where someone has to struggle or fight. I think those are just the most interesting people, she explains. Whats the alternative? Id rather not work. Id rather wait for the roles that are meaningful in some way. Acting, the craft, has so much potential and when youre on set you really hope you have a chance to explore that otherwise you feel so unsatisfied at the end of the day. Its the worst feeling in the world. Shes always been very selective about the roles she does, she says, and more and more as her star brightens. Intriguingly, she already has a couple of blockbuster projects on the way, including Frankenstein and a Blade reboot, her first foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The thought of Disney getting its mitts on Goth is too gruesome to bear. Loading I mean, its different, for sure. Its bigger, everything is bigger, she says of working on those sets. But when you get down to the nuts and bolts of it and what really matters when youre opposite the actor and youre in your scene, it all feels like it could just be a small indie movie. The goal of your performance stays the same, and thats always just doing whatever it takes to make that scene as honest as possible.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Exclusive Eating outJust open Melbourne CBD has a lack of really great pubs. Until now The team behind Fancy Hanks and Good Heavens cook up a new public bar on a busy city corner, with a retro menu and old-school style in spades. Tomas Telegramma July 4, 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

As featured in the August hit list. See all stories .

Melbourne is teeming with excellent pubs, but the vast majority are outside the CBD. Mike Patrick, owner of the new Springrock Public Bar on Bourke Street, wants to help change that. It was about building a really great pub in the middle of the city. There arent a lot of options, he says. Springrock has opened in the former Grand Trailer Park Taverna. Jason South Patrick also owns barbecue restaurant Fancy Hanks and rooftop bar Good Heavens. When the neighbouring Grand Trailer Park Taverna site  on the corner of Bourke and Exhibition streets  became available during the pandemic, he jumped on it for Springrock. It was about building a really great pub in the middle of the city. There arent a lot of options. Mike Patrick, owner of Springrock

Advertisement

Helming the kitchen is Jarrod Di Blasi, who has serious pedigree. He was most recently head chef at hatted Japanese restaurant Izakaya Den, which closed in April. Prior to that he was at Ezard, and in 2017 he was named The Age Good Food Guide Young Chef of the Year. Cheeseburgers and chips at Springrock. Jason South That means Springrocks counter meals come with an extra level of care. I dont want to say elevated, but we really care about the products were using, says Patrick. The schnitzel is made with Hazeldenes chicken, theres Riverina Black Angus porterhouse, and the cheeseburger patty is ground in-house daily using brisket trim from Fancy Hanks. The three sibling venues share a renovated central kitchen  now home to a charcoal grill  leading to a natural cross-pollination of ideas. Oysters Kilpatrick are doused in Fancy Hanks sauce. Jason South

Advertisement

Oysters Kilpatrick are finished with Fancy Hanks barbecue sauce. Another retro-inspired dish from Di Blasi is slow-braised lamb shoulder pressed and fried into nuggets, served with jalapeno-mint jelly. The nostalgia in the menu is mirrored in the fitout, which channels old country pubs and the work of Patricks late grandfather, who was a mid-century architect. Dark timber panelling and patterned carpet are focal points, while large windows frame city views galore. Springrocks horseshoe bar. Jason South The centrepiece is a horseshoe-shaped jarrah bar where you can pull up for a pint of house lager  made in collaboration with Abbotsford brewery Bodriggy  or a mostly Victorian negroni made with Gindu gin, Saison vermouth and a smoked rosemary garnish. In classic pub style, there are daily specials including Sunday roasts and a happy hour with $8 wines and $10 pints, and TVs to keep punters entertained with live sport.

Advertisement

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up
Advertisement

Review Eating outEarlwood The suburban bakery pulling in customers from Melbourne, Perth and even further for a taste of home Treats abound at Baked at Binas in Earlwood: fried, sugar-dusted Portuguese yeast doughnuts, just-baked custard tarts and soft-centred Brazilian rolls filled with tender strips of steak. Lenny Ann Low July 1, 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

1 / 9 Brian and Sabrina Dias, the proud proprietors of Baked at Binas. Dominic Lorrimer 2 / 9 Pao na chapa com picanha, a soft-centred Brazilian roll filled with tender rump cap steak and fried onions. Dominic Lorrimer 3 / 9 Malasada (deep-fried yeast doughnuts). Dominic Lorrimer 4 / 9 Bolo de caco, a beautifully soft, flat Portuguese muffin. Dominic Lorrimer 5 / 9 Pao na chapa com mortadella. Dominic Lorrimer 6 / 9 Portuguese tarts. Dominic Lorrimer 7 / 9 Dominic Lorrimer 8 / 9 Vienna loaf. Dominic Lorrimer 9 / 9 Baguette sticks. Dominic Lorrimer Previous Slide Next Slide Brazilian$$$$ Several things stand out at Brazilian-Portuguese bakery Baked at Binas. First, streams of regulars, most of whom owners Sabrina and Brian Dias know by name, fill this cheery, sun-filled shop beside a suburban bus stop in Earlwood. Even in cold, slanting winter rain they come. Families, couples, locals in utes and older gentlemen in zip-up jackets hopping off the bus. They queue to order fat, glistening malasadas, fried, sugar-dusted Portuguese yeast doughnuts filled with custard, caramel, apricot, berries or Nutella. Or trays of just-baked pasteis de nata, Portuguese custard tarts, shimmering and bronzed within a glass cabinet. A tray of Portuguese tarts. Dominic Lorrimer

Advertisement

People sit at the half a dozen tables, inside and on the footpath, shooting the breeze over a pao na chapa com picanha, a soft-centred Brazilian pao frances roll filled with an eye-widening amount of chubby strips of tender rump cap steak and fried onions, or serves of golden, deep-fried coxhina, Brazilian chicken croquettes. Another stand out is the prices. Brian and Sabrina, who opened the shop in 2017, own the premises and live above it, work to keep prices affordable. Customers travel from Perth, Melbourne, Canberra for a taste of their heritage. Coffees start at $3.80. A Portuguese malasada (or sonho in Brazil) is $4, and the six varieties of pao na chapa (Brazilian for pressed on the grill) sandwiches range from $4.50 for the butter-only (mantega) version to $14.50 for the steak. You can take home frozen packs of 10 croquettes, filled with chicken, prawn or codfish, for between $18.50 and $21.50. The pao na chapa fillings define the Brazilian-Portuguese-Italian-Australian heritage of Brian and Sabrina  mortadella, ham and cheese, egg and bacon, and calabreza/chorico.

Advertisement

People come and say, Id like a Brian Special, Sabrina says. That means everything  all the fillings on one roll. Brian smiles. I call that the Heart Attack, he says. It is delicious. Also doing a hot trade is Sabrinas range of freshly baked bread. There is bolo de caco, a beautifully soft, flat Portuguese muffin, milk buns, baguettes and Italian-style Vienna loaves. Malasada (deep-fried yeast doughnuts). Dominic Lorrimer Racks are filled with kalamata rolls and loaves, baked for Earlwoods Greek community, and popo seco, rotund, dense Brazilian dinner rolls.

Advertisement

Look at this, Brian says, pulling apart a popo seco at its score. Thats a nice, dense roll. Its got yeast, but not much, and that, with just butter  its beautiful. Brian, who was born in Australia and has Portuguese heritage, met Sabrina, who was born in Brazil and has Brazilian and Italian heritage, in Australia in 2000. Sabrina, whose background is in economics, began her baking career after moving to Australia about 30 years ago, with time as head chef at Glicks Bakery in Melbourne. Brian, who says his mother named him after the late Nine newsreader Brian Henderson, previously worked in hospitality and as a mechanic. Pao na chapa com mortadella. Dominic Lorrimer He believes Baked at Binas, which the pair opened after running a patisserie in Marrickville, is Australias only Portuguese-Brazilian bakery. That means a wide and passionate clientele.

Advertisement

Its basically anyone thats Portuguese-speaking from any part of the world, he says. Whether it be Brazil, Portugal, Madeira, Azores, Macau. A lot of people from the Africas come here, as well  Mozambique, Angola ... wherever the Portuguese went to. Customers also travel from Perth, Melbourne, Canberra, he says, for a taste of their heritage. He points at the trays of doughnuts. That includes the pineapple doughnuts, he says. Thats an Australian thing and youve got to have that because there are not many bakeries that have them any more. Its a memory from when I went to school in Randwick. Get to school, have a pineapple doughnut. Pao na chapa com picanha, a soft-centred Brazilian roll filled with rump cap steak and onions. Dominic Lorrimer The feeling here is like visiting family. Partly because Brian and Sabrina, aka Bina, meet all with smiles, but also due to the bakery cafes design. Brian fitted it to resemble a kitchen with brass lightshades, glass-fronted cabinets filled with tea and coffee packets, and a creamy stone floor and counter tiles.

Advertisement

This is our home, too, Brian says. I love it when people walk in and they say, Oh, it smells so good in here. Thats why I love it, too. Waking up and smelling all the bread, the sweet things. Its a good way of making people happy while also filling their bellies. The low-down Vibe: Brazilian-Portuguese bakery offering buns, loaves, pasteis de nata, doughnuts, mini pizzas, croquettes and salubrious hot sandwiches Go-to dish: Pao na chapa com picanha, rump cap steak and onions in a pao fances roll, and a pineapple doughnut Cost: About $40, plus drinks

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up
The university has told Canberra that international students cross-subsidise the teaching of domestic students and noted in its submission that for every full-time Australian citizen who studies medicine or veterinary science, the University of Sydney needs to find more than $10,000 in additional funding each year  funding sourced largely from international student fees.

With proposed legislation to cap student intakes to be debated in parliament this week, the Heralds Daniella White has revealed Australian universities are bracing for a $1.1 billion revenue black hole next year with 63,500 fewer international students expected. Economic modelling commissioned by the University of Sydney showed the cuts could cause a $4.1 billion hit to the Australian economy and cause 21,922 direct and indirect job losses in 2025.

The Albanese governments plan to cut international student numbers to mitigate the housing crisis has universities and business warning the move will drive up student fees, undermine institutional reputations, cripple research, and have a broad economic impact.

Meanwhile, Business Council of Australias chief executive Bran Black weighed in, saying international students were a red herring in the housing affordability debate. Our economy is grinding to a halt, and we are concerned the government is about to make the wrong short-term decision by cutting international students, which will have a lasting long-term negative hit to the economy, impacting all Australians, Black said. The BCA believes the supermarket chain Woolworths workforce reflects the pivotal role international students play in our economy: 5700 of its 200,000 employees are student visa holders, helping to make sure the supermarket shelves are stocked and supply chains can operate efficiently.

The overseas student overload has partly resulted from Australias universities being forced to mainline on overseas students after government cutbacks compelled economies on the tertiary sector. According to the federal Department of Education, international education was worth $36.4 billion to the Australian economy in 202223: $21.8 billion was spent on goods and services, and $14.6 billion was paid on tuition fees. The overseas student education industry trails only iron ore, coal and natural gas as an export.

A third of all international students are currently enrolled at just five institutions, including the University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, and University of NSW. Clearly, they saw the writing on the wall and chased new markets. Now, other institutions want the legislation to ensure the honey pot is divided up outside the sandstone universities crowd.

Loading

Whatever the truth about public funding for university teaching and research, any underfunding was outweighed by the doubling in international student income in the past decade or so to more than $8 billion a year. Some of that money has funded capital works and salaries  many Australian vice chancellors are now paid double the salaries of their overseas counterparts.
A major police manhunt is under way in Sydneys west after a masked man armed with a knife and hammer robbed multiple people  appearing to target women.

On Wednesday morning police were called by multiple members of the public about a man trespassing on properties around Northmead.

About 5.10am, a 37-year-old man was inside a petrol station on Windsor Road when police allege the wanted man stole his Mitsubishi Outlander SUV.

Ten minutes later a 47-year-old woman was walking on Mons Road when the man stopped the SUV near her. Sensing something was wrong, the woman attempted to run away as the man approached her.
NRL personality Paul Kent has pleaded guilty to affray after failing to convince a court his depression and alcohol problems should spare him from punishment three months after coming off second best in a drunken brawl outside a Sydney pub.

Kent will avoid formal conviction after he drank schooners of beer for 11 hours at the Sackville Hotel in Rozelle before being filmed clashing with a stranger, Tamer Uzun, in April this year.

Paul Kent arrives at court on Wednesday to argue one charge of affray should be dealt with under mental health laws. Credit: Kate Geraghty

The Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday heard Kent had been walking home with friends when Uzun, standing outside the Three Weeds Hotel, asked Kent if he would be going to the match tomorrow.

Kent understood the match was raising awareness of domestic violence  a crime he had been cleared of at the end of 2023.
Thanks for joining us. Thats where well leave the posts for today.

Among the biggest stories this Thursday, Crime Reporter Cloe Read was in a Toowoomba court, reporting that Bruce Lehrmann has been committed to stand trial for rape, after his barrister failed to have the case thrown out of court. After allegedly raping a woman he had met at a Toowoomba nightclub on a drug-fuelled night in 2021, Lehrmann is accused of consoling her before allegedly raping her again.

Also today, rebel senator Fatima Payman has quit the Labor Party after creating a political firestorm over her decision to vote against the government over recognising Palestinian statehood, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Brisbanes northside residents have successfully argued for a more western route for the fourth  and most northerly  section of an inland alternative to the Bruce Highway.

Longwang opened earlier this year in a former laneway space in Brisbanes CBD. Credit: Markus Ravik

And Food and Culture Editor Matt Shea brings us Brisbanes most exciting restaurant openings of 2024  from steakhouses, laneway CBD diners and new French cuisine to the arrival of a southern hospitality powerhouse.

Further afield, a man has died after swallowing cyanide during an arrest in Victorias Macedon Ranges, and five police officers potentially exposed to the substance were taken to hospital.

In sport, Reporter Nick Wright writes that given Reece Walsh has not been in a Broncos jersey for five weeks, can he save the Broncos season?

And he brings us the story of how a chance meeting with TVs Kochie changed the life of a Queensland wheelchair racer, who now has his sights on the Paris Paralympics.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has unveiled his first Test team to meet Wales on Saturday, and yet again there are no shortage of new faces. In only his fifth Test, and first run-on role, Queensland breakaway Liam Wright was confirmed as the new Test captain.

Brisbane Times live local updates will return tomorrow morning.
The nations corporate regulator is not working, letting down millions of investors and failing to chase business and financial service criminals, a damning inquiry into the Australian Securities and Investments Commission has found.

Demanding that the 33-year-old commission be split into a regulator and a financial conduct investigator, a Senate investigation revealed an overwhelmed ASIC is failing to deliver justice to mum and dad investors while its timid legal approach does not deter criminal behaviour.

ASIC, the nations corporate regulator, is failing investors and the economy, a Senate committee has found in a damning inquiry. Credit: Darrian Traynor

The inquirys final report has proposed financial rewards for corporate whistleblowers if their revelations deliver significant public benefit, while those whose careers are destroyed by their actions should receive compensation.

Despite a sharp increase in ASIC government funding and staff, especially since the 2019 banking royal commission, the long-running inquiry found that too often the corporate regulator did not investigate legitimate complaints from the public about businesses that broke the law and put billions of dollars worth of investors funds at risk.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has all but confirmed rogue Labor senator Fatima Payman will leave the party this week, comparing her actions to those of Senator Lidia Thorpe, who left the Greens to campaign against the Voice to parliament.

Senator Payman, of course, has made a decision to place herself outside the Labor Party; that is a decision that she made, Albanese said in question time on Wednesday.

Senator Fatima Payman in question time last week. Credit: James Brickwood

Multiple informed sources, who were not authorised to speak publicly, confirmed Payman intended to make a statement about her future on Thursday at which she is expected to announce her formal split from Labor.

The crisis for Labor began last week when Payman, the first MP to wear a hijab in parliament, crossed the floor of the Senate to vote with the Greens on a motion backing Palestinian statehood, against the rules of the Labor caucus.
Anthony Albanese is facing calls to hold a snap election over the Coalitions contentious nuclear plan as his opponent, Peter Dutton, readies for an early poll and rumours swirl about a cabinet reshuffle.

The prime minister has repeatedly said he wants to run the full length of the three-year term and hold an election around May next year. Labor MPs privately believe an election later this year remains a chance, but is not the preferred option.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, independent MP Monique Ryan and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Waiting until May to hold an election would be economically reckless, according to teal MP Monique Ryan, because Duttons nuclear plan had jammed a stick into the spokes of the Australian economy by throwing the green energy transition into doubt.

Ryan wrote to Albanese urging an early poll, allowing Australians to decide which climate mitigation policies they supported.
Loading The operators warned opening hours would have to be reduced, again, after cuts last year. We are risking [priority primary care clinics] being unable to do their jobs, one operator said. There comes a point where its simply not sustainable. Two operators also pointed out that reduced hours would make it more difficult to retain staff in the competitive sector and could lead to closures. Health Department secretary Euan Wallace said in May that 7000 patients visited the clinics each day in Victoria. Data to November 2023 showed 53 per cent of patients would have gone to emergency departments if the clinics were unavailable.

Loading The department has reviewed the clinics but is yet to make its findings public. A parliamentary committee found the clinics reduced the number of emergency presentations, but it was not clear the model was sustainable because of a shortage of GPs. It is unclear to the committee how [the Health Department] is fulfilling PPCC staffing needs and how sustainable the model is, the committee said. It cited advice from the Australian Medical Association that patients with lower levels of urgency were managed quickly and easily at emergency departments. The association has said the most significant issue was chronic underfunding of GPs, reducing access to help over time, and increasing the level of care required down the track.

A spokeswoman from the health department said the clinics numbers spoke for themselves, with 444,766 Victorians receiving accessible care while taking pressure off busy hospitals. We know [the clinics] are making a real difference in the community and there are no plans to reduce hours or cut back services in Victoria with funding negotiations currently underway with the Commonwealth, she said late Wednesday. Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas. Credit: Justin McManus A key issue for the clinics is their cost per service. In the ACT, similar facilities have cost nearly $200 an appointment. Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Victoria deputy chair Bindia Sethi said cost pressures in the ACT were concerning.

Were waiting to see an evaluation of Victorias urgent care centres, and releasing that will either reassure people the same isnt happening in Victoria, or give a clearer indication of the cost versus the benefit, she said. Loading The state budget included $34.4 million to extend funding for another 12 months. Federal Labor also campaigned on funding urgent care clinics in 2022 and expanded funding in the May budget. The Albanese government now funded 10 of the 29 services in Victoria, the states Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said in May. The health system has been facing widespread budget constraints. The Age last week revealed that Northern Health and Western Health had implemented hiring freezes to control spending.

On Wednesday, The Age further revealed that RCH proposed to make six programs and teams redundant in its mental health department. This includes a team focused on early intervention for children and adolescents with behavioural challenges. In a letter explaining the proposal, the hospital acknowledged this could move demand elsewhere and increase referrals to community mental health services. Health and Community Services Union state secretary Paul Healey said staffing freezes and potential redundancies would threaten the quality of mental healthcare. At a time when demand for mental health services is soaring, cutting staff is not just short-sighted  its dangerous, he said. A hospital spokesperson said services were regularly reviewed to ensure they were in line with the Health Departments funding priorities.

The proposed changes to RCH Mental Health will not impact frontline services, they said. The proposed changes impact historic programs that no longer align with the focus of Victorias broader mental health system. Loading The changes were separate to the governments budget action plan that the department is negotiating with health services. When asked about the mental health cuts, a government spokesperson said this years budget had invested $20 billion into hospitals. Our mental health investment this year alone is almost $3 billion, which is almost double the budget before the [Mental Health] Royal Commission, they said.
In 2023, I flew more than 200,000 kilometres and 300 hours in economy  there are some strategies when it comes to snagging good seats in economy.

Standing at Gate 34 in Abu Dhabi, just before the sky bridge, the flight attendant beckons me to his side of the counter.

Look at the seat map with me, he whispers urgently, Rows 16, 20 and 21 are all free. But run, they wont last long, people will move, maybe even now.

Seat assignment? A question of balance. Credit: iStock

Im already Usain Bolt, sprinting down the gang way calling, thank youuuuuu over my shoulder. From deliberately being the last on the plane, Im now in such a rush that rugby tackling the man in front of me seems reasonable. I sidestep loitering ground crew like a Matilda.
Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Donald Trump should come forward with his plan to quickly end the war with Russia, warning that any proposal must avoid violating the nations sovereignty.

If Trump knows how to finish this war, he should tell us today, Zelensky said in a Bloomberg Television interview in Kyiv on Wednesday. If there are risks to Ukrainian independence, if we lose statehood  we want to be ready for this, we want to know.

Then-US president Donald Trump met Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in 2019. Credit: AP

The former US president, who leads in polls over President Joe Biden ahead of the November election, has boasted that hell end the war by the time hes inaugurated in January. In the televised debate last week, Trump decried the billions of dollars spent on Ukraines defence, saying that Kyiv is not winning the war.

In a nearly hour-long interview, the Ukrainian leader lamented the delays in weapons deliveries from Western allies and said he was potentially ready to meet with Trump to hear his teams proposals.
Washington: The Trump campaign has ramped up its attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris amid growing calls for Joe Biden to be replaced as the Democrats candidate for the US election.

As the White House held crisis talks urging staff to tune out the noise following the presidents horror performance in last weeks debate, Donald Trumps allies and fundraising groups set their sights on Harris who would be a leading candidate to replace Biden if he chooses to stand down.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Credit: AP

Looking to exploit the debate aftermath, a new ad by the National Republican Congressional Committee branded the vice president as Bidens Enabler In Chief as it showed images of the 81-year-old falling asleep, tripping over and looking confused at various public events.

In an email to supporters, Trumps Make America Great Again fundraising PAC accused Harris of botching her previous role as the administrations chosen person to tackle the border crisis, and claimed she had lied about Joe Bidens failing mental faculties, which has allowed war and destruction to break out across the world.
Washington: US President Joe Biden has blamed his recent travel to Europe in the weeks before his devastating debate against Donald Trump for his poor performance on stage, as the fallout from the moment that has upended the 2024 race continues.

Five days since Bidens confused and incoherent performance sparked fresh questions over his fitness for office, Democratic state governors were holding crisis talks, and party elders and officials were still scrambling to defend the president.

US Vice President Kamala Harris applauds as President Joe Biden looks on. Credit: AP

The White House has also resisted calls to release medical reports detailing Bidens mental and physical health. Speaking to donors at a fundraiser in Virginia on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST), Biden blamed his debate performance on jet lag.

I didnt have my best night but the fact is that you know, I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones. For real, I think it was about 15 time zones, Biden said, offering some of his most extended remarks yet on his condition during the first debate with Trump this election cycle.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Public meeting on July 4, 2024.

The Public meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 10.00 hrs. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of General Affairs will be in attendance.

The agenda points are:

1. Incoming documents



2. Ontwerplandsverordening tot wijziging van de landsverordening Integriteitskamer in verband met het verhogen van de leeftijdsgrens voor leden en plaatsvervangende leden (Zittingsjaar 2022-2023-169) (IS/864/2022-2023 d.d. 15 juni 2023)

National Ordinance amending the national ordinance Integrity Chamber in connection with raising the age limit for members and deputy members (Parliamentary Year 2022-2023-169)

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 Deputy Prime Minister will be present.

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;---The Permanent Committee of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment & Infrastructure (VROMI) of Parliament will meet on July 4, 2024.

The Committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 14.00 hrs. in the General Assembly Chamber at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure will be present.

The agenda point is:

Discussion regarding the report by TNO entitled "De Energietransitie in Aruba, Curacao en Sint Maarten" (IS/827/2023-2024 dated June 18, 2024)

This meeting was requested by MP S.A. Wescot-Williams.

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 Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure will be present.

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
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, July 3, 2024. CCRIF SPC made a payout on July 1, 2024, of US$6,376,184 to the Government of Guatemala on its excess rainfall policy following heavy rains that occurred during June 13th-19th. CCRIF expresses sympathy with the Government and people of Guatemala for the loss of life and impacts on communities and infrastructure caused by this event. CCRIF trusts that the payout will provide a measure of financial support to assist the Government in its most urgent relief efforts. As CCRIF makes this payout, it is actively monitoring Tropical Cyclone Beryl, which is affecting several of our members in the Caribbean.



This payout represents the Government of Guatemalas full payout under its excess rainfall (XSR) policy, meaning that the policy has reached its coverage limit. Due to the increasing frequency, intensity, and unpredictability of climate-related hazards, CCRIF has been developing policy features (or endorsements) to enhance its main parametric insurance policies. One such feature is the Reinstatement of Sum Insured Cover (RSIC), which was introduced by CCRIF for tropical cyclone and earthquake policies as far back as 2017 when the Facility celebrated its 10th anniversary. CCRIF made the RSIC available for XSR policies for the first time for the 2024/25 policy year. The RSIC allows a member governments policy to be reinstated if it reaches the coverage limit before the end of the policy year. Guatemala purchased the RSIC under its XSR policy  at a cost that is a small fraction of the main policy premium. This means that, following the triggering of the policy to its limit, the XSR policy was immediately reinstated to the full coverage limit of US$6.38 million. Therefore, Guatemala will continue to be financially protected against excess rainfall events until the end of the policy year on May 31, 2025, or until the coverage limit of the policy is reached again as a result of one or more rainfall events prior to that date.



CCRIF members recently renewed their insurance policies for the 2024/25 policy year, which began on June 1st. CCRIF CEO, Mr. Isaac Anthony, stated, For 2024/25, total coverage has increased by 10 per cent compared with last year. This demonstrates our members commitment to investing in financial protection against natural hazards.



CCRIF is the Caribbean and Central Americas development insurance company and is also a risk pool. By operating as a risk pool, CCRIF offers its members several benefits. The risk pooling mechanism allows CCRIF to offer parametric insurance policies with premiums that are 35-50 per cent lower than if members individually tried to access this type of coverage from the reinsurance markets. These lower costs of coverage are possible as CCRIF can pool diverse exposures, retain some risk and transfer excess risk to the capital and reinsurance markets. The risk pool has also enabled CCRIF to achieve financial and operational efficiencies, which enables members to benefit from relatively good and highly competitive premium prices, as well as premium discounts.

As CCRIF continues to push the innovation needle, the Facility is using its base models for tropical cyclones and excess rainfall to develop new multi-peril sectoral products. Some of these products include the COAST fisheries product (coverage for wind, rainfall, storm surge, and wave height), a product for Caribbean electric utilities for their transmission and distribution systems, and a product for water utilities (for wind and rainfall perils).

In 2023, CCRIF introduced three additional policy endorsements that provide protection to members against the vagaries of climate change. The Wet Season Trigger endorsement can provide a payout for rainfall incidents that occur when the soil is already saturated from previous rainfall and, therefore, captures the heightened risk of flooding and landslides under these conditions. The Localized Damage Index (LDI) and Localized Event Trigger (LET) endorsements provide coverage for tropical cyclones and rainfall events, respectively, where losses are highly concentrated in small sections of a country. The Government of Guatemala purchased the WST and LET endorsements for its XSR policy and, therefore, will be covered for these conditions for the remainder of the year under its reinstated policy.

CCRIFs parametric insurance is cited as a strategy to help countries better manage growing damage and loss due to climate change. CCRIFs payouts within 14 days of an event are key to enable countries to recover faster and to help them build back stronger and reduce future impacts of disasters. Parametric insurance has the potential to mitigate the catastrophic impact of disasters, enable a timely recovery, and contribute to sustainable, climate-resilient development. Parametric insurance addresses more than physical damage to assets and infrastructure. It also provides solutions for economic exposure.
Latest Trend Study: Innovative Technologies are changing SAP Application Management / Companies expect cost savings of up to 30 percent through AI

 Increasing complexity of the IT landscape makes seamless integration and communication between SAP and non-SAP applications a central concern for respondents. Cloud is the trend: Over 70 percent of the surveyed companies opt for the latest version of SAP S/4HANA, preferably in the cloud. High demands on SAP partners: Competencies in the security of SAP systems and smooth operation are among the must-have criteria at 77 percent.

To better understand the current status quo and future developments in SAP operations, the analyst firm PAC (https://www.pacanalyst.com/), commissioned by the global IT service provider NTT DATA Business Solutions, surveyed 200 SAP and IT managers in Europe and the USA. The results of the study SAP Application Management in Europe and the USA (https://global.nttdata-solutions.com/sap-am-trend-study-2024), conducted between January and March 2024, highlight the impacts and opportunities presented by innovative technologies. It provides insights into how companies manage their software applications and what challenges they face using SAP S/4HANA and developments in the areas of Cloud, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other innovative topics.

Innovative technologies such as Cloud Computing, Automation and AI are transforming SAP Application Management (AM) by providing new possibilities for efficiency and performance optimization. Simultaneously, the complexity of the evolving IT landscape is increasing, leading to new expectations for IT service providers: They must be knowledgeable about the latest technologies but also able to integrate and manage them effectively. The SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) will play a crucial role as the technological foundation, creating a central platform for implementing various technologies and systems.

New technologies open new opportunities

In the international sample, most respondents (>70%) indicated they chose the latest version of SAP S/4HANA, with the majority preferring a Cloud version. The decision for the public Cloud is accompanied by a choice of RISE with SAP for 67 percent. The use of SAP software outside Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is particularly strong in Customer Relationship Management and Customer Experience (CRM/CX), Human Capital Management (HCM) and Supplier Relationship Management and Procurement (SRM). With a share of 72 percent, Software as a Service (SaaS) models are mainly used to support individual business processes, such as SAP SuccessFactors for optimal management of all aspects of the employee lifecycle in Human Capital Management (HCM). In addition to SAP systems, many organizations use other software products from other leading platform providers like Microsoft (35%), Salesforce (30%) and Adobe (26%). However, the variety of business applications companies use alongside the core SAP system presents new challenges. Seamless integration and communication between SAP and non-SAP applications are essential for operating both systems in parallel long-term, explains Ulrich Kreitz, Executive Manager at NTT DATA Business Solutions Germany and Head of Managed Services. This often requires special interfaces, data integration strategies and tools, as well as solutions for managing user identities and access rights. Complex orchestration solutions must be implemented to monitor and control the performance, availability and security of on-premise and Cloud-based resources.

Strong SAP partners are crucial for SAP system integration

Collaboration with external partners, particularly in SAP consulting and system integration, plays a crucial role for many companies as system complexity increases, especially when it comes to cloud solutions. The respondents set high demands for an SAP partner: expertise in SAP system security and smooth operations are must-have criteria for 77 percent.

IT partners such as NTT DATA Business Solutions offer expertise and support companies in the implementation, management and optimization of SAP systems in the cloud. We know the best practices, tools and methods that support, automate and accelerate Cloud migration. Additionally, we offer our own frameworks that can partially or fully automate tasks such as system monitoring, troubleshooting or patch management, adds Ulrich Kreitz. The IT market is experiencing increasingly shorter innovation cycles. Soon, AI will take a firm place in SAP s products and the entire portfolio. SAP users expect their partners to act proactively and inform them about the benefits, opportunities and risks of new technologies, going far beyond ensuring smooth, secure operations.

Focus on Automation and AI

Respondents see significant potential in automated processes in SAP AM. The study found that the degree of automation is highest in the areas of Service Desk (31%), Security (37%) and Testing (46%). Automation not only increases efficiency but also reduces error susceptibility and identifies potential threats more quickly. Manufacturing companies particularly benefit from this, as operational interruptions are minimized and production continuity is ensured.The majority of respondents expect further efficiency gains and cost savings of up to 30 percent from integrating AI into AM, especially in Monitoring (71%), Documentation (79%) and System Administration (76%). The results show that SAP BTP will form the technological foundation for all SAP cloud products in the near future, as well as for all functional extensions and innovations of SAP S/4HANA. It provides the ability to complement, extend and integrate solutions from SAP or SAP partners using the same data model. These help to develop innovations faster with traditional tools, no-code/low-code solutions, preconfigured analysis models and self-service analytics. As companies increasingly switch to the Cloud-based S/4HANA edition, the demand for SAP BTP also rises, as custom extensions need to be developed and integrated.

How complex digital transformation is for companies and what challenges it presents were highlighted by NTT DATA Business Solutions together with their subsidiary Natuvion GmbH in the recently released Transformation Study 2024 (https://nttdata-solutions.com/us/press-center/corporate-press-releases/international-study-shows-companies-underestimate-the-lead-time-and-complexity-of-digital-transformation-projects/): 1,200 CEOs, CIOs and IT decision-makers from 15 countries shared their experiences with and requirements for the transformation process.

About NTT DATA Business Solutions

NTT DATA Business Solutions (https://nttdata-solutions.com/us/) is a leading global IT service provider focused on SAP with a powerful ecosystem of partners. With more than 35 years of in-depth experience, we enable companies worldwide to become Intelligent Enterprises. We deliver end-to-end solutions that accelerate sustainable growth and success  from strategic consulting and implementation to managed services and beyond. As a global strategic SAP partner, we drive innovation and leverage the latest technologies to support our customers individually and across all industries. Our more than 15,300 dedicated employees in over 30 countries work passionately every day to make it happen.

NTT DATA Business Solutions is part of NTT DATA (https://www.nttdata.com/global/en/), a $30+ billion trusted global innovator of business and technology services headquartered in Tokyo. As One NTT DATA we serve 75% of the Fortune Global 100 and are committed to helping customers innovate, optimize and transform for long-term success. NTT DATA is part of NTT Group.

Press Contact NTT DATA Business Solutions:

Jasmin Straeter

Head of Global Communications

NTT DATA Business Solutions AG

Konigsbreede 1, 33605 Bielefeld, Germany

Phone: +49 521 9 14 48 108

Email: Jasmin.Straeter@nttdata.com

Original-Content von: NTT DATA Business Solutions AG, ubermittelt durch news aktuell
By Mata Press Service

Canada must urgently revise its labour market strategies to retain its competitiveness and uphold its reputation as an attractive destination for workers. It states a new study examining the nations growing need for skilled immigrants.

Recent legislation banning employers from requiring Canadian experience for job applicants is a positive step, but more efforts are needed to open pathways to employment amidst critical labour shortages and skills mismatches, according to the report by Deloitte.

The report, https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/Industries/government-public/perspectives/making-it-work.html"

Making it work: Global efforts to transform public employment services,
Commentary

By Jake Fuss and Alex Whelan

In response to increasing grocery prices that contribute to the growing cost of living in Canada, a group of consumers has organized a boycott of the grocery chain Loblaws. But while Canadians are understandably frustrated about prices at the supermarket, theres a more fruitful way to lower grocery bills.

How? End supply management, a system of regulation that restricts supply and controls imports, and shields Canadian producers of milk, eggs and poultry from competition, allowing them to maintain higher prices for their products than would otherwise exist in a competitive market. Without this form of protectionism, grocery stores in Canada could provide a broader selection of dairy and poultry products for consumers and potentially lower costs at the supermarket.

Consequently, due to supply management the average Canadian household pays an estimated extra $300 to $444 annually for groceries. Lower-income households are hit harder than other income groups because low-income Canadians spend an estimated one-fifth of their income purchasing food compared to less than one-twentieth for upper-income households. And despite supply managements stated goal of stable prices, food prices for supply-managed goods are often more volatile than non-supply managed goods.

Moving away from supply management has been a successful strategy for New Zealand, which abolished their system in 1984. Despite this success story, lobby groups, led by the Dairy Farmers of Canada, and politicians of all political stripes at the federal level, oppose scrapping Canadas supply management system.

Consider Bill C-282, a piece of legislation currently with the Senate, which seeks to ban supply management from being a bargaining chip in future trade talks with other countries. Every federal party leader endorsed the bill, which passed through the House of Commons without resistance. Supply management has clearly become one of Ottawas sacred cows.

Meanwhile, Francois-Philippe Champagne, the federal industry minister, wants to attract a new foreign grocery chain to Canada to increase competition in the grocery sector. Yet hes completely ignored a surefire way to increase competitionagain, by abolishing supply management.

If the goal is to lower grocery prices for Canadian families, which is a laudable objective, the Trudeau government should acknowledge the elephant in the room. Until Ottawa scraps supply management, Canadians will continue to pay higher prices for milk, butter, eggs, cheese, chicken and other protected products, despite any symbolic boycotts.

Jake Fuss is Director, Fiscal Studies, Fraser Institute. Alex Whalen is Associate Director, Atlantic Canada Prosperity, Fraser Institute.
Amazon counts on 'grit and innovation' to meet AI surge



Arlington, United States, July 3 (AFP) Jul 03, 2024



The AI revolution is upon us with companies around the world looking to jump headfirst into the technology made famous by ChatGPT.

To satisfy their generative AI urge, firms need to secure state-of-the-art software and ramp up computing power, which quickly brings them knocking on the doors of the globe's cloud computing giants, of which Amazon's AWS is the biggest.

Amazon's computing arsenal is housed in data centers scattered across the globe, and Prasad Kalyanaraman, Vice President for AWS Infrastructure, is the man in charge of keeping them running.

Amazon's AWS data centers are spread across dozens of regions, serving as a kind of engine room to the online world, with Microsoft and Google as the company's closest rivals.

And with the generative AI revolution entering hyperdrive, it is up to Kalyanaraman to make sure the data center battalions are ready for the challenge.

"It takes a significant amount of grit and innovation" to meet the need for computing right now, Kalyanaraman told AFP during an interview at Amazon's second headquarters near Washington.

"Building the right technology, both in terms of consuming the least amount of power needed, and optimizing all the way from the chip level to the data center level... requires a lot of innovation," he said.

Kalyanaraman, a graduate of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology and Queen's University in Canada, has been at Amazon for almost two decades where he worked on software before holding the keys to the data centers.

"Most users, unbeknownst to them, are using cloud computing today. If you go to a website, or you stream video, or you go to your financial institution and look at your transactions, you're actually using some form of cloud computing," he said.

Amazon's decision to make a side business out of the cloud dates to 2006, when the company realized that its partners and sellers didn't want to build - or buy - expensive computing pipework.

"We saw that it's so hard for our customers to... go through all the muck of building this infrastructure. So why not bring this to them," much like utilities bring power to your home, he said.

Nearly two decades later, AWS is nearing 20 percent of the giant's total revenue and bringing in about two-thirds of total profit.



- Constraint as opportunity -



"It's a pretty significant undertaking to actually construct a data center from scratch," Kalyanaraman said.

"First, obviously, we have to find enough land to be able to deploy these data centers. Typically, we deploy further away from metropolitan locations" for both cost and environmental reasons, he said.

Connectivity is also key since most clients want the high computing speeds that come by being closer to their data.

Then there has to be a power source and the power lines to get the electricity.

With success comes scrutiny, or in the case of some communities across the globe, some exasperation with the proliferation of data centers.

Data centers can creep into an area's bucolic scenery, and put a massive burden on the local power supply, straining already fragile electricity grids.

And with the emergence of generative AI, Amazon has announced new projects around the globe.

Kalyanaraman acknowledged that "power will be a constrained resource in the world today, especially with generative AI and some of the other things that are required to run this amount of compute."

But even though "it's not something that you can actually change overnight," Kalyanaraman said that AWS has worked with power companies to manage the flow, notably through renewable energy.

AWS "is the largest purchaser of renewable energy in the world today. And that's for four years in a row," he said, with AWS committed to being a net-zero carbon company by 2040.

Ever the techno-optimist, Kalyanaraman remained confident that innovation could find a way to meet the generative AI challenge, with the industry looking to nuclear energy to help.

"Every time we've actually had a constraint, we've all figured out a way of innovating."

"I see (AI) as an opportunity," he said.
Threads hits 175 mn users on first anniversary



San Francisco, July 3 (AFP) Jul 03, 2024



Threads, Meta's alternative to X (formerly Twitter), has hit 175 million monthly users a year after its out-of-the-blue launch.

"What a year," Meta CEO and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said Wednesday on Threads in announcing the platform had reached the threshold.

Threads, which hit app stores on July 5 last year, is a spin-off of Instagram and is intended to be a rival to X, formerly known as Twitter, after that platform alienated many users and advertisers following Elon Musk's purchase in 2022.

Threads was rushed out after Musk threatened to limit the amount of posts on X for non-subscribers.

This was the latest in a long line of chaotic announcements by the mercurial Tesla founder and Zuckerberg tried to seize the moment.

Promoted through their Instagram accounts, more than 100 million people downloaded Threads within a week of its launch in 100 countries, though the EU had to wait until December over regulatory concerns.

The push from Instagram helped Threads become the fastest downloaded app ever, crushing the previous record held by AI sensation ChatGPT.

The initial enthusiasm waned however, and Threads has more gradually grown usage, with a big help from the Instagram crossover and exiles turned off by Musk-owned X.

Threads chief Adam Mosseri said he hoped the platform would become more independent from Instagram over time and intends to open it to advertisers in the not so distant future.

Getting bigger than Musk's X "will take some time, but I will consider it a failure if we don't get there," Mosseri told the Platformer news website.

Threads has drawn flack for Meta's decision to downplay news and politics in an effort to become a more friendly site than X at the risk of dulling engagement.

"A year after launch, we know what Threads isn't, but we don't know what it is," said Emarketer principal analyst Jasmine Enberg.

"The lack of a unique identity is one of its biggest hurdles to achieving real staying power," she added.

Now privately owned by Musk, X no longer releases industry metrics; the company insists that its user base is growing and more engaged than on other platforms.

"Threads was launched during a time when X was struggling, but since then, X has been surprisingly resilient," said Debra Aho Williamson, chief analyst at Sonata Insights, a research firm.

"Sports and political discussion are still very active on X, and considering that we have the Olympics, Euro 2024 and the US presidential election this year (among other major events), X will probably continue to attract users," she added.

arp-juj/mdl

Meta

X
Iraqi Kurd authorities neglecting domestic violence survivors: Amnesty



Baghdad, July 2 (AFP) Jul 02, 2024



Women and girls subjected to domestic violence in Iraqi Kurdistan face "daunting obstacles" when they seek state protection, Amnesty International said, accusing authorities of failing to prosecute the abusers.

A report issued Wednesday by the London-based rights group said gender-based violence in the autonomous northern region was "perpetuated by a criminal justice system that fuels impunity".

Authorities "are failing to ensure that perpetrators of domestic violence, including harrowing cases of murder, rape, beatings and burning, are held to account", Amnesty said.

"There is a lack of political will on the part of the authorities to prosecute" the abusers and the protection framework was "exhausted and underfunded", the watchdog said.

Aya Majzoub, Amnesty's deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: "Survivors of domestic violence in the Kurdistan region of Iraq are being failed at every turn.

"From the moment they escape abusive situations, these women and girls repeatedly encounter daunting obstacles in seeking protection and justice that leave them at risk, allow perpetrators to go unpunished.

"Meanwhile survivors seeking refuge in shelters face prison-like conditions which in some cases compel women and girls to return to situations of horrendous abuse," she added.

Amnesty said state prosecutors "rarely if ever" initiate criminal cases against abusers.

Instead, women and girl must file criminal complaints against their aggressors and "frequently face reprisals, threats and intimidation for doing so from the abuser or their families often aimed at pressuring them to drop the charges".

It describes the legal system as "slow and lengthy" and said judges often show "bias" toward the male abuser and push to keep the family together rather than ensure the protection of women.

Amnesty quoted a caseworker as saying: "Women do not want to go to court because they will be asked, 'What did you do for him to do that to you?'."

"Victims should not be asked what they did to provoke being beaten, stabbed or shot," said the caseworker.

Amnesty called on authorities to "urgently end impunity for domestic violence" and conduct "effective" investigations into domestic violence.

It also called for greater funds for survivors of domestic violence and improved living conditions in shelters for the abused.

Amnesty said it conducted exhaustive research including interviews with 15 women survivors of domestic violence, aid workers and government officials as well as visits to shelters for abused women.

According to Amnesty, citing official figures, at least 30 women were killed in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2023 and 40 the previous year, but NGO workers have said the numbers are higher.
Murdered and forgotten: Iraqi victims of gender-based violence



Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, July 3 (AFP) Jul 03, 2024



In a sun-baked cemetery in northern Iraq, silence lingers over a forsaken corner devoid of mourners, where women killed in gender-based violence rest in unmarked graves.

Domestic violence and femicide have long plagued Iraq's conservative society, including through so-called "honour killings" -- the murders of women deemed to have breached patriarchal social norms, often at the hands of close relatives.

In the unmarked section of the Siwan cemetery in Sulaimaniyah, the second city of the autonomous Kurdistan region, many of the headstones are blank.

Some are inscribed only with numbers that correspond to forensic records, and the signs have faded with time as wild scrub has covered the tombs.

Lawyer and activist Rozkar Ibrahim, 33, pointed to three adjacent burial plots, the final resting places of a man, a woman and their child.

The couple fell in love and had the child without their families' approval, said Ibrahim, who regularly visits the cemetery to uncover victims' stories and honour their memory.

The couple had attempted to flee Iraq for safety, but their relatives found and killed them along with the child, she said.

"They are all buried here," said Ibrahim.

"The gravedigger buries most of these women at night" to prevent relatives concerned about their family's reputation from defacing the graves, said the activist, who believes the demeaning anonymous burial "should not exist".

The Kurdistan regional government in 2020 ordered existing graves be marked with the word "life", and new ones to be engraved with names and birthdates.

Though there are no comprehensive figures, Othman Saleh, a 55-year-old gravedigger at Siwan, said that in 15 years he had buried about 200 women and girls, some as young as 13, who were "killed, burned or smothered".



- 'Alarming rate' -



According to the United Nations, more than one million women and girls across Iraq are at risk of gender-based violence.

The threat usually intensifies during crises, of which the conflict-ridden country of 43 million people has had many.

The northern Kurdistan region, which is keen on presenting an image of relative stability and progress, passed a law in 2011 criminalising domestic violence.

"Incredibly important strides have been taken in legislation" in the autonomous region, said Razaw Salihy, Iraq researcher at rights group Amnesty International.

"Yet, the killing and maiming of women and girls -- mostly at the hands of male relatives -- is occurring at an alarming rate," added Salihy, who is working on a report on domestic violence focusing on impunity for perpetrators and insufficient protection and support for victims.

"Stories of the horrific ways women and girls are killed are much more prevalent than those of perpetrators being held accountable," said the researcher.

Earlier this month, a man poured fuel over his pregnant 17-year-old wife and set her ablaze, her grieving father, Jiza Jawhar, told AFP.

"She lost her child" in the attack, he said, and a few days later succumbed to her injuries.

The husband was later detained, though his family have maintained his innocence and claimed the teenager had committed suicide.

According to official figures obtained by AFP, 45 women were murdered in Iraq's Kurdistan in 2021, up from 25 the previous year.

Serkut Omar, of the regional government's agency on gender-based violence, said cases of femicide have decreased in 2024, without providing figures.

Activists say many cases of violence against women go unreported, with victims often wary of reaching out to the authorities or afraid to speak out.



- Shot, strangled, burned -



At the cemetery in Sulaimaniyah, unmarked plots also serve as final resting places for unidentified women found dead in other parts of the Kurdistan region.

Given that victims' personal details are missing from most graves, Ibrahim said one of the only ways to identify them is by matching the numbers on the headstones to records of the Sulaimaniyah forensic department.

Barzan Mohamed, the department's head, said he has handled scores of femicide cases during his 21-year career.

"The most common method is shooting, but we've also witnessed strangling by hand or with a rope," he said.

"Some were killed with a single bullet, others with as many as 10," added Mohamed, and one woman had been burned to death, "rendering her unrecognisable".

One survivor of domestic abuse, 43-year-old Banaz Jama Ali, said she had been assaulted by her family after seeking safety at her father's home.

She went there after a beating and death threats from her husband, but her brother hit her, breaking her nose and telling her to obey her husband, she recalled.

"My brother pointed a gun to my head twice in front of my children."

Ali eventually fled Iraq.

"I always feared that I would meet the same fate as those buried in the unmarked graves," she said.
Iraqi Kurd authorities neglecting domestic violence survivors: Amnesty



Baghdad, July 3 (AFP) Jul 03, 2024



Women and girls subjected to domestic violence in Iraqi Kurdistan face "daunting obstacles" when they seek state protection, Amnesty International said Wednesday, accusing authorities of failing to prosecute the abusers.

A report by the London-based rights group said gender-based violence in the autonomous northern region was "perpetuated by a criminal justice system that fuels impunity".

Authorities "are failing to ensure that perpetrators of domestic violence, including harrowing cases of murder, rape, beatings and burning, are held to account", Amnesty said.

Aya Majzoub, Amnesty's deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: "Survivors of domestic violence in the Kurdistan region of Iraq are being failed at every turn."

"From the moment they escape abusive situations, these women and girls repeatedly encounter daunting obstacles in seeking protection and justice," said Majzoub.

Amnesty said state prosecutors "rarely if ever" initiate criminal cases against abusers.

Instead, women and girl must file criminal complaints against their aggressors and "frequently face reprisals, threats and intimidation for doing so from the abuser or their families often aimed at pressuring them to drop the charges".

The autonomous Kurdistan region, which is keen on presenting an image of relative stability and progress, passed a law in 2011 criminalising domestic violence.

But, according to Amnesty, "under the law, acts of domestic violence are considered misdemeanours and therefore can only incur a maximum penalty of three years in prison".

The Domestic Violence Law also "mandates a reconciliation process between the survivor and her abuser before a judge decides whether to refer the case for trial", Amnesty said, calling to revoke the process.

The report said judges often show "bias" toward the male abuser and push to keep the family together rather than ensure the protection of women.

Amnesty quoted a caseworker as saying: "Women do not want to go to court because they will be asked, 'What did you do for him to do that to you?'."

"Victims should not be asked what they did to provoke being beaten, stabbed or shot," said the caseworker.



- 'Deprivation of liberty' -



Amnesty also called on authorities to offer greater support for survivors including in shelters.

"Once in the shelters, the women and girls' freedom of movement and access to phones and the internet are severely restricted," which amounts to "an arbitrary deprivation of liberty", said the report.

It noted a court order is needed to enter -- or leave -- the shelters.

Amnesty said it conducted exhaustive research including interviews with 15 women survivors of domestic violence, aid workers and government officials as well as visits to shelters for abused women.

Three shelters Amnesty researchers have visited "were in despair, overcrowded, understaffed and not adequately equipped for survivors' needs", the report said.

According to Amnesty, citing official figures, at least 30 women were killed in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2023 and 40 the previous year, but NGO workers have said the numbers are higher.

Beyond the Kurdistan region, the scourge of domestic violence is felt across Iraq.

According to the federal government's interior ministry, out of nearly 14,000 complaints filed across Iraq during the first four months of 2024 -- the majority of which concerning women -- only about 100 led to criminal convictions.

Some 3,000 alleged perpetrators have been released on bail and nearly 4,500 "reconciliation" processes were recorded, the ministry said.
Europeans support Ukraine but divided on how to end war: study



Warsaw, July 3 (AFP) Jul 03, 2024



Europeans remain largely supportive of Ukraine as it struggles to hold off Russia's forces and favour increasing arms shipments to Kyiv, but are more divided on how to end the war, according to a poll published Wednesday.

Russia has been making some advances in Ukraine against Kyiv's weakened and outgunned forces, with Moscow regularly claiming the capture of more eastern villages.

The gains followed months of delays in new US funding for Ukraine linked to protests by right-wing members of the US Congress. European Parliament elections in June meanwhile saw a shift to the right among voters.

"Ukraine's determination to fight and European support for arming Ukraine have not been affected by Russian advances on the battlefield," the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) said in a new survey.

This report was based on public opinion polls conducted across 15 European countries, including Ukraine, and relied on feedback from nearly 20,000 respondents.

"In most countries, a majority (or, at least, a significant plurality) of citizens supports the idea of increasing the supply of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine," the council noted.

And while support for Ukraine's fight against Russia remained mostly steady across Europe, most respondents were more lacklustre about Kyiv's chances of winning.

"In short, Ukrainians want weapons in order to win, while most Europeans send weapons hoping this will help lead to an acceptable eventual settlement," said the report.

Kyiv has long insisted on regaining all of the territory seized by Russia as a prerequisite for ending the war.

The vast majority of Ukrainians remain opposed to the idea of ceding territories to Russia in exchange for NATO membership, according to the report.

"The prevailing view in most countries (except for Estonia) is that the conflict will conclude with a compromise settlement," ECFR noted.

The study reveals most people in Estonia, Poland, and Sweden -- among Kyiv's most ardent supporters -- want to help Ukraine fight to regain its occupied territories.

But people in countries such as Bulgaria, Greece and Italy are among the most sceptical that Ukraine can prevail on the battlefield, even if arms supplies increased.

In the middle of these positions are countries including Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland, "which are still struggling to consolidate a national consensus on the war and the EU's role therein".
Czechs have sent $288 mn in Ukraine military aid since invasion



Prague, July 3 (AFP) Jul 03, 2024



Prague said Wednesday it has sent military equipment worth $288 million to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February 2022, publishing its first update on Ukraine aid since November.

The Czech Republic, an EU and NATO member of 10.9 million people, was one of the first arms donors to the war-ravaged country, said Defence Minister Jana Cernochova.

The ministry discloses the data sporadically for security reasons, and the cabinet always approves arms supplies to Ukraine in a classified regime.

As of May 31, 2024, Prague has sent eight aircraft, 62 tanks, 131 armoured vehicles, 26 chemical survey vehicles and 16 complete air defence vehicles to Ukraine, the defence ministry said on its website.

It has also provided 47 cars, 13 howitzers, 12 rocket launchers, 4,900 rockets, 645 anti-tank missiles and 8,022 rocket-propelled grenades, among other things.

NATO wants to spend at least 40 billion euros ($43 billion) a year on military aid to Ukraine, its outgoing chief Jens Stoltenberg said in May.

Cernochova said on Monday that Czech supplies were drying up but the country still had material to send to Ukraine.

"Since we are getting Western military material replacing our Eastern technologies, we still have some resources," Cernochova said.

"So we can still send something over and we will," she added.

Prague has recently signed deals to buy up to 92 German-made Leopard tanks to replace its obsolete Soviet-era fleet.

It is also planning to buy 24 US-made F-35 fighter jets, 48 Israeli air-to-air missiles and 210 CV 90 combat vehicles from Sweden as it seeks to raise this year's defence spending to two percent of gross domestic product required by NATO.

Prague also leads an international initiative to buy artillery shells for Ukraine outside Europe. It sent the first 50,000 shells in June.

The initiative involving 18 countries -- including Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal for instance -- has raised some $1.8 billion to buy 500,000 shells this year.

The drive makes up in part for the EU's failure to meet its promise to supply one million shells to Ukraine by the end of March this year, which faltered due to limited production capacities.

Cernochova said next week's NATO summit in Washington would be an opportunity to negotiate additional funding for the drive.

"We still know about a number of sources of ammunition we can buy and send to Ukraine," she added.
Russia says 8 injured in Ukrainian strike near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant



Moscow, July 3 (AFP) Jul 03, 2024



Russia accused Ukraine of firing self-detonating drones towards the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station on Wednesday, in an attack that hit a power substation and injured eight people.

Moscow regularly accuses Kyiv of attacking the plant, Europe's largest nuclear power site, which has been under the control of Russian forces for more than two years.

"Ukrainian armed forces attacked the 'Raduga' substation, where at the time staff from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant were working," Russia's nuclear power corporation, Rosatom, said in a post on Telegram.

It said Ukraine fired three self-detonating drones at the substation around 10:30 am (0730 GMT) on Wednesday morning.

Eight people were injured and two transformers at the substation were damaged, resulting in a cut of some power supplies to the nearby town of Energodar.

The site is around four kilometres (2.5 miles) from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Russia took control of the plant in southern Ukraine in the first days after it launched its February 2022 military offensive.

Since then both sides have regularly traded accusations of attacking the facility, accusing each other of risking a potentially devastating nuclear disaster.

The UN's atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has placed inspectors at the site on a permanent basis, and regularly raises concerns about the dangers of a possible direct hit to the plant.
NATO waters down 40-bn-euro support pledge for Ukraine



Brussels, Belgium, July 3 (AFP) Jul 03, 2024



NATO countries on Wednesday signed off on a watered down pledge to keep supplying Ukraine with around 40 billion euros in weapons next year, diplomats said.

The initiative -- to be unveiled at a summit in Washington next week -- was pitched by NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg as a way to firm up Western aid for Kyiv in its war with Russia for the coming years.

The plan was to get countries to vow to keep on giving support at the rate they've been giving since Moscow invaded, and to split contributions more equitably.

But diplomats said leading power the United States insisted that the pledge -- which is not legally binding -- should be reviewed next year.

Washington's argument was that it was not legally possible for the government to commit any future administrations to spending, diplomats said.

Diplomats also said that a proposal to lay out a clear way to split future aid according to the size of each country's gross domestic product was dropped due to opposition led by Turkey.

A diplomat said there was a reference to "fair burden sharing" in the final text and the aim to contribute more proportionally, but no mention of using GDP as a scale.

The pledge is one part of a package for Ukraine that NATO is hammering out for the summit in Washington.

Kyiv is also set to get stronger wording in a final declaration on its push to join, but no concrete invite to become a member.

The alliance will also look to insulate weapons deliveries against any possible return to the US presidency by Donald Trump by taking control of coordination of supplies from Washington.
Germany's Rheinmetall and Italy's Leonardo plan joint tank venture



Berlin, July 3 (AFP) Jul 03, 2024



German arms maker Rheinmetall and Italian defence group Leonardo said Wednesday they planned to establish a joint venture to build tanks for the Italian army.

The companies said in a statement they had signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a "new main battle tank" for Rome's forces and supply them with Lynx armed infantry fighting vehicle.

The combat vehicles and their support systems would be "developed and produced by Leonardo according to the requirements of the Italian client", the companies said.

Rheinmetall's recently developed Panther tanks and its latest Lynx models provided the "basic technology on which to build in both programmes".

The new entity -- ownership of which would be spit equally between Rheinmetall and Leonardo -- would be based in Italy, they said.

Final assembly lines and 60 percent of the overall production would also be based in Italy.

The tie-up between the two defence firms was a "fundamental contribution to the creation of a European defence space", Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani said in the statement.

The new tanks would provide the basis for a future joint-European tank model, being developed with the support of the Franch and German governments, the two companies said.

Leonardo was previously in talks with the Franco-German defence group KNDS about a potential partnership to produce Leopard 2 tanks.

The discussions, which begun in December 2023, were however abandoned last month after the two sides failed to find an agreement on the "configuration" of the project, according to KNDS.

Rheinmetall and other defence groups have seen a rush of orders as European countries look to rearm in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The German group has announced plans to build a host of new factories and has agreed a joint venture to produce ammunition in Ukraine.

burs-sea/hmn/rl
Hezbollah says Israeli strike kills senior commander



Beirut, Lebanon, July 3 (AFP) Jul 03, 2024



Hezbollah said an Israeli air strike killed a senior commander in south Lebanon Wednesday, the Iran-backed movement's second such loss in recent weeks.

Hezbollah has traded near daily cross-border fire with the Israeli army since its Palestinian ally Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, triggering war in Gaza, but an uptick in bellicose rhetoric from both sides in recent weeks has raised fears of all-out war.

"A Hezbollah commander responsible for one of three sectors in south Lebanon was killed" in an "Israeli strike on a car in Tyre", a source told AFP, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Hezbollah said that "commander Mohammed Naameh Nasser", also known as "Hajj Abu Naameh" had been killed, and also announced the death of a second fighter.

Another source close to the group, also requesting anonymity, confirmed Nasser was killed in the strike in Tyre, and said he was the third senior Hezbollah commander to be killed in almost nine months of hostilities.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said "an enemy drone targeted a car" in Tyre, a coastal city around 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the border.

The first source said Nasser had the same rank as Taleb Abdallah, a commander killed in an Israeli strike last month who was described by a Lebanese military source at the time as the "most important" Hezbollah commander killed to date.

That strike prompted Hezbollah to intensify its attacks on Israeli targets, firing barrages of rockets across the border in the days that followed.

In January, a security source said an Israeli strike killed Wissam Hassan Tawil, another top commander from the group.



- 'Prevent a conflagration' -



Hezbollah announced a series of attacks on Israeli troops and positions near the border on Wednesday, while the NNA reported Israeli attacks in other parts of south Lebanon.

The commander's death followed a relative easing of cross-border exchanges over the past week, after threats on both sides had intensified.

Fears the violence, so far largely restricted to the border area, could turn into all-out war have sparked a flurry of diplomatic efforts to lower tensions.

On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent a "conflagration" between Israel and Hezbollah.

US envoy Amos Hochstein, who has made repeated visits to Lebanon in recent months, was due in Paris on Wednesday where he was due to meet with Macron's Lebanon envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Iran warned on Saturday that "all resistance fronts" would confront Israel if it attacks Lebanon.

Last week, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said his country did not want war in Lebanon but could send it back to the "Stone Age" if diplomacy failed.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah warned in June that "no place" in Israel would be spared in the event of all-out war, and threatened nearby Cyprus if it opened its airports to Israel.

The cross-border violence has killed at least 495 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters but also including 95 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

Israeli authorities say at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed.
Ah, but isnt Harris as unpopular as Biden? Yes, she is  for now. Republicans regard her as easy prey. On the plus side, her candidacy has room to grow and generate excitement. She would be the first black and first south Asian female candidate for president and is outspoken in defence of abortion rights. She made a far better case for Bidens policy achievements on debate night than he did for himself. And, as one half of the existing Biden-Harris ticket, she would be able to lay her hands on $91 million spending money  100 per cent of the war chest raised in their name.
She also shared several videos of them trying on their outfits for the first time in years - including one rib-tickling moment of David accidentally ripping his while celebrating that he was still able to get into it.
Englands Euros campaign may have been marked by jitters  play has been skittish, not calm and collected  but there has been a strange kind of magic to the way Kane and Co. have scraped through. That 2-1 win over the Netherlands? Weve marched, somehow, all the way to the final. Bloody well get in. Ollie Watkins, you trooper.
The biggest challenge for the new government comes less than a week after the election. The new prime minister and defence secretary go to the major Nato summit in Washington on Monday. Britain is sure to be asked to do more, rather than the less implied in its self-imposed cuts  as the alliance is now troubled with turmoil in the leadership of two of its major powers, America and France. It also faces a greater range of threats, starting with a neo-war with Russia across eastern Europe and the Mediterranean, a widening war in Gaza and the Lebanon border, and more sophisticated attacks by the Houthis in the Red and Arabian seas.
* 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.
As candidates were already jockeying to succeed Mr Sunak as Tory leader, she told the Telegraph: The fight for the soul of the Conservative Party will determine whether we allow Starmer a clear run at destroying our country for good, or have a chance to redeem it in due course. Indeed, it will decide whether our party continues to exist at all.
I was trying to spin two careers at once. One is telly and the other is radio. But, on the other hand, there have been days where Ive felt my lowest, and the radio is the thing that has kept me going.
The European security architecture must be adapted to the new international context, and the Republic of Moldova must benefit from the support of all OSCE states, because there is international support for democratic values, the president of the Romanian Parliament Delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA), Dan Barna said on Wednesday.

He participated in the 31st Annual Session of the OSCE PA, which took place from June 29 to July 3 in Bucharest, where more than 200 parliamentarians were present from over 50 countries.

"One of the topics addressed these days concerns us and is very close to us: it is about the Republic of Moldova. The debates within the works of the Session emphasized the need for the Republic of Moldova to benefit from the support of all the states in the OSCE precisely because this European direction which the current government in Chisinau manages to maintain is under extraordinary pressure from Russia. A separate resolution was also adopted regarding the situation of human rights in Transdniestria and the need for the OSCE structures to continue monitoring the area. The role of these documents - the Bucharest Declaration, the distinct resolutions on certain regions (...) is to give arguments in the internal debate in Moldova and in all this political debate in which Russia invests huge sums, that there is international support for democratic values", Barna told a press conference.

Barna emphasized that the Bucharest Declaration was adopted, which he appreciated as "balanced" and 16 distinct resolutions "on current and important topics".

"This conclusion related to the European security architecture must be adapted to the new international context, a context in which we have an active war in Ukraine, this security architecture can only function on the Helsinki Final Act and the international documents that talk about democracy, freedom and the functioning of the states in this context. (...) The session was really up to the standard of an international event. I hope and trust that the Romanian delegation will have an important role. (...)The OSCE is becoming more and more connected to current issues. We are not only talking about polar bears, we are also talking about the dramatic situation in the Middle East, what is happening in Transdniestria, between Armenia and Azerbaijan and how to find the path of peace there, really topical issues and ultimately this is the role of an organization like the OSCE," added Barna.

He congratulated the president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Pia Kauma, who was elected to this position, in the APCE Session in Bucharest, for a new mandate.

"He managed to be the president that the organization needs. He managed to keep the organization not afloat, but to make it relevant, active and visible. Or in this context, where we are looking for the way to relevance and to find a mechanism towards which the voices of the state will count again, the efforts made by the OSCE are remarkable", Barna pointed out.

Pia Kauma mentioned that among the topics addressed in Bucharest are the Russian invasion of Ukraine, climate change, artificial intelligence, lack of water, especially in Central Asia, the fight against anti-Semitism in the OECD area, corruption, migration, human trafficking and civil society. AGERPRES
The dually managed Giurgiu-Ruse bridge will be closed on the Bulgarian side for rehabilitation, for two months, starting on July 9, which creates a great inconvenience to the freight and tourist traffic between Romania and Bulgaria, on Wednesday said the managing director of the National Road Infrastructure Administration Company (CNAIR), Cristian Pistol, in a press conference.

"We had several discussions with the Bulgarian partners. They consider it necessary to start the total closure of the area managed by them starting from July 9. There are other alternative routes, including the ferry, the other bridge from Calafat-Vidin - and we also have connections from Calarasi, also with the ferry. The bridge will be completely closed, it will not be used for two months, as the Bulgarian side announced, but we will see how long these works will last," Pistol stressed.

"My colleagues tried to have this discussion with their Bulgarian counterparts. Unfortunately, as Mr. Pistol said, they did not accept the delay of the works and did not accept anything else," the minister of Transport, Sorin Grindeanu, added.

Cristian Pistol said that on the Romanian side the bridge was rehabilitated, but on this occasion a series of maintenance works will be done here as well, yet "our work does not require traffic to stop", the head of CNAIR said.

AGERPRES
Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR) received on Wednesday at the Patriarchal Residence incoming Apostolic Nuncio to Romania, Monsignor Giampiero Gloder, on an introductory visit.

The BOR head expressed on this occasion his gratitude for the constant support offered by the Roman Catholic Church to the Romanian Orthodox communities in the Western diaspora, a release by the Patriarchate's Department for Church, Interfaith Liaison and External Church Communities informs.

Monsignor Giampiero Gloder highlighted the importance of the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church engaging in efforts to restore Christian unity, especially in the current context marked by multiple crises.

In this thread, His Excellency emphasized the fact that a common testimony to the fundamental values of Christianity is vital in the face of the many challenges of today's world.

During the conversation, Patriarch Daniel expressed his appreciation for the constant support provided by the Roman Catholic Church to the Romanian Orthodox communities in the Western diaspora, by offering places of worship for service and assisting with their integration into the societies of their adoptive countries, informs the Patriarchate.

Apostolic Nuncio to Romania and the Republic of Moldova, Monsignor Giampiero Gloder, arrived in Bucharest on April 30 following his appointment to this position by Pope Francis on February 23. AGERPRES
Romania has exceeded all expectations as a NATO member, Kathleen Kavalec, the U.S. ambassador in Bucharest, said on Wednesday at the Independence Day Reception.

Congratulations to Romania for celebrating of 20 years of NATO Membership this year. As President Biden has recently said, Romania has exceeded all expectations as a strong ally. We look forward to celebrating with you next week NATO's 75th anniversary, an alliance that has become bigger, stronger and more united than ever before, the US diplomat said.

She recalled the war at the border and thanked Romania for its support to Ukraine.

As we celebrate this evening, we honor the tenacity and hope of both our nations. Our thoughts are also with our friends in Ukraine, who continue to suffer from Russia's illegal, unprovoked and horrific war. We will always be grateful to the Romanian people and government for their unwavering support to the Ukrainian people in their hour of need. You have provided significant humanitarian, political, economic and military support to your neighbors. And I know that Romania is ready to help rebuild Ukraine when that moment of major importance comes, Kavalec said.

The US diplomat also emphasized the importance of democracy.

Our shared commitment to democracy is in the spotlight this year as more than 60 countries - comprising almost half of the world's population - hold elections, including our own, she said.

The theme of this year's Independence Day Reception is "Let's go to the movies!" to celebrate Romanian-American cooperation in the field of cinema.

Before the 1989 Revolution, for many Romanians, American movies were a rare and precious window to the outside world. They were a source of inspiration, offering hope and a connection to the wider human experience beyond Romania's borders, the US ambassador mentioned.

In fact, on display in the US Embassy courtyard were costumes, cars and even a canoe that have been used in American productions made in Romania, including "Hatfield & McCoys", "Wednesday", "Cold Mountain". Guests can have their photo taken with cutouts of the famous Oscar statue.

The US Ambassador said that downtown Bucharest "became" the center of Richmond in the 1860s for the recent series "The Gray House".

Kavalec recalled meeting Francis Ford Coppola in Bucharest and emphasized the importance of financial facilities for the film industry.

We welcome the Romanian government's recent decision to re-establish a filmmaking incentive program, which we hope will attract more American film productions to Romania, said the American diplomat, adding that "tonight, everyone is a star."AGERPRES
The Romanian ambassador in Moscow, Cristian Istrate, was summoned on Wednesday to the Russian Foreign Ministry where he was handed a note saying that a staff member of the local Romanian Embassy had been declared persona non grata. At AGERPRES' request, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) confirmed the information.

This measure is said to be a response to a previous unmotivated decision of Romania to declare persona non grata a diplomat of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

MAE on May 24 reported that Romania decided to declare persona non grata in the country a diplomat from the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Bucharest for activities that violate the provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

"These details were communicated to the Russian party today, May 24, 2024, during a summons to the MAE headquarters, at the order of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Luminita Odobescu, of the charge d'affaires ad interim of the Russian Federation in Bucharest," the MAE said at the time.

AGERPRES
Romania's textile industry is bearing the brunt of, among others, the rising wage cost and liquidity shortage, representatives of the Romanian Free Trade Unions Federation (FSLR), an affiliate to the National Trade Union Bloc, argue in a letter to Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and Economy Minister Radu Oprea, detailing the problems faced by the sector and the measures that are necessary to keep it afloat.

According to the cited source, the current situation of the textile industry is conducive to its immediate demise due to the lack of competitiveness caused by the increasing wage cost, both as a share of overall costs and as an absolute value, as well as compared to the increased competitiveness on the foreign markets of other actors who redirect orders from Romania.

Provided that they are still able to survive in the short term, the companies face a difficult plight in the long term as an effect of the EU regulations on textiles, which will require additional resources they do not have.

The letter also lists a set of proposals for recovery and resilience measures in the textile industry, with short-term measures set to ensure an injection of liquidity in the sector so that it survives the rise in the minimum wage and the general labor cost in total production costs.

Long-term measures should focus on the EU strategy for textiles that lays out the conditions under which the textile manufacturing units will be able to operate.

"We are asking you to consider the proven need for the immediate implementation of measures to save the textiles sector, so that the companies in the field are able to continue their activity, with beneficial effects for the economy as a whole. We are convinced that the failure to urgently take action would seriously affect this traditional sector of the Romanian economy and, implicitly, the state budget; also, this sector can surely become competitive again, provided that appropriate public policies are applied, by accessing European funds and by aid state, so that it is able to generate significant revenues for the state budget in the future, and the irremediable loss of skilled workforce - a situation that clearly cannot be reversed later - is prevented," reads the document signed by the president of the Romanian Free Trade Unions Federation Florian Marin, and chairman of the Braiconf SA Board of directors, Constantin Stefan. AGERPRES
The Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Andriy Kostin, said that he appreciates the involvement of Romanian investigators in connection with crimes against humanity in relation to the attack of the Russian Federation.

The statement was made in the context of the one-year anniversary of the launch of the International Center for the Criminal Investigation of the Crime of Aggression (ICPA).

"I appreciate the effort and involvement of the prosecutors in Romania who filed an ex officio complaint regarding crimes against humanity in connection with the attack of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Romania is an important partner for us, which is also proven by the valuable contributions sent through Core International Crimes Evidence Database (CICED), representing evidence administered as part of the investigation opened in this country," Andriy Kostin said, quoted in a press release from the PICCJ sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday.

According to the General Prosecutor's Office, one year ago, Eurojust launched the International Center for the Criminal Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression (ICPA) - a unique judicial coordination platform dedicated to supporting national investigations into the crime of aggression related to the war in Ukraine.

"Through the ICPA we ensure that no evidence is lost, in order to prosecute those responsible for the crime of aggression in accordance with international standards. On the occasion of the first anniversary of the ICPA, I want to applaud its very important activity and reiterate the commitment of the European Commission to take all the necessary measures to support Eurojust and the ICPA states, including Ukraine, to fulfill their crucial mission," said the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, also quoted in the statement.

ICPA prosecutors and independent investigators from different countries regularly collaborated with Eurojust, benefiting from the agency's specialized team of legal experts and customized technical, logistical and financial support, the PICCJ notes, adding that this allowed them to exchange of information and evidence quickly and efficiently and to coordinate a common strategy of criminal investigation and prosecution, and the unique nature and multinational composition of the center allowed it to use the expertise and services of a diverse range of national authorities in its activity.

AGERPRES
Many in the crowd that gathered for the annual Grand Pride Parade on Market Street in downtown St. Louis on Sunday, June 30, were surprised when a group of activists, some affiliated with Resist STL, began to protest Boeing, the lead sponsor of the Pride STLPride Fest 2024 parade. A number of protesters, some with their arms linked through tubes with slogans on them, such as Black Lives for Palestine, and Remember Stonewall blocked the parade for over an hour while chanting and holding signs proclaiming, Bombs and war planes are not gay, Cops out of Pride parade. Self-described as mostly LGBTQIA, the collective, which included five African Americans, protested the war in Gaza and what they consider Boeings pinkwashing of their production of munitions used by Israel.

A man in the crowd heckled the protesters, This is St. Louis, not Palestine. When the parade resumed, a young African American woman offered this perspective, While it did delay the parade, Im always an advocate for peaceful protests. They came out to make a statement for what they believe in and they definitely delivered.

Police took 19 protesters to the City Justice Center (CJC) on charges that included trespassing and resisting arrest, according to Evita Caldwell, Public Information Officer of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

African American protester Sarah Nixon, who was arrested on Sunday, said that Black queer people, As a group, [we] were released after the white people were released and all were treated as Black people in this city by this carceral system are treated every day, which is like less than human.

The protesters arrested on Sunday were released that day and some held a press conference in front of the CJC at noon on Monday. They expressed their solidarity with Palestinians and the Black Lives Matter movement which gained a foothold in Ferguson, Mo. in response to the police killing of 18-year-old Mike Brown.

At the press conference, they echoed the calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and criticized their treatment by the police. Grace Iverson characterized the inadequate food, water and medical care, inside the facility as inhumane. Fen Hackfeld said toilet paper wasnt easily accessible and trash piled up in a corner because no receptacles were provided. The protesters said the police were overly aggressive when they arrested them. Fen was still experiencing numbness in one arm a day later and was denied medication properly labeled in their backpack while in jail.

African American protester Sarah Nixon, who was arrested on Sunday, said that Black queer people, As a group, [we] were released after the white people were released and all were treated as Black people in this city by this carceral system are treated every day, which is like less than human.

When asked by the media about discrimination against LGBTQIA people in Gaza by Hamas, Fen noted the Islamophobic trope of the newscasters question and said, Queer Muslims have existed in every place, all the time, forever.

Fen and the collective spoke about the complexity of the repression LGBTQIA Palestinians face in Missouri as well as in Gaza and Israel. The group said Pridefest STL organizers ignored their requests to sit down and discuss their concerns weeks before the parade.

The St. Louis American spoke with The Grand Pride Parade Director Jordan Braxton for Pridefest 2024 who said, Everyone has a voice and everyones voice should be heard and we wanted to come to an agreement for all parties involved [before the parade]. Braxton said she met with three representatives of the autonomous group of protesters before the parade and said, They could have marched the entire parade route before the official parade and leafleted, as long as they didnt jump the barricade because its my job to make sure theyre safe and the entire parade is safe. Instead, Braxton was asked to return the money from the lead sponsor, which Braxton said they couldnt do. However, Braxton did say she was willing to talk about this coming year and one of the organizers reached out to her on Monday immediately after the press conference ended.
STE. GENEVIEVE, MISSOURI  It's hard to miss the paradox.

Justine Rayfield wears the clothes of the Federal era, which lasted from 1780-1830. She cooks recipes from cookbooks of that time, using the ingredients, techniques and cookware of the period.

And then she takes videos of this early 1800s domestic life and posts them on YouTube.

She and her husband, Ron, have more than 200 videos of early American cooking, each about 15 minutes long, on their YouTube channel called Early American. The channel has more than 1.2 million followers.

A typical video might show her spearing a chicken on an iron rod and cooking it over a crackling fire in a fireplace, its drippings falling onto potatoes in a pan resting above the coals.

They also review the food she cooks on a second channel, Frontier Patriot.

"I do the research and pick out the food," Justine says.

"And I do the eating," says Ron.

Justine began making videos of early 1800s cooking on a channel of her own in October 2020.

"I have had viewers tell me my videos got them mentally through COVID. It brought them to a more peaceful time," she says.

The couple met three years ago at the Centre for French Colonial Life in Ste. Genevieve, where they both now work part-time as historic interpreters. Ron had seen some of Justine's videos and realized she lived in the area.

He invited her to a new exhibit at the historic center, which he had photographed. He met her with flowers and a kitchen implement he made himself.

"It sounds so weird, but he made me a potato masher. He realized that I didn't have a potato masher, so he made me one," Justine says.

"I said, 'OK, we're dating now.'"

The couple was married in May. They  and 90% of the guests  wore colonial-era clothing. Justine and Ron's sister made the wedding cake from an 1828 recipe; it was a fruit cake, the traditional wedding cake of the time.

A video of their wedding and honeymoon trip will be available online beginning July 4. It will be called "My Big Fat 18th Century Wedding."

Ron, 35, is a descendant of Daniel Boone and grew up in the area. Justine, 30, is a military child who grew up in Germany, Japan and South Korea before coming to the United States. Her father retired from Scott Air Force Base, which is what brought her to this area about 10 years ago.

The people of Japan, German and Korea are very interested in their culture, which led Justine to wonder about her own American culture and heritage, she says. And because she spent her formative years in Heidelberg, Germany, she has a particular interest in historic architecture.

That led to an interest in historic kitchens  which led to her wanting to cook in historic kitchens.

One way to experience the culture of the past is to listen to the music, she says. And another is to taste the food that they ate 200 years ago.

Justine was a volunteer at the Col. Benjamin Stephenson House in Edwardsville when she had the idea of making videos showing her cooking recipes from around 1820, when the house was built. The Stephenson House allowed her to film there.

"In the beginning, I made the videos for myself. I didn't think it would get as big as it did," she says.

The Stephenson House now has a YouTube channel with its own historic-cooking videos shot in a style highly reminiscent of Justine's work. For their part, Justine and Ron now shoot their videos in a rustic, two-room cabin that Ron built for that purpose. At that point, they had only been dating for seven months.

"I didn't even tell her what I was doing until I had the frame up. Then it was too late to stop me," he says.

The cabin is close enough to a stream that they can bring in water in a bucket. But true to the period, it has no insulation. That means it gets cold in the winter.

And in the summer, with the fireplace going, it gets hot. They brought in a thermometer one day to see how hot. The temperature reached 120 degrees  and the videos can take eight hours to film.

The couple does not live in the cabin; it is basically just a set. They are currently building their own home  they call it a homestead  on 34 mostly wooded acres in Ste. Genevieve County. It will have all the modern conveniences; they live firmly in the 21st century, though Justine often wears long, modest skirts. She says she enjoys feeling feminine in them.

Justine has been cooking since she was 8 or 9 years old, but has never taken a cooking class ("I probably should," she says). And recipes for the era  they were called "receipts" back then  are notoriously inexact.

Written primarily for maids and wealthy housewives, the cookbooks tended to assume the cook already knew how much to use of each ingredient, or the proper temperature or time for cooking.

And some of the nomenclature has changed over the years, too.

"Some of the receipts say 'put emptins' in it. Recently, I realized that 'emptins' is yeast. That's the word they used back then, along with  other words," she says.

Learning to cook the 1800s way has required a lot of trial and error. For instance, without benefit of a thermostat or thermometer, they had to learn how to determine the proper temperature for baking in an earthen oven.

It's easy once you know how, Ron says.

Just put your bare arm inside the oven. If you have to withdraw it immediately, the oven is too hot. If you can keep it in for five seconds, it's too cool. If you can keep it in for three seconds, that's the right temperature.

One of their favorite recipes is for a chocolate tart, which they included in an episode for Valentine's Day. The recipe came from the 1800 edition of "The Cook's Confectioner," and involves making a custard and adding grated chocolate to it.

"They were actually obsessed with chocolate in the 18th century. They drank it for breakfast, hot chocolate. George Washington loved it," Justine says.

Another hit was an Irish recipe  included in an American cookbook  for lamb stew that cooks slowly in a Dutch oven over the fireplace coals. They made a video of it for St. Patrick's Day.

"The point of our channel is to show that people 200 years ago weren't just banging rocks together. They were making sophisticated cuisine," she says.

But the food can't all be winners, especially with recipes that are two centuries old.

"I remake these receipts exactly as they were, for better or for worse," Justine says.

Sometimes she has a modern reaction to the old techniques.

"Why do they boil lettuce? Why do they boil bacon? It's so weird," she says.

One of the worst failures she had was the first video she ever made.

The recipe for that video, a pound cake, came from a 1796 cookbook, "American Cookery." It's the first known cookbook written by an American.

"I had absolutely no experience with historical cooking, so I made it like a modern pound cake, big and thick," she said.

The recipe says to cook it 15 minutes. It took two hours. Only months later did she learn that pound cake in the 1800s was thin, almost like a cookie. She has since deleted that video.

Sometimes, for the sake of historic completeness, she will make a recipe that looks bad from the outset, such as barley cooked in wine.

A dessert, it combined barley, "way too much" red wine, sugar and cinnamon. It ended up tasting like wine-flavored oatmeal.

"That one was actually inedible. We usually force ourselves to eat what we cook, but that one was inedible," Justine says.

"Just like modern cookbooks, sometimes the recipes are really terrible."
JEFFERSON CITY  A group of clergy challenging Missouris restrictive abortion ban on religious grounds will appeal a lower court ruling to the state Supreme Court.

In a decision issued in June, St. Louis Circuit Judge Jason Sengheiser said Republican lawmakers who banned the health care procedure were not trying to impose their religious beliefs on everyone in the state, rejecting a lawsuit backed by more than a dozen Christian, Jewish and Unitarian Universalist leaders who support abortion rights.

The legal team representing the clergy, including Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the National Womens Law Center, said the team is ready to fight all the way to the Missouri Supreme Court to restore Missourians reproductive and religious freedom.

Missouris abortion ban is a direct attack on the separation of church and state, religious freedom, and reproductive freedom, the statement said. Lawmakers made clear that they were imposing their personal religious beliefs on all Missourians when they enacted these laws. We remain committed to restoring abortion access in Missouri.

The clergy had sought a permanent injunction last year prohibiting Missouri from enforcing its abortion law and a declaration that provisions violate the Missouri Constitution.

The law was approved by the Republican-led General Assembly in 2019 as many supporters pointed to their Christian faith as the reason for enacting the ban, making it effective only if Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Within minutes of the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, former Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Gov. Mike Parson, both Republicans, allowed the ban to go into effect.

In Missouri, it is now a felony punishable by five to 15 years in prison to perform or induce an abortion. Doctors also could lose their licenses. The law says women who undergo the procedure cannot be prosecuted.

Sengheiser wrote that there is similar, religious-based language in the preamble to the state constitution, which expresses profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe.

While the determination that life begins at conception may run counter to some religious beliefs, it is not itself necessarily a religious belief, Sengheiser wrote. As such, it does not prevent all men and women from worshipping Almighty God or not worshipping according to the dictates of their own consciences.

We respectfully disagree with the circuit courts decision, which noted that the case presents an extremely difficult question, attorneys for the clergy said in their statement.

The group added that Sengheiser acknowledged the historical inequality of upholding a total abortion ban based on laws passed in the 1800s, when women could not participate in the electoral and legislative process.
JEFFERSON CITY  House Speaker Dean Plocher on Tuesday said he disagreed with Gov. Mike Parsons decision to slash funds for Missouri law enforcement to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border.

Parson, in signing the new state budget last week, cut $6 million of $8 million lawmakers had allocated for southern border patrols. In May, he called the outlay an unnecessary expense that his office didnt request.

The governor joined a number of fellow Republican chief executives in February to send troops to the border in response to a request from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has tussled with the Biden administration over immigration policy.

The result was 200 Missouri National Guard members and 22 Missouri Highway Patrol troopers headed south. The deployment ended June 13.

Plocher, a candidate for Missouri secretary of state, was asked about Parsons cuts on Tuesday during a news conference on a new committee to probe crimes committed by people in the country illegally.

We wanted to make sure that Missourians knew we were going to be forward-thinking on funding those troops guarding the border, Plocher said.

That was (the) governors prerogative to do that, Plocher said. I would certainly not have done that. I certainly advocate for keeping Missouri National Guard at the border protecting Missourians.

In a news release, Plocher cited three Missouri incidents within the past year in which people reported to be in the country illegally were arrested on unrelated criminal charges.

Five men who were allegedly in the country illegally were arrested in Macon County, Missouri, last month and charged with endangering the welfare of a child, the Kansas City Star reported.

The Star reported a state trooper wrote in court documents that the men were accused of trafficking a 14-year-old girl from Indiana to California.

Also referenced in the news release was a March incident outside an OFallon laundromat in which a person who was said to be in the country illegally was charged with stabbing two people.

The news release also references a woman who was charged with killing a 12-year-old boy in a head-on collision in December in Hazelwood. Police said she was in the country illegally from Venezuela.

Our citizens do not deserve to be victims of violent crime, violent crime perpetuated by illegal immigrants who are coming here, Plocher told reporters.

Rep. Emily Weber, a Kansas City Democrat named to the committee, said in a statement following the news conference that Republican leadership didnt offer substantive data to justify the need for this committee.

This is nothing more than using taxpayer money to fund a talking point during an election season, Weber said.

Plocher is one of eight Republicans running in the Aug. 6 primary for secretary of state.

He faces state Sen. Denny Hoskins, of Warrensburg; state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, of Arnold; Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller; Jamie Corley, of University City; Valentina Gomez, of St. Louis; state Rep. Adam Schwadron, of St. Charles; and Wentzville Municipal Judge Mike Carter.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill.  Despite "legitimate questions and concerns raised by President (Joe) Biden's debate performance" last week, U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski on Tuesday declined to call for the octogenarian Democratic incumbent to step aside as the party's nominee.

"It was a terrible night for President Biden. And I don't think we can sugarcoat that," said Budzinski, a Springfield Democrat, adding that she was reconciling the performance with "what I believe to be a remarkable set of achievements coming out of his first term in office."

During the 90-minute debate last week, a hoarse-voiced Biden struggled to counter a barrage of falsehoods from former President Donald Trump and at times sounded incoherent in describing his own record. It only magnified what experts have characterized as the 81-year-old incumbent's greatest liability this campaign: the belief of many Americans that he is too old to serve another four years as president.

His performance set off panic among Democrats, who have largely campaigned on the belief that returning Trump, 78, to power poses an existential threat to American democracy.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, on Tuesday became the first sitting Democratic congressman to call for Biden to drop out of the race. But Budzinski, like the vast majority of her colleagues, stopped short of that.

"The reality is that President Biden has won our party's nomination in 2024, and it is up to him to choose his path forward," Budzinski said. "I believe if he decides to stay in this race, and he has indicated that he obviously is, I'm going to be supporting him because I think there is just too much at stake for any other alternative."

Budzinski's district covers most of the more heavily populated areas of the Metro East.

Like many leading Democrats, Budzinski instead focused on the "truly significant achievements" of Biden's first three-and-a-half years in office.

Specifically, she was touting the announcement of a $51 million federal grant towards developing Central Illinois as a hub for precision fermentation and biomanufacturing production, which was funded by the Biden-backed CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) and Science Act.

Meanwhile, Biden is scheduled to meet with the nation's Democratic governors at the White House on Wednesday, including Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who will participate virtually.

Pritzker, who is believed to harbor presidential ambitions of his own, is a top Biden ally and campaign surrogate.

In a post-debate statement, Pritzker ignored Biden's poor performance and focused solely on Trump. He has not held a press availability since the debate.
Neither Greek nor Shakespearean tragedies, or even violent Mafioso movies, can rival some of the scenarios wolf 907F has faced while living in the northeastern corner of Yellowstone National Park.

Its always something exciting or dramatic going on, said Yellowstone Wolf Project research associate Kira Cassidy.

(The number 907 refers to the wolfs collar number. The F denotes female.

Born into the Junction Butte pack in the spring of 2013, 907F suffered from a slight outbreak of mange that left half her tail without hair. Despite being smaller than her littermates, Cassidy described the wolf as playful, always trying to engage her family.

Because the pack roams an area of the park close to traffic and often dens across from a road along Slough Creek, Yellowstones wolf researchers have been able to observe interactions of the Junction Butte pack more closely than those living in remote regions.

Adding to 907Fs mystique and popularity with tourists, for almost half her life she has suffered from either an injury or infection that appears to have left her blind in one eye.

907F has become the 399 grizzly bear of Yellowstone wolves  people specifically coming to the park hoping to get a glimpse of this remarkable elder wolf, said Taylor Rabe, a wildlife technician with the Wolf Project.

399 is the matriarch of grizzly bears in Grand Teton National Park, giving birth to 18 cubs in her 28 years.

You killed dad

The string of 907Fs unusual experiences begins in September 2016. Thats when the Prospect Peak pack killed 907Fs father, 911M. He was the founder of the Junction Butte pack. At the time of his death, 911M was limping and malnourished.

When scientists examined the male wolfs dead body he weighed only 67 pounds, down from 102 pounds two years earlier. Further inspection revealed a jaw that had been severely broken for months, possibly when kicked in the head while chasing an elk.

Analysis of 911Ms bone marrow showed he had only 10% body fat. Anything less than 20% is considered starvation, Cassidy said.

Despite these injuries, 911M had brought down an injured cow elk. While feeding, the rival pack arrived to defend their territory and claim the carcass. Rather than run, 911M stood his ground and was killed.

Clashes between wolf packs are the leading natural cause of wolf deaths in Yellowstone. The leading cause of death, about 77%, is human related.

Sibling rivalry

The year after her fathers death, 907F ousted her sister, 969F, to become the lead female of the Junction Butte pack.

We dont often see packs where two females born in the same litter stay in their birth pack for their entire life, Cassidy said. I think that may have contributed to some tension between them. There were times when they would switch which one of them was the pack leader and which one wasnt. Rarely did we see overt aggression.

Wolf leaders are referred to as alphas. Usually, once that status is attained, the wolves maintain it throughout their lives, Cassidy said.

Within-pack tension is extremely rare, she said. Junction does seem to have this strange pattern of the leadership position switching between wolves when the cause isnt a death.

As the alpha female, 907F mated with a male wolf from the rival Prospect Peak pack. 907Fs mate probably took part in the attack that killed his mates father.

Its fairly common for a male wolf to join a pack when theyve lost their male leader, Cassidy said. So two packs will fight, the male leader is killed, and then males from the attacking pack are allowed to join.

The females in the pack have to approve, since the territory is passed down through the female line.

It worked out for 907, because she has lived in the same pack territory her entire life because she did inherit that leadership role, Cassidy said. Many other wolves, if they want to become a breeder or a leader, have to disperse at some point in their life, start a new pack or join one. And she never had to do that.

Infanticide

Cassidy said as the sibling sisters grew older, tension between them seemed to increase.

In the spring of 2019, the pack had four litters from different females.

Wolves are mostly considered monogamous breeders where theres one litter in the pack, Cassidy said. But every year about a quarter of the packs in Yellowstone have more than one litter. And Junction Butte has been one of those that is very consistently having two or three or more litters each year.

When her pups were about 2 weeks old, 907F left the den. While she was gone, 969F killed all of her sisters pups as well as the other mothers young. 969F ate some of the young and buried others.

Its extremely rare, it actually has not been confirmed in other wild wolves, killing a packmates litters, Cassidy said. But it probably does happen. We just happened to have such a great view of that Slough Creek den that were able to see things that are maybe pretty rare, but just havent been documented before.

907F and her fellow pup-less mother than helped care for the other two wolves pups, 10 of which survived.

You would never suspect any other pack that shows up with 10 pups by the end of the summer, we just assume they had 10 or a couple of others were lost, Cassidy said. But this stuff that happens within the first few weeks of the pups life is just so hard because we see the dens so rarely.

A year later, 969F died, possibly from starvation that was exacerbated by an illness. At the time she had been on her own for a couple of months.

Thats pretty rare, Cassidy said. Usually wolves are killed by other wolves when they are otherwise perfectly healthy.

A necropsy showed 969F had suffered injuries inflicted by other wolves, possibly from her own pack, as well as old injuries. Her bone marrow was at 42%, considered fair to poor. She weighed only 73 pounds.

Something else was going on with her, Cassidy said. Wolves in this ecosystem so rarely die of straight starvation.

Often they can find enough to scavenge on to at least be OK here, even by themselves.

Matriarch

Despite these misfortunes, 907F has survived 11 years, one of only six Yellowstone wolves to record so many birthdays.

All of the other ones lived in places in the park where people cant see wolves very easily, like down in the Delta, the Bechler or Cougar Creek, Cassidy said. 907 is the only one of these uber elders  that is actually living in a place where people can see her regularly.

The average lifespan for wolves in Yellowstone is four to five years. That drops to two to three years outside the park. The oldest known wolf in Yellowstone was also a female, 478F of the Cougar Creek pack, who lived 12.5 years.

Mother supreme

Starting when she was 2 years old, 907F has given birth to 10 litters. One of 907Fs sons now leads a rival pack and two of her daughters are leaders of smaller packs.

Of the wolves weve collared, we have confirmed that five wolves at least are 907s direct offspring, Cassidy said. Theres probably another five to 10 of them out there that are her direct offspring.

The first three or four of her litters did not do well. I think most of them died before the end of the year, or before they got into their first winter. She really started to be successful starting in about 2020, and then she had a string of very successful years.

Last year the pack raised only one pup, and researchers are unsure who the mother is since the genetics have not been analyzed.

Semi-retired

While flying over wolf packs during surveillance last summer, Cassidy said 907F resembled an elderly dog with less muscle mass and slower, arthritic movements.

But over the winter she looked great, she added. It could just be summer is actually a little harder on them. Its harder to kill big prey because the prey is in better shape, especially late summer into the fall, even early winter. And the wolves dont like the heat either. Theyre much more comfortable when its really cold out.

As shes aged, 907F has transitioned away from dangerous hunts. Yet with her 9-year-old mate leading a relatively young pack  one yearling and five 2-year-olds  she still commands respect. Being the aunt or mother to the rest of the pack likely helps.

They see her as the boss, Cassidy said.

The elder wolf has also become more businesslike and economic and efficient in her movements, the researcher noted, figuring out a way to be successful despite her advancing age.

Shes often sleeping near the den, raising the pups, nursing them, but not leaving a whole lot.

It also helps that the Junction Butte pack was large, containing 35 wolves in the winter of 2020.

That kind of makes them invincible to the rest of their neighbors, Cassidy said. Theres no chance that another pack is going to come in and beat them up. So she can kind of go anywhere. Although at this point she doesnt really go many places.

Even if she did wander outside her territory, its likely that an individual in one of the surrounding packs is either a close or distant relative who may allow her safe passage.

Whether 907F will survive another winter and make a bid to be the oldest wolf in Yellowstone is impossible for Cassidy to predict. The old wolf has a few things in her favor for the next few months. Wolf-on-wolf deaths decline in the summer and 907F doesnt travel much anyway, Cassidy noted.

But she is pretty elderly. Anything could happen. She could have a heart attack, or a blood clot or tumor and die tonight.
An Air Force staff sergeant was killed and five other airmen were injured in a Humvee wreck June 29, 2024, on Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, service officials said. (U.S. Air Force)

An Air Force staff sergeant was killed, and five other airmen were injured in a Humvee wreck on Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, service officials said Wednesday.

Staff Sgt. Jorge Delgado, 37, died Saturday in the single-vehicle wreck of the armored Humvee in which he was traveling with three other airmen to their duty location on the post, Malmstrom officials said. The three other airmen inside the Humvee were injured, and two other airmen were also injured while responding to the crash, base officials said.

Delgado enlisted in the Air Force in 2014, according to the service. He was assigned to Malmstroms 341st Security Forces Squadron, which is charged with securing the bases 13,800-square-foot intercontinental ballistic missile complex, the largest IBCM complex in the world, according to the service.

Team Malmstrom and our surrounding community grieve not only the loss of an outstanding airman, but a family member and a friend, said Col. Dan Voorhies, the commander of the 341st Missile Wing, which oversees Delgados squadron.

Air Force officials said three of the airmen injured in the wreck had been released from a local hospital and two remained hospitalized in stable condition as of Tuesday. A spokesman for the base said Wednesday that he had no update on the incident or conditions of those involved in it.

An investigation into the crash was ongoing, he said.

The wreck marked the second fatal Humvee crash at Malmstrom in less than one year. Airman Alton John died Oct. 28 after a Humvee crash on the base on Oct. 21. He was also a member of the 341st Missile Security Forces Squadron, according to the Air Force.

The Air Force is in the process of replacing at least some of its nearly 40-year-old Humvee fleet with newer vehicles known as Joint Light Tactical Vehicles that have been partially adopted by the Army and Marine Corps. The vehicles, built by Oshkosh Defense, have been billed as safer with better armor and more comfortable than the aging Humvee fleet for U.S. ground forces. The Air Force intends to buy some 2,100 JLTVs in the coming years, according to recent budget documents.
Marine Maj. Gen. William Mullen during a 2019 visit to Camp Johnson in North Carolina. (James Guillory/U.S. Marine Corps)

A retired Marine general who led troops during two wars in Iraq and was the personal aide to former President Bill Clinton died over the weekend at the Marine Corps base in the high desert east of Los Angeles that he once commanded.

Maj. Gen. William Mullen, 59, commanded Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms where Marines train for desert warfare from 2016 to 2017. He retired in 2020 after a 34-year career that included deployments in the former Yugoslavia and Iraq.

The San Bernardino County Coroner filed a report stating Mullen was found at 29 Palms Base Building 1651 on Saturday. The report lists his residence of record as Arvada, a town in Colorado.

But the coroner said additional information would come from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which was looking into Mullens death. NCIS investigates deaths that might involve criminal activity but also any noncombat unattended fatalities involving military personnel or military installations.

NCIS officials at the Twentynine Palms base and the services headquarters in Quantico, Va., declined further comment.

A heat wave in Southern California pushed the average daily daytime temperatures higher than 100 degrees at the base, which sits about 2,000 feet above sea level in the Morongo Basin of the Mojave Desert. Temperatures are forecast to rise to more than 117 degrees this week, with overnight lows in the 80s.

Prior to retiring, Mullen last served as commanding general of the Marine Corps Training and Education Command, which includes the Twentynine Palms base.

Mullen was commissioned a lieutenant in 1986 following graduation from Marquette University in Milwaukee. He earned a bachelors degree and a masters degree in political science from Marquette and a masters in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.

During his Marine career, Mullen was a rifle platoon commander and leader of an anti-terrorism unit at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California. He also participated in anti-narcotics missions and was deployed in Operation Desert Shield. He later took part in small boat raids in Yugoslavia, trained as an advance artillery officer, and was the Marine aide to Clinton.

He was a commander with Marine forces during the fighting in Fallujah, Iraq. He returned to Iraq to coordinate artillery engagement support for Iraqi Security Forces during Operation Inherent Resolve, then he returned to take command at Twentynine Palms.

Mullen was commanding general of the Training and Education Command at the time of his retirement.

An aerial view of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, Calif., in January 2023. (Isaiah T. Brummett/U.S. Marine Corps)

Twentynine Palms is the largest Marine base in the United States, at just less than 1,000 square miles near Joshua Tree National Park in the California desert.

With the slogan the premier combat training center, the Twentynine Palms base was an Army airfield at the end of World War II. In 1952, the Marines made the area an affiliated installation with Camp Pendleton, which is southwest in northern San Diego County. It became a separate Marine base in 1957.

The remote location allows Marines to conduct live-fire training. About 20,000 Marines and sailors are assigned to the base, but another 50,000 troops train there each year.

The center has been used extensively for training troops on how to fight in the harsh conditions of Afghanistan and Iraq. It features Combat Town, a 274-acre mockup of a Middle Eastern village.

Maj. Gen. Thomas Savage, the current commander of the training command, offered condolences to Mullens family and friends.

Maj. Gen. Mullens dedicated service to our nation and the Marine Corps will always be remembered, Savage said in a statement Tuesday.
Sailors stand at attention during the decommissioning ceremony of the guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69), June 28, 2024, in Norfolk, Va. (Charles Blaine/U.S. Navy)

The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile destroyer USS Vicksburg was decommissioned last week in Norfolk, Va., ending its 30-plus years of service.

Hundreds gathered to celebrate the ships distinguished history of Naval service. Vicksburgs former commanding officer, retired Capt. Chip Swicker, spoke of the bond between sailors and their ships and the lives shaped aboard.

These sailors brought Vicksburg to life for 32 years under 17 commanding officers, Swicker said. This ship was their schoolhouse, their training field, their home and their powerful weapon as they stood fast between good people and bad things night and day, in good weather and bad, close to home and far over the horizon for more than three decades.

Cmdr. Christopher M. Stolle, the commanding officer, paid tribute to the ships history and shared his admiration for the crew, both current and former.

To all former shipmates, you have been trailblazers in sensor integration, tactical development, the bolstering of regional partners, and prepping the battlefield to ensure that Americas Navy has a home-field advantage anywhere in the world, Stolle said. Today we decommission Vicksburg, but the legacy of her crews will live on indefinitely.

Cmdr. Christopher M. Stolle, the commanding officer, gives a speech during the decommissioning ceremony of the guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69), June 28, 2024, in Norfolk, Va. (Charles Blaine/U.S. Navy)

The Color guard marches during the decommissioning ceremony of the guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69), June 28, 2024, in Norfolk, Va. (Charles Blaine/U.S. Navy)

Cmdr. Christopher M. Stolle, the commanding officer, poses with a ceremonial gladius during the decommissioning ceremony of the guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69), June 28, 2024, in Norfolk, Va. (Charles Blaine/U.S. Navy)

Sailors lower the ensign during the decommissioning ceremony of the guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69), June 28, 2024, in Norfolk, Va. (Charles Blaine/U.S. Navy)

Sailors man the rails during the decommissioning ceremony of the guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69), June 28, 2024, in Nolfolk, Va. The ceremony commemorated the history of the ship. (Charles Blaine/U.S. Navy)

The Vicksburg (CG 69) was commissioned on Nov. 14, 1992.

For the first mission, in 1994, Vicksburg was assigned to the USS Saratoga battle group stationed off the coast of Montenegro. In following years, Vicksburg was deployed all around the world, from the Mediterranean, to the Middle East, to Europe to the Asia-Pacific region.

Vicksburg was one of the ships on the Navys decommissioning list as part of the 2024 budget proposal. At the time, Vicksburg was in the BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair yard, where modernization efforts were about 85% complete.

In March, the Navy announced plans to inactivate Vicksburg in June. All modernization work had stopped by early this year. By April 11, Vicksburg had been stripped of topside gear and antennas and towed from BAE Systems shipyard to Naval Station Norfolk.
In one of the earliest special operations in Army history, Union soldiers dressed as civilians to infiltrate the Confederacy, hijack a train and drive it north for 87 miles, destroying enemy infrastructure along the way. This became known as the Great Locomotive Chase. The drawing is of the locomotive known as the General commandeered by the group. (U.S. Army)

ARLINGTON, Va.  Scott and Kimberly Chandler heard family stories growing up about their great-great-great grandfather, George Wilson, being a spy.

Hearing from my mom, it was talked about in hush terms or whispers, Kimberly Chandler said.

Wilson was born in Belmont County, Ohio, in 1830. He was a tradesman who supported his family as a journeyman shoemaker, according to the Army. Wilson enlisted in the Union Armys 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment on Aug. 31, 1861.

Philip Shadrach enlisted into the same regiment the following month. He was born in Somerset County, Pa., in 1840, and left orphaned at an early age. Less is known of Shadrachs work, other than he was a laborer. But on Sept. 20, 1861, he left home and enlisted, according to the service.

The two men eventually volunteered for the same mission and experienced the same fate.

Pvts. Wilson and Shadrach will be awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously Wednesday, becoming the last members of a unit known as Andrews Raiders to be recognized with the nations highest decoration for combat valor.

In one of the earliest special operations in Army history, Union soldiers dressed as civilians to infiltrate the Confederacy, hijack a train and drive it north for 87 miles, destroying enemy infrastructure along the way. During what became known as the Great Locomotive Chase, six of the Union soldiers became the Armys first recipients of the newly created Medal of Honor, according to the service.

The plan for the Great Locomotive Chase was hatched by James Andrews, a Kentucky-born civilian who served as a spy and scout. He proposed a group of volunteers penetrate the Confederacy with the aim of degrading the railway and communication lines that supported the Souths stronghold of Chattanooga, Tenn.

The locomotive known as the General in an undated photo is at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Ga. During what became known as the Great Locomotive Chase, Union soldiers dressed as civilians to infiltrate the Confederacy, hijack a train and drive it north for 87 miles, destroying enemy infrastructure along the way. The final members of the group will receive the Medal of Honor on July 3, 2024. (U.S. Army)

Andrews, another civilian and 22 volunteer Union soldiers, who later became known as Andrews Raiders, made their rendezvous point in Marietta, Ga.

Shane Makowicki, a historian with the U.S. Army Center of Military History, said the plan was hatched April 6, 1862. Wilson, Shadrach and the other soldiers volunteered one day later. They made it to Marietta on April 11.

On April 12, 22 of them commandeered a locomotive known as the General and proceeded north, tearing up railroad tracks and cutting telegraph wires as they went along. The Generals conductor, William Fuller, and two others began chasing the raiders  first on foot, then by a handcar, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

Andrews efforts driving the General were slowed by their sabotage efforts and because he needed to permit oncoming trains to pass on the single-track railway. This allowed Fullers party to gain on the Union force. Running low on fuel and with the Texas, a locomotive commandeered by Fuller, on their heels, Andrews Raiders abandoned their effort just 18 miles short of Chattanooga.

After it became clear the mission failed, Shadrach and Wilson along with several others attempted to evade Confederate troops and escape. Some including Shadrach and Wilson were eventually captured.

The event, if it would have been successful and cut off Chattanooga from Confederate supplies, it could have shortened the war by a year, year and half, two years, author and historian Brad Quinlin told reporters Tuesday.

Andrews was tried as a spy and saboteur and executed on June 7, 1862. Seven others were subsequently hanged, including Shadrach and Wilson, on June 18.

Nineteen of the 22 Union soldiers received the Medal of Honor. One soldier was offered the medal but declined as he did not fully participate. Former President George W. Bush signed the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act that included a measure to allow him to award Wilson and Shadrach with the medal. But Bush never did.

The Civil War Medal of Honor is ancient history. Things moved in relevant and more current directions, Ron Shadrach, a great cousin of Shadrach, said Tuesday.

Ron Shadrach, a great cousin of Pvt. Philip Shadrach, standing next to a poster of his relative July 2, 2024. Philip and Pvt. George Wilson, Union soldiers during the Civil War, will receive the Medal of Honor on July 3, 2024. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)

Makowicki said it is important to remember the Medal of Honor at the time of the Civil War was a new award.

Today we might think everybody on the mission would have good documentation and every soldier who participated would be awarded the medal just the same, he said. You often needed someone to advocate on your behalf if your officers had left the regiment. It was a bit more of an ad hoc process, so it really does appear to be by all accounts more of an oversight than certainly any comment on their behavior.

Ron Shadrach, 67, from Independence, Ohio, remembers seeing a plaque his aunt showed him as a little kid that had the Shadrach name on it but didnt know what it was about. In 2003, he saw a newspaper article pulling for Wilson and Shadrach to get the Medal of Honor.

That started to connect the dots. Anytime I brought it up over the years my dad would say the same thing, Its something that happened down South and were totally not related, Shadrach said.

Once he learned of the relation, Shadrach started to work on getting the Medal of Honor for both men. He started compiling the information in 2012 and connected with Brad Quinlin.

Shadrach had a binder of information that he submitted in February 2016 to Gen. Mark Milley who was the Army Chief of Staff at the time. The binder includes drawings of Wilson and Shadrach before being executed by hanging. There were photos of letters that the privates youngest sister wrote for 20 years trying to get back pay and any rations that Shadrach was eligible for while in a Confederate prison.

I didnt have much patience with the government for these delays. Its like, This makes no sense, Shadrach said. If not for that delay, I wouldnt have had time to put this document together. It wouldnt have uncovered all this information. Its like a blessing in disguise.

Scott Chandler, 61, from Fredericktown, Ohio, said he got into this story back in 2020 when there was talk about Wilson receiving the Medal of Honor. But his family didnt have much knowledge of Wilson.

Kimberly Chandler, left, and Scott Chandler, right, standing next to a photo of their great-great-great grandfather Pvt. George Wilson on July 2, 2024. Wilson and Pvt. Philip Shadrach, Union soldiers during the Civil War, will be awarded the Medal of Honor on July 3, 2024, becoming the last of the Andrews Raiders to receive the award. (Matthew Adams/Stars and Stripes)

I just had the thought  My moms [older than] 80, her sisters arent far behind her in age so I started pushing for it because I wanted to see her be able to accept it, Chandler said.

He heard the award was on the presidents desk so there wasnt much he could do. During that time, Chandler started doing his own research. He used some information that his mother had and was sharing some with his sister, Kimberly, 59, who lives in Walla Walla, Wash., with her family.

In accounts about Wilson, he was fighting to help keep the Union together and it appeared he wanted slavery abolished. There is a drawing that depicts Wilson and the men being hung. He gave a final statement, saying he had no ill-will toward the South and ended it by saying one day the Union flag will fly over your states again, according to Chandler.

Chandler said his mother and her two sisters will keep Wilsons Medal of Honor for a while but will donate it afterward to the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga, Tenn. The medal will be displayed in the same city where Wilson is buried at the Chattanooga National Cemetery.
Hurricane Beryl maintained its status as a Category 4 storm after crossing the Windward Islands. (National Hurricane Center/TNS)

MIAMI (Tribune News Service)  Hurricane Beryl was downgraded to a Category 4 storm Tuesday afternoon as it began to tangle with a patch of storm-weakening wind shear, but it was still on track to slam into Jamaica as a dangerous major storm sometime Wednesday.

Beryl broke a new slew of records by strengthening overnight into a massive Category 5 hurricane  the earliest on record in July  and has already left behind a wake of death and destruction in the southeastern Caribbean.

By Tuesday afternoon, an expected decline in power appeared to be underway. The storms maximum sustained winds started to slow, a sign that Jamaica could see impacts from a slightly less intense windstorm. But the newest track also nudged the potential path of the eye even further north, meaning a direct landfall of a Category 3 or 4 storm was possible in Jamaica.

The National Hurricane Center said Beryl could bring sustained winds of 140 mph, 5 to 8 feet of storm surge and up to a foot of rain in Jamaica, sparking a hurricane warning for the island and a flurry of disaster preparations and evacuation warnings.

The latest forecast called for Beryls eye to pass across the southern coast of Jamaica as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday, then swipe south of the Cayman Islands as a Category 2 hurricane on Thursday before making landfall in Quintana Roo in the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday as a Category 1.

A large high-pressure ridge over Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic is expected to do most of the work steering Beryl west and into a patch of storm-toppling wind shear on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Bermuda High remains in control, wrote Sammy Hadi, a meteorologist with the Miami office of the National Weather Service, on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.

Beryls tangle with Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, combined with that unfavorable wind shear, could further weaken the storm.

Earlier forecasts appeared to show Beryl slowing down even further, or even stopping, over the Yucatan, but the latest tracks suggest the storm could emerge in the Gulf of Mexico as at least a tropical storm and potentially find a new target for landfall over the weekend.

There remains a significant spread in the track guidance when Beryl emerges into the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, due mainly to model differences in the strength and location of a break in the subtropical ridge over the southern United States, forecasters wrote in the 5 p.m. discussion.

As of the 5 p.m. Eastern time advisory, Beryl was packing sustained winds of 155 mph and headed west-northwest at 22 mph. Hurricane-force winds extended 40 miles from the clearly-defined eye, and tropical-storm-force winds extended out about 185 miles from the center.

It was about 420 miles east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica.

Four deaths, lots of damage

In Beryls wake, residents of the eastern Caribbean islands slammed by the fast-moving and hard-hitting storm were assessing damages on Tuesday.

Particularly hard hit is St. Vincent and the Grenadines Union Island, where at least one death has been reported. Three other deaths also were reported, including two in Grenada.

Multiple reports suggest 90% of the houses and businesses on Union island have been destroyed. The islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, where Beryls eye made landfall on Monday, reported 95% of homes were uninhabitable.

The situation is grim, Grenadas Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said in a morning press conference. Theres almost complete destruction of homes and buildings on the islands. The roads are not passable and in many instances cut off because of the large quantity of debris strewn all over the streets and obviously the danger posed by down power lines.

With Beryl expecting to bring life-threatening winds and storm surges to Jamaica, the government has activated disaster preparedness and its response mechanisms in anticipation of the hurricanes passage. The government publicized the locations of 800 shelters throughout the country but has not opened them yet.

The Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston is set to close at 9:45 pm Tuesday with its last scheduled flight and will remain closed on Wednesday as the island locks down.

The eastern Caribbean also remains on guard against another potential tropical system, a disturbance that the hurricane center is tracking in the central Atlantic.

On Tuesday afternoon, the hurricane center continued its trend of lowering the systems chances of formation anytime soon, this time to a 20% shot over the next week and a 10% chance of strengthening into a tropical depression in the next two days.

Environmental conditions are only marginally conducive for development of this system, forecasters wrote. Interests in the Lesser Antilles should still monitor the progress of this system, with heavy rainfall possible midweek.

2024 Miami Herald.

Visit at miamiherald.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
An Iranian-made Shahed-136 Kamikaze drone flies over Kermanshah, Iran, on March 7, 2024. (Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  Chinese and Russian companies are developing an attack drone similar to an Iranian model deployed in Ukraine, European officials familiar with the matter said, a sign that Beijing may be edging closer to providing the sort of lethal aid that Western officials have warned against.

The companies held talks in 2023 about collaborating to replicate Irans Shahed drone and started developing and testing a version this year in preparation for shipment to Russia, said the officials, who asked not to be identified to discuss private information. The Chinese drones have yet to be used in Ukraine, they said.

Providing Russia a Shahed-like attack drone would mark a deepening of Beijings support for Russia despite repeated warnings from the U.S. and its allies. President Xi Jinping has sought to portray China as neutral in the conflict in Ukraine even as Western officials say it has provided components and other support for Russian President Vladimir Putins forces.

At the same time, U.S. officials have said China is holding off directly providing weapons and artillery, something that would signal an unprecedented escalation and almost certainly trigger more forceful action  such as sanctions  against the worlds second-biggest economy.

Some nations believe that providing Russia with drones for attack purposes would cross the line into lethal aid, two of the officials said. One person familiar with the matter said the U.S. assessment is China is weighing whether to send fully built unmanned aerial vehicles, but in the meantime is sending kits that can be converted into attack drones. The U.S. still doesnt conclude that China is sending lethal aid to Russia, the person said, while acknowledging that other nations may have a different interpretation.

China doesnt provide weapons to the parties of the Ukraine conflict and strictly controls exports of dual-use articles, Liu Pengyu, the spokesman for Chinas embassy in the U.S., said in a statement.

On the Ukraine crisis, it is quite clear to the international community who is calling for dialogue and striving for peace, and who is fueling the fight and inciting confrontation, Liu said. We urge the relevant countries to immediately stop fueling the fight and inciting confrontation.

Russias defense and foreign ministries didnt immediately reply to requests for comment.

Russia has used thousands of Shahed drones against Ukraine since the beginning of the war, even building a factory to mass-produce the Iranian-developed technology, which is relatively cheap to build but costly to defend against.

But Russia still relies on countries like North Korea and Iran for supplies, and on China for critical parts and components. One worry is that China could produce a drone similar to the Shahed at a far greater rate than Iran or Russia, the officials said.

The officials didnt identify the drone under development, but Chinese defense websites and several media outlets have reported the country is developing a kamikaze attack drone called the Sunflower 200, which is described as similar in appearance to the Iranian Shahed 136 drone.

Bloomberg News reported in April that China was providing Russia with satellite imagery for military purposes, microelectronics and machine tools for tanks, as well as a swath of technologies used in weapons or needed to produce them.

China takes every effort, every chance it can get to argue that somehow its a neutral player in this war in Ukraine, but in reality the PRC is providing a long list of dual-use components, things like machine tools and microelectronics, that are enabling Russia to pursue this war of aggression in Ukraine, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith told Bloomberg Television on Tuesday, referring to China by its official name, the Peoples Republic of China.

Here inside NATO, were making sure that we can expose the fact that the PRC is no longer a neutral player and warn China about the risk of getting behind Russia in this unprovoked war of aggression, she said.

Back in May, United Kingdom Defense Secretary Grant Shapps provoked a tiff with Washington when he suggested that China was working to provide Russia with lethal aid. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that to date, the U.S. hadnt seen China providing weapons directly to Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the G-7 summit that President Xi had given him his word he wouldnt provide Russia with weapons.

Andrea Palasciano and Kriti Gupta contributed to this report.

2024 Bloomberg LP

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
President Donald Trump appears before U.S. service members and their families at Osan Air Base, South Korea, June 30, 2019. (Alaura Lucas/U.S. Army)

The possibility of a second Donald Trump presidency looms over Seoul as the U.S. and South Korea renegotiate the cost-sharing agreement for stationing 28,500 American troops on the Korean Peninsula, according to experts.

U.S. State Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials last met June 27 in Seoul for the fourth round of talks to determine how much South Korea should spend on American forces in the country, as well as associated construction and civilian labor costs, according to a ministry news release that day.

As president, Trump claimed that maintaining U.S. forces in South Korea costs an annual $5 billion and accused Seoul of not paying its fair share with just $500 million a year.

Its got to go up, Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Feb. 12, 2019. Right now, it costs us $5 billion a year to defend.

Yang Uk, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, described Trumps $5 billion price tag as absurd and that an overwhelming price hike would not be reasonable unless more conventional military or nuclear assets were deployed to South Korea.

If the main thing is to deter war with North Korea  which is beefing up its tactical nuclear arsenal  you need a much more dedicated nuclear capacity in theater, which [South Korea] does not have right now, Yang said by phone Tuesday.

Since its implementation in 1991, the six-year Special Measures Agreement, or SMA, has determined how much Seoul would bear these costs; the current SMA expires at the end of 2025.

The previous SMA expired in 2020; however, due to deadlocked negotiations between Washington and Seoul at the time, officials were not able to come to terms until the following year.

The U.S. military budgeted an annual average $3.3 billion from 2016 to 2019 to station its forces in South Korea, according to a 2021 U.S. Government Accountability Office report.

During the same four-year period, South Korea spent an annual average of $1.45 billion, much of which went toward relocating the bulk of U.S. military assets from Yongsan Garrison in the capital to Pyeongtaek and Daegu city, the report said.

Under the current SMA, South Korea agreed to spend around $900 million in 2020 and over $1 billion the following year. From then on, the cost was raised based on a proportional increase in South Koreas annual defense budget.

Retired South Korean army Lt. Gen. Chun In-Bum, who served as the director of U.S. affairs at the Ministry of National Defense in 2005, said that while Seouls contribution has increased, the fundamentals have remained the same.

For most of us in the security field, our attitude was that the alliance is important, Chun said by phone Saturday. As long as we can support the alliance and the stationing of U.S. forces, we need to do our best to support it. That was our attitude.

Growing ballistic missile and nuclear weapon threats from North Korea are considered during the SMA negotiations; however, the major factor is making sure that the U.S. forces on the Korean Peninsula can do their job, Chun said.

Trump ought to have had a legitimate explanation for an immediate surge in Seouls contributions, other than wanting it to pay more, according to Chun.

Whether its $5 billion or $50 billion, if the reason for that increase was explained, that would be much better than a sudden demand for an increase, Chun said.

He added that South Korea remains the U.S.s closest ally in the region and noted Seoul already spends over 2% of its gross domestic product for its military, the defense spending guideline for NATO members.

But its not about money, Chun said. The Korean military and the U.S. military are part of a blood alliance  not only did American soldiers spill blood on the Korean Peninsula, but Koreans also made great sacrifices during the Vietnam War.
An Air Force CV-22B Osprey of the 21st Special Operations Squadron, takes flight for the first time since November 2023 at Yokota Air Base, Japan, July 2, 2024. (Samantha White/U.S. Air Force)

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan  CV-22 Osprey aircraft resumed flights from this airlift hub in western Tokyo on Tuesday, 216 days after a crash off Japans southern coast killed eight airmen.

The return to flight by aircraft from the 21st Special Operations Squadron was announced by the 374th Airlift Wing in a news release that day.

The wing did not specify what type of flight operations the aircraft undertook or how many Ospreys were flown Tuesday.

The U.S. military grounded its fleet of about 400 Ospreys  tiltrotor aircraft that fly like airplanes but take off and land like helicopters  between Dec. 6 and March 8 as it investigated the Nov. 29 crash in southern Japan of a special operations Osprey based at Yokota.

Marine Corps and Navy Ospreys have been flying for months but the fleet will not be permitted to fly its full range of missions until mid-2025, the leader of the aircraft program told House lawmakers last month. The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force also resumed flights by its Osprey fleet in the spring.

The Marines and Navy described their Ospreys return to flight as a phased-in approach; the Air Force did likewise.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the safety of the men and women who operate our aircraft and the safety of our community both on base and in Japan, Lt. Col. Matthew Davis, commander of the 21st Special Operations Squadron, said in the release.

A representative for Yokota did not respond to a request for further information and to interview Davis.

A crew chief marshals an Air Force CV-22B Osprey after returning from a flight at Yokota Air Base, Japan, July 2, 2024. (Samantha White/U.S. Air Force)

Ahead of the return to flight, some residents of Fussa, the densely packed urban community outside Yokotas main gate, expressed trepidation, a spokesman for the citys base affairs division told Stars and Stripes in May.

We are concerned for the safety since there has not been sufficient explanation provided on the cause of the accident and the measures to be taken, he said at the time.

However, Davis in the wing release said safety mitigation measures were taken seriously.

We would not fly this aircraft without full confidence in the measures, the maintenance professionals implementing them, and the skilled professionals who fly it, he said.

Air Force Special Operations Command implemented a multiphased approach to ensure aircrew, maintainers and aircraft were ready to resume flight operations.

The decision to return the V-22 Osprey to flight was informed by a meticulous and data-driven approach, according to the release.

The CV-22 community continues to ensure they are adhering to the highest standards of readiness for both the aircrew and support personnel, it states.

During the grounding and when preparing to return to flight, airmen maintained their proficiency through rigorous simulator training sessions, focusing on both routine operations and emergency scenarios, according to the wing.

They also trained on the latest technical updates, maintenance practices and safety protocols related to the CV-22, according to the release.

This training ensures all personnel remain proficient, prepared, and confident as they return to flight, it states.
South Korean marines conduct a live-fire drill using K-9 Thunder howitzers from Yeonpyeong Island, South Korea, June 26, 2024. (South Korea Marine Corps)

PYEONGTAEK, South Korea  South Koreas army held live-fire artillery practice near the border with North Korea for the first time in six years, and the first such move since suspending a ban on live drills in June.

The artillery drill was conducted at an unspecified firing range within three miles of the Military Demarcation Line, the actual border dividing the Korean Peninsula, according to a news release Tuesday from the South Korean army. The border is inside the 2-mile-wide Demilitarized Zone.

Numerous air and artillery ranges are scattered near the border with North Korea. U.S. and South Korean troops conduct drills throughout the year at the 3,390-acre Rodriguez Live Fire Complex roughly 16 miles south of the border.

Tuesdays artillery drill focused on South Koreas response capabilities and fire preparedness in the event of North Korean provocations, the release said. The army said it plans to regularly conduct artillery drills around the area for the foreseeable future.

Last month, South Korea formally suspended the military deconfliction agreement with the North that banned live-fire drills along the border.

The Comprehensive Military Agreement signed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in in 2018 imposed several measures to lower tensions on the peninsula, including suspending drills and establishing no-fly zones along the border.

South Korea in November partially suspended a provision in the agreement that banned aircraft flights near the DMZ after the North successfully launched a reconnaissance spy satellite.

That decision prompted North Korea to scrap the accord entirely and announce through its state-run Korean Central News Agency that it will deploy more powerful weapons to the border.

Since then, North Korea has fired over a dozen ballistic missiles over eight separate days of testing. The communist regime last fired a short-range ballistic missile and an unspecified ballistic missile on Monday, according to South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff.

North Korea also sent over 1,000 balloons carrying trash toward the South since May 28 in retaliation against human-rights activists who sent balloons carrying humanitarian aid and propaganda leaflets toward the North.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol lifted the agreement on June 4, citing Pyongyangs continuing provocations. The suspension will remain until mutual trust between the South and the North is restored, the Souths Ministry of National Defense said at the time.

South Korean marines most recently held a live-fire exercise June 26 on Yeonpyeong Island, near the northwestern maritime border with the North, using K-9 Thunder howitzers and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers, the service said in a news release.
Gov. Denny Tamaki during a regular press conference at the prefecture's office in Naha, Okinawa, Japan, April 12, 2024. (Okinawa Prefecture)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa  The governor of Okinawa was scheduled to visit Tokyo on Wednesday to file protests regarding two U.S. service members that were indicted for alleged sexual crimes this year.

Gov. Denny Tamaki planned to meet with State Minister of Defense Makoto Oniki, Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa and Shunichi Kuryu, the deputy chief cabinet secretary, at their offices, according to a news release Tuesday from the prefectures Military Base Affairs Division.

These inhumane and despicable crimes committed by U.S. soldiers are serious and malicious acts that disrespect the human rights and dignity of women, and cannot be tolerated at all, and we cannot help but feel strong outrage, Tamaki said in a letter Wednesday to Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Furthermore, the fact that such malicious incidents have been discovered one after another is causing strong anxiety to the citizens of the prefecture.

Tamaki, an outspoken opponent of the U.S. military presence on Okinawa, previously expressed strong resentment over the allegations prosecutors leveled against an Air Force airman and labeled as contemptible the subsequent, unrelated accusations against a Marine.

The Naha Public Prosecutors Office indicted the Air Force member, Brennon R. E. Washington, 25, assigned to Kadena Air Base, on March 27 on charges of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a girl under 16 in December. Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton of the III Marine Expeditionary Force was indicted June 17 on charges that he attempted to sexually assault a woman May 26 in Yomitan village.

Tamaki in separate letters to Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara called on the Japanese and U.S. governments to take measures to prevent further incidents, including tighter liberty restrictions on U.S. troops and compensation to victims of criminal acts without delay. He also said the government should convene a Cooperative Prevention Working Team.

Referring to the incident in December, as a case of child abduction, Tamaki wrote: Relevant organizations and local communities should immediately work together to prioritize protecting children from kidnapping, according to a copy of his letters provided Stars and Stripes by his office Wednesday.

He wrote that the information sharing system did not work well, and the prefecture was not informed of either case. As a result, the prefecture was not able to take any measures, and we think this is an extremely big problem.

Masataka Okano, Japans vice-minister for foreign affairs, delivered formal complaints about both cases to U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel in Tokyo.

Tamaki also complained that Tokyo authorities kept his administration in the dark about both cases, a spokeswoman for the prefectures Military Base Affairs Division told Stars and Stripes by phone Wednesday.

The governor will complain about both incidents and will request to share information, the base affairs spokeswoman said.

Some Japanese government officials are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

Local police and prosecutors did not immediately publicly disclose either incident, citing the need to protect the privacy of the woman and the girl they identified as victims.

Okinawa prefecture was not notified of the incidents and became aware of them through local media reports, the spokeswoman said.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry was aware of both incidents but did not share that information with the prefecture, Kamikawa said at a press conference Friday. Kamikawa on Tuesday promised to consider sharing information with local governments regarding serious incidents.

At the Pentagon, the Defense Department is closely working with the local communities to address their concerns regarding these cases, top Pentagon spokesman Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a press conference Tuesday.

Ryder said U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is closely tracking the cases. We will continue to do everything we can to keep the lines of communications open on this, Ryder said.
A message reading, My body my choice, is projected onto the Eiffel Tower in Paris on March 4, 2024, after the French parliament voted to anchor the right to abortion in the countrys constitution. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

PARIS (Tribune News Service)  Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, Republicans on Capitol Hill and conservative justices have regularly cited European laws barring abortion after the first trimester of pregnancy to argue for similar policy in the United States.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. both cited European abortion limits in their opinions in the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization case. More recently, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has called for a national ban on abortion after 15 weeks of gestation, told reporters on Capitol Hill that a first-trimester abortion limit would put the U.S. in line with other peer nations.

Forty-seven of 50 European nations have national limits on abortion between 12 and 15 weeks, Graham said in April after former President Donald Trump said he would leave abortion policies to the states. This is the civilized worlds position.

But in one of those countries, France, which bars elective abortions after 16 weeks gestational age (14 weeks fetal age), the comparison falls flat.

For one thing, France holds the distinction of being the only nation that has enshrined the right to an elective abortion in its constitution. And while French law bars elective abortions after the first trimester, that ban includes sweeping exceptions, including medical exceptions that in some cases allow women to access legal abortion through the third trimester.

In short, while French law nominally bars elective abortion after the first trimester, it also ensures that the decision about whether to terminate a pregnancy after that period lies with the doctor and the patient  not the government.

In America, what is different as compared to France is that after [viability], the fetus is protected by the society.  In France, the fetus had no existence before the delivery, said Jean-Marie Jouannic, an OB-GYN at Armand-Trousseau Hospital in Paris who specializes in fetal abnormalities.

This is very, very important for us. It is a societal belief and a legislative decision, he said.

US law

By contrast, Louisiana and Alabama both have laws on the books establishing fetal personhood, which gives an embryo rights at the moment of conception. That concept is becoming increasingly popular: 13 state legislatures have floated similar proposals this year alone, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research organization.

In the United States, the Dobbs decision created a patchwork, with a swath of differing policies on what is acceptable and what is not and laws ranging from complete ban on abortion services to no bans at all.

As of June, 14 states have total abortion bans in place, and 27 states have a ban based on gestational duration, with seven of those states banning abortion at or before 18 weeks and 20 states at some point after 18 weeks, according to KFF, a health organization. Seven states and the District of Columbia do not restrict abortion based on gestational duration.

Trump, the presumed Republican nominee for president, abandoned his partys push for a national abortion ban in April, saying the issue should be left to the states. Many GOP lawmakers praised the move, saying Trumps view represents the majority of Republican voters.

Still, some Republicans continue to push federal officials to crack down on Democrat-led states that allow third-trimester abortions.

During an April 16 hearing of the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee, Republican Sens. Katie Britt of Alabama and John Kennedy of Louisiana accused the U.S. of being an outlier on the world stage because some states allow abortion up until the moment of birth. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra called the examples they used fiction.

But in the United States, late-term abortions are incredibly rare, representing about 1 percent of all abortions. Theyre usually performed because a fetus is nonviable or there is a danger to the womans health.

French law

The French first-trimester abortion policy, as codified by lawmakers in March, applies only to voluntary termination of pregnancy. A woman can come in at any point up until 16 weeks gestation, ask for the procedure and receive it.

After that, however, theres a very specific process.

French law allows for the medical termination of pregnancy, when requested, for fetal malformations, harm to the womans health and, in some cases, psychological or economic distress. In those cases, French law requires the pregnant woman to go to a hospital that specializes in fetal medicine. Once there, two doctors must sign off on the procedure.

The law is very precise, explained Jouannic.

In some cases, a physician and patient may disagree about the need for an abortion, Jouannic said. If that happens, a larger group of doctors can meet and discuss the case. There is no formal vote on the matter, but the larger discussion helps the two deciding physicians solidify their opinion.

In cases of severe conditions associated with pregnancy, like cardiac disease or cancer, three physicians and a social worker or psychologist must sign off on the procedure.

Our work is always in the favor of the woman, Florent Fuchs, head of gynecology at Arnaud de Villeneuve Hospital in Montpellier, France, told CQ Roll Call.

In the U.S., by contrast, the post-Dobbs landscape sowed enough confusion about what qualifies as a medical emergency in the context of abortion that the Supreme Court had to intervene.

Last month the high court dismissed a case about whether Idahos near-total ban on abortions preempted a 1986 federal law known as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, which requires hospitals to provide stabilizing care  including abortion, when necessary  as a condition of Medicare funding.

The stay on the Idaho law will continue. But since the court didnt rule on the merits of the case, and because another case on the 1986 law is pending, some advocates and lawmakers believe the future of emergency abortion care remains in question in the United States.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said Democrats are fearmongering about abortion access.

Every state in the country allows for doctors to treat a woman experiencing an ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage or other life-threatening condition. That is called health care, not an abortion, Cassidy said.

But Idaho doctors say that when the states abortion ban was in effect, at least six women experiencing pregnancy complications in Idaho had to be airlifted to neighboring states for care.

Government facilitating access

When the French government does get involved with abortion, its to facilitate access.

In 2016 the French government created Numero Vert National, or the National Green Line, a hotline that people can use to access their nearest abortion center or contact about any other sexual health question.

Joelle Daviaud, a volunteer elected to the board of directors for Le Planning Familial Lille, the French equivalent of Planned Parenthood, has worked shifts taking calls on the Green Line a few hours a week for several years. She had to receive extensive training to answer questions.

My only role or responsibility is to help de-stress and discuss next steps, Daviaud said.

Recently, a 21-year-old woman called seeking an abortion. Daviaud gave the woman three options near her small town.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lacks such a hotline, but after the Dobbs decision, the Biden administration launched a website to help educate women on their rights, regardless of state laws. The site allows people to file complaints with the HHS Office of Civil Rights if they believe their state isnt following civil rights or privacy laws relating to reproductive care.

Changing attitudes

Philippe Faucher, a longtime abortion provider at Armand-Trousseau Hospital in Paris, has witnessed French societal opinions on abortion change firsthand. When he first began practicing abortion about 30 years ago, the procedure was legal but considered taboo, he said.

Now, there are about 230,000 abortions per year in France, a number steadily increasing even as the number of live births declines. More than 80 percent of citizens supported enshrining access in the constitution, according to a survey from the French polling company IFOP.

In the United States, voters remain supportive of abortion as access wanes. Eighty-five percent of voters say abortion should be legal in certain or all circumstances, according to a May 2024 poll from Gallup.

Texas now averages five abortions per month, compared with 4,400 per month before the Dobbs decision.

While many U.S. states have limited abortion access, the French consider access to the procedure akin to a government benefit. So concerned were they about provider shortages that the nation in 2022 passed a law allowing midwives to perform surgical abortions.

Sandra Queron works the front desk at Trousseau Family Planning Center in Paris, a public hospital, where she meets with women before and after they meet with a doctor about abortion. The front office is covered in signs about womens rights.

Honestly, in France, there are no blockades to abortion, she said. In my work Ive never encountered anything that prevented me from giving a woman her right to have an abortion.

But health care providers recognize this could change despite the constitutional language allowing abortion. Some worry that the election of a conservative government could lead to budget cuts for family planning clinics, waiting periods before procedures or other barriers.

You dont have to forbid an abortion, you just have to complicate it, said Jennifer Constant, a midwife who runs a small private practice outside the northern French city of Lille. And every time you will have women in trouble.

This story is part of a reporting fellowship sponsored by the Association of Health Care Journalists and supported by The Commonwealth Fund.

Siobhan Silke contributed to this report.

2024 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Visit cqrollcall.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany  At least three U.S. Army garrisons and Ramstein Air Base lowered their alert statuses Wednesday, days after American military bases around Europe began taking additional security precautions.

U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, headquartered in Kaiserslautern, returned to force protection condition Bravo-plus, according to an alert sent to Defense Department personnel, while Ramstein returned its condition to Bravo. The nearby bases form the largest U.S. military community overseas.

The military sets force protection levels at Normal, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie or Delta, the highest state of alert. Bravo became the common standard following the 9/11 attacks at many bases worldwide.

Bravo indicates when an increased or more predictable threat of terrorist activity exists, according to the Army. Bravo-plus means that additional security precautions may be taken as needed.

Charlie, which is what several bases in Europe went to on Sunday, applies when an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating some form of terrorist action or targeting against personnel or facilities is likely, according to the Army.

The Rheinland-Pfalz order applies to the garrisons installations in the Kaiserslautern area, Baumholder and outlying installations, which include those in Romania and Bulgaria.

The Air Forces 86th Airlift Wing, which operates the base at Ramstein, said in a statement Wednesday that the military in Europe encourages increased vigilance to ensure the safety of our service members and their families.

The Armys garrison in Stuttgart, home to U.S. European and Africa commands, also notified troops that it had lowered its force protection condition to Bravo at about 4:30 p.m. The garrison in Wiesbaden, which is headquarters for U.S. Army Europe and Africa, followed suit shortly afterward.

We are constantly assessing a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families, EUCOM said in a statement.

Several other bases in Europe, including Aviano Air Base and the Navys installation in Naples, both in Italy, remained at condition Charlie as of Wednesday afternoon.

The elevated alert status has caused traffic delays, reduced services and required some employees to work from home this week.

The return to Bravo at several installations comes as service members and their families at bases throughout the world prepare to celebrate the U.S. Independence Day holiday on Thursday.

Stars and Stripes reporters Phillip W. Wellman and John Vandiver contributed to this report.
Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stands in front of a Patriot air defense missile system during a visit to a military training area in Germany on June 11, 2024. (Jens Buettner/dpa via AP)

The U.S. will provide another $2.3 billion in military aid for Ukraine, including anti-tank weapons, interceptors and munitions, Pentagon officials said Tuesday.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin indicated early Tuesday that an aid package would be announced soon as Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with him at the Pentagon.

Make no mistake, Ukraine is not alone, and the United States will never waver in our support, Austin said. Alongside some 50 allies and partners, well continue to provide critical capabilities that Ukraine needs to push back Russian aggression today and to deter Russian aggression tomorrow.

Austin said the aid will be made possible by the presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Defense Department to take weapons from its stocks and send them more quickly to Ukraine. Included in the aid package are Patriot and other air-defense interceptors, anti-tank weapons and munitions.

But Pentagon officials on Tuesday would not say when the aid will be officially announced or when it will be delivered. Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagons press secretary, only said, Soon.

We will have this package out on the street soon as we continue to try to rush security assistance to [Ukraine], he told reporters later in the day during a news briefing.

With the latest $2.3 billion, the U.S. has committed to more than $53.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022.

With that support, we have stopped Russia, stopped the aggression toward people, toward our values, national interests, Umerov said in thanking Austin for the support.

Austin said Ukraine continues to be locked into a relentless fight with Russia, and Russia is intensifying its bombardment of Ukrainian cities and civilians.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin greets Ukraines Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, during an arrival ceremony at the Pentagon. (Alexander Kubitza/Department of Defense)

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that Russia had dropped more than 800 powerful glide bombs in Ukraine in the last week alone, The Associated Press reported.

Zelenskyy urged national leaders to relax restrictions on the use of Western weapons to strike military targets inside Russia, stating Ukraine needs the necessary means to destroy the carriers of these bombs, including Russian combat aircraft, wherever they are.

Austin did not say Tuesday whether the restrictions would be relaxed but told Umerov that the two would discuss more ways to meet Ukraines immediate security needs and to build a future force to ward off more Russian aggression.

Ryder said the U.S. policy on the use of long-range weapons for an offensive strike into Russia has not changed. Those weapons, he said, are for use inside Ukraine sovereign territory.

Austin and Umerov met as NATO allies prepare for next weeks summit in Washington of alliance members. The members are expected to coordinate future security aid and training for Ukraines armed forces.

In the past, NATO officials have said it would be impossible for Ukraine to become an alliance member while it is at war, with President Joe Biden telling CNN such a move would turn NATO into a combatant in the conflict.

But Austin said Tuesday that the alliance will take steps to build a bridge for NATO membership for Ukraine during the summit.

Hopefully soon, Ukraine will receive its invitation, Umerov said to Austin. But at the moment, we will discuss the issues, how to increase our capabilities and plans.
The Senate floor session in the Richmond capitol building. (Waldo Jaquith/Wikimedia Commons)

RICHMOND  The Virginia Senate reconvened to consider lifting new restrictions on a college tuition program for military families but walked away empty-handed for the second time in two weeks.

Senators from across the state returned to Richmond on Monday to consider repealing the restrictions on the program, which waives tuition and fees at public colleges and universities for the spouses and children of veterans disabled or killed in the line of duty.

But Democrats on Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee did not vote on the repeal bill the House passed unanimously Friday, calling it constitutionally flawed. Democrats on the panel then advanced a similar measure, but that legislation did not get a vote on the floor after Republican senators blocked the Democrats plans to fast-track it.

Republicans and Democrats accused each other of playing politics with an issue that has inflamed military families, who gathered once again Monday at the Capitol to urge action but left frustrated.

Were trying move it along, Senate Majority Leader Scott A. Surovell (D-Fairfax) said afterward.

Surovell said he and Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) met privately for hours with Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) earlier Monday but could not reach an agreement on any of their proposals  including one to fully repeal the restrictions but for only one year, with the sunset meant to ensure changes get made to make the program sustainable.

He wanted full repeal and taxpayers cover the cost and well talk about it in January.  He just basically said, Trust me, Surovell said. Theres not a whole lot of trust there right now.

Surovell said that the meeting lasted between 2 and three hours, and that during that time, Youngkin would occasionally go into an adjacent room to phone others to get their take on the Democrats proposals. Youngkin spokesman Rob Damschen declined to comment on that account.

In a statement, Youngkin blasted Democrats for not taking action in the Senate, which like the House, the party narrowly controls. The governor said he would order both chambers back to Richmond if they do not come up with a fix.

The Senate Democrat leadership is hurting our military heroes, first responders and their families every time they show up and do nothing, as well as wasting time and taxpayer money, Youngkin said in the statement. A full, clean repeal, which passed out of the House unanimously, and was supported by a bipartisan majority in the Senate, could have been signed today.

The program was created in 1930 to aid the families of World War I veterans and has been expanded over the years to include out-of-state residents, graduate students and relatives of service members with non-combat-related injuries. The price tag has risen sharply in recent years, from $12 million in 2019 to more than $65 million last year. Universities have borne the cost or passed it onto other students.

The restrictions, which took effect Monday with the start of the states fiscal year, limit eligibility to Virginia residents pursuing undergraduate degrees. They also require participants to tap federal aid, such as Pell Grants, before accessing the state program. Students already in the program were grandfathered in, as was anyone who applied to college before May 15.

Tucked in the state budget that won bipartisan support from the House, Senate and Youngkin in May, the restrictions were meant to address the programs rising costs. Fierce pushback from families followed, and Youngkin and legislators quickly pledged to come up with a fix. Yet they have been at odds over how to do so.

The House and Youngkin have favored fully repealing the changes until the issue can be studied and considered by the legislature as a stand-alone bill. Senate leaders have been more inclined to leave some restrictions intact, although their latest proposal Monday was very near what the House passed.

The Senate first met June 18, when Democratic leaders hoped to pass a bill to lift the Pell Grant and FAFSA requirements for relatives of veterans killed in the line of duty or disabled in combat, but not those with noncombat disabilities. They met for more than five hours that day but did not advance the legislation.

The House voted 92-0 on Friday to fully repeal changes to the program. Shortly after the House vote, Surovell said Senate leaders planned to back a new bill to postpone the restrictions until July 1, 2025  essentially a full repeal but with a sunset after one year.

He said it would also provide an additional $45 million over the next 12 months  over the $20 million a year already included in the budget to help to cover the cost  and require the states the Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission to review the program and make recommendations by Sept. 1. JLARC has, on its own, begun the study.

Lucas proposed a bill Monday that was slightly different  and came closer to the Houses position, calling for a full repeal without the sunset provision. It also included the additional $45 million and the academic progress requirement, which Surovell said is standard for other state tuition programs.

But the full Senate did not get the chance to vote on that bill or the House version.

The finance committee opted to pass the House bill by for the day after Surovell said it had a constitutional problem: The language does not restate the entire budget item, which he said is required under a state Supreme Court ruling.

The committee instead advanced a similar bill  on a party-line vote, with all Democrats in favor and all Republicans opposed  that fully repealed the restrictions but imposed a new one: requiring that students receiving the tuition benefit demonstrate satisfactory academic performance.

But when that measure reached the floor, Senate Republicans would not agree to waive certain procedural rules to allow for an immediate vote, noting that the rules would require the House to agree and that chamber was not in town Monday.

The Senate has no immediate plans to return, Surovell said.

I dont see how wed ask taxpayers to spend another $50,000 on per diems and expenses if the House and the governor havent indicated theyre willing to accept our bill, he said, referring to the amount it costs the state each day that the full General Assembly is in session.

Senate Minority Leader Ryan T. McDougle (R-Hanover) said the chamber was missing an opportunity to put the issue behind it and settle the uncertainty for military families.

The House passed a bill that was a clean repeal, he said. We can pass a clean repeal. We can do that today.
The Google logo at Alphabets Googleplex headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., as seen on Sept. 25, 2018. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Googles emissions climbed by almost half over five years, as the company has infused artificial intelligence throughout many of its core products  making it harder to meet its goal of eliminating carbon emissions by 2030, according to a new environmental report from the tech giant.

The annual report covers Googles progress toward meeting its environmental goals last year. The Alphabet Inc. unit said its greenhouse gas emissions totaled 14.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent throughout 2023. This is 48% higher than in 2019, the company said, and 13% higher than in 2022. Google said higher energy consumption at its data centers and emissions from its supply chain were to blame, and said its push to add AI to its products could make it more difficult to reduce emissions going forward.

As we further integrate AI into our products, reducing emissions may be challenging due to increasing energy demands from the greater intensity of AI compute, and the emissions associated with the expected increases in our technical infrastructure investment, Google wrote in the report.

For several years, the Mountain View, California-based company has said it plans to eliminate such emissions from its operations by 2030.

AI  and in particular generative AI, which takes in user inputs and spits out new content like text, images or songs  is extremely resource-intensive, as a recent Bloomberg News investigation showed. As the technology grows rapidly, more and more data centers are needed to build and run it, leading to surging power requirements.

The dramatic increase in power demands from Silicon Valleys growth-at-all-costs approach to AI threatens to upend the energy transition plans of entire nations as well as the clean energy goals of trillion-dollar tech companies. In some countries, including Saudi Arabia, Ireland and Malaysia, the energy required to run all the data centers they plan to build at full capacity exceeds the available supply of renewable energy, according to a Bloomberg analysis of the latest available data.

Google is not the first major technology company to cite the rapid growth of AI as an obstacle to achieving environmental goals. In May, Microsoft Corp. said its carbon emissions climbed 30% since 2020, as the company increasingly invested in AI. The increase made that companys target of getting to below net-zero emissions by 2030 even harder than it was when it announced its carbon-negative goal.

Sasha Luccioni, climate lead at startup Hugging Face Inc., said the data show tech companies werent anticipating the massive growth of AI when they set their environmental goals. They couldnt have, she said. The baseline year in that Google report was 2019  definitely not anticipating it. Companies have been blindsided both by how much energy is required to build such technology, Luccioni said, and how much energy is required to run it.

With assistance from Dina Bass.

2024 Bloomberg L.P.

Visit bloomberg.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Vice President Kamala Harris arrives for a speech at the East Las Vegas Community Center on June 28, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS)

WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service)  Vice President Kamala Harris wouldnt bite.

Joe Biden is our nominee, she told a CBS News reporter outside a San Francisco fundraiser Tuesday night amid signs the presidents Democratic dam was breaking.

The reporter tried another tactic, asking if she was ready to lead the country if needed. Nothing.

I am proud to be Joe Bidens running mate, she replied.

In the week since Bidens disastrous debate performance, Harris has received more attention than at any time since her early, rocky days as his No. 2. Polls and party infrastructure give her an advantage over other possible Biden replacements, should he choose to step out of the race against former President Trump.

But Harris is in a delicate position  a magnified version of the political pressure she has faced throughout her tenure in office. She cant afford to show even a hint that she is looking to replace Biden, the oldest president in history at 81. Yet she has to watch her back, to make sure others do not usurp her in the event Bidens job becomes available.

She absolutely, positively has to dance with the one who brought her, and any daylight that she shows between herself and the only person on Earth who could be called her boss would be seen as disloyal, said one former adviser, who requested anonymity to avoid angering fellow Democrats with succession talk. If ground keeps shifting ... inevitably shes going to be put in a position of potentially having to make a decision or maybe a decisions being made for her.

So far, shes been earning relatively good marks from Democrats appreciative of her attempts to defend Biden, while Republicans continue to mock her public speeches as word salads.

Its been interesting to watch people who have been critical of her over the last three and a half years say Oh Id support her, said an ally who is in regular contact with Harris and Bidens inner circles, who asked for anonymity to avoid upsetting friends in Bidens orbit. People believe, and have always believed, she can prosecute the case.

Harris went on CNN within minutes of last weeks debate, when most Democrats were still shell-shocked, offering the first version of Bidens defense. She acknowledged what she called a slow start while insisting, Im not going to spend all night with you talking about the last 90 minutes when Ive been watching the last three and a half years.

Harris has made a similar case since then, traveling to speeches and fundraisers, including a Tuesday night event in San Francisco, in which she categorized the elephant in the room as both the debate and the prospect of another Trump presidency.

Shes doing her job, and to suggest there is somebody waiting in the wings, somebody looking to get a jump-start on 2028  no, thats not Kamala Harris, said Donna Brazile, an ally who wants Biden to stay at the top of the ticket.

Her sometime rival Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken a similar tack, positioning himself as a public defender for Biden, distancing himself from elements of the party who want the president to step aside. He was scheduled to visit the White House on Wednesday night to stand with the president, he said in a fundraising email.

Harris had her regular lunch with Biden on Wednesday. Harris also joined Biden on a campaign call in which he reassured staff that he was in this race to the end, according to a person familiar with the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity. We will not back down. We will follow our presidents lead. We will fight, and we will win, Harris told the staffers, this person said.

Though Biden promised her weekly lunches when she took the job, the meetings have been inconsistent, an indication that Biden has often leaned more on longtime aides than on his deputy.

But if she were to run for president, she could campaign on the administrations legislative successes, including its environmental and infrastructure spending bills.

Republicans would seize on her role as a key player in Bidens immigration policy: Early in his tenure, Biden assigned Harris to oversee a strategy intended to bolster economic, security and political conditions in Central America to stem the root causes of migration.

But Harris has never been comfortable with the assignment, and Republicans have gleefully cast her as the border czar as they have attacked record numbers of border arrests during the Biden administration.

Harris gained political strength after the Supreme Court overturned the right to abortion in 2022, leading the White Houses response. She has been unable to change the law or to stop red states from passing extensive restrictions on the procedure, but she helped the Democratic Party use the issue to overperform in the 2022 midterm elections. Democrats are hoping to use the issue again if they can move beyond the concerns over Bidens fitness for office.

A CNN poll released Tuesday found three-quarters of American voters believed Democrats would have a better shot at the White House without Biden. Among possible replacements, only Harris polled within 2 percentage points of Trump. Allies have long said her name recognition and control of the party apparatus would put her in better position to lead than potential rivals, who include Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Rep. James E. Clyburn, D-S.C., who has been a pivotal Biden supporter, said Tuesday on MSNBC that he would support Harris as a replacement, but that his first preference is Biden remaining the candidate.

But I want to support her going forward, sometime in the future, he said.

But there remains deep concern about Harris in the party. Even the CNN poll showed her with ground to make up against Trump in a theoretical match-up, and thats without the media scrutiny and Republican assault that would come with leading the ticket. And her early struggles in the job  which produced high staff turnover and low poll numbers  set a bad early impression for many voters, though her average approval in polls has improved slightly in the last few months.

A March USA Today/Suffolk poll found that 54% of voters said she is not qualified to serve as president, compared with 38% who said she is. Focus groups shared with the Los Angeles Times by a pro-Biden Republican group earlier this year showed swing voters and even Black voters had negative impressions, some of which her allies believe were tied to her race and gender.

But even if Harris would have work to do, no other possible replacement has faced as much national scrutiny, possibly making them a higher risk for the party.

She has been under that spotlight and has taken her lumps as a result, said the former adviser. No one can say shes unknown at this point.

Bierman reported from Washington, Wiley from San Francisco.

2024 Los Angeles Times.

Visit at latimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Palmer Luckey at Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, California, on Sept. 20, 2023. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

A red phone sits on Palmer Luckeys desk at the Costa Mesa headquarters of his military tech company, Anduril Industries.

The phone is a genuine article from the U.S. nuclear command, once connected to the network that led to the bunkers dug into the Rockies west of Colorado Springs that could order up the apocalypse. Luckey owned the red phone before he started Anduril, back when he was only famous for inventing the Oculus virtual reality headset in a trailer in the driveway of his childhood home in Long Beach, then selling that company to Facebook for $2 billion at age 21.

Back then, the phone was just kitsch, a physical piece of history he could gaze at as he worked on VR for a social media company. But after he donated $10,000 to an anti-Hillary Clinton political group in the fall of 2016, then got fired from Facebook a few months later, the red phone changed from a prop to a proposition. Flush with cash, unemployed and annoyed at Silicon Valley, he decided to become a military mogul  possibly the first whose office uniform is a Hawaiian shirt, cargo shorts and flip-flops.

That was the dream, to be the guy with the red phone who gets The Call, Palmer, now 31, said in an interview at Andurils headquarters.

He founded his new enterprise with four others. One had worked with Luckey at Oculus, but the remaining three came from Palantir, the intelligence analytics software company founded by Peter Thiel, the billionaire tech investor and right-wing political donor. When Thiel founded Palantir in 2003, he named the firm after the magical seeing-stones from Tolkiens Lord of the Rings. Luckey followed in Thiels footsteps. Anduril is the elvish name of the reforged sword of Aragorn, king of men and hero of the forces of good in Tolkiens epic. Translated into English from Quenya, the name means Flame of the West. A replica of the sword from the Lord of the Rings films hangs on the wall in Andurils office.

The first page of our first pitch deck said that Anduril is a company that will save Western civilization by saving taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars a year as we make tens of billions of dollars a year, Luckey said.

Were not making tens of billions of dollars a year yet, he said, but were getting there.

Six years later, Anduril has signed well over $1 billion in public contracts with the U.S. and allied governments and raised more than $2 billion in venture funding. Last year, it brought in around $500 million in revenue, according to investor presentations reported by the Information.

Of those contracts, $250 million are with the U.S. Border Patrol, which is in the process of deploying a network of 189 Anduril sensor towers to form a virtual border wall of semiautomatic surveillance across the U.S.-Mexico border. Another $100 million is with the Australian navy, which hired Anduril to build submarine drones. Its biggest deal came in 2022, when the U.S. Special Operations Command awarded a 10-year, billion-dollar contract to Anduril for counter-drone defense systems that combine sensors, AI software and drones like Andurils Anvils, which can physically ram enemy drones to knock them out of the sky.

Luckeys company has also developed a tube-launched drone with a loitering munition model (a.k.a. an exploding drone) and bought a rocket engine manufacturer in Mississippi that makes propulsion systems for hypersonic missiles. In late 2023, it unveiled a jet-powered drone that could be flown multiple times for surveillance missions, or equipped with a warhead for suicide missions. In April, Anduril beat out Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman in an Air Force competition for a new autonomous fighter drone that can fly alongside manned warplanes like robot wingmen.

That red phone on Luckeys desk isnt connected to a live line  but he is undoubtedly getting The Call.

We are preemptively being invited to conversations to help solve problems  most companies will just never get that call, Luckey said. Its the dream come true for someone with my ideological bent.

Luckeys bent, at least when it comes to business, runs counter to the last few decades of Americas economic development. When he was working at Facebook and trying to scale up the production of the Oculus headset in Chinese factories, he started to believe that something had gone seriously wrong.

I felt that we lived in a unique period of U.S. history where we had allowed our technological innovation apparatus to be completely hijacked by a foreign power: China, Luckey said. Almost none of the major tech companies in the United States were willing to work with the DoD in a major way, because doing so would get them locked out of China, Chinese capital, Chinese markets, Chinese manufacturing.

Apple could not pivot away from China even in the event of World War III, Luckey said. So you get to this weird situation, I realized, where these people who are supposed to be the most powerful people in the country are actually handcuffed and prohibited from saying anything that they might believe, including criticizing the Chinese governments mass detention of Muslim minorities. If youre the CEO of Apple, you cant go out and say, I think concentration camps are wrong, no matter where they are. I looked at that and said, Oh my God, this is terrifying.

This line of thinking was considered fringe in the tech industry in 2016, when Luckey left Facebook, but after COVID-19 pandemic supply-chain disruption and wars in Europe and the Middle East, a growing slice of the tech industry has switched to Luckeys point of view, emphasizing the need to bring manufacturing back to U.S. shores  or at least U.S. allies  and disentangle from the Chinese economy.

Luckeys enthusiasm for working with the military was unpopular for much of the last decade, but his basic pitch for Anduril is classic Silicon Valley: Use software, venture capital money and a new business model to disrupt an industry full of lumbering incumbents. He and his co-founders thought that they could tap tech talent to bring machine vision and other AI technologies to military operations, and outflank the defense giants of Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, General Dynamics, Boeing and Northrop Grumman  known as the five primes in the industry  by pitching the military on a new way to pay. Instead of billing on a cost-plus basis, where the government covers all the costs of development and manufacturing, plus a little profit margin on top, Anduril talks to Department of Defense decision-makers up front, uses its own capital to develop new software and drones, and then sells the finished product to the military.

The company is not profitable, and has no intention of becoming profitable in the next few years. We should not be profitable in the near future, Luckey said. We should be taking all of the money that were making and putting it back into growing the company, launching new product lines, trying to become the next major defense prime.

It was an uphill fight to secure his first round of funding. Investors would tell him, We love your people, we love your tech. Youre very patriotic, youre very smart, but we dont think you can actually get the government to buy your stuff.

I pointed out to people that every defense company that had been founded by a billionaire was a success, Luckey said, referring to Elon Musks SpaceX and Thiels Palantir. I hate that we live in a country where thats the case, but I realized that I had a unique responsibility as one of the very few people who was willing to work on national security and blessed with the resources to actually make a real go at it.

Luckey has also used those resources to give millions to Republican political candidates and committees across the country, drawing criticism from a number of his peers in the tech industry, who tend to lean toward Democrats over the GOP.

In the 2020 cycle, Luckey and his wife poured nearly $3 million into the coffers of Republican Party committees and congressional candidates in 45 states, and threw in $1.7 million for Donald Trumps campaign on top. That October, Luckey also hosted a reported $100,000-a-person fundraiser for Trump, with the candidate in attendance, at his waterfront home on the tip of Newport Beachs Lido Isle.

His political giving has kept up in the years since. In the 2021-22 cycle, federal election records show Luckey donated over $1.4 million to Republican committees and candidates. In 2023, he donated an additional $726,000. His sister, Ginger, is married to Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).

Im supporting the people who are generally very pro-innovation and national security, Luckey said. He doesnt see a contradiction in building weapons for the Ukrainian army and supporting members of a political party that has been wobbly in its support for the war. They are almost universally very supportive of using Ukraine as an opportunity to show Russia that they are not gonna get away with being an expansionist regime, he said.

At the end of the day, I would love it if I could only give money to the politicians who agree with me on everything, and only to the groups that agree with me on everything. Unfortunately, I have not found those groups.

Earlier this month, Luckey again co-hosted a fundraiser for Trump in Newport Beach. Combined with other events in the region, it was expected to raise about $27.5 million for the presumptive Republican nominees campaign committee.

Besides running a company, Luckey has a growing collection of toys to occupy his time. An 82-foot boat used by the Navy SEALS called the Mark V Special Operations Craft floats at the end of the dock outside his Lido Isle house, visible on Google Maps satellite view.

Through a series of LLCs with names such as Luckey Arms, Luckey Air Transport and Luckey Ground Technology, he owns a couple of submarines, a Black Hawk helicopter and a fleet of motorcycles and cars. On the day we met, he drove a Tesla stripped of all paint to the bare aluminum to work. He drove a 1990s Mazdaspeed Autozam converted to electric drive and skinned hot pink with graphics from the anime series Gun Gale Online to the annual Anime Expo at the L.A. Convention Center last summer. During his time at Facebook, the Wall Street Journal reported that he would drive a military Humvee to the Menlo Park, Calif., offices, complete with fake guns in its machine-gun mount.

Real guns are also a hobby. I have a huge number of guns. Massive collection of guns. His main interest is failed gun designs, stabs at innovation that led to technological dead ends. I will say Ive got the extreme machine gene, Luckey said.

And then there are the nuclear missile silos. I own a lot of ICBM sites all over the United States. Corporate filings show that a decommissioned Atlas ICBM silo in rural Saranac, N.Y., is owed by Black Omen LLC, which is in turn managed by Fiendlords Keep LLC, whose chief executive is listed as Palmer Luckey.

Luckey would not confirm nor deny his ownership of that site, but he did say that hes in the process of collecting the entire U.S. ground-based nuclear deterrent system. His goal, he says, is to turn it into a vast museum.

There are so many air museums, quite a few naval museums and ship museums, and theres literally only one missile museum in the United States, the Titan II in Tucson, Arizona, he said. Its just kind of weird that one of the three pillars of the nuclear triad has just been completely ignored by all the people that build museums. So Im collecting those and restoring them.

Like the red phone, only bigger.

2024 Los Angeles Times.

Visit at latimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
NATO Defense Ministerial meetings at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, in October 2023. (Chad J. McNeeley/Department of Defense)

WASHINGTON  The 32 members of the NATO military alliance will meet in Washington next week to project a united front on Ukraine and its fight against Russian aggression, but there could be some fractures behind the harmonious facade.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev last week refused to lead his countrys delegation to the NATO summit due to disagreements with Bulgarias position in support of Ukraine.

Slovakias prime minister, Robert Fico, claimed last month that he was the target of an assassination attempt because his opposition to arming Ukraine deviated from the European mainstream.

And Hungary has continued to maintain close ties with Russia and resist pressure to help Ukraine economically or militarily. Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged Ukraine on Tuesday to consider a cease-fire to speed up peace talks.

More cracks in the alliance could emerge Sunday with the potential electoral triumph of Frances main far-right party. The party, National Rally, has a history of pro-Russia sympathies, and last year abstained in a vote on Frances security pact with Ukraine.

Outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged the split in opinion on Ukraine in a news conference with Orban in June but expressed optimism in the alliance ultimately standing together in solidarity.

We are 32 allies, and sometimes there are different opinions, but we have proven again and again that we are able to overcome them and find a common way forward, he said.

Orban has assured NATO that Hungary will not oppose the expected announcement next week of a new mission in Germany to coordinate aid to Ukraine as well as a long-term financial pledge by the alliance to provide military support. But Orban also made clear that Hungary will not contribute personnel or funds for the efforts.

For now, any disagreements among NATO allies concerning Ukraine seem to be superficial cracks in the veneer of the alliance rather than at its foundations, according to Sean Monaghan, a U.K. visiting fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

Gaining consensus in the face of differing national positions on critical issues is normal business for NATO, and I would expect any cracks to be patched up by the time we get to Washington next week, he said.

The main aim of the summit will be to maintain and show unity, especially as the alliance marks a landmark 75th anniversary while war rages in Europe, and its largest member  the United States  moves into a highly consequential presidential election, Monaghan said.

The public is unlikely to see the kind of discord that accompanied last years summit in Lithuania, when open debate about Ukraines future with the alliance caused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to lash out in frustration, he said.

We wont see any last-minute debates in public this time. Well see a unified position on Ukraine, Monaghan said.

Behind the scenes, countries such as Hungary and Slovakia could cause problems, but the biggest sources of potential obstacles will be the U.S. and Germany, said Luke Coffey, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank.

Hungary and Slovakia are very loud with their rhetoric, but behind closed doors, they tend to be more cooperative and pragmatic. If we wanted to do something with Ukraine inside NATO, and the only voice against it was Hungarys, there are ways to make Hungary come around, he said. But if Berlin or Washington is against something, theyre too big. Theyre too big to try to influence or persuade.

Washington and Berlin are dead set against extending an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO, he said. However, support for arming Ukraine to repel Russias invasion remains strong in NATO and is unlikely to change in the near term.

Is the political will still there to do this? So far, I think the answer is yes, Coffey said.

That resolve is expected to continue even as various countries head to the polls. Coffey noted widespread fears in 2022 that the election of far-right leader Giorgia Meloni as Italys prime minister would spell disaster for Ukraine never came to pass.

Now, Italy is one of the strongest advocates for arming Ukraine, he said.

The glue holding the NATO alliance together ultimately goes beyond each member nations shifting politics, Monaghan said.

NATO is an alliance of liberal democracies, he said. The democracies have elections, and the positions of allies change, but I dont think they change so fundamentally to turn cracks into massive fissures. NATO is an alliance thats built on a community of shared values. It always has been, and I think it will continue into the future.
A police officer stands near the security gate at the Supreme Court the day the court ruled on former president Donald Trumps immunity claim. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/The Washington Post)

The Supreme Court has ruled that Donald Trump and other presidents are absolutely immune from prosecution when carrying out their core constitutional powers, but can face trial for private conduct or for official acts under very narrow circumstances.

The Supreme Court sent Trumps federal Jan. 6 case back to a trial judge to decide three questions: Which alleged acts by Trump charged by special counsel Jack Smith fall under the executive branchs exclusive constitutional authority and are therefore immune from prosecution? Which are official acts but prosecutable because they pose no danger of intruding on the power or function of the presidency? And what acts can be prosecuted because they involve private conduct, such as actions taken by Trump as a candidate, not as an officeholder?

Heres what to know about what may be considered official acts and how a judge will interpret the legal lines drawn by the high court in Trumps federal criminal election obstruction case in D.C.

What are official acts and why are they presumed immune?

The Supreme Court in a 1982 decision involving President Richard M. Nixon said that the Constitution shields presidents from private civil lawsuits for actions taken as part of their official duties - even those at the outer perimeter of their responsibilities. But the court in a 1997 case involving President Bill Clinton said presidents could be sued for private conduct. The point was to ensure that the threat of civil litigation did not distract a president from his public duties. On Monday, the court said the threat of diversion posed by criminal prosecution was even greater, but acknowledged the compelling public interest in ensuring no man is above the law.

Walking that line, the court set a very high bar for prosecutors to overcome the presumed immunity of official acts, saying that to charge them criminally, prosecutors must show doing so would pose no dangers of intrusion on the authority and functions of the Executive.

What acts by Trump are allegedly criminal?

Smith has accused Trump of leading a criminal conspiracy to thwart the peaceful transfer of political power, alleging that the president was so determined to hold on to the White House that he propagated a flood of lies claiming that the election was stolen, culminating in the violent Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol.

The 45-page, four-count indictment says Trump attempted to use knowingly false claims of massive fraud to get state officials to act to change voting results; threatened Justice Department leaders to open sham investigations alleging election crimes; tried to submit fraudulent slates of electors from key swing states to obstruct Congresss certification proceeding; and pressured his vice president, Mike Pence, to use his ceremonial role overseeing the Jan. 6 proceedings to overturn the results.

Trump allegedly did so despite being told repeatedly that his claims were untrue, including by his attorney general, the nations top intelligence officials, White House lawyers and campaign aides. The special counsel has charged that the conspiracy targeted and destabilized a bedrock function of the government - collecting, counting and certifying presidential election results - and continued trying to exploit the violence at the Capitol to press lawmakers to change their positions.

Trumps defense argues that his actions concerning the election were made to ensure voting laws were faithfully executed, including his interactions with Pence and members of Congress. Trumps lawyers argued the same regarding his statements to state officials, such as his call to Georgia elections officials to find the votes needed to overturn Joe Bidens election victory, and his many public statements alleging fraud and urging supporters to oppose Congresss certification of the results.

Which acts are a presidents core constitutional powers and immune? The Supreme Court ruled that Trumps alleged threats to remove top Justice Department leaders and discussions over investigating voter fraud fall within his core constitutional powers, and cannot be criminally prosecuted. Examples of exclusive presidential powers listed in the Constitution include commanding the armed forces, appointing government officials and judges, pardoning defendants and engaging in diplomacy. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the executive branch also has unchallengeable authority to decide which crimes to prosecute.

The President may discuss potential investigations and prosecutions with his Attorney General and other Justice Department officials to carry out his constitutional duty to take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, Roberts said.

But the minority objected that such holdings were indefensible, rendering the president a king above the law in every use of official power.

In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote, There is a twisted irony in saying, as the majority does, that the person charged with tak[ing] Care that the Laws be faithfully executed can break them with impunity.

What are private, prosecutable acts?

The Supreme Court cautioned that most of Trumps statements are likely to fall comfortably within the outer perimeter of his official responsibilities, but granted that some may have been given unofficially perhaps as a candidate for office or party leader. The court said it may be a closer call whether Trumps interactions with Pence, state officials, private parties or his public statements in the run-up to the violent Jan. 6, 2021, riot were protected. Lower courts found before Mondays decision that Trumps words and conduct in falsely alleging a stolen election were unofficial acts, serving only his personal aim of remaining in office for a second term.

In allowing civil lawsuits against Trump to go forward, federal judges have said Trumps statements could also be taken as an implicit call for violence or lawlessness, culminating in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack that delayed Congresss certification of Bidens election victory, led to assaults on nearly 140 officers and contributed to five deaths.

In a concurring opinion with the 6-3 majority split down ideological lines, Justice Amy Coney Barrett added that Trumps alleged efforts to organize alternate slates of electors was entirely private conduct, since presidents have no official role in such state actions. Such reasoning could also apply to Trumps effort to pressure state officials to upend Bidens win.

Still, the controlling majority said analyzing the context of Trumps statements on Jan. 6 may be challenging but necessary, including, Knowing, for instance, what else was said contemporaneous to the excerpted communications, or who was involved in transmitting the electronic communications and in organizing the rally at the Ellipse from which Trump sent supporters to the Capitol.

What other kinds of evidence are immune and off-limits to prosecutors?

The Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors may not delve at all into a presidents motives, because such highly intrusive inquiries would expose even the most obvious official acts to judicial examination. And the high court barred prosecutors from using evidence related to a presidents official acts, even to prove knowledge or intent in committing a private offense. Carolyn Shapiro, who leads Supreme Court study at Chicago-Kent College of Law, said in Trumps case, the opinion could render important evidence against Trump inadmissible at trial, although it might be raised in hearings before trial.

Did Donald Trump know that he lost the election? and thus acted fraudulently, Shapiro asked. A lot of that evidence comes from conversations he had with executive branch officials. If those conversations are absolutely immune, and cannot come in as evidence of his state of mind, thats bizarre I think that is one of the more misguided and problematic aspects of the opinion.

In dissent, Sotomayor and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the majority raised the bar so high that it places presidents abuse of official power beyond the reach of federal prosecution.

Under the majoritys test, if it can be called a test, the category of Presidential action that can be deemed unofficial is destined to be vanishingly small, Sotomayor wrote. Any use of official power for any purpose, even the most corrupt  remains official and immune.

What happens next? The high courts ruling creates the prospect of hearings or perhaps even a mini-trial this summer or fall before U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan over what allegations and evidence prosecutors can later present to a jury.

I think that about 60 percent of the Trump indictment remains prosecutable, said former federal prosecutor and University of Michigan law professor Barbara McQuade. Of course, its going to take another year of litigation to get there.

Much of the road ahead is uncharted. Mondays opinion leaves much unanswered, and it really doesnt provide much in the way of the road map for Judge Chutkan, Shapiro said.

When will Judge Chutkan decide?

The high court did not fast-track the release of the case to Chutkan, apparently preventing her from taking over the case before August 2. She will need to set a schedule with Trumps attorneys and prosecutors, and briefing the immunity issues will probably take several weeks.

A hearing might take days or as much as a week or two, and it is not clear if it would include witnesses and if Trump will want to or must attend. Prosecutors could also seek to streamline and speed up the case, such as by dropping charges or allegations. Trumps defense may want to go slower, or the parties could reach agreement on some matters.

The court also would need to issue a written ruling. All this action could fall in the final eight-week sprint after Labor Day before the Nov. 5 election. The result would be appealable to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and to the Supreme Court, which would probably not reach a final decision before June 2025, assuming Trump is not reelected and does not order the Justice Department to drop his case.
Gary Carey (41) was ambushed by a gunman in an underground car park at the Hilton Hotel on South Circular Road in Kilmainham

The scene of the shooting and (inset) Gary The Canary Carey

A Garda investigation into the fatal gangland shooting of a well-known Dublin criminal in a hotel two years ago has been completed and a file is being forwarded to the DPP in the near future, an inquest has heard.

Gary Carey (41), a father of three from Islandbridge, Dublin was pronounced dead at St Jamess Hospital in Dublin on August 5, 2022 from injuries he sustained six weeks earlier when he was ambushed by a gunman in an underground car park at the Hilton Hotel on South Circular Road in Kilmainham.

The shooting occurred shortly before midday on June 24, 2022 as the victim had gone to the hotel to use its gym.

At a brief sitting at Dublin District Coroners Court on Monday, Detective Inspector Maeve OSullivan said the Garda file on the case would be forwarded to the DPP in the next two to three weeks.

Det Insp OSullivan made an application for an adjournment of the inquest for six months to await a decision from the DPP on whether anyone should face a criminal prosecution in relation to Mr Careys death.

She told the coroner, Clare Keane, that the deceaseds family were aware of the application for an adjournment of the inquest and had no objection.

Dr Keane granted the application and adjourned the case until January 13, 2025.

Last year, an earlier hearing of the inquest was informed that the deceased, who was nicknamed The Canary, had died as a result of complications of gunshot wounds.

Mr Careys partner, Nicola Donnan, and his mother, Noeleen, were at his bedside in the hospitals intensive care unit when he passed away.

Four individuals  two males and two females  were arrested last year as part of the Garda investigations into the fatal shooting.

One of the females, who was a close associate of Mr Carey, was arrested on suspicion of leaking details of his movements to the gang who killed him.

A fifth individual, who was being held in Mountjoy Prison for an unrelated offence, was arrested and questioned in relation to Mr Carey murder a short time later.

The fatal attack on Mr Carey was the third time the victim was shot within a 15-month period.

In March 2021, he escaped serious injury when a bullet grazed his head in an incident in Ballyfermot.

Eight months later, Mr Carey was lucky to survive after he was shot outside a house in Ballyfermot.

Gardai believe that the deceased had become involved in rows with a number of rival gangs over the drug trade in the capital.

Gary The Canary Carey was sitting in this car when it was hit nine times by a gunman

Mr Carey had returned to Dublin just weeks before his death after living in Spain for a number of months.

As a senior figure in the illegal drug trade in the capital, the deceased had been questioned a number of times by gardai over the years about seizures of drugs, firearms and cash.

Despite his long-term involvement in crime, Mr Carey served only one long jail term when he was sentenced to 15 months in prison by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in 2002 after he pleaded guilty to dealing drugs.

The victims younger brother, Darren Carey (20), was one of two men murdered in the so-called Canal Murders in 2000 which were committed by another leading criminal figure, Mark Desmond, who was himself murdered in December 2016.
Wiktoria Maksymowicz stabbed Mr Browne once in the neck in his Poleglass home

A 35-year-old woman has been told she will spend a minimum of 14 years in jail for the murder of her partner Anthony Browne in October 2022.

Wiktoria Maksymowicz stabbed Mr Browne once in the neck in his Poleglass home, which was a culmination of prior incidents of domestic violence.

The court heard that due to his level of intoxication on the evening of October 14, 2022, it's highly likely that Mr Browne was unconscious when he was stabbed and killed in the bedroom of his bungalow at Woodside Park.

As relatives of the deceased, including his twin daughters Bobbi-Leigh and Shannon McIlwaine sat in the public gallery at Belfast Crown Court today, Mr Justice O'Hara spoke of a history of "casual domestic violence" Maksymowicz inflicted upon Mr Browne.

Mr Brownes family described him as a kind, generous, loving, humorous and beautiful human being after todays sentencing.

The court heard that as a result of their father's murder, the twins have both been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The senior judge said the murder was aggravated by a violent incident the night before when Maksymowicz stabbed Mr Browne in the leg with a knife in front of his nephew.

Mr Justice O'Hara also spoke of prior incidents of violence which Maksymowicz inflicted upon Mr Browne during their six-month relationship which were not reported to the PSNI.

The judge said witnesses to these "all saw the defendant on different occasions strike Mr Browne either by punching, elbowing or stamping him".

Maksymowicz pleaded guilty in May to three offences of aggravated by reason of involving domestic abuse, including murder, and was handed a life sentence.

The Polish national, with an address at Woodside Park, pleaded guilty to murdering Mr Browne on October 14, 2022, and possessing cannabis on the same date.

She also admitted charges of possessing a knife on a Glider bus and assaulting Mr Browne the day before his murder, on October 13, 2022.

Mr Browne had issues with alcohol but had been sober for around ten year before meeting Maksymowicz.

The day prior to the murder, the couple were on a Glider bus on the Falls Road and at around 4pm, the driver observed them drinking vodka.

Believing the couple to be drunk, the couple were challenged and escorted off the bus.

CCTV was also viewed and which showed Maksymowicz was carrying a lock-knife that was found in her possession in the aftermath of the murder.

Some time between 5pm and 6pm that evening, a nephew of Mr Browne's called at his home.

He noticed the couple were drinking and in good form - but without warning Maksymowicz went into the kitchen, came back into the living room with a knife and stabbed Mr Browne in the leg.

At around 1.20pm the following day, a neighbour called to Mr Browne's home and noticed the couple were drunk.

Just before 10pm that evening, a 999 call was made requesting an ambulance to the property.

Paramedics arrived at the bungalow at 10.10pm and discovered an unconscious male lying on the bedroom floor bleeding heavily from a wound to the right side of his neck.

Maksymowicz was also present and was in a distressed state, holding a tea towel to Mr Browne's neck.

The ambulance arrived at the hospital at 10.30pm and despite efforts to resuscitate Mr Browne, his death was confirmed at 10.57pm.

Maksymowicz was arrested at Woodside Park and whilst being taken to a police station, she said "tell me that they will help him. Stupid vodka, f*** sake.

She also said, I tried to save him, I tried to protect him and I did not kill him.

Mr Justice O'Hara said that after reading victim impact reports written by Mr Browne's loved ones "it is clear how much he was loved by his family and how much he is still missed".

He added: "The fact that he was murdered without provocation and when he was completely vulnerable to the point of being unconscious makes the whole event infinitely more difficult for his family and friends to understand and to come to terms with."

Imposing Imposing the 14-year tariff, Maksymowicz was told she will serve the full term before her release is considered by the parole commissioners.

In a statement, Mr Brownes family said Maksymowicz found him at a particular vulnerable stage in his life and preyed upon him.

An image of Tony Browne which has been released by his family. Pic: PSNI

Anthony Browne was a father, brother, uncle and friend and no sentence handed down to his murderer will ever bring him back or be enough, said his family.

Tony was a kind, generous, loving, humorous and beautiful human being.

He adored his three children, his brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews.

All of those who knew him, spoke of his decency and generosity of spirit.

He was a spiritual man who only ever saw the goodness in people and while others might disparage someone, Tony would be the lone voice who would quietly point out a persons better virtues.

This virtue of only seeing the good in people, unfortunately, was also his vulnerability.

While others could see the darkness in his murderer, Tony could not.

She found him at a particular vulnerable stage in his life and preyed upon him.

During the course of his relationship with his murderer, she constantly manipulated him and subjected him to violence and unseen torture.

The details of such which emerged during the court case are harrowing and simply disturbing.

To us he was such a strong person, but the evilness he endured was stronger.

The family added that they hoped Mr Browne can finally rest in peace.

We, his children, family and friends, will continue to remember a warm, caring and loving man, and we are proud and humbled to have known him and spent time in his company, they said.

Detective Inspector Stuart Campbell said Mr Brownes death was the most senseless, brutal and irreversible act of violence.

Tony was a much-loved father, he continued. His twin daughters and son, along with the wider family, have suffered inconsolably. Friends and local people, too, have lost a loved one.

Working in partnership with the Public Prosecution Service, Maksymowicz has now been held accountable for her actions. Im deeply aware, however, that the heartache felt by Tonys loving family goes on. My thoughts, and that of my team, are with them.

Detective Inspector Campbell added: This has been a tragic case of domestic homicide.

Sadly, we know that domestic abuse can take many forms, including controlling behaviours and emotional abuse, and that it can affect anyone. In this case, an act of violence has taken a mans life.

I am keen to encourage any victims of abuse, whatever your circumstances, to come forward. We will listen to you and we will treat you with the utmost sensitivity.

Senior Public Prosecutor for the Public Prosecution Service Margaret Kinney, said Mr Brownes murder brought his children and wider family circle tremendous loss and pain and hoped the sentencing would provide some closure.

The prosecution team in the PPS Serious Crime Unit worked closely with the Police Service of Northern Ireland as they carried out a full investigation, to bring Maksymowicz before the court and build a strong case against her, resulting in the guilty plea, she said.

Anyone can be the victim of domestic abuse. It is never acceptable, and this case shows that it can have the worst possible outcome.

"I would encourage anyone experiencing domestic abuse to seek help and report the crime to police.
The victim of the false letters said his life was made a living nightmare by the fictitious allegations"

A secondary school teacher who sent an anonymous letter falsely allegedly that a male teaching colleague was a child abuser has escaped jail.

At Ennis District Court, Judge Alec Gabbett imposed a suspended two month prison sentence on the married 42 year old father of three young children.

The victim of two false letters sent by the Co Clare accused man in the case said in a victim impact statement that his life was made a living nightmare by the fictitious allegations" made up by his colleague.

Judge Gabbett said: The nature of this crime is that when you have a problem with somebody you send in an anonymous letter saying that they are a child abuser.

He said: This could have had career changing implications for the victim and I have to be mindful of that. I have to mark the seriousness of the events that took place.

Solicitor, Daragh Hassett for the accused admitted that what his client did was harassment of a vile nature but his client wasnt a well man at the time the letters were sent.

Mr Hassett said that what happens in the District Court isnt the end of it for his client as the victim in the case has issued personal injury proceedings against his client.

Mr Hassett said that his client is also facing disciplinary proceedings from the Teaching Council as a result of his actions.

Ennis District Court

Mr Hassett said: He can be censored, admonished or suspended but he will go before them and fall on his sword.

In the case, the accused sent two two anonymous hand-written letters to the Gardai and their School Principal.

Det Garda Joe Cusack of Henry Street Garda Station, Limerick told the court that the letters purporting to be students from an all-girls school made reference to a named teacher, "alleging that he was looking at inappropriate content, including pictures of naked women on his phone while teaching in the classroom.

In the case, father of three has pleaded guilty to sending a grossly offensive communication to another person with intent to cause harm when sending a letter to Henry Street Garda Station on March 30th 2022 and when sending a second letter on May 25th 2022 to the Limerick school.

Both charges are contrary to Section 4 of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020.

Det Garda Cusack said that he was able to identify the accused from CCTV at a local post office when he sent one of the letters from.

Judge Gabbett praised the incredible detective work that resulted in the accused being identified as the letter sender.

Mr Hassett asked Judge Gabbett not to convict his client and Judge Gabbett said: That is a big ask, and Mr Hassett agreed saying it is a big ask.

Mr Hassett said that as a result of his clients actions in sending the letters, his client left his teaching post by consent with an otherwise glowing reference from the principal to take up a new teaching post in another school.

Mr Hassett said that arising from this case and the ensuing publicity, his client in his new job was eventually disciplined and it came as a surprise and a shock to him that he lost the previous support of this new principal and now that job is gone

Mr Hassett said that his client is now working in a different industry to support his family.

Mr Hassett said that his client made a mistake, has paid for it dearly and lives with it every day. He hopes that the Teaching Council will allow him continue his calling to be a teacher.

Mr Hassett said the Garda prosecution along with the Teaching Council disciplinary process is a natural consequence of what he did and what he did was particularly ill judged, stupid and nasty.

Mr Hassett said his client pleaded guilty, has no previous convictions, has paid 5,000 compensation to the victim and has undergone medical treatment and counselling.

He said: This man wasnt well - he is on medication - he was never on medication before. He is taking anxiety and depression tablets and tablets that allow him to sleep at night.

Mr Hassett said that his client is a published author "very well regarded, a well known and liked man in his local area".

Mr Hassett said that the manner in which his client sent the anonymous letters was the work of someone who doesnt have a criminal mind.

He said: If he was more savvy, he wouldn't have physically walked into a post office himself.

Judge Gabbett described the number of testimonials handed into court on behalf of the accused as slightly overkill.

Judge Gabbett said that he had received more than 20 and Mr Hassett said that he had another 20 that he didnt hand in.

Mr Hassett said: It is a mark of a man that in times of trouble that a large number of people are prepared to put their name on a piece of paper in support which isn't that common these days.

Mr Hassett said that his client has been humiliated locally - everyone knows about the case.

In reply, Judge Gabbett said: The victim has been humiliated here - being brought into work and accused of child sex abuse is also humiliating.

Mr Hassett said that everyone knows there was nothing to it (the false allegations) and my client had to leave his then place of work for obvious reasons.

Mr Hassett said that the context for sending the letters was that his client was taunted and tormented in the workplace.

Mr Hassett said that the Probation Report on his client concluded that there was very little, if any risk, of his client re-offending.

Judge Gabbett fixed recognisance in the event of an appeal to the Circuit Court.

Judge Gabbett ordered that the accused not be identified in order to protect the identity of the injured party.
The man was down a laneway near Temple Bar when he heard someone say get the blade before he saw six young men walking towards him

A man who was one of a group of individuals who left a victim with life threatening injuries following an attack in a Dublin city centre laneway has been jailed.

Jordan Maguire (24) of no fixed abode, was the only person who gardai were able to successfully identify having viewed CCTV footage of the assault on December 21, 2022.

Carol Doherty BL, prosecuting, told the court that it was accepted by the State that while Maguire can be seen striking at the victim with an implement, he is not responsible for the more serious head and facial injuries suffered by the man.

She said that the victim suffered slash wounds to his face, puncture wounds to his back, neck and arms and had to undergo life saving surgery following the attack.

Maguire pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to the man in Dublin City Centre. He has 51 previous convictions including assaults.

Judge Martin Nolan jailed Maguire for three years and nine months.

He said Maguire was one of a group of men that decided to attack the victim by knocking him to the ground, slashing his face with blades and using either knives or a screw driver to assault him.

He accepted that the man needed life saving surgery and has been left with severe and permanent facial scarring. He said a victim impact statement, read into the record by the mans partner, was comprehensive and truthful about the impact of the attack on the man.

Judge Nolan accepted Maguires guilty plea and acknowledged that tragedies in his own life probably caused him to take the wrong turn but he added that the attack was at the highest level of seriousness for such offences.

The mans partner read his victim impact statement into the record in which he described the attack as a senseless act of violence  that left me for dead. He said it has taken a physical, emotional and psychological toll on him.

It has shattered my life and I am living in a constant state of worry and sadness, the statement continued.

He said he endues pain every day due to headaches and the attack irrevocably altered my sense of security and it has been replaced by anxiety and fear.

He said he avoids large social gatherings as he constantly faces intrusive questions about his scars.

He now suffers from severe anxiety which he never struggled with before.

The man said he suffered a loss of six months worth of earnings because he was unable to return to work for some time following the assault.

The man referred to the fact that most of the perpetrators of the assault are still roaming free which has left him with a deep-seated frustration. He said these people must be held accountable not only for me but also to prevent the same thing happening to anyone else.

I am left with permanent scars on my body and mind, the man concluded his statement.

The court heard that the man was down a laneway near Temple Bar in Dublin when he heard a person shouting at him. He could not understand what they were saying but he understood that the comments were directed at him.

He heard someone say get the blade before he saw six young men walking towards him.

The CCTV footage of the assault shows the man falling to the ground at some point before he is attacked. He was struck to the face and back of the head. He is also attacked with either a screwdriver or knife which caused puncture wounds to his back and neck.

In the aftermath of the attack the victim is covered in feathers, which had come from his jacket as it was sliced during the assault. He later described feeling skin hanging off my face.

The man was taken to hospital and staff there later told gardai that without medical intervention the mans injuries would have been life threatening.

Maguire was identified from CCTV footage and arrested the following February.

It was accepted that Maguires plea was of assistance to the prosecution as the victim was very concerned about giving evidence at trial.

Oisin Clarke BL, defending, said his clients mother died suddenly in her sleep. He was very close to her and things went downhill after that, counsel said.

Maguire began taking cannabis, tablets and drinking every day and he was asked to leave the family home. He ended up living on the streets.

Mr Clarke agreed with Judge Nolan that his client had taken an active part in the assault but asked that he accept that he was not responsible for the most serious injuries.

All of the assailants were involved together in attacking him, Judge Nolan said it could not be more clear.
The postmaster and other witnesses managed to note the registration number of the getaway car and, within five minutes, the gardai had it under observation

Two men have been jailed for six years each for a Dublin post office robbery in which a customer had to dive on her three-year-old grandchild to protect him.

Both men pleaded guilty to the robbery of a post office on Decies Road, Ballyfermot on November 11, 2023. They also pleaded guilty to having an imitation firearm that looked like a handgun.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Mark OGrady had the imitation firearm and Paul Bradley had a metal wheel jack when they were driven to the post office by a third man, who has previously been jailed for six years for the crime.

There was one customer in the shop with her three-year-old grandchild at the time. There were also three female staff members behind counter.

OGrady (35), with an address at Bridge Street Lower, Dublin 8, stood at the door with the imitation firearm and prevented people entering and leaving, while Bradley (43), with an address on Meath Place in Dublin, went inside with the third man.

This man, Lee Conlon (44), who drove the gang to and from the scene in a stolen car, used a large scaffolding pole or rammer to smash the protective glass on the counter.

The three tellers then fled to a backroom, and Conlon went behind the counter and took 20,000 in cash, handing some to Bradley.

The postmaster and other witnesses managed to note the registration number of the getaway car and, within five minutes, the gardai had it under observation near St James Hospital.

Conlon crashed into another vehicle at a red light. All three fled, but were arrested within minutes, and all of the money was recovered.

Judge Martin Nolan heard that the postmaster was working in the shop beside the post office when he heard the commotion. He tried to enter the post office, but OGrady pointed the imitation gun in his face. A supervisor also said a gun was pointed at her.

The woman with the three-year-old child said that she had to dive on her grandson to protect him when she heard a bang, and that she was shouted at to keep down.

Dominic McGinn SC, defending OGrady, said that his client had a very sad upbringing, with both his parents dead by the time he was eight, his father having been murdered in 1996.

OGrady had been living on the streets since the age of 14, except when in prison and has spent most of his time incarcerated. Since his teenage years, he had suffered from drug addiction, which was the root cause of his offending.

Garret Baker SC, defending Paul Bradley, noted that his client pleaded guilty to the firearms offence on a joint enterprise basis, but was not the one with the firearm or the one who smashed the glass. He also noted that his client was so intoxicated at the time that he was not fit for garda interview.

He has spent the majority of his adult life in custody. His life has been plagued by rampant drug addiction, he said. In his garda interview, he referred to a time when he had more potential. He had a trial for Luton Town FC in London.

Bradley told gardai that drugs had ruined him.

Judge Nolan said all men were equally culpable.

I gave Mr Conlon six years, he recalled. I can see no reason to depart from that sentence here.

He imposed six years on the robbery count on each man, and five years concurrent on the firearms charge.

The court previously heard that Conlon had also been involved in the burglary of the Hugo Boss shop on Grafton Street on January 18, 2023, in which a car was reversed into the front of the shop, causing 51,000 of damage to the door and windows.

Conlon, of Meath Place, was one of three men who then stole clothing worth over 7,100 from the shop. He received an 18-month sentence for that burglary.
Defence counsel Michael OHiggins SC, said his client was someone who had not enjoyed an excessive lifestyle and whose only income was just over 200 a week in illness benefit

A judge has expressed his deep-seated concern at how private airfields are being used as an open corridor to fly in large quantities of drugs after a Walter Mitty type character pleaded guilty to importing 8.4m of cocaine into a midlands based airport almost two years ago.

Fifty-six-year-old Tim Gilchrist Jr of Mavis Bank, Newrath, Waterford, pleaded guilty at a sitting of Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday to importing cocaine at Abbeyshrule Aerodrome, Abbeyshrule, Co Longford on August 4, 2022.

The father-of-one had previously pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine for sale or supply at Lough Owel, Irishtown, Co. Westmeath on the same date on foot of a large-scale Garda surveillance operation.

Detective Garda Ciaran Cummins of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) told the court of how a wide-ranging surveillance operation was put in place after confidential information had come to light over the use of a Cessna light aircraft which had flown out from the Longford based airstrip the previous day.

The court heard Gilchrist Jnr had boarded the Cessna light aircraft and flown to France before returning to Abbeyshrule from Dieppe airport.

He said, on the day of the incident shortly before 5:30pm, gardai observed Gilchrist Jnr remove a number of bags from the aircraft before placing them in a dark coloured vehicle.

Around half an hour later, gardai stopped two vehicles, one being a black Alfa Romeo car driven by the accused and where five holdalls and a single suitcase were retrieved containing 120kilos of cocaine worth an estimated 8.4m.

The court was told Gilchrist Jnr, in a series of interviews at Ashbourne garda station, held his hands up to being in possession of the drugs but stated he had been under duress from a number of unknown individuals not before the court.

Det Garda Cummins said the former highway maintenance employee told gardai of how two men arrived at his home and told him he would be flying in a plane and to purchase a mobile phone.

Gilchrist Jnr said when he refused, the pair said they would do your daughter. Det Garda Cummins said this was a narrative investigating gardai were not prepared to accept.

Mullingar Courthouse.

Judge Keenan Johnson was told two phones were also seized from Gilchrist Jnr during his detention and a number of text messages which the accused had both sent and received from two men named in court as Sean and Niall.

The court heard how two messages sent from Sean to Gilchrist Jnrs phone in the minutes before the aircraft landed appeared to indicate the plane was being watched.

At 5:24pm Sean texted Gilchrist Jnr, saying there were a lot of guys around and to be careful in a warning that prompted the accused to reply: Okay.

A minute later a second message sent to Gilchrist Jnrs phone advised there might be better other spots just as the aircraft came into land.

Det Garda Cummins described the seizure to be on the very higher end of the scale of high profile drugs detections carried out by gardai.

The court heard Gilchrist Jnr previously enjoyed business interests in Uganda in the meat processing industry and where his wife operates a restaurant.

Defence counsel Michael OHiggins SC, said his client, despite having previously been employed in the highway maintenance sector, was someone who had not enjoyed an excessive lifestyle and whose only income was just over 200 a week in illness benefit.

He said Gilchrist Jnr also suffered from oesophageal achalasia which left him with almost permanent heartburn.

Mr OHiggins described his client as being the weakest link in the chain and the most expendable and was far removed from the source of the seven figure drugs consignment who, he contended enjoy several layers of insulation between the end product and the person who is found in possession of them.

There is a significant Walter Mitty element to him and he does not appear to be a person who has significant assets, he said.

He added the incident appeared to show how small airports are being used as an open corridor to bring in large caches of drugs, an assertion Judge Johnson said the court found concerning.

In closing his mitigation to the court on behalf of Gilchrist Jnr, Mr OHiggins said the Waterford man who has been on remand in custody for almost two years, was facing a very significant custodial sentence at a time of life when he should otherwise be looking forward to retirement.

He implored the court to exercise the maximum 25pc reduction it could apply in finalising sentence in light of his plea, age and difficulties he will invariably face in prison.

Judge Johnson remanded Gilchrist Jnr in custody to a sitting of Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday when sentencing will be finalised.
Queens student found in hotel room after her terrifying ordeal

The Queen's University of Belfast with a grass lawn, tree branches and a hedge in sunset light

A large ransom has been paid in what is believed to be Northern Irelands first virtual kidnap.

The Sunday World can today reveal details of the shocking incident which involved an international student studying at a university in Belfast.

The young womans family were contacted by cyber criminals and told their daughter had been kidnapped.

The students terrified relatives quickly sent the criminals a significant sum of money and then alerted the police.

PSNI officers launched a search for the young woman and she was eventually found alone in a hotel room in Belfast.

The National Crime Agency, (NCA) which fights organised crime in the UK, has been working with the PSNI on the investigation into the incident.

The young woman caught up in the terrifying ordeal is believed to be a Chinese national who was studying at Queens University.

Although the attack took place in August 2022, details of the incident are only being made public for the first time today.

A PSNI spokesperson confirmed an investigation had been launched into the virtual kidnap.

However, because those responsible are believed to live outside the jurisdiction of Northern Ireland, no arrests have yet been made by the PSNI.

The matter has been filed pending further evidence, said the police spokesperson.

When contacted by the Sunday World, a spokesperson for Queens University said: It would not be appropriate for the university to comment on any incident that involves alleged criminal activity. Any queries on the incident would be a matter for the PSNI.

The NCA said this was the first virtual kidnap the crime-fighting agency had come across in Northern Ireland.

However, it is believed many attacks of this type are not reported by victims.

Chinese nationals studying at UK universities are believed to be the main targets for virtual kidnap attacks.

In most of the cases, the student receives a call from someone pretending to be from the Chinese government or Chinese law enforcement.

The scammers tell the victim they are under investigation for an offence linked to a recent arrest in China or that there is a warrant for their arrest.

Fraudsters prey on victims fears that if they do not make plans to cancel the warrant, they will be removed from the UK.

The terrified victims often quickly will make payments but if they do not have adequate funds, they are instructed to fake their own kidnap and told to leave for a hotel and send photos of themselves tied up and appearing injured.

The images are then are sent to the victims family by the scammers, who allege the victim has been kidnapped.

This is what happened during the attack on the Belfast-based student and her family handed over the ransom.

Once alerted to an attack, the NCAs Anti Kidnap and Extortion Unit (AKEU) provides specialist support to law enforcement agencies in the UK and worldwide, working covertly to secure the safe release of hostages.

Matt Richards, from the NCAs AKEU unit, said: While virtual kidnapping remains relatively rare, instances have risen in recent years, particularly among young Chinese nationals coming to the UK for university.

All reports of kidnappings are treated as real until proven otherwise, and we will continue to support forces in investigating these extortion attempts, which are a traumatising experience for families and students involved.

Mr Richards said they were taking steps to raise awareness of such crimes.

Our message to students is to stop and think  if you receive a call from someone claiming they are police or prosecutors in China, contact UK police on 999 and do not send any money.

In a separate incident, the PSNI last year said a Chinese student in Northern Ireland had been scammed out of 200,000.

In a fake phone call around October 2023, the woman was told she was suspected of being involved in money laundering.

The PSNI said that two men posing as officers from Beijing Police spoke to her and threatened her with arrest if she did not pay 200,000. After transferral of the funds, the woman never heard from the men again.

Detective Superintendent Richard Thornton said: This is a really despicable, calculated crime.
The case against Maguire had been dropped since his death in a horrific crash on the N7 in July 2021 alongside two other men Graham Taylor and Carl Freeman.

Dean Maguire, Carl Freeman and Graham Taylor all died in a horror crash on the N7 in 2021.

A serial burglar who died in a horror crash on the N7, was named in court as one of those arrested over a string of break-ins in the west of Ireland.

Dean Maguire, who died in a head-on collision with a lorry as he evaded gardai in Dublin in 2021, was one of four men originally arrested over the break-ins in 2019.

One of his accomplices was last week jailed for 20 months for targeting the homes in Mayo, while two others were handed suspended prison sentences.

They had been described as "a highly sophisticated, organised crime gang" at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.

At the time of their arrest in September 2019, a court heard Maguire was refused bail after it was heard he had 24 convictions, six of which were committed while previously on bail.

He was charged along with Shane Byrne from Jobstown, Tallaght, Daniel Lawlor, Kiltalown Road, Jobstown, and Gerry Wall from Fortunestown Crescent, Dublin 24.

A garda superintendent objected on the grounds of the seriousness of the offences and the fact that the accused may commit further offences.

He said that 30,000 in cash stolen from a house at Bohola, Co Mayo, had not been recovered and there was a fear that if the men were released, the stolen cash may be disposed of.

A list of other potential burglary targets had been found in a vehicle seized by gardai, which they believe had been used by the men.

Two other garda witnesses gave evidence that a house was entered and 1,000 cash, 500 in coins, a 500 cheque and a 243 Revenue cheque were stolen.

In a garda search of a house the Revenue cheque that was stolen was found and a car at the scene matched the description of the vehicle used in two other burglaries.

Byrne it emerged had 33 previous convictions, Lawlor had 45 convictions while at the time 19-year-old Gerry Wall had no previous record.

The case against the four men was recently finalised at Castlebar Circuit Court where it was heard the men pleaded guilty to possession of stolen property.

Evidence in the case was heard last year and it was adjourned for probation reports with the men appearing before the court again last week, as first reported by the Mayo News.

It was heard that Lawlor now works as a roofer while Byrne works with a tile shop and all three had made a charitable donation of 3,000.

Judge Eoin Garavan jailed Wall, who now has six convictions, for 20 months, adding that a message needs to be sent out."

Noting Lawlor and Byrnes employment and clean drug tests, the judge handed down suspended sentences of 20 months each, the Mayo News reported.

The case against Maguire had been dropped since his death in a horrific crash on the N7 in July 2021 alongside two other men Graham Taylor and Carl Freeman.

The dead men had 200 criminal conviction between them and were known as members of a burglary gang.

At the time Maguire was also wanted by British police after he went on the run from Hollesley Bay open prison outside Suffolk, England while serving a three year and nine-month sentence for burglary.

The subsequent funerals of the three dead men created huge controversy as their criminal talents were celebrated.

A screwdriver and a torch, tools of a burglar, were carried to the altar at St Marys Priory Catholic church in Tallaght during Maguires funeral.

Mourners said Maguire would not be forgotten and one woman from the altar said: Sorry for the language, Father  rest in peace, you f****ng legend.

A poster at the church read: RIP Dean. You know the score, get on the floor, dont be funny, give me the money.

Another social media post included a photo of Maguire with two screwdrivers and a pair of gloves captioned: "No better man to put them to youse [use]."
It is believed that the climber had slipped while climbing a gully

A man in his 40s has died after sustaining a head injury while climbing a gully above the Benbulben Forest Walk on Tuesday evening.

On Tuesday, July 2, Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team were tasked to the Benbulben forest walk area in County Sligo, where a climber had sustained a serious head injury.

It is believed that the climber had slipped while climbing the gully and sustained a serious head injury.

15 Mountain Rescue volunteers responded to the call and rushed to the scene.

They were accompanied by two ambulances from the National ambulance Service and Members of An Garda Siochana. Irish Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 118 was dispatched from Strandhill to assist in the operation.

Henry Doherty, Spokesperson for Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team, explained, A helicopter rescue from the mountain could not be attempted due to the location and prevailing winds but was able to provide extra illumination from the helicopter as the light began to fade.

Four paramedics attended the scene alongside mountain rescue personnel and despite their best efforts, the man was pronounced deceased at the scene.

He was lifted onto a stretcher to be lowered off the mountain.

Both climbers were active members of Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team.

Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team have paid tribute to their colleague following the tragedy.

Mr Doherty continued, The operation to retrieve our colleague was very precarious as the terrain was very steep and the weather started to deteriorate, making conditions very difficult underfoot.

"A break rope was deployed on the stretcher to assist with extraction off the mountain.

"Despite the worsening conditions there was a concerted effort by all team members to bring our friend home.

As a team we are all devastated at the loss of our friend and colleague, for almost decade he was a dedicated member of the team coming to assist those in need.

"He was compassionate, professional, friendly and always had a big smile wherever you would meet him.

We would like to extend our deepest condolences to his family at what is a very difficult time.

"We would also like to reassure the public that as we go through this period of mourning that the team is fully operational and ready to respond to anyone who may get into difficulty in the upland areas of Sligo and Leitrim.

Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team wish to thank An Garda Siochana, the National Ambulance Service and Coast Guard Rescue 118 for their assistance in the operation, concluded Mr Doherty.

A spokesperson for Gardai said, Gardai and emergency services responded to an incident on Benbulben Walk, Gortarowey, Co. Sligo yesterday evening, Tuesday, July 2 2024.

At approximately 10pm, a report was received that a man, aged in his 40s, had fallen while walking and had been fatally injured.

His body has been removed from the scene and taken to Sligo University Hospital where a post mortem will take place.

"The local coroner has been notified.
Donaldson, 61, and his wife and co-accused Lady Eleanor Donaldson, 58, of Dublinhill Road, Dromore, arrived at court separately

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson will return to court in the autumn for arraignment on historical sex offence charges.

The ex-DUP leader walked into Newry Magistrates Court shortly after 9.30am this morning for the 10.30am hearing in front of Judge Eamonn King.

A car pulled up outside the courthouse where Sir Jeffrey was met by solicitor John McBurney, before walking briskly into the building.

It is the first time Donaldson has been seen in public since his last court appearance in April.

Dressed in a navy suit, he had a grey beard.

Donaldson, 61, and his wife and co-accused Lady Eleanor Donaldson, 58, of Dublinhill Road, Dromore, arrived at court separately, with Mrs Donaldson wearing a cream jacket and black trousers.

She was also met by Mr McBurney outside court, while the pair were separated in the dock by a court official.

Both defendants confirmed their names and dates of birth, before the charges were read to them.

Counsel for the PPS said there was a prima facie case to answer, with neither defendants counsel offering any contrary submissions.

Judge King told the court he was satisfied there was a prima facie case to answer.

After being asked if he was aware of the charges against him and whether he wished to say anything in relation to them, Mr Donaldson answered: No, not at this stage.

In answer to the same question, Mrs Donaldson simply answered no.

Both repeated their answers when asked if they wished to tender any written statement in relation to the charges.

At his first appearance in court in April, Donaldson had faced 11 charges brought by police.

Former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson arrives at Newry courthouse on Wednesday (Pacemaker)

An evidence file has since been reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) and Jeffrey Donaldson now faces 18 charges in total.

He is accused of one charge of rape, four of gross indecency and 13 charges of indecent assault.

The charges span a time period between 1985 and 2008.

The previous holding charges were withdrawn in court on Wednesday.

Donaldson has previously indicated that he will contest the charges against him.

Eleanor Donaldson faces charges of aiding and abetting in connection with the alleged offences.

Eleanor Donaldson arrives at Newry courthouse on Wednesday morning. (Pacemaker)

The number of charges she faces has increased from four to five.

There are two alleged victims.

Judge King granted continuing bail on the same terms as already agreed, before setting a date of September 10 for the defendants to be arraigned at Newry Crown Court.

It has already been confirmed that Donaldson, who was the long-standing MP for Lagan Valley, is not running for re-election in the General Election this week.

He was arrested and charged in relation to the historical sexual allegations at the end of March.

Donaldson resigned as DUP leader and was suspended from the party after the allegations against him emerged.

It is understood that in a letter to DUP party officers at the time, he made clear he would be "strenuously contesting" all charges against him.
If these people really want to protest, why dont they protest outside the home of the UVF chief-of-staff?

Protesters wave placards outside the Shankill Womens Centre during a visit by Michelle ONeill and Emma Little-Pengelly

A protest attacking Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill for visiting a womens centre in the Shankill area of Belfast has been slammed as a stage-managed farce.

Victims campaigner Raymond McCord  whose son Raymond was murdered by a notorious UVF killer gang  says those who turned out ignored atrocities on their own doorstep.

Prior to a visit by Stormont leaders Michelle ONeill and Emma Little-Pengelly to the Shankill Womens Centre on Thursday, a handful of locals took to the streets to protest against the presence of the Sinn Fein leader in the staunchly loyalist area.

First Minister Michelle O'Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly attend the opening of the Shankill Shared Women's Centre

But clearly keen not to be recognised, they covered their faces with placards stating While Shankill Women Centre Stands with Sinn Fein/IRA  The Shankill Stands with The Victims.

Other placards showed photographs of First Minister Michelle ONeill and one stated: Provisional Republican Movement Killed Women - Sinn Fein Why Are You Here.

As the Stormont politicians arrived  accompanied by police bodyguards  some women directed abuse and obscenities at Michelle ONeill.

But Raymond McCord says the protesters would have gained more support if they had stood up for the nearly three dozen Protestants killed by the UVF since the paramilitary ceasefires.

Protest attacking Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill for visiting a womens centre in the Shankill area

And he asked: Does this protest mean these people dont care about the 33 Protestants killed by UVF? Because thats what it look like. This isnt just me asking this. Its local people from the Shankill who are asking these questions as well.

I mean, did these protesters ever stop to think about the people who were murdered by the UVF? What about Craig McAusland, Bobby Moffett or my son Raymond?

Bobby Moffett was murdered on the Shankill Road in broad daylight. Did any of those people come out onto the streets to protest then? If they did, I dont remember it.

If these people really want to protest, why dont they protest outside the home of the UVF chief-of-staff? That would be more meaningful to the people of the Shankill.

Mr McCord added: Local people know last Thursdays protest was just a stage-managed farce.

Raymond McCord

It is believed a number of those protesting last Thursday have actually participated at events organised by the Shankill Womens Centre.

Set up in 1987, the Shankill Womens Centre initially encouraged local women to avail and participate in further education.

But in recent years, it has expanded its services considerably and today it is seen as a essential to the needs of the local community.
Initially when I did take time off back in April because my dad wasnt well, RTE were amazing.

Jennifer Zamparelli has revealed the real reason why she left her radio show on 2FM and also spoke about how she suffered mini panic attacks before making the decision.

The mum of two confirmed her decision to leave her morning programme at the RTE music station after five years in May.

The news came shortly after it was revealed that podcast stars The 2 Johnnies and presenter Doireann Garrihy were also leaving their 2Fm shows, sending shockwaves through the broadcaster.

Before Jennifer announced the news, there had been rampant speculation that she would not be returning from her extended leave break, with head of 2fm Dan Healy even telling the Sunday World the rumours were bullsh*t, bullsh*t, bullsh*t.

Speaking in her first interview, Jennifer said the decision was heartbreaking for her but something had to give as RTE couldnt give her the time she needed off this summer to spend with her children after her husband Lau landed a new job.

"The thing about me and Lau is that we have been a very good team, the Dancing with the Stars presenter told VIP Magazine in a lengthy interview.

"And Lau has taken the reins for so many years and now hes on a pretty big job that takes him away; hes gone 7-7 so Im single parenting, pretty much. Hes very busy and this is his tie to fly. I needed more time off this summer and RTE just couldnt give me that.

She added: Initially when I did take time off back in April because my dad wasnt well, RTE were amazing: text messages, phone calls, very supportive...But, look I get it, they need to run a radio station.

The Dubliner also admitted to VIP Magazine that she misses the show terribly.

"I miss the show. I miss the team. I miss the intimacy of radio.

Jennifer and Doireann

Jennifer described the decision to leave 2FM as one of the hardest things I have done.

"It was so difficult and I was actually having mini panic attacks before decision because I was in such a state of limbo.

"Because at the heart of it, I didnt want to go, I didnt want to leave my show. And, it was heartbreaking  it was. But something had to give and unfortunately that was it.

While she has been busy with work since leaving the show, Jennifer told VIP the difference is that she can now prioritise her family life.

Laus like, are you supposed to be taking a break? because I am SO busy. Now anything that is coming in Im saying yes to. Things I wouldnt have said yes to before.

She added: Im taking job I can tailor around family life. And that is a joy thats taken me years to get to. To be able to do that is amazing.

Jennifers announcement to leave her show was made while she was on an extended break from the broadcaster and just weeks after the Sunday World was told she was not leaving.

In a statement, RTE said Zamperelli is to hang up the mic on her daily show.

The co-host of Dancing With The Stars, along with Doireann Garrihy, presented her own show from 9-12pm weekdays on RTE 2FM since May 2019, having joined the station in February 2014 on Breakfast Republic.

Jennifer said in a statement: "I have been working in 2FM for 10 amazing years and now its time for me to move on. It has been a really difficult decision to make as I love my team, and of course chatting to you guys (the listeners) every morning.

"From the early starts on Breakfast Republic all those years ago, to opening up the phone lines again from 9-12pm, I have loved every minute. Within this time I have gotten married and had two kids and now I feel its their time.

"Florence and Enzo are growing up so fast its scary and I really feel now is the time to give them a little more of me, so I wont be returning to my daily radio show."

She paid tribute to the team who have worked with her through her ten years at RTE 2FM.

Jennifer had been absent from her show for several weeks, but station bosses had insisted that she would be returning and that she was on extended leave with Laura Fox covering for her.

Shes on leave. Its bullsh*t. Bullsh*t, bullsh*t, bullsh*t. Shes on leave. Its farcical, Healy told us in April.

She posted on social media that shes going on holidays.

Mr Healy told the Sunday World that he has no problem with Jennifer.

Its the reverse, he says. Shes brilliant, absolutely brilliant. On the breakfast show from the very beginning with Bernard (OShea) and Keith  shes an absolutely brilliant broadcaster. Shes a superstar, absolutely brilliant. Its absolute nonsense.

And just weeks later, Jennifers agent Lorraine Brennan reiterated her plans to return.

None of this is substantiated, Lorraine told the Sunday World in reference to a possible shake-up involving a new co-presenter.

She added: What Dan Healy told you is correct. Jennifer is coming back.

Laura Fox has since taken over Jennifers morning show on a permanent basis.
Maia Hendrix is playing a waiting game after a regimen of radiotherapy and chemotherapy for her brain cancer.

The Bay of Plenty woman has been diagnosed with grade three astrocytoma brain cancer and is counting down the days until her next brain scan in July, which she hopes will indicate if the gruelling treatment is working.

Its a frustrating place to be in, says the 34-year-old early childhood teacher from Katikati.

So many people are asking me if has it worked and I say, I dont know.

I want to know.

Maia was diagnosed after experiencing vertigo and loss of sensation on the left side of her body late last year.

An MRI scan exposed a mass in her brain. She underwent a biopsy of the mass where surgeons drilled a hole into her skull. She still has the dent on the side of her head from the biopsy operation.

The tumour is on the right side of her brain, which controls the left side of her body.

Her medical team was reluctant to take the tumour out as it was in the part of the brain that controls movement.

Surgery was not recommended because there was a risk of paralysis, which they would only take at stage four.

Maia has completed six weeks of radiotherapy with the oral chemotherapy drug temozolomide, with more to come.

She had an intense 33 sessions of radiotherapy, five days a week for six-and-a-half weeks at Taurangas Kathleen Kilgour Centre.

Radiotherapy seemed to be doing more damage than the chemo; fatigue, losing my hair, nausea and painful headaches and migraines.

She had to take steroids to combat the pain.

She lost her hair from radiotherapy because it targeted the brain, but new hair growth was now coming through.

[Husband] Simon calls me Tommy from Rugrats.

Maia Hendrix and Simon ticked off a bucket list item and got married before cancer treatment. Photo supplied.

The couple fast-tracked their marriage and underwent IVF treatment to have viable embryos for the future.

The new plan is a year of the same chemotherapy drug at varying doses to keep the tumour at bay.

She now has five days of chemotherapy followed by three weeks off.

This week is her fourth cycle of chemotherapy and she dreads each cycle as it comes along.

The last one I just had was pretty awful, I was nauseous. I lost my sense of taste, I could not sleep well as I just couldnt get comfortable  I was just miserable. I was crying a lot.

A friend initially set up a Givealittle page that raised $18,000.

Without that money, I dont know where we would be.

The couple have a big mortgage which realistically required two incomes for them to service. It had been a hard task to access money through social services for assistance during this time, she says.

Brain tumours are a relatively rare cancer in New Zealand and represent less than 1.4 per cent of all cancers diagnosed here. But they are one of the most deadly cancers.

On June 24, the Government announced a $604 million funding boost for cancer medicines over four years.

But that meant little for brain cancer patients. The chemotherapy drug temozolomide, which Maia is on, was the last medicine approved in New Zealand for brain cancer, almost 20 years ago.

Maia, at times, fears for the future.

Sometimes I feel pretty normal and sometimes Im pretty depressed, it comes in waves.

I dont think Ill ever be cancer-free. Its not the medical teams plan to remove the tumour so Im always going to have at least some of it.

Ill be continuing treatment  the tumour wont necessarily be growing because theyll keep it at bay  but I feel like its always going to be there.

But Im just practical and positive. I have lived day to day since this started.

Theres no point worrying about what could happen as that would be wasting the time I have now.
Her husband, Richard, also noted her tiredness had increased on the higher dose and hed suggested she stop working at Central Ford Motor Group, where on the fatal afternoon, she had decided to drive to Rotorua to pick up a car part.

During her sentencing in the Taupo District Court today on two charges of careless driving causing death, Sergeant Marty McGahey said she had been experiencing nausea, diarrhoea, brain fuzziness and tiredness, and finding this more difficult on this dose.

Kim Blakeney-Williams had her statin medication, for lowering cholesterol, quadrupled two weeks prior to a crash on Broadlands Rd on January 5 this year.

A Taupo woman who fell asleep at the wheel and crashed head-on into a car, killing a beloved mother and grandmother, was experiencing multiple symptoms, including drowsiness, in the two weeks leading up to the smash.

It was on her return that she failed to negotiate a moderate bend and crashed straight into the car carrying Reporoa mother-of-three Claire Jeannine Gwawr Ball, 51, and her mother-in-law Lynda Ball, 76, of Taupo.

A scene examination found no brake marks at the scene. No illegal drugs or alcohol were detected in her blood.

McGahey argued that those symptoms increased her culpability for the charges to moderately high and urged Judge Arthur Tompkins hand down a community detention sentence, which would see her subject to a night-time curfew.

But Blakeney-Williams counsel Ron Mansfield successfully argued it was important the court did not descend into an area of hindsight and there had been no warning from her doctor nor around the medication itself not to drive.

Judge Tompkins agreed with Mansfields submission to sentence her to community work, imposing 150 hours, and 12 months disqualification from driving.

He also ordered emotional harm reparation to each family of $10,000.

The sentence was too much for Balls whanau, who muttered in disgust.

Jeannines husband Kevin stood up and yelled, is that it, is that? as Judge Tompkins left the court room.

Tensions escalated as Blakeney-Williams was then ushered out a back door of the court room, instead of having to walk past supporters of both families.

Supporters from both sides then had heated discussions as Ball lamented the others ability to go home to their loved ones tonight, while the bereaved family members couldnt.

You took two f****** lives, he yelled at her, what the f*** is this justice system about, eh.

We have been left with the life sentence.

The sentencing started with members of the Ball family reading their victim impact statements to the court.

We are the victims and you have left us with life sentences, Kevin Ball said.

On 5 January at about 4.10pm the two most precious women in my life were taken by your reckless actions, he said.

Jeannine had travelled on Broadlands Rd nearly every day over the last 18 years but the trip that day had destroyed their family.

He said he had cried most days for having lost my soulmate of 30 years.

The only thing I cry about during the day is Jeannine.

You took our lives but you also took our futures, he said. Jeannine had so much to live for.

Members of the Ball family and their supporters wait outside the Taupo District Court for Kim Blakeney-Williams, who had been sentenced on two charges of careless driving causing the deaths of Jeannine Ball and her mother-in-law Lynda Ball of Taupo on January 5. Photo / Belinda Feek.

She had never got to meet her new grandson, who was at court with his father and the couples oldest son, Joshua and partner.

I cant write and tell you what this feels like, Joshua said.

I feel so robbed and heartbroken. Mum was one of the most amazing people to grace this planet.

Mum was everything to me ... we had so much fun and laughs together.

That sadness then turned to anger.

I feel the whole process has been disgusting.

I have no faith in the New Zealand justice system or New Zealand police.

Our criminal justice system is heavily weighted in the favour of the defence, not the victims.

Other family members earlier expressed the same frustration - that someone who kills someone while driving a car can get the same sentence as someone who steals less than $500 worth of groceries from a supermarket.

Nothing I can do will address that loss

In a statement afterwards, Blakeney-Williams said she acknowledged the loss felt by the Ball family.

Nothing I can do will address that loss and the obvious grief they understandably feel. If I could address those feelings, I would in a heartbeat.

Members of the Ball family outside the Taupo District Court, including Kevin Ball (left) and son Jaden (far right) with Sergeant Steve McNally after the sentencing of Kim Blakeney-Williams. Photo / Belinda Feek.

To know I caused that pain by something as simple as falling asleep at the wheel, something I never imagined or contemplated, is hard for me to contemplate and accept.

She said she didnt feel any different that day, despite the change in prescribed medication.

I never contemplated it might impact on my driving decisions or safety.

Simply, if I had feared I might fall asleep, I would not have driven. I am an otherwise responsible, careful and safe driver.

In handing down her sentence, Judge Tompkins noted she hadnt been charged with the more serious dangerous or reckless driving causing death, and there were no aggravating features leading up to the crash, such as speeding or erratic driving.

Blakeney-Williams also had a low likelihood of reoffending and any previous convictions were decades prior and not relevant.

In those circumstances, I assess your culpability as low.
New Zealand companies who believe they cant afford to operate sustainably in todays tough economy are being offered help to tackle one of the biggest challenges they face  unclear Return on Investment.

Sustainable Brands Aotearoa will mark its New Zealand launch by holding a one-day symposium in Tauranga on August 15.

Two remarkable international speakers, Daniel Aronson and Dr Leyla Acaroglu, will headline the event, which is designed to help businesses challenge the status quo and make positive social and environmental change.

Companies often believe that they cant afford to do the right thing by people and the planet, but the opposite is true, Daniel explains.

Values can  and should  be a significant part of your business success. The truth is most industries, and most of your competitors, are doing more on sustainability. If you dont, youll fall behind and your competitors will reap the benefits.

According to IBMs Institute of Business Value 2022 CEO Study, more than 80 per cent of CEOs said sustainability investments would drive better business results.

Yet more than half of the 3000 CEOs surveyed ranked unclear economic benefits as the biggest road block to achieving their objectives.

Sustainable Brands Aotearoa is part of a global network of brand innovators throughout Europe, Asia, North and South America who are working to reshape the future of commerce. The New Zealand symposium is designed to help CEOs, CFOs, human resource, finance, investor relations and sustainability professionals to see the true value that sustainable business practices can offer.

Daniel is a leading author (Value of Values) and guest lecturer at Harvard Business School and MIT Sloans Sustainability Lab who has helped companies identify and quantify over $2 billion in sustainability-driven business value.

He says as an export nation, New Zealand businesses are already impacted by regulatory and global brand requirements which reflect the values of global consumers.

This can only accelerate the changes in how customers buy and, therefore, the importance of sustainability criteria.

Local climate change impacts, such as Cyclone Gabrielle, is further evidence that businesses must take positive action now to look after our planet for future generations.

His workshop will explain how the value of sustainability is often submerged and goes unnoticed  leading companies to vastly underestimate the positive impact it has on business.

Submerged value can be quantified. But right now its normally either missed or not quantified, which effectively gives it a value of zero  the only value it cant possibly have.

Daniel says helping businesses overcome the ROI barrier they face will unleash more action and ultimately lead to more value for both them and society in general.

Fellow guest speaker, Dr Leyla Acaroglu, will also inspire and help equip New Zealand business leaders with the tools to take immediate action.

Dr Leyla Acaroglu. Photo supplied.

As a leading sustainability strategist, her TED talk on how to rethink environmental folklore has almost 1.5 million views and she was named a UNEP Champion of the Earth in 2016 for her work in advancing science and innovation for sustainability.

Leyla is a product designer by trade and will share her first-hand experience of working with some of the worlds biggest companies as they embrace the transition to a circular economy.

Her presentation will explore current best practice and the regulatory shifts that are driving change such as the new ISO Circular Economy standards which are now in play.

My circular redesign workshop will enable business leaders to envisage their products and services as part of the global transformation to a circular and regenerative economy, she explains.

By exploring the full systems impacts and looking at the benefits of circular business models, the workshop will ensure that New Zealand businesses are leading the way when it comes to circular materials, products and services.

Sustainable Brands Aotearoa spokesperson Lewis Patterson says in the face of pressing global challenges, businesses hold immense potential to drive positive change.

Attending SB Aotearoa 2024 marks the start of a transformational journey towards initiating and implementing sustainable business practices that prioritise long-term value creation, resilience and well-being for current and future generations, he says.

By focusing on the intersection of what people want, what brands can deliver, and what the world needs, SB Aotearoa 2024 aims to elevate business case models that empower businesses to drive actual change through sustainable practices, innovation and responsible leadership.

Tickets for the event are limited and can be secured here: sb2024nz.com
Alberto Flores Granada Wednesday, 3 July 2024, 17:38 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

WhatsApp

Facebook

X (antes Twitter)

LinkedIn

Telegram

Threads

La Casita del Pan, is a bakery chain with four stores in Calles San Anton, Recogidas, Carril del Picon and Tablas in Granada city centre. Years ago they launched an offer of coffee and croissant for only one euro and, since then, it's only gone up slightly to 1.20 euro. A practically unbeatable offer that attracts hundreds of people to their establishments every day.

Pedro Martinez and Rocio Rey, owners of La Casita del Pan, explained to SUR's sister newspaper Ideal: "Very close to one of our shops, a large coffee and pastry company opened, so we launched this offer to get the customers". It was an offer that made them very little profit but which served to compete with the giants in the sector. "The reception was spectacular because they had never seen anything at that price before", the pair explained.

"We use quality Italian coffee and the croissant is very good. The price attracts attention but it's the quality that makes people ask for it"

The real highlight is not only the price, but the quality of the coffee and the pastries: "We use quality Italian coffee and the croissant is very good. The price attracts attention but it is the quality that makes people ask for it and decide to try other products," the owners say. That 1.20 euro combo is just the gateway to La Casita del Pan.

"Hundreds of people from Granada pass by our shops every day and after liking the coffee and croissant they decide to try other things," they said. For example, one of the stars of their menu is the 'Piononazo', a much larger version of Granada's traditional 'pionono' cake, as well as a wide range of other pastries and cakes. Their bread speciality is the 'Pan de la Casita', a mixture of baguette and ciabatta that they sell exclusively.

Despite a general increase in prices everywhere, the owners of La Casita del Pan are clear that they will continue to offer coffee and croissants for 1 euro 20 and keep the prices of the rest of their products low.

The next step for the company is to open its own in-house bakery. "We are going to make everything ourselves and this will allow us to improve the quality and price in all our stores. In principle, it will be up and running in September", they concluded.
Javier Rodriguez Cadiz Wednesday, 3 July 2024, 13:33 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

WhatsApp

Facebook

X (antes Twitter)

LinkedIn

Telegram

Threads

A peaceful summer without any drownings to report - we can but hope, or we can take action. This Monday, in Cadiz province, Andalucia's regional government presented their action plan for this summer to prevent accidents during the summer holidays in the region.

The Regional Minister of the Presidency (Andalucia's representative to Spain's central government), Antonio Sanz, was in charge of presenting the latest features of this new action plan, which is aimed at accident prevention and information to improve public safety. Sanz was accompanied by the Deputy Minister of the Interior Tomas Burgos, Secretary General of the Interior David Gil, and by the nine delegates of the Junta who represent the provinces, including Campo de Gibraltar, as well as the directors of the main emergency and 112 calling services.

Sanz stressed that Monday's meeting in Cadiz with the other authorities was just the preamble to the rollout of this important action plan throughout Andalucia, starting this week precisely to coincide with the start of the school holidays and high season on the beaches. It is worth remembering that last year 72 people died in Andalucia as a result of drowning on beaches, in rivers, swimming pools and reservoirs. Now, with this action plan by the Junta, apart from the recommendations given in the plan, the aim is to end the summer with zero drownings. The key to this, according to the political leaders and emergency service specialists alike, is that the public are fully on board with this initiative, requiring their full collaboration and active participation.

Zoom Antonio Sanz during the presentation of the campaign in Cadiz. Nacho Frade

According to Antonio Sanz, "the Andalusian government is firmly committed to new technologies as a tool, to be always at the service of the public to encourage citizen participation in matters of safety and emergencies, providing them with the best and most effective information." Information updates can be consulted free of charge via the website and on any smartphone via the mobile application 'Catalogo General de Playas' (like a beach watch warning system). The new feature to this app is the appearance of a speaking virtual assistant that enables users to consult in real time the state of the beaches and their characteristics, flags and safety data for effective intervention and coordination in the event of emergency or civil protection services needing to attend an incident.

Latest information

The virtual assistant, created by the Digital Agency of Andalucia (part of the Junta), for this summer provides spoken responses on the location of first aid and emergency stations, lifeguard towers and nautical channels (the lanes marked with beacons where jetskis etc can safely launch from or return to shore without endangering swimmers). The assistant also takes the user to the beach or landmark they want to consult with a single click. "With this conversational virtual assistant we go a step further and, for those who have difficulties with technology, the conversational virtual assistant now makes it easier to access all the information about the beaches by spoken voice," said Antonio Sanz.

Sanz announced this new development together with the launch of the 'Zero Drowning' campaign, carried out by the 112 emergency coordination centre (Cecem) and now in its second year. "We must raise public awareness of the importance of prevention to avoid accidents and deaths in water this summer." The minister also stressed that the campaign "is once again committed to shock tactics, deemed very necessary because the aim is to reduce the number of deaths in water-based environments through vigilance, precaution and respect, especially with children and at times when there is no formal vigilance."

1,000 kilometres of coastline

Planning is always the best tool for saving lives and minimising injuries on a coastline as massive as Andalucia's - almost 1,000 kilometres of coastline and some 500 beaches. This is the second year in which the 62 Andalusian coastal municipalities have had their beach safety and rescue plans in place. Last year the beach was the place where the highest number of deaths was recorded, followed by rivers and swimming pools. In 2023, the 112 emergency call service coordinated a total of 390 rescues on beaches, in the sea, swimming pools and inland waters, 28% more than in 2022, when there were 304 rescues. So far this year there have been 101 rescues, 55 of them at beaches.

The 'Zero Drowning' publicity campaign will run via press, radio and television, as well as on social media. This awareness campaign focuses on being vigilant ( most drownings occur in places without lifeguards ), using caution and having respect for the water, as conditions can change, posing a danger regardless of whether on the beach, in a swimming pool or by a river.

In addition, 112 is making available an educational guide to prevent drownings and other accidents in all bathing areas, a document that is available for download on the website of the Regional Ministry of the Presidency, as well as through the QR codes on the promotional material of the 'Zero Drowning' campaign that will be distributed in coastal towns and cities.

Advanced mobile phone location

Antonio Sanz reminded everyone that the 112 service also has the Advanced Mobile Phone Location (AML) system to provide the exact coordinates of the person calling for help, as well as the 112 callback alert system that sends out an alert to any person registered to receive it in the event of a major emergency. His last words were to hope that "those Andalusians and tourists who faithfully choose our blessed land every year will enjoy the privileged natural environment of Andalucia's beaches and our inland delights with safety and full protection."
Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription.

Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service.
Emma Roberts, once engaged to Syracuse movie co-star, wont date actors anymore

Emma Roberts says shes no longer interested in dating actors after previously being engaged to her Syracuse movie co-star. The 33-year-old actress had a lengthy on-again, off-again relationship with Evan Peters after they met filming Adult World, and had a child in 2020 with Tron: Legacy actor Garrett Hedlund, but is now dating someone who is entertainment industry-adjacent, according to Flaunt. She wont say who, but he is not an actor.
Syracuse, NY -- St. Josephs Hospital Health Center will become the second Syracuse hospital to employ armed security personnel in coming months.

The plan to hire armed security officers was announced to the staff Monday and confirmed by hospital officials to syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. The security enhancements also include providing non-lethal tools, such as pepper gel and handcuffs, to the hospitals existing unarmed security guards.
With the cheapest nosebleed seats starting at more than $2,000, the U.S. Taylor Swift ticket market for the Eras Tour is looking pretty unrealistic for many state-side Swifties. This is causing fans to flock overseas, where resale prices are significantly lower, in what is referred to as gig tripping.

According to a report from Skyscanner, "44% of U.S. travelers are willing to fly short-haul to see their favorite artists, and 18% would go the extra mile with long-haul flights.

Those numbers are backed up by United Airlines, who told CNN that flights to Lisbon, Portugal, where Swift performed on May 24 and 25, were up 25% compared to last summer.

However, the biggest surge has yet to come, with a 45% increase in passengers on Uniteds flights to Milan and Munich compared to last summer. Swift will be performing in both cities.

It isnt just travel thats affected, but the entire global economy in what has been dubbed Swiftonomics. A report from Barclays estimated that more than one million fans would attend Swifts 15 UK concerts, each spending a predicted 848 ($1,080) in total expenses.

This weekend, Swift will perform at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam, Netherlands, for three consecutive nights, Thursday, July 4 through Saturday, July 6 and U.S. fans may want to consider making the last-minute trip with how much cheaper tickets are compared to her U.S. dates.

At the time of publication, the cheapest tickets to her July 4 Eras Tour concert in Amsterdam are $146 on StubHub, $258 on Vivid Seats and $281 on TicketCity.

The cheapest tickets to her July 5 Eras Tour concert in Amsterdam are $147 on StubHub, $400 on Vivid Seats and $440 on TicketCity  the most expensive out of the three dates.

Finally, the cheapest tickets to her July 6 Eras Tour concert in Amsterdam are $198 on StubHub, $320 on Vivid Seats and $351 on TicketCity.

All prices listed are before fees and are subject to change.

Of course, international travel isnt a cost-effective solution for everyone. If youre still eyeing Eras Tour tickets for Swifts U.S. dates, check out the cheapest tickets available for every U.S. tour stop.
Syracuse, N.Y.  A janitor at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry threatened to shoot up the colleges campus in Syracuse after disciplinary issues on the job, troopers said.

The janitor, a 54-year-old man, made the threats in text messages to a co-worker Tuesday afternoon, troopers said in an application for a temporary extreme risk protection order.

The janitor said in one of the text messages that he hoped the college was up to date on active shooter training, according to a screenshot attached to the court documents. Another message mentioned Joanie, possibly a reference to college president Joanie Mahoney, who previously served three terms as Onondaga County executive.
The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime.
Smoke from a firework glows red, white and blue as locals celebrate the Fourth of July in Taos in 2022.
New Manager Appointed in Teagasc Roscommon/Longford Advisory Region

Gabriel Trayers has been appointed as Teagasc Regional Advisory Manager in Roscommon and Longford region. The appointment was approved at the Teagasc Authority meeting today, Wednesday, 3 July.

Gabriel has a great track record working for Teagasc and will lead the delivery of both a strong technical and scheme support service in Roscommon and Longford, helping to secure farm incomes into the future.

Gabriel Trayers will lead the Teagasc team delivering advisory services to farmers and educational courses in the regional offices in the two counties.

From a farming background in East Galway, Gabriel graduated from University College Dublin with a Degree in Agricultural Science. He went on to complete the Teagasc level 9 Leadership Development Programme run in conjunction with IMI Sandyford.

He is currently working as a specialist advisor on the Teagasc Future Beef programme, an industry funded national beef demonstration programme. He works closely with 11 farmers in that programme, demonstrating how on-farm efficiencies can be made that will increase profitability and reduce Greenhouse gas emissions. The learnings from this programme are communicated through a broad spectrum of channels to farmers across the country.

Previously Gabriel worked as a drystock advisor in Galway / Clare region based in Tuam, leading the development of the cattle and sheep programme in the area and facilitating a number of beef and grass discussion groups. He also encouraged cattle farmers in the area to contract rear heifers for other farmers.

Gabriel has almost 30 years experience working for Teagasc. In his early career, Gabriel worked as an advisor for Teagasc in Connemara, assisting farmers with their scheme applications. He also worked as a REPS planner for Teagasc in Monaghan.

Head of the Teagasc Advisory service Thomas Curran congratulated Gabriel Trayers on his appointment, saying; Gabriel has a great track record working for Teagasc and will lead the delivery of both a strong technical and scheme support service in Roscommon and Longford, helping to secure farm incomes into the future.

Speaking following his appointment Gabriel Trayers said: I want to help the farmers in Roscommon and Longford run sustainable businesses, producing quality food in an economic and environmentally friendly way. I am really looking forward to taking on this management role in Teagasc, and working with all the staff in the region.

Gabriel takes over the management position in the Roscommon / Longford advisory region from Tom Kellegher, who has taken over the as Manager of the Westmeath/Offaly/Cavan/Monaghan region for Teagasc. This follows the retirement of Con Feighery.

Head of the Teagasc Knowledge Transfer Directorate, Dr Stan Lalor paid tribute to the contribution made by Con Feighery during his long career in the Teagasc advisory service.
WTF?! There is an app for just about every problem, including tackling thorny relationship issues. But who are the people behind these creations? Unsurprisingly, many of these are technophiles who apply the same tools they use at work to their personal relationships. Venture capital is following this trend, but like many VC-backed projects, the question of viability looms in the background.

About a year ago, Sami Packard, an Accenture consultant living in the San Francisco area, hit a rough spot in her marriage when she and her husband couldn't agree on where to live. So she organized a two-day off-site retreat complete with a detailed agenda to work on the relationship, with Packard assuming the role of both attendee and facilitator.

The tools the couple used during the retreat were the standard corporate fare ranging from vision boards to bar charts to writing exercises.

When she returned, Packard documented their results in a Google Slides deck and published her story on Medium and her LinkedIn account.

Fast forward one year and Packard is convinced she is on to something. Since last year, she has run several offsites for other couples and has come to the conclusion that relationship work was something she wanted to pursue full time.

Packard has launched a company called Coupledom, which offers both DIY offsite retreat packages as well as consulting.

According to the San Francisco Standard, which recently chronicled her journey, Packard represents an emerging trend: tech tools and, more interestingly, venture capital funding aimed at optimizing relationships.

One example is Ali Maggioncalda, who raised $1 million in pre-seed funding to found Lovewick, an app designed to help "couples grow & stay in love, without it feeling like work."

Silvia de Denaro Vieira, the founder of Coexist, a home management app designed to help couples share the mental load, didn't garner nearly as much interest, so she joined Techstars Oakland and raised $120,000 to build the app, which came out in beta this May.

Other examples include Eka Ventures' $3.6 million seed funding round for Paired, a "relationship care" app designed for couples. TMV and Serena Ventures participated in a $5 million seed funding round for OURS, a startup offering "modern premarital counseling" through a digital platform.

Then there is the Dating Group VC, a venture capital arm of The Dating Group, which specifically invests in startups within the dating and relationship space. They focus on technologies that help people meet, create networks, or develop friendships globally.

My wife and I use Notion religiously to manage our day-to-day life. Here's a screenshot of our set-up.



I turned this into a template, let me know if you'd like to see it! pic.twitter.com/0bgZWR3jbS  Ben Lang (@benln) April 7, 2024

If this is a new trend, though, it is a slow-forming one, littered with some failures along the way.

There is no online sign that the Dating Group VC is still in operation, for example. And these apps, which are trying to make a buck as they help people, also have to contend with the DIY crowd in this space, where such efforts can gain a huge following on social media. Earlier this year, for example, investor Benjamin Lang posted his marriage-management Notion template to X, where it received 4.6 million views and led to a New York Times story.
In context: If you've been spending time on tech Twitter lately, you may have spotted chatter about a mysterious "Windows 11 Government Edition" that's been making the rounds. This pared-down, unofficial version of Microsoft's OS started turning heads last week after a user dropped some screenshots showing off the Windows build of our dreams.

Sadly, this Windows build has nothing to do with the government nor Microsoft. It's actually an unsanctioned, heavily modified version of Windows 11 that strips out a bunch of standard components. The storage footprint is dramatically reduced by removing bundled apps like Microsoft Edge, the Windows Security suite, multimedia tools like Camera and Media Player, and even simple utilities like Paint and Clock.

Aside from core file management with Explorer, the only pre-installed apps are Settings, Backup, and a few other WindowsTools utilities. Even the Start menu is barren, displaying no apps whatsoever. Moreover, installing new programs could prove tricky for some since there's no Microsoft Store.

Perhaps the most intriguing tweak is that the build appears to bypass Windows 11's strict hardware requirements. Microsoft's official release mandates relatively modern CPU, RAM, storage and security specs that have precluded millions of PCs from upgrading. But this unofficial version can reportedly run on older systems that fall short of those standards.

Based on screenshots, the barebones OS keeps RAM usage to around 1.2GB on a 4GB system with nothing else open  lean enough that Chrome might actually be usable with more than 3 measly tabs on such specs.

While the "Government Edition" name suggests an official distribution from Microsoft, all signs point to this being a community project along the same lines as "Tiny11" and other hacked Windows rebuilds. After all, it would be highly unlikely for the company to release an official build without Defender or Edge  two products they've been aggressively pushing on users for years.

Also, it's best to avoid these builds since downloading them would require going through unofficial channels and likely using dubious activation workarounds.

That's not to say official government builds don't exist. Back in 2017, Microsoft announced the Windows 10 China Government Edition, which was supposedly slimmer than regular Windows versions. For instance, it ditched OneDrive since it wasn't "needed by Chinese government employees."

That said, the sheer interest in such builds alone highlights rising frustrations with Windows 11's incessant advertising and bloat. Microsoft has taken an increasingly aggressive approach to monetizing its OS of late, stuffing ads into core user experiences like the Start menu and Settings apps.

It'll be interesting to see if Redmond takes any cues from the grassroots interest and offers a more spartan, official "Lean" edition down the line, maybe something like the ill-fated Windows 10X?
Why it matters: As remote work has become mainstream, many companies have expressed concerns that their out-of-office employees are less productive. Some have implemented monitoring systems to catch laggard workers, but employees quickly found ways to circumvent such surveillance. A new generation of tools is on the market, and they are much more challenging to cheat.

A few months ago, Wells Fargo fired more than a dozen employees following an internal review that identified "simulation of keyboard activity" to create the appearance of active work. Wells Fargo declined to say precisely how it detected the suspicious activity, leading to speculation on Reddit and other online forums. Details about the event were scant--it is unclear if these employees were even working remotely. However, it's safe to assume that Wells Fargo used an employee monitoring system to pinpoint the slackers.

Electronic worker surveillance systems became almost mainstream among companies post-pandemic. Gartner notes that nearly 50 percent of companies reported using them last year. Many of these systems focused on collecting data from various sources, such as electronic communications, social media presence, location data, and productivity apps. Usually, these technologies detect time spent on tasks by monitoring log-ins, tracking mouse and keyboard activity, and comparing to a baseline.

The Wall Street Journal points out that a new generation of monitoring software has come to market with far more sophisticated capabilities. These tools use machine learning to identify repetitive cursor presses or irregular patterns in an employee's computer activity. Others can scrape screen images to check whether screen activity changes as the mouse moves.

A common cheat is mouse jigglers. These devices are very easily detected. Even rudimentary monitoring software can identify when unauthorized USB devices like physical mouse jigglers are connected to company computers. If the company has a policy against installing outside equipment, that could lead to disciplinary action.

These new detection systems are far more advanced, though. Ilya Kleyman, Teramind's chief growth officer, says that the company's algorithms can easily spot the patterns that tools designed to mimic work create.

"It won't look like normal human mouse cursor activity that regularly clicks, drags, etc.," he said.

Some employees have also used PowerPoint presentations or slideshows to keep their computers active. According to Jared Brown, CEO of productivity management company Hubstaff, this trick is no match for advanced monitoring software that snaps images of employee screens. Some systems even require employees to respond to random alerts, regardless of mouse activity.

At a certain point, employees  even those faithfully working their expected hours  will start to feel as though they are employed in a high-tech gulag if they realize they are constantly monitored and required to check in randomly. Many corporate executives are well aware of this and struggle with where to draw the line.

Furthermore, research has shown that excessive use of these systems often backfires on firms. At least one study showed that monitored employees were substantially more likely to take unapproved breaks, disregard instructions, damage workplace property, steal office equipment, and work at a slow pace. So, it's going to be a struggle for years to come.
In a nutshell: A recent report by Akamai estimates that 42 percent of overall web traffic is generated by bots, with 65 percent of these bots having clearly malicious intent. Akamai's study primarily focuses on "scraping bots," which are designed to harvest data and content for use in cyber-crime operations. These bots can significantly impact web-based businesses, and AI algorithms are making life easier for hackers and criminals.

As one of the largest content delivery networks on the market alongside the likes of Cloudflare and Amazon AWS, Akamai knows pretty well what's happening on the internet right now. And the internet as we know it is mostly bots.

That is one of Akamai's conclusions according to a 2024 report on web scraping that is further supported by similar numbers seen in 2022 and 2023 reports by different sources. Akamai reports that the e-commerce sector has been most affected by scraping and "high-risk" bot traffic. While some types of bots can benefit businesses, web scraper bots typically have a negative impact on both the bottom line and the overall customer experience. Currently, web scraping bots are used for competitive intelligence, espionage, inventory hoarding, scam site creation, and other criminal activities.

Patrick Sullivan, Akamai's CTO, explains that bots pose significant challenges, creating "multiple pain points" for web apps, services, and API owners. Scraping bots can easily obtain product images, descriptions, pricing information, and other data. Cyber-criminal gangs can then exploit this data to create fake websites that impersonate well-known brands or retail services.

It happens to content websites as well like TechSpot and many others, when bots are used to scrape content, spruce some slightly changed text (made easier today using Gen AI) and replicate our content without permission for the purpose of ranking on Google, stealing traffic, and making money through ads.

The scraper landscape is evolving due to AI. Bots using artificial intelligence algorithms are becoming much harder to detect. AI botnets can work well even with unstructured data, Akamai says, and they can employ actual business intelligence to provide scammers with a much refined "decision-making process." Thanks to AI, criminals can collect, extract, and process data more efficiently than ever before.

Bots are also useful to create new fake accounts, which can then be used to target real people and their finances. Even non-malicious scraping bots can degrade a website's performance, impact search engine metrics, and increase computing and hosting costs.

Companies now face increasingly sophisticated bots that use AI algorithms, headless browser technology, and other advanced solutions. These new threats require novel, more complex mitigation approaches beyond traditional methods. A robust firewall is now only the beginning of the numerous security measures needed by website owners today.
Google reportedly points to the growing demand for artificial intelligence as a reason it could fail to meet its net-zero climate-changing gas emissions by 2030. The tech giant reported a 13% increase in its emissions compared to the previous year.

Google attributed last year's surge to the strain artificial intelligence places on data centers, which consume enormous amounts of electricity. When coal or natural gas are used to produce power, greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane are released into the atmosphere. These gases warm the earth and cause more intense weather.

As a leader in the sector, Google has committed to climate change in one of the biggest ways. According to Lisa Sachs, director of the Columbia Center for Sustainable Investment, Google ought to invest more in electricity infrastructure and collaborate with greener businesses.

Google has acknowledged that it will take over six years to reach its 2030 "net zero" climate promise to reduce carbon emissions.

Google acknowledged in its report released on Tuesday that its greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 48% since 2019. The search engine giant's carbon impact increased 13% from the previous year to surpass 14.3 million tons of CO2 equivalents in 2023 alone.

According to sources, this shouldn't be shocking given that Google runs massive data center fleets and the processing power needed to develop and implement its expanding library of artificial intelligence models and services. Tens of thousands of accelerators must frequently operate nonstop for weeks or even months to train the largest models.

Although the report acknowledges that things might worsen before they improve, Google is reportedly dedicated to achieving its 2030 net-zero goal.

Read Also : Lawmakers and Tech Companies Clash Over California's AI Regulation Bill

Predictions on AI Energy Demand

Google's AI-generated emissions surge is one of the many reasons that could prove AI's energy demand will soon live up to its worrying past predictions.

CoreWeave, a global provider of cloud computing services, claimed at the beginning of April that artificial intelligence's "underestimated" demand for additional processing power, data centers, and electricity will eventually strain and constrain the world's current power grid system.

Brian Venturo, a co-founder of CoreWeave, made the prediction. He says the requests CoreWeave gets daily from data centers are "absurd," with some asking for entire campuses.

According to the co-founder, supply networks, which have traditionally backed extremely physical businesses, are ill-prepared to keep up with the market's quick pace. He believes that when there are more "megacampuses," political upheaval and the electrical infrastructure will be under more stress.

According to Venturo, AI's power requirements are likened to a sprint that demands all the money in the world. He continues by saying that the difficulty of modernizing outdated ones is another reason for the higher demand for new data centers.

These expansions are impossible with the data centers' existing infrastructure. He concludes that it would be difficult to rapidly go through all of the physical barriers in this scenario.

Possible Answer to AI Energy

While Venturo's claims are undoubtedly more pessimistic, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, acknowledges AI's power demand and has asserted that the world needs to achieve a breakthrough in nuclear fusion to meet this need.

It is said that Altman has made hundreds of millions of dollars in fusion investments. In recent interviews, he stated that the technology of the future is regarded as the holy grail of renewable energy, eventually supplying the massive amounts of electricity required for artificial intelligence that will be developed into the next generation.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States is preparing for another upcoming one, as the H5N1 virus is rising among cattle, now tasking Moderna to develop a new mRNA vaccine to fight against the bird flu. The renowned pharmaceutical company recently gave the government a $176 million contract to develop this new vaccine from the previously experimental base.

Various companies are known for using mRNA for their vaccines, including Pfizer, BioNTech, and Moderna. This proved to be one of the fastest ways to create immunization for the public.

Moderna Receives $176M Contract to Develop mRNA Bird Flu Vaccines

Moderna announced that it received a massive $176 million project award from the United States government to develop a new mRNA-based vaccine, now meant to fight against the H5N1 virus, a.k.a. bird flu. The company was awarded this through the Rapid Response Partnership Vehicle (RRPV), funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

It will ensure that it is given a license to develop this 'pre-pandemic' vaccine against the H5 influenza virus, which is known for infecting birds and could later be transferred to humans.

The company also revealed that in 2023, it had already begun its Phase 1/2 study among healthy adults using its mRNA vaccine candidates targeting both the H5 and H7 viruses.

Read Also : Cancer Vaccine Developer Sees Limitations to mRNA's Effectiveness Despite Successful Trial

The US is Now Preparing for a Bird Flu Pandemic with Moderna

This follows the recent rise of bird flu infections around the country, with rising cases affecting the avian family and cattle. Once a cattle gets infected, the virus may also transfer to milk and other dairy products and could infect the consumers.

The US is now looking to prepare for a possible bird flu pandemic with Moderna, now focusing on its mRNA vaccine development against the virus.

Moderna's mRNA Vaccine Development

One of the darkest moments of the modern age was the 2020 pandemic of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, later known as nCOV-19 and officially as COVID-19. Many pharmaceutical companies rushed to develop a vaccine that would immunize the world. Pfizer and Moderna are among the fastest ones to do so, using mRNA instead of the traditional Adenovirus base.

These messenger RNAs were previously experimental, but they proved to be effective in fast-tracking the vaccine's development, which was available for human administration before 2021 ended. After this, Moderna developed other types of vaccines, including one for influenza, a.k.a. the common flu, with other researchers looking to have it treat other diseases, such as cancer.

However, it did not take long before a new virus manifested itself in the world, with the United States among those gravely affected by the rising problem of a new strain of bird influenza. Its massive spread on cattle is now alarming the country's medical agencies and professionals yet again, but it is now tapping into Moderna and its mRNA vaccine development to fight against this new health threat.
Exoskeletons imbued with artificial intelligence are reportedly now the latest breakthrough in futuristic technology, as adopted by a study at the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University at Chapel Hill.

A Fox News review of the device claims that its exceptional energy savings throughout human activities give consumers the impression that they carry 26 pounds less. As a result, daily activities and physical performance both rise dramatically.

The exoskeleton's AI algorithm is currently being developed. It goes beyond traditional machine learning, which is focused on simulations and games, and passes a new threshold where technology enhances human capacities.

One of the exoskeleton's most amazing qualities is its capacity to provide synergistic support for various tasks, such as running, walking, and stair climbing. The learned controller easily accommodates transitions between activities without requiring manual control by automatically adjusting to each user's unique kinematic patterns.

The experimental findings are quite remarkable. Modern portable exoskeletons showed the most reduction in metabolic costs for walking (24.3%), running (13.1%), and ascending stairs (15.4%). This outstanding result is due to the flexible and experiment-free control strategy, which eliminates the requirement for laborious human testing and manually constructed rules.

The AI exoskeleton currently costs between $50,000 and $120,000, but according to Hao Su, Ph.D., an associate professor at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, using cheaper materials will make it affordable enough to sell for between $1,500 and $4,000.

Read Also : Computer Scientists Unveil New Camera Inspired by the Human Eye

AI and Exoskeleton

This is not the first exoskeleton to utilize AI; similarly, a Chinese company called Dnsys introduced the X1 all-terrain exoskeleton to revolutionize outdoor recreation.

Modern technology allows the X1 exoskeleton to enhance innate abilities to superhuman levels. According to authorities, this powered marvel makes running, walking, and climbing easier and more effective. With its powerful 900 watts, users can increase their mobility and lift to 83 pounds.

The 3.5-pound X1 creates a new standard for lightweight design in the industry. An increase of over 100 watts in power corresponds to an additional 18 pounds of load support. Through the use of motion sensors and AI algorithms, the exoskeleton enhances performance in real-time.

XI Exoskeleton Features

Even the most seasoned athletes are tested by the X1's push-button turbo mode, which reaches 16.7 mph. The exoskeleton protects the knees and feet while increasing speed throughout the drop. The X1's hot-swappable batteries, increased energy life, and quick charging make long-distance travel possible.

The X1 is lightweight but robust because it is made of carbon fiber and aerospace-grade aluminum. The chain-clasp belt and Boa dials thigh straps guarantee a snug, customized fit for the user's comfort and safety.

The Dnsys app simplifies X1 management with instantaneous health parameter tracking and device state updates. Users can assess their progress, personalize their routines, and prepare for new challenges.
Artificial intelligence-powered therapists could soon be a reality, as new software providers are looking to use the booming technology to help mental health professionals lessen their tedious workload.

Sources indicate that with the rising number of people, particularly young people, experiencing mental health problems, AI tools for therapists are becoming more and more popular. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying epidemic of loneliness, it has been stated that therapists are overworked, and the mental health sector has seen a severe staffing shortage, further reducing access to treatment.

Therapists' daily tasks include more than merely leading sessions. They also schedule, organize, and track their patients' electronic health records (EHR). According to several therapists who spoke with other sources, maintaining EHRs is one of the most difficult aspects of their jobs.

Many AI solutions for therapists are designed to relieve overworked clinicians of administrative tasks, much like most AI applications for business and productivity. Several tools employ AI to evaluate patient data and assist therapists in identifying subtle differences in a patient's progress or mental health.

AI Software for Health Office Work

AI notetakers that comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) can be useful. One such application is Upheal, which can be used on a mobile device or therapist's browser to listen in on in-person or virtual sessions via Zoom or other platforms.

Providers can choose from templates for solitary or couple sessions, and Upheal will properly take session notes. After the provider reviews and approves the notes, they can be transferred to the therapist's EHR platform.

In addition to basic transcribing, Upheal's AI may recommend treatment strategies based on what it overhears and offers extra insights and data. The business guarantees on its website that it complies with HIPAA and GDPR, among other health data standards.

AI expedites the note-taking process, even though several digital EHR services, such as TherapyNotes, are available. Upheal allows therapists to focus solely on their clients without having to type and then review notes after a session. Additionally, it helps neurodivergent therapists, who may find paperwork particularly difficult.

AI Against Health Paperwork

Comparably, in Ontario, Canada, AI was evaluated in April as an automated transcriber and summarizer for patient visits as the country attempted to lessen the workload associated with doctors' paperwork.

The pilot program plans to implement artificial intelligence software Scribe to help condense patient contacts into electronic medical records with their consent.

According to sources, studies conducted in other countries show AI software can liberate up to 50% of a doctor's after-hours time that would otherwise be spent on paperwork, enabling them to see more patients.

The Ontario Medical Association's (OMA) president, Dr. Andrew Park, claimed that primary care doctors' "burden of unnecessary administration" takes up more than 19 hours of their workweek, preventing them from seeing more patients and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. According to the OMA, about four hours are reportedly spent gathering government medical forms and writing sick letters.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave a green light to a new Alzheimer's drug that slightly delays the disease's progression. The food and drug regulator approved Eli Lilly's Kisunla, which modestly slows the disease, offering fresh hope for individuals in the initial stages of this devastating, memory-robbing condition.

FDA Approves Eli Lilly's Kisunla Drug For Alzheimer's Disease

The FDA approved Eli Lilly's Kisunla on Tuesday for mild or early cases of dementia due to Alzheimer's. It is the second drug demonstrated to effectively postpone cognitive decline in patients following the previous year's clearance of a similar medication from Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai.

The efficacy observed with both medications translates to several months, approximately seven months, specifically for Eli Lilly's drug. Patients and their families must carefully consider this benefit against the potential drawbacks, such as the necessity for regular intravenous infusions and the risk of serious side effects like cerebral edema.

The Associated Press reported that medical professionals specializing in Alzheimer's treatment emphasize the significance of this approval following numerous unsuccessful attempts at developing effective therapies over the decades.

Dr. Suzanne Schindler, a neurologist at Washington University in St. Louis, expressed her enthusiasm for having additional treatment options for her patients. She cited the difficulty she faces as a dementia specialist who sees the progression of Alzheimer's disease in her patients until they die.

Read Also : New Method Predicts Dementia Up to Nine Years in Advance with 80% Accuracy

Impact of Kisunla Drug on Patients

Both Kisunla and Japanese drug Leqembi, developed in laboratories as antibodies, are administered intravenously and target a key factor in Alzheimer's disease: the accumulation of sticky amyloid plaques in the brain.

Uncertainty persists regarding which patients are suitable candidates for these medications and the duration of their potential benefits. The new drug's approval was anticipated following a unanimous recommendation from an external panel of FDA advisors during a public meeting last month.

Despite FDA reviewers' concerns about Eli Lilly's study methods, such as allowing patients to stop treatment once their amyloid plaque levels dropped significantly, the panel endorsed its benefits.

According to Eli Lilly, the drug's costs will depend on each patient's treatment duration. The company further noted that a full year of therapy would cost $32,000, which is more expensive than the $26,500 price tag for a year of Leqembi treatment.

The FDA's guidelines advise doctors to consider discontinuing the medication once brain scans confirm minimal plaque in patients. Over six million Americans are affected by Alzheimer's disease.

The new drug, Kisunla (donanemab), has been approved by the FDA primarily for individuals with early or mild forms of the disease. However, only a small portion of these patients are expected to complete the complex process required to obtain a prescription.
A new cybersecurity report reports that applications for both iOS and macOS have been vulnerable to serious supply-chain cyberattacks. The study found that hackers could manipulate email verification mechanisms for developers, making it easier to plant malware in applications.

The paper claims that approximately 3 million CocoaPods-built iOS and macOS apps have been vulnerable for ten years. For those who don't know, 9to5Mac explains that CocoaPods facilitates the integration of third-party code into programs by providing open-source libraries. When a library is updated, apps that use it automatically receive the most recent updates.

According to EVA Information Security, the exploit might provide hackers with access to private content, credit card numbers, medical records, and other sensitive app data. The information may be exploited for ransomware, fraud, blackmail, corporate espionage, and other nefarious activities.

The weaknesses were associated with an unreliable email verification system that verified the identity of developers for specific pods or libraries. An attacker could, for instance, change the URL of a verification link to direct users to a malicious server. The CocoaPods team has already taken action to guarantee that the vulnerabilities have been patched.

Apple Warns Users of Possible Hacking

The latest known vulnerability was discovered just a few months after Apple sent out a concerning alert to iPhone customers in 92 countries, alerting them to the possibility of mercenary spyware assaults. At the time, there were worries about targeted surveillance activities when the tech giant sent the alert to people worldwide.

Apple alerted consumers, at the time, to the possibility that they were the subject of a mercenary malware attack that aimed to breach the iPhone linked to their Apple ID remotely.

The corporation underscored the gravity of the circumstance, pointing out that the assault probably singles out specific people based on their identities or actions.

Apple has previously released similar cautions. Similar alerts have been sent to subscribers in more than 150 countries since 2021, suggesting a continuous and pervasive threat landscape.

Apple on Spyware

Notably, in October of last year, Indian opposition leaders and journalists were among those informed of possible spyware assaults, underscoring the extensive worldwide reach of these monitoring initiatives. The massive Cupertino company hasn't, however, directly linked these notifications to any state-sponsored assailant.

The spyware alarms coincide with rising worries about state-sponsored online activity, especially as many nations prepare for elections. Regarding the alerts' timing, Apple stayed silent.

It is impossible to overstate how sophisticated these attacks are, as, according to Apple, mercenary spyware attacks, which use Pegasus from the NSO Group, are much rarer and more sophisticated than typical cybercrime or consumer malware.

NSO is an Israeli company specializing in remotely hacking iPhones and is well-known for its Pegasus spyware. In March, a US judge ruled in Meta's favor, directing NSO to give up its Pegasus code.

Pegasus is a spyware virus that may take over a mobile device, read messages from different apps, make calls, and take private information. These attacks, frequently linked to governmental entities or private enterprises, are resource-intensive and customized for particular targets.
A recent study by Cornell University highlighted potential drawbacks associated with using AI to monitor employees, cautioning that such technologies could lead to decreased performance and increased discontent among workers unless managed carefully.

AI Monitoring Could Lead to More Complaints and Worse Performance

The research underscored that AI-driven surveillance tools, which analyze various aspects of employee behavior, such as physical activity, facial expressions, and communication patterns, often leave employees feeling a loss of autonomy compared to oversight by human supervisors.

The research team's findings suggest that this perception of reduced autonomy can result in heightened resistance and lower productivity levels among employees.

Emily Zitek, an associate professor of organizational behavior at Cornell's ILR School and co-author of the study, said that while AI can be beneficial when framed as a tool for developmental feedback, its implementation solely for evaluative purposes can exacerbate negative perceptions.

Employees expressed concerns about the lack of contextualization in AI assessments, which they perceived as impersonal and potentially inaccurate.

The study draws attention to instances where AI surveillance has met with backlash, such as a 2020 incident where an investment bank discontinued a productivity monitoring pilot due to employee concerns over intrusive monitoring practices.

Similarly, during the pandemic, schools faced resistance from students regarding AI-monitored virtual tests, fearing students would misinterpret their actions as cheating.

Interestingly, the research suggests a nuanced view among employees regarding AI surveillance. While some view algorithms as efficient and impartial tools, others raise valid objections regarding their impact on workplace dynamics and employee morale.

In a series of experiments involving nearly 1,200 participants, the researchers explored how the type of surveillance - human vs. AI - and its perceived purpose - performance evaluation vs. developmental support - affect employee attitudes and behaviors.

Participants consistently reported feeling less autonomous and more inclined to exhibit resistance behaviors under AI surveillance than human oversight.

In addition to complaints and criticism, the researchers discovered that individuals who believed they were under AI surveillance produced fewer ideas, suggesting diminished performance.

Developmental Feedback vs. Performance Evaluation

According to Zitek, despite receiving identical messages prompting increased idea generation, participants perceived the instructions differently depending on whether they came from AI or a human research assistant.

Thus, AI surveillance resulted in poorer performance across multiple studies. Moreover, the study highlights a pivotal finding: employees were less likely to perceive it as intrusive when AI surveillance was positioned as providing developmental feedback rather than performance evaluation.

According to the research team, this shift in framing seemed to mitigate concerns about autonomy and lessen employees' intentions to leave their jobs.

"Organizations trying to implement this kind of surveillance need to recognize the pros and cons," Zitek said in a statement. "They should do what they can to make it either more developmental or ensure that people can add contextualization. If people feel like they don't have autonomy, they're not going to be happy."

The findings of the study were published in the journal Communications Psychology.




Telegram has expanded its premium content with its "Telegram Stars," an in-app currency for digital purchases.



Launched in June, Telegram Stars allows mini apps to accept payments for digital services using the simplest payment method possible: "in-app purchases on Android and iOS," per Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, CoinTelegraph reported.



Telegram channels may convert stars into Toncoin or use them for channel marketing discounts from the Open Network (TON) blockchain.

Telegram Focusing on Business Tools

Fragment platform lets channel owners withdraw stars and convert them to Toncoin. Exchangers exchange Toncoin and then transfer it to banks. This gateway enabled Telegram to auction usernames on the TON blockchain.



According to a recent TechCrunch report, channel owners may also utilize Stars to get discounts on channel ads. Telegram's newest version adds a small app bar at the bottom for rapid access to small applications without refreshing.



Discovery tools let users touch hashtags to see all public stories with that hashtag in the description. Adding location tags to tales lets viewers see all public stories from an area by simply pressing the tag.



Telegram launched numerous business-focused services this year to attain a billion active users and profitability. Small businesses can add location and opening hours, personalized start pages, greeting and goodbye messages, and chatbot assistance.

However, the popular online chat service is under security scrutiny. Social media users were alarmed by Telegram founder Pavel Durov's viral interview.



In a widely shared X video, Durov tells Tucker Carlson he is Telegram's only product manager and employs "about 30 engineers," as TechTimes previously reported.

Read Also : Brazil Bans Meta From Mining Data to Train Its AI Models

Telegram Remains Widely-Used Despite Security Issues

Durov's statements might expose users, say security experts. Johns Hopkins cryptography expert Matthew Green called Telegram a "security nightmare" with "ugly targets, UAE servers, and no end-to-end encryption."



Green indicates Telegram's default chats aren't end-to-end encrypted like Signal or WhatsApp. End-to-end encryption requires a "Secret Chat." Durov's brother created Telegram's encryption, which has been questioned.



Telegram is a messaging app and social network. According to Eva Galperin, the cybersecurity director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Telegram "sits on an enormous amount of user data," making 30 engineers insufficient to address "content moderation issues" and misuse.



Galperin said that Telegram's underpaid and overworked technical crew makes it an attractive target. Due to its small staff, Telegram may struggle to battle government-backed hackers.



Moreover, Guardio found that Telegram has become a criminal hotspot, jeopardizing users' phones and data. Expert and amateur hackers use the platform to exchange illicit tools and information, according to the online security firm.



Separately, two prominent Bangladeshi anti-terror police officials sold confidential civilian data to criminals over Telegram. TechTimes reported that Bangladesh's National Telecommunications Monitoring Center chief Brigadier General Mohammad Baker claimed the two police officials sold national IDs, mobile phone call logs, and other sensitive data.

Despite these challenges, Telegram is one of the most downloaded apps, with 700 million monthly users. The platform's publicity team emphasizes user privacy and human rights, noting its pro-democracy work in Iran, Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, and Hong Kong.

As security threats increase, experts encourage users to safeguard their data and devices by avoiding suspicious links and installing anti-malware tools.
After a lengthy outage that stretched for several hours on Tuesday, July 2, Xbox Live services are back online.

What Widespread Issues Plagued Xbox Live During Downtime?

According to Variety, the problems began around 2:00 PM ET, with players reporting difficulties signing in, playing online games, downloading content, and utilizing other Xbox Live functionalities.

User reports surged on Downdetector, surpassing 23,000 within a short timeframe. Notably, over 75% of these reports pinpointed login issues.

Xbox Immediately Launched an Investigation Regarding the Outage

By 3:00 PM ET, Xbox officially acknowledged the disruption, stating they were "aware that some users have been disconnected from Xbox Live" and were actively "investigating" the cause, The Verge reported. Furthermore, their status page confirmed a "major outage" impacting account and profile services, potentially leading to login problems, disconnections, and limitations on features requiring sign-in.

A Long Wait for Resolution

Unfortunately, resolving the issue proved more time-consuming than anticipated. Many gamers expected it to last for just an hour or two, but it's longer than everyone could think of.

Users should no longer be encountering issues signing in to Xbox Live and services. Thank you for your patience, game on! https://t.co/jw7EOmyyoL  Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) July 3, 2024

Although Xbox initially anticipated a swift fix, the outage persisted until roughly 9:00 PM ET. While the exact cause hasn't been revealed, Microsoft is likely conducting a post-mortem analysis to identify and prevent similar occurrences in the future.

Downdetector Paints a Clear Picture

Downdetector, a website tracking online service outages, mirrored the user experience. Reports spiked around 2:15 PM ET, with login issues dominating the complaints.

Interestingly, other Microsoft services, including Minecraft and the Microsoft Store, also witnessed a surge in user-reported errors during this period.

Back to Xbox Gaming

Despite the inconvenience, Xbox Live functionality has been restored. Players can now sign in, access online features, and resume their gaming adventures without interruption. Hopefully, the cause of this outage will be addressed to minimize the risk of similar disruptions in the future.

This month, Xbox gamers can now take advantage of the cloud gaming through Amazon Fire TV sticks integration. This means that you can play your favorite Xbox titles without buying the console itself.

All you need here is an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a Fire TV stick, and of course, a dedicated gaming controller that you can connect via Bluetooth.

This on-the-go setup favors players who often go outside. The good thing is that, anywhere they travel, they can carry this gaming setup, given that they have a stable internet connection. It's even better with Fire TV's new AI Search feature that will help you look for games quicker than usual.

Elsewhere, check Tech Times' report about the biggest video gamers that will come this summer. You can beat the heat with these games you can play with your best buds.
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.
CEO of world's corporate climate arbiter to quit amid turmoil



Paris, July 3 (AFP) Jul 03, 2024



The chief executive officer of the world's main verifier for corporate climate targets is stepping down after facing staff demands that he quit over the organisation's backflip on carbon credits.

Luiz Amaral said late Tuesday he would depart as CEO of the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) at the end of the month for "personal reasons".

It follows a staff revolt in April after SBTi announced it would consider allowing the companies it vets to use carbon credits to offset pollution across their supply chain.

Carbon credits are generated by projects that reduce or avoid emissions like renewable energy or tree planting, but critics say they allow the companies that buy them to keep polluting without cleaning up their act.

SBTi's decision represented a reversal of its long-held stance on the limited use of such offsets, and sparked immediate calls for Amaral and the group's board to resign.

Amaral's statement made no reference to the furore, but cited personal reasons that "require my full attention at this time, prompting my decision to step down".

The group's chief legal officer, Susan Jenny Ehr, would act as CEO on an interim basis.

SBTi, which is partnered with the UN and WWF, and receives funding from the Bezos Earth Fund and IKEA Foundation, is the gold standard benchmark for assessing the net zero plans of big businesses.

Verification by SBTi allows companies to say their climate plans align with science and the goals of the Paris agreement to limit global warming.



- 'License to pollute' -



Amaral said the organisation had verified the climate targets of more than 5,500 companies and financial institutions and thousands of others were seeking validation.

The organisation had previously held a narrow view on carbon credits, requiring companies take action first to reduce their greenhouse gas output, and only turn to offsets for the remaining, hardest-to-cut emissions.

Then in April it flagged relaxing these rules in regards to offsetting Scope 3 emissions, which occur in the value chain, and represent the lion's share of the carbon footprints of most companies.

In an open letter, staff criticised the way the decision was taken, accusing the board of ignoring the organisation's internal expert and scientific advice about the use of carbon credits.

A single credit is supposed to represent one tonne of CO2 removed from the atmosphere or prevented from entering it, but revelations some do little or nothing for the environment have damaged their credibility.

Just hours before Amaral's resignation, more than 80 civil society groups including Greenpeace and Amnesty International publicly called for SBTi to rule out the use of carbon credits.

"Offsetting often ends up providing the social license for high-emitting activities to continue" and allowing companies to use them would "likely slow down" global efforts to address climate change, they warned.
Swiss storm death roll rises to six



Geneva, July 3 (AFP) Jul 03, 2024



The death toll from flash floods that hit Switzerland after storms at the weekend rose to six Wednesday after a body was discovered in the southeastern canton of Ticino, police said.

The alpine region is experiencing its worst flooding since 2000 when 13 people were killed in a mudslide which destroyed the village of Gondo.

Police said the body was found in the Maggia valley -- the same area where another victim was discovered on Tuesday.

Emergency services had to use a helicopter to recover the remains.

The latest death brings the toll in the Ticino canton to five, making it the region hardest hit by the storms.

On Sunday, three German women in their 70s died after a torrential downpour triggered a landslide in the Italian-speaking canton.

In the neighbouring canton of Valais, where hundreds of people were evacuated as a result of overflowing rivers, a man was found dead in a hotel basement in Saas-Grund.

Police said that he was probably taken by surprise by the rapid rise of the floodwater.

Scientists say climate change driven by human activity is increasing the severity, frequency and length of extreme weather events such as floods and storms.
Bulgarias Orthodox Church has raised eyebrows after electing a pro-Russian clergyman as its new head.

The Church elected Daniil as its new patriarch in a vote that reflected the divisions in the church and wider society since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Pro- and anti-Russian factions have been butting heads within the senior Bulgarian clergy since 2019 after the Orthodox Church of Ukraine was recognised as independent by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Constantinople.

The ecumenical patriarch is regarded as the representative and spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide. Nevertheless, large portions of the Eastern Orthodox world are considered self-governing under their own patriarchs.

His move formalised the split of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine from the Russian church. However, Russian and most other Orthodox patriarchs refused to accept this.

Unlike his predecessor, Daniil has sided with the Moscow Patriarchy in its dispute with the Ecumenical Patriarch over the independence of Ukraine's Orthodox Church.

Daniil was also critical of the expulsion of a Russian and two Belarusian clerics from the Church who had been accused of spying for Moscow.

Born Atanas Nikolov, Daniil studied theology in Sofia before beginning life as a monk in a monastery. He is part of a generation of Bulgarians who joined the Orthodox Church following the fall of communism within the nation.

He was elected to the post for life following two rounds of voting by 138 delegates to the Bulgarian church council in Sofia.

Daniil succeeded Patriarch Neophyte, who passed away in March aged 78 after leading his church for 11 years.

Though church and state are separate within Bulgaria, its national constitution names Eastern Orthodoxy as the traditional religion, followed by around 85% of its 6.5 million citizens.
Many road users are asking what happened to a life-saving trial after 2023 emerged as Australia's deadliest year on the roads in more than half a decade.

Road lines using photoluminescence to emit light during a trial on a 1km section of Metong Road in Victoria's southeast. Source: Facebook / Tarmac Linemarking

Accidents on our roads are soaring across Australia, with almost every jurisdiction throughout the country having recorded increases in preventable deaths in the last year. In fact, 2023 was the deadliest year on Australian roads in more than half a decade, according to recent data.

The worrying trend has seen authorities scramble over how best to manage the worsening crisis, with states and territories unveiling a range of new strategies in response. One tactic trialled in 2022 in Victoria that caught the attention of motorists was glow-in-the-dark road lines in low-light settings.

The reflective paint stays brighter for longer and is more durable. Source: Facebook / Tarmac Linemarking

Aussies question results of 2022 road trial

The idea has resurfaced on forums around the country with drivers wondering the outcome of the Victorian experiment. At the time, the Victorian government said it hoped the trial would provide drivers with a stronger visual signal to follow in low light.

"This treatment will make it easier for drivers to see the line markings or signage and provide stronger definition coming up to intersections and curves, giving drivers more time to react and preventing them from veering from their lane," Regional Victoria Roads said at the time.

'Fluro' road lines target safety in low-light settings

The high reflectivity paint used apparently stays brighter for longer and is more durable than regular line paint. The road lines use photoluminescence to emit light that has been absorbed during the day. One of five rural roads to trial the line markings included a 1km section of Metong Road in the state's southeast.

Online, people are wondering what happened to the 2022 trial with some from other states keen on seeing the glow-in-the-dark line markings introduced in their region.

"We need these on the Wakehurst Parkway, Pacific Highway, Pittwater Road, Warringah Road and Mona Vale Road," a woman in Sydney wrote. People responding praised the "absolutely brilliant idea" with even some based in the US saying "we need this in America".

Others wondered why they hadn't heard anything about the trial since its inception in 2022.

Government reveals road trial results

Yahoo News Australia questioned VicRoads, the authority responsible for the scheme, over what had happened to the idea. In response, a spokesperson said it's been discontinued, citing insufficient road safety benefits to justify further rolling out the markings.

The spokesperson confirmed the Department of Transport and Planning trialled the use of photoluminescent line-markings on five rural roads. But an independent evaluation conducted once the trial concluded, determined there were insufficient road safety benefits to justify adding more of the fluro lines to the state's roads, effectively axing any hope of the $4 million scheme being rolled out further.

Australia's worsening road crisis

Australias road network has recorded its deadliest six months in more than 13 years and a peak body is calling on the data needed to make sense of the growing death toll to be released by state governments.

The Australian Automobile Associations newest benchmarking the National Road Safety Strategy report reveals a 7.3 per cent increase in deaths on Australian roads from 2022 to 2023, with 1266 people losing their lives on our roads last year. The second half of 2023 proved the deadliest consecutive quarters on Australian roads since the first six months of 2010, as 677 road deaths were recorded.

The significant increase in the national road toll in 2023 was driven by a climbing death toll in three Australian states. NSW recorded a nearly 30 per cent increase from 2022, with 351 individuals losing their lives last year, Victorias road toll increased by 22.5 per cent, with 294 deaths in 2023 and South Australias road toll reached 117, a nearly 65 per cent increase from 2022.

So far in 2024, 139 people have died on Victorian roads.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
The trend, likely to be mirrored on the eastern side of the Baynazar Caldera, could be a prime structural location for intrusive-hosted mineralisation. That theory is supported by the presence of the Almaty copper-porphyry mine only about 6km from the north-east margin of the Baynazar Caldera.

Sarytogan Graphite managing director Sean Gregory said: Sarytogan has deployed its established exploration team in Kazakhstan to copper exploration. The Central Asian Orogenic Belt is known to host many world-class copper-gold porphyry deposits. Baynazar is the first of a portfolio of copper exploration projects that the Company plans to assemble to complement the battery metals thematic at Sarytogan.

The CAOB is one of the most researched orogenic belts in the world due to its significance in the research of continental accretion and ore formation processes. It contains abundant natural resources, including mineral ores and oil and gas and hosts several giant copper-gold porphyry deposits.

In Kazakhstan, such projects include the producing Bozshakol operation with 1.42 billion tonnes at 0.34 per cent copper and 0.13 per cent gold and the producing Aktogai with its 1.944 billion tonnes at 0.32 per cent copper. They also include other smaller, but still impressive Koksai, Kounrad and Nurkazgan copper projects that all have between 213 million tonnes and 637 million tonnes at copper grades ranging from 0.42 per cent copper to 0.81 per cent.

Unsurprisingly, with those numbers, Kazakhstan is the worlds 11th-biggest producer of copper, pumping out 600,000 tonnes of the valuable reddish metal last year. The CAOB also includes the mind-bendingly massive Oyu Tolgoi copper project in Mongolia that contains 30 million tonnes of copper and 44 million ounces of gold.

Sarytogan references Soviet-era exploration, during which more than 300 mineral occurrences were observed and partially explored and it has obtained location details of anomalism, historic grab and trench metalliferous samples and aero-magnetic anomalies. It says abundant evidence of copper may be found throughout its exploration licence, including malachite in hand specimen from the margin of the smaller satellite Zhangeldy Caldera in the southern part of its ground.

The company says it has been advised by the Kazakhstan Government that its exploration licence application will be granted upon payment of environmental insurance, which has now been paid.

With its geologists already in the field to kick off soil sampling in prospective areas, Sarytogan says it plans to undertake an imminent high-resolution airborne magnetics survey over the full licence area. Its objective is to build a portfolio of prospective ground in the region to meet its goal of becoming a significant battery metals supplier.

If it is indeed true that to find elephants you need to look in elephant country, then Sarytogan could do no better than to begin its search for copper in this proven orogenic belt.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au
Advertisement

Review Eating outNewstead Envy Newstead folks who get to call this hatted restaurant their local This moody eatery offers a series of gifts, presented with care  including a mussels dish you wont soon forget. Matt Shea July 3, 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

1 / 9 Bosco opened in Newstead in September last year. Markus Ravik 2 / 9 Boscos dining room, with its clever lighting and sheer curtains, resembles a gussied up dining hall. Markus Ravik 3 / 9 Baccala mantecato with cecina nero. Markus Ravik 4 / 9 Chicken liver cannoli with armangac. Markus Ravik 5 / 9 Quail with pancetta served with an apple and chestnut butter. Markus Ravik 6 / 9 Mussels served with cider cream and como Vienna. Markus Ravik 7 / 9 Boscos prawn, squid and scallop clay pot, now served with squid ink risoni. Markus Ravik 8 / 9 Most of Boscos proteins are being cooked on a parrilla grill and a showstopping infernillo  a South American-style hearth where you cook between two fires, one above and one below. Markus Ravik 9 / 9 Spiced anglaise torrijas served with milk ice cream and coffee nameleka. Markus Ravik Previous Slide Next Slide Good Food hat 15 / 20 How we score European$$$$ Bar Alto has always been a restaurateurs restaurant. Its not uncommon to find a bunch of them at the Brisbane Powerhouse eatery on their RDOs, grazing over its rustic but considered plates of Italian food. Yet, often you wont find Bar Alto among diners picks of this citys best Italian. And thats in part because owner Simon Hill doesnt go searching for plaudits (despite receiving plenty in the past with classic restaurants such as Ortiga and Isis). Bosco opened in Newstead in September last year. Markus Ravik

Advertisement

Its no surprise, then, that Boscos reputation has slowly seeped into the dining public since it opened in September, rather than hitting with a PR-driven bang. The restaurant hides in plain sight in a large black warehouse on Austin Street in Newstead, attached to the front of the Brewbakers commercial bakery (Brewbakers closed its retail shop in June, but continues to bake for commercial clients). Slip past a sheer curtain and youll find a venue laid out like a dining hall made fancy, rows of long tables accommodating couples and separate groups of diners. Boscos dining room, with its clever lighting and sheer curtains, resembles a gussied-up dining hall. Markus Ravik On the Thursday night we visit it has a solid pump on, well-tuned lighting and a raging hearth lending the room an intimate vibe. Fire sets the agenda for chef Sajith Vengateris broadly western European menu, which takes most of its touchpoints from the more rustic elements of Basque cooking. Vengateri, though  who now oversees both Alto and Bosco  has always been a dab hand at mixing the comfortable with the artful.

Advertisement

Baccala mantecato with cecina nero. Markus Ravik Take a baccala mantecato with cecina nero  one of the stars of a killer snack menu (essential for a restaurant in 2024, it seems): with its fried chickpea bread flavoured with squid ink and crisped into the shape of a flower, and a dollop of whipped cod sparkling under Boscos pendant lights, its one of the prettiest things youll ever lay your eyes upon. Still, its designed to be eaten, not admired, and hits the palate perfectly seasoned with a satisfying crunch. Its a similar story with a house suckling pig croqueta that avoids any overbearing heaviness, and a chicken liver cannoli skilfully enlivened with a dash of armagnac. We resist the temptation to order another round. Quail wrapped in pancetta with an apple and chestnut butter. Markus Ravik The larger plates, though, are where the kitchen really begins to flex its muscle, using a parrilla grill and a custom-made infernillo  a South American-style hearth where the chefs cook between two fires, one above and one below.

Advertisement

Brisbane Valley quail wrapped in pancetta, hung over the fire and then finished on the grill is Vengateri getting out of the way of his produce almost to a fault. A sweet apple and chestnut butter is perhaps not quite strong enough an accompaniment, but with such protein cooked so well, you hardly care. Mussels served with cider cream and como Vienna. Markus Ravik The showstopper, though, is a mussels dish that neither myself nor my dining partner will soon forget. A phalanx of Kinkawooka blue mussels from South Australia have been stripped of their shells and laid out in cider cream. The mussels are plump and sweet, the cider cream luscious but complex, an accompanying chunk of como Vienna bread given a lick of fire but left fluffy inside, to better mop up the mess. Im still vaguely spooning at the plate long after nothings left. A main of angel-hair pasta with squid, prawns and scallops cooked in a clay pot is similarly soul-warming, if a little more rudimentary, a tomato-saffron roux poured at the table leaving it a touch one-note (at the time of writing, the angel-hair pasta has been replaced by squid ink risoni). We demolish it all the same, aided by a side dish of heirloom pumpkin and creme fraiche that pops with speck and sage. Boscos prawn, squid and scallop clay pot, now served with squid ink risoni. Markus Ravik

Advertisement

Hill has always prided himself on the quality of his wine lists and everything we sample with the food hits the mark  a Giovanni Rosso roero arneis from Piedmont, a La Tonelle rose from Alpes de-Haute Provence, a Jean Defaix petit chablis, a Victorian William Downie pinot noir. Theyre drops strong enough to converse with the food without setting fire to your credit card. To finish, theres a precisely baked chocolate Basque cheesecake with vanilla cream and a house-made cherry preserve, and spiced anglaise torrijas served with a milk ice cream and coffee namelaka. Like everything else tonight, they leave us wanting more, not less  an achievement this far into the meal. Most of Boscos proteins are being cooked on a parrilla grill and a showstopping infernillo  a South American-style hearth where you cook between two fires, one above and one below. Markus Ravik Hill wants this restaurant to be a third place for Newstead locals, and sitting here among the bonhomie, you cant help but feel hes more or less nailed it. Our server  who misses just one beat all night before catching it like a pro  even lets us dwell in the bar area for a couple more drinks, despite the fact were the last people in the place. Its a nice gesture when, down here among warehouses and car yards, were pretty far off the beaten track.

Advertisement

Spiced anglaise torrijas served with milk ice cream and coffee namelaka. Markus Ravik That thoughtfulness is the through-line with Bosco, from the food to the drinks to the manner in which its all delivered. Its a series of simple gifts, presented with care and attention. Be envious of those Newstead types who get to call this their local  Bosco is a cracker. The low-down Go-to dish: Mussels served with cider cream and como Vienna. Vibe: Basque-inspired comfort food, expertly cooked over fire, in a welcoming warehouse spot. Drinks: An expansive Euro-themed wine list with a thoughtful by-the-glass selection. Cost: About $195 for two, plus drinks.

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up
Advertisement

Review Eating outSouth Yarra Dainty Sichuan returns with a luxe new look, name and rejigged menu. But is the spice still right? With more than 100 items on the rejigged menu, its easy to get confused  or greedy  at the renovated and rebranded Sichuan stalwart. Dani Valent July 3, 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

As featured in the August hit list. See all stories .

1 / 8 Floral banquettes and chic lighting are features of the new-look, and renamed restaurant, Dainty on Toorak. Luis Enrique Ascui 2 / 8 Bespoke tablecloths add to the sense of occasion. Luis Enrique Ascui 3 / 8 Chongqing chilli chicken. Luis Enrique Ascui 4 / 8 Pulled pork with home-made beancurd. Luis Enrique Ascui 5 / 8 Lunchtime yum cha is available daily at Dainty on Toorak. Luis Enrique Ascui 6 / 8 Mullet with pickled chilli. Luis Enrique Ascui 7 / 8 Fried rice crust with salted yolk is a tasty snack. Luis Enrique Ascui 8 / 8 The bustling dining room. Luis Enrique Ascui Previous Slide Next Slide Sichuan$$$$ Wow, its so fancy! I said this three times before even getting to my table at Dainty on Toorak, the just-renovated and rebranded Dainty Sichuan. Ive been coming here since the restaurant opened in 2009, sitting at chunky timber tables in a spice haze, somewhere between agony and exhilaration, chopsticks poised for the next morsel. Like many people in Melbourne, the no-nonsense dining room was my gateway to this south-western Chinese cuisine and I revelled in the bold flavours, expert cooking and mouth-numbing ecstasy of Sichuan pepper. The food was the focus, not the decor. But now? Well, its so fancy! The entrance corridor is awash with video projections of pastoral scenes and the dining room seems palatial rather than merely large, with floral banquettes and chic lighting. Pretty glass teapots and bespoke tablecloths add to the sense of occasion.

Advertisement

This new Dainty is confident, the food is excellent  and who doesnt love a bit of fancy? The food offering has been substantially rejigged. Theres live seafood, Cantonese yum cha every lunchtime and a ceremonial duck dish that sees glossy roasted bird carved tableside and served three ways. With more than 100 items on the leather-bound menu, its easy to get confused  or greedy. I ordered 10 dishes, the waiter cautioned it was too much and my table loosened their pants for the challenge. Chongqing chilli chicken. Luis Enrique Ascui Ill always have Chongqing chilli chicken, the fiery classic that signals heat in a shower of dry chillies but is actually more of a culinary stun-gun, thanks to a liberal application of Sichuan pepper.

Advertisement

Many dishes come in huge tureens: mullet is slippery soft in a slick bath jazzed with pickled chillies; sliced pork and house-made tofu gleam in a translucent broth. Daintys version of a sausage roll sees slow-cooked beef wrapped in flaky pastry; puffed rice is formed into cakes and dusted with salted yolk for a crunchy snack. Mullet with pickled chilli. Luis Enrique Ascui Its been quite a journey for the Dainty brand. The first restaurant opened on Smith Street, Collingwood in 2003. Owner Tina Li would take a tram to the market to buy ingredients and youd often hear people at one of the handful of tables marvelling over their first tongue-tingling encounter with this style of food. In the decades since, the empire has taken its fragrant fire to the CBD, Box Hill, Glen Waverley, Clayton and even Sydney, but it hasnt all been roses: in 2020, Fair Work fined the group $209,000 for underpaying international workers. There are about 20 outlets now, but South Yarra has long been home base.

Advertisement

In its previous incarnation, it was anointed by luminaries including Rene Redzepi, Dave Chang and Sichuan food authority Fuschia Dunlop. I think they would rate this new Dainty. Its confident, the food is excellent  and who doesnt love a bit of fancy? The low-down Vibe: Fancy and flavourful Go-to dish: Chongqing chilli chicken Price: Cold dishes: $15.80-$39.80; hot dishes: $28.80-$188; Dim sum: $8.30-$17.50 Fuchsia Dunlop wants us all to eat more Sichuan food

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up
Well this is a weird one for you this morning.

Doritos Australia is releasing a brand new flavour and it's certainly not what you'd expect.

Doritos Coffee won't be available to buy in stores, but 25 packets will be given away each day for the next couple of weeks. All you have to do is respond to Doritos Australia's social posts on the new offering and reveal what is making you mad right now.

The responses they deem are the "grumpiest" 25 will win a packet.

Well we weren't expecting this new flavour. Source: Doritos Australia

"We know Aussies long for that extra cup of coffee in the afternoon, and we cant wait to see the reactions of chip lovers and coffee aficionados from across the country as they try the first batch of Doritos Coffee," Senior Brand Manager Kat Miller said.

While the flavour may give you that coffee feeling, we can confirm there isn't enough caffeine in them to get you anywhere near your regular hit.

So what do you think of the new flavour? Have your say below.
The Australian Federal Police is embroiled in a contracts-for-mates controversy amid revelations that a high-ranking AFP official is under investigation for improperly awarding contracts to private companies controlled by former senior special forces veterans.

The AFP officer at the centre of the scandal is Commander Anthony Fox, a respected veteran policeman who has served in the federal polices most sensitive divisions, including counter-terrorism and its undercover operations unit. A second senior police officer is also facing scrutiny.

AFP commander Anthony Fox Credit: ABC

There is no suggestion that Fox is guilty of any offence or is proven to have engaged in any wrongdoing, and no charges have been laid.

Suspicions over his handling of AFP contracts led to a raid on his family home in Canberra in early June and his immediate suspension from his role pending the investigation.
The victim of the stabbing attack at the University of Sydney is recovering at home as police and politicians warn children are at risk of radicalisation on the internet.

Melvern Kurniawan, the 22-year-old university student allegedly stabbed in the neck by a 14-year-old boy, was released from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital on Tuesday night, a hospital spokesman confirmed.

His alleged attacker is yet to be charged, and is in hospital undergoing assessments, NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley told ABC News Breakfast.

Kurniawans online profile says he is working as an intern at the University of Sydneys prestigious Brain and Mind Centre and undertaking a PhD in the link between sleep and dementia.
Matter of principle

Principles are funny things. Often we hold them without having to act on them and sometimes principles conflict with each other.

Senator Fatima Payman has recently experienced this having to choose between her commitment to a Palestine state and her membership of the Labor Party which she signed up to and in whose name she was elected to the Senate. She chose the former, which is her prerogative.

The real test is what she chooses to do next. Does she move to the crossbench or another party or return the Senate seat to Western Australians who voted Labor?

Naomi Brown,

North Perth Labor needs to change

Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party could easily deal with the problem that has surfaced because of a principled stance taken by Senator Fatima Payman. They have at least two options.

One, remove the archaic and outdated requirement for all caucus members to vote as one on all issues. In todays world the blind adherence to ideology is no longer sustainable or for that matter sensible.

Some issues require a more nuanced, personal touch and the current issue surrounding Israel/Palestine is a prime example of ideology being out of step with the broader community.

And second, simply (correctly) articulate a stronger position in support of the Palestinians in their war with Israel. The current insipid stance is weak-kneed and heartless in the extreme.

Jack Morris, Kennington Thank the senator

At the last election Labor promised to support Palestinian statehood. At its national conference in 2023, where the short and long-term aspirations of the Labor Party were set out, it confirmed its support for recognition of Palestine as a state.

Now Labor has backpedalled and is not standing up to its promise to recognise Palestine as a sovereign state, despite 145 of the 193 United Nations member states doing so.

Senator Payman has shown up Labor to be outlier amongst countries concerned with averting the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. She should be thanked for this, not expelled.

Leigh Ackland, Deepdene Nationalise assets

How ironic that we may be forced to import gas (Nation could be forced to import gas, 3/7) when we are one of the top exporters of liquefied gas. It is yet another example of Australia selling off its assets and resources to private companies who then make record profits.

The move towards greater use of renewables and the continuing electrification of our homes is welcome, but gas usage will still be required in Victoria as the transition continues. Rather than developing new gas fields and expanding storage, we should nationalise what were originally our own assets. Privatisation has only worked for the companies afforded these money-making opportunities and rarely for us, the consumers and original owners of the asset.

Denise Stevens, Healesville Absurd situation

Only in Australia would you find the absurd situation where one of the largest producers and exporters of gas in the world is facing such domestic shortages that we are going to be importing gas.

Further, we are only getting a fraction of the tax revenue and, unbelievably, we are giving the industry billions in support such as the diesel rebate.

However, it would be unfair to only blame Labor as the LNP has been complicit and has thwarted attempts to increase resource taxes.

The underlying cause has been the successful lobbying in Canberra by multinationals and the generous funding to both Labor and the Coalition.

Barry Lizmore, Ocean Grove

Federal failure

That Australia is in the contradictory position of needing to import gas, while at the same time locked into gas export contracts is a dire reflection on the actions of past federal governments.

Prioritising export sales ahead of Australias essential domestic needs for gas at any time is a dereliction of responsibility at a federal level. Inevitably, it will be the consumer who meets the cost of this projected shortfall. Words fail me; the government fails us, collectively.

Brian Kidd, Mt Waverley Gas reservation needed

OK Australia, we really have reached peak stupid. Australia is the largest exporter of natural gas in the world. Most of it goes overseas duty and tax free, and does not leave adequate supply for domestic use. Western Australia does not have this problem because it sensibly introduced a domestic gas reservation policy despite the gloom and doom cries of the gas giants. Produce more gas say the Coalition and industry, but what would be the point if they simply export it for yet more super profits? The solution is a nationwide gas reservation policy but do we have a government with the courage to take on the gas giants?

Ross Hudson, Mount Martha Put politicians to the test

Move over pub test, its time that politicians passed the school test. It works like this: how would their behaviour look if it happened in the schoolyard or the classroom? If it would look immature, bullying-like, etc, then theyve failed the school test. If it would look childish then theyve also failed the school test. If it would look mature, adult-like, etc, then theyve passed the school test.

Take for example: Peter Dutton saying that Anthony Albanese is a child in a mans body. If someone said that in the schoolyard or the classroom, would it look mature or childish? Would it look like bullying? Would it pass the school test?

Liron Lightwood, Caulfield South Be aware on roads

Kerri Sackvilles (Comment, 2/7) experience having a collision with a cyclist could so easily be any Victorian driver. We all look left, look right, look bike, and with family members regularly cycling through the CBD to work I am cognisant of cyclists on our roads.

I have jammed on the brakes as a cyclist spun across the road in front of me, their wheel having been caught in the tram tracks; I have been startled as a cyclist appeared out of the shadows as I squinted into the sun pulling out from a parking space; and recently I was horrified dodging a cyclist riding illegally through the Burnley Tunnel. Yes, we drivers need to have our wits about us  but equally cyclists need to wear fluoro, have lights on their bikes, ride within the rules, and be alert as to how visible (or otherwise) they are to other road users.

Felicity Browne, Toorak Walking the dog

Walking a dog should be almost walking alone but with company. Yet I rarely see this. Dogs are often feet ahead stretching the lead. Unpleasant for all.

Heel means the dog walks on, ie next to your heel, at your pace and with the choker chain loose (if you need to tighten, do so across the shoulders please, not neck). This allows one to stop easily and allow pup to smell their surrounds. Being a bit strict early with puppy reaps immense rewards for many years for all.

Richard Pentony, Hawthorn

Set right priorities

Note to Jacinta Allan. The state budget is no different to the household budget and when you cant afford something you pull back until you can afford it.

Today its our hospitals, schools, nurses, police and fire fighters (to name but a few) that need urgent attention and what we dont need now, no matter how good an idea it may sound, is a Suburban Rail Link.

Let some future leader complete this project, but your job is to strengthen the communitys major facilities and needs today  not be remembered for a hole in the ground with dubious advantages  to the people of all Victoria.

Nathan Feld, Glen Iris Same rule, different ride

Columnist Tony Wright tells us to look where you want to go (At one with my bike, 29/6).

The same is true for horse riding. Whether riding a dressage test, a show jumping course, or a cross-country course, when you look to the next place or next jump your body will also make slight and subtle adjustments and your horse will read those changes. Its more than just steering with reins.

Kerry Bail, Beaconsfield Upper Health cuts

In response to the letter Health Crisis, (30/6), my daughter has been working at the Northern Hospital as a Registered Undergraduate Student of Nursing (RUSON) for the past 18 months. On Monday, she was given one months notice of dismissal, along with all other non-contractual RUSONs. The reason? Lack of government funding.

Patient care will absolutely be affected by losing RUSONs.

Margaret McNeill, Sunshine Just make fares free

For many, public transport in Melbourne is conveniently free.

Were often reminded by the state government that fare evasion is relatively modest and not a concern. Im not sure if thats wishful thinking but it doesnt marry up with my own experience a few days ago.

I boarded a route 220 bus to Sunshine Railway Station in West Melbourne. During the 40-minute trip, 13 adult passengers boarded the bus. Only one touched on with a myki card. Small sample, but that works out to an evasion rate of more than 90 per cent.

Perhaps we can just make it free and stop the pretence.

Mark Mitchell, West Melbourne Party charades

If Biden stands aside from nominations for president he can be the bigger man who took one for his party whereas Donald Trump is the man who took his party.

Christopher Butts, St Kilda

AND ANOTHER THING The US

Maybe the Democrats can have Joe Biden run as a hologram of his former self.

Ralph Bohmer, St Kilda West With dictators in China and Russia and a strong possibility of one in America, one can only wonder, What could possibly go wrong?

Les Anderson, Woodend As for the saying that nobody is above the law, in the light of the US ruling I will now have to rethink this.

Doug Springall, Yarragon Once it was former president Trump, now its King Donald.

Thos Puckett, Ashgrove

How much damage can one man do to a now fragile experiment in democracy?

Bill Cleveland, Kew If Joe Biden was to move an insurrection against the Supreme Court can he claim immunity from prosecution?

Gary Bryfman, Brighton American democracy has lasted a long time but at last it has buckled. Under the weight of one mans appointments the Supreme Court has destroyed that democracy. I see no way for it to be restored.

John Walsh, Watsonia Ive written to friends in the US that I have rooms for them. The colony battled to remove a king from their country, they now have another. All welcome (except Trump supporters).

Tom Stafford, Wheelers Hill Furthermore

Threatening divestiture laws, is Peter Dutton vying to become king of the supermarkets?

Joan Segrave, Healesville
A man who stabbed a woman and assaulted a teenager in the presence of two younger children. A man who broke intervention orders eight times before injuring his partner with a machete. A man who strangled his partner in front of her primary-school-aged children.

These are among almost 2700 arrests of serious family violence perpetrators in Victoria Polices domestic-violence blitz across Melbournes south-east between January and early June.

Strangulation was reported by nearly nine in 10 women calling Victorias 24/7 family-violence crisis response centre, Safe Steps, this year. Credit: Marija Ercegovac

Victoria Police has laid charges for more than 7500 serious offences in just over five months in five of Melbournes most heavily impacted areas, as pressure mounts on state and federal governments to better fund frontline help for family-violence survivors.

This comes as the chief executive of Safe Steps, Chelsea Tobin, warned that family-violence perpetrators were increasingly using strangulation to control or harm women, often without leaving visible marks.
Right up until the moment she hit send to distribute her statement asserting she had been exiled, Labor colleagues had been reaching out to Senator Fatima Payman to offer reassurance, tea and sympathy. The last thing they wanted was for her to feel unwanted.

Tanya Plibersek had hugged Payman in the chamber on Monday after Sam Mostyn delivered the first of two brilliant speeches  coincidentally appealing for greater kindness  marking the beginning of her tenure as governor-general.

Illustration: Dionne Gain

The Finance Minister, Senator Katy Gallagher, has been in constant contact with Payman both before and after she crossed the floor last week to vote for a Greens motion on Palestinian statehood even though the government crafted an amendment which it believed satisfied the concerns of caucus.

When this amendment  which provided for recognition of Palestine after a ceasefire agreement and as part of a two-state solution  was discussed at a full caucus meeting before it was put to the Senate, Payman offered no objections to it.
Even Chinese street-food you bing pancakes are close kin to pizza. Tempura The Japanese get all the credit for this cooking style, which is not unique to Japan. Credit: iStock The Japanese get all the credit for this cooking style, but there isnt anything that unusual about battering and deep-frying various types of ingredients, particularly vegetables and fish. In fact, it was the Portuguese who introduced the technique to Japan in the 16th century  and Jewish Portuguese immigrants who launched fish and chips in England in the 1860s. In India, pakoras and bhajis are much the same as tempura  and have been included in cookbooks for a thousand years.

Sauerkraut Nothing more German than this sour, fermented cabbage dish, right? Wrong. The name is the only German thing about it, since the concept likely originated in ancient Roman times and has equivalents across central and Eastern Europe. The only thing German about sauerkraut is the name. Credit: iStock Pickling vegetables is widespread in other cuisines too, from Iranian and Turkish to Chinese. The most famous these days might be kimchi. It doesnt have to be spicy, although kimchi does have a different texture to sauerkraut since it uses Chinese cabbage.

Apple pie The expression as American as apple pie emerged in the early 20th century, when (obscurely) apple pies became associated with patriotism. Apple pie: not so American. Credit: Alamy Many other people must have been surprised to hear apple pie was American. Apple-pie recipes appeared across apple-growing European nations as early as the fourteenth century. Apple pie is particularly associated with England, Sweden and the Netherlands. Variations include the tart (France), cake (Sweden again) and strudel (Austria).

Dumplings Chances are dumplings bring to mind China, although the Chinese language has no overarching word for dumpling, using jiaozi, huntun (or wanton), baozi and others depending on the style. Dumplings are widespread across Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and Italy. Credit: Wayne Taylor That should alert you to the sheer variation of filled, cooked dough. This simple culinary delight is found everywhere from West Africa to Brazil, Jamaica to Central Asia. And while dumplings have faded from British and French cuisine, they remain widespread in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and (as ravioli and tortellini) in Italy.

Samosas The samosa isnt originally Indian but came from Central Asia, where today you can snack on samsa, which are similar and often triangular shaped  but baked rather than deep-fried. Indian samosas are not that different to Cornish pasties. Credit: iStock Then theres the Burmese samuza, which is often chopped into salad, the sambousek of Arab cuisine, South-East Asias curry puff, and the borek and its variants across the Balkans, Turkey and the Middle East. And are samosas really that dissimilar to turnovers and Cornish pasties?

Schnitzel The origin of the Wiener (or Vienna) schnitzel is obscure, but it emerged in the 1830s, likely inspired by cotoletta alla Milanese from northern Italy. But no matter, since schnitzel is hardly unique. All variations of the schnitzel are likely inspired by cotoletta alla Milanese from northern Italy. Credit: Eddie Jim Poland has its version (kotlet droboiwy), and France has the cordon bleu stuffed with cheese and ham  which probably originated in Switzerland. Argentina has milanese layered with mozzarella, and Aussies have parmigiana, actually a 1950s American invention. And lets not forget Japanese tonkatsu.

Ice cream While its true that Europeans are responsible for the worldwide spread of ice cream, similar foods have been around for a very long time  since 550 BCE in Persia, for example. Malaysias ice kacang is a long-time variation on the ice-cream theme. Credit: iStock Ancient Romans, Chinese, Japanese and 16th-century Mughals in India are among people who used shaved ice to produce sorbets and cold treats, and a 13th-century Syrian cookbook first recorded artificial ice making. Indian kulfi, Syrian booza and South-East Asian ice kacang are todays variations on the theme.
Ive always been intoxicated by the prospect of living multiple lives. To escape to another part of the world, experience dynamic cultures and meet extraordinary people from all walks of life who will enrich mine. And very soon I will have that privilege. From my home, in a small corner of the Antipodes, Im about to undertake one of the most exciting adventures of my life  six months of study on the other side of the world, in Europe, as part of my university degree.

I channelled both eagerness and fear into booking flights, accommodation, tours and tickets. I spoke to friends and family who travelled when they were younger, soaking up the look on their faces as they reminisced about backpacking with friends  nostalgic for the carefree feeling of being in your 20s, about to embark on your first solo overseas trip. I struggled to contain my excitement as I realised how fortunate I was to be travelling to Europes capital cities  the cradles of Western civilisation, music and philosophical thinkers.

I channelled both eagerness and fear into booking flights.

That was until the alerts from DFATs Smart Traveller started lighting up my phone.

Germany: Exercise a high degree of caution. Racially motivated attacks have occurred. These occur more often in urban areas and the former East Germany.
In Lviv, Ukraine, just across from the Polish border, one would barely know there was a war on. People stroll in the streets with smiles, dine outside, and buy luxury cosmetics in malls. Patriotic songs are joyously sung in candle-lit piano bars. I attended the ballet La Bayadere performed by the Lviv National Opera.

However, everybody knows someone who has been killed. The cemetery on the outskirts of town is overflowing. A whole new area called the Field of Mars is home to thousands of carefully tended military graves, each with a colour photograph and large Ukrainian flag. In one of the most moving scenes of my life, the wind picked up while I was there and all the flags flew in formation.

Locals Anton and Luba with James Baillieu (centre) and Ukrainian-Australian journalist Julian Krysh in Kupiansk on the front line.

Meanwhile, Kyiv, seven hours away by train, has a similar population to Melbourne and also has beautiful parks and fine dining. What sets Kyiv apart is its energy and intensity. It has people, ideas, aid, and love pouring in from all over, making the atmosphere heady.

What is happening in Ukraine is more than a war; it is a battle for our shared humanity. When I first went there in July 2022, I was shocked by the enormity of the horror. I also felt at one with Ukraines spirited, heroic and courageous people.
While the painting is highly degraded, but it's possible to decipher some of the figures. We spoke to a man who has studied it.

The cave art was found at Leang Karampuang in the Maros-Pangkep region of South Sulawesi. Source: BRIN Google Arts and Culture

On an island 1,200km north of Australia, hidden beyond a narrow entrance in the rock, the worlds oldest-known pictorial story has been discovered. Researchers believe it was painted at least 51,200 years ago.

The artwork was found above a tropical Indonesian village on the island of Sulawesi. A study revealing how it was dated and what it depicts was published in the journal Nature on Thursday.

"It shows a pig interacting with three human figures. And our claim is that this is the oldest evidence for a narrative story in the history of art so far," co-author Professor Adam Brumm told Yahoo News.

Stretching almost one metre across, the story is in a very poor condition and its hard to make out many of the finer details. But whats clear is that it involves three people surrounding a large warty pig  a creature experts believe the islanders were besotted with.

Related: Ancient object used in 12,000 year old curse unearthed inside remote Aussie cave

Speaking to international media on Wednesday ahead of the journal publication, Brumm said there is a lot of evidence showing people hunting pigs in the region.

They were clearly economically important to these early people... symbolically and perhaps even spiritually, he said.

Whether the figures are hunting or communing spiritually with the pig remains a mystery because the culture that created it has long since disappeared.

How do we know the pig painting is 51,000 years old?

Narrative scenes in cave art are extremely rare and for years it was believed a 14,000 picture from Lascaux France involving a bison was the oldest surviving example.

Dating the Sulawesi work to such a precise age was possible because of a new method created by experts at Griffith and Southern Cross universities.

Our new LA-U-series technique is more accurate, allowing us to date the earliest calcium carbonate layers formed on the art and get closer to the point in time the art was created. It will revolutionise rock art dating, Professor Aubert said in a statement.

The team is confident this technology could lead to a re-evaluation of other artworks. But its finding examples that remains a challenge because they are often hidden.

The cave was discovered north of Australia in the tropical Indonesian region of Maros-Pangkep. Source: Google Earth/Data SIO/NOAA/US Navy

More exciting discoveries from around the world

How do you find the artwork?

Accessing artwork inside the cave at Sulawesi's Maros-Pangkep region involves climbing a rock face above, and then clambering through a small entrance.

Because researchers have not found evidence of stone tools or fire places, its possible that humans only ventured into the caves to make and view art. Brumm believes its possible there was ritual and initiation involved and access was likely controlled.

A close-up image of the pig shows how the painted surfaced has degraded. Source: BRIN Google Arts & Culture

Similar purpose-specific caves are also found around Europe which date back 30,000 to 40,000 years. These were painted deep underground, into dangerous areas that were removed from everyday life.

Mysteriously, in both Europe and Sulawesi, these traditions of creating pictorial rock art do not appear to have continued past the end of the last ice age  12,000 to 14,000 years ago.

"It's not 100 per cent clear what happened to those people who were responsible for making that art over a long period of time," Brumm told Yahoo.

"But based on the excavations we've done of the caves, and also based on the dating, it seems to be something that just stopped."

Why do humans need to write and draw stories?

Storytelling continues to have an important role in most human societies. Brumm believes it evolved at a time when bonding was needed.

European cave paintings in Lascaux, southwestern France, also depict pictorial stories. Source: Getty

"It was one of the most important glues that kept societies together, hundreds of thousands of years ago potentially," Brumm said.

"It might have enabled us to communicate or to share ideas. For instance the existence of supernatural beings, or some sort of other entity that's out there that guides our lives, our fate, our destiny.

"Its a way of all members of your group buying into this sort of one worldview. And it's very useful for sharing information too, but I think there's something deeper and imaginative too."

Are we likely to find even older pictorial art?

Locating the picture relied on the expertise of Adhi Agus Oktaviana, an Indonesian rock art specialist from the National Research and Innovation Agency, who led the project.

His colleague, Professor Renaud Joannes-Boyau from Southern Cross Universitys faculty of science, is confident Oktaviana will be able to find more amazing places that contain ancient art.

Theyre not right there in plain sight. You have to deserve it to actually see it. Its very likely that there are some more beautiful ones hidden that we dont know of, he said.

There are some cave art examples from Borneo which have already been documented that improved dating methods could prove to be even older than the Sulawesi paintings.

Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., July 2, 2024 --

Stellantis posted 4% quarter-over-quarter growth with a Q2 2024 total U.S. sales decrease 21% year over year

Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer total sales increased 107% and 24% year over year, respectively

Jeep brand saw retail sales of the Wrangler, Grand Cherokee and Compass increase 24%, 12% and 15%, respectively, Q2 over Q1 2024

Ram brand saw growth of 11% in total sales Q2 over Q1 2024

Ram commercial fleet sales increased 47% Q2 over Q1 2024

Dodge brand total sales increased 16% Q2 over Q1; Charger, Challenger and Durango up 52%, 18% and 18%, respectively, for the same time period

Chrysler brand sales grew 14% in total sales Q2 over Q1 2024

Alfa Romeo saw growth of 9% in total sales increase Q2 over Q1 2024

FIAT brand launched the all-new, all-electric Fiat 500e in Q2

Stellantis took four of five top-selling plug-in hybrid spots in U.S. with the Jeep Wrangler 4xe (No. 1), Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe (No. 2), Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid (No. 4) and Dodge Hornet (No. 5)

Summer Select Inventory Bonus Cash program kicks off with up to $2,000 cash back

cash back All-electric Grand Wagoneer S, revealed globally last month, is open for vehicle reservations online at www.jeep.com

FCA US LLC reports total sales of 344,993 vehicles in the second quarter for 2024. Overall, second-quarter 2024 total U.S. sales declined 21% year over year while demonstrating strong quarter-over-quarter improvement.

"With the moves we made the first half of the year, including working toward a multi-energy strategy consisting of BEV, PHEV and ICE vehicles that meets the demand of our customers, and pricing adjustments across our U.S. brands, including Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and Ram, we're seeing significant momentum this quarter over the previous quarter of 2024, both in total U.S. sales, which saw an increase of 4% during the period, and in market share," said Matt Thompson, head of U.S. retail sales. "Additionally, beginning today, we are launching a national 'Summer Select Inventory Bonus Cash' incentive campaign, which will provide up to $2,000 cash back across many of our nameplates.

"We're also seeing orders ramp up for the new Ram 1500 light-duty as that highly anticipated vehicle moves to the next phase of its build."



"We've been working very closely with Stellantis leadership to better serve our customers by providing the mix of products they desire and at competitive pricing," said Kevin Farrish, National Dealer Council chairman for Stellantis. "It's been a very open, collaborative effort working together as a team, and we'll continue to tackle these important issues together on behalf of our customers.



Jeep Wrangler 4xe, Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, Dodge Hornet R/T and Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid held their ranking as four of the top-five best-selling plug-in hybrids in the U.S. (Source: S&P Global Mobility U.S. State Registrations database through April 30, 2024)



Sales of the Jeep Wrangler 4xe accounted for 39% (15,124 units) of total Wrangler sales in the second quarter; sales of the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe accounted for 12% (6,460 units) of total Grand Cherokee sales in the second quarter.



The Dodge brand's first muscle-inspired electrified crossover, the Hornet R/T, accounted for 46% (1,983 units) of total Hornet sales. Dodge will deliver the world's first and only electric muscle car, 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona, this year.



Pacifica Hybrid sales accounted for 21% (7,858 units) of total Pacifica sales in the second quarter.



The Alfa Romeo Tonale, the brand's first electrified offering introduced to the market in the second half of 2023, sold 887 units.



FIAT, celebrating its 125th birthday this July, continues to see initial deliveries of the all-new, all-electric Fiat 500e reach dealers across the United States. The new Fiat 500e was recently named the 2024 Urban Green Car of the Year by Green Car Journal.



"From the commercial fleet side, the Ram ProMaster demonstrated unprecedented growth of 373% this past quarter over the first quarter of 2024," said Jeff Kommor, head of U.S. commercial sales. "Our customers are also excited and are embracing the launch of Ram Professional Pro One, providing commercial service support, connected services, commercial financing and upfit friendliness, among the host of services the program offers."



The Ram ProMaster also saw total U.S. sales increase 163% during the second quarter over Q1 2024. The Ram brand's heavy-duty pick-up line saw total U.S. sales increase 28% for its Ram 2500 and 33% for its Ram 3500 during the same period.



The Ram Pro One program, servicing and providing support for commercial fleet customers, launched in late 2023. Most recently, Ram was ranked the No. 1 industry brand in J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, the only truck-exclusive brand ever to top prestigious benchmarking study.



Stellantis North America

Stellantis is one of the world's leading automakers, aiming to provide clean, safe and affordable freedom of mobility for all. In North America, it's best known for producing and selling vehicles in a portfolio of iconic, innovative and award-winning brands, including Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge//SRT, Ram, Alfa Romeo and Fiat. Stellantis is executing its Dare Forward 2030, a bold strategic plan that paves the way to achieve the ambitious target of becoming a carbon net zero mobility tech company by 2038, while creating added value for all stakeholders.



Follow company news and video on:

Company blog: http://blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: http://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Company website: www.stellantis.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Stellantis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StellantisNA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stellantisna

Twitter: @StellantisNA

YouTube: http://youtube.com/StellantisNA

FCA US LLC Sales Summary Q2 2024















Q2 Sales Vol % CYTD Sales Vol % Model Curr Yr Pr Yr Change Curr Yr Pr Yr Change Compass 22,195 28,083 -21 % 49,842 51,292 -3 % Patriot 0 0

0 0

Wrangler 38,896 46,671 -17 % 77,204 84,642 -9 % Gladiator 10,489 13,751 -24 % 23,478 27,326 -14 % Cherokee 969 6,006 -84 % 2,165 19,219 -89 % Grand Cherokee 52,296 70,454 -26 % 106,751 124,956 -15 % Renegade 1,563 5,020 -69 % 7,326 9,149 -20 % Wagoneer 16,734 8,075 107 % 29,865 13,635 119 % Grand Wagoneer 4,005 3,224 24 % 7,555 5,268 43 % JEEP BRAND 147,147 181,284 -19 % 304,186 335,487 -9 % Ram P/U 90,109 117,699 -23 % 179,526 223,049 -20 % ProMaster Van 15,369 20,200 -24 % 21,222 37,894 -44 % ProMaster City 7 4,114 -100 % 45 9,792 -100 % RAM BRAND 105,485 142,013 -26 % 200,793 270,735 -26 % 200 0 1 -100 % -1 1 -200 % 300 1,998 4,208 -53 % 3,691 7,197 -49 % Town & Country 0 0

0 0

Pacifica 37,768 44,935 -16 % 70,882 73,845 -4 % CHRYSLER BRAND 39,766 49,144 -19 % 74,572 81,043 -8 % Dart 0 0

0 0

Viper 0 0

1 0

Hornet 4,299 2,597 New 11,718 2,619 New Charger 16,216 24,604 -34 % 26,876 46,710 -42 % Challenger 11,480 12,904 -11 % 21,217 24,275 -13 % Journey 0 4 -100 % 0 12 -100 % Caravan 0 1 -100 % 2 2 0 % Durango 17,792 19,642 -9 % 32,921 37,109 -11 % DODGE BRAND 49,787 59,752 -17 % 92,735 110,727 -16 % 500 163 1 16200 % 204 1 20300 % 500L 0 0

0 3 -100 % 500X 153 143 7 % 266 278 -4 % Spider 0 0

0 0

FIAT BRAND 316 144 119 % 470 282 67 % Giulia 656 865 -24 % 1,296 1,831 -29 % Alfa 4C 0 1 -100 % 0 1 -100 % Stelvio 949 1,328 -29 % 1,866 2,752 -32 % Tonale 887 117 New 1,615 117 New ALFA ROMEO 2,492 2,311 8 % 4,777 4,701 2 % FCA US LLC 344,993 434,648 -21 % 677,533 802,975 -16 %

FCA US LLC Sales Summary H1 24CY vs H1 23CY



H1 Sales Vol % Model 2024 Pr Yr Change Compass 49,842 51,292 -3 % Patriot 0 0

Wrangler 77,204 84,642 -9 % Gladiator 23,478 27,326 -14 % Cherokee 2,165 19,219 -89 % Grand Cherokee 106,751 124,956 -15 % Renegade 7,326 9,149 -20 % Wagoneer 29,865 13,635 119 % Grand Wagoneer 7,555 5,268 43 % JEEP BRAND 304,186 335,487 -9 % Ram P/U 179,526 223,049 -20 % ProMaster Van 21,222 37,894 -44 % ProMaster City 45 9,792 -100 % RAM BRAND 200,793 270,735 -26 % 200 -1 1 -200 % 300 3,691 7,197 -49 % Town & Country 0 0

Pacifica 70,882 73,845 -4 % CHRYSLER BRAND 74,572 81,043 -8 % Dart 0 0

Viper 1 0

Hornet 11,718 2,619 347 % Charger 26,876 46,710 -42 % Challenger 21,217 24,275 -13 % Journey 0 12 -100 % Caravan 2 2 0 % Durango 32,921 37,109 -11 % DODGE BRAND 92,735 110,727 -16 % 500 204 1 20300 % 500L 0 3 -100 % 500X 266 278 -4 % Spider 0 0

FIAT BRAND 470 282 67 % Giulia 1,296 1,831 -29 % Alfa 4C 0 1 -100 % Stelvio 1,866 2,752 -32 % Tonale 1,615 117 1280 % ALFA ROMEO 4,777 4,701 2 % FCA US LLC 677,533 802,975 -16 %

SOURCE FCA US LLC
Married couple Mark and Nadine appeared to put the Heinz beans tin back on the shelf. Would you?

Mark appeared stunned after working out the cost of a tin of baked beans in Thailand. Source: TikTok

Tourists travelling abroad often crave a taste of home, but one couple in Thailand were left wondering how much is too much to spend on home comforts after they spotted a can of Heinz baked beans in a local supermarket.

Married couple Mark and Nadine, who are from the UK and Ireland but live in Australia, travelled to Thailand to enjoy the warmer climate like many at the moment, and were buying groceries when they came across the tin, which is a popular brand in the UK and Ireland, as well as Australia. Despite the familiar brand being a welcomed sight far away from home, the price raised eyebrows.

"You want your Heinz beans in Thailand?" Nadine asked, holding up the tin in footage shared to social media. "Only 420 bhat."

The couple tried to do the maths and convert the price to Australian dollars. They quickly realised it was close to $20.

"20 Australian dollars for a f**king can of beans," Mark said.

Would you pay $17 for a tin of baked beans?

The couple called the price "crazy" but the video pulled into question how much home comforts are really worth to people while travelling, and whether you should buy them at all.

Online some suggested tourists should "eat locally" rather than splash out on something imported, which always costs more in international countries due to distribution and transport costs. The couple acknowledged this but said the "markup" in the local supermarket was considerable. "We know imported things are more expensive," the couple confirmed.

According to the conversion rate between the AUD and Thai Baht on Wednesday, the price of the Heinz beans in the local supermarket would set the couple back $17, a 600 per cent increase in price when compared to the $2.80 price tag for a tin of Heinz beans in Woolworths and Coles.

Last year a packet of Tim Tams was spotted in the US for $8.59 USD which equated to $13.65 in Australian dollars, and Aussies were outraged such a beloved brand was priced so high, despite acknowledging import costs.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Amanda Vitale, an Auburn-area resident who followed her father as executive director of the Central New York Regional Market Authority, has been fired less than two months after a state audit panned the market's financial management.

The authority's board of directors voted Monday to terminate Vitale, who has served as executive director since January 2020. Her contract requires 180 days' notice of a termination, meaning she will continue to work at the market for the remainder of the year.

The board did not provide an explanation. Anthony Emmi, who chairs the board, announced at the beginning of the meeting that the agenda had changed.

After the board emerged from an executive session, Emmi read the resolution and the vote was nearly unanimous to fire Vitale. The lone holdout was Randy Daratt, one of Cayuga County's representatives.

Cayuga County Legislator Jonathan Anna, who was recently appointed to the board, supported the action to terminate Vitale.

Before the vote, Vitale was allowed to speak and excoriated the board for what she views as a lack of professionalism. She learned of her impending termination from other employees, tenants and vendors.

"You guys have let me take the fall several times over the past few years for decisions that you guys have made," Vitale said. "I have sat in this chair and supported your decisions because that is my job and it seems very clear to me that is what I'm about to do again today."

Following the vote to fire Vitale, the board created a new position  CEO  to manage the authority. Bill Fisher, a former deputy Onondaga County executive, was appointed to lead the market.

Fisher, whose appointment took effect Monday, will be paid $58,468 a year.

Near the end of the meeting, Vitale questioned whether the terms of her employment changed with Fisher as the authority's new CEO. Emmi deferred to the board's attorney, who informed Vitale that her role is the same. However, she and the authority's other staff members will now report to Fisher.

Vitale took a parting shot by criticizing the board's treatment of employees.

"There is zero morale left on our staff," she said. "Nobody wants to come to work."

Fisher responded, "Some of them will stay. Some of them will leave. That's how it's going to be."

One employee has already exited. Greg Frigon, Vitale's partner who was the market's facilities manager, resigned Friday. He worked at the market for nearly 10 years.

In his resignation letter, Frigon said he has "seen the clear lack of value that the board of directors holds for the staff here."

The initial agenda for the meeting included a corrective action plan after state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office found poor financial management at the authority. According to the audit report, the market had net losses of more than $1 million from the 2020-21 through 2022-23 fiscal years.

Among the findings was that Ben Vitale, Amanda Vitale's father who was the authority's longtime executive director, was paid more than $212,000 over three years after leaving the top job.

Vitale, a Cayuga County legislator, was retained to assist his daughter with the transition, help with other duties and lead special projects. But auditors learned the position lacked a clear job description and he wasn't required to document when he worked.
Cordusio achieves B Corp certification

Italian red berry aperitif brand Cordusio has been certified as a B Corporation. Cordusio says it is the first Italian spirit to achieve the certification. To become a B Corp, a business must meet high social and environmental standards according to a rigorous system.

Chris Tanca, founder, shared: We all hear a lot of talk about sustainability these days. So, the fundamental question for our Cordusio Team has been, What is truly sustainable?. Authenticity and transparency have been the keys to unlocking the answer for Cordusio.

The rigorous B Corp principles and methodology  which measure not only our companys entire environmental impact but also our social impact  are why Cordusio is so honoured to achieve this important and internationally recognised certification and to join this forward-thinking and growing community.

Launched in Italy in February 2023, Cordusio is planning its expansion to the UK and US over the next year. The aperitif is made with a 100 per cent natural red berry recipe, sourced locally in Italy.

3 July 2024 - Lucy Schofield

Share this story
One Kiwi couple is sharing the "challenging" reality of facing homelessness in New Zealand.

Going under the account name @vagabondsss, the pair have kept their identities a mystery but have been very open about what it's like living out of their car, with their first video amassing almost half a million views.

"We've started this page to show our journey from being homeless to getting our lives back on track," they wrote.

"The challenges we've faced as a couple during this hardship have made our relationship solid but also put us in situations we've both never experienced."

"So join us on our journey to getting our life back on track. First step: securing a job."

The couple continued sharing their day in the life videos showing their car set up with blankets and all their belongings, washing dishes in a nearby river, charging devices at the library, and showering at the gym.

Some days appear harder than others, but the pair seem extremely grateful despite the challenges.

Like the moment they were pulled over by a cop. Upper Hutt police officer Cameron noticed the couple living out of their car and offered them a food parcel to help out.

Along their journey, many followers have also offered means of support, including food, money and help finding a place to stay. However, the pair made it clear they're tackling this journey solo.

"We're not taking koha, just here to document our journey, thank you for the offers," they wrote in response to a follower asking how they could donate.

In their latest updates, the husband has been getting into the swing of his new job.

The pair are now looking forward to reaching their next goal of being able to rent a studio together.

"Our next goal is to have 2 jobs each so we can possibly rent a studio or flat. We're patient, desperate and determined. We're gonna try to work as many hours as we can."

With just seven clips, they've racked up hundreds of thousands of views by sharing their hardship.

Their bravery and determination is super inspiring, and a good reminder of how tough some people are doing it out there. Kia kaha!
CM launches Single Window Portal 2.0 to boost industries





Staff Reporter

RAIPUR,

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai launched the Single Window Portal 2.0 from his official residential office in Raipur, highlights the State Governments dedication to boost industrial growth and supporting entrepreneurs investing in Chhattisgarhs industrial sector on Tuesday. Addressing the launch, Chief Minister Sai stated. State Government will provide all possible support to entrepreneurs investing and setting up industries in Chhattisgarh. Our top priority is good governance and a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption. Along these lines, the Single Window Portal 2.0 was launched to expedite various clearances and approvals, ensuring convenience for investors and new industrialists. This major initiative aims to streamline processes by reducing administrative interference. This portal will be smooth and easy to use for entrepreneurs. Explaining its benefits, Sai added, The State has abundant resources and vast opportunities for industrial development. With this new system from the Industries Department, all necessary facilities will be available at a single click. Simplifying the process of establishing industries will enhance investor interest and create employment opportunities for the youth. Businessmen will no longer need to navigate multiple departments for submitting applications and clearances.

Chief Minister stated that departmental officers have been assigned responsibilities within the new portal and will be accountable for timely processing of applications. He also instructed officials to conduct periodic reviews. Industries Minister Lakhanlal Dewangan congratulated traders, stating, This platform will ensure timely resolution of applications, allowing applicants to track their status with a single click. Commerce and Industries Secretary Ankit Anand provided detailed information about the Single Window System 2.0. He highlighted that this portal integrates more than 100 services across 16 departments, enabling applicants to log in just once without the need for repeated submissions. Any inquiries from departments throughout the process can be monitored by logging in.

Regarding the new features, Sai explained, There is no longer a need for offline office visits. Payment can be made through e-challan. Information regarding required permissions from various departments before establishing any industry is now accessible on the portal. Each departmental officer has been assigned ID-passwords to ensure timely resolution of applications. Monitoring and alerts for permissions and licenses will now be streamlined. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has stated multiple times that industrial growth not only promotes development of State, but also generates employment opportunities for youth. He stressed that a transparent and simplified industrial setup process will attract more entrepreneurs, accelerating economic growth. Acting on the Chief Ministers directives, the Commerce and Industries Department has revamped the previous portal and launched Single Window System 2.0 to facilitate industry establishment. Chief Ministers Advisor Dhirendra Tiwari, Secretary P Dayanand and Industries Department Director Arun Prasad along with other department officials were also present on the occasion.
CM Mohan Yadav terms Rahuls remark sign of evil mentality





Senior Special

Correspondent

Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav reacted sharply over Rahul Gandhis statement on Hindus in the Lower House of Parliament. Everyones sentiments have been hurt by Rahul Gandhis statement, he said. I strongly condemn Rahul Gandhis statement. The Leader of the Opposition has given a statement to shame the Hindu society inside the biggest temple of democracy, calling Hindus violent has come to the fore as a sign of his evil mentality. India is the only country in the world where Hindus have the largest population. If the Leader of Opposition shames Hindus in this manner, how can the country tolerate it? The entire country is furious on hearing this. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should apologise by rubbing his nose.

The CM further said that I am proud that I am a Hindu. Everyone who is a Hindu is proud of being a Hindu. He should apologise immediately and the Congress National President should immediately ask for Rahul Gandhis resignation... and also clarify whether the Congress agrees with Rahul Gandhis statement or not. Notably, on Monday displaying Lord Shri Shivas picture said that those who call themselves Hindus are engaged in violence and hate. Pointing towards the BJP MPs, he said that you are not Hindus at all. His statement triggered a row in the state and drew sharp reactions from other BJP leaders.
Excise case: Kejriwal to move regular bail plea





NEW DELHI,

DELHI Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will soon move an application for regular bail in the corruption case related to the alleged Excise scam, his lawyer informed the Delhi High Court on Tuesday. The court, meanwhile, asked the CBI to respond to his plea challenging his arrest in the case involving alleged graft. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and asked it to file its reply within seven days. The High Court said Kejriwals counsel may file a rejoinder, if any, within two days thereafter. It listed the matter for arguments on July 17.

Besides his arrest, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor has also challenged the trial courts June 26 and June 29 orders by which he was remanded in CBI custody for three days and judicial custody till July 12, respectively.

Kejriwal, 55, was arrested by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar Jail, where he was in judicial custody in a connected money laundering case filed by ED. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, submitted that an FIR was lodged by the CBI in August 2022 and he was summoned and questioned by the probe agency in April 2023 for nine hours.
Staff Reporter

As a part of political rehabilitation, Shiv Sena (Shinde) has given candidature to Krupal Tumane (denied Lok Sabha ticket from Ramtek) and Bhawna Gawli (from Yavatmal-Washim), for Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC). They both along with Dr Parinay Fuke, former minister have filed nomination papers on Tuesday for Legislative Council polls to be held on July 12. This is second time Fuke is contesting Legislative Council election but this time, it is for a different category. In last polls, Fuke had defeated Raju Jain for Bhandara-Gondia LC constituency and became MLC. He was inducted in the ministry by Devendra Fadanvis Government.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced the names of five candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council biennial elections on Monday with Dr Parinay Fuke one of those. Since Tumane and Gawali were denied tickets from their respective constituencies, Shinde had promised them of awarding MLC candidature. Accordingly both have been fielded by Shinde (Sena). Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, OBC Minister Atul Sawle accompanied Fuke while filing nomination. Maharashtra Legislative Secretary Jitendra Bhole accepted the papers from Dr Fuke.

There are 11 seats in Legislative Council as 11 MLCs will be retiring on July 27. Since 12 candidates have filed nominations, the polls have become inevitable. Tuesday was the last date for filing nomination while July 5 is the last date of withdrawal. The polls will be conducted on July 12 and results will be declared the next day. There are 14 votes short in the 288-member State Assembly, so 274 will exercise their franchise to elect the candidates. The election will be held on preferential vote system. The candidate completing 23-vote quota will be declared winner. Mahayuti with BJP-103 seats, NCP (SP)-41, Shinde Sena-38 have upper hand over Mahavikas Aghadi (63 votes).
GB Open Bridge this weekend





Sports Reporter

BRIDGE enthusiasts will have an enjoyable and engrossing two days of bridge on July 6 and 7 as Vidarbha Bridge Association will be conducting GB Logistics Commerce Ltd sponsored open bridge tournament at Hotel Airport KK on Wardha Road, Nagpur. The tournament will witness bridge players from all over Vidarbha region competing in pairs and duplicate events. The club authorities have decided to host pairs event on Saturday after formal inaugural ceremony, which will be done in auspicious presence of Prashant Lakhani CMD, GB Logistics Commerce Ltd at 6 pm. Duplicate event will be held on Sunday at 10 am. Attractive cash prizes will be awarded to all the winners. Technical conduct of the event will be handled by VBA. Samir Roy and Amit Rewatkar are the tournament directors for this brain game.
LS resolution against Oppn For disrupting PMs addressShredded norms: Rajnath





NEW DELHI,

THE Lok Sabha passed a resolution on Tuesday condemning Oppositions disruptions during Prime Minister Narendra Modis address, with Union Minister Rajnath Singh saying these actions shredded parliamentary norms. After the Prime Ministers speech, Defence Minister Singh moved the resolution. The manner in which the Opposition shredded parliamentary norms when the PM was speaking on the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents address, I propose that the House condemns this action, Singh said. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also chided Opposition leaders for their actions, saying their behaviour was not in line with parliamentary norms. I gave sufficient time to all members. I gave more than 90 minutes to Leader of Opposition but this behaviour is not in line with parliamentary norms, he said. The resolution was seconded by Home Minister Amit Shah and was passed by a voice vote. As soon as the Prime Minister rose to speak, Opposition members urged the Speaker to allow an MP from Manipur to speak.

Govt using two crutches of TDP, JD(U): Oppn

OPPOSITION members on Tuesday said the arrogance and vindictiveness of BJP leaders during elections downgraded the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who now has to depend on alliance partners to provide a stable Government. Participating in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents address, Trinamool Congress member Kalyan Banerjee said the recent Lok Sabha elections had ushered in a change in the country which now has an unstable Government and a strong Opposition. Banerjee said the Prime Minister now has to use two crutches -- Chandrababu Naidus TDP and Nitish Kumars JD(U) -- to run the government. Congress leader K C Venugopal said the BJP leaders were not believers in Hinduism, but only used religion to polarise the electorate and win elections. He said the BJP projected the prime minister as bigger than God, which was the biggest anti-Hindu statement.

Oppn attacks Govt over paper leaks in Rajya Sabha

OPPOSITION members on Tuesday cornered the Government in the Rajya Sabha over the recent examination paper leaks, saying it is hurting the future of the youths and the morale of students who have toiled hard. Taking a dig, Raghav Chadha of AAP said that there are two IPLs played in the country - one is the Indian Premier League (IPL) for cricket and the second is Indian Paper Leak (IPL) - and the exam organising agency NTA stands for No Trust Anymore Speaking on the issue during the Motion of Thanks on the Presidents address, some members demanded a fair probe under the supervision of the Supreme Court and questioned the Governments silence.
Monsoon active in city 106% normal rainfall predicted this month





Staff Reporter

The monsoon has become fully active in Madhya Pradesh, leading to moderate to heavy rainfall across the State. Another new weather system is becoming active on Wednesday, raising hopes of heavy rainfall in the coming five days in regions including Jabalpur, Ujjain, Sagar, Chambal, and Gwalior. Meanwhile, the Weather Department has issued an alert for heavy rainfall in 2 dozen districts. During the period, winds will also blow at a speed of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour. Spokesman of Weather Department informed that a cyclonic circulation has formed from the Arabian Sea off the coast of southern Gujarat, passing over Madhya Pradesh. One cyclone is forming in Haryana, while another is forming in southern Gujarat. A system has also formed in neighbouring Gujarat.

The entire State is experiencing a southwest to northwest movement. As a result, moisture is coming from the Arabian Sea, raising the possibility of heavy rainfall in several regions, including Jabalpur in the next five days. According to the Weather Department, the situation of gusty winds, rain and thunderstorms will continue for the next 5 days. With the activation of a strong system on Wednesday, rainfall activity will intensify. There will also be heavy rainfall on July 4. The Weather Department predicts favourable conditions until July 15. The current month is expected to receive 106 per cent of the normal rainfall.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Honda Motor announced that its retail sales in China for June 2024 totaled 68,966 vehicles. Compared to the same period of last year, this volume represents a year-on-year drop of 39.04%.

Accord e:PHEV; photo credit: GAC Honda

For the first half of 2024, the Japanese automaker's cumulative sales reached 415,906 vehicles in the world's largest auto market, down 21.48% from the previous year.

Honda Motor did not disclose individual sales figures for its joint ventures, GAC Honda and Dongfeng Honda, this month.

To boost sales in China, Honda Motor plans to strengthen its electrification efforts in the country. Shinji Aoyama, Global Executive Vice President of Honda, stated that this fiscal year, Honda will launch several competitive electric vehicle models in the Chinese market and work with its joint venture partners to address overcapacity issues.

e:NS2; photo credit: Dongfeng Honda

On the evening of June 25, Dongfeng Honda's latest pure electric SUV, the e:NS2 (Chinese name: Lieguang), hit the market. Equipped with CATL's batteries, the model comes with four variants, priced between 189,800 yuan and 209,800 yuan, with a limited-time offer of 159,800 yuan to 179,800 yuan.

The e:NS2 is built on Honda's "e:N Architecture F" platform dedicated to battery electric vehicles. It was developed by Honda's China division and features a family design language characterized by sharp blade shapes and dynamic lines, creating a youthful and energetic appearance.

In terms of intelligent features, the e:NS2 is equipped with the advanced Honda CONNECT 4.0 intelligent connectivity system. This system offers multiple smart interactive experiences, including facial recognition, gesture control, intelligent AI voice interaction, and 15 intelligent scenarios.
Mumbai college bars students from wearing T-shirts, torn jeans





MUMBAI,

A CITY-BASED college, which has been in news for imposing a ban on hijab, has now also barred students from wearing torn jeans, T-shirts, revealing dresses and jerseys, or a dress that reveals religion or shows cultural disparity. The Chembur Trombay Education Societys N G Acharya and D K Marathe College, in the notice issued on June 27, also said students should wear a formal and decent dress while on campus. Students can wear a half or full shirt and trousers. Girls can wear any Indian or western outfit, it said. The directive came after the Bombay High Court on June 26 refused to interfere in a decision taken by the college to impose a ban on hijab, burka and naqab on its premises, observing that such rules do not violate students fundamental rights. Students shall not wear any dress which reveals religion or shows cultural disparity. Nakab, hijab, burka, stole, cap, etc shall be removed by going to the common rooms on the ground floor and then only (students) can move throughout the college campus, the notice said. Torn jeans, T-shirts, revealing dresses and jerseys are not allowed, it said.

Students belonging to the Muslim community from Shivaji Nagar, Govandi and Mankhurd areas are enrolled at the college, located in Chembur. The notice also states that 75 per cent attendance is compulsory. Discipline is the key to success, it added. Subodh Acharya, general secretary of the college governing council, said no notice with new directives has been issued by the college, referring to a circular issued by the institute earlier this year. The notice is not new. We are only asking students to follow the dress code which states not to wear revealing clothes. We are also not asking students to wear sarees or attire of any particular colour, he said. Students can come to college wearing a hijab or burka, change it in the college common room and then do their work, college principal Vidyagauri Lele said.

Last month, the students moved the high court, challenging a directive issued by the college imposing a dress code under which they cannot wear hijab, naqab, burka, stoles, caps and badges inside the premises. The HC on June 26 said a dress code is meant to maintain discipline which is part of the colleges fundamental right to establish and administer an educational institution. The dress code was applicable to all students irrespective of religion or caste, the high court said, dismissing a petition filed against the ban by nine girl students.
Overcrowding at Satsang: 116 people killed in Hathras stampede





HATHRAS (UP),

A STAMPEDE at a religious congregation here killed 116 people on Tuesday as devotees suffocated to their deaths and bodies piled atop each other in the worst such tragedy in recent years. The stampede took place as people headed home after a satsang in the districts Phulrai village, conducted by a preacher known as Bhole Baba. Twenty-seven bodies were brought to a hospital in neighbouring Etah district. Senior Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar Singh said 23 of them were women. And 89 lay dead in Hathras itself. Aligarh Range Inspector General of Police Shalabh Mathur put the death toll at 116. Victims, dead or unconscious, were brought to the Sikandara Rao Trauma Centre in trucks and tempos. The bodies lay scattered outside the health centre as people milled around them. One video clip showed a woman crying, sitting amid five or six bodies in a truck. Another showed a man and a woman lifeless in another vehicle.

Clips before the stampede showed people in a large shamiana listening to Bhole Baba. The baba sat before them on a throne-like chair. District Magistrate Ashish Kumar said the satsang was a private function for which the sub-divisional magistrate had granted permission. The local administration provided security outside the venue while the arrangements inside were made by organisers, he added. Eyewitness Shakuntala Devi told PTI Videos that the stampede took place while people were leaving the venue after the satsang, which was a day-long affair. People fell atop each other, she said, and then the bodies were pulled out. According to Sikandra Rao sub divisional magistrate Ravendra Kumar, the stampede took place when devotees tried to get a glimpse of Bhole Baba as the event ended. They also wanted to collect some soil from around the babas feet, he told PTI.

Satsang participant Sonu Kumar blamed the slippery ground for the stampede. When Guru ji left the place after almost one and half hours, all of a sudden devotees ran behind him to touch his feet, he said. When they turned back, some slipped. Sikandra Rao police station SHO Ashish Kumar blamed overcrowding at the satsang. Another eyewitness, who left the place before the satsang ended said the arrangements were not adequate, given the number of devotees. Agras additional director general of police and Aligarh divisional commissioner are part of a team that would probe in the incident, the state government said. The team has been asked to give its report in 24 hours.
People elected us in worlds largest polls, says PM Modi





NEW DELHI,

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the people have given his Government a mandate for stability and continuity for the third consecutive term after seeing its work of 10 years and accused the Congress of trying to build a narrative that it has defeated the BJP-led NDA in the Lok Sabha polls. Replying to a two-day debate on the Presidents address to both Houses of Parliament, he also accused the Congress of working towards creating economic anarchy in the country. Modi singled out Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, saying the House witnessed the wailing of a person with balak buddhi (childish behaviour) who tried to gain sympathy without disclosing the wrongs he had committed. This is the first time that the Congress has not crossed 100 seats for three consecutive times. Instead of conceding defeat, they are being arrogant. They are trying to build a narrative that they have beaten us, Modi said in the Lok Sabha amid vociferous protests by the Opposition.

The Prime Minister said a new drama was played in the Lok Sabha to garner sympathy. They know the truth that they are out on bail for embezzlement of thousands of crores of rupees, have been convicted for calling OBC people thieves and they had to apologise for irresponsible comments on the countrys top court, the Prime Minister said in a apparent reference to Gandhi. Modi said an attempt was made to mislead Parliament on the Agnipath scheme and minimum support price for farm produce. Lies were spoken regarding the scheme and MSP (minimum support price for crops). When seasoned leaders like him (Gandhi) choose this path of anarchy, it shows that the nation is headed for trouble, the Prime Minister said. Speaker sir...You endure everything with a smile but something has to be done about what happened here on Monday, otherwise it will not be good for Parliament. Such attempts should not be ignored by calling them balak buddhi. There is a deeper conspiracy, Modi said.
Staff Reporter

The Tehsil Police faced a major setback on Tuesday when the court ordered the immediate release of Ritika alias Ritu Dinesh Maloo, declaring her arrest illegal on technical grounds. The court also instructed that a copy of the order be sent to the Police Commissioner for appropriate action against the Investigating Officer responsible for the unlawful arrest. After nearly four months of the run, the police arrested Ritika alias Ritu Dinesh Maloo on Monday and produced her in court on Tuesday, where the police sought custody. However, following arguments from both sides, Judge A V Khedkar-Garad, 7th JMFC (Court No 4) Nagpur, declared Ritus arrest unlawful and ordered her immediate release. The court reasoned that Ritu should have been arrested only after her bail was revoked by the court that originally granted it. This procedural step was not followed which rendered her arrest illegal. On the night of February 25, between 1.30 and 1.45 am, Ritu Maloo allegedly drove her Mercedes car in a rash and negligent manner under the influence of alcohol and collided with an Activa scooter carrying two persons. Both riders, Mohd Hussain Gulam Mustafa and Mohd Ateef Mohd Zia, sustained fatal injuriesone died on the spot, and the other succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment. Earlier, she allegedly consumed alcohol at two restaurants in CP Club.

Investigating Officer Police Inspector Sandeep Buwa and APP Megha Burunge informed the court that Ritu fled the scene and was arrested six hours later. They also told the court who assisted her in destroying the evidence after the accident and that she has not been cooperative in the investigation. On March 24, she claimed that Madhuri Sarda was driving the car, not her. She has been altering her statements periodically. On May 24, her bail plea was denied by the court. It needs to be determined where she has been since May 25. Additionally, the police need to conduct mirror imaging, which is why they requested seven days of custody.

The defense lawyer informed the court that the police have already completed a thorough investigation. Blood samples have been collected. On March 2, the police filed a case against Ritu under Section 304, and on March 7, they appealed to the court to cancel her bail. Following the rejection of this plea, a review petition was submitted on April 16. Ritu appeared at the police station whenever called, but her presence was not acknowledged. Despite rejections of her bail plea by the Sessions and High Courts, Ritus arrest itself is not legal. The police arrested her without adhering to due process. After considering these arguments, the court concluded that Ritu was released on bail and thereafter new non-bailable and cognisable offences were added.

It is also a matter of record that an application of cancellation of bail of Ritu filed by Investigation Officer (IO) is rejected and the revision as per say of APP and IO is pending. It means till today, there has been no permission given to IO to arrest the accused per Section 437 (5) as well as 439 (2) of CrPC. In view of the above observations given in case of Pradeep Ram Vs State of Jharkhand, it was necessary for IO to take prior permission of court (which granted bail to accused Ritu) to arrest her. But such permission is not seen to be taken by IO before arresting Ritu. Merely because anticipatory bail applications of accused are rejected, it will not allow IO to arrest the accused without following procedure provided by the Statue. Hence said arrest is not seen to be lawful. The court directed her immediate release and instructed that a copy of the order be sent to the Police Commissioner for appropriate action against the Investigating Officer responsible for the unlawful arrest.
Sudha Murty calls for Govt-sponsored cervical cancer vaccine programme





NEW DELHI,

PHILANTHROPIST and author Sudha Murty on Tuesday pressed for a government-sponsored vaccination programme to combat cervical cancer. In her maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha, she also pitched for promoting domestic tourism. Murty was nominated by the President to the upper house on the eve of International Womens Day. There is a vaccination which is given to girls, between the age of nine to 14, known as a cervical vaccination. If the girls take that, it (cancer) can be avoided ... We should promote vaccination for the benefit of our girls because prevention is better than cure, Murty said. Quoting her father, she said that when a mother dies it is counted as one death in the hospital but for the family, a mother is lost forever.

The Government has handled a very big vaccination drive during Covid so it may not be very difficult to provide cervical vaccination to girls in the age group of 9-14 years, Murty said. She was speaking during a discussion on the motion of thanks on the Presidents Address. Murty said that the cervical vaccination has been developed in the West and it is being used for the last 20 years. It worked very well. It is not expensive. Today it is Rs 1,400 for people like me who are in the field. If the government intervenes and negotiates...You can bring it to Rs 700-800. We have such a large population. It will be beneficial for our girls in future, she said.

Rajeev Shukla, who was at the chair, asked Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to convey the message to the health minister. Murty also said there are 57 domestic tourist sites which should be considered as World Heritage Sites. These include Bahubali statue at Shravanabela Gola in Karnataka, Lingaraja Temple, Unakoti rock carvings in Tripura, Shivaji forts in Maharashtra, Chausath Yogini temple in Mitawali, Lothal in Gujarat, and Gol Gumbad etc. In India, we have 42 World Heritage sites but 57 are pending ... We should bother about those 57 sites, Murty said. She said that the temples in Srirangam are marvellous.
THE TIBETAN DILEMMA





By Lt General M K Das, PVSM, SM**,VSM (Retd)

His Holiness Dalai Lama, with his message of knowledge, tradition, compassion, purity of soul and love, will love a long time and his legacy will live forever. But you, the President of China, youll be gone and nobody will give you credit for anything. --Nancy Pelosi, former US House Speaker

A7-member US Congressional delegation, led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, which also included Nancy Pelosi, former US House of Representatives Speaker visited Dharamshala (HP) and New Delhi from June 16 to 20, 2024. The visit of the delegation to Dharamshala, the home of His Holiness Dalai Lama on June 18-19 assumes significance from the foreign policy perspective on Tibet. The powerful delegation from the US called on HH Dalai Lama on June 19. The visit comes after the US Congress recently passed the Resolve Tibet Act. It would become a law once the US President Joe Biden formally signs and approves it. The visit was a clear message for China after China strongly objected to the visit of the US delegation by urging the US to fully recognise the anti-China and separatist nature of Dalai clique and refrain from any contact with it. We need to understand the background of this important issue which also has serious implications on Indo-China relations. Tibet is often called the roof of the world and it is a high-altitude plateau and mountain region with an average height of 14,000 feet.

Located to the south-west of China, this massive area of 25,00,000 square km is bordered by Nepal, India and Bhutan to its south. Before 1950, it was a remote area and it was an autonomous region. China gained Independence on October 1, 1949 and immediately staked its claim over Tibet citing ancient linkage with the region. China forcefully annexed Tibet in 1951 and since then it has been under the administration of Peoples Republic of China (PRC). After the Tibetan uprising in 1959, the spiritual leader of Tibetans had to fled to India and HH Dalai Lama established a Tibetan government in exile in Mussoorie on April 29, 1959 and thereafter it shifted to Dharamshala in 1960. Though India recognised Tibet to be part of China in 1954 itself, the existence of Government in exile in India has not been taken kindly by it. The One China Principle of China maintains that PRC and the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has sole legitimacy over Tibet, Hongkong and Taiwan. On the other hand, One China Policy of US accepts Tibet and Hongkong to be under the PRC and the US officially has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan. But the US has supported the call for genuine autonomy for the Tibetans from the autocratic China. In pursuance of this stated policy, the US Congress passed the Resolve Tibet Act in June 2024 to enhance US support for Tibet and promote dialogue between China and Dalai Lama.

As expected, China has reacted very strongly and has asked the US to shelve the bill. US and China share a tumultuous relationship when it comes to democratic and just rights of the Tibetans. But the timing of the act is interesting. Modi 3.0 Government has assumed power on June 9, 2024. The elections for the US presidency are due in November this year and championing the cause of democracy in Tibet does benefit President Biden in his reelection bid. Another way of looking it may be US reshape the One China Policy and leverage more from China in the next term. The US can afford to annoy China below the threshold of diplomatic tolerance at least till the formation of the new Government. The US delegation also met Prime Minister Modi and officially the meet was to congratulate Mr. Modi on winning the third term in office as also further strengthening Indo-US relations. India also reaffirmed its support to HH Dalai Lama in his position as the spiritual leader of the Tibetans to conduct his religious and spiritual activities. Though this has been the public position of India, the timing of the visit of the US delegation would have China thinking. Compared to the US, these developments pose much serious Tibetan dilemma to Indian foreign policy mandarins. With the situation in and opposite Eastern Ladakh not having changed much after the Galwan crisis of June 2020 in the last four years, any further aggravation of the situation elsewhere is something we can ill afford as of now.

Therefore, our response has to be carefully calibrated in tune with the ground realities. Given the advanced age of HH Dalai Lama (89 years) and his failing health, the key issue would be his 15th successor to the Tibetan heritage. China certainly would like to have a successor attuned to their thought process. The US has said that it would not accept a Beijing-appointed Dalai Lama. India would have to tread carefully here. One thing is sure. China is going to react very strongly if they fail to appoint the successor and may be President Xi Jinping would try to prove Nancy Pelosi wrong. The critical decision from the foreign policy perspective would be Indias stance on continuing with the Tibetan government in exile functioning from India. While we may continue to support the just rights of the around 70,000 Tibetans living in India, the US should be offering the Tibetans a government in exile on their soil. That would give some seriousness to the much touted Reshape Tibet Bill/Act. Based on how the 15th Dalai Lama is enshrined, Indias foreign policy must have the options ready. One obvious option is to settle border dispute with China and their claim over Arunachal Pradesh. Militarily, while we improve our strategic relations with the USA, in a conflict with China in the immediate or mid- term, the Americans wont be of much help. With a majorly Russian origin military hardware with Indian Armed Forces, it would take decades and a huge dollar bill to have compatible arsenal. The only option is to quickly become Aatmnirbhar and our defence industry has to match up to this challenge. The defence infrastructure projects have also to be pushed further. Modi 3.0 Government may have to confront the Tibetan dilemma in its third term. While we should continue to support the Tibetan cause as inherited, the future beckons a more pragmatic response, not necessarily bound with the existing moral dilemma.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- On July 2, Chinese automaker SERES Group signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Auto Talents Committee of China Talents Society. The partnership aims to promote the integration and development of high-end automotive talent strategies, supporting the intelligent connected new energy vehicle industry's high-quality growth.

Signing ceremony; photo credit: SERES Group

According to the agreement, SERES Group and the Auto Talents Committee will establish a collaborative research mechanism to track technological trends and an information exchange system to regularly share key industry talent needs. This initiative aims to foster the development of critical talent, create a talent resource platform, and enhance core competitiveness. Both parties will leverage their resources to invest in technological R&D projects as part of the strategic planning for intelligent connected new energy vehicles, promoting the application and implementation of these projects in new product development and marketing.

Donation ceremony; photo credit: SERES Group

Additionally, a donation and award ceremony was held between the Beijing China Automobile Culture Foundation and SERES Group. Following an initial donation at the foundations inception, SERES Group announced an additional 2-million-yuan donation to further support the long-term development of the foundation and contribute to the growth of automotive culture.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On July 1, Great Wall Motor (GWM) announced that the 600,000th GWM POER pickup truck has officially rolled off the production line.

This milestone vehicle is the performance edition of the Shanhai POER. Built on the intelligent off-roader-dedicated TANK platform, it features the 3.0T+9AT powertrain combination, 18-inch off-road AT tires, K-MAN nitrogen shock absorbers, and a 12,500-pound T-MAX winch.

Photo credit: GWM POER

The Shanhai POER Performance Edition also comes standard with a 12.3-inch instrument panel, a 14.6-inch floating central control screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, Level 2 intelligent driving capabilities, leather-wrapped seats, and an innovative rear-seat electric sliding system.

In 2019, the GWM POER global pickup brand was established. It took less than 100 days to produce the first 10,000 vehicles. Within one year of its founding, the brand achieved a production milestone of 100,000 units. By its second anniversary, its sales had surpassed 200,000 units. In two years and eight months, sales exceeded 300,000 units. By its fourth anniversary, the brand had produced 500,000 vehicles.

To date, GWM POER has developed two main categories: fashionable commercial and passenger leisure pickups. It offers models for various scenarios, including passenger, commercial, and off-road, covering the price range of 100,000 yuan to 300,000 yuan.
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.

Geely Automobile raises annual sales target to 2 million vehicles

On July 2, Geely Automobile Holdings Limited ("Geely Automobile") held its 2024 Q1 financial performance briefing. During the meeting, Geely Auto Group CEO Gan Jiayue revealed that in the first half of 2024, Geely Automobile sold a total of 950,000 vehicles, achieving 50% of its initial annual sales target of 1.9 million units. Based on positive expectations for the second half of the year, the company has raised its annual sales target to 2 million units.

Geely Galaxy E8; photo credit: Geely Galaxy

Marelli names new president for Chinese market's business

Leading mobility supplier Marelli recently announced that, effective July 1, 2024, Mr. Kelei Shen would assume the role of the groups Global Executive Vice President and President of Marelli China. Mr. Shen will be fully responsible for driving Marelli's growth strategy in the Chinese market.

2025 Jaguar F-PACE hits Chinese market

On July 1, the 2025 Jaguar F-PACE officially hit the Chinese market, offering three variants priced between 478,000 yuan and 668,000 yuan. As an annual facelift, the new model primarily features upgraded driver assistance systems and offers a choice of 2.0T and 3.0T engines.

XPENG offers global debut of MONA M03 all-electric car

On July 3, the MONA M03, the first production model under XPENG's fire new MONA series, made its global debut, while its interior details remain confidential. The MONA M03 targets the 100,000-yuan to 150,000-yuan market. Pre-orders are now open, with the official market release scheduled for August.

GWM POER rolls off 600,000th pickup truck

On July 1, Great Wall Motor (GWM) announced that the 600,000th GWM POER pickup truck has officially rolled off the production line.

SERES Group signs strategic partnership with Auto Talents Committee of China Talents Society

On July 2, Chinese automaker SERES Group signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Auto Talents Committee of China Talents Society. The partnership aims to promote the integration and development of high-end automotive talent strategies, supporting the intelligent connected new energy vehicle industry's high-quality growth.

SERES Group to acquire Huawei's AITO series trademarks, patents

On July 2, SERES Group, the automaker co-developing the AITO series vehicles with Huawei, announced that its subsidiary, SERES Automobile Co., Ltd. (SERES Auto), plans to acquire 919 registered or pending text and graphic trademarks, including the AITO series, along with 44 related design patents from Huawei for a total of 2.5 billion yuan.

Neusoft Reach partners with TASKING in automotive software R&D field

Recently, Neusoft Reach, the automotive software arm of Neusoft, and TASKING signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The partnership aims to leverage their combined expertise in automotive foundational software, autonomous driving, electrification, embedded tools, and automotive functional safety to jointly develop and promote high-performance, high-reliability automotive software platform products and solutions.

Honda Motor sees China sales drop 21.48% YoY in H1 2024

Honda Motor announced that its retail sales in China for June 2024 totaled 68,966 vehicles. Compared to the same period of last year, this volume represents a year-on-year drop of 39.04%.

SAIC Audi boasts 107% YoY surge in H1 2024 auto sales

In the first half of 2024, SAIC Audi sold nearly 20,000 vehicles, marking a significant 107% surge compared to the same period last year, the luxury carmaker announced via its WeChat account. This volume represents two-thirds of its total sales for the previous year.

EHang, CSGAC sign MoU to team up on unmanned eVTOL operation

On July 1, EHang, an urban air mobility (UAM) technology platform company, announced the signing of a strategic cooperation memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China Southern Airlines General Aviation Company Limited ("CSGAC"), a strategic emerging industry unit under China Southern Airlines, according to a post on EHang's WeChat account. This partnership will focus on the operation and comprehensive support of EHang's unmanned eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft, aiming to foster new business models in the low-altitude economy.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- On July 3, FAW-Volkswagen celebrated a significant milestone as its 28 millionth vehicle, the all-new Magotan, rolled off the production line at its Changchun plant. This made FAW-Volkswagen the first passenger car manufacturer in China to surpass 28 million units in production and sales.

Photo credit: FAW-Volkswagen

The all-new Magotan is scheduled for official market release on July 9. Featuring a "Timeless" design philosophy, the new Magotan is crafted to be a future classic. Its interior has been comprehensively upgraded to include a multi-screen intelligent cockpit, powered by the Qualcomm 8155 chip, catering to users' demands for advanced smart technology. The car is equipped with the IQ. Pilot intelligent driving assistance system, capable of achieving L2+ intelligent driving at speeds up to 130 km/h. Additionally, it boasts advanced safety features such as AWU, providing users with robust and reliable intelligent driving experience in the oil-fueled vehicle market.

FAW-Volkswagen is currently at a critical juncture of transformation, achieving significant breakthroughs in new energy vehicle development, digital transformation, and business model innovation. Notably, the company has made strides in product development with its independently developed Jetta pure electric platform, achieving advances in electric drive, battery technology, thermal management, and suspension systems. Impressively, FAW-Volkswagen completed the development and testing of the electronic and electrical architecture POC prototype vehicle in half the industry-standard time.

From 2026 onwards, the company plans to launch a series of self-developed pure electric and plug-in hybrid electric models, further expanding its portfolio and meeting the evolving needs of consumers.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- In the first half of 2024, SAIC Audi sold nearly 20,000 vehicles, marking a significant 107% surge compared to the same period last year, the luxury carmaker announced via its WeChat account. This volume represents two-thirds of its total sales for the previous year.

The sales of SAIC Audi's C+ segment performance luxury flagship sedan, the A7L, reached 13,517 units in the first half of this year, achieving a remarkable 168% spike compared to the year-ago period.

Audi Q5 e-tron; photo credit: SAIC Audi

SAIC Audi's Q6 and Q5 e-tron models also saw year-over-year growth, with the Q6 experiencing over a 50% increase. The Q6 is a large six-seater SUV that comes standard with the quattro intelligent all-wheel-drive system and aviation-grade executive seats. The Q5 e-tron, which was showcased at the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Auto Show, is positioned as a six-seater pure electric flagship SUV equipped with the Audi e-quattro intelligent all-wheel-drive system, aimed at providing an upgraded luxury travel experience for young families.

Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding to deepen strategic cooperation in July 2023, SAIC Motor and Audi AG officially signed a cooperation agreement on May 20, launching the joint development of the Advanced Digitized Platform. This initiative will see both parties collaboratively developing multiple luxury intelligent electric vehicles for SAIC Audi.

On May 24, the production base for the new Advanced Digitized Platform began its upgrade in Anting county, Shanghai city. This newly upgraded factory is set to become the exclusive production site for Audi's next-generation luxury intelligent electric vehicles. The new models will cover the B and C segments, with the first all-electric model expected to hit the market in 2025.
NEW YORKDonald J. Trump and his defense attorneys managed to delay sentencing in the New York hush money trial that resulted in his 34 felony guilty verdicts related to falsifying business records to cover up affairs with adult star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. After the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed down a sweeping ruling affirming the presidential immunity of current and former presidents, Trump's defense team and the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg agreed to a delay.

Trump was scheduled to be sentenced on July 11. However, Judge Juan Merchan delayed sentencing to September in a bid to resolve the claims of immunity Trump's attorneys claim he now has to evidence against him in the case of the "catch-and-kill" scheme involving Daniels and McDougal being paid off by Michael Cohen and the former publisher of tabloid National Enquirer, David Pecker and the now-defunct American Media, Inc. (AMI).

Prosecutors were able to link Trump to overseeing the conspiracy, leading a jury of New Yorkers to find him guilty on all felony counts. The former president wasn't expected to be put in prison. Rather, if sentencing still happens, Trump would likely be placed on supervised release, allowing him to continue to serve in his capacity as president if reelected in November. Despite that expectation, Trump's legal team was able to present an argument that the Supreme Court ruling expanding presidential immunity warranted additional review by Merchan.

Trump's legal team will challenge particular verdicts on charges that they say stem from his official activity as president. Nevertheless, there is skepticism in the legal community that it would be extremely challenging for Trump to claim that his enterprise to cover up his affair with Stormy Daniels fell under these prescribed parameters for immunity. Even though the immunity ruling greatly expands the power of the U.S. president, it provides a clear definition of what is "official" and "unofficial" conduct. "Unofficial" conduct, per the Supreme Court's decision, is what encompasses the Daniels affair.

This is a developing story.
Logos for Paramount Global and Skydance Media.

Reports of the end of Skydance Medias attempt to take over CBS parent Paramount Global may have been premature. In April, it came out that those companies were in exclusive merger talks. But those talks hit several snags, and Paramount Global controlling shareholder Shari Redstone (who holds that controlling stake through her National Amusements company) nixed the deal in early June. However, Tuesday saw reports that Skydance has now struck a deal with National Amusements thats expected to give them control of Paramount Global (but still comes with provisions allowing the company to look for other suitors):

Skydance Media and National Amusements Inc. Reach New Merger Agreement for Paramount Global https://t.co/6b9puWESeG  Variety (@Variety) July 2, 2024

Heres more on that from that Variety piece from Cynthia Littleton:

In a holiday week shocker, Skydance Media and Shari Redstones National Amusements Inc. have quietly renewed acquisition talks and have reached a tentative agreement to acquire Paramount Global. That deal will now be reviewed by Paramount Globals special committee of its board of directors that has steered the media giant through its roller-coaster ride of M&A activity and speculation since late last year. The new pact with David Ellisons Skydance Media and Gerry Cardinales RedBird Capital is believed to include a 45-day period in which Paramount and NAI, which owns Redstones controlling share in Paramount, have the right to shop around for a bidder to match the Skydance terms. The 45-day window for Paramount and NAI to seeking a superior bid may be an artful solution to the impasse over Redstones push for a common shareholder vote. From Skydances perspective, the reason to engage with NAI in its pursuit of Paramount was to take advantage of the fact that Redstones NAI has iron-clad control of the company. But from Redstones view, the Skydance deal was likely to be bound up in costly litigation for months while the company would likely struggle amid the uncertainty.

There have been other companies reportedly interested in Paramount Global as well, especially Sony (with backing from hedge fund Apollo Global). So this is far from a done deal, especially with that 45-day window, and especially with Redstone pulling out of the previous Skydance deal in June.

But it is certainly notable to see these talks back on. And that may offer some reassurance to leagues that have contracts with CBS and have expressed worries about the corporate uncertainty here. Those include the NFL. So it would definitely be useful for many involved with CBS to see a resolution of one sort or another to this long and tumultuous saga.

[Variety]
Tiki Barber discusses recent comments made by Austin Ekeler about his ideal workload. Photo Credit: WFAN.

After seven seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, running back Austin Ekeler signed with the Washington Commanders in the offseason. Tiki Barber, a former All-Pro running back with the New York Giants and current WFAN host, shared some feelings on Ekelers reason for leaving the Chargers.

In a conversation with host Shaun Morash on Evan and Tiki, Barber cited Ekelers recent comments to Kay Adams on Up & Adams regarding leaving the Chargers.

Austin Ekeler said something the other day, which was so discouraging, Barber said. He was asked about why the Jim Harbaugh-led Chargers werent ideal for him  or why they moved on from him. And you know what his answer was? They want a guy who can run the ball 300 times a season. They want someone who can run the ball 300 times a season.

Morash clarified, So, in other words, Ekeler was saying he cant do that?

Yes, Barber replied. Go look at how many times I ran the ball 300 times a season.

Thats a tough thing for Ekeler to say when hes the one waiving for how much money he wants long term, Morash said. You want to be a bell cow or not?

Tiki Barber calls out Austin Ekeler for saying 300 carries a year was not my game. You got the Christian McCaffreys of the world, who make $19 million a year. And then youve got these other guys who cant make 8. And you wonder why.pic.twitter.com/JeHBlr5DdJ  Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 3, 2024

Be on the field all the time. Dont be a liability on third down. Catch the ball out of the backfield. Truck it through the offensive line 25 times a game. Thats what Christian McCaffrey does. That dude has so many 100% participation games, it makes no damn sense. I never had a 100% participation game, that is play every snap. Ive never done that. Christian McCaffrey has done it like 8 times.

You got the Christian McCaffreys of the world, who make $19 million a year. And then youve got these other guys who cant make eight. And you wonder why. The mentality has changed from an organization standpoint.

[Up & Adams on X, Photo/Video Credit: WFAN]
Of FMR scrapping, fencing border Indigenous call for NRC

|

Giving substance and meaning to the decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) as well as the stand to fence the Indo-Myanmar border and these two points should be understood as the wheel turning around the axis of the call to implement the National Register of Citizens with 1951 as the base year. The Nagas may have expressed their reservation against the decision to do away with FMR but the reality should be kept in mind and this should be all that clearer with the United Naga Council (UNC) and the Co-ordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) jointly submitting a memorandum to the Prime Minister through Governor Anusuiya Uikey on July 2, 2024 calling for the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur. Other than the ongoing ethnic clash between the Meiteis and the Kukis, the undesirable offshoot of the large scale influx from across the border down the decades should also be understood against the Naga-Kuki clash in 1992/93 and which stretched on for full five years. It was with a reason why the United Naga Council (UNC) had then served quit notices on Kuki villages which they claim were set up furtively down the years on the ancestral lands of the Nagas and what followed after that is there for history to record and keep. One should understand why the Kukis, under the aegis of the Kuki Inpi, Manipur continued to observe the Kuki Black Day every year on September 13 down the years and gave it a miss only in 2023 when the Meitei-Kuki clash was at its peak. There is a history behind the call to implement the NRC in Manipur and it is heartening to note that the Governor appeared to have accepted the memorandum submitted to her office to be forwarded to the Prime Minister with the words that the matter has been discussed with President Droupadi Murmu, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Significant these words are, and in more than one ways these words can be seen to be a logical extension of the decision to scrap the FMR and fence the Indo-Myanmar border. As repeatedly pointed out in this very column, the question of large scale influx from across the border needs to be seen beyond the military coup of 2021 in Myanmar as well as the civil war that has erupted between Government forces and the rebel outfits. In fact the question of infiltration from across the border should go back decades with infiltrations in large numbers on record in 1967/68 and the democratic uprising in Myanmar in 1988.

Not unexpectedly the UNC and COCOMI have given detailed break up of the number of Kuki villages which have sprung up across the hill districts including Chandel, Tengnoupal, Kangpokpi, Churachandpur and Pherzawl from 1950 to 2011. New Delhi should take note of this and acknowledge the reality that the Kuki-Zo MLAs today have as many as Naga MLAs in the House of 60, while it was different decades back. Abnormal growth is the term that comes to mind and while the Kukis may not acknowledge the statistics spelt out by the UNC and COCOMI, it was a Kuki gentleman, a certain Paolienlal Haokip, who himself highlighted that around 20,000 Kukis entered Manipur in 1967, when General Ne Win during the Burmanisation programme, gave them marching orders with a deadline of 48 hours. Another evacuation drive was enforced in 1988, wrote Mr Haokip and this article still stands with the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, an article written back in May of 2002. Amongst the refugees of 1967 many took to drugs and arms trafficking, wrote Mr Haokip and fast forward to 2024 and there is nothing much to suggest that things have changed if one takes a look at the profile of those arrested smuggling drugs and arms as well as the areas where poppy plantation is rampant. The NRC stand of UNC and COCOMI is not the stand of just two organisations but is the collective stand of all indigenous folks of the land and Prime Minister Narendra Modi must take note of these bare facts, especially in the backdrop of the fact that situation has come to such a pass that non-indigenes, many of who could be infiltrators, have raised the demand for a Separate Administration.


West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, on Tuesday confirmed that he has filed a defamation suit against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Calcutta High Court, allegedly for some slanderous comments made by her against him.

Anyone who will hurt my self-respect, he or she will have to face the consequences. She is my constitutional colleague. I give her respect for that. But since my self-respect has been questioned I have filed a defamation case, Governor Bose said at Siliguri on Tuesday afternoon before leaving for New Delhi.

However, in his entire conversation with media persons, Bose did not utter the words chief minister or Mamata Banerjee even once.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, insiders from the Calcutta High Court also confirmed the filing of the defamation suit.

The matter is expected to come up for hearing at the Bench of Justice Krishna Rao on Wednesday.

Earlier on June 28, the office of the Governor issued a strongly-worded statement reacting to some comments made by the Chief Minister about women being scared to go to Raj Bhavan.

On June 27, the Chief Minister made this comment while expressing her displeasure over the confusion regarding the oath-taking ceremony of two newly-elected party MLAs namely Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Sarkar.

She had backed their decision of not accepting the Governors invitation to go to Raj Bhavan and attend the oath ceremony there.

They are right. Either the Governor should nominate the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker for administering the oath or he should himself go to the Assembly for that purpose.

Why will the two newly-elected MLAs go to the Raj Bhavan? As it is, after what has happened at Raj Bhavan, women are scared to go there. I have received complaints the Chief Minister said on June 28.
Kolkata We Care will instal food ATMs in five different zones to address food insecurity in the city.

The ATMs will be placed outside local police stations for safety and security.

The food ATM concept first began on 15 August, 2017 at CIT Road Sanjha Chulha, where excess food is collected daily and distributed among 50 persons.

Advertisement

The food ATMs will be managed by local students. They will put up placards and create awareness against food wastage. The placards will be put up at various traffic signals. The purpose is to make people aware not to waste food and attract young people to do community service.

The initiative will be launched in collaboration with Kolkata Police to encourage broader community participation. The food ATMs will significantly reduce food wastage and satiate hunger in Kolkata, making a meaningful difference in the lives of the underprivileged.
Subodh Singh, a dreaded inter-state gangster wanted by police in many cases in several states, who has been brought to Asansol by West Bengal CID has allegedly threatened the investigating officer and his family to face dire consequences.

Subodh Singh has been brought to Asansol Court in transit remand from Beur Jail in Bihar. At the Asansol Court, Subodh Singh allegedly threatened the investigating officer of CID and his family that they should be ready to face consequences and have done a major mistake in bringing him here.

The investigating officer of CID has lodged a fresh FIR against Subodh Singh at Asansol South police station.

Advertisement

The state CID has sought 14 days police custody in Asansol Court but the court refused and sent him to judicial custody.

No advocate was present during his appearance before the magistrate as the advocates were protesting and called a strike against implementation of the new laws in Asansol District Court.

The incident of Subodh Singh threatening the IO of the CID has created a stir. Security has been beefed up inside the Asansol Special Correctional Home, where he has been lodged at present by the prison authorities.

Plainclothes policemen are also deployed outside the jail. He will be again produced before the court on 3 July.

Subodh Singh has been brought to Asansol in connection to an attempted dacoity case of a gold jewellery showroom owner and to abduct him in Raniganj under Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate area about a year ago.

Police had arrested three dacoits from the spot after a gun battle and after interrogations they have named Subodh Singh as the alleged kingpin of the racket.

Subodh Singh was lodged in Beur Jail in Bihar for six years, but he allegedly operates his gang from inside the jail and his gangs are involved in jewellery showroom loot, contract killing etc in a number of states of the country.

Recently, the gang members of Subodh Singh allegedly called a Barrackpore businessman and sought protection money from them.
Governor, Dr C V Ananda Bose, stated on Tuesday that violence has become a customary occurrence in Bengal. Dr Bose emphasized that the home minister and police minister hold accountability for this situation, and it is the governments duty to guarantee the safety of its citizens.

Speaking to reporters here today, Governor Dr Bose stressed that the current situation cannot persist and the culture of violence must come to an end.

It is unacceptable for leaders to condone cruelty, and we must put an end to such behaviour. The prevalence of violence in Bengal, instigated or endorsed by authorities, is a grave concern that demands immediate attention. We must take effective measures to address this culture of violence, Dr Bose added.

Advertisement

In various areas of Bengal, I have observed alarming circumstances. There is a combination of wealth, political influence, government authority and even brute force, creating a dangerous mix of power dynamics. As the Governor, it is my responsibility to ensure that peoples fundamental rights to a safe life are not hindered by political influences. Appropriate measures need to be implemented to address this issue, he said.

A significant portion of the law enforcement officers are in league with lawbreakers, who promote violent acts. This is the unfortunate reality in Bengal. I will address this issue seriously within the boundaries of the Constitution. I will not stay quiet, Governor said, adding, I have requested 22 times for information from the chief minister in accordance with Article 167 of the Indian Constitution. The CM, and not the government, is responsible for providing reports to the Governor on any matters concerning the state. The CM cannot refuse this responsibility. I will also address this issue in accordance with the Constitution of India.

Dr C V Ananda Bose, the Governor of West Bengal, arrived in Siliguri today and then was supposed to head to Chopra in North Dinajpur but changed plans at the last hour.

Interestingly, while Dr Bose was resting at the Siliguri State Guest House after arriving from Bagdogra Airport, another woman from the minority community in Cooch Behar also met with him to demand justice.

These two cases have become topics of discussion.

In addition, another Hindu woman took her own life by consuming pesticide after being subjected to a kangaroo court and public beating by villagers in Bakravita near Siliguri on Saturday.

I have arrived from Delhi, having cut short my official trips there, to be present with the victims in Chopra and witness the events for myself. I am not only here as the Governor, but also as a companion to the suffering poor. I will support them, Governor Dr Bose said.

A society that is unable to safeguard women is not considered a civilized society, Dr Bose added.

Authorities in Chopra have arrested Tajemul, who is known to be associated with Trinamul Congress MLA Hamidur Rahman. It is alleged that Tajemul organized a kangaroo court and physically assaulted a woman in public. This incident has attracted attention as the victim has urged the police to also take legal action against someone who filmed the incident and shared it on social media, causing it to gain widespread attention.

However, the individual from Cooch Behar, who spoke to the Governor, stated that the perpetrators would face consequences for their actions.

A woman, who was also a mother of two kids, departed from her house with a friend and returned after seven days. This caused disturbance among the community, leading to a meeting for reconciliation. Unfortunately, during the gathering, five individuals, including three women, physically assaulted her in front of the public at Bakravita on Saturday. The woman, feeling ashamed and degraded, ultimately took her own life by ingesting poison.

The Siliguri Police Commissionerate today arrested four individuals in connection with this incident following a complaint from the womans husband, sources said.

In Phansidewa, the Darjeeling Police took into custody three individuals who were accused of assaulting a woman and labelling her as a witch.
Fearing controversy, Indian Medical Association (IMA), Bengal state branch in an unheard of last-minute move cancelled its decision to give Eminent Doctor award to Prof (Dr) Rajesh Pramanik, a physical medicine and rehabilitation expert associated with the Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research (IPGME&R) as well as SSKM Hospital, while the IMA was observing the National Doctors Day at its Biresh Guha Street office in the city to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr B C Roy on 1 July.

Interestingly, more than one week ago, the association had selected Prof Pramanik for the prestigious award and conveyed it to him through a letter written on the IMA, Bengal state branch letterhead that was signed by Dr Santanu Sen, hony secretary Dr Dilip Dutta, state president and Dr Bibartan Saha, hony state finance secretary of the association.

Your accomplishments and unwavering commitment to the medical profession make you an esteemed role model for aspiring doctors and a beacon of hope for patients, the IMA letter written to Prof Pramanik on 22 June stated.

Advertisement

We are happy to inform you that your name has been selected for Eminent Doctor award and we cordially invite you to receive the award in person at 2 pm on 1st July, 2024 at IMA Bengal State Auditorium the letter stated.

The IMA, state chapter, observes an award ceremony on National doctors Day on 1 July every year to felicitate the doctors, who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and commitment to their patients and in the medical field in improving the health and well-being of the society.

But the decision to select Prof Pramanik for the award sparked off controversy in the medical fraternity since Sunday afternoon.

How did the IMA state branch select Prof Pramanik at a time when the chief minister herself brought allegations of wrong treatment against the team of doctors, including him, some doctors raised questions requesting anonymity.

IMA had sent me a letter, selecting me as an eminent doctor award but I could not attend the programme to receive it. I was busy with patients at SSKM, Prof Pramanik told The Statesman.

Yes, I had performed the micro-surgery on the CMs left knee, he added.

Prof Pramanik has been communicated about our decision to cancel his name from the awardees. The letter was wrongly mailed to him from our IMA office, Dr Sen told The Statesman on Monday night.

But a section of doctors felt that the selection of Prof Pramanik cant be a wrong decision because the IMAs letter to him was unanimously signed by the office bearers of the Association.
Another incident of mob violence has been reported in the state. This time, the news comes from Ariadaha in North 24-Parganas.

According to police, CCTV footage of the incident has been released, which shows a group of people brutally beating up a mother and her son on the street. The authenticity of the video has not been verified by The Statesman. Local sources say that the victims name is Sayandip Panja, a college student. He was allegedly attacked by a group of goons, led by Jayanta Singh, who had a previous dispute with Sayandip. When Sayandips mother tried to intervene, she was also attacked. A complaint has been filed at the Belgharia police station, but locals alleged that the police are taking no action. The injured mother and son have been admitted to a private hospital. The reason behind the attack is still unknown, but Sayandips family claims that he had a dispute with his friends, which escalated into a major incident.

Incidents of mob violence have been on the rise in the state, with several such cases reported from different areas, including Kolkata, Howrah, and Burdwan. Local people condemned the incident and staged a protest. They also alleged inaction of the police to take criminal proceedings against Jayanta Singh.

Advertisement
The Union Government on Wednesday said that it has released sufficient funds to gram panchayats in Kerala, refuting allegations of negligence in releasing the 15th Finance Commission grants.

It said India has released Rs 3,774.20 crore as the 14th Finance Commission grants and Rs 5,337 crore (as of June 28, 2024) as the 15th Finance Commission grants to the gram panchayats in Kerala.

For the 15th Finance Commission period, the funds were released to Kerala in the form of Untied (Basic) and Tied grants to rural local bodies, it added.

Advertisement

The Union government also highlighted some of the conditions required as per the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission.

These conditions include the mandatory requirement for the states to constitute a State Finance Commission (SFC), act upon their recommendations, and present an explanatory memorandum regarding the actions taken thereof before the state legislature on or before March 2024.

Post March 2024, no grants shall be released to the state that has failed to comply with the constitutional provisions regarding the SFC and these conditions, it said.

Notably, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, vide a letter dated 11th June 2024 and 24th June 2024, has requested the states to provide the details of the State Finance Commission.

As per the information shared by the central government, the state government has submitted its Grant Transfer Certificate (GTC) for the second instalment of the Untied Grants for the FY 2023-24 vide a letter dated 7th June 2024.

The said GTC is being examined by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and is being recommended for the release of the next instalment (1st instalment for FY 202425) to the Ministry of Finance.

However, as of 28th June 2024, the Ministry has not yet received a reply from Kerala furnishing details on the State Finance Commission, which is a mandatory requirement for the release of grants after March 2024.
The Karnataka government on Tuesday celebrated a milestone of producing 1 crore litres of milk daily by performing a special worship ceremony for the cow (gomata) and its calf in Bengaluru.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who performed the worship, expressed happiness over the development, stating it was a significant milestone in the history of the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF).

Last June, our daily milk production was 90 lakh litres. Now, we have reached 1 crore litres per day, the Chief Minister said.

Advertisement

He said that the KMF is receiving 1 crore litres of milk daily which is a historic milestone.

As the former Animal Husbandry minister, I took measures to hand over milk unions to dairy farmers. KMF is a farmers organisation, the Chief Minister said.

He said that there are 16,000 societies and 15 unions which sell milk in the state.

To commemorate the achievement of production of 1 crore litres daily, 50 ml of additional milk is being provided to customers in every packet of Nandini milk sold, the Chief Minister said.

He added that the government cannot refuse to purchase milk from farmers, and the increased quantity is aimed at supporting them.

The opposition, without understanding this, claims that milk prices are being hiked. I believe they dont stand for the farmers interests, the Chief Minister said.

He added that the government provides a subsidy of Rs 5 for every litre of milk, amounting to Rs 5 crore daily, Rs 150 crore monthly, and Rs 1,800 crore annually.

This subsidy was increased from Rs 2 to Rs 5 during my tenure to help farmers. If milk prices are hiked, it will benefit farmers. Karnatakas milk prices are lower than all other states, and we provide milk at a cheaper price, the Chief Minister said.

He also mentioned that the previous BJP government had pending milk subsidies of Rs 700 crore for farmers and is now blaming the Congress government.
Delhi BJP led by state unit president Virendra Sachdeva on Wednesday staged a massive protest near the Congress headquarters over Rahul Gandhis alleged disrespectful remarks on the saffron party, demanding that the Congress leader must apologise for the same.

During the debate on Motion of Thanks on Presidents Address in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi has said that the saffron party members are not Hindus as they promote violence and hate.

Addressing protestors, Sachdeva took a dig at the Congress and its leader said that on one hand, they claim terrorism has no religion, and on the other hand, they shout in Parliament that Hindus are violent.

Advertisement

Sachdeva further hit out at Gandhi, claiming that he played a well-thought-out political game inside Parliament because he wanted his sister and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from Wayanad.

Speaking on the occasion, MP Tejasvi Surya alleged that the Congress tried to blame Hindu organisations for the 26/11 terror attack, and added that the grand old party leader Digvijay Singh even released a book on saffron terror.

BJP MP from New Delhi Bansuri Swaraj, who was also present at the protest, also attacked Gandhi alleging that the statement made by him shows his anti- Hindu mentality.

Hindus believe in Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, considering the whole world as one family, but Rahul Gandhi, being an electoral Hindu, will never understand this, Swaraj added.

BJP leader Arvinder Singh Lovely hit out at the Congress, alleging that the party is going through a phase of desperation, and its leaders were trying to appease a section of the society politically by defaming the Hindu community.

Meanwhile, as the protesters tried to march towards the Congress headquarters, they were stopped and the police detained the BJP leaders along with Sachdeva, and taken to the Tilak Marg police station, from where they were released later.

The BJP leaders including MPs Manoj Tiwari, Yogendra Chandolia, senior party leaders Sardar Arvinder Singh Lovely, Vishnu Mittal, Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh, Praveen Shankar Kapoor among a large number of the saffron party workers took part in the protest.
Bollywood Actress Divya Dutta recounted stories of working with the Badshah of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, in her recent interview. She said that she was awestruck by Shah Rukhs humble attitude towards his fellow co-actors.

In a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, she recalled the various stories of Shah Rukhs generosity. She talked about how he helped her by recommending her name for the classic film Dil se to director Mani Ratnam.

Recounting the story of her meeting with him at Connaught Place ,she said I wanted to do the film, and Shah Rukh and I had the same manager at that time. He suggested that I show up on set and ask him to get Mani Ratnams number. I didnt have a mobile phone then, so I landed up at Connaught Place exactly when I was told to, and watched from the side as they filmed a a chase scene. Thousands of people had gathered to get a glimpse of Shah Rukh, there wasnt an inch of space to stand on

Advertisement

Divya added that because of the crowd, she thought that there was no chance of the meeting. So, she decided to leave but then someone came and escorted her through the crowd towards Shah Rukhs vanity van. He opened the door for me and held my hand Such a ladies man he is. He asked how he could help, and I told him that I really want to do the film. He asked if Id like some coffee, and told me that he would convey my message to Mani Ratnam. Thats all I can do, he said. The crowd was right outside, screaming his name, rocking the carsaid Divya

Divya said that she did get to meet Mani Ratnam who told her that she couldnt be cast in the film due to her similar looks with Manisha Koirala.

Her next meeting with Shah Rukh Khan was on the set of the classic cult film Veer Zaara in which they were co-actors.

She praised Mr. Khan for guiding her about the camera angles. Recalling his advice, she said, He mentioned that he wouldnt always be present on every set, so I needed to learn to manage on my own.

In the same interview, she also highlighted her apprehension about being type casted in Bollywood. She said, I was worried I would be stereotyped as the best friend of all heroines in the industry. There is a herd mentality in our industry. Everyone runs after the one who looks good and leaves the rest behind,

Recently, Divya featured in Tahira Kashyaps Sharmajee Ki Beti while SRK is working for his upcoming film King.
Veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha, who was recently admitted to Mumbais Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai, has called his daughter Sonakshi and her husband Zaheer Iqbal a made for each other couple.

The actor-politician took to his X on Tuesday and expressed gratitude to his followers for their support with a heartfelt note.

He tweeted: Thanking everyone for their blessings, love & warm congratulatory messages. But most touched to have received extremely heartwarming affectionate wishes from most learned, intellectual par excellence the great #ArunShourie elder brother, statesman #YashwantSinha & of course the most deserving, Magsaysay Award winner #RavishKumar for the made for each other couple #SonakshiSinha & #ZaheerIqbal. #SinhaParivar.

Advertisement

Earlier, Shatrughan Sinha secured victory from West Bengals Asansol constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on a TMC ticket.

He expressed gratitude to the people of Asansol for their support, winning by a margin of 59,564 votes against BJP candidate Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia.

Meanwhile, Sonakshi and Zaheer tied the knot on June 23 in Mumbai after dating for seven years.

The couple first met at a party hosted by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan.

Interestingly, both Sonakshi and Zaheer began their careers with Salman.

Sonakshi debuted opposite Salman in the box-office hit Dabangg, while Zaheer made his debut in Salman Khans home production Notebook.
Blaming his predecessor Jagan Reddy for abandoning the capital city Amaravati and announcing the three-capital plan, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said this has shaken the confidence of investors and destroyed the brand image of the state.

Releasing a white paper on Amaravati, the chief minister outlined how the previous government had systematically weakened and destroyed the greenfield capital city by stopping all construction work as well as withdrawing annuity to 2093 farmers and pensions to 4422 families who had given up land for pooling. The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authoritys (APCRDA) budget was allowed to lapse.

The YSRCP government had also complained to the World Bank to stop funding worth USD 300 million. As a result of its complaint the Centre which was to release Rs 1,000 crore as grant to Amaravati also stepped back.

Advertisement

The contract for the master architect for Amaravati government complex which had gone to noted architectural firm Fosters and Partners was cancelled as well.

With the state government not keen to develop Amaravati 122 out of 130 land allottees lost confidence and did not start any construction activity. The state also lost the opportunity for wealth creation and it was left with no capital as the ten years of sharing Hyderabad as a joint capital also came to an end.

As a result, the unfinished roads and buildings were damaged and cost escalated to an enormous amount. The credit ratings of Amaravati bonds were affected negatively. The brand image of the state suffered and the confidence of investors was shaken.

Blaming the former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the White Paper read This is a case of one person destroying the future of the coming generations. We need to introspect if such persons should ever occupy a public office ever.

The White Paper also stated that if the original plan had been implemented then 7 lakh jobs would have been created as well as Rs two lakh crore added to the states GDP.
The US Capitol building is shrouded in haze in Washington, DC, the United States, on June 7, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

Global Times-Given the huge impact of the previous China-US trade war on American farmers, concerns over a new trade war seems to have haunted the market sentiment these days. Regardless of the outcome of the US election, the stance of Chinese soybean importers toward the US' trade war with China has always been clear and firm. Chinese buyers have always prioritized a stable supply chain and fair environment in international trade. If the new administration of the US chooses to continue or escalate the trade war, it is possible that US soybean exports could be affected, as Chinese buyers will need to reevaluate their import portfolio and seek out alternative sources of soybean supplies.

China, the world's biggest soybean importer, is likely to import record volumes of soybean in July, securing higher volumes in recent weeks, Reuters reported on Monday.

Analysts attributed the soybean purchases to concerns over a possible trade war following the US election, as traders seek to protect themselves from uncertainties surrounding potential new tariffs on Chinese goods by the US.

Such concerns seem justified. US President Joe Biden has already announced a significant increase in tariffs on various Chinese goods and the continuation of the tariffs on over $300 billion of Chinese products. In the 2024 presidential campaign, former president Donald Trump has proposed a plan to impose tariffs of 60 percent or higher on Chinese goods if he wins a second term.

The latest development has undoubtedly added to market uncertainty regarding future trade relations between China and the US. Such uncertainty not only impacts the market expectations of American farmers but also raises concerns over trade flows and price volatility in agricultural products globally.

After the Trump administration launched a trade war with China in 2018, China imposed a 25 percent tariff on US soybeans, causing US soybean exports to China to plunge to 16.6 million tons in 2018 from 32.9 million tons in 2017, according to media reports. The tariffs significantly reduced the competitiveness of US soybeans in the Chinese market, prompting many Chinese companies to seek alternative sources such as Brazil.

Soybean farmers felt the brunt of this impact directly. Their exports to China dropped sharply. A collapse in exports led to a huge inventory build-up and a sharp drop in prices, which affected the incomes of American farmers. In 2019, US farms experienced a 20 percent spike in bankruptcies, even with financial help from the US government.

Furthermore, the trade war has prompted China to be more active in pursuing alternative sources to meet its agricultural demand, resulting in a lasting impact on US soybean exporters. In 2023, soybean imports from Brazil made up 70 percent of China's total soybean imports, far exceeding the 24 percent share of the US. The stark contrast serves as a clear indicator of the toll that the trade war has taken on American farmers.

Also, in addition to diversifying its import sources, China has also taken steps to enhance the size and productivity of domestic soybean cultivation through policy backing and technological advancements in order to strengthen the nation's food security.

It should be noted that while American farmers have unfortunately suffered the direct consequences of the trade war - economic losses and market uncertainty - there has been no winner, as both parties have suffered huge losses.

In January, China and the US restarted their agricultural cooperation mechanism at the seventh meeting of the China-US Agricultural Cooperation Joint Committee in Washington. As the first meeting since 2015 of the China-US agricultural cooperation, it confirmed the willingness of both sides to continue agricultural cooperation.

However, the future of China-US agricultural trade requires stability and sustainability. Escalating trade tensions will not only harm the economies of the US and China but also jeopardize the livelihoods of US farmers in the long run.

In this sense, preventing another trade war from happening is not only a necessity for American farmers but also a requirement for maintaining the stability of bilateral economic and trade relations.
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Wednesday morning arrived in Jammu and flew to the border district of Poonch, where he reviewed the security situation at forward locations along the Line of Control (LoC).

The Army Chief during his visit to the forward locations was accompanied by the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt General Suchindra Kumar, and the General Officer Commanding of the Nagrota-based White Knight Corps, Lt General Navin Sachdeva.

General Dwivedi, who assumed charge as the 30th chief of the Indian Army on June 30, first visited J&K, where he earlier served as the Army Commander of the strategic Northern Command deployed on the borders with China and the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

Advertisement

The Army chief chaired a meeting of field commanders in Poonch before taking an aerial review of the forward areas, an official said.

The Army chief was briefed on the operational preparedness by the Commanders on the ground. He lauded all ranks for maintaining high standards of professionalism and exhorted them to remain steadfast in meeting all current and emerging security challenges. He also interacted with soldiers at the forward locations.

The Army chiefs visit to Jammu and Kashmir assumes significance in view of the ongoing Amarnath Yatra and the anti-terrorist operations in the Jammu region to counter attempts by Pakistan-backed terror handlers to spread their activities in the area.

General Dwivedi also interacted with some ex-servicemen at the 93 Infantry Brigade.

General Dwivedi, who had served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command from 2022-24, later flew back to Jammu. He is scheduled to return to Delhi in the evening.

He might also visit the headquarters of the Northern Command at Udhampur, officials said.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary had the darshan of Ram Lalla on Wednesday morning.

Before this, he also took a dip in the Saryu river and offered prayers. He also got his head shaved in Ayodhya and dedicated his hair on the banks of Saryu. After this, he marched from the Saryu bank to the Ram temple on foot.

Later he also visited and worshiped in the Hanumangarhi temple.

Advertisement

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Choudhary, who is also the Bihar BJP president while talking to media, said that he has come to offer Muraitha (turban) at the feet of Lord Ram. He dedicated his turban in the feet of Ramlala. He said that for the last two years we have been campaigning to remove the INDI coalition government.

Nitish Kumar left the Indi alliance on January 28 and became the Chief Minister from NDA.  We had decided that we would go to Ayodhya and offer Muraitha at the feet of Shri Ram, Choudhury said.

He further said the people of Bihar have worked to win more than 75 percent seats.

INDI alliance should not be in any kind of confusion, as NDA will win more than 200 out of 243 seats in the assembly elections, he announced.
In another jolt to BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, his close associate and BRS Rajya Sabha MP K Keshav Rao has rejoined the Congress, 11 years after he had left the national party at the peak of Telangana movement.

His decision to quit the BRS did not come as a surprise since his daughter and Hyderabad Mayor G Vijayalakshmi had already joined the Congress in March this year.

Rao was welcomed to the Congress by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi as well as Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in New Delhi.

Advertisement

Worthy homecoming We are confident that his vast experience in public service will strengthen the Congress party in Telangana, wrote Kharge on X after the veteran leader joined the Congress formally.

Keshav Rao had served as the state Congress president of unified Andhra Pradesh when YS Rajasekhar Reddy was the chief minister. He joined the BRS in 2013 at the peak of Telangana movement, protesting against the High Commands indecision over Telangana.

Even though he was in the BRS the Congress MLAs from Telangana had cast their second preference vote to Rao when he became a candidate for Rajya Sabha polls, held just before the bifurcation of the state.

Even in the BRS he had become a close confidante of KCR and was inducted in the Polit Bureau. His daughter was elected as mayor when BRS formed the board in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation with the help of AIMIM councillors.

Rao still has two more years of tenure in Rajya Sabha. If he quits the Congress is likely to renominate him. Apart from Rao six BRS MLAs have also joined the Congress and more are likely to follow suit in coming days.
Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday hit out at the INDIA bloc MPs for staging a walkout while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to Presidents address in the Upper House of Parliament, saying that the Opposition members have challenged the Constitution.

Prior to walking out from the House, the Opposition MPs protested with incessant sloganeering and raised chants like LoP ko bolne do (Let LoP speak).

Dhankhar didnt allow the Congress President and the Leader of the House Mallikarjun Kharge to intervene while PM Modi spoke. This led to more shriller protests from the Opposition benches, and then a walkout.

Advertisement

As the Opposition MPs left the Upper House proceedings in the middle, the RS chairman accused them of having disrespected the House and challenging and outraging the spirit of the Constitution.

Dhankhar said LoP Kharge insulted oath to the office by walking out of the Upper House.

Khargeji insulted the oath of office through the walkout. They (opposition MPs) have made a mockery of the Constitution. I hope they introspect, the RS Chairman said.

Condemning the Oppositions walkout, Dhankhar said, They showed their back to the Constitution of India, they didnt insult me or you, they insulted the oath of Constitution that they took. There can be no bigger insult to the Constitution of India than this.

They have challenged the Constitution. They have outraged the spirit of the Constitution; they have disregarded the oath they have undertaken. The Constitution is not something to hold in your hands, it is the book to way of life. I hope that they will self-introspect and walk the path of duty, he stated further chastising them for the reckless conduct.

The RS chairman said the LoP was given adequate time to speak without any interruption but the attempt to disrupt House proceedings by chanting slogans was uncalled for and an irresponsible conduct.
The Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India, has decided to provide ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Labs and Smart Classrooms, as per Samagra Shiksha norms, in all functional Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGVBs) and Hostel to empower girl students, make them digitally savvy, and enhance their learning outcomes.

This will also bridge the existing digital divide. This initiative will benefit 7 lakh girls of KGBVs at an estimated cost of approximately Rs 290 crore, the Ministry of Education said on Wednesday.

KGBVs are residential schools from Classes VI to XII for girls belonging to disadvantaged groups such as SC, ST, OBC, Minority and Below Poverty Line (BPL).

Advertisement

The KGBVs are set up in Educationally Backward Blocks with the objective to ensure access and quality education to these girls and to reduce gender gaps at all levels of school education. Currently, 5116 KGBVs are functional in 30 States/UTs in the country.

Providing ICT labs and Smart classrooms to girls in KGBVs is crucial as the students of KGBV come from disadvantaged backgrounds and face various obstacles in accessing education, including distance, cultural norms, and safety concerns. Access to digital literacy is vital for their personal as well as professional growth. It will also help in reducing the digital divide.

In this era of rapid development and integration of ICT with our lives and livelihood, it is crucial that students from all walks of life get the opportunity to equip themselves with modern-day technology. ICT is integrated into the school curriculum to ensure adequate experiential exposure to the students, especially those belonging to disadvantaged groups.

The provision of ICT facilities will ensure that the students of KGBV have better access to the digital platforms/resources of the Department of School Education and Literacy such as SWAYAM, SWAYAM PRABHA, National Digital Library, e-Pathshala, National Repository of Open Educational Resources, DIKSHA, etc. This will improve their learning outcomes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the 2024 election had brought peoples approval not just for his governments performance in the last 10 years, but also for its plans for the future, confirming that the NDA alone enjoyed peoples trust to serve them and realize their dreams.

Replying to the Rajya Sabha debate on the Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmus address to a joint sitting of Parliament on 27th June, he said the Indian economy was at the 10th place in the world, and his governments work in the last 10 years had brought it to the fifth place, despite Covid-19 and other challenges.

The recent election, he said, had given his government a mandate to take the countrys economy among the top three in the world. Some people in the Opposition believed it would happen on its own, perhaps on auto-pilot or remote-pilot, without working for it. But, he said, his government would not leave any stone unturned to fulfill the mandate.

Advertisement

The Prime Minister spoke for almost two hours from 12 noon, but before he spoke on Manipur and warned against politics over the State, or putting fuel to the fire; and referred to his commitment to fight corruption and giving free hand to investigating agencies, the Opposition staged a walk-out.

The Opposition wanted permission for Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to react within minutes of Mr Modis speech, but when he was not allowed, Opposition members kept raising noises and staged a walk-out about 12.30 pm. The Opposition was already not in full strength.

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said he had allowed everyone to speak at length, and the House sat till late last night for that. Mr Kharge had not respected norms, and the Constitution was insulted by the walk-out, he said. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die after the adoption of the Motion of Thanks by voice-vote.

The Prime Minister said he had spoken about Manipur at length in the last session. The government is engaged in making the situation normal in the State. More than 11,000 FIRs have been filed on the incidents and over 500 arrests made. The incidents of violence are on the decline and peace was within reach.

Mr Modi said schools and colleges in Manipur are functioning normally, just as offices, while examinations are taking place. He said the Centre and the State Government are working together for a peaceful settlement. Home Minister Amit Shah and the Minister of State for Home had spent days in the State.

The Prime Minister said senior officers have also been taking rounds of the State. At present, there are floods in the State and two teams of the NDRF have been sent there. Mr Modi said we should rise over politics and help in the situation. The elements trying to put fuel to fire will be rejected by people of Manipur.

Those who know Manipur history know the State has had social conflict for long and the State was put under the Presidents Rule 10 times for this under previous governments, he said. There must have been some issues. In 1993 also there was violence in the State and it continued for five years.

The government is ready to take help from anyone and efforts are being made by the government to restore normalcy and peace in the State, he said.

The Prime Minister said the North East was neglected by the Congress Party while his government is engaged in making the region a growth-engine. The government wanted the region to be a gateway for trade, tourism and culture. What his government had achieved there in the last five years, a Congress government would not have done so in 20 years, he said.

The government provided extensive infrastructure for connectivity, he said. For stable peace, efforts were made and they had yielded results, although they had not come in open discussions. Several boundary-disputes were resolved. Armed insurgents surrendered and accepted punishments, he said.

The Prime Minister said recent elections in Jammu and Kashmir had beaten records of many decades. This showed acceptance of the Indian Constitution and the Election Commission of India there. Terrorism is on its last legs in the region and its network is being dismantled. Local people are cooperating. Terrorism and separatism are both on decline, while tourism is improving.

The Prime Minister said the Congress is the biggest opponent of the Constitution, and its record of the Emergency and numerous amendments in the Constitution showed this. The Emergency reference cannot be rejected as being too old to be discussed.

Nothing could be misleading to say the recent election was on the defence of the Constitution, he said. There was a bulldozer run on the Constitution during the Emergency. The 1977 election was the one fought for the defence of the Constitution after a period when the radio or newspapers had no freedom.

The Lok Sabha had a tenure of seven years. Recently, the Congress government of Dr Manmohan Singh had a National Advisory Council (NAC) over the Prime Minister. Where does the Constitution allow this, he said.

The Emergency was not just a Constitutional crisis but even a human tragedy. People just disappeared. Jayaprakash Narayan was jailed, and he fell sick, never to recover. Many small parties took birth then but they were today supporting the Congress, and helping it survive as a parjeevi (parasite) entity, Mr Modi said.

The Prime Minister said he had told the investigating agencies to take the toughest steps against corruption. Work honestly, work for honesty, he had told them. None would escape action for corruption. The fight against corruption for me is not linked to electoral victory or defeat, it is my mission and conviction; I am dedicated to it, he said.

Mr Modi said he had promised in 2014 action for welfare of the poor and against corruption, and he had fulfilled them
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the Hathras stampede, in which 121 people, mostly women, were killed, happened due to the negligence of the Uttar Pradesh government.

Describing the Hathras tragedy as very painful in a statement on Wednesday, he conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased.

SP president said, The government and administration know well whenever such programmes take place, a large number of people come to attend them. Despite having all the information, the government didnt make the necessary arrangements. The government is responsible for the loss of lives.

Advertisement

He further said that if the government had arranged ambulances and vehicles, many lives could have been saved. Whats more painful is that the injured who reached hospitals did not receive adequate treatment. Neither medicines nor oxygen was made available to them, he added.

The SP chief said, They (the government) talk of becoming vishwa guru (world leaders) and make tall claims about India becoming the fifth largest economy in the world, but the truth is that this government cannot provide proper treatment to the people in an emergency.

He alleged that the BJP government in the state ruined the entire system. What kind of economy is this where there is no hospital, no medicine, no treatment, and no oxygen; he asked and said, All the claims of the BJP government are false. There is nothing in this government except lies and loot. Corruption is at its peak with every department involved in it, he alleged.

Pointing out that 50,000 people were allowed to attend the Satsang, he asked what the administration would have done if more people had come. Why they did not stop it? If people were coming in large numbers, why the administration did not increase security? Why barricading was not done? Was it not the responsibility of the government, he asked.

The government is responsible for non-availability of oxygen and medicine. People lost their lives due to the laxity of the government. They should not put their responsibility on others, he said.
The Himachal Pradesh agriculture department has won a prestigious certificate of appreciation for promoting millets during the International Year of Millets 2023 (IYOM-2023).

The department has been honoured with the certificate of appreciation by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu congratulated the state agriculture department on receiving the prestigious certificate of appreciation for its exceptional work in promoting millets.

Advertisement

He said that the award was the result of the state agriculture departments efforts in promoting millets, building momentum for these ancient grains and raising awareness about their immense nutritional, economic, and ecological benefits.

The state government is promoting the cultivation of millets on a large scale, and efforts are underway to educate people about the nutritional and health benefits of millets, he said.

Agriculture Minister Prof Chander Kumar also commended the farmers of the state for their dedication to millet cultivation.

The state government will continue its efforts to promote millet cultivation and other quality agriculture produce, he said.

A spokesperson for the agriculture department stated here on Wednesday that the year 2023 was designated as the International Year of Millets to highlight the benefits of millets, encompassing nutrition, health, environmental sustainability, and economic development.

With the global food system facing challenges such as hunger, malnutrition, a growing population, limited natural resources and climate change, millets offer a viable solution. These crops are affordable, nutrient-rich, and can thrive in diverse, adverse climates with minimal inputs, he said.

Recognising the importance of this initiative, the agriculture department organised various activities across the state to raise awareness and encourage millet cultivation, he said, adding that these efforts were aimed at sensitising and incentivising farmers to grow millets.

The department provided essential technological inputs and established market linkages to motivate farmers to produce a market surplus, ensuring their continued engagement in millet cultivation, he informed.

Other key initiatives included the distribution of seeds and mini kits, training programmes for farmers, farm gate sales of millets and millet food festivals. Informative literature on millet cultivation and recipes was also distributed to spread awareness about millets and their by-products. As a result, millet crops were cultivated across all districts of the state, covering an area of 1,526 hectares with a total production of 983 metric tonnes, the spokesperson said.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare recognised the enthusiastic efforts of the agriculture department of Himachal Pradesh in promoting millets, building momentum for these ancient grains, and raising awareness about their immense nutritional, economic, and ecological benefits, he added.
Indian Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi held talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka to discuss bilateral ties, including cooperation in the field of defence.

During the discussions that took place on Tuesday, Hasina appreciated Indias contribution to Bangladeshs War of Liberation in 1971.

Adm Dinesh K Tripathi CNS, on an official visit to Bangladesh, called on HE Sheikh Hasina, Honble Prime Minister of Bangladesh on #02Jul 24. During discussions, the PM of Bangladesh recalled & appreciated Indias contribution to Bangladeshs War of Liberation in 1971, the Indian Navy said in a post on X later.

Advertisement

(The) CNS apprised the PM regarding the progress of ongoing bilateral maritime engagements b/n the Indian Navy & the Bangladesh Navy, the Navy added.

Sheikh Hasina said the India-Bangladesh relationship is a model and an example for others as both the countries have resolved many problems through dialogue. In this regard, she referred to the solution of land boundaries and maritime boundaries between Bangladesh and India.

Admiral Tripathi is on a four-day official visit to Bangladesh. The visit is aimed at consolidating bilateral defence relations between the two countries and exploring new avenues for Naval cooperation.

India and Bangladesh share bonds of history, language, culture, and a multitude of other commonalities. The excellent bilateral ties reflect an all-encompassing partnership based on sovereignty, equality, trust, and understanding that goes far beyond a strategic partnership, the Navy added.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel has constituted a Judicial Commission headed by Allahabad High Court Justice ( Retd) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava to probe Hathras stampede in which 121 people lost their lives on Tuesday.

The 3-membered Judicial Commission will also have retired IAS officer Hemant Rao and retired IPS Bhavesh Kumar Singh.as members.

As per the government notification issued on Wednesday night, the term of the Commission will be for two months.

Advertisement

Notification further said the Commission will investigate the incident that occurred on July 2 and after the investigation, a report will be submitted to the State Government on the following points:

(a) To check compliance by the organizers of the program with the permission granted by the district administration and the conditions mentioned therein;

(b) To investigate whether the incident is an accident or a conspiracy or other planned criminal incident;

(c) To examine the arrangements made by the district administration and police for crowd control and maintaining law and order during the program and other aspects related thereto;

(d) To ascertain the causes and circumstances due to which the said incident occurred;

(e) To give suggestions regarding preventing recurrence of such incidents in future.

The incident took place in the satsang program of Sakar Narayan Vishwa Hari alias Bhole Baba on Tuesday in village Phulrai Mughalgarhi, police station Sikandrarau, district Hathras.

Meanwhile, a report from Mainpuri said that the first statement of Sakar Hari Baba alias Bhole Baba regarding the stampede has come to light.

Sakar Hari Baba has said: I had already left from the spot before the incident occured. He has held the organizers responsible for this accident. He also wished for the recovery of the injured.

It is also reported that Baba is under house arrest in the ashram. After the accident in Hathras, Bhole Baba reached his ashram in Bichhwa town of Mainpuri late on Tuesday night.

Since then the police have fortified the ashram and the Baba has been placed under house arrest by the police.
The two-day long Working Group (WG) meeting of the National Conference (NC) began in Srinagar on Wednesday to formulate strategies for the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting of the WG is being held under the chairmanship of the party president Dr Farooq Abdullah. The party vice president Omar Abdullah was also present in the meeting.

The discussions held during the meeting are sure to pave the way for a strong and united front as the National Conference gears up for the upcoming electoral battle. The commitment and dedication of the working group members present at the meeting exemplified the unwavering resolve to uphold the values and principles that the National Conference stands for, read the statement issued after todays meeting.

Advertisement

The WG members unanimously affirmed J&K National Conferences unwavering commitment to serving the people of J&K and restoration of their abridged rights.

The WG members also pledged to conquer any challenges with Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah leading the way, said a party spokesman.
Alleging a scam in the NEET-UG exam 2024, the Indian Youth Front (IYF), the umbrella organsation of the youth wings of the parties of the INDIA bloc, on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the matter.

The IYF also demanded the cancellation of the NEET examination.

Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the IYF, National President of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) Srinivas BV said, The Central government is running away from the issue of rigging and paper leak in the NEET-UG examination.

Advertisement

Taking a dig at Narendra Modi, he remarked that the prime minister has time for Mann Ki Baat, but not the youth of the country otherwise he would have openly discussed this issue in Parliament.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi ji repeatedly demanded a discussion on this issue but the Modi Government is indifferent to the plight of students, he alleged, adding that Prime Minister Modi should demand the resignation of the education minister and cancel the NEET-UG examination as soon as possible and conduct the examination afresh.

Notably, on Tuesday, Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to conduct a debate in Parliament on the fiasco of the NEET-UG exam 2024.

During the meeting, the IYF passed a resolution against the ruling dispensation over the matter.

The country has seen more than 70 paper leaks in the last seven years affecting millions of students but the BJP-led regime failed to offer any respite other than lip sympathy. The government has adopted an extremely arrogant approach towards the demands of the students for re-tests, cancellations, and investigation and tried to put down student agitation with brute force, read the resolution.

The resolution demanded immediate cancellation of the NEET examination and a retest, a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the alleged irregularities and paper leak, and the resignation of the education minister among others.
A professor of a private law university here allegedly stabbed to death his septuagenarian father in an apartment in Mancheswar police station area in the city for refusing to repay the loan incurred by him, police said on Wednesday.

The assailant, identified as Anirudha Choudhury, in a sudden fit of rage inflicted multiple wounds on his father Sunil Choudhury, a retired official of State-run NALCO, a central public sector enterprise. The septuagenarian victim was rushed to the hospital, where he was received dead, police said.

The assailant, who has been arrested, was reportedly undergoing depression as he had borrowed heavily. He was insisting his father repay the money borrowed by him. However his father refused to do so. That provoked the professor-son to kill his father, police added.

Advertisement

The assailant is being interrogated. Preliminary investigation found that Anirudha was debt-ridden. Loan burden and squabble with father over the repayment issue resulted in the brutal murder. However further inquiry is in progress to elicit further clues of the crime, police added.
In a bid to strengthen the anti-infiltration grid along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border with Pakistan, 960 local police recruits have been deployed on the borders.

DGP RR Swain said here on Wednesday that the recently passed out 544 cops are from border areas of Jammu and rest in Kashmir.

They will only work in anti-infiltration and anti-terror units so that general area security is heightened. They are locals and know the tactics of the enemy, he said.

Advertisement

The Village Defence Groups (VDGs) and the Special Police Officers (SPOs) are also being strengthened at the directions of the Centre.

The DGP said that some foreign terrorists have managed to infiltrate through the borders.

We have a long porous border which has riverine and other challenges and the enemy is trying to find new ways to push terrorists, he said.

However, the challenge is on account of few individuals who are supporting

them with money or some other things, he said.

The DGP said that law enforcement agencies are having the upper hand in tackling terrorism.

In the Kashmir valley, there is a visible change in the situation and peaceful elections are an example of it. Fear of terrorists and separatists has come down, the DGP added.
The decision by Spains Supreme Court to uphold arrest warrants for former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and his associates marks a significant moment in the saga of conflict between Madrid and Catalan separatists. The courts ruling, which asserts that the amnesty law passed on May 30 does not apply to these individuals, could have far-reaching political implications, both for Spains fragile coalition government and the broader issue of Catalan independence.

The courts decision hinges on two key exceptions within the amnesty law: embezzlement for personal gain and actions affecting the European Unions financial interests. The court contends that Mr Puigdemont and his party deputies Antonio Comin and Lluis Puig fit these criteria because they allegedly used regional treasury funds to finance the 2017 independence referendum, which Spain deemed illegal. This interpretation effectively nullifies the amnesty for these individuals, who have been living in self-imposed exile. This ruling is a setback for Mr Puigdemont, who had hoped that the amnesty would allow him to return to Spain without fear of arrest. It underscores the on-going tensions between the Spanish judiciary and Catalan separatists, highlighting the complex legal and political landscape that has defined this conflict for years.

The courts insistence on pursuing these charges despite the amnesty law signals a firm stance against what it views as financial misconduct and the undermining of Spains territorial integrity. Politically, this decision places significant pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sanchezs Socialist-led coalition government. The coalition relies heavily on the support of separatist parties, including Mr Puigdemonts Junts party, for stability. The withdrawal of this support could lead to legislative gridlock, particularly concerning crucial bills such as the 2025 budget, and might even trigger new elections. This precarious balance of power illustrates the intricate web of alliances and conflicts within Spanish politics, where regional issues often play a decisive role in national governance. The broader implications of this ruling extend beyond the immediate political manoeuvring in Madrid. It sends a clear message to separatist movements within Spain and potentially across Europe: attempts to secede and actions perceived as financially harmful to the state or the EU will not be easily forgiven or forgotten.

Advertisement

This could deter future unilateral secession attempts but also risks further entrenching separatist sentiments among those who feel their aspirations for independence are being systematically thwarted. Moreover, this ruling could reignite debates about the effectiveness and fairness of Spains legal and political framework in addressing regional autonomy and independence movements. Critics might argue that the courts decision reflects a punitive approach that prioritises national unity over dialogue and reconciliation. Proponents could view it as a necessary enforcement of legal and fiscal responsibility, ensuring that regional leaders are held accountable for actions that have wide-ranging consequences. As Spain navigates this contentious terrain, the need for a balanced approach that respects legal integrity while fostering political dialogue remains more critical than ever.
The recent UN-led meeting in Doha marked a significant moment for international diplomacy as the Taliban participated for the first time. This event has sparked varied reactions globally, highlighting the complexities and challenges surrounding Afghanistans current political and economic landscape. The Talibans participation underscores a critical shift in the geopolitical dynamics of the region.

Despite global criticism, particularly from womens rights activists, the inclusion of the Taliban in such a forum signals a pragmatic approach by the international community. Engaging with the Taliban, rather than isolating them, may be seen as a necessary step towards addressing the multifaceted crises in Afghanistan. Indias involvement in the meeting, marked by the attendance of senior diplomat J.P. Singh, indicates a nuanced strategy.

Indias engagement with the Taliban, including discussions on bilateral relations and expressions of mutual gratitude, reflect recognition of the geopolitical realities. For India, maintaining a diplomatic channel with the Taliban is crucial for regional stability and for safeguarding its strategic interests, particularly in light of its historical ties with Afghanistan. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankars visit to Doha further underscores Indias commitment to playing an active role in regional diplomacy. By engaging with Qatar, a key player in West Asian politics, India aims to bolster its influence and ensure that its perspectives are considered in any regional developments involving Afghanistan.

Advertisement

The Talibans focus on economic orientation in their foreign policy highlights a shift from purely ideological pursuits to pragmatic considerations. The regimes call for the removal of sanctions and the emphasis on infrastructure projects like the Trans-Afghan railway and the TAPI Pipeline reveal a desire to integrate Afghanistan into regional economic frameworks. These projects, if realised, could significantly enhance connectivity and economic cooperation between Central and South Asia. However, the success of these initiatives is contingent on a stable and secure environment, which remains a significant challenge given the on-going security issues in the region. The Talibans efforts to position themselves as a viable economic partner are complicated by their controversial governance practices and the international communitys apprehensions about their commitment to human rights and inclusive governance.

The Talibans engagement with other regional powers, including Uzbekistan, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, indicates a broader strategy to secure economic and political support. Saudi Arabias intention to reopen its embassy in Kabul and Kazakhstans removal of the Taliban from its list of prohibited groups suggest a gradual normalisation of relations. Chinas recognition of a Taliban-appointed ambassador earlier this year further underscores this trend. Nevertheless, the international community remains divided on how to approach the Taliban. While some countries advocate conditional engagement to incentivise reforms, others remain staunchly opposed to legitimising a regime with a contentious human rights record. The path forward for Afghanistan is fraught with challenges, but constructive dialogue and pragmatic diplomacy may offer the best hope for a stable and prosperous future.
You are having malignancy or it is cancer ~ these words uttered by a medical practitioner when we visit them for some anomalies in our body and undergo tests to unravel the nature of the disease are enough to send shivers down the spine of even those of us who are otherwise known to be mentally strong, have undergone many challenges in life and are usually hard nuts to crack. It happened to me last year. While delivering a class lecture, I started experiencing moments of disassociation or blackouts lasting for a few seconds.

After two months of medication, since the occurrences did not disappear, the doctor advised an MRI. The report showed a well formed tumor in the right part of my brain which showed all signs of malignancy. The doctor advised immediate surgery. It was a bolt from the blue. Strangely, I did not experience any fear of death, perhaps because of the fact that I had to undergo many tests, seek a second opinion, and do myriad other preparations for the impending surgery. However, what distressed me most was the fear of being incapacitated; being in a vegetative state if the surgery went wrong, which is a possibility despite spectacular advancements in medical technology. By Gods grace, the surgery went well and the doctor advised radiation and chemotherapy to contain the possibility of metastasis. I started visiting a well known medical facility in Kolkata for further treatment. On the very first day, the huge crowd at the registration desk, the chaos, the anxiety writ large on the faces of patients and their family members struck me hard.

On subsequent days, as I waited for my turn to meet the oncologist and thereafter receive my doses of radiation and later chemotherapy, I often picked up conversations with other patients to get an insight into the nature of their ordeal. Empathy with fellow sufferers does help to assuage slightly ones own distress. I came to know that many of them were coming from distant suburban areas. Despite considerable advancement in treatment procedure, the impact of the procedure for most patients can be physically very exhausting as side effects are often quite severe. In such conditions, travelling long hours takes a tremendous toll on the health and energy of patients.

Advertisement

They said they had no other option since most districts dont have hospitals that offer proper treatment for the affliction. The huge rush of patients not only from other parts of West Bengal but from other parts of the country as well as neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and so on is predictably putting a tremendous pressure on the infrastructure of the reputed facility. Patients have to wait longer for their turn, toilets are unclean, canteens run out of food and the suffering of patients and their family members knows no bounds. Various researches indicate that there has been a significant increase in the number of cancer patients world wide as well as in India in recent years. While lifestyle issues like smoking, alcohol consumption, consumption of processed food, aerated drinks, exposure to hazardous materials as the food we consume has higher levels of insecticides and pesticides, have been identified as contributing factors. An inexplicable genetic mutation, which has happened in my case, also is responsible for increasing incidents of malignancy.

Environmental factors are also making the scenario bleak. Escalating greenhouse gas emissions and consequent depletion of the ozone layer, as per various studies, is playing a major role in the development of malignant melanoma. People of all ages, little children, young and old, are getting hit by this fatal disease. Government facilities are extremely overcrowded and even private facilities which are quite costly and beyond the reach of common people are having a huge rush of patients, indicating how the affliction is affecting people from all walks of life. A massive boost in infrastructure, new hospitals with stateof-the-art equipment, preferably on a public-private partnership model, is the need of the hour. Most high-tech machines like the MRI machine and those used in radiation therapy are still not manufactured in India.

Parts are imported and the machines are just assembled in India, thereby causing inordinate delay in getting various crucial procedures done which can prove fatal for many patients. There goes the story of Vikshit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat. In the 2022-23 financial year, India spent only a meagre 2.6 per cent of the countrys GDP on healthcare, compared to Canada, France, Japan and many other developed countries that spent more than 10 per cent of their GDP on healthcare. One cant help being intrigued by the fact that Indias leaders keep bragging incessantly about India being the fifth largest economy of the world and the fastest growing one and yet the public healthcare system presents a sorry picture. Many oncologists of repute are leaving for greener pastures abroad as working conditions and their perks are unsatisfactory here.

Another major area of concern is the shoddy manner in which various insurance authorities, both private and public, treat the hapless patients. I have often heard patients complaining that hospital authorities refuse to entertain government health schemes, the portal not being accessible is the common refrain. As a single person depending on mostly illiterate hired help, and at a time when a grueling treatment schedule consisting of surgery, followed by radiation and chemotherapy, ravaged my physical and mental strength, I faced a humongous challenge doing the paperwork needed for submitting reimbursement claims. Needless to say, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority needs to be more proactive in making insurance companies more patientfriendly.

As the treatment of cancer saps the energy of the patients and makes them non-functional for a long period of time, the spread of this non-communicable disease can severely damage the countrys manpower. While I am fortunate to work in an organized sector where I have received necessary support from my authorities, those working in non-organized sectors often lose their jobs as they become incapable of work, making themselves and their families totally helpless. The government also needs to focus more on spreading awareness about cancer and extend the net of welfare measures for those in desperate need of it. Some NGOs however are doing commendable work in helping those afflicted by the disease. Finally, the psychological impact of this fatal disease is catastrophic.

The pain, an emaciated body, the jaded look and fear of death, are enough to throw one in the deep pit of depression, as the patient tends to lose the ennui to look ahead. Support from friends, family and co-workers can be of great help as it was in my case. But ultimately, the struggle is our own. I tried to tell myself that only a warrior gets scars. Remembering the words of Seneca might help, Sometimes, just living is an act of great courage.

(The writer is Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Womens Christian College, Kolkata)
Israel has killed about 900 militants in Rafah since the beginning of Israels ground assault on the southernmost city in Gaza in early May, Israels military Chief Herzi Halevi said.

The casualties include at least one battalion commander, many company commanders, and many operatives, Halevi said on Tuesday when inspecting a military logistic post in the southern Gaza Strip, according to a statement released by the Israel Defense Forces.

He added that the offensive in Rafah is expected to be completed within weeks, Xinhua news agency reported.

Advertisement

Now the effort focuses on the destruction of the infrastructure and the destruction of the underground infrastructure, and it takes time, he said, noting, This campaign is long because we dont want to leave Rafah with the infrastructure intact.

Before the launch of the ground offensive, Rafah was one of the few locations where civilians sought refuge from the massive Israeli bombardments across the Palestinian enclave.
The ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) has called on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to step down to clear the way for the formation of a national consensus government.

The ruling partner set Wednesday evening as the deadline for Dahal to step down and support the formation of the national consensus government to be headed by K.P. Sharma Oli, CPN-UMLs chairman and a former Prime Minister.

The move came after the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, the two largest parties in the House of Representatives, agreed on Monday night to join hands for a new coalition, Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.

Advertisement

We have called on the Prime Minister to resign to support the formation of the national consensus government under the leadership of our party chairperson, said Rajendra Gautam, publicity department chief of the CPN-UML.

Our party wants all the parties, including the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) led by Dahal, to join the new government, Gautam told Xinhua.

He said his party would quit the government and withdraw its support only if Dahal refused to resign.

The CPN (Maoist Center) has announced that Dahal would not resign from his post but rather seek a vote of confidence in the Lower House.

Dahal became the head of a coalition government in December 2022 as the general election in November produced no majority party in the Lower House, and the Prime Minister has formed alliances with both the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML ever since.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for strengthened collaboration to counter terrorism and extremism across Africa  from Sudan and the Horn of Africa to the Sahel, the Great Lakes region and beyond.

In a video message to the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development, Guterres said on Tuesday that the international community must support Africas potential as the worlds food basket and its ambition to become a renewable energy superpower while making sure that critical minerals benefit Africans in the first place, reported by Xinhua news agency.

Above all, we need peace, the UN Chief stressed, noting: We must strengthen our collaboration to safeguard human rights, counter terrorism and violent extremism, and silence the guns across Africa  from Sudan and the Horn of Africa to the Sahel, the Great Lakes region and beyond.

Advertisement

The UN Security Councils recent resolution, which calls for supporting peace operations led by regional partners, notably the African Union, with mandates from the Council and funded by assessed contributions, will help us do this, he said.

Guterres added that the Aswan forum arrives at a difficult moment for Africa and the global family, as sustainable peace and development are being obstructed by enormous challenges that affect Africa and Africans, in outsized ways.

From poverty, hunger, inequalities, climate change, and crushing debt burdens, to conflicts, terrorism and unconstitutional changes of government, the path forward is clear, he said.

We must accelerate efforts to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals, he noted.

Affordable, long-term financing is the fuel of development, but many African countries are running on empty, Guterres said, emphasising that they need massive debt relief, lower borrowing costs, and expanded access to concessional finance.

That is why I am calling for an SDG Stimulus, and deep reforms to the global financial architecture, so developing countries can invest in jobs, gender equality and education  the African Unions theme this year, he added.

The UN Chief said that Africa also needs a quantum leap in infrastructure development to support the people and economies of the continent, including massive investments in universal electrification, broadband access and closing the digital divide.

The forums theme this year, Africa in a Changing World: Re-Envisioning Global Governance for Peace and Development, also reminds us of the need to re-envision global governance, and amplify Africas voice and leadership on the world stage, including the UN Security Council and across the global financial system, Guterres added.

I look forward to strong and vocal African leadership at Septembers Summit of the Future in New York, said the UN Chief.

The fourth Aswan forum is held in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Darshan's prisoner number 6106' has gone viral on social media with fans of the actor getting it tattooed and vehicles sporting number 6106'. The film chamber has also been approached for registration of titles like Khaidi no 6106'. The authorities have expressed concern about these developments.



ALSO READ | Darshan a 'habitual offender', has rowdy elements as his fans, claims actor-politician Ramya

In an incident that sent shockwaves across Karnataka, popular Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and 16 others were arrested for the alleged murder of Renukaswamy, a resident of Chitradurga. A fan of Darshan, Renukaswamy was tracked down by the actor's fan groups before being abducted to Bengaluru, tortured and murdered over his social media activities against Pavithra Gowda, Darshan's partner and a co-accused in the case.

Following the arrest of the star, his fans started romanticising his prisoner number over the internet. 6106', his prisoner number, reportedly tattooed it and got it stickered on their vehicles. According to news agency IANS, the film chamber has also been approached for registration of titles like Khaidi no 6106'. The authorities have expressed concern about these developments.

Meanwhile, in what is suspected to be another case of expressing solidarity with the murder-accused actor, a couple in Bengaluru released the photos of their infant child dressed in jail uniform. Needless to say, the the white shirt the baby was made to wear had the number '6106' printed on it.

ALSO READ | Shiva Rajkumar reacts to Darshan's arrest; says he feels sad looking at Darshan's son

The photoshoot, however, has landed the parents of the baby in trouble as the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has taken suo moto cognizance of the matter. The police department has been instructed to identify the whereabouts of the parents at the earliest by the child rights body, IANS said.

The Commission maintains that to make the child wear jail uniform and getting him photographed in a setting involving handcuffs and other prison references needs to be dealt with legally as it is a clear violation of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Amazon India has announced the eighth edition of its two-day Prime Day sale, where Amazon Prime members can access special offers, cashback deals and instant discounts across several categories.

Prime members will be treated with thousands of new product launches across more than 450 brands besides same-day and next-day delivery options across millions of products. These will include top brands like Samsung, Intel, Sony, Asus, OnePlus, Honor, iQOO as well as Indian medium and small businesses.

Amazon Pay offers include up to 40 per cent off and Amazon Pay Rewards include cashback of up to Rs 5,000 on shopping, according to the company. No-cost EMI options starts at Rs 63 per month.

How to get Amazon Prime membership?

Amazon Prime membership, which is available in monthly, quarterly and annual plans, cost Rs 299, Rs 599 and Rs 1,499 respectively. The annual Prime Lite plan is priced at Rs 799 while the Prime Shopping Edition costs Rs 399.

When is Amazon Prime Day sale?

The e-commerce giant announced the eighth edition of its Prime Day sale will begin on July 20 at 12 am and concludes on July 21 at 11.59 pm.

Debit and credit card offers

Amazon offers 10 per cent savings on payments using ICICI Bank credit and debit cards as well as SBI credit cards. Credit card EMI transactions will also get a 10 per cent off. Customers will also be able to get a 5 per cent instant discount while shopping.

Those who apply for new Amazon Pay ICICI Bank credit cards will get welcome rewards up to Rs 2,500, cashback of Rs 300 (only for Prime members) and rewards up to Rs 2,200.

Smartphone launches

Smartphones slated for launch on the special day include Samsung phones like Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy M35. Others on the list are Moto Razr 50 Ultra, Honor 200 5G, Redmi 13, OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite Ultra (Orange variant) and iQOO Z9 Lite.

Electronics and accessories

Up to Rs 45,000 discounts can be expected on laptops including Apple's Macbook variants as well as Asus, Lenovo and other brands.

Top smartwatches and fitness bands including Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Amazfit and OnePlus Watchwill get up to 80 per cent off. Tablets will be offered at up to 60 per cent discount while headphones and speakers will get up to 75 per cent off.

Smart TVS and projectors

Up to 65 per cent discount is offered for top brands with TVs starting at Rs 750 per month. For best rated TVs, no-cost EMI options are available for up to 24 months. Up to Rs 5,500 off can be availed with exchange offers.

Home appliances

Amazon will offer top-rated washing machines for up to 60 per cent off while bestselling air conditioners start at Rs 25,990. Premium refrigerators can be exchanged for up to Rs 17,000. No-cost EMI offer starts at Rs 99 per day.

Fashion and beauty

Amazon Prime Day offers clothing products a minimum of 60 per cent off, footwear at 50 to 80 per cent off. Beauty and makeup products are offered at up to 70 per cent discount. Around 50 to 80 per cent off will be offered for jewellery, watches and luggage.

Home, kitchen and outdoors

Tools and home improvement products can be bought at 80 per cent discount while furniture, mattresses, home decor and other essentials are offered at a minimum of 50 per cent off. Kitchenware and appliances get a minimum discount of 40 per cent.

Daily needs products

Up to 40 per cent off is available on cleaning, household, health and nutrition items and up to 60 per cent off on baby care products as well as food and beverages.

Books, toys and games

Up to 65 per cent off on book, up to 80 per cent off on outdoor toys and up to 70 per cent off on games and puzzles. No-cost EMI options are also avaiable.

Amazon devices

Amazon's Echo smart speakers and Fire TV sticks will get up to 55 per cent discount. Alexa Smart Home starts at Rs 2,749 while Smart Speaker with Screen starts at Rs 3,799.

Amazon brands

Amazon brands like Solimo, Amazon Basics, Presto and Symbol will offer home, kitchen and furniture products at a minimum discount of 50 per cent. Up to 50 per cent off is available for Daily Needs items. Electronics accessories start at Rs 499. Elevated classics can be bought at a minimum of 40 per cent discount.

Travel bookings via Amazon Pay

Up to 20 per cent off on flight tickets, with up to Rs 6,000 discount on international flights. Prime members will get up to 40 per cent off on hotel bookings. For train tickets, there will be zero payment gateway charges.

Other benefits for Prime members outside Prime Day

Prime Video Originals in July

Prime Video will see 14 new releases across five languages in July, including movies like Federer: Twelve Final Days, My Lady Jane, Civil War, Sharmajee Ki Beti (Hindi), PT Sir (Tamil), Inga Naan Thaan Kingu (Tamil), Naach Ga Ghuma (Marathi), Gam Gam Ganesha (Telugu) and Satyabhama (Telugu). Series releases include Mirzapur Season 3 and The Boys Season 4.

Add-on subscriptions

Amazon India launched Crunchyroll, on Prime Video Channels, which allows viewers to watch popular anime content with an add-on subscription at Rs 79 monthly. Prime members will get up to 50 per cent discount on add-on subscriptions of Lionsgate Play, Discovery+, Mubi, MGM+, Sony Pictures Stream, ManoramaMAX, hoichoi and VROTT.

Amazon Music

Ad-free Music and unlimited offline downloads for Prime members.
The inaugural session of the 18th Lok Sabha was high on drama and witnessed an extremely intense war of words between the ruling side and the opposition, making it evident that the battle lines continue to be drawn and the sentiment of the bitter electoral battle is being carried forward.

The new Lok Sabha is strikingly different from the previous house. The opposition now is almost equal to the ruling side in strength, while the ruling BJP, after a gap of 10 years, does not enjoy a majority of its own. It is also after a gap of 10 years that there is a leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha.

The ruling BJP made a somewhat subdued entry into the Lok Sabha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party have emphasised the fact that it is a government of the National Democratic Alliance, with the Telugu Desam Party and the Janata Dal (United) providing the numbers crucial for sustaining the dispensation. However, Modi and the BJP have made it clear in this session that despite the changed arithmetic, they cannot be treated as pushovers.

There is an emphasis on continuity and the effort on part of the ruling side has been to convey that the people have chosen stability by voting in the NDA a third time.

Be it the Speaker's election or the opposition's demand for the post of deputy speaker, the government has attempted to convey by being unyielding that the authority wielded by Modi and the BJP continues to be intact.

In his reply to the discussion on the motion of thanks to the President's address, Modi has emphasised the fact that the NDA has formed a government third time in a row, while the opposition has faced defeat for the third consecutive time in the Lok Sabha polls. He has described the Congress as a parasite that has managed to reach 99 seats by riding on the coattails of its regional allies. He has sought to come across as being in complete control of the proceedings despite the dent in the BJP's numbers.

On the other hand, the opposition is intent on making its newfound strength felt in Parliament. In their speeches, the INDIA alliance MPs have sought to convey the message that Modi has lost the moral authority to lead the country and his stature has diminished.

In his maiden speech as leader of opposition, Rahul emphasised the themes that formed the mainstay of the opposition's campaign in the election, be it the alleged threat to the Constitution, the purported misuse of investigating agencies by the ruling dispensation to target political opponents, the farmer's plight and the Agniveer scheme. The NEET issue was also raised by the Opposition members.

Meanwhile, the session also exposed the underlying differences in the INDIA alliance. The Congress and the Trinamool Congress spoke in different voices with regard to the Speaker's election. Also, the reference made by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to the Emergency left the Congress isolated in its protests over the issue.

The first session of the new Lok Sabha has shown that the divide between the ruling side and the opposition has only widened, and the two sides continue to be in campaign mode.
The stampede at a religious event in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras which saw a death toll of over 116, has put the spotlight on Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari aka Bhole Baba, a religious preacher based in Mainpuri.

The incident allegedly happened as the victims were running behind Baba's vehicle when he was leaving the venue. Police officials say the victims used to collect the soil the preacher walked on and the stampede happened when some of them bent down to do so.



Anyhow, after police officials swooped on Baba's abode at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district, he was nowhere to be found. "We did not find Baba ji inside the campus...He is not here..." said Deputy SP Sunil Kumar. However, it is not yet clear whether he would be charged.



Who is Bhole Baba?



Local media reports claim Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari was a constable with the Uttar Pradesh police till 1990 before turning into a spiritual preacher. With a considerable following across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and even Madhya Pradesh, not much is known about the preacher, other than that his name was Suraj Pal.



Hailing from Etah district, Bhole Baba is not your typical preacher. Clad in white shirt, white pants, sneakers and a white cap, Bhole Baba preaches along with his wife. His 'satsangs', where he speaks about ditching worldly pleasures before dedicating themselves to god, are called 'Manav Mangal Milan Sadbhavna Samagam,' by his devotees.

Though the Baba himself does not run social media accounts, he has a group of dedicated followers who upload videos and photographs of the preacher, with devotional songs in the background. These videos provide updates about his upcoming programmes and various aspects related to his events, such as how to secure a booking.

Many devotees often appear in the videos to give testimonials about Baba and how he helped them with financial support and cure diseases. There are also reports that many politicians, including SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, visited him during election campaigns.



"Bhole Baba belongs to the Jatav community and has a profound influence among the SC/ST and OBC sections. Muslims are also among his followers, a police officer told The Times of India.



He had run-ins with laws too. In 2022, when the Covid protocol was in place, Bhole Baba held a satsang in Farrukhabad. Though the district administration only allowed 50 attendees, a whopping 50,000 people attended the event, flouting all norms. He was also investigated in connection with a land grabbing case in Karsui village of Bidhnu area in Kanpur.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the Opposition Congress in his Rajya Sabha address, stating that the people rejected its agenda by voting for his performance.

"We feel proud of the wisdom and intelligence of the people of this country, in these elections. They defeated propaganda. They prioritised performance. They rejected the politics of deceit and put stamp of victory on the politics of trust," the Prime Minister said while replying to the debate on a motion thanking the President for her address to the joint sitting of the Parliament.



He also took a swipe at the Congress for its '1/3 jibe'. "I would like to extend hearty gratitude to a few colleagues in Congress. Ever since the results came, I was taking note of a colleague - who was not supported by his party but he held his party's flag all alone. For what he said, unke muh mein ghee shakkar. Why am I saying this? He repeatedly said "1/3rd government". What can be a bigger truth than this? We have completed 10 years now and there are 20 more to go. So, we have completed 1/3rd, 2/3rd remains. So, 'unke muh mein ghee shakkar' for his prophecy," Modi said.



The Prime Minister added that the third term for the BJP-led NDA is for making India a developed and self-reliant nation. "The next five years are to ensure saturation of basic facilities and for the fight against poverty. This country will emerge victorious against poverty in the next five years, and I am saying this based on the experience of the past 10 years. When India will become the third largest economy in the world, its impact will be on every sphere of life," Modi said.



Modi said that for his party BJP, the Constitution is not just a compilation of articles but its spirit and words are very important too. "It acts like a lighthouse for governments," he said, adding that Constitution Day will disseminate the spirit of the Constitution in the country.



"This opportunity given to us for the third time by the people of the country is to realise 'Viksit Bharat' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'," says Modi in Rajya Sabha.



Meanwhile, the opposition raised slogans of 'LoP ko bolne do' as PM Narendra Modi spoke, after LoP Mallikarjun Kharge wanted to intervene during Modi's reply.

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, however, did not heed to his requests, leading to INDIA block MPs, raising slogans and asking for the LoP to be allowed to speak. Modi continued his speech amid the slogan-shouting.

Despite Kharge repeatedly pleading to be allowed to speak, Dhankhar did not give the permission after which the INDIA bloc MPs staged a walkout of the House.



Dhankhar condemned their act of walkout, saying this was an insult to the Constitution. Modi too decried the walkout and said he is not trying to score points but is duty-bound to give an account of his government's performance.
The death toll in Tuesday's stampede in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras touched 121, of which 108 were women. Seven children were also killed in the deadly incident that happened when thousands congregated at a 'satsang' event held by religious preacher Bhole Baba near Phulrai village in the Sikandrarau area.

Aligarh Zone Inspector General of Police (IG) Shalabh Mathur told reporters that 116 people have died in the stampede incident in Hathras. While most of them are from the Hatras district, many victims were from the nearby Etah too.

The Uttar Pradesh government said the majority of the bodies of those who died in the stampede have been identified. The bodies have been kept at the government hospital in Hatras.

What caused the tragedy?

Authorities said the tragedy was caused due to overcrowding. Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, who visited the site with state DGP Prashant Kumar, said devotees were running after the vehicle of Baba Narayan Hari, aka Bhole Baba, as he left the venue after the 'satsang'. "Some bent down to collect soil from the venue and fell," Singh said.

"There was a race among people running after his (Bhole Baba's) vehicle. People collect soil from there (the path where the baba walked) and worship it. As a result, people started bending down and fell," Singh told PTI.

Authorities added that though the organisers had sought permission for 80,000 people to attend the 'satsang', but the actual number was much higher. "There has been a lapse on the part of the event organisers," he said.

DGP Kumar said it was the sub-divisional magistrate who gave permission for the 'satsang' and it is being probed whether the organisers complied with all conditions. "An FIR is being registered and action will be taken against all culprits. As far as (the possibility of any) administrative lapses is concerned, it will be thoroughly investigated by the ADG (Agra Zone) and divisional commissioner (of Aligarh). The government will take action based on their report that will come in 24 hours," he said.

The police are also searching for Bhole Baba. On whether he would be charged and arrested, the DGP said the ambit of the investigation is open.

"Right now, everything is a matter of investigation. We do not want to influence the investigation by drawing any immediate conclusion. The ambit of the investigation is open. Action will be taken based on the facts that come to light during the investigation," he said.

However, police said they are yet to locate Bhole Baba as he was not inside the campus of Ram Kutir Charitable Trust at Mainpuri. "We did not find Baba inside the campus. He is not here," Deputy SP Sunil Kumar told reporters.

CM to visit Hathras today

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is likely to visit Hathras on Wednesday. According to a senior government official, the chief minister is taking stock of the situation around the clock.

The government had constituted a team consisting of ADG Agra and Aligarh Divisional Commissioner to inquire into the cause of the incident. The report is to be submitted within 24 hours, the government said in a statement.

Adityanath met with senior officials at his residence on Tuesday and sent ministers Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary, Asim Arun and Sandeep Singh to the spot. The CM also vowed to punish the people responsible and the probe will focus on whether it was an accident or a conspiracy.

"This incident took place in Sikandrarao of Hathras district between 3 pm and 3.30 pm. The event of Bhole Baba was organised in the village and the local devotees were participating in it. When the preacher of the satsang was coming down from the stage after the programme was over, a crowd of devotees went towards him. As the sevadars stopped them, there was a stampede," he said in a statement.
Life they say is a mystery. Death is more mysterious. And not just because there is no knowing when and how it strikes. With the list of 121mostly womenwho lost their lives in a stampede at a Godmans satsang (religious congregation) in Hathras Phulrai Mughal Garhi village expected to get longer, the air of helplessness all around is palpable.

Like Raju, a bewildered six-year-old. When asked if he will get over his stomach pain after being trampled upon on the highway by the Babas believers, Raju answers coyly: I dont know. His 12-year-old sister Raunaq suffered wounds on the forehead, waist and left feet. Their mother, Roshni, is taking them to the hospital and asking around if she is entitled to free medical treatment. They were among the lucky ones to have escaped the panic-stricken mobs mad rush. The ill-fated 121 did not.

According to most eyewitnesses that THE WEEK spoke to, the initial rush began with the devotees rushing to pick up the dust where Bhole Baba placed his steps as he walked from his luxury car to the podium and back.

The massive crowd was part of a gathering on the ground by the roadside. For months, work had been going on to clear the farmland where maize grew. The land was flattened, swept with fresh cow dung, and a brick-lined pathway just for the Godman Bhole Babas caran XUV 700to be driven into the makeshift stage. The Baba had his own washroom just behind. It was all for his satsang on Tuesday.

The FIR filed at the local Sikandrarau police station mentions that while about 80,000 people were expected to attend, about 2,50,000 turned up leading to a frenzy that in a matter of minutes at around 2 PM bellowed into a stampede with screaming men, women and children trying to get out.

Dr Surya Prakash, chief medical superintendent at the Hathras Civil Hospital, told THE WEEK: Our hospital reported 34 dead. Most of them are from asphyxia or suffocation. 11 are being treated for injuries.

Very strangely enough, the internet or mobile telephones were not working on Tuesday. Said Monu, who had come from a nearby village, to attend the gathering: I had tried calling up many of my friends but the phones were not connecting.

Survivors of the Hathras stampede | Kritajna Naik

However, the local police denied that jammers had been set up or the internet pulled down.

Godmen have been Indias favourite children of destiny. Often of a shadowy past, they do earn much in a short while, and lead a life of opulence surrounded by countless fawning followers keen to do their bidding.

Take Bhole Baba Sakar Hari for instance, several of whose original names are doing the roundsfrom Suraj Pal Singh to a Sharma-ji. He worked as a constablelater rising to the rank of a head constablein the state police intelligence department. Seeking premature retirement, he got into the sermonising act.

Over about two decades, Bhole Baba, originally hailing from nearby Bahadurnagar and his ashram at Mainpuri, accumulated opulous wealth and began owning a cavalcade of luxury cars. He delivers his sermons dressed in a three-piece suit in a customary white and strictly prohibits any photography or videography of his addresses at the congregations.

Always travelling with a posse of muscular bouncers called sewadars who are always dressed in a resplendent pink or in a commando-style black, these men are armed with a thick wooden staff.

Eyewitnesses that THE WEEK spoke to reported the presence of around 15,000 sewadars.

The sewadars beat up people to control the surge and then later gave it up. They are the law enforcers for the Baba, said Prem, another lad from a nearby village who attended the meet.

Interestingly, the First Information Report (FIR), does not name Bhole Baba.

Locals believe that Baba is from the Jatav community which is a Scheduled Caste. Most of his followers are from the same community.

It is not quite a coincidence that the Godman appeal is fairly strong among the marginalised sections of society. Often fed up with the daily drudgery of a struggling life in the rural and suburbs, they turn to Godmen who suggest cut-and-dried solutions to their problems.

From the class point of view, the Indian Godmans followers often comprise the well-heeled. And from there on, it becomes a grey zone, with managing of funds and finances becoming the main focus of such religious sects.

These Godmen, Bhole Baba being no exception, often nudge their followers to vote for a political party of choice depending on who they are patronised by. It is then that the strange yet familiar interplay of money, riches and political power seeps in. It then becomes a vicious circle with the money, the riches and power feeding on each other.
A special court has handed over a life sentence to the prime accused in a long-running case which underscored the corruption in the National Rural Health Mission in the state.

On Wednesday, a CBI court in Lucknow pronounced a lifer for Anand Prakash Tiwari for two cases in which FIRs were registered in October 2010 and April 2011. In both, the then chief medical officers Vinod Arya and Brahma Prasad Singh were murdered while on their morning walks.

In both cases, chargesheets were filed in April 2013.

The court of Justice Anurodh Mishra pronounced, The said case does not come in the rarest of rare category(as it is) based on circumstantial evidenceand the main accused does not have a criminal history It has also been noted that punishment given should not just be for the severity of the crime but also bear in mind if there was no scope for improvement in the convict.

The murders were spawned by the misappropriation of funds meant for NRHM. One former CMO, A.K. Shukla and a deputy CMO, Y.S. Sachan were the initial suspects believed to have planned the murders to cover up the scam. While Shukla was later released on bail, Sachan was found dead inside his jail cell.

Tiwari was the shooter who executed the killings. He has been convicted under Sections 302 and 304 of the Indian Penal Code.

Among the accused was also Babu Singh Kushwaha, family welfare minister in the then Mayawati-led government. The highest-ranking official charged in the scam is Pradeep Shukla, principal secretary of health and family welfare.

Such was the infamy of the scam, in which money was distributed to CMOs across the state, that PM Manmohan Singh had accused the state government of misusing funds meant for the scheme. The schemes focus on creating infrastructure had allowed siphoning off money by contractors, builders, and officers in charge and putting up shoddy facilities in turn.

The now (renamed) health mission has an allocation of Rs 31,967 crores for 2024-25 in the state. As per a CAG report, between April 2005 and March 2011; more than Rs 5,500 crores from the NRHM budget were unaccounted for.
Proving rumors doing rounds valid, Tirunelveli Mayor P M Saravanan and his Coimbatore counterpart Kalpana Anandakumar tendered their resignations to the respective corporation commissioners on Wednesday. Both leaders belonged to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Tamil Nadu's ruling party led by chief minister MK Stalin.

In Tirunelveli, the infighting within the local body has been at its peak ever since the councillors took charge in 2022. Multiple complaints have been lodged against Mayor Saravanan with the DMK high command saying that he has been a blockade in carrying out development activities in the corporation. In December 2023 the DMK councillors had brought a no-confidence motion against their own mayor. A day before the no-confidence motion, the DMK leadership managed to herd the councillors to the nearby hotels. But on January 12, all the councillors including the opposition AIADMK boycotted the motion and so it failed.

However, there was simmering anger and frustration among the DMK councillors against the mayor. Incidentally in March 2024, M Indra, Tirunelveli ward 7 councillor submitted her resignation to the corporation commissioner Shubham Dnyandeorao Thakare protesting against the mayor Saravanan and corporation officials for not allowing her to do any development works in the ward. In Tirunelveli, the DMK won 44 out of the 55 seats in the 2022 election.

In Coimbatore, however, the infighting did not come out in the open. Coimbatore mayor Kalpana was the choice of former minister V Senthil Balaji who is in jail over a cash-for-job scam case. Kalpana, the first woman mayor of Coimbatore, has been facing a huge backlash from her own party colleagues and councilors. They accused the mayor and her husband Anandakumar of corruption.

Several councilors have accused her of withholding approval to accept land donated for a road project in Chinnavedampatti in October 2023. Though she had denied these claims, the controversies did not die down. In fact, Kalpana has been camping in Chennai to meet the high command and clarify about the allegations against her.

Kalpana cited health and other personal reasons for her quitting.

Not just the councillors of the two corporations, but the MLAs have also been perturbed by the bureaucracy and the party seniors in their region.

According to sources, at least four MLAs in the Tiruchirapalli district have submitted a detailed letter to the Chief Ministers Office with complaints against the Trichy corporation commissioner. Recently all the ward councillors in Srivaikuntam tendered their resignation citing noncooperation by the block development officer.

Sources say that Kalpana and Saravanan resigned from the mayor's post on strict instructions from the party leadership and Udhayanidhi Stalin, the CM's son, is involved. It seems the DMK, after the massive victory in the Lok Sabha election is in a course correction mode, mostly in the party districts where the infighting is at its peak.

Incidentally in the local administration department, headed by party veteran KN Nehru, there have been huge factional feuds in every district administration.

The infighting within the party and reports of non-cooperation from the bureaucracy has turned into a thorn in the flesh for the ruling DMK which is yet to overcome the damage caused by the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy.
US President Joe Biden on Wednesday tried to explain his last week's shaky debate performance, pinning it on his extensive foreign travels and jet lag. The President, facing pressure to step aside, said he "almost fell asleep on stage" and "was not very smart" enough to handle his schedule.

The 81-year-old, who is seeking a second term in the White House, was seen stumbling, his voice hoarse, and his train of thought interrupted. On a few occasions, Biden was incoherent, falling flat against a much superior performance by Trump. His disastrous performance set off alarm bells among top Democrats about whether the incumbent president could stay atop in the gruelling months ahead of the elections.

"I wasn't very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple of times...shortly before the debate," Biden said while talking to donors at a fundraiser in a Virginia suburb of Washington DC on Tuesday. "I didn't listen to my staff...and then I almost fell asleep on stage," he said.

Stating that he was sorry, Biden admitted that he did not have a good debate. "It's not an excuse but an explanation," he said.

The president's remarks at the fundraiser lasted just six minutes, which is far shorter than what he speaks on such occasions.

Biden's explanation comes as the White House too acknowledged that Biden did not have a great (debate) night. "Honestly, this is something that the president has addressed himself multiple times since this past Thursday. First of all, I want to say, we understand the concerns. We get it. The president did not have a great night. As you all know and many of you reached out during the debate, the president had a cold. He had a hoarse voice," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference.

"You all heard it, that's why you reached out. But I will say this, and the president said this over the past couple of days, certainly right after the debate. He knows how to do the job and he knows how to do the job, not because he says it, because his record proves it. Because for three and a half years, almost four years, the president's record has been unprecedented, delivering for the American people," she said.

However, reports claim that Democratic leaders are saying they want him to step aside for the good of the party and the country. "There are 25 Democratic members of the House of Representatives preparing to call for Biden to step aside," Reuters quoted a House Democratic aide. Another aide said moderate House Democrats in competitive districts - often called "frontliners" - were considering writing a letter to Biden about their concerns. It looks like the dam has broken," the source said.

Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas too was vocal about the need for Biden to step down. "I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw. President Biden should do the same, Doggett said in his statement Tuesday.

"Theres a large and increasing group of House Democrats concerned about the presidents candidacy, representing a broad swath of the caucus," another House Democratic lawmaker told CNN on condition of anonymity. "We are deeply concerned about his trajectory and his ability to win. We want to give him space to make a decision [to step aside], but we will be increasingly vocal about our concerns if he doesnt."

Meanwhile, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told MSNBC that it was legitimate to ask whether his debate performance was a one-night thing or a broader health problem. "I think it's a legitimate question to say, 'Is this an episode or is this a condition?' And so when people ask that question, it's legitimate, of both candidates," Pelosi said, while stressing Biden's accomplishments.

However, Pelosi said she supports Biden's decision. "Joe Biden's decision to go forward is a decision that we will all embrace because of the record he has and the performance that will come with it," she added.
Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, who is sought in India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, is extraditable under the plain provisions of the US-India extradition treaty, a US attorney has told a federal court.

Assistant US Attorney, Criminal Appeals Chief Bram Alden was making a closing argument before the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, where Rana has appealed against the order by a US District Court in California that denied the writ of habeas corpus.



In May, Rana, 63, had filed a writ of habeas corpus challenging the court order, which acceded with the request of the US government that the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks accused be extradited to India.



"Rana is extraditable to India under the plain provisions of the treaty, and India has established probable cause to prosecute him for his role in terrorist attacks that resulted in 166 deaths and 239 injuries," Alden said.



In his deposition before the court on June 5, Alden, who left the position last week, said both India and the United States have agreed on the meaning of the treaty provision, the non-bis provision in Article 6-1.



"Both parties have now stated what they intended, that that provision be interpreted based on the elements of the offence and not based on the conduct underlying those crimes. That is consistent with long-standing Supreme Court double jeopardy precedent," he argued.



Rana, currently lodged in a jail in Los Angeles, faces charges for his role in the Mumbai attacks and is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.



"Rana has never even attempted to argue that he cannot show that the same elements India seeks to prosecute him for were those he was prosecuted for in Chicago," Alden said.



Representing Rana, attorney John D Cline said there's no competent evidence supporting probable cause.



Alden said the evidence is overwhelming to support probable cause, that low standard that Rana knew about what was going to happen in India between 2006 and 2008.



"He met with (David) Headley multiple times. There is documentary evidence that supports Hadley's testimony, including the fake visa applications that were provided so that Hadley could operate a fraudulent business in India in order to conduct surveillance, in order to carry out those terrorist attacks," he said.



"There was a phone call, of course, after the fact where Rana said that he was informed about what was going on by one of their co-conspirators in Pakistan. And his praise for what was carried out in a gruesome terrorist attack that killed 166 people, injured 239 more, and cost India USD 1.5 billion," Alden said.



"It was primarily at the Taj Mahal Hotel, but the terrorists attacked a number of bars, restaurants, and the Chabad House. There were other targets in India that they were attacking in Mumbai. And it was their 9/11," he said.



"It was a devastating attack over the course of multiple days that resulted in 166 deaths, including six Americans, he added. That is why India wants to prosecute this case and, under the extradition treaty, has every right to do so," Alden argued.



The extent he wants to raise humanitarian concerns or even concerns about the process, the acquittal, the fact that he is facing extradition, those all get raised and can be raised to the Secretary of State, he said in response to a question from the judge.



Representing Rana, Cline, in his deposition, said the central question here is whether the known bis in idem provision in the US-India extradition treaty, the double jeopardy provision, permits the extradition of a man who was acquitted by an American jury for prosecution in a foreign country on that same conduct.



"That's the question here. The answer to that question is no, and the answer is no for four principal reasons," Cline said as he listed the four provisions.


While defence experts find it extremely difficult to assess the nuclear capabilities of Pakistan due to the government secrecy surrounding the country's nuclear arsenal, there are reports that Pakistan is equipping its JF-17 fighter jets with Raad-I missiles.

Raad-I missile, which can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads, has been with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) since 2012. It is Pakistans only nuclear-capable air-launched cruise missile.

Pakistan is reliant on the Mirage III/V for nuclear delivery. Reports have suggested that the country may incorporate Raad ALCM onto the JF-17 so that it can take over the role from Mirage III/V. Pakistan had reportedly procured 130 operational lightweight, single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft JF-17 aircraft, and plans to acquire more.

While there has been hardly any information about the procurement of JF-17 or if the aircraft, jointly developed by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and Chengdu Aircraft Corporation of China, would replace Mirage III and V, according to a report by the US think tank Federation of American Scientists (FAS), there could be some confirmation on Pakistan's plans to equip JF-17s with Raad ALCM (air-launched cruise missile).

In March 2023, an aviation photographer managed to capture images of a JF-17 Thunder Block II, which appeared to be equipped with Raad-I nuclear missile during the rehearsals for Pakistan Day Parade 2023. The parade was cancelled later.

Photos analysed by FAS suggested that the missile on the JF-17 looked to be a close match of the twin-tail configuration of the Raad-I. The photos were compared with Raad-I and -II missiles that were showcased at the Pakistan Day Parades in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2024.

Photos were also compared to Taimoor, Pakistan's air-launched cruise missile. FAS research has revealed that the missile on JF-17 was not the Taimoor.

FAS checked the dimensions of the cruise missile in the JF-17 image and said, the "measurements offer additional evidence to support our conclusion that the missile observed in the photographed image of the JF-17 is the Raad-I ALCM."

"From these observations, it is likely that Pakistan has made significant progress toward equipping its JF-17s with the capability to eventually supplementand possibly replacethe nuclear strike role of the aging Mirage III/Vs," FAS concluded.
Federal health officials are investigating a possible death and dozens of illnesses tied to recalled "microdosing" candies laced with a chemical found in mushrooms and sold online and in vape shops nationwide.

At least 48 people in 24 states, including North Dakota, said they got sick after eating Diamond Shruumz-brand products, including chocolate bars, cones and gummies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

As of July 3, 27 people have been hospitalized, the agency said Tuesday. People who fell ill reported severe symptoms such as seizures, agitation, abnormal heart rates and loss of consciousness.

Prophet Premium Blends LLC of Santa Ana, California, recalled all of its Diamond Shruumz products late last month because they contain muscimol, a psychoactive chemical found in potentially toxic Amanita mushrooms that may be tied to the illnesses.

North Dakota cases

One of the 48 people who reported getting sick was from North Dakota. The state's Health and Human Services along with the poison control center identified a death in the state that could potentially be associated to Diamond Shruumz brand products, North Dakota HHS said in a statement. The exact cause of death is not yet known. The state did not identify the person.

The products are marketed for microdosing, which means taking very small doses of a psychedelic drug to achieve supposed benefits while minimizing negative side effects.

Diamond Shruumz products were sold nationwide in retail stores and online; at smoke or vape shops; and by retailers that sell hemp-derived products such as cannabidiol, or CBD, or delta-8 THC.

The FDA, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and America's Poison Centers are investigating the outbreak.

People who have these products should stop using them. Anyone who falls ill after using them should contact a health care provider or a poison center at 1 (800) 222-1222.

(The Bismarck Tribune contributed to this story.)

Which states have the worst substance abuse problems? Which states have the worst substance abuse problems? Drug deaths are rising Fentanyl's damage has been widespread Which states have the worst substance abuse problems?


Viewed 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.
Police in upstate New York tackled and then shot a 13-year-old boy to death after he pointed what turned out to be a BB gun at officers during a foot chase.

Utica officials released body camera footage of Friday nights shooting on Saturday and held a contentious public meeting attended by the teens family and other members of their local refugee community.

The state attorney generals office is investigating and the police officers involved have been placed on leave, as is protocol during such shootings.

Heres what you need to know.

What happened?

The shooting happened at around 10 p.m. on a residential street in Utica, an old industrial city about 240 miles (400 kilometers) northwest of Manhattan that sits along the Mohawk River at the foot of the Adirondack Mountains.

According to police, three officers on patrol stopped to question two youths. One of the teens, Nyah Mway, then fled on foot and pointed what police say appeared to be a handgun in the direction of the officers. After tackling the teen to the ground, one of the officers fired a single shot into his chest. The teen was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Who was the victim?

Mway, whose family name is Nyah, was a Karen refugee born in Myanmar. He had just graduated from middle school and was set to start high school in the fall.

His anguished relatives and other members of the local Karen community have called for police to be held accountable for what they view as an unjust killing, as Mway was already subdued and on the ground when he was shot.

The teens family said Monday they were waiting for the medical examiners office to release his body so they could make funeral arrangements. The Onondaga County Health Department said the cause and manner of death are still pending and the autopsy report hasnt been made public.

Mways cousin Lay Htoo told The Associated Press that the family had come to the U.S. for education and good jobs in the hopes of living a peaceful life after decades of strife and violence in Myanmar, which is gripped by civil war.

Who are the officers?

Police have released the names of the three officers who were involved in the incident, saying they are assigned to a crime prevention unit. Patrick Husnay, a six-year veteran of the department, was the officer that shot the boy.

Bryce Patterson, who has been on the police force for four years, and Andrew Citriniti, a two-year department veteran who previously served with the Oneida County Sheriffs Office, were the other officers involved.

All three remain on paid administrative leave, which is standard in police-involved shootings, Lt. Michael Curley, a department spokesperson, confirmed Monday.

What does the body camera footage show?

The videos released late Saturday show a chaotic scene.

In the footage, an officer says he needs to pat down the two teens standing on a sidewalk to ensure they dont have any weapons. One bolts down the street appearing to hold a dark object while he runs away.

The officers scream gun! before one of them tackles him and punches him. Another officer opens fire as the two wrestle on the ground.

Bystanders can be heard screaming at the police throughout the recordings. At one point, an officer yells back: Were trying to save him right now!

What weapon was brandished?

Police say the BB or pellet gun Mway pointed closely resembled a Glock 17 Gen 5 handgun with a detachable magazine.

The department released images showing the device did not have an orange band on the barrel that many BB gun-makers have added in recent years to distinguish their products from real firearms.

What have officials said?

Police Chief Mark Williams said the officers stopped the teens because they matched the description of the suspects in recent robberies in the area.

He said the suspects in those cases were Asian males  one walking and the other on a bicycle  who brandished a black firearm.

Mayor Michael Galime spoke Saturday and met privately with the family. He also addressed the Karen community during a contentious meeting Sunday at a local church, rejecting suggestions that the shooting showed prejudice.

What I witnessed on the bodycam footage and all of the reports I read leading up to that incident, there was no reference or any indication that there was any racism, Galime told the crowd.

Michael Gentile, his chief of staff, declined to elaborate Monday, saying the mayor was asked a direct question in regard to racism, and he gave a direct answer that has not changed.

What is the Karen community?

Karens are an ethnic minority that are among the groups warring with the military rulers of Myanmar, which was formerly known as Burma.

Utica, a city of more than 65,000 residents, is home to more than 4,200 people from Myanmar, according to The Center, a nonprofit that helps to resettle the refugees.

Theyre among thousands of refugees from various countries who have settled in the area in recent decades and who now make up more than 20% of the faded Rust Belt hubs population, by some estimates.

Whats next?

State Attorney General Letitia James office is conducting a review to determine if the police departments use of force was justified, as is standard in police shootings.

Her office said Monday that its investigation was ongoing and that it couldnt provide a timeframe for when it would be complete.

The police department is conducting its own investigation to see whether the officers followed the proper procedures, policies and training.

Curley said Monday that any additional details about the criminal investigation into the shooting will come from James office.

(AP)
Former President Donald Trumps lawyers have asked the New York judge who presided over his hush money trial to set aside his conviction and delay his sentencing, scheduled for next week.

The letter to Judge Juan M. Merchan cited the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling earlier Monday on presidential immunity and asked the judge to delay Trumps sentencing while he weighs the high courts decision and how it could influence the New York case, according to the letter obtained by The Associated Press.

The lawyers argue that the Supreme Courts decision confirmed a position the defense raised earlier in the case that prosecutors should have been precluded from introducing some evidence they said constituted official presidential acts, according to the letter.

In prior court filings, Trump contended he is immune from prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office. His lawyers did not raise that as a defense in the hush money case, but they argued that some evidence  including Trumps social media posts about former lawyer Michael Cohen  comes from his time as president and should have been excluded from the trial because of immunity protections.

The Manhattan district attorneys office declined to comment Monday night.

The Supreme Court on Monday ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, extending the delay in the Washington criminal case against the Republican ex-president on charges he plotted to overturn his 2020 election loss.

Trump was convicted in New York of 34 counts of falsifying business records, arising from what prosecutors said was an attempt to cover up a hush money payment just before the 2016 presidential election. He is scheduled to be sentenced in the hush money case on July 11.

Merchan instituted a policy in the run-up to the trial requiring both sides to send him a one-page letter summarizing their arguments before making longer court filings. He said he did that to better manage the docket, so he was not inundated with voluminous paperwork.

In denying Trumps bid to move the trial from New York state court to federal court last year, a federal judge found that the allegations at the center of the case pertained to Trumps personal life and do not reflect in any way the color of the Presidents official duties.

The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the matter was a purely a personal item of the President  a cover-up of an embarrassing event, U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein wrote in the ruling.

(AP)
Former President Donald Trumps sentencing in his hush money case has been postponed to September after the judge agreed Tuesday to weigh the possible impact of a new Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.

Trump had been scheduled to face sentencing July 11 on his New York conviction on felony charges of falsifying business records. He denies any wrongdoing.

The postponement sets the sentencing for Sept. 18, well after the Republican National Convention, where Trump is set formally to accept the partys nomination for president in this years race. The convention runs from July 15 to 18.

A Supreme Court ruling Monday granted broad immunity protections to presidents, while also restricting prosecutors from citing any official acts as evidence in trying to prove a presidents unofficial actions violated the law.

Hours after it was issued, Trumps attorney requested that New York Judge Juan M. Merchan set aside the jurys guilty verdict and delay the sentencing to consider how the high courts ruling and could affect the hush money case. He said hell rule Sept. 6.

Manhattan prosecutors said Tuesday that they wouldnt oppose putting off the sentencing for at least two weeks.

(AP)
Anas Saleh, the pro-Hamas activist who ordered Zionists to identify themselves on the New York subway and told them Raise your hand if youre a Zionist. This is your chance to get out, was arraigned in New York Tuesday morning, and the Manhattan DA is now officially prosecuting him, with his next court date scheduled for August 12. At least one woman told authorities she left the train out of fear she would be attacked.

His lawyer is one Moira Meltzer-Cohen, who shamefully used her Jewishness to try and get the case thrown out by the judge, who thankfully didnt bite.

My court, my rules, Judge Michele Weber told Moira Meltzer-Cohen as she denied the request, cutting off the defense attorney a second time when the lawyer tried arguing that she, too, was a Jew.

Meltzer-Cohen describes herself as an attorney committed to supporting peoples struggles for liberation.

She is an educator, attorney, and abolitionist, serving overlapping communities of activists, queers, and prisoners. My work includes criminal defense, particularly for those arrested in the course of justice struggles; representation of witnesses before federal grand juries; and advocacy for those seeking gender affirming and other necessary (but often withheld) health care while in prison, according to her website bio.

On the positive side, she doesnt mention on her bio that she is Jewish. Which is probably a good thing, since she seems not to be in any touch with her yiddishe neshama.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded on Thursday to the Shin Bet placing blame on him for the release of the director of Shifa Hospital due to overcrowded prison conditions.

To his credit, since he entered his position, Ben-Gvir has dramatically changed the formerly cushy conditions of Israeli jails for terrorists, where in the past they used to receive satisfying meals, earn a college degree and buy a choice of snacks at the canteen.

An Israeli wrote on X on Tuesday: You can like Ben-Gvir or not but you cant argue with the fact that he sets a proper standard in the prisons for terrorists. Last week, I met a friend for coffee who serves as an officer in Israel Prison Services and he told me: Since Ben-Gvir changed the conditions of incarceration in the prisons, there is no Arab in Yehudah and Shomron who wants to come here. Every Arab in Yehudah and Shomron talks about how being in an Israeli prison at this time involves great suffering.

The Israel Prison Services released a video of the Shifa directors prison cell on Tuesday morning.

Ben-Gvir stated on Tuesday: In the prisons today, there are no camps, no canteens, no eight-hour trips. I closed the bakeries, they called me the minister of pita  today everyone understands that the minister of pita was right.

The Shin Bet, under the command of Ronen Bar, Ben-Gvir stated, convinced the prime minister again and again that worsening the conditions of the terrorists would lead to an escalation, an explosion, the burning of the Middle East. After the outbreak of the war, I was able to finally carry out the long-awaited reform. The conditions of the terrorists in prison have been reduced to a minimum: terrorists who are currently released from prison testify that they never want to return to an Israeli prison. The prisons of the State of Israel are no longer a sad joke.

As part of the war, the army carried out many arrests of terrorists and those wanted for terrorism in Yehudah and Shomron, along with many terrorists who were brought from Gaza. Many of those arrested were housed in a military camp, Sdeh Temen, where they were held by the army. Recently, following a petition to the Supreme Court, the IDF and the Shin Bet were quick to fold and announce that the conditions of incarceration there would be examined, and that the number of prisoners held there would be reduced. In practice, a situation has arisen in which due to the harsh living conditions of the prisoners (we are talking about despicable terrorists, right?), there are now 1,500 vacant prison places in Sdeh Temen.

Ben Gvir added: Even in the prisons that are under the responsibility of the Israel Prison Services, where many terrorists were taken in, overcrowding was created. But I never thought of releasing terrorists from prison because they are overcrowded. And this is the core of the dispute between me and the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar: he claims that the conditions of the terrorists in prison, including overcrowding, look bad to the world, and may lead to escalation.

If what they did to us was done to any other country in the world, it would do much worse against those terrorists and ignore all those who cluck their tongues. Are the prison cells crowded? Next time they will think twice before they go out to slaughter, rape and loot.

Israeli Prison Services (IPS) has already begun an accelerated construction project of new prisons, and since October, 2,500 new prison spaces have been added. Another project began last April, and it includes the construction of 936 additional prison places that is currently underway. In addition to the emergency construction during the war, IPS will complete a construction project of about 1,200 prison places throughout the country by the end of the year.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is likely to meet US President Joe Biden during the prime ministers trip to Washington later this month to address Congress, a White House official said.

According to a CNN report, the details of the meeting are still being finalized.

In response to a query by the Times of Israel, a White House official stated: The President has known Prime Minister Netanyahu for three decades. They will likely see each other when the prime minister is here over the course of that week, but we have nothing to announce at this time.

Netanyahus speech to Congress is scheduled for July 24.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
The Israeli who was murdered by a terrorist in a stabbing attack in a mall in Karmiel on Wednesday was identified by the IDF as Aleksandr Yakiminsky, Hyd, 19, from Nahariya.

Yakiminsky, zl, who was in uniform but off-duty at the time of the attack, served in the 71st Battalion of the 188th Brigade. Another soldier from the same battalion, also in uniform, was seriously wounded in the attack.

Yakiminsky died a hero  after being stabbed in the neck, he managed to chase the terrorist, shooting and neutralizing him. He then collapsed on the floor.

Paramedics who arrived at the scene performed CPR and tried to save his life. He was evacuated to the hospital where doctors fought to save his life. Sadly, his death was pronounced a couple of hours later.

Security officials later identified the assailant as Jawwad Omar Rubia, 20, an Israeli citizen from the Arab town of Nahf, which is near Karmiel. Channel 13 News reported that police arrested the terrorists sister after it was discovered that she works at the mall where the attack took place.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
Rental prices have reached another new record high, according to the property website Rightmove.

Average advertised rents have reached 1,316 per calendar month outside of London, up 91 or 7 per cent compared to a year ago when the average rent was 1,225.

In the capital, average rents are now 2,652 per month, up 92 or 4 per cent from 2,560 a year ago. In percentage terms this made it the region that had the smallest rise, along with Wales.

Rightmove is therefore calling for the next Government to build more homes in order to make rent rises more 'sustainable'.

Supply and demand: Rightmove says 120,000 more rental homes are needed on the market to bring rent growth back to more normal levels of around 2% a year

While rents continue to go up, they are rising more slowly thanks to more properties becoming available which means landlords may price them more competitively.

The pace of rent growth has eased from its peak of 12 per cent two years ago, though it is still higher than the more normal level of around 2 per cent per year seen before the pandemic.

There are still nowhere near enough homes to satisfy the number of tenants looking to move, according to Rightmove.

Its analysis suggests that 120,000 more rental properties are needed to reduce rent growth to 2 per cent per year, based on the current level of demand.

Rents rise the most in North East England

Rents have been rising faster in some parts of the country with some regions experiencing double digit rental growth.

For example, in the North East of England, the average asking rent is up 11 per cent year-on-year, jumping from 808 a month to 894.

The West Midlands, where average rents are now 1,180 a month, is up 10 per cent on this time last year equating to a 109 monthly uplift.

Scotland is currently the hardest hit by supply and demand imbalances, according to Rightmove, with renters competing fiercely over limited stock.

Up until recently Scottish landlords could only increase rents on current tenancies by up to 3 per cent, unless given special permission.

However, the cap was lifted from 31 March and means rental costs will be back in the control of landlords, 18 months after the first price freeze was introduced.

Despite the rent controls imposed, average advertised rents in Scotland are up 9 per cent year-on-year.

Meanwhile, London rents are now 4 per cent above last year. This is also the same in Wales.

London had seen rents boom during 2022 and 2023, but now, thanks to improvement in the balance between supply and demand in the capital, prices appear to be cooling in most areas.

Change of pace: London rents are now 4% above last year, now the joint smallest increase of all regions having been the biggest riser in the past two years

Next Government 'must build homes to cut rents'

Tim Bannister, a property expert at Rightmove thinks the next Government needs to streamline the planning process, accelerate housebuilding, and provide incentives for landlords to invest in more homes.

He said this would improve the supply and demand imbalance in the rental market and ensure that rental prices stop soaring upwards.

'We've been talking about the imbalance between supply and demand in the rental market for a long time now,' says Bannister. 'It's easy to forget that there was a time before the pandemic where rental price growth was more stable.

'Double-digit yearly rent increases were not sustainable, and, whilst there has been some improvement in the ratio between supply and demand, price growth at 7 per cent suggests we are still out of balance.

'In fact, our analysis shows we would need 120,000 more properties on the rental market to achieve a more sustainable level of rent growth of around 2 per cent per year.

'The next Government should be prioritising an improvement to the planning process, an acceleration of housebuilding, and encouraging more supply into the rental market.'

Biggest imbalances between supply and demand

Nathan Emerson, chief executive of Propertymark, the estate agent membership body, agrees with Bannister.

He said: 'Propertymark has long argued that the private rental sector needs more houses to stabilise rental prices, but there is a myriad of other factors that can contribute towards making the market more attractive for both investors and tenants.

'With a general election coming this week, we would like to see the next government reform the tax system so that more investors can be persuaded to invest in the private rental sector and lower rents for tenants in the long-term.

'Whilst we support a greater supply of houses, there has to be a sensible deliverable programme mindful of protecting the green belt wherever possible.

'It would also be wise for them to avoid rent controls which have had a devastating effect on the private rental sector in Scotland'
Two more big banks have announced mortgage rate cuts in the latest downward shift for home loan pricing.

Yesterday, Halifax has slashed rates across a number of mortgage deals by 0.19 percentage points.

And today, Santander has followed suit, with a spate of rate cuts across its fixed rate deals by up to 0.16 percentage points, aimed at home buyers.

> When will interest rates fall?

Rate war: Halifax and Santander have both announced rate cuts this week with more lenders expected to follow

The latest repricing follows on from NatWest, which reduced rates across a number of its fixed rate products on Monday. Its second round of rate cuts in little more than a week.

Last week, similar moves were made by Barclays and HSBC, which both announced mortgage rate cuts.

Halifax is now offering the lowest two-year fix on the market to those buying with at least a 40 per cent deposit.

Its 4.63 per cent two-year fix comes with a 1,099 fee. On a 200,000 mortgage being repaid over 20 years that would cost someone 1,279 a month.

The average two-year fix is currently 5.94 per cent, according to Moneyfacts. Someone with the same situation would pay 1,426 a month on the average deal.

Halifax is also sitting very competitively for five year fixes for those buying or remortgaging with the largest deposits or equity.

Its lowest remortgage deal is 4.4 per cent with a 999 fee while its best rate for home buyers fixing for five years is 4.26 per cent - both of these are second lowest on the market.

Nicholas Mendes, technical manager at broker John Charcol said: 'Halifax has made further rate reductions to their product range, targeting home movers and first-time buyers in response to market competition.

'Recently, many lenders have been repricing their offers in the run-up to the election, aiming to capitalize on the brief respite as buyer activity picks up again.

'With little expectation of significant incentives from the prospective Labour government, buyers have re-engaged with the market after a short pause.'

Today, Santander also reduced rates for home buyers.

It now offers the lowest two-year fix on the market for those buying with a 25 per cent deposit.

Its 4.72 per cent deal comes with a 999 fee.

Brokers are hopeful that it will help ramp up competition between lenders over the coming sending rates lower.

Stephen Perkins, managing director at Yellow Brick Mortgages told news agency, Newspage: 'This move from Santander has the potential to ramp up the rate battle between the UK's biggest lenders.

'More cuts are now likely ahead of the expected base rate reduction in August. Things are really hotting up now in the mortgage market.'

Justin Moy, managing director at EHF Mortgages added: 'This is another small but important rate cut from Santander, keeping them within range of Barclays and NatWest who have already improved rates this week.

'While buyers won't see a huge improvement in their monthly payments, all these little wins are adding up over time. The mortgage rate cut momentum is growing.'
The rise of TikTok challenges in schools has introduced new cybersecurity risks for administrators to tackle, caused by the proliferation of unsecured devices that run rampant across the network.

Watch this webinar, Tackling the TikTok Challenge in Schools, to determine how intelligence-driven cybersecurity solutions can combat these threats in educational institutions, and to safeguard your school district from the latest TikTok-related cyberattacks.

Key discussion points include:

Tactics used by malicious actors targeting students and staff

Strategies to boost identity protection and supply chain resilience in education

Examples of using AI and threat intelligence
China upgrades emergency response to heavy rainfall, flooding in Hunan

Xinhua) 08:34, July 03, 2024

Rescuers transfer stranded residents in Pingjiang county, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. The flooding water in Pingjiang county is gradually declining. As of 6 p.m. on July 2, the water level of Pingjiang watch station of the Miluo River was 76.18 meters, still 5.68 meters above the warning mark, but 1.49 meters lower than the peak level. (Xinhua/Xie Ben)

BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities on Tuesday upgraded the emergency response to disasters triggered by recent severe rainfall and flooding in central China's Hunan Province to Level III.

The China National Commission for Disaster Reduction has dispatched a team to guide and assist local governments with disaster relief work and rescue efforts, aiming to ensure the basic needs of affected residents.

In response to disasters in Hunan's Miluo City and Pingjiang County, China's Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) has dispatched two unmanned aerial vehicles to enhance emergency communication support. More than 560 rescue workers have participated in related flood control and relief efforts.

On Tuesday night, MEM dispatched a further 200 rescue workers and 38 flood drainage equipment sets to support work to combat the floods in Hunan. These additional rescue workers are expected to arrive in impacted areas at 7 a.m. on Wednesday.

Chinese authorities have also arranged for the provision of more than 100,000 pieces of disaster relief materials, including instant food, drinking water and family emergency kits. The first batch of supplies arrived in affected areas of Pingjiang on Tuesday night.

Since mid-June, heavy rains have persisted in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, leading to the continuous rise of water levels and flooding.

Water levels have exceeded warning marks in sections of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River located below an estuary of Dongting Lake, according to the Ministry of Water Resources on Tuesday.

MEM has urged increased attention to geological disasters, the advance relocation of residents of hazardous areas, the prompt restoration of affected flood-prevention facilities and telecommunication infrastructure, and accelerated reconstruction work.

Rescuers transfer stranded residents in Pingjiang county, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. The flooding water in Pingjiang county is gradually declining. As of 6 p.m. on July 2, the water level of Pingjiang watch station of the Miluo River was 76.18 meters, still 5.68 meters above the warning mark, but 1.49 meters lower than the peak level. (Xinhua/Xie Ben)

Rescuers transfer stranded residents in Pingjiang county, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. The flooding water in Pingjiang county is gradually declining. As of 6 p.m. on July 2, the water level of Pingjiang watch station of the Miluo River was 76.18 meters, still 5.68 meters above the warning mark, but 1.49 meters lower than the peak level. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Firefighters dispatch supplies to stranded residents in Pingjiang county, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. The flooding water in Pingjiang county is gradually declining. As of 6 p.m. on July 2, the water level of Pingjiang watch station of the Miluo River was 76.18 meters, still 5.68 meters above the warning mark, but 1.49 meters lower than the peak level. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

An aerial drone photo shows the waterlogged downtown of Pingjiang county, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. The flooding water in Pingjiang county is gradually declining. As of 6 p.m. on July 2, the water level of Pingjiang watch station of the Miluo River was 76.18 meters, still 5.68 meters above the warning mark, but 1.49 meters lower than the peak level. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Firefighters dispatch supplies to stranded residents in Pingjiang county, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. The flooding water in Pingjiang county is gradually declining. As of 6 p.m. on July 2, the water level of Pingjiang watch station of the Miluo River was 76.18 meters, still 5.68 meters above the warning mark, but 1.49 meters lower than the peak level. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Firefighters transfer stranded residents in Pingjiang county, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. The flooding water in Pingjiang county is gradually declining. As of 6 p.m. on July 2, the water level of Pingjiang watch station of the Miluo River was 76.18 meters, still 5.68 meters above the warning mark, but 1.49 meters lower than the peak level. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Rescuers transfer stranded residents in Pingjiang county, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. The flooding water in Pingjiang county is gradually declining. As of 6 p.m. on July 2, the water level of Pingjiang watch station of the Miluo River was 76.18 meters, still 5.68 meters above the warning mark, but 1.49 meters lower than the peak level. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

An aerial drone photo shows the waterlogged downtown of Pingjiang county, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. The flooding water in Pingjiang county is gradually declining. As of 6 p.m. on July 2, the water level of Pingjiang watch station of the Miluo River was 76.18 meters, still 5.68 meters above the warning mark, but 1.49 meters lower than the peak level. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

An aerial drone photo shows an excavator working to restore a blocked road in Sanshi Town of Pingjiang county, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. The flooding water in Pingjiang county is gradually declining. As of 6 p.m. on July 2, the water level of Pingjiang watch station of the Miluo River was 76.18 meters, still 5.68 meters above the warning mark, but 1.49 meters lower than the peak level. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

An aerial drone photo shows rescuers transferring stranded residents in Pingjiang county, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. The flooding water in Pingjiang county is gradually declining. As of 6 p.m. on July 2, the water level of Pingjiang watch station of the Miluo River was 76.18 meters, still 5.68 meters above the warning mark, but 1.49 meters lower than the peak level. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

An aerial drone photo shows firefighters transferring stranded residents in Pingjiang county, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. The flooding water in Pingjiang county is gradually declining. As of 6 p.m. on July 2, the water level of Pingjiang watch station of the Miluo River was 76.18 meters, still 5.68 meters above the warning mark, but 1.49 meters lower than the peak level. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Firefighters transfer stranded residents in Pingjiang county, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. The flooding water in Pingjiang county is gradually declining. As of 6 p.m. on July 2, the water level of Pingjiang watch station of the Miluo River was 76.18 meters, still 5.68 meters above the warning mark, but 1.49 meters lower than the peak level. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Villagers transfer daily necessities at Lujiawan Village in Chenyang Town, Chenxi County, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

Due to continuous heavy rainfall and upstream inflow, the highest water level of the Chenxi watch station of the Yuanjiang River, the second largest river in Hunan, reached 125.76 meters on Tuesday, 5.76 meters above the warning mark.

Situated near the Yuanjiang River, part of Lujiawan Village was flooded. Local government officials took boats to dispatch drinking water, instant noodles, medicine and other daily necessities to the villagers stranded in their waterlogged residences.

An aerial drone photo taken on July 2, 2024 shows the flooded Lujiawan Village in Chenyang Town, Chenxi County, central China's Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

A local official dispatches daily necessities to stranded villagers at Lujiawan Village in Chenyang Town, Chenxi County, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 2, 2024 shows the flooded Lujiawan Village in Chenyang Town, Chenxi County, central China's Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

Villagers have meals after receiving daily necessities at Lujiawan Village in Chenyang Town, Chenxi County, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

Local government officials (L) communicate with stranded villagers at Lujiawan Village in Chenyang Town, Chenxi County, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

Stranded villagers receive daily necessities at Lujiawan Village in Chenyang Town, Chenxi County, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Yao Yu)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 2, 2024 shows the flooded Lujiawan Village in Chenyang Town, Chenxi County, central China's Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Summer shooting reaches across the bridge this week as even the nicer part of KC proper confronts rising violence.

Here's the report and more info . . .



Homicide 1400 block of NW 80th Terrace



This morning just after 6am officers were dispatched to an apartment in the 1400 block of NW. 80ter. On a shooting call.



On arrival officers were directed inside an apartment where they located an adult male shooting victim unresponsive.



Officers rendered aid and called for EMS. EMS responded and transported the victim to the hospital where he was declared deceased.



Officers detained an adult male subject of interest a short distance away for further investigation.



Investigation indicates that an interaction took place inside the apartment between the victim and the suspect that led to shots being fired and the victim being struck.



Detectives are not searching for any additional subjects of interest at this time, and there there is not believed to be any ongoing threat to the residents in the area.



Detectives are working along side the Clay County Prosecutors office to provide investigative findings for them to make a determination of any applicable charges.



If anyone heard or saw anything in this area or 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 links . . .

Man shot, killed early Wednesday morning in Northland apartment A man was shot and killed in an apartment in the Northland early Wednesday morning. Kansas City, Missouri, police were called to the 1400 block of N.W. 80th Terrace shortly after 7:30 a.m.

Man dies in Northland apartment complex shooting, another detained for questioning The homicide took place in the 1400 block of NW 80th Terrace before 7:45 a.m.

Man shot, killed in Kansas City Northland apartment Kansas City police say they found a man shot who later died at a hospital, and found another man near the scene whom they took in for questioning.

Developing . . .
More than a few things to consider for late night and early morning denizens of the discourse as we take another quick peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

Kansas City Country Club Collab

New Plaza Owners and Mayor Discuss Security, Additions, and Infrastructure - IN Kansas City Magazine Country Club Plaza's new owners discussed their plans for the Plaza at a press conference Monday. The two men-Ray W. Washburne and Stephen Summers of Dallas-based HP Village Management-were joined by Mayor Quinton Lucas. They focused on three aspects of the Plaza's future: security, additions, and infrastructure.

Golden Ghetto Builds Future

Lenexa looks ahead to 2040 through new comprehensive plan Lenexa heard its residents and is crafting the 2040 comprehensive plan with what people want to see in the city's future.

Regional Care Solution Debuts

Why Liberty Hospital Could No Longer Go it Alone and Turned to Kansas for Help The University of Kansas Health System now owns Liberty Hospital in Missouri. The deal, which sparked political opposition, reflects a growing merger trend.

GOP Survey Seyz . . .

Internal poll by pro-Kehoe PAC suggests three-way GOP race for Missouri governor * Missouri Independent An internal poll by the PAC supporting Mike Kehoe suggests it might be three-way GOP race for Missouri governor.

Old School Rock Out Review

Sarah McLachlan and Feist brought breezy summer nostalgia to Starlight Sarah McLachlan. // photo by Andrew Dodderidge Sarah McLachlan with Feist Starlight Theatre Sunday, June 9 Both Feist and Sarah McLachlan had headlined KC's Starlight Theatre before Sunday, June 9, an early summer double-bill that ravished those who have a soft spot for McLachlan's '93 gem Fumbling Towards Ecstasy.

Double Take Explanation

Tori Spelling shows bikini body after revealing reason for 'boob gap' Tori Spelling showed her ex Dean McDermott what he's missing as she hit the beach rocking a bikini in Malibu on Tuesday. She flaunted her physique in a neon suit as she frolicked in the surf and sands.

Today's White House Excuse

Biden blames international travel for poor debate performance, says he nearly 'fell asleep on stage' President Joe Biden attributed his poor debate performance last week to the amount of foreign travel he participated in early June, according to pool notes.

Moderate 2024 Declaration



Dem lawmaker declares Trump is 'going to win the election' and US democracy will survive Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, said that American democracy will survive Trump as it has previous political shakeups, arguing Congress keeps consistently presidential power in check.

Lone Star Solution

Texas congressman becomes first House Democrat to call on Biden to withdraw Lloyd Doggett breaks ranks and says Biden should not continue presidential run after Trump debate calamity

Black Sheep Improvement?!?

Hunter Biden has joined White House meetings with the president in recent days, report says Hunter Biden has upped his presence at the White House, advising his father and taking part in meetings with him, per NBC News.

Church & State Teachable Moment

Oklahoma education head discusses why he's mandating public schools teach the Bible A new directive from Oklahoma's top education official requires all public schools to teach the Bible and the Ten Commandments. It comes weeks after Louisiana mandated the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms. Stephanie Sy discussed more with Ryan Walters, the author of the order and Oklahoma's state superintendent of public education.

Deadly Tech Power Play

AI Begins Ushering In an Age of Killer Robots KYIV, Ukraine - In a field on the outskirts of Kyiv, the founders of Vyriy, a Ukrainian drone company, were recently at work on a weapon of the future. To demonstrate it, Oleksii Babenko, 25, Vyriy's CEO, hopped on his motorcycle and rode down a dirt path.

Holy Land War Expands

Israel prepares for possible war with Hezbollah as Hamas conflict drags on Israel is preparing for a possible war with Hezbollah as the war with Hamas drags on.

Fade Out For Scribe

Robert Towne, Oscar-Winning 'Chinatown' Screenwriter, Dies at 89 The San Pedro native also wrote 'The Last Detail,' 'Shampoo' and 'Tequila Sunrise' and forged a superstar reputation as a script doctor and consultant.

Spitting Truth Tonight . . .

'Hawk Tuah Girl' Hailey Welch reveals the truth about her life and newfound infamy in first interview Hailey Welch, better known as "Hawk Tuah Girl" after her X-rated clip from an interview in Nashville propelled her to viral fame, has given her first sit-down interview since the infamous segment.

Show-Me Lucky Local

Man wins $1 million lottery prize in Blue Springs The Missouri Lottery bought the lottery ticket at the Price Chopper on 7 Highway in Blue Springs. He won $1 million.

Kansas City Forecast Forward

Kansas City swaps severe heat for severe storms tonight Between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m., scattered showers and thunderstorms will become more likely.

And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
A bit more context about this embarrassment and efforts by BOTH PARTIES to flex on future candidates who don't really align with their platforms . . . Check-it:



The state Republican Party waited until June 17 to file its notice of appeal, almost a week after the June 11 deadline for the courts to order changes to the ballot.



The order signed by Chief Judge Anthony Gabbert does not discuss the merits of the appeal. It cites the law limiting judicial power and states the court would be unable to grant relief.



The core of both cases is whether political parties can control who appears on the primary ballot by refusing filing fees.



For state candidates like McClanahan, the fee must be paid directly to the political party. Candidates for county offices can pay the fee at the local election authority office and it is then forwarded to the local party.



The secretary of states office wont allow a candidate to file if they do not have the receipt showing their filing fee has been accepted. In the Vernon County case, the clerk accepted the fee and the filing paperwork at the same time, only to learn later that the party refused the money.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
This celeb note is of local interest because Nikki Glaser is one of our favorite foul-mouthed lady comics who was born in Missouri and did a great many shows right here in the KC Metro.

Ms. Glaser seemingly had to push back against her boomer parents for social media missteps against the cult of Taylor Swift and that humbling experience might resonate for quite a few Americans who care for their older parents.

Check-it . . .



Nikki Glasers parents apologized for calling Julia Roberts gross after she got touchy with Travis Kelce at Taylor Swifts Eras Tour concert in Dublin.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Her opponent Pat Contreras has been kinda quiet whilst we're seeing Rep. Lewis all over social & local media.

Here's here latest blast sent to www.TonysKansasCity.com and other local media . . .



Kansas City area Legislators endorse State Representative Patty Lewis for State Senate



Today, State Representative Patty Lewis (D-25) announced that several Kansas City area legislators have endorsed her campaign for Missouri Senate District 7: Representatives Michael Johnson, Emily Weber, Ashley Bland Manlove, Anthony Ealy Jr., Jamie Johnson, Ashley Aune, Maggie Nurrenbern, Eric Woods, Yolanda Young, Jerome Barnes, Aaron Crossley, Kemp Strickler, and Keri Ingle.



In a year where reproductive freedom is the most important issue on the ballot, Patty Lewis is the best candidate in the race to fight for us in the Senate, said State Rep. Emily Weber (D-24). As her colleague for the past four years, Ive seen her stand up to Republicans hateful agenda time and time again. Im excited to see her continue to represent our community in the Senate!



Im confident that Patty will show up and listen to her constituents in the Senate, said State Rep. Anthony Ealy Jr. (D-36). Ive seen firsthand how she put her district first in the House. Shell be an excellent Senator for her entire district, including South KC, Grandview, and the State of Missouri as a whole.



Im so grateful to have the support of so many of my colleagues, State Rep. Lewis said. I look forward to continuing to work with them as a Senator to protect reproductive rights, prevent gun violence, and make Kansas City a great place for everyone to live.



State Rep. Lewis has garnered support from a wide range of people and organizations since announcing her candidacy for the 7th Senate District, including Sen. Tracy McCreery (D-24), City Councilman Wes Rogers, Missouri Nurses Association, Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, Southland Progress, South KC Dems, Greater Kansas City Womens Political Caucus, AFT Local 691, Teamsters Locals 41 and 541, IAFF Local 42, Laborers Locals 264 and 663, IBEW Local 124, and the Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO. Lewis has represented Missouris 25th House District for four years, and is currently running to fill the vacancy in the 7th Senate District created by a gubernatorial appointment.

###################



Developing . . .


Credit to Missouri TV news for asking politicos to back up their assertions with data amid an ongoing debate that's typically forgotten when somebody needs a discount on a new roof or when residents beg politicos to enforce rules against corporate interests.

Here's the basics of the report . . .

People tend to be completely inflamed by the fact that when someone shouldnt be here illegally in the first place or commit crimes, why are they even here? So we formed this committee, Missouri Speaker of the House Dean Ploche said.



However, when asked for data to support the claim, neither Plocher nor the committees chairman, Rep. Lane Roberts, R-Joplin, did not present any.



While data shows undocumented immigrants commit fewer crimes than natural-born citizens, Roberts claimed those committed by citizens are, in general, less violent.



The crime related to people who live here basically covers all kinds of crimes, but illegal immigration tends to be a more violent type of crime, Roberts said. So, while that number may not be as big as some other group, nonetheless it has a disproportionate impact.



A 2020 report from the Department of Justice study found immigrants are half as likely to commit crimes compared to native citizens.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Missouri House Speaker forms committee on 'illegal immigrant' crimes, despite data showing far higher crime rate among citizens Missouri Speaker of the House Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, announced a new committee Tuesday, which will evaluate the rate of violent crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, a rate he says has seen a recent spike.

Related reading inasmuch as the quotient of crime in Missouri turns exceptionally deadly . . .

Groom shot in the head during St. Louis wedding reception in front of family during attempted robbery: 'They took everything from us' Manuel and Dulce Gonzalez's wedding night spiraled into a nightmare after masked gunmen stormed into their backyard reception and shot the groom in the head during a failed armed robbery at their St. Louis home.

Developing . . .
Hawaiian Airlines is facing a big challenge due to a new rule from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) that could affect its sales.

Set to take effect on Oct. 30, this rule requires airlines to clearly tell customers upfront about fees for things like checked bags, carry-on bags, and changing or canceling flights.

Hawaiian Airlines Struggles with New Rule

Hawaiian Airlines, along with other major airlines, is worried that this rule could cause problems and confusion because the old technology they use, called Edifact, isn't good at sharing this fee information the way the DOT wants.

Travel Weekly revealed that the airline stated in a court filing that if they can't meet the DOT's requirements, they might have to stop using their current system for selling tickets through travel agencies, which would cost them millions of dollars each month.

Kristina Larson, a top manager at Hawaiian Airlines, explained that their old system can't show specific details about a passenger, like if they are a frequent flyer or have a military status, which the new rule demands.

Hawaiian Airlines has joined other airlines in a lawsuit against the DOT rule, arguing that it is too demanding and goes beyond what the DOT can enforce.

They have asked the court in New Orleans to dismiss the rule, claiming it will make it harder for customers to understand their options and lead to costly changes.

Meanwhile, the DOT has denied the airlines' request to delay implementing the rule, saying that the delay would hurt customers by keeping them from getting full price details when booking flights.

Related Article : United States DOT Plans to Make Air Travel Easier for Passengers with Disabilities

FAA Blamed for Hawaiian Airlines Mishap

Hawaiian Airlines has taken legal action against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following an incident that resulted in over $6 million in damages to an aircraft.

According to PYOK News, the lawsuit, initiated in a California district court, centers on a mishap at Oakland Airport (OAK) where a set of mobile airstairs was propelled by jet blast into an Alaska Airlines Airbus A320, causing significant damage.

The incident unfolded on the night of July 21, 2021, when Hawaiian Airlines maintenance staff were instructed to perform an engine run-up. Due to ongoing construction, the usual enclosure for such operations was unavailable.

Instead, the airport manager directed the engineers to a remote taxiway. However, when Hawaiian Airlines sought clearance from the FAA ground controller, they were told to remain where they were and proceed.

The aftermath was disastrous; the jet blast from the run-up sent debris flying into the nearby parked Alaska Airlines plane.

Now, Alaska Airlines is demanding Hawaiian Airlines pay $6,275,368 for the repairs.

Hawaiian Airlines contends that the FAA should bear the financial responsibility for the damages, as their controller's guidance led to the unfortunate event.

This legal battle comes amid news from last December that Alaska Airlines intends to purchase Hawaiian Airlines in a deal valued at $1.9 billion, aiming to merge both carriers under one umbrella.

The damaged Airbus, nicknamed 'Lady Boss,' was originally part of Virgin America before transitioning to Alaska Airlines and was sold off as Alaska moved towards an all-Boeing fleet.
A flight operated by Air Europa was forced to make an emergency landing in Brazil after encountering strong turbulence, leaving 30 passengers injured.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, flying from Madrid to Montevideo, diverted to Natal in northeastern Brazil as it neared the Brazilian coast.

Air Europa Responds Quickly to Crisis

The incident occurred over the Atlantic Ocean, and the plane managed to land normally at the airport where medical teams were waiting.

According to BBC, the turbulence happened suddenly and was severe enough to cause injuries among the passengers. The injured received immediate attention from a fleet of ambulances that met the plane upon its arrival.

Local medical officials reported that they treated at least 30 passengers with various injuries.

Ten of these passengers were taken to the hospital with more serious conditions, including cranial fractures and facial cuts. The airline confirmed that the passengers involved were of various nationalities and that all injured parties received the necessary medical care.

This emergency landing comes just weeks after another incident involving severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight over Myanmar, which resulted in multiple injuries and one fatality.

Experts suggest that incidents of severe turbulence, such as the one that Air Europa experienced, could become more frequent due to the effects of climate change on weather patterns.

The airline is coordinating with local authorities to ensure all affected passengers are supported and has initiated a review of the incident.

Related Article : Singapore Airlines Faces Tragic Turbulence, Leaving One Dead and Many Hurt

Frightening Moments Above the Atlantic

Thirty passengers suffered injuries when an Air Europa flight from Madrid to Uruguay encountered severe turbulence, forcing an emergency landing in Brazil. The airline confirmed the incident, stating the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner had to be diverted to Natal airport in Brazil.

Passengers aboard described terrifying scenes where those not buckled up were thrown against the cabin ceiling as the aircraft suddenly dropped.

CNN reported that one passenger, Maximiliano, recounted the chaos, explaining that the plane suddenly destabilized and plunged, causing people without seatbelts to be lifted from their seats and hurled against the ceiling, resulting in injuries.

Another passenger, Stevan, expressed his fear during the turbulence, noting the horrifying feeling and the collective fear of a fatal end, which, fortunately, did not occur.

He indicated that around 30 passengers were injured, with injuries including broken bones and cuts to their arms, faces, and legs.

After the plane landed safely, Air Europa ensured that all injured passengers received immediate medical attention at Natal International Airport.

The airline also arranged another flight to pick up the stranded passengers so they could continue their journey to Uruguay later that day.

This incident adds to a series of negative headlines for Boeing, the aircraft's manufacturer, although there is no indication that any mechanical failure of the plane caused the injuries.

Boeing has faced scrutiny over safety issues, with multiple whistleblowers raising concerns about the manufacturing processes of its planes, including the 787 Dreamliner model involved in this incident.
In a significant shift, Greece has introduced a new work policy that extends the typical workweek to six days for some businesses. This change, effective from July 1, is a departure from the global trend where companies are exploring shorter work weeks.

Greece's Longer Work Week Stirs Debate

The Greek government, led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, argues that this move will boost the nation's productivity and help tackle undeclared labor. Specifically, the new rule applies to employees in private sectors that require 24-hour services.

Workers can choose to work an extra two hours daily or add an eight-hour shift to their week. This could push a usual 40-hour workweek to 48 hours for some.

This decision has not been well-received by everyone.

According to CNBC News, labor unions and experts have criticized the government, claiming the change is a step back for workers who are already among the hardest-working in Europe.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said that Greeks worked an average of 1,886 hours in 2022, more than their counterparts in the U.S. and the EU.

Critics argue that while the government brands the law as "worker-friendly" and growth-focused, it might put undue strain on the workforce.

This is particularly controversial as many countries are moving towards reducing work hours, with some companies even adopting a four-day workweek, seeing improvements in productivity and worker satisfaction.

As Greece adopts this new six-day workweek policy, it remains to be seen how it will impact the overall productivity and well-being of its workers.

Related Article: Greece Offers Free Hotel Stays to Travelers Affected by Rhodes Wildfires

Weekday Shifts Challenge Norms

Starting July 1, Greece is implementing a significant change to its labor laws, allowing certain businesses to expand their workweek to six days.

This decision affects primarily industrial, manufacturing, and continuous service sectors, although tourism and food service industries are exempt.

Legal specialist Emmanouil Savoidakis, associated with Politis & Partners in Athens, explains that this new framework aims to address the shortage of declared work and fine-tune the labor market's efficiency.

While the increase from a 40-hour to a potential 48-hour workweek offers higher pay for longer hours, it is not uniformly applied across all industries but targets those with specific operational needs.

As DW reported, this policy shift in Greece arrives amidst a broader European conversation where many nations are experimenting with reducing work hours.

For example, companies in Germany and the UK are exploring a four-day week, aiming to maintain productivity with fewer working hours.

The Greek government's approach reflects a different strategy in response to ongoing economic and demographic challenges, including an aging population and a decrease in the skilled workforce, essential for sectors like agriculture, tourism, and construction.

Critics and experts argue that while the new workweek might temporarily alleviate some labor market issues, it doesn't address the need for substantial structural reforms.

These include creating attractive career opportunities and improving wage conditions to match the professional skills of workers, essential for long-term economic stability and growth in Greece.
Fiji Airways is offering an incredible deal on flights from the United States to Fiji, with prices starting as low as $709 for a roundtrip. This special sale is open for booking until July 4 and covers travel dates from August 1, 2023, to June 9, 2025.

However, travelers should note that there are some blackout dates during peak travel times.

Fiji Airways Sale Unlocks Tropical Paradise

With these affordable fares, Fiji Airways aims to bring more tourists to experience the stunning beauty and rich culture of Fiji.

Brent Hill, the CEO of Tourism Fiji, expressed excitement about the opportunity for more people to explore the islands. He highlighted Fiji's world-class attractions, such as pristine beaches, vibrant marine life, and friendly locals.

Travel Pulse shared that travelers can fly out of major U.S. cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco at the starting price of $709, with the Lite fares including a meal or snack and a carry-on bag without any additional cost.

Fiji Airways, recognized as one of the top international airlines, also offers direct flights from Honolulu and Vancouver, Canada.

The airline's association with the Oneworld Alliance through American Airlines adds extra value for frequent flyers. Soon, Fiji Airways will join American Airlines' AAdvantage loyalty program, allowing passengers to enjoy additional benefits.

Furthermore, the airline's inclusion in the TSA PreCheck program last year means quicker security checks for eligible travelers.

This sale by Fiji Airways is a great chance for travelers to plan their dream vacation to the beautiful islands of Fiji at a much more affordable price.

Related Article : Fiji Airways Boosts AAdvantage Program with Exciting Perks

Better Flights Around the World

Fiji Airways is about to become the 15th full member of the oneworld alliance after being a connect partner for five years. This big step will be completed in the next 12 months.

Nat Pieper, the CEO of oneworld, is happy to welcome Fiji Airways as a full member. He mentioned that Fiji Airways has been working well with the alliance since it joined as a connect partner five years ago.

Pieper praised the airline for growing fast and providing excellent service, which makes it a great addition to the oneworld network. This change will make the alliance even more attractive to international travelers.

As a full member, Future Travel Experience revealed that Fiji Airways will give extra benefits to oneworld's frequent flyers. These benefits include earning and spending miles on flights, getting priority check-in and boarding, and access to nearly 700 lounges around the world, including new oneworld lounges in Amsterdam and Seoul.

Andre Viljoen, the CEO of Fiji Airways, is proud to announce this membership. He said it is an important step in offering the best service and better connections to and from Fiji and other places in the South Pacific.

Viljoen promised a smoother and more enjoyable travel experience for everyone flying with Fiji Airways within the oneworld network.
Russia's new defense minister, Andrei Belousov, is in the focus of attention of the International Criminal Court, as under his leadership Russia continues to commit war crimes for which his predecessor, Sergei Shoigu, and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov received arrest warrants.

Yuriy Bielousov, Head of the Department for Combating Crimes Committed during the Armed Conflict at the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office, said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"The arrest warrants for Shoigu and Gerasimov refer to a specific period of time. The ICC used the period of attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure from October 22, 2022 to March 2023. At that time, Shoigu served as Russia's defense minister. Now there is another person there and the strikes continue," he said.

According to Bielousov, Ukraine hopes that the International Criminal Court will, in its further investigations, take up the most recent attacks for which the incumbent Russian defense minister is responsible.

"We don't know exactly when there will be a warrant for his arrest, but I'm sure that the new Russian defense minister is in the focus of attention of the ICC," he said.

According to Bielousov, in Ukraine, war crimes are investigated by the National Police and the Security Service of Ukraine. The evidence collected by them is used by the International Criminal Court, which closely cooperates with Ukraine's national law enforcement system.

"There is a national system that is fully operational, and they can largely rely on what we do. In this way, the ICC saves its resources and conducts the investigation much faster," Bielousov said.

On June 25, judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Secretary of the Russian Security Council and former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov.

Shoigu and Gerasimov are suspected of war crimes in the form of attacks on civilian objects, causing excessive accidental damage to the civilian population or damage to civilian objects, as well as crimes against humanity.

In mid-May, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin appointed Belousov as the new minister of defense in place of Shoigu.
As part of Special Operation "Rybalka" ("Fisherman"), the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) has managed to damage the Russian missile ship Serpukhov and obtain secret data about the Baltic Fleet and the Russian military industry.

HUR representative Andrii Yusov, spokesperson for the "I want to live!" project Vitalii Matviienko and a former Russian sailor with the call sign "Goga" who defected to Ukraine said this at a press conference at Ukrinform.

"In early April of this year, there was information about an incident, smoke at the small missile ship Serpukhov, which is part of the Baltic Fleet and is based in the city of Baltiysk. Now we can say that it was a part of Operation 'Rybalka,' which lasted from 2023," Yusov said.

According to him, as a result of this operation, "a large amount of important information was obtained, which helps the Ukrainian Security and Defense Forces, and the modern small missile ship Serpukhov, which was put on combat duty in 2015, was disabled for at least six months."

Yusov said that a former Russian service member, a sailor with the call sign "Goga," who became a member of the Freedom of Russia Legion, had helped carry out the operation. In particular, in 2023, he got in touch with Ukrainian military intelligence through the "I want to live!" project and, as part of the cooperation, agreed to disable the Serpukhov missile ship on which he was serving. He also provided Ukrainian intelligence with secret information about the Baltic Fleet and Russia's military industry.

"The enemy does not fully understand what we received, what we learned about," Yusov said.

He said that the disabled Serpukhov ship is the carrier of Kalibr and Onyx missiles, which the enemy uses to strike Ukrainian territory.

"This is our first operation in the Baltic Fleet. For the enemy, it was a shock and a big surprise. After this operation, there were reshuffles, investigations, and punishments in the Baltic Fleet. It is clear that some heads dropped," Yusov said.

He called this operation another successful step by the Freedom of Russia Legion, which demonstrates that Russians are ready to fight against Putin's regime.

At the same time, the safe exit of the "Goga" sailor was a separate operation. Now he is in Ukraine and is ready to continue fighting against the regime of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin as part of the Freedom of Russia Legion, together with the Security Forces of Ukraine, Yusov said.

The former Russian sailor "Goga," in turn, said that he had served in the Baltic Fleet for 11 years. In 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine, he became the only military man on his ship who spoke out against the war and did not hide his views.

"I tried to resign. I said that I could not serve in the army. The commander was shocked when he read this. The commander immediately sent me for a psychological examination. He thought that I was not normal if I went against the Russian authorities. He sent me to a psychologist, a psychiatrist, handed over my report to the command and the prosecutor's office - to all authorities to decide what to do with me next," the Russian said.

In the end, according to the sailor, the prosecutor's office opened an administrative case against him. "The prosecutor read the report on my dismissal, said that I could not do that, and that this was the first and last warning. And he let me go. No sanctions were applied to me. I continued to serve on my ship," the former Russian sailor said.

After that, he tried to resign through the court, but he was not dismissed. In 2023, he contacted the "I want to live!" project and began to cooperate with the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate.
Italy intends to play a leading role in the future reconstruction of Ukraine and is working to organize a conference on the restoration of Ukraine in 2025.

This is stated in the welcoming speech of the newly appointed Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Ukraine Carlo Formosa, published on the embassy's website, Ukrinform reports.

The diplomat noted that Italy supports Ukraine on its path to joining the European Union, as well as on the path of fundamental structural reforms. In this context, he reminded that the Italian Embassy is playing a leading role this year by coordinating the G7 Ambassadors Support Group in Kyiv.

"Italy intends to play a leading role in the future reconstruction of Ukraine, and with this in mind, we are working on organizing the Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine in 2025," Formosa said.

He noted that there is a strong sense of mutual sympathy and kinship between the Ukrainian and Italian peoples.

"We will multiply these achievements to further intensify relations between the two countries," the ambassador assured.

As reported by Ukrinform, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Yevhen Perebyinis accepted copies of credentials from the newly appointed Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Ukraine Carlo Formosa.

Read also: Italy appoints new ambassador to Ukraine

Carlo Formosa was born in Rome on March 28, 1963. He graduated from the Guido Carli Free International University of Social Studies (LUISS) with a degree in Political Science.

He began his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy in 1992 at the Directorate General for Economic Affairs, where he was responsible for Eastern Europe (including Ukraine) and Central Asia.

Prior to his appointment as head of the diplomatic mission in Ukraine, he served as Italian Ambassador to Portugal.

Photo: MFA
| By Wanda Haskel

The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law is launching an LGBTQI+ Equality Clinic in the fall 2024 semester. The year-long, eight-credit course will provide law students opportunities to advocate on behalf of the LGBTQI+ communitys most vulnerable members, including trans, nonbinary, gender nonconforming, and intersex people; LGBTQI+ people of color; LGBTQI+ youth; and LGBTQI+ people living in regressive communities.

The clinic is a notable complement to the offerings in Maryland Carey Laws top-ranked Clinical Law Program.

The establishment and enforcement of legal protections for members of the LGBTQI+ community is a fundamental civil rights issue, said professor Leigh Goodmark, JD, director of the Clinical Law Program. Adding the LGBTQI+ Equality Clinic underscores our commitment to ensuring access to justice as broadly as we can and gives students the opportunity to engage with some of the cutting-edge civil rights issues being litigated today.

Leading the clinic is Anya Marino, JD 12, director of LGBTQI equality at the National Womens Law Center (NWLC) in Washington, D.C. Under Marinos supervision, clinic students will work in collaboration with NWLCs gender justice advocacy attorneys focusing primarily on LGBTQI+ equality in education, employment, and health care. The experience will include legal research; preparing, drafting, and editing whitepapers, toolkits, comments, testimony, and amicus briefs; reviewing pleadings in active court cases; and learning about evolving medical studies and standards of care.

The weekly classroom component of the course will integrate legal doctrine and lawyering skills. Students will delve into matters involving employment discrimination, reproductive justice and privacy, same-sex intimacy and the policing of queer bodies, marriage equality, sex-separated programs and spaces, access to medically necessary health care, the carceral state, military inclusion, identity documentation, and First Amendment freedoms. Students also will take a critical eye to previous LGBTQI+ movement strategy decisions.

Before joining NWLC, Marino instructed Harvard Law Schools LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic. She also served as deputy legal director for the ACLU of Florida, where she oversaw the legal departments voting rights litigation and litigated LGBTQ+ and First Amendment cases. Marino was the first openly transgender woman of color to serve in any senior legal position throughout the ACLUs federation of national and affiliate offices and was the first transgender woman of color to teach at Harvard Law School.

We are thrilled that Anya is returning to Maryland Carey Law to head this vitally important clinic, said Dean Renee Hutchins Laurent, JD. Her professional and lived experience make her perfectly positioned to guide students as they work to protect and advance the rights of some of the most vulnerable members of the LGBTQI+ community.



A 2012 graduate of Maryland Carey Law, Marino received the law schools 2022 Rising Star Award and the 2023 Dean Jose Bahamonde-Gonzalez IMPACTO Award. Also in 2022, the National Hispanic Medical Association honored her as a trailblazer advancing LGBTQI+ health equality, and Liaison International recognized her as one of seven women who shattered the glass ceiling in higher education.

LGBTQI+ people need only overhear the news media, scroll through clickbait content and discussions pervading social media, learn of another case involving the communitys persecution, or endure another instance of differential treatment in school, workplaces, places of public accommodation, health care practices, or housing to feel like their lives and identities are a constant topic du jour, Marino said.



The need for additional advocates and strategies remains critical when anti-LGBTQI+ extremists bombard community members with policies, practices, and violence geared to erase LGBTQI+ people from all aspects of public life. I am excited to return home at Maryland Carey Law to build experiential learning opportunities for students committed to advancing and defending the rights of LGBTQI+ people, and to help cultivate a new generation of attorneys needed for this essential work.
| By Larry Roberts

In the summer of 2023, severe wildfires throughout Canada led to smoky skies and poor air quality on the East Coast of the United States and more doctor visits in Maryland.

Everybody had very dark skies. New York turned orange for a little bit, said Mary Maldarelli, MD, pulmonary critical care fellow at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM). But most importantly, my patients at the VA [Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center] came in to me saying they were coughing quite a bit more and needed their albuterol more often, so they felt much sicker than they usually did when these wildfires occurred.

With a background in climate science pulmonary critical care fellow, Maldarelli, was not surprised by the impact on her patients.

So, I had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Brad Maron, whos in charge of the Institute for Health Computing, and he was also interested in studying the wildfires as a cardiologist. Wildfires also affect cardiovascular disease, and he, of course, knows that. And so, together we said, Why dont we study these to see if we can help our patients?  Maldarelli continued.

So, we collaborated with a team at the Institute for Health Computing, which comprises a bunch of data scientists and visualization experts who helped us extract clinical data from the University of Maryland System. We also teamed up with University of Maryland, College Park environmental scientists, and they helped us understand what were the best days to study based on their environmental data of the smoke plumes.

The data confirmed that the wildfire smoke caused an increase in cardiopulmonary patient visits across the University of Maryland Medical System.

We looked at cardiac disease, respiratory disease, heart failure, and then all of those diseases together, and we found across the board that we saw more patients coming to see their doctors on days where there was a lot more wildfire smoke, Maldarelli said. We also started to look at kind of where did our patients come from? And it actually was not the same across the state of Maryland.

There are pockets of Maryland where more people came in than others. And finally, we also wanted to look at: Who were the patients coming in? Are they people who have high socioeconomic status or a lower socioeconomic status? And we found that people who tended to be more socioeconomically advantaged trended to come in on those days.

With more climate events expected in the future. Maldarelli says it may be beneficial to educate doctors and explore ways to help disadvantaged patients.

How do we get them the help they need? she said. Do we need to partner with a pharmaceutical company to send out inhalers ahead of time? Do we need to make sure that they have visits already scheduled with us on those bad days, so they can already come see us? Do we need to do more telehealth? I think there are a lot of opportunities for growth to help meet our patients where they are.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jul, 2024) Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif urged citizens to support the government

in ensuring implementation of the law banning the production, sale, and use of

plastic bags.

In her message on World Plastic Bag Free Day, the CM said Today we renew our commitment to

end the use of plastic bags in Punjab.

The CM emphasised that plastic pollution poses a major environmental threat and urged for decisive

action to tackle this issue. Our aim is to create a plastic-free Punjab, where our rivers, parks,

and cities are free from plastic pollution she stressed.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said the No to Plastic' campaign aims to reduce plastic waste

and promote sustainable alternatives, adding By limiting the use of plastic, we can ensure a clean and healthy environment for future generations.



The chief minister said use biodegradable bags instead of urban plastic bags, adding that harmful effects of plastic on our health and environment cannot be ignored.

Maryam Nawaz Sharif said adopting eco-friendly alternatives can significantly reduce the environmental impact. She highlighted the No to Plastic campaign thanks government officials, environmental activists, and the public.
KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jul, 2024) Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday said that IDEAS is a shared platform for global peace, stability and prosperity.

It is an event that provides enhanced opportunities for commercial exchange between delegates, trade visitors, defence officials and manufacturers from within Pakistan and abroad, he said this while speaking at the 2nd Steering Committee Meeting of the 12th Edition of the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar - IDEAS 2024 here at CM House.

The provincial ministers -Sharjeel Memon, Saeed Ghani, Zulfiqar Shah - Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, DG DEPO Major General Asad Nawaz, PSCM Agha Wasif, DG Rangers Major General Azhar Waqas, IG Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi attended the meeting here at CM House on Wednesday.

In the meeting conduct modalities of the 12th Edition of the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar; IDEAS 2024 were discussed.

Murad Shah said that IDEAS 2024 was scheduled from 19-22 November 2024 at the Karachi Expo Centre. Hosting this 12 Edition of innovation and excellence is indeed a testimony to our pledge to encourage technological growth, he said and added, This edition of IDEAS will also pave the way for fostering and promoting Pakistan's strategic relations with the international community.

The CM said the national-level preparations for this momentous event have already commenced in coordination with all relevant stakeholders. Today's meeting is aimed at providing further impetus to these undertakings, he said and reiterated the full support and cooperation of the Sindh government in all its domains for the successful accomplishment of this mega-national event.

Shah said that the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar was a mega event - biennially organized by the Defence Export Promotion Organization (DEPO). Since its inception in 2000, IDEAS has emerged as an international rendezvous of defence manufacturers, entrepreneurs, R&D specialists and top-level policymakers to promote cooperation, knowledge sharing and support ventures in the field of defence collaboration, he added.

The CM said that the international recognition of IDEAS and participation truly reflected our deeply embedded and mutually beneficial relations with the international fraternity. He said that In fact, IDEAS was a shared platform for global peace, stability and prosperity. On the other hand, IDEAS is an event that provides enhanced opportunities for commercial exchange between delegates, trade visitors, defence officials and manufacturers from within Pakistan and abroad, he said.

DG DEPO Maj General Asad Nawaz highlighted that the event as per its traditions would host several splendid activities encompassing the worlds cutting-edge defence technology demonstrations, international seminars and business expansion through well-planned B2B/B2G engagements. He added that the Karachi show would exclusively be arranged for the people of the city at Sea View (Nishan-e-Pakistan) on November 21, 2024.
DUSHANBE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jul, 2024) Pakistan and Tajikistan on Wednesday agreed to strengthen the already constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups including regular parliamentary exchanges, to further deepen bilateral ties.

The bilateral relations were discussed as Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Lower House) of Majlisi Oli (Tajik Parliament) of the Republic of Tajikistan Zokirzoda Mahmadtoir Zoir called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif here.

Prime Minister Shehbaz is on a two-day official visit to Tajikistan at the invitation of the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon.

Both sides expressed satisfaction at the inter-parliamentary cooperation between two countries, a PM Office press release said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasised the significant role of the parliamentarians in bringing the people of the two countries closer and strongly advocated a sustained parliamentary interaction and engagement between Pakistan and Tajikistan.

During the meeting, the two leaders exchanged views on the current state of bilateral relations.

The prime minister also congratulated the Chairman on the upcoming 30th anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan.
Saudi Arabia, as one of the top international destinations for Pakistani travelers, has eased tourist visa requirements with immediate effect, where applicants can now submit a bank statement showing a minimum monthly credit amount of USD 750 or its equivalent

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jul, 2024) Saudi Arabia, as one of the top international destinations for Pakistani travelers, has eased tourist visa requirements with immediate effect, where applicants can now submit a bank statement showing a minimum monthly credit amount of USD 750 or its equivalent.

Pakistani tourist arrivals to Saudi grew 43 percent in 2023 compared with the previous year said a news release.

Saudi is aiming to welcome 2.7 million Pakistani visitors in 2024 and to accommodate this growing demand, Saudi Arabia is making it easier for Pakistani travelers to obtain a visa before traveling through one of six Tasheer offices established across Pakistan in Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, and Multan.

The Tasheer offices offer a convenient and user-friendly experience, including visa application guidance, biometric enrollment, status tracking, and passport delivery. Travelers can schedule an appointment on the Tasheer website before their visit.

In addition, Saudi Arabia has introduced the transit visa which is available for travelers arriving in Saudi via Saudia and Flynas, where they can transit and explore Saudi for up to 96 hours.

Visa on arrival is available for those travelers who hold a valid and used UK, US or Schengen visa.

In the past year, Saudi Arabia introduced the one-year multiple entry visa for Pakistani travelers. This is a specific visa for those coming for personal visits such as attending weddings or functions or visiting friends or family.

Holders of this visa can enjoy multiple visits to Saudi within 12 months, allowing them to explore the country's vibrant cities, cultural richness, and natural wonders all year round.

Pakistani travellers with the one-year multiple entry visa can also perform Umrah, underscoring Saudis commitment to fostering spiritual journeys and cultural exchanges.

Making it easier to get a visa will encourage more Pakistani travelers to not only visit their friends and family and perform Umra but will also encourage them to explore Saudi; from Riyadhs vibrant cityscape, Jeddahs cultural richness, hidden treasures of the Red Sea, to the ancient marvels of AlUla.

Saudi is a year-round destination with several regions offering a cooler escape in summer while the busy calendar of events through winter is attracting more and more tourists each year.
(@FahadShabbir)

Arlington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jul, 2024) The AI revolution is upon us with companies around the world looking to jump headfirst into the technology made famous by ChatGPT.

To satisfy their generative AI urge, firms need to secure state-of-the-art software and ramp up computing power, which quickly brings them knocking on the doors of the globe's cloud computing giants, of which Amazon's AWS is the biggest.

Amazon's computing arsenal is housed in data centers scattered across the globe, and Prasad Kalyanaraman, Vice President for AWS Infrastructure, is the man in charge of keeping them running.

Amazon's AWS data centers are spread across dozens of regions, serving as a kind of engine room to the online world, with microsoft and Google as the company's closest rivals.

And with the generative AI revolution entering hyperdrive, it is up to Kalyanaraman to make sure the data center battalions are ready for the challenge.

"It takes a significant amount of grit and innovation" to meet the need for computing right now, Kalyanaraman told AFP during an interview at Amazon's second headquarters near Washington.

"Building the right technology, both in terms of consuming the least amount of power needed, and optimizing all the way from the chip level to the data center level... requires a lot of innovation," he said.

Kalyanaraman, a graduate of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology and Queen's University in Canada, has been at Amazon for almost two decades where he worked on software before holding the keys to the data centers.

"Most users, unbeknownst to them, are using cloud computing today. If you go to a website, or you stream video, or you go to your financial institution and look at your transactions, you're actually using some form of cloud computing," he said.

Amazon's decision to make a side business out of the cloud dates to 2006, when the company realized that its partners and sellers didn't want to build - or buy - expensive computing pipework.

"We saw that it's so hard for our customers to... go through all the muck of building this infrastructure. So why not bring this to them," much like utilities bring power to your home, he said.

Nearly two decades later, AWS is nearing 20 percent of the giant's total revenue and bringing in about two-thirds of total profit.

- Constraint as opportunity -

"It's a pretty significant undertaking to actually construct a data center from scratch," Kalyanaraman said.

"First, obviously, we have to find enough land to be able to deploy these data centers. Typically, we deploy further away from metropolitan locations" for both cost and environmental reasons, he said.

Connectivity is also key since most clients want the high computing speeds that come by being closer to their data.

Then there has to be a power source and the power lines to get the electricity.

With success comes scrutiny, or in the case of some communities across the globe, some exasperation with the proliferation of data centers.

Data centers can creep into an area's bucolic scenery, and put a massive burden on the local power supply, straining already fragile electricity grids.

And with the emergence of generative AI, Amazon has announced new projects around the globe.

Kalyanaraman acknowledged that "power will be a constrained resource in the world today, especially with generative AI and some of the other things that are required to run this amount of compute."

But even though "it's not something that you can actually change overnight," Kalyanaraman said that AWS has worked with power companies to manage the flow, notably through renewable energy.

AWS "is the largest purchaser of renewable energy in the world today. And that's for four years in a row," he said, with AWS committed to being a net-zero carbon company by 2040.

Ever the techno-optimist, Kalyanaraman remained confident that innovation could find a way to meet the generative AI challenge, with the industry looking to nuclear energy to help.

"Every time we've actually had a constraint, we've all figured out a way of innovating."

"I see (AI) as an opportunity," he said.
(@FahadShabbir)

Kingston, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Jul, 2024) Powerful Hurricane Beryl churned toward Jamaica on Wednesday with dangerous winds and sea surge, as residents braced for a storm that killed seven people and caused destruction in the Caribbean.

The hurricane -- unusually strong so early in the Atlantic season -- was expected to pass near or over Jamaica in the next hours as a life-threatening Category 4 storm on a five-level scale, meteorologists said around midday.

Beryl is the first storm since US National Hurricane Center (NHC) records began to reach the Category 4 level in June and the earliest to reach Category 5 in July.

Across Jamaica, people removed boats from the water and tied them to fences for safety and rushed to buy food, water, gasoline and other essentials.

As of midday Wednesday the storm was packing maximum sustained winds 145 mph (230 kph), said the NHC. Tropical storm conditions are spreading through the island, it said.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared an island-wide 6 am to 6 pm curfew and urged Jamaicans to comply with evacuation orders.

"If you live in a low lying area, an area historically prone to flooding and landslide or if you live on the banks of a river," he said in a video posted on social media, "I implore you to evacuate to a shelter, or to safer ground."

Desmon Brown, manager of the National Stadium in Kingston, said his staff has scrambled to be ready.

"We've taped up our windows, covered our equipment -- including computers, printers and that sort of thing. Apart from that, it's mainly concrete so there's not much we can do," Brown said told the Jamaica Observer newspaper.

Hurricane warnings were also issued in the Cayman Islands further west, which Beryl was expected to pass near or over on Wednesday night or early Thursday, according to the NHC.

Then it is forecast to head in a more weakened state toward Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

- 'No communication' -

Beryl has already left a trail of death with at least three people killed in Grenada, where the storm made landfall Monday, as well as one in St Vincent and the Grenadines and three in Venezuela.

Grenada's Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said the island of Carriacou, which was struck by the eye of the storm, has been all but cut off, with houses, telecommunications and fuel facilities there flattened.

"We've had virtually no communication with Carriacou in the last 12 hours except briefly this morning by satellite phone," Mitchell told a news conference.

The 13.5-square mile (35-square kilometer) island is home to around 9,000 people. At least two people there died, Mitchell said, with a third killed on the country's main island of Grenada when a tree fell on a house.

In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, one person on the island of Bequia was reported dead from the storm, and a man died in Venezuela's northeastern coastal state of Sucre when he was swept away by a flooded river, officials there said.

- Climate change -

It is extremely rare for such a powerful storm to form this early in the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from early June to late November.

Warm ocean temperatures are key for hurricanes, and North Atlantic waters are currently between two and five degrees Fahrenheit (1-3 degrees Celsius) warmer than normal, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

UN climate chief Simon Stiell, who has family on the island of Carriacou, said climate change was "pushing disasters to record-breaking new levels of destruction."

"Disasters on a scale that used to be the stuff of science fiction are becoming meteorological facts, and the climate crisis is the chief culprit," he said Monday, reporting that his parents' property was damaged.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Moscow, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jul, 2024) Russia said Wednesday its forces had captured a district in the key hilltop town of Chasiv Yar near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow has been pressing for months.

The town, in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, has strategic importance and its capture could allow Russia to mount further offensives across the region.

Russia's defence ministry said in a daily briefing that its troops had "liberated the 'Novy' district of Chasiv Yar", a neighbourhood on the eastern edge of the town.

Russia's capture of the area was also reported by Ukraine's DeepState Telegram channel, which has links to Kyiv's army.

It said the district had been flattened by Russian bombardments, and that withdrawing was "a logical, albeit difficult decision."

It was unclear if Russia was claiming that its forces had crossed a canal that runs through the eastern part of the town, a natural barrier that has aided Ukraine's defence.

Chasiv Yar lies around 10 kilometres (six miles) west of Bakhmut, which Russian forces captured last year after months of artillery strikes and urban combat destroyed the city.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jul, 2024) A second contingent of the Kenya-led multinational policing mission in Haiti will arrive "in the coming weeks," Prime Minister Garry Conille told AFP on Tuesday.

"It will happen very quickly. We can already see in the coming weeks that we will have a second contingent," Conille said in an interview in Washington, where he is meeting with White House and State Department officials.

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.

The first batch of some 200 Kenyan police officers, part of a mission greenlit by the UN Security Council, arrived in June in a bid to work with Haitian police to stabilize the country, where gangs control some 80 percent of the capital.

Conille declined to detail how many officers might arrive in the next wave, citing security concerns.

"But I can already assure you that there is planning being done to be able to gradually strengthen the presence" of those already in Haiti, he said.

Conille spoke to AFP shortly after meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the mission, which Washington is providing with logistical and financial support.

Unelected and unpopular, Henry stepped down amid the violence, handing power to a transitional council who tapped Conille as interim prime minister in May. He was sworn in last month.

The transitional government's job is monumental: to relieve the political, security and humanitarian crises devastating the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and to pave the way for the first elections since 2016.

The violence in Port-au-Prince has affected food security and humanitarian aid access, with gangs accused of abuses including murder, rape, looting and kidnappings.
A source close to Hezbollah said a senior commander was killed Wednesday in an Israeli strike on a vehicle in Lebanon's south, the group's second such casualty in recent weeks

Beirut, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jul, 2024) A source close to Hezbollah said a senior commander was killed Wednesday in an Israeli strike on a vehicle in Lebanon's south, the group's second such casualty in recent weeks.

Hezbollah has traded near-daily cross-border fire with the Israeli army since its Palestinian ally Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, triggering war in Gaza.

"A Hezbollah commander responsible for one of three sectors in south Lebanon was killed" in an "Israeli strike on a car in Tyre", the source told AFP, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Lebanon's state-run National news Agency said "an enemy drone targeted a car" in Tyre, a coastal city around 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the border.

The Hezbollah member killed Wednesday had the same ranking as Taleb Abdallah, another commander killed in an Israeli strike last month, the source close to the group added.

A Lebanese military source had described Abdallah as the "most important" Hezbollah member to be killed since the hostilities began.

That strike, in the southern town of Jouaiyya, prompted Hezbollah to intensify its strikes on Israeli targets, firing barrages of rockets across the border in the days after the attack.

More than eight months of cross-border violence has killed at least 494 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters but also including almost 95 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

Israeli authorities say at least 15 Israeli soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed.
LISBON, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jul, 2024) At least three people were killed and seven went missing after a trawler sank in the early hours of Wednesday off the coast of Marinha Grande in Leiria, Portugal.

The Portuguese National Maritime Authority said that seven people have been rescued. Two of the rescued fishermen were in a state of shock and another was in "severe pain."

All those rescued were transported to the nearby Port of Figueira da Foz.
Dr. Todd Guth

The Wyoming-WWAMI Medical Education Program in the University of Wyomings College of Health Sciences recently named Dr. Todd Guth, a physician and associate professor specializing in emergency medicine, as its new program director.

Guth, currently with the University of Colorado School of Medicine, brings with him research interests that include clinical skills assessment, team communication, interprofessional education, teaching and assessing clinical reasoning, along with arts and humanities in medical education. He will begin his tenure with Wyoming-WWAMI Aug. 19.

WWAMI is a medical school consortium program delivered by the University of Washington School of Medicine involving the states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho.

I am honored to be joining the University of Wyoming community and to be given the opportunity to lead the Wyoming-WWAMI Program to recruit, educate and retain the next generation of medical professionals for the people and the state of Wyoming, Guth says. I am especially excited to be working with the talented faculty, staff and administrative deans at the University of Wyoming and the University of Washington School of Medicine WWAMI programs. Understanding the culture and aspirations of the institution and the community will be my first priority in building upon the amazing work already accomplished by faculty, staff and students who are part of the University of Wyoming WWAMI program.

Guth arrives as medical education director just as the new 2024 class of 20 medical students begins the foundations, or preclinical, phase of classes. The medical students will spend their first two years on the University of Wyoming campus, mostly in medical technology-equipped classrooms in the Health Sciences Building.

Working with medical students has always been the first love of my professional career, Guth says. I am overjoyed to have the privilege to work closely with the exceptional Wyoming-WWAMI medical students to support them in their medical education journey to become outstanding health professionals.

Afterward, the medical students will depart for their home campus at the University of Washington School of Medicine and begin the clinical, or patient care, phase of their curriculum. During this time, students will work collaboratively with medical providers at clinical sites around the Mountain West region.

We are excited for Dr. Guth to join the WWAMI team in Wyoming, says Dr. Suzanne Allen, vice dean for academic, rural and regional affairs at the University of Washington School of Medicine. As the director and assistant foundations dean, Dr. Guths experience and enthusiasm for medical education will benefit the Wyoming-WWAMI medical students, faculty and staff as well as the WWAMI program across the region.

Guth has been practicing as an academic emergency physician at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the Department of Emergency Medicine since 2010. Guth has extensive experience educating health professionals across the continuum of medical education, including medical students, resident physicians and emergency physicians seeking to reenter medical practice. Most recently, he has served in the roles of associate director of clinical skills at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, working with first-year medical students in their clinical skills course and as an associate program director for the Denver Health Residency in Emergency Medicine.

In addition to his academic medical experience at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Guth has served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Navy and the Colorado Air National Guard. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and has a masters degree in health professions education from the University of Illinois Chicago.

Dr. Guths exemplary track record and commitment to advancing medical education make him an ideal fit to lead our WWAMI Medical Education Program at the University of Wyoming, says Michelle Hilaire, interim dean of the College of Health Sciences. We are confident that his leadership will undoubtedly enhance our program and impact the future of health care.

To learn more about the Wyoming-WWAMI Medical Education Program, go to www.uwyo.edu/wwami/index.html.

About the University of Wyoming College of Health Sciences

UWs College of Health Sciences trains health and wellness professionals and researchers in a wide variety of disciplines, including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, speech-language pathology, social work, kinesiology, public health, health administration and disability studies. The college also oversees residency and fellowship programs in Casper and Cheyenne, as well as operating a speech/hearing clinic in Laramie and primary care clinics in Laramie, Casper and Cheyenne.

With more than 1,600 undergraduate, graduate and professional students, the college is dedicated to training the health and wellness workforce of Wyoming and conducting high-quality research and community engagement, with a particular focus on rural and frontier populations.
East China's Jiangxi Province has beefed up its flood control and disaster relief measures to ensure people's safety and minimize economic losses as torrential rain continues to batter multiple areas in the province, raising water levels.

The continuous heavy rainfall triggered two landslides on the banks of a canal in a village of Gongqingcheng City in the province on Monday and Tuesday, but both were promptly and effectively addressed.

The city's emergency management bureau quickly deployed a small excavator, more than 100 wooden stakes, and other flood prevention materials such as tri-color waterproof cloth to the site and implemented a strategy of using wooden stakes to reinforce the canal banks.

The rising waters of the Yangtze River has also posed a direct threat to the safety of residents in the two towns on the Jiangxinzhou islet -- an island at the intersection of three provinces of Hubei, Jiangxi and Anhui that measures 127 square kilometers -- as well as the crops on the farmland over 60,000 hectares, in Chaisang District of Jiujiang City.

To cope with the flood situation, the district initiated a level I emergency response on Tuesday afternoon. Local officials visited households one by one, asking residents to be prepared for evacuation at any time.

According to the requirements of the level I emergency response, once the water level at the Jiujiang station on the Yangtze River reaches 22 meters, residents in both towns on the islet should begin to evacuate in batches.

As of 11:00 on Tuesday, the water level at the Jiujiang station had reached 21.62 meters.

As the water levels continue to rise, Jiujiang City on Tuesday raised its flood control emergency response to level II.

Due to continuous heavy rainfall, low-lying areas in towns and villages in Duchang County near the Poyang Lake experienced waterlogging. Local officials have taken precautions by preemptively relocating villagers from high-risk areas.

The heavy rainfall also led to waterlogging in multiple villages in De'an County, flooding streets and stranding local residents.

De'an County promptly mobilized rescue teams and deployed rubber boats to evacuate stranded villagers to safety.
Despite 20 years of government treatment programs and a Taliban-imposed ban on poppy cultivation, opium addiction rates continue to rise in Afghanistan. Some Afghans who are addicted to drugs say the Taliban should crack down harder on the sales and purchase of illicit drugs. Mohammad Zaman Sohail has this report from Jalalabad, narrated by Shaista Sadat Lami. Contributors: Anne Ball and Rahim Gul Sarwan
The United States, Japan and South Korea last week held what in some ways could be seen as their most important joint military exercise ever  and an indication of enhanced future cooperation.

The inaugural Freedom Edge drill involved a U.S. aircraft carrier and multiple Japanese and South Korean ships and planes, mirroring other recent trilateral exercises held since the three countries intensified defense cooperation.

But, importantly, this drill for the first time took place across multiple domains, including land, sea, air and cyber  a crucial step toward allowing the countries militaries to work together more seamlessly and in a wider range of warfighting scenarios.

The drill reflects a bigger effort by Washington, Seoul and Tokyo, which are trying to advance cooperation toward a more formalized stage that will be harder for future leaders to overturn.

In recent months, the three countries have not only expanded the frequency of their engagement but also taken steps to ensure that it lasts  an attempt to solidify a partnership that could reshape northeast Asian geopolitics.

The steps include establishing a regular pattern of joint military exercises, activating a channel for sharing real-time data on North Korean missile launches, and exploring the creation of a permanent office to boost coordination.

During meetings among senior officials, the countries have also increasingly emphasized shared values for the region, such as a free and open Indo-Pacific, in the hopes of providing a more durable foundation for cooperation.

The moves attempt to fulfill the vision laid out in August, when U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held the first standalone summit among the leaders of the three countries.

South Korea key

A primary goal of the so-called Camp David summit was to create a framework for collaboration that could withstand domestic political fluctuations in each country.

A major concern was South Korea, where commitment to the trilateral partnership has often wavered. Those efforts appear to be yielding progress, according to a growing number of South Korea-based observers.

Cooperation is now entering a level of institutionalization that will make it considerably more difficult for future administrations in Seoul to change, said Jeffrey Robertson, a professor of diplomatic studies at Seouls Yonsei University.

The depth of trilateral ties has long hinged on whatever government is in power in South Korea.

The South Korean left opposes closer cooperation with Japan without more steps by Tokyo to atone for atrocities committed during its 1910-1945 colonization of Korea.

South Koreas leaders also have been reluctant to sign up for any multilateral efforts that anger China, the military and economic giant that lies just beyond its border.

Changing views

South Koreas outlook toward its neighbors, however, appears to be shifting.

Opinion polls suggest that South Korean perceptions of China have declined precipitously, as Beijing becomes more authoritarian at home and more assertive in expanding its regional influence.

Meanwhile, views on Japan appear to be improving, especially among young people.

South Korea's national security establishment has also expressed growing fears about North Korea, which has rapidly expanded its nuclear arsenal and become much more hostile toward Seoul.

For Yoon, a conservative who took office in 2022, the solution was to align his country more closely with the United States. Yoon also mended ties with Japan, quickly accelerating trilateral cooperation.

Reasons for optimism

The big question is whether Yoon's approach will outlast his presidency, given that his predecessor, the left-leaning Moon Jae-in, reversed many of the Japan-friendly policies of previous administrations.

Peter Lee, a research fellow at the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a conservative research group, says he is optimistic. Although he concedes that South Korean public attitudes toward Japan remain generally unfavorable, he points to opinion polls conducted by his organization suggesting consistently strong support for South Korean participation in U.S.-led multilateral initiatives.

This suggests that future ROK presidents will struggle to withdraw or terminate their participation in these partnerships, at least for populist purposes, Lee said.

Another potential deterrent is that each step toward formalizing trilateral engagement adds a layer of commitment, making it politically riskier for any future South Korean administration to reverse, many observers say.

Not so fast

Others think that Yoons policies are on much shakier ground.

Moon Chung-in, a senior foreign affairs adviser in multiple left-leaning governments, rejected the notion of a permanent change in South Koreans views toward their neighbors.

Yoon and Biden do not see this. But Japanese political leaders are well aware of the volatility, and thats why they are not making major concessions, Moon said.

Seoul-Tokyo ties can easily degenerate, Moon maintained, unless Japan takes further steps to address unresolved historical disputes.

Many in South Korea also worry that enhanced trilateral cooperation could provoke a counter-reaction from U.S. foes in the region, ultimately leading to increased instability.

As evidence, they cite last months decision by North Korea and Russia to restore a Cold War-era mutual defense treaty  a move both sides described as necessary to counter U.S. moves in Asia.

If the regional security dilemma worsens, some fear that China could eventually respond by enhancing its own security cooperation with North Korea and Russia.

For many South Korean liberals, the best way to avoid such a scenario with China is to take a more cautious approach to Japan and the United States.

China is near and powerful, Moon said. What other options do we have but to maintain good relations? This is common sense.
U.N. human rights experts say Russian authorities are arbitrarily detaining American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who has been jailed in Russia for more than a year on espionage charges that are widely viewed as false.

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said in its opinion, released Tuesday, that the Russian government is detaining Gershkovich over unsubstantiated claims.

A correspondent with The Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich has been jailed in Russia since March 2023 on spying charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny. The U.S. State Department has also declared the 32-year-old wrongfully detained.

The Journal welcomed the working groups determination.

Evans wrongful detention is a flagrant violation of his fundamental human rights, and we commend the U.N. working groups opinion reaffirming what we have known since his unjust arrest: Evan is being arbitrarily detained and should be released immediately, the newspapers publisher, Almar Latour, said in a statement.

A closed-door trial of Gershkovich began on June 26 in Yekaterinburg, where Gershkovich was first detained. The Ural Mountains city is about 1,400 kilometers, or 870 miles, east of Moscow.

The next hearing is scheduled for August 13. Press freedom experts have warned that the trial will almost certainly be a sham.

Russian authorities have accused Gershkovich of gathering secret information about a Russian military 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.

The U.S. mission to the United Nations also welcomed that the working group determined that Gershkovichs jailing is illegal.

I have been proud to stand with Evans family at the United Nations to demand Evans immediate release, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said in a statement. Journalism is never a crime and Evan should never have been detained.

Gershkovich is one of two American journalists currently jailed in Russia.

The second is Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian national who works at VOAs sister outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Kurmasheva, 47, 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 military.

Kurmasheva and her employer reject the charges, which carry a combined sentence of up to 15 years behind bars.

Although the U.S. government has also called for Kurmashevas immediate release, press freedom groups have criticized the State Department for not declaring the journalist wrongfully detained. The State Department says it is still considering making the determination, which would open up additional resources to help secure Kurmashevas release.

The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately reply to VOAs email requesting comment.

Also on Tuesday, the U.N. working group determined that Guatemalan journalist Jose Ruben Zamora is arbitrarily detained by his countrys government.

The founder of the investigative outlet El Periodico, Zamora is currently serving a six-year jail sentence for alleged money laundering in a case that press freedom groups have condemned as politically motivated.
Police in Pakistan said Wednesday that a roadside bomb blast near the border with Afghanistan tore through a vehicle, killing a former senator and his four companions.

Initial police investigations concluded that suspected militants used a remote-controlled device to detonate an improvised explosive device in the troubled Bajaur district, noting that it was aimed specifically at the slain former member of the upper house of parliament, Hidayatullah Khan.

No group immediately took responsibility for the deadly bombing.

Militants affiliated with outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, and a regional Islamic State affiliate, known as IS-Khorasan, routinely target security forces and pro-government tribal elders and politicians in Bajaur and surrounding districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The TTP denied involvement in Wednesdays attack but reiterated that its violent campaign is targeting only Pakistani security forces and those working for them.

Anti-terror drill with US

The bombing in Bajaur occurred while military personnel from Pakistan and the United States were participating in a two-week-long joint counterterrorism exercise in another part of the turbulent province, located about 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of Islamabad.

The bilateral drill began on June 29 at the National Counter Terrorism Center in the town of Pabbi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with infantry companies from both countries participating.

It is designed to exchange tactical skills at combating the menace of terrorism at sub-unit level, a Pakistani military media wing announcement said Wednesday.

The exercise is aimed at sharing counter-terrorism experiences besides refining drill procedures vital for counter-terrorism operations, the statement said.

Terrorist attacks have sharply surged in Pakistan, killing hundreds of civilians and security forces in recent months.

Pakistani military and police have stepped up counter-militancy operations in violence-hit parts of the country, killing scores of TTP and insurgents linked to other groups.

Islamabad accuses the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan of providing sanctuaries to TTP and even facilitating their cross-border attacks.

Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid reiterated Wednesday that they are not allowing anyone to use Afghan soil to threaten Pakistan or any other countries.

Mujahid said, while addressing a news conference in Kabul, that Pakistani authorities should stop pointing fingers at Afghanistan for what he described as their internal security problems.
Swaths of California sweltered Tuesday and things were only expected to get worse during the Fourth of July holiday week for parts of the United States with nearly 90 million people under heat alerts.

The torrid conditions were being caused by a ridge of high pressure just off the West Coast and a separate ridge that spawned heat warnings and advisories from Kansas and Missouri to the Gulf Coast states, according to the National Weather Service.

California's capital, Sacramento, was under an excessive heat warning expected to last until Sunday night, with temperatures forecasted to reach between 40.5-46 Celsius (105-115 Farenheit).

John Mendoza, 35, called it a "firehose of heat" as he walked around the Capitol on Tuesday morning with an iced coffee in his hand. By 9 a.m., he had already been in a pool once  and planned to go back later in the day.

"I felt like I needed to be submerged in water," he said.

Darlene Crumedy of Fairfield, about an hour's drive from Sacramento, said she doesn't use air conditioning because it's too expensive.

"I'm good, I have a hundred fans," she said, adding she tries to stay inside and drink cold water.

An analysis by The Associated Press found that heat killed more than 2,300 people in the U.S. last year, setting a record. That figure is likely a major undercount, dozens of experts told AP reporters.

Dr. Arthur Jey, an emergency services physician with Sutter Health in Sacramento, told reporters that getting out of the heat is important, along with wearing a hat and loose clothes, hydration and watching out for signs of heat stroke.

"With heat stroke, it looks like a stroke," Jey said, describing symptoms that may include acting unusual, significant headaches, blurry vision, profuse sweating and then no sweating.

"And that's a really big deal," Jey said. "So we want to prevent them getting even close to heat stroke."

California's heat was expected to spread from north to south over the week, with the worst of it focused on interior areas including the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys and the southern deserts. But warnings extended out to just short of the coast.

The heat arrived with gusty, dry winds in the northern part of the state, where the utility Pacific Gas & Electric implemented public safety power shutoffs in parts of 10 counties to prevent wildfires from being ignited by downed or damaged electrical wires.

PG&E said about 12,000 customers were told their power could be cut and given information about centers where they could obtain ice, water, snacks, Wi-Fi and other necessities.

California has had a spate of spring and early summer wildfires feeding on abundant grasses spawned by back-to-back wet winters. The largest current blaze, dubbed the Basin Fire, was 17% contained Tuesday after charring more than 54 square kilometers of the Sierra National Forest in eastern Fresno County.
The death toll from a stampede at a Hindu religious gathering in Indias northern Uttar Pradesh state Tuesday has risen to 121 people.

District Magistrate Ashish Kumar told reporters the stampede occurred at a village about 200 kilometers southeast of Indias capital, New Delhi, as a large crowd rushed to leave a Hindu event known as a satsang, organized by local religious leader Bhole Baba.

A police report said about 250,000 people had been crowded into a makeshift tent where the event was held, far exceeding the limit of 80,000 mandated by local officials.

Various reports say the stampede began as worshippers followed Bhole Baba out of the tent as he was leaving. Many of the attendees slipped on the muddy ground and fell into a water-logged ditch and were crushed to death when others fell on top of them.

One local official told the French news agency AFP that a dust storm also may have blinded people as they attempted to leave the area.

Most of the victims were women and children. Dozens of others were injured in the tragedy.

In a statement on his X social media account, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state, Mahant Yogi Adityanath, said he has formed a team to investigate.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during an appearance before the Indian parliament Tuesday, said he was deeply saddened and stressed he would help the injured in every possible way.

Deadly stampedes are relatively common during Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas with few safety measures.

Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
U.S. President Joe Biden defiantly vowed Wednesday to keep running for reelection, pushing back against growing sentiment that his faltering debate performance had doomed his candidacy and that he should withdraw from the campaign leading to the November 5 election.



"I am running. I am the leader of the Democratic Party. No one is pushing me out," Biden told his staff, according to a campaign aide.



Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on a Democratic National Committee call, using it as a pep talk and stressing the stakes of the 2024 election.



Biden said he would get back up after being knocked down by his weak debate performance last week against former President Donald Trump. At times during the debate, he lost of his train of thought, even saying wrongly at one point that he had killed off Medicare, the governments health insurance program for older Americans.

Watch related report by Carolyn Presutti:

Bidens reassurance that he would stay in the race came as some Democrats had started to publicly question whether the 81-year-old president had the mental and physical ability to keep a vigorous campaign going over the next four months and, if he wins, to govern over the next four years. Top Democratic lawmakers have voiced support for Biden, but at least two Democratic lawmakers have called for Biden to quit the race.

The effort to assuage worries continued late Wednesday, as Biden met with all but one of the state governors who are members of his Democratic Party.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who chairs the Democratic Governors Association, told reporters that Bidens debate performance was bad, but that the president is fit for office.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said it is clear Biden is "in this to win."

"The president is our nominee. The president is our party leader," Moore said.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green highlighted his experience meeting with Biden after wildfires hit Hawaii last year and drew a distinction between the presidential debate and the job of governing.

"In this upcoming election, it is clear to me that were electing a commander in chief, not a debater in chief," Green said on X.

National and state-by-state surveys show Trump gaining ground after the fallout from the debate even as pollsters say the matchup is still very close. Biden campaign aides have called wealthy campaign donors to try to calm their anxiety about the contest.

Biden has spoken privately with senior Democratic lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Delaware Senator Chris Coons and South Carolina Representative James Clyburn, according to one White House official and others with knowledge of the conversations.

In Congress, there has been increasing angst among other lawmakers who feel Biden has been too slow to reach out to top Democrats and rank-and-file members, according to people familiar with the conversations.

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients tried to rally the White House staff's confidence in Biden's reelection apparatus, noting that the president has a "strong campaign team" in place and that the White House's job is to focus on continuing to implement Biden's agenda. He also told staff that Biden has always survived tough times, despite being counted out at times over his decades in public office.

A memo sent Wednesday by campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez contended that the election between Biden and Trump will still be close, seeking to downplay the lasting effects of the debate.

On Wednesday morning, the Biden campaign released an all-staff memo showing that Biden had slipped only slightly in national polling against Trump since the debate and that the race essentially remains a dead heat.

Other independent polls, however, have shown Trump gaining ground since the debate, which was viewed by 51 million people.

At a Tuesday evening fundraiser in a suburb of Washington, Biden offered an explanation, pointing to a lack of sleep and a travel schedule that in the weeks ahead of the debate included D-Day commemorations in France, a G-7 summit in Italy and multiple campaign events in the United States.

The fact is that, you know, I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones ... before ... the debate. Didnt listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage," he said. "That's no excuse but it is an explanation.

A handful of Democratic officials have started to publicly voice their concerns about whether Biden has the mental sharpness and physical strength to finish his campaign and serve another four-year term, which would end in early 2029 when he is 86.

Lloyd Doggett, a 15-term House of Representatives lawmaker from Texas, on Tuesday became the first Democratic official to call for Biden to step aside, saying Biden should "make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw."

On Wednesday, Representative Raul Grijalva became the second Democratic lawmaker to urge Biden to step aside.

"If he's the candidate, I'm going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere," Grijalva, a progressive who represents a district in southern Arizona along the border with Mexico, told The New York Times.

Senior Democratic leaders, however, have been expressing support for Biden following the recent debate, saying he should stand fast against the growing angst among his party colleagues.

Schumer, the Senate majority leader, said Tuesday he believed the 81-year-old president was fit to serve.

"I'm with Joe Biden," he said, echoing comments by other top party officials.

But Nancy Pelosi, a California congresswoman and a former speaker of the House of Representatives, said that while she supports Biden, it was a legitimate question to say, Is this an episode or is this a condition? Pelosi said she was hearing "mixed" comments from Democratic donors on whether Biden would be able to continue his run for a second term.

ABC News, which aggregates polling data, demographics and economic information to make its election forecasts, said Biden had slipped somewhat in national polling since the debate but nonetheless concluded, "Four months out from Election Day, the 2024 presidential election is a pure toss-up."

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters and The Associated Press.
On July 1, hundreds of news agencies and papers in Russia reported that Ukraines first lady Olena Zelenska purchased the worlds most expensive supercar, a Bugatti, and that she paid 4.5 million euros ($4.8 million) for it.

Thousands of anonymous and pro-Kremlin users spread the news across social media platforms in multiple languages using nearly identical text:

While Ukrainians are sent to die in a senseless conflict created by NATO, Olena Zelenska spends 4.5 million on a Bugatti Tourbillon during a visit to Paris. Decadence in the midst of devastation is unimaginable.

Those posts reached at least 12 million users on X alone, BBC reported.

In the U.S., dozens of websites, self-identified as local news sources published the ZelenskaBugatti report.

Most quoted the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti, part of the Kremlins MIA Rossia Segodnya media conglomerate, which also includes Sputnik and RT (Russia Today).

RIA Novosti cited a news report by a French language website Verite Cachee (Hidden Truth) published on July 1, saying that Olena Zelenska became the first owner of Bugattis concept supercar Turbillon (Verite Cachee misspelled the name Bugatti Tourbillon).

RIA Novosti said the Zelenska expose came as confirmation of the Pentagons recent report to Congress, in which Robert Storch, Inspector General of the U.S. Defense Department, detailed the highest level of corruption in Ukraine.

The IGs latest quarterly report on Ukraine said that corruption remains a challenge in Ukraine, amplified by war with Russia, and 15% of its 62 ongoing investigations in Ukraine are related to alleged corruption.

Yet RIA Novosti did not mention that the Pentagon report also noted the significant progress the government in Kyiv has made in efforts to fight and eradicate corruption.

Verite Cachees report said Ukraines presidential couple attended a private presentation at the Bugatti salon in Paris. The piece provided evidence of a purchase: Video footage of Bugatti employee Jacques Bertin and a copy of the invoice for a 4.5 million euros purchase in Zelenskas name.

RIA Novosti reported on the same day in Russian:

Zelenskyy's wife bought one of the most expensive supercars in the world, media learned.  According to the publication [Verite achee], the Tourbillon cost Zelenska 4.5 million euros.

The news is false.

Bugatti S.A.S. told Polygraph.info that the company is aware of fake news suggesting a recent purchase of a BUGATTI vehicle by Mrs. Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine.

While the company does not normally disclose information about its clients, In this case, BUGATTI Automobiles S.A.S. makes an exception because it is a false report and does not correspond to the truth. According to an internal check, Mrs. Zelenska is not a BUGATTI customer, Nicole Auger, head of Marketing and Communications at Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S., wrote in an email to Polygraph.info.

Verite Cachee website was created on June 22, 2024, nine days before publishing the Zelenska-Bugatti fake.

Multiple fact-checkers and deep fake investigators, including Kyle Glen, from the Center for Information Resilience, a London-based NGO countering disinformation, reported that the footage of "Jacques Bertin," a supposed Bugatti employee, was an AI-generated deepfake.

Cybernews.com called the video a part of a "carefully crafted propaganda campaign, most likely of Russian origin."

Community posts on X identified the alleged Bugatti invoice as fake, noting it lacks legal details such as currency, company VAT number, trading register number, and the shop's original investment value. Additionally, there's a typo in the city name, which should be Neuilly, not Neuily.

Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, which is part of the country's National Security and Defense Council, on July 1, called publications about Olena Zelenskas alleged purchase of a supercar a fake and another attempt by russians to discredit the family of the President of Ukraine.

The BBC investigation linked the fake news to a fugitive ex-U.S. cop John Marc Dougan, who runs the Kremlins disinformation network from Moscow.

Polygraph.info reported in June about Dougans role in creating and spreading of deepfake footage involving Matthew Miller, the U.S. State Department spokesperson.

In January, Polygraph.info report linked Dougan with a fabricated news reports alleging President Zelenskyys involvement in the fictional murder of an Egyptian investigative journalist who "exposed" Zelenskyy family's purchase of a luxury villa in El Gouna, an upscale resort town on Egypt's Red Sea coast.

On July 2, RIA Novosti deleted its article about Olena Zelenskas alleged purchase of the Buratti supercar, with a comment on the page: The news has been cancelled.
France on Wednesday expelled an Iranian suspected of influence peddling on behalf of Tehran and having links to the Revolutionary Guards ideological army, his lawyer and Iranian officials said.

The deportation of Bashir Biazar, reportedly a former senior figure in state television in Iran, frustrated Paris-based activists who last month filed a torture complaint against him.

Biazar had been held in administrative detention since the beginning of June and was subject to a deportation order from the French interior ministry.

Mohammad Mahdi Rahimi, the head of public relations for the office of the Iranian president, wrote on X that Biazar "has been released and is on his way back to his homeland."

He said Biazar had been "illegally arrested and imprisoned in France a few weeks ago."

But a representative of the French interior ministry, speaking at a hearing earlier Wednesday, said Biazar was an "agent of influence, an agitator who promotes the views of the Islamic Republic of Iran and, more worryingly, harasses opponents of the regime."

The representative accused Biazar of filming journalists from Iranian opposition media in September in front of the Iranian consulate in Paris after an arson attack on the building.

French authorities also accused him of posting messages on social networks in connection with the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in which he denounced "Zionist dogs."

During the hearing, his lawyer Rachid Lemoudaa said that the expulsion order was based on assumptions and that his client's comments fell within the scope of "freedom of expression."

"I have never been made aware of any threat whatsoever" posed by Biazar, he added.

Biazar has been described by the London-based Iran International television channel as a former official for Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.

Iranian state media have described him as a "cultural figure."

The case has emerged at a time of heightened tensions between Paris and Tehran, with three French citizens, described by France as "state hostages," still imprisoned in Iran.

A fourth French detainee, Louis Arnaud, held in Iran since September 2022, was suddenly released last month.

Activist group Iran Justice and victims of human rights violations filed the torture complaint against Biazar last month in Paris.

It accuses Biazar of complicity in torture because of his past work with IRIB, describing him as a former director of production there.

The complaint referred to the regular broadcasts by Iranian state television of statements by, and even interviews with, Iranian or foreign prisoners, which activists regard as forced confessions.

"It is incomprehensible ... that no legal proceedings have been initiated" against Biazar, Chirinne Ardakani, the Paris-based lawyer behind the complaint, told AFP.

She said there were "serious indications" implicating Biazar "in the production, recording and broadcasting of forced confessions obtained clearly under torture."

"Nothing is clear in this case," she added.

The French citizens still held in Iran are Cecile Kohler, a teacher, and her partner Jacques Paris, detained since May 2022, and another man identified only as Olivier.

Kohler appeared on Iranian television in October 2022 giving comments activists said amounted to a forced confession.

Amnesty International describes Kohler as "arbitrarily detained ... amidst mounting evidence Iran's authorities are holding her hostage to compel specific action[s] by French authorities."
Authorities in Germany and Sweden announced the arrest Wednesday of eight people suspected of crimes against humanity in connection with a crackdown on peaceful protesters in Syria in 2012.

German prosecutors said those arrested in Germany included four stateless Syrian Palestinians who were affiliated with a Syrian militia and a Syrian national who was a government intelligence officer.

The prosecutors said those arrested participated in the violent crackdown on a peaceful anti-government protest in the Al-Yarmouk district of Syrias capital, Damascus.

They and other accessories specifically targeted the civilian protesters, shooting at them, the German prosecutors said.

The militia members also physically abused civilians at checkpoints and other locations from mid-2012 to 2014, authorities said in a statement.

The three suspects arrested in Sweden were part of the same militia as those arrested in Germany, according to the German prosecutors.

Some information for this report was provided by Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

Prominent lawyer Advocate Thabani Mpofu has issued a stern ultimatum to Zimbabwe National Army commander Lieutenant-General Anselem Sanyatwe, demanding the retraction of controversial statements within seven days.Sanyatwe had declared that the military would engage in "command voting" in future elections and that Zanu-PF would rule indefinitely. These statements, made in a recent video where Sanyatwe addressed Zanu-PF supporters, have sparked widespread concern due to their openly unconstitutional and unlawful nature.Mpofu, who serves as Nelson Chamisa's legal adviser, highlighted that Sanyatwe's remarks egregiously violated several key aspects of Zimbabwe's legal framework. Specifically, they contravened section 208(2) and section 55 of the Constitution, which uphold the principles of impartiality and non-interference of the military in political affairs. Additionally, the statements breached provisions of the Electoral Act and the Defence Act, further undermining the rule of law and constitutionalism in the country.In his formal demand, Mpofu stated:"Sir, I therefore write to demand, as I now do, that you unreservedly withdraw your above statements within seven days of your receipt of this letter, failing which I shall take steps to ensure that appropriate remedies under the law are put in motion."This move by Mpofu underscores the severity of the situation and the potential legal consequences if Sanyatwe fails to comply with the demand. The issue has ignited significant debate and concern among legal experts, political analysts, and the general public, all of whom are closely watching the developments.
Haitis transitional prime minister assured the international community Wednesday that his violence-plagued nation is at the dawn of a new era, and he expressed confidence that a Kenyan-led police mission would help subdue gangs terrorizing the island nation.

Our country is at a crucial turning point in our history, Prime Minister Garry Conille told a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Haiti. We find ourselves facing a huge challenge but also an excellent opportunity to restore peace and security in our nation.

He said 12,000 armed gang members are holding Haitis population of 12 million people hostage, and he welcomed the arrival on June 25 of the first police contingent from Kenya. It will lead a multination security support mission of about 2,500 police officers expected to deploy to help Haitis police stabilize the country.

We will restore our territory house by house, neighborhood by neighborhood, Conille said. This isnt just a security operation; it is a renaissance of the national spirit.

Conille, 58, a physician and former UNICEF and international development official, was elected in May by the Presidential Transitional Council to lead the transitional government and took up his post on June 3.

At this decisive juncture, no project, be it economic or political, can be tackled without addressing the security issue, he said, acknowledging the many challenges facing the new government.

The latest U.N. report on Haiti, issued last Thursday, says gang intimidation and attacks have displaced 578,000 people, mostly in and around the capital, Port-au-Prince, with the majority fleeing to rural areas in the south and north.

Murders are up significantly. The U.N. political mission in Haiti, known as BINUH, said in the first five months of this year, 3,252 people have been killed  an increase of 800 people over the last five months of 2023. Kidnappings are also high, with nearly 1,000 abductions between January and May 2024.

At least 80% of Port -au-Prince is no longer under the control of the Haitian authorities, and violence is spreading to other parts of the country. The Haitian National Police, or HNP, have been targeted and attacked, and 20 officers have been killed so far this year. Gangs also have demolished three police stations and three prisons.

The humanitarian situation is equally bleak. Nearly 5 million Haitians are in emergency or worse levels of food insecurity, and more than 275,000 children under age 5 are likely to suffer from acute malnutrition by the end of this year.

The United States is the largest funder of the multinational security support force  also known as the MSS  having pledged more than $300 million focused on logistics, equipment and training.

The Haitian people deserve, at long last, to live in peace  to go to work, school or a house of worship without the threat of violence, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in the council.

In helping restore security to Haiti, the MSS will also be helping to create conditions for the holding of credible elections. Haiti hopes to hold them no later than February 2026.

The multinational security support mission has been beset with delays, including court challenges in Kenya and a shortage of funding.

Haiti has been in turmoil since the July 7, 2021, assassination of President Jovenel Moise at his home in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Petion-Ville. Armed gangs now control much of the capital and have spread to other parts of the country, where they have carried out massacres, kidnappings, human trafficking and sexual violence.
Gang violence in Haiti has displaced more than 300,000 children since March, the United Nations children's agency said Tuesday as the Caribbean country struggles to curb killings and kidnappings.

Children are more than half of the nearly 580,000 people who have become homeless in the last four months. The spike in violence began in late February after a series of coordinated attacks on key government infrastructure eventually led Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign in April.

"The humanitarian catastrophe unfolding before our eyes is taking a devastating toll on children," Catherine Russell, UNICEF's executive director, said in a statement. "Displaced children are in desperate need of a safe and protective environment, and increased support and funding from the international community."

Gangs now control at least 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and the key roads leading in and out of it, with more than 2,500 people killed or injured across the country in the first three months of the year, according to the U.N.

Many children are living in makeshift shelters, including schools that are in poor hygienic conditions, placing them at risk of disease. School closures are also leading to a higher dropout rate.

The agency said children in Haiti are being forced to join violent gangs to survive as they often lack access to food, health care, clean water and sanitation. Displaced children and teenagers in Haiti also face a higher risk of sexual assault, exploitation, abuse and family separation, according to UNICEF.

The announcement comes days after hundreds of Kenyans arrived in Haiti to help rescue the country from the tight hold of armed gangs. The deployment received mixed reactions after a U.N. peacekeeping mission years ago introduced cholera in the country and was tainted with sexual allegations.

On Monday, U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Finer met with Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille to discuss the initial deployment of the U.N.-backed mission to Haiti. Finer reminded Conille of the United States' strong support for accountability and oversight mechanisms as part of mission.

Haiti is also bracing for a strong hurricane season, which started earlier than usual. A tropical storm watch was in effect for Haiti's southern coast as Hurricane Beryl moved into the Caribbean Sea.
Hezbollah said that an Israeli strike has killed a senior commander of the Lebanon-based group, amid heightened tensions between the two sides.

A statement from Hezbollah said the commander, Mohammad Naamah Nasser, was killed Wednesday in a strike near the coastal city of Tyre. Taleb Abdallah, another commander for Hezbollah, was killed last month in a separate Israeli airstrike.

Since October 7, when the war in Gaza was started by a Hamas attack on Israel, Hezbollah has engaged in almost daily cross-border fire with the Israeli army. Hamas and Iran-backed Hezbollah are allies.

The back-and-forth between the countries has escalated and Hezbollah has said it will stop any attacks when a cease-fire occurs in Gaza. Israeli officials have warned of a larger military operation if Hezbollah does not end its attacks.

The recent clashes have raised concerns about a direct confrontation between Lebanon and Israel, sparking diplomatic efforts to cool the situation.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday encouraged Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid a conflagration between the two countries. Amos Hochstein, senior adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden, has been traveling between Lebanon and Israel and was scheduled to meet with Jean-Yves Le Drian, Macrons Lebanon envoy, on Wednesday.

The cross-border violence has killed at least 494 people in Lebanon, including 95 civilians over a period of nearly nine months, according to a tally by Agence France-Presse. According to Israeli authorities, at least 15 Israeli soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed.
The United States last weekend deported Chinese nationals who attempted to illegally enter the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday.

The weekend charter flight was the largest since 2018, and DHS is working with Chinas Ministry of Public Security and National Immigration Administration on additional removal flights.

According to DHS, the United States and China are collaborating to minimize illegal immigration and address human trafficking issues.

DHS has been responsible for more than 120 international repatriation flights to more than 20 countries since President Joe Biden imposed toughened border controls on June 4, according to a statement from the U.S. diplomatic mission in China.

The challenge of acquiring U.S. visas combined with the economic impacts of Chinas COVID-19 lockdowns contributed to a notable rise in Chinese nationals arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border

Nearly 56,000 Chinese migrants have been encountered at both the Southwest border with Mexico and the northern border with Canada crossing both between and at ports of entry in the 2024 fiscal year through May, Reuters reported citing U.S. government data. That is more than the 52,700 that crossed in the entire 2023 fiscal year that ended in October.

In August 2022, China ceased its cooperation with the United States on repatriating Chinese migrants in retaliation for the visit to Taiwan by then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. However, as more crossings have been reported at the U.S. southern border, China has resumed its cooperation.

We will continue to enforce our immigration laws and remove individuals without a legal basis to remain in the United States, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.
Jamaica is hunkering down as powerful Hurricane Beryl passes through the Caribbean Sea. At least six people have already been killed by the storm.

In Kingston, Jamaicas capital city, people could be seen boarding windows and pulling boats from the water.

There are going to be multiple life-threatening hazards that are going to play out over the next 6 to 12 hours across Jamaica, said U.S. National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan.

Conditions include strong wind gusts and storm surge of 0.3 to 2.7 meters over typical tides with possible destructive waves atop it. Ten to 20 centimeters of rain will pelt most of the country, maxing at 30 centimeters in some areas, which could cause mudslides and flash flooding.

Plan to shelter in place for the remainder of the day well into tonight, Brennan added for those living in Jamaica.

Jamaica must take this hurricane seriously. I am now declaring the whole of Jamaica to be a disaster area  for the next seven days, said Andrew Holness, prime minister of Jamaica, in a recent video posted on X.

An island-wide curfew will be imposed. An evacuation order has been issued for flood- and landslide-prone parts of the country.

The NHC says Hurricane Beryl has maximum sustained winds of 230 kilometers an hour, making it a Category 4 storm on the centers five-level scale that measures a storms maximum sustained wind speed and destructive potential. The storm has hurricane-force winds up to 75 kilometers from its center and tropical-storm force winds up to 295 kilometers from the center.

At last report, Beryl was located about 125 kilometers southeast of Kingston. The NHC says that the center of the storm will move through or near the country within the next several hours.

Hurricane warnings are in effect for Jamaica and the islands of Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, while hurricane watches are in effect for Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which shares the island Hispaniola, and Mexicos Yucatan peninsula, where forecasters believe Beryl will reach by Thursday.

The central American nation of Belize is under a tropical storm watch. Texas may also see some inclement weather.

The Cayman Islands and Yucatan peninsula will receive 5 to 10 centimeters of rainfall between Thursday and Friday. The hurricane is also expected to trigger dangerous storm surges that could raise water levels between 2 to 3 meters above normal tide levels in Jamaica, and up to one meter above normal tide levels on the Cayman Islands.

NHC is warning that the southern coasts of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola will experience large swells that could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

The White House said on its social media account X that U.S. President Joe Biden is closely monitoring Hurricane Beryl and connecting with officials including the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Hurricane Beryl has left behind a trail of death and destruction since making landfall Monday on Grenadas Carriacou island as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 241 kilometers an hour. Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell of Grenada says Carriacou and the nearby island of Petit Martinique sustained the brunt of Beryls force, with scores of homes and businesses flattened in Carriacou and residents cut off from the outside due to downed power lines and damaged roads.

Among those whose homes were damaged on Carriacou were the parents of Simon Stiell, the head of the United Nations climate change agency. Stiell issued a statement saying, its clear that the climate crisis is pushing disasters to record-breaking new levels of destruction.

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of the archipelago nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines said Tuesday that 90% of homes on Union Island were destroyed.

Beryl grew from a tropical storm to a major hurricane in 42 hours, which has only happened six times in the recorded history of Atlantic hurricanes. The hurricane is also the earliest to reach Category 4 status in the region and the earliest to reach Category 5 strength. Hurricane Dennis became a Category 4 storm on July 8, 2005.

Beryl is the second named storm in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Tropical Storm Alberto hit northeastern Mexico in June, killing four people.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has warned of an above average hurricane season.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
An appeals court in Italy on Wednesday upheld the convictions but decreased the prison sentences for two American visitors who initially were sentenced to life in prison in the murder of a police officer in 2019, a case that shocked Italy.

Their initial convictions were overturned by Italy's highest court and a new trial was mandated, leading to Wednesdays results. Finnegan Lee Elder was given a new sentence of 15 years and two months in jail, while Gabriele Natale-Hjorth received a sentence of 11 years and four months and an 800 euro ($863) fine.

The two were found guilty in the death of Carabinieri Vice Brigadier Mario Cerciello Rega in July 2019.

"I don't think we could ask for a reasonable, better decision today," said Ethan Elder, Finnegan Elder's father.

Elder and Natale-Hjorth were teenagers on vacation from San Francisco at the time of Cerciello Regas death. The fatal confrontation occurred when they agreed to meet a small-time drug dealer, who turned out to be a police informant, to collect money lost in a failed drug deal. Instead, they encountered two police officers.

The police officer, a 35-year-old newlywed, was stabbed 11 times in a hotel room, prompting a media sensation. Cerciello Rega was mourned as a national hero.

Elder admitted to having killed the officer, but said he acted in self-defense because he thought Cerciello Rega was a criminal trying to attack the youths. During the latest trial, the defense reiterated its earlier claim that the defendants were unaware they were being investigated by law authorities at the time.

The widow of Cerciello Rega, Rosa Maria Esilio, was devastated by the verdict, according to her attorney Massimo Ferrandino.

"For five years she has been carrying a huge pain. She was the one who closed the eyes of her husband in the morgue. You can imagine her pain today, too," he said.

The defense lawyers welcomed the new ruling.

"This sentence is fairer than the previous ones," said Renato Borzone, Elder's lawyer. "It took five years, but we finally have a court that can sleep easily because it has made the right decision in good conscience."

Prosecutors said Elder attacked Cerciello Rega with a knife he had brought with him on his trip to Europe, and that Natale-Hjorth helped him to hide the knife in their hotel room. Under Italian law, an accomplice to an accused murder can be charged with murder, even if they did not commit the crime.

Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Press.
A fresh round of protests returned to Nairobi, Kenya's capital, and other locations around the country Tuesday, following last week's deadly demonstrations against a finance bill that included tax hikes to pay off the country's enormous debt.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said on Monday that 24 people have been killed since the demonstrations began two weeks ago and 361 have been injured. The commission described the violence used against protesters as "excessive and disproportionate."

President William Ruto, who on Sunday put the death toll at 19, is facing his most serious crisis since taking office in 2022.

The Parliament passed the finance bill last week amid the protests, which turned deadly when protesters broke into the parliament building in Nairobi and police opened fire, killing more than 20 people, according to rights groups.

In the wake of the violence, Ruto said he would not sign the finance bill and called for an inquiry into the deaths of the demonstrators. But those moves have apparently not appeased the young activists, who are calling for the president to step down.

"We are determined to push for the president's resignation," Ojango Omondi, an activist in Nairobi, told Reuters on Tuesday. "We hope for a peaceful protest and minimal casualties, if any."

The leaderless demonstrations have been fueled by tech-savvy youth on social media.

Scattered violence was reported Tuesday as protests were also held in Kisumu, Nakuru, Kajiado, Mombasa, Migori, Mlolongo and Rongo, prompting one prominent activist to encourage his fellow protesters to go home because of government interference.

Several vehicles were reported to have been torched in Mombasa.

"Good people. Let's go home. As usual the government has let goons take over, loot, and burn property again," Boniface Mwangi wrote on X.

Some shop owners in Nairobi shuttered their businesses Tuesday because they feared the violent protests.

"This is economic sabotage," John Kwenya, a member of the Nairobi city county assembly, told AFP.

Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki warned that the government would take action against anyone participating in the "orgy of violence" and "anarchic chaos and cruel plunder."

Meanwhile, at Nairobi's public morgue, families are collecting the remains of their loved ones from last week's demonstrations in the capital.

VOA's Nairobi Bureau Chief Mariama Diallo talked with Hussein Khaled, CEO of Vocal Africa, an organization of community activists, who described the morgue as "a beehive of activities."

He said his organization is there to support the families whose family members were shot and killed by the police during the protests.

"We make sure we have the necessary documentation that will help us in seeking justice," Khaled said.

Diallo also talked with an activist who with other people has set up an account through M-Changa, a mobile contribution platform to help offset some of the protesters' medical and funeral expenses. The goal was 10 million Kenya shillings, but they have surpassed that and are now at more than 25 million, equivalent to about $193,000.

Some family members, like Phoebe Akumu Maina, who lost her 17-year-old son last week, said they have little to no resources to bury their kin.

"I don't have money, I have nothing. I am only just a mother.  I don't have a husband. My husband died.  If they can help me move the body to the cemetery, it would be good."

VOA's Nairobi Bureau Chief Mariama Diallo contributed to this report. Some information for this report was provided by the Associated Press, Reuters and the Agence France-Presse.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday urged voters to take part in Fridays presidential election after a historically low first-round turnout.

In the first round of Irans presidential election, only 40% of the countrys 61 million eligible voters participated, marking the lowest turnout since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Khamenei said although participation was not as expected, it was completely wrong to think that those who did not vote in the first round are against the system.

Reformist contender Masoud Pezeshkian and ultraconservative Saeed Jalili are competing in Friday's runoff. They emerged as front-runners in last weeks first round. The election was triggered by the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a May helicopter crash.

Pezeshkian took 42.4% of those votes while Jalili, who recently served as a nuclear negotiator, came in second with 38.6%.

Fridays runoff was announced after none of the candidates received the 50% threshold required to claim victory.

Some of Irans reformist leaders, such as former President Mohammad Khatami, have come together in support of Pezeshkian. Two ultraconservative candidates who withdrew from the race have since endorsed Jalili.

We hope that peoples turnout for the second round will be important and a source of pride for the Islamic Republic, Khamenei said.
An attack blamed on jihadists in central Mali killed more than 20 civilians on Monday, two officials from the provincial authority said, in the latest killings in the troubled Sahel region.

"At least 21 civilians have been killed" in the village of Djiguibombo, several dozen kilometers [miles] from the town of Bandiagara, one of the officials said on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Another official, who spoke overnight, said about 20 people had been killed and the security situation prevented authorities from going to the site.

Both sources asked not to be identified given their positions. Since the junta came to power in the West African nation in 2020, information about such events is not generally made public.

The attack began before nightfall and "lasted around three hours", a youth representative, also speaking anonymously for security reasons, said.

"Twenty people have been killed. More than half are young people. Some victims had their throats cut," the source said.

Mali has since 2012 been ravaged by different factions affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as by self-declared, self-defense forces and bandits.

The violence spilled over into neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, with all three countries seeing military regimes seize power.
A nova eruption predicted to occur by September is being described by NASA as a once-in-a-lifetime event that will be visible to the human eye.

Researchers tracking T Coronae Borealis  known as T CrB  say the eruption could occur any time before September. T CrB generally erupts every 80 years, and it was last visible from Earth in 1946.

T CrB comprises a white dwarf and a red giant that orbit each other. A white dwarf is a dead star because its atoms no longer fuse to create nuclear fuel. A red giant is a star that no longer has hydrogen at its core to cause nuclear fusion. The red giants hydrogen accumulates on the white dwarf, where it builds up, eventually leading to a thermonuclear explosion, which NASA says usually occurs every 80 years.

When this explosive event  known as a nova  occurs, people can expect to see a bright glow for about a week, before it dissipates and becomes invisible to the human eye.

Brian Kloppenborg, the executive director of the American Association of Variable Star Observers, told VOA the eruption is similar in some ways to a hydrogen bomb because the hydrogen in the star builds up, culminating in an eruption.

They're really dramatic events, and most of the light that comes out is broadband, meaning that it's [a] thermal emission, Kloppenborg said. So, it'll look ... kind of like a hydrogen bomb on Earth, where it's just lots and lots of really bright white light.

Koji Mukai, an astrophysics researcher at NASA, told VOA in an email, It's not a great spectacle on its own. It's the backstory ... or the prospect of fantastic scientific results ... that makes it exciting.

Mukai said T CrBs nova will likely become the brightest nova since Nova Cygni in 1975, which reached a peak magnitude of 2.0. The magnitude scale dates to the early astronomers. Simply put, it describes how bright a star looks, taking into consideration its relative distance. The brightest stars in the sky are considered first magnitude. The dimmest stars visible to the naked eye are sixth magnitude.

The Sun for example is -26.7 magnitude and is the brightest celestial object humans can view from Earth. But if the sun were much farther away, in comparison to other stars, its perceived brightness would drop to a 4.7 magnitude.

With modern technology, researchers hope to get an unparalleled look at T CrBs nova.

Because of this, and because we have a suite of ground-based and space-born instruments with unprecedented capabilities, we can obtain a holistic view of the nova that we have never been able to until now, Mukai said.

Researchers were able to predict T CrBs imminent eruption by identifying a sudden drop in the novas brightness in April 2023, which usually happens about a year before it erupts.

Brad Schaefer, an astronomy and astrophysics professor at Louisiana State University, told VOA his research, identifying the pre-eruption dip, aligns with similar patterns that occurred before the novas previous eruption in 1946.

It's not going to be a spectacular thing, but it is going to be the brightest nova of generations, he said.

Schaefer said the process of the eruption lasts about 60 days, but the peak brightness will last for no more than three days.

NASA said in a statement that a nova is different from a supernova, which is a final explosion that destroys dying stars.

When a nova event occurs, the dwarf star stays intact and repeats the process, which can last for hundreds of thousands of years.

There are a few recurrent novae with very short cycles, but typically, we dont often see a repeated outburst in a human lifetime, and rarely one so relatively close to our own system, said Rebekah Hounsell, a NASA scientist who studies nova events. Its incredibly exciting to have this front-row seat.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Kenyan riot police fired tear gas at protesters in Nairobi on Tuesday and demonstrations erupted in other cities across the country demanding the resignation of President William Ruto, following a week of deadly clashes in anti-tax protests.Clouds of tear gas wafted over downtown Nairobi after protesters set fires on Waiyaki Way, the main road running through the centre of the capital, and threw stones at police in the central business district.Outside the capital, hundreds of protesters marched in an ebullient mood through Mombasa, Kenya's second-largest city, on the Indian Ocean coast. They carried palm fronds, blew on plastic horns and beat on drums, chanting "Ruto must go!"Ruto, facing the most serious crisis of his nearly two-year-old presidency, has been caught between the demands of lenders such as the International Monetary Fund to cut deficits, and a hard-pressed population reeling from the soaring cost of living.Members of the protest movement, which has no official leaders and largely organises via social media, have rejected Ruto's appeals for dialogue, even after he abandoned the proposed tax rises that triggered the demonstrations."People are dying on the streets and the only thing he can talk about is money. We are not money. We are people. We are human beings," protester Milan Waudo told Reuters in Mombasa. "He needs to care about his people, because if he can't care about his people then we don't need him in that chair."Other protests took place in Kisumu, Nakuru, Kajiado, Migori, Mlolongo and Rongo, according to images broadcast on Kenyan television. In the southwestern town of Migori, protesters had set tyres on fire.Dozens of Kenyans have been killed in demonstrations and clashes with police since June 18, most of them shot by officers last Tuesday, when some protesters tried to storm parliament to stop lawmakers voting on the tax increases.Infuriated by the deaths - at least 39 according to the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNHCR) - many are demanding that Ruto step down.'BEAUTIFUL DAY'"We are determined to push for the president's resignation," said Ojango Omondi, an activist in Nairobi. "We hope for a peaceful protest and minimal casualties, if any."The authorities appealed for calm."It's a beautiful day to choose patriotism. A beautiful day to choose peace, order and the sanctity of our nationhood," State House communications director Gerald Bitok wrote on X on Tuesday, adding in Swahili: "Violence is not patriotism."The protests, which started as an online outpouring of anger over nearly $2.7 billion of tax hikes in a proposed finance bill, have grown into a nationwide movement against corruption and misgovernance.Ruto has directed the treasury to come up with ways to cut spending to fill a budget gap caused by the withdrawal of the tax plans, and also said more borrowing will be required.Veteran anti-corruption activist John Githongo told Reuters that while Ruto had addressed the nation and media, "there isn't an indication that he wants to take action" on protesters' demands, including firing corrupt officials."There hasn't been any indication by the government that they are going to take the calls to deal with corruption seriously," he said.The protests had been mostly peaceful until last Tuesday, when some demonstrators briefly stormed parliament and set part of it ablaze, prompting police to open fire.Ruto has defended the actions of the police, and blamed the violence on "criminals" who hijacked the demonstrations.The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.Reporting by Aaron Ross, Monicah Njeri, Jeff Kahinju, Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo in Nairobi and Dicksy O'Biero in Mombasa; Writing by Hereward Holland and Peter Graff Editing by Andrew Heavens, Bernadette Baum and Gareth Jones
NATO will roll out "concrete ways" to accelerate Ukraines eventual membership in the Atlantic alliance during a summit next week in Washington, according to a senior U.S. official.

Summit organizers are understood to be leaning toward language in a final declaration that would say Ukraines path to NATO is irreversible, but the official would say only that the wording is still being negotiated.

Douglas Jones, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, told VOA during an interview on Tuesday that foreign ministers from 35 non-NATO member partners are invited to attend the Washington summit.

Notable attendees include the foreign ministers of Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

For the third consecutive summit, heads of state from all 32 NATO allies will engage in discussions with leaders from its Indo-Pacific partners: Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.

WATCH: Ukraine security, Indo-Pacific challenges in focus as US hosts NATO summit

Building the resilience of allies to confront threats and challenges from China is among the key agenda items, said Jones. But, he added, a proposal to establish a NATO liaison office in Tokyo, intended as a hub for cooperation with Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, is currently "not under active discussion."

In celebration of NATOs 75th anniversary, more than two dozen influencers have been invited to observe the proceedings and create social media content to commemorate the milestone.

The following excerpts from the interview have been edited for brevity and clarity.

VOA: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Kyiv on Tuesday and urged President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consider a cease-fire with Russia. Are you concerned that this shows a divide in NATO? What is the U.S. perspective on Orbans visit to Ukraine?

Douglas Jones, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs: It's good that Prime Minister Orban visited Ukraine. On the idea of a cease-fire, these decisions are for Ukraine to make. We've always said, Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. It is up to Ukraine to decide when it's time to discuss a cease-fire and what the terms of any peace settlement might be.

VOA: Moving on to NATO: What are the key items on the agenda? Are the foreign ministers of Israel and several Arab countries invited to the NATO summit?

Jones: We will be talking about the state of NATO. This summit is really about the future, about how NATO continues to transform and adapt itself to meet future challenges.

Whether that's supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression, working with partners to build the resilience of allies to confront the threats and challenges from the Peoples Republic of China, or addressing hybrid and cyber threats, these are all issues that we'll be focusing on at the summit.

NATO has a broad network of partnerships. There are 35 countries around the world that have a formal partnership relationship with NATO. They will all be invited at the level of foreign ministers to attend, including Israel and many countries in the Middle East.

VOA: Zelenskyy is expected to attend next week's NATO summit. Does the U.S. view Ukraine's path to NATO membership as irreversible? Are the U.S. and its allies working to incorporate such language into NATO's joint statement?

Jones: The United States and all NATO allies have said that Ukraine's future is in NATO. At this summit, we will be rolling out concrete ways in which NATO can help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression, build the future force needed to deter Russia, and implement the reforms it needs to make itself a stronger candidate for eventual NATO membership.

Together, this is what we describe as a bridge to NATO membership. The assistance that we're going to be rolling out at the summit will really help accelerate Ukraine on its path to NATO membership.

VOA: And such a bridge is irreversible?

Jones: The wording of the declaration is still under negotiation by NATO allies. The alliance has already said that Ukraine will become a member of NATO.

VOA: Regarding NATOs Indo-Pacific strategy, could you give us an update on the plan to open a NATO liaison office in Tokyo?

Jones: So, at the summit, the outcome with the Indo-Pacific partners is that all the heads of state and governments of NATO's Indo-Pacific partners  Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand  will be present. There are only three main meetings of the summit, and one of them will be when the heads of state of all 32 NATO allies meet with these Indo-Pacific partners. This is going to be the third summit in a row where this has happened.

And the reason for that is because allies are increasingly recognizing that there are links between security in the Euro-Atlantic space and in the Indo-Pacific.

Ukraine is the No. 1 example where you have the biggest threat to transatlantic security, with Russia being fueled by assistance from China and the DPRK.

VOA: Is there going to be a NATO office in Tokyo, or has such a plan been postponed indefinitely?

Jones: It's not under active discussion currently within the alliance.

VOA: What can we expect from the NATO summit regarding the implications of the Russia-North Korea mutual defense pact?

Jones: Russia is seeking weapons from the DPRK as it looks for ways to continue its assault and aggression against Ukraine. The connections are deep. That's why we'll have the leaders of NATO's Indo-Pacific partners at the summit: to discuss how we can learn from each other and cooperate in addressing these common security challenges.
The far-right National Rally (RN) is the only party capable of winning an absolute majority in France's legislative elections, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said Wednesday, urging voters to block their rise to power.

Attal admitted four days ahead of the polls that many French voters would have to hold their nose and vote for parties that they do not support in order to take control of the government.

The RN dominated the first round of polls, presenting the party of Marine Le Pen with the prospect of forming the government and her protege Jordan Bardella, 28, taking the post of premier in a tense "cohabitation" with President Emmanuel Macron.

But over 200 candidates from the left and the center this week dropped out of three-way races in the second round of the contest, sacrificing their hopes to prevent the RN winning the seat.

"There is one bloc that is able to have an absolute majority (in the National Assembly) and it's the extreme right," Attal told France Inter radio.

"On Sunday evening, what's at stake in the second round is to do everything so that the extreme right does not have an absolute majority," he added.

"It is not nice for some French to have to block... by using a vote that they did not want to," he said.

"I say it's our responsibility to do this," he added.

An absolute majority of 289 seats is needed in the 577 seat National Assembly for a party to form a government on its own. But Le Pen has said that the RN will try if it gets any more than 270 seats by winning over other deputies.

"At the end of this second round, either power will be in the hands of a far-right government, or power will be in parliament. I am fighting for this second scenario," said Attal.

One option that is the subject of increasing media attention is the possibility that rather than a far-right government France could be ruled by a broad coalition of pro-Macron centrists, the traditional right, Socialists and Greens.

But Attal was non-committal: "I did not speak about a coalition. I do not want to impose on the French a coalition that they did not choose."

Former prime minister Edouard Philippe, still an influential voice in the pro-Macron camp, told TF1 TV in his constituency on Sunday he would be voting for a Communist candidate to stop the far right.

He said that after the election he would support a new parliamentary majority that could span "conservative right to the social democrats" but not include the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI).
Thank goodness she got her hug, was the first thought that went through my mind when news of Liora Argamanis death was announced Tuesday morning.

Liora, born Lee Tchuin Hung in Wuhan, China, was former Israeli hostage Noa Argamanis mother. She battled brain cancer for years and succumbed to the disease in a Tel Aviv hospital overnight Monday.

I met Liora Argamani in October, mere days after her daughter was abducted by Gaza militants from the NOVA dance party she was attending with her boyfriend Avinatan Or. A video of the younger Argamani and her boyfriends abduction and her mothers plea for Noas life as she was forcibly driven on a motorbike toward Gaza went viral.

On the day I visited the Argamani family home in Israels Beer Sheba desert, dozens of family members, social workers, community members, Noa Argamanis closest friends and clergy affiliates were moving around inside the house and on the front patio. A professional caretaker helped Liora navigate, pushing her walker with one arm while moving to a private room for our interview. Her other arm was in a sling.

A friend of the family confided: Her brain cancer relapsed. She battled it for years and it went into remission but now its back and as you can see, its affecting her arm and she has lost a lot of weight.

Liora was born in Wuhan and moved to Israel after meeting her future husband, Yaakov. Noa, their only child, was born and brought up in Israel.

Liora spoke to me in Mandarin because she hoped that despite her lapsed Chinese citizenship, an appeal might be seen by someone in Chinas government who might be motivated to intervene on Noas behalf and pressure Hamas for her daughters release.

Liora was composed and smiled brightly throughout most of the interview as she described the strong, bold qualities she felt certain would guarantee her daughters survival in captivity. She disclosed information about Noas growing up and showed me pictures of a toddler and elementary-school-age Noa. Liora also shared her vision of a reunion.

Ive imagined that scene so many times, she said, her face brightening with a broad smile. First, Ill give her a very big hug. And for sure well need to give her a big party.

As the months dragged on and the war in Gaza expanded with scant information about the fate of hundreds of Hamas-held hostages, a party, hug and hope seemed remote.

Noa was not among 105 hostages released in November 2023 as part of an Israel-Hamas deal.

In late November, Liora released a video appeal to her captors.

I have cancer, brain cancer, she said in a message recorded while sitting in a wheelchair in a Tel Aviv apartment near her cancer treatment clinic. Liora Argamani appeared gaunt and exhausted in the clip.

I dont know how much time I have left. I wish for the chance to see my Noa at home, she beseeched.

At that stage, no sign of life from Noa had surfaced from Gaza. Then in mid-January, Hamas released a propaganda video showing hostages Itai Svirsky, Yossi Sharabi and Noa Argamani calling directly for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the war in Gaza and save their lives.

In March, Liora Argamani released a second video appeal, this time directed at U.S. President Joe Biden. Face swollen beyond recognition and right eye squeezed shut due to seeming neurological side effects caused by the terminal cancer, Argamani struggled to speak in mixed Hebrew and English.

Im asking you, Joe Biden. I dont have much time left in this world. It may be my last wish. I am really begging you. Please help me.

Two months later, Hamas released another propaganda recording  this time of Noas voice  urging Tel Aviv residents to take to the streets in protest until a hostage release was secured. Please dont let Netanyahu and his government kill us, she said in the recording.

Eight days later, Noa Argamani and three other hostages were rescued by the Israeli army in a dramatic raid after eight months in captivity. According to members of the unit that carried out the operation, one of Noas first questions after being secured was whether her mother was still alive.

Hours after being helicoptered from Gaza to freedom, Noa was flown to her mothers bedside at Tel Avivs Ichilov hospital.

Undergoing de-briefings and mental and physical recovery from eight months of Hamas captivity, Noa Argamani has remained in seclusion since the rescue.

Last Saturday night, the younger Argamani broke her silence with the release of a video message played to thousands of attendees at a Tel Aviv Hostage Release rally. Calling for a deal to secure the release of 116 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, Argamani spoke of her experience.

As an only child to my parents  and a daughter to a mother with a terminal illness  my biggest worry in captivity was for my parents, she shared in the video message.

Two days later, her mother succumbed to her disease. Although hospital officials declined to clarify the level of Lioras awareness of Noas return, a spokesperson said she believes Liora felt her presence and the warmth of her daughters embrace.
Human rights experts warn Syrias people are trapped in a society riven by impunity, lawlessness and fragmentation after 13 years of conflict with no end in sight.

In its latest update to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the three-member Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria presented a blistering account of the grim reality facing civilians in a country with a crumbling economy and a devastating humanitarian situation.

For more than a decade, we have documented extensive human rights violations and war crimes across the Syrian territory by all parties to the conflict, commission chair Paulo Sergio Pinheiro told the council Wednesday, noting that throughout the prolonged conflict there has been a consistent disregard for the lives and well-being of the Syrian people with no end in sight.

He said appalling cycles of violence continue, as do massacres that invoke the atrocities committed with impunity during the conflict, including during the darkest days of Daesh or Islamic State rule.

Syrias ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Haydar Ali Ahmad, rejected the findings, calling details of the commissions work detached from reality.

The conflict, which began in March of 2011, has taken a heavy toll on the population. The U.N. says more than 350,000 civilians have been killed and more than 13.5 million people  over 60% of the population  have been displaced. That includes 6.8 million people inside Syria and 5.4 million as refugees in neighboring countries.

The report says 155,000 Syrians have been detained or forcibly disappeared, a phenomenon that, according to the commission, persists to this day. The report accuses predatory security forces and militias of overseeing criminal fiefdoms while extorting monetary gain from civilians.

Incommunicado detention and enforced disappearances continue, with families of those unlawfully detained often compelled to pay large sums of money to try to obtain information on the fate of their loved ones, Pinheiro said.

The report describes a thriving drug trafficking and smuggling trade in Syria involving both pro- and anti-government factions causing further insecurity.

The commission says unlawful occupation, confiscation and destruction of the homes, land and property of internally displaced people and refugees continue in a slow-motion but steady fashion, thus further eroding their rights and rendering the prospects of their return home more elusive every day.

While the fierce battles of previous years have generally subsided, there continue to be sporadic clashes throughout the country with devastating results.

Six foreign armies are engaged militarily in the country, Pinheiro said. Adding further complexity to this landscape is the risks posed by the Israel-Palestine conflict and the likelihood for further escalation in Syria and the region.

He warns that the long-running conflict and its consequences have become entrenched. Impunity and lawlessness have shaped a grim reality for all Syrians, with no end in sight.

World leaders involved with the conflict in Syria are failing to achieve progress towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict; and they and the Syrian government are failing the Syrian people, he said.

The three-member panel noted that efforts by some Arab states last year to normalize relations with Syria and have the country rejoin the League of Arab States have gone nowhere as no further meaningful concessions were made by the Syrian government.

In a bleak assessment of prevailing human rights conditions, the commission finds that arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, and death in detention continue while violence and insecurity plague different parts of the country and the economy flat-lines.

Given the prevailing situation, the commission says the voluntary return of refugees to Syria is not a viable option and is fraught with danger. It also expresses concern about the forced return of refugees to Syria from neighboring countries of refuge.

Commission chair Pinheiro said Syrians are increasingly at risk of deportation and forced return to Syria, where they risk being arrested or disappeared, or returning to find their homes and farms destroyed and no means of livelihood.

Ambassador Ahmad took umbrage at the commissions report, telling the council, What you have just listened to  does not deserve any comment. There is no point in going into the details of the work of this commission.

He chided the council for engaging in absurd political showoff, which we witnessed in each interactive dialogue with this commission.

He accused the council of wasting time and resources in the name of promoting human rights, while aiming to cover up practices of aggression, occupation, illegal military presence, supporting separatist militias and terrorist groups.

All of which, he said, constitute direct support for these groups and threatens the unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic.
Russian courts last month issued arrest warrants for three journalists who are in exile, in a move that analysts say is designed to harass critics outside the countrys borders.

A Moscow court on June 17 ordered the arrests of Ekaterina Fomina and Roman Anin on charges of spreading what the Kremlin views as false information about the Russian military.

In a separate case on June 27, a court issued an arrest warrant for Farida Kurbangaleyeva on charges of justifying terrorism and spreading what Moscow views as false information about the Russian military.

Kurbangaleyeva has reported for Russian and international channels and runs a YouTube channel where she interviews Ukrainian and Russian politicians, according to reports.

The case involving Fomina stems from a 2022 documentary she worked on at the investigative outlet IStories, which Anin founded. In the documentary, a Russian soldier confessed to killing a Ukrainian civilian.

If youre openly speaking against the current Russian regime, you cant be safe anywhere, Fomina told VOA. We cant say that we can continue our normal life.

Since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has stepped up repressive tactics against journalists inside and outside the country, say watchdogs. And while arrests in absentia are less severe than other forms of harassment that Moscow is accused of carrying out, like poisoning and surveillance, experts say theyre still a cog in the transnational repression machine.

Such warrants serve to both intimidate exiled journalists and signal to Russias domestic audience that criticism is not tolerated, according to Grady Vaughan of Freedom House in Washington.

It does send the message that just because this person left Russia doesnt mean we forgot about them, Vaughn told VOA.

Russia is among at least 26 governments that have targeted journalists and critics overseas over the past decade, according to a 2023 report by Freedom House.

Karol Luczka, who covers Eastern Europe at the International Press Institute, believes the practice may be part of an effort to satisfy on-paper internal management demands for a certain amount of repressed journalists, activists and other dissenting figures within a given time frame.

Luczka mentioned that on Friday evenings, for example, Russias Ministry of Justice typically adds four or five names  often including a journalist  to the countrys list of so-called foreign agents.

Arrest warrants can also contribute to discrediting journalists among [Russias] own population, said Luczka, who is based in Vienna.

Russias Washington embassy did not immediately reply to VOAs email requesting comment.

Earlier this year, Fomina spoke with VOA about the psychological toll of starting over in new cities and the legal threats that she has faced for more than six months.

The Russian journalist has lived in Europe since 2022 but she wont publicly say where shes based out of fear that Russian authorities may surveil her.

One of the hardest realizations for Fomina is that the arrest warrant will pose limitations on where she can safely travel  and report from  over concerns that certain governments could extradite her to Russia.

I used to be an independent journalist, very flexible, very mobile, ready to fly in one hour if something happened, she said. Now, Im really limited, and I cant go to many countries.

Fomina, who now works at the exiled Russian outlet TV Rain, said shes concerned that the action might make it harder for her to find sources in Russia who are willing to speak with her.

She expects that a court will eventually try and convict her in absentia. Despite that, she remains undeterred.

I truly believe that we cant be silent, she said. Im standing on my values.


Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held talks in Kazakhstan Wednesday at a security summit aimed at countering what they describe as U.S.-led hegemony on the world stage.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, established in 2001 by China and Russia, serves as a forum to discuss Eurasian security concerns.

We believe that the SCO, as well as the second major association of BRICS, are the main pillars of the new world order, a locomotive in the context of establishing genuine multilateralism in world affairs, said Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov ahead of Putin's arrival.

BRICS refers to a grouping of emerging economies. Its core members are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Six other countries  Argentina, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates  were later invited to join.

China has also addressed the importance of the SCO summit. Earlier this week, its foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, said the talks would "help build more consensus among all parties and make contributions to promoting security, stability and development of member countries."

The summit also serves an opportunity for host Kazakhstan, along with other Central Asian countries participating in the discussion, to strengthen their cooperation with their more powerful neighbors.

The summit comes at a time when China and Russia have been building their relationship. In 2022, China declared a "no limits" partnership with Russia when Putin visited Beijing. China has also portrayed itself as a neutral actor in Russias war in Ukraine.

Xi and Putin last met in May when Putin traveled to Beijing, and since then China has offered diplomatic support to Moscow and is a top market for its oil and gas.

Despite the growing political, economic and military relations between China and Russia, Central Asia remains an important area for both countries.

For Moscow, Central Asia comprises five former Soviet republics and has deep-rooted historic cultural, linguistic and economic ties to Russia. For China, Central Asia is integral to its Belt and Road international infrastructure development project, and its investment may pose threats to Russias influence over the region.

Analysts say the discussions at the summit may have underlying implications because China and Russia will need to balance their competing interests in Central Asia with their desire for closer cooperation elsewhere.

The SCO allows China and Russia to have a collective dialogue with the Central Asian states that allows Beijing and Moscow to manage some mutual suspicions about each others intentions to exert power in Central Asia, Eoin Micheal McNamara, a research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, told VOAs Mandarin Service.

Despite potential differing objectives within the Central Asia region, maintaining cooperation is important, McNamara said. The SCO is therefore useful to keep the China-Russia alliance together as a force in wider great power politics, he said.

Carol Saivetz, a senior fellow in the MIT Security Studies Program and a research associate at Harvards Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, said she expects the participants at the meeting to discuss security in the abstract and economic projects.

It used to be that there was some kind of tacit agreement between Beijing and Moscow that China would take care of the economic issues and Russia would be the security guarantor for the region, she told VOA in a written statement.

However, with the war between Russia and Ukraine, she said China now has the potential to take advantage of instability within the Central Asia region.

She said the fact that Xi arrived early to meet with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and will go on afterward to the Tajikistan capital, Dushanbe, is indicative that he is not surrendering all his options to the multilateral format or to Moscow.

While the war in Ukraine overshadows the meetings, Saivetz wrote, a public discussion about it is not likely because of a divergence of opinion on the war among the Central Asian states.

Tina Dolbaia, a research associate with the Europe, Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, agreed that any discussion about the war in Ukraine was unlikely to be held in public.

The Central Asian states, especially Kazakhstan, are trying to balance between an expansionist Russia, rising China, and the West.  However, I am not sure if the Ukraine issue would be discussed openly or behind the closed doors [but my bet is on the latter], she told VOA in a written statement.

She explained the relevance of the war in Ukraine to the power struggle between China and Russia within Central Asia.

Since countering the West in Ukraine and establishing a multi-polar world order are important foreign policy goals for Putin [and since China plays a pivotal role in achieving both of these objectives], Putin is currently willing to underestimate and overlook China's rising role in Russia's backyard," she said in the statement.

Despite both China and Russias influence over the region, Dolbaia believes that Central Asias loyalties do not necessarily lie with Russia or China, and that the regions countries understand that they need to tread very carefully with both.

VOA Mandarin Service contributed to this report. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
Ukrainian officials said Wednesday at least four people were killed in Russian missile and aerial drone attacks.

Serhiy Lysak, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, said on Telegram that Russian forces killed three people and injured 18 others. He also reported damage and several fires from the attack.

In the northeastern region of Kharkiv, officials said a Russian attack killed one person and injured four others. The attack there also damaged 10 homes and some businesses.

Ukraines air force said the Russian attack involved three Iskander-K cruise missiles, four guided missiles and five aerial drones.

The military said its air defenses shot down five of the missiles and all of the drones.

Russias defense ministry said Wednesday it destroyed five Ukrainian aerial drones over the Belgorod region, four drones over Bryansk and another drone over the Moscow region.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the regional governor of Belgorod, reported at least two people were injured in separate villages because of the Ukrainian attack.

Officials in Bryansk said there were no injuries or damage from the downed drones.

The latest violence came a day after Ukraine got its latest pledge of support from the United States.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umierov during a meeting in Washington that the United States will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine.

Austin said the weapons package would include such arms as anti-tank weapons and air defense interceptors and will allow accelerated procurement of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and Patriot air defense interceptors.

The Austin-Umerov talks came a week before the United States hosts a NATO summit where military support for Ukraine to help it defend against Russias invasion is set to top the agenda.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has leaned toward Moscow during Russias two-year invasion of Ukraine, visited Kyiv on Tuesday, and declared the war the most important issue for Europe.

Orban met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but in a sign of their still tense relations, the Kyiv leader did not publicly acknowledge the visit until hours after Orbans arrival. Zelenskyy said on the X social media platform that they had discussed trade, cross-border cooperation, infrastructure and energy.

The Ukrainian president's office did, however, release a video showing Zelenskyy thanking Orban for his visit and welcoming him to the country after shaking hands and then sitting across from each other at a round table with Hungarian, Ukrainian and European Union flags in the background.

The two countries have had a tense relationship since the war started, with Orban portraying himself as a champion for peace and calling for an immediate cease-fire and peace talks without expanding on what that would mean for Ukraine's territorial integrity. Orban has frequently been at odds with other EU countries and their continuing military and financial support for Ukraine.

Some information for this story was provided by Reuters, Agence France-Presse and The Associated Press.


Turkey closed a handful of border crossings into northwest Syria on Tuesday, a day after Turkish troops in Syria were fired on by Syrians protesting violence against their fellow citizens in Turkey, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and others reported.

In Turkey, police detained about 475 people suspected in attacks against Syrians across the country, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said, according to Reuters.

The unrest began on Sunday after reports on social media of a Syrian man sexually abusing a 7-year-old Syrian girl. Cars owned by Syrian people in the city Kayseri were set on fire as were some shops. Angry residents told Syrians to leave.

A court in Kayseri ordered the arrest of the alleged abuser, and Yerlikaya said the incident was being investigated.

The child and her family are under our state's protection, said Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc.

Meanwhile, the violence spread to at least four provinces, Turkeys MIT intelligence agency said. Social media showed injured Syrians, prompting violence across the border in rebel-held northwest Syria, where Turkey has thousands of troops stationed.

At least four people were killed in gunfire between Turkish troops and armed protesters in Afrin, a Syrian city near the border with Turkey.

Elsewhere across northern Syria, civilians threw stones at Turkish convoys and tore down Turkish flags.

The unrest caused Turkey to close several border crossings, including the Bab al Hawa crossing and the Bab al Salam crossing. The Bab al Hawa is the main crossing for people and trade for more than 3 million inhabitants.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed the chaos on groups associated with terrorist organizations.

Neither us, nor our Syrian brothers, will fall into this sly trap. ... We will not give in to racist vandalism, Erdogan said.

When civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, Turkey took in millions of Syrian refugees, and at least 3.2 million remain in the country, according to U.N. data. Turkey has faced instances of xenophobic violence, often sparked by rumors on social media or instant messaging apps.

Nothing can be achieved by fueling xenophobia and hatred of refugees in society, Erdogan said.

Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar Assad met last week in an attempt to restore bilateral relations after Turkey ended relations with Syria in the face of the Syrian civil war.
The U.S. will soon announce an additional $2.3 billion in security assistance for Ukraine, to include anti-tank weapons, interceptors and munitions for Patriot and other air defense systems. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday (July 2) to consider a cease-fire to accelerate an end to the war with Russia. President Joe Biden announced a plan to protect communities and workers from extreme weather. And Hong Kong's M+ Museum is hosting the first comprehensive retrospective of the famed architect Ieoh Ming Pei, also known as I.M. Pei.
The United States is set to send Ukraine more ammunition for the country's stressed air defense systems, as well as more long-range missiles to help keep Russian forces at bay.

The Pentagon on Wednesday formally announced a two-part security assistance package for Ukraine, valued at just over $2.3 billion.

The initial aid includes missiles, rockets and artillery from U.S. stockpiles, valued at up to $150 million.

Some of the key capabilities include more missiles for Ukraine's HAWK air defense systems and ammunition for its High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS.

It will also include artillery rounds, mortar rounds; Tube-Launched, Optically Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles; and Javelin anti-armor systems.

The second part of the package, valued at about $2.2 billion, will be used to purchase missiles for Ukraine's Patriot missile defense systems and more National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS). Those systems will need to be assembled and will be delivered at a later date.

The formal announcement of the aid package comes a day after U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hosted Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov at the Pentagon.

"Ukraine is in a tough fight," Austin told Umerov ahead of their meeting. "The Kremlin continues to intensify its bombardment of your cities and civilians."

"Make no mistake," Austin added. "Ukraine is not alone, and the United States will never waver in our support."

The announcement of the new U.S. aid package comes a week before the U.S. hosts a NATO summit where more military support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's ongoing invasion is to top the agenda.

"The most important deliverable at the upcoming NATO summit is precisely what Secretary Austin was referencing, and that is hardware: artillery shells, air defense interceptors, other kinds of weaponry that the Ukrainians need to defend themselves," said Charles Kupchan, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

"If the NATO summit should showcase anything, it is the continued flow of assistance and the continued flow of assistance over the long run," Kupchan told VOA. "Because I think the message here is that the Russians cannot wait out Ukraine and cannot wait out the West."

For the moment, however, Ukrainian defense systems are being pushed to their limits by an unrelenting Russian assault.

Ukrainian officials said Wednesday at least five people were killed and another 53 wounded in Russian missile and aerial drone attacks on the southeastern city of Dnipro.

In the northeastern region of Kharkiv, officials said a Russian attack killed one person and injured 14 others. The attack there also damaged several homes and some businesses.

Ukraine's air force said the Russian attack involved three Iskander-K cruise missiles, four guided missiles and five aerial drones.

The military said its air defenses shot down five of the missiles and all of the drones.

Russia's defense ministry said Wednesday it destroyed five Ukrainian aerial drones over the Belgorod region, four drones over Bryansk and another drone over the Moscow region.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the regional governor of Belgorod, reported at least two people were injured in separate villages because of the Ukrainian attack.

Officials in Bryansk said there were no injuries or damage from the downed drones.

Meanwhile, renewed efforts to mediate an end to the war appear to have stalled.

According to Turkish officials, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and offered to act as a go-between in negotiations with Ukraine.

But the Tass news agency reported late Wednesday that Russia rejected the Turkish overture.

"No, it's not possible," Tass quoted Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling a television interviewer.

Putin also raised Ukraine with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Astana, Kazakhstan, where the two spoke during a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Russian officials said the two leaders called out the futility of any peace talks with Ukraine, which sought to sideline Russian involvement.

The meeting between Putin and Xi is the second in almost as many months.

The two last met face-to-face in May, during Putin's visit to Beijing.

VOA's Kim Lewis contributed to this report. Some information for this story was provided by Reuters, Agence France-Presse and The Associated Press.
News / National

by Staff reporter

As of June 25, 2024, the Zimbabwean government has distributed a cumulative 51,415.02 tonnes of grain to vulnerable and food-insecure individuals, ensuring food security across the nation. This update was provided when the Cabinet received a report on the Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy and Urban Transfer Programme from the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, July Moyo.Minister of Information Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr. Jenfan Muswere, highlighted that both rural and urban areas benefited from increased grain distribution starting June 20, 2024.The distribution was done as follows, Manicaland 7 780.64 tonnes, Mashonaland Central 5 891.09 tonnes, Mashonaland East 5 207.06 tonnes, Mashonaland West 6 078.17 tonnes, Masvingo 10 243.25 tonnes, Matabeleland North 3 215.13 tonnes, Matabeleland South 4 803.48 tonnes and Midlands 7 845.30 tonnes.Additionally, 2,816.80 tonnes have been collected under the Zunde RaMambo/Isiphala Senkosi programme. Beneficiaries of the Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy and Urban Transfer Programme will participate in public works programmes.In other Cabinet news, a request to amend the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) National Structures was approved, as presented by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador Fredrick Shava. Dr. Muswere mentioned that Ambassador James Manzou, now a Commissioner in the Public Service Commission, was appointed the APRM Focal Point Person representing President Mnangagwa at the African Union in 2023.
Between the southernmost tip of the United States and Cuba lies a body of water called the Florida Straits. Coast Guard vehicles patrol these waters daily, looking for migrants illegally trying to enter the U.S. VOA earlier this year got an exclusive flight with the U.S. Coast Guard on patrol. VOAs Senior Washington Correspondent Carolyn Presutti takes us along on the ride. (Camera and produced by: Mary Cieslak)
In the four years since Hong Kong enacted its national security law, the country's press freedom record is in free fall, according to media advocates.

More than 900 journalists have lost their jobs, several media outlets have closed or moved overseas, and some journalists, including pro-democracy Apple Daily publisher Jimmy Lai, are in prison.

"The Chinese and Hong Kong government's forced closure of Apple Daily and prosecutions of its owner and editors are very chilling, and they exemplify the city's sharp decline in press and other freedoms," said Maya Wang, the interim China director of Human Rights Watch, also known as HRW.

Once a mainstay of press freedom, Hong Kong's media community has faced numerous setbacks since passage of the 2020 Beijing-backed legislation that cracks down on independent media. The most egregious example is the trial against Lai, which has lasted more than 90 days with the court currently adjourned until July 24.

Lai, who denies charges against him filed under the national security law, has been in custody since December 2020. He and six former staff at Apple Daily  the media outlet he founded  were first arrested in the August of that year.

Apple Daily was shuttered that same year, after authorities froze its assets.

Prosecutors have used more than 150 videos, op-eds and other articles from Apple Daily in their case against Lai. The publisher faces life in prison if convicted.

But rights organizations and international lawyers say the claims against the elderly publisher and his media outlet are "baseless" and that charges should be dropped.

Hong Kong's security bureau did not respond to VOA's email requesting comment. Authorities have previously disputed accusations that the trial of Lai is unfair.

The trial of the other former Apple Daily executives has been postponed for more than two years, waiting for Lai's case to conclude, according to Reporters Without Borders, also known as RSF.

RSF and other rights organizations including HRW and Freedom House have called for the immediate release of those in custody.

Calling the prosecutions "baseless," Wang of HRW told VOA via email that the cases "should also remind the world what Hong Kong has become: a place where people can get life in prison for criticizing the government."

Wang added that Lai, who is 76, might be suffering from ill health, which adds to the urgency of his release.

Aleksandra Bielakowska, RSF's Pacific Asia Bureau advocacy officer, told VOA it is unclear what will happen in the coming months. But, she said, "I estimate that the sentencing will be prolonged until the start of fall."

Bielakowska described Lai's case as a "sham trial" to prove what Hong Kong can do to silence the press wanting to talk about the issues that are not aligned with China.

She noted that earlier in the year, the United Nations raised concerns about the treatment of a witness called to give testimony.

In a letter to Chinese authorities, the U.N. special rapporteur on torture said she was "deeply concerned that evidence that is expected to be presented against Jimmy Lai imminently may have been obtained as a result of torture or other unlawful treatment," and called for an investigation into the allegations of mistreatment and torture.

Bielakowska has been observing Lai's trial. But when she tried to travel to Hong Kong in April for a hearing, her entry was blocked. Bielakowska says she was detained for six hours at the airport, searched, and questioned before being deported.

Since the national security law's enactment, several media outlets have closed or moved some parts of their operations outside of Hong Kong, including VOA's sister network Radio Free Asia and The Wall Street Journal. RSF says that the environment for media has prompted many journalists to leave Hong Kong.

There is an atmosphere of fear for the journalists working on the ground, said Bielakowska, adding that Hong Kong officials have not given a lot of hope for press freedom, and that independent reporting is already deteriorating significantly in China.

Alongside the Apple Daily case, the law has been used to arrest hundreds of pro-democracy activists.

Beijing has dismissed concerns that the security law is affecting press freedom, saying the legislation is needed to maintain stability.

Yaqiu Wang, research director for China and Hong Kong at Freedom House, said her organization is advocating for the U.S. and other governments to impose sanctions against Hong Kong officials involved in the prosecution of Lai and others charged under the national security law.

In December, the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China in a statement also said the U.S. "should sanction the judges and prosecutors involved in this case."

Hong Kong ranks 135 out of 180 on the RSF World Press Freedom Index, where 1 shows the best media environment. In 2019, the year before the national security came in, Hong Kong ranked 73.
The URL has been copied to your clipboard

The code has been copied to your clipboard.

President Joe Biden is speaking out against Mondays Supreme Court decision that gives former presidents immunity from prosecution for any actions that fall within their official job duties. The high courts ruling doesnt dismiss former President Donald Trumps 2020 election interference cas
The AI revolution is upon us with companies around the world looking to jump headfirst into the technology made famous by ChatGPT.

To satisfy their generative AI urge, firms need to secure state-of-the-art software and ramp up computing power, which quickly brings them knocking on the doors of the globe's cloud computing giants, of which Amazon's AWS is the biggest.

Amazon's computing arsenal is housed in data centers scattered across the globe, and Prasad Kalyanaraman, Vice President for AWS Infrastructure, is the man in charge of keeping them running.

Amazon's AWS data centers are spread across dozens of regions, serving as a kind of engine room to the online world, with Microsoft and Google as the company's closest rivals.

And with the generative AI revolution entering hyperdrive, it is up to Kalyanaraman to make sure the data center battalions are ready for the challenge.

"It takes a significant amount of grit and innovation" to meet the need for computing right now, Kalyanaraman told AFP during an interview at Amazon's second headquarters near Washington.

"Building the right technology, both in terms of consuming the least amount of power needed, and optimizing all the way from the chip level to the data center level... requires a lot of innovation," he said.

Kalyanaraman, a graduate of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology and Queen's University in Canada, has been at Amazon for almost two decades where he worked on software before holding the keys to the data centers.

"Most users, unbeknownst to them, are using cloud computing today. If you go to a website, or you stream video, or you go to your financial institution and look at your transactions, you're actually using some form of cloud computing," he said.

Amazon's decision to make a side business out of the cloud dates to 2006, when the company realized that its partners and sellers didn't want to build - or buy - expensive computing pipework.

"We saw that it's so hard for our customers to... go through all the muck of building this infrastructure. So why not bring this to them," much like utilities bring power to your home, he said.

Nearly two decades later, AWS is nearing 20 percent of the giant's total revenue and bringing in about two-thirds of total profit.

- Constraint as opportunity -

"It's a pretty significant undertaking to actually construct a data center from scratch," Kalyanaraman said.

"First, obviously, we have to find enough land to be able to deploy these data centers. Typically, we deploy further away from metropolitan locations" for both cost and environmental reasons, he said.

Connectivity is also key since most clients want the high computing speeds that come by being closer to their data.

Then there has to be a power source and the power lines to get the electricity.

With success comes scrutiny, or in the case of some communities across the globe, some exasperation with the proliferation of data centers.

Data centers can creep into an area's bucolic scenery, and put a massive burden on the local power supply, straining already fragile electricity grids.

And with the emergence of generative AI, Amazon has announced new projects around the globe.

Kalyanaraman acknowledged that "power will be a constrained resource in the world today, especially with generative AI and some of the other things that are required to run this amount of compute."

But even though "it's not something that you can actually change overnight," Kalyanaraman said that AWS has worked with power companies to manage the flow, notably through renewable energy.

AWS "is the largest purchaser of renewable energy in the world today. And that's for four years in a row," he said, with AWS committed to being a net-zero carbon company by 2040.

Ever the techno-optimist, Kalyanaraman remained confident that innovation could find a way to meet the generative AI challenge, with the industry looking to nuclear energy to help.

"Every time we've actually had a constraint, we've all figured out a way of innovating."

"I see (AI) as an opportunity," he said.

arp/md
News / National

by Staff reporter

Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi is expected to rule today on the bail application of three Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activists who were arrested while protesting for the release of their detained colleagues. Phillies Pikitayi (29), Daphine Gutsa (40), and Simbarashe Blackson (30) were arrested on June 27 for picketing outside the Harare Magistrates Court against the continued detention of 79 CCC members.State prosecutor Takudzwa Jambawu reported that the activists were demonstrating in support of the incarcerated CCC members, who were arrested on June 16 at Timba's residence in Avondale, Harare. Only two individuals have been granted bail since the arrests: a minor released into his mother's custody and Timba's son, who received bail on grounds of being a student and not part of the alleged gathering promoting public violence.The ruling today will determine whether Pikitayi, Gutsa, and Blackson will be granted bail amid ongoing legal proceedings related to the charges of participating in an unsanctioned gathering aimed at inciting public violence.
Is this a comedy or a drama? Photo: Courtesy J. Crew

Good news, foodie bros, How Long Gone listeners, and Brooklyn dads: J.Crew has released a limited-edition line of casual menswear in collaboration with The Bear. And lest you worry about coming across as a fake fan, this stuff doesnt just have the restaurants bear logo or the shows name on it. Nay, nay, this stuff is a deep cut for the real heads: workwear bearing the logo for fictional in-universe family-owned Chicagoland business Matter of Fak Supply.

The Faks, of course, are Berzatto family friends and handymen Neil (Matty Matheson), Ted (Ricky Staffieri), and the newly stunt-cast floor waxer Sammy (John Cena). The merch  a work jacket, trucker hat, sweatshirt, and tee  is sort of workwear cosplay at J.Crew prices. The canvas work jacket is a clone of the one worn by Ted on this season of The Bear, and J. Crew has him modeling it on the website. It is $398, and already sold out in every size 

 Every size they seemingly offer, anyway. Writer Victoria Edel pointed out on X that the sold-out collection maxed out at a 2X, likely excluding Matheson himself. This size-inclusivity oversight on J.Crews part represents the issue with this collection, one that embodies a larger tension inherent to The Bear concerning authenticity and a muddled relationship to class. My colleague, TV critic Roxana Hadadi, told me over Slack that the collection is an interesting glimpse into the shows actual narrative tension, which is that everyone is so obsessed with chasing high-end, fine-dining success that theyre ignoring what really works, which is the sandwich counter, and who really cares about the success of the business, which is their working-class regulars.

So The Bear continuing to lean into high-end partnerships with brands like J.Crew, and featuring other super-expensive brands like Thom Browne is actually an unintentional reflection, perhaps, of the literal ignorance the show has for the actual people who support The Bear, she added.

Moreover, its also all just a bit corny, isnt it? Writer Jesse David Fox, a The Bear fan and self-admitted member of this collabs target demo, said that the fake vintage design on these items, with their fake old logo, feels like 2005 American Eagle. Strategist writer Erin Schwartzs issues with the line were also primarily aesthetic: Good graphic design is a hack to make your merch seem cool on a T-shirt. And this is bad graphic design.

Not that it makes a difference: Its mostly sold out. The only thing left is the trucker hat, for $59.99 and that, at least, is allegedly one size fits all. Or buy, like, four Italian beefs. The choice is yours.
Hailey Welch said she wouldnt hawk tuah Trump on the Plan Bri Uncut podcast. Photo: Plan Bri Uncut/YouTube

We guess not wanting to hawk tuah a 78-year-old wrinkly presidential nominee and recently convicted felon makes you a political figure now. On this episode of election-year brain rot, we find the viral Hawk Tuah girl inadvertently being made both a nemesis for Republicans and a mascot for Democrats over comments she made on Brianna Chickenfrys Plan Bri podcast. Known for the meme where she recommended spitting on that thang during oral sex, Ms. Hawk Tuah, real name Hailey Welch, played a version of game Smash or Pass on a July 1 episode of the pod. The whole thing could have been pure, innocent fun until a certain former president came along. When asked if she would hawk tuah Donald Trump or nah, Welch replied in the negative. Its a no from me, she told Chickenfry.

Republicans quickly seized on the Welchs reasonable answer, believing her refusal to spit on Trumps thang was a tacit Biden endorsement. The degenerate Hawk Tuah girl, whose real name is Hailey Welsh, is ANTI TRUMP, tweeted conservative columnist Laura Loomer, branding Welch a Biden supporter. She later retracted her anger when Bill Ackman reminded her that the question wasnt about whom she was voting for in the ballot box, but about whom she would willingly spit on. I stand corrected, @BillAckman. Upon further review, it turns out that she was only talking about whether she would perform fellatio on President Trump.

An earnest-to-the-point-of-parody Twitter account keeping score of President Bidens wins, according to its bio, said this was big news for supporters of the current commander-in-chief. BREAKING: The Hawk Tuah girl just absolutely demolished Donald Trump saying its a no-go for her, Bidens Wins wrote in a tweet. Retweet to make sure all Americans know Gen-Z is speaking out against Donald Trump and his radical agenda. Mind you, Welch said not a thing about policy when she was thinking about potential hawk tuah partners. As Nene once said, its getting weird. The bar for political activism is in hell, sitting right down there with the bar for discourse. At least someone managed to make a good Hilary Clinton joke out of all this.
News / National

by Staff reporter

During a dialogue on the Day of the African Child in Harare, concerns were raised about the increasing number of Zimbabwean children forced to abandon education due to various challenges, including poverty, which often leads to issues like drug abuse and early marriages.Elvis Chitsungo, Executive Director of the Education Coalition of Zimbabwe (Ecozi), highlighted that despite there being 6,694,618 school-age children in Zimbabwe in 2021, only 3,986,891 were enrolled in school. This disparity indicates that over 2.7 million children were out of school that year, a figure likely to have increased in 2024.Chitsungo emphasized that while Zimbabwe performs well in primary school enrolment, with nine out of ten children enrolled, enrolment rates drop significantly at the secondary level, particularly in rural areas.Education Minister Torerai Moyo previously noted that approximately 50,000 pupils dropped out of school between 2021 and 2023, prompting efforts to pilot an early warning system to prevent further dropouts.Chitsungo urged stakeholders, including the government, to uphold children's right to education as guaranteed by the Amended Education Act (2020) and Section 75 of the Constitution. He stressed that education is crucial not only as a right but as a foundation for breaking the cycle of poverty and enabling children to contribute meaningfully to society.Munetsi Muhwati, an education specialist from Care Zimbabwe, called for policymakers to develop inclusive education policies. He highlighted that a recent event coinciding with the Day of the African Child provided a platform for students to engage with parliamentary committee members, fostering dialogue on issues affecting their learning experiences.The dialogue, facilitated by Ecozi in collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Care Zimbabwe, and World Vision, aimed to address the multifaceted reasons behind school dropouts, including poverty, orphanhood, climate change, drug abuse, and the impacts of COVID-19.
Works in Rome piazza are well underway.

Rome is set to partly reopen Piazza Augusto Imperatore, the public square around the ancient Mausoleum of Augustus, by the end of this year, the city's mayor said on Tuesday.

The tomb of Rome's first emperor and its surrounding piazza have been at the centre of parallel restoration and redevelopment works, overseen by the city's archaeological superintendency, in a project that dates back almost 20 years.

Under the plans drawn up by the architect Francesco Cellini, the winner of an international design competition in 2006, the city is at work to reorganise the public space around the circular monument.

Cellini's plan involves integrating the mausoleum into an urban context by making the surrounding spaces fully usable and resolving the disparity in height between the ancient landmark and the square, originally designed by Vittorio Morpurgo in the 1930s.

The city says that the first batch of works, in the southern part of the piazza, are set to conclude by the end of December with the opening of new travertine steps allowing the public "to cross the square and reach the mausoleum level".

E a buon punto il primo lotto dei lavori in #PiazzaAugustoImperatore: interventi conclusi entro l'anno. Stamattina sopralluogo del Sindaco al cantiere archeologico, il piu grande mai aperto a #Roma.



https://t.co/ETtZHk4Yio#RomaSiTrasforma #Giubileo2025 @Sovrintendenza pic.twitter.com/faPnmbGNQw  Roma (@Roma) July 2, 2024

We are giving back to the city and the whole world a hidden wonder, one of the most beautiful places of ancient Rome" - mayor Roberto Gualtieri said - "Not having the Mausoleum of Augustus accessible and integrated with the city represented a kind of black hole."

Gualtieri said that works are "already well underway" to reorganise the square by "reconnecting the contemporary area with the ancient one".

Describing it as the largest archaeological site that has ever been opened in Rome, the city's superintendent Claudio Parisi Presicce said: "The extension of the intervention area around the Mausoleum is equivalent to six times that of Largo Argentina".

In a statement, the city said the new arrangement will also include the restoration of some archaeological finds unearthed during the works along with "a large service centre with cafe/info point/bookshop at the southern end of the monumental complex".

The second phase of redevelopment works, currently underway and expected to be completed by the end of 2025, includes the creation of a new pedestrian walkway to access the mausoleum from the street.

The first phase of restoration of the ancient monument was concluded in 2019, with the public first admitted on a limited basis in 2021.

The second phase of the works, which is expected to begin by the end of the year, will last approximately 18 months.

This will involve greenery, lighting, accessibility and the completion of the museum's interior design and display areas, entrusted to the celebrated Dutch architect Rem Koolhass.
Waterford City has gone red to celebrate Canada Day and the county's unique historical connection with Newfoundland.

For the event, which took place on Monday, July 1, iconic buildings across Waterford, including Reginalds Tower, Bishops Palace, William Vincent Wallace Plaza and City Hall, were all lit-up in red, in recognition of the shared history, heritage and cultural connections between Ireland and Canada.

Between 1790 and 1830, 35,000 Irish people entered the former colony, with Waterford the primary port of embarkation. Three centuries of shared history with St. Johns means you can travel over 3,500km from Waterford, arrive in St. Johns and still hear familiar accents and colloquialisms from the locals there.

Mass emigration from the South East to Newfoundland from the mid-18th century onwards created strong historical links and many people in St. Johns will know their ancestors boarded ships to Canada on what is now called Canada Street, or that their home was called St. Johns after St. Johns Parish in Waterford City.

Jocelyn Black, Senior Publicity & Communications Executive with Tourism Ireland, said: We are delighted that Waterford is joining in Canada Day celebrations to showcase their deep connections with Canada and to symbolize the friendship between the island of Ireland and Canada.

Ireland is renowned for its warm hospitality, and what better occasion to emphasize the bonds between our nations than by celebrating our people, unity, and shared humanity  along with commemorating the historical connections that unite us.

Mayor of Waterford City & County, Cllr. Jason Murphy, said he was thrilled that Waterford is joining in this celebration, which highlights the very real connections between Ireland and Canada, and in particular the shared history of Waterford and Newfoundland.

"We wish the people of Canada the very best on their national holiday and invite them to come and explore Waterford City and County and the strong connections between our two countries.

Waterford City was twinned with St Johns in Newfoundland in 2003 to recognise and celebrate the historical connections. Couples from St. Johns in Newfoundland still return to St. Johns Church in Waterford City to get married.

In Newfoundland, July 1 is also a day of remembrance for the hundreds of soldiers from the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, who died on this day in 1916 in Beaumont-Hamel, at the Battle of the Somme, in France during the First World War.
A Ceili Idirnaisiunta, which took place on Friday, June 21, saw Waterfords migrant community come together with locals to share a few steps of Rince Gaelach.

Tura at the Conradh na Gaeilge and UNHCR celebrate Refugee Week with Ceili event for migrants in Waterford.

Refugees and international protection applicants and their families were welcomed into Waterford town centre for a traditional ceili, as well as a basic cupla focal and ceol from local trad musicians.

Conradh na Gaeilge and UNHCR celebrate Refugee Week with Ceili event for migrants in Waterford. Photo: Joe Evans

Programme manager, Connlaith Ni Raifeartaigh, said: We wanted to show solidarity from the Irish-language community to those families who are bravely forging a new life here, and an 'international ceili' afternoon is the perfect way to meet new friends and learn new skills."
Respects were paid to journalist Tommie Gorman and GAA broadcaster Micheal O Muircheartaigh at a recent meeting of Waterford councillors.

Both men passed away on Tuesday, June 25, prompting tributes from across the country in honour of their years of service to Irish broadcasting.

Just days before his passing, Mr Gorman spoke at the Immrama Festival of Travel Writing in Lismore about his memoir, 'Never Better: My Life in Our Times'. Festival organisers have sent their deepest condolences to Tommies family, friends and colleagues.

Originally from Co Sligo, he was RTEs European correspondent and later the broadcasters Northern Editor. He had a long and well-documented battle against cancer.

Legendary Gaelic games commentator Micheal O Muircheartaigh was 93 when he died last week. The Kerry native was the voice of Gaelic games at RTE for many years, commentating games in both Irish and English.

At last week's Dungarvan and Lismore Council AGM, councillors observed a minute's silence, a motion which was introduced by Cllr John Pratt (Labour).

Cllr Pratt commented, Two phenomenal and well-known people and I think it would be nice if you dont mind to have a minute's silence for both of them."

Cathaoirleach of the district, Cllr Pat Nugent (FG) added a personal anecdote relating to an interaction he shared with Micheal O Muircheartaigh.

What a legend, Cllr Nugent said.

He always did huge preparation on teams and their background and Ill always remember when I was in school in Limerick around 1973 he gave me a lift from the Gaelic field. It will stay with me for the rest of my life. What a legend he is and as is Tommie Gorman.
Tucked away on Victorias Sunraysia Highway, 33 kilometres northwest of Ballarat, is the tiny town of Waubra. With a population of just over 300, mostly made up of farming families, its as far away from the bright lights of Hollywood as you can imagine. It was here that Mark Molloy began to wonder about life beyond the boundary line.

Today, Molloy is known as one of Australias most celebrated advertising directors, but in 1984, he was a nine-year-old kid more focused on footy than films.

That would change when his uncle became one of the few people in town to own a VHS player - a big deal in Ballarat back then - and called the family together for a movie night.

Mark Molloy, Eddie Murphy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt attend the Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F world premiere in Beverley Hills. Credit: Getty Images for Netflix

And the first film they watched together? It was Beverly Hills Cop, laughs Molloy.
Independent senator Fatima Payman says the prime ministers office planted the seed that led to her crossing the floor to support a Greens motion to recognise Palestine and backtracked on earlier remarks suggesting Anthony Albanese intimidated her.

Speaking to journalist David Speers on ABC TV this evening, Payman maintained she had no thought of leaving Labor when she met with so-called preference whisperer Glenn Drury weeks ago.

That meeting was just a preliminary meeting to discuss options to talk about whats to come, or perhaps the lay of the land, Payman said, adding she had met with a variety of political groups and operatives.

I had done my research about crossing the floor because that was during estimates, a week prior, the prime ministers office had reached out to my office asking if I was going to cross the floor. I didnt think that that was an option because I had abstained previously. And it wasnt until that seed was planted, that I started thinking about what it meant to cross the floor.

Payman was then asked about her suggestion the prime minister had intimidated her on Sunday when the pair met at The Lodge.

Senator Fatima Payman leaving The Lodge on Sunday afternoon after being suspended from caucus. Credit: James Massola

Heres a little of the exchange:

Speers: You told the ABCs RN Drive program today, it felt quite intimidating to be there with the Prime Minister and his chief of staff  you know, two big blokes, I guess, and just me. You told the press conference this afternoon, though, that you wouldnt characterise it as intimidating. So which was it?

Payman: It may have been incorrect of me at the RN Drive to consider it as intimidating, but it felt quite confronting. Maybe that was the correct word because I wasnt expecting that I was going to be indefinitely suspended. I didnt know what the nature of this conversation was going to be, but in no way, shape or form have I characterised it as bullying, or there being any physical form of intimidation. Again, you know, theres age gaps, but also just the level of experience. And I mean, if anyone gets pulled into their bosss office, there is that little bit of fear  to a certain extent  not knowing what the outcome is going to be.

Loading

Speers: Is that politics though?

Payman: Mean, it definitely is, and youve got to have thick skin for this game. So Im not going around saying that, you know, this is something that Im going to pursue  No, it was not intimidating, it was confronting. But it was a necessary discussion that needed to be had. And I respect the prime minister and know that hes got some important decisions to make.

The newly independent senator said she still needed to research and hear from Western Australians before she voted on some issues she was less familiar with. I have not sought to lay out my policy platform really. Like, its all very new, she said.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Mike Chimombe, already embroiled in legal troubles related to alleged fraud and corruption scandals, faces further setbacks as his company, Millytake Enterprises (Private) Limited, has been evicted from its offices in Eastlea, Harare. The eviction comes amidst ongoing court cases where Chimombe and his business partner Moses Mpofu are accused of defrauding the government of over US$7 million intended for the Presidential Goat Pass-on Scheme, and their involvement in securing a controversial US$40 million tender from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec).Millytake Enterprises, established in 2008 and co-owned by Chimombe and Rusero Mitchell, specializes in supplying commercial and industrial equipment, as well as offering services in construction, property development, economic consulting, research, and consulting engineering.The eviction stemmed from a dispute over the lease cancellation by the previous property owner, which Chimombe allegedly refused to honor. A court order issued on June 29 instructed Chimombe to vacate the premises at No 5 Morton Jaffray Road, Eastlea, Harare, within 10 days. Failure to comply would result in eviction by the second respondent.Chimombe's troubles escalated following disagreements with Wicknell Chivayo, who claimed close ties with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, over the distribution of profits from the Zec tender. Chivayo, known for his controversial statements, has been derisive towards critics calling for his prosecution.Previously, Chimombe's company had filed complaints against Zec in 2017, alleging irregularities in a US$10 million tender awarded to another company for portable toilets during a voter registration exercise. Millytake Enterprises contended that Zec's decision would have incurred an additional US$5 million compared to their own bid of US$4.2 million for the same project.Chimombe's recent challenges underscore ongoing legal and financial difficulties amidst his entanglement in high-profile controversies within Zimbabwean business and political circles.
News / National

by Staff reporter

According to the National Health Strategy Performance Report for 2021-2024 presented to Cabinet, there has been an improvement in female life expectancy at birth in Zimbabwe, rising from 66.5 years to 68 years. Meanwhile, male life expectancy remains at 61 years. The report attributes the prolonged lives and improved quality of livelihoods largely to the availability of medicines in hospitals and clinics, which are mostly accessed by women known for their proactive health-seeking behaviors compared to men.Information Minister Jenfan Muswere highlighted that Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora presented the report to Cabinet for review. The availability of essential medicines in health facilities also saw an increase, from 51% in 2020 to 54.1% in 2021, with nearly 96% of public health facilities having at least 80% of essential medicines in stock by the second quarter of 2022.Zimbabwe has made significant strides in combating HIV/AIDS, with 98% of people living with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 2021. The AIDS mortality rate has continued to decline, and Zimbabwe was removed from the World Health Organization's list of 30 high-tuberculosis burden countries due to successful efforts in reducing TB cases.Additionally, malaria incidence has sharply decreased by 70% over the past three years, from 32 cases per 1,000 population in 2020 to 9 cases per 1,000 in 2022. The government is upgrading and expanding the public health system, with over 78% of district hospitals now having fully operational theatres for emergency maternity surgery, and 93% equipped with kits for resuscitating newborn babies.Overall, the Health Sector has made significant progress towards achieving the targets set in the National Health Strategy (2021-2025), signaling positive developments in public health outcomes across Zimbabwe.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A video has surfaced online showing Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Commander Anselem Sanyatwe declaring his allegiance to the ruling Zanu-PF party. Sanyatwe becomes the third high-ranking military official to publicly support Zanu-PF, following Vitalis Zvinavashe in 2002 and Constantino Chiwenga before leading the 2017 coup that brought President Emmerson Mnangagwa to power.In the video, Sanyatwe addresses what appears to be a Zanu-PF gathering, warning attendees against voting against the ruling party. He asserts his authority as head of the army, stating that "Zanu-PF will rule forever, whether you like it or not," and threatens to use force against opponents of the party.The origins of the video have not been confirmed, and it is unclear whether it was recorded before the 2023 general elections or more recently, possibly in reference to future elections in 2028. Sanyatwe mentions "command voting" and gestures as if indicating a physical action, suggesting a directive regarding voting behavior.Historically, the military in Zimbabwe has been involved in political campaigns, including setting up bases in rural areas and being implicated in cases of violence during elections. This involvement dates back to the era of former President Robert Mugabe, who used military force against opposition activists and during the Gukurahundi genocide in the 1980s.The video has sparked concern about the military's role in Zimbabwean politics and its implications for democratic processes and human rights.
If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now!

Submit
By Cate McCurry, PA

Human rights groups have criticised the decision to add countries such as Egypt and Malawi to Irelands list of safe countries for asylum applications as concerning and reckless.

The Government made five additions to its list of safe countries on Tuesday: Brazil, Egypt, India, Malawi and Morocco.

Countries added to this list are viewed by the Government as places where there is generally and consistently no persecution, no torture, and no armed conflicts.

The proposal by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee was approved at Cabinet on Tuesday, meaning protection applications from these countries are to be accelerated from Wednesday following an extensive review by the department.

Applications from the safe countries will now be expedited. Photo: Niall Carson/PA.

Amnesty Ireland said it was appalled at the decision by Ms McEntee to add Egypt, an act it called deeply reckless.

This categorisation is particularly shocking, given the protracted human rights and impunity crisis in Egypt, where thousands are arbitrarily detained, and where Amnesty International has consistently documented the use of torture and other ill-treatment and enforced disappearances.

Amnesty is opposed to the safe countries list, arguing that it is discriminatory.

It said that if Irish authorities consider countries such as Egypt safe, it will place those applying for asylum at higher risk of being returned to persecution (and) torture and other violations.

No country is safe for everyone. But, putting Egypt with its abysmal human rights record on such a list is deeply reckless. Under Irish and EU law, the Minister for Justice may do so only if there is generally no persecution, torture, or inhuman or degrading treatment in that state. That absolutely cannot be said of Egypt.

Egypt Researcher at Amnesty International, Mahmoud Shalaby, said that since 2013 the Egyptian authorities have been severely repressing the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.

Dissidents in the country remain at risk of persecution solely for expressing critical views, he said.

Thousands of people including human rights defenders, journalists, protesters, and opposition politicians remain arbitrarily detained solely for exercising their human rights or after grossly unfair trials or without legal basis.

Chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council, Nick Henderson, said they were very concerned at the designation of Morocco, Malawi and Egypt as safe.

Frankly, when you look at some of the human rights information from countries such as Egypt, Im quite staggered and flabbergasted how they could be designated as safe, he told RTEs News at One.

In Malawi, there are frequent examples of abuse of LGBT people, same-sex relations in Malawi remain a crime.

He said the bar to designate a country as safe was high, and accused the Government of not applying its tests to assess countries safety correctly.

The other 10 countries that are designated as safe countries of origin are: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and South Africa.

The introduction of accelerated processing in November 2022 has had a significant impact on the number of applications from those countries, which have dropped by more than 50 per cent in that time.

Since Botswana and Algeria were added to the list by the minister earlier this year, applications from those countries fell by 71% and applications have fallen by 47 per cent from Nigerian applicants since the country with the most applicants was accelerated.

The designation of a state as a safe country of origin does not mean that a claim is inadmissible or that a person forfeits the right to make an application, however, it places the onus on the applicant to demonstrate why, and by way of exception, they are in need of protection.

Human rights organisations said it gives applicants less time to get legal advice before being interviewed, and means they cannot appeal the decision in person.

Ms McEntee intends to continue to review what additional countries can be designated safe, or if further categories can be accelerated.
A man who smeared blood on his face after assaulting his ex-partner has escaped a prison sentence after "turning his life around".

Martin Rice, of Rowan Drive, Castlebar, previously pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court to charges of assault and making threats to kill.

The court was told that gardai were alerted to a disturbance at Greenfields, Pontoon Road, Castlebar, at 9.30am on September 13, 2019. Rice was seen throwing a large TV to the ground and roaring and shouting. His clothes were blood-splattered and he smeared blood on his face. He also spat and threw blood at gardai.

His former partner Claire Brampton was crying at the scene. She said Rice had ransacked her home, smashing two televisions and a soundbar, and assaulted her. She sustained cuts to her scalp and bruising to her neck, arms and chest. Rice had threatened to kill her and her adult son.

The defendant had to be pepper-sprayed and restrained by officers. While in the Garda van, he removed his trousers and shoes and soiled himself. Rice was taken to Mayo University Hospital to be assessed but refused treatment. He called a nurse an "ugly bitch" and removed his underwear and smeared blood and faeces on the wall of a room in the hospital.

The court heard that Rice had been on an alcohol and Valium binge and had little recollection of the events. He has 56 previous convictions.

The case was adjourned for a probation report and came before Judge Eoin Garavan for finalisation last week.

Diarmuid Connolly BL, representing Rice, said his client is now on good terms with his ex-partner and is expecting a child with his new partner. Probation reports show the "huge strides" that Rice has made and he is "dedicated to his therapy and rehabilitation".

Having acted appallingly, Mr Rice has turned his life around, said the barrister.

Judge Eoin Garavan said the crimes were "clearly a serious matter" but noted the steps taken by the accused. He imposed a two-year suspended prison sentence and ordered Rice to carry out 140 hours of community service.
Three weeks ago in this space, I wrote about the organised attempt by extreme traditionalists in the Catholic Church to undermine the reforms that Pope Francis is now anxious to introduce  change that was supposed to be implemented 60 years ago after the Second Vatican Council. I mentioned that there are multiple examples of this push-back against Francis by very traditional, very conservative church figures, among them cardinals George Pell, Gerhard Muller and Robert Sarah and archbishops Georg Ganswein and Carlo Vigano.

I suggested too that Francis was nervous that the push-back from traditionalists mentioned above (and others) might lead to a breakdown (or schism) in the Church.

I also mentioned that in 2018 when Francis was returning to Rome after his visit to Ireland, Archbishop Carlo Vigano, the retired papal nuncio in America, issued a statement accusing Francis of knowing that the former Cardinal archbishop of Washington was guilty of sexual abuse but that he had done nothing about it. It was a chilling accusation, clearly meant to undermine Francis and his meetings with abuse victims in Ireland. Later, Viganos scandalous accusations were shown to be untrue and led to the shedding of his reputation.

While Francis has always encouraged debate during the last six years or so eyebrows were often raised at his extraordinary patience and tolerance in the face of what were very personal, unfair, untrue and sometimes scurrilous attacks on him.

But now the word is that Francis, nervous that those opposing his reforms with such vehemence would tilt the church in the direction of schism, is beginning to use his authority as pope to rein in this small but vicious ultra-conservative separatist side-show that threatens to fragment the unity of the Catholic Church.

Some months ago he removed Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler in Texas for rejecting his programme of reform, accusing him of undermining the faith. And on June 11 last, Francis ordered Archbishop Carlo Vigano to attend a trial in Rome on June 20 at which he would be accused of schism by the Vaticans doctrinal office and warned him that if he failed to respond by June 28, he would be tried in his absence.

In a direct response to the accusation, Vigano stated that he wouldnt be attending the Vatican on either date and effectively accepted that he was guilty as charged by stating that he was honoured to be accused of saying that Francis wasnt the real pope. Worse still, his statement continued, the Second Vatican Council was a moral and liturgical cancer of which the Bergoglian synodal church is a necessary metastasis'. A rough translation of those words is: The Second Vatican Council is a cancer in the Church and the pontificate of Pope Francis is a secondary cancer.'

Even Viganos most committed supporters must recoil from such personal abuse but for some time (after Francis demoted him from his position as nuncio in the US) Vigano has form, constantly overturning the consensus of rational opinion in the Catholic Church and beyond.

Here are some examples of some of Viganos thinking: he has rejected the Second Vatican Council; he has praised Donald Trump who has used that praise to canvass the votes of American Catholics; he has opposed the use of the Covid-19 vaccines; he has supported and helped spread the present complement of conspiracy theories; he has praised President Putin of Russia; he has refused to recognise Francis as the pope, insisting on childishly calling him Bergoglio  and hes continually making anti-Francis statements and campaigning against Francis notably in the American Church where hes being widely promoted at present, notably for the last six years.

And to cap it all, he justifies not turning up to his trial in Rome on the grounds that he owes no obedience or loyalty to Francis because Francis represents a different church  the one founded at the Second Vatican Council!  but he (Vigano) remains a real Catholic of the real Catholic Church (that preceded Vatican Two). Thus, he argues, Pope Francis has no jurisdiction over him.

The nonsense of this posturing is clear when, to follow Viganos logic, it would mean that Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI werent real Catholics either. And what is clearer still is that if, during the pontificates of John Paul and Benedict, Vigano had proposed that either of them wasnt really the pope because they accepted the legitimacy of Vatican Two, Vigano might have arrived at where he is now in much less than the six years it took Francis to exert his authority.

However, the worry remains that the demented edges of Catholicism would give some credence to the bizarre and grotesque world that Vigano and his acolytes inhabit  and that the added nightmare of a schism would (in some permanent form) emerge from it. But, in the wider Church, I think theres relief that Francis has at last decided to deal with Vigano, and to close out in so far as it is possible, the danger that well-meaning and fearful people may be taken in by him, given the kind of media coverage that he enjoys.

So whats to happen to Vigano? If hes found guilty of schism, in canon law thats punishable by excommunication and clearly it would be impossible to disprove his guilt at this stage  given that Vigano has stated he is proud of it and given too that the more hes found guilty, the happier his more extreme supporters will be. Like Trumps.
Photographer Tom Wood was born in Crossmolina in 1951 and moved to England when he was four years old.

He returned frequently with his father to visit his extended family in Crossmolina. Woods sensitive and close relationship with the place of his birth is never more evident than in his photography.

Among the most thoughtful photographers working today, in any style," said Richard B Woodward of The Wall Street Journal.

Bob Quinn, of Irish Arts Review, said: "His instinct is innocent, Blakean, impeccable. In his images we see ourselves... in a celebration."

Wood studied Fine Art at Leicester Polytechnic in 1973, where extensive viewing of experimental films led him to photography, in which he is self-taught. He moved to New Brighton, Merseyside in 1978 and for the next 25 years photographed constantly in and around Liverpool, producing an enormous collection of work, renowned around the world.

"It was really lucky that I ended up in Merseyside where there were so many Irish... Just looking at the faces, there's a certain shared cultural sensibility, in this body language. It probably helped me."

In 2003, Wood moved to North Wales, where he continues to photograph the life and landscape around him.

Wood's strong desire to exhibit in his birthplace has not been made available to him until now. He is thrilled to be in a position to showcase his exhibition at the Cultural and Civic Centre in Crossmolina. It will be a 'select snapshot' of 50 years of his work, and includes some of his best known photographs, previously exhibited extensively around the world, alongside never-before seen video work.

"When I would visit Ireland during all these other projects, whatever I was learning at the time was influencing whatever I did in Ireland that year".

Audiences far and near are invited to visit the exhibition and take time to experience the work of a world-renowned artist back in his hometown.

The exhibition opens on Friday, July 12th, and continues until Sunday, August 25th, from 10am to 4pm, Friday to Monday, in the Cultural and Civic Centre, Mullinmore Street, Crossmolina, F26 A0C7
Weather Alert

Bulletin: ...FROST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 9 AM EDT FRIDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures as low as 33 degrees will result in frost formation. * WHERE...A portion of central Pennsylvania. * WHEN...From 2 AM to 9 AM EDT Friday. * IMPACTS...Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants and vegetation from the cold. Potted plants should be brought inside. The frost will occur mainly in valley locations. &&

Info:

Type: Frost Advisory

start_time_local: 2024-10-11T02:00:00-04:00

end_time_local: 2024-10-11T09:00:00-04:00

county_name:

state: PA

headline: Frost Advisory from FRI 2:00 AM EDT until FRI 9:00 AM EDT

county_fips:

category: Met

url:

urgency: Expected

severity: Minor

certainty: Likely

geographicname: Schuylkill County

state_name: Pennsylvania
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has reported that state security agents are actively seeking its leaders, Gift Ostallos Siziva and Amos Chibaya, following their address at a recent court hearing in Harare.The two had attended a bail ruling in solidarity with 78 CCC activists who were arrested in June and are currently detained, except for one minor and Jameson Timba's son who were granted bail.According to CCC, security agents allegedly entered Siziva's parents' home in Bulawayo under false pretenses, aiming to abduct him. The party claims these actions are part of efforts to intimidate and prevent Siziva and Chibaya from mobilizing protests against the activists' detention.In response, CCC accused the government of being in "panic mode" ahead of the upcoming SADC Summit and suggested that these actions were preemptive measures to suppress dissent.However, police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi stated that he was unaware of these specific reports and advised CCC to officially report any issues to the police.Meanwhile, the government and Zanu-PF have issued warnings against opposition parties planning protests during the August SADC Summit, indicating readiness to handle such situations decisively.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Mostly clear and chilly. Some mid to upper 30s possible across the Poconos with perhaps even a little frost..

Tonight

Mostly clear and chilly. Some mid to upper 30s possible across the Poconos with perhaps even a little frost.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is facing scrutiny and calls for transparency regarding its procurement of voting materials for the 2023 elections. Human rights defender Tapiwa Chiriga has requested detailed information from ZEC following allegations of fraud and misuse of funds involving Zanu-PF Parliamentarian Scott Sakupwanya, Wicknell Chivayo, Mike Chimombe, Moses Mpofu, and ZEC Chairperson Priscilla Chigumba.Reports suggest over US$40 million was paid to Chivayo in a dubious deal for election materials, raising concerns about inflated costs and lack of proper procurement procedures. Chigumba's involvement in meetings with Chivayo, Chimombe, and Mpofu has been highlighted, suggesting potential impropriety.In response, ZEC has denied having any contract with Chivayo, Chimombe, or Mpofu, asserting that all election materials were procured through legitimate processes and in adherence to procurement regulations. They have challenged anyone with evidence of wrongdoing to come forward.Chiriga, invoking the Freedom of Information Act and Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, has formally requested ZEC to disclose all details related to the procurement of ballot printing services, including bidding processes, publication notices, contracts, and approvals.Meanwhile, the situation has also implicated figures close to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, including his daughter Chido, amid ongoing legal and political fallout surrounding the allegations.Chivayo, who remains defiant on social media, has been at the center of controversy, boasting about his connections and influence, while Chimombe and Mpofu are currently detained on fraud charges totaling US$80 million.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Sit down Sanyatwe and while you are at it, learn to dress properly. Today I publicly defy your madness, your unconstitutional madness. You can't threaten us hiding behind your military fatigue. Don't be partisan. Protect all interests. It's a duty! A constitutional duty. pic.twitter.com/ohK1uuqCXk  Thabani Mpofu (@adv_fulcrum) July 2, 2024

Nelson Chamisa's lawyer and close ally, Thabani Mpofu has written to army commander Lt Gen Anselem Sanyatwe demanding that he retracts statements made at a rally where he vowed that 'Zanu-PF will rule until donkeys grow horns' by using 'command voting.'A video of Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Commander Anselem Sanyatwe declaring his allegiance to ruling Zanu-PF has surfaced online.Addressing what seems to be a Zanu-PF gathering, Sanyatwe warns those in attendance not to dare vote against the ruling party.He promises to use force for those against it and brags that as head of the army, what he says goes.Sanyatwe becomes the third top military official to do so after the late Vitalis Zvinavashe in 2002 and Constantino Chiwenga months before the 2017 coup he later led to secure President Emmerson Mnangagwa's ascent.Mpofu says, "War heroes don't intimidate civilians, they protect them. Sanyatwe must stick to his constitutional role and leave politics to politicians. The nation deserves a military that safeguards democracy, not one that undermines it. It is in that context that I have written to Sanyatwe.""Sit down Sanyatwe and while you are at it, learn to dress properly. Today I publicly defy your madness, your unconstitutional madness. You can't threaten us hiding behind your military fatigue. Don't be partisan. Protect all interests. It's a duty! A constitutional duty."
VP Harris top choice to replace Biden in election race if he steps aside, sources say

By Nandita Bose

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Vice President Kamala Harris is the top alternative to replace U.S. President Joe Biden if he decides not to continue his reelection campaign, according to seven senior sources at the Biden campaign, the White House and the Democratic National Committee with knowledge of current discussions on the topic.

Biden's fumbling, sometimes-incoherent and widely-panned first-debate performance against Republican rival Donald Trump last week set off a wave of panic within the Democratic party over concerns that he may not be fit enough to serve a second term, and prompted calls for top aides to resign.

Some influential Democrats have floated alternatives to Biden besides Harris, including popular cabinet members and Democratic governors like Gavin Newsom from California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania. But trying to sidestep Harris is wishful thinking and would be nearly impossible, these sources, who did not wish to be named, said.

If named as the party nominee, Harris, 59, would take over money raised by the Biden campaign and inherit campaign infrastructure, the sources said. She also has the highest name recognition among all the alternatives, and the highest polling among Democrats who could seriously be considered a candidate, the sources said.

In a Reuters/Ipsos poll published Tuesday, Harris trailed Trump by one percentage point at 42% to 43%, a difference that was well within the poll's 3.5 percentage point margin of error, a showing statistically just as strong as Biden's.

In addition, she has already been vetted for national office and has survived intense scrutiny from Republicans, they said. Also, U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn, the man who was key to Biden's 2020 win, told MSNBC he would support Harris to be the Democratic nominee if Biden stepped aside.

"It's pretty near impossible to win the nomination over the vice president," said Michael Trujillo, a Democratic strategist from California who worked for Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2008 and 2016.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday that Biden just had a "bad night" at the debate and would continue to make his case for reelection to the American people. The Biden campaign deferred to Harris's team for comment on the story.

Harris's aides dismissed any talk of a Democratic ticket that doesn't include both Biden and Harris. "Vice President Harris looks forward to serving a second term with President Joe Biden," a statement from her office said.

Biden's campaign has amassed 3,894 delegates after state primaries, leaving only a few dozen "uncommitted" delegates outstanding. They are expected to formally nominate Biden later this month in a virtual meeting, ahead of the Democrats' nominating convention in August.

"All of the delegates are not just Joe Biden delegates, they are Kamala Harris delegates," Trujillo said, adding "she will have a sizable delegation and support in all 50 states on day one," he said.

Donna Brazile, the former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee, who has a key committee role at this year's Democratic National Convention in August, said the person who can step in right away, if Biden decides not to run, is Harris.

"People may have dreams of another superhero but there is a process and the last time I checked it's a Biden-Harris ticket, she's number two on the ticket," Brazile said, adding Biden remains the nominee for the Democratic party and "is not going anywhere."

Passing over the first Black and woman vice president for another candidate would lead to a backlash from Black and women voters who are key to any victory, several Democratic strategists said.

'IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE KAMALA'

Still, Harris has been sidestepped in a lot of the speculation since the debate because some influential Democrats have little faith she can beat Trump, four of the sources said.

The United States has never elected a woman president, and Harris has spent much of her time as vice president struggling to distinguish herself in a role that is by definition a supporting one. As recently as last year, many inside the White House and the Biden campaign privately worried she was a liability for the campaign.

Since then, Harris has managed to find her stride on the issue of abortion rights but her polling has not improved significantly. Harris's approval ratings hover under 40%, but according to recent polling highlighted by the Biden campaign, she and the president have similar odds of beating Trump.

The vice president has also been consistently targeted by Republicans and conservative media in attacks many allies consider sexist and racist.

Three Democratic donors, who have recently been pushing for Biden to step aside, also said this week they think it will be "impossible" to sidestep Harris. The donors had been floating Whitmer and Newsom's names as possible alternatives until the past weekend.

"There is a real conversation in the Democratic party about leadership right now, but fair to say, and I'm not thrilled about this... it will be impossible to ignore Kamala," said one of the donors.

Another donor said "she's nobody's choice, but yeah, nearly impossible."

Still, the president's reelection campaign is standing its ground, emboldened by a stronger performance by Biden during a scripted speech in North Carolina even as calls for him to step aside grow.

Stephanie Cutter, deputy campaign manager for former President Barack Obama, whose firm is on contract to produce the Democratic National Convention in August, said "President Biden is the nominee and he's going to remain the nominee."

"For those who are looking for some sort of interparty fight, be careful what you wish for because that would ensure a Trump victory," she said in a statement.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons and Deepa Babington)
FREEHOLD, N.J.  Fighting brain cancer, little Giada Demma was lying in her pediatric hospital bed, her tiny body virtually swimming in a drab green hospital gown.

Her cousin Giuliana Demma remembers looking at the 1-year-old and thinking how sad the scene was: a small child awash in an ugly gown several sizes too big for her.

I thought to myself, Why does she have to wear this? Why cant she wear something nicer? Giuliana said.

Inspired by that moment, Giuliana Demma, 13, and her 11-year-old sister Audrina have sewn and donated more than 1,800 brightly colored, playfully patterned gowns to hospitalized children in 36 states. They've even sent them to Uganda, with three other African nations set to get them in the fall.

I wanted to do something to help kids like (Giada) and give them hospital gowns that have nice patterns, that are colorful, that they can feel comfortable in while theyre going through a rough time, Giuliana said.

Their family hired a seamstress to make a custom Disney princess gown for little Giada, who was hospitalized in 2017 and is doing well now. But as Giuliana grew over the next four or five years, she developed an interest in sewing, and remembered how lost her little cousin looked in a drab, ill-fitting gown years earlier.

Once Giuliana learned to sew, her cousin was no longer hospitalized. But she started making cheerful gowns for other sick kids. Her first creations were gowns with flamingos and Paris-themed patterns for a child with cancer that her aunt knew.

No child is ever charged for one of her gowns, which are paid for by donations of money and material. The Starbucks Foundation gave the project a $3,000 grant this year. A hospital linen company, ImageFIRST in Clifton, New Jersey, cleans all the garments for free before they are sent to hospitals, and a women's group at a nearby housing development and a church youth group help out with about 40 volunteers cutting fabric for the girls.

Giuliana gets help from her sister, who also loves sewing. Audrina will pitch in when Giuliana has homework to do, heading to the basement of their home in Freehold, New Jersey, not far from the Jersey Shore, that has been taken over by the sewing operation.

Audrina's specialty is sewing small pillows for young patients. They are sent with boxes of markers so that the recipients can color them as they like while they're in the hospital.

Audrina made 100 pillows as part of an effort to earn her Girl Scout Bronze award, packaged them and sent them off to hospitals. She makes seasonally themed pillows for St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day and other special times; last winter she made 100 snowman pillows.

They are often part of packages the girls create that include rubber duckies and other toys, and a local pediatric cancer charity, LIV Like a Unicorn, includes them in boxes they send to children battling cancer. The Minnesota charity Childrens Surgery International took 60 of the gowns to hospitals in Uganda in February with more headed to Gambia, Liberia and Ethiopia in the fall.

Some of the recipients write back to thank the girls for the gowns and pillows.

I like seeing the smiles on the kids' faces, even though they're going through such a hard time, said Audrina, who wants to be a veterinarian.

The girls have recently begun sewing zippers into brightly colored T-shirts to accommodate infusion ports for chemotherapy or other drugs that could allow young patients not to have to wear a gown at all while hospitalized.

Samantha DiSimone's son Vito was hospitalized in January in New York for a heart valve ailment at 9 months old. Hospital staff brought in a sealed package with a gown Giuliana made from material with a pattern from the Cars movie.

He broke out in a big smile when they unpackaged the garment.

I was so emotional, Samantha DiSimone said. You're in a hospital praying that your child will make it through the surgery, and to see him in the gown with a big smile on his face is an amazing thing.

Soft-spoken yet entirely at ease recounting her efforts, Giuliana has the poise and maturity of someone beyond her years, though she just graduated from middle school. She wants to be a cancer surgeon, and said she loves hearing from recipients of the gowns.

I'm really happy I can help make a difference for them during this tough time, she said. I want them to feel confident and know that they're an inspiration, they're loved and they're strong and they're brave. They can wear these gowns and have something to cheer them up.

Melissa Demma, Giada's mother, said the drive by her child's young cousins to make and give away gowns blows me away and touches me each and every day."

They're young girls and this is what they choose to do, spending their time helping others, she said. If everyone could be like this, our world would be a better place. It makes me feel better for the future and what this world could be.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 2, 2024, for the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and a state visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Xi was warmly welcomed by Tokayev and a group of Kazakhstan senior officials upon his arrival at the airport. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

ASTANA, July 2 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Kazakhstan on Tuesday for a state visit and to attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

This is Xi's fifth visit to Kazakhstan and the second one in less than two years, following his previous state visit in September 2022. The visit this time is expected to bring a renewed focus on the multifaceted aspects of bilateral ties and cooperation.

Calling the China-Kazakhstan partnership "unique," Xi said upon his arrival here that the everlasting friendship of the two nations has grown stronger over time, and set an example of solidarity, mutual benefit, and mutual success between neighboring countries.

In a series of meetings scheduled with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Xi is expected to engage in detailed discussions aimed at further strengthening cooperation between the two nations. The focal points of these talks are expected to cover trade and investment, infrastructure development, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

"The leaders of our countries launched a new 'golden 30 years' of cooperation between Kazakhstan and China," said Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of Kazakhstan's China Studies Center, referring to a joint announcement by the two heads of state during Xi's visit in 2022.

With Kazakhstan-China relations growing at a high level, it is believed that Xi's visit to Kazakhstan will open up new prospects for bilateral cooperation, she said.

During Tokayev's visit to China in 2019, the two countries decided to elevate their ties to a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. Speaking at a daily briefing in Beijing on Monday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that it is expected that Xi's visit this time will further strengthen bilateral relations.

The deepening mutual trust and political ties between China and Kazakhstan have been accompanied by a remarkable growth in their trade and economic cooperation over the past three decades.

China was Kazakhstan's largest trading partner in 2023, with two-way trade up by 32 percent year-on-year to reach 41 billion U.S. dollars. Key exports from Kazakhstan to China include crude oil, metals, and agricultural products, and in turn China has supplied Kazakhstan with machinery, electronics, and consumer goods, according to Kazakh government data.

The Central Asian nation has also become a critical partner in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to boost connectivity and promote global prosperity through infrastructure development and trade and investment facilitation. It was in Kazakhstan in 2013 that Xi first proposed the initiative of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

"This marked a magnificent chapter in Belt and Road cooperation between our two countries. And the development of China-Kazakhstan relations has since entered a new stage," Xi said in a signed article in the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper and Kazinform International News Agency on Tuesday.

Since then, the two countries have made significant strides in enhancing connectivity and economic integration through various BRI projects.

Among the recently completed and commissioned ventures are the Zhanatas wind farm, the Turgusun hydropower station, and the modernization of the Shymkent Oil Refinery. These developments underscore the robust energy cooperation fueling both countries' development. The China-Kazakhstan crude oil and natural gas pipelines are also operating with remarkable stability and safety, ensuring a consistent energy supply vital for both economies.

This dynamic partnership has also extended into transportation infrastructure, with key transport and logistics hubs, such as the terminal in Xi'an, the Western Europe-Western China Highway, and the China-Europe Railway Express, functioning seamlessly.

BRI's support for cross-border transport infrastructure has benefited Kazakh connectivity, according to a World Bank report, entitled "South Caucasus and Central Asia: The Belt and Road Initiative Kazakhstan Country Case Study."

For more than a decade, Kazakhstan has invested substantially to improve its own transport network, but due to more limited improvements in trade facilitation and limitations of resources in many neighboring countries, the gaps have been difficult to fill.

The focus of BRI on expanding transport infrastructure and economic integration and China's drive to connect its western and central regions more effectively to Europe and to West Asia provide an opportunity to address these gaps, according to the World Bank report.

"Kazakhstan is likely to be among the larger beneficiaries of the BRI," it concluded.

Meanwhile, consensus on deepening cultural and people-to-people exchanges is expected to be reached during Xi's visit. Both nations have for long recognized the importance of fostering greater understanding and friendship between their peoples, viewing cultural exchanges as one major cornerstone of their bilateral relationship.

So far, a China-Kazakhstan agreement on mutual establishment of cultural centers has been signed. Chinese and Kazakh filmmakers have co-produced a film entitled "The Composer," which is their first co-production. Bilateral programs for cultural cooperation, including a Chinese university campus in Kazakhstan, a Luban Workshop, and a center of traditional Chinese medicine, have been implemented.

Thanks to the mutual visa-exemption arrangements, a total of 600,000 cross-border trips were recorded in 2023. In the first quarter of this year, the number of visits in both directions amounted to 200,000 and are expected to reach a new high, official data from both sides have shown.

In an exclusive written interview with Xinhua before Xi arrived here, Tokayev emphasized the significance of cultural and people-to-people communications between the two countries, as the opening ceremony of the "Kazakhstan Tourism Year" in China was held in March in Beijing.

"Cultural and people-to-people cooperation plays an important role in strengthening bilateral ties and fostering friendship between the peoples of our countries," he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 2, 2024, for the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and a state visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Xi was warmly welcomed by Tokayev and a group of Kazakhstan senior officials upon his arrival at the airport. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 2, 2024, for the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and a state visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Tokayev held a grand welcoming ceremony at the airport to welcome Xi. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 2, 2024, for the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and a state visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Tokayev held a grand welcoming ceremony at the airport to welcome Xi. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 2, 2024, for the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and a state visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Tokayev held a grand welcoming ceremony at the airport to welcome Xi. A group of Kazakh children sang the song "Ode to the Motherland" in Chinese. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Lei Yang
Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on July 2, 2024. On Tuesday evening, Xi and Tokayev had a cordial and friendly exchange over dinner in a pleasant and warm atmosphere, discussing issues related to China-Kazakhstan relations and issues of common concerns. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

ASTANA, July 2 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China and Kazakhstan have established a unique permanent comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi made the remarks in a written statement upon his arrival in Astana for a state visit to Kazakhstan, where he will also attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

The Chinese president said he is delighted to visit the beautiful country of Kazakhstan at the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and to attend the SCO summit, adding that he, on behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, conveyed sincere greetings and best wishes to Tokayev and the friendly Kazakh people.

China and Kazakhstan share a long tradition of friendship, Xi noted.

More than 2,000 years ago, the ancient Silk Road closely connected the two countries, marking the beginning of a history of friendly exchanges, he said.

Over the past 32 years since China and Kazakhstan established diplomatic ties, the relationship has withstood the test of time and the vicissitudes of the international landscape, evolving into a unique permanent comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi added.

He also said that the everlasting friendship of the two nations has grown stronger over time, and set an example of solidarity, mutual benefit, and mutual success between neighboring countries.

Xi recalled that 11 years ago, he first put forward the initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt in Kazakhstan, adding that today, Belt and Road cooperation between China and Kazakhstan has yielded fruitful results.

Two-way economic and trade cooperation has reached new highs, people-to-people and cultural exchanges have featured numerous highlights, and the two sides' international cooperation has been close and efficient, which has not only improved the well-being of the two peoples, but also injected more stability and positive energy into the international and regional situation, Xi added.

He said that during the visit, he will have talks with President Tokayev and have an in-depth exchange of views on China-Kazakhstan relations, all-round cooperation and other international and regional issues of common concern, in a bid to make new plans and arrangements for the development of China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi also said that he looks forward to attending the SCO summit, and discussing with all parties the future of the organization and ways to advance cooperation, so as to achieve new and greater progress for this important multilateral mechanism.

Three Kazakh Air Force fighter jets took off to escort Xi's plane after it entered the country's airspace. Tokayev held a grand welcoming ceremony at the airport to welcome Xi. A group of Kazakh children sang the song "Ode to the Motherland" in Chinese.

On Tuesday evening, Xi and Tokayev had a cordial and friendly exchange over dinner in a pleasant and warm atmosphere, discussing issues related to China-Kazakhstan relations and issues of common concerns.

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Lei Yang
Click the photo and watch the video.

* Xi's trip is expected to enhance China's cooperation with respective countries and help build a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

* With Kazakhstan-China relations growing at a high level, it is believed that Xi's visit to Kazakhstan will open up new prospects for bilateral cooperation.

* Since the establishment of China-Tajikistan diplomatic ties more than 30 years ago, bilateral relations have withstood the test of the evolving international landscape and achieved a leapfrog development.

BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Tuesday for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and state visits to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

During the summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana, Xi will discuss with his SCO colleagues development blueprints and build up consensus on cooperation, which is poised to add new impetus to maintaining peace and prosperity on the Eurasian continent and beyond.

Countries on the vast Eurasian continent share a long history of exchanges, similar development tasks and a closely linked future. Xi's trip is expected to enhance China's cooperation with respective countries and help build a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

Students learn tea art under the instruction of a student (L) from Xinjiang Normal University during the 2024 "Chinese Bridge" Spring Camp for students from SCO countries, in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 15, 2024. [Xinhua/Wang Fei]

Stronger Ties

In early June, Xi, along with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, applauded via video link the signing of an intergovernmental agreement on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project.

The railway is a strategic project of connectivity between China and Central Asia that demonstrates their commitment to common development through cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The project is the latest example of the SCO family's cooperation and solidarity under the guidance of the "Shanghai Spirit."

The SCO was created 23 years ago with the "Shanghai Spirit" being its founding values, which champion mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development. Now, with nine member states, three observer states and 14 dialogue partners, it is the world's largest regional organization in terms of geographical scale and population.

Xi has attended every SCO head-of-state summit since 2013, including through live videoconferences during the COVID period, and shared his thoughts and proposals on building stronger SCO ties and promoting development.

Maintaining regional peace and security is the cornerstone of SCO cooperation. In recent years, SCO members have strengthened coordination in combating the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, tackling drug trafficking, as well as safeguarding security in cyberspace and outer space.

A major driving force of the SCO's development is an orientation towards economic growth and practical cooperation.

The SCO has witnessed flourishing trade and investment cooperation among its members, with its share of global trade rising from 5.4 percent in 2001 to 17.5 percent in 2020, according to China's customs data.

People-to-people exchanges and mutual learning have become another key component of SCO cooperation through the years.

The bloc has witnessed burgeoning projects and activities, including the 2024 "Chinese Bridge" Spring Camp for students from SCO countries, which opened in Xinjiang in April, and the SCO agricultural universities alliance, which now fosters exchange of agricultural talents among over 20 universities from SCO member states.

Belt and Road cooperation between China and other countries has yielded fruitful results, promoting connectivity and socio-economic development of regional countries, former SCO Secretary-General Bolat Nurgaliyev said.

This is an epitome of the countries' cooperation based on equality and mutual benefit, and an important manifestation of the "Shanghai Spirit," he said.

An aerial drone photo taken on May 4, 2023 shows a view of the Kapshagay photovoltaic power station in Almaty, Kazakhstan. [Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua]

Another Golden 30 Years

China and Kazakhstan share a border of roughly 1,700 km and a long history of friendly exchanges between their peoples. Xi used "good neighbors, good friends and good partners" to describe the profound friendship between the two countries.

The strategic guidance of the two countries' heads of state is a distinctive feature of China-Kazakhstan relations. During a state visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013, Xi proposed the Silk Road Economic Belt, an essential component of the BRI.

When Xi visited the Central Asian nation again in September 2022, he received the Order of the Golden Eagle, the highest honor of Kazakhstan, from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The two leaders announced that China and Kazakhstan will work for building a community with a shared future defined by lasting friendship, a high degree of mutual trust and sharing weal and woe.

The year 2022 marked the 30th anniversary of bilateral ties. In 2023, Xi and Tokayev met twice in China. They pledged that the two countries are ready to create another 30 years of golden period for bilateral relations.

The two countries have built a full-fledged connectivity network to facilitate cross-border transport and trade. Thanks to cross-border railways, land border crossings and other logistic and trade facilities, China-Europe freight trains rumble like modern-day camel caravans, delivering products made in China to Central Asian and European countries, as well as wheat, fertilizers and other products from the landlocked country to China's Pacific harbors.

China was Kazakhstan's largest trading partner in 2023, with two-way trade up by 32 percent year-on-year to reach 41 billion U.S. dollars.

A variety of cultural and people-to-people exchanges serve as bridges to further strengthen their friendship.

The entry into force of the agreement on mutual visa exemption is expected to increase cross-border travel. The Luban Workshop, a Chinese vocational workshop program training talents overseas, has been operating in Kazakhstan since last year.

With Kazakhstan-China relations growing at a high level, it is believed that Xi's visit to Kazakhstan will open up new prospects for bilateral cooperation, said Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of Kazakhstan's China Studies Center.

Wu Zhengpeng (2nd L), a teacher from Tianjin Urban Construction Management & Vocation Technology College of China, explains the usage of mapping devices to students at the Luban Workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, April 12, 2023. [Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua]

New Impetus

Since the establishment of China-Tajikistan diplomatic ties more than 30 years ago, bilateral relations have withstood the test of the evolving international landscape and achieved a leapfrog development.

In recent years, Xi and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon have maintained frequent interactions, forging a profound friendship and facilitating the growth of bilateral ties.

In September 2014, Xi paid his first state visit to Tajikistan. Rahmon accompanied Xi for nearly 10 hours and warmly received him with a family banquet. "Good brothers walk hand in hand," Rahmon said.

When Xi revisited Dushanbe in June 2019, he received the Order of the Crown from Rahmon. The two heads of state signed a joint statement on further deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership.

During the China-Central Asia Summit in May 2023, the two presidents jointly announced the building of a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future featuring everlasting friendship, solidarity and mutual benefit, setting a clear goal for the development of bilateral relations.

Tajikistan is one of the first countries to support the BRI and sign cooperation documents with China. Belt and Road cooperation between the two countries has yielded fruits, including the construction of the China-Tajikistan highway.

The two sides are also exploring cooperation in green technology, digital economy and artificial intelligence to boost high-quality development.

Recent years have witnessed an increasing number of Tajik students in the country's Confucius Institutes or in China. The first Luban Workshop in Central Asia has been operating in Dushanbe for two years, grooming many talents for Tajikistan's vocational education and the country's industrialization and modernization.

"Tajikistan and China are the closest neighbors and partners," said Qanoatullo Saifulloev, deputy director of the state-run Khovar News Agency, adding that he believes Xi's upcoming state visit to his country will promote the continued development of bilateral relations and benefit the two brotherly peoples.

Video reporters: Meng Jing, Liu Kai, An Xiaomeng;

Video editors: Ma Ruxuan, Zhao Xiaoqing

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Lei Yang
Trailer firm is a massive anchor company that keeps the Welsh pound local

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Jul 3rd, 2024

A trailer firm that captured the imagination of Wrexham chairmen Rob and Ryan supports 10,000 jobs worldwide, its been revealed.

After hearing the news during a visit to Ifor Williams Trailers (IWT), Ken Skates, the MS for Clwyd South whos also the Welsh Governments Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport, said it was difficult to exaggerate how important the business is to the economy of Wales.

As well as employing 650 people directly, the company, which has six factories in Denbighshire and Deeside, supports an economic eco system of contractors and suppliers  as well as more than 120 distributors across the UK and the world, as far afield as Australia and New Zealand.

The companys global fame hit new heights after Rob and Ryan bought Wrexham AFC which has been sponsored by the company since 2016  the takeover vid featured a spoof sales pitch for IWTs famous horseboxes.

During his visit Mr Skates met three of IWTs local contractors and among them was Alan Jones, who runs the building and maintenance firm, T.G. Jones Llety, based in Gwyddelwern, near Corwen, who employ 12 people and have worked for IWT for nearly 40 years.

They built the two factory units and the companys group head office complex at Tyn Llidiart, above Corwen, as well as refurbishing and maintaining the buildings at all of IWTs six sites.

Mr Jones, known universally as Alan Llety, said: Its been a brilliant partnership for us because we have had so much work off them and we always do our utmost to provide the best service to Ifor Williams Trailers.

In the time we have been working with them, we have seen the company grow and develop and I feel proud that we work for them. 

There was a similar sentiment from Dei Hughes, whos celebrating the 20th anniversary of his company, D A Hughes Electrical Services, based in Glanrafon, near Corwen, this year.

After starting out as a one-man band, he now employs 12 electricians, including three apprentices and two of his sons.

He said: Working for a company like this which is local and has regular work was a really good step forward for us and a sound base for our success.

As Ifor Williams Trailers has expanded, we have grown with them so they are important to the local economy.

The people I employ spend their money locally so it keeps the Welsh pound local.

Iorwerth Roberts founded his garage, I and D Roberts, in Cynwyd, near Corwen, in 1997 and has been maintaining and repairing IWTs vehicle fleet for the past 15 years.

More recently his two sons, Iolo and Deian, have been travelling across the UK to set up IWTs stands at all the major shows, including the Royal Welsh Show and the Highland Show in Scotland.

Mr Roberts said: Its an honour for me, for the company and for the lads as well to work for a company with such a great reputation worldwide.

Meeting the trio of contractors, said Mr Skates, had confirmed to him that Ifor Williams Trailers is massive anchor company for rural Wales.

He said: They provide so many opportunities for good quality work for other small businesses and its all built off the back of the highest quality trailers you can get.

The contactors they use also employ local people and whats striking is that Alan, for example, has a workforce of entirely Welsh speakers so its not only supporting the local economy but is also important in terms of the Welsh language and culture.

Its a great demonstration of the value of Ifor Williams Trailers to this part of Wales and I dont think its possible to exaggerate how important this business is to the economy of Wales and particularly this part of Wales.

It has such a major beneficial impact on our economy, the jobs market and crucially on our culture and our community.

Ifor Williams Trailers is a world class company thats flying the flag for Wales across the globe. Its a flagship company that we can be immensely proud of and one thats caught the imagination of the creativity of Hollywood even.

Directly and indirectly supporting 10,000 jobs is something that very few Welsh businesses can boast of and that demonstrates the reach, depth and history of the business thats rooted in Wales.

The visit was hosted by IWT Managing Director John Williams who said: I am delighted that Ken was able to find the time in his busy schedule to come and see us again and meet three of our loyal and valued contractors.

As well as our direct workforce, the likes of Alan, Dei and Iorwerth and their teams have played a hugely important role in our success in building a global brand and flying the flag for Wales.
Wrexhams MP hopefuls give their views on Russias invasion of Ukraine

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Jul 3rd, 2024

Candidates looking for your support have been invited to share their views on a range of issues.

As part of our election coverage ahead of the poll on Thursday we asked all candidates a range of questions, with a theme based collection from all candidates below. You can also read individual answers to all the questions here on our Election 24 page, plus links to party manifesto, supplied bios for candidates and links to find out where exactly your polling station is!

Question: What is your view on Russias invasion of Ukraine, and what future path would you like the UK Parliament to take?

The Green Party is a peaceful Party. It can never support any country or organisation who seek to achieve its aims through force. The Green Party will always seek to de-escalate the conflict in the short term, and pursue peaceful and lasting resolutions in the long term.

In any moment of conflict, it is critical to separate the people from the decisions and actions of those in power. Those in power must be held to account; and the people must be supported with sympathy, respect, and aid.

Western governments looked the other way when Russia invaded Crimea back in 2014 and this undoubtedly emboldened Putin to launch a full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. I think its almost inconceivable that such a barbaric war should be taking place in Europe in the 21st century.

I believe that many politicians have made the mistake of thinking that the Russian regime can somehow be reasoned with, and as a result the western response has been half hearted. Sadly, I believe that president Putin responds only to a show of force and so I would urge the next parliament to provide more assistance to the Ukrainian government to help them liberate their country.

We also need to think about what Ukraine will need to rebuild its shattered infrastructure once the war is finally over, and I will be pressing for the UK to be generous in assisting Ukraines eventual reconstruction.

Russias invasion of Ukraine is completely unacceptable and should never have happened  it is a symptom of the failure of international institutions and diplomacy. I believe that the UK should maintain its steadfast support for Ukraine and its people to help them liberate their country and bring an end to the conflict that is devastating too many lives. The UK should work with its allies across the world to hold Putin to account for his actions but also to bring the war to an end  and then help the Ukrainian people to rebuild their country and their lives.

When Russia first invaded Ukraine there was an outpouring of support from all the countries of the UK. Politically they were supported by both Westminster in London and the Senedd here in Wales. Ordinary people came together and rallied around donating much needed essentials  toiletries, nappies, dried foods, clothes. I volunteered at the warehouse on the industrial estate sorting through the donated items and packing them ready to go to Ukraine. The sheer amount of stuff was overwhelming; lorry after lorry after lorry coming in from all over the UK.

I think we need to continue our support of the Ukraine but we also need to look at the disparity between the support offered to Ukraine and the support offered to Palestine.

We have a situation where innocent civilians are being killed daily, their children are being killed in their thousands, they are being herded into refugee camps which are then

being bombed, their hospitals are being targeted, there is mass starvation, inhumane conditions. And still the leaders of the two of our main UK political parties are refusing to give their full support to Palestine and continue to try and justify and condone these atrocities.

No response to our Q&A has been received.

Having served in the army in the 80s, I was a Cold War Warrior. I know what it is like to serve our country and am proud to be a veteran. As a result, I have spent the last four and a half years in Parliament passionate about defence. I have been a Minister at the Ministry of Defence and served on the Defence Select Committee since my election in 2019.

The war in Ukraine, the conflict between Israel and Hamas as well as the rising tensions between China and Taiwan means that the world has not been this unstable since World War Two. The UKs defence is more important than ever.

Putins illegal invasion will not stop at the borders of Ukraine. There is war in Europe and Ukraine are fighting on our behalf. I am proud that the UK is leading the way globally, and has provided over 12 billion of aid to Ukraine since Putins invasion in 2022.

Our commitment to Ukraine must remain unwavering, as it has been under the UK Conservative Government. We need to be realistic about the future risks to our nation. However, Labour wont commit to raising the defence budget to 2.5% of GDP within the foreseeable future. To make matters worse, 13 members of Labours front bench voted against the UKs nuclear deterrent. In these dangerous and unstable times, you need to ask yourself if Labour is truly committed to our nations defence?

Fully support the current position and measures being taken and would support this until Russias invasion has been stopped.

You can read more Q&A answers here on our Election 24 page along with more election information  remember to GO VOTE ON THURSDAY!

Note: Unlike some publications Wrexham.com does not accept any political advertising. Our election pages also should be devoid of any advertising. All candidate promotion on this site has been provided for free with the same offer to every candidate. Anyone who wishes to use our election coverage content (text, video or images) please feel free, all we ask is a link back to this site if it is used online, or an equivalent prominent credit if in print or other mediums. We would also request that you use it without misrepresenting the context of candidate answers.
Wrexham Symphony Orchestra preparing for celebratory Music From Home concert

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Jul 3rd, 2024

Final rehearsals are underway as a local orchestra prepares to stage a concert featuring music which celebrates the British Isles.

Music From Home, staged by Wrexham Symphony Orchestra, will take place at The William Aston Hall at Wrexham University on Saturday 20 July at 7.30pm.

Conducted by acclaimed Conductor Katherine Stonham, the concert will take the audience on a musical journey around the British Isles with a programme including Mendelssohns Hebrides Overture composed in 1830 and inspired by the composers visit to Fingals Cave on the Island of Staffa.

Performances will also include Penillion by Welsh composer Grace Williams, Dame Ethel Smyths The Wreckers Overture an opera considered by some critics to be the most important English Opera to be composed during the period between Henry Purcell and Benjamin Britten; Morfydd Llwyn Owens Morfa Rhuddlan, Irish Tune from County Derry by Percy Grainger, an adaptation of Londonderry Air, the tune most famously known as Danny Boy; Sir Malcom Arnolds Scottish Dances and Sir Edward Elgars Pomp and Circumstance Marches No 2, and No 4 which has been featured at numerous state occasions including most recently, the Coronation of King Charles III.

Joining Wrexham Symphony Orchestra for the concert will be guest Conductor Katherine Stonham.

Originally from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, Katherine is a graduate of a joint course run by the Royal Northern College of Music and the University of Manchester, where she studied violin with Julia Hanson and conducting with Robert Guy.

She graduated from the University of Manchester with a first-class honours degree in July 2020 and was awarded the GRNCM diploma in July 2021.

Through her work as a conductor, Katherine aims to cultivate a stimulating musical environment which inspires musicians to perform with commitment and energy, and therefore create engaging performances that have a powerful impact on audiences.

She also works regularly as a guest conductor with groups including the Cheltenham Chamber Orchestra, Wrexham Symphony Orchestra, Solway Sinfonia and Orchestra of Square Chapel in Halifax.

Since September 2023 she has been the conducting tutor for South West Music School and South West Youth Orchestra.

Katherine is the founder and principal conductor of the Manchester Philharmonic Orchestra, a dynamic new amateur orchestra based in south Manchester.

Speaking about the special concert, Matthew Ellis, the Chairman of Wrexham Symphony Orchestra said We are delighted to be back at the William Aston Hall for this celebration of the music of the British Isles under the baton of our guest conductor Katherine Stonham, it promises to be one the highlights of our 2023/24 season of concerts.

Full details of Music from Home can be found at www.wrexhamorch.co.uk where tickets can be booked online.

Photo credit: Stephen Cain Photography
A week ago, Indian farm labourer Satnam Singh bled to death because he was denied timely assistance. His death casts a spotlight on the appalling conditions facing agricultural labourers who toil as modern-day slaves in the fields of Italy.

Satnam Singh

Satnam Singh (31) died on 19 June in an emergency hospital in Rome after a two-day ordeal. On Monday afternoon, while harvesting melons on a farm in Borgo Santa Maria (Lazio), he was caught in a machine that wraps film around finished crates and cuts it off. One of his arms was completely severed and both legs were broken.

Singhs boss, the owner of the Agro Pontino farm Alessandro Lovato, refused to call an ambulance, even though Singhs wife Alisha, also a farm labourer, begged him on her knees to do so. Instead, he had Singh brought home in a van and dumped like rubbish in front of the entrance, his severed arm in a fruit crate next to it. Only his flatmates reacted to the cries of the desperate Alisha and quickly called for help, so that Singh could be taken to the hospital in Rome by rescue helicopter. However, he had lost so much blood that he died two days later.

After a rally on Saturday, at which local politicians shed crocodile tears, several thousand Indian agricultural workers went on strike on Tuesday (25 June). They marched through the city of Latina chanting: Stop exploitation! They demanded justice for Singh and the right to permanent residence for his wife, as well as proper health care for all injured labourers.

We all need regular labour contracts so that we are not trapped in this slavery, a migrant worker from India told AFP. A worker with an injured eye reported that his boss said to him after the accident at work: I cant take you to hospital because you dont have a regular contract. He has been fighting for ten months to get help.

The infamous caporalatoan illegal labour systemis widespread in the Italian fields. It is a common system of exploitation in which the caporale (gangmaster) takes all the papers from the migrant workers and then brokers them on to the big farmers, who take no interest in their welfare. The CGIL union estimates that around 230,000 workers in Italy are employed without regular contracts. Thousands of workers from Africa, China and India toil in the fields, the textile industry and in construction without papers and for small change.

The fruit and vegetable harvest is particularly notorious. According to an article in BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal), workers there are paid just 12 for an eight-hour shift (and often for longer shifts). People are treated like cockroaches; they live in shanty towns with no water, no sanitation and no access to basic healthcare. Around 100,000 of them are scattered all over Italy, BMJ writes. More than 1,500 workers from outside the EU are said to have died at work in Italy in the last six years.

The farm where Singh suffered the terrible accident is located in the Pontine Plain south of Rome. It was here that the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini had the notorious, malaria-infested Pontine Marshes drained and the land subsequently handed over to farmers loyal to the regime. There is still a certain fascist tradition among landowners and landlords here today.

The Lovato family, owners of the large farm where Singh died, were charged and convicted five years ago for illegal recruitment and exploitation of labour. A scandal had revealed that the estate paid its labourers only 200 a month. At the time, a caporalato network was uncovered on the vast Pontine plain, which used bogus companies and corrupt officials to employ day labourers illegally and cheaply.

Little has changed since then. For example, Satnam and Alisha Singhs co-workers in the fields of Agro Pontino earn just 4 an hour for a working day of up to 14 hours.

Trade unionists and politicians from all parties have reacted to the terrible death with the usual inconsequential phrases. The head of government, Giorgia Meloni, condemned Singhs death as inhumane and barbaric and said that such acts do not belong to the Italian people; they must be severely punished. Her own party, the Fratelli dItalia (FdI) (Brothers of Italy), stands for the revival of Mussolinis fascist traditions and barbaric laws against immigration that drive people into illegality.

Cecilia Guerra, executive board member for labour of the opposition party Partito democratico (Democratic Party, PD), warned of the consequences because two things came to light over this incident: Singhs working conditions, which did not protect him from the risk of accidents, and the abomination of those who neglected their responsibilities by not helping this young worker. Obviously, politicians are worried that the case could trigger a labour uprising.

Singhs death exposes the unprecedented scale of the shadow economy and murderous exploitation that has grown on the filth of capitalism and the anti-immigrant policies of Fortress Europe. It is not only the current and previous Italian governments that are responsible, whether right or the nominally left, but the entire European Union and its political supporters. The latest decisions on asylum, war and austerity policies will only worsen the situation for migrant labourers.
Yesterday, Kenyas anti-austerity protesters staged the #OccupyEverywhere shutdown of Nairobi and other major cities.

In Nairobi, where schools and most of the central business district remained closed, thousands of youth engaged in running battles with police while chanting Ruto must go. Early in the morning, protesters placed coffins along Moi Avenue to hold a vigil for those killed in last weeks protests.

Protesters block the busy Nairobi -Mombasa highway in the Mlolongo area, Nairobi, Kenya., July 2, 2024 [AP Photo/Brian Inganga]

Capital FM crew witnessed several demonstrators and bystanders being abducted by undercover police officers, who bundled them into unmarked cars.

The main highway between Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenyas main port city, remained closed throughout the day. In Mombasa, thousands of protesters marched in the morning. The protest was disrupted by knife-wielding gangs infiltrating the crowd, attacking and robbing people in front of the police. According to The Standard, three groups of knife-wielding gangs were ferried by a well-known woman political activist in Kisauni. These gangs roamed freely, attacking people and businesses.

There is a widespread belief that Ruto and his allies are mobilizing goons.

In Kisumu, the largest city in Western Kenya, thousands of protesters marched to Kisumu State Lodge, the presidents official residence in the region. Outside the major cities, hundreds marched in Nakuru, Nyerti, Homa Bay, Kisii, Kajiado, Migori, Mlolongo and Rongo, cutting across tribal lines. In the southwestern town of Migori, protesters barricaded the Migori-Rongo highway and lit bonfires. In Nakuru police officers lobbed teargas.

One person was shot dead in Rongo and nine were admitted to hospital with gunshot wounds. One person died in Emali, Makueni County after slipping from a moving truck.

The protests were a determined rejection of Rutos dialogue initiative last Wednesday, repeated on Sunday in an interview at State House with questions from the countrys three main television stations, KTN News, NTV, and Citizen. The initiative involves the formation of a 100-member National Multi-Sectoral Forum to discuss unemployment, debt, and corruption. This was exposed as a cover for state repression and austerity the following day, when police gunned down three protesters in Rongai, including a child, and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) were deployed on the streets.

Rutos Sunday interview ignited mass anger. Showing indifference to the mass killings over the previous week, he expressed more concern for the loss and damage of private property than for human life: I have no blood on my hands. According to the record I have from security agencies, nineteen people are dead. Very unfortunate. As a democracy, that should not be part of our conversation. 2.4 billion worth of property has been destroyed. The office of the Chief of Justice has been burned, City Hall has been burned, and parliament has been burned. This is the situation.

According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), at least 39 people have been killed, and another 361 injured in clashes with the police. KNCHR said this was not a final count.

Ruto defended the police and blamed the violence on criminals. He ludicrously argued that protesters were stealing weapons from the police and shooting at other protesters: I have told you one situation where somebody accosted the police, took over their firearm, and started to shoot at people.

He refused to acknowledge abductions, saying, If there is any arrests by the police, that doesnt amount to an abduction. KNCHR has counted 32 cases of enforced or involuntary disappearances and 627 instances of arrests of protesters. Opposition party Azimio la Umoja claims over 40 abductions.

The protests, unlike those controlled by opposition parties over the past decades, are being coordinated primarily through social media by activists, tapping into broad anger against soaring prices, mass youth unemployment and corruption. Kenyas economic turmoil is the sharp expression of a global economic crisis, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the intensifying US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine, and the imperialist backing of Israels genocidal war against the Palestinians.

The Ruto government is responding with a three-pronged strategy. First, Ruto withdrew the Finance Bill 2023, initially aimed at raising $2.7 billion through regressive tax hikes, to buy time. He plans to make equivalent austerity cuts, affecting education, healthcare, social welfare, housing, infrastructure, and county funding.

Ruto has utilised the East African Community (EAC)an economic integration organisation composed of eight East African countriesto implement tax increases behind the backs of the population. New EAC-approved import duties yesterday will raise the price of crude oil, refined oils, baby diapers and mobile phones and will result in higher prices on many essential items.

Ruto and the Kenyan capitalist class intends to put the full burden of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) dictated austerity on the backs of workers and rural toilers.

Second, Ruto is attempting to channel political discontent back within the political establishment relying on the opposition coalition Azimio la Umoja and the trade union bureaucracy.

Yesterday, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) the leading party in Azimio la Umojasignalled its readiness to work with Ruto to impose austerity. After denouncing Ruto for police killings and abductions, calling on him to expedite investigations, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna said, The ODM party will support credible austerity measures in the executive and parliament. These two institutions have been expressly indicted by the people as citadels of largesse and wastage. ODM would support, Sifuna said, measures to lessen the taxpayers burden.

ODM said nothing about opposing the IMF, or demanding the withdrawal of the KDF from the streets. By focusing on the lavish expenses of the political class, ODM hopes to divert attention from the real austerity being demanded.

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli yesterday proposed to initiate dialogue from Kenyas 47 county parliaments, rather than from the national government so that this country remains peaceful. Atwoli refused to oppose the IMF, or the military deployment.

Third, Ruto is continuing with the use of mass police state repression, including gunning down protesters, mass arrests, and abductions. The KDF remains deployed across Kenya, the first time the military has been deployed against unarmed protesters.

The repression has received the full backing of the United States and European Union. The deployment took place soon after a call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and days after the European Union announced it was providing 20million ($21.4 million) in military supplies and other support to the KDF. The major imperialist powers see Kenya as a dress rehearsal for their own repression of social and anti-war struggles.

The scale of protests were smaller than last week, reflecting a growing sense among youth involved that their protest is at an impasse, with nothing being advanced other than demands for Ruto to resign, appeals to revoke and substitute MPs, and to continue protests.

Ruto is only the ugly face of a corrupt and reactionary system that is organised to secure the wealth and interests of the capitalist class and perpetuate the exploitation and impoverishment of the workers and rural toilers.

Workers must turn to their class brothers internationally, where there is also overwhelming popular hostility to the IMF, the imperialist powers and the banks and corporations across Africa.

Calls for similar protests are already spreading. In neighbouring Uganda, youth are organising a protest for July 23 on social media platforms under the hashtags #March2Parliament, #StopCorruption, and #FreeAllPoliticalPrisonersInUganda. The Western-backed dictator, Yoweri Museveni, took the unusual step of declining to sign the 2024-25 budget, directing parliament to reassess 'irrational' spending. Last week, Museveni held an impromptu meeting with the newly appointed Inspector General of Police, Abbas Byakagaba, at State House Entebbe.

In Malawi, one of the poorest countries on earth, Malawi shutdown demonstrations against the high cost of living and currency devaluation have been called for July 10 in major cities of Lilongwe, Blantyre and others.

In all these struggles, the basic questions of programme and political perspective have to be addressed. What is posed above all is the necessity for the independent social and political mobilization of the urban working class and the salaried rural workers, together with them small-holder farmers and petty traders. Every factory, plantation, workplace and neighbourhood must become a centre of resistance to the policies of the IMF and its stooges in the ruling class and its political representatives.

This demands the building of a new political party and a new leadership that will fight for the social interests of working class and a young generation that has no future under the existing set-up. The International Committee of the Fourth International, its sections across the world and the World Socialist Web Site are dedicated to the establishment of such parties in Kenya and across Africa.
Follow the SEPs campaign at socialism2024.org.uk

You can donate to its election crowdfunder here

The Labour Partys key pledge to Britains ruling elite is that it can be trusted in government as the party of NATO and national security.

Sir Keir Starmers keynote June 3 speech pledged to make the military fit to fight, as he boasted that Labour had ditched the pacifist baggage of his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn. Starmer did so alongside 10 of the partys 14 general election candidates with a military background. This was a record number for the party said Starmer repeatedly.

On June 11, with Starmer about to launch a militarist manifesto, Labour boasted that the number of armed forces and veteran candidates had risen to 19.

Labours manifesto states that every policy the party will pursue in government is subordinate to the primary mission of national security. No policy commitment in pursuit of Labours missions matters unless we uphold the first duty of any government: to keep the country safe. Peace and security are hard earned. They require constant vigilance.

The manifesto complains that over the last 14 years geopolitical tensions have risen, while the Conservatives have hollowed out our armed forces.

This is followed by a commitment to NATOs de facto war with Russia, declaring that Now Putin is attempting to break European security with his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Labour will meet this challenge by strengthening our armed forces and protecting our national security.

All defence policies are listed in this context.

Our commitment to the UKs nuclear deterrent is absolute. It is a vital safeguard for the UK and our NATO allies. As the party that founded NATO, we maintain our unshakeable commitment to the alliance, and we will apply a NATO test to major defence programmes to ensure we meet our obligations in full.

Without naming Russia and China, the document then states, in recent years, threats to our safety and security have multiplied and diversified. Alongside greater conventional threats, we are faced with the growing emergence of hybrid warfare, including cyber-attacks and misinformation campaigns which seek to subvert our democracy. To ensure the UK is fully prepared to deal with these interconnected threats, Labour will conduct a Strategic Defence Review within our first year in government, and we will set out the path to spending 2.5 percent of GDP on defence.

Labours commitment to Britains nuclear weapons programme bears a staggering cost. The upgrade and maintenance of a new generation of nuclear submarines and warheads could cost up to 209 billionfar more than the cost of running the entire National Health Service for a year (178 billion for 2024-25), including the wages of its more than 1 million strong workforce.

The increase by the Conservative government from 2.3 percent of GDP to 2.5 percent by 2030which Labour says it will matchwill cost an additional 70 billion.

The manifesto then outlines Labours plans for the militarisation of the entire economy:

Strengthening Britains security requires a long-term partnership with our domestic defence industry. Labour will bring forward a defence industrial strategy aligning our security and economic priorities. We will ensure a strong defence sector and resilient supply chains, including steel, across the whole of the UK. We will establish long-term partnerships between business and government, promote innovation, and improve resilience. We will prioritise UK businesses for defence investment and will reform procurement to reduce waste. Labour will support industry to benefit from export opportunities, in line with a robust arms export regime committed to upholding international law.

To facilitate moving Britain to a war economy, Labour will establish a fully functioning military strategic headquarters and a national armaments director to create a strong defence centre capable of leading Britain in meeting the increasing threats we face.

This deliberately mirrors the declared agenda of Britains new chief of the Armed Forces, General Roland Walker, who declared earlier this month, The only real measurement of an army is its fighting power, is lethality in the face of very real and converging threats. In the near term, my challenge to the British Army is to double that lethality in three years and treble it by the end of the decade. This would require partners in industry as we cannot do this alone. Army personnel would be required working with defence corporations, to track backwards and forwards from the foxholes to the factory to keep weapons constantly kept up to date.

Labour commits to backing NATOs proxy war against Russia in Ukraine and the advanced preparations for a direct confrontation, insisting, With Labour, the UKs military, financial, diplomatic and political support for Ukraine will remain steadfast. Labour will support efforts to hold Putins Russia to account for its illegal war, backing calls for a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression. We will work with our allies to enable the seizure and repurposing of frozen Russian state assets to support Ukraine. And we will play a leading role in providing Ukraine with a clear path to NATO membership.

Starmer personally endorsed the genocide in Gaza and Labours manifesto calls for no action against Israel, stating only that Labour will continue to push for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international law, and a rapid increase of aid into Gaza.

Backing US imperialisms conflict with China, the manifesto says of the US/UK/Australian military alliance, Labour is fully committed to AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership with Australia and the United States After 14 years of damaging Conservative inconsistency over China, Labour will bring a long-term and strategic approach to managing our relations. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must. We will improve the UKs capability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses through an audit of our bilateral relationship. We will always act in our interests and defend our sovereignty and our democratic values.

Britains role as the junior partner and provocateur-in-chief for US imperialism will continue whoever occupies the White House after the presidential election in November. The manifesto states, The United States is an indispensable ally. Our special relationship is crucial for security and prosperity, and transcends whatever political parties and individuals are in office. We will continue to work with the United States on the basis of our shared values and common interests including on economic co-operation, defence and intelligence.

Labours pro-war manifesto has been long in the making. On January 2023, the Huffington Post revealed that Labour had drawn up a Hit List Of Armed Forces Seats to target in a General Election, with the party parking its tanks on the Tories lawn by targeting constituencies with military links...

Labour Friends of the Forces banner on its X account listing the 19 Labour candidates with a military background [Photo: labourforces/X]

Led by shadow defence secretary John Healey, they are concentrating on seats with communities of serving personnel, veterans or defence and aerospace workers. Among the 28 constituencies targeted were the seat of veterans affairs minister Johnny Mercer in Plymouth Moor View - as well as Hastings and Rye and Dover and Deal.

The article noted, Labour is standing veterans in a number of those constituencies as it aims to transform itself into the party of defence and national security.

So complete was this transformation by the time the general election was announced that the Tory MP Labour was planning to unseat in Dover and Dealthe anti-immigrant agitator Natalie Elphickedefected to join Starmers party.

Among Labours military candidates are Louise Jones and Mike Tapp, both previously in army intelligence. Since leaving the military around a decade ago, Tapp has worked for the National Crime Agency and Ministry of Defence.

Alistair Carns is a former Royal Marines colonel. He served in the imperialist occupation in Afghanistan between October 2010 and March 2011.

Another significant figure among Labours military slate is Dan Jarvis, a member of the Parachute Regiment from 1997 to 2011. Having served in Iraq and twice in Afghanistan, he is the sitting MP for Barnsley Central and was Mayor of South Yorkshire from 2018 to 2022.

Central to the snap general election being called was that a government be installed able to prosecute an escalated war against Russia. These plans are to be discussed at the upcoming NATO summit in Washington DC beginning July 9, just five days after the July 4 ballot and two days after the final round of elections to the French National Assembly. It will almost certainly be attended by Starmer as Britains war prime minister.

Warning of these dangers and beginning the political mobilisation of the working class against them on the basis of socialism has been the essential purpose of the general election campaign of the Socialist Equality Party. It is why we have stood Tom Scripps against Starmer in Holborn and St Pancras. It is time to read our manifesto and to act on it.

Follow the SEPs campaign at socialism2024.org.uk

You can donate to its election crowdfunder here
Following the arrest of a Syrian adult in Kayseri on Sunday for allegedly molesting an underage girl, crowds gathered, attacked and set fire to shops and vehicles reportedly belonging to Syrian refugees. Yesterday violent demonstrations against refugees were organized in Istanbul, Bursa, Gaziantep, Hatay and Konya, while a climate of anti-Syrian hysteria was whipped up on social media.

Vehicle burned in Kayseri [Photo: Voice of America]

The Socialist Equality Group in Turkey calls on workers and youth to oppose these provocations and defend their migrant class brothers and sisters. Once again, factions of the ruling class seek to divide and confuse the working class by scapegoating migrants in the face of the deepening social problems caused by capitalism.

The main culprits responsible for this explosive environment are the NATO imperialist powers, which have been destroying the Middle East for decades for their predatory interests, all sections of the Turkish ruling class involved in these operations, and the pseudo-left parties that have lined up behind the Turkish bourgeois opposition parties campaigning against the refugees for years.

In Kayseri, 14 police officers and one firefighter were injured in the violence and 67 people were arrested. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said, Following the events that took place in Kayseri on the evening of June 30, 2024, 343,000 posts were published from approximately 79,000 accounts on the social media platform X. It was determined that 37 percent of the accounts were bot accounts and 68 percent of the posts were provocative and negative. Investigations were launched into 63 accounts.

The reason for the situation created by a small group is the poisonous discourse of the opposition, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said about the Kayseri incidents, while the Republican Peoples Party (CHP) targeted the Erdogan governments Syria policy.

In a statement, the CHP declared, Turkeys Middle East policy, Syrian policy and refugee policy have collapsed and become bankrupt. Erdogan and the AKP government are primarily responsible for this grave situation.

In reality, all pro-imperialist bourgeois parties in power and in opposition are politically responsible for the millions of Syrians becoming refugees and for the anti-refugee violence.

According to data released by the Interior Ministrys Directorate of Migration Management, the number of Syrians under temporary protection registered in Turkey as of May 9 is 3.1 million, 73.4 percent of whom are women and children. The Interior Ministry puts the total number of migrants in Turkey at over 4.5 million. The CHP and its anti-immigrant, far-right ally, the Victory Party, claim that there are over 10 million migrants in Turkey, without citing any sources.

According to official data, Turkey is one of the countries hosting the largest number of refugees in the world. Millions of people, especially Syrians, becoming refugees in the Middle East is one of the destructive consequences of the wars waged by the US-led imperialist powers throughout the region since the Stalinists dissolved the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Turkish and Kurdish bourgeoisie have been complicit in supporting these wars. The Erdogan government was directly involved in the war for regime change in Syria, which began in 2011, and subsequently carried out three illegal invasions into northern Syria targeting the US-backed Kurdish militias (YPG), occupying parts of it. The Erdogan government has also, in cooperation with the European Unions draconian Fortress Europe policy, made an agreement with Greece and the EU to keep refugees in Turkey, practically abolishing the basic democratic right to asylum.

In addition to using vulnerable refugees as pawns in negotiations with the EU, Erdogan has announced plans to relocate more than 1 million refugees to northern Syria as part of his governments aims to prevent the emergence of a Kurdish state in Syria.

The exploitation of Syrians for the foreign policy goals of the Turkish ruling class has been accompanied for years by their exploitation as cheap and precarious labor by the capitalist class inside the country.

The grounds for the physical attacks and pogromist attacks against Syrians and refugees as a whole were mainly formed by the poisonous propaganda of the bourgeois opposition led by the CHP and the media, which have attacked the Erdogan government from the right on this issue.

CHP leader Kemal Klcdaroglu, who ran as the Peoples Alliance candidate against Erdogan in last years presidential elections, made his years of reactionary anti-refugee propaganda a main campaign theme after the first round of voting on May 14, along with the rhetoric of fighting terrorism. In the second round, Klcdaroglu allied himself with the far-right Victory Party, which calls for the deportation of millions of refugees within a year.

The Kurdish nationalist Peoples Democracy Party (HDP), Green Left Party (YSP) and the Stalinist Workers Party of Turkey (TIP) have remained silent on Klcdaroglus campaign to deport millions of refugees and declare them invaders and criminals and reiterated their support for him before the second round. Syrizas sister party, the Left Party, the Stalinist Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) and the Morenoist Workers Democracy Party (IDP) have joined in this political crime by supporting Klcdaroglu.

Meanwhile, the provocative attacks, which began in Kayseri and spread to various cities, coincided with the attempts to resume diplomatic relations between President Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Asked on Friday whether there would be a normalization process between Turkey and Syria, Erdogan said, There is no reason why not. In other words, we will act together with Syria in developing these relations in the same way as we did in the past.

Erdogan added, Just as we have kept our relations with Syria very, very alive in the past, you know we have had these talks with Mr. Assad, even up to family talks.  So it may happen again.

Two days before Erdogans statement, Assad declared that he was open to any initiative regarding Syrian-Turkish relations, according to the Syrian news agency SANA. On June 26, Assad met with Russias special envoy to the Middle East, Alexander Lavrentiev, and the two discussed the Turkey-Syria issue. According to the report, Assad said that negotiations with Turkey should focus on ensuring the sovereignty of the Syrian state over all its territory and the fight against terrorism.

Following these developments and the events in Kayseri, a series of demonstrations and attempted attacks were reported in areas of northern Syria occupied by the Turkish army and its Islamist proxies.

According to reports, Ankara-affiliated public buildings, post offices, official vehicles and Turkish trucks were attacked and Turkish flags were burned in the Turkish-controlled areas of al-Bab, Azaz, al-Rai, Jarabulus and Afrin. The London-based anti-Assad Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that four people were killed and at least 20 wounded in clashes between Turkish forces and armed groups.

These developments are taking place under conditions of war in the Middle East, which escalated with Israels imperialist-backed genocide in Gaza and targeted Iran as well as Lebanon, Yemen and Syria.

The way to stop the genocide in Gaza and the escalation of war in Syria and across the Middle East is the unification of the working class in a socialist, anti-war movement to take power across the region and internationally against imperialism and its regional proxies.
Governments across the Nordic region have systematically transformed their countries into frontline states in NATOs war on Russia over the past two years. Finland and Sweden have joined NATO, and a series of bilateral agreements with US imperialism have resulted in a massive expansion of its military presence across the region.

The guided missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius arrives in Narvik, Norway, following its participation in Steadfast Defender, the largest NATO exercise since World War II, March 15, 2024. [Photo: US Navy]

Last months European elections gave distorted expression to the mounting opposition to this eruption of militarism and war. Nominally left parties are seeing their support grow at the expense of the establishment right and far-right organisations, which currently hold power in Finland and Sweden.

These parties were undeserving beneficiaries of the widespread protests in the Nordic countries against Israels imperialist-backed genocide, growing hostility to the subordination of societys resources to the waging of war on Russia, and alienation from the traditional social democratic parties. The Danish, Finnish and Swedish representatives of the pseudo-left and ex-Stalinist parties are all full-throated supporters of the imperialist war on Russia, and have at best taken an equivocal position on the Gaza genocide.

The ex-Stalinist Socialist Peoples Party (SF), also known in English as Green Left, emerged as the largest party from the Danish vote, with 17.4 percent. SF finished ahead of the governing Social Democrats, who achieved a miserable 15.5 percent, and the Liberals, Denmarks main right-wing party, with 14.7 percent. The pseudo-left Red-Green Alliance, which includes the Pabloite Socialist Workers Party, saw its share of the vote rise by about a third to around 7 percent.

SF has its origins in a split with the Stalinist Danish Communist Party (DKP) led by long-time Stalinist Aksel Larsen following the Soviet Unions crushing of the Hungarian revolution in 1956. In line with ideas later associated with Eurocommunism, SF initially claimed to be pursuing a third way between the Social Democrats open support for US imperialism and the DKPs alignment with the USSR in the Cold War. But it helped prop up a Social Democrat government as early as 1966, and subsequently emerged as a key prop of support for Social Democratic-led governments that have imposed austerity programmes and boosted military spending.

SF associated itself last year with the mass movement that developed against the Social Democrat-led governments move to abolish a public holiday in order to raise funds for the Danish military. A major demonstration of 50,000 people in Copenhagen in February 2023 underscored the depth of opposition to the decision, which was part of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksens plan to reach the NATO target of spending at least 2 percent of GDP on defence by 2030. Frederiksen leads a three-party coalition that includes the right-wing Liberals and moderates, the first time in over four decades that parties from the official left and right of bourgeois politics have formed a government in Denmark.

SFs support for the protest was hypocritical in the extreme. It was one among many parties that backed a cross-party defence agreement in March 2022 to hike Danish military spending to 2 percent of the GDP by 2033. After Frederiksen concluded her coalition agreement with the right-wing parties following the November 2022 national election, she accelerated the timetable to 2030.

Although the party refused to condemn Israel for committing war crimes with its genocidal onslaught on the Palestinians in Gaza, SF party leader Pia Olsen Dyhr criticised the Zionist regime in a speech to her partys national congress in March for a response that was out of all proportion to Hamas October 7 attack.

Finland and Sweden

The growth in support for Finlands Left Alliance was even more substantial. Having secured just 7.1 percent of the vote in last years general election, the successor organisation to the once-influential Stalinist Communist Party of Finland took 17.3 percent of the vote. Even with the significantly lower turnout compared to last years national election, the Left Alliance secured around 100,000 more votes.

Left Alliance leader Li Andersson won the most votes ever of any single candidate in a European election in Finland with nearly 250,000. The party gained support under conditions of a sweeping attack on public services, welfare benefits and collective bargaining rights by Finlands right-wing government, which aims to save 6 billion during its first four-year term to invest in defence.

The Left Alliance offers no alternative to this agenda of pro-imperialist militarism and war. Ahead of the European election, Andersson denounced any let-up in the fuelling the imperialist-backed bloodbath in Ukraine. She attacked the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) in Germany for its advocacy of a ceasefire and an end to weapons supplies for Ukraine, saying that her party would not sit in the same group in the European Parliament as BSW members.

The BSW combines firm support for German remilitarisation with a vicious anti-immigrant programme. However it advocates, unlike the dominant sections of the German ruling class, the view that Berlin should direct its military operations more against the United States and NATO by easing tensions with Russia. My party and the Nordic Green left, we are not willing to sit in the same group as the Wagenknecht, Andersson said. The Nordic Green Left includes Finlands Left Alliance, Denmarks RGA and SF, and Swedens Left Party. Parties from the non-EU states of Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands and Greenland are also members.

A similar though less dramatic growth in support for nominally left parties was visible in Sweden, where the ex-Stalinist left Party achieved one of its best results for years with over 11 percent of the vote. The Greens also gained ground, winning 13.9 percent of the vote. The Social Democrats remained the largest party, with its share of the vote rising slightly to 24.7 percent.

Subordinating workers and young people to Social Democracy

The Left Partys Jonas Sjostedt responded to the gains of left parties across the Nordic region and the drop in support experienced by the Nordic far-right parties by describing the results as a ray of hope for Europe amid the growth of the fascistic right. This could not be further from the truth. The reality is that the role of the pseudo-left parties in suppressing the working class by keeping it politically tied to Social Democracy has contributed significantly to the strengthening of the far right.

Sjotstedt was Left Party leader from 2012 to 2020. From 2014, his Left Party secured a parliamentary majority for Stefan Lofvens Social Democrat-led minority government. Lofvens government implemented the budgetary framework of Swedens right-wing parties and embraced the far-right Sweden Democrats anti-immigrant programme. The Left Party justified its political support for this arrangement by arguing that it was the only way to block the rise of the Sweden Democrats, which have their origins in Swedens neo-Nazi movement. On the contrary, it led to the fascists gaining the political initiative.

Popular opposition grew as the Social Democrats, supported by the Greens and Left Party, imposed a homicidal herd immunity policy during the pandemic that saw Sweden experience a much higher death rate than its Nordic neighbours. The Social Democrats also boosted military spending and initiated Swedens application to join NATO. After the Social Democrats lost the 2022 elections amid growing hostility to its right-wing policies, Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson formed a right-wing coalition minority government resting on the support of the Sweden Democrats.

The same basic political issue was raised in Denmark and Finland by the actions of the pseudo-left parties now benefiting from opposition to militarism and the far right. The SF and RGA have backed a series of Social Democratic governments with the argument that only in this way could the far-right Danish Peoples Party (DF) be stopped. After four years of a right-wing Liberal Party government backed by the DF from 2015 to 2019, the SF and RGA supported Frederiksens Social Democrat minority government, which adopted the far-rights anti-immigrant agenda and implemented major military spending increases. Far from stopping the political right, this policy paved the way for the Social Democrats first coalition with right-wing parties in over four decades following the 2022 election.

Anderssons Left Alliance joined the Social Democratic government led by Prime Minister Sanna Marin in 2019. At the time, Andersson made a show of insisting that the Left Alliances participation was conditional on the issue of Finlands NATO membership not being raised during the parliamentary term. Following the US-incited Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Andersson and the vast majority of the Left Alliance leadership performed a 180-degree turn, declaring that they would not make Finlands application to join NATO an issue over which they would resign their government posts. At a joint meeting of the party council and parliamentary group in May 2022, Andersson and her fellow warmongers secured an overwhelming majority for this pro-NATO line, which has transformed the country with a 1,300-kilometre border with Russia into a garrison state in US imperialist war plans.

Workers and young people across the Nordic region who are serious about taking up a struggle against war and the fascist threat cannot take a single step forward by backing any of the regions left parties. Through their subordination of the working class to Social Democracy, and enthusiastic endorsement of the imperialist war on Russia and austerity, these parties bear joint responsibility together with the rest of the political establishment for the growth of fascistic forces.

Moreover, the attempt to hold up the Scandinavian exception as a ray of hope for Europe is a fraud and politically reactionary. It blinds workers to the fact that the world capitalist crisis is driving official politics in the Nordic countries just as sharply to the right as in the major European imperialist powers of Britain, France and Germany. The Nordic region has two governments, Finland and Sweden, involving the direct participation or support of the fascistic right, and ruling elites in all of the regions countries that have subordinated their entire societies to the interests of the North American and European imperialist war machine.

In every Nordic country, the Social Democrats have led the transformation of societies with relatively low levels of social inequality and extensive public services into outposts of imperialist war where the gap between rich and poor is growing more rapidly than across the rest of Europe. Yet it is precisely these Social Democrats that the pseudo-left parties incessantly claim are allies in the struggle against the political right. What Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish workers require is a political orientation to their class brothers and sisters across Europe and internationally, who confront the same threats of war, austerity and authoritarian forms of rule. This demands the adoption of a socialist and internationalist programme, not the thin gruel of a progressive Scandinavia, which long ago passed its sell-by date.
Israel ordered the mass displacement of another 250,000 people from the city of Khan Younis in Gaza on Monday, in the latest stage of its genocide against the population of the narrow Palestinian enclave.

Palestinians flee Khan Younis, Gaza Strip's second largest city, on Monday, July 1, 2024. [AP Photo/Saher Alghorra]

The ongoing bloodbath has the full approval of the Biden administration in the United States which is funding, arming and politically supporting Israels policy of genocide and ethnic cleansing. Last week, Reuters reported that the US government has provided Israel with 14,000 massive 2,000-pound bombsmore than any other typemaking clear that the destruction of Gaza and the massacre of its population is the intended US policy.

The United Nations condemned the latest mass displacement. Yesterdays order for evacuation of 117 square kilometers in Khan Younis and Rafah governorates applies to about a third of the Gaza Stripmaking it the largest such order since October, when residents were ordered to evacuate northern Gaza, said a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Those fleeing the city were forced to set up temporary shelters at the waters edge because displacement camps are already packed at the coast, the UN said.

Khan Younis had been largely abandoned weeks ago following earlier evacuation orders, with most of the population pushed into Gazas southernmost city of Rafah. But with Israeli forces launching an attack on Rafah, those seeking shelter there were once again forced into Khan Younis. On Monday, they were forced to flee again.

Its another devastating blow to the humanitarian response here, its another devastating blow to the people, the families on the ground. It seems that theyve been forcibly displaced again and again, UNRWA Senior Communications Officer Louise Wateridge said.

She continued:

How do parents decide where to go? Where is there to go? Already by this morning, just to the middle Gaza area, along the coastal road, you can see the makeshift shelters right up to the shoreline, right up to the water coming in. It is absolutely packed with families who have already had to move.

She added:

In the north, middle and south areas of the Gaza Strip, no place is safe. Already on the ground, we are seeing families move away from this area. There is more chaos and panic spreading on the ground.

Al Jazeera reported that 12 members of a single family were killed by an Israeli airstrike Tuesday after evacuating from Khan Younis to a supposed safe zone.

One displaced man, Bakri Bakri, told AFP News agency, There is no room for us or any of the displaced.

He added:

We have left again, and we do not know where to go. We went back to our place in al-Mawasi, but we could not find it because there are so many displaced. We slept in the street without shelter, without food, without water.

Israels assault on Rafah has largely shut the border crossing with Egypt, cutting the flow of food and energy into Gaza to a trickle. Hospitals are forced to ration power and cannot provide normal levels of care, much less enough to deal with the hundreds of people being wounded by Israeli bullets and bombs each day.

Hospitals are once again short on fuel, risking disruption to critical services as injured people are dying because ambulance services are facing delays due to a shortage of fuel, World Health Organization Regional Director Dr. Hanan Balkhy told UN News.

The lack of clean and potable water is leading to a surge of disease, which hospitals are simply not equipped to deal with.

The daily Israeli bombardment continues throughout the Gaza Strip. Between June 27 and July 1, 135 Gazans were killed and 631 were injured. The official death toll stands at 37,900, but there has been widespread speculation that the real death toll could be in the hundreds of thousands.

A report by UN Women last month noted that 557,000 women in Gaza are facing food insecurity, leading many to skip meals or reduce their intake to ensure their children are fed. A recent UN survey found that 76 percent of pregnant women were suffering from anemia, while 99 percent reported facing challenges in accessing necessary nutritional supplies and supplements.

The UN noted:

Faced with no alternatives, women are also largely relying on burning wood, plastic, and other waste materials to cook, being particularly exposed to hazardous smoke and pollutants that cause respiratory and other health issues, the survey found.

Gazas Health Ministry noted that hospitals are facing rampant skin infections and lice outbreaks, as well as 880,000 cases of respiratory diseases.

In a statement to the United Nations Security Council, UN Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag declared:

Over one million people have been displaced once again, desperately seeking shelter and safety. 1.9 million people are now displaced across Gaza... The war has not merely created the most profound of humanitarian crises, it has unleashed a maelstrom of human misery.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials have announced that they are implementing a plan for creating what they call humanitarian bubbles throughout Gaza, a euphemistic term for what will effectively be concentration camps.

In an article titled The Postwar Vision That Sees Gaza Sliced Into Security Zones, the Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend a US-Israeli plan to create temporary shelters in the form of fenced-off geographic islands located next to their neighborhoods and guarded by the Israeli military.

This plan is being put into effect, the Financial Times reported, in a series of camps throughout Northern Gaza. The camps will soon be launched in the northern Gaza neighborhoods of Atatra, Beit Hanoun, and Beit Lahia, according to six people with knowledge of the plan, the FT reported.

Israeli officials, meanwhile, are pledging even more barbaric treatment of the Palestinian people. In a post on Twitter, Israeli National Security Minister Ben Gvir declared:

Since I assumed the position of minister of national security, one of the highest goals I have set for myself is to worsen the conditions of the terrorists in the prisons, and to reduce their rights to the minimum required by law.

He added:

It is very possible that even after the addition of the new prisons is completed, the many terrorists will still be overcrowded in prison. I have already proposed a much simpler solution, of enacting the death penalty for terrorists, which would solve the overcrowding issue.
The Australian Labor government and the countrys intelligence agencies are deeply involved in a bid by the US authorities to extradite Daniel Duggan, a former US Marine pilot, to face dubious charges of training Chinese military pilots that could see him jailed for 65 years.

Former US Marine Corps pilot Dan Duggan with his wife Saffrine and three of their six children [Photo: Facebook/Free Dan Duggan]

On May 24, a Sydney magistrate declared that Duggan, an Australian citizen since 2012, could be legally extradited to the US, pending a final go ahead by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who initially approved the extradition proceedings in 2022 despite obvious defects in the case.

The magistrate, Daniel Reiss, told the court Duggan was eligible for surrender to the US and ordered that he be kept in prison. Duggan has been incarcerated in maximum security cells, in solitary confinement, classified as a high-risk inmate, for more than 20 months.

Duggans wife Saffrine and their six children are conducting a determined campaign for his freedom, but the US and Australian governments are pressing ahead, regardless of the trumped-up character of the case.

The charges against Duggan, issued by the US government in 2017, accuse him of conspiring with seven others to teach Chinese military pilots to land on aircraft carriers. He is also charged with money laundering and violating a US embargo on US citizens exporting military services to China.

Both Duggan and the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA) for whom he worked as a contractor back in 2010 to 2012, deny the allegations. They point out that no aircraft carriers existed in South Africa and that pilots learned how to slow aircraft to almost stalling point as a necessary approach and landing technique.

A TFASA spokesperson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Background Briefing program: TFASA has never provided operational training to land on a ship, nor would such training have been possible in South Africa. The Field Carrier Landing Practice is a well-known exercise that enables students to gain precision handling experience.

Moreover, the charges date back to more than a decade ago, when working with Chinese-connected businesses was not prohibited by US law. That was before the Obama administration switched US policy on China, declaring a military and strategic pivot to the Asia-Pacific, setting in motion the escalating US economic and military offensive against China.

Two recent developments confirm that Duggan has become a political victim of escalating preparations by the US and its allies, including the Albanese government, for a war against China to assert American global hegemony.

On June 5, the US-led Five Eyes global surveillance and intelligence network, which includes Australia, the UK, Canada and New Zealand, issued a rare public bulletin. It explicitly cited Duggans case as an example of a worldwide operation to counter alleged Chinese governments attempts to recruit Western pilots.

Directly prejudicing any prospect of a fair trial for Duggan, the bulletin stated: In 2022, a former U.S. Marine pilot on contract with TFASA was arrested in Australia pursuant to a U.S. indictment charging him with violating the U.S. Arms Export Control Act.

In the bulletin, a senior White House official, Michael Casey, the director of the US National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), which is part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, accused China of using undercover means to covertly recruit ex-Western military personnel.

Reuters reported that an NCSC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Western pilots had been lured into training Chinese pilots by nefarious means, involving tons of money and opportunities to fly really exotic Chinese aircraft.

Duggans prosecution has become a test case for wider allegations and actions against China and anyone accused of links to China. The official said the Chinese military had recruited at least five former pilots from New Zealand and some 30 from Britain, as well as former pilots from Germany and other countries.

That broadens the known scope of the operation in which Duggan has become entangled. Around the time that he was first suddenly arrested in 2022, the UK government announced it would be investigating 30 former military pilots, and Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said he would consider taking similar action.

The other recent development was the revelation by Duggan, first reported in May, that he was approached by officers from Australias domestic spy agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), and the US Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) at a hotel in Hobart in 2012 to gather information against China during planned employment there.

Far from being warned about the possible consequences of such work, Duggan was urged to go ahead. He told last weeks Background Briefing program that the ASIO agent said: We dont want to interfere in your business in Chinagood luck, make money and if you can meet any Chinese generals, we can do business.

Duggan said he left that meeting with the understanding that ASIO wanted him to be a human intelligence source in China.

ASIO then lured Duggan back to Australia in 2022 to be detained. Duggan was running an aviation consultancy in the Chinese city of Qingdao when he received a message to return to Australia because ASIO had provided him with clearance for an Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) card, which opened up avenues for working as a pilot in Australia.

When Duggan returned from China, he discovered the security clearance was no longer on offer. Instead, days later, Australian Federal Police officers arrested him.

Duggan lodged a March 2023 complaint against ASIO with the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS), an agency that supposedly monitors the conduct of the security agencies. However, ASIO director-general Mike Burgess declared a year later that the IGIS report, which remains classified, had absolved his agency.

In the meantime, in February 2023, Burgess sought to blackguard Duggan. Delivering ASIOs annual threat assessment, Burgess denounced unnamed ex-military personnel whom he accused of transferring highly sensitive, privileged and classified know-how to foreign governments. His reference to Duggan was unmistakeable. Burgess declared: These individuals are lackeys, more top tools than top guns. Selling our warfighting skills is no different to selling our secrets.

The intent of the two governments to persecute Duggan was underscored last December. The New South Wales Supreme Court dismissed a bid by Duggans lawyers to prevent the Australian Federal Police, acting at the behest of the US government, from seizing a property owned by Saffrine, which she had placed on the market to help pay the huge cost of the legal proceedings.

That property seizure has left the family facing serious financial difficulties. Saffrine told the ABC she believes the US is trying to make an example out of her husband. They want to scare people. To say, we dont want you to have anything to do with China.

The 1976 extradition treaty between the US and Australia prohibits extradition when the foreign offence involved is not a domestic crime, which it is not, and when the charges are political in nature. However, in 2012, the Greens-backed Labor government of Prime Minister Julia Gillard amended Australias extradition laws, removing several safeguards against extradition for political offences.

Those alterations were directed against the persecuted Australian citizen and WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange, to facilitate his removal to the US if he came back to Australia, but now threaten Duggan.

The Albanese governments complicity in the pursuit of Duggan is on a par with its prosecution and jailing of former military lawyer David McBride for helping to expose war crimes committed by Australian Special Forces in Afghanistan.

Both cases demonstrate that Labors role in securing a plea deal for Assange, as a result of the massive global support for Assange and his crucial part in exposing war crimes and abuses by the US and its allies, has not at all lessened its readiness to trample over basic legal and democratic rights as part of its intensifying commitment to US militarism.

McBrides sentence and the ongoing pursuit of Duggan underline the need for a struggle, in Australia and worldwide, against the onslaught on democratic rights, the US-led imperialist war drive with which it is inseparably connected, and the capitalist system itself.
Even as Benjamin Netanyahus regime in Israel continues its genocidal war in Gaza, wages a campaign of terror against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, and threatens war against Lebanon, it is ramping up its ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian minority within Israel itself.

Smoke rises from Wadi al-Khalil as it is demolished on May 8 [Photo: Regional Council for the Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev]

The systematic demolition of Bedouin villages across the Negev region is part of Netanyahus efforts to Judaicise Israel, including East Jerusalem annexed illegally by Israel, by forcing as many Palestinian communities off their lands and out of their homes as possible. This brutal process has been underway for years, but is accelerating under the current government, which is led by fascists. It further exposes the lies of the corporate media throughout the world that Israel is a democratic state with equal rights for all its citizens.

The World Socialist Web Site recently spoke with Nati Yefet, the media manager for the Regional Council for the Unrecognized Arab Villages in the Negev (RCUV), a democratically elected body that represents about 150,000 Bedouins in 35 villages that are not officially recognised by the state. Such villages typically lack access to both water and energy infrastructure, leading in turn to high levels of poverty and unemployment. Yet traditionally, many of the Bedouin have been loyal to the state of Israel, with around 10 percent even serving voluntarily in the Israel Defence Forces.

He explained that the RCUV had helped to achieve recognition for 17 villages since its founding in 1997, protecting them from demolition. Most of these villages, however, still dont enjoy all the services and opportunities of other Jewish communities. It is much harder for them to obtain building permits, for instance.

For people living in unrecognised villages, the situation is much worse. The RCUV works with them to try and secure their basic needs from the government. Many are illiterate, they didnt have education; we work to build schools, kindergartens. Almost 6,000 children aged 3 to 5 dont go to preschool. The first time they meet the education system is when they go to school.

Data also shows that one in six Bedouin teenagers aged 16 to 17 do not attend high school, compared with just 3 percent of Israeli Jewish students in the same age group.

Despite the common depiction of Bedouins as a nomadic people, prior to the founding of the state of Israel in 1948, Bedouin Arabs owned millions of dunams of land (a dunam is 1,000 square metres), much of which was cultivated. Yefet explained that at the end of the nineteenth century the Ottoman Empire acknowledged the Bedouin landowners and users in something like 5 million dunams. The British mandate in the 1940s did aerial surveys and found they were cultivating something like 2 million dunams. Wheat and barley produced by the Bedouin farmers was exported, including to Britain where it was used in beer making.

A 1945 British aerial survey photo of the Wadi al-Khalil area, showing cultivated and fenced-off Bedouin properties [Photo: Regional Council for the Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev]

The Zionist movement wrote a report in 1920 saying that only around Beersheba the Bedouins own 2.66 million dunams, from which 1 million was cultivated for agriculture. The Zionist movement bought lands from the Palestinians, from the Bedouins, in transactions that were registered [by the British colonial administration]. They recognised the Bedouin ownership of lands. But after the establishment of Israel, the courts said: no, no, you dont own anything.

The Zionist policy was, and remains, Yefet said, the smallest number of Arabs possible on the smallest amount of land. The Knesset passed a planning law in 1965 which banned construction in the Bedouin villages and retroactively made most of them illegal.

The process of expelling Bedouin people from their homes has accelerated under the Netanyahu government, which has demolished more than 2,500 Bedouin structures every year, about one third of them houses. Attempts by the RCUV and other organisations to oppose the demolitions in court have repeatedly hit a brick wall, with liberal judges siding with the far-right ministers.

Since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, followed by the war against the people of Gaza, the actions of the Israeli state have become even more brutal. The Authority for Development and Settlement of the Bedouin, which is carrying out the expulsions, is led by far-right minister Amichai Chikli, with the fascist national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also playing a leading role.

Ben-Gvir promised upon taking office at the end of 2022 that there would be an increase in the demolition of illegal houses in the Negev. Last year, 3,250 Bedouin structures were destroyed. There was a brief respite from October to December, when the state paused its operations due to a lack of manpower at the start of the war against Gaza. Some Bedouin Israelis were killed during the Hamas operation, leading to rare positive media coverage of the Bedouin community.

The demolitions and evictions in the Negev resumed with full force in January 2024. Yefet predicted that at the current rate, more than 4,000 buildings could be destroyed by the end of the year, which would set a new record.

Police enforce the destruction of Wadi al-Khalil on May 8 [Photo: Regional Council for the Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev]

The village of Wadi al-Khalil was bulldozed on May 8, making 300 people homeless. The operation was enforced by hundreds of police officers. The government claims that it needs the land to extend Highway 6 south of the villagebut the extension is not scheduled to go ahead for years and the funding has still to be found. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court rejected appeals to delay the eviction.

You work eight or nine years, saving money to build a house, and then they destroy it, Yousef Abu Issa, a 35-year-old resident, told +972 magazine. They dont give you another place to live, they dont help you.

Two weeks later, residents of Um Matnan, which has a population of 240, demolished their own village after the Supreme Court ruled that if they did not do so, it would be bulldozed by the state. The judge who made the ruling is Daphne Barak-Erez, one of the most liberal judges in the Supreme Court. This is to demonstrate how the whole system, sorry to say, is racist, Yefet said.

In both villages, people remained living in tents amid the ruins of their homes, because they had nowhere else to go. In Um Matnan, Yefet said, the residents took down their tents after one month because the authorities threatened to remove them, but they will build again because they are still on their lands.

Ruins of Um Matnan [Photo: Regional Council for the Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev]

The state has provided no alternative. Its not that they demolish your house and the next day you can go to your new legal house. No. They say: okay, we gave you some lots, you can get a yard where you will be able to build legally. But it is only theoretical at the moment of the demolition, so they dont have anywhere to go. The new construction requires the interior ministers approval, no such approval has been granted for the last two years.

Yefet said that while the methods of dealing with Bedouin villages were not exactly the same as those employed by the military in the destruction of houses in the West Bank, the demonisation of Bedouin people was similar. Most of the Israeli media refuses to report on the conditions facing Palestinians, in Gaza, the West Bank and in Israel itself, so few people are aware of the discrimination against the Bedouins. Insofar as the Israeli media does report on Israels Palestinian citizens, it is only negative coverage of the terrible crime and murder rates in these impoverished communities, where criminal gangs operate with impunity.

He noted that when United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pointed out that the events of October 7 did not happen in a vacuum, he was widely denounced as an enemy of Israel. But hes right, there is a context of 57 years of occupation. Most Jewish Israelis dont understand it because of the censorship on this issue in the Israeli media. Similarly, reporting on the war is censored.

There are now regular protests in Israel calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and a deal to release hostages held by Hamas. There is widespread opposition to the Netanyahu government and most Israelis want to live in a liberal democracy, Yefet said, but they have to understand that this is impossible while Palestinians and Arabs are treated as second-class. For a start, lets see them as human beings that suffer like us, that dont want war, like us, he said.

Representatives of the Bedouin community are sometimes invited to speak at the protest rallies in Beershebaincluding the father of a teenage boy who was shot dead in February, and who is fighting for justice for his son. However, Yefet noted that you will see almost no Bedouin in the crowd, because they are very afraid. They know that if the police, the authorities, will see them there, they can get a demolition order the day after. They dont have free speech and they dont have any hope.

The same can be said for the international media and governments throughout the world, above all in Washington, Israels main funder and weapons supplier, which is enabling all the brutal oppression of the Palestinians. The Biden administration has made clear that it will continue to back Israel if war erupts with Hezbollah in Lebanon, which the Netanyahu regime is threatening.

Emboldened by Ben-Gvir and other fascist politicians who are pushing for Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip and more annexations in the West Bank, a new extremist group, the South Lebanon Settlement Movement, was established in April calling for the annexation and settlement of land inside Lebanon. While the new movement is described as fringe in the Israeli media, its perspective is entirely in line with the demands by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for Israel to occupy South Lebanon.

The genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, and the threat of an even wider war in the Middle East, can only be stopped by the intervention of the working class. The WSWS calls on working people in Israel, who have nothing to gain from such a bloodbath, to defend the basic rights of Palestinians, including the Bedouins in the Negev, as part of a socialist and anti-war movement against the Netanyahu regime and the entire capitalist and imperialist system, which is the source of war and genocide.
Rene Lichtman, an 86-year-old Holocaust child survivor, led a vigil in the Detroit suburb of Farmington Hills Sunday afternoon to protest the US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza. The event, held outside the of the Zekelman Holocaust Museum, was sponsored by the Coalition Against Genocide.

Holocaust survivor Rene Lichtman, right, holds a sign while another demonstrator reads a statement, at a vigil against the ongoing genocide in Gaza, on June 30, 2024, in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Lichtmans parents were Polish Jews who fled to France the year before his birth in Paris, in 1937. His father joined the French army and was killed in the first weeks of the German invasion in 1940. As a small child Lichtman was hidden and protected by a French family on the outskirts of Paris until the end of the Nazi occupation in 1945.

After arriving in the United States in 1950, Lichtman was radicalized by the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War and became a founding member of the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust.

He has been an outspoken opponent of the Israeli onslaught on Gaza, comparing the mass killings, hospital bombings and cutoff of water and food by the Israeli military to the methods the Nazis used to exterminate European Jews. For that reason, he was fired by the directors of the Zekelman Holocaust Museum where he had been a regular speaker for 10 years.

In its call for the vigil, the Coalition Against Genocide said that prominent historians with Jewish backgrounds, including Ilan Pappe, Avi Schlaim and Norman Finkelstein, have been excluded from job positions in academia because of their pro-Palestinian views. They will never be invited to any Holocaust Museum. The Israel Lobby will continue to see to that, the statement said.

Speaking to the World Socialist Web Site before the vigil started, Lichtman explained, The museum is not objective. They present the history that the right-wing will allow them to put on. The question we have for them is: How are you now going to portray the Nakba [the 1948 expulsion of Palestinians]? You end the story, and I know because Ive been speaking here forever, with the happy ending of the Jews, the camp survivors coming to Israel. But that is no longer the ending. We know that from the last eight months. What about the Palestinian people?

He added, All my relatives lived in Poland and western Russia, and, of course, they were completely wiped out, there is nobody left. So, I know what the Germans did. The first stage was humiliation, thats what the Germans did, and thats what the Israelis are doing also.

They humiliate people at the crossings and make fun of them. We have videos of that. It is unbelievable, you have these young Israelis laughing in the house of someone they just took over and destroyed. These are 18- and 19-year-old kids who are racist.

So, the techniques are exactly the same. The difference is, which makes it even worse, that the Israelis are public about it. They brag about it. In terms of famine, there was just another young boy who died of starvation. These are war crimes, and the international community should put these people on trial, including the leadership of the state of Israel.

Referring to the financial, military and political backing the Biden administration has provided Israel, Lichtman said, Biden is a hypocrite, he pays lip service [to the deaths of Palestinians] and them sends Israel all this ammunition. Biden was a war criminal too, he said, who should be put on trial alongside Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders.

Demonstrators against the ongoing genocide in Gaza hold a vigil in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on June 30, 2024.

Lichtman introduced and invited Heather Burnham, an educator whose grandparents were Holocaust survivors, to read a letter being delivered to the museums directors. It read in part:

As Jews, we believe that it is important to prevent the horrors of the Holocaust from happening again, even when such crimes are being done in our name. We believe it is important to distance Judaism from Zionism and believe that showing true Jewish values and integrity is the only way to combat antisemitism. Thus, we are asking that the museum make a statement of support for a ceasefire and solidarity with the people of Palestine. We are also asking that you divest from working with any companies that are funding Israels human rights violations. In asking you for this we are asking you to honor your website statement touting the importance of standing up against prejudice, discrimination, and hate. Standing against the murder of innocent Palestinians is a cause we believe encompasses all that you teach.

Also speaking was Dr. Nadal Jboor, a member of Doctors Against Genocide, who said, As doctors, we think we can save more lives by interfering and stopping these crimes. Peace is possible but the military industrial complex and Israels lobbyists dont want peace. As doctors, we demand a ceasefire because that is a medical intervention to save lives, and that is our main mission.

Lichtman also invited Jerry White, the Socialist Equality Partys candidate for US vice president, to speak. White said the presence of Rene and others at the rally, and the tens of thousands of Jewish youth who have participated in demonstrations around the world, is the greatest rebuke of the slanders and the lies of the Democrats and Republicans who claim the protests against this 21st century genocide are anti-Semitic.

Jerry White, the Socialist Equality Party's candidate for Vice President of the United States in the 2024 election, speaks to demonstrators at a vigil against the ongoing genocide in Gaza, in Farmington Hills, Michigan, June 30, 2024. Holocaust Survivor Rene Lichtman in on the right.

This genocide, he said, would not be possible without the military, political and financial support of the Biden administration and both parties in Washington. Both parties, he said had invited the Butcher of Gaza Netanyahu to speak before a joint session of Congress on July 24. Why have they invited him? They are looking for a progress report from their agent in the Middle East over how he is conducting the war in the interests not only of the Zionist state but of American imperialism.

The Socialist Equality Party, its youth movement, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees was organizing a demonstration and meeting in Washington on the July 24, not to beg Congress to change its policies, White said. The last nine months had proven that no appeals to reason, let alone morality, would make them change course. Instead, the SEP insisted, what was needed was a new political orientation and strategy.

A powerful movement of the working class had to be developed to stop the genocide and the global escalation of imperialist militarism by the US ruling class and its NATO collaborators. Between Bidens senile mutterings during the debate with Trump last week, White said, two things came out clearly: Ironclad backing for Israels genocide and a massive funding for Ukraine for war against Russia even if it leads to nuclear holocaust.

That is why in the call for its July 24 demonstration, the SEP has set out three fundamental principles: the complete political independence of the movement from both corporate-controlled parties; the international unity of workers and young people against war; and the conscious fight to put an end to capitalism, the source of war, and the establishment of socialism.

The international working class, he said, is that social force that can stop war. The millions of workers who will be told to fight and sacrifice their sons and daughters for these wars. The millions of workers who will be told to give up their Social Security, health care and public education to fund these wars. The working class, he said, has the capacity to shut down the war machine of the US and its client states.

He concluded, The struggle against war is the struggle against capitalism, and its a struggle for socialism. It means the ending of a system where all human needs are subordinated to the profit of the billionaires It means creating a society all over the world based on equality, peace and the international brotherhood of all workers.

Asked if he would urge workers and young people to attend the July 24 demonstration, Lichtman told the WSWS, Yes, absolutely. Anything like this that exposes the imperialists and what Biden is doing with Netanyahu is very good. They are the architects of genocide. People should go, you cant be bystanders. That is one of the lessons [of history]. Thats why we are here. This museum talks about tolerance, empathy, and the Jewish values of justice. Thats what they are teaching. So now, they have to apply it to this genocide. What are they going to say?
Fallout from President Joe Bidens disastrous debate with Donald Trump has intensified the crisis within the Democratic Party and the US ruling class as a whole.

Joe Biden at the debate in Atlanta, Georgia, June 27, 2024. [AP Photo/Gerald Herbert]

The degrading spectacle has not only exposed the bankruptcy of both candidates, but the parties they represent, the donors that fund them, the media that has propped them up and the capitalist system as a whole.



In a column posted Tuesday night (The Question President Biden Needs to Ask Himself. Now.), Thomas Friedman of the New York Times broached fundamental issues of concern within the Democratic Party and the ruling class more broadly about a second Biden term. Those concerns are focused first of all on US imperialisms plans for a vast escalation of the war against Russia over Ukraine, and its preparations for military conflict with Iran and China.

Friedman asked: Is this the man you want answering the phone at 3 a.m. if the Russians or the Chinese or the Iranians attack us?

Many Democrats who previously defended Bidens mental faculties and still defend his record of war and austerity have begun publicly, and privately, calling on him to withdraw from the race. On Tuesday morning, Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first congressional Democrat to publicly call on Biden to give way.



In his statement, Doggett, who was first elected in 1995, wrote:

[F]or more than a year, many Americans have indicated dissatisfaction with their choices in this election. President Biden has continued to run substantially behind Democratic senators in key states and in most polls has trailed Donald Trump. I had hoped that the debate would provide some momentum to change that. It did not.

Doggett drew a historical parallel to President Lyndon B. Johnson, noting that he made the painful decision to withdraw. President Biden should do the same.

While running for reelection, Johnson, like Biden today, was deeply hated by large swaths of the population over his support for imperialist war. In the case of Johnson, it was his expansion of the war in Vietnam, which drove millions to protest and chant, Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?

Today, and for all time, Genocide Joe will be remembered as the main weapons supplier not only to the fascistic Zelensky regime, but also to the Butcher of Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.



Following Doggetts statement, a growing number of Democratic politicians gave public and private statements as well as interviews calling on Biden to step aside.

In an article headlined, As Biden digs in, some top Democrats want him out of the race this week, CNN cited a House Democratic lawmaker who told it:

Theres a large and increasing group of House Democrats concerned about the presidents candidacy, representing a broad swath of the caucus. We are deeply concerned about his trajectory and his ability to win. We want to give him space to make a decision, but we will be increasingly vocal about our concerns if he doesnt.

CNN added that multiple Democrats told the network their patience is wearing thin and they were hoping Biden would make the decision to step down himself.

Instead of calling on Biden to withdraw, Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, a right-wing ex-Marine, published an op-ed in the Bangor Daily News in which he bluntly resigned himself to a Trump presidency. While I dont plan to vote for him, he wrote, Donald Trump is going to win. And Im OK with that.

In an interview on CNN Tuesday morning, Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley rejected the White House line that Bidens mental decline was a one off event. We have to be honest with ourselves that it wasnt just a horrible night, he said.

In an interview on MSNBC Tuesday morning, Julian Castro, Housing and Urban Development secretary under Barack Obama, observed:

Congressman Doggett, who himself has been in office a long time, hes seen a lot of things as an officeholder I think that this is going to open the floodgates. I actually dont see a path now for President Biden to stay in this race for the long term.



When you have now a member of Congress, probably more coming out against him. You have the New York Times Editorial Board, and, sure, thats just elite circles and so forth, but in a lot of ways this is also what has propped up Joe Biden



So this is what was keeping him still in the race. I know that that support, diminishing significantly, I dont think he is going to have a leg to stand on for very long.

Asked again if Biden should drop out of the race Castro replied:

Yea absolutely I believe there are stronger options out there for Democrats. We have a stable of folks that I think could do a better job, including Vice President Harris, who just today in a poll was within 2 points of Donald Trump, whereas President Biden was six points behind Donald Trump.

The poll to which Castro referred was part of a memo that was sent to Puck News Tuesday morning. The memo was produced by OpenLabs, which Puck described as a progressive nonprofit that conducts polling and message-testing for a constellation of Democratic groups, including the 501(c)4 nonprofit associated with Future Forward, the preferred Super PAC for Bidens reelection campaign.

The memo included polling conducted after the debate which showed that 40 percent of people who had voted for Biden in 2020 now supported him dropping out of the race. Bidens net favorabilty rating was the worst out of all candidates surveyed, at negative 21.2 percent. The second worst was Vice President Kamala Harris, at negative 10.7 percent, while Trump was at negative 10 percent.



The poll found that support compared to Trump for all alternative Democrats was higher than that of Biden in battleground states surveyed. This included Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Harris, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, with polling conducted in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada, Georgia, Arizona, and North Carolina.

Asked in an interview Monday about his reaction to the debate, Democratic Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said:

I think like a lot of people I was pretty horrified... I think a lot of people want to make sure that this is a campaign that is ready to go forward and win, that the president and his team are being candid with us about his condition, that this was a real anomaly and not just the way he is these days.

Speaking with MSNBC on Tuesday, Whitehouse did not openly call on Biden to step down, but neither did he fully endorse him staying in the race. He said:

I think the discussions that are happening within the family, with his close advisors are exactly the right thing, and at some point it needs to bring in the leadership in Congress, and then we need to make a plan going forward to win this election and keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office.

Asked if there was a clock ticking for Joe Biden, Whitehouse replied:

I think that the convention is an obvious tipping point... I think they have through the Fourth of July weekend to reflect and decide what to do going forward.



In an interview on the same network, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed that she had not spoken with Biden since the debate. While claiming that Biden had a bad night, she added, Now, again, I think its a legitimate question to say is this an episode or is this a condition? Its legitimate, of both candidates.



Turning to the most important aspect of Bidens viability as a candidate, his standing among billionaires and millionaires, Andrea Mitchell asked Pelosi:

At this point, there is no one that knows the donor community better than you, you are the best fundraiser-you are a legendary fundraiser... so I got to ask you what are you hearing from your large network of people about whether he is up to it?

Pelosi replied:

I hear mixed. Some people are saying because Donald Trump is such an authoritarian and an autocrat, we have to win this election So therefore there are people who are very concerned. So its split.

In a report published by NOTUS, an unnamed House Democrat claimed to have ...spoken to at least half a dozen colleagues who are getting near-unanimous feedback from their biggest supporters that an intervention is needed. Everyone has this feeling of dread that no one close to Biden will tell him the truth, and by the time the polling and everything else is obvious, it may be too late.

The Democratic politician added, This is not going to just blow over and if it somehow does, then were really f*****.

The New York Times reported that a high-level donor meeting held Monday evening included about 500 members of the Biden campaigns National Finance Committee and some other contributors. Senior Biden campaign officials tried to downplay Bidens decline, but their remarks did little to stem the anxiety of the campaigns well-heeled patrons, the Times wrote.



Multiple outlets reported Tuesday that the Democratic National Committee, in an attempt to block a possible replacement and ease the internal party crisis, is considering formally nominating Biden as the partys candidate as early as July 21, nearly a month before the convention.
More than 100 people demonstrated at City Hall in Utica, New York, on Monday, to protest the shooting death of 13-year-old Nyah Mway on Friday night by a city police officer.

Nyah Mway, age 13, of Utica, New York. [Photo: Mway family]

The protesters brought their hand-made placards into the city council chambers, some of which had photos of the youth and others that read, Justice for Nyah, Take My Hand, Not My Life! I Still Want to Go to School, and 3 UPD Officers vs 13 Years Old Kid. Was It Necessary to Open Fire?

The protesters were treated with contempt by city council members who proceeded with business at the previously scheduled meeting and did not address the fact that a child had been killed by a city police officer three days earlier. No public comments were permitted during the meeting.

Mway, a refugee youth and member of the Karen ethnic group from Myanmar, was shot dead with one bullet to the chest after he and a friend were questioned by three officers at around 10:00 p.m. Friday. The police reported that they were investigating two recent robberies in the area involving suspects described as Asian males and that the suspects had brandished a black firearm at their victims.

Body cam video released by the police shows three officers questioning the youth from different angles. When officers approached the youth and asked that they take their hands out of their pocket and if they can pat them down, to see if you have any weapons on you, the two took off running.

The officers pursued them on foot and the videos show Mway falling to the ground, being punched by an officer and then shot after shouts of hes got a gun from one of the officers.

Police administered first aid on the scene and Mway was transported by ambulance to Wynn Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

The officer who fired his weapon has been identified as Patrick Husnay, a six-year veteran of the Utica police force. The other two officers are Bryce Patterson, a four-year veteran and Andrew Citriniti, who has been an officer for two and a half years after serving as an Oneida County Sheriffs deputy. All three are on paid administrative leave pending a police department investigation.

The police say that they stopped the youth for questioning because one of the boys was walking in the roadway in a residential neighborhood instead of on the sidewalk, a violation of New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law.

Police have maintained that the shooting was justified because Mway had a gun and the officers feared for their lives. Police later modified this and said a replica Glock 17 handgun which was determined to be a pellet gun had been recovered at the scene.

After the city council meeting on Monday, the protesters rallied outside City Hall and were joined by more demonstrators. Kay Klo addressed the crowd and said, Nyah will never get his due process in court. We will never know why he fled from the police that night. But here is what we know, this young child is not here to answer the questions of why he ran on what was supposed to be a routine summer night coming back from hanging out with friends. He did not deserve to be killed after a foot pursuit.

Klo continued, The stories that (officials) have been telling the media, telling the family who doesnt even speak English, none of the stories add up, things dont make sense. We need to see fully everything that happened that whole evening. We need those responsible to be held accountable.

Mways brother Thoung Oo also addressed the protesters. He expressed how he feels an emptiness with his brother not around anymore and says his parents cannot attend demonstrations or meetings with officials anymore because they are tired of hearing the stories from officials. They just want justice.

Oo said the information from police does not align with what the family was told the night of the shooting. He said the family was told Mway was shot in a shootout.

In an interview with ABC News, Mways uncle Lay Htoo said, This is very heartbreaking for the family because they lost a child. He said the shooting had devastated his family, who moved to Utica eight years ago after escaping civil war in Myanmar and spending time in a refugee camp in Thailand.

He said the family came to America to avoid violence, only now to be confronted by it. There are approximately 8,000 people in the Karen ethnic community in the Utica area.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James has said her office is conducting an independent investigation of the shooting.

According to Mapping Police Violence, there have been at least 645 police killings so far in 2024, on pace to exceed the 1,352 victims in 2023. There have only been nine days in which someone hasnt been killed.

The policethe armed agents of the capitalist statecontinue to brutalize and kill workers, the poor and the most vulnerable members of society regardless of race. The demographic trends follow previous years with the largest share killed being white and African American men killed at a rate disproportionate to their share of the population. The largest number of killings are in more populated states, led by Texas (77), California (62), Florida (47) and Arizona (27); while the highest rate of killing is in the less populated, more rural states, Montana (7.38 killings per million); Wyoming (5.2); New Mexico (5.19) and Maine (5.14).
This is the first part of a series. Part 2 was published on July 4, 2024

Andrew Feinstein is a former African National Congress (ANC) MP, a campaigner against corruption and the author of a critically acclaimed book on the arms trade.

While he is standing in the UK General Election as an Independent, he is a supporter of the Collective group formed by him and other supporters of former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn was suspended from the party in 2020 and later expelled from the parliamentary party by leader Sir Keir Starmer for claiming that antisemitism in the party was being exaggerated.

Andrew Feinstein speaking at a hustings during the campaign in Holborn and St Pancras

The World Socialist Web Site has made clear its political opposition to Feinsteins minimal programme of reforms and his insistence that he will supposedly represent the people of Camden, not parties telling people what to do. The WSWS has made clear that this provides nothing more than registering a protest vote against Starmer over Gaza and offers no way forward, either for the millions of people seeking an end to genocide, or the besieged Palestinians.

Despite his recent aversion to parties, Feinsteins political credentials stand or fall firstly on his membership of the African National Congress during the struggle against apartheid, and secondly on his role as a crusader against corruption that began with him opposing an ANC arms deal involving high level government corruptionthe political basis for which he offers no explanation. He never explains his continued support for the ANC, and certainly not his joining Tony Blairs Labour Party.

What he stresses instead is that the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and opposition to the arms trade makes him uniquely qualified to stand with the Palestinians and support their fight against the apartheid Israeli state.

The best answer to Feinsteins boasts, his endless declarations of being the pupil of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, is to explain the actual historical role of the ANC and its leaders in suppressing the escalating revolutionary struggle by the black working class and ensuring the survival of capitalism and imperialist interests in South Africa.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela, right, reacts with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, left, during the launch of a Walter and Albertina Sisulu exhibition, called, 'Parenting a Nation', at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, South Africa, March 12, 2008. [AP Photo/Themba Hadebe]

This will clarify why, 30 years later, South Africa, based on the political perspective Feinstein backed to the hilt as a young but influential figure, is still the most socially unequal society on the planet. Why the working class is still brutally oppressed, while the same oligarchs and conglomerates that ruled under apartheid continue to rule today, abetted by a government representing the multimillionaire black capitalists created through political corruption and nepotism under the programme of Black Economic Empowerment. And why this experience, echoed already in the Fatah-led Palestinian Authoritys rule over the West Bank, must not be repeated.

The historic role and class character of the ANC

The ANC is Africas oldest independence movement and its perspective and programmeincluding that of seeking independence via armed struggle while courting the support of one or other of the major powers during the Cold War erahad a major impact on the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).

Founded in 1912, it faced a white ruling class, based in mining, manufacturing and finance, that set up a system of rule based on the brutal repression of the black working class and rural poor.

In response to the growth of independence movements in all the colonial countries, the National Party government of 1948 introduced the apartheid system as a conscious attempt to prevent the emergence of a mass revolutionary movement in South Africa, warning against the black peril and the red menace. Granted dictatorial powers in 1953 to oppose black and Indian anti-apartheid movements, it enforced apartheid and racial segregation with ever stricter legislation and brutal policing. Minister of Native Affairs Hendrik Verwoerd, later to become prime minister in 1958, prepared the much more ambitious programme of grand apartheid that set in motion the security forces brutal policies of provoking black on black violence to divide and rule.

Sir Evelyn Baring, Britains High Commissioner for Southern Africa (1944-51), warned London that prime minister D.F. Malans government (1948-54) was akin to Nazism. But Britains Labour government, dependent on South Africa for its uranium supplies, turned a blind eye.

The ANCs 1955 Freedom Charter, drafted by the South African Communist Party (SACP), did not seek the expropriation of the countrys financial and mining monopolies, but the expansion of free enterprise. In 1956, ANC leader Nelson Mandela, a covert SACP member, when asked to correct any idea that this was a socialist charter said, The breaking up and democratisation of these monopolies will open up fresh fields for the development of a prosperous non-European bourgeois class. For the first time in the history of this country, the non-European bourgeoisie will have the opportunity to own in their own name and right mills and factories, and trade and private enterprise will boom and flourish as never before.

The Freedom Charter written on the wall Palace of Justice (S Wierda) 1902, Church Square, Pretoria [Photo by PHParsons / CC BY-SA 3.0

This document, which retained the racial categories of apartheid, split the nationalist movement, with the more militant Africanist leadership of the ANC Youth League rejecting the Charters multi-racialism and adopting a programme of national liberation for the black majority.

Mandela and the ANC founded uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) as its paramilitary wing, in the wake of the police murder of 69 people protesting the pass laws at Sharpeville in March 1960. But while the ANC and SACP embraced the rhetoric of armed struggle and class struggle and thousands of ANC members, including Mandela were imprisoned for fomenting violent revolution, Mandelas perspective of creating a black bourgeoisie remained central to the ANCs programme. He fought for it during fierce ideological debates with fellow prisoners on Robben Island in the late 1970s, saying the purpose of the Charter was to establish a bourgeois democracy and maintain the capitalist system.

He declared that under socialism, the workers hold state power. They and the peasants hold the means of production, the land, the factories and the mills The Charter does not contemplate such profound economic and political changes.

During the Treason Trial in 1960, Mandela insisted that the terms of the Freedom Charter, apart from breaking up the mining monopolies, would leave capitalism absolutely intact. Its declaration, The People Shall Govern! visualises the transfer of power not to a single social class, but to all the people of this country, be they workers, peasants, professional men or petty bourgeoisie The non-European traders and businessmen are potential allies, for in hardly any country in the world has the ruling class made conditions so extremely difficult for the rise of a non-European middle class.

The Charters insistence on the creation of a black capitalist class flowed from the Stalinist Cominterns two-stage theory of revolution, which insisted that it was first necessary to achieve bourgeois democracy before beginning the next stage of fighting to achieve socialisma stage that in South Africa and elsewhere never even begins.

The SACP played a key role in tying the working class to the capitalist system through the social medium of alliances with the middle class, the churches and the liberals. This was a complete break with Lenin who, in the Preliminary Draft Theses on the National and Colonial Questions adopted by the Second Congress of the Communist International in 1920, had opposed any attempts to give a communist colouring to bourgeois-democratic liberation trends in the backward countries and should under all circumstances uphold the independence of the proletarian movement even if it is in its most embryonic form.

Vladimir Lenin

The resolution insisted:

From the principles set forth it follows that the whole policy of the Communist International on the national and colonial question must be based mainly on the union of the workers and toiling masses of all nations and countries in the common revolutionary struggle for the overthrow of the landlords and of the bourgeoisie. For only such a union can secure victory over capitalism, without which the destruction of national oppression and inequality is impossible.

Trotsky outlined the revolutionary tasks of the young South African proletariat and insisted on its vanguard resolving the national question through its own methods of socialist revolution. He wrote in 1933:

The historical weapon of national liberation can only be the class struggle. The Comintern, beginning in 1924, transformed the programme of national liberation of colonial people into an empty democratic abstraction which is elevated above the reality of class relations. In the struggle against national oppression different classes liberate themselves (temporarily) from material interests and become simple anti-imperialist forces. In order that the spiritual forces bravely fulfil the task assigned to them by the Comintern, they are promised as a reward a spiritual national democratic statewith unavoidable reference to Lenins formula: democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and the peasantry. The thesis [draft thesis of the Workers Party of South Africa] points out that in 1917 Lenin openly and once and for all discarded the slogan of democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and the peasantry as if it were a necessary condition for the solution of the agrarian question. This is entirely correct.

Trotsky, L. Letter to South African Revolutionaries, April 1933

The fall of the apartheid regime

In the 1950s and 60s, the ANC was banned and its leaders and those of other organisations imprisoned or driven into exile. But in the following years, South Africas working class grew into a powerful force, repeatedly rebelling against their social and economic conditions and posing the necessity for independent political mobilisation in a revolutionary struggle for power.

As globally integrated production became more developed in the 1980s, the isolated nature of the South African economy, protected by high tariff barriers from international competition, became increasingly problematic. GDP rose after the mid-1960s, but failed to keep up with the growth in population which has risen from around 18.6 million in 1964 to 61 million today. Business complained about the high cost of supporting a large civil service, a vast police force to suppress the majority black population and a substantial army to fight the MK in neighbouring states. Starting in 1984 it was also confronted with mass strikes and protests and faced international sanctions that were crippling trade and investment. By 1985, the authorities were losing control over the black, working-class townships and the country was teetering on the brink of civil war, prompting a state of emergency.

The coffins of those slain in South Africa's Langa Massacre of March 21, 1985. Twenty-five years to the day after the infamous Sharpeville Massacre, in which 69 people were killed, police opened fire on a crowd of people on their way to attend a funeral in Langa, Uitenhage, in the Eastern Cape. At least 20 people were killed [Photo by UN / CC BY-ND-NC 1.0

South African businessmen began to call on the government to reach a settlement with the ANC and release its leaders, including Mandela. Gavin Relly, head of the largest mining conglomerate Anglo-American flew to Lusaka, the Zambian capital that hosted the ANC headquarters, with other representatives of big business.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu played a key roleacting as imperialisms interlocutor in negotiations between the ANC, the ruling National Party and the security services for a transition to majority ruleand later as head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that was used to prevent the South African working class from making a reckoning with their political oppressors.

Visit of Nelson Mandela to give a lecture at LSE on 'Africa and Its Position in the World.' Held at the Peacock Theatre, April 6, 2000 [Photo by Library of the London School of Economics and Political Science - Nelson Mandela, 2000 / CC BY 1.0

It took another four years of behind-the-scenes negotiations amid mass strikes and protests before incoming President F.W de Klerk announced in January 1990 the end of the apartheid regime, the lifting of the 30-year ban on the ANC, the release of Mandela and other prisoners and elections based on universal suffrage that brought the ANC to power in the 1994 elections. His aim was to preserve South African capitalism and prevent its collapse, which would have set off a chain reaction throughout the former colonies of the imperialist powers.

To be continued
The first round of snap elections called by French President Emmanuel Macron has produced a debacle for Macrons party and exposed the political rot of the capitalist establishment. Fully 11 million people, including 57 percent of manual workers in France, voted for Marine Le Pens neo-fascist National Rally (RN) and its allies. Nine million voted for Jean-Luc Melenchons New Popular Front (NFP) alliance, while Macrons party collapsed to 6 million votes.

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, meets French far-right Rassemblement National (National Rally) leader Marine Le Pen at the Elysee Palace on June 21, 2022 in Paris. [AP Photo/Ludovic Marin]

The Parti de legalite socialiste (PES) irreconcilably opposes both the neo-fascist Le Pen and the banker Macron, Frances despised president of the rich. It does not, however, advocate support or a vote for Melenchons NFP. The NFP is working to systematically disenfranchise workers and youth opposed to both Macron and Le Pen and block the building of a movement in the working class by trying to form a governmental alliance with Macron.

The RN vote among workers does not express mass support for the policies of genocide and war such as those perpetrated by the RNs Nazi-collaborationist forebears. Rather, it reflects, in a distorted fashion, outrage and hatred against Macron. Overwhelming majorities of the French people oppose Macrons deep cuts to pensions and living standards, as well as his monumentally reckless call to send troops to Ukraine to wage war with Russia, a nuclear-armed power.

Workers in the smaller cities and rural areas where the RN vote is concentrated are looking for a way to struggle. They joined in yellow vest protests against Macron in 2018-2019 and participated in large numbers in protests last year against his pension cuts.

That the far right is able to benefit from social and political discontent is because workers have been systematically betrayed for decades by the parties of the middle-class pseudo-left and the trade union bureaucracies.

Melenchon and the NFP are not offering workers a way to build a mass movement in the working class against war and fascism. They are not drawing political lessons from how the union bureaucracies isolated the yellow vests and exposed them to bloody police repression and then ignominiously shut down mass protests against Macrons illegitimate pension cuts last year. They are not fighting to build a militant movement of struggle by rank-and-file workers.

The NFP is instead working to strangle such a struggle. It is cutting electoral deals, constituency by constituency, to form a capitalist coalition government with Macron, in which Melenchon might serve as Macrons prime minister. Macron has already served notice that he is prepared to invoke Article 16 of the French constitution, which would allow him to suspend parliament and the government and rule as a dictator, if an NFP-backed government advocated policies he deemsed unacceptable to the banks.

By nonetheless entering into talks with Macron on this basis, Melenchon is not preparing a struggle against neo-fascism. He is allowing the RN to argue that the left are accomplices of Macron and impotent tools of the banks, and that French workers must support the RN to oppose Macron. The entire course of French and European politics in the 21st century has shown that this strengthens the far right.

The PES rejects arguments that an NFP alliance with Macron is the best that can be expected and that there is not support for a left-wing, revolutionary policy. Leon Trotsky answered these arguments long ago, as he fought to found the Fourth International as the political alternative to the Stalinist, social democratic and bourgeois liberal forces of the Popular Front of 1934-1938. Speaking of the danger of a movement towards fascism in the large peasantry France had at that time and their lack of support for the Stalinist and social democratic parties, he wrote:

It is false, thrice false, to affirm that the present petty bourgeoisie is not going to the working-class parties because it fears extreme measures. Quite the contrary. The lower petty bourgeoisie, its great masses, only see in the working-class parties parliamentary machines. They do not believe in their strength, nor in their capacity to struggle, nor in their readiness this time to conduct the struggle to the end.

Today it is thrice false to assert that masses of workers are voting for the RN because they oppose a struggle against capitalism. Rather, they have decades of long and bitter experience with the anti-worker policies of the parties in the NFP. The NFPbringing together the big business Socialist Party (PS), the Stalinist French Communist Party (PCF), the Pabloite New Anti-capitalist Party (NPA) and Melenchons France Unbowed (LFI) partyis not the Popular Front of the 1930s.

At that time as well the Trotskyists were opponents of the Popular Front, which sold out the 1936 French general strike and blocked a struggle for state power and socialism by the workers--ultimately paving the way for the French bourgeoisies collaboration with Nazism. But the Trotskyists could, however, work within the mass base of the social democratic SFIO of Leon Blum.

Despite Blums bitter hostility to the Trotskyists, the Trotskyists played a leading role in initiatives such as building the TPPS (Always Ready to Serve) militia to defend the labor movement from fascist attacks. In the SFIO, the Trotskyists found an audience among workers sympathetic to the Soviet Union and attracted to major social reforms proposed by the SFIO like the eight-hour day and paid vacations.

The social base of the NFP, however, is an alliance between the imperialist bourgeoisie and affluent pseudo-left layers of the middle class in academia and the union bureaucracy. Its program calls for escalating the war with Russia through the necessary delivery of weapons and sending peacekeepers to Ukraine. It endorses Macrons police state, calling for the maintenance of all military police units and the strengthening of Frances intelligence services.

The NFP is running the widely despised former PS President Francois Hollande as a candidate. Hollande, the first French president to publicly invite neo-fascists to the Elysee presidential palace, infamously mocked workers who cannot afford dental care as toothless ones. An unabashed enemy of the working class, Hollande appealed in 2012 to bankers in London to finance his presidential bid by saying:

Today there are no more communists in France. The left liberalized the economy and opened markets to finance and privatization. There is nothing to fear.

What the NFP is laying out is a perspective not of class struggle but for a capitalist government that would collide with mass working class opposition. The NFPs rationalization for this policythe argument that Macron, whose police state machine, starting from Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, is stuffed full of neo-fascists, will serve as a bulwark against neo-fascismis a political lie.

Lessons must be drawn from the 2002 presidential election crisis, when the collapse of the vote for the pro-austerity PS led to a run-off between right-wing candidate Jacques Chirac and neo-fascist Jean-Marie Le Pen. Mass protests erupted against the presence of a neo-fascist on the ballot and the false choice presented to voters. As millions marched in the streets, the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) called for an active policy of fighting for a working class boycott of the elections. It called upon

every organization seeking to defend the working class to campaign actively for a boycott of the May 5 presidential vote. No political support to either Le Pen or Chirac! Mobilize French working people and youth against this false and anti-democratic choice... Why a boycott? Because it is necessary to deny any legitimacy to this fraudulent election; because it is necessary to establish an independent political line for the working class; because an active and aggressive boycott would create the best conditions for the political struggles that will arise in the aftermath of the elections.

The PS, Melenchon, the PCF and the Pabloites all rejected this policy. Endorsing Chirac as a defender of democracy, they effectively ceded to the neo-fascists the mantle of opposition to the political establishment. This disastrous policy of embracing capitalist politicians as democrats has led to over two decades of massive growth of the far right. Its repetition today by the NFP as it makes an electoral alliance with Macron will only further strengthen Le Pen.

War and fascistic reaction can only be stopped by mobilizing the working class in France, across Europe and internationally in struggle against capitalism. It will not be stopped at the ballot box. What is being set into motion, whatever the outcome of Macrons snap elections, is an explosive confrontation between the working class and the capitalist political establishment.

This can only be waged, however, by building a movement from below, among rank-and-file workers independent of the bureaucracies of the NFP. The political basis of such a struggle is the fight by the ICFI and its French section, the PES, against Popular Frontism and the pseudo-left and in defense of the heritage and continuity of Trotskyism and the struggle for international socialist revolution.
Mondays Supreme Court ruling giving a president legal immunity for all official acts repudiates the foundational principle of the American Revolution and the US Constitution that no person, including the commander-in-chief, is above the law. As the World Socialist Web Site explained, it effectively transforms the president into a dictator.

The U.S Supreme Court is seen on Friday, June 14, 2024, in Washington. [AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib]

The chilling implications of this legal counterrevolution for the working class have already begun to emerge in the immediate aftermath of the 6-3 ruling by the courts far-right supermajority. Donald Trump and the fascistic Republican Party have hailed the ruling as a victory and de facto sanctioning of their stolen election lie and the January 6 insurrection that sought to overturn the 2020 vote and keep Trump in power as dictator-president.

Over the past several days, Trump has promoted on his social media platform, Truth Social, posts calling for the arrest and prosecution of political opponents, including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Majority and Minority Leaders Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

A separate post shared and promoted by Trump lists members of the House January 6 Committee, including Republicans Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger and Democrats Adam Schiff, Jamie Raskin, Pete Aguilar, Zoe Lofgren and Bennie Thompson, who chaired the committee.

On Monday, at about the same time that the high court was releasing its immunity decision, Trump shared a post calling for military tribunals for his political enemies, which included an image of Liz Cheney. The post denounced her as guilty of treason and urged, Retruth if you want televised military tribunals. In response to Trumps promotion of that post, another called for fast trials and fast executions and televised hangings. Trumps sharing of these posts was quickly removed from the site.

In ordering such actions, as well as his pledge to mobilize the military to deport 20 million migrants, Trump would, under the terms of the high court ruling, be immune from prosecution. All he would have to do is claim that he was acting in the interests of national security and therefore engaged in a core official act in his role as chief executive.

The immediate legal implications of the decision in Trump v. United States have likewise begun to emerge. Trumps sentencing for his conviction in the New York State hush money cover-up case, in which he was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records to buy the silence of a porn star on the eve of the 2016 presidential election, was pushed back on Tuesday from July 11 to September 18. New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan agreed to the delay to give Trumps lawyers time to file briefs on their claim that the US Supreme Court ruling means the prosecution and conviction of Trump must be vacated, because evidence in the trial included official communications between Trump and associates carried out during his presidency.

Biden and the Democrats, and their allied media, have for their part sought to limit, falsely, the dictatorial implications of the Supreme Court decision to the prospect of a second Trump term and thereby use the ruling to revive Bidens failing reelection campaign in the wake of last weeks debate debacle. They have emphasized the fact that the high court, by remanding the January 6 case back to the trial court, has eliminated any chance of it coming to trial before the November election, thereby boosting Trumps prospects.

At the same time, they have obscured the fact that the ruling applies to the office of president, not to any particular president, and the election of a Democrat would mean placing a Democratic dictator-president in office, who, in the pursuit of global imperialist war, genocide, austerity and internal repression, would make use of the unchecked powers granted by the court.

Such was the substance of Bidens pathetic and impotent televised statement Monday evening protesting the Supreme Court ruling. He made no proposals to block its implementation, avoiding above all any appeal to popular anger and discontent, claiming instead that returning him to the White House would avert the threat of autocratic rule.

This, of course, ignores the fact that he has ruled in virtual coalition with the fascist Republicans in order to prosecute the expanding war against Russia in Ukraine and the genocide in Gaza, while ending asylum rights at the border and directing mass arrests and police violence against workers and youth protesting the US-Israeli slaughter in Gaza and using reactionary laws and the labor bureaucracy to suppress strikes.

The major newspapers aligned with the Democratic Party, the Washington Post and the New York Times, published editorials minimizing the legal counterrevolution carried out by the unelected justices on the Supreme Court, from which under the existing system there is no appeal, seeking to politically disarm the working class while promoting the lie that electing Biden or some other Democrat would avert the danger.

The line of the Post was indicated by the headline of its editorial: The Trump immunity decision isnt the end of democracybut it is bad. Billionaire Jeff Bezoss editorialists wrote: Grave warnings aside, the sky has not yet fallen, even if a sizable chunk of it may be missing.

Making light of the correct warnings given in dissent by justices Sotomayor and Jackson that the ruling gives legal immunity for ordering political assassinations or organizing military coups, the Post continued: So it is up to the courts, including the highest in the land, to ensure the nightmare scenario the critics have dreamed up [emphasis added] do not manifest.

This, of course, ignores the fact that it is precisely the highest court in the land that has carried out the judicial coup against the Constitution.

The Times Editorial Board spoke of the ruling as merely taking a step toward [emphasis added] restoring the monarchy that the Declaration of Independence rejected. But, as Sotomayor correctly wrote, In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law.

The editorial then pivoted to arguing that the ruling added to the supposed need to elect a Democratic alternative to Trump, writing: The decision  significantly raises the stakes of the coming election The Times had already editorialized in favor of replacing Biden with another candidate following the increasingly senile presidents disastrous debate performance.

The Republican-aligned Wall Street Journal, editorializing in support of the ruling, was more open about the massive consequences of the decision. It called a focus on how the ruling affects Trumps electoral prospects a blinkered view that ignores the long-run implications for the American republic.

It continued:

The 6-3 Court majority rightly focuses on the institution of the Presidency, and the ability of all Presidentsnot merely the last oneto act in the national interest free from prosecution for official acts This means that a President cant be prosecuted for actions related to national security, intelligence, or foreign policy. He cant be prosecuted, for example, for deaths that occur from ordering a drone strike. (The last is an allusion to President Barack Obamas 2011 drone assassination of Anwar Al-Awlaki, a US citizen.)

The Journal states openly the basic position of finance capital, which, as Lenin explained in Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism (1916), does not want liberty, it wants domination. That is the only way the capitalist oligarchy can defend its rule under conditions of global wars of plunder and conquest, genocide as state policy, unprecedented levels of social inequality and the need to impose brutal and unpopular policies on the working class.

That is also why the defense of democracy is entirely bound up with the independent mobilization of the working class against the capitalist system and all of its parties and institutions of rule and for socialism.
Socialist Equality Party (SEP) candidate for Holborn and St Pancras, Tom Scripps, spoke on Monday at a hustings organised by the Camden branch of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Independent candidate Andrew Feinstein, and representatives for the Green Party and, provocatively, the UK Independence Party also attended.

Candidates were given four minutes to make an opening statement, before giving two-minute answers to a series of questions from the floor.

Tom Scripps (second left) speaking at the hustings, Andrew Feinstein (right)

Scripps explained that he would be presenting my partys programme, not simply for Holborn and St Pancras, not simply for the election, but for the international working class and oppressed peoples of the world in a period of history characterised by the descent into war, genocide, poverty and dictatorship.

Citing from the first statement issued by the World Socialist Web Sites international editorial board on Israels war on Gaza, Scripps said, the reactionary perspective of securing an exclusivist Jewish state through the forcible expulsion of the Palestinians can only be maintained by mass murder and ethnic cleansing.

The SEP places the genocide in Gaza in its world context. The imperialist powers backed the crimes carried out by Israel as a solution to what they consider the Palestinian problem, because the Palestinians are a historic symbol for all the peoples of the Middle East, and beyond, of resistance to imperialist oppression. And because the United States is determined to secure its undisputed hegemony over the region.

Uniquely, Scripps continued, the SEP had fought for an understanding of this genocide and threatened regional war as part of a new imperialist carve-up of the world. Running parallel to the war in Gaza is the war in Ukraine, where hundreds of thousands of lives have likely been lost, and which is moving inexorably towards direct confrontation between the NATO and Russian militaries.

This would deepen the economics of austerity and the politics of authoritarianism.

Scripps insisted, You cannot fight any of these wars and atrocities with moral appeals, protest candidacies, pressure groups on parliament, or the institutions of the United Nations, a politics he said was summed up in the figure of Jeremy Corbyn whose five-year leadership of the Labour Party we say is a warning of what happens when a left-wing movement of workers and young people is subordinated to appeasing the right-wing, reasoning with the ruling class and working within capitalism.

In response to a question about how to achieve recognition and restoration of the state of Palestine, Scripps argued, this can only be addressed in an international context and with a fundamentally anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist politics. Israel is not supported simply because the Israeli state has a strong lobby, but because the imperialist powers have their own interests, in the region a geostrategically critical region of the world.

Ending the genocide and oppression of the Palestinians meant mobilizing a force of sufficient scale and sufficient power to defeat not just Israel, and certainly not to persuade it, but to defeat world imperialism.

This required the revival of the Marxist tradition as the basis for a rebuilding of the socialist movement and a unified movement in the Middle East of Arab and Israeli, Jewish and Muslim workers for a socialist Palestine guaranteeing full democratic and religious rights to all.

In response to a question on how to defend the National Health Service from privatisation, Andrew Feinstein answered that he thought certain areas of human activity should not be undertaken for profit and healthcare is perhaps the most obvious, before adding, I dont have a problem with the existence of the private sector.

Money could be taken from the defence budget, he said, attributing this and the existence of Britains nuclear weapons programme to the extent of corruption within the global arms trade, that feeds back into our politics.

Scripps answered, to applause, How do we defend the NHS? Among other things by as quickly as possible politically demolishing the Labour Party, which is at the moment the biggest threat to it. Billions are made available for war not public services not as a mistake and not out of some idea of grandeur but because the ruling class in this country is speaking very seriously about the end of the peace dividend, because it is contemplating war on a scale that is horrific.

Asked about his position on the Ukraine war, Scripps responded, The Ukrainian war backed by the United States, Britain and the NATO powers is as much a war for democracy and sovereignty as Israels war is to rescue the hostages and defend itself.

The NATO powers are making use of the brutal and criminal invasion of Ukraine by the Putin governmentwhich they knowingly provoked with the encroachment of NATO ever eastwards and the orchestration of a coup in 2014 to install a rabidly anti-Russian governmentas a pretext for funding a proxy and approaching a direct war.

They are using Ukrainians as cannon fodder for a strategy of wearing down, putting pressure on the Putin government in an attempt to collapse it, to installas they have done in so many other places across the world, where there are resources, where there is territory that they wanta puppet regime more amenable to their interests.

The way to stop the war was to fight, as we have done with our comrades in Russia and in Ukraine, for a joint anti-war movement that rejects Putin, that rejects Zelensky, that rejects the NATO powers. Scripps raised the imprisonment of our comrade Bogdan Syrotiuk by the Zelensky regime and appealed to those present to support the campaign for his freedom.

Feinstein, whose election manifesto does not mention Ukraine or NATO, made clear this was a politically opportunist decision. He accepted the Ukraine war has been provoked by the actions of NATO and that the Ukrainian regime was incredibly corrupt with a hard core of neo-Nazis. He then stressed, basing himself on in some ways quite problematic international law, that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was undoubtedly illegal and should therefore be condemned but that the Wests actions over Gaza meant the condemnation of Russia was seen as hypocritical and meaningless.

Stopping the war meant addressing the reality of nature of NATO, of militarism, and the global national security elite, who profit from war.

Asked about media bias, Scripps replied, You will always face the opposition of the corporate controlled media. If you are trying to do something correct, you will face their opposition. That has to be your first principle of politics. You cannot win over your sworn opponents.

This was graphically demonstrated by Corbyn who never missed an opportunity to insist that we should all just get along and that we can solve things through reasoned debate. Meanwhile, leading figures in the Labour party were alleging he was an antisemite and seeking to prevent his election. Sections of the military were openly planning for a mutiny, using his face for target practice.

Today class tensions are far more advanced. The ruling class knows it and theyre preparing for it. Thats why there are anti-strike and anti-protest laws on an appalling scale because they know there will be a mass movement of people and theyre preparing to deal with it.

The working class also has to prepare by forming their own party, based on the perspective of socialism, a perspective that has been fought for and worked out over the entirety of the 20th and through into the 21st century.

Asked how he could separate the problems he had identified throughout the evening, including corruption, from capitalism and the profit system, and why he always made a point of defending the profit system, Feinstein responded that fundamental changes are required throughout the political and economic system, but Im going to be completely honest with you, I do not know what the solution is I wish I could say there is an economic system that has worked, and that its obvious that it would work but I dont think that is the case  If we throw out the entire model now, I want to see exactly what the model that replaces it is.

Answers would be found as a community and would include elements of what we would understand economically as socialism in that. But there's a lot of people have a lot of very different views as to what socialism is.

Challenged over whether the SEP was a realistic option in deposing Keir Starmer, Scripps replied Yes because we are the only party that has waged a consistent campaign against the Labour Party and all of its factions, including the Labour left, which has for so long played the role of rounding up those who were disaffected with and alienated with this right-wing, warmongering party and claiming that it could somehow become a vehicle for something different.

We have always opposed that, we will always oppose that, and that is the only programme on which this political monster that is not just Starmer, but is the entire Labour Party, can be defeated.
Last week, about 100 package delivery drivers at Amazons DIL7 Delivery Station in Skokie, Illinois went on strike for wage increases, a 40-hour work week, and to protest union busting efforts by the company. The drivers had recently joined Teamsters Local 705 and placed demands on Amazon to improve their working conditions.

Workers at the facility are paid around $20 per hour. The company intentionally schedules them for less than 40 hours per week to avoid having to provide the benefits of full time workers. Drivers at the facility DIL7 facility located just north of Chicago are among the poorest section of workers in the community.

On June 20, workers staged a march in the warehouse and brought their demands for wages, hours, and union recognition to the DIL7 management. In a video of the march one worker stated to management that the delivery drivers are demanding, $30 per hour guaranteed 40 hours [per week] better benefits and we demand dignity. He added, We are not going to step down until we win this fight.

Just days later, Amazon announced it was ending its contract with Four Star Express Delivery, the contractor serving as the official employer of the drivers. Throughout the country Amazon enlists thousands of Delivery Service Providers (DSPs) as contractors to divide its workforce and avoid labor laws while still controlling every aspect of workers conditions.

In addition to low pay and demanding hours, Amazon delivery workers are often subject to intense surveillance. Trucks have their locations tracked at all times and drivers are monitored with cameras inside the vehicles.

The cancellation of the contract is a clear act of retaliation for workers exercising their democratic right to join the Teamsters. One other DSP in California was also organized by the Teamsters but was recognized voluntarily by the company.

In response to the cancellation of the contract, which is essentially a mass firing, the workers took strike action last Wednesday. In a statement posted to the Local 705 website one worker Ebony Echevarria, a young mother, said, I work for one of the richest men in the world and Ive had to skip meals to make sure my child eats and my bills are paid. Thats just not right. My co-workers and I are fighting for respect, decent pay, and safe working conditions for us and for all Amazon workers.

Ebony Echevarria with other workers on strike in Skokie, IL [Photo: Teamsters Local 705]

The Teamsters have recently begun a nationwide campaign to bring Amazon workers into their orbit. With over 1 million employees in the US, by converting Amazon workers into mandatory dues paying members, the Teamsters the organization would stand to reap in millions of dollars in additional revenue.

In June the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), led by Chris Smalls, which represents 5,500 workers at the JFK8 facility in New York City voted to affiliate with the Teamsters and establish a new Teamsters Local organization, the ALU-International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Local 1.

So far, JFK 8 is the only Amazon warehouse to win legal union recognition. In 2022 the ALU attempted to unionize another New York warehouse but was rejected by the workforce. Similarly in 2021 the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) attempted to unionize a facility in Bessemer, Alabama but was rejected.

Neither the ALU at JFK8 nor the Teamsters have yet to negotiate a contract with Amazon. Nor has any major strike been organized that has seriously disrupted Amazons profits. As in Skokie, where the Teamsters have won union recognition at a handful of DSPs, Amazon has immediately cancelled the contracts.

The Teamsters have filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board alleging violations of federal labor law for their practice of using the DSPs to break union drives. This is a process that could take years before the NLRB hears the suit and rules on it. By which time, rank and file workers would have long taken new jobs or been forced to accept the new organization of the DSP.

While workers joined the Teamsters because they want to fight against Amazon, the Teamsters bureaucracy are working against them at every turn. They have no interest in winning real improvements for workers wages, hours, and benefits, but in expanding their dues base.

The bureaucracy wants to establish the sort of corrupt relations with Amazon management that it enjoys at other companies. Last year, the Teamsters rammed through a sellout agreement at UPS which paved the for mass layoffs and hundreds of facility closures under the companys new Network of the Future automation program.

Additionally, the unions have pledged to support the US-NATO war against Russia and the genocide in Gaza by their support for Biden. The unions offer to the corporations to pacify workers, locking them into low wage contracts with no-strike agreements, so there will be no interference with war plans.

Amazon workers looking for a real way to fight must break with the Teamsters, turn to socialism, and join up with the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC). The IWA-RFC is preparing for a total rebellion against the corporations, union bureaucracies, war, and the capitalist system by building an international mass movement in the working class.
All three of the Universities of Wisconsin's vice presidents will be serving in interim status come September.

UW system President Jay Rothman announced the upcoming retirement of Sean Nelson, vice president for finance and administration, and the departure of Jeff Buhrandt, vice president for university relations in a statement Tuesday.

Nelson is leaving the UW system to return home to the Boston area to be closer to his elderly parents and Buhrandt is seeking employment options outside of the UW system, Rothman said.

Julie Gordon, a UW-Madison graduate who has been UW system's associate vice president of finance for 14 years and has been with the system for 17 years, will step into Nelson's role starting Sept. 9.

Chris Patton, a UW-River Falls graduate who is UW-Platteville's vice chancellor of administration and finance, will take over Buhrandt's role starting Sept. 1.

I am pleased that Julie is willing to assume Seans role following his retirement. Her long service to the Universities of Wisconsin will allow her to step in without missing a beat," Rothman said in the statement. "I am confident that Chris will accomplish some great things in his new role. We look forward to the experience and expertise he will provide the (UW system)."

The UW system's third vice president, Johannes Britz, who oversees academic and student affairs, has been serving in an interim status since 2022, when he was tapped from UW-Milwaukee's provost office. Interims can serve for around three years, so the UW system does not have immediate search plans for permanent successors, spokesperson Mark Pitsch said.

The system's diversity, equity and inclusion chief left in May after just a year on the job.
90 Day Fiance star Kobe Blaise is thinking about moving to Cameroon and his wife, Emily Bieberly, isnt so sure about the overseas relocation.

In a teaser for the Sunday, July 7, episode of 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?, Kobe, 35, brought up the idea of possibly moving to his native country for a little while as their children grow up.

I mean, its easier with the money we have saved, we can even rent, we can even build, if we wanna build a house, the former underwear model told his wife. We can equally do that with the amount of money we have saved already. Its just that, okay, in America, life is expensive. Like having a house, with the money we have, its not gonna equate to anything.

Emily, 31, and Kobe have famously lived in the Kansas natives parents home since arriving in the United States during season 10 of 90 Day Fiance. The plan was to move out of the home as soon as they got situated in America, however their plans changed when Emily found out she was expecting their second child.

Emily was surprised to hear her husband speaking about moving to Africa. I 100 percent love your culture, and your tradition  but also, were very lucky to live in America and our kids get to grow up there, she replied.

While Kobe agreed their two children  Koban and Scarlett  would have a better life in America, he argued that it could be a temporary move only lasting one to two years.

Initially I never thought about raising a family in Cameroon but after staying here, I realize if we get a place in Cameroon, it will be way cheaper, it isnt just about money and what we have, he continued. Its about investing in our kids. If they grow up in Cameroon, at this stage, even for like a year or two, it will really help the kids understand Cameroon culture.

Kobe and Emily documented their overseas trip to Cameroon during season 8 of 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? The Cameroon native was initially nervous to introduce his American wife to his family as he was the first in his family to marry a foreigner.

He admitted that he honestly didnt know how his family and friends would react to his wife, adding, This is something Im really concerned about.

While the 90 Day Fiance stars were warmly welcomed by Kobes family, his friends from Cameroon did not hesitate to tell him that they found his new American wife to be naggy.

I always think theyre unhappy in their relationships. Their cultures are really different from our own cultures because in Africa, the women have to be submissive to us, Kobes friend Valery said in a solo interview during the April 7 episode. But I know over there, its not the same, everybody have equal rights and when you cant maybe express your rights, as being a man as an African, I think you are not happy.

Despite the drama with Kobes friends, it didnt affect Emily and Kobes connection as they revealed they were expecting baby No. 3 after conceiving during the trip. The pair welcomed baby No. 3, a son named Atem, in March 2024.
The drama between Brandi Glanville and Bravo isn't ending anytime soon, with threats of a new lawsuit.

The former "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star recently revealed her plans to sue the network for allegedly using her as their "fall guy" and causing her emotional distress.

This new lawsuit marks the second in Brandi Glanville's legal battle against Bravo after she sued one of its executive producers, Andy Cohen.

Brandi Glanville Says 'I've Been Left No Choice But To Sue Bravo'

MEGA

Glanville expressed grievances against Bravo in a heated post on X, blaming them for the decline in her health and emotional struggles. She also claimed the network was responsible for her financial issues, writing:

"I've been left no choice but to sue Bravo. I have receipts [for] days. This stress has ruined my health. I have uncontrollable stress-induced angioedema. I haven't worked for a year & half. I'm [too] depressed to do my podcast & [too] swollen [for] cameo or OF. I'M BEING USED AS A FALL GUY."

The former Bravolebrity doubled down on having evidence to back her claims in a separate tweet, claiming, "I WANT SO DESPERATELY TO TWEET ALL OF MY RECEIPTS BUT MY LAWYERS WONT LET ME."

"I DO APPRECIATE ALL OF UR SUPPORT MORE THAN YOU KNOW. MY CAST FROM MOROCCO HAS BEEN SO AMAZING AND SUPPORTIVE & I LOVE THOSE GALS!" Glanville concluded.

What Sparked The New Lawsuit Against Bravo?

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Brandi Glanville (@brandiglanville)

The renewed drama between Bravo and Glanville began after the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star, Caroline Manzo, filed an affidavit connected to a sexual assault lawsuit.

She accused the former Bravolebrity of a second attack in the bathroom after producers allegedly kept giving her alcohol.

Manzo alleged the attack occurred while they were shooting the 2023 reality show "The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip" in Morocco. Glanville, per her allegations, followed her into a bathroom and pushed her against the door, causing her to hit her head.

After locking the door, Glanville allegedly groped Manzo's vagina despite her attempts to escape. This assault happened while almost all the producers did nothing to stop it, as shared by TMZ. However, Glanville slammed the claims on X, sharing that it had ruined her career.

"I read that I wasn't [punished] [for] the false allegations in Morocco. Um, I was fired, removed from the cast, held hostage in a hotel in Morocco for days!" Glanville claimed, adding:

"The cast rallied on my side & didn't want to continue without me. Cuz of the bad untrue press, I've been canceled from all jobs."

Inside The Sexual Assault Allegations Against Glanville

MEGA

Before updating her sexual assault claims, The Blast reported that Manzo had surprisingly filed a lawsuit against Bravo for Glanville's alleged crimes in January. She accused the latter of one case of harassment in Morocco, claiming:

"[Glanville] proceeded to mount Manzo on the couch holding Manzo down with her body, forcibly squeezed Manzo's cheeks together and thrust her tongue in Manzo's mouth, while humping her."

Manzo stressed that the incident caused "dormant and horrific memories" of her past to resurface, as she was sexually assaulted as a child at 7.

Despite the pain Glanville caused, the alleged victim did not blame her but Bravo for encouraging the "sexually offensive and harassing content."

Brandi Glanville Denied The Sexual Assault Allegations

MEGA

Following Manzo's lawsuit, The Blast shared that Glanville vehemently denied the allegations via a rep. The spokesperson lamented her situation, noting she "had to wake up to yet another lawsuit that includes defamatory, false accusations about her."

As for what happened between Glanville and Manzo, the rep emphasized the former Bravolebrity's innocence, claiming that "while filming, Brandi followed what the producers asked of her, and there was no sexual assault."

"She is innocent of these absurd accusations that have weighed on her mental and physical health for far too long without a word of support from Peacock, Shed, or Bravo," Glanville's rep stressed.

Glanville Accused Andy Cohen Of Sexual Harassment

MEGA

Manzo isn't the only housewife to file a sexual harassment lawsuit against Bravo, as The Blast previously reported that Glanville slammed Andy Cohen for the same crime. However, the executive producer apologized and tried to pass off the incident as a joke.

Although Cohen admitted his comments were "inappropriate," Glanville stressed through her lawyers that he should be punished for his inappropriate behavior.

"Why is Andy Cohen getting a pass? Any other supervisor at Comcast/NBC who engaged in this behavior would be fired immediately on the spot," they argued.

"It is no excuse to say that this was a joke. NBC has mistakenly given Andy too much power across their network," Glanville's lawyers continued, noting that Cohen should not be protected but removed from his position immediately.
Zara Tindall has been left shaken to the core by her mother Princess Annes mystery encounter with a horse which left her with a brain injury that has resulted in amnesia, according to a report.

OK! Magazine says that Zara, 43, has been left freaked out by the incident which saw Anne, 73, also known as The Princess Royal, struck by a horse while she was out walking, alone, on Sunday, June 23, at her home, Gatcombe Park, in the Cotswolds.

She was treated at the scene and then hospitalized for five days with severe concussion and has no idea what happened, but her doctors believe she was either kicked or headbutted.

This is exactly what Zaras been worried about happening for years now, but her mom hasnt had a chance to slow down with everyone else falling apart, a source said, referring to the catalogue of chaos that has hit the royals in recent months, with both King Charles and the Princess of Wales struck with cancer less than a year after Charles coronation.

The source added: Its really shaken Zara to the core, and shes desperately hoping this memory loss is temporary. This has been a huge wake-up call for everyone in the family, and theyre rightfully distressed.

Anne, 73, is expected to make a full recovery. Her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, said, after her discharge from hospital: 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. 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.

Zara is married to former rugby player Mike Tindall. They have three children.

Rumors have been circulating in recent days that Charles might seek to bring Zara into the orbit of the working royal family.

Anne is famed for a prodigious work ethic which sees her carry out about 500 public engagements a year.

The bestselling royal biographer of the king, Christopher Andersen, previously 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.

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.
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 former cryptocurrency company plans to launch a reality television series that will follow its efforts to send people from underrepresented nations to space aboard a Blue Origin suborbital vehicle.

The Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA), formerly called the Crypto Space Agency, plans to send people from India, Nigeria and a region known as the Small Island Developing States on a future Blue Origin flight, the U.S. company announced Monday (July 1). Spaceflight candidates will first be chosen through a public voting system, then the finalists will participate in a docuseries about the last step in the selection process, the company states on its website.

The announcement expands upon a report released in June saying the New Shepard vehicle will bring the first Nigerian to space, as well as SERA's own announcement in April saying the company had bought a six-seat Blue Origin flight for a yet-to-be disclosed date.

The Blue Origin flight is "marking a significant milestone for nations who have historically lacked access to space and paving the way for innovation and advancement within these regions," SERA representatives wrote in a statement.

Related: Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin could soon launch Nigeria's 1st-ever space tourist

SERA did not announce when Blue Origin would fly the flight, but it noted that the selectees for India, Nigeria and the small islands would be open for voting to the public in the future, with details to come. (The islands are a group of 39 states and 18 associate members of regional commissions of the United Nations, which are found in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans along with the Caribbean and South China Sea.)

SERA, when it was still called Crypto Space Agency, sponsored Brazilian Victor Correa Hespanha aboard the NS-21 suborbital mission on Blue Origin in 2022. The crypto company sold 5,555 non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to participants on April 25, 2022 and randomly selected Hespanha in a draw for the spaceflight, according to a past release.

NFTs, and cryptocurrencies more generally, have drawn warnings from the Securities and Exchange Commission about Ponzi schemes. Cryptocurrency communities have also been linked with anti-diversity and misogynic practices, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

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

Since quietly changing names in 2024 and announcing its Blue Origin flight in April, SERA has not disclosed in press releases how it is currently funded. It's possible that the upcoming Blue Origin endeavor involves a reality television arrangement, however, as SERA says it already has plans in place for the Phase 2 docuseries.

"Candidates will form into crews, with one representative from each seat, to compete in series of challenges that will be streamed over several episodes," SERA representatives wrote.

There have been attempts already to use reality television as a way to spur interest in spaceflight. The now-defunct Mars One organization proposed using documentary profits a decade ago in an unsuccessful effort to bring humans on a one-way mission to the Red Planet. Other reality show efforts concerning spaceflights have included "Space Hero" and "Who Wants To Be An Astronaut", among many others.

That said, SERA has partnered with several organizations in other countries to make the future Blue Origin flight happen, along with Blue Origin itself, the most recent press release emphasized.

"For these seats, SERA has partnered with the National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA) of Nigeria, and the Maldives Space Research Organization (MSRO). The remaining seat assignments for underrepresented countries will be revealed later this year," officials stated in the release.
"The Great Food Truck Race" lifted off for its 17th season on the Food Network by touching down at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.



Host and celebrity chef Tyler Florence welcomed nine first-time food truck teams to the George S. Abbey Rocket Park to get a first look at their trucks and to face off for their first competition, the "Blast Off Challenge," on Sunday night's (June 30) season premiere.



"Where you're standing right now represents a giant leap to push mankind to its limits," said Florence, as he and the teams were backdropped by historic Mercury-Redstone and Little Joe II rockets, as well as the building housing one of the only Apollo-era Saturn V moon rockets still in existence. "Teams, I want you to channel that energy and blast off right into your first challenge right here on the Great Food Truck Race!"



The competitors included Argentina's Empanadas from Wichita, Kansas; Bao Bei from Washington D.C.; Cooks with Passion, a Caribbean "New South" cuisine team from Atlanta; Down to Get Tacos from Gilbert, Arizona; Fishnet from Baltimore, Maryland; Kalye, featuring Filipino cuisine from New York City; Plates on Deck, serving up eclectic soul food from Davenport, Florida; SOLA Po'Boys from Los Angeles; and Wally's Waffles from Chicago.

a man wearing sunglasses and a black jacket speaks and gesticulates, with a life-sized space shuttle orbiter model in the background

In just 40 minutes, the teams had to "prep, cook and land" their Blast-Off dish, which needed to emphasize a trait about the foods that crew members prefer to eat while in space.



"Astronauts up in space experience a diminished sense of taste and smell, so they tend to crave food that really packs a punch. And you know what? So do I," said Florence. "I want you to make me an out-of-this-world flavor rocket, Blast-Off dish. Show me who you are as a food truck and blow me away."

Related: Food in space: What do astronauts eat?



The bland taste that foods can take on while in space is, in part, due to "fluid shift," or the redistribution of fluids in astronauts' bodies without the steady pull of gravity. Fluids that normally pool in the extremities become more evenly distributed, which in the short term can affect the sinuses and the astronauts' ability to smell.



On long-duration missions, crew members can also experience "nose blindness," as persistent odors emanating from on board the spacecraft or space station are "tuned out" by the brain.



To address this, astronauts tend to request spicy foods, like shrimp cocktail, and bring salt solution, pepper oil and sriracha sauce to add their meals.

seen from behind, a man in a black jacket addresses a crowd of people standing in a parking lot

As the teams inspected their new food trucks, Florence was joined by a larger-than-life astronaut, the inflatable, walk-around mascot for Space Center Houston, the official visitor center for Johnson Space Center.



"Hey Cosmo, are you ready to do this?" said Florence, before turning his attention back to the teams. "Your time starts now!"



Argentina's Empanadas decided to prepare Matambre A La Pizza, an Argentinian-style flank steak pizza.



"First thing we're going to do is make our chimichurri. We blend parsley, cilantro, olive oil and onion, and then put it on the burner," said team member Chad Freeman. "And we're grilling the steak  we will take NASA's rockets to the moon, I promise you."



Down to Get Tacos set aside their name and chose to make a quesarito instead.



"We should do something that's just going to blow [Tyler's] mind with that first bite. Blast off, right?" said Oz Gudino. "The quesarito  the burrito meets a quesadilla with a cheese crisp on the outside."



Other teams' dishes included Passa Passa pasta from Plates on Deck; Taiwanese fried chicken on a fried bao ("It's got the craters! It looks like the moon, right?") from Bao Bei; Sinigang fried rice from Kalye; crispy wild sockeye salmon taco from Fishnet; a Belgian waffle with strawberries, banana, whipped cream and chocolate sauce from Wally's Waffles; and cajun shrimp and crab curry on a rice cake from SOLA Po'Boys.



For this season, titled "Games on the Gulf," the top teams each week are being awarded gold, silver and bronze medals  a thematic tie-in with the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris  and each comes with a cash bonus. Finishing the Blast-Off Challenge in third and receiving $100 was Down to Get Tacos with their quesarito. Placing second with $200 was Plates on Deck for their jerk pasta.

closeup of a clear plastic cup of reddish-orange gumbo, with a shrimp and grits burger on the side

RELATED STORIES:

 Johnson Space Center (JSC): NASA's 'Houston'

 What will astronauts on deep space missions eat? 'Neurogastronomy' may have the answer.

 Space food: Why Mars astronauts wont have to hold the fries (video)

"There were a lot of good dishes here, but there was one that really warmed my heart," said Florence. "For the Blast-Off Challenge, the gold and $300 goes to Cooks with Passion. I got to tell you, a quick way to my heart is shrimp and grits all day long. Nice job."



Cooks with Passion prepared a shrimp and grits "burger" with fried grits serving as the bun and a gumbo dipping sauce.



With their first challenge behind them, the teams packed up their trucks and left Johnson Space Center for their next destination in downtown Houston. Over the course of this season, the nine teams will compete to stay in the race as they make their way east and a finale at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival in Miami.



"The Great Food Truck Race" is the latest cooking reality show to film at Johnson Space Center and the George S. Abbey Rocket Park. Previous series to visit NASA in Houston have included Bravo's "Top Chef" in 2022 and "Emeril Live" with chef Emeril Lagasse on the Food Network.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2024 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.
Gordon Ramsay's last meal on earth would include an In-N-Out burger and sticky toffee pudding, but when it comes to his favorite food destination, Ramsay revealed to Korean YouTuber Cho Seung-yeon that Laos has his heart. He described the food as being "just off the charts," drawing from his personal experience after exploring of the country in 2019. The Michelin star restaurateur visited Laos for his National Geographic "Uncharted" series where he traveled up and down the Mekong River. His goal was to learn all about the food so he could make a meal for the monks in the region.

During the episode, Ramsay's guide, Joy, explained that Lao food is not too sweet and that they use lots of ingredients they get from the forest. Per X, formerly known as Twitter, the celebrity chef was pleasantly surprised when he sampled the local cuisine which included frogs, snails, and "toe biters." Toe biters, or giant water bugs, are considered a delicacy. Threaded onto traditional bamboo skewers and roasted over an open fire, upon tasting, Ramsay likened their meat to a cross between a sweet lobster and crab. Additionally, he found the snails, which they wrapped in lettuce leaves with spring onions, to be delicious and meaty. But these aren't the only dishes he found of note.

Read more: 11 Of The Best Cooking Tips From Bobby Flay

Whiskey And Ant Egg Soup

ant egg soup from above - SasinTipchai/Shutterstock

During this "Uncharted" episode that placed a spotlight on Laos, Gordon Ramsay also sampled lao-lao, which is a local moonshine made from steamy, sticky rice -- a staple of the Southeastern Asian country. Ramsay explained it is "super strong" and can top out at "120 proof." But what came as a true shock was how this home brewed Laotian rice whiskey was marinated with geckos. The chef noted this extra ingredient added an unexpected sweetness to the alcohol. While Ramsay ruled it to be too strong to serve as a drink, he did express a belief that it could be a welcomed addition for a "heavenly banana flambe."

The celebrity chef even tried his hand at making ant soup, learning firsthand how to harvest the ants and their eggs from their nests. He found their citrus taste added to a tug of war of the dish's zesty, sweet and sour notes. When asked by The Independent about the biggest lesson he learned during his filming of "Uncharted," Ramsay said, "Resourcefulness and making sure that we only take what we need."

Make Ramsay's Laos-Inspired Drink

Fish in a banana leaf - Space_cat/Getty Images

Gordon Ramsay's trek through Laos also gave him a profound respect for the resources themselves. This is particularly evident in the footage showcasing when his guide, Joy, shows him how to barbecue the fish they've caught, right next to the river it came from. The dish they enjoy is called Mok Pa, and it is steamed in a banana leaf with some lemongrass to create an aromatic and tasty bite. At the end of the episode, Ramsay expressed his admiration for the country's fare, saying, "The Mekong River continues to give them something very valuable  a rich culture that thrills the taste buds and feeds the soul. That is priceless."

If you need a reason to visit Laos, the food is certainly a good one to hang your hat on, or you can do something a little more economical and try making Ramsay's recipe for a Laos-inspired pina colada right in your own kitchen. What makes this drink unique is all of the fresh ingredients used along with sticky rice whiskey -- lao-lao. This drink uses pineapple, coconut, coconut cream, fresh mint leaves, and palm sugar boiled with water, which, in a Facebook post, Ramsay notes "tastes like caramel." Blend it all together, and you too may feel a metaphorical breeze from the Mekong River.

Read the original article on The Daily Meal.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Footwear News may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.





More from Footwear News





Queen Letizia attended the delivery of Royal offices of employment at the Zaragoza Military Academy on July 3 in Zaragoza, Spain. During the ceremony, the queen was joined by Infanta Sofia of Spain and King Felipe VI of Spain.

King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, and Infanta Sofia during the delivery of the Royal Dispatches of employment and appointments to the new officers of the Army and the Civil Guard, at the General Military Academy.

The royal sported a pair of Crystal Pave Strappy Slide Sandals in Ore Satin by Pedro Garcia for the occasion in a breezy style. The queens footwear featured a multitude of shiny fabric straps that sat atop her foot. Additionally, the silhouette was slip-on and featured thick soles and open toes. The strappy style was neutral, contrasting the vibrant hues featured in her ensemble.

A closer look at Queen Letizias shoes.

The sandal style is exceedingly popular among many royal figures, Letizia included. The queen of Spain has been spotted in a variety of casual and formal sandal styles over the years in a variety of heeled and flat styles hailing from the likes of Adolfo Dominguez, Carolina Herrera, Jack Rogers, Jimmy Choo, Magrit and Mango, among others.

In a vibrant move, Letizia wore a Maje floral-printed chiffon midi dress. The garment included a multi-tiered look accompanied by a structural bodice, ruched midsection and a blossoming multi-colored floral print set atop a white background, making the florals pop. Although it seems to be out of circulation on Majes website, the royals dress can be purchased on a variety of third-party websites and ranges in price. Rounding out her look, the queen also sported gold jewelry.

Queen Letizia of Spain attends the delivery of Royal offices of employment at the Zaragoza Military Academy.

Letizia has been known to slip on footwear ranging from Carolina Herrera blue slingback pumps, which she wore in Amsterdam in April of this year, to clean white sneakers, which she wore at the Gallery of Royal Collections in Spain in May. She opted for bejeweled flats and a tie-dye dress welcoming the Motion Picture Association chairman to Zarzuela Palace on June 27. She stayed lower to the ground in kitten heels at her countrys Flag Oath anniversary in May but opted for extra height in tall block heel pumps at an April commemoration for the 1992 Spanish Olympic games.

Shop a Similar Style

Pedro Garcia Vendy Water Resistant Slide Sandal

On Sale 30% off

$402 Buy Now at nordstrom

Kate Middleton, Wimbledon 2022

Celebrities at Wimbledon Over the Years: Kate Middleton, David Beckham & More

View Gallery 20 Images









Launch Gallery: Royal Ascot Shoes Through the Years: From Princess Diana to Kate Middleton

Best of Footwear News

Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
What are Americans searching for this July 4th? See top trending cocktails, hot dogs and more

July Fourth celebrations are changing, with some cities opting for drones over fireworks and holiday grillmeisters all fired up to grill  corn and asparagus?

More Americans said they plan to grill or barbecue on July 4th this year (56%) than last year (49%), based on the more than 1,000 surveyed by research firm Numerator in April 2024.

Grilling ranked second only to gathering with family and friends  58% said that was their July 4th plan  and surpassed attending a public celebration (31%), cooking or baking at home (26%), and hosting others at their home (18%), Numerator's survey found.

What is open July Fourth? See store hours and details for Target, Walmart, Home Depot and more.

Tasha Frazier, left, and her nephew, Ernest Crear, right, grill food for members of their families on July 4, 2021 at Sawyer Point Park in Cincinnati, Ohio.

What's cooking July Fourth? The most searched "How to grill" foods

You might expect most grilling plans would focus on cooking meat as a main dish. Meats like chicken, salmon and steaks were the top "how to grill" searches on Google last year leading up to the July Fourth holiday.

But this year, among the top-searched "How to grill" subjects, based on Google search data, corn on the cob got the most searches. Here's the top five:

How to grill corn on the cob How to grill salmon How to grill chicken breast How to grill asparagus How to grill burgers

Maybe most backyard cooks have mastered cooking meats, but remember to cook meat thoroughly and follow proper food safety at your cookouts.

Best grills to buy: See Reviewed.com's top 7 recommended grills

Grilled corn on the cob  shown here at the T Bone Steakhouse in Phoenix on June 29, 2021  edged out meat options among the top-searched "How to grill" subjects on Google ahead of July Fourth.

Top searched BBQ sauce types by state

Tastes appear to be changing, too, when it comes to barbecue sauces.

This could be a case of the familiarity of traditional barbecue sauce styles leading to slack search traffic, but the most searched BBQ sauce type ahead of July 4th, according to Google search data, was overwhelmingly "Japanese BBQ sauce," followed by Hawaiian BBQ sauce, Korean BBQ sauce, White BBQ sauce and Carolina BBQ sauce.

The most searched BBQ sauce type ahead of July 4th, according to Google search data, was overwhelmingly "Japanese BBQ sauce."

Top hot dog types searched by state

Beef hot dogs and kosher dogs got some attention in Google searches of unique hot dog types, ahead of July 4th. But others such as the Korean Hot Dog, Chicago Hot Dog, Coney Island Dog and Sonoran Hot Dog attracted more traffic, according to Google search data.

Surprises? The Reindeer Hot Dog, searched in Alaska, and Dirty Water Hot Dog, searched in Hawaii, and the Red Snapper Hot Dog (Maine).

The Korean Hot Dog, Chicago Hot Dog, Coney Island Dog and Sonoran Hot Dog attracted traffic ahead of July 4th, according to Google search data.

Top Fourth of July salads

Pasta salad was the top searched salad in the most states, ahead of July 4th, followed by cucumber salad, chicken salad, fruit salad and others, according to Google search data.

Top trending Fourth of July cocktails

Searches about the Bomb pop cocktail spiked in the U.S. during the week leading up to July Fourth, according to Google search data. (Google defines "top trending" searches as: search terms that had the highest spike in traffic over a given time period as compared with the previous equivalent period).

Bomb pop cocktail Sangria Aviation cocktail Margarita Aperol spritz

Top trending Fourth of July things to do

What do Americans plan to do over the July Fourth holiday week and weekend? Dangerous heat across the U.S. ahead of July 4th could have helped Google searches surge to give "Water park," a higher-than-usual spike in traffic over "Fireworks" and "Camping." (Note: Branded location searches were excluded from the results.)

Water park Fireworks Camping Movies Zoo

At Fuzzy's Taco Shops, you can toast the Fourth of July with the limited-time Bomb-a-'Rita, a frozen strawberry margarita, made with blue curacao and topped with Bomb Pop.

What to wear on July Fourth?

"Skort" got the highest spike in traffic among red white and blue items of apparel over the past week, according to Google search data.

Skort T-shirt Hat Heels Summer dress

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: July 4th food: Most-searched-for grilled foods, cocktails, salads
We Asked, You Answered: How Indian Country is Celebrating the Fourth of July

Last week, we asked Native News Online social media followers how they celebrate the Fourth of July as Native Americans.

The responses were diverse, reflecting a wide range of traditions, reflections, and celebrations. From honoring ancestral resilience to participating in community events, Indian Country has a unique perspective on this national holiday.



Read on to see how Indian Country is celebrating the Fourth of July, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

The following answers have been published as written.

Jean Ttarp

I enjoy spending time with my loved ones and having a paid day off from work. I also take some time to contemplate what "independence" and "freedom" mean for this nation where so many people do not experience these concepts.

Robin St. Claire-Lopez

We watch the local parade and then go to a lake and have a cookout then watch the fireworks, I don't celebrate it because of what it stands for I just enjoy being with family and friends on this day because we all get the day off..lol

Ronald K Oldman

I dont go to parades, thats not my celebration, I go fishing with my family in the mountains to escape all of the craziness.

Galen Galbreath

I don't. And I usually spend the day comforting my elder Scottish Terrier Lass who is traumatized by the colonizer fireworks being set off.

Lynn Gnez

Just stay home , grill some food and be with my family!!

Phyllis Miller

Stay home and eat hotdogs. We used to have cookouts to honor our Dad. He was a WWII Navy Seabee Veteran. He loved having all 7 of his children and their families home.

Leksi Mac

I only watch Native programming that day and listen to traditional Pow Wow radio, I might sweat as well.

MCatherine Harper

Watching movies at home, then maybe checking out the fireworks from our front yard. We used to stay in because our dog didn't like the noise but he passed in November so we might as well enjoy the display our tax dollars are paying for.

Beth Bech

I try to keep my dog from freaking out, while the neighbors indulge in random explosions

Maadaookii

Indian Tacos with family today.

Coach J

Family, Friends, and Frybread! Barbecue, steak, beef ribs, green chili, mutton stew, and frybread! Enjoying the fact that I am still here to enjoy the finer things in life with people I care about!

About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. "

Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net
Is hard tea here to stay? Heres what you need to know about this emerging category.

Stateside Vodka / AriZona Hard / TWISTED TEA BREWING COMPANY / New Belgium Brewing

Americans have a fondness for sweet drinks that has long extended into the alcohol space. And while the Long Island Iced Tea has long held a unique place in the pantheon of cocktails aimed at the just-turned-21 crowd, as drinkers mature, many have shifted their attention to similar tasting but lower ABV hard iced tea.

Classified broadly as a flavored malt beverage (FMB), Twisted Tea has long been the best-selling hard iced tea in the country. Its produced by Boston Beer Company, the group behind iconic beer brands like Samuel Adams and Dog Fish Head beers, Angry Orchard Ciders, and Truly Hard Seltzer, which is also an FMB.

While theres seemingly endless competition in the hard seltzer and beer space, Twisted Tea was, for a long time, mostly alone in the hard tea category. But in recent years new entries have emerged, some from established beer makers, and some from well-known regular iced tea makers now dabbling in the booze business.

The new wealth of options on store shelves today has this shaping up to be a summer of hard tea.

Some people just don't consider themselves beer drinkers, but they do like hard tea, says Michelle Robertson, the senior brand manager for Voodoo Ranger, a brand under New Belgium Brewing Co., which is owned by Kirin Beverage Group in Japan. So, it's just another way to reach new drinkers who are looking for something more in that FMB segment.

Related: Which Hard Seltzers Are the Best?

Voodoo Ranger recently released its Hard Charged Tea, which has a higher ABV than Twisted Tea and others (7% ABV vs. 5% ABV), earlier this year, seeking to capitalize on the trend and earn a part of the growing segment. It released a few flavors including peach, half lemonade, and a razz pop, which aims to mimic the flavors of the classic red, white, and blue bomb pop.

We identified the whitespace of Voodoo Ranger drinkers that love these drinks that are bold, refreshing, high ABV, and they are sometimes looking for something that's not a beer, says Robertson. And so that's why we're comfortable providing Hard Charged Tea to them. We've had this positive response, and we're going to continue having Hard Charged Tea nationwide, because we're definitely seeing the demand for it.

Voodoo Ranger isnt alone. Other breweries like Ohios Great Lakes Brewing Co. and New Jerseys Cape May Brewing Co. have released their own hard teas. Familiar convenience store cooler brands like Lipton, Arizona, Dunkin have also partnered up with alcohol producers to create adult versions of familiar flavors, often just recreating already popular N/A offerings with added kick.

Related: Arizona Iced Tea Just Dropped a New Alcoholic Beverage

With a little over a year under our belts, Lipton Hard Iced Tea sales numbers continue to exceed projections, said Lisa Texido, brand director of Lipton Hard Iced Tea in a media release earlier this year. With that, we wanted to deliver even more variety to consumers and knew that a Citrus Green Tea flavor made sense since its already Liptons top-selling flavor. The refreshing new flavor is made with real-brewed Lipton green tea as the base and amped up with 5% alcohol.

An FMB often uses a base derived from malt or fermented sugar to create a neutral alcohol that can be flavored with whatever adjuncts a maker chooses. Many in the hard tea space will say it is brewed with real tea and natural flavors to achieve the desired flavor. Most hard teas are either lightly carbonated or lack carbonation.

Others on the FMB scene have opted instead to use distilled spirits. High Noon, known for their seltzers, has entered the space with its release of a vodka iced tea while Surfside, a relative new brand, has been making quick inroads by combining vodka with familiar flavors like peach and half and half.

Hard teas fit into many of the same drinking occasions as hard seltzers, like the beach and pool outings, tailgating, or even bar hangs. Theres a comfortable familiarity to them accompanied by a sugar kick that many crave.

Even as bigger players get into the space, theres an opportunity for smaller producers to play with different teas and botanicals to create exciting and refreshing flavors that go beyond what is generally available now.

The reason people, especially brewers are so interested in it is we are seeing it as a product that drinkers are gravitating towards, says Robertson. We've seen a lot of success from legacy brands like Twisted Tea that have built this category, and people are looking for a hard tea to drink. And there aren't a ton of players out in the space yet. And it's seeing growth so obviously it's an appealing category for brewers who are in the beer category, which isn't seeing quite as much growth especially craft beer.

For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Food & Wine.
New bridges in recovery: How these women earn a degree after incarceration

Opalene Theriot had been incarcerated in Perryville prison for six years and felt like everything had changed.

During her time inside the West Valley womens prison, COVID-19 had upended society, throwing social and workplace norms into flux. The strictures of prison life had made it difficult for Theriot to meaningfully keep up with her family, most of whom are deaf and use American Sign Language to communicate.

She had changed too. Found her feet in the intimidating atmosphere of prison. Freed herself from the cycle of addiction that had claimed much of her 20s and 30s. Gone to therapy, where, among women who had similar struggles and aspirations, she peeled back layers of trauma and worked on things like anger, acceptance and forgiveness  of others, and of herself.

But still, as her release date loomed in 2021, Theriot didnt feel empowered by the idea of walking out of prison, pursuing work and relationships and further education. She felt scared.

You dont know, she said, what the world is going to think of you.

Where it all started  and started going wrong

Theriot was born in Tucson, into a family of deaf people.

Deafness is genetic in her family, going back generations on both sides. Her mother and father met in the high school program at Gallaudet University in Washington ,D.C., a world-renowned school for the deaf. Her older brother and sister were both born deaf.

And then Theriot came along.

Opalene Theriot poses for a photo at the Magdalene House in Avondale, Arizona, on June 28, 2024.

The fact she could hear surprised everybody, not least of all her mother.

She just thought she was going to have another deaf kid, Theriot, now 38, said. So it was kind of an anomaly.

As Theriot was growing up, her family was heavily ingratiated in Deaf culture. Deaf with a capital D denotes a specific community among deaf and hard-of-hearing people, one that sees deafness not as a disability but as a rich culture with norms, values and language of its own.

They wear it as like a proud badge of honor, Theriot said. Something to be proud of. Not to feel shame about.

Her family gravitated toward areas where other deaf people lived. Her sister went to the Gaulludet high school too, and now her niece is attending there.

Just like how someone goes to Yale and then their kid goes to Yale, Theriot said. Its a family thing.

Growing up as a hearing person in a Deaf family, Theriot often felt like the odd one out. Her familys profound connection to Deaf culture sometimes felt like a message. That maybe I didnt belong, Theriot said. That I didnt quite fit in.

She spent most of her childhood in Chicago after moving there with her mother at age four, but as a teenager moved around a lot, between different high schools and homes.

She had a tough relationship with her mom, who, Theriot said, was going through her own issues. I just desired the attention from her, she said. I wanted her approval. And I just wasn't getting that. So I would act out.

And she endured sexual abuse, first as a child, unable to make sense of what was happening. Then again as a teenager, at the hands of so-called friends who would not take no for an answer.

She made it through, and went to college, taking a range of classes before deciding to pursue an interpreting degree. But her mental health deteriorated and she struggled to keep up with the work.

Thats when Theriot discovered opiates.

She would buy Oxycontin from a fellow student, who had a prescription after being injured in a traffic accident. At first, it felt like the pills took away her mental pain, lent a false confidence that helped her make it through the day.

Like, Ahh, Theriot said, issuing a relieved sigh. I don't have to live so wound up anymore. I can just be myself.

But then she kept taking them. And kept taking them.

Thats kind of where it all started, Theriot said, and I just never finished my degree as a result.

It would be years before she returned to college, in the most unexpected of ways.

Addiction and recovery, the cycle she had to break

In the years that followed, Theriot would lapse in and out of active addiction.

The substance varied  opiates, methamphetamines, heroin, crack  but the cycle was unceasing: addiction, recovery, sobriety, relapse, addiction.

Opalene Theriot poses for a photo at the Magdalene House in Avondale, Arizona, on June 28, 2024.

After losing her job as a student interpreter for falling asleep in class twice and then catching a felony for drug paraphernalia, Theriot wound up working as a cocktail waitress in a strip club.

It didnt fit her reserved nature, but she found it strangely liberating, especially in the context of her history of sexual abuse.

Because now, I'm taking the money from them, she explained. When they were taking something from me, all those years and all those times.

She lost that job too, fired due to her drug use.

After an intervention from her family, she finally went into treatment and stayed sober for four months, taking only a low dose of Suboxone, a combination medication to treat addiction. Because Suboxone is part opioid, some believe taking it doesnt count as being sober, though acceptance of medication-assisted recovery is increasingly widespread.

Theriot was proud of her four months, every day of sobriety a hard-fought battle. But when she finally finished the course of Suboxone, her Narcotics Anonymous sponsor told her to go get a 24-hour chip.

Theriot was crushed.

Now, she said, she would handle it differently. Not let someone else convince her that her sobriety wasnt real. Remain proud of her four months of hard work. Make the decision that was best for her.

But back then?

I waited for that right moment to be like, You know what, screw it, Theriot said. And then I relapsed really bad.

She fell in with people who were deep in addiction, a world she hadnt inhabited before. Addicts that would do anything as a means to get what they needed, she said. Its a different crowd.

She learned about petty crime. Became homeless. Got arrested several times, mostly for trespassing. And copped another felony charge for possession of a dangerous drug.

While on probation, Theriot was caught shoplifting. Knowing she would go to jail if she identified herself, she handed the officers another womans I.D. instead. She thought shed gotten away with it, but the charge just took a while to hit, winding its way through the justice system unknown to her.

In the meantime, still on probation, Theriot took and used her great aunts credit card and was charged with fraud. She was sentenced and served time for the drug and fraud offenses. Then she was hit with the charge of taking the identity of another over the false I.D.

Altogether, it took six years of her life in Perryville.

Time inside and spiritual discoveries

Theriot had always seen herself as spiritual, not religious. Organized religion, she said, just wasnt my thing.

But it was something she started to explore more in prison. She attended church services, read books about Hinduism and Buddhism, and even tried to make her way through the Bible. But it didnt quite click.

Not until she spoke with Deacon Gay Romack, the founder of Bridges Reentry, an organization that helps women transition out of prison.

Romack, an ordained deacon in the Episcopal Church, started Bridges after she began to run worship services at Perryville and realized how daunting many women found the prospect of release.

The organization offers a residential program, with six beds available at Magdalene House in Avondale for formerly incarcerated women. A second house has just opened in Goodyear, with room for five more.

Bridges also offers mentoring, storytelling and pen pal programs, as well as a release day pick-up service.

Theriot had heard about Bridges while inside.

She had a rocky start to prison life. In her first yard, she said, there were moments she had to physically defend herself from other inmates, but after later transferring to a treatment unit, she felt safer and was able to do individual and group therapy. Later, she moved to a working yard and got a job at Televerde, a business sales and marketing company that employs inmates.

She also went through a 12-step program again. Her sponsor, a fellow inmate and friend, was set to live at Magdalene House after her release. Through her, Theriot met Romack  or, as she calls her, Deacon Gay  and they got talking.

Freshly out and feeling vulnerable, Theriot figured she needed all the help she could get. But she wasnt sure if her irreligiosity would be an issue. She was upfront with Romack: Im more just spiritual.

She was just so non-judgemental in a way that it piqued a curiosity of mine, Theriot said. A genuine curiosity, you know, like why? Why do these people want to help me?

Theriot asked a lot of questions. How does this work? How does the church feel about gay people? Sometimes Romack would send her a paper to read in response. Sometimes she would just admit that the answer was complicated, not neatly laid out for people to understand.

Romack, with her warm, open approach and a strip of purple dyed into her hair, felt like someone Theriot could trust. When Romack offered Theriot a Bridges mentor, she jumped at the chance, and was assigned a volunteer named Kathy.

She was just like, this really sweet lady who had nothing to do with prison, incarceration, addiction, Theriot said. But the fact that she was able to talk to me like I was a human being, made me realize, oh, wait, maybe I am a human being.

Slowly but surely, Kathy helped break down Theriots intense fear about how the world would see her.

I'm not just a number. I'm not just an addict. I'm not all those things from my past, she said. I can build a new life, and I can be known for being who I am today.

With Kathy as her constant cheerleader, Theriot adjusted to life outside prison, getting a job at a tech company where she has now worked for two years.

When she first got out, she spent a year in an interpreting program, but realized she wouldnt be able to pursue the work she wanted with her felony record. (Theriot hopes to eventually get her record expunged.)

She had thought about going back to school, earning a college degree, years after losing the first attempt to addiction. But her existing student loans were already a financial burden, and it didnt seem practical. Theriot put it on the backburner.

Then she mentioned her passing thought to Romack.

'I didn't think I deserved it'

Romack had been talking with Nina McCune, the associate dean of inclusive teaching and learning at Walden University, about the possibility of a scholarship for Bridges women.

Before she landed at Walden, a private online university, McCune had taught at community college, where she first came across the concept of education in prison.

Ive always kind of been looking for an opportunity to do something in this area, she said.

She was impressed by Romacks passion and her holistic approach to mentoring, and felt the non-profit and universitys missions were hand-in-hand. (The religious aspect of Bridges was not a factor, McCune said.)

They devised a two-pronged program. One, Bridges mentees and staff can access Waldens online learning programs, taking self-paced skill-building courses in things like Excel.

Two, Walden would offer scholarships to two formerly incarcerated women, financially supporting them all the way to a degree, and accepting completed credits from past studies and courses taken in prison.

From left, Opalene Theriot and Sara Schweigart pose for a photo together at the Magdalene House in Avondale, Arizona, on June 28, 2024.

The first scholarships went to Theriot and a woman named Sara Schweigart, both studying a bachelor of science in communications.

Schweigart, who was released from Perryville last year, now manages a house for trafficked women and facilitates mens recovery groups, using a peer support certification she earned while in prison.

She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, where her lifetime struggle with addiction began at age five, introduced to drinking by her alcoholic father. Life did not get easier from there.

When she got the call from Walden, Schweigart was floored.

I didnt understand why, she said. I know its God, and I know its Bridges. But I didnt think I deserved it.

Encouraged by her 4.0 GPA, Schweigart has since changed her mind on that.

She is on track to graduate next year, and hopes to walk the stage in Orlando, where Walden will hold its summer commencement. Her dad lives in Florida these days, and isnt getting any younger.

Were still very emotional when we talk, Schweigart said. So when I call him, I make sure he knows that I'm doing what I'm doing. I get to speak here, I'm going to school. I just made honor society.

And so when I tell him stuff like that, he knows that I have changed my life.

McCune said intergenerational trauma was a big part of why she wanted to help formerly incarcerated women.

Sara Schweigart poses for a photo at the Magdalene House in Avondale, Arizona, on June 28, 2024.

Women who are incarcerated tend to have so many layers of trauma, she said, adding that a high percentage of those women are mothers and the trauma gets passed down.

A history of incarceration can also severely limit social and economic mobility, hindering an entire familys ability to thrive long after a woman steps out of prison.

Theyve paid their debt to society, McCune said, but a stain follows them. It affects economic growth and exacerbates racial divides.

I think we need to be a lot more proactive, she said.

The Bridges scholarships are one way of doing that.

Its a small way of advancing womens overall health by improving educational chances and hopefully improving economic and social mobility, McCune said.

I know its a small contribution. But I think its meaningful. I hope its meaningful.

Moving forward, looking back

Its very different to be a student at 38 as opposed to 19, Theriot said.

Back then, she had different priorities. She was insecure. She didnt know what she wanted. She was trying to make friends. She didnt know how to do her best.

I would agonize hours over a paper, she said. And now I'm just like   Theriot mimed typing rapidly. No problem.

Sometimes, when she looks back at her life, she feels anxious, about the decisions she made, the years she lost to addiction and Perryville. She feels old, like she should have graduated already.

But then she remembers how happy she is working and studying. The joy she finds in the little things, like going to bed early.

And its just Theriot paused. It's just so much better than any feeling that the drugs ever gave me or freedom that I thought I was getting from it.

Its still weird to look back at her life. She harbors shame and guilt about her past, worried her history will follow her to jobs and relationships. That when others look at her, they see a woman who feels like a stranger now, a person she cannot understand.

How was I an addict? Theriot asked rhetorically. Obviously I remember it. But just, its so strange to me that I used to put a needle in my arm. Or its so strange to me that I used to smoke cigarettes.

It is mind-boggling, she said.

And so I think that kind of excites me in a way, because it's like, OK. That was only such a small part of my journey, she added.

I still have the next 50 years to live, and I can rewrite my story in a totally different way.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Bridges Reentry program supports women to earn degrees after prison
Can you buy alcohol on July 4th? A look at alcohol laws by state in the US

With the Fourth of July right around the corner, one thing is certain  plenty of Americans around all 50 states will be tossing one back, enjoying a holiday liquid lunch, or otherwise partaking in a myriad of beer, wine, and cocktails.

According to 2024 data from Capitol One Research, Americans spent approximately $4.02 billion on alcohol last year, most of it coming through beer sales.

You must be 21 and up to drink and purchase alcohol in all 50 U.S. states. But each state is different though with varying alcohol laws governing where, when, and how one can purchase and consume alcohol on Independence Day. With that in mind, here is a look at how one can responsibly sip on everything from a light beer to a Long Island Iced Tea.

Beer and American flags.

July 4th hours: Are banks, post offices, UPS and FedEx open on July 4th? Here's what to know

Check to see if your state sells alcohol on the July 4th:

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 | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming

Alabama

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, but according to an Alabama ABC Board website, all liquor stores will be closed except for Store 239, Orange Beach, and Store 240, Gulf Shores.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Grocery stores only sell wine with an alcohol content below 14% and beer with an alcohol content under 6%, states Alcohol Problems and Solutions.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be served Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.

Alaska

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, according to Vinepair, people will be able to purchase alcohol.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? No, Alaska is one of the only states where no alcoholic beverages can be purchased from grocery stores, according to USA TODAY's previous reporting.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be served from 8 a.m. to 5 a.m., according to the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development.

Arizona

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes. Liquor can also be served on election day, according to the Arizona Department of Liquor.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, you can purchase multiple kinds of alcohol and alcoholic drinks in Arizona's grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be served from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m., according to Arizona Liquor Law.

Arkansas

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes. However, the sale of alcohol is prohibited on Sundays and Christmas Day, reports 5News.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, but grocery stores only sell wine and beer.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be served from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m., according to Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Division.

California

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, but those planning on spending the day in Lake Tahoe may not be able to enjoy an ice-cold beer. The U.S. Forest Service has banned alcohol from areas around the lake.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, beer, wine and liquor can be purchased at grocery stores, according to American Addiction Centers' Alcohol.org.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be served from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m., according to Californias Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

Colorado

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes. People can purchase alcohol on the Fourth of July. However, it is illegal to sell alcohol on Christmas, according to the state's liquor code.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, but only beer and wine are sold at grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be served from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., according to Colorados Liquor and Tobacco Enforcement Division.

Connecticut

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, beer and wine.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Liquor stores have their set times to close. However, grocery stores like Stop & Shop stop selling liquor at 8 p.m. On Sundays, it is 6 p.m.

Delaware

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, the only holidays on which the sale of alcohol is prohibited are Thanksgiving, Easter, or Christmas, according to the state's laws. People are also not allowed to sell alcohol on Sundays.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? No alcohol can be purchased at grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be served from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m., according to Delaware law.

Florida

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, the Florida statutes do not prohibit the sale of alcohol on any holiday.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, but only beer and wine are sold in grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be served from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m., according to Get Tips.

Georgia

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, Georgia's rules and regulations do not prohibit the sale of alcohol on any holiday.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, but only beer and wine are sold in grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be served from 8 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Sundays, according to Georgia laws.

Hawaii

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, Hawaii's liquor laws do not prohibit the sale of alcohol on any holiday.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, liquor, beer, and wine are sold in grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? According to Park Street Imports, hours can vary depending on the county, but in most cases, alcohol can be sold usually from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Idaho

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes. Idaho only prohibits the sale of alcohol on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day, and any Sunday according to the state's laws.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, but only beer and wine are sold in grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be served from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Sundays, according to Idaho laws.

Illinois

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, Illinois' liquor laws do not prohibit the sale of alcohol on any holiday.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, liquor, beer, and wine are sold in grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be served from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. seven days a week, according to the Illinois Liquor Control Commission.

Indiana

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, Indiana's rules and laws do not prohibit the sale of alcohol on any holiday.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, liquor, beer, and wine are sold in grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be served Sunday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Iowa

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, Iowa's liquor laws do not prohibit the sale of alcohol on any holiday.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, liquor, beer, and wine are sold in grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be served Sunday to Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Kansas

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue, Kansas' liquor laws only prohibit the sale of alcohol on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Sundays.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, but only beer is sold in grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be served Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., but the sale of alcohol is prohibited on Sundays.

Kentucky

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, but Kentucky prohibits the sale of alcohol on Sundays, according to its Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, but only beer is sold in grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be served Monday to Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m., but the sale is prohibited on Sundays.

Louisiana

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, Louisiana liquor laws do not prohibit the sale of alcohol on any holiday.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, although it is subject to individual town and Parrish regulations.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Depending on local regulations, alcohol can be served from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Maine

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, there are no restrictions in Maine laws regulating the sale of alcohol on any holiday.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, liquor, beer, and wine are sold in grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be served from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Maryland

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, there are no restrictions in Maine laws regulating the sale of alcohol on any holiday.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? A small number of individual stores are grandfathered in under a 1978 law, but otherwise, all alcohol sales in Maryland are restricted to liquor stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol sales are limited to 8 a.m.-11 p.m. with certain specific county-based restrictions.

Massachusetts

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, beer, wine, and liquor can all be purchased at grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol sales are restricted from 8 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Michigan

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, there are no restrictions on alcohol purchases for the July 4th holiday in Michigan.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, in Michigan, beer, wine, and liquor can all be purchased at grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol sales in Michigan are limited to 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Minnesota

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, there are no restrictions on alcohol purchases for the July 4th holiday in Minnesota.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? In the state, gas stations and convenience stores are only allowed to sell beer of 3.2% ABV or less. Elsewhere, there are no such regulations.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol sales are restricted to 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. in the state.

Mississippi

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, Mississippi has no restrictions for alcohol purchases on July 4th.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? In convenience stores, only beer sales are allowed. All other purchases are restricted to liquor stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Sales in Mississippi can be made between 7 a.m. and 2 a.m.

Missouri

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, Missouri law permits alcohol sales on all federal holidays.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, there are no restrictions in Missouri on the sale of alcoholic beverages in grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? In Missouri, alcohol can be sold between 7 a.m. and 2 a.m.

Montana

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? In Montana, grocery stores are restricted to beer and wine sales.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Sales in Montana can be made between 8:30 a.m. and 2 a.m.

Nebraska

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, Nebraska has no restrictions on alcohol sales during the July 4th holiday.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes. Beer, wine, and alcohol are sold in grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? In Nebraska, alcohol sales can be held from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Nevada

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, alcohol purchases are not restricted in Nevada during the July 4th holiday.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? All forms of alcoholic beverages are available for purchase at grocery stores, convenience stores, and liquor stores around the state.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Nevada is the only state where alcohol can be purchased at any time of day.

New Hampshire

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? In New Hampshire, grocery stores are restricted to beer and wine sales.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcoholic beverages can be served from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.

New Jersey

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, New Jersey has no restrictions for alcohol purchases on July 4th.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? New Jersey state laws limit the number of liquor licenses allotted to businesses, meaning sales are functionally limited to liquor stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be purchased in New Jersey from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.

New Mexico

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, beer, wine, and liquor can be purchased at grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol in New Mexico can be purchased between 7 a.m. and 2 a.m.

New York

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, there are no restrictions on alcohol sales in New York on July 4th.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Grocery and convenience stores can sell beer and "wine products," but all other sales are restricted to licensed liquor stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be sold 24 hours a day in grocery and convenience stores throughout New York but alcohol can't be served on-premises between the hours of 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. on weekdays and 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Sundays, the New York State Liquor Authority says.

North Carolina

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Only beer and wine are available for purchase at grocery stores and convenience stores. All other sales are limited to liquor stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol sales are limited to 7 a.m. and 2 a.m.

North Dakota

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes. Beth Leintz, licensing administrator at the North Dakota Office of Attorney General, says the Fourth of July is "just like any other day," so liquor sales are permitted.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol sales can happen daily from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m., according to North Dakota Attorney General's Office.

Ohio

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, no Ohio law restricts sales on the July 4 holiday.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, grocery stores can sell beer, wine, and low-proof drinks if properly permitted to do so.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Our OHLQ (Ohio Liquor) locations are also open, unless they request to close early, normal hours (9 a.m.  11 p.m.). Simply put  overall, its business as usual in Ohio on July 4, Brandon Klein, public information officer, Ohio Department of Commerce, said.

Oklahoma

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, stores like Northside Liquor will operate regular business hours on that day.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Liquor stores are open 8 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday, according to the state of Oklahoma's website. But time varies depending on what convenience or grocery store where you buy alcohol from. For example, grocery stores like Crest Foods are open 24 hours a day and stop selling liquor at 2 a.m.

Oregon

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, beer and wine.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Hours can vary. "(Liquor) Stores must be open between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m., but cannot open before 7 a.m. or close later than 10 p.m. Liquor store operators have the option of being open on Sundays and legal holidays with hours of operation varying from store to store," according to the State of Oregon's website,

Pennsylvania

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Grocery stores and convenience stores set their own hours to sell alcohol, Shawn Kelly, press secretary of the Liquor Control Board of Pennsylvania, said.

Rhode Island

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? No, except for the city of Newport in restricted circumstances in the RIGL 3-7-3, Don DeFedele, Associate Director/Chief Securities Examiner at the Department of Business Regulation in the State of Rhode Island, said.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? "Alcohol sales are allowed Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., in retail establishments that have a license to sell liquor.", according to Alcohol.org.

South Carolina

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Grocery stores can sell beer and wine only, Tim Smith, Public Information Officer for the South Carolina Department of Revenue said. Alcohol, meaning liquor, is only able to be sold in a Retail Liquor Store licensees and authorized to sell.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Retail liquor store licensees in South Carolina can only be open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Off-premises beer and wine permit holders can make to-go sales 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Smith said. "On-premises beer & wine permit holders cannot make on-premises sales between 2-10 a.m. on Sundays.

South Dakota

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? "Yes. State law permits grocery stores to obtain licenses to sell any type of alcohol for off-premises consumption, Kendra Baucom, marketing and communications, South Dakota Department of Revenue said.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? State law permits alcohol to be sold, served, or consumed any day between 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. Municipalities and counties are permitted to have more restricted ordinances. Baucom said.

Tennessee

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes. In 2018, selling wine and liquor in Tennessee on the holiday became legal, according to reporting by The Tennessean, a part of the USA TODAY Network.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, but only beer and wine are sold in grocery stores.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? According to the Tennessee State Government's website, alcohol can be sold Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Texas

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes. Texas law allows for retail alcohol sales on July 4  there are no restrictions for sales on that date, Chris Porter, Director of Communications/Executive Division at the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, said.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, Texas grocery stores can obtain a permit to sell wine and malt beverage products with an alcohol content up to 17% ABV, Porter said.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? According to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Texas law states that you can buy alcohol from grocery and convenience stores from 7 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. (Sunday morning)and then on Sunday from 10 a.m. to midnight. Hours for liquor stores are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Utah

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, but not in state liquor stores, Michelle Schmitt, Communications Director at Utah's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services, said. All state liquor stores are open during their regular business hours on July 3 and are closed on the Fourth of July.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? "Yes, but wine is not permitted for sale in grocery and convenience stores, Schmitt said.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? State liquor stores are open from 11 a.m. until either 7 p.m. or 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday, Schmitt said. The stores are closed on Sundays and on state and national holidays.

Vermont

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, but liquor stores like Discount Beverage and Redemption Center will change their hours to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the Fourth of July.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? The hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. for bars and 6 a.m. to midnight for retailers, according to the Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery.

Virginia

C an you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July?  Yes. Our stores will open at their normal time and close at 6 p.m. on Independence Day, said Pat Kane, Public Relations Specialist at the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Per Code of Virginia 3VAC5-50-30, licensed retailers can sell beer and wine between 6 a.m. and midnight, Kane said. Customers will need to confirm the hours of operation with those retailers.

Washington

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Alcohol can be sold in the state from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m., according to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. Julie Graham with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board told USA TODAY that there are no liquor laws that have a restriction on alcoholic purchases on the Fourth of July.

West Virginia

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, at both off-premises businesses and on-premises businesses, Gig Robinson, Public Information Specialist at the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration, said.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? There are 182 retail liquor outlets in WV, and some are grocery stores and other types of mixed licenses, Robinson said. For example, drug stores, while other retail liquor outlets are free standing. Grocery stores and other types of off-premises licenses may sell beer and wine.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Robinson explained that liquor stores are open from 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week.

Wisconsin

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, stores like Spirit Seller Liquors will be open.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? Yes, grocery stores like Quality Foods sell alcohol.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? Wisconsin state law allows the sale of alcohol from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. in most cases, according to reporting by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a part of the USA TODAY Network.

Wyoming

Can you buy alcohol from stores on the Fourth of July? Yes, there is no law requiring liquor stores to be closed on holidays in Wyoming, Thomas Montoya, an Administrator at the Wyoming Department of Revenue Liquor Division, said.

Can you buy alcoholic beverages in grocery stores? "It depends, Montoya said. "If they hold a retail liquor license then they can sell spirits, wines and malt beverages. If they are a county located grocery store and hold a County Malt Beverage Permit, then they are restricted to malt beverages only.

What hours can alcohol be sold or served? There is no state statute governing the hours of operation., he said. This is done on the local level through municipal ordinances and county resolutions. Almost all jurisdictions in Wyoming have operating hours of 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. the following morning."

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.

Ahjane Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjane covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com . Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.

Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buying alcohol on July 4th: State-by-state guide to alcohol laws
When Las Vegas residents Kari Thormodsgaard and her daughter Kara visited New York City, they never expected to see a sign from Rylee 2,400 miles away from their home.

Rylee Thormodsgaard died June 28, 2022 at the age of 24. To mark his "wing-aversary," as his mother and sister call the anniversary of his passing, the two took a trip to New York.

"With their sweet boy on their minds and in their hearts," they were walking on the street when the sight of three men outside having lunch took their breath away.

All three wore navy blue shirts with "RYLEE" in big white block letters on the back.

Kari and Kara Thormodsgaard spotted three men wearing these shirts on their trip to New York.

The shirts  and the men  belonged to the Milltown company, Rylee Mechanical Solutions. But for the Thormodsgaard women, it meant something more.

"You couldn't miss it," said Kari. "We were going to take one of Rylee's memorial cards and take a picture with it at the Statue of Liberty  a memory of celebrating him and just mom and daughter time to reflect. But there were these big, bold letters. It was exactly what our hearts needed. I was like 'Thank you Rylee,' this is amazing."

They took a photo, explained why they were celebrating the life of "Smiley Rylee" and went on their way.

But then they saw another sign on another street when they spotted the "Rylee Mechanical" truck.

"I mean this was New York," Kari said. "The city is so big, but there it was. We came home and we told everyone about it, and everyone agreed that it was amazing  magical."

How did fate conspire to forge a unique bond between a family from Las Vegas and an HVAC contractor from Milltown?

'The happiest, happiest boy'

Rylee Thormodsgaard died June 28, 2022 at age 24.

When she was pregnant, Kari knew Rylee was going to be born with gastroschisis, a life-threatening birth defect. Losing amniotic fluid, Kari was put on bedrest. Born four weeks early, Rylee's weight was fortunately sufficient for the necessary surgery.

After that, Kari thought she had a "typical little boy." But, by the time Rylee was 2, she noticed "things weren't right." He wasn't sitting up and was "trying to crawl weird."

More: New community orchestra in East Brunswick 'just brings everybody together'

Rylee was then diagnosed with "an unknown type of leukodystrophy," and not likely to live past his 5th birthday.

Rylee reached 5, then 6. He was thriving and growing, but all his skills  walking, talking  were delayed.

"But he was always happy. He never cried," Kari said.

Nineteen months older than her brother, Kara, at age 17, asked her mother to do genetic testing because she wanted to know if she was a carrier.

A specialist diagnosed Rylee with Salla disease, a genetic nervous system disorder characterized by early physical impairment and intellectual disability. Only 151 people in the world have it, Kari said.

While this diagnosis gave Rylee a longer life, it also explained why he was regressing. According to the specialist, every time a person with Salla disease gets sick, they lose skills.

"I had noticed that with Rylee," she said. "Rylee would get sick and wake up and he forgot how to walk. It was gone. Then Rylee was in a wheelchair. A few months later, Rylee forgot how to chew. I would go to feed him, and he'd make the noise, but he couldn't do it. Rylee got a feeding tube. But still he was the happiest, happiest boy."

Kari and Kara Thormodsgaard on their trip to New York in 2023 to mark one year after Rylee's passing.

In May 2022, Rylee developed respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and was hospitalized for five weeks. After recovering from the virus, Rylee was left with constant, uncontrollable body tremors. He would go 72 hours without being able to sleep.

And for the first time in his life, he was not happy and not smiling.

"It was torture," Kari said. "This wasn't Rylee. And no one could explain it to me. We were at a loss."

The specialist explained that RSV had "unleashed the beast" to the Salla disease. He offered three treatments and when they failed, this was Rylee's new way of life.

"He could not live like this. It was horrific," Kari said.

Rylee was in hospice for 11 days.

"As sad and as terrible as it was, when he passed, it was almost a comfort. His sister was snuggled up next to him in the bed and I was sitting there holding his hand," Kari said. "When he passed, I knew he was okay. I just had faith. There was sadness. But it was relief that he was free. He'd always been happy and for those six weeks  it was the longest, most torturous time of his life."

A meaningful name for both families

Owned by Ryan, Bill Jr. and William David Sowell Sr., Rylee Mechanical specializes in commercial and industrial HVAC-R service and installation in New Jersey, New York and on Long Island. The family has added Rylee Home Services for residential and light commercial work.

For the Sowell family, Rylee is a coveted name  one that even caused a bit of sibling rivalry between brothers Ryan and Bill Jr.

Rylee is a coveted name for the Sowell family which owns Rylee Mechanical in Milltown.

While the company was named after Ryan  whose full name is Ryan Thomas Lee Sowell  his brother's daughter also is named Rylee.

"There's a bit of controversy there," Ryan Sowell laughed. "Our wives were pregnant at the same time, and I told him I wanted to name our son Rylee. But his daughter was born five days before and he 'stole' the name. He said he did it to honor me, but  anyway, it's become a family name."

More: 91-year-old Jamesburg man crafts hundreds of birdhouses 'to make people happy'

The name became the connection between the family and the business more than 2,000 miles away.

Because it was a holiday tradition for Kari to give Kara a sentimental gift from her brother, she decided to reach out to Rylee Mechanical to buy a company shirt.

"Every time I went to call them, I was a blubbering idiot," Kari said. "I finally managed it and I'm telling him the story, but we didn't exchange information. I was so emotional."

Kari, a hairstylist, told one of her clients April about her failed attempts to contact the Milltown contractor. April took charge and emailed Rylee Mechanical.

The company then responded in a big way, sending a package full of "RYLEE" materials  pens, stickers, shirts, sweatshirts  to April, who delivered it to the Thormodsgaards.

"There was a beautiful letter with such kind, sweet words," Kari said. "They said our story touched their lives. So, I wrote them a letter about what that meant to us. And I got a text back with a picture of my note and the picture of my daughter and I with Rylee's memorial card. It was framed on his office wall. He wrote that Rylee will always be a part of their company. This will always hang on their wall."

The framed tribute to Rylee Thormodsgaard on the office wall of Rylee Mechanical in Milltown.

The company recently sent another box of goodies with an open invitation to visit.

"They were just so kind," Kari said. "Their company is all those things that Rylee was  so it has double meaning for us. As anyone who has lost someone knows, the grief never goes away. For a company that is more than 2,000 miles away to remember my family who they have never met means more than I could ever describe."

The Thormodsgaards have become family, Ryan Sowell said.

"It's an emotional story for all of us," Ryan Sowell said. "I have to say, when we heard their story in the office, we all cried."

People with disabilities hold a dear place in the hearts of the Sowell family. Ryan Sowell's youngest son is autistic, and his mother worked for more than 25 years as a special education educator in East Brunswick.

"I walk past Rylee's picture and every time, no matter what type of day I'm having, good or rough day, I see him smiling," Ryan Sowell said. "I could never imagine what they went through. I know what it's like with my son, but I can just never imagine her experience. Especially losing a child. But there he is. I see him smiling."

email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Rylee Mechanical in Milltown NJ holds special meaning to Vegas family
TechCrunch

Palantir now owns 8.7% of struggling electric vehicle startup Faraday Future, according to a new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The data-mining company was granted more than 800,000 shares in the EV startup on October 2 "as payment for certain outstanding receivables"  the equivalent of roughly $2.4 million judging by Faraday Future's stock price on that day. Palantir doesn't explicitly say what receivables were outstanding.
You dont need to be a frequent flyer to be a Frequent Flyer.

If you ever travel by plane, its worth signing up for the airlines frequent flyer program. Not doing so means youre leaving money and potential perks on the table, and possibly making your journey a little more complicated than it needs to be.

Frequent flyer programs are for everyone, Loulu Lima, founder of the Texas-based travel agency Book Here Give Here, told me. Every single airline allows you to register for free to earn points.

So next time you book a trip, make sure you have one of those magic numbers linked to your reservation. And for the uninitiated, heres what you need to know about how it all works.

Frequent flyer programs are for everyone!

Should I sign up for a frequent flyer program?

In general, airlines want travelers to register for frequent flyer programs.

The fancy corporate talk in their literature will say it helps you get a more personalized experience. The cynics among us might wonder what theyre really doing with the data they collect through your profile. Still, no matter the companys ultimate motivation, the fact is airlines make it easy to register.

Everybodys got them. Everybodys got a different version of the same, even the cheap airlines, Lima said. All they ask for is your name, the address and your phone number, and you use that number every time you book.

In reality, youre probably providing the airline with all the information you need to create a frequent flyer account when you book your ticket anyway, but having it linked to a frequent flyer number makes it easier for the airline to track your behavior between trips and learn your preferences like window versus aisle seat. It also saves you from having to type out your address and middle name every time you book a ticket on that airline.

I have accounts with all four major U.S. airlines: American, Delta, United and Southwest, plus JetBlue, because its main hub at John F. Kennedy International Airport is just down the road from my apartment. I also signed up for a Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer account earlier this year because of some of the perks it unlocked for me on board.

Last week's Cruising Altitude: Only a carry-on for extended trips? 4 tips to pack like a pro.

What are the frequent flyer perks?

Even before you start earning miles, there are benefits to registering for a frequent flyer program.

Delta Air Lines, for example, provides free Wi-Fi on most of its aircraft for all SkyMiles members. If you dont have an account, you usually have to pay for that access.

But once you start flying with your account, the benefits only grow, up to and including things like lounge access or +1 passes when you have elite status.

Each airline has different rules about how much you earn based on the fare basis code, Lima said. The more expensive the ticket, the more miles you earn, and you can use these miles for purchasing a free ticket or getting upgrades.

Some airlines like United and JetBlue even let groups pool their miles to make redemptions easier.

And, of course, if you fly enough with one airline, you can earn elite frequent flyer status, which comes with even more perks, such as free checked bags, complimentary upgrades and more.

How to manage your frequent flyer miles

For travelers who dont fly often, Lima said you dont need to put too much thought into your miles.

Most of them dont expire, or if they do expire, as long as you book something and you fly before they expire, then youll keep on earning, she said. Its so worth it; theres no reason not to have it.

You dont even necessarily need to have an account with every airline to get some benefits.

You can manage a lot of them based on code shares and alliances, Lima said. Each of the major airlines all have alliances, and they all kind of work together.

Without getting too wonky, there are basically three major airline alliances in the world: oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam. In the U.S., American Airlines is a member of oneworld, United Airlines is a member of Star Alliance and Delta Air Lines is a member of SkyTeam.

As someone who travels fairly regularly, I have a frequent flyer account with the major U.S. airline in each alliance and link it to any reservation I make on any airline within that alliance. This way, I accumulate all of my miles in a few concentrated accounts rather than having a smattering of points on airlines that I may fly only as a one-off based on whatever trip Im taking.

If youre not sure which airlines are in which alliances, there are a few ways to find out. Of course, you can check each alliance website to see who the member carriers are. Or, when youre searching for flights on platforms like Google Flights, you can often see that tickets on the same flight are listed by multiple carriers  a good indication of partnerships and code sharing for that itinerary. If youre booking directly with an airline, their partners flights will often be listed when you initiate your search.

This is definitely something you should not sleep on. Its free money. I cant emphasize that enough, Lima said. Why wouldnt you want something for free?

Travelers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on June 27, 2024.

Should you get an airline credit card?

You can also earn miles and spend your way toward status by using an airlines co-branded credit card. For infrequent travelers, it may not be as worthwhile to pursue this option because many of those cards require hefty annual fees. But if you live in a city with limited airline options and take one or two trips a year, it may still be worth signing up for the credit card of your preferred carrier, because they often come with other perks like free checked bags that can help offset that fee.

If you buy a lot of stuff, you can earn points, Lima said.

She pointed out that general points cards like the Chase Sapphire or Amex Platinum allow you to transfer points to multiple airlines and can be a better option for those who only fly once or twice a year because they give you more flexibility with point redemptions.

Full disclosure: I dont have any airline credit cards and just use a general points program for all my spending (but no, I dont endorse a particular one, so I wont tell you which).

How to get started with a frequent flyer program

Register for an account.

Remember to link the number to your reservation.

Keep track of your miles as you earn them.

Enjoy the perks.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why everyone should have a frequent flyer account | Cruising Altitude
Salad Master Efrain Montoya prepares a Caesar salad at Ceasar's restaurant Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Tijuana, Mexico. Caesar salad has something to celebrate: It's turning 100. Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini is said to have invented the dish on July 4, 1924, at his restaurant, Caesar's Place, in Tijuana, Mexico. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Caesar salad has something to celebrate: Its turning 100.

Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini is said to have invented the dish on July 4, 1924, at his restaurant, Caesar's Place, in Tijuana, Mexico. It was a steamy night, and Cardini was struggling to feed an influx of Californians who had crossed the border to escape Prohibition.

In the middle of the dining room, Cardini tossed whole Romaine leaves with ingredients he had on hand, including garlic-flavored oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemons, eggs and Parmesan cheese. A star was born.

Tijuana plans to commemorate the anniversary this month with a three-day food and wine festival, and the unveiling of a statue of Cardini. Caesars  an elegant restaurant Cardini opened in Tijuana a few years after the salad was born  says it still makes as many as 300 Caesar salads each day.

Unlike some other menu items from the early 20th century  think creamed liver loaf or aspic  Caesar salad remains a perennial favorite. Around 35% of U.S. restaurants have Caesar salad on their menus, according to Technomic, a restaurant consulting firm. And nearly 43 million bottles of Caesar salad dressing  or $150 million worth -- have been sold in the U.S. over the past year, according to Nielsen IQ.

Beth Forrest, a professor of liberal arts and applied food studies at the Culinary Institute of America, said it took a few years for Caesar salad to hit the mainstream. A recipe for it didn't make Joy of Cooking, one of the most popular American cookbooks, until the 1951 edition. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Caesar salad was often prepared tableside, giving it an air of spectacle and sophistication, she said.

Forrest said Caesar salad is ideal for the Western palate because it contains our two preferred textures: crispy and creamy. The egg yolks and Parmesan cheese are also high in glutamate acids, which give the salad the rich, salty taste known as  umami. 

It satisfies us in many hedonistic ways, while we can still feel virtuous. It is, after all, a salad, Forrest said.

Caesars many variations have also given it staying power, experts say. Chefs may add chicken, bacon or salmon, mix in kale or Brussels sprouts and make the dressing out of miso paste or tofu.

At Beatrix, a chain of five restaurants in Chicago that makes healthier versions of comfort foods, chef and partner Andrew Ashmore spreads a spoonful of yogurt-based dressing at the bottom of the salad bowl and mixes it with capers, parsley, lemon vinaigrette and champagne vinegar before adding little gem lettuce, baby arugula, bread crumbs and a generous shaving of Grada Padano cheese.

Its our number one selling salad, and it has been since we opened 11 years ago, Ashmore said. I couldnt try to take it off the menu if I wanted to.

Cardini was not inclined to vary his recipe. In a 1987 interview with the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, his daughter Rosa Cardini said her father was very precise in preparing his creation. He used only the tender, inner leaves of Romaine lettuce and left them whole, intending diners to pick them up with their fingers. He boiled the eggs for one minute before adding them, and he didnt use anchovies.

There is some debate about the origins of the salad. Some claim the recipe was actually from the mother of Livio Santini, one of Cardinis chefs and a fellow Italian immigrant. Others say Cardinis brother Alex was the originator of the salad, which he made with limes and anchovy paste. Alexs version was dubbed Aviators Salad because he supposedly served it to airmen from a San Diego base.

Forrest said the recipe also echoes old Italian specialties. It resembles a pinzimonio, a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice used as a vegetable dip, or a bagna cauda, a hot dip of anchovy and garlic from the Piedmont region where Cardini was born.

Caesars in Tijuana didnt respond when asked about the salads history by The Associated Press, but the restaurant does mention Santinis name on its website.

Business in Tijuana declined after Prohibition ended, so Caesar Cardini moved his family to Los Angeles in 1935. They bottled their Caesar dressing at home before eventually founding Caesar Cardini Foods Inc.

Rosa Cardini took over the family company in 1956 after her father's death, eventually adding 17 other dressings. T. Marzetti, a maker of dressings and dips, acquired Cardini Foods in 1996 and still sells Caesar Cardinis brand dressings.

___

Durbin reported from Detroit.
'Held at high standards': Four youngsters named as royalty for 174th Marion County Fair

Subjects of the 2024 Marion County Fair, behold your new royalty.

The fair's king, queen, prince and princess were coronated Monday after a lengthy selection process from some of the county's finest 4-H and FFA youth.

Reigning for the next year will be Adrian Starcher, king; Reagan Fitsko, queen; Josiah Dawson, prince; and Marissa Loyer, princess.

The 174th Marion County Fair runs through Saturday night. This year's theme is Christmas in July.

Gates open 8 a.m. every day. Admission is $10. Children younger than 11 are free.

'I just hope I can be a good role model'

The fair's queen is 17. She's a senior at River Valley High School.

Fitsko joined the Whetstone Wranglers 4-H Club 10 years ago, and is now in FFA. She has shown dairy feeders every year.

The 2024 Marion County Jr. Fair queen and king are Reagan Fitsko, left, and Adrian Starcher.

It wasn't until hanging out with last year's queen that she realized the position was something she might enjoy herself. She applied, then found herself amid strong competition.

"I was nervous," Fitsko said. "I spent a lot of time on my application though, and I prepared pretty well for my interview."

She is excited to represent Marion County for the next year.

"I just hope I can be a good role model to the little kids," Fitsko said. "I always remember, when I was just a little thing, running around here and seeing them and being like, 'wow, they're so cool.' So I hope I can be a good role model to them, like they were to me."

'Held at high standards of respect'

The fair's king is 16. He's a junior at Marion Harding High School.

Starcher joined the Greencamp Shamrocks 4-H Club seven years ago. His projects include Drug & Alcohol Abuse and Yeast Breads on the Rise. He also shows rabbits.

The 2024 Marion County Jr. Fair Royalty are Marissa Loyer, left, princess; Reagan Fitsko, queen; Adrian Starcher, king; and Josiah Dawson, prince.

He knew years ago he wanted to someday wear the fair king's sash.

"My earliest memories of the fair, I remember that the fair royalty were people that were held at high standards of respect," Starcher said. "The higher respect that these people had led me to one day want to become fair king."

Now that he's the king, he plans to serve Marion County well.

"Representing the county, I hope to visit as many fairs as possible," Starcher said. "I have already been looking into going to the Cincinnati fair, Delaware County's, and hopefully to the state fair, too."

'Help people and feel responsible'

Princess Loyer is 15 years old and a sophomore at River Valley High School.

She joined the Marion County Sharpshooters 4-H Club six years ago and is now in FFA. She shows goats and beef steers.

"I remember, my first year in 4-H, watching the coronation and always thinking I wanted to do that," Loyer said. "So it's kind of been a thing in the making, I guess."

The 2024 Marion County Jr. Fair princess and prince are Marissa Loyer, left, and Josiah Dawson.

Prince Dawson is 14 years old and a freshman at Marion Harding High School.

He joined the Greencamp Shamrocks 4-H Club five years ago. He shows chickens.

"Ive known since the beginning of the 4-H season this year that I wanted to be the prince," Dawson said. "I wanted to be the prince so that I could help people and feel responsible."

ztuggle@gannett.com

419-564-3508

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion County Fair king and queen are Adrian Starcher, Reagan Fitsko
Astrologer Valerie Mesa shares your horoscope for July, including what will be your biggest obstacle

Horoscope, Biggest Struggle

As we step into July, the cosmos presents each zodiac sign with challenges and opportunities, unveiling a series of events that could influence our path moving forward.

Whether navigating relationships in your personal life or adjusting to career shifts in your professional journey, this months astro-weather is action-packed with transformative energies and pivotal moments. While there are a number of transits to consider, their energetic effects will influence each zodiac sign differently.



However, there are astrological takeaways to keep in mind this month, such as Mercury (July 3), Venus (July 12), and the Suns (July 23) opposition to Pluto retrograde in Aquarius. Pluto's polarizing and impenetrable influence, which will challenge three personal planets (our personal lives) throughout July, prompts us to confront hidden truths, reassess our values and redefine our identity in a social setting.



Mars will also conjunct Uranus on July 15, amplifying the potential for sudden and unpredictable shifts that shake up (Taurean themes) our finances, comfort and sense of security.

This powerful conjunction encourages bold actions and innovative thinking but requires careful handling to avoid conflict, impulsive decisions and erratic behavior. It challenges us to embrace change with resilience and harness its disruptive energy constructively instead of recklessly.

Read on for your biggest obstacle in July, according to your zodiac sign.



Related: All About July's New Moon and What It Means for Your Zodiac Sign

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Horoscope Sign Aries

Your biggest challenge this month revolves around balancing personal creativity and joy versus group dynamics and your sense of belonging in the world, Aries. While Mercury and Venus in Leo inspire you to reconnect with your authenticity and heart's desires, their opposition to Pluto retrograde could result in tension as you may feel torn between asserting yourself and keeping the peace within your network.



On July 15, your celestial ruler, Mars, will join forces with Uranus, triggering unexpected shifts that could test your sense of security, whether financially or in terms of comfort. The Sun will eventually clash with Pluto, leading you to introspect and reassess your role within a community setting. If old wounds resurface towards the end of the month, it's likely due to Chiron retrograde in your sign, inviting you to reflect on feelings of rejection.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Horoscope Sign Taurus

In July, your biggest obstacle revolves around nurturing your sense of security and commitment to professional endeavors, Taurus. Mercury and Venus' opposition to Pluto during the first half of the month could trigger power struggles between domestic responsibilities and career matters.

This could also strain your sense of authority, but a rebellious Mars-Uranus conjunction in your sign on July 15 inspires you to assert your independence by any means necessary. Be mindful, however, as the volatility stemming from Mars and Uranus can be detrimental if not harnessed correctly. Use this energy to break free from stagnant routines, but avoid impulsive actions that could disrupt your stability.



Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Horoscope Sign Gemini

To stay in your comfort zone or to venture into the unknown, that is the question, Gemini. If you're torn between your desire to explore new territory versus tending to your immediate surroundings this month, try not to overthink it. Mercury (your celestial ruler) and Venus are being challenged by powerhouse Pluto, triggering intense debates and curiosities that could bring transformative insights your way.

On July 15, an erratic conjunction between Mars and Uranus could also bring surprising disruptions or repressed desires to the surface, prompting you to confront everything from hidden motivations to burdens from the past. Mercury will also clash with Uranus on July 23, the same day the Sun opposes Pluto. Your thoughts may intensify at this time, but you're being called to keep an open mind while searching for a sense of grounding in your core beliefs.



Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Horoscope Sign Cancer

Your biggest challenge in July centers around managing shared time and resources amidst a series of transformative experiences, Cancer. For instance, while Mercury and Venus in Leo bring emphasis to your finances and sense of security, their opposition to polarizing Pluto could trigger power struggles within your partnerships.

Mars will also join Uranus in a rebellious conjunction on July 15, bringing sudden changes or potential conflicts to your 11th house of community affairs and social contributions. Given that the Sun will confront shadowy Pluto shortly after, it's important for you to confront deep-seated fears or desires related to trust and emotional vulnerability, specifically when reflecting on themes of friendship and camaraderie.



Related: Cancer and Sagittarius Compatibility: All About Whether the Signs Are a Good Match

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

Horoscope Sign Leo

Relationships and commitments are your biggest challenge throughout the month of July, Leo. For instance, with Mercury and Venus lighting up your sign, you're all the more self-aware and in touch with your desires, but their opposition to Pluto brings power dynamics to the forefront. This could inspire deep-seated and taboo-like conversations while others of you receive intel on someone from your past.

Going against the grain? Your reputation comes into greater focus on July 15, when Mars joins Uranus in Taurus. Whether professionally or in terms of your public persona, this prompts unexpected shifts and disruptions, specifically when pertaining to your sense of authority. The Sun (your ruler) will also come face-to-face with Pluto on July 23, challenging you to confront issues of power and control within your close connections. Be gentle with yourself and give yourself grace so you can navigate these dynamics with courage and authenticity.



Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Horoscope Sign Virgo

In July, your biggest obstacle lies in balancing your spiritual growth and desire to retreat versus tending to practical responsibilities in your daily life, Virgo. As Mercury and Venus journey through Leo, many of you will seek out opportunities for rest and solitude, but their opposition to Pluto could simultaneously trigger friction related to health or work routines.



Plans are bound to change unexpectedly on July 15, when Mars conjuncts Uranus in your ninth house of self-discovery and belief systems. Your best bet is to stay grounded while embracing the inevitable changes that are at play. Also, your celestial ruler, Mercury, will face off with the rebel planet shortly after  the same day the Sun makes its annual opposition to Pluto  which encourages you to be as adaptable as possible.



Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Horoscope Sign Libra

Stay true to your authenticity, Libra. Although it may seem easier said than done, you're just as relatable as you are dynamic in your leadership skills. If you're struggling with balancing the desire for creativity and personal fulfillment versus meeting up to the expectations of a community this month, don't shy away from doing the necessary shadow work.



A challenging opposition between Mercury and Venus (your celestial ruler) and Pluto is likely to trigger intense interactions or perhaps even power struggles within your social network. Mars and Uranus will also join forces on July 15, igniting your eighth house of intimate unions and shared assets, bringing unexpected shake-ups and breakthroughs. Don't be afraid to assert your boundaries.



Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Horoscope Sign Scorpio

Your biggest challenge in July is finding a healthy balance between your inner world and external reality amidst unexpected shifts in your relationships, Scorpio. While Mercury and Venus emphasize matters related to your career and reputation in the world, their opposition to your modern ruler, Pluto, creates tension between your personal needs and family dynamics.



Then, on July 15, leave it to an erratic conjunction between Mars and Uranus in your relationship sector to bring sudden shake-ups and conflicts to your one-on-one connections. You and a significant other could clash regarding core values, while others rebel against the idea of compromise. The key is to be assertive and authentic in your approach.



Related: What Are Water Signs? All About Cancer, Pisces and Scorpio

Sagittarius (Nov. 22Dec. 21)

Horoscope Sign Sagittarius

The mere thought of relaying an important message could challenge you in more ways than one this month, Sagittarius. For instance, while Mercury and Venus emphasize your beliefs around love, passion projects and your identity, their opposition to Pluto could trigger intense debates and power struggles within your immediate community.

Meanwhile, with Mars joining forces with disruptive Uranus on July 15, everything from your day-to-day affairs to your health routine could suddenly come into a chaotic flux, urging you to adapt quickly to circumstances and focus on your well-being. Navigate these challenges with humility, and allow this to be a learning process instead of a burden.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Horoscope Sign Capricorn

In July, your biggest obstacle lies in managing your sense of security while tending to other commitments, Capricorn. As Mercury and Venus bring focus to your intimate affairs and shared resources, their opposition to Pluto leaves you with no choice but to make monetary adjustments that are out of your comfort zone. The same goes for themes surrounding your self-confidence and reputation within a community setting, as there could be newfound insight that may seem triggering.

Meanwhile, Mars will meet with Uranus in a chaotic conjunction on July 15, bringing surprising disruptions and unexpected breakthroughs to themes surrounding your passion projects, romantic affairs and self-expression. You're being called to assert your individuality and prioritize your sense of stability despite the odds.



Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Horoscope Sign Aquarius

There's a shift in your identity that's impossible to deny, Aquarius. With Mercury and Venus activating your relationship sector, there is a greater emphasis on significant others and commitments you may pride yourself on, but while in opposition to Pluto in your sign, your mere presence could be equally intimidating as it is triggering to those around you. This could, in turn, lead you to question whether or not you're comfortable in your authenticity, specifically within these relationships and negotiations.

On July 15, Mars will meet with your celestial ruler, Uranus, in a liberating but chaotic conjunction. Shaking up your fourth house of home and family, unexpected changes and conflicts could arise on the homefront, urging you to assert your autonomy in the process. Repressed fears and emotions may resurface, and the sun's opposition to Pluto on July 23 further amplifies themes surrounding your individual freedom.



Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Horoscope Sign Pisces

Your biggest challenge in July is finding a balance between the desire to stay productive versus the need to spend time in solitude and catch up on some rest, Pisces. For instance, while Mercury and Venus charge up your sixth house of due diligence and health habits, powerhouse Pluto will challenge both planets, triggering tension and power struggles regarding self-care and your inner healing.

Shortly after, Mars and Uranus will form a disruptive conjunction, energizing and revolutionizing your cerebral third house of communication and immediate surroundings. This could bring an unexpected change of heart or, on the dark side, fuel the fire of an argument between you and a close peer. If challenges arise, do your best to avoid conflict and focus on prioritizing what is of value to you.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
These Are the Most Popular Hot Dog Searches Per State, According to Google

What's your dog of choice?

Food & Wine / Getty Images / Doan Nguyen

The way you like your hot dogs may say more about you than you think.

Just before the 4th of July holiday, Google Trends released a new map of the most popular hot dog types in every state, showcasing what kinds of dogs and toppings people are searching for in all four corners of the nation.

There are plenty of searches for classic options, including for "beef hot dog," which is the number one search in states like Rhode Island, Michigan, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Alabama. But that's really where the expected searches end.

Across the country, people are searching for unique options, including the Korean hot dog, a savory treat that's similar to a corn dog made with a fried hot dog and typically topped with cheese, rice cakes, or fish cakes. It is the top-searched hot dog in Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, Texas, Kansas, and a few other states.

Related: We Tested Every Major Hot Dog Brand  These Are Our Favorites

Several states also searched for simple dogs with specific toppings, like California, where residents are searching for "bacon-wrapped hot dog" over anything else, and in New Mexico where people just want their "crescent-roll hot dog," and in Mississippi, where folks want a simple "hot dog with cheese."



Good Trends

A few specialty meats also made the list, including "reindeer hot dog" in Alaska, "chicken hot dog" in North Dakota, "turkey hot dog" in Arkansas, and even "meatless hot dog" in Oklahoma. Other specialty dogs made the list, including the Coney Island hot dog, which topped the search list in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Florida.

The Chicago-style hot dog, usually made with a variety of toppings like tomato, onion pickles, and mustard, is the top pick for those living in Illinois (naturally) but also in Indiana, Wisconsin, Oregon, and Montana.



Related: 13 Overflowing Hot Dog Recipes for Grilling Season

As for New York state, the winning search went to "white hot dog," a dog typically made with unsmoked pork, beef, and veal. Its cousin, the "red hot dog," usually made with beef and pork, also topped the searches in places like Georgia and North Carolina.

There was one more slight variation of this in Maine, with the top search going to "red snapper hot dog," which has nothing to do with fish. The state's preferred hot dog is actually made with a sheep intestine casing, giving it a distinctive "snap" on the first bite. Who knows, maybe this year you may feel inspired to try something new from across the nation. And if you need a little more inspiration, here are 13 hot dog recipes to spice up your grilling season.



For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Food & Wine.
The historic Phinizy House on Greene Street in Augusta was reopened as a venue on Thursday, June 27, 2024.

One of Augusta's historic buildings has been saved, refreshed, and is now being put back into use.

The Phinizy House on Greene Street has been successfully redeveloped and, last week, was opened as a vintage venue for weddings, corporate events, and other functions.

The main house was built in the late 19th century as the home of Jacob Phinizy, who was the president of the Georgia Railroad Bank and served as mayor of Augusta twice. Phinizy lived there until his death in 1924, according to Augusta Chronicle archives. It went on to serve as a residential home and funeral home for the Poteet family, who built the next door chapel in 1958. The property was eventually sold to a Canadian company, which went out of business, leaving the house abandoned for several years.

Augusta Eats: Mexican restaurant in Columbia County celebrating seven years' good luck

2KM Architects bought the property in 2010 with the intention of renovating it into the Augusta firm's offices. However, architect and co-owner of Phinizy House Brad King explained that this was way more space than they needed.

The chapel inside the historic Phinizy House on Greene Street in Augusta. It was reopened as a venue on Thursday, June 27, 2024.

"We shot around a lot of ideas and we thought the best idea is making it an event center," he said. "It's highly flexible, add a commercial catering kitchen with all the bells and whistles, and people will find a use for it."

It has since gone through a thorough renovation of the main house, bathrooms, break rooms, conference rooms, and support spaces. The back porch has been restored, the attic has been insulated, and the exterior white paint has been removed to expose the red brick. While the chapel and kitchen are rather modern, much of the antique abode still holds its original charm.

The Rose Room inside the historic Phinizy House on Greene Street in Augusta. It was reopened as a venue on Thursday, June 27, 2024.

"I don't think anyone could have imagined what it would turn into," King said. "It's really been better than we expected it to come out and we feel like it has a character, but it also serves as a great background for whoever wants to come in and apply their own finishing touches to events and whatnot."

Full space rentals vary in price and duration, starting at $1,050 for a six hour rental during a weekday. The Rose Room and Parlor are $400 on non-weekdays. Photography sessions of two hours cost $150. Private use of the kitchen outside of events is $100 per hour.

For more information, go to phinizyhouseeventscenter.com.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Phinizy House in downtown Augusta redeveloped, reopened as event venue
Prestigious magazine honors 6 MS Coast restaurants for wine offerings. See who stood out

Wine Spectator magazine has released its restaurant awards for 2024 and six of the 20 winners in Mississippi are in Biloxi.

The awards are presented for outstanding wine programs at restaurants in all 50 states and 75 countries and territories.

These are the winners on the Coast:

 White Pillars Restaurant and Lounge, a farm to table and Southern American restaurant at 1696 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, is this years only recipient on the Coast that isnt a casino. It made the list for the first time in 2023.

 Thirty-Two restaurant atop IP Casino Biloxi, was again named to the list, with its 740 selections to sip with views of Biloxi and the South Mississippi sunset. Its been on the Wine Spectator list since 2013.

 Mortons, The Steakhouse at Golden Nugget Casino Biloxi, is most known for its California wines. Its been on the list since 2016.

The Beau Rivage Resort and Casino has three restaurant on the list, most notably for their selection of California wines:

 BR Prime Steakhouse, on the list since 2007

 Jia Asian restaurant, on the list since 2008

 Stalla Italian Kitchen, on the list since 2016

All of these restaurants also made the 2023 list.
Want to live off the grid? Head to these NY counties

Mountainous regions in New York just may be the perfect places for those looking to embrace an off-grid lifestyle.

A recent study released by BusinessElectric.com includes three New York counties located in the Adirondacks and Catskills as some of the best locations to live off-grid in the U.S.

Here's what to know.

Top NY counties for off-grid living

In its poll of 3,000 people nationwide, BusinessElectric.com says these counties were the most popular choices in the Empire State:

No. 11, Lewis County: Located in northwestern New York, with the eastern part of the county in the Adirondacks, Lewis County is the state's largest producer of maple syrup and has the largest concentration of milk production, according to ny.gov. The county covers 1,290 square miles and is populated by just 26,548 people, as of 2023.

No. 114, Hamilton County: One of two counties to lie entirely in the Adirondacks, Hamilton County is the most sparsely populated county in the eastern half of the U.S., ny.gov states. With a population density of just over three people per square mile  5,082 total as of 2023  Hamilton County has no traffic lights and no colleges or institutions of higher learning. But it does have water  77 major lakes, to be exact, across its 1,808 square miles.

No. 119, Delaware County: Separated from Pennsylvania by the Delaware River, Delaware County is the largest of the four counties in the Catskills, the county's website says. It has a population of 44,410 as of 2023 and spans 1,468 square miles, according to ny.gov.

A section of the Adirondack Mountains in New York.

Top 5 locations nationwide to live off the grid

No. 1, Wasco County, Oregon : The county gained significant attention as the setting for the Netflix series "Wild Wild Country," which documents the controversial Rajneeshpuram community led by Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh in the 1980s. Despite the community's tumultuous end, the show has appeared to have sparked renewed interest in off-grid lifestyles in Wasco County, according to Business Electric.

No. 2, Hot Springs County, Wyoming : Ranked second, Hot Springs County in central Wyoming offers a rural environment enriched with natural hot springs, rivers, and mountains. The county's remote areas provide the essential seclusion and resources necessary for off-grid living.

No. 3, Meriwether County, Georgia : Located in west-central Georgia, Meriwether County offers a rural setting with large parcels of land available for purchase. The county's strong agricultural community and abundant natural resources support a sustainable off-grid lifestyle.

No. 4, Bienville Parish, Louisiana : Situated in northern Louisiana, Bienville Parish provides a rural environment with access to plentiful natural resources like forests and bodies of water. The parish's remote areas offer privacy and opportunities for alternative living.

No. 5, Somerset County, Maine: Completing the top five, Somerset County in central Maine boasts a rural environment with vast forests and access to rivers and lakes. The county's low population density and natural beauty make it an ideal location for off-grid living.

Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Chad Murphy contributed to this report.

Emily Barnes is the New York State Team consumer advocate reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Barnes at ebarnes@gannett.com or on Twitter @byemilybarnes.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Want to live off the grid? Head to these NY counties
Nearly a third of Democrats believe President Biden should end his reelection bid following his lackluster debate performance against former President Trump last week, according to a new poll.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll, published Tuesday, found 32 percent of Democrats think Biden should give up his reelection bid just days after he squared off against Trump in the first debate of the 2024 general election season last week.

During the 90-minute debate, Biden appeared to stumble over his words and lose his train of thought, while his delivery frequently halted.

The performance sparked immediate panic from some within the Democratic Party, who expressed concerns over Bidens ability to beat Trump in November and carry out another four-year term.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll, however, suggested Biden may not have lost ground since the debate, with both him and Trump maintaining the support of 40 percent of registered voters, Reuters reported.

When pollsters presented a series of names of top Democrats as potential replacements should Biden step aside, only former first lady Michelle Obama outmatched Biden, leading Trump 50 percent to 39 percent in a hypothetical match-up, per Reuters. The former first lady has repeatedly said she is not eying a presidential bid.

Vice President Harris, meanwhile, fell behind Trump by 1 point, 42 percent support to 43 percent, a difference that fell within the polls 3.5 percentage point margin of error. Reuters noted Harriss numbers were statistically as strong as Bidens.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, another floated replacement, trailed Trump by 3 points, 39 percent support to 42 percent, while Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer fell behind Trump 36 percent support to 41 percent.

Biden has already won the primaries, winning a majority of delegates, and thus he cannot be simply overthrown at the Democratic National Convention in August. The decision is ultimately up to him, and the Biden campaign said last week he is not going anywhere.

Democratic National Committee (DNC) rules require delegates that Biden won to pledge their support for his nomination unless Biden willingly decides to stand down. Before the convention opens on Aug. 19, the DNC could change the rules to block Biden, which is highly unlikely given current party dynamics.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online July 1-2 and surveyed 1,070 U.S. adults nationwide. It has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points, per Reuters.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
LAFAYETTE, Wis.  One person was hospitalized after a home explosion in Lafayette, Wisconsin, a town located just across the state border.

According to officials from the Walworth County Sheriffs Office, crews responded to reports of an explosion at a home along Kulow Road in Lafayette just after 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday.

Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines

Crews arrived on the scene and found a small fire and the badly damaged home.

In an update around 6 p.m., authorities said a male, whose age has not been determined, was inside the residence at the time of the explosion and was taken to the hospital by a helicopter. His condition is currently unknown.

Authorities said he is believed to be the only person who was inside the home at the time.

Crews said they conducted extensive search and rescue operations at the scene but no one else was located.

LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland

Currently, it is unclear what led to the explosion and an investigation into the incident by the Elkhorn Area Fire Department is underway.

Lafayette, a town located in Walworth County, is about 15 miles from the Illinois state border.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
A Russian attack on Poltava Oblast on July 3 killed one person and injured three others, Governor Filip Pronin said.

A school and a kindergarten near the regional capital of Poltava were damaged by missile debris, according to Pronin. One of the injured is in serious condition.

Poltava Oblast is located in central Ukraine and regularly suffers from Russian drone attacks.

The region, which hosts several airbases, has suffered missile strikes for the last three days in a row.

Russian forces attacked the Myrhorod military airfield in Poltava Oblast on July 1. Former Air Force Spokesperson Yurii Ihnat confirmed "some losses" after Russian media sources claimed damage to multiple Su-27 aircraft.

Read also: Russian guided bomb attack on Kharkiv injures at least 14, including children

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A 10-year-old boy has died after he suffered a "heat-related medical emergency" during a hike in Arizona on Tuesday.

Firefighters from the Phoenix, Tempe and Chandler fire departments were called to South Mountain Park and Preserve around 2 p.m. local time, according to a release from Phoenix Fire. Phoenix Police Department said officers were called shortly later to Mormon Trailhead.

The boy had reportedly been hiking with relatives when he began to suffer the medical emergency.

MORE: This is what extreme heat can do to your body as record-setting temperatures rip through Pacific Northwest

Firefighters, technical rescue team members and police officers reached the boy, who was up about one mile on the trail, according to Phoenix Fire and Phoenix PD. The boy was airlifted from the trail to a waiting ambulance, where he was transported to the hospital in "extremely critical condition" before dying.

Phoenix Fire officials told local ABC News affiliate KNXV-TV that the boy's family may have been from out of town, but where is unclear.

PHOTO: In this undated stock photo, the South Mountain Park is seen in Phoenix, Ariz. (STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images)

Phoenix PD detectives are currently investigating the incident. The department did not immediately return ABC News' request for comment.

Temperatures in Phoenix reached a high of 113 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, according to National Weather Service Phoenix in a post on X, about six degrees above the average temperature.

Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States, even though most are preventable, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. About 1,220 people die in the U.S. from heat-related illnesses every year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Normally during extreme heat -- meaning temperatures that are hotter and/or more humid than average -- the body tries to cool itself by sweating.

If a person does not replenish with fluids, it can lead to dehydration. The body temperature can then continue to rise and mild symptoms emerge such as sunburn, heat rash or heat cramps.

MORE: Heat stroke vs. heat exhaustion: Extreme heat safety tips

This can progress to heat exhaustion -- which includes symptoms of headaches, dizziness, muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting -- and, if the body reaches extremely high temperatures, heat stroke.

Anyone can be impacted by heat-related illness but some populations -- including the elderly, infants and young children, outdoor workers and people with low socioeconomic status -- are at higher risk.

To lower the risk of heat-related illness, the CDC recommends staying hydrated and remaining in an air-conditioned space as much as possible. If you go outside, the CDC recommends waring lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.

10-year-old boy dies in Arizona after hiking in triple-digit temperatures originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
DENVER (KDVR)  On July 6, 1924, an extraterrestrial object fell to Earth and landed in Colorado, interrupting a nearby funeral.

The object was cool to the touch when it was dug up less than an hour after it fell and has been officially dubbed the Johnstown meteorite.

The meteorite fall

According to a paper written by Edmund Hovey and published by the American Museum of Natural History in 1925, around 200 people witnessed the meteorite fall in Weld County.

Some accounts described the noise during the fall as shrill screeches or the exhaust of an aeroplane, and that at least four large fragments were seen falling.

Photos: Heres what Denver looked like 100 years ago

Hovey said the first piece that was unearthed fell in the road around 30 feet from a church in Elwell, west of Johnstown, where a funeral was being held. After the funeral, the undertaker began digging where it had fallen and found it buried less than two feet under the ground.

The name of the meteorite is simple: Johnstown meteorite. According to Hovey, it had to be named after Johnstown because Elwell did not appear in the post office directory.

Other fragments of the meteorite were recovered in various areas, with the farthest fragment being found in Mead.

Johnstown meteorite

Pieces of the meteorite are housed in several locations across America, including the American Museum of Natural History in New York City where the largest piece lives, along with the Denver Museum of Natural History and the Chicago Field Museum.

Colorado July 4th fireworks 2024 schedule

The Johnstown Historical Society will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the meteorites fall on July 6. Festivities kick off at Johnstown Cemetery where a memorial space and historical marker commemorating the event will be dedicated.

The commemoration will also include events at Roosevelt High School later that day. Festivities will end with the towns first-ever drone show, according to the historical society.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
12 former aides say Biden has prioritized politics over fair policymaking on Gaza

Twelve U.S. government employees who resigned in protest of President Bidens handling of Israels war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip are accusing the administration of prioritizing politics over fair policymaking, and offering recommendations to change course.

The dozen signatories on a joint statement represent a wide spectrum of government staff, including former employees of the State Department, Department of Interior and White House, as well as former military officers. They resigned in protest at different times over the nine months of Israels war against Hamas following the U.S.-designated terrorist groups Oct. 7 attack.

Both our individual and common experiences demonstrate an Administration that has prioritized politics over just and fair policymaking; profit over national security; falsehoods over facts; directives over debate; ideology over experience, and special interest over the equal enforcement of the law, they wrote.

The impact of these injustices has resulted in tens of thousands of innocent Palestinian lives taken, reflecting a clear picture to the world of whose lives matter, and whose lives simply do not to United States policy makers. As members of the United States Government, each of us witnessed this abrogation of American values, leading us to resign.

The twelve wrote that they have grave concerns with current U.S. policy towards the crisis in Gaza, and U.S. policies and practices towards Palestine and Israel more broadly.

The statement lays out six policy recommendations for the administration to implement, calling for the U.S. to faithfully execute the law related to American weapons deliveries to Israel.

The Administration is currently willfully violating multiple U.S. laws and attempting to deny or distort facts, use loopholes, or manipulate processes to ensure a continuous flow of lethal weapons to Israel, the statement reads.

The signatories call for the U.S. to exert all leverage to bring fighting to a halt, secure the release of Israeli hostages from Hamas and the release of Palestinian minors in Israeli jails; surge humanitarian support to Gaza; support of self-determination for the Palestinian people and an end to military occupation and settlements, including in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

They also call for increased protections for free speech and protests on college campuses; and increased transparency and oversight of U.S. arms transfers.

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.

An administration official noted to The Hill that the joint statement failed to mention Hamas at all, or acknowledge Hamass rejections of Biden administration efforts to achieve a cease-fire.

The official also criticized the signatories for failing to acknowledge that Americans are among those held hostage by Hamas, and said that the statement equates the hostages held in Gaza with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails that have been arrested by Israel for potential ties to terrorism.

Among the signatories is Josh Paul, who resigned from the State Departments Bureau of Political and Military affairs after more than a decade of service in protest over U.S. military support to Israels response in Gaza eleven days after the October terrorist attack.

Paul, in his initial resignation statement, called Hamass attack on Israel a monstrosity of monstrosities. But added that he believes to the core of my soul that the response Israel is taking, and with it the American support both for that response, and for the status quo of the occupation, will only lead to more and deeper suffering for both the Israeli and Palestinian people.

Other signatories include Maryam Hassanein, a 24-year-old political appointee in the Department of Interior, who resigned on Tuesday, criticizing the administration for breaking trust with the Muslim-American community that she is part of.

It was definitely not an impulsive decision by any means, Hassanein said in a phone call with The Hill on Tuesday.

I do still hope that my resignation, future resignations, past resignations, do have an impact on the administration and their decisions and their policy choices.

Updated at 1:27 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.
12-Year-Old Girl Missing After Being Attacked by Crocodile While Swimming in Creek: Reports

Authorities in Australia are searching a remote area of the Northern Territory to locate the missing child

Getty Stock image of a crocodile

A 12-year-old girl is missing after allegedly being attacked by a crocodile while swimming in a creek in Australia, according to ABC News and NT News.

Northern Territory Police are currently searching for a missing child near the remote community of Palumpa, Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services wrote on Facebook on Wednesday, July 3.

Around 5:30 p.m. last night, police received reports of a missing 12-year-old child who was last seen swimming at Mango Creek, it added

Initial reports stated the child had been attacked by a crocodile. Community members and Peppimenarti Police attended the scene and began searching for the child, who has yet to be located.

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.



Steve Christo - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Northern Territory Police drive past Uluru in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

Related: Australian Man Survives Crocodile Attack by Biting Back: Report

Palumpa is around 220 miles southwest of Darwin and has an estimated population of just 400 residents. Due to its remoteness, officers from the nearby town of Wadeye are assisting in the search alongside a specialist rescue team, reported ABC News.



Local officers are on scene and our thoughts are with the family and the community, Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson said in a statement per NBC News. Officers are currently searching a large section of the creek via boat, and we thank the community for their ongoing assistance.

According to the BBC, Northern Territory Police Minister Brent Potter told reporters on Wednesday afternoon that the operation had entered the "recovery phase."

"It's a tragic incident for any parent or family member to lose a young child, and especially in the circumstances like that, taken by a crocodile," he said, reported the outlet.



Related: Man Killed, Woman Injured After Attack by Shark or Crocodile at Mexico Resort, Officials Say

PEOPLE has contacted the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services for further comment.



According to Australia's Northern Territory website, the region has the largest population of wild crocodiles in the world, with more than 100,000 reptiles calling it home.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Man intervenes: A 75-year-old Chinese man, Penglai Qiuyue, intervened and managed to grab the weapon, though he was also injured in the process. Despite his calls for help, more than a dozen other Chinese passengers remained passive. The woman fled when the bus stopped at Panmure Railway Station. What made me angry was that the passengers in the [bus] watched us fighting the [attacker], but no one dared to come to help. I shouted several times but they still did nothing, Qiuyue told local news blogger Mao Peng.
Four former University of Virginia students have had their professional lives upended after the school announced it would be withholding their degrees due to their involvement in a student-led protest back in May.

A total of 11 students are effectively in limbo as they await a trial before the University Judiciary Committee, a student-run body that adjudicates alleged violations of the universitys standards of conduct, which could include withholding diplomas for those students who were meant to graduate this past spring and suspension or expulsion for those students still enrolled at UVa.

The fate of the students  who were part of the encampment protesting the Israel-Hamas war broken up by Virginia State Police on May 4  will not be known until sometime this fall. The committee has thus far declined requests to expedite their trials.

For the four students who were set to graduate but now have no diploma, it has become difficult to find work in a job market in which employers often require a bachelors degree.

It is an empty punishment, because I did everything to fulfill my degree, Cady de la Cruz, a first-generation college student who has had her degree withheld, told The Daily Progress via email. The only reason UVA has stalled the process is to make an example out of me.

Cases are only brought to the University Judiciary Committee after a complaint is submitted by someone in the UVa community. In this case, the complaints were brought by Donovan Golich and Elizabeth Ortiz, both employees of UVas Division of Student Affairs. Students would not face trial, and degrees would not be withheld, if Ortiz and Golich withdrew their complaints.

On June 13, dozens of faculty members urged university administrators to do just that.

UVA officials decision to refer these cases to UJC is an inappropriate abuse of student governance for the sake of drastic retaliation against students for exercising their first amendment rights in demanding an institutional response to an ongoing genocide, reads a letter addressed to UVa President Jim Ryan and others in his administration.

The letter argues that because Student Affairs directly oversees the students in UJC, those students feel pressured to bring the cases to trial.

UVa and the University Judiciary Committees leadership both deny this claim.

The Associate Vice President for Student Affairs serves as an adviser to the UJC but cannot direct any actions or decisions of the committee, UVa spokesman Brian Coy told The Daily Progress. The allegation that following the standard process envisioned in UVAs system of student self-governance is somehow retaliatory is not supported by any evidence whatsoever.

Harper Jones, chair of the judiciary committee, says that the student organization operates independently from Student Affairs.

Claims that Student Affairs has placed pressure on the UJC in any circumstance, are unfounded, and delegitimize the UJCs status as an independent, student-run organization, Jones told The Daily Progress in an email.

According to a University Judiciary Committee report, the committee adjudicated 24 cases this past spring. Eighty-three percent of complaints received were submitted by Student Affairs.

That same report reads that the committee will continue to hold ourselves to the highest possible standard while striving for efficient and effective case processing.

But there are outstanding questions about how efficiently the University Judiciary Committee is working through its 11 cases connected to the May 4 protest, as each of the students must wait until the fall semester to have a trial and learn their fate.

At least one of those students received an email from Harper in May. The chair wrote that the committee would hear their case as expeditiously as possible. Jones later wrote that the trial would not be held until fall.

I understand this may be frustrating and I want to emphasize that this decision was not made lightly. Our goal is to ensure every student has adequate time and resources to prepare for their case to be heard by the Committee and do not believe that is possible this late in the semester, wrote Jones, adding that the student would be assigned counsel to represent them as soon as possible.

But according to that student, whose name The Daily Progress is not disclosing at risk of affecting their trial, no counsel has yet been assigned. While the University Judiciary Committee has said that the trials wont be held until the fall so that the accused have adequate time to prepare, the student said it is hard to prepare without counsel.

Who am I supposed to talk to about these charges and UJC procedure? the student asked The Daily Progress. The UJC line of trials will not be held until the fall so that students can have enough time to prepare, is another lie to cover up the fact that this sham trial is meant solely to intimidate and punish students for demanding UVA, our university, to divest from institutions profiting off of the genocide, apartheid, and occupation destroying Palestinian communities and lives.

The students arrested during the protest were charged with trespassing. But the court has dropped charges against many of them, and is scheduled to drop charges against the remaining students in August. Additionally, although the accused students originally were issued no-trespass orders by UVa, the orders have been rescinded or modified after UVa determined the students posed no safety threat.

Accused students have also pointed out that there were counterprotesters in the crowd on May 4 who cheered on police and celebrated police pepper-spraying students as well as attending faculty and members of the public.

We have numerous accounts of counter-protesters making racist remarks, cheering on violence, and even encouraging police to use chemical weapons against us, one student wrote to Student Affairs. Do these actions not violate UVAs code of conduct?

None of that has persuaded Student Affairs to withdraw their complaints.

Instead, the trial looms large over the heads of the accused, some of whom have already been evicted from on-Grounds housing, lost jobs and are unable to apply for jobs or post-graduate programs.

This disrupts our work, life, and mental health all because we were present at a Pro-Palestine protest, said the anonymous student protester. This drawn-out disciplinary procedure only further harms students and reinforces UVAs punish and lie mentality when it comes to protests for a free Palestine.

Jones said that although the UJC chose to accept the cases, that decision does not mean the accused are guilty. Guilt, she said, must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. She also added that the committee traditionally operates only during the fall and spring semesters; if a complaint is filed on the last day of the spring semester, it is common practice to pause the proceedings until the fall semester commences.

That said, the Committee has previously made exceptions if certain circumstances create an imminent need for an accelerated trial process. This decision is made on a case-by-case basis and takes into account numerous factors, including but not limited to the degree status of Accused students, the availability of UJC support officers, and other scheduling, case processing, and staffing details, wrote Jones.

Jones also wrote that it is common practice to withhold degrees from graduating students if a case is filed within three weeks of Final Exercises.

The degree holds are placed regardless of circumstance and are intended to ensure that an Accused individual does not graduate prior to the adjudication of their pending UJC case, she said.
Being your authentic self often comes with challenges, but if you're a person who happens to be transgender, those challenges  everything from personal safety and health issues to societal ignorance and even hostility  can be especially daunting.

In Southeastern North Carolina, one of the groups that helps support transgender people is the Wilmington Transgender Community (WTC), which holds free, monthly meetings and serves as a clearinghouse for a wide range of information, including a vetted list of doctors, lawyers and other businesses that are trans-friendly.

Founded 17 years ago by Wilmington therapist Nova Swanstrom, WTC is now run by TR Nunley, a longtime local activist for LGBTQIA rights who is also trans, and by Kendall Tidey, a self-described "ally" and therapist who specializes in gender issues. WTC considers "trans" an umbrella term that includes people who are transgender, intersex, non-binary and gender non-conforming, as well as people who crossdress.

Kevin Spears (left), now a Wilmington City Councilman, introduces TR Nunley on the stairs of the Federal Courthouse in Wilmington in 2016 as part of a Black Lives Matter event.

"After HB2 was passed in North Carolina in 2016, I was pretty disgusted by some narratives that were being circulated depicting trans people as predators and monsters," Tidey said. "Many of the narratives dehumanized them. After getting all riled up, I did some Googling to see who in the therapy world was supporting the transgender community and it was really only Nova Swanstrom.

"She'd been facilitating the group for 10 years and was ready to pass the torch," Tidey added. "I guess my anger at HB2  turned into a healthy passion and the focus of my work."

North Carolina's HB2 law, later repealed, prevented transgender people from using public bathrooms consistent with their gender idenity and required them to use bathrooms that aligned with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Being in the news as a source of controversy has helped galvanize the LGBTQIA community and its allies, and educated the public about trans people and trans issues. But visibility also has its costs, Tidey said.

"I think that everyday, real life has become easier for trans people," Tidey said. "Online it's gotten a lot worse. It's a political issue."

Some trans people she talks to worry that politics could cause them to lose access to gender-affirming health care, Tidey said.

It's not an exaggeration to say that offering support to transgender people, especially teens, can be a matter of life and death. Nunley has run a WTC support group for transgender teens and tweens since 2016. In eight years, "We only had one kid from group who has attempted suicide," Nunley said. "This is proof that our group is successful. We provide a safe space for trans teens to exist and get support from their peers."

Nunley cited statistics from The Trevor Society, a nonprofit suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ youth, that estimates that one LGBTQ person between the ages of 13 and 24 attempts suicide every 45 seconds in the U.S.

Understanding and support is key, Tidey said, because while "on a superficial level there's more basic knowledge" among the general public about trans people and issues, "I don't think the level of knowledge is where it needs to be. I wish there was more knowledge about, just, getting pronouns right, what gender dysphoria is, that kind of thing.

"A lot of people still think (being trans) is the same as sexuality," she added, when it's more about how one perceives their own gender.

In the news: NC lawmakers advocate for LGBTQ rights during Pride Month event

WTC is an informal group run by volunteers. It's not a registered nonprofit, and all of its services are free. WTC launched its website five years ago, Tidey said, and while keeping it updated has been a daunting task, it has allowed the group to reach more people.

"I still talk to people all the time who don't know the support is out there," Tidey said. "We have detailed instructions on legal changes, (a) list of doctors who prescribe gender-affirming (hormone replacement therapy) and therapists who are knowledgeable/welcoming."

The site also has a vetted list of businesses that are trans-friendly.

"If we hear negative feedback (about a business) we remove them," Tidey said. "Feeling safe and welcome is unfortunately not a given in all spaces for the transgender community."

The locations of WTC's monthly meetings are kept private, and new members are vetted before meeting times and locations are given out. There are more than 200 trans people on the WTC's mailing list, Tidey said, so the number of trans people in Southeastern North Carolina is likely in the hundreds. Meetings draw around 30 people a month.

As the transgender community has become more visible, it's made it easier for people, including teens, to explore what being transgender means. This has led to anxiety among some parents, including those who are hostile to the idea of their child being transgender.

Despite the increasing visibility of trans people and issues, Tidey said she hasn't seen a corresponding rise in the number of teens or adults in what she called "extreme distress" over gender dysphoria. From her perspective, those numbers have stayed constant over the years.

"Younger people may experiment with their gender identity more, in a social way, but not to the point of seeking, say, hormone treatment," Tidey said.

And teens exploring their gender identity isn't exactly a new thing.

"We used to just call it androgyny, or punk," Tidey said. "It's been around for a long time. Just for young people to not want to conform is not a new thing."

One thing that has increased?

"The conversation around gender is happening way more," Tidey said. "It's gone from happening not at all to happening quite a bit. Personally, I think that's a good thing."

As a therapist, of course, talking is what Tidey does, and even though she's not trans, she has a perspective on what it means to be transgender that not many people have.

"I just feel like they want an opportunity to exist completely normally," Tidey said. "It's hard to see when people don't feel like they can do that."

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington Transgender Community offers support, links to services
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Authorities are looking for information on a cold case involving a man who disappeared in 1996, and another man who was found dead in Eastern Oregon, the Washington County Sheriffs Office announced Tuesday.

In late April of 1996, 52-year-old Paul St. Claire was reported missing under suspicious circumstances, and according to the sheriffs office, St. Claire and the car he was last seen in have never been found.

Investigators believe his disappearance is connected to the unsolved murder of another man named David Larry Stroh.

Union very surprised at jobs affected in OHSU layoffs

During the investigation, authorities learned St. Claire was born Lloyd Adam Buzzard. Officials said he began using the name St. Claire as an alias in the early 1970s.

St. Claire moved to the Portland metro area where he became involved in various businesses and was affiliated with a man named Frank Tidwell. Tidwell was an alias used by a man named Robert Stroh, a violent and dangerous man with a criminal history, according to the sheriffs office.

A female relative lived with Stroh. It is not clear how they were related, but officials note she became friends with St. Claire and say that friendship may have led to St. Claires disappearance.

HGTV names town in Oregon among the most charming small towns in the US

According to authorities, Robert Stroh was the last person to see St. Claire before he was reported missing.

About one week after St. Claires disappeared, WCSO began investigating a sexual assault of a teenage girl. Authorities identified the suspect as Marshal Bond: the alias of David Stroh, who was Robert Strohs younger brother.

Authorities seek information on a 1996 cold case on the disappearance of Lloyd Buzzard (left), who later went by the alias Paul St. Claire (center.) Investigators believe his disappearance may be connected to the murder of David Stroh (right) whose skeletal remains were found in John Day, Ore. (Courtesy Washington County Sheriffs Office.)

Like his brother, authorities said David was also described as violent and dangerous with a criminal past. Detectives learned St. Claire may have had a friendship with Davids estranged wife.

2 students sue Portland State University over harassing letters sent after protest

Shortly after the assault was reported, David Stroh disappeared and his brother Robert told authorities he may have moved to Wyoming, WCSO said.

David Stroh was later indicted by a Washington County grand jury for the assault. A warrant for his arrest was issued; however, local and federal authorities could not find him.

Later, detectives spoke with someone who remembered driving David to a Clackamas, Ore. business. When they arrived, Robert was waiting there, and David was never seen again, officials said.

CNN names unexpected Washington city among best towns in US

Remains found

In November 1997 and May 1998, skeletal remains were found in a remote area south of John Day, Ore. Officials determined the remains were of an unidentified man who died by homicide.

The Grant County Sheriffs Office estimated that the body had been there since May or June 1996.

There are 15 species of sharks found on the Oregon Coast: Heres what they look like

As genetic genealogy technology advanced, the victim was identified in 2019 as David Stroh.

Robert Stroh died in 2013, according to WCSO.

Investigators urge anyone with information on the disappearance of St. Claire  formerly known as Lloyd Buzzard or the murder of David Stroh to contact the Washington County Sheriffs 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 KOIN.com.
FILE - This photo supplied by the U.S. Attorney's Office for Minnesota shows cash from a bag that was left at the home of a juror in a massive fraud case, June 2, 2024, outside Minneapolis, Minn. Two of five people charged with conspiring to bribe the juror with a bag of $120,000 in cash in exchange for the acquittal of defendants in one of the countrys largest COVID-19-related fraud cases pleaded not guilty Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (U.S. Attorney's Office for Minnesota via AP, File)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Two of five people charged with conspiring to bribe a Minnesota juror with a bag of $120,000 in cash in exchange for the acquittal of defendants in one of the countrys largest COVID-19-related fraud cases pleaded not guilty Wednesday.

Said Shafii Farah and Abdulkarim Shafii Farah were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tony Leung in Minneapolis. A third co-defendant already pleaded not guilty last week. They are each charged with one count of conspiracy to bribe a juror, one count of bribery of a juror and one count of corruptly influencing a juror. Leung ordered both men detained before trial, saying the crimes of which they are accused threaten foundational aspects of the judicial system.

In my decades on the bench, I've not experienced an attempt at bribing a juror in such a precalculated and organized and executed way, Leung said. That to me goes to the heart of an attack on our judicial system, on the rule of law.

Attorneys for Said Farah and Abdulkarim Farah asked Leung to consider releasing them before trial with certain conditions, arguing the law sets no presumption of detention for the charges they face. They also said both men had significant ties to the community that would prevent them from fleeing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said juror bribes are so rare as to be nearly unprecedented. He likened the five Minnesota defendants to John Gotti, the notorious mob boss at whose 1987 trial a juror was later found to have taken a cash bribe to help secure an acquittal.

Leung said threatening the rule of law put the community at risk, and necessitated the detention of both men.

Court documents made public last week revealed an extravagant scheme in which the accused researched the jurors personal information on social media, surveilled her, tracked her daily habits and bought a GPS device to install on her car. Authorities believe the defendants targeted the woman, known as Juror 52, because she was the youngest and they believed her to be the only person of color on the panel.

The FBI said the juror called police after Ali allegedly came to her house and handed a gift bag containing $120,000 in cash to the jurors relative and explained there would be more money if the juror voted to acquit. The juror was removed from the case before deliberations began.

The other three people charged with crimes related to the bribe are Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, Abdimajid Mohamed Nur and Ladan Mohamed Ali. Abdiaziz Farah, who is also charged with one count of obstruction of justice, will not be arraigned until July 10 because he recently retained a new attorney. Ali pleaded not guilty last week and hearings have not taken place yet for Nur.

The bribe attempt brought renewed attention to the trial of seven Minnesota defendants accused of coordinating to steal more than $40 million from a federal program that was supposed to feed children during the coronavirus pandemic. Abdiaziz Farah and Abdimajid Nur were among five people convicted in the fraud trial last month while Said Farah and another person were acquitted. Abdulkarim Farah and Ali were not involved.

More than $250 million in federal funds were taken overall in the scheme and only about $50 million has been recovered, authorities say. Abdiaziz Farah sent millions in stolen money to Kenya that he used to purchase a 12-story apartment building in Nairobi, prosecutors have said.

In public statements after the bribery charges were announced, prosecutors have said the case will leave a lasting impact on the area's criminal justice system.

It is no overstatement to say that it really has shook our legal community and called into question the way we conduct jury trials in this district moving forward, Thompson said.
2 EPISD police officers charged with official oppression, other charges

2 EPISD police officers charged with official oppression, other charges

UPDATE: DPS confirmed to KTSM that Sergeant John Solis and Officer Steve Romero are the EPISD police officers who were arrested.

According to court records, Solis has been charged with making a false report, improper influence, official oppression, tampering with a government record, and tampering with evidence.

Romero has been charged with official oppression and tampering with evidence, according to court records.

Both men were booked on June, 21, into the El Paso County Detention Facility and were released the same day on a cash or surety bond.

ORIGINAL: EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Two El Paso ISD police officers have been arrested and an investigation is currently ongoing, according to a spokesperson with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

KTSM has also reached out to the school district and they responded with the following statement:

The District is aware of the ongoing investigation being conducted by the TX Rangers involving two EPISD Police officers. The District is fully cooperating with law enforcement officials on this matter.

No further information has been released. This story will be updated as soon as we gather more 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 KTSM 9 News.
2 Georgia boys were playing with a gun. Now, 1 is hospitalized

A 14-year-old is hospitalized after a shooting at a Georgia home.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Around 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Catoosa County deputies were called to a distressing incident at a home on Neal Drive in Rossville.

When deputies arrived, they found a 14-year-old boy suffering from a gunshot wound.

According to the sheriffs office, the 14-year-old and a 12-year-old boy were playing with a gun. The gunshot discharged, hitting the 14-year-old, officials said.

TRENDING STORIES:

The child was taken to TC Thompson Childrens Hospital, where he underwent surgery. His condition is guarded.

The childrens identities were not revealed. The investigation is ongoing.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
Dr. Cecilia Laguzzi was sleeping while on an overnight flight home to Uruguay when the mother of two said she was woken up by severe turbulence and found her 2-year-old son stuck in the ceiling above the overhead compartment.

"It was an image I will never forget," Laguzzi told "Good Morning America" following the incident on the Air Europa flight, which the airline said resulted in several passengers being hurtled toward the ceiling of the cabin.

The flight from Madrid to Montevideo, Uruguay, experienced "heavy" turbulence early Monday morning and was diverted to Brazil "due to the nature of the turbulence and for safety reasons," the airline said. The plane landed safely at Natal International Airport in Sao Goncalo do Amarante and several passengers were treated for serious injuries, it said.

MORE: 40 people injured after Air Europa flight experiences heavy turbulence, diverted to Brazil

Laguzzi, a surgeon, said she was returning home from a three-month internship in Barcelona and was traveling with her husband and their two young children when she was woken up by unknown objects hitting her, she said.

"I felt something very hard hitting my head and then my back, and I fell on my head, and I couldn't get up at first," she said. "I remember I was in the plane, and I could feel it like falling, like free falling, for what felt like an eternity."

PHOTO: Cecilia Laguzzi speaks with 'Good Morning America,' July 2, 2024. (ABC News)

Laguzzi estimates that after six or seven seconds, the plane resumed normal operations, at which point she started looking for her children, who had been sleeping several seats away near her husband. She found her four-year-old daughter with her husband but couldn't find her son in the dark, "chaotic" aftermath with passengers and luggage on the floor of the plane.

"We were trying to find him on the floor and started screaming his name until someone told me, 'Are you looking for a baby?' and I said, Yes," she said. "He said, 'Well, it's up there,' and he pointed up, and the minute I look up he was there crying, looking at us."

Laguzzi said they found their son above the luggage compartment where plastic had broken off, and her husband was able to retrieve him.

"I'll never forget how I felt in that moment," she said. "He was crying, he was very scared, and we were all very scared as well, but the moment I took him in my arms, he calmed down."

Laguzzi said she looked him over and he seemed fine. She said her family is a "little bruised up," but they are otherwise OK.

Forty people were injured, some seriously, during the incident, officials said. Thirty people received medical care at the airport, while 10 had to be transported to the hospital for further examination, the airport confirmed to ABC News Monday night.

Seven passengers remained hospitalized in serious but not life-threatening condition as of Tuesday morning, Air Europa confirmed to ABC News.

PHOTO: Damage to the cabin is seen on an Air Europa following severe turbulence, July 1, 2024. (@Natalia_gimeno)

Laguzzi said she went to tend to other passengers after a flight attendant asked for a doctor on the plane.

"Most of the people I saw had severe back pain from the trauma, but I also saw some fractures -- legs, shoulders, collarbone, nose fracture," she said. "As these plastic panels fell down, they fell on people and they fell on their faces, arms and such."

Laguzzi said that following her assessment of the injuries, a crew member asked her if she thought the plane should make an emergency landing in Brazil or continue on to its final destination in Uruguay -- another four hours away. The doctor urged the crew to land as soon as possible to get the injured immediate care, she said.

The plane requested an emergency landing around 2:32 a.m. local time Monday, according to the Natal airport. Laguzzi said first responders started triaging patients once they landed. After several hours of waiting on the plane and then in the airport, passengers started being transported to Recife by bus to continue their flight to Montevideo, she said.

Laguzzi said she was a little nervous to get back on a plane but "I just wanted to get home, whatever it took." The family made it back home Tuesday morning, she said.

MORE: What causes turbulence, and how can it pose a danger to air travel? An expert explains

The incident remains under investigation, Air Europa said.

The plane flew through an area called the Intertropical Convergence Zone, where there is a belt of thunderstorms, according to ABC News contributor Col. Steve Ganyard, a retired Marine Corps fighter pilot.

Laguzzi said the whole ordeal was "traumatizing," and she doesn't plan on flying "for a long time."

"It was very hard to be in these situations," she said. "When you have small children, you feel so helpless, you know. You wish you could do more, but the situation is very overwhelming."

Ganyard said when it comes to turbulence there are two things to remember.

"One is the airplane is very, very strong," he said. "The second is, nobody that's wearing a seatbelt gets hurt. It's only the people who are not belted in that get hurt."

2-year-old found stuck in cabin ceiling after severe turbulence on Air Europa flight, mother says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
2 Pet Food Recalls Have Been IssuedWhat You Need to Know

Two pet food recalls have been issued for products made for dogs, cats, and hedgehogs.

The recalled items have caused panic around bacterial infections in animals affected, as possible contamination can cause symptoms such as illness and, in some extreme cases, even death.

The FDA (Food & Drug Administration) issued a notice for dog/cat food brand Viva Raw LLC of Hillsborough, North Carolina, for potential listeria monocytogenes and the associated health risks to both humans and pets.

The government entity shared the announcement on its official website on Monday, July 1, noting that the affected products were all manufactured under Lot 21244 and include:

Viva Turkey for Dogs Ground

Viva Turkey for Dogs Chunked

Viva Turkey for Cats

Viva Pure Turkey

Viva Beef & Turkey for Puppies

According to the communication, the lot number listed is the only one to be wary of as of the time of writing, and Viva Raw is contacting all customers who were shipped any Turkey or Beef & Turkey for Puppies products between May 16 and June 28, 2024. The products were sold across all 50 states of the U.S. as well as Washington, D.C.

Related: Amputated Fingers Prompt Massive Outdoor Furniture Recall

The FDA's notice also explained that listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in pets, though rare. However, infected pets may experience symptoms including mild to severe diarrhea, anorexia, fever, nervousness, muscular and respiratory signs, miscarriage, depression, shock and/or death.

Additionally, it shared that animals exposed to contaminated food can become infected without showing symptoms and can act as carriers to their owners or others.

Symptoms for humans are similar and include nausea, vomiting, aches, fever and diarrhea. It can also lead to meningitis and other potentially fatal illnesses and miscarriage, making pregnant people exceptionally vulnerable to the associated illnesses.

No related illnesses have been reported as of Wednesday, July 3, but the notice suggests contacting the company at info@vivarawpets.com for a refund on any remaining products, then destroying the food in a way that children, pets, and wildlife cannot access while wearing gloves or using paper towels to handle them.

As for the hedgehog food, Vitakraft Sun Seed Inc. of Weston, Ohio, has voluntarily recalled various lots of Sun Seed Vita Prima Hedgehog Food and Vitakraft Vita Smart Hedgehog Food due to potential Salmonella health risks.

Included in a July 1 notice are a slew of lot numbers listed on the FDA's website.

Next: A Major Cucumber Recall Has Been IssuedHere's What You Need to Know
200 paedophiles who paid to see rape by proxy of children in Philippines identified

Nearly 200 paedophiles who paid to watch live-streamed sexual abuse of children in the Philippines have been identified in the biggest international police investigation of its kind.

Details of the suspects are now being passed to police forces around the world so they can be questioned and possibly charged for exploiting vulnerable children and fuelling abuse  which one sexual abuse investigator described as rape by proxy.

Investigators from 10 countries including the UK, US, France and Germany used the most advanced technology to analyse tens of thousands of abuse images and 10 million lines of online conversations between 12,000 suspected criminal accounts over five days.

Because the abuse is live-streamed, there are no direct images of the victims except those saved by the perpetrators, but the investigators were still able to identify 197 suspected buyers of the live-streamed feeds by cross-referencing payments, geographical information, phone numbers and computer chats.

Access to footage costs as little as 10

Paedophiles pay as little as 10 to 15 to the Philippines-based traffickers who organise the online child sexual abuse, sometimes using their own children.

Phil Attwood, a former UK detective chief inspector specialising in online child abuse, said the abuse amounted to rape by proxy in which traffickers exploited the extreme poverty of people in the Philippines.

Mr Attwood, the director of impact at the Child Rescue Coalition (CRC), which provides the technology, said the five-day sprint in which investigators from around the world analysed the data had provided vital information to track down and help bring to justice nearly 200 of the worst offenders.

The investigators analysed data which investigators across the world had gathered over 12 years. Every time a paedophile or trafficker is arrested, their digital footprint  such as chats, financial data, locations and IP addresses  is used to generate more leads.

This had enabled investigators to pinpoint 100 accounts selling pay-per-view access to the abuse to sex offenders in some 24 countries. From this, the software provided by CRC helped investigators identify the 197 suspects.

A report by United Nations Childrens Fund (Unicef) and International Justice Mission identified the Philippines as the centre for the production of the child sex abuse materials.

Nearly 500,000 children trafficked

It estimated nearly 500,000 Filipino children were trafficked to produce new child sexual abuse material in 2022, with the majority of victims found to be aged between three and 12 years old.

The US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received more than 32 million reports of child sexual abuse material from around the world in 2022, an 87 percent increase on 2019.

In the UK,the National Crime Agency (NCA) estimates there are between 680,000 and 830,000 adult offenders who pose varying degrees of risk to children, equivalent to 1.3 per cent to 1.6 per cent of the adult population.

The NCA said research suggested one in 10 children experienced child abuse before the age of 16 in the UK, while the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse suggested this occurred to one in six girls and one in 20 boys.

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.
"It looks like the dam has broken," a House Democratic aide told Reuters in the ongoing aftermath of Biden's debate performance

Lauren Victoria Burke/AP Rep. Lloyd Doggett was the first Democrat in Congress to call for Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race

Twenty-five Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives are prepared to call for President Joe Biden to end his reelection bid, according to a Reuters report.

The outlet reports that an anonymous House Democratic aide said they will make the move if Biden, 81, appears "shaky" in the "coming days."

Biden is set to have a high-stakes interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Friday, July 5, and has several upcoming appearances scheduled.

Reuters' reporting comes less than a week after Biden and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump had their first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle on Thursday, July 27.

During the debate Biden appeared frail, and he struggled to articulate his points. He addressed his poor performance at a North Carolina rally the next day. "I don't walk as easily as I used to. I don't speak as smoothly as I used to. I don't debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know, I know how to tell the truth," he told the crowd, with much more energy than he displayed the night before.

Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg/Getty US President Joe Biden during the first presidential debate

Reuters reports that a second House Democratic aide alleged that moderate House Democrats in competitive districts were getting hammered with questions in their districts" following the debate.

That second source continued, saying, "It looks like the dam has broken," as calls for Biden to step aside grow louder from members of his own party.

On Tuesday, July 2, Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first Democratic member of Congress to publicly call for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, according to CNN.

In a statement obtained by the outlet, Doggett said, "I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw [from the 1968 presidential race]. President Biden should do the same."

Related: Can Joe Biden Be Replaced on the Democratic Ticket? What the DNC Rules Say About Switching Nominees

He continued, expressing that Biden should end his candidacy for the good of the country.

"Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Bidens first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw, Doggett wrote. I respectfully call on him to do so.

Related: Joe Biden Sees Strongest Grassroots Fundraising Hour Since Campaign Launched After Muffled Debate Performance

DANIEL COLE/POOL/AFP via Getty US President Joe Biden delivers a speech

Doggett later told CNNs Anderson Cooper that he wishes he said it earlier because I think we needed  this needed to be a decision that was made much earlier in the process."

Earlier on Tuesday, CNN suggested that the aftermath of Bidens debate performance could hurt Democrats down the ballot  and potentially "cost Democrats the House come November"  which has placed additional pressure on Democratic lawmakers.

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.

On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Biden recently spoke to an anonymous key ally about the uncertainty of his political future. The ally said of the conversation, "He knows if he has two more events like that, were in a different place and claimed that the president is aware that his campaign may not be salvageable without a quick change in the narrative.

A White House spokesperson denied the Times' report, calling it false.

As of now, Biden is committed to debating with Trump again in September.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Three companies were sued by the City of Jackson for illegally disposing millions of gallons waste into the sewer system. One has now settled, but attorneys with the city said the suit will continue.

During their Tuesday meeting, the Jackson City Council voted to approve a settlement of $630,000 from Partridge-Sibley Industrial Services, a waste-hauling company that took part in the years-long dumping scheme. This was one of two settlements the council approved.

"This was a bad situation, obviously, and something that the City of Jackson needed like a shotgun blast to its head, which was to introduce toxic wastewater to our sewer system," Attorney John Hawkins told the council.

Hawkins is a lawyer from Hawkins Law, a local firm the city hired for the suit.

"It was a terrible course of conduct," Hawkins added. "What we've asked you to approve today is to settle with some of the defendants, not all of them, so the case would proceed."

City of Jackson, Mississippi sewer caps. Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020.

Th city filed suit against Partridge-Sibley and two other companies in 2021. Three defendants associated with Partridge-Sibley were also named in the suit: Justin Mahfouz, Louie Garrett and Charles Carroll Partridge, the executor of the estate of Donald Richard Partridge who died in March. It is unclear what each of the defendants positions are in the company.

More info on how the companies illegally disposed of waste

The other two companies named in the city's suit are Gold Coast Commodities, an oil and fats refinery in Brandon, and Rebel High Velocity Sewer Services, based in Jackson. City attorneys said they are continuing to litigate to reach a settlement with both companies.

"For years leading up to 2014, Gold Coast consistently discharged its corrosive waste into the sewer system near its facility, with the waste running into the Jackson sewer system through transmission lines that connect to Jackson's wastewater treatment plants," the lawsuit states. "Gold Coast's illegal dumping into the sewer system contributed to the capacity strain and sewage overflows that has plagued the City's wastewater collection and sewer system for many years."

In 2016, both the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the City of Brandon opened investigations into Gold Coast after hearing reports of the illegal dumping. The City of Brandon informed Gold Coast their intention to install a monitor at the Gold Coast facility to observe its disposal activities.

This is where Partridge-Sibley and Rebel come into play.

Under threat of investigation, the lawsuit states, Gold Coast hired Partridge-Sibley and Rebel to help continue disposing waste illegally.

"To aid in disposing Gold Coast's waste, Partridge-Sibley delivered a large storage tank to the Rebel facility," the lawsuit states. "Partridge-Sibley and Rebel then excavated the City's sewer line servicing the Rebel facility and inserted a pipe into the sewer line that they connected to the storage tank. This facilitated the discharge of Gold Coast's industrial waste directly into the City's sewer system."

Further, the lawsuit states that "in 2017 alone Partridge-Sibley transported at least three million gallons of Gold Coast's wastewater to the Rebel facility for disposal into the City's sewer system."

While Partridge-Sibley was taking part in this illegal activity, the company was also under contract with the city to remove sludge from the city's Savanna Wastewater Treatment Plant.

"Partridge-Sibley thus was being paid to illegally discharge waste into the City's sewer system, while also being paid millions of dollars to remove waste buildup downstream at the City's wastewater treatment plant, thereby profiting on both ends of the Defendants unauthorized waste disposal activities," the lawsuit states.

In total, the City estimates the damage to the sewers from the waste exceeds $15 million.

In January 2021, Andrew Walker, the owner of Rebel High Velocity Sewer Services, admitted to having illegally discharged 3 million gallons of industrial waste into the Jackson Sewer System in an effort to avoid the expense of treating the waste. It's unclear if Walker has been sentenced as no record is on file.

Gold Coast's president, Thomas Douglas, the plant manager, John Welch Sr. and vice president, Robert David Douglas, have also all been indicted.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: How 3 companies illegally dumped waste into Jackson MS sewers
Three firefighters sustained heat-related injuries while battling the Thompson Fire in Butte County, California, as red flag conditions persist in the area, according to Cal Fire.

The state on Tuesday secured federal assistance to support the response to the fire, Gov. Gavin Newsom said.

"We're working proactively to bring in additional funding to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the fire burning in Butte County," he said in a statement.

PHOTO: A property is engulfed in flames as the Thompson Fire burns, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Oroville, Calif. (Ethan Swope/AP)

About 13,000 people remain under evacuation order near Oroville, California, the Butte County Sheriff said.

The blaze has burned about 3,002 acres since it was ignited on Tuesday morning, fire officials said. It was zero percent contained, Cal Fire said.

PHOTO: A firefighter runs while battling the Thompson Fire burning in Oroville, Calif., Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (Noah Berger/AP)

Newsom said California had been approved for a Fire Management Assistance Grant, a federal program that can reimburse up to 75% of eligible firefighting costs.

PHOTO: Law enforcement members watch as the Thompson fire burns over Lake Oroville in Oroville, California on July 2, 2024. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)

About 510 fire personnel were battling the "well established" blaze on Tuesday night, Cal Fire said in a fact sheet.

"The fire has jumped the diversion pool of the Feather River and is making runs toward Olive Highway in the Kelly Ridge area," the agency said.

3 firefighters injured battling Thompson wildfire in California, Cal Fire says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
MARION, S.C. (WBTW)  Three people arrested Tuesday in the killing of a man in Marion in June initially told police that a 3-year-old had accidentally shot the man to death.

Marion residents Dreshawn Jyrine Dorsey, 20, Laniya Ashley Hall, 37, and Jacorial Takyra Gregg, 21, face charges in the June 3 killing of Nigeria Davis. It happened in the 1100 block of Strawberry Street.

Initially, investigators were led to believe that the shooting was an accident and the victim was shot by a 3-year-old, Marion police said Wednesday in a news release. After further investigation, it was determined that [the] victim had been shot by Mr. Dreshawn Dorsey, not by a 3-year-old.

Dorsey is charged with murder; discharging firearms into a dwelling; discharging a firearm in city limits; possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime; pointing and presenting a firearm at a person; and unlawfully placing a child at risk.

Hall and Gregg are charged with obstructing justice and accessory after the fact of murder. All three suspects are being held at the Marion County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing.

Police said the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Marion police at 843-423-8616 or through the departments app for iPhone and Android devices. Tips can remain anonymous.

* * *

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 multi-agency crackdown on street racing Monday yielded 32 arrests on charges including driving under the influence and fleeing to elude police, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Operation Keep Our Streets focused on the Gandy Bridge and the Courtney Campbell Causeway, where people have been arrested for street racing at speeds over 100 mph, the highway patrol said in a news release Tuesday. The Howard Frankland Bridge  another roadway known for street racing  was not included because of construction.

During Mondays crackdown, 32 people were arrested, including two on street racing charges and five on DUI charges, the news release states. Other charges included fleeing and eluding and driving on a suspended license.

In addition to the arrests, officers issued 162 traffic citations, 295 traffic warnings and 18 criminal citations. A total of 457 traffic stops were conducted for unsafe driving behaviors, including speeding, violation of a traffic control device and violation of the move over law.

The crackdown comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis in May signed Senate Bill 1764, which increases the maximum fine from $1,000 to $2,000 for people who participate in street racing or roadway takeovers. The bill also stiffens the penalties for repeat offenders and makes it a felony to interfere with emergency vehicles responding to calls.

Agencies that participated in the operation with the highway patrol included the Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park police departments, as well as the Hillsborough and Pinellas County sheriffs offices.

FHP is committed to ensuring Florida roadways are safe for everyone to travel, Dave Kerner, executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, said in the news release. This operation and its success reflect our commitment and provide ample warning to those who jeopardize public safety; FHP aggressively enforces traffic and criminal laws to protect our citizens and visitors.

Anyone who encounters street racing, takeovers or stunt driving is encouraged to call 911 or the Florida Highway Patrol at *347. The highway patrol says you should avoid engaging with participants, remain calm and pull over to the side of the road if possible. To report an upcoming event or identify street racing participants, email StopRacing@flhsmv.gov.
CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW)  Conway police are asking for help finding a missing 34-year-old man, the department said on social media.

Conway PD / X

Casey Lee Graham was last seen Tuesday at about 7 p.m. wearing a white t-shirt and blue sweatpants, police said. He is 6-foot 2-inches tall and weighs about 130 pounds. He has long, brown hair and dark-colored eyes.

Graham was last seen at a Waffle House in the 2900 block of Church Street.

Anyone with information is asked to call Conway police.

 Download the News13 app to stay updated on the go

 Sign up for WBTW email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.

 Find todays top stories on WBTW.com for the Grand Strand and Pee Dee.

Count on News13 for updates.

* * *

Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on 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.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is directing 39 Texas Emergency Management Council agencies to begin preparations to aid in hurricane response and recovery work, he announced in a release Wednesday.

Alongside those preparations, Abbott is requesting teams develop around-the-clock staffing plans for the State Emergency Operations Center, in the event Hurricane Beryl hits the Texas Gulf Coast, the release added.

RELATED: The Latest on Hurricane Beryl

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Hurricane Beryl was classified as a Category 4, down from the Category 5 designation it reached on Monday. The National Hurricane Center has forecasted the storm will weaken while continuing on its west-northwest path through the Caribbean before eventually hitting the Gulf of Mexico this weekend, the release said.

Texas stands ready to deploy all available resources and support to our coastal communities as Hurricane Beryl approaches the state, Abbott said in the release. Today, I directed TDEM to issue an advisory notice to our emergency management agencies to ensure Texas is prepared and equipped for hurricane response and recovery efforts. As Texans around the south coastal areas make holiday plans and visitors begin to travel for the holiday weekend, I urge them to take necessary safety precautions, remain weather aware, and have an emergency plan ready for themselves and their families. State and local officials will continue to work around-the-clock to monitor statewide weather conditions and help protect Texans.

The participating agencies include:

Texas Division of Emergency Management

Texas A&M University System

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service  Texas A&M Task Force 1

Texas A&M Forest Service

Texas Military Department  Texas National Guard

Texas Department of Public Safety

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Texas Department of Transportation

Public Utility Commission of Texas

Railroad Commission of TexasTexas Commission on Environmental Quality

Texas Animal Health Commission

State Comptroller of Public Accounts

Texas Commission on Fire Protection

Texas Department of Agriculture

Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs

Texas Department of Information Resources

Texas Department of Insurance

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation

Texas Department of Motor Vehicles

Texas Department of State Health Services

Texas Education Agency

Texas Facilities Commission

Texas General Land Office

Texas Health and Human Services Commission

Texas Office of the Attorney General

Texas State Auditors Office

Texas Workforce Commission

Texas State University System

Texas Tech University System

University of Houston System

University of North Texas System

University of Texas System

Texas Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

The Salvation Army

The American Red Cross

More storm information is available on the Texas Division of Emergency Managements disaster portal as well as the Texas Hurricane Center webpage. Details on storm preparedness are offered 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 KXAN Austin.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Thirty-two people were arrested following a multi-agency crackdown that targeted street racing on Tampa-area bridges, the Florida Highway Patrol announced Tuesday.

During Operation Keep Our Streets, the FHP, along with the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office, Clearwater Police Department, Pinellas Park Police Department, St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office, [put] the brakes on street racing.

4 killed, including 7-year-old in early-morning pileup on I-95 in Florida

According to the FHP, the primary focus of the operation was the Gandy Bridge and Courtney Campbell Causeway  two locations troopers said have made headlines due to recent street racing incidents where drivers have been arrested for racing at more than 100 mph.

This operation to educate the community about the importance of obeying traffic laws and avoiding reckless driving is a testament to our commitment to protecting the safety and well-being of our community, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. We are grateful for the support and dedication of all the agencies involved; together, we are making our roads safer for our residents.

The Howard Frankland Bridge, another area known for street racing, was not included in Mondays crackdown due to construction. However, FHP said reckless driving and speeding on the bridge will not be tolerated.

The type of behavior involved in this kind of activity is completely unacceptable, Tampa Police Department Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement. These street takeovers not only put participants at risk but also creates a dangerous situation for innocent motorists. The Tampa Police Department wants to send a clear message that those who choose to engage in such reckless activity will be arrested, and this updated law now holds these individuals even more accountable for their actions.

Florida Lottery launches 5 all-new Monopoly Secret Vault scratch-off tickets

The operation coincides following the kickoff of Senate Bill 1764, which increases the maximum fine for those participating in street racing or roadway takeovers. The bill also revises penalties for second-time offenders and increases criminal penalties and fines for anyone who knowingly interferes with emergency vehicles responding to calls for service due to street racing or street takeover activities.

Our ongoing partnerships with other law enforcement agencies allow us to address reckless driving and make our roadways safer. The goal is to prevent serious injury and fatal crashes, Assistant Chief of the St. Petersburg Police Department Michael Kovacsev said.

Throughout Operation Keep Our Streets, the agencies conducted 457 traffic stops for unsafe driving behaviors, such as speeding, violation of a traffic control device, driving under the influence, driving while license suspended, violation of the move-over law, fleeing to elude, possession of narcotics, and street racing.

Puzzling and strange: Steven Stamkos speaks after saying goodbye to Lightning

Officials also issued 162 traffic citations, 295 traffic warnings, five DUI arrests, 18 criminal citations and two arrests for street racing.

FHP is committed to ensuring Florida roadways are safe for everyone to travel, FLHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner said. This operation and its success reflect our commitment and provide ample warning to those who jeopardize public safety; FHP aggressively enforces traffic and criminal laws to protect our citizens and visitors.

Anyone who encounters illegal street racing, street takeovers or stunt driving is asked to call FHO (*347) or 911. Visit here for more 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 WFLA.
Having likely lost to challenger state Sen. John McGuire in Virginias 5th Congressional District GOP primary incumbent, Rep. Bob Good is seeking a recount. The Virginia State Board of Elections certified primary election results Tuesday  which opened a window of opportunity for candidates appearing to have lost by less than 1% of the vote to pursue a recount if they wish.

With the loss at less than 400 votes, Good is entitled to a recount, but his campaign will have to cover the costs of it.

Goods campaign manager, Diana Shores, said that people in the district have been reaching out to the campaign to ask for a recount.

Our donors, our volunteers, and our supporters expect it. This isnt about Bob Good. This is about the people of the district, she said in a text message.

Shores said that the recount can settle any questions about the fairness and transparency of the election process so that voters can confidently move forward to the general election.

After the state elections board certified the results of the June primaries on Tuesday, Chairman John OBannon said Virginias elections were free and fair.

In a statement Tuesday, McGuire called the election results the honor of a lifetime.

I look forward to continuing our fight for Virginia families every day in Congress. He asked voters to support him and former president Donald Trump, adding that without Trump and a Republican Congress, we will lose our great country.

Good, first elected in 2020  the same year former President Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden  has challenged the results of the Biden-Trump matchup, as has McGuire.

The two-term congressman has previously won the GOP nomination through a convention process before topping Democratic challengers in the conservative-leaning district spanning parts of Southside and Central Virginia.

This year, Good faced McGuire in a districtwide primary, which meant more people were able to vote. Though similar candidates in many ways when it comes to conservative Republican policy platforms, fealty to Trump became a highlight of their contest, as Trump and Biden face off again this year.

Last summer, Good briefly endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president. This was shortly after some of Trumps indictments had been announced (and Trump has since been convicted on 34 counts in one of the pending cases, involving payments to a porn star). When DeSantis dropped out of the race, Good immediately reendorsed Trump.

Trump went on to endorse McGuire and sent a cease-and-desist letter to Goods campaign for signs that included Trumps name  implying an endorsement he didnt have.

At a recent rally in Chesapeake, Trump spoke about several Republican congressional candidates in Virginia, including a shoutout for McGuire that commended his military service.

I know a lot of tough guys, and they wanted to be Navy SEALs. It was their dream to be a Navy SEAL.  They couldnt get there, Trump said. Its a very tough thing to do. Its really tough, guys.

Trump added that McGuire is a tough cookie who is doing a good job as a state lawmaker.

Whoever wins Virginias 5th District congressional race will face Democrat nominee Gloria Tinsley Witt in Novembers general election. A Republican-leaning district, voters have historically favored GOP candidates, though Democrat Tom Perriello represented the district from 2009 to 2011.

This story was originally published in the Virginia Mercury.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Clark County reports five new cases of the West Nile virus and the Southern Nevada Health District encourages residents to fight the bite over the holiday weekend and throughout the summer.

In Southern Nevada, there have been seven cases of West Nile virus reported recently. Three patients, a woman over 60 and two men under 50, suffered from the more severe neuroinvasive form of the illness, but are now recovering after hospitalization. Two other patients, both under 50, had the non-neuroinvasive form and have since fully recovered.

The SNHD previously reported two other cases, a man over 60 and another man over 70, in Clark County. Both men have fully recovered, health officials said.

Those who develop a neuroinvasive form of the illness may experience encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord).

As of June 27, the Vegas valley has detected West Nile virus in 267 mosquito pools across 36 ZIP codes, with 15 pools testing positive for St. Louis encephalitis virus in six ZIP codes.

West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis are transmitted by infected mosquitoes, with many cases going unnoticed as they often dont cause symptoms.

Health officials urge the public to take precautions, such as eliminating standing water to prevent mosquito breeding, using insect repellent, and reporting mosquito activity to local authorities.

For more information dealing with mosquito bites visit the Southern Nevada Health District or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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)  A man from Illinois filed a federal class action lawsuit alleging predatory lending against a Henderson city councilman. It is the fifth such lawsuit against the councilman  Dan Shaw  who is up for re-election in November.

The 8 News Now Investigators broke the news of the first Lawsuit in February 2023. That lawsuit, and a handful of others, seems to have either dismissed Shaw as a party or settled out of court, records show.

Henderson city councilman sued for predatory payday loans, charging 700% interest

The current lawsuit, filed on May 30 in the Northern District of Illinois, names Shaw and his business partner Greg Jones, as well as several business entities including Green Arrow Solutions.

Court documents claim that on February 13, 2023, Green Arrow Solutions gave a loan to plaintiff Benjamin Steffen for $350 at an 852.42% annual percentage rate, which would result in a repayment of $1,132.28 if paid on schedule. The total interest amount would be $787.28, equating to a rate more than 20 times the 36% interest permitted in Illinois. These loans are known for cutthroat collection tactics and high fees for late payments.

The lawsuit, referring to the practice of evading prosecution under usury laws in the United States frequently engage in a business model commonly referred to as a rent-a-tribe scheme, the lawsuit says. Here, and in such schemes, non-tribal payday lenders create an elaborate charade claiming their non-tribal businesses are owned and operated by Native American tribes.

In this case, as in the others, the lawsuit alleges that Defendant Green Arrow Solutions purports to be an entity created and owned by the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians of the Big Valley Rancheria.

As of November 2023, Green Arrow Solutions was involved in a total of four federal class action lawsuits.

Last week, a woman in Wisconsin filed a lawsuit against nine business entities including Green Arrow Solutions. Shaw is not named personally in that lawsuit, which claims that various lending companies downloaded and viewed her consumer credit report without her permission.

The Wisconsin lawsuit said those companies took advantage of the defendant, who lacks advanced sophistication in the specific businesses of high-interest loan lead generation and other such lending practices.

As a result of the actions and omissions of each defendant, Cheryl Shockley has suffered damages including emotional distress, loss of privacy, mental anguish, fear, anger, frustration, embarrassment and other damages, the lawsuit said.

A spokeswoman for the City of Henderson, when pressed for comment on this lawsuit, responded as she did in response to questions about the previous four lawsuits.

The City of Henderson does not comment on Councilmembers private or personal business matters, the spokeswoman, Madeleine Skains, told the 8 News Now Investigators.

A separate response came from a public relations firm.

I understand you are running another story on Councilman Shaws personal businesses, the public relations representative, Elizabeth Tropser, said in an unsolicited email Monday night. Again, this is the same situation you have reported on for the last year that we have previously responded to. None of the information has changed. Dan is the president of an investment firm which provides payment servicing and does not make loans or set the terms  there is no direct connection between him and the borrower, which is why he is continually dropped from these types of lawsuits.

It is unclear on whose behalf Trosper was responding, as the same request for comment was sent to Hendersons mayor, a city spokeswoman, and each member of the city council, including Shaw.

Trosper forwarded an inquiry about the original predatory lawsuit from the 8 News Now Investigators in February, simply saying all questions should be directed to a party in Utah, where he is the president and CEO of a popular rodeo, according to the Utah Days of 47 Rodeo website, and owns or owned multiple properties under a variety of entities, public records show.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
62-Year-Old Woman Accused Of Repeatedly Stabbing, Killing Pregnant Teen

A 62-year-old woman was arrested on Monday and accused of stabbing a pregnant teen five months ago, just days before the girl was set to give birth.

Jacqueline Reid, 62, was charged with two counts of murder in connection to the death of 17-year-old Maylashia Hogg and her unborn child, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division announced. Hogg was nine months pregnant with the girl she planned to name Londyn Charity when she was found dead in February, just a few blocks away from her home in Barnwell.

17-year-old Maylashia Hogg was 9 months pregnant when she was found dead. Barnwell Police Department

Hogg was last seen on Feb. 8 and reported missing by her family on Feb. 14, after she missed her induction appointment, according to reports by FOX affiliate WACH.

She was excited to be a mom, Robert Payne, Hoggs cousin, told the outlet. He added that Hogg was going to name her daughter after her mother, who died in 2022.

Kimberly Kite, the founder of the Broken Link Foundation, an advocacy group aiding in the search for missing people, told ABC affiliate WPDE after Hoggs disappearance that her family did not receive help from authorities in getting the word out.

When a family reports a loved one missing, police have got to listen to the family, Kite told WACH.

Authorities executed a search of Reids home, where they found unspecified forensic evidence of the crime, according to an arrest warrant attached to the SLED announcement. The warrant said that Hogg was stabbed multiple times with a sharp-edged weapon.

Michael Sapp, Hoggs stepfather, told ABC affiliate WJBF after Reid appeared in court this week that she was known to the family and he just cant believe that she actually did this.

I asked her several times like, have you saw Malaysia? And she looked right at me and was like, no. And knowing the whole time that she already had did this to my baby, Sapp told the outlet.

According to WJBF, Reid refused to speak with the judge at the hearing and was denied bond. Hoggs family is continuing to demand answers as authorities have yet to determine a motive in Hoggs killing.

JaNearia Rice, Hoggs cousin, told USA TODAY that Reid had been spending time with the family in the days before her arrest, adding that she once lived across the street from Hogg.

Why would you do something like this and then come around the family? Rice told the outlet. She came around the day that Maylashia was found. She came in the yard to Maylashias house, sitting with the family, watching them grieve in pain.

Related...
A two-year-old boy was found dead Tuesday evening inside a hot car in Cobb County, Georgia, officials said Wednesday, marking the sixth hot car-related death in 2024.

According to the Cobb County Police Department, the child was found unresponsive in a parked vehicle at approximately 5:36 pm.

He was transported to Kennestone Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

"This is one example of some things that can go wrong, but there are others," Chief Stuart VanHoozer said during a news conference Wednesday. VanHoozer urged the public to "really really really be careful in this heat."

According to a police news release, no charges have been filed at this time and there is no evidence that suggests the child was left inside the vehicle.

Police said they do not know how the child got into the car, or how long he remained inside.

PHOTO: In this screen grab from a video, cars are shown parked in the sun. (WSOC)

MORE: 8-year-old girl dies after mom allegedly left her in car during high heat to go to work

On Monday, the San Antonio Police Department and Metro Health used dummies to demonstrate how truly hot the inside of a car can get, according to ABC affiliate KSAT. After just 15 minutes of the car being turned off, KSAT reported that temperatures inside the vehicle had already reached 110 degrees.

This police demonstration occurred in response to a Friday afternoon incident, in which three children were rescued by a Good Samaritan from a hot car in San Antonio, Texas.

The one-month old, 2-year old, and 4-year old were trapped inside the car for about 50 minutes, police said.

"A few minutes in a hot car is a recipe for disaster, Amber Rollins, Director of Kids and Car Safety, told ABC News. "Minutes can literally be the difference between life, death or severe brain damage for a child alone in a hot car."

The National Weather Service confirmed that temperatures in San Antonio reached 99 degrees that day.

Police confirmed that the mother was present on the scene and "stated she went inside a store and did not realize how long she was gone." She has been arrested on three counts of abandonment and endangering a child, according to law enforcement.

After the bystander called the police, the children were successfully extracted from the vehicle and transported to a local hospital with expectations for a full recovery.

PHOTO: In this screen grab from a video, a car window is shown partially rolled down. (WSOC)

MORE: As sweltering heat approaches, experts share hot car safety tips

More than 900 children have died in hot cars since 1998, the federal government reports.

There are 25 states with Good Samaritan laws that "protect citizens from liability if they break into a vehicle to rescue a person or pet," according to Kids and Car Safety. Because the risk of death increases with every passing minute in a hot car, citizens can be encouraged to take action as soon as possible without fear of retribution.

Rollins acknowledged that these incidents are not always a result of neglect.

"Child hot car deaths and injuries are largely misunderstood by the general public and the majority of parents believe this would never happen to them," Rollins said in a statement Wednesday.

Rollins spoke to ABC News about a dangerous situation that almost occurred with her son, despite her doing this work for 12 years and being a person frequently interviewed on how to avoid such incidents.

She explained how sleep deprivation combined with a change in routine created confusion and caused her to make a wrong turn.

"My son made a screeching sound in the backseat and then I realized he was with me, but I completely lost awareness of him," she said. "These little changes that seem completely harmless and non-eventful can be a trigger if the right circumstances align."

There have been 6 deaths from hot cars in 2024 so far, all reportedly children.

"Eighty-eight percent of [all hot car] victims are children aged three and under," Rollins said. Children are especially at risk due to the fact that their "body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult."

MORE: Advocates renew calls for rule to require technology that prevents hot car deaths

This news comes just before the July Fourth holiday, when child fatalities tend to spike, with an increased risk for vehicle backovers and turnovers.

According to Kids and Car Safety data, "July 4th was the deadliest holiday weekend in 2023 for children in terms of non-traffic fatalities."

Rollins emphasized the need for parents to take every precaution necessary to protect their children. Not only does the holiday weekend present a threat, but the persistent high temperatures continue to leave children at risk, she said.

- ABC News' Ayesha Ali contributed to this report.

6th hot car-related child death this year highlights ongoing risk originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The I-75 rest area heading northbound to Sault Ste. Marie will be closed July 8-10 for repaving.

CHIPPEWA COUNTY  The I-75 rest area heading northbound to Sault Ste. Marie is closing early next week for construction and renovation.

Starting Monday, July 8 and expected to last until July 10, the Michigan Department of Transportation said the rest area will be closed for repaving. The Sault Ste. Marie Welcome Center five miles north of the rest area will remain open during the work.

This job is a part of a $3.5 million investment to resurface a large portion of I-75 in the Upper Peninsula. The total project will see the road resurfaced on I-75 from M-28 to 3 Mile. The work will include several aspects, including repairing guardrails, joints, shoulders and reapplying asphalt and pavement markings.

Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our content

The work schedule may change depending on the weather.

 Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com

This article originally appeared on The Sault News: I-75 rest area near Sault to close next week for repaving
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  With NBC4 celebrating 75 years in 2024 as the citys first television station, it means about half of that time has been as the home of Red, White & BOOM!

Red, White & BOOM! began in 1981, with WCMH joining soon after and beginning annual broadcasts. In early years, with the fireworks shot off every July 3, WCMH would offer a special presentation the night of Independence Day. Soon after, the show became live, as it will be again this Wednesday night.

The show has been a mainstay in Columbus for generations, and NBC4 has been there for many special moments. With the show set for the 3rd  to allow community fireworks to keep their position on the 4th  it meant Columbus was the first major fireworks show after the events of Sept. 11, 2001. And even though summer thunderstorms have sometimes caused the show to begin earlier or later than the usual 10 p.m., the only thing to ever cancel Red, White & BOOM! was the COVID-19 pandemic. And it did so twice, in 2020 and 2021.

Here is a look back at one show per decade, from the NBC4 archives.

2022

The pandemic left people eager for a sense of community and a return to tradition, and Red, White & BOOM! provided that in 2022. Watch the full show.

2016

In a sad occasion for NBC4, 2024 will mark the first Red, White & BOOM! since the death of longtime anchor Mike Jackson in October. One of Jacksons favorite assignments every year was Red, White & BOOM! See him below from 2016 alongside Colleen Marshall.

2002

The September 11 attacks shocked the country and the world, and in the months that followed, the sadness over those who were lost that day was combined with patriotism. Both are on display in our show from that year.

1991

Generations of on-air personalities were part of WCMHs Red, White & BOOM!, including longtime anchor Doug Adair. See him here after the show, alongside WNCI Morning Zoo host John Cline.

1987

Chopper 4 was retired several years ago, but it took to the sky year after year during Red, White & BOOM! Watch here as it circles Downtown.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  The Austin Police Department released the identity of a 79-year-old man who died after he was in a single-vehicle crash in south Austin last month.

APD said officers responded shortly after 10 a.m. on Friday, June 28 to a single-vehicle crash in the 1200 block of West Ben White Boulevard Service Road.

MAP: Where have Austins fatal crashes occurred in 2024?

The driver, identified by APD as Gerald Farcus, 79, was transported to a local hospital and later pronounced dead.



This incident is being investigated as Austins 37th fatal crash of 2024, resulting in 38 fatalities for the year.

Anyone with any information should contact APDs Vehicular Homicide unit at 512-974-8111. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
"It needs to be said how brutal and how horrific this crime was. And cold-blooded," Judge Scott Nordstrand said on July 2

Polk County Sheriffas Department Mary Jo Bailey mugshot

Mary Jo Bailey, 81, was sentenced to life in prison on July 2 for the first-degree murder of Yvonne Menke

Yvonne Menke was fatally shot three times in December 1985, and her case was reopened in 2021

Bailey and Menke were both involved with the same man, Jack Owen, at the same time

An 81-year-old woman was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday, July 2, after she was convicted in June for the 1985 murder of her romantic rival, reports Kare 11, WQOW and The Osceola Sun.

Mary Jo Bailey was convicted of the first-degree murder of Yvonne Menke on June 5. In the July 2 sentencing hearing held at the Polk County Courthouse, Bailey was sentenced to a mandatory life term. However, due to a Wisconsin state law from the year of Menkes murder, Bailey was granted the possibility of parole in just over 19 years. Bailey's defense team said her conviction may be appealed.

Due to the 1985 Wisconsin law, Judge Scott Nordstrand could not add or subtract time from her sentence. But he said in court he would have set her parole eligibility at 38 years, per WQOW. "I think it needs to be said how brutal and how horrific this crime was. And cold-blooded," Nordstrand said.

Other than her lack of denial, Ms. Bailey has not admitted what she did, she has not taken accountability for her actions, she has shown no remorse, Assistant District Attorney Holly Wood-Webster said, per The Osceola Sun. In fact, she told the bailiff after she was convicted that she can now retire and not worry about it. This is first-degree murder  Ms. Bailey should not be eligible for parole.

Related: A Beloved Fla. Mom Was Fatally Shot in Her Real Estate Office in 1986, and Police Have Reopened Investigation

Tetra Images/Getty Images Stock image of crime scene tape

Before Baileys sentence was announced, three of Menkes children - Julie Connors, Sue Raska and James Menke Jr. - provided statements.

"You waited in a dark stairwell to maliciously murder my mom. You sentenced us to a life filled with pain, sadness and hurt," said Connors, who was 20 at the time of her mothers murder. Connors also read a statement from her sister Raska, who was pregnant at the time of Menkes death.

To me, this is not justice, said James Jr., who was 16 in 1985. She got to lead her life. We didnt live ours. But its as close as its going to get. So, now we can finally put this behind us. But [Bailey] should never be let out again.

The cold case into Menkes death wasnt reinvestigated until 2021, when a criminal complaint reported the two women were romantically involved with the same man, Jack Owen, at the same time. (Owen married a different woman and moved to Montana. He died in 2021, per WQOW.)

Related: S.C. Teen Died Mysteriously in 2015. His Case Was Reopened When Investigators Looked into Murdaugh Murders

Jaromir Chalabala / EyeEm / Getty Images Stock image of close-up of blue siren on police car at night

On Dec. 12, 1985, Menke  who was a 45-year-old mother of four children  was fatally shot once in the neck and twice in the back of the head, allegedly by Bailey outside of her apartment building. After telling her daughter she was going outside to warm up her car before work, her daughter allegedly heard the gunshots and then looked out the window and saw a person running from the crime scene. Her mother was then found dead at the bottom of the buildings exterior stairs.

Evidence revealed that Baileys boots matched the shoe prints in the snow and a note in the victims purse with Baileys car information. Additionally, Menkes family alleged that they received repeated phone calls from an unknown woman who inquired about what time Menke left for work in the morning.

Thirty-six years later, in 2021, Lt. Andrew Vitalis and Polk County Investigations Liaison Deputy Mark Biller started to reinvestigate the cold case with new interviews with witnesses.

"Since the initial investigation was conducted, it was probable that many subjects had learned additional information about the case that may be relevant and not yet reported to law enforcement. Additionally, officers suspected there were subjects who had been living in the area at the time of the homicide that did not come forward with information about the homicide for fear of retaliation," the criminal complaint states, per WQOW.

Darrin Klimek / Getty Images Stock image of empty prison cell

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.

A representative for the Wisconsin Courts did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for more information on Tuesday.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Hey, cheer up: The news is not all bad.

The federal government acknowledged for the first time last week that gun violence is an urgent public health crisis.

You already knew that, of course. We all knew it. But thanks to the gun lobby's stranglehold on our political class, its been nearly impossible to focus the federal governments attention  and money  on this shameful and uniquely American problem.

That's why the Surgeon Generals Advisory on Firearm Violence is so encouraging.

Read more: Abcarian: Yes, Biden looked and sounded awful. But the debate didn't change the stark choice we face

In fed-speak, an advisory is the equivalent of sending up a flare; it is reserved for a situation that, as Surgeon General Vivek Murthy put it, requires "the nations immediate awareness and action.

About damn time.

In the past few years, firearms have surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death among children and adolescents. Almost 60% of gun deaths are suicides, and over the past decade, young adults have experienced what Murthy described as a staggering increase in gun suicide rates.

We dont have to continue down this path, Murthy said in introducing the report, and we dont have to subject our children to the ongoing horror of firearm violence in America.

Read more: Abcarian: We don't have to live like this. Our children don't have to die like this

Gun violence has so warped us that nearly three-quarters of American adults report stress about the possibility of a mass shooting, and one-third say that fear of gun violence prevents them from going to certain places or attending certain events. More than half of Americans have had some sort of exposure to firearm violence, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

I dont know about you, but I almost never walk into a theater or attend a large outdoor gathering without at least a fleeting thought about what I would do if gunfire broke out. I have almost completely stopped honking at people when I drive  even when they deserve it  because I dont want to get shot by some hothead with a handgun.

By treating gun violence as a public health crisis and treating firearms as we do other potentially dangerous consumer products  such as cars, pesticides, cigarettes or prescription drugs  Murthy said we can reduce gun deaths, injuries and the almost incalculable indirect costs and community trauma that firearms cause.

This is a revolutionary stance for a reason. In 1996, a pro-gun congressman tucked a one-sentence amendment into the budget bill: None of the funds made available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be used to advocate or promote gun control.

For the next quarter-century, that amendment basically paralyzed the CDCs ability to study gun violence. The equation was simple: no money = no research.

The federal investment in firearm violence research is drastically less than the federal investment in research for causes of death with comparable mortality, Murthy wrote, noting that research on drownings and car crashes are far better funded.

We didnt ignore firearm violence; we deliberately turned our back on it," said Garen Wintemute, an emergency medicine physician and director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at UC Davis. Its as if we said, Lets not do research on breast cancer. How many thousands of people are dead today who would have been alive if we had done back in the '70s, '80s and '90s the research on firearms that we are doing now? If wed put interventions into place?

Wintemute, a longtime member of the National Rifle Assn. who grew up around guns, is a pioneer in the field of gun violence prevention and has relentlessly advocated interventions that have been shown to work.

We have good evidence that community-based and hospital-based violence interruption programs work, he told me last week. We have reasonable evidence that extreme risk protection orders work  like domestic violence restraining orders and red flag laws.

Most Americans agree.

Theres very little difference between gun owners and non-gun owners on whether they think these things are a good idea, said Wintemute. Its so frustrating we cant get public sentiment converted into public policy, at least at the federal level.

Like me, he was surprised that our generally gun-happy Supreme Court recently ruled 8-1 in favor of a 1994 federal law that bans firearms for people under restraining orders for domestic violence. (Justice Clarence Thomas cast the only dissenting vote.)

The court surprised again last week, turning down a 2nd Amendment challenge to an Illinois law banning sales of semiautomatic rifles and pistols as well as large-capacity magazines. The law was passed after a gunman killed seven people and wounded 48 at a Fourth of July parade in a Chicago suburb.

Wintemute said the Biden administration has done a superb job of trying to rein in gun violence.

In 2022, the administration issued a rule regulating ghost guns, untraceable firearms assembled from separately acquired parts or kits and frequently used in crimes. The rule requires that such parts carry serial numbers and be sold only by licensed dealers and that their sale be subject to background checks.

In April, the Justice Department finalized rules to close the gaping gun show loophole, which has allowed firearms to be sold at gun shows and online without background checks.

Its not that Americans are more violent than other people, Wintemute said. Its that we have unique access to a technology that changes the outcome of violence.

@robinkabcarian





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.
Protesters gather outside a Missouri clinic in 2019. (Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)

Abortion surveillance is something former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has said is up to states. But for abortion providers and advocates, surveillance and monitoring by anti-abortion activists has long been the reality. And post-Dobbs many states are actively trying to expand government surveillance.

There is a lot of confusion in our patient population  because most of them are coming from states that have banned abortion  about the legality of coming to another state, said Michele Landeau, chief operating officer of Hope Clinic in Granite City, Illinois.

Just across the border from St. Louis, Missouri, Hope Clinic serves as one of the closest abortion clinics to several banned states in the Midwest and the South. After Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, the clinic increased its staff and capacity to accommodate an influx of patients, more than 80% of whom are coming from outside of Illinois, Landeau told States Newsroom. She said the clinic has also seen an influx of protesters, especially on Saturdays, who can sometimes be heard shouting patients out-of-state license plates.

That can cause a lot of anxiety and fear, Landeau said. I believe the protesters know that, and thats why they do it.

Since Dobbs, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that specializes in digital civil liberties, has seen a spike in doxing of abortion providers and assistance groups, said staff attorney Lisa Femia. Another increased privacy threat since Dobbs, she said, is police sharing automated license plate reader data with police in states where abortion is not legal.

Illinois is among several states that have adopted abortion rights in the lead-up to and since Dobbs, most recently travel data privacy protections. A law that went into effect earlier this year prohibits the sharing of data from automated license plate readers with law enforcement for the purpose of investigating or enforcing a law that denies or interferes with a persons right to choose or obtain reproductive health care services.

But even in this abortion-haven state, Mark Lee Dicksons Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn initiative helped pass an ordinance banning the mailing or shipping of abortion pills in Danville, a town along Illinoiss eastern border with Indiana, where abortion is not legal. The ordinance (which the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois says is unlawful and unenforceable because it violates state law) was passed the same month an anti-abortion extremist drove a car loaded with gasoline-filled containers into the building of a planned abortion clinic in Danville.

Femia said increased legal challenges have so far not upheld laws that attempt to restrict interstate abortion-related travel or information. But its still early, she said.

I think we also have to remember that in sort of the scheme of the legal system, it hasnt really been very long since Dobbs and since states have actually started implementing extremely abortion restrictive laws, Femia told States Newsroom. So were still in sort of the nascent stages of abortion prosecutions.

To fight for reproductive health privacy, Femia said the Electronic Frontier Foundation has tried to put pressure on government to enforce privacy protections on the books as well as educate the public.

This week, the nonprofit MSI Reproductive Choices launched a digital guide for safely searching abortion-related information online in partnership with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, called the Vagina Privacy Network, and as part of the launch handed out free burner phones at three different reproductive rights marches in Indiana, Tennessee, and Georgia.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Abortion surveillance isnt new but monitoring has increased post Dobbs, activists say appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
The head of an organization behind an influential policy document expected to guide a potential second Donald Trump administration declared that theres a revolution taking place right now.

And he appeared to deliver an ominous warning to the radical left as he spoke.

We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless  if the left allows it to be, Kevin Roberts, president of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, said on Real Americas Voice.

Trump's Project 2025 leader: "We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be pic.twitter.com/8rk8a7fDT8  Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) July 3, 2024

Heritage is one of the groups behind Project 2025, a far-reaching document embraced by Trump allies thats expected to form the nucleus of his agenda if he returns to the White House.

But it was the notion that theres a revolution taking place now  and the implication that it would only be bloodless in certain circumstances  that had critics calling Roberts out on social media:

This is absolutely chilling. This needs to be the top story in every newspaper and on every broadcaster tomorrow https://t.co/BE6Vk10ZSb  Skylar Baker-Jordan (@SkylarJordan) July 3, 2024

WTF??? The leader of Trumps project 2025 plan just made a chilling threat We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be. WHAT!? This is insane. We cannot allow Trump to win. pic.twitter.com/z1XZoOM0t6  Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) July 3, 2024

They're no longer even trying to conceal it https://t.co/NTqA8Pcvfi  Robert Reich (@RBReich) July 3, 2024

It isn't just evil; it is seriously dangerous. This is the call to the right to strike first and prepare for violence. Violence is how fascism defines itself has strong.  Brian Kelly (@bpaulkelly) July 3, 2024

A threat to fall in line, or it WONT be a bloodless coup: https://t.co/67CbbJ6R9q  Carrie Coon (@carriecoon) July 3, 2024

Im not going to apologize for making the obvious analogy: if a Democrat explicitly threatened political violence like this, it be treated like the biggest scandal of the year, and every single member of the party would be required to denounce the offending individual https://t.co/ikMdcr2S60  Will Stancil (@whstancil) July 3, 2024

Dear @heritage Foundation -



So, to translate, "As long as the left gives us everything we want (which includes no recreational sex), we won't use guns & violence."



This from the party that stormed the Capitol & put up a noose to hang the Vice President.https://t.co/mxxR6nBuv3https://t.co/1ELZw3gj7s  Robert Elisberg (@relisberg) July 3, 2024

Who has the gall to talk like this? Trump minders and the architects of Project 2025, that's who. Hey @Heritage, screw your Christofascist "revolution." This is what Thomas Jefferson said about zealots like you: https://t.co/XMndoEEWJ1pic.twitter.com/c3wdQThuH0  Josh Gross (@yay_yee) July 3, 2024

I did not think theyd be dumb enough to go full

People of Earth, surrender or be destroyed on us. https://t.co/beGBHoNWnP  Jon Cryer (@MrJonCryer) July 3, 2024

Project 2025 is the MAGA @Heritage blueprint for the destruction of your rights, the beliefs and intent to turn into law their Christian nationalist values and the undermining of the democratic rules of law. Spread the word. This is fascism at work. https://t.co/Yh2TkEPu0G  Some Velvet Blog (@somevelvetblog) July 3, 2024

Talk about saying the quiet part out loud. https://t.co/tIqjJytcbP  Ellin Stein (@ellinst) July 3, 2024

Trump's Project 2025 leader: "We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be pic.twitter.com/8rk8a7fDT8  Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) July 3, 2024

can we stop arguing for a second and just band together to stop Project 2025 at all costs? https://t.co/oE0IkbkvlZ  Julia Wilde (@Julia_SCI) July 3, 2024

Related...
(Photo by Darwin Brandis/iStock Getty Images Plus)

An Iowa judge has awarded jobless benefits to a nurse who was fired after a disgruntled baby sitter accused her of stealing patient medications.

State records indicate that earlier this year, Tanya L. Jordan was worked at an Iowa nursing home run by the chain Care Initiatives. Jordan was a full-time charge nurse responsible for administering as needed narcotics to residents.

According to the recent findings of an administrative law judge, Jordans baby sitter, Lori Hazen, sent Jordan a cryptic message on April 10 of this year, detailing the anxiety she was dealing with and adding, Im not threatening you or trying to p you off because I consider you a good friend, but Im backed into a corner. Please help me.

Two days later, Hazen allegedly sent additional messages, this time writing, I cant babysit anymore. I expect you to pay me the bulk of what you owe me within 30 days  Just wanted you to know that I havent deleted any of my messages since January. Since you wont help me out with $60, I have no choice but to share my messages with your administrator.

Days later, Care Initiatives received a tip from Hazen that alleged Jordan was misappropriating medications that belonged to residents. After conducting a narcotic count and interviewing residents, the company concluded there were four instances in which residents said they didnt receive the narcotics Jordan claimed to have given them.

Jordan was fired, after which Hazen sent the nursing home administrator a message stating, I would like to retract the allegation I made against Tanya Jordan. It was a mistake on my part. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Jordan subsequently applied for unemployment benefits and the company appealed, which led to a hearing before Administrative Law Judge Carly Smith.

Smith recently ruled in Jordans favor, attributing the accusation of theft to a disgruntled babysitter. Jordan was awarded unemployment benefits.

The employer is unaware how many pills were actually misappropriated, Smith stated in her ruling. No one observed (Jordan) take the pills  The employer conducted an investigation into the matter and based on four long-term care residents recollections, discharged the claimant for misappropriation of medication.

The post After accusation by disgruntled baby sitter, fired nurse wins jobless benefits appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
ADAMS COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)  A Midstate woman lost thousands of dollars in a sheriffs department scam, and State Police say three out-of-state people were charged.

In the scam, Lewis Bodie, 65, of New York, Stephanie McFall, 34, of Georgia, and Robert Lewis Jr., 34, of Indiana, allegedly stole just over $16,000 from an Adams County woman, State Police at Gettysburg said in the charges filed.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Local Business Beat

The woman reported in January a deputy from the Franklin County Sheriffs Department called her saying she owed money for missing court as a witness, according to a criminal complaint. She was threatened by the caller to be arrested if she didnt pay money.

Troopers said she was told that most payments were done through a Coin Me kiosk and she was told to go to one at a Giant grocery store located along Natural Springs Road in Straban Township.

Lancaster County contractor employee charged with insurance fraud

Four transactions were made at the kiosk. The woman was told four different phone numbers to put in the kiosk and a four-digit code for each transaction, State Police said.

When she was finished, she was told she was not needed and that she was on a hush order. State Police said when she tried to call back, the actual sheriffs department answered and told her to report the theft.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

WHTM Daily Digest

The one phone number the woman could remember was traced back to Bodie, and State Police said they saw his Coin Me accountant had $8,060 from two of the transactions at the kiosk.

According to the criminal complaint, State Police also saw some of the money was sent to McFall and Lewis, and from internet search records, and it was discovered those two were also near Bodie in Georgia.

The trio faces a felony charge of theft and a misdemeanor charge of impersonating a public servant.

A tip on how to avoid this kind of scams, sheriffs offices will never call and demand payments over the phone.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Are aerial fireworks illegal in Idaho? Yes. Are you still able to buy them? Also yes

In our Reality Check stories, Idaho Statesman journalists seek to hold the powerful accountable and find answers to critical questions in our community. Read more. Story idea? Tips@idahostatesman.com.

Fireworks stands popped up around the Treasure Valley ahead of the Fourth of July, but depending on where you shop, youll find different options  and potentially different interpretations of whats legal to buy in Idaho.

In Boise, stands offer sparklers, snakes, snaps, wheels, whistles and fountains  fireworks deemed safe and sane because they dont leave the ground or explode. But outside the city limits, some stands advertise aerial fireworks: Roman candles, firecrackers, cherry bombs, bottle rockets and more.

Thats because Boise enforces an interpretation of Idaho law that considers aerial fireworks illegal. Not all cities have followed suit.

State law permits fireworks stands to sell nonaerial common fireworks, such as the safe and sane options, and fireworks meant for public displays. But for years, vendors have sold aerial fireworks to consumers who sign a waiver or affidavit that states they wont use the fireworks in Idaho.

According to state officials, those waivers arent required by law  even though some fireworks vendors believe they are  and they dont make it legal for average buyers to purchase aerial fireworks. But unless the Legislature or local jurisdictions decide to act, things wont change.

Idaho Attorney Generals Office confirms former opinion

In 2017, the chief of the Idaho Attorney Generals Offices criminal division, Paul Panther, issued an opinion deeming the sale of aerial fireworks illegal unless they were sold to a person with a permit to use them at an event or public display. Dan Estes, spokesperson for the AGs office, told the Idaho Statesman in an email that the opinion hasnt been changed or updated.

But thats as far as the attorney general can go on the issue of aerial fireworks, Estes said, since the agency doesnt have any enforcement authority over the distributors and sellers of fireworks or individuals that use them, nor do we have any supervisory role over those entities that do have that enforcement authority.

That rests with county and municipal law enforcement, Estes said.

In Boise, officers may confiscate illegal fireworks and issue fines  $100 for a first offense and a misdemeanor charge with a $300 fine for an additional offense within five years  if they see illegal fireworks being used, according to Boise Police Department spokesperson Haley Kramer.

The truth about waivers and affidavits

Vendors that operate multiple temporary fireworks stands in the Treasure Valley, like Family Fun Fireworks and Fat City Fireworks, which also operates a year-round store in Elmore County, advertise safe and sane fireworks at Boise locations while offering aerial options at locations in Star, Emmett and Nampa.

Fat City requires people buying aerial fireworks to sign an affidavit affirming their intent to use the fireworks outside of Idaho. The document also absolves Fat City of any potential liability if the buyer uses the fireworks in violation of the affidavit terms.

Fat City did not return email or phone requests for comment.

An owner at Family Fun Fireworks said by phone that she believed the waiver was required by Idaho law to sell aerial fireworks. She declined to comment further.

In his opinion, Panther noted that theres no such requirement in state law.

Whether a seller requires such an affidavit or a purchaser chooses to sign or go elsewhere to purchase fireworks, it is a wholly private matter, Panther wrote.

Its unclear how long the fireworks vendors keep the signed waivers, or when or why they began using them in the first place.

Whats wrong with aerial fireworks?

Aerial fireworks are considered a potential fire hazard since they can emit sparks and land far from their original location, potentially igniting vegetation or other fuels.

While they pose a bigger risk than safe and sane options, Kramer said people should direct fireworks complaints to nonemergency dispatch, at 208-377-6790, rather than to 911 unless there is an emergency.

In many cases when officers respond to reports of fireworks, if our officers do not witness the use of illegal fireworks, we need a witness to be the signing party on the citation, Kramer added. If no one is willing to do that, officers can give warnings and speak with people about the risks of illegal fireworks, and each year our officers find that people do typically comply after we contact them.

According to a post on the citys website, Boise Fire Department responded to 25 fireworks-caused fires last Fourth of July.

All types of fireworks are illegal to use in the Boise Foothills and unincorporated Ada County, where wildfire danger is especially high.

Just last Friday, a group of teenagers started a 100-acre grass fire near Southeast Boise while setting off illegal fireworks. A 16-year-old was cited for misdemeanor firing timber or prairie land.
An Afghan woman wanted to be a doctor. Now she makes pickles as the Taliban restricts women's roles

An Afghan woman tailor works with a sewing machine in the Afghan Women Business Hub in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Half of Afghanistan's population now finds itself locked out of the freedom to work at a time when the country's economy is worse than ever, with few jobs available to women in the country. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  Frozan Ahmadzai is one of 200,000 Afghan women who have the Talibans permission to work. She should have graduated from university this year in pursuit of her dream of becoming a doctor, but the Taliban have barred women from higher education and excluded them from many jobs.

Now, instead of suturing, she sews in a basement in Kabul. Instead of administering medication, she makes pickles.

Half of Afghanistan's population now finds itself locked out of the freedom to work at a time when the country's economy is worse than ever.

Few jobs are still available to women. They include tailoring and making food, which the 33-year-old Ahmadzai now does along with women who once were teachers or aspired to be one.

Women's participation in the workforce in Afghanistan, always limited by conservative cultural beliefs, was 14.8% in 2021, before the Taliban seized power and imposed harsh restrictions on women and girls. They include banning female education beyond sixth grade, barring women from public spaces like parks, and enforcing dress codes.

Women's participation in the workforce was down to 4.8% in 2023, according to World Bank data.

Ahmadzais eyes flare when talking about the new reality for Afghan women. We are only looking for a way to escape, she said, referring to the work in the basement. It's a step, at least, beyond being confined at home.

But profits are slim for her and her 50 colleagues in the collective. In a good month, the pickle-making and tailoring businesses bring in around 30,000 afghanis ($426).

The women also have other complaints familiar to anyone in Afghanistan: The rent and utility bills are high. The sewing machines are old-fashioned. The electricity supply is erratic. Local retailers dont compensate them fairly. They dont receive support from banks or local authorities to help their businesses grow.

Just obtaining permission from the Taliban to work is challenging for women, though under Afghan labor laws, the process for work permits ought to be the same for both sexes.

The ministry responsible for issuing permits has banned women from its premises, setting up a female-only office elsewhere. It's to speed things up and make things easier for women, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Samiullah Ebrahimi.

There, women submit their paperwork, including their national identity card, a cover letter and a health certificate from a private clinic. Thats assuming they have the documents along with the money to cover any costs. It also assumes they can move around without being harassed if unaccompanied by a male guardian.

Last year, a top United Nations official said Afghanistan had become the most repressive country in the world for women and girls. Roza Otunbayeva, head of the U.N. political mission in Afghanistan, said that while the country needed to recover from decades of war, half of its potential doctors, scientists, journalists and politicians were shut away in their homes, their dreams crushed and their talents confiscated.

The Taliban have a different view. They have tried to provide women with a safe, secure and separate working environment in line with Islamic values and Afghan traditions in sectors where womens work is needed, according to ministry spokesman Ebrahimi. They can work in retail or hospitality, but it must be a female-only setting.

He said women dont need degrees for the majority of permissible work including cleaning, security screening, handicrafts, farming, tailoring or food manufacturing.

Its heartbreaking for Ahmadzai and her colleagues to see their expertise go unused. Several also were training to be makeup artists, but beauty parlors have been closed.

Some jobs for women remain in education and health care, so Ahmadzai has pivoted to a nursing and midwifery course so she can become a medical professional. But not a doctor. The Taliban don't want more female doctors.

The challenges for Afghan women of obeying Taliban edicts while helping to support their families while living conditions worsen is a strain on health, including mental health.

Ahmadzai said one of the few positives about her work in the basement in Kabul is the camaraderie and support system there.

Afghan women nowadays all have the same role in society. They stay at home, care for children, mind the house and dont work hard," she said. "If my family didnt encourage me, I wouldnt be here. They support me because I work. My husband is unemployed and I have small children.

Salma Yusufzai, the head of Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, acknowledged that working under Taliban rule is a challenge.

The chamber has almost 10,000 members, but the lack of female representation within the Taliban-controlled administration is a challenge.

Yusufzai said the chamber supports women by giving them a platform at local markets and connecting them with the international community for participation in overseas exhibitions and other opportunities.

Chamber members include key Afghan industries like carpet-making and dried fruit. The businesses are male-owned but kept alive by women who want to support the economy, which she said would collapse without them.

She acknowledged that the chamber's limited work was only possible through engagement with the Taliban: If I close the door then nothing will happen, nothing will remain."

Yusufzai once had three gemstone businesses and gave them up because of her chamber role. But she cant own them anyway under Taliban rule, so the businesses are in her husbands name.

Since we are living in this country, we have to follow the rules, she said. Her smile was tight.

From nothing, it is better to have something.
Throughout history, the legacy of passing down familial and communal stories orally  generation by generation  has remained essential for Black communities. Slavery and racism have long made it difficult for most Black families to maintain physical records about their ancestors. Recently, theres been an effort for even the well-documented history of the Black American experience to be removed or whitewashed in school systems throughout the nation, too.

As activists fight for students to learn about Black history, Brent Leggs wants to help preserve the physical reminders of our experiences, too.

Leggs is the executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and the senior vice president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, under which the initiative was created in 2017 to preserve sites of African American activism, achievement, and resilience. Since the founding of the Action Fund, Leggs and his colleagues have worked on nearly 300 preservation projects throughout the country. This work typically involves assisting local organizers by providing preservation expertise, as well as funding, technical advice, project management and other resources. Recently, the Action Fund worked with local organizers in Akron, Ohio, to create the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza, just a stones throw away from where the womens rights activist and abolitionist delivered her historic Aint I A Woman speech in 1851. The 10,000-square-foot plaza includes a statue of Truth, as well as etchings of the names of Black women from Akron who have been civic leaders both locally and nationally.

On the eve of the Action Funds recent work in Akron in late May, I spoke with Leggs about his passion for preserving Black spaces and the types of projects the organization is hoping to assist with in the future.

This Q&A has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

I know you have a development background. Im curious how you became interested in preserving Black spaces and why this work matters to you.

When I was in graduate school working towards a graduate degree in historic preservation, I was invited to conduct the statewide inventory of historic Washington-Rosenwald Schools in my home state of Kentucky. I spent a year and a half traveling across the state meeting with local preservationists. I began to understand the quiet power of preservation and the profound impacts of history. I had read Booker T. Washingtons autobiography, Up From Slavery, and I was inspired by the accomplishments of one man whose journey went from enslavement to independence. He was able to create an institution that we know today as Tuskegee University, but I had no idea that he also was responding to a crisis in Black education. When he partnered with Julius Rosenwald, together they would create a massive school building program, in many ways kind of seen as a social movement in response to [this crisis]. They would help to fund the construction of over 5,000 school buildings in 15 Southern states.

When I learned about my mom and dads connection to this school-building program, I started to understand that the physical preservation of place, of identity, and of history created a through line to the past. I was deeply inspired that a bold idea and vision, born in the mind of Booker T. Washington, could be manifested in physical form and could touch my familys connection to American history. From that moment, I have dedicated my career in service of helping to protect and preserve Black history.

Your parents went to one of the schools that was a part of that program?

Yes, my mom and dad both went to the Washington-Rosenwald schools in central Kentucky.

You were already studying historic preservation in graduate school. Did something happen before you decided on this area of study to pique this interest?

I was a soul searcher and searching a lot for my professional identity. I had gotten an undergrad [degree] in marketing. I went straight to get a masters [degree] in business. I thought that I was going to be a Wall Street tycoon, and I moved to New York. I also had a lot of interest in real estate development and was studying [that] as part of my MBA program. When I graduated, nothing felt certain. I just started this process of exploring other educational pathways. I enjoyed learning [and enjoyed] school. I decided to walk inside of the School of Architecture at the University of Kentucky. I had a random conversation with the chair of the graduate program and historic preservation. That unintentional, random 15-minute conversation shifted my understanding of design and real estate development. He just kind of teased this so unintentionally in our discussion, but I started to understand that we could preserve historic, built environments imbued with history [and] we could use real estate development tools to revitalize historic Black neighborhoods. At the same time, we could uplift overlooked histories and stories about Black culture in America. That, for me, was really interesting. I just kind of took a chance, and Im glad that I did it.

For people who arent familiar with the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, can you explain what that is and how you came to be involved as the executive director?

The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund was created in 2017, in the aftermath of [the white supremacist rally in] Charlottesville. The events that happened there sparked national discourse around the connection between historic preservation, heritage and racial identity. When we saw American citizens looking like our neighbors [and] shouting, You will not replace us, it was clear that they were advocating for a modern form of Jim Crow. And they were using a heritage landscape as a weapon for their advocacy.

We started having conversations internally at the National Trust about our response. It was an opportunity for us to demonstrate our national leadership, but also the significance of historic preservation in American society. We envisioned this campaign to tell the full history and to center Blackness at the core of American democracy through preservation practice. The original idea was a five-year, $25 million campaign. I am proud to say that in six years, we are igniting both a cultural reckoning and a cultural renaissance thats shifting our nations understanding of its own history. We are helping communities to uplift overlooked and undervalued Black history.

Over the last six years, [we] have raised almost $100 million [and] supported almost 300 preservation projects. We are a revolution in the U.S. historic preservation profession.

We know funding Black initiatives isnt always easy. And theres been a lot of coverage regarding the recent elimination of DEI initiatives throughout the country. How have you all gone about fundraising and garnering money for these projects?

We were fortunate to have early support from a co-founder of the Action Fund, Darren Walker, who is the president of the Ford Foundation. We had developed a case statement and, when we shared it with him, he understood the purpose and the potential of our vision. When we launched, we wanted to create new forms of partnership and community, and [a] part of that community was working with philanthropists of influence and credibility, who also had access to resources. We were fortunate to have three $1 million investors that provided seed investment, so that we [could launch] in 2017.

Im proud that weve expanded on that momentum. We have signature partnerships like the Ford Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, the JPB Foundation, the Lilly Endowment, and others that are resourcing us. Its exciting [that] at a moment where DEI is threatened, where Black history is threatened, where sometimes Black bodies and Black humanity is threatened  literally physically  that there are leaders and academia, philanthropy and business that believe in our bold vision for our nation. Confronting the unlearning that needs to happen and facilitating a new truth and recognition for a four-century-long history  that is critical to building a true national identity that reflects Americas diversity.

There are many places that mean a lot to Black people, especially in local communities. What is yalls philosophy when it comes to preservation? What makes a place of interest the Action Fund?

To be able to reveal and showcase histories that are lesser known, we like to work in partnership with local communities that have already identified places that matter to them. Theyve [already] organized in some way and are building local momentum for their preservation campaign.

At a national level, we are looking to flip the script on the traditional understanding of the Black experience. For example, our work with the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument.  We werent necessarily engaged to remain stuck in a painful past or to continue to elevate examples of racial violence and political injustice. It was an opportunity for us to center and elevate the overlooked contribution of Black women in the Civil Rights Movement by highlighting Mamie Till-Mobley, and how her actions [and] her agency in the face of unimaginable sacrifice catalyzed the American Civil Rights Movement. We seek to honor Black women. We seek to tell stories that are nontraditional and that move us away from the stereotypical understanding of the Black experience, which is stories of slavery, or the typical stories of the 1950s and 60s Civil Rights Movement. We want to tell stories that empower, so highlighting places associated [with] science and innovation, like the Lewis Latimer House in New York City. Or highlighting stories of Black pharmacists and entrepreneurs, like the Palmer Pharmacy building in Lexington, Kentucky. There are so many other examples that, again, help empower Black people and instill a sense of pride, but also help to educate all Americans about the complexity of Black history.

And those examples are preservation efforts that you all have been involved in?

It is. Yup.

When you think about the preservation efforts that you want to work on in the future, is it a continuation of that mission?

Its continuing on that mission. Its filling gaps in our national narrative. It is looking for stories of multiplicity. Its intersectionality. Its looking for new ways of expressing Black culture, ideals and community.

The post The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund Is Preserving Spaces Crucial to Understanding Black History appeared first on Capital B News.
The fallout from President Bidens miserable debate last week is giving me deja vu.

In the political rights intramural arguments over Donald Trump, I got some things correct and some incorrect. But I believe I was indisputably right in one respect: From the outset, I argued that Trumps presidency would end badly because, to echo Heraclitus, character is destiny.

Trumps presidency did indeed end badly, though sadly his political career did not end with it. Whatever laws he may or may not have broken on January 6, 2021, he spent a large chunk of the afternoon watching TV as violent hooligans stormed the Capitol on his behalf, trying to steal the election, chanting death threats and literally and figuratively defecating on the peoples house. He was even impeached on his way out the door.

If Id made a wager on my prediction, I surely would have collected my winnings that day.

You know what else is destiny? Age.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to make it to their golden years, but those who do inevitably lose the qualities of youth, mentally and physically. Some lose more than others, but everyone declines.

Even Biden acknowledges that he is not immune to senescence. He just denies that it matters very much. And so does pretty much the entirety of the Democratic Party.

The rhetorical wagon-circling consists of a few interchangeable talking points. Bad debate nights happen, Barack Obama declared. The Biden family will not let those 90 minutes define the four years hes been president, first lady Jill Biden told Vogue. We will continue to fight. The gist of all of this is that the presidents performance last week was just a snapshot, an isolated incident.

Thats all nonsense. Familiar nonsense. For years, whenever Donald Trump put his unfitness on display, his defenders would say it was a stray remark, a one-time event. You have to judge him in context. Hes a good man. Hes fighting for you.

In short, they would say all the things Bidens partisan Praetorian Guard is saying now.

But they were isolated events in the way that the frames of a film are when you look at them one at a time. Roll the film, and you see the man in action. Bidens bad 90 minutes werent a one-off; they were an example of a long-standing problem that, disastrously, was televised for all of America to see.

The deja vu doesnt end there.

After he secured the nomination in 2016, Trumps defenders would respond to any denigration of the candidate, particularly in the wake of the Access Hollywood tape that caught him boasting about sexual assault, by saying, in effect, What about Hillary?

Anyone questioning Trumps fitness was accused of supporting Clinton. Today, any concerns about Bidens fitness are greeted with the same whataboutism with regard to Trump.

After Trump was elected and the isolated incident defense lost all plausibility, his defenders resorted to telling people not to believe their lying eyes. For years, Democrats and other Trump critics called this gaslighting: trying to make people doubt their own perceptions rather than acknowledging that anything was amiss or untrue.

Now the foes of gaslighting have become the gaslighters.

It was Bidens idea to hold this debate. He set the date and the rules. He locked himself away in seclusion for a week to prepare. Why? Because the Biden campaign knew it needed to rebut the narrative that he was too old and diminished to do the job.

Instead, Biden confirmed it.

Defenders rightly note that Trumps performance was full of lies (though Biden wasnt exactly a paragon of truth). But Biden was utterly incapable of rebutting them.

When asked about abortion, his most potent issue, the president offered a word salad that ended with a garbled morass about how crime committed by illegal immigrants isnt a big deal because American women are getting raped all the time, including by their sisters. In response to Trumps ridiculous diatribe about the national debt, Biden rhetorically meandered into declaring, We finally beat Medicare.

Old age is different from bad character. But the similarities here are more important than the differences.

If you believe Biden is the best possible choice to defeat Trump, make that argument. If you think a man who is dependably engaged only between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., as Axios reported, can do the job for the next six monthsnever mind for another four yearsmake that argument.

But spare me the talk about Bidens legacy, one bad night, and What about Trump? The only relevant questions are Can he do the job? and, in a very distant second place, Can he win?

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.
AI is learning from what you say on social media. Are you OK with that?

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP)  Post a comment on Reddit, answer coding questions on Stack Overflow, edit a Wikipedia entry or share a baby photo on your public Facebook or Instagram feed and you are also helping to train the next generation of artificial intelligence.

Not everyone is OK with that  especially as the same online forums where theyve spent years contributing are increasingly flooded with AI-generated commentary mimicking what real humans might say.

Some longtime users have tried to delete their past contributions or rewrite them into gibberish, but the protests havent had much effect. A handful of governments  including Brazils privacy regulator on Tuesday  have also tried to step in.

A more significant portion of the population just kind of feels helpless, said Reddit volunteer moderator Sarah Gilbert, who also studies online communities at Cornell University. Theres nowhere to go except just completely going offline or not contributing in ways that bring value to them and value to others.

Platforms are responding  with mixed results. Take Stack Overflow, the popular hub for computer programming tips. First, it banned ChatGPT-written responses due to frequent errors, but now its partnering with AI chatbot developers and has punished some of its own users who tried to erase their past contributions in protest.

Its one of a number of social media platforms grappling with user wariness  and occasional revolts  as they try to adapt to the changes brought by generative AI.

Software developer Andy Rotering of Bloomington, Minnesota, has used Stack Overflow daily for 15 years and said he worries the company could be inadvertently hurting its greatest resource  the community of contributors whove donated time to help other programmers.

Keeping contributors incentivized to provide commentary should be paramount, he said.

Stack Overflow CEO Prashanth Chandrasekar said the company is trying to balance rising demand for instant chatbot-generated coding assistance with the desire for a community knowledge base where people still want to post and get recognized for what theyve contributed.

Stack Overflow CEO Prashanth Chandrasekar poses on May 21, 2024, in Cambridge, Mass. Chandrasekar said the company is trying to balance rising demand for instant chatbot-generated coding assistance with the desire for a community knowledge base where people still want to post and get recognized for what theyve contributed. (AP Photo/Matt OBrien)

Fast forward five years  theres going to be all sorts of machine-generated content on the web, he said in an interview. Theres going to be very few places where theres truly authentic, original human thought. And were one of those places.

Chandrasekar readily describes Stack Overflows challenges as like one of the case studies he learned about at Harvard Business School, of a how a business survives  or doesnt  after a disruptive technological change.

For more than a decade, users typically landed on Stack Overflow after typing a coding question in Google, and then found the answer, copied and pasted it. The answers they were most likely to see came from volunteers whod built up points measuring their credibility  which in some cases could help land them a job.

Now programmers can simply ask an AI chatbot  some of which are already trained on everything ever posted to Stack Overflow  and it can instantly spit out an answer.

ChatGPTs debut in late 2022 threatened to put Stack Overflow out of business. So Chandrasekar carved out a special 40-person team at the company to race out the launch of its own specialized AI chatbot, called Overflow AI. Then, the company made deals with Google and ChatGPT maker OpenAI, enabling the AI developers to tap into Stack Overflows question-and-answer archive to further improve their AI large language models.

That kind of strategy makes sense but may have come too late, said Maria Roche, an assistant professor at Harvard Business School. Im surprised that Stack Overflow wasnt working on this earlier, she said.

When some Stack Overflow users tried to delete their past comments after the Open AI partnership was announced, the company responded by suspending their accounts due to terms that make all contributions perpetually and irrevocably licensed to Stack Overflow.

We quickly addressed it and said, Look, thats not acceptable behavior, said Chandrasekar, describing the protesters as a small minority in the low hundreds of the platforms 100 million users.

Brazils national data protection authority on Tuesday took action to ban social media giant Meta Platforms from training its AI models on the Facebook and Instagram posts of Brazilians. It established a daily fine of 50,000 reais ($8,820) for non-compliance.

Meta in a statement called it a step backwards for innovation and said it has been more transparent than many industry counterparts doing similar AI training on public content, and that its practices comply with Brazilian laws.

Meta has also encountered resistance in Europe, where it recently put on hold its plans to start feeding peoples public posts into training AI systems  which was supposed to start last week. In the U.S., where theres no national law protecting online privacy, such training is already likely happening.

The vast majority of people just have no idea that their data is being used, Gilbert said.

Reddit has taken a different approach  partnering with AI developers like OpenAI and Google while also making clear that content cant be taken in bulk without the platforms approval by commercial entities with no regard for user rights or privacy. The deals helped bring Reddit the money it needed to debut on Wall Street in March, with investors pushing the value of the company close to $9 billion seconds after it began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Reddit hasnt tried to punish users who protested  nor could it easily do so given how much say voluntary moderators have on what happens in their specialty forums known as subreddits. But what worries Gilbert, who helps moderate the AskHistorians subreddit, is the increasing flow of AI-generated commentary that moderators must decide whether to allow or ban.

People come to Reddit because they want to talk to people, they dont want to talk to bots, Gilbert said. Theres apps where they can talk to bots if they want to. But historically Reddit has been for connecting with humans.

She said its ironic that the AI-generated content threatening Reddit was sourced on the comments of millions of human Redditors, and theres a real risk that eventually it could end up pushing people out.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
AID Atlanta gets $2.5 million from US government to house people living with AIDS, HIV

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $2.5 million to an Atlanta nonprofit to fund housing support for individuals living HIV and AIDS.

AID Atlanta, an aid organization founded in 1982, is one of just 11 organizations to receive funding from the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Grant: Housing Interventions.

HUD is addressing homelessness and housing instability for the populations most impacted by the HIV epidemic, said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. This funding will provide grantees and their stakeholders the opportunity to complement local efforts to end the HIV epidemic.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

TRENDING STORIES:

Grantees from this program get a one-time award to pay for housing assistance and support services for individuals and families who are eligible. The funds also support coordination and planning activities, grant management and administration.

Stable housing has been a major issue facing many people with HIV since the beginning of the epidemic. Achieving and maintaining stable housing is a powerful structural intervention in ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic, AID Atlanta said in a statement.

The award was announced by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens on Monday at City Hall.

This is fantastic news! exclaimed Nicole Roebuck, executive director of AID Atlanta, This is a transformative grant that will help us to provide stable housing to more of our members living with HIV/AIDS. The housing crisis in Greater Atlanta forces low-income PLWHA to make choices that often contribute to them falling out of care. This grant will help provide stable housing to people living with HIV/AIDS, so that they can focus on managing and improving their health outcomes as they live and thrive with this disease.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
We can say with confidence that a weapon with massive potential and huge tactical repercussions that we knew existed for years now  at least for undisclosed conceptual testing purposes, but which has gone totally unacknowledged by the U.S. Navy  is indeed more than just an isolated enigma. Not only that, we now also know its official designation. The air-launched version of the hugely versatile SM-6 missile, also known as the RIM-174, has appeared on U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters at the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, the worlds largest international maritime exercise. The missiles are clearly sporting the designation AIM-174B, indicating a (very long-range) air-to-air missile, although, as we have discussed in the past, the weapon also has the potential to strike high-priority ground targets, such as air defense sites, and warships, acting as a quasi-ballistic missile. You can read what we previously knew about this phantom of a missile in this previous report. With XAIM-174B missiles under each wing, an F/A-18E from Strike Fighter Squadron 192 (VFA-192), the Golden Dragons, is seen at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, yesterday. aeros808 Photographer aeros808 spotted an F/A-18E from Strike Fighter Squadron 192 (VFA-192), the Golden Dragons, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, yesterday, carrying a pair of these missiles in training-round form. The unit is currently deployed as part of Carrier Air Wing 2 (CVW-2) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). As well as this jet, aeros808 told us that another Super Hornet, from VFA-2 Bounty Hunters, also attached to CVW-2, was seen yesterday, as well, as part of a two-ship flight with the VFA-192 jet. Each aircraft carried a pair of NAIM-174Bs, with the prefix letter N indicating that these missiles were modified for special tests. A close-up view of the XAIM-174B missile under each wing of the F/A-18E. aeros808 The missiles themselves  which have the NAIM-174B designation prominently applied at the forward end  are painted gray, in contrast to the previous, orange-colored examples we have seen in the past. The missiles are marked as inert (meaning no warhead is fitted) and also carry blue bands to denote this and that they do not have a live motor. A black and yellow marking close to the center of the missile body appears to be a calibration marking  making it easier to study the behavior of the missile after it is released or for captive-carry tests. The fact that these missiles have appeared during RIMPAC is intriguing, to say the least. This may be indicative of tactics testing, but it could also suggest that a live AIM-174B may be used as part of a live-fire exercise. This could be in the air-to-air role, but we also believe that the ex-USS Tarawa, a decommissioned U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship, is likely to be sunk off the coast of Hawaii during the exercise. This would be a significant occurrence, being the first time in more than a decade that a big-deck amphibious assault ship of any kind is sent beneath the waves in a U.S.-led SINKEX exercise. Photographed in April, a Super Hornet with an AIM-174B missile under its starboard wing. Stinkjet If the AIM-174B retains the surface strike capability of the SM-6, as we have posited in the past, and live missiles do exist at this time, the opportunity to test it against a target of this size during a major multinational live-fire event could be very useful and it would send a powerful message to adversaries. We have reached out to the U.S. Navy for more details on what is, so far, a very shadowy program. The Super Hornet and SM-6/AIM-174B combination was first spotted three years ago but, as we mentioned earlier, it has never been officially acknowledged by the Navy. SM-6 on a Rhino pic.twitter.com/wB2h7eKkxc Reconstructionist (@un_a_valeable) January 3, 2024 In April this year, more photos emerged of the missile carried by an F/A-18E/F north of Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, on April 17. On this occasion, the aircraft was from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 9, or possibly VX-31. Vampire Rhino with what looks like an AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER painted in the orange test paint. Maybe someone else can give a better ID of what it is? pic.twitter.com/kIMiWFXcBo StinkJet (@StinkJet) June 3, 2024 Clearly, the missile has been under test or at least under conceptual evaluation for a long time now. The fact that fleet aircraft are now seen carrying them  although test pilots could still potentially be at the controls  in their new standard colors also points to this capability maturing into an operational one. We still dont know, however, what kinds of targets the AIM-174B is primarily intended to counter, although its designation is telling. Air-to-air is clearly a key capability, but what about the other, secondary abilities of the SM-6? The surface-launched SM-6 was originally designed to tackle air-breathing aerial threats at long ranges as well as ballistic missiles in their terminal stages of flight. Now it also has a capability against hypersonic weapons, under specific circumstances. The ability for the standard SM-6 to be used against high-priority ground and sea targets is a huge value add. This capability could well also extend to the AIM-174B, which would put it in the quasi-ballistic missile class, a category of weapon that is becoming increasingly relevant in the air-launched realm. An SM-6 missile at the moment of launch from a U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke class destroyer. U.S. Navy The SM-6 is also networked with the ability to receive critical data from an array of platforms that can provide remote targeting that is not organic to the missiles launch platform. In this sense, it would be able to exploit the various benefits of the Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air concept, or NIFC-CA, which is increasingly bringing together the complementary capabilities of platforms such as the F-35 stealth fighter, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye radar plane, Aegis-equipped warships, and weapons like the SM-6. For example, this architecture should allow a Super Hornet to use the AIM-174B to engage targets that are beyond the range of its own radar as well as target sets that it cannot otherwise handle, like ballistic missiles. As an air-to-air weapon, the AIM-174B would provide the Super Hornet with the ability to engage a wide variety of aerial threats at distances of over hundreds of miles, a significant advantage over the current AIM-120 AMRAAM and likely also beyond the range of the still-in-development AIM-260 JATM. Air launch at speed and altitude by a fighter means it will have significantly greater range and enhanced kinematics over the surface-launched variant, although it does not have the booster that the standard SM-6 utilizes. The surface-launched SM-6s range is currently thought to be around 230 miles, but this depends on many factors, including the mode in which it is being used. Such a long-range missile would be a huge advantage considering China is now fielding its own very long-range air-to-air missiles. Using AIM-174B against airborne early warning, reconnaissance, maritime patrol, aerial refueling, and bomber/cruise missile carrier aircraft at extreme ranges would be a major enhancement in the Navys air combat capabilities and a huge threat to these lumbering enemy aircraft. This would be one key way the U.S. could help counter a portion of Chinas looming anti-access infrastructure. A division of Chinese J-16 fighters in an overhead break pattern, with weapons including one example of the huge PL-17 long-range air-to-air missile. PLAAF PLAAF Against ground or maritime surface targets, the AIM-174B would also give the Super Hornet a means of striking over considerable distances with a weapon that is notably hard to intercept. Reaching a velocity close to or in excess of hypersonic speed during the terminal stage of its flight makes the missile a major challenge to defend against. That same speed means that it also hits very hard and can be used against some fortified target sets. We do have to also make clear that this missile could be used as a training and testing surrogate, to emulate an adversarys capabilities, such as an air-launched ballistic missile. While this is quite possible, the designation surely doesnt point in that direction nor does the secrecy that has surrounded the program. Still, an air-launched SM-6 could also serve as a surrogate threat target as well as an operational weapon. Clearly, these kinds of capabilities would be extremely relevant to a future potential conflict with China in the Pacific, which the U.S. military expects to be dominated by very long-range kill chains, something that is sure to be demonstrated during this iteration of RIMPAC. The bottom line is that this latest development strongly suggests that an air-launched version of the SM-6 is either an operational reality or its close to becoming one. If that ends up being the case, the Navy is about to realize a major capability leap. UPDATE: 3:00 PM EDT  One of the eagle-eyed members of our commenting crew, @nukepopcorn, gave us the heads up that AIM-174 was displayed mounted on a Super Hornet aboard the USS Carl Vinson this week and it was captured in a video taken during a tour of the supercarrier while docked in Pearl Harbor. You can see the Super Hornet in question, an F/A-18E from VFA-113 Stingers, configured for air-to-air combat, sporting AIM-9Xs and AMRAAMs as well as the AIM-174s. The fact that the Navy is openly displaying this weapon, even if in captive carry form, is telling and increases the likelihood of official comment on the capability soon. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

View comments
U.S. Air Force crews from the Japan-based 353rd Special Operations Wing started flying the CV-22 Osprey once again Tuesday, seven months after one of the aircraft crashed during a training mission, killing all eight airmen on board.

The return to flying followed a multi-phased approach to ensure the readiness of crews and follows a meticulous and data-driven approach that includes the development of added safety controls, the Air Force said in a news release.

Osprey fleet wont return to full flight operations until 2025

We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the safety of the men and women who operate our aircraft and the safety of our community both on base and in Japan, 21st Special Operations Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Matthew Davis said in a statement. These safety mitigation measures have been taken seriously, and we would not fly this aircraft without full confidence in the measures, the maintenance professionals implementing them, and the skilled professionals who fly it.

The U.S. military has said it doesnt expect its fleet of more than 400 tiltrotor Osprey aircraft to return to full flying operations until at least mid-2025. Naval Air Systems Command, which leads the joint program office overseeing the aircraft, began allowing the Osprey to fly again in March after a three-month grounding was lifted but with added restrictions.

Ospreys can be flown like an airplane and take off and land like a helicopter. Its vertical take offs and landings make it useful for carrier landings as well as for special operators operating in austere environments. The controversial aircraft has suffered a string of fatal crashes since being introduced into special operations more than two decades ago with four mishaps responsible for the deaths of 20 service members in the last two years.

V-22 Osprey fleet will fly again, with no fixes but renewed training

The military grounded the Ospreys in 2022 and again in 2023, after a series of hard clutch engagements that occurred when the input quill assembly, which attaches the Ospreys engine to its proprotor gear box, wore out earlier than expected. A redesigned clutch is expected to begin testing with fielding anticipated mid-2025. Testing is also underway on a vibration sensing system upgrade to identify complements that need to replaced and a proprotor gearbox pinion bearing redesign is awaiting production and installation.

The military has said the Nov. 29 crash of GUNDAM 22 was the result of a material failure that hadnt been seen before on the Osprey. An investigation into that crash is nearing completion.

The Marine Corps, which operates hundreds of the aircraft, used them in Sweden as part of Exercise Baltic Operations with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which last week conducted flight operations with the Osprey from the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp in the Mediterranean Sea. The Navy, which owns about 30 of the aircraft, is sidelined from using them in its carrier support mission and remains barred from flying them more than 30 minutes from an airfield where they could land in an emergency.

The Air Force owns about 50 Ospreys. While the 353rd resumes flying, crews from the 27th Special Operations Wing, based at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, have also resumed limited flying operations based on aircraft availability after spending months keeping up their proficiency in simulator training, something Japan-based crews have also done while preparing to return to the air. That includes putting pilots and flight engineers through a specific return-to-flight simulator syllabus, Capt. Paul Danielson, a flight commander and Osprey pilot with the Cannon-based 20th Special Operations Squadron, told Air Force Times.

Cannon-based maintainers continued sustainment necessary on the CV-22s during the stand down and were trained on maintenance protocols directed by NAVAIR to return to fly, 20th Special Operations Maintenance Squadron Commander Maj. Shelby Olivera said, adding that theyre also completing rigorous inspections. Squadrons are progressing through those protocols based on aircraft maintenance needs and personnel experience levels, she said.

As the 20th Special Operations Squadron focuses on reaching basic proficiency, the unit is first focusing on getting flight instructors back in the air. Pilots and maintainers look are looking forward to getting Ospreys flying once again, Danielson and Olivera said.

The morale of the squadron, I think, has gone up just seeing people fly, Danielson said. Theres also a good balance of understanding from the the crews that arent flying, understanding that the leadership is doing what is best just ensure safety moving forward.
The Air Forces E-11A airborne communications relay planes have been referred to as WiFi in the sky for their ability to share battlefield data with faraway aircraft as well as troops on the ground, including across the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan for which they were developed.

The aircraft, a modified Bombardier business jet outfitted with Northrop Grummans Battlefield Airborne Communications Node payload, or BACN, is lesser known than the Air Forces stalwart fleet of bombers, fighters and cargo jets. Now, with U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, the E-11 has taken on a new behind-the-scenes role supporting the multinational mission to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Georgia base welcomes first BACN communications relay plane

Since March, the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron, the only unit in the Air Force to fly the aircraft, has supported more than 30 of the services airdrops in Gaza while operating out of an undisclosed location in U.S. Central Command. Pilots with the squadron who spoke with Air Force Times in an interview declined to discuss specific missions, but offered brief insights into their work in the region.

The Air Force has participated in 40 airdrops alongside coalition partners since March. Those missions were paused for more than a month as Israels invasion of the city of Rafah began in early May. The U.S. flew its most recent airdrop June 9.

The BACN mission provides the Air Force, as well as joint and international partners, line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight interoperability, and thats between dissimilar platforms with varying electronic capabilities, 430th EECS Commander Lt. Col. R. Clayton Vector McCart said. We capture, translate, combine and, ultimately, relay and extend legacy and modern comms and data links.

That means flagging potential threats to the cargo aircraft ferrying shipments of food, any course corrections or other important details from mission planners and other troops around the area.

In a region as large as CENTCOM, airdrops can be derailed by a number of variables, from weather to other flight safety issues. The BACN aircraft, which carries two pilots, can quickly relay real-time changes coming from the Combined Air Operations Center in Qatar to mission partners on the front lines.

We can monitor progress in a way that other platforms may not be able to see  as far as locations of the assets, the weather calls, etc. Weather plays a big factor in the airdrops off the coast of Gaza, Capt. Britton Rad Ellington, an E-11A pilot who previously flew the services now-retired E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, or JSTARS, aircraft, said.

With a range of more than 6,900 miles and a typical sortie time of around 10 hours, the aircraft can take over where satellite phones fail, and interpret transmissions between the militarys myriad communications systems that cant otherwise connect. While AFCENT declined to say how many of the services seven E-11As are operating in theater, the 430th acts as a data lilypad for more than 1,000 hours every two weeks.

Were just not relegated to an airdrop. For instance, we could do that as a part of a larger expectation from CENTCOM leadership, and just move around the battlespace.  Were not really tethered to any one location, McCart said.

The E-11A is in the process of establishing its new home at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, within the 18th Airborne Command and Control Squadron. Its one of four missions replacing JSTARS planes at Robins over the next several years; the squadron is expected to become fully operational by 2027.

The 430th EECS, which deploys out of the Middle East, and doubles as a training unit, will shift its training mission to Robins.

Every sortie is a training sortie, in the sense that we learn every day that we fly, McCart said.
State Superintendent Eric Mackey speaks about a data breach at a press conference on July 3, 2024 in Montgomery, Alabama. Mackey said the Alabama State Department of Education had faced a cyberattack on June 17 and that they were trying to determine what information may have been compromised. (Jemma Stephenson/ Alabama Reflector)

Alabama State Schools Superintendent Eric Mackey said Wednesday that the Alabama State Department of Educations computer systems had been breached last month, and that students and employees of the department may have been affected.

Speaking at a press conference in Montgomery, Mackey said the breach took place on June 17. According to Mackey, the departments staff interrupted and stopped the attack.

Mackey said that there was no question that it was a denial of service attack to encrypt and steal data so they need to be paid off, but said officials were still assessing exactly which data were taken.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

What I would say is that to all parents, and all local and state education employees out there, they should monitor their credit, they should assume that theres a possibility that some of their data were compromised, he said.

Mackey said that the department does not keep direct deposit information.

We do have information about which data possibly could be taken because were able to look and see which servers they were not able to get to in the time they were in there, he said.



A foreign agent may have been involved, Mackey said, but he said that he could not provide more information.

I shouldnt say Im not aware, he said. Im not able to answer that.

According to a statement from the department, the Alabama Attorney General, the Alabama Office of Information Technology and an independent contractor are working with the department to strengthen the cyber defenses and identify which data may have been compromised.

The statement said notification will be made to relevant parties in full compliance with laws and best practices.

The Department has launched a dedicated landing site  alabamaachieves.org/databreach  and questions and comments can be sent to databreach@alsde.edu.

Mackey said that their websites will be down for critical updates beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday evening for several hours.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
A sign inside the Montgomery County Courthouse, as seen on Oct. 10, 2023. (Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector)

An Alabama judge Tuesday said he would enter another temporary restraining order on the stalled licensing process for medical cannabis licenses.

Montgomery County Circuit Judge James Anderson directed companies denied a license and the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) to provide a jointly proposed order that would allow investigative hearings on awarded licenses to continue but would prevent those licenses from being issued.

Im not really happy about telling somebody exactly what to do, but thats my intent to have that into place to make sure that everybodys rights [are protected], even the people who have gotten licenses, Anderson said.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

The commission initially objected, citing its own stay preventing licenses from being issued, but it agreed to a modified restraining order allowing AMCC to proceed with investigative hearings and outlining the process to denied applicants.

The new restraining order comes from a request from Alabama Always, one of the companies denied a license in all three rounds. They also challenged licenses that were awarded on top of their own denied licenses, arguing that they cant properly argue why they should have a license without arguing why the other company got one.

Will Somerville, attorney for Alabama Always, said that because the commission has not given denied applicants a chance to challenge awarded licenses, the process should be subject to the Alabama Administrative Procedure Act.

I think that if so-and-so who got a license isnt qualified to get a license, I should be able to point that out, go to a hearing with them and challenge them and make them put up or shut up about can they satisfy the requirements of the act, Somerville said.

AMCC first awarded licenses to produce medical cannabis June 2023, but the commission voided them after they said there were inconsistencies in scoring applications. The commission attempted a second time to award licenses in August, but a lawsuit alleging Open Meetings Act violations derailed the process. The commission attempted a third time in December to award licenses, where further litigation has stalled the process.

Attempts in the Legislature to address the legal problems mostly failed this year. The only bill related to medical cannabis that was sent to Gov. Kay Iveys desk was HB 390, sponsored by Danny Crawford, R-Athens, which shifts licensing powers for cultivators from the Department of Agriculture and Industries to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission.

SB 276, sponsored by Sen. David Sessions, R-Grand Bay, would have increased the maximum number of licenses in some categories and instructed the commission to confirm any licenses granted by the commission from June to December of last year by June 15. SB 306, sponsored by Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, who also sponsored the 2021 medical cannabis legislation, would have restarted the licensing process and taken away some of the powers of the AMCC.

The two bills  aimed at starting the program  stalled in the Senate and never reached the floor for a vote before the end of the session.

There was a short discussion about lifting a separate restraining order on dispensaries, which would allow doctors to recommend medical cannabis to patients, but the judge said they would take that up at a later date. Patrick Dungan, lawyer for Yellowhammer Medical Dispensaries, said he the stay should not be lifted as he separately asked the court to review the licensing process, which is currently in the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals.

We got something on appeal right now, he said.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  The Albuquerque Police Department arrested 18-year-old Gabriel Guerrero for the murder of Nathaniel Besel in May. APD said Besel got into a confrontation with his neighbors when he thought he smelled fentanyl smoke. The two women denied smoking. APD said both groups made threats to each other before separating.

Albuquerque man handed his second life sentence for the murder of Cayla Campos

Besel later left to go grocery shopping and after returning home, dropped off his boyfriend and went to park his car. Besel told his boyfriend he was then jumped by two women and a man. He took pictures of a silver Honda Accord with a California license plate and an orange Dodge car. He also found a cell phone in the parking lot.

Besels boyfriend told police that he was confronted by his neighbors trying to get their cell phone back. Besel went to look for his attackers and as he was walking back to the apartment, he was hit from behind by a silver Honda Accord. Besel died from his injuries on scene.

Police said the cell phone belonged to one of the neighbors in the confrontation. It had photos of Besels front door and the address of his apartment just before the fight. They also had pictures of his vehicle. Witnesses told police that the orange Dodge and Silver Honda Accord had circled the apartment complex.

Detectives said the Honda Accord belonged to Guerrero who is the boyfriend of one of the women at the apartment next to Besel. They found Guerreros vehicle which they said had been cosmetically altered. Guerrero is charged with murder.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy (left) greats Gov. Jeff Landry at the City of Alexandria Rotary Club luncheon where Landry was the guest speaker.

Speaking at the City of Alexandrias Rotary Club luncheon Tuesday, Gov. Jeff Landry spoke a packed house of Rotarians and community leaders about passed measures that relate to public safety, education, the economy, insurance and infrastructure.

He started his speech by saying that within the next 30-60 days his office will have a few announcements that will be economically transformative to Central and North Louisiana.

With him was Dr. Ralph Abraham, former U.S. representative for Louisianas 5th Congressional District, who was just appointed as Louisianas first surgeon general. Prior to this appointment, he had been serving as the secretary for the Louisiana Department of Health.

Abraham will work with health and science centers, medical schools, medical and nursing boards and hospital networks to make sure we are capitalizing on things that work and were doing away with things that dont work, said Landry.

In regard to public safety, he said they passed 20 bills that are going to make Louisiana a safer state. One bill expands access to drug courts and other works to help those who were incarcerated move into society to become more productive citizens.

But the most important thing we did is, we are creating transparency in our criminal justice system, Landry told the crowd. And we are giving victims a voice. We are making sure that victims are the most important person in the criminal justice system because they are the ones that matter.

During the legislature session, Landry said they implemented truth in sentencing where the victim and the defendant know how much time the defendant will really serve in incarceration.

Through legislation and action, he said that they made it a point to say that Louisiana backs law enforcement officers because we know if you are going to have a safe community, somebody has to enforce the law."

Over the last decade or so, weve seen some of the most disrepectful things happen to our law enforcement officers and were just not going to tolerate it here in Louisiana anymore. Thats whats going to make Louisiana such a great, great place, said Landry.

In education, Landry said they are going to focus on teachers and their relationship with the child.

We put together a program called, Let the Teachers Teach, said Landry. Teachers from around the state were brought together and asked how the state is an obstacle between them and the child.

Teachers dont teach for the money but for the love for the children and because its a calling, he said.

The fact that the government would pile things on them and make their job so obstructive, so burdensome, that they wouldnt want to teach anymore is saddening in itself, he said.

This will allow the teachers to go back to teaching, he explained, and not be social workers and if social workers are needed, theyll get them in the schools.

He also spoke about an educational scholarship program which is the first step towards getting Louisiana off the bottom because finally once and for all, your tax dollars began to follow your child.

Landry said critics claim that this will decimate public schools, but he says its not true.

Louisiana will join 13 or 14 other states that have enacted programs like this, he said. None of those states closed public school, but instead their education rankings moved up, said Landry.

The program will be implemented in phases, he said, starting with special needs and low-income students so they can budget accordingly.

The Department of Economic Development will undergo a restructuring through another bill that was passed and will focus on the businesses and industries that grew the state, he said.

The Department of Transporation will also be streamlined.

We just inserted $370 million into the Department of Transportations budget that has to go to maintenance of roads in this state, he said, adding that they have a list of roads and bridges that need work.

Another bill passed that he said created universal recognition of professional licensing.

We had doctors trying to get into the state of Louisiana. It would take them 8 to 10 to 12 months just to be able to get their licensing so that they could practice here, he said.

He also spoke about insurance which he said is a crisis. As attorney general, he sued the Federal Government over flood insurance and that lawsuit is still pending.

Flood insurance is really a crisis, he said, because no one can get a mortgage if they cant get flood insurance.

This year, the legislature passed 26 insurance tort reform bills, he said, with 6-8 of them solely focused on property insurance. All things that they said they needed to make property insurance competitive in this state. And were going to see. Were going to hold them accountable because we passed all those particular measures.

We passed 26 measures. And were going to keep working. And I want you to know something. If you see me vetoing something, I can promise you, I do not believe its good for the working people of this state, he said.

He closed by talking about the posting of the 10 Commandments in schools. He said he didnt think it would be so controversial, and that only proved to him they were right in doing so.

He said those 10 tenets are found in the good books of many, many religions that spell out ways in which you can live your life and be a productive citizen.

I believe that as we go through, because it is that next generation, it is those children, and its in our schools, that Louisiana flourishes, he said.

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: At Rotary luncheon, Landry about measures passed since taking office
Chinese companies are allegedly developing attack drones similar to the Iranian-produced Shahed-type drone to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on July 2, citing European officials familiar with the matter.

According to Bloomberg, Chinese and Russian companies held talks in 2023 to develop an attack drone similar to the mass-produced Shahed drone, multiple unnamed European officials told the news outlet.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the drones have not yet been used in Ukraine.

Although China officially maintains a neutral stance on Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine and denies providing lethal aid, Beijing and Moscow continue to strengthen their ties, underscored by Russian leader Vladimir Putin's visit to Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in May.

Sign up for our newsletter

WTF is wrong with Russia?

Sign up

Various countries, including the United States, have accused China of continuously aiding Russia's war machine in Ukraine by providing machine tools, weapons technology, satellite imagery, semiconductors, and other dual-use technologies.

"Here inside NATO, were making sure that we can expose the fact that the PRC is no longer a neutral player and warn China about the risk of getting behind Russia in this unprovoked war of aggression," U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith told Bloomberg Television.

In a statement to Bloomberg, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for Chinas embassy in the U.S., denied that China is providing lethal aid to Russia, and called on Western countries "to immediately stop fueling the fight and inciting confrontation."

NATO allies have repeatedly warned China against providing Russia with lethal military aid and urged Beijing to use its influence over Moscow to help end the war.

Iran has been producing Shahed-type drones for Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The drones, which typically carry explosives, are inexpensive to produce en-masse but relatively expensive to down.

Read also: Xi, Putin to participate in Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Astana

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
(WFLA)  Yellow caution tape surrounded the front of a supermarket in South Carolina last week after an alligator was caught hiding underneath a corral of shopping carts.

Lisa Royal spotted the sneaky gator at the Publix in Summerville on June 26, quickly taking out her phone to capture a video.

It was so unbelievably out of the ordinary, I had to stop and document the moment, she told Nexstars WFLA.

Video of the gator encounter shows shoppers and workers standing around the caution tape, with carts blocking off the immediate area where the gator was hiding.

Yall this is happening right now, Royal said in the video. There is an alligator under the shopping carts outside.

Jared Glover, a media relations manager with Publix, told Nexstar that the alligator was ultimately removed from the storefront area.

Our amazing team quickly contacted the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources who was able to safely relocate our reptilian friend, Glover 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 PIX11.
Allison Garrett, the chancellor of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, says she plans to retire in January 2025, after a little more than three years of service in that post.

Chosen by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to replace longtime Chancellor Glen Johnson, Garrett was sworn in as the states ninth chancellor  and the first female to serve in that position  in December 2021. Whomever succeeds Garrett as chancellor wont need confirmation by the Oklahoma Senate, as state regents do.

Education changes lives, opening doors and lighting pathways for people to realize their God-given potential and achieve their dreams, Garrett said in a statement Tuesday. Serving the people of Oklahoma and working collaboratively with our state regents, elected officials, campus personnel, and business and community partners to help move this great state forward has been an honor.

As I look ahead to a career capstone opportunity to complete an international project in late fall and the prospect of spending more time with family, I am filled with gratitude for the privilege to serve as chancellor and to work to make a positive impact on both Oklahomas workforce and in the lives of individual students across this state.

The chancellor serves as the chief executive officer for Oklahoma higher education, leading a system comprised of 25 colleges and universities, 11 constituent agencies, one university center and independent colleges and universities coordinated with the state system. Among the chancellors duties are providing leadership on matters relating to standards for Oklahoma higher education, courses and programs of study, budget allocations for institutions, fees and tuition, and strategic planning.

Garrett leads OneNet, Oklahomas most advanced technology network designed to provide the infrastructure to support high-speed broadband services, and the Oklahoma College Assistance Program. She directs 20 statewide scholarship programs, including Oklahomas Promise, and statewide GEAR UP efforts. Garrett represents Oklahoma public higher education as a member of several professional, state and national organizations, including serving on the executive committee of the State Higher Education Executive Officers.

I appreciate Chancellor Garretts dedication and service to the state of Oklahoma, said state Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, the chair of the Senate Education Committee. Throughout her tenure, Chancellor Garrett has demonstrated leadership in advancing higher education in our state. Her commitment to academic excellence and her vision has left a mark on our educational institutions and the countless lives they touch. Personally, I have appreciated the opportunity to work closely with her and her feedback on initiatives that I have pursed as Senate education chairman.

Garrett, a 1984 Oklahoma Christian University graduate, served as senior vice president for academic affairs at her alma mater for five years before spending almost four years as an executive vice president at Abilene Christian University in Texas, starting in 2012. In 2016, she became the president of Emporia State University in Kansas. She began her time in academia as a law professor at Faulkner University in Alabama.

Before entering academia, she worked as an executive for Walmart as vice president and general counsel for the corporate division and vice president of benefits compliance and planning. Upon graduation from law school, she went into private practice before taking a position with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

From Neosho, Missouri, in that states southwest corner, earned her masters degree in securities regulation from Georgetown University and a law degree at the University of Tulsa.

Garretts father, Wilbur Dabbs of Neosho, died on June 16 at age 94.

Governor, presidents, state regents praise the work Garrett has done as chancellor

Gov. Kevin Stitt and higher education leaders all praised Garrett's work as chancellor.

"I'm grateful for Chancellor Garrett's service to the Oklahoma state higher education system and I want to extend my congratulations on her next endeavor," Stitt said. "I'm looking forward to seeing what's next for the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education as we continue to work toward the vision of being a top-10 state."Lana Reynolds, the president of Seminole State College, the immediate past chair of the state regents' Council of Presidents and -- like Garrett -- and Oklahoma Christian alumna, said Garrett "has a challenging job that she has handled with intelligence and grace. The expertise and experience she brought to the position of chancellor was extremely valuable. I appreciate her service and wish her the best.

Dennis Casey, the chair of the state regents, noted Garrett played a key role in the development of Blueprint 2030, the regents comprehensive strategic plan to advance higher education in Oklahoma, and helped push for an increase in the number of graduates in the state, particularly in key fields such as engineering and nursing.

We respect her decision and the time she is providing that will allow us to develop and execute a succession plan, Casey said.

Another regent, Jeff Hickman  a former speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives  said Garrett prioritized streamlining and modernizing the regents policies and processing for interfacing with the states higher-education institutions.

She assembled a talented staff and together, in partnership with our board, they continue to lead us through strategic innovations, eliminating a great deal of bureaucratic red tape at the agency, bringing efficiencies to the way we govern the states higher education system and positioning us for success in the months and years ahead as we work to transform our higher education system for the future, Hickman said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State System of Higher Education chancellor is retiring
A report found that Indiana's "housing wage" grew in 2023 to $22.07 for a two-bedroom unit, far above the $7.25 minimum wage. (Getty Images)

The housing affordability gap for Indianas minimum wage workers grew according to the latest Out of Reach report, finding that those Hoosiers would need to work 122 hours per week to afford a Fair Market Rate two-bedroom apartment.

The new Out of Reach 2024 report finds that Indianas 2024 Housing Wage of $22.07 needed to afford a two-bedroom rental unit is an increase of $3.07 per hour above the 2023 Housing Wage. However, the average Hoosier renters wage of $17.92 per hour in 2024 increased by only $0.06 over the past year, said Aspen Clemons, executive director at Prosperity Indiana. To address Indianas growing housing affordability crisis, state and local policymakers must bridge the growing gap between rents and incomes by using all available policy tools.

In order to afford that unit, valued at the Fair Market Rate of $1,148, a full-time Hoosier working only 40 hours a week would need a Housing Wage of $22.07  far above the states minimum wage of $7.25 and above the average renters wage. The findings, from an annual report jointly published by the National Low Income Housing Coalition and Prosperity Indiana, included data on all 50 states and concluded that Indiana had dropped from 43 to 34 in terms of affordability between 2021 and 2024.

Indiana still falls below the national Housing Wage, which is $32.11 per hour for a two-bedroom apartment.

The Housing Wage is calculated by keeping the cost of a Fair Market Rate two-bedroom apartment and utilities at 30% of a households income  meaning that a Hoosier household needs to earn $3,826 monthly or $45,913 annually.

Findings from the report

Prospects are slightly better for renters seeking a one-bedroom apartment, which would cost someone $949 monthly. That would require 101 hours of minimum wage work weekly. But renters living in more populated areas have even higher costs  including the Indianapolis-Carmel area and Louisville area, which have a housing wage of $25.94 and $25.02, respectively.

A chart from the 2024 Out of Reach report with a focus on Indianas housing costs. (From the 2024 Out of Reach housing report)

The average Hoosier wage falls short in 88 of 92 counties and in 25 of the states 26 metro areas, according to the report. Additionally, many of Indianas core job sectors dont pay wages high enough to cover the Fair Market Rate for a two-bedroom apartment.

For the first time in recent history, less than a third of Indianas Top 20 largest occupations pay wages sufficient to meet the states Housing Wage, said Andrew Bradley, the senior director of Policy and Strategy at Prosperity Indiana. Only a quarter of Hoosiers working in the states most popular occupations earn enough on average to afford rent. This is not helping Hoosiers get ahead. With the cost of housing increasingly out of reach for Indiana families, we need coordinated efforts by our federal, state, and local policymakers to raise wages and increase the supply of safe, stable, and affordable housing for all Hoosiers.

Just six of Indianas 20 most common occupations paid a full-time wage enough to afford a two-bedroom rental unit, down from 10 occupations in 2023. These poorly paid occupations employ 843,720 Hoosiers, more than a fifth of the states workforce, and are frequently held by women or Hoosiers of color.

Such jobs included home health and personal care aides, with a median hourly wage of $14.79  almost $8 less than the full-time housing wage of $22.07.

Ties to homelessness

With the cost of rent growing further out of reach for those with the lowest incomes, and absent an adequate housing safety net, it is no surprise that homelessness has been on the rise, the report concluded.

The national January 2023 Point-In-Time count, a method of counting the number of people experiencing homelessness, identified roughly 653,000 people  the highest number ever recorded and a 12% from 2022.

Need to get in touch?

Have a news tip?

CONTACT US

In Indiana, the count found 4,398 Hoosiers experiencing homelessness outside of Marion County, which conducts a separate count. Notably, the U.S. Supreme Court last week ruled that local law enforcement agencies could arrest homeless people for sleeping outdoors even if their city doesnt have adequate housing resources.

A potential solution could be federal intervention and the report explicitly names bills authored by Indiana Sen. Todd Young to expand housing choice vouchers. Young has identified housing affordability as one of his priorities, authoring bills to incentivize investments in distressed neighborhoods nationwide and cutting burdensome local regulations.

In particular, advocates highlighted the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act introduced last year to create 250,000 new housing vouchers for low-income families with young children. Another, the Eviction Crisis Act, would build upon Indianas Emergency Rental Assistance program to create a permanent stabilization fund for renters facing temporary financial setbacks, according to the release.
Analysis-Panama deportations unlikely to be enough to curb Darien crossings

By Elida Moreno and Lizbeth Diaz

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) -An agreement between Panama and the United States to try to deter migrants from crossing the treacherous Darien jungle, by repatriating those that enter the Central American country illegally, is unlikely to succeed and could make journeys even more dangerous.

Analysts said the plan announced on Monday, in which Washington agreed to cover the cost of repatriating migrants, would struggle in the face of the vast numbers of people currently arriving in Panama.

And any success in bringing down the number of people crossing the Darien would likely only result in increases elsewhere, perhaps in even more dangerous conditions, they added.

Panama's presidency and the U.S. State Department and Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last year a record 520,000 migrants crossed the Darien, a stretch of jungle that divides Panama and Colombia where people who trek on foot for days often face robbery, violence, human trafficking and sexual abuse.

In recent years, the majority of migrants have been from Venezuela and other South American countries, such as Ecuador, facing internal strife. There have also been increasing numbers from outside Latin America, including from China, Afghanistan, and other countries.

Those passing through the Darien, authorities say, are mostly attempting to reach the United States. The record numbers have prompted Panamanian authorities to seek international help and harden their border security, though numbers have kept rising.

Immigration is a core election issue ahead of the November U.S. presidential election, with President Joe Biden eager to show voters he can control illegal crossings at the southern U.S. border.

He has pointed to a recent fall in apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border as evidence his policies, including a broad asylum ban on migrants caught crossing illegally, are working.

It seems unlikely, however, that Panama could organize enough repatriation flights to make a difference.

"Even the equivalent of one plane per day (100-150 people) would mean that between 85% and 90% of immigrants would avoid deportation and could continue their journey," said Adam Isacson, of the Washington Office on Latin American Affairs think tank.

"And the chance of 'one plane per day' happening is super-slim. These flights are expensive... I wouldn't expect there to be enough funds to run more than two or three flights per week at the most," Isacson added.

Eric Jacobstein, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, told reporters the U.S. had allocated $6 million to help with the program.

A senior Biden administration official told Reuters on Wednesday the initiative should be viewed as a pilot program that could be expanded if successful and even rolled out to other countries.

The U.S.plans to evaluate its effectiveness over the next six months, the official said on condition of anonymity.

"We view this as seed funding that will help them start up their own repatriation program," they said. It is a pilot program to start but something that we would have every expectation of wanting to continue if the results are what we expect they will be.

Previous attempts by Panama have also failed. In September, the country announced new measures to reduce the number of people coming through the Darien, vowing to increase deportations and change visa rules for many nationalities.

But the measures appear to have had little impact.

It remains to be seen whether with a new president in office, Panama's latest deal with the U.S. can have more concrete results. President Jose Raul Mulino announced the new deportation flights during his inauguration, suggesting they are a core part of his government's policy.

Guillermo Cochez, a former Panamanian ambassador to the Organization of American States, said he was hopeful the new measures could work.

"I think it will have a positive impact," he said.

"These repatriations, which in principle will take 100 or 150 people, will discourage others (from crossing)" Cochez said.

Others noted, however, that even if it does help deter migrants from coming through the Darien, it is unlikely to have a long-term impact on how many people are reaching the southern border of the U.S.

"The new announcement... is not going to stop the migratory flow but, on the contrary, is going to take it to more dangerous routes," said Israel Ibarra, a migration expert at Mexico's College of the Northern Border research institute.

Ibarra said some migrants were, for example, already avoiding the Darien by paying to be taken on ill-equipped boats through the Caribbean, via the Colombian island of San Andres and Nicaragua's Corn Island.

A Reuters investigation also found migrants are increasingly turning to charter flights to fly into Nicaragua and El Salvador.

"Those who could benefit the most, as always, are the members of criminal groups that are going to increase the costs of human trafficking," Ibarra said.

(Reporting by Elida Moreno in Panama City, Lizbeth Diaz and Diego Ore in Mexico City, Mica Rosenberg in New York, and Ted Hesson in Washington, editing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Alistair Bell)
Donald Trump has widened his lead in the presidential race against Joe Biden after the presidents disastrous debate performance, according to a new poll from The New York Times and Siena College.

Trump now leads Biden by 49 percent to 43 percent among likely voters nationally, a 3-point swing toward Trump from a week earlier. Notably, it is the biggest lead Trump has recorded in a Times/Siena poll since 2015 and will do nothing to ease pressure on Biden to pull out of the race.

The gap is even wider among registered voters with Trump at 49 percent compared with Bidens 41 percent.

The poll identified voters growing concern that the 81-year-old president is too old to govern effectively, a majority view across every demographic, geographic and ideological group in the poll, including Black voters and even those who say they will still vote for him.

A total of 74 percent of voters view him as too old for the job, up 5 percentage points since the debate. Those concerns have jumped 8 percentage points among Democrats since the debate to 59 percent. Even more alarming for Biden is that independent voters who said they felt that way rose to 79 percent, nearly matching the Republican view of the president.

Despite calls from Democrats for Biden to step down gaining steam on Tuesday, the poll found more voters believe he should remain the Democratic nominee but that was likely because Republicans now want him to be Trumps opponent.

There is no doubt that Bidens woeful debate performance is responsible for the devastating poll results. Those who said they watched the debate said Trump outperformed Biden, 60 percent to 22 percent, while only 16 percent of voters said Biden did well, and a paltry 3 percent said he did very well.

CNN Poll Showing Trump Pulling Ahead Adds Pressure on Biden

In a statement to The Daily Beast, Biden campaign pollster Molly Murphy said, Both internal and outside polling confirm that the race remains incredibly tight and I agree with the Times that todays polling doesnt fundamentally change the course of the race.

The work our campaign is doing on the ground will be critical to win over voters in a low trust and divided political environment. Trumps team is doing virtually none of that work, while also being saddled with the baggage of a toxic agenda to undecided voters. President Biden has work to do, but will be running on mobilizing issues that we are confident will bring him to victory this November.

A Wall Street Journal poll, also released Wednesday, similarly shows Trump with a 6-point lead over Biden among voters, with 80 percent of Americans saying that the president is too old to run for a second term.

Trump is now on 48 percent, with Biden on 42 percent, according to the Journal poll.

It comes a day after a similar CNN poll also showed Biden trailing Trump by 6 points.

That poll found that 75 percent of voters surveyed said the Democrats would have a better chance if someone other than Biden was the nominee.

Bidens approval rating hit in the CNN poll showed him at a dangerously low figure of 36 percent following the debate. However, a match-up between Kamala Harris and Trump showed the vice president only two points behind, recording 45 percent support compared with Trumps 47 percent.

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.
This fall will mark 18 years since a New York judge sat at her bench with a clear view of two Black families whose lives had been ravaged by gun violence. On her right of the full courtroom sat supporters of Ronnie Wright, who faced being separated from his young daughter for the rest of his life. And on the left was the grieving family of Andrell Napper, a bystander fatally shot while running away from gunfire.

In Judge Cheryl Chambers hands, a note from the jurors who reached a verdict in the case against the man accused of killing Napper in August 2006.

Shanita Drummond sat inside that Brooklyn courtroom during the five-day trial in October 2007. She says she couldnt believe the lies that the prosecutors only eyewitness, Valerie Smith, told the jurors about her cousin, Wright. Smiths testimony also left an impression with Oresa Napper-Williams, Nappers mom. She approached the 46-year-old stranger in the hallway after testifying and thanked her for coming forward.

Wright was found guilty. The judge sentenced him to 40 years to life in prison.

As the still-grieving mother remains confident in the prosecutions case, nearly 18 years later, Wrights supporters continue to say theres no way he killed the 21-year-old Napper. A hearing that started in September 2021 was expected to have proven that by now, they said.

The man who actually did it already told yall he did this and was convicted of it, Drummond told Capital B in March of this year. And here Ronnie has to wait over 15 years for a hearing to prove something that they already knew back then. This is crazy.

The prosecution of Wrights case and an evidentiary hearing that has dragged on for nearly three years underscore questionable tactics by law enforcement officials and alleged witness tampering, attorneys and Wrights supporters say. The ongoing delays  partially due to the current judges schedule  havent changed the evidence that had been withheld from Wrights attorneys since his arrest. But from the start, the investigation into the shooting of Napper was rife with rumors about it being retaliation for another mans death and confusion about who did what.

Andrell Napper was killed after being caught in the crossfire of a shooting in August 2006. (Courtesy of Oresa Napper-Williams)

The narrative that has never changed is that Napper was caught in the crossfire of a botched revenge plot, and Wright says he was not at the scene of the shooting. Its a one-witness case with no forensic evidence that connected Wright, who was 27 at the time, to Nappers murder. This wasnt a gang-related homicide case and federal agents werent involved, Julie Clark, Wrights original trial lawyer, said. That, she is sure of.

In an April interview, Napper-Williams told Capital B that shes not interested in whats happening at the hearing that began in 2021. She said her confidence in Wrights conviction leans heavily on Smith. Smith, a hospital security guard, was the first person to mention Wright and the other defendant to police as they investigated the shooting on Throop Avenue in Brooklyn. Capital B spoke to family and acquaintances of Napper and Wright, and no one knew who Smith was prior to her testimony in October 2007. Capital B has also attempted to contact Smith.

Drummond is certain that Wright was at home that night because he was serious about not violating his parole. If Wright were guilty, Drummond said she wouldnt stand by him.

The legal team for Wright has been arguing to introduce evidence that couldve been favorable to Wrights defense, such as the written statements from a man involved in the plan and execution of the shooting. Wright was convicted along with 14-year-old Stephon Williams, who pleaded guilty and was not questioned by the lead case detective.

Wrights hearing continued last week with testimony from a former prosecutor, but theres still no resolution.

The prison visit that changed everything

Wright has stood firm that he was wrongly convicted in 2007 for orchestrating a revenge plot against Charles Saunders for allegedly killing John Popcorn Hayes. Wright was Hayes cousin.

In 2017, Wright had an unexpected visit from a defense attorney who wasnt his own. Jeremy Schneider, a federal public defender, showed up at Auburn Correctional Facility in upstate New York to let Wright know that his client, Nicholas Washington, was on trial with Demetrius Morris, who is expected to testify that Washington organized the hit that Wright had been sitting in prison for.

(Washington was Hayes brother, and when he died, Washington became the inherited leader of the Gz Up gang, authorities said. Washington put out the botched hit that Morris pleaded guilty to.)

After meeting with Schneider, Wright rushed to the law library. With the assistance of jailhouse lawyers, Wright submitted his own appeal to the court. He also asked for help from New York defense attorneys dedicated to post-conviction cases.

Had Clark, Wrights trial lawyer, known about another possible suspect or a written admission, her trial strategy would have been drastically different, she told Capital B. Its just a shame that it was not disclosed to the defense because its supposed to be.

Wright is eligible for parole in July 2045.

The key detail that could prove his innocence

Prosecutors with the Brooklyn District Attorneys Office have denied withholding information from Clark and Wrights defense team about a 10-year multiagency investigation connected to the Gz Up gang. But in court records, prosecutors said that federal investigators ran a parallel investigation that landed different outcomes. They said federal prosecutors from the U.S. Justice Departments Eastern District of New York didnt ask for any records from their office until 2018  10 years after Wright was sentenced.

They also argued that Morris October 2006 written statement wasnt under a category of evidence that would benefit Wrights defense. Ruth Shillingford, a former Brooklyn judge, disagreed with prosecutors in 2021. Before retiring, Shillingford ordered a hearing and for prosecutors to provide copies of Morris statement and other evidence to Wrights new defense team, Dennis Kelly and John OHara.

Morris written statement sat in a manila folder until it was turned over 16 years later in 2022.

This year, during the ongoing evidentiary hearing in June, lead case detective Christopher Hennigan agreed with Clark that the investigation into Nappers death didnt have gang-related elements. Hennigan denied speaking to federal law enforcement agents about any gangs in connection to Nappers state homicide investigation.

When Napper was killed, Wright was an aspiring rapper who did not have any gang affiliation, his previous and current attorneys as well as family members confirmed to Capital B.

With Smith coming forward, Hennigan said he stopped canvassing for more witnesses and didnt interview Williams after he pleaded guilty. Prosecutors at the time of Nappers death concluded that there was insufficient evidence to charge Morris, court records show.

This case is subject to an ongoing hearing and will continue to be litigated in court, Oren Yaniv, a spokesperson for the Brooklyn District Attorneys Office, told Capital B over the phone.

Read More: Wrongful Convictions Reveal the Flaws of the Criminal Justice System

Wright would later learn that Morris pleaded guilty in July 2013 in federal court for his role in a gang-related conspiracy, drugs, and guns operation that are connected to two homicides, including Nappers. Two witnesses who submitted sworn affidavits on Wrights behalf, Smith, Williams, and a federal grand jury all identified Morris as one of the two shooters.

Legally, Brooklyn state prosecutors cannot charge Morris for the same murder he already pleaded guilty to in federal court. But, somehow, Morris was able to plead guilty to a homicide that Wright had already been prosecuted and sentenced for seven years prior.

Had Wright been charged for the role Morris said he played in Nappers killing, would the trial prosecutor have the same strategy that Wright was the mastermind and shooter, or would the jury convict Wright if they knew about another alleged retaliation plot where Wright allegedly pointed out the location of Hayes murderer, his attorneys argue.

As a condition of his guilty plea, Morris turned on Washington by becoming a cooperating witness. After Washingtons 2016 federal trial concluded in February 2019, Morris was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison that will run concurrently with a 10-year sentence for a 2009 drug conviction also connected to the Gz Up gang.

Conflicting accounts of what happened

The morning Napper was killed, Wright wore a T-shirt with the words Rest In Peace Popcorn printed on the front. It was Hayes funeral, and Wright knew he had to get home before his 10 p.m. curfew.

Wright had been on parole for two years after being incarcerated for 10. He was a teenager when he was sentenced for a second-degree attempted murder case. His parole would have expired in September 2007. Wrights legal team says having a previous guilty plea on his record made their client the perfect target for law enforcement to connect him to a crime. But they didnt expect him to testify at the grand jury, go to trial, and have a post-conviction hearing granted.

As he headed back home, Wright passed the corner of Throop and Myrtle Avenues. Thats where Smith told Hennigan that she saw Wright wearing a Hayes memorial T-shirt minutes before the shooting. But she misconstrued the time of day they had an encounter, Kelly, one of Wrights attorneys, said.

Read More: Black Men Continue to Be Overrepresented in Annual Wrongful Conviction Report

The only firearm recovered from the scene was a pistol found under Smiths SUV and nearby Payton. It wasnt the murder weapon, prosecutors said. A firearms analysis couldnt tell what type of gun fired the fatal bullet. Wrights DNA was never tested. The DNA of a woman and two unidentified men were found on the gun.

Approximately 10 bullets flew between three different shooters as more than two dozen people ran away or dropped to the ground. One of those bullets pierced the back of Nappers head, three injured Jerard Payton, another bystander, and Williams was shot in the leg during crossfire allegedly with Payton.

The day after the shooting, Smith and her friend, Tammy Atkins, went to police and provided conflicting accounts about when they saw Wright that day. Smith identified Williams and Morris in a line-up as the shooters, and she pointed out Wright in a photo array. Atkins did not identify Wright in a photo array or line up.

Wright was arrested days later. He told police that he wouldnt have been outside after 10 p.m. because he didnt want to violate parole.

Two months later, Hennigan and FBI Special Agent Anthony M. Grubisic traveled to Altoona, Pennsylvania, to arrest Morris on federal drug trafficking charges. Morris gave a written statement that laid out the entire retaliation plot to kill Hayes alleged killer, Saunders, on behalf of Washington. As members of the gang and Wright traveled in separate cars to the location, Morris wrote, he bitched up and decided to let Williams and another Gz Up gang member do his dirty work.

Wright allegedly pointed out their target, and Morris wrote he did not fire his weapon. When Grubisic transcribed Morris written statements a few days later, Wrights role changed from an accomplice to one of three shooters.

Williams pleaded guilty as a juvenile offender and was sentenced to 9 years to life in prison. He did not testify at Wrights trial, despite Clarks request to have him made available as a defense witness.

Any details about Wrights case, Napper-Williams said, may disturb her peace and she doesnt want her mission to be interrupted.

People always say that both families lose when dealing with the criminal justice system. And no, it is not that same loss, Napper-Williams said. You may have lost a physical daily action, but you could still get a visit, hold hands, hear a voice, send a card and its read, all of that.

The post Will Anothers Written Confession Be Enough to Set This Man Free? appeared first on Capital B News.
In the ongoing waves of bird flu outbreaks, with the virus spreading to more than 141 herds in 12 states, the risk of another full-blown pandemic like COVID-19 is becoming a distinct possibility. In preparation for just such a disaster, the U.S. government will pay pharmaceutical company Moderna $176 million to develop a vaccine that protects against the H5N1 virus. Moderna will employ the same mRNA vaccine technology that was pioneered to develop COVID-19 vaccines in 2020, as well as the booster shots that have followed.

Moderna is already in the early stages of testing its new mRNA vaccine, meaning that it will be receiving supplementary funds for that research from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The award was made through an agency organization called the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA.

We have successfully taken lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and used them to better prepare for future public health crises. As part of that, we continue to develop new vaccines and other tools to help address influenza and bolster our pandemic response capabilities, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. Importantly, we are doing this work in partnership with some of the nations leading scientists and clinicians. The Biden-Harris Administration wont stop until we have everything we need to prepare for pandemics and other public health emergencies that impact the American public.

Because influenza strains are closely related to each other, the scientists can pivot from the avian flu to a different type of flu if a separate and more serious outbreak emerges. The current concern, however, is about the H5N1 virus. The strain has been virulent across U.S. dairy farms in 2024, even infecting three people, although they all had relatively mild cases. From a medical perspective, the biggest concern about the current bird flu strain is that it can spread from birds to mammals. This suggests that it can not only be transmitted to humans, but is capable of evolving to be particularly infectious.

The bovine situation is a step up from this, just due to how widespread the virus is, and how many people have exposure to cattle (compared to small mink farms or remote sea lion colonies), Dr. Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London and the Pirbright Institute, told Salon in June. This clearly represents a much larger human-animal interface than the other examples.
"Anyone Else Feel Like This Is The Beginning Of The Collapse Of The United States": 23 Reactions To The Supreme Court's Immunity Ruling

Recently, the US Supreme Court ruled that former president Donald Trump has immunity from prosecution for official acts he took during his presidency  and consequentially broadened our understanding of presidential power.

In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote: "Orders the Navy's Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune... Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune... Even if these nightmare scenarios never play out, and I pray they never do, the damage has been done. In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law."

After news of the SCOTUS decision spread, here's how Americans reacted online:

1.

I'd just like to point out that, for 250 years, American presidents didn't need to ask for immunity.  Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @juliaioffe

2.

We all know how SCOTUS would decide what's an official vs unofficial act by a president. pic.twitter.com/Ce6GcATG7j  Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) July 1, 2024

20th Television / Via Twitter: @Esqueer_

3.

The fact that the Founding Fathers included Impeachment in the Constitution proves that they did not believe or intend for any President to have any kind of immunity.You do not have to be a Constitutional scholar to know this.  Secret Agent Number Six (@DesignationSix) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @DesignationSix

4.

Anyone else feel like this is the beginning of the collapse of the United States?Because it seems like enough wheels are starting to fall out that no matter what we're going into a bad place.  Joe Biden's on the Dianne Feinstein Protocol  (@ljmontello) June 30, 2024

Twitter: @ljmontello

5.

I am still waiting for a single republican to explain to me why trump needs Presidential Immunity if he is not a criminal.  Sarah Ironside  (@SarahIronside6) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @SarahIronside6

6.

Every time I taught The Diary of Anne Frank, the students in my class would ask how in the world could that have happened? How could normal people let it happen?Look around, friends.  Jess Piper (@piper4missouri) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @piper4missouri

7.

Joe Biden really has an opportunity to do some crazy shit in the next few months.But he won't. We all know he won't. But goddamn I wish he would.  Imani Gandy (Orcas Version)  (@AngryBlackLady) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @AngryBlackLady

8.

In almost any other country in the world people would be in the streets already. https://t.co/QU0jX7OENQ  an oasis will bloom in the desert (@benFranklin2018) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @benFranklin2018

9.

I have to admit its sort of funny in a very fucked up way that the US is falling apart and the democrats are just like we have to send $18 billion to Israel right away  cabral (@doctor_cabral) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @doctor_cabral

10.

I demand a refund of the 12 years of my life I was forced to learn about checks and balances since it was all *checks notes* a lie.  Clara (@thatclarafied) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @thatclarafied

11.

Me every time a new supreme court decision comes out lately pic.twitter.com/5uTQ8OvtcK  Jordan Grimes  (@cafedujord) July 1, 2024

20th Television / Via Twitter: @cafedujord

12.

In retrospect maybe it was bad to have nine unelected officials who decide our most important laws behind closed doors with total immunity and a lifetime appointment while gladly and openly taking bribes.  David C Bell (@MovieHooligan) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @MovieHooligan

13.

actually babe, you can't get mad at me. that was an official act  Liz Charboneau (@lizchar) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @lizchar

14.

The Supreme Court announcing that presidents are basically now kings during July 4th week is quite a choice.  Bradford Pearson (@BradfordPearson) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @BradfordPearson

15.

I JUST WANT PRECEDENTED TIMES FOR ONCE. I'm so tired.   Anna (@itsafronomics) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @itsafronomics

16.

I want you all to understand that all of this is because white people were angry a Black man dared to become the President.  chris evans (@notcapnamerica) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @notcapnamerica

17.

A president who got fewer votes than his opponent appointed a third of the court, which then decided it's legal for him to try to stay in power by force after losing reelection. You're supposed to nod along to this farce like it's based on serious principles  Political science B.A. (@InternetHippo) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @InternetHippo

18.

It feels weird to celebrate our independence as a nation when its pretty clear we are losing it.  John Collins (@Logically_JC) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @Logically_JC

19.

Twitter: @MikeDrucker

20.

The Supreme Court is suppose to be largely A-political so the fact that a liberal Justice , Justice Sotomayor, is ending her opinion With fear for our democracy, I dissent. Should scare the absolute shit out of you.  Olivia Julianna  (@0liviajulianna) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @0liviajulianna

21.

Our next president will likely get 2 Supreme Court picks.How could you possibly be worried about a debate performance?  Brittany Crampsie (@BritCrampsie) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @BritCrampsie

22.

Dissenting in writing isnt enough I need Justice Sotomayor to set something on fire  Melissa Stewart (@LissaJoStewart) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @LissaJoStewart

23.

crimes are legal for presidents now i guess pic.twitter.com/GYoGyUY9le  Emma Mont (She/Her) (@theemmamont) July 1, 2024

Twitter: @theemmamont
Anyone who fell did not get up: Survivors recall chaos and confusion at deadly crush in India

Eyewitnesses have recounted scenes of chaos and confusion after a religious festival in northern India ended in tragedy when scores of people were killed in a crowd crush.

At least 121 people died  almost all of them women  and 35 others were injured when overcrowding at a sermon in Mughal Garhi village in Uttar Pradesh led to the deadly crush on Tuesday. Police said they were investigating the organizers, saying a quarter of a million people arrived at the venue  more than three times the number expected  and just a few dozen police officers had been deployed.

The crush happened as female devotees rushed toward the stage to touch the feet of Bhole Baba, the self-styled godman, or guru, who led the event, according to Uttar Pradeshs chief minister. Other officials said devotees were trying to collect ground that his car had passed over as he left the ceremony.

Speaking to CNN from a local hospital, security guard Subhash Lal said his mother had died in the crush and blamed carelessness for the tragedy.

My mothers dead body is here (at this hospital) The most pain you can feel is for a mother, everyone knows that, he said.

If there was no carelessness then people would not have died like this, whether its the administration or organizers, its carelessness.

Relatives mourn outside of the home of three victims of the same family who died in the crush. - Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images

The mother of a victim who gave her name as Kamala told Reuters: My daughter was alright when she arrived at the hospital. In fact, my daughter served water to other victims, helped them and called my brother informing us that she had made it to the hospital safely. But by the time my brother reached the hospital, my daughter was dead.

Describing the chaos at the gathering, a survivor named Rekha told Reuters the crush occurred after the preaching had ended, saying: Anyone who fell did not get up, was trampled by the crowd and died.

Chedilal, a 65-year-old man whose 30-year-old daughter was killed in the crush, said: We were together. I saw many dead bodies lying there so I ran to where the buses were parked.

I looked for her everywhere but I could not find her anywhere, it became night. Where could I go? What could I do?

I was told to go to the district hospital and here I found her body.

Personal belongings of victims who died in the crush are seen scattered at the venue in Uttar Pradesh. - Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images

Questions raised

Tuesdays incident, the latest in a string of similar tragedies, has highlighted glaring gaps in the countrys safety measures at such events as police investigate allegations of negligence and remain on the hunt for Bhole Baba, also known as Suraj Pal.

Some 250,000 people were at the event, despite authorities giving permission for a gathering of 80,000, a police report seen by CNN shows.

The report also alleged that event organizers gave no assistance to the injured and attempted to cover up the incident by hiding clothes and shoes that people had lost in the crush in a nearby field.

Police have accused the events organizers of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, wrongfully restraining a person, causing disappearance of evidence or providing false information, the report said.

CNN has attempted to contact the organizers for a response.

Uttar Pradesh has launched a special investigative team to probe the deadly crush, the states chief minister announced on Wednesday.

A judicial inquiry will also be carried out under the states high court, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said.

Adityanath suggested the organizers were to blame, telling reporters the administration assumes that at such a function, internally, the security of devotees would be managed by the organizers.

For security, the administration deploys its force as well, but in the outer ring. Inside it is the organizers managing everything, he said.

Relatives of a crush victim mourn next to her body, outside a hospital in Hathras district. - Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters

In a statement he shared via his lawyer, Bhole Baba offered condolences to the families of those killed as he blamed the fatal crush on anti-social elements.

Questions have been raised over gaps in the safety protocols in place at Tuesdays event, prompting authorities to launch a high-level investigation and lawyers to file a public interest litigation in Allahabad High Court, demanding an inquiry into the deaths.

Crowd crushes at religious gatherings in India, the worlds most populous country of 1.4 billion, are not uncommon owing to the lack of strict crowd control measures.

In January 2005, more than 265 Hindu devotees were killed and hundreds more injured at a temple in the western state of Maharashtra  one of the deadliest such incidents in the countrys recent history. Three years later, about 145 Hindu pilgrims died on a mountaintop temple in northern India after rumors of a landslide triggered a crowd crush, Reuters reported.

The public interest litigation also pointed to two other events in 2011 and 2013, where more than 100 people were trampled to death at two separate Hindu religious events.

The administration must learn and must adapt the preventative measures after witnessing of earlier incidents but they have no regard for the life of the general public, the court document said.

Opposition politicians have also raised concerns over Tuesdays incident.

Its very unfortunate, said Renuka Chowdhury, a lawmaker from Indias largest opposition party, the Indian National Congress.

Incidents like this shouldnt happen again, she told Indian news agency ANI. We should examine our conscience, and see where we can control, guide and monitor the crowd.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
FILE - A sign points to where residents can cast their votes in London, Friday, May 3, 2024. U.K. voters are set to cast ballots in a national election on July 4, passing judgment on 14 years of Conservative rule. They are widely expected to do something they have not done since 2005  elect a Labour Party government. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

LONDON (AP)  Voters in the United Kingdom will cast ballots in a national election on Thursday, passing judgment on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks 20 months in office  and the four Conservative prime ministers before him. Polls, commentators and politicians all suggest that the left-of-center opposition Labour Party has a strong lead over the Conservatives, who have been in power for 14 years.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  The Albuquerque Police Department arrested Deluvino Salazar on Tuesday for the murder of Samuel Chavez-Aquiar. Officers responded to a shooting around 9:30 p.m. on June 9 near a smoke shop on Central near Wyoming.

Albuquerque police arrest man for May 2024 murder

Surveillance video showed Chavez-Aquiar in a parking lot and exchanging words with someone in a silver Cadillac SUV. Both men pulled guns and Chavez-Aquiar moved toward the business. Video then showed him falling after being shot.

APD said video from several ART bus stations was used to track the Cadillac which was traced to Salazar. He has been charged with murder, shooting at or from a motor vehicle, tampering with evidence, and conspiracy.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Darrell McClanahan of Milo, a candidate for governor who the Missouri Republican Party attempted to remove from the ballot for being an 'honorary' KKK member. He is shown in a photo from his 2022 campaign for U.S. Senate, standing in front of the flag of the Missouri State Guard, a military force formed in 1861 to oppose the Union in the Civil War (Campaign photo).

An honorary KKK member will lead the list of Republicans on the ballot for Missouri governor in the Aug. 6 primary, in part because it is too late for an appeal court to hear a case seeking to remove his name.

And eight candidates for county office in Vernon County will also be on the ballot despite efforts by the county Republican central committee to have them stricken.

In decisions handed down Tuesday, the Western District Missouri Court of Appeals dismissed the two cases as moot. State law doesnt allow the courts to change ballots later than eight weeks before the primary, the judges wrote.

The names of the eight candidates cannot now be stricken or removed from the ballot, and the ballot cannot be modified in any way, Judge Lisa White Hardwick wrote in the opinion dismissing the Vernon County appeal.

In the Vernon County case, the eight candidates refused to participate in the vetting process devised by the county committee to test whether candidates are truly Republican enough to represent the party.

The candidates who the party wanted to exclude are four incumbents  the current county assessor, county treasurer, public administrator and an associate commissioner as well as two candidates for sheriff and two candidates for a commission seat.

A trial court in Vernon County sided with the county central committee, which refused to accept the filing fees of the eight candidates, and directed the county clerk to remove the candidates. The court of appeals ordered them restored to the ballot when the appeal was filed but since that date, Hardwick wrote, the last date for the courts to make changes to the ballot has passed.

Let us know what you think...

In the other case, from Cole County, the Missouri Republican Party lost a lawsuit seeking to kick Darrell McClanahan III off the ballot for governor. McClanahan, a resident of Milo in Vernon County, is listed first, with eight other candidates.

The state party doesnt want McClanahan on the ballot because he admitted being an honorary member of the Ku Klux Klan in a lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League. McClanahan also faces felony property damage and stealing charges in a case being heard in Wright County.

The state Republican Party sued Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft to remove McClanahan, but Circuit Judge Cotton Walker wrote that by accepting his $500 filing fee, the party was stuck with him.

Walker issued his order on May 17. The state Republican Party waited until June 17 to file its notice of appeal, almost a week after the June 11 deadline for the courts to order changes to the ballot.

The order signed by Chief Judge Anthony Gabbert does not discuss the merits of the appeal. It cites the law limiting judicial power and states the court would be unable to grant relief.

The core of both cases is whether political parties can control who appears on the primary ballot by refusing filing fees.

For state candidates like McClanahan, the fee must be paid directly to the political party. Candidates for county offices can pay the fee at the local election authority office and it is then forwarded to the local party.

The secretary of states office wont allow a candidate to file if they do not have the receipt showing their filing fee has been accepted. In the Vernon County case, the clerk accepted the fee and the filing paperwork at the same time, only to learn later that the party refused the money.

In 2018, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that a political party had no legal duty to accept the filing fee. The case involved a state candidate and the law that allowed candidates to pay the fee to the secretary of state as local candidates can to their election authority has since been changed to require direct payments to the party.

There is no similar precedent covering filing fees that are payable to local committees. In the ruling on the Vernon County case, Hardwick noted that both parties asked that the case be heard to provide guidance in future elections.

Because there is no practical effect on the ballot from taking either of these actions, Hardwick wrote, we decline both requests.

The post Appeals court dashes Missouri GOP hopes of blocking honorary KKK member from ballot appeared first on Missouri Independent.
Here are the arguments made in court over changing the RNC's demonstration plans

With less than two weeks to go before the Republican National Convention begins in downtown Milwaukee, those in charge of security and the lead group planning to protest the event went toe-to-toe in federal court Wednesday over demonstration plans.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin on June 5 filed a lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee, arguing that the city's plans for demonstrations during the RNC violate the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The ACLU is representing the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024 in the lawsuit in which U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is now also listed as a defendant.

The coalition is asking U.S. District Judge Brett Ludwig to order the city and Secret Service to allow the coalition to march along a route different than the one the city has designated, rescind the city public works commissioner's ability to reject applications to demonstrate based on prior criminal convictions and order that key elements of the city's "extraordinary event ordinance" are unconstitutional.

Much of the discussion Wednesday focused on the Coalition's plan to march its own route closer to the main RNC event venue of Fiserv Forum than the city-designated route south of the Baird Center. As it currently stands, the Coalition's desired route would cross the Secret Service credentials-only zone at Kilbourn Avenue, which connects the primary credentialed zone to the secure perimeter around Pere Marquette Park.

The RNC's rental of the Milwaukee County Historical Society on the park's southwest corner has been cited by the Secret Service as the reason it was included in the credentials-only zone, an outcome the RNC had been pushing for. That, too, became a point of contention in court Wednesday.

Coalition to March on the RNC 2024 seeks protest route different from city's designated area

Coalition organizers have rejected the city's demonstration route as being too far from the main RNC activity at Fiserv Forum and instead want to march near the arena at noon on July 15, when organizers believe RNC attendees, their intended audience, will be there. The RNC has not released a schedule of events.

If we think about protest marches, where those marches take place makes a difference. Its not just having a march somewhere in Milwaukee. Its having a march where that big banner thats currently on Fiserv Forum is seen in the background, ACLU staff attorney Tim Muth said after the hearing, referencing the recently installed RNC banner overlooking the Deer District.

Sineage is up as preparations are underway at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 for the upcoming Republican National Convention. The convention takes place from July 15 to July 18.

Attorneys for the City of Milwaukee, however, contended that the ordinance at issue is not as restrictive of First Amendment activity as the ACLU argued and that changing its plans will impact traffic plans, evacuation routes, staffing, and the more than 100 others who have signed up to demonstrate during the July 15-18 RNC.

Those are "significant harms," Assistant City Attorney Clint Muche said in court.

Fiserv Forum, the city also argued, is not the only space where convention activity will be taking place, and activity at the Baird Center, the RNC venue closest to the city's march route, will not be limited to members of the media. They also argued that the designated protest route and two speaker platforms  one in Haymarket Square by Fiserv Forum and the other at Zeidler Union Square near the Baird Center  allow demonstrators to exercise their First Amendment rights.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Carter, who represented the Secret Service, said the credentialed security perimeter was "narrowly tailored" to government interests, and changes could affect emergency response plans. He also argued that it was necessary to include the stretch of Kilbourn Avenue in the credentialed zone to prevent delays and traffic issues that would result from RNC attendees traveling between the main credentialed zone and RNC events at the Milwaukee County Historical Society on the corner of Pere Marquette Park.

The coalition wants to march across the section of Kilbourn Avenue that the Secret Service is including in its credentials-only zone. The desired protest route would take the march down King Drive from Juneau Avenue to Wisconsin Avenue and back across the Milwaukee River.

During the hearing, Ludwig expressed skepticism that the First Amendment entitles a speaker to an audience, referencing the Coalition's desire to be near the delegates.

RNC rental of Milwaukee County Historical Society at issue in ACLU case

The ACLU and Coalition argued that the inclusion of the Milwaukee County Historical Society in the credentialed zone was an infringement on free speech and asked Ludwig to let protesters cross the intersection of Kilbourn and King Drive to complete their planned route.

Muth, the ACLU attorney, reiterated the Coalition's desire to be within "sight and sound" of Fiserv Forum and questioned whether the inclusion of the Historical Society and Pere Marquette Park in the credential-only zone was for RNC security or to move protesters off the park and farther away from the Republican delegates.

The park on the west side of the Milwaukee River has been a point of contention for months as the city contemplated locating a demonstration area there. The RNC, the Coalition and nearby businesses objected to the park's use as a demonstration area, albeit for different reasons.

That debate came to an end when the RNC booked the Historical Society last month.

Muth argued that there are other convention-related events taking place throughout the city that do not require Secret Service protection.

"What is this super-secret special event where supposedly a Secret Service protectee will be?" he asked.

The Secret Service, in response, said that their decision to expand the security zone was based on the RNC informing them that there would be an event held in the Historical Society where Secret Service protectees would be present. The city and the Secret Service's lawyers did not say what the specific events would be or who would be present.

Coalition to March on the RNC 2024 co-Chair Omar Flores speaks outside the Federal Courthouse in downtown Milwaukee after a hearing Wednesday on the coalition's suit against the city over plans for demonstrations during the Republican National Convention.

An RNC spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday on the specific uses of the park and Historical Society that would require Secret Service protection.

Previously, a spokesman said the RNC would be hosting "private events" at the Historical Society and was considering Pere Marquette Park as a location for Convention Fest, a daytime experience for ticketed convention guests, and a space to feature local businesses.

The ACLU also argued that the credentialed zone did not have to be contiguous, as Henry Maier Festival Park is not connected to the rest of the security zone. If the Historical Society was not contiguous with the rest of the security zone, the Coalition protesters could cross Kilbourn Avenue on their planned route.

However, Carter said that a non-contiguous area around the Historical Society would create logistical problems and that attendees would have to re-screen if they went between the two areas were they not contiguous.

Court decision pending on Coalition to March on the RNC desired protest route

Ludwig did not issue a decision during the hearing that stretched longer than three hours Wednesday. He said he would get a decision to the parties as soon as possible.

Coalition co-chair Omar Flores expressed optimism that Ludwig would find in the groups favor, despite Ludwigs comment in the hearing that his review of past court cases seemed to indicate judges often defer to security professionals in circumstances like these.

We do feel really confident in our case, especially surrounding the credentialed zone, he said.

Flores said organizers expect about 5,000 people to attend the march, which he said would take place on a route coalition organizers dictate as opposed to the one the city has permitted.

Omar Flores says a few words as Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression gather outside of City Hall prior to the expected vote from Fire and Police Commission in regards to body camera footage Thursday, April 20 2023, in Milwaukee. The alliance want police footage to be released in 24 hours to family members and 48 hours to the public.

If Ludwig does not allow the group to cross Kilbourn Avenue, Flores said the group would have to adjust its planned route.

Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com. Tristan Hernandez can be reached at thernandez@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: ACLU lawsuit over Milwaukee RNC protest plans argued before a judge
Daniel Paduchowski, 58, has been arrested on a charge of aggravated assault as authorities continue to search for his missing wife

Flagstaff Police Department Kelly Paduchowski

The husband of a missing Arizona woman has been arrested as police investigate her disappearance as a possible homicide.

The Flagstaff Police Department announced in a press release on Tuesday, July 2, that officers arrested Daniel Paduchowski, 58, on a charge of aggravated assault as they continue to probe into his wife Kelly Paduchowskis disappearance.

This investigation is ongoing and the number one priority is to locate Kelly, however based on current evidence and information it is believed that Kelly may be the victim of a homicide, police said in the statement.

Flagstaff Police Sgt. Jerry Rintala echoed this in a news conference on July 2, according to NBC News, saying that they believe Kelly, 45, may have been murdered and that officers are focused on finding her body.

"With further evidence and investigation, further charges could be coming," Rintala said.

Police also shared a timeline of events related to Kellys disappearance on Sunday, June 30. They stated that they were able to track her cell phone locations on the day she went missing, and her cell phone pinged in the area of Schultz Creek Trail around 10:20 a.m. Her cell phone then returned to her home, which she shared with Daniel in the Coconino Estates neighborhood around 11:30 that morning.

Daniel was also observed in the Schultz Creek Trail area around 11:30 a.m. and in the Coconino Estates neighborhood around 12:13 p.m. Police alleged that Daniel, along with Kellys white Mazda CX-5, were then spotted at the Campbell Mesa Trail Head around 1:30 p.m.

Photos taken at the trailhead and obtained by the sheriffs office allegedly show Daniel, wearing a dark colored tee and shorts along with a hat, as he looked down at an object.

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.



However, it wasnt until several hours later at 7:39 p.m. when Daniel reported Kelly missing, possibly in the area of Lake Mary," which is located about 17 miles south of Schultz Creek Trail.

The Flagstaff Police Department said it then coordinated efforts in conjunction with the Coconino County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue to locate the 45-year-old woman, but have not yet determined her whereabouts. After interviewing family members and witnesses, police said they processed evidence resulting in the arrest of Daniel.

However, they did not say what evidence led them to make the arrest or why aggravated assault charges were filed.

A lawyer for Daniel was not immediately made known. His bond has been initially set at $500,000, according to the Arizona Daily Sun.

Police are asking anyone who had contact with Kelly, Daniel or had seen Kellys white Mazda CX-5 on June 30, to contact the police department at 928-774-1414.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
An Arizona abortion rights group turned in a petition on Wednesday morning for a ballot measure that would enshrine the right to an abortion in the state's constitution.

Arizona for Abortion Access, the organization behind the petition, said it collected 823,685 voter signatures -- more than double the 383,923 signatures required from registered voters to qualify for the November 2024 election.

The proposed amendment, which is being called the "Arizona Abortion Access Act," would allow abortions up until fetal viability, usually around 24 to 26 weeks gestation, with exceptions after that period "if a treating healthcare provider determines an abortion is needed to protect the life or physical or mental health of the patient."

MORE: How Ohio vote on Issue 1 could impact abortion access in the state

During a press conference Wednesday morning at the Arizona State Capitol, Dawn Penich, the ballot committee's spokesperson, said it is the "most signatures ever submitted" by a citizen-led ballot initiative.

"To put that into context, that means one out of every five Arizona voters signed this petition," she said.

County officials will have until late August to verify if there are enough valid signatures on the petition, which is then certified by the Arizona secretary of state's office.

PHOTO: Arizona for Abortion Access holds a press conference and protest condemning Arizona House Republicans and the 1864 abortion ban during a recess from a legislative session at the Arizona House of Representatives, April 17, 2024, in Phoenix. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images, FILE)

If the petition is approved, Arizona will join four other states -- Colorado, Florida, Maryland and Nevada -- that have a measure on the ballot to establish the right to an abortion in the state's constitution.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, four states -- California, Michigan, Ohio and Vermont -- voted to enshrine abortion rights in their constitutions.

Meanwhile, Kansas voters rejected a measure to remove the right to an abortion from its state constitution while voters in Kentucky and Montana voted against further restricting rights to abortion services.

On the national level, President Joe Biden has vowed to defend women's reproductive rights and fight for legal access to abortion.

Arizona for Abortion Access did not immediately return ABC News' request for comment.

Earlier this year, the Arizona Supreme Court reinstated an 1864 near-total abortion ban, which was set to go into effect on Sept. 27.

MORE: Wins at the ballot box for abortion rights still mean court battles for access

Lawmakers, however, quickly passed a bill repealing the long dormant ban, which was signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs. The repeal takes effect on Sept. 14, which is 90 days after the end of the legislative sessions, meaning the Civil War-era ban will not go into effect.

Instead, Arizona will keep its current laws in place, which ban abortion at 15 weeks gestation or later. Women are required to make two trips 24 hours apart, one for an in-person consultation and another for the procedure.

Additionally, women must receive an ultrasound even if medically unnecessary and receive a medication abortion in person because state laws ban the use of telehealth.

Dr. Paul Isaacson, an OB/GYN who has practiced abortion care in Arizona for the last 20 years, called the current law "unacceptable" during Wednesday's news conference.

"Fifteen weeks is a completely arbitrary point that doesn't relate to any specific milestone in fetal development," Isaacson said. "Many of the medical complications that can lead to the need for an abortion don't occur or might not be discovered before 15 weeks."

He added, "Current Arizona law puts health care professionals and patients in countless unacceptable and dangerous situations. Current law makes no exception for rape, for incest or countless health complications."

ABC News' Irving Last and Michael Pappano contributed to this report.

Arizona abortion rights group submits signatures needed for ballot measure originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The border fence between the US and Mexico in Nogales, Arizona, on 24 June 2024.

The border fence between the US and Mexico in Nogales, Arizona, on 24 June 2024. Photograph: Brandon Bell/Getty Images

A few hundred feet from the US-Mexico border in Nogales, Arizona, Laura Aldana chuckled at the suggestion  made by both leading presidential candidates  that the region had fallen into chaos.

Where? she asked rhetorically. She gestured toward the street outside the downtown formalwear boutique where she works. Theres almost too little to do here.

Elsewhere in town, Oscar Felix Jr, a local radio host, shook his head at the idea that there was a crisis. Yeah, no we are good.

And a hundred miles east, in the border town of Douglas, Peggy Christiansen, a pastor at the First Presbyterian church, cringed. I look at those conversations on TV, or on the news  and it just makes me mad, she said. The politicians are creating the mayhem.

In Arizona  a key battleground state  residents living near the border are finding their region the centre of attention in a presidential election cycle where immigration has emerged as a top concern for voters.

The issue has darkened Joe Bidens hopes for re-election  and the president, sensing this weakness, has promised to secure the border and secure it now with harsh new restrictions on people seeking asylum in the US. During the presidential debate last week, the Donald Trump honed in on the issue  redirecting questions about the economy, abortion and the environment to immigration and painting a cataclysmic scene of millions arriving at the border to destroy our country. If he wins in November, the former president has promised the detention and mass deportation of unauthorised immigrants, and an expanded border wall.

Here along the border, residents interviewed by the Guardian had many different ideas about how the US should respond to one of the largest surges in migration in the countrys history. But even those with wildly different political views and background were united in their scepticism that all that rhetoric would amount to much.

Some said they were increasingly feeling like pawns in a political game. Many were worried that the election year would further defer the sorts of broad reforms theyve been requesting for years.

It is interesting because every time its a political campaign, the migrants become a problem, said Felix Jr, who runs the local Spanish-language radio station Maxima FM. But they never talk about what is really affecting us.

***

At the beginning of the year, the borders Tucson sector  which stretches from Arizonas border with New Mexico in the east to the edge of Yuma county in the west  became the busiest region for migrant crossings. Across the border, authorities were apprehending a record number of people  including about 2.4 million people in the fiscal year ending in September 2023.

Panicked local leaders have been publicly calling for more funding and resources from the federal government to shelter and feed the influx of people. In high-profile news reports, disgruntled ranchers and hardened immigration critics have recoiled at what they perceive as intruders on their land.

Im afraid of how the media has covered this, and how politicians have exploited that, said Mark Adams, a coordinator for Frontera De Cristo, a Presbyterian ministry based in Douglas and across the border in Agua Prieta. He and other locals have bristled at characterizations of Douglas and other border towns as chaotic or overrun.

In September of last year, amid a rush of arrivals, Customs and Border Protection started releasing asylum seekers who had been granted humanitarian parole into small, rural communities including Douglas, Bisbee, Nogales and Casa Grande, rather than transporting them to bigger cities. Many of the mayors and sheriffs of these towns balked.

But in Douglas, a town of about 15,500 people, locals sprang into action, Adams said. The local Catholic and Presbyterian churches, along with Frontera de Cristo, arranged housing for families and individuals. Local restaurants donated catered meals, and home cooks contributed giant pots of pozole.

Over a six-month period, the coalition welcomed about 8,500 people. The volunteer-run migrant welcome centre ran so smoothly. Hardly anybody who wasnt involved knew that this was even happening, Adams said.

In recent months, as the number of migrant apprehensions dropped, officials once again began busing new arrivals directly to Tucson, where they could more easily seek out legal resources and flights to reunite sponsors or family members in other states. But some in his congregation were almost disappointed they wouldnt get to welcome more people, Adams said.

I told them No! Its so much better for them to go to Tucson, he said, laughing. But this is a small community and there was just such an outpouring of support. So to see this narrative that the migrants are a burden to our towns is really upsetting.

Within the town, and all along its outskirts  where remote cattle ranches and scattered homesteads blend into desert and red rock mountains  other residents said the national rhetoric on immigration and the border often clashed with their realities.

Trumps references, especially, to the border as a war zone make her wince, said Christiansen, the pastor.

But Im really disappointed that Biden and his people are just starting to do the same thing, she said. Its like people are just starting to sprout this rhetoric that isnt based on reality.

Christiansen, who grew up on a cattle ranch about 30 minutes drive out of town and still lives in the country, often sees migrants crossing through her property, as do family members and neighbours. She can empathise with the complicated feelings some locals have about the surge in migration. Many have to contend with trash on their property, cut cattle fences, drained water tanks and other property damage that can cost ranchers earning slim margins of hundreds or thousands of dollars. Some worry about the threat posed by cartels who smuggle people across the border, she said.

But, she added: In my family, if someone crosses the fence or some smuggler drops them off in the desert, if they need help we give them water and shade and a place to charge their phones. And then we mind our own business.

Recently, she had offered a drink to a young man who was desperate and dehydrated when officers showed up at her door asking after a person of his description. I dont lie, so I had to tell them, she said. But this was just a young man and he was desperate. I hugged him, and I said I was sorry.



***

West of Nogales, where the border wall slices across the ancestral land of the Tohono Oodham, Faith Ramon sees a monument to an immigration system that has failed both her community and the migrants it was built to deter.

I keep thinking, why does it have to be like this? she said.

Construction of the wall during the Trump administration destroyed sacred Tohono Oodham sites and desecrated burial grounds, wreaking ecological disaster in its path. In the ensuing years, she said, enhanced border security measures in the region have led to the near-daily harassment of Tohono Oodham nation members.

Anyone who doesnt look white is at risk of getting pulled over or interrogated, said Ramon, a member of the Tohono Oodham nation and a community organiser with the progressive group Lucha, which is challenging an Arizona ballot measure that would empower local law enforcement agents to similarly target and question anyone they suspect to be undocumented.

Last year, border patrol agents shot and killed 58-year-old Raymond Mattia outside his home on the Tohono Oodham reservation. If they want to secure the border, then they should be doing that, she said. Not hanging around my grandmas backyard or my community store.

People are coming just for the quote-unquote American dream. And its becoming a nightmare, she said, for everyone.

In a region where people have long felt ignored by both political parties, residents were divided over Bidens recent executive order  which shuts down the border to nearly all asylum seekers once the average for daily unauthorised crossings hits 2,500.

When Biden announced the order earlier this month, Kat Rodriguez, the activist in Tucson, had just completed an annual 75-mile trek from Sasabe, Mexico, through the desert to Tucson, to honour migrants who died making the long journey north. Every election, historically and consistently, the border becomes this poker chip that politicians throw in there to show that theyre tough, she said. And it seems like theres this race to the bottom with some of these policies of who can be more draconian.

She and other advocates worried that the restrictions would further push desperate people to try to cross covertly rather than wait to apply for asylum. People are already waiting for unreasonable amounts of time, she said. And this just puts even more people in a vulnerable position.

Some immigrant advocates and local leaders have also pointed out the order doesnt come with additional funding or resources for enforcement, or for cities struggling to provide for the influx of people. And its unclear that the order would deter economic migrants crossing unlawfully, many of whom understand they do not qualify for asylum and therefore make treacherous journeys across the desert to evade authorities.

Others were more optimistic. It makes me think Biden is looking out for the country, said Rob Victor, a retired border patrol agent who has since settled in Douglas. Agents have been overwhelmed in recent years, he said, as have cities not just along the border and across the country who lacked the resources to shelter asylum seekers waiting in the US for their cases to be worked out in immigration courts.

That order, along with Bidens executive action shielding the undocumented spouses of US citizens from deportation, are steps in the right direction to allow the immigration judges and patrol agents to focus on existing applications and border security, he said.

But on their own, the actions arent enough to address pressure at the border, he continued. The answers are not at the border enforcement level, or at the border patrol level. We need comprehensive immigration reform, he said.

Hed like to see the US hire hundreds more immigration judges, so that those seeking asylum dont have to wait for years for a court date without the ability to earn money for themselves. And there should be more opportunities for temporary work visas for people who come to the US primarily looking for work, he said. That has to be negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats, he said. Lets get the Squad involved in this. And lets get some conservative Republicans too. And Kyrsten Sinema  shes a Democrat but moderate, he said, referring to the Arizona senator, who visited Douglas earlier this year to deliver the bad news that congressional action on immigration was unlikely in 2024 after Trump helped sink the effort in February.

But Congress has repeatedly failed to reform the immigration system for decades. And people on both sides of the border have grown weary.

For me its been three years, said Maria Luisa Garcia, 55, who waits on the Mexican side of the border in Nogales, Sonora, each week  to meet with her niece on the US side, in Nogales, Arizona.

Garcia cannot cross to the US until her visa application is processed and her niece, who is also applying for residency, cannot cross south while her application is pending.

The two link fingers through the gaps in the rust-red steel bollards. One more year, and return, they told me. One more and one more. she said, shaking her head.

Read more reporting from the US-Mexico border:
Protesters argue over abortion rights in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on the first anniversary of the court's ruling in the Dobbs v. Women's Health Organization case, which overturned Roe v. Wade and returned the matter to respective states. File Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI

July 3 (UPI) -- Pro-abortion organizers have gathered sufficient numbers of valid signatures to advance ballot initiatives in Arizona and Nebraska.

Supporters of the proposed Arizona Abortion Access Act announced they gathered 823,685 signatures with several weeks remaining before the state's Aug. 22 deadline to submit ballot petitions.

"We will be turning in the most signatures ever collected by a citizen-led effort here in the state of Arizona," Arizona for Abortion Access spokesperson Dawn Penich told local media Wednesday.

The number of signatures are significantly more than the 383,923 valid signatures required to qualify for Arizona's Nov. 5 election ballot.

The additional signatures virtually ensure the ballot initiative has a sufficient number of valid signatures to place the measure on the ballot.

The number also represents about 20% of Arizona's registered voters and shows strong support for legalizing abortion among state voters.

Nebraska's Protect Our Rights pro-abortion group also announced it has collected more than enough valid signatures to advance its ballot initiative to the Nov. 5 ballot in that state.

Today's the day! Packing boxes with your petitions to #ProtectOurRightsNE. Proud to see such widespread support for Nebraska patients' access to abortion. Politicians, take note: mind your own business! #patientsnotpolitics pic.twitter.com/VBWpiKjzdn Protect Our Rights (@POR2024) July 3, 2024

Protect Our Rights organizers said they collected more than 207,000 signatures for registered voters in Nebraska, which is well above the 123,000 needed to place a proposed amendment on the ballot.

"We were united in the belief that patients and providers should have the freedom to make their own health care decisions, not politicians," Protect Our Rights executive committee member Ashlei Spivey told reporters Wednesday.

The total number of signatures includes at least 5% of registered voters in 38 of Nebraska's 93 counties, which state law requires for including on the general election ballot.

Protect Our Rights organizers include the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska and Planned Parenthood North Central States.

The proposed measure would amend the Nebraska Constitution to make abortion legal until fetal viability is reached during about the 24th week of pregnancy.

Exceptions would be made when a woman's life and health might be at risk due to her pregnancy.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders encourages schools to join phone-free mental health pilot program

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  A program focusing on keeping youth off their phones for the sake of their mental health is being launched in Arkansas schools.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she and Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva had sent a letter to school district superintendents announcing the pilot program. The program will provide pouches for students to store their phones during the school day in order to reduce screen time.

CDC and Arkansas health professionals report rise in youths struggling with mental health

Officials said the program will fund all secondary schools to provide the pouches to reduce screen time and social media use by students. The governor said a grant program component of the project will also provide telehealth mental health services, locate mental health providers and connect students & families to the providers and programs.

Sanders said the program came after meeting with school superintendents last month where recommendations were made.

The Natural State is not unique; youth depression, anxiety, and isolation have risen across the country. But we do have a unique opportunity to address this crisis in a collaborative way, Sanders and Oliva wrote in their letter.We are excited to announce a pilot program focused on two key priorities: restricting in-school phone use and mental healthcare.

Grant helps University of Central Arkansas graduate program fill need for more school psychologists

The governor has been attentive to mental health issues arising from too-early cell phone use.

In May, she sent a copy of Jonathan Haidts book The Anxious Generation to all state and territorial American governors and all Arkansas legislators. The book promotes the idea that too-early cell phone use negatively impacts a young persons mental health.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is joining a handful of other states in calling for cell phone restrictions in schools. (Getty Images)

The governor and education secretary sent a letter to Arkansas school superintendents Tuesday urging them to join a new pilot program focused on increasing access to mental health care for students and restricting in-school cellphone use.

Building off recommendations from superintendents who met with Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Education Secretary Jacob Oliva last month, the program will provide funding for telehealth mental health services, as well as provide support for locating mental health providers and navigating insurance matters, according to a press release.

The pilot program will also give funding to all secondary schools that apply to provide pouches for students to store their phones during the school day, reducing screen time and social media use. More exposure to social media increases kids risk of mental health problems, Sanders and Oliva write in their letter.

The Natural State is not unique; youth depression, anxiety, and isolation have risen across the country, they wrote. But we do have a unique opportunity to address this crisis in a collaborative way. We have made this a priority in our Administration, and we are committing state resources to help with this crisis.

Sanders backed a 2023 law that would have been the first in the nation to require minors to receive parental permission before signing up for a social media account. A federal judge blocked the law in August, hours before it was set to take effect.

In May, Sanders also sent a copy of Jonathan Haidts book, The Anxious Generation, to all state and territorial governors in America, as well as Arkansas legislators. According to the press release, she expressed support for four main goals: no smartphones before high school, no social media before age 16, phone-free schools, and more outdoor play and childhood independence.

Proposals to reduce smartphone use have been gaining traction across the country, including in California where Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom last month vowed to restrict smartphone use during the school day. His comments came a day after the U.S. surgeon general called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms, and the same day that the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nations second largest district, approved a cellphone ban thats set to take effect in January.

Florida became the first state to ban cellphones at school last year. Idaho and Ohio have also passed laws cracking down on phone usage, and as many as eight other state legislatures are considering taking similar action, according to Education Week.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
Little Rock OB-GYN Dr. Dina Epstein, a volunteer trained by Arkansans for Limited Government, tries to gather signatures for Arkansass abortion-rights ballot initiative. (Courtesy of Dina Epstein)

Of the several state abortion-rights initiatives trying to make it to the ballot this November, Arkansas is perhaps the most controversial among reproductive justice advocates, as it would reinstate an abortion policy more restrictive than under Roe v. Wade.

Attempting to also appeal to the conservative voters of the deep red, heavily gerrymandered state, Arkansans for Limited Governments proposed Arkansas Abortion Amendment would overturn the states current near-total ban, but limit the procedure to 18 weeks post-fertilization, with exceptions for maternal and fetal health conditions and rape and incest.

For this reason, as Slate reported, major national abortion-rights groups have not been involved in promoting or funding the campaign. But the ballot question committees director of strategy, Rebecca Bobrow, said shes cautiously optimistic that the committee will meet the 90,074-signature threshold by Fridays July 5 deadline. On Wednesday, Bobrow said the campaign was approximately 5,000 signatures away from their goal. But what worries her is the steep fundraising climb ahead.

The 90,000 signatures that we need is not enough for a win in November, so itll be a lot of education, and making sure that people are coming to the polls for this, said Bobrow, who noted support for this amendment spans divergent political views. Weve heard from people that are Trump supporters who are saying, Im going to vote Republican down my ballot in November, but I want this on the ballot. I believe its important to protect personal freedoms.

Bobrow acknowledged that the proposed constitutional amendment doesnt go as far as she wishes it did in protecting abortion rights. But she said she thinks, at least for now, it would improve reproductive health care access in a state that has criminalized nearly all abortions for two years. Compounding restrictions, state Attorney General Tim Griffin recently ordered out-of-state providers to stop advertising and selling the abortion pill in Arkansas.

But if the amendment passes, Arkansas could become an access point in a part of the country that has almost entirely banned abortion. On June 18, the state House adopted a non-binding resolution opposing the Arkansas Abortion Amendment and encouraged registered voters to vote against it.

This feels urgent, said Bobrow, who last year completed a graduate thesis at Harvard University on state abortion shield laws in post-Roe America and began consulting for the campaign in April. Lets protect the women and restore access up to this point, and then we can go further. If this is what can pass right now, we shouldnt not be doing it because were trying to get to an ideal.

The more than 90,000 signatures must hail from 50 counties rather than the previously required 15, which is a new rule currently being challenged in court, but Bobrow said it is actually helping the campaign establish a more robust infrastructure.

One of the campaigns approximately 800 volunteers is Dr. Dina Epstein, who is also among more than 600 health care providers to sign an open letter in support of the amendment. After her medical residency, the Little Rock native moved back to her home state, where shes been a practicing OB-GYN since 2019. Between surgeries on a recent Friday, Epstein ducked into a breakroom at a hospital in North Little Rock to talk to States Newsroom about what its been like to be a practicing OB-GYN in a state where pregnancy termination is a crime, and why she believes in the Arkansas Abortion Amendment. She said that before Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, she was only performing medically indicated abortions, but the abortion ban has changed her practice. She said she signed up to volunteer a few months ago and carries petitions everywhere she goes.

Volunteers campaigning for the Arkansas Abortion Amendment canvass in Benton County, Arkansas. (Courtesy of Arkansans for Limited Government)

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

States Newsroom: What has it been like being an OB-GYN in Arkansas since Roe v. Wade was overturned?

Dr. Dina Epstein: It has been challenging and scary and heartbreaking, honestly. Before Roe v. Wade was overturned, there were, of course, restrictions in the state of Arkansas as it was, but we were not prevented from doing our jobs properly. And since it was overturned, that has not been the case. There have been so many questions, because theres almost a total ban, with the only exception being to save the life of the mother when its in imminent danger.  Its tied our hands in a lot of situations so that we cant keep our patients healthy, that we cant do what is best for them medically. We have to do what is required by the law or risk having our license taken away, being fined, put in jail, et cetera.

SN: Can you be more specific?

Epstein: We try to treat things and we try to keep the pregnancy healthy and the patient healthy. But one of the first things we have to consider is, what if she does need to be delivered before shes able to get to viability? That is considered an abortion, and that is illegal under the ban. This patient needs to be able to survive. She cant carry another pregnancy if shes not alive. She cant carry this pregnancy if her blood pressures arent controlled and the stroke that she has killed her. But to end the pregnancy prior to that happening, its not clear when thats OK, how sick she has to be before we get to the point where thats a reasonable medical option according to the law.

SN: About how often have these types of situations arisen, where youve had to deny care or refer patients out of state?

Epstein: It depends on the facility, but it happens a fair amount. There are times things come in waves, where were seeing things all the time, and then we get a little break from it, but I mean, every week theres something popping up on one of us where were having to address this.  Its certainly disrupted the trust a little bit between patients and doctors, because they dont know whats safe to tell us and what isnt.

SN: How have you been navigating that loss of trust among patients?

Epstein: Ive had to do some education with my office staff as far as when people call, if they do ask about abortion, what would be appropriate to say. The knee jerk in the past for some people has been to just say we dont do that here and move on. And that is not an appropriate answer. As far as Im concerned, as a medical provider who wants to care for my patients, if I cant do it personally, I will give them the guidance of what we are allowed to do, what we arent allowed to do, and what is available in the state, what is not available in the state.

I try to make it clear with my patients when they come in if theyre pregnant, Im here for you. I never assume.  I ask them, And how are you feeling about this pregnancy?  Some patients have certainly had a sense of relief, even just being asked and being able to say, Im not sure; heres the situation Im in, or, Im pretty sure my doctor last time said my heart wasnt in a condition to do that, but I didnt follow up, so now Im scared, but I didnt want to say it because I didnt want to go to jail. Theres just a lot of unknowns, and disrupting that trust has really made it more difficult to operate.

SN: What has canvassing been like? What have the conversations been like?

Epstein: Its been really nice to realize that its not that everyone agrees that this ban is appropriate; its that people just know the reality of the ban, but they dont have the information. They dont know to think about these instances, that mom might get septic because she ruptured at 14 weeks. They dont know that her blood pressure might make her so sick that she and the fetus could die.  This shouldnt be something that the general population has to think about, every complication that can arise during pregnancy.

SN: What are some of the more surprising conversations youve had gathering signatures?

Epstein: The people I have been most surprised by  and maybe its just a bias on my side  but, the older, rather religious, kind of more conservative members of the community who have come up and said that they couldnt say it publicly but absolutely do not believe that the government should be making medical decisions for people, and then signing.  Ive had so many, like grandparent-type people coming up and saying they cant believe this is happening, and they just want to make sure that the future is better for their children and their grandchildren.

SN: Can you speak to the criticisms that this law is more restrictive than Roe?

Epstein: Its not inaccurate, but now our hands are tied. We cant provide even appropriate medical care to our patients. Waiting and hoping for something to change nationally or promoting something that has no chance of passing in this state does not help my patients.

The proposed amendment covers 98% of cases that occurred previously.  There are situations still, just because of the resources that we have available in the state of Arkansas, that we would not be able to do because we arent equipped to do that, and those patients would still need to travel out of state, which was the case previously. So again, not necessarily ideal for those patients, but it does improve access dramatically for the majority of patients who would be affected by this.

I mean, Arkansas has the highest maternal mortality rate in the nation. [Arkansas had the highest rate between 2018 and 2021, but including 2022 data, CDC reports 38 deaths per 100,000 live births in Arkansas, well above the national rate of 23 but slightly behind Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama.] This is not a safe place to be pregnant.  There are so many labor and delivery units closing across the state. And recruiting [doctors] has been made more difficult by this as well.  If you have a choice of where you get to live, do you want to live in a place where you or your daughter cant get all of the care that should be available to them?

SN: Do you think this amendment has a chance?

Epstein: We are very optimistic.  People are so excited to have this opportunity and are thrilled that this can happen here. People are getting more and more pumped about it as were getting closer and closer to the deadline. It seems like it could definitely happen.  But we still need everybodys signature.
FORREST CITY, Ark.  A woman is dead after police say she was stabbed to death on Wednesday morning in Forrest City, Arkansas.

The victim has been identified as 68-year-old Mary Lee Hunt. She was found in her home, stabbed multiple times.

Forrest City Police said Willie Brandon is charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. He is jailed on $500,000 bond.

According to Forrest City Police Chief Ronald Broussard, this was a domestic incident and the knife used during the murder was found at the scene.

Mom he has a gun: 6 kids, mom shot at in Frayser

Gregory Hamilton, a member of the victims family, says he immediately knew Hunt was in trouble.

I felt something wasnt right anyway so by 10, 11, I got a call to come over this way, said Hamilton.

Hunt was the matriarch of the family, booming with personality.

Sweet, dont bother no one, shes going to talk her little mess, good woman, said family friend Clyde Hamilton.

Hamilton said Hunt was stabbed 25 times  Its crazy. Thats overkill, you stab a person 25 times.

Broussard says evidence led them to right to her alleged killers home, where his bloody clothes were still in the washer machine.

She was a fighter, and her being a fighter is what gave us the significant clues with the knuckles being bloody and with evidence of her struggle, Broussard said.

Chief Broussard says this typically quiet and close knit neighborhood is stained with violence.

We are rocked, he said. She was a sweet person. She was a little feisty something but a sweet 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 WREG.com.
DENVER (KDVR)  Boulder police took an armed man into custody in a neighborhood near Chautauqua.

On Wednesday just after 11:15 a.m., the Boulder Police Department tweeted about the scene. Officers were asking those in the area to avoid the 1700 block of Baseline Road while they attempted to take an armed man into custody.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

According to police, the man is wanted in connection to an attempted murder investigation.

The area is between the Lower Chautauqua and Interurban Park neighborhoods. This is less than a mile away from the Chautauqua trailhead to the west and the University of Colorado Boulder campus to the east.

FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox

At 12:20 p.m., Boulder police provided an update and said the man was taken into custody and there was no active threat to the public.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A man who was found by police inside the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department headquarterss parking lot armed with a knife and tactical vest, initially told police he heard a voice telling him he needed to come to the police station, according to an arrest report obtained by 8 News Now.

Christopher Egenlauf, 32, was arrested on June 28 and faces several charges including attempted battery with a deadly weapon, tampering with a vehicle resulting in $5,000+ in damages, trespassing, and owning/possession of a gun by a prohibited person, police said.

Christopher Egenlauf, 32, was arrested on June 28 and faces several charges including attempted battery with a deadly weapon, tampering with a vehicle resulting in $5,000+ in damages, trespassing, and owning/possession of a gun by a prohibited person, police said. (LVMPD)

Man arrested after entering Las Vegas police HQ lot with tactical vest, large knife: police

Shortly before 10 a.m. on June 28, Egenlauf was described as wearing a jungle camouflage bulletproof vest with patches, and ammunition magazine holsters by passing officers at the station who noticed him walking past no trespassing signs, according to an arrest report.

When officers asked Egenlauf why he was attempting to break into the police van he said that a voice in his head told him he needed to come to the police station he also told police that his parents were dead and that he needed to get to Idaho, according to the report.

Police later located his family, all were unharmed. While they spoke to Egenlauf officers noticed a large black military knife and a military identification card in the center of his license plate carrier. The military card was later deemed fictitious and based on a movie/video game franchise, according to police.

Egenlauf was taken into police custody at police headquarters and while detained he spoke freely with detectives about his actions, according to the report.

Egenlauf told police in the past few years he had been prescribed medication and became addicted to narcotics. After he ran out of medication he started using methamphetamines. After a prolonged usage of meth, he started hearing voices around April. He then told officers he had stopped using meth on June 26, the report stated.

Egenlauf also told police that he heard two types of voices, one that he called the guiding voice and the other one was called the anomalies which were threatening in nature, according to the arrest report.

He also told police that he had nine different firearms in his home, which was confirmed by his aunt who lived with Egenlauf, according to the report.

Egenlauf was later asked by police to give them an overview of his day before being found at Las Vegas Metro police headquarters.

He told police he lived with his aunt and saw a police patrol vehicle at a house nearby his home when he heard the anomaly voice state, Come on  hes a pedophile, according to the report.

He then told police that when his aunt left to go run errands he received a phone call with a red exclamation mark indicating to him that it was a threat, the report stated. He then said he decided not to answer the phone but heard the anomaly voice telling him to answer it. He told police he heard the voice say, Karmas a b, Im going to kill all of these mother f.

Egenlaug told police he then became paranoid and described it as a situation where he felt his life was threatened. He then armed himself with his tactical vest and knife, beretta, and handguns, according to the report. He later walked to his vehicle when he heard another voice tell him to go to Idaho. While leaving his home he noticed a black SUV and thought it was the FBI following him. At that point he told police he drove erratically, running red lights and attempting to go to Idaho, the report stated.

Police asked him why he needed to go to Idaho and he told them about an incident there a few years ago with a truck driver. While driving around Las Vegas Egenlaug told police the voices kept telling him to follow different cars, according to the report.

Egenlaug eventually entered the backside of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department headquarters and told police that he believed the police van was all part of a plan to get him to Idaho and that is when he said he attempted to open the police van door, according to the report. Egenlaug was then taken into custody by officers.

Police later located nine guns in Egenlaugs home among other items which were all seized and impounded.

His next court appearance is scheduled for July 16, according to court records.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Police on Tuesday arrested a man who they say vandalized a downtown Miami bagel and pizza shop by spray-painting anti-Israel graffiti on the building last month.

A police officer stopped Kenneth Guerrero, 28, around 9:15 a.m. at Northwest Second Avenue and First Street Tuesday because he fit the description of a man seen in security camera footage vandalizing Holy Bagels & Pizzeria at 93 NW First St. on June 16, according to an arrest report.O

Police say Guerrero was wearing the same hooded sweatshirt with a white Foundation Skateboards logo that a man seen in the restaurants camera footage was wearing.

A still shot from a security camera shows a man Miami police said vandalized a bagel shop on June 16, 2024.

In the video, according to police, the man spray-painted Free Palestine Stop Genocide on the entrance of the building. He also pulled down a U.S/Israeli flag and spray-painted it with the message, Free Palestine. That flag had a banner in the middle reading, Stand with Israel, according to a photo police provided.

Police arrested Guerrero on one count of felony criminal mischief causing more than $1,000 in damage. As of Wednesday morning, Guerrero had not shown up in the countys online jail records and information on his legal counsel was not available.

Shmaya Nodel, the owner of Holy Bagels & Pizzeria, told the Herald he was grateful to police for making the arrest.

Its great that the city of Miami and the mayor and the police department all took it very seriously and will not tolerate this going on in the city, Nodel said Wednesday.

Nodel, 26, whos owned the restaurant since taking it over during the COVID pandemic in 2020, said this is the first time that location has been vandalized with anti-Israel graffiti. But, he also owns Bagel Time Cafe on Alton Road in Miami Beach, which, he said has been hit by graffiti three times.

Two people police say were responsible for the vandalism at the Alton Road cafe were caught, he said. His message to those with the urge to engage in vandalism, no matter what their political leanings:

As people, we have to come together and do good, Nodel said. These are hard times. We need to come together.
ST. LOUIS  A St. Louis Circuit Court judge signed an arrest warrant last month for a man wanted in connection with a 2022 fatal shooting.

The shooting took place on Oct. 23, 2022, outside a corner store at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Mott Street in the Carondelet neighborhood.

Police said the shooter, identified as Michael Winston, 27, entered the Michigan Market and was recorded on surveillance video inside the store. A short time later, a woman walked outside the store and got into a waiting SUV.

LIST: These St. Louis-area Fourth of July events are postponed due to weather

As the SUV pulled away, police said Winston ran out the store, pulled out a gun, and began shooting at the vehicle, striking both the driver and passenger.

According to our news partners at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the driver and passenger were rushed to the hospital. The driver, identified as Michelle Sobel, was pronounced dead. Sobel was 63. The passenger survived.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
I ate every frozen appetizer I could find at Trader Joe's. Here's what is and isn't worth buying for a party.

I ate every frozen appetizer I could find at Trader Joe's. Here's what is and isn't worth buying for a party.

I tried 19 Trader Joe's frozen appetizers to figure out which is the best for a large party.

I thought the artichoke timbales were kind of bland and the pastry pups left much to be desired.

I was a big fan of the breaded mozzarella-cheese sticks because they were delicious and flavorful.

As a habitual snacker, it'd be cruel not to share my opinions on the best Trader Joe's frozen appetizers to bust out for a party.

So, I picked out 19 of the best-looking frozen appetizers at Trader Joe's to review.

I was disappointed that almost none of the items came with a sauce. As such, I tried almost every item without a sauce to see how the flavor stood up.

As for the cooking, I ignored the instructions for most dishes and put everything in the air fryer for five to eight minutes at either 370 or 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of them turned out fine.

Here's how the appetizers stacked up, from my least favorite to my top picks I'd love to eat at a party.

I started off with a wildcard item, Trader Joe's artichoke timbales.

The artichoke timbales weren't anything special to me. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: Trader Joe's artichoke timbales were one of the biggest wildcards. I was afraid it would have too much cheese and not enough flavor but I also could see it tasting like spanakopita.

I also anticipated a longer time in the air fryer. The artichoke timbales took 18 minutes to cook at about 370 degrees.

Review: If I were eating Trader Joe's artichoke timbales at a gathering, I'd likely only have one or half because I think they're pretty big for an appetizer.

I love spinach and artichoke, but this didn't do it for me. I didn't think there was enough cheese to call it cheesy, and I felt like the artichoke tasted bland and salty  there didn't seem to be any additional spice.

I think the timbales would've been much better with lemon and butter. I also didn't like how crispy the top got by the time it was finished cooking.

The coconut shrimp didn't have a lot of flavor to me.

At least Trader Joe's coconut shrimp was juicy. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: Out of the box, I already thought Trader Joe's coconut shrimp could benefit from a sweet-and-sour sauce. I thought they looked easy to overcook, which I could see impacting my decision to repurchase.

I also wondered how well this snack would hold its flavor on its own.

Review: If I was at a party, I'd have two of these. The coconut flavor wasn't very prominent, but I enjoyed the shrimp. After five minutes at 370 degrees, the coconut shrimp was still quite juicy.

I could enjoy the shrimp with the proper sauce but I think it really needs it. By themselves, the breading was way too overpowering and didn't taste like coconut to me.

Trader Joe's Parmesan pastry pups combine cheese and hot dogs.

The pastry puffs had a decent dough, but I wasn't a fan of the hot dog part. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: I thought Trader Joe's Parmesan pastry pups looked exciting. I hoped the dough would rise in the air fryer and have a buttery flavor.

I wasn't totally sold on the cheese  I just don't put that on my hot dogs.

Review: I'd only eat about three of the Parmesan pastry pups. The bun tasted close to a Costco chicken bake with its delicious doughy breading and slightly cheesy flavor but it didn't hit the mark. I thought it was a little too bland to carry the entire dish.

The hot dog was basically all end, which, to me, is the worst part of the food. But if the pastry puffs came with a honey-mustard sauce, I might've been down for more.

There was a little too much going on in the vegetable spring rolls.

I think the edamame, kale, and tofu were just too much. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: I like spring rolls a lot so I was excited to try the kind from Trader Joe's, which has shredded tofu, kale, mushrooms, and edamame.

I was confused about why Trader Joe's version needed kale  I feel like there are better vegetables for spring rolls. Nevertheless, I love mushrooms and I thought the edamame could be interesting.

Review: I could see myself eating about two of Trader Joe's vegetable spring rolls at a party. In my opinion, the flavors just didn't go well together.

To me, there were too many alpha dogs in the room between the edamame, kale, and tofu so they didn't mesh as a unit. I think the spring rolls needed a sweet-and-sour sauce, just like the coconut shrimp.

I wasn't sure what to expect with the ratatouille bites.

I think there was a little too much bread on Trader Joe's ratatouille bites. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: Primarily, I predicted the ratatouille bites would be too bread-heavy. I was also a little concerned by the lack of cheese since I'm used to having this ingredient in fried dishes. Still, as a ratatouille fan, I had high hopes for the quality.

Review: I could eat about four or five of Trader Joe's ratatouille bites at a party but I didn't feel the breading was necessary. At the same time, the vegetables weren't enough to carry this dish. I'd rather have a bowl of ratatouille.

However, the bites were easy to eat and unoffensive to the mouth.

Trader Joe's gnocchi alla Romana was missing something.

Trader Joe's gnocchi alla Romana looked huge. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: The gnocchi alla Romana looked pretty delicious, but I've been fooled by clever appetizer packaging before.

These were larger than I expected, so I air-fried them at 430 degrees for 13 minutes. The fully cooked gnocchi smelled cheesy, but I was worried they'd taste bland.

Review: I liked these, but not as much as the other appetizers on this list. The gnocchi texture with the semolina was a little mealy, and I felt like I needed to drink water after I took a bite.

The cheese sauce added a lot of flavor, and the gnocchi itself was well-seasoned with the perfect amount of pepper. But ultimately, it needed another texture or flavor to reach its full potential.

The mini vegetable samosas were a little bland.

I thought Trader Joe's vegetable samosas were just OK. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: I like samosas but I'd never tried a frozen prepackaged version. I was a little nervous to see what they'd taste like but they looked like they'd be good.

I regretted not having a sweet-and-sour sauce.

Review: I could eat three or four samosas. Trader Joe's vegetable samosas were certainly spicier than I expected but ultimately lacked a deep flavor.

I thought the potato and crust were good, but nothing more. I'd like to see what the samosas would taste like with a sauce.

The mini beef tacos were all right but I think they needed more fixings.

I almost didn't notice the salsa in Trader Joe's mini beef tacos. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: I thought Trader Joe's mini tacos seemed bare, just beef in a shell, but according to the label, there were salsa ingredients somewhere in there. Looking at the taco, I wasn't sure how it would cook in the air fryer.

Review: I'd eat three or four of the mini beef tacos. The shell held up well while not being overly crunchy and the beef was OK. But my first impression was spot on. I got only a little of the salsa flavor (it was mixed in with the meat), including the tiniest hint of lime.

If I could dip Trader Joe's mini beef tacos in salsa and add other fixings, they'd be pretty good, it just requires more preparation. Later on, I had them with sriracha and enjoyed the dish.

Trader Joe's Southwest-style chicken quesadillas were pretty hearty.

Trader Joe's Southwest-style quesadillas had a chicken, corn, and bean filling. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: When I took the quesadillas out of the box, they looked really good. I was hoping for a little more cheese but I liked how large each quesadilla was.

I thought the beans and corn would go well together and make the quesadillas heartier than the average appetizer.

Review: These were good. There was a decent amount of chicken, but they could have used more cheese. Here, I tasted more corn than cheese and believe those ratios should have been flipped.

Trader Joe's perfectly pickled pups surprised me.

The breading on the exterior of the perfectly pickled pups was nice and crunchy. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: I'd tried Trader Joe's dill-pickle items before, so I was excited to try the pickled pups. I didn't have any mustard in my fridge, so I used ketchup for dipping.

Review: The pickled pups were fantastic. I can't believe I didn't have the foresight to realize that a dipping sauce wasn't even necessary. The dill already gave the pups so much flavor.

The breading was perfect and the hot dog inside was nice and soft. The bread got a little dry by the end, but I didn't mind too much.

Trader Joe's Buffalo-style chicken poppers came in a shape I didn't expect.

I thought the Buffalo-style chicken poppers had a great filling. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: I feel like poppers are usually molded into spheres, but I thought an appetizer of any other shape would taste as good. Though the label said the Trader Joe's Buffalo-style chicken poppers were fried, they didn't look particularly crispy to me.

Still, I love Buffalo chicken so I was excited to try them. But even before I tasted them, I felt they'd need sour cream.

Review: I'd eat five or six of Trader Joe's Buffalo-style chicken poppers. For me, there was too much wrapper around the corners of the poppers but the filling was fantastic. I thought it was spicy, with a Frank's RedHot-flavor profile.

I can see them being excellent with a little sour cream just as I predicted. I also thought they could've used more cheese because the amount there was in the filling didn't feel very satisfying.

The mac-and-cheese bites needed a sauce in my opinion.

Trader Joe's mac-and-cheese bites were pretty decent. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: I heard Trader Joe's mac-and-cheese bites had a moment a couple of years ago, though I don't remember trying them. Mac-and-cheese balls seem hard to mess up so I had high hopes.

Review: Trader Joe's mac-and-cheese bites were gooey but the number I'd eat depends on what kind of sauce I'd have with them. The picture on the box depicted what seemed like a marinara, which would have paired well.

With the proper accompaniment, I could have about 10 of these. Without it, I'd probably eat six. Appetizers with cheese are easy for me to eat, though I'd use a tiny pinch of salt and even more pepper if I prepared the mac-and-cheese bites again.

The crispy vegetable pouches had a great combination of ingredients.

I really enjoyed the crispy vegetable pouches. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: Trader Joe's crispy vegetable pouches, a holiday item, had what I considered the most exciting vegetables, with jicama, taro, cabbage, carrot, onion, shiitake mushrooms, and garlic.

I was also interested because soy sauce was included in the box. I saw myself having quite a few of these bad boys.

Review: I'd have 10 to 12 of Trader Joe's crispy vegetable pouches at a party. There was a ginger flavor at the end and the jicama and delicious flaky pastry gave them a great crunch.

With some soy sauce, the pouches reached another level. I didn't get that many mushrooms, but overall, this was a tremendous team effort from all of the vegetables. The top of the pouches had too much pastry for me but I ate from the bottom and felt satisfied.

The breaded fried ravioli was tasty.

I wish I had a sauce to dip the ravioli into. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: I hoped there'd be some sauce in Trader Joe's breaded fried ravioli. Judging by the packaging, it looked like just bread and cheese. I feared the ravioli would leave me wanting more.

Review: I could probably eat 15. The ravioli tasted almost exactly like Trader Joe's mozzarella sticks but not as good. I prefer the stick's single cheese to the ravioli's complex taste of ricotta, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, Asiago, and Parmesan.

Secondly, the ravioli had a little too much breading that wasn't as flavorful as I hoped. It also didn't have any kind of marinara-sauce filling.

The pastry bites with feta cheese and caramelized onions had a great taste.

The feta and caramelized onions worked together nicely. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: I thought Trader Joe's pastry bites with feta and caramelized onions would be the hardest to cook. I put them in my air fryer for a bit, and they burned a little, but I still wasn't sure if they cooked through. Still, done well, I thought they'd be excellent.

Review: I'd eat 15 of these, if not the entire tray. They were much easier to cook than I thought  seven or eight minutes in my air fryer at 375 degrees  and the caramelized onion added an irresistible sweetness.

The onions went perfectly with the melted feta cheese. I thought the pastry itself was the tiniest bit bland but it didn't matter because it was surrounded by premiere flavors.

Spanakopita was a childhood favorite of mine.

I loved the flavor and flaky dough in the spanakopita. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: Full disclosure, I already knew I loved spanakopita. I made them all the time as a child and had my own method of eating them slowly and savoring the leftover phyllo dough.

Review: I could see myself having about 18 pieces of spanakopita. I loved the blend of feta and ricotta, and the spinach balanced it nicely.

Somehow, the dough remained soft and chewy on the inside while staying flaky on the outside. Even the extra-crispy parts were delicious. Trader Joe's spanakopita is a must-have for every plate.

Trader Joe's corn-and-cheese arepas looked amazing when I took them out of the box.

I was excited to try Trader Joe's corn-and-cheese arepas. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: Right off the bat, I was a big fan of how the corn-and-cheese arepas looked. The cheese seemed fluffy and rich, and the corn appeared flaky.

I knew the final verdict would come down to the ingredients and flavor, but it looked like the pieces were all there.

Review: Truthfully, Trader Joe's nailed it. The rich, savory cheese paired perfectly with the sweet corn.

A frozen meal can only be so good, but this was a fantastic imitation of street arepas. My only critique is that it could've used more cheese.

The breaded mozzarella-cheese sticks were basically perfect.

I love a cheesy appetizer. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: It killed me to not eat Trader Joe's breaded mozzarella-cheese sticks with tomato sauce, but in the name of consistency, I didn't.

I thought the picture on the bag made them look more seasoned than I remembered from times previous times I'd had them. I was expecting delicious melty cheese.

Review: I could easily eat 20 Trader Joe's mozzarella-cheese sticks. The cheese was delicious and worked alongside a tasty, flavorful breading.

Just get a hearty marinara sauce, and you're well on your way to a satisfying appetizer. I also love that the cheese is a little stringy and firm, even after I've cooked it.

I'll definitely be repurchasing Trader Joe's mini cheeseburgers.

Trader Joe's mini cheeseburgers tasted delicious. Lucien Formichella

First Impression: I was excited to try Trader Joe's mini cheeseburgers, especially since they came with their own sauce.

The bun got a little hard when I air-fried it at 350 degrees for seven minutes, but I'm not holding it against the cheeseburgers. If I'd prepared them in a microwave, I'm sure the bun would've been light and fluffy.

Review: This is another item I'll buy more of. The bread was good, the meat was perfectly seasoned, and the cheese tied everything together.

Honestly, I'd choose these over a McDonald's patty any day. Even the sweet-and-tangy burger sauce was delicious. I only hope Trader Joe's will consider including more cheeseburgers in the box one day.

In the end, the mozzarella-cheese bites were the winner.

I liked quite a few of the Trader Joe's appetizers. Lucien Formichella

Overall, there are a variety of respectable contenders for the perfect appetizer. Almost all of the Trader Joe's foods I tried would require little to no oversight while cooking and would give any host more time to chat with guests.

But in the end, Trader Joe's mozzarella-cheese sticks came out on top. Not only are the cheese sticks a classic choice for any party but they're also easy to eat, simple to cook, and pack a wallop. The sticks I had sorely missed a red sauce but they were still delicious even without it.

I think the spanakopita and the pastry bites with feta and onion would also satisfy even the hungriest of guests. Both dishes had great flavors and included plenty of cheese.

The next time I'm choosing what to eat during a party, I know which appetizers I'm picking.

This story was originally published on February 9, 2023, and most recently updated on July 3, 2024.

Read the original article on Business Insider
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More 

The ATF has drastically reduced the processing wait times for suppressors.

During their daily staff reports in March, employees at Silencer Central headquarters noticed something very strange.

New customer orders looked normal. Suppressor shipments were on track. But the customers whose applications had been approved by the ATF? Those had skyrocketed.

We started getting quick approvals. Uncharacteristically quick, says Brandon Maddox, founder and CEO of Silencer Central. Im always listening to that morning update for how many [ATF applications] were getting approved. Maybe a hundred, two hundred, three hundred, whatever. Then one day its like a thousand. Then the next day its like two thousand. And Im like, Man, what is going on here?

As one of its many requirements to apply for lawful ownership of a suppressor, the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco requires customers to fill out a Form 4. Historically, the wait time between submission and approval for qualified individuals has been up to 10 months. Now, according to the ATFs current processing times, that number is down to 33 days for individuals who apply online. Maddox says its actually even faster, with Silencer Central tracking an average approval time of 4.6 days last month for its customers, with many receiving same-day approvals. Silencer Shop is also quoting much faster approval times than the ATF, with a current median wait time of five days for individuals who e-file their Form 4.

Maddox has built Silencer Centrals entire business model around helping customers understand and navigate the ATFs regulation of suppressors, and he was certain no law had changed. So how had the agency slashed wait times without cutting a single requirement? As Maddox put it, it was almost like theyd outsourced this to aliens. The reality is much more mundane: The ATF reduced paperwork and now sends background checks to the FBI in batches. Interestingly, the current slump in firearms sales has also helped approval times.

ATFs Suppressor Processing Times, Then and Now

Boxes of Silencer Centrals Banish 30 cans, on the companys warehouse shelves in June. Photo by Natalie Krebs

While the ATF has fielded complaints for years over maddening wait times, the agency has been relatively quiet about its recently streamlined process. Instead of issuing a press release or detailed information on the new timeline, the ATF held a webinar in March for industry stakeholders. The ATF called faster approvals the new normal and described the creation of four swim lanes to expedite applications. According to the American Suppressor Association, those are:

Individual applications

Bundled individual applications

NFA trust applications

Bundled NFA trust applications

Bundling simply means combining multiple applications for multiple suppressors into a single FBI NICS background check. But the real credit, Maddox says, goes to a lawyer by the name of Ben Hiller who recently became the ATFs acting NFA Division chief. To understand the backlog in Form 4 approvals, Maddox says, Hiller waded into the paperwork with the goal of identifying problems in the process.

He assigned a hundred forms to himself just to work through it. What he found was 80 percent of the work his people were doing was duplicative and unnecessary.

Read Next: The Best Rifles of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Duplicated data verification, Maddox says, was a relic of when many suppressor applications were processed via paper instead of electronically. Now, the ATFs computer systems can handle the applicant data verification. (According to the ASA, about 96 percent of all NFA applications are now submitted electronically.) To be clear, the same legal requirements to obtain a suppressor remain in place; its just taking the ATF less time to process those applications.

The ATF did not immediately provide comment on this stat or on the faster approval process, although a March 29 press release from Silencer Central attributes an explanation of the process to Hiller. It also notes that the ATF implemented an algorithm to identify individuals with multiple pending applications. The goal was efficiency and reducing the burden on the FBI with NICS checks.

Suppressors are out of stock for many manufacturers who werent anticipating the fast approval times in their product forecasts. Photo by Natalie Krebs

While the ATF compares all this to swim lanes, Maddox prefers a McDonalds analogy. It goes like this: Most people order fast food straight off the menu without any modifications  a Quarter Pounder, say  and thats what McDonalds excels at serving. Compare those folks to suppressor applicants who have straightforward background checks; about 71 percent of national applicants receive immediate approval in the FBIs NICS system. (The same is true, roughly, of Silencer Central customers.)

Now imagine the McDonalds customers who order that Quarter Pounder with unusual modifications: no pickles or lettuce, extra tomato, and hold the bun. Those customers can be likened to the 29 percent of NICS background checks that require further review. Maybe those applicants have a similar name and birthday to a convicted felon, or an arrest that doesnt ultimately land them on a prohibited list but does require further scrutiny (only about 1.3 percent are ultimately denied). These are the customers who are backing up the line.

The ATF [used to] wait until they had your Form 4 application for three or four months, says Maddox, They wouldnt process the background check when you first sent it because it might be four months before they started processing it, and what if you committed a felony in between? So before [March] you waited in line for that person who essentially was arrested before and [the ATF] had to try to figure out how it ended.  So they changed the process where that guy who has the special order parks over there and the rest of the traffic flows through.

Silencer Central employees processing suppressors for shipment at the headquarters in Sioux Falls. Photo by Natalie Krebs

Now when Silencer Central submits its customers applications of Form 4, the ATF can quickly submit that info to the FBI. The background checks for those 71 percent of individuals often come back the same day.

Another quirk of the system is that the FBI is required to prioritize regular firearms dealers and review those background checks. When background checks for firearms decline (as they have since March), regulators have more time to focus on suppressor applications.

Second fiddle is always silencers, says Maddox. But right now, firearms sales are down 25 percent. So thats also helping that [the ATF] is able to work more on these 29 percent [of suppressor background checks] that require further review.

The New Bottlenecks of Fast Approvals

Shelves of suppressors at Silencer Centrals warehouse in June, which had to be completely redesigned after the ATF decreased wait times. Photo by Natalie Krebs

While quick ATF approvals have reduced paper shuffling and waiting periods, the new status quo has actually posed problems for some suppressor manufacturers and retailers. Silencer Central has been relatively insulated from suppressor supply issues because the company relies on five manufacturers across the U.S. to make its private-label Banish cans, and on the sale of various models manufactured by other companies, like SilencerCo. Instead, Silencer Centrals pain point has been accessories like thread adaptors. ATF approvals arent required for these but Silencer Central prefers to send accessories to customers in the same shipment as their suppressors (mostly to prevent them from misplacing small parts while they waited months at a time for their application approval).

Accessories have been tough for us because our forecast said a customer would be waiting 10 months for their application, so accessories werent slated for manufacture until nine months, just so were not sitting on that much inventory, says Maddox. All those people were waiting 10 months and now theyre down to a super skinny amount of time and its been hard for us to catch up on accessories. I find that everywhere.

Meanwhile, faster ATF approvals also forced Silencer Central to rearrange its entire warehouse to accommodate faster product turnover, resulting in additional delays.

Before, stuff would just sit on a shelf for seven to eight months. So youd put these huge boxes really high up in the rafters and bring them down as its getting closer to approval. Now as soon as suppressors get in they have to be available because they could be going out just as quick.

That means suppressors have to be unboxed, sorted, and shelved on much skinnier shelves to allow employees to hand-pick products for shipping.

Read Next: Why Every Hunter and Recreational Shooter Should Own a Suppressor

I do find consumers have zero grace. Even if they thought it would be 10 months and now its two days theyre like, Wheres my stuff? I get it. They paid for it and they want to know why they cant get it delivered. Well, we had to redesign the old warehouse, we had to take everything out, we had to take old shelves down, put the new shelves in, restack and organize, and pay a third party to do it all at night so it didnt impact our current shipping.

When I visited the Silencer Centrals headquarters last month, employees delivered their daily staff reports of the product flowing through their warehouse. On June 19, they shipped 538 units to its FFLs across the country, which in turn placed 279 units in the mail for those in-state customers. They had about 200 orders waiting for accessories, with an average customer wait time of about 2.8 days. (The ATF approval number was just a single application since it was a federal holiday.)

Youre Still Going to Have to Wait for Your Suppressor

Boxes of suppressors and accessories at the Silencer Central warehouse, waiting to be shipped. Photo by Natalie Krebs

While these expedited Form 4 wait times may be the new normal, customers should still manage their expectations when it comes to purchasing a suppressor. In addition to manufacturer delays, the usual local law enforcement notification period, and shipping, anyone purchasing a suppressor through a trust should expect longer Form 4 waits times than individuals. Currently, the ATF is estimating 130 day approval periods for this; Silencer Central, which Maddox says is ATFs largest submitter of trust applications, is seeing closer to 60 day turnaround times.

Fortunately, says Maddox, every day they keep getting that number down.
The Office of Legislative Audits report on the Office of State Prosecutor. Photo by Bryan P. Sears.

A state agency charged with investigating and prosecuting public officials violated state procurement law when it purchased a case management system, according to the Office of Legislative Audits.

The Office of State Prosecutor failed to use a competitive bid process to purchase the system. State auditors said the agency also failed to provide a written justification for using a sole source contract when it spent more than $131,000 on the system between 2020 and 2023.

Auditors, in their report wrote that the agency advised that it selected the vendor based on interviews conducted with other State and local entities and its determination that using other vendors would not be cost effective. However, OSP could not provide documentation to support that other vendors were not cost effective, and an informal agency determination of cost-effectiveness does not justify the use of a sole source procurement.

Auditors obtained correspondence between the prosecutors office and the state Department of Information and Technology that  indicated that a competitive procurement may be needed.

Auditors also noted that the agency did not have a signed contract with the vendor. The agency also failed to announce the contract award on a state website and did not obtain required approvals for the purchase as required by state regulations.

Those regulations limit the use of sole-source purchases to times when no other vendor is acceptable or suitable. Agencies who use that method must provide a written justification.

Agencies are also required to announce when they award a sole-source purchase. Contracts of $100,000 or more must be approved by both the Department of General Services and the Board of Public Works.

The Office of the State Prosecutor is an independent agency with 13 employees and a budget of roughly $2.3 million. It is charged with investigating and prosecuting criminal offenses of election and public ethics laws as well as bribery, malfeasance and nonfeasance in office, and multijurisdictional crimes.

State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III. File photo

State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III said in the agencys response that the office acknowledges the concerns raised by auditors.

Although a small agency without a dedicated procurement team, OSP consulted extensively with other state agencies, in particular the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) and one other state agency, as well our legal counsel and the Maryland Procurement Manual and other relevant regulations, prior to proceeding with a sole source small procurement of the chosen electronic case management system, and to the best of our ability duplicated the previous process followed by another state agency in acquiring the same system, the agency wrote in its response.

The agency noted unique agency electronic data management requirements, as it is the only agency of its kind in the state, and indeed in the US, where all investigation and prosecution functions regarding crimes within the agencys jurisdiction, as well as civil litigation regarding those matters, are embodied in one stand-alone organization.

The system purchased by the agency needed to support investigative factors such as law enforcement reporting, the ability to handle evidence review and documentation in complex financial matters, search warrant support, confidential informant management, criminal intelligence collection, and forensic support; litigation factors such as discovery, motion practice, appellate and postconviction practice, attorney work product protection filter team and restricted data compartmentalization, and on site trial support; as well as administrative factors regarding agency metrics and mandatory reporting.

The agency noted the success of the system but acknowledged a need to remove any question that the prosecutors office is not following state procurement regulations.

Accordingly, we will adopt their recommendations to engage in a new contract process, the agency wrote.

The post Auditor: State Prosecutor ran afoul of procurement laws appeared first on Maryland Matters.
For many members of the Austin City Council, the decision to ask Austin voters to approve a bond package for climate-related infrastructure projects had become a question of not if, but when.

Several city leaders have publicly stated that the city will likely need to place an item on a ballot at some point for a climate-related general obligation bond as the region continues to see increasing climate-related disasters.

After some debate between council members, which made its way online to the City Council message board over the past few days, it appears that a majority of the governing body is now supportive of Austin Mayor Kirk Watson's recent proposal for a 2026 climate general obligation bond election.

General obligation bonds can be issued by cities and other taxing jurisdictions to pay for things like major capital improvement projects that otherwise would not have been able to be funded through standard city revenue, according to the city of Austin. These bonds are approved by voters and are paid back over time through city-collected property taxes.

Projects that have been floated under the climate bond dollars include things like major land acquisitions, but nothing  including the date or exact climate-related infrastructure projects the city may seek bonds for  has been finalized just yet.

Watson's recent proposal comes via a council resolution directing city staff to work on preparing a 2026 climate bond election package. This resolution, if approved at a future City Council meeting, would not authorize an election, but represents the way the governing body is directing city staff to put together proposals for a future election, and the timeline on which they do so.

Council's split views on when to have a climate bond election

Up until Wednesday afternoon, there were two proposals coming from members of the Austin City Council related to a potential climate bond election.

One, led by District 5 Council Member Ryan Alter, advocated that a climate bond election should be placed on a ballot this year.

The other, which Watson presented Friday, was that the bond should be placed on the ballot no later than 2026, casting a potential bond election in 2024 as rushed in a post to the City Council message board.

"This is a complex issue, and staff deserves time to address it well," Watson wrote in a post to the message board last Friday. "Anything the Managers office would bring to us at this point would be piecemeal and lack the rigor we should want. Even if we decided to just put one thing on a ballot this November, such as land acquisition, we would be doing so without staff being able to answer many of the questions raised at the work session and raised by many constituents who care deeply about this issue and how best to address it."

On Monday, Ryan Alter in a post to the message board said: "To argue we must delay for even more talking about the problem or studies of potential solutions does not meet the urgency of the moment, especially on the heels of the Supreme Court gutting the federal governments ability to protect our environment."

The U.S. Supreme Court last week overturned a decades-old case, known as Chevron, now making it more difficult for federal agencies to regulate the environment, workplace safety and other issues, The Associated Press reported.

Ryan Alter wrote on Monday that he planned to bring forward a resolution at the July 18 City Council meeting "that identifies key priorities identified by staff and the public that will have a meaningful impact on our resilience as a city now, not down the road."

Those included a slew of climate-related projects, some of which, Ryan Alter proposed in his message board post, could be paid for "through other financing methods and/or over time" while others "will require a 2024 bond election to fund them."

Ryan Alter's Monday proposal was publicly supported by District 2 Council Member Vanessa Fuentes. In addition to Fuentes, Council Members Alison Alter and Jose Velasquez were also slated to be co-sponsors of Ryan Alter's resolution, a staff member in Ryan Alter's office told the American-Statesman.

On Tuesday morning, Watson said he plans to bring his own resolution directing city staff to work on preparing a comprehensive bond package that would be presented to voters no later than November 2026 and would include a bond initiative related to climate.

Watson's resolution was initially supported by Council Members Leslie Pool, Jose Chito Vela, Zohaib Zo Qadri and Natasha Harper-Madison, who each asked to be added as co-sponsors.

On Wednesday afternoon, Ryan Alter withdrew his resolution advocating for a potential 2024 climate bond, and asked in a post to the message board to be added as a co-sponsor to Watson's resolution.

"I am encouraged that this conversation, which had not been mentioned in future bond discussions, is now taking such a prominent role," Ryan Alter wrote Wednesday afternoon. "In the meantime, my co-sponsors and I believe it is important to share the priorities that we have been working on that were to be funded by a variety of methods, not just GO bonds, so that it can remain part of the conversation envisioned in your resolution about where we go from here to protect our environment."

Shortly following Alter's post, Velasquez asked to be added as a co-sponsor to Watson's resolution.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin council members split on when to have climate bond election
(Bloomberg) -- Australias corporate watchdog should be split in two and whistleblowers should receive compensation as part of reforms aimed at boosting its enforcement capabilities.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Those changes are among the 11 recommendations made in a Senate committee report into the Australian Securities and Investments Commission released Wednesday. They will allow a separate entity to focus on financial-services firms, while another oversees all other companies. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has yet to respond to the recommendations but said on Tuesday that he would examine the report.

Australian lawmakers have spent nearly two years examining what can be improved at the countrys corporate regulator, now under the stewardship of Chair Joe Longo, amid allegations its remit is too broad. Breaking the organization into an entity focused on policing banks and another focused on regulating non-financial companies will provide a more consistent approach to corporate regulation and law enforcement, according to Andrew Bragg, who chaired the committee behind the report.

These measures, if adopted, would provide Australians with the protection and confidence which is sadly absent, Bragg said in a statement. The committee uncovered an organization without transparency, few prosecutions, and a litany of cultural, structural and governance issues.

ASIC will take time to consider the report, a spokesperson for the regulator said.

The findings follow public condemnation from former chair of the enforcement agency James Shipton who first suggested a breakup last year as part of a suite of reform proposals. He said the agency had become overburdened and underfunded.

Cases initiated from ASIC referrals dropped from 75% in 2018 to 19% in the last financial year, the national public prosecutors department revealed as part of the inquiry.

The impact to ASIC may ultimately remain limited unless the committees recommendations can get the support of Australias governing Labor party, which may choose not to adopt them, leaving any reform hinging on a change of government in the federal elections due by next May.

--With assistance from Ainsley Thomson.

(Updates with ASIC comment in fifth paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Austria and Switzerland aim to invest 2.1 billion ($2.25 billion) to improve flood defences on the Rhine River.

The Austrian parliament unanimously approved a state treaty to increase flood protection measures along a stretch of the border river before it flows into Lake Constance.

The agreement on the project was signed between Austria and Switzerland in May. The Swiss parliament still has to approve the pact. The two countries will share the costs equally.

The goal is to increase the river's flow capacity.

At the moment up to 3,100 cubic metres of water per second can safely flow down the Alpine Rhine during periods of heavy rainfall. The plan is to increase it to 4,300 cubic metres per second.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027 at the earliest, with completion 20 years later.

Over a length of 26 kilometres, more space is to be created for the water, which currently flows in a canal. The river is also to be restored to a more natural state. The aim is to better protect around 300,000 people in the lower Rhine Valley from flooding.
Man who went overboard in Tampa boat crash is found dead, officials say

A man who went overboard in a boat crash near the Howard Frankland Bridge early Wednesday morning has been found dead, authorities said.

The crash happened about 4:15 a.m. when a 20-foot boat with two people on board collided with a barge near the Howard Frankland, according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesperson. One of the people on board was thrown into the water. The other was injured and taken to a hospital.

Wildlife commission officers responded along with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Tampa Police Department to search for the boater on Wednesday.

In an update about 5 p.m., the wildlife commission said the boater was recovered from the water and declared dead. A spokesperson for the wildlife commission identified the boater as Jonathan Boucvalt but declined to provide further information, citing the ongoing investigation.

No other details were immediately available.

Times staff writer Emily Wunderlich contributed to this report.
In July 2023, Avelo Airlines announced its partnership with the Central Wisconsin Airport, offering direct flights from Mosinee to Orlando beginning in October. A year later, Avelo announced it would end flights from CWA as of Aug. 31, 2024.

MOSINEE  Avelo Airlines will discontinue its services through the Central Wisconsin Airport at the end of next month.

According to a news release from the Central Wisconsin Airport, CWA learned Avelo Airlines would discontinue service from Mosinee to Orlando effective Aug. 31. Flights scheduled between now and then will not be affected.

An Avelo Airlines representative shared that the route between Mosinee and Orlando was not profitable and Avelo does not expect it to be within a reasonable amount of time, according to the release.

Every route Avelo flies must be profitable or be on a trend line towards that goal, the Avelo representative said in the CWA release. We are grateful for the support Avelo has received from the central Wisconsin community and CWAs leadership team.

Brian Grefe, the airport director at CWA, said the news is disappointing for central Wisconsin.

We understand the impact this has on our passengers and local community and will continue to actively explore opportunities with other carriers to ensure we continue to provide robust travel options, Grefe said.

Avelo's decision to end services at CWA comes less than a year after the partnership was first announced. CWA and Avelo Airlines announced last July its new partnership with the direct flight between Mosinee and Orlando at a press conference. That partnership included an introductory deal that allowed customers to book one-way flights between the two locations starting at $49 that began in October.

Avelo is a low-cost carrier, so prices vary between various trips and ticket offers, but ticket prices remain lower than other options. Prices vary based on demand like most other companies.

At the press conference last summer, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation celebrated the partnership, saying that air transportation is essential to local economies like central Wisconsin. The partnership created opportunities for business and recreational travel in central Wisconsin, Missy Hughes, WEDC's secretary and CEO said at the time.

Avelo Airlines took its first flight April 28, 2021. The company aims to offer options for customers to save time and money, and it was founded with the purpose to "inspire travel." Last summer, a company spokesperson said Avelo likes to partner with smaller communities and airports like CWA to provide easier and more enjoyable flights.

Rothschild business news: Ollie's Bargain Outlet is coming to Rothschild. Here's when they expect to open and what they offer.

Central Wisconsin weather: Will it rain for fireworks and Fourth of July events in Wausau, Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids and Marshfield?

Contact Caitlin at cshuda@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @CaitlinShuda.

This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: Avelo Airlines will end flights at Central Wisconsin Airport Aug. 31
Avelo Airlines announced on Tuesday it is extending its East Coast flight schedule through January.

Guests can now book winter and holiday travel to 29 destinations through January 7, 2025.

The airline company said the one-way fares start at $41.

Read: Advent Health gives tips on how to prevent heat-related illnesses

The airline said it will be flying out of Orlando International Airport and Lakeland International Airport

Click here to see the list of destinations.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management urged residents to put away the fireworks this Fourth of July as wildfire danger remains high.

Fireworks have been known to start wildfires and with nearly 8,500 acres of Arizona desert still ablaze the week of July 4th officials will be on high alert.

Fireworks have been proven to be an ignition source for fires on our lands, just like 2020s 259-acre Stage Fire northwest of New River, officials said.

"We want the public to understand the threat, make good choices, and if possible, partake in alternative Fourth of July activities. Our prevention staff will be out patrolling over the next few days and into the weekend ensuring everyone is recreating safely and abiding by restrictions, said Department of Forestry and Fire Managements Prevention Division Chief, Aaron Casem in a statement.

Thompson Begay looks over the selection of fireworks at a Red Hot Fireworks stand in Gilbert on Thursday, June 26, 2014. The stand, at the corner of Lindsay and Baseline roads, opened Thursday and expects to be completely sold out by July 4.

The Department of Forestry and Fire Management also warns that prevention patrols will be conducted in areas like Pinal County, Wittmann, along State Route 74, the Interstate 17 corridor, and around the US 60 near Apache Junction and Gold Canyon.

To support the additional patrols the Department of Forestry and Fire Management has increased staffing levels for the end of the week and into the weekend, as well as a six-engine task force stationed in the Phoenix-area.

Residents are advised that under Arizona state law specifies that only certain types of fireworks are legal on the Fourth of July. Firecrackers, bottle and sky rockets, roman candles, and any type of aerial firework are illegal in Arizona.

Stage 1 fire restrictions, due to fire activity, resource availability, and firefighter and public safety concerns, remain in place across most of Arizona on State Trust lands. On State Trust lands, fireworks are never allowed regardless of restrictions.

Between Jan. 1 and July 2, 2023, 793 fires burned 48,376 acres of Arizona land, according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: State officials call for firework safety ahead of July 4
Guineas Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and the Digital Economy (MPTEN) says it has signed an agreement with Mali to interconnect the two countries fibre optic networks, partly in response to recent subsea cable outages affecting the continent.

According to a post on MPTENs Facebook page, the agreement was signed between Societe De Gestion Et D'exploitation Du Backbone National De La Guinee (SOGEB, which is the state company in charge of managing Guineas national backbone) and Malian Transmission and Broadcasting Company (SMTD). The signing took place during last weeks Digital Mali event.

MPTEN said the interconnection agreement will not only reduce connection costs, but also secure international communications, creating a more resilient and redundant network.

Resiliency and redundancy have become high priorities for Guinea, Mali, and other African countries in the wake of a number of subsea cable outages this year that have disrupted internet communications across the continent.

Guinea only has a single international subsea link via the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) system that runs along the west coast from South Africa to France. Landlocked Mali relies on coastal partners like Guinea for access to international bandwidth.

MPTEN said that it is currently in negotiations for interconnection projects with other neighboring countries as well, as Guinea looks to leverage its advantageous geographical position to become a key player in the development of connectivity infrastructure in the region, as well as a digital hub in West Africa.
A Baby Was Found Dead Along Texas Roadside 20 Years Ago, Having Bled Out. A Woman Was Just Arrested

Shelby Stotts was indicted on a 2nd-degree manslaughter charge after DNA testing allegedly identified her as the mother of a newborn left for dead in ditch in 2001

Johnson County Sheriffs Office Angel Baby Doe and Shelby Stotts

After more than two decades, authorities in Texas have made an arrest in the cold case death of a newborn baby girl who was found wrapped in a jacket along the roadside with her umbilical cord still attached.

On July 1, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced in a press release that Shelby Stotts had been indicted on a 2nd-degree manslaughter charge after DNA testing identified her as the babys mother.

Authorities allege Stotts abandoned the newborn baby, dubbed Angel Baby Doe, in November 2001, in a ditch on a roadside south of Fort Worth. She allegedly failed to seek prompt medical care after giving birth and failed to clamp the babys umbilical cord, which caused the child to bleed to death, the release states.

According to a Facebook post from the Johnson County Sheriffs Office, a local resident was picking up cans on the side of the road, when he found the lifeless infant wrapped in a jacket with their umbilical cord still attached. Investigators believed the baby girl was born alive, likely outside of a medical facility, and had only recently died before being discovered, per the post.

Due to the circumstances surrounding Angel Baby Doe's death, investigators deemed the child's death the result of foul play, the sheriffs office said in the July 2 post. The Johnson County Sheriffs office worked tirelessly for more than two decades to identify Angel Baby Doe.

In June 2021, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office said that it had submitted forensic evidence to DNA testing lab Othram in the Houston area in the hopes that it could help identify the newborn, per the post. Othram scientists used forensic genome sequencing to develop the baby's DNA profile, which they used to perform genetic genealogy research, eventually identifying Stotts as the baby's mother, the release said.

Additional evidence suggests that the child was alive and breathing at the time of her birth and that Stotts is responsible for abandoning the child, the attorney generals release alleged.

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 the attorney generals office, Stotts will be prosecuted in Johnson County under the laws that were in effect in 2001. Its unclear if she has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on her behalf.

According to local Fox 4, Stotts previously worked at Cleburne High School in Cleburne, Texas. The school district provided a statement to the outlet, saying it is aware of Stotts arrest and confirmed she no longer works there.

After more than twenty years, we are closer to securing justice for Angel Baby Doe and ensuring that the person responsible for this tragedy is held accountable, Paxton said. I am thankful for our investigators talent and tenacity, and I commend the law enforcement professionals with the Johnson County Sheriffs Office for their dedication to uncovering the truth.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Heres who is on the ballot in Suffolks November 2024 election

Suffolk voters will cast their ballots for mayor, three City Council seats and three School Board positions this November. Several candidates have qualified for each race by meeting the June 18 deadline, according to the city registrars office.

Mayoral candidates include incumbent Michael Duman, who is facing challengers Clinton Jenkins and David Bosselman.

Three City Council seats are on the ballot. Nansemond Borough incumbent Lue Ward is running unopposed. Sleepy Hole Borough incumbent Roger Fawcett will face Ebony Wright. Finally, Whaleyville incumbent LeOtis Williams is running against Jason Wooldridge.

In Suffolk School Board races, Nansemond Borough candidates include James Shores and Valerie Fields. Incumbent Judith Brooks-Buck is not seeking reelection. In Sleepy Hole, incumbent Heather Howell is facing Carly Bosco. Lastly, in Whaleyville, candidates Sean McGee, Jonathan Rankin and Thelma Hinton will face off after incumbent Phyllis Byrum chose not to seek reelection.

Suffolk operates a nonpartisan borough system, where the city is divided into seven voting boroughs and each boroughs residents vote for City Council and School Board seats.

Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, trevor.metcalfe@pilotonline.com
Rudy Giuliani was forced to declare bankruptcy in December 2023 after losing a defamation case - MANDEL NGAN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Rudy Giuliani, the bankrupt ally of Donald Trump, bought bronzer and anti-shine make-up in a $2,000 Amazon spree.

The former mayor of New York splashed out on a pack of cheap ties, dress socks, deep bronze tanning lotion and anti-shine make-up in May despite declaring bankruptcy at the end of last year.

His creditors have accused him of gross mismanagement of his affairs and called on a judge to appoint a trustee to oversee his finances.

Troubling quantity of transactions

They expressed concerns at the troubling quantity of Amazon and Apple transactions, calling his spending habits egregious.

Mr Giuliani filed for bankruptcy in December after being ordered to pay $148 million in a defamation case to two Georgia election workers who he falsely claimed tampered with votes in 2020.

In total, he owed about $153 million to around 20 individuals and entities, including millions of dollars in legal fees and unpaid taxes.

It came as Mr Giuliani was disbarred in New York on Tuesday after a court found he repeatedly made false statements about Trumps 2020 election loss.

The Manhattan appeals court ruled that Mr Giuliani, who had his New York law licence suspended in 2021 for making false statements about the election, is no longer allowed to practise law in the state, effective immediately.

The seriousness of [the] respondents misconduct cannot be overstated, the decision reads. Mr Giuliani flagrantly misused his position and baselessly attacked and undermined the integrity of this countrys electoral process.

Mr Giulianis online purchases were made public by bankruptcy court filings, prompting mockery from some commentators, who accused him of hypocrisy as he laments the decline of American manufacturing but buys cheap imported goods in bulk.

False and misleading financial reports

Although his bankruptcy settlement allowed him a spending sum of $43,000 a month, Mr Giuliani admitted to spending nearly three times that amount in January.

Mr Giulianis creditors have asked the judge to appoint an independent bankruptcy trustee to manage his personal and business finances, and stop him from exceeding his spending limits.

The judge overseeing his case has so far been disturbed by his lack of progress, but Heath Berger, the former mayors lawyer, said things are finally on track.

His legal team have insisted that Mr Giuliani has work lined up and could liquidate his apartment as part of the case.

But court documents accuse Mr Giuliani of filing false and misleading financial reports, delaying the inevitable monetisation of his assets and ignoring the courts orders by repeated unauthorised payments.

Having a trustee is not going to be fun for him, Susan Block-Lieb, a professor of bankruptcy law at Fordham Law School, told the New York Times. This is not Club Med.

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.
Bark beetles exposed in bark of infested pinon tree

Louisiana House lawmakers are convening an emergency panel to deal with an infestation of beetles attacking pine trees across the state and posing a public safety concern. Above, pinon ips bark beetles exposed after cutting into the bark of an infested pinon tree. (Photo: U.S. Forest Service)

Louisiana House lawmakers are convening an emergency panel to deal with widespread beetle attacks on pine trees across the state and the public safety concern posed by the problem.

Its not the English pop band theyre concerned about, state Rep. Mike Johnson said in a phone interview Tuesday. Its actually a more serious issue and one that poses a risk to the ecosystem, property and people, he said.

Tiny bark beetles, namely the Ips engraver and southern pine varieties, have been killing millions of trees across Louisiana and Mississippi after a severe drought last year left forests and woods weakened and susceptible to the insect. The beetle attacks have been particularly problematic in the central and northern regions of the state, Johnson said.

Johnson is convening a House Emergency Beetle Subcommittee, which he chairs, next week. The panel will hear from forestry, agriculture and legal experts to consider all available options to counter the bark beetle threat, including an emergency declaration, Johnson said.

Its a terrible thing, the Pineville lawmaker said. Its affecting [timber] farmers but also homeowners and business owners.

The panel will also explore sources of emergency funding to assist homeowners who cant afford to hire a tree trimmer to take down affected trees, which can often cost over a thousand dollars, Johnson said.

Members of the weevil family, bark beetles are between one-eighth and a quarter-inch in length. They mostly target pine trees but occasionally go after other conifers. The insects tunnel through the bark and live inside the tree, attacking its vascular system and robbing it of water and nutrients until the tree falls and dies, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

They go from tree-top to tree-top and can kill a tree fairly quickly, Johnson said. Any tree within about a 150-foot radius is likely to be infected.

When one beetle finds a suitable tree to eat, it will release a pheremone that serves as a signal locator for other beetles to join the same location, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Trees that are killed or severely weakened by a beetle attack are more likely to fall, even without stormy weather. This is particularly dangerous to residents who have pine trees on or near their homes.

On April 10, a Pineville woman was killed after a tree fell onto the camper she was living in during a thunderstorm, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

It was one that was infested with these beetles, Johnson said.

The beetle attacks also pose a risk to utility workers and public works crews who are often working under or near large tree limbs and leaning trees, he said.

Officials encourage residents and workers to look for signs of bark beetle attacks in trees. Common symptoms can include brown or discolored pine needles at the crown or top half of the tree, tiny bore holes in the outer bark, sawdust collected in crevices or at the base of the tree, and small popcorn-like masses of sap, called pitch tubes, on the tree trunk.

The Emergency Beetle Subcommittee will meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Louisiana State Capitol.

Correction: This report was updated to reflect that Johnson is chairman of the subcommittee.

The post Bark beetle attack prompts Louisiana lawmakers to convene emergency panel appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Barnstable has forged a deal with Avangrid Renewables that provides money and other concessions to the town and lifts a hold on granting easements allowing the company to move forward on its planned 791-megawatt New England Wind 1 project, formerly called Park City Wind.

The additional terms included as a "side agreement" to the previously penned host community agreement were announced at the June 27 Town Council meeting after weeks of closed door meetings.

The unveiling touched off mixed reactions, from anger and disappointment to words of support, from residents gathered to hear the presentation, which was tacked on at the start of the meeting before the customary public comment section in order to give residents a chance to weigh in.

Barnstable Town Council, in a close vote, has approved a supplemental agreement with Avangrid Renewables for its New England Wind 1 project, ending a pause on granting easements for power cables to come ashore at Craigville Beach and route through the town. A view in 2023 looks northwest from the water line at the beach in Centerville.

Town gains 'significant' extra benefits

Town Attorney Karen Nober said under the side agreement reached last week the town will provide the company with the easements to land power transmission cables at Craigville Beach and route them under the Centerville River and to a new proposed substation at the former Knights Inn site on Shootflying Hill Road by way of the village's Main Street  a plan that has left many villagers upset and worrying about how it will affect their businesses, library, museum and historic homes along the route.

Also, as part of the agreement, she said, "the town will receive significant additional protections and benefits."

Uncertain about the project's status, the council last October had voted unanimously to postpone officially signing off on the easements. That was done after company withdrew from its negotiated power purchase deal with Connecticut because of changing market conditions. The company is seeking a new contract under better terms through the current multi-state bidding process.

Nober said the terms of the side agreement were presented to the council in executive session on June 13, and the members voted 7-5 to direct Town Manager Mark Ells to finalize and enter into the supplemental pact. Council President Felicia Penn and councilors John Crow, Betty Ludtke, Craig Tamash and Kristin Terkelsen all voted against the agreement while councilors Charles Bloom, Seth Burdick, Kris Clark, Matthew Levesque, Jeffrey Mendes, Paula Schnepp, and Gordon Starr supported it. Councilor Paul Neary was not present.

For now, the easements will be placed in escrow pending the company receiving a bid award in the multi-state procurement, Nober said. Awards are anticipated in August. Release of the easements is also "subject to Park City Wind's parent company, Avangrid Renewables, providing a corporate guarantee, at which point  but not until then  Park City Wind may record the easements," she said.

An opportunity to address concerns

Nober said in the last year or so, Barnstable residents and businesses "have raised a host of concerns about the Park City Wind project and its potential impacts, some of which were not anticipated when the host community agreement was originally negotiated."

The delay in the project, she explained, gave the town a chance to talk with Park City Wind to see if they could handle some of those concerns.

Last November, the town hired an outside law firm, Anderson & Krieger, to negotiate with the company. The result, she said, "addresses many of the concerns raised by Barnstable residents and businesses."

Agreement provisions outlined

Colin Van Dyke, a managing partner at Anderson & Krieger, outlined the provisions of the side agreement at the June 27 council session.

"Park City Wind has made significant additional commitments to give the town more clarity, more control, more reasons to be confident that it will be protected from anticipated and unanticipated impacts from the project," he said.

Some of provisions are:

The company will compensate businesses and cultural institutions along the project route that are hurt by the project.

The company will pay the town a lump sum of $16 million when it closes on construction financing for the project, instead of spreading that over the 25-year life of the project.

The company will provide $5.5 million to the town to improve roadways and sidewalks along the public ways impacted by the project, and will provide another $2.4 million to cover additional sewer construction costs the town may incur to ensure that there is adequate separation between the town sewer lines and transmission lines.

Parent company Avangrid Renewables LLC will provide a guarantee of up to $30 million for payments or reimbursements required by the host community agreement.

Before the easements are awarded, the company must receive a bid award, and the guarantee from Avangrid Renewables has to be delivered to the town. If a bid award is not granted by Dec. 15, 2026, which is the date when the company's Energy Facilities Siting Board approval expires, the easements will automatically terminate. Also, if a bid award is granted, and the easements are released but the construction has not commenced by Dec. 15, 2026, the easements will terminate.

The side agreement also has to be ratified and approved by the Avangrid Renewables board.

Residents respond

Public opinion about the side agreement is sharply divided.

Resident Pete Sampou supports the project, saying offshore wind is an important component of the state and nation's climate change response. Having it come ashore in Barnstable, he said, "is a big win for our town and all the benefit it brings to us."

Resident Cliff Carroll is among those who worry about plans to build a substation that would store hundreds of thousands of gallons of dielectric transformer oils over a sole source aquifer and uphill from many homes on private wells, a backup well field and Lake Wequaquet.

"I think it's almost disgusting this outcome, but we're going to keep fighting," Carroll said.

"The town just handed them the keys to the city. This is becoming the town of Avangrid," he said. "Awful."

Susanne Conley called the side agreement "a gut punch" and believes the town has "sold out the health and safety of the people of Barnstable." The town has told Avangrid to "go ahead and take Craigville Beach, one of the biggest economic drivers of this town.," she said.

"The fight is not over," she said

Councilors weigh in

A few of the town councilors responded after hearing from residents on June 27.

Councilor Kris Clark said she believes the deal "is the best way forward" and praised Barnstable negotiators "for the town of Barnstable "who did a magnificent job of leveraging some benefits for the town that weren't on the table prior to that."

Fellow Councilor Matthew Levesque said that he appreciates the council members' courage "to vote the way they did because it was not an easy decision to make, and I believe that everybody tried to do the best they could with the facts that were put in front of them."

Councilor John Crow is among those who feels the agreement "is not a win."

"This is a travesty. It's a complete failure of public policy from here to Boston in my opinion. These substations do not have to land, and the power lines don't have to land on beaches," he said.

He also feels the town is getting "fleeced" with the promise of $16 million. He pointed at an agreement between Sunrise Wind and Brookhaven, Long Island that gave that community $170 million over the life of the project.

"It's just a shame all around. We're taking the cheapest way out. Avangrid is doing that getting the cheapest route from where they're coming," Crow said.

Councilor Betty Ludtke agreed.

"I think we've given away our treasure and I agree we've handed them this contract on a silver platter," she said. The process has "been flawed since day one, that's why I voted no on it."

What Avangrid has to say

Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra said company leaders are "pleased to reaffirm the Host Community Agreement that ensures the town and the entire region will benefit from the development of our New England Wind 1 project."

The side agreement, the company said, "provides several additional direct benefits to the town of Barnstable, community mitigation efforts towards future construction of the New England Wind 1 project, and robust health and safety measures for construction and operation of the project."

Heather McCarron can be reached at hmccarron@capecodonline.com, or follow her on X @HMcCarron_CCT.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Easements allowed after Barnstable council vote on wind farm cables
The beach can turn deadly: Heres how to avoid dangers while vacationing

NAGS HEAD  Numerous beachgoers around Jennettes Pier in Nags Head left their belongings and fled the beach Thursday, June 27, as an afternoon thunderstorm unleashed powerful wind and driving rain.

The wind sent one blue beach canopy into the air and then into the Atlantic Ocean.

In the upstairs event room at the pier, local ocean rescue and emergency management personnel, along with a representative from the National Weather Service, gave an approximately 40-minute news conference on beach safety.

The beach canopy bungle underscored a safety tip they shared: Take belongings with you when you leave the beach. The main risk at the beach is rip currents, they said.

___

Know how to escape a rip current.

Powerful currents of water moving away from shore, rip currents account for about 80% of all ocean rescues, according to the National Weather Service website. Rip currents cause an estimated 100 fatalities annually in the United States.

Rip currents kill more people in our area than tornadoes, flooding, lightning and wind combined, said Erik Heden, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

Since 2000, nearly 200 rip current drownings have been recorded in North and South Carolina, according to Heden, with out-of-state residents representing about half of the deaths.

He encouraged people to check the rip current forecast at www.weather.gov/beach before heading to the beach. Information is also available on the NWS Morehead City social media pages. People living or vacationing in Dare County can sign up for county-specific alerts and forecasts that are part of its award-winning Love the Beach, Respect the Ocean campaign.

Anyone caught in a rip current should relax, stay calm, float to conserve energy and not try to swim against the current, he said. Those who are able can swim out of the current by swimming parallel to the shoreline in either direction, and those unable to should call or wave for help.

Lifeguards locally and nationally have understood the most impacting hazards on our patrons are rip currents and what happens if you wait until the last breath, said David Elder, ocean rescue supervisor for the town of Kill Devil Hills.

Fifteen years ago, we locally initiated a study on rip currents to identify how to prepare for rip currents, to prevent injury and manage the hazards, Elder said.

He explained that this effort helped establish a relationship among the local lifeguard agencies and the National Weather Service and yielded the experimental rip current forecast used today.

Our hope is that eventually it will no longer be considered experimental, Elder said.

___

Mind the flags.

Dont ever get in the water if were flying red flags, Heden said.

Dare County ocean rescue agencies use yellow and red flags to indicate moderate and high hazards, respectively.

Yellow flags discourage weaker swimmers from entering the ocean, and red flags discourage all swimmers from entering, according to Chad Motz, ocean rescue captain for the town of Nags Head.

Nags Head earlier this year adopted a flag system that also includes a double red flag, which indicates ocean swimming is unlawful. Ocean entry assisted by a surfboard or by a bodyboard and fins is still allowed on days when double red flags are flying.

That flag system is used at beaches nationally and internationally, according to Motz.

He also cautioned beachgoers on days without flags.

No flag means low risk; low risk does not mean no risk, Motz noted.

___

Swim at a lifeguarded beach.

Officials urged swimming at a lifeguarded beach for added safety.

Lifeguards can provide beachgoers with all the current local information, according to Mirek Dabrowski, owner and chief lifeguard of Surf Rescue, which provides lifeguard services to the towns of Duck and Southern Shores, as well as to Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Just in general they have an infinite amount of wisdom and information on the Outer Banks, Dabrowski said.

Ask them the questions you dont know; theyre there to help you, Dare County Emergency Management Director Drew Pearson said.

Molly Greenwood, Hatteras Island Rescue Squad supervisor, cautioned beachgoers about shorebreak  waves that break on shore with force and can cause serious injury or death  and rogue waves.

Rogue waves appear suddenly and unexpectedly, even on calm and small swell days, Greenwood said.

Children are especially vulnerable to both, and she advised never turning your back to the ocean and keeping a distance from the shoreline, especially if youre walking with small children.

___

Be prepared.

Ben Abe, captain of water rescue for Chicamacomico Banks Volunteer Fire Department, cautioned people about blue sky hazards at the beach.

Sunscreen, hydration and footwear are necessary precautions for hot, sunny days, Abe said.

He encouraged taking breaks in the shade and limiting alcohol consumption on the beach, since when youre outside, it dehydrates you quickly.

Abe also works as a paramedic for the county, and said he was working on the ambulance that the day prior had transported a man in Duck to the hospital with second-degree burns from walking in the sand just long enough that it burned the soles completely off both of his feet.

Beachgoers with diabetes or other medical conditions sometimes will not be able to feel their skin burning, Elder said. He recalled a similar case in Kill Devil Hills where a man had second-degree burns on both his feet from the sand.

So think about the ability of the least able in your group to deal with heat, and angle everything that way, Elder said.

Dare County Sheriffs Office Capt. Jack Scarborough, director of the 911 Communications Center, said that people should take note of their location, including which beach access or ramp they used and which direction they went after arriving. Anyone calling 911 should be prepared to answer many questions.

Know while youre answering those questions, it is not delaying help; theres someone else in the room that is sending help as soon as the call comes in, Scarborough said.

___

Dont dig it.

If you dig holes, keep them shallow and fill them in before you leave.

Digging beach holes gained recent popularity through online trends, but thats not necessarily a safe practice, Mike Henry, chief ranger for Cape Hatteras National Seashore said.

Deep holes are unstable and can collapse on the people digging the holes, causing serious injury, and can also impede emergency responders and wildlife, Henry said.

He suggested not digging holes deeper than knee-deep and filling them in before leaving the area to ensure that other people coming along can use the beach in a safe manner.

___

Clean up.

Take belongings with you when you leave the beach.

When we leave items like chairs, umbrellas, coolers and toys on the beach we might not realize the significant impact they have, Joe Case of Kitty Hawk Ocean Rescue said.

Unmanned beach equipment can become a tripping hazard for other beachgoers or a wind-driven projectile, Case said. It can obstruct lifeguards and emergency workers paths, potentially delaying assistance for those needing help.

Unmanned equipment can also be hazardous to wildlife, particularly sea turtles.

Items left on the beach (overnight) can obstruct their path, making it difficult or impossible for them to reach their suitable nesting spots, Case said.

Unattended objects can also be swept into the ocean by tides or winds, becoming marine debris that can entangle or entrap wildlife. Plastic items break down into microplastic, which is ingested by a wide range of marine organisms, disrupting ecosystems and food chains, Case said.

By being responsible beachgoers, we can protect wildlife, reduce pollution and maintain the natural beauty of our coastal environment, he said.

Related Articles

For more information, visit LoveTheBeachRespectTheOcean.com. To sign up for daily text messages of Dare County beach condition forecasts and alerts, text OBXBeachConditions to 77295.
Belarus is building up its military on Ukraine's border and bragging about the 'high combat readiness' of its troops

Belarus is building up its military on Ukraine's border and bragging about the 'high combat readiness' of its troops

Belarus' president called Ukraine an "enemy" and said his troops are combat-ready.

Aleksander Lukashenko also said his country is increasing its military presence on Ukraine's border.

Lukashenko is a close ally of Putin and aided his invasion of Ukraine.

Russian neighbor and ally Belarus said it is boosting its military presence along its border with Ukraine, with its president saying its troops are combat-ready.

Aleksander Lukashenko called Ukraine an "enemy" in a recent speech and said his soldiers along Ukraine's border have a "high combat readiness," according to a translation of his remarks by Ukrainian outlet Euromaidan.

He also said Belarus has increased the number of its troops and missile systems.

"Special operations forces have been deployed, including not only border guards but also our military personnel. As the border guards report, they have now blocked the likely direction of enemy movement," Lukashenko said, per Euromaidan.

He added: "Air force and air defense troops are on high alert  both ours and Russian forces, with full coordination between them."

Belarus, which borders both Ukraine and Russia, is seen as loyal to Russia and something of a Russian puppet state. Lukashenko has been in power since 1994 and is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The country has not been directly involved in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but it has aided Russia's efforts since it began in February 2022.

Thousands of Russian troops entered Ukraine from Belarus at the start of the invasion. Russia also launched ballistic missiles into Ukraine from Belarusian territory, and Russian bomber aircraft launched missiles at Ukraine from Belarus' air space.

Russia has also stationed tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus since the full-scale invasion began.

Lukashenko's comments suggest that he's worried about Ukrainian troops getting closer to his border, something other Belarusian officials have also expressed concerns about.

This includes a high-ranking Belarusian military official saying in late June that Ukraine was "attempting to drag our country into the war."

In response, Ukraine's State Border Guard Service said that all of Ukraine's activities near Belarus' border were just defensive, Euromaidan reported.

Ukraine has painted Belarus' statements as part of a disinformation operation. In May, Ukrainian officials said that Russia may carry out a psychological operation aimed at "stirring up mass panic" in Ukraine by making people believe Belarus' troops would join the fighting.

"We expect a series of provocative statements by the top leadership of Russia and Belarus threatening Ukraine soon," the Ukrainian Security and Defense Council's Center for Countering Disinformation said.

There have been no signs that Ukraine would send any troops into Belarus, and it's something that would likely be met with a strong Russian response.

There is also no indication as yet that Lukashenko is considering sending troops into Ukraine.

He said last year that his soldiers would join the war if Ukrainian soldiers entered Belarus.

It is unlikely that Belarus' troops would make a big impact even if they did enter the war.

Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps colonel and defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Business Insider in 2022 that "the Belarusian armed forces are small and weak."

He said Belarus' military would get "eaten alive" if it invaded Ukraine and said "the Belarusians have been very careful not to get their own troops involved."

The UK Ministry of Defence also said in March 2023 that Belarus' army is much less experienced than Russia's military.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Some very positive connectivity news comes from the Brazil-Colombia border where it is being reported that a fibre optics cable crossing Brazil's Amazonas state is finally ready to connect the Colombian city of Leticia two years after the project to link the two countries via fibre in the shared Amazon border area kicked off.

The cable is one of a number comprising the Norte Conectado project, which aims to expand the communications infrastructure in the Amazon region of Brazil through an underwater fibre trunk network.

Infovia 02, as it is known, is a stretch of Norte Conectado that reaches Tabatinga, a municipality in the Tres Fronteiras area of Western Amazonas on the border with Colombia's Amazonas department and about four kilometres from Leticia on the Colombian side.

The Colombian ICT ministry has said that the connection between Tabatinga and Leticia started operations on 1 July.

The news website BNamericas explains that the connection is a partnership between Brazil's state-run telecom company Telebras and Internexa, the telecoms arm of Colombia's power group Isa.

In Colombia the fibre is initially expected to connect around 8,600 low-income households in Leticia and 1,200 in Puerto Narino, a municipality about 75 kilometres upriver from Leticia. Internexa will be responsible for extending connectivity.

The binational agreement also includes a commitment to enhance connectivity in the broader Amazon region.

As the BNamericas website points out, this is one of a number of underwater projects planned for Brazil, including Nokia and Global Fiber Perus planned deployment of an underwater optical network in rivers in the Amazon linking municipalities in Brazil, Peru and Colombia, and Global Fibers plans for a new submarine fibre route to be deployed off Brazils northern coast.
Beloved K-9 officer that served multiple counties in Middle Tennessee has died

HENRY COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN)  A beloved K-9 officer that served Henry, Benton and Obion counties has died, according to his handler.

Sergeant Stacey Bostwick with the Obion County Sheriffs Office shared that Rowdy died of cancer on Tuesday, July 2. The beloved K-9 was 12 years old.

 Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts 

Rowdy (Source: Stacey Bostwick)

Rowdy (Source: Stacey Bostwick)

Rowdy has been there when needed to find the missing and worked hard to find the bad guys, Bostwick said. Rowdy will always be my hero and be missed greatly.

The Obion County Sheriffs Office posted a tribute to Rowdy on Facebook, adding that he hunted down bad guys like no other.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Rowdy assisted with the capture of Kirby Wallace, a man who killed two people and was the focus of a week-long manhunt in 2018.

Rowdy was a previous foster at Howards Hounds Bloodhound Rescue, which also posted a tribute to the K-9.

The bloodhound has been featured on News 2 several times over the course of his tenure, including being named a Hometown Hero.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
BENTON, Ark.  A Benton restaurant has been hit with a preliminary injunction by the United States Department of Labor over allegations of failure to pay wages and illegally employing children.

In a release, Labor Department officials claimed Tims Tavern owner Tim Steppach had violated a number of federal regulations concerning paying minimum and overtime wages, taking workers tips, underage employment and retaliation against workers for reporting to authorities.

Officials claim that a February investigation by the agencys Wage and Hour Division found Steppach was allowing several employees who were 14 and 15 years old to be working outside the legally permitted hours for school nights and weekends.

Overtime pay rules to change soon: What to know

Federal investigators also claimed that their findings showed Steppach had been in violations of the Fair Labors Standards Act (FLSA) going back to August of 2022, accusing the business owner of failing to provide regular paychecks, not paying minimum wage, overtime wages & tips and neglecting to keep records.

Southwest Wage and Hour Regional Administrator Betty Campbell said that following the investigation, the Labor Department plans to hold Steppach fully accountable for his alleged violations.

Our investigation identified numerous violations by Tims Tavern and Tim Steppach, and we are using every enforcement tool available to protect their employees and to hold this employer fully accountable, Campbell pledged.

Department of Labor investigation shows Little Rock employer owed $74K in back wages

Under the injunction granted by the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Arkansas Central Division, Steppach and the restaurant are prohibited from:

Threatening, intimidating, discriminating against, harming, or otherwise retaliating against the retaliation victim or other current and former employees for exercising their rights under the FLSA including cooperating with and reporting alleged violations to the department.

Contacting the retaliation victim directly.

Violating the child labor protections of the FLSA.

Labor officials added that they have filed a complaint seeking full relief for the alleged violations, including paying any unpaid minimum wages, overtime pay and tips, as well as an equal amount in liquidated damages.

Benton restaurant owner claims innocence amid sexual assault charges by teen employees

This is the latest challenge against the Benton business owner. In January of this year, Steppach was arrested and faced charges of sexual assault, with accusations coming from underage employees of the restaurant, which closed for a short time.

The restaurant owner was arrested again in late February following further developments in the investigation, with new charges leveled against him including rape, false imprisonment and burglary.

Officials with the Benton Police Department said the investigations into the early-year allegations against Steppach are continuing to proceed. Steppach has gone online to maintain his innocence in connection to those allegations.

Benton restaurant owner charged with sexual assault now facing new charges including rape, burglary

KARK 4 News has reached out to Tim Steppach regarding the news of the injunction, but as of publishing there has been no response.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
As Hurricane Beryl bore down on Jamaica on Wednesday, the islands in its wake were getting a clearer picture of the destruction the record-setting storm left behind in the southeastern Caribbean.

It is almost Armageddon-like, almost total damage or destruction of all buildings whether they be public buildings, homes or other private facilities, said Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell after a helicopter survey on Tuesday. Complete devastation and destruction of agriculture. Complete and total destruction of the natural environment; there is literally no vegetation left anywhere on the island of Carriacou.

In St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the north, fellow Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves on Wednesday described Union Island as a field of devastation.

The roofs of all these buildings are gone, Gonsalves said of the island of about 3,000 people in the southern Grenadines as he flew over.

The storm has already been blamed for at least four deaths in the eastern Caribbean where two people died on the island of Carriacou, another in mainland Grenada and another in Union Island, a sister island to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Two other deaths have been reported in northern Venezuela during the storms passage, the Associated Press reported, adding that five people are also missing. The toll is expected to climb and Beryls passage along the Jamaican coastline could add to it. The storm is packing not just 145-mph winds but up to nine feet of storm surge.

Mitchell said the devastation is worse than he and others previously thought.

It is clear that agriculture has taken quite a battering. It is clear that many persons have lost their roofsmany people have lost their entire homes, Mitchell said about mainland Grenada, which also took a beating. But the destruction in Grenada. even in St. Patrick, which is extensive, is of almost no significance, compared to the total destruction that Hurricane Beryl has brought to the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

It is now estimated that only two percent of the buildings and homes there survived  98 percent have been destroyed or severely damaged.

Beyond the immediate housing crisis, Mitchell said the electrical grid system and communication systems had been destroyed. As of this moment, communication is still a major problem, he said late Tuesday.

Despite the dire circumstances, Mitchell said things have started to move. Volunteers have started to give their time, dropped off supplies and offered their boats freely to get supplies to the two sister islands.

This is going to be a mammoth task to rebuild Carriacou and Petite Martinique, but we are committed to doing so Mitchell said.

Gonsalves also promised that St. Vincent will turn this terrible setback into an opportunity to rebuild on both the mainland and the sister islands of Canouan, Palm Island, Mayreau and Union Island where homes were flattened by a record-setting Beryl as its winds and heavy downpour pounded the region.

There are hundreds of houses on St. Vincent that have been severely damaged or destroyed, he said during an address to the nation where he confirmed at least one death. Roofs are gone, government buildings, especially schools...where you have had severe damage and of course there are churches.

On Union Island at least 90% of the homes and buildings are damaged or destroyed, including a hospital and the roof of the airport terminal.

There is a sense of shock among people, at the same time a determination to rebuild, said Gonsalves, who released a video showing him touring the trail of destruction and being greeted with hugs and tears by residents. Were going to build it back, were going to build it back better and stronger.

Gonsalves some residents want to lead the islands in the southern Grenadines, while others are determined to stay. Theres a lot of trauma, he said of what he observed on residents faces as he tried to console them and give them hope. Its an extraordinarily difficult time.

While the islands isolation add to the challenges of both cleaning up and providing relief, both Gonsalves and Mitchell launched efforts to get supplies in. Grenada issued a list while Gonsalves launched a relief fund for the government to receive financial contributions online. Persons can go to http://svghurricanerelief.gov.vc to make contributions.

Building back here is huge, he said. It is a huge challenge demanding solidarity from all of our people, and from our allies in the region and from the international community.

Beryl remained a Category 4 on Wednesday as it headed toward Jamaica, which is currently under a state of emergency.

Regional response

The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management agency, which is the regional body responsible for responding to disasters, said Wednesday there is not yet an official death toll and they are still assessing the destruction in member countries.

Elizabeth Riely, director of CDEMA, confirmed that while the Grenadines islands of Grenada and St. Vincent bore the brunt of the hurricane, Barbados, St. Lucia and Dominica were also affected.

Riley emphasized that damage assessments are ongoing. But the preliminary picture of what has emerged includes over 200 boats damaged in Barbados, and 40 homes damaged with numbers expected to rise.

We have also confirmed significant damage to the fishing sector as well as coastal infrastructure particularly along the south coast of the island, she said. Roads are also obstructed with debris and fallen trees.

St. Lucia also experienced significant damage in its southern part of the island, particularly in Soufriere. There are also reports of damage across the twin island state of Trinidad and Tobago; there were power outages and water disruption on Tobago and temporarily blocked roads on both islands. Dominica, meanwhile, has reported minimal damage.

Riley said based on reports provided so far, they know that 100% of the population on the island of Canouan, which has 12,600 inhabitants, was affected by Beryl. There is an estimated 90% of the houses that were damaged either extensively or destroyed.

A police station in Charlestown has lost its roof while the runway has been cleared and is usable. In addition to almost all the buildings and houses on Union Island, the control tower of the airport also had been destroyed. The power plant has also received significant damage and approximately 30% of the solar panels at a solar farm have also been damaged or destroyed.

On the island of Mayreau, all 300 inhabitants have been affected while 90% of the housing stock experienced some kind of impact. Meanwhile a resort on Palm Island has also been significantly damaged along with the desalination plant. The island of Bequia has fared a bit better than its sister islands, Riley said.

Initial estimates are that about 10% of the houses and buildings, suffering roof damage. Weve confirmed that the airport buildings and runways are still very much usable, Riley said. With respect to Mustique, the airport also is in good condition as well as the jetty.:

The overall picture with respect to the Grenadine islands is quite significant, severe and of course the focus as this time is on the population which has been significantly impacted. Theyre also exposed, so there are considerations related to urgent shelter for those persons, Riley said.

Shelter is also a consideration for the entire 6,081 residents who live on Carriacou and the 900 people who call Petite Martinique home.

Riley said the 15-member Caribbean Community bloc leaders met on Tuesday to address the ongoing disaster and her agency has activated its regional response to assist those nations that have been affected while keeping an eye on Beryls impact to Jamaica, Cayman, Haiti and possibly Belize.
Andy Beshear (Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes)

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear will be among Democratic governors meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House Wednesday evening.

The meeting, set to take place at 6:30 p.m., according to Bidens public schedule, comes after the Democratic governors pushed to hear more from the White House after the presidents poor debate performance last week against former Republican President Donald Trump.

Beshear said on CNN Tuesday evening that he and his fellow Democratic governors want to know more about how the president is doing.

When you see somebody, one of the first things you ask is, How are you doing? And oftentimes we get way too much information in that response, Beshear said. Its something that we are used to talking about. Now, thats part of our culture. So, I dont think its an attack on the White House or an attack on the president  who is a good man and a nice man  to just say, Tell us a little bit more about how youre doing.

Other governors who are confirmed to attend the meeting include California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, according to media reports. A spokesperson for Beshear said his attendance will be in person.

Earlier this week, Beshear pledged to continue supporting Biden as long as he remains the Democratic candidate in the race.

Bidens debate performance on CNN last week sparked questions about his age, 81, and fitness for office in a second term. Biden spoke softly at several points, coughed and gave somewhat confusing answers throughout the night. Meanwhile, Trump, 78, repeated falsehoods, such as election fraud resulting in his 2020 loss.

Calls to replace Biden as a candidate have grown since the debate, with Texas U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett becoming the first congressional Democrat to publicly call for Biden to withdraw from the race.

Over the weekend, Beshear made several shortlists from national media outlets as a possible replacement for Democrats, along with Newsom, Vice President Kamala Harris and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. In a possible matchup against Trump, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found Beshear polling at 36% to the Republican presidents 40%. However, about 70% of the Democrats polled said they had never heard of Beshear.

In the CNN interview, correspondent Pamela Brown suggested allies of Harris have eyed Beshear as a possible running mate for her should she move up the ticket. Beshear said the national attention is a reflection of whats happening in Kentucky.

We have Democrats and Republicans working together. We have record job growth, record exports, record tourism. Weve seen low recidivism. Weve seen our drug overdose deaths go down two years in a row, which means were taking care of our people better, Beshear said. And so while its nice to hear your name and things like that, Im just proud of what we have done as a state, and the president and the vice president have been very helpful in making a lot of that happen.

The post Beshear to attend Democratic governors meeting at White House in person appeared first on Kentucky Lantern.
Beshear on CNN: Democratic governors want to know how Biden is doing

Correspondent Pamela Brown interviews Gov. Andy Beshear on CNN Tuesday.

Gov. Andy Beshear says his fellow Democratic governors want to know how President Joe Biden is doing.

In a Tuesday interview on CNNs The Situation Room with correspondent Pamela Brown, Beshear said seeking clarification about the presidents health isnt an attack on his candidacy, but something Americans would respond to positively.

Biden will meet with Democratic governors Wednesday, multiple news outlets have reported, in hopes of shoring up support after his poor performance in last weeks presidential debate.

CBS reports that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, and some governors plan to be at the White House, while others will attend virtually. A spokesperson for Beshear confirmed Wednesday morning that the governor will attend the meeting in person.

On CNN, Beshear noted he and Brown, the daughter of the late Kentucky Gov. John Y. Brown Jr., are from Kentucky, where southern hospitality includes asking someone how they are doing out of concern.

When you see somebody, one of the first things you ask is, How are you doing? And oftentimes we get way too much information in that response, Beshear said. Its something that we are used to talking about. Now, thats part of our culture. So, I dont think its an attack on the White House or an attack on the president  who is a good man and a nice man  to just say, Tell us a little bit more about how youre doing.

Beshears comments come on the heels of the governor telling reporters on Monday he plans to support Biden, 81, as long as he remains in the presidential race. The White House and Biden campaign have continued to fend off questions about the presidents debate performance on CNN last week against former Republican President Donald Trump, 78. Biden spoke softly at several points, coughed and gave somewhat confusing answers throughout the night. Meanwhile, Trump repeated falsehoods, such as election fraud resulting in his 2020 loss.

Over the weekend, speculation about replacing Biden as the Democratic nominee heightened, with Beshear making some national media shortlists as possible alternatives, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

On CNN Tuesday, Beshear said Biden has been good to Kentucky, particularly on infrastructure funding. The governor also warned against a second Trump presidency, saying the idea of an angry, or even a vengeful, president is very concerning, and is something that we should not allow to happen.

Beshear said that both Trump and Biden are the age of grandparents and for parents the choice comes down to: If youve got two separate grandparents that you can leave your kids with  one is kind and has been good to them, maybe stiffer, may have had a bad debate, and one is angry and talks about getting revenge on people  who are you going to trust your kids with? And should we entrust the country with any less?

Beshear repeated that the attention hes received as a possible replacement or a potential running mate for Harris should she move up the ticket is a reflection of Kentuckys success.

We have Democrats and Republicans working together. We have record job growth, record exports, record tourism. Weve seen low recidivism. Weve seen our drug overdose deaths go down two years in a row, which means were taking care of our people better, Beshear said. And so while its nice to hear your name and things like that, Im just proud of what we have done as a state, and the president and the vice president have been very helpful in making a lot of that happen.

Beshear said he has a good relationship with Harris and the two have worked on initiatives like decriminalizing marijuana.

Beshear said the governors hope to have a direct and candid conversation with Biden in their meeting and talk strategy. Beshear added that the governors are very vested in this election, particularly when it comes to abortion rights.

The post Beshear on CNN: Democratic governors want to know how Biden is doing appeared first on Kentucky Lantern.
How would Beshear fare against Trump in presidential race? Here's what a new poll says

Could Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear win an election to become Americas next president?

Beshears name has been floated as a possible replacement on the Democratic ticket following President Joe Biden's poor performance against former President Donald Trump in last week's debate.

But Beshear, who has now twice won the governorship in deep Red Kentucky, lacks national name recognition, with 70% of Democrats in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll saying they had not heard of him.

Governor Andy Beshear is greeted by UofL President Kim Schatzel on the campaign trail at the University of Louisville on Thursday, November 2, 2023

Nevertheless, Beshear polled 36% against Trumps 40% in a hypothetical matchup.

Thats about on par with how other Democratic governors fared against Trump in the poll, which closed Tuesday.

Have a Kentucky politics tip? Let us know here.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer got the support of 36% of respondents against Trumps 41%, while Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker pulled the support of 34% of respondents against Trumps 40%.

The Democratic governors were not far behind the president himself: Biden and Trump each pulled the support 40% of just over 1,000 adults.

Only former first lady Michelle Obama outperformed Trump in the poll. She had the support of half the poll respondents against just 39% for Trump. However, Obama has said she does not plan to run for president.

About a third of the Democrats polled said they thought Biden should not run for re-election after his poor debate performance.

Beshear, Whitmer, Pritzker, and Obama, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore have all been floated as possible Biden replacements at the top of the Democratic ticket.

Democratic governors plan to meet with Biden on Wednesday to discuss his candidacy, including Beshear, who will be heading to the White House in person, campaign strategist Eric Hyers confirmed.

That meeting comes after Democratic governors held a private conference call Monday to discuss the campaign. Beshear, Pritzker, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy were among those on the call.

Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett called on Biden to step aside this week, the first Democratic lawmaker to do so publicly.

The Biden campaign has firmly rejected calls for Biden not to run again. And Beshear appears to continue to support the Biden candidacy.

Earlier this week, Beshear told reporters he found the suggestion that he run for president flattering but that so as long as (Biden) continues to be in the race, I support him.

USA Today contributed to this report.

Reach Rebecca Grapevine at rgrapevine@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @RebGrapevine.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: New poll tests how Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear would fare against Trump
In our In the Spotlight stories, Herald-Leader journalists bring you continuing coverage of news and events important to our Central Kentucky community. Read more. Story idea? hlcityregion@herald-leader.com.

The national media cycle continues to churn through reaction to Democratic President Joe Bidens poor debate performance last week.

And Tuesday night, in a high-profile interview on CNN, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear waded into the discussion.

Appearing opposite Pamela Brown, a Kentucky native and daughter of late governor John Y. Brown, Jr., Beshear was honest in his negative evaluation of Bidens debate night and did not recoil from talks of Beshear becoming the vice presidential nominee alongside current Vice President Kamala Harris if she were to replace Biden on the ticket this year.

I think weve all got to be upfront and honest that what we saw in the debate, it was rough. Its a rough night. and regardless of polls that you see, its going to hurt the campaign, Beshear said.

Beshear couched his comments in praise of the presidents administration, in particular his involvement in getting funding for the Brent Spence Bridge, a key commercial and traffic vein connecting Kentucky and Ohio.

But in the lead-up to a planned meeting of Democratic governors with the president Wednesday, Beshear was frank in his concern following a debate performance that saw Biden, 81, sometimes trail off and struggle to speak coherently.

The governor deferred questions on whether or not Biden ought to run again, saying the decision on continuing or not will fall to him and his family, but Beshear did preview some of the questions he and his colleagues might ask.

I dont think its an attack on the White House or an attack on the President, who is a good man and a nice man, to just say, tell us a little bit more about how youre doing, Beshear said. I think the American people would respond positively to it, and the President has formed a relationship of empathy and of direct communication to the American people.

So I think it will be a wise decision in whatever way they would choose to just address it directly.

"I don't think that there's anything wrong with asking the president to talk to the American people a little more about his health." @GovAndyBeshear responds to calls within the Dem. party for transparency about Biden's health as the presumptive nominee on the @CNNSitRoom. pic.twitter.com/P53a8lsx50  Pamela Brown (@PamelaBrownCNN) July 2, 2024

Though the comments from Beshear that drew the most interest and scrutiny from national media related to Bidens campaign, the governor also used his nine-minute interview to message against former President Donald Trump, 78, turning concerns over Bidens age into a comparison between the two candidates as grandparents.

If youve got two separate grandparents that you can leave your kids with  one is kind and has been good to them, maybe stiffer, may have had a bad debate, and one is angry and talks about getting revenge on people  who are you going to trust your kids with? Should we entrust the country with any less, Beshear asked.

Trump, he said, also bears responsibility for near-total abortion bans being enacted that dont provide rape or incest exceptions, such as the current ban in Kentucky.

Beshear has routinely skewered that aspect of the states ban, which has yet to change since going into effect post-Dobbs in 2022, and made opposition to it a central plank in his successful re-election platform last year.

The governors live interview came as a building chorus of media figures as well as a handful of Democrats are discussing the possibility of, or even calling for, Biden to withdraw from the race. If that were to happen, it would seem that Vice President Kamala Harris would be first among the many Democrats looking to step up.

Beshears popularity on a national scale has been put to test at least once. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday, about 70% of Democrats havent heard of the governor, but he only trails Trump by four percentage points, finishing with 36% of the countrys support compared to 40% for Trump in the poll.

During the interview, Brown said that Harris allies are floating Beshear as a vice presidential candidate with whom shed pair well.

Beshear said he didnt want to speculate, but highlighted his good relationship with Harris. Recently, he attended an event with her on medical marijuana at the White House. He said that his name being tossed around in that context is a reflection of the states positive trajectory.

While its nice to hear your name and things like that, Im just proud of what we have done as a state, and the President and the Vice President have been very helpful in making a lot of that happen, Beshear said.

Beshear and other Democratic governors will meet with Biden Wednesday amid all the chatter surrounding his fitness to win this years race and remain president for another four years. Beshear will attend in-person, his team confirmed to the Herald-Leader.

What will that conversation look like? Beshear gave a preview.

I think the governors just want a direct and candid conversation with the President. We want to make sure hes doing okay, he said. I think we also want to talk about strategy. When governors get out there, we put our own credibility and brands on the line. We are more directly connected to the voters in our area than many other elected officials who maybe have to go to Washington a lot of the week. Were here every day.

I think that governors want to be helpful, just want to make sure when theyre talking one-on-one, with people in our communities that we are giving them accurate and reliable information.
Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden participate in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections at CNN's studios in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Watchingthefirst presidential debate of election season last week was a harrowing experience for many of us. It felt like a reality TV reunion show  one with equal parts foolishness and audacity, just for the ratings.

Trumps boldfaced lies plus Bidens struggle to effectively communicate his points (or effectively shut Trump down) resulted in several now-viral cringey moments that matched the sheer chaos of a Mona Scott production. Is this real life? I wondered. My angst about the upcoming election swelled.

If anything, the debate was a reflection of a two-party political system that just isnt working. Biden and Trump are two (physically, mentally and spiritually) old white men fighting for the most powerful seat in the world, and they dont seem to be connected to us at all. This simply cannot be what we call American politics anymore.

As a young Black voter, I know Im not alone in wanting to move away from a political landscape that demands we commit to the lesser of two evils  especially since living through the blatant criminality involved in a Donald Trump presidency followed by a Joe Biden presidency where we feel completely unheard on crucial issues, like the war in Gaza.

Young Black and Latinx voters account for a huge voter bloc trying to navigate an election where we are broadly not drawn to candidates from either major party. According to a recent Pew research, about 49% of Black voters currently say they would replace both Biden and Trump in the general election if they had the ability to. A considerable number of those dissatisfied voters are Black voters under 40. Young Latinxvoters also account for a large population of voters who are dissatisfied with both candidates, which is raising alarms because they are one of the fastest growing groups of eligible voters.

At the very least both Trump and Biden have made us acutely aware of what we dont want.

I am honestly very dismayed. The last four years have made me realize that both parties, Democratic and Republican, are just two sides of the same coin, says Jessenia Duran, a 31-year-old Latina voter from Brooklyn. The 2020 election really solidified that for me. The pandemic wasnt handled well  nor were the last four years.

Durans biggest concerns are the rollback of womens rights, lack of urgency around climate change, and the U.S. involvement in the violence against Palestinians.

Our collective discontent feels directly related to our nations extreme political polarization and persistence of white supremacist structures. One powerful way to disrupt these is to vote for someone whos fighting for our interests. The problem is, when we have to choose between two politicians who simply dont reflect our beliefs, it makes it harder for some people to step into that voting booth.

I feel disgusted and disappointed. I felt the same way about both candidates in the 2020 election, although somehow Biden appeared to be the better option over Trump four years ago. Now I see both as despicable options, says Ashley Bradshaw, a 30-year-old set designer from New York. She expresses her exhaustion watching lawmakers routinely ignoring the struggles of marginalized people.

Ive started losing trust in a political system that isnt interested in my well being. Im heavily involved in my community, primarily through mutual aid groups, community education initiatives, and being involved with the immigrant community that I grew up in, says 24-year-old Hugo Gonzalez, who also cites his frustrations about this administrations treatment of migrants and rise in deportations.

My peers are intent on building safer and more sustainable for the next generation  and that feels especially challenging when we dont feel were part of the political conversation at large. As much as we would like to separate our identities from our politics, the entanglement of these two constructs is historic.

A quick look into U.S. history will reveal the way identity was used to limit a persons ability to engage in politics. The 1857 Dred Scott Supreme Court ruling legally delegated Black enslaved people as property and, therefore, not protected by the law nor eligible to vote. And though the 13th and 14th Amendments overturned this ruling, Black, Latino and Indigenous women struggled to fully gain the right to vote until as late as the 1960s. Beyond this history, systemic racism makes it so that Black and Latino Americans continue to struggle to exercise their right to vote to this day.

As marginalized people, knowing this history makes voting a practice many of us want to honor. But politicians who ignore calls for domestic and foreign policies that prioritize human life over power and profits make voting for our next president feel like a futile effort.

George Washington, in his farewell address, advised against division, citing that if the U.S. were to ever fall, it would from the inside. In 2024, we are living through his warnings as we are more divided than ever, says Jervelle Federick, a 30-year-old event planner and artist. It is possible to have different ideas and opinions from others and still co-exist, and if our leaders cant do that, its everyones responsibility.

Related...
No prizes for guessing that AI stole everyones attention at Digital Transformation World in Copenhagen this year. In every keynote and session, the two letter acronym left the lips of every single person that took a stage.

It is no wonder that AI dominated the show after so much fanfare already this year. The much hyped technology promises so particularly to birth new use cases that can save costs and generate fresh revenues.

Axiata Group CEO and Executive Director, Dr Hans Wijayasuriya said in his keynote that the telecoms industry can double its size to US$2 trillion dollars if it can move from connectivity to a world where we sell end-to-end solutions. He pointed to AI being a key technology to digitally transform operators into technology companies with this sort of scale and capability. He warned MNOs that do not jump on AI with haste, will be left behind to languish.

On the same panel, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison President Director and CEO Vikram Sinha and Jio Platforms boss Kiran Thomas pointed to how AI can generate GDP growth for Indonesia and India respectively.

TM Forum CEO Nik Willetts pointed out in his speech that only a handful of MNOs are seeing bottom line increases from AI, but added many operators are still early in their digital transformation journeys.

Autonomous networks

In the telecoms space, automation of networks has been viewed as an eventuality to cut down costs but also create new services, and is a key use case for AI in telecoms.

Bradley Mead (pictured, right), Ericsson Head of Managed Network Services, said autonomous networks is ultimately where we need to go as an industry, but acknowledged it is a long journey but starting it is vital.

The ultimate goal for all sectors tapping into AI is to achieve Level 5 said Mead, which means full automation. This is considered the holy grail for all automation projects, regardless of industry - Level 5 is akin to a fully driverless car with no need for a steering wheel, or a network that runs completely by itself with no engineer.

Hopefully it [Level 5] will unlock new revenue streams for operators because ultimately, that's what we all need for the industry to be successful, said Mead.

Sunil Gupta (pictured, left), Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB)s Head of Digital Delivery, spoke about the challenges and opportunities of navigating autonomous networks in Malaysias singular 5G network.

Malaysia has a rather unique telecoms landscape, as the government decreed all six MNOs must equally share a single 5G network run by DNB, which was set up in 2021 to handle the deployment.

Gupta explained this is a Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) set-up, a key innovation in 5G that enables multiple operators to share common infrastructure while maintaining individual services and brands.

The idea was that this would cut down on expensive deployments, reduce rollout time and of course adapt to new technologies such as AI at speed. But in the time that Malaysias government has taken to strike deals with its operators, peers in Asia-Pacific such as Thailand and Indonesia have launched commercial 5G services.

The government had been steadfast in its strategy, betting there will be long-term returns from of its unique plan.

Gupta stressed that having operators share the same infrastructure and keeping their wealth of data private from each other was a key challenge.

To tackle this, DNB with its exclusive vendor Ericsson pushed through with the network being a machine or data driven operation, said Gupta. Through using AI technology, DNB was able to predict in real time where problems on the network would arise - one example was finding out why calls were being dropped in a particular location - and safeguard against it to maintain high levels of service.

Gupta revealed two main targets with its AI-boosted network: to provide enterprise network slicing and autonomous network energy management.

Levels of AI

At another stage, Telkomsels Director of Networks Indra Mardiatna (pictured, above) hailed the Indonesian operators successful implementation of autonomous network technology, highlighting benefits such as customer complaint handling, reduction of manual tasks, and improved NPS scores.

Mardiatna detailed how Telkomsels dive into automating its network has made processes smoother.

He pointed out the legacy way of handling a customer complaint had too many steps for subscribers, taking up valuable time. Now, Telkomsel customers only have to answer two questions, with analysis of their query coming automatically from the network including the root cause.

From this, Mardiatna claimed user complaint handling had improved by 88%, and that Telkomsels NPS score is 20% above the industry average.

Mardiatna noted that Christmas, Ramadan and New Years were three recent events when Telkomsel experienced heavy network traffic. These special days on the calendar used to require a lot of manual tasks to be completed to ensure the network ran smoothly.

Previously when we experienced a push in threshold level, someone would have to execute manually an automation request, but now this can be done by machine, said Mardiatna.

Telkomsels network was 90% automated during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan for crowd management, as worshippers gathered daily at Mosques to pray. Mardiatna stated this worked six times better than having an engineer manually divert traffic to other parts of the network. This led to a 20% decrease in customer complaints, noted Mardiatna.

Looking ahead, Telkomsel is aiming to achieve level 4 AI automation in 2025. But Mardiatna acknowledged a few key challenges must be overcome to hit the target of having a zero touch network - a network that can heal and adjust itself based on the data it collects.

The first challenge that many operators have highlighted is quality of data and improving data validity. Mardiatna said due to poor data in the early days of using AI, the operator saw results that were a complete disaster.

Second, was cost for equipment such as GPUs to install into data centres to tap into AI software. Finally, third was reskilling staff, as the operator has a lot of legacy telco people who need convincing an autonomous network is the way forward.

Despite all of these challenges, we believe autonomous networks will unlock all possibilities. We can achieve more and we believe also we move forward together, concluded Mardiatna.
"God blesses us when we do for others; it's a double blessing always," the Rev. Katie Kelly Hopper said, having just marked her 40th year since ordination and being the newly installed pastor at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Wayne County.

The sun drenched the church and its grounds high on the Bethany hill, as she reflected on her calling and the congregation's service to the community. Their historic New England-style white clapboard church with its towering spire was started in 1823 predating the founding of Honesdale, when little Bethany was still the county seat.

Hopper was hired on March 1 after a two-year search for a full-time pastor, succeeding the Rev. William Blackie. Hopper had been serving nine and a half years at a Presbyterian church in Philipsburg, near State College. She said it was time to move on and was longing for a smaller church like where she began in her pastorate. She found that Bethany was searching for candidates and applied. A lot of prayer went into it on both sides, she affirmed.

The Rev. Katie Kelly Hopper started as pastor at Bethany Presbyterian Church on March 1, 2024, and was installed June 16, the 40th anniversary of her ordination. The church is on Route 670 in Bethany, about three and a half miles north of downtown Honesdale.

Her installation at a special service on June 16 coincided with the anniversary of her ordination on June 16, 1984. A reception was held afterward in the David Wilder House next door.

Among her initiatives at Bethany is the starting of a Stephen Ministry, which identifies and equips willing laypeople to serve the people under her supervision, reaching out to others in time of need. Hopper, who has been trained and licensed in this ministry, said it is a passion of hers. While the lay ministers bless others, they find a blessing in return, she said. They have several in their church interested, and training is coming, she added.

"They are so loving and very welcoming," she said of the Bethany congregation. She said they specialize in reaching older adults. A group from the church regularly visits Bethany Village Senior Living Community to sing, and recently has started visits to Ellen Memorial Health Care Center. Hopper said they plan to have a special summer Bible school in August at Bethany Village, in the spirit of the Vacation Bible School tradition for kids, but in this case, it will be for adults.

"Ministry is fun," she exclaimed. "You go thinking you'll make them feel better, but you go away feeling better."

The Rev. Katie Kelly Hopper at her installation service at Bethany Presbyterian Church on June 1, 2024. At right is the Rev. Bill Carter, who took part in the service along with the Rev. Rhonda Kruse, the Rev. Jimmy Hopper, the Rev. William Samford and the Rev. Mark Juengel; as well as Presbyterian elders Craig Olver, Joan Green, David Oriel, Linda Zimmer and Janet Kephart. The sermon was delivered by the Rev. Donald Wilson, a childhood friend of Hopper.

Hopper said she is theologically conservative but is open to all and keeps politics out of it. She said, "They will never know how I vote," noting anyone may need pastoral care, no matter their differences.

Hopper is a trained soprano and enjoys singing in community choruses and musicals when time allows. She said she is eager to serve the community on boards and ministries. Among her interests are swimming, leisure reading, decorating her home, watching old movies and shopping. She is married to the Rev. Jimmy Hopper, a retired Presbyterian minister. They have two grown children, a daughter in Scranton and a son in Clearwater, Florida.

Hopper said she was 16 when she started college and was 23 when she was ordained. She graduated from Louisiana State University in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts in history and English. She then graduated from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity in 1984 and from McCormick Theological Seminary with a Doctor of Ministry in 1995. She has served as a pastor at churches in Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, Illinois, Iowa and Pennsylvania.

Youth and childrens ministries, devotional writing, short-term crisis counseling, pastoral care with all ages, pastoral visitation and home Communions, and baptisms are also among her favorite vocational activities.

"I make sure my folks know when they leave every Sunday that they've been hugged by God," the Rev. Katie Kelly Hopper stated. She is the new pastor at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Wayne County.

Bethany Presbyterian Church has invited all to meet Hopper at the church on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. Communion is served on the first Sunday of each month.

"I make sure my folks know when they leave every Sunday that they've been hugged by God," Hopper said.

Visit bethanypresbychurch.com or call 570-253-6316 for more information.

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Rev. Katie Hopper is the new pastor at Bethany Presbyterian Church
President Joe Bidens reelection campaign warned in a new ad that Donald Trump could be unbound if he returns to the White House following this weeks Supreme Court ruling giving presidents expansive immunity from criminal prosecution.

Nearly 250 years ago, America was founded in defiance of a king, under the belief that no one is above the law, not even the president  until now, says the narrator in the ad, which was released ahead of the Independence Day holiday.

The same Trump Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade ruled that the president can ignore the law, even to commit a crime  because Donald Trump asked them to, the narrator adds. Hes already led an insurrection, and threatened to be a dictator on day one. Donald Trump can never hold this office again.

Bidens campaign said the ad will air in battleground states and on television networks that draw younger, more diverse audiences, including ESPN, Bravo and Comedy Central.

In a controversial 6-3 decision Monday, the Supreme Courts conservative justices shielded Trump from legal liability for some of his actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, namely those that were official in nature, such as his conversations with Justice Department officials.

The high court sent the case back to a lower court to determine what conduct alleged in his indictment for election subversion is immune from prosecution. This includes his pressuring of local officials to create fraudulent slates of electors in states he lost in the 2020 presidential contest.

But the decision was viewed largely as a victory for Trump, effectively making a trial on his election subversion charges impossible before the November 2024 election.

Biden slammed the ruling Monday, calling it a dangerous precedent that fundamentally reshapes the power of the presidency.

Any president, including Donald Trump, will now be free to ignore the law, Biden said in an address at the White House.

Biden campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler also argued that the high courts decision frees Trump to pursue his agenda unchecked, invoking several statements made by the Republican as he seeks to reclaim the Oval Office.

Everything hes pledged so far on the campaign trail  termination of the Constitution, imprisoning his political opponents, and yes, ruling as a dictator if he gets the chance  are up for grabs because of this decision, Tyler said.

The ad comes amid intense scrutiny regarding Bidens political future after a shaky debate performance last week against Trump. Some Democrats have called on Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race so a younger alternative can replace him, citing the threat to democracy if Trump wins as a reason for the incumbent president to step aside.

Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Bidens first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) said on Tuesday.
People sit with their feet in the fountain at the World War II Monument amidst a heat wave on the National Mall on June 19, 2024 in Washington, D.C. Temperatures in Washington reached 98 degrees as heat rose drastically throughout the East Coast. (Photo by Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Senior Biden administration officials announced a proposed rule Tuesday to prevent heat-related illness in the workplace, as climate change brings hotter temperatures around the nation.

In a call to reporters Monday, officials spoke on background about the new rule, which the administration sent to the Federal Register Tuesday for review. Depending on the heat index, the rule would require employers to monitor workers heat exposure, provide cool-down areas and take mandatory cool-down breaks.

This new rule comes as extreme temperatures will engulf much of the country at some point during the year. Heat waves occur more frequently now compared to the 1960s, from an average of two per year to six in the 2020s, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency. Heat waves have also increased in duration and intensity.

Officials also pointed to record-breaking heat waves in June, high temperature predictions for the Fourth of July holiday and above-average predicted temperatures for July.

The rule would cover 35 million workers whose job responsibilities include being in the heat and require activities that could raise core body temperatures. This includes those working in construction, agriculture and landscaping, as well as those in indoor environments, like kitchen workers, who are exposed to heat indexes of 80 degrees or higher.

A notable aspect of the proposed rule includes acclimatization requirements. New or returning workers who are not used to the heat levels must be given a gradual increase in workload or a 15-minute rest break every two hours.

According to a senior administration official, 75% of workers who die on the job due to heat-related illnesses die in the first week. This rule would significantly reduce the number of worker-related deaths, injuries and illnesses, the official said.

Along with this new rule, the administration officials announced $1 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency funding for 93 different communities and tribal nations. This includes $50 million to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for stormwater pumping to mitigate flooding and $6 million to Greensboro, North Carolina for an improved flood drainage channel.

Through FEMAs Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, the funding will go towards developing infrastructure that is more prepared to handle extreme weather events.

Officials pointed to increases in wildfires, hurricanes and flooding as growing concerns for Americans.

In addition to posing direct threats to lives and livelihoods, major weather events have significant economic impacts, said one official.

Another senior official from the administration spoke of how these announced actions are part of President Joe Bidens larger commitment to strengthen the country against the growing threats of climate change.

We are taking action, bold action, historic action and action thats delivering real meaningful, visible difference on the ground, the official said.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Biden administration announces new rule to protect workers from heat-related illnesses appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 19: People sit with their feet in the fountain at the World War II Monument amidst a heat wave on the National Mall on June 19, 2024 in Washington, DC. Temperatures in Washington reached 98 degrees as heat rose drastically throughout the East Coast. (Photo by Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)

Senior Biden administration officials announced a proposed rule Tuesday to prevent heat-related illness in the workplace, as climate change brings hotter temperatures around the nation.

In a call to reporters Monday, officials spoke on background about the new rule, which the administration sent to the Federal Register Tuesday for review. Depending on the heat index, the rule would require employers to monitor workers heat exposure, provide cool-down areas and take mandatory cool-down breaks.

This new rule comes as extreme temperatures will engulf much of the country at some point during the year. Heat waves occur more frequently now compared to the 1960s, from an average of two per year to six in the 2020s, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency. Heat waves have also increased in duration and intensity.

Officials also pointed to record-breaking heat waves in June, high temperature predictions for the Fourth of July holiday and above-average predicted temperatures for July.

The rule would cover 35 million workers whose job responsibilities include being in the heat and require activities that could raise core body temperatures. This includes those working in construction, agriculture and landscaping, as well as those in indoor environments, like kitchen workers, who are exposed to heat indexes of 80 degrees or higher.

A notable aspect of the proposed rule includes acclimatization requirements. New or returning workers who are not used to the heat levels must be given a gradual increase in workload or a 15-minute rest break every two hours.

According to a senior administration official, 75% of workers who die on the job due to heat-related illnesses die in the first week. This rule would significantly reduce the number of worker-related deaths, injuries and illnesses, the official said.

Along with this new rule, the administration officials announced $1 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency funding for 93 different communities and tribal nations. This includes $50 million to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for stormwater pumping to mitigate flooding and $6 million to Greensboro, North Carolina for an improved flood drainage channel.

Through FEMAs Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, the funding will go towards developing infrastructure that is more prepared to handle extreme weather events.

Officials pointed to increases in wildfires, hurricanes and flooding as growing concerns for Americans.

In addition to posing direct threats to lives and livelihoods, major weather events have significant economic impacts, said one official.

Another senior official from the administration spoke of how these announced actions are part of President Joe Bidens larger commitment to strengthen the country against the growing threats of climate change.

We are taking action, bold action, historic action and action thats delivering real meaningful, visible difference on the ground, the official said.

The post Biden administration announces new rule to protect workers from heat-related illnesses appeared first on Oklahoma Voice.
Biden had scheduled naps during debate prep after he blames jet lag for disastrous performance

Joe Biden claims his poor performance at last weeks presidential debate was due to being tired after traveling around the world a couple of times in the days before the debate.

The 81-year-old said he almost fell asleep on stage during his Thursday clash with Donald Trump.

Biden was exhausted from back-to-back trips to Europe, prompting his team to cut his debate preparation sessions by two days to allow him to rest at his Delaware beach house. The preparations lasted for six days, never beginning before 11am and Biden was afforded time for a nap in the afternoon each day, one source told The Times.

It comes as many, including those from his party, have further questioned the presidents cognitive ability and whether he would be up to the role for four more years, should he be re-elected in November.

Biden, speaking at a private fundraiser in McLean, Virginia, on Tuesday, said he "wasnt very smart" for his trips before the debate.

I didnt have my best night ... I decided to travel around the world a couple of times, going through I dont know how many time zones  I figure it was about 50 time zones  in the couple of weeks before the debate, he said.

And I didnt listen to my staff. And I came back and I fell asleep onstage.

Attendees at the fundraiser took his remarks to be a self-deprecating joke and responded with laughter, at which point Biden said he was offering an explanation, not an excuse.

In remarks shared by pool reporters who attended a private fundraiser in Virginia on Tuesday, Biden said he wasnt very smart for traveling around the world a couple of times before debate (Reuters)

Bidens schedule was filled with national and international travel in the days and weeks leading up to the debate, during which he spoke in a raspy voice, paused for long periods, and appeared to lose his train of thought.

On June 16, he hosted a glitzy fundraiser event in Los Angeles  some 2,000 miles from the debate venue in Atlanta  alongside stars including George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Barbra Streisand, where he raised some $30m for his campaign.

Several days earlier, he had been at his family home in Wilmington, Delaware, following the guilty verdict against his son, Hunter Biden.

The week before, he had joined other world leaders in France for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 6  some 4,200 miles from Atlanta.

Bidens comments come as his campaign tries to play down the age factor in the presidential race. As the oldest-ever serving president, Biden would be 82 by the time he took the oath of office for the second time in January 2025  should he win.

Two weeks before his disastrous debate performance, Biden attended a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles  some 2,000 miles away (X/@mmpadellan)

It comes as many senior allies of Biden, including Nancy Pelosi, have voiced concerns about Bidens mental acuity and health. The former House speaker said voters questions were legitimate and called on both candidates to undergo testing.

I think its a legitimate question to say, Is this an episode or is this a condition, Pelosi told MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, Rep Lloyd Doggett of Texas has called for Biden to end his re-election campaign, marking the first time a sitting Democratic member of Congress has supported the president dropping out of the race.

Biden has run substantially behind other Democratic candidates in high-stakes races, has trailed Trump in most polls, and then failed to expose his Republican rivals lies during the debate, Doggett said. Our overriding consideration must be who has the best hope of saving our democracy from an authoritarian takeover by a criminal and his gang.

In an op-ed for Newsweek, former Democratic congressman Tim Ryan called on Vice-President Kamala Harris to replace Biden as the partys nominee.

However, the optics of Thursdays debate and Bidens claims of sleep deprivation come following accusations that, behind closed doors, the president is said to be a long way from the softly-spoken, timid man who appeared on stage.

An anonymous senior administration official previously told Politico that Biden often unleashes his wrath upon staff, so much so that aides that pull together the presidents formal briefings are known to tiptoe around topics that could spark red-hot fury from him during meetings.

Its like, You cant include that, that will set him off, or Put that in, he likes that, they said. Because he is not a pleasant person to be around when hes being briefed. Its very difficult, and people are scared s***less of him.

Advisers and allies have grown worried by recent incidents, such as when Biden appeared confused during a D-Day anniversary event in France on June 6. The following day, during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden misstated the purpose of fresh military aid to the country.

A few days later, on June 10, Biden seemed to freeze up during an early Juneteenth celebration.
(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden blamed travel plans that took him to France and Italy in the weeks ahead of his disastrous debate against Donald Trump for his poor performance on stage, seeking to explain a moment that has upended the 2024 race and imperiled his reelection prospects.

Most Read from Bloomberg

I didnt have my best night but the fact is that you know, I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones. For real, I think it was about 15 time zones, Biden told Democratic donors at a Tuesday fundraiser in Virginia.

Didnt listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage. Thats no excuse but it is an explanation, Biden said, offering some of his most extended remarks yet on his condition during the first debate with Trump this election cycle.

Biden in June went to France for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings and a state dinner. He returned to Europe days later for the Group of Seven leaders summit, which was followed by a trip to Los Angeles for a celebrity-laden fundraiser. Before his encounter with Trump in Atlanta, Biden spent more than a week out of the public eye, visiting his vacation home in Delaware and preparing for the debate at Camp David.

The jet lag explanation came after Bidens advisers had previously chalked up his shaky performance to a cold. He was still struggling with the illness but had not taken medicine before his debate with Trump, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday.

Bidens disastrous performance touched off a storm of Democratic angst, escalating worries about his fitness and leaving party members to openly call for him to stand aside. To counter that, Biden this week plans to meet with Democratic governors and lawmakers, travel to two battleground states and sit for his first televised interview in an attempt to reassure anxious supporters.

The peril Biden faces as he presses on with his reelection campaign only heightened earlier Tuesday, when Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first sitting US House Democrat to call on him to exit the race and new polls showed the presidents support fading.

The presidents troubles were further exacerbated by a report in the New York Times that cited US and foreign officials expressing concern over a series of instances in which he seemed to be struggling.

Bidens meeting Wednesday with the governors is expected to be held virtually, with many joining via video call, according to people familiar with the matter. But a spokesman for Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, says he will be at the White House. Governor Gavin Newsom of California will also attend, according to the Sacramento Bee.

ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos will interview Biden on Friday.

Biden plans to travel on Friday to Wisconsin and to Philadelphia on Sunday then hold a press conference next week at the NATO summit in Washington, Jean-Pierre announced Tuesday. The president is also expected to speak with leaders on Capitol Hill, she said.

Were going to turn the page. Were going to get out there across the country. Americans are going to see him for themselves, Jean-Pierre told reporters.

White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients will also hold an all-hands meeting on Wednesday and is expected to emphasize the importance of continuing to execute on the administrations mission, according to people familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity. The meeting, set for 12:30 p.m. local time, is scheduled to last 15 minutes.

Democratic Fears

The effort is meant to counter brewing discontent among top Democratic donors, aides and elected officials over what happened at the debate, which has deepened their fears that Trump will return to the White House.

Three quarters of US voters said Democrats would have a better chance of retaining control of the White House if someone else was atop the ticket, according to a CNN poll released Tuesday. Biden polled worse in head-to-head match ups than other prominent Democrats  including governors like Californias Gavin Newsom and Michigans Gretchen Whitmer  who are expected to be on Wednesdays call.

Puck, a news site, also published a leaked memo from a pollster for a leading Democratic political action committee, finding that Bidens favorability numbers plummeted after the debate in the largest single-week drop in nearly three years.

Earlier: Biden Plummets in Leaked Democratic Polling Memo, Puck Says

Prominent Democrats have begun to wonder aloud about the presidents mental state.

It is a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is it a condition? former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday on MSNBC. So when people ask that question it is legitimate, of both candidates.

The governors meeting, reported earlier by CBS News, is a chance for Biden to persuade them he should remain the partys standard bearer as some privately harbor concerns about Bidens viability. Whitmer said Monday that she stands behind the president, pushing back against suggestions there were tensions between her team and Bidens.

Despite the fears about Bidens candidacy in many corners of the Democratic Party, no top lawmakers, governors or cabinet officials have publicly said the president should end his campaign. Newsom and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker have also issued statements supportive of Biden.

Too Much Is at Stake

News of the meeting with Biden came a day after Democratic governors held their own call, during which some expressed concern about the president and said they wanted to speak to him, CNN reported. Bidens team was in touch with the governors and their staffs about Mondays meeting, according to a Democratic official.

Vice President Kamala Harris also plans to have lunch with Biden on Wednesday, according to a White House official. The two have shared midday meals on a semi-regular basis but this one comes at a time when she has also been mentioned as a possible stand-in for Biden.

Biden, however, received unwelcome news on Tuesday when Doggett released his statement. Too much is at stake to risk a Trump victory, Doggett said.

The president and his team have sought to shift the publics focus away from his mental fitness and onto Trumps conduct following the Supreme Courts decision that the former president is partly immune from criminal prosecution. That argument represents Bidens narrow path to victory, but thus far his case has fallen flat with voters.

The president in a Monday speech at the White House called on voters to render a judgment on whether the presumptive Republican nominees involvement in his supporters Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol makes him unfit for public office.

Blame Game

Bidens team also touted his $127 million June fundraising haul to counter post-debate angst. Thats $15 million more than Trump raised last month, though the Republican now has a cash advantage. Campaign officials, including chairwoman Jennifer OMalley Dillon, on Monday held a question-and-answer session with donors intended at reassuring them that Biden has a path to victory, according to people familiar with the call.

After acknowledging the debate went poorly, Bidens campaign went on the offensive against party figures and media personalities who have called on him to drop out of the 2024 race, labeling them disloyal bed wetters.

Members of Bidens family and donors have also blamed the presidents close-knit circle of advisers for last Thursdays debacle against Trump. But Bidens apparent refusal to even consider a campaign shakeup has rattled outside Democrats who are calling for a course correction.

The Democratic National Committee is considering formally nominating Biden as soon as mid-July, according to people familiar with the matter. The move is intended to ensure that Biden makes the ballot in all 50 states this November, but it could also help stamp out talk about replacing him. A potential date for Bidens nomination is July 21 when a key party panel is scheduled to meet virtually, the people said.

--With assistance from Billy House and Nacha Cattan.

(Updates with Newsom attending meeting, in ninth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Democrats are growing increasingly frustrated by President Bidens reelection campaigns attempts at painting a rosy picture after his disastrous debate performance.

Some say the campaign is trying to convince Democrats to move on quickly and not worry about the debate, while others feel they are being gaslit by those trying to convince the party the president can rebound.

I really do criticize the campaign for a dismissive attitude towards people who are raising questions for discussion. Thats just facing the reality that were in, Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) told Semafor.

Former aides to President Obama in particular have piled on the criticism toward the Biden campaigns response to concerned Democrats, calling it insulting that they would be dismissed.

This is not the right approach, to kind of scold people and dismiss people  and to accuse people of not caring about beating Trump, former Obama deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said on MSNBC. If theyre going to stick with this, they gotta wrap their arms around everybody and say, Lets do this together instead of making the enemy the media or people that they dont like things that they say online.

Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau also told The New York Times that the campaign had the wrong response to Thursdays debate.

Guess what  millions of Americans saw that, Favreau said. You cant just tell people who are criticizing that theyre bed-wetters and crazy.

After Bidens sluggish demeanor and inability to finish his thoughts during the CNN debate against Trump, Democratic operatives, former aides and even some lawmakers began conversations about whether its time for him to step aside.

While the campaign spent much of the days after the debate trying to calm the nerves of party leaders and donors, part of the cleanup, some Democrats describe, has been to dismiss the anxieties about Biden losing if hes at the top of the ticket. The campaign sent out an email over the weekend saying the bedwetting brigade is calling for Joe Biden to drop out.

You cant say that the future of American democracy is at stake and then tell anyone concerned about the debate last night to stop bed-wetting or grow a spine. Its fing insulting to people who care deeply about the country and know how much is on the line, former Obama aide Tommy Vietor wrote on the social platform X.

During a call with donors, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) didnt take questions, so attendees couldnt express their concerns. The DNC articulated a path and said its going to be OK, one party bundler said.

It is kind of Orwellian, these claims that people are being told Dont look at what you saw, thats not real. Thats what George Orwell said in 1984, the bundler added.

A DNC member from Colorado said he felt there was gaslighting on the call, arguing it didnt address the debate issues and instead, Democrats were expected to just be cheerleaders for Biden.

There were a number of things that could have been said in addressing the situation. But we didnt get that. We were being gaslit, Joe Salazar, an elected DNC member from Colorado, told The Associated Press.

When asked about Salazars comment, the bundler who was on the call responded, I think its fair.

Democrats feel the campaign and DNC arent laying out how Biden comes out on the other side of this situation, particularly as calls mount for him to drop out of the race. On Tuesday, Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first congressional Democrat to call for Biden to get off the ticket.

You dont need to be a political expert or spend 30 years in Washington to know that, like, that didnt go well. And people are going to want to know what the plan [is], a former Clinton administration aide said. And they havent answered it yet. Thats the thing, if the answer is That was a bad night, he had a cold, dont believe your lying eyes  Jesus.

The White House made an effort Tuesday not to dismiss questions from reporters during its first briefing since the debate, but also dodged questions over the presidents mental fitness.

I see it as a legitimate question, I do. And I understand; it is a fair question to ask. The president sees it as a legitimate question, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said while being peppered with questions. We are acknowledging what people are seeing.

Longtime Democratic operatives have been quick to hit Biden over his debate performance. James Carville, who was an adviser to former President Clinton, has said Biden should be replaced, and David Axelrod, a senior adviser to Obama, said Trump would face trouble if Biden is replaced at the top of the ticket.

While some Democrats are defending Biden, including leadership such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), there are concerns about him at the top of the ticket outside of the political circles, too.

A new CNN poll found that 75 percent of voters think Democrats have a better shot without Biden.

Theyve been telling everybody for two years, Oh its all fine, a Democratic lobbyist and donor said. And when someone like David Axelrod picks his head up and says, Well maybe hed [be] too old, they freak out and attack him. Well, we all saw 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.
Biden and the Democrats can't decide what to blame the disastrous debate on

Biden and the Democrats can't decide what to blame the disastrous debate on

Biden's campaign has put forth a series of reasons trying to explain his bad debate performance.

First it was a cold, then bad prep, and now jet lag.

The explanations come as pressure grows for Biden to step aside and make way for a replacement.

President Joe Biden has offered a new explanation for his disastrous debate performance: jet lag.

Biden's performance at the June 27 debate with former President Donald Trump was at times marked by slurring, vacant expressions, and incoherent sentences.

"Didn't listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep onstage," Biden said at a fundraising event on Tuesday, addressing the topic of the debate. "That's no excuse but it is an explanation."

He added that he "wasn't very smart" about how he used his time before the debate.

"I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones," Biden said.

Other reasons for his poor performance

The jet-lag explanation, however, deviates from the one his campaign put out days ago.

On debate night, a Biden campaign source told The Wall Street Journal that Biden had a cold going into the event.

And the Biden camp's explanations don't end there.

Multiple media reports indicate that the blame game continues behind the scenes, with several parties speculating that Biden's top aides failed to prepare him for the showdown with Trump.

Behind closed doors, members of his family have argued that the top aides who prepped Biden should be demoted or fired, per Politico . They pointed fingers at a Biden senior advisor, Anita Dunn; her husband, Bob Bauer, who is Biden's personal attorney; and Biden's former chief of staff, Ron Klain.

Three anonymous sources told Politico that the Biden family criticized the three aides  all of whom helped train Biden for the CNN debate  for not preparing him well enough to go on the offensive.

The Biden blame game

Post-debate, Biden critics and supporters alike have been speculating whether his age might kill the Democratic ticket's chances of winning in 2024.

On that front, the Biden camp has admitted the obvious: The president is old.

When asked at a White House press conference Tuesday whether "Biden's cognitive decline" was "an episode or a condition," his press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said he was not a young man and that "he's a little slower than he used to be."

At a post-debate campaign event in North Carolina on Friday, Biden himself said, "Folks, I might not walk as easily or talk as smoothly as I used to. I might not debate as well as I used to."

"But what I do know is how to tell the truth," he added.

Donors have also weighed in. The Democratic megadonor John Morgan said Biden needs to eliminate his "cabal," which includes Dunn and Bauer.

"I think he has misplaced trust in these three people, and I believe he has from the inception," Morgan told Politico.

Another longtime Democratic donor, Whitney Tilson, wrote on X that he felt "deceived" by Biden's poor showing .

"If the man I saw at the debate is the real Joe Biden right now, then it would be a waste of my time and money to support him because he has almost no chance of beating Trump," Tilson wrote.

Anxiety grows within the Democratic Party's ranks

Elected Democrats previously loyal to Biden have raised fresh doubts about the president's capabilities to run for a second term and are adding to the voices asking him to step aside.

A House Democratic aide told Reuters that 25 Democrats are preparing to call Biden to quit the race. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas was the first, calling on the president to step aside on Tuesday.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll on Tuesday also revealed anxiety in the party, with one in three Democrats saying Biden should quit the race in favor of a replacement.

Several names have been floated as potential Biden replacements, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

Representatives for Biden didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
At the people's pace Yesterday it was in Caimanera, the day before in Santiago de Cuba, and tomorrow who knows where: what is happening in Cuba is a redefinition of power relationships.

One of the most interesting phenomena in recent times in Cuba is, undoubtedly, the high level of empowerment that the people are demonstrating. The so-called average Cuban, so often maligned both on and off the island, has become the perpetual protagonist of demonstrations of all kinds and sizes in a process that the regime finds alarming and that overturns the most common stereotypes about what power is and how it is accumulated and deployed. Despite all the real and concrete evidence in recent times, it is still very often heard (too often, perhaps) that Cubans just want to leave the country, that if they are given a little food they will calm down or, as I have heard some "Cubanologists" claim, they lack the ability to seek change for themselves.

Nothing could be further from reality. It is curious that these arguments come, in most cases, from people who are outside the country and, therefore, enjoy peace of mind because they eat whatever they want every day and do not need or seek changes in their daily routines. These are unfair arguments advanced by people totally disconnected from the Cuban reality. The truth is that the criticisms that might be leveled in relation to Cubans' inability to organize and pose an important civic challenge to the system are so slight that they pale before the facts and figures pointing in just the opposite direction.

It should be noted that this is not something coincidental or fleeting. When a phenomenon is recurs in time and space it ceases to be speculation and becomes a trend. The events of 11-J are an example of this type in Cuba; thousands of Cubans took to the streets across the country demanding freedom, democracy, and an end to the dictatorship. The protests lasted until July 12 and 13 and, according to calculations by various NGOs and independent observers, both inside and outside Cuba, the number of participants exceeded 100,000 in more than 50 towns and cities all across the country, in what was, to date, the most significant non-violent action on the island.

That impressive display of power in numbers, beyond the subsequent repression, also led to concessions by the regime, which, although initially minimal, such as repairing certain streets or restoring homes in specific places, were succeeded by relaxed Customs regulations and other measures in the economic sphere, demonstrating a process of action and reaction that must be encouraged and reinforced. The equation is presented as follows: if people protest, the regime gives in somehow; it is all a question of how they protest and what their demands are. After 2021 there have been hundreds of miniature 11-Js every year, like the aftershocks of that massive earthquake, which shook up patterns of behavior that defined citizens' relationship with the State.

This is nothing new, but rather accords with precedents set across time and space. Successful movements in history have managed to escalate their demands from minimalist campaigns to maximalist ones. Surprisingly, some people believe that demonstrations are counterproductive and that it is advisable for change to come from the top down, soft landings mislabelled "transitions", another abused term. Historical experience teaches us that dictatorial regimes, especially those of a Communist nature, do not change or begin to engage in dialogue out of some sudden epiphany. As the etymology of the word suggests, there must be a transit, a shift from one system of government to another, from one set of political and social relationships to another, and for this another transformation is essential: one in the people's mentality.

An excellent study by Freedom House, entitled How Freedom Was Won: From Civil Resistance to Enduring Democracy, demonstrates with facts and figures how Eastern European countries that saw people-driven changes, in a non-violent way, forged democracies (Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Czechoslovakia, etc.), while those that underwent top-down changes (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, etc.) ended up with new forms of dictatorship.

What is happening in Cuba is a redefinition of power relationships as a result of actions that generate results  as slight as they may seem at first being taken by Cubans confronting situations of oppression. Yesterday it was in Caimanera, the day before in Santiago de Cuba. Tomorrow who knows where it will be, but what is certain is that this unrest will recur, and this undermines the system's capacity to respond, as it cannot put out fires at the same time it is forced to employ selective repression in a vain attempt to induce fear. The protests continue, when and how the people want them to; maybe not at the rate some would like to see, but at the pace at which the people are marching.

At the end of the day, the people are setting the pace, not an old dictator in danger of extinction, or foreign visions of any kind. Whoever controls the clock manages the dynamics of any conflict. Thus, it is no use crying over spilled milk because, in Cuba, the situation has reached a point where people pick it up again however they can, to ease their hunger. Faced with such a harrowing situation, academic disquisitions or cafe philosophies lose whatever relevance they might have in other contexts.

When will all these processes come together to produce a final result? No one has a crystal ball to predict this. But, in the meantime, it is more prudent to encourage action rather than scorn it in favor of some supposedly supreme intellectual reason. Rather than being relevant, it is necessary to be effective. After all, as the great Cuban poet Jose Angel Buesa would say, hurrying has never been elegant.
If Biden drops out, who could replace him? Harris does better against Trump in polls

As questions grow about President Joe Biden's future as the Democratic nominee in November's election, some voters already have indicated their preferences for potential successors on the ticket.

Kamala Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris is seen as a likely top contender, according to polling after Thursday's debate, where Biden gave a poor performance.

PHOTO: Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks on reproductive rights at Ritchie Coliseum on the campus of the University of Maryland, June 24, 2024, in College Park, Maryland. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

In a potential matchup between Harris and former President Donald Trump, Harris and Trump were nearly tied with 42% supporting her and 43% supporting the former president, according to a Ipsos poll released Tuesday.

The same poll, which interviewed 1,070 registered voters nationwide and had a margin of error of +/- 3.5%, found that Biden and Trump each had 40% support.

Another poll released by CNN Tuesday found that a matchup between the vice president and Trump resulted in a 45-47% split between Harris and Trump compared to the 43%-49% split between Biden and Trump.

MORE: Biden privately signals 'open mind' on path forward, sees next few days as critical: Sources

The CNN poll sampled 1,274 registered voters and had a margin of error of +/- 3.5%.

Harris has been on the campaign trail touting Biden's accomplishments and has backed the president since his debate.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris wave to members of the audience after speaking at a campaign rally at Girard College, May 29, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

"Look, Joe Biden is our nominee. We beat Trump once, and we're going to be him again," she told CBS News Tuesday evening.

Gretchen Whitmer

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who won reelection in 2022, has been seen as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate. She has pushed back against Republican critics including Trump, particularly ones who criticized her pandemic policies.

The Ipsos poll had Whitmer trailing Trump 36% to 41% in a 2024 race while the CNN poll had her 42% to Trump's 47%.

PHOTO: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers her State of the State address, Jan. 24, 2024, at the state Capitol in Lansing, Mich. (Al Goldis/AP)

Whitmer, who was scheduled to attend an meeting at the White House with the president and other Democratic governors Wednesday, defended Biden's debate performance in a statement Friday.

MORE: 'A direct and candid conversation': Democratic governors speak out before meeting with Biden

"Joe Biden is running to serve the American people. Donald Trump is running to serve Donald Trump. The difference between Joe Bidens vision for making sure everyone in America has a fair shot and Donald Trumps dangerous, self-serving plans will only get sharper as we head toward November," she said.

Gavin Newsom

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been a staunch Democrat on several national issues including women's rights, immigration and the economy. He successfully won a recall election last year.

In the Ipsos poll, Newsom fared 39% to Trump's 42% and in the CNN poll he received 43% to the former president's 48%.

PHOTO: California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks to the members of the press on the day of the first presidential debate hosted by CNN in Atlanta, Georgia, June 27, 2024. (Marco Bello/Reuters)

Newsom pushed back against calls from Democrats for Biden to step down in an interview with MSNBC shortly after Thursday's debate.

"I think it's unhelpful and unnecessary," he said. "We have to have the back of this president. You don't turn your back because of one performance. What party does that?"

Andy Beshear

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has been viewed as a rising star in the south after he won reelection in the deep red state last year.

The Ipsos poll showed a Beshear-Trump match-up would result in a 36%-40% split between him and the former president. The CNN poll did not survey respondents about Beshear being a potential successor.

PHOTO: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks in the Rotunda of the state Capitol, Mar 26, 2024, in Frankfort, Ky. (Timothy D. Easley/AP)

Beshear said he did not want to talk about the speculation during an interview on CNN Tuesday.

"My name coming up, it's flattering as a person to hear, but I think it's more about the good things going on in Kentucky," he said. "And so while it's nice to hear your name and things like that, I'm just proud of what we have done as a state. And the president and the vice president have been very helpful in making a lot of that happen."

J.B. Pritzker

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been a vocal Biden surrogate from the beginning of the 2024 campaign and has constantly criticized Trump over his far-right policies, rhetoric and his criminal conviction.

The Ipsos poll found that 34% of voters would choose Pritzker if he were on the ticket versus 40% for Trump. Pritzker's name wasn't floated by CNN's pollsters, however, he told the network Tuesday that Biden will be the Democratic nominee "unless he makes some other decision."

PHOTO: J.B. Pritzker, governor of Illinois, during the International Economic Forum of the Americas Conference of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, June 12, 2024. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"For me anyway, my word is my bond. I honor my commitments. Joe Biden is going to be our nominee unless he decides otherwise," Pritzker said. "I think that theres a healthy conversation that will happen with the president, I hope, expressing what he intends to do going forward in the campaign and reassuring everybody that this is the right course."

Pete Buttigieg

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was one of the rising stars of the 2020 Democratic primary season both on the campaign trail and in debates.

The former South Bend, Indiana, mayor was a major surrogate for Biden in 2020 after he bowed out of the race, going on several media appearances to tout Biden's record and call out Trump's performance.

PHOTO: Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg testifies before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, June 27, 2024, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

In the CNN poll, 43% of respondents picked Buttigieg compared to 47% for Trump. Ipsos did not float Buttigieg as a potential candidate in their poll.

MORE: Can Biden bounce back from rough debate?

He dismissed calls to remove Biden from the ticket during an interview with MSNBC Friday.

"Joe Biden is our candidate and our president because he is the best person to lead this country forward," he said.

Michelle Obama

Former first lady Michelle Obama has repeatedly said she has no interest entering the presidential race for years. Her name, however, keeps coming up as potential candidate.

"At no point have I ever said, I think I want to run. Ever," Michelle Obama said in a 2023 interview with Oprah Winfrey. "Politics is hard. And the people who get into it, its just like marriage, its just like kids, youve got to want it. Its got to be in your soul, because it is so important. It is not in my soul."

PHOTO: Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama attends Opening Night celebrating '50 years of equal pay' at the 2023 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Aug. 28, 2023, in New York City. (Jean Catuffe/GC Images)

However, in the Ipsos poll, the former first lady appeared to strike a chord with some voters.

Michelle Obama led Trump 50% to 39%.

ABC News' Oren Oppenheim and Brittany Shepherd contributed to this report.

If Biden drops out, who could replace him? Harris does better against Trump in polls originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
White House denies report that Biden is weighing whether to stay in election race

By Ismail Shakil and Katharine Jackson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The White House dismissed as "absolutely false" a New York Times report on Wednesday that said U.S. President Joe Biden had told an ally he was weighing whether to continue his bid for reelection in November.

The report was based on a conversation the Times said Biden had with an unnamed "key ally," who was quoted as saying the president knew he needs to quickly reassure the public he can still do the job.

Biden's shaky debate performance against Republican rival Donald Trump in Atlanta last week has sparked calls for him to step aside as the Democratic candidate for the Nov. 5 election.

In a post on social media platform X, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates wrote: "This claim is absolutely false". The spokesperson's comment was posted along with an image of the New York Times story, which carried the headline: "Biden Told Ally That He Is Weighing Whether To Continue in the Race".

The text of the Times report did not include a reference to Biden explicitly saying he is reconsidering his reelection bid.

The report quoted the ally as saying that Biden "knows if he has two more events like that, we're in a different place" by the end of the weekend.

CNN later reported a similar conversation with an unnamed ally, who was quoted as saying that Biden is "not oblivious."

In its report, CNN said Biden had privately acknowledged to an ally that the next stretch was critical to whether he can save his reelection bid.

"The polls are plummeting, the fundraising is drying up, and the interviews are going badly. Hes not oblivious," CNN quoted the ally as saying.

The president has said he was tired during the debate after two foreign trips, and during the debate, White House officials said he had a cold. Biden's campaign has held damage control calls with donors, and is planning to hold a meeting with Democratic governors later on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Katharine Jackson and Ismail Shakil; editing by Rami Ayyub, Caitlin Webber and Deepa Babington)
(Bloomberg) -- Joe Bidens reelection campaign limped into the US Independence Day holiday, exhausted by a week of the incumbent clawing to maintain his hold on his partys nomination.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The president is scheduled to host a Fourth of July barbecue with military families Thursday afternoon and to later deliver remarks and watch fireworks from the White House grounds. Its been exactly seven days since his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump intensified questions about his fitness for office, and triggered calls from within his own party for him to suspend his reelection bid.

Follow the Big Take podcast on iHeart, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. Read the transcript here.

That pressure intensified Wednesday with a bombshell report in the New York Times that he had conceded that possibility to key allies.

The White House and Bidens campaign quickly denied the Times report suggesting the president had vocalized to a supporter that he could ill-afford another misstep that would irrevocably damage his campaign. Biden himself insisted to campaign staff he intended to remain in the race.

Im in this race to the end and were going to win because when Democrats unite, we will always win, Biden said in a call Wednesday alongside Vice President Kamala Harris.

Yet time is running out for the beleaguered president to convince anxious Democratic officials, donors and voters that he remains viable in his effort to prevent Trump from returning to office. In another blow, dozens of Democratic lawmakers are considering signing a letter demanding Biden withdraw from the race, a senior party official said.

That anxiety has only been fueled by a flood of recent reporting suggesting other Democrats are looking at possible replacement candidates  and by the Times reporting.

Biden told his allies that the race would be in a different place if upcoming events went poorly, the Times reported. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre subsequently said Biden had flatly denied making such a comment.

Biden plans to sit for an interview with ABC News on Friday to be broadcast that evening, and hold a rally in Madison, Wisconsin. On Sunday, hell travel to Philadelphia for another campaign event. He also plans interviews with Black radio stations in Philadelphia and Milwaukee to coincide with his travel.

Biden has been calling senior Democratic lawmakers  including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries  to shore up support on Capitol Hill, even as members of his party are publicly expressing dismay about his campaign.

So far, only two sitting House Democrats  Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Raul Grijalva of Arizona  have publicly called for Biden to step aside. Yet the president may not be able to survive a coordinated revolt among Democratic lawmakers worried that his poor performance could cost them seats or a shot at control of the House and Senate in the upcoming election.

Jean-Pierre said Biden had told her the calls with congressional Democrats were strong.

Hes moving forward as being president. Hes moving forward with his campaign, she added.

A Senate Democrat, however, said Wednesday evening that several colleagues had privately indicated they didnt see a way for the president to survive politically. The senator, granted anonymity to speak frankly about discussions among colleagues, said Biden hadnt assuaged concerns about his debate collapse against Trump.

Biden served for 36 years in the Senate, and Democrats there have been largely silent about his candidacy during a week of turmoil.

Later on Wednesday, Biden held a hastily arranged meeting with Democratic governors, many of whom are at the center of speculation about possibly replacing him on the ticket. Several emerged to say that they were firmly behind Biden. The president was very clear that he is in this to win this, Governor Wes Moore of Maryland told reporters.

Crisis Meeting

Moore and other nationally prominent governors with extensive fundraising networks like Californias Gavin Newsom, Michigans Gretchen Whitmer and Illinoiss JB Pritzker went to the White House for the crisis meeting in person, while others joined virtually.

I heard three words from the president  hes all in. And so am I. Joe Bidens had our back. Now its time to have his, Newsom said.

Biden blamed the poor debate showing on a cold and strenuous travel in the weeks before the debate. He told the governors that he had a checkup with a physician for the cold and that he was healthy, according to a person familiar with the matter.

On Tuesday, the Washington Post said that former President Barack Obama had privately conveyed to allies that Bidens path to reelection was more challenging following the debate.

Reuters published a new poll showing Harris  the most likely successor if Biden were to step aside  trailing Trump, the Republican candidate, by a single point. Momentum behind the vice president, who could take over the campaigns sizable war chest, has gathered in recent days. The pair had lunch together on Wednesday afternoon and jointly dialed in to their campaigns conference call.

A Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll in May showed Harris gaining trust among swing-state voters, 48% of whom say shes ready to assume the duties of the presidency if Biden were unable to continue.

The Leadership Now Project, a group of business leaders who had organized to counter what they saw as threats to democracy during the last Trump administration, called for Biden to cede his place as the Democratic nominee.

This process will undoubtedly be messy and is not without risk, the group said in a statement. However, the stakes are too high not to act.

All-Hands Calls

In Wilmington, Delaware, staffers at Bidens campaign headquarters received an email from campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez and chair Jen OMalley Dillon saying the campaign would increase its cadence of all-staff calls and emails to better coordinate.

White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients held an all-hands meeting with staffers on Wednesday, imploring them to keep their heads held high and continue executing their responsibilities while acknowledging Biden didnt have a great night.

People are looking for chatter, he said, according to a recording of the call obtained by Bloomberg. Tune it out.

The campaigns memo asked staffers to emphasize the full picture of Bidens support, downplaying recent polls that have shown a noticeable tilt toward Trump.

Part of that effort included sending a memo to congressional staffers stressing that polls remained within the margin of error, and the campaigns belief that a bad showing in the coming weeks did not actually indicate a reshaping of the race.

A New York Times/Siena College poll released Wednesday, though, found Trumps lead over Biden had grown to six points, 49% to 43%, with nearly three-quarters of voters saying the president is too old for the job.

South Carolina Democrat Jim Clyburn, who spoke with the president on Wednesday, told CNN he wants to see him in town-hall type events now and performing there would calm some fears.

--With assistance from Jennifer Jacobs, David Welch, Gregory Korte, Billy House, Jonathan Tamari, Akayla Gardner, Jon Herskovitz, Steven T. Dennis, Amanda Gordon and Erik Wasson.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
President Biden and Vice President Harris joined a call with their reelection campaign staff on Wednesday, during which the president stressed that he will stay on the top of the ticket amid panic within the party over whether he should step aside.

Im in this race to the end and were going to win because when Democrats unite, we will always win. Just as we beat Donald Trump in 2020, were going to beat him again in 2024, Biden said on the call, a source familiar with the discussion told The Hill.

Biden unequivocally told the team that he is running for reelection and plans to beat former President Trump, the source noted.

We will not back down. We will follow our presidents lead. We will fight, and we will win, Harris said on the call.

Additionally, the president said the stakes are too high for the campaign to back down at this point, and he praised the team and Harris for their support.

There is no one Id rather be in this battle with than all of you. So lets link arms. Lets get this done. You, me, the vice president. Together, he said

The Biden campaign is grappling with the aftermath of the presidents dismal debate performance Thursday, which has led to calls from some Democrats for him to step aside. Biden has sought to reassure Democrats amid increasing pressure for him to drop out.

Biden spoke Wednesday with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) along with top Democrats Rep. James Clyburn (S.C.), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Sen. Chris Coons (Del.), press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. He is set to speak with more than 20 Democratic governors later in the day.

Earlier Wednesday, campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez and campaign Chair Jen OMalley Dillon sent a memo to the staff about the upcoming call, saying it would help everyone understand the full picture on the presidents support.

It then outlined that they are expecting lots of chatter and analysis around polls coming out on Wednesday but that its internal battleground toplines from last night show a steady race. The memo estimated that Biden is behind former President Trump by 1 point and within the margin of error.

The memo also noted that a new poll that was expected by The New York Times and Sienna College is likely to show a slightly larger swing in the race, asking staff to keep in mind that The New York Times is often a polling outlier.

The Times/Sienna College poll has since been released, showing that Trump had a wider lead over Biden: 49 percent support to 43 percent.

The New York Times also reported that a key Biden ally said the president knows he may not be able to salvage his candidacy if he cannot convince the public in the coming days that he is up for the job. The ally said the president understands that his next few appearances, which will involve an interview with ABC and campaign stops in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, are essential.

The campaign, as well as the White House, pushed back on the report and said it was false.

The president is in this race to win it. He is the Democratic nominee, Biden deputy principal campaign manager Quentin Fulks said on CNN.

When asked if Biden had any plans to drop out of the race, Jean-Pierre told reporters at the White House: Absolutely not.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 told an ally he realizes it could be over for him

Biden told an ally he realizes it could be over for him

Biden told a key ally that he might not be able to save his reelection bid, per the Times and CNN.

The White House flatly denies the claims, with a spokesperson calling them "absolutely false."

Democrats' support for Biden is waning, with some looking to Kamala Harris as a potential nominee.

President Joe Biden's cognitive abilities may be up for debate right now, but the president knows one thing: He may not be able to save his reelection bid if he does not change public perception soon. One of the president's crucial allies told both The New York Times and CNN that Biden said as much in a recent conversation.

The ally emphasized that Biden is still fully committed to his reelection bid but is keenly aware of how important his upcoming public appearances will be. He will sit for his first post-debate interview on Friday with ABC News and plans to visit key swing states over the weekend.

"He knows if he has two more events like that, we're in a different place," the ally, referring to the debate, told the Times.

The White House flatly denies the reports.

"This claim is absolutely false and if we had been given more than 7 minutes we could have communicated this before it was publicized," Andrew Bates, a White House spokesperson, said on X.

Biden has faced mounting pressure to step aside in recent days. On Tuesday, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas was the first Democratic member of Congress to publicly call on him to drop out.

While no other Democrat has gone as far, the dam around the president appears to be cracking, with new attention directed toward Vice President Kamala Harris as a potential nominee. And it's not just political figures looking at Harris  gamblers in the betting markets are putting their money behind her as the likely nominee. As of late Wednesday morning, placing a bet on Harris' name cost 49 cents compared to Biden's 31 cents on Polymarket.

Biden plans to meet with key Democratic governors on Wednesday to try to shore up confidence among elected officials.

In an attempt to tamp down donor anxieties after Thursday's debate, the Biden camp is touting record campaign fundraising numbers. The president has acknowledged his own poor performance, blaming it in part on a hectic travel schedule and residual jet lag.

For all of the explanations, though, new polls indicate even rockier seas ahead for the president: Post-debate numbers show Trump inching ahead, with a 49% to 43% lead over the president.

Read the original article on Business Insider
President Joe Biden is now chalking up his fumbling debate performance to a heavy travel schedule ahead of the face-off with Donald Trump  the latest in a series of explanations for an episode that has caused some Democrats to call for him to drop his reelection bid.

The president told donors Tuesday that he was offering not an excuse but an explanation for his struggles during the debate.

I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple of times  shortly before the debate, Biden said at a fundraiser in McLean, Virginia. I didnt listen to my staff and I came back and then I almost fell asleep on stage.

His remarks Tuesday marked the latest attempt to explain the poor debate performance and stave off a cascade of Democrats threatening to withdraw support or calling for him to drop out amid questions about his mental acuity at 81, nearly three years older than Trump.

He assumed responsibility for what happened on the debate stage, telling donors at the Virginia event that it wasnt very smart to travel around the world a couple times before the debate.

Biden went to France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day in early June, then to Italy for the G7 meeting on June 12. The president followed that up with a Los Angeles fundraiser on June 15. He returned to Washington on June 16, or 11 days before the debate. He and his team holed up at Camp David for prep for nearly a week prior to the event with Trump in Atlanta.

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, echoing the campaigns post-debate response, on Tuesday said the president is not a young man and that he's a little slower than he used to be." She and others have called Thursdays performance a bad night. Aides during the event blamed the presidents hoarse voice and frequent coughing on a cold.

The effort to downplay the disastrous debate performance is a departure for Biden aides, who for his entire presidency have pushed back on stories about his age and suggestions that he has declined. Instead, they portrayed him as razor sharp in meetings and called accommodations in plain sight  including a transition to black dress sneakers, the use of lower stairs to access Air Force One and a truncated daily schedule  mere figments of the medias imagination. The president has dismissed concerns with self-deprecating jokes.

Eli Stokols contributed to this report.
President Joe Biden was set to meet Democratic governors Wednesday amid new reports that he is weighing whether he should stay in the race.

Blue state leaders will sit down with Biden at the White House in his most significant face-to-face meeting with Democrats since the debate. The president seeks to calm fears that his reelection campaign against former President Trump could be doomed after his poor debate performance last week.

Two published reports Wednesday said Biden has told an unnamed top ally that he may not be able to stay in the race if he cannot quickly convince the public that he is up to the job.

The unnamed sources said Biden would take a couple of days to assess the situation.

The White House quickly denied the reports.

That claim is absolutely false, White House spokesman Andrew Bates wrote on the social media platform X. If the New York Times had provided us with more than 7 minutes to comment we would have told them so.

The meeting came after Democratic governors huddled online Monday and insisted on a private gathering with Biden.

Biden is also having a private lunch with Vice President Kamala Harris, although the White House portrayed that as routine and not directly connected to the political firestorm.

Harris would be a leading candidate to be the Democratic nominee if Biden stepped down.

Biden reportedly spoke with Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries Tuesday in an effort to tamp down speculation that he could step aside.

Bidens inner circle  including first lady Jill Biden  has so far remained firm that he is not even considering dropping out of the rematch against Trump.

Polls for now show the race is effectively a dead heat, although some Democrats are bracing for new post-debate surveys that could show Trump opening up a lead.

But theres growing anxiety among donors and on Capitol Hill about the presidents ability to beat Trump. Lawmakers fret that he could drag down Democratic candidates up and down the ballot.

Bidens so-far limited outreach to fellow Democratic elected officials since the debate has not helped quell the jitters.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday there were legitimate questions about whether Biden is healthy enough to run, and Rep. James Clyburn suggested he would back Harris if Biden dropped out, a less than ringing endorsement of his longtime ally.

Biden, 81, told donors at a fundraiser that he was exhausted after extensive overseas travel in the weeks before the debate, even joking that he nearly fell asleep on the debate stage.

The president gave a halting and disjointed performance in the clash with Trump last week, appearing to lose his train of thought at times and offering meandering answers to simple questions.

Biden supporters and campaign surrogates framed the debate as a bad night and an isolated incident. But some reports say Biden has been showing his age much more in recent months.

If Biden does drop out of the race, it is far from clear what would happen next.

Harris would be the most likely front-runner to replace him at the top of the ticket. But other top Democrats might balk at a coronation.

_____
Biden is set to meet with Democratic governors as he fends off calls for him to quit

Biden is set to meet with Democratic governors as he fends off calls for him to quit

President Joe Biden faces growing calls to exit the race after his disastrous debate performance.

He's due to meet on Wednesday with Democratic governors to try to reassure them of his competence.

Twenty-five Democratic House members are considering asking him to quit the race, an aide said.

President Joe Biden is set to meet with Democratic governors as he tries to fend off growing concern about his ability to beat Donald Trump.

White House officials said Biden is scheduled to talk to the governors in virtual meetings and in person at the White House on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

Since his disastrous debate performance Thursday, Biden has come under increasing pressure to exit the race.

During the debate with former President Donald Trump, Biden's performance was at times marked by vacant facial expressions and incoherent sentences.

Biden's campaign has offered a series of excuses, citing jet lag, a cold, and bad preparation going into the event. But this hasn't stopped calls for his exit.

On Tuesday, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first sitting Democratic member of Congress to publicly urge the president to quit the race.

"Too much is at stake to risk a Trump victory  too great a risk to assume that what could not be turned around in a year, what was not turned around in the debate, can be turned around now," Doggett said in a statement.

Former Democratic House members, party strategists, and candidates have issued similar calls, with some urging Vice President Kamala Harris to replace Biden on the Democratic ticket.

Former Rep. Tim Ryan said in a social-media post on Tuesday that Harris should replace Biden.

He said Harris "has significantly grown into her job, she will destroy Trump in debate, highlight choice issue, energize our base, bring back young voters and give us generational change. It's time!"

In a video message on Tuesday, Adam Frisch, a Democrat running in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, said: "We deserve better. President Biden should withdraw from this race."

James Carville, a longtime Democratic strategist, told CNN that the party needs to do "something different."

"Give the people a shot, let them see who's in the party, and I believe there's staggering talent in the Democratic Party," he said, adding, "Get out of the way and let a thousand flowers bloom."

Meanwhile, an anonymous House Democratic aide told Reuters that 25 Democratic House members are preparing to urge Biden to pull out of the race if he appears shaky in the coming days.

In the event that Biden does withdraw, several possible replacements could throw their hat in the ring.

Replacing Biden at the top of the ticket a few months before the November election would be a challenge for the party, however.

President Lyndon B. Johnson dropped out of the race in 1968, and his vice president, Hubert Humphrey, entered the Democratic primary but went on to lose the election to former Vice President Richard Nixon.

ABC News said it would air parts of Biden's first television interview since last week's debate on Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET on "World News Tonight with David Muir."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Joe Biden will lunch with Kamala Harris Wednesday for the first time since his disastrous debate performanceamid calls for him to step aside in her favor.

It is the first face-to-face meeting for the two parts of the Democratic ticket since last Thursday. The VP was praised for her defense of Biden after the debate in a series of TV interviews which only served to boost her support as an alternative to the 81-year-old president.

The 12.30 p.m. meeting was on the presidents official schedule published by the White House along with another meeting which may prove critical to his future: a gathering with members of the Democratic Governors Association.

Some of the Democrats most powerful governors will be present for talks with Biden at a pre-July 4th gathering planned before the debate which is certain to turn into a key meeting about his future.

Among those who will fly to Washington D.C. are Gavin Newsom of California and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois. While Newsom has been unfailingly publicly supportive of Biden, Prtizker offered a less certain version to CNN on Tuesday night. He told Kaitlan Collins, Im 100 per cent on board with supporting him, unless he makes some other decision. And then I think were all going to be discussing whats the best way forward.

The chair of the association, Minnesotas Tim Walz will also be present, a day after internal polling leaked to Puck suggested that the recently reliably Democratic state could be in play because of plunging support for Biden. The polls also suggested New Hampshire and New Mexico could be also be tightening. Even the prospect of having to spend more money defending what were regarded as safe states raises headaches for Democrats.

It was unclear Wednesday whether Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic Michigan governor whose name has been the most floated as an alternative to Biden or Harris, would attend in person or remotely. She denied a claim, leaked to Politico by a rival Dem governor, that she had told the Biden camp his debate performance would cost the party Michigan.

Another governor whose name has been widely circulated, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, was thought likely to be attending virtually. He had offered a lukewarm endorsement of Biden to local TV station WLKY, saying, Only he can make decisions about his future candidacy. So as long as he continues to be in the race, I support him.

Beshear is one of the few Democratic governors to lead a Trump-supporting state, along with Roy Cooper of North Carolina. While North Carolina has trended purple and has been the subject of on-off speculation it could be won by Democrats in 2024, Donald Trump won Kentucky 62 to 36, underlining Beshears cross-party appeal.

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.
BOISE  Idaho voters in November will likely get to choose whether or not to shift Idahos primary elections away from political parties and open them up to any affiliation.

Supporters of the Open Primaries Initiative, which would create a top-four, nonpartisan primary and allow ranked choice voting, on Tuesday turned in petition signatures from each county to the Secretary of States Office. After the signatures are reviewed by the office, the initiative will be cleared to go on the ballot in the coming general election.

Around 300 supporters of the initiative gathered on the Capitol steps to celebrate the milestone, which they say will counter ideological extremism and enfranchise independent voters.

As an independent voter, I know Im not alone when I say I felt excluded by our current closed primary system, Taylor Jenkins said to the crowd Tuesday. Jenkins is a supporter of the initiative from Nampa.

If the initiative passes, all candidates would participate in the same primary contest and the top four would advance to the general election.

Voters then choose the winner in a general election with instant runoff voting, also known as ranked choice voting, which gives voters the ability to pick their top candidate and then to rank additional candidates in order of preference.

After the first choices of all ballots are counted, the candidate with the fewest votes would be eliminated. Votes for the eliminated candidate would be counted toward the voters next choice  this process repeats until two candidates remain and the one with the most votes would win.

Currently, only registered Republicans may vote in the Republican primary contests. The Democratic Party primary is open to all voters, except the presidential primary, which is open to Democrats and unaffiliated voters.

Party leaders in the Idaho GOP have been highly critical of the process of ranked choice voting. At the recent state Republican Convention in Coeur dAlene, the party held a workshop titled The Dangers of Ranked Choice Voting, and both candidates for party chairperson  Dorothy Moon and Mary Souza  highlighted their opposition to it.

Hyrum Erickson, a party precinct committeeman from Rexburg, said he supports the initiative because he believes closed primaries have hurt the party as well as the state.

It forces people who do not want to be Republicans to register as Republicans merely to have their voices be heard, Erickson said. It allows special interest groups and fringe ideologies to focus on capturing the Republican Party as a path to power without having to actually persuade the majority of Idaho voters.

Boxes containing a total of around 97,000 signatures from registered voters in each of Idahos 44 counties were arranged on the Capitol steps to be handed down a long, winding line of supporters into Secretary of State Phil McGranes office. To qualify for the ballot, the group needed to gather signatures from at least 6% of registered voters in at least 18 of Idahos 35 legislative districts to a total that meets or exceeds 6% of registered voters statewide, or around 63,000. The secretary of states office will review and verify the signatures to ensure the threshold is met; the office said it anticipates this process will be complete by Tuesday.

Margaret Kinzell of Mormon Women for Ethical Government said the group got involved with the initiative effort because its members are excited about an election system that incentivizes voters to learn about our candidates and issues, and then inspires them to vote in both the primary and general election because they know their vote matters.
Biden moves into tie with Trump in new survey

President Biden and former President Trump are even in the race for the White House, according to a poll of the race Reuters and Ipsos published Wednesday.

Each candidate received 40 percent support in the poll. Thats a 2-point improvement for Biden, who trailed Trump 41 percent to 39 percent in an identical poll in mid-June. A fifth of respondents were undecided.

The results for Biden could lessen concerns about his candidacy after a poor debate performance last week. A rising number of Democrats have called on Biden to leave the presidential campaign and let another candidate lead the ticket in November.

The poll found that 32 percent of Democrats believe Biden should leave the campaign.

Regarding the debate, 83 percent of Democrats and 97 percent of Republicans agreed Biden stumbled and appeared to show his age during the 90-minute contest, while just 58 percent of Democrats and 11 percent of Republicans said the same of Trump.

Age has taken center stage in the election. Either Biden, 81, or Trump, 78, would be the oldest president in history at the end of a second term.

Biden has rejected calls to step down and has characterized his debate performance as a one-time flub.

Vice President Harris has been a top target of Democrats who have called on Biden to bow out of the presidential race, though she has backed the president publicly.

The poll found Harris 1 point behind Trump, with 42 percent support to the former presidents 43 percent, well within the polls margin of error.

The Reuters and Ipsos poll surveyed about 1,000 voters, with a margin of error of 3.5 percent.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
President Joe Biden unexpectedly joined a Zoom call with campaign and Democratic National Committee staff on Wednesday, mounting a new push to preserve the viability of his embattled candidacy, according to two people on the call.

Amid reports that Biden is privately acknowledging to allies that his candidacy is hanging in the balance, the president stated that hes in the race for the long haul, though he conceded that the days since last weeks debate with former President Donald Trump have been damaging, according to two people on the call who were granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can  as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running  no ones pushing me out. Im not leaving. Im in this race to the end and were going to win, Biden said on the call.

Bidens forcefulness and resolve, especially compared to how he came across during last week's debate, was as reassuring to several attendees, who discussed the call afterward via text message, as what he said.

Vice President Kamala Harris, whose profile has risen in recent days as Democrats focus on her with new seriousness as a possible replacement atop the ticket, was seated beside Biden on the video call.

We will not back down, Harris said. We will follow our presidents lead. We will fight, and we will win.

The president thanked everyone working on his campaign and reminded them of whats at stake. There is no one Id rather be in this battle with than all of you, Biden said. So lets link arms. Let's get this done. You, me, the vice president. Together.



The Biden campaign has been trying to reassure staffers, donors and allies in recent days that the presidents campaign is not doomed after his disastrous debate performance. The president joined that Wednesday call amid reports of plummeting staff morale in the White House as well as his Wilmington campaign headquarters. He phoned top Democrats in Congress earlier Wednesday, and he was also scheduled to meet in the evening with Democratic governors  some of whom have traveled from across the country to attend the gathering in person rather than virtually.

Although most Democrats are still publicly standing behind him, there have been some cracks in Bidens support. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) called on Biden to drop out of the race on Tuesday, and Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), a key ally of the president, said in an interview with MSNBC that he would back Harris if Biden steps aside.

Bidens inner circle and the president himself understand the extraordinarily high stakes before them over the next few days, according to three people familiar with internal conversations but not authorized to discuss them publicly.

Many Democrats, however, have been frustrated that Biden hasnt been more visible or active in the days following the debate, questioning whether he truly appreciates the sudden precarity of his campaign or is capable of a more convincing response. At Wednesdays briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed those concerns, suggesting that Bidens speech last Friday in North Carolina, where he acknowledged his age and shaky performance, was sufficient.

He did address it, she said. He took it head on.



In talks with family members and close aides, there has been no discussion of abandoning the reelection bid, the three people said. But Biden and his inner circle understand that the next week needs to go well. Among the key moments on the horizon: campaign appearances in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and, most of all, an ABC interview scheduled to be taped Friday.

Although some Democratic lawmakers and operatives are calling for him to step aside, Biden and his senior team believe that a strong stretch can save them. If things go badly, then, they believe, the campaign could be in further jeopardy, the three people said.

Biden has told a few close confidants he knows those moments will be key in efforts to hold off further calls for him to abandon his reelection bid, according to two of the people familiar with internal conversations. Democrats in Congress, many of whom have been holding private conversations about when to publicly call for Biden to abandon his campaign, are currently on recess but return to Washington next week.

Small differences are also starting to emerge within Bidens family, according to two of the people. First lady Jill Biden and the presidents son Hunter Biden are dead-set on the campaign going forward. Bidens sister, Valerie, is also supportive but has expressed more worry about the toll it could take on her brothers health and legacy, according to the two people.

On Wednesday afternoon, chief of staff Jeff Zients also held a call with White House staffers and urged them to tune out the chatter and noise, according to a recording shared with POLITICO. Zients argued that there have been countless times that the president has been counted out, but that he has always seen it through.

Some staffers had grumbled in recent days about the presidents senior team having not convened such a call earlier. Zients, in addressing the staff, said hes eager to hear from anyone in the building when they have concerns or feedback.

Minutes after Biden and Zients wrapped their calls, The New York Times and Siena College published their much anticipated post-debate survey, which found that Trump now leads Biden 49 percent to 43 percent among likely voters nationally  a 3-point shift from before the debate.
President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced his intent to nominate North Carolina Solicitor General Ryan Y. Park to the U.S Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.

The U.S. Senate must confirm Parks nomination before its finalized. But North Carolinas GOP Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd are not focused on filling the states federal court vacancies, partly because the White House hasnt reached a consensus with the Republican senators, the Observer previously reported. If confirmed, Park would be the first Asian American, Native American or Pacific Islander to serve on the 4th Circuit, which covers Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

Its unclear whether Parks nomination will receive the Senates approval before Novembers election.

The strong bipartisan support that Mr. Park has received in North Carolina, including from major law enforcement organizations, underscores that he is the right choice for this seat, a senior Biden administration official said.

Ryan Park speaks to summer interns from the North Carolina Court of Appeals in 2023 about his job as North Carolinas solicitor general and the states Constitution.

The National Fraternal Order of Police, the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association, the president of the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police as well as current and past chairs of the North Carolina Bar Associations Appellate Rules Committee wrote letters of recommendation in support of Parks nomination.

Parks dedication to justice can be seen in State v. Oldroyd, which involved the 1996 ambush murder of Jonesvilles Sgt. Gregory K. Martin, said NC Police Executives Association President Estella D. Patterson in a recommendation letter.

Patterson said the case was unsolved until people responsible for the murder were identified, arrested, charged and convicted in 2014. One of the accomplices appealed his conviction.

The state Court of Appeals agreed and vacated the defendants conviction, she said. Mr. Park appealed the case to the Supreme Court of North Carolina and served as lead counsel on appeal, which resulted in the decision being overturned and the accomplice set to serve his full sentence.

Who is Ryan Park?

Park has served as the Solicitor General since 2020, and previously served as the states deputy solicitor general from 2017-2020.

He has worked as a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court justices, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and U.S. Court of Appeals and U.S District Court judges. Park is a member of the North Carolina Appellate Rules Committee. Hes argued more than 20 cases in state appellate courts.

He teaches at the University of North Carolina School of Law and Duke University School of Law.

Parks work as deputy solicitor general and solicitor general has been exemplary, said Henry A. King Jr, 2024 president of the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police in a recommendation letter.

Mr. Parks commendable track record underscores his unwavering dedication to the rule of law and his steadfast commitment to upholding traditional constitutional values, he said.

The White House called attention in its release to Republican signatories including Justice Robert Edmunds and Justice Barbara Jackson on the letter from the North Carolina Bar Associations Appellate Rules Committee. Both Edmunds and Jackson are Republican former Justices on the NC Supreme Court.

Other federal court vacancies

The president also intends to nominate three people to federal district courts, but none of those are North Carolina vacancies.

Including the most recent announcements, there are 47 federal judicial vacancies across the country and 23 nominees pending.

Parks nomination appears directed toward a spot held by 4th Circuit Judge James Wynn Jr., who announced his intent to step down in January. Wynns seat is among 26 future vacancies across federal courts.
President Biden on Wednesday posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to two Civil War-era soldiers whom he lauded for defending America and the values it was founded upon.

Biden, speaking from the White House, praised Pvt. Philip G. Shadrach and Pvt. George D. Wilson for an April 12, 1862, mission behind Confederate lines.

Their heroic deeds went unacknowledged for over a century, but time did not erase their valor, Biden said.

Biden added that the Fourth of July on Thursday, marking the 248th birthday of the U.S., was another reminder of why its so important to know our history and not to erase our history.

Remember, the sacred cause of American democracy did not make up a lost cause to justify the evil of slavery, he said. Remember the nation that George and Philip fought for and died for, the United States of America, thats who we are.

The descendants of both Shadrach and Wilson accepted the Medal of Honor from Biden, who presented them with the awards folded inside of a display case.

The soldiers honored Wednesday with the nations highest military honor had taken part in one of the earliest special forces missions in U.S. Army history.

The mission, known as the Great Locomotive Chase, which inspired the 1926 American silent film classic The General, saw the Union soldiers infiltrate the Confederacy posing as civilians.

They hijacked a train in Georgia called The General and drove it north for 87 miles while destroying railroad tracks and cutting telegraph wires. The group abandoned the train close to Chattanooga, Tenn., but were captured within two weeks.

Shadrach and Wilson were among 22 men involved in the mission that is also known as Andrewss Raid for James J. Andrews, who thought up the infiltration mission. Andrews and seven others, including Shadrach and Wilson, were hanged as spies in Atlanta.

Another group of men were taken into captivity and later released in a prisoner exchange and eventually given the Medal of Honor  the first to receive the honor in the Army.

Biden said both Shadrach and Wilson faced an enormous risk and had the opportunity to back out of the mission.

Philip, George, all the men were given a chance to walk away. Not one of them did. Not one of them walked away, Biden said Wednesday.

According to Biden, Wilson faced the crowd before his hanging and pronounced that he believed they were wrong.

But he did not harbor hostility towards the people of the South. He said it was not them, but their leaders were responsible for the rebellion, Biden said. And he said the time would come when the union would be restored and the American flag would wave over the entire nation once again.

Biden added that until the very end, George and Philip believed in the United States of America, a nation founded on the idea of equality.

We havent always lived up to that, but like George and Philip, weve never walked away from it either, the president said.

Shadrach is a native Pennsylvanian who enlisted at the age of 21 with the Unions K 2nd Ohio Infantry Regiment.

Wilson, of Ohio, enlisted in the Unions Company B, 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry at about 32 years old.

In 2008, President George W. Bush signed into law a measure to finally recognize both Wilson and Shadrach for the Medal of Honor.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 rejects growing pressure to abandon his campaign, vows to stay 'to the end'

By Nandita Bose, Andrea Shalal and Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden vowed to stay in the 2024 presidential race during calls with campaign staff and meetings with Democratic lawmakers and governors on Wednesday, as he sought to shake off calls for him to drop out after his shaky debate performance last week.

Biden dialed in to a call with worried members of his campaign team and told them he wasn't going anywhere, according to two sources familiar with the call.

"No one is pushing me out. I'm not leaving. I'm in this race to the end," Biden said in a separate email blast by his campaign, urging supporters to "pitch in a few bucks" to help defeat his Republican rival Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 presidential election.

The president met virtually and in person with 24 Democratic governors and the mayor of Washington, D.C., on Wednesday evening to reassure them he is up to the job of standard-bearer for the party after the faltering debate performance.

Only three of the governors - the leaders of New York, Minnesota and Maryland - met with reporters afterwards, vowing to stand with Biden after what they called an honest discussion about his bad performance in last week's debate.

"The president has always had our backs. We're going to have his back as well," Maryland Governor Wes Moore said.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the chair of the Democratic Governors Association, said Biden's Thursday night debate performance against former President Trump was bad, but added that he felt Biden was fit for office.

Concerns about Biden's age and mental acuity exploded after Thursday's debate with Trump, in which the president mumbled under his breath, lost his train of thought at times and, at one point, talked of beating Medicare. The president has said that he was tired after two foreign trips and the White House has said he had a cold.

Asked Wednesday if Biden was considering stepping down, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: "Absolutely not."

Soon after she spoke, two national polls suggested Biden's chances against Trump - who rattled off a series of well-worn falsehoods during the debate - had deteriorated.

A Wall Street Journal survey found Trump beating Biden by a margin of 48% to 42%, up one percentage point, while a New York Times/Siena poll found Trump's lead over Biden had widened by three points to 49% to 43%.

In a call among House Democrats on Wednesday, Arizona's Raul Grijalva called for Biden to drop out of the race while Representative Seth Moulton from Massachusetts pointed to Biden's age as a liability.

The unfortunate reality is that the status quo will likely deliver us President Trump, Moulton said in a statement. "President Biden is not going to get younger.

While the campaign has highlighted fundraising successes with grassroots donors and held damage control calls with donors, Reed Hastings, a major Democratic Party donor and a co-founder of streaming platform Netflix, called for Biden to step aside.

Vice President Kamala Harris has meanwhile gained support as his potential replacement.

Dmitri Mehlhorn, an adviser to LinkedIn co-founder and Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman, told Reuters his team would "enthusiastically support a ticket led by our tough and savvy vice president if Biden were to step aside for any reason."

Melhorn said Harris was the only serious national contender who had already been subjected to major attacks by Trump's "Make America Great Again" supporters.

"We would lose Joe's superpower brand, but we would gain other benefits and would still be competitive," he said.

GOVERNORS AS ALTERNATIVES?

Democrats and donors concerned about Biden's viability in the November election will be closely watching an interview with ABC News expected to be taped and aired Friday during a campaign visit to Madison, Wisconsin.

The White House said Biden has spoken with Democratic leaders in Congress as well as Democratic Representative Jim Clyburn, who was instrumental in Biden's 2020 win.

Clyburn, who has said he would back Harris as the presidential candidate if Biden stepped aside, told CNN on Wednesday that the party should hold a "mini-primary" if Biden steps aside, the first senior party member to talk publicly about how replacing Biden as a candidate could work.

Some of the governors who met with Biden on Wednesday could be potential rivals if pressure for him to step aside were to increase, but many of them also speak on Biden's behalf on the campaign trail.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear have all been mentioned as possible replacements to Biden.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose, Jeff Mason, Andrea Shalal, Stephanie Kelly and Moira Warburton. Editing by Heather Timmons, Deepa Babington, Cynthia Osterman and Lincoln Feast.)
President Joe Biden told attendees at a fundraiser in McLean, Virginia on Tuesday that he wasnt very smart in the lead-up to his poor debate performance last weekblaming several recent trips to and from Europe for wearing him out in the days leading up to last Thursdays disaster.

I wasnt very smart, he told donors, according to several reporters in the room. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through I dont know how many time zones  for real I think it [was] 15 time zones I didnt listen to my staff.

And then I came back and nearly fell asleep on stage, Biden said, acknowledging his subpar showing.

I wasnt very smart, President Biden says in McLean. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through I dont know how many time zones  for real I think it 15 time zones...I didnt listen to my staff.



And then I came back and nearly fell asleep on stage.  Matt Viser (@mviser) July 2, 2024

Its not an excuse, but an explanation, he added, according to RealClearPolitics reporter Philip Wegmann.

After returning from a pair of overseas trips, two days of debate preparations were nixed from Bidens schedule, The New York Times reported Tuesday. After resting at home, he ultimately had six days of practice at Camp David prior to the televised debate on June 27. Sessions did not start before 11 a.m., and time in the afternoon was carved out for a nap, according to the newspaper, which cited a person familiar with the process.

White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates told the Times in response that Biden was working well before 11 a.m. each day, after having exercised.

During the debate against Donald Trump, which began to go poorly for Biden almost immediately, his campaign reached out to reporters saying that the president had a cold. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre said at a Tuesday press briefing that the president is still under the weather.

Regardless, the topic of Bidens fitness for office has never been more dominant. Calls for him to abandon his reelection bid have not only come from members of the fourth estate, but now prominent Democrats, including one member of Congress.

Rep. Lloyd Doggetts (D-TX) statement Tuesday urging Biden to step aside was preceded by Ohio Senate candidate and former congressman Tim Ryan making the same ask.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), while not going that far, nevertheless conceded during an MSNBC interview the same day that Bidens acuity is a legitimate question. Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), a co-chair of Bidens campaign, even told the network that if Biden were to bow out, he would throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.

White Houses Day from Hell as Dems Open Fire on Biden

That such a scenario is even being entertained by a senior Democratic lawmaker close to Biden shows the gravity of the situation. And with reporting from the likes of Carl Bernstein, who told CNN Monday that hes heard from several sources close to the president that his debate performance was not a one-off, the subject doesnt seem to be going away, not even with the Supreme Courts explosive ruling about presidential immunity also dominating headlines.

Other accounts emerging of Biden being sharp at various other timesincluding several people who say hes been alert for national security meetingsdont appear to have made much of an effect, either. And while Trump is in his upper seventies, and even fell asleep at his criminal trial in New York in May, voters dont see the likely GOP nominee as hampered by his age as they do Biden, polls have shown.

Accordingly, Biden has sought to assuage concerns by agreeing to a sit-down interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos, portions of which will air Friday. The secondand thus far, finalpresidential debate will be broadcast by the same network in September.

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.
Biden says he 'nearly fell asleep' during debate after world travel

By Steve Holland

MCLEAN, Virginia (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday acknowledged his performance during last Thursday's presidential debate wasn't his best, but blamed it on jet lag after two overseas trips earlier in June.

Biden has faced mounting questions about his 2024 reelection bid after last week's shaky debate performance, with one House of Representatives fellow Democrat on Tuesday publicly calling on him to withdraw from the race.

Speaking at a campaign event in McLean, Virginia, on Tuesday evening, Biden admitted the debate against former President Donald Trump, his Republican rival, did not go well.

I didnt have my best night, but the fact is that you know, I wasnt very smart," Biden said, speaking at the campaign fundraiser without the aid of a teleprompter. "I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones ... before ... the debate.

"Didnt listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage," he said. "That's no excuse but it is an explanation.

Biden traveled to France and Italy during two separate trips in the space of two weeks last month, flying overnight from the Group of Seven summit in Bari, Italy, to appear at a fundraiser with former President Barack Obama in Los Angeles on June 15 before returning to Washington the following day.

He then spent six days at Camp David preparing for the June 27 debate.

White House officials have blamed Biden's halting performance during the debate on a cold. Biden did not mention being sick during Tuesday's fundraiser.

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Tuesday showed that one in three Democrats think Biden should end his reelection bid following the debate, but no prominent elected Democrat does any better than Biden in a hypothetical matchup against Trump.

The two-day poll found that both Trump, 78, and Biden, 81, maintain the support of 40% of registered voters, suggesting that Biden has not lost ground since the debate. Election Day is Nov. 5.

(This story has been refiled to fix the hyperlink in paragraph 9)

(Reporting by Steve Holland; writing by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Leslie Adler)
President Joe Biden acknowledged again Tuesday that he didnt have the best debate night during his match-up against his presumptive GOP competitor, Donald Trump, but said he is feeling good about whats happening with his campaign.

The president made the remarks at a fundraiser in McLean, Virginia, amid growing concern among prominent Democrats about his reelection bid. The White House has been on damage control over the past week, attempting to assuage voters fears about Bidens age.

He said Tuesday that his schedule before the debate wasnt very smart, noting he had traveled around the world a couple times beforehand.

I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through I dont know how many time zones, Biden said. For real I think it was 15 time zones...I didnt listen to my staff.

And then I almost fell asleep onstage, he added.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrive at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey on June 29. MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images

The president went on to apologize to donors for his performance, but said it was critical Democrats win the election, and said his remarks were not an excuse, but an explanation. He said his reelection bid had raised $38 million since his debate appearance.

Biden did have two international trips in the weeks before the debate, including a visit to France and then another to the G7 summit in Italy.

It remains unclear how his effort will play with the party as it heads into its nominating convention in August. Many of Bidens allies  including former President Barack Obama and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D)  have come to his defense, while others have begun to break away. Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett (Texas) called on Biden to give up his bid, the first party member in Congress to do so.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also said it was understandable to ask about the presidents fitness.

Related...
Scott Howell, the former Utah Senate minority leader and a Biden-Harris surrogate in Utah, said Democrats must evaluate which candidate has the best chance of defeating former President Donald Trump. If that person is not Joe Biden, the president should suspend his campaign.

If (Biden) has the capabilities, he ought to run, Howell said. I love Joe. But if hes not up to the rigors of the job, then he should go enjoy a well-deserved retirement.

Howells comments echo a growing sentiment among Democrats who fear that Bidens age and mental competency may prevent him from successfully running for reelection. During a debate last Thursday, Biden looked feeble and at times incoherent, and his performance was followed by a dip in the polls.

Biden may share the same concerns. The president has told advisers that he is weighing whether or not he should continue his campaign for president, The New York Times and CNN reported Wednesday morning.

A key ally to the president told the Times that Biden believes his campaign may not be salvageable unless he delivers strong performances at his public events this weekend: an interview on ABC with George Stephanopoulos, and a pair of campaign events in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

He knows if he has two more events like (the debate), were in a different place by the end of the weekend, the ally told the Times.

A person close to the president told CNN that Biden is clear-eyed about the state of his campaign.

The polls are plummeting, the fundraising is drying up, and the interviews are going badly. Hes not oblivious, the person said.

The reports come as uncertainty about Bidens ability to defeat Trump is mounting among Democrats. Several House Democrats, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have cast doubts on Bidens capacity, and one House member went as far as to call on Biden to drop out.

Pelosi expressed her support for Bidens candidacy, but questioned his fitness: I think its a legitimate question to say is this an episode or is this a condition, Pelosi said of Bidens and Trumps debate performances.

Democratic governors are concerned, too. On Monday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, held a call with other governors to discuss Bidens debate performance and ask for an audience with the president. Biden will meet with the governors  including Walz, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul  on Wednesday evening.

Theyd like to hear from him directly before going and sticking out their necks for him again, one of the people familiar with the plan told CBS News.

Several Democratic governors have been floated as potential candidates, should Biden decide to step down. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is among them, though in the days since the debate, she has privately expressed her support for the Biden campaign.

Polls show who voters would pick to replace Biden

In a CNN/SSRS poll conducted last week, the top names as potential Biden replacements each trail Trump. While Trump has a six-percentage-point advantage on Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris trails by two percentage points; Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg trails by four; and Newsom and Whitmer trail by five.

When a February Deseret News/HarrisX poll asked voters who they would like to be the nominee should Biden step down, Harris and Michelle Obama, the former first lady, were the top two responses.

But Biden has expressed no interest publicly in stepping down, and while todays reporting from CNN and the Times notes that Biden is clear-eyed about the state of his campaign, the president has surrounded himself with aides and family members who are encouraging him to stay in the race. After Thursdays debate, Biden retreated to Camp David with top aides and family members, who argued that he could still show the country that he remains capable of serving for another four years, the Times reported.

In the days since, Bidens son, Hunter Biden, has joined meetings with top White House aides, a move that has baffled some of the presidents top staff.

Meanwhile, Trump has remained relatively quiet since the debate. He has held no public events since, and when asked about Bidens situation, Trump has been tepid.

If you listen to the professionals that do this stuff, they say its very hard for anybody else to come into the race, Trump said Monday on a Richmond, Virginia, radio station. Im gonna show up and, you know, Im gonna campaign, whether its him (Biden) or somebody else.
12-4 p.m. Thursday

Vernon Park, Sixth and Chestnut streets, Clarkston

The free Fourth of July celebration includes face painting, horseshoes, lawn darts and rock painting. The We All Scream For Ice Cream scooter will be on hand.

Community Spirit Fireworks Show

10 p.m. Thursday

Adams Field, 401 Chestnut St., Clarkston

The Lewiston-Clarkston Valleys marquee fireworks display will start at 10 p.m. Thursday. Adams Field will be closed to spectators again this year and there wont be a preshow concert, according to a news release from American Insurance, one of the major sponsors.

But the fireworks will be launched higher and be larger than in past years so the show can be more impressive for viewing at a distance, according to the news release. Organizers have added extra 4-and 5-inch shell fireworks for a brighter, more expansive show that can be viewed from a variety of locations around the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley.

Patriotic music to accompany the show will be played on Canyon Country 106.9-FM, The River 105.1-FM, News Talk 95.5-FM and Z-Rock 96.5-FM.

Those who want to donate to the annual fireworks show can send checks to Community Spirit, 55 Southway Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501.

Lewiston

Walking with Ancestors tour

8:30 a.m. Thursday

Normal Hill Cemetery, 1122 Seventh St., Lewiston

The Twin Rivers Genealogy Society will be sharing the history of several individuals buried at the Normal Hill Cemetery. Presentations this year include the Choates, Joslins, Gibbs, Walkers and Clarks.

Community Band Concert

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday

Pioneer Park Bandshell, 203 Fifth St., Lewiston

The Lewis Clark Community Band will perform patriotic music at this event.

Fourth of July Celebration

8:30-10:30 p.m. Thursday

Lewiston First United Methodist Church, 1906 Broadview Dr., Lewiston

The church offers a great view of the fireworks show, along with ice cream and patriotic music.

Grangeville

Border Days

Today through Saturday

Grangeville

The annual celebration on the Camas Prairie gets started today with the Family Night rodeo at 6 p.m. Idahos oldest rodeo will continue on Thursday and Friday nights; street sports, including the Super Egg Toss, at 9 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; and parades at 2 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Border Days Artisan Show and Sale

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday

Grangeville Elks Lodge, 111 S. Meadow St., Grangeville

The Salmon River Art Guild and Central Idaho Art Association will be holding the 60th artisan show and sale. Browse fiber and yarn art, artisan gifts, jewelry, photography and more.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.
Biden tries to contain debate fallout

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  The Biden campaign is scrambling to reassure key allies President Joe Biden is fit for office after his debate performance kicked off a frenzy among Democrats.

Multiple governors, including Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear have all traveled to D.C. to sit down with the president in person.

While publicly they are backing the president, Pritzker for one says he and the public need to hear more directly from the president.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says the president also held a call with top Democrats on Capitol Hill.

They were strong conversations, thats something the president told me and my team directly, said Jean-Pierre.

For some the damage is already done.

We have to have another choice, said Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas.).

Tuesday Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett became the first sitting Democratic lawmaker to publicly call for the president to step aside.

He warns hes not the only one with doubts after seeing the debate and is calling on others to speak out.

We cant afford that risk and we should be seeking a stronger alternative than we have from President Biden, despite his many accomplishments, said Biden.

The DNC chair brushed off polling showing President Biden trailing Donald Trump and asked party members to pump the breaks and stay focused to beat Trump in November.

In Michigan, First Lady Jill Biden doubled down.

Joe is the Democratic nominee and he is going to beat Donald Trump just like he did in 2020, said Jill Biden.

That was the same message the president delivered on a campaign call Wednesday afternoon with staff, alongside Vice President Kamala Harris.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Biden and Trump are older than color tvs and hula hoops

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are breaking the age records set in the 2020 campaign. If elected, either would be the oldest president ever on Jan. 20, 2025.

Biden was born on November 20th, 1942, making him 81 years old. Trump was born about three years later on June 14, 1946.

Its no secret that both candidates are old, but just how old are they? Here are some things younger than Biden and Trump. (Idea credit: Brian Xu on TikTok.)

Color TVs

While early versions of the technology for color TV came about in the 1920s, the first color TV set was produced in early 1954. It had a 12-inch screen and cost $1,000, or over $11,000 in today's dollars. In 2019, USA TODAY reported that the average price of a 50-inch TV set was $335.

Sony's first color TV set KV-1310, which was produced in 1968, is displayed at Sony's history museum in Tokyo, Japan on February 23, 2012.

Color television sets didnt become widely used until the early 1980s, when Trump and Biden were in their 30s.

The country of India

India won independence from Britain in 1947 after the Indian Independence Bill of August 15, 1947. The United States recognized India as an independent state that day, with President Harry S. Truman sending a congratulatory message to the Governor General of the Dominion of India.

India declared itself a Sovereign, Democratic and Republic state a few years later with the adoption of its Constitution on January 26, 1950.

The High Five

When Dodgers left-fielder Dusty Baker returned to the plate after hitting his 30th home run of the 1977 season, outfielder Glenn Burke greeted him with a hand enthusiastically raised above his head.

"His hand was up in the air, and he was arching way back," Baker told ESPN. "So I reached up and hit his hand. It seemed like the thing to do."

With that, the story goes, the high five was invented: over three decades after Trump and Biden were born.

The Civil Rights Movement

Starting in 1954, the Civil Rights Movement is younger than Trump and Biden.

The movement, which is generally thought to have taken place from 1954 to 1968, was a quest for racial equality and justice in the United States.

President Lyndon B. Johnson hands a pen to Rev. Martin Luther King after signing the historic Civil Rights Act in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. on July 2, 1964.

There were many historical events during this time period. Brown v Board of Education, which made segregation illegal in public schools, was decided in 1954. In 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested after refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. And 60 years ago on July 2, then President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, or national origin.

All events are younger than the two candidates in the 2024 presidential election.

The states of Hawaii and Alaska

Hawaii and Alaska were the last two states to be added to the union in 1959. Alaska was the 49th state, admitted on January 3, and Hawaii took the 50thspot on August 21.

Biden and Trump were 16 and 14, respectively, when both states joined the U.S.

Tall peaks in the Alaska Range tower over Wonder Lake near Kantishna in Denali National Park.

Frisbees

Frisbees were invented just in time for Biden and Trumps childhoods in 1948 when Walter Morrison and partner Warren Francioni created a plastic version of pie plates that college students used to play catch with.

Morrisons original version was named the Flying Saucer and the Pluto Platter before being renamed Frisbee by the creators of the Hula Hoop in 1958.

Coincidentally, the hula hoop was invented in 1957, which makes it younger than our two presidential candidates.

Girls participate in a hula hoop contest during the "End of the Summer" carnival in Havana, Cuba on August 27, 2006.

Star Wars

A Star Wars fan dressed as Darth Vader waits for a midnight sale of toys from the new Star Wars movie at Toys 'R' Us in Manhattan, New York on April 1, 2005.

"Old they are, Trump and Biden," says Yoda, probably. The Star Wars Trilogy began on May 25, 1977, with the premiere of Star Wars: A New Hope. It was the beginning of a culture-defining saga, and its, again, younger than Biden and Trump.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: How old are Trump and Biden? Older than color TV and frisbees
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former President Donald Trump, and President Joe Biden are seen on Kennedy's event, "The Real Debate" | Screenshot, X

Last week, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked me to moderate what he called "The Real Debate."

Kennedy was angry with CNN because it wouldn't let him join its Trump-Biden debate.

His people persuaded Elon Musk to carry his Real Debate on X, formerly Twitter. They asked me to give RFK Jr. the same questions, with the same time limits.

I agreed, hoping to hear some good new ideas.

I didn't.

As you know, President Joe Biden slept, and former President Donald Trump lied. Well, OK, Biden lied at least nine times, too, even by CNN's count.

Kennedy was better.

But not much.

He did acknowledge that our government's deficit spending binge is horrible. He said he'd cut military spending. He criticized unscientific COVID-19 lockdowns and said nice words about school choice.

But he, too, dodged questions, blathered on past time limits, and pushed big government nonsense like, "Every million dollars we spend on child care creates 22 jobs."

Give me a break.

Independence Day is this week.

As presidential candidates promise to subsidize flying cars (Trump), free community college tuition (Biden), and "affordable" housing via 3 percent government-backed bonds (Kennedy), I think about how bewildered and horrified the Founding Fathers would be by such promises.

On the Fourth of July almost 250 years ago, they signed the Declaration of Independence, marking the birth of our nation.

They did not want life dominated by politicians. They wanted a society made up of free individuals. They believed every human being has "unalienable rights" to life, liberty, and (justly acquired) property.

The blueprints created by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution gradually created the freest and most prosperous nation in the history of the world.

Before 1776, people thought there was a "divine right" of kings and nobles to rule over them.

America succeeded because the Founders rejected that belief.

In the Virginia Declaration of Rights, George Mason wrote, "All power is vested in, and consequently derived from, the people."

By contrast, Kennedy and Biden make promises that resemble the United Nations' "Universal Declaration of Human Rights." U.N. bureaucrats say every person deserves "holidays with payclothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services."

The Founders made it clear that governments should be limited. They didn't think we had a claim on our neighbor's money. We shouldn't try to force them to pay for our food, clothing, housing, prescription drugs, college tuition.

They believe you have the right to be left alone to pursue happiness as you see fit.

For a while, the U.S. government stayed modest. Politicians mostly let citizens decide our own paths, choose where to live, what jobs to take, and what to say.

There were a small number of "public servants." But they weren't our bosses.

Patrick Henry declared: "The governing persons are the servants of the people."

Yet now there are 23 million government employees. Some think they are in charge of everything.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.), pushing her Green New Deal, declared herself "the boss."

The Biden administration wants to decide what kind of car you should drive.

During the pandemic, politicians ordered people to stay home, schools to shut down and businesses to close.

Then, as often happens in "Big Government World," people harmed by government edicts ask politicians to compensate them.

After governments banned Fourth of July fireworks, the American Pyrotechnics Association requested "relief in the next Senate Covid package to address the unique and specific costs to this industry," reported The New York Times. "The industry hopes Congress will earmark $175 million for it in another stimulus bill."

Today the politically connected routinely lobby passionately to get bigger chunks of your money.

For some of you, the last straw was when the administration demanded you inject a chemical into your body.

When some resisted vaccinations, Biden warned, "Our patience is wearing thin."

His patience? Who does he think he is? My father? My king?

At least Kennedy doesn't say things like that. But he does say absurd things. In a few weeks I'll release my sit-down interview with him, and you can decide for yourself whether he's a good candidate.

This Fourth of July, remember Milton Friedman's question: "How can we keep the government we create from becoming a Frankenstein that will destroy the very freedom we establish it to protect?"

COPYRIGHT 2024 BY JFS PRODUCTIONS INC.

Watch The Real Debate as it was meant to be with all three candidates  Kennedy, Biden, Trump.#TheRealDebate has already been seen more than 11 million times. pic.twitter.com/W27pXIOLkd  Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) June 30, 2024

The post Biden, Trump, and RFK Jr. Are All Anti-Freedom appeared first on Reason.com.
Not making excuses! Yesterday, President Joe Biden continued his attempts to save face following a terrible debate performance that led many members of his own party to wonder aloud whether the presidential ticket ought to be swapped out.

Biden said he "fell asleep on the stage" because he'd gone "around the world a couple of times" in the two weeks preceding the debate. "I wasn't very smart," he said at a fundraiser in McLean, Virginia. "I decided to travel around the world a couple times, I don't know how many time zones."

Biden assured donors that this was "not an excuse but an explanation." Meanwhile, his press secretary kept repeating the line that actually, his poor performance is attributable to the fact that he was sick with a cold.

They should probably get their story straight. But also, though Biden had been in Italy, France, and Los Angeles in early and mid-June, he returned to Washington, D.C., on June 1611 days before the debatewhere he worked on debate prep for a whole week prior to the showdown.

It is implausible that Biden's jet lag lasted a full 11 days. And, if he is so worn out by that type and frequency of travel, he's probably ill-suited for another term in the White House, as this type of thing will be expected of him.

Biden in obvious decline: It surely comes as no shock to voters that the 81-year-old is not as cognitively sharp as he was four years ago. The White House physician, back in February, reassured the public that the president has no major health issues and that there were "no findings which would be consistent with" Parkinson's disease.

Not to belabor the obvious, but things decline quickly in old age. Just because a physician made that assessment back in February doesn't mean it holds true in July; besides, the White House has not made the physician available to reporters and has been quite tight-lipped about Biden's health status.

Now, the mainstream media omerta about Biden's decline is finally being broken. "People who have spent time with President Biden over the last few months or so said the lapses appear to have grown more frequent, more pronounced and, after Thursday's debate, more worrisome," reports The New York Times, on the heels of a Politico report about Biden's ultra-protective advisers who seem to be shielding Biden from the press.

Our nation's paper of record and its little D.C. cousin have both entirely reversed their narratives over the course of the last week:

NYTimes has some explaining to do. Complete reversal of a major story in a little over a week. pic.twitter.com/KZqHXcvAzO  Alex Tabarrok ???? (@ATabarrok) July 3, 2024

Two weeks ago, WaPo gave "Four Pinocchio's" to allegedly edited videos showing Biden clearly displaying cognitive problems, dismissing them as "pernicious" efforts "to reinforce an existing stereotype" while quoting the WH to say they were "cheap fakes" to mislead people. pic.twitter.com/wOFbVaHe1x  Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) July 2, 2024

Democrats' path forward: "Looking at polls beyond the straight horse-race numbers between Mr. Biden and Donald Trumpones that include Democratic Senate candidate races in close swing-state racessuggests something even more troubling about Mr. Biden's chances, but also offers a glimpse of hope for Democrats," argues Nate Silver in The New York Times. "There is a silver lining for Democrats to be found in these surveys. Voters in these polls like Democratic candidates for Congress just fine. More than fine, actually: It's Mr. Biden who is the problem."

Silver goes on to describe that there are five presidential swing states this year that also have competitive Senate races: Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Of the 47 nonpartisan surveys conducted since March of likely voters, 46 show the Democratic candidate for Senate polling better than Biden.

Silver concludes from this that the party ought to "hold an open audition for the nomination process"possibly allowing Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro or Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer a shotin which new candidates could declare their intentions to run, give speeches, hold rallies, even debate each other. "Delegates could take this information into account at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and make a more informed decision," argues Silver. Of course, "this plan would require Mr. Biden to declare his intention to exit the race sooner rather than later"hardly a sure thing, as that requires putting ego aside in service of his party.

There's a tension between the standard Democratic line that "democracy is on the ballot" and Biden's discomfort with stepping aside so that a better candidate can emerge who can actually beat Trump. If democracy actually is on the ballot, then surely such personal sacrifice is worth it. If Biden can't stomach the thought of stepping aside, then it shows you just how little he meant it in the first place.

Scenes from New York: I've long wondered what beach vendors are actually selling in Rockaway when they advertise "nutcrackers." Turns out, they're illegal, homemade, rum-based drinks, but the operation to avoid getting in trouble with the cops is surprisingly sophisticated. Blessed are the freedom fighters!

QUICK HITS

A note about Roundup: The newsletter will be on hiatus for July 4 and 5, so that I can sufficiently celebrate America. I wish each and every one of you (even the haters) a beautiful Freedom Day full of cold beers, delicious strawberry/blueberry-themed desserts, lake/ocean/river time, illegal Zyn pouches, American flag bikinis, and maybe a Bruce Springsteen song or two blasting from the speakers. Yes, it's a corny holiday, and, yes, I adore it.

"Some [Federal Reserve] officials have begun to elevate the labor market as a point of concern," reports Bloomberg. "Hiring has also cooled, and the unemployment ratewhile still historically low at 4%has edged higher in recent months." And "San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly said last week that the job market is nearing an inflection point, where further slowing could lead to rising joblessness."

"I don't think a cold, even a very bad one, could possibly account for the level of incoherence Biden displayed onstage," writes Intelligencer's Jonathan Chait.

Honestly, a very fair question:

California is the hot, perennially unemployed girlfriend who relies on billionaire sugar daddies to underwrite her profligate spending. What happens when she hits the wall? My latest ???? https://t.co/lMEryEm6mi  Sanjana Friedman (@metaversehell) July 2, 2024

Crying wolf, Washington Post edition:

Don't you guys literally say this like every four days pic.twitter.com/iYIVOIE0GB  Liz Wolfe (@LizWolfeReason) July 2, 2024

The post Biden's Litany of Excuses appeared first on Reason.com.
Biden's path to victory is much narrower following his debate disaster, with states like New Mexico and Virginia suddenly in play for Trump

Biden's path to victory is much narrower following his debate disaster, with states like New Mexico and Virginia suddenly in play for Trump

President Joe Biden already had a narrow path to reelection before his disastrous debate.

But if the bottom drops out, Democrats could be fighting to defend states like New Mexico or Virginia.

At that point, former President Donald Trump's victory would be almost a foregone conclusion.

President Joe Biden's already narrow path to reelection is getting even harder to navigate.

Biden's best-case scenario before last week's disastrous debate likely required him to run the table in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, while holding on to Nebraska's Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. Former President Donald Trump, as the FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver pointed out, had much more flexibility in reaching 270 electoral votes and could even reach even higher.

Four years ago, Biden had the luxury of deciding whether to base his campaign on the Upper Midwest or bet on Sun Belt states like Arizona and Georgia, which hadn't gone for Democrats in decades. Trump has held a steady lead in both states, according to RealClearPolitics' polling averages.

Biden's underdog status can get much worse. In its latest update on Wednesday, Sabato's Crystal Ball moved Michigan and Minnesota closer to Trump. As Kyle Kondik, the managing editor of Crystal Ball, said, this isn't rock bottom.

"It does seem like from the polling that Biden has taken a small hit, but he needed to be catching up as opposed to falling back," Kondik told Business Insider.

The Crystal Ball moved Michigan from "Lean Democratic" to "Toss Up" and Minnesota from "Likely Democratic" to "Lean Democratic." Under the University of Virginia Center for Politics' projections, there are five true toss-up states: Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Nevada.

If Biden continues to decline, Virginia, New Mexico, and Maine (statewide) could all come into play.

A Republican hasn't carried Virginia or New Mexico in 20 years. Maine, which, like Nebraska, awards only two of its Electoral College votes to the statewide popular-vote winner, hasn't crowned a Republican as a winner since then-Vice President George H. W. Bush in 1988.

"There's the possibility that maybe Trump is able to win the popular vote that is a roughly 5-point improvement from 2020. And if that sort of thing happens, you would expect Trump to win the states where Biden won in 2020 but did worse than the national popular vote," Kondik said. "That is also the situation where you would start to see a Minnesota or a New Hampshire or maybe even a Virginia or Maine be closer, certainly like they were in 2016 and certainly even closer than that."

A post-debate poll in New Hampshire showed the race there was too close to call. A Saint Anselm College poll found Trump leading Biden 44% to 42%. The independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is at 4% in the state. Biden won the Granite State by just over 7 points four years ago.

In a memo after the debate, Biden's campaign manager, Jen O'Malley Dillon, said that data showed the face-off did not change the minds of voters in battleground states. She also claimed that if polling did show a drop, it would be a temporary dip due to media coverage.

"If we do see changes in polling in the coming weeks, it will not be the first time that overblown media narratives have driven temporary dips in the polls," O'Malley Dillon wrote in the June 29 memo.

Kondik stressed that there's still time for Biden to turn it around and that one possibility for a post-debate slump was that Democrats remained depressed about the president's performance. He pointed out that both the Democratic National Convention and the second debate remain. There's also the chance that Biden is pushed out of the race before either of those things happen. The president could also remain in the race and struggle to mount the comeback campaign he needs.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. In April, the president's campaign boasted that it could win in Florida, Trump's adopted home and a state that has moved away from Democrats. Now, even a top Biden official has said Florida isn't a battleground.

The issue for Biden is that he needed the debate to begin his upswing. Instead, his face-off with Trump could lead to the president dropping out of the race. Biden himself has acknowledged he did not debate well.

As CNN's Harry Enten has detailed, every incumbent president that went into the first debate trailing and was viewed as having lost that debate went on to lose their reelection. Biden's only silver lining is the debate's early time on the calendar.

Every past incumbent trailing going into the first debate & lost that debate lost the general election. Very bad for Biden.



Also, the last 4 first debate winners gained an average of 4 points in the polls afterward. If that holds, Trump may open up a 5-6 pt lead nationally. pic.twitter.com/8KhJEsd8Dc  (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) June 28, 2024

For now, prominent Democrats are still behind Biden. Most critically, this includes the list of his prospective replacements, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California. On Tuesday, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first Democratic member of Congress to call on the president to drop out.

The reality is that if Biden is stuck playing defense in states Democrats usually win, Trump's return to the White House will be a foregone conclusion. The only question then will be how many Electoral College votes would the former president win.

"If Biden's position gets worse, that's when you see maybe a Virginia or New Mexico get in play," Kondik said. "But again, if that's what we're actually going to be talking about in October, then the election itself shouldn't be that dramatic. Virginia, New Hampshire, New Mexico, or Minnesota are not going to be the states that put Trump over 270. They are the states that would get him well north of 300 electoral votes."

Read the original article on Business Insider
President Joe Biden already had a narrow path to reelection. Now, his disastrous debate performance could put more states in play for former President Donald Trump. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

President Joe Biden already had a narrow path to reelection before his disastrous debate.

But if the bottom drops out, Democrats could be fighting to defend states like New Mexico or Virginia.

At that point, former President Donald Trump's victory would be almost a foregone conclusion.

President Joe Biden's already narrow path to reelection is getting even harder to navigate.

Biden's best-case scenario before last week's disastrous debate likely required him to run the table in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, while holding on to Nebraska's Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. Former President Donald Trump, as the FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver pointed out, had much more flexibility in reaching 270 electoral votes and could even reach even higher.

Four years ago, Biden had the luxury of deciding whether to base his campaign on the Upper Midwest or bet on Sun Belt states like Arizona and Georgia, which hadn't gone for Democrats in decades. Trump has held a steady lead in both states, according to RealClearPolitics' polling averages.

Biden's underdog status can get much worse. In its latest update on Wednesday, Sabato's Crystal Ball moved Michigan and Minnesota closer to Trump. As Kyle Kondik, the managing editor of Crystal Ball, said, this isn't rock bottom.

"It does seem like from the polling that Biden has taken a small hit, but he needed to be catching up as opposed to falling back," Kondik told Business Insider.

The Crystal Ball moved Michigan from "Lean Democratic" to "Toss Up" and Minnesota from "Likely Democratic" to "Lean Democratic." Under the University of Virginia Center for Politics' projections, there are five true toss-up states: Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Nevada.

If Biden continues to decline, Virginia, New Mexico, and Maine (statewide) could all come into play.

A Republican hasn't carried Virginia or New Mexico in 20 years. Maine, which, like Nebraska, awards only two of its Electoral College votes to the statewide popular-vote winner, hasn't crowned a Republican as a winner since then-Vice President George H. W. Bush in 1988.

"There's the possibility that maybe Trump is able to win the popular vote that is a roughly 5-point improvement from 2020. And if that sort of thing happens, you would expect Trump to win the states where Biden won in 2020 but did worse than the national popular vote," Kondik said. "That is also the situation where you would start to see a Minnesota or a New Hampshire or maybe even a Virginia or Maine be closer, certainly like they were in 2016 and certainly even closer than that."

A post-debate poll in New Hampshire showed the race there was too close to call. A Saint Anselm College poll found Trump leading Biden 44% to 42%. The independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is at 4% in the state. Biden won the Granite State by just over 7 points four years ago.

In a memo after the debate, Biden's campaign manager, Jen O'Malley Dillon, said that data showed the face-off did not change the minds of voters in battleground states. She also claimed that if polling did show a drop, it would be a temporary dip due to media coverage.

"If we do see changes in polling in the coming weeks, it will not be the first time that overblown media narratives have driven temporary dips in the polls," O'Malley Dillon wrote in the June 29 memo.

Kondik stressed that there's still time for Biden to turn it around and that one possibility for a post-debate slump was that Democrats remained depressed about the president's performance. He pointed out that both the Democratic National Convention and the second debate remain. There's also the chance that Biden is pushed out of the race before either of those things happen. The president could also remain in the race and struggle to mount the comeback campaign he needs.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. In April, the president's campaign boasted that it could win in Florida, Trump's adopted home and a state that has moved away from Democrats. Now, even a top Biden official has said Florida isn't a battleground.

The issue for Biden is that he needed the debate to begin his upswing. Instead, his face-off with Trump could lead to the president dropping out of the race. Biden himself has acknowledged he did not debate well.

As CNN's Harry Enten has detailed, every incumbent president that went into the first debate trailing and was viewed as having lost that debate went on to lose their reelection. Biden's only silver lining is the debate's early time on the calendar.

Every past incumbent trailing going into the first debate & lost that debate lost the general election. Very bad for Biden.



Also, the last 4 first debate winners gained an average of 4 points in the polls afterward. If that holds, Trump may open up a 5-6 pt lead nationally. pic.twitter.com/8KhJEsd8Dc  (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) June 28, 2024

For now, prominent Democrats are still behind Biden. Most critically, this includes the list of his prospective replacements, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California. On Tuesday, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first Democratic member of Congress to call on the president to drop out.

The reality is that if Biden is stuck playing defense in states Democrats usually win, Trump's return to the White House will be a foregone conclusion. The only question then will be how many Electoral College votes would the former president win.

"If Biden's position gets worse, that's when you see maybe a Virginia or New Mexico get in play," Kondik said. "But again, if that's what we're actually going to be talking about in October, then the election itself shouldn't be that dramatic. Virginia, New Hampshire, New Mexico, or Minnesota are not going to be the states that put Trump over 270. They are the states that would get him well north of 300 electoral votes."

Read the original article on Business Insider
New bill aims to help female inmates victimized by prison guards

(KRON)  New California legislation is aiming to help female inmates who are sexually assaulted by prison and jail guards behind bars.

The state Assembly Public Safety Committee approved SB 898, authored by Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), this week. SB 898 was introduced by Skinner in response to ongoing sexual abuse inside California womens prisons.

A federal womens prison in Dublin, nicknamed the rape club, was abruptly closed this year after the FBI uncovered a wide-ranging sex abuse scandal and seven employees were convicted in court.

The Bureau of Prisons had previously promised to improve the troubled prison, but the closure in Dublin represented an extraordinary acknowledgment that reform efforts failed. Hundreds of Federal Correctional Institution Dublin inmates were rapidly transferred to other federal prisons across the country.

Dublin prison guards hit with avalanche of sex abuse lawsuits

Last year, prison guard Gregory Rodriguez was charged with raping incarcerated women at Central California Womens Facility in Chowchilla. He is facing 96 felony charges.

Sen. Skinner, who is chair of the California Legislative Womens Caucus, said, No person, no matter what they did to be sentenced to prison or jail, should be forced to endure the brutal crime of rape or sexual assault. SB 898 will provide whistleblower protections for survivors who have the courage to come forward, and will allow for a reduction in prison time for incarcerated individuals who were proven to have suffered from such assaults.

The LWC partnered with Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, an Oakland-based nonprofit, to raise awareness of the problem.

The most important thing we can do to protect women, girls, and gender-expansive youth who are assaulted while incarcerated is to remove them from the correctional facilities where staff members are able to abuse them, said Amika Mota, executive director of the Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition. In this immediate moment of crisis, Senator Skinners bill is a lifeline for survivors.

SB 898 would help protect incarcerated women and provide safeguards for whistleblowers by:

Extending the time allowed for all survivors of prison or jail staff sexual abuse to file civil

complaints until after they have been released from custody.

Reducing the prison or jail sentence for victims of proven sexual abuse by staff by up to one year.

Providing special resentencing consideration for victims of proven staff sexual abuse.

Protecting whistleblowers from retaliation for 90 days after they report sexual abuse.

Requiring investigations of cases of retaliation within 72 hours of reporting.

Advocates with Dublin Prison Solidarity Coalition said they interviewed 140 women who were abused by at least 20 different FCI Dublin employees. Survivors stories make clear that staff specifically targeted noncitizens for abuse. Several women who were sexually assaulted by Dublin staff have already been deported, and many others are currently facing deportation, advocates wrote.

The Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday approved SB 898 on a vote of 6-1. The bill now goes to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for review.

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 KRON4.
(Bloomberg) -- The rise of Marine Le Pens far-right National Rally to front runner in Sundays French election is closely intertwined with the emergence of a powerful conservative media machine backed by billionaire Vincent Bollore, dubbed the French Murdoch.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Since he started building his French media empire eight years ago, the platforms controlled by the Bollore family through Vivendi SE have reeled in a growing audience by focusing on the far-right issues espoused by Le Pen and her party: crime and immigration. In doing so, they have pulled those concerns into the mainstream, according to academics who have studied the National Rally movement and French media.

Its hard to say how far Le Pens ascent is down to Bollores coverage  both may have benefitted from voters growing dissatisfaction with Frances established political parties. But what is clear, the academics say, is that Vivendis CNews television channel and related radio and print outlets have normalized and amplified her political message  though they caution its hard to draw a direct link between the content and voter behavior.

Their choice of guests and the way content is framed can serve to legitimize a certain vision of the world, said Safia Dahani, a post-doctoral fellow at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, who studies the far right.

Le Pens party won the biggest share in the first round of voting on Sunday, beating both an alliance of the left and President Emmanuel Macrons centrist group. Macron dissolved the National Assembly and called for snap legislative vote following his partys crushing defeat in the European Parliament election.

With a chance the July 7 second round will deliver a far-right majority in the lower house of parliament, the role played by the media is drawing greater scrutiny. In the past, most mainstream news outlets characterized the views pushed by Le Pen and her party, including a French First policy on employment, healthcare and public housing  giving citizens priority over non-citizens  as extreme. That guardrail has since weakened as platforms like Bollores have echoed the partys positions or even endorsed them.

Vivendi Chairman and Vincents son, Yannick Bollore, 44, dismisses the notion that his father is pushing far-right politics, saying in an interview on the sidelines of the Cannes Lions conference in June that hes a Christian-democrat. The younger Bollore shrugged off a report in Le Monde that his father had a direct hand in the splintering of the mainstream conservative party over whether to join forces with Le Pen.

I dont know who hes meeting, but he is not pulling the strings on anything, and he is not pushing one party or another, Yannick said. He is not far right.

Still, in the weeks since Macron called the snap election, the Bollore-linked media have gone into overdrive, increasing content sharing across platforms. A cover story in the influential weekly Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, or JDD  that the group acquired last year  featured a sympathetic interview with the president of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, with the headline My ambition for France. Quotes from the interview were amplified by CNews and radio station Europe 1.

The star anchor of a talk show on Vivendis C8 channel, Cyril Hanouna, was given a special daily two-hour political show on the groups Europe 1 radio. On CNews, a presenter praised the National Rallys platform that grants the presumption of self-defense to police officers.

Bollore-linked media are among factors contributing to the rising popularity of Le Pens party, said Julien Labarre, author of a study on CNews published in January as part of his doctoral thesis at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The study found that CNews attracts viewers  even if they only tune in once a week  who are much more likely to be National Rally voters. It concluded that as the most right wing of all French media and the one most supportive of far-right candidates, CNews is directly comparable to Rupert Murdoch-controlled News Corp.s Fox News in the US. The channel has the most ideologically radical news audience within the French media ecosystem, and that the pattern is more pronounced with higher frequency of use, it said.

(They) have an ideological purpose and a financial purpose, Labarre said. What better way to make money than to capture a segment of the population along ideological lines?

Daily shows on CNews routinely feature political pundits promoting ultra-conservative talking points, with an emphasis on crime and insecurity, especially targeting immigrants, and attacks on Islam. The time spent on such themes gets the channel and other Vivendi media outlets frequent raps on the knuckles from the countrys media regulator.

In the most recent complaint, the watchdog on Friday sent out a formal notice, saying Europe 1 radio treated the left-wing alliance in a critical and pejorative manner, and that the platform lacked honesty. In February, Frances highest court asked CNews to respect plurality on the channel, including its commentators. Vivendis latest annual report describes incidents of sanctions, proceedings or fines against CNews from the regulator, including for comments considered to encourage discrimination on religious grounds.

For Labarre, French media laws  dating back to the 1980s and meant to promote political pluralism  are both obsolete and toothless.

The fines are laughable, he said.

For instance, Vivendis annual report says CNews was fined 200,000 ($215,000) in 2021 for comments about unaccompanied migrant minors. It lost an appeal in France and is now going to the European Court of Human Rights. In January this year the regulator fined the channel 50,000 for breach of honesty and accuracy about urban safety.

Vivendi declined to comment for this story.

Bollore started building his French media empire in 2016, a year before Le Pen lost to Macron in the presidential election. He acquired what would become CNews that year, adding Europe 1 and JDD last year.

The rightward slant of these platforms appears to have boosted their audiences. CNews, which lost money for years, has started to turn a profit and by one measure beat its main competitor BFMTV in May for the first time, with a 2.8% market share, up from 0.7% in 2017. Europe 1, which got declining ratings for years, is seeing its audience growing with the addition of new shows hosted by CNews stars.

The news outlets make up only a small fraction of Vivendis globe-spanning media and publishing business, which served to diversify the Bollore group away from logistics and shipping. The tycoon has a net worth of $8.4 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index  with the family holding company owning about 30% of Vivendi.

Bollore entered the same segments that at one point gave News Corp. its media breadth. He dived into everything from film production and distribution, TV and broadcasting, advertising, newspapers and magazines to books and music. With his outlets tendency to support right-wing ideologies and promote conservative ideas, there has been an active tilt toward God and country.

His son Yannick says the direction taken by the groups media units has been good for business. For instance, the younger Bollore praised the strategy of CNews, whose editorial line he refused to qualify.

Its become the No. 1 news channel in France and is now profitable; as a shareholder it is the only metric that you look at, he said.

--With assistance from Alberto Nardelli.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Farm workers milk dairy cows at the Welcome Stock Farms in January 2022 in Schuylerville, N.Y. Public health officials are concerned about bird flu, which so far has been detected in three farm workers as well as in cattle in a dozen states. (Hans Pennink/The Associated Press)

Public health officials are concerned about bird flu, which so far has been detected in three dairy farmworkers  two in Michigan and one in Texas  as well as in cattle in a dozen states.

The farmworkers symptoms were mild, and researchers have not found that the H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu, can spread from person to person. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there is little risk to the general public. However, flu viruses evolve, and H5N1 could mutate and gain the ability to infect people more easily.

The reason public health authorities are and should be on high alert is because this is a potential high-consequence pathogen, said Meghan Davis, an epidemiologist and microbiologist at Johns Hopkins University.

Thats why state officials are so focused on testing and surveillance of dairy workers. But they are encountering significant challenges.

H5N1 is deadly to domestic poultry and can wipe out entire flocks in a matter of days, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says. As a result, the poultry industry has responded vigorously to the threat, culling entire flocks when they detect even one infected bird. But H5N1 is milder in cows, and the response on dairy farms has been less aggressive.

The CDC and USDA have advised dairy farms to monitor for the virus in cattle and humans, but testing remains voluntary, except for herds moving across state lines.

In addition, dairy farms are often in remote rural areas, and workers have little access to transportation and no sick leave. As a result, its difficult for them to travel to health care providers for testing and treatment. Many dairy workers, who are mostly immigrants, speak Indigenous languages like Nahuatl or Kiche, according to the National Center for Farmworker Health, a nonprofit that offers support and training for centers that focus on the health of farmworkers.

Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician and scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, emphasized that the current bird flu strain isnt a pandemic threat to humans. Thats why, he said, this is the perfect time to get the right testing and surveillance measures in place.

If you cant get it right with something thats as forgiving as this virus has been, in terms of its inefficiency in infecting humans, it really doesnt bode well for when the stakes are higher, Adalja said.

So far, cases of the virus have been documented among domestic livestock in Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming, according to the USDA. Last week, federal officials announced grants to farms to offset the cost of milk loss from sick cows. Four states  Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas  are launching voluntary pilot programs to test for the virus in dairy farms bulk milk tanks.

In Michigan, where the virus has been detected in 25 herds, Tim Boring, director of the state Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said efforts are focused on trying to help farmers recoup losses and agree to testing. Last month, the agency announced it would use a combination of federal and state money to give as much as $28,000 to up to 20 affected farms.

The state also launched a study to find out if there are antibodies in people exposed to sick cows, aiming to determine if there have been any asymptomatic infections.

Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigans chief medical executive, said the state is working with community health clinics and local health departments to reach farmworkers.

They not only know the farms in their counties, but they also know many of the farmworker organizations, she said.

Dairy farmworkers, who are often immigrants, cant afford to miss a day of work, and can be reluctant to reach out to request testing or say they feel sick, advocates say.

This is a population of people that is just vastly underserviced when it comes to both outreach and trust established with state and federal agencies, said Elizabeth Strater, strategic campaigns director at United Farm Workers, a labor union. This is a group of workers that are some of the poorest workers in the United States.

Immigrants make up 51% of daily labor at dairy farms, and farms that employ immigrants produce 79% of the nations milk supply, according to the National Milk Producers Federation.

Amy Liebman of the Migrant Clinicians Network, an education and outreach group of experts in migrant health, said testing should be administered on the farms rather than in clinics.

Dairies are in rural areas, very isolated geographically. Youre not going to get all these workers in one place to be able to do any kind of surveying or testing. It is a matter of really trying to go to where the workers are, she said.

But it hasnt been easy getting farm owners to agree to that. The Texas state health department told Stateline it has offered on-site testing to farmers, but as of mid-June, it had tested only about 20 symptomatic dairy workers who volunteered for testing. It also has given personal protective equipment to interested dairies and posted a notice online offering to deliver the equipment.

This is a group of workers that are some of the poorest workers in the United States.

 Elizabeth Strater, United Farm Workers strategic campaigns director

Coordination among state or local agricultural and health departments is key to tracking viral spread. A lack of coordination and monitoring can be contributing to underreporting cases.

I think it is definitely more widespread than is currently reported, said Dr. Shira Doron, chief infection control officer at Tufts Medicine. The barriers between the agencies are really hampering our efforts right now.

The CDC has offered a $75 payment to any farmworker who agrees to be tested and provide blood and nasal swab samples to the agency. But Doris Garcia-Ruiz, who directs farmworker outreach at Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, said that wont make up for days of lost income.

If they take the time off to go to their doctors office, they dont have sick leave, so theyre not going to get paid, she said.

The CDCs latest figures show that at least 53 people have been tested in the cattle outbreak, with a majority of those in Michigan. Strater says thats not enough.

Thats abysmal, she said. Our method of testing is so passive. Theyre relying on workers reporting to medical clinics; these are workers that are not going to be taking themselves for medical treatment unless theyre experiencing something life-threatening.

Getting workers to use personal protective equipment also is a challenge. The CDC recommends that workers wear respirators, waterproof aprons and coveralls, unvented safety goggles or a face shield, and rubber boots with sealed seams that can be sanitized. It also advises that workers follow a specific sequence of steps to remove the PPE at the end of a shift to avoid contamination.

Dairy work is very wet, very hands-on, said Christine Sauve, who leads community engagement at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. While some industries are very familiar with PPE  the full recommendation from CDC is new and different. And so that really needs the full promotion from the employer, and then also from the state agencies.

Sauve worries that Michigan is prioritizing farmers losses, rather than farmworkers health, in its response. While the risk to the public is low, she and other experts say the population of farmworkers shouldnt be forgotten.

Bethany Alcauter of the National Center for Farmworker Health described bird flu threat as kind of a ticking time bomb.

Maybe it hasnt fully gone off yet. But if we dont manage it well, it could, Alcauter said.

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.
Australians are speaking out against a major hurdle in the job hunt: the application process itself.

A new study by HiBob reveals a surprising statistic  one in four office workers in Australia have actually rejected a job offer in the past few years because the application experience was so frustrating. This raises a critical question: are outdated hiring practices costing businesses top talent?

As Australias labour market tilts back in favour of employers, jobseekers have highlighted several problems theyve experienced when applying for new jobs over the past couple of years, including poor communication from employers, a lack of clarity around salaries, and even companies losing applications.

More than one in four (26%) Australians working office jobs have abandoned a job application because the process was so cumbersome. And for those that persevered with the process, a third (32%) say overall communication was poor, and a further third (34%) had to wait weeks for their prospective employer to make a decision after a final interview.

More than one in five (21%) officer workers go as far as to say that their application was lost, while a quarter (25%) had a job offer rescinded before they were due to start.

As a result of these issues, one in four (24%) of Australians working office jobs say theyve turned down a job offer because the application process itself was so bad.

These are the findings from HiBobs first recruitment study, surveying 1,500 Australians working in office jobs to uncover their experiences of job interviews over the past couple of years.

Damien Andreasen, VP APJ, HiBob, said: Clearly, the job application process in Australia right now isnt perfect. Typically that comes down to companies not having a well defined hiring process, appropriate buy-in from hiring managers, or the right tools and systems. Market conditions also havent helped, and weve seen a huge supply and demand swing back in favour of employers.

Its easy for candidates to bash the process when they dont have a perfect experience, but having been directly exposed to the work that goes into managing hundreds of applications for each role, I do sympathise with organisations  especially large ones. Talent acquisition is not easy at scale. Not to mention that applicant volumes are at an all-time high in some sectors, including those that have been affected by economic conditions resulting in reductions in force.

I tend to think workforce planning is the elephant in the room when it comes to hiring. Not having the right data to support the volume, type and timing for each hire will cause significant issues with processes. Ask any HR professional what its like managing open roles on a spreadsheet with little to no data to support the hiring decision. Thats the really painful part of the hiring process.

HiBobs research also indicates that candidates working in offices in Australia see the job application experience as a clear insight into what its like to work at a company.

A third (32%) of office job workers in Australia say the job application process is the best way for candidates to evaluate any potential employer, and more than a third (35%) say the job application process is an insight into a companys culture. One in three (33%) also say the job application process is one of the main factors they take into consideration when deciding whether to accept a job offer or not.

But a positive candidate experience can showcase a companys culture and is likely to have a significantly beneficial effect on a companys hiring success, the data shows. 39% office job workers in Australia say theyd be happy to recommend a company to a friend if they know that companys application process is smooth.

Tips for Employers and Jobseekers

For Employers:

Streamline Applications:

Utilize online platforms that facilitate easy resume uploads and skills assessments.

Craft clear and concise job descriptions highlighting essential and desirable skills.

Limit application questions to those directly relevant to the role.

Improve Transparency:

Clearly state the application review timeline and provide feedback, even if automated, to unsuccessful candidates.

Showcase company culture and employee benefits on the career page.

Be transparent about salary ranges or at least provide a pay bracket.

Enhance Communication:

Acknowledge receipt of applications.

Keep candidates informed throughout the process, even with simple updates.

Offer multiple application methods (e.g., online form, email) for accessibility.

For Jobseekers:

Tailor Your Application:

Read the job description carefully and highlight relevant skills and experience.

Quantify achievements whenever possible to demonstrate impact.

Proofread your resume and cover letter for any errors.

Prepare for Interviews:

Research the company and the role beforehand.

Practice answering common interview questions.

Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the company and the position.

Follow Up:

Send a thank-you email after the interview, reiterating your interest.

Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  The two former Bitwise CEOs, Jake Soberol and Irma Olguin, have reached a plea agreement in the charges filed against them in federal court.

According to prosecutors, Soberal and Olguin were charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud and taking more than $100 million from various businesses and individuals. Those charges were announced in November 2023.

Bitwise Furloughs: YourCentralValley.coms complete coverage

Documents filed in federal court on Tuesday state that the parties have reached plea agreements to resolve the case and will file the agreements with the Court shortly. Both Jake Soberal and Irma Olguiin Jr. were listed as the defendants in the case.

Details of the plea deal were not immediately available.

The document filed in federal court ends with the statement the Court finds that the interests of justice served by granting this request outweigh the best interests of the public and the defendant in a speedy trial.

A change of plea hearing in federal court is scheduled for July 17, a preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 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 YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
Leading Black voices commemorated the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act on Tuesday by highlighting the ongoing fight to achieve equality and urging Black Americans to vote in the upcoming election.

History is a relay race. The leaders of the Civil Rights Movement carried the baton, and through their organizing, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law 60 years ago, Vice President Harris posted on the social platform X. Now, they have passed the baton to us, and we will continue the fight for the promise of America.

Former President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law on July 2, 1964. The law prohibited discrimination in public places, called for school integration and outlawed employment discrimination. The act also dismantled Jim Crow laws, including the separate but equal doctrine that had been upheld in the 1896 Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson.

Americans of every race and color have died in battle to protect our freedom. Americans of every race and color have worked to build a nation of widening opportunities. Now our generation of Americans has been called on to continue the unending search for justice within our own borders, Johnson said in his address, just moments before he signed the historic legislation into law.

The lead-up to the passage of the Act included the assassination of Medgar Evers, a field secretary for the NAACP in Mississippi, by white supremacists; the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the largest demonstration for civil rights at that time; and the white supremacist-led bombing of Birminghams Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, which killed four young Black girls.

As he signed the legislation, Johnson was surrounded by major figures of the Civil Rights Movement including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., NAACP leaders Roy Wilkins and Clarence Maurice Mitchell Jr., and the Urban League president Whitney M. Young Jr.

Black politicians and advocates of today are warning that 60 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, civil rights are still being stripped away.

As we commemorate this milestone achievement, we are faced with the unfortunate reality that many of our gains and hard-won civil rights are under threat once again, Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network, said in a statement.

Whether its voting rights, access to quality education, reproductive rights, equal opportunity in the workforce, LGBTQ+ rights, or simply put  equality across the board  everything is on the line at this pivotal moment including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) as illustrated by the case of Fearless Fund  the first case where a company was sued for exercising DEI by giving grants to women of color, he added.

Dozens of states have enacted legislation eliminating DEI initiatives, as have certain parts of the federal government, and many are still reeling from the Supreme Courts decision to end affirmative action last year.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed 60 years ago today. Since then, it has come under attack from a radical Supreme Court, Martin Luther King III posted on X. What we do this year will determine decades of voting and civil rights. Those are the stakes. Act accordingly.

Ben Crump, who Sharpton has nicknamed Black Americas attorney, said that though the act was a historic step toward equality, more still needs to be done.

Yet our fight for justice continues. We must address ongoing discrimination & disparities and work tirelessly to achieve true equality for all, Crump wrote on X.

Bernice King echoed a similar sentiment in Tuesday comments, reflecting on the words of her mother, Coretta Scott King.

Our work for civil rights is not done, Bernice King wrote on X.

We must be focused, as some legislators persist in enacting policies and laws that reflect digression instead of progress, she added. We must remain diligent, due to efforts to negate history and even omit lessons on why the Act was needed. These unjust efforts demonstrate a refusal to learn from history and curtail injustice.

Sharpton added that Tuesdays anniversary should be a call to action from all to recommit to achieving equality for all.

Todays anniversary of signage of the Civil Rights Act must serve as a clarion call to protect the sacrifices of the past and continue fighting for the future we wish to achieve, Sharpton said. Our children and their children cannot inherit a country with fewer rights than we had. We stand at an inflection point, and what we do here today will determine what kind of society we leave for generations to come.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
ERWIN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WJMN)  A lake in the western U.P. has been drained after the discovery of a partial dam failure and extremely low water levels, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

The river has been completely returned to its natural flow, said DNR spokesperson Dave Caroffino.

The agency had been getting reports of seriously low water levels in Black Lake River since last Friday, June 28.

Just two years ago, the dam was rated in fair condition. You can survey dams around Michigan in the map below:

The Black River Lake Dam was a low-risk dam, with few nearby structures and little at risk if there was a sudden dam failure. Caroffino said dams in various risk environments have different constructions, featuring different strengths and safeguards.

In this case, the dam was made up of a culvert structure barricaded by stacked boards to stymy the flow of water north to lake Superior.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Caroffino said DNR staff found during an on-site investigation that the lower boards, also called stoplogs, of the dam had failed, and that the reservoir was slowly draining out as a result.

I spoke with locals who described the impoundment as being 10-15 feet low over the course of three weeks. It is likely that the stoplog(s) completely failed around June 24 or 25, which coincided with a heavy rainstorm, said DNR fisheries biologist Jennifer Johnson.

Upon inspecting the dam, it appeared the lower stoplog(s) failed, and that was the cause of the drainage. Upon further investigation of the downstream area below the dam, sediment was not observed to have washed into the floodplain or caused erosion of the streambanks, indicating that this was not a quick flooding event, said Johnson.

Photos/maps showing the location of the failed dam on Black River Lake dam (Gogebic County), some views of the structure (and views from the dam), and significantly lower water levels.

Photos/maps showing the location of the failed dam on Black River Lake dam (Gogebic County), some views of the structure (and views from the dam), and significantly lower water levels.

Photos/maps showing the location of the failed dam on Black River Lake dam (Gogebic County), some views of the structure (and views from the dam), and significantly lower water levels.

After the failure was discovered, DNR staff removed the remaining stoplogs to prevent an inadvertent refilling of the reservoir. This drained just about all of the remaining water, and led the DNR to close the boat launch formerly providing access to the lake as a result.

It has happened before, said Caroffino of the recent dam failurea fact which contributed to the agencys decision to remove the remaining stoplogs.

He told us that since the dam was originally built in the 1930s, and has had severe drainage events before. With this latest event, Caroffino said experts with the DNR and EGLE wanted to take the time to evaluate whether they should let the environment restore the stretch of river to its natural state, or reestablish the dam and lake.

Caroffino said the lake worked to warm the waters, affecting the fish population.

Without the dam, the Black River would cool down, potentially stretching favorable conditions for trout in the river. As a caveat, Caroffino said he had not yet looked at data for the rivers southern reaches, since it crosses the Wisconsin boarder less than a quarter mile from where the lake begins.

EGLEs Dam Safety Unit has been alerted to the past weeks events. A timeline for when a final decision From the DNR and EGLE on the rivers future was not discussed.

You can learn more about dams around the state on the DNRs 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 WJMN - UPMatters.com.
Blistering heat could shatter records in Stanislaus County. Is there an end in sight?

Stanislaus County began a severe hot spell Tuesday that could shatter records. And there is no end in sight.

The National Weather Service has predicted eight consecutive days between 105 and 110 degrees. If the forecast is correct, that will overturn a record of five days in a row over 105 degrees, set in July 2006, said Melissa Williams, a spokeswoman for the Modesto Irrigation District.

Wednesdays high, forecast for 109, could break the July 3 record of 108 degrees set in 1991.

The extraordinary series of daily highs could include 108 on the Fourth of July, 111 on Saturday and 110 on Sunday. The heat wave is expected to extend into next week, with 107 degrees forecast for Monday and 106 on Tuesday.

The confidence is not great beyond the seven days, said Katrina Hand, a Weather Service meteorologist in Sacramento. We are not seeing much relief until maybe mid to late next week.

Weather forecasting beyond seven days is considered less reliable. Weather Underground is predicting more triple digits next week between 105 and 107 degrees from Tuesday to Friday.

The Weather Service calls it a long duration heat event with dangerous daytime high temperatures and warm lows overnight. An excessive heat warning was extended through Tuesday of next week.

Hand said this type of heat, about 10 to 20 degrees above normal, is unusual for early July. The heat wave is not only a danger to vulnerable people., it can be deadly for anyone who doesnt have effective cooling, the Weather Service said.

We encourage all people to be checking the forecast and follow the heat safety precautions, Hand said. Everyone needs to take precautions to stay safe.

According to the Modesto Irrigation District, Tuesdays daytime high was 103 degrees, while 105 was recorded at the Modesto Airport on the Weather Service website. Those readings were below the forecast of 107.

Some events have been canceled due to the heat. Stanislaus Countys Mobile RecVan program was suspended the rest of the week, including recreation activities at Parklawn and Oregon parks. The program is expected to resume next week.

The McHenry Museums DoMo First Friday event for July 5 was canceled.

The excessive heat hasnt disrupted Modestos Independence Day parade, which is set to start at 9:30 a.m. Thursday. The Stanislaus County Fair begins Friday for a 10-day run.

The warm-up could break the five-day record set in the deadly heat wave of July 2006, when 23 people died in Stanislaus County. The 2006 event was marked by eight straight days over 100 degrees and five days, July 21-July 25, with highs of 105 or above. The temperature reached 111 for three days in a row and the humidity made it feel like 120.

Williams said the hot spell in September 2022 came close to the record of five days over 105.

The unusually high temperatures  its a dry heat this time  are gripping a region from the Bay Area to the Sierra foothills. Wednesdays forecast calls for 104 degrees in Sonora, 108 in Livermore, 99 in San Jose, 91 in Oakland and 84 in San Francisco.

The health advice for staying safe in the Central Valley heat is to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms, limit exposure to the sun and check on relatives and neighbors. Also, protect your pets.

The Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services has a list of cooling zones. During excessive heat warnings, people can take fixed-route transit buses to cooling centers and ask to waive the fare.
Boy it really was a nice day yesterday! High temps were in the low-to-mid 80s with low humidity. We had a nice northeast breeze that really helped out in the comfort levels. Today well have more of a light east/southeast wind. This will start to pull in a little more humidity, and it will warm us up a bit more. We have high pressure shifting around a bit. It is now to our northeast.

Regional Weather Map

Well have partly cloudy skies. With the moisture increasing there may be some isolated showers or storms, but the chance is low. High temps will rise to the mid 80s this afternoon.

Forecast Temps Today

It will be a pretty good day locally. The weather across much of the country should be good for travel today.

Travel Map today

There will be some strong storms over the central U.S.

Tomorrow the high will push offshore a bit more. This will let the surface winds turn more out of the southwest. This will be able to pull up even more heat and humidity for the 4th of July. High temps will aim for the low 90s. However, the heat index will be in the upper 90s.

Temps VS Heat Index

Well be partly cloudy through the day. No rain is forecast. However, some scattered showers and storms will form to our west. As they move east in the evening they should mostly fall apart. However, a couple may survive by the time the fireworks start.

Future Trak Thursday Evening

Im optimistic for now, but check back for updates on that.

As you can see from the earlier graphic things are going to heat up for the weekend. High temps will be in the mid 90s Friday and Saturday. Well be partly cloudy with a few showers and storms possible. Most of them should be in the afternoons and evenings, but there could be a couple at other times. The heat index for both of those days will be over 100. Well cool down slightly on Sunday with high temps near 90, but it will still be muggy. I think well have some more clouds with a little better chance for rain. This as a cool front stalls out over the area. If the front stalls out sooner, then the rain chances will drop, and temps will be higher.

In the tropics we are tracking hurricane Beryl. This morning the eye was covered up by some high level clouds, but the eye was still physically present.

Hurricane Beryl (Enhanced Satellite)

As of this writing the hurricane had not weakened much in the last 12 hours. It was a category 4 storm with winds of 145mph sustained. The storm is aiming for a path just to the south of Jamaica or right along the southern coast.

Track Of Beryl

This will affect the island this afternoon. Sustained winds near the core of the storm could run at 130mph sustained with higher gusts. Rainfall could be between 4 and 8. The storm surge will likely be up to 6 to 9ft. There is some wind shear working on the system. So its possible that it will weaken a little before that time.

After that point it will move quickly to the west/northwest. It will indirectly impact the Cayman islands. Then it will aim for the Yucatan Peninsula. The official forecast has it crossing the Yucatan, and then getting into the Gulf of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center has it restrengthening into a hurricane in a few days.

Track Of Beryl

However, there are some models which have been trending more northward over time. There is even a model or two which have it barely touching the north end of the peninsula.

Forecast Models

The more north it tracks-the stronger it will be over the Gulf. It could also affect more of Texas in the end. Well have a better idea of the strength and track after it interacts with Jamaica.

Before I go This morning we caught the Falcon 9 rocket launch out of Florida on-air, but we didnt know it at the time. There were some great pics sent in.

Falcon 9 Rocket On Camera

Falcon 9 Pics

Meteorologist: Jeremy Wheeler

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA)  The Fourth of July holiday week is one of the busiest, most dangerous times of year on the water for boaters.

Boating experts say they see more accidents during the summer holidays than any other time of year.

Gearing up for this packed weekend on the water, a plan and a sober driver could save your life or, in the best case scenario just a call to the local boat towing company.

Sea Tow will have all hands on deck for the busy weekend.

On a standard weekend, we could be seeing anywhere between 15-20 calls, on a busy holiday weekend we could be seeing plus of 40, Sea Tow General Manager Captain Stephen Vigilante said.

He told 8 On Your Side the number one problem they expect boaters to run into this weekend is needing fuel.

Nine times out of 10 their fuel gauge is off. We always tell people to make fuel logs, keep a track of where youre going and I also go by the  rule: a third of fuel for the trip out, a third to come back, and a third in reserves.

Its also important to know the depths of the water.

We get a lot of ungrounding at night, especially at sunset, because they want to get home and they dont know where the sandbars are and theyre not marked sometimes and people just run their ground, said the Captain.

There should be fireworks zones around all the barges. When you anchor for the shows, Vigilante suggests letting out 7 feet of anchor line for every foot of water.

If you pull anchor during that firework show, everyone else is anchored behind you. Youre going to start drifting into other boats and its going to cause more of a headache, Vigilante said. So just make sure that you are aware of your surroundings, you know where other boaters are and just be safe.

According to FWC, Pinellas County is in the top 10 counties in the state for boating accidents.

In 2023, there were 40 accidents in the county in which one person died and 19 others were injured. In case you need it, Channel 16 on your radio is the universal channel for distress.

Call the Coast Guard if someone on your boat needs medical attention. Sea Tow is who to call if theres an issue with your boat.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
(WFXR)  Congressman Bob Good has announced he will be requesting an election recount after the Virginia State Board of Election certified John McGuires victory on Tuesday, July 2.

In a statement released on his Facebook page, Good says he is asking for a recount as the margin currently separating him and John McGuire in the 5th Congressional District race remains close.

RELATED STORY: Bob Good ousted by Trump-backed rival in Virginia nail-biter

Now that the preliminary certification of the primary election has concluded, we will move into a recount. In a race with nearly 63,000 votes that is separated by a 0.6% margin, Republican voters across the 5th District deserve to know that all legal votes have been accurately counted. We will vigorously pursue that objective over the coming days and weeks, as permitted by Virginia law. -Bob Good

WFXR News will update this story as further information is complete.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Boeing's Starliner capsule is performing well enough on its first-ever astronaut mission that it will likely be able to stay in orbit beyond the initially envisioned 45-day limit, NASA says.

Starliner, which launched on June 5, is docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on an indefinite mission extension. The spacecraft is in good shape and rated to leave the ISS in case of emergency. But both NASA and Boeing are trying to understand why some of Starliner's reaction control system (RCS) thrusters experienced issues in the leadup to docking with the ISS on June 6, and why several helium leaks have sprung up in the capsule. As such, Starliner will stay in space until at least later in the summer as testing and analyses continue. For example, a new round of thruster tests on the ground will begin soon, perhaps as early as today (July 2).

Testing on June 15 in orbit was unable to find the root cause of the issues, although agency officials stressed on Friday (June 28) that progress has been made: the helium leaks have stabilized, and all but one of the errant thrusters is rated for use to come back to Earth. (Starliner has 28 thrusters altogether in its RCS; five were misbehaving, and of those five, only one will be taken offline during undocking.)

Since the RCS is in Starliner's service module, which will be jettisoned before entry, descent and landing, the extra time in orbit will let teams take their time in understanding how to proceed. This will be crucial for any service module design changes that will be needed for future, six-month ISS rotation missions that Starliner performs as soon as 2025. But to give ground teams time for testing, NASA says Starliner needs to stay docked for more than 45 days, which was the initial outside limit for this mission. The good news is the spacecraft looks good to go for perhaps double that amount of time  or more.

Related: Thruster glitches and helium leaks can't stop Boeing's Starliner astronaut test flight  but why are they happening?

"We talked about a 45-day limit, limited by the crew module batteries on Starliner, and we're in the process of updating that limit," Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, told reporters during the Friday teleconference.

"We've been looking at those batteries and their performance on orbit. They're getting recharged by station, and that risk hasn't really changed. So the risk for the next 45 days is essentially the same as the first 45 days," he said.

Starliner, in fact, is rated to stay as long as 210 days on orbit once operational missions begin, he pointed out. But, as this is only Starliner's third mission in space, and its first with astronauts, NASA had been unsure about the battery performance in orbit before now.

When Space.com asked how long the mission could continue, Stich said, "We haven't decided how long to extend it yet." Starliner has 12 different batteries, he explained. Before this flight, similar batteries sat on the ground for a year and were then tested to make sure there were no defects, and none were found.

"What we really are doing now is looking at the performance of the battery in flight. We don't see any degradation in any of the cells where the batteries are," he added.

Boeing's white and blue Starliner spacecraft docked at the International Space Station in June 2024.

The current Starliner mission, called Crew Flight Test (CFT), was originally supposed to last about 10 days. It features two NASA astronauts: Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Both are former U.S. Navy test pilots with decades of experience working in developmental missions like this spaceflight.

Wilmore told Space.com on May 1, prior to launch, that the Navy gave the astronauts skills highly relevant to CFT, such as testing how systems work together. "Well, goodness, that's really the reason that we are here," he said, reflecting on the duo's thousands of hours of piloting experience. Later, he added their experience has been "invaluable for the process" in working on Starliner.

CFT was meant to examine the unexpected in space, and has flexibility built into it in terms of scheduling. The extra ground testing will be performed at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico to attempt to duplicate how the RCS thrusters were used during the flight and especially during the docking. (NASA waved off the first docking attempt on June 6 but authorized the second one a few hours later.)

RELATED STORIES:

 Boeing's 1st Starliner to carry astronauts arrives at ISS despite thruster malfunction

 ISS astronauts conduct 'spacewalk review' after spacesuit coolant leak

 NASA cancels ISS spacewalk due to spacesuit coolant leak (video)

Williams and Wilmore, meanwhile, are supporting the ISS astronauts on other tasks while standing by for the results of the White Sands testing, which will take no less than two weeks. Recent NASA blog posts have detailed the CFT astronauts' work on ISS maintenance: orbital plumbing for a few days, then more recently organizing items in the Permanent Multipurpose Module.

Williams and Wilmore also worked in the Japanese Experiment Module on Monday (July 1) "to disassemble an empty NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer in preparation of upcoming NanoRacks missions," NASA officials wrote Monday (July 1.)

Starliner's first two space missions were uncrewed. The first, in December 2019, failed to reach the ISS due to computer glitches that stranded it in the wrong orbit. The second, in May 2022, reached the ISS safely after Boeing made dozens of fixes, but Starliner's thrusters experienced a few issues; that's another reason NASA and Boeing are taking their time with CFT's return, to see why the spacecraft's thrusters misbehaved in both 2022 and 2024.

Boeing is one of two suppliers for ISS astronaut missions, with the other being SpaceX. Elon Musk's company uses its Crew Dragon capsule, which is based on the SpaceX's cargo Dragon vehicle. Crew Dragon had a more rapid path to orbit: one uncrewed mission in 2019, followed by an astronaut flight test in 2020. Dragon has sent 11 crews to the ISS since then, most of them on six-month operational crew rotation missions for NASA.
Bond increased to $1M for Texas woman accused in attempted drowning seen as possible hate crime

FILE - This undated booking photo provided by the Euless, Texas, Police Department shows Elizabeth Wolf. Wolf, who is accused of trying to drown a 3-year-old at an apartment complex pool in suburban Dallas after making racist remarks toward the childs mother, has been rearrested Wednesday, July 3, 2024, after her bond was increased to $1 million. (Euless Police Department via AP, File)

EULESS, Texas (AP)  A Texas woman accused of trying to drown a 3-year-old at an apartment complex pool in suburban Dallas after making racist remarks toward the childs mother has been rearrested following an increase in her bond to $1 million, according to court records.

Elizabeth Wolf, 42, had been released on a $40,000 bond after being charged with attempted capital murder and injury to a child. Police in Euless, a Dallas suburb, allege that on May 19, a very intoxicated Wolf tried to drown the child and had argued with the childs mother.

Police said the child's mother told officers Wolf accused her of not being American, along with other racial statements.

Following a court hearing last week, Wolfs bond was increased and she was rearrested, police said.

Wolf remained jailed in Fort Worth on Wednesday, according to Tarrant County records.

Wolfs attorney did not immediately return a call Wednesday seeking comment.

In a statement, the Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said it welcomed Wolfs rearrest.

CAIR-Texas remains committed to advocating for the family and the American Muslim community until justice, peace and equity are achieved, said Shaimaa Zayan, CAIR-Austin operations manager.

The mother of the children, who wears a hijab, has said she and her family are Palestinians who became American citizens, according to CAIR. Neither police nor CAIR have released the mothers name.

The childs mother told officers that after Wolf had asked her where she was from, Wolf tried to grab the womans 6-year-old son before getting her 3-year-old daughter and forcing her underwater, according to police.

The mother pulled her daughter, who was yelling for help and coughing up water, out of the pool, police said.

Both children were checked and medically cleared.

Euless police has said its requested that prosecutors in Tarrant County treat the case as a hate crime. A spokeswoman for the district attorneys office has said they are reviewing the case.
The relentless AI hype in the tech industry, coupled with OpenAIs ascent to becoming the worlds third-largest unicorn, prompted BestBrokers to analyze the latest data on the newest entrants to the prestigious unicorn club.

This analysis reveals significant trends and insights into the global startup ecosystem, highlighting the sectors and regions driving this growth.

Unicorn Landscape Analysis

Using data from CB Insights, BestBrokers dissected startups valued at over $1 billion by industry, country, and market valuation. As of 2024, the total count of unicorn companies stands at 1,241, with 28 new additions this year alone. Heres a detailed breakdown of these newcomers by industry:

AI Dominance: Out of the 28 startups that achieved unicorn status in 2024, 12, or nearly 43%, are AI companies. This underscores the massive investments and advancements in artificial intelligence, reflecting its pivotal role in shaping future technologies.

Out of the 28 startups that achieved unicorn status in 2024, 12, or nearly 43%, are AI companies. This underscores the massive investments and advancements in artificial intelligence, reflecting its pivotal role in shaping future technologies. Fintech and Crypto Surge: Eight of the new unicorns, or 29%, are in the Fintech or Crypto sectors, highlighting the continued innovation and growth in financial technologies and digital currencies.

Eight of the new unicorns, or 29%, are in the Fintech or Crypto sectors, highlighting the continued innovation and growth in financial technologies and digital currencies. Diverse Growth: The remaining new unicorns span various industries, with 4 in Enterprise Software, 2 in Digital Media, and 1 each in the Food & Beverage and Pharmaceutical sectors.

Key Insights from the Report:

Europes Leading Unicorns

Revolut: The UKs digital banking giant, Revolut, leads Europes unicorns with a valuation of $33 billion. The company is seeking to sell about $500 million worth of existing shares, aiming to boost its value to $40 billion, further cementing its position as a market leader.

The UKs digital banking giant, Revolut, leads Europes unicorns with a valuation of $33 billion. The company is seeking to sell about $500 million worth of existing shares, aiming to boost its value to $40 billion, further cementing its position as a market leader. Celonis: Germanys data processing firm, Celonis, holds the second spot in Europe with a $13 billion valuation. The company specializes in process mining technology, which is crucial for improving business operations.

Germanys data processing firm, Celonis, holds the second spot in Europe with a $13 billion valuation. The company specializes in process mining technology, which is crucial for improving business operations. Global Switch: The UKs data center operator, Global Switch, ranks third with a valuation of $11.1 billion, reflecting the growing demand for data infrastructure in the digital age.

Global Leaders

ByteDance: The Chinese social media behemoth, ByteDance, tops the global unicorn list in 2024, with an impressive valuation of $225 billion. Its flagship product, TikTok, continues to dominate the global social media landscape, driving its astronomical valuation.

The Chinese social media behemoth, ByteDance, tops the global unicorn list in 2024, with an impressive valuation of $225 billion. Its flagship product, TikTok, continues to dominate the global social media landscape, driving its astronomical valuation. SpaceX: U.S.-based spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX ranks second globally, valued at $150 billion. SpaceXs pioneering efforts in space exploration and satellite technology have positioned it as a leader in the aerospace industry.

U.S.-based spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX ranks second globally, valued at $150 billion. SpaceXs pioneering efforts in space exploration and satellite technology have positioned it as a leader in the aerospace industry. Hectocorns: ByteDance and SpaceX are the only two companies classified as hectocorns, valued at $100 billion or more, highlighting their extraordinary impact and market leadership.

Industry Breakdown of New Unicorns

AI Startups: 12 new AI startups have joined the unicorn club in 2024, indicating a robust pipeline of innovation in artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.

12 new AI startups have joined the unicorn club in 2024, indicating a robust pipeline of innovation in artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. Fintech and Crypto: The addition of 8 new unicorns in the Fintech and Crypto sectors reflects the ongoing digital transformation in financial services and the growing adoption of blockchain technologies.

The addition of 8 new unicorns in the Fintech and Crypto sectors reflects the ongoing digital transformation in financial services and the growing adoption of blockchain technologies. Enterprise Software: 4 new unicorns in Enterprise Software demonstrate the increasing demand for advanced software solutions in business operations.

4 new unicorns in Enterprise Software demonstrate the increasing demand for advanced software solutions in business operations. Digital Media, Food & Beverage, and Pharmaceuticals: These sectors each saw new additions, highlighting their diverse contributions to the global startup ecosystem.

European Unicorn Hub

United Kingdom: The UK boasts the highest number of unicorns in Europe, with 54 startups as of May 2024. This positions the UK as a leading hub for innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.

The UK boasts the highest number of unicorns in Europe, with 54 startups as of May 2024. This positions the UK as a leading hub for innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. Germany and France: Germany has 31 unicorns, while France follows with 27, reflecting their strong presence in the European startup landscape.

Global Unicorn Distribution

United States: The U.S. is home to 662 unicorn startups, representing over half of the global total, with a combined valuation of $2.153 trillion. This dominance underscores the U.S.s continued leadership in fostering high-value startups.

The U.S. is home to 662 unicorn startups, representing over half of the global total, with a combined valuation of $2.153 trillion. This dominance underscores the U.S.s continued leadership in fostering high-value startups. China and India: China follows with 169 unicorns worth $641.7 billion, and India has 71 unicorns valued at $192.24 billion, showcasing their significant roles in the global startup ecosystem.

Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Ive said it before, and will doubtless have cause to say it again: Boris Johnson might be the single most effective political illusionist this country has ever seen. No matter how many times experience fails to live up to the promise, there still seems to be no shortage of buyers for the could-have-been king act.

This is likely in part because, since stepping down as Prime Minister, the man himself has been careful not to pick any battles which might puncture that myth: he bottled out of the Uxbridge by-election (which the Tories went on to win), and marched his followers to the top of the hill before changing his mind about challenging Rishi Sunak (while claiming he had the numbers to do so).

Yesterdays last-minute campaign intervention was another bit of shrewd judgement. It seems to have been enough to get him credit for doing his bit from people who forget that he spent most of the past six weeks on a second summer holiday. But it gives him enough distance to avoid close association with this disastrous campaign.

Most importantly, it lets the sort of person still inclined to chant his name at the rally comfort themselves with thoughts of how different things would have been if only he had been more involved. Or better yet, never been deposed at all  remember how much better the Conservative Party was polling then?

This last is a weirdly common argument, considering how bad it is. Setting aside for a moment that it matters that Johnson had lost the confidence of his parliamentary party and suffered an historic mass resignation from his government, why should his polling be assessed on the point it was at when he stood down, rather than the trajectory?

Whether or not you personally feel that Partygate was a scandal fit to topple a government, the public anger was a fact. Imagine how much more brutal for the Tories the Covid Inquiry would have been with Johnson still in place.

Even beyond the circumstances of his downfall, Johnsons premiership was mostly an exercise in missed opportunities. It is true to an extent that he was derailed by the pandemic, but even in those few short months after the 2019 election when things were normal there was a notable lack of dynamism about the new government. His first hundred days werent shaping up to be anything special.

Levelling Up, supposedly the centrepiece of his political strategy, was never defined. Absent an actual, intellectually rigorous theory of Britains lopsided economic geography, it swiftly devolved into a slogan under which the usual lobbyists advanced whatever they usually peddle, and a handful of funds that distributed nice but structurally-insignificant pots of cash around target seats.

Worse still, it became yet another excuse for British politicians (and voters, in fairness) to tell themselves that we didnt need to do unpopular but urgently-necessary things, such as build houses in the South or accept that people often have to leave their home town to pursue their career.

Yes, Johnson won a big majority. Thats a nice thing to have. But it only matters if you are prepared to use it, and he wasnt. The one really ambitious part of his programme  Robert Jenricks planning reforms  was abandoned, and Jenrick himself sacked for the crime of loyally attempting to deliver the Prime Ministers legislation.

But politics is a tribal game, and to those who dont really think of it as anything more than that Johnson offers the wonderful feeling (or memory) of winning. Hes the Golden Calf of British politics  a comforting idol around which Tories can practice hollow rituals of imagined triumph.

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 editorial board at The Boston Globe called on President Biden to suspend his campaign following his poor debate performance and a rocky few days for the Democratic Party.

In the days since last weeks presidential debate, President Bidens team has said little that adequately explains why his performance was historically bad, beyond that he had a cold, the Globe editorial board wrote. What we mostly heard instead was the closing of ranks around a beleaguered and wounded candidate.

The editorial board acknowledged it would be a risky and complicated process to replace Biden. The party has questioned who, if not Biden, could rally its supporters and ultimately beat former President Trump in the polls this fall.

The Boston Globes editorial board joins a growing list of news organizations that have called for the president to step aside. The New York Times said Biden would best serve his country by allowing someone else to have the opportunity. The New Yorker called Biden staying in the race national endangerment. The Economist, the Chicago Tribune and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution have also explicitly called for Biden to suspend his campaign.

With panic already underway, the party is now considering its options. Rumored to be on that list are Vice President Harris and multiple Democratic governors.

They are waiting for their chance to lead and take on Trump, the Globe board wrote, but are waiting for Biden to graciously bow out of the race and free his delegates.

For the good of the country, his party, and his legacy, Biden must do this. And soon, the outlet wrote.

His announcement would spur a short-lived campaign for someone new. The Globe acknowledged that it would be chaotic, but it would also be damn exciting.

And the Democratic Party needs something beyond fear of Trump to energize its troops, the board argued.

The biggest obstacle, the board said, is Biden himself.

The White House insisted Wednesday that the president will not be dropping out of the race, despite the repeated calls for him to do so.

The Globe called on major Democratic leaders, both former presidents and current members of Congress, to persuade the president that he can exit the race as a hero.

As of Wednesday afternoon, just two House Democrats, Reps. Lloyd Doggett (Texas) and Raul Grijalva (Ariz.), have publicly called for the president to step aside.

For years during the Trump administration, Democrats lambasted Republican members of Congress who refused to say publicly what they were saying privately: that Trump was unfit to be president, the board wrote. We understand why Democrats are hesitant to do the same thing now to a respected president from their own party.

It is partly because managing the ravages of age is not equivalent to being a dishonest and incompetent president. But it is also because they fear that questions about Bidens fitness as a candidate will ultimately translate into questions about his fitness to serve as president. And that will only strengthen Trumps hand, the Globe wrote.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Boy accused of stabbing student at Sydney university has faced previous charges, officials say

New South Wales state Police conduct search at the scene of an alleged stabbing at Sydney University, in Sydney, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. A 14-year-old boy dressed in military clothing was arrested after stabbing a 22-year-old student in the neck at Sydney University, police alleged. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP Image via AP)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)  A state government minister said on Wednesday a 14-year-old boy accused of stabbing a student at the University of Sydney has faced charges that were dismissed by a court, while newspapers reported he was accused of threatening to shoot fellow students.

The boy is the third Australian child to be accused of a stabbing attack linked to online radicalization since April, prompting authorities to warn parents to beware of internet dangers.

The boy remained at a Sydney hospital for a mental health assessment the day after the early Tuesday attack, New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley said.

We have to make sure that we wrap services and support around these kids who are being radicalized online and their families, Catley said.

Police say the boy took a bus from the site of the stabbing to the hospital seeking treatment for a cut on his hand. He was arrested at the hospital.

The 22-year-old student who was stabbed once in the neck was discharged from the same hospital overnight, Catley said.

The boy wore military clothing and used a kitchen knife in the attack, police allege.

Catley said the suspect was charged by police last year and a court dismissed the charges. She added that he had been attending a Department of Communities and Justice program, which news media have described as a deradicalization program.

Sydneys The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources, that the suspect was charged last year with threatening to shoot fellow students at his Sydney school and with threatening to engage in self-harm, but a magistrate dismissed the charges in February on mental health grounds.

Police have yet to determine a motive or file charges.

A 16-year-old boy was shot dead by police after he stabbed a stranger in a hardware store parking lot in the Australian city of Perth on May 4. The victim survived.

That teen had also been taking part in a deradicalization program since he detonated a homemade explosive device in a school washroom two years earlier.

Another 16-year-old boy was charged with committing a terrorist act after he allegedly stabbed an Assyrian Orthodox bishop and a priest during a Sydney church service that was being livestreamed on April 15. Both clerics survived.
The breadth of Mondays Supreme Court decision largely shields former President Trump from criminal prosecution, while raising questions about the extent future presidents can take actions that would go unchecked by the courts.

The ruling doesnt just limit how Trump can be prosecuted for his actions leading up to Jan. 6, 2021. It further undercuts special counsel Jack Smiths case by restricting what presidential actions can even be considered evidence in a prosecution. Its a factor sure to be raised in Trumps other ongoing cases.

And it also raises questions over what future lawless conduct or abuse of power might be beyond the reach of prosecutors or the courts, including dire hypotheticals over whether Trump could order the assassination of his political opponents.

The court gives former President Trump all the immunity he asked for and more, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a blistering dissent that said the president can now use the office for evil ends.

In its Monday decision, the high court determined presidents have immunity for core official actions they take while in office; while for all other official acts presidents are at least presumptively immune.

Neil Eggleston, who served as White House counsel to former President Obama, said the decision appears to condone an extreme example cited during arguments: whether the president could order SEAL Team 6 to take out a rival.

That was the hypothetical that people thought would cause the court to think it couldnt possibly go that far, he said.

I think they did.  It seems to me that issuing orders to the military is like the core function of the commander in chief power. So Im just not sure how thats not exempt.

The decision ultimately kicks Trumps case back to the district court to tease out which of his actions leading up to Jan. 6 would be considered an official act.

But some of his conduct specifically condoned by the ruling makes clear that the court sees most any action with roots in a presidents role as protected from prosecution.

Trumps pressure campaign at the Department of Justice  contact that threatened to upheave its leadership to install an attorney general who desired to launch an investigation into Trumps baseless claims of election fraud  was deemed outreach by the court and absolutely immune.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that discussions like those were permitted, as presidents have unrestricted power to remove the most important of his subordinates and exclusive authority over the investigative and prosecutorial functions of the Justice Department and its officials.

To the courts liberals, that grants presidents immunity when they abuse their power  even in the most extreme hypotheticals raised during arguments.

When he uses his official powers in any way, under the majoritys reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution. Orders the Navys Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune, Sotomayor wrote.

In a concurring dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson likewise fixated on a presidents ability to carry out murders.

While the President may have the authority to decide to remove the Attorney General, for example, the question here is whether the President has the option to remove the Attorney General by, say, poisoning him to death, she wrote.

Put another way, the issue here is not whether the President has exclusive removal power, but whether a generally applicable criminal law prohibiting murder can restrict how the President exercises that authority.

Eggleston said the ruling likewise seems to condone taking bribes for pardons or ambassadorships.

The fact that core presidential functions are absolutely immune really does mean there are a lot of things the president does that he simply cannot be charged with, regardless of motive and intent and consequences, he said.

I just cant imagine that the Framers actually thought that that conduct by a president would be appropriate.

Other elements of the decision further complicate Smiths path to bringing charges against Trump.

The opinion bars the use of evidence related to an official act from being used elsewhere in any potential criminal indictment.

In Trumps case, that means his push at the Justice Department or anything else courts determine is an official act cant be presented to the jury even to bolster the case on the remaining elements.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who joined the majority, suggested in a concurring opinion that the limitations on evidence went too far.

The Constitution does not require blinding juries to the circumstances surrounding conduct for which Presidents can be held liable, she wrote, going on to cite bribery as an example.

Excluding from trial any mention of the official act connected to the bribe would hamstring the prosecution.

And in another section of the opinion, Roberts foreclosed courts from considering a presidents motive in seeking to determine whether conduct was official or unofficial.

Thats yet another complicating factor for Smith, who brought charges related to Jan. 6 that require demonstrating corrupt intent.

Theyre making it very difficult for the prosecution. And I dont have a good answer to why theyre doing that, but it is going to become difficult for prosecutors to prove corrupt intent if they cannot delve into motive, said Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney.

McQuade said looking at motive could have been a good way to tease out conduct that should be immune, separating those done in good faith from those done for personal gain, nodding to Trumps conversations with then-Vice President Mike Pence.

Not looking to motive, I think, can make it very difficult to engage in the line-drawing they want to draw, she said.

Lisa Rubin, an MSNBC legal analyst, offered another example.

A president raids the home of a political rival because of their beef, not because of any legitimately suspected criminal activity? The beef is irrelevant legally, she wrote on the social platform X.

Trump has made clear he sees the decision as a win  calling it a high level SPANKING for Smith  and as a pathway for unraveling his other cases.

The former presidents attorneys have already relied on the decision in challenging Trumps guilty verdict in his Manhattan hush money case, penning a letter to Judge Juan Merchan on Monday evening asking him to set aside the verdict.

Its unclear whether Mondays decision will offer much basis for toppling that case. Some of the conduct weighed in the indictment happened before Trump was elected, and Trump also waived the immunity defense in court. Though the decision made clear private acts carry no immunity, Trumps efforts could prompt further court consideration of whether his efforts to conceal an alleged affair fit the bill.

The immunity issue has, however, been raised by Trump both in his Georgia election interference case as well as his Mar-a-Lago documents case.

Trump has previously argued that he had designated the records in his home as personal records under the Presidential Records Act  a long-shot argument but one that could gain new traction with Judge Aileen Cannon after the immunity ruling.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Editor's note: This article was updated Wednesday morning with additional information about the fire and an update on its status.

Eugene Springfield Fire battled a brush fire late Tuesday first seen near a homeless encampment on North Game Farm Road next to Interstate 5.

Crews were dispatched to the site at 5:35 p.m. after receiving reports of smoke and flames in the area, according to a release from the fire department. Upon arrival, they encountered a half-acre, wind-driven blaze.

The Coburg Fire District assisted in the effort. Authorities advised motorists to avoid the area during the response.

By 10 p.m., firefighters had the blaze under control. It was later mapped at 28 acres, having burned through a large triangular area near where I-5 and North Game Farm Road meet in Eugene.

It marked the second significant brush fire local crews had faced in less than 24 hours, with a similarly sized fire having erupted just after midnight at the top of Skinner Butte. Fireworks were the suspected cause there.

Eugene Springfield Fire is fighting a brush fire on North Game Farm Rd near Interstate 5 that was called in about 5:35 p.m. Tuesday.

The Oregon Department of Forestry officially declared fire season this week in the Western Lane District, which means the manufacture, sale or use of fireworks in unincorporated areas of Lane County are now prohibited for the Fourth of July weekend.

Most fireworks are banned in Eugene, with a fine of up to $500 in place for those found guilty of buying, selling or setting off fireworks within the city limits.

Fire concerns across the area are rising along with the temperatures this week, with dry conditions and a heat wave on the way. Temperatures are expected to approach triple digits by Friday and rise as high as 105 in the Eugene area, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.

The changing conditions could shake up what had so far been a quiet wildfire season in western Oregon.

This article will be updated as more information is made available.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Brush fire reported near Interstate 5 off North Game Farm Road
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  A Buffalo man accused of shooting three people in early June on Elmwood Avenue was recently taken into custody in Maryland and arraigned Wednesday, the Erie County District Attorneys Office announced.

Dominique Singletary, 29, is accused of shooting three men in their early 20s with an illegal weapon during an altercation around 2:30 a.m. June 1 on the 1100 block of Elmwood, officials said. The three victims were taken to ECMC, with one suffering serious physical injuries and the others suffering non-life-threatening injuries.

The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force recently located Singletary in Maryland and he was eventually arrested on an indictment warrant, according to officials. He was returned to Western New York on Tuesday after waiving extradition proceedings.

Singletary was charged with:

Three counts of second-degree attempted murder

Two counts of second-degree assault

One count of first-degree assault

One count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon

Singletary was held without bail and a return court date has not yet been scheduled. He faces a maximum of 75 years in prison. Additionally, temporary orders of protection were issued on behalf of the victims.

Latest Local News

Adam Gorski is a Buffalo native who joined the WIVB News 4 team in 2022. You can find 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.
Angela Dumala speaking at a press conference in Tampa on March 27, 2024. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix)

Andrea Dumalas Honda Accord was idling at a red light on a Pasco County road in 2014 when it was violently rear-ended by a Ford Explorer moving at 50 miles per hour. The driver was later revealed to have been under the influence.

The accident changed her life. Although Dumala was later diagnosed with injuries to her spinal cord and a TBI  traumatic brain injury  that didnt happen until a few years after the accident, which is why she initially was denied disability medical coverage. Working with an attorney in 2020, she finally won that coverage, which allowed her to get on Medicaid and take a financial break from her medical costs.

Medicaid provides medical coverage to low-income individuals and families whose costs are shared between the state and federal government.

When Dumala reapplied for her Medicaid benefits a year ago, however, she received a shock.

Our records indicate that you no longer receive Medicaid, began the document sent to her by her health care provider dated Aug. 14, 2023, with the information that she had a six-month grace period to re-qualify.

They stated to me, Oh youre not eligible because you have an asset, and they were seeing that asset from my savings as not making me Medicaid-eligible anymore. And it was something that I just couldnt wrap my mind around, like, how can that be possible? Dumala recalled in a Zoom conversation with the Phoenix.

Especially for someone who doesnt work. I dont have the luxury of working overtime or a second job or I rely on that help, and to have that taken away is excruciating and its very scary when you dont understand, and you dont know what to do.

The loss of Medicaid coverage meant Dumala couldnt pay for her prescription drugs, such as Olumiant, which she uses to treat alopecia areata (a disease that causes hair loss) and without insurance can cost several thousand dollars for a 30-day supply.

I was losing my hair in chunks a few years ago, and I came down with an autoimmune disease, and that medicine helped me so much for a few years, and I could not wrap my mind around not having that. It was incredibly scary, and fortunately I was able to work something out with my doctor and she fought hard for me where I could still receive the medication with a co-pay, Dumala said.

But to me, why? Even with a copay when it was being taken care of, and then just having the stress of it, how stress affects your body. Like theres enough to worry about, like, it should never have occurred in the first place.

Dumala, 40, is one of more than 653,000 Floridians who lost their Medicaid coverage over the past year because the state determined they were ineligible, according to KFF. Enrollment had increased during the public health emergency ignited by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, when the federal government paid states to keep residents enrolled, regardless of their situation. That changed at the start of April 2023.

Dumalas also one of an estimated nearly 315,000 Floridians in the so-called coverage gap, ineligible for Medicaid or insurance through the Affordable Care Act, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (KFF places that number at 570,000).

Shes now working as an advocate with Florida Voices for Health, a nonprofit advocacy group that works on multiple health issues including expanding Medicaid. The organization hosted a news conference touting its new push to get Florida to join the majority of states that have expanded Medicaid.

The press conference was staged in March on Bayshore Boulevard in South Tampa, with Tampa General Hospital in the background.

Quiet organizing

We all know the situation that Florida is in when it comes to access to care, said Scott Darius, executive director of Florida Voices for Health, during the press conference.

There are just folks in this state who dont have access to the care that they need. And, unfortunately, we have over half a million Floridians who dont have access to care whatsoever. Who dont have access to Medicaid because of how restrictive our program is, and dont have access to the ACA tax credits because they dont make enough to get there.

Florida Decides Healthcare is the new political entity created to get Medicaid expansion on the 2026 ballot.

With high-profile campaigns pushing for the state constitutional amendments legalizing adult cannabis use and restoring a womans right to an abortion up until the point of viability, the push to collect the close to 1 million signatures to qualify to place Medicaid on the ballot in two years has been doing its work without much fanfare. But organizers say they are making progress.

We have already established a network of petition collection hubs throughout the state, with 20 in operation so far, and efforts to increase that number are ongoing, said Jake Flaherty, campaign manager for the organization, in an email. We have collected thousands of petitions from volunteers thus far and are preparing to dramatically expand our efforts between the end of this election cycle and the beginning of next year.

Since a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling made the Affordable Care Acts Medicaid expansional optional, the issue initially emerged as largely partisan, with Republicans against. Opposition has withered in some conservative-led red states over the years. Not in Florida, though, one of 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid (seven of which are in the South).

Dumala became an activist in the cause after her father heard Tampa health-care advocate Karen Clay discussing the campaign during a radio interview and thought she could be an ideal representative to speak publicly about the need for Florida to get behind the movement.

It was one of the best things to happen, because they gave me the opportunity to not only speak about my journey, but Im hoping to advocate for others as well, because youre in such a vulnerable position and I dont feel people know what to do. They really dont. And feeling that way and being vulnerable to the system, it just breaks my heart that other people are enduring that, and I want to do whatever I can to help.

If the measure gets the sufficient number of signatures to qualify for the 2026 ballot, it will likely face fierce opposition.

Opposition

The Paragon Health Institute, led by former Trump administration economic adviser Brian Blase, has published a paper contending that Medicaid expansion would be bad for Floridas economy and would create harmful health effects.

Florida has made the right decision to not expand Medicaid under the ACA thus far, the paper concluded. Expanding would necessitate higher state taxes, force cuts to other state priorities, and reduce access to care for traditional Medicaid enrollees and many new Medicaid enrollees, most of whom would replace private coverage with Medicaid.

Except for a brief moment in 2013 when then-Gov. Rick Scott floated the idea, Republicans in Tallahassee have fiercely opposed the notion of expanding Medicaid, and that theme continued earlier this year when Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said as the session began that her Live Healthy legislation wouldnt include expanding Medicaid.

I want to be clear. Im not going to spend the next 60 days re-litigating Medicaid expansion. I understand the arguments both for and against, she said. We have had the debate several times over the last decade. Medicaid expansion is not going to happen. It is not a quick fix. It is not a panacea.

The Legislature in deep red Mississippi seriously considered Medicaid expansion earlier this year, but an insistence by members of the state Senate about requiring anyone who wanted health benefits to have to work a minimum number of hours to qualify killed the proposal, according to Mississippi Public Broadcasting.

Mississippi, like the majority of the remaining states that havent expanded Medicaid, doesnt have the option of the public going around the legislature and putting a measure on the ballot by themselves. Florida does, despite the 60% vote requirement to pass constitutional amendments, one of the highest thresholds in the country.

A survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy of 625 registered voters conducted in late March showed that 76% support expanding Medicaid in Florida, with just 14% opposing and 10% undecided.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met for lunch on Wednesday -- likely their first one-on-one interaction since the president's lackluster debate performance. However, unlike previous meetings, this one comes as momentum builds for Harris to replace Biden at the top of the ticket with new polling showing her outperforming Biden in a hypothetical matchup with former President Donald Trump.

While most prominent Democrats kept mum in the immediate aftermath of the debate or issued short statements of support, early this week, several current and former party elected officials called on the president to withdraw from the race. Some of Biden's allies even pushed him to make unscripted appearances and answer tough questions from reporters to show his fitness for office.

Sources told ABC News on Wednesday that Biden has privately acknowledged that the next few days are critical to determining whether he can stay in the race for a second term -- something the White House denied.

MORE: Biden privately signals 'open mind' on path forward, sees next few days as critical: Sources

Harris has pledged her full support for Biden since the president's first debate this cycle with Trump.

On ABC News Live the night of the debate, Harris defended Biden's performance, saying "the bottom line is this, let us not decide who is going to be the president of the United States based on the 90-minute debate. Let's measure that decision against the last three and a half years." And in an interview with CBS News on Tuesday, she didn't mince words: "Look, Joe Biden is our nominee."

PHOTO: Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Constitutional Convention of the UNITE HERE hospitality union in New York City, June 21, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Harris joined Biden on an all-staff campaign call on Wednesday, during which Biden was "unequivocal" that he was staying in the race, several sources familiar confirmed to ABC News.

Yet despite Harris' repeated defenses of Biden, pressure on the president is building -- and the vice president has earned the support of many Democrats who see her as a logical successor if Biden were to withdraw.

Former Ohio congressman and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Tim Ryan wrote in an opinion piece published Monday night in Newsweek that Biden should step aside so that Harris can become the Democratic nominee. Biden "promised to be a bridge President to the next generation," wrote Ryan, but "that bridge collapsed last week."

MORE: Democrats pressure Biden to answer questions after he falters in 1st debate

Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn -- a former House whip and co-chair of the Biden campaign -- said on MSNBC on Tuesday that he would support Harris taking over the top spot on the ticket if Biden were to "step aside."

"No, this party should not in any way do anything to work around Ms. Harris," said Clyburn, in response to speculation that the party could choose a different replacement. "We should do everything we can to bolster her -- whether it's in second place or at the top of the ticket."

PHOTO: Representative Jim Clyburn during a Senate Finance Committee hearing in Washington, DC, June 4, 2024. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro on Tuesday called for the president to withdraw and pointed to Harris as a strong option. He also noted that "we have a stable of folks that I think could do a better job" than Biden.

A new CNN poll is fueling some of the Harris hype. It shows the vice president just two points behind Trump in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup -- within the margin of error. Biden, by contrast, trails by six points, and no other Democratic replacement polled fares as well as Harris.

Harris' lead in the CNN poll compared with other rumored Biden alternatives such as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom underscores one key advantage the vice president has over other Democrats: national exposure. In the event of a late switch, Harris would likely have less work to do to define herself to the broader American public. And she has already been subject to painstaking vetting by the national press and her opponents.

PHOTO: Former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro joins Democrat Jon Ossoff for a campaign event in Lilburn, GA, Dec. 07, 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

More concretely, because the vice president already shares the presidential ticket, she can directly inherit most of the campaign's war chest -- more than $91 million the Biden campaign has in cash-on-hand. Other candidates, by contrast, would face difficulties claiming the funds. The funds give her a major advantage over any other potential replacements.

The newfound momentum behind Harris comes despite months of poor polling. In 538's polling average, just 37.4% of Americans approved of the vice president's performance at the start of the year -- roughly 2% fewer than approved of Biden's performance, according to 538's polling averages.

Harris' approval rating remains lower than Biden's in the latest CNN poll, 29% to 34%, respectively.

MORE: White House in damage control mode as Biden set to meet with governors

PHOTO: Democratic candidate for Senate Rep. Tim Ryan speaks during an election night event in Boardman, OH, Nov. 8, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Republicans, who have previously attacked Harris as "woke," have already trained their sights on the vice president as the election approaches.

A new digital ad from the National Republican Congressional Committee out Wednesday attacked Harris over the administration's border policy, framing her as Biden's "border czar." Another recent Trump ad shows a montage of Biden's gaffes and stumbles -- and warns that Harris is poised to take over: "Vote Joe Biden today, get Kamala Harris tomorrow."

While the administration initially tasked her with the politically difficult issue of immigration, Harris -- the first Black vice president and the first woman vice president -- has more recently served as the lead messenger on racial justice and the central campaign theme of abortion rights.

Whether Harris will move to the top of the ticket largely depends on Biden. Only he can decide whether to release his pledged delegates -- or throw his support behind his vice president -- ahead of the Democratic convention in August.

Buzz builds around Kamala Harris should Biden withdraw originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
CA set aside $40 million to preserve 2,400-acre property by Diablo Canyon. What happens next?

California lawmakers allocated $40 million of the state budget to the purchase and preservation of Wild Cherry Canyon, a nearly undeveloped, 2,400-acre property that is part of the land surrounding the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.

The community has vigorously advocated for the protection of this ecologically and culturally rich coastal property for 25 years, State Senator John Laird said in a statement. Today, that vision is a big step closer to becoming reality.

The California State Coastal Conservancy will award the funding to an organization with experience managing land for conservation and public access, according to a news release from Lairds office.

The funding prohibits development on the land and requires the next owner to guarantee public access to the property.

The $40 million must be spent by June 30, 2029, the release said.

Green grass and a sunlit hillside near Wild Cherry Canyon by Port San Luis.

State legislators fight for Wild Cherry Canyon funding

The $40 million is just a slice of the funding the state Legislature promised for preservation of land surrounding the power plant.



In 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 846 into law  which outlined a plan to support the continued operation of the nuclear plant and promised $160 million for the preservation of 12,000 acres of land surrounding Diablo.

Last year, the state Legislature allocated $10 million of the state budget to those preservation efforts, and this year, they awarded the $40 million  a difficult task when the state budget faced up to a $68 billion deficit.

It is a very difficult budget year, but this was a top priority for me, for our district and for SLO County, State Assembly member Dawn Addis told The Tribune. One of the things that makes SLO County so special is the preservation that has happened, and so Wild Cherry Canyon is a part of that.

The state still owes $110 million of the $160 million originally promised to Diablo land preservation in Senate Bill 846.

The Legislature postponed the remaining funding to a year when the budget is stronger, Laird said.

While some of those funds were deferred until the state budget situation improves, I am delighted to report that we successfully fought to keep $40 million in this years budget for the acquisition of Wild Cherry Canyon Laird said in his statement.

Wild Cherry Canyon is a 2,400-acre property in the hills above Avila Beach and Port San Luis. This hilltop has limestone formations and coast live oaks. Shell Beach is at distant right.

What might happen with Wild Cherry Canyon property when it is bought?

Wild Cherry Canyon is wedged between two State Parks: Avila State Beach and Montana de Oro.

A 2023 report published by the California Natural Resources Agency identified California State Parks as a potential future owner and steward of Wild Cherry Canyon.

The property could be operated by State Parks as an extension of Montana de Oro State Park, the report said.

The report envisioned more recreation opportunities on the land, including an interior trail connecting Wild Cherry Canyon and Montana de Oro State Park through the Irish Hills, it said.

That trail would also be an extension of the California Coastal Trail, which will offer a connected network of trail systems from Oregon to Mexico when completed.

Meanwhile, the report recommended that the future property owner enter into a tribal conservation and access easement, which would establish California Native American tribes as a partner in the management of the property.

The higher elevations of the Wild Cherry Canyon property near Avila Beach offer ocean views from Montana de Oro State Park to Point Sal on a clear day.

Appeal ongoing over land rights for Diablo Canyon-area property

Wild Cherry Canyon is the southernmost parcel of the Diablo Canyon lands owned by Euerka Energy, a subsidiary of PG&E.

For the past few decades, however, the real estate development company HomeFed Corporation held a lease on the property and grazed cattle there. HomeFed planned to eventually develop the property, with the potential for anything from a dude ranch to 2,500 housing units.

In May 2023, however, San Luis Obispo County Superior Court judge Rita Federman ruled that Euerka Energy owned the rights to the land, not HomeFed Corporation. She decided that HomeFeds lease on the land expired in 2019 because it was used primarily for agricultural purposes.

HomeFed appealed the decision in the California Sixth District Court of Appeal. The appeal is still ongoing.

The outcome of the appeal will decide which entity the State Coastal Conservancy and its grantee must negotiate with to buy the land.
The State Departments annual International Religious Freedom report tracks threats to religious freedom in almost 200 countries. The threats it documents come from governments, violent extremist groups, and individuals acting with hatred and often impunity.

The report also documents steps countries are taking to defend and promote religious freedom. At the rollout of the most recent report, Secretary of State Antony Blinken pointed to significant examples:

Last November Czechia brought officials, practitioners, faith and civil society leaders from some 60 countries to share ways to push back against authoritarian governments that are cracking down on religious freedom. Saudi Arabia continues to remove exclusionary and hateful language against religious minorities from its public-school textbooks, introducing new editions that promote peace and tolerance. In Germany, authorities are working with survivors to prosecute ISIS fighters who carried out genocide and atrocities against Yazidis, Christians, Shia Muslims, and other religious minorities in both Iraq and in Syria.

The United States, he said, will continue to stand with our partners and work to advance religious freedom across the globe:

Since 2021, weve dedicated more than $100 million to this effort. Weve supported initiatives to prevent religious-based violence. Weve provided legal assistance to people who are facing religious persecution. Weve trained thousands of human rights defenders who are helping to document abuses. Weve also continued hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to support those fleeing religious oppression. Over generations, our nation has welcomed hundreds of thousands of refugees facing religious persecution. We work relentlessly to secure the release of people in prison for exercising their right to religious freedom around the globe.

Individuals around the world are also working hard to promote religious freedom, said Secretary Blinken:

We see that in the religious leaders advocating  on behalf of the Bahais, who are being suppressed and persecuted in Iran and across the Middle Ealse; in activists like Rushan Abbas, who is raising awareness about the genocide and crimes against humanity that China is committing against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

To such individuals and countries Secretary Blinken had a message: In this effort to defend, to protect religious freedom, to advance it, were all in this together.
Rishi Sunak says his cabinet has 'definitely not given up' on the election - Jonathan Brady/PA

Rishi Sunak has insisted his cabinet has definitely not given up on Thursdays general election after one of his ministers appeared to admit defeat.

Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said in an interview Labour will likely win the largest majority any party has ever achieved at a general election.

It comes as polls continue to show the Tories trail Sir Keir Starmers party by around 20 percentage points, with Mr Stride suggesting a Labour victory could surpass 1997 and 1931.

Asked on a visit to a primary school in Hampshire whether he was the only one around the cabinet table who had not resigned themselves to defeat, Mr Sunak said: No, thats definitely not right.

And look, youve seen the analysis that shows just 130,000 people switching their votes can make the difference in this election. Every vote matters.

Lots of people want to say its a foregone conclusion, but I dont take that approach, right? Until the last moment I will be taking the same message to everyone I meet. If you want your taxes cut, your pensions protected and your borders secure, just get out there and vote Conservative.

He added: Im fighting for what I believe, for the country, I want everyone to understand the choice and what will be, will be after that.

Asked whether he was the 'only one' around the Cabinet table not 'resigned' to defeat, Mr Sunak said: 'No, that's definitely not right' - Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street

Mr Sunak was also asked about an article for The Telegraph by Suella Braverman, his former home secretary, that attacked his record on net zero, migration and taxes, calling on the Tory Party to rediscover its soul.

The Prime Minister said: Lots of people in this campaign, lots of commentary, Im just focused on getting our message across.

Id just ask everyone to separate those frustrations they understandably have with me, the party and the past with what a Labour government would mean for them and their family.

I dont think people can afford to pay thousands of pounds in higher taxes, I really dont What has happened has happened. You cant change the past, you can change the future.

Asked about a surprise campaign appearance by Boris Johnson on Tuesday, where the two men did not share a stage, Mr Sunak highlighted the event as an example of Tory unity.

Pressed on whether he spent any time with the former prime minister, he said: Yeah, of course, I did, I had a very good chat with him.

What you saw was all Conservatives united in warning what Keir Starmer would mean, undoing all the progress we have made, and as Boris rightly pointed out, just at the moment when we have got through Covid, the impact of the war in Ukraine and were cutting peoples taxes and can look forward to a better future, wed throw all that away if Keir Starmer was in power It was great to have Boris there last night.

Mr Johnson has played a limited role in the campaign, during which he has holidayed in Sardinia and until Monday stayed away from events involving Mr Sunak.

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.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  A man charged with murder in connection to a deadly shooting at a restaurant in California City pleaded not guilty Tuesday.

Cameron Hill, 26, is due back in court July 11. Hes being held without bail in the shooting death of Maurice Bailey, 48.

The shooting happened May 29 at the McDonalds on California City Boulevard. Hill and Bailey arrived together and had a physical confrontation in the bathroom, police said in a warrant.

When Bailey tried to leave, Hill followed and shot him in the head, according to the warrant. Surveillance video captured the incident, the warrant says.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  California high school students will soon be receiving instruction on the dangers of fentanyl after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new bill into law on Tuesday that would require districts or charter schools who offer health classes to include it in the course.

Assembly Bill 2429 was introduced by Asm. David Alvarez (D-San Diego) to help deter fentanyl use among teenagers through education, as well as give them the tools to be able to recognize its impacts and assist in an emergency.

Before receiving the governors stamp of approval, the bill passed through both the Assembly and Senate with near unanimous votes earlier this year.

Two teens arrested in North County after guns thrown during foot pursuit

Although a significant problem across the country and other parts of the world, California has been disproportionally hit hard by the fentanyl epidemic, Alvarez said in an analysis on the bill. Resolving this crisis will take a myriad of solutions. However, increasing education and understanding must be at the forefront of our solutions.

Under AB 2429, only districts, private schools or charter schools that require health courses in order to graduate would be tasked with adding fentanyl education to its curriculum. Among the topics required to be included in health instruction include:

An explanation of the differences between synthetic opioids, non-synthetic opioids and illicit drugs.

Different variations of fentanyl, including its uses  both legal and illegal.

The risks of using fentanyl, such as its lethality, its addictive properties, how it can lead to hypoxia.

An explanation of lacing, or the process of mixing fentanyl in with other drugs, and how to detect if it has been added.

How to identify and save someone from a fentanyl overdose.

According to the bill, the fentanyl instruction will be required to be implemented beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

The passing of Assembly Bill 2429 marks a crucial step in our efforts to educate young people about the dangers associated with fentanyl, San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Nora Vargas said in a statement on the bill. The County of San Diego co-sponsored the measure with Alvarez.

There is no one-size solution to this crisis, but providing education about the dangers of fentanyl is a good first step, she continued.

Drug overdoses is currently one of the leading causes of injury death in the U.S., rising significantly over the last two decades  notably among those between the ages of 35 and 44, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

California to implement financial literacy requirement for high school students

Synthetic opioids like fentanyl are one of the main drivers of these deaths, surpassing overdoses involving substances such as cocaine, methamphetamines, prescription opioids and heroin.

Teenagers have similarly seen a rise in fentanyl overdoses, despite drug use generally falling over the last two decades. A 2022 study in the New England Journal of Medicine attributes this growth to teenagers unknowingly consuming counterfeit drugs with traces of fentanyl.

Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 49, and its impact is felt across the nation and globe, Alvarez said in a statement. AB 2429 underscores the importance of education in combating this crisis and ensures our youth are prepared to protect themselves and their communities.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Asylum seekers wait to board Border Patrol vehicles after hiking nine-plus hours from the U.S.-Mexco border over Mt. Cuchoma in Southern California. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

On a Thursday in early June, a Border Patrol bus pulled up to a San Diego County transit station and 50 migrants got out.

Immediately, they were bombarded with offers from local vendors:

Free charging, guys, said a man with a folding table. Free pizza.

Senorita, welcome, we can exchange your pesos for dollars, another man said, making his way through the migrants who were by then crowded onto the sidewalk, a wad of cash in his hand.

Wendy Nino, from Colombia, accepts a cup of hot noodles from Pedro Rios of American Friends Service as she waits to be transported by a Border Patrol agent to apply for asylum. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Taxi al aeropuerto rapido, a licensed taxi driver said. Quick taxi to the airport.

SIM card, cigarette, another man said, speaking through the cigarette perched between his lips.

The chaotic scene had been the norm at the Iris Avenue Transit Center in San Ysidro ever since the countys migrant welcome center ran out of money and closed in February and Border Patrol resumed dropping off migrants at the station throughout the day. Many of those arriving at the California border have family or friends elsewhere and dont stay in the area long.

Read more: Tired and confused, first migrants reach California border after Biden's asylum order

Al Otro Lado and other nonprofit groups routinely deployed aid workers to lead migrants to the trolley, which they could take to a free airport shuttle two stops away. But as the number of people crossing the border swelled earlier this year, a competing presence had also sprung up: street vendors, licensed and unlicensed taxis who saw in the migrants a business opportunity. Aid workers worried the newcomers were being exploited; taxi rides could go for $100, far above the $35 on Lyft.

Three weeks later, the scene had once again shifted. In the wake of President Bidens June 4 executive order limiting asylum claims at the southern border, the transit station is usually deserted, said Melissa Shepard, directing attorney at the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, which opposes Biden's asylum order.

Gone were the street vendors, taxi drivers and migrants, she said.

Migrants negotiate a fare with a taxi driver at San Diego's Iris Avenue Transit Center, where they and dozens of other asylum seekers were dropped off by Border Patrol. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

The shift along the California border means that rural sites east of San Diego, where hundreds of migrants once waited to be processed by Border Patrol agents after illegally crossing from Mexico, are now mostly barren.

Meanwhile, shelters on the Mexican side of the border are reaching capacity, Shepard said.

By the end of June, three weeks after the executive order took effect, the seven-day average of migrant arrests had dropped more than 40% to fewer than 2,400 encounters per day, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The agency said thats the lowest level of illegal crossings since Biden took office.

Read more: Immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens protected from deportation under Bidens latest action

Other recent changes are likely to affect the California border. On Monday, the agency announced a deal offering foreign assistance to help Panama deport more migrants far before they can reach the U.S.-Mexico border. And as of this month, Chinese citizens, most of whom reached the U.S. through California, can no longer enter Ecuador without a visa.

Homeland Security officials say they have stepped up removals, with 120 deportation flights to more than 20 countries since the executive order was announced. Last weekend, the agency conducted its first large charter flight to China since 2018.

These actions are changing the calculus for those considering crossing our border, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said during a briefing last week in Tucson.

An asylum seeker receives food offered by the American Friends Service Committee as they wait to be detained by border patrol. Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times Inside Movimiento Juventud 2000, a migrant shelter, where dozens of families seeking asylum are living as they wait to meet with US officials. Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times

Immigrant advocates say that deterrence policies such as Bidens asylum order can lower crossings for a while, but that the numbers eventually pick back up because the conditions people are fleeing havent changed. They say the policy will push people into more remote, dangerous areas and lead to more injuries and deaths.

An average person who's fleeing their country is not going to say, What are U.S. immigration laws right now? Shepard said. I don't think any amount of restriction is really going to stop somebody from trying to seek safety.

Around the same time as Bidens executive order took effect, Catholic Charities increased shelter capacity for single adults being released in San Diego.

Since then, few people have been released to the transit center, Shepard said. During the last week, she said, migrants have been released there on a single afternoon. If street releases pick back up, the vendors are likely to return, she said.

After being dropped off by a bus from the border, migrants call and recharge their phones while making travel arrangements or wait for fellow travelers at the Iris Avenue Transit Center in San Diego on June 6, 2024. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

Meghan Zavala, data and policy analyst at Al Otro Lado, said the vendors created a hostile environment for nonprofit volunteers. Once, she said, an unlicensed taxi driver tried to scare migrants away from an Al Otro Lado volunteer, telling them in Mandarin that aid workers were trying to trick them.

Vendors also encouraged migrants to stick around at the transit center instead of going to San Diego's Old Town, where they would have more transportation options, or to the airport, where they could connect to free Wi-Fi, contact family or friends and book flights out of the region.

Migrants at the transit center wait for others to make their way through customs, charge their phones and get rides to the airport. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

It's just very challenging to engage people who speak other languages when the only person in the vicinity who speaks their language is some type of unregistered vendor, she said.

At the transit station, licensed taxis had an organized system for securing customers: Each arriving driver wrote their vehicle number down on a piece of paper that was secured to a tree.

Ahmed Gadudow, 52, parked his green-and-white taxi behind two others on the sidewalk to wait his turn  sometimes hours later  for a customer.

Gadudow said Chinese migrants would get in only the unlicensed cabs driven by other Chinese people. He charged $75 per airport ride, which he believed was a fair price.

Some of them dont care about volunteers, he said. They have the money. They just want to go.

He acknowledged that at times, arguments between licensed and unlicensed taxi drivers had gotten tense.

Advocacy groups have dealt with their own security concerns. Catholic Charities hired armed guards after a right-wing activist posed as a pest inspector, went to a hotel where the organization has a shelter and posted a video online claiming migrants were there, prompting threats to staff. At a shelter in San Diego run by the nonprofit Jewish Family Service, Kate Clark, the organizations director of immigration services, also described an uptick in security issues this year, mainly protesters who show up to record videos outside the shelter.

Migrants from Mexico, Columbia, Haiti, China, Afghanistan and other countries arrive at the SDRRN Migrants Shelter Services, operated by Jewish Family Service, in San Diego on June 6, 2024. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

Inside the recreation room at the SDRRN Migrants Shelter Services, operated by Jewish Family Service of San Diego, on June 6, 2024. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

Experts said the decline in migrant arrests is likely due to a combination of factors: the executive order, stringent enforcement by the Mexican government and the temperature rising under the hot summer sun. Last year, crossings dropped during the summer and picked up in September, said Pedro Rios, director of the American Friends Service Committee's U.S./Mexico Border Program.

Rios said numbers are significantly lower at the crossing west of San Ysidro known as Whiskey 8. A few weeks ago Border Patrol was typically picking up 50 or more people at a time; now a handful of people will wait for agents to arrive.

Read more: San Diego is now the top border region for migrant arrivals

But regardless of how many people show up, Rios' orientation is the same. Migrants who arrive at Whiskey 8 are stuck between two border barriers dividing the U.S. from Mexico. Under a white canopy on the American side, Rios asks whether anyone is hurt and offers them water, instant soup and backpacks.

"You are already in the United States," he told 10 migrants from Ecuador, Colombia and Guatemala last month, speaking to them between the metal bars. "This is San Ysidro, Calif."

Rios told the migrants they'd be asked to remove their shoelaces and all but one layer of clothing (two layers for women). After processing, he said, they'd get paperwork with an immigration court date and be released to the transit center, where people would offer to sell them things.

"I recommend you don't buy anything there," he said.

An exhausted family ends a hike of nine-plus hours over Mt. Cuchoma on a fire road after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Sam Schultz, an aid worker who lives near the border east of San Diego, said he has seen people arriving only at one area just west of Jacumba Hot Springs, where the border barrier is made of salvaged military landing mats.

On Monday, Schultz said, he saw zero migrants. A few days before, he saw around 30, and about a week ago he saw 50. Temperatures have surpassed 100 degrees.

The change is this: People are still coming in but usually in smaller lots, he said. Our major concern right now is making sure nobodys getting lost and getting dehydrated. Itll kill you to be out here.

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.
A mechanical harvester pulls carrots from a field in the Cuyama Valley in October. The valley's groundwater levels have been declining, and residents are in a legal fight with agricultural landowners over water rights. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

A lunch of pozole, chips and homemade salsa awaited a group of residents  including ranchers, farmers and owners of stores and restaurants  who gathered at folding tables in a community center to discuss a subject they are deeply concerned about: their declining groundwater.

The meeting in late June offered a chance for people to share their fears not only with neighbors, but with three visiting state legislators and a high-ranking water official from Sacramento.

We are an engaged community, said Lynn Carlisle, executive director of the Cuyama Valley Family Resource Center. We're a committed community. But we need help.

The Cuyama Valley north of Santa Barbara is one of the areas of California where groundwater levels have been rapidly dropping , and where water continues to be heavily pumped to irrigate thousands of acres of farmland.

Like other regions, the Cuyama Valley has developed a state-mandated plan to address overpumping under Californias groundwater law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. But while that plan is just starting to be implemented, disagreements over addressing the water deficit have led to a bitter legal fight.

A group of agricultural landowners in 2021 sued other property owners throughout the valley, asking a judge to determine how water rights should be divided. That case, called a water adjudication, sparked an outpouring of opposition and prompted residents to organize a boycott of carrot-growing companies that are the valleys biggest water users. Participants have put up signs and banners reading Boycott Carrots and Stand with Cuyama Against Corporate Greed.

As the meeting began, some residents said the court case is saddling them with thousands of dollars in legal bills. Others said they fear the lawsuit could undermine the parallel process of limiting pumping under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA.

We know that SGMA is not perfect, Carlisle said. We want it to work.

She said residents organized the meeting to tell legislators how the groundwater law is playing out, and how it is now being challenged and potentially compromised.

Those attending included state Sen. Monique Limon (D-Goleta), Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara) and Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger).

Brenton Kelly, a community facilitator, said groundwater levels have dropped about 500 feet in part of the valley over the last half-century. He pointed to data showing a consistent extraction of more than twice the natural recharge.

The local plan calls for cutting water use by as much as two-thirds by 2040. But five years into its implementation, Kelly said, there havent yet been substantial reductions in pumping.

On lunch tables decorated with olive branches, organizers placed a packet of papers with numbers and graphics. A color-coded map marked areas of rapid depletion in red and orange. It read: The big pumpers are pumping us dry.

We have the power dynamics of essentially David and Goliath, where we have a couple of powerful entities that are in control, Kelly said. And then we have a disadvantaged community that's trying to preserve its natural resources.

He was referring to two of the worlds largest carrot-growing companies, Grimmway Farms and Bolthouse Farms, as well as other companies that lease them farmland. The two farming companies dropped out of the lawsuit last year, while other landowning companies stayed on as plaintiffs in the case, which is pending in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Those who organized the meeting said representatives of the companies werent invited.

A sign promoting a carrot boycott hangs at the entrance to Charlie Bosma's ranch in the Cuyama Valley. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Ella Boyajian, who helped organize the boycott, said many people saw the companies' lawsuit as an unfair attempt to impose cutbacks on others, and an affront to the tight-knit communitys collaborative values.

She said the lawsuit seems adversarial to the aims of the state groundwater law.

Now we have adjudication, which is encouraging everybody's self interest, Boyajian said. And we are all fighting for our little slice of the pie, the groundwater.

Read more: Groundwater depletion is worsening worldwide. Parts of California are suffering rapid declines

The case has prompted many in the community to hire lawyers. Boyajian said for some, the mounting bills are bringing financial trouble, forcing them to sell vehicles or delay retirement plans.

Even the local school district was forced to hire a lawyer, and Supt. Alfonso Gamino said the legal bills have reached more than $28,000.

Dave Lewis, a farmer who grows pistachios and lavender, said he and other small growers are struggling with as much as $50,000 in legal bills while also worrying that declining aquifer levels could leave them with dry wells.

The water is declining really quick, Lewis said. Its the big pumpers.

He said hes concerned water allocations will likely be calculated based on past usage, benefiting large growers while harming his small operation.

I'm just a little guy, he said. So I rely on the government and agencies to protect me. And right now, I'm not feeling it.

Pam Doiron, who owns a cattle ranch, said the lawsuit has thrown us a staggering amount of overhead that is unsustainable.

If we have our water usage cut as a result of the adjudication, there will be no way to keep ranching here, she said.

Doiron said its sad that while local residents were working toward a solution to reduce water use, the large Bakersfield-based growers were working behind the scenes to undermine the groundwater sustainability agency and the livelihood of our Cuyama families.

Grimmway Farms has said its not in favor of cutting the water rights of the school or small residential water users. The company withdrew from the case as a plaintiff in October.

Bolthouse Farms has said its decision to withdraw from the lawsuit in August was driven by our commitment to sustainability, and that the company is reducing water usage.

Read more: Corporate growers carrots are soaking up water. Locals are fighting back with a boycott

One of the remaining plaintiffs is Bolthouse Land Co., a subsidiary of Bolthouse Properties, which split from Bolthouse Farms in 2005.

Daniel Clifford, vice president and general counsel for Bolthouse Properties, said a decision by other growers to challenge the basins boundaries delayed the adjudication for almost a year and half and ended up costing every groundwater user, including the school district and water district, unnecessary time and money. He was referring to pistachio growers and a large vineyard owned by a subsidiary of Harvard Universitys investment company.

Sustainability requires one basin-wide approach where all groundwater users share water cutbacks equally, Clifford said in an email , adding that the company supports a scientifically and legally appropriate groundwater sustainability plan.

Robert Kuhs, a lawyer representing plaintiffs Diamond Farming Company, Lapis Land Company and Ruby Land Company, said the local groundwater agency voted to impose cutbacks on growers in the central part of the valley, and the lack of regulated pumping in other areas inhibits sustainability and disproportionately impacts certain landowners.

Kuhs said in an email that the companies sought the adjudication to have the court determine their water rights, and to ensure that all commercial agricultural pumpers share in reductions.

The Cuyama Valley is one of nine areas in the state where such cases are pending.

Read more: Were not going to quit: Why a California community is boycotting carrots

During the meeting, some residents accused carrot growers of over-irrigating with sprinklers and allowing water to run in ditches.

They waste a lot of water because Ive seen it, farmworker Veronica Espinosa Lopez said, speaking in Spanish. I think there should be management, for them as well as for us in the community.

She also expressed concern that growers have been hiring local farmworkers for shorter periods in recent years, leaving them with less income.

Farmworker Veronica Espinosa Lopez speaks at a recent community meeting in New Cuyama. (Ian James / Los Angeles Times)

Longtime resident Roberta Jaffe, who dry-farms wine grapes on a five-acre farm, said that in past cases, water allocations have often been granted based on historical usage, which means the largest pumpers are going to gain the most, while small farmers who have been conserving will likely be penalized.

During the discussion, farmer Jim Wegis pointed at state water official Paul Gosselin and asked: We presented a plan. You made adjustments to it.  Are you going to help support it when it goes to court?

Thats a loaded question, Gosselin replied, eliciting laughter from around the room.

We're tracking a number of these adjudications very closely, for a variety of reasons, Gosselin said, with the goal of preserving what was the promise of SGMA about local control and bringing basins into balance.

Read more: California lawmakers reject proposal to curb well-drilling where nearby wells could run dry

The laws implementation is now entering its most difficult period, he said.

This is where the rubber is meeting the road, Gosselin said. And you're all sort of at the tip of the spear, involved in this change that's going to profoundly change how water is managed.

Paul Gosselin, the California Department of Water Resources' deputy director of sustainable groundwater management, speaks at a community meeting in New Cuyama. (Ian James / Los Angeles Times)

The legislators said they want to help work on solutions.

I think we are faced with a really difficult decision, that a policy did this  a policy that was meant to help, and a policy that can help, Limon said.

And so we, I think, are going to take this back to figure out how we need to correct the policy, she said. We are walking out with a profound sense of the challenges that are in front of you.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  California Gov. Gavin Newsom will visit West Michigan Thursday to campaign for President Joe Bidens reelection, organizers say.

Newsom is expected to attend an event in South Haven, according to an event page created by the Van Buren County Democratic Party.

First lady Biden in West Michigan Wednesday

We are excited to have Governor Newsom in Michigan campaigning on behalf of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as we work to once again defeat Donald Trump, Ed Duggan, Biden-Harris state director for Michigan, said in a statement. Trump wrecked our economy as president and hes promising to raise costs on our families and ban abortion nationwide if hes re-elected, including in Michigan. As President, Joe Biden has always looked out for Michigan, creating good-paying jobs, lowering costs and fighting for our freedoms, and were looking forward to mobilizing voters across West Michigan to send him back to the White House.

Poll shows Trump with 4-point lead over Biden in Michigan

First lady Jill Biden was also in West Michigan on Wednesday, while North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum visited the area in June to campaign for former President Donald Trump.

A recent poll showed Trump with a four-point lead over Biden in Michigan, with 49% of people surveyed saying they would vote for Trump and 45% for Biden. With a margin of error of plus or minus 4%, the poll indicated a tight race.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
California Senate candidate Steve Garvey says he would vote for Trump right now

Former Los Angeles Dodgers player Steve Garvey speaks to KTLAs John Fenoglio about running for the California Senate as a Republican in a blue state.

Garvey, who is vying for the late Sen. Dianne Feinsteins seat, acknowledges his journey is an uphill battle that wont be easy.

I want to be the next senator from California, Garvey said. I think I can make a difference. I knew that the disparity between registered Democrats and Republicans was significant, but I did start to hear from Independents and people who were undecided about the next election.

Garvey, 75, grew up outside California but moved to the Golden State when he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968.

In a career that spanned nearly two decades, Garvey played with the Dodgers until 1982 before moving south to play with the San Diego Padres.

He does not have a career in elected office and his political involvement, until now, largely involved fundraising for other candidates, according to CalMatters.

Former L.A. Dodgers player Steve Garvey is running for the California Senate as a Republican in the November 2024 election.

Former Los Angeles Dodgers star Steve Garvey throws out a ceremonial first pitch before the Dodgers take on the Atlanta Braves in Game Four of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 7, 2013, in Los Angeles, California. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Garvey, center right, hugs his wife Candace standing next to his sons Ryan, left, and Sean during his election night party, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Palm Desert, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

From left: California Congressman Adam Schiff and former Los Angeles Dodgers player Steve Garvey.

Former baseball player Steve Garvey listens at a televised debate for candidates in the senate race to succeed the late California Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Jan. 22, 2024, in Los Angeles. Several prominent Democratic House members are jostling to fend off Republican former baseball great Steve Garvey in the fight for the U.S. Senate seat once held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

El Monte, CA  February 27:Steve Garvey, US Senate candidate speaks to the media at a press conference on Tuesday, February 27, 2024. Garvey, a former Los Angeles Dodger, received the endorsement of the El Monte Police. Garvey and Democrat Adam Schiff are the current front-runners in the March 5th Primary Election for the US Senate Seat. (Photo by David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)

As a political outsider, Garvey has focused on addressing violent crime, homelessness and failing schools while citing his personal inspirations as the Pope and Ronald Regan.

Garvey formerly voted for and supported Donald Trump in 2016.

When asked whether he would still support Trump for the 2024 presidential election, he replied, If it was right now, I would vote for him. I think that hes the most capable of the two candidates at this time. I actually feel sorry for President Biden at this point and we need somebody thats clear of mind. Somebody thats able to make quick decisions.

Garvey is running against Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff from Burbank, who is leading in the polls and in fundraising.

I am a Conservative and Im willing to work with everyone for the good of the people, Garvey said. I am running for all the people and politicians are running for half the people. My opponents voted 97-98 percent down party lines. I made the pledge I would never vote 97-98 percent party lines because theres bound to be situations and instances where we come together.

The 2024 United States Senate elections in California will be held on Nov. 5.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Californians won't pay more than one month's rent for security deposit under new law

The state has implemented Assembly Bill 12, which limits a security deposit to one month's rent for all but the smallest of landlords, beginning July 1. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

The days of needing to save two to three months' worth of rent for a security deposit are largely over in California.

Legislation took effect Monday that limits a security deposit on a rental property to no more than one month's rent for all but the smallest landlords. The law, passed as Assembly Bill 12, was authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco).

Massive security deposits can create insurmountable barriers to housing affordability and accessibility for millions of Californians, said Haney, who chairs the California Legislatures Renters Caucus, in a statement.

Previously, owners could charge two months of rent for unfurnished property and three months for furnished.

The median rent in Los Angeles is $2,795, according to Zillow, an online real estate marketplace.

An exception in the bill was carved out for landlords who own two or fewer properties that collectively have no more than four rental units.

The bill was written in December 2022, passed by the Assembly and Senate last fall and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October .

Read more: California's new laws just dropped. See how they affect you

Along the way, it earned support from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors .

Supervisor Lindsey Horvath noted in May 2023 that she was unable to move into a rental a couple of years earlier because she was asked to pay  nearly a half a years rent upfront .

As someone with a well-paying job, making more than the median income of the county, it was difficult for me to rent a new apartment because of the substantial deposits that were required, she said.

But the legislation raises concerns among some in the real estate industry.

Sharon Oh-Kubisch, a partner at Irvine-based Kahana Feld, which practices real estate law, noted two potential drawbacks to the legislation.

Read more: Newsom signs tenant bills to lower security deposits, prevent more evictions

While she supports the bill's aim of alleviating high costs of renting, financial burdens are being flipped to landlords, she said.

She noted that security deposits are intended to cover damages when a tenant moves out. Lower deposits mean landlords are more likely to have to sue clients who cause considerable damage.

A landlord can demand damages at the back end, but then theyre more than likely going to have to sue and hire counsel to get that money, Oh-Kubisch said.

Additionally, she said that reducing security deposits may work against tenants who have less than perfect credit or lack a strong history of renting.

Higher security deposits allowed landlords to be more flexible, Oh-Kubisch said. With those "safeguards" gone, she expects landlords to be "more precise and heighten scrutiny for tenants."

Still, others say the legislation will benefit those who have the most trouble finding housing.

Masih Fouladi, executive director of the California Immigrant Policy Center, said in a statement that the law will help vulnerable communities.

In Californias high-cost rental market, expensive security deposits are often imposed on immigrants and people of color, effectively limiting access to safe and affordable housing," he said. By capping high security deposits, AB-12 advances a measure of equity.

Read more: Bill to make more rentals pet friendly would put an end to 'no dogs allowed,' lawmaker says

Catherine A. Rodman, director and supervising attorney of San Diego-based Affordable Housing Advocates, a tenants rights legal group, said the news received mixed reviews among her mainly working-class clients.

I know that its been a big relief to many throughout the state, but at least here in the San Diego area, its not a big issue, Rodman said.

Zillow lists the median rent in San Diego at $3,095.

She said soaring rents have already led most area landlords to require no more than one months rent as a security deposit.

Ive been here for 40 years, and Ive only encountered security deposit gouging on a few occasions, Rodman said. Our issue is rent.

Rodman said she didnt want to pooh-pooh the legislation but hoped it was part of a broader vision to make housing affordable for larger swaths of the state.

Im sure it helps, but we need to address the cost to rent, because thats really the big roadblock, she 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.
Calls grow for Biden to drop out of presidential race

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  Fallout over President Joe Bidens debate performance continues.

A Texas lawmaker became the first Democrat Tuesday to publicly call on the president to withdraw from the race.

Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett is the first sitting Democratic lawmaker to call on President Biden to withdraw.

He says his only regret is not speaking out sooner.

Congressman Doggett says the stakes are too high this November to stay silent.

This is a painful decision but a necessary one if we are to stop our democracy from being trampled on by Trump, said Doggett.

He says he needed to speak out after seeing the presidents debate performance Thursday and reading the Supreme Courts ruling granting former president Donald Trump immunity from some criminal prosecution.

Doggett says this is not about age.

Im more concerned about what I saw and what the American people have seen in recent months, said Doggett.

The White House says the president had a cold that night and hes staying in this race.

He knows how to do the job, said Jean-Pierre.

The message was echoed by other top Democrats.

Weve worked hard together for four years and delivered a lot for America and for central New York. Im for Biden, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

To ease some concerns the presidents not up for another four years Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse says, They need to have a more aggressive campaign tone. He needs to show the people of America that hes up for those fights.

President Biden plans to speak with Democratic governors Wednesday, as well as leaders in Congress this 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 Queen City News.
Brenda Biya, daughter of President Paul Biya of Cameroon, shares a photo of her kissing her girlfriend Brazilian model Layyons Valenca on Instagram (Instagram)

The president of Cameroons daughter, Brenda Biya, revealed that she is in a same-sex relationship with a Brazilian model.

In a post shared on Instagram, the 26-year-old showed a picture of her kissing her girlfriend Layyons Valenca on the last day of Pride Month, despite same-sex sexual activity being illegal in her home country. The caption read: PS: Im crazy about you & I want the world to know.

Although Biya has turned off the posts comment section since posting, the Cameroon News Agency noted that she responded to a comment pointing out that her father is President Paul Biya, the staunchly, anti-LGBT+ leader of Cameroon.

After pointing out that her father has continued to criminalize homosexuality and same-sex sexual activities for the over four decades hes remained in power, the presidents daughter shared some hopeful words, sharing that she believes the tide will eventually change in Cameroon.

Nobody will have anything to say because only love shall win, she responded, adding: I dont condone hate, I think the mentality should change, but it will change once the people are ready.

According to the global human rights group Human Dignity Trust, homosexuality has been illegal in Cameroon since 1972. The law criminalizing homosexuality also attacks any same-sex sexual activity of any kind, with many arrests leading to as little as hefty fines to up to five years in prison. As decades have gone by, Human Rights Watch has found that anti-LGBT+ violence and abuse have only escalated in the country, finding an 88 percent increase in incidences from 2021 to 2022.

Brendas Pride Month post has garnered the support of several activists, including trans activist Shakiro, who told BBC News that Brendas coming out was a turning point for the LGBTQ+ community in Cameroon.

After having been jailed in Cameroon for five years for attempted homosexuality, Shakiro has since lived in Belgium, but Brendas post gives her hope that Cameroon will finally. face a reckoning. She believes that the presidents daughter has solidified herself as a progressive, powerful voice capable of enacting social change in a country where taboos are deeply rooted.

I love this for Cameroons first daughter, Brenda Biya! another LGBT+ activist Bandy Kiki wrote in a Facebook post. However, she noted that Brenda benefits from her position of power. She wrote that her freedom to post about her girlfriend with minimal repercussions highlights a harsh reality: Anti-LGBT laws in Cameroon disproportionately target the poor.

She added, Wealth and connections create a shield for some, while others face severe consequences.

But others have noted that Brenda's provocative online presence could be a Trojan horse. According to the Cameroon Concord, has been accused of undermining critics of her fathers reportedly authoritarian and corrupt administration. Under President Biyas rule, Transparency International deemed Cameroon The World Corruption Champion two years in a row from 1998 to 1999.
The upcoming NATO summit in Washington July 9 to July 11 will celebrate 75 years of the most successful defensive alliance in history. The agenda will focus on current challenges and will set the course to confront challenges of the future.

During a recent interview, Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored the importance of recalling what lies at the heart of NATOs foundation.

And thats the power of collective defense. The power of Article 5 that says an attack on one is an attack on all is the strongest possible deterrent to aggression, the strongest and most effective way to prevent war in the first place, to avoid conflict in the first place, because any would-be aggressor knows that an attack on any one member means theyre going to have deal with every member of the Alliance, he said.

The number of countries that are now NATO members is 32  with Finland and Sweden being the most recent, something, Secretary Blinken said, that, for most people, would have been unimaginable just a few years ago.

We have an Alliance thats stronger and has greater investment in it than its ever had. We now have 23 countries that are meeting the 2 percent of GDP committed to [the] defense mark that was set at the Wales Summit back in 2014, he said. There were just nine countries in 2021 that met the mark. Were now at 23, an 18 percent increase in defense investment by the Allies across the Alliance.

Another aspect of a strengthening Alliance is the partnership with countries beyond North America and Europe:

We have four partners from the Indo-Pacific coming to the NATO summit, as they have for the last three years: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, [the Republic of] Korea. This is one manifestation and one recognition of something that really is new, which is that increasingly partners in Europe see challenges halfway around the world in Asia as being relevant to them; just as partners in Asia see challenges around the world in Europe as being relevant to them. [Japanese] Prime Minister Kishida put it best in the wake of Russian aggression against Ukraine. He said what happens in Europe today could happen in Asia tomorrow.

The NATO Summit in Washington will, as Secretary Blinken said, make sure that we have the right defenses across the Alliance where theyre needed ... Its manifestly in the interests of the people that all of us represent.
We cannot afford to lose another life: Advocates urge boat safety for Fourth of July

Lucy Fernandez loved being on the water. Her parents taught her from a young age how to stay safe on boats and to respect the ocean. She attended years of boating summer camps.

But on Sept. 4, 2022, the 17-year-old was killed when the driver of the boat in which she was a passenger struck a channel marker in South Biscayne Bay.

Now, ahead of the Fourth of July weekend  one of the busiest boating weekends of the year in South Florida  Lucys mother urged boaters to take precautions to avoid another tragedy.

It is our responsibility to  remain vigilant and aware of the potential dangers that exist always, but especially on these big and busy weekends, Melissa Fernandez said at a news conference about boating safety at Crandon Park Marina on Wednesday.

Melissa Fernandez, the mother of Lucy Fernandez, who died in a boat crash on Labor Day weekend in 2022, speaks at a press conference on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at Crandon Park Marina in Key Biscayne, Florida. Members of the Miami-Dade County Commission, state legislators and municipal elected officials called on the community to celebrate the July Fourth holiday by staying safe on the water.

READ MORE: George Pinos wife must pay $16 million to family of girl seriously hurt in boat crash: Judge

Earlier this year, another local teen was killed in a boating accident. Ella Adler, a 15-year-old freshman at Ransom Everglades School, was fatally struck while wakeboarding near Nixon Beach.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava urged boaters to honor the memory of Ella and Lucy by practicing safe boating this weekend. After the conference, Levine Cava told the Herald she believes the recent tragedy of Ellas death will cause people to boat more responsibly this summer.

Miami-Dade Police marine patrol officers monitor the water near Crandon Park Marina on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Key Biscayne, Florida.

Florida is the boating capital of America, with over 1 million registered recreational boats, said Stephen Talpins, the chief assistant state attorney at the Miami-Dade County State Attorneys Office. In 2023, the Coast Guard reported 619 boating accidents that left 56 people dead and 368 injured in Florida, he said during the conference.

Summer holiday weekends are particularly dangerous times for boating, as thousands of residents and tourists descend on the waters around Miami and South Florida. There will be an increased presence of marine patrol units on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, Miami-Dade Police Lt. Michael Barrios said after the conference. He said less boat traffic is expected on Friday because its not a holiday or weekend day.

The Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will also have a presence in the waters around Miami over the next few days.

Factors like intoxication, distraction and speeding often contribute to boating crashes, injuries and fatalities. Thomas Kennedy, a marine patrol unit officer who has worked for Miami-Dade Police for 30 years, said many boaters dont have adequate knowledge of boating safety or of their surroundings when they are out on the water.

A Miami-Dade Fire-Rescue officer jumps on a separate police boat to assist a passed-out passenger on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Key Biscayne, Florida.

During a ride along on marine patrol unit boats after the news conference, Kennedy pointed out places like Bear Cut and Miami Marine Stadium, where he said boaters frequently speed and disobey no wake zones. He said officers will often write between 80 and 100 tickets in a weekend in Bear Cut alone.

Hazards like sandbars and submerged rocks can also create dangers for boaters who do not know the area well, said Sean Carper, another marine patrol officer. Carper encouraged boaters to follow the advice, If you dont know, go slow.

County Commissioner Raquel Regalado asked boaters to use common sense this weekend, and she reminded them to ensure they have the appropriate equipment and training.

Regalado added that, unlike on highways and roads, there are no yield signs or stop lights on the water. And Levine Cava said that just like you should not drink and drive, you should not drink and boat.

Oliver Gilbert, the chairman of the Miami-Dade County Commission, said most boater safety advice  like staying sober and obeying speed limits  should be obvious. And for boaters who choose not to follow the rules, Its our intention to arrest you.

Were not asking for a lot, Gilbert said during the conference. Were just asking you to want the type of safety that you want for yourself for everyone.

Miami-Dade Police marine patrol officers monitor the water on jet skis near Crandon Park Marina on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Key Biscayne, Florida.

State Rep. Vicki Lopez, who represents much of Miamis coastline in District 113, said during the conference she is pushing for stronger boating safety laws in Tallahassee.

Some proposals being considered by lawmakers include provisions like upgrading the charge for leaving the scene of a boating accident to a felony and suspending the drivers licenses of people caught boating under the influence, said Talpins, the Miami-Dade prosecutor.

Kennedy and Carper, as well as Adam Fullana, the other marine patrol officer on the boat during the ride along, said they support legislation that cracks down on unsafe boating.

It makes our jobs easier, Kennedy said.

Fernandez, the mother of the 17-year-old killed in 2022, also advocated for stronger boating safety laws in Florida during the news conference. She said shifting the culture surrounding reckless boating is the only way forward.

Collectively we must ensure the safety of ourselves and those in our care above all else, Fernandez said. We cannot afford to lose another life.
Car stopped for going 128 mph; OSHP cites driver in 65 mph speed zone on I-675

An Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) trooper recently stopped a driver for going 128 mph on Interstate 675.

>>27-year-old dead, 1 seriously injured after rollover crash in Greene County

The state trooper from the Xenia Post caught the driver traveling on I-675 NB approaching US-35, according to a social media post.

OSHP posted some dash and body camera videos on its Facebook page.

Just trying to get home, the driver said.

That fast though? the trooper asked. Do you know how fast you were going?

The trooper told him he clocked him at 128 mph in a 65 mph speed zone.

There have been over 162,000 speed-related crashes on Ohio roads in the last five years, OSHP said.




An alleged carjacker abandoned a three-year-old girl on the side of a road in Florida, after stealing her mothers car.

The suspect, Willio Petioma, 35, was caught thanks to an anonymous tip off.

Officials then obtained surveillance footage showing Mr Petioma leaving the child on the side of the road before driving off.

He later discarded the car and used the victims credit card in a Family Dollar store.

Preliminary investigations revealed the victims, a mother and her young daughter, were involved in a car accident with another vehicle.

While the mother exchanged details with the other driver, Mr Petioma allegedly entered the vehicle and began to drive away with her child inside.

Police said that the mother tried to grab the passenger door, yelling that her child was inside the car, but was dragged and then fell as the suspect drove away.

On June 30, Mr Petioma was taken into custody.

He faces charges that include kidnapping, carjacking, interfering with custody of a minor and illegal use of a credit card.

He was also arrested on a Palm Beach County warrant for possession of cocaine and resisting an officer.

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.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted 577.61 pounds of methamphetamine being smuggled across the U.S. border with Mexico at the Pharr International Bridge in Texas on Sunday. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

July 2 (UPI) -- U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers have intercepted a shipment of methamphetamine from Mexico to the United States, worth an estimated $5.1million at the Pharr International Bridge in Texas, CBP announced Tuesday.

"Our frontline CBP officers continue to deploy a strategic combination of inspections experience coupled with technology that yielded this significant methamphetamine seizure," Laredo Port of Entry Director Carlos Rodriguez said in a news release.

CBP officers intercepted the drugs on Sunday after flagging a shipment of bell peppers and cucumbers for a secondary inspection.

Officers, using canines and inspection technology, found 360 packages containing a total of 577.61 pounds of methamphetamine inside the trailer.

The CBP estimates the shipment's street value is more than $5.16 million.

"These types of seizures illustrate CBP's efforts to protect our communities from the spread of hard narcotics," Rodriguez said.

Department of Homeland Security special agents initiated a criminal investigation following the drug seizure.

In a separate case, a federal judge in Tacoma, Wash., on June 24 sentenced a former attorney from Mexico to 90 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine.

Gustavo Castellanos-Tapia, 38, will be deported after completing his prison sentence.
CBS Broadcasting and its parent Paramount Global are facing a discrimination lawsuit from former anchor Jeff Vaughn, who accuses his ex-employers of implementing policies that favor the hiring of individuals from certain groups and firing older, white, heterosexual men.

Vaughn, in a lawsuit filed on Monday in California federal court, says he was replaced in 2022 by a younger, minority news anchor. He points to a CBS goal to ensure that half of all writers be nonwhite by 2023 and an initiative requiring half of all castmembers on their reality shows be minorities.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

The complaint seeks a court order blocking CBSs allegedly discriminatory hiring policies and for the company to offer Vaughn, who seeks at least $5 million, his job back.

CBS decided that there were too many white males at CBS, and it acted accordingly, the complaint states. It needed to solve its white problem by firing successful white males.

The filing of the lawsuit follows a similar complaint from Brian Beneker, a script coordinator for SEAL Team who alleges that he was repeatedly denied a staff writer job after the implementation of an illegal policy of race and sex balancing that promoted the hiring of less qualified applicants who were members of more preferred groups, namely those who identify as minorities, LGBTQ or women.

Like Beneker, Vaughn is represented by America First Legal Foundation, a conservative group founded by Stephen Miller, a White House policy adviser under the Trump administration. The organization has been filing complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against major companies, including Morgan Stanley, Starbucks and McDonalds, over corporate diversity and hiring practices that allegedly run afoul of civil rights laws.

CBS and Paramount didnt immediately respond to requests for comment.

According to the complaint, Vaughn, who worked at CBS for seven years, learned in 2022 that his contract wouldnt be renewed for the following year. He says he wasnt provided a direct reason for the decision but was told its not about the ratings.

The reason, Vaughn alleges, is that CBS implemented a policy to increase diversity among its ranks. He says the effort went into high gear when Wendy McMahon, whos named in the complaint, was promoted in 2021 to president of CBS News and Stations. Under her leadership, the lawsuit says the company prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, hired and promoted several women and/or people of color to serve in key roles.

Vaughn, then 57, says he was replaced because he didnt meet those criteria. He takes issue with the network not moving forward with his story ideas for a 20th anniversary 9/11 special.

His African American colleague hosted the show, and reporters from minority groups hosted all the featured stories, states the complaint, which notes that Vaughn was excluded from other events he typically covered in favor of colleagues who are women or racial minorities. Not one of them had personally been present at ground zero reporting during the events of 9/11.

When CBS held auditions for Vaughns replacement, the lawsuit claims that all the candidates were all younger, racial minorities. In 2023, Vaughn was terminated, with a Black male assuming his position, according to the lawsuit.

In the wake of the Supreme Courts decision knocking down affirmative action, the lawsuit further calls into question the legality of diversity, equity and inclusion programs that explicitly account for race, which have been on legally tenuous ground. Last year, 13 Republican attorneys general wrote letters to Fortune 100 companies warning them that several of their efforts to boost diversity are discriminatory. In response, a group of Democrat attorneys general urged them to double-down on diversity-focused programs.

In Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, the group that sued claimed a violation of the 14th Amendments Equal Protection Clause, which protects against discrimination by the government. Although the ruling is not directly applicable to companies, which are governed by a separate set of federal and state antidiscrimination laws that do not allow employers to consider race in hiring decisions, America First Legal Foundation, the firm representing Vaughn and Beneker, has leveraged the decision in lawsuits that could signal opening legal salvos against efforts to boost diversity and inclusion in Hollywood.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter
Cellphone of missing Chicago woman found in Bahamas as her mother asks U.S. for help

Taylor Casey of Chicago, Ill., was last seen June 19 in the area of Paradise Island, authorities said. Image courtesy of Royal Bahamas Police Force/Facebook

July 2 (UPI) -- The cellphone of Taylor Casey has been located in the Bahamas, authorities said Tuesday as the mother of the missing 41-year-old Chicago woman calls on the United States to take over the investigation.

Casey was on the Caribbean island to attend a yoga certification program and was reported missing the night of June 20 by the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat after she failed to show up for class. She was last seen at the Paradise Island yoga school the night before.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force has launched a search for the missing woman, and on Tuesday said her cellphone was retrieved from waters nearby.

Her journal has also be discovered as well as other personal effects, the police agency said, adding her U.S. passport was still missing.

"This is a matter of priority for the Royal Bahamas Police Force, and we will continue to work arduously, doing all we can to located Taylor and ensure her safe return to her family," the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement.

The cellphone of Taylor Casey was located in the ocean near docks on Paradise Island. Photo courtesy of Claudia Garcia-Roya/Release

"The police will diligently seek to determine what happened to Taylor, and in the process."

Casey's mother, Collette Seymore, has recently returned to the United States following three days in the Bahamas, and she is calling on the U.S. government for assistance.

She and her team released a statement Monday criticizing the Bahamas authorities over their handling of the investigation as well as the yoga retreat, which Seymore described as "cultish" and uncooperative.

She said Casey's phone was located in the ocean with assistance from her niece who alerted authorities to the location where it last pinged. They now claim the police are refusing to give her the phone.

"I believe that phone may have information we need on there," she said.

UPI has contacted the Royal Bahamas Police Force for comment.

She added that there were no missing person posters of Casey at the retreat or the surrounding areas. It was even absent from the police station's bulletin board, she said, with her team providing images of it adorned with a half dozen other missing person's posters in confirmation.

Her team also accused the police of having a security company review CCTV footage instead of investigators and of having ashram guests submit written statements concerning Casey, instead of undergoing interviews.

"I feel uneasy about the investigation," Seymore said. "I'm not satisfied with it. I feel like the police did the bare minimum, and I need them to act like it's their child missing!"

They are now calling on the U.S. State Department to send the FBI to take over the investigation.

"I had to return home without her. This is every mother's worst nightmare," she said in a statement. "I felt an urgent need to return because without U.S. government support, we may never find out what happened to my Taylor."
The home where convicted murderer Chad Daybell killed his wife and buried the charred remains of his new lover Lori Vallows children has been snapped up just days after hitting the market.

Daybell, 55, was sentenced to death last month for murdering his wife Tammy Daybell and Vallows children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua JJ Vallow, 7. He could be executed by firing squad thanks to a law that went into effect last year.

The killers home went on the market this month and appears to have been sold after several days, as its now listed as pending, according to Realtor.com. The buyer and the sale price remain undisclosed.

On June 24, the four-bed converted bungalow Rexburg, Idaho, was put up for sale with an asking price of $350,000. With a brick facade, large windows and sprawling 3.75 acre grassy lot, the agent boasted that it has lots of potential. But the unassuming home harbors a dark secret.

There is a very tragic situation with this home, the Realtor.com listing for the property continued in block capitals. Please have your realtor investigate for you.

The property in Rexburg, Idaho, has been listed almost five years after Chad Daybells triple murder. (Realtor.com)

In September 2019, Vallows two children vanished. In June 2020, their bodies were found buried in a shallow grave on Daybells Rexburg property grounds, strewn among the corpses of dead pets. The remains of his girlfriends youngest child, JJ, were found bound, charred and wrapped in trash bags.

One month after the childrens murders, first wife Tammy Daybell was found dead in the property. Two weeks after her murder, Daybell married Vallow on a beach in Hawaii.

Daybell, a self-styled doomsday cult prophet, believed people could be possessed by evil spirits and turned into zombies or dark spirits. He said that the only way to save a persons soul was for the body to die, the court heard.

Following two months of testimony, 12 jurors deliberated for just six hours in May before finding Daybell guilty of three counts of first-degree murder, insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit murder and grand theft in connection with the 2019 deaths.

The four bedroom, fully-furnished house sits on near-four acre plot of land. (Realtor.com)

Prosecutors said that it was the doomsday couples desire for sex, power, and money that led to the murders. The couple did endorse and teach religious beliefs for the purpose of justifying the deaths of the children, the indictment stated.

In July of last year, in the same Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Vallow was also convicted of the three murders and sentenced to life in prison.

The Independent has reached out to the propertys listing agent regarding the initial offer, and whether there has been further interest in the property.
ST. LOUIS  A St. Louis man is due in court Wednesday afternoon in connection with a double shooting in the citys Gravois Park neighborhood.

According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Departments probable cause statement, the shooting happened on June 23 in the 3700 block of Michigan Avenue.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Breaking News

Police said Oscar Mijango-Vasquez, 30, was seen walking down Michigan when he took out a gun and began firing into the air. Two people attempted to detain Mijango-Vasquez and while in the process of gaining control over him, Mijango-Vasquez shot them both.

The St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office charged Mijano-Vasquez with two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action. Mijano-Vasquez is jailed without bond.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
According to a press release dated June 28, Chatham County Police Department (CCPD) Chief Jeff Hadley has been named as one of five finalists for the police chief position in Beaumont, Texas.

Hadley, who has served as Chatham County's police chief since December 2017, was appointed in June by County Manager Michael Kaigler to oversee the transition of the unincorporated area's privately run fire services to the newly formed Chatham County Fire Department. With Hadleys departure from the day-to-day operations of CCPD, Kaigler has appointed CCPD Assistant Chief Julie Tolbert as acting chief.

Through Chatham County Public Information Officer Will Peebles, Hadley declined an interview request. Chatham County Public Information Officer Betsy Nolen provided a statement on behalf of Hadley:

"Friday, I was named as a finalist in the Police Chief search for the Beaumont, Texas Police Department. In the interest of transparency, I have informed members of the Chatham County Police Department and Chatham County leadership of my selection as a finalist.

It is rewarding to be named as a finalist, and I will continue the interview process in July.

I will make any future career decisions after much thought and will take many factors into account. In the meantime, I am committed to serving the people of Chatham County as I have proudly done every day for the last six years."

More: Chatham County Fire Department begins providing fire services to unincorporated county

More: 'Sadly, we still have not found Quinton': Chatham police, FBI identify mother as prime suspect

More: Two people dead, two others injured after spate of shootings in Chatham County and Savannah

What's next?

A committee of Beaumont community leaders is expected to hold a Q&A session with the candidates, who then will attend a meet-and-greet reception on July 10 at Beaumont's Downtown Event Centre.

On July 11, Beaumont city officials will conduct in-person interviews with the candidates. The city received more than 50 applications for the position, and executive search firm Affion Public narrow the applicant field to the final five candidates, according to the press release.

The population of Beaumont is just over 112,000 people. The city sits east of the sprawling metropolist of Houston near the Texas-Louisiana border. Like its sister city Port Arthur, Beaumont is a town built by oil and gas companies. It was home to the largest oil boom in U.S. history. It is home to the Texas Energy Museum and the Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown Museum, where actors recreate weekly the moment in 1901 when a geyser on Spindletop Hill shot black gold 150 feet into the air.

Hadley began his law enforcement career 33 years ago in Cape Coral, Florida. Prior to his selection as CCPD chief, Hadley served more than nine years as public safety chief in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He had been a captain with the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Police 15 years prior.

When the CCPD transitioned from the joint Savannah-Chatham Metro Police Department in December 2017, Hadley was hired as the CCPD chief.

Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@Gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Chatham County police chief named one of five finalists for Texas position
(Bloomberg) -- China detained a Taiwanese fishing boat and its crew, a move that risks worsening tensions with the islands new president.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The vessel was stopped by the Chinese Coast Guard on Tuesday evening near the Taiwanese island of Kinmen, maritime authorities in Taipei said in a statement. Kinmen is roughly 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from China.

The incident marks the first time since 2007 that China detained a Taiwanese ship for fishing out of season, a spokesman for the Taiwan Coast Guard said in a briefing Wednesday. China usually bans fishing for a few months every year starting May 1 to protect fisheries.

Two of the boats crew members are Taiwanese and the other three are Indonesian, the spokesman said. The Chinese Coast Guard said the vessel was detained because it violated the nations summer fishing ban and was damaging the environment.

WATCH: Why the South China Sea could spark a war.

While incidents involving a variety of boats from the two sides occasionally occur, this latest one comes as Beijing ramps up pressure on Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te. China sees Lai as pushing for independence for the US-backed island that Beijing has vowed to control eventually, by force if necessary. China held major military drills around Taiwan just days after Lai took office in May.

Officials in Taipei have also expressed concern in recent days that China will detain more individuals from the island to pile pressure on Lai. Last week, Taiwan hiked its travel warning for China to the second-highest level, citing Beijings decision to expand laws that threaten separatists from the island with the death penalty.

Taiwan controls many small islands like Kinmen that are just kilometers from China and in rich fishing grounds. That can easily bring the coast guards of the two sides and other ships into close contact.

Taiwans maritime authorities said that their Coast Guard ships tried to prevent the fishing vessel from being detained but since our boats had penetrated deep into the other partys territorial waters, in order to avoid escalating the conflict, the hot pursuit was stopped.

The fishing boat was taken to Weitou, a port in the Chinese city of Quanzhou, Fujian province, they said.

China should release the crew and the ship soon, a spokesman for Taiwans Cabinet said in a statement, adding that Beijing shouldnt escalate the situation.

In March, China detained two men whose boat got lost in fog in waters near Kinmen. One of them has been released but the other remains in Chinese custody.

The detained man was an active member of Taiwans armed forces at the time of the incident. His family later secured a discharge, a move that may be aimed at facilitating his release.

A China-registered speedboat carrying four people capsized near Kinmen in February during a chase after it refused inspection by Taiwanese authorities. Two of the Chinese fishermen were rescued and the other two died.

Taiwan expressed regret at the unfortunate incident but said its Coast Guard behaved lawfully and properly. China condemned the deaths, saying the episode undermined the goodwill between people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

--With assistance from Argin Chang, Jing Li and Rob Fenner.

(Updates with more details from Taiwan Coast Guard and comments from China.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Xi Jinping has become Vladimir Putin's most important ally since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine - Sergei Guneyev/AFP

Russia and China are working together to produce a version of Irans Shahed drone that could be used on the battlefields of Ukraine, European intelligence sources have said.

The drones themselves are still in the test and development phase and have not yet been deployed in Ukraine, the sources told Bloomberg.

However, sending drones would be a major escalation in Chinas support for the Kremlin war machine, as it has previously only provided non-lethal aid, such as microchips and tools for tank-making.

One source told Bloomberg that the US still doesnt consider China to be sending lethal aid but conceded that other nations may have a different interpretation.

Russia has used Irans kamikaze Shahed drone extensively to terrorise Ukrainian cities.

It is now building a factory in the central city of Kazan to produce its own version  but its military is still reliant on imports at present.

Western officials declined to give specifics on Chinas drone programme but Bloomberg reported that Chinese factories are developing a drone called the Sunflower 200, similar in appearance to Irans Shahed.

Sunflowers are a national symbol of Ukraine.

As well as sending rifle sights and equipment to produce tanks to Russia, China has started sending satellite images of battlefields in Ukraine.

Julianne Smith, US ambassador to Nato, said this highlighted Beijings role as an ally of the Kremlin.

Here at Nato, were making sure that we can expose the fact that China is no longer a neutral player, she said.

Russias most important partner

Since Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, China has become Russias most important trade partner.

Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, last month accused China of keeping the Russian defence industrial base going by providing 70 per cent of its machine tools and 90 per cent of its microelectronics.

Russia now also sells most of its oil and gas to China at a discounted price, and Chinese banks provide critical infrastructure for Russias financial institutions to trade roubles for yuans.

On Wednesday, the head of Russias civilian nuclear power programme even said he was flying to China next week to start a joint project to build a nuclear power station on the Moon by 2036.

Chinas diplomatic support and the Russia-China no limits special relationship have also been vital for the Kremlin. China helped to pressure smaller countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East to boycott a Ukrainian-organised peace summit in Switzerland last month.

So important has China become for Russia that Alexander Stubb, the Finnish president, said Beijing could close down the Russian economy at any moment and force the end of the war.

One phone call from president Xi Jinping would solve this crisis, he told Bloomberg this week.

Kazakhstan summit

Xi and Putin are due to meet on Wednesday and Thursday in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, at the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a military-economic alliance led by China and Russia hinged around former Soviet Central Asia.

Turkey has also been invited to this years summit and Yuri Ushakov, a Russian presidential aide, said that Putins meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish president, would deal with all the important issues, including sensitive ones.

Mr Erdogan hosted failed peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in 2022. Turkey has been vital for Ukrainian and Russian grain exports during the war.

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.
In a bizarre turn of events, Chinese-made Wing Loong drones, apparently headed to Libya, have been seized by Italian authorities off the coast of southern Italy. The disassembled drones were in crates that were marked as containing parts for wind turbines, in what seems to have been an effort to evade a United Nations arms embargo imposed on Libya.

In a bizarre turn of events, Chinese-made Wing Loong drones, apparently headed to Libya, have been seized by Italian authorities off the coast of southern Italy. The disassembled drones were in crates that were marked as containing parts for wind turbines, in what seems to have been an effort to evade the United Nations arms embargo imposed on Libya and get them into the hands of Libyan strongman General Khalifa Haftar.

Italian officials impounded three containers filled with weapons, including drones, and two drone control stations, at the port of Gioia Tauro in southern Italy on June 18, The Times of London recently reported.

Footage of Italian authorities intercepting components of two Chinese Wing Loong II UAVs disguised as wind turbines that were heading to Libya. https://t.co/ALY7IBwRaA pic.twitter.com/WeKoW0i7Rs  Clash Report (@clashreport) July 3, 2024

According to unnamed sources, the containers in question were seized after being unloaded from the cargo vessel MSC Arina, which had arrived in the Mediterranean from China. It appears that the plan had been to load those containers on another vessel that would then make the trip to Benghazi in Libya.

Last weekend, meanwhile, Italian investigators seized another three suspect containers that arrived in the same port on another cargo ship, the MSC Apolline.

Photos and videos that have since emerged reveal the extent of the efforts to conceal the identity of the contents. Indeed, reports from Italy suggest that the drone parts had been placed inside protective coverings of the same type used to transport wind turbine blades.

Italian customs officials alongside a still-wrapped Wing Loong fuselage, which bears a slogan relating to the energy-saving properties of wind power. via X

Italian officials take the protective wrapping off a Wing Loong fuselage. The end carries a label claiming that it conceals a wind power maintenance hatch. via X

A Wing Loong fuselage is unloaded from a container. via X

Intelligence about the presence of the weapons was reportedly provided to the Italian authorities by the United States. Other accounts from Italy suggest that the containers were discovered as part of a standard check, which revealed anomalies in the customs documentation that accompanied them.

Clearly, this was a very deliberate attempt to disguise this military equipment as civilian cargo, apparently including forged documents, and its not clear what course of action the Italian prosecutors will take next. Its also unclear what part if any at all the Chinese government played in the smuggling operation.They could potentially have been sourced elsewhere secondhand.

The apparent recipient of the drones  and potentially other, undisclosed arms that were also part of the same shipments  was General Haftar, who leads the Libyan National Army (LNA), in charge of the east of the country. Haftar has held power here since an effort to conquer the rest of the country ground to a halt in 2020. This had been preceded by intense fighting with the forces of the Government of National Unity (GNA), during a civil war that had raged since the fall of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Khalifa Haftar (second left) waves after a speech at a rally marking the 71st anniversary of the Libyan independence from Italy in the eastern city of Benghazi on December 24, 2022. Photo by ABDULLAH DOMA/AFP via Getty Images ABDULLAH DOMA

The United Nations-backed GNA is today based in Tripoli and headed up by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, with the country now effectively divided into eastern and western parts, both with their own governments and armed forces.

Wing Loong drones  both Wing Loong I and Wing Loong II versions  have already been widely employed by the LNA in the fight against the GNA.

In the past, these Chinese-made drones have reportedly been provided to the LNA by the United Arab Emirates, with multiple claims that the Emiratis have also been responsible for operating the drones in the country.

Fighters loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA) secure the area of Abu Qurain, halfway between Tripoli and the second city of Benghazi, against forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar, on July 20, 2020. Photo by MAHMUD TURKIA/AFP via Getty Images MAHMUD TURKIA

The medium-altitude, long-endurance drones, which are akin to a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper, have been used extensively. In the process, there have been multiple losses of LNA-operated Wing Loongs, with examples shot down by the GNA, by airstrikes, by friendly fire, and in combat-related incidents.

Developed primarily for surveillance, the Wing Loong series can also be fitted with air-to-ground weapons, including Blue Arrow-7 missiles, providing a powerful strike capability to Haftars forces. The shipments seized by the Italians reportedly did not contain any weapons for the drones. With a typical range of around 1,000 miles and an endurance of approximately 20 hours, depending on payload and other factors, the Wing Loong is able to roam across the whole of Libya.

A Wing Loong II drone of the kind that has been used by the LNA, on display on the opening day of Airshow China 2021 on September 28, 2021, in Zhuhai, in the Guangdong province of China. Photo by Chen Xiao/VCG via Getty Images CHENXIAO

Apparently in direct response to the appearance of the Wing Loong in the Libyan conflict, Turkey began to supply its Bayraktar TB2 drone to the rival GNA. With a smaller payload and shorter range than the Wing Loong, the TB2 nevertheless quickly became an important part of the GNAs inventory, also being used for air strikes as well as surveillance.

However, it now seems that the United Arab Emirates is less willing to support the LNA and its drone operations in particular, following a high-profile incident in 2020 in which a Wing Loon operated with Emirati assistance was reportedly used to strike a military academy in Tripoli, killing 26 cadets. An investigation by the BBC suggested that the weapon used was a Chinese-made Blue Arrow-7 missile.

TRIPOLI, LIBYA  JANUARY 04: Pictures of the twenty-six students who were killed in Haftar forces drone attacks in a Hadba military school, are seen during the remembrance to mark first anniversary of the attack in Tripoli, Libya on January 04, 2021. (Photo by Hamza Al Ahmar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Anadolu

Whatever the status of Emirati support for LNA drone operations, the multiple losses that have been reported to date would provide ample reason for the acquisition of follow-on batches from China.

For China, meanwhile, it seems that the incentive to sell drones to Libya may be driven by a demand for Libyan oil. The Times of London reports that, back in April, two Libyans were charged in Canada after it had been discovered that they were brokering a deal to send drones to the LNA in exchange for millions of drums of oil, according to a Canadian official.

While this would clearly contravene the United Nations sanctions on Libya, which prohibit the export of oil from that country, as well as imports of arms, it also presents a difficult situation for Italy.

Under the leadership of the far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Italy has sought to build relations with General Haftar, as well as with Prime Minister Dbeibah, to try and work with them to disrupt migration routes from North Africa to Italy.

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah (right) welcomes Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as she arrives for a meeting in Tripoli on May 7, 2024. Photo by Mahmud Turkia / AFP MAHMUD TURKIA

At the same time, Haftar has been moving increasingly closer to Russia, which has led to concerns in Washington. For Moscow, Haftar is becoming a key ally in North Africa, providing permission for Russian vessels to unload weapons in the port of Tobruk, from where they can be delivered to support Russian military activities and Moscow-backed forces throughout the continent.

Meanwhile, the standoff in Libya continues, with armed drones now well established as a highly important capability for both sides.

While the LNA and GNA started the civil war with fleets of combat aircraft, including Cold War-era French- and Soviet-made jets, these have suffered extensive losses, and their current serviceability  as well as availability of trained crews  is now highly questionable.

A veteran MiG-21 Fishbed fighter operated by forces loyal to the internationally recognized Libyan government takes off from Benina Air Base, south of Benghazi, on December 10, 2015. Photo by ABDULLAH DOMA/AFP via Getty Images ABDULLAH DOMA

Drones have filled that gap, conducting thousands of airstrikes, according to reports. In 2019, prior to Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, United Nations Special Envoy Ghassan Salame described the Libyan civil war as the largest drone war in the world.

While Haftars offensive may have failed in 2020, the country is still uneasily divided. Tensions remain, and with them the potential to reignite the war.

Meanwhile, both sides are clearly well aware of the advantages that drones can provide, both for surveillance and strike, especially over long distances. With that in mind, its perhaps no surprise that Haftars forces would go to fairly extreme efforts to get their hands on more examples of the prized Chinese-made Wing Loong.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  The Memphis Police Departments Assistant Police Chief Shawn Jones is being labeled a part-time crime fighter by some city council members.

Memphis Police confirmed on Tuesday that Jones, an MPD employee since September 2021, is actually a resident of the state of Georgia.

Council Chairman JB Smiley, Jr. says his constituents arent happy.

Assistant Memphis Police chief lives in Georgia: MPD

I think its a bit concerning, Smiley said. Ive received a lot of text messages from people from all different parts of life, different sectors, different communities concerned about whether hes working remotely.

Councilwoman Jerri Green says shes got a problem with him living in Georgia and working in Memphis, apparently part-time.

I am concerned that the number two cop would not be able to be immediately available and Im not sure whether hes spending weekends in Atlanta or other times during the week, she said.

Jones served with Interim Police Chief C.J. Davis in Atlanta and came to Memphis with her after she was appointed chief in 2021. He makes nearly $180,000 a year.

WREG reached out to MPD and Mayor Paul Young about Jones residency.

An email from the mayors office says, Shawn Jones primary residence is still in the state of Georgia. Tennessee state law does not permit restrictions on the residency of first responders.

Thats word-for-word the same response we received from MPD the day before, referencing a state law adopted in 2022.

Later, a city official followed up, stating, Our residency requirement reflects state law, we do not feel that the City of Memphis needs to revisit our policy.

In 2022, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a state law that put into place a ban on local residency requirements for first responders.

According to department policy, MPD personnel can live within two hours of Shelby County, but whether that includes Georgia, more than six hours away by car, is unclear.

We should not be paying a part time employee to make $180,000. He lives in Georgia, and he cant report to work, and I think thats whats being lost in this, Green said. I would like an answer as to whether they knew that this is where his residency was when they hired him, and if there was some expectation that he would establish a full-time residency within the confined limits of the policy.

The situation by a high-ranking officer brings MPD residency requirements into question.

It has not been violated by a rank in file officer. Its not violated by mid-management. Its violated by the second most by the second-most powerful police officer that we have, and I think they have to make some tough decisions, Smiley said.

In a city plagued by crime, some council members say Assistant Chief Jones should either live in Memphis full-time or considering resigning his position.

Were leading the nation, especially around our homicide rate and solve rate, and I want to see those things improve, and I think the way to do that is have the best of the best around you at all times, Green 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 WREG.com.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  With summer in full swing and more travelers visiting San Diego, city officials are, once again, urging the public to avoid interacting with marine life in La Jolla.

The Sierra Club, a local seal society that works to protect these creatures, said there are at least nine sea lion pups in the area currently. The main message for those visiting the coast right now is stay back.

Those trying to get close to the sea lions to take selfies or pet the animals are strongly encouraged not to do so. In fact, its actually against the law to harass sea lions. There is signage in these areas advising against such behavior.

According to the The Sierra Club, the safest and most responsible place to watch them is from afar. The society offered up the following advice regarding sea lion observation:

Give seals and sea lions space: Always stay at least 50 feet away, dont surround, corner or block their path.

Dont scare them: Watch quietly (no shouting or clapping) and move slowly (no jumping or running).

Respect them: Never attempt to touch or pet, follow or chase, or throw any item at them.

Keep safe: Do not take selfies and prevent children from approaching them; they can be unpredictable if they feel threatened.

Keep them safe: Keep dogs away, do not feed them or touch them, it can make them sick.

Dont use flashlights at night: It disturbs their sleep.

Read their behavior: If they look up, move or bark, they have been disturbed so move away quietly.

More information no viewing guidelines can be found 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 FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
People experiencing homelessness were recently forced to move from an encampment off of U.S. 70 near Garner. (Photo: Greg Childress)

The U.S. Supreme Courts decision to side with a local ordinance in Grants Pass, Oregon that bans homeless people from sleeping outdoors shouldnt prompt local governments to adopt such laws, said Dan Siegel, deputy legal director of ACLU North Carolina.

Siegel and other advocates for people experiencing homelessness argue that the ordinance is unconstitutional because it punishes unhoused people who sleep outside that have no other place to go. Grants Pass officials and others who support such measures contend they are not unconstitutional if everyone must follow them.

During the North Carolina Housing Coalitions weekly Housing Call on Tuesday, Siegel said that its important to focus on what the court didnt say.

Dan Siegel

First of all, the Court did not say that states and towns and cities have to criminalize people being homeless and sleeping outside at night, Siegel said. It didnt say that if there is this kind of ordinance on the books, that it has to be enforced.

Local governments still have discretion, Siegel said, to adopt ordinances that they think are appropriate and to enforce or not enforce ordinances that are already on the books.

What the Courts decision did do, Siegel said, is erode Eighth Amendment protections for people experiencing homelessness. The amendment forbids excessive bail, fines and cruel and unusual punishments.

Its true that for many years the Eighth Amendment has provided an important protection for unhoused people and now that protection is gone, at least in this particular context, Siegel said.

The Fourteenth Amendment granting citizens the right to due process as well as certain state laws and local ordinances might also provide a layer of protection against such ordinances, Siegel said.

If those are litigated and brought before a court, those might protect people from being criminalized under these kinds of ordinances, Siegel said. Right now, we dont really know. This is a conservative Supreme Court. They are not terribly friendly to civil rights, other than gun rights and religious freedom rights.

Advocates for people experiencing homelessness will have to find another way to protect them from ordinances that criminalize people for being unhoused, Siegel said.

There is still a lot of room to make progress in advocating for homeless people and working to solve this issue  both in terms of fighting in court and advocating in legislatures, especially what local governments can do, Siegel said.

Last week, after the courts opinion was published, Stephanie Watkins-Cruz, director of housing policy at the North Carolina Housing Coalition, expressed disappointment at the ruling.

Stephanie Watkins-Cruz

It was a chance for the highest court in the land to take a stand on protecting people who have nowhere else to go because of policy failures and it was a chance to treat housing like a human right by protecting and acknowledging that there is not enough housing and that there are more permanent and effective ways to solve homelessness, Watkins-Cruz said.

In North Carolina, Charlotte recently adopted an ordinance that critics say disproportionately affects people experiencing homelessness. The law makes sleeping on benches, public defecation, panhandling, public drinking, public masturbation and trespassing offenses that can lead to arrest. These were previously ticketed offenses.

In a column published by NC Newsline, Latonya Agard, executive director of North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness, said Grants Pass leaders could have found a more humane solution to address that towns homeless crisis.

Grants Passs refusal to find a humane solution to the humanitarian crisis in their community reveals the moral decay at the heart of this case, Agard wrote. The Supreme Court decision gave them, and every other city ready to punish people for experiencing homelessness, the easy way out.

The post Civil rights advocate says new strategies are needed to protect people experiencing homelessness appeared first on NC Newsline.
Two participants in what has come to be known as the Great Locomotive Chase during the Civil War in Northwest Georgia are being awarded Medals of Honor posthumously Wednesday at a White House ceremony.

Pvts. George D. Wilson and Philip G. Shadrach were among 22 volunteers from the Union Army who commandeered a Confederate locomotive outside of Big Shanty (now Kennesaw) on April 12, 1862, and took it northward toward Chattanooga, Tenn.

The raiders tore up as much of the vital Western and Atlantic Railroad line as they could before running out of fuel near Ringgold and abandoning the train. The men scattered into the woods before being captured by Confederate troops.

Civilian scout James Andrews, the leader of the raid, and seven of the raiders -Wilson and Shadrach among them - were hanged on June 18 of that year in Atlanta, while the others were held as prisoners of war and exchanged for Confederate prisoners the following year.

Six of the raiders were awarded the United States first Medals of Honor in March 1863, and eventually 19 were similarly honored. As a civilian, Andrews was not eligible for the award. Wilson and Shadrach were not honored until now.

Descendants of both men will be on hand at the White House as President Joe Biden awards the medals.
Two Civil War soldiers who infiltrated Confederate territory to steal a train and destroy the enemy railroad system will be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

Pvt. Philip Shadrach and Pvt. George Wilson, members of the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment, are finally set to receive recognition as participants in what is known as the Great Locomotive Chase.

On April 12, 1862, the pair joined 20 other Union soldiers and two civilians in commandeering a train in Georgia, before driving it north while demolishing Confederate railroad tracks and telegraph lines. Both men were captured and executed by hanging.

Now, 162 years later, the soldiers are being recognized for their previously overlooked contributions to an event that others were awarded Medals of Honor for  including Pvt. Jacob Parrott, the very first service member to be presented with the militarys highest award for valor.

It touches me deeply, Theresa Chandler, the great-great-granddaughter of Wilson, said Tuesday at a media event. I just get so emotional with it, thinking he had such bravery and valor.

Theresa Chandler, the great-great-granddaughter of Civil War soldier Pvt. George Wilson, speaks at a media event on July 2, 2024, ahead of a Medal of Honor award presentation. (Army)

The plan was straightforward. By sabotaging the Western and Atlantic Railroad, the men would cut off the Confederacys ability to move supplies or reinforcements from Atlanta, Georgia, to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and deprive them of making strategic advances. Shadrach, Wilson and the others met in Big Shanty, now Kennesaw, Georgia, where they took over a locomotive known as the General and implemented their operation. But the Confederates caught up, and captured the raiders.

More than anything else, it is the story of American soldiers far from home committing extraordinary acts of service and bravery on behalf of their country, said Dr. Shane Makowicki, a historian from the Army Center of Military History.

An illustration of the

He and another historian explained that whether it was an initial oversight in the documentation process or a lack of individuals advocating on their behalf, the bravery of Shadrach and Wilson was exactly the same as the other men who participated, most of whom received the Medal of Honor for their actions.

It was just, at that moment during our history, nobody was there to stand up for them and move this through, said Brad Quinlin, a historian and author, who also suggested that one of the reasons for the delay may have been that their infantry regiment was decimated in another battle, leaving few who could push for them to receive the distinction.

Approval to bestow the decorations on the soldiers came in the fiscal year 2008 annual defense policy bill, though it still took time to get the paperwork in the right hands and across the finish line.

But, not everyone involved in the risky undertaking has received recognition for their actions.

James Andrews  the leader of the group, which became known as Andrews Raiders  and William Campbell were not eligible for the Medal of Honor as civilians, though Quinlin said hes working on requests to get them awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Additionally, one remaining soldier involved in the group, Samuel Llewellyn, does not hold the countrys highest military decoration. According to Quinlin, he turned it down, thinking he did not deserve it as he was caught before reaching the rendezvous point.

Shadrach and Wilson are buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery in Tennessee, Quinlin shared with Military Times.

Kimberly Chandler, a great-great-great-granddaughter of Wilson, described the story of her ancestor as one of intense dedication and commitment, intense bravery and camaraderie amongst a group of men that had only known each other for a short time, believed in the mission and believed in the sacrifice of what they were doing to preserve the Union.
CLEAR FORK, WV (WVNS)  The community of Clear Fork is one of Raleigh Countys most rural. Its miles from downtown Beckley, but a group of Clear Fork residents said on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, that their neighborhood has not escaped addiction and the drug-related crime the rest of the county faces.

Lewis and Megan Nason were among a group of Clear Fork neighbors who asked the Raleigh County Commission for help during the regular commission meeting in Beckley on Tuesday.

Patrol would take care of, probably, 95 percent of the problem, said Lewis Nason. Just having a law enforcement presence down in Clear Fork shuts down a lot of the activity.

What are the Top 10 police dog breeds?

The couple recently moved to Clear Fork from northern California. They said the drug crime problems in the two regions were not very different.

Id say its all pretty much the same, said Lewis Nason. There really is no difference, other than, in this community, you have the opportunity to actually be heard by the government.

They said they want to work with Raleigh County Commission and their neighbors to make their new home the best it could be.

The Nasons said they established a local crime watch program and have support from a church at Colcord and other entities.

They said they were also in the process of establishing recreational outlets in the area.

We just felt a need to see change and to, hopefully, not lose another innocent life to drugs and not have kids being exposed to that, giving kids a different life to grow up in, Megan Naylor said.

Five of the best superpowers to have

Raleigh County Sheriff Jim Canaday confirmed on Tuesday that his office, along with Dr. Serena Starcher, superintendent of Raleigh County Schools, and West Virginia Del. Chris Toney (R-Raleigh} are in the process of establishing a satellite station for Raleigh County Sheriffs Office at Clear Fork Elementary School.

Del. Toney plans to secure funding, said Sheriff Canaday.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
CHICAGO  More than 44,000 migrants have been sent to Chicago by bus or plane over the last two years and the citys struggle to keep them housed, fed and safe has stretched resources and sparked fierce debate over how scarce tax dollars are spent.

But the largely man-made influx where asylum-seekers have been sent from Texas to cities like Chicago is likely only going to be the beginning, of migrant movements as climate concerns continue to escalate, Alderman Andre Vasquez, 40th, predicted Tuesday.

Aldermen on Tuesday weighed the prospect of future climate change-related disasters pushing people to the city during a City Council Immigration Committee hearing. Providing both warnings and recommendations, migration experts argued the arrival of future migrant influxes is only a question of when.

Cities such as Chicago with access to bodies of fresh water are set to fare better with climate change and as a result will see migration increases, said Vasquez, the committees chair.

As weve experienced, governments are not prepared to address huge influxes of migration, he said. But this is the direction things are going in, whether a city is prepared or not.

Chicagos current migrant housing challenges began when Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas began to send mostly Venezuelan migrants by bus to the city in August 2022. The city has since spent about $400 million caring for the newcomers.

That caretaking effort has seen relative calm in recent weeks as the number of new arrivals and people living in city- and state-run shelters has steadily declined. There are 5,950 people living in the shelters, down from around 15,000 at the beginning of the year.

Climate change has already brought migrants and other newcomers to Chicago, including disasters such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Maria in 2017, said Dulce Guzman, deputy director of institutional development at migrant coalition group Alianza Americas.

Those who arrive in Chicago often need housing or work and have to do so practically from scratch after having lost everything from their support structure to their cars. But governments struggle to quickly connect them with the resources they need, Guzman said. They might come after a single major disaster or from decadeslong, steady movements, she added.

As the effects of climate change worsen, no communities sending or receiving will be immune from climate threat, Guzman said.

The experts implored aldermen to build migrant support systems that will be ready for future influxes and to partner with climate-vulnerable Latin American and Caribbean countries to help them better handle future crises themselves.

Vasquez argued the city needs to combine its shelter systems for both people who are experiencing homelessness and for migrants to prepare for what is ahead. Its an idea homelessness advocates have long championed and one Mayor Brandon Johnsons administration has announced his administration is working toward.

Unless we see some worldwide change in our behavior, this seems like its only going to go in one direction, he said, noting services are lacking for migrants and those experiencing homelessness. Whether youre a migrant that just got here or have been here for decades and were born here, the services and resources are not adequate.

The committee also discussed another crisis in South America that could spark more migration to the United States and Chicago. Amid instability and violence in Ecuador, the federal government should grant Ecuadorians coming to the U.S. temporary protected status, a designation that allows refugees to pursue work in the U.S. once approved.

The request was backed by Ecuadorian community organizations and the countrys local consul general.

Just as with the Ecuadorian community, there are many people throughout Latin America that are fleeing violence, that are fleeing global change and oftentimes our foreign policies, said Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, who was raised in Ecuador.

Aldermen also called on the Chicago Police Department to better process visas for immigrants who are victims of crime. The department needs to explain why it struggles to process the so-called U visas that help victims come forward to address crime even when they do not have legal status, sponsor Alderman Raymond Lopez, 15th, said.

_________
Closing arguments continued this week in the trial of Samuel Woodward, the alleged neo-Nazi accused of killing gay Jewish university student Blaze Bernstein in 2018.

Woodward, now 26 but who was 20 at the time of the murder, is facing murder and hate crime charges for the stabbing death of Bernstein, a 19-year-old student at the University of Pennsylvania who was home on holiday visiting family in Lake Forest at the time of his death on January 2, 2018.

Prosecutors told the court that Woodward, a reported member of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, plotted to kill Bernstein because he was gay and Jewish. The defense claimed the killing was spontaneous and called Woodward to testify in his defense.

Woodward admitted to stabbing Bernstein to death but disputed the killing was premeditated. Instead, he claimed he had passed out after smoking marijuana and woke up to find Bernstein taking pictures of his exposed genitals and threatening to out him to their mutual friends.

He claimed he snapped but his memory was selective, unable to answer prosecution questions under cross-examination regarding details of the killing.

Bernsteins 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 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.

Throughout the trial, prosecutors had tried to show Woodward was obsessed with neo-Nazi and white supremacist ideologies, but the defense countered with an expert witness who met with Woodward shortly after his arrest and earlier this year before the trial, the Orange County Register reported. Martha Rogers, described as a psychological expert, testified Woodward had grown disillusioned with the group and its racist ideology after he returned home to Newport Beach following a failed attempt to live in Texas with members of the Atomwaffen group.

It was wearing thin and didnt match up to the thoughts he had of what it would be, where he would have this great camaraderie and be uplifted as a man and become stronger and better, Rogers testified at trial last month. It somehow didnt seem to match his expectations. He grew tired of it.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker disputed that Woodward had turned his back on the group and its ideology, noting the man had thousands of Atomowaffen-type images on his phone at the time of his arrest and that reported extremist materials were found in his cell during a search in 2020.

After the crime, in jail, he had doodles about Atomwaffen in his cell, Walker claimed.

Woodward appeared unkempt and nearly catatonic during the trial, and his testimony was inconsistent.

Under cross-examination 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.

Woodward also denied being gay and claimed the selfies he sent were found online, even though the background in some of the pics matched the tile in his bathroom.

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.

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.

Closing arguments continue this week.
Most Americans think that former President Donald Trump will not concede if he loses the presidential election in November, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS. And despite the vast majority of Americans agreeing that the loser of an election has an obligation to accept the results and concede, only about half of registered voters see Trumps false claims that he won the 2020 presidential election as a reason to vote against him in 2024.

A 78% majority of Americans say they think that President Joe Biden will accept the results and concede if he loses the election this November.

But roughly 7 in 10 Americans (71%) doubt that Trump will concede if he loses again in November, while only 28% believe he will. Half of Republicans now say they think Trump would concede a loss, up from 41% in a January poll taken amid the primary season. Among the public overall, doubts that Trump would concede are little changed from January, but remain heightened compared with October 2020, when a smaller 58% majority of US adults said they didnt expect him to concede if he lost the 2020 election.

In CNNs June presidential debate, Trump refused to state unequivocally that he would accept this years election results, twice deflecting the question before saying he would do so if its a fair and legal and good election and repeating claims about election fraud. There is no evidence of election fraud that would have altered the outcome of the 2020 election.

Most Americans (84%) say that the loser of the race has an obligation to concede once every state has officially certified its vote for president. That number has remained relatively unchanged since January and since Trump and Biden faced off in October 2020.

Among registered voters who say they would support Biden in a head-to-head matchup against Trump, 95% believe the loser has an obligation to concede. This figure sits lower, at 77%, for those who would vote for Trump.

Among current Biden supporters, there is almost universal agreement both that Biden would concede if he lost the election (97%) and that Trump would not (94%).

Current Trump supporters also broadly agree about Biden, with 62% saying they think he will concede if he loses the election. On Trump, theyre about evenly split, with 50% saying that Trump would concede and 49% saying he would not.

Trump supporters who say candidates have an obligation to concede mostly think Trump and Biden would do so (55% say that Trump would and 68% that Biden would), while those Trump backers who say no such obligation exists mostly see both presidential candidates as unlikely to concede.

The poll also shows that, despite widespread belief that the loser of a presidential election should concede, only about half of registered voters think Trumps refusal to concede in 2020 is a reason to oppose his 2024 run.

Forty-nine percent of registered voters say that Trumps claims that he won the 2020 election are a reason to vote against him in 2024, while 17% say they are a reason to vote for him. One-third of registered voters (33%) say his claims dont make a difference either way.

More than half (55%) of current Trump supporters are indifferent toward his 2020 election claims, and about one-third (34%) say they are a reason to vote for him in 2024. Only 11% of current Trump supporters say his election claims are a reason to vote against him. By contrast, current Biden supporters reach a 92% consensus that Trumps claims are a reason to vote against him.

Nearly half (46%) of Trumps staunchest supporters  those who say they back him out of affirmative support, rather than opposition to Biden  say they consider Trumps claims about the 2020 election a positive. By contrast, just 10% of Trump supporters who say theyd mostly support him as a vote against Biden see Trumps election claims as a reason to vote for him, with 28% calling them a negative, and 62% saying they dont make a difference either way.

Beyond partisanship, the results also highlight a sharp educational divide, with college graduates 28 percentage points likelier than those without a degree to say Trumps 2020 election claims are a reason to vote against him this year.

The CNN poll was conducted by SSRS from June 28-30 among a random national sample of 1,274 adults drawn from a probability-based panel, including 1,045 registered voters. Surveys were either conducted online or by telephone with a live interviewer. Results among the full sample have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. For results among registered voters, it is plus or minus 3.7 points.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
(Bloomberg) -- Europe needs to brace for the costly public health consequences of higher drug use in the coming years as it continues to battle a massive inflow of cocaine and the resulting spike in trafficking-related violence, warns the head of the newly revamped European Union drugs agency.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Alexis Goosdeel said in an interview that it will likely take at least two to three years to see the broader impact on Europeans health, which would put further pressure on countries budgets.

Thats potentially a time bomb in terms of impact on public health and the budgets of the member states for the treatment system, Goosdeel said. The difficulty being that there is no way for the moment to estimate what would be the size of the dimension of this impact.

A public health expert by background, Goosdeel has run the EUs drugs agency since 2016, after first joining in 1999. He previously founded a Belgian public health NGO focused on drugs harm reduction.

During Goosdeels tenure, the EU has seen a vast influx of cocaine into the bloc, along with an increase in seizures. Analysis of municipal wastewater for cocaine residue has shown clear evidence of increasing consumption, according to the agencys 2024 Drugs Report, with an increase in 49 out of 72 cities in 2023 compared to 2022. Thirteen held constant and 10 saw a decrease.

Goosdeels organization  newly renamed the EU Drugs Agency from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drugs Addiction  took on an expanded mandate from the bloc on Tuesday in response to increasing challenges from drug trafficking and related violence. It will develop bloc-wide threat assessment capabilities and develop an expanded alert system to provide information on outbreaks and treatments, including directly to hospitals.

Cocaine was the second most common problem drug among people entering specialist drug treatment for the first time in their lives in 2022, cited by an estimated 29,000 people or 21% of first-time entrants, while the drug was involved in 23% of drug-induced deaths.

The report found that there is a time lag of 13 years between first cocaine use and first treatment for cocaine-related problems, leading Goosdeel to suggest that the full public health impact of the rise in consumption is still to come. The agencys annual report also warned that in many countries there is a lack of investment in drug prevention work or evidence that resources are not being used efficiently.

Another major concern comes from the emergence of new psychoactive substances, something the drugs agency has been monitoring for the past 27 years. A new substance is being detected around every two weeks.

While heroin remains Europes most commonly used illicit opioid, the emergence of new synthetic opioids has raised fears among policymakers, especially in light of the ongoing challenges the US has faced in tackling an opioid crisis that kills tens of thousands each year.

EU countries reported a record amount of cocaine for the sixth year in a row in 2022, the latest for which there is bloc-wide data, at 323 metric tons. Early 2023 data posts to a continuation of the trend, with a fresh record at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. A rising tide of drug-related violence that has accompanied the rise in seizures spurred an action plan from the EU in 2023, with a particular focus on securing Europes ports.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  A Colorado fugitive has been taken into custody after allegedly placing a suspicious package against the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City on Tuesday, July 2.

Eric Lynn Bentrum, 55, was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail and faces a third-degree felony of distribute, offer, or arrange distribution of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

The courthouse was evacuated around 2:00 p.m. after the suspicious package was discovered against the courthouse building near 400 South and State Street. The large police response disrupted traffic and public transit in the area for several hours.

According to a booking affidavit, deputies were able to identify Bentrum as the one who left the package and safely detained him. Police did not disclose what was in the package.

PREVIOUS: Downtown courthouse evacuated due to suspicious package, streets reopened

Officers reported being able to smell the odor of marijuana coming from a black bag on Bentrums bike. Police searched the bag and reportedly found nearly six pounds of marijuana and five cartridges of THC, along with small clear baggies and a scale. Bentrum allegedly admitted everything in the bag belonged to him.

Detectives quickly learned Bentrum was on parole out of Colorado. The Colorado Department of Corrections reported that Bentrum was not allowed to leave the state and issued an arrest warrant and a full extradition back to Colorado.

Bentrum is currently being held in the Salt Lake County Jail and awaiting extradition.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU)  A Columbia County couple will get to see the wrath of Hurricane Beryl close up as theyre vacationing in Jamaica.

Sara and Hayes Clark from Berwick went to a resort in Whitehouse Jamaica to celebrate their fourth anniversary. Now, theyre stuck in the storms path.

We knew the storm was coming. We didnt know how bad it was gonna be. We really thought earlier in the week it wasnt gonna be too much, Sara explained.

After their Berwick home took a minor hit from last weeks storm, the Clarks touched down in tropical Jamaica on Saturday, expecting to spend a week in paradise.

Now, theyre forced to hunker down as Hurricane Beryl begins to barrel through the island.

Were gonna be in lockdown on the resort from 2:00 p.m. tomorrow, so 2:00 p.m. til Thursday at some point, Sara and Hayes said.

As Beryl grew and became more intense Tuesday morning, the Clarks started looking for a way off the island, ending their vacation days ahead of schedule.

At that point, we were like massively searching for flights, Sara stated.

But nearby airports were fully booked and set to close at 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday.

12th Annual Scrantastic Spectacular schedule announced

Now their only option is survival and to prepare for lockdown.

The couple says they are feeling a wide range of emotions.

Could we get stuck here for a very long time? Could we lose power and not have access to food and not have access to water and really be in desperate straits? Hayes added.

But they say its not their first time stuck in a storm.

The week of Fourth of July as well. Three years ago, we were in St. Lucia for our honeymoon and we had about, I think it was a category one storm that Elsa came through, Sara continued.

The couple made it out safely, with the hurricane keeping them indoors for only a few hours.

Now, despite the much stronger storm about to target them, theyre choosing to remain positive.

We had a really nice sunset the other night that was a pleasant surprise. Were hoping for another one tonight before it gets gloomy and scary but were hoping to have another one on Thursday, Sara and Hayes added.

The Clarks say their resort is actively preparing for the storm and the structure they are staying in is built to withstand a category four hurricane.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
Columbia man strangled his mother and dumped her body in an SC river, sheriff says

Months after a missing womans body was found in a South Carolina river her son was charged with murder, according to the Lexington County Sheriffs Department.

Terry Lee Self Jr., a 37-year-old Columbia resident, is accused of killing his mother, Regina Veronica Arroyo, in December 2023, the sheriffs department said late Tuesday night in a news release.

Arroyo, a 56-year-old Barnwell resident, was reported missing Nov. 30, the Lexington County Coroners Office said last December.

On Dec. 3, a boater found Arroyos body in a part of the North Fork Edisto River near Wagner Highway in the Leesville area of Lexington County, according to Lexington County officials. That is more than 30 miles from Barnwell.

Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher immediately said Arroyos death was a homicide.

After the body was recovered, deputies confirmed (Self) and his mother were at the suspects house and left there together after an argument, Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said in the release.

Information about the argument was not available.

The evidence in the case indicates the suspect used a ligature to strangle Ms. Arroyo, Koon said. After he killed Ms. Arroyo, Self then dumped her body in the river and left.

Self is being held in Richland County at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on unrelated drug possession and probation violation charges, jail records show. He was brought before a Lexington County judge who denied him bond on the murder charge, according to the sheriffs department. He is currently listed on the Richland County jails inmate roster.

Detectives have been working on this case for seven months zeroing in on the person responsible Ms. Arroyos death, Koon said. We hope to give her family members and loved ones some sense of closure.
Column: Barbara Boxer gives Biden two weeks to fix his ailing campaign

When Barbara Boxer arrived in the U.S. Senate, Joe Biden served as a mentor of sorts and the two grew personally close. She gives the president two weeks to assuage voter concerns about his age and mental acuity. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

When Barbara Boxer arrived in the U.S. Senate, her image as a fiery liberal from Marin County  land of crystals, hot tubs and aging hippies  preceded her.

It was not a good thing.

"The word was that I was this very militant feminist and the guys were frightened to death," Boxer recalled.

The colleague who smoothed her path  "She's good people," he assured the Old Bulls  was Joe Biden, who by 1993 was already starting his third decade on Capitol Hill.

The two grew close, personally and politically.

"We really bonded on protecting dolphins and protecting women," Boxer said of their legislative work (regulating purse seine nets, cracking down on domestic violence), which had begun in the 1980s when she was in the House.

Boxer endorsed Biden when he ran for president in 1988 and again in 2020, notably passing over the Democrat who replaced her in the Senate, Kamala Harris.

Given all that, Boxer was slack-jawed as she and family members watched Biden mumble and bumble his way through his disastrous debate performance last week. "This wasn't the Joe we knew," she said. "Something was off."

Instantly, what had been a persistent, low-grade nervousness among Democrats turned into a full-fledged party freak-out. A small but growing chorus has called for the 81-year-old incumbent to withdraw from the presidential race, before it's too late and he drags his party down with him. (Many more express that sentiment in private.)

Boxer isn't there. Not yet, anyway.

Read more: Column: Biden bumbles, Trump lies and we all lose

Two weeks, she said. Give Biden two weeks to demonstrate that his zombified appearance in Atlanta was an anomaly.

"The man has done it, time and time again," Boxer said this week in a conversation from her home in Palm Springs. "Every time he's been counted out, he's come back. Can he do it one more time? I don't know the answer. But out of respect and admiration for what he's done, let's give him the time to do it.

"And if he can't, he can't," Boxer said, "and there will be someone else."

That's not exactly a stand-firm-until-the-last-dog-dies endorsement.

But it's not casting a gravely wounded Biden to the wolves, either.

When the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein was going through her widely chronicled mental and physical decline, there were widespread calls for her to quit and make way for someone younger, more vigorous and more acute. Boxer, who made history with Feinstein when the two were elected to the Senate in tandem, offered a gentle nudge. There is life  and a good one  to be had after leaving the Senate, she advised her former colleague in a 2021 interview.

But Boxer never overtly pushed Feinstein, the way many others did. Her fellow Democrat died in September at age 90, hours after casting her final vote on the Senate floor.

The situation with Biden is different, Boxer said.

"We don't know what happened with Joe," she said, still puzzled nearly a week later.

She speculated. Perhaps his lifelong stutter kicked in under the studio lights? Maybe Biden suffered from a terrible head cold, or from cold medication he'd taken?

"I think the president owes the country an explanation," Boxer said. And more crucially, she went on, he needs to show voters that he can not only take on Donald Trump, but that he can also defeat him in November.

"He needs to be out without a script. Without a teleprompter and just face the press, face the public," she said. "That's critical."

Biden has made a few public appearances, including a comparatively feisty showing at a North Carolina rally the day after the debate. He spoke to reporters following the Supreme Court's carte blanche decision granting presidents near-total immunity, and again while discussing the country's sizzling weather at an emergency operations center in Washington.

But Biden worked off a teleprompter and refused to take reporters' questions.

The president's first without-a-net appearance is a scheduled interview Friday with ABC's George Stephanopoulos. The stakes are exceedingly high. Another tottering performance could lead to a dam burst of calls from Democrats for Biden to step aside.

Meantime, polls taken after Thursday night's debate show Biden losing ground to Trump and voters expressing heightened concern about the president's mental and cognitive health.

Read more: Biden resists allies calls to exit race after debate performance: I know Im not a young man

Like many people, Boxer speaks of a Trump restoration in apocalyptic terms.

"This race is like no other," she said. "We have to stop a man who says he's going to be 'a dictator on Day One.' Who wants to imprison his opponents. ... It gets worse and worse, day by day."

She extolled Biden's performance over the last 3 years: his record on job creation, addressing climate change, fighting to lower the cost of prescription drugs. But that's all in the past, and none of it seems to matter very much to voters who, in the here and now, worry and wonder very much about Biden's capabilities going forward.

Democrats are nervous, Boxer said. "I'm nervous. I'm very nervous."

But she's still willing to give Biden a shot at one more political comeback. Two weeks, she said. "Because in August we have the convention, and if there is going to be an open convention, there needs to be time for people to decide who they're supporting."

That's a long way from "Biden or bust." It shows even the best of friends and greatest of admirers have limits to their hope and patience with a president whose mental and physical capacities seem to be touch-and-go.

But there's no room for sentimentality with so much at stake.

Get the latest from Mark Z. Barabak

Focusing on politics out West, from the Golden Gate to the U.S. Capitol.

Sign me up.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Gov. Kristi Noem provides updates on how the state is addressing the storm and flood damage on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, at the County Emergency Services Department in Yankton, South Dakota.

Severe weather brought a deluge to southeast South Dakota recently and exposed Gov. Kristi Noems faults.

While the rain fell, she abandoned the state for a political conference and television interview.

When catastrophic floodwaters surged toward McCook Lake, her cursory appearance there  along with her lackluster crisis communications and departure for an out-of-state political fundraiser  left people without adequate warning about the danger they faced.

And after declining to use the National Guard for the flood preparations or response, Noem said activating the Guard would be extremely expensive and asserted troops should only be used in a very crisis situation. This from a governor who has ordered troops to the Texas-Mexico border three times, and paid for it with money from the states Emergency and Disaster Fund.

According to Noem, none of that was a mistake, and she led a solid flood mitigation and response effort informed by her experience.

We learn with every flood that happens, she said during a Tuesday press conference.

Thats true. And theres a lot to learn about her from this one.

The Big Sioux River overflows into a local park on Monday, June 24, 2024, at Chautauqua Park in Canton, South Dakota.

If we dont, then thats wonderful

The flooding began with three days of rain June 20-22 in southeast South Dakota, surpassing 17 inches in some locations.

The Big Sioux River swelled to a historic level and swamped several towns while flowing toward the Missouri. Thats where McCook Lake and 230 homes around it stood in the bullseye.

Meanwhile, where was Noem? Her official calendar is protected by an egregious exemption in South Dakotas open-records laws. But some details of her travels are known, thanks to journalists such as the Argus Leaders Dominik Dausch, who reviewed social media posts from around the country to fill in the gaps of her whereabouts.

On Saturday, June 22, Noem delivered a speech at a Faith & Freedom Coalition conference in Washington, D.C.

On Sunday morning, June 23, she was on NBCs Meet the Press, where she jousted with the host about politics and whether shes being vetted as a running mate for Donald Trump.

By that afternoon, Noem was back in South Dakota. She led a press conference with federal, state and local officials in North Sioux City, where she talked about a voluntary evacuation order in Dakota Dunes, the construction of a temporary levee, a closure on Interstate 29, and the status of Missouri River dams.

Nobody at the press conference expressed an urgent safety concern about McCook Lake. When somebody asked what lake residents should do, Noem said they should protect their personal property, because we do anticipate that they will take in water.

Thats what were preparing for, she said. If we dont, then thats wonderful that they dont have an impact, but they could see water flowing into McCook Lake.

Nobody at the press conference clearly explained that the levee under construction was intended to direct floodwaters away from North Sioux City through a slough toward McCook Lake, where the overflow would hopefully drain toward the Missouri River while causing minimal damage.

A June 24, 2024, view of a home destroyed by flooding the previous night at McCook Lake in southeast South Dakota.

From McCook Lake to Memphis

Granted, it was tough to imagine how thoroughly the lake would be overwhelmed, because nobodys ever seen so much water in the Big Sioux.

But thats precisely why Noem and her advisers should have sounded alarms. She said during the Sunday press conference that the river would reach a record level the following afternoon. She knew an unprecedented situation was unfolding.

Shortly after she finished speaking, forecasters were already predicting an earlier and higher river crest. The water was rising so fast, it went up more than a foot during the press conference.

But Noem wasnt watching the river. She slipped away Sunday evening to Tennessee, where she headlined the Shelby County Republican Partys Lincoln Day Gala in a Hilton billed as the tallest hotel in Memphis. Tickets ranged from $200 to $2,750 for the legacy circle table.

Back at McCook Lake that night, all hell broke loose. The Big Sioux surged over Interstate 29 and slammed into houses on the lakes north shore. Local authorities scrambled to alert residents, and rescue teams spent the night and the next morning hauling stunned people to safety.

Noem returned to South Dakota for press conferences Monday and Tuesday, where she described the carnage: We have whole homes that have fallen into the lake. Weve got hundred-foot drop-offs from washouts, weve got live power lines laying across the roads, weve got boats stuck in trees, weve got trees that are half-falling over.

According to her, it was unavoidable.

That mitigation plan wouldve worked in a lesser event, she said, but there was so much water that flowed through there.

Well, yes, just like she knew it would. She said Sunday afternoon that the Big Sioux would crest at an all-time high, and she knew the excess water would be diverted to McCook Lake. Thats why people living around the lake needed the clear and loud warning they didnt receive until it was too late  the kind of warning Noems predecessor, Gov. Dennis Daugaard, provided before a 2014 flood in the same area when he said, I am very concerned for residents near McCook Lake.

As Noem said, theres something to learn from every flood, and the people of McCook Lake learned a painful lesson: Neither hell nor high water will stop Kristi Noem from pursuing her own ambition at the expense of the people she serves.

Seth is editor-in-chief of South Dakota Searchlight. He was previously a supervising senior producer for South Dakota Public Broadcasting and a newspaper journalist in Rapid City and Mitchell. South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, the nations largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Flood washes away Noems false veneer of leadership
A Nebraskan signs petition for a ballot initiative. (Courtesy of Rebecca S. Gratz)

LINCOLN  Nebraska appears poised to follow six states since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade to vote on the future of abortion rights in its state constitution.

It also could be the first state since to give its voters competing abortion proposals on the same ballot: one amendment cementing abortion rights and one limiting the procedure.

The stakes of both amendments reaching the November ballot could be significant. Privately, both have polled well. If both pass, the one with the most votes would get into the constitution.



Protect Our Rights

Abortion-rights petition campaign Protect Our Rights said it turned in 207,000 signatures since its mid-November 2023 launch, the most in state history for any petition effort. They need 123,000 valid signatures from registered voters to reach the fall ballot.

The petitions language would cement the right to an abortion in the state constitution until the point of fetal viability, which is typically between 22-24 weeks gestation.

Critics have said the language leaves too much wiggle room to medical providers to decide limits on care. Supporters say it leaves them room to address fetal anomalies and health risks and values the relationships between women and their doctors.

The groups supporters include Planned Parenthood, ACLU of Nebraska, Nebraska Appleseed Action, I Be Black Girl, Womens Fund of Omaha and University of Nebraska Regent Barbara Weitz.

Ashlei Spivey of Protect Our Rights, the executive director of I Be Black Girl, said the campaign is the only initiative that trusts Nebraskans to make their own decisions without political interference.

Protect Our Rights, abortion-rights campaign, hosts a news conference

Whatever the reason, its nobodys business, Spivey said, adding later, We are super confident in what we did and what we succeeded with.

Jasmine Smith, a mother and doula, said major hospital systems are denying women essential care and making women wait until their situations are dire before providing care.

These decisions belong in the hands of those they directly affect, Smith said.

Emma Poulas, a 25-year-old student studying to become an obstetrician at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said many of her peers are deciding whether to stay in their home state.

Dr. Elizabeth Constance of Omaha said the entire spectrum of care is under threat. She said private health decisions belong between individuals and their doctors.

Protect Women and Children

A competing proposed constitutional amendment backed by abortion opponents, the Protect Women and Children campaign, said it had turned in 205,000 signatures in 97 days.

That proposal would limit how long into a pregnancy abortion is legal, capping it after the first trimester, at no more than 12 to 14 weeks gestational age. It would still let state lawmakers pass stricter bans.

Nebraska currently restricts abortion to 12 weeks gestational age, or about 10 weeks after conception. It tightened its restrictions most recently in 2023.

Critics call the wording of its exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother too vague to use. Supporters say it would maintain protections for the unborn in state law today, including parental notification requirements.

Protect Women and Children released a joint statement from doctors and supporters of its campaign saying voters are excited to have a sensible alternative that reflects Nebraskans commonsense approach to limits on abortion.

The group held signing rallies with U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., part of a coalition that includes the Catholic Conference, Nebraska Right to Life and the Nebraska Family Alliance. The campaign did not hold a news conference Wednesday.

Ricketts thanked petition signers and more than 1,200 volunteers. He said Nebraskans can choose between upholding state law enacted by elected representatives or listening to the abortion lobby.

Nate Grasz of Nebraska Family Alliance issued a statement saying abortion opponents are motivated to stand up to protect women and children from the abortion industrys extreme proposal.

Voters will have a clear choice this election, and the Protect Women and Children initiative reflects our states commitment to provide women real care and support while protecting the lives of precious baby boys and girls, he said.

Nebraska Right to Life Executive Director Sandy Danek said that while her organization supports protecting life from conception, it also supports incremental steps toward that goal.

Choose Life Now

A third abortion-related proposal that got started later, Choose Life Now, sought to grant personhood or the legal status of a child to every embryo or fetus at all stages of development.

Critics say the language could have spurred criminal prosecutions of women who pursue abortions or miscarry. Supporters call the proposal clear about the life needing protection and say there is no need to equivocate.

Choose Life Now ballot sponsor Rose Kohl thanked her volunteers Wednesday. She said they had built a true pro-life movement to grant children in the womb the same rights as those outside.

Our grass roots effort had limited funding and virtually no paid circulators, Kohl said in a statement. We discovered the harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.

Previous states sided with abortion rights

Voters thus far have sided with abortion-rights advocates in every statewide election where the issue has reached a ballot since the Supreme Courts Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health decision in 2022.

Those elections in California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Vermont either adopted proposals protecting abortion rights or rejected proposals for new restrictions or bans.

This year, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, New York and South Dakota already have abortion on the ballot. Arizona, Arkansas, Missouri, Montana and Nebraska could join soon.

In Nebraska, petitions to amend the state constitution require signatures from 10% of the states registered voters. State and county election officials have 40 days to check them, with time allowed to transport signatures for verification.

The post Competing Nebraska abortion petitions turn in signatures seeking fall ballot appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
Biden is out. This is how Democrats should pick his successor to challenge Donald Trump

Update from Mike Kelly: Three weeks ago, after calling on President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race, I suggested a plan for Democrats to nominate a new flag bearer for the party's campaign against Republican Donald Trump. Even though Biden, who dropped out of the race on Sunday, has already endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the party's presidential nomination, along with other prominent Democrats, I still believe that rank-and-rile Democrats should debate this choice and hold an open convention. Here is my column of June 30 that offers a roadmap to do that:

Fifty-five years ago, Mickey Mantle, the star slugger of the New York Yankees, faced a painful question. Today, Joe Biden faces a similar predicament: When is it time to quit?

In 1969, after nearly two decades as a baseball star, Mantle, at 37, could still hit home runs  but not consistently. The magic was gone. As The Mick said when he formally retired on March 1, 1969: I dont hit the ball when I need to.

Joe Biden, at 81, cant hit when he needs to either. Yes, he can still blast a political home run now and then. His State of the Union speech in March is a recent example. But Bidens consistency is uneven. One day, hes presidential  down-to-earth, Scranton Joe. The next, hes mumbling and fumbling like Mister Magoo. The magic is gone.

As America celebrates its independence, Joe Biden needs to take the independent step and drop out.

Biden clearly has more problems than just 'a bad night' at debate

I take no joy in writing this. In 2022 and again last year, I wrote columns urging Biden to run for president and to ignore those who said he was too old. If the Rolling Stones can still strut in their elder years, why cant Joe? Or so I reasoned. But what happened during last weeks debate between Biden and Donald Trump clearly shows that something is now different.

It hardly matters that Biden was fighting a nagging cold during the debate  as his family claims. Nor does it matter, as his family also contends, that someone forgot to apply make-up to Biden and he looked too pale day-old oatmeal compared to Trumps tangerine-ness. And Biden's latest excuse -- that he was tired from traveling overseas -- doesn't make sense.

Bidens decline in the debate was on display for all to see. He shuffle-walked to the podium. His answers ranged from blank stares to mumbled incoherencies, his mouth agape. His voice, seemingly tired and worn, sank to a whisper all too often. And in those rare moments when he seemed energized, his tone was not commanding or authoritative but more akin to a cranky guy telling kids to get off my lawn.

It was a sad night, for sure  and a sad aftermath for a good man as we all try to make sense of this moment in history. As I watched Biden, I wondered whether he had experienced some sort of sudden neurological setback. Days later, America still has not heard a reasonable explanation from Bidens circle, except that he had a bad night.

On that debate stage, Biden suddenly became the elderly grandparent many of us have dealt with  the one who cant take the wheel of the car anymore, the one who needs help with the checkbook, the one who shouldnt be around a gas stove, the one who needs to step back and let others take over.

But the grandparent comparison falls short actually. As president, Biden is different. Do we all need reminding that he is in charge of Americas nuclear codes? Even with only a slight cognitive decline  a bad night  hes a potential security risk.

Democrats need to admit this. This isnt a matter of politics that can be worked out and manipulated and put through the public relations spin cycle in the coming months. This is about Americas moment-by-moment security. Theres no delay switch that we can toggle in a crisis, no timeouts that we can take because someone is having a bad night.

After SCOTUS immunity ruling, GOP must face truths about Trump

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump face off in the first 2024 presidential debate in Atlanta on June 27. (Credit: AFP)

The June debate was painful for another reason, however. And, here, Republicans need to face their own uncomfortable truth about Donald Trump.

We all know the dismal Trumpian legacy. The former president, despite Mondays U.S. Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity and its symbolic get-out-of-jail message, still faces federal charges of illegally trying to overturn an election. For America at large, Democrats and Republicans alike, such a reality is hugely consequential. How can this nation sleepwalk into a presidential election with a candidate whose role in an attempted coup is still unresolved? Trump wants to be president again, but we still don't know whether he broke the law the last time he ran for the White House.

Sadly, the U.S. Supreme Courts majority does not seem to understand common sense. Instead of dealing with the obvious political and legal mess stemming from Trumps alleged role in trying to overturn the 2020 election, the court avoided the issue entirely. Its as if the court, when faced with reports that a house was on fire, did not call the local fire department to deal with the problem at hand. Instead, the court opted instead to first conduct an intellectual analysis of whether this was, in fact, a legitimate fire and how it might be handled.

The point here is that the court faced a classic challenge of leadership. Instead of seeing the challenge for what it was, the court ducked for cover under its own legal camouflage.

But the questions of Trumps alleged machinations in the wake of the 2020 presidential election are not the only problem facing voters that has not been cleared up. Consider Trumps alleged efforts, as a former president charged with protecting the nation, to hide top-secret military plans after security officials demanded he return them? Or Trumps behavior as commander-in-chief in refusing to protect the U.S. Capitol after it was attacked by his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021? The question is complicated even more as Trump continues to falsely blame House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the lack of protection at the Capitol and now promises to pardon hundreds who have been convicted of crimes related to the attack.

Consider, finally, the very real court judgments against Trump. He is a convicted felon who was scheduled to be sentenced next week in New York City after a jury pronounced him guilty of cooking his books to hide a hush-money payment to a porn star who claims to have had sex with him. Thanks to the Supreme Court's ruling, that sentence has been postponed until mid-September. As if this legal jumble isn't complicated enough, Trump also faces fines of nearly half-a-billion dollars after judges in two other cases ruled that he routinely cheated in his businesses and assaulted and defamed a woman.

America was brought face to face with a terrible choice on that debate stage  the con man versus the old man. Neither is acceptable. America does not need another Saturday Night Live skit to tell us how absurd this situation has become.

And yet, what to do?

Republicans, now grooving on the jive talk of Jim Jordan, Steve Bannon and Majorie Taylor Greene, wont face up to the reality of Trump. Anyone in the party who calls out Trump for his behavior meets the same fate as Liz Cheney. Meanwhile, Trump, if we believe what he said on the debate stage, wont even promise to accept the results of this Novembers election.

But Democrats also seem unwilling to face their own dismal reality. If Democrats ride with Biden, they will likely lose. And even if they win, Democrats need to face the fact that they will have elected a president whose cognitive skills are fading all too fast.

Will Biden become another Woodrow Wilson or FDR whose once-bright lights dimmed dramatically in the final days of their presidencies? You dont need a doctorate in history to understand the implications of that question.

More Mike Kelly: Bob Menendez needs to explain himself to NJ voters. He has to testify

How can Democrats move forward with a new nominee?

So heres a plan, drawn from other proposals by historians and an analysis of Democratic party rules:

First, Biden needs to drop out  hopefully by July 14.

Second, Biden needs to step back from the temptation to endorse his vice president, Kamala Harris. He now controls nearly 3,900 of almost 5,000 delegates and alternate delegates to the Democratic nominating convention, scheduled for Aug. 19-22. He can release them. With Independence Day comes freedom.

Third, the Democratic Party, with its nearly 5,000 suddenly uncommitted delegates and alternates, has to act like a political party again and actually stage a nominating convention. What this means is that the party has to quickly solicit potential presidential candidates  say, by requiring each to have signatures of 1,000 delegates to make the initial cut. That's a heavy lift, for sure. But requiring 1,000 delegates' signatures will eliminate the fringe players quickly.

Fourth, on Aug. 1, take a vote of all 5,000 delegates and alternates (electronically) on potential candidates. The aim here is to reduce the field to half-a dozen finalists.

Fifth, during the two weeks leading up to the Democratic convention, hold a series of six debates by the candidates  all of them televised. No cheering sections. No silly gotcha questions. Just a solid back-and-forth on policy. One debate could focus on foreign affairs. Another on the economy. Another on immigration. Another on education. Another on climate change. Another on health care and Social Security. And so on. We might even need more debates.

Sixth, turn the Democrats gathering on Aug. 19-22 in Chicago into a modern-day version of a political party convention, with speeches by candidates and a roll call vote by delegates to pick the presidential and vice presidential ticket. Let Biden give a keynote address. He deserves as much.

Yes, there would be some old-fashioned, back-room political deal making. But so what? In a way, this is how politics works, from small towns to Congress. Its about people talking to people and compromising to find common ground.

Is this a rushed process? Absolutely. Is it imperfect? Of course. But if Democrats can keep it transparent  and, thats a big question  it just might be the best plan in this uniquely desperate moment of history.

When the convention ends, the real presidential campaign begins  sometime around Labor Day. Just like the old days.

Who knows, Democrats might actually stage a real campaign.

They might even win.

Mike Kelly is an award-winning columnist for NorthJersey.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, as well as the author of three critically acclaimed nonfiction books and a podcast and documentary film producer. To get unlimited access to his insightful thoughts on how we live life in the Northeast, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: kellym@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Biden is out. How Democrats should pick his successor
The Oasis Valley speckled dace. (Photo: Bureau of Land Management)

A conservation group is seeking federal protections for a rare Nevada fish whose habitat is confined to a few groundwater-fed springs in the driest state in the union.

On Tuesday, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a legal petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeking protection under the Endangered Species Act for the Oasis Valley speckled dace, a rare endemic fish found in about a dozen isolated springs in Southern Nevadas Oasis Valley near Beatty.

The Oasis Valley speckled dace relies on springs fed by the shallow groundwater system that supplies the Amargosa River with freshwater year round. Those springs are experiencing reduced stream flows and inadequate aquifer recharge due to climate changes in precipitation, snow, and runoff in the Mojave Desert region.

Nevadas Department of Wildlife lists the Oasis Valley speckled dace as a species of greatest conservation need. The Nevada Division of Natural Heritage also lists the fish as critically imperiled. Those designations, however, offer very limited protections for the species.

Conservationists warned federal wildlife managers that the rare fish faces a host of threats, including invasive species, cattle grazing, climate change, and groundwater pumping for solar energy development and gold mining operations surrounding the Oasis Valley.

In recent years, the rare fish has benefited from habitat restoration in Oasis Valley and seen population improvements, according to the Nevada Department of Wildlife. However, conservationists fear that progress could be undone by a slew of proposed gold mining projects in the valley.

The legal petition filed by the Center lists the North Bullfrog Mine in Nye County, proposed by Corvus Gold Nevada, as the most pressing threat to the Oasis Valley speckled dace. Once fully developed, the mine would withdraw up to 2,500 acre-feet of water from Oasis Valley annually, and span about 6,300 acres of land.

The Amargosa River is in the crosshairs of the international gold-mining industry, and the Oasis Valley speckled dace could be its first casualty, said Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the Center. If we dont take immediate action, we could lose this biologically important little fish and the precious, rare desert springs it needs for survival.

Groundwater drawdown could reach even more troubling levels if the six additional gold mines proposed in the Oasis Valley are approved by federal land managers, according to the petition.

A hydrologic analysis prepared for the Amargosa Conservancy by Roux, an environmental consulting firm, found that the combined impact of multiple mining projects in Oasis Valley would likely deplete springs and groundwater dependent ecosystems, degrading or eliminating Oasis Valley speckled dace habitat.

Thousands of years of isolation in secluded springs have created unique and genetically distinct subspecies of the desert speckled dace, including the federally protected endangered Ash Meadows speckled dace, a close relative of the Oasis Valley speckled dace.

Water is life in the desert, and were lucky to have a lot of it here in the Amargosa River Basin. Thats part of what has made this one of the most biodiverse regions in the country, said Donnelly.

The Oasis Valley speckled dace itself is one of four distinct populations of the Amargosa speckled dace, and was first identified as a distinct population by the U.C. Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. However, the Oasis Valley speckled dace population remains unprotected, partially due to historic uncertainties about their taxonomic status, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

In the petition, the Center said they also plan to submit separate petitions for two other distinct populations of the Amargosa speckled dace: the Amargosa River speckled dace and the Owens speckled dace.
Conservative Heritage leader: Second American Revolution will be bloodless if the left allows it to be

Conservative Heritage leader: Second American Revolution will be bloodless if the left allows it to be

The leader of conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation argued the Supreme Courts ruling on presidential immunity will reinforce a second American Revolution, which he said would remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts told Steve Bannons War Room podcast how the Supreme Court ruling on immunity  which largely shields former presidents from criminal prosecutions for actions in office  should encourage conservatives.

In spite of all this nonsense from the left, we are going to win. Were in the process of taking this country back. No one in the audience should be despairing, Roberts said, adding, And in spite of all of the injustice, which, of course, friends and audience of this show, of our friend Steve know, we are going to prevail.

We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be, he added later.

Calling the Supreme Court ruling vital, Roberts pointed to Alexander Hamiltons 1877 essay Federalist No. 70, in which he argued for a strong executive leader.

You know, former congressman, the importance of Congress doing its job, but we also know the importance of the executive being able to do his job, Roberts told former Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.), who hosted the podcast episode, with Bannon having reported to prison this week. And can you imagine, Dave Brat, any president  put politics off to the side  any president having to second-guess, triple-guess every decision theyre making in their official capacity, you couldnt have the republic that you just described.

Roberts Heritage Foundation is the moving force behind Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for a possible Trump reelection in November. The nearly 1,000-page handbook is aimed at advancing right-wing policies and expanding the powers of the presidency.

Authors describe Project 2025 as a guide of what the next president needs to do to undo the damage to America they argue is caused by liberal politicians. Critics of Project 2025 call it authoritarian and un-American.

Roberts later expanded upon his argument, stating the second American Revolution is to take power back from the elites and despotic bureaucrats.

These patriots are committed to peaceful revolution at the ballot box. Unfortunately, its the Left that has a long history of violence, so its up to them to allow a peaceful transfer of power, Roberts wrote in a statement to The Hill, pointing to alleged weaponization of government agencies and what he described as violent riots in 2020.

The Supreme Court handed down the 6-3 decision Monday, ruling along ideological lines that presidents have absolute immunity for actions that fall within the core responsibilities of the office and are at least presumptively immune for all other official acts.

The decision was applauded by Republicans as a win for Trump, who is staring down a federal criminal election subversion case brought by special counsel Jack Smith. The decision is likely to delay the trial, first sending the case back to a lower court to decide if Trumps actions surrounding Jan. 6, 2021, are protected from criminal prosecution for decisions made while in the White House.

Several Democrats, meanwhile, lambasted the decision, arguing it will embolden future presidents to break the law with impunity. The Democrats have long argued that, under the Constitution, no one  not even the president  is above the law.

By ruling that Trump is protected from prosecution for certain actions, the Supreme Court violated the intentions of the nations founders, the Democratic critics said this week.

Updated at 2:44 p.m. EDT

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
On Dec. 21, 2023, Gov. Janet Mills took a tour of the damage caused by the flooding of the Kennebec River in Skowhegan after a devastating wind and rain storm. (via Office of Gov. Janet Mills)

A conservative online news organization sued Gov. Janet Mills for not fulfilling a Freedom of Access Act request to see her schedule during a storm in December that caused statewide damage.

After strong winds and flooding hit Maine on Dec. 18, Mills declared a state of civil emergency on Dec. 19 in 14 counties. After that statement, Steve Robinson, editor-in-chief of The Maine Wire, part of the conservative Maine Policy Institute, requested a copy of Mills schedule for Dec. 17-19 to inform his reporting on the governors whereabouts during the storm, per the lawsuit filed Monday in the Kennebec County Superior Court.

Robinson submitted his request to Mills office on Dec. 19 and received a response from Tim Feeley, deputy legal counsel from Mills office, on Dec. 27 saying that the information would take two staff hours to compile and could be provided in two to three weeks, the lawsuit reads. Robinson followed up after not receiving further information after six months and had not received the records he requested as of Monday, according to the filing.

A tool regularly used by journalists, the Freedom of Access Act in Maine allows citizens to access public records from state and local agencies.

Per state statute, agencies must acknowledge receipt of a records request within five working days. They also must provide an estimate of how long it will take to fulfill the request and then produce the documents within a reasonable period of time.

As of the filing of this action, it has been 195 days since Robinsons request, the lawsuit reads. The governor has not produced a single responsive public record.

The lawsuit seeks copies of the documents Robinson requested, as well as the cost of attorneys fees for the lawsuit.

Robinson is represented by Patrick Strawbridge from Consovoy McCarthy PLLC out of Boston.
Conservatives may pull all of the stops to stop Democrats if the party tries to replace Joe Biden on the November election ticket, according to a memo from a top right-wing think tank.



The Heritage Foundations Oversight Project began researching the laws for replacing a president in several battleground states about four months ago, putting together a report in April and releasing it before Thursdays debate disaster, according to NOTUS.

If the Biden family decides that President Biden will not run for re-election, the mechanisms for replacing him on ballots vary by state, the memo states. There is the potential for pre-election litigation in some states that would make the process difficult and perhaps unsuccessful.

When NOTUS reached out to the Oversight Project, its executive director, Mike Howell, didnt mince words, saying that they believe replacing Biden would be extraordinarily difficult, and that we would make it extraordinarily difficult.

Weve zeroed in on a few states that we think are the best case, Howell said, refusing to elaborate on which ones. It all depends on when and how they do it. And then what state that were looking at now that matches up to be the right one, going in there and working with the right people.

With calls to replace Biden growing within the Democratic Party, and leading members openly discussing the prospect, the fact that the Heritage Foundation, arguably the GOPs ideological engine, has already been preparing to thwart any such plans is worrying. According to the memo, the key states of Wisconsin, Nevada, and Georgia are where legal action to keep Biden on the ballot could pay off.



Democrats might be able to derail such efforts if Biden is replaced quickly, as he still doesnt officially have the partys nomination for president. While this would normally be determined at Augusts Democratic National Convention, the party was planning to select Biden in a virtual roll call before then to avoid the prospect of certain states with timing laws excluding him from their ballots.

The Trump campaign would back the Heritage Foundations efforts to fight a Biden replacement, as they see Biden as a weaker opponent now.



We definitely want the dementia patient, a source close to Trump told NOTUS. They made their bed; they get to sleep in it. But we also love the chaos of their public decision-making process.

Recent polls show Biden was hurt by the debate, and he is running behind Trump across the country in several key states, and even in states previously thought safe. If Democrats think that Biden needs to be replaced, they need to decide quickly, and at the very least, they need to call upon their legal soldiers to make sure their decision holds up.


SARAJEVO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- An agreement aimed at enhancing academic collaboration between the University of Banja Luka and Tianjin University of Technology and Education was signed on Saturday in Republic of Srpska, one of the entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

Zeljko Budimir, minister of science and technology development and higher education of Republic of Srpska, emphasized that China remains a strategic partner in various sectors, underscoring the significance of advancing educational ties. He expressed optimism that the agreement will foster fruitful exchanges of students and academic staff between the two institutions.

"With the establishment of the Confucius Institute and the Center for Innovation Projects of Engineering Practice, this agreement signifies a profound cooperation in higher education that extends beyond universities to secondary and primary schools," Budimir noted.

Radoslav Gajanin, rector of the University of Banja Luka, reflected on the longstanding relationship between the two universities, which began with the creation of the Confucius Institute in 2018. He highlighted that the partnership facilitated greater understanding of Chinese language, culture, and economic developments.

Luo Xiaoru, director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Banja Luka, described the institution as a pivotal platform for fostering bilateral academic exchanges. "In the past six years, we have witnessed substantial growth in the Confucius Institute, with increasing numbers of students eager to learn Chinese language and culture. This new agreement will further deepen our collaboration," Luo said.

Editor: WXL
Construction underway at Cabarrus County intersection nearly six years after teens death

Construction underway at Cabarrus County intersection nearly six years after teens death

CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  It has been almost six years to the day since Brian Manring lost his life along Old Salisbury-Concord Road in Cabarrus County, and construction is underway to prevent future tragedies.

In December, NCDOT announced that it would pump $1.1 million into the development of a roundabout at the intersection of Old Salisbury-Concord and Irish Potato Road.

Family fights for stoplight after son is killed in crash

The roundabout would force vehicles to slow down and eliminate the blind spots, which have proven deadly in the past.

In July 2018, Brian Manring died when he pulled out in front of an 18-wheeler from Irish Potato onto Old Salisbury-Concord.

Shortly after his death, Brians family started a petition to fight for a stop light to be added to the intersection.

I just want everybody to know that my son was a wonderful child. He didnt deserve this. Im hoping that my fight prevents some other tragedy, said Robert Manring.

NCDOT informed Queen City News that it reported 28 crashes between 2013 and 2018, of which 10 appeared to be the results of vehicles pulling out in front of other vehicles.

Cabarrus County intersection with deadly history to be converted into roundabout

In December 2023, NCDOT announced it would spend money to add a roundabout to the area.

Zachary Garner, with NCDOT, explained that to go from a traffic signal at an intersection to a roundabout . . . youre conflict points go from 32 to where a roundabout has about 8.

This means fewer chances of accidents.

On June 3rd, NCDOT announced it had shut down the intersection to begin the process of installing a roundabout.

The project will be wrapped up in the later part of July or early part of August.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Of the nearly two dozen hopefuls who applied for the vacant District 4 seat on the Tacoma City Council, one person missed the deadline. On Tuesday, local leaders suspended the rules to include the lone latecomer as a finalist.

The exceptions name? Rick Talbert, former member of the Tacoma City and Pierce County councils.

The District 4 seat was held by Council member Catherine Ushka from 2017 until her death on May 15. Twenty-three applicants hoped to fill her seat, including Talbert and two folks who live outside the district.

At Tuesdays meeting, City Council members nominated finalists for the position. They were divided on whether to include Talbert on the list of contenders.

Deputy Mayor John Hines thought that the former council member should be in the running. He explained that Talbert intended to file before applications closed but had encountered technical difficulties.

I think considering his length of service to the District 4, eight years serving on the council in that position plus eight more years on the County Council in that role, I think its more than  Im more than willing to consider his application at this time, Hines said.

Council member Olgy Diaz saw it differently.

She told her colleagues that in years past, she had thrice applied to be appointed to council. In each case, Diaz said, she did so on time.

Diaz acknowledged Talberts record of service but said including him would be disrespectful to the other applicants.

If one person cant figure it out, I dont know that theyre prepared to be on this council, she said. There should have been more preparation there.

Reached by phone Wednesday, Talbert told The News Tribune that he had issues getting the application form to load. He said he contacted the City Clerks Office on the morning it was due, but by the time he was able to submit, it was past the noon deadline.

According to the rules of procedure, if there are more than 10 contenders, council members are supposed to nominate a number of applicants equal to 20 percent of the total applicant pool, rounded up. In this case, it would have meant four finalists, the city clerk explained Tuesday.

Mayor Victoria Woodards asked council members to name their top five picks, ostensibly to make room for Talbert. The rules were officially suspended to allow that to happen.

Talbert received five votes: Woodards, Hines and Council members Sarah Rumbaugh, Kristina Walker and Joe Bushnell. Those five also voted in favor of pausing the rules to allow for consideration of a late submission.

Three leaders voted against bending that rule and did not include Talbert in their top five: Diaz and Council members Kiara Daniels and Jamika Scott.

When two applicants tied for the fifth slot, Woodards gave her colleagues a choice: Bump the number of finalists to six or keep it at four. Either way, with five votes, Talbert would have been in the running.

Daniels bristled at the idea of turning away the tied applicants, who had each received four votes.

I think that if I were the two that were one vote away, and there was somebody that applied late that got in and I didnt for the last spot of the two, I would be upset with that, she said.

The six finalists for District 4 are:

Jasmine Brown Silong Chhun Justin Everman Sandesh Sadalge Stephen Wamback Rick Talbert

Talbert said he heard from former constituents who wanted him to apply. He added that he had a conversation with the mayor, and that she encouraged him, too.

After speaking with his family and others in the community, Talbert decided to vie for the role: I have no interest in running for the position when the term is up; I just ... thought it would be a good fit for the skill set that I have.

Scott named District 4 applicant Sean Arent as one of her finalists. Arent told The News Tribune at Tuesdays council meeting that the way he saw it, massaging the rules to include Talbert was unfair: They put their thumb on the scale.

Arent said that he was confused by the application process, too. He had to call the city a couple of times for guidance.

Asked Wednesday morning whether he believes that council would have suspended the rules if he had missed the deadline, Arent replied: Im certain that they wouldnt have.

Their reasoning was that Rick Talberts nearly [two] decades of service should grant him an exception, Arent continued in a text message to The News Tribune. On the flip side, youd think that someone who has been in office for 16 years could figure out how to submit an application on time.

Talbert believes that council should make its choice based on who is best suited for the role.

Its, I guess, understandable from somebody who didnt get selected to go forward to question it, but I again think that theres evidence, if you will, that I was having difficulty, and I had reached out, he said. So, I dont think that that should disqualify anyone.

During the July 9 City Council meeting, each of the six finalists will appear before city leaders for 15-minute interviews. A selection is expected to be made the following week, and that person will likely report to meetings starting July 23, per the citys timeline.

The new City Council members term expires Dec. 31, 2025.

Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect Rick Talberts comments.
A heat wave pummeled New York state and much of the East Coast and Midwest in late June, breaking daily records in several cities. (Getty Images)

NEW YORK  As temperatures soared into the 90s, the heat and humidity hit the concrete in Astoria, Queens, and bounced into the air. People moved along the scorched sidewalk slowly, their clothes drenched with sweat.

Elianne Alvarado, 44, who was raised in New York City and has lived here for most of her life, ascended the steps to the elevated Astoria Boulevard subway station, fanning herself with a sheet of paper. She was looking forward to escaping the heat in an air-conditioned train.

I dont ever remember it being this hot, Alvarado told Stateline. I remember other summers being nice, not that hot. But this week has been crazy.

The heat wave that pummeled New York state and much of the East Coast and Midwest in June broke daily records in several cities. On June 19, Boston (98 degrees); Hartford, Connecticut (97); and Providence, Rhode Island (91), all set new highs for that date. In New York City, temperatures reached the low 90s  not a record, but plenty hot enough to cause misery, especially with humidity and the radiant heat from concrete and asphalt.

The Northeast is not the hottest part of the country, but several states in the region are among those where average temperatures have increased the most over the past two decades. In recent years, climate change has forced states such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York to take extreme heat more seriously. In preparing for a hotter future, some of them are copying the policies of states that are used to sizzling temperatures, such as Arizona, Florida and Louisiana.

Public health officials in Connecticut and New York, for example, are partnering with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure that their most vulnerable residents  older and lower-income people  are better prepared for extreme heat and other aspects of climate change. And in April, New Jersey published a draft Extreme Heat Resilience Action Plan, recognizing that, while the state remains committed to reducing emissions, New Jersey is past the point of avoiding all climate change impacts and needs to enact measures to adapt.

New Jersey is a northern state, and it is not necessarily the folks that are hardest hit by this phenomenon of extreme heat compared to, for example, the desert Southwest, said Nathaly Agosto Filion, deputy chief climate resilience officer for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

But for that reason, much of our built environment is maybe not as well designed to withstand the impacts, and much of our population sort of undervalues the extent to which it is a problem for our communities.

New Jerseys draft plan includes 133 action items, but the first priority is helping New Jerseyans cope with the heat. The state aims to do that by beefing up emergency preparedness and response; providing public cooling centers; planting more trees; and adopting workplace safety rules, among many other steps. It also plans a public information campaign to make people  especially vulnerable populations such as older and homeless people  aware of the risks of extreme heat.

Were also talking about outdoor workers, were also talking about athletes, were also talking about folks that are pregnant or breastfeeding  these are all subpopulations that are really important to engage, Agosto Filion said.

Hot box apartments

Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States  and those deaths are increasing as average temperatures rise, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Approximately 2,302 people died from heat-related causes last year, up from 1,722 in 2022 and 1,602 in 2021.

Those totals are likely an underestimate, because heat waves make death more likely from other causes as well. A New York City analysis in 2022, for example, found an annual average of 360 heat-exacerbated deaths in the city compared with 10 caused directly by heat.

On 31st Street in Astoria, Hassan Johnson was standing outside a bank with a water bottle and a towel, which he used to wipe the multiplying beads of sweat on his forehead. The 48-year-old truck driver blasts his three air conditioners when hes at home, but the one in his truck is broken and its hot as hell as he makes deliveries. Driving in such conditions can be dangerous: In July 2022, paramedics had to cover a New York UPS driver in ice packs and take him to the hospital after he nearly collapsed at the end of his Long Island route.

Not far away, Meg Johansson was braving treeless Broadway to get an iced coffee.

Its a bad one, said Johansson, 38, who has lived in the city for 15 years. There have been a few summers where I remember really hot days, but I dont remember one this early that was so prolonged. So its just been like torture trying to leave the house.

Back at the Astoria Boulevard subway station, Alvarado said she was coping by staying hydrated, walking in the shade and taking cold showers. Shes fortunate to have air conditioning in her home, but she said shes nervous about what the future will bring.

You feel like youre burning, she said. Its like we are in a walking sauna.

Ladd Keith, an associate professor of planning at the University of Arizona who focuses on climate change, said cities and states should have different plans to cope with extreme heat, because housing and development differ so dramatically among communities.

One challenge, Keith explained, is that many homes were designed for climates that have changed dramatically. Many hot box apartments in New York dont have air conditioning because decades ago it was rarely needed. In the Pacific Northwest, many homes have large windows to let in light, but they let in too much heat during the now-warmer summers. Homes designed to rely on air conditioning, like those in Arizona, quickly become miserable if the power goes out.

Keith said that for the most part, the rising temperatures havent been enough to convince most Americans that heat is a serious threat  yet.

Even though the awareness is growing, we really havent had this watershed moment, or what I call a heatshed moment, where weve said, We really need to take this seriously as a climate risk, Keith told Stateline.

Southern experience

But public officials in some states are focused on the threat.

The New York State Department of Health is one of 13 recipients, mostly state and local agencies across the country, of a CDC climate resilience grant. Neil Muscatiello, who heads the departments bureau of environmental health, said the goal is to identify how we think climate change is going to be impacting New Yorkers, particularly vulnerable populations, and then work on adaptations or interventions to help reduce those risks.

The agency, noting that people can fall ill at lower temperatures, recently changed New Yorks heat alert threshold from 100 degrees to 95 degrees. Last week, it was tracking emergency room visits and coordinating with other state and local agencies on getting vulnerable people to cooling centers.

Muscatiello said the department is also learning from other jurisdictions that have dealt with heat for years.

It is a really collaborative process, not only with CDC, but also with other state partners. Were always interested to hear what theyre doing.

Southern cities and states have long integrated heat resilience into their public health programs and have lessons to share.

In 2021, Miami-Dade County, Florida, became the first jurisdiction in the world with a chief heat officer. Since then, Phoenix and other cities have followed suit.

One policy change Jane Gilbert, Miami-Dades heat officer, made was to lower the thresholds for heat advisories and warnings. The county now issues advisories when the heat index  what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature  reaches 105 degrees, down from the previous 108 degrees. The new standard for a heat warning is a heat index of 110 degrees, down from 113 degrees. She made the changes because heat-related illness can happen at the lower temperatures.

Gilbert also created an outreach strategy to help homeless people cope with extreme heat, including placing cooling centers in areas where there are many people living on the streets.

We are doing a lot of great services to people who are unsheltered. That doesnt mean we dont miss people. We are doing a lot of messaging to employers with employees doing work, but that doesnt mean we wont miss people, Gilbert said. We know there are gaps. There is definitely more work to be done. Thats what we are focused on.

Like Florida, Louisiana has long experience with extreme heat. But the states public health response still has to evolve with the warming planet, said Michelle Lackovic, who is the project lead for Louisianas Occupational Heat-Related Illness Prevention Program at the Louisiana Department of Health. Last year, she said, the state had more heat-related emergency department visits and fatalities than ever before.

Last summer the Louisiana Department of Health created a public, online dashboard for heat-related illness and daily counts of emergency room visits that it updates weekly during the hot months. The data is also broken down by sex, age, race and geography, so that the public can be aware of who may be most susceptible to the rising temperatures.

The state experienced over three weeks of temperatures above 95 degrees last year, Sundee Winder, an executive director at the health department, told Stateline.

Drought, wildfires, saltwater intrusion, all of those things were a result of that extensive heat last year that was unprecedented for our state, Winder told Stateline. So, we continue to improve our dashboard, make it more user-friendly, and share the times of day that we see [people should] avoid.

Stateline, like Oregon Capital Chronicle, 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.
Find a cooling station near you to beat the heat during the scorching holiday weekend

A sign directs people to an "augmented" cooling center at the Mid-Valley Senior Citizen Center in Panorama City on Wednesday. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

Four "augmented" cooling centers are opening in Los Angeles to help people escape what is expected to be an excessively hot Fourth of July weekend.

Libraries, recreation centers and other facilities make up L.A. County's network of more than 150 cooling centers. Many of them are expected to draw even more visitors than usual this weekend as a heat wave simmers over California until Tuesday.

The city of Los Angeles will operate four additional centers with extended hours over the next six days for people who need relief from the heat.

The additional locations will help make up for the closing July 4 and Sunday of some libraries and public buildings, said Joseph Riser, spokesperson for the city's Emergency Management Department.

City officials are urging people to take advantage of the cooling centers as a heat wave is set to bear down over much of California, raising concerns about wildfires and health risks.

Death Valley could record temperatures as high as 129 degrees. The National Weather Service warned that the heat wave in the Bay Area could create "an exceptionally dangerous situation,'' and warned that some parts of Southern California could face "dangerously hot conditions."

Read more: How to keep cool when the power has been shut off

In Southern California, the hottest temperatures are expected to hit Thursday through Saturday, with deserts and mountains reaching 110 degrees. Valleys could see temperatures of about 98 degrees, and coastal plains between 80 to 94 degrees.

In Ventura County, the Ventura County Sheriff's Emergency Services office issued an alert urging people to stay hydrated, limit outdoor activity during the hottest times of the day, and to check on elderly neighbors.

To stay cool, the county suggested residents visit public buildings, shopping malls, movie theaters and state and county libraries.

The city of Thousand Oaks also offers five locations as possible cooling centers, including the Thousand Oaks Alex Fiore Teen Center, 1375 E. Janss Road, and the Thousand Oaks Goebel Adult Community Center, 1385 E. Janss Road.

In Orange County, a list of cooling centers, including hours and services, are offered online in the county's website.

Read more: Summer heat is coming to California  how hot will it be where you are?

Los Angeles city and county officials are trying to get the word out that locals can beat the heat by visiting cooling centers, as well as splash pads and other free, public locations.

Many people try to withstand the heat the first day, but are looking for a way to cool down by Day 2, Riser said.

"It really has to do with how hot it gets, and for how long," he said. "A lot of people try to stick it out on the first day, and then they realize, 'I can't put up with this.'"

The four augmented cooling locations will be open Wednesday through Monday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at:





Lake View Terrace Recreation Center, 11075 Foothill Blvd., Lake View Terrace

Mid-Valley Senior Citizen Center, 8825 Kester Ave., Panorama City

Fred Roberts Recreation Center, 4700 S. Honduras St., Los Angeles

Jim Gilliam Recreation Center, 400 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles

A full list of the county's cooling centers is available online, with hours of operation and services offered.

Although only service animals are allowed in public libraries, pets are allowed at the city's recreational and park facilities.

The city has a list of summer pools and splash pads that are available as well.

The cooling centers can offer some critical relief, even for a short period, Riser said.

"In some places for people it's just a place to rest," he said.

If the heat persists, officials will consider extending the operation of the augmented locations, Riser said.

Read more: COVID cases keep rising in L.A. County due to FLiRT; Mayor Karen Bass tests positive

The county's public health department also urged residents Tuesday to take precautions against heat-related illness during the coming days, in particular young children and older adults.

It urged residents who do not have access to air conditioning to take advantage of the cooling centers.

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. Roy Cooper (File Photo)

Gov. Roy Cooper on Wednesday vetoed a pair of bills that would have allowed certain off-road vehicles on North Carolina highways and curbed local governments involvement in rental disputes.

Cooper signed four other bills into law, including an agriculture bill that contains tax credits for conservation efforts and new regulations on vaping products.

House Bill 155, one of those vetoed by Cooper, would have allowed modified utility vehicles to drive on more roads, including four-lane highways. It received wide support in both the House (92-12) and Senate (46-3).

These vehicles lack many of the safety features found in traditional vehicles which creates an increased risk of serious injury or death for people on our highways, Cooper said in a statement explaining the veto.

The other piece of legislation vetoed, House Bill 556, sought to define the role of local governments in policing disputes between tenants and landlords.

In a statement, Cooper said the bill created legal ambiguity on eviction orders. And he argued it would make it harder for low-income families, the elderly and people with disabilities to find affordable rental housing by barring local governments from protecting against rent discrimination.

Among those bills signed into law was House Bill 900, which requires the states Department of Revenue to create a directory of certified vapor products and consumable products eligible for sale.

Retailers that sell products not listed in the directory will face a mandatory inspection, followed by fines and license suspensions.

And Cooper touted his signing of Senate Bill 355  the North Carolina Farm Act  which includes tax credits for property donated for conservation of forestland, farmland, fish and wildlife, among other uses.

The conservation tax credit I proposed in my budget and passed into law with this bill will help us reach the goal I set of permanently conserving one million new acres of natural lands by 2040, Cooper said in a statement.

Protecting forests, wetlands, and farmlands makes us more resilient to climate hazards, reduces carbon in our atmosphere, promotes military readiness, and supports local economies.

Cooper also signed into law:

Senate Bill 319, which among other provisions makes permanent the firefighters cancer insurance program, and makes changes firefighters pension payments.

House Bill 199, which makes a series of changes to drivers licenses and DMVs, including allowing drivers to receive digital mobile drivers licenses.

The post Cooper vetoes two bills, signs vape regulations & conservation tax credit appeared first on NC Newsline.
Target's Pride Month displays like this one have led to controversy for the retail chain. (NC Newsline file photo)

Throughout Pride Month, it has become increasingly common for corporations to adorn their websites in rainbow flags, espouse their support for LGBTQ+ rights and try to win over a community that has historically been stereotyped as having a disposable income. But some of those companies still steer big money to groups and politicians who oppose LGBTQ+ rights.

Chief Economist at the Koppa LGBTI+ Economic Power Lab, Lee Badgett, said that the idea that LGBTQ communities have more money to spend is a misrepresentation of the community as a whole.

Theres long been an incorrect stereotype about LGBTQ people that they are well off, lots of income, no real financial problems, Badgett said. We know that gay and bisexual men and bisexual women in particular tend to have lower earnings than their heterosexual counterparts. Same for transgender and cisgender people, transgender people are earning less.

Lack of clarity on how politicians and corporations are spending can create a false narrative that a specific corporation or political figure solely aligns with LGBTQ rights, when they may also give to anti-LGBTQ groups. OpenSecrets has found that even corporations that publicly condemn anti-LGBTQ legislation regularly steer tens of thousands of dollars in political contributions to legislators who advanced those bills.

Melissa Michelson, professor of Political Science at Menlo College, calls this behavior during Pride month a type of rainbow washing.

Politicians engage in rainbow washing for the same reason that corporations do because they want consumers, slash voters, slash potential donors to think well of them. And maybe that means you will donate money to them, or maybe you will consider voting for that, Michelson told OpenSecrets. Either way thats the currency of politics, whether its a financial donation or a vote, thats what every candidate needs.

Fairweather support

Large donors to Pride events in June have done everything from changing their logos to making posts on social media, but some of their political giving tells a different story.

Delta Air Lines sponsored multiple Pride events in California, New York and Washington D.C.

The airlines PAC donated more than $300,000 to Republican candidates, including $8,500 to Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and $5,000 to Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.)  both of whom have supported anti-LGBTQ legislation according to GLAAD. Blackburn has been a vocal opponent of gender-affirming care for transgender youth, and Scalise who has a long history of introducing and supporting anti-LGBTQ bills. All Republican Senators who received funds from the PAC received less than 20 from the Human Rights Campaign Congressional scorecard. Many did not reach the double digits.

The airline donated another $45,000 to GOPAC and $10,000 to the dark money group Alliance for American Exceptionalism, both of which work to elect conservatives with records of voting against LGBTQ+ rights at the state and federal level. Mark Green who compared LGBTQ Americans to ISIS, received $5,000 from GOPAC, filings show. GOPAC also gave $5,000 to Michigan State Sen. Tom Barrett whose campaign sent out anti-trans text messages.

Another big sponsor for Pride events across the country is MasterCard, whose PAC also steered more than $100,000 to Republican candidates in 2024, including $10,000 to Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) and $4,000 to Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Both politicians have openly opposed bills that would protect the rights of LGBTQ individuals, including a vote in 2022 against the Respect for Marriage Act. Republicans who received funds from Mastercard did not pass 60 on the HRC scorecard while Democrats did not score below 90.

Rep. Patrick McHenry

Defense contractor Booz Allen Hamiltons corporate PAC contributed almost equally to Republicans and Democrats in 2024, giving more than $100,000 to Republican Candidates and $87,000 to Democrats. Some recipients from the defense contractors PAC include $4,000 each to Reps. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) and $5,000 to Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.). Calvert has a long history of opposing LGBTQ rights but his views shifted to ostensibly support marriage equality after his district was redrawn to include Palm Springs, a city that has the largest LGBTQ population per capita in the U.S. But in 2023, Calvert voted for the Parents Bill of Rights Act, legislation that would force schools to out transgender students.

Gallagher backed two amendments that would remove protections for transgender people experiencing homelessness in 2019. He also voted against the Equality Act in 2021 which would have explicitly protected LGBTQ people through federal civil rights law. The?Booz Allen PAC?makes contributions on a bipartisan basis to U.S. federal congressional candidates, a spokesperson from Booz Allen said in a statement to OpenSecrets. The PAC continues to evaluate and execute a giving strategy aligned with our diverse global business, our corporate values, and our interests as a large employer.

Delta and MasterCard did not respond to requests for comment.

While some companies sponsoring Pride events have made contributions to groups and politicians with records of opposing LGBTQ rights, it is noteworthy that the organizations publicly support Pride because that is not something that historically happened, Michelson told OpenSecrets.

I don't remember 10 years ago that you'd walk into Target and there were rainbows everywhere, Michelson said. In the same way that corporations are responding to this new kind of national focus on LGBTQ rights I would imagine that that's paralleled in the political arena.

That support, however, isnt without its own issues. Earlier this year the national brand Target announced that it would be limiting its pride section after conservative pushback on pride-themed items and bathing suits for transgender people.

Despite the pullback on pride merchandise, Target has still been a corporate sponsor for a number of pride events around the country. How much theyve donated in those sponsorships is unclear.

It has become common for various groups like airlines, big banks, and defense contractors to sponsor stages or portions of Pride events, which have historically worked to offset the cost of hosting the events.

Every June, every corporation, every politician, everybody wants to say, I'm supportive of LGBTQ rights, I'm an ally of the community, Michelson said. Maybe you never hear anything from them about issues facing the community the rest of the year, but suddenly in June, they're very concerned and very supportive.

Open Secrets logo

This story was produced in partnership with OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that tracks money in politics.

Click here to read the story in its original form.

The post Corporate sponsors of Pride events also contribute to politicians with anti-LGBTQ leanings appeared first on NC Newsline.
LANSING  The union representing Michigan corrections officers is calling on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to mobilize the National Guard to help staff Michigan prisons they say are chronically understaffed and unsafe.

"I am formally requesting that you activate the Michigan National Guard to provide immediate custody support to prisons in dire need of it while we work directly with you to find realistic, permanent relief measures," Michigan Corrections Organization President Byron Osborn said in a Wednesday letter to Whitmer.

Byron Osborn

"Under your watch, state corrections officers continue to suffer unlike any other state employees ever have in the history of Michigan," Osborn said. "They are still being forced to work exhausting, demoralizing numbers of mandatory 16-hour overtime shifts per week. They are not being allowed to have a normal, healthy life with their families. None of your other state employees are being subjected to these conditions."

A Whitmer spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the department put out a statement that said it has taken a series of steps to address the staffing shortage and "the solution is not a temporary measure such as bringing in National Guard members who have not been trained to operate in this environment."

Osborn, who has complained about understaffing and excess forced overtime for years, said half the state prisons have officer vacancy rates of 20% or higher, and five are operating at officer vacancy rates above 30%.

The final $2.1 billion Corrections Department budget for 2025, approved by the Legislature early Thursday morning, did not include language directing the MDOC to spend $12 million in unspent funds from the prior budget to pay for $1,500 signing bonuses and retention bonuses for corrections officers, as was recommended in the earlier version of the budget approved by the state House. The state used federal money to pay for $12 million in signing and retention bonuses this fiscal year. Also deleted from the final budget, though it was included earlier in both the House and Senate versions, was $16.5 million to allow certain corrections officers to join the state police hybrid pension plan  a move Osborn said would have significantly helped officer retention.

Now, "people are resigning in droves," Osborn told the Free Press on Wednesday.

"It's just a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt or killed."

Members of the Michigan National Guard helped give vaccinations inside the prisons near the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but have never been called on to assist with regular prison staffing, even during or after the 1981 rioting at prisons in Jackson, Ionia, and Marquette that injured about 100 prisoners and officers and destroyed or damaged about 30 prison buildings.

If approved to work in the prisons, members of the National Guard would not carry their rifles or other guns, Osborn said. Michigan corrections officers are not normally armed, though they have access to weapons, when needed.

Michigan houses about 33,000 prisoners in 26 state prisons. It has about 5,500 corrections officers for required staffing 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In 2022, Osborn described Michigan prisons as "time bombs" because of chronic staffing shortages, overworked and exhausted corrections officers, and frustrated inmates. At that time, he told the Free Press he was considering asking Whitmer to activate the Michigan National Guard to assist with staffing, though he ultimately did not do so.

"This would be unprecedented," he said Wednesday.

At the time, Osborn said the department was about 1,000 officers short and losing about 1,000 officers a year to retirement and other departures, meaning plans in the 2023 budget to hire 800 new officers, even if achieved, would result in a staffing situation that continued to worsen.

The unsigned statement issued by the department said wage increases are among the measures approved in recent years to address the staffing shortage. Half the prisons are operating with officer vacancies below 15% and eight prisons have a vacancy rate of 5% or lower, the department said.

"The Department and other stakeholders need to remain focused on efforts that can stabilize staffing in the long-term, including promoting the benefits of a career in corrections," the MDOC statement said. "These include having an active role in keeping their communities safe, serving in a role that can change lives, and the ability to reach annual maximum pay of $68,500 after just 3 and a half years of service."

Osborn said in the letter to Whitmer that there is a significant gang problem in the prisons and violent incidents are worsening due to policy changes that have resulted in reduced use of solitary confinement.

"The conditions Ive described to you are real," Osborn said in the letter. "If you are skeptical and wish to see for yourself, Ill gladly escort you inside several of your prisons so you can speak directly with your corrections officers, not the administration, about the conditions."

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on X, @paulegan4.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Corrections officers want National Guard to help staff Mich. prisons
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Repairing and replacing the Portland police vehicles that were set on fire amid citywide protests and vandalism could have a price tag of more than $455,000.

Portland Police Bureau spokesperson Mike Benner told KOIN 6 that the cost to replace the vehicles that were totaled is estimated at $436,000, while the cost to fix the salvaged cars is projected at $19,332.66.

Excessive heat warning issued as heat dome expected to hit Portland metro

As first reported by the Oregonian/OregonLive, the city may not be able to replace the vehicles for another two years.

PPBs spokesperson explained the agency can only submit vehicle orders at certain points of the year, and it has already placed its order for 2025  meaning the damaged vehicles will likely be addressed in the 2026 order.

Risk management is still working on the claim and therefore we do not yet know the total claim amount the city will submit to its insurer or that the insurer will pay, Benner said.

Bank robber parolee IDd in West Linn bank robbery

At least 15 vehicles were torched at the city police training facility on Northeast Airport Way around 2 a.m. on Thursday, May 2. Portland Fire & Rescue and PPB North Precinct officers responded to the scene, with crews working to extinguish the fires.

The training complex was left undamaged and there were no reported injuries. Just a few hours later, officials announced the incident was being investigated as arson.

In the days leading up to the incident, crowds gathered at the South Park Blocks on Portland State Universitys campus to protest for a ceasefire in Gaza. Some demonstrators occupied the Millar Library, which has since closed. PSU leaders estimated repairing the library could cost more than $1 million.

2 students sue Portland State University over harassing letters sent after protest

However, PPB Chief Bob Day said there was no known connection between the PSU protests and the damaged police vehicles.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Who will replace Biden as Democratic nominee? Here are some of the top candidates

Joe Bidens catastrophic showing at the debate with Donald Trump last month was the worst kind of milestone for the US president  it marked the beginning of the end of his bid for re-election. Trump was formally nominated for the Republicans at the partys convention, held in Milwaukee, last week, and now Biden is out of the race.

Related: Who are the Democrats that have already endorsed Kamala Harris?

So who will be at the top of the Democratic ticket against Trump now?

Biden won the Democratic primaries earlier this year but would not have officially become the partys candidate for president until endorsed at the 2024 Democratic national convention in Chicago, which takes place from 19-22 August. And it has all fallen apart a month before that.

There was no formal mechanism to replace him as presumptive nominee, and such a move would have been the first time a US political party had attempted to do so in modern times. With Biden ultimately quitting of his own volition, he will hope to make the process to choose his replacement smoother. But it will not be straightforward and the immediate road ahead is not clear.

On Sunday afternoon, Biden followed his announcement  that he was staying on at the White House as president but stepping aside from his re-election campaign  by saying he now endorses his vice-president, Kamala Harris, to become the Democratic nominee for president.

She is the first female US vice-president and would become the first female president of the United States if she is officially nominated by the party at its convention and beats Trump in November. Not long after Biden, Bill and Hillary Clinton also endorsed Harris for the top spot, issuing a statement from President Clinton and Secretary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton almost became the first woman to be US president, seeking to shatter what she called the hardest, highest glass ceiling and was the first female nominee from either of the two major parties in history. But she failed to win it for the Democrats and for women in 2016 as Trump took a shock victory for the Republicans.



Bidens endorsement of Harris will carry weight with delegates at the convention but is not binding.

The Chicago convention was supposed to be a highly choreographed event, a formality, for the Biden-Harris ticket. Now things are up in the air.

The Democratic National Committees chair, Jaime Harrison, said in a statement that the party would undertake a transparent and orderly process to select a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November.

So who are the most likely candidates to head the Democratic bid for the White House in November?

Kamala Harris

Bidens vice-president was always the most logical pick, as someone already deputizing for the commander-in-chief. But now Harris is the obvious frontrunner for the nomination. However, she has been widely criticised for not carving out more of her own role in the Biden administration and has poor polling approval ratings, suggesting she would struggle against Donald Trump in the glare of an election campaign. The 59-year-old was backing Biden after the debate. Then support for him drained away, and now the spotlight is being trained firmly on Harris.

The most senior party leadership, in the shape of the Democratic House speaker emerita, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, and Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, reportedly privately agreed with dozens of members of Congress who have been publicly calling on Biden to quit the race. That number continued to grow over the weekend, until Biden did as they were urging. But few until Biden on Sunday specified who should replace him.

Harris was chosen as Bidens running mate when she was a US senator for California, having been attorney general of the state and previously a district attorney based in San Francisco. She ran an unsuccessful campaign for the presidential nomination in 2020 that never made it to the primaries. As vice-president she was given difficult briefs including immigration but has most assuredly found her footing defending reproductive rights, in the wake of the US supreme court overturning Roe v Wade in 2022.

JB Pritzker

The 59-year-old governor of Illinois would be one of the wealthiest of possible picks. He can flourish his credentials of having codified the right to abortion in Illinois and declaring it a sanctuary state for women seeking abortions. He has also been strong on gun control, and legalised recreational marijuana.

Gretchen Whitmer

The Michigan governor, 52, was on the shortlist for VP pick for Biden in 2020, and a strong showing in the midterms for the Democratic party was in part attributed to her governership. She has been in favour of stricter gun laws, repealing abortion bans and backing universal preschool.

Josh Shapiro

The Democratic governor of Pennsylvania has been a rising political star in this crucial swing state for years but shot to national prominence in fall 2022 when, as state attorney general, he won the gubernatorial race over an extreme Trumpist Republican. His name has been on lips of late and the reckoning since Biden stepped aside is if Harris wins the nomination, Shapiro would be a strong pick as her running mate. Alison Dagnes, a professor of political science at Shippensburg University in southcentral Pennsylvania, told the USA Today media network that Shapiro generating buzz because hes shrewd, tech-savvy and a proven winner in the battleground state with the most electoral college votes.

Joe Manchin

Joe Manchin, the center-right West Virginia senator, has been considering running for the Democratic nomination for years. He has served in the Senate since 2010 and is chair of the Senate energy and natural resources committee. He has worked hard to shore up his support in West Virginia, while often being outspokenly critical of the Democratic party. Facing a tough re-election race, Manchin announced last year he would not seek another term in the US Senate, and he left the Democratic party in May to register as an independent. On Sunday, reports emerged he was considering re-registering as a Democrat and challenging Harris.

Read more about Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 election:
People view a painting exhibition at the Shenyang Palace Museum in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 2, 2024. A series of exhibitions were held at Shenyang Palace Museum to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List. (Photo by Jia Yicheng/Xinhua)

A journalist views a painting exhibition at the Shenyang Palace Museum in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 2, 2024. A series of exhibitions were held at Shenyang Palace Museum to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

A journalist views a painting exhibition at the Shenyang Palace Museum in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 2, 2024. A series of exhibitions were held at Shenyang Palace Museum to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

Tourists visit an exhibition featuring restored relics at the Shenyang Palace Museum in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 2, 2024. A series of exhibitions were held at Shenyang Palace Museum to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

Tourists visit an exhibition featuring restored relics at the Shenyang Palace Museum in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 2, 2024. A series of exhibitions were held at Shenyang Palace Museum to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

People view a painting exhibition at the Shenyang Palace Museum in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 2, 2024. A series of exhibitions were held at Shenyang Palace Museum to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List. (Photo by Jia Yicheng/Xinhua)

Editor: WXL
"I would prepare for the worst," said a manager at their Jamaican resort

FRANCESCO SPOTORNO/AFP via Getty Hurricane Beryl in Santo Domingo on July 2

A couple who traveled to Jamaica to celebrate their first wedding anniversary are now bracing for Hurricane Beryl  and documenting how one resort is working to keep them updated, safe and as calm as possible.

Travel creator Beanka, who traveled to Jamaica with her husband, posted a now-viral TikTok on Tuesday, July 2, showing Sandals Dunn's River General Manager Deryk Meany, speaking about the storm, which as of Wednesday, July 3, is still miles away from land, but unleashing powerful wind and rain upon the island.

"She will be right on the coast of South Jamaica," Meany said in the video. "That means Sandals Dunn's River will be having hurricane-force winds."

Bracing for the powerful hurricane, Meany shared that their top priority would be making sure that all guests and staff are safe. "I would prepare for the worst," the manager said. "That we could have a tide increase of nine feet. That means the beach becomes the pool."

Alongside the post, the TikToker said that Sandals "has been very kind and through with updating us but it is very scary."



Related: How Do Tropical Storms and Hurricanes Get Their Names? What to Know

The TikToker, who did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment, continued to provide updates from the scene on Wednesday, July 3, including a view of the windy beach from inside their hotel room and another from Meany, who provided the latest stats about Beryl.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Maggie Rivera, a spokesperson for Sandals Resorts, says that videos circulating online "are a real representation of the care and expertise that team members bring to these moments."

"Anticipating a hurricane is stressful, for guests and for team members, but thoughtful preparation  from meetings with the general managers, consistent communication to on-site generators  has a calming effect. People know that they are cared for, that their best interests are taken into account," Rivera added. "That feeling  that all has been done to come through this together safely is so much a part of the planning and something our guests appreciate."

Joe Raedle/Getty Storm clouds in Kingston, Jamaica, as Hurricane Beryl approaches on July 3

Related: NOAA Predicts 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Will Be More Active Than Normal  Here's Why

All three of Jamaicas international airports are closed on July 3, as Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared a major disaster area, NPR reported.

In addition, there is an island-wide curfew from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time based on Beryl's strength, path and potential threat," per the outlet.

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.

As of a 2 p.m. EST advisory by the National Hurricane Center, Beryl has max sustained winds of 140 mph, with hurricane conditions about to spread into Jamaica as the eye approaches.

At least seven people have died from the hurricane, according to CNN. The hurricane left a trail of destruction passed across the southeastern Caribbean on July 2.

RICARDO MAKYN/AFP via Getty Windows being boarded up in Jamaica on July 3

Related: Record Water Temperatures Are Increasing Chances of Intense Hurricane Season

Another couple, Alex and Emma Steinke, braced for Beryl's impact earlier this week while on their honeymoon in Grenada.

"It progressed so rapidly that when we started our travel day, it was a tropical storm, and by the time we landed, it was a hurricane watch," she previously told PEOPLE.

Emma tells PEOPLE in an update on July 3 that "some of the workers here at Sandals have expressed that their families arent doing very well when weve asked them."

But the bride, who shares that they plan to head home on July 6, says that the two of them are "doing well."

She adds, "We didnt get hit very hard and most of the debris is cleaned up by now; things are operating as normal."



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
NOTE: A lawsuit represents only one side of a story.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  A civil lawsuit against former Operation Underground Railroad CEO Tim Ballard  originally filed by a former Marine in Nov. 2023  was dismissed at the end of June, according to court documents shared with ABC4.com.

Jordan Bree Righter was listed as the plaintiff in the case, and the defendants were Tim Ballard (both as an individual and as the alter-ego of OUR and Deacon, Inc.), and Matthew Cooper. On June 27, 2024, Judge Kristine Johnson of the Third Judicial Court granted the motion to dismiss the case after the motion was filed by Ballard and the organizations.

PREVIOUSLY: Tim Ballards victims claim connection between him and late LDS apostle

According to court documents, Righters case was dismissed because she signed a release of liability when she agreed to be an independent contractor for OUR.

The agreement she signed said she would voluntarily release from liability and forever discharge Company and others associated with it for any injury or damages, up to and including death.

Documents said Righters claims against Ballard and OUR were barred by the agreement that she signed.

Court documents said Righters original complaint offered significant detail about an OUR operation called the Couples Ruse, but the complaint did not claim the statements were made directly to Righter by Ballard.

PREVIOUS STORY: Tim Ballards wife dismissed from lawsuit over couples ruse over lack of evidence

The complaint also claimed the Couples Ruse was a ploy to engage in sexual contact with such women outside the scope of the Couples Ruse, but Righter did not claim Ballard engaged in sexual contact with her in the complaint, court documents said.

Documents said the Couples Ruse consisted of a woman pretending to be Ballards wife  or the sexual partner of other male operatives  to prevent detection by traffickers when the male would not engage with the women or children allegedly being trafficked.

Righters claims against Ballard and OUR that were based on the independent contractor agreement were dismissed by the court with prejudice. Because that complaint was dismissed with prejudice, Righter will be unable to refile that same claim with the court, according to Cornell.

Righters other claims alleged conspiracy, fraud, negligence, and piercing the corporate veil against Ballard and OUR. Those claims were dismissed without prejudice, which means Righter has the option to file a lawsuit again based on the same grounds as the dismissed claim, according to Cornell.

To the extent that Righter alleges that there is some other criminal conduct at issue, she does not allege exactly what that conduct is, court documents said of Righters conspiracy claim.

LEARN MORE: Everything to know about the Tim Ballard controversies

After the ruling, Ballard provided the following statement to ABC4.com :

This case was based on vague allegations with no supporting facts and Im grateful that the court recognized that. For the second time in a row a judge evaluating allegations against me and my wife dismissed them as wholly unsupported by any facts or evidence, which speaks volumes about the allegations we have had to face for nearly a year. The claims against us and our work generated a lot of media attention without any real scrutiny and had a devastating impact on anti-trafficking operations but they are finally being seen for what they are  unfounded. Tim Ballard

Ballards wife, Katherine, was dismissed from a different lawsuit in May 2024 over a lack of evidence.

Ballard is facing four other lawsuits related to his alleged misconduct during the undercover operations of OUR, as well as the portrayal of a character in the film The Sound of Freedom, which was based on Ballards work with OUR.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Court docs: Escaped Carter Co. inmate had been previously charged with attempted kidnapping

CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL)  Court records show an inmate who walked off work detail in Carter County was previously charged with attempted kidnapping.

Billy Fletcher, 43, walked away from his work detail at the Carter County Detention Center shortly after 7 a.m. on June 20, according to Carter County Sheriff Mike Fraley.

Carter County missing mans daughter speaks about his possible contact with escaped inmate

The sheriffs office later confirmed Fletcher is believed to have come into contact with Victor Birchfield, 61, who was reported missing a day later. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) issued a Silver Alert for Birchfield on June 22, and the Carter County Sheriffs Office (CCSO) said the cases were connected on Monday.

Birchfields vehicle and Fletcher were both spotted in South Carolina. Fraley said in a press conference Tuesday that the vehicle has since been recovered.

Fletcher was serving a three-year sentence at the detention center for violation of probation. His probation stemmed from previous charges tied to a November 2017 incident.

An affidavit of complaint filed in Carter County General Sessions Court described the incident. On Nov. 25, 2017, Fletcher allegedly assaulted a woman and grabbed her by the throat. The affidavit states he forced her out of a house and tried to put her in a truck.

Carter County Sheriff Fraley speaks on missing man, escaped inmate

A man who lived at the home then confronted Fletcher with a rifle and ordered him to leave the property. According to the affidavit, Fletcher started to approach him until the man shot him once in the leg. Fletcher then reportedly left.

As a result, the affidavit states Fletcher was charged with domestic assault, attempted kidnapping and attempted burglary.

Fletcher was convicted of attempted burglary and sentenced to three years, but court documents show that sentence was suspended and he was instead placed on probation on April 18, 2019.

Fletcher allegedly violated his probation by absconding. He was ultimately booked into the county detention center in August 2023 for violating probation.

Fletcher was also charged with aggravated assault in Johnson County for a separate January 2020 incident.

The CCSO and TBI are each offering $1,000 rewards for information that leads to Fletchers arrest. Fraley said on Tuesday Fletcher should be considered dangerous.

Anyone who sees Fletcher or has information on his whereabouts is asked to call 911. Anyone with information on Birchfields whereabouts is asked to contact the CCSO at 423-542-1845 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Celeste McCall, of Washington, reacts in confusion, Monday, July 1, 2024, outside the Supreme Court in Washington after decisions were announced. "I'm confused I was told (Trump) has no immunity for unofficial acts," says McCall. "I don't even know what that means. I'm beyond confused." | Jacquelyn Martin

Before Monday, there were no legal precedents for dealing with a former president who is charged with serious crimes committed while in office. The Supreme Court rarely faces a monumental decision in which this is the case.

But those upset by the 6-3 ruling in Trump v. United States should consider that the majority opinion, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, was written with an eye fixed firmly on the precedent the court was setting, and on the future of the presidency.

This case poses a question of lasting significance: When may a former president be prosecuted for official acts taken during his presidency? Roberts wrote in the syllabus. In answering that question, unlike the political branches and the public at large, the court cannot afford to fixate exclusively, or even primarily, on present exigencies.

By taking the long view, the court offered what is a first step in deciding cases against Trump that it has now remanded to lower courts. The matter is not resolved, although it is unfortunate that it is unlikely to be resolved before voters get a chance to consider Donald Trump on the ballot in November.

However, the winners and losers in this case are not as clear cut as some insist.

We agree with Yale law professor Stephen L. Carter, who wrote for Bloomberg that the former president was being premature in claiming victory after the decision, and that much of the media was too focused on what Trump got from the ruling, without considering what the prosecution got.

Yes, he wrote, part of the indictment against Trump will be dismissed. But the court rightly rejected Trumps absurd position that a former president cant be prosecuted for his conduct in office unless he has been impeached and removed. The court also rightly rejected the absurd position of the special counsel that the president enjoys no immunity at all.

Trump and all future presidents were granted immunity for official acts within his or her conclusive or preclusive authority under the Constitution. Presidents enjoy presumptive immunity for all official acts.

However, the ruling makes it clear that, The president is not above the law. The trick will be to distinguish between official and unofficial acts, which Roberts conceded, can be difficult.

Carter suggests the ruling offers a major gift to prosecutors.

Roberts wrote: There may, however, be contexts in which the president, notwithstanding the prominence of his position, speaks in an unofficial capacity  perhaps as a candidate for office or party leader.

This makes it clear that Trump or any other president cannot claim running for re-election as an official duty worthy of immunity.

However, a president can claim that speaking to the American people, and on behalf of them in an official capacity, qualifies as official conduct that enjoys immunity, and courts may not inquire into the presidents motives.

Yes, this ruling is complicated and messy. If Trump is elected in November, the cases against him may never be heard. He may order the charges to be dropped or attempt to pardon himself, another act that could get the courts attention.

And yes, it feels as if the enormity of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol  which we said at the time was stoked by Trump tossing verbal matches on the fuel of his false claims that the 2020 election had been stolen  has been minimized.

In a scathing dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the majority decision will have disastrous consequences for the presidency and for our democracy.

Roberts dismissed this as ignoring the separation of powers and fear mongering.

Instead, he wrote, he fears an executive branch that cannibalizes itself, with each successive president free to prosecute his predecessors, yet unable to boldly and fearlessly carry out his duties for fear that he may be next.

A president cannot function if he or she is worried about being prosecuted after leaving office, and yet, presidents cannot be allowed to engage in illegal activity without consequences.

That is the unfortunate position in which the former president has placed the court and the nation. We hope the court never has to consider such a thing again.
Jennifer Simmons receives the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during "Senior Weekend" at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Va., February 2, 2021. (Parker Michels-Boyce/ For the Virginia Mercury)

Just a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic, data began to suggest that disparities, especially disproportionate death rates, were forming on top of all too familiar divisions of race, economics and geography. This prompted Al Sharpton to opine, I am not saying the pandemic is a conspiracy to kill or target Blacks, but it is illuminating the existing racial disparities in this country that reverberate in everything from health care to jobs, housing and more. Even in 2024, African American COVID-19 infection rates are approximately 29% higher than the rates of non-Hispanic whites in Virginia.

There is a joke in development economics: it helps to pick your parents. Its a tongue-in-cheek reference to outcome disparities based on both where a person is born and what their parents do for a living. My moms family is from Western Pennsylvania between Pittsburgh and the Ohio border  an area that reminds me a lot of Southwest and Southside Virginia.

I saw how macroeconomic decline during the 1980s and 1990s limited my familys options. After my uncle lost his job in a steel mill, he had to drive six hours each day for work because the only decent job he could find was in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Ultimately, he ended up sleeping at a friends place in Harrisburg four days a week for over 20 years, only seeing the family on weekends until he retired. My cousin, who is almost the same age as me (Im 43), works irregularly in food service and the gig economy to make ends meet. College wasnt for him but the new economy that took root in Pittsburgh required advanced degrees even for entry-level roles. Now his future is even more uncertain as the economy of rural America struggles to regain its footing after COVID-19.

Following my parents divorce, I grew up in two neighborhoods: Arlington,/East Falls Church (EFC) in Northern Virginia and Hill East in Washington, D.C. Both were very much working-class neighborhoods back then; neither are now. Hill East was around 90% blue-collar African American. Today, the neighborhood is upwards of 80% non-Hispanic White with at least 50% of the population having graduate degrees. This change is reflected in rents, housing prices and property tax burdens that most of the people I grew up with can no longer afford.

Similarly, EFC was once full of teachers, police officers, administrators  even my elementary schools custodian lived there. Now, only people like lawyers, finance professionals, and c-suite executives make enough to buy there. A vast majority of the residents of Hill East and EFC were able to wait out the most serious impacts of COVID-19 in relative comfort; the rest of Virginia wasnt as lucky.

As a public policy researcher, I constantly think about structure  the things that affect a persons outcomes but are largely pre-existing and/or beyond their ability to control. Structure-based outcomes are something Ive seen consistently throughout both my personal and professional lives. Studying the COVID-19 pandemic was no different.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 49% of Arlington residents worked from home. Meanwhile in Augusta County near the West Virginia border, only 8% of workers were able to do the same. The most common industries in Arlington are classified as professional, scientific, and management while the most common industries in Augusta are educational services, health care and manufacturing. Through 2021, Augustas age-adjusted COVID-19 death rate was 2.25 times higher than Arlingtons, despite Arlingtons population density being 115 times greater. As a community-based researcher at VCU, Ive seen a similar dynamic play out inside the City of Richmond between different groups that share the same spaces.

The common themes here are:

1.) Marginalized groups have often been left behind because they are forced to accept more vulnerable, less-decent employment and housing options.

2.) They generally dont have the resources to break this cyclical poverty.

3.) Government programs designed to address these issues suffer from major gaps.

4.) These inequities inevitably lead to other serious outcome disparities, like what we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic.

My recent research, co-authored with Dr. Brittany Brie Haupt, illuminates how these differences in structure guided COVID-19s disproportionate impacts in rural and minority communities in Virginia.

At the county and independent city level, we started with a simple correlational analysis that showed Virginia municipalities with greater percentages of African Americans and those outside of metropolitan statistical areas suffered greater levels of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and death rates (both crude and age-adjusted). We then took socio-economic data collected before the COVID-19 pandemic to analyze how structure interacted with race and rurality to produce these disparate COVID-19 outcomes. Using a procedure called structural equation modeling , we partialed out direct and indirect effects, as well as analyzed likely causality direction by modifying the covariance functions and comparing their likelihoods.

In our model, we were able to isolate a set of workforce roles as the primary cause of disproportionate infections in more rural and minority communities. Once we included a variable for this, the direct covariance between race, rurality and COVID-19 infection rates lost statistical significance in the case of rurality, and, in the case of race, became a statistically significant negative. Additional analyses showed there was still a statistically significant positive indirect path. Similarly, once we added data to our model on underlying community health (diabetes, premature death rates, etc.), the direct paths between race, rurality and COVID-19 hospitalizations and age-adjusted death rates lost statistical significance. Also similarly, statistically significant positive indirect paths remained. Thus, we believe we likely isolated the biggest drivers of COVID-19s disproportionate impacts in marginalized communities.

Our conclusions are fairly straightforward  before vaccine uptake was widely utilized, patients with COVID-19 either made it through or perished based on their underlying health status and other characteristics. These traits are not randomly distributed throughout Virginias population, rather they are concentrated based on the structures many people are either born into, migrate to, or are displaced to. We believe future pandemics will play out in similar fashion given the nature of epidemiology.

Furthermore, chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension  which were the biggest driver of COVID-19 deaths in our model  are managed and reduced instead of cured. This requires sustained resources for years if not decades. Unfortunately for many people and localities that need them, these resources are either not currently available, affordable or feasible, given the dynamics of structure. The at-risk jobs we identified in our model are less likely to offer health insurance or pay high wages but they are unstable and often lack promotion potential.

Local governments in these areas are often not able to offset this because of the same economic structures that affect employment opportunities. Local governments rely overwhelmingly on business and property taxes. But if an area is economically distressed and/or has a greater marginalized population, this means that the government has less money but also a greater need. Thus, even with the CARES Act, we saw how metropolitan areas like the city of Richmond were able to provide more resources to local businesses during COVID-19 than rural areas like Lee County. Similarly, we cannot expect marginalized or declining areas to stockpile resources on their own before the next pandemic.

In an era when Virginia consistently sees record revenue surpluses in the billions, there is no good reason why health disparities, especially like what we observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, should be so stark or consistent. In 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau listed Virginia as the 13th wealthiest state by median income, and the same year, Virginias health system was ranked 20th out of 50 states by the Commonwealth Fund. There are 86 Virginia jurisdictions currently designated as medically under-served areas (MUAs). Even in wealthy counties like Arlington, there are multiple census tracts that are also classified as MUAs.

While Virginia increased healthcare funding since the COVID-19 pandemic, per the Virginia Public Health Association (VPHA), most of it (approximately 85%) was a result of Federal CARES Act funding rather than sustained appropriations from the general fund. Understandably, the major focus of the increased spending is on communicable disease spread, but there is little mention of managing chronic conditions that our research suggests are the biggest factors in patient survival. Also, while Virginia requires COVID-19 workplace-based protections that follow CDC standards, the current disparities in infection rates suggests much more can be done. And, employers shouldnt be asked to bear these costs and responsibilities alone. So, where do we go next?

Virginia must invest in more federally-qualified community health centers, social workers who specialize in assisting marginalized populations, and accessible wellness programs targeted towards chronic disease management. These improvements will keep more people healthy, reduce structural inequality and save lives during the next pandemic. Surely if Virginia has money for casino developments, sports stadiums and Fortune 500 company relocations, it has money for these structural healthcare investments well. We owe nothing less to the more than 22,000 Virginians who didnt survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
If a lot of people suddenly seem sick with COVID to you, youre not alone. Once more, the disease is on many peoples minds as infections, emergency room visits, hospitalizations and even deaths are all trending up, according to the latest data from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Its not that the COVID pandemic ever fully ended, but our baselines have shifted. A high number of infections, injuries and death have plagued us mercilessly since 2020, but in spite of some relative lulls, the risks of COVID havent completely disappeared. Following another winter surge in 2023-2024, most COVID metrics fell during the spring. Now the trend is seemingly reversing, driven by new variants and waning immunity from both vaccines and infections.

So far, its too early to say whether the upward trend constitutes a new wave or not. But given that the last four summers have resulted in a steep rise in cases, its reasonable to expect history to repeat itself this year, especially as temperatures drop in autumn.

And it wont surprise many people that our strategies for fighting COVID havent changed much: masking in crowds, avoiding others when having symptoms, testing after exposure to those infected (especially if feeling symptomatic) and keeping up with vaccinations are all effective at reducing the spread of this persistent disease.

But its also true the pandemic has changed a lot since 2020. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, naturally mutates, just like all viruses. Every time it worms its way into a cell, it hijacks its DNA to make viral copies of itself and explodes out to repeat the cycle. Randomness in these genetic copies regularly occur  sometimes they do nothing or even make the virus weaker. Other times, these mutations give the virus an advantage, making it better at evading immunity, better at infecting, better at spreading and leaving more destruction in its wake.

"A COVID summer wave appears to be underway," Dr. Rajendram Rajnarayanan, of the New York Institute of Technology campus in Jonesboro, Arkansas, told Salon. "Based on current data: Cases are rising in several states, with emergency department visits up 15% and hospitalizations up 25% compared to late May  a pattern consistent with previous summer waves, which have historically occurred due to increased travel and indoor gatherings."

SARS-CoV-2 is not and never was benign. It attacks the vascular system, impacting basically every organ including the kidneys, lungs, heart and brain. Using its specialized spike protein like a master key, it can unlock and open the door to any cell with an ACE2 receptor, which turns out to be many cells in the body. This is why it's so effective at replicating inside us, but also why the virus is associated with lung scarring, digestive troubles, blood clots, chronic fatigue and literal brain damage manifesting as headaches, dizziness, anxiety, Parkinson's-like symptoms and other neurological disorders. "Zombie" COVID fragments can linger in the body, causing these issues indefinitely.

A study in May in the journal Nature Medicine examining the medical records of more than 135,000 people with SARS-CoV-2 infection reported that symptoms can persist for years. Often this plethora of symptoms is known as long COVID or (PASC post-acute sequelae of coronavirus disease.)

Want more health and science stories in your inbox? Subscribe to Salon's weekly newsletter Lab Notes.

The current swarm of SARS-CoV-2 variants mostly stemmed from a severely mutated strain nicknamed Pirola (BA.2.86) that was first detected late last summer. Experts predicted it could cause serious issues, but its offspring like JN.1 became the dominant strains through most of 2024. More recently, JN.1 has been usurped by its own kids, specifically variants like KP.2, KP.3 and LB.1, according to the most recent CDC data. These three variants are collectively called the FLiRT variants because of shared traits in specific positions in the spike protein: F switches to L while R switches to T.

These changes may seem small  indeed, they are microscopic  but they can give the virus added ability to evade immunity and increase their transmissibility, making them spread better from person to person. Keeping with the keys metaphor, immunity is a bit like changing the locks when a SARS-CoV-2 virus attacks us. But they are clever locksmiths that keep making new and improved sets of keys.

"The variant LB.1 has the potential to infect some people more easily based on a single deletion in a spike protein," Dave Daigle, the associate director at the CDC's Communications Center for Global Health, told Salon. "This is present in multiple JN.1 lineages."

"However, there is currently no evidence that LB.1 causes more severe disease," Daigle noted. "Most key COVID-19 indicators are showing low levels of activity nationally, therefore the total number of infections this lineage may be causing is likely low. COVID-19-associated hospitalizations and deaths remain low. CDC will continue to track SARS-CoV-2 variants and is working to better understand the potential impact on public health."

Rajnarayanan said the KP.3 lineage is of "particular concern," because it appears to be more immune evasive than other circulating lineages. "KP.3.1 seems to have appreciable growth advantage over other circulating lineages," he said.

So now we know why cases are seeming to surge yet again. But the big question is whether this will translate to different symptoms or an increase in severe disease outcomes, namely hospitalization and death.

"I dont think the virus is any less (or likely any more) inherently dangerous now, and it is of course a myth that viruses always evolve to become more benign," Dr. T. Ryan Gregory, an evolutionary and genome biologist at the University of Guelph in Canada, told Salon. "The main reason we are experiencing far less in the way of severe acute infections is that there is a degree of immunity in the population from past infection and (decreasingly) from vaccination."

However, Gregory noted this immunity wanes over time, and the virus continues to evolve immune escape.

"Vaccine uptake is abysmally low these days, which means that any immunity that ends up being maintained will mostly come from reinfection," he said. "That means more variant evolution, more chances of getting long COVID, and so on. It is always important to emphasize that severe acute respiratory (the S, A and R in SARS) are not the only issue. There is also long COVID and increased risk of all sorts of cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological and other conditions."

Another outstanding question is whether current or future vaccines can keep up with these new strains of SARS-CoV-2.

"The currently available vaccines target XBB.1.5 (Kraken), which has not been circulating for quite some time," Gregory said. "Those older vaccines work, though not nearly as well, versus JN.1 (and probably less so against KP.2, KP.3 and LB.1)."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is likely to approve updated vaccines this fall, advising drugmakers to target the KP.2 strains, according to NBC News. The FDA apparently reversed course after initially recommending vaccine developers target JN.1 instead.

"It looks like the updated Novavax will target JN.1 whereas the mRNA vaccines may target JN.1 or KP.2," Gregory said. "JN.1 itself isnt very common anymore and the mutations in KP.2, KP.3 and LB.1 definitely matter. So, it would be wise for them to at least include the F456L mutation [referring to the FL in FLiRT] to not start off being so far behind where the virus is by the time the updated vaccines are rolled out."

In the meantime, cases could also be flying under the radar, as we are doing far less testing and surveillance of the virus than in previous waves. Gregory said "we still need to learn is that COVID is not seasonal  there can be waves any time of year, including in the summer. Its not just the U.S. right now either  there are surges in Europe (summer) and Australia (winter)."

"We are not tracking COVID as comprehensively as before," Rajnarayanan said. "In spite of that we do have several indicators suggest increased transmission: Wastewater surveillance shows rising levels of the virus. Positive test rates are increasing in some areas, like California (from 3% to 7.5%). There's a possibility of underreporting due to reduced testing and surveillance. The change in reporting requirements, especially negative tests are not properly reported."

Though we may not know the true scope of this wave, the advice to protect yourself is the same as before: "If you experience symptoms, get tested and stay home till you are free of symptoms," Rajnarayanan said. "This will help prevent the spread to vulnerable individuals. Mask if you are sick and need to go out (avoid crowded areas). Mask when traveling. Do not mock people who are masking. Be accommodating and courteous."
Biden blamed his poor debate performance on fatigue from international travel  although he had a week of rest before the showdown with Trump.

Biden blamed his poor debate performance on fatigue from international travel  although he had a week of rest before the showdown with Trump. Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

The White House insisted on Wednesday that Joe Biden is staying in the election as the presumptive Democratic nominee, while the US president reportedly told his campaign team Im in this race to the end amid mounting pressure for him to step down over concerns he is not up to the job, at 81.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the press secretary, told reporters the president is not dropping out, even while he owns his dire performance in the first debate of the campaign against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump last week.

She repeatedly blamed him having a cold, brought on by overly-arduous foreign travel, despite incredulous scoffs and skeptical questions from some reporters at the daily briefing.

Biden separately told staffers on a call, according to multiple reports: No one is pushing me out and Im not leaving. Im in this race to the end and were going to win.

Related: Who could replace Joe Biden? Here are six possibilities

He was joined on the call by his vice-president, Kamala Harris, reiterating to staffers that they are in this fight for re-election together, according to an Associated Press report. She is seen as a likely substitute if Biden drops out, although several Democratic governors are considered serious rivals in that scenario.

The White House earlier denied a report that Biden is weighing whether his candidacy is still viable, ahead of a key meeting with Democratic governors on Wednesday evening, radio interviews due to air on the Fourth of July holiday and a TV interview with ABC airing in parts on Friday evening and over the weekend as he tries to bolster plummeting confidence.

An ally of the president earlier told the New York Times that the president remained fully committed to his re-election effort, but that he knew his upcoming public appearances would have to be successful ones in order for his candidacy to remain viable.

He knows if he has two more events like that, were in a different place, the source said, referring to Bidens disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump last week.

The article was published under the headline Biden told ally that he is weighing whether to continue in the race.The senior deputy press secretary and deputy assistant to the president, Andrew Bates, posted that: That claim is absolutely false.

Democratic governors, meanwhile, rallied around Biden following their closed-door meeting on Wednesday but admitted they shared voters concerns about his performance.



We, like many Americans, are worried, said Tim Waltz of Minnesota. We are looking for the path to win. But, he said, he and other governors have his back.

The latest Siena College / NYT poll shows Trump has widened his lead on Biden since the TV debate, opening up a 6-point advantage, 49-43%, over Biden among likely voters. Only 48% of Democrats say Biden should remain the nominee.

Later on Wednesday Biden made his first public appearance of the day at a White House ceremony to award posthumous Medals of Honor to two Union soldiers for acts of bravery in the civil war. The president spoke mainly clearly, aided by a teleprompter.

Cracks in support among Democratic leaders had multiplied late Tuesday into Wednesday.

Barack Obama reportedly expressed concerns about Bidens path to re-election and

House Democrat Jim Clyburn, known as a kingmaker of sorts within the Democratic party, told CNN that the party should hold a mini-primary if Biden steps aside, despite supporting his candidacy.

Almost all elected Democrats continue to back Biden in public.

On Tuesday congressman Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first House Democrat to publicly urge the president to step aside. A second one joined on Wednesday afternoon when Raul Grijalva of Arizona told the New York Times: If hes the candidate, Im going to support him but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere  What he really needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat  and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.

At a Virginia campaign event on Tuesday evening, Biden blamed the debate debacle on his prior international trips, saying: I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones  before  the debate. Didnt listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage. Thats no excuse but it is an explanation.

Obama, who served two terms with Biden as his vice president, has reportedly shared in private with Democratic allies who sought his counsel that Biden was already on a tough road to re-election and that road was now more rocky after the debate, the Washington Post reported late on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the former presidents remarks, despite his public support for Bidens candidacy.

And dozens of House Democrats are considering signing a letter calling for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, Bloomberg reported, citing an unnamed senior party official.

A post-debate survey commissioned by Puck news showed that 40% of voters who backed Biden in 2020 now believe he should withdraw. It also showed him now under threat from Trump in states previously considered safe by Democrats, including Virginia, New Mexico and New Hampshire.

Related: James Carville calls on Democratic party to deliver change and replace Biden

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday also found that one in three Democrats said Biden should end his re-election campaign.

The former first lady, Michelle Obama, who has never held elected office, also led Trump 50% to 39% in a poll about a hypothetical match-up, Reuters reported.

Also, California congresswoman and former House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, told MSNBC of Bidens debate performance  and Trumps: I think its a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition? When people ask that question, its completely legitimate  of both candidates.

Harris is the top alternative to replace Biden if he quits, according to seven senior sources at the Biden campaign, the White House and the Democratic National Committee with knowledge of current discussions on the topic, Reuters reported.

In the Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Tuesday, Harris trailed Trump by one percentage point, a showing as strong as Bidens, within polling margins.

Democrats have been privately scathing both about the White Houses lack of transparency about the presidents apparent recent decline, and about his failure to rebound fully from the debate. All eyes will now be on the ABC interview.

Two House Democrats, Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, have predicted publicly since the debate that they believed Trump would win Novembers election.

Anger has also been voiced at the White House and campaign aides for shielding Biden from public and covering up evidence of his supposedly fading powers amid reports that this has been visible for months.

The presidential physician, Kevin OConnor, has previously said that Biden is in excellent condition.

Sam Levin and Reuters contributed reporting
LAKE CHARLES, La. (KLFY)  Three men who went on a 2022 crime spree in Louisiana that extended into Texas and Mississippi will each spend at least a decade in federal prison, prosecutors said.

Each defendant pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, according to United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.

United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced the men as follows:

Evan Aaron Ard, 22, of Hammond, was sentenced to 10 years, 3 months in prison.

Jaylon Deshon Brumfield, 25, of Lake Charles, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Taurus Terrell Finley, 22, of Hammond, was sentenced to 10 years, 11 months in prison.

Each defendant will also serve 5 years of supervised release following their release from prison.

The three defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence in connection with a string of robberies that they committed between April 14-27, 2022.

The Hobbs Act prohibits actual or attempted robbery or extortion that affects interstate or foreign commerce. It also forbids conspiracy to do so.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

KLFY Daily Digest

During this time, prosecutors said Ard, Brumfield, and Finley conspired to take property from multiple businesses and people by force, threat and violence. Each defendant admitted to using a firearm in furtherance of the robbery of Bordertown Travel to help them obtain property from them by threat and force. In addition, the three defendants stole multiple vehicles, firearms, property from convenience stores, and robbed individuals at gunpoint along the way, officials said.

This crime spree finally ended after the robbery of a store in Vinton, Louisiana after which all three attempted to flee in a stolen vehicle at a high rate of speed from police which resulted in spikes being employed, followed by a foot chase, until Ard, Brumfield, and Finley were apprehended by police.

Study: Louisiana is the U.S. state with the highest prison mortality rate

These three defendants left many victims frightened and scarred by the threats of gun

violence and robbery committed against them, Brown said. They had no care of others property or life as they made their way across three states committing these robberies.

Lyonel Myrthil, special agent in charge of FBI New Orleans, said ending the crime spree was a team effort.

For twelve days, this trio terrorized victims at multiple gas stations and convenience

stores, Myrthil said. The FBI appreciates its local and state partners for helping to shorten their crime spree. The FBI is committed to working hard with communities across Louisiana to change this culture of violence.

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.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  On the eve of the Independence Day holiday  when fireworks will legally be exploding in cities across Utah  gusty winds and dry weather are setting the stage for critical fire conditions, including along the Wasatch Front.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning Wednesday for northern Utah, including the metropolitan areas of Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Provo. Warnings were also issued for the San Rafael Swell and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

LIST: Where to watch fireworks and drone shows in Utah for July 4th

Per the warnings, westerly winds are expected to pick up Wednesday afternoon and evening, gusting up to 30 mph. Meanwhile, relative humidity will be between 10-15%. This combination of gusty winds, warm temperatures and low humidity is what prompts weather officials to issue red flag warnings.

During this time, forecasters are urging people to be careful with fireworks, as stray sparks could light wildfires in the dried-out grasses across the state. Earlier this year, state officials warned that conditions are primed for potentially destructive wildfires due to back-to-back wet winters bringing abundant vegetation. Already, 402 wildfires have flared up across Utah this year, with 292 of them caused by humans.

Fireworks in Utah

In Utah, fireworks are legally allowed to be lit between July 2-5 for the Independence Day holiday and from July 22-25 for Pioneer Day. Across Utah, there are city-level restrictions on where people can legally light fireworks.

In Salt Lake City, for instance, fireworks are allowed in the city limits, so long as they are not west of Redwood Road, north of South Temple, and east of 900 South. They are also not allowed in parks or along the Jordan River. (Unified Fire has an interactive map showing where fireworks can be launched across the Salt Lake Valley.)

Cpt. Tony Barker, with Unified Fire Authority, told ABC4.com last week that firefighters are preparing for a busy Fourth of July. He said the recent hot, dry weather combined with so much abundant fuel could create havoc over the holiday.

He cautioned people to be extremely careful with personal fireworks, particularly aerial fireworks. Barker advised that handlers prop aerial fireworks up with bricks to make sure they dont fall over and rocket into dry grass or an open garage.



Those who shoot fireworks in prohibited areas or outside of the legal timeframes could face a fine up to $1,000. In Utah, fireworks are probitied on state and federal lands.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
This aerial photo taken on June 28, 2024 shows a view of a scenic area in the Binhai New Area of north China's Tianjin. Over the years, the city of Tianjin has worked on the ecological restoration and development of Bohai Sea.

Several seaside parks and beach scenic spots have been built so far, offering citizens a better leisure experience. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

People visit a seaside park in the Binhai New Area of north China's Tianjin, June 29, 2024. Over the years, the city of Tianjin has worked on the ecological restoration and development of Bohai Sea.

Several seaside parks and beach scenic spots have been built so far, offering citizens a better leisure experience. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

People pose for selfies at a park in the Binhai New Area of north China's Tianjin, June 29, 2024. Over the years, the city of Tianjin has worked on the ecological restoration and development of Bohai Sea.

Several seaside parks and beach scenic spots have been built so far, offering citizens a better leisure experience. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

This aerial drone photo taken on June 14, 2024 shows a view of the Dongjiangwan scenic area in the Binhai New Area of north China's Tianjin. Over the years, the city of Tianjin has worked on the ecological restoration and development of Bohai Sea.

Several seaside parks and beach scenic spots have been built so far, offering citizens a better leisure experience. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

This aerial photo taken on June 28, 2024 shows the view of the National Maritime Museum of China in the Binhai New Area of north China's Tianjin. Over the years, the city of Tianjin has worked on the ecological restoration and development of Bohai Sea.

Several seaside parks and beach scenic spots have been built so far, offering citizens a better leisure experience. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

People play by the seaside in the Binhai New Area of north China's Tianjin, June 29, 2024. Over the years, the city of Tianjin has worked on the ecological restoration and development of Bohai Sea.

Several seaside parks and beach scenic spots have been built so far, offering citizens a better leisure experience. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

This aerial drone photo taken on June 28, 2024 shows a view of a seaside park in the Binhai New Area of north China's Tianjin. Over the years, the city of Tianjin has worked on the ecological restoration and development of Bohai Sea.

Several seaside parks and beach scenic spots have been built so far, offering citizens a better leisure experience. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

A couple poses for photos by the seaside in the Binhai New Area of north China's Tianjin, June 29, 2024. Over the years, the city of Tianjin has worked on the ecological restoration and development of Bohai Sea.

Several seaside parks and beach scenic spots have been built so far, offering citizens a better leisure experience. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

This drone photo taken on June 14, 2024 shows people enjoying their leisure time at the Dongjiangwan scenic area in the Binhai New Area of north China's Tianjin. Over the years, the city of Tianjin has worked on the ecological restoration and development of Bohai Sea.

Several seaside parks and beach scenic spots have been built so far, offering citizens a better leisure experience. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

Editor: GSY
Police officers have been authorised to 'remove' a crocodile seen in Mango Creek - redbrickstock.com/Alamy

The body of a 12-year-old girl has been found in remote northern Australia, two days after she was attacked by a crocodile.

On Thursday, Northern Territory (NT) police confirmed human remains were found near to where the girl was last seen swimming at Nganmarriyanga, a small Aboriginal community 220 miles south-west of Darwin.

Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson said confirmation of the death was devastating news for the family, the community and everyone involved in the search.

Police are providing support to the family and community, along with the first responders who attended the scene, she told local media.

The girls body was found at Mango Creek, where she had been with family on Tuesday as they cooled off while the temperature climbed to over 30C. Earlier, reports emerged that a childs t-shirt had been recovered from the waterway.

It was particularly gruesome and a sad and devastating outcome, Sen Sergeant Gibson told the ABC.

Brent Potter, the NT Police Minister, said on Wednesday that officers had been authorised to remove a crocodile seen in the creek as they entered the recovery stage of the search.

Its a tragic incident for any parent or family member to lose a young child, and especially in the circumstances like that taken by a crocodile, Mr Potter told local media.

I know the search and rescue team are currently out there with members from the Wadeye police station and theyll continue to do that to find that croc.

He added: We live in a place where crocodiles occupy our water places. It is a tragic event.

Members of the public had called police about 5.30pm Tuesday, and searched the water themselves, before official rescue teams arrived with boats and helicopters.

A popular swimming hole for the 450 residents of Nganmarriyanga, the creek is considered safe during the dry season from May to October.

In the wet season, however, crocodiles can swim into nearby watering holes from the Daly River which is home to both freshwater and saltwater species.

The popular swimming hole for the residents of Nganmarriyanga is considered safe during the dry season from May to October - Heather Paul/Moment RF

Incident follows calls for a crocodile cull

Crocodile numbers have climbed to about 100,000 in the NT since Australia banned culling in the territory in 1971. Before then, the population had dropped to about 5,000.

Although the number of crocodiles has risen, experts have stressed that fatal attacks have remained rare as a result of local management and a ban on swimming during times of heavy rain.

In the NT, fatalities peaked in 2014 when four people were killed. Since then, there have been two fatal attacks, both in 2018.

Calls for a government cull were reignited last July when a two-metre-long saltwater crocodile attacked a man while he was swimming along with a dozen others in a popular water hole.

Following the attack on the 67-year-old man in Litchfield National Park, Natasha Fyles, NTs chief minister, said that she would be formally contacting the Commonwealth to raise the prospect of culling crocodiles.

I think its time for us to consider: Do we need to go back to culling considering the significant increase in the crocodile population, and the impact its [having], not just on our tourists and visitors, but also locals, Ms Fyles said at the time.

More than 3,000 crocodiles have been relocated or killed after being considered a threat to people in NT waterways since 2012, according to government data.

In February, authorities announced that they were working on a 10-year plan to manage crocodile populations.

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.
Is your cruise or flight changing? How Hurricane Beryl is disrupting Caribbean travel

Several major cruise companies were forced to change their itineraries due to Hurricane Beryl. Airline flights from Miami to the Caribbean also have been affected.

Heres a rundown:

Royal Caribbean

Miami-based Royal Caribbean Group made these changes:

 Celebrity Beyonds June 29 sailing will swap Kralendijk, Bonaire with Oranjestad, Aruba, on July 2 and move Kralendijk, Bonaire to July 4.

 Icon of the Seas June 29 sailing will now visit Cozumel, Mexico, and Costa Maya, Mexico, instead of Philipsburg, St. Maarten, and Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.

 Grandeur of the Seas July 1 sailing will now visit Yucatan (Progresso), Mexico, on Day 4 and Cozumel, Mexico, on Day 3.

 Wonder of the Seas June 30 sailing will now have a Sea Day on Day 5 instead of visiting Roatan, Honduras, and will visit to Nassau, Bahamas, on Day 6, instead of visiting Costa Maya, Mexico.

 Harmony of the Seas June 30 sailing will now visit Cozumel, Mexico, on Day 3 and Costa Maya, Mexico, on Day 4, instead of Roatan, Honduras.

Royal Caribbean said in a statement that we are closely monitoring the progression of Hurricane Beryl and are making adjustments to some of our Caribbean sailings for the comfort and safety of our guests and crew.

MORE: Hurricane Beryl closing in on Jamaica

Norwegian

Norwegian Cruise Line said it changed the itineraries for two ships, Norwegian Jade and Norwegian Breakaway:

 Norwegian Jade canceled calls to Falmouth, Jamaica, George Town, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico. It replaced them with San Juan, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. The ship is scheduled to return to Cape Canaveral on July 6.

 The Breakaway is taking another route to circumvent the path of Beryl. Despite our best efforts, and with the weather disturbances out of control, we have canceled our calls to Roatan Bay Islands, Honduras; Harvest Caye, Belize; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico. The ship was scheduled to reach Roatan Bay Islands at 10 a.m. July 2 but was redirected to Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic. It is also now stopping at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Tortola, British Virgin Islands and Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. The ship is scheduled to return to PortMiami on July 7.

Norwegian also said that shore excursions booked through NCL for those destinations were automatically canceled and guests will get a refund to their shipboard accounts.

Carnival

Carnival had changed the following itineraries:

 Carnival Horizon will add a visit to Nassau, The Bahamas on Friday, July 5, instead of visiting Cozumel, Mexico, on Thursday, July 4. The ships visit to Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands on Wednesday, July 3, is canceled.

 Carnival Liberty is visiting Cozumel on Tuesday, July 2, instead of Friday, July 5.

MORE: When will Hurricane Beryl slam Jamaica? What to know about the powerful Category 4 storm

MSC

MSC Cruises said it has not yet made any itinerary changes: At this time, we dont foresee any itinerary changes for our U.S. vessels due to Hurricane Beryl if the storm maintains its projected path, a spokesperson said in a statement.

Miami International Airport

At Miami International Airport as of 5:30 .p.m Tuesday, Hurricane Beryl led to seven canceled flights: two arrivals from San Juan and Barbados and five departures to Santo Domingo, Barbados and San Juan, according to Greg Chin, communications director at the Miami-Dade Aviation Department.

On Monday, seven arrivals and six departures were canceled. Affected islands were St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Barbados.

American Airlines issued a travel alert on Tuesday, saying it would waive change fees for customers traveling through Cancun, Cozumel, Merida and Tulum, Mexico. Thats if they are able to travel by July 10 and can make changes by July 5.

American Airlines operations in St. Vincent remain suspended due to airport closures. But the carrier has restarted operations in Barbados, St. Lucia and Grenada, according to a statement sent by airline spokesperson Gianna Urgo.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport

JetBlue had one flight from Santo Domingo and one from Montego Bay, and both arrived at FLL on Tuesday. There were arrivals still scheduled from Kingston at 9:17 p.m. and Montego Bay at 9:27 p.m. Airport officials advised travelers to call their airlines for the latest information.

Meanwhile, one departure left to Montego Bay. But another one scheduled at 9:30 p.m. was canceled.
CHICAGO  Service on a portion of the Chicago Transit Authoritys Orange Line was disrupted for less than an hour Wednesday as police investigated a shooting not far from the lines Halsted station.

In a preliminary report, police said a 44-year-old man was shot in a foot during an argument with another man on the 2500 block of South Archer Avenue. He was taken to Stroger Hospital and listed in stable condition. No one was in custody as of 2 p.m. as officers continued their investigation.

The disruption began at about 12:30 p.m. and lasted about 50 minutes, a CTA spokesperson said.

The interruption, though brief, on a line that connects to Midway International Airport comes at a time when Chicagos airports are expecting nearly two million travelers for the Independence Day holiday, with Wednesday expected to be the busiest day of travel.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
VISALIA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  A 30-year-old Visalia man has been sentenced to life in prison following a 2018 DUI crash that killed a pregnant mother, the Tulare County District Attorneys Office announced on Wednesday.

DA: Man guilty after DUI crash kills baby, mom near Cutler

The DA says on June 15, 2018, around 9:30 p.m. California Highway Patrol officers were dispatched to a collision on Highway 63 south of Avenue 392 near Cutler. When they arrived, they found two vehicles involved in a head-on crash.

According to the DA, 30-year-old, David Edma was unconscious and pinned in his vehicle. The occupants of the second vehicle were a family including an adult male driver, his wife who was 20 weeks pregnant, and three minor children. The expectant mother was rushed to medical facilities in Fresno where the baby was delivered, but both mother and child died.

30-year-old David Edma (image courtesy of the Tulare County District Attorneys Office)

The DA says the remaining victims were treated at other medical facilities after suffering broken clavicle, pulmonary contusions, broken hips, and a perforated bowel.

When Edma was removed from his vehicle, the DAs office says a beer can fell from between his legs. Tests on his blood revealed a .24% BAC, which is three times Californias legal limit of 0.08 BAC. The DA says Edma already possessed a misdemeanor DUI conviction from 2017 with a high blood alcohol content and was on probation for that DUI at the time of this offense.

At trial on March 12, Edma was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder with the special allegations that he caused great bodily injury, used a deadly weapon (the car), and was on probation when the crime was committed, according to the DA.

The DA says in addition, he was convicted of felony DUI with great bodily injury for the male driver and the three children in the car, a misdemeanor driving while license suspended, and unlawful vehicle operation.

Current state sentencing laws mean Edma must serve 30 years in custody, not including California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) credits, before getting parole consideration.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Nicola Allen and her father Clive Fisher, who died after becoming too unwell for chemotherapy

Cancer care across the UK is at breaking point, says Kate Seymour, head of advocacy at Macmillan Cancer Support.

We hear day in day out about the devastating impact this is having across all areas of peoples lives. This includes far too many people facing terrifying delays to treatment, a maze of different departments and unfamiliar faces, and no one to join the dots on their care, forcing them to try and fill in the blanks themselves.

The NHS aims to offer treatment within a maximum of 62 days of an urgent referral. But these standards are routinely being missed. Rishi Sunak has admitted that failing to get NHS waiting lists down has been his worst moment as Prime Minister and that not being able to slash waiting times was disappointing.

Latest figures, for April, show that a quarter of patients with suspected cancer had to wait more than four weeks before finding out if they had the disease. One in 10 were forced to wait more than a month for cancer treatment and a third of people hadnt started treatment within two months of an urgent referral.

The Telegraph spoke to three people who are at the frontline of NHS treatment delays.

My dad missed the chance to see his grandchildren grow up

Nicola Allens dad Clive Flisher died of pancreatic cancer after becoming too unwell for chemotherapy during a seven-week wait for treatment

My dad was always a very fit and healthy man, with an enormous passion for walking and the great outdoors. He never smoked or drank alcohol and always counted his five a day to make sure he had enough fruit and veg. In his whole working life as a chartered surveyor, he had one day off sick.

Clive Fisher was fit, healthy, and enjoyed walking

Thats why it completely floored us (my mum Pauline and siblings Marian and Laura) when he was diagnosed at 67 with pancreatic cancer.

It all started when he complained of not feeling quite right in June 2019. He was diagnosed with prediabetes and otherwise given the all-clear.

Then he developed horrendous back pain that Christmas. While he would never usually phone his doctor, he called them repeatedly until he was referred for physio.

When that didnt ease his pain, he knew something wasnt right. He was told it would be July before he could have a GP appointment and blood test. It was only when that consultation came around that doctors went oh dear, something is seriously wrong.

Two weeks later, he was referred for a scan and during that appointment, he learned it was his pancreas. He was told to prepare for the worst.

He got the results five days later on July 28. He had stage four pancreatic cancer, which had spread to his liver and lymph nodes.

That night, Dads name popped up on my phone and suspecting it would be bad, I went to my bedroom to take the call. I didnt want my kids to hear. He told me Im sorry and shared his diagnosis. I cried out and fell to the floor. He kept apologising and then had to make the same call twice more, to each of my sisters.

From that point, every corner we turned was like a slow-motion car crash and the knocks got bigger and bigger. We felt like we had no control.

He waited five weeks to see his oncologist, where he was told he could live for six to 12 months if he had chemotherapy, or three to six months without it. Straight away, he said he wanted treatment. Doctors said he was the perfect chemo candidate because he was so healthy.

But his first session was booked for September 16  seven weeks after diagnosis. Half of people with pancreatic cancer die within 12 weeks.

I remember Dad desperately wishing all of the staff involved in his care could just sit down together, to speed things up. There was no sense of urgency.

A few days before he was due to start chemo, we were celebrating his eldest granddaughters 16th birthday. Dad was determined to be there because he knew it was probably the last family birthday he was going to see. But he got a call to say there were problems with his pre-chemotherapy blood test and to go to A&E. He saw his granddaughter open one present before heading to hospital, where he spent four days receiving blood transfusions in an attempt to get him well enough for chemo.

Clive with his grandson Joe, following his diagnosis

But nothing helped  he was too ill because they had left it too long. He was on his own when he was told that chemo was no longer an option and he wouldnt live to see Christmas.

He was so angry and heartbroken. Dad had done so much for society and it was his turn to get something back but no one was there to help him. I would catch him looking at his grandchildren, looking absolutely devastated about what he was going to miss out on because he just loved his family life.

After the knock of being told he could no longer be treated for cancer, Dad went downhill so quickly. I cant think of a worse time in my life. I was just watching him and thinking, why isnt anyone doing anything? Its gut-wrenching watching a person get more and more unwell. Its inhumane. He suffered horrendously.

Dad died at home on November 8, 2020, aged 67.

He desperately wanted more time with us, to have a final Christmas together and to see the top of Ben Nevis again. An earlier diagnosis and receiving chemotherapy could have given us time to do that.

Doctors should have suspected pancreatic cancer. Diabetes and a back ache can both be symptoms. Now, I would tell cancer patients and their families  nag, nag, nag. Demand the care you deserve.

Mum had cancer treatment in January  and is still waiting for results

Jackie Heads mother Rosemary, 83, underwent treatment for lung cancer in January and is still waiting for a scan to find out if it worked

My mum was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer  the most common type of lung cancer, which is less aggressive than the small cell lung cancer  for the second time in October. The first time around, she had surgery to remove it and a slow recovery, but we were so relieved that it was caught at Stage One.

She was declared cancer-free but invited back for routine follow-up scans, to check whether the cancer had come back. It was during one of these checks in January 2023 that doctors noticed a nodule on her lung and started to investigate it.

Doctors found Rosemary Head's cancer for the second time during a routine check-up

It took 10 months, until October, to confirm it was cancer. That was a very long and stressful process. She was left hanging with unanswered questions and struggled to get on with her days  it was so unfair.

Eventually, Mum was referred for proton beam therapy, which involves directing high energy beams at cancer cells to destroy them. This took place in January this year, 12 months after the cancer was spotted.

A follow-up scan in April was supposed to reveal, vitally, whether her treatment had worked, or if she needed further care. But we were told the results were unclear.

Rather than being invited back for another scan, she is still waiting to find out the outcome of the treatment, leaving us in limbo. Has the treatment worked, or is that nodule still there and growing? Could the cancer have spread? If so, what stage could it be at now?

Ive called and emailed everyone in the NHS that I can  her GP, oncologist and their secretaries. All weve been told is that shell have a blood test at some point in September and a phone call in October  10 months on from her treatment.

I never blame NHS staff. Its not their fault and you can hear in their voices that theyre so sorry but theyve told me their hands are tied and theyre battling a backlog.

Mum is a brave and strong woman, from a generation where everyone just carries on. Until she retired in her 70s, she trained staff for M&S, worked for charities in Africa and volunteered at the Olympics in Korea, the UK and Brazil. But I can tell that she is frightened and she worries that any pain or symptom she develops is a sign of cancer, leaving her anxious and stressed  the last thing that a cancer patient needs.

Rosemary pictured with her daughter Jackie

I was diagnosed with cancer myself last year, after being invited to be screened as part of a trial, as Mum had been diagnosed.

I didnt for a moment think that I could have it. Im fit  taking on 100km runs, open water swimming and ice climbing in my spare time  and had no symptoms.

But I had the exact same type of cancer as my mum. I had a lobectomy to remove part of my lung and didnt need any further treatment.

The trial meant my treatment was under the spotlight, so I sometimes had two appointments a week and received top-notch care. I havent required any further treatment and now get annual scans, so they can spot if it comes back.

Mum is really struggling and is very tired. She was hoping to volunteer at the Olympics in Paris but, as we dont have a clear picture of her health, she cant get insurance.

Before witnessing my mums cancer care, I thought the UK was one of the best countries in the world for the disease.

I now know that, unless a cancer patient can advocate for themselves, or has a loved one do it on their behalf, they risk being lost in the system. I worry for those patients, who are left anxious and unable to sleep in the face of delays.

My GP dismissed my cancer symptoms as the perimenopause

Sbba Siddique, 55, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2022, six months after going to her GP with symptoms of the disease

Weight gain in my belly, tiredness and generally feeling unwell didnt set off cancer alarms for me or my doctor. Over a phone appointment in October 2021, I was told I was simply perimenopausal and may have irritable bowel syndrome.

A busy mum-of-three with my own media and events company, I carried on with work and life, managing my symptoms as best I could, reassuring myself that I was a woman of a certain age and it was nothing to worry about. That is what Id been told.

It was only when I went for a routine appointment with my dermatologist in February 2022, to discuss my psoriasis, that she said my tummy was swollen and out of shape and urged me to get it checked. If she hadnt pushed me, Id still be going along with my initial diagnosis.

I contacted my GP surgery and insisted that I have an in-person appointment. A range of blood tests showed that my cancer markers were raised. I was referred for scans, which showed that I had a growth on both of my ovaries.

My husband came with me to my next appointment in March. That day, doctors told me I had Stage Three ovarian cancer. It was a shock. I cried thinking about how to tell my children.

I was booked in for surgery to remove the cancer, mentally preparing myself for it in the run up. So it was a real knock back when, at short notice, the operation was pushed back by 10 days because a more urgent case had come in.

I eventually had surgery at the end of April. Waking up to be told that it had been unsuccessful was devastating. The cancer had spread far further than expected and my surgeon decided it was best to do nothing.

Sbba pictured post surgery

Im still dealing with the mental and physical trauma of that surgery. With 48 stitches to show for the ordeal, I began 12 weeks of IV chemotherapy in June. It was gruelling. I dealt with horrid side effects  sleeping difficulties, nausea, fatigue and peripheral neuropathy, which caused numbness and tingling in my feet. I was housebound for eight months. I couldnt even walk to the bathroom on my own.

Heart-breakingly, scans in August showed that the chemo had done nothing. I was being broken physically and mentally and the options available to me were shrinking.

Then, I started a seven-week course of oral chemo in September. I came out in a horrendous rash  a bad reaction to the drug. Every time I stood up, I left behind a puddle of skin on the floor. I was hospitalised four times due to the rash. A&E doctors compared my skin to that of an acid burn victim.

Sbba Siddique's rash in reaction to chemotherapy treatment

Thankfully, the oral chemo had done enough to shrink the tumour and an operation to remove the cancer was possible. However, my rash meant there was a high risk of infection. My surgeon gave me a date for the operation 12 days later, but said a dermatologist would need to treat the rash before the surgery could go ahead. I was referred to NHS dermatology but my appointment never came.

Panicked, my husband and I decided to bite the bullet and go private. I was seen immediately  and paid a pretty penny for that  but I was given medication to treat the rash. It wasnt until February this year that I received a letter to say that I had an NHS dermatology appointment  more than a year after it was needed.

Thankfully my surgeon was satisfied with my private care and the operation went ahead. They aimed to remove 70 per cent of the cancer but, four days later, she came to my hospital bed to deliver the news  theyd removed 100 per cent.

I cant describe what that felt like, after everything Id been through. Cancer causes physical symptoms but also emotional and mental challenges. When you add delays to that  its absolutely exhausting.

Im now cancer-free and have a blood test every three months to check that it stays that way. But Im still waiting for care for my peripheral neuropathy. I was referred for treatment in January 2023 and my appointment will be this week  18 months later.

While I understand the challenges the NHS faces due to a lack of funding, looking back at the delays I suffered  in diagnosis, for my surgery and follow-up care  action is needed.

GPs need to stop treating patients under the best-case scenario  in my case that I only had perimenopausal symptoms  and to start with the worst-case scenario (that it could be cancer). Chuck all the bells and whistles in at the beginning.

In my case, that would have meant a simple blood test would have flagged that I had cancer right at the beginning. I would have had a diagnosis six months earlier, likely at an earlier stage.

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.
Dad told son stop playing with that gun moments before he shot and killed him

A Georgia man was arrested after police said he shot and killed his father.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Police in Fort Worth, Texas responded to a shooting on Chesapeake Bay Drive on Friday, just before 2:30 p.m.

When officers arrived, they found a man, later identified as 54-year-old Gene Bass lying in the front yard with gunshot wounds to his upper body.

Gene Bass was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to an affidavit obtained by Channel 2 Action News, witnesses told officers, a black Ford Mustang stopped in front of the home and a man, later identified as Xavier Bass, 27, walked toward Gene Bass.

The affidavit said the suspect was holding a handgun and he threw it up in the air and caught it twice.

The victim approached the suspect and said something to the effect of, Boy, stop playing with that gun before you shoot someone, the affidavit said.

Fort Worth officials said Xavier Bass fired several shots before driving away. Texas authorities said Gene Bass had been shot several times, but at least once in his head.

TRENDING STORIES:

The suspect was one of the emergency contacts listed on the victims drivers license. Officers found the suspects Facebook and noticed a photo of him sitting in the drivers seat of a black Ford Mustang. The affidavit revealed that Xavier Bass had a car with Georgia license plates registered to him. According to officials, the victims ex-wife told police the family had been trying to get ahold of the suspect but couldnt.

A redacted name of Xavier Bass girlfriend states the victim was Xavier Bass father.

Xavier broke down and told her he needed to drive to Texas and that she would find out why when she saw it on the news. He didnt state why, the affidavit said.

On Thursday, the suspect allegedly told his girlfriend he was going to drive to see his mom, sell his Mustang, and check himself into a mental hospital. On the day of the shooting, she allegedly tried to call the suspect but he didnt answer the phone.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

On Saturday, Xavier Bass was arrested at a home in Valdosta by the Lowndes County Sheriffs Office. The sheriffs office told Channel 2 Action News they did not have a report regarding his arrest, as he was being held for another county out of Texas.

Hes charged with murder.

IN OTHER NEWS:
After a warm meal at noontime, these American children take off their shoes for their nap in their public nursery, one of forty-one servicing an industrial area of thirty miles on the western U.S. coast. Their parents are working in a shipyard and their nursery school was established through funds appropriated by the U.S. Congress for the benefit of war workers' children. The nursery is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (U.S. Office of War Information photo, courtesy of Library of Congress)

After a warm meal at noontime, these American children take off their shoes for their nap in their public nursery, one of forty-one servicing an industrial area of thirty miles on the western U.S. coast. Their parents are working in a shipyard and their nursery school was established through funds appropriated by the U.S. Congress for the benefit of war workers' children. The nursery is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (U.S. Office of War Information photo, courtesy of Library of Congress)

Mom or Dad is at work all day, or out of the picture altogether. The spouse is at home taking care of the kiddos but needs to get out of the house to work or pursue an education. There is just one obstacle, but it is a big one  day care. In Alaska and throughout the nation quality day care is hard to find and expensive.

J. Howard Miller's "We Can Do It!", also called "Rosie the Riveter" after the iconic figure of a strong female war production worker. (U.S. Office for Emergency Management image)

Imagine the issue resolved. Imagine that high quality day care is widely available and jaw-droppingly inexpensive at about $8 to $10 per child per day. Day care includes snacks and a hot lunch. It includes a ratio of 1 to 10, staff to children. And it includes basic health care.

The day care facility may be a new building specifically built as a fully equipped modern day care center, or it may be a local school building. It opens early and stays open late to accommodate elastic work schedules. Some day care facilities are open 24 hours a day, six days a week. At the end of the day, select day care centers send home an evening meal for the parent and children.

Impossible but tantalizing daydream? No, not a mere daydream  part of our American history. Parents demanded it. Politicians wanted it. And it was done. For a few brief years the United States had a generously funded day care program across the nation.

Early in the 1940s the United States had hurled itself into war against the Axis powers. The men were gone, engaged in the war effort. Graphics of Rosie the Riveter were everywhere, urging women to replace men in critical war industries. Maybe Rosie didnt have children, or maybe she had a kindly mother who watched her children while she was hammering rivets. But millions of real women were alone at home with their children. How could they work full-time in war industries and be full-time mothers at the same time? As the New York Times reported in 2019:

The major source of funding to remedy this came from the Lanham Act of 1940, which enabled a number of social programs during the war years. Beginning in 1942, the Lanham Act funded the Federal Works Agency to provide group child care in areas of war impact. But far from instantly setting up a cheerful child care center on every block, the act created a complex patchwork of public and private entities, which in some cases sustained existing centers, and in others allowed communities to set up new ones.

According to a report by the Congressional Research Service, even at the outset of the program the need for the child care centers was estimated to be much greater than the services provided. Nevertheless, it was an extraordinary accomplishment:

The wartime child care programs were locally planned Overall, as many as 635 communities across the nation were granted funds to operate one or more centers. Projects included programs for preschool and school-age children. In July 1944, when the wartime child care program reached its apex, 52,440 preschoolers and 76,917 school-age children were enrolled.

By mid-1945 it was clear that the Allies had won the war. The prevailing male sentiment was that it was time for Rosie the Riveter and her female factory colleagues to pack up and go back home. They were urged to take their traditional place in the kitchen and give the factory jobs back to men. And to make sure the women did that, politicians immediately slashed funds for national day care, quickly dismantling the program. Pushback ensued. Women and children demonstrated in the streets. There were write-in campaigns, according to the CRS report:

Approximately one month after this announcement, the FWA [Federal Works Agency] reported it had received communications from 26 states and the District of Columbia (1,155 letters, 318 wires, 794 postcards and petitions signed by 3,647 individuals), urging continuation of the program. Principal reasons given were the need of servicemens wives to continue employment until their husbands returned, the ongoing need of mothers who were the sole support of their children, and a lack of inadequacy of other forms of care in the community.

Nevertheless, sexism and discrimination prevailed. Within a few short years most of the national day care program had been wiped out. Vestiges remained through the 1960s, mostly in California. Then the national day care program was entirely gone.

So here we are today. Day care woes abound. Tax breaks and other marginal incentives of today cannot build a national day care program. However, eight decades ago the Federal Works Agency did. We have the precedent and the need but lack politicians with the vision.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Its a season of new chancellors in the UNC System. New leaders have been named at four universities this year, and searches for three others are in progress or soon-to-begin.

One of those searches, at Appalachian State University, is one step closer to kicking off after UNC System President Peter Hans last week named the committee tasked with finding the schools next chancellor. Chancellor Sheri Everts resigned in April citing health reasons.

Unlike other recent chancellor searches, the App State committee will be led not by the chair of the universitys Board of Trustees or an alumnus  but instead by Deanna Ballard, former Republican state senator who represented Watauga County from 2016 to 2023 and helped write the controversial Parents Bill of Rights.

Ballard was also a candidate for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in the March primary.

Im no stranger to climbing these mountains, & look forward to scaling new heights with faculty, staff, students, trustees & alumni as we consider the range of talents & skills needed in our next chancellor, Ballard said on X, formerly Twitter. #AppNation, weve got your back!

Who else will join Ballard on the 13-member committee?

Welcome to Deans List, a roundup of higher education news in the Triangle and across North Carolina from The News & Observer and myself, Korie Dean.

This weeks edition includes more information about the other members of the App State search committee, new faces on college governing boards and a grant for nursing education at UNC Greensboro.

Committee named for App State chancellor search

Per UNC System policy, chancellor search committees must consist of no more than 13 members. Those members must include the UNC System president or a designee, members of the system Board of Governors and campus Board of Trustees, another UNC System chancellor and representatives of faculty, staff, students and alumni.

In addition to Ballard, the committee for App States search will include the following members:

Peter Hans, UNC System president

Wendy Murphy, UNC Board of Governors chair

Philip Byers, App State alumnus and Board of Governors campus liaison for the university

Mark Ricks, App State alumnus and Board of Trustees chair

Tommy Sofield Jr., App State alumnus and Board of Trustees vice chair

Scott Lampe, App State alumnus and Board of Trustees member

Kimberly van Noort, chancellor of UNC Asheville

Jacqui Bergman, Faculty Senate chair, professor, Department of Management

Kathryn Long, student body president

Courtney Thompson, App State alumna and staff representative





Brandon Adcock, App State alumnus; CEO of Wellful, Inc. and co-founder of Adaptive Health

Brad Wilson, App State alumnus; CEO Emeritus of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina

In a news release, Hans said he was grateful to Ballard for agreeing to chair the committee, and thanked Ricks for his stalwart support of his alma mater.

Ballard has strong ties to the Boone community and has been one of App States biggest champions, Hans said.

In her bid this year for lieutenant governor, Ballard cited education as one of the top issues she wanted to address if elected. In an N&O candidate questionnaire, she touted her Senate record of championing school choice and her role in writing an initial version of the states Parents Bill of Rights.

The version of the bill that Ballard authored  which went through the Senate in 2022 but which the House did not take up that year  would have required notifying parents of changes in the name or pronoun used for a student at school, and would ban instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in K-3 curriculum, The N&O previously reported.

Critics said the bill would have forced teachers to out students gender identities to parents, and would place an undue burden on teachers. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper compared the legislation to Floridas so-called Dont Say Gay bill.

Ballard defended the bill by saying it would not prohibit or restrict conversations about gender and sexuality in classrooms.

If a teacher has a same-sex partner, were not stifling discussion, she said in 2022.

A slightly different version of the bill became law last year after Republicans in the General Assembly voted to override Coopers veto of it.

Ballard also touts her role in going toe-to-toe with Cooper and former state Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen by passing landmark legislation ordering the schools reopened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On her campaign website, Ballard cited her efforts on the Parents Bill of Rights, school choice and reopening schools as examples of her work protecting kids from the woke agenda  which she also listed as a key campaign issue. She also aligned herself with Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, saying she, like him, believes schools should focus on reading, writing, and math, NOT political indoctrination.

On higher education, Ballard said in her N&O candidate questionnaire that she supports economic policies that focus on skills training and dont center on a college education.

Too many students take on crushing student loan debt  and for what? Often, a job that pays less than blue collar work, Ballard said.

Prior to serving in the Senate, Ballard worked in the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the White House during George W. Bushs administration. She attended Belmont University in Nashville.

The App State chancellor search committees first meeting has not been announced. Per the UNC Systems news release, information about the search will soon be available on the universitys website.

The Appalachian State University campus in Boone, N.C., was quiet on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020.

NC House, Senate appoint new college governing board members

In addition to Ballard being tapped to serve on the chancellor search committee at App State, she also received another higher education-related appointment last week.

In the General Assemblys annual appointments bill, Republican Senate leader Phil Berger appointed Ballard to the NCInnovation board for a term that will expire next September. NCInnovation, formed in 2020, is the nonprofit that aims to help researchers in the UNC System turn their ideas into revenue-generating businesses. The group received $250 million in last years state budget.

The bill also included appointments for other former lawmakers and recent candidates:

Former Republican Rep. Jon Hardister to fill a vacant seat on the Western Carolina University Board of Trustees, per a nomination from Republican House Speaker Tim Moore. Hardister, who represented Guilford County in the General Assembly beginning in 2012, resigned from the legislature in March. He unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for state labor commissioner in the March primary.

DeVan Barbour, who unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination in the 13th district congressional primary, will join the Johnston Community College Board of Trustees, per a nomination from Berger. His term will end in 2028.

Richard Stevens, a former Republican state Senator and member of the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees, will join the UNC Health Care System Board of Directors, per a nomination from Moore. His term will end in 2028.

UNC Greensboro gets millions for nursing

UNC Greensboro has been awarded more than $2.4 million to expand its nursing programs and enroll more students.

The funds stem from a legislative initiative to increase the number of nursing graduates from the UNC System. The UNC System accepted proposals from universities for funds this spring, with maximum possible awards of $3 million per school.

With the help of the funds, UNCG anticipates enrollment in its bachelor of science in nursing program growing by 50% over two years, as well as welcoming dozens of students to its master of science in nursing program, according to a news release. The funding will also help the university recruit and retain nursing faculty, and hire additional support staff, such as academic advisors, School of Nursing Dean Debra Barksdale said.

We welcome, and appreciate, the opportunity to educate more nurses to meet the needs of North Carolina, UNCG Chancellor Franklin Gilliam said in a news release. Our School of Nursing has long been ranked as a leader in the state and nationally, and this investment in our faculty, clinical partnerships, and facilities will further enhance the student experience as we prepare the next generation of nurses.

College Avenue at UNC Greensboro.

Higher ed news Im reading

Utahs ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which went into effect this week, does not prohibit cultural centers. But many schools are closing them anyway, Inside Higher Ed reports.

Sign up for The N&Os higher education newsletter

Thats all for this roundup of North Carolina higher education news. I hope youll stay tuned for more.

Like what you read here and want to be on our mailing list? Have suggestions for what kind of content youd like to see featured in the future? Let us know by filling out the form below:
Hontiveros renews calls for reparations for comfort women

Senator Risa Hontiveros reiterated her call for just and meaningful reparations for Filipino comfort women and their families, stressing that time is running out for the Philippine government to seek redress for and recognize the few remaining Malaya Lolas.

Hontiveros made this appeal following her meeting with the nonprofit organization Malaya Lolas, which is composed of Filipino survivors of sex slavery.

"Labing-walo na lang ang natitirang Malaya Lolas. They cannot wait any longer," Hontiveros said. "President Marcos and the entire administration must make good on their promise to extend aid and assistance to them. Hindi dapat hayaan ng ating gobyerno na pumanaw sila nang hindi nakakamtan ang hustisya para sa kanila."

Hontiveros also visited Bahay na Pula, which was used by the Japanese Imperial Army to perpetrate sexual violence.

"Bahay na Pula has been torn down, leaving only its foundation behind. I hope this can be undone. Sana i-rebuild ito at gawing memorial site para sa lahat ng victim-survivors ng wartime sexual violence," she said.

She continued, "Bukod dito, sana gawin ng gobyerno ang lahat nang paraan para ma-recover ang nawawalang Comfort Woman statue na dati nang inilagay sa Maynila at tinanggal para sa 'di umano'y drainage project. Masyado nang matagal na pilit tinatago ang malagim na hinarap ng ating mga lola. It's time we commemorate this and learn from it."

Hontiveros -- who has authored laws against sexual violence, abuse, and exploitation -- has filed Senate Resolution No. 539, which urges the government to ensure just and meaningful reparations are given to Filipino comfort women and their families after the Philippines was called out by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.

The UN panel said the Philippines failed to fulfill its treaty obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women by not seeking redress for comfort women.
A visitor takes a selfie with actresses dressed in ethnic costumes in the China Cultural Center in Amman, Jordan on June 30, 2024. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

AMMAN, June 30 (Xinhua) -- A promotion event of Chinese tea culture was held Sunday here in the Jordanian capital with fascinating music and dance performances and ethnic costumes on display featuring the distinctiveness of southern China's Yunnan Province.

Speaking at the opening of the event, Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Chen Chuandong said the Chinese history of making and drinking tea dates back almost 5,000 years, and the spread of tea worldwide has fostered exchanges and fusion between civilizations, including those of the Arab world.

Yang Cheng, deputy director of the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, proudly introduced six tea processing techniques and associated social practices of his province, including the traditional Pu'er tea processing techniques and the three-course tea tradition of the Bai ethnic minority.

He noted the six techniques were part of the "traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China" enlisted in 2022 as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, expressing hope that the event will help deepen the understanding of Yunnan's ethnic cultures among the Jordanian people and promote cultural exchanges and collaboration between Jordan and Yunnan, China.

The event, which was held in the China Cultural Center in Amman and runs until July 2, saw its opening attracting more than 300 participants from China, Jordan, and other countries.

An exhibitor makes tea during a promotion event of Chinese tea culture in the China Cultural Center in Amman, Jordan on June 30, 2024. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

People look at pictures about tea culture of southern China's Yunnan Province in the China Cultural Center in Amman, Jordan on June 30, 2024. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

Editor: GSY
Death toll rises in India stampede as officials investigate possible causes

Local police investigate the scene of Tuesday's deadly stampede and say the featured religious figure, Suraj Pal, has disappeared but is not a target of the investigation. Photo by Harish Tyagi/EPA-EFE

July 3 (UPI) -- At least 121 people died during a human stampede as a religious event concluded Tuesday, prompting local officials to order an investigation into the deadly event.

Event organizers anticipated a crowd of 80,000 at the religious gathering in the Uttar Pradesh state in central India that featured a Hindu guru named Suraj Pal, who since has disappeared.

An estimated 250,000 people showed up and crowded under tents to escape the hot sun.

The deadly stampede occurred as the event ended, and most of the victims are women.

Uttar Pradesh state officials ordered an investigation into the stampede's causes while the state police filed a complaint to initiate a case against the event's organizers.

Volunteers help victims following the stampede that killed at least 121 people, most of them women, as a religious event ended in central India on Tuesday. Photo by Harish Tyagi/EPA-EFE

"As the preacher left in his car, many rushed to collect dust rising from the path of the vehicle," the police complaint says. "Some of those bent over got crushed by the large crowd exiting the venue."

The police complaint accuses event organizers of throwing victims' clothing and footwear into nearby fields to destroy evidence of the stampede.

The site of Tuesday's deadly religious event in central India is empty after an estimated 250,000 people attended the event for which organizers anticipated 80,000, which led to poor crowd control. Photo by Harish Tyagi/EPA-EFE

The police complaint is filed as a culpable homicide that is less than murder and destruction of evidence but does not name Suraj Pal as a suspect or target of the investigation.

Two narratives have emerged regarding the stampede's cause.

One narrative suggests event organizers stopped a group of religious devotees from getting close to Pal after he finished addressing attendees of the religious event.

The other narrative says the stampede happened as attendees tried to exit the tents provided to shelter them from the hot sun and humidity.

All agree the event lacked suitable crowd control, which made an orderly exit difficult.

Local hospitals were overwhelmed by the numbers of injured attendees who arrived for treatment, which likely added to the death toll.

The Indian government announced it will pay $2,500 in compensation to the deceased victims' families.
Death toll of Russia's June 28 attack on Dnipro rises to 3

The death toll of a Russian attack against Dnipro on June 28 has risen to three, as rescuers found the body of another person in the rubble, Mayor Borys Filatov told Suspilne on July 3.

Russian troops carried out a missile attack on the city of Dnipro on June 28, damaging a nine-story building. At least 12 were wounded, the authorities reported.

Dnipro, Ukraine's fourth-largest city, has served as a key logistics and humanitarian hub during the full-scale war.

Russian forces have carried out a number of deadly attacks against the city and the surrounding region since 2022.

Most recently, Russia attacked Dnipro with missiles and drones on July 3, killing at least five people and injuring over 40, according to the latest information as of 3:30 p.m. local time.

Read also: Russian attack on Dnipro kills 5, injures 39, shopping center hit

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Death Valley, California, is expecting a roasting heat wave this July 4th weekand could break its own record for the worlds hottest place within days.

Temperatures will be so blistering that rescue helicopters will not be allowed to fly.

The heat wave currently scorching California is expected to bring exceptionally high temperatures to Death Valley this week. Weather geeks are closely monitoring the situation, hoping to see the mercury rise above 130 degrees Fahrenheit. (At 131 degrees, tender beef like sirloin and ribeye would cook sous vide to medium-rare in two hours).

According to Scientific American, 130 degrees is the highest temperature ever reliably recorded on Earth, a record set in Death Valley in both 2020 and 2021. There was a heat wave in 2023 which did not shatter the record but now the National Weather Service's Las Vegas office, responsible for forecasting in Death Valley, has estimated a 25 per cent chance of hitting 130 degrees on Monday and Tuesday.

Forecaster Brian Planz told SF Gate that the official temperature gauge at Furnace Creek is expected to register around 127 degrees next Monday. However, if the ridge of high pressure causing this heat wave aligns perfectly over the park, temperatures could potentially soar even higher, breaking records.

Death Valley's extreme heat is not just a curiosity but a serious hazard. Exposure to 130-degree temperatures can have severe effects on the human body. At this temperature, the body's cooling mechanisms, primarily sweating, become overwhelmed.

Heat exhaustion and heatstroke can occur rapidly, leading to symptoms like dizziness, confusion, and loss of consciousness. Prolonged exposure can cause the body's core temperature to rise dangerously, potentially resulting in organ failure and death. Additionally, physical contact with superheated surfaces, such as the valley floor, can cause severe burns.

Historically, the World Meteorological Organization recognizes a high of 134 degrees recorded at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913, as the all-time record. However, this measurement, taken by U.S. Weather Bureau observer Oscar Denton, is disputed by many meteorologists due to inconsistencies in his records. Consequently, the 130-degree readings from 2020 and 2021 are often cited as the highest reliably recorded temperatures.

A spokesperson for Death Valley National Park told Vox that many visitors are shocked to learn that a [rescue] helicopter will not come when its above 120 degrees outside. Warm air just doesnt have as much lift as cool air. So a helicopter gets less lift in extreme temperatures. It seems to be the most effective thing that we can do, other than telling people, Oh, it's hot out there.

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.
Note: This story may be disturbing to some readers.

DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA)  The family of a sixth-grader who was allegedly sexually assaulted by his substitute teacher is now suing Decatur Public Schools.

Alley Bardfield, 34, has been charged with criminal sexual assault after allegedly having sexual intercourse with one of her male students at Hope Academy in Decatur. She was fired by Decatur Public Schools after being arrested. Both Bardfield and the Decatur Public School District are named in the lawsuit which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois Friday.

Bardfield pleaded not guilty in April.

Among the counts in the lawsuit include negligent supervision, negligent retention, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

[The Decatur Board of Educations] policy, practice, and custom fostered a climate which facilitated abuse, sexual grooming, and sexual assault of its students, part of the lawsuit reads.

New details in Decatur substitute teacher sexual assault investigation; students family hires attorney

The lawsuit alleges the Board of Education violated Erins Law, which requires school employees to be trained in preventing sexual assault, by employing Bardfield who was not trained after being hired in October 2023.

Defendant Bardfield never completed any training prior to and subsequent to her

hiring at Hope Academy, including training on adult sexual misconduct, ethics on sexual

misconduct, recognizing and reporting child abuse, and title IX training, the lawsuit reads.

Also in the lawsuit is details that the victim got Bardfields number from a classmate, who hosted multiple play dates at her house in 2023. One time, the 11-year-old showed up, and he was the only child besides Bardfields own children.

The victim later visited in 2024, including one where Bardfields children were asleep and their legs touched while watching TV. Bardfield later texted I think you are cute to the defendant after that night.

In March 2024, the lawsuit explains the victim went over to the substitute teachers house. The first, Bardfield performed oral sex on the sixth-grader, the second engaged in vaginal intercourse.

After the second encounter, the sixth-grader told Bardfield he did not want the relationship to continue. The lawsuit alleges after that Bardfield went through the victims phone in her temporary classroom to delete TikTok messages between them while he was at recess.

The lawsuit reads the student has undergone psychological treatment after the relationship ended.

Plaintiffs suffered and continue to suffer including without limitation severe and permanent psychological and emotional distress; physical manifestations of the aforesaid emotional distress and diminished ability to enjoy his life, and is thus entitled to an award of monetary damages from Defendants, the lawsuit reads.

WCIA reached out to a spokesperson for Decatur Public Schools for comment on the lawsuit but did not hear 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 WCIA.com.
Delawares governor defended U.S. President Joe Bidens acumen for a second term following news reports that Democratic governors have been seeking a meeting with the White House over concerns about the president's recent debate.

Some Democratic governors wanted to meet with the White House to discuss their concerns about (Biden) in the aftermath of his poor debate performance, sources with knowledge of the discussions told CNN this week.

CNN hosted the first of two scheduled presidential debates on June 27.

According to CNN, concerns from some of the nations Democratic governors were aired on a call Monday organized by Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz. Only governors were on the call, the news outlet reported Tuesday. The news outlet also reported that the White House was considering a meeting Wednesday with Democratic governors.

Gov. John Carney speaks prior to a panel discussion on the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education at the Hockessin Colored School on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.

When asked whether Delaware Gov. John Carney was part of the call, Carney did not answer the question directly and his office instead issued the following statement:

Democratic governors, myself included, are some of the President and Vice Presidents biggest supporters because weve seen how the Biden-Harris Administrations work has directly benefited the people of our states. I endorsed President Bidens reelection campaign last year and continue to stand behind him. We need to make sure President Biden can finish the job he started.

The governor's spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed Carney will be attending a meeting with Democratic governors that the White House has arranged.

President Joe Biden visits Veterans Memorial Park near New Castle on May 30, 2024.

The White House meeting comes amid an onslaught of reports that Biden should end his presidential campaign following last week's debate, and even one news outlet reporting Biden had told a "key ally" that he was considering ending the campaign, the latter reported by the New York Times.

Since the NYT story, Biden has come out defending his ability to serve another four years as president and reassured campaign staff and others that he will be the 2024 Democratic nominee, telling his team during a conference call that he is not withdrawing from the race.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris joined an all-staff campaign meeting and pushed back at mounting calls for the 81-year-old incumbent president to bow out following a disastrous debate performance last week that has pushed his campaign into chaos.

PRESIDENTIAL RACE: 'No one's pushing me out': President Biden tells campaign he won't withdraw from race

"The past few days have been tough. Im sure you're getting a lot of calls, and I'm sure many of you have questions as well," Biden told the campaign, according to a source familiar with the conversation. "Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can and as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running."

Delaware is Biden's home state, and the president is known for returning home to visit. Biden enjoys broad support among the First State's Democrats.

SWEET TREATS IN DELAWARE: Biden will have ice cream with a supporter in Rehoboth Beach. We have guesses where

Most recently, a federal trial against the president's son, Hunter Biden, took place in Delaware's largest city.

USA Today contributed to this report.

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 governor to join White House call amid Biden debate concerns
A Delta Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in New York after passengers were served a spoiled in-flight meal service.

Flight 136 departed Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport for Amsterdam on Tuesday evening but diverted to JFK airport once the contaminated food was discovered.

According to data from the tracking site FlightRadar24, the Delta plane was flying over Saint Pierre and Miquelon  a French archipelago south of Canadas Newfoundland  when it was turned around.

The Airbus A330 landed safely at JFK at 4am this morning (3 July) and was met by medics to treat affected passengers.

It is currently unknown how many of the 277 passengers onboard consumed the spoiled meals and if any travellers displayed symptoms of food poisoning.

One impacted passenger, Virginia, wrote on Twitter/X: @delta I need to know how youre going to get me to Amsterdam today - Im on the plane thats emergency landing at JFK because you served passengers contaminated food - I dont need hotel/food vouchers I need to arrive in Amsterdam today.

A spokesperson for Delta Airlines said in a statement: Delta flight 136 from Detroit to Amsterdam diverted to New Yorks JFK early Wednesday morning after reports that a portion of the Main Cabin in-flight meal service were spoiled.

Medical crews met the aircraft to treat any affected passengers and crew members. Deltas Food Safety team has engaged our suppliers to immediately isolate the product and launch a thorough investigation into the incident.

This is not the service Delta is known for, and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels.

The airline says that they are currently working through the situation and will provide further updates later today.

For more travel news and advice listen to Simon Calders podcast.
Spoiled in-flight meals prompted the diversion of a Delta Air Lines flight early Wednesday.

Delta flight 136 from Detroit to Amsterdam diverted to New Yorks JFK early Wednesday morning after reports that a portion of the Main Cabin in-flight meal service were spoiled, the airline said in a statement.

The airline said medical crews met the aircraft to treat any impacted passengers and crew.

Delta said its food safety team is working to immediately isolate the product, and the airline will investigate the incident.

This is not the service Delta is known for and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels, the airline said.

Flight 136 departed from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport on Tuesday night at 10:51 p.m. and landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York 3:59 a.m., according to flight tracking site FlightAware.

The Airbus A330 aircraft was carrying 277 customers. Passengers were offered hotel rooms and have been booked on alternate flights, according to Delta.

Flight 136 is now scheduled to depart JFK at 3 p.m. on Wednesday and is expected to arrive in Amsterdam early Thursday morning  about 16 hours late, according to FlightAware.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The Amsterdam-bound flight was diverted after reports that a portion of the Main Cabin in-flight meal service were spoiled, the airline confirms to PEOPLE

Getty Airplane food tray

A Delta flight heading to Amsterdam from Detroit had to be diverted after passengers were served spoiled meals.

The aircraft, an Airbus A330, was carrying 277 passengers when it landed safely at John F. Kennedy Airport at 4 a.m. ET on Wednesday, July 3, the airline confirms to PEOPLE.

Medical experts advised crew members aboard Delta Flight 136 to divert the plane after discovering a portion of the meal service was spoiled. Upon landing, "medical crews met the aircraft to treat any affected passengers and crew members, according to the airline.

Related: Man Appears to Be Rescued from Overhead Bin After Flight Experiences Extreme Turbulence, Injuring Dozens

Spencer Platt/Getty Delta plane at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, the airline says, Delta flight 136 from Detroit to Amsterdam diverted to New Yorks JFK early Wednesday morning after reports that a portion of the Main Cabin in-flight meal service were spoiled.

Delta's Food Safety team has engaged our suppliers to immediately isolate the product and launch a thorough investigation into the incident, the statement continued. This is not the service Delta is known for and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels."

It has not yet been confirmed how many passengers ate the spoiled food.

Related: 11 Passengers Treated in Hospital Following 'Severe Turbulence' on Delta Flight to Atlanta

Getty John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City

In May, a United Airlines flight traveling from Vancouver to Houston had to be diverted after multiple passengers experienced nausea. The plane had to undergo a deep cleaning and be temporarily removed from service following the incident.

The passengers on Flight 1528 who did not feel well had all been on the same cruise, a spokesperson for United told PEOPLE at the time.

United Airlines is actively coordinating with health authorities to address the situation, the airline said in a statement. As a precautionary measure, the aircraft will be removed from service and go through a deep cleaning before returning to service."

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.

Ensuring the health and safety of our passengers and crew remains our top priority, the statement added.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was carrying a total of 163 passengers and six crew members.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker urged President Joe Biden to re-pitch himself to Americans following his disastrous performance at a presidential debate.

Pritzker, whose name has been floated as a possible candidate to replace Biden, discussed what he believes the president should do next during an interview Tuesday night on CNNs The Source with Kaitlan Collins.

Three-quarters of voters, U.S. voters, in a new CNN poll say the Democratic Party would have a better shot holding the presidency in 2024 with someone other than President Biden at the top of the ticket. Do you agree with that, or are the voters wrong? Collins asked.

Since the debate last Thursday, one Democratic lawmaker has called for Biden to withdraw, while others have indicated their openness to backing another candidate. On Tuesday, a CNN poll found that Biden was polling worse against Trump than other top Democrats, including his own vice president. Those results appear to have lit a fire within the party, which was already scrambling.

Well, I think thats why President Biden needs to communicate more, Pritzker replied. We havent heard a lot from him since the debate, and thats why the polls look as they do.

I think that when you come off a bad debate, you need to remind people why youre the right guy to elect, and I know that Joe Biden will do that over the next couple of weeks, at least I expect him to, he continued.

Or hell make a different decision, and I think thats, again, this is a healthy conversation for us all to be having, Pritzker said, seemingly referring to the decision to withdraw from the race.

And I think that the president needs to communicate to everybody once again why hes the right guy, Pritzker said.

"I think the president needs to communicate to everybody once again why he's the right guy" -- JB Pritzker on CNN pic.twitter.com/OAajpGLmiO  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 3, 2024

While Bidens campaign has trotted him out at events, the president has spoken sparingly about what his lackluster public speaking performance means for his candidacy. Democratic leaders are reportedly extremely frustrated with the lack of communication from Bidens team in the wake of the debate debacle, and have accused his inner circle of trying to shield him from calls to withdraw.



It seems that the Democratic governor may already be on track to get the face time with Biden he desires: Pritzker is expected to attend a meeting in Washington, D.C., with the president and other Democratic governors on Wednesday, according to Axios.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 2, 2024, for the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and a state visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Xi was warmly welcomed by Tokayev and a group of Kazakhstan senior officials upon his arrival at the airport. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

ASTANA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Kazakhstan on Tuesday for a state visit and to attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

This is Xi's fifth visit to Kazakhstan and the second one in less than two years, following his previous state visit in September 2022. The visit this time is expected to bring a renewed focus on the multifaceted aspects of bilateral ties and cooperation.

Calling the China-Kazakhstan partnership "unique," Xi said upon his arrival here that the everlasting friendship of the two nations has grown stronger over time, and set an example of solidarity, mutual benefit, and mutual success between neighboring countries.

In a series of meetings scheduled with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Xi is expected to engage in detailed discussions aimed at further strengthening cooperation between the two nations. The focal points of these talks are expected to cover trade and investment, infrastructure development, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

"The leaders of our countries launched a new 'golden 30 years' of cooperation between Kazakhstan and China," said Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of Kazakhstan's China Studies Center, referring to a joint announcement by the two heads of state during Xi's visit in 2022.

With Kazakhstan-China relations growing at a high level, it is believed that Xi's visit to Kazakhstan will open up new prospects for bilateral cooperation, she said.

During Tokayev's visit to China in 2019, the two countries decided to elevate their ties to a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. Speaking at a daily briefing in Beijing on Monday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that it is expected that Xi's visit this time will further strengthen bilateral relations.

The deepening mutual trust and political ties between China and Kazakhstan have been accompanied by a remarkable growth in their trade and economic cooperation over the past three decades.

China was Kazakhstan's largest trading partner in 2023, with two-way trade up by 32 percent year-on-year to reach 41 billion U.S. dollars. Key exports from Kazakhstan to China include crude oil, metals, and agricultural products, and in turn China has supplied Kazakhstan with machinery, electronics, and consumer goods, according to Kazakh government data.

The Central Asian nation has also become a critical partner in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to boost connectivity and promote global prosperity through infrastructure development and trade and investment facilitation. It was in Kazakhstan in 2013 that Xi first proposed the initiative of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

"This marked a magnificent chapter in Belt and Road cooperation between our two countries. And the development of China-Kazakhstan relations has since entered a new stage," Xi said in a signed article in the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper and Kazinform International News Agency on Tuesday.

Since then, the two countries have made significant strides in enhancing connectivity and economic integration through various BRI projects.

Among the recently completed and commissioned ventures are the Zhanatas wind farm, the Turgusun hydropower station, and the modernization of the Shymkent Oil Refinery. These developments underscore the robust energy cooperation fueling both countries' development. The China-Kazakhstan crude oil and natural gas pipelines are also operating with remarkable stability and safety, ensuring a consistent energy supply vital for both economies.

This dynamic partnership has also extended into transportation infrastructure, with key transport and logistics hubs, such as the terminal in Xi'an, the Western Europe-Western China Highway, and the China-Europe Railway Express, functioning seamlessly.

BRI's support for cross-border transport infrastructure has benefited Kazakh connectivity, according to a World Bank report, entitled "South Caucasus and Central Asia: The Belt and Road Initiative Kazakhstan Country Case Study."

For more than a decade, Kazakhstan has invested substantially to improve its own transport network, but due to more limited improvements in trade facilitation and limitations of resources in many neighboring countries, the gaps have been difficult to fill.

The focus of BRI on expanding transport infrastructure and economic integration and China's drive to connect its western and central regions more effectively to Europe and to West Asia provide an opportunity to address these gaps, according to the World Bank report.

"Kazakhstan is likely to be among the larger beneficiaries of the BRI," it concluded.

Meanwhile, consensus on deepening cultural and people-to-people exchanges is expected to be reached during Xi's visit. Both nations have for long recognized the importance of fostering greater understanding and friendship between their peoples, viewing cultural exchanges as one major cornerstone of their bilateral relationship.

So far, a China-Kazakhstan agreement on mutual establishment of cultural centers has been signed. Chinese and Kazakh filmmakers have co-produced a film entitled "The Composer," which is their first co-production. Bilateral programs for cultural cooperation, including a Chinese university campus in Kazakhstan, a Luban Workshop, and a center of traditional Chinese medicine, have been implemented.

Thanks to the mutual visa-exemption arrangements, a total of 600,000 cross-border trips were recorded in 2023. In the first quarter of this year, the number of visits in both directions amounted to 200,000 and are expected to reach a new high, official data from both sides have shown.

In an exclusive written interview with Xinhua before Xi arrived here, Tokayev emphasized the significance of cultural and people-to-people communications between the two countries, as the opening ceremony of the "Kazakhstan Tourism Year" in China was held in March in Beijing.

"Cultural and people-to-people cooperation plays an important role in strengthening bilateral ties and fostering friendship between the peoples of our countries," he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 2, 2024, for the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and a state visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Xi was warmly welcomed by Tokayev and a group of Kazakhstan senior officials upon his arrival at the airport. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 2, 2024, for the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and a state visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Tokayev held a grand welcoming ceremony at the airport to welcome Xi. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 2, 2024, for the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and a state visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Tokayev held a grand welcoming ceremony at the airport to welcome Xi. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 2, 2024, for the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and a state visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Tokayev held a grand welcoming ceremony at the airport to welcome Xi. A group of Kazakh children sang the song "Ode to the Motherland" in Chinese. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Editor: GSY
In the days since President Joe Bidens disappointing debate performance, a number of Democrats running in competitive districts have expressed their fear to the Biden campaign and the White House that the president remaining at the top of the ticket not only hurts the partys chances of holding onto the presidency but also the coveted goal of winning back the House of Representatives from GOP control.

The Democratic lawmakers have expressed their belief that Biden could suppress voter turnout, which will be the deciding factor in a number of key races, and therefore hurt their ability to win in November, according to multiple sources familiar with the conversations.

Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, who represents a largely rural district in Maine that twice backed former President Donald Trump, said Tuesday in an op-ed he expects Trump to win in November and Im OK with that.

Washington state Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez said Tuesday she believes Biden will lose but stopped short of calling for him to drop out of the race.

About 50 million Americans tuned in and watched that debate. I was one of them for about five very painful minutes. We all saw what we saw, you cant undo that, and the truth, I think, is that Biden is going to lose to Trump. I know thats difficult, but I think the damage has been done by that debate, Gluesenkamp Perez told CNN affiliate KATU when asked if Biden should remain in the race.

In particular, Democrats in the most difficult general election matchups are feeling the heat.

The frontliners are not hesitating to tell the campaign how they feel, one Democratic lawmaker familiar with the conversations told CNN. They are saying they are going to lose if they have to run with Joe Biden.

Retiring Rep. Ann Kuster, who represents a hotly contested swing seat in New Hampshire, told CNNs Kasie Hunt shes been in touch with both the White House and Biden campaign about concerns about the presidents well-being are impacting house races, particularly challenging districts.

In order to respond to our constituents concerns, we need to demonstrate that the president is fit not just for the job, but for the campaign, Kuster said. Joe Biden has always done the right thing for his country, so thats why I expect that this will get resolved. And that Democrats will be united behind the ticket.

Another House Democrat from a deep blue state told CNN on Wednesday the last 24 hours have started to feel different.

The lawmaker described the flood of messages from delegates and rank-and-file Democratic voters in the last 24 hours as all saying essentially the same thing: I love and respect the president, but its time.

This Democratic lawmaker said this was the first time since Bidens disastrous debate performance that delegates and rank-and-file Democratic voters expressed their desire for Biden to step aside.

And another Democratic lawmaker said that their assessment of Bidens candidacy is that its over, we are just waiting for the announcement. [Biden] is not there yet, will take a bit to get there, but its over.

Asked if Bidens interviews and events scheduled over the next few days could change that, the lawmaker did not think so. Its about the data, this member said, noting that it is getting worse.

The White House tried to quell concerns Tuesday, with spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre opening her briefing saying: First of all, I want to say, we understand the concerns. We get it. The president did not have a great night.

She later added: Were not taking away from what the American people saw.

Asked whether Biden regularly presents himself the way he did at the debate, Jean-Pierre cited a speech that Biden gave in North Carolina the day after the debate: He understands that hes not a young man, she said, adding that his focus is going to be on continuing to deliver for the American people on the issues that they care about.

Asked about the Democratic concerns, Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt said: The President has spoken personally with multiple elected officials on the Hill and across the battlegrounds since the debate.

Rep. Suzan DelBene, a Washington state Democrat who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, remained emphatic in her support for Biden in a statement.

The stakes are incredibly high this election, for all of us. That hasnt changed after last week, DelBene said. The choice this November is crystal clear: Democrats who want to govern responsibly versus extremist Republicans obsessed with tax breaks for billionaires, rolling back reproductive freedom, and defending Trumps attacks on our democracy. Our candidates are authentic leaders with proven records and I remain confident Democrats will retake the majority.

Battle for control

Democrats have an uphill battle to retain control of the Senate. Republicans needs to pick up only one or two seats  depending on which party wins the White House  to flip control, and the races will come down to whether red-state Democrats can defy the partisan tilt of their states.

But the House is a different story.

Republicans control the House by a narrow margin and 17 of those GOP lawmakers were elected in communities that backed Biden in 2020. The dysfunction that has overshadowed the current Republican majority has emphasized the pitfalls of razor-thin margins but underscores how even the lower chamber can serve as a roadblock to the White House.

Another Democrat in contact with the Biden campaign said, I know that I and others are stressing the importance of flipping the House as a last firewall in the case of a Trump presidency.

But the response Democrats are getting back is largely to hold tight until the president and his inner circle can assess the damage done and chart a path forward.

The Biden campaign has heard a lot of concern from strong supporters across the country but has asked for time to process and digest incoming polling data and to map out a strategy going forward one Democratic lawmaker told CNN.

Everyone is standing by the president as his campaign works to assess the damage done, the lawmaker added.

The prevailing line from the campaign continues to be that Biden had a bad debate night that should not diminish the record he has built up in his first term, particularly compared to the danger that Trump poses.

Some Democrats, however, are not willing to wait.

Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas on Tuesday became the first sitting Democratic member of Congress to call on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, while a growing number of Democratic leaders are saying they want him to step aside for the good of the party  and the country.

During a call with Democratic House leadership Wednesday, some of the top Democrats in the chamber said that Biden needs to step aside while other members raised concerns about the frenzy that could ensue if he did so, a source familiar with the call told CNN.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who led the call, heard from many lawmakers with various points of view, but several people effectively told Jeffries that they want him to go to Biden and say its time to go, according to another source familiar with the call.

The meeting, which also included Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and key elected leadership members, aimed to take stock of the pivotal moment the Democratic Party is in and make sure all perspectives are heard, the first source familiar with the call said.

The second source added that Jeffries is currently in listening mode in conversations with his members but the sources impression is that Jeffries is concerned.

Jeffries did not share with his colleagues in the meeting what his current assessment might be on the best path forward for Bidens reelection campaign, a person on the call told CNN.

He has assiduously not done that, the person said, who also described Jeffries as currently being in listening mode.

What is not clear is whether Jeffries has yet to make up his mind, or whether he has, but is choosing to keep his views strictly private for now as his Democratic colleagues process the events of the past week.

Many House Democrats are waiting until Friday to see how Biden does in his sit-down interview with ABC News and on the campaign trail in Wisconsin, the person said. There is expected to be an inflection point of sorts within the House Democratic caucus when lawmakers return to Washington, DC, after the weekend.

Getting out there

The other prevailing sentiment lawmakers have been sharing with the campaign in recent days is their desire for the president to hold more events and media interviews if he is serious about putting his debate performance in the rearview mirror.

Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on House Foreign Affairs, acknowledged the day after the debate that it was a difficult night for Biden and said that the president should take steps to prove that he is capable of a second term by holding more town hall meetings and answering hard questions from the press.

I think hes going to have to put himself out there more, Meeks told reporters.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, agreed.

Obviously, he needs to take his message to the public. I think his strategy should be continue to engage, Thompson said Friday.

The White House said Tuesday Biden will participate in a campaign event Friday as well as an interview with ABC News. They also announced a news conference next week as part of the DC-hosted NATO summit.

But the concern among the handful of Democrats, whom CNN granted anonymity to speak candidly, was whether more Biden appearances would help stop the drumbeat of anxiety about the presidents ability to remain at the top of the ticket.

It will help if it proves he can be relaxed, freewheeling and fluent, but it will hurt if hes entirely scripted on the teleprompter and seemingly exhausted. It all depends on what the public sees, another Democratic lawmaker told CNN.

Publicly standing by Biden

Publicly, House Democratic leaders have stood behind Biden but have also pivoted the conversation to what they can control: winning back the House.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters we are going to win the House in November when asked about his reaction to Bidens performance the day after the debate.

Biden called Jeffries as well as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday, sources told CNN, the first time that Biden spoke with the Democratic leaders since the debate.

The day after the debate, Jeffries and former President Barack Obama held a fundraiser for the House Democratic campaign arm in New York, specifically focused on the need for Democrats to take back the House, and raised $3 million, according to a source familiar.

In a further effort to tamp down concerns, Biden campaign also sent an email to the chiefs of staff for House Democratic members on Wednesday laying out the latest polling numbers and touting their recent $127 million fundraising haul, a source familiar shared with CNN. The campaign said their polling reflected a steady race, noting that polls are a snapshot in time and could fluctuate.

The No. 3 Democrat in the House, Aguilar, told CNN that Biden had a tough night at the debate but added its all the more reason why Im going to work every day between now and November to flip the House.

Meanwhile, old guard Democratic lawmakers Reps. Jim Clyburn and Nancy Pelosi also weighed in Tuesday, with Clyburn backing Biden but offering that, if he werent at the top of the ticket, he would back Vice President Kamala Harris.

Pelosi, the former House speaker, said it was a legitimate question for voters to ask whether Bidens debate performance last week was an episode or if it is a condition during an interview on MSNBC Tuesday.

The former speaker also said that she has heard mixed responses to the debate from donors and other people in her Democratic network. Some are like, well, how can we subject the [nomination] process to what might be possible? And others are, Joes our guy. We love him, we trust him.

It is going to be up to Joe Biden, she added.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNNs MJ Lee, Dana Bash and Sunlen Serfaty contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
With Biden's 2024 viability in doubt, some left-leaning X users are getting behind Kamala Harris.

There's been a resurgence in Harris-centric memes, and for many, it's clearly a bit ironic.

But it also shows that while some Democrats don't love the VP, they're desperate to dump Biden.

If you happen to be a politically engaged X user  which, to be clear, most Americans are not  you probably noticed something of a vibe shift on Tuesday.

Perhaps it was the coconut and palm-tree emojis appearing in usernames. Maybe you saw someone reference their readiness to "exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you." Or it could have been the declaration from some progressives, and even leftists, that they're ready to join the "KHive," the movement of online supporters who ferociously defend Vice President Kamala Harris.

Joe Biden's political standing remains unclear in the wake of his disastrous debate performance, and some Democratic politicians are calling on the president to step aside. Polling has also indicated that large portions of the Democratic base want someone to replace Biden.

Harris isn't necessarily a favorite for the party's more online and progressive users. Theoretically, there are lots of compelling options for Democrats should Biden step aside, and Harris has long been dogged by perceptions that she would perform poorly if she were to lead the ticket.

But she may be the safest Biden alternative.

All of a sudden I feel as though Ive fallen out of a coconut tree and am ready to exist in a context in which we live  Carter Christensen (@CarterChristens) July 2, 2024

Under campaign-finance law, only Harris can seamlessly inherit the hundreds of millions of dollars and nationwide campaign apparatus that Biden's team has spent months building.

Going with Harris has the added benefit of avoiding a brokered Democratic convention, which could bring infighting and chaos to the party months before the November election.

A CNN poll released on Tuesday also found that Harris performed better than Biden in a hypothetical matchup with Trump. Rep. Jim Clyburn, the South Carolina Democrat who helped deliver Biden the nomination in 2020, said he would back Harris if Biden stepped aside.

Hence an outpouring of memes not unlike the pro-Biden "Dark Brandon" memes that surfaced in the summer of 2022, when the president was enjoying major legislative successes.

Very funny to see everyone either sincerely or ironically fall in line for Kamala. Hillary must be so mad  Mr. Chau (@Srirachachau) July 2, 2024

For some newly minted Harris supporters, the feeling is genuine. They've decided Biden can't win, and they're ready to enthusiastically support the vice president.

Among them is Chi Osse, a New York City Council member who's called on Biden to drop out and who posted a sizzle reel of Harris with the caption "coconut tree summer" on Wednesday.

Coconut tree summer pic.twitter.com/6w1wLpkbNX  Chi Osse (@OsseChi) July 3, 2024

Others are clearly engaging in some level of irony, deciding that the best way to deal with what increasingly appears to be a desperate situation is to post through it.

In fact, many of the X users posting about their support for Harris aren't exactly the vice president's biggest fans. They're certainly not actual KHive die-hards, many of whom remain committed to Biden even in the wake of the debate.

Many of the memes floating around X include the phrase "coconut tree" a reference to an often mocked speech that Harris delivered at a White House event in May 2023.

"My mother used to  she would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, 'I don't know what's wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?'" Harris said. "You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you."

Some have even declared themselves to be "coconut-pilled."

Read the original article on Business Insider
These are the Democrats who say Joe Biden should step aside

Will Democrats nominate Joe Biden to run for president in 2024?

A month ago, it seemed like a foregone conclusion. But in the wake of a shaky, raspy, and concerning performance at last Thursdays showdown with Donald Trump in Atlanta, the Democrats are suddenly having a very public conversation about the primary the party just refused to put on.

The presidents debate performance was roundly viewed as a disaster. Within minutes of the program ending, members of the presidents party were heading for the exits  spurred on by moments early in the debate when Biden appeared to lose track of the points he was trying to make.

Joe Biden reaffirmed on Tuesday that he was remaining in the race; his White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, did too. The next debate is not scheduled until September, a month after the president (or another Democrat) will accept their partys nomination.

But its becoming clear that Bidens view is one not shared far outside of his own inner circle and his most vocal loyalists on Capitol Hill. Increasingly, Democrats are openly calling for Biden to step aside and let another candidate  probably Vice President Kamala Harris  run for the nomination.

President Joe Biden looks on during his debate with Donald Trump in June 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)

And still more are giving their colleagues, particularly those in swing districts, the room to do so.

Putting aside the handful of Democrats like John Fetterman who have openly urged Biden to stay in, the statements coming in from Capitol Hill and elsewhere have roughly fallen into two categories: those who believe Biden should end his candidacy, and those who are willing to admit those conversations are taking place  while not overtly taking a position themselves. The point of the two-pronged message is clear: it gives Democrats in tough races the space to call for Biden to step aside and effectively run away from associations with the president, while also thumbing the partys nose at the GOP. Democrats, the party wants voters to know, are not in a cult: unlike Republicans, they are not beholden to any leader.

Lets look at which Democrats are falling into these respective camps as the fallout from the debate continues.

The get-out group

Rep Lloyd Doggett - The Texas congressman was the first member of his party in Congress to call for the president to step aside and let another Democrat take the nomination at the DNC convention in August. He did so on Tuesday, declaring: "Too much is at stake to risk a Trump victorytoo great a risk to assume that what could not be turned around in a year, what was not turned around in the debate, can be turned around now.

I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so.

Rep Raul Grijalva - Grijalva became the second elected member of his party to call for Biden to step down, doing so on Wednesday. The swing-state congressman called Thursdays debate an opportunity for Biden to gracefully make the decision to step aside.

If hes the candidate, Im going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere  What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat  and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.

Adam Frisch - The almost-congressman from Colorado; Adam Frisch came within 600 votes of beating Lauren Boebert to become the congressman representing Colorados 3rd district in 2022. Hes running a well-funded campaign again this year and called on Biden to drop out of the race on Tuesday.

I thank President Biden for his years of service, but the path ahead requires a new generation of leadership to take our country forward, said Frisch.

Tim Ryan - Ryan, a former member of the House who lost a run for Senate against JD Vance in 2022, was early on the bandwagon calling for Nancy Pelosi to step aside as Speaker of the House, arguing that the partys graying leadership was doing it a disservice. He issued a similar call for Biden to step down on Tuesday.

We have to rip the band aid off! Too much is at stake, he tweeted. [Vice President Kamala Harris] has significantly grown into her job, she will destroy Trump in debate, highlight choice issue, energize our base, bring back young voters and give us generational change. Its time!

Julian Castro - A former Housing and Urban Development secretary who ran against Biden for the nomination in 2020, Castros remarks on X shortly followed Doggetts. The two both hail from Texas.

I believe that another Democrat would have a better shot at beating Trump and because, as Congressman Doggett said in his statement that its too risky to let Donald Trump walk into this in November. I think the Democrats would do well to find a different candidate.

Tom Harkin - A key Biden ally and former senator from Iowa, Harkin said in a statement this week: I think the president should step aside and let the convention pick a new candidate.

I also think all incumbent Democratic Senators should write to Biden asking him to release his delegates and step aside so the convention can choose a new candidate, Harkin said. A couple of governors may need to do the same.

The serious conversation-havers

Rep Jim Clyburn- A kingmaker in South Carolina Democratic politics and a key ally of Joe Biden, the aging Clyburn (formerly the House Democratic Whip) was credited with helping the president win his states primary over Bernie Sanders and other rivals in 2020. Hes said that he wont try and force Biden out of the race, but he apparently has no problem with others trying to do just that.

I will support [Kamala Harris] if [Biden] were to step aside, Clyburn told MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday.

But he added: I want this ticket to continue to be Biden-Harris, and then well see what happens after the next election.

Rep Jamie Raskin- Raskin spoke about Bidens future over the weekend and became one of the first to give his colleagues a little breathing room. He appeared for an interview with MSNBCs Ali Velshi on Sunday and said that very honest and serious, rigorous, conversations taking place at every level of our party after Bidens poor debate showing.

Obviously, there was a big problem with Joe Biden's debate performance. [But] there's also just a tremendous reservoir of affection and love for Joe Biden in our party, he added.

Rep Nancy Pelosi - The former speaker of the House may seem an unusual choice to break from the party line on Bidens nomination for the presidency in 2024, but her move makes sense when one considers that Pelosi is relentless when it comes to ensuring Democratic victories in close House races  something she is likely seeking to do at this moment.

Pelosi appeared on Sundays State of the Union on CNN. There, she asserted that Its a legitimate question to say, Is this an episode or is this a condition? When people ask that question, its completely legitimate  of both candidates.

Rep Marie Gluesenkamp Perez - The first-term Democrat from Washington state isnt ready to call for Joe Biden to step aside. She is, however, ready to deliver the bad news that his campaign wont: the president is losing this election, according to nearly all current available polling.

About 50 million Americans tuned in and watched that debate. I was one of them for about five very painful minutes. We all saw what we saw, you cant undo that, and the truth I think, is that Biden is going to lose to Trump. I know thats difficult, but I think the damage has been done by that debate.

Rep Jared Golden - Goldens doom-and-gloom prediction for November, which echoed Perezs, was couched by the assertion that he did not believe Trumps ascension to the presidency once more would seriously threaten American democracy  words that diminish the effectiveness of such claims raised by the Biden team in the wake of last Thursdays debate as they seek to rally supporters.

After the first presidential debate, lots of Democrats are panicking about whether President Joe Biden should step down as the partys nominee. Bidens poor performance in the debate was not a surprise. It also didnt rattle me as it has others, because the outcome of this election has been clear to me for months: While I dont plan to vote for him, Donald Trump is going to win, said Golden.

Rep Summer Lee - Another first-term Democrat, Lee declared on Wednesday that Biden needed to assert his value as the nominee if he wanted to repair his image and regain the confidence of his party.

"People are concerned precisely because of the threat of Trump, precisely because of the threat of the Supreme Court, she said. If President Biden and his team decides that he's staying in this race, then it's going to be incumbent on them to show us  to show us, not tell us  to show us that he's up for the task of beating Donald Trump."

Sen Sheldon Whitehouse - One of just two Democrats in the Senate to comment as of Wednesday afternoon, Whitehouse made his thoughts about the presidents concerning appearance clear.

I think like a lot of people I was pretty horrified by the debate, he said. I think people want to make sure that this is a campaign thats ready to go and win, that the president and his team are being candid with us about his condition  that this was a real anomaly and not just the way he is these days.

Sen Peter Welch - Whitehouses colleague from Vermont went on the attack against campaign officials and White House aides who have pushed back publicly and anonymously to reporters against efforts by Democrats to raise voters concerns about the presidents age and mental acuity.

I really do criticize the campaign for a dismissive attitude towards people who are raising questions for discussion, said Welch. The campaign has raised the concerns themselves... So then to be dismissive of others who raise those concerns, I think its inappropriate.
There are a lot of pundits and reporters and sources out there speculating about what an open competition to become the Democratic nominee for president would look like, should Joe Biden be convinced not to seek reelection. (Thats a possibility thats looking ever so slightly more likely with each hour that passes, and each report about mandatory napping that is published.)

Theyre talking Gavin Newsoms, theyre talking Mayor Petes and Governor Whitmers, theyre leaking polling data about who would do best head-to-head against Donald Trump  its a free-for-all. But there are other pundits and sources out there trying to shut that discussion downand frankly being a little smug about itby saying that it would be nearly impossible in that case for the nominee to be anyone but Kamala Harris. Some are doing this because they would want the nominee to be Harris. Others just think its a political reality and speculating otherwise is frivolous and fanciful.

Its admittedly an easy argument to make. Harris is the vice president, the presidents legal successor. Theres no law that says shed have to succeed him on the ballot; vice presidents can be replaced on a ticket, although it hasnt happened since the Truman administration. Still, were Biden to announce that he was releasing delegates at the Democratic National Convention in August to vote for someone else, it would not be surprising if he then endorsed Harris, which would likely carry a lot of weight with delegates whod been planning to vote for her already as veep.

There are plausible reasons for Biden to head off a competition by giving such an endorsement. It would prevent rivals for the nomination from attacking each other and revealing damaging information or other weaknesses that could be exploited by Republicans. Harris (but not other candidates) would have direct control over the $200 million-plus raised by the Biden/Harris campaign committee. Thats a lot of money, and money is important.

By virtue of her current position, out of all the potential candidates, she also probably has the most existing relationships with important donors and party officials. She would be positioned to secure immediate support because many of these people know and trust her (see her as their best route to access and status in the next administration). A smooth succession would prevent the emotional stress and potential brand damage inflicted by intraparty chaos (rude quotes attributed to a Democratic insider).

Heres something to consider, though: Emotional stress and intraparty chaos are not that big of a deal. Feelings are usually hurt in primaries, and who cares? It rarely (never?) results in long-term damage to the resulting nominees. There has never been a whinier Democratic primary than the one held in 2008, and Barack Obama won the general election that year in a landslide over John McCain. Later, Trump seemingly alienated many Republicans by trashing McCain during the 2016 primary. Trump went on to win the general election. Then McCain died and Trump said he was probably in hell.

Theres also the possibility that Democrats try to hand the nomination to Harris only for things to go sideways. Harris 2020 presidential campaign was a notorious mess that ended with a falling-out between her and her advisers. Shes had similar problems with staff turnover in the White House. Several of the sources in Wednesdays Reuters story about her inevitability spoke with a tone of resignation, not excitement, about the possibility of her candidacy. (When the people in charge of making a decision say it would be nearly impossible not to make a bad one, perhaps it is time for them to do some self-reflection about their own agency.)

If a candidate is selected in an open process, Democrats are even more likely to quickly rally behind them. As a Twitter thread by Aaron Regunberg of the watchdog group Public Citizen observed, the imperative to find a candidate who has one sole qualificationbeing able to beat Trumpis already motivating a cross-ideological movement to replace Biden, uniting centrists, liberals, leftists, and whatever Ezra Klein considers himself to be. It is a climate that would be uniquely friendly to any candidate besides the current one. (As Jonathan Alter writes in the New York Times, Biden could also threaten to withhold his eventual endorsement from any other Democrat who engaged in negative campaigning or other chaotic behavior.)

Lets assume that Dems untangle themselves from their current plan to hold a virtual July nomination vote for arcane formal reasons related to Ohio ballot access. A competition culminating in the convention would also have major upside: It could benefit the partys moral standing, which is arguably important, and generate huge earned media, which is definitely important.

The partys leaders have been insistent to the point of pedantry that democracy is on the ballot in the race against Trump. Now they have a chance to act like it! Whenever the question is asked in a poll, large percentages of voters say they would like to see a major-party candidate besides Trump or Biden. (Half of respondents in a Pew poll said both candidates should be replaced.) Thousands of delegates deliberating (on television) to select such a person would be a substantive response to those voters, and proof that democracy does actually matter to Democrats. The event would further direct national attention onto the new nominee, who would likely have also completed a gantlet of interviews, appearances, and risky TikTok drug-consumption challenges that honed and validated their camera-readiness. It would be a name-recognition bonanza.

And it would also be very good for creating clicks for news and opinion websites that have been suffering from reader fatigue after the pandemic and the chaotic Trump years. Please, our families are starving!
Democrats Are So Mad at Biden They Have a Brutal New Nickname for Him

Democrats are becoming frustrated with the response from President Joe Biden and his administration after Thursdays disastrous presidential debate, according to a new report from Axios.

Members of Congress think that Biden has been slow to reach out to party leaders, as well as lawmakers in tough election races. The report even states that some Democrats think Bidens staff is trying to shield him from people arguing for him to withdraw from the election.



I dont know whos making decisions, said one House Democrat Why the hell isnt Biden on the phone with congressional leadership? ... Everybody now thinks he could cost us the majority.

The report referred to a Tuesday afternoon meeting of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, where over two dozen Democrats in Congress vented about Biden and his staff. During the Zoom call, one member of Congress called the situation the elephant in the room, leading other members to call Biden the donkey in the room.



One source on the call said that none of the members present called for Biden to stay in the race, a worrying sign. Other Democrats have voiced their concerns publicly, with Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez telling a Washington state TV station, Biden is going to lose to Trump. I know thats difficult, but I think the damage has been done by that debate.

Representative Jared Golden, another Blue Dog Democrat, even wrote in an op-ed column, While I dont plan to vote for him, Donald Trump is going to win. And Im OK with that.

Inside the White House, Bidens staff and aides are reportedly freaking out themselves. A leaked poll shows that Biden is in trouble in states that were previously thought safe. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that Bidens mental condition was a legitimate concern on Tuesday, and one of the longest-serving Democrats in the House, Representative Lloyd Doggett, has even called for Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. How will Democrats find their way out of this crisis?


Over the past eight years, Democrats and pundits were first puzzled and then distraught over the gutlessness of Republican elected officials in the face of Donald Trumps reign of error. Before the final MAGA takeover of the shards of the once Grand Old Party, many elected officials on Capitol Hill would wail to reporters about the latest examples of Trumps unfitness for office. These cowardly conversations would always be on a not-for-attribution basis because almost no Republicans cared enough about American democracy to risk their careers with truth-telling.

There were glorious exceptions, ranging from Arizona Senator Jeff Flake to the heroes of the January 6 committee, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. But virtually without exception, their political careers in elected office were over the moment they stood up to Trump. Other factors also contributed to the silence of the lambsfear of vicious tweets from Trump that could put family members in physical jeopardy, panic over being shut out of lucrative lobbying jobs if they left Congress, and existential dread over being exiles on the political high seas like the Never Trump Republican consultants. (For the most part, these GOP defectors who have held onto their political integrity have done so by regularly producing anti-Trump statements, articles, and comments aimed at the already converted.)



How smug Democrats have been for eight years knowing that they would do the right thing if ever given the choice between saving the country and saving their careers. But less than a week after the most devastating political face-off in the two centuries since Alexander Hamilton squared off against Aaron Burr, Democratic elected officials have been all profile and no courage. It is telling that it took five days after the debate for Texas Representative Lloyd Doggett to become the first Democrat on Capitol Hill to urge Biden to step aside for the good of the party and the nation. As of this writing, he is the only congressional Democrat or governor to call for Biden to voluntarily step down.



What are prominent Democrats afraid of?



Biden World does not unleash mobs of fanatics out for vengeance, as is now the norm in the Trump Republican Party. With Bidens reelection in serious trouble, it is not as if dissenting Democrats would be missing invitations to White House state dinners in 2025. Nothing is more chilling than a CBS News poll in which 72 percent of registered voters said they doubt that Biden possesses the mental and cognitive health to serve as president.



Does party loyalty really trump independent judgment when most Democrats postdebate see through the charade?



It would be one thing if top Democrats believed that the debate was a weird blip and Biden would be at the top of his game in every public event until November. But this certainly isnt what they are saying in not-for-attribution interviews with reporters and pundits. I have never seen anything like this level of panic on the part of Democrats in four decades of covering presidential politics.



Since Thursday night, Democratic elected officials have been turning to friendly pundits and commentators with the cheering-squad words, You go first. In World War II terms, top Democrats are implicitly suggesting that, of course, they want to storm the beaches at Normandy, but they are inclined to wait until the sixth wave of invasion boats when the seas grow calmer and the fusillades of bullets have diminished.



When Biden family members are not trashing the debate prep, with some justice, they are hanging tough as if stubbornness can protect the president from reality. The emblematic Jill Biden quote was delivered at a Manhattan fundraiser, the day after the debacle in Atlanta. She said that after the debate the president told her, You know, Jill, I dont know what happened. I didnt feel that great. In full St. Crispins Day mode, Jill followed up by saying, Look, Joe, we are not going to let 90 minutes define the four years that youve been president.



Five days later, we do not have a glimmer of medical information as to why the 81-year-old Biden felt blah. Five days later, we have not seen a single glimpse of Biden speaking without the aid of a teleprompter. Nothing about the handling of Biden since the debate inspires confidence. And an impaired president losing the most important election in history to an unchained guttersnipe demagogue out for retribution will not enhance Bidens historical reputation.



More than anyone, Jill Biden has the power to convince her husband that bowing out with honor after a glorious first term beats four years in exile in Wilmington dreaming about might-have-beens. There have been glib parallels likening Jill Biden to Edith Wilson, the first lady who protected Woodrow Wilson from the outside world after his devasting 1919 stroke.



But reading The Moralist, Patricia OTooles 2018 biography of Wilson, I found another, far more relevant, historical lesson. On the eve of the 1920 convention in San Francisco, the ailing Wilson had convinced himself that only he could save the League of Nations, by running for a third term. Cary GraysonWilsons doctor who had played a major role in the cover-up of the presidents healthand top aide Joseph Tumulty hovered around Union Station in Washington begging top Democrats en route to the convention to resist a Wilson boomlet. As Grayson confided to a leading party official, No matter what others may tell you  I will tell you that [Wilson] is permanently ill physically, and is gradually weakening mentally, and cant recover.



Less than seven weeks before the opening of the Chicago convention, the Democrats are running out of time for dithering and denial. Maybe Biden can convince skeptics that he is truly up for a brutal campaign and a difficult second term. But that requires a level of candor and non-teleprompter competence that has been lacking since Atlanta. With the presidents first on-camera interview scheduled for Friday, there are few signs that either the president or his closest confidants are ready to face the scrutiny that this unprecedented moment demands.



If Biden has the good judgment to bow out, the Democrats need all the time they can get to come up with a fair, inclusive, and orderly way of choosing an alternative nominee. An open convention would not be 1968 revisitedin large measure because the Democrats are united on the major issues: democracy, womens reproductive rights, civil rights, and Americas engagement with the world. When Trump is the alternative, forging party unity is easy.



But time waits for no president, especially one shrouded in bubble wrap. This is the week for choosing, for further delay only empowers Trump. I pray that Biden will make the right decision for the country and the party.
Democrats wrestle with whether Harris would be stronger than Biden

Democrats are wrestling over the question of whether Vice President Harris would be a stronger candidate than President Biden to head the Democratic ticket after last weeks race-altering debate.

Harris has made it clear in recent days that she fully supports Bidens continued bid for a second term and is not angling to replace him.

But Democratic aides and strategists say privately that Bidens fate could depend on what polls show over the next few weeks, and they warn that if he falls substantially further behind former President Trump, it could prompt widespread calls among Democrats for the president to drop his reelection bid.

Democrats have generally stuck with Biden, but cracks emerged Tuesday, with Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) becoming the first sitting House member to call on the president to step aside.

Harris is the most likely substitute for Biden, though several sources said there would likely be competition.

We just have to win, and its probably easier with someone other than Joe Biden, one Senate Democratic aide said.

A CNN poll of registered voters conducted by SSRS in the days after the debate showed Trump now beating Biden nationwide by 6 points, 49 percent support to 43 percent. The same poll showed Trump leading Harris by a narrower margin, 47 percent support to 45 percent.

The poll also showed that 56 percent of Democratic voters and Democratic-leaning independent voters think their party would have a better chance of winning the White House with someone other than Biden. Only 43 percent of these voters said they think Biden is their best option.

Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), one of Bidens strongest allies, has twice said hed support Harris if Biden opted out of the race, even as hes offered confidence for the president.

Other officeholders also have underscored their confidence in Harris, even as they make it clear that Biden is their candidate.

I think shes done an incredible job being a partner to the president and leading the party and leading the country, and I think that she will continue to do that, Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) told reporters Tuesday when asked whether Harris would be a viable general election candidate.

Everyone is in the spirit of continuing to fight for the American people and win this election, said Butler, who traveled with Harris in California last week and saw her a number of times since the debate.

What the vice president indicated to me is that shes ready to continue to be out and travel the country, communicate with voters and do the work to win this election.

Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons, who served as Harriss communications director until last year, said Harris would have the inside track to win the nomination if Biden drops out of the race.

I think she wins the open convention, Simmons said, pointing to the fact that Harris already has name ID and is the closest advocate and ally to the president. Institutionally, theres no one in a better position than Kamala Harris.  Shes very competent, and with the exception of the 2019 presidential contest, she has won every political contest she has been in, even when people bet against her. And hopefully the 2019 process taught her lessons that would make her a better candidate in 2024.

Harris has had a turbulent record as vice president and has been saddled with a number of difficult issues, including the border. Her own weak approval numbers have led Democrats during Bidens term to question whether shed be a strong general election candidate.

Yet Harris would clearly have advantages if Biden stepped aside, including the potential access to the Biden-Harris campaign war chest.

Thats not insignificant, Simmons said. Her name is on the documents. Its a strong card to play with the delegates.

If Biden already has 90 percent of the delegates, assume she gets half  thats already 45 percent. She can start the whole contest with that. On the first ballot, she would get 45 percent if she did nothing else, he said.

If Biden did step down, Harris would almost certainly have competition for the Democratic nomination, including possibly from California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Simmons said an open convention would help Harris.

It will air out the dirty laundry. Everybody is familiar with the vice presidents flaws. Theyre not as familiar with the flaws of the other candidates. And once that process begins, voters can make more informed choices about who they want to be the nominee, he said.

A Democratic fundraising strategist said the prevailing sentiment among big party donors is to stick with Biden but cautioned that Harris shouldnt be underestimated as a serious candidate.

The strategist noted Harris was elected as the first woman and first African American to serve as Californias attorney general.

She ran for president [in 2020] knowing that she could and would be able to do the job, and Biden selected her with the intention that she could and would do the job, the strategist said.

This is not a Dan Quayle situation, the source added, referring to President George H.W. Bushs vice president.

Whether Harris would actually be a stronger candidate than Biden remains a subject of deep debate among Democratic strategists. CNNs postdebate polls showed Harris has a 29 percent favorable rating, a few points below Biden, who has a 34 percent favorable rating.

Trump was viewed more favorably compared to both of them, with 39 percent of respondents reporting a favorable opinion of the former president.

I like Kamala a lot, but I dont think shes ready for prime time, said one Democratic operative who has known Harris for years. I think she has a lot of weaknesses that weve observed in her time as vice president. Am I saying she could never be president? No. But I dont think this is her moment.

One donor who is a longtime ally of Harris predicted the coming weeks will prove if Harris is tested.

I think she handled herself and the response [to the debate] in a pitch-perfect way, and I think if she continues to show that side of her, shell win over a lot of Democrats very quickly, the donor said.

Al Weaver 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.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  A proposal suggests demolishing the McDonalds at 1972 N. High St., rebuilding the restaurant closer to High Street and adding a small rear parking lot off Pearl Street.

The new building would continue the lots history with McDonalds, which has been on the site since 1965, according to records from the Franklin County auditor.

The plan was presented to the University Impact District Review Board last week by Christina Sabula, project architect for local architecture firm BBCO, with help from Stephanie Kensler, principal planner for Columbus. This was the first presentation of the proposal for the board, which gave notes but did not vote on the project.

Whitehall Wendys closes permanently

The proposed construction would not alter the lots on either side of the McDonalds. Directly south is a parking lot, which McDonalds has been leasing for parking. However, Sabula said this may no longer be an option for the restaurant, increasing its need for parking of its own.

According to the conceptual site plan, the proposed parking lot would have fewer spaces than the adjacent lot. The lot south of McDonalds has 31 spots, where the conceptual parking lot proposes only 10 spots.

The review board has guidelines for construction in the area. Recommendations include preference toward mixed-use buildings; however, Sabula said adding more than a McDonalds was of little interest to her client and out of their budget.

Theyre really interested in doing just a straight McDonalds, which has been successful since the 1960s, she said.

Sabula said she has changed portions of the typical McDonalds design to better fit in with neighboring buildings on High Street.

South Korea-based bakery expands with second central Ohio location

She said the owner wants to prioritize pedestrian activity and make pick up easier for third-party delivery drivers. The proposal envisions couriers and delivery drivers entering via the front door on High Street rather than the rear parking lot. From there, they would be able to collect their orders through a small transaction window near the front door, Sabula said.

The review board was generally receptive toward the design, although they requested more landscaping options. Board members also asked about adding a bike rack and the opportunity for exterior seating, as the current building has several options for outdoor seating between the current building and High Street.

Sabula said those were not part of the design but that there was room for discussion.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Smoke from the Riley Fire blankets mountain slopes near the main entrance of Denali National Park and Preserve on the evening of July 1, 2024. A plane enlisted in the firefighting effort is seen flying over the site. (Photo provided by National Park Service)

Smoke from the Riley Fire blankets mountain slopes near the main entrance of Denali National Park and Preserve on Monday evening. A plane enlisted in the firefighting effort is seen flying over the site. The fire-caused park closure has disrupted the busiest period of season at one of Alaska's top tourist destinations. (Photo provided by National Park Service)

A wildfire has forced the closure of one of Alaskas top tourist destinations and a set of fires have poured smoke into the states second-largest city.

The Riley Fire burning around the main entrance of Denali National Park and Preserve, which broke out over the weekend and was measured at 388 acres as of Tuesday, prompted the National Park Service to shut down visitor access there and evacuate about 150 employees.

The National Park Service on Sunday night closed the main entrance, resulting in abrupt changes to what had been shaping up as a normal busy season.

This is normally the peak visitor period for the park, with about 3,000 to 5,000 people coming through the main entrance each day, Ollig said. But that normal bustle is now significantly muted, with power outages in the hotels and commercial operations in the Nenana River stretch known as Glitter Gulch that is just outside the park entrance.

While the Riley Fire has proved a major disruption and is ranked by fire managers as the top priority in Alaska, in some ways it was predictable. That is based on the long-term forest cycle of growth, burning and regrowth, Ollig said. This fire broke out 100 years, almost to the day, after the last major fire in the park entrance area. Even last year, Denali officials were on alert for a repeat of the 1924 fire, and last year they encouraged communities around the park to take precautions.

The boreal forest in this part of Alaska typically has a 100-year fire regime, Ollig said, referring to regular forest cycles of growth and burns. Additionally, conditions were ripe for burning, he said. The park, the past week or so, has been under the category of extreme fire danger. So its primed for something like this to flare up.

A spruce-killing beetle infestation, which has been tied by scientists to climate change, has spread to the Denali park entrance area. However, park officials do not see any evidence that those dead trees played a role in the Riley fire, Ollig said. The whole area was dry and thus prone to burning, he said.

Smoke from a wildfire at the entrance area of Denali National Park hovers on June 30, 2024, on the hillsides behind hotels and businesses serving tourists. (Photo provided by National Park Service)

The cause of the Riley fire remains unknown, but an investigation is planned, Ollig said.

In more distant parts of the 6-million-acre park, access to visitors remains open. As of Tuesday, there were 50 climbers still on Denali, North Americas tallest peak, park officials said. So far, 924 others have completed climbs on the mountain this year, park officials said. And fly-in access to the western part of the park, away from the fires, is still available, Ollig said.

Fairbanks-area fires

The 160,000-acre McDonald Fire burning south of Fairbanks is the largest wildfire in the Fairbanks North Star Borough since 2004, when Alaska posted a record fire season with 6.6 million acres burned, said Rick Thoman, a scientist at the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment at Policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

By Alaska standards, its not a super-big fire, but its very close to town, Thoman said.

Smoke from that fire, plus that produced by a collection of wildfires north of Fairbanks called the Grapefruit Complex, has poured into Fairbanks and spurred air-quality advisories from the borough and state governments. Smoke was thickest over the weekend, Thoman said.

Sunday was pretty horrible, he said. At its worst, it was reminiscent of 2004, and I dont use that analogy lightly.

As of Tuesday, a wide swath of Interior Alaska beyond Fairbanks and including the Denali National Park area was under an air-quality advisory issued by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

Overall, 315 Alaska wildfires had burned about 460,000 acres as of Tuesday, according to state fire managers. Twenty-one fires currently have wildland firefighters assigned to staff them, according to fire managers.

Alaska wildfires burned about 422,2000 acres in June, about twice the 1993-2023 median but not an extraordinary total compared to recent years. (Graph provided by Rick ThomanAlaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy)

Of that acreage total, only about 6,000 burned before the start of June, Thoman said. The end-of-June total of about 422,220 acres was above the median for 1993 through 2023, though not extraordinarily high, he said.

Other fires of note are four that have broken out in the Noatak National Preserve in Northwest Alaska. Those fires, above the Arctic Circle, are burning in tundra and range from 9.3 acres to 8,534 acres in size.

Those fires are burning in areas that had way above-average snowfall and a not-early snowmelt prior to fire season, Thoman said. But the weather there was extremely dry in June, with temperatures above normal, he said.

Firefighters pay

The hundreds of wildland firefighters assigned to the staffed fires are from both Alaska and Lower 48 crews.

The Alaska firefighters are now beneficiaries of a pay increase that was included in the state budget that went into effect on Monday, the Department of Natural Resources said Tuesday. Increased pay is needed to address firefighter vacancies, a department statement said.

What this pay increase will help us achieve is building back our Alaskan workforce. address workforce shortages, Norm McDonald, deputy director of fire protection, said in the statement.

The amount of pay increase was not disclosed, but the new operating budget includes $29.7 million for the departments fire suppression preparedness duties, compared with $25.9 million for the fiscal year just ended.

Some U.S. senators, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, are seeking to extend a 2021 pay hike for U.S. Forest Service firefighters.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Denver weather: Storm chances dry up just in time for the 4th of July

DENVER (KDVR)  The chance for rain in the coming days looks to be targeting the Eastern Plains of Colorado, leaving only a stray storm possible for Denver weather.

There will be some strong to severe storms with gusty wind and hail on the Eastern Plains during the early afternoon on Wednesday, as depicted below. The Pinpoint Weather team, Colorados Most Accurate Forecast, has a low chance for any showers along the Front Range on Wednesday.

Weather tonight: Clear and comfortable

Skies will be clear overnight and the wind will be light from the south. It will be cool in the Colorado mountains with lots of 40s.

It will be comfortable and seasonal for metro Denver and the Front Range with overnight readings in the 50s. Milder temperatures in the 60s can be found in southeast Colorado.

View the latest Weather Alerts in Denver and across Colorado on FOX31

Weather tomorrow: Warmer with a stray storm

Temperatures will be warmer on Wednesday with afternoon highs returning to the 90s along the Front Range. Itll be a mix of 70s and 80s and very pleasant in the Colorado mountains.

The day will start with plenty of sunshine followed by some passing afternoon clouds. Additionally, on the far Eastern Plains, scattered, strong storms will develop in the early afternoon.

Looking ahead: Slightly cooler to end the week

The forecast for the Fourth of July is worth celebrating. There will be lots of sunshine and pleasant temperatures in the low 80s, which is below normal for this time of year. Temperatures will stay in the 80s through early next week before heating back into the 90s by the middle of the week.

FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up for weather alerts from the Pinpoint Weather team

There are very low chances for isolated showers and thunderstorms this week. The best chance (and its not great) arrives with a cold front on Sunday. Otherwise, the overall weather picture looks dry and quiet for early July, historically Colorados second-wettest month of the 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 FOX31 Denver.
Dutch King Willem-Alexander (front, 3rd R) and members of the new Dutch government led by Prime Minister Dick Schoof (front, 3rd L) pose for a group photo at the Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands, on July 2, 2024. (Photo by Sylvia Lederer/Xinhua)

THE HAGUE, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The new Dutch government was officially sworn in on Tuesday at the Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, more than 220 days after the general elections in November last year.

Following the honorable discharge of the former government, 16 new ministers were sworn in, followed by 13 state secretaries.

The new government was formed after intense negotiations among the four coalition parties: the Party for Freedom (PVV), the New Social Contract (NSC), the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), and the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB). The coalition leaders, including PVV leader Geert Wilders, agreed that none of them would become the prime minister.

Dick Schoof, a top Dutch civil servant and supported by all the coalition parties, was named in May as the new prime minister despite not being a member of any political party. Schoof had previously held various positions as a civil servant.

One of the primary tasks for the 67-year-old Schoof and his government is to shape public policy based on the coalition agreement.

As outlined in the agreement, the new government aims for "the strictest asylum admission regime and the most comprehensive migration control package ever."

This includes a temporary asylum crisis act, allowing for far-reaching measures such as an "asylum decision freeze" during crises.

The coalition parties have expressed their intention to "stem the excessive influx of asylum seekers and immigrants" and will seek permission from the European Commission to opt out of European asylum and migration policies.

Beyond immigration, the new Dutch government will focus on improving social security and household purchasing power, promoting housing construction and energy transformation, advancing agricultural development to ensure food security, and strengthening national security and international cooperation.

"Whether it concerns social security, health care, or money in our pockets, or the availability of sufficient housing, our ambition is great," the coalition parties stated in their agreement.

New Dutch Prime Minister Dick Shoof (L) arrives at the Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands, on July 2, 2024. (Photo by Sylvia Lederer/Xinhua)

Editor: WRX
Deputies: Man killed in crash with dump truck near Niles

NILES TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD)  Authorities say an Indiana man was killed in a crash involving a dump truck near Niles.

The Berrien County Sheriffs Office said the crash happened around 8:30 p.m. on 11th Street near the intersection of Ontario Road in Niles Township.

Investigators said a car was pulling out of a driveway onto 11th Street and did not yield for an oncoming dump truck. The driver of the car, 69-year-old Christopher Anthony Salvador of Indiana, was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not been released.

The sheriffs office said the crash 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 WOODTV.com.
Deputy-involved shooting being investigated in Brevard County, sheriff says

An investigation is underway on Wednesday regarding a deputy-involved shooting in Brevard County.

Around 1:05 p.m. deputies responded to a car break-in call near the area of Pineda Causeway and U.S.-1 in Melbourne.

When deputies arrived, they located the male and female suspect who ran from deputies.

During a press conference, Sheriff Wayne Ivey said that while the duo was running from deputies the female was holding a handgun in the air.

Ivey said deputies setup a perimeter after the two ran into the woods.

Read: Hurricane Beryl still a Cat 4 storm as it closes in on Jamaica

Teams went into the woods and found the suspects hiding in the brush.

After being given multiple commands to show their hands, one of the deputies on scene felt his life was in danger by the way the female suspect was holding and pointing the gun, Ivey said.

Ivery said Deputies fired hitting the woman multiple times.

Read: Man on vacation drowns at Daytona Beach

She was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition.

Deputies took the man intro custody.

Both had active warrants out for them, Ivey added.

Read: To save spotted owls, US officials plan to kill hundreds of thousands of another owl species

WFTV has a crew at the scene and will bring you the latest information when it comes in.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
It might have been an easy decision for Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto a bill dealing the regulations of vacation rentals. Both sides of this years-long battle between operators like Airbnb and local governments didnt like the legislation, the Miami Herald reported.

The vacation rental industry and several municipalities and counties had asked for the veto of Senate Bill 280, which happened on June 27. Tellingly, 20 Republicans  including some from Miami-Dade who represent communities affected by the proposed law  voted against the bill pushed by their own party.

Most importantly, the veto is a relief for the people who live next to troublesome short-term rentals  or the party houses that are spread throughout South Florida. The legislation would have ended policies dozens of cities and counties enacted throughout the state after 2011 and give more regulatory power to the state in a common practice known as preemption.

There was one notable exemption that allowed only one jurisdiction in the state to keep its current rules: Flagler County, represented by one of the most powerful officials in state government, House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast. That speaks volumes.

Had DeSantis signed the bill, cities and counties would still be allowed to charge reasonable registration fees for vacation rentals, fine property owners and suspend and revoke registrations.

However, opponents complained the bill wouldve made it harder for governments to go after bad actors. For a single-month suspension to be issued, violations on five separate days during a two-month period would have to occur, the Herald reported. That would make it a herculean task to crack down on properties that cause perennial trouble to the chagrin of neighbors  essentially giving carte blanche for property owners who have no interest in maintaining the integrity of residential areas.

Miami Beach would have been among the communities mostly affected by the legislation. There are 5,852 short-term rentals registered with the city, representing 11% of the citys supply of housing units in 2023, but the real number of rentals could be as high as 10,000, according to a city study. As the Herald Editorial Board wrote in April, the legislation would have erased city regulations on advertising platforms and requirements that property owners show what portions of a unit are being rented, as well as permission from a condo association, proof of insurance and fire code compliance.

Homeowners, of course, should have leeway to make money off Airbnb or Vrbo, though many vacation rentals are no longer mom-and-pop operations but run by large companies. Among the industrys complaints about SB 280 is that it gave power to local governments to regulate and charge for rental licenses instead of leaving that authority with the state as its currently done.

The issue with a blanket state law  and most preemptions of local home rule  is that it doesnt take into account the diversity of Floridas 67 counties and hundreds of cities and towns  or their local short-term rental realities. Miami Beach  an urban and dense city that attracts thousands of tourists each year, many of them in search of alcohol-fueled partying  has different needs than smaller communities that might attract vacationing families.

DeSantis understands that nuance. In his veto letter, he recommended future legislation does not approach vacation rental regulations as a one-size-fits-all issue.

The effect of this provision will prevent virtually all local regulation of vacation rentals even though the vacation rental markets are far from uniform across the various regions of the state, he wrote.

The Legislature has been trying for years to balance the property rights of rental owners with the right to peace and quality of life in residential neighborhoods. Lawmakers have often erred on the side of taking local authority away. Let the governors veto be a message that they need a better balance.

Click here to send the letter.
Despite 2 mass shootings, fewer people have been shot in Cincinnati this year

The latest data from the Cincinnati Police Department shows fewer people have been shot in the city compared to last year.

Year to date, shootings citywide have dropped about 4.5% compared to last year. The number of juveniles shot this year is less than half the number during the same period last year. By this time last year, 39 juveniles had been shot compared to 18 this year.

Crime scene tape around a pole on Highland Avenue in Corryville. An early morning shooting left three dead and two injured, Monday, July 1, 2024. Cincinnati police had several blocks cordoned off as they investigated.

The number of shootings is still about 9% higher than the low violence of 2018 and 2019 preceding the pandemic but about 25% lower than the spike in violence in 2020.

Fewer people have been shot in Cincinnati this year compared to the same period in 2023. Data provided by the Cincinnati Police Department.

Over-the-Rhine, West End and Roselawn have all seen significantly fewer shootings during the first half of 2024, driving the reductions. However, violence has risen in some neighborhoods, and in the past three weeks, the city has experienced two mass shootings.

The shooting in Corryville early Monday left one wounded and three people dead, including a father and son. A second mass shooting at a Madisonville park on June 15 left five people wounded.

Avondale has seen a spike in violence and a doubling of homicides. During the first five months of this year, 17 people were shot in the neighborhood and six of those victims died, according to Cincinnati police data. During the same period last year, 12 people were shot in Avondale and three of them died.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Shootings in Cincinnati down in 2024 compared to previous year
Despite what some politicians say, violent crime rates are decreasing

An FBI Evidence Response Team investigator walks behind a crime scene. The FBIs Quarterly Uniform Crime Report, which was released in early June, suggests that violent crime dropped by 15% compared with the first quarter of 2023. (Ann Arbor Miller/The Associated Press)

Violent crime in the United States dropped significantly in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the same period last year, according to the FBIs Quarterly Uniform Crime Report released earlier this month.

The FBIs data, collected from nearly 12,000 law enforcement agencies representing about 77% of the countrys population, suggests violent crime dropped by 15% compared with the first quarter of 2023.

The data, which covers reported crimes from January to March, shows a 26.4% decrease in murders, a 25.7% decrease in rapes, a 17.8% decrease in robberies, and a 12.5% decrease in aggravated assaults. Reported property crime also fell by 15.1%.

Nevertheless, the widespread public perception that crime is rising  a perception reinforced by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and many other GOP candidates  could figure prominently in Novembers election. And state legislative and gubernatorial candidates from both parties likely also will cite crime statistics on the stump.

In a Gallup poll conducted late last year, 63% of respondents described the crime problem in the U.S. as either extremely or very serious. This is the highest percentage since Gallup began asking the question in 2000.

If you are a political operative, capitalizing on fear of crime is incredibly easy to do.

 Dan Gardner, author of Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear

In May, Trump wrongly called FBI data showing a decline in crime fake numbers. This month, he erroneously claimed that the FBIs crime statistics exclude 30% of cities, including the biggest and most violent.

He could have been referring to the fact some departments couldnt report data in 2021 because the FBI switched data reporting systems, but experts say the overall numbers remain valid.

President Joe Biden has also used crime statistics for political gain. In a May campaign email, Biden said that Trump oversaw the largest increase in murder in U.S. history. While this is not entirely inaccurate  the country did see the largest one-year increase in murders in 2020  it omits context regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the social upheaval following George Floyds murder by a Minneapolis police officer.

The latest FBI crime statistics align with other early data from 2024. In May, the Major Cities Chiefs Association released first-quarter data from a survey of 68 major metropolitan police departments showing a 17% drop in murders compared with the same period last year.

The FBIs latest data is preliminary and unaudited, which means it will change as more law enforcement agencies refine their numbers throughout the year. National crime data is incomplete, as it only includes crimes reported to police, and not every law enforcement agency participates in the FBIs crime reporting program.

Despite the datas limitations, some criminologists and crime data experts say the data is reliable. Some say the FBIs data likely overstates the decreases, suggesting the drop in violent crime is likely less dramatic but still trending downward.

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.

Theres a lot of uncertainty as to the accuracy of the data, so it matches but probably overstates what the trends are, Jeff Asher, co-founder of AH Datalytics, a data consulting firm that specializes in crime data, told Stateline in an interview. In theory, everything will get more accurate as the year goes on.

Although national data suggests an overall major decrease in crime across the country, some criminologists caution that that isnt necessarily the case in individual cities and neighborhoods.

It looks good for the nation as a whole, but even with these great reductions, there are cities in the United States that have likely experienced increases that bucked the trend, Charis Kubrin, a criminology, law and society professor at the University of California, Irvine, told Stateline.

The average Americans understanding of crime and crime statistics is heavily skewed by media coverage that focuses largely on when crimes are committed and by misleading political rhetoric, according to criminologists and crime data experts.

Instead of relying on statistics, which can feel impersonal, people tend to cling to anecdotes that resonate more emotionally. Politicians take advantage of this, Dan Gardner, author of the book Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear, told Stateline.

If you are a political operative, capitalizing on fear of crime is incredibly easy to do, Gardner said.

Telling a tragic story and framing it in a way so that voters feel they or their families could become victims of similar crimes unless they vote for a specific politician is a common, highly effective tactic, he added.

This use of fear as a motivator can drive people to the polls, Gardner said, but it also distorts public perception of crime.

Its a lousy way to understand the reality of personal safety and society, but its a very compelling form of marketing, Gardner said.

The Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan think tank, released a report this month urging police and the federal government to provide more timely crime data. The report emphasizes that crime data, especially national data, often lags up to a year, which hampers public understanding of crime trends and limits officials ability to make informed policy decisions to proactively address public safety issues.

We need to accelerate improvements in our [crime] data, John Roman, a senior fellow and the director of the Center on Public Safety and Justice at NORC at the University of Chicago, told Stateline. Roman also is the chair of the Council on Criminal Justices Crime Trends Working Group. The democratization of this data is really critical to more effective policy and programming.
(CBS DETROIT) - A Delta Air Lines flight from Detroit to Amsterdam was diverted early Wednesday morning after passengers were served spoiled food.

Delta Flight 136 was diverted to New York's JFK airport due to the issue, a Delta spokesperson confirmed.

Officials say part of the main cabin in-flight chicken meal was spoiled, and medical crews treated the affected passengers when they landed in New York at about 4 a.m.

The path of the Delta flight that left Detroit for Amsterdam but was diverted to New York after passengers were served spoiled food. / Credit: FlightAware

There were 277 passengers on board, but Delta officials haven't released a confirmed number of passengers who ate the spoiled food. A source with knowledge of the situation told CBS New York that about 70 passengers became sick after consuming the meal.

In addition, sources said black mold was reported to be on some of the food. A passenger said that one of the other people on the plane said they ate the chicken and "didn't finish it because it was really sour."

"Delta's Food Safety team has engaged our suppliers to immediately isolate the product and launch a thorough investigation into the incident," said Delta Corporate Communications Spokesperson Lisa Hanna. "This is not the service Delta is known for and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels."

All of the sick passengers refused further medical treatment.

A Delta spokesperson told CBS News late Wednesday that, in response to the incident, "out of an abundance of caution" the airline "proactively adjusted" its "in-flight meal service on a number of international flights" Wednesday.

The spokesperson added that the pasta-only option was being served to economy passengers on about 75 international flights.

Barbara Smith, of Northville, Michigan, was one of the passengers on the flight who did not eat the food. Smith told CBS News Detroit that as the plane turned around, passengers were showing symptoms. She said it wasn't pandemonium, but many people were getting up to use the restrooms.

"The pilot comes on and is like, 'Turns out there's contaminated food, and they don't feel comfortable with us going across the Atlantic with people who could possibly be dealing with a foodborne illness," said Smith. "Was it the caterer, was the food left out too long by the flight crew? Especially since we left on time, you really have to wonder what went wrong in the chain of events. So, I would appreciate transparency. And kind of what they're going to do to rectify the situation."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was notified about the issue because Delta 136 is an international flight.

Passengers were given food and hotel vouchers, and the flight was scheduled to take off from JFK airport at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Last week, a Delta flight heading to Detroit from Munich was diverted to London due to an apparent sickness among the flight attendants.

After landing at Heathrow Airport, six flight attendants were checked by medical personnel. Delta said the flight attendants became sick after there was an odor in the cabin. None of the 229 passengers on board were affected.

This diversion from last week and the one involving the spoiled food are not related, according to the airline.

Hurricane Beryl moves past Jamaica, bringing punishing winds and storm surge

Hurricane Beryl takes aim at Mexico after causing destruction in Jamaica

Biden celebrates July 4th as debate fallout continues
Developer Sergio Pino says someone shot at the front door of his home, made phone threats

One month after his wife filed for divorce in 2022, developer Sergio Pino pulled into the driveway of his multimillion-dollar waterfront home in the exclusive Cocoplum neighborhood of Coral Gables.

As Pino opened the front door with a security code that night, a bullet shattered the hurricane-impact window next to it.

I was coming into my house. I heard [a] shot. I heard the door hit, Pino said in a November 2023 deposition taken in the divorce case brought by his estranged wife, Tatiana. I called 911 and they were there in five minutes, three minutes.

From his description, it seemed like a drive-by shooting, but Pino said he didnt see anyone in a car or on foot  only that he heard a noise from an abandoned house next door. Coral Gables police officers checked it out and found no one, according to a police report.

Pino also said that, starting days earlier, he had begun to receive anonymous calls from someone making threats about how he should quickly resolve his divorce dispute.

In the divorce case deposition, Pino portrayed himself as a victim of threats. But the 67-year-old executive, who heads one of Miami-Dades biggest real estate development companies, Century Homebuilders Group, is himself under investigation by the FBI for allegedly making threats against his wife after she filed for divorce in April 2022. Federal agents raided Pinos home and office in Coral Gables last week as they expanded their investigation.

READ MORE: FBI investigating developer Sergio Pinos possible link to threats against wifes life

FBI agents are looking into whether Sergio Pino hired one of his part-time employees, Bayron Bennett, to recruit three others to threaten Tatiana Pinos life, people familiar with the FBI probe told the Miami Herald. Bennett and three other Miami-Dade men  Michael Dulfo, Edner Etienne and Jerren Howard  have been charged with stalking Pinos wife.

Sergio Pinos defense attorney, Sam Rabin, said theyre aware of the prosecutions of the four men and the FBIs ongoing investigation. We are cooperating fully with the authorities, Rabin said, declining to comment further.

In a letter to his family and friends on Monday, Sergio Pino called the recent allegations reported in the press entirely false while acknowledging the federal investigation. I welcome this investigation because I have nothing to hide, he wrote in the email.

The shooting incident at Pinos home happened one month after his wife Tatiana filed for divorce and more than two years before the FBI raided his home and office last week.

According to a Coral Gables police report, this is what happened on the night of May 22, 2022, at Pinos home at 142 Isla Dorada Blvd.

That Sunday evening, Pino was hanging out with a female friend in his backyard, which faces a canal next to the Cocoplum Yacht Club, from about 6 to 10 p.m., according to the police report. Around 9:30, he said he began hearing noises coming from the direction of the vacant property next door but assumed it was his neighbor two doors down having guests over.

Pino drove his friend home around 10 p.m. and returned about an hour later. As he walked up the front steps and through the front door, he told police, he heard a loud bang like a gunshot, believing that something was shot at his front door. He glanced outside but didnt see a person or vehicle.

Pino then locked the front door, ran upstairs to his bedroom and retrieved a firearm from his bedside dresser, according to the police report. When he came back down, he told police, he saw a white luxury SUV drive by, slowly heading south. Soon after, the same vehicle drove past his house again, this time heading north, according to the report.

When police arrived, they located what appeared to be a bullet on the front steps, as well as damage to the large glass window next to the door where the round apparently struck.

Pino told police he was going through a divorce and that, days earlier, he had begun receiving threatening phone calls from two numbers. One of the callers purportedly told him that you better settle with your wife and we cant afford being involved in a lawsuit. Pino told police he didnt think anything of it at the time, according to the report.

Police conducted a search of the buildings exterior, as well as the home next door where Pino said he had heard noises earlier, but didnt find anything unusual.

Around the time of the incident, police stopped a white BMW SUV near Pinos house on Cocoplum Road. Police searched the vehicle, which included a male driver and male passenger, but didnt find anything suspicious.

Early the next morning, on May 23, 2022, Pino reported to police that he had lost a small-caliber black Beretta pistol that he normally keeps in his bedside dresser. Pino told police he hadnt seen the Beretta pistol in about two weeks, though he said it was possible he left it at his office on Ponce de Leon Boulevard or in a crate where he keeps additional weapons and ammo.

Its unclear from his second police report whether Pino was describing the handgun that he had retrieved the previous night after someone had shot at the glass front door of his home or if he was referring to another firearm in the residence.

In the November 2023 divorce deposition, Pino said police recovered the bullet that shattered the window next to his front door, but he did not recall if they told him the caliber of the weapon. He said there were no security cameras at his home back then.

He also elaborated on the threatening calls he said he had received, saying that the caller was someone with a Colombian accent.

Pino said the person told him,  You gotta get this divorce done. You gotta settle. Stupid things. ... Since Im not afraid of anything ... it didnt concern me at all.

Tatiana Pinos divorce attorney, Raymond Rafool, said he believes her estranged husband brought up the shooting incident and phone threats to divert attention from himself and put pressure on his wife to settle their difficult divorce dispute. In Tatianas own deposition, she accused the wealthy home builder of trying to poison her  another allegation that he denied.

Rafool suggested that Sergio Pino, through his deposition, was sending a message to Tatiana: End this divorce and take less.

As for the police probe into the shooting, its still unsolved.
How did Andy Beshear get here? 4 reasons why the governors name has gone national

In our In the Spotlight stories, Herald-Leader journalists bring you continuing coverage of news and events important to our Central Kentucky community. Read more. Story idea? hlcityregion@herald-leader.com.

The national political landscape has shifted again, and again, and again in the last week since Democratic President Joe Bidens poor debate performance.

Its possible those shifts could situate Gov. Andy Beshear in a higher political office, with some chatter of him teaming up with Vice President Kamala Harris if she were to replace Biden on the top of the Democratic ticket.

Biden stepping aside seemed highly unlikely for a long time, but the chorus of people calling for Biden to step aside has grown louder this week. And its not just the media bubble  national polls from the New York Times showed 74% of voters think Biden is too old for the job of president, and another from the Wall Street Journal had that rate at 80%.

Amid the bad political news for the sitting president, Beshear will be among a group of more than 20 Democratic governors planning to meet with the president Wednesday evening. Theyve got concerns about how the president is doing, according to Beshears recent interview with CNNs Pamela Brown about the matter.

Brown also noted that allies of Vice President Harris are floating your name as a potential running mate option for her.

Beshear himself did not recoil from the suggestion that he could be Harris running mate.

So, how did he get here?

Political wins

John Morgan of Morgan & Morgan leads the biggest personal injury law firm in the world. His companys whole selling point is helping clients win their cases.

In Beshear, for whom he and his firm have raised heaps of campaign funds, Morgan sees a winner.

When the governors meet the President today I pray the campaign listens carefully to Andy Beshear. He is the only democrat to win TWICE, in a very RED state, Morgan posted to social media site X.

Beyond the donor class, Beshears electoral record in Red America may attract party higher-ups and others in Washington.

He won by razor-thin margins in 2015 to claim his place as the states attorney general, and then in 2019 against one of the least popular governors in America in Matt Bevin.

But this past year, Beshear beat former Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron by five percentage points, an impressive margin in a state that handed former president and current GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump a 26-point win in 2020.

Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams, a keen observer of electoral results in the state, is no Beshear fan. Still, he spoke with admiration of the governors ability to build a bipartisan brand that can pick off voters from the other side.

This is a guy who won the votes of one out of eight Republican voters last year, Adams said. Im sure that got the attention of national Democrats, as you dont see a lot of ticket-splitting nationally. Right now, people are so polarized theyre just going to vote how theyre going to vote, and heres a guy thats managed to pick off Republican voters in a conservative state.

The message and the messenger

The son of a former Democratic governor, Beshear came into statewide politics from a private law practice in 2015. In 2019, many observers said Bevin fared better than him in debates.

But something changed in the next four years.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor forced himself in front of cameras broadcasting all across the state almost every day. Delivering speeches and comforting constituents to a wide audience became an almost-daily ritual with his now-weekly Team Kentucky updates. That helped, according to Adams.

Hes been an effective communicator, and hes certainly gotten lots of experience with the Team Kentucky updates, Adams said.

Throughout his 2023 re-election campaign, Beshear made no major gaffes.

There have been some crises and controversies  the states juvenile justice system is now subject to a federal inquiry, his record on open government has been questioned, a major donor has landed in hot water and the state unemployment insurance system was a boondoggle during the pandemic  but his message has not gotten muddled by leaks from the administration or those below him.

Thats a key strength identified by many who work with his closest allies in Frankfort.

You watch all these other races unfold, and you see all these stories of backbiting, sniping and leaks. No ones written that story about Beshear World because its a very cohesive group of folks and everybody does their jobs well. That extends to the official side, Eric Hyers, Beshears top political consultant, told the Herald-Leader earlier this year.

Political brand

There are reasons to believe that Beshears political brand and identity could pair well with Harris should she become the nominee.

For one, cautious politicos may push for a white man to join the ticket alongside a minority woman.

If youre looking to balance a ticket thats headed by the first Black and South Asian woman presidential nominee, then having a young white guy provides pretty good balance, Al Cross, longtime Kentucky political journalist and observer, said. A key to Bidens election was how much better he did with white men than (Hillary) Clinton did, and that part of the electorate is still a weakness for Democrats.

We live in an era of identity politics, and his identity is a white guy.

While its no guarantee that the hypothetical race for vice president is limited to white men, there are others to watch who might accept second fiddle in the White House. That very preliminary list includes Democratic governors Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania or J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, among others.

Beyond ethnicity and gender, Beshears uniquely wholesome branding might prove helpful.

Best known in-state for his response to a triad of crises  COVID-19, historic tornadoes in 2021 in the West and horrific flooding in 2022 in the East  Beshear was dubbed by the Associated Press as Kentuckys Consoler in Chief.

At every turn in his gubernatorial tenure, Beshear has worked to present himself as an empathetic family man.

To a large extent, its worked.

Whether its anecdotal evidence like the Facebook meme page comparing him to feel-good television characters like Mister Rogers and Kermit the Frog that took off during the pandemic or polling data showing the durability of his favorability despite a barrage of negative ads last year, Kentuckians seem to like their governor.

Hes certainly marketable, Sen. Robin Webb, D-Grayson, said. I mean, hes handsome, hes articulate and all those things and I think realitys set in that theyre not going to win with anyone other than a Democrat with the ability to work across the aisle, to not be polarizing, to be a uniter.

Its possible that translates to the national level in a race where the Democrats are running against a leading but still unpopular former president recently convicted of felony charges.

They may decide that Kamala Harris is going to have to be a prosecutor and prosecute the Democrats case against Trump, metaphorically speaking, and Beshear is sort of like a spoonful of sugar, right? Adams said. A nice guy, good looking, beautiful family, stylistically moderate, kind of reassuring.

Thats kind of an outside the box sort of choice, but certainly not outside the realm of possibility.

His policy record or lack thereof

A POLITICO story ran this week on the most popular governors in the country, a list that includes Beshear.

What binds many of them together? An inability to get much done when it comes to policy.

It may seem counterintuitive, but these governors position allows them to be choosy about the issues they champion, particularly when it comes to interfacing with supermajority state legislatures such as the GOP-led Senate and House in Kentucky.

By picking and choosing their battles, they position themselves to voters as moderate, rational checks in the political center of statehouses otherwise veering to the extreme of either party, the outlet explained. That posturing often frustrates the lawmakers on the other side, who see these governors as unwilling to engage in the legislative trenches, allowing them to remain largely immune from policy risks.

Abortion rights and direct teacher raises are prime examples for Beshear. The governor ran hard on those two issues, railing against the states near-total ban on abortion without exceptions for rape or incest and an 11% across-the-board raise for public school employees.

Neither of those proposals were seriously considered by the legislature in the immediate aftermath of Beshears win.

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.







Abortion rights is seen by many as a key issue for Democrats nationwide after the Supreme Court of the United States ruling in Dobbs overturning years of precedent that protected access to the procedure.

Its one that Harris has keyed in on, even appearing on national television with Hadley Duvall, who rose to political fame by appearing in the most memorable of the 2023 Beshear campaigns television advertisements.

Thats not the first time Beshear and Harris have crossed political paths in public, as the governor attended a White House event with the vice president on medical marijuana earlier this year.

Cross said that while the lack of change in Kentucky may be seen as a policy failure, the low expectations for a Democrat facing four-fifths Republican majorities allow for onlookers to give the governor a pass.

In the textbooks, you might say thats not necessarily a good thing, Cross said. In practical politics, it probably is. While hes had failures in terms of getting anything passed, I dont think anybody really expected him to get those things done. Hes avoided high-profile, possibly destructive battles with the legislature.

Now he gets to go out and sing Kumbaya as the legislators are probably shaking their heads.
Sean Diddy Combs is reportedly preparing for a change.

TMZ reported that the Bad Boy Records founder is looking to sell his Los Angeles mansion for $70 million. The outlet shared that the home is currently off-market and the price tag is $30 million more than what Diddy originally paid for it back in 2014. However, the New York native is allegedly not seeking to buy additional property in L.A., with TMZ claiming that hes done for good.

The abrupt move comes just a few months after Homeland Security raided Diddys homes in Los Angeles and Miami. This took place as part of the ongoing sex trafficking investigation.

Homeland Security expert Hal Kempfer told Fox 11 that the evidence gathered included laptops, flash drives, and anything that would connect Combs with the allegations.

Both Justin Combs and Christian King Combs were detained at the time of the raid. Justins mother, Misa Hylton, reacted to the alleged use of excessive force in a since-deleted Instagram post. The 51-year-old wrote, The over zealous and overtly militarized force used against my sons Justin and Christian is deplorable. If these were the sons of a non-Black celebrity, they would not have been handled with the same aggression. The attempt to humiliate and terrorize these innocent young BLACK MEN is despicable!

In spite of all the legal troubles, Diddy has been busying himself by clearing out his Instagram and going whitewater rafting.

After video footage surfaced corroborating Cassies claims against him, Diddy was dethroned in his hometown, by his alma mater Howard University, and in Miami.

The Miami Beach commission voted to revoke and abolish Sean Diddy Combs Day in the 305. Mayor Eric Adams asked him to return the key to the city whereas Howard University revoked his honorary doctorate and withdrew all honors and privileges associated with it including invitations to select HU events.

More from VIBE.com
Editors Note: This commentary was published in observance of the Fourth of July holiday in 2015. Native News Online is republishing it again this year.

Guest Opinion. The other day I was eating dinner with my wife in a restaurant located in Gallup, New Mexico, a border town to the Navajo reservation. Gallup was recently named Most Patriotic Small Town in a nationwide contest. Soon after sitting down I noticed that we were seated at a table directly facing a framed poster of the Declaration of Independence.

The irony almost made me laugh.

When our server, who was also Native, came to the table, I asked if I could show him something. I then stood up and pointed out that 30 lines below the famous quote All men are created equal the Declaration of Independence refers to Natives as merciless Indian savages.

The irony was that the restaurant was filled with Native Americans customers and employees and there in plain sight, a poster hanging on the wall was literally calling all of us savages.

The server was concerned that I might be upset so after our dinner. He sent the manager of the restaurant to our table and to ask if everything was okay. I showed her the quote and assured her that I was not trying to cause problems. After more than a decade of living on the Navajo Nation, I have become used to such offenses when I travel outside of our reservation. After the manager left, I noticed that another Native couple seated near us had taken interest in our conversation. So I invited them over and showed them the same offensive line hanging over our table. They were astounded that throughout their entire education they were never told the Declaration referred to Natives in such a way.

If the poster had labeled any other group of people as savage, or if the source of the words was anything else besides one of our countrys founding documents, the restaurant in question would have long ago been sued and the parties responsible for hanging the poster most likely disciplined. But because the targeted group was Natives, the source was the Declaration of Independence and the responsibility for hanging the poster belonged to the restaurants national corporate offices; not only is the poster still hanging today, but on July 4th the entire nation will celebrate the message of this poster and the signing of this Declaration. For we have declared it a national holiday complete with fireworks, parades and speeches.

Mark Charles in Gallup, N.M. restaurant with the Declaration of Independence in background. (Photo/Mark Charles)

This is the dilemma that Native Americans face every day. The foundations of the United States of America are blatantly unjust. This land was stolen. Native peoples, Africans and many other minority communities have long been recipients of systemic racism. And the roots of it are right there for the entire world to see, printed in many of our founding documents; like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and United States Supreme Court case rulings.

We announce it. We flaunt it. We celebrate it..

As a nation we embrace this history because we are largely ignorant of the true nature of our past and have never been held accountable for our actions. As Americans we celebrate our foundations of Discovery and cling to our narrative of exceptionalism because we have been taught that this nation was founded by God on a principle of freedom for all.

But the reality is that the United States of America exists because this land was colonized by Europeans who used a Doctrine of Discovery to dehumanize, steal from, enslave and even commit cultural genocide against indigenous peoples from both the New World and Africa.

Georges Erasmus, an aboriginal leader from Canada, said: Where common memory is lacking, where people do not share in the same past, there can be no real community, where community is to be formed, common memory must be created.

Those are wise words that get to the heart of our national problem regarding race. On days like Columbus Day, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July, the United States of America celebrates its history. But a majority of our citizens celebrate in ignorance. After traveling throughout the country and educating audiences on the Doctrine of Discovery and its influence on our nation, I would estimate that less than 3 percent of Americans know this history or understand its impact on the current-day situation of Native peoples.

As a nation, the United States of America does not share a common memory, and therefore struggles to have a true community.

So this Fourth of July I invite every American to start their day by learning about the Doctrine of Discovery. Allowing the reality of the dehumanizing nature of this doctrine to temper your celebrations.

Mark Charles (Navajo) is an author and speaker, who co-worte Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery.
A tourist visits the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, Egypt on July 2, 2024. Egypt announced on Monday that its tourism revenue hit 6.6 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2024, surpassing the 6.3 billion dollars during the same period in 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

CAIRO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Egypt announced on Monday that its tourism revenue hit 6.6 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2024, surpassing the 6.3 billion dollars during the same period in 2023.

In a statement, Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said the number of tourist arrivals during the first half of 2024 reached a record high of 7.069 million.

The number of tourist nights reached 70.2 million between January and June, exceeding the record of 67.6 million during the same period of last year.

As part of a national strategy to enhance tourism, Egypt is ramping up the availability of inbound airline seats and hotel rooms nationwide, aiming to cater to 30 million tourists by 2028.

Egypt received a record number of 14.9 million tourists in 2023. The tourism sector is one of the main sources of foreign currency for Egypt, contributing about 12 percent to the GDP and providing jobs for around three million people.

Tourists visit the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, Egypt on July 2, 2024. Egypt announced on Monday that its tourism revenue hit 6.6 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2024, surpassing the 6.3 billion dollars during the same period in 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

A tourist visits the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, Egypt on July 2, 2024. Egypt announced on Monday that its tourism revenue hit 6.6 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2024, surpassing the 6.3 billion dollars during the same period in 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Tourists visit the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, Egypt on July 2, 2024. Egypt announced on Monday that its tourism revenue hit 6.6 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2024, surpassing the 6.3 billion dollars during the same period in 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Editor: WRX
The dinosaurs died. And then came one of humanity's favorite fruits.

Scientists can now point to when and where the world's first grape came into being, paving the way for thousands of years of evolution, domestication by humans and of course, wine.

Researchers on Monday announced that the "grandmother" grape of all grapes originated in what is now Latin America  and as a result of the dinosaurs' extinction about 66 million years ago.

The history of the common grape has long, long roots, going back to right after the extinction of the dinosaurs, Fabiany Herrera, the study's lead author, told USA TODAY. "It was only after the extinction of the dinosaurs that grapes started taking over the world."

The extinction of dinosaurs allowed trees to grow taller and develop closed canopies, according to the study published Monday in the journal Nature Plants. This change "profoundly altered" plant evolution, especially flowering plants that produce fruit, the study says, and led to new plant-insect interactions.

Large animals, such as dinosaurs, are known to alter their surrounding ecosystems. We think that if there were large dinosaurs roaming through the forest, they were likely knocking down trees, effectively maintaining forests more open than they are today, said Monica Carvalho, a co-author of the paper and assistant curator at the University of Michigans Museum of Paleontology.

Fabiany Herrea holds a fossilized grape at a field site.

The new finding also confirms past hypotheses that common grapes came from the Western Hemisphere and were later cultivated in Italy, Herrera said. Similar examples that loom large in human culinary history include tomatoes, chocolate and corn, which Herrera said all came from the Americas but were cultivated elsewhere, including Europe.

"Fossils help us figure out those mysteries," he said.

We've known that grapes were first domesticated by humans only several thousand years ago, Herrera said, but now we know the fruit has a much longer evolutionary history.

Photos (top) and illustrations (below) show a fossilized grape found in Colombia.

Herrera and other scientists searched for grape fossils for the past 20 years in Colombia, Peru and Panama, he said. Interestingly, the grapes found in the fossil record in those places no longer grow there, and instead they're now found in Africa and Asia.

"That tells us that the evolution of the rainforest is more complicated than we ever imagined," Herrera said.

Monica Carvalho holds up a fossilized grape at a field site.

In thick forests of Latin American countries, Herrera's group was specifically looking for grape seeds, which are difficult to find because they're so small, he said. The designs created by grape seeds in fossil records look like a face, Herrera said, with two big eyes and a little nose in the middle, and the unique shape helped the team know what to look for.

"People tend to look for the big things, the big leaf, the big piece of fossil wood, fossilized tree, things that call the attention really quickly," he said. "But there is also a tiny wall of plants preserved in the fossil record, and that's one of the things that I'm just fascinated by."

What did the first grape look like?

Scientists have not figured out how to reconstruct the color of the first grapes, so we don't know whether they were purple and green, Herrera said. But the oldest grape's shape and biological form was "very similar" to today's, he said.

The ones we see in the fossil record are not drastically different from the ones today, that's how we were able to identify them," Herrera said.

The grape seeds specifically are the fruit's most unique feature, Herrera said, because of the face-like depressions they make in the thin wall of fossil records. It's just finding the tiny seeds that's the challenge.

"I love to find really small things because they are also very useful, and grape seeds are one of those things."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dinosaur extinction paved way for modern grape, wine, study shows
Gov. Newsom: Joe Biden says he's 'all in' on presidential campaign at meeting of Democratic governors

President Joe Biden is "all in" on his presidential campaign, according to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, one of more than 20 Democratic governors who met with the president Wednesday evening at the White House.

"I heard three words from the President - hes all in. And so am I. Joe Bidens had our back. Now its time to have his," Newsom said in a statement.

At the meeting, governors had hoped to hear candidly from Biden about the path forward for his reelection campaign and to get a sense of how he plans to speak about himself and his campaign to the American public. Leaving the meeting, New York's Kathy Hochul said the Democratic governors are behind Biden.

"And all of us said we pledged our support to him because the stakes could not be higher," she told reporters.

PHOTO: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, center, standing with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, left, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, right, talk with reporters following their meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 3, 2024. (Susan Walsh/AP)

MORE: Biden blames international travel for poor debate performance, says he nearly 'fell asleep on stage'

Hochul added that with former president Donald Trump in the Oval Office, the U.S. risks "descending back" into "monarchy and tyranny."

"We will stand with the president as he fights that force, that force being Donald Trump," she said.

Hochul was joined by Govs. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Wes Moore of Maryland, who described the meeting as "candid."

Moore said the governors shared with the president the concerns they had heard from members of the public after Biden's poor debate performance.

"We know that as we're standing right here, we're behind," Moore later added. "But we also know that that path to be able to make sure that we can pull ahead in November is real, and it's going to take all of us in order to make it happen and to make it work, and we're grateful to hear the level of excitement and the focus that the president the vice president have about being victorious in November."

PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks during a presidential debate with former President Donald Trump, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (Gerald Herbert/AP)

He added, "Come November, we've got a binary choice and the binary choice [is] between someone who [has] continually delivered for us and our states and the people of our states, and, frankly, someone whose vision for the future of this country is downright dangerous."

Walz, who chairs the Democratic Governors Association, also expressed his support for the president.

"The governors have his back, and we're working together just to make very, very clear on that; a path to victory in November is the number one priority and that's the number one priority of the president," Walz said.

In the wake of Biden's much-criticized performance in Thursday's presidential debate a rising number of Democratic governors were calling for better communication, and in a twist, some of those who planned to attend had been talked about as possible replacements if Biden had decided to drop out.

ABC News previously confirmed that Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Hochul, Walz, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, Moore and Delaware Gov. John Carney were among the governors set to attend in-person.

Others were expected virtually, including New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly.

MORE: Could Democrats replace President Joe Biden as the party's nominee?

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers did not attend, although Evers has plans to appear with Biden at an event in Wisconsin on Friday.

A spokesperson for Evers wrote on X that the governor "didnt attend the meeting because hes focused on moving forward and winning Wisconsin."

Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback says the governor looks forward to hitting the trail alongside Biden this Friday.

"He supports President Biden - his comments in support of the president over the last week speak for themselves, and he looks forward to campaigning with the President on Friday," Cudaback said.

Following Wednesday's meeting, the Biden campaign released a statement summarizing the discussions.

The Biden campaign said the president sought Democratic governors' "advice and expertice" as he doubled down on staying in the race to defeat Donald Trump in the fall.

"Tonight President Biden and Vice President Harris met with Democratic governors from across the country at the White House to discuss their continued partnership in this reelection campaign. The president reiterated his determination to defeat the existential threat of Donald Trump at the ballot box in November and sought the advice and expertise of Democratic governors," the campaign said in a statement.

"In addition to defeating Donald Trump, the meeting also focused on the importance of electing Democrats up and down the ballot to deliver more Democratic governors and more Democratic majorities in Congress and statehouses across the country," the statement continued. "All participants reiterated their shared commitment to do everything possible to make sure President Biden and Vice President Harris beat Donald Trump in November."

Wednesday's meeting comes after Democratic governors held a call on Monday to discuss Biden's debate performance, a national Democratic official familiar with the call confirmed to ABC News. The call was not out of concern over Biden's performance, but simply to "touch base" on the debate, multiple sources told ABC News.

Some governors have since framed it as a general meeting where they also spoke about the debate.

PHOTO: Andy Beshear, governor of Kentucky, speaks following a tour of the new Advanced Nano Products (ANP) battery facility in Elizabethtown, Ky., March 13, 2024. (Jon Cherry/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"Democratic governors are some of the President and Vice President's most proactive and vocal supporters because they've seen how the Biden-Harris Administration's accomplishments are directly benefiting their residents. The Biden/Harris team is in constant communication with the governors and their teams, including about yesterday's meeting," the Democratic official said in a statement.

PHOTO: Governor of Illinois JB Pritzker speaks during the WisDems 2024 State Conventionm June 8, 2024, in Milwaukee. (Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images )

MORE: Democratic donors torn as Biden campaign works to calm anxieties

-- ABC News Zohreen Shah, Isabella Murray and Brittany Shepherd contributed to this report.

Gov. Newsom: Joe Biden says he's 'all in' on presidential campaign at meeting of Democratic governors originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
With the August election about a month away, another state House candidate in District 68 has received key local endorsements from the Montgomery County Mayor, a county commissioner and Circuit Court Clerk.

District 68 candidate Joe Smith, who is currently serving as District 3 county commissioner, recently announced Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden and Montgomery County Commissioner Rickey Ray, District 4, have endorsed him for state House representative.

Smith is the second candidate in the race for District 68 to receive a major endorsement from his party. Last month, candidate Aron Maberry secured the district's first big endorsement from Gov. Bill Lee.

Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Smith has announced his bid for candidacy for Tennessee House of Representative District 68.

"It is my honor to announce my endorsement and full support of Joe Smith in his bid to be elected State Representative for District 68," Golden said. "There is simply no better choice to fill the vacancy being left by Deputy Speaker Curtis Johnsons retirement from the state legislature.

"I have known Joe and his wife, Una, for many years, and at every step of life, hes chosen to serve people. After graduating from Clarksville High School, Joe chose to serve his country by enlisting in the Marine Corps where he deployed to Iraq multiple times. After serving honorably, he chose to come home to Clarksville and joined the fire department, where he continued to find success through saving lives as a firefighter and emergency medical responder."

Aron Maberry has announced for Tennessee State Representative for District 68.

More: State Senate, House candidates gain key endorsements ahead of August primary

Smith said he was "very proud" to receive the endorsement from Golden on his Facebook post.

Endorsement from County Commissioner Rickey Ray

"I am proud to express my enthusiastic endorsement of Joe Smith for State Representative of District 68," Ray said in a statement.

"As the County Commissioner for District 3, Joe has continually shown that he is a gifted problem solver, and a team builder who can quickly identify issues, develop a plan, and create responsible solutions that place minimal burden on our taxpaying citizens. Because of his astute leadership and proven commitment to service, he recently assumed the mantle of Mayor Pro Tempore."

Montgomery County Commissioners Rickey Ray, District 3, (left) and Joe Smith, District 4 (right). Commissioner Ray has endorsed Smith for Tennessee House of Representative District 68.

Ray continued to say that he believes Smith is the right candidate for District 68 to follow in Johnson's footsteps of bringing positive change to Clarksville-Montgomery County.

"No other candidate has the background, skill, and proven track record of success that Joe Smith has," Ray said. "I am proud to offer my full endorsement and encourage my fellow citizens to vote Joe Smith for State Representative, District 68 in the August 1st Republican Primary."

Endorsement from Circuit Court Clerk

On Tuesday, Smith announced that he has also been endorsed by Circuit Court Clerk Wendy Davis.

Circuit Court Clerk Wendy Davis has endorsed Smith for Tennessee House of Representative District 68.

"With the upcoming retirement of Deputy Speaker Curtis Johnson as the representative for District 68, one candidate stands out as having the knowledge, experience, and qualities to successfully represent the district," said Davis. "That candidate is Republican Joe Smith, and I offer my wholehearted endorsement in his ability to do just that."

Davis said Smith has "always been a voice for all of Clarksville- Montgomery County" during his tenure as County Commissioner.

"He truly cares about the people and the community, and he puts countless hours making sure were represented successfully. He has defended our rights, advocated for parents, children, educators, first responders, and veterans, and he has always looking for creative solutions to issues. Please join me in voting for Joe Smith for State Representative, District 68 in the August 1st Republican Primary."

Smith has been Montgomery County Commissioner District 3 since 2018, serving on the budget committee, Regional Planning Commission and land regulation advisory and was recently appointed as mayor pro tempore.

What to know about District 68

The primary for House District 68 will feature the most candidates in August, with five candidates on the ballot for the seat.

The candidate who garners the most votes will go on to face the sole Democratic candidate, Garfield Scott, in November.

District 68 Republican candidates:

Carol Duffin, Republican Primary

Greg Gilman, Republican Primary

Aron Maberry, Republican Primary

Joe Smith, Republican Primary

District 68 Democratic candidate:

Garfield Scott

What to know about August Primary

On Aug.1, Montgomery County voters will decide who each party frontrunner is for State Senate District 22, State House of Representative for Districts 67, 68 and 75, State Executive Committeeman and State Executive Committeewoman.

The Republican and Democratic frontrunners of the State Senate and House of Representative this election will determine whose names will be on the November Presidential, State and City of Clarksville election ballot.

For Montgomery County, the August election will determine who will have the seats for Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board Districts 2, 4 and 6, following the March primary election.

Early voting for the Aug. 1 election is July 12- 27. Election day is Aug. 1.

Here's a full list of qualifying candidates for the August State primary and Montgomery County General election.

Kenya Anderson is a reporter for The Leaf-Chronicle. She can be contacted at kanderson@gannett.com or on X at kenyaanderson32. Sign up for the Leaf-Chronicle to support local journalism at www.theleafchronicle.com.

This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Montgomery County Mayor, commissioner endorse Joe Smith in District 68
DNC delegates sink into stage of grief over Biden. Some say he should step aside.

A pervasive sense of fear and uncertainty about President Joe Bidens electoral prospects has taken hold among the very Democratic delegates poised to nominate him  even among the many who say they still back him. Some are going so far as to say he should step aside.

One week after Bidens faceplant in the debate, rank-and-file delegates to the Democratic National Convention insist they are still largely supportive of the president, according to interviews with more than three dozen of them. But they are also grimly shaken  far less confident in the presumptive nominee than they were just a week ago. And in the unlikely scenario he does, there is confusion both about how they would approach the nominating convention next month and who they would coalesce around instead.

Some delegates say they are eager to support Vice President Kamala Harris as an alternative and are hopeful that Biden will make way for her. But others are not sold on Harris and are open to a range of other Democratic prospects instead.

After watching the debate, I don't feel like he's up to the task for four more years, and I think we need to be electing someone who can serve in that capacity for a full term, said Marilyn Burgess, a Democratic delegate from Harris County, Texas, where she is the county clerk. I hope he will consider withdrawing and releasing his delegates if he's on the ballot  Im his delegate, and I'm going to vote for him, but I think it's time to look at alternatives and to not just accept that it's a done deal.



Biden has clinched nearly all of the roughly 4,000 delegates to the convention  who are bound by good conscience to back him. Representing the wishes of voters in their states, these delegates are more than pundits or  as the Biden campaign has derided some detractors  self-important podcasters or a bedwetting brigade. Rather, they are often some of the partys most reliable political foot soldiers  the people Biden will need behind him in Chicago.

Many of those delegates are downright doleful.

Valerie Moore, a delegate from South Carolina, the state that reanimated Bidens then-flailing primary campaign in 2020, said she and her fellow delegates were in a stage of grief, possibly, or mourning for what was hopefully going to put Trump away in the first debate and that didn't happen.

Moore has met Biden twice, most recently in January, and said the 81-year-old presidents debate performance reminded her of her father who died in March at 90 years old, after declining late in life.

A delegate from Texas, granted anonymity to speak freely, said, I dont know if I could, in good conscience, support him. And another South Carolina delegate, granted anonymity to speak freely, lamented the complexities of being a pledged delegate to Biden.

I'm very quickly reaching a point that I hope his name is not on the ballot, to free up that restraint, this person said.

The delegate was practically rooting for an open convention: I think it would be fantastic for the party. I mean think about it: people would watch it. It would get the ratings, it has the drama that people would pay attention to. And if multiple candidates were seeking our nomination, you would have wall-to-wall, week-long, prime time coverage of all of our best rising stars, delivering the party message that, frankly, Joe Biden couldn't against Donald Trump.

But even delegates who did not relish such a display and said they remain steadfast in their support for Biden described what they feared would now be a rolling wellness check with each subsequent public Biden appearance.

What I'm really looking at is: How are his appearances now going forward? said Irene Bonham, a delegate from Colorado. What does he look like without the prompter? How are things coming together out there in the field?

Half a dozen delegates told POLITICO they would look to Harris as Bidens heir apparent should he withdraw  something Biden has given no indication he plans to do.

If anything like that were to happen, its more likely than not that our Vice President Kamala Harris would be our candidate, said Samantha Hope Herring, a Florida delegate and elected member of the Democratic National Committee.

But that kind of consensus is far from a certainty, and for as unsettled as many Democrats have become about Bidens candidacy, its not clear who they would move behind, instead. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has disavowed efforts to draft her. California Gov. Gavin Newsom was scheduled to travel to Washington on Wednesday to attend a meeting between Biden and Democratic governors  to stand with the president, a spokesperson said. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said after the debate that Biden is up to the job.

I think Democrats are sort of all across the board, and I feel like there would be so much, there would be a split as to who to choose if it was so open, said Chaundra Bishop, an Illinois delegate and Urbana councilmember.

Bishop said she is still a Biden supporter, and that if he stepped aside, I mean, that's something to really think about. I don't know. I think it would be maybe even chaotic.

In a statement to POLITICO, Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison underscored the majority of Democratic voters backed the president during the primary this year and the delegates have an obligation to reflect those voters preference.

The primary is over, and in every state the will of Democratic voters was clear: Joe Biden will be the Democratic Partys nominee for President. Delegates are pledged to reflect voters sentiment, and over 99% of delegates are already pledged to Joe Biden headed into our convention, Harrison said.

The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Facing an unprecedented crisis, Bidens campaign has moved in recent days to calm nerves across the party. In addition to meeting with Democratic governors, Biden is scheduled to participate in his first post-debate interview, with Good Morning America and This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos. His campaign was working to add travel to his schedule, potentially with stops in Milwaukee on Friday and Philadelphia over the weekend.

One delegate granted anonymity to describe private conversations said the Biden campaign reached out to them to make sure they still support the president.

But the damage control appears to be uneven. Some other delegates who spoke with POLITICO said they have yet to hear from Biden or his campaign.

Bob Mulholland, a veteran California political adviser who served on the DNC for 28 years and who will be attending his 13th national convention, said he has not heard from anyone attached to the campaign, nor has any other delegate he has talked to.

Mulholland remains steadfast in his support for Biden, declaring that one debate does not make a campaign.

Brandon Scott, the mayor of Baltimore and a Maryland Delegate, reflected the majority consensus of delegates reached by POLITICO who said they remain firmly behind Biden, saying hes not currently contemplating contingency candidates.

Now, if that changes, it changes, but at this point, I'm not, Scott said.

Or as Bonham, the Colorado delegate who said she has been brushing up on convention rules in anticipation of intrigue, put it: Were not happy with the performance, but I dont know that were quite ready to abandon ship yet.

At a minimum, that ship has become far more difficult to steady in the week since the debate. In Wisconsin, Marcelia Nicholson, chair of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, said the debate was kind of sobering, I think, for folks to see his age play out, arguing that delegates responsibility is to elect an administration, not just one man.

In California, Igor Tregub, a Berkeley City Council member and chair of the Alameda County Democrats, said that while he is staying loyal to Biden, he has received emails and texts from fellow Democrats in his county party asking him to relay to the national party that they want an open convention.

And in New York, Democratic House candidate George Latimer, who won a bruising primary against Rep. Jamaal Bowman last week, said, Now the question is what we saw on Thursday night indicative of who he is every single day? If it is, weve got a major problem  But then I heard him speak the next day when he appeared in some places; he looked vigorous proportionate to his age.

He has to show, and well see whether he does or doesnt over the next few weeks, that he has the vigor and he has the acuity, Latimer said. He may be able to do it, he may not be able to do it. I tend to think he will, but I dont know. Well see.

Some delegates are already looking for an exit. A California delegate, granted anonymity to discuss their inclination freely, predicted Trump would win in November.

The delegate said of Biden, Im hoping he steps aside and plays a grand role at the convention  but not as being president.

Holly Otterbein, Lara Korte, Kierra Frazier and Heidi Przybyla contributed to this report.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  A 19-year-old woman has been arrested for falsely reporting a missing child for police to find her friends stolen vehicle sooner, according to court documents obtained by KTSM.

PD: El Paso woman lies about missing child

Stacie Dashay Marie Smith was arrested on Sunday, June 30 and booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility under a $5,000 bond.

On June 30, El Paso Police officers were dispatched to 14276 Lasso Rock Dr. to a report of a stolen vehicle, according to court documents.

A second report was placed by Smith from the same address for a reported stolen vehicle and said her one-year-old child was believed to be in said vehicle, according to court documents.

Officers arrived at the scene and obtained the name and photo of Smiths child, according to court documents. Smith provided officers only one photo of her child with the babys birthdate of Nov. 23, 2023.

Police were able to find the stolen vehicle, but the child was not there, according to court documents.

El Paso Polices Crimes Against Persons Unit was called to assist in the investigation of the missing child and informed Smith that her child was not in the vehicle, according to court documents.

Smith admitted to lying to officers and said her child did not exist, according to court documents.

The baby photo Smith provided to police was one of her friends child, not hers.

Smith told police that she just started living with her friend and when the vehicle was stolen, she was told by said friend to report a missing child for police to find the vehicle sooner.

According to court documents, Smith stated she felt like she had to help her friend out, so she lied about having a child and the child being missing to help with the recovery of her friends vehicle.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
The Justice Department will press on with its two criminal cases against Donald Trump past the election even if the Republican wins in November.

Lawyers in the DOJ believe a department policy against criminally charging a sitting president doesnt prohibit them from pursuing cases against a president-elect, according to The Washington Post. That would mean special counsel Jack Smith would have until Trumps hypothetical inauguration on Jan. 20 to keep the proceedings rolling.

Judge and Prosecutors Agree to Postpone Trumps Manhattan Sentencing

A source familiar with Smiths thinking separately said Smith believes Justice Department regulations mean his mandate as special counsel and his authority to pursue the cases will continue until hes formally removed from his post, according to The New York Times.

That means Trump, theoretically, could stand trial between winning the election in November and returning to the White House two months later. The timing of when the trials will actually arrive is massively consequential as, if Trump wins the election, he could appoint an attorney general who would seek to have the federal cases dropped.

He could also possibly try to pardon himself in the federal cases. In one, Trump is charged with mishandling classified documents after leaving office and then blocking the governments efforts to collect them. The other federal case relates to his alleged plotting to overturn the result of the 2020 election.

Reports that Smith would continue to pursue the cases past Election Day come after the U.S. Supreme Court this week ruled that presidents have immunity for official acts. The ruling will likely delay any trial in the election subversion case until after the national vote in November.

Judge Aileen Cannon, who is overseeing the classified documents case, has also repeatedly delayed that trail from opening.

Trump is separately facing a state-level election interference case in Georgia. Those proceedings were stalled last month until at least October after an appeals court agreed to consider whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should have been allowed to stay on the case in light of allegations around her romantic relationship with her special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who also worked on the case.

The Supreme Court ruling similarly gave Trump a boost in his New York hush money case, with Manhattan prosecutors agreeing Tuesday that the former presidents sentencing should be delayed while a judge considers how the high courts ruling affects Trumps recent criminal conviction.

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.
New rules for riding the school bus; DCPS says now is the time to register for transportation

Duval County Public Schools is reminding parents to register their kids for bus transportation during the 2024-2025 school year.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Parents and guardians should register before July 15, 2024, to ensure their children have a bus stop by the first day of school.

Under new rules adopted by the school board only middle and high school students who live two or more miles from their school are eligible to ride the bus.

If you live closer than two miles you cannot ride a school bus.

The distance is still one and a half miles for elementary students.

You will need to have a Linked Parent Account in order to register.

DCPS says on their website that bus stop assignments can take up to 10 business days to display in Focus after the bus registration date. For school year 2024-2025, bus stop assignments will start displaying on Mon., July 29, 2024.

To register, visit www.duvalschools.org/busregistration for more information.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
The eve-of-poll rhetoric within the Conservative Party could not have been more contrasting. On the one hand, Boris Johnson summoned up the can-do optimism that propelled him to a famous victory in 2019 by insisting that Labour could still be beaten.

This was followed by a grim forecast from Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, that Labour was heading for the biggest ever parliamentary majority, greater even than the 1931 National government coalition led by Ramsay MacDonald. It won 67 per cent of the popular vote and 554 of the 615 seats, a result described by one observer as the most astonishing in the history of the British party system.

However well Labour does today, that will not happen. Yet Sir Keir Starmer may find himself with a majority of more than 200 on a smaller share of the vote than his party achieved under Jeremy Corbyn.

Mr Johnsons 11th hour intervention in the campaign demonstrated what it has lacked  something to lift the spirits of voters, warn starkly of the dangers of socialism, and offer a conservative message of hope. There has been too much defeatism recently, driven by polls that may yet be proven wrong.

Even as he tore into Labour, Mr Johnson must have realised it was all too late, but the charge sheet he laid at the door of the likely incoming government was all too accurate. He predicted uncontrolled immigration, mandatory wokery and kow-towing to Brussels, adding: If you actually want higher taxes  if you feel you have a few thousand to spare  then vote Labour.

Above all, he highlighted Labours attack on aspiration, something socialists have never understood and which they will suppress with new taxes on wealth, pensions and property.

Several tax rises have already been announced by Sir Keir, including on private schools, non-doms, private equity and energy companies. He and Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, have been careful to rule out raising income tax and VAT, though even these pledges will fall by the wayside if the vaunted economic growth on which much of the partys programme for government is based fails to materialise.

Analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies has indicated that public spending is likely to be 80 billion higher per annum in real terms by the end of the decade than it was prior to the pandemic, with health and defence putting particular pressure on the exchequer.

Since Labour will not cut spending on social programmes and benefits and has promised not to borrow more, it will need money from somewhere. The middle classes, who already pay the lions share of income taxes, will be the milch cow, with pension funds and property the targets.

Labour has accused the Conservatives of lying about its tax plans, even though everyone knows that it will need to raise money from somewhere.

This is the message Mr Johnson somewhat belatedly tried to get across to the Tory supporters planning to desert the party and vote for the Lib Dems or Reform or not at all. Too many good, kind, moderate Conservatives are about to vote for other parties and thereby get the opposite of what they really want, he said.

It is not inconceivable, if the worst happens for the Tories, that they could end up the third party, with the Lib Dems as the official opposition. This would, indeed, bring about Mr Strides 1931 analogy since there would be no opposition at all, just a coalition of similarly-inclined parties with no effective bulwark to a Labour juggernaut.

It is testament to the failure of the Conservatives to shore up their own base that so many supporters seem willing to risk their livelihoods and those of their children by conniving in the election of the most Left-wing government since the 1970s.

Mr Sunak, who called this election six months earlier than he needed to, has failed to make inroads into Labours lead, even as the latter began to slide in the polls, because Reform started to eat away at Conservative support when Nigel Farage entered the campaign.

The Tories have also been reluctant to campaign on their record, preferring in recent weeks to focus on warnings that their opponents would be worse and must be denied a so-called supermajority.

But while it risks sounding defeatist, it is nonetheless true. Labour would be worse for millions of people who would consider themselves among the middle classes or who aspire to be so. It would be worse for small businesses who are the backbone of the economy, for entrepreneurs who are the seedcorn of the future, and for anyone who thinks the best state is a smaller state.

Apart from when he replied yes when asked if he was a socialist, Sir Keir has sought throughout this campaign to give the impression that his party has metamorphosed into a revival of New Labour, with him cast as the new Tony Blair. He must have uttered the word change thousands of times over the past week.

But his partys instincts are less Blairite and more Wilsonian. The interventionist and high taxing years of the 1970s will return with a vengeance. Only a vote for the Conservatives can avoid this fate.

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.
Dr. Mildred T. Stahlman, or Millie as she is fondly remembered by friends and colleagues, a Vanderbilt University professor who pioneered research in fatal infant lung diseases and opened one of the nations first NICU units at Vanderbilt, died at her Brentwood home on June 29.

She was 101.

A tireless advocate for children and medical research, Stahlman was a world traveler and a fan of bluegrass music who loved to spend days on her farm.

Dr. Mildred Stahlman

In 1961, she became the first physician to treat a premature baby for severe hyaline membrane disease, or infant respiratory distress syndrome, using her training in pediatric cardiology and newborn physiology.

Using a miniature iron lung machine with a combination of negative and positive mechanical ventilation, she was able to successfully monitor the baby day and night and ween her off the machine within five days at Vanderbilt.

That baby, Martha Lott, is now a nurse in Vanderbilt's NICU  neonatal intensive care unit.

Stahlman grew up in a prominent Southern family in Nashville, the daughter of Nashville Banner Publisher James Stahlman, and knew she wanted to be a doctor after receiving a gift of her first microscope at the age of 11.

In 1943, Stahlman was admitted to Vanderbilt University where she was one of four women in a class of 50 people. But being a woman in what was considered a male career field never intimidated her.

After she graduated from Vanderbilt, she was offered a fellowship at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden where her perspective on health care evolved dramatically.

Seeing a different healthcare system really changed her look on how important it is that you really have to pay attention to the whole person and also health care disparity, said Corey Neson Reese, Stahlmans biographer.

In a Tennessean article published February 5, 1965, Stahlman said: Its not a matter of competition between women and men in the field of medicine. We have no apologies to make because we are women.

In that same article, Stahlman recounts a time when she treated a child turning blue in the emergency room, unable to breathe. The grandfather of the child came between Stahlman and the patient and said: Aint no girlie doctor gonna touch my grandbaby. Dr. Stahlman told the grandfather that if any doctor touches the child it would be her. And she proceeded to save her life.

She was also ahead of her time in helping to integrate minorities and women at Vanderbilt, hiring and training nurses, technologists and physicians.

'She demanded excellence'

Odessa Settles, Stahlmans close friend and work colleague, said she emulates her friend's work ethic in her nursing practice.

The patients she dealt with, she saw from a family and social standpoint, said Settles. The family is the patient and if the social aspect of the family is not intact, the outcome is impacted negatively.

Stahlman was a woman who was fiercely loved but who was also known to be intimidating despite her small stature.

She demanded excellence from everyone she taught, Reese said. Details were important to her. She wanted to know everything. No exceptions.

Settles and Reese both recounted how Millie Rounds were widely known to those around Vanderbilt.

In the mornings, she would pick the fellow or doctor she was training to give the round reports.

You best know your stuff and you best know your families, Settles said, laughing. The doctors or fellows would shrink whenever they were picked to do rounds. She did it out of love. She wanted you to be a rounded physician who gave the best of care to these families.

As tough as she was, when 4 p.m. would hit, she would invite her colleagues to the faculty club for a beer.

'A walking encyclopedia'

While she never had a family of her own, she was so close with the fellows and residents that they would often travel together or spend the day with her out at her farm. She even had an annual Christmas party with her colleagues and their children.

Using traditions she brought home from Sweden, she invited people into her home where she had a live tree with lit candles and traditional Swedish ornaments. Outside, children would shoot mistletoe from the trees on her land, under supervision, and they would sing carols.

She was a great traveling companion because she was like a walking encyclopedia especially being to the places herself, Settles said. She enjoyed seeing places through new sets of eyes.

Stahlman and Settles traveled to Europe, Scandinavia, and throughout the United States.

Stahlman also loved music  especially bluegrass and Doc Watson. Settles, who grew up as a musician and performing artist, would often sing "Amazing Grace" at Stahlman's request. She loved to visit the Station Inn bluegrass, roots and Americana club in downtown Nashville.

Stahlman requested to not have a service, but has stated that she wanted to have her ashes scattered amongst the blue bells while Settles sings Amazing Grace.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt child health pioneer Dr. Mildred T. Stahlman dies
Dream big and find ways to serve your country: Judge urges new citizens to make communities better on the eve of the Fourth of July

Tatiana Mendez, 27, came to the United States 10 years ago from El Salvador to escape violence.

10 years ago in El Salvador, there was a lot of violence and students were being kidnapped, Mendez said.

On Wednesday, the eve of the Fourth of July Holiday, Mendez was one of 50 people to take the oath and be naturalized as U.S. citizens during a ceremony at Wolf Lake Pavilion in Hammond.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services welcomed 11,000 new citizens in more than 195 naturalization ceremonies between June 28 and July 5, according to a news release.

It feels great. Ive been waiting for this a really long time, Mendez said. Im just happy to be a citizen.

The Hammond ceremony included immigrants from 23 countries, including Vietnam, Mexico, Germany and Sri Lanka, many of whom came to the U.S. for a variety of reasons from escaping persecution and violence to better opportunities, said immigration attorney Teja Shah.

As American citizens, Shah encouraged those being naturalized to not forget their origin story and to use it to help future immigrants who come to the U.S. He also encouraged them to be engaged in their communities and to be informed citizens.

Youve all demonstrated great resolve to get to this point, Shah said. Being an American citizen is not just a label, an achievement, but really a responsibility as well.

U.S. District Court for Northern District of Indiana Magistrate Judge Abizer Zanzi said it was his first time overseeing a naturalization ceremony, which meant a lot to him as a first-generation American.

As a child of immigrants, I want to tell you that the American Dream is real. Ive seen it with my own eyes. But, it requires effort. So heres my advice to you: dream big and find ways to serve your country. If you do those two things, work hard toward your ambitions and actively participate and contribute to the betterment of this country and the community in which you live, I am confident that you will experience the American dream, Zanzi said.

U.S. Representative Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, said those who became citizens Wednesday underwent a journey marked by perseverance, dedication and hope.

The United States was created on the ideals of liberty, justice and the pursuit of happiness, Mrvan said. Under those ideals, the U.S. has been seen as a beacon of freedom to people around the world, he said.

Today, as you have taken the solemn oath of citizenship, you embrace these ideals and commit to upholding the values that make America extraordinary. Becoming a citizen of the United States is not merely a legal formality, it is a profound commitment, Mrvan said. It signifies your readiness to contribute to our nations ongoing story, progress and opportunity. Your diverse backgrounds, cultures and experiences will help shape the future of this country, bringing new perspectives and strengthening our democracy.

Tony Ferraro, who spoke on behalf of U.S. Senator Mike Braun, said America has a long history of welcoming people from beyond our shores to join our American family to participate in our society, to add each of their own unique flavors to the vast melting pot of people and cultures.

Remember along your journey to honor the sacrifices of those who have come before you. Freedom is not free, it must be cherished, protected and fought for. Participate in your government and communities. Make sure your voice is heard, vote, Ferraro said.

Jose Diaz, who spoke on behalf of U.S. Senator Todd Young, said each new citizens background and experience enrich our country and strengthen the very fabric of our society.

I know your journey to this day has been long and often difficult, but Im certain the freedoms youll enjoy as a citizen will make it worth the wait. America has been called the land of opportunity because every individual, regardless of their background, has a chance to make a new life for themselves and their families, Diaz read from a letter Young gave to each new citizen.

Rosalie Levinson, professor emerita at the Valparaiso University School of Law, said seeing all the new citizens reminded her of her parents surviving the Holocaust and ultimately arriving at Ellis Island in New York after escaping from Germany.

My parents anxiously awaited those precious papers that would allow them to come to America, Levinson said. My parents taught me to appreciate and to fight for the liberties guaranteed by our constitution that you have all diligently studied.

Levinson said she hopes each of the new citizens achieves their American dream now that they are citizens.

We are a nation made strong by people like you who have come here to live in our democracy, Levinson said. Our democracy works only if we work together as citizens.

Slavica Gjoreski, 33, left her home country of Macedonia 6 years ago with her husband for better opportunities. Gjoreski said she looks forward to celebrating her first Fourth of July as a citizen on Thursday.

Im really happy here, Gjoreski said. Were ready for it.

Mendez, who registered to vote after the ceremony at a League of Women Voters booth, said she cant wait to cast a ballot in the upcoming election and exercise her freedom of speech.

Her family planned a small celebration of her citizenship Wednesday night, but the big party was planned for Thursday on the Fourth of July, Mendez said.

Tomorrow will be the big day and celebration, Mendez said. Im just grateful to have the opportunity.

akukulka@post-tribune.com
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Roughly seven months after a gravel truck careened through Main Street in Tooele  smashing into dozens of cars, sparking a fire at an auto dealership, and injuring 11 people  the driver is now facing charges.

Moab James Stapley, 27, was charged Friday in Tooele Valley Justice Court with one Class B misdemeanor count of reckless driving and eight other infractions, including running red lights, driving on the wrong side of the road, and driving with bad brakes, court documents show.

RELATED: New footage shows semis path of destruction in fiery Tooele crash

The charges stem from the Nov. 3 crash, wherein Stapleys fully-loaded gravel truck rolled out of control through several intersections and smashed into more than 30 vehicles. The path of destruction ended with a fire at the Tooele Motor Company dealership. No one was killed, but one person was airlifted to a hospital.



WATCH: Gravel truck careens through Tooele

Stapley, of Tooele, was not injured. In the immediate aftermath of the fiery crash, he told police that he believed his brakes failed as he was heading north on Main Street. He said he honked his horn and tried to snake through traffic as the truck barreled through intersection after intersection.

An accident report filed in January by Tooele police found that 80% of Stapleys trailer braking system was not functioning correctly, noting that one of the braking devices was rusted through and one component wasnt even connected. Police recommended to city prosecutors that Stapley and the owner of the trucking company be charged with reckless endangerment, a Class A misdemeanor.

Ultimately, the Tooele City Attorneys Office opted to charge Stapley with reckless driving, a Class B misdemeanor, which carries penalties of up to 6 months in jail and fines up to $1,000. The infractions he faces are punishable by up to $750 in fines, compensatory service, forfeiture, disqualification, or a combination of those punishments.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Drivers Keep Passing Stopped School Buses, Despite Use Of Cameras To Catch Them

This article was originally published in Stateline.

In December, a mom on Long Island, New York, watched her young daughter get onto a school bus, then had to jump out of the way when a car came speeding past on the shoulder. That same month in Minnesota, a child leaving his school bus had to run to avoid being hit by a pickup truck.

Drivers nationwide continue to barrel illegally past stopped school buses, endangering children and caregivers  and sometimes worse. But some states have found it hard to enforce relatively new laws allowing on-board bus camera systems that record the violations.

Recent deaths during school bus stops include those of a parent and student in separate Texas crashes last year and of a high school student in Pennsylvania in 2022. They highlight continued careless driving around school buses despite flashing stop signs and obvious camera lenses. The recklessness may be part of a pattern of more aggressive driving noted by authorities that has caused more traffic deaths despite fewer miles driven overall since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter

A survey of school bus drivers last year, conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, estimated 242,000 vehicles illegally passed school buses in a single day. That was up from the 232,000 estimate for 2019. That year, seven states passed laws to allow automatic camera surveillance to catch suspected violators.

Almost half of states have such laws now. Massachusetts and Oregon considered, but didnt pass, similar legislation last year. A school bus camera program in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was held up last year amid debates in the state legislature over the size of fines and their impact on low-income communities.

But there are several reasons why enforcement might not have been as effective as intended.

Some safety authorities object to new camera laws that reduced fines and excluded license points and other more punitive actions allowed when the same violations are caught in person by law enforcement. Legislatures may have softened school bus penalties to gain consensus among skeptical lawmakers, authorities say.

Some states also are struggling with the limitations of cameras when it comes to enforcing laws requiring evidence police officers can see in person but cameras might not catch. The cameras might not show school bus markings mentioned in the law or whether students are actively getting on or off buses. Another technical issue: School bus cameras have flagged cars on different streets or in lanes separated by medians, where theyre not legally required to stop.

How it works

Typically, the automatic cameras are engaged when a bus driver turns on a flashing stop sign, triggering a computer program that detects violations and sends them to reviewers to check before mailing a violation notice. But the cameras cant capture everything.

On New Yorks Long Island, a state appeals court threw out a $250 ticket in November, saying evidence from bus cameras isnt enough to prove a violation. Judges on the court said the camera did not establish that the school bus had correct markings or that it was actively picking up or dropping off passengers at the time of the ticket. That decision could endanger $25 million in annual fines from one county alone if other tickets are struck down.

In Pittsburgh, a district court judge told Stateline he dismisses most cases based on school bus cameras for insufficient evidence from the cameras.

Judge James Motznik said he also objects to the way Pennsylvanias law, like most state laws allowing automatic camera evidence to identify bus-passing violations, undermines a traffic law thats more punitive. The camera violations are issued as civil complaints with a lower fine and no loss of license points as required by the original traffic law against passing a stopped school bus.

It was sold as a deterrent to enhance public safety, Motznik said. But its actually less of a deterrent. If a police officer witnessed this, thered be a $500 fine, a license suspension, points toward losing your license. A camera sees the same thing, its $300 and goodbye.

State legislatures sometimes have used less-punitive fines, without license points or suspensions, as a bargaining chip to reach agreement on camera enforcement such as school bus cameras, said Russ Martin, senior director of policy and government relations for the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Related

To Fight Chronic Absenteeism, Its Time to Rethink the Yellow School Bus

The thought was like, We can make this more accepted by the public. Martin said. But theres another side to it. In some ways the points are more important than the fines for the worst violators  it means you cant just pay your way out.

Pennsylvanias law on school bus cameras was updated last year partly to allow a lower-cost way for motorists to contest tickets, using a state hearing officer in a free process instead of a court that requires filing fees, said Jennifer Kuntch, a spokesperson for the state transportation department. Pittsburgh schools recorded more than 9,000 violations since the bus camera program began in July, the district announced last month.

On Long Island, the appeals court decision against the red-light camera evidence endangers not only Suffolk Countys program, which receives the $25 million in fine revenue a year, but also nearby Nassau County, where a class-action lawsuit is underway on behalf of 132,000 drivers with similar fines.

The appeals court ruling was vexing for local governments, said Paul Sabatino, an attorney and former Suffolk County legislative counsel. Cameras are a necessary part of enforcing the law against passing stopped school buses, he said.

You cant allow people to endanger children like that, and you cant call out the National Guard to watch every school bus at every stop, Sabatino said.

Many school districts use contractors such as Virginia-based BusPatrol, which claims 90% of the market for school bus cameras, with some competition from others such as RedSpeed USA and American Bus Video. The companies may include school bus stop-arm cameras within a package of other automated traffic enforcement.

Justin Meyers, president of BusPatrol, said the company already has addressed evidence questions in New York state by adding to its evidence packets the school bus markings and maps showing the bus is on an established route. Suffolk County is the companys biggest customer, and BusPatrol has made a $40 million investment in equipping school buses there, Meyers said in an interview. It also operates in Pittsburgh.

The company uses computer algorithms and artificial intelligence to detect violations, which are then screened for accuracy by a BusPatrol employee before going to local law enforcement for a final decision on whether to issue a violation notice, Meyers said.

Few statistics available

There are few statistics on the extent of deaths and injuries from passing stopped school buses. Pennsylvania reviewed crash records at Statelines request and said 12 such crashes occurred in 2022 and 13 in 2021, with one death in each year  one a student, one a parent  and 23 injuries across both years. Those figures include a crash that killed a 16-year-old high school student in November 2022 as she was trying to board a school bus in York County.

Across the country, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found 53 fatalities, half of them school-age children, between 2000 and 2021 in accidents involving illegal passing of a school bus, according to an analysis requested by Stateline.

In Minnesota, school districts can apply for state funds to install school bus cameras. The Edina school district sought money last year after an alarming increase in bus-passing violations reported by bus drivers, along with two injuries to students, according to a press account in the local Sun Current newspaper. The district won $105,000 for cameras, a cost of about $4,000 per bus, and in January reported drivers had been ticketed for 70% of passing violations noticed by bus drivers, up from 5% without cameras.

In one of the Texas fatalities last year, a woman helping her child onto a bus in Upshur County was killed by a vehicle passing the bus, Sgt. Adam Albritton, a spokesperson for the state Department of Public Safety, told Stateline. The crash was reported, a driver was charged with manslaughter, and police are reviewing footage from a video camera on the bus for evidence, Albritton said.

Texas was an early adopter of video cameras to catch school bus passing violations, commissioning a 2008 study on such cameras. The state did not include school bus cameras in its ban on automated traffic enforcement in 2019. Not all school districts participate, but Austin, Dallas and San Antonio are among those that do.

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.
VALLEY TOWNSHIP, MONTOUR COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)  The holiday travel rush is in full swing. Travel experts expect record numbers of people to hit the nations highways.

Law enforcement and first responders from across Northeastern Pennsylvania are urging drivers to use caution.

28/22 News spoke to a fire chief who knows all too well how a good day on the highway can turn tragic.

It was definitely something Ive never experienced. Im sure a lot of people driving by have never experienced it as well, said Valley Township Fire Department Chief Matthew Gum.

Chief Gum is talking about the crash last week of a truck carrying propane. Interstate 80 was shut down between the Buckhorn and Danville exits for much of the day.

Two people suffered minor injuries and the propane was burned off.

What they did was we put water into the tank and filled the tank up pretty much pushed the liquid propane out of the truck into one of their hoses and we flared it off, Chief Gum explained.

While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, Chief Gum says it shows how quickly things can change for the worse, especially on the interstates.

Mohegan Pennsylvania casino guest wins $642K jackpot

When youre out there and the road is not closed yet, traffic is still going by, its a whole different ball game as far as potential dangers? 28/22 I-Team Reporter Andy Mehalshick asked.

Absolutely yes. Until we can secure the scene with cones and fire trucks, people are still going at the full rate of speed until they start seeing emergency lights, Chief Gum replied.

He urges drivers to follow the speed limit and if they do come upon a crash.

Give any direction that they tell you. Make sure you follow it. Slow down, try not to look at the crash because that could cause a secondary crash, Chief Gum added.

The Valley Township Fire Department responds to dozens of calls on Interstate 80 each year and Chief Gum says there is no room for carelessness.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
Ruben Brekelmans, Defence Minister in the new Dutch government, has pledged to continue supporting Ukraine as the administration officially commenced its work.

Source: Brekelmans on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Brekelmans' tweet was in response to congratulations on his appointment from Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umierov.

Thank you @rustem_umerov for your warm words.

 remains committed to support  as much as we can, for as long as needed.

We & our allies stand united in our resolve to return peace & security to #Ukraine.

I look forward to strengthening our cooperation and meeting you soon! https://t.co/O5FCKoP9oH  Ruben Brekelmans (@DefensieMin) July 2, 2024

"The Netherlands remains committed to support[ing] Ukraine as much as we can, for as long as needed. We and our allies stand united in our resolve to return peace and security to Ukraine," Ruben Brekelmans tweeted.

He added that he expects closer cooperation and looks forward to meeting with Umierov.

Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans is a member of the liberal VVD party of the country's previous prime minister, Mark Rutte.

Background:

On 2 July, Dick Schoof, the new Dutch Prime Minister, and other members of the government were sworn in. Following coalition agreements, the positions of foreign minister and defence minister, which are important for Ukraine, were not given to representatives of Geert Wilders' far-right Freedom Party.

On Tuesday, it was also reported that the Netherlands will soon begin delivering the first of 24 promised F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

Support UP or become our patron!
New Dutch leader pledges to cut immigration as the opposition vows to root out racists in cabinet

Prime Minister Dick Schoof arrives for a cabinet meeting of the new government in The Hague, Netherlands, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. The Netherlands has a different prime minister for the first time in 14 years as Dutch King Willem-Alexander swore in the countrys new government Tuesday, more than seven months after elections dominated by a far-right, anti-Islam party. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof gave his first speech to parliament on Wednesday, pledging that he will work hard at one of his new goverments main aims: reducing immigration.

The biggest of those concerns is asylum and migration. That is the crux of the matter, no matter how you look at it, said Schoof, who is not a member of any of the four parties that make up the coalition government.

Schoof formally took the reins from long serving prime minister Mark Rutte on Tuesday. The 67-year old former head of the Dutch intelligence agency and counterterrorism office was a surprise choice for the top spot.

The anti-immigration party of firebrand Geert Wilders won the largest share of seats in elections last year and took 223 days to form a four-party government. Opposition from other coalition partners prevented the controversial Wilders from taking the prime ministers job.

The four parties in the coalition are Wilders Party for Freedom, Ruttes center-right Peoples Party for Freedom and Democracy, the populist Farmer Citizen Movement and the centrist New Social Contract party.

Schoof is now expected to shepherd the coalition agreement into government policy.

The formal agreement creating the new government, titled Hope, courage and pride, introduces strict measures on asylum-seekers, scraps family reunification for refugees and seeks to reduce the number of international students studying in the country.

Migration puts too much pressure on social services and social cohesion. The asylum and migration figures are high and so is the pressure on society, Schoof told the Dutch lawmakers.

Opposition politicians wasted no time in criticizing the new government. For the first time, a party with extreme right-wing ideas is taking a seat in (the cabinet), said Frans Timmermans, leader of the social democrat-greens alliance, addressing parliament immediately after Schoof.

Timmermans then called the policies of Wilders party racist and announced he would submit a motion of no-confidence against two of its cabinet members over their views on repopulation" and believe in conspiracy theories alleging a plot to diminish the influence of white people.

Wilders denied accusations that any of his party members are racist. Not a single (Party For Freedom) member in the House, in the cabinet, in the country, has anything to do with racist Nazi theories, he said in the assembly.

The debate will continue through Thursday.
The new Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Dick Schoof, who took over the government after the victory of the far-right in the elections, has spoken about his first conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in which he assured the latter of his countrys continued support for Kyiv.

Source: Schoof on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: The new Dutch premier tweeted that during the conversation, Zelenskyy congratulated the new Dutch government, while Schoof reaffirmed his country's firm support for Ukraine.

"We will continue to support Ukraine politically, militarily and financially against Russian aggression  whatever it takes and for as long as it takes," Schoof tweeted.

The two leaders also discussed the upcoming NATO summit next week in Washington, where Schoof is looking forward to meeting President Zelenskyy in person.

The new Prime Minister of the Netherlands and other members of the government were sworn in on 2 July. The new Dutch government was formed after the far-right Party for Freedom, led by Geert Wilders, won a landslide victory in the parliamentary election.

: I just had a first conversation with President @ZelenskyyUA of Ukraine. He offered his congratulations on the new Dutch government, and I assured him that the Netherlands support for his country is rock solid; we will continue to support Ukraine politically, militarily and  Dick Schoof (@MinPres) July 3, 2024

However, as a result of coalition agreements, the key posts for Ukraine  foreign minister and defence minister  have not been given to representatives of the far-right Party for Freedom. Schoof, a former Dutch intelligence chief, does not belong to any political party.

On Tuesday, it was also reported that the Netherlands would soon begin delivering the first of 24 promised F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

Support UP or become our patron!
Economy parking lot opens at Jacksonville International Airport: Where can you park now?

Jacksonville International Airport opened new spaces in one of its economy parking lots on July 2, just ahead of summer holiday travel.

JAX has always experienced a tendency to see full parking lots during the busiest times of year, and it has planned to expand parking options ahead of the opening of a third concourse. Concourse B is planned to open in mid-2025 with a construction already underway for the $300 million expansion.

Economy Lot 3 added "several hundred new spaces" this year, said Greg Willis, marketing and public relations manager for Jacksonville Aviation Authority.

Summer travel around Jacksonville Forbes ranks this Florida city as the worst city to travel to this summer. Do you agree?

Airport construction continues Concourse B construction begins at JAX. Here's what the new concourse will look like

New economy spaces now open at JAX

Economy Lot 3, which is typically used most around the holiday season and the summer months when travel is busier, added 400 public spaces and employee parking. While the lot is now completed, it won't be opened for public use until Economy Lots 1 and 2 are filled and the need for additional parking is present.

Employee parking has moved

About 800 spaces of employee parking are included Economy Lot 3.

New parking garage still in development

The design process for the new parking garage is still underway, but Willis said it is expected that groundbreaking will commence near the end of the year. The garage has been estimated to be completed in early 2026 and should add about 2,000 parking spaces to the airport.

Holiday travel impacts at JAX

As always, Willis added, travelers are recommended to arrive at the airport two hours ahead of departure time to ensure plenty of time to check bags, get through security and find their gate. This is especially important around busier travel dates, such as Independence Day, holiday weekends and in the summer when airlines sees an increase in use.

Willis said on Wednesday that the airport saw about 12,500 travelers on July 3, with about 9,000 booked for flights July 4 and another 10,500 planning to travel July 5.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: JAX airport opens expanded Economy Lot 3 parking facility
Edgewater resident cut off from comments after alleging 20-year-old mayor used fake ID

Edgewater resident Anthony Kianvar, speaking at Monday's City Council meeting, alleges the city's 20-year-old mayor had attempted to use a fake ID to buy alcohol at a Port Orange restaurant on June 5.

Edgewater Mayor Diezel DePew, who became Florida's youngest mayor when he was elected at age 18 in 2022, was accused by a resident at Monday's City Council meeting of attempting to use a fake ID to buy alcohol last month.

The resident made the allegation during the citizen comments portion of the meeting. A Port Orange police records clerk said Wednesday the agency has no records of a complaint involving DePew.

Edgewater Mayor Diezel Depew, Thursday, April 6, 2023

DePew did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment Wednesday.

On Monday night, Edgewater resident Anthony Kianvar walked up to the podium in what appeared to be a packed council meeting room and said: "On or about June 5 of last month, our mayor, Mr. DePew along with Donald Burnette, the mayor of Port Orange, decided to have an evening at a business serving alcoholic beverages in Port Orange. And during their visit, Mr. DePew attempted to use a Georgia ID with a 2000 birthdate."

DePew interrupted Kianvar and asked him to stick to city business.

OK, well, I think that this is city business, sir," Kianvar said. "Now, you may be thinking our mayor is 19 years old. You may be thinking he is not 24.

DePew asked Kianvar to address the council regarding city business matters only.

This is definitely related to city business, sir because you are definitely engaged in behavior that is not becoming of the office of which you have been elected, sir, he said.

DePew attempted to talk over Kiavar, repeating the need to address the council about city business, saying: Thank you for your comment. Please relate to city business  any city matter that you may have.

Kianvar: OK, yeah. This is a city matter.

At one point, DePew called for an officer.

Kianvar said, I would like you to tell me why this is not city business.

Finally, DePew said: This is about a personal matter that may be addressed later. Thank you for your comment.

Kianvar said: "This is not a personal matter, because you are an elected official.

On Wednesday, Burnette, the Port Orange mayor who is also running as a candidate for Volusia County Council chairman, said he was at the Port Orange Half Wall restaurant and beer house on what might have been June 5, eating dinner with a friend and DePew asked to join him.

"He didn't stay long and left," Burnette said. "Don't know much about it.

"I'm not sure if there's something personal between him and some guy," Burnette said, "because the server made some comments about him when he left, and frankly, I wasn't involved, didn't see much and wanted to stay the hell out of it, so I was like, 'OK.'"

Burnette said he did not see any police at the restaurant.

"If the kid did something knuckleheaded, he wouldn't be the first 20-year-old to do something," Burnette said. "And I didn't even know he was underage, to be honest with you."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Edgewater mayor cuts off resident accusing him of underage drinking
Everyone in Chicago knows how much Mayor Brandon Johnson owes the Chicago Teachers Union for his electoral victory last year. So perhaps it shouldnt be a surprise to find evidence that he makes sure to get CTUs approval on important policy positions before sharing them with other political leaders in the state.

Still, we were a little taken aback when we read the Tribunes excellent reporting last week on how a CTU lobbyist helped draft Johnsons letter to Senate President Don Harmon in the waning days of the legislatures spring session, which spared him the indignity of a new state law tying his hands on treatment of Chicagos selective-enrollment schools.

The facts here arent flattering, assuming the mayor would like to be perceived as a strong leader capable of running his own administration and making his own decisions. Theyre also dismaying for Chicagoans concerned about the influence of what some describe as the new Chicago political machine, helmed by the extreme leftists at CTU.

To summarize, the Tribune reported that CTU lobbyist Kurt Hilgendorf helped write the May 23 letter to Harmon that ended up providing sufficient assurance to the Senate leader that Johnson wouldnt close or disproportionately reduce the budgets of Chicagos selective-enrollment schools. The letter also promised that Johnsons board of education wouldnt change admission standards for those schools before 2027 when a fully elected Chicago school board is in place.

The bill, which would have barred the board from doing those same things by force of law, had earlier passed the Illinois House on an overwhelming 92-8 vote. Gov. J.B. Pritzker had said he would sign it. If the measure had gone to a Senate vote, passage was assured. After Harmon surprised many Springfield observers by not allowing the vote, he contended that Johnsons written promises were more forceful than a law would have been and that people should trust Johnson to stay true to his pledges.

This is a business based on trust, Harmon said at the time. This page at the time warned Harmon, who represents Oak Park, that he was shouldering political responsibility for what comes next for Chicagos selective-enrollment, magnet and charter schools. Early signs as the Chicago Board of Education gets to work on its fiscal 2025 budget arent particularly encouraging.

Records obtained by the Tribune through the Freedom of Information Act displayed an extraordinarily cozy relationship between the mayors office and CTU. The union was involved in drafting two versions of the letter to Harmon, according to the report. The first stopped short of promising much of anything and mainly iterated Johnsons supposed benign intentions. That clearly didnt pass muster with Harmon, so two days later the union helped again in crafting the version that got Harmon on Johnsons side.

As discussed, Kurt, Melanie and I took a stab at the letter, wrote Michael Ciaccio, a Johnson administration official, to others in the mayors office, with the second version attached. (Melanie referred to Melanie Berks, another Johnson aide.)

The breezy, collegial tone is one people working in any office will recognize. Theres no explanation proffered in the letter of why the CTU lobbyist was involved so directly. It was just assumed  business as usual. As discussed.

All this while the union was readying to negotiate a new labor contract with the mayor they did so much to elect. Those negotiations are happening as we write.

The mayors people and CTU told the Tribune theres nothing wrong with collaborating on education issues pending in Springfield. Thats the way these matters should be handled, the mayors office said.

Asking the union for its opinion on education issues isnt necessarily a bad thing. But the mayor and his board of education ought to be the ones to have the final say on policy, not an interest group. At least thats how it should be in normal practice, where a labor union isnt calling the political shots in the nations third largest city.

A line gets crossed when that union helps to write letters to other public officials that are then dispatched with the mayors signature.

Something tells us issues surrounding Chicagos schools and their administration will resurface in Springfield, perhaps as soon as the fall veto session. If and when they do, in the interest of efficiency, perhaps Harmon, Pritzker and House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch ought to cut out the middleman and just ask CTU President Stacy Davis Gates to articulate the citys positions.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
It has been a year and a half since the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors instructed staff to examine ways to improve governance structure, transparency, representation and ethics, and come up with recommendations.

The report has not yet been issued. In fact the study hasnt even begun, nor has a contractor been selected. The official request for bids to conduct the study has not yet been published.

Read more: Editorial: L.A. County supervisors, don't sweep reform discussion under the rug

That maddeningly plodding pace and mind-boggling process form Exhibit A in support of a motion by Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn to cut to the chase with a Nov. 5 ballot measure to overhaul county government.

Meanwhile, countless failures and inefficiencies never come to light, because county government lacks even the most basic checks and balances essential to democracy.

The supervisors are a collective executive, implementing their own directives and then purporting to provide their own oversight. Its as if a state operated without a governor  and L.A. County has more people and a larger budget than most states. Congress operated this way  without a chief executive  for about a decade after the American Revolution, but it functioned so poorly that the nation adopted the Constitution, with three separate branches.

Read more: Editorial: Redrawn supervisor districts can't give L.A. County the representation it needs

The Horvath-Hahn motion proposes an analogous fix, although more than a century after Los Angeles County adopted its current charter in 1912, when more cows than people lived here, and before women could vote.

The motion's marquee items are a larger, nine-member board, which means smaller and more manageable districts; and an independently elected county executive. Just as important would be a new ethics board for investigating government misconduct, a budget and management unit and panels to implement and periodically update county governance. These are all good ideas, and all things The Times' editorial board has supported for decades.

There would be a provision that ensures no additional costs to the taxpayers from the revamped government. How would that be possible? The countys budget is nearly $46 billion, almost twice as large as it was a decade ago. Theres enough money.

Read more: Editorial: L.A. City Council just proved it can't be trusted to fix itself

Horvath is the newest member of the board, and this motion underscores her exasperation with county dysfunction. Thank goodness for her impatience.

But its noteworthy that she is joined by Hahn, who was recently elected to a third and final term following a career that has included Congress, the Los Angeles City Council and before that, a city governance reform commission. Hahns roots in the L.A. County government run so deep that the Hall of Administration is named after her father. She has observed the countys systemic failures up close.

Read more: Editorial: A 5-member L.A. County Board of Supervisors without an exec is absurd

But then, so has every board member. Hilda Solis, who likewise served in Congress and was a Cabinet member to boot, joined Hahns 2023 effort to get a report on board expansion. Holly Mitchell, the former leader of a children and family service organization and then a member of the state Legislature, got the reform ball rolling 18 months ago with Horvath. Kathryn Barger, who was just reelected to a final term, has the longest tenure in the county, working for her predecessor for nearly three decades.

Yet all the expertise on the board has produced too little progress on homelessness, public safety, economic development, child welfare and many other responsibilities of the county. Its the biggest, richest county in the nation but is a serial underperformer.

Read more: Ethics reform measure will go to L.A. voters. Critics say it's watered down

Government structure isnt the only impediment, but its an important one because it shields county leaders from painful but necessary scrutiny.

Voters rejected board expansion decades ago in the belief that government doesn't get better by having more of it. But the point here isn't to have more government; it's to have a more effective government.

Horvath and Hahn are right to launch their overhaul, and the rest of the board would be right to join them. The details matter, and there are many unanswered questions, but the board and county staff have about a month to approve final ballot language, and voters will have another three months before weighing in.

The task now is to get the process moving  the shorter, quicker process, not the one that still hasnt selected a contractor to study a problem that has already been studied to death.

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.
Terry Goddard, Democratic former Phoenix mayor and Arizona Attorney General speaks about successful signature gathering for the Make Elections Fair Act on July 3, 2024 in Phoenix. Photo by Caitlin Sievers | Arizona Mirror

Proponents of a ballot measure that would radically change how Arizonas primaries are run  making them more equitable, they say  turned in hundreds of thousands more voter signatures than it needed to make it onto the November ballot.

The Make Elections Fair Act would amend the Arizona Constitution to open up primaries in the Grand Canyon State to any candidate or voter, regardless of their party affiliation.

Under the current rules, voters who arent registered with a political party can participate in July primary elections by requesting a partisan ballot, giving them a chance to weigh in on either the Democratic or Republican nominees for office. However, only voters registered with a party have a say in the presidential primary, so independent voters must change their registration if they want to participate.

As of April, almost 34% of the states registered voters were unaffiliated with either major party, with 35% registered as Republicans and 29% as Democrats. That means that a significant portion of unaffiliated voters  known informally as independent voters  dont participate in primaries.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

The bipartisan committee that led the campaign for the Make Elections Fair Act said it turned in 584,000 voter signatures to the Secretary of States Office on Wednesday, the final day to turn in signatures to make it onto the ballot. Thats about 200,000 more signatures than is necessary. Elections officials will next set about verifying signatures to determine if the campaign gathered the needed 383,923 valid signatures.

Supporters of the act claim that it will make elected officials beholden to a larger portion of the electorate instead of the approximately 20% of Republicans and 15% of Democrats who vote in Arizonas primaries.

Because most legislative and congressional districts are stacked in favor of a single party, a significant portion of the states elected officials are chosen in those low-turnout primaries, with around 80% of legislative and congressional races practically unopposed, supporters of the act claim.

Chuck Coughlin, the president and CEO of Highground Public Affairs, the consulting firm managing the campaign, called this lunacy during a Wednesday press conference.

If theres an example of the system not working, it was the presidential debate the other night, Coughlin said. Both parties have failed our democracy.

He added that the Make Elections Fair Act would eliminate partisan control in primaries and make general elections more competitive.

If voters approve the measure, instead of having separate ballots for each party, every candidate would go on one ballot during the primary election and voters would be allowed to choose their favorite, regardless of which party theyre registered with.

But it would be up to the legislature and governor to determine how many candidates would advance to the general election.

If an office is held only by one person, as in the case of the governor or the attorney general, then a minimum of two candidates and no more than five will advance to the general election. If the legislature opts to allow only two candidates to advance, then whichever gets a majority of votes would win the general election. But if lawmakers decide to let three or more candidates appear on general election ballots, the initiative would require the winner be determined by ranked-choice voting.

In that system, voters sort candidates by most to least favorite and winners are determined through a process of elimination if a majority isnt immediately won.

In election contests where more than one seat is up for grabs  for instance, races for the Arizona House of Representatives, where voters select two winners per district  the legislature can choose between four and seven candidates to advance from the primary to the general election. Lawmakers would be allowed to establish a ranked-choice voting system for those general elections, but are not required to, no matter how many candidates are on the general election ballot.

Even though the backers of the proposal are bipartisan, the Arizona Republican Party has formally opposed the initiative. The AZGOP did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but previously told the Arizona Mirror that if the act passed it would cause confusion and voter disenfranchisement and claimed that it would take the power of the vote away from Arizonans.

And with rumors of ranked choice voting proposals in mind, Republicans in the state legislature last year voted to approve House Concurrent Resolution 2033, which will ask voters in November to declare that the existing direct primary model, which is already enshrined in the state constitution, supersedes all other voting models. If voters approve that measure, it would outlaw ranked choice voting.

If both measures pass in November, whichever one that garners the most votes will be enshrined into the state constitution.

Republican Sen. Justine Wadsack, a member of the far-right Freedom Caucus who supported HCR 2033, urged voters not to sign the petition to get the Make Elections Fair Act on the ballot.

She claimed in a video posted to the social media site X, formerly Twitter, that ranked-choice voting deters voters from having a say in who represents them, and that it results in peoples votes not counting.

But not all Republicans oppose the measure.

Beau Lane, one of the co-chairs of the Make Elections Fair Act committee, is a lifelong Republican who ran for secretary of state in 2022. He said on Wednesday that the act was the best thing to do in Arizona to make our party more viable and win elections.

He added that he believes the changes the act would make would help Republicans win over more independent voters and allow the Republican Party to thrive.

While Republicans have consistently kept control of the state legislature for decades, Lane pointed out that the party was not so successful in elections for statewide officials in the 2022 election.

We want people to compete for their seats, and every voter and candidate to be treated the same, Coughlin said.

Sarah Smallhouse, another co-chair of the Make Elections Fair Act campaign committee, said that open primaries will incentivize candidates to speak to the issues and offer solutions to the states pressing problems instead of just attacking the other side.

That is going to attract a completely different group of people into public policy, she said.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
EL CAJON, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI)  Police are seeking the publics help in tracking down whoever spray-painted several cars in an El Cajon neighborhood last week with swastikas and other hate speech, including anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-Arab slurs.

The incident, which authorities are investigating as a possible hate crime, occurred in the 1300 block of Greenfield Drive between the hours of 1:30 a.m. and 3 a.m. on Thursday, according to El Cajon Police Lt. Will Guerin.

Six vehicles that were parked along the street were targeted in the incident. At this time, no suspect or suspects have been identified, Guerin added, and the motive is unclear.

Man dies at scene after being hit by truck in East County

A victim of the vandalism shared a video of the incident with FOX 5/KUSI. Words and symbols could be seen scattered all over the cars, including doors, hoods and trucks.

The victim, who asked not to be identified due to safety reasons, said he believes he was intentionally targeted because of his ethnicity. He said at least three of the victims, including himself, speak Arabic.

Adding insult to injury, the victim said it will cost $3,000 to repaint his car, but his insurance is will not cover it.

I was shocked. Things like this dont happen in El Cajon. As long as Ive been here, Ive never seen this happen, El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells told FOX 5/KUSI about the incident, adding that he is proud of his city in part because of its diversity.

We do have a lot of Arabic people living here in El Cajon, and thats been a good thing for us, Wells said. We did talk to all the victims, and nobody in the LGBTQ community were owners of the cars that had the slurs on them.

No additional information about the incident was immediately available, but an investigation remains ongoing. At this stage, investigators are looking for surveillance video in hopes of identifying whoever may have been involved.

City of La Mesa changes speed limit on Lemon Avenue

I want people to know, we are not taking this lying down. We dont think its a small thing; we think its a huge deal, Well said. Well come down on them as hard as we possibly can. There will be no leeway for people who terrorize citizens in El Cajon.

Anyone who may have information regarding the incident is asked to contact the El Cajon Police Department at 619-579-3311 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

We want to reassure the residents of El Cajon that we take hate crimes very seriously. Acts of vandalism like this are not just attacks on property but on our community, Guerin said. We urge anyone with information about this incident to come forward and assist us in our 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 FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  El Paso native and business owner Anthony Aguilar has been selected to be part of the 2024 Air Force One detailing team at Seattles Museum of Flight this month.

Aguilar says this Sunday, July 7, he will be going to Seattles Museum of Flight to detail Boeing VC-137B SAM (Special Air Missions) Air Force One, the first presidential jet-powered aircraft which was delivered in 1959 and has carried former presidents such as Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon.

Boeing VC-137B SAM (Special Air Missions) Air Force One, the first presidential aircraft sits inside the open-air Aviation Pavillion at Seattles Museum of Flight. Photo: Anthony Aguilar

Eisenhower became the first U.S. president to fly on Boeing VC-137B SAM (Special Air Missions) Air Force One on August 26, 1959, according to the Museum of Flight.

Aguilar says those who are chosen to be a part of this project receive a phone call from Renny Doyle, who holds the title of The Detailer of Air Force One and has been leading the project for over 20 years.

Aguilar says this is his second year on the Air Force One team, and has been chosen to be a team leader this year.

The first year it was incredible, second year even better because they selected me as a team lead for this project which is kind of unheard of being a team lead your second year in the project, so it was very very exciting. Im honored to be a part of this project and to be selected as a team leader, Aguilar said.

The candidate selection for this project is very limited and along with the phone call from Doyle, those who are chosen receive an official letter and a certificate.

Aguilar says the detailing process for the historic aircraft can be very long and is only done once a year.

Its a very very long process. Were going to be out there from Monday to Saturday. Were the only authorized detailers for the Seattle Museum of Flight and since we have people coming from all over the country you know they just make it a yearly project, Aguilar said.

Aside from the first presidential jet plane, Aguilar says the team will also be working on five other historic aircraft.

The 2023 Air Force One detailing team

Aguilar also says hes currently the only person in the region to be eligible for this type of project.

And thats because Ive taken professional training, Im part of a networking group thats affiliated with that training, and once youre in that group, after two years youre eligible to apply for this project but theyre not only looking for your detailing skills. Theyre trying to see what type of person you are, Aguilar said.

The networking group that Aguilar is a part of is called the Detail Mafia which has expanded worldwide and was founded by Doyle.

Aguilar says when hes not doing special projects, hes running his automotive detailing business, Revive Auto Solutions, which was started in January 2021.

Aguilar says he takes pride in helping El Pasoans keep their vehicles looking like new by providing long-term protection for their vehicles.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Target Practice

A 72-year-old man in Florida has been arrested after shooting a Walmart delivery drone with a 9mm handgun.

As Business Insider reports, Dennis Winn was taken into custody by the local Lake County Sheriff's Office after receiving a complaint.

"A bullet hole was discovered in the payload the drone was carrying," reads a Facebook update by the police department. "Witnesses identified the defendant, Dennis Winn, and directed deputies to his residence, the incident location."

Winn, who reportedly believed he was being surveilled by the drone, is facing a number of charges including shooting at an aircraft, criminal mischief, and discharging a firearm on public or residential property, according to the sheriff's office.

The incident highlights the many obstacles companies like Walmart and Amazon are facing in deploying drones that can complete last-mile deliveries. Beyond technical limitations, regulatory hurdles, and extreme weather greatly impeding their rollout, local residents clearly aren't smitten with their noisy, airborne new neighbors.

Drone NIMBY

According to an affidavit filed with the Lake County Sheriff, Winn already had convinced himself that the drones flying over his house were there to spy on him. He reportedly took a single shot at the drone with his handgun but failed to take it down.

The wounded drone somehow managed to make it all the way back to a nearby Walmart.

While it's far smaller than an actual commercial jet carrying human passengers, the Federal Aviation Administration's "don't shoot at aircraft" rules don't distinguish between it and a tiny delivery drone, as BI points out.

Meanwhile, Walmart is hoping to expand its delivery services to become the "largest drone delivery footprint of any US retailer," leaving the possibility of future residents taking potshots at its flying minions.

More on delivery drones: Amazons Drone Delivery Is a Dismal Failure That Can Only Carry a Single Can of Soup
To keep its small fleet of MQ-9 Reaper drones relevant in a fight against a foe like China, the U.S. Marine Corps has added a pod designed to help shield it from enemy sensors and support friendly forces in the region at the same time. The electronic warfare pod can mimic, Ill be careful here, it can mimic things that are sent to it that it detects, turn it around and send it back, Gen. Eric M. Smith, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, told a Brookings Institution forum on Tuesday. So it becomes a hole. A black hole. It becomes mostly undetectable. The Reaper Defense Electronic Support System / Scalable Open Architecture Reconnaissance (RDESS/SOAR) pod gives the MQ-9s the ability to somewhat disappear off of enemy radar, Smith added, declining to elaborate for security reasons because it is a classified device. Sensing an enemys radar emissions and sending false signals back to the receiver is a core tenant of electronic warfare, one capability of many a system like this is likely to possess. A Marine MQ-9 Reaper with a podded system under its right wing. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph Abreu RDESS/SOAR was initially tested by the Air Force in 2021, but not much more has been heard about the pod until today. It is unclear when the Marines first fielded it. According to General Atomics, which makes the pod, it is a broad spectrum, passive Electronic Support Measure (ESM) payload designed to collect and geo-locate signals of interest from standoff ranges. That gives it the ability to collect enough data about the battlespace to better drive decisions while being far enough away from some kinds of enemy defenses to be able to survive. It is a variant of the baseline Scalable Open Architecture Reconnaissance (SOAR) pod that enables the drone to detect enemy radar and communications emitters at standoff distances. It provides real-time targeting information which can be instantly disseminated for exploitation or stored for further analysis. The 634-pound SOAR pod, mounted the Reaper can carry under its wing, was jointly developed by General Atomics and L3Harris. A rendering of the Scalable Open Architecture Reconnaissance (SOAR) pod made by General Atomics and L3Harris. General Atomics The Marine Corps was comparatively late to the dance when it came to Reapers, which have been used for nearly two decades by the Air Force and Central Intelligence Agency. It began operating two MQ-9s leased from General Atomics in 2018. In late 2020, the service was granted authorization to purchase the first two MQ-9A Block 5 extended-range Reapers. They offer a vast capability boost compared to the much smaller legacy RQ-7 Shadow and RQ-21 Blackjack drones. By 2025, the Marines plan to field 18 Reapers. A U.S. Marine Corps MQ-9A MUX/MALE assigned to Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron (VMU) 3, Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing taxis onto the flight line during the first Satellite Communications (SATCOM) Launch and Recovery (SLR) mission at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, June 20, 2024. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph Abreu Adding the RDESS/SOAR pod continues the Marines leveraging the adaptability of the Reapers, rapidly reconfiguring them from hunter-killer drones to sensing platforms. The objective is to better support its new Littoral Regiments deployed as a stand-in force within Chinas Weapons Engagement Zone. Those units are designed to shut down sea lines of communications should conflict break out with China. The Reapers will give Littoral Regiments a sensing and making sense capability, that will help to do that, Smith added. Under the 2022 Marine Corps Aviation Plan, the USMC will use MQ-9As with a suite of add-on pods to support the Marine Littoral Regiment as the stand-in force. The aircraft will provide Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting (ISR-T) as well as performing additional missions such as Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), Airborne Network Extension (ANE), Airborne Early Warning (AEW), and Electronic Support (ES). U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph Abreu The broader restructuring all part of an effort by the USMC to return to traditional maritime roots after two decades of fighting in deserts and mountains. Smith, who served as assistant commandant under then-Commandant Gen. David Berger, is carrying on the latters concept for that change, initially called Force Design 2030. After assuming command, Smith shortened the title to Force Design so as not to limit the plan to a target date. The Reapers will provide Marines with the sensing range they need to accomplish that goal and fight from far-flung locations if needed, Smith explained. If youre going to be out-sticked by the adversary, then in terms of sensing and in terms of striking, then youre no value, he added. You have to be able to sense at range. You have to be able to make sense of whats happening. You have to be able to share that data ubiquitously across the battle space with the joint force, which is why our MQ-9 is so important. Being able to operate virtually undetected would greatly benefit the venerable Reaper, also known as the Predator B, in a China fight. Having first been deployed in the mid-2000s, the Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones have flown almost exclusively in permissive airspace over Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, the Red Sea region, and elsewhere. Even then, they were not impervious. During its current campaign against shipping, the Houthis have shot down at least four, including three in May alone. You can see a video of the November 2023 engagement below. Yemens Iran-backed Houthis release footage showing American MQ-9 Reaper UAV being shot down over Yemeni territorial waters. pic.twitter.com/sU0eI5d7vi Clash Report (@clashreport) November 8, 2023 Compared to flying against the Houthis, the Reapers will face far more robust air defense and sensing capabilities from China rendering the slow-moving, large signature drones vulnerable. In general, unmanned aircraft that lack low observable features (stealth) and higher performance like the Reaper or the RQ-4 Global Hawk have been viewed as highly vulnerable in a future high-end conflict, although they could still execute support roles farther from the front lines. This has led to the Reaper especially being eyed by some as nearly obsolete for a major future fight, but some would disagree. General Atomics has pushed hard to develop solutions that could help keep the MQ-9 in any fight. The Marines clearly dont think this is the case, at least with the help of this multi-function electronic support measures/intelligence and electronic warfare pod. With the help of this system, the Reapers are intended to not only survive, at least in semi-contested airspace, but to work as enablers for the greater force in the region, providing electronic warfare support and critical information on the enemys electronic order of battle and communications in real-time. Reapers can also carry self-defense pods that are more oriented at countering direct, near threats. These could potentially be combined with RDESS/SOAR to increase survivability further. You can read all about the USMCs playbook for the MQ-9 and potentially more advanced type to come in this previous War Zone feature. Above all else, the fielding of RDESS/SOAR is another step toward diversifying and distributing the USMCs organic electronic attack capability, which was severely reduced with the retirement of the EA-6B Prowler nearly a decade ago. Many systems, including Intrepid Tiger II and the F-35s advanced electronic intelligence and electronic warfare suite, have helped step in to fill some aspects of the services EW void and provide entirely new organic capabilities. New systems under test today, especially advanced and more survivable drones, such as the XQ-58 Valkyrie, are being eyed to supply even more cutting-edge and deeply penetrating EW support to the Corps. So, the USMC is betting that its new pod will help protect the drones that carry them so they can provide the long-range, long-lasting sensing needed to fight in the vastness of the Pacific. Should current tensions devolve into armed conflict, the Chinese will provide an answer on how well that wager turns out. Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

View comments
Elgin News Digest: Sugar & Rhyme Coffeehouse in Elgin wins $10,000 business grant; Castro and Anderson Humane holding free pet wellness event; Kane County hike being planned for parents with strollers

Sugar & Rhyme Coffeehouse in Elgin wins $10,000 business grant

Sugar & Rhyme Coffeehouse in downtown Elgin is one of 500 small businesses across the United States to be awarded a $10,000 grant from American Express and Main Street America.

This program is part of American Expresss Backing Small initiative that provides financial support and resources to small business owners experiencing economic hardships, according to the Main Street America website.

Sugar & Rhyme opened in 2023 and is located at 203 E. Chicago St.

or more information about the coffeehouse, go to www.sugarandrhyme.com. For more information about the nonprofit Main Street America, go to mainstreet.org.

Castro and Anderson Humane holding free pet wellness event

A free pet wellness event being hosted by state Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, and Anderson Humane will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 20, in the main lobby of Building F at Elgin Community College.

Attendees can receive free basic care vaccines for cats and dogs while supplies last, a news release said. There is no registration requirement or household pet limit, but vaccines will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

As a dog owner, I know the important role pets play in our families, Castro said in the release. This free event is a great opportunity to connect with the leading animal welfare organization in our community, meet other animal lovers and get your pets up-to-date on essential vaccines.

For more information, call Castros office at 847-214-8864.

Concerts in the Park being held in Geneva weekly in July

Geneva Park Districts Concerts in the Park series will be held at 7 p.m. every Wednesday in July at River Park at 151 N. River Lane beginning July 10.

Food trucks will be on site, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase, organizers said. Attendees are invited to bring their own their lawn chairs and blankets.

The concert and food lineup is:

July 10, Mr. Myers playing Caribbean rock and GVs Italian Street Food truck on site;

July 17, country band Hillbilly Rockstarz and Hippie Grilled Cheese Co. food truck;

July 24, FeelGood Party Band playing songs from the 1960s to today and Ks Vending food truck;

July 31, The Stingrays playing rock music of the 1950s, 60s and 70s and Waffadilla food truck.

Concerts will be canceled in the event of inclement weather.

For more information, go to www.genevaparks.org or call 630-232-4542.

Kane County hike being planned for parents with strollers

A special hike for parents with strollers will be held by the Kane County Forest Preserve District from 9 to 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 2, at Muirhead Springs Forest Preserve at 42W855 Bahr Road in Hampshire.

The interpretive hike will highlight local ecology and the beauty of the preserve, district officials said. Paths that are friendly for strollers will be used.

Advance registration is required for the free program. To register, go to www.kaneforest.com/register, call 630-444-3190 or email programs@kaneforest.com.

Applications for St. Charles annual Scarecrow Contest available

Applications are now available for the Scarecrow Contest thats part of St. Charles Scarecrow Weekend, which this year will be held Oct. 11 to 13.

Applications can be found online at www.scarecrowfest.com/scarecrowcontestapplication. It can be submitted electronically or printed out and mailed to or dropped off at the St. Charles Business Alliance at 2 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL 60174.

The deadline to apply is Sept. 15. Prizes ranging from $100 to $500 will be awarded in a variety of categories, including Mega/Mechanical, Business, Clubs/Not-for-Profit/Schools Category and Individual categories.

For more information, go to www.scarecrowfest.com.
(WHTM)  Its the nations birthday! Back in 1776, The United States, which wasnt even officially named the United States yet, was not a very big place. The total area of the 13 colonies put together was about 430,000 square miles out of Earths total land area of 57,268,900 square miles  about three-quarters of one percent. The Declaration of Independence went pretty much unnoticed in the remaining 99.25%.

Its better known today.

And of course, July 4, 1776, was not the first Fourth of July ever to happen. So here are some events that took place in many places around the world, on many July fourths before and after 1776. Its worth noting a lot of events that happened in the United States happened because hey, its the Fourth of July. And dont expect everything on this list to be joy and happiness. After all, were talking human history here.

Get daily news, weather, breaking news and alerts straight to your inbox! Sign up for the abc27 newsletters here

1054: The brightest known supernova, now cataloged as SN 1054, was first reported by Chinese astronomers. The supernova created what is now known as the Crab Nebula.

1187: Battle of Hattin (Tiberias): Saladin, First Sultan of Egypt and Syrba, defeated a Crusader army of 20,000. Over the next few months, Saladin captured 52 towns and fortifications, and the Crusader states of the Middle East began their slide into oblivion. Acre, the last Crusader stronghold, fell in 1291.

1534: Christian III was elected King of Denmark and Norway in the town of Rye. He would bring the Protestant Reformation to the two countries, establishing Lutheranism as the state religion.

1610: At the Battle of Klushino during the PolishRussian War of 16091618, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth forces of King Sigismund III trounced a Russian-Swedish force. The Commonwealth Army took Moscow in 1610, got shoved back out in 1612, and the war guttered out with a truce in 1618, leaving behind bad feelings between Poles and Russians that persist to this day.

1636: The city of Providence, Rhode Island, was founded by Roger Williams, who had been exiled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He named the area in honor of Gods merciful Providence, which he felt directed him and his followers to a safe haven.

1754: George Washington surrendered a hastily built stockade, Fort Necessity, to French forces. This event helped trigger the French and Indian War. (The fort, located near Farmington, PA, is now a National Park.)

1782: William Petty became Prime Minister of Great Britain following the death of Charles Watson-Wentworth. He only held the office for a little over a year, but during that time he negotiated the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War. (One of the reasons he got booted from office was anger over the generous terms he offered the Americans.)

Its Ratification Day! Who, what, when, where and why?

1785: At a meeting of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, geologist James Hutton presented his theory of uniformitarianism, which states Earths geologic changes can be explained by slow gradual processes  and that Earth is a lot older than people thought. Hutton is considered the father of modern geography.

1789: President George Washington signed the First U.S. tariff act, which helped fund the federal government and protect developing industries in the United States.

1802: At the site of a fort built during the Revolutionary War, the United States First Military Academy opened at West Point, New York.

1803: President Thomas Jefferson announced one of the biggest real estate deals of all time  the Louisiana Purchase.

April 11, 1803: France offers United States the Louisiana Territory

1817: Construction began on the Erie Canal at Rome, New York. When completed, it stretched 363 miles between Albany and Buffalo, New York. It sparked a canal-building boom, which went bust in a few decades with the coming of the railroads.

1826: Past presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

1827: The state of New York abolished slavery.

1828: Construction began on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The B&O was the first passenger railroad in the United States.

1831: The song America (My Country Tis of Thee) was performed for the first time in Boston, Massachusetts. The tune was not original, but then neither was the tune for The Star-Spangled Banner.

March 3, 1931: USA gets an official national anthem

1837: The Grand Junction Railway opened, running between the cities of Birmingham and Liverpool in England. At 82 miles long, it was the worlds first long-distance railway. It was phenomenally successful, cutting travel time between the cities to a mere nine hours.

1845: Henry David Thoreau moved into a simple cabin alongside Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. He lived there for two years and wrote a book about it.

1855: Walt Whitman published his book of poems, Leaves of Grass.

1862: Charles Dodgson, an Oxford mathematician better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, spun a fanciful tale for Alice Liddell during a family boat trip. He wrote a short version of the story, Alices Adventures Underground, which he later expanded into a longer book, Alices Adventures in Wonderland, that was published in 1865 (also on July 4).

1863: In a one-two punch to the Confederacy, General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia began its retreat after being defeated in the Battle of Gettysburg. That same day, Vicksburg, Mississippi, surrendered to Union forces commanded by Ulysses S. Grant after a month-long siege.

May 3, 1861: Winfield Scott and the Anaconda Plan

1866: A massive fire destroyed a large section of Portland, Maine. At the time it was the largest fire to ever strike an American city. Its believed to have been started by a stray firecracker.

1868: Battle at Ueno, Japan, part of The Boshin War, also called the Japanese Revolution or Japanese Civil War: On one side, supporters of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate; on the other, supporters of the imperial court. Ueno ended in defeat for the Tokugawa armies, and on June 27, 1869, the last shogunate forces surrendered.

1868: Maori leader Te Kooti and 300 of his followers captured the schooner Rifleman in the Chatham Islands and sailed for New Zealand. They landed at Whareongaonga six days later. (For more about the Te-Kootis War, click here.)

1881: Booker T. Washington established the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

1884: France presented the Statue of Liberty to the United States in Paris. It took a couple of years to transport the statue in pieces and assemble it in New York Harbor. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

1892: Samoa moved the International Date Line in their country. This change meant they had 367 days that year, with two occurrences of Monday, July 4. (The main reason for this was so they would be in sync with their main trading partner, the United States. In 2011, with their primary trading partners shifting to New Zealand and Australia, they switched back.)

Pennsylvania firework laws: What you need to know

1894: The Republic of Hawaii was proclaimed following the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and deposition of Queen Liliuokalani in 1893. The Republic existed for the sole purpose of getting Hawaii annexed by the United States, which occurred in 1898. In 1993, Congress passed and the President signed an Apology Resolution declaring the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii occurred with the active participation of agents and citizens of the United States and [] the Native Hawaiian people never directly relinquished to the United States their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people over their national lands, either through the Kingdom of Hawaii or through a plebiscite or referendum.

1895: Wellesley College English Professor Katherine Lee Bates published America the Beautiful. The poem was set to music composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward. The two never actually met.

1902: Civil government was established in the Philippines by a proclamation from President Theodore Roosevelt, who offered a general amnesty to insurgents. The backstory  the Philippines had been a Spanish colony for 300 years. On June 12, 1898, Filipino rebels led by Emilio Aguinaldo declared independence. Since it was the middle of the Spanish-American War, Americans were only too happy to help the Filipinos eject the last Spanish forces. Then America annexed the country, which did not go down well with the Filipinos, and a new revolt began against the Americans. It took three years to pacify the Philippines so Roosevelt could make the proclamation. (Keep scrolling down, the story continues)

1918: Sultan Mehmed VI ascended to the throne of the Ottoman Empire. It was, however, an empire coming apart at the seams. On November 1, 1922, the sultanate was abolished and Mehmed was expelled. He lived in exile in Italy until he died in 1926. From the Ottoman Empire would rise the modern Turkish republic.

1934: Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard, who had fled Nazi Germany and was living in England, patented the chain-reaction design for the atomic bomb.

1946: The Philippines gained its independence from the United States. This was the culmination of a process that began in the 1930s with the Tydings-McDuffie Law. The Philippines became a commonwealth, with a government that steered them through a 10-year transition period, after which the Phillippines became an independent nation on July 4 the next year. Amazingly, things stayed on schedule, even through the Japanese occupation during World War II.

Tips for helping sensitive ears cope with Fourth of July firework blasts

1950: On July 3, Harry Truman signed the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act of 1950, which enabled the people of Puerto Ricans to write their own constitution. It wasnt widely reported until the next day, which is why some people think it happened on July 4. But its pretty important, so Im leaving it in.

1954: Nine years after the end of World War II, food rationing officially ended in Britain.

1966: President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act. The act requires full or partial disclosure of unreleased information and documents controlled by the United States government upon request. It was strengthened in 1974 following the Watergate hearings.

Hurricane Agnes: A disaster timeline

1972: The remnants of Hurricane Agnes, which had been meandering across the Atlantic since leaving the east coast of the United States, crossed the Hebrides in Scotland.

2004: In a symbolic ceremony, the cornerstone of the Freedom Tower was laid on the site of the World Trade Center in New York City. (Actual construction did not start for several more weeks.)

2009: The Statue of Libertys crown reopened to the public after being closed for eight years following the World Trade Center attacks.

2012: Scientists at CERNs (Organisation europeenne pour la recherche nucleaire) Large Hadron Particle Collider announced the discovery of a new particle consistent with the Higgs boson, sometimes called the God particle to the intense annoyance of physicists.

2021: In an article published by the journal Human Evolution. researchers revealed there are 14 living male descendants of the line that includes famed Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. The artist never had any children but did have 22 half brothers on his paternal side.

Stay up to date on the latest from abc27 News on-air and on the go with the free abc27 Mobile 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 ABC27.
Employee dies after incident at industrial plant in South Carolina, coroner says

A man working at an industrial facility in South Carolina died days after a workplace incident, the Calhoun County Coroners Office said.

Timothy McCormick, 56, is the Zeus Industrial Products employee who was killed, Coroner Donnie Porth told The State. The manufacturing plant is in the Gaston area of Calhoun County, near Interstate 26.

McCormick was working at the facility June 24, Porth said. At about 1 a.m., there was an emergency call about an accident involving McCormick, according to Porth.

Emergency responders tried CPR on McCormick and were able to get a heartbeat, Porth said. McCormick was taken to Lexington Medical Center, where he died June 26, according to Porth.

Although Porth said McCormicks death appears to be accidental, no official cause or manner of death has been determined.

Information about the incident at the Zeus plant was not available, as the coroners office is continuing to investigate the death.

Zeus was founded in 1966 and it both develops and manufactures polymer tubing for a variety of industries, including the medical, fluid handling and electrical markets, according to its website.

Calls made to Zeus seeking comment were not answered.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  In a few weeks another casino and resort on the Las Vegas Strip will close.

Employees at the Mirage spoke with 8 News Now about what they will miss and what it all means for the future.

As the months progressed I started seeing the slot machines being turned off, Gabriel Fuentes shared with 8 News Now. It became a pinch me moment like is this actually happening?

Fuentes works as a barista at the Mirage and said he cant believe its all coming to an end, as the resort is closing its doors on July 17.

The morale of the team is very bittersweet, we are happy that we are still here, but sad that we all are going to be leaving each other and going off to different properties, Fuentes added.

He told 8 News Now that he has a couple of job offers in the works, but he is not too worried. As part of the Culinary Unions contract, workers are given several options so that they are paid regardless, even with the Strip resort shutting down.

One of the options is to get $2,000 for every year worked, plus six months of benefits paid and a pension, because of the financial gain we got through the contract, I am feeling very secure, he added.

Chris Brown is another resort employee who has worked at the Mirage for two decades. He said he will miss everything the resort has to offer and is not opposed to returning to the Hard Rock Hotel once it reopens.

Im looking forward to coming back if the door is open, but if Im established at one place, then Ill stay there most likely, he said.

The 3,000-plus-room resort will continue to operate as the Mirage until the renovation and rebranding of the property to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino are complete which is expected to take about three years.

Fuentes also shared with 8 News Now that on the last day, the property will have a celebration in front of the volcano with the doors closing in the early afternoon on July 17. As for merchandise and souvenirs, the stores inside are offering 50% off particular items.

The Mirage Hotel and Casino is best known for shows such as Siegfried and Roys tiger show which debuted in 1990 and lasted until 2003. Currently, it is home to the Beatles Love Cirque du Soleil. The last show is scheduled for Saturday, July 6.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Oregon is about to head into its first intense heat wave of 2024 with temperatures projected to reach 100 degrees in some areas  increasing the states overall use of energy.

In preparation for the coming heat, local energy companies like Portland General Electric and Pacific Power are asking customers to conserve energy as their resources are put to the test.

Portland Street Response spots fire, calls 911, put on hold

More electricity is used by our customers during the summer season than at any other time of the year, said Pacific Powers senior vice president of power delivery, Curt Mansfield. We encourage customers to take steps now to manage their energy use and take advantage of incentives to increase energy efficiency at home.

Although Pacific Power officials say they are well positioned to meet summer customer demand, the company asks customers to decrease strain on the shared electrical grid by limiting energy usage at the warmest times of the day.

Between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., energy companies recommend setting central cooling systems to 78 degrees or higher, turning off all unnecessary lights and appliances, and using fans to increase airflow throughout the house.

North Portland public pool remains closed amid heat wave

Portland General Electric also encourages being prepared for a possible loss of power.

The high heat means customers are using more electricity to cool their homes and businesses, PGE said in a press release. High demand places extra stress on electrical equipment, and that can lead to power outages.

The company encourages having an outage kit with emergency supplies as well as extra ice in case refrigerators need to keep food cold until power returns. Those with health conditions are also encouraged to enroll in the PGE medical certificate program, in case of an emergency.

Back in 2021, triple-digit heat hit the greater Portland and Vancouver metro areas between June 26 to June 28. Temperatures shot up to 108, 112, and finally the all-time record-breaking temperature of 116 degrees.

Man shot to death by officers had replica airsoft gun, officials say

A total of 72 heat-related deaths were recorded in Multnomah County that year, all of which were caused by the heat dome.

During periods of extreme fire weather, PGE will sometimes conduct Public Safety Power Shutoffs to prevent electrical lines from sparking wildfire disasters. However, no PSPS notices have been issued in the region as of Wednesday morning.

Stay with KOIN 6 News as our coverage of the heat dome 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 KOIN.com.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it would sell 1 million barrels of gasoline, equaling 42 million gallons, from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) ahead of July 4. A DOE press release said the sale would largely impact "the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania."

"The Biden-Harris Administration continues to take strategic action to lower prices for American consumers in every aspect of their livesespecially as summer driving season ramps up," said DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm. "By releasing this reserve ahead of July 4th, we are ensuring sufficient supply flows to the Northeast at a time hardworking Americans need it the most."

But the sale was not some magnanimous gesturein fact, it was required by law. And it's hard to see how the act will make much of a difference, unless the goal is to shore up President Joe Biden's flailing reelection bid.

Section 308 of the 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act mandated that "the Secretary of Energy shall draw down and sell one million barrels of refined petroleum product from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve during fiscal year 2024" and then "carry out the closure of the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve." For the DOE to brag about this sale, "the administration is claiming credit for a policy enacted by Congress," says Peter Van Doren, senior fellow at the Cato Institute.

The Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve was established in 2014. After Hurricane Sandy caused damage to refiners in 2012, leading to fuel shortages across New York, DOE then-Secretary Ernest Moniz authorized the department to set aside 1 million barrels of gas for future emergencies. (The SPR was itself created in 1975 to hold crude oil, after that decade's oil embargoes, to provide a backstop against future supply shocks.)

But "storing refined fuel is costlier than storing crude oil," Reuters noted in May, so Congress shuttered the reserve in its 2024 spending bill.

Not only is the sale a requirement under federal law, but 1 million barrels of gas will just be a literal drop in the bucket.

According to the Energy Information Administration, American motorists consumed just under 9 million barrels of gasoline per day in 2023, surpassing 9 million barrels per day in May, June, July, and August. "The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions accounted for roughly 2.5 million barrels," Van Doren tells Reason. As a result, 1 million additional barrels constitutes just 40 percent of the targeted region's supply for a single day.

And gas prices were already falling: On Tuesday, the day of the DOE announcement, GasBuddy reported that this year would see lower gas prices than any other July 4 holiday during Biden's presidency. In May, Reuters noted that the DOE "will be selling into a well-supplied market," crediting "higher refinery output and weak fuel demand" for healthy supply and lower prices.

Still, Biden's political opponents have accused the president of manipulating gasoline stock for political advantage.

Speaking to reporters in May, former President Donald Trump said Biden was releasing the fuel "in a bid to lower prices at the pump just before the election.Prices are higher than they've been in a long time, they're very high, and so he's trying to stop that because high gasoline prices are not good for elections."

"Under the Biden administration, the SPR has been abused for political purposes to try and bring down record high gasoline prices," charged Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (RWash.) and Sen. John Barrasso (RWyo.) in a letter to Granholm in May. "We urge you, in the strongest terms, to put this country's energy security first and stop abusing the SPR for political purposes."

Unfortunately, manipulating the SPR for political purposes is a time-honored tradition. In 2000, former President Bill Clinton released 30 million barrels of oil from the SPR just weeks before the 2000 election in which his vice president, Al Gore, was a presidential candidate. Gore's opponent George W. Bush criticized the move, saying the SPR "should not be used for short-term political gain at the cost of long-term national security." Then in 2006, Bush suspended deposits into the reserve to boost supply in the face of rising gas prices, ahead of that year's midterm elections.

In his 2017 budget proposal, Trump proposed selling half the oil in reserve to reduce the federal budget deficit, before announcing in 2020 that the government would buy crude to bail out oil companies suffering from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The post Energy Department Turns Ordinary Gasoline Sale Into Major Announcement appeared first on Reason.com.
The state is catching up to Palm Beach in its efforts to protect sensitive marine ecosystems from the threats posed by balloons.

Seven years after the town passed an ordinance banning the release of balloons and sky lanterns outdoors, the state followed with its own version.

A new Florida law that took effect Monday bans the intentional release of balloons in most circumstances. Signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 24, it replaces a state ban on releasing 10 or more balloons in 24 hours.

Related: Palm Beach OKs cigarette smoking ban at town-operated parks and beaches

The law exempts children 6 and younger. Anyone else could face a $150 fine, according to the measure. It also removes an exemption for biodegradable balloons.

Hot air balloons, balloons released indoors, and balloons released on behalf of a governmental agency for scientific or meteorological purposes are excluded from penalty.

Palm Beach's balloon ordinance, adopted in February 2017 under then-Mayor Gail Coniglio, prohibits the release of balloons inflated "with a gas that is lighter than air" or any sky lanterns within town limits.

It does not prohibit the release of balloons indoors; the release of sky lanterns indoors; and the release of balloons by a governmental agency for scientific or meteorological purposes.

"I'm assuming that the rest of the state of Florida is just catching up with the fact that it is environmentally destructive to have the balloons with marine life, and certainly birds, and all of the ecological advantages that the state of Florida enjoys," Coniglio told the Daily News. "I'm just grateful that we can continue to work together as a state to improve and protect the environment."

A graduation-party balloon was left on the beach June 25 at North Ocean Boulevard and Reef Road in Palm Beach. A new state law that took effect Monday prohibits the intention release of balloons. It mirrors a town law passed in 2017.

Diane Buhler, founder and president of Friends of Palm Beach, a nonprofit organization that hosts community beach cleanups within the town, praised the new state law, which won overwhelming bipartisan support in the Florida Legislature.

She noted that balloons and other marine debris can have serious consequences for marine life if ingested.

"It's only creating more death in the ocean," she said. "The governor's waking up to a lot of the issues in the environment, so I'm happy. I think a lot of educated people are already understanding not to go with balloons at their celebrations. Alternatively, there are bubbles, because it's the children they're getting them for, and they're more fun. It's wonderful that the state is catching up to Palm Beach as far as balloon releases are concerned."

But there is much more work to be done, Buhler said. She noted that single-use plastic bags and polystyrene containers, which the town briefly banned in July 2019, remain a big threat to the safety of marine life as they are far more likely to end up in oceans than reusable options.

Cans and bottles strewn along the beach also pose serious risks to marine ecosystems, she added, but rules in place to penalize violators for littering need to be more strictly enforced.

"We've had litter fines on the books forever, and nobody's enforcing them," she said. "We collect so many party piles on the beach, and there's no enforcement with alcohol cans and bottles. It's wonderful to pass these laws, and it educates people on whey we shouldn't have balloons. But enforcement is key, and it just doesn't get done.

"It's on the bottom of the list because of the horrible crime out there. Crimes against the environment are low on the list for the town, our region and other municipalities, unfortunately," she said.

Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: New state ban on release of balloons follows Palm Beach rule
Insights from The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Nikkei Asia

The News

The European Union could impose restrictions on several Chinese online retailers, most notably Shein and Temu, the Financial Times reported.

Specifically, the EU is considering eliminating a rule that says individually packaged purchases imported from non-EU countries worth less than 150 ($162) each are exempt from customs duties.

The bloc wants to cut what it sees as a flood of substandard, low-priced items coming from China to protect local companies.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Chinese firms reliance on air is impacting freight costs

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Shein and Temu send their packages by air, and that has sent freight costs skyrocketing. Its also driven up fears of a squeeze on capacity when the years retail season peaks in December, The Wall Street Journal reported. Air freight is typically dominated by products like phones and computers, but the two Chinese retailers fill up cargo planes with small packages of clothing and household items. The e-commerce boom out of China has transformed the airfreight market in an incredibly short period of time, an analyst told the Journal. Shein and Temu arent the only ones to blame for rising cargo costs, however: Attacks by Houthi rebels targeting shipping in the Red Sea have also forced retailers to send more by air, raising prices.

Growing momentum behind protectionist agenda

Source: Bloomberg

The proposed action  which requires the sign off of every EU member state to pass  is the latest in a series of protectionist moves to curb imports of cheap Chinese goods that the EU sees as a threat to local manufacturers, particularly in the auto sector, Bloomberg noted. The efforts could be coordinated across the Atlantic: The US is also considering a similar measure when it comes to duty exemption for low-value personal packages, the outlet reported.





Chinas neighbors could soon join the Wests protectionist push

Source: Nikkei Asia

The Wests protectionist agenda could serve as an inspiration for Chinas regional neighbors, an economist wrote in Nikkei: In the end, it boils down to protecting domestic companies and jobs. While many Asian policymakers will face difficult decisions, the path is clear. The laissez-faire approach adopted by many Asian countries has presented challenges, as Chinas overcapacity in several key sectors squeezes local businesses. Manufacturers in Thailand, Indonesia, and South Korea have felt pressure as a result of Chinese goods, while entire industries, like metals and chemicals, have been affected, the economist added.
President Biden began widespread outreach to Democrats on Wednesday as he sought to calm the intraparty panic over his election prospects and mental stamina. The Biden campaign and White House denied reports from The New York Times and CNN saying hes thinking about dropping out. They sought to reassure worried supporters that hes in for the long haul and can still defeat President Trump. Biden dialed in to a Democratic National Committee conference call to declare: I am runningno ones pushing me out. Im not leaving. Im in this race to the end and were going to win.

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients held a call with staff asking them to tune out the noise and stay disciplined, The Hills Alex Gangitano reports. This comes amid a flood of leaks from the White House that have resulted in stories detailing Bidens cognitive decline.

Biden phoned top allies on Capitol Hill, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and James Clyburn (D-S.C.), and Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.).

Tonight, Biden will meet with 20 Democratic governors at the White House. Some of those in the room, including Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.), are considered potential replacements for Biden if he should step aside. THE BIG QUESTION on the minds of many Democrats is why Biden waited almost a week before undertaking this push. A raft of new polling out Wednesday found Biden losing ground to Trump amid overwhelming voter concerns about Bidens age. Democrats have been in full-blown panic mode since last Thursdays debate, with some calling on him to drop out of the race and others questioning whether hes too old to serve another four years. The White House said that Biden had been extraordinarly busy in the days since the debate. Biden going on public blitz: The president will sit for an interview with ABC, campaign in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, and hell hold a rare press conference next week. Biden also taped two interviews with Black radio hosts that will air tomorrow in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who ran against Biden in the 2020 Democratic primary, said the media push is not enough. Its gotta be a lot more than that. Its gotta be a barnstorm, its gotta be town halls in hostile environments, probably like Fox News. And show us you can make the case. Read more: Biden battles for his political life as Democratic dissent rises.

Biden campaign fails to quell mounting Dem frustration.

Biden seeks to reassure amid growing Democratic panic.

What to know about Bidens post-debate meeting with the governors.
During the first 2024 debate last week, President Joe Biden looked fatigued, sounded hoarse, and failed to complete his thoughts several times. Halfway through the debate, NBC News reported that sources familiar with the situation say President Biden has a cold.

Since then, Biden, his campaign, and allies have offered a series of excuses for his performance  none of which explain what Americans witnessed that evening: an 81-year-old man visibly in decline.

A CBS News poll conducted after the debate found that 72 percent of registered voters believe Biden does not have the mental and cognitive health to be president of the United States.

At a fundraiser in Virginia on Tuesday, Biden suggested he had been jet-lagged during the showdown with Donald Trump. Biden said he wasnt very smart, according to pool reports, claiming he decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through I dont know how many time zones  for real I think it [was] 15 time zones.

And then I came back and nearly fell asleep on stage, said Biden, referring to his debate performance, adding: Its not an excuse but an explanation.

Reporters quickly pushed back on this supposed explanation. The president was back from Europe 12 days before the debate and spent a week at Camp David preparing for it, wrote New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who has called on Biden to withdraw from the race. I dont know what happened in the debate, but it wasnt jet lag.

In private, Politico reported, Bidens family has blamed his staff for failing to appropriately prepare him to face Trump  arguing they had him too focused on defending his record, and that he was over-worked and hadnt rested enough. (According to the Times, Biden didnt start debate prep before 11 a.m. and was given time for an afternoon nap each day.)

Over the weekend, one of the presidents top allies, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), similarly blamed his performance on preparation overload, before suggesting Bidens stutter was the reason he struggled to complete his thoughts last week.

Joe Biden has a history of stuttering, Clyburn said on CNN. He did that as a child. All of us know how stutterers operate. I went to school with one. So, when you have trouble getting out a word, that is what comes from stuttering. But when he expressed opinions, he was on the money with the opinions. He may not have gotten the word out, but the thoughts were great.

Clyburn additionally panned CNN for failing to fact check Trump. The guy told 30-some-odd lies, and nobody checked him on it and said that was up to Joe Biden to do, he said.

The Biden campaign has criticized reporters for how they covered his performance on stage. In one fundraising email, the campaign said that the media was hyperventilating and trying to manifest drama to boost ratings.

In an email to journalists, the campaign suggested that if polling results turned more negative after the debate  which appears to be happening  blame should fall on the media.

If we do see changes in polling in the coming weeks, it will not be the first time that overblown media narratives have driven temporary dips in the polls, the campaign wrote.

More from Rolling Stone

Best of Rolling Stone
House Democrats are growing increasingly panicked about the 2024 election in the aftermath of Joe Bidens disastrous debate performance  and furious at the presidents response.

Two safe-seat members have already publicly urged Biden out. Two of the most endangered Democrats told local news outlets theyve already written off Bidens chances to win in November.

Behind the scenes, things are even more frenzied. There are multiple drafts of letters circulating among House Democrats and at least one would call on Biden to end his campaign, according to five people familiar with the efforts.

Even for Congress, where rumors constantly fly around the Capitol, this week has been remarkably chaotic, exacerbated by the fact that members are not in session and have been scrambling to connect with each other remotely.

Everybodys in panic mode, and I dont even know what to say, said one senior Democratic House lawmaker, who has sought to help manage the conference-wide fallout.

The Frontliners are really worried, the lawmaker added, using House Democrats branding for their most electorally vulnerable members.

The cloak-and-dagger plotting, careful parsing of words in cable TV hits and public pleas for Biden to prove himself in more public settings underscore the growing sense among House Democrats that the situation is untenable.



The debate  and the campaigns handling of its aftermath  have left swing-seat Democrats deeply shaken and increasingly convinced that Bidens weakness at the top of the ticket could fuel a complete wipeout down-ballot.

Everybody wants him to quit. There's a sense of despair. I think people don't understand how we get out of this hole. And we're hurtling toward losing to Trump, said one House Democrat granted anonymity to shed light on private conversations. All my text chains in Congress go from a dark humor to lets take action.  I don't find any discernible group of people who actually believe we're going to win with Joe Biden.

But no one can agree on what to do.

Some are waiting for clearer polling data or other signs. Others were hoping to talk to more of their colleagues and advisers. But next Monday loomed for many as an informal deadline. The House will return from its July 4 recess, and members will gather again in one place, increasing the likelihood of collective action that could give everyone cover.

In the meantime, members have been forced to privately discuss their courses of action in group chats and phone calls  with a shift in tone playing out in TV hits and interviews back home in their districts.

The fears about Bidens ability to mount a presidential campaign that spread in the immediate wake of the debate have spiked significantly this week and started to spill into public view.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, a progressive who represents the heart of Austin, became the first sitting House Democrat to call for Biden to exit the race. A day later he was joined by Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona.

Two Democrats in red districts, Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington state, said the debate made clear that Biden could not beat Trump. Golden said confidently that democracy would survive a second Donald Trump presidency  an argument that undermines his own partys core message. Neither explicitly called on Biden to bow out.

Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) raised concerns on CNN about the down-ballot effects of Bidens candidacy: I just want him to appreciate at this time just how much this impacts not just his race but all the other races coming in November.

And swing-seat Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) said at a news conference that she has asked the campaign to make Biden more present in the coming days while also giving him space to think about whether he wants to continue moving forward.



On a call with campaign staff on Wednesday, Biden reiterated his commitment to staying in the race, adding no ones pushing me out. Biden has also announced additional campaign stops, a press conference during next weeks NATO summit and is also set to sit down for a taped interview with ABC News.

For many Democrats, just as concerning as Bidens performance has been his teams attempts at damage control: a combination of dismissals, rebukes and nothing-to-see-heres that only further deepened the campaigns credibility concerns among lawmakers.

Bidens surrogates calling all of us bedwetters is backfiring more than helping, one Democrat said.

Democrats expressed frustration about the close circle that has enveloped Biden and the lack of outreach from the White House or the campaign from how theyre going to right the ship. It took days for Biden to call either House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, whom he phoned Tuesday, or Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who spoke with the president on Wednesday. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden also spoke with Speaker emeritus Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.).

House Democratic leaders plan to hold a call at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Mia McCarthy and Sarah Ferris contributed.
A former Biden administration liaison and local Democratic candidate in Texasaccused of creating a fake Facebook account to send hate mail to his own campaign and opponentsis now under investigation for allegedly impersonating a judge.

Taral Patel, who is running for Fort Bend County Commissioner, is already facing a felony charge of online impersonation for using another local mans image for his bogus Antonio Scalywag profile, which he used to send himself racist comments.

Now authorities believe Patel launched a phony account for a local criminal court judge, Surendran Pattel, and could soon file more charges.

According to NBC affiliate Click2Houston, investigators searching Patels Google phone found a Facebook account for Pattelbut one with an email address connected to the suspect and which the judge says he never created nor authorized.

Pattel was the judge assigned to the rising political stars pending criminal matter and told the TV outlet he recused himself from the case because of the accusations and because he knows Patel personally.

A new search warrant alleges the Scalywag and fake Pattel accounts became friends in July 2021, and Scalywag made multiple complimentary comments toward the judge. But in January 2022, the sham account appeared ... upset with something Antonio Scalywag had posted publicly, the legal filing states.

Patel has not commented on the allegations.

Last September, Patel shared a thread on X with screenshots, claiming his campaign was facing a barrage of racist attacks. While the usernames were blocked, one noted they were supporting a Patel opponent because he serves Jesus unlike Patel and his followers who worship Monkey and Elephant.

According to a complaint and arrest warrant affidavit reviewed by The Daily Beast, the author of that comment was the Scalywag account.

I am always open to criticism of my policy positions, Patel wrote in his X post. However, when my Republican opponents supporters' decide to hurl #racist, #antiimmigrant, #Hinduphobic, or otherwise disgusting insults at my family, faith community, colleagues, and me - that crosses a line.

In 2021, President Biden appointed Patel to serve as a White House liaison addressing housing, urban development, and disaster recovery and resilience, the Houston Chronicle reported.

So much love and gratitude to the Biden Harris Administration for giving this Texan the opportunity of a lifetime to serve, Patel tweeted in June 2022.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
Former Indianapolis Colts player Daniel Muir and his wife, Kristin, have been arrested after their missing 14-year-old son Bryson was found safe on Wednesdaytwo weeks after police started looking for him.

Indiana State Police said SWAT teams found Bryson at around 6 a.m. at his parents home in Logansport, Indiana, and was safe and well.

However, his parents were taken into custody on obstruction of justice charges and Daniel Muir is also facing a domestic battery charge, police said.

Bryson Muir had not been seen since June 16 when his grandmother, Cheryl Wright, reported to police that the teen had allegedly been abused by his dad.

His face was battered. When I got him he had a black eye and busted lip, Wright told FOX 59. His whole face was swollen. I can only imagine how many times he had been hit in the face for it to be like that.

Authorities issued a Silver Alert last Friday after the Muirs told police they would bring their son to Indianapolis State Police headquarters to prove he was OK but then backed out of the arrangement an hour before the scheduled meeting.

The family lives on land owned by the Straitway Truth Ministries, a religious sect based in Tennessee.

Brysons grandmother said she feared he had been brainwashed by his parents.

Bryson is so conditioned or brainwashed to their way of living that he wanted to go back, Wright said. As I tried to get my daughter to leave he ran out of the house and left with them.

Muir was signed by the Green Bay Packers as a free agent in 2007. He also had stint with the Indianapolis Colts, the St. Louis Rams, the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders.

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.
Expert climber takes action after worrisome trend threatens climbing paths on iconic mountain: 'We have destroyed its beauty with our own hands'

Pakistani climber Sajid Ali Sadpara has made history by scaling some of Earth's tallest peaks, but perhaps his greatest accomplishment is his cleanup effort on K2 in the summer of 2023.

Last July, Sadpara and his team of four spent a month picking up ropes, tents, and depleted oxygen canisters abandoned by other climbers on the second-highest mountain in the world. They accrued as much as 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of litter in a week, per the Agence France-Presse.

"K2 is no longer as beautiful as it once used to be," Abbas Sadpara, an unrelated veteran mountaineer, told AFP at K2 Basecamp. "We have destroyed its beauty with our own hands."

The mountain, which got its name from British surveyors in 1856 who identified it as the second peak of the Karakoram range, formed 50 million years ago in what is now the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northeastern Pakistan.

It can sustain winds up to 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph) and temperatures as low as minus-60 degrees Celsius (minus-76 Fahrenheit), making trash collection extremely difficult.

Sadpara's cleanup efforts served to preserve K2's natural beauty and also honor his late father, Ali Sadpara, who died while ascending the mountain in 2021 with his son and two other climbers.

Deserted equipment has become a problem following the explosion in popularity of mountain tourism, according to Central Karakoram National Park ecologist Yasir Abbas, who ran a campaign that removed 1,600 kilograms of litter from K2 in 2022.

"Commercial companies, they take in more equipment," he told AFP. "If more people go to climb, there will be more waste."

Conditions are no different on Mount Everest, as the world's tallest mountain has also seen a rise in gear and garbage dumped by mountaineers.

Sadpara acknowledged the challenge of climbing K2 and that, for many hikers, picking up after themselves becomes secondary to simply surviving. However, he added that part of mountain climbing's allure is the "mental peace" it brings and that the sight of refuse can alter the experience.

"I'm doing it from my heart," Sajid Sadpara said of his actions. "This is our mountain. We are the custodians."

Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD)  A legal battle is looming over whether the murder case against a former Michigan State Police detective sergeant will move to federal court.

Brian Keelys attorneys are pushing to take the case away from state court. An initial court hearing on whether that will happen is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in Lansing.

Former Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Brian Keely appears in a Kentwood courtroom on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessels office has charged Keely with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the death of Samuel Sterling, 25, of Grand Rapids. Police found Sterling, who they say was wanted on multiple outstanding felony warrants, at a Kentwood gas station on April 17. They say he took off. Several officers chased him on foot to a nearby Burger King while Keely pursued in an unmarked cruiser. Video released by MSP shows Sterling being hit by Kellys unmarked vehicle near the restaurants entrance, pinning him up against the wall. He was hospitalized and died hours later.

Murder case moves forward against former MSP sergeant

Keelys attorneys filed a motion Friday to move the case to federal court. His team says while Keely was employed by Michigan State Police, he was also assigned to a federal fugitive task force team. They say Keelys team was asked by Kent County crime authorities to help arrest Sterling.

Jeffrey Swartz is a former prosecutor, defense attorney and state court judge in Florida. He is now a professor at Cooley Law Schools Tampa Bay Campus. He is not affiliated with the Keely case. Swartz said that if everything the defense provided in its motion is true and Keely was truly acting under federal duties, the case should go to federal court.

It appears he was in detached duty to this task force which was headed up by federal authorities, even though it was solely for the purpose for arresting people on state charges, Swartz said. If everything he says is correct and provable, then hes entitled to the removal and most likely will get it.

Lawyers want to move MSP detective murder case to federal court

Swartz said existing case law supports the defenses argument, if Keely was indeed acting solely as a federal officer.

When a federal officer is charged or can be charged with a criminal offense, especially an offense of physical violence of someone, he is entitled to the protection of federal jurisdiction in courts, Swartz said.

If that happens, Keely wouldnt get a jury pool just from Kent County. It would include the entire federal Western District, which stretches all the way up to northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.

The makeup of a jury in federal court within the district is from the entire district, Swartz said. It is not from the particular county the offense was committed in.

Still, Swartz said there is risk for Keely in a federal case.

Be careful what you ask for cause you might just get it He might find himself with a U.S. attorney who might be interested in tacking on additional charges such as violation of someones civil rights resulting in a death, Swartz said.

Father: Death of son hit by police car senseless

The Michigan Attorney Generals Office says it will seek to keep the case in state court.

Family shows News 8 a photo of Samuel Sterling.

These are state charges, alleging violations of state law, and as such they should be tried in a state court, a spokesperson told News 8 Tuesday.

The AGs Office and Keelys attorneys have agreed that state case forward while they wait for a decision over moving it to federal court. A preliminary hearing is still scheduled for Aug. 12 in Kentwood.

Sterlings parents say they not only want justice for their sons death, but also a trial in state court in front of the cameras.

I believe it needs to stay in state because the world needs to know whats going on, mother Andrica Cage told News 8 Monday.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
What Goes Up...

Space may be boundless, but the increasingly cluttered orbital real estate where we like to cram all our satellites is not. And so as we enter a golden age of commercial spaceflight, those of us on terra firma may not be able to write off death by falling space junk as an astronomically remote implausibility forever.

As Ars Technica reports, hunks of space hardware keep falling to Earth despite engineers insisting that they should've safely burned-up in the atmosphere  like in the case of a piece of the International Space Station crashing through the roof of a Florida home, or a suspected chunk of a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft touching down on a Canadian farm.

Those examples are just from this year, and in the former's case, came uncomfortably close to being deadly  and some experts warn that we don't have a good enough grasp on why this keeps happening.

"The biggest immediate need now is just to do some more work to really understand this whole process and to be in a position to be ready to accommodate new materials, new operational approaches as they happen more quickly," Marlon Sorge, executive director of The Aerospace Corporation's Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies, told Ars Technica. "Clearly, that's the direction that spaceflight is going."

Chaotic Conditions

Government bodies like NASA and the European Space Agency agree that space junk is a pressing problem. It's their garbage up there, after all, along with ever-increasing proportions of commercial junk from the likes of SpaceX, whose giant and ever-growing satellite constellations have raised concern at the Federal Aviation Administration.

Most of the attention around the issue has been focused on how to build the machines  be it a specialized spacecraft or a giant laser  to safely deorbit the junk, which will soon include the ISS.

Designing these machines will be engineering conundrums on their own, but the complicated mechanics of falling through the atmosphere should not be underestimated. Modern spacecraft are built with lightweight composites that shouldn't have a chance of surviving the scorching hot temperatures of a re-entry  and yet, somehow, they keep doing exactly that.

"It's not just the materials that go into the composite," Greg Henning, manager of the debris and disposal section within Aerospace's space situational awareness department, told Ars. A host of factors could be at play, including how those materials are constructed, or even much more difficult to predict factors like the orientation of the falling junk.

"Is it tumbling? Is it reentering in a stable configuration? There are so many things that go into what actually happens during a reentry," Henning continued. "It just makes it that much more complex to figure out if something is going to survive or not."

There are no easy answers right now, but these long-term problems are something we'll have to not just mull over, but eventually take action on as we keep launching more stuff.

More on space: Chinese Rocket Accidentally Launches During Test, Soars Over City and Crashes Into Mountain
Explosions heard in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Dnipro and Kherson as Russia launches missile and drone attack  photos

Ukraines Air Force has reported a missile and drone attack on the left bank of the river Dnipro and the south of Ukraine. Media reports have indicated that explosions had been heard in the cities of Dnipro, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Source: Ukraines Air Force; Suspilne; Rehina Kharchenko, Secretary of Zaporizhzhia City Council; alerts.in.ua

Details: Initially, the Air Force reported the movement of two groups of Russian attack UAVs: one from Kirovohrad Oblast and the other from Kherson Oblast. The Russian drones were heading toward Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Quote from Air Force: "Dnipro - there is a group of attack UAVs approaching the city from the west! A missile towards Dnipro!"

Details: Later, Suspilne wrote that explosions had been heard in Kherson and Dnipro.

Explosions were heard in Zaporizhzhia, too.

Quote from Zaporizhzhia City Council Secretary Rehina Kharchenko: "An explosion has been heard in the city! Stay in safe places!"

She later clarified that "the explosion was outside [the city of] Zaporizhzhia".

The Air Force also mentioned a "fast-moving target" passing through Kharkiv Oblast toward Poltava Oblast.

An air-raid warning has been issued in Ukraines east and south.

Updated: Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne later reported that one of the shopping centres in Dnipro had been damaged in the explosions.

Photo: Suspilne

Photo: Suspilne

Support UP or become our patron!
'Eyesore' apartment complex in Northeast Indy to be demolished. Here's what will replace it

Courtyards by Roselawn Park sits vacant, surrounded by scattered trash and old tires on June 25, 2024.

Old jackets, strewn tires, a rusty pickup and trash line a vacant apartment complex in northeast Indianapolis.

Courtyards at Roselawn Park has faced persistent issues with squatters, fires and disturbances since it was vacated. But the troubled complex has created issues for surrounding neighbors dating back at least a decade.

Now, the complex at 5074 Roselawn Drive is one of 12 vacant buildings that will be rehabilitated as part of the Gateway to Life initiative, spearheaded by the Northeast Indianapolis Community Service Corporation, a community development organization within Kingdom Apostolic Ministries.

The Northeast Indianapolis organization pushed Emerson Park Apartments LLC, the buildings' property owner, to create something meaningful out of the complex. In 2020, the CEO of the organization spoke with Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett to help spur the project.

"It's better to do something with it than nothing because it's kind of an eyesore," said Violet Atlee, a neighbor.

The Gateway to Life initiative will make 250 affordable apartments available on the northeast side of Indianapolis next year and will cost around $48 million, according to past IndyStar reporting. It has received federal and state tax credits through the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, along with an up to $5 million commitment by the city of Indianapolis.

On Jan. 30, demolition orders for two buildings within the Courtyards at Roselawn complex were approved.

The bid for the demolition of the two buildings closes July 18, after which a contract will be awarded.

The Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services estimates this demolition process will cost between $675,000 and $850,000.

Trash in front of Courtyards at Roselawn Park apartments on June 25, 2024.

A history of issues

Courtyards at Roselawn Park was plagued with problems before its tenants were forced out. However, nearby residents have dealt with a new set of hazards since plywood went up over Courtyards' doors and windows.

Leal and Lolita Smith have lived in a house behind the Roselawn apartment complex for 45 years. Lolita Smith said that for as long as she can remember, the complex has had squatters coming in and out.

"They should've gotten rid of it a long time ago," Leal Smith said.

Nearby residents are not the only ones suffering. In summer 2023, the Indianapolis Fire Department responded to at least two fires at the complex. Several firefighters were injured when trash piled up around the complex made it difficult to battle the blaze.

The Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services has tried to address chronic concerns at the apartment complex since 2021, according to Dawn Olsen, the department's chief communications officer.

Since then, Olsen said, the department has boarded the complex 55 times and has conducted three extensive clean-ups.

In addition to addressing squatters and boarding the complex, the department has opened high weeds and grass violations and has performed multiple trash inspections.

Problems at the complex date back to before it was vacated.

In 2014, when the apartment complex was called Harmony Park Place Apartments, it faced multiple health issues, including water leaks and burst pipes. These unsafe living conditions led to court-ordered evictions for its residents.

It is still unclear when neighbors will spot excavators and bulldozers at the complex.

According to previous Indy Star reporting, construction to rebuild the complex is expected to finish before the end of 2025. After construction wraps up, Black and White Investments will manage the properties for the first few years.

For now, residents are looking forward to finally getting rid of the nuisance.

Since moving to the neighborhood, Leal and Lolita Smith have put up a fence in their backyard, which they said has helped separate themselves from the complex.

"Clear it all. It makes the neighborhood look really bad," Lolita Smith said. "It's kind of embarrassing."

Part of the Courtyards at Roselawn Park apartment complex where there was a fire in July 2023.

Correction: This article was edited on July 3, 2024 to clarify the cost and scope of demolition.

Yasmeen Saadi is a Pulliam Fellow, primarily covering breaking news and crime. You can email her at YSaadi@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 'Eyesore' apartment complex in Northeast Indianapolis to be demolished
FACT FOCUS: Trump wasnt exonerated by the presidential immunity ruling, even though he says he was

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday misrepresented in a social media post what the U.S. Supreme Courts Monday ruling on presidential immunity means for his civil and criminal cases.

TOTAL EXONERATION! he wrote in the post on his Truth Social platform. It is clear that the Supreme Courts Brilliantly Written and Historic Decision ENDS all of Crooked Joe Bidens Witch Hunts against me, including the WHITE HOUSE AND DOJ INSPIRED CIVIL HOAXES in New York.

But none of Trumps pending cases have been dismissed as a result of the ruling, nor have the verdicts already reached against him been overturned. The ruling does amount to a major victory for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, whose legal strategy has focused on delaying court proceedings until after the 2024 election.

Heres a closer look at the facts.

CLAIM: The Supreme Courts ruling that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution means total exoneration for former President Donald Trump.

THE FACTS: Although the historic 6-3 ruling is a win for Trump, he has not been exonerated and his legal troubles are far from over. A delay of his Washington trial on charges of election interference has been indefinitely extended as a result. Also, he still faces charges in two other criminal cases, and the verdicts already reached against him in a criminal and a civil case have not been overturned.

Barbara McQuade, a law professor at the University of Michigan and former U.S. attorney for the states Eastern District, told The Associated Press that Trumps claim is inaccurate for a number of reasons.

The court found immunity from prosecution, not exoneration, she wrote in an email. The court did not say that Trumps conduct did not amount to criminal behavior. Just that prosecutors are not allowed to prosecute him for it because of the special role of a president and the need to permit him to make bold and fearless decisions without concern for criminal consequences.

McQuade wrote that Trumps case over classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago estate wont be affected, as it arose from conduct committed after he left the White House. She added that any impact on his New York hush money trial seems unlikely since the crimes were committed in a personal capacity.

In addition, the Courts opinion is solely focused on immunity for criminal conduct, McQuade continued, explaining that it will not protect him from civil liability in his cases regarding defamatory statements about advice columnist E. Jean Carroll or fraudulent business practices conducted at the Trump Organization.

Trumps campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Supreme Courts conservative majority said former presidents have absolute immunity from prosecution for official acts that fall within their exclusive sphere of constitutional authority and are presumptively entitled to immunity for all official acts. Unofficial, or private, actions are exempt from such immunity.

This means that special counsel Jack Smith cannot proceed with significant allegations in his indictment accusing Trump of plotting to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss, or he must at least defend their use in future proceedings before the trial judge.

The case has not been dismissed. It was instead sent back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who must now carefully analyze whether other allegations involve official conduct for which the president would be immune from prosecution. The trial was supposed to have begun in March, but has been on hold since December to allow Trump to pursue his Supreme Court appeal.

However, the justices did knock out one aspect of the indictment, finding that Trump is absolutely immune from prosecution for alleged conduct involving discussions with the Justice Department.

The opinion also stated that Trump is at least presumptively immune from allegations that he tried to pressure Vice President Mike Pence on Jan. 6, 2021, to reject certification of Democrat Joe Bidens electoral vote win. But prosecutors can try to make the case that Trumps pressure on Pence can still be part of the case against him, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote.

It is all but certain that the ruling means Trump will not face trial in Washington ahead of the 2024 election, as the need for further analysis is expected to tie up the case for months with legal wrangling over whether actions in the indictment were official or unofficial, the AP has reported.

Trump is facing charges in two other criminal cases, one over his alleged interference in Georgias 2020 election and the other over classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago estate after he left the White House. Trumps lawyers have asserted presidential immunity in both cases, but a ruling on the matter has not been made in either.

The former president was convicted in May of 34 felony counts in his hush money trial in New York. After Mondays ruling, the New York judge who presided over that trial postponed Trumps sentencing until at least September and agreed to weigh the impact of the presidential immunity decision.

Trump was ordered in February to pay a $454 million penalty as part of a civil fraud lawsuit, for lying about his wealth for years as he built the real estate empire that vaulted him to stardom and the White House. It is still under appeal.

In May 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in 1996 and for defaming her over the allegations, awarding her $5 million. Carroll was awarded an additional $83.3 million in January by a separate jury for Trumps continued social media attacks against her. An appeal of the former decision was rejected in April. The latter case is still being appealed.

___

Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck.
Fake Irish heiress who posed as psychic and cancer patient is extradited to UK on fraud charges

A woman accused of travelling across the US claiming to be an Irish heiress to con people out of tens of thousands of dollars has been extradited to the UK.

Marianne Smyth faces allegations that she stole more than $170,000 from several victims from 2008 until 2010 in Northern Ireland.

In May, a US magistrate judge in Maine ruled that there was sufficient evidence for Smyths extradition.

Authorities in Belfast claim that Smyth stole money while working as a mortgage advisor, telling clients that their funds would be invested but instead kept them for herself.

The different appearances of Marianne Smyth

Smyths victims in the US included Johnathan Walton, a TV producer, who created a podcast about the saga called Queen Of The Con: The Irish Heiress.

The two had become friends while living in the same building. Smyth offered her lawyer boyfriends services to sort out a problem the residents had been having with accessing a swimming pool.

[She] reminded me of Eva Peron in Evita, talking to the masses who adored her  She was brash and bold and charismatic and funny and irreverent  everybody loved her, Mr Walton told Image.

Marianne Smyth in December 2013 - Johnathan Walton

She told the unsuspecting Mr Walton that she was awaiting a multi-million dollar inheritance from her wealthy family in Northern Ireland.

After gaining his confidence, she asked for his help with legal fees claiming that her family had framed her for theft. She asked Mr Walton for financial support when they froze her bank accounts.

Smyth was then sentenced to 30 days in jail for felony grand theft.

Marianne Smyth allegedly told a tissue of lies about herself - Johnathon Walton

She was jailed for five years in 2019 but was released the following year due to Covid-19.

Smyth used more than 23 aliases and regularly changed her appearance with surgeries including nose and breast alterations and liposuction, Mr Walton claimed.

Marianne Smyth underwent surgeries to change her appearance

While in hospital she would ask nurses to take her picture which she would then send to victims claiming that she was receiving treatment for cancer.

She used the cancer scam to get out of paying rent for six months, said Mr Walton.

Police in Belfast planned to arrest Smyth in 2009, but she was tipped off and fled with her family.

After leaving Northern Ireland, Smyth continued her exploits across the United States pretending to be a witch, a psychic and a friend of A-list celebrities including Jennifer Aniston.

She was arrested in Maine in February.

Marianne Smyth claimed she stood to inherit millions

Smyth drew comparisons to Anna Sorokin, a scammer who impersonated a German heiress to pay for a glamorous lifestyle in New York City, and became the subject of a Netflix series. Sorokin, whose real name is Anna Delvey, was convicted in 2019 of conning $275,000 from banks, hotels and New Yorkers to finance her deluxe lifestyle.

A spokesman for the US Department of Justice confirmed the extradition, and referred questions to law enforcement officials in Northern Ireland. An attorney for Smyth did not immediately respond to an email requesting 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.
Renowned professional rock climber Alex Honnold is known for transforming thought into meaningful action. Now, he's using his platform to shine a light on "unfair" conditions that have left thousands of members of the Navajo Nation without electricity.

The Honnold Foundation, established in 2012 with the goal of building a better, more equitable future, has been partnering with an Indigenous-led organization aimed at providing solar power solutions to Navajo and Hopi communities.

"Over the years, we've been supporting other organizations that do similar sorts of work, and one in particular right now is called Native Renewables," Honnold told The Cool Down. "The Navajo Nation surprisingly has something like 10,000 people living without access to power." (Honnold's estimate may be modest, as Brett Isaac, founder and executive chairman of the organization Navajo Power, told ABC News in April that the figure is around 15,000 homes without access to power.)

According to the Honnold Foundation's official website, "Communities within the Navajo and Hopi nations have some of the best solar resources."



Despite this, a lack of access to power persists.

In addition to being inequitable, this can be life-threatening during extreme weather events, like heat waves, which have become more frequent and intense as a result of a warming planet, primarily caused by pollution from dirty fuels like gas, coal, and oil.

"It's another example of the communities most affected by climate change," added Honnold, who highlighted how the comfort of other communities has come at the expense of tribal nations and lands.

,

Watch now: Famed climber Alex Honnold shines light on 'unfair' conditions faced by large Indigenous community

"But basically like they've been, you know, extractive industries sort of exploiting the lands," the "Free Solo" climber explained to TCD, going on to detail a story about the now-defunct Navajo Generating Station. "This giant coal power plant, which  has recently been shuttered, but basically producing pollution on their lands and then power lines running over their lands to service communities and other places, but then they don't have access to power. And you're like, that's crazy and really unfair."

Coal is the dirtiest and most deadly fuel around. According to the University of Oxford's Our World in Data analysis, air pollution from coal is linked to at least 25 premature deaths per one terawatt-hour of electricity. Solar, on the other hand, is the safest energy source.

The Honnold Foundation first partnered with Native Renewables back in 2021, when six homes received off-grid photovoltaic systems so they could begin harvesting non-polluting, low-cost energy from the sun. The foundation also developed a grant to provide four Hopi and Navajo solar technicians paid career development.

The following year, it renewed its partnership to continue supporting Native Renewables' mission of empowering Native communities through solar solutions and education.

Overall, the Honnold Foundation's collaborative work with community-based organizations has helped make a meaningful difference in more than two dozen countries.

According to its 2023 Impact Report, as many as 204 communities now have access to electricity for the first time, improving their access to healthcare. Meanwhile, 64,000 beneficiaries in 125 communities are helping to protect more than 500,000 acres of land.

"I just love supporting projects where it's so clearly win-win. It was, like, the job-training aspect. People in the community learn how to do the work, learn the skills, you know, basically provide power for their community and then save their community tons of money," Honnold told TCD. "... When you support something like Native Renewables, you're kind of like, OK, well, this is putting power back into the right hands."

Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
Two Jewish cemeteries of the Covedale Cemetery complex remained devastated Tuesday after antisemitic vandalism was discovered Monday morning.

A total of 176 graves were knocked over or damaged in the Beth Hamedrash Hagadol and Tifereth Israel cemeteries, according to an initial news release from Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. Both cemeteries are located at 2111 Anderson Ferry Road in Green Township.

On Tuesday, the damaged headstones continued to lie flat, overturned with inscribed names hidden against the grass. In some places, whole lines of graves were knocked over and broken. In other locations, the headstones remained standing, untouched.

The atmosphere was somber, as small groups of family members trickled into the site in search of loved ones' graves. Many who visited seemed to recognize one another which enveloped the cemetery with a small sense of community.

Visitors arrived wanting to know if their loved ones' markers were tipped.

After learning about the damage on Facebook and in the news, one couple, who asked not to be named because they fear retaliation, drove to the Tifereth Israel section of the cemetery. The husband said he had seen graves knocked over eight or 10 times at other cemeteries since he was a kid, "but nothing like this."

Their family's marker was untouched by the vandalism.

Rita Birch, of Monfort Heights, visited the cemetery to check on markers from both sides of her family. Her family moved to the U.S. from Germany and her relatives are buried with others from the New Hope congregation.

While Birch's grandparents' headstone was fine, her mother's was not.

"I wish I could say that I'm surprised, but I'm not," Birch said. "It's not the first time and it won't be the last."

Was it a hate crime?

Investigation into the Monday incident is ongoing and it remains unknown if the acts of vandalism were a hate crime.

Sue Susskind, executive director of Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati, feels the acts were motivated by hate.

"One would have to think that there's more behind it than just doing something mischievous," Susskind said.

Following the incident, the American Jewish Committee put out a statement citing the rising rate of antisemitism in the United States over the past five years. The group's 2023 report found that 25% of American Jews felt their Jewish institutions had been targeted by antisemitism.

This incident is unfortunately part of a rising and unacceptable trend of Jewish sites being targeted by antisemitic hate in recent years. Sadly, our community is not immune," said Justin Kirschner, Cincinnati regional director for the group.

There are no suspects in the investigation into who damaged 176 gravestones at Covedale Cemetery, according to Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati.

How will damaged graves be identified?

Due to the ongoing investigation, law enforcement has advised that no one should touch or flip the headstones, the Jewish Federation news release said.

When able, Susskind and her team will use a cemetery database to identify graves by their locations. She advised families who visit to report what they find to the cemetery.

Where does the investigation stand?

Jewish Federation of Cincinnati is working with SAFE Cincinnati, the security arm of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Police Department, FBI and Green Township to investigate the vandalism, according to the press release.

Green Township police officers were present at the cemetery complex on Tuesday afternoon but had no updates.

"Everything on our end is still pending," Nick Goettke, a Green Township police officer, told The Enquirer.

What happens next?

There is no timeline yet for repairing the damaged gravestones or cost estimates for replacements.

Some families may be able to pay for repairs or replacements through their homeowner insurance policies, Susskind said. Additionally, there is a donation page on the Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati website.

"We're going to do our part to work with everybody so that we make sure everybody's stones get back up," Susskind said.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why did vandals tip gravestones at Tifereth Israel Cemetery?
These Family Dollar stores around Charlotte were fined again for overcharging customers

Two stores in the Charlotte region were among nine North Carolina retailers fined over $162,325 combined for overcharging customers so far this year.

The stores spanning seven counties were fined for excessive price-scanning errors, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Standards Division said Wednesday.

One store in Mecklenburg County was fined $12,610 and a Union County store was fined $23,575. Both local retailers are Family Dollars.

Be sure to check that prices at the register match the price on the shelf, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a statement.

In April, the state fined dozens of stores over $256,870 including five stores in the Charlotte region. That brings the combined total of fines so far this year to over $419,195 for dozens of retailers throughout North Carolina for overcharging customers.

Last year, dozens of stores, from AutoZone and Circle K to Walgreens and Walmart, were fined a combined $462,480.

Family Dollar was one of several Charlotte-area stores fined for price scanning errors, according to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Standards Division.

Overcharging in Charlotte-area retail stores

Periodic, unannounced state inspections in retail stores check if shelf and register prices match. Heres what turned up during the latest round around Charlotte:





 Family Dollar at 4005 Sunset Road, Charlotte, paid $12,610 in penalties and owes an additional $5,000 in penalties. An initial inspection in October 2023 found an error rate of 7% based on seven overcharges in a 100-item cart. Follow-up inspections in November 2023 and January, March and May 2024 found error rates from 19.3% to 6.7% based on overcharges of 300 items. The store will be reinspected.

The state agriculture department did not immediately respond Wednesday to explain what the additional penalty is for.

 Family Dollar at 7907 Idlewild Road, Indian Trail, paid $23, 575 in penalties for eight failed inspections. An initial inspection in March 2023 found an error rate of 18% based on nine overcharges in a 50-item lot. Follow-up inspections in April, June, August, October and December of 2023, and February and April this year found error rates of 8% to 3% based on overcharges for 300 items. The store was inspected in June and assessed a $5,000 penalty for an error rate of 6.3% based on 19 overcharges in a 300-item cart.

Other stores fined

Other Family Dollar stores throughout North Carolina were also fined, as well as Dollar General, Target and Walgreens.

 Family Dollar at 2206 West Webb Ave., Burlington, paid $8,370 in penalties for four failed inspections. An initial inspection in November 2023 found an error rate of 6% based on three overcharges on 50 items. Follow-up inspections in January, March and May found error rates of 7.7%, 8.3% and 3.7% based on overcharges for 300 items. The store will be reinspected.

 Family Dollar at 1425 Waughtown St., Winston-Salem, paid $37,345 in penalties for nine failed inspections. An initial inspection in November 2022 found an error rate of 22% for 11 overcharges on 50 items. Follow-up inspections in January, April, June, August, October of 2023 and this year in January, March and May found overcharged error rates of 8.7% to 4.3% on 300 items. The store will be reinspected.

 Family Dollar at 550 MLK Blvd., Winston-Salem, paid $52,215 in penalties for 11 failed inspections. An initial inspection in February 2022 found an error rate of 16% based on eight overcharges out of 50 items. Follow-up inspections in April, July, September and November of 2022 and March, June, June August and October of 2023, plus January, March and May of this year found over charge errors from 25.7% to 5% on 300 items. The store will be reinspected.

 Walgreens at 2912 Main St., Walkertown, paid $2,295 in penalties. An initial inspection in March found an error rate of 8% based on four overcharges out of 50 items. A follow-up inspection in April found an error rate of 4.3% based on 13 overcharges out of 300 items. The store will be reinspected.

 Family Dollar at 1678 Ocean Hwy., Hertford, paid $13,650 in penalties for five failed inspections. An initial inspection in June 2023 found an error rate of 10% based on five overcharges out of 50 items. Follow-up inspections in July, September and November of 2023 and in January this year found error rates from 5% to 4.7% based on overcharges on 300 items. The store passed inspection in March.

 Dollar General at 4500 Lebelia Road, Vass, paid $915 in penalties. An initial inspection in February found an error rate of 8% based on four overcharges out of 50 items. A follow-up inspection in March found an error rate of 3.3% based on 10 overcharges out of 100 items. The store passed inspection in May.

 Target at 3001 Market Center Drive, Morrisville, paid $1,350 in penalties. An initial inspection in February found an error rate of 9% based on nine overcharges out of 100 items. A follow-up inspection in March found a 2.7% error rate on eight overcharges in a 300-item cart. The store passed inspection in May.

How store inspections work in NC

Stores are fined for failing to meet the 2% or less price scanning error rate, according to the state.

If a store has more than a 2% error rate on overcharges, inspectors talk with the store manager and make a follow-up inspection. Stores are penalized if they fail the follow-up inspection.

Stores are re-inspected every 60 days until meeting the 2%-or-less error rate, and could face additional fines. Undercharges are also reported but dont count against a store.

What to do about a price scan error?

Along with notifying store employees about price discrepancies, customers who see price scanner errors on their receipts may file a complaint with the state Standards Division. Call 984-236-4750.

NC Reality Check reflects the Charlotte Observers commitment to holding those in power to account, shining a light on public issues that affect our local readers and illuminating the stories that set the Charlotte area and North Carolina apart. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email realitycheck@charlotteobserver.com
Family of great-grandfather gunned down in Highland Park sues Smith & Wesson over his horrific death

A photo of Eduardo Uvaldo is held outside a courthouse where suspected shooter Robert E. Crimo III appeared. Uvaldos family is now suing the shooter and maker of his gun for wrongful death and deceptive marketing practices (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune via AP)

The family of a 69-year-old great-grandfather, who died in the 2022 mass shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade, sued the manufacturer of the gun that killed him two years after the massacre.

Eduardo Uvaldo was one of seven people killed in the tragedy. Uvaldo was shot twice in the massacre  once in the arm and once in the head. After fighting for his life for two days, he died on July 6.

Now, his family is suing firearm manufacturer Smith & Wesson in an Illinois court, alleging wrongful death and deceptive marketing practices.

The defendants made a few hundred dollars selling the Shooter his M&P 15. It cost the Uvaldo family everything, the complaint says.

The family of a 69-year-old great-grandfather, who died in the 2022 mass shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade has filed a lawsuit over his death (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The suspected shooter, Robert Crimo III, his father, the gun shop where the gunman purchased the weapon and others were also named as defendants.

The family accused the gun manufacturer of violating an Illinois state consumer protection law. The filing claimed the manufacturers advertising of its AR-15-style weapon included targeting young people who were obsessed with first-person-shooter-style violence, encouraging unlawful, assaultive usesof the firearm, and giving the false impression that the gun was endorsed by the US military.

The lawsuit accuses Smith & Wesson of incorporating mass shootings into its strategy for growing and dominating the market for AR-15 guns, the complaint says. A chart by its marketing and sales team showed high-profile shootings, such as the 1999 Columbine and 2007 Virginia Tech mass shootings, drove increases in firearms sales.

The complaint arrives nearly two years to the day after the July 4 mass shooting.

Uvaldo was survived by his wife, four daughters, 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, according to the filing.

Eduardo was a kind, loving, hardworking man who adored his family. He was taken too soon: because of the actions of both a disturbed young man and the greedy corporation that made and marketed his weapon, the Uvaldo family said in a joint statement.

As we work to honor his memory, part of that is fighting to keep other families from knowing this indescribable pain. The shooter may be facing justice, but he could not have acted with that weapon if not for the choices and actions of Smith & Wesson.

The family is seeking an unspecified amount of money.

For over 50 years, Eduardo Uvaldo lived the American Dream, and on Independence Day two years ago, he died in the American nightmare, said Josh Koskoff, one of the lawyers representing the Uvaldo family in a statement.

Survivors and families of children who were shot in the massacre also joined as plaintiffs in the suit.

Robert E Crimo III appears for a hearing at the Lake County Courthouse on June 26, where he backed out of a plea deal at the last minute (Getty Images)

Robert Crimo III has pleaded not guilty to 117 counts  21 counts of murder, 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery  after he reportedly opened fire at the 2022 parade, leaving seven dead and injuring dozens of others.

The 23-year-old suspect was expected to accept a plea deal in Illinois court last week, but instead backed out of the agreement at the last minute.

Its hard, its hard, just to come in here and see the person that took my dad, its not something that you want to do, Karina Mendez, whose father Eduardo Uvaldo was killed in the attack, told The Associated Press.

Holding gun manufacturers accountable for mass shootings has proven difficult  but highlighting their marketing practices has been a successful strategy.

The same law firm, Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder sued gunmaker Remington on behalf of the families of Sandy Hook mass shooting victims for violating consumer protection laws in Connecticut.
Family of Monroe County man killed by train settles lawsuits with railroad and farm

A railroad company, the owners of a Waterloo farm and the family of a young farmhand who was killed by a train five years ago have quietly ended two civil lawsuits, one in state court and one in federal court, stopping the cases from going to trial.

On June 17, a judge dismissed a 2021 wrongful-death suit that David Matthews, father of the late Jonah Matthews and administrator of his estate, had filed in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Union Pacific Railroad Co. and Glendell H Farms, according to court documents.

David Matthews had petitioned the court on April 22 to approve a settlement agreement, noting that the defendants had made a confidential monetary offer that the family would accept.

(David Matthews) believes it is in the best interests of the Estate and the next of kin to settle the wrongful death claims against the Defendants under the terms set forth, the petition stated.

The Matthews family operates a farm, but Jonah Matthews, 23, of Waterloo, was working for friends at Glendell H Farms on June 14, 2019, when a train hit a tractor he was driving across railroad tracks near Fults.

In his original complaint, David Matthews alleged negligence, arguing that the railroad should have installed crossing arms, the engineer should have reduced speed and the farm should have instructed employees how to safely operate equipment, among other things.

Defendants deny these allegations, the April 22 petition stated.

Settlement to be divided

The settlement amount wasnt revealed in court documents. Walton Telken, an Edwardsville law firm representing the Matthews family, will receive a third, according to terms of the agreement.

The remainder will be divided among family members, including 45% each to David Matthews and his wife, Debra, and 2% each to Jonahs five brothers, Joshua, Jacob, Jordan, Jeremiah and Jesse.

Judge Christopher Kolker approved the agreement on May 7, canceling a jury trial set to begin Nov. 12.

The Court finds (it) is appropriate and adequate for the settlement and release of all claims against the Defendants for the wrongful death of Jonah Matthews, based upon the facts of the case, theories alleged, damaged claimed, and evidence presented, Kolkers order stated.

St. Louis attorney David Nester didnt return calls for comment. He represents Glendell H Farms and its owners, Kenneth Hartman Jr., Anita Hartman and Joann Hartman.

Troy Walton, lead attorney for the Matthews family, said the agreement limits what information can be released publicly.

All I can say is, the matter has been settled, he said.

Robynn Tysver, a spokesman for Union Pacific, declined to be interviewed or answer questions, but she sent an email that described legal issues with Glendell H Farms as settled.

Second lawsuit dismissed

Union Pacific also had filed a civil lawsuit against the farm in August 2023 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. It asked for $3.6 million in damages related to the derailment of its train during the 2019 accident.

The company argued that the farms owners were responsible for the actions of their hired hand. Investigators determined that Jonah Matthews was talking on a cellphone and failed to reduce his tractor speed or look out for trains, according to the complaint.

Nester filed an answer on behalf of the Hartmans, denying many of Union Pacifics allegations.

We think (the derailment occurred) because of the way they loaded the cars, he said in a BND interview last year, noting that one engine and about 10 railcars left the tracks after the train hit Jonah Matthews.

Judge Stephen McGlynn ordered mandatory mediation. Then on April 22, the same day that David Matthews petitioned Judge Kolker to approve the settlement agreement in St. Clair County, Union Pacific and Glendell H Farms asked McGlynn to dismiss the federal case.

All matters in controversy between the parties (have been ) settled and resolved, stated their stipulation to dismiss.
Family in Southern California say fireworks cause of devastating house fire

A family in the Antelope Valley whose home erupted in flames over the weekend said they believe the cause of the devastating blaze was unsanctioned fireworks being set off in the area.

Crews with the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to the June 30 fire on West Avenue 012 in Palmdale and said firefighters found the house fully engulfed in flames, as well as a one-acre brush fire.

Now, Irma Campos and her family are sleeping outside the charred remains of their home in an RV lent to them by a neighbor.

Its going to take us a year to come back from this, she told KTLAs Angeli Kakade.

Campos said that unsanctioned fireworks in Palmdale have been a problem for years, saying that on Friday and Saturday, explosions were coming from everywhere. It wasnt until Sunday though, that she says a firework landed in her backyard and caused a massive fire.

We opened up the curtain and the fire was just coming right at us, she explained.

Image of the smoke and flames as the blaze engulfed the Palmdale home on June 30, 2024. (Citizen)

Image of the smoke and flames as the blaze engulfed the Palmdale home on June 30, 2024. (Citizen)

Charred remains of Palmdale home that allegedly caught on fire from fireworks on June 30, 2024. (KTLA)

Charred remains of Palmdale home that allegedly caught on fire from fireworks on June 30, 2024. (KTLA)

Charred remains of Palmdale home that allegedly caught on fire from fireworks on June 30, 2024. (KTLA)

Charred remains of Palmdale home that allegedly caught on fire from fireworks on June 30, 2024. (KTLA)

Fireworks labeled safe and sane are the only legal fireworks for sale in Palmdale. (KTLA)

An RV the Campos family is sleeping in outside the charred remains of their property that burned down on June 30, 2024. (KTLA)

Footage of the fire posted to the Citizen App shows the dark, billowing smoke as flames overtook her home. Campos said her first thought was to run.

Mija, lets run, she said at the moment. We started running and my other daughter was here, and we grabbed each other and started running with no shoes. We just ran.

Just last week, Palmdale announced a ban on the sale of illegal fireworks, warning residents that only fireworks labeled safe and sane are allowed.

Its a lot of desert landscape and those fireworks traveling, exploding and their embers coming down start fires, catch houses on fire, brush on fire, Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Erynn Velazquez told KTLA.

Setting off illegal fireworks can come with fines of more than $17,000 and criminal charges, and while Deputy Velazquez said theyre adding additional patrol for the Fourth of July holiday, the damage has already been done to the Campos home.

Woman run over, killed after armed robbery attempt in Newport Beach

Why did they do it? Thats my biggest thing, why? Campos said. I wanted the people who did do it to see what happens. They might see it on TV. This is what you did to me. I no longer have a house.

Fire officials have yet to confirm that fireworks caused the destructive fire at her home. The case remains under investigation.

In the meantime, a GoFundMe has been organized to help the Campos family recover from the loss of their home.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
My family went to Rome during the peak summer season. Our trip would've been better if we'd known these 5 things before we left.

I visited Rome during the high season, and a few things could've improved our trip. Alesandra Dubin

My family visited Rome during the peak summer season, and it was hot and crowded.

I wish I'd bought travel insurance for my whole family and hadn't relied on the hop-on, hop-off bus.

We should've explored more in the morning and at night to avoid the sweltering midday heat.

When I planned a trip to Rome for my family in late July last year, I knew it was dubious timing, and I could expect the destination to be hot and crowded.

Summer is high season in Rome, and the city saw an estimated 35 million tourists that year  a huge increase from 2022. Plus, those numbers are only predicted to go up in 2024.

But, I reasoned, what choice did I have traveling with school-age kids bound by vacation schedules? We went anyway, and our trip wasn't flawless  but I definitely learned a lot.

Here's my first and best tip, unfiltered: If you can, avoid Rome in the high season when landmarks are packed shoulder to shoulder, rates are expensive, and it's extremely hot.

If you go anyway like I did, preparation is key to a successful, comfortable trip that's memorable for the right reasons.

Here are my five top takeaways to help you enjoy your stay.

Just get the travel insurance

I hope my travel tips spare other travelers some headaches, too. Alesandra Dubin

Our trip got off to a rough start when my son got sick and couldn't travel as scheduled. Unfortunately, I only had a travel insurance policy for myself, not my whole family.

That meant my daughter and I traveled to Rome without my husband and son, and we spent hours working the phones to get them rebooked for the following day when my son was well enough to fly.

In the high season, this medically necessary reshuffling cost us a small fortune, sending us way over budget right off the bat and setting a stressful tone to the trip.

When I returned home, I bought a policy that covered all four named members of our family for an annual term, and I'll never travel without one again.

Sit out the midday heat indoors

Rome is beyond hot in the high season, with regular highs in the 80s and 90s Fahrenheit. (Fortunately, we missed the historic heat wave the previous week that actually forced the closure of certain European landmarks for safety.)

Try to stay indoors during the excruciating midday heat  ideally in a place with air conditioning. The best option is to plan to explore as much as possible in the cooler early mornings and evenings.

Fortunately, many top attractions are open at night, including the Colosseum, which has lighting installed to make it glow. Unfortunately, we positively baked in the sun during our daytime tour.

One thing we did right was visit Rome's catacombs at midday. I'd read it's a great thing to do during the heat because it's always cooler underground, and it was indeed a wonderful reprieve from the heat.

Spring for the pre-opening tour at the Vatican to avoid crowds

To that end, if the Vatican is on your list of must-visit landmarks in Rome, I'd strongly advise you to pay extra and book a pre-opening tour. These allow you to visit before the crowds come after the official opening time.

You can avoid the midday heat, and you may have a more spiritual experience if you're not being jostled by crowds of people wielding selfie sticks.

Book everything well in advance

If you have your heart set on particular tours or landmarks, book them in advance. Alesandra Dubin

Don't wing your trip during Rome's high season.

Plan to book all your tours well in advance of your travel dates  months ahead, if possible  otherwise, you'll probably find them all sold out when you try to find last-minute bookings.

If it helps, you can filter for tours with generous cancellation policies when you search on platforms such as Viator.

Manage your expectations for the hop-on, hop-off bus system

After a wonderful solo experience riding the hop-on, hop-off bus in the springtime in London, I had high hopes that this mode of transportation would be a great option for our family in Rome.

Unfortunately, our bus moved achingly slow  so much so that we were a half hour late for our Colosseum tour (which we would've had to forfeit had it not been semiprivate with a forgiving guide).

Plus, the air conditioning felt tragically ineffective as we sat in traffic for hours. It was hardly the scenic delight I'd hoped for, and I know not to depend on it for the next trip.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The French flag flies atop the French National Assembly Wednesday, July 3, 2024 in Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly and called the snap election on June 9 after a stinging defeat at the hands of the National Rally in French voting for the European Parliament. The second round of the legislative will take place Sunday July 7. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

PARIS (AP)  As it stands on the threshold of power in France, the far-right National Rally is facing scrutiny about some of the candidates it hopes will help it secure a ruling majority in legislative elections on Sunday, including a woman it has pulled from the high-stakes race over a photo of her wearing a World War II-era Nazi officers cap.

Other National Rally candidates whose suitability is being questioned by the partys critics and opponents include a woman said by French media to have once held a town employee hostage at gunpoint, a man who may not be eligible to serve as a lawmaker because he is under guardianship, a candidate who tweeted that gas brought justice to the victims of the Shoah and others who have been little-seen on the campaign trail.

Revelations by media and citizens risk puncturing the polished image that National Rally leader and three-time presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has sought to craft of her party to shed its historical links to antisemitism, racism and Frances painful WWII collaboration with the Nazi occupation.

They also raise questions about the partys readiness to wield power if it secures an absolute majority in Sundays second-round vote to determine the makeup of the 577-seat National Assembly. An absolute majority would give Le Pen the leverage to force President Emmanuel Macron to accept her 28-year-old protege, Jordan Bardella, as prime minister.

French political analysts say the party has struggled to keep pace with its surge in voter support, including finding and vetting candidates to represent it.

Macron called the surprise legislative election on June 9 after his centrist alliance suffered a punishing defeat at the hands of the National Rally in French voting for the European Parliament. Preparing for the flash campaign proved difficult for all parties.

They tend to take what they have at hand, even if it means not paying attention, said far-right expert Jean-Yves Camus, a researcher with the Institute of International and Strategic Relations. There is the top of the basket, but there is also the bottom of the basket, with candidates who are often embarrassing for them.

In Mayenne, northwestern France, citizens shared an article from regional newspaper Ouest-France reporting in 1995 that National Rally candidate Annie Bell, then using the surname Jaccoud, had taken a mayoral employee hostage for several hours. The newspaper said she was heavily indebted, entered her town hall armed with a rifle and took a secretary hostage. A shot was fired, but nobody was injured, the newspaper reported. Bell has advanced in voting to the decisive second round.

It is unclear whether she was ever convicted, and the Associated Press could not find any contact details for her. A press officer for the party did not respond to a request for comment.

The party's president, Bardella, acknowledged in a radio interview Wednesday there were a few infected sheep in the campaign.

Other candidates have also come under fire.

After Ludivine Daoudi won nearly 20% of the vote in her district in round one, the National Rally announced that it was withdrawing her from round two after a photo of her wearing a Nazi officers cap, with a swastika, emerged on social media.

She does not deny that she took this photo, Philippe Chapron, a regional National Rally representative, said in a radio interview. He stressed that the photo, clearly in bad taste, had been taken a long time ago and before Daoudi joined the party.

A National Rally candidate in Mayenne, Paule Veyre de Soras, was asked in a video interview about critics allegations that the party still has xenophobes and racists in its ranks. She responded that it no longer did, adding that I myself am Catalan, my grandfather was born in Barcelona, I have a Jew as an ophthalmologist and, as a dentist, a Muslim.

Veyre de Soras got more than 28% of her districts vote, setting her up to possibly become a lawmaker in round two.

In some districts, National Rally candidates didnt include a photo of themselves or biographical information on campaign leaflets that instead showed Le Pen and Bardella. Some have been seen so rarely in the campaign that opponents have likened them to ghosts.

In the Jura region, National Rally candidate Thierry Mosca is subject to a court-ordered limited guardianship, according to regional newspaper Le Progres, meaning he is ineligible to be a lawmaker. French broadcaster France 3 quoted Mosca as saying that the protection measure, which a judge can order for adults considered in difficulty and in need of help, was applied to him because he has financial problems.

The partys vice president, Louis Aliot, said some candidates dont tell the party about their judicial records even though we ask them" and that if they lie, "they will be dismissed.

Candidates of other parties have also come under fire. A campaign video shared on social media by Sebastien Delogu, a lawmaker for the hard-left France Unbowed party who was re-elected in the first round, showed the head of Jewish lawmaker Habib Meyer next to a box of frozen pizza and an oven. Meyer said he regarded the video as antisemitic. Delogu denied that accusation.

The National Rally and France Unbowed have traded accusations of antisemitism in the campaign.

___

Follow APs coverage of global elections at https://apnews.com/hub/global-elections/
EAST HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11)  A group of fathers is helping open up a much-needed community center at a NYCHA development in East Harlem.

The Fatherhood and Family Resource Center is coming to the Carver Houses at East 99th Street and Madison Avenue.

More Local News

The fathers decided to create the resource center after parents in East Harlem spoke out about a lack of resources for children in the neighborhood.

Derek Phillips, a Harlem father whos the CEO of the Real Dads Network, was moved to take action. He said the children in the community deserve a new community center.

An unused 3,200-square-foot space in the Carver Houses will be converted into the Fatherhood and Family Resource Center. From financial literacy to yoga classes, the resource center will offer a safe place for children.

The opening of the Fatherhood and Family Resource Center is planned for September.

You can donate to the project through a GoFundMe page. You can also reach out to Phillips at realdadsnetwork@gmail.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.
Former vice president Joe Biden holds rally in Tampa, Oct. 29, 2020. Credit: Screenshot, C-SPAN.

The first major public opinion survey taken in Florida following last weeks presidential debate shows that 45% of all Floridians would like to see the Democratic party replace Joe Biden as the partys presidential nominee, with 40% saying that the party should stay with the incumbent.

The survey of 961 registered voters conducted by Mainstreet Research for Florida Atlantic University last weekend says that of those 45% who want another candidate, 14% say that Vice President Kamala Harris should be the nominee, with 31% saying theyd like another candidate to succeed him. Another 16% said they did not know what the party should do.

Among the Democratic voters asked who theyd like to succeed Biden as the nominee, 25% chose Vice President Kamala Harris and 21% chose former First Lady Michelle Obama, who has been unequivocal in stating that she has no interest in running for office. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is next with 17%. Michigan Gov, Gretchen Whitmer gets 7%; Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg 6%; and 2% support New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Sixteen percent were undecided and 6% preferred another candidate.

The negative reaction to the performances of both Trump and Biden during the debate is reflected in the poll, with 27% of all voters feeling disgust towards Trump and 24% of voters feeling disgust towards Biden. Another 22% of all voters felt sadness about Biden, while 18% of all voters felt pride about Trump and another 11% anger towards the former president.

Overall, there are overlapping emotions that respondents felt in the aftermath of the debate, said Luzmarina Garcia, assistant professor of political science at FAU and a PolCom Lab-affiliated researcher, in a statement accompanying the findings.

Disgust was a particularly pronounced emotion toward both candidates, while sadness was a common response toward Joe Biden and pride was a common emotion toward Donald Trump. Interestingly, non-voters in the last general election and Independents mainly expressed disgust following the debate.

The survey shows Donald Trump has just a two-point lead over Joe Biden among likely voters if the two men are on the ballot in Florida, 46%-44%, but it should be noted that there were many more Democrats than Republicans polled (397 Democrats to 284 Republicans and 280 independents).

The poll was conducted both by both IVR (calls are dialed automatically by a computer) and online. Because of that hybrid, the pollsters say that a margin of error cant be assigned, but a poll of this size would have a margin of error of +/- at the 95% confidence level.

The original version of this story has been altered in line with a clarification issued by the polling group.
A federal appeals court has rescheduled a hearing for November in a battle about whether Florida violated federal laws by blocking Medicaid coverage for transgender people seeking hormone therapy and puberty blockers.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday issued a tentative schedule that said the hearing will be held the week of Nov. 18 in Atlanta.

The hearing had been tentatively scheduled the week of Sept. 16, but the appeals court last month removed it from the schedule.

Read: U.S. schools face shortage of special education teachers

Lawyers for Gov. Ron DeSantis administration appealed in June 2023 after U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle found that the prohibition on Medicaid coverage for hormone therapy and puberty blockers violated federal health-care laws and the U.S. Constitutions Equal Protection Clause.

The lawsuit was filed in 2022 on behalf of two transgender adults and the parents of two transgender minors after the state Agency for Health Care Administration adopted a rule that barred the coverage.

Read: Running 4 Heroes teen announces final lap

The lawsuit was later updated to include a new state law that similarly prevented coverage.

DeSantis and many other Republican leaders across the country have made a priority in recent years of trying to restrict treatments for transgender people with gender dysphoria.

The federal government defines gender dysphoria clinically as significant distress that a person may feel when sex or gender assigned at birth is not the same as their identity.

Read: Social Security Administration strips benefits from woman with Down Syndrome

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Venture Global LNG storage tank and housing, Cameron, Louisiana. (File/Getty Images)

A federal judge has sided with Louisiana, South Carolina and 15 other states that sued to block the Biden administrations stoppage of permits for liquified natural gas export terminals.

U.S. District Judge James Cain Jr., from Louisianas Western District Court in Lake Charles, issued a stay Monday that immediately ends the U.S. Department of Energys hold on LNG export terminal projects.

His order, heralded as a major win for the fossil fuel industry, doesnt result in any such LNG projects being approved immediately. It merely resumes the approval process.

In January, the Biden administration halted reviews of new LNG export applications to countries that were not part of free trade agreements with the United States. Energy department officials said they needed time to review potential climate risks of projects before approving exports.

Environmentalists supported the delay with hopes it would temper the boom of LNG export projects, especially along the Gulf Coast.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which operates independently of the Department of Energy (DOE) and federal government, has approved some 20 proposed new or expanded LNG facilities and related pipelines, all expected to be operational in the coming years.

Mondays federal court order resuscitates many of those projects.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill celebrated the decision from Cain, a federal court appointee of former President Donald Trump.

This is great news for Louisiana, our 16 state partners in this fight, and the entire country, Murrill said in a statement. As Judge Cain mentioned in his ruling, there is roughly $61 billion dollars of pending infrastructure at risk to our state from this illegal pause. LNG has an enormous and positive impact on Louisiana, supplying clean energy for the entire world, and providing good jobs here at home.

In his order, Cain wrote that the Department of Energys action to hold up permitting to non-free trade agreement (FTA) countries is completely without reason or logic and is perhaps the epiphany of ideocracy.

This is not the first piece of Biden environmental policy thwarted in Cains court.

In January, he issued a preliminary injunction that blocked a White House effort to treat climate infractions as civil rights violations in Louisiana.

Murrill sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to keep it from enforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which would have allowed the federal government to make race-based considerations when enforcing anti-pollution laws.

Pollution does not discriminate, Cain said in his January order.

The stall on LNG projects has been turned into political fodder for opponents of the Biden policy. With future American exports in doubt, countries in Europe and Asia in need of a reliable natural gas supply are forced to rely on sources at odds with the U.S. such as Russia and China, they have argued.

Louisiana was joined in its lawsuit against the Biden administration by Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Like SC Daily Gazette, Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com. Follow Louisiana Illuminator on Facebook and X.
Supporters wait to enter the Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse and federal building for sentencing hearings of three anti-abortion activists, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The activists were convicted in January on felony conspiracy charges for their roles in a 2021 Tennessee clinic blockade appeared before U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  Four anti-abortion activists who were convicted in January on felony conspiracy charges for their roles in a 2021 Tennessee clinic blockade were sentenced this week to terms ranging from 6 months in prison to three years of supervised release. The sentences were below those asked by prosecutors, and U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger said she took into account the good works of the defendants in their communities.

While the judge recognized their actions were based on sincerely held religious beliefs, she said that was not an excuse to break the law. The defendants used their religious fervor to give themselves permission to ignore the pain they caused other people and ignore their own humanity, Trauger said.

Around 200 supporters, including many parents with children, rallied and prayed outside the federal courthouse in Nashville before the sentencing hearings Tuesday and Wednesday. They also packed a courtroom where the proceedings were relayed over a livestream, filling the benches and spilling onto the floor and into the hallway.

The convictions stem from a blockade at the Carafem reproductive health clinic in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, a town 17 miles (27.36 kilometers) east of Nashville, nearly a year before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The organizers used social media to promote and livestream actions they hoped would prevent the clinic from performing abortions, according to testimony. They also intended the video as a training tool for other activists, Trauger found.

At the time, abortion was still legal in Tennessee. It is now banned at all stages of pregnancy under a law that has very narrow exemptions.

In total, 11 people were convicted of offenses related to the blockade. The four sentenced this week were among six people convicted of both violating the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and more serious felony conspiracy charges for their roles as organizers. Attorneys for the defendants have argued that prosecutors went too far in charging them with a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $260,000.

In the end, Trauger ordered much lighter sentences. Paul Vaughn and Dennis Green received three years of supervised release. Coleman Boyd was given five years of probation. Calvin Zastrow, who was considered one of the main organizers, was given a 6-month prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release. Boyd, the only one of the four who Trauger said could afford it, was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.

Trauger earlier agreed to postpone sentencing until September for the two remaining felony convictions. Heather Idoni and Chester Gallagher were preparing for an August trial in Michigan on similar charges. Idoni is currently serving a 2-year sentence for a 2020 clinic blockade in Washington, D.C.

One defendant, Caroline Davis, who pleaded guilty in October to misdemeanor charges and cooperated with prosecutors, was sentenced to three years of probation in April. Four others were convicted in April of misdemeanor violations for blocking the main clinic door so that no patients were able to enter. Police asked them to leave or move multiple times, but they refused and were eventually arrested. They were scheduled to be sentenced on July 30 and face up to six months in prison, five years of supervised release, and fines of up to $10,000, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.
A transgender flag sits on the grass during the "Trans Youth Prom" outside of the U.S. Capitol building on May 22, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

A federal judge overseeing a trial over Alabamas ban on medical gender-affirming care for transgender minors stayed proceedings on Tuesday after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up a lawsuit over a similar ban in Tennessee.

In a three-page order, U.S. District Court Judge Liles C. Burke ordered a stay of a potential trial setting until the Supreme Court issues its ruling.

Attorneys for transgender youth and their families, who are seeking to overturn the ban, and the U.S. Department of Justice, which intervened in the case, asked for the stay last week, writing that the Supreme Court decision could change the standards governing the case.

Burke appeared to agree, writing that the Supreme Court controls the standard of review for a summary judgment as much as it does for a trial.

If the Supreme Court declines to change the standard of review, the parties motions will be fully briefed and ripe for decision, he wrote.

The Alabama attorney generals office opposes a stay and wants summary judgment in the case to allow them to join Tennessee at the U.S. Supreme Court.

A message was left Wednesday morning with the Attorney Generals Office.

Shannon Minter, attorney at the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), said in a Wednesday morning phone call that he was optimistic about a Supreme Courts decision, citing Bostock vs. Clayton County, decided in 2020, which found that employers cannot discriminate on the basis of homosexuality or transgender status. Minter said the question at the Supreme Court was whether it is sex discrimination or not.

It would be extraordinary for them, in such a short amount of time, to do a complete reversal of that, he said.

NCLR is among the attorneys representing the plaintiffs.

Minter said that the law remaining in effect is severely harmful.

This is medically needed care, so these families have had to find ways to obtain the care for their adolescent children out of state, he said. Theyre having to travel and go to great lengths and spend resources to go out of Alabama to get their children the care they need.

Burke did not stay the the deadline for briefings on experts both parties bring forth, known as Daubert, or summary judgment.

The Daubert Standard is a systematic framework for trial judges to assess expert witnesses before they go before a jury, according to the Legal Information Institute.

Alabamas 2022 law makes it a felony for providers to prescribe puberty blockers or hormones to transgender youth under the age of 19. Providers can face up to 10 years in prison.

The law also bans genital surgeries, which providers have said do not happen to minors in the state.

The state has been involved in litigation since shortly after the bill was signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey in 2022.

Burke blocked the ban on medications from going into effect in 2022, writing that it interfered with parental decisions and that the state had failed to show that the medications were harmful. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the decision last year, writing that there was no fundamental right to gender-affirming care.

In the Tuesday filing, Burke wrote that a summary judgment would take a substantial amount of judicial resources, and they might need to do it again if the U.S. Supreme Court changes the standard of review.

These gains in judicial efficiency far outweigh any harm to the state from litigation risks that might attend the stay, he wrote. And whats more, the state suffers no prejudice from a delay in the final adjudication: stay or no, the state may continue to enforce its law.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST

This story was updated at 10:38 a.m. with comment from Shannon Minter of the National Center for LEsbian Rights.
A federal jury determined Sen.Sara Gelser Blouin, D-Corvallis, didn't retaliate against a former employee. (Jordan Gale/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

The Oregon Legislature and two Democratic lawmakers didnt retaliate against a former staffer who was twice fired after two short stints working with different lawmakers, a federal jury determined.

After a week of testimony, the jury on Monday rejected allegations from Laura Hanson that her bosses refused to provide accommodations for mental and physical disabilities and fired her for requesting accommodations. Hanson worked for less than two years as Sen. Sara Gelser Blouins chief of staff and mere weeks as Rep. Khanh Phams legislative assistant.

Gelser Blouin, D-Corvallis, attended the trial all last week and said she was relieved by the verdict. It concurred with earlier determinations by an independent investigator hired by the Legislature, as well as the bipartisan Senate Conduct Committee.

Its been a really long time  this started before COVID  so its nice to have that chapter closed and be ready to just move on, she said.

Hansons attorney, Rebecca Cambreleng, said she was disappointed in the outcome.

We are still looking at options on where to go forward from here, but this is not going to stop us from fighting for people in the workplace to be treated fairly and equally, Cambreleng said.

The case, heard in U.S. District Court in Portland, marks a years-long attempt by Hanson to seek hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. Her initial suit asked for $1.2 million.

She was hired as Gelser Blouins chief of staff in December 2018, according to court records. She took medical leave in October of 2019, less than a year after she was hired, and alleged that Gelser Blouin seemed angry when she returned to work.

After being diagnosed with another disability  unspecified but related to her mental health, according to the complaint  Hanson requested medical leave for mental health days in December 2019, according to court records. At the end of December, she texted Gelser Blouin that her office was a a toxic and emotionally abusive work environment.

Gelser Blouin reported the texts to the Legislatures human resources director, leading to an investigation that ultimately cleared Gelser Blouin. Hanson was placed on administrative leave for the roughly 10 months that investigation took, then Gelser Blouin fired her in October of 2020.

In May 2021, Hanson filed her lawsuit against the state, the Legislature, Gelser Blouin and senators who at the time chaired the Senate Conduct Committee. She initially filed it in the Multnomah County Circuit Court, but it was reassigned to the federal court.

While the case proceeded, Hanson found a new job at the Capitol  working as a legislative assistant for Pham, D-Portland. She was hired just before Christmas in 2022, and on Jan. 3, 2023, she met with her supervisor to ask for disability accommodations including that she be given clear, written instruction and expectations regarding her job duties, according to court records.

She immediately began struggling with work and was fired about three weeks later. According to Hansons complaint, Pham cited differences in political and communications strategy (that) are leading to tension, duplicative work, and lost time, and said she needed a legislative assistant who would accept direction under my chief of staff and legislative director, rather than question and critique the strategy and bypass their directions.

Pham did not immediately return a call.

The post Federal jury rejects former Oregon legislative staffers unjust firing claim appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle.
Certain Medicaid services will be offered to people 90 days before they are released from jail or prison. (Getty Images)

Certain Medicaid services will be offered to people 90 days before they are released from jail or prison. (Getty Images)

UPDATED at 3:05 p.m., July 3, 2024 with additional information from the Oregon Health Authority.

Federal officials have approved Oregons request to offer free Medicaid services for addiction and some other services to people who are on the verge of being released from jail or prison, something thats prohibited by federal law.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Oregon will offer the new program, along with Illinois, Kentucky, Utah and Vermont. Theyre joining California, Massachusetts, Montana and Washington state which first piloted programs offering some Medicaid services to people about to be released.

Inmates who meet Medicaids low-income limits will qualify for the program 90 days before their release from jail or state or tribal prison. Theyll be eligible for lab and radiology services along with mental health assessments and medications to treat opioid addiction and mental illness.

When people are jailed or imprisoned, they lose their Medicaid coverage, and they have to reapply once theyre out. That leads to health care gaps. Studies show that people who end up in prison or jail have higher rates than the general public of physical and mental illness, including hypertension, asthma, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C and HIV, and higher rates of premature death from infectious and chronic diseases, drug use and suicide.

For people involved in the justice system, ensuring a successful transition back into the community includes having the health care supports and services they need, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement.

The program aims to provide a seamless health care transition as people try to rebuild their lives in the community. Being screened for mental health issues while still behind bars is expected to help them get counseling or other treatment more quickly when theyre out.

Fifty percent of all people in Oregon prisons have been diagnosed with a disability or mental illness, which makes uninterrupted care really important, Amy Bacher, an Oregon Health Authority spokeswoman, said in a statement.

The people who participate will benefit from case management, which means theyll be assessed before their release and monitored once theyre out. State officials hope to get people enrolled with a regionally based Medicaid insurer, a coordinated care organization, as soon as theyre released, something that has been a challenge in the past.

Captain Lee Eby, jail commander at Clackamas County Sheriffs Office, said the program marks a gigantic step toward rehabilitating people into the community.

I have seen the effects of our current system where the gap experienced hinders desperately needed access to care and services for those leaving incarceration to continue down their path of recovery, Eby said. This funding will be a huge tool for jail and prisons in helping those incarcerated receive proper discharge planning for successful reentry into the community, ensuring the continuation of care for one of our most vulnerable populations.

Lawmakers tackle issue

Approval of the program follows passage of House Bill 4002 by the Oregon Legislature. The law directs $211 million toward tackling addiction, including building new diversion programs for those who are charged with possessing a small amount of illegal substances. It also includes $10 million to screen people in jail for opioid addiction and to treat them with medication so that they can stabilize their lives and continue their recovery when theyre released.

About 65% of people behind bars have an addiction problem, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, but theyre often not screened or treated. This $10 million allocation  and the just-approved Medicaid program  aims to address that issue. Democratic Rep. Pam Marsh of Ashland, who was behind the push in the Legislature to offer medication treatment for opioid use in jail, welcomed approval of the program.

Im thrilled with the approval of the Medicaid waiver, which will provide long-term sustainability to continue and expand opioid medication treatment in our jails, Marsh told the Capital Chronicle. These services are critical if we want to break the cycle of addiction, criminality, and incarceration  and to save lives in that process.

Opioid overdoses have skyrocketed in Oregon in recent years with the spread of fentanyl, which can be fatal in tiny doses and is mixed into counterfeit opioid pills that sell on the streets for as little as a dollar. According to the Oregon Health Authority, 280 people died in Oregon from fatal opioid overdoses in 2019. That soared to about 1,050 in 2023.

The Medicaid program marks an attempt by the Biden administration to address the nationwide addiction crisis.

Expanding access to life-saving treatment and recovery supports for incarcerated people is a critical part of our bipartisan efforts to beat the overdose epidemic and save lives, Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said in a statement.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said thousands of people would benefit across the newly approved programs in the five states, but its unclear how many will qualify in Oregon. Bacher of the Oregon Health Authority said that 60 institutions with more than 20,000 beds will qualify for the program but they have to opt in.

We will be working closely with correctional partners to assess their readiness and support their ability to implement if the facility and their local partners choose to do so, Bacher said.

The cost is unclear, but the majority will come from federal coffers. The federal government pays for about 60% of Medicaid, while the state pays the rest.

The health authority aims to launch the program in 2026.

Well be working on timeframes for implementation and will have a lot of work with carceral settings to be ready for this, Bacher said in the statement.
Press Release

July 3, 2024 Villar nixes bullying Senator Cynthia Villar has joined the call of parents group to stop bullying and create a safe, peaceful community for our children and future generations. "By promoting kindness and empathy, you help both the bullies and victims feel safe, loved, and valued," said Villar during the Grand Launching of the United Concerned Parents Advocacy Group of the Philippines (UCPAG) at the Villar Coliseum in Las Pinas. She said this year's theme, "Our Environment. Our Future," highlights the crucial connection between the Earth's health and the well-being of future generations. "A bully-free atmosphere enhances emotional well-being, reduces anxiety, and fosters healthy relationships, which in effect encourage respect and inclusivity, be it in school or the neighborhood," Villar added. The senator stressed that without bullying, children can focus on their studies and freely pursue their interests. As a result, this will boost their potential to become engaged and responsible citizens. She noted that this will also build their confidence and equip them well to contribute positively to society in the future. She thanked the UCPAG's STOP Bullying campaign especially its founder Ronaldo Gaon since it plays a crucial role in creating a supportive and caring environment in schools and communities. "Your commitment to create a nurturing environment for our children aligns well with the observance of the Philippine Environment Month last June," she said . Established in 1988 by Proclamation No. 237, this observance aims to enhance environmental awareness and encourage a greater participation by all in sustainability efforts. "We are all encouraged to connect more deeply with nature, adopt more sustainable practices, and shift our lifestyles from harming the environment to healing it," further stated the senator. Villar, ayaw sa bullying NAKIISA si Senator Cynthia Villar sa samahan ng mga magulang na nananawagang ipatigil ang bullying at bumuo ng isang ligtas at mapayapang komunidad para sa ating mga anak at sa darating na henerasyon. "By promoting kindness and empathy, you help both the bullies and victims feel safe, loved, and valued," ani Villar sa Grand Launching ng United Concerned Parents Advocacy Group of the Philippines (UCPAG) na ginanap sa Villar Coliseum sa Las Pinas. Sinabi niya na itinatampok sa temang "Our Environment. Our Future" sa taong ito ang mahalagang koneksyon sa kalusugan ng daigdig at kapakanan ng hinaharap na henerasyon. "A bully-free atmosphere enhances emotional well-being, reduces anxiety, and fosters healthy relationships, which in effect encourage respect and inclusivity, be it in school or the neighborhood," dagdag pa ng Senador. Iginiit ng senador na kapag walang bullying, matututukan ang mga bata ang kanilang pag-aaral at malayang magagawa ang ang kanilang interes. Samhi nito, mapalalakas ang kanilang potensiyal na maging responsableng mamamayan. Magkakaroon din sila ng kumpiyansang magbigay ng positibong ambag sa lipunan sa hinaharap. Pinasalamatan niya ang UCPAG's STOP Bullying campaign lalo na ang founder na si Ronaldo Gaon dahil sa importanteng papel nito sa pagbuo ng isang supportive at caring environment sa mga paaralan st komunidad. "Your commitment to create a nurturing environment for our children aligns well with the observance of the Philippine Environment Month last June," sabi pa ni Villar. Itinatag noong 1988 sa ilalim ng Proclamation No. 237, layunin ng okasyong ito na mapaigting ang environmental awareness at hikayatin ang mas malawak na partisipasyon ng lahat sa sustainability efforts. "We are all encouraged to connect more deeply with nature, adopt more sustainable practices, and shift our lifestyles from harming the environment to healing it," ayon pa sa senador.
The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Iowa State University tests samples from animals for viruses such as avian influenza. (Photo courtesy of Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory)

Federal health officials have commissioned Moderna to develop a vaccine to protect people from an avian influenza that has been circulating in dairy cattle in recent months.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials said Tuesday the agency would devote about $176 million to the effort, with the hope that final clinical trials might commence next year.

That schedule could be accelerated if were starting to get extraordinarily concerned about additional human cases, severity of human cases, human-to-human transmission, said Dawn OConnell, the departments assistant secretary for preparedness and response.

Its unclear whether that will happen.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been widespread in wild birds in the past two years, has been sporadically devastating for U.S. poultry flocks, and has this year been infecting cows at an alarming pace and spreading to different states.

Four infections of people who worked closely with infected poultry and cattle have been documented in that time: one poultry worker in 2022 and three dairy workers this year.

All of those infections resulted in minor symptoms, and the people recovered. However, the latest infected person showed signs of respiratory illness.

The fear is that a mutation in the virus might better enable it to infect human respiratory tissue and easily spread person to person, which could ignite a human pandemic. Key to preventing that is keeping the virus out of people, where it can commingle with other viruses and share bits of genetic material.

Dairy precautions

Research has shown that the virus likely transmitted from wild birds to Texas dairy cattle as early as December. It spread undercover for months until two veterinarians identified it as the culprit in sick cows in late March.

Since then the virus has been found in cattle in at least 137 dairy herds in 12 states.

It is believed to have spread between states via the transportation of sick cows. From there, the virus has likely been carried between herds by people and their equipment.

Within the individual dairies, the virus can transmit between cows by contaminating equipment that is used for milking the animals. Lab tests have shown that the virus primarily dwells within cows mammary glands and that the amount of the virus in their milk is considerable.

Its not yet clear how to feasibly prevent the spread of the virus within herds, said Eric Deeble, acting senior advisor for H5N1 response for the department. H5N1 is the flu subtype that is currently circulating in birds and cattle.

There are a variety of USDA and other researchers that are currently working on that problem, he said in a Tuesday call with reporters.

Deeble said a vaccine for cattle could be effective at halting the virus but that one wouldnt be available soon.

Meantime, federal officials have monitored nearly 800 workers at infected dairy herds for illness and have tested more than 50 of them for bird flu. They have advised dairies to shield their workers with masks and other protective clothing and offered to pay for it.

Antiviral drugs might also be used to prevent infections among workers, said Dr. Nirav Shah, principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But that will likely require voluntary participation from those workers.

If H5 is not perceived as a pressing threat among farm workers  and Im not speculating as to whether it is or not  but if that is the case, then uptake may not be robust, he said.

More testing capacity

Shah said there are sufficient numbers of avian flu tests for people in the public health system  about 750,000  and that another 1.2 million might be available in the next several months.

Further, the CDC has worked with more than a dozen companies since last year to help them develop tests that could be produced and deployed if the virus becomes readily transmissible between people.

We need to stay prepared for the possibility of an expansion of the H5N1 outbreak in humans, Shah said.

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and X.

The post Feds prepare for bird flu jump to people with vaccines, tests appeared first on North Dakota Monitor.
A worker at the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Iowa State University tests samples from animals for viruses such as avian influenza. (Courtesy of Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory)

Federal health officials have commissioned Moderna to develop a vaccine to protect people from an avian influenza that has been circulating in dairy cattle in recent months.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials said Tuesday the agency would devote about $176 million to the effort, with the hope that final clinical trials might commence next year.

That schedule could be accelerated if were starting to get extraordinarily concerned about additional human cases, severity of human cases, human-to-human transmission, said Dawn OConnell, the departments assistant secretary for preparedness and response.

Its unclear whether that will happen.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been widespread in wild birds in the past two years, has been sporadically devastating for U.S. poultry flocks, and has this year been infecting cows at an alarming pace and spreading to different states.

Four infections of people who worked closely with infected poultry and cattle have been documented in that time: one poultry worker in 2022 and three dairy workers this year.

All of those infections resulted in minor symptoms, and the people recovered. However, the latest infected person showed signs of respiratory illness.

The fear is that a mutation in the virus might better enable it to infect human respiratory tissue and easily spread person to person, which could ignite a human pandemic. Key to preventing that is keeping the virus out of people, where it can commingle with other viruses and share bits of genetic material.

Dairy industry precautions

Research has shown that the virus likely transmitted from wild birds to Texas dairy cattle as early as December. It spread undercover for months until two veterinarians identified it as the culprit in sick cows in late March.

Since then the virus has been found in cattle in at least 137 dairy herds in 12 states, including Idaho.

It is believed to have spread between states via the transportation of sick cows. From there, the virus has likely been carried between herds by people and their equipment.

Within the individual dairies, the virus can transmit between cows by contaminating equipment that is used for milking the animals. Lab tests have shown that the virus primarily dwells within cows mammary glands and that the amount of the virus in their milk is considerable.

Its not yet clear how to feasibly prevent the spread of the virus within herds, said Eric Deeble, acting senior advisor for H5N1 response for the department. H5N1 is the flu subtype that is currently circulating in birds and cattle.

There are a variety of USDA and other researchers that are currently working on that problem, he said in a Tuesday call with reporters.

Deeble said a vaccine for cattle could be effective at halting the virus but that one wouldnt be available soon.

Meantime, federal officials have monitored nearly 800 workers at infected dairy herds for illness and have tested more than 50 of them for bird flu. They have advised dairies to shield their workers with masks and other protective clothing and offered to pay for it.

Antiviral drugs might also be used to prevent infections among workers, said Dr. Nirav Shah, principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But that will likely require voluntary participation from those workers.

If H5 is not perceived as a pressing threat among farm workers  and Im not speculating as to whether it is or not  but if that is the case, then uptake may not be robust, he said.

More testing capacity for the virus

Shah said there are sufficient numbers of avian flu tests for people in the public health system  about 750,000  and that another 1.2 million might be available in the next several months.

Further, the CDC has worked with more than a dozen companies since last year to help them develop tests that could be produced and deployed if the virus becomes readily transmissible between people.

We need to stay prepared for the possibility of an expansion of the H5N1 outbreak in humans, Shah said.

Iowa Capital Dispatch, like the Idaho Capital Sun, is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and X.
Medical records from Texas Children's Hospital in Houston are at the core of the case over privacy, a case that also centers on a debate over care provided to trans children and teenagers. Credit: May-Ying Lam for The Texas Tribune

As the Texas Legislature considered banning the use of puberty blockers and hormone treatment for trans kids last year, a Houston doctor breached the record system of Texas Childrens Hospital in Houston  the largest pediatric hospital in the country.

Dr. Eithan Haim, a former employee of the hospital, retrieved the personal information of underage patients who were not under his care, and illegally leaked them to a conservative activist, court documents allege.

The activist published them, and conservative outrage followed. Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation. The Legislature passed the ban within days.

More than a year later, federal prosecutors have charged Haim with violating patient privacy laws.

Those actions and the indictment that followed have thrust him into the center of one of the most emotional and divisive issues in Texas politics. Prosecutors are accusing him of feeding the public misleading information to damage his old hospitals reputation and promote his own personal agenda. The Texas GOP is backing him.

Advocates for trans rights say the case is an example of how often misleading conservative rhetoric has only made it more dangerous for Texas families with trans children. They cast the recent legislation targeting gay and trans people as part of a broader effort in Texas and across many states dominated by conservative politicians to stigmatize and punish queer people in ways that profoundly upend the lives of tens of thousands of families.

Meanwhile, Haim is being hailed as a martyr by conservatives in Texas and beyond who assert he is a victim of political persecution. On the conversative podcast circuit and elsewhere, they call transition-related care for kids child abuse and describe the doctors and parents that provide it as abusers.

Members of Congress have written in support of him. Supporters have raised nearly $1 million for his defense. Hes being represented in court by Ryan Patrick, a prominent former U.S. attorney during the Trump administration who is the son of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Haim has pleaded not guilty. He has said that his actions were intended to expose the hospital's transgender care program.

I maintained from day one that I have done nothing wrong, Haim said last week outside the courthouse, The Houston Chronicle reported. Were going to fight this tooth and nail to stand up for whistleblowers everywhere.

Haim was released on a $10,000 bond and now faces 10 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. On his fundraising site, Haim said he did not break the law since the documents were redacted and no personally identifiable patient health information was disclosed.

Transition-related care covers a wide range of treatments. It can include such social steps as adopting new pronouns or changing one's style of dress. It can also mean medical interventions such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries, though those are rarer for children. These treatments are for gender dysphoria, the distress that arises when a persons gender identity does not align with their birth-assigned sex. The American Medical Association has defended such care, arguing that such treatments are essential for the well-being of transgender youth.

Concerns about transition-related health care for kids started to gain steam in Texas in February 2022, when Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate instances of transition-related care for transgender children as child abuse.

In response, Texas Children's Hospital announced that it would pause the prescription of hormone therapies for transgender kids. The hospital said the decision was made to safeguard our health care professionals and impacted families from potential legal ramifications.

Months later, a state supreme court ruling stated that while DFPS was allowed to conduct such investigations, the governor's directive was not a legally binding instruction and they did not have to.

Haim said that the hospital continued these practices in secret. In the charges against him, prosecutors noted that Haim received training on health privacy regulations and attended numerous trainings related to anonymous reporting of any instances of misconduct, ethic violations or child abuse. But, they said, Haim did not report concerns to any supervisors, anonymous hotlines or Child Protective Services.

Instead, he turned over redacted versions of the medical records to conservative activist Christopher F. Rufo, who published an article in May 2023 reporting that the hospital continued administering puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to minors and linking to the documents. In the report, Rufo names physicians and details the types of procedures they were conducting. The leaked documents are no longer available though that article. The hospital did not respond to a request for comment, but has said in the past that the care it provides meets legal requirements.

At the time of the leak, such treatments had not yet been made illegal in Texas.

There is no situation in which a doctor should publicly disclose any patient's medical information without consent, said Johnathan Gooch, a spokesperson for an LGBT-rights group, Equality Texas. This release of information puts families at risk, Gooch said.

In an age where people make a game of figuring out where a random pin is on Google Maps, people are very good at searching the internet, Gooch said. Doxxing people has become very popular in radical circles. So it definitely puts the health and well being of these families and their children at risk to be exposed, especially when that exposure is in a hyperpolarized environment.

But Haim and his supporters argue that he took a brave stand to expose misconduct.

In a letter to the prosecutor, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, denounced what he called "selective prosecution and the weaponization of the Department of Justice against political opponents."

U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland similarly suggesting misuse of law enforcement to ideologically target detractors and requesting information for the House Judiciary Committee. U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, supported Hiam in a news conference last Wednesday where he said that Haim did nothing wrong.

And two Republican state lawmakers, Rep. Brian Harrison of Midlothian and Sen. Mayes Middleton of Galveston, have written to the state Health and Human Services Commission criticizing the alleged use of Medicaid funds to cover these treatments. In their letter, they laud Haim and say that the hospital committed child abuse.

Harrison told The Texas Tribune that the support for Haim is indicative of the ways Texas is trying to protect children. Propelled by similar statements about protecting children, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has received significant attention in the Texas legislature over the past few years  a sentiment that has inspired actions like Haims.

After his indictment, Haim was celebrated by various far-right websites and forums. Rufo described him as a whistleblower.

If Haim prevails, other courageous doctors and medical professionals will follow his lead and speak out, Rufo wrote in a City Journal article.

However, prosecutors have questioned Haims motives. The indictment argues, Haim committed malicious harm to the hospital and its patients. The hospital faced financial loss, medical delays  as well as threats and harm to its patients and esteemed physicians.

And opponents of the states crackdown on translation-related care are concerned about the politicians backing Haim.

To Gooch, of Equality Texas, the rhetoric and actions of state officials are worrying. He says there is a direct connection between the words of Texas politicians and the experiences of trans people in the state.

We've seen many families moving away in order to keep providing health care to their young people, Gooch said. And then those who had to stay in Texas, if they didn't have the means to leave, have been forced to spend massive amounts of money to travel across state lines in order to get regular checkups.

Disclosure: Equality Texas and Texas Children's Hospital have been financial supporters 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.

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!
[Source]

Dongz Dongz Apatan, a mukbang content creator from Iligan City in Northern Mindanao who had over 400,000 Facebook followers, died from a hemorrhagic stroke  a condition where a blood vessel in the brain ruptures and bleeds  on June 15 after eating a large amount of fried chicken and rice for content.

Leah, Apatans sister, told 24 Oras that many social media users disrespected Apatans death, noting how they turned him into a laughing stock because he was greedy about food. She added, He doesnt really eat much. He doesnt really finish it either. Manoy is not greedy. He has helped a lot of people.

Trending on NextShark: Chinese university holds graduation ceremony for just 1 student

Download the NextShark App:

Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
Findlay Market is getting its own bourbon soon. Here's how to get your hands on a bottle

Bourbon aficionados, ready up.

A signature and limited-edition Findlay Market bourbon is coming soon, according to a press release from Cincinnati Distilling and Findlay Market.

Cincinnati Distilling and Findlay Market joined forces to distill the new spirit called Findlay Market Reserve.

Its makeup is 60% corn, 36% rye and 4% malted barley mash bill and comes in at 93 proof, the release said.

Findlay Reserve, a limited-edition bourbon jointly made by Cincinnati Distilling and Findlay Market, will release on July 20.

The bourbon is set to be sold for the first time on July 20 at March First Brewing's Fountain Square location.

But those looking to secure one of the limited bottles may have to work for it. A spokesperson for the launch estimated that about 500 will be sold. Purchases are capped at four bottles per person, the spokesperson added.

Samples of the bourbon will be available at Findlay Markets Night Market on July 20, which is a free outdoor event in which market vendors stay open from 5 to 9 p.m. instead of their standard daytime hours. Cincinnati Distilling will hand out the samples at Jane's, Findlay Market's outdoor bar on Elm Street, the release said.

For those who are antsy about getting their hands on a bottle, the right to purchase a bottle can be bought for $2.50. The reservation can be made for July 20 or 21 and can be redeemed at March First Brewing.

A bottle of Findlay Market Reserve costs $44.99, according to the release. Part of the proceeds from each sale and reservation will go toward Findlay Market's mission of connecting food producers with public marketplaces.

We couldnt be more excited to work with the historic Findlay Market on their own special bourbon as they are such an integral part of the Cincinnati area," said Josh Engel, Cincinnati Distilling spokesperson.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Findlay Market, Cincinnati Distilling join forces on limited bourbon
TechCrunch

As the demand for AI surges, AI vendors are devoting greater bandwidth to data security issues. Not only are they being compelled to comply with emerging data privacy regulations (e.g., the EU Data Act), but they're also finding themselves under the microscope of clients skeptical about how their data is being used and processed. The trouble is, where it concerns tightening data security practices around AI, many orgs aren't in a position to execute well.
BATH, N.Y. (WETM)  For many, July 4th is a time of celebration and to watch the fireworks. But for some veterans, fireworks trigger their PTSD. 18 News went to the VA hospital in Bath to see what resources are available for veterans in times of crisis.

Many different treatments are available for veterans struggling with PTSD.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy, we have Prolonged Exposure Therapy, a lot of different things available. Theres actually a resource that the National Center for PTSD and the VA has put together for anybody, any veteran exploring that type of treatment, said Social Worker & Veteran Jim Inthanongsak.

The VA also has same day mental health access for those seeking help.

During that appointment, that veteran will meet with a licensed mental health professional. Well assess what their immediate needs are, how urgent things are as far as the need that they have for their care, said Inthanongsak.

Jim Inthanongsak served as a U.S. Marine during the Invasion of Iraq in 2003 and now helps other veterans struggling with returning home.

It was a difficult time for me when I transitioned back into the civilian world, but it wasnt until I actually began to talk about How can I get better? How can I move forward in my life? and really sought care and support and the VA provided that for me and I want to bring that to all of my fellow veterans as well, said Inthanongsak.

Vietnam Veterans honored at Horseheads High School

For more information on veterans resources from VA Hospitals, click here.

For more information on veterans resources from the National Center for PTSD, 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 WETM - MyTwinTiers.com.
Is the First Democrat in Congress Calling For Biden to Drop Out a Gadflyor the First Domino to Fall?

The first sitting Democratic member of Congress has officially called on President Joe Biden to drop out: The representative of Texas 37th Congressional District, Lloyd Doggett, put out a statement Tuesday publicly requesting that the president withdraw from the 2024 election. Although Doggett joins a chorus of calls from just outside the Democratic Partyformer members of Congress, current candidateshe is officially the first to break the seal in a quickly evolving situation regarding the presidents reelection.

I represent the heart of the congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw. President Biden should do the same. While much of his work has been transformational, he pledged to be transitional, wrote Doggett. Citing the recent Supreme Court decision bestowing criminal immunity on presidents, Doggett added, President Biden saved our democracy by delivering us from Trump in 2020. He must not deliver us to Trump in 2024.

The statement, laudatory but stern, is a groundshaking development for the embattled president. Despite the undeniable debacle of Thursdays debate, elected Democrats have remained fearful of stepping out and calling on Biden to withdraw. No longer. Yet for many Americans, even for many Democrats, the first question that comes to mind is: Who is Lloyd Doggett?

Doggett represents Austin, Texas, a blue stronghold in the middle of the notoriously red state. He is no spring chicken himself; Doggett is 77 years old and has been in Congress since 1995.

Nor is he a household name. Doggett is a longtime progressive, a member of the Progressive Caucus and a co-sponsor of Medicare for All. He is renowned among congressional operatives and aides for his ability to get bills started. But he is not an attention grabber or a rabble-rouser; no one would confuse him for a power broker or a member of the Squad (or, despite his repping the politicians former district, for LBJ).

The most recent time Doggett found himself in the national news, it was over a bitter internecine fight between Dems in 2019, over prescription drug pricing. That scrap found him on the losing end. Doggett introduced a number of amendments in the Ways and Means Committee to Nancy Pelosis signature H.R. 3, the prescription drug regulation package, changes that would have given the measure real teeth and moved it to the left. These were hardly radical additions, but rather simple and likely very popular tweaks, including expanding the number of drugs eligible for price negotiation by the federal government and lowering rates for the uninsured.

Doggetts amendments were stomped out by Democratic leadershipsome might say brutally. Committee Chairman Richie Neal, working in tandem with Pelosi, obliterated his efforts. Neal, who has long been a top recipient of donations from the pharmaceutical and insurance industries, declined to comment publicly on the substance of the amendments, insisting that he merely wanted to stick with his own version, and he did. (H.R. 3 passed the House and died in the Republican-controlled Senate.) And Doggett has been scarcely heard from in the national press in the years since.

His decision to break rank and become the first Democratic congressman to call for Bidens withdrawal is a watershed moment. It may be the beginning of the dam breaking against the obviously declining presidents beleaguered reelection campaign.

But Doggett is no Pelosi, no Hakeem Jeffries, no Jim Clyburn. He is very much not a member of leadership; hes one of the more marginal members of the House Democratic Caucus despite his long tenure. And for that reason, his call may also end up meaning little.

He is more of a gadfly, said one Democratic operative, who has worked closely with Doggetts office in the past. If there is an effort to get Biden to step down, having Doggett calling first instead of someone from leadership could make it harder.

Still, if recent history is any indication, progressives are almost always the first movers when it comes to consequential, sometimes risky decisions made by the Democratic Party (though they get little credit for it). Just Monday, it was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who made waves by becoming the first Democrat to announce that she would file articles of impeachment against at least one Supreme Court justice who has engaged in flagrantly unethical behavior that should well have disqualified them from their post. Ranking Democrats in the relevant committees in the House and Senate have sat on their hands for years as reports of justices misdeeds have poured in.

The most recent Trump impeachment is perhaps even more instructive. Immediately after the Jan. 6 insurrection in 2021, the very first elected Democrats to go public with their call for a Trump impeachment were members of the Squad and their affiliates. Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, who had just been sworn in for her first term, was the first to call for Trumps impeachment over his role in the riot that left five people dead. Shortly after her came then-progressive Mondaire Jones (who has since had a conservative epiphany), Chicagolands Marie Newman, and original Squad member Ayanna Pressley. Ilhan Omar soon announced that she would be drawing up articles of impeachment.

Pelosi, then speaker of the House, was initially opposed to the move for impeachment. She eventually came around, and Trump was impeached a second time, but its possible that wouldnt have happened had it not been for vocal and public progressive leadership on the issue.

So, Doggetts statement may turn out to be a one-off call from the partys backbench. Or he may be the first progressive to step out and lead on a historic turn of events, as Democrats scramble to save themselves from electoral catastrophe before its too late.

A number of recently published polls show Biden now trailing Trump badly, and a number of lesser-known Democratic possibilities, including the vice president, are polling better than Biden head-to-head against Trump, adding even more volume to calls for Biden to stand down.

At this point, it seems as though anything could still happen. But on the same afternoon as Doggetts call, Clyburnthe man credited with saving Bidens 2020 election campaign, and the only member of the old leadership team in the House who didnt step down during this most recent Congressmade an eye-opening statement of support for the vice president. I will support Vice President Kamala Harris if Biden were to step aside, he told MSNBC.

Slate wants to help. Submit your questions here. Its anonymous! No question is too dumbor too existential.
The Nashville community is in mourning after former Tennessee State Rep. Edith Taylor Langster, the city's first ever female and Black female patrol officer, died this week.

Langster died Sunday. She was 75.

With her passing, the community has lost a valuable member of Nashville's history, Davidson County Register of Deeds Karen Johnson said in a statement.

Our community and our city have lost a giant with the passing of Edith Taylor Langster, a former State Representative, Metro Council member, and the first African-American woman and first woman to serve as a patrol officer for Metro Police. We not only mourn her as a trailblazer, but we have lost her wise counsel and her endearing friendship," Johnson said in the emailed statement.

Officer Edith Langster, left, and her partner, officer Gordon Larkins, prepare to leave the West Metro Police substation to patrol in South Nashville on Jan. 13, 1974. Officer Langster is starting her first day as the first ever female in the police department's patrol division.

I recently visited with Rep. Langster at Vanco Manor, and she shared her regular wise advice to help me focus on what matters. I am a better public servant because of her frequent counsel and friendship."

Johnson said Langster opened doors for all Nashville women in public service.

Langster, a Painsville, Ohio native, graduated from Pearl High School in 1967, about 15 years before Nashville's federally-mandated desegregation plan combined it with Cohn High School.

She joined the Metro Nashville Police Department in 1972, taking steps to allow women to seek police work beyond administrative desk positions, and kicked off what was a life dedicated to public service. Langster worked as a police officer for about 10 years.

Being a police officer with the Metro Police Department, I had the opportunity to protect and serve the people of Nashville and Davidson County," Langster was quoted as saying. "The police department made me who I am and prepared me for future things in life.

Metro Council: Edith Langster Submitted by Council Office

Langster received a bachelor's degree in sociology from Tennessee State University and began a career as a counselor. She eventually became a program development specialist at a Nashville mental health facility.

In 1991, Langster began her political career, winning the District 20 seat on the Metro Nashville Council. She worked for one term before winning the District 54 seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

In her 12 years at the state house, she chaired the house local government subcommittee and was a member of the house consumer affairs subcommittee, assistant majority Whip. In 2007, she won a tight runoff for the Metro Council District 21 seat and continued to serve there until 2015.

During the 2011 election cycle, Langster spoke about her policing background and the impact it had on her political career.

"You deal with everyone from the homeless to where there's no ceiling," she said in 2011. "You could entertain the governor and the mayor. That prepares you for your work on the council because you treat people with the same respect and the same regard, no matter their walk of life."

A viewing will be held for Langster from 3-5 p.m. on Friday at Lewis and Wright Funeral Directors, 2500 Clarksville Pike. A visitation will be held from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday at St. Ann Catholic Church, 5101 Charlotte Avenue, with a funeral mass to follow.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville mourns 'trailblazing' female cop, TN representative's death
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  First lady Jill Biden was in West Michigan on Wednesday to participate in campaign events.

At Camp Manitou-Lin near Middleville, Biden discussed summer nutrition help for low-income families thats now available nationwide.

The first lady, along with retiring Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, were promoting a plan that Stabenow laid out last week in Grand Rapids. The pair said that during the summer, when free school lunches arent available, families face more expenses. Those who qualify financially can now get $120 for the season to replace those meals, along with in-person lunches and grab-bag options.

Federal funding will feed summer meals to 900K students

Further exacerbating the situation, the price of groceries has gone up. The presidents wife gave part of the campaign narrative to explain why that is happening.

We know that while grocery chains are making record profits, theyre still raising their prices, Biden said. And thats why the Biden-Harris administration is fighting to lower grocery bills for families.

Stabenow was asked if that assessment ignored the inflation that most economists believe exists.

Well, first of all, I would say inflation has been coming down. More to do, but we are seeing it come down. Weve fixed supply chains, weve addressed a number of things to bring down cost, but the cost doesnt come down, Stabenow replied. I think there is an element of some corporations hoping well all get used to higher prices, and they wont have to bring them down.

Biden, Harris join campaign call to stress staying on ticket

The Biden-Harris campaign has been trying to flip the script on inflation, but the issue still remains one of the top concerns in this years election.

On Wednesday, Middleville resident Mark Sharpe said he was pleased to see Biden promoting food programs for kids.

Especially in communities that have a lot of free and reduced lunch and kids that rely on that, he said. Just to make sure it fills that gap for the kids that dont have the ability to access during the daytime that they would normally get in the school year at school.

First lady Jill Biden in Middleville on July 3, 2024.

First lady Jill Biden in Middleville on July 3, 2024.

First lady Jill Biden in Middleville on July 3, 2024.

Biden also recognized and support military-connected children of service members or veterans as part of the First Ladys Joining Forces initiative. Joining Forces is a White House initiative to support military families through employment and entrepreneurship, military child education and health and well-being.

The first ladys visit got the small community of Middleville talking politics.

I think its absolutely great that she comes to the small communities, because I think the small communities are the ones that have a lot of voice, resident Julie Nagl said.

I think its wonderful that people have the opportunity to share information and make their own decisions, Don Parks agreed.

Your Local Election Headquarters

Michigan will be a key state on the path to the White House in November.

Im expecting to see both candidates here a lot because Michigan went blue some years and red other years, so I think its going to be a big deal, Middleville resident Aaron Wissner said.

After the events in West Michigan, Biden departed from the Gerald R. Ford International Airport for Traverse 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 WOODTV.com.
Dream Pointe will house as many as 40 teachers in Bertie County when it opens July 1. (Photo: Bertie County Schools)

The first tenants of a new 24-unit housing complex for public school and local government employees in Bertie County began to move in this week.

Bertie County Schools officials hope the housing complex will help recruit and retain effective teachers. The district had the second highest attrition rate in the state during the 2021-22 school year, according to the most recent data available. Its attrition rate was 25.8%, meaning one in four teachers left the district.

The State Employee Credit Union (SECU) provided Partners for Bertie County Public Schools (PBCPS) with interest-free construction financing and 15-year interest-free permanent financing of $3.1 million to build Dream Pointe Apartments.

PBCPS is a nonprofit created to provide for Bertie County Schools.

Dream Pointe allows us to offer new teachers and teachers who work in our community but dont live here an exciting opportunity to become full members of the community where they are employed, PBCPS board Chairman Ron Wesson said in a statement.

James Eure and Ron Wesson standing front of a sign reading "Dream Pointe Apartments"

The initiative is one of six the SECU Foundation has taken on since 2006 in response to workforce needs in rural and underserved areas of North Carolina. Previous housing projects in Hertford, Dare, Hoke, and Buncombe counties received similar financing assistance from SECU Foundation.

We are so pleased to help the Partners for Bertie County Public Schools take major steps forward in addressing their longtime priority of attracting and retaining teachers, said SECU Foundation Director of Grants Administration Scott Southern. Dream Pointe Apartments will not only meet an immediate housing need, but it will also support the continued growth and development of Bertie County.

BCS Superintendent Otis Smallwood told NC Newsline in March that Dream Pointe will house as many as 40 teachers when it opens in July. Apartments will go to teachers with the greatest needs.

The next challenge [after the local teacher supplement] was we knew teachers needed a place to stay, Smallwood said. We knew our attrition rate was high, well above the state average  and we knew our bigger challenge in rural, northeastern North Carolina is housing.

A recent report by the North Carolina Housing Coalition shows that 50% of renters in Bertie County have difficulty affording their homes. A person would need to earn $17.38 an hour to afford the $904 monthly fair market rent in the low-wealth county. Fair market rent has increased 17% since last year and 33% over the last five years. Dream Pointe apartments will rent for $800 a month.

The post First tenants move into Bertie County Schools workforce housing appeared first on NC Newsline.
Fisker has a willing buyer for its remaining inventory of all-electric Ocean SUVs, and has asked the Delaware Bankruptcy Court judge overseeing its Chapter 11 case to approve the sale.

If approved by the judge, Fisker would be able to offload 3,231 finished EVs to a New York-based vehicle leasing company for $46.25 million. That works out to around $14,000 per vehicle -- a steep fall from the roughly $70,000 starting price some of them once commanded. It's also lower than the bargain-bin prices Fisker was offering during its descent into bankruptcy.

The motion requesting approval of the sale could become the next flashpoint in Fisker's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Lawyers representing the company's unsecured lenders already expressed concern in the first hearing, held on June 21, that they would not see the proceeds of such sales. Fisker owes around $1 billion in total to all of its unsecured creditors.

The total scope of Fisker's other assets and what value they might hold is also not clear; on Monday, lawyers for the startup filed a motion to delay the release of that information, in part because it's still being compiled.

The leasing company -- which The Wall Street Journal first reported to be a company called American Lease -- mainly offers its vehicles to ride-hail drivers in the New York City area, where fleets need to be zero-emission by 2030. The company has agreed to wait to lease any of the Oceans until the open recalls are addressed.

American Lease initially agreed to buy 2,100 Ocean EVs on May 30, just two weeks before Fisker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It increased that offer to buy all 3,231 Oceans that are ready-for-sale and configured for North America on June 30. (The deal excludes Canadian-configured vehicles located in Canada.) American Lease cannot re-sell the vehicles for 12 months. It's technically buying the Oceans on a sliding scale, paying $3,200 for previously-titled vehicles and $16,500 for ones in "good working order." It's also buying damaged ones for $2,500 each.

Lawyers for the company are trying to move the sale through quickly. In a motion requesting expedited approval of the sale, they wrote that they will "be unable to fund vital business expenses ... necessary to effectuate an orderly liquidation" if it is not completed by July 12.

Lawyers for Fisker said in an emergency hearing Wednesday that they want to sell an initial 200 Oceans to American Lease by July 12 in order to generate $2.8 million to cover payroll and other expenses. Before it does that, though, it will have to resolve a newly-reported problem with the water pumps on the Ocean. That will be handled by some of the remaining Fisker employees, as the startup still has 179 employees (the majority being salaried) on the payroll but is reducing headcount to around 138, chief restructuring officer John DiDonato said.

DiDonato confirmed that CEO and founder Henrik Fisker, as well as co-founder, CFO, and COO Geeta Gupta-Fisker are still on the payroll, though he did not say how much they are making. He said their salaries are "undertaking a modification" and possibly "some deferrals."

Linda Richenderfer, a lawyer for the U.S. Trustee's office, said during the hearing that she was concerned at how fast Fisker's lawyers were trying to push through the sale of the vehicles, given that the committee of unsecured creditors still don't have legal representation. (Her concerns were echoed by a lawyer representing the newly-formed Fisker Owners Association, and one representing U.S. Bank, which is owed more than $600 million.) She also said Fisker had given the impression it would be weeks before they'd try to approve a sale order, something that one of the startup's lawyers pushed back on.

During the hearing, Richenderfer grilled DiDonato on whether Fisker could make its upcoming payroll payments with whatever cash it has on hand. Both he and a lawyer for Fisker said that won't be possible, but they struggled to clearly explain to Richenderfer -- and to the court -- the exact amount and cadence of the startup's obligations over the next few weeks.

"I'm thoroughly confused," Judge Thomas Horan said after DiDonato stepped off the (virtual) witness stand. He permitted a 30-minute recess for the two sides to get a better understanding. When court resumed, and he asked whether the time was useful, Richenderfer said bluntly: "No."

A new hearing has been set for July 11. In the coming week, it will be up to Fisker and the restructuring officer to better explain to Richenderfer and the many unsecured creditors why they need to push the sale through so quickly.

Once a sale is complete, Fisker will have "no obligation of repair or maintenance of the Vehicles, and Vehicles will be sold 'as is' with no express or implied warranties," according to the agreement. Fisker also will have "no obligation to update the" vehicles beyond the 2.1 version of its software. Fisker will also give American lease license to access "all relevant source code or other proprietary software operating elements."

The inventory sale has been blessed by Fisker's largest secured creditor, Heights Capital Management, an affiliate of financial services company Susquehanna International Group. Heights loaned Fisker more than $500 million in 2023, and the EV startup still owes nearly $190 million. A lawyer representing Heights' investment arm said in the June 21 hearing that the sale would "maybe pay off a fraction of Heights secured debt" -- now we have a clearer picture of the math he was running in his head at the time.

Heights' loans to Fisker were originally not secured by any collateral -- they were convertible notes that could either be paid back or swapped for stock in the EV startup. But when Fisker was late in filing its third-quarter financial report to the Securities and Exchange Commission last year, that technically breached one of the covenants of the deal with Heights. To repair that breach, Fisker pledged all of its assets as collateral for the remaining debt.

Alex Lees, a lawyer who represented an informal group of the unsecured lenders, said at the first hearing that this was a "terrible deal for [Fisker] and its creditors." Lees and Richenderfer expressed "great concern" that the case could transition to a more straightforward Chapter 7 liquidation following the sale of the Ocean inventory. In that scenario, unsecured creditors could wind up fighting over even less.

Updated with information from an emergency hearing held Wednesday afternoon.
(Bloomberg) -- UK opinion polls have been remarkably consistent over the six-week general election campaign: The opposition Labour Party is projected to win, and leader Keir Starmer will be Britains new prime minister.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Where polls differ is on the scale of victory, and whether Rishi Sunaks Conservatives face an existential threat after 14 years in power. Below are possible scenarios  including some wildcards  that could unfold on Thursday night. Bookmakers odds show the perceived likelihood of each outcome.

1. Labour supermajority (250-seat majority)

A Labour landslide is arguably the base case, due to the huge poll lead the party has held for months, a result that was barely conceivable after Jeremy Corbyn led it to an historic defeat five years ago.

Recent MRP polls  large nationwide surveys that project the result on a district-by-district basis  put the Labour majority in a range of between 162 and 382 seats. Those numbers have given rise to a new phrase in British politics, the supermajority, which the Tories are using to warn against what they argue would be Labours unchecked power.

While controlling two-thirds of the House of Commonss 650 seats doesnt unlock special powers, one party wielding so many votes would be a political earthquake with the potential for many aftershocks. At the upper end of the range, the survival of the 300-year-old Conservative Party would be at risk.

Starmer would face less external opposition, but could come under internal pressure to be more ambitious and progressive, perhaps with more tax increases and public spending. Although Bloomberg Economics reckons that could be a boon for the economy, it might make wealthy Britons nervous.

Still, the Tories have spent so much airtime warning about a Labour supermajority that such a result is unlikely to surprise investors. And traders may see a mandate for closer ties with the European Union as potentially dismantling a so-called Brexit premium thats kept UK assets trading lower since the 2016 referendum.

Odds: Gamblers on the Betfair Exchange see Labour winning between 450 and 499 seats  enough for a supermajority  as the most likely outcome at 6/5 odds. On its Sportsbook platform, the odds are at 11/10.

2. Blair-like landslide  (150-seat majority)

Even Labour victories toward the lower end of the MRP forecasts would be huge for a party thats governed for less than a third of the past century. The partys best result was Tony Blairs 179-seat majority in 1997, which kicked off 13 years in power.

Such a win  almost double Boris Johnsons 80-seat Tory majority in 2019  would still give Starmer a lot of freedom to pass legislation. And he would likely face less pressure from the left seeking to influence his policy program. Still, the Conservatives would probably be relieved, having avoided the extinction-level event some had feared.

Sunaks critics had warned that the Tories risked a repeat the 1993 wipeout of Canadas Progressive Conservatives  the worst-ever result by a governing party in the Western world. Even a lesser defeat would likely end Sunaks tenure as leader. The remaining MPs would quickly become consumed in a battle between the right and the center-right over the partys future.

Odds: Gamblers on Betfair give 11/5 odds on Labour winning between 400 and 449 seats, the second-most likely outcome. Thats also the case on its Sportsbook. Meanwhile, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch is the favorite to lead the Conservative Party in opposition at 7/2 odds.

3. Narrow Labour win (50-seat majority)

Before the chaos of Johnsons pandemic tenure and Liz Trusss subsequent 49-day premiership in 2022, many Labour supporters would be overjoyed with even a slim majority of, say, 50 seats. Only postwar leader Clement Attlee has overturned a bigger parliamentary deficit than the one Starmer inherited.

Yet expectations are so high, such a result would represent a major surprise  and could undermine Starmer early in his premiership. Much of the post-vote analysis would center on how the Tories staved off total disaster, and the new opposition would likely spin it as a lack of enthusiasm for Labour.

That would heap scrutiny on internal Labour politics and fuel criticism of Starmer for being too cautious. With surveys showing voters wanted public services to be rebuilt, Labours election manifesto instead emphasized fiscal responsibility to ward off Tory attacks.

In this scenario, Starmers parliamentary party would wield more sway, potentially threatening rebellions if he continues to advocate restraint on spending. The result could be a less stable government, and undercut fund managers hopes for a period of political calm after years of turbulence in pound and gilt markets.

Odds: Betfair is offering 5/1 on Labour winning 350-399 seats, translating to a more limited majority.

4. Hung Parliament (no overall majority)

Although Sunak allies were warning of the risk of a hung Parliament as recently as May, such a result would now be considered a huge shock. If Labour needed to cut a deal with a third party to govern, it would likely rattle markets, spark political turmoil and renew debates over the accuracy of British polling.

Starmer would be left have a choice of trying to form a minority government or entering into a coalition. The most likely partner would be Ed Daveys center-left Liberal Democrats, since Starmer has ruled out a deal with the pro-independence Scottish National Party. The MRP surveys project a range of 38 to 71 seats for the Liberal Democrats.

The question then would be what Davey might try to extract for his cooperation, with reducing the effects of Brexit, securing more money for the National Health Service or moving from Britains first-past-the-post electoral system likely high on the agenda. If Starmer balks, a second general election could soon follow.

Investors may look to add an uncertainty premium to UK assets until theres more clarity on the policies and stability of the incoming government.

Odds: Betfair offers 20/1 on its Sportsbook, and the odds have widened to 28/1 on the exchange. Sportsbook odds on Labour forming a minority government are 100/1, a Labour/Liberal Democrat coalition is 66/1 and a Conservative minority government is 200/1.

Wildcard: Lib Dems become main opposition

Either the Conservatives or the Labour Party have been the official opposition in Britain since the end of the First World War. Theres a outside chance that that could change, with the Liberal Democrats coming in second.

That would make Davey the UKs opposition leader, and send shock waves through Westminster. For Starmer, it would change the nature of the weekly Prime Ministers Questions  although the Liberal Democrats and Labour traditionally share common ground on trying to boost public services.

Such a shake-up would require the Liberal Democrats to make huge in-roads into the Tory heartlands of southern England. Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt would likely be among the big names to be out of a job.

There is another likely corollary in this scenario. Polling by Find Out Now for Electoral Calculus last week put the Liberal Democrats on 71 seats, and Nigel Farages populist Reform UK on 18 seats  a clear wipeout scenario for the Conservatives. While Starmer would look forward to exchanges with Davey, a Farage backbench of more than a dozen MPs could signal a more polarized future for Britain.

Odds: Betfair offers 12/1 on the Liberal Democrats party getting more seats than the Tories.

--With assistance from Greg Ritchie.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Flight delayed with clear skies? United Airlines will show you why weather is to blame

Get more news like this delivered to your inbox by signing up for our Travel newsletter here.

It can be confusing when youre looking up at a clear blue sky but your flight is delayed by weather. United Airlines knows that and will now send passengers real-time weather maps to explain those kinds of delays.

Because flights usually cover large distances that cross different regions of the country, the weather over the Great Plains, for example, can cause significant headaches on transcontinental flights even if the conditions are perfect on both coasts.

With more people traveling this summer than ever, we wanted to give our customers an easier way to stay connected to real-time information about their flight and texting was the simplest solution, Jason Birnbaum, Uniteds chief information officer, said in a statement. We know customers appreciate transparency and by combining innovative technology-enabled tools with people power, we can give more people, even more in-the-moment details about their flight.

Weather map screenshot from the United Airlines app.

According to United, specialized customer service representatives will sit alongside operations managers to get a better understanding of whats causing delays across the network. They can then send texts or emails to travelers to explain whats going on.

When weather is behind the disruptions, those updates will include links to live, local weather maps that highlight the conditions affecting their flight. United said customers also can access weather maps on its app.

What youre entitled to when your flight is delayed by weather

Airlines are typically not held responsible when weather delays flights, because the cause is seen as being out of their control by regulators.

That said, United offers flexible rebooking options after delays or cancellations. All airlines are required to provide full refunds if a flight is canceled for any reason.

The Department of Transportation has a dashboard that outlines airlines customer commitments for delays and cancellations that are in the carriers' control, which typically include those caused by staffing or mechanical problems.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: United Airlines will send weather maps to customers to explain delays
CHICAGO  A flight from Chicago to San Francisco returned to OHare International Airport around midday Wednesday after crew reported a pressurization issue, a Federal Aviation Administration official confirmed.

United Airlines Flight 343, a Boeing 737-900 carrying 163 passengers and six crew, landed safely, the FAA official and an airline spokesperson said.

Tracking data from FlightAware.com shows the flight circling back across Illinois after passing over the Mississippi River in Iowa while en route to California.

The flight later resumed on a different aircraft, an airline spokesperson said.

The FAA will investigate Wednesdays incident.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Fishermen drag a boat damaged by Hurricane Beryl to moor it in port in Bridgetown, Barbados, on July 1, 2024. (Ricardo Mazalan / Associated Press)

California is far from the only place in the grip of a sweltering heat wave. Climate catastrophes have been unfolding around the globe.

With nearly every month of 2024 having been the warmest on record, the world may be living through the hottest year yet.

One reason behind the extraordinary heat is a particularly powerful bout of El Nino , a natural climate phenomenon marked by warmer-than-usual waters in the tropical Pacific.

El Nino is now receding, but the human-made factors of global warming have not, and many scientists say that the world is now well on its way to blazing past the preferred allowance set by the Paris climate accord  2.7 degrees Fahrenheit above preindustrial baselines.

Women wade through a flooded street after heavy monsoon rains in Guwahati, India, on June 5, 2024. (Anupam Nath / Associated Press)

"The climate continues to alarm us  the last 12 months have broken records like never before, Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the European Unions Copernicus Climate Change Service, said last month.

Until we reach net-zero global emissions the climate will continue to warm, will continue to break records, and will continue to produce even more extreme weather events.

Some recent lowlights:

Lethal heat in India

This years heat wave in India has killed more than 100 people over 3 months, according to government data obtained by the Associated Press.

Among the dead were 33 polling workers administering the countrys general elections in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in early June, when temperatures in some cities reached as high as 116 degrees.

An elderly woman suffering from the heat is brought to a hospital in India's Uttar Pradesh state. (Rajesh Kumar Singh / Associated Press)

Families of the deceased will each receive about $18,000 from the government, Navdeep Rinwa, chief electoral officer for Uttar Pradesh state, told reporters.

Up to 75% of Indias workforce  around 380 million people  work in heat-exposed conditions , according to a recent World Bank report, but fewer than 10% of the countrys 300 million households own air conditioners.

In Lucknow, a city in northern India, temperatures this year have regularly climbed as high as 113 degrees, leading to power outages from the increased demand in electricity.

Laborers sleep by the side of a road on a hot June night in Lucknow, India. (Rajesh Kumar Singh / Associated Press)

How can the electricity department justify depriving us of essential sleep? resident Abhishek Singh told The Times of India in May.

We have jobs to attend to, and the lack of rest will undoubtedly impact our mental well-being.

China hit with heat, drought and floods

Broiling heat, droughts and flooding have threatened agriculture and energy supply in China. Beijing issued its third-highest heat warning late last month.

As temperatures reached 104 degrees in parts of the country's north, areas in the south were hit by record-breaking rains, leading to the evacuation of thousands.

A woman shields herself from the late June sun while browsing on her phone in a park in Beijing. (Andy Wong / Associated Press)

Flooding has claimed at least 15 lives in the last month across Hunan, Anhui and Guangdong provinces, according to state media, and the government has issued alerts for additional flooding across the country.

Meanwhile, Yunnan province in the south is experiencing its worst drought in six decades, threatening the countrys supply of grains and hydropower.

Flooding in the U.S. swallows up homes

Flooding in several states across the Midwest has destroyed public infrastructure and swallowed up homes.

In May, torrential rainfall in the Midwest brought eight times the typical volume of rain seen in the region, overpowering flood defenses, submerging homes and leading to at least two deaths.

After the partial failure of a 114-year-old dam in Minnesota unleashed a flood that swept away a home perched on the banks of the Blue Earth River, local officials demolished a popular local pie store that they feared might be next.

Heavy rains in recent days have submerged farmland near Vermillion, S.D., on June 25, 2024. Flooding has devastated communities in several states across the Midwest. (Jake Hoffner / Associated Press)

In South Dakota , where Gov. Kristi Noem declared an emergency, floodwaters stranded drivers and necessitated the rescue of nine people in Sioux Falls.

This is probably the first time weve seen this kind of rainfall come this quickly, Noem said at a news conference.

Flooding of the Big Sioux River caused a railroad bridge to Iowa to collapse.

In Iowa , where more than 1,000 residents have been displaced and entire neighborhoods evacuated, Gov. Kim Reynolds declared a disaster and requested federal assistance.

Businesses are shuttered, main streets have been impacted, she said at a news conference late last month. Hospitals, nursing homes and other care facilities were evacuated.

The bridge over the Big Sioux River near North Sioux City, S.D., collapsed on June 23, 2024, after flooding in the Midwest. (Josh Jurgens / Associated Press)

'Heat dome' over Mexico kills people, wildlife

Scorching heat in Mexico has already killed at least 125 people this year, according to the countrys health ministry.

Margarita Salazar wipes sweat off her brow inside her home amid high heat in Veracruz, Mexico, on June 16, 2024. (Felix Marquez / Associated Press)

Although the immediate cause is a heat dome  a weather phenomenon in which high pressure traps hot air underneath it like a pot lid does to steam  climate scientists from the global collective World Weather Attribution have said that climate change has probably made Mexicos heat wave much worse.

Last month, the country recorded its hottest day ever, with temperatures in the Sonoran Desert reaching 125 degrees. In the southeastern state of Tabasco, monkeys have been dropping dead from trees, presumably from heatstroke.

We have never before experienced a heat wave this intense, this powerful, this pervasive and this persistent, Maria Teresa Mendoza, a Veracruz resident, told the Associated Press.





Torrential downpours and wildfires devastate Chile

Several regions in Chile declared a state of catastrophe in June, as heavy rains battered homes and flooded roads in the latest extreme weather event to hit the South American country. About 2,000 homes were damaged and 60,000 lost power, while one person died.

The severe downpours and flooding followed an unusual cold snap that saw the coolest May since 1950, according to the countrys meteorological agency.

Residents look out on a flooded street after heavy rains in Santiago, Chile, on June 13, 2024. (Matias Basualdo / Associated Press)

This year, the country also experienced its deadliest wildfires on record.

Although wildfires often occur in February, experts said that rising temperatures and high winds exacerbated the fires spread, killing more than 130 people. The worsening heat has contributed to a years-long drought in central Chile that has affected the nations water supplies and crops.





Record temperatures roast the East Coast

As cities along the East Coast all grappled with record-breaking heat recently, temperatures in the nations capital hit 100 degrees  the first time they have reached triple digits since 2016.

Officials issued a heat emergency and activated Washington's 134 cooling centers, which include swimming pools, public libraries and youth centers.

Andrea Di Miele, right, of Hoboken, N.J., puts water on his daughter, Sofia, 10, with the Lincoln Memorial behind them on June 21, 2024, in Washington. Temperatures the next day were forecast to reach 100 degrees. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press)

"Residents and visitors are encouraged to take precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses and to check on neighbors," the mayors office said in a June 21 news release.

Vulnerable populations, including older adults and those with physical and mental health conditions, should limit their time outdoors to no more than 20 minutes per hour.

Temperatures in Baltimore reached 101 degrees, surpassing its previous daily high of 100 degrees in 1988.





And now the West is in the midst of an extremely dangerous and record-breaking heat wave, according to the National Weather Service, which said more than 130 million people in the U.S. were under heat alerts over the July 4 holiday.

Hikers die due to heat in Greece

Nearly a dozen tourists have died this year after going on hikes in Greece  a trend that the countrys authorities have attributed to the disorienting effects of heat.

Greek firefighters battle a wildfire north of Athens on June 29, 2024. (Yorgos Karahalis / Associated Press)

There is a common pattern, Petros Vassilakis, the police spokesman for the southern Aegean, told Reuters. They all went for a hike amid high temperatures.

The heat, which reached 111 degrees in some areas, also contributed to more than 40 wildfires late last month. Wildfires are common in Greece but have intensified in recent years as climate change makes summers hotter and drier.

In Keratea, south of Athens, 140 firefighters have been mobilized to curb the latest blaze, which destroyed at least four houses, according to local media. In the north, residents were told to evacuate after another fire broke out in the region.





A holy site becomes a death trap

A total of 1,301 visitors to Mecca on the Hajj, a Muslim ritual that entails several days of religious tours, have died as temperatures hit a record 125 degrees in Saudi Arabias holy city.

"The Hajj has operated in a hot climate for over a millennium, but the climate crisis is exacerbating these conditions," Carl-Friedrich Schleussner of the think tank Climate Analytics told Reuters.

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, the last rite of the annual Hajj, in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on June 18, 2024. (Rafiq Maqbool / Associated Press)

With official packages for the Hajj costing $10,000 or more, the Saudi government has said that more than 80% of the dead were unlicensed pilgrims who walked long distances under direct sunlight, without adequate shelter or comfort.

Many train for the pilgrimages, which involve walking up to nine miles in the open sun. But those without official licenses lack access to air-conditioned spaces or water.

Record-breaking Hurricane Beryl rips through the Carribbean

At least seven people have died after Hurricane Beryl cut a devastating swath through the Caribbean, capsizing fishing boats, downing power lines and ripping the roofs off homes.

"The situation is grim," Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said at a news conference Tuesday. "There is no power, and there is almost complete destruction of homes and buildings on the island. The roads are not passable, and in many instances they are cut off because of the large quantity of debris strewn all over the streets."

Residents begin to repair their home damaged by Hurricane Beryl, in Ottley Hall, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, on July 2, 2024. (Lucanus Ollivierre / Associated Press)

No storm in the Atlantic has achieved Category 5 status as early as Beryl. It weakened to a Category 3 by early Thursday after causing destruction and death in Jamaica and other eastern Caribbean nations.

Waters in the Atlantic have been much warmer than usual since last year, lending themselves to more powerful and rapidly escalating storms. And Beryl, according to experts, probably signals a particularly vicious season of tropical storms ahead.

Hurricane Beryl took a toll on fishing boats as it passed through Bridgetown, Barbados, on July 1, 2024. (Ricardo Mazalan / Associated Press)

Kim reported from Seoul and Yang from Taipei, Taiwan.





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.
Florence County deputies find nearly 7 pounds of cocaine stashed in vehicles secret compartment after I-95 traffic stop

FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW)  Florence County deputies seized nearly seven pounds of cocaine and arrested a Florida woman on Wednesday after pulling over a vehicle for speeding on Interstate 95.

Authorities arrested Carmen Denisse Garcia Roman, 34, of Orlando, Florida, after finding the drugs hidden in an aftermarket compartment in the vehicle, deputies said. She was charged with trafficking cocaine and taken to the Florence County Detention Center to await a bond hearing.

Photo: Florence County Sheriffs Office

Roman was traveling north on I-95 near mile marker 163 when authorities pulled over her vehicle and found about 6.6 pounds, or 3 kilos, of cocaine.

* * *

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.
Floridas native bird is disappearing. Is the state protecting them in Manatee County?

Conservationists are raising concerns that a threatened bird may not be getting the help it needs to survive on state-owned lands in Manatee County and Southwest Florida.

The Florida scrub jay is the only bird thats entirely unique to Florida, and its in big trouble.

The bright blue and famously friendly songbird makes its home in a special habitat  scrub  that development has massively wiped out or fragmented. Scrub also needs periodic wildfires to thrive, and human prevention of this natural phenomenon has further contributed to the habitats disappearance.

The result: Scrub jay numbers were down over 90% to less than 10,000 birds across the state by 1993, according to Audubon Florida, with further losses since.

The scrub jay population centered around Manatee Countys Duette Preserve is one of the few in the state that is increasing instead of declining. Ecologists contribute this success to conservation efforts and careful land management, including prescribed burns.

But conservationists say thats not always the case at neighboring state-owned land in Manatee County managed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

In interviews with the Bradenton Herald, experts expressed concerns that state conservation lands have become overgrown without timely prescribed burns. Its a problem they fear could drive scrub jays away and leave the endangered birds with fewer places to nest.

Numbers show scrub jay loss at SWFWMD preserve

Scrub jay survey numbers provided to the Bradenton Herald by Florida Audubon show a seeming decline and disappearance of the birds at Little Manatee River Southfork Tract, a 971-acre preserve managed by SWFWMD east of Parrish and north of State Road 62 in East Manatee County.

Scrub jays had consistently been present at the preserve from 2012 to 2020, when surveyors spotted an average of two scrub jay families per year, with a peak of three groups in 2015.

But from 2021 to 2023, not a single scrub jay has been recorded there.

However, Audrey DeRose-Wilson, Audubon Floridas director of bird conservation, believes the site can still support scrub jays.

The jay population at Little Manatee River Southfork Tract has declined and no jays have been detected there since 2020, DeRose-Wilson said in an email. However, the SWFWMD has continued to manage scrub habitat at Southfork in hopes that jays will return. I saw this site in 2022 and there was sufficient managed habitat to support Scrub-jays but no jays yet.

Other state-managed sites have seen positive trends.

Bird numbers at SWFWMDs 5,800-acre Gilley Creek site have generally increased, as have numbers at Moody Branch, a 960-acre site managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

But conservationists argue that progress could be lost if lands are not consistently managed.

Conservationists concerned for Florida scrub jays future

Zach Holmes, an avian ecologist who has surveyed and studied scrub jays for years, said SWFWMD lands have a history of poor management for scrub jay habitat.

A lot of that is due to lack of management in the form of prescribed fire, Holmes said.

Holmes estimates that SWFWMD owns about 30% of the public lands where scrub jays are found in Southwest Florida, including three large land tracts in Manatee County.

All of these areas are really, really important to jays, Holmes said.

Holmes said the success of scrub jay recovery in East Manatee County is the result of robust management and collaboration between several sites, including Manatee Countys Duette Preserve, FWCs Moody Branch and Mosaics Wellfield site.

There is a highly collaborative effort in the region, and unfortunately SWFWMD has not been a part of that, Holmes said. There have been efforts by several entities to convince SWFWMD to either do management or accept help in the form of equipment or labor to better manage the land for the benefit of jays. Unfortunately, none of that has been successful in recent years.

He described the agency as the last piece of the puzzle in managing East Manatee Countys public lands for the success of scrub jay recovery.

Kay Prophet, an ornithologist and past president of the Manatee County Audubon Society, agreed that land management on state properties has been an issue for years.

The reality is our properties up here all got ridiculously overgrown, Prophet said. They were seven or eight years ago the worst Ive ever seen them.

Scrub jays perched on tree branches in East Manatee County.

Without fire, scrub lands are taken over by other plants and eventually turn into a different habitat. And scrub jays, which settle in one place for life, are understandably picky about choosing their forever home.

They pick the best possible spot, Prophet said.

Prophet said she has noticed improved efforts to apply prescribed burns at SWFWMD sites in the last few years. But she questioned whether the agency has enough staff and resources to keep up. The agency oversees 16,000 acres in Manatee County alone.

Its probably going to take years to get that land back under control, Prophet said. All of us that love the scrub jay would like to see this improve.

Prophet said she previously tried to organize volunteer groups to help manually clear overgrowth on state-owned land  another technique for maintaining healthy scrub jay habitat. But the state turned down the volunteer power because of liability issues.

They say no or they dont respond at all, said Vivienne Handy, president of Quest Ecology. The ecological consulting company helps Manatee County manage threatened species like the scrub jay at Duette Preserve and has also tried to offer SWFWMD volunteer assistance to manage its land.

Its very frustrating, Handy said. What happens next door affects the wildlife we are trying to protect.

SWFWMD: Scrub jay is not our charge

In response to concerns about scrub jay habitat, a spokesperson for the SWFWMD said that the agencys primary concern is protecting state water resources and natural systems.

Its important to note, the District does not manage wildlife species in Florida, SWFWMD spokesperson Susanna Martinez Tarokh said in an email. These natural systems include important habitat for Floridas numerous species, including the scrub-jay, but the District does not conduct single species management. However, when an imperiled or endangered species is present on District conservation lands, the District does conduct land management activities responsibly.

SWFWMD staff said the agency has applied prescribed fire to over 420 acres of the Manatee River Southfork Tract over the last 10 years.

SWFWMD staff said prescribed burns planned for summer 2023 and spring 2024 at the Southfork Tract were canceled due to drought conditions.

SWFWMD directed further questions about the management of the scrub jay to a different state agency, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

2-10-24--Florida scrub jay sightings are common at Duette Preserve, one of the few areas of the state where a growing population of the threatened species has been documented.

Better land management could help ensure scrub jays future

Michael Elswick, a division manager of Manatee Countys Natural Resources Department, said better land management in East Manatee County could further improve the health and numbers of the local scrub jay population  and every family of birds counts.

It is still possible to secure the long-term prospects of this population, Elswick said in an email. Additional family groups need to be formed on suitable habitat to allow this to happen.

As of July 2023, there were 24 scrub jay family groups on Duette Preserve and 50 to 60 family groups in the broader area.

Elswick said the county and its partners, including Mosaic and state agencies, are about halfway towards a goal of 100 breeding pairs of jays on high-quality habitat.

These efforts require a commitment to do maintenance of the habitats in perpetuity, Elswick said. This primarily involves the regular application of prescribed fire ... and the control of invasive plant and animal species that would otherwise disrupt and dominate these habitats.

The county prescribes fire to portions of Duette every year, rotating through different areas.

Elswick said more consistent burns and more aggressive invasive plant control could improve scrub habitat in other parts of Manatee County, but he noted the maintenance efforts are challenging and require adequate funding to implement.

Holmes encouraged SWFWMD to accept help managing its lands.

We all understand that water management districts were created maybe not with the intent of managing for listed species, Holmes said. But its arguably an egregious violation to knowingly have listed species on their property without at least allowing collaborators to assist with management, even if (SWFWMD) doesnt have the capacity to do it themselves.

Optimism for scrub jay in Manatee County

With each family of jays requiring upwards of 20 acres of habitat, Holmes said more conservation land buys through programs like Manatee Countys Environmental Lands Program could also help expand their territory.

What about the scrub jays future?

Im still optimistic, Holmes said. There have been a lot of historic declines. But Eastern Manatee County is a really hopeful area, which is why getting this management is so important.

Prophet said that its not just SWFWMD that needs to do better.

Why arent we all doing more for this species? she said. Lets not wait until they go on the soon-to-be-extinct list. We have a beautiful setup here, unlike many other places in the state where populations are declining and will probably wink out.

Prophet remains hopeful that jays will come back to the Southfork Tract. Shell be on the lookout for them during this years Jay Watch bird count, which happens in June and July.

I love these birds. Theyre the most charismatic birds Ive ever seen, and Ive been around birds my whole life, Prophet said.
Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on June 26, 2024. Luna recently introduced a resolution to fine Attorney General Merrick Garland for not turning over audio tapes of President Joe Bidens interview with then-Justice Department special counsel Robert K. Hur. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna plans to force a vote as early as next week to invoke the Houses rarely used power of inherent contempt to levy a daily fine against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in an attempt to obtain audio tapes from a Justice Department special counsels interview of President Joe Biden.

The strategy represents a change from an earlier effort by Luna to pursue a vote to have the House sergeant-at-arms detain Garland.

Luna introduced a resolution on June 28 that would levy a $10,000 daily fine on Garland until he complies with a subpoena to release the tapes of Justice Department special counsel Robert K. Hurs interview with Biden regarding his handling of classified documents.

The resolution would use the Houses inherent contempt power to levy the fine. That power  which has not been used in nearly a century  has generally been thought to allow Congress to detain and bring to trial someone accused of contempt, leaving questions about how a fine would work.

While pursuing a fine-based approach eliminates some of the logistical concerns and challenges related to arrest and imprisonment, other questions about how a fine would actually be enforced remain, Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, told States Newsroom.

Lunas office did not respond to States Newsrooms request for comment about the switch in resolutions.

Following the July 4 recess, the House is scheduled to be in session for just four days before breaking again for more than a week for the Republican National Convention.

House GOPs push to get audio

The latest maneuver from Luna is part of a broad attempt by the GOP to obtain the tapes of the Biden-Hur interview.

The effort has only intensified after Bidens poor performance during the first presidential debate.

Republicans have said Biden isnt fit to remain in the Oval Office for another four years. After the June 27 debate, even some Democrats raised concerns, with Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas calling Tuesday for the president to withdraw from his reelection campaign.

House Republicans in early June voted to hold Garland in contempt of Congress after he agreed with the president asserting executive privilege over the tapes, but the Department of Justice declined to pursue any contempt charges against Garland.

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee filed a civil lawsuit July 1 against Garland asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to overturn Bidens assertion of executive privilege.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said last month that Republicans are looking at all avenues to obtain the audio tapes.

If the House passes the resolution, its unclear how the fine would be implemented or if any legal challenges from the Justice Department would ensue. The department declined to comment on Lunas efforts.

Luna initially announced she would force a vote on her inherent contempt resolution June 28, but later wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that it would be brought up this upcoming session with Johnsons full support.

It is imperative that we do not let time lapse and that we obtain those tapes, Luna said during an interview with Fox News that day.

Combative freshman

Luna has clashed throughout her first House term with the Biden administration, co-sponsoring resolutions to impeach officials such as U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Garland.

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, shes grilled the presidents son Hunter Biden over his business ties and if those financial gains benefited the president  something House Republicans have not found any evidence of.

Luna, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, has also rebuffed establishment figures in her own party. She initially voted against former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during his bid for the gavel in January 2023.

With the support of former President Donald J. Trump, Lunas 2022 campaign flipped Floridas 13th Congressional District from Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist, who forewent his bid for reelection in an attempt to run against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Luna lost to Crist in 2020.

In June 2023, less than six months into her first term, the 35-year-old, who is the first Mexican American woman elected to Congress from Florida, went after Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California who was the lead House manager in the first impeachment trial against Trump.

Luna led the censure effort against Schiff for comments he made about Trumps ties to Russia. The House agreed to the censure resolution.

Hur investigation

In January 2023, Garland tapped Hur, who was a federal prosecutor during the Trump administration, to investigate Bidens handling of classified documents.

The Department of Justice has provided a written transcript of Hurs October 2023 interview with Biden to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, but House Republicans have pushed for the audio since Hur finished his report earlier this year.

Hur declined to prosecute Biden. He concluded in a 388-report released in February that Biden willfully retained classified information during his time as vice president, but depicted Biden as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory with whom jurors would likely sympathize.

Biden, 81, has vehemently rejected the characterization of his memory, but Republicans have sought to gain access to the audio tapes for a more detailed record of the interview.

Cumbersomeand inefficient process

Luna has argued the process of inherent contempt would likely be quicker than waiting on a lawsuit to obtain the tapes, which the House Judiciary Committee is also pursuing.

But House parliamentary experts wrote in a massive and detailed guide to the chamber this year that Congress has largely abandoned inherent contempt because it is a lengthy and burdensome process.

The 1,073-page document, written by two former House parliamentarians and the current parliamentarian, notes that the inherent contempt power has not been invoked by the House in recent years because of the time-consuming nature of the trial and because the jurisdiction of the House cannot extend beyond the end of a Congress.

The last time either chamber used inherent contempt was 1935, the guide said.

And the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said the procedure is typically a multi-step process that has been described by some observers as cumbersome, inefficient.

The post Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on June 26, 2024. Luna recently introduced a resolution to fine Attorney General Merrick Garland for not turning over audio tapes of President Joe Bidens interview with then-Justice Department special counsel Robert K. Hur. (Samuel Corum | Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna plans to force a vote as early as next week to invoke the Houses rarely used power of inherent contempt to levy a daily fine against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in an attempt to obtain audio tapes from a Justice Department special counsels interview of President Joe Biden.

The strategy represents a change from an earlier effort by Luna to pursue a vote to have the House sergeant-at-arms detain Garland.

Luna introduced a resolution on June 28 that would levy a $10,000 daily fine on Garland until he complies with a subpoena to release the tapes of Justice Department special counsel Robert K. Hurs interview with Biden regarding his handling of classified documents.

The resolution would use the Houses inherent contempt power to levy the fine. That power  which has not been used in nearly a century  has generally been thought to allow Congress to detain and bring to trial someone accused of contempt, leaving questions about how a fine would work.

While pursuing a fine-based approach eliminates some of the logistical concerns and challenges related to arrest and imprisonment, other questions about how a fine would actually be enforced remain, Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, told States Newsroom.

Lunas office did not respond to States Newsrooms request for comment about the switch in resolutions.

Following the July 4 recess, the House is scheduled to be in session for just four days before breaking again for more than a week for the Republican National Convention.

House GOPs push to get audio

The latest maneuver from Luna is part of a broad attempt by the GOP to obtain the tapes of the Biden-Hur interview.

The effort has only intensified after Bidens poor performance during the first presidential debate.

Republicans have said Biden isnt fit to remain in the Oval Office for another four years. After the June 27 debate, even some Democrats raised concerns, with Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas calling Tuesday for the president to withdraw from his reelection campaign.

House Republicans in early June voted to hold Garland in contempt of Congress after he agreed with the president asserting executive privilege over the tapes, but the Department of Justice declined to pursue any contempt charges against Garland.

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee filed a civil lawsuit July 1 against Garland asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to overturn Bidens assertion of executive privilege.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said last month that Republicans are looking at all avenues to obtain the audio tapes.

If the House passes the resolution, its unclear how the fine would be implemented or if any legal challenges from the Justice Department would ensue. The department declined to comment on Lunas efforts.

Luna initially announced she would force a vote on her inherent contempt resolution June 28, but later wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that it would be brought up this upcoming session with Johnsons full support.

It is imperative that we do not let time lapse and that we obtain those tapes, Luna said during an interview with Fox News that day.

Combative freshman

Luna has clashed throughout her first House term with the Biden administration, co-sponsoring resolutions to impeach officials such as U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Garland.

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, shes grilled the presidents son Hunter Biden over his business ties and if those financial gains benefited the president  something House Republicans have not found any evidence of.

Luna, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, has also rebuffed establishment figures in her own party. She initially voted against former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during his bid for the gavel in January 2023.

With the support of former President Donald J. Trump, Lunas 2022 campaign flipped Floridas 13th Congressional District from Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist, who forewent his bid for reelection in an attempt to run against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Luna lost to Crist in 2020.

In June 2023, less than six months into her first term, the 35-year-old, who is the first Mexican American woman elected to Congress from Florida, went after Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California who was the lead House manager in the first impeachment trial against Trump.

Luna led the censure effort against Schiff for comments he made about Trumps ties to Russia. The House agreed to the censure resolution.

Hur investigation

In January 2023, Garland tapped Hur, who was a federal prosecutor during the Trump administration, to investigate Bidens handling of classified documents.

The Department of Justice has provided a written transcript of Hurs October 2023 interview with Biden to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, but House Republicans have pushed for the audio since Hur finished his report earlier this year.

Hur declined to prosecute Biden. He concluded in a 388-report released in February that Biden willfully retained classified information during his time as vice president, but depicted Biden as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory with whom jurors would likely sympathize.

Biden, 81, has vehemently rejected the characterization of his memory, but Republicans have sought to gain access to the audio tapes for a more detailed record of the interview.

Cumbersomeand inefficient process

Luna has argued the process of inherent contempt would likely be quicker than waiting on a lawsuit to obtain the tapes, which the House Judiciary Committee is also pursuing.

But House parliamentary experts wrote in a massive and detailed guide to the chamber this year that Congress has largely abandoned inherent contempt because it is a lengthy and burdensome process.

The 1,073-page document, written by two former House parliamentarians and the current parliamentarian, notes that the inherent contempt power has not been invoked by the House in recent years because of the time-consuming nature of the trial and because the jurisdiction of the House cannot extend beyond the end of a Congress.

The last time either chamber used inherent contempt was 1935, the guide said.

And the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said the procedure is typically a multi-step process that has been described by some observers as cumbersome, inefficient.

The post Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on June 26, 2024. Luna recently introduced a resolution to fine Attorney General Merrick Garland for not turning over audio tapes of President Joe Bidens interview with then-Justice Department special counsel Robert K. Hur. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna plans to force a vote as early as next week to invoke the Houses rarely used power of inherent contempt to levy a daily fine against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in an attempt to obtain audio tapes from a Justice Department special counsels interview of President Joe Biden.

The strategy represents a change from an earlier effort by Luna to pursue a vote to have the House sergeant-at-arms detain Garland.

Luna introduced a resolution on June 28 that would levy a $10,000 daily fine on Garland until he complies with a subpoena to release the tapes of Justice Department special counsel Robert K. Hurs interview with Biden regarding his handling of classified documents.

The resolution would use the Houses inherent contempt power to levy the fine. That power  which has not been used in nearly a century  has generally been thought to allow Congress to detain and bring to trial someone accused of contempt, leaving questions about how a fine would work.

While pursuing a fine-based approach eliminates some of the logistical concerns and challenges related to arrest and imprisonment, other questions about how a fine would actually be enforced remain, Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, told States Newsroom.

Lunas office did not respond to States Newsrooms request for comment about the switch in resolutions.

Following the July 4 recess, the House is scheduled to be in session for just four days before breaking again for more than a week for the Republican National Convention.

House GOPs push to get audio

The latest maneuver from Luna is part of a broad attempt by the GOP to obtain the tapes of the Biden-Hur interview.

The effort has only intensified after Bidens poor performance during the first presidential debate.

Republicans have said Biden isnt fit to remain in the Oval Office for another four years. After the June 27 debate, even some Democrats raised concerns, with Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas calling Tuesday for the president to withdraw from his reelection campaign.

House Republicans in early June voted to hold Garland in contempt of Congress after he agreed with the president asserting executive privilege over the tapes, but the Department of Justice declined to pursue any contempt charges against Garland.

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee filed a civil lawsuit July 1 against Garland asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to overturn Bidens assertion of executive privilege.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said last month that Republicans are looking at all avenues to obtain the audio tapes.

If the House passes the resolution, its unclear how the fine would be implemented or if any legal challenges from the Justice Department would ensue. The department declined to comment on Lunas efforts.

Luna initially announced she would force a vote on her inherent contempt resolution June 28, but later wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that it would be brought up this upcoming session with Johnsons full support.

It is imperative that we do not let time lapse and that we obtain those tapes, Luna said during an interview with Fox News that day.

Combative freshman

Luna has clashed throughout her first House term with the Biden administration, co-sponsoring resolutions to impeach officials such as U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Garland.

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, shes grilled the presidents son Hunter Biden over his business ties and if those financial gains benefited the president  something House Republicans have not found any evidence of.

Luna, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, has also rebuffed establishment figures in her own party. She initially voted against former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during his bid for the gavel in January 2023.

With the support of former President Donald J. Trump, Lunas 2022 campaign flipped Floridas 13th Congressional District from Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist, who forewent his bid for reelection in an attempt to run against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Luna lost to Crist in 2020.

In June 2023, less than six months into her first term, the 35-year-old, who is the first Mexican American woman elected to Congress from Florida, went after Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California who was the lead House manager in the first impeachment trial against Trump.

Luna led the censure effort against Schiff for comments he made about Trumps ties to Russia. The House agreed to the censure resolution.

Hur investigation

In January 2023, Garland tapped Hur, who was a federal prosecutor during the Trump administration, to investigate Bidens handling of classified documents.

The Department of Justice has provided a written transcript of Hurs October 2023 interview with Biden to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, but House Republicans have pushed for the audio since Hur finished his report earlier this year.

Hur declined to prosecute Biden. He concluded in a 388-report released in February that Biden willfully retained classified information during his time as vice president, but depicted Biden as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory with whom jurors would likely sympathize.

Biden, 81, has vehemently rejected the characterization of his memory, but Republicans have sought to gain access to the audio tapes for a more detailed record of the interview.

Cumbersomeand inefficient process

Luna has argued the process of inherent contempt would likely be quicker than waiting on a lawsuit to obtain the tapes, which the House Judiciary Committee is also pursuing.

But House parliamentary experts wrote in a massive and detailed guide to the chamber this year that Congress has largely abandoned inherent contempt because it is a lengthy and burdensome process.

The 1,073-page document, written by two former House parliamentarians and the current parliamentarian, notes that the inherent contempt power has not been invoked by the House in recent years because of the time-consuming nature of the trial and because the jurisdiction of the House cannot extend beyond the end of a Congress.

The last time either chamber used inherent contempt was 1935, the guide said.

And the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said the procedure is typically a multi-step process that has been described by some observers as cumbersome, inefficient.

The post Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on June 26, 2024 in Washington, DC. Republicans in the House are attempting to hold Attorney General Derrick Garland in contempt of Congress after he advised that President Biden assert Executive Privilege over the audio and video records of his interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna plans to force a vote as early as next week to invoke the Houses rarely used power of inherent contempt to levy a daily fine against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in an attempt to obtain audio tapes from a Justice Department special counsels interview of President Joe Biden.

The strategy represents a change from an earlier effort by Luna to pursue a vote to have the House sergeant-at-arms detain Garland.

Luna introduced a resolution on June 28 that would levy a $10,000 daily fine on Garland until he complies with a subpoena to release the tapes of Justice Department special counsel Robert K. Hurs interview with Biden regarding his handling of classified documents.

The resolution would use the Houses inherent contempt power to levy the fine. That power  which has not been used in nearly a century  has generally been thought to allow Congress to detain and bring to trial someone accused of contempt, leaving questions about how a fine would work.

While pursuing a fine-based approach eliminates some of the logistical concerns and challenges related to arrest and imprisonment, other questions about how a fine would actually be enforced remain, Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, told States Newsroom.

Lunas office did not respond to States Newsrooms request for comment about the switch in resolutions.

Following the July 4 recess, the House is scheduled to be in session for just four days before breaking again for more than a week for the Republican National Convention.

House GOPs push to get audio

The latest maneuver from Luna is part of a broad attempt by the GOP to obtain the tapes of the Biden-Hur interview.

The effort has only intensified after Bidens poor performance during the first presidential debate.

Republicans have said Biden isnt fit to remain in the Oval Office for another four years. After the June 27 debate, even some Democrats raised concerns, with Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas calling Tuesday for the president to withdraw from his reelection campaign.

House Republicans in early June voted to hold Garland in contempt of Congress after he agreed with the president asserting executive privilege over the tapes, but the Department of Justice declined to pursue any contempt charges against Garland.

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee filed a civil lawsuit July 1 against Garland asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to overturn Bidens assertion of executive privilege.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said last month that Republicans are looking at all avenues to obtain the audio tapes.

If the House passes the resolution, its unclear how the fine would be implemented or if any legal challenges from the Justice Department would ensue. The department declined to comment on Lunas efforts.

Luna initially announced she would force a vote on her inherent contempt resolution June 28, but later wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that it would be brought up this upcoming session with Johnsons full support.

It is imperative that we do not let time lapse and that we obtain those tapes, Luna said during an interview with Fox News that day.

Combative freshman

Luna has clashed throughout her first House term with the Biden administration, co-sponsoring resolutions to impeach officials such as U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Garland.

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, shes grilled the presidents son Hunter Biden over his business ties and if those financial gains benefited the president  something House Republicans have not found any evidence of.

Luna, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, has also rebuffed establishment figures in her own party. She initially voted against former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during his bid for the gavel in January 2023.

With the support of former President Donald J. Trump, Lunas 2022 campaign flipped Floridas 13th Congressional District from Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist, who forewent his bid for reelection in an attempt to run against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Luna lost to Crist in 2020.

In June 2023, less than six months into her first term, the 35-year-old, who is the first Mexican American woman elected to Congress from Florida, went after Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California who was the lead House manager in the first impeachment trial against Trump.

Luna led the censure effort against Schiff for comments he made about Trumps ties to Russia. The House agreed to the censure resolution.

Hur investigation

In January 2023, Garland tapped Hur, who was a federal prosecutor during the Trump administration, to investigate Bidens handling of classified documents.

The Department of Justice has provided a written transcript of Hurs October 2023 interview with Biden to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, but House Republicans have pushed for the audio since Hur finished his report earlier this year.

Hur declined to prosecute Biden. He concluded in a 388-report released in February that Biden willfully retained classified information during his time as vice president, but depicted Biden as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory with whom jurors would likely sympathize.

Biden, 81, has vehemently rejected the characterization of his memory, but Republicans have sought to gain access to the audio tapes for a more detailed record of the interview.

Cumbersomeand inefficient process

Luna has argued the process of inherent contempt would likely be quicker than waiting on a lawsuit to obtain the tapes, which the House Judiciary Committee is also pursuing.

But House parliamentary experts wrote in a massive and detailed guide to the chamber this year that Congress has largely abandoned inherent contempt because it is a lengthy and burdensome process.

The 1,073-page document, written by two former House parliamentarians and the current parliamentarian, notes that the inherent contempt power has not been invoked by the House in recent years because of the time-consuming nature of the trial and because the jurisdiction of the House cannot extend beyond the end of a Congress.

The last time either chamber used inherent contempt was 1935, the guide said.

And the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said the procedure is typically a multi-step process that has been described by some observers as cumbersome, inefficient.

The post Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on June 26, 2024 in Washington, DC. Republicans in the House are attempting to hold Attorney General Derrick Garland in contempt of Congress after he advised that President Biden assert Executive Privilege over the audio and video records of his interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna plans to force a vote as early as next week to invoke the Houses rarely used power of inherent contempt to levy a daily fine against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in an attempt to obtain audio recordings from a Justice Department special counsels interview of President Joe Biden.

The strategy represents a change from an earlier effort by Luna to pursue a vote to have the House sergeant-at-arms detain Garland.

Luna introduced a resolution on June 28 that would levy a $10,000 daily fine on Garland until he complies with a subpoena to release the recordings of Justice Department special counsel Robert K. Hurs interview with Biden regarding his handling of classified documents.

The resolution would use the Houses inherent contempt power to levy the fine. That power  which has not been used in nearly a century  has generally been thought to allow Congress to detain and bring to trial someone accused of contempt, leaving questions about how a fine would work.

While pursuing a fine-based approach eliminates some of the logistical concerns and challenges related to arrest and imprisonment, other questions about how a fine would actually be enforced remain, Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, told States Newsroom.

Lunas office did not respond to States Newsrooms request for comment about the switch in resolutions.

Following the July 4 recess, the House is scheduled to be in session for just four days before breaking again for more than a week for the Republican National Convention.

House GOPs push to get audio

The latest maneuver from Luna is part of a broad attempt by the GOP to obtain the recordings of the Biden-Hur interview.

The effort has only intensified after Bidens poor performance during the first presidential debate.

Republicans have said Biden isnt fit to remain in the Oval Office for another four years. After the June 27 debate, even some Democrats raised concerns, with Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas calling Tuesday for the president to withdraw from his reelection campaign.

House Republicans in early June voted to hold Garland in contempt of Congress after he agreed with the president asserting executive privilege over the recordings, but the Department of Justice declined to pursue any contempt charges against Garland.

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee filed a civil lawsuit July 1 against Garland asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to overturn Bidens assertion of executive privilege.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said last month that Republicans are looking at all avenues to obtain the audio recordings.

If the House passes the resolution, its unclear how the fine would be implemented or if any legal challenges from the Justice Department would ensue. The department declined to comment on Lunas efforts.

Luna initially announced she would force a vote on her inherent contempt resolution June 28, but later wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that it would be brought up this upcoming session with Johnsons full support.

It is imperative that we do not let time lapse and that we obtain those tapes, Luna said during an interview with Fox News that day.

Combative freshman

Luna has clashed throughout her first House term with the Biden administration, co-sponsoring resolutions to impeach officials such as U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Garland.

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, shes grilled the presidents son Hunter Biden over his business ties and if those financial gains benefited the president  something House Republicans have not found any evidence of.

Luna, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, has also rebuffed establishment figures in her own party. She initially voted against former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during his bid for the gavel in January 2023.

With the support of former President Donald J. Trump, Lunas 2022 campaign flipped Floridas 13th Congressional District from Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist, who forewent his bid for reelection in an attempt to run against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Luna lost to Crist in 2020.

In June 2023, less than six months into her first term, the 35-year-old, who is the first Mexican American woman elected to Congress from Florida, went after Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California who was the lead House manager in the first impeachment trial against Trump.

Luna led the censure effort against Schiff for comments he made about Trumps ties to Russia. The House agreed to the censure resolution.

Hur investigation

In January 2023, Garland tapped Hur, who was a federal prosecutor during the Trump administration, to investigate Bidens handling of classified documents.

The Department of Justice has provided a written transcript of Hurs October 2023 interview with Biden to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, but House Republicans have pushed for the audio since Hur finished his report earlier this year.

Hur declined to prosecute Biden. He concluded in a 388-report released in February that Biden willfully retained classified information during his time as vice president, but depicted Biden as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory with whom jurors would likely sympathize.

Biden, 81, has vehemently rejected the characterization of his memory, but Republicans have sought to gain access to the audio tapes for a more detailed record of the interview.

Cumbersome and inefficient process

Luna has argued the process of inherent contempt would likely be quicker than waiting on a lawsuit to obtain the recordings, which the House Judiciary Committee is also pursuing.

But House parliamentary experts wrote in a massive and detailed guide to the chamber this year that Congress has largely abandoned inherent contempt because it is a lengthy and burdensome process.

The 1,073-page document, written by two former House parliamentarians and the current parliamentarian, notes that the inherent contempt power has not been invoked by the House in recent years because of the time-consuming nature of the trial and because the jurisdiction of the House cannot extend beyond the end of a Congress.

The last time either chamber used inherent contempt was 1935, the guide said.

And the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said the procedure is typically a multi-step process that has been described by some observers as cumbersome, inefficient.

The post Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on June 26, 2024. Luna recently introduced a resolution to fine Attorney General Merrick Garland for not turning over audio tapes of President Joe Bidens interview with then-Justice Department special counsel Robert K. Hur. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna plans to force a vote as early as next week to invoke the Houses rarely used power of inherent contempt to levy a daily fine against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in an attempt to obtain audio tapes from a Justice Department special counsels interview of President Joe Biden.

The strategy represents a change from an earlier effort by Luna to pursue a vote to have the House sergeant-at-arms detain Garland.

Luna introduced a resolution on June 28 that would levy a $10,000 daily fine on Garland until he complies with a subpoena to release the tapes of Justice Department special counsel Robert K. Hurs interview with Biden regarding his handling of classified documents.

The resolution would use the Houses inherent contempt power to levy the fine. That power  which has not been used in nearly a century  has generally been thought to allow Congress to detain and bring to trial someone accused of contempt, leaving questions about how a fine would work.

While pursuing a fine-based approach eliminates some of the logistical concerns and challenges related to arrest and imprisonment, other questions about how a fine would actually be enforced remain, Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, told States Newsroom.

Lunas office did not respond to States Newsrooms request for comment about the switch in resolutions.

Following the July 4 recess, the House is scheduled to be in session for just four days before breaking again for more than a week for the Republican National Convention.

House GOPs push to get audio

The latest maneuver from Luna is part of a broad attempt by the GOP to obtain the tapes of the Biden-Hur interview.

The effort has only intensified after Bidens poor performance during the first presidential debate.

Republicans have said Biden isnt fit to remain in the Oval Office for another four years. After the June 27 debate, even some Democrats raised concerns, with Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas calling Tuesday for the president to withdraw from his reelection campaign.

House Republicans in early June voted to hold Garland in contempt of Congress after he agreed with the president asserting executive privilege over the tapes, but the Department of Justice declined to pursue any contempt charges against Garland.

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee filed a civil lawsuit July 1 against Garland asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to overturn Bidens assertion of executive privilege.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said last month that Republicans are looking at all avenues to obtain the audio tapes.

If the House passes the resolution, its unclear how the fine would be implemented or if any legal challenges from the Justice Department would ensue. The department declined to comment on Lunas efforts.

Luna initially announced she would force a vote on her inherent contempt resolution June 28, but later wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that it would be brought up this upcoming session with Johnsons full support.

It is imperative that we do not let time lapse and that we obtain those tapes, Luna said during an interview with Fox News that day.

Combative freshman

Luna has clashed throughout her first House term with the Biden administration, co-sponsoring resolutions to impeach officials such as U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Garland.

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, shes grilled the presidents son Hunter Biden over his business ties and if those financial gains benefited the president  something House Republicans have not found any evidence of.

Luna, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, has also rebuffed establishment figures in her own party. She initially voted against former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during his bid for the gavel in January 2023.

With the support of former President Donald J. Trump, Lunas 2022 campaign flipped Floridas 13th Congressional District from Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist, who forewent his bid for reelection in an attempt to run against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Luna lost to Crist in 2020.

In June 2023, less than six months into her first term, the 35-year-old, who is the first Mexican American woman elected to Congress from Florida, went after Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California who was the lead House manager in the first impeachment trial against Trump.

Luna led the censure effort against Schiff for comments he made about Trumps ties to Russia. The House agreed to the censure resolution.

Hur investigation

In January 2023, Garland tapped Hur, who was a federal prosecutor during the Trump administration, to investigate Bidens handling of classified documents.

The Department of Justice has provided a written transcript of Hurs October 2023 interview with Biden to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, but House Republicans have pushed for the audio since Hur finished his report earlier this year.

Hur declined to prosecute Biden. He concluded in a 388-report released in February that Biden willfully retained classified information during his time as vice president, but depicted Biden as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory with whom jurors would likely sympathize.

Biden, 81, has vehemently rejected the characterization of his memory, but Republicans have sought to gain access to the audio tapes for a more detailed record of the interview.

Cumbersome and inefficient process

Luna has argued the process of inherent contempt would likely be quicker than waiting on a lawsuit to obtain the tapes, which the House Judiciary Committee is also pursuing.

But House parliamentary experts wrote in a massive and detailed guide to the chamber this year that Congress has largely abandoned inherent contempt because it is a lengthy and burdensome process.

The 1,073-page document, written by two former House parliamentarians and the current parliamentarian, notes that the inherent contempt power has not been invoked by the House in recent years because of the time-consuming nature of the trial and because the jurisdiction of the House cannot extend beyond the end of a Congress.

The last time either chamber used inherent contempt was 1935, the guide said.

And the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said the procedure is typically a multi-step process that has been described by some observers as cumbersome, inefficient.

The post Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general appeared first on Kentucky Lantern.
Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on June 26, 2024. Luna recently introduced a resolution to fine Attorney General Merrick Garland for not turning over audio tapes of President Joe Bidens interview with then-Justice Department special counsel Robert K. Hur. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna plans to force a vote as early as next week to invoke the Houses rarely used power of inherent contempt to levy a daily fine against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in an attempt to obtain audio tapes from a Justice Department special counsels interview of President Joe Biden.

The strategy represents a change from an earlier effort by Luna to pursue a vote to have the House sergeant-at-arms detain Garland.

Luna introduced a resolution on June 28 that would levy a $10,000 daily fine on Garland until he complies with a subpoena to release the tapes of Justice Department special counsel Robert K. Hurs interview with Biden regarding his handling of classified documents.

The resolution would use the Houses inherent contempt power to levy the fine. That power  which has not been used in nearly a century  has generally been thought to allow Congress to detain and bring to trial someone accused of contempt, leaving questions about how a fine would work.

While pursuing a fine-based approach eliminates some of the logistical concerns and challenges related to arrest and imprisonment, other questions about how a fine would actually be enforced remain, Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, told States Newsroom.

Lunas office did not respond to States Newsrooms request for comment about the switch in resolutions.

Following the July 4 recess, the House is scheduled to be in session for just four days before breaking again for more than a week for the Republican National Convention.

House GOPs push to get audio

The latest maneuver from Luna is part of a broad attempt by the GOP to obtain the tapes of the Biden-Hur interview.

The effort has only intensified after Bidens poor performance during the first presidential debate.

Republicans have said Biden isnt fit to remain in the Oval Office for another four years. After the June 27 debate, even some Democrats raised concerns, with Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas calling Tuesday for the president to withdraw from his reelection campaign.

House Republicans in early June voted to hold Garland in contempt of Congress after he agreed with the president asserting executive privilege over the tapes, but the Department of Justice declined to pursue any contempt charges against Garland.

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee filed a civil lawsuit July 1 against Garland asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to overturn Bidens assertion of executive privilege.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said last month that Republicans are looking at all avenues to obtain the audio tapes.

If the House passes the resolution, its unclear how the fine would be implemented or if any legal challenges from the Justice Department would ensue. The department declined to comment on Lunas efforts.

Luna initially announced she would force a vote on her inherent contempt resolution June 28, but later wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that it would be brought up this upcoming session with Johnsons full support.

It is imperative that we do not let time lapse and that we obtain those tapes, Luna said during an interview with Fox News that day.

Combative freshman

Luna has clashed throughout her first House term with the Biden administration, co-sponsoring resolutions to impeach officials such as U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Garland.

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, shes grilled the presidents son Hunter Biden over his business ties and if those financial gains benefited the president  something House Republicans have not found any evidence of.

Luna, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, has also rebuffed establishment figures in her own party. She initially voted against former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during his bid for the gavel in January 2023.

With the support of former President Donald J. Trump, Lunas 2022 campaign flipped Floridas 13th Congressional District from Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist, who forewent his bid for reelection in an attempt to run against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Luna lost to Crist in 2020.

In June 2023, less than six months into her first term, the 35-year-old, who is the first Mexican American woman elected to Congress from Florida, went after Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California who was the lead House manager in the first impeachment trial against Trump.

Luna led the censure effort against Schiff for comments he made about Trumps ties to Russia. The House agreed to the censure resolution.

Hur investigation

In January 2023, Garland tapped Hur, who was a federal prosecutor during the Trump administration, to investigate Bidens handling of classified documents.

The Department of Justice has provided a written transcript of Hurs October 2023 interview with Biden to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, but House Republicans have pushed for the audio since Hur finished his report earlier this year.

Hur declined to prosecute Biden. He concluded in a 388-report released in February that Biden willfully retained classified information during his time as vice president, but depicted Biden as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory with whom jurors would likely sympathize.

Biden, 81, has vehemently rejected the characterization of his memory, but Republicans have sought to gain access to the audio tapes for a more detailed record of the interview.

Cumbersomeand inefficient process

Luna has argued the process of inherent contempt would likely be quicker than waiting on a lawsuit to obtain the tapes, which the House Judiciary Committee is also pursuing.

But House parliamentary experts wrote in a massive and detailed guide to the chamber this year that Congress has largely abandoned inherent contempt because it is a lengthy and burdensome process.

The 1,073-page document, written by two former House parliamentarians and the current parliamentarian, notes that the inherent contempt power has not been invoked by the House in recent years because of the time-consuming nature of the trial and because the jurisdiction of the House cannot extend beyond the end of a Congress.

The last time either chamber used inherent contempt was 1935, the guide said.

And the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said the procedure is typically a multi-step process that has been described by some observers as cumbersome, inefficient.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on June 26, 2024. Luna recently introduced a resolution to fine Attorney General Merrick Garland for not turning over audio tapes of President Joe Bidens interview with then-Justice Department special counsel Robert K. Hur. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna plans to force a vote as early as next week to invoke the Houses rarely used power of inherent contempt to levy a daily fine against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in an attempt to obtain audio tapes from a Justice Department special counsels interview of President Joe Biden.

The strategy represents a change from an earlier effort by Luna to pursue a vote to have the House sergeant-at-arms detain Garland.

Luna introduced a resolution on June 28 that would levy a $10,000 daily fine on Garland until he complies with a subpoena to release the tapes of Justice Department special counsel Robert K. Hurs interview with Biden regarding his handling of classified documents.

The resolution would use the Houses inherent contempt power to levy the fine. That power  which has not been used in nearly a century  has generally been thought to allow Congress to detain and bring to trial someone accused of contempt, leaving questions about how a fine would work.

While pursuing a fine-based approach eliminates some of the logistical concerns and challenges related to arrest and imprisonment, other questions about how a fine would actually be enforced remain, Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, told States Newsroom.

Lunas office did not respond to States Newsrooms request for comment about the switch in resolutions.

Following the July 4 recess, the House is scheduled to be in session for just four days before breaking again for more than a week for the Republican National Convention.

House GOPs push to get audio

The latest maneuver from Luna is part of a broad attempt by the GOP to obtain the tapes of the Biden-Hur interview.

The effort has only intensified after Bidens poor performance during the first presidential debate.

Republicans have said Biden isnt fit to remain in the Oval Office for another four years. After the June 27 debate, even some Democrats raised concerns, with Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas calling Tuesday for the president to withdraw from his reelection campaign.

House Republicans in early June voted to hold Garland in contempt of Congress after he agreed with the president asserting executive privilege over the tapes, but the Department of Justice declined to pursue any contempt charges against Garland.

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee filed a civil lawsuit July 1 against Garland asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to overturn Bidens assertion of executive privilege.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said last month that Republicans are looking at all avenues to obtain the audio tapes.

If the House passes the resolution, its unclear how the fine would be implemented or if any legal challenges from the Justice Department would ensue. The department declined to comment on Lunas efforts.

Luna initially announced she would force a vote on her inherent contempt resolution June 28, but later wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that it would be brought up this upcoming session with Johnsons full support.

It is imperative that we do not let time lapse and that we obtain those tapes, Luna said during an interview with Fox News that day.

Combative freshman

Luna has clashed throughout her first House term with the Biden administration, co-sponsoring resolutions to impeach officials such as U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Garland.

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, shes grilled the presidents son Hunter Biden over his business ties and if those financial gains benefited the president  something House Republicans have not found any evidence of.

Luna, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, has also rebuffed establishment figures in her own party. She initially voted against former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during his bid for the gavel in January 2023.

With the support of former President Donald J. Trump, Lunas 2022 campaign flipped Floridas 13th Congressional District from Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist, who forewent his bid for reelection in an attempt to run against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Luna lost to Crist in 2020.

In June 2023, less than six months into her first term, the 35-year-old, who is the first Mexican American woman elected to Congress from Florida, went after Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California who was the lead House manager in the first impeachment trial against Trump.

Luna led the censure effort against Schiff for comments he made about Trumps ties to Russia. The House agreed to the censure resolution.

Hur investigation

In January 2023, Garland tapped Hur, who was a federal prosecutor during the Trump administration, to investigate Bidens handling of classified documents.

The Department of Justice has provided a written transcript of Hurs October 2023 interview with Biden to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, but House Republicans have pushed for the audio since Hur finished his report earlier this year.

Hur declined to prosecute Biden. He concluded in a 388-report released in February that Biden willfully retained classified information during his time as vice president, but depicted Biden as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory with whom jurors would likely sympathize.

Biden, 81, has vehemently rejected the characterization of his memory, but Republicans have sought to gain access to the audio tapes for a more detailed record of the interview.

Cumbersomeand inefficient process

Luna has argued the process of inherent contempt would likely be quicker than waiting on a lawsuit to obtain the tapes, which the House Judiciary Committee is also pursuing.

But House parliamentary experts wrote in a massive and detailed guide to the chamber this year that Congress has largely abandoned inherent contempt because it is a lengthy and burdensome process.

The 1,073-page document, written by two former House parliamentarians and the current parliamentarian, notes that the inherent contempt power has not been invoked by the House in recent years because of the time-consuming nature of the trial and because the jurisdiction of the House cannot extend beyond the end of a Congress.

The last time either chamber used inherent contempt was 1935, the guide said.

And the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said the procedure is typically a multi-step process that has been described by some observers as cumbersome, inefficient.

The post Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general appeared first on Maine Morning Star.
Florida woman who operated in WNY convicted by jury of wire fraud

Correction: It was originally incorrectly reported that the woman faced 18 counts.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  A Florida woman was convicted by a federal jury of four counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the U.S. Attorneys Office announced Wednesday.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

Officials said between March 2016 and May 2017, 44-year-old Angela Burdorf, of Florida, conspired with others to operate various illegitimate debt collection businesses in Kenmore, Buffalo, Lackawanna and the Town of Niagara.

The businesses used fraudulent means to collect on debts, recollect on debts already collected, over-collect on debts actually owed, and to process and transfer payments related to the collection of debts, the attorneys office said.

Both Burdorfs businesses and businesses she associated with allegedly used false and threatening statements during collection phone calls in an attempt to receive debt payments. Officials said the statements included referencing criminal statutes and threatening to file criminal complaints and/or arrest warrants.

The debtors were also routed to employees who allegedly posed as attorneys during the calls to try to intimidate debtors and collect their payments.

Burdorfs sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 26.

Latest Local News

Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view 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 News 4 Buffalo.
Former CBS anchor Jeff Vaughn is suing the network and its parent company Paramount Global for discrimination, alleging that his ex-employers implemented policies to increase diversity that favored the hiring of individuals of certain groups and firing or refusing to hire older, white, heterosexual males.

CBS decided that there were too many white males at CBS, and it acted

accordingly. It needed to solve its white problem by firing successful white males, the Monday filing, which was obtained by TheWrap, states.

Vaughns lawyers allege he was excluded and ostracized in numerous ways, including being left out of CBS News coverage of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the November 2021 Chips for Kids charity event and the Rams Super Bowl Victory Parade in February 2022.

He also claims CBS News had illegal quotas for race and sex in the hiring of employees.

A few days prior to his exit, the lawsuit argues that CBS manager Joel Vilmenay asked to extend Vaughns contract through the holidays of 2022 and that they couldnt find the right person to fill his position.

Mr. Vaughn agreed in hopes that, ultimately, Vilmenay would reconsider

and decide to keep him on the team. Mr. Vaughn wanted to keep his job. But Vilmenay made himself completely unavailable to meet with Mr. Vaughn, the suit adds. He would not talk with him on the phone, let alone meet with him in person. Vilmenay intentionally avoided contact with Mr. Vaughn in the office.

It goes on to say that CBS held auditions for Vaughns positions in July 2023 and that the contenders who were brought in were younger, racial minorities.

Despite Mr. Vaughns attempts to negotiate, and despite his high ratings, CBS removed him when they finally found the right person  To make matters worse and to further humiliate Mr. Vaughn, Vilmenay asked him to publicly announce that he was saying goodbye and that it was his own decision to leave, the suit continues. He was never given a reason for his firing. But it was obvious. He was too old, and not a member of the right race, sex or sexual orientation category for CBS retention policy.

The lawsuit follows a similar complaint from SEAL Team writer Brian Beneker filed in March, which CBS has moved to dismiss.

Vaughn is represented by America First Legal Foundation, a conservative group founded by former Trump adviser Stephen Miller. Representatives for Paramount Global did not immediately return TheWraps request for comment.

The Hollywood Reporter was first to report this news.

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

The post Former CBS Anchor Sues Network for Discrimination Over Supposed Race, Sex Quotas appeared first on TheWrap.
The Lexington church at the center of a former pastor sex crime investigation was previously involved in another scandal roughly 10 years ago, according to previous reporting from the Herald-Leader.

In September 2014, Quest Community Church, which is today known as LexCity Church, announced the public ministry of its lead pastor had been discontinued after Pete Hise admitted to an inappropriate relationship with a female pastor on the staff.

Hise told the church staff that the relationship led to the crossing of physical boundaries while stopping short of sexual intercourse, according to a statement on the churchs website at the time.

Hise started Quest in 1997 and was best known for sponsoring the annual Questapalooza Christian music festival. His public ministry was discontinued and responsibilities for leading and teaching were assigned to other staff members, the statement said.

Former LexCity Church pastor arrested for allegedly having sex with a minor

Now LexCity Church, formerly Quest, is facing another scandal after former pastor Zachary King was arrested for allegedly having sex with a minor between January 2023 and April 2024. King, 47, is facing charges of first-degree rape, third-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, third-degree sodomy, first-degree sexual abuse and procuring or promoting the use of a minor by electronic means, according to court records.

Attorney General Russell Colemans office confirmed King was a former executive pastor of LexCity Church, which is located off West Reynolds Road. Kings arrest citation says he resigned after being confronted by church staff in reference to allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

King has more than 17 years of experience as a pastor in large church environments, according to his LinkedIn page. He previously worked as a youth pastor for Westside Church, SBC, a central team leader and youth pastor for lifechurch.tv, a campus pastor for the MET Church in Houston, Texas and an executive pastor for Community of Faith Church in Cypress, Texas.

Reaction to Lexington preachers arrest

News of Kings arrest generated a lot of reactions on social media. The Way Home, a nonprofit organization that helps churches recover from spiritual abuse, released a statement about Kings arrest, saying theyre saddened and outraged by the news.

This is a devastating and grievous abuse of power, position, and authorityand in this case, a criminal act, as well, The Way Home said in a statement on Facebook. Clergy sexual abuse, especially of a minor, is deeply wounding for victims, churches, and the community at large.

The Way Home offers a support group for victims of spiritual abuse Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. The organization also offers free resources online and prayer support.

We know that the path ahead is a difficult one. Processing and healing will take time, The Way Home said in the statement.

King is is being held at the Fayette County Detention Center on a $250,000 bond, according to jail records. He will appear in Fayette District Court Friday for a preliminary hearing, according to court records.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  A former school nurse at Northeast High School, who had already pleaded guilty to federal charges, was booked for 99 state charges related to child pornography.

News 2s partner Clarksville Now reported that Leon B. Hensley, 43, was extradited from federal prison to face these charges. He was booked in the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office on June 7.

APRIL 2023: Former Clarksville school nurse sentenced to prison on child porn charges

Those 99 charges include:

37 counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor

9 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor

1 count of sexual exploitation of a minor > 50 images

12 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor > 100 images

1 count of solicitation of a minor  especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor

3 counts of unlawful photographing in violation of privacy

36 counts of unlawful aggravated photographing

Hensley had already been sentenced to more than twenty years in federal prison. A June 2022 indictment initially charged Hensley with 25 counts of attempting to produce child pornography and coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct. He pleaded guilty to all charges in September 2022.

Hensleys history dates all the way back to May 2021, though, when officials began investigating allegations that he had been communicating with a girl in the Clarksville area. The DOJ stated that Hensley sent a nude photo of an adult woman to the girl and asked her to pose for photos.

A search of Henleys phone resulted in the discovery of nude images of minors, later identified as students that attended Northeast High School. A search of his home yielded electronic devices, including a small convert camera, at Hensleys home. The devices reportedly had images of unidentified women in hospital rooms, airports, and tanning beds, plus video files that appeared to have upskirt videos of adult women and children.

| READ MORE | Latest headlines from Clarksville and Montgomery County

Hensley will be prosecuted by the state for the same crimes that he pleaded guilty to in federal court, according to his indictments. His arraignment is set 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 WKRN News 2.
Former Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman Daniel Muir and his wife have been arrested after their teen son was found safe. Bryson Muir had been the subject of a missing persons investigation.

Daniel Muir faces preliminary charges of domestic battery (Class A misdemeanor) and obstruction of justice (Level 6 felony) while his mother, Kristen Muir, faces a preliminary charge of obstruction of justice (Level 6 felony), ISP said.

Arrest warrants had been issued for both parents. Police took them to the Cass County Jail.

This morning at approximately 6:00 a.m., members of the Indiana State Police SWAT team executed search and arrest warrants, both issued by the Cass County Circuit Court, on Daniel and Kristin Muirs residence, located at 1740 W. US Highway 24, Logansport, IN. The operation led to the discovery of Daniel, Kristin, and Bryson Muir at the home. Bryson was the subject of a Silver Alert which was issued on June 28, 2024. Daniel and Kristen Muir were taken into custody without incident and remanded to the Cass County Jail. Bryson Muir, who appeared safe and well, was released to the care and custody of the Cass County Department of Child Services. Arrested and Charges: *Daniel T. Muir, 40, Logansport, IN (1) Count of Obstruction of Justice, Level 6 Felony (1) Count of Domestic Battery, Class A Misdemeanor Arrested and Charges: *Kristin Muir, 38, Logansport, IN (1) Count of Obstruction of Justice, Level 6 Felony

Story originally appeared on Touchdown Wire
Jenni White, a former Oklahoma County Election Board member, speaks during a news conference where she announced she filed a lawsuit against the Oklahoma State Election Board.

A former Oklahoma County Election Board member has filed a federal lawsuit against the Oklahoma State Election Board, alleging the state agency violated her First Amendment right to freedom of speech and that she was wrongfully terminated from the board.

In the complaint, Jenni White, of Oklahoma City, alleged she was removed because she uploaded to her website a formal complaint directed to state Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax about improprieties and potential illegalities involving the canvassing and counting of absentee ballots. She also discussed the issues on a public podcast, the complaint said. When she found out some of her information was incorrect, she said she made the corrections immediately.

The suit was filed June 19 and names Ziriax and state Election Board members Heather Cline, Tim Mauldin and Mignon Lambley as defendants. The state board has not yet filed a response and directed comment to the attorney general's office, which did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Election procedures were not compliant with Oklahoma law, complaint says

In 2023, Cheryl Williams was appointed as a Republican member to the Oklahoma County Election Board, and White was appointed as her alternative.

Over a few meetings and during the Sept. 12 and Oct. 10 special elections, White said election procedures did not appear to comport to Oklahoma election law and the administrative code because board members only viewed ballot counts through closed-circuit TV monitor and were not able to see the entire room, the movement of the ballots and the camera did not clearly show the count on the machines, according to the complaint. She said that conflicted with the training she received.

White said she shared that information in a meeting with the Oklahoma County Republican Party and several state representatives. On or about Jan. 7, 2024, she published a formal complaint to Ziriax regarding what she saw on her website.

More: New Oklahoma County election officials appointed following predecessors rare removal

Ziriax wrote back to White and Williams in a Jan. 10 letter saying he reviewed their similarly-worded complaints. He said the use of closed-circuit TV was approved by the Oklahoma County district attorneys office, and if they had questions, they should contact the assistant district attorney assigned as the legal counsel to the county election board. He also mentioned a Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) report that found no violations with the video system.

Ziriax said both of their complaints used the words illegal and fraudulent to describe the alleged procedural issues. He wrote,  there is no evidence provided that illegality or fraud has occurred in the matters raised in your complaints.  Additionally, even if the claims made in your complaints were entirely true, there is nothing that casts doubt upon the accuracy or validity of the elections in question.

However, White again raised the issues on a podcast on Jan 24.

She and Williams were dismissed at a board meeting on Jan. 31.

According to meeting minutes White was "removed due to a failure to faithfully perform her duties prescribed by law, purposefully or recklessly disseminating false information about Oklahomas election system and procedures, failure to immediately remove false information from the public domain, lack of respectfulness and professionalism in written communication with County Election Board staff, failure to bring forward alleged concerns in a timely manner and for behavior unbecoming of an Oklahoma election official."

The board also referred the matter to the attorney general's office and the Oklahoma County district Attorneys office for review and possible investigation, according to meeting minutes. White said no action had been taken.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma election board sued for alleged First Amendment violation
Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson leaves Newry Magistrates' Court, after a preliminary enquiry, where he is charged with several historical sexual offences, in Newry, Northern Ireland, Wednesday July 3, 2024. A judge on Wednesday ordered Donaldson to stand trial on charges of rape and sexual offenses. Ex-Democratic Unionist Party leader Donaldson, 61, faces one charge of rape, four counts of gross indecency and 13 indecent assault charges dating between 1985 and 2008. The charges involve two alleged victims. His wife Eleanor Donaldson, 58, is charged with aiding and abetting the alleged crimes. (Niall Carson/PA via AP)

LONDON (AP)  A judge on Wednesday ordered the former leader of Northern Irelands biggest unionist party to stand trial on charges of rape and sexual offenses.

Ex-Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson, 61, faces one charge of rape, four counts of gross indecency and 13 indecent assault charges dating between 1985 and 2008. The charges involve two alleged victims.

His wife Eleanor Donaldson, 58, is charged with aiding and abetting the alleged crimes.

The two did not enter pleas during a brief committal hearing at Newry Magistrates Court. Asked if he wanted to say anything in answer to the charges, Donaldson responded: Not at this stage.

The pair were released on bail until a pre-trial hearing on Sept. 10.

Donaldson resigned as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party after he was arrested on March 28. In a letter to party leaders, Donaldson said he would be strenuously contesting the charges.

He also quit as a lawmaker in the U.K. Parliament before Thursdays national election.

His resignation shocked the DUP just months after the party agreed to return to Northern Irelands on-again, off-again power-sharing government after he won concessions on Britains post-Brexit trading arrangements with the European Union.

As leader of the DUP between 2021 and 2023, he was the most powerful figure in Northern Irelands unionist movement, which seeks to maintain the regions historic ties to the United Kingdom.
A former Northwest mixed martial arts competitor is accused of abusing his wife and raping a girl.

Jason Tyrone Lambert, 39, is under investigation for a pattern of assaulting his wife over the course of years that culminated in a June 22 attack, reportedly because she helped a stepdaughter open a bank account and his name wasnt on the account.

The accusations are in addition to claims that the Benton City man sexually abused a child for years.

Both victims told investigators they waited years to report what was happening for fear he would hurt them or himself, said court documents filed in Benton County Superior Court.

They recently came forward within days of each other to report the abuse, according to the documents.

Lambert appeared briefly in court Monday after his Friday arrest on suspicion of second-degree assault, first- and second-degree child rape and harassment.

Benton County Superior Court Commissioner Megan Whitmire set his bail at $250,000.

Lamberts five-year professional MMA career is documented on MMA news site Sherdog.com. He competed as a middleweight between 2012 and 2017.

Posters show he fought in matches in Hermiston, Pendleton and Tillamook in Oregon.

He currently works for an electrical subcontractor on a Pasco construction project, according to court documents.

Domestic assault

Investigators say Lamberts wife called police last Thursday to report that her husband attacked her on June 22.

She described him as a jealous and insecure person who didnt allow her to work since he was afraid other men would look at her. He also allegedly threatened to stop making house payments if she called the police, she told officials.

She said Lambert grabbed her neck, threw her to the ground, had a knee on her chest and her arm pinned. He screamed that he was going to take her out, drain her blood and slice her apart, court documents said. She said she struggled to breathe.

She yelled for her stepdaughter to call police, but Lambert chased the teen and grabbed the phone. He finally left after his wife threatened to shoot him if he didnt, said court documents.

She reported four other attacks between February and June 2024 when he reportedly hit her or threw something at her. She said she didnt call police initially because she was afraid Lambert would kill her, said the documents.

She sent police photos of her face and bruised foot, said investigators.
Former Ohio zoo executive accused of misusing over $2 million of public funds pleads guilty

A former Columbus Zoo executive has pleaded guilty to his part in a scheme to defraud the zoo for over $2 million.

>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Former Ohio zoo executives indicted, accused of misusing over $2M of public funds

Former Marketing Director Pete Fingerhut pleaded guilty to 16 felony counts and one misdemeanor on Tuesday in Delaware County Common Pleas Court, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

As News Center 7 reported back in September, Fingerhut was one of three former executives formally charged with defrauding the zoo and attempting to conceal their efforts.

Former Chief Executive Officer Tom Stalf and Chief Financial Officer Greg Bell were indicted.

The three were formally charged with a combined 89 felony counts.

>>27-year-old dead, 1 seriously injured after rollover crash in Greene County

Fingerhuts trial was scheduled to start on July 9.

He pleaded guilty Tuesday to 11 counts of tampering with records, three counts of telecommunications fraud, and one count each of aggravated theft and conspiracy, Yost said.

He will pay over $675,000 in restitution. This includes money to be paid to the zoo, along with back taxes to the state and Internal Revenue Service, Yost stated.

Fingerhut is scheduled to be sentenced in September.

Bell pleaded guilty last October to 14 felony counts and Stalfs trial is scheduled to start in August.
Former Republicans were ready to embrace Biden to beat Trump. And then came the debate.

A couple of weeks ago, there was conversation and conviviality among a bunch of strangers brought together at a bar in Denver by their shared antipathy towards former President Donald Trump.

Many were Republicans or former Republicans who were finally in a place where they could talk openly about their political views and how they wanted to stop Trump from returning to the White House in whats set to be a tight election this fall.

Becky Hofer said it was tough to find a community in her very red home state of South Dakota. She used to consider herself a Republican but said the party had transformed over the last decade. Its hard for me to wake up every morning and talk to my neighbors and know that theyre supporting somebody that just doesnt match any of their values, she said. Theyre throwing away all of their values to support a person, for what? Tax breaks that were really not going to get?

Becky Hofer, right, tells CNN's Elle Reeve she hopes her husband will turn away from Trump too. - CNN

Hofer and hundreds of others at the event hosted by The Bulwark, a media organization created by former Republican operatives and conservative writers who oppose Trump, talked of their political journeys and how many had come to terms with crossing party lines and supporting President Joe Biden.

Paul Ivancie of Denver told CNN: My politics is former Republican. Unaffiliated now, but leaning heavily towards, I think, voting for the only alternative, which is Biden or the Democratic side.

But then came the debate.

Bidens dismal performance and Trumps continued false claims in the CNN event raised new concerns for these voters, who already consider themselves politically homeless.

Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden debate at CNN's Atlanta studios on June 27, 2024. Neither man impressed the voters who had been at The Bulwark's event in Denver. - Will Lanzoni/CNN

I am very concerned about Joe Biden, Hofer said. She had a visceral reaction to his appearance, because it reminded her of the early years of her moms diagnosis with dementia. Shed gone through her moms belongings and found little slips with important phone numbers and addresses tucked into her wallet, and napkin drawer and clothes, because her mom had been hiding that she was losing her memory. Joe Biden needs to be replaced because, in my opinion, it is nothing short of elder abuse, she said.

I think the fact that we as an entire country are sitting here watching people wheel our elderly politicians around like its Weekend at Bernies is disgusting.  He needs to be replaced if for anything just out of respect for his humanity.

Robin Hawkland had enjoyed being with fellow Bulwark listeners. You feel safe here and you feel like you can speak your mind, she told CNN. And people may disagree, but you can talk about it in a rational way.

Robin Hawkland said she was shocked, and then angered by the debate. - CNN

Any positive political feelings were wiped away by the debate, which she said shocked both her and her husband. The next day, we started feeling kind of angry watching the news  like, have they been hiding something from us about Biden?

She continued: Everybody sees it. Everybody Ive talked to. Everybodys concerned about it. More so the people who dont want Trump elected.

Hawkland, a health care worker, said she had already fled her home in Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greenes district in north Georgia after the congresswoman was pretty abusive to people wearing masks during Covid. She and her husband, who voted for Trump in 2016, now live in a blue bubble neighborhood of Salt Lake City in the red state of Utah. She said they both registered as Democrats when they got their new Utah drivers licenses.

But once again, their worlds have been turned upside down.

Youve got all these people who were Republicans, theyre asking: What? Why? Im just in the same bad situation in this party.

Paul Ivancie said he would consider voting for other Democrats if President Joe Biden was not the candidate. - CNN

Still, these voters had no warmer feelings for Trump after the debate, and perhaps more alarm about a possible second term after the Supreme Court ruled that a former president has some immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts.

Donald Trump did not answer a single question. The Supreme Court ruling  has me sick to my stomach, Hofer said, back home in South Dakota.

I think it is critical Donald Trump does not win.

That was echoed by Tim Miller, a former spokesman for Jeb Bush and expert in opposition research, who is now the host of The Bulwark Podcast. After taping an episode in front of the audience, he told CNN he believed the Biden campaign should court voters who feel they no longer have a home in the Republican Party: Theyre gonna need our people.

That mission got harder after Bidens debate performance, he said. He should step down unless he can dramatically upgrade his performance and demonstrate he is up for the job.

Sarah Longwell, a former Republican strategist and publisher of The Bulwark, added: The stakes are too high not to consider all options available.

The Never Trumpers and Never Again Trumpers who met in Denver still have the same goal  anyone but Trump in the White House. But theyre now waiting to see if they will be faced with voting for Biden or someone else.

Stopping Trump is the number one issue  with or without Biden, Ivancie said. There are certainly capable people in his stead, should he not decide to run, that I think could be a powerful contrast to Trump.

Hawkland said the debate followed by the Supreme Courts decision on presidential immunity was like all the dominoes are falling one after the other.

Its hard not to feel hopeless, she added. I feel like were in some kind of strange vortex that we cannot get out of.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Should Fort Worth replace July 4th fireworks with a drone show? Some say yes.

As Americans get ready to shoot their patriotic fervor into the sky this Independence Day, many cities across the country are adding drones to their traditional fireworks celebrations.

Irving will launch 525 drones into the sky July 3 as the opening act before a nearly 20-minute fireworks display as part of its Sparks and Stripes celebration.

The University of Texas at Austin used pyrotechnic drones to form the shape of a longhorn to mark the schools entrance into the Southeastern Conference.

And some in Fort Worth have advocated for doing away with fireworks all together and putting on a drone show over the Trinity River instead.

The Tarrant Regional Water District produces the annual Fort Worth Fourth event. Last August, it heard from several residents who urged a fireworks-free Fourth.

One of them was Cindy Boling, president of the Central Meadowbrook Neighborhood Association, who said drones offer a variety of possibilities that you cant get with fireworks, and require less resources to keep the public safe.

Having a drone-only July 4th celebration would also set an example by moving away from fireworks, which can cause damage to neighborhoods when used illegally, Boling said.

However, the water district is sticking to its incendiary commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence  at least for now.

[MORE: Where to see free fireworks shows in Fort Worth area]

The water district had already made agreements months ago to purchase fireworks for this years festivities, said Darrell Beason, the districts chief operations officer, speaking at a March board meeting.

Were contractually obligated because of the lead time of bringing those fireworks into the country, Beason said.

Theres also the additional cost.

Completely replacing the fireworks with drones would cost the district around $306,000 for a 22- to 25-minute show, Beason said.

By comparison, a 30-minute firework show costs around $75,000, he said.

The development of Panther Island along the river could play a role in the district using more drones in future July 4th celebrations.

Fireworks require a buffer zone to be launched safely. As development continues on the future island just north of downtown, that zone will probably shrink.

The district did look at possibly incorporating fireworks into this years show but opted against it.

We will continue to evaluate the use of drones in future Fort Worth Fourth events, district spokesperson Chad Lorance said in an email to the Star-Telegram.

 More top stories from our newsroom:

 Did Fort Worth ISD break law with closed meeting on STAAR scores?

 Fire destroys 50-year landmark Tex-Mex restaurant

 Mom accused of abandoning baby to die in ditch charged 23 years later

[Get our breaking news alerts.]
Firefighters made progress overnight battling a fast-moving wildfire that prompted evacuations for 13,000 residents and threatened the city of Oroville after exploding to over 3,000 acres amid unrelenting heat and dangerous wind gusts.

The Thompson Fire, which has been burning in Butte County near Lake Oroville since 11 a.m. Tuesday, was 3,568 acres (5.5 square miles) as of 10 a.m. Thursday, according to the Cal Fire website. In its latest update, Cal Fire reported the fire was 7% contained, no change from overnight.

In its morning report, Cal Fire said crews were strengthening containment lines as more hot temperatures were expected in the area, which firefighters warned could lead to more fire growth.

Rick Carhart, a spokesman for Cal Fires Butte County unit, said Wednesday that the Thompson Fire had destroyed at least four structures. A home spotted Wednesday on Bessie Lane, just southwest of Lake Oroville, was among the four structures destroyed by flames.

A home on Bessie Lane was among four structures destroyed in the Thompson Fire burning near Lake Oroville in Butte County Wednesday, July 3, 2024, that has injured four firefighters amid hot, dry, and windy conditions. The fast-moving wildfire prompted evacuations for 13,000 residents.

Photos posted on social media showed houses and vehicles burned. He said the buildings were reported as single-family homes, but damage assessment crews were out in the field surveying whats been destroyed as an army of more than 1,400 fire personnel were tasked with structure protection and establishing control lines around the fire.

Four firefighters also suffered minor injuries from heat-related illness while fighting the blaze in grass and oak woodlands Tuesday night, he said. No residents have been injured.

Another blaze, the Grubbs Fire, ignited Wednesday afternoon and led to evacuation orders in the small town of Palermo, about 10 miles south of Oroville. The Butte County Sheriffs Office ordered residents in two zones to leave, while other residents were under an evacuation warning.

A deer walks through a burned olive grove on Bessie Lane Wednesday after the Thompson Fire destroyed 3,000 acres in Butte County in Oroville.

Kelly Ridge under threat as more firefighters arrive

The fire was burning in the area of Kelly Ridge, a community sandwiched between the city of Oroville and the reservoir. The cluster of homes just outside of Orovilles city limits remained under threat after flames jumped the diversion pools used to power Oroville Dams hydroelectric plant. The plant has since been taken offline, state water managers said. Cal Fire officials said the fire also made a significant run from where it started on Cherokee Road toward Oregon Gulch.

Carhart said the large influx of resources  1,438 personnel as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, which includes the assignment of Incident Management Team 6  would help as firefighters contended with flames amid temperatures expected to reach 111 degrees and strong north winds that could continue into afternoon.

He said firefighters performed a lot of really good work overnight as temperatures eased and humidity levels rose: Getting the sun off the fire, activity really moderated. Still amid a second day of red flag warnings across the Sacramento Valley, Carhart said conditions at the Thompson Fire were very hot and ripe for fire growth. Winds were also a concern, he said, with 10 to 15 mph sustained winds were expected through Wednesday, with occasional gusts.

A helicopter drops water over the Thompson Fire near the Oroville Damn on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Four firefighters and four structures have been lost in the fast moving wildfire that prompted evacuations for 13,000 residents.

Renee Marshall is a Kelly Ridge resident who was ordered to evacuate. She felt she didnt need to evacuate  choosing to stay home rather than putting her 85-year-old mother through hours of traffic amid a heat wave to get away. She said she appreciated the precautionary measures, but she felt she didnt need to evacuate.

After all, its a mountain (burning) that is across the lake, Marshall said Wednesday. Theres no homes over there. Clearly, its not going to affect Kelly Ridge. The people that live here, their homes are not at risk.

She said her neighbors, those who evacuated when ordered, are out spending money they dont have on fast food and other necessities because they cant return home. Marshall believes her evacuated neighbors are needlessly spending money they would normally use to pay rent and utility bills.

Marshall has lived in Kelly Ridge for five years. She used to live Paradise before the destructive 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 people and destroyed more than 10,000 homes and other buildings.

I know what a fire looks like when it is a severe threat, Marshall said. And (the Thompson Fire) did not look like a severe threat here.

She worked as a Butte College bus driver back then, and she evacuated students from the campus before she fled the wildfire in Paradise. Her mother was evacuated separately, and Marshall said they had no idea where her mother was for four hours until they found her 20 miles away in Chico. Her mother didnt have a cellphone.

We were all worried she got caught in the fire and died or had a heart attack trying to drive out, Marshall said.

Renee Marshall looks at the Thompson Fire from her home on Kelly Ridge near Oroville on Wednesday. Marshall said she survived the Camp Fire and would like to see evacuations lifted as she believes the fire is no longer a threat to homes in her neighborhood.

Evacuations remain, fireworks canceled

Dozens of evacuations remain in place and the city of Oroville declared a local emergency, but some areas in Oroville were reduced to evacuation warnings Wednesday afternoon. The Sheriffs Office around 3 p.m. announced that zones 965A (north of Highway 162), 817 and 828 in Oroville were now under an evacuation warning rather than a mandatory order.

Also reduced to an evacuation warning were areas in Oroville along Percy Way south to Mount Ida Road, and along Mount Ida Road from Oro-Bangor Highway east to Oakvale Avenue in Zone 806. Sheriffs officials said the remaining area of Zone 806, north of Percy Way, remains under an mandatory evacuation order.

The Sheriffs Office allowed residents in evacuation warning zones to return home Wednesday but urged them to stay aware of changing weather and fire conditions.

The Lake Oroville State Recreation Area also is closed and state parks officials said all camping reservations had been canceled through July 5 and may be extended.

Smoke rises from charred earth near the Oroville Spillway during the Thompson Fire on Wednesday.

Before noon, state parks officials said the citys annual fireworks show on Thursday would be canceled for public safety.

Donations to the Oroville Chamber of Commerce for fireworks will be used towards a community firework show to be determined by them at a later and safer date, officials said, as crews from the city, county and state have a large number of resources responding to protect the community and get everyone back home as quickly as possible.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom also proclaimed a state of emergency Wednesday morning in response to the blaze. On Tuesday, the governor announced the state received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that would help reimburse agencies assisting with suppressing the fire.

Its one of many fires weve seen, and one of the most active fire seasons weve had in years, Newsom said in a social media post.

At a Tuesday evening news conference, Cal Fire Butte Unit Chief Garrett Sjolund warned residents that fireworks are banned in Butte County, and only legal fireworks are allowed in the cities of Oroville, Biggs and Gridley.

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea also warned residents about using fireworks this Fourth of July as Northern Californias current heat wave intensifies and increases the risk of a dangerous wildfire.

This is a bad fire season, Honea said at Tuesdays news conference. Dont be an idiot and cause a fire and create more problems for us.

Burned cars sit near a driveway next to rubble from a destroyed home in Oroville on Wednesday. So far, 13,000 people have been evacuated in the Thompson fire.

Patrols in evacuated areas

Honea said every mutual aid agency in the county was providing the Sheriffs Office with assistance on the Thompson Fire, and 20 law enforcement agencies outside Butte County were sending 75 law enforcement officials to help, as well.

The sheriff said deputies and other law enforcement officials will patrol overnight to ensure safety and prevent looting in the evacuated zones. Some residents did not evacuate when they were ordered to leave, and the sheriff said those residents must stay indoors and be ready to leave if the fire gets closer.

If youre out and about driving around, expect to be stopped by one of those law enforcement officers, Honea said. And if turns into an issue where youre continuing to drive around and creating a problem for us, you will be escorted out (of the evacuated zones).

Zones under mandatory evacuations, as of Thursday:

Cherokee: CHE-532 to 536

Hurleton: HUR-851

Kelly Ridge: KR-700 to 716

Oroville Northeast: ONE-730 and 731

Oroville: ORO-953-954, 959, 960, 965

Oroville Southeast: OSE-800, 801, 806-810

Zones under voluntary evacuations, as of Thursday:

Cherokee: CHE-531

Oroville Northeast: ONE-726 and 727

Oroville: ORO-964, 965A

Oroville Southeast: OSE-802, 804-805, 806A, 811, 816, 817, 820, 828

Authorities have set up the following evacuation shelters for residents and their animals:

Oroville Church of the Nazarene, 2238 Monte Vista Ave, Oroville

Large animals: Camelot Equestrian Park, 1985 Clark Rd, Oroville





Small animals: Old county hospital, 2279 Del Oro Ave., Oroville

The shelter in Gridley is expected to close noon Thursday, officials said.

A burned down home and a vehicle from the Thompson Fire on is seen on Bessie Lane on Wednesday in Oroville.

The Bees Vincent Medina and Hector Amezcua contributed to this story.
France has sent 41 electric generators to the cities of Kharkiv and Chernihiv since their power infrastructure has been severely damaged by Russian strikes.

Source: European Pravda with reference to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France

Details: The French Foreign Ministry stressed that with this step, France demonstrates its support for the Ukrainian people.

"We sent 41 power generators to Kharkiv and Chernihiv, the power infrastructure of which has been severely damaged in Russian attacks," the ministry wrote on Twitter (X).

#Ukraine | La France soutient le peuple ukrainien.

Envoi de 41 generateurs electriques a Kharkiv et Tchernihiv dont les infrastructures energetiques ont ete durement endommagees par les frappes russes.#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/Mb3wUc6N3x  France Diplomatie (@francediplo) July 3, 2024

A significant part of Ukraines power infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed due to Russian attacks. This has resulted in a decrease in production capabilities and energy supply.

Following the Russian strikes on Ukrainian power infrastructure, the international partners have been actively helping Ukraine by supplying it with financial, technical and material aid for repairing damaged facilities and supplying the population with energy.

Background: Earlier, it was revealed that the EU had sent thousands of solar panels to hospitals in Ukraine.

It was also reported that the Lithuanian company Litgrid would supply Ukraine with autotransformers and other equipment valued at over 4 million.

Support UP or become our patron!
The writer Tom Wolfe once quipped, "the dark night of fascism is always descending in the United States and yet lands only in Europe." After a series of elections culminating in the first round of a national vote won handily by France's National Rally, we might replace "fascism" with "populism," which has certainly landed feet-first in the old world and seems to be settling in for a stay across much of the continent.

France's Populist Surge

"French voters on Sunday put the National Rally (RN) in a commanding position in the first round of snap elections, placing the party founded by supporters of Nazi-allied Vichy France at the gates of power," reports Benjamin Dodman for France24.

"The RNamassed 33.2% of the vote, far ahead of the left-wing Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) alliance (28%) and the presidential coalition (20%)," adds Le Monde's Clement Guillou and Corentin Lesueur.

While not unexpected after the National Rally came in first in French elections for the European Parliament last month, the development is momentous, since the party is a bogeyman to the French political class and long quarantined by other parties. It's enjoyed growing popularity with regular voters, especially outside major cities, but the party and its leader, Marine Le Pen, have been considered untouchableright up until they crashed the gates. That said, like so much about France, the National Rally requires some explanation.

Left, Right, or a Nationalist Grab Bag?

Often described as "far-right," the National Rally was formed as the National Front from the merger of populist and frankly neo-fascist groups in the 1970s. Under the leadership of Jean-Marie Le Pen, Marine's father, the party took some ideological twists and turns, though it was always nationalist, opposed to immigration, tough on crime, and often rife with bigotry. Economically, it's something of a grab bag, basically premised on promising lots of free stuff for which nobody will have to pay. That led the BBC to ask, 10 years ago, whether the party is "far right or hard left?"

"The economic policies offered by the [National Rally and related] parties are often further to the 'left' than many of those offered by centrist social democrats," Queensland University of Technology's Haydn Rippon wrote in 2012.

The National Rally's platform calls for ending immigration, eradicating Islamism, toughening criminal penalties, lowering taxes, renationalizing highways, dropping the retirement age to 60 (President Emmanuel Macron's government raised it from 62 to 64), and subsidizing families and young workers. There's something in there for everybody, especially if they resent the country's elite political class, which in recent years has imposed policy changesgood, bad, and indifferentwedded to truly Gallic levels of arrogance.

"For those who had been listening, Macron's drift toward authoritarian rule was no surprise," Robert Zaretsky, a University of Houston history professor, commented in 2021. "This seemed to mean that directives were issued from the top and that debate, much less dissent, never issued from below."

The result was the recent election, with the National Rally in the lead, followed by the NFP, which spans the spectrum from Communist to Socialist. Macron's centrists came in third, with others, including the conservative Republicans, trailing.

A Europe-Wide Movement

The results were anticipated after the National Rally led other parties in elections for the European Parliament. That led Macron to call national elections in what appears to have been a fit of pique. But French populists weren't the only ones to benefit from the European vote. Nationalist and populist parties across the continent polled well, growing their clout in the legislative body of the European Union, an entity of which most of them are skeptical.

"Far-right parties have made significant gains in the European Union parliamentary elections, delivering humiliating defeats to the parties of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer," Al Jazeera reported.

Alice Weidel, a leader of Alternative for Germany (AfD), concluded: "We've done well because people have become more anti-European. People are annoyed by so much bureaucracy from Brussels."

But while resentment of Brussels bureaucrats and opposition to a wave of immigration unite the ascendant parties, they're otherwise all over the place. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy has roots in the country's fascist history but leads a coalition that governs like more-or-less traditional conservatives with an extra dose of nationalism. Members of Germany's AfD, on the other hand, keep hinting that they regard their country's Nazi past with a touch of nostalgia. France's National Rally pairs welfare-state economics with nationalism. Poland's Confederation favors free markets and even incorporates a libertarian strain. All dislike top-down dictates from E.U. elites in Brussels and the disruptions associated with large-scale immigration.

A Looming Mess No Matter Who Wins

That's a recipe for chaos in the European Parliament as anti-elite parties with clashing agendas struggle to work together. But France faces its own turmoil as it prepares for July 7 runoff elections which the identitarian, economically interventionist National Rally is poised to dominate, challenged primarily by an identitarian, economically interventionist leftist coalition.

"The hard left's tax and spending splurge could lead to a 'catastrophe', according to Olivier Blanchard of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology," The Economist noted last week. "While the hard-right's programme 'is like a Christmas tree, without logic or coherence'."

For his party, embattled President Macron has warned of "civil war" if either the National Rally or the leftist coalition wins. Since both groups are well ahead of his centrist alliance going into the second round of votes, it might be wise to put off plans to vacation in Paris.

As evidence that the National Rally is still regarded as more untouchable than out-and-out communists in France, more than 200 third-place finishers have dropped out of the runoff election in an effort to boost any alternative to populist candidates. That may or may not trim the RN's ultimate presence in parliament. But the result is guaranteed to be an unsavory mess in any case.

Populism may continue descending in the United States; we'll see for certain in November. But it has landed good and hard across the Atlantic.

The post France's Messy Elections Make American Politics Look Orderly appeared first on Reason.com.
Is the Franco-German axis over? Brothers of Italy think so

Is the Franco-German axis over? Brothers of Italy think so

Last week, Italys Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni blocked the EU job nomination package, including abstaining from voting for Ursula von der Leyen as European Commission president.

The deal was problematic both in method and merit, Meloni argued. In front of the Italian parliament, she said it was undemocratic because it didnt take into account the peoples vote.

After the double no to Kaja Kallas as EU foreign policy chief and Antonio Costa as European Council president, questions were raised in Brussels and Rome about whether Italy would be isolated. Others believe its just a way for the Italian leader to buy more time.

With only a couple of weeks to go before the vote on the most powerful EU job, we asked the lower house group leader of Meloni's Brothers of Italy party what was behind her stance.

The goal of the top EU job appointments is to acknowledge the message that has come out of the polls, which says that both (Emmanuel) Macrons and (Olaf) Scholzs policies have been rejected by voters, Tommaso Foti told Euronews.

Italy and Italians first

A government elected by the people and not a technocratic one is what Giorgia Meloni has always stood for since before she became prime minister, and its one of the founding principles of her government.

This time, the debate about decisions being taken by a small group of people is about whats happening within the EU institutions. Enzo Moavero Milanesi, former EU affairs minister, told Euronews Italy wont risk being isolated in the EU.

But its clear that after the EU vote under Meloni, the Italian government wants to be seen and heard more than in the past. The Italy and Italians first is one of the main promises Meloni has always wanted to deliver.

For the Brothers of Italy, Brussels has to acknowledge that the shift to the right is happening in Europe according to the will of the people.

"We dont see why we should still believe in the Franco-German axis when it has been demolished by the voters in both countries, says Foti.

'Ball is in Meloni's court'

According to Milanesi, who also served as Italy's foreign minister, Meloni is pursuing a political strategy, and thats what counts.

The ball is in the Italian PMs court. The way EU institutions are elected is very different from national elections, said Milanesi, adding that in Melonis case, she is also the President of the ECR group.

"So when it comes to top EU job appointments, the two roles have an impact on the strategy she will follow."

According to Milanesi, many different factors will influence the Italian governments choices in Europe. All of them count when it comes to politics.

The outcome of the French elections will also be an element in the mix, political analyst Roberto Arditti said.

It will clarify even more how strong the right-wing parties across Europe are inside national governments, Arditti told Euronews.

Even if National Rally's Marine Le Pen and Meloni would have to find a way to live with their political differences, Arditti says: Its hard to imagine that the power balances in Brussels will exclude both the French and Italian governments if both have a right-wing majority.

Besides the top EU job nominations and the Italian disappointment that followed, Meloni is focusing on one thing: getting a top commission post for Italy. Without it, she wont be able to show Italian voters that Rome can be heard in Europe.
A week after Franklin County Commissioner Clint Didier tried to fire the countys administrator rather than approve a $100,000-plus severance agreement to part on good terms and keep the county from being sued, the deal has been approved.

The move to fire County Administrator Mike Gonzalez, who has whistleblower protections, came as two of the three commissioners and the county auditor face a criminal investigation. Rather than fire him last week, the commissioners agreed, in a 2-1 vote, to put him on administrative leave until they could work out an agreement.

After an hour-long series of executive sessions at this weeks regular meeting Wednesday, Commissioner Stephen Bauman made a motion to add the on-hold severance agreement for Gonzalez to the agenda and then called for a vote.

Chairman Rocky Mullen, who was attending the meeting remotely, voted with Bauman to approve the deal. Didier voted against.

The commissioners did not mention making any changes to the agreement presented to them by the countys legal advisors last week.

Gonzalez is leaving the county almost exactly two years after former administrator Keith Johnson left after a failed series of attempts to fire him.

Terms of the agreement

Under the agreement presented to commissioners, Gonzalez will receive almost $133,000.

Of that total, $86,875 is his salary for the rest of the year, about $36,000 is accrued health benefits and paid time off and receive an additional months pay for committing to the agreement. His regular annual salary is $150,000 plus an opportunity for bonuses. He declined the most recent bonus.

While Gonzalez will be agreeing not to sue the county, he can still cooperate with any criminal investigations or respond to subpoenas in lawsuits.

He also will agree not to say anything that could negatively impact peoples perception of the county, and the county will agree to keep employees from doing the same. That clause also states that elected officials cannot direct employees to do so either.

Breaches of the agreement could result in fees of up to $5,000. They would also agree to handle any disputes through arbitration. The agreement will be finalized eight days after being signed.

Gonzalez was a finalist for the city of Yakimas open city manager position. He was among three candidates interviewed by the Yakima City Council this week.

The council moved forward with negotiating with a preferred candidate, but did not release the name of its selection, according to KIMA-TV. Gonzalez said in a post on LinkedIn Wednesday that he was not selected for the position.

Mike Gonzalez

Whistleblower

Since January, Gonzalez has been the target of several elected officials, who are currently under criminal investigation on suspicion of official misconduct, witness tampering, criminal conspiracy and making false statements to law enforcement officials.

The investigation stems from an alleged attempt to manipulate a payment to the HAPO Centers former management group and subsequent attempts to pressure Gonzalez to write a letter they hoped would kill the investigation.

Two of the three commissioners, Mullen and Didier, are under investigation. The third elected official being investigated is auditor Matt Beaton.

Bauman is not under investigation.

An attorney with the Snohomish County Prosecutors Office, in Everett, Wash., is currently reviewing the investigation but has not yet made public any decisions on whether any charges will be filed.

Investigation

The criminal investigation began in January over a dispute centered on whether to pay Simmons Venue Management $12,500 for their last month of work during the transition to a new management group at the HAPO Center.

The Simmons family is best known for their restaurant, Country Gentleman. They stepped in to help manage the HAPO Center when the countys entire management team for the venue left in the span of a month.

Gonzalez was initially going to pay the invoice, but received pushback when he attempted to gauge where the commissioners stood on the issue, according to investigative material obtained by the Herald through a Washington State Public Records request.

Franklin County Commissioner Clint Didier

Didier and Mullen were against the payment, and Mullen allegedly laid into Gonzalez for trying to settle a dispute between the sheriffs office and auditors office in 2023, claiming he was taking the sheriffs side, according to recorded interviews with county employees who were present.

After speaking with Mullen, who Gonzalez said changed his mind about paying the Simmons, Gonzalez moved to stop the payment.

Beaton allegedly called the HAPO Centers new management, Harris-White Leasure group, and told them to push the payment through. Beaton later said in a meeting secretly recorded by Gonzalez that he was acting at Didiers direction when he allegedly called Larry Leasure and Wes Harris to have the payment processed.

Matt Beaton

(Didier) said, Well call (HWL) and, and you know, stop it. ... Beaton said in the recording. And Ill tell you exactly what I told Wes. I told him, Business as usual, and approve it if you would approve it. And he said to me, I dont support it.

Beaton also later admitted that he made a statement about the payment potentially, but claimed it wasnt meant that way.

I said, If he approves it, the commissioners may learn more about him than they want to know, but I dont believe they will, Beaton said in the recording.

Harris was uncomfortable with the conversation and elected officials involving his company in county politics, so he reached out to Gonzalez to let him know what had happened, according to interviews with Harris and Gonzalez.

In both meetings, Beaton claimed unspecific audits may show SVM actually owed the county money.

Gonzalez said he ran the events by a county prosecutor to ensure no laws were being broken, which led to a criminal investigation being opened. The investigation is being overseen by Undersheriff Monty Huber and investigators from both the Benton and Franklin County sheriffs offices.

After the investigation began, Mullen attempted to set up a meeting with Gonzalez and Beaton to discuss the issue. Investigators, concerned that it could potentially turn into witness tampering, say Mullen was warned not to, but still went ahead with the meeting. Gonzalez told investigators he recorded the meeting because he was concerned he was going to be asked to commit a crime.

Rocky Mullen

He told investigators he never planned to release the recording, but came forward after Mullen was interviewed and implied Gonzalez was lying.

During the meeting Mullen and Beaton tried to convince Gonzalez to write a letter to investigators saying he had misunderstood what happened, and end the investigation.

Gonzalez did not write a letter after the meeting, and Mullen continued to attempt to convince him he needed to, according to text messages obtained by the Herald.

Later, Didier attempted to get Gonzalez and Office of Public Defense Manager Larry Ziegler to fire the lead investigators wife, who worked for Ziegler. Her attorney sent the county and Didier a cease-and-desist letter on April 30.

Since the investigation began the courthouse has been plagued by reports of concerning behavior by elected officials, including shouting matches and attempts to undermine the investigation.

Last month, Franklin County Sheriff Jim Raymond publicly warned elected officials that its illegal to conceal carry a gun in the courthouse or change locks on their offices.

He also wrote that an elected official had been taking calls in the parking lot, attempting to convince others to allow him to conduct a forensic audit on a HAPO Center related business.
FREDERICK COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  People in a Frederick County neighborhood were surprised and shaken up after seeing that the Green Hill Park Playground had burned down in a fire that broke out Saturday morning.

The Frederick County Sheriffs Office (FCSO) said it believes someone intentionally set the fire at around 4:30 a.m. Officials reported that the damage to the playground was extensive.

Originally, it was estimated to be about $20,000 damage, but once we contacted Park and Recs its substantially more, Frederick County Sheriffs Office (FCSO) Communication Manager Tim Clarke said. The cost to replace the entire playground would be more like in the $230,000 range.

PHOTOS: Baby trumpeter swans grow to half the size of their parents at Maryland Zoo

Caitlyn Lapkowski has lived in the Adamstown area her whole life. She said seeing the playground destroyed was a sad moment.

I know kids are always out here playing they just redid it too so its brand new, everyone just paid for it, Lapkowski said. I went to elementary school right across the street, so its kind of a little scary too.

Rachel Catania also grew up in the area and said this kind of incident is something that is very out of the ordinary for the area. She said she hopes there is a plan to rebuild it.

This was brand new, it was just rebuilt, Catania said. So I think the community was looking forward to having a new park so I do hope it gets rebuilt.

This is out of the normal, Clarke said. We dont see this often and its unfortunate so were actively trying to figure out who did it and hopefully holding them accountable.

FCSO said its investigation to find out who is responsible for this incident is still ongoing

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Free debris removal around Ruidoso open for sign-up, needs 75 Lincoln County land-owners to start

Debris flows in the Rio Ruidoso made its way to the Ruidoso Downs Racetrack on Saturday, June 29, after days of flash floods. (Courtesy of the National Weather Service Albuquerque)

Debris cleanup from wildfire and intense flash flooding on the South Fork and Salt fires burn scars is now available for some Lincoln County property owners around Ruidoso.

New Mexico emergency management officials want to fill 75 spots to cover debris inspection, cleanup, removal and the costs for those services.

The program is currently open to Lincoln County residents that own property, but the state is working to add the Mescalero Apache Tribe to the agreement, said New Mexico Homeland Security and Emergency Management spokesperson Danielle Silva.

For people that sign up and are accepted, the state emergency department will hire third-party contractors to fully remove all debris or offer a curbside pickup if people remove it from their property with their own energy.

Full-service debris removal is preferred, because it is a little bit safer, Silva said. There are obviously some hazards that come with digging through debris and ash from a fire, so if people decide to do curbside, we really want them to have some PPE, and to take some safety precautions, she said.

The program is limited to property owners.

In order to sign up, the property owner needs to submit a right-of-entry form. The state should then verify property ownership in Lincoln county and then send federal inspectors to the site.

After 75 properties are signed up, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which runs the federal arm of the debris cleanup program, estimates contractors could be on the ground within 7 to 9 days to start cleanup.

After the first phase, the state will then conduct site visits, and hire additional contractors for a second phase to haul waste away.

Its unclear when debris removal will begin, due to continued rains, and the threshold of properties needing debris removal.

If property owners have insurance coverage for debris removal, they must notify the state.

Insurance coverage will not disqualify a person from the program, but part of the insurance payment may need to be submitted to the state, according to a press release for the program.

Silva recommended that people applying for the program try to fill out the 11-page forms in-person, where disaster case managers can assist with the paperwork. There are three offices, one in Roswell, the other in Ruidoso and a third in Mescalero.

More information

Office locations for in-person help for debris removal are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. including for the July 4 holiday.

Roswell Civic & Convention Center, 912 N Main St, Roswell, NM 88201

Horton Complex, 237 Service Rd. Ruidoso NM 88345

Mescalero Apache School, 249 White Mountain Dr, Mescalero, NM 88340.

For help securing an in-person appointment call 1-833-663-4736

The form can also be downloaded at the DHSEM website, completed on the computer and emailed to DHSEM-DCM@dhsem.nm.gov.

The post Free debris removal around Ruidoso open for sign-up, needs 75 Lincoln County land-owners to start appeared first on Source New Mexico.
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY)  A local nonprofit aims to combat substance abuse in Hampton Roads.

Changing Lives 365 is hosting free programs for those who are battling substance or know someone who is battling substance abuse.

The program will be led by qualified mental health professionals and Certified Substance Abuse Counselors who will cover topics including:

Coping Skills

Music Therapy

Anger Management

Community Resources

Grief Processing

Family Support

Self-Care

Budgeting

Participants in The Summer of Self-Care must be 18 or older, and classes run weekly until the beginning of September.

According to the Virginia Department of Health, in 2022 there were 2,490 drug overdose deaths among Virginians, and almost eight out of 10 (79%) drug overdose deaths involve fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and tramadol.

The opioid epidemic in Virginia has reportedly cost $5 billion, according to the news release.

For more information about the Free Community Substance Abuse Program please call 757-440-3125.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 sun is reflected in the National Monument to Freedom in Montgomery, Alabama on June 26, 2024. The monument is inscribed with the names of 122,000 families listed in the 1870 census, the first in which many former enslaved people were recorded. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)

You cant understand the scope of 122,000 names until you see them on a wall.

Stand at the foot of the National Monument to Freedom, recently dedicated by the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, and youll see all of them, soaring three or four stories above your head.

Each name, taken from the 1870 census, belonged to a former enslaved person. These are surnames. Family names. Combined, they represent about 4 million people who emerged from bondage.

Each one stands for an American once treated as an animal. Someone who could be abused and assaulted under the law. Who could be stripped naked in front of a crowd of rich men; poked and prodded, and sold away from parents, spouses and children.

You get a taste of this horror in a park surrounding the monument and along a path leading to it. There are slave cabins. And a rail car that transported human beings like cattle. Surrounding all of it are statistics that measure toll of human bondage; stories that illustrate it, and carvings of the laws that upheld it.

Theres this chilling statistic from EJI: about 6 million Americans died as the property of someone else.

By the time you reach that wall, you know that each name represents not just those who survived, but dozens if not hundreds of people who lived and died as prisoners. Each one stands atop a mountain of pain and trauma, deposited like sediment over generations.

Its led me to think about a phrase that seems inescapable when we approach federal holidays like Independence Day.

Freedom isnt free.

Ive heard it invoked many times over the last 23 years. The slogan is usually employed to bludgeon critics of the nations disastrous military actions following 9/11.

But the National Monument to Freedom gives the phrase a new meaning.

When the United States came into being on July 4, 1776, each of its 13 constituent parts allowed enslavement. Congress struck out a paragraph condemning the slave trade from an early draft of the Declaration of Independence. There was never anything condemning slavery itself.

Human bondage declined during the Revolution, particularly in South Carolina and Georgia. In Generations of Captivity, a history of slavery, historian Ira Berlin writes that the enslaved population in Georgia fell two-thirds between 1775 and 1783. It fell by a quarter in South Carolina during that period.

That was due to chaos, not ideals. In a revolution, state authority collapses. Without state authority, its hard to keep people subjugated. And enslaved people took advantage of the opportunity.

But war is a poor liberator. Slavery reasserted itself in both states within a decade. And there was nothing on paper that would have kept it from going on forever.

Except Americans.

Enslaved people resisted in ways large and small, defending their humanity in a system determined to rob them of it.

It was two enslaved people  Mum Bett and Quock Walker  who pushed Massachusetts courts to declare in 1781 and 1783 that the states new constitution had abolished slavery.

It was Black men and women, aided by white allies, who ran the Underground Railroad and put themselves on the line to get people out of slavery.

None of this was easy. Success was not guaranteed. It took centuries to end the institution. Every member of every family listed on the National Monument to Freedom knew someone  a parent, a child, a loved one  who lived and died as someone elses property.

But by the eve of the Civil War, the work of brave men and women had broken through in the north. And created a bloc of politicians whose primary goal was putting slavery on the path to extinction, if not abolishing it outright.

That came from people on the margins of society, demanding what had been denied them: respect; the rule of law and a voice in their governance.

Freedom isnt free. But its not armed conflict that pushes freedom forward. More often than not, its the person wounded by power at its most nihilistic who broadens the boundaries of liberty. Its the lawyer who helps register voters in defiance of a regime working to stop it. And its the people who march for their rights with law enforcement against them.

These men and women push past the inertia of the ordinary to grab an ideal that seems impossible.

If we can celebrate a free society on Thursday, its not because of centuries-old philosophers or decades-old battles. Its because Americans who were not free took risks and made sacrifices that lifted this nation higher than it was before.

The 122,000 names on the National Monument to Freedom testify to the enormity of that task. And remind us that the seed of justice is often planted in those who have the least of it.

Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com. Follow Alabama Reflector on Facebook and X.
Film director Benoit Jacquot is set to face trial after French prosecutors requested rape charges, according to reports in France.

Doillon was taken into custody in Paris alongside fellow French filmmaker Jacques Doillon earlier this week following allegations they both sexually assaulted actor Judith Godreche as a child.

More from Variety

Godreche alleges that Jacquot raped her in 1986, when she was 14, while Doillon sexually assaulted her on set.

Both men have denied the claims.

According to French newspaper Le Monde, prosecutors have requested charges against Jacquot relating to the rape of two other actors. One of the actors alleges the rape occurred between 1998 and 2000 and in 2007 during a relationship that began with the director when she was underage while the other actor has accused him of sexually assaulting her between 2013 and 2018. Jacquot has denied the claims.

However prosecutors have not requested charges in relation to Godreches allegations as yet, the newspaper reported.

Doillon was released on Tuesday evening for medical reasons, according to the report, citing the prosecutors office, but added no decision regarding charges has yet been made.

Godreche first went public with her allegations earlier this year. It was hallucinating, she told a radio station of Doillon. He got rid of the actor and took his place and all of the sudden he decided that there was going to be a sex scene between he and I.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
French prosecutors have requested director Benoit Jacquot be charged with the rape and sexual assault of several actresses, according to a Le Monde report.

Jacquot, 77, was held for questioning on Monday after filmmaker/actress Judith Godreche filed a complaint alleging Jacquot raped her during a relationship that began when she was 14. The relationship lasted several years, Godreche, now 52, said. Godreche first went public with her allegations in an investigation Le Monde published in February 2024.

More from IndieWire

Le Besco, now 41, followed Godreches complaint with one of her own, alleging Jacquot raped her during a relationship also began when she was a minor. Julia Roy, now 34, has also accused Jacquot of sexual assault; Jacquot has denied all accusations.

Prosecutors are currently seeking to charge Jacquot with crimes against Le Besco and Roy, but not Godreche.

In addition to her complaint against Jacquot for predation and violent rape of a minor under 15 years old committed by a person in authority, Godreche has filed another complaint against her La fille de 15 ans director Jacques Doillon. Godreche alleges Doillon raped her twice when she was 15 (via Variety).

Le Besco has further alleged Doillon sexually assaulted her on a film set when she was 15. Doillon has also been accused of forcefully kissing Anna Mouglalis, another actress; Mouglalis says the forceful kiss happened in 2011. Doillon has denied all allegations. Doillon was held for questioning for more than 24 hours before being released for medical reasons.

Paris prosecutors are specifically looking to charge Jacquot with rape, sexual assault, and violence against Roy, Le Monde reported; the alleged crimes are estimated to have occurred between 2013 and 2018. Prosecutors are additionally seeking to charge Jacquot with rape of a minor by a person with authority and rape by a partner against Le Besco; those alleged crimes are estimated to have happened between 1998 and 2000 and then again in 2007.

Le Besco is the younger sister of her Mon Roi filmmaker Maiwenn, who recently directed Johnny Depps comeback role in Jeanne du Barry. Maiwenn became outspoken against #MeToo after her ex-husband, Leon, the Professional director Luc Besson, was accused of rape. Maiwenn was married to Besson in 1992; she was 16 years old when they wed after Besson had known her for four years. Last year, Besson was cleared of rape charges stemming from 2018 accusations by actress Sand Van Roy.

Godreche debuted the #MeToo short film Sadly Universal at Cannes 2024 during the Un Certain Regard opening ceremony.

Best of IndieWire

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
French media outlets are reporting that prosecutors have requested rape charges be brought against director Benoit Jacquot in connection to assault allegations made by actresses Isild Le Besco and Julia Roy.

Jacquot was taken into police custody on Monday for questioning on those allegations as well as assault charges brought by filmmaker Judith Godreche. According to reports, prosecutors have not yet pressed for charges in connection to Godreches charges. Jacquot has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Godreche filed her complaint against Jacquot in February, shortly after she began speaking publicly about her relationship with the Farewell, My Queen director in the 1980s, which she says began when she was 14-years-old and he was 40. In the wake of Godreches revelations, Roy filed a complaint for sexual assault against the director, and Le Besco filed a complaint for rape of a minor over 15 years old. The alleged assaults took place over a period between 1998 and 2007.

Jacquot was taken into police custody Monday for questioning. Speaking to the media, Jacquots lawyer said he had been allowed to return home Tuesday.

Director Jacques Doillon was also taken into police custody on Monday for questioning in a separate complaint filed by Godreche, who accuses Doillon of abusive behavior during the making of his 1989 film The 15-Year-Old Girl, in which she starred. Doillon denies all allegations. Prosecutors have yet to make a decision on his case.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter
The Navy destroyer Mason returned home to Naval Station Mayport, Florida, on Monday after more than eight months of deployment, in which it faced unprecedented attacks from Iran-backed-Houthi rebels, the sea service said.

Deployed as part of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, Mason was one of the warships at the forefront of countering Houthi drones and missiles during its cruise in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

All told, Mason was deployed for 263 days in those waters and in the Mediterranean Sea.

All the Houthi-US Navy incidents in the Middle East (that we know of)

I am extremely proud of this battle tested and battle proven crew who achieved unparalleled accomplishments while deployed, Masons commanding officer, Cmdr. Justin B. Smith, said in a statement. No matter the threat or challenge, they demonstrated an innate ability to sustain a high level of readiness for eight months by thinking on their feet and quickly reacting. As result of their abilities, they protected Masons crew and exceeded all mission tasking throughout deployment.

Mason not only shot down air attack drones and anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from Houthi territory in Yemen that targeted both Navy and merchant ships, but also escorted and rescued 26 merchant vessels as they transited the narrow Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea.

The Navy destroyer Mason arrived home Monday. The warship's sailors are shown here heaving in a line in May. (Navy)

In one such instance, on Nov. 26, Mason captured pirates who had seized the M/V Central Park, boarding the vessel and freeing crew members who were stuck in the ships citadel.

The rest of Ikes strike group, including the carrier, the cruiser Philippine Sea and the remaining warships of Destroyer Squadron 22, are now headed home as well, and were operating in the Mediterranean this week, according to the Navy.

The current battle in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden between the Houthis and the Navys surface fleet is the most sustained and kinetic action the sea service has seen since World War II.

The crew of the Navy destroyer Mason puts in work in March during its deployment to the Middle East. (Navy)

Its also the first time that anti-ship ballistic missiles have ever been used in combat, according to Navy brass.

While Ikes air wing has pounded Houthi sites in Yemen and intercepted ordnance, warships like the Mason have often had mere seconds to identify and take out such attacks.

U.S. and coalition vessels also are being targeted, Rear Adm. Marc Miguez, commander of Ikes Carrier Strike Group 2, wrote this month in the U.S. Naval Institutes Proceedings magazine. We have to be right 100 percent of the time, but the Houthis have to be right only once.

An unidentified sailor assigned to the Navy destroyer Mason hugs a loved one after returning to Naval Station Mayport, Florida, on Monday. (Navy)

Mason and its strike group comrades steamed more than 65,000 nautical miles during this tour, launching more than 100 Standard and Tomahawk missiles, according to Miguez.

The strike groups air wing has fired more than 80 air-to-air missiles and released more than 350 air-to-surface weapons, he wrote.

This is all against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who are menacing civilian merchant shipping, including using anti-ship ballistic missiles against these noncombatants, Miguez wrote.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Family and friends will hold a candlelight vigil on Wednesday for a 28-year-old woman killed after police said she fell off the hood of an SUV last week.



The Clark County coroners office identified Alondra Rivera as the person discovered Friday night around 11:30 p.m. near Nellis and Charleston boulevards.

Rivera had allegedly been fighting with an unknown person while on the hood of an SUV, according to police.



The driver was suspected of making several stops, which may have caused Rivera to fall off and hit her head, the driver then left the scene, police stated.

Steve Newland, a friend of Rivera, admits her loss has been heartbreaking.

She was just a good solid person, she was a good friend, and the Las Vegas community, in general, needs more people like her, Newland said. Shes going to be severely missed.

Police also said they are treating the incident as a suspected homicide.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section at 702-828-3521, or email homicide@lvmpd.com. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers or call 702-385-5555.

Riveras family is holding a vigil Wednesday at 7 p.m. near Sahara Avenue and Winterwood Boulevard.

The family of Rivera has set up a GoFundMe account to help the family pay for her funeral expenses.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
SPANISH FORT, Ala. (WKRG)  Kerri Settle was the woman who was shot and killed by her ex-husband Sunday night in Spanish Fort.

Settle worked with the Mobile County Public School System for years, and many of her former students learned of the horrific news.

Family holds onto hope 20 years after Mobiles Shrimp Man cold case murder

She was just a fantastic, patient and outstanding lady, Barry Sullivan, Settles former Murphy High School student, said.

Sullivan said there was no educator like Settle.

She was a beacon of morality in the school system, Sullivan said. At MCPSS, she made a difference in so many peoples lives who crossed paths with her.

We spoke with some of Kerris friends who did not want to be on camera but said Settle dealt with domestic violence for months.

Mobiles homeless voice concerns amid newly hired homeless outreach coordinator

Spanish Fort Police Chief John Barber said this has been the most tragic form of domestic violence he has seen in the area.

Any loss of life is tragic, this is the worst-case domestic situation that we all hear about, Barber said.

Sullivan said he was in shock to find out that Kerris ex-husband, Michael Settle, was the one who took her life.

Its recasting; its shocking, Sullivan said. She was robbed from us from the world. Its shocking to hear not only how she passed but the circumstances in which she had was just very unfortunate.

Fourth of July events on the Gulf Coast

News 5 spoke with Rhyion Ervin, a domestic violence advocate with The Lighthouse of Baldwin County, who said its something they see a lot in the area.

The majority of the people that we serve are victims of domestic violence, Ervin said. We want to be able to respond. We want people to not become immune to it; we dont want people to be immune to it or let people forget that its a real thing.

And as for Kerri Settle, she will be missed.

Of course, Im going to miss her, she was just a great woman, Sullivan 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 WKRG News 5.
DWIGHT, ILLINOIS - APRIL 23: An aerial view from a drone shows John Duffy planting corn on a farm he farms with his father on April 23, 2020 near Dwight, Illinois. Mild, dry weather has farmers in the state scrambling to get their fields planted. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

A farmer planting corn near Dwight, Illinois, on April 23, 2020. Partisan gridlock in Congress has led to a stalemate on the current farm bill, which provides crop subsidies and nutrition assistance. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  The stalemate over the current farm bill may be solidifying a new era in farm politics as it joins the last three farm bills in a trend of delays and partisan division  a contrast from the legislations history of bipartisanship.

Every five years, Congress is tasked with drafting a new federal farm bill. The omnibus law that began 90 years ago as various kinds of payments to support farmers now has an impact far beyond the farm, with programs to create wildlife habitat, address climate change and provide the nations largest federal nutrition program.

The current farm bill process, already nearly a year behind schedule, is at an impasse as Democrats and Republicans clash over how to pay for the bill and whether to place limits on nutrition and climate programs. The previous farm bill expired in September 2023 and has been extended through the end of this September.

Historically, farm bills were completed within a few months of their expiration date. Ten of the 13 farm bills since 1965 were enacted by December 31 in the year of their expirations. But three of the four farm bills since 2008 went beyond that date.

The last three bills  including the 2018 bill, which is the one recent version that passed on time  each had partisan disagreements about spending.

The trend represents a change in how the once-bipartisan legislation is viewed.

The last two farm bills were the anomaly, said Jonathan Coppess, a professor of Agricultural Law and Policy at the University of Illinois who has written a history of the farm bill. Now that it has been three in a row, Im not sure that holds.

A recent report from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service notes that starting in 2008, farm bills have been subject to delays, vetoes and insufficient votes to pass on the floor.

The report concluded: Over time, farm bills have tended to become more complicated and politically sensitive. As a result, the timeline for reauthorization has become less certain.

Spending debate

That uncertainty is true of the current farm bill, as Republicans in the House and Senate push for spending limits that Democrats say are non-starters.

I dont think were close to getting a farm bill done until the folks who are negotiating the farm bill are realistic about whats doable within a constrained resource environment, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in an interview on the radio program AgriTalk June 21.

The Republican-led House Agriculture Committee approved its farm bill proposal largely on party lines at the end of May, after hours of debate and complaints from Democrats that the process had not been as bipartisan as in years past.

Four Democrats voted for the bill in committee, but they joined 20 other Democrats on the committee in a dissenting views letter expressing genuine concern over the trajectory of the Majoritys partisan farm bill  which they predicted would be stuck in delay and dysfunction without significant changes.

The Senate Agriculture Committee has yet to vote. The Republican and Democratic leaders of the committee have each put forward contrasting bills and expressed their frustration.

The most frustrating time

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat who is retiring after this term, has called the process the most frustrating of her career and said she would not let the Republican approach for the farm bill be her legacy.

Ive actually been involved in six farm bills and led on three of them, and this has been the most frustrating time, said Stabenow in an interview with Michigan Advance at the end of June. Because its so much more partisan than usual and particularly around food assistance.

Partisan division is not uncommon in todays Congress but is notable on the farm bill, which had historically brought together lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. Bipartisan support can be necessary for final passage because the size of the $1.5 trillion farm bill means it inevitably loses some votes from fiscal conservatives and others.

If you dont have a bipartisan bill, this is not going to happen, and that is no matter whos in charge. The margins are too close to be able to get this done without bipartisan support, said Collin Peterson, a former Democratic House member from Minnesota and Agriculture Committee Chairman.

The key dispute for Democrats this year is a funding calculation that would place limits on the Thrifty Food Plan formula that calculates benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP.

Republicans are using the limits to offset other spending in the bill on crop subsidies. The top Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Arkansas Sen. John Boozman, said he wants to put more farm in the farm bill.

Peterson, who is now the head of an eponymous consulting firm, said in an interview with States Newsroom that Republicans would likely have to make changes to the nutrition title to get a bill to final passage.

It is unrealistic to think they are going to get this done without significant changes in that part of the bill, he said.

An uneasy alliance from the start

The nutrition program that is at the center of the impasse was added to the legislation 50 years ago to help build a coalition of wide-ranging bipartisan support.

Lawmakers added the nutrition title to the farm bill in 1973, a move that widened the vested interest in the bill in the House. Lawmakers who wanted to increase payments for cotton and wheat farmers in their districts were able to bring in support from representatives from districts whose citizens could benefit from food aid.

That was the first coalition building between the two interests, Coppess said. But it was pretty intense. And it was an uneasy alliance from the start.

Since then, the farm bill in many ways has become a food bill. Three-quarters of the mandatory spending in the bill falls under the nutrition title, which includes SNAP, the largest U.S. program that addresses hunger.

The program, formerly called food stamps, supplements food budgets for low-income households. Anti-hunger groups have joined the outside interests pushing for the bill every five years.

But with such a large funding line, the nutrition program has become a target for Republicans who want to cut it to offset other spending in the bill.

The dispute is all the pay-fors, Peterson said. And that has been the issue for the last three farm bills and issue on this one as well.

Peterson, who was chairman of the House Agriculture Committee for the 2008 farm bill and was the top Democrat on the committee for the 2013 and 2018 bills, said partisan division on the committee is not unfamiliar at this phase of the process.

The farm bills he worked on also had partisan votes in the House but eventually found support from both sides after conferencing with the Senate.

At the end of the day, every one of those bills was partisan, until we got through the conference committee, and then at that point it was bipartisan, because the Senate brought some of that to the table, Peterson said. So, kind of, whats going on here went on the last three farm bills.

The most recent farm bill in 2018 was marked by contentious partisan debate centered on SNAPs work requirements and other eligibility rules.

The House Agriculture Committees bill that year initially failed on the House floor and later squeaked through on a 213-211 vote. Twenty Republicans joined all House Democrats in voting against that bill.

After reconciling with the Senate bill and the removal of some of the contentious changes to SNAP, most Democrats flipped their votes in support and the House agreed to the final conference report in a bipartisan vote of 369-47. The dissenting votes included 44 Republicans and three Democrats.

A trend toward fracture

The partisan division over the nutrition title creates new fault lines for the farm bill.

Historically, farm bill alliances were more regional than partisan. They were built on a common ground of support for shared crops or producers: cotton in the South, corn in the Midwest and wheat in the Western Plains.

What was our biggest issue back in the four farm bills that I wrote was not Republican versus Democrat. It was usually Midwest against the Southeast or the Northeast or the Southwest from a crop standpoint, former Senator Saxby Chambliss said in an interview.

Chambliss, a Republican from Georgia, was on the House Agriculture Committee from 1995 to 2002 and the Senate Agriculture Committee 2005 to 2011, which included a stint as chairman and ranking member.

Theres a different political dynamic that exists in the Senate today that did not exist when I was there, Chambliss said. How much of that bleeds into the farm bill? I dont know the answer to that, but obviously its a little more acrimonious than what I ever experienced.

As partisan politics have become more entrenched in regions of the country, with the South becoming more closely aligned with the Republican Party, it has played out in farm-bill politics.

You see a staunch realignment around where the regional and the partisan are now very similar, said Coppess.

The post Frustrating partisan stalemate: the new normal for farm bills? appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
(Bloomberg) -- A federal judge delayed implementation of the US Federal Trade Commissions near-total ban on noncompete agreements, the first salvo in the high-stakes legal fight over how much freedom workers should have to switch jobs within an industry.

Most Read from Bloomberg

US District Judge Ada Brown in Dallas sided with the US Chamber of Commerce and a Texas-based tax firm that claimed in a lawsuit the agency lacks authority to craft rules defining unfair methods of competition. The groups warned the unprecedented rule would invalidate 30 million employment contracts in a move that amounts to a vast overhaul of the national economy.

The ban was set to take effect nationwide Sept. 4. It will now be on hold until August for the groups that seek to permanently strike the rule from the books, while the judge considers the merits of their suit.

Brown said in her ruling Wednesday that the challenge to the measure is likely to succeed on the merits, and that the public interest weighed in favor of temporarily blocking the rule.

The FTC approved the new rule in April, arguing that noncompete agreements unfairly block workers from switching jobs and undermine labor competition. The ban is backed by labor organizations AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union, Democratic senators and attorneys general from California, Illinois and 17 other states.

The FTC stands by our clear authority, supported by statute and precedent, to issue this rule, Douglas Farrar, a spokesperson for the agency, said in a statement. We will keep fighting to free hardworking Americans from unlawful noncompetes, which reduce innovation, inhibit economic growth, trap workers, and undermine Americans economic liberty.

The rule would ban most noncompete agreements, including those of senior executives. Existing agreements for executives who earn more than $151,164 a year in a policy making position would remain in place under the FTCs ban, while those binding lower-level workers would become unenforceable.

Business groups argue the FTCs rule is overly broad and limits the ability of companies to protect confidential information. The ban would impact businesses and people across the workforce  everyone from doctors to tax professionals to hair stylists  and shift the balance of power between bosses and staff.

This ruling is a big win in the Chambers fight against government micromanagement of business decisions, the Chamber of Commerces chief counsel Daryl Joseffer said in a statement. The FTCs blanket ban on noncompetes is an unlawful power grab that defies the agencys constitutional and statutory authority and sets a dangerous precedent where the government knows better than the markets.

About one in five Americans is bound by a noncompete agreement, a March 2022 Treasury Department report found. In some industries, including technology and health care, its even higher. Studies found as many as 45% of primary care physicians and 35% to 45% of tech workers are bound by noncompete clauses.

As noncompetes have fallen out of favor in a number of states, many companies hit by rivals with talent raids have fought back with lawsuits, alleging that former employees took proprietary information when they defected.

President Joe Biden supports the FTC ban and his administration has made competition issues a key part of his economic policy.

Browns decision could be appealed to the conservative US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. The appeals court has become a favorite for conservative opponents of Bidens policies related to federal regulatory power, guns, abortion and social media regulation.

The case is Ryan v. Federal Trade Commission, 3:24-cv-00986, US District Court, Northern District of Texas (Dallas).

(Updates with scope of injunction, uptick in litigation over talent raids)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Lincoln Hills, a detention facility the state has ordered closed by 2021. (Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections)

A 16-year-old boy was charged last week with second-degree reckless homicide, felony murder and two counts of battery of 49-year-old Corey Proulx, a youth counselor for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections at Lincoln Hills School for Boys who was killed at work.

The youth prison  as well as Copper Lake School for Girls  are in Irma and are known for reports of a violent atmosphere and other serious problems for youth and staff. Last week, Gov. Tony Evers ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of Proulx.

Our hearts break for Corey, his family and loved ones, his colleagues at the department, and all those who knew and loved him. By all accounts, Corey was a dedicated public servant who led with kindness and compassion in his commitment toward helping and supporting the youth he worked with, Evers said.

A plan to close the facilities was developed in 2017 but remains in limbo. Attorneys have said that before Proulxs death, officials had tried to get the youth moved to Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center (MTJC), a facility in Madison that provides specialized treatment services for juveniles transferred from the Department of Corrections, but they were unsure if there was space for him at the facility. Plans to expand the facility have been delayed due to objections from Republican lawmakers.

Currently, MJTC has 29 beds, but expansions of the facility are meant to bring that total to 94 beds, including 50 new additional beds and 15 renovated spots. The expansion is supposed to help work towards the closure of Lincoln Hills in accordance with Wisconsin Act 185. Additional staff is necessary to meet the medical and behavioral needs of those at the facility. The Department of Health Services submitted a request in January to the Joint Finance Committee for the approval of about 124 positions, which was estimated to cost about $12 million.

A lawmaker on the committee objected to the request in February and it has yet to be fulfilled. Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) and Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) said in a joint statement on Tuesday that the committee has not denied DHS funding request for MJTC.

There has not been a vote on this request. We have asked DHS several clarifying questions in order to move this request forward, but have not received complete responses to date, the co-chairs said.

The lawmakers also noted in the statement that the Mendota population for the last six months has hovered between 19-22 individuals.

We do not know what causes MJTC to refuse transfers from Lincoln Hills. But we do know that there are a lot of factors involved in these decisions, the lawmakers said.

The lawmakers requests were explained in a May letter to Department of Administration Secretary-designee Kathy Blumenfeld and Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Kirsten Johnson. In the letter, the co-chairs said the expansion of the facility needs to be done on a scale and schedule that are appropriate for current and future demand for MJTC treatment services and, further, must be done in coordination with other changes in the juvenile justice system. If this is not done, the cost of MJTC operations could exceed the appropriation authority, and program revenue, available in the Department of Corrections to pay those costs.

The letter asked the departments to develop and provide a plan to the committee that considers several factors including whether there will be sufficient funding for additional costs, staffing based on realistic population projections and whether the facility could be adapted to serve more juvenile treatment and custodial needs. It suggested that the facility may not need as many staff positions as requested.

The total secure juvenile correctional population has decreased substantially over the past decade, and MJTC has remained below its full, existing capacity for much of the past few years, the chairs stated. Although it is possible that the juvenile correctional population will increase again in the future, it is important that the state plan for the possibility that it will not.

Lawmakers requested that the departments respond to the request by September 16.

In a letter last month, Evers said he was disturbed, and that it seems that Republicans were abandoning the basic tenets and goals of 2017 Act 185 and the efforts to close Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake and reform our juvenile justice system, which once enjoyed unanimous, bipartisan support.

Evers, urging lawmakers to release the funding, said the delays are unacceptable. He also provided additional information about the ongoing work that DHS is doing, including the incremental staffing plan.

In a statement this week, Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said the administration has faced near-constant obstruction and inaction from Republican lawmakers whove consistently and repeatedly delayed or refused to approve the investments, policy changes, and rules necessary to make closing Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake possible.

One Democrat told the Wisconsin Examiner that the withholding of the money is an ongoing pattern with Republicans on the committee.

Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee), said her heart goes out to the family of Proulx, the youth counselor who died. To some degree, I dont think it was a surprise, she added. She said the state isnt prepared to address the growing behavioral and mental health problems of youth in the state in part because of the refusal to invest more money in services for juveniles. She said the Mendota facility is a place where youth can go and they can become stabilized with their mental health. They have the expertise. They have the doctors there, where they can get ongoing therapy and treatment, and they actually can make them take their meds to help stabilize them.

The department came to us and they asked for additional staffers so that they could adequately care for these kids, and nothing was being done, and the reality is the community pays, [Proulxs] family is paying for our inability to not do the right thing, and thats not right, Johnson said.

Johnson said the current impasse is a result of Republican lawmakers not wanting to give power or authority over to the governor and his administration. She said Republicans often keep a tally of how many positions they can pull from departments.

If positions are not being filled, the first thing that they do is eliminate those positions. And we know that theres a worker shortage, Johnson said. That doesnt mean that the position isnt needed.

Born and Marklein said on Tuesday, however, that they want to get this done. The lawmakers noted that the Legislature approved 43 additional positions for Mendota in the 2019-2021 state budget, making for a total of 93 positions, and that the positions were only recently filled.

If we had instantaneously approved the funding when it was requested in February, by DHS own description, the positions in this funding would not be ready to increase capacity until August, the co-chairs said. The bottom-line is that the administration should stop pointing fingers, misleading the public and start solving problems by answering our questions and working with us to complete the process.

The post Funding for Mendota treatment center withheld by Republican lawmakers appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
If FWISD trustees want to discuss dismal STAAR scores, they should do it openly | Opinion

The Fort Worth school district faces a lot of deficits and shortfalls these days.

Theres the decline in student enrollment, now nearly a decade-long phenomenon. Theres consistent budget shortfalls, which the administration, to its credit, is addressing. And theres the ongoing gap between students performance in basic skills and their grade level.

Hanging over it all is a lack of trust and confidence in the school board. And the trustees just made that one worse.

The board apparently discussed, in a closed session, the most recent results of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, the STAAR tests. Ostensibly, it did so as part of its ongoing lawsuit against the state over campus and district ratings. But in doing so, it stretched the Texas Open Meetings Act in a way that clearly violates the intent, if not the letter, of the law.

The open-meetings law secures the publics right to see how its business is done. Exceptions are made for reasonably sensitive matters, such as specific personnel issues and the need to obtain frank advice from legal counsel. But it is not meant to obscure policy discussions or help shield governments from bad news.

Were hard-pressed to believe that the board members briefing was limited strictly to the relationship between the latest STAAR scores and the lawsuit, in which Fort Worth and other districts allege the state unfairly changed the criteria for campus A-F grades. Might the discussion have included how best to spin the results, which showed many students are falling short of grade-level achievement in crucial subjects, especially reading and math?

Otherwise, what was even the point? The scores are released to the public in great detail, for individual districts and the state overall.

Perhaps this seems like a minor incidence of dodging the sunshine of public scrutiny. But trust eroded is hard to build back. And its not like the extra discussion made for a better answer on whats happening in Fort Worth schools. The grim news about student achievement is plain for anyone willing to see it.

This type of thing is why parents, taxpayers and voters turn up at meetings complaining about transparency and accountability. Its easy to dismiss them as cranks or focus on those burning up about social issues or library books. Citizens cannot properly hold their governments accountable if their representatives insist on doing basic business outside of the public eye.

Their recourse may have to come at the ballot box. Five of the nine board seats are on the ballot in May 2025.

Do you have an opinion on this topic? Tell us!

We love to hear from Texans with opinions on the news  and to publish those views in the Opinion section.

 Letters should be no more than 150 words.

 Writers should submit letters only once every 30 days.

 Include your name, address (including city of residence), phone number and email address, so we can contact you if we have questions.

You can submit a letter to the editor two ways:

 Email letters@star-telegram.com (preferred).

 Fill out this online form.

Please note: Letters will be edited for style and clarity. Publication is not guaranteed. The best letters are focused on one topic.
A 15-year-old faces murder charges after police found his grandmother dead inside her home in south Georgia.

Police said they found 52-year-old Nita Ann Luke dead inside her home off Jackson Drive on Saturday. Police found Lukes body covered in blood with obvious signs of trauma.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Officers and Lowndes County Sheriffs Office deputies searched the area and found Lukes 15-year-old grandson walking back and forth in front of the house.

Police took him into custody and found evidence they say connected him to his grandmothers death.

This is one of the most horrific crimes that I have seen, Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan said. I am extremely proud of the teamwork between our first officers on the scene, deputies, detectives, and crime scene personnel, working quickly to identify the offender and taking him into custody. Our prayers go out to the family and friends of Ms. Luke, as they move forward in trying to understand why this unnecessary act of violence occurred.

TRENDING STORIES:

Detectives charged the 15-year-old with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony.

His name has not been released.

Police said more charges are possible.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS
Soldiers are deployed this month at an emergency shelter in Yajalon in Chiapas state, after violence between drug cartels led to the evacuation of thousands from around another village. A brutal drug war has convulsed Mexico's poorest and southernmost state. (Isaac Guzman/Getty Images)

Social media users in Mexico have been circulating a video featuring especially grisly images: a tangle of bloodied bodies, some in tactical gear, lying in a dump truck.

A narrator on the video speaks of the remains as trophies and boasts that the carnage in Chiapas state was the handiwork of the Sinaloa Cartel, once the fiefdom of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, whose successors are moving to expand the imprisoned kingpins former drug-smuggling empire.

This week, Mexican authorities said they discovered 19 bodies on an isolated dirt road, the latest deaths in a brutal trafficking war that has convulsed Mexicos poorest and southernmost state.

The men had been shot dead, according to Mexicos Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, their bodies found in and around the abandoned truck. At least six carried Guatemalan identification.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday called the loss of life "lamentable and blamed a confrontation between two armed groups.

What motivates this? Lopez Obrador asked at his morning news conference. The traffic of drugs and also the traffic of migrants, of people.

Read more: Soldiers and civilians are dying as Mexican cartels embrace a terrifying new weapon: Land mines

The president, whose six-year term ends Oct. 1, has disputed estimates from U.S. officials and others that up to one-third of Mexican territory  including much of Chiapas state  is under the effective control of criminal groups.

The Sinaloa Cartel and its major rival, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, are said to be battling to control lucrative smuggling routes in Chiapas, which shares a long and largely remote border with Guatemala. It was not clear whether the dead were affiliated with the Jalisco cartel; nor did authorities clarify if they were executed or killed in a shootout.

Read more: She sang for 'El Chapo.' Now the cartel kingpin's lawyer wants to be a ranchera star

The area is a prime trafficking corridor for cocaine from South America as well as migrants from across the world who enter Mexico from Central America en route to the United States. The lure of illicit profits has drawn criminal mobs to the scenic zone of jungles, mountains and rivers, where much of the population is Indigenous.

Unfortunately, Chiapas has been caught in the middle of this trafficking war for both drugs and migrants, said Mike Vigil, former head of the Drug Enforcement Administration's overseas operations. Smuggling migrants has now become a multibillion dollar business for the cartels.

Read more: Bullets before ballots: Dozens of Mexican candidates have been killed as cartels seek more control

The Chiapas turf war has wreaked havoc in the once-peaceful state, leaving scores dead, forcing thousands to leave their homes and cratering a once-thriving tourist industry.

"Violence has spread like a cancer in our state," the Chiapas-based Fray Bartolome de las Casas Center of Human Rights reported in April. "This situation is characterized not only by the armed confrontation among criminal groups, but also the intent to control, with strategies of terror, the social, economic and political life of the communities."

While the mayhem in Chiapas is often described as a battle between the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, dozens of armed criminal gangs operate in the state, experts say, some allied with larger groups and others semi-autonomous.

Read more: The U.S. and Mexico settle their avocado standoff  but not without a dig from the Mexican president

The Chiapas municipality of La Concordia, where the bodies were found, has seen waves of violence in recent months.

A spate of attacks on mayoral candidates and their entourages in Chiapas in the run-up to last month's elections left at least 16 dead, including Lucero Esmeralda Lopez Maza, a 28-year-old woman running for mayor in La Concordia.

A series of gun battles there in April killed at least 10, according to police, though a human rights group put the death toll at 25.

Times special correspondent Cecilia Sanchez Vidal contributed to this report.





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.
A gathering of 70 centenarians in Italy broke a Guinness World Record. Photo courtesy of the Fondazione Opera Immacolata

July 3 (UPI) -- An Italian retirement home chain's annual gathering of centenarians broke a Guinness World Record when 70 people who were at least 100 years old attended this year's event.

The Fondazione Opera Immacolata, which operates 11 retirement homes in Veneto and Gorizia, has been holding annual gatherings of centenarians for about 15 years, and the event has steadily been growing.

A Guinness World Records adjudicator was brought in for this year's event in Padua, which saw 70 people who had surpassed their 100th birthdays in attendance.

The event broke the record for the largest gathering of centenarians, which was set by 45 people in Australia in 2016.
Gavin Newsom has some big fans backing him for a 2024 presidential run  but they're in China

Gavin Newsom has some big fans backing him for a 2024 presidential run  but they're in China

Gov. Gavin Newsom has brushed aside calls for him to replace President Joe Biden on the ballot.

But the California Gov. has some fans in China, and they want him to step up.

One user said that Newsom is good looking and is "really suitable to be president."

Gov. Gavin Newsom might have maintained his support for President Joe Biden, but Newsom's Chinese fans think it's time for him to lead his country.

"The California governor is really suitable to be president. He's so handsome," one user wrote on the Chinese social media platform Weibo on Saturday.

Some said that Newsom's speaking style reminded them of former President Bill Clinton and that the California Democrat had a "bright future" ahead of him.

"Biden should have voluntarily stepped aside a long time ago. But even then, Newsom is waiting in the wings and has been playing a critical role in the Democratic Party," a user named Zheng Jun said in a Weibo post on the same day. "When the opportunity arises, he will be best prepared to seize it."

The goodwill for Newsom appears to stem from his last trip to China, which took place in October. During his trip, Newsom spent a week visiting Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai, as well as the provinces of Guangdong and Jiangsu.

Following his visit, Newsom said in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour that he didn't want the US-China bilateral relationship to deteriorate because the two countries are "interdependent."

"Divorce is not an option. We have to define the terms of the future. We have to live together across our differences," Newsom told Amanpour.

Representatives for Newsom did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.

To be sure, the support for Newsom on Weibo wasn't unanimous. Some believed that, given his record running California, Newsom would be a disastrous replacement candidate.

"If Newsom becomes President, the US will be even more screwed. Just look at at the homeless people and illegal immigrants running around San Francisco and Los Angeles," one user wrote in a comment to Zheng Jun's post.

"Throw in those high taxes and the US will eventually turn into a place that exploits the middle class while raising homeless people," the comment added.

Dealing with homelessness in California has been a significant priority for Newsom. The Golden State has long housed a disproportionate share of the nation's homeless population.

According to a study by the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at the University of California, San Francisco, the state makes up less than 12% of the nation's total population but is home to 30% of people experiencing homelessness.

Rumblings of a potential Newsom ticket have grown after Biden's disastrous performance at last week's presidential debate. The 81-year-old's exchanges with his GOP rival, former President Donald Trump was riddled with gaffes and stumbles.

Newsom, for his part, has continued to brush aside calls for him to replace Biden on the ballot.

"You don't turn your back because of one performance. What kind of party does that?" Newsom told MSNBC's Alex Wagner on Thursday. "The president has delivered. We need to deliver for him at this moment."

Read the original article on Business Insider
California Gov. Gavin Newsom attends the presidential debate in Atlanta, Georgia June 27, 2024 (Photo by Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will campaign for President Joe Biden on Saturday at a rally in Bucks County, the Biden campaign said Wednesday. And on Friday, hell be stumping for the president in Pittsburgh, the campaign confirmed.

Biden and first lady Jill Biden will appear in Philadelphia on Sunday at a National Education Association conference, for their first joint Pennsylvania event since the June 27 presidential debate.

The Friday event in Pittsburgh will be in the early afternoon, but the campaign did not have details yet on the location.

The Saturday morning Bucks County event, also precise location still TBD, will be a rally slamming Donald Trumps attacks on our democracy and threats to our fundamental rights and freedoms, according to the Biden campaign. Newsom will appear with state Sen. Steve Santarsiero (D-Bucks), state Rep. Tim Brennan (D-Bucks), Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia, and Ashley Ehasz, the Democratic candidate running to unseat U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-1st District).

Bucks County is widely viewed as the lone remaining swing county in the Philadelphia region, and is key for both presidential candidates. Biden beat Trump here in 2020, and Hillary Clinton eked out a win in Bucks County over Trump in 2016, but by a much smaller margin.

Its not the first time Newsom has stumped for Biden in 2024; hes been a frequent surrogate for the presidents reelection campaign, even telling NBCs Meet the Press in February that it was because of Bidens age that hes been so successful as president.

But pundits have speculated that Newsom and a handful of other Democratic governors, including Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, are on the list of possible replacements for Biden on the Democratic ticket if he decided to step down. While it seems unlikely nearly a week later, after Bidens poor performance during the first debate with former President Donald Trump, a near-constant chorus of columnists and Beltway insiders have suggested the 81-year-old Biden should step aside in favor of a younger alternative as Democrats nominee.

But Newsom has said he is not considering it.

I would never turn my back on President Biden. Never turn my back on President Biden, he said after the debate. I dont know a Democrat in my party that would do so. And especially after tonight, we have his back. We run not the 90-yard dash. Were all in. Were going to double down in the next few months.

Update: This article was updated at 11:35 a.m. July 3, 2024 to add information about Newsom appearing at a Pittsburgh event, and update the campaign rally description.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Gavin Newsom to campaign for Biden in Pittsburgh and Bucks County appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
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.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is pulling the plug on a drug and theft ballot measure that he and top Democrats negotiated over the weekend to thwart a district attorney-led effort to change Proposition 47.

Newsoms office confirmed the move late Tuesday, just after he announced plans to head to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday for a meeting with President Joe Biden and other Democratic governors.

The governors decision is stunning, given all the work leaders put in to craft the last-minute initiative, as well as the time spent selling it to Democratic lawmakers. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, and Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, were pushing legislators to support the bill in a vote that was to be taken late on Wednesday, the night before the Fourth of July holiday and the start of a month-long legislative recess.

Although legislative Democrats were not united in favor of the ballot measure, Newsoms office insisted a lack of votes was not the reason he opted to cancel the measure.

We are unable to meet the ballot deadline to secure necessary amendments to ensure this measures success and we will be withdrawing it from consideration, Newsom said in a statement.

Lawmakers have been working for months on a retail theft package to oppose the California District Attorneys Association initiative, which became eligible for the November ballot in June after proponents gathered more than 900,000 signatures in support.

The district attorneys have long blamed what they see as a rise in retail theft and drug crimes on Proposition 47, a 2014 voter-approved measure that made some lower-level crimes misdemeanors and set a $950 felony threshold for shoplifting.

Newsom, Rivas and McGuire have been pushing a 14-bill package tightening penalties on retail theft offenses as their answer to the ballot measure. Theyve said their legislation will do a good job of dealing with these crimes, and its not necessary to change Proposition 47.

Now, Newsom said he plans to sign those measures and focus on additional legislative efforts.

I look forward to working with the Legislature and our public safety and retail partners to go even further in the days ahead, without returning to the damaging policies of decades past, Newsom said.

Lawmakers were expected to pass the bill package during Assembly and Senate floor sessions on Wednesday. But after Newsoms maneuver, leaders will delay acting on the measures until August, according to Rivas office.

DA ballot measure moves forward

The governors announcement comes after nearly a month of failed attempts from Democrats to negotiate the district attorneys initiative off the ballot.

In June, Rivas and McGuire changed some of the bills in the retail theft package to void the legislation if voters approve the district attorneys measure. This move divided Democrats, some of whom began receiving significant pressure from district attorneys and law enforcement groups to oppose the changes.

During the weekend, leaders stripped the changes from the bills and changed strategies.

We are pleased the governor and Legislature have dropped their countermeasure and welcome them to join our campaign to responsibly amend Prop. 47 to deal with retail theft, the fentanyl crisis and homelessness, said Greg Totten, District Attorneys Association CEO, in a statement.

The Sacramento Bee has reached out to Rivas and McGuires offices for comments on the governors announcement.

The reversal comes hours after Newsoms campaign confirmed the governor would travel to Washington Wednesday to stand with the President at a White House meeting with Democratic governors.

After his shaky performance in last weeks debate, Biden is defending against increasing questions about his mental acuity and calls for him to step down  including from officials within his own party.

Newsom leaving for D.C.

Newsom, an official Biden campaign surrogate, has vehemently backed the President following the debate and attempted to redirect attention back toward former presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

All this other talk... its unhelpful and unnecessary, Newsom wrote in a fundraising email the morning after the debate. We arent going to turn our backs because of one performance. What kind of party does that?

The governor has held the line on supporting Biden even as a new CNN poll showed three-quarters of voters want someone other than the president on the Democratic ticket. Newsom also planned to campaign for Democrats in New Hampshire on Monday.

The governor is leaving the state in the midst of a dangerous heat wave and a number of new wildfires in Northern California, including a blaze near Oroville that has prompted evacuation orders for more than 13,000 people.
SACRAMENTO, California  Gov. Gavin Newsom will travel to Washington on Wednesday to attend a meeting between President Joe Biden and Democratic governors amid the fallout from the presidents disastrous debate with former President Donald Trump.

"Governor Newsom will head to White House tomorrow to attend the Governors meeting and to stand with the President, a spokesperson for the California Democrat said late Tuesday.

As White House aides scramble to tamp down fears about the presidents cognitive abilities in the wake of Thursdays shaky debate performance, Biden will gather with Democratic governors and congressional leaders Wednesday evening. The meeting follows a Monday call when two dozen Democratic governors gathered to discuss among themselves how they should respond to the crisis situation. Newsom, whose name frequently appears in polls alongside other Democratic surrogates like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker as potential replacements, was not on the call.

Newsom is a steadfast Biden supporter and was on hand in Atlanta last week to try to buoy the president from the spin room after the debate that saw the 81-year-old incumbent appearing confused and struggling to answer some questions. Newsom, while acknowledging a lackluster performance, quickly dismissed calls for Biden to step aside, saying that the American public should look at his record in office  not a 90-minute debate.

Newsom has continued offering vocal  and financial  support for the Biden campaign in the days since the debate, helping raise several hundred thousand dollars for the president and the Democratic National Committee in the hours after it aired. Meanwhile Newsom did his best to ignore intense speculation about whether he would step in to replace the president on the Democratic ticket.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  Legislation outlawing blaming a victims sexual orientation or gender identity for a crime is on the desk of the governor.

House Bill 4718, if signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, would amend Act 175 of 1927, the current code regarding criminal procedure in the state, with a new section that would outlaw the use of the gay/trans panic defenses in criminal proceedings.

The gay/trans panic defense is a legal strategy used by perpetrators of violent crimes, who claim that the victims perceived or actual gender/sexual identity was a source of distress that caused them to react violently.

Under the proposed law, an individuals gender/sexual identity would no longer be admissible as evidence of reasonable provocation, grounds for claims that an act was committed in the heat of passion, or evidence for reduced mental capacity.

The policy this bill encompasses is something I have been focused on for quite some time, and to see it pass through both the House and the Senate is monumental, said Speaker Pro Tempore Laurie Pohutsky (D-17), who introduced the bill. This legislation, along with other bills we have passed this term, significantly expands legal protections for LGBTQ+ communities. The fight for security isnt over, but Im proud to see how far weve come.

This defense has been used in Michigan at least 4 separate times, according to a study published by a criminal justice professor from St. Edwards University. In Lansing, in 1999, defendant Semaj Beals argued, unsuccessfully, that he shot and killed a gay man because of unwanted sexual advances, a Michigan Court of Appeals ruling upholding his conviction says.

See the proposed law below:

Sec. 21d. (1) Evidence of the discovery of, knowledge about, or potential disclosure of an individuals actual or perceived sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation is not admissible for any of the following purposes:

(a) To demonstrate reasonable provocation.

(b) To show that an act was committed in a heat of passion.

(c) To support a defense of reduced mental capacity under section 20a of this chapter.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law of this state, an individual is not justified in using force against another individual based on the discovery of, knowledge about, or potential disclosure of the victims actual or perceived sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. The proposed Chapter VIII, Section 21d. of the Act 175 of 1927, which would be codified if House Bill 4718 is signed by Whitmer

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
A Georgia farm worker was killed in a freak accident inside a grain silo Tuesday morning, according to WTXL.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The accident happened at Rentz Farm Supply in Bainbridge just before 11 a.m.

TRENDING STORIES:

According to WTVM, workers were inside a grain silo replacing the roof that had been damaged by a tornado when a support beam failed and fell on the worker. The worker, who was not identified, was killed almost instantly.

The worker was from Cairo, Georgia.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Investigators told WTVM that the mans death was purely accidental.

Decatur County is in south Georgia.
A 15-year-old faces murder charges after police found his grandmother dead inside her home in South Georgia.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Police said they found 52-year-old Nita Ann Luke dead inside her home off Jackson Drive on Saturday. Police found Lukes body covered in blood with obvious signs of trauma.

Officers and Lowndes County Sheriffs Office deputies searched the area and found Lukes 15-year-old grandson walking back and forth in front of the house.

Read: New Florida law requires police ask certain questions to suspected domestic violence victims

Police took him into custody and found evidence they say connected him to his grandmothers death.

This is one of the most horrific crimes that I have seen, Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan said. I am extremely proud of the teamwork between our first officers on the scene, deputies, detectives, and crime scene personnel, working quickly to identify the offender and taking him into custody. Our prayers go out to the family and friends of Ms. Luke, as they move forward in trying to understand why this unnecessary act of violence occurred.

CLICK HERE to read the full story by WSB-TV.

Read: White shrimp named official Georgia State Crustacean

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Georgia lawmakers look to open jobs to more workers who need license to work

The Georgia Nursing Board sets the standards for nurses who wish to work in the field as part of an extensive licensing and certification process. The Georgia Justice Project is collaborating with legislators to propose a measure that would reduce some of the criminal barriers to dozens of professions that require licensing. Don Murray/Getty Images

April Williams was eager to resume her nursing career when she applied this year with a Georgia agency for a license that is required for 30% of the American workforce.

After initially forgetting to provide her graduate school transcript, the Byron resident resubmitted her paperwork several other times. However, after several weeks of waiting, she was ready to vent her frustration before a panel of state lawmakers tasked with investigating issues within the Secretary of States Division of Professional Licensing Boards.

The Joint Blue Ribbon Committee Investigating Licensing Issues is expected to hold several meetings this year as it considers ways to reduce professional licensing glitches, costs and the amount of time it takes to process and review applications. Ideas include adopting more universal standards and making it easier to transfer licenses from other states and countries.

The old joke among people who advocate for better access to jobs in Georgia is you need a license to cut someones hair, but you dont need one to build a house. Yet to be seen is if state lawmakers are ready to make it easier to get a state-licensed job.

The state division performs administrative and clerical work for 42 licensing boards covering dozens of professions, including architects, electrical contractors, cosmetologists, social workers and nurses. A number of other independent boards oversee the job certification for physicians, engineers and realtors and other professionals.

Williams said the licensing staff often takes too long to respond to her emails and voicemails and that she was told nobody was available in the Macon office to help her complete the application when she offered to visit several times recently.

Her plan now is to return to California to work under contract as a registered nurse until she finds out what happens to her Georgia license.

I definitely agree the workers need to be back in the office because when you do get someone on the phone, you can tell they are not engaged. They are overworked. Theyre not helpful. Theyre not happy, Williams said at the June 26 committee meeting held at Middle Georgia State University in Macon. I have a family to feed. I have a mortgage to pay.

Republican Rep. Matt Hatchett, who co-chairs the joint committee, says the most common complaint lawmakers like himself receive from the public is about the unreliable licensing analysts and call center employees they come in contact with while applying to become certified in a certain profession.

Professional licensing division director Gabriel Sterling said longstanding problems with understaffing and underfunding, outdated technology and laws, have contributed to the backlog of applications.

Sterling said that theres been early success cutting down how long staff takes to respond to customer voicemails and emails, due in part to the voicemail system no longer having a limit of 100 messages.

A new online application system is being developed by the company to make the licensing and certification process easier. The system has so far cost $3 million, but additional funding is required as more occupations come online.

The licensing division will benefit from having a full-time director take over later this month, Sterling said. Sterling works in other roles for the secretary of state and became the public face of the elections division after Georgias 2020 presidential election.

A common misconception in the public is that the secretary of state dictates how professional boards operate, he said.

We cant tell a board to do anything, Sterling said. They are the issuer of the license and were there to provide the administrative support.

Georgias growing workforce has contributed to an increase in occupational licenses distributed each year. There are currently 545,518 active licensees, an increase from about 440,000 in 2018, but the number of full-time employees has not increased to meet the demand.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has praised lawmakers for increasing this years budget for the professional board division by $1.5 million, making it possible to hire more full-time employees.

Raffensperger, however, wants a larger share of the state budget allocated to the licensing, which generates about $30 million in fees each year but sees more than half of the revenue diverted to the state general fund.

Changes in licensing

Republican Sen. Rick Williams of Milledgeville, who has been a licensed funeral director for 51 years, said theres a problem with some state boards that seem more intent on protecting their profession by creating more barriers for people trying to get a license.

A major change in occupational licensing laws came in December when the Georgia Supreme Court adopted a legal framework requiring that mandated state-approved certifications must have a compelling interest in protecting the publics health, safety and welfare.

The courts unanimous ruling sided with plaintiffs challenging a 2016 law that required maternal lactation consultants to be state-certified after completing multi-year coursework and testing programs offered by a private consultant board.

Sen. Larry Walker III, a Perry Republican, said the committee should look to simplify the licensing process to address workforce shortages in health care and other fields. Nursing applicants who also want to prescribe medicine sometimes have to spend more than a year waiting to be certified by a medical board that licenses physicians after already obtaining a license from a nursing board, he said.

If they dont have a compelling interest in those areas, I dont think we ought to charge somebody a fee and require them to jump through all these hoops just to earn a living, Walker said.

The Georgia Legislature has passed several licensing bills during the past two sessions, including allowing military veterans and their spouses to quickly obtain provisional licenses for jobs that they were previously certified to work in another state.

New state laws this year allow marriage and family therapists to get expedited licenses, while workers who only apply makeup and shampoo, blow-dry and braid hair no longer have to become licensed cosmetologists, who must complete hundreds of hours of training to provide more extensive haircare services.

A licensing task force put together by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has recommended permitting the licensing board directors to issue licenses if the board doesnt respond within 60 days after an application is filed.

Criminal justice reform advocates and bipartisan lawmakers have been pushing to remove barriers for people with convictions on their record that are unrelated to the occupation they are seeking a work in.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Georgia man accused of exposing himself to kids outside businesses

A Georgia man is facing charges after allegedly exposing himself to minors on Tuesday.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Panama City officers were called to several businesses in the area of 23rd Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Police said they received several reports of a man exposing himself to minors.

The man was identified as Shaune David Tighe, 45, of Fannin County, GA.

TRENDING STORIES:

Tighe was arrested and charged with one count of indecent exposure and two counts of lewd or lascivious exhibition. He was booked into the Bay County Jail.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Panama City Police Department at 850-872-3100. Tipsters can remain anonymous by contacting Crime Stoppers at 850-785-TIPS.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:








BERLIN  Germany authorized the export of more than 7.5 billion (U.S. $8 billion) in military goods during the first half of the year, nearing the total amount in 2023, according to recently released government data.

Last year, Germany exported a total of 12.2 billion, setting an all-time record for the country that has historically presented itself as extra cautious when it comes to delivering weapons and flexing its defense industry.

But this year, up until June 18, the government had already exported 61% of the value of military items in the first half of 2024 compared to the entirety of the year prior. The majority of the exports this year were classified as weapons of war.

The data was released after a parliamentary inquiry by a member of the Bundnis Sahra Wagenknecht political party.

Ukraine remained the No. 1 destination, receiving almost 4.88 billion worth of materiel in the first half of 2024. This is more than twice as much as Germany provided to the embattled nation during the entire first year of Russias full-scale invasion.

Germany has become a key supplier of arms for Ukraine, second only to the United States. About 65% of German weapons exports so far this year have gone to Ukraine.

Germany has resumed significant arms exports to Saudi Arabia, despite allegations of human rights abuses. The kingdom was fourth on the governments list of countries receiving the largest totals of German military exports, at almost 132.5 million.

Germany effectively froze military sales to the kingdom in 2018 following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the countrys consulate in Turkey, and amid its military campaign in Yemen.

Notably, the German government provided a note along with its data, saying Saudi weapons sales were related to joint projects with other European Union and NATO partners.

The other three countries in the top five were Singapore at 1.209 billion; India at 153.7 million; and the U.S. at 110.6 million. Rounding out the top 10 were Qatar, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil and the United Kingdom.

The government said 91% of German arms exports thus far this year went to close allies  a list of countries primarily in the EU and NATO but also including Ukraine, South Korea, Singapore and several other Western-aligned states in the Indo-Pacific region.

When German voters elected into office the left-of-center government around Olaf Scholz in 2021, one of its campaign promises was to further restrict German arms exports. The country already had strict rules on the books regarding the sale of weapons to countries with poor human rights records, unreliable governments or ongoing wars.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a few months into Scholzs tenure as chancellor, the governing coalition in Berlin  composed of the Social Democratic, the Greens and economic liberal parties  has reversed course.

Following what Scholz famously called a Zeitenwende  a historic turning point  it has presided over the loosening of rules for the sale of German arms, skyrocketing military exports and a significant expansion of domestic military procurement.
Court officials said the officer's theft of the cheese 'seriously damaged the reputation of the country's police force' - FLORIAN GAERTNER/PHOTOTHEK

A German police officer has been fined 2,250 (1,900) and sacked for stealing 180kg of cheddar cheese from an overturned truck after an accident.

The officer, who worked for highway patrol, helped himself to about 500 worth of cheese and loaded it into a police minibus after he was sent to the scene.

His curd caper was later discovered by police chiefs, who sacked the officer, while he was also ordered to pay the fine by a criminal court in Frankenthal.

The officer appealed his dismissal, but it was upheld by the Rhineland-Palatinate higher administrative court, which noted that he took the cheese back to his office and shared it with friends.

He drove a police minibus close to the damaged truck, opened the sliding side door of the police bus and asked the employee of a salvage company working there to hand him several undamaged packages of cheese from the refrigerated container, the court said in a statement.

In his appeal, the officer had argued that the cheese had become worthless as after the accident it was no longer part of the cold chain, the temperature-controlled supply chain used by the cheese provider to safely store the goods.

Damaged reputation

He also argued that he did not eat the cheese himself, an excuse that does not seem to have impressed court officials, who said the theft seriously damaged the reputation of the countrys police force.

The officer had also initially told his superior officers that the cheese was lying in the road, according to German media outlet SWR, but this turned out not to be the case.

The court said the cheese was stolen regardless of the value of the haul, or whether it was at risk of perishing because of the fault with the cooling chamber.

The accident occurred in September 2019, when the van containing the cheese tipped over and the cooling unit was damaged.

According to Tagesschau, a German news programme, the officer asked an employee of a goods recovery company at the scene to let him take the cheese away.

It said he had also been charged under the offence of theft with weapons, as the officer was carrying his service weapon while on duty.

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.
Federal Public Prosecutor General at the Federal Court of Justice is written on a sign at the entrance to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office building. German prosecutor arrests four suspected members of Syrian militia Christoph Schmidt/dpa

Germany's public prosecutor has arrested four suspected members of a Syrian militia and one suspected member of the Syrian secret service, it said on Wednesday.

The detained are suspected of killing and attempting to kill civilians in what amounts to crimes against humanity and war crimes. Four of them are also accused of torture.

The four alleged militia members are said to have joined the "Free Palestine Movement" (FPM) group in Syria in 2011 at the latest, which controlled a neighbourhood in the capital Damascus on behalf of the Syrian regime, according to the statement from the federal prosecutor's office.

The Yarmouk neighbourhood emerged from a Palestinian refugee camp and was completely sealed off from July 2013.

Those detained are alleged to have taken part in the violent suppression of a peaceful demonstration against the Syrian government in 2012, among other things. At least six people were killed.

They are also said to have physically abused civilians at checkpoints. "The victims were hit in the head with fists and rifle butts or kicked," Germany's top prosecutor continued.

The arrests on Wednesday were made in Berlin, Frankenthal in the south German region of Palatinate and in the north, near Boizenburg in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

The state criminal investigation offices of Berlin, Rhineland-Palatinate, Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia were also supported by the Federal Criminal Police Office and Europol.

In the western city of Essen, the premises of another suspect, who is at large, were also searched.

At the same time, three more people were detained in Sweden. They are suspected of crimes in violation of international law that were committed in Syria in 2012, the Swedish public prosecutor's office announced.

The authority did not provide further details about the detained people. However, the information provided by the Attorney General's Office revealed that three other suspected members of the FPM militia were involved in the suppression of the demonstration in July 2012.

Those detained in Germany are shortly to be brought before the investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice, who is expected to issue the formal arrest warrant and decide on their pre-trial detention.

German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann stated that the men "will face charges in Germany for crimes against humanity and war crimes."

"I would like to thank all the state criminal investigation offices involved and our Swedish partners for their excellent cooperation," Buschmann said.
Federal Public Prosecutor General at the Federal Court of Justice is written on a sign at the entrance to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office building. German prosecutor arrests four suspected members of Syrian militia Christoph Schmidt/dpa

Germany's public prosecutor has arrested four suspected members of a Syrian militia and one suspected member of the Syrian secret service, it said on Wednesday.

The detained are suspected of killing and attempting to kill civilians in what amounts to crimes against humanity and war crimes. Four of them are also accused of torture.

The four alleged militia members are said to have joined the "Free Palestine Movement" (FPM) group in Syria in 2011 at the latest, which controlled a neighbourhood in the capital Damascus on behalf of the Syrian regime, according to the statement from the federal prosecutor's office.

The Yarmouk neighbourhood emerged from a Palestinian refugee camp and was completely sealed off from July 2013.

Those detained are alleged to have taken part in the violent suppression of a peaceful demonstration against the Syrian government in 2012, among other things. At least six people were killed.

They are also said to have physically abused civilians at checkpoints. "The victims were hit in the head with fists and rifle butts or kicked," Germany's top prosecutor continued.

The arrests on Wednesday were made in Berlin, Frankenthal in the south German region of Palatinate and in the north, near Boizenburg in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

The state criminal investigation offices of Berlin, Rhineland-Palatinate, Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia were also supported by the Federal Criminal Police Office and Europol.

In the western city of Essen, the premises of another suspect, who is at large, were also searched.

At the same time, three more people were detained in Sweden. They are suspected of crimes in violation of international law that were committed in Syria in 2012, the Swedish public prosecutor's office announced.
German shipyard hands over second of four submarines to Singapore

A submarine is moored in a special ship in Kiel harbor. The new vessel was handed over to Singapore by the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems shipyard on 03 July. Andre Klohn/dpa

The Kiel shipyard Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) in northern Germany is handing over the second of four submarines to Singapore.

Passers-by in the harbour were able to watch as the 70-metre boat was loaded onto a special ship. The Invincible is to be transported to Singapore using the Rolldock Star. A TKMS spokesman did not comment on this when asked.

In April, the last of four submarines was christened Inimitable at a ceremony at the Kiel shipyard in the presence of German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Singapore's former deputy prime minister and current Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean.

"Singapore is an important partner for us in security policy and our cooperation is not limited to defence cooperation," Pistorius said.

A large proportion of world trade passes through the Straits of Singapore in South East Asia.

The four Invincible-class boats for Singapore are 70 metres long and are among the largest submarines to have been built in Germany since World War II. They have an air-independent fuel cell propulsion system. They are designed for a crew of 28 people.

The total value of the defence contract is likely to be in the billion-euro range.
(Bloomberg) -- The German government blocked the sale of a gas turbine business owned by MAN Energy Solutions SE to a state-owned Chinese shipbuilding company over national security concerns.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Under the deal, which was announced on June 20, CSIC Longjiang GH Gas Turbine Co., Ltd. would have taken over MAN operations in Oberhausen and Zurich to work on developing new gas-turbine product lines. The company, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, develops small and medium-sized turbines, and makes engines for Chinese naval destroyers.

Economy Minister Robert Habeck confirmed the decision to stop the sale and cited Germanys Foreign Trade and Payments Act. Under the terms of the legislation, the government can prevent companies from selling businesses to owners outside the European Union if that is deemed to pose a threat to national security and public order.

The restriction that we have to put in place by law is that we protect technologies that can be a danger to public safety and order from information leaks or from the influence of countries that are not always on friendly terms with us, Habeck said Wednesday at a news conference in Berlin.

CSIC Longjiangs close ties to the Chinese military are the main reason why the German government rejected the deal, according to people familiar with the thinking behind the decision, who asked not to be identified as the deliberations were confidential.

MAN doesnt share the governments view that the turbine technology could be used for military purposes, according to a person familiar with the companys position.

A spokesperson for MAN told Bloomberg by phone that the company plans to respect any decision the government makes once its officially disclosed. CSIC Longjiang was not immediately available for comment outside of normal business hours in China.

On a recent trip to China, Habeck spoke with Chinese government representatives about Germany and Europes growing caution around exporting goods to the Asian nation that could be deployed for both civilian and military purposes.

Germanys Handelsblatt newspaper first reported the Economy Ministrys decision to reject the deal.

--With assistance from Foster Wong.

(Updates with CSIC not immediately available for comment in seventh paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has stated that Berlin will not support a ceasefire that would entail Ukraine's surrender.

Source: ntv, as reported by European Pravda

Details: During question time in the Bundestag, MPs mentioned Ukraine. Asked by Gesine Lotzsch, a Left Party lawmaker, when a ceasefire might be agreed upon, the chancellor lambasted Russian leader Vladimir Putin's "peace proposal".

Quote from Scholz: "In my opinion, we on the German side should never support a ceasefire aimed at the surrender of Ukraine."

Scholz described Putin's proposal as strange. The Kremlin leader has said he would be ready to agree to a ceasefire "if Ukraine also agrees to further annexations".

According to Scholz, this shows "how cynically they think, and that the Russian leader has no intention of ending his war of aggression. Putin only talks about peace negotiations in order to continue the war. We will not allow this," Scholz said.

Lotzsch also asked whether Scholz could "guarantee" that Germany would not become a party to the war. He answered in the affirmative: "Yes, I guarantee that. That's what I stand for as chancellor."

On 14 June, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin came up with new "conditions for the start of peace talks": Ukrainian forces must withdraw from the territory of the four Ukrainian oblasts that are partially occupied by Russia, and Kyiv must declare that it has no plans to join NATO.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said the aim of Putins so-called ultimatum on "peace talks" was to disrupt the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy compared Putins ultimatum to the actions of Nazi Germany.

Support UP or become our patron!
As it gets hotter, 13,000 families in this pocket of America live without electricity

Katherine Benally sat between two open windows in her small home and looked out over a sun-baked field in the Chuska Mountain foothills of the vast Navajo Nation.

As she waited for the cooling cross breeze, the 74-year-old recalled fondly the days when her family grew squash, corn and pumpkin on this property. They sought shade under its trees and had no need for electricity or other modern conveniences.

The weather, she said, it wasnt that hot.

But thats all changed: The Navajo Nation last year declared an extreme heat emergency as temperatures hit well above 110 degrees in parts of the region. And the heat just keeps coming.

These days, Benally barely steps outside her home. What she wants is to go outdoors more often, then return to the cool kiss of air conditioning.

Katherine Benally rarely leaves her Navajo Nation home to avoid the summer heat. - Ashley Killough/CNN

That would be perfect, she said, smiling.

But Benally  like 13,000 families in roughly a third of Navajo Nation households  is still off the electrical grid. Like many here, she uses solar panels to power essentials, such as a small refrigerator and a couple of light bulbs. But the power doesnt last all day.

Now, as global temperatures keep rising, the rush to fully electrify one of the poorest regions in the United States is more urgent than ever.

To that end, several power poles laid flat this month on Benallys land, waiting to be installed so she can connect to the power grid for the first time. Thanks to a non-profit initiative called Light Up Navajo, 46 utility companies from 16 states are partnering this year with the Navajo Nations utility authority to build dozens of miles of power lines under the same kind of mutual aid pacts that help restore power after natural disasters.

Its no easy task in an area known for its rugged terrain and arid climate. But its ever more critical to the health and safety of a community that traces its roots in the American Southwest back at least 800 years.

Its crazy that this still happens in America, said Bryan English, a crew foreman with Trico Electric Cooperative in Arizona whos working his second year in a row on the project.

Connecting a home a mile from Benallys, English wiped sweat from his brow:

I dont think any part of America shouldnt have electricity in 2024.

Business and political factors pose obstacles

Roughly the size of West Virginia, the Navajo Nation long has been rich with energy sources and production. But while private companies tapped those resources in the 20th century to help electrify areas around the Southwest, the Navajo Nation reaped few benefits.

Its a fairly unique rural situation, said Dave Lock with the Grand Canyon State Electric Cooperative Association. A hundred years ago, when the rural electrification effort came into focus, a lot of rural areas across the country were like Navajo Nation: It wasnt profitable for the for-profit utilities to go out and bring them power because of the long distances.

That changed under President Franklin Roosevelts administration in the 1930s, when farmers banded together to create rural co-ops to power remote parts of the country, using federal loans under the Rural Electrification Act. But many Native American nations at the time were still trying to assimilate and fell behind in the electrification efforts, according to a 2023 US Energy Department report to Congress.

Linemen work to install power lines to bring electricity to the Navajo Nation. - Ashley Killough/CNN

The non-profit Navajo Tribal Utility Authority started up in 1959 to help rectify the issue, but a complex myriad of political and geographical obstacles have made it more difficult to get the nation fully on the grid. Among the hurdles, the federal government put a 40-year development ban  known as the Bennett Freeze  across roughly 1.5 million acres of Navajo land to settle a dispute between the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe. The ban, lifted in 2009, barred installation of electricity and other key infrastructure.

The slow, steady slog to connect households to the power grid is expensive. Today, it costs the Navajo Nation $40,000 per family, largely due to the remote, desert land. Its a massive financial challenge in an area where the average annual household income is just over $30,000, less than half the national rate.

Without help from projects like Light Up Navajo, it could cost close to $1 billion to extend electricity to all 13,000 families, tribal utility authorities estimate. That astronomical sum  including hundreds of millions of dollars for transmission lines, electric substations and house wiring  is a huge reason other cooperatives have decided to help, their representatives said.

In 2019, the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority partnered with the American Public Power Association, a non-profit industry lobbying group, to create Light Up Navajo, which so far has connected almost 850 families. But even with help from utilities across the country and groups like the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, another trade group, it could take three more decades to run power to every household.

The partnership relies on a mix of private and federal funding. Workers come out for a 13-week stretch each spring and summer to set up the connections, while the tribal utility authority works year-round to get the homes shovel-ready.

The task is far from over, said Deenise Becenti, the tribal utility authoritys government and public affairs manager. But when companies volunteer manpower and services, it makes the overall mission feel within reach.

If it werent for Light Up Navajo, she said, some of the families whove already received electricity would still be on the waiting list for years to come.

Using cars to charge phones and feel cool air

Living without connected electricity had been a way of life for so many in the Navajo Nation. But with the climate changing and technology advancing, many families are signing up to get on the Light Up Navajo waiting list.

Without a grid connection, residents use their vehicles to charge cell phones or get a brief taste of air conditioning. One young family in Crystal, New Mexico, with a 2-year-old and a baby on the way picks up fresh produce and meat daily from a store 45 minutes away, then cooks dinner over a campfire before the sun goes down, they said. They dont have a working refrigerator.

Many families use camp-style coolers to store food, but those need constant supplies of ice, which quickly melts.

Thirty miles south, Arlene Henry, 56, lives on a small compound with her sisters, children and grandchildren. She planted a tree, hoping to land at least a sliver of shade on their property, but insects thwarted its potential.

Arlene Henry doesn't want to leave her Navajo Nation home, but her family's lack of a link to the power grid as summer temperatures soar frightens her. - Ashley Killough/CNN

A red tricycle sits in the sun near Arlene Henry's home. - Ashley Killough/CNN

Were looking for shade all the time, Henry said. Her family sits outside in the afternoons and seeks relief in the shadow of her home, moving seats around the house to hide from the roving sun. We sometimes bring ice, but it just melts right then and there.

Solar panels power the familys refrigerator, two light bulbs and the flashlights they use to get to their outhouse at night. More than anything, Henry worries about her adult son, who relies on supplemental oxygen and has trouble keeping the tank powered full-time, she said.

In 90-degree heat, she recently eyed her 2-year-old granddaughter riding around on a red tricycle. The little girl enjoyed an ice pop. But after a few minutes, Henry urged her to come back to the shade.

Come this way, baby, come this way, she said. Its too hot over there.

Henry clutched some framed photos of her parents and grandparents who grew up on this land and passed it down to her and her sisters. But now, the lack of electricity scares her  though she also doesnt want to leave this place that means so much.

I thought it was normal, she said of growing up without electricity. But now its getting to me.

A single bulb  and a face  light up

So far this summer, Light Up Navajo has connected 125 homes with 38 miles of power lines built and a goal of connecting 25 more homes by the end of July, when the rainy season starts.

William Lee Tom Jr., 56, benefited from one of those new connections this summer. Hes lived the past 15 years without electricity near Window Rock, Arizona, and didnt want to leave because he can afford this house and its close to his family.

Before the power hookup, Tom and his son often slept outside in his truck or in a wooden, tent-like structure when it got too hot. Once, while out on errands, his son had to go to the hospital due to dehydration, Tom said.

A lot of times, its just unbearable, he said.

Power line workers with Light Up Navajo recently installed poles at Toms property, and on June 13, they strung up the final wires to electrify his house. The crew wore long-sleeved work shirts and white hard hats, with cloth covers draping from the back to protect their necks from the scorching sun.

William Lee Tom Jr. screws in a lightbulb at his Navajo Nation home. - Joel De La Rosa/CNN

After a lineman flipped a few switches on a new breaker box, Tom walked inside and turned on his only light bulb  one hed just bought and installed an hour earlier.

The dark room now had light, but it was the normally reserved mechanics face that lit up even more. Surprised it actually worked, Tom let out a triumphant Alriiiiight!

He paused to look around the room, joking he could now see its messy contents.

Wow, thats neat, Tom added. Ive seen electricity before but not in my own property.

Now, he looks forward to installing an air conditioning unit.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Provided by Gov. Greg Gianforte's Office.

Gov. Greg Gianforte has requested a presidential major disaster declaration from President Joe Biden so federal money can be used to help cleanup and repair efforts in areas of north-central Montana ravaged by heavy rain and snowstorms in early May.

Gianforte sent his ask for aid in Blaine, Chouteau, Fergus, Hill, Judith Basin, Petroleum, Pondera, Teton, Toole and Wheatland counties, as well as Rocky Boys and the Fort Belknap reservations, to Biden on Friday. It had not been granted as of Wednesday afternoon.

From May 5 through May 9, those counties saw winds gusting to 70 miles per hour, heavy snow at the higher elevations including 1-3 feet in the Little Belt Mountains, and several inches of rain that flooded roads, snapped trees and destroyed electrical infrastructure.

While some repairs have already been completed, there are several areas that endured complex extensive damages that will require time, funding, and engineering support to bring back to pre-disaster condition, Gianforte wrote in his request. Most of the impacted areas are extremely rural or are considered Indian Reservation land with a small tax base spread out over a large area. The factors listed above make recovery from this disaster beyond the capabilities of the local emergency fund and the Montana State Disaster fund.

Gianforte activated the State Emergency Coordination Center on May 8 in response to the storms, then declared a flood disaster on May 24.

Precipitation totals across Montana for May 1-7, 2024. (Graphic via National Weather Service)

His ask for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency says the Fort Belknap Indian Community suffered washouts and damage to the road that provides access to their powwow grounds that are currently inaccessible, and Rocky Boys reservation saw homes damaged as well as a retaining wall near the school.

It says several electric co-ops suffered infrastructure damage, having lines or poles snap because of heavy snow and wind, and that they need to be able to recoup repair costs in order to stay functional.

Gianforte told Biden that roads, schools and electric co-op facilities saw more than $3.3 million worth of damage. County per capita losses were between $7.17 and $166.24, Gianforte wrote.

The damages this event incurred to local roads and electrical systems is extensive, putting a financial burden on the communities and electric co-ops, the governor wrote. Furthermore, some of these counties were affected by, and are still recovering from, two declared flooding disasters from 2023.

Montana had two major disaster declarations and one fire management assistance declaration issued last year, including in some of the same counties for flooding that happened last April and June.

24.06.28-Ltr-to-President-Biden-DREAA

The post Gianforte asks Biden for disaster declaration for May flooding in north-central Montana appeared first on Daily Montanan.
The glaciers on a major Alaskan ice field are melting twice as fast than recorded over a decade ago, with researchers saying the rate of ice loss is "incredibly worrying."

The research, led by scientists at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom and published in Nature Communications Tuesday, identified how ice volume on Juneau Icefield has dramatically decreased since 2010 compared to decades prior.

Juneau Icefield lies 2,000 feet north of Juneau and extends through the border with British Columbia and is the fifth-largest ice field in North America.

PHOTO: An eagle flies above the Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska, in an undated photo. (Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty)

Researchers looked at historical data to determine three periods where ice volume significantly changed.

According to the study, from 1770-1979 Juneau Icefield's glacier volume loss remained consistent, losing 0.65- 1.01 kilometers cubed per year. The second period, from 1979-2010, saw ice volume loss increase to 3.08-3.72 kilometers cubed per year.

MORE: Melting polar ice is changing the Earth's rotation and affecting how we measure time: Study

Alarming researchers, between 2010-2020 Juneau Icefield's glacier volume loss accelerated to 5.91 kilometers cubed, according to the study.

"It's incredibly worrying that our research found a rapid acceleration since the early 21st century in the rate of glacier loss across the Juneau Icefield," Dr. Bethan Davies, study leader and lecturer at Newcastle University said in Nature Tuesday.

PHOTO: The Juneau Icefield and its evolution over time. (Nature.com)

Davies explained why the region is susceptible to accelerated ice less amid climate change.

"Alaskan ice fields -- which are predominantly flat, plateau ice fields -- are particularly vulnerable to accelerated melt as the climate warms since ice loss happens across the whole surface, meaning a much greater area is affected," Davies said.

MORE: Food prices could increase further due to climate change's effect on inflation around the world: Study

The study found that since 1770, 108 of Juneau Icefield's glaciers have disappeared completely and mapping in 2019 showed every glacier in the region has thinned.

"As glacier thinning on the Juneau plateau continues and ice retreats to lower levels and warmer air, the feedback processes this sets in motion is likely to prevent future glacier regrowth," Davies said, saying this will potentially push glaciers "beyond a tipping point into irreversible recession."

Glaciers on Alaskan ice field melting at 'incredibly worrying' pace, study finds originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Google Is Failing to Meet Important Climate Targets so Its AI Can Tell You to Put Glue on Pizza

Energizer Bunny

Google's latest environmental impact report shows that the Silicon Valley stalwart is woefully behind its ambitious plan to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, as flagged by The Associated Press. The culprit? AI.

Per the AP, Google's 2023 carbon emissions saw a year-over-year increase of a staggering 13 percent from the previous year and 49 percent from 2019, with Google citing its AI efforts as the driving force behind the shift.

Though AI's energy demands remain mostly invisible to the public eye, it's an incredibly resource-intensive field. AI models practically guzzle energy  one search on OpenAI's ChatGPT, for example, is estimated to be equivalent to that of ten Google searches  by putting heavy stress on the data centers needed to keep the models running. The servers at said data centers also run the risk of overheating, meaning that companies like Google and Microsoft often need to use water to cool them back down. (Both Google and Microsoft use an air-cooling system so long as outside temperatures stay below a certain heat threshold, but in a warming world, there are and will continue to be a lot of hot days.)

In short, Google's quest to keep up in the ongoing Silicon Valley AI race has come at the expense of its efforts to reduce carbon emissions. And though Google and other AI makers continue to promote AI and machine learning as tools for mitigating climate change, the public has mostly seen generative AI products like Google's AI-integrated search telling us to eat rocks and put glue on pizza.

What can we say? At least the cheese won't slip off our slices as the planet withers.

Don't Be Evil

As noted in its report, Google has made an effort to incorporate renewable energy sources into its overall power infrastructure. Even so, the fact remains that the company is moving further away from its climate target  though as Google Chief Sustainability Officer Kate Brandt told the AP, its net zero mission is a real toughie, anyway.

"Reaching this net zero goal by 2030," Brandt told the AP, "is an extremely ambitious goal."

"We know this is not going to be easy and that our approach will need to continue to evolve," she continued, "and it will require us to navigate a lot of uncertainty, including this uncertainty around the future of AI's environmental impacts."

Meanwhile, experts like Amanda Smith, a senior scientist at the climate nonprofit Project Drawdown, are urging everyone  makers and everyday users of AI alike  to be mindful of their AI consumption.

"It's up to us as humans to watch what we're doing with" AI, Smith told the AP, adding that "when it's worth it, we can make sure that those demands are going to be met by clean sources of power."

More on Google and AI: Google Is Using a Flabbergasting Amount of Water on AI
Razor wire along the Rio Grande on the Texas side of the U.S.-Mexico border. Photo by Ariana Figueroa | States Newsroom

Republican legislative leaders say a ballot referral headed for the November election that they claim would give Arizona the ability to enforce federal immigration law is constitutional, and a lawsuit aiming to prevent it from being considered by voters should be thrown out of court.

HCR2060 satisfies the single-subject rule because its provisions relate to one general subject  harms stemming from an unsecure border, wrote attorney Kory Langhofer, who is representing the GOP lawmakers.

House Concurrent Resolution 2060 is a compilation of Republican priorities that was sent to the November ballot after Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed the most controversial proposal in it: a near-identical copy of a Texas law that would allow Arizona police officers and judges to arrest and deport migrants crossing the states southern border anywhere but at an official port of entry. Putting the matter to voters circumvents Hobbs veto pen.

Just a day after the GOP majority greenlit the ballot measure, a Latino advocacy group launched a legal challenge against it in a bid to keep it off the ballot, arguing that it violates the Arizona Constitutions requirement that ballot measures stick to one subject, making it unfit for voters to consider.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Last week, Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma filed their defense of its constitutionality. The states lawyer, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, filed a statement of no position in the case. While it was making its way through the legislature, Mayes voiced strong disapproval of the referral.

Republicans: The border is the single subject

The Arizona Constitution mandates that ballot measures be governed by one subject, and not be made up of several disparate topics or goals. The requirement seeks to prevent logrolling, a practice in which multiple different policies are added to one proposal to recruit votes and ensure its passage when it would have failed on its own.

Opponents of HCR2060 argued that it is a product of logrolling. The proposal, dubbed the Secure the Border Act, not only makes it a state crime to cross the southern border anywhere but at an official port of entry, it also penalizes undocumented Arizonans who submit false documentation to receive public benefits or apply for jobs. And it creates an entirely new class of felony offense, with harsh prison sentences, for people who knowingly sell fentanyl that later ends in someone elses death.

Petersen and Toma argued that each of the provisions aim to resolve problems originating from the states southern border, and therefore comply with Arizonas single-subject requirement.

Plaintiffs claim fails because HCR 2060s provisions are reasonably related to one general subject: responding to harms related to an unsecure border, wrote their attorneys.

Increasing the oversight of who is lawfully employed in Arizona and who uses public benefits is meant to reduce the incentives for illegal border crossings. And the criminalization of lethal fentanyl sales, which has been the provision most pointed to in the act as proof of its unconstitutionality, also addresses a crisis that stems from the unsecured southern border.

In their filing, Petersen and Toma argued that fentanyl was included in the act because lawmakers found that transnational cartels fund their operations in part by trafficking and selling the drug.

And, the duo added, the act also includes an affirmative defense for those accused under its provisions if the fentanyl or the chemicals it was made of were manufactured or legally imported into the U.S. That exception has been the source of much derision from Democratic lawmakers and legal opponents alike, who have pointed out that its impossible to determine where individual fentanyl pills are from, meaning the provision is unlikely to actually help anyone charged with the ballot measures enhanced fentanyl crime.

The GOP leaders noted that the courts have long interpreted the single-subject law broadly, to give the legislature sufficient room to craft policy. As long as the provisions in a ballot measure are reasonably related to each other and fall under a general theme, the ballot measure as a whole is lawful enough to be put before voters in November, attorneys for the duo wrote.

In fact, they added, the courts have only issued two official opinions in more than 100 years on single-subject rule violations, and the Secure the Border Act does not at all fall into the same category as those blatantly egregious cases.

In 2021, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that an attempt by the Republican majority legislature to ensconce mask mandates and critical race theory bans into the 2022 K-12 budget was unlawful. And in 1980, the Arizona Court of Appeals decided to strike down a similar move to place unrelated wishlist items like a mobile dental clinic and executive aircraft for the Department of Public Services in an appropriation bill for a new state prison.

The court should use those two examples as a benchmark for what a single-subject rule violation does look like, wrote attorneys for Petersen and Toma. In light of those two cases, its clear that the Secure the Border Act, which is focused on addressing issues caused by the states southern border, shouldnt be ruled unconstitutional.

The Legislature designed HCR2060 as a holistic approach, to address the public safety crisis at this states southern border by raising the costs and reducing the incentives for such illegal activity that has undermined border security, reads the brief. The general purpose of HCR2060 is thus to reduce such illegal activity and thereby make the border more secure.

Opponents: a violation doesnt have to be egregious

In a response, a trio of immigrant rights advocacy groups reiterated that the court should invalidate the ballot referral and block it from being placed on the November ballot. Attorneys for Poder in Action, the Phoenix Legal Action Network and the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Network, who have joined the legal battle against the ballot referral with Living United For Change, argued that a violation of the states single-subject rule doesnt have to be as blatant as the worst examples pointed to by GOP leaders to warrant striking down the Secure the Border Act.

A Single Subject Rule violation can be either subtle or blatant, but a constitutional violation all the same, wrote attorney Andy Gaona.

The problem with the ballot referral is that it purports to address border security issues, but none of those issues are reasonably related. The prosecution of lethal fentanyl sales is wholly unrelated to the criminalization of undocumented immigrants who cross the border unlawfully or submit falsified documents.

And, Gaona added, the court should pay more attention to how the acts provisions operate in real life than with how Republican lawmakers say they should be interpreted.

The Legislatures attempt to impose state law consequences against those who do not enter the country and State through a legal port of entry or who submit false documents or information in applying for employment or public benefits has nothing to do with imposing criminal liability on every adult who commits the sale of lethal fentanyl, Gaona wrote.

Gaona dismissed the arguments from Republicans that fentanyl was included because the border crisis exacerbates opioid overdoses in the state. Many products, both legal and illicit, cross Arizonas southern border everyday, he argued, but that doesnt mean that theyre related enough to include under the same theme.

The subject of an unsecure southern border doesnt give the Legislature license to cram the regulation of any conduct with any tie whatsoever to the border into a single piece of legislation, he wrote.

Instead, Gaona said, GOP lawmakers have sought to use a tenuous association to tie several policies together  most of which failed to pass with majority support on their own, clearly marking the act an example of logrolling. The provisions in the act are sourced from five different bills, only one of which made it through both chambers of the legislature and was quickly vetoed by Hobbs. The fact that lawmakers at one time placed each policy in a separate bill, Gaona added, is an indicator that even they considered them to be unrelated.

In both filings, GOP leaders and immigrant advocacy groups asked the court to award them attorneys fees if it decided in their favor. Oral arguments in the case are scheduled for July 8.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
A military Su-25 aircraft crashed in Bolnisi during planned military training exercises, resulting in the death of the pilot, Kakhaber Zurabashvili, a member of the Aviation and Air Command of the Defense Forces. The Ministry of Defense has confirmed the incident.In an official statement, the Ministry of Defense reported, "On July 2 of the current year, during one of the planned military exercises, in which the aviation component was involved, one of the aircraft belonging to the Defense Forces experienced a disaster. As a result of the Su-25 disaster, the pilot of the Aviation and Air Command of the Defense Forces, Kakhaber Zurabashvili, was tragically killed."The Ministry has initiated a detailed investigation to determine the causes of the crash. "In order to determine the causes of the mentioned incident, the relevant services of the Ministry of Defense are conducting a detailed investigation," the statement added.The Ministry of Defense expressed profound sorrow over the tragic accident and extended condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased pilot. "The Ministry of Defense expresses its sorrow over the tragic accident and offers its condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased pilot," the statement concluded.Representatives of the Russian occupation forces have illegally arrested a Georgian citizen near the occupied village of Balta, according to the State Security Service of Georgia.The State Security Service immediately reported this incident to the co-chairs of the international discussions in Geneva and other international partners. "Upon receiving the information about the mentioned incident, the State Security Service activated the hotline operated by the EU Monitoring Mission. Information about another fact of illegal detention was immediately reported to the co-chairs of the international discussions in Geneva and international partners," the agency stated.In response to the illegal detention, all existing mechanisms have been activated to secure the prompt release of the detained Georgian citizen. The State Security Service emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, "Responsibility for all destructive actions committed on the occupied territories of Georgia, as well as along the occupation line, rests with the occupying power."
Republicans are divided over how far to go in pressing for Vice President Harris or another Cabinet member to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Biden from office.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is among those publicly raising the highly unlikely prospect, as Republicans seek to turn the table on Democrats who talked about using the 25th amendment against former President Trump.

But as satisfying as that is, Republicans at this point are also happy to have a Trump-Biden rematch. They believe the Democratic president will go down to defeat and that the former presidents coattails could help them retain the House majority.

And while many in the GOP aim to keep the presidents age and health in the spotlight heading into November, others believe Republicans should simply stay out of the way as Bidens troubles mount.

Its just so frustrating when you have the other party lighting itself on fire for all of America to watch, and the only task we have as a party is to stand still and let America witness what theyre doing, one GOP operative involved in downballot races told The Hill. This is not about driving a message other than allowing Americans to see who the leader of the Democratic Party really is.

Weve seen Dems wildly thrashing around since [Thursdays debate]. They have no clue what to do, the operative continued. Republicans dont need to insert ourselves into that episode, we just need to sit back and watch. Its frustrating because were getting ahead of our skis.

Invoking the 25th Amendment, to be sure, is almost certainly not going to happen. But the debate over it reflects the discussions among Republicans about who they would rather square off against in November and how to best campaign against Biden.

Johnson is the most prominent Republican to raise the possibility, which has also been floated by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a member of Senate GOP leadership, and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas)  two members of very different stripes in the party.

In a lengthy social media post, Roy said it is undeniably true that the president is unable to discharge the duties and powers of the presidency, and argued that Republicans are in the catbird seat politically whether its Biden on the ticket or anyone else who would replace him.

Other prominent figures in the party have not gone that far, including Trump, who seems more than pleased to square off with Biden in November. A Saint Anselm University survey released Monday showed Trump leading by 2 percentage points in New Hampshire  a state Biden pulled off by a 7-point margin four years ago.

Its a delicate balance for Republicans though. Waiting in the wings for Democrats is potentially Vice President Harris, and the GOP is mixed about whether she would present a tougher challenge.

No [voter is] changing their mind about Biden and Trump today. They might say, Oh, [Bidens] a lot worse than I thought or Oh, I like Trumps policies better even though I didnt like him, a second GOP operative said. So the Biden-Trump thing is static. A fighting over inches thing.

Kamala or anyone else would be a wild card given their lack of definition, they continued.

A new CNN poll showed as much Tuesday. Harris trailed Trump by only 2 percentage points, compared to a 6-point deficit for Biden. She also outperformed California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, all of whom trailed Trump by at least 4 percentage points.

While maintaining their support for Biden, some Democrats have also made clear they are behind the vice president in case something happens. Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), who was with Harris in Los Angeles in recent days, heaped praise on her while speaking to reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday.

I think shes done an incredible job being a partner to the president and leading the party and leading the country, she said, and I think she will continue to be that.

The idea of Biden potentially stepping down from office or the 25th Amendment being invoked by the Cabinet would also mean Harris stepping into the presidency  something Republicans have already indicated they do not support.

Sen. John Barrasso (Wyo.), the No. 3 Senate Republican, told Fox News in an interview over the weekend Harris would be worse than Biden and that the focus for the GOP should remain on November.

Biden is also a known quantity for Republicans, who have essentially been running against him for four years.

Its tricky. Biden is who were ready to run against, who we can beat, one Senate GOP aide said.

Even Tillis said that through the political lens, he understands why Republicans are making the case to leave Biden be as his poll numbers start to plummet.

Thats where Id land, if I was only thinking about that in the vacuum of politics. I purely understand that, Tillis told The Hill, adding that he disagrees with the idea, as he does not think Biden can carry out his presidential responsibilities.

This guy is going to be the commander in chief for the next seven months, he said, echoing part of his letter on how no company would keep a CEO in the role in the same circumstances.

Across the aisle, the first cracks in Bidens wall of support emerged Tuesday as Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), a member representing a deep blue district, called for him to step aside on the ticket.

However, some operatives believe that even if Harris were to step in, many of the same arguments against the president would apply to her.

Shes been in the front seat of every decision in the last four years, the first GOP operative said. Shes the border czar. I dont think Republican messaging changes much if its her.

The attacks are kind of one in the same, they 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.
He is our nominee: Gov. Cooper, other Democratic governors express support for Biden after White House meeting

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN)  Gov. Roy Cooper joined other Democratic governors from across the country Wednesday as they met with President Joe Biden amid the fallout from last weeks debate performance.

A spokesperson for Cooper said he did not travel to Washington for the meeting but attended virtually.

On Wednesday night, the North Carolina governor released a statement on social media after the meeting, reinforcing the partys intention of moving forward with Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee this November.

We had a good meeting with the President talking about whats needed to win, Gov. Cooper said. Donald Trump is an existential threat to our democracy, and everyone in the room agreed that defeating him is imperative. President Biden told us he is definitely running for re-election, he is our nominee and well continue doing everything we can to deliver North Carolina for him.

The meeting comes after the White House denied a report in the New York Times that Biden told an ally he is considering whether to stay in the race. White House Press Sec. Karine Jean-Pierre also said Wednesday Biden absolutely will not step down.

Several other Democratic governors traveled to meet with Biden in person. Gov. Cooper is a former chair of the Democratic Governors Association.

I know how to do this job: Biden addresses supporters at Raleigh campaign event following shaky debate performance

Were in pretty uncharted territory here, said Chris Cooper, an expert on state politics at Western Carolina University.

He pointed to Gov. Coopers key role in North Carolina as the Biden campaign has made the state a key priority this year after former President Donald Trump won it in 2016 and 2020.

When it comes to Bidens campaign here, it all runs through Roy Cooper. And, I think they expect Roy Cooper to perhaps be the one that can deliver the Tar Heel state for the Biden campaign and for the Democrats writ large, said Chris Cooper.

Biden even suggested Friday he may tap Gov. Cooper for a job in his administration if he wins re-election. Cooper is term-limited as governor and cannot run for the position again this year.

Polling released Wednesday by CBS News and YouGov showed a shift in the battleground states collectively since the debate.

Last month, 50% of voters in battleground states chose Biden compared to 49% for Trump. The latest poll has 48% choosing Biden compared to 51% for Trump. The states in the poll include: North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia.

(Trump has) had a little kind of boost up in numbers. But, like a ball that bounces, does it come back down, or is it something that stays up? Is it a more permanent effect? And, I think thats what we dont know the answer to, said Chris Cooper.

The Biden campaign sought to put the focus on this weeks U.S. Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, releasing a new ad on Wednesday that airs in North Carolina and other battleground comparing former President Trump to a king.

Nearly 250 years ago, America was founded in defiance of king, under the belief that no one is above the law, not even the president. Until now, the narrator says in the ad.

Democrats in key races in North Carolina are weighing the potential impact of Bidens continued candidacy as well.

On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Don Davis (D-NC 1st) called Bidens debate performance a disaster.

I believe people across the spectrum, they want in their candidate whether its a Democrat or Republican, somebody thats gonna at least fight and they believe is fighting for them, he said.

Davis is running for re-election in a district considered to be the only true toss-up in the southeastern United States and is among several that will ultimately determine the balance of power in Congress.

Anytime anybody is speaking out now, I am surprised. I mean, nobody wants to be the first person to stab Julius Caesar, and anybody who is willing to even walk up to that line like Davis did, said Chris Cooper.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry holds a press conference on July 1, 2024, at the Denka neoprene plant in LaPlace, La., to speak against a new EPA rule he says is unfair to the company. (Photo credit: Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator)

Louisianas chief weather expert will now report directly to the Governors Office of Homeland Security, rather than serve primarily at LSU, Gov. Jeff Landry announced at a news conference Wednesday.

The Office of State Climatology will still be housed at the LSU Ag Center, but the climatologist will be a state employee who reports to the governor. Interim state climatologist Jay Grymes, a former WAFB-TV meteorologist who previously served as state climatologist from 1991-2003, will permanently fill the role, Landry announced. While Grymes will now report to the governor, he will still have research and educational duties at LSU.

The idea to move the position to GOHSEP first came up during his post-election transition, Landry said, and doing so will help ease communications during hurricanes and other climate crises.

We want to make sure that our parishes, our industries, and our citizens are getting the proper information directly from the Governors Office of Homeland Security as it relates to weather events, Landry said.

In an interview after the press conference, Matt Lee, LSUs vice president for agriculture and dean of the College of Agriculture, said the partnership will be beneficial for the agricultural community. Lee said during last years drought that impacted farming, communication with farmers was not at the level it needed to be.

Former climatologist Barry Keim was removed from the position earlier this year by LSU officials after nearly two decades in the position. The removal was believed by many to be because of a disagreement between Keim and farming interests during the drought, The Advocate | The Times Picayune reported.

The state climatologist is responsible for climate monitoring, data collection and archiving, public outreach and interfacing with officials who make weather-related decisions.

When Grymes was announced as interim climatologist, LSU said the position would include coordinating with farmers and ranchers and doing outreach and education in all 64 parishes.

The post Gov. Landry moves state climatologist from LSU to his emergency preparedness office appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Gov. Laura Kelly ceremonially signs the tax-cut bill in Holton on July 2 as Sen. Dennis Pyle watches. Youre looking at 20 years of hard work, Kelly said (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector).

Gov. Laura Kelly ceremonially signs the tax-cut bill in Holton on July 2 as Sen. Dennis Pyle watches. Youre looking at 20 years of hard work, Kelly said (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector).

HOLTON  Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly on Tuesday praised Republican Sen. Dennis Pyles work to sustain Kellys vetoes of earlier tax-cut packages to create a bipartisan compromise.

Kelly said that while she was in the Senate, she watched Pyle, of Hiawatha, work tirelessly for 10 years to eliminate a state income tax on Social Security.

State taxes will be reduced by $1.2 billion through income and property tax cuts over the next three years. Kansas was one of 12 states to tax Social Security income. Kelly and Pyle worked together to eliminate that tax, which will save Kansas seniors more than $150 million in the first year, Pyle said.

Kelly and Pyle appeared together in Hiawatha and Holton to promote the bill and for a ceremonial bill signing. Both cities are in Pyles distinct. Kelly said they chose the cities to recognize Pyles work. After three vetoes of previous plans, Kelly approved a tax-cut package passed on the June 18 special session.

The bill took effect July 1.

Pyle said his constituents are concerned with ever-increasing property taxes. A provision of the special session bill will exempt the first $75,000 of a homes value from the statewide mill levy, compared with the current exemption of $42,000.

I would like to see more property tax relief for all property types, Pyle said. But I appreciate Gov. Kelly for prioritizing property tax cuts.

Kelly vetoed previous tax cuts proposals that were more expensive.

Pyle stuck with me to sustain those vetoes until we got a package that really eliminated the Social Security tax and some other things, but also left enough in the coffers for us to be able to pay our bills and fully fund our schools, Kelly said

The governor and lawmakers, sitting on a $3 billion surplus, were eager to cut taxes during an election year. GOP leaders originally introduced a flax tax plan, replacing the states three-tier income tax system with a single rate. Kelly vetoed that plan after an analysis showed it would mainly benefit the states top 20% of wage earners. The governor and legislative leaders eventually compromised on a plan that establishes a two-tier income tax structure, despite concerns that it still benefits higher wage earners.

It wasnt easy, Kelly said. Legislative leadership made multiple attempts at unsustainable tax cuts that would eventually set us back to an era of crumbling roads and bridges and crippling debt.

Mike Pirner, spokesman for Senate President Ty Masterson, and Carrie Rahfaldt, spokeswoman for House Speaker Dan Hawkins, didnt respond to requests to comment for this story.

Kelly said in her time in the Senate, all people talked about was property tax. Kelly said she would have preferred more property tax cuts. She said that could be discussed during next years session.

Im not sure the state could do much more, Kelly said. So wed have to look for avenues. But we have to wait till the numbers come in.

The post Gov. Laura Kelly praises Sen. Dennis Pyles bipartisan efforts on tax bill in Hiawatha and Holton appeared first on Kansas Reflector.
TOPEKA (KSNT)  Governor Laura Kelly plans to attend a meeting with President Joe Biden and other Democratic governors Wednesday.

Biden announced he has invited many Democratic governors from across the United States, including Kelly, to attend a meeting Wednesday. The meetings guestlist will also include some Democratic congressional leaders. Kellys press secretary Grace Hoge told 27 News Kelly will be attending this meeting virtually.

According to the Associated Press, this meeting is the strongest indication yet that Biden is working to calm the nerves of Democrats who may believe he is not fit to continue the campaign.

ESU football player suspended after alleged burglary arrest

Tuesday, July 2, Kelly reaffirmed her support for Biden with the following statement.

While I have never been shy about standing up to Washington when its wrong for Kansas, the Presidents record of delivering bipartisan results speaks for itself. His efforts will continue to allow Kansas to recruit new manufacturing businesses, rebuild our infrastructure, and stand up for our fundamental freedoms. He is a decent man of strong character. I will support him in November. Kelly said in her statement issued to Nexstars Kansas Capitol Bureau

The Kansas Democratic Party is still backing Biden, alongside Kelly. Even after a shaky performance at the first presidential debate, Jeanna Repass, Kansas Democratic Party Chair firmly told 27 News that Biden is the right person to be on the Democratic side of the ballot this November.

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. 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.
Gov. Henry McMaster announces his budget vetoes at the Statehouse on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (Jessica Holdman/SC Daily Gazette)

COLUMBIA  Gov. Henry McMaster vetoed $2.3 million in state spending Wednesday, all of that from legislator-sponsored pet projects.

McMasters 21 vetoes represented only a tiny fraction of the $14.5 billion spending package for state taxes.

Only nine of those involved actual dollar amounts. Three struck budget clauses made irrelevant by bills that became state law this year. One clause he called unnecessary because it told an agency to do what it already does. The rest eliminated agency directives without cutting any cash.

Although its more than the $1.5 million he nixed last year  which was the smallest sum any South Carolina governor had struck from a budget in at least a quarter century  the amount removed is still almost nothing as a percentage. In 2022, he vetoed $53 million. In 2021, that number was $150 million.

While touting accomplishments in the budget, McMaster repeated his calls for legislators to change the way they set aside money for local projects, pointing to the ones he vetoed as proof the process needs more vetting.

McMaster praised legislators for funding many of his priorities in their budget, including raising pay for teachers and law enforcement officers, fixing dilapidated bridges, conserving land, and freezing college tuition again for in-state students.

McMaster has had more success than his predecessors in getting his budget recommendations approved, primarily because he works with legislators from the outset of the process, though the final amounts often differ. Allocations matching his proposal include $1 million each toward the University of South Carolinas Anne Frank Center and its Center for Civil Rights History and Research.

He applauded legislators for raising teacher pay beyond what he recommended. This school year, the minimum pay for first-year teachers is $47,000, up from $42,500, toward his goal of raising the floor to $50,000 by 2026.

McMaster also thanked legislators for using a surplus in sales tax collections to accelerate a phased-in income tax cut. Instead of reducing revenue by $100 million this year, as called for under a 2022 state law, the budget essentially doubles that cut. It wasnt part of his recommendations, but he agreed with the decision.

This year taxpayers will keep an additional $199 million of their hard-earned money instead of sending it to state government, McMaster said.

Earmarks

Every dollar McMaster vetoed came from money legislators approved for local projects and charities, known as earmarks. Its spending sponsored by legislators, not requested by the state agencies the money is funneled through. Legislators call them community investments.

He let most of the 512 allocations stand, allowing more than $420 million to go to legislator requests, including nonprofits and local governments. He didnt touch most of the $90 million for nonprofits, which includes some with little-to-no evidence of their financial health.

Four of the earmarks he vetoed, totaling $645,000, would have gone to organizations not registered as charities with the Secretary of States Office, McMaster said.

Those earmarks would have given money to the African American Settlement Communities Historic Commission, Inc., to restore a school house near Charleston; My Communitys Keeper Mentor Group, a Charleston-based organization that mentors children; N.O.W.W. Empowerment, an affordable housing group; and Conway-based SC Center for Visual Arts to buy and revitalize a building.

Others, McMaster said, undercut existing processes.

For instance, ActivEd Walkabouts, a company that encourages children to learn while moving, applied for a grant through the state education agency but was unsuccessful.

Vetoed earmarks

$400,000 for ActivEd Walkabouts active learning program

$150,000 for the African American Settlement Communities Historic Commission, Inc., 1904 Long Point School House restoration

$70,000 for My Communitys Keeper Mentor Group

$25,000 for N.O.W.W. Empowerment Housing and Community Projects

$400,000 for SC Center for Visual Arts downtown building revitalization acquisition

$50,000 for Phoenix Correspondence Commission

$175,000 for The Giving Back Funds Mental Wealth Alliance to build a mental health gym

$820,000 for a Cope EMS Wingman app

$200,000 for Heart of Life youth workforce development program

An earmark that expressly bypasses the states procurement process and the Grants Committee process is not good policy, McMaster wrote in his veto letter.

In a similar vein, he said $200,000 for Florence-based program Heart of Life would circumvent federal workforce development funding going to the program for the same purpose of providing career development services to teens and young adults.

Also on the chopping block was $50,000 for the Phoenix Correspondence Commission, a nationwide commission dedicated to promoting federalism and supporting statewide efforts to push for a constitutional convention.

Three legislators are state delegates for the commission, including Sen. Rex Rice, an Easley Republican who requested the earmark. Because the money seemed slated to help those legislators, McMaster suggested they use existing funds for legislator travel expenses.

McMaster repeated calls he has made in recent years to switch to a grant program instead of allowing budget writers to simply insert legislators pet projects into the budget with little to no vetting.

Theres a better way to do earmarks, McMaster said.

The process has gotten more transparent in recent years, as McMaster joined a few legislators of both parties calling for more public scrutiny. Last year was the first time that legislators submitted paperwork on their requests to the governors office ahead of sending him the budget.

Some of the projects and organizations are worth giving state money, McMaster said.

Examples of what he said the state should be funding include Meals on Wheels of Greenville, Turn90 prison reentry program, septic tank repairs in James Island, and the 2025 national conference for historically Black colleges and universities, to be held in Charleston.

Budget clauses

Legislators directives to agencies that McMaster struck included two clauses that would have loosened enforcement on building seawalls and policies about beach erosion. Adding those as one-year laws would only disrupt the system already in place, causing more problems than they solved, the governor said.

The vetoed sections would have made it easier for property owners to challenge what counts as beachfront when building seawalls.

One would have required the state to pay property owners legal fees if they won their case in the Administrative Law Court. The other would have required state officials to reassess past cases to decide whether property owners were no longer in violation. If the seawalls didnt violate new, less restrictive rules, the state would reimburse the property owners legal fees and penalties.

I think this is not the way to progress in this very delicate and important area, McMaster said.

He also nixed a plan for legislators to examine the benefits of different health care markets, including whether to expand Medicaid eligibility.

South Carolina remains among the 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid to cover all adults, including single adults without children, who have incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level.

While McMaster said he supported the overall goal of making health care more affordable and accessible, he said such a study will take more than the five months allowed in the budgets timeline. And he repeated his opposition to expanding Medicaid eligibility, which he called fiscally irresponsible.

In some cases, McMasters vetoes struck duplicates, such as a clause allowing college athletes to receive compensation for their name, image and likeness. McMaster signed that legislation into law in May.

Others, McMaster deemed unnecessary. For instance, a section that directed Clemson Public Service and Agriculture department to start a Center for Civic Engagement, would be better suited for a different college with a similar program already in place, he wrote.
Last week, in a sweeping, philistine effort to annihilate some $32 billion dollars in funding for arts and cultural nonprofits, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis office vetoed a handful of bills, including HB165, also known as the Safe Waterways Act, a provision essentially designed to mandate water-quality testing to ensure beach waters are clean for swimming.

Florida is a state plagued by water woes, largely triggered by outdated or failing wastewater infrastructure that has repeatedly polluted local waterways and beach waters, writes Surfrider in a recent blog post commenting on and expressing dismay at the governors decision.

Surfrider ran through a litany of concerns for well-being of waterways and surf-bathers alike: algal blooms, fish kills, vibrio, flesh-eating bacteria, and an overwhelming amount of contaminated wastewater (like that from farm runoff) to sewage spills.

Related: This California Beach Is the Most Toxic in America

The bill, in its 2024 iteration, would have also required measures for clean-water enforcement, issuance of public health advisories, closure of beaches that fail to meet public health and safety standards, advisory signage, and delegation of authority and responsibility to local governments and agencies.

Swim at your own risk is the meta message to the seagoing public from the governors office. And while that part of it might be finea caveat, after all, is that the veto doesnt prohibit testing of waterways or broadcasting findings, it just grants local government and authorities the option to overlook conditionsthe resulting choice not to inform the public or post even cursory advisories regarding measured levels of pollutants and pathogens is outright egregious. And thats to say nothing of whether local governments can or will hold responsible parties (particularly corporations) accountable.

Surfrider Foundations Florida Policy Manager, Emma Haydocy, had this to say: Surfrider Foundation's Florida network, including eleven chapters and eight student clubs throughout the Sunshine State, have led the charge to improve the state's beach water quality monitoring and public notification practices for years. Current and historic practices have left beachgoers in the dark about whether it is safe to get in the water or not.

Surfrider is three years into campaigning for the Safe Waterways Act since its basic provisions were eliminated back in 2011. While Surfrider is deeply disappointed by Governor DeSantis' decision to veto this critical bill for clean water and public health,which saw unanimous, bipartisan supportour Florida network is committed to working with state lawmakers to reintroduce this legislation and ensure clean water for all people in Florida in the next legislative session.

This is not the end of the 'Safe Waterways Act', Haydocy continued, nor the end of Surfrider's efforts to protect Floridians and the hundreds of millions of people who enjoy recreating in Florida's beach waters every year.

In the meantime, the short-term solution is probably that various nonprofits and NGOs will have to pick up the slack with vigilante efforts, posting and making real-time data available to the public. Heres hoping, anyhow, in the interest of everyone and everything right down to you and yours, Gov.

Related: Study Shows Ocean May Be Spitting Toxins Back at Us
(FOX40.COM)  In less than 24 hours, the Thompson Fire has grown from around 15 acres to a massive 3,000 acres near the city of Oroville leading Governor Newsom to declare of state of emergency in Butte County.

Some 13,000 residents have been ordered to leave their homes and thousands more are on standby to leave as CAL FIRE and other fire agencies work to slow and contain the destructive fire.

Northern California police issue $120,000 fine for illegal fireworks

On Tuesday, FOX40.COM reporters at the Thompson Fire recorded video of at least three homes fully engulfed in flames.

California is using every available tool to tackle this fire & will continue to support impacted communities, the governors office wrote in an X (Twitter) post on Wednesday morning.

As the fire continued to rapidly spread along the Feather River towards Oroville Dam and Lake Oroville, CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 6 was assigned and took on the role of coordinating all resources to fight the blaze.

As of Wednesday morning, the fire has now burned 3,002 acres with no containment gained.

Sacramentos heat wave could possibly break multiple records

Over 3,000 PG&E customers in the area of the fire are without power, including the community of Berry Creek which has not shown signs of being directly impacted by the fire.

There are more than 500 personnel responding to the fire along with dozens of heavy ground vehicles like dozers and tankers, along with numerous aerial firefighting apparatus.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
S.C. Supreme Court Justice John Kittredge is questioned by the Judicial Merit Selection Commission on Nov. 6, 2023, about becoming the next chief justice. The panel's chairman (left) is Rep. Micah Caskey, R-West Columbia. The panel's vice-chairman (right) is Senate Judiciary Chairman Luke Rankin, R-Myrtle Beach. (File/Mary Ann Chastain/Special to the SC Daily Gazette)

COLUMBIA  South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed into law legislation tweaking how judges are selected in the state but called on legislators to do more next year to improve the process.

The compromise legislation made some adjustments to the judicial selection process. It puts in term limits for the panelists who screen judicial candidates, potentially provides the General Assembly more qualified candidates to choose from and gives the governor a seat at the table for the first time. But it stopped short of comprehensive changes sought by some people outside the House and Senate.

I have approved the legislation not because it satisfies the need or public demand for comprehensive judicial reform, but because it contains improvements, although incremental, to the judicial selection process, the governor wrote in a letter addressed to the Senate. These changes are only a start. More reform is needed.

South Carolina is among two states where the Legislature elects most judges.

The process starts with a screening panel, the Judicial Merit Selection Commission, vetting applicants and forwarding the names of three candidates deemed qualified to the entire Legislature for a vote. Of the panels 10 current members, six are legislators who are also lawyers. The other four are lawyers appointed by legislators.

Critics, which have included the attorney general and solicitors of both parties, have complained the system gives the Legislature too much power, especially legislators who are also lawyers and appear before the judges they put on the bench.

Prior to a joint assembly election, judicial candidates spend day after day at the Statehouse to try to ensure legislators know who they are and boost their chances.

Its completely unprofessional to have good lawyers who would like to be judges and serve the public have to, for example, stand in the parking garage and try to speak to or shake hands briefly with the legislators as they walk by, McMaster said.

Rather than barring lawyer-legislators, the compromise made it possible for more to be named to the panel.

The new law adds two people to the selection commission, making it a group of 12.

The governor, for the first time, could appoint four lawyers who have been practicing for at least a decade.

The House and Senate would each get four appointments: Four made by the House speaker, two by the Senate president and two by the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman. Of those, two must be lawyers but nothing in the law suggests those attorneys cant also be members of the Legislature. This means legislative leadership could name as many as eight legislators to the screening panel.

McMaster, in his letter, said legislators should comprise less than half of the panels membership and lawyer-legislators should not use these lawyer-designated seats to expand their (already controversial) authority over judicial selection.

That would make this legislation reform in name only, the governor wrote.

McMaster cheered the part that increases the number of candidates forwarded to the full Legislature for an election. Instead of limiting the pool to three, the panel can send up to six for a vote.

Legislators can stay on for four years  two consecutive two-year terms  but then must come off the panel for a term before returning, meaning judges wont be screened for election and re-election by the same members.

Term limits, the governor wrote, will help ensure that judicial candidates and sitting judges do not feel beholden to a small cadre of lawyers who appear as perpetual gatekeepers, repeatedly controlling the keys to a candidates eligibility to stand for election by the entire General Assembly.

However, McMaster still thinks his office should have more representation on the commission.

McMaster said the state would be much better served by adopting the federal model, with the governor making appointments and the Legislature holding confirmation hearings. Recognizing that a vote from two-thirds of the General Assembly needed to pass such changes is unlikely, he suggested he should be allowed to appoint at least half of the screening panel members.

McMaster said the Legislature should also address how county-level judges, known as magistrates, are selected. The judges most of whom arent attorneys  handle a large caseload, from setting bonds for those arrested on criminal charges to evictions and foreclosures.

Magistrates are technically appointed by the governor. But theyre actually chosen by their local senators, who control when and if theyre replaced.

The House, which plays no role in magistrate selections, attempted to make changes, but those measures did not make it into a compromise with the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey previously told the SC Daily Gazette that some in his chamber did not want to alter the process.

There are some senators who are very protective of that, he said.

The Edgefield Republican, who is also an attorney, added that he would personally support reform.

McMaster said, at the very least, the Legislature should end the widespread practice of leaving magistrates whose terms have expired in office year after year without officially re-recommending them for their seat, keeping them in what amounts to a temporary status.

The governor said this leaves these judges with their jobs constantly at risk, serving only at the pleasure of their home-county senators, some of whom may regularly appear before them in magistrates court, subject to removal at a moments notice.

McMaster said if legislators do not make this change to the system, he would consider wielding his authority to make interim appointments or to make nominations on his own without the input of senators.

Because the new law is not set to take effect until July 2025, McMaster said theres still plenty of time for legislators to make further changes when the new legislative session starts in January.
Graduations are for celebrating, not bad behavior, wife of UC Regents chair says | Opinion

My connections to the University of California run long and deep. I graduated from Berkeley in 1984 with a bachelor of arts degree in English literature and then followed the path of many lost-soul English majors to pursue a legal career, enrolling at the UCLA School of Law. At a 1988 law school graduation party in Westwood, I met a sweet UC Santa Barbara grad attending night law school. We married and had three daughters.

Throughout my three decades as a mom, Ive admonished my daughters to be mensches (Yiddish for good people who treat others with respect), often deploying the logical, foul-mouthed corollary, Dont be a*******. These admonitions induced much eye-rolling, but imprinted core values.

Ive thought a lot about my parental advice this graduation season. Why now more than ever?

Opinion

My dear husband, Rich Leib, long dreamed of being a UC Regent, a volunteer position where he could shape policy and improve educational access at the UCs 10 campuses. In 2018, then-Gov. Jerry Brown granted his wish, appointing him to the Board of Regents. For the past two years hes served as board chair. But it has proven to be a dubious honor during these turbulent times.

As the wife of the regent chair, Ive witnessed abundant bad behavior from students and faculty.

In December of 2022, approximately 50 grad students showed up early on a Friday morning at the 27-unit gated town-home community we call home. They set up two tents blocking the only access gate and circled around for hours, chanting through megaphones and banging on pans. One neighbor experienced this obnoxious ruckus while on home hospice dying of cancer.

Three days after Hamas invaded Israel, on Oct. 7, 2023, a UC Davis assistant professor suggested in a post on X that Zionist journalists and their children be attacked in their homes and schools.

In February 2024, after Israels counteroffensive in Gaza, a small number of students behavior spiraled beyond bad behavior into violence. Bears for Palestine protesters smashed a window at Berkeleys Zellerbach Playhouse and threatened a few dozen Jewish students.

On April 30, a pro-Israel vigilante mob shamefully attacked the pro-Palestinian encampment in front of UCLAs regal Royce Hall. Chaos and multiple injuries on both sides ensued.

After dismantling the encampment, UCLA officials discovered Royce Halls 95-year-old bricks and arches covered in graffiti. The universitys clean-up tab for this vandalism? Over $300,000. UCLA Chancellor Gene Block called it a dark night in our campuss history, reflecting bad behavior on all sides.

On May 7, four days prior to UC Berkeleys campus-wide graduation ceremony, I had lunch with Chancellor Carol Christ  California higher educations version of Britains late Queen Mum, a benevolent and much-loved woman. Christ began her academic career teaching English literature at UC Berkeley in 1970 while in her mid-twenties. Now 80, shes retiring after seven years as chancellor.

When I asked about her tenure, Christ  a Victorian literary scholar  quoted Charles Dickens novel A Tale of Two Cities: It was the best of times and the worst of times. The best because UC Berkeley boasts the most diverse student body ever, stands on sound financial footing, is constructing new student housing and has produced scientific advancements to better the human condition.

Yet the protests over the war in Gaza, the skirmishes at the Bears for Palestine encampment in Sproul Plaza located near Berkeleys main entrance and the demands of balancing students First Amendment right to free speech with campus safety troubled her kindhearted soul.

Its painful to see student versus student and faculty versus faculty, Christ told me. The two sides seem to be talking past each other, often without empathy or understanding.

She hoped for a peaceful campus-wide graduation ceremony in the California Memorial Stadium May 11. But a small percentage of students dashed her hopes. Several hundred pro-Palestinian protesters chanted in unison, drowning out their student body presidents speech and Christs introductory remarks. The Jewish Journal reported that some parents felt intimidated by these students whose disruptive behavior reduced other attendees who had come to see the first in their families graduate from university to tears.

Im all for peaceful protests. But this Cal/Bruin mama bear says: Please dont be a*******.

The only tears family members should shed are those of pride and joy watching their students graduate from the University of California  not dismay and sorrow due to classmates bad behavior.

Sharon Rosen Leib is a freelance journalist and contributing writer to The Forward, Times of Israel and San Diego Jewish Journal. She is married to UC Regent Chair Rich Leib.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. AccessBank, a dedicated supporter of entrepreneurship, including women's entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan, continues to actively participate in the "Women's Empowerment Centers in Azerbaijan" project. This initiative, funded by the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan and implemented by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), provides women with essential advisory services, resources, and communication opportunities crucial for entrepreneurial success.

Recently, two additional training sessions were conducted at the AccessBank branch in Ganja and another at the AccessBank headquarters. These sessions, titled "Photography for SMM," offered participants insights into social media photography and engaged them in solving various group tasks.

Supported by AccessBank, upcoming training sessions in Lankaran, Baku, Ganja, and Sheki will cover topics such as "Emotional Intelligence and Customer Relations," "Financial Literacy and Access to Finance," "Photography for SMM," and "Women's Leadership and Decision-Making Enhancement."

To date, 164 women have participated in these training sessions, with 163 presenting business plans as part of the project. Notably, 30 of these plans have received seed capital awards of up to 3000 AZN. Overall, the project aims to support 65 participants with seed capital.

Launched in October 2022, the "Women's Empowerment Centers in Azerbaijan" project is scheduled for completion by September 2024. Its objectives include advancing women's skills and knowledge, fostering professional networks to bolster their economic capabilities in entrepreneurship, strengthening leadership abilities, and promoting sustainable societal integration.

AccessBank, a pioneer in the microfinancing market, has been providing services to small and medium-sized enterprises since 2002. The Bank's shareholders include the Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, the International Finance Corporation, and other international organizations and investment funds. With 35 branch offices, including 14 in Baku and 21 in regions, AccessBank continues to offer accessible financing options for MSMEs. For more detailed information on the branh offices, please follow: http://bit.ly/accessbank-filiallar

For more information on the services provided by AccessBank, call 151 or visit the website at www.accessbank.az. You can also follow the bank's social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.

*AccessBank CJSC operates under license No. 245 dated 25 October 2002, issued by the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The bank's Head Office is located at 3 Tbilisi avenue, Yasamal district, Baku city.
Gary Hogan has saved documentation since 1985 regarding the sewer problem that has impacted his home in the Chinn Allotment in Ravenna Township.

RAVENNA TWP.  Homeowners in the Chinn Allotment stand to save a little more money on a pricey sewer project in Ravenna Township, thanks to another grant toward the project.

Daniel Blakely, director of Portage County Water Resources, said the department applied for $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds toward the Chinn Allotment, which he said would lower the cost by about $2,000 to each "benefit user." Residents now are facing a $16,000 assessment per lot, plus additional fees for things such as tying into the system.

Blakely noted that the residents are facing "significant" costs, and more grant funding is still being sought. Previously, he said, the county had amassed $6.5 million in grants toward the project, with the other $11 million being split between residents.

"It's still substantial, even with the funding that we do have," he said. "I think every little bit helps in this situation."

History of complaints

The Ohio EPA received a complaint in 2015 alleging failing septic and raw sewage entering "waters of the state" in the area of the Chinn Allotment, which contains nearly 300 homes in Ravenna Township.

Township residents Gary and Karen Hogan said they have been complaining about raw sewage in their yard since the 1980s, and their complaints only caught the EPA's attention when the state agency learned the sewage was finding its way to Breakneck Creek, which leads to the Cuyahoga River, and the water supply for the city of Akron.

The EPA's Northeast Ohio District Office collected bacteria samples that found E. coli levels "in exceedance of the public health nuisance standard," and discussed the findings with the Portage County Health District in 2016. The health district sent a formal complaint to the EPA in 2018, alleging that unsanitary conditions exist in the neighborhood. A resulting EPA order required the county to design, build and install a sewer system to serve the Chinn Allotment, and submit a plan to fund the improvements.

Portage County Commissioner Sabrina Christian-Bennett previously said the board obeyed the order and directed Portage County Water Resources to design the system. But when initial designs first came back, the cost of the project, and the amount each resident would pay, was much higher  starting at $40,000 per lot. Commissioners directed Water Resources to go back to the drawing board to come up to a more affordable design.

But many residents there said the $16,000 cost per lot doubles or triples for many residents because they own multiple lots, which they say are not buildable.

Many residents at a recent neighborhood meeting said they're pursuing having their property replatted to lower their costs, which could increase the cost for the rest of the neighborhood.

Accepting the funding

Portage County commissioners said they were glad to hear that residents would be getting a break.

Commissioner Tony Badalamenti said the $2,000 break per resident will result in about a 10% cost reduction for some residents.

"It's better than nothing," Commissioner Sabrina Christian-Bennett said.

Blakely said the department also applied for, and received, a $1 million grant for headworks and electrical issues at the Mantua Wastewater Treatment Plant. Such projects are typically pricey, he said.

"We're looking for anything to help us pay for these costs," he said.

Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: New grant to trim cost of sewer work in Ravenna's Chinn Allotment
An investigator at the murder scene in Athens logs where the bullet casings were recovered

A Greek surveyor was shot in a mafia-style execution on the streets of Athens amid suspicions that he was killed as part of a feud over a Mykonos property development.

A gunman on a motorbike drew up to a BMW driven by Panagiotis Stathis and opened fire with a 9mm pistol, shooting at least a dozen times. It appeared to be a professional hit.

In a chilling audio recording obtained by Greek media, the gunman can be heard firing multiple times, then reloading a magazine and shooting more rounds into the vehicle. Police recovered about 20 bullet casings from the scene.

The gunman sped away on his motorcycle and is being hunted by police. The attack happened on Tuesday outside Mr Stathiss company headquarters in the Athens suburb of Psychiko.

Mr Stathis, 54, was a surveyor who was involved in property development on Mykonos, Paros, Ios and other islands in the Cyclades, where there is intense competition over building permits and land. Hotels, villas and restaurants can be hugely lucrative on the islands, which attract crowds of big-spending visitors during the summer months.

Panagiotis Stathis was involved in property development on Mykonos, Paros, Ios and other islands in the Cyclades, where there is intense competition over building permits

Oligarchs, celebrities and yacht owners flock to Mykonos, meaning that the tiny island of turquoise bays, windmills and dazzling white, sugar-cube houses now accounts for 0.5 per cent of Greeces GDP.

But the tourist boom has fuelled rampant illegal construction. This place is full of mafia. They build wherever they like and theyre ruining the island, a taxi driver told The Telegraph recently. Mykonos has lost its soul.

There was speculation that Mr Stathis may have crossed the wrong person in his work surveying plots of land.

In 2021, he was physically assaulted on Mykonos and made a complaint to the police. An investigation was launched, but no arrests were made.

Last year, an archaeologist who clashed with property developers over the protection of ancient sites on Mykonos was subjected to a savage beating.

Manolis Psarros, an archaeologist who clashed with property developers on Mykonos, suffered broken ribs, a fractured nose and severe bruising to his face in an attack last year

Manolis Psarros was attacked by a group of assailants as he left his house in Athens in March, leaving him with broken ribs, a fractured nose and severe bruising to his face.

Mr Psarros worked for the Archaeological Service of the Cyclades Islands, trying to ensure that new properties comply with laws intended to protect ancient sites.

He believed the attack was related to two businesses in Mykonos which he found had encroached on archaeological sites.

The assault was professional, Despina Koutsoumba, the head of the Association of Greek Archaeologists, said after the attack. Our colleague had no other contact with people who could organise such a hit, other than his occupational involvement in cases of illegal development carried out by business interests in Mykonos.

Matters in Mykonos have got out of hand

View of Little Venice in Mykonos. The Greek government is planning to use artificial intelligence and aerial photographs to detect illegal developments - Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Last year the Greek government announced that it would use artificial intelligence and aerial photographs to detect illegal developments on Mykonos.

Obviously, matters in Mykonos have got out of hand, Kostas Skrekas, the then environment minister, said at the time. The aim is to systematically check all illegal construction on the island.

In March last year Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the prime minister, said: There cannot be an island where some people consider themselves to be above the law. The situation must be dealt with firmly.



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.
Groom Who Was Shot at His Wedding Is Still Sedated, But 'Vitals Are Strong'

The groom was shot by masked gunmen who entered his St. Louis, Mo., backyard, where he had been celebrating his marriage

GoFundMe Francisco and Dulce Gonzalez.

The family of a Missouri groom who was shot in the head at his backyard wedding ceremony has shared an update on his condition, three days after the botched armed robbery.

Francisco is still sedated while were waiting for the swelling to decrease, GoFundMe organizer Jeanie Ratliff wrote in a July 2 update. Otherwise, his vitals are strong [his wife] has been by his side every day.

On June 29, just after 1 a.m., Francisco was shot by masked gunmen who entered his St. Louis, Mo., backyard, where he had been celebrating his marriage to Dulce Gonzalez with a small party, KSDK-TV and Fox2 reported, citing relatives and police.

Related: Groom Was Shot in Head During Missouri Wedding, Now in Critical Condition

St. Louis police previously said in a press release that one of the armed men was going through peoples pockets and the other stood behind the victim with a gun pointed at him. At some point after that, the victim was shot, police 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.



According to the fundraising page set up for the family, Francisco was shot in the head and is being treated at a hospital, where he remains in critical condition. The couple share two children, who were also at the celebration. Its not clear if the children were injured in any way.

According to KSDK-TV, Yaribeth Pena, the brides sister, believes the gunmen shot her brother-in-law as he was going for his wallet and maybe they thought he was going for a weapon.

Family members told Fox2 that the gunmen left without taking anything of value.



Police said the suspects fled the scene on foot and that the investigation remains ongoing. No arrests have been made as of July 3.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
A growing club led by Xi and Putin to counter the US is adding a staunchly pro-Russia member

A club of Eurasian countries spearheaded by China and Russia to advance their leaders vision of an alternative world order is set to expand again this week  this time adding a staunch Russian ally that has openly supported Moscows war on Ukraine.

The expected admission of Belarus to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at its annual leaders summit in Astana, Kazakhstan is another push by Beijing and Moscow to transform the grouping  from a regional security bloc into a geopolitical counterweight to Western institutions led by the United States and its allies.

Belarus, which helped Russia to launch its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, will become the latest authoritarian state to join the club, after Iran became a full member last year.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have arrived in Astana for the summit that begins Wednesday, in what will be their second meeting this year. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the leader of the worlds largest democracy, is skipping the event, pointing to unease among some members about the direction the SCO is headed.

Founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to combat terrorism and promote border security, the SCO has grown in recent years in line with Beijing and Moscows shared ambition to counter what they see as US hegemony and reshape the international system in their favor.

In 2017, the bloc underwent its first expansion to welcome India and Pakistan. After adding Belarus, it will boast 10 members, representing more than 40% of the worlds population and roughly a quarter of the global economy. It also has two observer states, Afghanistan and Mongolia, and more than a dozen dialogue partners from Myanmar to Turkey and the Arab states.

The SCOs expansion comes after another bloc led by China and Russia, the BRICS group of major emerging economies, more than doubled its membership and significantly extended its global reach last year.

Growing ambitions

As the SCO grows in international visibility and economic weight, it has also broadened in geopolitical ambitions.

The expected admission of Belarus, which borders the European Union, really highlights how the SCOs mission has changed in the last few years, said Eva Seiwert, an expert on Chinas foreign policy at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) in Berlin.

Unlike Iran, you dont really get much like economic or security cooperation out of Belarus joining. And thats why I argue that its more of a geopolitical move.

With Russia deep in the third year of its grinding war against Ukraine, the SCO has become a crucial diplomatic avenue for Putin, as well as a platform to showcase hes not isolated internationally. And as Chinas relations with the US have plummeted, Beijing is now less concerned about the SCO being branded an anti-Western organization  a perception that has only deepened following Irans admission, Seiwert said.

They want the SCO to be perceived as a major bloc that cannot be ignored anymore, she said. With all these countries joining, China and Russia (want to show they) both have a lot of supporters for their worldviews.

And in that shared worldview, there is no place for the US in Eurasia.

In a meeting with his senior foreign ministry officials last month, Putin laid out a future vision for a new system of bilateral and multilateral guarantees of collective security in Eurasia, with the help of existing organizations like the SCO and a long-term goal to gradually phase out the military presence of external powers in the Eurasian region.

During my recent visit to China, President Xi Jinping and I discussed this issue. It was noted that the Russian proposal is not contradictory, but rather complements and aligns with the basic principles of the Chinese global security initiative, said Putin, who visited Beijing in May.

Putin speaks to Xi at the SCO summit two years ago in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. - Sergei Bobylev/Pool/Sputnik/AP

Frictions and unease

That big picture vison of an alternative future is going to be the headline message for China and Russia coming out of this SCO summit, said Bates Gill, a senior fellow for the National Bureau of Asian Research.

But the Belarus membership also creates big question marks that will hang over the organization, Gill said.

It creates all sorts of problems and new questions about the reputation, legitimacy and mandate of the organization, given the nature of the Belarus regime and its support for Russias flagrant violation of international law and invasion of Ukraine, he said.

Clearly the SCO can tolerate authoritarian regimes, but for the mandate of the organization, it further diversifies and dilutes its original focus, which was to be on Central Asia.

The blocs expansion hasnt come without frictions  notably with the admission of bitter rivals India and Pakistan  while tensions between Beijing and New Delhi have also flared in recent years following deadly clashes on their disputed Himalayan border.

The groupings increasingly anti-Western orientation following its embrace of Iran and now Belarus has also fueled unease among members that want to keep good relations with the West, including the former Soviet states in Central Asia.

In some respects, it puts the Central Asian states in a very awkward position, Gill said. They are pursuing what they like to call multi-trajectory diplomacy. They dont want to be committed to only dealing with one major power, like Russia or China.

Gill, who visited Central Asia in April and May, said there was an ambivalence in regional capitals about the future of the SCO.

Modi is skipping

India, too, appeared to be losing interest. Last year, it hosted the summit virtually  a muted arrangement that allowed Modi to avoid the optics of welcoming Putin and Xi to New Delhi as it sought closer ties with the US.

This year, fresh from his third consecutive term inauguration, the Indian leader is skipping the summit in Astana  despite Russian state media reports that he will visit the Kremlin next week.

This tells us that he does not see the SCO as the most effective channel through which to pursue Indian interests in this part of the world, Gill said.

Even China, the main driver behind the SCOs expansion, is seeking a more direct way to engage with Central Asia  without Russias involvement.

Last year, five leaders from the region received a lavish welcome at the inaugural China-Central Asia summit in the Chinese city of Xian, the starting point of the ancient Silk Road trade route that linked imperial China with civilizations to its west over a millennium ago. In March, a permanent Secretariat for the China-Central Asia mechanism was established in the same city.

And while China and Russia aspire to present the SCO as a counterweight to US-led institutions, it remains a much weaker and less cohesive bloc compared with the likes of NATO, the European Union or the Group of Seven nations.

Given the expansion of membership with India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus, the organization will be even less like an alliance or committed common grouping, and more like a strategic-vision type of organization  representative of a Eurasian identity, Gill said.

After the summit in Astana, China is due to take up the rotating presidency of the SCO for a year.

Seiwert, the expert at MERICS, said Beijing would work to find more common ground among member states.

For China, its important that the SCO doesnt fail, that it is perceived as successful. I think theyre also aware of all the difficulties that have come with all these different expansions, she said.

If it keeps on expanding  if Russia and China keep on pushing it to expand  then I think its regional relevance will really just diminish.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The gun rights group Firearms Policy Coalition on Wednesday announced that it is suing to block Californias new 11% excise tax on firearms and ammunition from being enforced.

The lawsuit, filed in San Diego County Superior Court, contends that the tax is a violation of the Second Amendment.

Californias unconstitutional and immoral gun tax is a modern Jim Crow law that targets people and rights hated by tyrants like Governor Gavin Newsom, said FPC President Brandon Combs in a statement. Thankfully, the Constitution forbids Californias political warfare scheme.

The Second Amendment protects the rights of Americans to keep and bear arms.

The complaint argues that if the tax is permitted to be enforced, there is nothing stopping California from imposing a 50% or even 100% tax on a constitutional right it disfavors  whether it be the right to keep and bear arms, the right to free exercise of religion, or any other right.

The FPC is joined in the lawsuit by the National Rifle Association, the California Rifle and Pistol Association and the Second Amendment Foundation.

Revenue from the excise tax, created by Assembly Bill 28 which Newsom signed in 2023, will go toward gun violence prevention programs, which will be used to fund various gun violence prevention, education, research, response, and investigation programs, according to the language of the law.

Reached for comment, Newsom spokesman Daniel Villasenor said in a statement, The cost of gun violence far outweighs the cost of this tax. This is a modest investment in gun violence prevention programs that are proven to work. Theres a reason California is ranked the No. 1 state for gun safety  and we wont back down from defending commonsense policies like this that help save lives.
Haiti's prime minister says Kenyan police are crucial to controlling gangs, early days are positive

A Kenyan police officer patros an area near the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that recently deployed Kenyan police will be crucial to helping control the countrys gangs and moving toward democratic elections  and he called feedback from their initial days in the capital extremely, extremely positive.

He said his government will focus on addressing gang violence and food insecurity, ensuring free elections through constitutional and political reform, and rebuilding public trust in the police.

On June 25, the initial contingent of 200 Kenyan police arrived in Port-au-Prince. Kenya has pledged 1,000 police to the international police force and Conille said the next contingent will be arriving very soon. They will later be joined by police from the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Jamaica in the force that will total 2,500 personnel.

Haiti asked for an international force to combat gangs in 2022, and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for months for a country to lead the force before the Kenyans came forward.

The gangs have grown in power since the July 7, 2021, assassination of President Jovenel Moise and are now estimated to control up to 80% of the capital. The surge in killings, rapes and kidnappings has led to a violent uprising by civilian vigilante groups.

Conille, a former U.N. development specialist, took up his post as prime minister last month after being voted in by a transitional council.

With the help of the international police force, Conille is tasked with stabilizing the country in preparation for democratic elections in February 2026.

More than ever Haiti must mobilize all the necessary and available resources to make this transition the last one, a transition that could set it on the path toward peace, security and sustainable development, Conille told the council.

He said Haiti intends to redefine our approaches to build strong and effective institutions by the time the police leave Haiti.

Since its arrival, the Kenyan police contingent has held operational meetings with the national police and started joint operations for the mission, Kenyas U.N. Ambassador Njambi Kinyungu said.

In February, gangs launched coordinated attacks on government infrastructure, including roads, prisons, and the Port-au-Prince airport, eventually leading Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign in April.

The violence has resulted in the displacement of 580,000 people, more than half of whom are children, according to the U.N. childrens agency, UNICEF. The World Food Program reports that more than 4 million Haitians face food insecurity.

Conille called the countrys history of foreign intervention a mixed bag that has included human rights abuses and a lack of respect for sovereignty and local culture.

Haiti must escape the spiral of security missions once and for all, the prime minister said.

Conille said the international police force will require close coordination and constant communication between all the parties involved to ensure the mistakes of the past are not repeated.

U.N. Special Representative for Haiti Maria Isabel Salvador urged the international community to contribute to the fund financing the police operation.

Kenyas Kinyungu and Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez Gil of the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, also called for countries that have made pledges to the fund to deposit the money. Alvarez Gil said this should be done as soon as possible.

The United States pledged $309 million to the police mission, the largest contribution of any country. Kinyungu said Kenya is working closely with the United States to distribute supplies in Haiti, but the U.S. funding has not yet arrived.

At the council meeting, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia criticized the U.S. for failing to prevent arms smuggling to Haitis gangs.

We do not see the current embargo doing anything to prevent the flow of arms from the U.S., Nebenzia said. If it wished to do so, Washington could have long tackled this problem.

Earlier, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the United States is concerned about the illicit flow of arms into Haiti and is actively working to enforce the arms embargo.

___

Edith M. Lederer contributed to this report from the United Nations.
Gov. Greg Abbott looks at crane lifting a section of the border wall in place after giving a press conference at Rio Grande City on Dec. 18, 2021. Credit: Jason Garza for The Texas Tribune

Three years after Gov. Greg Abbott announced Texas would take the extraordinary step of building a state-funded wall along the Mexico border, he has 34 miles of steel bollards to show for it.

That infrastructure  which has so far run up a price tag of some $25 million per mile  isnt yet a contiguous wall. It has gone up in bits and pieces spread across at least six counties on Texas 1,254-mile southern border. Progress has been hampered by the states struggles to secure land access, one of myriad challenges signaling a long and enormously expensive slog ahead for Abbott.

Nonetheless, state contractors have already propped up more wall mileage than former President Donald Trumps administration managed to build in Texas, and Abbotts wall project is plowing ahead at a quickened pace. State officials hope to erect a total of 100 miles by the end of 2026, at a rate of about half a mile per week. The governor frequently shares video of wall construction on social media and has credited the project with helping combat immigration flows. To date, though, steel barriers cover just 4% of the more than 800 miles identified by state officials as in need of some kind of a barrier. And at its current rate  assuming officials somehow persuade all private landowners along the way to turn their property over to the state  construction would take around 30 years and upwards of $20 billion to finish.

Under Abbotts direction, state lawmakers have approved more than $3 billion for the wall since 2021, making it one of the biggest items under the GOP governors $11 billion border crackdown known as Operation Lone Star. The rest of the money is being used for items like flooding the border with state police and National Guard soldiers and transporting migrants to Democrat-controlled cities outside Texas, all of which Abbott and other Republicans say is needed to stem the historic number of migrants trying to enter the country.

Democrats and immigration advocates have cast the wall project as a taxpayer-funded pipe dream that will do nothing to address the root causes driving the immigration crisis. And they say the governor, in reviving what was once a hallmark of Trumps agenda, is using public money to boost his political stock.

Even some immigration-hawk Republicans are showing unease about the mounting costs of the wall.

I am, too, concerned that were spending a whole lot of money to give the appearance of doing something rather than taking the problem on to actually solve it, and until we do that, I dont expect to see much happen, state Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, said last fall before voting in committee to spend another $1.5 billion in wall funding.

Abbotts office did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Acquiring land

The construction pace has largely hinged on the states success securing rights to build the wall through privately owned borderland. Early on, the project showed little signs of life as state contractors struggled to obtain the needed easements. But things picked up last year as the state began working out more agreements covering larger tracts. Through mid-June, officials had secured 79 easements covering about 59 miles of the border, according to Mike Novak, executive director of the Texas Facilities Commission, which is overseeing the effort.

At a facilities commission meeting last month, Novak said state officials were in various stages of negotiation with landowners over another 113 miles.

We knew from the beginning that this was going to be the choke point, you know, one of the most challenging parts of this program, Novak said of land acquisition. And it proved true. But we've remained steadfast.

Officials had built 33.5 miles of wall through June 14, a facilities commission spokesperson said.

The states ability to secure land rights has also dictated the walls location, though officials say they have focused on areas pinpointed by the Department of Public Safety as the highest priority. TFC officials have declined to share exactly where the wall is being built, citing security concerns, though Novak recently said construction was underway on wall segments in Cameron, Maverick, Starr, Val Verde, Webb and Zapata counties.

Though the Texas-Mexico border spans more than 1,200 miles, Abbotts budget director, Sarah Hicks, told a Senate panel in 2022 that DPS had identified 805 miles as vulnerable, or [that] is in need of some kind of a barrier. Another 180 miles are covered by natural barriers, mostly in the Big Bend region of West Texas, while existing barriers already cover another 140 miles, according to state officials.

Novak has said the pace of building about half a mile of wall per week is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. At that rate, about 100 miles would go up every four years, with the full 805 miles covered sometime after 2050, when Abbott would be in his 90s.

The earliest wall construction has cost roughly $25 million to $30 million per mile, according to TFC officials. That would amount to $20 billion to $24 billion for the entire 805-mile span, or about three times the cost of paying every Texas public university students tuition last year. The estimate does not account for the cost of maintaining the wall once it is built, which TFC estimates will cost around $500,000 per mile each year.

Lubbock state Sen. Charles Perry, who last year carried Texas new immigration law that allows state police to arrest people for illegally crossing the Mexico border, is another Republican who has expressed concern about the walls cost.

I am for border security. I am not against a wall. But to me, at least from what I can tell, it is a perpetual circle. Were on the hamster wheel, Perry said last fall as he prepared to vote for the $1.5 billion wall funding bill. [At some point] the response has not to be more money for infrastructure. At some point this state must draw the line in the sand.

Still, no Texas Republican has voted against border wall funding. Lawmakers approved nearly $2.5 billion for the effort in the states current two-year budget  more than was allotted in state funds to all but a handful of state agencies, and more than twice what Texas spends on its court and juvenile justice systems.

State Rep. Christina Morales, D-Houston, said she doesnt think Texas GOP leadership really understands why people are crossing in the first place.

Spending billions of dollars on a wall really does not address the root causes of the migration that's happening, said Morales, who is vice chair of the Houses Mexican American Legislative Caucus. What we should be investing in is our education, our health care, real solutions for problems that are happening right now in Texas.

Since 2021, federal officials have recorded an average of about 2 million illegal border crossings a year, a record that Abbott has attributed to President Joe Biden for rolling back some of Trumps border policies. The governor has touted the wall construction as a way for Texas to address the border crisis while President Biden has sat idly by. Biden and other Democrats have blamed Republicans for shooting down a sweeping bipartisan border deal earlier this year.

The scope of Texas' wall construction  and Abbotts broader border security efforts  are unprecedented in nature, as the federal government is generally responsible for immigration enforcement and the costs associated with it.

Even with the states improved pace securing easements, Novak has said land access remains the biggest challenge for the project, and itll probably remain that way through most of the program. The Trump administration encountered the same issue after the former president famously said he would build the wall and make Mexico pay for it. Even using the federal governments power to seize some borderland, Trumps administration built just 21 miles of new wall along the Texas-Mexico border.

The painstaking negotiations are required for Texas wall because lawmakers barred the use of eminent domain to gain land access.

Last year, state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, filed legislation to change that, arguing TFC officials could only build a complete wall if they were authorized to use eminent domain powers. The proposal failed to make it through the Senate, though Creighton said he plans to file it again for the session that starts next January.

Of course, we can continue to negotiate with ranchers, but that is a very slow process, Creighton said. And it's an incomplete process, because there will always be holdouts for different reasons.

Creighton, one of the upper chambers more conservative members, said he still supports using state funds to build a border wall, even as some of his GOP colleagues have raised objections.

I say no to waste, inefficiencies, potential fraud and unreasonable spending as much as any member, Creighton said. But ... there are times, with all of that fiscal conservatism, that we have to use the money that we save efficiently to protect Texans and Texas.

A difficult and complex task

Most border wall advocates acknowledge barriers alone will not deter people from trying to enter the country illegally. But they say a wall would work if paired with more law enforcement officers and technology, arguing it would slow down attempted crossers to give border agents more time to apprehend them and encourage migrants to seek asylum via ports of entry.

But smuggling gangs have used ordinary power tools to saw through parts of Trumps wall and scaled it using disposable ladders. Some immigration experts say border walls fail to solve the underlying factors driving people to migrate, such as the poverty, violence and political upheaval in Central America, Haiti and Venezuela that is driving millions to flee and straining U.S. resources at the border.

Walls do not achieve the objectives for which they are said to be erected; they have limited effects in stemming insurgencies and do not block unwanted [migrant] flows, but rather lead to a re-routing of migrants to other paths, wrote Elisabeth Vallet of the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute in a 2022 report.

Those sorts of objections have done nothing to deter Abbott and GOP lawmakers, who are armed with a huge budget surplus and polling that shows a majority of Texas voters support the states wall effort and overall border spending. More than 90% of Republican voters support the wall, with 74% voicing strong support, according to an April poll by the Texas Politics Project.

With construction plunging ahead, Novak has projected confidence about the walls status, pointing to the recent progress after an initial slow start, which saw officials build less than 2 miles in the 12 months after Abbott announced the effort.

Its not just land access that complicates wall construction, Novak said at the June TFC meeting, where he ticked off a list of other factors: changing soil conditions that require complicated engineering solutions; steering clear of irrigation systems when building on agricultural land; weather; and sensitivity to cattle, oil and gas and hunting operations.

It's a difficult and complex task, at best, Novak said. But with that said, we're whipping it. The latest stats reflect what I like to call just steadfast progress.

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!
Dr. Charles Foust, superintendent of New Hanover County Schools, talks to a group of around 80 people Thursday, April 21, 2022, during a Town Hall meeting at the MLK Center in Wilmington.

A day after being fired as superintendent for New Hanover County Schools, Charles Foust said he was proud of the students and employees and wished the district "nothing but the best."

Late Tuesday night, after a closed session, the New Hanover County Board of Education voted 5-0 to terminate Foust's contract, effective immediately. Board members Josie Barnhart and Stephanie Kraybill were not at the meeting and did not get to vote.

Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Chris Barnes was appointed by the board as acting superintendent. In a statement from the district, Barnes said his "priority is to provide stability and continuity for our students, staff, and community while we work together to move forward."

The board did not give a reason for firing Foust, who was not present when the vote took place.

On Wednesday, through his attorney, Foust responded to the decision.

"I am proud of the students and all employees of NHCS. We have accomplished so many great things in the last 4 years," the statement said. "I am grateful for how my peers, the state and the community have recognized the diligent work put forth for student academic achievement."

He continued, "I wish NHCS nothing but the best; I know the students will continue to achieve excellence ... focus on the focus."

More: Teacher survey paints negative picture of what it's like working in New Hanover County schools

Climate survey results

The decision came after the board received results from a climate survey that they sent to teachers throughout the district. The results were overwhelmingly negative and spoke to the teachers' feelings about district staff and Foust.

One teacher responded, "We were not a struggling district when Foust came and he implemented processes specifically designed for academically struggling schools that hamstringed and stifled educator autonomy and teachers being able to implement strategies based on the students in front of them."

Another teacher said the district leadership, specifically Foust, is the reason they are retiring and moving into the private sector.

Others disagreed, and said that Foust wasn't the problem.

"Foust is great, but there are a handful of school board members who are taking advantage of their position and imposing their political views instead of focusing on the school system," one teacher responded.

Foust's tenure

Foust was chosen as the district's first Black superintendent in July 2020 out of 39 candidates. The board at the time voted unanimously.

Foust has a master's degree in school administration and a doctorate in professional leadership. He has had a career in public education for more than 23 years in North Carolina, Texas and Kansas, where he served as superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools, which is one of the largest school systems in the state.

Foust recently received the honor of being named the 2024-25 Southeast Regional Superintendent of the Year and was chosen by his peers, who included superintendents from12 school districts in North Carolina's southeast region.

According to North Carolina General Statutes - Chapter 115C Article 18, "a local board may terminate the superintendent's contract before the contract term of employment has expired so long as all the following conditions are met:

No State funds are used for this purpose.

Local funds appropriated for teachers, textbooks, or classroom materials, supplies, and equipment are not transferred or used for this purpose.

The local board makes public the funds that are to be transferred or used for this purpose.

The local board notifies the State Board of the funds that are to be transferred or used for this purpose.

No funds acquired through donation or fundraising are used for this purpose, except for funds raised specifically for this purpose or funds donated by private for-profit corporations."

The superintendent's salary is $225,000, according to Foust's contract, and under the contract, Foust agreed and accepted that the board may unilaterally terminate his contract. The board will have to pay the salary he would have earned under his contract for a year from the date of termination.

The New Hanover County Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday night to end Superintendent Charles Foust's contract.

More: New Hanover school board doesn't discuss superintendent's contract

More: School board candidates: Superintendent needs to be held accountable or fired

The possibility of firing Foust had been discussed previously. In January, after Foust put closing the Career Readiness Academy at Mosley on the table, board member Pat Bradford said she would make a motion to fire Foust but did not end up following through with it.

In 2022, three school board candidates, including Bradford, said they would explore the firing of Foust if elected. Foust also previously faced a petition signed by more than 1,000 people calling for his resignation.

Board members' thoughts

Kraybill, who was not present at the meeting, said she did not know what was discussed during the closed session. She said she was "blindsided" when she started to get messages late Tuesday night about the decision.

Kraybill said the board's decision to follow through with such an important vote without two of its members was upsetting.

"It wasn't a unanimous vote of the board, but a unanimous vote of who was there," Kraybill said.

Kraybill also said she is concerned about the logistics of the situation as multiple administration positions report to the superintendent and are attached to his contract.

"This board continues to make fly by the seat of their pants decisions without thinking of the consequences," Kraybill said.

Barnhart, the other board member who was not present, said she plans to work with board members to secure new leadership.

"My goal is always to focus on opportunities for our students and there is still work to be done," Barnhart responded via email.

Barnhart later said during a phone call that she was not aware of the specific item on the agenda but that it was clear from the vote that the board wanted to move in a different direction. She also noted that the vote was bipartisan and that it only takes four votes to get things done.

On Wednesday, board Chair Pete Wildeboer appeared on Wilmingtons Morning News podcast with host Nick Craig as he does after every board of education meeting. He said he would not comment on what the board talked about in relation to the termination of Fousts contract because it is a personnel matter.

Instead, he addressed the staff climate survey and how eye-opening it was and how he wants to continue to brainstorm ways to listen and act on the needs of staff. One of those ideas is a town hall meeting for educators only to hear what their needs are from them directly.

Foust's attorney responds

Foust's attorney, Gary Shipman of Shipman & Wright, LLP, responded with a statement regarding the board's decision.

"This morning, I called Dr. Foust to congratulate him on being emancipated from the embarrassment that is the majority of the members of the New Hanover County Board of Education," Shipman wrote. "The deliberate effort on the part of the majority of the board members to radicalize public education in New Hanover County has not only led to career teachers leaving the profession they love, but has left a stain on the reputation of the public schools in New Hanover County that will not easily disappear."

Shipman wrote that the group that controls the board has given into the will of the vocal minority and that he is glad Foust will no longer have to endure their efforts to trash public education in New Hanover County.

"The callous and reckless disregard by this Board towards fiscal responsibility is outrageous," Shipman wrote, "given that the taxpayers of New Hanover County will be writing a check for work that Dr. Foust will not be performing."

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: New Hanover County school board fires Superintendent Charles Foust
Heres what happened the last time a president chose not to run for a second term

President Joe Biden is the first president in more than a generation to decide not to seek a second term.

But Bidens situation is unique in American politics. He had planned to run and won nearly every delegate to the Democratic National Convention next month. Questions about his age and acuity ultimately convinced him to pull out of the presidential race. He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be his successor as the Democratic presidential nominee.

Biden announced his decision in a letter posted to social media after weeks of fevered speculation, making him one of a handful of presidents who decided to step aside rather than seek reelection.

Most recently, in 1968, Lyndon B. Johnson shocked the country when he made the surprise announcement that he would not run at the end of an Oval Office speech on his plan to limit US military operations in Vietnam. Heres part of that address:

It is a remarkable speech to watch today.

Nearly 60 years old when he made that speech, Johnson looked much older. He would die of a sudden heart attack in 1973 at 64, before eligibility for retirement programs like Medicare, which he signed into law, and Social Security, which he expanded.

By the time he bowed out of the race, Johnson, unlike Biden, was facing multiple challenges for the Democratic nomination in the spring of 1968. Racial strife in the US, paired with a country fractured over the war in Vietnam, hurt Johnsons popularity. In early 1968, the Tet offensive in Vietnam showed Communist forces there to be must stronger than the US military had claimed, and American casualties in the war mounted.

Earlier that March, Johnson only narrowly won the New Hampshire primary against the anti-war candidate Sen. Eugene McCarthy. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, the brother of the man whose assassination elevated Johnson to the White House, entered the presidential race on March 16.

Health was a concern for LBJ

Vietnam split the party in 1968, but the growing rift among Democrats over the war was not the only reason Johnson pulled out of the race, according to Mark Updegrove, a presidential historian and CEO of the LBJ Foundation.

I talked to Updegrove in 2022 about why presidents might not run for reelection, and he told me at the time that Biden, like LBJ, should consider his health before seeking another four-year White House term.

Theres the misconception that LBJ opted not to run again due solely to the growing controversy and divisions over the war in Vietnam. That may have been part of it, but his principal concern was his health, Updegrove said.

He had had a nearly fatal heart attack in 1955, and his family had a history of fatal heart disease. He didnt want to put the country through the kind of crisis we had gone through with the sudden death of FDR in 1945, and Woodrow Wilsons stroke in 1919, which left him incapacitated, Updegrove added.

A year of incredible uncertainty

1968 is an infamous year in US history, and Johnsons March 31 announcement kicked off a period of violence and uncertainty.

Less than a week after Johnson announced his decision not to run for reelection, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot by a sniper on April 4, an event that sparked a wave of violence and riots that devastated many American cities, including Washington, DC, Baltimore and Chicago. Johnson deployed 58,000 National Guardsmen and Army troops to US cities.

In June of that year, Kennedy was assassinated in California, creating even more turmoil. His son is now running for president as an independent.

In 1968, Democrats ultimately sidestepped McCarthy, who channeled the anti-war sentiment. Instead, they elevated Johnsons vice president, Hubert Humphrey, as their nominee at the Democratic National Convention  which, like it will be this summer, was held in Chicago that year too. As Humphrey accepted the nomination in the convention hall, riots raged in the streets outside.

That November, Humphrey ran close to Richard Nixon, a Republican and the ultimate winner, but the independent candidate George Wallace, a former Democrat, won multiple Southern states with a populist and segregationist appeal. Wallace also likely siphoned votes away from Humphrey in key states.

Johnson remains one of the countrys most transformative presidents

Johnson capitalized on a period of unity after the death of John F. Kennedy to pass landmark civil rights legislation. He won his own landslide reelection in 1964 and used that momentum to enact a series of laws meant to build the US into a great society, including Medicare and the Voting Rights Act, and declared a war on poverty.

Those civil rights achievements were not universally celebrated in the US, and they hastened a realignment of the American political parties in which his Democrats went from the dominant to the minority party in the American South.

This story has been updated following President Joe Bidens decision to exit the presidential race.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. The matter of approval of the list of candidates for members of parliament from the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) is likely to be considered at the next board meeting, said MP and member of the YAP board, Musa Guliyev, Trend reports.

He highlighted that today's board meeting of YAP focused on preparations for the upcoming extraordinary parliamentary election and the establishment of both central and local party headquarters.

He emphasized that the meeting also finalized the appointment of authorized representatives for the party in the upcoming election.

"The nomination of party candidates and the approval of the candidate list will likely be addressed at the next board meeting. Currently, there is no preliminary information available regarding the candidate list," he added.

To note, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on the dissolution of the Azerbaijani Parliament of the sixth convocation and the appointment of an extraordinary election to the Azerbaijani Parliament.

The extraordinary election is scheduled for September 1, 2024.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
What happens next if U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance is tapped for Vice President

COLUMBUS, OH  APRIL 23: Former President Donald J. Trump shakes hands with U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance at the Save America Rally, April 23, 2022, at the Delaware County Fairgrounds, Delaware, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for the Ohio Capital Journal.)

In two weeks, the Republican National Convention meets in Milwaukee, and it may shake up the political landscape here in Ohio. Although theres no doubt about the top of the ticket, former President Donald Trump has indicated he plans to select a Vice President before or during the nominating convention. U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-OH, is on Trumps shortlist, and if he gets the nod and they win election, it could kick off a game of musical chairs among the states leading Republicans.

Nuts and bolts

If theres a vacancy in Ohios U.S. Senate delegation, the governor gets to appoint a replacement. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWines office declined to weigh in what factors would drive his decision making. A spokesman described those considerations as hypothetical and said it would be disrespectful to those involved to comment on (it) at this time.

Even if Trump does select Vance, an actual vacancy is probably still a long way off.

Vance doesnt need to resign to run as Vice President. In 2016, for instance, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-VA, was Hilary Clintons running mate. After their ticket lost, he went back to the Senate and continued serving. Similarly in 2008, both Barack Obama and John McCain were serving as U.S. Senators while running to be the next President. Obama got a promotion, and McCain kept his old job.

Assuming Vance were to follow that pattern, a vacancy would only occur if hes selected as Vice President and the Trump-Vance ticket wins in November.

However DeWine arrives at a decision, his appointee wouldnt necessarily serve out the remainder of Vances term, which runs through 2028. Instead, state law calls for a special election at the next regularly scheduled election that is at least 180 days later. That puts the election for Vances unexpired term in November of 2026.

Whoever the governor selects could defend their seat in that 2026 special election. Its a rare set of circumstances  the last appointee was Democrat Howard Metzenbaum in 1974  and the track record isnt great.

The U.S. Senate maintains a database of appointed members going back to 1913 when the 17th Amendment established direct election of U.S. Senators and a process for replacing them. All five of Ohios appointed U.S. Senators were unable to win the subsequent special election.

Two of them didnt even win their partys nomination.

Political landscape

Aside from the procedural questions that come with a potential vacancy theres the question of who should be up for consideration. Earlier this year, the Republican party selected Bernie Moreno as its U.S. Senate nominee in a race against state Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, and Sec. of State Frank LaRose.

If Moreno wins in November, Dolan and LaRose might make the list. Another possibility is that DeWine could select a future gubernatorial candidate in hopes of thinning out the 2026 primary field. Still another possibility would be to select one of Ohios U.S. Representatives, setting off yet another search for a pinch hitter.

To Ohio Wesleyan University political scientist Brianna Mack, there will be a strong case to replace like-for-like, finding someone that is also of the MAGA camp, like Vance. But shortly before Election Day in this years primary, DeWine went in a different direction, throwing his support behind a more centrist candidate in Dolan. Although Mack acknowledges it might seem like a logical option to turn to Dolan again, backing a candidate the party so recently passed over could be fraught.

So, lets say that he did appoint a Dolan, she said. What would end up happening is that that person may not actually win the upcoming election.

Dolan has run twice and hasnt secured the nomination, so we know the party doesnt want him, she added. While he is a more moderate choice and arguably, he would be better on the national stage, if he cant survive state level preliminaries, what was the point?

David Cohen, a political scientist from the University of Akron, emphasized if theres going to be a vacancy that means that Trump has won the presidency. Even with the demands of preparing for a second term, Cohen doubts Trump would hold his tongue on Vances replacement.

(Trump) would definitely be somebody that would weigh in on who he thinks should be in that seat, Cohen said. And that certainly is something Governor DeWine would have to contend with.

Cohen also stressed that the Ohio GOP has a deep bench of potential appointees, and DeWine would have no shortage of familiar faces outside the recent U.S. Senate field.

Maybe a political deal would be cut so that there wouldnt be so many people running for governor, Cohen offered. Instead, somebody decides to shift to the U.S. Senate, maybe theyll get a little extra support, because I think the (2026) governors race is going to be pretty crowded.

If Ohio voters were to split their ticket in November, favoring the Trump ticket for President while reelecting U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-OH, a vacancy might give Moreno a second chance at the Senate.

Cohen said that kind of mulligan isnt out of the question.

Well, I think it would depend on the election results, certainly, he said. If it were a fairly close election, I think thats an easy argument to make.

Follow OCJ Reporter Nick Evans on Twitter.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post What happens next if U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance is tapped for Vice President appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
What happens if you cant get insurance? Meet NCs insurer of last resort

When Ohio-based Nationwide dropped 10,525 homeowners insurance policies in Eastern North Carolina last October, citing inflation, catastrophic risk and reinsurance costs, thousands of homeowners were left scrambling.

Many feared they would become uninsurable or, even worse, lose their homes.

Thats not necessarily the case.

In states like North Carolina, theres always the insurer of last resort. Also known as the FAIR plan (Fair Access to Insurance Requirement), its the state-mandated insurer for high-risk homeowners who are unable to obtain coverage in the private market. In most cases, theyve been denied coverage multiple times from standard insurers.

Insurance agents dont recommend the FAIR plan, said Reginald M. Wright, a broker with Durham-based New Century Advisors. Sometimes, its the only option.

Gina Hardy, CEO of the North Carolina Joint Underwriting Association and the North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association, is photographed in Raleigh, N.C. on Wednesday, May 22, 2024.

This states insurer of last resort is Gina Hardy, CEO of the North Carolina Joint Underwriting Association (NCJUA) and the North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association (NCIUA).

From her corner office headquartered on Corporate Center Drive in Raleigh, she presides over the companys two arms: the NCJUA, or the FAIR plan, which covers the states inland; and NCIUA, or the beach plan, which covers the 18 coastal counties.

While insurance is not legally mandated, most lenders require it. Its also better than being uninsured and dangerously unprotected, Hardy said. Were essentially here as a backstop. We fill in the gaps when the private market chooses to pull back.

As weather-related losses mount and insurance companies request double-digit rate hikes to stay in business, more consumers may take her up on it.

To be clear: The associations are not a state agency. Though created by the General Assembly in 1969, its a tax-exempt association of insurance companies, required by law, to write policies as part of a shared market plan, insuring thousands of properties worth tens of billions of dollars regardless of risk.

Hardy, who has served since 2011, answers to a board: half are elected by the industry; the other by the states insurance commissioner. Coverage is limited, she added, and typically more expensive. But its guaranteed.

We dont ask people why theyre coming, or from where, she said. You can come to us for a small period or several years. Were just happy to provide a service.

A response to redlining

FAIR plans first formed during the Civil Rights Movement in the late 1960s. They provided coverage to homeowners in communities where private insurers were unwilling. Such communities were often subject to redlining, a discriminatory practice that consists of systematic denial of services based on race or ethnicity.

Today, some 33 states and the District of Columbia offer some sort of FAIR plan. But in recent years, as billion-dollar-loss events become more frequent and carriers run for the exits, their market share has grown rapidly.

In troubled markets, like Florida, the insurer of last resort, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., is now one of the countrys largest writers of homeowners insurance. It had around 2% market share in 2023, S&P Global found. Its also facing solvency concerns and a federal investigation.

Comparatively, Hardy said, North Carolinas high-risk pool remains as stable as we can be.

The states FAIR plan saw market share, based on premiums, double  from 2% in 2012 to 4% in 2019. Its stayed level since but as the states population surged, the number of policies jumped to 210,431 in 2023, up 6% year-over-year. Property exposure also increased  from $33.4 billion in 2022 to $43.6 billion in 2023, a 30% spike.

The beach plans share, meanwhile, has dropped to 58% in 2022, down from its peak  80%  in 2013. Other coastal areas hover around 45%.

But again, exposure has ballooned. The plan insured some 235,313 policyholders for $125.7 billion in property exposures in 2023. Compare that to $96.4 billion just the year before. Thats up almost 30%.

An aerial view of of flooding in eastern North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.

Chavez Gallegos, 24, helps his family move out of a flooded home on Will Baker Road in Kinston Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, following the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.

Nowhere near our peak

Still, were nowhere near our peak, according to Hardy. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

In 2024, the beach plan has about $4.6 billion in reserves, reinsurance and contributions from insurance companies, data shows. Thats after wind and hail losses from storms like Florence (2018), where it paid $1.5 billion in claims.

We paid over 90% of all claims within 60 days, she said, with no assessment back to the industry. The FAIR plan, meanwhile, has unlimited assessment authority to member insurers to pay losses and $145 million in catastrophe bonds, she said.

Such market stability wasnt always the case.

In 2008, an actuarial firm commissioned by an insurer trade group found that the beach plan was ill-equipped to handle the next catastrophic storm. It had over $74 billion worth of exposure and no more than $1.5 billion in its coffers to pay claims. Companies like State Farm, Farmers Insurance and Encompass Insurance had begun to pull back.

It led to massive reform; and in 2009, the legislature put a $1 billion cap on the assessments the plan could collect from its members, ProPublica reported. It also directed profits from premiums to the plans cash reserve to pay for losses, operating expenses and reinsurance; and bought $1.5 billion in reinsurance to boost its finances, the report said.

Since then, we havent had [any] sort of crisis, said Don Hornstein, the Thomas F. Taft Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law. Hes also a member of the FAIR plans board of directors and served on the special commission to reform the association.

By and large, he added, bigger insurance companies have remained in the state, and fly-by-night insurers have left. We have a vibrant market, especially compared to states like California and Florida, where insurance availability has evaporated, he said.

In the meantime, the association is using its surplus to gird against future storms.

Since 2019, it has invested $42.1 million into its roof fortification program for the Outer Banks and Barrier Islands. As of January, it had completed 7,518 fortified roofs with another 3,310 in progress.

Separately, it started a companion program for the states other coastal areas with $14 million. Another $40 million has been allocated, but its dependent on a dollar-for-dollar match for the 18 counties, excluding the Outer Banks.

Hornstein is pushing for the state to match funds. Big picture, he said, losses are increasing. But if we can incentivize people living in homes that can weather the storm, then everybody wins. Insurance becomes more affordable.

Or it doesnt.

The beauty of insurance, said Raleigh-based industry lobbyist Joe Stewart, is that it provides an immediate economic [response] to whether or not something is a good idea. If you cant get the coverage for it, maybe thats the answer.

To learn more about North Carolinas state-mandated insurance company, go here.

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
Vice President Harris doubled down on her support of President Biden on Tuesday, amid calls for him to withdraw from the 2024 race after his poor debate performance last week against former President Trump.

Look: Joe Biden is our nominee. We beat Trump once, and were gonna beat him. Period, Harris said in an interview with CBS News.

When asked if she is ready to lead the country if unnecessary, Harris said, I am proud to be Joe Bidens running mate. Thank you.

Harriss remarks were in response to a question about Rep. Lloyd Doggetts (D-Texas) public call for Biden to step down from the 2024 race. Doggett so far is the only House Democrat to make the public appeal to the president.

Biden, 81, faced off against Trump, 78, last week in the first debate of the 2024 general election cycle, during which the president appeared to stumble over his words and lose his train of thought. The incumbents voice was raspy for a good portion of the 90-minute debate, while his delivery frequency halted, and he showed difficulty stringing together his ideas.

His poor showing sparked immediate panic from some within the Democratic Party over his prospects of beating Trump in November and effectively leading the nation for another four years.

Harriss name has been floated as a potential replacement for Biden should he step down, and a CNN poll published Tuesday found she is polling closer to Trump than Biden is.

Facing calls from within his own party to step aside in the 2024 election, the president and his reelection campaign have maintained that he does not intend to do so.

Biden has already clinched the Democratic nomination, winning a majority of delegates in the primary contests, and thus he cannot be simply overthrown at the Democratic National Convention in August. Therefore, the decision is ultimately up to him.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Vice President Kamala Harris, seen in November, painted the election as a "split screen" choice between freedoms and dictatorship in her speech to Bay Area donors on Tuesday. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images)

At a fraught moment in President Biden's reelection campaign, as he faces calls to drop out of the race due to serious flubs at last week's debate, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed donors at a private fundraiser Tuesday in San Francisco and focused on the election as a choice between civil liberties and dictatorship.

"Let's just deal with the elephant in the room. There are actually two: One is the debate, and the other is Trump," Harris said to light laughter from a group of about 35 supporters at the Nob Hill condo of real estate executive Susan Lowenberg, in a high-rise building overlooking the city and bay.

"The debate, as the president said, [was] not his finest hour. We all know that," Harris told the room. But the outcome of the election, she added, "cannot be determined by one day in June."

"It is still the fact that the stakes are so high in this election. It is still the fact that the race is close. It is still the fact that there is a profound contrast on the two sides of the split screen in terms of who stands for what and what each has accomplished," she said. "And it's still true that Trump is a liar."

Her appearance at the San Francisco fundraiser came the same day Trump's campaign reported raising $331 million compared with Biden's $264 million during the second quarter of this year, eliminating the cash advantage Biden previously had over Trump.

President Trumps campaign fundraising operation is thriving day after day and month after month," the Republican's top campaign advisors, Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, said in a statement. "This fundraising momentum is likely to grow even more as we head into a world-class convention and see the Democrats continue their circular firing squad in the aftermath of Bidens debate collapse.

Harris didn't say anything further about Biden's debate performance while a Times reporter was present at Tuesday's private fundraiser.

Elizabeth Ashford, a Democratic strategist who served as Harris' chief of staff during her tenure as California's attorney general, applauded Harris' focus in recent days on delivering a crisp, clear message to an anxious American electorate. Harris' job, Ashford said, is to focus on the administration's accomplishments, and to demonstrate to voters  without actually saying it  that she can step in if necessary to effectively lead the nation.

"That is where I would be singularly focused," Ashford said. "One of Kamalas areas of growth has been to be really confident in how she communicates. And this is that moment."

A new CNN poll indicates some 75% of voters think Democrats would have a better shot at keeping the White House if they swapped Biden out for someone new. The poll also showed nearly as much support for Harris as for Trump in a hypothetical matchup  with 47% of registered voters surveyed nationwide saying they would support Trump and 45% saying they would vote for Harris. The same poll indicated the difference between the current likely candidates was larger, with 49% backing Trump and 43% favoring Biden.

At the fundraiser Tuesday, Harris seemed comfortable and relaxed in a room full of longtime donors and friends stretching back to her start in San Francisco politics as district attorney 20 years ago.

Harris touted the administration's policy accomplishments, such as capping the price of insulin for seniors on Medicare and erasing student loan debt for millions of borrowers. She highlighted the White House's commitment to mitigating climate change through investments in green energy, and its support for reproductive freedoms and other rights for women and marginalized communities.

There is an awareness among the American people that there is a full-on attack  an intentional attack  against hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and liberties, she said.

Those stakes became even higher with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on Monday that gave Trump  and possibly future presidents  legal immunity from criminal charges stemming from official actions while in office, Harris said.

And lets not forget, Donald Trump has openly said he admires dictators and intends to be 'a dictator on Day One,' Harris said. We gotta fight, and we know how to fight."

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.
TechCrunch

TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 is only two weeks away, and we want to ensure that students and recent grads dont miss out on the full Attendee Pass experience  now available at a discounted rate with a Student Pass. At the bustling Expo Hall, Disrupt attendees come together to explore cutting-edge startup innovations. Its the perfect place to connect with key players who can help launch your career and watch the startup pitch-off to get a firsthand look at what it takes to succeed in the startup world.
After a three-year-long lawsuit against the City of Atlanta, Messiah Young and Taniyah Pilgrim have been awarded $2 million in damages.

This is not a gift, Chris Stewart, Pilgrims attorney, said in a press conference. This is not something these kids did not deserve. These are innocent victims who were caught in traffic that night.

According to Fox News, the night in question occurred back in May 2020 during the height of Black Lives Matter protests in response to the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Then HBCU students Young and Pilgrim were heading home during a curfew  imposed by former Mayor Keisha Bottoms only hours before  when police pulled them out of their vehicle, tased them, and hit them with stun guns, according to the June 2021 lawsuit.

In the video, the students can be heard screaming and asking police what they did wrong. According to the lawsuit, Young was punched several times while detained and also suffered a deep cut which needed 13 stitches. Pilgrim said she was handcuffed and left in the back of a police van for hours.

During their arrest, Police can also be heard shouting for Young to get his hands out of his pockets and He got a gun. He got a gun. No weapon was found on Young that night.

The entire incident was caught on body-cam footage and later released to the public, which sparked national outrage. Directly following the incident, former Atlanta police chief Erika Shields fired two officers involved, but they have since been reinstated . Additionally, six officers involved were cleared of any charges regarding the incident, reports Fox.

#BREAKING Fulton DA Paul Howard announce arrest warrants for 6 APD officers in connection with the arrest of two college students Saturday night. @FOX5Atlanta pic.twitter.com/rvYSFr9xh6  Aungelique Proctor (@aungeliquefox5) June 2, 2020

Pilgrim is a student at Spelman College. After that night, she took time off but is set to graduate this December. Young was a Morehouse student but has yet to return to the school.

A huge part of my life was diminished and  trying to move forward from this point is very, very irritating and very, very triggering, Young said.

One year after the incident, Young and Pilgrim officially filed the lawsuit against the city claiming assault and false arrest, according to the AP.

Accountability is what relieves pain and brings peace, and unfortunately there has been no accountability, Mawuli Mel Davis, Youngs attorney, said in 2021.

The Atlanta City Council voted 13-1 in favor of the settlement to Young and Pilgrim. In response to the Monday ruling, Pilgrim said Im happy to close this chapter in my life.

Although justice has been served, Young says he still is haunted by that night. Every day Im reminded of something from that night, he said. There seems to be a never-ending cycle of these [incidents].

The Atlanta Police Department spends more money than most urban cities in the US, according to the Police Scorecard. The same study found police killings in Atlanta occur at a higher rate than 37 percent of the departments across the nation.

The City of Atlanta recently approved funding to build a $90 million police training facility, but residents are not having it. The Stop Cop City campaign has taken over the city with protests and petitions since 2023.

For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Head of Ukrainian President's Office and US Secretary of State discuss NATO summit and Ukraine's energy security

Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. Photo: Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, has met with Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State.

Source: European Pravda; Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department, at a briefing in Washington

Details: Patel stated that Zelenskyy and Blinken had discussed a number of issues, in particular the upcoming NATO summit in Washington and the alliance members' intentions to bring Ukraine closer to membership and help strengthen Ukraine's ability to defend itself from Russian aggression.

He pointed out that they also discussed energy security and the current efforts of the G7 countries to improve the sustainability of Ukraine's energy network and energy systems.

Quote from Patel: "The Secretary also congratulated Mr. Yermak on his historic support [from other countries] at the Global Peace Summit."

In addition, the State Department representative added that Blinken noted the "tenacious and historic defence" of Ukraine's northern and eastern oblasts against Russian offensive actions.

Background:

The US State Department stated that they would not discuss the wording of the communique for the upcoming NATO summit in Washington, despite widespread press reports about disputes over how the clause on Ukraine's membership will be formulated.

Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, said that she hoped the wording of the decision by the Washington NATO summit would include a statement on the irreversibility of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic course.

Support UP or become our patron!
Photo by Getty Images.

My mother dreamed of helicopters falling from the sky. In one crash, my uncle died. In another, her children. Again and again, the low thrum of helicopters tore her world apart.

These fitful dreams remain moms only memories from the month after she suffered a life-threatening stroke on Nov. 19, 2022. That night, just before midnight, a helicopter flew her safely from Hibbing to the University of Minnesota hospital in Minneapolis.

Mom spent almost three months in a hospital and four more in rehabilitative care. Known as the baby whisperer, my mom was only 62 when the stroke ended her long career as a child care provider. She spent most of her adult life years near poverty because she loved the work.

The last 18 months upended our family. We saw first hand the disparities in our health care system for people in small towns and rural areas.

The first challenge was diagnosis and treatment. An understaffed rural hospital, reeling from another COVID-19 outbreak, took almost five hours to properly diagnose moms stroke, which was in the brain stem outside the view of the first CT scan. She lost crucial hours of advanced stroke care.

Once mom stabilized at the U of M hospital, her long recovery began. Unlike about one million Minnesotans, my job allowed enough paid time off to wrangle moms paperwork and medical care. Living in a rural area adds hours of driving, hotel stays and meals, expenses many cant afford.

As time wore on, mom needed more intensive physical, occupational and speech therapies to regain functions taken by the stroke. We spent months looking for a rehabilitation facility but couldnt find one near home.

Professor Carrie Henning-Smith of the University of Minnesota Rural Health Care Research Center said our experience is typical of rural patients. She said rural providers struggle because of low patient volume, aging and impoverished demographics, and workforce shortages.

Fifteen Minnesota nursing homes closed in the past decade. More than half were in rural areas, according to the state Department of Health. During the same period, rural Minnesota counties lost beds for cardiac care and mental health. In the past 20 years, 25% fewer Minnesota hospitals offer birth services, again mostly in rural places.

State Rep. Natalie Zeleznikar, a Republican from Fredenberg Township north of Duluth, spent 30 years as a health care administrator before being elected to the Legislature in 2022. The challenges of one job spilled into the next.

These issues are just going to become a lot worse because we have an older population just as we start to see lower workforce participation, Zeleznikar said. Its going to cause an implosion.

She said the pressure on health care providers grew so great during COVID that many burned out. Now, its harder to find people willing to take on double shifts and more patients.

My moms fierce determination sustained her through several close calls. Despite the visible stress on their faces, nurses and doctors saved my mothers life with kindness and respect. Today, she can walk, eat most foods, and live independently.

Shes a miracle. And yet, talking to experts only illustrates that shes part of the financial deficit choking rural health care services. How can an industry full of people who care still fall short?

A few answers seem clear.

Congress must address Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates, which are too low to sustain rural ambulances and hospitals.

The state should incentivize a new generation of medical professionals to practice rural medicine.

Localities could welcome these professionals by improving access to housing and child care, key recruitment factors. Rural places can also grow talent from within.

We know from research Ive been involved that the biggest predictor of going into rural health care is growing up in a rural area, Henning-Smith said.

She says encouraging young rural people to go into medicine is crucial.

Parts of our health care system work. Minnesota has some of the best hospitals in the world. And Henning-Smith is excited for the opening of a new medical school at the University of Minnesotas CentraCare Regional Campus in St. Cloud.

It creates hope beyond just new physicians, she said, adding that the project would draw more kinds of medical professionals outside the Twin Cities.

Nowadays, mother and I travel 160 miles round-trip for her follow-up appointments in Duluth. Sometimes, we watch those spectral helicopters land on the roof of the hospital. The rotors chant psalms of change.

There goes another family into the great unknown. May they find peace. All Minnesotans deserve reasonable access to the best care. Where we live and how much we make should not matter.
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. The Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, participated in the solemn ceremony dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus and Independence Day as an honorary guest, Trend reports via the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan.

Then, the Defense Minister watched the military parade held in Minsk with the participation of representatives of the Armed Forces of various countries as well as servicemen of the Azerbaijan Army.

Afterward, in Victory Square, the leaders of the delegations laid flowers at the Victory Monument.

The next meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was held in the National Library of Belarus.

The meeting discussed the current state of military cooperation and the issues ahead.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
(Bloomberg) -- Hedge funds dumped European stocks in June, reversing the buying trend seen in the previous month, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.s prime brokerage desk.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The selling was driven by both long positions being unwound and short positions being added in roughly equal amounts, Goldman said. The moves came as European financial markets were jolted by the call for a snap election in France.

The data showed Europe suffered the biggest reduction in overweight positions among regions globally. Funds cut the most exposure to financial stocks, particularly banks, with net selling for that sector the largest since November 2021.

A rally in European stocks stalled last month, with French stocks posting their biggest monthly decline in two years amid political uncertainty. The benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Index has drifted in the early days of July as investors await parliamentary elections in the UK and the second round of elections in France.

--With assistance from Thyagu Adinarayan.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Fishing boats damaged by Hurricane Beryl pile up against each other in Bridgetown, Barbados, July 1, 2024. Credit - Randy BrooksAFP/Getty Images

Hurricane Beryl is shattering storm records on its path through the Caribbean, having already killed several people as it leaves tremendous destruction in its wake.

After it passed through Grenada, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said Beryl flattened the archipelagic nations small island of Carriacou and that, with communication and power lines cut and many roads made impassable, officials are having trouble reaching affected areas.

In neighboring St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the hurricane destroyed almost all houses in the 9 sq. km. Union Island, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said.

Beryl, which had been downgraded from Category 5after becoming the earliest hurricane of such strength in the Atlanticnonetheless battered Jamaica next. The capital experienced mass power outages on Wednesday, and hundreds of people were sent to relocation centers, as forceful winds felled trees and blocked roads, according to the governments information service. And as the U.S. National Hurricane Center expects devastating winds, life-threatening storm surge, and damaging waves to continue to batter Jamaica, Prime Minister Andrew Holness warned on Wednesday that the country has not yet seen the worst of what could possibly happen.

Read More: Why Beryls Unprecedented Timing Is a Sign of Climate Changes Impact on Extreme Weather

As images and videos of the havoc Beryl continues to wreak on the Caribbean circulate around the world, humanitarian aid groups are calling for donations to assist the communities and people who have been displaced or affected by the hurricane.

While material donationssuch as water bottles, canned food, and clothingare often well-intentioned, USAID has said that when natural disasters strike, monetary donations are actually best for a number of reasons, including minimizing shipping and other logistical costs for organizations and maximizing flexibility in aid operations.

Below are some organizations and charities mobilizing to help those impacted by Hurricane Beryl.

Airlink

Airlink, a humanitarian aviation organization that collaborates with NGOs to deliver relief workers and supplies around the world, is helping groups including Mobile Medics International (see below) overcome logistical hurdles to provide support to the Caribbean and the regions many small islands. By providing airlifts and coordination, Airlink says its strategic approach is critical to get the right aid to the right place at the right time.

You can support Airlinks mission and response to multiple crises including Hurricane Beryl through its website, which also accepts donations of United frequent flyer miles.

Americares

Health-focused relief and development organization Americares said it is responding to urgent medical needs in the wake of Beryl, and is calling for donations, which can be specifically allocated to Hurricane Beryl Relief.

In a July 2 press release, the group said it will send a response team to Jamaica this week to support the health needs of survivors throughout the region.

A hurricane of this magnitude across multiple islands presents major logistical challenges, Americares director of international emergency response Cora Nally said. Its going to take a lot of coordination between relief organizations and local partners and governments to ensure aid reaches those most in need. Based on our past experience with similar storms, we can anticipate survivors will need assistance with mental health support and replacing medications lost in the storm.

CARE

International anti-hunger and anti-poverty organization CARE said in a post on X that it is, in partnership with the Caribbean Gender Alliance, coordinating closely with locally-led, women-focused civil society organizations in Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago to assess the needs of the most vulnerable (especially women and girls) and provide emergency relief as needed.

We rally around our Caribbean community as they endure the effects of Hurricane #Beryl - a historic Category 4 storm that made landfall earlier today. Beryl is the strongest hurricane to ever form in the Atlantic in the month of June. And as the storm makes its way west, more pic.twitter.com/hyqj8yNFo9  CARE (care.org) (@CARE) July 2, 2024

CARE says it takes great pride in our financial efficiency and accountability and that over 90% of its expenses go to program services.

A spokesperson told TIME that the group, through its Hurricane Beryl Emergency Fund, will provide Beryl survivors with cash assistance to help families meet essential needs and livelihood support to help restore sources of income and ensure long-term recovery for families and individuals.

Catholic Relief Services

The international humanitarian aid agency of the U.S. Catholic Church has also set up a donation drive. Our Church partners are often the first respondersthe first places people go for help. CRS will support their efforts in assisting and caring for their communities as we help meet the range of needs in this moving crisis.

Catholic Relief Services tells TIME that it has staff on the ground evaluating the damage and has already been able to ship out pre-positioned emergency supplies like tarps and hygiene kits.

Convoy of Hope

Faith-based American nonprofit Convoy of Hope says it is working in the region to assess needs and provide much-needed relief supplies. Disaster services are among the key focuses of the group, which was founded in 1994 and partners with local churches, businesses, civic organizations, and government agencies, to distribute essential emergency supplies such as food, clean water, hygiene items, and more and to provide long-term assistance, when possible, to help people rebuild and recover.

Convoy of Hope accepts donations in a variety of forms through its website.

Crisis Response International

CRI, a Christian nonprofit, trains and deploys volunteer disaster responders, and it has called on those who have completed the training to volunteer for deployment to Carriacou, where the group says it is mobilizing to assist with debris removal and distribution of emergency supplies as well as to provide chaplains who can offer emotional and spiritual care. In addition to trained volunteers, the group is also seeking donations and prayers.

Direct Relief

Direct Relief, a U.S.-based humanitarian aid nonprofit thats active in all 50 U.S. states and more than 80 countries, said it is already engaged in relief efforts on the ground in the Caribbean. Its working with local officials in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada as well as partner organizations like Medical Professionals on a Mission, to assess emergency response needs and provide medications, supplies, and temporary shelters.

Direct Relief accepts donations online with an option to select Hurricane Beryl Response as the specified target of your support.

Empact

Empact International, also known as Empact Northwest, is a nongovernmental nonprofit founded in 2010 and based in Washington state that provides advanced rescue training, emergency systems development, and disaster response services worldwide using a team of dedicated staff and volunteers made up of fire service, healthcare, dispatch, and emergency management professionals.

In a post about Hurricane Beryl on LinkedIn on Tuesday, the organization said: Empacts disaster response teams are on high alert, ready to deploy at a moment's notice. Our specialized rescue professionals and canine units stand prepared to: Conduct search and rescue operations; Provide emergency medical care; Assist with evacuations; Support local emergency responders.

The post also solicited donations, which it says, fuels our ability to respond swiftly and save lives: $50 provides emergency supplies for a family; $100 fuels our rescue vehicles; $250 equips a team member with essential gear; $500 supports our canine search teams.

Fauna & Flora

International conservation group Fauna & Flora says that its partner organization in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Union Island Environmental Alliance, is in serious need of help.

Union Island is a shining beacon of our conservation efforts in the Caribbeanfrom preserving species to adapting to climate changebut the 150mph winds have demolished our ability to protect nature there, the group said in its call for donations.

Nature is resilient and so are the people of Union Islandbut they urgently need your help, it added. Please donate today, and help our partners rebuild their lives and livelihoods and rescue our conservation programme.

Global Empowerment Mission

From its headquarters in Doral, Fla., disaster relief mission group Global Empowerment Mission says it is already packing supplies, organizing logistics, and getting team members on the ground. The group is seeking drop-offs of items like tarps, canned foods, and hygiene kits, as well as volunteers to help pack these goods, and it is accepting monetary donations online for its Hurricane Beryl fund.

Mobile Medics International

According to local news in Alaska, the Anchorage-based nonprofit Mobile Medics International will be sending its founder and executive director Teresa Gray as well as eight team members to Jamaica on Thursday, after Beryl passes through the nation.

Gray said her team of medical professionals will be equipped with backpacks so that they can treat people where they are with equivalent care to an ambulance and help keep them out of the field hospital if possible.

Gray said people who want to help should donate to mobile medic operations, like MMI: This hurricane has created a tremendous amount of destruction. I encourage people to find an organization that is on the ground, that speaks to them.

Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies posted an infographic on social media for those in the path of Beryl with guidance on what to do before and during a hurricane. It also said it was monitoring the situation alongside local Red Crosses in the region.

Hurricane Beryl, which has strengthened into a Category 4 storm, is about to make landfall in the southeastern Caribbean. The storm is expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to the region.



IFRC and local Red Cross across the region are closely monitoring the pic.twitter.com/3WgzWwngBm  IFRC (@ifrc) July 1, 2024

Early Tuesday, the Grenada Red Cross Society shipped tarps and shelter kits, as well as blankets and pillows, to displaced residents in Carriacou and Petite Martinique, two of Grenadas most affected islands. More information about the groups work on the ground and how to donate can be found here.

Meanwhile, Canadas Red Cross is accepting monetary donations for victims of Hurricane Beryl that it says will be used for providing immediate relief and supporting recovery efforts, as well as resilience and preparedness activities for future events.

The American Red Cross said on Wednesday that it is ready to respond to Beryl with disaster teams and relief supplies deploying over the Fourth of July holiday weekend to potential impact areas, which may include parts of the U.S. Donations, including specifically for Disaster Relief, to the American Red Cross can be made here.

Samaritans Purse

The North Carolina-based Christian nonprofit Samaritans Purse said on Tuesday that it flew a 13-person disaster response team and more than 24 tons of relief items to Grenada for Hurricane Beryl victims. We started building out pallets of cargo before the hurricane even made landfall, the groups president Franklin Graham said. Among the items it sent were tarps, solar lights, a desalination water unit, and a mobile medical unit.

You can donate to Samaritans Purses Hurricane Beryl relief efforts here.

Sandals Foundation

The Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Jamaican hotel operator Sandals Resorts International, set up a Disaster Relief initiative after Hurricane Beryl hit Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and most recently Jamaica. When one island hurts, we come together to lend a hand, the organization posted on X.

Donations100% of which go to the foundations programs and initiatives, as administrative costs are covered by Sandals Resorts Internationalcan be made online.

Save the Children

As the climate crisis intensifies the frequency and severity of extreme weather events and coastal areas become more populated, international child welfare advocacy group Save the Children said in a blog post about Hurricane Beryl, millions of children in storm-prone areas face increased risks like floods, landslides, damage to homes and schools, heightened exposure to disease, and even death.

The group shared safety tips to help protect children and called for donations to its Childrens Emergency Fund.

United Nations

The U.N. has several bodies that specialize in humanitarian operations.

Its World Food Programme has staff on the ground in Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. WFP is working to support regional and national disaster management agencies to ensure that the people impacted by this storm are able to meet their essential needs and get back on their feet as quickly as possible, Brian Bogart, WFP Caribbean multi-country office director designate, said in a July 1 press release.

Those in the U.S. can make a 100% tax-deductible donation to WFP USA here. $75 dollars can provide a family with an emergency box containing enough food for an entire month, the group says.

The U.N. also has a Crisis Relief arm that solicits donations to and manages an Emergency Fund, which it then disburses to various NGOs that deliver life-saving aid at the front lines of the worlds most severe crises. While U.N. Crisis Relief does not have a specific appeal for victims of Hurricane Beryl, it does have a Climate Action Account, which it describes as our most effective tool to support timely and life-saving humanitarian action in response to climate-related disasters.

World Central Kitchen

Celebrity chef Jose Andres nonprofit global food relief organization World Central Kitchen said its team is mobilizing to Antigua, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to work with partners and provide meals to survivors of Hurricane Beryl.

WCKs Melissa is in Antigua as our Relief Team mobilizes across the Caribbean to reach the islands hit hardest by Hurricane Berylthe strongest storm to hit the region this early into hurricane season. A team is already in St. Vincent and the Grenadines preparing hundreds of pic.twitter.com/MejsrXHoAl  World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) July 2, 2024

You can support WCKs efforts here.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
BLUEFIELD, WV (WVNS)  Officials with the City of Bluefield, West Virginia are asking for the publics help in relation to an animal cruelty investigation.

According to a post from the City of Bluefield, WV Facebook page, on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, a search warrant was carried out on a home on Giles Street in Bluefield, WV, where multiple emaciated, sick, and injured dogs were taken. There were also multiple sets of remains from dead dogs in the home. Bluefield Animal Control, Mercer County Animal Control, and Bluefield P.D. assisted in the recovery of the animals.

According to the press release, investigators are trying to locate the homeowners, Timothy Cumbee and Eliza Cumbee. Both Timothy and Eliza are formerly from Giles County and may be currently living in McDowell County.

An investigation by members of the Bluefield Police Department and Bluefield Animal Control remains active.

Anyone with any information regarding the incident or the whereabouts of Timothy and Eliza Cumbee is asked to contact the Bluefield Animal Control immediately at (304) 327-2401xt. 2454.

Stick with 59News for updates as they become 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 WVNS.
You can help tell the story of freedom in Fort Worths Juneteenth Museum. Heres how.

The National Juneteenth Museum is looking for help from the community to supply artifacts to tell the story of Juneteenth and the African American experience.

The National Juneteenth Museum, in collaboration with the University of North Texas Special Collections, will hold a History Harvest from noon to 4 p.m. July 6 at Ella Mae Shamblee Library, 1062 Evans Ave.

The event is an opportunity for people to share a variety of artifacts ranging from letters, family photos, birth certificates, marriage licenses, clothing, audio and video recordings of family, artwork, maps, awards, cookbooks and more.

Documents will be scanned so people can keep their treasured artifacts.

Lauren Cross is the curator for the National Juneteenth Museum and an assistant professor at the University of North Texas.

Cross and museum staff are looking for artifacts ranging from the 18th century anti-slavery movement to the present day. She says the items collected will help tell the stories of enslaved people, their journeys to freedom, and why Juneteenth matters.

Cross says she wants to educate the public about who enslaved people were.

For people who have learned about who those enslaved ancestors were in their families, its not an abstract figure, its actually a person, a person with a name, a person with a story, Cross said. So we want people to share those stories so we can preserve them.

The History Harvest can be an opportunity for people of any race or ethnicity to provide artifacts, the story behind them and how they tell a larger story about the journey freedom.

Cross and the Juneteenth Museum plan to have similar events in other cities as part of a long-term commitment, Cross says. The intent is to have a rotating archive of new content and stories.

Currently, the museum has a few donated artifacts such as African art, photos from Juneteenth celebrations around the country, a Miss Juneteenth robe, and a book called Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom by Dr. Charles Taylor, which inspired Ronald V. Myers Sr. to advocate for Juneteenth to be a federal holiday in the 90s.

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, which President Lincoln had signed more than two years earlier.

Juneteenth became a state holiday in 1980. In Fort Worth, more than 30,000 people attended a Juneteenth celebration in 1975 in Sycamore Park that was organized by advocates such as Opal Lee.

Lee, considered the Grandmother of Juneteenth, has worked years to make Juneteenth a national holiday. She symbolically walked 1,400 miles from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., in 2016 to bring attention to the importance of the Juneteenth holiday. In 2021, Lee, who lives in Fort Worth, was in attendance when President Joe Biden signed legislation to make Juneteenth a national holiday.

The museum, which has yet to be constructed, will be at Evans Avenue and Rosedale Street in the Historic Southside neighborhood. The museums goal is to raise $70 million, with donations now standing at more than $34 million.

The museum is expected to open in 2026.
More than 35 congressional Democrats have now called on Biden to end his reelection bid

A wave of congressional Democrats have called on President Biden to drop his 2024 campaign. They add to the pressure he faces as he seeks to reassure his party that he is ready to take on former President Donald Trump in November.

More than 35 congressional Democrats have now called for Biden to step aside in what would be an unprecedented decision, while a number of other party leaders have voiced various concerns about his candidacy.

Biden, meanwhile, has shown no signs of backing down after a highly criticized debate performance last month reinforced questions about his age and fitness for office. The president said he simply had a "bad night," and he has since held rallies and a series of media interviews in an attempt to showcase his viability on the campaign trail.

Here are the Democrats who have spoken out. Check back here, as this article will be continually updated.

Rep. Joe Manchin, July 21

The Democratic-turned-Independent Senator from West Virginia, and chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said on ABC's This Week it was time for Biden to "pass the torch to a new generation."

Rep. Mark Takano, July 20

While Takano acknowledged Biden's accomplishments in a statement shared on X, the Democratic Congressman from California called on the president to "pass the torch" to Kamala Harris.

Rep. Betty McCollum, July 19

The Democratic lawmaker from Minnesota released a statement Friday calling on Biden to "release his delegates and empower Vice President Harris to step forward to become the Democratic nominee for president."

Sen. Sherrod Brown, July 19

In a statement released Friday evening, Brown of Ohio became the latest Senator to come out in favor of Biden exiting the race. "I think the President should end his campaign," he said.

Rep. Morgan McGarvey, July 19

McGarvey, a Democratic representative from Kentucky, emphasized the need to "defeat Donald Trump, flip the House, and protect the Senate" in a statement shared on X.

"There is no joy in the recognition he should not be our nominee in November," McGarvey wrote. "But the stakes of this election are too high."

Rep. Gabe Vasquez, July 19

The New Mexico representative shared a statement complimenting Biden's career but ultimately called for the president to "step aside to give Democrats the best opportunity to win this November."

Regardless of who our nominee is, my number one job will be to take care of the people of my district and continue bringing results home to New Mexico. pic.twitter.com/NKDGsa2mEt  Gabe Vasquez (@Gabe_NM) July 19, 2024

Rep. Greg Landsman, July 19

Landsman, a representative from Ohio, posted a thread on X partly inspired by former President Donald Trump's speech at the Republican National Convention the night before.

"To allow Trump to become president and control all three branches of government puts our democracy and freedoms at great risk," Landsman wrote. "It is time for President Biden to step aside and allow us to nominate a new leader who can reliably and consistently make the case against Donald Trump."

Reps. Jared Huffman, Marc Veasey, Mark Pocan and Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, July 19

In a joint statement, the four representatives  from California, Texas, Wisconsin and Illinois, respectively  wrote, "We must face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and fitness are jeopardizing what should be a winning campaign."

"We believe the most responsible and patriotic thing you can do in this moment is to step aside as our nominee while continuing to lead our party from the White House," the letter concluded.

Rep. Sean Casten, July 19

In an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune, the Illinois representative wrote that "with a heavy heart" he is calling on Biden to leave the race and "pass the torch to a new generation."

Sen. Martin Heinrich, July 19

Heinrich, of New Mexico, became the third Democratic Senator to ask Biden to step aside, issuing a statement the morning after the final day of the Republican National Convention.

"While the decision to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden's alone, I believe it is in the best interests of our country for him to step aside," Heinrich wrote.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, July 18

Lofgren, a representative from California and one of the members of the Jan. 6 select committee, issued a statement praising Biden's achievements as president but also asking him to step aside.

"As I am aware that you have been provided data indicating that you in all likelihood will lose the race for President, I will not go through it," she wrote. "Your candidacy is on a trajectory to lose the White House and potentially impact crucial House and Senate races down the ballot."

Lofgren added that, should Biden ultimately be confirmed as the Democratic nominee, she would "do everything I can to promote your candidacy."

Rep. Jim Costa, July 18

The day after Rep. Adam Schiff called Biden to exit the race, Costa, a fellow California Democrat, said in a statement he thought "it is time for the President to pass the torch to the next generation to carry on the legacy he started."

Sen. Jon Tester, July 18

Jon Tester, Montana's senior senator, has asked Biden to drop out of the race in a statement given to the Daily Montanan.

Montanans have put their trust in me to do what is right, and it is a responsibility I take seriously. I have worked with President Biden when it has made Montana stronger, and Ive never been afraid to stand up to him when he is wrong, Tester said. And while I appreciate his commitment to public service and our country, I believe President Biden should not seek reelection to another term.

Rep. Adam Schiff, July 17

The California Democrat told the Los Angeles Times that the "choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden's alone," but Biden should "pass the torch" and "secure his legacy of leadership" by allowing another Democrat to step forward to challenge Trump.

Schiff is running for the Senate seat that was long held by Dianne Feinstein.

Rep. Mike Levin, July 12

Levin released a statement that he was "concerned about President Biden's performance in the recent debate."

"It is time to move forward. With a new leader. Together," he concluded.

Democrat Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) flips stance, joins fellow San Diego Dem congressman Rep. Scott Peters, calling for President Biden to pull out of the 2024 Presidential race. @10News #capolitics pic.twitter.com/rHr1hH2r3t  Spencer Soicher ABC 10News (@spencersoicher) July 12, 2024

Rep. Brittany Pettersen, July 12

The Colorado congresswoman said that she is "joining the growing number of people" to ask Biden to "pass the torch to one of our many capable Democratic leaders."

Rep. Eric Sorensen, July 11

Sorensen, an Illinois congressman, was the third House Democrat to speak out shortly after the president's NATO news conference.

My statement on the presidential race. pic.twitter.com/bmjlp06psd  Eric Sorensen (@ERICSORENSEN) July 12, 2024

Rep. Scott Peters, July 11

The California lawmaker also issued his statement after Biden's press conference.

Today I ask President Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign. The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course. My conscience requires me to speak up and put loyalty to the country and to democracy ahead of my great affection for, and loyalty to, the President and those around him, Peters said in a statement. We must find a candidate from our deep bench of talent who can defeat Donald Trump.

Rep. Jim Himes, July 11

Himes, a Connecticut Democrat, called on Biden to exit the race as the president was wrapping up his highly anticipated NATO news conference Thursday.

Joe Bidens record of public service is unrivaled. His accomplishments are immense. His legacy as a great president is secure.



He must not risk that legacy, those accomplishments and American democracy to soldier on in the face of the horrors promised by Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/FMMrTK8pb8  Jim Himes  (@jahimes) July 12, 2024

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, July 11

In an email to a local Oregon outlet, Gluesenkamp Perez, a Washington state representative, wrote, "Like most people I represent in Southwest Washington, I doubt the President's judgement about his health, his fitness to do the job, and whether he is the one making important decisions about our country, rather than unelected advisors.

"The crisis of confidence in the Presidents leadership needs to come to an end," she added. "The President should do what he knows is right for the country and put the national interest first."

Rep. Greg Stanton, July 11

The Arizona congressman reiterated themes from other representatives asking Biden to step down  some extremely similar to what Rep. Brad Schneider said earlier in the day  including that "the stakes in this election could not be higher" and "it is time for the President to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders."

"The Democratic Party must have a nominee who can effectively make the case against Trump," Stanton wrote. "For the sake of American democracy, ... I believe it is time for the President to step aside as our nominee."

I was one of President Biden's earliest supporters in 2020, and I'm proud of the progress we've made for Arizona.



However the stakes in this election could not be higher. For our country's sake, it is time for the President to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders. pic.twitter.com/KSX1jd0O6m  Greg Stanton (@gregstantonaz) July 11, 2024

Rep. Ed Case, July 11

"My guidepost is what is the best way forward for our country," the Hawaii congressman said in a statement. "I do not believe President Biden should continue his candidacy for re-election as President."

Rep. Brad Schneider, July 11

Schneider's statement described how Biden "has the opportunity to secure his legacy" by leaving the race.

"The stakes in this election could not be higher," the Illinois Democrat wrote. "I love President Biden. I am forever grateful for his leadership and service to our nation. The time has come, however, for President Biden to heroically pass the torch to a new generation of leadership."

Just in:

Illinois Democrat Rep. Brad Schneider issues a lengthy statement calling for Joe Biden to step aside for a new generation of leadership. pic.twitter.com/woFeil6mct  Ben Szalinski (@BenSzalinski) July 11, 2024

Rep. Hillary Scholten, July 11

Scholten, who flipped her district in Michigan in 2022, issued a statement on X that Biden should step aside from the presidential race and allow a new leader to step up.

However, she added that should Biden stay in the race, she would "respect" the decision and will still vote for him, as a clear and necessary alternative to Donald Trump."

President Biden has served his country well, but for the sake of our democracy, he must pass the torch to a new candidate for the 2024 election. pic.twitter.com/derEO1kl3f  Hillary Scholten (@HillaryScholten) July 11, 2024

Sen. Peter Welch, July 10

In an op-ed in the Washington Post, Welch, of Vermont, became the first U.S. senator to call for Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race.

I understand why President Biden wants to run. He saved us from Donald Trump once and wants to do it again. But he needs to reassess whether he is the best candidate to do so. In my view, he is not," Welch wrote.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, July 10

Blumenauer, of Oregon, became the ninth House Democrat to call for Biden to exit the presidential race.

"It is a painful and difficult conclusion but there is no question in my mind that we will all be better served if the president steps aside as the Democratic nominee and manages a transition under his terms," Blumenauer said in a statement, according to Politico. "He has earned that right."

Rep. Pat Ryan, July 10

Ryan told the New York Times that he felt Biden should step aside "for the good of the country."

"I'd be doing a grave disservice if I said he was the best candidate to serve this fall," the New York Democrat said. "For the good of our country, for my two young kids, I'm asking Joe Biden to step aside in the upcoming election and deliver on the promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders."

Rep. Mikie Sherrill, July 9

In a statement posted on X, Sherrill shared that because she knows "Biden cares deeply about the future of our country," he should "declare he won't run for reelection" and "help us through a process toward a new nominee."

Sherrill added that her concerns lie with the "threat" of Trump returning to the White House.

"The stakes are too high," the New Jersey Democrat wrote. "I realize this is hard, but we have done hard things in pursuit of democracy since the founding of this nation. It is time to do so again."

I know President Biden cares deeply about the future of our country.



That's why I am asking that he declare that he won't run for reelection.



My full statement: pic.twitter.com/rR2rmZ1ewN  Mikie Sherrill (@MikieSherrill) July 9, 2024

Rep. Adam Smith, July 8

Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, told CNN on July 8 that he agreed Biden should end his candidacy and that Vice President Kamala Harris "would be a much better, stronger candidate." He also issued a similar statement on his official site.

"The president's performance in the debate was alarming to watch and the American people have made it clear they no longer see him as a credible candidate to serve four more years as president," Smith said. "Since the debate, the president has not seriously addressed these concerns.

"This is unacceptable. The stakes are simply too high. Donald Trump and MAGA extremism pose an existential threat to our nation, and we need to be in the strongest possible position to win in this election."

Smith did add that if Biden stays in the race, he will support him.

"If he gets the nomination, I'm all in," Smith said.

Rep. Angie Craig, July 6

Craig, a Democrat who represents Minnesota's second congressional district, issued a statement hours after the ABC interview, for Biden to step aside in the 2024 race.

While noting her respect for Biden's "decades of service," Craig said "given what I saw and heard from the President during last week's debate in Atlanta, coupled with the lack of a forceful response from the President himself following that debate, I do not believe that the President can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump.

"This is not a decision I've come to lightly, but there is simply too much at stake to risk a second Donald Trump presidency," she added, before calling on Biden to drop out of the race and "allow for a new generation of leaders to step forward."

"There is only a small window left to make sure we have a candidate best equipped to make the case and win," Craig said.

Rep. Mike Quigley, July 5

Quigley, an Illinois Democrat, became the fourth House Democrat to call on Biden to exit the presidential race.

"Mr. President, your legacy is set," he said on MSNBC. "We owe you the greatest debt of gratitude. The only thing that you can do now to cement that for all time and prevent utter catastrophe is to step down and let someone else do this."

Quigley affirmed his decision in comments following Biden's ABC News interview Friday.

The Illinois representative had previously publicly expressed reservations about Biden continuing his campaign, urging the president to "appreciate at this time just how much it impacts not just his race, but all the other races that are coming in November."

Rep. Seth Moulton, July 4

Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat and Iraq war vet, became the third House Democrat to call on Biden to step aside. He did so in an interview with Boston radio station WBUR.

"President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in one of our founding fathers, George Washington's footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump," Moulton told WBUR.

Moulton said the mechanism for choosing a new candidate was "yet to be determined" and could include "some sort of primary process" or that Vice President Kamala Harris could emerge as the presidential nominee.

On Wednesday, Moulton had released a statement that had stopped short of calling for Biden to exit, but had recommended "all viable options" be on the table.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, July 3

Grijalva became the second House Democrat to call on Biden to drop out. In an interview, he said, "If hes the candidate, Im going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere."

"What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat," the Arizona Democrat continued, "and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, July 2

Doggett was the first Democrat in office to directly call for Biden to drop out. In a statement, which circulated on X, Doggett, of Texas, said Bidens debate performance did not reassure voters and Biden failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trumps lies.

Following Biden's ABC News interview Friday, Doggett said the "need" for Biden to step aside was growing more urgent every day.
A firefighter rescued a 3-year-old girl from the top floor of a burning triple-decker in Everett on Wednesday morning, according to a pair of public works employees who rushed into the home before crews arrived at the scene.

The fire broke out on the corner of Hancock and Tappan streets around 8 a.m., prompting a massive response from Malden, Chelsea, and Everett firefighters.

Jason Papa and Jesse Whinocour were driving down the street when they spotted smoke and sprung into action to alert the residents inside.

We were driving down the street and we saw the smoke. I told him to stop the truck. We ran in and started kicking doors and knocking on doors. We ran inside the apartments to make sure nobody was in there, Whinocour said. There was too much flames, too black from the smoke. I couldnt save her.

Papa said the little girl was unconscious when the firefighter emerged from the smoke and flames.

He ran in after we came out. We said, There might be somebody up there. We cant see anymore, Papa recalled. We guided him up, he went up, came out a couple minutes later, and she was lifeless. He ran down the street with her.

Everett Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Hickey said the girl and firefighter who rescued her were both transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

He went up there and saved her, Whinocour said of the firefighter. Hes a hero...Thank God for that firefighter. Shes alive because of him.

Papa and Whinocour estimated that about 20 people were inside the home when the fire started.

Officials urged the public to avoid the area due to the large emergency response.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by Hickey suspects the flames originated on the third floor.

There were no additional details immediately available.

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
LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)  Two people have been arrested in connection to a burglary and assault on New Years Day in Lebanon County.

Western Lebanon County Regional Police say on July 3 they arrested Isaiah Williamson in connection to the assault. Police say Williamson forcibly entered a home and assaulted multiple occupants. A 17-year-old female has also been charged as a co-conspirator.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

WHTM Daily Digest

According to court records, the victim and the 17-year-old were having an ongoing online dispute over an ex-boyfriend. On the evening of January 1, the victim said the teen, Williamson, and another woman entered the home and assaulted them. Multiple people in the house fought with Williamson before he left the home, police noted in their report.

Williamson is facing multiple felonies including burglary, criminal trespass, and conspiracy. The teen, who was not named by police, is facing similar charges.

Williamson is being held in the Lebanon County Prison on $25,000 bail.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 3. China resolutely supports the peace agenda proposed by Azerbaijan and considers counterproductive geopolitical intrigues aimed at maintaining confrontation, a Joint Declaration of Azerbaijan and China on the establishment of a strategic partnership adopted in Astana on July 3 said, Trend reports.

According to the document, the parties emphasized that terrorism, separatism, and extremism pose serious threats to the entire international community and require joining efforts to prevent and combat these challenges.

The document mentioned that the parties will continue to provide resolute support to one another on the path of development chosen in line with their national specificities and are ready to cooperate to achieve common development and prosperity, maintain close contacts and coordination on the most important issues of national, as well as regional and global security, strengthen trust, and prevent any forces from using their state territory to carry out actions against the other party.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
New highway signs coming to roads in western Kansas

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  New highway signs will be installed along highways in western Kansas.

The Kansas Department of Transportation says crews will begin replacing signs along U.S. Highway 54, U.S. Highway 160, Kansas Highway 23, and Kansas Highway 98 in Gray, Meade, and Clark counties starting July 8. KDOT doesnt expect the project to create any traffic issues.

Courtesy KDOT

The project is expected to be completed in August, weather permitting. Signs Up LTD DBA Harens Trees and Critters of Webster, Iowa, is the contractor on this $408,274.34 project.

You can see all current and upcoming KDOT road projects taking place across the state via an interactive map at KanDrive.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 KSN-TV.
Rajinder Kalia outside the High Court after hearing sex abuse claims against him - Champion News

A woman accusing a religious leader of exploiting and sexually abusing her told the High Court he has done it to hundreds of his followers over the last 40 years.

Rajinder Kalia, 68, is accused of grooming disciples at his temple while subjecting women and underage girls to sexual abuse.

Mr Kalia, head priest at a Hindu temple in Coventry, is disputing the claims against him saying they are part of a financially motivated conspiracy.

He is head of the Sidh Baba Balak Nath Ji Society of Coventry, a religious organisation which professes the founding principles of the Hindu religion.

Mr Kalia allegedly said he could heal the sick and used videos of parlour tricks to give the impression he could work miracles by squeezing blood from lemons and setting water on fire.

Four women have claimed they were sexually abused by him, with three more alleging they were financially exploited.

Rajinder Kalia is head priest at a Hindu-based temple in Coventry - Central News/Web Collect

One alleged victim claims to have been sexually abused more than 1,320 times over two decades, and another said she suffered abuse as a child which made her fail her school exams.

A third said her virginity was taken in a rape in a Birmingham hotel and the fourth claims to have been hugged and kissed inappropriately when she was as young as four, before having her virginity taken as a young adult.

Three other claimants allege being subjected to financial abuse, costing them hundreds of thousands of pounds while part of the community.

Mr Kalia, 68, denied being a fake guru. Giving evidence for a second day one woman accusing him of abuse said she hopes others will now come forward.

She said: I think the floodgates will open now and there are going be hundreds of people coming forward now. Its been nearly 40 years now. He has done it to hundreds of people.

The most vulnerable people go to the temple because they believe him. Hes abusing them financially, emotionally, sexually, hes abusing in every aspect you can abuse. Hes in a position of power and he has taken advantage of all these people.

Rajinder Kalia is head of the Sidh Baba Balak Nath Ji Society - Central News/Web Collect

She said she previously used to drink when alone to suppress the memories.

I was using alcohol to suppress what he had done to me. I was using alcohol because I thought I would die because of what Mr Kalia had done to me  he had sexually abused me.

It was a way for me to cope with what he had done to me. He had raped me in hotel rooms and sexually abused me in his room.

I needed something that could help as that was the only thing to numb the pain and memory of what he had done to me.

The woman said she had never had an intimate relationship because of Mr Kalia.

She told the court: I was two years old, groomed by this man and at the beginning I saw him as a father figure, as this God.

Indian communities dont talk about sex

The woman said she was shocked when another family member told her she had been abused as well.

She said that Indian communities dont talk about sex and that Mr Kalia relied on that.

She said Mr Kalia would try to divide families to exert control.

Its divide and conquer, he messes up your family so you never find out what he has been doing, she said.

Mr Kalia began preaching in 1983 after moving to the UK from India and claims he experienced miracles as a teenager.

This includes being told he would never walk again after a motorbike crash, but finding himself back on his feet after a visit to Himachal Pradesh, centre of worship of Baba Balak Nath.

The hearing in front of Mr Justice Martin Spencer continues.

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 heat wave will sweep San Luis Obispo County during the week of Fourth of July  and the warm weather may overstay its welcome.

Paso Robles residents should brace themselves for almost two weeks of triple digit temperatures, according to meteorologist John Lindsey.

Holy Toledo, thats a long heat wave, he said.

The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for most of San Luis Obispo County except for a sliver of the coast this week. Thats expected to be in effect from Wednesday at 11 a.m. to July 8 at 6 p.m.

San Luis Obispo will see temperatures in the high 80s to mid 90s during the heat wave, while coastal areas like Morro Bay will stay in the high 60s to mid 70s, the Weather Service said.

Meanwhile, the heat wave will slam Paso Robles with dangerously high temperatures, the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services posted on social media platform X.

The National Weather Service estimated peak temperatures of 106 on Tuesday, 104 degrees on Wednesday, 107 degrees on Thursday and 112 degrees on Friday in Paso Robles.

The forecast looking further out is similarly hot.

Lindsey said Paso Robles temperatures could reach 111 degrees on Saturday and 110 degrees on Sunday, with the possibility for more triple-digit temperatures through July 14.

If the heat persists as planned, this will be the longest heat wave in San Luis Obispo County that Lindsey has ever experienced, he said.

He advised residents to stay hydrated, avoid sugary or caffeinated beverages, seek air-conditioned spaces and check in on elderly neighbors who are more vulnerable to the heat.

People can tolerate the heat for about 72 hours, but after three days  thats when people start getting stressed, Lindsey said.

A cooling center will be available at the Paso Robles Library from Monday to Wednesday and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

On Saturday, the library will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. People can also find air conditioning at the Paso Robles Senior Center on Scott Street from Monday to Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Various public pools will be open across the county this week, too.

Lizbeth Gonzalez of Guadalupe cools off at the Ravine Water Park on a triple-digit Paso Robles day in 2017.

Could Paso Robles beat a heat record?

Paso Robles may break a daily heat record this week, but the city is unlikely to beat the countys all-time heat record, Lindsey said.

On Friday, the Weather Service forecast a high of 112 degrees in Paso Robles. This means the city is poised to beat the July 5 heat record set in 2007 of 110 degrees, Lindsey said.

The hottest day on record in San Luis Obispo County was Sept. 6, 2020, when the mercury reached 120 degrees at Cal Poly.

That really smashed the record, Lindsey said.

That day, high atmospheric pressure was concentrated east of San Luis Obispo, which pushed hot air down the Cuesta Grade toward Cal Poly.

The atmospheric pressure will be similarly high this week, Lindsey said, but it will be concentrated over the Pacific Ocean  pushing sea air to the coastline that will cool down the county.

Paso Robles hottest days on record meanwhile were July 20, 1960, and June 15, 1961, when the temperature reached 115 degrees  heat still somewhat higher than this weeks forecast, Lindsey said.

A strong upper-level ridge of high pressure (598 dm) will produce a prolonged heat event, especially across the interior, persisting through mid-July. This is one of the most prolonged heat waves I have ever seen in Central California.



So, what is "dm"?



It's an abbreviation pic.twitter.com/0FHJ5usJAD  John Lindsey (@PGE_John) July 2, 2024

How to avoid heat-related illness

In light of the warm spell, the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department urged residents to protect themselves from heat stroke.

Staying cool isnt just about comfort: heat-related illness can be very serious and even deadly, County Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said in a news release. This is true for our most vulnerable neighbors and also for otherwise healthy people who work or exercise outdoors in the heat.

Symptoms for heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, weakness, cold and clammy skin, a fast and weak pulse, nausea, vomiting and fainting.

Heat stroke comes with a body temperature higher than 103 degrees, a rapid and strong pulse, confusion, possible unconsciousness, and hot, red, dry or moist skin  but the person is not sweating, the agency said.

If you see signs of either illness, immediately move the person to a cooler area to lie down and rest. Cool the person with a cool shower, bath or wet cloth, the release said.

People experiencing heat exhaustion can drink cool water and often recover without medical attention. Heat stroke, however, is a medical emergency.

Immediately focus on helping the person cool down and then call 911 or get someone else to make the call, the release said. A person suffering from heat stroke should not drink liquids.

To avoid heat-related illnesses, the agency recommended staying in air-conditioned spaces including designated cooling centers, stores and libraries.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke and what to do if a person is exhibiting symptoms.

Even a few hours of air conditioning can help your body cope, the release said. While fans can provide comfort, they are not effective at preventing heat-related illness when temperatures reach the high 90s or above.

Take cool showers or baths, and keep a spray bottle of water in the refrigerator for a refreshing spray when needed, the agency said.

The Public Health Department advised people to drink more water than usual and steer clear of alcohol or sugary drinks.

People should also not exercise or work outside during the hottest times of day. While outdoors, people should wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing and wide-brimmed hats. Drink two to four cups of water per hour while working outside.

Check on neighbors, family and friends who are more at risk to heat-related illnesses, the agency said.

People with health conditions, young children, older adults and people without air conditioning are more vulnerable to heat stroke. Finally, keep pets inside or in shady places away from the sun. Offer them water frequently as they can get dehydrated quickly, the agency said.
Honeymooners Caught in Middle of Hurricane Beryl 'Doing Well' After Storm Battered Grenada (Exclusive)

Emma Steinke tells PEOPLE on Wednesday, July 3, that although the storm didn't hit them too hard, their thoughts are with others who weren't as lucky

courtesy of Emma Steinke Emma and Alex Steinke on honeymoon

A couple found themselves in the middle of Hurricane Beryl while on their honeymoon in Grenada. After staying safe inside their hotel room as the storm battered the island, the honeymooners say they're "doing well," and are keeping those still in the path of the deadly storm in their thoughts.

When Alex and Emma Steinke, both 26, planned their honeymoon in April, they had no idea what was in store for them. Instead, after tying the knot on Saturday, June 15, the couple found themselves in Grenada when the hurricane made landfall in the Caribbean as a Category 4 storm.

In an update on Wednesday, July 3, Emma tells PEOPLE that they didn't end up getting hit very hard by the storm. In fact, the hotel has already cleaned up most of the debris and says "things are operating as normal."

But not everyone has been so fortunate, and the storm has already claimed the lives of 7 people, per CNN.

"Some of the workers here at Sandals have expressed that their families arent doing very well when weve asked them," she says.

Courtesy of Emma Steinke Emma Steinke and husband on honeymoon in Grenada

As of July 3, the storm is currently heading towards Jamaica and all three of their international airports are closed, according to NPR.

In an advisory by the National Hurricane Center at 2 p.m. EST, officials said Beryl has max sustained winds of 140 mph and that hurricane conditions are expected to spread into Jamaica as the eye approaches.

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.

Speaking at a news briefing that afternoon, Prime Minister Andrew Holness warned that the island has "not seen the worst" of the storm, per CNN.

Related: Honeymooners Kept Inside Their Hotel as Hurricane Beryl Batters Grenada (Exclusive)

Emma previously told PEOPLE that when the couple first started their travels to Granada, it was still a tropical storm. But by the time they landed around 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 29, a hurricane watch was on.

"It was a bit surreal" and a "lot to process," she said.

Courtesy of Emma Steinke Emma Steinke and husband on honeymoon in Grenada

Related: Sheryl Lee Ralph Asks Fans to 'Pray for Us' Ahead of Son's Wedding in Jamaica amid Hurricane Beryl's Landfall

For now, the couple, who are currently scheduled to fly out of Grenada on Saturday, July 6, are hoping that everybody in the path of the storm is okay.

She adds, "Were mostly just hoping everyone remains safe."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  July 2 marked the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The landmark legislation, prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, a proclamation from the White House reads.

The legislation was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in a ceremony featuring civil rights icons such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., A. Philip Randolph and Dr. Dorothy Height.

President Lyndon B. Johnson hands bill signing pen to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Others looking on include Dr. Rosa Gragg, Sen. Wayne Morse, Cong. Peter Rodino, Cong. Emanuel Celler, Cong. James Roosevelt and A. Philip Randolph. (Courtesy LBJ Library. Photo by Cecil Stoughton)

The proclamation further explained the passage of the legislation and the work of civil rights advocates across the country, made us fundamentally better as Americans, opening the doors of opportunity wider and bringing our Nation closer to its promise of liberty, equality, and justice for all.

But the proclamation, signed by President Joe Biden, says the work towards equality in America is not over.

Despite this critical step forward, securing our civil rights remains the unfinished fight of our time, the proclamation states. Our country is still facing attacks to some of our most fundamental civil liberties and rights, including the right to vote and have that vote counted and the right to live free from the threat of violence, hate, and discrimination.

John E. Johnson, Jr., director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, issued a statement honoring the anniversary as well.

Sixty years ago, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 landmark legislation that established protection from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin  was signed into law. In a time of conflict and crisis, when the push for civil rights was met with extreme resistance and violence, changemakers stood steadfast in their commitment to its passage, and we are all the beneficiaries of their dedication. Michigan has always led in the fight for equity, and in 1964  the same year the Civil Rights Act became law  ours was the first state in the nation to enshrine civil rights protections in its constitution. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights is determined to build on that legacy of leadership, taking on today`s threats to civil rights, from language access to artificial intelligence and beyond. Michigan Department of Civil Rights Director John E. Johnson, Jr. statement from news release July 3, 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 WLNS 6 News.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG)  CareerSource ESCAROSA and Santa Rosa Economic Development teamed up for the Honoring Our Heroes Career Fair.

Friends, former students remember Spanish Fort woman killed by ex-husband in murder-suicide

Officials say the event, aimed to recognize all military, veterans, and spouses looking for employment is important given the rates of unemployment for veterans.

Honoring Our Heroes Career Fair was aimed to help veterans find jobs (News 5 photo)

Recorded in 2023, 2.8% of Floridas veterans were unemployed. Nationally, in May of 2024, the percentage recorded for unemployed veterans was 2.9%.

Weve done an amazing job helping job seekers get connected with employers, said Wakinme Long, Job & Benefits Administrator for the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. Its been great helping people get back on their feet, getting them the resources they need to become more self-sufficient in helping them and their families succeed.

Over 30 companies were on site, looking to recruit the next wave of employees. To help jump-start their careers, participants were encouraged to bring at least 10 copies of their resume and to dress business professionally.

Jobseekers were welcomed at 10 a.m., with the event running until 2 p.m.

Amy Mouler with Teen Hughes Real Estate Group said she had already spoken to over 30 people in just the first two hours.

19 alleged drug traffickers arrested in joint operation among Northwest Florida law enforcement agencies

A lot of different companies are out here which is wonderful, said Mouler. Were glad to be here and we hope to be here for the next one.

Although the event was aimed at those who have served, the career fair encouraged members of the community to stop by as well.

Miss the job fair? No problem. CareerSource Escarosas Weekly Veterans Job Advisory emails provide information on area jobs, upcoming hiring events, job fairs and more

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Many troops will enjoy a long, four-day weekend for Independence Day. The services will also be represented in various parades and flyovers across the country.

But among the top Pentagon July 4th events is a hot dog eating contest at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Four soldiers will compete against Joey "Jaws" Chestnut, who has been the undefeated champion since 2015 of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest hosted every July 4th in New York City. Chestnut set a record for eating 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes during a competition in 2021.

Read Next: They Stole a Confederate Train for the Union. Now, 2 Civil War Privates Will Receive the Medal of Honor.

Chestnut was banned from the competition this year after signing a deal with Impossible Foods, which makes plant-based hot dogs and has engaged in explicit marketing to attract meat eaters to vegetarian alternatives. Instead of participating in Nathan's competition, Chestnut will eat with the Army in Texas.

Also in the Army, the service's Brass Quintet will perform at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Fort Jackson in South Carolina will have a July 4th music festival open to the public in which its band as well as local bands will be featured, along with carnival rides, fireworks, food and beer trucks.

Farther up the East Coast, the USS Constitution will sail through Boston Harbor and perform 21- and 17-gun salutes on Independence Day. The ship, also known as Old Ironsides, entered service in 1797. It saw significant action in the War of 1812, during which it defeated five British warships. The ship went on to be a flagship vessel for the young U.S. Navy in the Mediterranean and around Africa.

The Navy's top officer, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, also released a message commemorating the holiday in which she noted that the service's history, including the recent combat it has seen in the Red Sea, underscored "the pivotal role our Navy plays in upholding peace, responding in crisis and, when necessary, winning decisively in war -- for 248 years."

During the Civil War, the USS Constitution was effectively taken out of a combat role and used as a training ship for the U.S. Naval Academy. It was finally retired from service completely in 1881. It's now used as a ceremonial ship.

Meanwhile, the Air Force will have various flyovers across the country, including the Thunderbirds over Battle Creek, Michigan, for the Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival.

Four F-35A Lightning II jets from the 419th Fighter Wing out of Hill Air Force Base will conduct flyovers around Utah, including Salt Lake City in the morning for the city's parade. F-35s with the Vermont Air National Guard's 158th Fighter Wing will fly over that state in the morning.

Leading into the holiday, President Joe Biden is set to honor two Civil War soldiers with posthumous Medals of Honor on Wednesday. The soldiers, Pvts. Philip Shadrach and George Wilson, were part of a raid infiltrating Confederate territory, stealing a train from rebel forces, and destroying key infrastructure on their way back to American lines.

The military also has a fondness for safety briefs to kick off the weekend, with senior noncommissioned officers telling troops not to abuse alcohol and to wear their seat belts, among other standard precautions.

Troops would do well to heed the warnings to be safe with fireworks and other incendiary activities. A soldier with the Old Guard at Fort Myer, Virginia, got into trouble last weekend for using a flamethrower at the barracks.

Related: How Russia Wishes the US a Happy July 4th Holiday
The Little Twist Fire burns in the Fishlake National Forest near Beaver, Utah, on Monday, July 1, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Utah Fire Info)

With much of Utah expected to see ripe wildfire conditions for the foreseeable future, restrictions are in place and officials are on edge heading into the holiday weekend.

Anyone looking for a rainy reprieve on the heels of one of the hottest Junes on record in Utah will have to wait, says Basil Newmerzhycky, lead meteorologist with the Great Basin Coordination Center, an interagency group that includes the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service and state agencies.

Summer monsoons, which often bring rain to parts of Utah during the summer, are currently being suppressed and are highly unlikely for the rest of July, said Newmerzhycky. That means the fire outlook will only worsen, with vegetation across the state continuing to dry.

Were expecting our fuels to dry out to critical levels, probably statewide, in the next five to 10 days, he said on Tuesday.

This past weekend, the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands implemented Stage 1 Fire Restrictions for parts of northern Utah. The restrictions, which cover all unincorporated private and state land in Box Elder, Cache, Rich, Weber, Tooele, Utah, Salt Lake, Davis and Morgan counties, are as follows:

No fireworks, tracer ammunition, exploding targets or other pyrotechnic devices.

No open fires, unless theyre built in improved campgrounds or in permanent fire pits on private property with running water.

No smoking, unless its in an enclosed vehicle or structure, a developed recreation site or paved area.

No cutting, welding or grinding metal near areas with dry vegetation.

No operating a motorcycle, chainsaw, ATV or other small engine without a working and approved spark arrestor.

The restrictions do not apply to incorporated cities and towns, which may have their own restrictions.

Human-caused wildfires are currently at their highest levels in the past three years. Once again, Utah received a lot of snow this year, resulting in new growth of grass and shrubs. With all this additional vegetation, it only takes one spark to start a wildfire, said Dustin Richards, fire management officer with the division.

The states largest blaze, the Little Twist Fire in Fishlake National Forest near Beaver, is currently burning over 2,600 acres and was about 25% contained as of Tuesday, according to data from the U.S. Forest Service. Though it started as a prescribed burn, Newmerzhycky warned Utah could see more fires that size as the state continues to dry out.

The big difference between a 300-acre fire and a 3,000-acre fire, he said, is sagebrush. Spring rain triggers all kinds of vegetation growth, but grasses tend to dry out the fastest  by June or early July, theyre primed for a fire. Early summer fires that stay within 100 to 500 acres are often a result of burning grass.

But sagebrush takes longer to dry out, and can actually slow the spread of early season fires. As Newmerzhycky puts it, sagebrush is the only thing stopping it from getting crazy in Utah.

That vegetation is expected to reach critical levels in the next week or so, which is when it becomes part of whats called the fire environment.

Once the sagebrush dries out at lower elevations, thats the final straw, where things really could start picking up. Were a little anxious with this very hot and dry wave coming in this weekend, said Newmerzhycky.

Last summer was relatively mild for wildfire activity  that only makes this summer more dangerous, officials say, resulting in carryover fuels.

We had such a less intense fire season last year, which makes this year more potent because a lot of stuff that could have burned is now combining with new grass, Newmerzhycky said.

All that comes as Utahns are gearing up for Fourth of July celebrations. State officials, from the governor to public lands employees, are crossing their fingers that celebrations stay responsible.

The Fourth of July is always worrisome, said Newmerzhycky

It seems like every year when were in a warm, dry period, we have tons of fires popping up here in the Wasatch Front, he said. Thursday is going to be a pretty hot day, so were kind of concerned and holding our breath.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Hot, dry weather brings critical fire danger to Utah ahead of holiday weekend appeared first on Utah News Dispatch.
How hot will Sacramento get on the Fourth of July? Heres the forecast as heat wave strikes

Whether your plans are for the Fourth of July in Sacramento, you can expect sunny skies and triple-digit temperatures.

The capital region has been experiencing 100-degree temperatures daily since Monday as a heat wave bakes Northern California.

Heres whats in store for the Independence Day holiday:

Whats the weather forecast for Sacramento on July 4?

Thursday, Independence Day, is expected to be sunny and hot in the Sacramento area with the high temperatures reaching 109 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Winds of around 6 mph are forecast in the afternoon.

At night, the sky will likely be clear. Temperatures are expected to dip to 69 degrees with west-southwest winds up to 8 mph.

The heat wave is forecast to continue into next week, the weather service said.

High temperatures could linger in the 100s as late as Tuesday.

Excessive heat warning issued for Independence Day

The weather service issued an excessive heat warning for the Sacramento Valley, northeast Sierra Nevada foothills, northern San Joaquin Valley and northern Shasta County.

It will be in effect until 11 p.m. Tuesday.

An excessive heat warning is announced within 12 hours of the onset of extremely dangerous heat conditions, the weather service said.

Heat-related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat events, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities, the weather service said. Heat could significantly impact outdoor holiday activities.

According to the weather service, the Delta breeze  a cold, moist sea breeze that comes to Sacramento from the San Francisco Bay Area  will result in slightly cooler, but still hot temperatures in the vicinity of the Delata and western parts of the Sacramento area.

How to stay safe during Fourth of July heat wave

The National Weather Service advises people to stay hydrated and inside air-conditioned rooms.

Also, stay out of the sun, dont leave children or pets in unattended vehicles and be careful when outside.

You should wear lightweight clothing, limit strenuous activities and take frequent rest breaks in a cool environment.

Stop and seek care if you notice symptoms of heat-related illness  such as dizziness, nausea or confusion.

Can I still light fireworks?

If you plan to set off fireworks to celebrate Independence Day, state fire officials say you need to be especially careful.

Heat, wind and fireworks can be a dangerous combination, according to Cal Fire.

Store fireworks in a dry storage container in cool temperatures, keep them away from kids and dont light them on your lawn, experts said.

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. Azerbaijans bilateral relations with both Turkiye and Pakistan are based on brotherhood, historical and cultural ties, mutual respect, and trust among our peoples. Our interstate relations based on such firm foundations are characterized by constant and comprehensive development, close cooperation in various fields, international-level joint actions, and support on issues of mutual interest, the press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aykhan Hajizada said in his answer to the question of the local media, Trend reports.

"So far, a number of trilateral meetings, events, and exercises have taken place at the level of the speakers of Parliaments, Foreign Ministers, and Defense Ministries of the three countries, agreements on substantial issues have been reached, as well as the level of cooperation has expanded. It should be especially emphasized that these exemplary trilateral cooperation platforms are guided by norms and principles of international law and exclusively seek to promote peace, security, stability, and progress.

This meeting held at the level of leaders in Astana will give impetus to promote relations between the three countries to a new level, strengthen and frequently organize the trilateral cooperation platform under the guidance of the leaders, and broaden strategic partnership relations of Azerbaijan-Pakistan-Turkiye in new directions," he said.
The House Republicans campaign arm launched an ad targeting Vice President Harris on Wednesday, as some Democrats call on her to replace President Biden at the top of the partys November ticket.

House Republicans are sharpening our knives if extreme House Democrats dump Joe Biden  or we will remind voters Kamala Harris is next in line if they dont, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) wrote in an announcement.

The ad features a voiceover of Harris complimenting Biden and a compilation of House Democrats  including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Rep. James E. Clyburn (S.C.)  praising the vice president.

Is this who we want to be president? the ad asks.

Democrats critical of Biden have increasingly looked to Harris as a potential replacement for the president, after a poor debate performance last week raised concerns over whether he can beat former President Trump in November.

The vice president has backed Biden publicly, and the Biden campaign has brushed off the criticism, quickly shutting down any idea that the president would leave the race.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) became the first sitting member of Congress to call on Biden to leave the race Tuesday, while also encouraging Harris to take the mantle. Other members, including Clyburn, a close Biden ally, have said they would back Harris if Biden steps down, though have not called on him to do so.

A CNN poll Tuesday showed Trump beating Biden nationwide by 6 points, 49 percent support to 43 percent. The same poll showed Trump leading Harris by a narrower margin, 47 percent support to 45 percent.

The poll also showed that 56 percent of Democratic voters and Democratic-leaning independent voters think their party would have a better chance of winning the White House with someone other than Biden. Only 43 percent of these voters said they think Biden is their best option.

Biden and Trump remain neck and neck in polling, despite the concern from Democrats. Trump leads Biden by 0.6 percent nationally in The Hill/Decision Desk HQ average of polls.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 "debate" between Joe Biden and Donald J. Trump was nothing less than an unfolding disaster for voters and the future of American democracy.

For President Biden, his frail, lilting voice and ghostly appearance dominated the crucial sounds and optics, while he drifted in and out of his most salient talking points. The earliest debate in presidential history was designed by the Biden campaign to change the trajectory of a tossup race and allay fears about serving a second term at age 82.

Instead, his halting performance set off a wide array of angst from Democrats, never-Trump Republicans and independents.

As for Trump, historian and author Heather Cox Richardson likened his debate tactic to a "gish gallop."

Richardson explained on her "Letters from an American" Substack site: "It's a rhetorical technique in which someone throws out a fast string of lies, non-sequiturs and specious arguments, so many that it is impossible to fact-check or rebut in the amount of time it took to say them. Trying to figure out how to respond makes the opponent look confused, because they don't know where to start grappling with the flood that has just hit them."

Trump used the gish gallop during a 2020 debate, only that time both candidate mics were live and Biden responded with his famed, "Will you shut up, man?"

During Trump's 90-minute gish gallop, CNN counted more than 30 lies and misstatements. He engaged in denialism about the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol insurrection and declined to clearly state that he would accept the results of the November election.

It left both Republicans and Democrats reeling. Even the normally blustery Donald Trump seemed shocked by Joe Bidens disastrous debate performance. And the former President played it perfectly, landing blows but not overdoing it.

The new central message of the 2024 Presidential race is not about democracy, abortion, Trumps many controversies and his 34 felony convictions, or, for that matter the Biden and Trump one-term records. It will be, for the next four months, about Joe Bidens fitness to serve.

President Joe Biden at the presidential debate against former President Donald Trump on June 27, 2024, in Atlanta.

SurveyUSA conducted a post-debate poll, in which Trump had a 45-43% lead over Biden in the head-to-head matchup. Just 29% of all voters say Biden is up to the job; 57% say he is not. As for Trump, just 48% of all likely voters say he is "up to the job" of being President for the next 4 years; 45% say he is not.

On this front, the presidential race looks like an unmitigated disaster.

Then throw in the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity and what we have here is an emerging worst case scenario.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts, the Long Beach, Ind., native writing the majority opinion, said, "A former president is entitled to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority. There is no immunity for unofficial acts.

But in a scathing dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said, "The President of the United States is the most powerful person in the country, and possibly the world. When he uses his official powers in any way, under the majoritys reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution. Orders the Navys Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune.

"The relationship between the President and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably," Sotomayor continued. "In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law."

In the hours after the SCOTUS decision, Trump - who has suggested the U.S. Constitution be "terminated," that he would only be a "dictator on day one" and that former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley be executed - suggested on his Truth Social platform that he wants "televised military tribunals" for former Vice President Mike Pence, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Leaders Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer, and former congresswoman Liz Cheney.

With this SCOTUS ruling, there is no longer any applicable punishment for a rogue president. The three most recent impeachments of Presidents Trump and Clinton have defanged that process. Now presidents have sprawling immunity for "official acts" that did not exist for 248 years until Monday.

The conservative jurist J. Michael Luttig called that ruling tantamount to the "unsouling of America" in an MSNBC appearance Monday.

"America's democracy and rule of law are this country's heart and soul," Luttig said.

Former President Donald Trump during the debate against President Joe Biden on June 27, 2024, in Atlanta.

"Today, the Supreme Court cut that heart and soul out of America, holding that the former president is immune from prosecution for any of his actions in and around January 6th.

"No longer can it be said that in America no man is above the law," Luttig said. "Today, our Supreme Court held that the President of the United States and particularly the former President of the United States is in fact above the law."

Trump promises what Axios is describing as an "unabashedly imperial presidency," augmented by a perversely corrupt Supreme Court (Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito did not recuse themselves despite the insurrectionist sympathies conveyed publicly by their spouses), while weaning power away from Congress with the support of a supplicant Republican Party.

What could possibly go wrong?

Brian Howey is a senior writer and columnist for State Affairs/Howey Politics Indiana. Follow him on X @hwypol.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Howey: Debate turns into a doddering gish gallop against democracy
HUDSONVILLE, Mich. (WOOD)  An Ottawa County woman will spend time in jail for allegedly ordering her dog to attack a man this spring.

The Holland Sentinel reports that 37-year-old Augustina Villarreal was sentenced Tuesday to 75 days in the Ottawa County Jail and 12 months of probation.

A police report by the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office says the incident occurred in the early morning hours of May 25 at a home on Chestnut Court in Hudsonville. Villarreal and a man had gotten into an argument when she reportedly ordered the dog to attack.

The man was bitten several times in his arms before he was able to escape through a window. He was covered in blood by the time he arrived at a neighbors home asking for help. The victim was treated by paramedics and taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Sign up for the News 8 daily newsletter

Villarreal was originally charged with felonious assault with a dangerous weapon, but the charge was eventually dropped to aggravated domestic violence, which is a misdemeanor. She pleaded no contest last month.

In addition to the sentence, she must also pay $860. Villarreal also received credit for time served.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Whoopi Goldberg spoke for many Americans last year on The View when she said, Im sick of hearing about that laptop. This laptop, I hope it just crumbles to death, I hate it so much.

You dont have to be ideologically aligned with Goldberg, or even like The View, to agree with the entertainer on this point.

Nobody hates that laptop, however, more than Hunter Biden, the presidents son and the owner  or at least, former owner  of the silver Apple MacBook Pro that made a cameo appearance in the younger Bidens recent trial on federal charges that he illegally purchased a gun.

Biden was found guilty of three felony counts in that trial and will be sentenced later this year. Whatever happens, its fair to say that the trove of scandalous photos that made their way to the public after the laptop was left at a Delaware repair shop are as upsetting to him as his legal travails.

Now Biden is suing Fox News over its use of the images in a program for its streaming service Fox Nation. In a lawsuit filed Sunday in Manhattan, Biden says the network violated a law passed in 2019 to prohibit people from sharing sexually explicit images without the subjects permission  a type of law known as a revenge porn law.

Dont rush to Fox Nation to see the show  the network removed the six-part series from the platform citing an abundance of caution after Biden threatened to sue in April.

The Trial of Hunter Biden is an imagining of how a criminal trial against Hunter Biden might play out if the presidents son had been charged with bribery and violating foreign agent laws that govern financial dealings with other governments  charges he has not actually faced.

While the show makes clear that its not an actual trial, the judge in the series is Joe Brown, a judge known for his reality show, and The Trial of Hunter Biden uses real-life images of Biden that he and his family would prefer that no one see.

For that matter, lots of us would have preferred not to see any of these images. I have never once sought out an image from Hunter Bidens laptop, but several are ingrained in my mind, having seen them pop up, unbidden, on websites and social media. They are the kind of images that, once seen, you cant unsee. And you dont have to be a supporter of President Joe Biden to wish that this particular unpleasantness hadnt befallen the first family  or, for that matter, the nation.

Between former President Donald Trumps Manhattan trial about money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and this new lawsuit, never before has the word porn been so prevalent in discourse about a presidential election. Perhaps Hunter Bidens attorneys didnt think carefully enough about the possibility that the words revenge porn would show up in every story written about this lawsuit.

If I were advising the presidents son, I wouldnt want the word porn appearing in the same ZIP code with his name  in any context, plaintiff or defendant. But here we are, and a nation weary of scandal now has to consider anew images that have been too much with us for nearly four years. Worse, the series in question came out in 2022. The lawsuit seems a tad late.

This may not be an instance of political lawfare, but of an embarrassed father who has struggled with addiction and is trying every possible avenue of reputation repair. Biden alleges in the lawsuit, which seeks punitive and compensatory damages, that Fox disseminated these intimate images in order to humiliate, harass, annoy and alarm Mr. Biden and to tarnish his reputation, according to The New York Times.

In April, after Bidens attorneys first threatened to sue, Fox put out a statement regarding what the network called its constitutionally protected coverage of the presidents son. Mr. Biden is a public figure who has been the subject of investigations by both the Department of Justice and Congress, has been indicted by two different US Attorneys Offices in California and Delaware, and has admitted to multiple incidents of wrongdoing, the statement said, per NPR.

A Fox spokeswoman said much the same on Monday, telling The New York Times, Consistent with the First Amendment, Fox News has accurately covered the newsworthy events of Mr. Bidens own making, and we look forward to vindicating our rights in court.

Well have to see how this plays out in court, but a former federal prosecutor, Neama Rahmani, told Newsweek that New Yorks law was designed to protect people in intimate relationships from public exposure and harassment and that Fox News has a good First Amendment argument to get the case dismissed.

Part of the unsavory debate to which we will now be subjected, if the lawsuit goes forward, will involve whether Hunter Biden is a public figure as Fox News maintains, or a private citizen as Delaware Sen. Tom Carper and others have said. With Hunter Biden reportedly advising his father on whether he should stay in the presidential race, hes certainly no ordinary private citizen, and this is no ordinary presidential race. Would that it were.
The northern eyewall of Category 4 Hurricane Beryl scraped along Jamaicas southern coast Wednesday afternoon, walloping the island with high winds and drenching rains for most of the day with the worst impacts on the south end of the island.

Early Wednesday evening, reports of felled trees, impassable roads, extensive power outages and winds so strong they stripped roofs from buildings  including the international airport  began cropping up across Jamaica, where hundreds waited out the storm in hurricane shelters.

Its too soon to know the full extent of the havoc the storm wrought on the island nation, but its already left at least seven dead from its first brush with the eastern Caribbean and leveled some of the smaller islands in the southeast Caribbean.

It is almost Armageddon-like, almost total damage or destruction of all buildings whether they be public buildings, homes or other private facilities, said Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell after a helicopter survey on Tuesday.

As of the 8 p.m. update, the National Hurricane Center said Beryl was still holding on to its Category 4 status with 130 mph sustained winds, a slight decline from earlier in the day.

After some slight weakening just before it closed in, Beryl appeared to be more organized Wednesday afternoon with a clear-out eye. Forecasters expect it to bring up to 9 feet of life-threatening storm surge and up to a foot of rain.

Hurricane Beryls trajectory as of 8 p.m. Wednesday

Beryl was about 100 miles west of Kingston, Jamaica and headed west-northwest at 20 mph. Hurricane-force winds extended up to 45 miles from the storms eye, putting Kingston within reach of the worst of the storms winds and covering nearly the entire island with tropical-storm-force winds, which reached up to 185 miles from the center.

Jamaica was getting smacked with the upper right section of the storm, also known as the dirty side, which brings the most storm surge and holds the greatest potential for tornado formation. Its the worst side of the storm, wrote Sammy Hadi, a meteorologist with the Miami office of the National Weather Service, on Twitter.

#WeatherExplained: #Beryls Quadrants



Due to Beryls angle of approach, the entirety of the island of Jamaica (including the capital, Kingston) will experience the worst quadrant of the storm.



Storm surge of 6-9 feet (NHC) & quick moving tropical tornadoes are possible today. https://t.co/ld5iIl4M7C pic.twitter.com/TSToXdxjmX  Sammy Hadi (@SammyHadiWx) July 3, 2024

Next on the forecast track is the Cayman Islands, which are also under hurricane warnings. Beryl is on track to pass south of the islands on Thursday as a strong Category 3 before heading onward to the Yucatan Peninsula.

From there, Beryl is forecast to make another landfall in the Quintana Roo region of Mexico as a Category 1 hurricane, before re-emerging in the Gulf of Mexico as a tropical storm. On Wednesday morning, the hurricane center predicted Beryl could re-strengthen to a Category 1 hurricane again before striking the northeast coast of Mexico.

Damage toll rising

Jamaican news outlets began reporting widespread power and water outages Wednesday evening as floodwaters and fallen trees began to make some roads impassable. Part of the roof at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston ripped off in the storm, video on social media shows.

As of 5 p.m., Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness reported no official deaths and said that more than 500 people were relocated to hurricane shelters.

Jamaica also fully mobilized its security forces to maintain order, and extended the 6 p.m. cutoff time for the curfew as the storm continued to pound the island. As Jamaicans were getting swiped, Haiti announced it had lifted the alerts for its southern coast. The storm no longer presented a threat, a message from Haitis Office of Civil Protection said.

In Grenada, which got slammed on Monday, officials reported an Armageddon-like impact. The hardest hit islands saw 98% of all homes and buildings destroyed, and massive damage to communications and the electrical grid.

Complete devastation and destruction of agriculture. Complete and total destruction of the natural environment; there is literally no vegetation left anywhere on the island of Carriacou, Prime Minister Mitchell said.

In Venezuela, nearly 1,500 people are homeless after Beryls rains caused a river to overflow and destroy about 300 homes, El Caribe reported. Venezuela announced three more official deaths from the storm, bringing the latest total to seven dead.

The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management agency, which is the regional body responsible for responding to disasters, said Wednesday there is not yet an official death toll and they are still assessing the destruction in member countries.

Elizabeth Riely, director of CDEMA, confirmed that while the Grenadines islands of Grenada and St. Vincent bore the brunt of the hurricane, Barbados, St. Lucia and Dominica were also affected.

Riley said based on reports provided so far, they know that 100% of the population on the island of Canouan, which has 12,600 inhabitants, was affected by Beryl. There is an estimated 90% of the houses that were damaged either extensively or destroyed.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic, the hurricane center continued to drop the likelihood that another system would form behind Beryl. By Wednesday morning, it had a 20% chance of strengthening into a tropical depression this week.

The system dumped heavy rain on the already-ravaged islands Wednesday, prompting a flash flood warning in Barbados.

READ MORE: Beryls Armageddon-like impact: Few buildings stand, power grid destroyed in Caribbean
Hurricane Beryl has devastated the Caribbean. Heres how you can help from Miami

Hurricane Beryl has nearly leveled some islands in the southeastern Caribbean and killed at least seven people. On Wednesday, it was slicing through Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

While Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, and other nations in the region are assessing damage, theres no doubt that Category 4 Beryl has been devastating for many. Forecasters have predicted that the hurricane will make landfall in Mexico later this week.

READ MORE: Beryls Armageddon-like impact: Few buildings stand, power grid destroyed in Caribbean

Our Caribbean neighbors will need help to recover. Heres how South Florida can help:

Grenada

The Consulate of Grenada in Miami is looking for shipping partners by air and sea that can get emergency supplies and donations to Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique as soon as possible. The phone number to call for those interested in collaborating is 305-4651957.

It will be possible soon to drop off donations for Grenada in the City of Miramar, the Consulate General of Grenada in Miami announced on Wednesday. An address and drop-off schedule will be available soon.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is receiving cash donations for a disaster relief fund. The donations can be sent to account #137741 at the Bank of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in Kingstown, St. Vincent. The Swift Code is NCBVVC22. The islands government has also set up a website that will soon go live where people can donate.

Florida resident Hendrik Bisanz, has put together a Facebook fundraiser to help Mayreau, one of the smallest islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where he owns land and spends time. Friends who live on the island have sent him photos of the destruction. Dozens have lost roofs and homes.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava leads a press conference about the Countys strong support for the Aid Efforts to the Caribbean in conjunction with the Caribbean Consular Corps and SFL Caribbean Strong on Thursday, July 4, 2024 at the Global Empowerment Mission in Doral, Florida.

Jamaica

Jamaicas Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management is accepting cash donations to account Number: 212-387-304 (Oxford Road Branch) of the National Commercial Branch.

American Friends of Jamaica is helping with both long-term and emergency recovery efforts. You can donate to their efforts here. To help Treasure Beach in particular, a community in southern Jamaica that was devastated by Beryl, indicate that your donation should be destined to that location.

READ MORE: Words dont even do justice.: Beryl rends roofs in a tight-knit Jamaican community

Caribbean-wide relief

Global Empowerment Mission, a nonprofit that responds to conflicts and natural disasters, is looking for volunteers to pack emergency supply boxes from its warehouse in Doral, 1850 NW 84th Ave., Suite 100. Donations are being packed daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Donations for GEM can also be purchased on Amazon or dropped off at its facilities Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Generators are accepted.

Miami-Dade County has listed several locations where donation items can be dropped off, including GEM. Those include the North Dade Regional Library (2455 NW 183 St, Miami Gardens, FL 33056); South Dade Regional Library (10750 SW 211 Cutler Bay, FL, 33189); Aventura Library (2930 NE 199 St, Aventura, FL, 33180); and the Stephen P. Clark Center (111 NW 1st St, Miami, FL 33132). Items being accepted include trash bags, tarps, tents, sleeping bags, canned/nonperishable food, first aid kits, hygiene kits with hairbrushes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, and soap.

Airlink, a nonprofit that airlifts aid to disaster-stricken places, is collaborating with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency to get supplies to islands and helping nonprofits overcome transportation challenge, and is accepting donations.

Miami-Dade Emergency Management officials and staff help in the packaging of hurricane recovery kits as they participate in Aid Efforts to the Caribbean in conjunction with the Caribbean Consular Corps and SFL Caribbean Strong on Thursday, July 4, 2024 at the Global Empowerment Mission in Doral, Florida.

Caribbean Strong Relief Fund, a network of diaspora and community leaders in South Florida that have responded to hurricanes and other disasters in recent years, is taking donations to help those affected by the storm. You can donate and indicate that the donations are for Beryl relief.

GlobalGiving, a nonprofit that facilitates charity crowdfunding, has set up an emergency fund that goes toward food, medicine, temporary shelter to hurricane survivors as well as support frontline workers with meals and gas.

Food for the Poor, a Christian, Coconut-Creek based nonprofit that works out of 15 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, is accepting cash donations to get food and other emergency supplies to Beryl survivors. Before the hurricane struck in Jamaica, the organization had prepared a water filtering unit, emergency supplies, and food rations to mobilize as needed.

CARE International, a humanitarian NGO focused on eradicating poverty and fostering economic development, has been working on-the-ground in several Beryl-stricken islands. The group launched a fundraiser to give cash assistance to families, including those who lost homes; provide help so people can restore their livelihoods and eventually get back on their feet; and offer assistance to vulnerable populations like women, children, and the elderly. You can donate here.

Sandals Resorts, a Jamaican hotel chain with a large presence in the Caribbean, created a disaster relief fund through its nonprofit foundation. One of its representatives told the Miami Herald that 100% of every dollar would be going towards the organizations emergency response efforts. Donations can be made here.

This list will be regularly updated. If you or an organization you know is also helping the islands affected by the devastation of Hurricane Beryl, email sortizblanes@miamiherald.com or jkleinman@miamiherald.com so it can be included in this list.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Cruise lines were forced to change some cruises due to Hurricane Beryl, which became a Category 5 storm on Monday before weakening back to a Category 4.

Here are the cruises that had to change their travel plans:

Carnival

Tracking the Tropics: Hurricane Beryl remains powerful Category 4 storm as it moves across the Caribbean

Two Carnival cruises were affected by weather. Carnival Horizon cancelled a stop in Cozumel and added a stop in Nassau, Bahamas on Friday. Its visit to the Cayman Islands on Wednesday was cancelled. Carnival Liberty will stop at Cozumel on Tuesday instead of Friday.

The safety of our guests and crew is paramount, and we are continuing to monitor forecasts and factor in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, U.S. Coast Guard, and the local port authorities to provide timely updates to our guests as more information becomes available, Carnivals Beryl updates page says.

Hurricane Beryls forecast track as of Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Breakaway departed from Miami on Sunday and will now stop in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and both the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. The itinerary now includes a visit to the Bahamas.

Norwegian Jades stops in Fairmount, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel were cancelled in favor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, the British Virgin Islands and Puerto Plata.

The safety and security of our guests, crew and communities we visit is always a top priority, a spokesperson for Norwegian wrote in a statement. We are monitoring the projected path of Hurricane Beryl and have amended the itineraries for Norwegian Jade and Norwegian Breakaways current voyages. Please see the letters attached, which were provided to all guests on board, for full details.

Royal Caribbean

Three Royal Caribbean cruises had to change their itineraries to avoid the storm.

The cruise lines Icon of the Seas ship was due to sail through the eastern Caribbean, but diverted to Mexico. Royal Caribbean cancelled two stops for its Wonder of the Seas ship, skipping over ports in Honduras and Mexico in favor of the Bahamas. Harmony of the Seas also cancelled its visit to Honduras.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
As Hurricane Beryl roars toward Jamaica, wheres the strong Cat 4 storm heading next?

As Jamaica braces for the strongest tropical storm to hit the island nation in 20 years, Hurricane Beryl  which briefly morphed into a record-breaking Category 5 storm late Monday  is churning west for the rest of the week as it roars through the Caribbean, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Where is Beryl heading next?

Wednesday

The powerful Category 4 storm is expected to reach Jamaica around 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon with winds of up to 140 mph.

Beryl will hit as either a Category 3 or 4 storm, according to the Meteorological Service of Jamaica.

Thursday

Hurricane conditions are then expected to be felt in the Cayman Islands by Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, according to the hurricane centers latest forecast.

Friday

From there, forecasters expect the storm to weaken some, but still possibly hit Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula  somewhere between Belize and Cancun  with strong winds and heavy rains, late Thursday and into Friday.

Will Beryl affect the Florida Keys?

Justin McReynolds, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Key West, said people in the Florida Keys should not anticipate any noticeable impacts from Beryl as it travels below Cuba on Thursday. Although a very powerful system, the total size of Beryl is not particularly large, he said.

Its a solid meatball, so we can expect normal summer conditions in the U.S., McReynolds told the Herald.
Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 3. Our countries are good friends and good partners, grounded in equality and mutual benefit, said President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping during the meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Astana, Trend reports.

China-Azerbaijan relations have always developed in a healthy and stable manner. Cooperation between the two countries has yielded effective results and reached a richer strategic content. We will continue to enhance mutual support for the prosperity of our peoples, President Xi Jinping emphasized.
With Hurricane Beryl threatening, many Jamaicans in NYC keep tabs on family

With Hurricane Beryl threatening, many Jamaicans in NYC keep tabs on family

FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (PIX11)  Even though its 1,500 miles away, many people in the New York metro area are keeping a close eye on the path of Hurricane Beryl, since they have loved ones there who are potentially in danger from the storm.

With Beryl being the only hurricane to reach Category 5 status this early in the Atlantic hurricane season, its positioned to strike Jamaica on Wednesday and cause major damage. Its got many Jamaican Americans in the tri-state being in frequent contact with folks back home.

Thats exactly what the Jamaican government is advising.

Stay in touch with your family members, said Alsion Roach Wilson, the consul-general for Jamaica in New York, and if possible, she added, help with supplies, sending funds, so persons can acquire resources.

More Local News

That advisory by Roach Wilson, the person responsible for Jamaican affairs for most of the U.S., has a strong influence. Local Jamaican Americans, like Winsome Wilson, are taking it seriously.

Wilson was on the phone on Tuesday, talking with her cousin, Dawn Phillips, whos in Kingston, Jamaicas largest city.

Shes got her water all the time, Wilson said, referring to her cousin, whom she then asked, Youve got food?

Her cousin responded affirmatively.

Shes got food, Wilson continued, so shes ready in case [Beryl] comes.

Beryl heads toward Jamaica as major hurricane after ripping through southeast Caribbean

Wilson and Phillips, her cousin, both acknowledged that Beryl could leave severe devastation in its path.

However, said Wilson, optimistically, No storm. Were gonna send it back! she proclaimed with a laugh.

She had just visited the Jamaican consulate on Wednesday morning. The person in charge of all of its operations said in an interview that among many concerns for diasporans  people from Jamaica who live here  theres one in particular shes trying to help with, as the hurricane moves closer and closer to her island nation.

Diasporans send their children back to Jamaica to spend the summer holidays, Roach Wilson said.

Her comment matches the situation that Andre Haley is in. He was at the consulate at 42nd Street and Second Avenue seeking resources to help his daughter, whos with family in Jamaica this summer.

Being a man, and being a father, he said, you want to protect them as much as you can.

Im guessing the government will do everything in their power, he continued, to make sure people there are safe.

The consulate shared information for diasporans and tourists families alike. It pointed out that Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston would be shut down from 10 p.m. Tuesday until further notice, and that Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay would be closed from 11:59 p.m. Tuesday until further notice.

It also pointed out that consular services on Thursday will be reduced and handled mostly by the Jamaican Embassy in Washington on Thursday because of the Independence Day holiday here in 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 PIX11.
Beryl was downgraded to a tropical storm but is expected to become a hurricane again this weekend.

After moving through the Caribbean last week, Beryl  currently a tropical storm  is expected to reach Texas this weekend and once again become a hurricane.

As of 7 a.m. CT on Sunday morning, Beryl was about 220 miles southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, with maximum sustained winds around 60 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is expected to intensify between Sunday and Monday, with Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick adding 121 counties to the state's Hurricane Beryl disaster declaration.

Meteorologists warned that there is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge for the Texas Coast. The storm has been blamed for at least 11 deaths so far.

Tracking Hurricane Beryls current path

There is an increasing risk of damaging hurricane-force winds, storm surge, flash and urban flooding and life-threatening rip currents with #Beryl over the next few days. Stay up to date with the latest forecast at https://t.co/meemB5uHAR https://t.co/YAY1pCrCJS pic.twitter.com/bj8SK1By3T  National Weather Service (@NWS) July 6, 2024

Tropical Storm Beryl is currently moving through the Gulf of Mexico and is anticipated to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane as it approaches the Texas coast. Hurricane warnings have been issued for parts of the coast  from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to San Luis Pass  while a storm surge watch is in place from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to High Island.

A tropical storm warning was also in effect for the Texas coast south of Baffin Bay to the mouth of the Rio Grande, as well as for the northeastern coast of mainland Mexico from Barra el Mezquital to the mouth of the Rio Grande.

Beryls damage and impact

Beryl hit Jamaica on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, causing widespread outages and damage before passing over the Cayman Islands and heading toward Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula. On July 3, the Jamaica Public Service Company reported that more than 400,000 customers were without power across the country.

Beryl did the most severe damage when it made landfall earlier this week on the Grenadines, a small belt of islands in the eastern Caribbean. About 90% of buildings and homes on three small islands were destroyed or damaged when Beryl made landfall earlier this week, officials said at a news conference held by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.

Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared the country a disaster area until July 10.

Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell described the "total destruction" to the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique in Grenada at a news conference Wednesday.

"Having seen it myself, there is really nothing that can prepare you to see this level of destruction," Mitchell said. "It is almost Armageddon-like, almost total damage and destruction of all buildings, whether they be public buildings, homes or private facilities."

Mitchell also described the "complete devastation and destruction" of agriculture and the natural environment, and severe damage to boats, marinas and the electrical grid on Carriacou.

Experts shocked by Beryls rapid intensification

Fishing vessels damaged by Hurricane Beryl seen in Barbados on Monday. (Ricardo Mazalan/AP)

Michael Lowry, a hurricane and storm surge expert, told the Associated Press that the rapid development of Beryl marked a "very serious threat."

"Beryl is an extremely dangerous and rare hurricane for this time of year in this area," he said in a phone interview with the AP. "Unusual is an understatement. Beryl is already a historic hurricane."

On July 2, Beryl became the earliest Atlantic hurricane to reach the Category 5 level. (It is both the earliest Category 4 and Category 5 storm on record in the Atlantic.)

The last strong hurricane to affect the southeast Caribbean was Hurricane Ivan in September 2004. Ivan battered Grenada as a Category 3 and killed 39 people.

The start of a busy Atlantic hurricane season

An image of Hurricane Beryl taken from the International Space Station on Sunday. (NASA via AP)

Beryl's emergence also marks an ominous start to the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which typically doesn't ramp up until late July or August.

Experts agree that this could be one of the busiest hurricane seasons on record. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced in May that it expected eight to 13 hurricanes in the Atlantic, with four to seven of them classified as major hurricanes, meaning at least 111 mph winds.
A husband who strangled his wife in front of her two children and lover on a video call was captured wheeling the suitcase containing her body out of his home.

Aminam Rahman, 46, has been convicted of murder after he stuffed Suma Begum, 24, who was either unconscious or dead, into a suitcase before throwing it into the River Lea, a tributary of the Thames which runs through east London.

CCTV footage has emerged of Rahman leaving an elevator in his apartment block in east London, while wheeling a suitcase and carrying a child. He then drags the black bag through the lobby and exits the building.

Her decomposed body was found on the river bank 10 days later by a mudlarker.

On Wednesday, Rahman was found guilty by an Old Bailey jury of murdering his wife in a flat in east London on April 29 last year.

The court heard his attack on Ms Begum was witnessed by her children, aged two and four months, and by her boyfriend Shahin Miah, 24, with whom she had begun a relationship after meeting him on TikTok.

Suma Begum, who married her killer in an arranged match over the telephone when she was 19 - Family handout/PA Media

Mr Miah, who was living in the United Arab Emirates and saw the attack on a video call, recorded the events leading to Ms Begums death on video and later handed the footage to police.

Mr Miah sobbed in court as he described a video call from Rahman in which he threatened to kill Ms Begum, who was on the bed in the background.

Speaking through an interpreter, Mr Miah said: She wanted to run away and he then grabbed her throat.

There were three screaming sounds before the video froze and nothing more could be seen after Rahmans initial lunge.

Mr Miah went on: I saw that frothing was coming out of Sumas mouth and he showed me on the video and he was swearing at me.

In a second video call from Rahman that night, he told Mr Miah: Look, I have killed (Begum) and now you get ready.

Victim met lover after a year in UK

The court heard that Ms Begum married Rahman, a restaurant worker, in an arranged Islamic ceremony over the phone in 2019. In 2020, she travelled from Bangladesh to live with him in the UK.

A year later, Ms Begum met Mr Miah via social media app TikTok, later moving on to WhatsApp.

About seven or eight months into their intimate, sexual online relationship, Mr Miah found out she was married to Rahman, he said.

He said he told Rahman of the relationship, which continued despite Ms Begum remaining married.

Aminam Rahman rang his wife's online lover to threaten his life after he murdered her - Metropolitan Police/PA Wire

Jocelyn Ledward KC, prosecuting, told jurors: It is clear this young woman was no longer happy in her marriage, she was fairly openly in a relationship with another man, and she had expressed the desire to leave the defendant, something about which neither he nor her family were happy.

But whether he was motivated by rage, shame, or pure jealousy, or a more complex mix of cultural expectations and emotions, may not matter.

Ms Ledward said either Ms Begum was dead when she was put in the suitcase or she drowned in the water. Rahman was captured on CCTV throwing the case into the river.

The prosecutor added: He deliberately disposed of her body in such a way that he hoped, no doubt, her body would simply be washed out to sea and never found, and that the fiction he began to create almost immediately, that she had simply abandoned him and the children after a minor argument, would be believed.

Giving evidence, Rahman accepted he had killed Ms Begum but claimed he acted in defence of the older child, saying she had threatened to kill the two-year-old and thrown the child against a wall.

He had denied murder and assaulting Ms Begum by beating but had pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful and decent burial of her body.

Following a month-long trial, the jury deliberated for four hours and 27 minutes to find Rahman guilty of all the charges against him.

Mr Justice Bennathan remanded Rahman, formerly of Bridgwater, Somerset, in custody to be sentenced on July 31.

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.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  In the summer of 2014, more than 17 million people dumped ice cold water over their heads in an online trend known as the ice bucket challenge. The virtual challenge gained global momentum, raising more than $115 million for the ALS Association to support research and care access for those living with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

In the decade since, that trend paved the way for advanced funding commitments into research, drug therapy development and clinical access in the United States and beyond. More than $154 million has since been committed to aid over 550 projects in the U.S. and 18 other countries, per the ALS Association. The Federal Drug Administration also approved two additional treatment options for ALS: Radicava in 2017 and Qalsody in 2023, the ALS Association added.

Austin resident Carrie George (left) was diagnosed with ALS on Dec. 28, 2023. (Courtesy Carrie George)

Austin resident Carrie George (left) was diagnosed with ALS on Dec. 28, 2023. (Courtesy Carrie George)

Austin resident Carrie George (right) was diagnosed with ALS on Dec. 28, 2023. (Courtesy Carrie George)

Austin resident Carrie George (right) was diagnosed with ALS on Dec. 28, 2023. (Courtesy Carrie George)

Austin resident Carrie George (right) was diagnosed with ALS on Dec. 28, 2023. (Courtesy Carrie George)

Austin resident Carrie George (right) was diagnosed with ALS on Dec. 28, 2023. (Courtesy Carrie George)Austin resident Carrie George (right) was diagnosed with ALS on Dec. 28, 2023. (Courtesy Carrie George)

Austin resident Carrie George (left) was diagnosed with ALS on Dec. 28, 2023. (Courtesy Carrie George)

Austin resident Carrie George was diagnosed with ALS on Dec. 28, 2023. (Courtesy Carrie George)

Austin resident Carrie George (right) was diagnosed with ALS on Dec. 28, 2023. (Courtesy Carrie George)

Austin resident Carrie George was diagnosed with ALS on Dec. 28, 2023. (Courtesy Carrie George)

Austin resident Carrie George (second from the right) was diagnosed with ALS on Dec. 28, 2023. (Courtesy Carrie George)

Austin resident Carrie George (center) was diagnosed with ALS on Dec. 28, 2023. (Courtesy Carrie George)

Beyond ramping up dedicated funds toward drug development and research, Austin neurologists told Nexstars KXAN that the challenge also amplified public awareness of the disease.

I think the ice bucket challenge has really done wonders for the world of ALS, Dr. Hannah Machemehl, an Austin-based neuromuscular neurologist, said. It brought ALS to the forefront of a lot of peoples minds who werent familiar with the disease beforehand  and with that, theres been a lot of advancements both because of increased awareness of the disease and increased availability for funding  to fund different access to therapies, access to treatments, access to different advocacy programs and even more beyond that.

Some say beer tastes better cold. New research explains why

Machemehl works as part of a multidisciplinary team at an ALS clinic, where patients diagnosed with ALS can receive electrical and genetic testing, physical exams, lab work or undergo different treatment options. As a result of the ice bucket challenge and increased public awareness in recent years, she said it appears patients are getting diagnosed more quickly after the onset of symptoms, allowing them to expedite the start of treatment.

Theres a great deal of research thats going on  some of its through clinical trials, other through biomarker studies to try to understand the disease process itself, so we can attack the underlying cause, Machemehl said. Weve had new FDA-approved therapies to help slow down the progress of ALS since the advent of the ice bucket challenge. And weve really come a long way in just understanding the value of implementing disciplinary care and access to the different testing to lead to diagnosis, especially as it relates to the small subset of people [where] ALS runs in their family.

Austin resident Carrie George is one of those patients with a rare hereditary form of ALS and is participating in clinical research trials to help specialists study the hereditary version. Approximately 5% to 10% of all people living with ALS in the U.S. have family members who had been diagnosed with the disease, with it likely an inherited genetic mutation.

George was diagnosed with ALS on Dec. 28, 2023. She said she was completely bamboozled by the diagnosis and recognized the value of community support from family, friends, loved ones and ALS professionals.

[Their support has] been everything. Its been everything to me, she said. Theres always someone available if I need to talk. Theyve created more outings for all of us, they get me out of the house more. So its been a huge difference.

Right now, she sees her team at the Austin Neuromuscular Center every three months or so to visit with a nutritionist, respiratory therapist, physical therapists and assistive technology representatives.

Study: How 1 alcoholic drink can affect blood pressure

Working with the ALS Association, she was able to access a local equipment loan program to receive a wheelchair, upright walker and other health resources. Its been beneficial having access to those, she said, as her symptom progression has weakened her arms and hands, making walking more challenging.

This month, George will attend the ALS Nexus Conference in Dallas alongside her friend Karen Shively, whos coming in from Singapore to support George at the event. Even from across the world, George said Shively has been one of the many support systems guiding her through his diagnosis.

Im in it for the long haul, she said.

More details on the organization are available 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 Queen City News.
Demonstrators protesting anti-LGBTQ+ legislation dropped 48,000 handmade hearts  meant to represent LGBTQ+ Idahoans  down the rotunda of the Idaho State Capitol Building in Boise on April 2, 2024. (Kyle Pfannenstiel/Idaho Capital Sun)

Editors note: This story was updated July 12 to include information about a narrow judicial block for suing transgender inmates

The ACLU of Idaho, on behalf of three people who are incarcerated in Idaho, has filed a federal lawsuit in the Idaho District Court against state officials over a new law that bans public funds from going toward gender-affirming care.

House Bill 668 took effect on Monday, and it prevents the use of taxpayer funds from covering gender-affirming medication and surgeries for adults and children. That includes Idaho Medicaid. Also under the law, no state property or facility is allowed to be used for providing gender-affirming care.

The lawsuit was filed June 28. The three plaintiffs, who use anonymous names in the lawsuit, receive prescribed hormone replacement therapy for gender dysphoria from Centurion Health  the medical care provider contracted by the Idaho Department of Correction.

But in May and June, according to the complaint, correctional staff notified the plaintiffs and other transgender incarcerated individuals that their hormone replacement therapy would be terminated or their dose would be lowered in preparation for House Bill 668.

The plaintiffs allege that the withdrawal or reduction of their prescribed medications violates the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. They are seeking a preliminary injunction, or a halt in enforcement of the law until the case is settled.

Federal judge David Nye temporarily blocked the new law for three suing transgender Idaho inmates in a July 1 order, first reported by the Idaho Statesman.

Nye scheduled a court hearing 11 a.m. Monday to determine whether to issue a temporary restraining order or a longer-lasting preliminary injection in the lawsuit.

On July 3, Nye narrowed his block  called a provisional temporary restraining order  to two patients who had disclosed their names to defendants. (If the third patient discloses her name, she would also be immediately covered by the block, Nye ruled.)

The lawsuit, Roe v. Labrador, names Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, Idaho Gov. Brad Little, Department of Correction Director Josh Tewalt, Deputy Director Bree Derrick, and Centurion Health.

Rebecca De Leon, the spokesperson for the ACLU of Idaho, said the organization was not available for comment at this time.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Roe, Poe and Doe: The three transgender women in prison suing the state

The three plaintiffs are all transgender women using the pseudonyms Roe, Poe, and Doe.

The first plaintiff is Jane Roe, who is incarcerated at the Idaho State Correctional Center in Kuna. Roe has been incarcerated since 2014 and anticipates being incarcerated until March 2033.

Roe has used a different, feminine name since age 12, according to the complaint, and was formally diagnosed with gender dysphoria during the intake process in Idahos correctional facilities.

Roe has received hormone therapy since 2015, receiving oral hormone therapy twice a day from correctional staff. The hormone therapy has greatly improved her health and well-being, according to the complaint.

The second plaintiff is Jane Poe, who is incarcerated at the Idaho State Correctional Institution in Kuna. Poe has been in prison since April 2023 and is expected to be incarcerated until 2025.

Poe has lived as a woman since 2017. She also was diagnosed with gender dysphoria while in custody. In June, medical correctional staff told her she would be tapered off her hormone therapy medications beginning July 1  the day the law took effect.

The third plaintiff is Jane Doe. Doe is also incarcerated at the Idaho State Correctional Institution. Doe has been incarcerated since 2023 and expects to stay in correctional custody for several more years, according to the complaint.

Before she was incarcerated, Does general care physician diagnosed her with gender dysphoria in 2020. She received hormone therapy for those three years before her incarceration.

After starting hormone therapy, Ms. Doe finally started feeling like herself, the complaint states. Her anxiety decreased. She was finally able to hold a job. She got her first apartment. Her quality of life drastically improved.

House Bill 668 would be emotionally and physically devastating for the plaintiffs, the complaint alleges. According to the complaint, the three plaintiffs fear they will face increased anxiety and depression without access to their prescribed hormone medication.

The case is a class action lawsuit. This means that while it was filed on behalf of three plaintiffs, the plaintiffs are representing all people in Idaho correctional facilities who are or will be diagnosed with gender dysphoria who would normally receive hormone therapy without House Bill 668 taking effect.

In an unrelated case, a federal judge on Saturday temporarily blocked the new law from applying to seven transgender and nonbinary Idahoans on Medicaid, according to previous Idaho Capital Sun reporting.

Federal judge Raymond E. Patricco, chief magistrate judge in the District of Idaho, issued a temporary restraining order in that case that began Monday, blocking the new law only for the seven patients, who are plaintiffs in a lawsuit.

Idaho Capital Sun reporter Kyle Pfannenstiel contributed to this story.

Roe v. Labrador

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
A new law to give freelance workers protections for pay took effect in Illinois.

The Freelance Worker Protection Act dictates people who hire independent contractors are required to pay those workers based solely on the terms of their contracts, with no deviations. If the contract doesnt specify when theyll get paid, the payment has to be made no later than 30 days after the work has been done. The law also sets up a complaint process through the Illinois Department of Labor.

The Freelance Worker Protection Act is meant to resolve any issues between a freelance worker and the person or organization they entered into a contract with. The law isnt retroactive; it only applies to contracts signed after July 1. 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 WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.
Illinois man sentenced to life in prison for his role in 2020 killings of his uncle, 2 others

DANVILLE, Ill. (AP)  A central Illinois man has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 2020 killings of his uncle and two other men.

A judge sentenced Cloanger Robinson, 22, of Danville, on Tuesday to natural life after a jury convicted him in May on three counts of first-degree murder, The (Champaign) News-Gazette reported.

Trial evidence showed Nathaniel N. Gentry, 65; Cordell J. Reed Sr., 67; and Anthony D. Jones, 60, were playing cards at Reeds Danville home in January 2020 when Reed welcomed Robinson, his nephew, inside.

Robinson, then 18, was accompanied by Terrion T. Tinsley, then 16, and an unnamed 17-year-old.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Daily News

The three men were found dead in the home the next day from stab wounds and blunt force trauma.

A police investigation found that the three youths wanted cannabis and thought there was more in the house than the small amount investigators believed was present for personal use.

Vermilion County States Attorney Jacqueline Lacy said during Tuesdays sentencing that the three were wearing latex gloves under their knit gloves that night.

Tinsley was sentenced to life in prison in April after being convicted of two counts of first-degree murder. The 17-year-old pleaded guilty to robbery and agreed to cooperate as a states witness to testify in 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 FOX 2.
Evacuations reduced as crews get control of fire in California town of Lower Lake

Residents of a small Northern California town were asked Wednesday to immediately evacuate the areas around a swift fire moving rapidly along a busy thoroughfare, authorities said.

Flames broke out at a commercial structure in the 16200 block of Main Street in Lower Lake, Lake County, Cal Fire said at 3:30 p.m. on social media. The 7-acre blaze, dubbed the Adams Fire, had a rapid rate of spread and structures were threatened, Cal Fire said.

In a 5:45 p.m. update, Cal Fire said the fire had reached 15 acres but that it was 15% contained, with control lines completely around the fire. The fire agency said firefighters would remain at the scene overnight.

An evacuation order was issued for zone LOW-E169 extended south from Morgan Valley Road to Spruce Grove Road, according to the countys evacuation map. The orders also included areas from Highway 29 and Main Street, spreading east.

The Lake County Sheriffs Office in a 5 p.m. update split zone 169 into two zones, LOW-E169A and LOW-E169B. LOW-E169B, which included roadways just southeast of the intersection of Highway 29 and Main Street, remained under an evacuation order. LOW-E169A, further southeast, was reduced to an evacuation warning.

Evacuation zones LOW-E170 and LOW-E176, south and southeast of the mandatory evacuation were also warned to leave, authorities said, but the evacuation warnings for those two zones were lifted at 5 p.m.

There is an IMMEDIATE threat to life and property to anyone in the impacted zone, the Sheriffs Office said online in the initial post. Gather household members, pets, and essential items (including medication), lock your home, and leave now.

Cal Fire is fighting the blaze along with the Lake County Fire Protection District.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 3. We are pleased with the increase in the turnover of goods between our countries, it has reached 3 billion dollars and has the potential for further growth, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during the meeting with President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping in Astana, Trend reports.

Azerbaijan has already opened trading houses in six Chinese cities in an effort to promote its products in the Chinese market. We are also pleased with the increase in exports from the People's Republic of China to Azerbaijan, the head of state noted.
Enabling Trump

The Enabling Act of 1933, passed by the German legislature, gave Adolf Hitler the right to make laws without the Reichstags approval and absolute power, which enabled him to destroy all opposition to his rule.

Did the U.S. Supreme Court just render a judicial version of the Enabling Acts?

The greatest threat to democracy and this nation is Donald Trump and the current incarnation of the Republican Party. The latter because its not your grandfathers GOP and its certainly not patriotic.

William Adkins, Williamstown

Corrupt Court

U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., said former President Donald Trumps trial for falsifying business records was a sham and supported Trumps claim that the judicial system is rigged. Yet it is Barr, and U.S. Sens. Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell, both R-Ky., who have been doing their best to corrupt the judicial system. Just look at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Thanks to them, when you are prescribed a new medication by your doctor, you will be a guinea pig. In a single ruling by the Supreme Court, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has been stripped of its ability to protect Americans from dangerous and ineffective medications. We are now back to the 1950s when pregnant women were prescribed thalidomide and later gave birth to babies with no arms and worse because there was no requirement for drug companies to prove their drugs were safe and effective to receive FDA.

If this decision by the Barr, Paul, McConnell, and Trump Supreme Court doesnt change your mind about the regressive Republican agenda and its consequences, keep watching. If we the people dont send them packing, they have big plans for you and me.

Alice Mills, Lexington

Above the law

Like former President Donald Trump, U.S. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito think they are above the law. How unethical! How pathetic!

Both men arrogantly show the public how biased they are towards the Republican Party of Donald Trump. They would like to see America become an autocratic Christian theocracy.

It is shameful how the John Roberts Court has delayed taking up the Jan. 6 indictment case of Trump. Now, the trial cannot take place before the election. The Court is taking too long on deciding if Trump should get presidential immunity. The Jan. 6 case should have already produced a verdict. Its been over three years since Jan. 6 happened.

Trump incited the angry mob to storm the Capitol on that infamous day. For his role in inciting the insurrection, Trump should never be allowed to run for public office again.

The Supreme Court will be suspect if it grants Trump, or any other future president, any kind of immunity.

Paul L. Whiteley, Sr., Louisville

Debate GOAT

Ever notice how the greats make it look easy? Athletes, musicians, writers, actors. The recent presidential candidate debate gave us a decent, honorable man who struggled to deliver a positive, factual, encouraging message. However, due to age, nerves, and illness, he was anything but successful. The debate also gave us a man who lied so much and so fast, he could not be refuted, fact-checked or otherwise forced to confront the truth. While President Joe Biden struggled to deliver his message, former President Donald Trump had no problem whatsoever with his. He lied with aplomb and a confidence that could have only come from a lifetime time of lying. Yep, Trump made lying look easy. He is indeed, one of the greats.

Ross DeAeth, Lexington

Debate performance

President Joe Biden looked dumbfounded at the quantity and scope of Trumps lies during the recent Presidential Candidate debate. I was agape myself. Former President Donald Trumps petulant, lip-stuck-out, man-child face and gaslighting were mind boggling.

Trump has gone from promising to be a dictator to being a tyrant. Yet the Republican legislators kowtow at his feet.

The Heritage Foundation with its Project 2025 has proven that they are not Christians. They would fire ordinary workers and install loyalists who may not be qualified for the job. Trump will choose those who swear fealty to him.

Biden is far from perfect but he isnt out to destroy our nation. Those who choose to vote for someone else or not vote at all are in fact voting for Trump.

If Trump wins and the Heritage Foundation has its way, well be ruled by the Christian Taliban. Women and others will become second-class citizens, if they dont become chattel.

Trump is a heretic who stated that he is greater than Christ who was a loser for dying for us. Trump ruined our countrys reputation. How many more would have died in Afghanistan if we had pulled out four months earlier as Trump wanted?

Glenna Brouse, Lexington

Cognitive test

President Joe Biden missed a golden opportunity in the debate. When former President Donald Trump said he aced a cognitive test, Biden should have responded: Yes Donald you only missed one question, Who is President of the United States.

Avram Pearlstein, Lexington

Debate prep

Let me get this straight. President Joe Biden was at Camp David for 7 days with 16 advisors preparing him for the first presidential debate, while his challenger, former President Donald Trump largely went about his business with hardly anyone helping him. Yet, look at the stellar performance that Trump delivered to the American people.

Considering Bidens poor performance, perhaps he ought to remain in the White House with 0 advisors for the second debate, except one: Press-Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

After all, Jean-Pierre has said that Biden is sharp and on top of things and echoed what Jill Biden said that the president does more in one hour than most people do in a full day. Another day, Jean-Pierre called videos some showing Biden stumbling or standing stiff and motionless in France and Italy as cheap fakes.

Maybe Biden will believe Jean-Pierres falsehoods and spring back to life in the second debate. It cant get any worse than what the gang of 16 did for him, can it?

David Tulanian, Henderson

Media bias

The media industrial-complex is the bane of American politicians, and the definition of opinionated news. But to know what the media industrial-complex is we must first understand what the media is. Oxford Languages describes the media as the main means of mass communication.

For some the media industrial complex is fake news, for others its free speech. In my opinion, it is the unholy alliance between opinion and facts. It is when the news reports feelings over the truth.

This is most prevalent in politics. Politics are already very decisive, but news channels profit from it.

It is vital that Americans know where to get their information. They must not listen to what the left or right says about news as they can be very opinionated.

For the left, reliable news is CNN or MSNBC, whereas the right finds Fox News trustworthy. It seems that local news is consistently the most reliable when it comes to reporting the facts.

Local news usually tells the facts without falsely elaborating. I believe all reporters should strive to be like Walter Cronkite, a journalist known as the most honest man in America.

In conclusion, the media industrial-complex is one of the most powerful institutions in history. I believe it will most likely fuel another American Civil War.

We must choose not to surrender to it, but to actively fight against it and its effects. It makes us forget we are not just Democrats or Republicans. We must realize we are all Americans.

Easton Witte, 11, Hustonville

Amendment 2

Amendment 2 will change Kentuckys constitution to allow state funds to support non-public education entities, including private, religious, or home schools.

My wife went to a public high school and received an excellent education. I am a product of private education. It was our choice to have our children attend private schools. My family knows firsthand the sacrifices that choice entails, but we also have a commitment to our community. My wife and I paid both private school tuition and property taxes to support public education. Rather than complain about funding public education we saw it as our civic duty. Our choice to go to a private school was not at the expense of public school students. Amendment 2, as proposed, will open the door for state funds to be used for private school tuition. Private education is a personal choice and not the states responsibility.

The argument has been made that public education is failing students. It is not. Failure to reduce class sizes, retain teachers, and allow more flexibility in the classroom are all the Kentucky legislatures fault. This fall our family is voting against Amendment 2 and I encourage you to do the same.

Michael Rouse, Louisville

Christian government

When I attended Wichita State University, there was a group who called themselves JOE  Jesus or Else.

They identified themselves as Militant Christians, a way of forcing unbelievers into Christianity. It was a hoax, but when the group applied to Student Government Association, they got funding.

At the time, we thought it was hilarious. Who would have imagined that now, it is not a joke? With the Louisiana law which makes the Ten Commandments mandatory in all public schools and the fascination with the Christian Democracy in Hungary, what had been a prank is now becoming a frightening possibility. What happened to the separation of church and state? The line is blurring.

Cheryl Keenan, Lexington

Compiled by Liz Carey
In 1973 the Senate Watergate Committee uncovered a plan that had been hatched three years earlier by a man named Tom Charles Huston, a White House liaison to the Interagency Committee on Intelligence (ICI), a group chaired by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to monitor "left wing radicals." The Huston Plan, as it was known, laid out detailed operations to burglarize the homes and conduct electronic surveillance of these co-called radicals and even detain anti-war protesters in camps to be created in western states. President Richard Nixon signed off on the plan only to rescind his approval a few days later under objections from Hoover himself.

It was one of a number of nefarious plots uncovered during the investigations, including the actual burglarizing of Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist, an order to bomb the Brookings Institute and the Watergate burglary itself. The Huston Plan was one that was never carried out but went directly to the president who signed the order.

I bring this obscure bit of Watergate lore up because it was the Huston plan that precipitated a very important historical question posed to Nixon by David Frost in their interviews in 1977:

So, what in a sense youre saying is that there are certain situations and the Huston plan or that part of it was one of them where the president can decide that its in the best interest of the nation or something and do something illegal.

Nixon infamously replied, "well, when the president does it  that means that it is not illegal."

That answer caused a national uproar. The mere idea of a president being above the law, especially one who had been driven from office and then pardoned for his crimes by his successor, was outrageous.

Nixon further explained that position in some detail:

[I]f, for example, the president approves something  approves an action, ah  because of the national security or in this case because of a threat to internal peace and order of, ah  ah  significant magnitude  then  the presidents decision in that instance is one, ah  that enables those who carry it out to carry it out without violating a law. Otherwise theyre in an impossible position.

Frost followed up asking if the "black-bag" jobs that were authorized in the Huston plan would have been made legal by his action. Nixon said:

Well  I think that we would  I think that were splitting hairs here. Burglaries per se are illegal. Lets begin with that proposition. Second, when a burglary, as you have described a black-bag job, ah  when a burglary, ah  is one that is undertaken because of an expressed policy decided by the president, ah  in the interests of the national security  or in the interests of domestic tranquility  ah  when those interests are very, very high  and when the device will be used in a very limited and cautious manner and responsible manner  when it is undertaken, then, then that means that what would otherwise be technically illegal does not subject those who engage in such activity to criminal prosecution. . .

He went on to say that he wasn't suggesting that a president is above the law, just that during wartime and "virtual revolution in certain concentrated areas at home" the president has extraordinary powers under the Constitution.

It sounded completely daft at the time and reinforced most of the country's belief that Nixon was a tyrannical monster who never should have been anywhere near the presidency. He sounded absolutely nuts. However, there was a small group of conservative legal thinkers who agreed with Nixon's views of presidential power and thought it was a shame that Congress and the courts had taken it upon themselves to usurp the imperial power of the presidency.

The fact is that the presidency had been accumulating power ever since WWII. One of the stalest political tropes around is that once attaining power institutions and leaders rarely give it up and it's true. By the time Nixon came along to crudely abuse the presidency to punish his political enemies, the presidency was already hurtling out of control. And sadly the reforms put in place after Watergate didn't hold for very long.

The Reagan administration set about evading and disarming them immediately and a whole generation of young legal Reagan revolutionaries adopted the view that Nixon was right and the presidency had been inappropriately emasculated. They pushed novel new legal concepts like the "unitary executive" theory which puts strong constraints on any congressional authority to grant independent authority to executive branch agencies.

Five members of the Supreme Court came up in that legal atmosphere. Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito were lawyers in the Reagan administration and Neil M. Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh were in the George W. Bush administration. Justice Amy Coney Barrett didn't work directly for a president, and notably dissented in part of the majority opinion, but she did work on Bush v. Gore with Kavanaugh and Roberts. This was a fundamental belief among the elite legal minds of the conservative movement.

But according to NPR Supreme Court correspondent Nina Totenberg, this isn't just about ideology. They were also shaped by a long-standing gripe that their presidents had been unfairly constrained and harassed. It's personal for them:

This is a really interesting insight from NPR's Nina Totenberg about the personal history of the Supreme Court conservatives and their perspectives on presidential power. pic.twitter.com/1nbaekvMe9  Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) July 3, 2024

It is apparent that the Supreme Court majority, like the average MAGA voter and Donald Trump himself, is filled with bitter resentment. In fact, I would suggest that this entire unitary executive, imperial president philosophy stems from grievance over Richard Nixon being forced out of office all those years ago. The ruling in Trump v. United States was the culmination of many years of careful, strategic planning by the right-wing legal community. The six partisan justices in the majority played the long game and when they got the chance to implement their dream of an imperial presidency they did not hesitate. Not even the prospect of allowing a corrupt president unlike any other, including Richard Nixon, gave them pause.

Perhaps like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, they are counting on the Democrats to "take care of him" so they feel free to overlook his obvious criminality to advance their pet cause. Or maybe they are just grateful that his crimes gave them the opportunity to address the issue that's animated them for so long. Either way, they have not only given Donald Trump a get-out-of-jail-free card they have weaponized the presidency knowing what criminals like Nixon and Trump are capable of. It's not at all unfair to assume that's exactly why they did it.
Hundreds of foreign students who enrolled at a Michigan university that turned out to be a sting operation run by federal immigration officials can sue the government to recoup their tuition, a federal appeals court ruled last week.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled on June 25 that the U.S. government wasn't immune from a 2020 lawsuit filed by Teja Ravi, a former student at the fake "University of Farmington," on behalf of himself and other students, because it entered into contracts with hundreds of students like Ravi for services that it never delivered.

The ruling overturns a 2022 lower court decision dismissing Ravi's lawsuit and remands it back to the lower court for further consideration. Both the Trump and Biden administrations argued that the government was shielded from Ravi's suit by sovereign immunity.

The three-judge panel unanimously ruled that the government was not immune and had not sufficiently demonstrated its argument that its contract with Ravi wasn't enforceable because it never intended to honor the agreement in the first place.

"The government relies on the notion that, because it was only pretending to operate a university, there could not have been intent to contract on its part, even though it took (and has kept) the money Mr. Ravi he paid for the offered education, and it makes that assertion even accepting the assumption, required at the present stage of the case, that Mr. Ravi intended to obtain the education for which he was paying," the court wrote. "The argument is that even when there is an objectively clear offer and acceptance, with acceptance in the form of paying money to the offeror, there is no contract enforceable against the offeror, for want of mutuality of intent, as long as the offeror had its fingers crossed behind its back when making the offer and accepting the money."

Attorney Anna Nathanson, who is representing Ravi, said in a press release that "the University of Farmington students and their legal team are ecstatic that the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has ruled to allow the 600 students unjustly targeted by this fake ICE university to have their day in court."

Michigan news outlets first revealed in 2019 that the "University of Farmington" was a sting set up by a branch of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to target pay-to-stay student visa fraud.

ICE opened the southeast Michigan school in 2016. It would ultimately lure in around 600 people on student visas, all of them except one from India, and collect roughly $6 million in tuition and fees from them.

The government claimed that the foreign students were made well aware by recruiters and fake school officials that they were paying for classes and coursework that didn't exist, but plaintiffs in the lawsuit say they were "unwitting victims," entrapped by a school that had all the outward appearances of being a legitimate institution.

The university had a website, a regularly updated Facebook page, and a fake history dating back to the 1950s. Records obtained by local news outlets showed Farmington was incorporated by the state of Michigan and listed by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges. More importantly, it was certified by the Department of Homeland Security's Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which as Shikha Dalmia wrote for Reason in 2019, is the "ultimate seal of official approval," for foreign students looking for an American education.

Once exposed, ICE quickly shut down the school and arrested roughly 250 former students. Many were deported, while the rest voluntarily left the country. There was an element of callousness to the whole affair: The Detroit News reported that after it broke the news that Farmington was a sham, "the university's Facebook page started posting memes," including one that featured the Star Wars character Admiral Ackbar shouting "It's a trap."

Reason's Billy Binion interviewed a former Farmington student who paid the fake school $15,0000 in tuition and fees. He opted to voluntarily leave the U.S. to maximize his chances to legally return sometime in the future. He never got his money back.

The Farmington sting outraged civil rights groups. In 2022, 40 such groups signed a letter calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to investigate potential civil rights violations that resulted from the sting operation.

"This decision is not just a legal win, but a moral one," Prudhivi Raj, a former student at the university, said in a press release after last week's ruling. "It underscores that no one, not even the government, is above the fundamental principles of fairness and honesty."

The post Indian Students Who Enrolled in Fake University Run by ICE Can Sue the Government, Court Rules appeared first on Reason.com.
Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales chats with voters at a campaign event earlier this year. (Nathan Gotsch/Fort Wayne Politics)

Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales office warned more than 120 federal agencies operating in Indiana against providing voter registration services described in a three-year-old presidential executive order without state approval.

This letter from my office is in response to the broad executive order from President (Joe) Biden directing federal agencies to engage in election activity, Morales said Tuesday on his personal X account.

States know best when it comes to our elections, he continued. We dont need federal government overreach to run safe, secure elections!

Morales office didnt immediately provide specific examples of law-breaking.

A pandemic-era order, and a letter

Bidens spring 2021 order, titled Promoting access to voting, mandates federal agencies to consider ways to encourage citizen participation in the electoral process.

He ordered agency heads to evaluate options  consistent with applicable law  like public information campaigns, agency website links to state and federal voter registration resources, and direct engagement. That could include distributing voter registration and mail-in ballot application forms, helping citizens complete the forms, or having nonpartisan third parties provide those services.

In his June 28 letter, Morales wrote, It has been brought to my attention that President Bidens federal executive order . effectively orders all federal executive departments and agencies to expand access to voter registration.'

We dont need federal government overreach to run safe, secure elections.

 Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales

It was sent to more than 120 federal entities, a spokeswoman said.

Morales noted that, under longstanding law, a state must ask an agency to be a designated voter registration agency in order for the agency to conduct voter registration activities.

And, he continued, To my knowledge, your agency is not a designated voter registration agency. He asked agency recipients to report any directives they received and actions theyve taken to implement the order within 10 days of receipt.

If your agency has been distributing voter registration forms or assisting the public with voter registration or absentee voting forms, you are requested to discontinue such action immediately, as the unauthorized conduct of such activity is likely violative of Indiana and federal law, Morales wrote.

Bidens order, however, required agencies to agree to the states request, to the greatest extent practicable and consistent with applicable law. If the agency were to decline, theyd have to submit a written explanation of the decision.

The order also required heads of agencies that directly engage with the public to formally notify states in which they operate that they would agree to being a designated voter registration agency.

Part of a trend

Morales letter is the latest rejection of Bidens order.

Conservative activists and politicians across the country, including political action committees and a Republican-led House committee, have targeted the order in recent months, Politico has reported.

Morales in May joined eight fellow Republican secretaries of state in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take on a case challenging the order. The court said it wouldnt do so by the end of June, and wont consider taking it up until the fall.

But Morales isnt the first from Indiana to push back against the order.

Former Secretary of State Holli Sullivan  who Morales beat out for the position  was among 15 GOP secretaries of state to sign onto a 2022 letter to Biden asking him to rescind the order.

Need to get in touch?

Have a news tip?

CONTACT US

Morales, meanwhile, concluded his letter by listing his offices voter registration efforts.

Notwithstanding my enthusiasm for registering eligible voters, the state of Indiana has a statutory framework for voter registration and assistance activity that must be respected, he wrote.

Several conservative interest groups praised Morales move.

By signing (the order), President Biden is abusing the power of the federal government in a desperate attempt to boost his sinking campaign. Thankfully, Hoosiers are having none of it, Catherine Gunsalus, Heritage Actions director of state advocacy, said in a news release Tuesday. The group is a sister to conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation.

Secretary Morales should be applauded for protecting Indiana from undue federal overreach and directing agencies in his state to refuse to go along with Bidens scheme, she added. As November quickly approaches, Heritage Action urges states across the country to follow Indianas lead and safeguard their elections from federal overreach.

Heritage Actions watchdog arm, The Oversight Project, sent a memo dated May 15 to state officials describing Bidens order as federally funded and partisan get-out-the vote election interference. It suggested ways states could fight back.

We are thrilled that Secretary of State Morales is taking up our recommendation to kick the Feds out of Indianas elections, Mike Howell, The Oversight Projects executive director, said in the news release. The people of Indiana should decide their own elections. Bidens illegal taxpayer funded scheme to have government agencies run the get-out-the-vote operation for his campaign is an egregious abuse of power.

Morales Letter 6-28-24
Supporters of Navajo Nation Pride march as part of the pride parade held on June 29, 2024, in Window Rock. Photo by Shondiin SIlversmith | Arizona Mirror

Throughout June, cities and communities across the country honored the LGBTQ+ community with Pride celebrations. Some of the biggest celebrations typically occur in large cities such as New York or Los Angeles, focusing on the Western perspective of pride.

For many in the United States, Pride started in 1969 with the Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, where a series of events between police and LGBTQ+ protesters stretched over six days and led to a fundamental change for LGBTQ+ people.

But, for many Indigenous two spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning plus people, Pride started way before Stonewall.

Before colonization nearly destroyed Indigenous culture and tradition, there were communities where Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ individuals were viewed as pillars of their community.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

The Navajo people historically recognized more than two genders, and nadleehi is considered a third gender in which individuals may display male and female characteristics.

Navajo creation stories speak of the Nadleehi, and they are discussed in stories surrounding the separation of the sexes. They were often considered mediators and negotiators within Navajo society and were skilled at many things, like weaving and holding sacred ceremonial knowledge.

Weve learned how to encompass these gay pride celebrations in a Western lens, Dine trans advocate Mattee Jim said. But how do we incorporate the traditional teachings?

Jim is originally from Tsenaoshijiin on the Navajo Nation, a small community about 7 miles north of Church Rock, New Mexico.

She has spent more than 25 years advocating for the 2SLGBTQ+ community and is the supervisor for the HIV Prevention Programs for First Nations Community HealthSource in Albuquerque.

Jim remembers when she was younger and getting caught up in Western perceptions of Pride, which often include rainbow flags, huge Pride events or buying gay literature.

As I got older, especially being Indigenous and being myself and how I identify, its changed a lot, Jim said. I tell people I identify first and foremost as a Dine person before I identify as a Western Native trans woman.

Im of my people first and foremost.

Jim admits it took work to get to this point. She had to guide herself into that way of thinking and reconnect with her culture as a Dine person.

We do have a rainbow, Jim said. We have naatsiilid, which is that gateway to the next world.

Naatsiilid is the Navajo word for rainbow, and within Navajo culture, the rainbow is believed to be how the Holy people communicate with the Dine people.

There are certain symbolizations that are within our Native culture that is our identity and who we are, which could relate to gay pride stuff, Jim said. I look at it in that sense, in a traditional conception and the values.

Jim said seeing Pride evolve within Indigenous communities has impacted Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ people in many ways. She sees it primarily in how people can unite as a community and be who they are.

Navajo Nation Pride

The rainbow colors complimented the cloudy skies at the Navajo Nation Capitol, where pride flags lined the streets leading to the Window Rock Tribal Park and Veterans Memorial, where people came together to celebrate the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Its more than a rainbow flag, Navajo Nation Pride Executive Director and Co-Founder Alray Nelson said, adding that their pride celebration is a way to remind everyone that in Dine culture, human beings are viewed as scared.

Its OK to be who you are, Nelson said. Youre a sacred human being, no matter if youre gay, youre lesbian, youre trans, youre bisexual, you may be questioning, you may identify as queer  its OK to be who you are.

Navajo Nation Pride is one of the largest Indigenous gay pride celebrations in the United States. On June 29, nearly 2,000 people gathered in Window Rock to celebrate the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

The theme for 2024 Navajo Nation Pride is Ayoo Anoshni, which means love is sacred in Navajo. Ayoo Anoshni is seen as the pillar of love that blesses the existence of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and two-spirit Indigenous people in the United States.

San Carlos Apache Drag Performer Leslie D. Lewinsky is part of the Navajo Nation Pride organization, and has also performed at the Pride events several times.

Lewinsky said performing and being with the community at Navajo Nation Pride is a fantastic experience that gives hope to the younger generations.

Lewinsky, 34, said they never had access to this community growing up. They always went off the San Carlos Reservation to participate in Pride events, and it has been a challenge to start something within their own community.

Lewinsky said they have been trying to host a pride event on the San Carlos Apache Reservation for the last five years but have been unsuccessful at every turn.

Nobody wants to hold it in any of the buildings, they said. They keep telling me to go to a bar in town or the casino where all the other bad stuff happens.

San Carlos Apache Drag Performer Leslie D. Lewinsky poses during her performance at Navajo Nation Pride on June 29, 2024, in Window Rock. Photo by Shondiin SIlversmith | Arizona Mirror

Lewinsky said its challenging because all they want is to show the tribe that 2SLGBTQ+ people are just people who want to be part of the community. This is why Lewinsky joined Navajo Nation Pride and has helped the organization through the years.

Lewinsky said that events like Navajo Nation Pride are vital because they give hope to all those who cannot do so within their tribal communities.

It gives me so much hope (and) hope for my tribe, they added, and they hope that Indigenous youth can see that pride can happen within their tribal community.

I want to be the inspiration that you can live on the rez and be who you are, Lewnisky said. You can be on the rez and be amazing.

Nelson never imagined that Navajo Nation Pride would grow at the rate it has or garner as much support from the community as it has, especially because many still feel that pride is controversial.

The Navajo Nation has no laws devoted to anti-discrimination or hate crimes concerning Navajo 2SLGBTQ+ people living on tribal lands.

The Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission reported in 2016 that the Navajo Bill of Rights guarantees the rights of all Navajo citizens regardless of sex, and any entities that receive federal or state funding on the Navajo Nation must follow the anti-discrimination mandates.

The commission recommended that Navajo Nation leaders enact laws and policies to protect people regardless of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

In 2005, the Navajo Nation implemented the Dine Marriage Act, which outlaws same-sex marriage. Several efforts have been made to overturn the act, but no legislation has succeeded.

Nelson said the work Navajo Nation Pride does today was only possible with the Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ community that came before them.

They were the community that has always been at the front lines, Nelson said, and they were often beaten by the police, discriminated against or had their lives taken because they were either ostracized or kicked on the streets by their family and loved ones.

Theyre the first ones that built that foundation for us to even have Pride events, Nelson said, and he is thankful to them for taking on the scars, bruises and wounds for them to be where they are today.

There was a time when pride within the Navajo Nation was more underground.

Virgil Smith, 71, from Tohatchi, New Mexico, remembers when the 2SLGBTQ+ community would come together and have drag shows in the middle of nowhere, using their vehicles headlights as a spotlight.

Today, Jim said the Navajo Nation Pride celebration is being held in the capital, and the Navajo Nation Police are protecting the community.

Theres that huge progression from being more fearful versus now, where its more out and open, Jim said. Im a strong, Native, transgender woman because of that progression of advocacy.

Jim said she remembers when their community experienced harsh discrimination, verbally and physically. She remembers there was a time when she would have to get in physical fights to prove that she could protect herself constantly.

Jim said it was challenging, but the community worked through it and found safe spaces to gather and be themselves.

We beam with pride in so many different ways, she said.

Indigenous Pride celebrations growing

More Indigenous communities are starting to host their own Pride events.

The only advice we can always give these organizations is that it has to be built closely with the community, Nelson said.

Looking at Navajo Nation Pride, Nelson said that a majority of the people who attend the event and are involved in its planning are Indigenous and people of color. The organization does not focus on corporate sponsorships like many larger pride events.

We want it to be community-focused and driven directly from funding by our community, he added, and its taken them a lot of work to get Navajo Nation Pride to where it is today.

In Arizona, alongside the Navajo Nation, people from the Tohono Oodham Nation, the Hualapai Tribe, and the Ak-Chin Indian Community have hosted pride events for their community members. The Tohono Oodham Nation is the only tribe in Arizona to sign a proclamation recognizing June as LGBTQ+ Pride month.

Organizers with Hualapai Pride drive their pride float during the Navajo Nation Pride parade on June 29, 2024. Hualapai Pride is from the Hualapai Tribe in Peach Springs. Photo by Shondiin SIlversmith | Arizona Mirror

Hualapai Pride Organizer Vonda Beecher said theyre still a very new organization, but they launched because she recognized it was something needed within their community for a long time.

Beecher said it has been a slow process, but she believes they will do a lot of good as long as they keep the momentum going.

The Hualapai Tribe is a small tribe located in Peach Springs, Arizona, with about 1,400 tribal members living on tribal land.

Beecher said that she is proud of the Hualapai tribal members who have been willing to put themselves out there and are not afraid to say they are allies and supporters of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

I want our kids to be safe and to not be afraid of who they are, she said, adding that she knows firsthand what it feels like.

Beecher said when she was a kid, she didnt have access to community events celebrating the 2SLGBTQ+ community, especially Indigenous-led events.

I know what we need in our community, which is why Im advocating for it, because I dont want kids to ever have to feel the way I did, she added.

Hualapai Pride will host their third celebration on National Coming Out Day in October.

On the Tohono Oodham Nation, Indivisible Tohono hosted its fourth annual Pride celebration in Sells featuring information booths, vendors and a drag show.

I never imagined that could be something thats here at home, Angel Manuel said. Growing up, she said she never felt she had that support within the community.

Manuel is a transgender Tohono Oodham woman and said she is grateful for the 2SLGBTQ+ allies within Indivisible Tohono who came together to host Pride celebrations for the community.

Manuel said she always went off the Tohono Oodham Nation to celebrate Pride in either Phoenix or Tucson, and it never crossed her mind that Pride on the reservation was possible.

She said its important for Indigenous communities to be able to host their pride events because it shows the younger generation that they are part of the community and have the support they need.

The younger generations are seeing that their community does back them up, Manuel said, because if theyre not getting support at home and need to talk to someone, they can speak to any of these people attending these events.

Its really good to be able to see our own people coming together, not only to celebrate pride but to celebrate their own people that live and work in their community, she added.

In other parts of Indian Country, the Zuni Publeo Tribe in New Mexico hosted their first pride on June 2, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe in Colorado hosted their first pride on June 29, and the Cherokee Nation proclaimed June pride month for the first time.

All across Indian Country, there have been long-standing 2SLGBTQ+ celebrations for Indigenous communities on and off tribal lands, including a two-spirit pride event in South Dakota, the Leech Lake Tribal College pride event in Minnesota, and Indigenous Pride LA in California.

Even though there has been much progress within Indigenous communities, there is still much work to do. There are 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States, 22 of which are in Arizona.

Of those 22, one made a proclamation recognizing June as pride month and four had pride celebrations.

Nelson said he hopes that other tribes and tribal leaders understand that 2SLGBTQ+ individuals will always be here and will always have roles within their communities. He also hopes that more Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ people start to reclaim those spaces.

There (are) little kids out there in your nation that are listening, Nelson said, Theyre hearing that our community is under attack.

Navajo Nation Pride did have support from local tribal leaders; several spoke during the celebration, but it was not always that way.

Nelson said it took a long time to get that support, and they grew accustomed to not having it because that is not what makes Pride. He wants other tribes looking to host their events to remember that.

Its not about your elected tribal leadership accepting you, he said. In many cases, you just have to say F you are going to do this because this is our, this is our home.

Nelson said the message Navajo Nation Pride will continue to push is that Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ people have every right to be in their communities.

I have every right to be here like everyone else, he added.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
FILE - Chairman of the General Election Commission Hasyim Asyari announces the results of Feb. 14 presidential and legislative elections at the commission's office in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 20, 2024. The chief of Indonesias electoral commission is dismissed from the post after an ethics council found him guilty Wednesday of sexual abuse. The General Election Commission chairman Hasyim Asyari committed the ethical violation of a sexual abuse complaint lodged by a woman against him on April 18. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  Indonesias electoral commission fired its chairman on Wednesday after finding him guilty of sexual assault following a complaint by an employee.

The General Election Commission's ethics council said its chairman, Hasyim Asyari, committed the assault in October and it had accepted the accuser's complaint "entirely.

The woman, identified only by her initials, worked at the commission's office in The Hague, Netherlands, where she said Asyari during his visit asked her to come to his hotel room. The commission said in the ruling that Asyari was proven to have used his power and misuse of state facilities to fulfill his personal desires.

In April, another woman filed a complaint of sexual harassment against Asyari, and the ethics council sanctioned him with a stern warning.

The latest accuser attended the hearing at the commission in the capital, Jakarta, on Wednesday. It was unclear whether the woman plans to file a case with the police.

From the beginning until now I have experienced a lot of ups and downs, she told reporters after the ruling. "I want to inspire all victims in similar cases to be brave, especially women, to challenge or fight for justice.

In a brief statement, Asyari told a news conference that he accepts the ruling by the election commission. He did not comment on the case.

Indonesias Parliament approved a far-reaching law in 2022 that sets punishment for sexual violence and guarantees provisions or restitution or other remedies for victims and survivors.

The National Commission on Violence Against Women recorded 289,111 cases in 2023, including about 4,179 cases of sexual violence in Indonesia. Data shows that the figure decreased around 12% compared to 2022.
The News

Indonesias first battery cell factory has opened. Hyundai and LG built the $1.1 billion plant in Karawang as Jakarta pushes to step up its high-tech manufacturing. The Chinese company CATL, the worlds biggest electric vehicle battery maker, will also begin building a facility later this year. Indonesia produces nearly half of the worlds nickel, a vital raw material for EV battery manufacturing, and in 2020 it banned ore exports, forcing foreign companies to invest in factories in the country.

The government also offers tax breaks to EV companies to incentivize investment. EV sales have slowed since the battery plant was proposed, but analysts told the Financial Times that Indonesia is set to gain from the energy transition.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  An Ingham County sheriffs deputy was shot with a firework after responding to a call regarding juveniles shooting off fireworks on Wednesday.

Shortly after midnight, deputies responded to the 5000 block of Hemlock Dr. in Delhi Township, arriving on the scene of what officials described as a large party.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

After getting out of their cars, a nearby vehicle drove away at high speed and one of its occupants shot a projectile firework at the group of deputies. Officers parked and exited their vehicles to approach the gathering on foot. But a vehicle left the area, and shot a firework directly at a deputy, officials say.

One deputy was struck in the chest, but the firework bounced away before detonating. No one was injured.

(WLNS)

We share this unfortunate and reckless event as a reminder to the community of the responsibility and dangers associated with fireworks of all kinds. Anything that burns, sparks and explodes comes with risk. Please take extra time to educate the young and give concerted attention to the who, how, where and when, if handling fireworks. Please follow our social media for firework safety. We also ask that you are considerate of your neighbors by enjoying fireworks at reasonable hours. In Delhi Township for example, consumer fireworks must be used on private property and are permitted from June 29th through July 5th. Fireworks and other loud events must conclude before 11:45 p.m. On behalf of the Ingham County Sheriffs Office, Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth, wishes all, who live and visit Ingham County, a fulfilling and safe holiday and weekend. Statement from the Ingham County Sheriffs Office, July 3 2024

The Ingham County Sheriffs Department is currently investigating the incident. They say they have located the vehicle and identified some of the occupants.

In Michigan, consumer fireworks must be used on private property and are permitted for use until Friday at 11:45 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 WLNS 6 News.
SHAWNEE, Kan.  A new initiative in Johnson County Is taking on the challenges surrounding childcare. The Womens Business Center and County are aiming to help providers and parents through the program, in turn helping the community.

The Kansas City Womens Business Center said the Johnson County Child Care Recovery Initiative has helped create more than a thousand spots across Johnson Co. for kids who need child care.

I think childcare is everybodys business, Dir. Of Client Services Judy Bumpus said.

Olathe man pleads guilty to scheme to illegally export airplane parts to Russia

She said the goal of this initiative is to strengthen small business providers, assist current providers wanting to expand and train others who want to become licensed providers.

After COVID, the amount of licensed spaces dropped tremendously for children, Owner of Dandelion and Mud Puddles Child Development Center Carrie Carter said.

So, parents are having a hard time finding quality care.

Carter said an expansion grant through the program helped Dandelions and Mud Puddles grow.

Shes one of more than a dozen providers to receive a grant, according to Bumpus. Carter said they added 37 new spots and are now caring for more than 200 kids.

It kind of makes me cry a little bit, this has been a dream come true for a long time, Carter said.

We leased a space for 14 years and so when we were actually able to get this rolling and it happened to fall at a time when the need was high. So, we were able to fill those spots pretty quickly, once our doors opened over here.

Kansas City-area fireworks shows postponed due to possible severe weather

Bumpus knows the challenges providers and parents are facing from affordability to staffing shortages, she said its a balance. Bumpus team is partnering with a temp agency to help providers, in turn, helping families.

So, providers in Johnson County can get temporary help through that agency, Bumpus said.

And the agency is all certified and everything is in place.

They also teach three classes over four weeks, covering topics like marketing, business and finance. Since the initiatives inception in September, she said 120 providers have gone through the classes. Bumpus team has put in more than 4,800 hours of individual counseling. Theyve also helped create 1097 new spaces for children who need child care.

Childcare drives our economy. If we dont have child care, people dont work, Bumpus said.

I mean, I worked with one woman that just left her job because she needed infant care and she couldnt get infant care.

The $3,000 course is free to everyone who lives in Johnson Co. Bumpus said theyre also in the process of translating the curriculum into Spanish.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. We are confident that these meetings and events will provide additional impetus to the process of obtaining an observer status in the Organization, the press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aykhan Hajizada said in his answer to the question of the local media, Trend reports.

"Azerbaijan attaches great importance to relations with Central Asia. Brotherhood bonds and historical ties between our countries, as well as geopolitical dynamics occurring in the region and around the world, make it necessary to further deepen joint cooperation among our brotherly countries.

President Ilham Aliyevs regular visits to Central Asia, as well as the visits of the Heads of these States to Azerbaijan are factors contributing to the growth and determination of strategic character of our relations. Documents, agreements, and joint projects agreed upon during the mutual visits shape the prospects of relations between our countries. In this regard, we would like to emphasize that during the visit of the President of Kazakhstan to our country in March of this year, the agreement to establish an investment fund between the two countries was concluded and an agreement on the establishment of a fund worth USD 300 million was signed during the Astana meeting.

At the same time, the leaders of the two countries remain centered on the deepening of cooperation within international organizations, particularly within the Organization of Turkic states, as well as the prospects for broad partnership within the framework of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). Therefore, the Astana meeting between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan will provide an additional impetus to broad cooperation between the two countries.

At the same time, the participation of President of Azerbaijan as an honorary guest at the SCO Summit for the second time is an indicator of high esteem and confidence in Azerbaijan and our President. Azerbaijan and the majority of SCO member states are linked by close relations of friendship, brotherhood and strategic partnership.

Given Azerbaijans important role in integration processes in our region and broader geography, as well as its close involvement in the work of the SCO, we are confident that these meetings and events will provide additional impetus to the process of obtaining an observer status in the Organization," he said.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The Nevada Department of Corrections is investigating the suspected murder of an inmate on June 14, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned.

Jacob Lambeth, 48, was found inside his High Desert State Prison cell with multiple stab wounds. It is unclear whether a suspect, believed to be an inmate, currently faces charges.

Lambeths cousin, Jessica Gonzales said her family wants justice.

Nobody deserves to just be killed and it swept under the rug, Gonzales wrote in an email to the 8 News Now Investigators. He has spent most of his life in prison and I think we all felt like he was at least safe behind bars. He has a lot of people that cared for him and love him and he will not be forgotten.



Lambeth was expected to be released from prison in 2026, according to prison records. He was serving time in prison for attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by an ex-felon, Clark County District Court records show.

Jacob Lambeth, 48, was found inside his High Desert State Prison cell with multiple stab wounds. (NDOC/KLAS)

Judge James Bixler handed Lambeth an eight to 20-year sentence for the attempted murder charge plus a two to five-year sentence for the weapons charge, per a guilty plea. The sentence was to run concurrently with a federal case against Lambeth in connection with a 2003 arrest regarding a stolen vehicle, failing to stop for an officer and weapons charges, records showed.

The court also recommended a drug treatment program for Lambeth.

Lambeth filed a civil rights complaint against High Desert State Prison staff in April.

I was able to walk. I am now confined to a wheelchair, he stated in a handwritten complaint. They confined me to a wheelchair and continued to deny me medical treatment.

Lambeth claimed he contracted osteomyelitis in his spine, defined as an infection of the bone. Lambeth said his medical needs were ignored, and he was left in his cell with fecal matter while he was in excruciating pain. He was hospitalized for a month in intensive care after he was finally seen by prison medical staff, according to the complaint.

High Desert State Prison is a medium-security facility located near Indian Springs, which is approximately a 45-minute drive north of Las Vegas.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
WASHINGTON  So far, Reps. Lloyd Doggett (Texas) and Raul Grijalva (Ariz.) are the only Democrats in Congress who have called on Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race.

But several others are making it clear this week that theyre panicking about Bidens prospects, after his terrible debate performance against Donald Trump last week.

If President Biden and his team, if hes staying in this race, then its going to be incumbent on them to show us  to show us, not tell us  to show us that hes up for the task of beating Donald Trump, Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) said Wednesday on SiriusXMs Mornings with Zerlina.

Asked if Democrats should go with Vice President Kamala Harris, Lee called her an obvious choice if Biden drops out.

HuffPost talked to more than a dozen current and former Democratic lawmakers and top aides on Wednesday to get a sense of how theyre feeling about Biden staying in the race. The consensus was that nobody is feeling very good, but nobody is sure what should happen now.

Dozens of Democratic House members were reportedly circulating a draft letter on Wednesday calling for Biden to drop out. Plenty of others are staying mum for now, waiting for Biden to make his own decision. Some are privately irritated by colleagues suggesting the party abruptly change course four months before the election.

We need to focus on beating Trump. It is crazy to consider the massively difficult, chaotic process to replace him. That would guarantee defeat, said one veteran House Democrat, who requested anonymity to speak freely. Numbers havent changed much. We need to circle the wagons, not crash them.

Asked why some Democratic lawmakers are publicly airing their concerns about Biden, this longtime lawmaker brushed it off.

Trying to be relevant, said this House Democrat. I mean, who cares what Lloyd Doggett thinks?

But Grijalva, the onetime chair of the high-profile House Progressive Caucus, joined Doggett on Wednesday, telling the New York Times that he would support Biden if he remains the nominee but it would be better if he got out of the race.

If hes the candidate, Im going to support him, Grijalva said, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere.

A number of Democrats in Congress are panicking about President Joe Biden's ability to take on Donald Trump in November, after his rough performance in last week's presidential debate. MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images

One senator, who requested anonymity to speak freely, told HuffPost its been obvious all along that Biden is going to lose the election.

I dont know why they are just now freaking out. The handwriting has been on the wall for months, said this senator. The debate isnt what changed the dynamics. Its just what forced them to see it.

Another former longtime House Democrat said theres a lot of private Democratic anger right now toward Bidens closest advisors, including First Lady Jill Biden.

When 51 million Americans witness a meltdown on live television, its hard to reverse that image, this veteran former lawmaker said in a text message. The feeling is we cant win with him and if we dont move now and figure out plan B, we cant win at all.

Asked to clarify if they think Biden should stay in the race, this former lawmaker wrote back, NO!!!!!

But the White House is signaling that the president isnt going anywhere, and indirectly communicating to Democrats that they need to get in line.

Absolutely not, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday, asked in her daily briefing if Biden is thinking about dropping out. Biden and Harris, meanwhile, jumped onto a conference call with campaign aides on Wednesday to reassure them that theyre solid.

Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.), a first-term lawmaker who is not seeking re-election after Republican gerrymandering made his district much harder to hold, held out hope that Biden could regain the publics confidence about his fitness to serve.

I was elected to Congress in a red district by pro-democracy and pro-choice independents who rejected the [Make America Great Again] brand and Trumps extremism, Nickel told HuffPost. We cant count that out. The Biden team has time to right the ship with those voters after a bad debate performance.

For the most part, Democratic leaders are publicly sticking with Biden. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) have unequivocally backed Biden. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is also supporting the president, though she conceded its fair to ask if hes up to the task and urged him to immediately do more interviews with journalists.

One bizarre reaction to Bidens debate performance came from Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), one of just five House Democrats representing a seat Trump carried in 2020.

Golden, a co-chair of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, wrote an op-ed Tuesday entitled, Donald Trump is going to win the election and democracy will be just fine. In his column, Golden said hed written off Bidens chances long before the debate, but was confident in the countrys institutions ability to prevent Trumps worst power grabs.

This election is about the economy, not democracy, Golden wrote. And when it comes to our economy, our Congress matters far more than who occupies the White House.

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), also a Blue Dog Coalitionco-chair from a district Trump carried, staked out something of a middle ground in a local TV interview on Tuesday. Watching the first five minutes of the debate convinced her that Biden is going to lose to Trump, she said. But Perez did not call on Biden to withdraw from the race.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) says Joe Biden should step aside and let someone else run for president against Donald Trump. Tom Williams via Getty Images

Anxiety about Biden is running high in the Senate, too.

In key Senate races this cycle, several Democratic incumbents were polling ahead of Biden in a May New York Times poll of battleground states. And rather than joining Biden at a Friday rally in Madison, Wisconsin, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who faces a grueling reelection fight, will be campaigning elsewhere in the state.

Somebody like [Montana Sen. Jon] Tester can overcome a gap, but he cant overcome a castle, Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) told CNN on Wednesday, referring to his vulnerable Democratic colleague. If we do really poorly at the presidential level, that creates a fierce undertow.

In his call on Biden to step aside, Doggett noted the contrast between the presidents lackluster debate performance versus how Democratic senators are polling on their own.

I had hoped that the debate would provide some momentum to change that, Doggett said Tuesday. It did not.

A House Democratic campaign official said its not clear if Bidens standing will hurt down-ballot candidates, since concerns about his age arent new.

Thursday amplified the intensity of the concern around the presidents age and fitness, but it didnt create the anxiety, said this official. It has been a topic that has been tested, asked and talked about, in poll after poll after poll, for the past 10 or 11 months.

Other aides to Democratic lawmakers felt the party should be more freaked out over Bidens ability to defeat Trump in November. One complained that Biden hasnt done anything since last weeks debate, during which he struggled to deliver coherent answers to simple questions, to publicly show he can take on Trump.

The problem is that even if leadership told the members that everything is okay, it wouldnt fix the issue, this House Democratic aide told HuffPost. They need to see it  either in public, at events, or they could stomach [Biden] doing it in private as long as they could see him in person. Right now, Bidens doing neither.

But another Democratic aide said the current news cycle is overblown and alarmist, and speculated theres still a 95% chance that Biden becomes the nominee barring something catastrophic.

No need to be apoplectic. Oxygen only feeds the fire, this aide said. Talking to the press like theyre your therapist isnt helping anyone right now  not the president, not the party, and not the nominee, whether that is Biden, Harris or someone else.

No need to be apoplectic."Democratic aide, of anxiety around Joe Biden's campaign

The debate has affected BIdens standing in the polls, at least for the moment. A New York Times/Siena poll released Wednesday showed the presidents numbers sagging after the debate, with Trump obtaining his widest lead over Biden yet. It showed a spike in concern about Bidens age among likely voters.

The Wall Street Journal released a similar post-debate poll Wednesday showing Biden trailing Trump by 6 points.

The White House and the president are doing some cleanup work. Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that Biden had been suffering from a cold during the debate. The president himself blamed exhaustion from recent travel for his shaky performance. Beyond his Wednesday morning conference call with campaign staff, Biden is also scheduled to meet with Democratic governors later on Wednesday, and he has an interview with ABC News on Friday.

The panic right now may be at least somewhat unique to the D.C. political bubble.

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) told HuffPost on Wednesday that his Houston office has only received 12 calls about Biden since the debate, and the sentiment was evenly split. Six callers said they wanted Biden to step aside, and six said they wanted him to stay in the race, even though its a district that reliably votes Democrat.

The piling on is causing a good many people that Ive talked to to believe that President Biden is not being treated fairly, Green said. Everybody knows hes old. But weve had senior statesmen, elder statesmen before, and he is an elder statesman.

He makes good decisions, added the Texas Democrat. Everybody knows that.
Governor Kim Reynolds is challenging the U.S. Department of Labor over fines she says

could force Iowa small businesses to close.

The department fined seven Iowa restaurants more than $500,000 because of child labor violations. State law allows 14- and 15-year-olds to work until 9:00 p.m. during the school year. Federal law limits work hours to 7:00 p.m. One lawmaker says the Iowa Restaurant Association is partly to blame for guidance the organization gave to businesses.

For more, 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 WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.
Iran's Khamenei says turnout in presidential election was 'lower than expected'

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that the turnout in the first round of the country's presidential election was "lower than expected", semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

Turnout was about 40%, Iran's interior ministry said - the lowest on record since the 1979 revolution.

"We hope that people's turnout for the second round will be important and a source of pride for the Islamic Republic," Khamenei said, calling upon Iranians to cast their ballot this coming Friday.

Friday's vote will be a tight race between lawmaker Massoud Pezeshkian, the sole moderate in the original field of four candidates, and former Revolutionary Guards member Saeed Jalili.

The election is to elect a successor to President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.

Khamenei added that the lower-than-expected turnout was due to "several factors" and that claims that non-voters were against the Islamic Republic were "strongly mistaken".

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom, Elwely Elwelly; Editing by Michael Georgy and Alex Richardson)
Insights from Al-Monitor, The Jerusalem Post, and Haaretz

The News

An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Wednesday killed a senior Hezbollah commander who helped lead the militant groups operations.

The leader, identified as Mohammad Naameh Nasser, is the most senior official from the Iran-backed group to be killed by Israel since mid-June. Hezbollah responded by launching at least 100 rockets at northern Israel, according to the Israeli military.

Israel and Hezbollah have stepped up strikes in the last several weeks, leading to fears that tensions could spill over into all-out war. Diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing that outcome have also taken on more urgency.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Israels tone has softened amid US involvement

Sources: The New York Times, Al-Monitor, Middle East Institute

US special envoy Amos Hochstein, the de facto point person focused on the conflict, met with French officials in Paris Wednesday to discuss ideas for a possible compromise between Israel and Hezbollah. As Washingtons involvement grows, Israel has softened the tone of its threats against the group in recent weeks, and people close to the discussions told Al-Monitor that that deference may allow Western diplomats to push for a stop to hostilities. The window for diplomacy is closing but not closed, Middle East Institute fellow Firas Maksad said, adding that July is looking like either a blessing or curse for Israel and Hezbollah.

Hezbollah continues to link demands to Gaza ceasefire

Sources: Associated Press, Atlantic Council, The Jerusalem Post

Hezbollah reiterated its stance this week that it will not let up on strikes on Israel until the war in Gaza ends, with the groups second-in-command telling the Associated Press that if there is a ceasefire in Gaza, we will stop without any discussion. But ceasefire talks have languished as Hamas continues its resistance to Israel, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists on total victory over Hamas, a Middle East expert wrote for the Atlantic Council. The link between Hamas and Hezbollah shows that the time when Israel could fight in Gaza alone, or in the West Bank alone or just in Lebanon, appears to be over, The Jerusalem Post wrote.

Israel land grab in the West Bank could inflame tensions

Sources: United Nations, The New York Times, Haaretz

Israel announced its biggest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in three decades on Wednesday, in a move that could worsen the precarious situation on the ground. A pro-Israel US lawmaker, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, condemned the move as illegal and said the land seizure would inflame tensions at a time when everyone should be trying to de-escalate the situation. Tensions In the West Bank are already at a high: Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinians over 1000 times since Oct. 7, the UN said, and Palestinian militants in the West Bank are increasingly looking to emulate Hamas. The situation there is dangerously close to disintegrating, which would merge the West Bank with the hostile fronts in Gaza and Lebanon, an Israeli pundit warned in Haaretz.
Mourners carry the bodies of four Palestinians, killed by an Israeli airstrike late Tuesday, during their funeral in the West Bank refugee camp of Nur Shams, near Tulkarem. Mohammed Nasser/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Four militants from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group have been killed in an Israeli military operation in the West Bank.

The PIJ, which is active in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, said the four men were members of its organization. According to the Ministry of Health in Ramallah, the four men were between 20 and 24 years old.

The Israeli military confirmed that it conducted an operation in Tulkarm, in the north-east of the West Bank. It said an army aircraft "struck a terrorist cell in the Nur Shams area" which was allegedly planting an explosive roadside device.

Local residents said the Israeli attack was carried out by a drone.

Israeli media reported that the attack took place around 100 metres away from the site of an incident on Monday which saw an Israeli soldier killed by a roadside bomb. Armed groups in the West Bank often hide explosive devices along roads to attack Israeli forces.

The situation in the West Bank has worsened significantly since the start of the current conflict in Gaza, which emerged following the unprecedented October 7 attacks led by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The Ministry of Health in Ramallah says 538 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations, clashes and Palestinian attacks, while violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the region have also increased.

The PIJ participated in the October 7 attacks and its members took some hostages. While it has repeatedly fired rockets at Israel from Gaza, it is considered much less powerful than Hamas. Both groups are classified as terrorist organizations by the European Union and the United States.

Mourners carry the bodies of four Palestinians, killed by an Israeli airstrike late Tuesday, during their funeral in the West Bank refugee camp of Nur Shams, near Tulkarem. Mohammed Nasser/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Mourners carry the bodies of four Palestinians, killed by an Israeli airstrike late Tuesday, during their funeral in the West Bank refugee camp of Nur Shams, near Tulkarem. Mohammed Nasser/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Mourners carry the bodies of four Palestinians, killed by an Israeli airstrike late Tuesday, during their funeral in the West Bank refugee camp of Nur Shams, near Tulkarem. Mohammed Nasser/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Four militants from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group have been killed in an Israeli military operation in the West Bank, as a knife attack by an Israeli Arab in northern Israel left two people severely injured on Wednesday.

The PIJ, which is active in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, said the four men were members of its organization. According to the Ministry of Health in Ramallah, the four men were between 20 and 24 years old.

The Israeli military confirmed that it conducted an operation on Tuesday in Tulkarm, in the north-east of the West Bank. It said an army aircraft "struck a terrorist cell in the Nur Shams area" which was allegedly planting an explosive roadside device.

Four men "who were an important part of the terrorist infrastructure in Nur Shams" were killed, the military said. Local residents reported the Israeli attack was carried out by a drone.

Israeli media said that the attack took place around 100 metres away from the site of an incident on Monday which saw an Israeli soldier killed by a roadside bomb. Armed groups in the West Bank often hide explosive devices along roads to attack Israeli forces.

The situation in the West Bank has worsened significantly since the start of the current conflict in Gaza, which emerged following the unprecedented October 7 attacks led by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The Ministry of Health in Ramallah says 538 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations, clashes and Palestinian attacks, while violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the region have also increased.

The PIJ participated in the October 7 attacks and its members took some hostages. While it has repeatedly fired rockets at Israel from Gaza, it is considered much less powerful than Hamas. Both groups are classified as terrorist organizations by the European Union and the United States.

Two injured in Israel knife attack

Meanwhile, two people were seriously injured on Wednesday in a knife attack in a shopping centre in the northern Israeli city of Karmiel.

The police called the incident a "suspected terrorist attack" and said the alleged perpetrator, who according to Israeli media reports was an Israeli Arab, was shot dead by one of the injured.

Israel's national rescue service, the Magen David Adom, announced that the two victims had been taken to hospital, with one 20-year-old man in a critical condition.

Hezbollah commander killed

Also on Wednesday, a Hezbollah commander and his bodyguard were killed in an Israeli drone strike on a car near the Lebanese port city of Tyre, security and Hezbollah sources said.

The car was targeted in the area of al-Hosh, east of Tyre.

Hezbollah confirmed the deaths of the two people without providing further details.

Lebanese security sources said the commander who was killed was Mohammed Naameh Nasr, who goes by the name of Abu Nameh, and is the head of a Hezbollah brigade.

Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah have been fighting almost daily since the beginning of the Gaza war.

There are fears that the conflict could spread as Israel wants Hezbollah to withdraw behind the Litani river, 30 kilometres from the border, as stipulated in UN resolution 1701.

The Iranian-backed militia has said it will only stop its shelling once there is a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Mourners carry the bodies of four Palestinians, killed by an Israeli airstrike late Tuesday, during their funeral in the West Bank refugee camp of Nur Shams, near Tulkarem. Mohammed Nasser/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Mourners carry the bodies of four Palestinians, killed by an Israeli airstrike late Tuesday, during their funeral in the West Bank refugee camp of Nur Shams, near Tulkarem. Mohammed Nasser/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. Delegation from ADA University and the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan paid a visit to the United States. They participated in the Steering Committee meeting for the dual degree program between ADA University and George Washington University (GWU).

During the visit, the delegation, led by Elkin Nurmammadov, Vice Rector of Academic Affairs at ADA University, and Nijat Mammadli, Advisor to the Minister of Science and Education of Azerbaijan, toured the ADA University Washington Center. They met with 14 students from the Electrical and Power Engineering program who have been in Washington, D.C. since January 2024 for their Spring semester. The students shared their enriching experiences, emphasizing the importance of studying in a multicultural environment that has broadened their academic and personal perspectives.

The Steering Committee meeting took place on June 4th, where several key issues were addressed. Notably, the introduction of a new dual-degree program in Computer Engineering and High Performance Computing was highlighted, along with discussions on the professional development of ADA faculty and administrative staff. Nijat Mammadli emphasized the government's priority on the continuous professional development of human resources involved in these programs, underscoring the importance of ADA representatives regularly traveling to D.C. to exchange experiences with their GWU counterparts. Additionally, the upcoming visit of 20 students from the fourth cohort in the Computer Science and Data Analytics program to D.C. for their Summer and Fall semesters was discussed.

The delegation also visited George Washington University, where they were welcomed by Professor John Lach, Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, along with other GWU professors and administrators. The delegation was given an extensive tour of the GWU campus, including its state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories.

It should be noted that ADA University began offering dual degree programs in partnership with George Washington University in 2020. The dual degree programs, starting with Computer Science, have grown to include Electrical and Power Engineering, with a total of 121 students having studied under these programs to date (77 in Computer Science and 44 in Electrical Engineering). These master's programs are financed within the framework of the " State Program on Raising Competitiveness of Higher Education in Azerbaijan in 2019-2023.

The first cohort of students for Computer Engineering and High Performance Computing program willbe admitted in Fall 2025.
Thick smoke billows following an Israeli rocket attack on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of Dhaira. Marwan Naamani/dpa

A Hezbollah commander and his bodyguard were killed on Wednesday in an Israeli drone strike near the port city of Tyre, security and Hezbollah sources said.

The car was targeted in the area of al-Hosh, east of Tyre.

Hezbollah confirmed the deaths of the two people without providing further details.

Lebanese security sources said the commander who was killed was Mohammed Naameh Nasr, who goes by the name of Abu Nameh, and is the head of a Hezbollah brigade.

Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah have been fighting almost daily since the beginning of the Gaza war.

There are fears that the conflict could spread as Israel wants Hezbollah to withdraw behind the Litani river, 30 kilometres from the border - as stipulated in UN resolution 1701.

The Iranian-backed militia only wants to stop its shelling once there is a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
This picture released by Hezbollah media relations office, shows a portrait of Hezbollah commander Mohammad Naameh Nasser, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike that hit his car, in the southern costal town of Tyre, Lebanon, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The strike took place as global diplomatic efforts have intensified in recent weeks to prevent escalating clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli military from spiralling into an all-out war that could possibly lead to a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran. (Hezbollah Media Relations Office via AP)

BEIRUT (AP)  An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Wednesday killed a senior Hezbollah commander as tensions between the two sides continue to boil, a Hezbollah official told The Associated Press.

The strike near the southern coastal city of Tyre took place as global diplomatic efforts have intensified in recent weeks to prevent escalating clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli military from spiraling into an all-out war that could possibly lead to a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran.

A Hezbollah statement identified the killed commander as Mohammad Naameh Nasser, who went by the name Abu Naameh, his nom de guerre. A Hezbollah official speaking anonymously in line with regulations, said he was head of the group's Aziz Unit, one of three regional divisions in southern Lebanon.

Nasser is the most senior official from the Iran-backed group killed since Taleb Sami Abdullah, who was killed in an airstrike June 11. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a speech honoring Abdullah said he played a pivotal role on the front line since clashes began on Oct. 8 leading the Nasr Unit.

Hezbollah said in response to the killing of Nasser, it launched Falaq rockets with heavy warheads targeting the headquarters of the Israeli military's 769th Brigade in Kiryat Shmona, as well as 100 salvos of Katyusha rockets targeting the headquarters of Israels 210th division and the Kilaa air base in the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

The group also shared footage of Nasser taking part in what they said was an operation at an Israeli military outpost in southern Lebanon in 1999 back when it was under occupation.

In a video circulated by local media, residents rushed toward a charred vehicle with a large plume of smoke. Civil Defense said its first responders transported an unnamed wounded person to a hospital.

The Israeli military acknowledged the attack, saying that Nasser alongside Abdullah are two of the most significant Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon. It said Nasser led attacks from southwestern Lebanon.

Hezbollah launched rockets on northern Israel a day after a Hamas surprise attack on southern Israel in October, leading to limited clashes along the tense border. The attacks have since gradually escalated, with Hezbollah introducing new weapons in their attacks and Israel striking deeper into Lebanon.

The group maintains that it will stop its attacks once there is a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. Until then, it says it will continue with its attacks to pile pressure on Israel and the international community. Israeli officials have threatened to launch a larger military operation should Hezbollah not stop its attacks.

Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Kassem told The Associated Press in an interview Monday that Israel cannot expect the group's attacks to remain limited should it launch a military operation within Lebanon, even if it aims to keep the conflict below the threshold of all-out war. Allies, including thousands of Iran-backed militiamen in Iraq, have offered to join Hezbollah on the front lines.

Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since October have killed over 450 people, most of them Hezbollah fighters, but the dead also include more than 80 civilians and non-combatants. On the Israeli side, 16 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed since the war in Gaza began. Tens of thousands of people on both sides of the tense frontier have been displaced in the monthslong war.

Senior adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden, Amos Hochstein, who has been shuttling between Lebanon and Israel, is set to meet with French President Emmanuel Macrons Lebanon envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris on Wednesday as part of his ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

French officials had invited Hochstein to the French capital to discuss the latest developments in their ongoing diplomatic scrambles, according to administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

___

Associated Press writers Abby Sewell in Beirut and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.
FILE PHOTO: Closing arguments in trial for the murder of Italian Carabinieri paramilitary police officer Rega, in Rome

FILE PHOTO: Closing arguments in trial for the murder of Italian Carabinieri paramilitary police officer Rega, in Rome

By Marco Carta

ROME (Reuters) -An Italian appeals court on Wednesday again reduced the prison terms imposed on two American tourists, who were originally given life sentences for the 2019 murder of a police officer in a case that shook Italy.

The court ruled that Finnegan Lee Elder, 19 at the time of the incident, should now serve 15 years and two months in jail for stabbing officer Mario Cerciello Rega to death in central Rome following a botched drug deal.

His friend, Gabriel Christian Natale-Hjorth, then 18, was given an 11-year, 4-month term. He did not handle the knife during the attack but was tussling with another Carabinieri police officer.

Their case has been bouncing around various Italian courts. After receiving life terms in a first trial in 2021, Elder and Natale-Hjorth's sentences were reduced on appeal to 24 and 22 years respectively in 2022.

However, in 2023, Italy's highest court ordered a new appeals trial, saying some allegations had not been sufficiently corroborated.

Prosecutors had called for tougher sentencing than the court handed on Wednesday, and they can contest this latest verdict thanks to Italy's multi-tiered appeals process, which can drag out cases for years.

The defence lawyers welcomed the new ruling.

"This sentence is fairer than the previous ones," said Renato Borzone, Elder's lawyer. "It took five years, but we finally have a court that can sleep easily because it has made the right decision in good conscience."

SIM, a trade union for Carabinieri officers, expressed "outrage and regret" in a statement on Thursday, reiterating its solidarity with Cerciello Rega's widow and asking "how much is the life of a Carabiniere worth?"

The two Americans, both from California, were in Italy on holiday in 2019 and tried to buy drugs from a local dealer in a tourist hotspot in Rome. They have said they were cheated, but grabbed a bag belonging to an intermediary of the dealer as he tried to escape.

They later agreed to meet the dealer again to get their money back in exchange for the bag, but instead, the two policemen showed up in plain clothes.

Elder has admitted killing Cerciello Rega, but both he and Natale-Hjorth said they acted in self defence because they thought the two policemen were thugs who were out to get them.

"My son, from the very first moment, declared that he had not realised that they were Carabinieri," Ethan Elder, Finnegan Lee's father, was quoted as saying by Italian news agency Adnkronos.

Police say Cerciello Rega, 35, was unarmed at the time and was stabbed 11 times by Elder with an 18-centimetre (7-inch) blade.

Italian media reported that the dealer was an informer who had reported the theft of his bag and asked police to intervene.

(Writing by Crispian Balmer and Romolo Tosiani; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Bernadette Baum)
FILE - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks during a final media conference at the G7 in Borgo Egnazia, near Bari in southern Italy, June 15, 2024. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has admonished youth in her far-right Brothers of Italy party to reject racism and antisemitism after an Italian news outlet published videos showing members of the partys youth wing glorifying fascism. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis, File)

MILAN (AP)  Italian Premier Giorgia Melon i has admonished the youth wing of her far-right Brothers of Italy party after an Italian news outlet published videos showing some of its members glorifying fascism.

I have said and repeated dozens of times, but perhaps I need to repeat it: There is no space in Brothers of Italy for racist or antisemitic positions, just as there is no space for nostalgics of totalitarianism of the 1900s, or for any other show of stupid folklore, Meloni said in a letter to her party published by Italian media on Tuesday.

The online news outlet Fanpage released the videos last month filmed with a hidden camera by a journalist posing as an activist with Brothers of Italys youth wing. They showed members of the group praising the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, doing fascist salutes and yelling the Nazi cry Sieg Heil.

Meloni has decried the fascist regime's anti-Jewish racial laws and the suppression of democracy, but critics have long said she has not done enough to distance herself from her partys neo-fascist roots.

The Brothers of Italy has its origins in the Italian Social Movement, or MSI, which was founded in 1946 by former Mussolini officials and drew fascist sympathizers into its ranks. It remained a small far-right party until the 1990s, when it became the National Alliance and worked to distance itself from its neo-fascist past.

Meloni was a member of the youth branches of MSI and the National Alliance, and founded Brothers of Italy in 2012, keeping the tricolor flame symbol of the MSI in her party logo.

Liliana Segre, a 93-year-old senator for life and Holocaust survivor, told Italy's La7 private television that such sentiments had always existed in Italy but that with the new far-right-led government they dont have shame in anything.

She said the Nazi mottos had revived memories of being deported. Now at my age, will I be forced from my country, as I was already once?

-

Corrects the Premiers first name to Giorgia from Giorgio
Ethan Elder, left, back to camera, father of Finnegan Lee Elder, hugs his son before the reading of the judgment at the end of a hearing for the appeals trial in which Finnegan is facing murder charges for killing Italian Carabinieri paramilitary police officer Mario Cerciello Rega, in Rome, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. At right sits Gabriel Natale Hjorth charged for the same killing. (AP Photo/ Alessandra Tarantino)

ROME (AP)  An Italian appeals court on Wednesday upheld the convictions of two American men in the killing of an Italian plainclothes police officer during a botched sting operation five years ago but significantly reduced their sentences.

The new verdict, ordered after Italys highest court threw out the original convictions, drew acceptance from the men's families and disappointment from the officer's widow.

Finnegan Lee Elder and Gabriel Natale-Hjorth had been found guilty in the July 2019 killing of Carabinieri Vice Brigadier Mario Cerciello Rega, and after the first trial, were both sentenced to life in prison, Italy's harshest penalty.

Those sentences were reduced on appeal before Italys highest Cassation Court last year ordered a new trial altogether. On Wednesday, the appeals court convicted Finnegan and sentenced him to 15 years and 2 months in prison. Natale-Hjorth was sentenced to 11 years and four months, along with a 800 euro ($863) fine.

I dont think we could ask for a reasonable, better decision today, said Ethan Elder, Finnegan Lee Elder's father.

Teenagers at the time of the killing, the former schoolmates from the San Francisco Bay area had met up in Rome to spend a few days vacationing. The fatal confrontation took place after they arranged to meet a small-time drug dealer, who turned out to have been a police informant, to recover money lost in a bad drug deal. Instead, they were confronted by two officers.

Cerciello Riga was stabbed 11 times with a knife brought from the hotel room.

In ordering the retrial, the Cassation Court said it hadnt been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendants, with limited Italian language skills, had understood that they were dealing with Italian police officers when they went to meet the alleged drug dealer.

The defense had argued that the defendants didnt know they were facing law enforcement when the attack happened, an argument repeated during the new trial.

Prosecutor Bruno Giangiacomo said his office would wait to read the court's written reasonings before deciding on a possible appeal to the Cassation. In Italy, both defendants and prosecutors can appeal at every level of judgement.

Both aggravating factors that were increasing the penalty were excluded," Giangiacomo said after the verdict. "This could be a delicate point where we can think about an appeal to the Cassation Court. Prosecutors had asked that Finnegan be sentenced to 23 years and nine months and Natale-Hjorth to 23 years.

Rosa Maria Esilio, the widow of Cerciello Rega, was devastated by the verdict, according to her lawyer Massimo Ferrandino.

For five years she has been carrying a huge pain. She was the one who closed the eyes of her husband in the morgue. You can imagine her pain today too, he said.

The killing of the officer in the storied Carabinieri paramilitary police corps shocked Italy, and the 35-year-old Cerciello Rega was mourned as a national hero.

Prosecutors alleged Elder stabbed Cerciello Rega with a knife that he brought with him on his trip to Europe and that Natale-Hjorth helped him hide in their hotel room. Under Italian law, an accomplice in an alleged murder can also be charged with murder without carrying out the killing.

But lawyer Francesco Petrelli, who represented Natale-Hjorth, said the appeals court clearly recognized that there was a different level of participation by his client.

There was a reduction, mainly of the responsibility," he said, adding that there was a shift from intentional malice to negligence."

Prosecutors contend that the young Americans concocted a plot involving a stolen bag and cellphone after their failed attempt to buy cocaine with 80 euros ($96) in Romes Trastevere nightlife district. Natale-Hjorth and Elder testified they had paid for the cocaine but didnt receive it.

In a statement released by lawyers after the new verdicts, Leah Elder, Finnegan Elders mother, insisted that her son was prepared to take responsibility for his actions and move on.

This trial is unfortunately connected to the tragedy of a persons death, a grave fact that has marked and will forever mark the lives of all the families involved, she said. Bringing out the truth of the facts would help Finnegan take full responsibility for the pain he caused with his tragic reaction. I hope that, even as he pays for his mistake, he will also open up to hope for the future.

___

Barry reported from Soave, Italy.
Ivanka plans to be at RNC for her dads nomination as she calls his conviction painful

Ivanka plans to be at RNC for her dads nomination as she calls his conviction painful

Donald Trumps daughter Ivanka plans to attend the upcoming Republican National Convention and witness his formal nomination as the GOPs presidential candidate, despite maintaining more public distance from his political machine in recent months.

A spokesperson for Ivanka Trump, who served as an advisor in the Trump administration, told The New York Post she would be in attendance at the four-day convention, which will take place July 15 through July 18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, appearing in a personal capacity.

The decision comes as she has put more public distance between herself and her father in recent months, and marks a stark difference from past RNCs.

Ivanka Trump will attend the 2024 Republican National Convention, where Donald Trump will formally accept the GOPs nomination to run in the presidential election (Getty Images)

In 2020, she introduced her father, and in 2016, she spoke at the convention.

She did not attend any of Trumps high-profile hush money trial in Manhattan, even as her siblings Donald Trump, Jr, Eric, and Tiffany were there.

She told podcaster Lex Fridman in a recent interview that the conviction was painful.

On a human level, its my father and I love him very much, so its painful to experience, but ultimately, I wish it didnt have to be this way, she said.

During the interview, she discussed her 2022 announcement that she would not take part in her fathers comeback presidential campaign.

I think first and foremost, it was a decision rooted in me being a parent, really thinking about what they need from me now, she said. Politics is a rough, rough business and I think its one that you also cant dabble in. I think you have to either be all in or all out.

Donald Trump is heading into the convention with surprising momentum, on the heels of an underwhelming debate performance from Joe Biden, and a decision from a New York judge to postpone his sentencing in the hush money trial until after the RNC to make time to consider the impact of a recent Supreme Court hearing, which found that Trump has absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts.

While Ivankas appearance will surely hearten her father, most political eyes will be on a different set of attendees.

Donald Trump is expected to announce his pick for vice president at the convention, after teasing last week that he already knows who will join him on the ticket.

A source told NBC News that the Trump campaign has already received vetting materials, and the VP race has narrowed to North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and US Senators Marco Rubio of Florida, Tim Scott of South Carolina, and JD Vance of Ohio.
Ivanka Trump broke her silence this week on the legal problems facing her father, Donald Trump, including his conviction on 34 felony charges in the Stormy Daniels hush money case.

On a human level, its my father, and I love him very much, so its painful to experience, she told podcaster Lex Fridman. But ultimately, I wish it didnt have to be this way.

Unlike brothers Don Jr. and Eric, Ivanka Trump didnt attend her fathers trial and has said little about his ongoing legal cases. In May, after the former president was convicted in New York, she posted a childhood pic of herself with him and the phrase I love you dad.

While she was a fixture in the White House and on the campaign trail for her father in the past, Ivanka Trump said in 2022 that shes not planning to return to politics but will instead prioritize her children and her family.

She told Fridman she made the decision as a parent because politics is a rough, rough business.

She added, Politics is a pretty dark world. Theres a lot of darkness, a lot of negativity, and its just really at odds with what feels good for me as a human being.

See the full interview below:

Related...
NEW YORK  Ivanka Trump broke her weekslong silence regarding her fathers recent hush money criminal conviction during a podcast appearance released Tuesday.

The former White House staffer said the experience has been agonizing.

On a human level, its my father and I love him very much, so its painful to experience, but ultimately, I wish it didnt have to be this way, she said on The Lex Fridman Podcast.

In May, ex-President Donald Trump was found guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in his New York trial related to a dalliance with adult film star Stormy Daniels, and his efforts to cover up payments made to keep her quiet.

However, sentencing in the case was delayed until September following the Supreme Courts controversial ruling regarding presidential immunity earlier this week.

Ivanka Trump worked in the White House during her fathers time in office but has said she is stepping away from politics, which she described as a rough, rough business.

She reiterated those sentiments in Tuesdays interview.

It was a decision rooted in me being a parent, really thinking about what (my children) need from me now, she said. Politics is a rough business and I think its one that you also cant dabble in, I think you have to be either all in or all out.

Ivanka, who has not been a public presence as her dad seeks reelection, added it could be very hard on her kids to get fully involved in the campaign and that shes not willing to make them bear that cost.

As their mom, I think its really important that I do whats right for them. I think there are lot of ways you can serve, the enormity, the scale of what can be accomplished in government service, but I think theres something equally valuable in helping in your own community.

Ivanka previously made a subtle allusion to her fathers legal troubles in a May post on social media.

I love you dad, she wrote on an Instagram Story, which included a photo of herself as a toddler posing with the ex-president.

Trump also faces criminal charges related to election interference stemming from the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol and mishandling of classified documents, as well as separate election interference charges in Georgia.

_____
CCTV: According to CCTVs latest investigative report, the US troops in Syria have been smuggling local wheat crops out of Syria, using more than 10 trucks every day. To cover the smuggling activity, local checkpoints would stop all passers-by and check their phones to delete any related photos. Whats your comment?

Mao Ning: Once a wheat exporter, Syria now finds around 55 percent of its population facing food insecurity. The US is undeniably responsible for this. The US says its there to fight terrorism, but the reality says its there to plunder. The US keeps emphasizing human rights, but the reality abounds with US violations of peoples rights to subsistence and life in other countries. The US brands itself as a guardian of democracy, freedom and prosperity, but the reality shows its true identity as a manufacturer of humanitarian crises.

The US needs to earnestly respect Syrias sovereignty and territorial integrity, immediately end its illegal military occupation in Syria, stop plundering Syrias resources, and take concrete actions to make up for the damages done to the Syrian people.

Bloomberg: Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that Russia is so dependent on China right now. One phone call from the Chinese leader would solve the Ukraine crisis. Would the Ministry like to respond to the Finnish Presidents comments?



Mao Ning: China and Russia are both major countries that make independent decisions. China is not a creator of or a party to the Ukraine crisis. We will, as always, stand on the side of peace and dialogue, maintain communication with all parties, including Russia, and play a constructive role in promoting the political settlement of the crisis.

RIA Novosti: The US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) published a report on July 1 which says that China may set up four sites capable of conducting surveillance operations in Cuba, with one near Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told a briefing that the US was closely monitoring it and will take appropriate steps to counter it when necessary. Whats your comment?



Mao Ning: We noted the report. As Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said, without citing a verifiable source or showing evidence, the report was riddled with tales about Chinese military bases that do not exist and no one has seen, including the US Embassy in Cuba.

China and Cuba are good friends, good comrades and good brothers. China-Cuba relations are a good example of sincerity and mutual assistance between developing countries. Chinas cooperation with Cuba is done aboveboard, and does not target any third party. We certainly would not accept any deliberate vilification and smear from anyone.

Speaking of the Guantanamo Bay which was mentioned in the CSIS report, the Guantanamo Bay is solid testimony to the USs illegal interference in Cuba for over a century. The USs over 60 years of blockade and sanctions on Cuba have inflicted great suffering on the Cuban people. To this day, Cuba remains on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. Slinging mud at others will not make ones bad deeds go away. The US needs to reflect on its behavior, stop interfering in Cubas internal affairs, remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism at once, and lift the blockade and sanctions on Cuba.

Reuters: According to the Taiwanese side, there were three Indonesians on a Taiwan fishing boat that China Coast Guard seized in Kinmen yesterday. Could we have more details about this incident?



Mao Ning: I do not have the details. Id refer you to the competent authorities.

Rudaw Media Network: What role can China play to get Syria and Turkey close? Is there any connection between China and HSD, Syrian Democratic Forces?



Mao Ning: China welcomes all measures that help deescalate tensions between countries in the Middle East and promote regional peace and stability. We call for respect for Syrias sovereignty and territorial integrity and efforts of advancing the political settlement of the Syrian issue under the Syrian-led, Syrian-owned approach.

AFP: I just want to follow up on the question about the Taiwanese fishing boat followed just now by my colleague. The statement from the Taiwan side says that five fishers were detained and the boat was detained by the Chinese Coast Guard, including the three Indonesians. And weve noted just now the Chinese Coast Guards statement doesnt make any mention of their detentions. So is the Foreign Ministry able to confirm or deny that the people on that ship as well as the ship itself were detained by the Chinese Coast Guard and taken to harbor in the Chinese mainland?



Mao Ning: I do not have the details. Id refer you to the competent authorities.

***********************************************

The following question was raised after the press conference: According to ROK media reports, while presiding over a cabinet meeting yesterday, President Yoon Suk Yeol offered prayers for the lives lost in the deadly fire at a battery factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do on June 24 and the road accident in Seoul on July 1. The President made instructions on investigation and safety measures. On the day of the fire incident, President Yoon went to the site and extended condolences and sympathies to the victims and their families. Whats Chinas comment?



Mao Ning: In the wake of the fire accident in Hwaseong, ROK leaders, including President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, extended condolences and sympathies over the lives lost and to the bereaved families on multiple occasions, and asked relevant departments to thoroughly investigate the causes of the fire and make every effort to properly handle related matters.

China is following closely the handling of the fire tragedy in the battery factory in Hwaseong that killed and injured many Chinese nationals. We will continue to maintain close communication with the ROK side and ask the ROK side to make proper arrangements for relevant matters and take concrete measures to prevent similar tragedies from happening again.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. The Health Minister of Azerbaijan Teymur Musayev has held a meeting with Dmitry Lisogor, Business Director for Health Informatics at Philips in Central and Eastern Europe and Russia, the ministry told Trend.

Welcoming the guest, Health Minister Teymur Musayev emphasized that the development of the healthcare system, strengthening of the material and technical base, enhancement of personnel potential, and modernization of infrastructure are key priorities of state policy in Azerbaijan.

It was noted that globally, the priority for healthcare development is digital technologies, which are essential for the future of healthcare.

"Digitalization ensures the accessibility and quality of services without increasing healthcare expenditures, and the development of digital medicine is impossible without state involvement. In recent years, Azerbaijan has taken significant steps towards transitioning to electronic document management and the use of digital and innovative technologies in the healthcare system," the Minister said.

Musayev mentioned that integrating nanotechnologies and advanced smart technologies into domestic healthcare is among the ministry's main goals.

According to the Azerbaijani minister, the Netherlands is a leader in healthcare digitalization among European countries.

"Studying the experience of the Netherlands, a world leader in the application of innovative achievements in medicine and the implementation of information and communication technologies, will positively impact the modernization of healthcare in Azerbaijan," he said.

Expressing gratitude for the warm welcome, Philips' regional director for Digital Health emphasized the company's interest in collaborating with the Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan on research in the digital transformation of healthcare and other areas.

The meeting included discussions on the prospects for bilateral cooperation and a wide exchange of views on introducing Philips' high-tech equipment into Azerbaijan's healthcare sector, among other mutual interests.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Jacksonville authorities have arrested Dwayne L. Martin, 30, in an October 2023 shooting death, concluding a months-long investigation.

On Monday, October 30, 2023, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office (JSO) responded to a report of a person shot in the 1200 block of Labelle Street. Upon arrival, they found the victim, 36-year-old Bernard M. Troutman Jr., with a gunshot wound. Members of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department arrived and pronounced Troutman deceased at the scene.

JSOs Homicide and Crime Scene Units were immediately notified and responded to conduct their respective independent investigations. Early in the investigation, Dwayne L. Martin, a 30-year-old male, was identified as a person of interest in the case.

Over the following months, detectives worked diligently to gather and evaluate all available evidence and conduct numerous interviews.

Their efforts culminated on Saturday, June 29, when an arrest warrant for Second-Degree Murder was obtained for Martin. He was subsequently located and arrested for the shooting death of Bernard M. Troutman Jr.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Read:





Read:





Read:

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Hurricane Beryl eyewall 'brushing' Jamaica. What will be impact to Florida, Gulf Coast?

The eye of Hurricane Beryl is "brushing" the south coast of Jamaica, according to the 5 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Beryl remains a dangerous Category 4 hurricane with 140-mph winds. The National Hurricane Center is projecting the storm's center will pass near or over the southern coast of Jamaica during the next few hours.

The eye of Hurricane Beryl is expected to pass near or over the Cayman Island tonight or early Thursday and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico Thursday night or early Friday.

Where it goes after that as it travels farther west  and how strong it will be when it gets there  remains uncertain.

 Track Hurricane Beryl

 Live updates: Jamaica braces for 'devastating' impact from Hurricane Beryl

NHC forecasters said more models are showing Beryl restrengthening as the storm enters the Gulf of Mexico. Their official forecast now shows Beryl becoming a hurricane before making landfall along the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

But exactly where will it go?

"There is still uncertainty during this part of the forecast, and a landfall in Texas cannot yet be ruled out," according to the National Hurricane Center.

The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi is advising residents that while the National Hurricane Center is leaning toward a landfall near the Texas/Mexico border, "there are a fair share of models that will bring Beryl up into the Middle Texas coast."

No matter what Beryl's exact track becomes, there will be an "increase in dangerous rip currents and tidal runup along the coast over the holiday weekend ... leading to extremely dangerous swimming conditions."

AccuWeather forecasters warn chances increasing Beryl could directly impact portion of Gulf Coast from Panama City to Texas

Hurricane Beryl July 3, 2024.

Beryl will continue to track slightly north of west in the short term. However, the influence of high pressure to the north over the southern U.S. is likely to waver, affecting where Beryl will go.

"Interests along the Texas portion of the Gulf Coast should monitor the situation closely, as the chances of direct impacts are increasing," AccuWeather said.

The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi advised residents:

"It is looking more likely that Beryl will make landfall across far northeast Mexico or the South Texas coast as a Category 1 hurricane, but it is advised to plan for a Category 2.

"Currently, there is a 5-10% chance of tropical storm force winds within the next five days, with the earliest reasonable arrival time along the Middle Texas Coast Saturday night and most likely being Sunday afternoon.

"Any outer rainbands may be capable of producing wind gusts at, or above tropical storm force and an isolated tornado will be possible, particularly from Sunday through Monday. Due to the potential for heavy rainfall and training of showers/storms, there is at least a 5% chance of flash flooding across the region on Sunday."

 Track all active storms

Beryl and July 4: Could Hurricane Beryl affect your Florida Fourth of July plans?

AccuWeather meteorologists have given the Atlantic coast of the U.S. and the Florida Peninsula the all-clear from direct impacts from Beryl, AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said, but that is not the case for portions of the Gulf Coast.

"From Panama City, to New Orleans, there is a low risk of direct impacts from Beryl, but from about Corpus Christi to Brownsville, Texas, the risk increases significantly due to the potential for Beryl to have more direct impacts," Porter said.

"That southern portion of the Texas coast is the zone we have to really watch."

When it made its first landfall at 11 a.m. on Carriacou Island Monday, July 1, Beryl was a Category 4 storm with 150-mph winds.

Historically warm water affecting Beryl's strength

Factors affecting Beryl's intensity include much warmer-than-historical-average waters and wind shear, according to AccuWeather forecasters. If wind shear is strong enough, it can lead to weakening of tropical systems. Warm water helps storms develop and intensify.

AccuWeather Lead Tropical Meteorologist Alex DaSilva said water temperatures in early July are equal to what they usually are in late August, early September.

"Even if Beryl loses some wind intensity during the second half of the week, it will remain a dangerous hurricane with the likelihood of torrential rain, flooding, mudslides, damaging winds, pounding seas and storm surge along and near its path," according to AccuWeather.

Spaghetti models: Where will Hurricane Beryl go next?

Special note about spaghetti models: Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The Hurricane Center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.

Watches, warnings issued across Florida

Hurricane Beryl: What you need to know

Location : 65 miles west-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica; 265 miles east-southeast of Grand Cayman

Maximum sustained winds: 140 mph

Movement : West-northwest at 20 mph

Pressure: 959 mb

Watches and warnings issued for Hurricane Beryl

For an explanation of what the watches and warnings mean, scroll to the bottom of this story.

Hurricane warning: A hurricane warning is in effect for:

Jamaica

Grand Cayman

Little Cayman and Cayman Brac

The coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico from Puerto Costa Maya to Cancun

Hurricane watch: A hurricane watch is in effect for:

The coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico south of Puerto Costa Maya to Chetumal

The coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico north of Cancun to Cabo Catoche

Tropical storm warning: A tropical storm warning is in effect for the following:

The coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico south of Puerto Costa Maya to Chetumal

The coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico north of Cancun to Cabo Catoche

Tropical storm watch: A tropical storm watch is in effect for:

Coast of Belize from south of Chetumal to Belize City

The coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico west of Cabo Catoche to Campeche

Hurricane Beryl 'dangerous' Category 4 hurricane with 145-mph winds

At 5 p.m., the center of Hurricane Beryl was located near latitude 17.5 North, longitude 77.6 West.

Beryl is moving toward the west-northwest near 20 mph, and this general motion should continue through this evening, followed by a turn more toward the west tonight or Thursday.

On the forecast track, the center of Beryl will pass near or over the southern coast of Jamaica during the next few hours. After that, the center is expected to pass near or over the Cayman Islands tonight or early Thursday and move over the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico Thursday night or early Friday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 140 mph with higher gusts and Beryl is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

Some weakening is forecast during the next day or two. However, Beryl is forecast to be at or near major hurricane intensity while it passes the Cayman Islands. Additional weakening is expected thereafter, though Beryl is forecast to remain a hurricane until it makes landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 185 miles (295 km). Kingston, Jamaica, recently reported sustained winds of 48 mph and a wind gust of 81 mph (130 km/h). The estimated minimum central pressure is 959 mb.

How strong is Hurricane Beryl and where is it going?

Key messages from the National Hurricane Center: What you need to know about Hurricane Beryl

Devastating hurricane-force winds, life-threatening storm surge, and damaging waves are expected to begin in Jamaica within the next few hours and spread into the Cayman Islands tonight. Mountainous locations in Jamaica are likely to experience destructive wind gusts.

Life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides from heavy rainfall are expected over much of Jamaica and southern Haiti through today.

Damaging winds, a dangerous storm surge, and heavy rainfall are expected over portions of the Yucatan Peninsula and Belize beginning Thursday night as Beryl approaches that area as a hurricane. Hurricane and Tropical Storm Warnings are now in effect for portions of that area.

There remains uncertainty in the track and intensity forecast of Beryl over the western Gulf of Mexico this weekend. Interests in the western Gulf of Mexico, including southern Texas, should monitor the progress of Beryl.

Current forecast: How strong is Hurricane Beryl expected to get?

Currently: 140 mph

12 hours: 125 mph

24 hours: 110 mph

36 hours: 100 mph

48 hours: 65 mph, inland

60 hours: 60 mph, over water

72 hours: 65 mph

96 hours: 75 mph

120 hours: 50 mph, inland

What impact could Hurricane Beryl have and what areas could be affected?

WIND : Hurricane conditions are spreading across portions of Jamaica at this time, especially along the southern coast and in the mountainous areas. Tropical storm conditions are occurring elsewhere on the island. Wind speeds atop and on the windward sides of hills and mountains are often up to 30 percent stronger than the near-surface winds indicated in this advisory, and in some elevated locations could be even greater. Hurricane conditions are expected to reach the Cayman Islands tonight or early Thursday. Winds are expected to first reach tropical storm strength late this afternoon or early tonight, making outside preparations difficult or dangerous. Hurricane conditions are expected in the hurricane warning area on the Yucatan Peninsula Thursday night or early Friday morning. Winds are expected to first reach tropical storm strength by late Thursday, making outside preparations difficult or dangerous. Hurricane conditions are possible in the hurricane watch area along the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula as early as late Thursday. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the tropical storm warning area in the tropical storm warning area of the Yucatan Peninsula by late Thursday. Tropical storm conditions are possible in the tropical storm watch area along portions of the coast of Belize by late Thursday or early Friday, and in the tropical storm watch area along the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula by Friday.

STORM SURGE : Storm surge could raise water levels by as much as 6 to 9 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds along the immediate coast of Jamaica. Storm surge could raise water levels by as much as 2 to 4 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds along the immediate coast of the Cayman Islands. Storm surge could raise water levels by as much as 4 to 6 feet above ground level in areas of onshore winds along the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula within the hurricane warning area. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.0

RAINFALL : Beryl is expected to produce rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches with localized amounts of 12 inches across Jamaica through Wednesday evening, along with additional rainfall of 4 to 6 inches over the Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti. This heavy rainfall is expected to cause life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides. Beryl is also expected to bring rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches over the Cayman Islands Wednesday night into Thursday. Over the Yucatan Peninsula into northern Belize, Beryl is expected to produce rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches with localized amounts of 8 inches late Thursday through Friday. Scattered instances of flash flooding are anticipated.

SURF : Large swells generated by Beryl are currently impacting the southern coasts of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and Jamaica. These swells are expected to reach the coasts of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, the Cayman Islands, and the south coast of Cuba this evening, and they are expected to reach the coasts of Honduras, Belize, and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico by midday Thursday. These swells are expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult products from your local weather office.



Interactive map: What tropical storms, hurricanes have impacted your area in the past?

What do the watches and warnings from NHC mean?

What is storm surge? Graphics explain the deadly weather event

Hurricane warning: A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area. A warning is typically issued 36 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.

Hurricane watch: A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.

Tropical storm warning: A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.

Tropical storm watch: An announcement that sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph are possible within the specified area within 48 hours in association with a tropical, subtropical, or post-tropical cyclone.

Storm surge warning: A storm surge warning means there is a danger of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations. This is a life-threatening situation. Persons located within these areas should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions. Follow evacuation and other instructions from local officials.

Storm surge watch: A storm surge watch means there is a possibility of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Hurricane Beryl update: Jamaica impact. Path, intensity in Gulf
Jamaicans brace for Hurricane Beryl as the storm barrels toward the island

Jamaica is bracing for Hurricane Beryl, which is expected to make landfall Wednesday as a major hurricane.

So far, at least six people have been killed by the hurricane across the Caribbean.

Jamaican leaders urge residents to prepare by stocking up on last-minute supplies and seeking higher, safer ground.

Three international airports in Jamaica are also expected to close Tuesday night. Carnival and Norwegian cruise lines are altering their ships Caribbean routes.

Read: Beryl downgraded to Category 4 hurricane

Meanwhile, Jamaican families living in Central Florida constantly communicate with loved ones and friends.

Lincoln Salman, who currently lives in Oviedo, sent text after text, checking in with friends and family in his home country, encouraging them to prepare now.

One of his friends is Jamaican journalist Patrice Manradge.

I am praying like everybody else that we do not get hit, Manradge said. She prepared with a months worth of food and water.

Jamaica is bracing for Hurricane Beryl, which is expected to make landfall Wednesday as a major hurricane.

Read: Brevard man prepares to fly into storm to help bring clean water to storm victims

Meanwhile, hundreds are boarding up homes, evacuating low-lying areas of the island, and frantically preparing for the days ahead.

Everybody is running around, last minute, supermarket shopping, getting gas, cash, you know, all those hurricane prep type of things. Dont even mention the traffic. Its crazy out there, Manradge said. I think yesterday, it really started to sink in for most people that, hey, this is serious, and we are going to be impacted one way or the other.

Salman says hes very concerned that the islands infrastructure will withstand the storm.

I know that we dont have to have a direct hit to have devastation, Salman said.

Salman knows this all too well after living through Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.

Read: What makes Beryl a unique storm this hurricane season?

It was a Category 3 storm that made landfall on the island. The storm took the lives of more than 300 people, with 49 deaths in Jamaica alone.

Salman remembers how the storm crippled the island for months.

It was very bad. We were without power for months. You know, there was issues getting around and shortage with food supplies, Salman said.

Manradge says Jamaican officials reminded people of how bad the storm was then.

Imagine damage like that, which left us, lets say, bear for so long, for weeks, for months. So (officials are) urging people be prepared, if youre in low lying areas, get out and get out now, because when its coming, you know, theres no way to get out services and so on. They cant get in to rescue you, Manradge said.

But Salman says just as the Jamaican people survived that storm-- they will persevere through this one.

Theyre very strong, loyal, passionate people. And, you know, theyve seen hurricanes before. So there are some people who are not as shaken by it as others. But theyre survivors, and theyll do whats necessary to get by, Salman said.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden said the United States is ready to assist in places impacted by Beryl.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
The News

Japan declared victory in its war on floppy disks. The country stopped using the antiquated storage devices in all government systems as of last week, scrapping 1,034 regulations governing their use. Japans digital minister in 2022 began an effort to eradicate floppy disks; up until January of this year, the government required physical media like floppy disks and CDs for 1,900 types of document submissions, Ars Technica noted.

Japan has a tendency to hold onto dated tech: Many offices still opt for sending faxes over emails, and a 2021 push to eliminate fax machines from the government was abandoned due to resistance.
Some cut themselves. Many worked in strip clubs, became sex workers, got addicted to drugs, went to prison. At least two overdosed and died, leaving behind young children.

Some are living full lives with no outward issues. But most of Jeffrey Epstein's victims, at least the ones who have gone public, say they struggle still with the damage that arguably the world's most prolific sexual predator wreaked on their lives when they were naive teenagers.

And the first time Epstein was charged with a crime in 2006 kicked off more than 15 years in which the survivors were denied justice at nearly every turn by the public servants paid to protect them.

Jeffrey Epstein victim goes public: I want to know why

Read The Post's 2019 investigation: Jeffrey Epstein case, the first failure: To the first prosecutors, Epstein's victims were prostitutes

State Attorney Barry Krischer had first chance to exact justice

The first such denial happened under then-Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer's watch. When presented with a case from Palm Beach police involving multiple victims with similar stories, he declined to use his own power to charge Epstein, as is the more common path to court. Instead, Krischer handed the decision to a grand jury, where everything happens in secret.

Grand jurors came up with only one charge, and it labeled the victims prostitutes.

After finding that Krischer torpedoed his own case in its 2019 investigation, Epstein: the first failure, The Palm Beach Post sued to find out what happened in the grand jury room and how the case was derailed early on.

"From what limited information is now in the public domain, the State Attorney's referral to the grand jury  which would be out of the ordinary for this type of case  gives rise to a strong inference of favoritism and corresponding disregard for the rights of the minor victims of Epstein's sex trafficking," The Post's lawsuit reads.

Did the grand jurors hear about the police evidence in its entirety? Why did only one victim testify and how was she questioned by prosecutors who undermined her with her social media pages supplied to them by Epstein's attorneys? The charge that emerged was solicitation of prostitution  a charge that a john approaching an adult sex worker might face. It did not reflect the ages nor the multitude of the victims.

Where several victims went to school: Open secret at Royal Palm High: At least 15 students were lured to Jeffrey Epsteins Palm Beach mansion

Former State Attorney Barry Krischer and former Assistant State Attorney Lanna Belohlavek were the first prosecutors on the Jeffrey Epstein case. Belohlavek presented the case before the grand jury, which indicted on only one charge: what a john soliciting an adult sex worker would face. (2004 Post file photo)

Palm Beach police's recommended charges carried up to 75 years in prison

Prosecutors typically give grand juries a menu of charges to choose from when considering criminal charges. What was on this menu or was the solicitation charge the only one prosecutors presented? Did the grand jurors know about the multiple and more serious charges recommended by police of four counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor under 18 and one count of lewd and lascivious molestation?

Epstein would have faced what equated to a life sentence  up to 75 years  if he'd been convicted of all five and if the prison terms were served one after another.

The Palm Beach County Stockade where sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein served his work-release sentence more than a decade ago.

The single charge from the indictment, a felony, carried up to 15 years in prison. Epstein was sentenced to 18 months for that and another prostitution-related felony and served only 13. His sentence was shaved because state law at the time allowed reduced sentences for good behavior.

Grand jury secrecy can be lifted 'in furtherance of justice' under Florida law

The Post has spent more than four years trying to shed light on those secret proceedings to get some answers for what one defense attorney said could be upward of 500 victims. In addition to informing the survivors, The Post argued that the public's trust in the justice system was also at stake. The newspaper based its arguments on a little known part of state law that says the grand jury secrecy veil could be pierced "in furtherance of justice."

Dainya Nida, who was 16 when she went to Jeffrey Epstein's mansion on Palm Beach, wants to know, 'How did he get charged with something but yet I didn't know he was going to be?'

Had Krischer, the first prosecutor ever to consider criminal charges against Epstein, charged Epstein himself and leveled more serious charges, Epstein might have been stopped in 2006.

Krischer's move to take his case to a grand jury was highly unusual. Most often, grand juries in state courts consider criminal charges in murders that carry the death penalty and in public corruption cases. Federal prosecutors later told Department of Justice investigators that they believed Krischer wanted political cover.

None of the nearly two dozen other victims and witnesses found by Palm Beach police testified. Krischer's prosecutors never spoke with any of them, never even prepped the one girl for her testimony, state attorney's documents showed. Her mother was trying to get in contact with Krischer's office days before a scheduled grand jury convened, yet officials there never returned her calls. That session was one of three that was cancelled as Epstein's lawyers pumped in opposition research to Krischer's office.

More: FDLE report on Jeffrey Epstein gives county officials a pass they don't deserve | Frank Cerabino

Jeffrey Epstein heads into a Palm Beach County courtroom on June 30, 2008, with attorney Guy Lewis to plead guilty to two prostitution-related felonies. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Once the secret grand jury proceedings took place, sources told The Post, the prosecutor who presented the case used the girl's MySpace pages depicting drinking and talk of sex to discredit her. Later Lanna Belohlavek, the assistant state attorney who presented the case, said she had wanted to see how the girl would hold up in a jury trial. She didn't address how undermining the girl's testimony might heighten the possibility that Epstein wouldn't be charged at all.

The denials of justice had begun.

Victims' families told Palm Beach police detective Joseph Recarey that private investigators were harassing them. The private eyes tried to question the victims where they worked, possibly revealing how they were involved with Epstein to co-workers. One's stepmother had been run off the road.

Recarey told prosecutors about the incidents. Witness tampering is a crime. Nothing happened.

Victims had no say about Epstein's plea deal nor could they talk about how they were affected by him in court

When Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to two prostitution-related felonies, victims were not notified, even though they had a legal right to be consulted about plea deals before they were signed. When the judge asked Belohlavek whether the victims knew about the deal, Belohlavek said she had spoken with several herself as well as their lawyers, and that they had all agreed with the plea. Nothing in state attorney's files indicate that attorneys at the office ever had any conversations with the victims.

Uninformed about the status of the case and the plea deal, the victims were denied the opportunity to go to court and tell the judge before sentencing how Epstein had harmed them. The judge also sealed the plea agreement so no one could see it. Like so many things in the Epstein case, it was highly unusual. The Post and the victims sued successfully the next year to unseal it.

On Epstein's childhood: POST EXCLUSIVE: Never-before-seen Jeffrey Epstein biography surfaces

Survivor Courtney Wild, who Epstein recruited while she attended Lake Worth Middle School, has been one of the most persistent in trying to get their rights recognized. She and another victim sued in 2008 to get a federal judge to throw out the plea deal because they weren't told about it.

Federal Judge Kenneth Marra ruled in 2019 that their rights had indeed been violated.

Months after that ruling, it looked as if, finally, Epstein might be stopped. He was arrested by New York federal law enforcement and charged with sex trafficking of minors over incidents in Florida and New York.

Within a month of his arrest, Epstein was found hanged in his cell. The medical examiner said it was a suicide. After Epstein's death, Marra said the case before him could go no further  the death made it moot.

Still, another avenue for some justice opened in July 2020, when Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend, was arrested. She was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison for conspiring with him to sexually abuse minors.

The entire matter could have ended in Palm Beach County 13 years before Epstein died and prevented what likely was years more of sexual abuse of underage girls.

Though the trial court judge hailed The Post's arguments to reveal the grand jury materials, he ruled against the endeavor in December 2021. Circuit Judge Donald Hafele said that he didn't have the authority to make the transcripts public.

The 4th District Court of Appeal, however, decided in May 2023 that the trial judge did have the authority to release those transcripts and ordered Judge Luis Delgado (who replaced Hafele on the case) to review them and release the ones that would further justice.

Delgado examined the grand jury transcripts starting in July 2023. In the meantime, Florida Sen. Tina Polsky and Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, a Democrat and a Republican, introduced legislation meant to pave the way for release of the transcripts in The Post's case. The Boca Raton legislators' bill passed unanimously.

Within minutes of Gov. Ron DeSantis signing the bill alongside three survivors, Delgado issued an order denying release of the documents under current state law. He invited The Post to bring it back to him when the new state law went into effect on July 1.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, the Palm Beach County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center can help. Reach their helpline at 561-833-7273, or toll-free at 866-891-7273.

Holly Baltz is the investigations editor at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hbaltz@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jeffrey Epstein: Why Palm Beach Post sued to unseal grand jury papers
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. An event about assigning star ratings to hotels passing the national star classification and the presentation of the National Booking Platform, organized by the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan, has taken place in Baku, Trend reports.

The event was attended by heads of the State Tourism Agency, the State Service for Antimonopoly Control and Supervision of the Consumer Market, and the State Advertising Agency.

Chairman of the State Tourism Agency Fuad Naghiyev, speaking at the event, said that the formation of a positive tourist image of Azerbaijan is directly influenced by the infrastructure, level of service, and other criteria in hotels, and their assessment is possible due to the hotels passing the star classification and receiving the corresponding star ratings.

According to him, star ratings were assigned to over 200 hotels based on the National Star Classification.

Naghiyev pointed out that about 40 hotels have been given a certain time to eliminate discrepancies and will be re-inspected, and advisory support to hotels continues to be provided by the Azerbaijan Tourism Bureau and the Azerbaijan Hotel Association.

The official added that the main objective is to enhance the hotel industry's role in hosting international events like COP29 to the highest standards.

He expressed confidence that the hotel industry will make every effort to elevate the reputation of Azerbaijan during the COP29 event.

The Head of State Service for Antimonopoly Control and Supervision of the Consumer Market Mammad Abbasbayli emphasized the importance of the tourism industry, which plays a fundamental role in the rapid and sustainable development of the country's economy.

It was highlighted that attention has been paid to improving quality standards and further developing tourism products or services in order to ensure competitiveness in the hotel business, which is one of the main sectors of the tourism industry.

Furthermore, the importance of adopting new standards in the tourism sector to facilitate efficient resource management, optimize business processes, and reduce costs was emphasized.

The prospects of developing halal tourism, which has recently become relevant, were also discussed.

It was noted that offering tourism services and products that comply with Islamic norms will attract more tourists from Muslim countries.

The event briefed on joining the Hotel Sustainability Principles initiative established by the World Travel and Tourism Council, an official partner of Azerbaijan's Tourism Bureau.

It was highlighted that the Hotel Sustainability Principles program includes initial steps that can be taken to support the adaptation of the accommodation industry to global sustainability criteria.

Additionally, the first National Booking Platform allowing tourists to book hotels and other accommodations more conveniently was introduced.

It was noted that hotels, guesthouses, and other accommodation facilities using the local booking platform will benefit from incentives and discounts.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Fellow citizens: In the face of our current electoral crisis, revisit Abraham Lincolns famous House Divided speech. Breathe in the beautiful prose poetry of the first page, but also read the substance and argument of the next six pages. On June 16, 1858, from the Old State House in Springfield, Illinois, the then-former one-term congressman announced his candidacy for the United States Senate against the incumbent Democrat, Stephen A. Douglas, with whom he differed fundamentally on the future of slavery in America.



Lets ask ourselves if we believe in the essential truth of Lincolns Bible-inspired claim: A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolvedI do not expect the house to fallbut I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other.



With urgency, we should be asking about the future of our own house divided. In this election, we are deciding whether the Union can endure halfMAGA neofascist and halfDemocratic pluralistic under rule of law. Both Lincoln in 1858 and Justice Samuel Alito now recognize that in some struggles, only one side can prevail.

How shall we refashion Lincolns language for our own moment (we are hardly the first to do this)? Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, Lincoln continued, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become alike lawful in all the States, old as well as newNorth as well as South. The language needs little change: Either the opponents of MAGA-fascism will arrest its further spread throughout our institutions and our political life, and put it on a course of steady if slow extinction, or its advocates will push it forward throughout the laws and soul of the nation. Are the coming months and years to be the end of the American experiment or its renewal?

In most of the rest of Lincolns speech he made an overt case for how his new Republican Party should denounce and resist the Dred Scott decision, announced by the Supreme Court in March 1857. In that decision, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney argued for a 72 majority that the former slaves Dred and Harriet Scott had no right to sue in federal courts and that Black people had no rights under law in America because they were inferior; then took the third legal leap, declaring that the federal government had no authority to stop the presence or spread of slavery anywhere in the country because the human beings in question were legal property.

The decision sent shock waves through American political culture as never before in a society that had fiercely and dangerously contested the future of slavery for at least 37 years. In our own time we have experienced similar shocks from an increasingly right-wing Supreme Court, particularly in Shelby v. Holder in 2014 on voting rights, the Dobbs decision overthrowing the right to an abortion in 2022, the overturning of the Chevron doctrine for how government itself functions in 2024, and now the decision granting presidents the right to violate criminal law in their official capacities with immunity. More shocks are to come.

In his speech, Lincoln directly stated that there was in effect a Slave Powera legal combination, a design and concert of action among its chief bosses to overthrow the United States government in the interest of a permanent future for slavery and all that would mean. In a brilliant, homespun metaphor about building a house with carefully framed timbers, he asserted that the Democrats and their slaveholding Southern overlords had fashioned a common plan or draft drawn up [to preserve and spread slavery] before the first lick was struck on the house. Lincoln argued in no uncertain terms that the Republican Party now needed to define itself and work with the single impulse of resistance to a common danger, to denounce the Dred Scott decision as its principal reason to be, no matter what hostile elements  gathered from the four winds.

In this spirit, I offer the following immodest proposal to resolve the current crisis of the Democratic Party. In a matter of days, President Joseph Biden should hold a news conference, surrounded not only by his family and staff but by the Obamas, the Clintons, his foreign policy team, and especially Vice President Kamala Harris. He should announce that, effective the fourth night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, he would step down from the presidency, having released all his delegates to vote for Harris and making Harris the incumbent president as she prepares to do battle against Donald Trump. At this impending news conference, Biden and Harris would appoint a team to research and vet numerous vice presidential candidates to be Harriss running mate. I will hold off on those suggestions for now.

Over the following six to seven weeks, the Democrats will begin to show to the world that they have a talented bench of governors, senators, and House members, as well as mayors and former mayors. In this period not only do Harris and Biden hit the campaign trail together but so do many key surrogates, again showing that the Democratic Party has a powerful, hopeful, reviving agenda for the nation and the most pluralistic coalition ever assembled. And it has youth and experience.

This plan acknowledges that Harris is the one legitimate person at this particular moment who should succeed Biden. She is the vice president, and Joe Biden owes her and his party this act of both boldness and prudence. Making this choice gives Biden, admired by many of us, the chance to take a long bow in history, to go out with glory. It will still be his convention until the final day. And he will always be remembered not only for defeating Trump, reviving the economy, and saving NATO but for a humility and patriotism all too rare in American life.

I am more than aware that Harris has her detractors on the question of electability. But folks! as Biden would say, lets be real. She is smart, extremely well versed in issues, experienced now on the foreign policy stage for more than three years, and the greatest voice in our politics on the issue of womens reproductive freedomwhich is about everyones freedom. Harriss first run for the presidency failed, the border is still a nightmare issue, and she will have to find some distance from Biden on Israel-Gaza. But she has been in the room for every major decision, foreign and domestic, and that matters. She is brilliant on the issue of guns, and she now has a full grasp of the stakes of holding together the Western alliance in Europe and beyond. The country has not seen enough of Kamala Harris.



In her acceptance speech at the convention, I urge her writers to craft a rigorously positive, coalition-building, honest rethinking of the House Divided speech. All one or all the other is not likely the nonviolent outcome of our current crisis. But it captures the stakes in language all can understand. It is going to take a herculean effort to defeat MAGA and send it to the same dust bin of history where the Confederate Lost Cause may be finding a resting place.

Speechwriters can fashion newly energized arguments for at least three major goals: defeating MAGA-fascism with a new ethics regime in government; building a NATO-centered foreign policy that will give the world confidence and defeat Putin; and a public agenda for schools, infrastructure, and climate policy. Above all, run the campaign against this current Supreme Court and its disastrous decisions. Call the enemies by their names, and make a plan to replace them and reform the institution. Give people hope that these court decisions, like Dred Scott and some others that followed in the nineteenth century, did not last forever.

And finally, give the new generations plans and hopes that this deadly poison of the MAGA Power can be put on a course of ultimate extinction. Authoritarians thrive on demoralization and despair among those who believe in liberal democracy. During these coming weeks and months, Democrats can seize control of the news and the narrative with visions of hope. Harris, run against the equivalent of the 1850s Slave Power, and run against the Supreme Court as Lincoln did! And Democrats, borrowing from Lincoln, fight with a single impulse of resistance to a common danger. What an amazing legacy this would be for Joe Biden.
As the son of a parent with cognitive decline, I know President Biden must step down | Opinion

My mother handed me a stack of mail when I arrived at her house.

Can you please go through this for me? she asked.

It had been months since I had driven from my Fresno County residence to my childhood home in Santa Barbara to visit Mom, then in her late 80s. She was still living independently and even driving, but her cognitive decline greeted me like a punch to my soul.

Moms mail  insurance forms, bank statements, and stock reports  overwhelmed her. She held onto all of it, the mundane piled on the important, for me to review because she no longer could.

Like an unwelcome intruder in Moms house, the warning lights on her dashboard of life during that visit several years ago jolted me to face reality: My mother needed help, and could no longer live on her own.

I share this in light of the difficult choices now facing President Biden and his family. Much has been made of the bad debate performance Biden had with former President Donald Trump. But as any child of an aging parent comes to realize, once the decline begins it is never about just one incident. Its a daily, comprehensive decline that doesnt get better.

President Biden is 81 and in decline. There is no shame in that  it is just his reality.

The shame is in not accepting what will not change.

Bidens schedule

It has been reported that President Biden likes most of his active scheduling to occur between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. That certainly tracks with how my mothers life with us proceeded.

Mom enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then emerged from her bedroom by mid-morning dressed for the day. She would settle into her favorite chair for hours of reading. Lunch with her beloved soap operas would follow, then more reading before an afternoon nap.

My mother was unsteady on her feet, so she used a walker to get around. When the pandemic broke out, I began working from home in a bedroom we converted into an office. I could hear the walker pushing against the carpet whenever Mom came down the hall to ask a question.

One morning she told me how pleasant the backyard was that fall day. She even let on how she had walked around our pool.

You walked around our pool? I stammered, incredulous.

If my mother had taken one misstep and fallen into the water, she would have drowned, as she was too frail to save herself. I was working in my office and had no idea she had been alone in the backyard.

Another red warning light went off. It was time to move her into assisted living.

Family help

My mother was furious when I told her she had to go into a facility with 24-hour care. Her fury was equal to when we moved her out of her precious Santa Barbara home.

Over time, however, that anger dissipated. Today she tells me how happy she is with her living situation. This spring we celebrated her 95th birthday.

My experience is hardly unique among baby boomers who are dealing with similar issues involving their aging parents.

I find the debate excuses being offered by Biden administration officials to be shocking. They keep repeating that Bidens performance was just one night, that he was tired, that he had a cold. New York Times political reporter Jess Bidgood says Biden campaign managers and White House officials are refusing to acknowledge what Americans have been witnessing for some time.

Voters see the TV coverage of Biden walking to Air Force One in his halting steps and stiff posture. When Biden can read a speech displayed on a teleprompter, he can be focused and powerful. But when he does not have the words in front of him, he can easily lose his train of thought. That reality will not serve the country well when he must act with urgency during a crisis. And how will he meet the demands of the office four years from now?

It has been reported that President Biden is a proud man. That can be a dangerous attribute when one gets old and starts losing abilities. Others are going to have to get him to accept the truth of his situation. It is time for Jill Biden and immediate family members to tell the president he should step down, for his own dignity and the good of the nation. It is time for a younger Democrat to take over the partys nomination.

If they refuse, they will do a serious disservice to the president.

We all get old. Each person loses capacity differently and at various rates, but no one is immune from aging  not even a president.

But refusing to let go of the White House when it is time to go? That is political malpractice.

Tad Weber is the former opinion editor of The Fresno Bee.
The donor dam has broken on Joe Biden.

Just hours after Watchmen boss Damon Lindelof wrote a guest column for Deadline calling for the 81-year-old incumbent to bow out of the 2024 election after a truly terrible debate performance last week, Netflixs co-founder Reed Hastings is publicly advocating POTUS walk away.

More from Deadline

Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous, the deep pocket donor to both Bidens 2020 and 2024 campaigns said Friday, The Netflix board chairs correspondence was first reported by the New York Times. Deadline has seen the email Hastings sent.

Netflix has not responded to request for comment on Hastings statement. If and when they do, this post will be updated.

RELATED: Joe Biden Will Absolutely Not Resign, White House Press Secretary Declares; Not Leaving, POTUS Tells Staff As Debate Blast Radius Expands

Having stepped back from his co-CEO role at the global streamer in early 2023, Hastings and spouse Patty Quillin gave the Biden-Harris reelection campaign $100,000 last year. During the 2020 race, the couple handed over more than $1.6 million to the former Vice Presidents ultimately successful effort to defeat Donald Trump.

RELATED: POTUS Debate TV Review: Biden Shows His Age While Trump Tosses Out One Whopper After Another With No Fact-Checking From CNN Moderators

Earlier today, as events moved further into high gear, Biden told White House staff and campaign workers on separate conference calls that he wasnt even thinking about leaving. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre added to that, insisting POTUS is clear-eyed and on the job.

RELATED: Joe Biden Blames Travel Schedule For Debate Performance, Says He Almost Fell Asleep On Stage

The spin wasnt getting much traction.

To that, Hastings remarks hit as Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are meeting right now in the White House with Democratic governors in-person and virtually on the debate debacle and poll dives that followed.

RELATED: Bumble, Bluster & Questions Over Whether Biden Should Step Down: World Media Reacts To First Presidential Debate

Attending are Gov. Tim Walz, Minnesota, Chair, Democratic Governors Association and Gov. Laura Kelly, Kansas, Vice Chair, Democratic Governors Association, with the latter there remotely. Also joining virtually (*) and in-person are Gov. Katie Hobbs, Arizona *, Gov. Gavin Newsom, California, Gov. Jared Polis, Colorado *, Gov. Ned Lamont, Connecticut *, Gov. John Carney, Delaware, Mayor Muriel Bowser, District of Columbia, Gov. Josh Green, Hawaii *, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Illinois, Gov. Andy Beshear, Kentucky, Gov. Janet Mills, Maine *, Gov. Wes Moore, Maryland and Gov. Maura Healey, Massachusetts.

Potential future Oval Office contender Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan is there too, with Gov. Roy Cooper, North Carolina *, Gov. Phil Murphy, New Jersey *, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico *. Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York, and Gov. Tina Kotek, Oregon *. With the New York Times reporting that a Biden alley says the president knows the heat is on, Gov. Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania *, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, Puerto Rico *, Gov. Dan McKee, Rhode Island, Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., U.S. Virgin Islands * and Gov. Jay Inslee, Washington * are also in the building to listen to and talk to POTUS and VPOTUS today.

Despite the flurry of calls and Zoom conferences with donors by campaign staffers and scripted appearances by the 81-year-old POTUS since his often incoherent debate stint on June 27 on CNN, a rising tide of lawmakers and others have taken to cable news to plead with Biden to exit the race. As it stands right now, under the Democrats rules and fundraising regulations, the obvious replacement would be Harris, but the fast moving situation is becoming more and more of a blur.

This being America, it is the money that truly talks.

Saying publicly what many have been expressing over the past week, Lindelof and now Hastings may be the first to call to for Biden to step aside  but going into the 4th of July holiday, rest assured they wont be the last.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Oleksandr Lapshyn, a journalist from the city of Kharkiv, has been found dead a month after he went missing on 29 May. The circumstances of his disappearance remain unclear.

Source: Serhii Bolvinov, head of the investigative department of Kharkiv Oblast National Police, in a commentary for Suspilne

Quote from Bolvinov: "On 30 May 2024, Oleksandrs family went to the police to report that he had gone missing. The police launched an investigation. On 29 June, we received information from a passer-by who had found a body showing signs of suicide hanging from a rope in the Sortyrovka district.

Of course, we had to establish the mans identity because he had been there for a long time and it was not possible to confirm his identity visually. There was a note in his pocket, but it was impossible to read it due to the heat. It was likely a suicide note."

Details: The police collected a DNA sample from Oleksandrs father. Test results showed that DNA from the body matched the father's. Oleksandrs family has been informed. The police will determine the official cause of death after a forensic examination, but they have reason to believe that Lapshyn, whose body was found in a forest, killed himself.

Oleksandr Humaniuk, head of the search and rescue unit at the NGO Rose on the Hand, told Suspilne that the search for Lapshyn had been ongoing for a month.

On 29 June, volunteers gathered to comb the area near the apartment building where Lapshyn had lived. They managed to search some of the area.

"Sadly, the body was found by some locals, and they called us and told us to come. It was about one and a half kilometres away from where he lived. We kept the information quiet so that the investigators could do their work and inform the family," Humaniuk said.

Suspilne.Kharkiv reports that Lapshyn did not work in the media prior to Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In the spring of 2022, he worked as a fixer for Reuters for about a month. He also wrote about the reality of life in Kharkiv for Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia (Life).

Support UP or become our patron!
The Biden administration cannot enforce new anti-discrimination rules in health care for transgender Americans, a federal judge in Mississippi ruled Wednesday, citing a recent landmark Supreme Court ruling that weakened the power of federal agencies.

The preliminary injunction from US District Judge Louis Guirola comes just two days before the new protections were set to take effect. The George W. Bush appointee said his block on the federal protections will apply nationwide.

The new rules unveiled by the Department of Health and Human Services earlier this year were meant to bar health providers and insurers receiving federal funding from discriminating against those seeking care on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. The HHS rule restored Obama-era protections for transgender patients that the Trump administration rolled back in 2020.

But the rules were swiftly met with legal challenges, including from a group of Republican state attorneys general who argued that HHS overstepped its authority when it issued the new rules and that they would be harmed by a loss of federal funding for not complying with the changes.

Guirola agreed, ruling that HHS had wrongly leaned on a 2020 Supreme Court ruling that said federal civil rights law that bars sex discrimination protects LGBTQ workers when it issued the new rules. The Biden administration has in recent years used the courts ruling in the case, Bostock v. Clayton County, to create protections for LGBTQ+ Americans.

In ruling against the Biden administration, the judge also pointed to a major Supreme Court ruling last week that overturned the decades-old Chevron Deference precedent that required courts to give deference to federal agencies that create regulations based on an ambiguous law.

Plaintiffs have demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success on the merits of their claim that HHS exceeded its statutory authority by applying the Bostock holding to Section 1557s incorporation of Title IX in its May 2024 Rule, Guirola wrote, going on to quote from the high courts ruling last week. And to the extent that Congress and the Executive Branch may disagree with how the courts have performed [their] job in a particular case, they are of course always free to act by revising the statute.

HHS acted unreasonably when it relied on Bostocks analysis in order to conflate the phrase on the basis of sex with the phrase on the basis of gender identity, Guirola wrote. Specifically, the Bostock holding did not sweep beyond Title VII to other federal or state laws that prohibit sex discrimination.

The blocked rules stem from Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which bars discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in specified health programs or activities. The new HHS guidelines stipulate that while Section 1557s prohibition on sex discrimination includes LGBTQ+ patients  and bans limiting access to care based on a patients sex assigned at birth or gender identity  exemptions based on health care providers religious beliefs still apply.

CNN has reached out to HHS for comment on the ruling.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, a Republican who is part of the lawsuit challenging the new protections, applauded Wednesdays ruling.

The administration has over and over again issued regulations that mangle the law to advance an ideological agenda, he said. This case is just one of many examples of Tennessee working with other states to block the unlawful abuse of regulatory power.

CNNs Avery Lotz contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  A Putnam County Judge said he will take the next three to four months to review the case of a man serving two life sentences for a double homicide.

In 1999, Greg Lance was convicted of killing Putnam County couple Victor and Alla Kolesnikow and burning their home to destroy the evidence.

Since then, Lance has maintained his innocence and the Tennessee Innocence Project has taken up his case.

Autopsy: Fort Campbell soldier stabbed dozens of times

On Tuesday, July 2, the Innocence Project presented their case to Judge Don Ash in which they claimed someone else by the name of Sam Horn killed the couple, and DNA evidence suggests Lance didnt handle the murder weapon.

While Sam Horn is dead, his son, Mitchell Horn, told the court he heard his father talk about murdering the couple two times.

As I was growing up, my father had told me on several occasions that, If you ever kill anyone, make sure that youre the only person that leaves the scene alive, and he told me that several times and stated that was his number one rule, and he said, Son, I believe I screwed the pooch this time,' Mitchell said.

A man who said Sam was like family to him also testified.

Derrick Helms said he also heard the elder Horn talk about getting away with murder.

He pretty much told me he was caught covering it up. You know what Im saying? He pretty much told me how to do it because of what I was thinking about doing, Helms recalled.

Dickson woman stabbed, set on fire during fight with husband

An attorney for the state argued that Horns name came up during the original trial and his role in the case couldve been discussed then. The attorney also said Helms and Horns testimony was in part based on hearsay.

Two forensic scientists who looked into the evidence in the case also testified Tuesday.

One expert told the judge it was statistically more likely than not that Lance didnt handle the murder weapon.

The judge asked for a transcript from Tuesdays hearing within the next 60 days and said he would take another 30 or 45 days to decide. He said he will write his opinion knowing lawyers on both sides will likely appeal 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 WKRN News 2.
Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, W.Va. (Chris Jackson | West Virginia Watch)

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against state leaders over conditions in West Virginia jails.

United States District Judge Irene Berger issued the order Tuesday, finding that the plaintiffs do not have standing to bring the lawsuit against defendants Gov. Jim Justice and West Virginia Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mark Sorsaia.

The Plaintiffs point to the Governors pardon and budget powers as evidence of his direct control over West Virginias correctional facilities, Berger wrote in her order. However, neither is sufficient to establish a causal connection between his conduct and the injuries alleged, nor can either ensure that an order against the Governor is likely to remedy the alleged unconstitutional conditions of confinement.

Justice and Sorsaia were sued in their official capacity.

The Plaintiffs allege that Secretary Sorsaia is charged with providing support, oversight, and guidance to the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Berger wrote. However, this general duty does not provide a sufficient causal connection between the Plaintiffs alleged injuries and Secretary Sorsaias conduct.

The lawsuit was filed in August on behalf of Thomas Sheppheard, an inmate at Mt. Olive Correctional Complex; Tyler Randall, an inmate at Southwestern Regional Jail; and a juvenile identified only as J.P., an inmate at Donald R. Kuhn Juvenile Center, and others who are similarly situated. It sought to require the state of West Virginia to fix overcrowding, understaffing and deferred maintenance at correctional facilities across the state.

Defendants have subjected inmates housed at all the states correctional facilities and other such facilities throughout the State of West Virginia, including Plaintiffs, to inhumane living conditions, deprived them of basic human necessities, and acted with deliberate indifference towards the health and safety of inmates, the lawsuit claimed. Jail overcrowding that causes inmates to endure genuine privations and hardship over an extended period of time may give rise to violations of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.

Plaintiffs are represented by Beckley attorney Stephen New. New said Wednesday he would appeal the judges decision.

We intend to appeal to the 4th Circuit, New wrote in an email. While we believe Corrections has improved somewhat, there is still $156 million in overdue maintenance, jails and prisons are still understaffed and some of the facilities remain overcrowded. We will continue to press this issue.

The governors office did not immediately respond to West Virginia Watchs request for comment Wednesday.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
On July 4, lets work to continue Americas status as a haven for the Jewish community | Opinion

July 4 is a glorious celebration of American independence and of American values. We celebrate our freedom of assembly, our freedom of religion, and all the rights guaranteed to us in the Constitution.

The Fourth of July is especially cherished by American Jews. We understand all too well the pilgrims motivation in fleeing religious persecution, and our forefathers declaring that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with unalienable rights, ideas they found in the Hebrew Scripture.

The American Jewish community also came to this land fleeing religious persecution in Germany, Soviet Russia, and the Arab world. They found a home in this country unlike any other before it in history. A home where they were allowed to prosper, and a nation that valued them as much as they valued it.

This year, July 4 is unique as it coincides with another great Jewish celebration of American patriotism. Thursday, July 4 on the Jewish calendar is the 28th of the month of Sivan, the day the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, arrived on American shores , escaping the evils of Hitler and Stalin, and beginning a new era of Judaism in America.

The Rebbe was born in Bolshevik Russia and had escaped Nazi Germany and Vichy France, before coming to American shores. Nearly his entire family had been slaughtered for their faith, along with countless members of his community.

And yet he found in America something entirely different. The Rebbe referred to America as a Medina Shel Chessed, a kingdom of kindness. He interacted frequently with American leaders, extolled Americas virtues and invested heavily in Americas future. The Rebbe also recognized and praise Americas unique government and celebrate the day he became an American citizen.

On the day of the Rebbes arrival, 81 years ago, he immediately established three world changing institutions. Kehos, a printing house dedicated to providing Jewish educational materials, Machane Yisroel, a charitable institution to promote Jewish life, and Merkos LInyonei Chinuch, an educational arm, that grew to be the largest and most vibrant movement in Judaism, today with 11,000 leaders, in over 100 countries, and all 50 states.

So as Americans celebrate our nations birthday, this years celebration takes on a special meaning for the Jewish community.

There is another aspect of the holiday that is deeply meaningful for American Jews.

For the last 81 years, the United States has provided a safe home, where the Jewish community could not only survive, but thrive. While antisemitism, or bigotry against Jews, still existed, here the government often sought to limit it, rather than supporting it. At no point in our history had our community been so safe for so long.

By many indicators, that legacy is at risk.

The Kentucky Jewish Council, in their annual report, recorded a record breaking number of antisemitic incidents, leading to the creation of a statewide antisemitism task force. In Cincinnati just this week, a historic Jewish cemetery was vandalized. Violent protests across the nations universities over the war in Gaza have led to harassment of Jewish students and worse.

For the first time in living memory, the idea of the United States as a safe home for Jewish people is in jeopardy.

This is not a problem for American Jews. Its a problem for America.

It we are to live up the true meaning of our creed, America must be a place where all people, regardless of their religion, can live freely.

So this July 4, amid the fireworks, hot dogs, and slip and slides lets celebrate America by dedicating ourselves to ensuring America remains, as the Rebbe called it, a Nation of Kindness.

Its a legacy worth fighting for.

Rabbi Shlomo Litvin is executive director of Chabad of the Bluegrass and chair of the Kentucky Jewish Council.
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.
JUNCTION CITY (KSNT)  Friday, June 28, a massive storm hit local towns, including Junction City.

Shannan Himmaugh has been renting her house for seven years. When a tree came crashing through the house, it destroyed her bed. Luckily, she had just left the room to do laundry.

Everything was water damaged. It was crushed, Himmaugh said. The bed, that tree would have landed right on my head. And I wouldnt be here at all.

Man charged with killing 72-year-old woman, cat, bird in Olathe home

Himmaugh is due for a knee replacement and open heart surgery in the coming months. Her father passed away three years ago. Shannan and one of her sons are currently staying in a hotel, awaiting a new place to live.

Everything that we had is trash, she said. Its crushed. Its destroyed. Im really upset about the pictures and stuff, and my dads stuff. Because, I cant replace that, you know. But, everything else can be replaced. We cant be replaced. But, well be okay. Well be okay.

Neighbors that 27 News spoke with said that the Junction City community came together to help each other out.

For more Kansas 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.
A Delta Airlines place flies in to land at Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee on Wednesday, May 22, 2024.

Immigration at the southern border is one of voters top concerns in the upcoming election.

And Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts large-scale operation to bus thousands of migrants and asylum seekers to other U.S. cities has drawn both scrutiny and praise.

But Wisconsin cities have not been locations where migrants, asylum seekers or other kinds of immigrants have been transported en masse.

Despite that fact, the Republican Party of Juneau County posted on Facebook: Ask Governor Evers why planes full of unvetted refugees are being accepted at the Milw. & Madison airports!

The post, from June 25, 2024, has 31 shares as of July 2. Among those who shared the post were the Republican Party of Green and Lincoln counties.

We found the claim is incorrect on multiple counts.

More: What's going on at the US-Mexico border, and what are asylum and parole? Here are answers to key questions

Planes full of migrants are not arriving in Wisconsin, officials say

First, officials for both Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport and Dane County Regional Airport said planes full of refugees have not been arriving.

The source provides no proof, and we have no proof either. The information posted is not factual, Harold Mester, director of public affairs and marketing for the Milwaukee airport, said in an email.

Kimberly Jones, director of the Dane County airport, agreed.

We certainly have not had planes full of refugees coming in to our Airport. To my knowledge there is no accuracy to the statement, Jones said in an email.

And Gina Paige, the spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, which houses the state Bureau of Refugee Programs, said the department has not been made aware of any migrant arrivals to Wisconsin airports.

Jim Mackman, director of philanthropy for Jewish Social Services of Madison, one of Wisconsins resettlement agencies, said the same:

I am not aware of a current surge of other types of migrants coming to Wisconsin.

More: In Whitewater, an influx of immigrants has leaders determined to welcome newcomers, solve problems

Refugees are not the same as those who cross the border without documents

Second, the use of the word refugees in the claim is off the mark.

The federal government defines refugees narrowly. They are not the same as migrants or asylum seekers, or others who cross the border without proper documentation.

The State Department says a refugee is an individual who is outside their country of nationality, or if no nationality, their last habitual residence, and who is unable or unwilling to return to, and is unwilling or unable to avail themselves of the protection of, that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

In short, refugees are people who were forced to flee their home countries because of threats or persecution against their identity, and they are staying in a second country  often in a refugee camp  where they register with the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees.

After a screening process, the UNHCR then recommends refugees to be resettled in a third country. The U.S. set a ceiling of admitting 125,000 refugees in the 2024 fiscal year.

Refugee resettlement to the U.S. is traditionally offered to the most vulnerable refugee cases including women and children at risk, women heads of households, the elderly, survivors of violence and torture and those with acute medical needs, the UNHCR said.

More: Afghan refugee women learn to drive in Milwaukee so they can support their families

Unvetted refugee is an oxymoron

Further, the claim misunderstands how refugees are resettled in the U.S.

Once refugees are selected to be resettled, one of nine national refugee resettlement agencies takes their case and determines which of their local affiliates should handle the case.

Local resettlement agencies and their volunteers set up refugees in homes, help them find jobs, take them to doctors appointments and English classes and more.

Refugees do not cross the southern border to arrive, and they are not undocumented. When refugees are brought to the U.S., they receive permanent legal residency, also known as a green card.

And while refugees do arrive in the U.S. on airplanes, they do not arrive on planes full of other refugees. Paige said refugees take flights as individuals, or as families, on commercial airlines.

Finally, refugee resettlement leaders also note that an unvetted refugee is an oxymoron.

Refugees are among the most vetted immigrants to the United States, Mackman said.

Paige echoed that comment.

Refugees go through a rigorous vetting process which usually takes 12-24 months, she said.

According to the UNHCR, the vetting process includes:

Screening by eight federal agencies including the State Department, Department of Homeland Security and the FBI

Six security database checks and biometric security checks screened against U.S. federal databases

Medical screening

Three in-person interviews with Department of Homeland Security officers

Its unclear whether the person who created the Facebook post was referring to refugees or migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border. People associated with the Republican Party of Juneau County, as well as the parties of Green and Lincoln counties, did not respond to emails, calls and text messages from PolitiFact Wisconsin.

But the poster commented on their own post alluding to border crossers:

Where I work, I know 2 people who immigrated legally, one from Canada, one from Jamaica. Both said the process was vigorous and took weeks, and required a physical examination. Contrast that to what is going on at our borders, the person wrote.

Pants on Fire PolitiFact rating

Our ruling

The Republican Party of Juneau County claimed on Facebook that planes full of unvetted refugees were being accepted to the Milwaukee and Madison airports.

But officials from both airports, the state refugee bureau and a local resettlement agency said there was no evidence that planes full of unvetted individuals were arriving in Wisconsin. The party provides zero evidence of this, nor could we find any on our own.

Whats more, the Facebook post misunderstands the meaning of the word refugee and the process by which refugees are allowed to enter the United States. In short, there is basically nothing right about the claim, and everything wrong about it.

We rate the claim Pants on Fire.

Sources

Republican Party of Juneau County, Facebook, June 25, 2024

U.S. Department of State, U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, June 28, 2024

U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees, Refugees in America, July 1, 2023

Email with Harold Mester, spokesman, Milwaukee Mitchell Airport, June 26, 2024

Email with Gina Paige, spokeswoman, Wisconsin Department of Children and families, June 26, 2024

Email with Jim Mackman, director of philanthropy, Jewish Social Services of Madison, June 28, 2024

Email with Kimberly Jones, director, Dane County Regional Airport, June 28, 2024

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Juneau County Republicans make false claim about planes of refugees
A former Wisconsin pastor, two of his daughters and three granddaughters died in a fire early Sunday morning in Necedah, WI.

The Juneau County Sheriff's Office has released the ages of the six family members who died in a house fire early Sunday morning in Necedah.

They are Rev. Steven Witte, 66, his daughters Charis Kuehl, 38, and Lydia Witte, 35, and three of his grandchildren, ages 8, 5 and 2. The children have been identified as Stella Kuehl, Lena Henselin and Merci Henselin. In its update on Facebook, the Sheriff's Office did not attach the ages to particular children.

Family members were vacationing in a rental home in Necedah, expecting to stay through the Fourth of July. The fire was reported at about 2:35 a.m. Sunday on Morros Mile Road in Necedah. Fire department crews battled the fire for about three hours and were on the scene for more than 12 hours, according to a press release.

The Sheriff's Office has stated the fire appears to be accidental. An investigation is still ongoing.

Rev. Steve Witte, right, and his wife Mary were vacationing with their children and grandchildren in Necedah last weekend. The missionary, two daughters, and three grandchildren died in a fire early Sunday.

Witte served as a minister in the early 2000s in Green Bay at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, which is part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. He then served overseas as a missionary in southeast Asia.

"The pain of losing six members of one family cannot be described with words," said WELS President the Rev. Mark Schroeder. "The only thing that can begin to bring comfort in such a time of grievous loss are the words that God himself speaks to us. Those words remind us that these members of our extended WELS family are now resting in perfect joy and peace at the side of their Savior."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Juneau County Sheriff releases ages of family killed in Necedah fire
Just 1 piece of evidence could scuttle Trump's hush-money conviction and force a time-sucking retrial

Just 1 piece of evidence could scuttle Trump's hush-money conviction and force a time-sucking retrial

Thanks to the SCOTUS immunity decision, it may not take much to force a hush-money retrial.

One key piece of evidence, People's Exhibit 81, may be enough to scuttle Trump's May 30 verdict.

It's an ethics form Trump signed in 2018, and just the kind of official-act evidence SCOTUS now bans.

It might not take much to scuttle Donald Trump's May 30 hush-money conviction.

In fact, a single piece of evidence could be Trump's handiest monkey wrench of all.

Manhattan prosecutors labeled it People's Exhibit 81.

It's a routine federal ethics form called an "Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report."

Manhattan prosecutors showed it to jurors back in early May, during the third week of testimony.

They later spun it as solid proof that Trump knew his hush-money reimbursement checks to his then-attorney, Michael Cohen, were just that: reimbursements, not "legal fees," as his falsified business records claimed.

"Mr. Trump fully reimbursed Mr. Cohen in 2017," claimed the form, which attested to his assets and liabilities and bore his signature.

A footnote in a financial disclosure form Donald Trump signed in 2018. Manhattan district attorney's office/BI

Days before closing arguments, Business Insider highlighted People's 81 as one of ten pieces of incriminating "smoking gun" evidence.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass went on to mention People's 81 in closing arguments, calling it proof that Trump "knew that the payments were really reimbursements."

Donald Trump's signature on People's Exhibit 81. Manhattan District Attorney's Office/BI

Then came Monday.

In a sweeping decision that fell just ten days before Trump's original sentencing date, the US Supreme Court declared former presidents presumptively immune from criminal prosecution for "official acts."

Then the court went further, banning the use of official acts as evidence.

An excerpt from the Supreme Court's immunity decision. SCOTUS/Business Insider

It took less than a day for defense lawyers to use this ban on "official act" evidence to challenge Trump's May 30 conviction. It's a challenge that has now delayed Trump's July 11 sentencing on the grounds that hush money prosecutors improperly used Trump's official acts against him at trial.

People's Exhibit 81  a financial disclosure form that must be filed by all senior US government officials, and which Trump only filed because he was president  is front and center in that defense effort.

Other "official act" evidence the defense is now challenging includes Trump phone records and tweets, and an Oval Office conversation he had with Hope Hicks, his then-communications director.

"Under Trump," defense lawyer Todd Blanche wrote Monday, referring to the SCOTUS decision, "this official-acts evidence should never have been put before the jury."

Trump "may not be prosecuted for his exercising his core constitutional powers," Blanche wrote, continuing to quote from Monday's decision.

Prosecutors with the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg quickly scoffed in response that Trump's efforts are "without merit."

But they are not being treated as entirely meritless  Bragg and New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan both agreed to push back Trump's July 11 sentencing date so the issue can be argued in a newly-scheduled volley of court filings.

Trump will file his arguments by July 10, prosecutors will respond by July 24, and the judge will rule  deciding if the hush-money conviction stands or is overturned  on September 6.

Under New York Criminal Procedure Law, Merchan must decide if the SCOTUS ruling "would require a reversal or modification of the judgment as a matter of law by an appellate court."

"It would come down to two things," said Michel Paradis, an attorney who teaches national security and constitutional law at Columbia Law School.

Was the evidence or testimony "official in some way," and therefore subject to this new immunity rule? And if so, was its use at trial "a harmless error."

Ultimately  even if Merchan and New York's appellate courts uphold Trump's conviction  Trump could just make a return trip to SCOTUS.

Trump's new sentencing date will be September 18, Merchan ruled  if sentencing is "still necessary" by that date.

Why People's 81 may be Trump's best monkey-wrench

In hopes of setting aside Trump's verdict, Trump's lawyers raised other instances where they say "official acts" were improperly used at trial against him.

A big one is testimony by Trump's former communications director, Hicks, who described to jurors Trump's reaction in the Oval Office, when news of Trump's hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels first broke in 2018.

"He wanted to know how it was playing," Hicks told the jury, referring to the news coverage.

"And I think Mr. Trump's opinion was it was better to be dealing with it now, and that it would have been bad to have that story come out before the election," she told jurors.

"That is devastating," Steinglass, the prosecutor, said in closing arguments of Hick's testimony, noting that it firmly linked the hush-money payment to the presidential election, a legally-vital connection Trump had denied.

Paradis said prosecutors may now find themselves battling with the defense over how much of Hicks' Oval Office conversation with Trump concerned an official topic, and must therefore be banned as testimony.

Merchan  or, as is more likely, appeals judges down the line  may bar any prosecutorial use of the Hicks-Trump conversation merely because some of it could have touched on official acts, Paradis said.

The defense is also signaling that it will challenge the use of certain incriminating tweets, including one from May, 2018, in which Trump again referred to his payments to Cohen as "reimbursement" for "a non-disclosure agreement," AKA hush money.

Trump tweeted about a non-disclosure agreement in 2018. Manhattan District Attorney's Office/BI

But these and other tweets the defense is terming "official" were sent from Trump's personal Twitter account, and concern, as Trump himself put it, "a private contract" involving a very private alleged encounter with Daniels. It may be hard for Trump to argue the tweets were in any way "official."

Finally, the defense wrote Tuesday that it will challenge the prosecution's use of phone records "reflecting calls involving President Trump while he was in office."

Again, as records of both personal and business calls, this evidence contains a mix of official and unofficial acts that must now be parsed apart and argued over in front of Merchan and any appellate judges that subsequently get the case.

As for People's 81, prosecutors' best bet may be to argue that financial disclosure forms like this one are "personnel documents," Paradis said  "which, in the bureaucracy of the federal government would likely be deemed 'personal.'"

But whether that argument sinks or flies is anyone's guess, he told BI.

"That is the thing about this decision," he added. "It does not come right out and say 'the president is immune from all prosecution.' In some ways, it is more pernicious than that," he said.

"It just creates an immunity that is so ill-defined and so unmoored from any agreed-upon constitutional text or history, that there is no way of knowing its outer limits," he said.

"And leaving so much uncertainty about the outer limits means, for all practical purposes, that those outer limits don't exist."

Read the original article on Business Insider
K-state professor looks to study bees from your pool

K-state professor looks to study bees from your pool

MANHATTAN (KSNT)  Now that summer is in full swing, you may see pollinators sneaking into your pools.

A Kansas State University assistant professor of Entomology is looking to collect bees from pool filters for a new study. Brian Spiesman is looking to determine what attracts bees to pools while considering bee populations.

27 News spoke with Spiesman about his research plan.

Were really interested in seeing how pools in different areas of the of the community might attract different bees in different ways, Spiesman said. Maybe what kinds of flowers they have in their yards and things like that. Yeah, itll be really helpful for us to help track bee populations.

Melvern Lake Marina rebuilds after tornado strike with community support

Spiesman also told us that Kansas is home to 400 different kinds of bees.

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.
This article is part of HuffPosts biweekly politics newsletter. Click here to subscribe.

Nearly one week after President Joe Bidens disastrous debate performance  and amid a torrent of disappointingpolls, embarrassing media reports and new doubts about his capacities  seriousconversations about Bidens future on the Democratic ticket are underway.

They are happening in Washington and Delaware and countless places across the country, and increasingly not just in private. A Tuesday MSNBC interview with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), in which she said Biden needs to demonstrate whether the debate performance was indicative of a broader condition, felt like a turning point  a signal, intentional or otherwise, that its OK for other Democrats to share publicly their anxieties about Bidens ability to beat former President Donald Trump in November. (My HuffPost colleagues can bring you up to date on the Democratic panic here.)

Reports suggest Biden hopes to prove can still do the job, starting with a Friday sit-down interview on ABC News with George Stephanopoulos. Maybe he will succeed. Maybe he wont. Either way, discussion about what happens if Biden steps aside has already started. And that has putthefocus on Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris is the most likely to take Bidens place in almost any scenario, whether she receives some kind of formal endorsement from Biden and party leaders or simply has to prevail in an open contest for convention delegates. Among the plausible contenders, she has the most name recognition and stature. She, and only she, can say shes been in the room and on the world stage with Biden, and performed under White House-level scrutiny.

She also has access to Biden-Harris campaign funds and infrastructure, which is a potentially big deal. Legally transferring either to another candidate would be difficult, as The American Prospects David Dayen and HuffPosts Liz Skalka have explained.

The possibility of a Harris candidacy has actually been looming over Democratic Party politics for a while. Fear of it is one reason many Democrats were quick to shoot down the idea of Biden stepping aside earlier this year, when the main concerns were about his lagging poll numbers. The assumption has been that Harris would be a weaker alternative, as a candidate, a president, or both.

That assumption is rooted in beliefs that shes an ineffective advocate and a poor manager of personnel, and that on a more fundamental level she lacks a clear sense of what she stands for or who she wants to be. The stories, quotes and observations from a pair of 2023 magazine profiles, one in The Atlantic and one in The New York Times Magazine, provided yet more grist for these worries.

But some of the perceptions of Harris date back to her failed 2020 Democratic primary campaign, and one moment in particular: her contribution to the debate over health care policy, which at the time was a major flash point. In that episode, you can see a politician with some of the very liabilities Harris critics perceive today. But you can also see one with strengths that many Democrats crave, especially in a president.

A Different Political Time

The debate actually took place in 2019, in the early, pre-primary part of the nomination battle  and in a very different political environment.

It was nearly 10 years after enactment of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, and two years after Republicans had come within John McCains thumb of repealing it. The backlash to that effort, plus Democratic gains in the 2018 midterms, seemed to render the law politically safe. Within the party, debate circled back to where it had been in the 2016 primary fight between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)  namely, whether to scrap existing health insurance arrangements in order to put everyone into a government-run Medicare for All system.

The idea itself dated back to the first serious efforts at universal health care, in the Roosevelt and Truman eras. During the Obama years, Democrats had settled on the public-private mishmash of the Affordable Care Act as a way to get past political obstacles that had stymied their efforts ever since. Because of the ACAs complexities and gaps, millions of people still had no insurance, and millions more struggled with health care costs and insurance bureaucracies.

Medicare for All promised to address those problems, and found new political life in a party whose activists and intellectuals were already tilting in a more progressive direction. A big step forward came in 2017, when Sanders reintroduced his proposal and for the first time got significant backing from Democratic senators.

One of those senators, representing California, was Harris. When she kicked off her 2020 presidential bid, she signaled that she still supported the idea. But when it came time for her to roll out a detailed plan, it looked... different.

In a blog post and in material her campaign distributed to the media, she described it as My Plan for Medicare for All. But unlike the Sanders proposal, which he had turned into the cornerstone of his own 2020 bid, the Harris plan envisioned a lengthy, 10-year transition during which shed subject the new, government-run insurance plan to benchmarks about access and affordability.

More importantly, her plan preserved a role for private insurers, which could continue to offer an alternative to public coverage in the same way they now offer a private alternative to Medicare.

Harris quickly drew fire from rivals on both sides. Officials from the Sanders campaign trashed the plan as terrible policy and terrible politics. Advisers to Biden, who had pointedly avoided endorsing Medicare for All in his own presidential campaign, warned that Harris approach would unravel the hard-won Affordable Care Act that the Trump Administration is trying to undo.

Harris made the situation worse in a CNN town hall, when she raised her hand to a question about which candidates wanted to abolish private insurance, something her proposal plainly did not do. She said afterward she thought the question was about her personal preference, not about which path forward on policy she favored. Whether or not this was true, it solidified impressions that she either didnt know her own policy, wasnt sure what she wanted, or both.

A Quest For A Middle Ground

Neither would be shocking, given Harris background as a prosecutor and attorney general who, as a fairly new senator in 2019, still had a lot to learn about domestic policy. The complexities of health care have tripped up even the wonkiest of politicians, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who similarly stumbled and never recovered from her 2020 effort to put forward a variant of Medicare for All.

A common element in both Harris and Warrens struggles was that the two senators, eager to differentiate themselves in a crowded field, were trying to find a middle ground somewhere between Sanders vision of wholesale transformation and Bidens preference for more incremental change. That imperative led them to a political no-mans-land, infuriating activists and partisans without inspiring supporters to push back.

But if Harris search for a compromise approach made for bad primary politics, it had a clear logic on the merits.

The kind of sweeping change Sanders envisions for health care would face enormous political challenges, not only because every industry group would fight it but because the majority of working-age Americans with employer-based coverage have been known to get nervous about proposals that jeopardize it.

And thats to say nothing of the very real, very big mechanical challenges of trying to rewire one-sixth of the American economy. Among other things, the budget math of Medicare for All only works with significant regulation of doctor and hospital fees  which, if imposed too hastily or crudely, could disrupt existing care arrangements.

Carrying such a proposal into the general election campaign would risk alienating swing voters; trying to get one through Congress would face low odds of success.

Among those who think the Harris proposal got a bad rap is Alex Lawson, the executive director of Social Security Works, who has a lengthy record of promoting Medicare for All proposals in public  and of helping to craft proposals in private.

It was good policy, Lawson told HuffPost. And regardless of how it played, or what lane she was in, you could see her motivations. She was actually working to fight for the American people, to lower costs, to take on corporate power in the health space especially. Thats real.

Anthony Wright, incoming director of the national health care advocacy group FamiliesUSA, had a similar impression of the Harris plan. I think it was an honest attempt to get to universality within the political and procedural constraints that exist, he said.

Wright comes to FamiliesUSA from Health Access California  where, as its longtime director, he had an up-close view of Harris even before she was a national figure. He told HuffPost that Harris used her time as Californias attorney general to make sure nonprofit hospital systems were living up to commitments for community service, and to launch the antitrust investigation of Sutter Health that led, eventually, to a $575 million settlement.

But mostly, the episode he remembered was right after Trumps election, when Obamacare repeal suddenly seemed possible and Health Access organized one of the first  quite possibly the first  national rally to protect the law. Harris, then a senator-elect, was its first speaker.

At the moment when we needed our elected leaders to be very loud and very clear about protecting the Affordable Care Act, Wright said, she was out there literally pre-day one.

How much any of this matters, relative to other data points about Harris, is a separate and ultimately subjective question. But its worth remembering that a lot has changed in five years, and that includes Harris herself.

Shes famously fond of saying that we have the ability to see what can be, unburdened by what has been. Her 2020 foray on health policy is a reminder that sometimes even the recollections of what has been can be a little misleading.

Related...
A new poll conducted by CNN shows the Democratic Party could have a better shot at the 2024 presidential election if there were another option besides Biden

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty; Steven Hirsch-Pool/Getty Kamala Harris, Donald Trump

Vice President Kamala Harris could have a stronger lead over Donald Trump than President Joe Biden, according to a new poll by CNN.

A new CNN poll conducted by SSRS and published on Tuesday, July 2 found that three-quarters of Americans who were polled and are registered to vote think the Democratic Party could take the top spot in the 2024 presidential election if there were an option other than Biden, 81.

Prince Williams/WireImage; Bill Pugliano/Getty Kamala Harris, Donald Trump

According to the poll, Trump, 78, currently has a 6-point lead against Biden  49% to 43%. The news outlet pointed out that the findings are the same results from a national poll on the Presidential election that it conducted in April.

Related: Can Joe Biden Be Replaced on the Democratic Ticket? What the DNC Rules Say About Switching Nominees

In a hypothetical matchup presented to poll respondents, Harris, 59, had a tighter score  coming in just two points behind Trump with 45% to his 47%.

The poll comes less than a week after the current and former presidents of the U.S. faced off in a June 27 presidential debate in Atlanta.

Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg/Getty US President Joe Biden, right, and former US President Donald Trump, June 2024

On June 28, after criticism of his debate performance, Biden  the oldest president in U.S. history  publicly addressed concerns about his stage presence, doing his best to assure supporters at a rally in Raleigh, N.C. that he was still the best man for the job.

"I don't walk as easily as I used to. I don't speak as smoothly as I used to. I don't debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know, I know how to tell the truth! he said.

Others also released statements that day in support of Biden.

Joe Biden is extraordinarily strong, Harris told CNNs Anderson Cooper during a televised appearance on June 28.

Kyle Mazza/Anadolu/Getty President of the United States Joe Biden

It was a slow start, thats obvious to everyone. Im not going to debate that, she said, the New York Times reported. He got into a groove where it counted. Our president showed that he will win the election.

Barack Obama expressed his support for his former Vice President as well.

Related: Jill Biden Defends President Joe Biden After First Debate Performance: 'We Will Continue to Fight'

"Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself, Obama, 62, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on June 28.

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.

Biden has said he has no plans to exit the race and is preparing to debate Trump a second time in September.

"NEW, as just reported on @CNN: Not only does @POTUS not plan to drop out, Biden remains committed to a second debate in September, an adviser tells me," CNN's Senior White House correspondent Kayla Tausche tweeted on June 28.

According to pool reports from a fundraiser in Virginia on Tuesday, Biden told reporters he "almost fell asleep onstage" during the debate due to a grueling traveling schedule, reports CNN. I decided to travel around the world a couple of times  shortly before the debate  I didnt listen to my staff  and then I almost fell asleep onstage, he said.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Vice President Kamala Harris wouldn't bite.

"Joe Biden is our nominee," she told a CBS News reporter outside a San Francisco fundraiser Tuesday night amid signs the president's Democratic dam was breaking.

The reporter tried another tactic, asking if she was ready to lead the country if needed. Nothing.

"I am proud to be Joe Biden's running mate," she replied.

In the week since Biden's disastrous debate performance, Harris has received more attention than at any time since her early, rocky days as his No. 2. Polls and party infrastructure give her an advantage over other possible Biden replacements, should he choose to step out of the race against former President Trump.

But Harris is in a delicate position  a magnified version of the political pressure she has faced throughout her tenure in office. She can't afford to show even a hint that she is looking to replace Biden, the oldest president in history at 81. Yet she has to watch her back, to make sure others do not usurp her in the event Biden's job becomes available.

She absolutely, positively has to dance with the one who brought her, and any daylight that she shows between herself and the only person on Earth who could be called her boss would be seen as disloyal, said one former advisor, who requested anonymity to avoid angering fellow Democrats with succession talk. If ground keeps shifting ... inevitably she's going to be put in a position of potentially having to make a decision or maybe a decision's being made for her.

Read more: Harris glosses over debate at San Francisco fundraiser, highlights Biden victories over 'liar' Trump

So far, she's been earning relatively good marks from Democrats appreciative of her attempts to defend Biden, while Republicans continue to mock her public speeches as word salads.

It's been interesting to watch people who have been critical of her over the last three and a half years say, 'Oh I'd support her,'" said an ally who is in regular contact with Harris' and Biden's inner circles, who asked for anonymity to avoid upsetting friends in Biden's orbit. People believe, and have always believed, she can prosecute the case.

Harris went on CNN within minutes of last week's debate, when most Democrats were still shell-shocked, offering the first version of Biden's defense. She acknowledged what she called a "slow start" while insisting, "I'm not going to spend all night with you talking about the last 90 minutes when I've been watching the last three and a half years."

Harris has made a similar case since then, traveling to speeches and fundraisers, including a Tuesday night event in San Francisco, in which she categorized the "elephant in the room" as both the debate and the prospect of another Trump presidency.

"She's doing her job, and to suggest there is somebody waiting in the wings, somebody looking to get a jump-start on 2028  no, that's not Kamala Harris," said Donna Brazile, an ally who wants Biden to stay at the top of the ticket.

Her sometime rival Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken a similar tack, positioning himself as a public defender for Biden, distancing himself from elements of the party who want the president to step aside. He was scheduled to visit the White House on Wednesday night to "stand with the president," he said in a fundraising email.

Harris had her regular lunch with Biden on Wednesday. She also joined Biden on a campaign call in which he reassured staff that he was "in this race to the end," according to a person familiar with the call who spoke on condition of anonymity. "We will not back down. We will follow our presidents lead. We will fight, and we will win," Harris told the staffers, this person said.

Though Biden promised her weekly lunches when she took the job, the meetings have been inconsistent, an indication that Biden has often leaned more on longtime aides than on his deputy.

But if she were to run for president, she could campaign on the administration's legislative successes, including its environmental and infrastructure spending bills.

Republicans would seize on her role as a key player in Biden's immigration policy: Early in his tenure, Biden assigned Harris to oversee a strategy intended to bolster economic, security and political conditions in Central America to stem the "root causes" of migration.

But Harris has never been comfortable with the assignment, and Republicans have gleefully cast her as the "border czar" as they have attacked the Biden administration for record numbers of border arrests.

Harris gained political strength after the Supreme Court overturned the right to abortion in 2022, leading the White House's response. She has been unable to change the law or to stop red states from passing extensive restrictions on the procedure, but she helped the Democratic Party use the issue to overperform in the 2022 midterm elections. Democrats are hoping to use the issue again if they can move beyond the concerns over Biden's fitness for office.

Read more: Here's why it would be tough for Democrats to replace Joe Biden on the presidential ticket

A CNN poll released Tuesday found three-quarters of American voters believed Democrats would have a better shot at the White House without Biden. Among possible replacements, only Harris polled within 2 percentage points of Trump. Allies have long said her name recognition and control of the party apparatus would put her in a better position to lead than potential rivals, who include Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), who has been a pivotal Biden supporter, said Tuesday on MSNBC that he would support Harris as a replacement, but that his first preference is Biden remaining the candidate.

"But I want to support her going forward, sometime in the future," he said.

But there remains deep concern about Harris in the party. Even the CNN poll showed her with ground to make up against Trump in a theoretical matchup, and that's without the media scrutiny and Republican assault that would come with leading the ticket. And her early struggles in the job  which produced high staff turnover and low poll numbers  set a bad impression for many voters, though her average approval in polls has improved slightly in the last few months.

A March USA Today/Suffolk poll found that 54% of voters said she is not qualified to serve as president, compared with 38% who said she is. Focus groups shared with The Times by a pro-Biden Republican group earlier this year showed swing voters and even Black voters had negative impressions, some of which her allies believe were tied to her race and gender.

But even if Harris would have work to do, no other possible replacement has faced as much national scrutiny, possibly making them a higher risk for the party.

She has been under that spotlight and has taken her lumps as a result," said the former advisor. "No one can say she's unknown at this point.

Bierman reported from Washington and Wiley from San Francisco.

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.
It seems that Representative Summer Lee has joined the K-Hive.

The Pennsylvania Democrat on Wednesday joined the steadily growing chorus of Democratic leaders sounding the alarm over concerns about President Joe Bidens candidacy, pitching Vice President Kamala Harris as the obvious choice to replace him should he choose to withdraw.

Maybe folks dont want to hear, but we have timing that is running out. Time is not on our side, Lee said during a radio interview, according to CBS News.

We have a few months to do a monumental task. Its not cheap and its not easy. If our president decides this is not a pathway forward for him, we have to move very quickly, she continued. Theres not going to be time for a primary. That time is past.

The vice president is the obvious choice. Shes sitting right there. Shes already been in the White House. And has the name recognition. And has been on the trail, Lee said.

She also remarked that the optics of pushing a Black woman aside were not good.

While Lee is correct in saying that Harris would not have the chance to primary, its worth noting that she would be the only other Democrat who could access the $91.2 million that Biden has raised as part of his campaign, some campaign finance experts told NBC. Thats just another reason why she might be considered a top candidate to replace Biden.

On Tuesday, Texas Representative Lloyd Doggett became the first House member to formally call on Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, and Representative Jim Clyburn said he would support Harris if [Biden] were to step aside.

Like Clyburn, Lees comments stopped short of urging the president to withdraw his candidacy. Still, her comments make clear that Democrats are beginning to look elsewhere for leadership following last weeks unwieldy presidential debate.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President and Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, delivered a video address at the opening of the ESG Summit: Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in Baku, Trend reports.

"ESG is about environment, society, and governance. Public-private partnership is gaining importance in financing strategic projects, which are becoming green projects," the minister said.

According to him, it is important for investors to follow ESG policies in financing, as it increases credibility and reduces risks.

"Nowadays, PPP and ESG work hand in hand to promote the sustainable growth of the economy and its various sectors, including urbanization, agriculture, healthcare, and sustainable water supply. The government and private sector need to work together using ESG practices. This is crucial for adapting the energy transition and insuring investors' risks," the minister added.

He expressed satisfaction and appreciation for PwC's involvement, as the organizer of the conference, in these processes.

Mukhtar Babayev also highlighted that ESG is a crucial aspect of COP29 negotiations, which focus on inclusiveness and the preparation of transparent reports on countries' actions to combat climate change.

The minister expressed confidence that the PPP cooperation mechanism will help achieve a green world and a sustainable future.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Vice President Kamala Harris watches as President Joe Biden delivers remarks about border security on Jan. 5, 2023. Photo by Drew Angerer | Getty Images

With few exceptions, the Democrats have closed ranks.

Theyre sticking with President Biden, for now at least, despite his deeply unsettling debate performance with Donald J. Trump last week.

No, Biden loyalists, he didnt just have a bad night. The shocking display left me and millions of other Americans deeply concerned that he is not well enough to go on.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Being president is grueling enough. Doing the job and running for reelection must take almost herculean stamina. Doing that when youre 81? Im almost 20 years the presidents junior and dont know that I could handle the physical and mental demands that come with the job.

I get why Biden is running again. As hes said time and again, he believes the election is, as it was in 2020, a fight for the soul of America  either democracy lives another day or the dictator-in-waiting, Trump, reascends to what he considers more as a throne to exact retribution than a righteous platform for public service.

But the time for Biden to step aside has come, and the right person to replace him is Vice President Kamala Harris.

Yes, the racists hate her and independents will take some convincing, but Harris comes with pluses.

Like more than half of the countrys voters, shes a woman. In fact, I would argue that whoever replaces Biden must be a woman.

Except for the way he treated Anita Hill during the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Biden has built a reputation as a strong advocate for womens rights, especially since the high court overturned Roe v. Wade. But Biden, like me, can never fully understand what it means to be treated as a second-class citizen just because you have a womb.

If Biden is the man of honor he purports to be, and I believe he is, hell stand by Harris and back her for his partys nomination.

The repeal of Roe v. Wade didnt just restrict womens reproductive rights  it stripped away part of their citizenship by allowing right-wing lawmakers and judges to dictate what women can do with their own bodies. No legislature in the country could muster the votes needed to pass a law controlling what men do with their sperm (outside of preserving it), but if a woman tries to not have a baby by any means other than the rhythm method, so called small government conservatives are ready to usurp the expertise of trained medical professionals and police the entire process.

Harris is the perfect messenger. With 70% support for abortion rights nationwide, she has already proven to be a powerful and effective messenger on the topic. It matters as well that restrictions on abortion rights disproportionately impact women of color.

Harris would likewise be the perfect critic for Trumps criminality and his pending state and federal indictments. As the former attorney general for California and a local prosecutor before that, Harris has the bona fides and experience to address the consequences of the GOPs decision to choose as its presidential standard bearer an unrepentant, twice-impeached, 34-time convicted felon, who also stands credibly accused of trying to overthrow the U.S. government and steal top secret government documents.

And lets not forget his recent guilty verdict in nearly half-billion business and real estate fraud scheme in New York and the fact that was found liable of committing sexual assault and defamation.

Harris has also proven herself on the foreign policy front, having capably represented the White House around the globe on everything from the war in Ukraine, migration, and the dangers posed by climate change.

Young voters and voters of color would go wild for Harris. Biden has had trouble keeping both groups in the fold this election cycle as compared to 2020. (Harris was born to immigrant parents, and identifies as Black and Indian American.) Progressives and minority groups have criticized her tough-on-crime track record as attorney general as a betrayal of her more progressive positions as a local prosecutor, but if her pick means history will be made, Im convinced theyll rally to support her.

Democratic insiders worry a decision by Biden to quit his run for the White House could lead to a free-for-all between his potential replacements. The best way to avoid that is for Biden to put his foot down, loud and hard, and immediately declare his unflinching support for Harris.

And why not? If she was good enough to be your running mate in the 2020 campaign, and good enough to be one heartbeat away from the presidency for the past three-and-a-half years, then she must be good enough to assume the partys nomination.

There will be naysayers  there always are  but if Biden is the man of honor he purports to be, and I believe he is, hell stand by Harris and back her for his partys nomination.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
TOPEKA, Kan.  A Kansas businessman has pleaded guilty to illegally exporting sensitive aviation technology to Russian companies in violation of U.S. sanctions.

Douglas Edward Robertson, who lives in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, was the second Kansas business executive to plead guilty to charges after being accused of smuggling, money laundering, violating U.S. export regulations, submitting false or misleading information to export regulators and conspiring to commit crimes against the U.S., all for profit. Their arrests and the arrest of a Latvian associate in March 2023 came as the U.S. ramped up sanctions and financial penalties on Russia over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Robertson, 56, entered his plea Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree in Kansas City. The judge set his sentencing for Oct. 3. Robertson pleaded guilty to four of the 26 counts against him and could face up to 20 years in prison for either the money laundering or export violations convictions.

According to prosecutors, starting in October 2020, the defendants sought to sell electronics that included threat detection systems as well as flight, navigation and communications controls to two Russian aircraft parts distributors, a Russian aircraft repair firm and a Russian aircraft services company.

They sought to hide their unlicensed activities by going through companies and using bank accounts elsewhere, including Armenia, Cyprus, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the United Arab Emirates.

Those who seek to profit by illegally selling sophisticated U.S. technology to our adversaries are putting the national security of our country at risk," Robert Wells, the executive assistant director of the FBI's National Security Branch, said in a statement.

One of Robertson's attorneys, Branden Bell, declined to comment when reached Wednesday.

U.S. export controls were meant to limit Russias access to computer chips and other products needed to equip a modern military. The indictment against Robertson said the electronics he and the other two men sought to export could make a significant contribution to another nations military.

Robertson, a commercial pilot, and Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky, an aviation engineer from Lawrence, operated the KanRus Trading Co. together and worked with Oleg Chistyakov, a Latvian citizen who frequently traveled to the UAE, according to prosecutors.

Buyanovsky pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiring to launder money and one count of conspiring to commit crimes against the U.S., and his sentencing is set for Nov. 14. There is no indication of whether Chistyakov has been taken into custody, and he has yet to enter a plea, according to online court records.

The indictment charging the three men lists nine exports of aviation electronics to Russian companies from February 2021 through December 2022 and attempts to export electronics once in February 2022 and twice in March 2023.

Prosecutors have said the U.S. government seized $450,000 in electronics blocked from export the day before Buyanovsky and Robertson were arrested.

Robertsons guilty plea is reflective of the strong evidence gathered against him by federal investigators and the solid case presented by federal prosecutors, Kate Brubacher, the chief federal prosecutor in Kansas, said in a statement.
TOPEKA (KSNT)  Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is reaffirming her support for President Biden, after last weeks shaky presidential debate.

A spokeswoman for the Governors Office sent a statement from the Governor, after Kelly dodged questions about the President at a ceremonial bill signing on Tuesday. The Governor opted to cut the media gaggle short, after reporters asked about whether shell support Biden.

While I have never been shy about standing up to Washington when its wrong for Kansas, the Presidents record of delivering bipartisan results speaks for itself. His efforts will continue to allow Kansas to recruit new manufacturing businesses, rebuild our infrastructure, and stand up for our fundamental freedoms. He is a decent man of strong character. I will support him in November. Kelly said in her statement issued to Nexstars Kansas Capitol Bureau.

Some democrats have called for Biden to step down, while others are continuing to support the President despite his performance on Thursday night.

Democratic governors and lawmakers are planning to meet Wednesday, following Bidens debate fallout. Nexstars Kansas Capitol Bureau has not yet received a response on whether Governor Kelly will be in attendance.

One day after the first presidential debate, Kansas Democratic Party Chair Jeanna Repass told 27 News the state party is continuing to support Biden.

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. 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.
Kansas Gov. Kelly to attend meeting with Biden as president looks to shore up support

Gov. Laura Kelly will virtually attend a meeting between Democratic governors and President Joe Biden Wednesday evening, as the president seeks to reassure supporters that he remains capable of running for  and winning  reelection.

The meeting, held at the White House, gives the Democratic governors a chance to present a united front behind the Biden campaign, in an effort to quell a steady drumbeat of calls for Biden to step aside after a weak debate performance last week.

Kelly is not among those calling for a new candidate. While she has broken with Biden in the past, the Kansas Democrat has remained steadfast in her support for Biden after the debate. In a statement issued Friday, Kelly said she was continuing to back Biden based on his bipartisan accomplishments.

He is a decent man of strong character, Kelly said in the statement. I will support him in November.

Kellys spokeswoman, Grace Hoge, said Kelly would not comment beyond confirming her attendance.

Still, the meeting will feature some of the up-and-coming Democrats who have been mentioned as potential Biden replacements. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear are planning to attend in person.

Some have dismissed the idea that the nomination would go to a Democratic governor, saying the likely successor to Biden would be Vice President Kamala Harris.

Calls for a replacement have only been amplified by multiple polls showing Biden trailing Trump. A poll by The New York Times and Siena College found that Biden was trailing by 6 percentage points among likely voters and that 48% of Democrats believe he should not remain the nominee after the debate.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday that Biden will absolutely not step aside.

The President is clear-eyed and hes staying in the race, Jean-Pierre said. Hes saying in the race.
All About the Karen Read Murder Trial that Ended with Deadlocked Jury  and What Happens Next

A jury was unable to reach a verdict in the trial of Karen Read, who was accused of backing her SUV into her boyfriend and leaving him for dead

John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Karen Read and her attorney Alan Jackson

On a blustery night in January 2022, Karen Read dropped her boyfriend, Boston police officer John OKeefe, off at a late-night house party in Canton, Mass.

What happened next has been the subject of rabid speculation in the now-divided Boston suburb, on social media and in a high-profile murder trial that ended with a deadlocked jury on Monday, July 1.

On the night of Jan. 29, 2022, Read, 44, a successful financial analyst and then-adjunct professor at Bentley University, said she watched OKeefe, 46, walk up the driveway to the side door of the Colonial where retired Boston officer Brian Albert and his family lived. She said when OKeefe failed to let her know whether or not she should join him inside, she left.

Related: Defense Slams Prosecutors After Karen Read Mistrial as State Says It Will Retry Case

Hours later, OKeefe was found unconscious in the front yard of the home, covered in snow. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8 a.m. He had two black eyes, skull fractures, cuts on his face and on the back of his hands and claw-like wounds on his right arm. The medical examiner ruled the cause of death as blunt impact injuries of the head and hypothermia, but could not determine whether the manner of death was homicide or accidental.

Related: Karen Read Murder Trial Is a Circus, Says Friend Who Slams Claim She Killed Police Trooper Boyfriend (Exclusive)

Read was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of personal injury and death. She pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Telling ABC News in Aug. 2023 that she loved OKeefe and did not kill him, she said, I have never harmed a hair on John O'Keefe's head.

David Yannetti John O'Keefe and Karen Read

On Monday, July 1, after a months-long trial that began in April, the jury said it remained hopelessly deadlocked and the Norfolk County Superior Court judge declared a mistrial.

Heres what to know about the case and what happens next:

What prosecutors allege

During the trial, Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally argued that Read was intoxicated after barhopping with OKeefe earlier that night. The prosecution claims she backed into OKeefe with her Lexus SUV when she dropped him off at the Alberts house, leaving him for dead.

Claiming that Read was mad at OKeefe that night, Lally played a voicemail of an allegedly drunken Read screaming, John, I f------ hate you!" as she pulled away from the house.

Witnesses testified that when Read and two of OKeefes friends found him unconscious in the snow in the Alberts front yard early the next morning, she allegedly said, I hit him.

What the defense claims

Reads attorneys claim that OKeefe was severely injured during an alleged fight with someone inside the home with whom he had a longstanding dispute. They claim he was attacked by the homeowners' German Shepherd, dragged outside and left to die.

They allege that Read was framed for his death by local and state law enforcement who wanted to protect their police friends. The defense also claims that Read didnt know whether she struck O'Keefe, and that she said, Did I hit him? and not "I hit him." They also claim O'Keefe's injuries were not consistent with being hit by a vehicle.

John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Karen Read and John O'Keefe

Lead investigator relieved of duties after vulgar text

Further speculation about an alleged cover-up came after the mistrial was declared when Massachusetts State Police announced that Trooper Michael Proctor, the cases lead investigator, had been relieved of his duties.

Related: After Vulgar Testimony, Lead Investigator in Karen Read Case Is 'Relieved of Duty' After Mistrial

While on the stand, he was made to read aloud disparaging and vulgar texts he sent about Read in which he called her vulgar and offensive names and said he hoped she killed herself. Her attorneys said he was biased because he had personal ties to the Alberts and others at the house that night. They allege that he planted evidence of a broken taillight at the scene.

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.



What happens now?

Immediately after a mistrial was declared, Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey said in a statement that "The Commonwealth intends to re-try the case.

Outside of court, as Reads supporters cheered, her attorneys vowed to continue fighting for her. We have no quit, Alan Jackson said.

Norfolk County Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone scheduled a status conference for July 22.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) said Wednesday the White House clearly fumbled its response to the fallout from President Bidens shaky debate performance, as a growing number of Democrats express concerns with their nominees ability to carry out another term.

[The White House] clearly fumbled this, and I think that we have to be honest about that, Porter said Wednesday on CNN. I think there are as many, for me, as many questions about President Bidens advisers, both those who did the debate prep and those who are continuing to give him advice, as there are for me about President Biden himself because of course, we all want our president to be surrounded by people who are going to help him win.

And I think that what weve seen in the last week or six days is probably not the course correction that we need, she added.

The California lawmaker is the latest in her party to express frustrations over Bidens White House, reelection campaign and allies, who they argue are not taking concerns seriously after the debate.

Bidens lackluster showing at the first presidential debate against former President Trump last week sparked a flurry of concerns from Democrats over his ability to beat his GOP rival and effectively lead the nation or the next four years.

CNN anchor Jake Tapper also asked Porter which decisions the White House made in its response that she agrees with, noting how Biden has not done something like a two-hour press conference to reassure supporters.

Well, I think we dont know the answer to that, Jake, Porter said. So what I think the problem is  for all we know, the president is fully capable of doing these things. Its a good idea, hes being told that its not a good idea, but I think the most important thing is that he needs to get out there and earn the trust of the American people.

When pressed again by Tapper if he is capable of giving an hour and a half press conference, Porter sidestepped the question.

Like most Americans, I actually dont have that information she said, adding she has not personally seen the president since about a year ago when he deviated from a speech successfully.

So I think Im situated, and most Democratic leaders are situated in the same way the American people are, which is, give us that reassurance, give us that confidence,' she added. And to do that, this campaign is going to have to  this White House is going to have to be way less insular that they have been.

Porter suggested a shift in direction may include a change of advisers or change in campaign strategy.

In the wake of calls to withdraw from the 2024 race, Biden, alongside Vice President Harris, joined a call with their reelection campaign staff Wednesday, during which he emphasized he will stay on the top of the ticket.

Porters arguments echo that of some party operatives who argued this week aides have mismanaged Biden in a variety of areas, from communications to events to the presidents public and personal interactions. They told The Hill aides seeking to control the narrative around Biden have shielded him from big moments, including sit-down interviews and off-the-cuff interactions.

The Hill reached out to the White House 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 Kansas City woman and her husband have filed a lawsuit against a Kansas City transportation company after their 14-year-old daughter was killed in a crash involving one of the companys trucks in March.

The wrongful death suit, filed Friday in Jackson County Court, alleges that Pablo Figueredo, a driver for Medina Transportation LLC, caused a fatal accident on March 30, 2024 by rear-ending a car in which 14-year-old Ava Hoskins was a passenger.

Ava Hoskins had been on her way to church with family friends for Easter Sunday services, according to according to Witherspoon. Figueredo was driving a heavy-duty box truck on Interstate 435 in Jackson County at the time, and when he hit the car, the impact killed Ava.

Shan Hoskins, who lives in Kansas City, is suing Figueredo and Medina Transportation LLC along with her husband Marcus Oliver, who lives in Illinois. The pair has not had any contact with Medina or the driver since the crash, according to Witherspoon.

[Avas] parents have been robbed of a lifetime of moments and memories, Witherspoon told The Star Wednesday. The emotional grief of having the life of their 14-year-old child taken from them by a careless truck driver is unconscionable.

Medina Transportation LLC was not available for comment Wednesday.

Hosksins and Oliver allege that before the fatal crash Figueredo was speeding, tailgating and failed to pay proper attention on the highway, according to the lawsuit.

Hoskins and Oliver also allege that Figueredo did not honk to warn the driver of the car their daughter was in, or try defensive driving tactics such as swerving to avoid a crash.

Medina Transportation LLC. is based in Kansas City and employs four full-time drivers, according to online records. The company mostly moves household goods.

Hoskins and Oliver are seeking more than $100 million to cover costs including emotional damages, punitive damages and their daughters lost earning potential. The couple has requested a jury trial.

Avas parents will never see her off on prom night, Witherspoon said. Theyll never get to see her walk across the stage and graduate from high school or college. Ava wont get to start a career, get married, or have a family of her own.

Since the beginning of 2024, 17 people have died in 14 fatal traffic crashes involving a truck or other commercial motor vehicle, according to Missouri data.

Hoskins, Oliver and Figueredo, along with a representative for Medina Transporation LLC, are scheduled to appear in court in December.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed in the Jackson County Circuit Court against a police officer in connection to a June 2023 shooting. The lawsuit is filed on behalf of multiple victims of a shooting involving Kansas City Police Department Officer Blayne Newton.

The lawsuit claims that the deaths of Kristen Fairchild and Marcel Nelson, as well as the shooting of Jaden Thorns were without just cause. It also claims that the deaths of Nelson and Fairchild were wrongful, and includes a count of battery for the injury of Thorns, the surviving teenager who was shot in the head.

Man charged with killing 72-year-old woman, cat, bird in Olathe home

According to lawsuit documents, on June 9, 2023, Newtown pulled up to an intersection at East 31st Street and Van Brunt Boulevard in his patrol car in the right-hand lane, where he encountered an armed disturbance. Newton claimed that he saw a person in a minivan directly in front of him hanging out of the driver side of the vehiclewith a rifle.

After the traffic light turned green, Newton pursued the van on its right side. This is when he claims that Nelson pulled a firearm out of the window and fired at him. Newton said he then fired his weapon at the truck, killing the two front seat passengers, Nelson and Fairchild, and wounding another in the back seat, Thorns.

The lawsuit claims that the plaintiffs at no point in time pointed or fired a weapon at Newton and that no evidence suggests anyone in the vehicle was aware of Newtons presence.

This is not Officer Newtons first time facing excessive force allegations. In 2020, he shot and killed an unarmed man, and allegedly assaulted a pregnant woman that same year. Newton was one of three officers who used a taser and repeatedly punched a teenager in 2019, which resulted in a $325,000 payout from KCPD.

This case was filed on Friday, June 28. A case management conference is set for October 28, 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 FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)  Louisiana State Police, the New Orleans Police Department and the Kenner Police Department gathered along the bank of Bayou St. John Tuesday night, July 2, after a police car crashed into the water.

A short time later, only the Kenner officers remained at the scene because it was their departments car that was in the bayou.

Same suspect in 3 armed robberies at St. Tammany Parish ATMs

According to Kenner police, around 10:45 p.m., officers responded to a shoplifting call from a business in the 800 block of West Esplanade Avenue. Police describe the shoplifting suspects as two women who left the scene in a gold, four-door Honda SUV.

Three teenagers arrested in fatal shooting of woman in French Quarter

Moments later, a Kenner officer reported spotting the car taking an eastbound ramp on Interstate 10 toward New Orleans and followed it.

(WGNO/Curt Sprang)

(WGNO/Curt Sprang)

(WGNO/Curt Sprang)

(WGNO/Curt Sprang)

(WGNO/Curt Sprang)

The chase ended when the officer, according to police, lost control of his car and crashed into Bayou St. John near the intersection of Esplanade Avenue and Moss Street.

Kenner police say nobody was hurt and the suspects got away.

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.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. Azerbaijan and the world as a whole need the private sector's assistance in finding effective solutions to the common challenges of combating climate change, President of COP29 and Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mukhtar Babayev said in a video address to the participants of the ESG Summit: Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in Baku, Trend reports.

"Working together, we can foster a collaborative environment where public and private organizations share ideas, strategies, and best practices for ESG implementation. Private companies should take responsibility for addressing current climate challenges," Babayev emphasized.

The minister stressed the importance of selecting reliable energy transition pathways supported by robust financial plans, budgets, and targets.

"We hope that companies will participate in COP29 to showcase how they allocate capital and ensure that investment decisions align with our climate change goals. Let's initiate green capital markets to develop viable economic models. Sustainable development and a sustainable future hinge on this," he added.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
The Salt River flows into the Ohio River on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, in West Point. The Salt River drains a significant portion of Jefferson County, in addition to many other surrounding counties.

A contested state program allowing companies to dump industrial wastewater into Kentuckys waterways without a permit is on pause while officials conduct an internal review of its use.

Legal experts and advocates have criticized the program as enabling polluters to violate the Clean Water Act across Kentucky and bypass key protections built into the permitting process  including notifying and accepting comments from the public before a discharge takes place.

The off-permit, one-time discharge program has provided at least 280 discharge authorizations to companies since 2017, according to an analysis by Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), a watchdog group.

The decision to halt the off-permit program comes amid mounting pressure from environmental groups and a controversial off-permit authorization issued to a company in Western Kentucky, which the state later retracted at the last-minute.

This incident appears to have triggered the agencys decision to pause and review the program.

It has been determined that an authorization was issued that was outside of the intended purpose of the authorization program, John Mura, spokesperson for the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, said in a statement, which requires a thorough evaluation of the entire program and procedure.

The Division of Water removed the application form for the off-permit program from its website in late June. Mura said the agency will not provide off-permit authorizations while it conducts a review of the program.

Growing attention on Kentucky's off-permit program

In June, Kentucky officials suddenly rescinded an off-permit authorization to an LG&E and KU subsidiary planning to release wastewater from an old coal loading site into the Green River.

That discharge, scheduled to begin on a Monday, was called off after the state reversed course at 10 p.m. on the Friday before, The Courier Journal previously reported.

The states pivot came just hours after EIP and other environmental groups notified the company and state officials of their intent to sue the company if the discharge took place.

This instance confirmed the programs lack of scrutiny in companies requests to discharge without a permit, waterway advocates said at the time.

The off-permit program has also captured the attention of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials in the past year, who have expressed uncertainty about whether the off-permit discharges should instead be covered by permits under the Clean Water Act, according to Mura.

Obviously abused

Pond Creek flows west from where the Northern Ditch joins the Southern Ditch, draining much of south Louisville. Jan. 17, 2024

In recent years, the state's off-permit program authorized discharges from the following sources to enter Kentuckys waterways:

Contaminated groundwater from underground gas station storage tanks, risking the release of hazardous chemicals from gasoline, like benzene and toluene;

A tailings pond for an aluminum smelter, which gathers wastewater from the aluminum production process and contained detectable levels of aluminum, nickel, antimony and fluoride;

A coal-fired power plant sedimentation pond containing selenium and thallium.

Since these releases were authorized without a permit, downstream communities did not need to be notified beforehand  marking one of the most egregious and concerning things about this program, said Meg Parish, senior water quality attorney for EIP.

Maybe they're fishing out of this water, maybe they're using this water as a drinking water source  they have no idea that this is happening, Parish said.

Public notice is kind of a cornerstone to the Clean Water Act, she added. It's one of the ways that we protect federal waters, by kind of opening it up to sunshine and letting the public know what's happening.

Advocates have also criticized the difficulty of assessing the environmental impacts of off-permit releases in Kentucky due to an absence of transparency and accountability built into the program.

In past comments to The Courier Journal, state officials have maintained the off-permit program is protective of the environment and allows for proper enforcement.

Advocates disagree. Michael Washburn, executive director of the Kentucky Waterways Alliance, said the off-permit program has been obviously abused and applied to situations that were not the original intent.

Theres no enforceability, said Parish, who worked as a water quality regulator in Colorado before joining EIP. I have no idea how (the state) could enforce an off-permit discharge.

A win for waterway advocates

The Ohio River flows past Twelve Mile Island, upstream of Louisville.

The states move to pause and evaluate the off-permit program was applauded by waterway advocates, who for more than a year have been pushing to have the program dismantled and replaced with permits.

I'm hoping that they'll see that whatever safeguards or requirements, or lack of requirements, they had in place for this program have been entirely deficient, Washburn said.

There should be no one-off, off-permit authorization program anywhere, he added. I hope that they'll just entirely scrap the program upon review, and hasten the creation of permits for these situations, which will require more sensitivity to environmental impacts for industrial and commercial activities.

If the state determines its off-permit program is not protective of the environment, it will need to draft specific permits to cover the discharges previously covered by the off-permit program.

While the review of the program is pending, future requests for one-time discharges will require a permit, according to the statement from the Energy and Environment Cabinet.

In conversations with waterway advocates, the EPA has also indicated its taking concerns about the program seriously. The agency did not respond to The Courier Journals request for comment on the off-permit program or its legality under the Clean Water Act.

This week, Parish and Ashley Wilmes, with the Kentucky Resources Council, met with EPA officials about the off-permit program.

Parish was encouraged by the meeting, she said, which included some fairly senior people from the agencys southeast regional office.

Ashley and I said, We think this is an urgent issue, Parish said. And they said, We share your urgency.

Connor Giffin is an environmental reporter for The Courier Journal. Reach him directly at cgiffin@gannett.com or on X @byconnorgiffin.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky pauses program allowing dumping of wastewater into waterways
By Sarah Morland and Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that the arrival of the first Kenyan police officers under a U.N.-backed mission marked a critical stage to restoring security in a country ravaged by gang violence.

"The arrival of the first contingent of the Multinational Security Support kicks off a new era in Haiti," Conille told diplomats in New York.

"Haiti is currently at a critical point with 12,000 armed individuals holding a population of 12 million hostage."

Some 200 Kenyan police arrived in Haiti last week as part of the long-delayed mission mandated to help national police fight armed gangs that have taken over most of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince - fueling a humanitarian crisis that has driven nearly 600,000 from their homes and 5 million into severe food insecurity.

The full force is set to number over 2,500, but it remains unclear when these could arrive, while funding has lagged far behind requirements.

Haiti's outgunned and under-resourced police, meanwhile, counted just over 12,000 officers at the end of May - down 1,000 since the start of the year - according to a report by the U.N. Integrated Mission in Haiti (BINUH).

Neighboring Dominican Republic's Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez in the meeting made "an urgent appeal to all countries that have committed funding to the MSS to fulfill their pledges and to deposit those funds as soon as possible," referring to the Multinational Security Support by its acronym.

Without substantial additional funding, BINUH said, the mission will be unable to complete a 12-month deployment, whose initial mandate ends in October.

BINUH also warned that more clashes between police and gangs meant that more civilians, including very young children, were being killed by stray bullets and it had reports of police summarily killing passers-by.

Gangs are also recruiting and arming more children in preparation for the MSS deployment, it said, warning it was difficult to identify the ages of those killed or injured in clashes.

Conille said reforming the national police, whose chief he replaced shortly after coming to power last month, was "indispensable" for restoring public trust.

Kenya's U.N. deputy envoy Njambi Kinyungu said the first contingent had been warmly received and was beginning joint operations with Haitian police.

Diplomats from China and Russia also emphasized stemming the flow of firearms to gangs. Most illegal guns seized in Haiti, and across the wider Caribbean, have been traced back to the United States.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the U.N. should strengthen its sanctions regime by targeting traffickers, who unlike the five local gang leaders already sanctioned, are more vulnerable to foreign asset freezes and travel bans.

"We do not see the current embargo doing anything to prevent the flow of arms from the U.S.," Nebenzia said. "The committee experts are clearly not eager to get into a disagreement with Washington."

Speaking before Nebenzia, the United States' U.N. ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said the government was "actively working" to enforce the arms embargo, citing recent prosecutions, a new e-tracing agreement and rules to reduce gun sales without background checks.

(Reporting by Sarah Morland and Michelle Nichols; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
U.S. Sen. Angus King (I-ME) speaks with reporters following the weekly policy luncheons at the U.S. Capitol June 26, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images)

U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent, called on the U.S. Department of Defense to immediately begin brain injury screenings for service members in a letter sent to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Tuesday.

The letter comes after researchers found significant evidence this spring that mass shooter Robert R. Card II had traumatic brain injuries when he killed 18 people and injured 13 others in Lewiston on October 25.

The post-mortem study of Cards brain, released with the permission of Cards family in an effort to prevent future tragedies, found he likely experienced traumatic brain injuries through repeated exposure to explosive blast waves over the course of his military career. Card was an instructor at an Army hand grenade training range, where he was likely exposed to thousands of low-level blasts.

I am frustrated by continued reports of the departments lack of urgency and coordination in addressing brain injuries and their effects on mental health, King wrote in the letter. The personal stories we are hearing of lives lost and families and communities traumatized are as infuriating as they are heartbreaking.

King wrote that the billions of dollars in medical research funding for brain injuries approved by the department and Congress are not adequately protecting service members.

Specifically, King called on the Department of Defense to start testing baseline brain health for service members, developing a risk framework beginning with identifying those at highest risk, addressing links between blast exposure, brain injuries and mental health, as well as mobilizing staff to develop proper reporting structures and tracking measures.

While studies and programs will be helpful, I exhort you to start screening, track the results, and follow-up on the results, King wrote.

The defense department is expecting results from an analysis and lessons learned on blast monitoring to be completed in September.

The letter to the defense secretary is the latest in a series of efforts from King and other lawmakers to increase mental health funding and address traumatic brain injuries since the Lewiston shooting.

Last month, King and the rest of Maines congressional delegation signed a bipartisan letter requesting a review of federal efforts to identify, prevent and treat traumatic brain injuries related to military blasts  a step that came after a February meeting of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee where lawmakers raised concerns about the departments strategy to address the problem.

King and U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a Republican, also cosponsored the Blast Overpressure Safety Act, a bipartisan bill aimed to better protect service members from the physical and cognitive dangers of shockwaves from explosive weapons in combat and training.

Several of the provisions in the act are currently incorporated into the proposed National Defense Authorization Act, specifically amendments to address oversight and funding for traumatic brain injuries.
What to know about Bidens postdebate meeting with governors

President Biden is expected to meet Wednesday with a group of Democratic governors in a closed-door meeting at the White House.

It marks his latest effort to reassure supporters of his ability to win the November election following last weeks lackluster debate performance against former President Trump. The incumbent is facing increased concerns within the Democratic Party over his ability to beat Trump in November and carry out another four years in the Oval Office.

In the public sphere, Democratic governors have presented a united front for Biden, recognizing he had a bad debate while stressing the importance of choosing him over Trump.

Heres what to know about Bidens scheduled meeting with Democratic governors.

When and where is it?

Bidens meeting with Democratic governors will take place at 6:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday at the Roosevelt Room in the White House. The meeting is closed to the press, according to the White House.

Who will be there?

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the chair of the Democratic Governors Association, will be at the White House for the meeting, joined by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, their offices confirmed to The Hill.

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Delaware Gov. John Carney will also be at the White House for the meeting, according to a source familiar.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy will be attending over Zoom, The Hill confirmed. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper will also be a virtual attendee, according to WNCN in Raleigh.

Democratic governors are proud to be some of the Presidents closest partners and allies on the campaign trail, Walz said in a statement to The Hill, adding, The president has worked side by side with us to deliver for the people of our states and were looking forward to talking with him today.

Whats on the agenda?

The White House on Tuesday did not preview what Biden plans to discuss to the governors, but press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted, I think theyll be important. Theyll hear from him. Hell hear from them.

A Biden campaign official said Wednesdays meeting will discuss the 2024 race and the urgency of defeating Donald Trump.

Democratic governors are some of the President and Vice Presidents most proactive and vocal supporters because theyve seen how the Biden-Harris Administrations accomplishments are directly benefiting their residents, the official told The Hill.

What governors have said so far

CNN reported Tuesday that Democratic governors held a call Monday without Biden, and a national Democratic official familiar with the call told The Hill it was organized by Walz.

The call only consisted of governors, and the Biden-Harris team was aware it took place, the official added.

Pritzker told CNN on Tuesday he had not yet spoken to Biden following the debate and suggested he would like to hear more from the incumbent.

When you come off a bad debate, you need to remind people why youre the right guy to elect, Pritzker said. Id like to see more. Theres no doubt about it.

Newsom, whose name has repeatedly been brought up as a potential replacement nominee should Biden step down, called the talk of replacing Biden unhelpful and unnecessary last week.

I am old fashioned, but on the substance Joe Biden won the debate last night. That is what matters to me, Newsom wrote in a Biden campaign fundraising pitch Friday, adding, We arent going to turn our backs because of one performance. What kind of party does that?

Beshear, one of the most popular governors in the country, said this week he will support Bidens reelection bid as long as he remains the Democratic candidate.

The debate performance was rough. It was a very bad night for the president, but he is still the candidate. Only he can make decisions about his future candidacy, so as long as he continues to be in the race, I support him, Beshear told reporters in a clip posted by CBS affiliate WLKY.

When asked if he has given any thought to replacing Biden, the Kentucky governor avoided directly answering the question and, when pressed again, he said, Its flattering when people mention your name in something like that, but I think its a reflection of all the good things going on in Kentucky.

Moore poured cold water over the prospect of Biden dropping out of the race and said he would not pursue the Democratic nomination should he do so.

Joe Biden is our nominee. Joe Biden is our leader. And Joe Biden has earned and Joe Biden deserves the confidence, the respect, and frankly, the partnership that we now have to provide to him, Moore told CBS Newss Face the Nation this week.

Whitmer, who has been considered among the top potential replacements for Biden, said she is proud to support Biden as the partys nominee and is 100 percent behind him.

Alex Gangitano and Julia Manchester contributed.

Updated at 12:50 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.
What to know about the Vaticans new tattoo rules

Pope Francis presides over a mass where he bestowed the Pallium, a woolen shawl symbolizing their bond to the pope, to 42 new Metropolitan Archbishops, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Saturday, June 29, 2024. New regulations from the Vatican bar workers in the basilica from having visible tattoos or piercings. | Domenico Stinellis

If you visit St. Peters Basilica at the Vatican anytime soon, dont expect to see many tattoos.

New regulations from the Vatican bar workers in the basilica from having visible tattoos or piercings, according to Crux, a Catholic news site.

They also cant have a criminal record, and they must be a member in good standing of the Catholic Church.

The rules apply to all employees of the basilica, who include artistic experts and architects in addition to the so-called Sampietrini, meaning laborers who carry out routine maintenance and operations, Crux reported.

The basilicas head of communications told Reuters that the new rules codify policies that were already in place in other forms.

Rules for visiting Vatican

Although the new tattoo rules dont apply to visitors to the Vatican, many guests already cover up their ink before walking into St. Peters Square or St. Peters Basilica.

Thats because the Vatican requires visitors to wear pants, shorts or skirts that go down at least to their knees and shirts that cover their shoulders and upper arms.

Guards in the area will check to confirm youre not wearing shorts or skirts above the knee, sleeveless tops, and low-cut shirts, according to Vatican City Tours.

Catholic teachings on tattoos

The Catholic Church does not have an official stance on tattoos.

However, that doesnt mean church members should feel free to get inked with any and every symbol under the sun, according to the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney.

The archdioceses article on tattoos notes that Catholics should take a thoughtful approach to tattooing and choose designs that communicate a positive message, rather than an offensive or morally problematic one.

It is not something to be rushed into, the article says.

During a 2018 meeting with young adults, Pope Francis was asked by a young seminarian about whether tattoos are a good or bad part of modern culture, according to Catholic News Service.

The pope responded that tattoos should be seen as an opportunity to begin a conversation about values and belonging.

Dont be afraid of tattoos, Pope Francis said, noting that Christians have been getting cross tattoos for centuries, per Catholic News Service.
Lim Jung-taek, consul general of Korea, presents an Ambassador for Peace Medal to Joyce Davis and her son, Cole Davis, on behalf of Joyces husband and Korean War veteran Denis Davis during a ceremony at the Korean War Memorial in Memory Grove Park in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

A senior South Korean official in Utah this week doesnt expect much change in the long-standing relationship between his country and the United States regardless of who occupies the White House after the November election.

Lim Jung-taek, consul general of South Korea in San Francisco, told the Deseret News in an interview that its kind of taboo to focus much on the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Both countries depend on each other in a mutually beneficial relationship that wont change with whomever is elected, he said.

I dont worry about the future of the bilateral relationship, Lim said, noting it goes back more than 70 years to the Korean War.

As consul general, Lims role is less political and more about advancing trade and cultural relationships, which is what brought him to Utah. He works to protect the rights of Koreans in the U.S. and promote his countrys economy and culture. His region covers northern California, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, where more than 280,000 Koreans work in various fields including high tech, law, medicine and the arts. About half are U.S. citizens.

On Wednesday, Lim presented Ambassador of Peace medals to the families of Korean War veterans at Memory Grove in Salt Lake City. On Tuesday, he attended a luncheon with Utah businesses put on by World Trade Center Utah and met with Gov. Spencer Cox, who is leading a trade mission to South Korea and Japan in September.

Utah-Korea relationship

Korea has had a long trade and cultural relationship with Utah. In fact, Korea is Utahs ninth largest export market and we share many of the same targeted industries, including life sciences, advanced manufacturing, tech, aerospace and financial services, said Jennifer Napier-Pearce, the governors spokesperson.

Coxs meeting with Lim focused on preparing for the trip, the Utah-Korea relationship and future areas for collaboration, she said.

Lim, who was appointed consul general in January, said he wants to take the trade relationship between Utah and South Korea to another level.

Jonathan Freedman, president and CEO of World Trade Center Utah, said there are lots of synergies, lots of excitement between Utah and Korea as the state strengthens its trade corridor with the East Asian nation. World Trade Center Utah, in partnership with the Governors Office of Economic Opportunity, is opening an office on the University of Utah Asia campus in Incheon, South Korea, this month.

Our intention is to help Utah companies grow internationally into that market ... but also work with the governors office to foster more direct investment to Utah from South Korea and Japan, he said.

Also, Delta Air Lines is exploring a nonstop flight between Salt Lake City and Seoul, Freedman said.

South Korea has the 13th largest economy in the world. The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting and supporting U.S. companies in doing business with Korean companies, has existed since 1962. Also, about 37% of overseas Korean startups operate in North America, of which around half are working in Silicon Valley.

Joyce Davis holds a framed portrait of her Korean War veteran husband Denis Davis, while her son, Cole Davis, puts a hand on her shoulder during a ceremony at the Korean War Memorial in Memory Grove Park, where Lim Jung-taek, consul general of Korea, presented Korean War veterans with Ambassador for Peace Medals in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

Trade and tensions in East Asia

The U.S. recently became the top destination for Korean investment as companies have turned away from China, Lim said, adding he expects the volume to increase in coming years.

Foreign direct investment or FDI by South Korean companies in China dropped 78.1% to $1.87 billion in 2023 compared with the previous year, according to data released by the Finance Ministry in March, per Bloomberg. China fell out of the top five destinations for South Korean FDI, with manufacturing leading the decline, the ministry said.

The U.S. is also close to overtaking China as the biggest destination for South Korean exports, which include everything from semiconductors to automobiles.

In the past, Korean companies invested a lot in the Chinese market. But because of the change of the international situation, Korean companies are moving their factories to other countries. The United States is one of the destinations Korean companies are going for, Lim said.

Lim said its difficult for Korea to navigate the growing tensions between the U.S. and China, though he added that Koreans have an opportunity to benefit from the rivalry between the two powers.

Korean people are juggling every day, he said.

Lim described the relationships between North Korea and South Korea as not good. Im worried about it getting worse. North Korea supplied Russia with artillery shells used to attack Ukraine and its development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles is quite worrisome, he said.

The Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice agreement, not a peace agreement, leaving the two governments on the peninsula officially still at war. Lim said about 28,000 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea.

The U.S. presence is very important in securing South Koreas stability, Lim said. In that sense, the alliance between Korea and the United States is very important. ... If we maintain that kind of strong relationship, North Korea cannot invade South Korea. Thats kind of the bedrock of South Koreas security.

Anthony G. Castro observes a moment of silence during a ceremony at the Korean War Memorial in Memory Grove Park, where Lim Jung-taek, consul general of Korea, presented Korean War veterans with Ambassador for Peace Medals in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

W. Glen Fairclough Jr. accepts a flower on behalf of his father and Korean War veteran Wayne Fairclough Sr. during a ceremony at the Korean War Memorial in Memory Grove Park, where Lim Jung-taek, consul general of Korea, presented Korean War veterans with Ambassador for Peace Medals in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

Lim Jung-taek, consul general of Korea, presents an Ambassador for Peace Medal to Gary R. Olsen, who accepted the medal on behalf of his Korean War veteran father Robert Earl Olsen during a ceremony at the Korean War Memorial in Memory Grove Park in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

Jeongae Green, president of the Korean American Federation of Utah, speaks during a ceremony at the Korean War Memorial in Memory Grove Park, where Lim Jung-taek, consul general of Korea, presented Korean War veterans with Ambassador for Peace Medals in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

Lim Jung-taek, consul general of Korea, speaks during a ceremony at the Korean War Memorial in Memory Grove Park, where he presented Korean War veterans with Ambassador for Peace Medals in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

Robert Mansfield, honorary consul to Korea, speaks at a ceremony at the Korean War Memorial in Memory Grove Park, where Lim Jung-taek, consul general of Korea, presented Korean War veterans with Ambassador for Peace Medals in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

Honoring Korean War veterans

On Wednesday at the Korean War memorial in Memory Grove, Lim presented Ambassador of Freedom medals to the families of seven Utah men who fought in the war.

About 74 years ago, young soldiers from diverse backgrounds bravely answered the call to support democracy and freedom of Korea against communist aggression, he said. Their bravery and sacrifice laid the foundation for Korea to emerge from the devastation of war and flourish into a beacon of democracy and economic prosperity.

The Korean government created the award several years ago to thank U.S. soldiers who served in the war. Robert Mansfield, honorary consul for South Korea in Utah, said hundreds of Utahns have received the medal so far and he hopes to get every veteran in the state.

Edward Holland, who died in 2014 at age 79, was among 21,500 Utahns who fought in the Korean War. His son, Bill Holland, accepted the medal on his behalf. Edward Holland joined the Navy at 17 and served on the USS Cunningham, a destroyer that engaged in combat along the coast of Korea.

Its nice to see they still remember all the sacrifices the guys made, Bill Holland said. He always credited the Navy with saving his life. It got his head straight forward. He was always very proud of his service.
FORT KNOX, Ky.  The remains of a Korean War veteran from Northeast Ohio, identified more than seven decades after he was declared missing in action, are now due to be buried on American soil, with full military honors.

U.S. Army Cpl. William J. Herrington, of Alliance, 19, was part of the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, during a series of major battles with the Chinese army in North Korea, according to a Wednesday news release from the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, which identified the mans remains two years ago.

Fireworks Guide 2024: Where to see July 4 displays in NE Ohio

Chinese Communist Forces had attacked U.S. and United Nations troops in the Chosin Reservoir, according to the release. The fighting lasted 17 days and is now known as the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir.

Herringtons regiment was defending the eastern side of the reservoir but was outnumbered and overwhelmed, reads the release. Facing roadblocks and under constant enemy fire, they were forced to withdraw on Dec. 1. Many men were captured or lost over the next two days, including Herrington, who did not regroup with his unit, according to the agency.

Three years later  months after an armistice stopped the fighting, but not the war, which has never formally ended  Army officials presumed Herrington to be dead. Three years after that, they determined his remains could not be recovered.

But in 2018, following a summit between Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and former president Donald Trump, the North Korean government turned over 55 boxes it claimed contained the remains of American servicemembers killed during the war, according to a news release. The agency used dental, anthropological and DNA analysis to identify his remains in August 2022.

See a turkey or grouse in Ohio? Report it

More than 7,600 U.S. veterans who served in the war went MIA or were captured and later declared dead, according to U.S. casualty records.

Herringtons remains are due to be interred this month at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, according to the release. His name on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu will soon feature a rosette, showing he has been accounted for. His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. The government of Azerbaijan plans to provide privileges to the companies following the Ecology, Society, and Governance (ESG) policy this year, Head of the Sector of the Department of Economic Policy and Industrial Issues of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan and Head of the Secretariat of the Business Environment and International Ratings Commission Vusal Shikhaliyev said, Trend reports.

He made the statement at the ESG Summit: Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in Baku.

Shikhaliyev emphasized the crucial role of integrating ESG elements into Azerbaijan's economy ahead of COP29.

"Conditions are being established in the country to encourage active participation in ESG practices. Enhancing the business environment to promote ESG elements remains a key priority for Azerbaijan," he added.

This November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the center of the world and will receive about 7080,000 foreign guests.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. COP - the Conference of the Parties - is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event took place in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
A hypersonic test bed built by Kratos took its first flight last month, launching experiments for the Missile Defense Agency and hitting speeds above Mach 5.

MDA announced the successful flight of its first Hypersonic Testbed, HTB-1, June 14, which took off from Wallops Island in Virginia. Not only did it provide a high-speed test platform for the agency, but it allowed its two missile tracking satellites  launched in February and designed to detect advanced threats  to catch their first tracks of a hypersonic vehicle.

While MDA did not provide details about which company built the system, Kratos confirmed last week that its Erinyes vehicle  named after the Greek goddess of vengeance  flew the mission.

The company developed Erinyes in three years for under $15 million with a mix of internal investment and congressional funding. According to Josh Peterson, senior vice president for space and missile defense systems at Kratos, the company built the system largely in response to concerns within the Defense Department that its existing hypersonic test infrastructure was overtaxed and not well positioned to meet demand.

Now, Erinyes is drawing significant attention from other potential customers within the Defense Department, Peterson and Dave Carter, president of Kratos defense and rocket support systems division, told C4ISRNET in a July 2 interview.

Theres been a lot of interest from numerous parties, Carter said.

Those possible customers include the Pentagon Test Resource Management Centers Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed, or MACH-TB. The program relies on vehicles like Rocket Labs HASTE and Stratolaunchs Talon-A to test components and subsystems in a realistic flight environment that mimics the conditions these systems might face as they fly and maneuver at Mach 5 and higher speeds.

Kratos is already involved with MACH-TB as a subcontractor, providing sounding rockets to the programs prime contractor Leidos. Carter highlighted the vehicles affordability  a single Erinyes costs around $5 million, not including the rocket motor that powers it or any other customer-specific requirements  and said he expects it to play a key role in the program moving forward, potentially flying MACH-TB experiments in 2025 or 2026.

In the meantime, the company is eyeing its second flight for MDA, which is slated for later this year.

Beyond Erinyes, Kratos hypersonic development work includes a range of services for commercial, DOD and classified national security customers. The company started out using its sounding rocket technology to provide targeting capabilities to MDA and the Naval Surface Warfare Center in support of its Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System.

It has since supported various hypersonic experiments and is now on contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory for its Mayhem program, which is developing a hypersonic ISR and strike platform.

Kratos is also developing a line of rocket motors called Zeus, designed to provide greater thrust and range at a lower cost. The company sees the system as a response to a need within the defense and commercial markets for affordable launch vehicle propulsion.

Zeus will fly this year on an undisclosed mission, Carter said, and will eventually be a propulsion option for Erinyes.

We think it will provide some additional capabilities for both our target missions and probably even more capability for our Erinyes vehicle, he said. Itll give it the additional horsepower to do more sophisticated things.
Ky. Man is Killed in Gun Shop After Fellow Customer Accidentally Shoots Him While Manipulating Firearm

Chad Wainscott, 50, died over the weekend after another customer discharged a firearm at a Carroll County gun store

Chad Wainscott/Facebook Chad Wainscott.

A 50-year-old man from Kentucky has died after a fellow customer in the gun store he was in accidentally discharged a firearm.

On Saturday, June 29, at approximately 8:30 p.m., Chad Wainscott, from Worthville, was fatally shot at a shop located at 1496 Whites Run Rd. in Carroll County, Kentucky State Police (KSP) confirmed in a news release.

The release said that state police had been investigating the shooting death after officers were called to the scene over the weekend.

According to the release, police "located the victim inside the store receiving treatment by EMS for a gunshot wound."

Chad Wainscott/Facebook Chad Wainscott.

"The preliminary investigation indicates that a customer in the store was viewing a firearm for sale and manipulating it when a single round discharged, striking the victim, who was also in the store," it added.

"Other store patrons immediately attempted life-saving measures. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries," the release continued.

Police confirmed the "individual in physical control of the firearm at the time it discharged is cooperating with investigators, and witnesses at the scene have been interviewed."

The release said no foul play is suspected and no charges are pending at this time.

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.



Per an obituary on the Tandy-Eckler-Riley Funeral Home website, Wainscott was "a beloved member of [the] Wheatley and Carrollton communities."

"Chad's warm smile and infectious personality will be dearly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him," the post read, adding that the victim was a father of two and had a grandson he "adored."

"Over the last several years he had just enjoyed working on the farm with his dad," the message said of Wainscott, adding, "His love for the outdoors defined him."



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Ukraine has no plans currently to exchange Vadim Shishimarin  the first Russian soldier convicted of war crimes after the start of the full-scale invasion  in a prisoner swap with Moscow, the Prosecutor General's Office said.

A court in Kyiv sentenced in May 2022 Shishimarin, a 21-year-old sergeant, to life in prison in the first verdict related to war crimes committed by Russia during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to the prosecution, in late February 2022, Shishimarin killed a 62-year-old civilian in Ukraines northern Sumy Oblast during Moscows retreat. Shishimarin's prison sentence was later reduced to 15 years.

Kyiv denied a request by Russia to include the soldier in a prisoner swap as it is currently not planning to exchange him, War Crimes Department Head in the General Prosecutor's Office Yurii Belousov told Ukrinform. He also said that Kyiv has not ruled out swapping him in the future.



According to Belousov, 17 Russian servicemen have been sentenced by Ukrainian courts for war crimes. A possible exchange of each of them is being considered separately, he added.

"If our people were not there (in Russia's captivity), the issue would be different, but if we consider that our people are there, then this must be taken into account," Belousov said.

"I do not rule out the possibility that such swaps could potentially take place. But, according to the general rules, we do not exchange those who have committed serious crimes, because this is the principled position of the Prosecutor General's Office."

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.

One hundred Ukrainians, 90 soldiers and 10 civilians, were released during the last prisoner swap, which concluded on June 28. A total of 3,310 Ukrainians have been freed from Russian captivity.

Read also: Ombudsman: More than 14,000 Ukrainian civilians in Russian captivity

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
L.A. County Supervisors Janice Hahn and Lindsey Horvath announced Wednesday that they plan to ask voters to overhaul the county government in November. (Rebecca Ellis)

Voters could be asked to dramatically reshape how Los Angeles County is governed by nearly doubling the size of the Board of Supervisors and creating an elected position to oversee day-to-day operations.

On Wednesday, Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn announced the proposal, which would require approval by the five-member board to get before voters in November.

Horvath, the newest member of the board, said she has become convinced in her first year in office that five supervisors cannot effectively represent a population larger than most states. Each supervisor oversees a district of about 2 million people.

Under the proposed charter amendment, the number of supervisors would increase to nine. The county chief executive, who manages the county government and oversees its budget, would be elected by voters instead of appointed by the board. And the county would create an independent ethics commission to root out corruption by officials.

The proposal would require the supervisors, sometimes referred to as the five little queens because of their unglamorous but powerful jobs governing the nation's largest county, to give up some of their individual power as their districts shrink to accommodate more colleagues.

It could also result in a more racially diverse board in a county that is nearly 50% Latino. The current board is all female, with three white supervisors, one Latina supervisor and one Black supervisor. L.A. County has never had an Asian American supervisor.

The last time the county meaningfully changed its form of governance was in 1912, before women had the right to vote, Horvath said at a sweltering Wednesday news conference. These [changes] are not radical. They are long overdue.

In 1912, the year voters adopted a charter, L.A. County's population was about 500,000. It is now 10 million.

Horvath and Hahn said they plan to introduce a motion on Tuesday directing county lawyers to draft an amendment to the charter that could be put on the November ballot.

Two of their colleagues, Supervisors Hilda Solis and Holly Mitchell, have previously introduced proposals aimed at changing the county's governance structure, albeit at a slower pace.

There are no estimates for how much the changes could cost, Horvath and Hahn said Wednesday, though they vowed that residents' taxes would not go up to pay for the overhaul, which would necessitate additional salaries for the new supervisors. Each supervisor makes about $280,000 a year.

Itll be a tight race to get the charter amendment on the November ballot. If the motion passes next Tuesday, it must come back to the board twice more for votes on the language. Horvaths spokesperson, Constance Farrell, said the plan is for those votes to take place July 30 and Aug. 6.

The final board vote would have to happen before Aug. 9 to make the November ballot.

The full-tilt timeline, if successful, would stand in stark contrast to the city of L.A.'s more plodding process for charter reform. In June, the City Council voted to create a citizen's commission that would look at expanding the size of the council, among other changes. The earliest the proposals could go before voters would be November 2026.

The county has completely and totally leapfrogged the city, said Fernando Guerra, director for the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University, who submitted research to the city for its charter reform efforts. Kudos to the county for not bogging it down by studying it to death.

Although the timeline to get the measure on the ballot is short, the idea of overhauling county government dates back decades. Since 1970, numerous studies have looked at how to make county government more representative, with many recommending an elected executive or more supervisors.

"The main items have been proposed for decades ... and I mean many decades," said Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of the Haynes Foundation, which funds research on governance in greater Los Angeles. "It looked like it had pretty much stalled."

Even if the measure gets on the ballot  and voters support it  it could be years before the biggest changes are realized. The deadline to create an independent ethics commission would be 2026, according to the motion. The county chief executive would be elected by 2028. The nine-supervisor structure would not start until 2032, following a redistricting process.

Voters, typically uneasy about the idea of paying more politicians, have spurned the idea of expanding the Board of Supervisors eight times since 1926. Most recently, in 2000, 64% of voters rejected increasing the board to nine.

This time is different, said Hahn, noting that her father, longtime supervisor Kenneth Hahn, had pushed for similar reforms.

Horvath's office provided reporters with a poll conducted for the county by the firm FM3 Research, which surveyed about 850 likely voters. Roughly nine of 10 said they believed there was a need for reform. Three out of four said they would support a measure to expand the board.

The poll also suggested strong support for some of the smaller changes Horvath and Hahn want to make, including requiring that county departments present their budgets in public meetings and barring former elected officials and staff from lobbying the county for two years after leaving office.

The timing may be right for this, said Zev Yaroslavsky, who supported board expansion during his two decades as a county supervisor. Theres much more public attention on governance than there has been in the last half century.

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.
Your wealth is about to be surrendered to socialist Starmer

Labour's conspiracy of silence when challenged over tax rises is a loud clue that anything is possible - Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Labour has sold itself to British voters as the party of wealth creation and growth. And now we know why.

To Labour, more household wealth means more money to tax. The party believes that your personal wealth  no matter how it was earned  is fair game.

In a leaked recording, a shadow frontbencher said he expected the political consensus to be that inheritance tax should be used to address intergenerational inequality. Darren Jones, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, told a public meeting that the death duty was a way to redistribute wealth.

The publics political lethargy and resentment following years of disappointing Conservative rule has now left Britain vulnerable to exactly this sort of socialism. And with a large majority, Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves will consider themselves to have a mandate to tax how and what they see fit.

An inheritance tax raid under Labour is a very real threat and would be an unforgivable abuse of power.

Telegraph Money has campaigned to abolish inheritance tax simply because it now hurts all the wrong people while the super-rich negotiate their way around it with ease. Thanks to a deep freeze on tax allowances under the Tories, more and more middle class families are being hit by inheritance tax at 40pc.

Over the next Parliament, the number of estates forced to pay it is forecast to rise by 50pc.

Much of this is down to the house price boom, but the death tax takes no consideration of how that property was paid for or how much mortgage interest was paid. Inheritance tax is a lazy assault on family wealth.

Politicians should consider your money as just that  your money. They have no right to redistribute wealth. Yet Labour believes it is entitled to grab hold of it and fritter it away on the wasteful public sector.

Taxes on wealth always backfire. Raids on riches will drive top taxpayers out of Britain and kill off any hope of growth.

Sir Keir will inherit a recovering economy and a tax burden that has not been higher for more than 70 years. There is really no excuse for radical tax reforms and attacks on wealth.

Labours conspiracy of silence when challenged over tax rises is a loud clue that anything is possible. But there is hope. Labour has sensibly backtracked on plans to reinstate the tax-free lifetime allowance on pension savings.

The party now needs to ensure it consults on its ill-judged plan to add VAT to private school fees. If it listens properly, theres a good chance this spiteful policy will also be dropped.

If Labour is granted the luxury of a landslide, Sir Keir must use that power responsibly. A death tax raid would be a terrible abuse of that power and the faith of British voters.

Otherwise, those who clamoured for change will soon find out that it could cost them dearly.

ben.wilkinson@telegraph.co.uk

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.
Labour is deploying activists in seats with large Muslim populations in an attempt to stave off challenges by pro-Palestine candidates.

The party is telling volunteers to stay and campaign in 23 seats where Muslims make up more than 10 per cent of the population, according to a website where activists put in their postcode and are advised where to focus their efforts.

It is also deploying activists from outside the area in two seats that it won in 2019 in Oldham East and Saddleworth, which is 21 per cent Muslim, and neighbouring Rochdale, where Left-wing firebrand George Galloway is running on a pro-Palestine ticket for his Workers Party of Britain.

Si Keir Starmer has been criticised by some traditional Labour supporters for only gradually shifting the partys position towards supporting a ceasefire in Gaza. His stance led to 10 frontbenchers quitting in November.

Tough challenges in Oldham East and Saddleworth

Since its council losses in some Muslim areas the party has explicitly said it was committed to recognising Palestine as a state  though many feel it should go further by backing an end to arms sales to Israel.

In the May local elections, Labour lost control of Oldham council, which it had held for more than 13 years, after ceding seats to three independent councillors who ran on a pro-Palestine platform.

In Oldham East, Workers Party candidate Shanaz Saddique is eating into the Labour vote while Nigel Farages Reform UK is taking chunks out of the Tory vote. UKIP got nearly 20 per cent of the vote in the traditionally Labour seat in 2015.

Ms Saddique, who was a life-long Labour member until she joined the Workers Party in 2021, told The Financial Times she believed there was a credible chance she would win the seat, noting that losing control of the council was a huge slap in the face for Labour.

This community has historically blindly followed Labour as a working class socialist party, now they feel the party doesnt represent them, she said.

Labour MP Debbie Abrahams has been circulating leaflets defending her record on the conflict in Gaza, having been one of the first MPs to call for a ceasefire, well ahead of her partys front bench. She said she voted for the recognition of Palestinian statehood in 2014.

One of the highest profile contests is in Birmingham Ladywood where shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood is fighting a threat from the independent candidate Akhmed Yakoob who has 195,600 followers on TikTok, almost as many as Labours official account.

Labour's highest profile Muslim woman Shabana Mahmood faces a stiff challenge in her Birmingham Ladywood seat from independent candidate Akhmed Yakoob - Tony Buckingham for The Telegraph

The contest is said to be tighter than Labour would like, but the party believes it can win. Mr Yakoob nearly derailed Labours campaign for West Midlands mayor in May when he came third with 69,621 votes.

Ms Mahmood, the most senior Muslim woman in British politics, fought behind the scenes last winter to help shift Sir Keirs position towards being more critical of Israel.

Pro-Palestine campaigners are not expecting to seize many seats from Labour but hope to come a strong second in a sufficient number of seats to pressure the party leadership into taking a tougher stance on the Gaza conflict.

Abubakr Nanabawa, co-ordinator for The Muslim Vote, a campaign group, said: If you look at 2015 when [David] Cameron promised a referendum, Ukip hadnt won any seats but it shifted the dialogue.

If these people come second in many areas, the party will need to figure out how they can maintain those voters in their electoral coalition.

A Labour spokesperson said the party was a diverse and proud community and we are working tirelessly to win the trust of voters across the country.

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 average monthly rent being asked outside London has hit a record high of 1,316, according to property website Rightmove.

The new record across Britain excluding the capital means that average advertised rents outside London are around 7pc higher than a year earlier, according to the analysis over May.

In London, the average advertised rent is 2,652 per month, which is 4pc higher than a year earlier, the website said.

Rightmove said the next government should accelerate housebuilding and incentivise landlords to invest in more homes for tenants, to improve the supply and demand imbalance in the rental market and stabilise yearly rent growth.

Both Labour and the Tories have vowed to reform the rental market, in addition to pledges to accelerate housebuilding.

The Renters Reform Bill proposed by Michael Gove, the former housing secretary, was shelved last month when Parliament was dissolved ahead of the election.

The bill was paused amid pressure from landlord MPs and the Government vowed not to ban so-called no-fault evictions until the courts were reformed.

The Conservatives manifesto pledges to deliver the court reforms necessary to fully abolish Section 21 and strengthen other grounds for landlords to evict private tenants guilty of anti-social behaviour.

Labour has said it will immediately abolish Section 21 no fault evictions. It also said it wants to prevent private renters being exploited and discriminated against, empower them to challenge unreasonable rent increases and take steps to decisively raise standards.

Rightmove said the pace of growth in rental prices has eased from its peak of 12pc two years ago but remained significantly higher than the more normal level of around 2pc per year seen before the coronavirus pandemic.

It added that an improvement in the balance between supply and demand in London has contributed to a slowing of rental price growth. By contrast, Scotland is currently the hardest hit by supply and demand imbalances, Rightmove said.

Tim Bannister, a property expert at Rightmove, said: Weve been talking about the imbalance between supply and demand in the rental market for a long time now so its easy to forget that there was a time before the pandemic where rental price growth was more stable.

Nathan Emerson, chief executive of property professionals body Propertymark, said: Propertymark has long argued that the private rental sector needs more houses to stabilise rental prices but there is a myriad of other factors that can contribute towards making the market more attractive for both investors and tenants.

With a general election coming this week Propertymark would like to see the next government reform the tax system so that more investors can be persuaded to invest in the private rental sector and lower rents for tenants in the long term.

Whilst we support a greater supply of houses, there has to be a sensible deliverable programme mindful of protecting the green belt wherever possible.

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 last polls are out and all predict disaster for the Tories

Rishi Sunak during a visit to Braishfield Primary School in Romsey, Hampshire, on July 3 - PA

Labour is set to clinch an unprecedented super-majority as the Tories crash to their worst-ever result, the final megapolls of the election show.

Three MRP surveys released on Wednesday afternoon all predict that Sir Keir Starmer is on course to enter No 10 with a majority of more than 200.

In contrast the Tories would be reduced to a rump of just over 100 MPs  a historic low for the party  as a slew of Cabinet ministers lose their seats.

The final polls paint a dire picture for Rishi Sunak and come after one of his own top team admitted that Labour is destined for a huge victory.

Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, warned that Sir Keir was on course to win the largest majority any party has ever achieved.

MRP surveys  standing for multilevel regression and poststratification  involve taking a much larger sample size than for normal polls and using a formula to calculate projected results for all 650 seats.

They are considered more reliable than conventional polls and have correctly forecast recent elections including the surprise 2017 hung parliament.

Here The Telegraph looks at the final three megapolls of the campaign.

More in Common

Result: Lab 430, Con 126, Lib Dem 52, SNP 16

More in Commons survey, which was carried out for The News Agents podcast, finds that Labour is set for a landslide majority of 210.

The Tories would be reduced to just 126 seats with Cabinet ministers including Jeremy Hunt, Grant Shapps and Johnny Mercer being ousted.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats would have their best night since 2010, returning 52 MPs.

In Scotland, the scandal-hit SNP would suffer heavy losses with its representation in Westminster slashed by two-thirds from 48 to 16.

Reform would win only two seats despite getting 13pc of the vote, with Nigel Farage triumphing in Clacton and Lee Anderson holding on in Ashfield.

The poll is the third MRP published by More in Common and shows how the Tory position has deteriorated throughout the election campaign.

In the first survey published on June 3, the Conservatives were set to win 180 seats, while in the second one released on June 19 they were on 155.

Labour has been the main party to profit, with its projected number of MPs rising from 382 in the first survey to 406 in the second and now 430.

Focaldata

Result: Lab 444, Con 108, Lib Dem 57, SNP 15

Focaldata released the second MRP poll which showed the Conservatives suffering an even worse result, hanging on to only 108 seats.

The pollster predicted that Labour will return 444 MPs to Parliament, which would give Sir Keir a historic supermajority of 238.

On a cataclysmic night for the Tories, the silver lining would be leadership contenders Penny Mordaunt and James Cleverly narrowly clinging on.

Like the More in Common survey, Focaldatas also predicts a surge for Sir Ed Daveys Lib Dems, poised to win 57 seats.

Its wins would mostly come across the Blue Wall and would include taking the constituencies of Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, and Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary.

The SNP would be reduced to 15 seats while Reform would win two, though according to this survey, Mr Farage would suffer defeat in Clacton.

It is the second MRP poll that Focaldata has published. The first, on June 24, produced a similar result with the Tories on 210 seats and Labour on 450.

YouGov

Result: Lab 431, Con 102, Lib Dem 72, SNP 18

The final MRP poll was published by YouGov and it is the worst of the three for the Tories, who are projected to barely scrape into three figures.

According to the pollsters, the Conservatives will win just 102 seats leaving Labour with a majority of 212  the largest for any party since 1832.

Sir Keir would sit at the head of 431 MPs, the largest number in Labour history.

It would be the worst-ever result for the Tories with a dozen Cabinet ministers losing their seats under this projection, including Ms Mordaunt.

Mr Sunaks party would be squeezed from both sides with the Lib Dems winning 72 seats, while Reform UK would take three constituencies.

The SNP would be reduced to 18 seats as Labour mounted a comeback in Scotland, with all three polls predicting a bad night for the nationalists.

It is the third MRP of the campaign published by YouGov and yet again the trend shows that Tory support has ebbed away over the past six weeks.

In the first survey released on June 3 the party was on track to win 140 seats, while in the second one on June 19 it was projected to hold on to 108.

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.
Lancaster man allegedly sold over 2 pounds of drugs, hundreds of pills to informant for over a year

Lancaster man allegedly sold over 2 pounds of drugs, hundreds of pills to informant for over a year

LANCASTER, Pa. (WHTM)  A Lancaster man is facing charges for allegedly selling more than two pounds of cocaine and fentanyl to a confidential informant for over a year.

According to charges filed by the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Robinson Pinales is being charged with 21 felonies after an investigation began in November 2022.

The Attorney Generals office learned of drugs being sold, allegedly by Pinales, and received a phone number that matched Pinales. A confidential informant met Pinales more than a dozen times from November 2022 until April 2024 where he purchased over 1,100 grams of fentanyl and cocaine.

The Attorney Generals office says Pinales also sold a stolen firearm and hundreds of pills during the controlled purchases. During the purchases, the informant used pre-recorded money and at times wore an audio recording device.

Pinales is facing charges including delivery of a controlled substance and criminal conspiracy. Hes being held in the Lancaster County Prison after being unable to post $500,000 bail.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A 1-year-old boy died after ingesting fentanyl, leading prosecutors to charge his mother with second-degree murder, documents said.

Kiera McCall, 31, faces the charge in the death of her son, Mathias McCall, documents said.

On June 6, 2023, paramedics responded to a residence near Lake Mead and Nellis boulevards for a report of an unresponsive child. Three days later, Mathias died at the hospital. The Clark County coroners office determined he died from the toxic effects of fentanyl, a spokesperson said. His manner of death was ruled accidental.

A witness told officers who responded to the initial call that McCall appeared high while paramedics tended to her son and that she said the baby might have gotten into some heroin under the bed, documents said.

FILE  A vial containing 2mg of fentanyl, is displayed at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Testing and Research Laboratory in Sterling, Va., Aug. 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)

In an interview with police, McCall said she uses marijuana and edibles but not in the house, documents said. She also denied having any drugs in the apartment but said she had used heroin before.

When asked about any other narcotics, she stated her roommate uses heroin, documents said. Kiera stated she had previously found little pieces of heroin in the home and had swept them up while cleaning. In an interview with police, the roommate denied using heroin.

After obtaining a search warrant, police searched the apartment, finding several items with suspected drug residue, a smoking pipe and other drug paraphernalia, documents said.

Police did not provide other information about how they believe the child got access to fentanyl, other than saying they suspect McCall was the only person who could have made it available to him, documents said.

A now-closed GoFundMe page indicates Machias organs went to help save other childrens lives.

Metro police arrested McCall on Wednesday, June 26, more than a year after her sons death, records said. During McCalls probable cause hearing in Las Vegas Justice Court on Tuesday, Judge Rebecca Saxe declined setting bail. McCall did not appear in court due to medical reasons for her scheduled initial appearance on Tuesday. The hearing was postponed until July 9.

In 2023, 302 people died from overdoses involving fentanyl in Clark County  a 28% increase from 2022.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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, July 3. Azerbaijan will present its fourth voluntary national review (VNR) of actions on the climate agenda in New York at the UN headquarters on July 15, the country's Deputy Economy Minister Sahib Mammadov said, Trend reports.

He made the statement at the ESG Summit: Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in Baku today.

"We'll be one of five countries in the world to present the fourth voluntary report on climate commitments in New York on July 15. We are also among the few countries in the world that have presented seven national reports on sustainable development," emphasized Mammadov.

Touching on the topic of today's ESG summit, he noted that proper governance is a fundamental pillar of Azerbaijan's sustainable development program.

According to him, by implementing the "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals," the government not only creates prospects for inclusive and sustainable economic growth but also opens new opportunities for strengthening multilateral cooperation with the private sector.

"By establishing partnerships with private sector leaders who share our values, we strengthen governance systems and uphold the highest standards of corporate responsibility," the deputy minister said.

Regarding accountability and transparency in ESG (environmental, social, and governance), Mammadov said that implementing ESG principles involves integrating sustainable and responsible business practices into the country's corporate and financial systems.

"The government of Azerbaijan recognizes the crucial importance of ESG factors for businesses, investors, and policymakers as they assess the long-term viability and impact of economic activities. In this context, last year the Ministry of Economy launched a project in collaboration with UNDP to promote the ESG system in Azerbaijan," the deputy minister said.

Mammadov mentioned that the goal of this project is to foster responsible corporate behavior, ultimately supporting the Azerbaijani government in optimizing resource allocation for national development goals in line with the 2030 Agenda.

"The project aims to create an Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) to assist the Azerbaijani government in effectively managing and mobilizing private, public, and international financing to achieve sustainable development outcomes," he explained.

The official also said that ESG serves as a platform for intensifying actions and accelerating progress towards achieving the SDGs.

"Through dialogue, cooperation, and shared responsibility, we can unlock new growth opportunities while protecting our planet and improving the well-being of all people," added the deputy minister.

To note, the previous, third VNR on sustainable development was presented by Azerbaijan at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in July 2021, outlining the country's progress and challenges in implementing the SDGs, with a focus on building back better from the COVID-19 pandemic, fostering economic growth, and promoting sustainable development.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
UPDATE: Police initially said DUI was suspected in the crash. However, since the initial report investigators say that is no longer suspected. References to the suspected DUI have been removed from this article.

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A Las Vegas officer and a citizen were hospitalized after a driver crashed into them, according to police.

On Tuesday around 6:25 p.m., police said an officer was in front of a convenience store near Boulder Highway and Desert Inn Road talking to a citizen when a vehicle, traveling westbound on Lamb Boulevard at a high rate of speed, drove onto the property.

The vehicle crashed into the officer and citizen. Both sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Police initially suspected that drugs or alcohol may have played a part in the crash. However, they have since said the driver did not show signs of impairment.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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)  A teenager already facing an open murder charge in the deadly shooting of a 16-year-old also faces charges in an unrelated hit-and-run that left a man with critical injuries.

On Wednesday, June 26, at around 2:30 a.m., police responded to a hit-and-run crash at the intersection of North Pecos and East Bonanza roads.

Police said a 2017 Kia Sol was driving south on Pecos Road toward the Bonanza intersection, where a 2017 Honda Pilot was driving east. The Honda Pilot had a green light.

The driver of the Kia, later identified as Doir Jenkins, 18, entered the intersection against a red light and crossed into the path of the Honda, causing the Honda to hit the Kia, which rotated. Debris from the Kia hit a Nissan Altima that was stopped at the red light.

Booking photo of Doir Jenkins provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

A passenger from the Kia was ejected from the vehicle and was later found in the roadway. The driver and other passengers of the Kia left the area after the crash.

Charges filed against Jenkins indicate the Kia was stolen.

Medical personnel took the ejected passenger, a 19-year-old man, to a local hospital in critical condition. The driver of the Honda was also transported with injuries but was released.

Police arrested Jenkins on an open murder charge the same day as the hit-and-run crash, which appears to be unrelated.

Jenkins, along with Robert Saulsberry, 17, and an unnamed 14-year-old, face charges of open murder, robbery, and conspiracy to commit murder.

The three teenagers are accused of shooting 16-year-old Jovan Wright Bullock to death in front of his home in the 2300 block of Goldhill Way near Vegas Drive and MLK Boulevard in May, police said.

Witnesses told police the shooting had to do with an argument over a gun, police documents said.

Jenkins faces charges of possessing a stolen vehicle, duty to stop at the scene of an accident, and driving without a license in the hit-and-run crash.

He was being held at the Clark County Detention Center without bail. His next court appearance 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 KLAS.
This is a locator map for Lebanon with its capital, Beirut. (AP Photo)

Israel killed a senior commander in the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Wednesday, the second top field leader killed in less than a month, and the group said it retaliated by firing scores of rockets at Israeli military positions near the border.

The Israeli military estimated that around 100 rockets were fired, and said there were no reports of casualties.

International diplomats are scrambling to prevent the near-daily clashes between Israel and Hezbollah from spiraling into an all-out war that could possibly lead to a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran, which is Hezbollah's main backer. Hezbollah says it will stop its attacks once Israel agrees to a cease-fire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Some Israeli officials have said they are seeking a diplomatic solution to the standoff and hope to avoid war. At the same time, they have warned that the scenes of destruction seen in Gaza will be repeated in Lebanon if war breaks out. Hezbollah, meanwhile, is far more powerful than Hamas and believed to have a vast arsenal of rockets and missiles capable of striking anywhere in Israel.

The nearly nine-month war in Gaza has caused massive devastation across the besieged territory and displaced most of its 2.3 million people, often multiple times. Israels military estimated Tuesday that around 1.9 million people are now clustered into the territorys central region.

Evacuees have been told by Israel to seek refuge in an overcrowded coastal area filled with sprawling tent camps where there are few basic services. Israeli restrictions, the ongoing fighting and the breakdown of law and order have curtailed humanitarian aid efforts, causing widespread hunger and sparking fears of famine. The top U.N. court has concluded there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza  a charge Israel strongly denies.

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 37,900 people in Gaza, according to the territory's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.

Currently:

 Israel turbocharges West Bank settlement expansion with largest land grab in decades.

 Israeli strike kills another senior Hezbollah commander as diplomats scramble for calm in Lebanon.

 A strike kills a family in Gaza as an Israeli evacuation order sparks panicked flight from Khan Younis.

 Hezbollahs deputy leader says the group would stop fighting with Israel after a Gaza cease-fire.

 Lebanese authorities charge U.S. Embassy shooter with affiliation to militant Islamic State group.

 Irans presidential candidates talk economic sanctions and nuclear deal ahead of their runoff election.

 Follow APs coverage of the war in Gaza at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.

Heres the latest:

UN is struggling to get aid to 250,000 Palestinians that Israel ordered to evacuate this week

UNITED NATIONS  Many of the 250,000 Palestinians that Israel ordered to evacuate from the Gaza Strips second-largest city Khan Younis are heading toward already overcrowded areas near the sea where there is not enough water and no toilets, a senior U.N. official says.

Andrea De Domenico, head of the U.N. humanitarian office for the Palestinian territories, told reporters on Wednesday that it is a major challenge to even bring food to the two main places Palestinians are going: Muwasi, the coastal area designated by the Israeli army as a safe zone, and the nearby city of Deir al-Balah.

He stressed that Gaza is unique  the only place in the world where people cannot find a safe refuge, and cant leave the frontline. Even in so-called safe areas there are bombings, he said in a news conference from Jerusalem.

De Domenico said Mondays Israeli evacuation order from much of Khan Younis also included the locations the U.N. was planning for new warehouses, which are desperately needed since the main U.N. warehouses in the southern city of Rafah are off-limits because of ongoing Israeli military operations in that area and the closing of Rafahs border crossing to Egypt.

De Domenico said the U.N. is hoping to reach an agreement with Israeli authorities that the area for the new warehouses will be protected and not hit by the military operation that could unfold in the coming hours.

Then, he said, the U.N. could possibly restart humanitarian operations in the area.

De Domenico said the U.N. is now able to meet basic needs in northern Gaza but getting aid into the south has been very problematic for the last four weeks, partially due to the internal criminality linked to the smuggling of cigarettes.

That has become  the biggest challenge we have, he said.

De Domenico explained that the U.N. has tried to find logistical solutions to deliver aid, but there is no logistical solution to a political problem which resonates with the lack of law and order.

Hamas has responded to the most recent cease-fire proposal, an official with the group says

Beirut  Hamas political official Bassem Naim confirmed Wednesday that the Palestinian militant group had responded to the most recent cease-fire proposal submitted to the mediators.

He said Hamas had not outrightly rejected or accepted a deal, which was recently amended by the United States, but responded with some ideas to bridge the gap between the two sides. He declined to say what amendments Hamas had proposed.

Israels Mossad intelligence service said it received Hamass response to the ceasefire and was examining it.

The latest proposal has new language the U.S. proposed to other intermediaries Egypt and Qatar last week, according to a senior Biden administration official who requested anonymity to discuss an effort the White House has yet to publicly unveil.

The new language addresses negotiations that are to start between Israel and Hamas during the first phase of a three-phase deal that U.S. President Joe Biden laid out nearly a month ago.

The first phase calls for a full and complete cease-fire, a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all densely populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages, including women, older people and the wounded. In exchange, Israel would release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The proposal called for the parties to negotiate the terms of the second phase during the 42 days of phase one. Under the current proposal, Hamas could release all of the remaining men, both civilians and soldiers, during that phase. In return, Israel could free an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The releases would not occur until sustainable calm takes effect and all Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza.

___

Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed.

United Nations lowers its estimate of Gaza's population from 2.3 million people to about 2.1 million

UNITED NATIONS  The U.N. humanitarian community in Gaza is lowering its estimate of the population in the territory from roughly 2.3 million people to about 2.1 million.

Andrea De Domenico, who heads the U.N. humanitarian office for the Palestinian territories, said that nine months into the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the U.N. for the sole purpose of humanitarian planning lowered the pre-war population estimate of a little less than 2.3 million, based on two numbers it has.

He said that 110,000 people have left Gaza and crossed into Egypt since October, according to the border authority, and more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to the Gaza health authority.

This doesnt preclude that some people who left might come back, De Domenico told a U.N. press conference from Jerusalem. But just for our programming purposes, as the humanitarian community, we estimate that the population present in Gaza comprises about 2.1 million people.

Israeli settlers cut water pipes to a Palestinian village in the West Bank that they've assaulted repeatedly in the past week

JERUSALEM  A group of Israeli settlers returned to the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair in the southern West Bank on Wednesday, cutting the villages water pipes and leaving some 200 Palestinians there without access to water.

It was the fourth settler assault on the village  some violent  in the past week and comes days after a quarter of the village was left homeless when Israeli authorities demolished their homes.

One video obtained by The Associated Press from a local resident showed a group of about five settlers tampering with the villages water pipe, the water spilling out onto the ground. In another video, two Israeli soldiers look on as the settlers cluster around the pipe.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

Residents of the village see the actions of Israeli forces and settlers over the past week as an overt attempt to push them from the land they've called home since they were expelled from the Negev desert in what is now Israel during the 1948 war around the country's creation. The 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank live under seemingly open-ended Israeli military rule.

Since Wednesday, international and Israeli activists have flocked to the village in an attempt to protect the Palestinians there, but it has not stopped near-daily settler onslaughts. A confrontation Monday turned violent, with settlers wielding tear gas and sticks sent six Palestinians to the hospital, residents said.

Rights groups say settler violence has mounted in the West Bank during the Israel-Hamas war.

Israeli settlers attack military forces trying to clear an outpost in the West Bank

JERUSALEM  Israels military said masked Israeli settlers attacked its forces who were attempting to evacuate an illegal outpost in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.

Settlers hurled an explosive at a vehicle belonging to the military body in charge of civilian affairs in the West Bank, leaving its dashboard cracked, the army said.

The militarys chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said the episode was a severe, violent incident, that must be denounced and condemned, calling for the rioters to face legal repercussions.

Israeli media reported that the settlers had clashed with Israeli forces late into the night Tuesday, burning tires and hurling stones at the officers.

The military and border police were trying to evacuate the Oz Zion outpost in the northern West Bank, which was established illegally in 2021. Outposts are small structures built without authorization from the Israeli government, and rights groups say theyre some of the largest drivers of violence toward Palestinians in the occupied territory.

Israel has built well over 100 settlements across the West Bank, some of which resemble fully developed suburbs or small towns. They are home to over 500,000 Jewish settlers who have Israeli citizenship.

The settlement tracking group Peace Now said Wednesday that Israel has approved the largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in over three decades.

The international community largely views all settlements as illegal and an obstacle to peace. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric, when asked for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reaction to the latest land seizure, said: Frankly, its a step in the wrong direction  and the direction we want to be heading is to find a negotiated two-state solution.

UN is talking with Israel about aid teams' communication needs in Gaza, but won't confirm reports about using Elon Musks Starlink satellite service

UNITED NATIONS  The United Nations says its talking to Israel about its communications needs in Gaza and is looking for a system that doesnt rely on cellular networks.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told The Associated Press on Wednesday that communications are vital to the safety of our operations in Gaza, where war between Israel and Hamas has raged for nearly nine months.

Dujarric would not confirm a report in Axios that the U.N. and Israel are negotiating the deployment of Elon Musks Starlink satellite service in Gaza.

We are agnostic on the platform, we are looking to have some communications system that does not rely on cell towers, Dujarric said.

Andrea De Domenico, head of the U.N. humanitarian office in Gaza and the West Bank, also didnt confirm the Axios report during a press conference with U.N. journalists earlier Wednesday from Jerusalem.

But he said: Communication equipment has been a longstanding request of the humanitarian community as a whole.

It is very simple, De Domenic said. Every time there is a military operation, we lose completely communication with our teams.

He said the internet and simple phone connections are fundamental to the way we operaate and function in these days.

De Domenico said the U.N. needs ways to communicate with its teams to plan and conduct humanitarian operations, as well as to communicate with U.N. partners on the ground and the Israeli military to make sure the operations can be carried out safely. He said he didnt care about the service  as long as it works.

Hezbollah fires rocket barrages against Israeli military positions in retaliation for killing a senior commander

BEIRUT  The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it fired scores of rockets at Israeli military positions near the border on Wednesday in retaliation for Israel's killing a senior commander in a airstrike hours earlier.

The Israeli military estimated that around 100 rockets were fired, and said there were no reports of casualties.

Hezbollah said it launched Falaq rockets with heavy warheads targeting the headquarters of the Israeli militarys 769th Brigade in Kiryat Shmona, as well as 100 salvos of Katyusha rockets targeting the headquarters of Israels 210th division and the Kilaa air base in the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

Later, the group said it attacked the Zaarit barracks near the border with Burkan rockets, another type of rocket with heavy warheads like the Falaq.

A Hezbollah statement identified the commander killed Wednesday as Mohammad Naameh Nasser, who went by the name Abu Naameh, his nom de guerre. He is the most senior leader from the group killed since Taleb Sami Abdullah, who was killed in an airstrike June 11.

The Israeli military acknowledged the attack, saying that Nasser alongside Abdullah are two of the most significant Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon. It said Nasser led attacks from southwestern Lebanon.

International diplomats are scrambling to prevent the near-daily clashes between Israel and Hezbollah from spiraling into an all-out war that could possibly lead to a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran, which is Hezbollahs main backer. Hezbollah says it will stop its attacks once Israel agrees to a cease-fire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Some Israeli officials have said they are seeking a diplomatic solution to the standoff and hope to avoid war. At the same time, they have warned that the scenes of destruction seen in Gaza will be repeated in Lebanon if war breaks out. Hezbollah, meanwhile, is far more powerful than Hamas and believed to have a vast arsenal of rockets and missiles capable of striking anywhere in Israel.

Tens of thousands of people on both sides of the tense frontier have been displaced in the monthslong war.

Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since October have killed over 450 people, most of them Hezbollah fighters, but the dead also include more than 80 civilians and non-combatants. On the Israeli side, 16 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed.

Israeli strike kills another senior Hezbollah commander as diplomats scramble for calm in Lebanon

BEIRUT  An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed a senior Hezbollah commander on Wednesday as tensions between the two sides boil, a Hezbollah official told The Associated Press.

The strike near the southern coastal city of Tyre took place as global diplomatic efforts have intensified in recent weeks to prevent escalating clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli military from spiraling into an all-out war that could possibly lead to a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran.

A Hezbollah statement identified the commander as Mohammad Naameh Nasser, who went by the name Abu Naameh, his nom de guerre. A Hezbollah official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said Nasser was the head of the groups Aziz Unit, one of three regional divisions in southern Lebanon.

Nasser was the most senior official from the Iran-backed group killed since Taleb Sami Abdullah, who was killed in an airstrike June 11.

In a video circulated by local media, residents rushed toward a charred vehicle with a large plume of smoke. Civil Defense said its first responders transported an unnamed wounded person to a hospital.

The Israeli military acknowledged the attack, saying that Nasser alongside Abdullah are two of the most significant Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon. It said Nasser led attacks from southwestern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has launched rockets into northern Israel since a day after the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which sparked the war in Gaza. There have been limited clashes along the tense Israel-Lebanon border almost every day that have gradually escalated, with Hezbollah introducing new weapons in their attacks and Israel striking deeper into Lebanon.

Hezbollah maintains that it will stop its attacks once there is a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. Until then, it says it will keep up the attacks to exert pressure on Israel and the international community. Israeli officials have threatened to launch a larger military operation if Hezbollah doesn't halt its attacks.

___

Associated Press writer Kareem Chehayeb contributed to this report.

Israel approved largest land seizure in West Bank in decades, watchdog says

An anti-settlement watchdog says Israel has approved the largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in over three decades.

The Israeli group Peace Now said Wednesday that authorities recently approved the appropriation of 12.7 square kilometers (nearly 5 square miles) of land in the Jordan Valley. The groups data indicate it was the largest single appropriation approved since the 1993 Oslo accords at the start of the peace process.

The land seizure, which was approved late last month but only publicized on Wednesday, comes after the seizure of 8 square kilometers (roughly 3 square miles) of land in the West Bank in March and 2.6 square kilometers (1 square mile) in February.

That makes 2024 by far the peak year for Israeli land seizure in the West Bank, Peace Now said.

The Palestinians view the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank as the main barrier to any lasting peace agreement and most of the international community considers them illegal or illegitimate. Israels government considers the West Bank to be the historical and religious heartland of the Jewish people and is opposed to Palestinian statehood.

1 killed, another wounded in stabbing attack at northern Israel mall

JERUSALEM  An Israeli soldier was killed and a second soldier was wounded in a stabbing attack at a shopping mall in northern Israel on Wednesday, the military said, in what Israeli police say was a terrorist attack.

Gal Zeid, the spokesperson for Israels Galilee Medical Center, said doctors pronounced one man dead after failing to resuscitate him. He said another man was admitted to a hospital intensive care unit. The attack took place in the Israeli town of Karmiel.

The police say the assailant was killed. They did not immediately provide details about the suspect.

Later, the military identified the soldier who was killed as Sgt. Aleksandr Iakiminskyi, a 19-year-old from Nahariya.

Palestinians have carried out a number of stabbing, shooting and car-ramming attacks in Israel in recent years, while Israeli forces have launched frequent, deadly military raids in the occupied West Bank. Tensions have soared since Hamas Oct. 7 attack ignited the war in Gaza.
LAUSD shelves its hyped AI chatbot to help students after collapse of firm that made it

Joanna Smith-Griffin, in center wearing a blue suit, is the founder and then-CEO of AllHere Education, which created the AI chatbot "Ed." AllHere has furloughed most of its employees, prompting LAUSD to shelve the bot. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

A much vaunted AI chatbot  custom designed to help students thrive academically and parents navigate the complexities of Los Angeles public schools  has been turned off after the company that created it furloughed "the vast majority" of its staff.

The school district said it dropped its dealings with AllHere, the company that created Ed, the sun-shaped chatbot, after "we were notified of their financial collapse." AllHere did not respond to an inquiry this week from The Times and the level of its operation is unclear.

In a separate development, a major data breach has affected a data cloud company called Snowflake, which has worked with L.A. Unified. The district said Tuesday that there is no connection to the AllHere situation, and that it is working with investigative agencies to assess the damage and which district records were obtained through a third-party contractor.

Meanwhile, the district unplugged the chatbot  for which AllHere had been paid $3 million  on June 14, less than three months after unveiling the animated figure as an easy-to-use, conversational companion for students and a soon-to-be-indispensable guide for parents. "Ed" is both a chatbot, personified as a happy, round sun, and an online platform that attempts to put together in one portal student records, assignments, grades, academic recommendations and mental health referrals.

The online platform was introduced in March by Supt. Alberto Carvalho as a historic, one-of-a-kind game-changer in education. It was, he said, a cornerstone of efforts to make school more engaging, up-to-date, individualized and successful. He spoke of setting the pace for the nation in a new technology  artificial intelligence  that is just beginning to sweep the country.

Read more: 'Ed' an AI chatbot will be LAUSD's newest student advisor, Carvalho says in splashy show

Officials on Tuesday emphasized that the chatbot's information sources remain available on the Ed platform. Users simply must navigate through it in a more traditional fashion  using drop boxes and clicking links. A continuing feature is that information can be found without having to sign in more than once, said Tony Aguilar, the district's chief of special education and specialized programs.

The district intends to bring back the chatbot, but it's on hold while officials determine how to proceed.

The Ed system has been hailed as all-knowing in terms of district information as well as fully protective of private information.

It also was a work in progress. The chatbot only answered questions it recognized. Other questions might be met with a response such as "Ask your teacher," Aguilar said.

AllHere worked with the district to expand the system's knowledge base, and this work would have to be continued without the collaboration of the Boston-based company. In addition, AllHere had provided human moderators to oversee the system.

Aguilar said the district did not have an inkling of any problems until June 14, when the company announced it was virtually shutting down.

The district's lack of awareness is a problem, said Stephen Aguilar, associate director of the USC Center for Generative AI and Society, and no relation to the district's Tony Aguilar.

Although AllHere was a media darling in the tech world, L.A. Unified had the opportunity and responsibility to dig deeper, said Aguilar of USC.

"We can obviously point the finger at companies, especially startups, that are pressured to overpromise and ... generally underdeliver. Especially in this environment, it's up to cooler heads to prevail and to say, 'Well, you're promising me the moon. Let's see if we can even get this plane off the ground before we get out into space.' Ultimately, the responsibility rests with the school district."

AllHere had a contract with L.A. Unified for up to $6 million to see the project through over five years  and has been paid about half of it, the district said in a statement.

Read more: LAUSD approves $18.4-billion budget amid concerns over police, the arts and the future

The nation's second-largest school system "achieved its goal of developing a product that provided individualized learning pathways for students ... regardless of the outcome with AllHere," the statement said.

A status check from AllHere was provided by company representative Toby Jackson on June 20, in response to a private inquiry about the firm obtained by The Times.

"It is true that Joanna Smith-Griffin is no longer the CEO at AllHere and, on June 14th, we did have to furlough the vast majority of our employees due to our current financial situation," Jackson wrote in an email.

"Having said that," Jackson continued. "I am the Chief Technology Officer here at AllHere and the architect of Ed and I have remained on with a very small team, primarily to ensure that there are no service interruptions to Ed and to help support an orderly transition."

Chris Whiteley, identified as a former senior director of software engineering at AllHere who was laid off in April, raised concerns about the quality of data protection, according to an article in The 74, an education news website that first reported on AllHere's troubles.

Whiteley told the education news site that he alerted L.A. school district officials that his company's chatbot processed student records in ways that probably ran afoul of L.A. Unifieds data privacy rules and put sensitive information at risk of getting hacked  and that no one ever responded to him.

Whiteley alleges that prompts containing students personal information were unnecessarily shared with third-party companies. Moreover, seven of eight chatbot requests were processed through overseas servers.

Such conduct would violate the contract with the district, Tony Aguilar said.

Security concerns should not be minimized, said Faith Boninger, a research professor at the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado Boulder.

"If I were an L.A. parent or employee, this episode would raise alarms for me," she said. "The district has no control over the data that it shares with any of the companies that it contracts with. What those companies do with the data is governed by privacy policies and terms and conditions that, as a general rule, do not provide adequate protection."

In its statement, the school district said it "will continue to take any steps necessary to ensure that appropriate privacy and security protections are in place."

A festive kickoff

The chatbot was formally introduced with fanfare on March 20 in the decorated gym at Roybal Learning Center on the edge of downtown. There were arches of balloons and a shiny bamboo podium with giant screens on either side.

Posing next to dignitaries was a person in an Ed costume  basically, a round yellow sun with legs.

Almost lost in the blare of a DJ was a table where students were trying out the product  typing in questions and receiving rather boilerplate but potentially helpful answers.

"Simply put," said Carvalho, "Ed relies on the information that the district already possesses, analyzes, personalizes it to the needs of each student and then builds a pathway, as you will see, for each student in the school system.

"It will tell Maria: 'You're falling a little behind in reading. But we got you. Click here.' Maria will click and without the need for additional sign-on. One single sign-on will open doors to all of the resources to elevate each student's needs."

On Tuesday, a district statement offered a more stepped-back explanation:

"Following the pandemic, we were experiencing massive chronic absenteeism issues, declining academic performance and disengaged students. The fully integrated platform combined with a chatbot that provided reminders/nudges was our answer to this growing problem and we wanted to use the most advanced technology available."

In a March interview with The Times, Smith-Griffin discussed the company she founded. "Our goal was always ... to improve student outcomes by making sure that the right family had access to the right information at the right time," she said. "A lot of times schools have very impactful practices like mentoring and in-home visiting programs that are very tricky to scale. So the first version of AllHere was all around how do we use technology, in a research-based way. ... That version of AllHere was a 24/7 chatbot for parents that was answering frequently asked questions about school."

She added: "What has been so powerful around the LAUSD work for us is we had always done work around absenteeism, but their goal was: How do you take this same tech and create a world where it could be used to facilitate student learning with experiences for parents but also kids as well  in age-appropriate, innovative but still very research-based ways?"

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.
Hundreds of Oklahoma law enforcement agencies, including the Henryetta Police Department, patrol parts of tribal reservations in eastern Oklahoma. State, tribal and federal police forces work together in those areas on cases involving tribal citizens.

Oklahoma lawmakers arent planning to look into Gov. Kevin Stitts concerns about policing on tribal reservations this fall.

The governors recent reservation public safety task force recommended legislators hold an interim study tied to the issue. But no one filed paperwork to do that, and the final deadline to request an interim study was Friday.

Interim studies give lawmakers a chance to discuss and learn about policy issues ahead of the next years legislative session. Some topics they will consider include abortion pill access, land ownership by non-U.S. citizens and cellphones in schools.

Stitts task force, which wrapped up in May, had suggested an interim study to focus on the laws surrounding state-tribal policing agreements.

The governor has said streamlining those agreements could help clear up confusion over authority on tribal reservations. But tribal leaders have said for years that Stitts concerns are overblown, because most police agencies already have figured out how to work together.

Its unclear how much traction the task forces recommendations will gain. Its also unknown how eager lawmakers are to dive into the dispute, particularly when the task force met and made recommendations without any formal input from tribal officials.

Legislative leaders have worked closely with tribal leaders in recent years, rejecting criticism from Stitt that his office should be in charge of negotiations with other governments. Since 2022, lawmakers have passed at least five state-tribal relations bills into law over the governors objections.

More: In Oklahoma politics, some tribes emerge as big campaign contributors

Why Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt created the task force, and what they found

Stitt created the One Oklahoma Task Force in December after an altercation between Muscogee Nation Lighthorse police officers and Okmulgee County jailers, who disagreed over a jail booking. He said the incident served as a stark reminder of the broken system created by the McGirt decision.

He was referring to a landmark ruling on tribal reservations issued by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020. Nine reservations have regained legal standing as a result of the decision. The state cannot prosecute Native Americans accused of committing crimes on those lands, a fact that has drawn the governors ire.

Working agreements between state and tribal agencies allow officers to arrest people on tribal lands regardless of whether they are tribal citizens. Then, the cases are passed on to the state, tribal or federal court that has the power to hear the case.

Stitt ordered the task force to come up with a uniform agreement that police agencies could sign. The task force ultimately recommended adding on to existing deals rather than creating a new one.

The group included state public safety officials, prosecutors, law enforcement officers and legislators. The two lawmakers who sat on the task force were Sen. Jessica Garvin, a Republican from Duncan who was defeated in the June primary, and Rep. Ken Luttrell, a Ponca City Republican who helps lead the Legislatures Native American caucus.

Stitt also assigned two seats on the task force to representatives of tribal nations. Those spots went unfilled. The joint council of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee and Seminole nations formally opted out, describing the task force as a political move to spread inaccurate information.

More: Oklahoma governor to tribal leaders: Let's make a deal on license plates

In addition to recommending an interim study, the task force suggested lawmakers consider passing a law to standardize contract incarceration rates at county jails. Tribal nations often contract with county jails to detain people who have been arrested or who are awaiting trial, and the rates they pay can vary widely.

The task force also recommended law enforcement agencies look into their data sharing practices and said police training should cover questions about jurisdiction on tribal reservations.

Abegail Cave, a spokesperson for the governor, did not immediately respond to questions about how the task forces recommendations are being implemented and whether the governor supports any changes to state law to address the issue.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Policing on tribal reservations won't be focus of legislative study
Ongoing efforts to curb street racing in Los Angeles are proving to not be as successful as legislation and law enforcement officials have hoped, according to new analysis from Crosstown LA.

The independent news organization cited a report shown to the Los Angeles Police Commission last month, which evaluated current laws on the books meant to target and crack down on street races and takeovers.

The problem continues to wreak havoc for law enforcement and law-abiding citizens and, in fact, has become more prevalent so far in 2024.

Catalytic converter thefts on decline, LAPD data shows

The police analysis showed 176 reports of street racing from the beginning of the year through late May. Thats a 49% increase from the same timeframe last year, Crosstown wrote in its report.

There were 190 reports of street takeovers and sideshows during that same period, up from the 187 experienced over the same window last year.

Police theorize that weak laws and young, social media savvy drivers are big culprits in the ever growing problem.

The current legal remedies have had minimal deterrent effect and are not sufficient to adequately combat these crimes, the report states.

LAPD Deputy Chief Donald Graham told members of the commission that many racing-related crimes are misdemeanors that are handled in traffic court and often result in diversion programs which he says are not tracked very well by authorities.

Metro bus attacked with fireworks, tagged during Downtown Los Angeles street takeover

The tools that law enforcement possess, Graham said, have limited reach.

Impounding vehicles, often floated as a possible deterrent for reckless drivers, have proven to not be the silver bullet as many vehicle owners will get around possible punishment by reporting their car stolen before a race.

The analysis detailed 69 impounds so far this year, down 68% from the 214 at the same time in 2023, Crosstown writes.

Law enforcement are, however, issuing more tickets this year. So far, there have been 103 citations for street racing violations, up from 49 over the same time frame last year. Reckless driving violations are up 138%.

Graham said the LAPD is also looking into some creative solutions that it hopes will put a lid on the potentially deadly behavior, including creating sanctioned races in controlled environments, legal races on drag strips and temporary burn boxes for the stunts often seen at street takeovers.

He says the hope is these alternatives could reduce the number of young kids participating in the illegal activity by giving them an outlet to experience the sporting aspect of car enthusiasm.

For more on the report from Crosstown and to read about the methodology used in the analysis, 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 KTLA.
A lawsuit filed Tuesday against Northwestern University opened a new front in the battle against affirmative action, alleging that its law school hires less-qualified people of color and women over White men for faculty positions in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws.

The complaint, brought by a group called Faculty, Alumni and Students Opposed to Racial Preferences, targets Northwesterns law school. But the allegations amount to a sweeping criticism of American universities, alleging that they care more about diversity than merit or compliance with federal law.

Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.

The case, filed by conservative legal activists, is an effort to secure a ruling that will force a change in what they say are widespread discriminatory practices.

For decades, left-wing faculty and administrators have been thumbing their noses at federal anti-discrimination statutes, contends the suit, which was filed Tuesday in federal district court in Illinois. They do this by hiring women and racial minorities with mediocre and undistinguished records over white men who have better credentials, better scholarship, and better teaching ability.

Jonathan Mitchell, a prominent lawyer behind the suit, promised to challenge similar practices at other universities and invited those with incriminating evidence to contact him.

Northwestern University spokesman Jon Yates said the university would vigorously defend itself, though he declined to respond to the specific charges.

Northwestern Pritzker School of Law is among the top law schools in the country, and we are proud of their outstanding faculty, Yates said in a statement.

During the 2022-23 school year, Northwesterns law school had 135 full-time faculty members, including 23 people of color and 64 women, according to a report from the American Bar Association.

Former law school dean Daniel Rodriguez, one of the defendants named in the lawsuit, declined to comment. Others named in the suit did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Among the complaints allegations, it claims that faculty members at Northwesterns law school openly lobbied or even pressured their colleagues to select or reject certain candidates based on race and gender. The suit includes a hiring chart that shows that of 21 job offers made in the last three years, three went to White men.

The suit names three White men it says were not hired despite strong qualifications, and names four Black women and one Black man who it alleges were offered faculty positions because of their race and/or gender, painting several of these academics in harshly unflattering terms.

Most of those named did not respond to requests for comment, but Paul Gowder, one of the Black law professors mentioned in the lawsuit as an example of someone who benefited from racial preferences, strongly pushed back against the allegations.

This is absolute racist garbage, he said in an interview, making clear that he was speaking for himself and not the law school or the university. My record speaks for itself. I would gleefully put it up against the records of any of the people who were supposedly passed over.

None of the professors mentioned in the complaint were aware of the lawsuit ahead of time or had any role in providing information, Mitchell said.

That includes Eugene Volokh, a prominent scholar now at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, who the suit alleges was denied an interview at Northwestern because he is a White man. In an email, Volokh said he did speak with some people at Northwestern about the possibility of joining the faculty but nothing ended up coming of it.

But that ends up happening often in such situations, for a wide range of reasons, and I dont know exactly what the actual reasons here were, he added. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, this lawsuit uncovers. But on that, Ill be a spectator just like everyone else.

The case comes amid a wide-ranging conservative pushback against efforts to ensure that American institutions of all sorts reflect the racial and ethnic makeup of the country. Liberal advocates contend that generations of discrimination have given unfair advantages to White men, and the murder of George Floyd in 2020 brought urgency to efforts to right past wrongs. But others argue that such efforts have gone too far and are harmful and unfair, challenging them with legislation and lawsuits.

Tuesdays lawsuit was filed on the 60th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnsons signing of the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Mitchell said the timing was a coincidence.

The new suit follows the Supreme Court decisions a year ago to invalidate race-conscious admissions at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, rulings that upended decades of work by elite schools to mitigate historic discrimination and create more-diverse student bodies. These decisions were centered on the admissions process and did not directly address consideration of race in hiring, but many scholars said at the time that the court had opened the door to a challenge like the one filed Tuesday.

The courts decisions also prompted colleges across the country to scrutinize ways that race is used as a factor in admissions and other arenas. And it set off a legal onslaught challenging programs intended to diversify public and private institutions, including lawsuits against companies alleging discrimination against White people.

The lawsuit names Northwestern as well as the dean of its law school, a former dean, two other law professors and two editors of the Northwestern University Law Review as defendants. It claims that the schools law review uses illegal race and sex preferences in selecting its members, editors and articles, rather than choosing based on merit.

It asks the court to order changes in the schools policies and practices and for a court monitor to oversee faculty hiring, promotion and compensation; law review decisions; and the universitys diversity offices.

The group also sent letters to more than 100 universities on Tuesday, warning them that the plaintiff group intends to sue other schools that deploy these illegal, discriminatory practices, and advising anyone currently or formerly affiliated with the university to retain records and communications related to faculty hiring issues and law review decisions.

Were just getting started, said Mitchell, the plaintiff attorney, who has argued multiple cases before the Supreme Court, clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia and successfully represented former president Donald Trump in a case to allow him to remain on the ballot in Colorado this year. He also notched a significant victory last month when the high court struck down a ban on bump stocks for semiautomatic weapons.

Some legal experts questioned the cases prospects. Noah Feldman, a law professor at Harvard University, noted that there is already a legal remedy for allegations of discrimination in hiring - Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which bars employment discrimination based on race. This case was brought instead under the law that bars universities from racial discrimination generally.

He also questioned whether the plaintiffs will be able to show that they have the right to sue.

You need to show concrete injury in order to have standing under the Constitution, and I have trouble seeing how they intend to demonstrate that injury, he said.

While its never been lawful for a university to hire less-qualified candidates simply because of their race or gender, Feldman said, universities have been able to take race into consideration.

It would have been lawful to say X and Y are both strong candidates and we are trying to create diversity in our community, so the diversity this particular faculty member brings in our educational community is something that matters to us, he said.

Many universities value diversity among their faculty members and work to achieve that goal lawfully, said Peter McDonough, vice president and general counsel at the American Council on Education, which represents colleges and universities. Legal techniques, he said, include casting more widely for applicants.

The objective of having diverse faculty is perfectly appropriate and many institutions will see it as hugely important, he said. So how do you get there? That becomes the challenge.

Related Content

This Israeli hostage mother supported Netanyahu. Now she wants him gone.

Black men helped power Bidens 2020 Georgia win. Some are wavering.

He wanted to throw an Idaho towns first Pride. Angry residents had other ideas.
Marine Le Pen, the leader of National Rally, declared her party had 'practically wiped out' Macron after first round of voting - YOAN VALAT/SHUTTERSTOCK

A Nazi sympathiser, a convicted hostage-taker, and a ghost contender no one has ever seen are among the candidates running to represent Marine Le Pens National Rally (RN) in parliament.

With just a few days remaining before the run-off election on Sunday, the hard-Right RN has been doing damage control after embarrassing photos and compromising information emerged of some of its candidates.

Ludivine Daoudi, a candidate for the constituency of Caen, was forced to withdraw from the race after photos of her wearing an officers cap with a swastika symbol at a weapons fair surfaced on social media. Ms Daoudi had obtained 20 per cent of the vote in the first round, finishing third in her constituency.

Ludivine Daoudi, the previous RN candidate, wearing a Nazi cap

Elodie Babin, the 'phantom contender', is allegedly suffering from Covid-19 according to her husband

Elodie Babin, the RN candidate in the constituency of Loiret had qualified for the second round, without ever appearing in public since the election was called.

Dubbed the phantom or ghost candidate by local media, Ms Babin managed to win 33 per cent of the vote despite her conspicuous absence and refusal to speak with the media. Her husband Aleksandar Nikolic, a recently-elected MEP, told France Bleu that she was suffering from Covid-19.

It is a recurring pattern among RN candidates across the country, many of whom have declined invitations to engage in public debates because they have no time or do not want to waste time. France Bleu Gascogne, a local radio station, called the phenomenon unprecedented.

Multiple spontaneous protests gave taken place against Le Pen's party after RN's historic gains won in the first round of elections - ALAIN PITTON/SHUTTERSTOCK

Thierry Mosca, a 65-year-old who is under state guardianship is also running to represent the constituency of Jura as an RN candidate despite his theoretic ineligibility. An investigation over undeclared work was also dismissed last month owing to his deficient mental state, according to AFP.

Annie Bell, the RN candidate for Mayenne, was sentenced to prison time in 1995 after she and her husband held the secretary general of the local town hall hostage for three hours at gunpoint. A shot was fired but there were no injuries.

At the time, the couple was in serious financial debt, reports Ouest-France, the local paper which broke the story. Bell was charged with armed kidnapping and sentenced to 10 months in prison.

An archival news report said: Under a crushing debt, a couple of entrepreneurs took the secretary general of the town hall hostage for several hours. In the scuffle, Bell took out the rifle under her coat and fired a shot.

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.
(Bloomberg) -- Marine Le Pens National Rally is scrambling to get an absolute majority in the final round of Frances legislative election Sunday as rival parties are maneuvering to keep the far-right party out of power.

Most Read from Bloomberg

President Emmanuel Macrons centrist group and the broad, left-wing New Popular Front alliance have pulled their candidates out of 215 runoffs with more than two candidates to avoid splitting the vote against the far right, according to a count by Le Monde newspaper.

In response, the National Rally has been seeking allies to help it win a majority in the 577-seat lower house of parliament in order to enable it to implement a program that includes reversing the governments pension reform, reducing value-added tax and cutting certain aid for foreigners.

Yes, we will have an absolute majority, National Rally President Jordan Bardella told Le Figaro in an interview published on Wednesday. The only project and only ambition carried by all my adversaries in this election is to stop me winning.

The election on Sunday is forcing voters to make up their minds about whether they prefer Macrons pro-business, pro-Europe, pro-Ukraine vision for France or Le Pens agenda of dramatically cutting migration, stepping back from European Union rules and undoing some of Macrons pension reforms.

To get the 289 seats he needs in the National Assembly, Bardella said hes ready to reach out to center-right Republicans who cannot legitimately be satisfied to see a coalition that includes Macron and Jean-Luc Melenchon, of the far-left France Unbowed, in power. Some Republicans, led by Eric Ciotti, have already formed an alliance with National Rally.

If I need to widen my majority, I will, Bardella said. Hes previously said he would only accept an invitation to be prime minister if his party and its allies win an absolute majority. The president traditionally nominates that position from the largest group in parliament.

Macron dissolved the National Assembly earlier this month and called a snap vote after his group was trounced in European Parliament elections, a decision that initially led to the worst bond rout since the sovereign debt crisis and wiped almost $200 billion off the value of stocks.

French 10-year bonds inched higher after their best daily performance in two weeks on Tuesday. The risk premium this debt pays compared to German peers was little changed after rallying to the tightest closing level since June 13.

French equities bounced back on Wednesday, with the CAC 40 gaining 1%, led by banking stocks including Societe Generale SA, BNP Paribas SA and Credit Agricole SA. The benchmark index is still down about 5% since the election was called.

In the last few days, the market has been sort of celebrating the likelihood that France could have a hung parliament, Rabobanks head of FX strategy Jane Foley said on Bloomberg Television. A hung parliament means that its not going to be able to really make much additional progress in bringing down its budget deficit  meaning that it is in line for further difficulties with Brussels.

National Rally and its allies dominated the first round of voting this past Sunday, getting 33.2% of the vote. The left-wing New Popular Front alliance got 28%, while President Emmanuel Macrons coalition won 20.8%.

According to a new analysis from think tank Institut Montaigne, campaign promises made by the various parties would vary radically in cost, with the left-wing alliance coming in highest largely on its promise to cut the retirement age.

The study found that promises by the leftist New Popular Front would require nearly 95 billion ($102 billion) in extra funds per year once theyre all implemented. The far-right National Rallys plans came in at about 48 billion, while Macrons party and its allies would incur extra spending over time of close to 15 billion.

Frances planned post-Covid, post-energy crisis consolidation of its public finances risks being deferred considering the most likely outcomes of the legislative elections, with potentially important consequences for euro-area investor sentiment, Scope Ratings analysts Thomas Gillet and Brian Marly wrote.

The National Rally is the only party with a reasonable shot at an absolute majority, which means if it falls short, there would be a hung parliament, in which Macron would still dictate foreign policy and would need to compromise on a prime minister, who would run domestic policy.

According to Le Monde, 132 candidates from the left and 83 from Macrons group have pulled out of three- and four-way runoffs. The Interior Ministry is due to publish a final count later on Wednesday.

If weve succeeded in what weve done with the withdrawals, its precisely the proof that its possible to prevent an extreme right-wing victory, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told France Inter radio.

Former Socialist President Francois Hollande, speaking on Franceinfo radio, cautioned that the risk of a National Rally majority had been minimized but not avoided.

--With assistance from Blaise Robinson, Rachel Evans, Craig Stirling and Naomi Tajitsu.

(Updates with Scope Ratings comment in 15th paragraph. An earlier version of this story corrected figures from Institut Montaigne.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. The Environment, Social, and Governance Summit (ESG-summit) on "Public-Private Partnerships for Sustainable Development" is the 15th UN event in Azerbaijan under the aegis of "29 Climate Talks: The Path to COP29, "UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva said, Trend reports.

She made the announcement during the ESG Summit: Public Private Partnership (PPP) for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in Baku.

"Our initiative '29 Climate Talks: the Path to COP29' aims to initiate nationwide dialogue and action on climate change and just transition," Andreeva emphasized.

She believes that these meetings and conversations among government officials, private sector representatives, non-governmental organizations, and academia will promote a better understanding of the objectives of COP29. This, in turn, will enable prompt action to be taken to address the urgent challenges posed by climate change.

To note, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) will be held in Azerbaijan this November. The decision was made at the plenary meeting of COP28 held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Within two weeks, Baku, having become the center of the world, will host about 70,00080,000 foreign guests.

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP (Conference of Parties) stands for Conference of Parties, which is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change.

A total of 198 countries are parties to the convention. Unless the parties have decided otherwise, COP is held annually. The first COP event was held in March 1995 in Germany's Berlin with its secretariat in Bonn.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
At least $5.5M in food and cash assistance lost to alarming surge in card scams

A sign noting the acceptance of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards that are used by state welfare departments to issue benefits is displayed at a grocery store. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Washington residents on food assistance have lost $5.5 million to electronic benefit transfer  commonly known as EBT  card reader scams in the past two years.

Thats according to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, which has tracked the scams since April 2022. The agency is taking steps to reimburse recipients for benefits they lose but described an alarming surge in fraud.

It began tracking the problem after officials noticed an uptick in incidents and reports, said Norah West, the agencys spokesperson. With an upcoming round of reimbursements, West said the agency did not receive authorization or funding to replace cash benefits stolen before July 1, 2024.

EBT card reader scams happen when a thief places a device on a retailers card-swiping machine, allowing them to copy card information and steal benefits. Most scams the agency recorded  about 22,000 transactions out of about 33,000  happened out of state.

Out-of-state transactions are likely due to card cloning  where card data is used to make fake cards  not because people are taking their EBT cards out of Washington, West explained.

The latest federal reimbursement dollars for states to replace stolen benefits are from spending legislation President Joe Biden signed in December 2022. The Department of Social and Health Services is also using state funding to replace some benefits.

About $4 million of the $5.5 million in benefit losses in Washington were specifically from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.

Scammers also stole from recipients of state food and financial assistance, cash assistance for people with disabilities and the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

Affected households have lost nearly $600 in benefits on average, according to the Department of Social and Health Services, and about 9,000 people who receive food benefits or cash assistance from the government have been affected.

The department says theyve replaced $3 million in food benefits and processed more than 8,000 claims.

Claims for stolen EBT benefits must be reported to the department within 30 days of discovering the loss. Food benefits were authorized for replacement starting in August last year, and some retroactive replacement was available for them.

The departments Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance has also launched a statewide education campaign to inform Washingtons refugee and immigrant communities about the risks of benefits fraud, with materials in 15 languages.

The reimbursement form is available online. To file claim, residents should call (888) 328-9271 first and then (877) 501-2233 or visit a local DSHS Community Services Office. Interpretation services are available.

This post was updated with additional information about stolen benefits and reimbursements.
At least 7 arrested in Germany and Sweden on suspicion of committing war crimes in Syria

FILE - A man carries Palestinian flag in a Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in Damascus, Syria, Monday, March 20, 2023. At least seven people have been arrested in Germany and Sweden on suspicion of allegedly having committed crimes against humanity and war crimes in Syria in 2012-2014, authorities in the two countries said Wednesday, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki, File)

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  At least seven people have been arrested in Germany and Sweden on suspicion of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes in Syria in 2012-2014, authorities in the two countries said Wednesday.

In a coordinated effort that also involved the European Union judicial cooperation agency Eurojust, the EU police agency Europol, and several other unnamed European countries, four were arrested in Germany and three in Sweden.

The German federal prosecutor said that those arrested in Germany were strongly suspected of killing and attempting to kill civilians. Some of those arrested also were suspected of torture.

The four arrested in Germany are known only as Jihad A., Mahmoud A., Sameer S. and Wael S. and had been affiliated with the Free Palestine Movement, an armed militia in Syria, since early 2011. German prosecutors did not give their last names in line with privacy rules. Sweden did not identify the three it arrested.

At the time, the militia exercised control over Damascus mostly Palestinian district of al-Yarmouk on behalf of the Syrian regime, Germanys federal prosecutor said. Since July 2013, the Syrian regime had cordoned off the area completely, resulting in a shortage of food, water, and medical supplies.

Among other crimes, all suspects allegedly participated in the violent crackdown of a peaceful anti-government protest in al-Yarmouk on July 13, 2012, specifically targeting civilian protesters by shooting at them. Six individuals died while others were seriously injured, the German statement said.

Germanys federal prosecutor alleged that some of them also abused civilians from al-Yarmouk severely and repeatedly. The events occurred between mid-2012 and 2014.

In one case, an individual was handed over to the Syrian Military Intelligence Service, which reportedly incarcerated and tortured him. In another case, a woman was allegedly forced to pay with her family jewels for the release of her minor son, and was threatened with rape.

Three of those arrested  Jihad A., Sameer S. and Wael S.  are stateless Syrian Palestinians, while Mazhar J. is a Syrian national.

The four were arrested in Berlin, in Frankenthal and near Boizenburg, in southwestern and northeast Germany, respectively. The home of another suspect, whose name was not given and who was not arrested, was searched in the western city of Essen.

They are due to be brought before an investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice, who will read out their arrest warrants and decide on pre-trial detention. The arraignment will take place Monday and Tuesday, the prosecutors statement said.

In Sweden, the Prosecution Authority gave no details regarding those arrested. The prosecution authority said it must be decided before noon Saturday whether they should be detained or released.

___

Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.
LEBANON, Tenn. (WKRN)  The Lebanon Police Department seized drugs and weapons while responding to an alert on a stolen vehicle.

CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime news from Middle Tennessee

According to a Facebook post from the department, officers located the stolen vehicle at a Shell station on Hartmann drive Tuesday afternoon.

Upon searching the suspect, [officers] discovered what appeared to be fentanyl, the post read. A vehicle search turned up a loaded handgun, more suspected drugs, and drug paraphernalia.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Police said that the driver is facing multiple charges, though those charges were not immediately 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 WKRN News 2.
They left the US for Ecuador for a better life. Then the country was plunged into a state of emergency

When Ruth Harrison and Dan Phillips relocated from the US to Ecuador two years ago, their main goal was to enjoy a peaceful retirement.

Life had other ideas.

Just as the couple  who have chosen to use pseudonyms for this article  were settling into a new chapter in a more affordable country that offered interesting new travel opportunities  things took an unexpected turn.

Ecuador was plunged into a nationwide state of emergency after one of its most powerful drug lords escaped from prison and an internal armed conflict broke out as security forces took on criminal groups accused of spreading extreme violence. A nightly curfew was imposed and the US State Department cautioned travelers heading there.

From the outside, Ecuador now looked far from an ideal place to escape the pressures of life in their former US hometown, Albuquerque.

But despite ongoing political tensions, the couple say that they have no regrets about moving there and love their new lives.

People were panicking

Ecuadorean security forces on patrol after Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa declared the country in a state of "internal armed conflict" in January. - Rodrigo Buendia/AFP/Getty Images

I would say our opinion hasnt changed, says Phillips. I think were very happy with our decision.

Shortly before the state of emergency was announced, gunmen armed with explosives had stormed a TV station during a live broadcast.

Harrison and Phillips say that, while they were getting trickles of information, they were not aware of the seriousness of the situation until much later.

People were kind of panicking and everybody was heading home, says Phillips. We had no idea any of this was happening.

He recounts how a concerned Ecuadorian woman drove over while he was waiting at the bus stop with a friend and told them to head for home.

Once Phillips made it to their rented house in Cuenca, a city in southern Ecuadors Andes mountains, he and Harrison, who had noticed a larger than normal amount of people buying up food at the local store, were able to piece things together.

They soon realized that theyd likely be stuck inside for a little while.

We had enough stuff stocked here for about three days, says Phillips, adding that there was kind of a three-day pause, before everybody took a deep breath and went back to life.

However, the couple stress that the situation has had little impact on their lives, largely due to the location of Cuenca, which is well away from the coastal towns, where the biggest problems are.

We did see a more visible police presence the first few months, but that had returned to normal, says Harrison, stressing that believes the state of emergency affected native Ecuadorians, more than expats.

So what prompted this American couple, who were living in Albuquerque up until 2022, to up sticks and move to Ecuador in the first place?

Harrison and Phillips explain that they were getting increasingly concerned about how comfortably theyd be able to live in the US as they approached retirement age.

Although they were in a really good spot financially, Harrison, who previously worked in finance, says that the rising cost of living in the US left her worried that they wouldnt be able to enjoy the type of retirement that theyd always imagined.

There werent going to be resources for things that we like to do, she tells CNN Travel. Were going to get compressed in about 10 to 15 years.

Harrison and Phillips, who spent many vacations touring the US Mountain West region by motorcycle, also wanted the opportunity to take more trips together, as well as the budget to live comfortably.

Retirement plans

According to Ruth, the couple chose to spend their retirement in Ecuador as they found it to be "more affordable." - Courtesy Ruth

I wanted it (retirement) to be something more than playing video games on my telephone and making trips to the thrift store, adds Harrison.

Realizing that they might have to look outside of the US for a better future, they discussed the possibility of relocating somewhere their money would go further.

We looked at Italy. We looked at Portugal. We looked at Spain, and Mexico, says Phillips. I think we looked at one or two of the Baltic states.

The couple also looked into destinations further afield, such as Colombia, Panama, and of course, Ecuador.

In 2017, theyd taken a two-week motorcycle tour in the latter, and were very much taken with the country, finding it to be very affordable.

One of the things we liked best about Ecuador was all the variety of the country: the glaciers, the beaches, or the Amazon, says Harrison.

The issue of safety was something that they gave a lot of thought before making, comparing crime rates in US cities to those in Ecuador.

After some soul searching, Harrison and Phillips decided that Ecuador would be the best place to spend their retirement.

Really, what it came down to was the immigration policies in Ecuador at that time, and now, are much easier to navigate than many other countries, explains Phillips.

Although Ecuador offers various visas for foreigners, they opted for the Professional Visa, which is available to applicants with a university degree (or higher) and is valid for two years.

They called in an Ecuadorian immigration facilitator to help them through the process.

After researching potential cities to base themselves in, the couple decided on Cuenca, a destination that they hadnt visited during their trip to Ecuador, but had read much about online.

Ecuador calling

I think weve adapted to life in Ecuador pretty, pretty readily, says Dan. - Courtesy Ruth

Expats in Cuenca are very active on Facebook, explains Harrison. We were able to find Cuenca web pages for apartment rentals, forums for advice on professionals or services. The more we dug, the more information we found.

Once theyd made the decision, the couple began the process of applying for a visa, and put their home on the market.

We liquidated, resigned, prepared and packed up over the next four months to get here, says Harrison, explaining that they sold their house, cars, furniture and motorcycles before leaving.

In July 2022, the couple flew into the city of Guayaquil with just four suitcases and their two cats. Theyve since adopted two feral kittens.

Harrison and Phillips initially stayed in an Airbnb, but eventually found a home situated on the first level of a huge house, where they have four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms.

During those first few months, the couple spent much of their time getting to know the area, and doing tourist activities.

We were so busy from morning to night, says Phillips. Just learning the city that we moved to, which is quite good.

We had to find out how to walk around, when is it safe to go places, when its not safe to go places, we had to find the grocery stores, we had to find everything.

The couple were quickly embraced by the local expat community, and made many friends.

However, it took them a little longer to get to know locals due to the language barrier.

That is starting to happen now as our language skills improve, says Phillips.

Phillips, who grew up in a small town in northeastern Montana, says that the experience of living in Cuenca feels similar, and very far removed from life in Albuquerque.

It doesnt move as fast (as Albuquerque), it doesnt bustle as much, people arent in as much of a hurry. People smile. People say, Hello.

Whenever you start a conversation with an Ecuadorian, you have to start with the greeting. Hello, good afternoon. Good morning. Good evening. How are you? Every single one.

Harrison admits that shes had to get used to refraining from being short and curt during day-to-day conversations, which was how she was used to operating in the US, where people are so busy.

I have to be careful when I engage in a conversation that I am respective of their habit rather than my tradition, she explains. Because part of being so busy, you dont want to take up someones time.

The couple have also noticed that restaurants dont chase you off the table once youve finished your meal while eating out in Cuenca.

You can sit there pretty much forever, says Phillips. They do seem a little relieved after you get up and leave after three hours though.

No regrets

Ruth, pictured with a friend, says that their social life is far more active in Ecuador. - Courtesy Ruth

When it comes to safety, the couple say that, despite the tensions in the country, they felt more at risk of random violence while living in America.

In the US, when I went shopping, I located exits out of stores other than the door I came in, says Harris. In case I had to run, and I have never felt that in Ecuador.

As for the cost of living, they say they get a lot more bang for their buck in Ecuador and are able to live more comfortably.

Depending on your way of life, you can replicate your American life here for about one half to one third of the cost of the same standard in the US, says Harrison, adding that their rental is nicer than the home they had in the US.

You can eat out for as little as $2 a meal. I think the highest weve seen is $18 a meal.

She goes on to explain that, as utilities are regulated in Ecuador, they spend around $85 a month on water, gas, electricity, internet and cell phone bills.

They pay around $470 a month to live in their rented home.

The couple arent planning to buy a property in Ecuador, explaining that theyve found house prices in the country to be similar to the US.

While Harrison and Phillips have no desire to return to the US, they admit to missing simple things, like the food. And even this has lessened over time.

You cant just pop into a Wendys here and have a big burger, says Phillips. It just doesnt exist here. But the Kentucky Fried Chicken is actually better.

Hes also had to accept that hell likely never get to ride to some of the places on his bucket list now that hes based in Ecuador permanently.

On the other hand, I have a whole new continent, and a whole new country to explore down here, he says.

While relocating to Ecuador has worked out for them despite the recent crisis, Harris says shed advise other couples considering making a similar decision to ensure that theyre on the same page.

I have met some couples where the one person was the big idea person, and the other one just came along because they felt a sense of marital responsibility, she says.

So they didnt feel like it was their choice that they came here. They just followed a spouse.

Although they know of expats whove decided to leave Ecuador and return home in recent years, Harrison and Phillips plan to stay put for the foreseeable future, and hope to eventually become permanent residents.

However, theyve openly discussed what we think it would take for us to leave, says Harrison. She says they would only consider it if they felt that foreigners were being specifically targeted by criminals in Cuenca.

Never seen it. Never heard of it, she adds.

According to the couple, the longer they stay in Ecuador, the less they miss the US, and the more comfortable they are with their choice to leave.

Its a decision we made together, says Phillips. And it was as informed a decision as can be at the time.

I think weve adapted to life in Ecuador pretty, pretty readily.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  Riders traveling in D.C. for the Fourth of July are in for a treat. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) said trains with its new design that celebrates the holiday started running on Wednesday.

The design features fireworks, with white, blue, and red highlights. Written on the side of the train is Let Freedom Ride.

In a post, WMATA said that buses with the same design would hit the roads starting Wednesday afternoon.

Heres how you can ride Metro for free on July 4

(Photo courtesy: X/@WMATA)

Along with its new design, the transit authority will offer free rides for travelers after 5 p.m. on July 4. No matter, if travelers are using the Metrobus or MetroAccess all rides will be free until the system closes.

On Thursday, riders can expect to see an increase in rush hour service levels. During this time, there will be long lines to enter stations near the National Mall, after the fireworks display.

Officers with the Metro Transit Police Department may temporarily restrict entry to stations experiencing excessive crowding to prevent unsafe conditions on the platforms.

To track a train and bus in real-time during the holiday, visit the WMATA website, and use the special edition tab.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Lets hope that this is the last season of As the Douglas County DAs Office Turns | Opinion

Previously on As the Douglas County DAs Office Turns, District Attorney Suzanne Valdez seemed to have only been pretending to have reopened a murder investigation into the 2016 death of 9-month-old Ollie Ortiz. You know, to avoid having to answer questions in the civil suit alleging that former Eudora day care worker Carrody Buchhorn had been wrongfully convicted in that case.

Now, Valdez has admitted in a deposition that there is no active investigation of Buchhorn, who already served more than five years in jail, prison and on house arrest for a murder that didnt happen, because Ollie died of natural causes.

At least, the DA recently said under oath that theres no investigation, contradicting her previous statements that yes, there was. Her legal team said that it was Buchhorns civil suit that had prompted the investigation, so was that to get Buchhorn to drop her civil suit?

Buchhorns attorney, William Skepnek, thinks so, and has filed one of the most blistering motions Ive ever read: They have used the claim of an active investigation, he said, to successfully persuade the Court to restrict Mrs. Buchhorns civil discovery rights in this case. But this was all a lie. And they almost got away with it, until, he says, Valdez slipped and told the truth in her deposition.

It would make sense that nobody is now, or has at any point since January of 2023 been looking into anything more than backside-covering on this case. Thats when Valdez finally dropped the idea of retrying Buchhorn, after the DAs own expert said that Ollie had died of a congenital heart defect.

But sense and this office have not often met.

Ex-Deputy DA impersonating commmenter

A week ago, Valdezs deputy Joshua Seiden left his job as The Lawrence Journal-World prepared to run a story, confirmed by Sheriff Jay Armbrister, about Seiden seemingly impersonating a controversial public commenter. What? Honestly, its so crazy that I dont know what more to say.

In case youre wondering who might hire someone whod pulled a weird stunt like that, well, well see, but Seiden then interviewed for a deputys job in the Wyandotte County district attorneys office.

Unfortunately, this is not some haha story about the wacky doings of a DA who has, if nothing else, united the courthouse. (At a three-day state disciplinary hearing of complaints about Valdez last December, Judge Stacey Donovan testified that judges generally try to avoid meeting alone with Valdez, and prefer communicating in writing, for fear that theyll otherwise be misrepresented later. They never know, she said, what is going to set off something else. This sounds like the kind of scary household where every day, the kids wake up whispering about what Mom or Dads mood is that day so they can plan how to tiptoe around most safely.)

None of this is funny: Just in this one case, a little boy died, a family was left grieving and the wrongly accused womans life was changed forever. Yet to the DA and the AGs office, which is also defending this wrongful conviction, this once again seems to be more about winning than about justice or what actually happened.

I have been writing about this extremely sad matter since 2021, have watched the video of the shameful original autopsy, in which the completely discredited medical examiner essentially asked who his results should incriminate, and have read all of the depositions and court filings in the criminal and subsequent civil case.

If you did, too, youd be heartsick over the many ways that taxpayer money is being spent defending mistakes and egos.

Over and over, Josh Seiden in his recent deposition in the civil case refused to answer what exactly the state had on Buchhorn that pointed to her guilt. Everything, he kept saying.

Yeah, but everything is nothing, Skepnek said. What pointed to guilt? Thats what Im trying to find out.

Seiden said hed heard nothing more specific from the original prosecutors, but more along the lines of, you know, it  shes guilty; the whole file shows that. Pressed further, Seiden said that the autopsy was proof because it corroborates her being the adult that had access to the child at that time and found the child.

He also cited a photo of the dead child. How does that support that conclusion? Skepnek asked him. I mean, its the child as he lay there, Seiden answered. Thats  I mean, the photo speaks for itself. If only.

Theres new evidence in the case, the state says. When no, theres a new expert, which legally speaking is not the same thing.

Bigger problem of honesty in the courtroom

The bottom line should be that Carrody Buchhorn did not kill this child. And if anyone really thought otherwise, then shed already have been retried. Thats never going to happen, because the state does not have a case.

Yet on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for Valdez emailed me that yes, the murder investigation actually is still ongoing. So, was the DA confused in her recent deposition when she said that it was not?

Again, this would all be tedious and silly if it didnt involve both a death and a life.

This is about the bigger problem of honesty in the courtroom, Skepnek told me. Why would the government do this?

He has asked that all of those involved be harshly sanctioned. And though hes right, Im sorry to say that the system marches on, protecting itself more reliably than it protects any of the rest of us.

Thankfully, though, it will soon be up to Douglas County voters to decide whether this surreality show is renewed for another season. And after four years of high drama and poor results, thats unlikely.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Mining activities pose an immediate threat to groundwater and critical wildlife habitat at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, according to a letter signed by Nevadas U.S. senators and Democrats in Congress.

The letter urges the U.S. Department of the Interior to protect the area by prohibiting mining on federal public lands in the Amargosa River watershed. U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) led the effort, with additional signatures from U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), as well as U.S. Reps. Dina Titus, Steven Horsford and Susie Lee.

The ecosystem at Ash Meadows NWR is entirely dependent on groundwater. Recent proposals for exploratory mineral drilling and extraction near the Refuge boundary pose an immediate threat to the integrity of this fragile ecosystem, according to the letter.

07.02.24-Cortez-Masto-NV-Delegation-Ltr-to-DOI-Sec-Haaland-re-Ash-Meadows-land-withdrawalDownload

A Canadian mining company named Rover Critical Minerals Corp. has been operating in Amargosa for a year, according to Mason Voehl, executive director of the Amargosa Conservancy.

Staking 400 new mining claims, some within 100 feet of homes and businesses, is a reckless and unacceptable threat to the communitys way of life, he said after a community meeting brought Rover officials face to face with residents in mid-June.

Our message is unequivocal: we will not sacrifice our environment for corporate gain. We stand united in our resolve to protect our iconic desert landscapes, including Ash Meadows, Death Valley, and the Amargosa River, Voehl said.

This fight is about more than just conservation. It is about defending the homes, health, and future of the Amargosa River watershed from irreversible harm, Voehl said.

Residents are concerned about the lack of rules on water consumption by mines, and they want the companies to be accountable.

Ash Meadows is known as the largest remaining oasis in the Mojave Desert, home to five endangered species including the Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish. Another seven species at Ash Meadows are threatened. Two species, the Longstreet Spring snail and the Ash Meadows killifish are now extinct.

The letter released on Tuesday seeks action on behalf of Ash Meadows, Death Valley National Park, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe and residents of Amargosa Valley. The area is about 100 miles west of Las Vegas.

In response to this threat, there is widespread support to enhance protections for this unique ecological system, the letter said. Formally withdrawing these lands from new mining and exploration would preserve the crucial and culturally-significant water resources in and around Ash Meadows, Death Valley, and Amargosa Valley from additional harm. Maintaining the integrity of this watershed is not only important for conserving the unique plants and animals that live in this special place, but it also helps protect the water source for the surrounding communities.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Impact of SCOTUS rulings





There is now little hope excepting that citizens of this land will wake up and overwhelmingly defend democracy. Anything less could be a blood bath if Trump loses. If he wins with his nature we will have a repressive dictatorship  please look up narcissism and cult of personality in Wikipedia!

With the latest ruling, the Supreme Court judges (those that have had an agenda for decades) are allowing the president to become a king (above the law), as long as he does it through official channels. He can literally order Seal Team Six to murder a rival, and anyone else who has the temerity to disagree with him. In examining whether his order is legal, the courts are now not allowed to include any inter-governmental communications into evidence, nor examine motive. How convenient!

Along with this ruling is another ruling delegitimizing all governing agency decisions and their expertise. Climate change and the EPA be damned, let the world go over the brink all for the sake of short-term profits. Trump will have to pay back big oil anyway.

Civil rights will be damned. Women and non-white races will be twice damned. Millions of productive and innocent immigrants deported. Trump if he gets in office can direct agencies of the executive to do anything, and it appears his hand selected Supreme Court members will facilitate all of this.

Our only other hope is if New York state will put him in jail for a decade.

Doug Keith, State College

Unprecedented mobilization needed to preserve democracy

Last week, the Supreme Court dealt a deathblow to the ability of federal agencies to regulate, among other crucial things, labor standards in the United States. It followed a ruling in which the Court weakened the National Labor Relations Boards ability to protect workers from employer retaliation against union organizing.

This weeks ruling that the president enjoys immunity from prosecution for official acts is a nail in the coffin of American democracy: but only if we allow it to be.

The stakes are larger than any one individual, and go beyond any candidate. We need an unprecedented mobilization  one focused on broad coalitions, not wagon-circling and gatekeeping  to stop a far right takeover of the American federal government. In France, left-wing Nouveau Front Populaire and centrist Ensemble are working together to stop the threat of a fascist Rassemblement National government. They recognize the stakes. So should we.

If we fail to do so, the democratic rights of working people, to say nothing of their workplace rights, are in immediate danger.

But now more than ever, we cant believe that the threat is averted if working people win at the ballot box. We still face an out-of-control federal judiciary, defiant of any checks on their power, bent on destroying democratic and civil rights, and creating a nation tailor made for the corporate elite.

Winning at the ballot box wont be the end of the fight for democracy. Itll be the beginning.

Connor Lewis, State College is President of Seven Mountains AFL-CIO.

Trump has done enough damage

Trump became a one-term president, not because the election was stolen, but because Americans were tired of dealing with the destructiveness, cruelty, and chaos of his historically dishonest and narcissistic administration.

Over 60 court cases, many before judges appointed by Trump or other Republican presidents, concluded that a stolen election was just one of the 30,573 documented lies told by Trump while in office.

Trump took us out of the Paris Climate Accord, contributing to record-high temperatures, monster tornadoes, uncontrollable wildfires and catastrophic flooding.

He lied about the seriousness and dangers of COVID, mocking the recommendations of dedicated health professionals, resulting in the unnecessary deaths of countless Americans.

Trumps trashing of the Iran Nuclear Agreement, while disparaging our NATO allies, served to embolden bad actors such as Hamas and Vladimir Putin, leaving the United States involved in two wars.

A grotesquely unethical Supreme Court, stacked by Trump with ultra-conservative sycophants, believes machine guns are OK, but a womans ability to exercise reproductive freedom is not.

The historic bipartisan immigration bill, which gave conservative Republicans virtually everything they ever wanted to secure our southern border, was derailed by Trump because he didnt want to lose a desperately needed campaign issue.

With a record like his, why on earth would any reasonable person want to this twice-impeached, four-time-indicted, one-term president, convicted of 34 felonies, motivated purely by self-interest, vengeance, and ego, to return to office?

Hes already done more than enough damage to our nation, our democracy, and our world.

George Polycranos, Port Matilda
Libertarian party vice presidential candidate wants to be disruptor in November election

Mike ter Maat, vice presidential candidate for the Libertarian party, doesn't see his campaign as a spoiler, but an opportunity for disenfranchised voters. (Kennedy Thomason/Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY  Although the Libertarian vice presidential candidate is not banking on a win, he is looking to be a disruptor to Novembers election.

Mike ter Maat was picked to serve on the Libertarian presidential ticket in May, alongside Chase Oliver. They will face presumptive candidates former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

He spoke with voters Tuesday night in Oklahoma City at a meet-and-greet.

I dont think its impossible for us to win the White House, ter Maat said. But we recognize its a long shot.

Key points of the pairs platform include reshaping foreign policy by stopping aid, ending the Federal Reserve System and relinquishing government intervention into American lives as much as possible.

Ter Maat was a professional economist for 25 years before serving 11 years as a police officer.

He said his experience makes him qualified to tackle criminal justice reform and stop the war on drugs, which he said isnt aligned with American values.

Ter Maat previously ran an unsuccessful congressional campaign, garnering less than 1% of the vote in Floridas 20th district. Oliver has also run two unsuccessful congressional campaigns. In 2022, he caused a runoff in Georgia between Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker, ter Maat said.

The Libertarian party has nominated a presidential candidate pair every election since 1972, according to ballotpedia.org. After turmoil at the Libertarian partys convention, Oliver and ter Maat were elected to be the face of the party in Novembers election.

Ter Maat said he doesnt view his candidacy as a spoiler.

But the real objective is to no longer allow the Republican and Democratic parties to just completely knee jerk, disregard our campaign, our philosophies, our candidates, our party, because thats the way it works now, ter Maat said.

But thats not the way Seth McKee, a political science professor at Oklahoma State University, sees it.

Most of the time, if they do play much of a role, it is spoiler, meaning they have no prayer of winning, but they can be pivotal in swinging the vote to one of the major candidates, McKee said.

McKee said third party candidates have the ability to get disenfranchised voters, who wouldnt otherwise vote, out to the polls.

This effect is less likely to have weight in Oklahoma, he said, which had all 77 counties vote for Trump in 2016 and 2020.

Registered Libertarians in Oklahoma make up less than 1% of voters, according to a January voter registration report.

McKee said registering with a third party is a double-edged sword.

Its a signal that theyre upset with the two parties, but theyre less likely to participate because theyre upset with the two parties, so they undermine their own clout and influence by not being as participatory, McKee said.

For Chris Powell, state chair for the Libertarian party, the partys messaging needs to improve.

Democrats are becoming an endangered species in rural areas, he said, which the party can capitalize on to reach those voters.

It just takes catching lightning in a bottle, a little bit, and people getting energized and getting on board, Powell said. This election, as bad as the top of the ticket is for the two establishment parties, could be the catalyst for that.

Being a spoiler is not something David Greer is worried about.

The first elected Libertarian official in Oklahoma, Greer serves on the Dougherty City Council. Doughtery has 199 citizens, according to the 2020 census.

Greer said he recognizes the smaller role the party currently plays, but that it holds an advantage with its candidate selection.

With elections like this, where the establishment parties arent putting up good candidates because they dont have to, I think were gonna get more looks our way and appear more appealing, Greer said.

After Thursdays presidential debate on CNN, ter Maat said he thinks his and Olivers odds are better heading into November.

Although surprised by the nations reaction to the debate, he said Bidens behavior is what he has observed for months.

As voters weigh their options, ter Maat said self-reflection is important.

You should vote for values in a candidate, in a ticket, that align with your own, and you should not be sending the signal to other parties and candidates that theyre on the right track if you dont feel that they are.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. The Electronic Security Service (ESS) of Azerbaijan and the Digital Governance Agency under the Ministry of Justice of Georgia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the field of information security and cybersecurity, Trend reports.

According to the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan, the MoU was signed during the ESS delegation's visit to Georgia.

The document envisages joint activities of the parties in the area of information security, exchange of information and experience.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
New life ring law and rescue drones help, but Lake Michigan swimmers still vulnerable

Lifeguards Jade Alpert, right, and Jason Heaps demonstrate a water rescue with EMILY, or Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard, at Silver Beach County Park in St. Joseph on July 2. EMILY is a remote-controlled flotation device that guards can motor out to a person in distress.

A good swimmer, Thomas Kenning waded into the Lake Michigan water that hed already decided was too treacherous at Porter Beach. Just hours before, hed explained why to his 9-year-old daughter  told her about the high waves and the rip currents.

But on that day, June 27, 2022, he and his family heard a teen-aged girl cry for help in the surf.

So Kenning, a 38-year-old Florida teacher whod grown up in the region and whod written books about nature and abandoned boats in the Southeast, waded in. He got close to the girl.

Beautiful, but deadly: The do's and don'ts of swimming in Lake Michigan

They were just inches apart, his mother, Sharon Kenning, of Valparaiso, recalls of her memories from shore. They kept reaching and reaching.

Then the water dragged him in. Sharon saw her son drift further out, but then a wave washed over him. The girl would be rescued. Thomas Kenning would drown.

Nature-loving teacher and author Thomas Kenning drowned at Porter Beach while trying to save a teen-aged girl who'd struggled in the Lake Michigan water in June 2022.

While all of this was going on, Sharon, who was minding her young grandkids, says, I stood on the beach and looked for anything (that would float).

Nothing.

Her husband ran to the nearby pavilion at Indiana Dunes State Park to look for a life ring.

Nothing.

With one toss of a life ring, Sharon feels, her son could have saved the girl and kept his own life. The familys loss became the impetus for a new Indiana law that took effect July 1. At least one life ring must be placed at every public access beach and pier along Indianas Lake Michigan coast.

Going to the beach: Our guide to 12 Lake Michigan beaches: Swimming, accessibility and bonus adventures.

It comes as a separate drowning, also in 2022, led two mourning families to donate remote-controlled rescue devices known as EMILY this summer to boost the lifeguards efforts at beaches in New Buffalo and St. Joseph.

Advocates cite many more gaps in water safety yet to fill.

The Town of Porter hung a life ring last summer at its beach, where Kenning drowned, near the entrance to get a jump start on Indianas law. And, on June 23 this year, one month after the ring was properly reinstalled and dedicated with a state-required weather-proof case, the life ring helped to save another girl from possibly drowning.

This newly place life ring, in a weather-proof case, is credited with helping to save a youth from drowning on June 23 here at Porter Beach.

Two girls, in fact, were struggling in the water, the town of Porters police department reported. Beachgoers on shore banded together to pull the first girl to shore. Then they noticed the second girl about 50 yards out. An adult took the life ring, swam out to her and pulled her towards shore.

"I hate to admit I was skeptical of the life rings, Porter Fire Chief Jay Craig responded in a statement after the rescue. Thinking the worst, they would be stolen, vandalized, or not used correctly. Very happy to admit I was wrong.

Can more be done?

While a few more rings are now being added to Indianas shores, Dave Benjamin says the Lake Michigan coast has a long, long way to go, especially in Michigan, before the public officials adequately guard visitors from the waters deadly waves and rip currents.

As co-founder and co-executive director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, he keeps track of the annual drownings across Lake Michigan and pushes for solutions. A single rescue device isnt enough. Rather, he says, its a multi-prong approach: Beachgoers should know how to swim and have access to rescue equipment and safety signage and lifeguards at every beach.

Dave Benjamin is co-founder and one of two executive directors of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.

Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, he says, argues that there should be a lifeguard at any public beach that has a parking lot and a bathroom and charges admission. Park and government officials often cite that they cant afford lifeguards, but Benjamin feels the parking fees should make it feasible.

Hes disappointed in how $570,000 was spent to switch Grand Haven State Park from water safety flags to a colored light beacon, which can be quickly adjusted based on the latest National Weather Service data.

The Grand Haven system features 12 towers with lights along the beach and sidewalk that also have life rings, which contact 911 and park rangers whenever a ring is pulled, the Holland Sentinel reported. The towers also play pre-recorded audio warnings to alert beachgoers about changing conditions and emergencies. They have emergency phones to reach 911 and trigger a response.

Benjamin argues that the money could have been better spent on employing lifeguards and questions the effectiveness of a light on bright, sunny days.

Law doesn't apply in Indiana Dunes

Indianas new law, Senate Enrolled Act 253, doesnt apply at the state-owned Indiana Dunes State Park, where Kennings dad couldnt find a life ring. In fact, state officials pushed back on the bill, and the only way that legislators could pass it was to give the park an exception, according to Evelyn Hernandez, a Beverly Shores resident who helped to seek the bill.

The law doesnt name the park but, rather, says it doesnt apply to state property where swimming is prohibited or where a life guard is on duty.

The park prohibits swimming at the beach unless a lifeguard is on duty.

A life preserver ring hangs from a lifeguard tower on July 2 at Silver Beach County Park in St. Joseph.

Hernandez disagrees with the argument that, by posting a life ring around the clock, it would give the wrong impression that the beach was open to swimming outside of lifeguard hours.

Holly Lawson, communications director for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, says that the parks lifeguards are already equipped with life rings (aka, ring buoys) while on duty. The guards also have access to rescue cans (flotation devices with handles), rescue tubes, throw bags, rescue boards, backboards, a Zodiac inflatable boat, whistles, megaphones and handheld radios, Lawson says.

The new law also doesnt apply to the 15 miles of coastline that are part of the Indiana Dunes National Park, because those are governed by federal regulations.

But, last summer, the national park did install one life ring each at its Porter Beach (in addition to the towns life ring) and at its Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk. That came about as advocates were pushing for the state bill and speaking with park officials.

"We are analyzing the effectiveness of the life rings at Porter and Portage Lakefront to determine if we should add them to other beaches at the national park, Bruce Rowe, spokesman for Indiana Dunes National Park, says. We continue to look at ways we can make a trip to Lake Michigan a safer one. We urge the public to contact us or go to sources like the National Weather Service to learn if there are dangerous conditions in Lake Michigan. People should never swim in the lake when there are breaking waves and children need to be closely supervised even when conditions are calm.

Counting up life rings

The national parks life ring at Porter Beach is toward the east, on the way to the state park.

And the Town of Porter just recently approved adding another life ring west of Porter Beach, with money donated by a homeowners association, Police Chief Todd Allen says.

Prior to the new law, Benjamin says, Michigan City had 11 life rings at its pier and beach. Gary had 26 life rings, though he says there are plans to upgrade them.

Beverly Shores has three rings. The town installed them last year as Hernandez pushed for the state bill. Shed pitched the idea to the town council, both as a resident and as a survivor.

A life ring in a weather-proof case hangs at a beach in Beverly Shores, Ind., on June 30, 2024. It is one of three life rings that the town added at separate beaches in 2023.

On June 12, 2012, she and her boyfriend, 32-year-old Leonel Dominguez of New York City, headed to one of the Beverly Shores beaches. On impulse, they picked up a round inflatable from a store, and they sat together on the shallow water to watch the sunset.

But an offshore wind pushed them a quarter mile out. Dominguez jumped in the water to try to kick them back to shore, but, shocked by the cold water, he tried to scramble back on board. The floatie flipped and blew off in the wind. Both of them slipped into the water, then were sucked in by a rip current. Dominguez, a good swimmer, drowned. A bystander rescued Hernandez.

It inspired Hernandez to lead an effort seeking a similar state bill that requires life rings at publicly accessible points along Lake Michigan in Illinois. It passed two to three years ago. She then helped to drive Indianas legislative effort, forming and leading the Lake Michigan Waterfront Safety Initiative, with testimonials from several other families of drowning victims.

Worth the cost?

Out of Indianas 45 miles of coastline, 26 miles are public. If life rings were posted at every quarter mile of public access, which advocates recommend, they estimate that there could be a total of 104 life rings.

The state requires that each life ring be attached to 100 feet of rope and be placed inside of a weather-proof case.

Lifeguards Hannah Webb, right, and Bridget Nuter, center, run to toss a new water rescue device called EMILY, Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard, into the water during a demonstration while assistant head lifeguard Chris Jordan, left, uses a remote control to pilot the device July 2 at Silver Beach County Park in St. Joseph.

Advocates say the typical cost for a life ring, case and rope is roughly $600, plus the cost of a post, cement and labor to install it. By contrast, they estimate that an all-out effort to recover one drowned body in the lake, involving the U.S. Coast Guard and helicopter searches, can reach $500,000.

Sharon Kenning credits a family friend, Lynn Jaymes, with initiating the effort toward Indianas new life ring law at a time when it was difficult for the Kennings to speak.

Now she echoes what advocates have been saying about the Great Lakes beach safety.

We teach kids about stop, drop and role, she says of the familiar safety lesson that firefighters often deliver. We require sprinkler systems. But we invite people to beautiful beaches, and theres nothing there (for safety).

EMILY drone to help guards

Kory Ernster, 22, and Emily MacDonald, 19, drowned in two- to three-foot waves at South Beach in South Haven on Aug. 8, 2022. There were among 12 drownings in the nearly 20 years that the beach has gone without lifeguards, Benjamin says.

While disappointed by the lack of South Haven lifeguards, the two sets of parents turned their grief into action for beaches that do have guards. They donated a motorized flotation device that gives lifeguards an extra edge on rescues at New Buffalo Beach and Silver Beach County Park in St. Joseph.

A new water rescue device called EMILY, or Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard, takes a practice run July 2 at Silver Beach County Park in St. Joseph. EMILY is a remote-controlled flotation device that guards can motor out to a person in distress.

Its just a coincidence that its named EMILY, and Emily was the beautiful girl that fell victim to drowning on that day, but it just works out to be a perfect tribute, Stephen Ernster, father of Kory, told WNDU during a presentation in June at Silver Beach as lifeguards trained with EMILY.

EMILY, or Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard, is a remote-controlled drone that powers through waves and surf to reach a victim. It can speed up to 23 mph through the whitecaps and quickly reach a victim, who can then grab ahold of it and hang on for help.

It gets to a swimmer faster than a person, especially when seconds count.

It takes two lifeguards to use it for a full rescue. One guard comes off of the watch tower and sets EMILY in the water, then swims out to the distressed swimmer. The other guard stays in the tower and runs the remote controls. Ultimately, the guard in the water pulls the distressed swimmer back to shore. EMILY isnt strong enough to tow someone.

Invented in 2010, EMILY drones have been used for several years along the east and west coasts of the U.S., but, Benjamin says, this is among its first appearances along Lake Michigan.

New Buffalo Park Director Kristen DAmico says lifeguards have been training regularly with the device, adding, EMILY has performed excellently and has proven to be a very valuable asset at New Buffalo Beach.

Find columnist Joseph Dits on Facebook at SBTOutdoorAdventures or 574-235-6158 or jdits@sbtinfo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Lake Michigan water safety rescues gain Indiana life ring law EMILY drone
Ed Martin, one of three men leading the Republican Party platform process next week, has said he refuses to answer questions about jailing women for having an abortion. This isnt because Martin opposes that kind of punishment, but because he believes it is ceding power to the left should he acknowledge the possibility that the anti-abortion laws he and many other Republicans support could be used to incarcerate people.

What do you do with the woman who has an abortion? I dont think we have a good answer yet, Martin said in 2022 on his podcast, Pro America Report, days after the American public learned, through a leaked opinion, that the Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade. But if you believe its a babyI dothen you have to do something to protect the baby. Still, Martin, who is president of the right-wing Phyllis Schlafly Eagles, former chair of the Missouri Republican Party, and a Stop the Steal activist who was at the Capitol on January 6, didnt provide a direct answer. He went further, counseling against it. If you take their framing, its a womans right, are you going to put women in jail, noits about a baby. Now what do we do? Frame the argument.

This was just one of several revealing sentiments shared by Martin on his podcast, reported by CNN this week. No abortion is ever performed to save the life of the mothernone. Zero. Zilch, he said in another episode, and he characterized stories of such lifesaving abortions as Planned Parenthood propaganda. He also said the protests after the Dobbs decision overturning Roe pushed a hoax that people care about abortion rights.

Martins comment about framing may be less incendiary, but it is especially revealing. It suggests how little substantive policy disagreement there is on abortion on the rightdespite what you may have read about Donald Trumps supposed stabs at moderation. To the extent that there is a conflict within his Republican Party about how to make anti-abortion laws more punitive, it is a conflict about messagingnot a conflict about punishment.

The Republican Party will be revising its platform next week for the first time since 2016. Martin, along with a former Trump ambassador and a former Trump administration official, will oversee the process. Meanwhile, anti-abortion groups have mounted a public pressure campaign to ensure that the platform committee does not weaken provisions in the 2016 platform that call for a federal ban on abortion after 20 weeks and a constitutional amendment extending legal personhood to embryos and fetuses.

If the Trump campaign decides to remove national protections for the unborn in the GOP platform, it would be a miscalculation that would hurt party unity and destroy pro-life enthusiasm between now and the election, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said Tuesday.

Their fear is that Trump is backing away from this extremist position, having said earlier this year that he wouldnt sign a federal ban and that abortion should be left to the states. In June, a senior Trump adviser told CNN that the campaign expects the platform to reflect the policy and vision and agenda of President Trump. (The Trump campaign also apparently blocked two anti-abortion activists from the platform committee, Politico reported Tuesday.)

Martins statements on his podcast, in which he effectively acknowledges how bad it looks to support the idea of criminal punishment for abortion, may help clarify this purported conflict. Leading Republicans, knowing their punitive stance on abortion is (correctly) regarded as repressive and unjust, will try to obscure or outright lie about their extremist positionand do so openly, to the press, without shame. In this respect, theyre following Trumps lead. He may claim he doesnt support the more extreme anti-abortion positions, as represented by Martin and Dannenfelser, but his actions negate his words. When you appoint Supreme Court justices with the explicit intention of overturning Roe, knowing that it will instantly lead to total abortion bans in some states, and when you speak to organizations that want abortion eradicated entirely, there can be no confusion about your stance.

While the tension over the party platform tells us theres some disagreement about how the party should communicate its extremist position, it tells us very little about the future of abortion policy under a potential second Trump term.

One anti-abortion leader who helped craft previous GOP platforms is actually ready to dustbin the 20-week ban. James Bopp Jr., general counsel for the National Right to Life Committee, called it a remnant of a strategy to overturn Roe v. Wade. The ban was meant to get around the viability standard in Roe, commonly understood to limit abortion after 23 weeks, by asserting that a fetus could feel pain at 20 weeksa concept that has no basis in science or medical ethics, but which has been strategically advanced by anti-abortion groups to pass state-level gestational bans. (Some abortion rights defenders, as well as national medical groups like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, are now advocating for an end to abortion laws based on the subjective concept of viability.) Arguing over a 20-week ban also feels fairly quaint when nearly half of the states have enacted more restrictive bans, including the total abortion bans in 14 states.

As for getting some kind of national ban, however, leading Republican groups, including former Trump administration officials, already have other, bigger plans. The action in the next administration is going to revolve around undoing the Biden administrations actions on abortion as opposed to a national gestation protection, Roger Severino, vice president of domestic policy at the Heritage Foundation, told The Washington Post in April. Setting aside the cringey framing of national abortion bans as national gestation protection, Severinos proposals here render much of the GOP platform debate on abortion moot.

Under Trump, Severino ran the civil rights office in the Department of Health and Human Services. Most recently, he authored the section on HHS in the Heritage Foundationled Project 2025 Mandate for Leadership, a guide for the possible future Trump administration. In it, the groups behind Project 2025 call for rolling back the Food and Drug Administrations approval of mifepristone, a drug used in medication abortion. (The recent Supreme Court decisions in Loper Bright and Corner Post, which take power away from federal agencies, could make those rollbacks easier.) They also push the arguably baseless theory that the 150-year-old Comstock Act could be revived as a day-one national prohibition on all abortions, requiring no new ban be passed. Why get into a difficult fight over rewriting the Fourteenth Amendment to apply to embryos and fetuses, when you can just dust off a law already on the books?

The comments about criminal punishment for abortion made by Ed Martin, given his role as the deputy policy director for the GOP platform committee, are disturbing enough. But the background of committee policy director Russ Vought puts them in a more alarming context. Vought was the director of the Office of Management and Budget under Trump, whose administration he celebrated as ushering in a golden chapter for the anti-abortion movement. Students for Life of America has called Vought the man behind the plan to defund Planned Parenthood, owing to his success in forcing the group out of Title X, the federal family planning program. (Vought, like Martin, believes that the 2020 election was stolen, and has referred to those charged with criminal offenses related to January 6 as political prisoners.)

Vought currently heads the Center for Renewing America, now a lead part of the Project 2025 effort. More than hair-splitting about gestational bans, Vought has a much broader scale of conflict in mind. His group is working on its own plans for Trump, a bullet point list that includes Christian nationalism. Hes said he would hand the president more power over the Department of Justice, which he regards as not an independent agency. Getting DOJ on board, whether by influence or by taking overt control, would be important should a new administration wish to revive a law from 1873 banning abortion, or start criminally punishing people for abortion. Vought has the experience and the plans that could back up the kinds of things Martin has dreamt about on his podcast.

The word extreme is perhaps overused when it comes to abortion. But when applied to men who are already in positions of mainstream political power, what does extreme mean anymore? Even if the Republican Party should remove its support for a 20-week ban from its platform, that should not be misinterpreted as some kind of move away from extremism. Vought and other Trump advisers are busy concocting anti-abortion policies that make a 20-week federal ban look tameand theyre telling us all about it, should we choose to listen.
LIVINGSTON COUNTY  Livingston County residents may be asked to vote on a special education millage renewal and restoration this November that, if approved, will provide pass-through funding for programming and services for students aged 5-18 at county schools and academies.

The millage, proposed by the Livingston Education Service Agency, would be in place for 10 years.

The renewal would not raise residential property taxes and would provide an estimated 12.8 million in 2026 dollars to area schools, distributed by the LESA based on factors like enrollment and the number of special education students who qualify.

The districts dont have the taxing authority (for a special education millage), which is where we come in, said LESA Superintendent Mike Hubert. For us, its just a pass-through to the districts and academies.

Livingston County residents may be asked to vote on a special education millage renewal and restoration this November.

Without the millage, schools would need to use more of their general fund to pay for special education services. The needs of such students are determined individually and documented in an Individualized Education Plan. Districts are responsible for the costs to implement the plan and are required to follow rules established by the Michigan Department of Education.

Hubert said around 3,000 elementary, middle and high school students in Livingston County qualify for special education services and assistance, between 10% and 15% of the population of any one school district.

Many people are surprised that such a high percentage of students fall into this category, Hubert said. This is why (the millage vote) is so significant.

Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our local coverage

Hartland Consolidated Schools Superintendent Chuck Hughes said all districts in Livingston County would benefit from the millage.

We want to do the right thing and be a district and a community that is supporting students with special needs, Hughes said. (Passing) the millage would be a big step.

Hughes confirmed the millage would help districts like Hartland save general funds for other expenses.

The LESA still needs to finalize the wording of the millage and receive approval from Livingston County to be added to the ballot. Hubert expects to hear back sometime in July.

 M. Alan Scott is a freelance writer for The Livingston Daily. Contact the newsroom at newsroom@livingstondaily.com.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Livingston residents could vote on a special education millage renewal in November
HILLSDALE, Mich. (WLNS)  The community has started to pay respects to Hillsdale County Sheriffs Deputy William Butler, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop last Thursday.

Multiple police departments and sheriffs office vehicles could be seen in the parking lot at the deputys visitation on Tuesday. Local businesses are also doing what they can to show support to Deputy Butlers family.

Deputy Butler, known by many as Bill, was 51 years old and leaves behind 5 children. He also served in the Army National Guard.

Sheriff Butler, also known as Bill. (WLNS)

6 News spent a day in Hillsdale County and people there said he was a community staple and touched many peoples hearts. Even neighboring counties are feeling the impact of losing Deputy Butler.

Planet Powersports, a motorcycle dealer, is one of many businesses fundraising for the Butler family. The General Sales Manager, Ted Avra, said they spent all of Saturday fundraising, raising more than $2,000. The business then matched it for a total of more than $4,000.

This is a huge impact on the whole community. We just felt like it was the right thing to do. Bill was a customer of ours so it hit all of us a little close., said Avra. Bill came in and bought a dirt bike for one of his children. It was a great interaction. Just being an officer and putting his life on the line for us, its a big deal.

A sign for donations inside Planet Powersports (WLNS)

Planet Powersports will continue accepting donations until Saturday, July 6.

Over at the Oaks Tavern in Hillsdale County, workers are fundraising for the entire month of July.

Co-owner Adam Day said the hardest part for him in this tragedy is knowing Deputy Butlers family wont see him again. For the entire month of July, the tavern has made the Billy Butler Bourbon Bacon Burger their specialty burger.

All proceeds made from that burger will go to Deputy Butlers family.

I knew people that knew Billy very good. I contacted them to find out what Billys favorite burger was, and what I got back washe was a bacon lover. His kids are bacon lovers. So they said anything with bacon. And so I just started thinking about it and I love the whole B thing. The Billy Butler Bourbon Bacon Burger, Day said.

The Oaks Tavern, which named its specialty burger in honor of Butler (WLNS)

Day is also calling on restaurants all across the country to do something for police officers.

Next week, we want to provide all our police that are on duty a free meal throughout the week. Its just a little that we can do, Day 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 WLNS 6 News.
Local commissioner calls for President Joe Biden to step down

A local Democratic official is calling for President Joe Biden to step down.

Commissioner Leigh Altman posted on Facebook that she believes Biden should step down and allow Kamala Harris to become president.

ALSO READ: Despite shaky debate, Dems reiterate support for Biden as nominee

Altman also said Democrats should use the convention to choose the most competitive person to win in November.

This comes after some Democrats nationwide have called for Biden to step aside following his debate performance.

Bidens campaign said there are no plans to do that.

VIDEO: Despite shaky debate, Dems reiterate support for Biden as nominee




OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  OKC-based nonprofit Pivot is hosting an open house on July 12 to unveil their new tiny homes and community center for youth facing housing insecurity.

No matter the situation a young person finds themselves in, Pivot is here to support them during times of transition and to help them gain experiences needed to become self-reliant adults, said Pivot President and CEO, Jennifer Goodrich. All young people have talents, skills and dreams, and we are always looking for how we can bring hope to those dreams.

Second phase of tiny homes for at-risk youth. Photo courtesy Pivot.

The 15 new homes and the community center were built in partnership with Oklahoma Human Services, who awarded Pivot a grant focused on sheltering youth who aged out of foster care.

The newly-built homes are phase two of their tiny home project. Pivot broke ground on the first tiny homes in 2018, funded by a grant from Impact Oklahoma.

OKC Homeless Alliance raising money for kitchen updates

We are incredibly excited about our newest partnership with Pivot and the opportunity to find additional ways to meet the housing needs of young people who are leaving the foster care system, said Dr. Deborah Shropshire, Director of Oklahoma Human Services. The tiny homes and community center will give young people much needed stability and support while they work with our Oklahoma Successful Adulthood Program to implement longer-term housing plans and design their own future. We are grateful for the many ways the community has embraced foster care and for the additional pathways this partnership will create for the young people we serve.

Having a beds going to be different. I sleep on a couch right now, Tiny homes give homeless youth a place to live independently

Pivots tiny home open house will go from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, July 12, at 201 NE 50th Street in Oklahoma 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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Getty Images

Louisiana will require Medicaid and private health insurance plans to cover menopause and perimenopause treatment. The new law should ease access to hormone replacement therapy for those patients.



House Bill 392, sponsored by Rep. Aimee Freeman, D-New Orleans, goes into effect Aug. 1. She brought the legislation after local doctors complained they couldnt get hormone replacement therapy covered by Medicaid for some of their patients experiencing menopause and perimenopause.

Menopause marks the end of menstrual cycles and typically occurs when people are in their 40s and 50s. It can come with a range of symptoms that disrupt sleep, cause changes in mood and create problems for their sex life, brain and bladder. It can also increase cholesterol and cause bone loss.

These symptoms crop up in perimenopause, a period preceding menopause that can last close to a decade and may start when a person is in their 30s. The issues make it difficult for some people to function at work and in their daily lives, but medical treatment can provide relief.



Women spend 40% of their lives in menopause, Freeman said in an interview. Theres no reason someone has to live with brain fog.

The Mayo Clinic says one of the most effective treatments for curbing troubling symptoms is hormone replacement therapy, medication that replaces the estrogen lost in the body while a person is in menopause and perimenopause.



A substitute for progesterone is also often needed and prescribed. Non-hormonal treatment, such as antidepressants, can also assist people.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

Louisianas largest private insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, already covers the menopausal and perimenopausal treatment mandated by Freemans legislation, according to a statement the organization provided last week.

A legislative fiscal analysis indicates Medicaid patients have only been able to access hormone replacement therapy with prior authorization, a process where health plans need to approve a medication before it is covered. Prior authorization is often used to deny coverage for treatment prescribed by doctors that the health care plan deems unnecessary or too expensive.

Under Freemans bill, Medicaid plans will no longer be able to require prior authorization for hormone replacement therapy.



Sen. Thomas Pressly, R-Shreveport, inserted language into the new law that prohibits health insurance plans from requiring prior authorization, step therapy or fail-first policies before offering hormone replacement therapy coverage to patients.



Like prior authorization, step therapy and fail-first policies often oblige a patient to try other, less expensive treatments before a health insurance company will cover the medication first prescribed by the doctor. In the case of perimenopause and menopause treatment, it could delay the use of hormone replacement therapy.

Health insurers should be covering necessary and needed health care for women, Pressly said.



The menopausal and perimenopausal law will go into effect without Gov. Jeff Landrys signature. The governors office declined to say why he didnt sign the legislation.



A small number of House Republicans also voted against the bill when it was approved 71-14. The Louisiana Senate voted 38-0 for the proposal.

The post Louisiana mandates insurance coverage for menopause, perimenopause treatment appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Louisiana will require Medicaid and private health insurance plans to cover menopause and perimenopause treatment. The new law should ease access to hormone replacement therapy for those patients.

House Bill 392, sponsored by Rep. Aimee Freeman, D-New Orleans, goes into effect Aug. 1. She brought the legislation after local doctors complained they couldnt get hormone replacement therapy covered by Medicaid for some of their patients experiencing menopause and perimenopause.

Menopause marks the end of menstrual cycles and typically occurs when people are in their 40s and 50s. It can come with a range of symptoms that disrupt sleep, cause changes in mood and create problems for their sex life, brain and bladder. It can also increase cholesterol and cause bone loss.

These symptoms crop up in perimenopause, a period preceding menopause that can last close to a decade and may start when a person is in their 30s. The issues make it difficult for some people to function at work and in their daily lives, but medical treatment can provide relief.

Women spend 40% of their lives in menopause, Freeman said in an interview. Theres no reason someone has to live with brain fog.

The Mayo Clinic says one of the most effective treatments for curbing troubling symptoms is hormone replacement therapy, medication that replaces the estrogen lost in the body while a person is in menopause and perimenopause.

A substitute for progesterone is also often needed and prescribed. Non-hormonal treatment, such as antidepressants, can also assist people.

Louisianas largest private insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, already covers the menopausal and perimenopausal treatment mandated by Freemans legislation, according to a statement the organization provided last week.

A legislative fiscal analysis indicates Medicaid patients have only been able to access hormone replacement therapy with prior authorization, a process where health plans need to approve a medication before it is covered. Prior authorization is often used to deny coverage for treatment prescribed by doctors that the health care plan deems unnecessary or too expensive.

Under Freemans bill, Medicaid plans will no longer be able to require prior authorization for hormone replacement therapy.

Sen. Thomas Pressly, R-Shreveport, inserted language into the new law that prohibits health insurance plans from requiring prior authorization, step therapy or fail-first policies before offering hormone replacement therapy coverage to patients.

Like prior authorization, step therapy and fail-first policies often oblige a patient to try other, less expensive treatments before a health insurance company will cover the medication first prescribed by the doctor. In the case of perimenopause and menopause treatment, it could delay the use of hormone replacement therapy.

Health insurers should be covering necessary and needed health care for women, Pressly said.

The menopausal and perimenopausal law will go into effect without Gov. Jeff Landrys signature. The governors office declined to say why he didnt sign the legislation.

A small number of House Republicans also voted against the bill when it was approved 71-14. The Louisiana Senate voted 38-0 for the proposal.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Louisiana mandates insurance coverage for menopause, perimenopause treatment appeared first on Oklahoma Voice.
Members of the Lubbock Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association are set to gather 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Lubbock County Courthouse to read in public the country's founding documents ahead of the July 4th holiday.

Lubbock attorney Chuck Lanehart speaks in 2021 about the significance of reading the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights in during the Lubbock Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association's annual reading of the documents at the Lubbock County Courthouse.

Similar readings of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights will take place at 100 courthouses in the state throughout the week by members of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

The event aims to honor the freedoms enjoyed by Americans and to remind them about the principles that form the bedrock of democracy.

The annual event, which has taken place at the Lubbock County courthouse's gazebo since 2011, will also include patriotic musical performances, said Lubbock criminal defense attorney Chuck Lanehart, who organizes the event.

"The organization thinks the readings emphasize that July 4th is more than just a date for a summer holiday," Lanehart said. "It is Independence Day, the day the American Colonies declared their independence from Britain in 1776. It marked the beginning of the United States of America."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock criminal defense lawyers to honor country's founding documents
Undated handout file photo issued by Cheshire Constabulary of child serial killer Lucy Letby, who has been found guilty of the attempted murder of a baby girl. Letby, a British neonatal nurse who is serving a life sentence for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others was convicted Tuesday, July 2, 2024, of trying to kill another infant in her care. (Cheshire Constabulary via AP)

LONDON (AP)  A British neonatal nurse who is serving a life sentence for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others was convicted Tuesday of trying to kill another infant in her care.

Lucy Letby, 34, tried to kill a baby girl known as Child K in February 2016 at the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwestern England, a jury decided after a previous panel failed to reach a verdict on that count.

Letby, who testified that she never harmed a child, was found guilty in Manchester Crown Court last August of most of the crimes she was charged with that took place between June 2015 and June 2016 at the hospitals neonatal unit.

On Tuesday, a different jury convicted her of trying to murder a very premature baby girl by dislodging her breathing tube in the early hours of Feb. 17, 2016.

The parents of the baby gasped and cried as the verdict was read after three and a half hours of deliberations.

Letby showed no emotion.

Senior Prosecutor Nicola Wyn Williams said Letby removed the babys breathing support and a doctor found her standing by doing nothing as the child struggled. She added that Letby removed the breathing tube two more times over the next few hours, in an attempt to cover her tracks and suggest that the first dislodgment was accidental.

These were the actions of a cold-blooded, calculated killer, she said. Staff at the unit had to think the unthinkable  that one of their own was deliberately harming and killing babies in their care.

Dr. Ravi Jayaram, a pediatrician at the hospital, told jurors he saw no evidence that Letby had done anything to help the baby as he walked in and saw her standing next to the newborns incubator.

Letby told the jury of six women and six men she had no recollection of any such event. She denied she harmed Child K, and added that she had not committed any of the offenses she had been convicted of.

Letby is serving a life sentence with no chance of release  the most severe punishment possible under British law, which does not allow the death penalty. Only three other women have received such a harsh sentence in the U.K.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Four political prisoners in Belarus who were being held by Alexander Lukashenko's regime have been released, the Viasna Center for Human Rights reported on July 3.

The news followed an announcement by Lukashenko on July 2 that some political prisoners with serious health issues would be released ahead of Belarus' Independence Day, which is marked on July 3.

Lukashenko's announcement concerned a number of political prisoners who have cancer, Belarusian independent news outlet Nasha Niva said. The released prisoners include two men and two women, according to Viasna.

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya welcomed the release of the prisoners and said she was "glad to see these people free and reunited with their loved ones."

"But many are still on the humanitarian list. News of release is what we want to hear about every political prisoner," Tsikhanouskaya added.

Tsikhanouskaya and Viasna did not immediately provide details on who had been freed, but later reported that Ryhor Kastusiou, the leader of the pro-democracy Belarusian Popular Front party, was among those who had been released.

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Belarus Weekly

Join us

67-year-old Kastusiou has been "diagnosed with cancer and urgently needs medical help," Tsikhanouskaya said. "Political prisoners have paid a heavy price with their health. Now, they need rehabilitation and support," Tsikhanouskaya added.

Nasha Niva reported that Kastusiou's health has seriously deteriorated while in prison.

Nasha Niva said there are at least seven political prisoners who are known to have cancer, and at least 32 prisoners have filed an emergency medical request, which indicates they need to be urgently released to receive medical care.

According to the Viasna Center for Human Rights, there are 1,408 people being held as political prisoners in Belarus. Most of these people were imprisoned following the pro-democracy protests in Belarus after the 2020 presidential elections.

Read also: In Lukashenkos Belarus, Belarusian culture is not welcome

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
(Bloomberg) -- President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva unveiled a record-breaking amount of funding to support Brazils massive agricultural sector, his latest attempt to win over farmers who have broadly opposed his government.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The government will devote roughly 400 billion reais ($71.8 billion) to the countrys agribusiness sector as part of its Plano Safra crop financing plan, Lula and Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro announced Wednesday, marking the second consecutive year it has set a record under Lula. The plan will also put 76 billion reais toward financing for family farmers, according to the government.

Plano Safra is a government plan that provides credit to Brazils farms and ranches. The countrys substantial agricultural industry accounts for a roughly a quarter of its gross domestic product and makes it one of the worlds largest exporters of coffee, soybeans, beef and other products.

But farmers often still require assistance for investments and other improvements, and have lately struggled with tighter credit conditions. They also faced lower prices over the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year.

Brazils influential agribusiness sector has largely remained opposed to Lulas government, despite efforts to earn its support.

Congressional lawmakers linked to the industry, many of whom remain aligned with former President Jair Bolsonaro, have blunted key legislative goals and have promised to unleash an offensive against the leftist leaders green agenda this year.

Lula has also sought to use the plan to bolster his efforts to foster a green transition of Brazils economy, adding sustainability incentives and increased funding for low-carbon producers to the program last year.

--With assistance from Daniel Carvalho and Beatriz Reis.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Vice President Kamala Harris introduces President Joe Biden at a campaign rally on May 29, 2024 in Philadelphia. Credit - Andrew HarnikGetty Images

President Joe Biden scrambled Wednesday to reignite his flagging campaign among key Democrats and stamp out a simmering effort to convince him to leave the race.

After almost a week of showing minimal effort to combat worries about his ability to win this race after a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump, Biden has finally started working the phonestaping interviews with two Black radio hosts and speaking directly with Democratic leaders including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. And the White House and the Biden campaign held separate midday all-staff conference calls, with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris taking the rare step of calling into the campaign call and stopping by in person to talk to White House press officials, advisers said.

Im in this race to the end, and we are going to win, Biden told campaign staffers.

The next few days are likely to be make-or-break ones for Bidens hold on the nomination, as Democrats are growing more anxious about their prospects for keeping the presidency down to local offices. At the White House, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden understands the worries but added he retains his resolve: The President is clear-eyed and he is staying in the race.

But none of that may be enough to tamp down his partys panic over his candidacy.

Around Washington, the ongoing debate about Bidens future continued to consume most of the conversation. Stories published early Wednesday in quick succession set the tone, with both The New York Times and CNN quoting an unnamed Biden allyperhaps the same onesuggesting that Biden was aware he needed to prove in the coming days that he can both handle and win a second term. The White House and Bidens campaign denied Biden had said any such thing. But in Washington, the exact facts of such a moment matter less than the permission they give to other allies, who amplified the headlines.

In the week since Democrats watched their presumptive nominee implode in real time on stage against Trump, the whispers about replacing Biden on the ticket for someone newand importantly someone youngerhave grown into a roar.

On the Hill, reliably-blue Democratic House members began circulating a draft letter to Biden, imploring him to step aside for the good of the party. As of midday Wednesday, they were still just passing it among themselves, hoping its mere existence was enough to goad Biden to action. Separately, a second group of Democratic lawmakers began drafting their own letter, telling Biden that his re-nomination would tank their hopes in swing districts.

Theyve all lost confidence in the Biden operation, says one Democratic consultant working with progressive House clients. No one is in charge. Its Biden alone, but no one thinks he is actually in full command of the levers or power here.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris stood lockstep with Biden. She defended him in public and in private, telling her staff to keep their heads down and do their job without paying attention to the distractions. She joined Biden on Wednesday morning for a joint intelligence briefing in the Oval Office, sat with him for lunch in his private dining room next door, and was spotted walking the hallways of the West Wing with him. While some in the party were simultaneously pushing for her elevation as the nominee and others were flagging that shes never led a national ticket before, some senior Democrats were dismissive of any such chatter.

A person close to the campaign who stressed the campaign was doubling down on Biden staying put, said Harris was the only logical alternative if the party manages to shove the President off the ticket. If that succeeds there is zero chance you then use that same energy to push out your standing Vice President who is a woman and Black and South Asian, the person says.

Asked by reporters about the prospect of Harris taking over the nomination on Wednesday, Jean-Pierre insisted Biden was staying in the race, but said, "One of the reasons he picked Vice President Kamala Harris is that she is indeed the future of the party."

Democrats close to the White House have been pleading with top aides to take more seriously the damage done, and understand that one terrible debate performance has effectively exploded the 2024 electoral map. A NYT/Siena College poll published Wednesday found Trump leading Biden by six percentage pointsa three-point swingand three-quarters of likely voters viewing Biden as too old to do the job. It was in line with other surveys from CNN and CBS News. Some in the party believe at least four states have shifted in recent days from the safely-blue column into jump-ball territory: New Mexico, Minnesota, Virginia, and New Hampshire. All four went to Biden in 2020, giving him 32 of the 270 electoral votes required to capture the White House.

Numerically, Biden still has a path to winning the White House without those four states based on leaked internal polls. But Democrats are skeptical that they will maintain their hold on a must-win swing state like Arizona if similar demographics in nearby New Mexico bolt. Similarly, Wisconsin and Michigan suddenly seem less plausible if Minnesota slips red; Republicans have won Minnesota just three times since Dwight D. Eisenhower grabbed it in 1952. A 12-point swing in New Hampshire since January is nothing to be blown off.

Bidens team is making moves to answer these developments. Biden campaign aides have announced stops in the coming days in Pennsylvania and Wisconsintwo must-win statesas well as an interview to be taped Friday with ABC News George Stephanopolous. Biden is set to meet Wednesday evening with Democratic Governors, including some who have been mentioned as potential replacements for him as the nominee such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

They want to touch base and hear what the plan is moving forward, a source close to the campaign said of the meeting with the governors.

In the West Wing driveway after the session late Wednesday, three of the 24 Democratic governors who talked to Biden described having an honest and open conversation about the concerns they were hearing from voters. They said they were assured by Biden that he was not dropping out and they promised to support him. When you love someone you tell them the truth. We came in and we were honest about the feedback we were getting, Maryland Governor Wes Moore told reporters. Moore was one of the 9 governors who spoke with Biden in person at the White House, the others attended virtually. The President continued to tell us and show us that he was all in, Moore said. We said that we would stand with him.

From left, Governors Kathy Hochul of New York, Wes Moore of Maryland, and Tim Walz of Minnesota, outside the White House after meeting with Biden on July 3, 2024. Yuri GripasAbaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images

New York Governor Kathy Hochul told reporters Biden is in it to win it and all of us said we pledged our support to him because the stakes could not be higher. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said Biden is fit for office and said what we saw in there today was a guy who was the guy who we all believed in the first time could beat Donald Trump and he did beat Donald Trump.

Yet the panic was evident from the partys top brass down to rank-and-file members, many of whom were speculating about whether Biden might give up the nomination as soon as today. Even routine administrative tasks drew attention amid the heightened worries. A copy of Bidens upcoming fundraising schedule has him parked until a Colorado visit at the end of the month, an infuriating decision to those who feel Biden should be taking every opportunity to demonstrate his vitality. Even the Biden campaigns job board is drawing unusual levels of scrutiny, with postings for a national spokesman and a social-media adviser for Harris raising theories of what it signaled about the campaigns evolution.

The pessimistic thinking followed a terrible day for Biden on Tuesday, with Rep. Lloyd Doggett being the first sitting Democrat in Congress to call for him to drop out, joining a chorus that already included former Sen. Tom Harkin and former Rep. Tim Ryan. Bidens team is moving ahead with plans to re-nominate him before the convention even begins in Chicago in August, perhaps as soon as July 22.

The next steps belong almost solely to Biden. And, around Capitol Hill, Democrats are reminding themselves that the Watergate crises of the 1970s didnt push Richard Nixon out of the White House. His fellow Republicans did, with a direct confrontation in the Oval Office on Aug. 7, 1974.

Senate Republican Leader Hugh Scott was as honest with the President as he could be. Mr. President, we are very saddened, but we have to tell you facts, Scott said, according to Bob Woodward and Carl Bernsteins book on Nixons exit.

The next evening, Nixon addressed the nation from the Oval Office and flew home to California a day later.

So far, no top-shelf Democrat has tried to replicate the Nixon-era pressure for the good of the party. At this point, its mostly lawmakers trying to get the headlines without the fingerprints, and governors worried about down-ballot blowback without demonstrating too much alarm. And, to Biden advisers mind, until those groups take ownership of their historic ask, the President has few reasons to take their backchannel pleas more seriously.

Write to Philip Elliott at philip.elliott@time.com.
Sir Keir Starmer has said he is ready to govern as the final opinion polls predicted a historic majority for the Labour party at the general election.

Britain will go to vote on Thursday with a string of opinion polls pointing to a Labour majority in the Commons greater even than that won by Sir Tony Blairs New Labour in 1997.

As campaigning drew to a close on Wednesday night after party leaders had criss-crossed the nation, the Labour leader declared he was ready for government.

Sir Keir said: Nothing is going to be easy, almost everything is in a pretty poor state, but we have to be ready for it and Im confident we will be.

So while we have not been getting ahead of ourselves, genuinely, we have been preparing hard on the basis that this needs to be hitting the ground running on day one, which is what we intend to do.

Labour was predicted to have a House of Commons majority of 210 seats by pollsters More In Common and 238 seats by Focaldata.

The final YouGov poll predicted a majority of 212, which would represent the largest majority won by a party since 1832.

A separate poll by JL Partners predicted a 234-seat Labour majority. In 1997, Sir Tony won a majority of 179.

The final Telegraph-Savanta poll of the campaign indicated a similar result, with Labour on 39 per cent of the vote, the Conservatives on 20 per cent, Reform on 17 per cent and the Liberal Democrats on 10 per cent.

Whatever the result, a landmark is expected  either a first Labour general election victory in 19 years or a fifth victory in a row for the Tories, something never done by a political party in the modern era.

Rishi Sunak was joined by his wife Akshata Murty, and parents Usha and Yashvir Sunak on an election stop at Romsey Rugby Club, Hants, on Wednesday - Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

Rishi Sunak on Wednesday warned voters not to hand Labour unchecked power, claiming his Cabinet had not given up despite Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, all but conceding victory hours earlier, saying Labour appeared to be on course for the biggest majority in history.

Sir Keir dismissed the remarks as an attempt at voter suppression.

Mr Sunak insisted he had not given up hope, arguing that the result was not yet a forgone conclusion.

Dont give Starmer carte blanche

In a final message to Telegraph readers, the Prime Minister said there is still time to stop Sir Keir from winning a super-majority and having carte blanche to change Britain.

Mr Sunak said: The five years ahead will be the most transformational for a generation. They bring great risks but great opportunities too if we take the bold action to seize them.

To do that, we need a government with a clear plan to build for a brighter future for the whole country. Despite 14 years to come up with ideas, Labour have no plan for what theyd do with power, beyond hiking taxes.

The choice at this election is between sleepwalking into a Labour super-majority that would give Keir Starmer unchecked power to raise taxes, raid pension pots and give illegal migrants an amnesty, and the Conservatives who will cut tax, grow the economy and start the flights to stop the boats.

Telegraph readers know the Conservatives, the party of Margaret Thatcher and Nigel Lawson, will always represent their values.

We will cut taxes for every generation, make sure work always pays, support families, safeguard drivers freedoms, secure our borders, boost our national security and preserve our precious countryside for future generations.

A vote for any other party is a vote for Labour, no restrictions and zero accountability. With such a majority they would have a blank cheque to raise tax. They would have carte blanche to expose our children to dangerous gender ideology and re-enter the EU by the back door, surrendering our Brexit freedoms and making us a rule-taker from Brussels once more.

Dont let anyone tell you the result of this election is a foregone conclusion. As few as 130,000 votes are set to determine the final outcome. So vote Conservative today as the last opportunity we may have to stop Starmers super-majority taxes.

Prime Minister says Im the underdog

Mr Sunak also used a closing campaign speech in Southampton to declare: We have 24 hours to save Britain from a Labour government.

Acknowledging he is the underdog in the election, he told activists: People do have a hesitation about giving us their support again.

Im not blind to that. Tomorrows vote is not a by-election, its not a referendum about the past, its a choice about the future.

Warning a Labour government would have severe consequences for Britain, Mr Sunak added: They are socialists, they believe your money belongs to them.

The Prime Minister was joined by Akshata Murty, his wife, and his parents, whom he thanked at the conclusion of his speech.

Nigel Farage campaigning on Wednesday in the Clacton constituency where he is standing - Elliott Franks

Sir Keir, meanwhile, issued his own final pitch to the country: Today, Britain can begin a new chapter. A new age of hope and opportunity after 14 years of chaos and decline.

This is a great nation, with boundless potential. The British people deserve a government that matches their ambition. Today is the chance to begin the work of rebuilding Britain with Labour.

The choice today is clear. Between a changed Labour party that stands ready to restore politics to service and rebuild Britain. Or a Tory party that crashed our economy, left public services in ruin, and now wants to give us Liz Truss 2.0 with more unfunded spending promises.

We cannot afford five more years under the Conservatives. But change will only happen if you vote Labour.Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, said his party represented the silent majority, adding: Were bold, weve got a vision for the future. Help us take this first really big step. Vote with your heart.

Sir Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, said at his final campaign stop: We have the chance to win the change our country desperately needs.

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.
China urges Israel to fulfill humanitarian obligations in Gaza

Xinhua) 08:54, July 03, 2024

UNITED NATIONS, July 2 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday called on Israel to fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law and heed the international community's call to ensure the rapid and safe entry of humanitarian supplies into Gaza.

In remarks at the UN Security Council briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, China's permanent representative to the United Nations Fu Cong highlighted the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, exacerbated by extreme shortages of essential supplies and dire health conditions.

He noted that "millions of people are struggling with hunger, disease, pain, and despair," describing the situation as a man-made humanitarian disaster and a serious breach of international law.

Fu pointed out that Gaza has been under blockade for nine months, with over 2 million people living in an "open-air prison" without adequate access to water, electricity, food, medication, and fuel.

He criticized the closure of the Rafah crossing due to Israeli military operations, which has left thousands of trucks loaded with humanitarian supplies waiting in long lines.

"The existing crossing points are far from being able to meet the demand for humanitarian aid," Fu said, emphasizing that land transport routes are key to expanding humanitarian access.

Fu also addressed the obstruction of humanitarian supplies and the challenges faced by humanitarian workers, who encounter unreasonable difficulties and accusations.

He condemned the repeated attacks on facilities of humanitarian agencies and noted that over 200 humanitarian workers have died in the conflict, calling this "unprecedented in history and shocking."

Reiterating that "hunger cannot be weaponized, humanitarian issues cannot be politicized," Fu said the man-made exacerbation of the humanitarian disaster is "unacceptable."

Fu urged Israel to ensure the "rapid and safe entry of humanitarian supplies at scale into Gaza," and to cooperate fully with the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations.

The council's adoption of resolution 2720 aimed to expand humanitarian access, but its implementation has fallen short.

Fu called for an examination of the reasons behind this and urged the concerned parties to work harder to remove obstacles to the large-scale entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Fu concluded by emphasizing that the fundamental way to alleviate the humanitarian disaster is through a lasting ceasefire and the early relaunch of the two-state solution.

He called on the international community to continue efforts toward this end and supported the council in taking further necessary action.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 3. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has arrived in Kazakhstan, Trend reports.

The UN Secretary-General will participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit as part of the discussion, which will be held in the SCO Plus format.

The SCO summit will be held on July 4 under the chairmanship of Kazakhstan.

For the first time, the event will be held in the form of a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO member states and an SCO Plus.

The heads of state will consider a wide range of issues to further strengthen multifaceted SCO cooperation and its prospects and address pressing international and regional problems.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Madeleine McCann suspect unlikely to face trial over her disappearance after legal win, lawyer says

Christian Bruckner arrives at court in Germany where he faces five sex offence charges which allegedly took place in Portugal - JULIAN STRATENSHULTE/AFP

The main suspect in the Madeleine McCann case is unlikely to ever face trial for her disappearance after winning a new legal battle, his lawyers have said.

Christian Bruckner won a bid to have an arrest warrant against him dropped in a separate ongoing sex offences trial.

The move is a technicality because Bruckner remains behind bars, as he is serving a sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old American tourist in 2005.

However, his lawyers believe that the court decision to drop the warrant could be a sign that he will be acquitted at the sex crimes trial  and cast doubt on the prospect of there ever being a trial in the McCann case.

The warrant was cancelled at the request of the defence because there was no longer an urgent suspicion that Bruckner committed the five offences, the court in Brunswick said in a statement.

Bruckner, 41, is the man who German investigators believe abducted and killed McCann, then aged three, in Portugal in 2007.

Madeleine McCann went missing from her family's holiday apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in May 2007 - PA

The public prosecution office in Brunswick named Bruckner as the prime suspect in the McCann case in 2020. But it still has not formally charged him as it searches for more evidence. Bruckner has denied any involvement in the crime.

The 47 year-old, who is nearing the end of a seven-year sentence, is currently on trial at Brunswick regional court for five other offences which also took place in Portugal, including three rapes and two acts of exposing himself to children.

The lifting of the arrest warrant means that the German prison system is now obliged to start making preparations to allow him to be released early from jail to enjoy walks outside the prison grounds on certain days, until his rape sentence officially ends early next year.

Philipp Marquort, defending, said that the lifting of the arrest warrant meant it was unlikely there would ever be a trial against his client in the case of McCann.

Test run

The ongoing trial uses many of the same witnesses who would appear in that later trial and has been described as a test run.

The important difference the news makes is that we now know that he, our client, will be not found guilty of these sex offence charges, Marquort said.

This is because if the court had decided to convict him for one, two, three, four or five of the charges, they could not have revoked the order of arrest.

But instead, we are reaching the end of this trial, and all of the major evidence has been heard, and now the court made the decision to revoke the arrest warrant, which is a reflection of how lacking the evidence against our client is.

And based on this, I believe they probably wont then even place any charges against my client in relation to the Maddie case.

Verdict expected in autumn

A written statement from the Brunswick court confirmed that the arrest warrant had been formally lifted.

It reads: The chamber has, at the request of the defence, cancelled the arrest warrant because the chamber denied an urgent suspicion of an offence with regard to all the charges.

A verdict in the ongoing trial is expected in the autumn.

Bruckners legal team said at the opening of the trial in February that the defence team had major doubts about the evidence against their client.

The credibility of the witnesses would be a massive question for the judges, lawyer Friedrich Fulscher said, alleging they were unreliable because of drug consumption habits among other things.

McCann went missing from her familys holiday apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in May 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby tapas bar.

The case prompted an international manhunt and huge global media attention that made it one of the most notorious missing-person cases ever.

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 group of Venezuelan residents in Argentina demonstrated their desire to vote at the door of their Embassy. In spite of obstacles and the imposition of requirements that exceed what is established by law, the Venezuelan diaspora in Argentina came to demand their right to register in the Electoral Registry to be able to vote against the dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro is hoping to steal the July 28 presidential elections by resorting to numerous dirty tricks, some of which are alarmingly ingenious. If his electoral ploys work, he may be able to rig the election long before election night, without the need to manipulate the vote count.

According to a recent Meganalisis poll, center-right opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urritia is leading the race with 68.4% of vote, against 11.3% for Maduro. Other polls show a similarly huge advantage for the united opposition candidate.

But, Maduro, who according to the United States and more than 50 other democracies reelected himself fraudulently in 2018, is banking on old and new electoral schemes to reelect himself for a third six-year term.

Among his electoral tricks:

First, he has in effect prevented 4.5 million Venezuelan exiles from registering to vote abroad. That amounts to more than 21% of the total number of voters. Only Venezuelan exiles with permanent legal status in the countries where they live and are not seeking asylum will be allowed to vote. According to government figures, this means that only about 107,000 Venezuelans will be allowed to vote abroad.

Second, Maduro has banned the top opposition leaders from running for office. That includes Maria Corina Machado, who won an opposition primary with more than 92% of the vote in October, and is Venezuelas most popular opposition figure today.

A Machado-appointed substitute candidate, 80-year-old university professor Corina Yoris, was subsequently prevented from registering to run for office. Machado has since appointed Gonzalez Urrutia, 74, a retired diplomat, to run in her place.

Third, there is no press freedom in Venezuela. Machado had not been interviewed by any major Venezuelan television network in more than year, she told me in a recent interview. She added that she is campaigning for Gonzalez Urrutia by car because all domestic airlines have been ordered to prohibit her from boarding flights.

When I stay at an hotel, they send tax authorities with absurd excuses and close it down for one or two months, Machado told me.

Fourth, the regime has arrested dozens of opposition activists to intimidate others into not campaigning for the united opposition ticket.

Fifth, there are irregularities in 86% of polling places, where an estimated 18.5% of Venezuelans are expected to vote, according to the Venezuelan Communications and Democracy Observatory, a non-government think tank.

In some polling places, there is a suspicious over-registration of voters compared to previous elections, the studys main author Hector Briceno told me. In addition, many voters in opposition districts are finding that their voting places have been suddenly changed by the Maduro-controlled electoral authorities to far away locations, Briceno said.

Sixth, the Maduro dictatorship has banned key foreign observation missions from the Organization of American States and the European Union from visiting the country. Except for the Carter Center, most of the invited foreign observers will be delegations from Maduro dictatorship allied countries.

Seventh, the ballots are designed to favor Maduro. They feature 13 pictures of a smiling Maduro prominently displayed in the top rows representing as many  often little known  political parties. By comparison, Gonzalez Urrutias picture appears only three times and far below, almost lost among many other minor candidates.

Eighth, several formerly well-known opposition parties have been intervened by the Maduro regime, but appear on the ballots under their original names. This may lead some voters to believe they are voting for an opposition candidate, when in fact they will be voting for a Maduro-planted one.

Ninth, many polling places are in government-run social subsidies centers where ruling party officials can sway people to vote for Maduro under the threat of losing their benefits, Briceno told me.

The list goes on, and Im running out of space. But the bottom line is that Venezuelas election is rigged from the outset. The only question is whether Venezuelans generalized rejection of Maduro will be massive enough to overcome the dictators catalog of dirty tricks.

Dont miss the Oppenheimer Presenta TV show on Sundays at 9 pm E.T. on CNN en Espanol. Blog: andresoppenheimer.com
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is escorted by prison officers as the jailed politician leaves the court after court proceedings in Kuala Lumpur

By Danial Azhar

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -A Malaysian court dismissed jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak's legal bid to obtain a document that he said would allow him to serve his remaining prison sentence under house arrest.

In a judicial review application filed on April 1, Najib said an "addendum order" issued by the former king had accompanied a pardons board's decision in February to halve his 12-year jail sentence for graft in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.

Najib had sought for the court to compel the government to reply to or confirm the existence of the royal order, which he said would entitle him to serve the remainder of his term under house arrest, and to execute the order if it existed.

In a copy of the judgment released to media on Wednesday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court found there was no arguable case warranting a full hearing of Najib's application.

Judge Amarjeet Singh described affidavits filed by Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and another high-ranking politician from Najib's party saying they had seen a copy of the royal order as hearsay, and said the government had no legal duty to respond to the application.

Najib planned to appeal the decision, his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told reporters.

"In terms of ethics, the government should have answered," he said.

The pardons board that halved Najib's term was chaired by King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, whose five-year reign as head of state ended in January.

Najib was found guilty in 2020 of criminal breach of trust and abuse of power for illegally receiving funds misappropriated from a unit of state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The verdict was upheld by Malaysia's top court in 2022.

Malaysian and U.S. investigators estimate $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB and more than $1 billion channelled to accounts linked to Najib.

The pardons board in February said Najib was expected to be released in August 2028, six years after he began serving his sentence. It also reduced fines imposed on the ex-premier, sparking uproar in Malaysia.

Najib, who is also considering filing a new petition for a full pardon, remains on trial for corruption in several other 1MDB-linked cases.

(Reporting by Danial Azhar and Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
A man accused of shooting his stepfather more than a dozen times, killing him, asked for a new attorney this week.

Christopher Lee Hill, 24, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 34-year-old Braxton Devin Farquhar.

Hill is accused of shooting Farquhar on the 100 block of West Sixth Avenue just before 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. Police found Farquhar dead, with multiple gunshot wounds, including some in his back, according to prosecutor Stephanie Hamlin.

Neighbors told police that there had been a verbal disagreement and that they heard a shot, came out, and saw Hill shoot Farquhar multiple times.

Hill appeared in court before Judge David Phillips on Tuesday. He was, according to Hamlin, offered a plea deal that would have sentenced him to 25 to 30 years in prison. Instead of pleading guilty, he asked Phillips to replace his defense attorney, Aaron Lee.

Lee was caught off guard by the request.

"Your honor, this is the first I'm seeing this, but it appears this is a motion of sorts to have the court assign him a new attorney," Lee said, holding up a written statement that Hill had prepared.

Phillips asked Hill why he wanted him to remove Lee from his case.

"I spoke with Mr. Lee. Mr. Lee told me that I have no defense," Hill said.

"Sir, I'm going to advise you, this is your case. You're charged with first-degree murder, and your attorney is Mr. Lee. He is a very good attorney. He's been assigned by the state of North Carolina to represent you in this matter," Phillips said. "But it's your decision how to handle your case, whether or not you want to accept the plea of guilty or whether or not you want to have a jury trial. And those are your decisions, and those are not Mr. Lee's decisions."

Phillips went on to say that the reason Hill provided was not sufficient grounds to remove Lee from the case.

"You have a right to be represented by counsel, but you don't have the right to pick what counsel," he said. "So what is it you wish to do in this case today, sir?"

"I just ask that you terminate my attorney right now," Hill said.

"If I terminate your counsel, what is it you wish to do with this case?" Phillips asked.

"I'll continue to go forward  I'm not necessarily trying to take it to trial," Hill said.

Hamlin said that she initially offered Hill a plea arrangement that would have sent him to prison for 28 years, but Lee countered her offer with a deal that would have had him serve 25 to 30 years.

Hamlin expected Hill to take that offer on Tuesday.

"I'm taking that off the table right now. It's going to get higher from now on," she said. "I have multiple witnesses in the neighborhood that see him stand over the victim and shoot him over 16 times. So he shot him a couple times. Victim falls. And repeatedly shoots him on the ground. The fact that an offer was even given was really just to save the family having to go through this."

Lee asked Phillips to pull him from the case, and Phillips agreed.

Hill will be appointed a new attorney.

Elizabeth Taylor, Hill's cousin, said in an interview that Farquhar, the man Hill is accused of killing, was abusive.

"The guy's been in prison his whole life. Christopher has never been in trouble before," she said.

"It's not okay. It's not okay that Chrisopher has to go through all this."

She said that Hill intervened that night to protect his 3-year-old brother.

"That's all Christopher was trying to do was protect his brother. He knows the types of stuff he's been through in his life, and he's seen that himself. And I believe that's really what happened," she said. "I know my cousin  He does not have a mean soul in his body."

Christopher Hill flashes a smile toward his family as he enters the courtroom Tuesday morning, July 2, 2024, at the Gaston County Courthouse.

Cousin of Christopher Hill, Elizabeth Taylor, speaks to the media outside the courtroom Tuesday morning, July 2, 2024, at the Gaston County Courthouse.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Man accused of killing stepfather asks for new attorney
Man accused of killing woman anonymously reported fake overdose, then Las Vegas police found him through his reservation

Man accused of killing woman anonymously reported fake overdose, then Las Vegas police found him through his reservation

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The man accused of strangling a woman in a Las Vegas hotel room leading to her death, anonymously called security saying she had overdosed  police later learned that was a lie and tracked him down through his hotel reservation.

Jason Kendall, 35, allegedly confessed to choking Larissa Garcia, 30, inside the Palms Casino Resort on June 12, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported. Garcia was a single mother, a daughter, a granddaughter and friend to many, friends said.

Kendall turned himself in to police on June 28, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported. He faces charges of open murder, sexual assault and battery by strangulation to commit sexual assault, documents said.

Jason Kendall, 35, faces charges of open murder, sexual assault and battery by strangulation to commit sexual assault. (LVMPD/KLAS)

Kendall confessed to a strangulation and sexual assault, police said, adding Kendall told them he paid Garcia to have sex. Video surveillance from the Palms shows Kendall meeting Garcia in the lobby around 4 p.m., documents said. About an hour later, video shows Kendall leaving the room and the hotel alone with no other person coming to the room or leaving until security arrived.

An anonymous person, whom police later identified as Kendall, called hotel security to report Garcia overdosing in the room, documents said. Suspecting an overdose, Metro police did not respond but paramedics brought Garcia to Spring Valley Hospital. Garcia also texted a person she was meeting a man named J at the hotel, documents said.

At the hospital, doctors determined there were no alcohol or drugs in Garcias blood and that an overdose was not possible. Doctors then suspected Garcia was the victim of a battery, documents said.

Jason Kendall, 35, allegedly confessed to choking Larissa Garcia, 30, inside the Palms Casino Resort on June 12, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported. (KLAS)

In a 911 call the 8 News Now Investigators obtained Wednesday, a nurse tells a dispatcher Garcia did not overdose but appears to be the victim of a battery.

Upon further inspection it looks like she was assaulted, the nurse told the dispatcher about 15 minutes after Garcia arrived at the hospital. We thought it was an overdose, but she is not responding to Narcan or any of those drugs.

Do we have any suspect information at all? the dispatcher asked the nurse.

No, no one was there, and like I said, it was an unknown caller, an anonymous caller, the nurse said.

Police later learned the hotel room was assigned to Kendall, documents said. Police later met Kendall at a different hotel where he requested an attorney and declined to provide information. However, police noted Kendall had an injury to his back and shoulder.

Garcia died at the hospital after a doctor declared her brain dead.

On June 18, six days after the incident at the Palms, a nurse who specializes in sexual assault examinations noted Garcia had been strangled and possibly suffocated, documents said.

At just 30 years old, she was taken from us unexpectedly, leaving a void that can never be filled, a friend wrote about Garcia on a GoFundMe page for Garcias mother and children. She was a bright light in all of our lives, full of love and laughter. We want to make sure that Larissa has the beautiful and dignified farewell she deserves.

As of Wednesday, the GoFundMe had raised nearly all of its $15,000 goal.

Police documents indicate Kendall, who sources said is an U.S. Army veteran, called security anonymously and reported the fake overdose. Another report said Kendall called 911 and identified himself, however, that information was not corroborated. Metro police did not have a recorded call from Kendall when the 8 News Now Investigators filed a records request for any 911 call connected to the case.

In court Tuesday, Kendalls attorney told Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Amy Chelini that he would request she set bail in writing. Kendall will remain in custody for at least a month until a hearing on Aug. 6. He declined the 8 News Now Investigators interview request from 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 KLAS.
Man accused of shooting at officers in Toccoa arrested

Montavious Cantrell Winkfield, a man accused of opening fire on police officers Monday afternoon, has been arrested.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Winkfield was taken into custody shortly after 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday.

As previously reported by Channel 2 Action News, Winkfield opened fire on Toccoa police officers after they pulled him over for a traffic stop on Monday afternoon.

The GBI said Winkfield got out of the car and started shooting at officers, then ran away when an officer fired back.

No officers were injured during the incident, according to officials.

After the shootout, the Toccoa Police Department issued warrants for Winkfields arrest on charges of aggravated assault against law enforcement officers.

Winkfield is now in custody, but the reason for him opening fire on police has not yet been provided.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

TRENDING STORIES:

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
A man who officials say stole a security fob from Maricopa County election headquarters and items from the Arizona Senate now faces a charge in a case of reported theft from the Phoenix Art Museum.

Court documents allege Walter Ringfield, a 27-year-old Phoenix resident, took vintage jewelry valued at about $9,500 from the museum on May 20.

State police say Ringfield also entered the Arizona Senate building and took numerous items, including "seven challenge coins and three state of Arizona coasters," from a legislative security guard on June 15. He is accused of stealing a lanyard with a security fob and a physical key from the Maricopa County election center days later, officials said.

At the time, Ringfield was working in the election center's tabulation room as a temporary employee. He isn't currently registered as a member of a political party. The lanyard and the items from the Senate were recovered.

He now faces charges of felony computer tampering in connection with the county theft, and felony burglary, misdemeanor theft and misdemeanor criminal trespassing charges in connection with the Senate incident. He also faces a felony theft charge in connection with the reported museum theft.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has apprehended Walter Ringfield, a 27-year-old Phoenix resident, in connection to a theft at the Maricopa County Elections Building.

Ringfield is currently in custody and is being held without bail. He is being represented by public defenders. The Maricopa County Public Defender's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Arizona Republic.

The case continues to unfold days before early ballots are set to go out to voters for the state primary. In recent years, election operations have been subject to increased scrutiny nationwide amid a polarized political climate and the spread of voting conspiracies.

Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner said last week that investigators were continuing to actively look into the reported county theft and were combing through digital and physical evidence. He said there isn't "any indication" that the fob was stolen in an effort to influence the election.

"But, we're not ruling it out," Skinner said. "We're going to leave no stone unturned  but at this point, we do not have anything that indicates that."

Who is Walter Ringfield?

Elections officials said Monday that Ringfield was hired on June 3 as a temporary ballot tabulation center operator. A background check was required and came back without any criminal convictions, according to an Elections Department spokesperson.

But court documents show Ringfield was previously charged with pocketing more than $1,000 in cash from Fry's Food and Drug last year. The case never went to trial. Instead, Ringfield entered a diversion program and prosecution was suspended.

Ringfield was terminated on June 21, county officials said.

A review of voter records shows Ringfield registered as an independent in 2015. Less than a year later, he briefly registered as a Democrat. In recent primary elections, he has requested Democratic ballots. He also appears to have filed a statement of interest with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office in January 2023 to run for U.S. Senate as a Democrat.

An Instagram account that appears to belong to Ringfield includes photos of him with Democratic U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Amy Klobuchar. But he also appears to use a Truth Social account that includes links to conservative outlets such as the Epoch Times and Gateway Pundit.

Other social media accounts that appear to be Ringfield's were made private or deleted as of last week.

More allegations: AZ Senate GOP: Man accused of election center theft may have also stolen from Legislature

Sasha Hupka covers county government and election administration for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SashaHupka. Follow her on Instagram or Threads: @sashahupkasnaps. Sign up for her weekly election newsletter, Republic Recount.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man accused of theft at election center, AZ Senate faces new charge
Man accused of upskirting victim at MBTA station while on probation for similar incident

A suspect with a criminal history tried evading police on Monday after allegedly taking inappropriate photos of a victim at an MBTA station.

Transit Police say a 25-year-old Waltham man was arrested at Community College Station for upskirting a victim.

Authorities have not released the name of the suspect, although according to officials, he was already on probation for a previous upskirting incident.

The suspect allegedly attempted to flee from detectives but was apprehended.

He was taken to Transit Police Headquarters for booking.

No further information was immediately available.

Earlier today subsequent to an investigation by TPD detectives a 25y/o Waltham man was arrested for Upskirting at #MBTA Community College on 7/1. The subject is already on probation for a previous upskirting incident. He attempted to flee from detectives but was apprehended.  MBTA Transit Police (@MBTATransitPD) July 3, 2024

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 3. Kazakhstan will actively participate in the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Azerbaijan, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Kazakh media, Trend reports.

"Regarding climate, all countries are expected to submit updated national action plans by next year, aligning with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. These plans should outline specific strategies to decrease fossil fuel production and consumption by at least 30 percent by 2030.

I am confident that Kazakhstan will actively contribute to the energy transition, including at the upcoming Conference of the Parties in Azerbaijan this year," Guterres emphasized.

This November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the center of the world and will receive about 7080,000 foreign guests.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. COP - the Conference of the Parties - is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event took place in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
The president of the Heritage Foundation on Tuesday declared that a new revolution is already underway in the U.S., appearing to warn Liberals that violence could erupt if they tried to stop it.

Kevin Roberts, whose uber-conservative think tank is behind the highly controversial Project 2025 blueprint for a second Donald Trump presidency, made the comment during an appearance on Real Americas Voice. We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be, Roberts said.

Heres What Right-Wing Power Brokers Want Trump to Do in His Second Term

Heritages Project 2025 calls for a huge increase in presidential power as well as a transformation of the federal government, replacing existing staffers with an army of those loyal to Trump. Roberts has previously said he sees his organizations role as institutionalizing Trumpism.

In his interview Tuesday, Roberts said that despite all this nonsense from the left, we are going to win. Were in the process of taking this country back, he said. No one in the audience should be despairing.

He also opined that the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling granting presidents immunity for official acts is vital, mentioning Alexander Hamiltons view of the importance of a vigorous executive. Roberts then turned his attention to the radical left.

Trump's Project 2025 leader: "We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be pic.twitter.com/8rk8a7fDT8  Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) July 3, 2024

The reason that they are apoplectic right now, the reason that so many anchors on MSNBC, for example, are losing their minds daily is because our side is winning, he said. And so I come full circle on this response and just want to encourage you with some substance that we are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.

Talk of bloodshed has been a disturbing seam running through conservative rhetoric during this election cycle. Trump sparked controversy in March predicting a bloodbath for the country if he didnt win in November, later saying he was only referring to the auto industry. The Republican National Committee launched a Biden Bloodbath website the following month amid the unusually high interest in the word.

In April, Trump was also asked unambiguously if he thought thered be political violence if he loses in November. I think were going to win. And if we dont win, you know, it depends, Trump told Time. It always depends on the fairness of an election.

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.
Man charged in fatal Swansea crash was twice the legal limit of alcohol, prosecutor says

A Belleville man charged in connection with a fatal crash in Swansea had a blood-alcohol content that was double the legal limit, a St. Clair County prosecutor said Tuesday.

Jacob T. Hall, 23, of South 11th Street in Belleville, was charged last week with reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence in connection with the three-vehicle crash that killed his passenger, 27-year-old Karlie Langley, on May 2, according to court records.

On Tuesday in a detention hearing, St. Clair County Associate Judge Sara L. Rice ordered Hall to remain in the county jail before his trial as requested by the St. Clair County States Attorneys Office.

Langleys mother, Tammy Langley, attended the hearing and afterward said she was very happy with Rices ruling. Justice for Karlie, she added.

John Pawloski, a Belleville attorney representing Hall, declined to comment.

St. Clair County Assistant States Attorney Paris Bateman told Rice that Hall had a blood-alcohol content of 0.165%, which is more than twice the legal limit of 0.08% in Illinois.

At the time of the May 2 crash, Hall was out on bond on a driving under the influence charge filed by Swansea police in 2022, Bateman said. Court records allege that a police officer saw Hall speed through a red light at 17th Street and North Belt West and that the officer smelled the odor of alcohol coming from Halls vehicle.

Hall also has a pending charge of speeding 26-34 mph over the speed limit in a case investigated by New Athens police in September.

This time it had fatal consequences, Bateman said.

Bateman said witnesses saw Hall driving a 2002 Ford Explorer recklessly and swerving in traffic before the three-vehicle crash at about 4:30 p.m. on May2 on North Illinois Street in Swansea. The prosecutor said surveillance video corroborates what witnesses reported.

The Explorer went airborne and ended up on its roof, Bateman said. Hall was driving Langley to her job at a Fairview Heights restaurant when the crash occurred.

Karlie Langley was pronounced dead at the scene and her survivors include her 3-year-old son.

Hall and a man in another vehicle struck by the Explorer each suffered serious injuries. The other victim just recently was able to return to work, Bateman said.

Pawloski asked Rice to allow Hall to be released from the county jail because he does not believe Hall would get proper medical care while in the jail.

Hall had his right knee cap removed and doesnt have the capability of driving a vehicle if he were to be released from jail, Pawloski said.

Hall was sitting in a wheelchair when a sheriffs deputy rolled him into the courtroom.

He cant walk, Pawloski said. Hes suffering terribly.

However, Bateman told the judge that officials at the St. Clair County Jail can handle injuries such as Halls and have guarded inmates with worse injuries.

Since Sept. 18 when Illinois ended its cash-bail system, judges have been conducting detention hearings to determine whether someone charged with a serious crime can be released from jail before their trial. One of the components of the new criminal justice system calls for judges to decide whether someone could be a threat to any person or persons in the community if released from jail.

In this case, Rice ruled that Hall could pose a threat to the community and she ordered that he remain in the St. Clair County Jail as requested by Bateman.
A 30-year-old man convicted of murder last year in King County for shooting a worker during a robbery attempt at a repair shop appeared in Pierce County Superior Court last week to be sentenced for his role in a violent Tacoma robbery.

Rigoberto Alvarado Jr. pleaded guilty June 26 to second-degree robbery, residential burglary and theft of a motor vehicle for being the getaway driver in a July 31, 2017 stickup at a coffee stand on Marine View Drive. Superior Court Judge Pro Tempore James Orlando sentenced him to seven years in prison.

He will serve that sentence at the same time as the 58-year prison sentence King County Superior Court Judge Joe Campagna gave him Oct. 26 last year, according to court records.

That punishment came after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm in the March 31, 2020 killing of Gregory Deckman and assault on his coworker in Auburn.

In the Tacoma case, Alvarado drove Dominique Reyes to the coffee stand in a stolen Ford Mustang and waited outside while Reyes broke through the stands window and assaulted a barista, a 20-year-old woman, who was the only person working there that night. According to charging documents, Reyes hit the worker more than 50 times while trying to get her to open the cash register and a safe.

At some point during the attack, the barista smashed a cup on Reyes head. In return, the robber shot the woman in the leg, and records state Reyes continued to beat her after she was shot. Reyes stole cash from the tip jar and then fled with Alvarado Jr. in the Mustang.

The car was found crashed less than a half mile from the coffee stand, and investigators determined that Alvarado entered a womans home, took the keys to her Toyota RAV-4 and stole the vehicle from her open garage.

No one was immediately arrested in the robbery. Tacoma Police Department detectives identified Reyes and Alvarado Jr. as suspects a year later using fingerprints lifted from the Mustang and DNA from a torn and bloodied pink tank top that a police dog found while searching for the robbers.

A week before prosecutors charged the pair in 2020, Alvarado was arrested by Auburn police on suspicion of murder. Alvarado has a criminal history that includes 13 prior felony convictions, records show, and according to the Seattle Times, he was released from state prison just two weeks before he killed Deckman.

Reyes had already served a prison sentence in a separate case and was out of custody by the time she was charged in the Tacoma robbery, her defense attorney previously told The News Tribune. She pleaded guilty to first-degree assault in the case in 2022 and was sentenced in January to nine years in prison.
Man dies after crashing UTV into utility pole in Robeson County, highway patrol says

ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW)  A man was killed after his UTV crashed into a utility pole in Robeson County on Tuesday afternoon, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said.

Robert Dwayne Lewis died in the crash, which happened at about 3:30 p.m. on Chicken Road near Deep Branch Road, according to the highway patrol. Lewis UTV was moving south on Chicken Road when it ran off the right of the road and hit a utility pole.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Lewis, who was born in 1990 and was from Rowland, was pronounced dead at the scene. Alcohol impairment was not suspected and speed does not appear to be a contributing factor.

* * *

Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on 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.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG)  A man is awaiting sentencing after he was found guilty of aggravated battery, according to the Office of the State Attorney First Judicial Circuit of Florida.

Spanish Fort murder-suicide under investigation

State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit of Florida Ginger Bowden Madden announced the conviction after a jury trial on June 28 found 53-year-old Brian Scott Sanders guilty of aggravated battery on a victim 65 years of age or older with great bodily harm and battery.

Brian Scott Sanders (Santa Rosa County Jail)

The charges come from an incident on May 15, 2021, at Stripes in Navarre, Florida. During the incident, the defendant and members of a motorcycle club reportedly attacked a local man who received multiple subdural hematomas and facial lacerations from the attack.

4 arrested in Baldwin County, charged with manslaughter after overdose death

Sanders will have a sentencing hearing conducted by the Honorable Clifton Drake on Sept. 5, 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 WKRG News 5.
UPDATED: Man killed in Abilene's third fatal officer-involved shooting this year

Abilene police officers shot and killed a man during a standoff Tuesday afternoon, according to a statement from the Abilene Police Department.

On the afternoon of July 2, officers were dispatched to the corner of South Seventh Street and Alameda Street for a disturbance in progress.

Officers reported Jeremy Bennett, 36, was allegedly brandishing a handgun and threatening two women.

Police lights

Bennett fled the original crime scene and barricaded himself in a separate nearby residence, according to allegations in the media release. While working to get a warrant for the residence, officers discovered Bennett had an active, unrelated warrant for felon in possession of a firearm.

Officers set a perimeter around the secondary crime scene and called in the SWAT and crisis negotiations teams. Crisis negotiators made contact with Bennett and negotiated for several hours in an attempt to take him into custody peacefully.

The SWAT team deployed gas multiple times into the residence, according to the statement.

At some point, Bennett, holding the weapon, exited the residence, according to alleagtions. Officers commanded Bennett to discard the weapon multiple times and used a less lethal impact weapon that was ineffective.

Bennett allegedly raised the firearm in a threatening manner and allegedly pointed it in the direction of police officers, according to the APD media release.

Officers discharged their firearms at Bennett, striking him. Abilene Fire Department medics were on scene and provided medical aid, but Bennett ultimately died at a local hospital due to his injuries.

Bennett's next of kin were notified, and all involved officers will be placed on paid administrative leave per department policy, according to the statement.

Texas Rangers and the Abilene Police Department Major Investigations Bureau are simultaneously investigating the incident.

This marks the third officer-involved shooting in Abilene which resulted in a fatality in 2024.

The prior fatalities involved a man allegedly wielding a blade on May 6 at a United Supermarket and a woman who barricaded herself in her home and allegedly opened fire on police April 30, according to the APD.

More: UPDATED: Police standoff ends with one death, will body camera footage be released?

More: Abilene police say man killed by officers was wielding 'bladed weapon'

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Third Abilene police officer involved shooting results in death
PHILO TOWNSHIP, Ill. (WCIA)  The Champaign County Coroner has released the name of a man who was struck by a train near Philo on Wednesday afternoon.

32-year-old Michael J. Dixon of Arcola was pronounced dead at the scene  about a quarter-mile east of the railroad crossing and County Road 1500 E  at 3:30 p.m.

Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said the sequence of events that led to the train hitting the victim started at 2:09 p.m. A clerk working at the Phillips 66 gas station in Philo reported that a homeless man was causing problems for him.

While en route, sheriffs deputies were given a description of the man and were told he was now walking along the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks that run through the area. Deputies later spotted Dixon walking west along the tracks.

I-57 hit and run accident leaves car in ditch, ISP investigating

Heuerman said the deputies were preparing to make contact with Dixon in regard to the earlier incident. Before they could, a passing train hit him.

Coroner Stephen E. Thuney said that while witnesses heard the train horn sounding, they did not see Dixon react to it prior to being struck.

As the train came to a stop, the deputies immediately started trying to save Dixons life, but they were unsuccessful.

An autopsy is scheduled for Friday. The Coroners Office and Sheriffs Office both continue to investigate the incident. Heuerman said that anyone with further information is asked to call the Sheriffs Office at 217-384-1213 or Champaign County Crime Stoppers at 217-373-8477.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  A man accused of choking a woman unconscious, driving her to a secluded location and raping her has accepted a plea deal and faces 17 years and four months in prison, according to court records and prosecutors.

Armando Avalos Jr. on Tuesday pleaded no contest to attempted murder, rape, making threats and trying to prevent a victim from reporting a crime, court records show.

The 25-year-old is scheduled for sentencing on July 31.

Avalos is accused of choking an acquaintance unconscious in his car after she rebuffed his advances early Aug. 4, 2021, at a Bakersfield park. The woman told sheriffs detectives that when she awoke she was in Avalos car somewhere in the mountains, possibly the Lake Isabella area.

Free fishing days announced for California public

She said he drew a gun and threatened to kill her if she didnt do what he wanted, according to court filings. Avalos then raped her, both in the mountains and another location, she told detectives. She said he kept the gun pointed at her.

Afterward, he again threatened to kill her, but agreed to release her after she told him she wouldnt report the assault, she told detectives.

Detectives arrested Avalos a day later after locating him in the Los Angeles area. Hes been locked up since.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Man pleads not guilty in alleged DUI injury crash on Panama Lane

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  A man accused of driving drunk and without a license in a rollover crash that seriously injured a passenger has pleaded not guilty to felony charges.

Julio Vegamoreno pleaded not guilty Tuesday to DUI causing injury and was ordered held on $45,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled July 16.

Vegamoreno, 21, drove a vehicle that crashed late June 29 in the 12300 block of Panama Lane, according to a probable cause declaration written by Bakersfield police. A passenger suffered major injuries and was taken to a hospital.

Vegamoreno admitted to drinking heavily prior to driving, according to the declaration.

A preliminary alcohol screening test indicated his blood-alcohol level was 0.11% about three-and-a-half hours after the crash, according to the declaration. The state legal limit is 0.08%.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 3. Kazakh-Chinese relations are developing at an unprecedented pace, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during a meeting in a narrow format with President of China Xi Jinping in Astana, Trend reports via Akorda.

"I consider your visit exceptionally significant. The People's Republic of China is not only a friendly neighboring state but also a crucial strategic partner and one of our main allies. I am pleased to note that Kazakh-Chinese relations, built on unwavering friendship and mutual support, are advancing at an unprecedented pace. I deeply appreciate your substantial contributions to strengthening the enduring, comprehensive strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and China. I wholeheartedly endorse your initiative to elevate cooperation between our nations to new heights for the benefit of our peoples," he expressed.

Tokayev praised the expanding scope of Kazakh-Chinese cooperation, which continues to flourish across all sectors.

"China is not just a neighbor but a close friend and a longstanding, reliable partner for us. Grounded in shared history, good neighborly relations, and mutual support, we have cultivated exemplary interstate relations that grow richer each year with new qualitative results," he emphasized.

In response, Xi Jinping expressed gratitude to the President of Kazakhstan for the warm welcome.

"Dear President, my esteemed friend. I appreciate the attention you have given to my visit. Since assuming office as head of state, you have consistently and purposefully advanced reforms and development in your country. Through a comprehensive set of measures in domestic and foreign policy, you have significantly strengthened your nation's overall capabilities and international standing. As friendly neighbors, we sincerely celebrate these achievements.

Over the past year, we have met twicein Xi'an and Beijingwhere we outlined new plans and identified key directions for the dynamic development of Chinese-Kazakh relations during the golden thirty years. I wish to reaffirm that China always approaches its relations with Kazakhstan from a strategic and long-term perspective, considering Kazakhstan a priority in its foreign policy among neighboring countries and a crucial partner in Central Asia. Our commitment to safeguarding Chinese-Kazakh relations remains steadfast and impervious to transient influences.

I assure you that China will continue to be a steadfast and reliable supporter of Kazakhstan," he said.

The talks then continued in an expanded format, with the participation of members of official delegations.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Link finding the Master Sword in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Do you think its longer than six inches? - Screenshot: Nintendo / Kotaku

Update 7/3/2024 1:54p.m. ET: Kotaku has been made aware that Anthony Bray is a convicted serial burglar who has previously served four years in prison for previous crimes, which better explains the seemingly harsh conviction.

Original story below:

A man in England has been sentenced to four months in prison after police found him walking around outside while brandishing a miniature replica of the Master Sword from The Legend of Zelda. Arguing that it was an actual weapon, the police eventually detained Anthony Bray, who claims he bought the replica online as a fidget toy.

As first reported by Eurogamer, Bray was spotted by CCTV operators with something visibly in his hand on June 8. It turns out that Bray was holding his Master Sword fidget toy while walking around the center of Nuneaton, a town in England. Considering the fact that the blade on the toy measures at six inches, the officers believed he was openly walking around with a weapon, and eventually arrested Bray for carrying a bladed article when he approached them.



According to the reports, the too-long Master Sword fidget toy was in its sheath, though it could come off with the press of a button. Bray admitted that he could understand how his toy could be mistaken for a weapon, but also protested that he wouldve ever used it as such to no avail. Per the UKs knife laws, you cannot carry a knife with a blade longer than three inches, so you can see why the police wouldve been concerned.



A sergeant of the investigations unit stated, We take a zero tolerance to bladed articles in public, and Bray has fallen afoul of this. It is possible to find fidget toys that arent six-inch blades. It is possible not to walk down the street holding them out in front of you.



If you ask me, four months is a bit much. Not only will Bray be in prison for a third of a year, but hes also being made to pay a fine forwalking around with a toy. I can absolutely recognize the threat of a six-inch blade, but at some point, it feels like intent, as well as the manufacturers responsibility, needs to be taken into account. If hes a repeat offender with a history, Id be more inclined to acquiesce, but hes probably just a guy with anxiety who grew up liking The Legend of Zelda, and now hes got a record. Though Ive repeatedly insisted that gamers should pay for their crimes, this isnt what I meant.

For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Man shot to death by officers had replica airsoft gun, officials say

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A man who was shot to death by multiple Vancouver police officers after he allegedly pointed a gun at people in a McDonalds parking lot was found to be using a modified replica airsoft gun at the time, officials said.

According to the Clark County Sheriffs Office, the weapon turned out to be a replica Colt 1911 airsoft gun that had been taken out of his pocket prior to him being shot by officers. Officials said he was also in possession of a folding-blade pocketknife. Both the knife and the replica gun were later found at the scene by investigators.

Multnomah County may open cooling shelters Friday amid excess heat warning

The person who died was identified as 40-year-old Jonathan West Nelson. Investigators said theyve been in contact with Nelsons family and updating them on the new information from the investigation.

A man shot to death by Vancouver police officers was holding a replica airsoft gun, officials said. July 2, 2024 (courtesy Clark County Sheriffs Office).

A man shot to death by Vancouver police officers was holding a replica airsoft gun, officials said. July 2, 2024 (courtesy Clark County Sheriffs Office).

A man shot to death by Vancouver police officers was holding a replica airsoft gun, officials said. July 2, 2024 (courtesy Clark County Sheriffs Office).

Vancouver police officers responded to the scene at the McDonalds parking lot on Northeast Andresen Road on June 17 around 1 a.m. on reports of a man pointing a gun at people. When they arrived, officers said Nelson did not respond to commands, so they released a K9 on him.

Clark County Sheriffs Office investigators said reviewing the bodycam footage showed the man producing what appeared to be a firearm, allegedly pointing it at law enforcement. When that happened, four police officers fired at the man and mistakenly shot the dogs tail, too.

PHOTOS: Pilot injured after small plane crash in Scappoose

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 four involved officers include Sgt. James Kelly, Officer Jason Haigwood, Officer Justin Reiner and Officer Philip Wilkening. Theyve all been placed on critical incident leave while the shooting 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 KOIN.com.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Kansas City police say a man was shot and killed early Wednesday morning following some kind of interaction with another man inside a Northland apartment.

KCPD says officers responded to the shooting call just after 6 a.m. at N. Hickory Street and NW 80th Terrace, near the intersection of NW Barry Road and 169 Highway, where they found the man shot and unresponsive inside the apartment.

On Wednesday afternoon, Kansas City police identified the man killed as 27-year-old Christopher Henderson.

Kansas City area fireworks store hit by possible microburst during storm

After attempting aid at the scene, emergency responders took Henderson to a hospital where he was declared deceased. Officers found the other man nearby and took him in for questioning.

Homicide detectives arent looking for anyone else right now, and say theres no ongoing threat to anyone in the area. Theyre working with the Clay County Prosecutors Office to determine if that man will face any charges.

If you heard or saw anything, detectives would like to hear from you, call (816) 234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Man in stolen Mercedes led VSP on chase, Stafford County deputies say

STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now)  The Stafford County Sheriffs Office (SCSO) said a person was detained after they allegedly led state police on a chase in a stolen car.

Around 10:38 a.m. on July 1, a deputy responded to the First Auto Gallery LLC, located on Derrick Lane, for a business alarm.

Once at the scene, deputies found the front door shattered and learned five Mercedes-Benz key fobs were missing.

After reviewing the businesses camera footage, investigtors found that the incident occurred on June 30 just after 11 p.m.

Two teenagers arrested in connection to several armed robberies in DC

Deputies said two men allegedly used a rock to break the glass and enter the shop.

After stealing the key fobs, one man drove off in a Mercedes and hit a parked vehicle. The second man also drove away in a Mercedes.

The SCSO said one of the stolen cars was spotted driving recklessly on Interstate 95 in Prince William County by Virginia State Police.

The driver was involved in a pursuit with police and was detained.

The Mercedes was recovered; however, the second car has not been located.

The sheriffs office asks anyone with information to call Detective Warnick at 540-658-4450.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Man tells GA massage parlor employees hes a cop. Then, he steals their money, takes off

Police are searching for a man accused of stealing from a Georgia massage parlor.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

On Saturday, just before 5:30 p.m., a man walked inside the Han Massage Spa on North Highway 74.

Tyrone police said the unknown man identified himself as a law enforcement officer to employees. Authorities said he pretended to inspect the business and asked all the employees for identification.

TRENDING STORIES:

While checking IDs, the man allegedly stole $460 from an employees wallet and left the spa, possibly in a white Dodge truck.

Anyone identifying the suspect or having additional information is asked to contact Det. Andrea Johnson at 770-881-8254 or via email.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
ST. LOUIS  A St. Louis Circuit Court judge signed an arrest warrant for a Valley Park man accused of committing a drive-by shooting in the Central West End this spring.

According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Departments probable cause statement, the shooting happened on April 5 at the intersection Lindell Boulevard and North Sarah Street.

Police said Davante R. Coffie, 23, pulled alongside a maroon Dodge Durango at the intersection, took out a gun, and started shooting. The victim in the Durango was struck in the neck and arm. Gunfire also struck a nearby structure.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Daily News

Police said Coffie was a convicted felon at the time of the shooting and was on federal probation for theft of a firearm.

The St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office charged Coffie on June 27 with first-degree assault, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, one count of unlawful possession of a weapon, and three counts of armed criminal action.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
CLOVIS, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  The Clovis Police Department is asking for the publics help in locating a 56-year-old man wanted for elder abuse and battery.

Police say the man is 56-year-old James Light of Fresno County. They say he is wanted on suspicion of elder abuse and battery.

Police describe Light as a male, who is 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds. Police say the vehicle that is associated with Light is a white 2020 Ram 44 truck.

According to police, officers have attempted to contact him at known locations over multiple days. If theres any information on this case call the Clovis Police Department at 559-324-2800 or provide a tip on the free Clovis Police 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 YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
Man wanted for murder in SC charged in Monroe for DWI, child abuse: Police

MONROE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A wanted murderer out of South Carolina was arrested for multiple charges after a traffic stop including DWI and child abuse, according to the Monroe Police Department.

On Tuesday, July 2, officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with an expired license plate at 801 W. Roosevelt Blvd.

3 Iredell County teens found with marijuana and stolen gun, 1 charged: Sheriff

During the stop, the officer noticed the driver was impaired from alcohol and driving with a suspended license. There were also minor children in the car at the time, officials said.

The driver was identified as 25-year-old Jamison Jashawn Chambers who was wanted for murder out of Chesterfield County, South Carolina. He had wanted fugitive warrants including failing to appear on charges of murder, possessing a weapon during a violent crime and armed robbery. The officer also found a concealed weapon while she was arresting the suspect.

Chambers was arrested and booked into the Union County Detention Center without bond for a variety of charges including:

Carrying a concealed weapon

Driving while impaired

Child abuse

Possession of marijuana up to 0.5 ounces

Expired registration/tag

Expired inspection

Authorities say Chambers was also served with the fugitive warrants.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
As director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Mandy Cohen sees her job as being centered on the last word  prevention.

I think weve all learned a lot of lessons through COVID, not just those in public health, but elected officials and others, she said. What Im focused on is stopping things before they become emergencies.

Cohen, who was the secretary of North Carolinas Department of Health and Human Services from 2017 to 2022, has done it well. Shes strengthened the nations ability to stamp out the sparks of infection.

Weve made a big investment in public health in the pandemic but we cant just invest during a crisis, she told me this week, about a year into her new post. We have to stay prepared.

Cohen has avoided the partisan anger that scorched other public health veterans of the pandemic, notably Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Cohens predecessor at the CDC, Rochelle Walensky. Both Fauci and Walensky left government service after they were unfairly subject to threats and combative congressional hearings for their roles in responding to COVID.

Cohen also saw opposition from those who resisted measures aimed at preventing COVIDs spread: shutdowns, mask mandates and vaccination requirements. When President Joe Biden nominated her for the CDC post, Republican North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd sent a letter to the president signed by six U.S. senators and 22 House members claiming Cohen had politicize the COVID response in North Carolina.

But Cohen is not only a skilled administrator, she is politically adept. She can simultaneously inspire her supporters and disarm her potential opponents. Despite her being the face of North Carolinas COVID response, opposition never boiled up against her. She has also managed to keep her relations with Congress peaceful.

Cohens approach to leading has three principles: show up, listen and learn. She told me thats what got her through her time in North Carolina after she arrived as a former chief of staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services with an all-Ivy League education  Cornell B.A., Yale M.D. and a Harvard graduate degree in public health.

Although an appointee of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, she reached out to Republican lawmakers. She listened and responded to a state that she calls a microcosm of the nations, with its urban-rural split, its equally divided politics and its racial and ethnic diversity.

Working in North Carolina was incredibly important to helping me think about how to be a CDC director for the whole country and, frankly, for the world, she said.

After helping to guide North Carolina through the pandemic  a period in which North Carolina fared better than most of the South  Cohen, a New York native, said she bonded with her adopted state. After weve been through a crisis together, Im from North Carolina now, she said.

Federal public health officials, especially at the CDC, lost public trust by issuing COVID guidance and mandates that were poorly explained, scientifically speculative and sometimes reversed. Cohen is gradually undoing that damage by being available and transparent about what her agency does  and doesnt  know. She said polling shows the CDC has regained its pre-pandemic level of public confidence.

Ive traveled around the country. I think its important for folks to see me in person and for me to not just show up and listen, but so they can also hear what we are doing from the CDC side, she said. I think all of that has really helped us in terms of clear, simple commonsense actions and communication.

Cohens approach  and perhaps the reason for her avoiding conservative opposition  is to transform the CDC from a font of public health dictates to a partner in informing people to make their own health decisions.

Associate opinion editor Ned Barnett can be reached at 919-404-7583, or nbarnett@ newsobserver.com
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 3. President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon has arrived in Astana, the statement of the press service of the government of Kazakhstan said, Trend reports.

According to the information, the President of Tajikistan was met at the airport in Astana by the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Oljas Bektenov.

Emomali Rahmon will take part in the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which will be held on July 34.

To note, Tajikistan has been a member of the SCO since the organization was founded in 2001.

Over the past 5 years, trade turnover with Kazakhstan has increased by 48.2 percent and amounted to $1.1 billion. Within the SCO, stable growth of this indicator between all member countries was also recorded during this period, from $42 billion in 2019 to $66 billion in 2023.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
On the final day of the campaign, our writers Janet Daley, Alan Cochrane, Annabel Denham, Sam Ashworth-Hayes and Michael Mosbacher dare to share their predictions for tomorrows ballot.

I expect the Conservatives to win just over 200 seats, which is about the number that Labour held in the current Parliament. This should make them a plausible official Opposition. It is a higher estimate than might have been predicted only days ago because support for Reform has quite consistently dropped since its peak.

That first early spike in its popularity coincided with Nigel Farage seizing the party leadership in a characteristic fit of self-regarding entitlement. All the public attention that followed presented an illusion of Reform as an unstoppable force: an impression which its troll armies are still determined to reinforce. But there was a serious error of judgement over Nato and support for Ukraine, and an ambiguous historical reference that implied admiration for Putin which suggested that Mr Farage was following the Trump script too closely. Big mistake. The British are not isolationist and they do not favour leaders who back away from war-mongering tyrants.

Then came a few nasty revelations about the bigoted inclinations of some of its supporters which Mr Farage insisted (without definitive proof) were a hoax. At the very least this shambolic carry-on suggested an amateurish bravado. A good many Tory voters I know have decided that, however furious and disgusted they might be with their party, a sulk that involves voting for Reform is not worth the risk. What is at stake is too serious. Inflating what could be a dangerous and prolonged Labour hold on power is not a price worth paying just to let Rishi Sunak know how angry you are. At any rate, the Reform episode will have served a purpose. The new Conservative Party gathering in Westminster will know that it must come to terms with the loss of conviction that brought it to this cliff edge.

Seats: Labour 425; Conservatives 125; Lib Dem 60; SNP 18; Reform 1

Having covered, in one way or another, every general election campaign since that of February 1974, I have no doubt whatsoever that the one were enduring right now is the most boring Ive ever experienced.

Back then there was the battle where Prime Minister Ted Heath, then at daggers drawn with the miners union, asked the voters a simple question: Who rules Britain? The answer he got shocked him. It read: Not you, sunshine. And suddenly we had Harold Wilson back in Downing Street.

I can think of no highlights, no great incidents, no magnificent speeches, no surprises, nothing of any note this time round... we are simply plodding towards a vote and a result that was pretty much expected ever since that awful Liz Truss mini-Budget of September 2022.

Helping Labour in no small measure in Scotland as election day approached has been the astonishing collapse of the SNP, mired as it has been by accusations of corruption and criminality, which it has denied. Nevertheless, it is now on its third leader in the space of one year, the same turnover as Tory premiers.

That the Conservatives have been expected to lose and lose badly has been a given, not just among those with their noses pressed up against the window pane of political life but of ordinary voters, too.

Theres been a slight closing of the gap recently, with Sir Keir Starmer wobbling over his views on what constitutes a woman and waffling over his taxation plans. However, Labours cause has had a shot in the arm in that part of these islands that it used to call its own. Im referring, here, to Scotland and specifically its former heartland of Glasgow and the surrounding counties. They lost all of it in dramatic fashion, most of it on one day in the 2015 election and as this election approaches it has only one MP  Ian Murray in Edinburgh South. It might easily win at least 20 more this week.

It is difficult to argue with the opinion poll predictions of large scale Conservative gloom, with senior Tories of my acquaintance saying that theyd be pleased to see their party capture 125 seats  a whopping reduction of 240 seats. Labour seem on course for well over 400, maybe even 500, seats and the Lib Dems are grinning from ear to ear at the prospect of their winning dozens of former Tory seats in the South.

Some polls, indeed some SNP veterans, reckon theyll be reduced from their current 48 MPs to a mere handful but Im not so sure about that. Relatively new leader John Swinney may well have put a respectable-ish gloss on the final result, by holding on to something nearer 20. But thats still a disaster for the party that had become the natural party of government north of the border.

And so, from this vantage point, it looks like humiliation all round  although obviously not for Labour and Lib Dems. Oh yes, and I cant imagine too many champagne corks popping at Reform HQ.

Seats: Labour 435; Conservatives 125; Lib Dem 50; SNP 20; Reform 2

The British public are out for blood. Theyve been made to feel like fools, voting for successive governments that promise one thing and deliver another. Low taxes are good for growth, the Conservatives say, while the overall tax burden soars to its highest level since 1948. We will control our borders, they declare, as projections show immigration adding 6 million people to the British population between 2021 and 2036.

So why 125 seats? As we approach election day there are some signs that the polls may have narrowed a little. There are still 60-70 seats which could go either way. Reform has lost some of its shine.

My suspicion is that many people are coming to realise that, while the Tories deserve to be punished, Nigel Farage is not the solution. This is the bitter pill our disaffected electorate must swallow: after the betrayals and the sleaze and the chaos and the spectacular incompetence, Rishi Sunak was right all along... his party is the best weve got.

If that werent depressing enough, consider that Keir Starmer may soon become one of the most successful politicians of all the last century. The man who, in just five years, more than doubled the number of Labour seats. Whose electoral achievements could surpass those of Clement Attlee, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair or Boris Johnson  even though hell secure just 38 per cent of the vote.

His Ming Vase strategy appears to have paid off. Not even proclaiming himself a socialist, describing only those on the verge of destitution as working people or revealing hell clock off at 6pm on Fridays have seriously damaged his campaign. No one knows what he stands for, what sort of leader he will be, or what life in Britain will be like under a Labour government. But look at the polls, which have remained consistent throughout the past six weeks: it scarcely matters.

The Conservatives will have hoped that a general election would draw Starmer out into the open. That the more people saw of him, the less they would like. They will have prayed that fears of a Labour supermajority will prompt traditional Tory voters to hold their nose and stay loyal. Some will. But many wont.

Seats: Labour 455; Conservatives 90; Lib Dem 60; SNP 20; Reform 3

As always, its a delight to be offered the opportunity to make a fool of myself for posterity. I think Thursday will be catastrophic for the Conservative Party, and that it will suffer its worst ever defeat; what Im less sure about is how this translates into seats. The partys vote is hovering in a range perfectly calibrated to produce weird results, particularly with tactical voting and the rage of disaffected voters turning to Reform.

I dont expect the vote share for Farages party to change a great deal. At the moment, its a repository for protest votes. It wont go down in response to scandals, but its also near its likely ceiling. The Greens are the greens; theyll get one seat. The SNP is a dysfunctional mess but will carry its core vote. The Lib Dems will benefit from tactical voting, rebounding to their pre-2015 levels of support. The Conservatives might benefit from some prodigal voters returning home, with some early signals this could be happening, and the usual underestimation of their performance in polling. Labour is effectively left as a residual: the default vote for a dissatisfied nation.

Seats: Labour 427; Conservatives 121; Lib Dem 56; SNP 15; Reform 3

The Conservatives look set to bring back a lower haul of seats than either their 1906 or 1997 catastrophes; Labour may well even exceed its 1997 high water mark, albeit with much less enthusiasm and expectation. Keir Starmer may well end up with a lower percentage share of the vote (say, 39 per cent) than Jeremy Corbyn won in his 2017 defeat (40 per cent, Labour then went down to 32 per cent in 2019)  but win an extra 160 or more seats.

There is likely to be a certain return home to the Tories among some who flirted with Reform. Nigel Farage has a history of outpolling his eventual result. And Reform is likely to have a poor get out the vote operation tomorrow.

Will there be any surprises further down the order? It would be an upset if the Greens dont hold onto Brighton Pavillion. They have three other targets  Bristol Central from Labour; Waveney Valley on the Norfolk/Suffolk borders and North Herefordshire from the Tories. In all three cases, they have vertiginous mountains to climb. But with the party gaining support from Corbynistas and some floating voters imagining it is just a kinder, gentler option, a gain of one extra seat seems a realistic prospect.

The Corbynistas may well have more unequivocal gains too  most obviously with Corbyn himself having a very good chance of retaining Islington North as an independent.

George Galloways Workers Party  combining anti-Zionism with hard-Left economics, Russophilia, and anti-wokery  are defending their leaders Rochdale by-election gain, and standing in 151 other seats. There are also other independents running in strongly Muslim seats on a solidarity with Gaza type platform. National polling or MRP analysis is not much good at picking up such very local trends.

Despite Galloway failing to defend his various gains in the past, there must be a good chance that he comes out triumphant once more in Rochdale. And another couple of victories for this type of candidate in one of the Birmingham seats or Bethnal Green, seems to be a not improbable surprise. Labour have certainly been concerned about the threat to them in normally safe heavily Muslim seats  throwing resources at them you would normally expect in marginal or key target seats  and that threat is not coming from the Tories.

These are not the only others or independents who might perform surprisingly well on the night. In Ashfield  the seat where Lee Anderson defected to Reform  independent councillor Jason Zadrozny came second last time, has a strong local following and must have a chance in a four way marginal. Ex-MP Keith Vaz, hoping for an astonishing return to feed his craving for the Commons, remains inexplicably popular in Leicester East. In the Western Isles, sitting MP Angus MacNeil is standing as an independent.

Out of all these options, four victories for the weirder exuberances of British politics seems not too wild a notion.

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.
Fireworks have become a staple of July Fourth celebrations across the United States, where towns and cities often host professional shows to mark the occasion each year. In some areas, smaller displays of less powerful fireworks pop up at private holiday parties. For people wondering where fireworks are legal and where they're illegal nationwide, here's what to know.

Full list of U.S. states where some fireworks are legal

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has banned several types of fireworks like M-80s, cherry bombs and anything else that contains more than 50 milligrams of pyrotechnic material at the federal level, but state and local regulations can be more complicated. To varying degrees, certain types of fireworks are legal in 49 states, plus Washington, D.C.

Here's the full list:

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington, D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyoming var pymParent = new pym.Parent('example', 'https://cbs-news-data.github.io/fireworks-laws_ai2html/', {}); The one U.S. state where all private fireworks are illegal

Massachusetts is the only state in the U.S. where it is illegal to sell, use or otherwise possess fireworks of any kind as a private citizen. Many communities across the state host public fireworks displays at their July Fourth celebrations. But without a license and permit, the statewide law prohibits fireworks of all kinds, including sparklers, firecrackers and any other comparable device that's been designed to produce "a visible or audible effect," according to the state government.

The fireworks show in Marblehead, Mass. was canceled because the fireworks barge caught fire in the early morning hours Thursday. No one was aboard the barge at the time and there were no injuries, officials said.

"There was a fire on the barge in the middle of the night," organizers said in a statement. "The fire marshal won't allow our vendor to perform any fireworks until determination of how the barge was able to catch fire."

The ban has existed since 1943, when state legislators amended an earlier set of statutes that previously allowed civilians to buy, sell and use certain kinds of fireworks for displays. When they enacted the fireworks ban, it was among an overhaul of measures enacted in response to World War II, some of which were billed as "emergency" orders meant specifically to remain effective as long as there was a potential enemy threat. But the the consumer fireworks law stayed in place after the war.

Despite periodic calls from within Massachusetts to lift the ban, officials say it continues to be necessary and have ramped up enforcement in recent years because illegal fireworks are prevalent. Between 2013 and 2022, Massachusetts fire departments reported almost 1,000 fires linked to illegal fireworks displays, in addition to 47 injuries  the majority to firefighters  and $2.5 million in damages, according to the state.

Spectators watch the fireworks show on the National Mall on Independence Day, July 4, 2023, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Minh Connors/The Washington Post via Getty Images

States where some fireworks are legal but many are restricted

Numerous states and Washington, D.C., restrict the sale, possession and use of consumer fireworks, even though professional fireworks displays are allowed with the appropriate licenses and permits. Those states are:

ArizonaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareIdahoIllinoisMarylandMinnesotaNew JerseyNew YorkNorth CarolinaOregonRhode IslandVermontVirginiaWashington, D.C.Wisconsin



Illinois and Vermont have stricter laws than the rest of the U.S. In those states, only sparklers and "novelty" smoke devices are up for sale to the general public. A "novelty" device is one that contains "small amounts of pyrotechnic and/or explosive composition" but does not technically meet requirements to be considered a consumer firework, according to the American Pyrotechnic Association.

In Illinois, novelties include snakes, glow worm pellets, smoke devices, party poppers, snappers, trick matches, and "other devices in which paper or plastic caps containing twenty-five hundredths grains or less of explosive compound are used," per the state law banning most consumer fireworks.

The laws are similar in Vermont, where certain sparklers and novelty devices are allowed, provided that the sparklers contain 20 grams or less of pyrotechnic materials and the novelties contain 0.25 grains or less of explosive mixture, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

States that let counties determine fireworks laws

Hawaii, Nevada and Wyoming allow counties to determine whether fireworks are legal or not within their individual jurisdictions, as well as which kinds of fireworks are allowed and exactly when and where people can buy, sell and use them.

In Hawaii, concerns over public safety prompted legislators in 2010 to pass a law that gave counties the authority to set stricter regulations for consumer fireworks than the ones established at the state level. It allowed, for instance, the City and County of Honolulu to broadly prohibit the sale, possession and use of all consumer fireworks except fire crackers  which can be obtained with a permit. But the ordinance doesn't apply to other counties.

Similar laws have been passed by state legislatures in Nevada and Wyoming to give local officials control over fireworks in their areas. In those states, consumer fireworks may be legal in one county and banned in another, and some counties restrict buying, selling and using fireworks to specific times on designated days of the year.

Even when consumer fireworks are generally regulated by the state, people may find themselves in a town or city in Arizona, California, Colorado, Maryland, Nevada or Ohio that has more stringent fireworks laws than its neighbors. And, in places like Illinois, setting off fireworks is only allowed in counties that have passed an ordinance to permit it, including on private property.

What are non-aerial and non-explosive fireworks?

Most of the states where some but not all fireworks are legally accessible to civilians limit what's allowed to non-aerial and non-explosive fireworks only. Sometimes called "safe and sane" fireworks, these typically refer to devices that don't explode or fly. Because they contain lower amounts of combustible material than other fireworks, officials say they are also less likely to cause injuries or damage to property.

In wildfire-prone California, purchasing fireworks is illegal unless their packaging explicitly bears a "safe and sane" seal. A fireworks education site operated by the California fire marshal's office lists sky rockets, bottle rockets, Roman candles, aerial shells and firecrackers as a few examples of fireworks that have been banned statewide in accordance with "safe and sane" standards, along with "other fireworks that explode, go into the air, or move on the ground in an uncontrollable manner."

A growing number of California counties have outlawed fireworks altogether. Violators could faces fines and or jail time.

Why do some states ban certain fireworks?

Most states that place restrictions for civilians on the sale, possession and use of fireworks say the risks of injuries and property damages are their main reasons for doing so. In a number of those states, officials also cite the increased likelihood of wildfires sparking and potentially spreading in an area where fireworks have been set off.

In California, as the weather remains hot and dry this week, fire officials are issuing warnings about the use of fireworks, which are illegal in several counties. At least two brush fires in the Bay Area may have been caused by illegal fireworks in the past few days. In San Francisco, all fireworks are illegal.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said it received reports of eight deaths and an estimated 9,700 injuries related to fireworks in 2023 alone. Of the eight deaths, five were associated with fireworks misuse, two with device malfunction and one was unknown.

How to report illegal fireworks

States and counties across the country encourage people to report any instances where they suspect illegal fireworks are involved, and many ask their residents to file those reports to their local fire departments or law enforcement agencies. People can also report illegal fireworks activity to a hotline at the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which is responsible for regulating all explosives, including fireworks.

Retired Gen. Frank McKenzie believes Lebanese Hezbollah close to entering Middle East conflict

Kamala Harris' campaign responds to Trump interview with Elon Musk

How much daily dairy consumption do you need? Doctors are debating the subject
In a story of friendship and service, Marines Dalton Stone and Isaac Weissand have reunited with their K-9 partners after nearly two years apart. The two men met while serving in the K-9 unit in Okinawa, Japan, where they bonded deeply with their German Shepherds, Aida and Poker.

Stone and Weissand met in the Marine Corps in Okinawa and stayed friends through their service, marriages and the birth of Stone's first child. Their bond grew over their shared sense of duty and love for dogs.

"'Who wants to play with dogs' is what they said. And I love dogs," Weissand said. "I grew up with dogs. So I was like, 'I'm cool with that. I'll do it.'"

Stone was paired with Aida, a female German Shepherd drug-sniffing dog, known for her calm and cool personality. Weissand was matched with Poker, a high-energy male German Shepherd trained in bomb detection and protection.

They spent countless hours working and training together, forming deep connections.

When it was time to return to the United States, the dogs had to stay behind to continue their service. Stone even tried to start the adoption paperwork before leaving Japan just so she could leave on record that he wanted to keep Aida.

However, not even the Pacific Ocean could keep them apart.

With help from American Humane, a non-profit animal welfare group, the Marines navigated the extensive government paperwork to bring the dogs back to the U.S. once the K-9s retired from service.

Funded by donations, the dogs made their way from Okinawa to Tyler, Texas, via four plane rides and a car ride traveling through Tokyo, Los Angeles, San Diego and North Texas.

After more than two years of separation, Aida and Dalton and Poker and Isaac were finally reunited.

"It feels really good," said Stone, who is now retired from the Marines and living in Tyler.

Stone said he is looking forward to civilian life with Aida and his growing family.

"She was part of my life for two plus years, two and a half years almost ... it's very rewarding that she gets to come back and I get to help her relive the rest of her life," said Stone.

Weissand, still serving in San Antonio, is excited to let Poker enjoy a more relaxed life. "I'll just take him wherever I go and just let him, let him be a dog. That's all I care about right now is letting him be a dog," said Weissand.

Hurricane Beryl damages, destroys 90% of homes on island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Hurricane Beryl lashes Caribbean as a powerful Category 5 storm

Tracking Hurricane Beryl and July Fourth heat
BALTIMORE  The Maryland Board of Public Works approved a $50.3 million no-bid contract Wednesday to clean up and remove debris from the Patapsco River following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

While we are very, very proud that the work at the Port of Baltimore has now commenced, and theres traffic and our workers are back  which were very excited about, were also very, very clear this work is not done, Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, said at the board meeting in Annapolis Wednesday.

The emergency contract was initially awarded to Skanska USA Civil Southeast Inc. in April. Because of a change in state procurement law, it was placed on Wednesdays agenda for Moore, Comptroller Brooke Lierman and Chief Deputy Treasurer Jonathan D. Martin to consider.

Under state law, the governor, comptroller and state treasurer serve on the three-person Board of Public Works. Martin stood in for state Treasurer Dereck Davis, who was absent from Wednesdays meeting.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removed debris from the federal channel. The Maryland Transportation Authority bears the responsibility of removing the remaining debris, which includes large portions of highway bridge trusses, steel girders, the bridge deck and concrete parapets.

Skanska USA Civil Southeast Inc. was selected because it was already contracting with the state for the Transportation Authoritys Harry W. Nice/Thomas Mac Middleton Bridgereplacement project.

Marshall Brown of the Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust objected to the states emergency contract with the company Wednesday, saying Maryland had an appropriate amount of time to allow for contract bids for its portion of the cleanup because the Army Corps of Engineers had the primary responsibility to clear debris.

Marylands procurement process is designed to be fair, competitive, transparent and unbiased, Brown said. This no-bid contract does not meet those standards.

The Key Bridge was struck by the cargo ship Dali the morning of March 26, causing the bridge to crumble, the deaths of six construction workers and the choking off of a significant portion of the ports shipping channel.

The channel reopened, in full, on June 10, and the Dali finally departed about two weeks later.

Requests for proposals for a redesign of the bridge were due in late June. The Maryland Transportation Authority is poised to award that contract later this summer.

Moore applauded President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, both Democrats, for including a 100% federal cost share for the reconstruction of the bridge in the presidents supplemental budget presented to Congress last Friday.

Moore, who has been designated as a key Democrat in Bidens reelection campaign, has traveled the country in recent weeks to stump for the president.

The governor said he has met with hundreds of leaders in the White House and on Capitol Hill over the past week to discuss moving forward with Marylands effort to move forward with its bridge recovery efforts.

The Port of Baltimore is an essential artery for economic flow and economic activity across the country and, to put it simply, our focus on getting this done is not about nostalgia, Moore said. Its about necessity.

-------
Severe overcrowding and a lack of exits contributed to the deadly stampede at an Indian festival

A woman watches members of a forensic team investigate the scene a day after a fatal stampede, in Fulrai village of Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh, India, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Thousands of people at a religious gathering rushed to leave a makeshift tent, setting off a stampede Tuesday that killed more than hundred people and injured scores. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

HATHRAS, India (AP)  Severe overcrowding and a lack of exits contributed to a stampede at a religious festival that killed at least 121 people in northern India, authorities said Wednesday, as the faithful surged toward the preacher and chaos ensued among the quarter of a million attendees.

As police searched for the organizers of the event, an attorney for the preacher said he would cooperate with authorities. More than two dozen injured people were still being treated.

Deadly stampedes are relatively common at Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas with shoddy infrastructure and few safety measures.

The event had been permitted to accommodate only 80,000 people. Its not clear how many made it inside the giant tent set up in a muddy field in a village in Hathras district in Uttar Pradesh state.

It was not clear what sparked the stampede. The state's chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, told reporters that a crowd rushed toward the preacher to touch him as he was descending from the stage, and volunteers struggled to intervene.

An initial report from police suggested that thousands of people then thronged the exits and many slipped on the muddy ground, causing them to fall and be crushed. Most of the dead were women.

The chaos appeared to continue outside the tent when people ran toward the preacher, a Hindu guru known locally as Bhole Baba, as he left in a vehicle. His security personnel pushed the crowd back, causing more people to fall, according to officials.

Authorities were investigating and searching for the organizers, whose whereabouts were not known. Police registered a case of culpable homicide against two organizers, but excluded the preacher. Culpable homicide carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment in India. Adityanath said he ordered an inquiry by a retired judge into the deaths.

A.P. Singh, an attorney representing the preacher, blamed some anti-social elements for disrupting the peace and creating chaos, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

"The preacher is ready to cooperate with state authorities and the police, PTI quoted Singh as saying in an interview.

Binod Sokhna, who lost his mother, daughter and wife, wept as he walked out of a morgue on Wednesday.

My son called me and said, Papa, mother is no more. Come here immediately.' My wife is no more, he said.

The preacher's Sri Jagat Guru Baba organization had spent more than two weeks preparing for the event. Followers from across the state  India's most populous with over 200 million people  traveled to the village, with rows of parked vehicles stretching 3 kilometers (nearly 2 miles).

State official Ashish Kumar said there were insufficient exits in the tent. Experts said the event violated safety norms. The function was held in a makeshift tent without ensuring multiple exit routes, said Sanjay Srivastava, a disaster management expert.

Sonu Kumar was one of many residents who helped move dead bodies after the stampede and its heart-wrenching screams. He criticized the preacher: He sat in his car and left. And his devotees here fell one upon another.

In 2013, pilgrims visiting a temple for a popular Hindu festival in central Madhya Pradesh state trampled one another amid fears that a bridge would collapse. At least 115 were crushed to death or died in the river.

In 2011, more than 100 people died in a crush at a religious festival in the southern state of Kerala.

___

Banerjee reported from Lucknow, India. Associated Press writer Krutika Pathi contributed from New Delhi.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Who is Matt Butler? Meet the man pushing a less car-centric vision of Cincinnati

A decade ago, Matt Butler was selling bath fixtures, plumbing supplies and other home decor products.

Since turning Signature Hardware over to a new owner in August 2016, hes been selling safety.

More specifically, through Devou Good Foundation, Butler and supporters are selling the notion that car-centric Greater Cincinnati can and should reduce the harm caused by cars.

Devou Good Foundation is working with an affiliate group that wants to expand Cincinnati's streetcar system. From left are community organizer Mackenzie Mason, staff member Jody Robinson, board secretary Jim Guthrie, board president Matt Butler and board vice president Rebekah Gensler.

Fans say hes helping change conversations around transportation in Greater Cincinnati. Critics question his no-car agenda.

To that, the mild-mannered, bicycle-riding former bathtub retailer says, Change is really hard.

Hes likewise understated about Devous most current priority  to get Cincinnati voters to win the city a larger say in how federal infrastructure dollars are spent.

With more than 87% of the signatures the group needs to get on the Nov. 5 ballot and just a few weeks more to collect them, I think its going to be close, Butler said.

If the measure passes, an influential Cincinnati-based transportation group known as OKI (Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments) could be compelled to give Cincinnati more seats on its board and, with it, more influence in its spending decisions.

Matt Butler, center, works the crowd at a Devou Good Foundation event.

Business sale funds Devou Good work

Butler and his wife, Rebekah Gensler, launched Signature Hardware in 1999, with his father, Mike Butler, joining the venture.

Gensler created Devou Good Project in 2014 to back community development work in the familys Covington neighborhood.

With a business to run and four kids (now in their teens) at home, We didnt have a lot of time to actively support the community, said Butler, 50.

When they sold Signature Hardware to Ferguson Enterprises, they asked Whats next for us and our family?

The answer: More hands-on involvement in causes they care about, along with funds to move them forward.

Today, Butler heads an unpaid board of three, working with a staff of six and more than four dozen volunteers to support Devou Good Foundation projects.

Since its start, the foundation has collected about $3 million in revenue, substantially all from Signature Hardware profits and then its sale, Butler said. Its spent about $2 million in that time, including more than $679,000 last year on 17 different causes, the foundations 2023 filing with the Internal Revenue Service shows.

Being self-funded allows Devou Good to pick its own projects. Were not beholden to anyone to fund the work that we do, Butler said.

The foundation's overarching mission, according to its report to the IRS: "Cultivate vibrant communities out of transitional neighborhoods."

'Stop spreading inaccurate info'

Matt Butler calls OKI  with a staff of 30, a board of 118 and a focus on coordinating transportation projects in eight counties  a quasi-governmental group that reports to nobody.

OKI Executive Director Mark Policinski said Devou has critical facts about OKI wrong. "We wish they would stop spreading inaccurate information," he said in response to Enquirer questions.

OKI is taking seriously a Devou-affiliated groups efforts to amend the Cincinnati city charter and win the city more board seats. In May, the 60-year-old transportation group presented a 12-page analysis of the initiative to its board.

Changing governance would be disruptive and significant hurdles discourage it, the analysis concluded.

The Devou group  called Fair Share for Cincy and funded by a political action committee called Sustainable Cincy  is incorrect in asserting that Cincinnati is denied dollars and power by OKI, Policinski said. It is wrong too, he said, in believing the city charter can dictate OKI practices.

For its part, Fair Share for Cincy is taking its case directly to voters.

Through the end of June, as they continued knocking on voters' doors and speaking at community council meetings, volunteers had collected close to 7,700 of the 8,800 signatures they need to get the OKI measure on the ballot. They must submit verified names by the end of July.

Its all in the interest of fairness, Butler said. People recognize that my vote should count.

Devou would also like the OKI board to include more members who want to reduce, not grow, car traffic. If we elect people who are car-centric, thats what OKI is going to build, Butler said.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet settled on a four-lane replacement for the existing Fourth Street Bridge between Covington and Newport. Devou Good Foundation pushed for a three-lane bridge to reduce the volume and speed of traffic.

Devou projects aim to reduce harm

Transportation plans aimed at moving as many vehicles from point to point as quickly as possible are outstandingly short-sighted, according to Devou board secretary Jim Guthrie, owner of Hub+Weber Architects.

So too is a focus on creating new roads and widening existing ones, added Devou staff member and volunteer Jody Robinson.

Those approaches raise taxes, harm the environment and endanger pedestrians, bicyclists and anyone else sharing the road with cars, the Devou leaders said.

Devou Good Foundation is supporting efforts to reduce speed on the 11th Street Bridge over the Licking River, also known as the Girl Scout Bridge. Two bicyclists have been hit and killed on the bridge in recent years  Gloria San Miguel, pictured above, in 2022, and Jonathon Hussing this April.

Recent Devou projects reflect that thinking:

Last year, Devou pushed a three-lane option for a new Fourth Street Bridge connecting Newport and Covington over the Licking River. Its design, created by Hub+Weber, allowed for a streetcar track and wide multi-use paths. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet stuck with plans for four lanes, with paths on both sides, to accommodate current and future vehicles and mass transit. The bridge could possibly be retrofitted with streetcar tracks in the future, department spokesperson Jake Ryle said. Newport and Covington would need to fund a streetcar system for that to happen, he added.

Earlier this year, Devou hosted the Cincinnati Streetcar Forum to float nine ideas for new streetcar routes to add to the 3.6-mile existing Cincinnati Connector system. Five could be built immediately and four would need to be worked into planned bridge projects. The city has yet to move forward on any.

Last fall, College Hill installed bike lanes, street parking and other traffic calming features at North Bend Road and Hamilton Avenue. Devou provided $475,000 toward the work, part of the citys Vision Zero program to slow traffic.

Early last year, Devou raised what it called environmental justice concerns about the $3.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project. In a letter dated this May 29, the Federal Highway Administration confirmed it is investigating whether the giant bridge project is discriminating against residents based on race, color or national origin. Federal highway officials will visit Cincinnati in August as part of its investigation, Butler said.

Devous 2023 donations also went to All Aboard Ohio, which supports train travel; Tri-State Trails, which promotes Greater Cincinnati trails and bike paths; Girl Scout Bridge, working to make another Northern Kentucky bridge safer, after two bicyclists were hit and killed by vehicles there; and Bridge Forward, which helped Cincinnati win the promise of a street grid from downtown to Queensgate as part of the Brent Spence work.

Traffic-calming devices in College Hill aim to slow speeds and reduce accidents.

Devou amplifies voices of communities

Butler applauds the city of Cincinnatis Vision Zero program to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries caused by motor vehicles. The city has installed or designed 67 such traffic-calming projects, and is continuing to work with community council to identify where more might go.

The state of Ohio deserves credit, too, he said, for launching a $25 million pilot program this spring to reduce motorists speeds on eight roadways. U.S. 22 (Montgomery Road) in Norwood, U.S. 42 (Reading Road) in Reading and some streets around the University of Cincinnati will all see safety enhancements for the state to study, said Matt Bruning, spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Everyday people sometimes dont know how to address road safety issues, said Kathy Cunningham, president of Queen City Bike. With its funds and experience, Devou Good amplifies and helps support the voice of neighbors and communities, she said.

City officials and community leaders likewise benefit from Devous work, City Council member Mark Jeffreys said in a statement. "We look forward to continuing to partner block by block and neighborhood by neighborhood to ensure our streets are designed for people, he said.

Devou Good Foundation hosts a virtual reality event in May 2023 to highlight its design ideas for the Fourth Street Bridge across the Licking River.

Changing conversations, changing minds

Bridge Forward founder Brian Boland has crossed paths with Devou Good multiple times. His wife, Beth Boland, is working on the Fair Share for Cincy campaign. Hes a campaign volunteer. Like Devou, Bridge Forward favors urban design that puts quality of place before speed and volume of traffic, Boland said.

Butler gives Bridge Forward credit for getting Brent Spence Bridge planners to consider its street grid concept. Kudos to them for taking that on, he said.

Win or lose  on the November ballot measure or any other project  Devou Good aims to alter thinking with its work, too. Even if we fail," Butler said, "weve changed the conversation."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What is Devou Good Foundation?
Measure to prevent phasing out of natural gas in WA is on track for November ballot

Anthony Anton, president of the Washington Hospitality Association, loads a box of signed Initiative 2066 petitions into a cart for delivery to the Secretary of State's Office on July 2, 2024. The proposed measure would halt the state's push to end natural gas use in homes and buildings. (Jerry Cornfield/Washington State Standard)

Its now all but assured voters will get to weigh in this November on Washingtons polarizing efforts to phase out natural gas use in homes and other buildings.

Backers of an initiative aimed at reversing the states climate-oriented policies turned in more than 400,000 signatures in support of the measure on Tuesday. They delivered boxes of petitions for Initiative 2066 to the secretary of states office in Tumwater just 49 days after the first ones were signed.

Sponsors said they turned in 431,063 signatures, nearly 110,000 more than required to qualify for this falls general election.

It is very simple. If you have natural gas, this protects you to be able to keep natural gas in your home or in your business. And it protects the freedom of every single Washingtonian to have the clean energy of their choice, said Greg Lane, executive vice president of the Building Industry Association of Washington, the measures main sponsor.

Initiative 2066 repeals provisions of a new state law meant to hasten Puget Sound Energys transition away from natural gas. It also bars cities and counties from prohibiting, penalizing or discouraging the use of gas for any form of heating, or for uses related to any appliance or equipment, in any building.

And the measure would effectively nullify recent changes to Washingtons energy code designed to get more electric heat pumps  instead of gas furnaces  installed in newly built houses, apartments and commercial buildings.

Critics of the measure say it would force the state to retreat from many fronts in its fight against climate change and pursuit of clean energy.

I-2066 would take away communities choice, jeopardize rebate programs that help families and small business owners afford building upgrades, repeal common-sense measures that make homes and workplaces more energy efficient and healthy, and erode clean air protections, said Caitlin Krenn, climate and clean energy director for Washington Conservation Action.

Over time this measure will raise energy costs for hardworking Washingtonians, she noted.

In a statement, Puget Sound Energy said it is deeply concerned about the misinformation that continues to be spread about natural gas.

There is no ban on natural gas, reads the utilitys statement. PSE has an obligation to serve any customer who wants natural gas.

House Bill 1589, the law targeted by the ballot measure, did not change that so those provisions in I-2066 would not affect PSE or its customers, according to the statement. PSE has posted information on HB 1589 on its website.

Lane disagreed. He insisted the intent of one section of the law will be the electrification of the state. They can say what they want. I think theyre wrong.

Need to get in touch?

Have a news tip?

CONTACT US

Gregg Small, executive director of the environmental group Climate Solutions, said the measure would be a major misstep in our path toward a clean energy future that keeps costs lower.

Planning is critical to keeping utility bills of existing gas customers as low as possible as the state transitions to other sources of energy to heat homes, he said. By repealing some requirements, the initiative will cost ratepayers more and negatively impact our health by prolonging our reliance on burning polluting gas in our homes and buildings, he said.

BIAW, the states leading voice for the home building industry, drew up the measure and assembled a coalition of backers including the Washington Hospitality Association, Washington Realtors and Associated General Contractors. BIAW formed a political committee, Main Street Matters to Washington, to help get the measure on the ballot and pass it.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST

Lets Go Washington, which qualified three Republican-backed measures state voters are already set to decide in November, conducted the signature-gathering effort.

The group has raised roughly $2.2 million since May 15 when the first I-2066 petitions were signed. Main Street Matters to Washington pumped in $750,000 of that sum and BIAW put in $500,000, making them the largest donors, according to reports filed with the Public Disclosure Commission. Brian Heywood, the millionaire founder of Lets Go Washington, is not one of the contributors.

If Initiative 2066 qualifies, it will be the first item on the ballot, followed by those other measures that propose scrapping the states cap-and-trade system, ending its capital gains tax and making a long-term care program optional.

On Tuesday, Lane said he didnt know if BIAW would conduct a separate campaign or coordinate with Lets Go Washington to convince voters to pass all four.

I have no idea yet. Well have to take a look at that. Well have to see what that means for this one, he said. We have been solely focused on getting this one qualified.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
The Memo: Biden battles for his political life as Democratic dissent rises

President Biden is fighting for his political life amid rising Democratic panic that he will lose to former President Trump in November.

Biden took several fresh hits Tuesday, adding fuel to the fiery discussions about whether he should step aside as the Democratic nominee.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) became the first sitting Democratic lawmaker to urge Biden to abandon his reelection bid. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) told a local TV interviewer, The truth, I think, is that Biden is going to lose to Trump.

Big names usually loyal to Biden expressed meaningful reservations.

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told MSNBC, in reference to Bidens demeanor at last weeks disastrous debate, that it is a legitimate question to ask, Is this an episode or is this a condition?

Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), whom Biden has credited in the past as being integral to his 2020 Democratic primary win, told NewsNation that the American people want an explanation, they need to be reassured about Bidens vigor.

Clyburn noted that he expected to speak with Biden either Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.

Im going to tell him what I really feel, Clyburn said, though he emphasized, Its not to say to him, Get out of the race. I will tell him exactly what his standing is with the American people as I perceive it.

NewsNation and The Hill share a parent company, Nexstar Media Group.

The New York Times accelerated the hostile winds buffeting Biden with a story published midafternoon Tuesday citing unnamed current and former officials who noticed that in recent months, the president has increasingly appeared confused or listless, or would lose the thread of conversations.

The day also brought new negative opinion polls for the Biden campaign.

A poll from CNN/SSRS put Trump up 6 points over Biden nationwide, and found 75 percent of registered voters believing Democrats would fare better with someone else as the partys nominee.

A USA Today/Suffolk University Poll pegged Trumps national lead at 3 points and found 41 percent of Democrats wanting Biden replaced as the nominee.

In that scenario, all eyes would look first to Vice President Harris. The two other biggest names in hypothetical contention are California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D).

Harris, Newsom and Whitmer have all been publicly supportive of Biden since the debate, whatever private thoughts might be swirling.

There is of course no vacancy  yet.

Biden, a proud man who believes he has not been accorded sufficient respect for his accomplishments, does not seem inclined to even consider dropping his reelection bid.

He is scheduled to hold a meeting with Democratic governors Wednesday that could calm nerves. He will travel to the key swing states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in the next few days. And he will sit for his first major TV interview since the debate Friday, with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, peppered with questions about the presidents fitness for office throughout Tuesdays media briefing, acknowledged Biden had a bad night at the debate but pushed back at the idea that he had suffered any kind of episode.

Asked directly whether Biden was suffering from Alzheimers disease or any form of dementia, Jean-Pierre replied, No, and I hope youre asking [Trump] the same exact question.

The press secretary also said the White House wanted to look forward and to turn the page following the debate.

Other Biden allies point to public expressions of support from key Democrats, including former Presidents Obama and Clinton, and current Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.). Im with Joe Biden, Schumer said at a news conference Tuesday in DeWitt, N.Y.

The Biden loyalists also emphasize a recent fundraising surge, including a reported $38 million raised between the Thursday debate and Sunday. They also say they see signs of growing grassroots enthusiasm for the president.

Then there are those who are far from enthusiastic.

Doggett, issuing his call for Biden to exit the race, said the president saved our democracy by delivering us from Trump in 2020. He must not deliver us to Trump in 2024.

In a follow-up interview with The Washington Post, Doggett claimed that, while some Democrats disagree with him, his view nonetheless reflects the feelings of a significant number of my colleagues.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) had told a local TV station Monday that he had been pretty horrified by the debate. On Tuesday, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) said on CNN that Bidens candidacy would have an impact on Senate and House races and would have implications for decades to come.

On top of all that, former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) penned an op-ed for Newsweek arguing Democrats should replace Biden with Vice President Harris at the top of the ticket.

Those who say that a Harris candidacy is a greater risk than the Joe Biden we saw the other night and will continue to see are not living in reality, Ryan wrote. It is not just utterly preposterous for the haters to say that, it is insulting.

None of these blows is fatal to the president. But together, they are bogging him down and making it impossible to move past the debate disaster. Worst of all, the criticism is an invitation for other dissenting voices, private so far, to go public.

Its possible Biden calms the waters, and his party reconciles itself to him as the nominee.

But the political fever rose another few degrees on Tuesday. The possibility that Biden might be forced from the race seems increasingly real.

The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Memphis Animal Services did not have its veterinary premise permit for a one-day period over the weekend, but according to City of Memphis officials the transfer of the permit did not interrupt clinical services as animals were transferred over to clinical partners. The permit lapsed due to the shelter having no full-time veterinarian on staff.

The city said it has identified a veterinarian who is willing to assume that role. The city said a new permit was in place as of July 2. A veterinary premise permit is tied to a specific vet, and the vet who it was tied to is no longer at the shelter, the city said.

The permit impacted the clinics operation, the city said, which allows a specific vet to run the clinic. It had no impact on the shelters operation.

This comes after a turbulent week for the shelter, with a dog dying in their care likely from heat, and Director Ty Coleman being placed on leave pending an investigation." The city has not said exactly what the scope or focus of that investigation will be.

The city has not expanded upon what type of investigation will take place, and a timeline is currently not available.

Memphis Chief Operating Officer Antonio Adams and Deputy Chief Operating Officer Julius Muse are now in charge at MAS, the city said.

The turbulence at the shelter has been the topic of discussion for weeks among the tight-knit animal rescue community and with current and former employees.

City news: Tax increases for Memphis residents, Cohen secures Greenway grant |The Week in Politics

More: Memphis Public Works Director Robert Knecht to retire after 23 years with the city

In addition to the shift in leadership, there are currently no full-time veterinarians on staff at MAS, according to multiple rescuers and current and previous staff members. The city said that part-time vets have been used by the shelter since June 1.

The city of Memphis confirmed this but said a part-time vet will begin work at the shelter this week. Recruitment for a full-time placement has begun, according to the city. Last week, the city said there was an interim vet at the shelter in addition to multiple part-time contract vets coming in four days a week.

Dog dies within MAS, investigation follows

Suzy Hollenbach, founder and CEO of All 4s Rescue League, said a dog who died while in the care of MAS on June 24 was microchipped to the rescue. All 4s Rescue League is a current pet placement partner with MAS.

Lulu, the dog who died, was surrendered to MAS by a family All 4s adopted her out to.

Lulu likely died from a heat-related incident, according to a statement posted to the MAS public Facebook account.

The rescue was informed that MAS had Lulu and contacted All 4s Rescue League to come and pick up the dog.

When Hollenbach sent someone within her rescue to retrieve Lulu from MAS, they were informed upon arrival that the dog had died.

Lulu was located in the outdoor play area, which at that point had no shade to protect the animals from the harsh sun. On June 24, the day Lulu died temperatures rose to 98 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, and a heat advisory was in place within the Greater Memphis Area.

MAS said in the statement posted on its Facebook page that the shelter "immediately adjusted" the outdoor play areas to include more shade.

After Lulu's death, Hollenbach said she tried multiple times to retrieve the dog's body. Because the microchip was listed to All 4's, Hollenbach said she is entitled to the dog's body.

Hollenbach said she was told that the dog's body had been transported to a university on June 25 as a part of the investigation of the death. According to information given to The Commercial Appeal, Lulu left the facility after noon on June 27.

Outdoor kennels are seen at Memphis Animal Services in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, July 1, 2024.

Hollenbach, in addition to numerous other rescuers within Memphis and Shelby County, said leadership within MAS has ignored protocol and has put animals' lives in jeopardy because of their use of outdoor kennels.

MAS said they would be investigating the dog's death internally.

According to a source familiar with the matter, a pregnant dog was kept outside for a prolonged period which caused her ears to be bitten repeatedly by bugs.

The source requested to remain anonymous because of fears they could lose their job.

Employees asked for the dog to be brought inside, but leadership reportedly "ignored" their requests.

The source said after being ignored repeatedly, another employee brought the dog inside "without asking permission."

Spay and neuter procedures

There is no consensus among animal welfare stakeholders and the city on whether MAS has been completing spay and neuter surgeries. The city says MAS has been using relief vets and organizations to perform spay and neuter procedures, but current employees of MAS and rescuers say they are not.

If the procedures are not being performed, this potentially allows adopted or fostered pets to enter homes while pregnant.

In a statement, the city said as part of its "current operational model, we are only releasing adopted animals after they have been spayed/neutered."

Memphis Animal Services is seen in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, July 1, 2024.

The city said that they have been using relief vets and organizations to perform spay and neuter surgeries since June 1 but did not confirm or deny that unaltered dogs were previously being adopted out. As of July 1, MAS's current operational model is to only adopt out animals that have been fixed, vaccinated and microchipped, the city said.

In 2010, Memphis City Council passed an ordinance that required all dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered before they reached 6 months of age.

There are specific stipulations that exempt some animals from having to be spayed or neutered, like if they are being used by law enforcement and an owner must obtain an "unaltered animal permit," which is issued by the city according to the ordinance.

Dogs can be adopted out non-sterilized but must pay a $25 non-sterilized fee which can be returned if adoptees can provide proof of surgery or come back for their sterilization surgery within 30 days.

Issues with leadership, pattern from previous shelter

Coleman was appointed director of Memphis Animal Services in January, after serving as interim director since September 2023. He succeeded Alexis Pugh, who was credited with making significant improvements at the shelter.

Coleman was appointed as interim director by former Mayor Jim Strickland, and Young reappointed him to the position. The appointment was approved by the Memphis City Council.

"I'm impressed," Councilman J.B. Smiley said in January, "and it takes a lot to impress me."

Several staffers who requested to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation say that issues with Coleman started almost immediately.

More: Memphis Animal Services waiving adoption fees, asks for fosters amid dog disease outbreak

Previous coverage: MAS working towards transparency to reduce euthanasia rates, along with kennel overflow

Staff members at MAS claim Coleman does not have the experience needed to run a city animal shelter as large as Memphis'. According to documents obtained by The CA, Coleman has worked within the animal welfare sphere since 2011, starting as a shelter attendant at a city animal shelter in Texas.

Coleman has less than the minimum required five years of experience supervising and training ten or more staff members, including managers, a source familiar with the matter said. The source said five years of experience is required for the job, per the City of Memphis job description.

Coleman's most recent employment within the animal service industry was as the director of Midland Animal Shelter, the city-run animal shelter in Midland, Texas. He was terminated because he did not meet his probationary period.

The city of Midland said the city had no comment on Colemans employment with the city.

Memphis Animal Services is seen in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, July 1, 2024.

According to reporting from the Midland Reporter-Telegram, under Colemans leadership, the city animal shelter had a record of lower animal intakes and lower euthanasia totals.

A source who worked with Coleman at the city of Midland said Coleman adopted a policy that limited dogs to be picked up off the streets. According to both current and former staff members at MAS, Coleman adopted a similar policy, which kept intake numbers low, but caused more dogs outside the shelter not to get the help they needed.

In a statement, the city of Memphis said it appreciated support from the community and asked for patience "as we work through the operational and procedural steps needed to create the best possible shelter experience."

"Currently, MAS is operating at a reduced capacity as an emergency intake shelter only. Our team is working to return to full shelter capacity, in alignment with our mission of keeping pets with families who love them," the city said.

Brooke Muckerman covers Shelby County Government for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at (901) 484-6225, brooke.muckerman@commercialappeal.com and followed on X, formerly known as Twitter @BrookeMuckerman.

Nell Rainer is a metro news intern for The Commercial Appeal. You can reach her at nell.rainer@commercialappeal.com

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Animal Services still without vets amid a leadership shakeup
(Bloomberg) -- US Senator Bob Menendez ended his defense case at his bribery trial Wednesday without testifying, setting up closing arguments next week in the New Jersey Democrats second corruption trial in the past decade.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Lawyers for Menendez, 70, presented five witnesses to rebut more than two dozen witnesses and hundreds of exhibits offered by prosecutors since testimony began seven weeks ago in Manhattan federal court.

Menendez, a three-term senator, has vowed to beat a sweeping indictment that accuses him of taking bribes of cash, 13 gold bars and a Mercedes Benz from three businessmen seeking favors. Menendez is on trial with businessmen Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, while his wife, Nadine, will be tried separately.

The government has failed in every aspect of its case, Menendez told reporters outside the courthouse. To testify gives them another chance at in essence a second summation.

A third businessman, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty and testified as a prosecution witness. Besides bribery, Menendez is accused of acting as an agent of Egypt and other charges.

Daibes also rested his case without calling any witnesses. Hana called one witness on Wednesday and may call another when the trial resumes on Monday. US District Judge Sidney Stein said he expects the prosecutors will begin summations later that day.

Defense lawyers sought to offer jurors an alternate explanation for why Menendez would have so much cash and gold when FBI agents raided the house he shared with his wife in June 2022.

Earlier this week, Menendezs sister testified that their Cuban family long held cash, bolstering his argument that he kept currency in his house and that almost $500,000 seized by FBI agents wasnt from illegal bribes. Nadine Menendezs sister also testified that her family had a long tradition of storing gold bars and jewelry at home in safes or at banks.

Menendezs first trial, on unrelated corruption charges in New Jersey, ended in a mistrial in 2017. Prosecutors then dropped the case.

The case is US v. Menendez, 23-cr-490, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

(Updates with comment from Menendez.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 3. Kazakhstan fully supports the activities of the UN, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Astana, Trend reports via Akorda.

"Your visit to Astana and participation in the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) summit are vivid symbols of the close cooperation between Kazakhstan and the UN. This reflects our engagement in UN activities. Kazakhstan, and personally, I, as Head of State, fully support the work of the UN in these challenging times," he also said.

Guterres expressed that he views his visit as a manifestation of the solidarity and support that the UN provides to Kazakhstan and its chairmanship of the SCO.

"Kazakhstan serves as a shining example of consistent efforts for peace. Your country has always been a 'bridge builder,' a messenger of peace, and a mediator in bringing people together, even in very difficult circumstances. Astana is the center for many peace initiatives, including the Astana Process on Syria. Astana has always been a platform for peace, and Kazakhstan holds great moral authority. You are leaders in nuclear disarmament and have demonstrated commitment to peace in many other areas," he added.

Guterres highly appreciated Astana's chairmanship in the SCO, expressing strong support for Kazakhstan's extensive political and economic reforms and emphasizing the country's important role in global security and peace.

The parties also focused on enhancing regional cooperation among Central Asian countries.

The UN Secretary-General gave high praise to economic integration processes in the region and highlighted its enormous potential in addressing global issues.

Priority areas for comprehensive cooperation between Kazakhstan and the UN, as well as current issues on the international agenda, were also discussed.

The SCO summit will be held on July 4 under the chairmanship of Kazakhstan.

For the first time, the event will be held in the form of a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO member states and an SCO Plus.

The UN Secretary-General will participate in the summit as part of the discussion, which will be held in the SCO Plus format.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
The Meta logo is displayed during the Viva Technology show at Parc des Expositions Porte de Versailles in Paris, France. on May 22, 2024. Credit - ChesnotGetty Images

Brazils national data protection authority has ordered Meta to halt the use of data originating from the country to train its AI models.

Metas current privacy policy enables the company to use data from its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp to train its artificial intelligence models. However, that practice will no longer be permitted in Brazil after its national data protection authority gave the company five days to change its policy on Tuesday.

Brazil said the company will need to confirm it has stopped using the data or face a daily non-compliance fine of $50,000 Brazilian Reals (almost $9000), citing the imminent risk of serious and irreparable or difficult-to-repair damage to the fundamental rights of the affected data subjects."

Meta said it was disappointed with the Brazilian authoritys decision, saying it was a step backward for innovation.

AI training is not unique to our services, and were more transparent than many of our industry counterparts who have been using public content to train their models and products, the company tells TIME Wednesday, following the Brazilian authoritys decision.

The decision follows a report published in June by Human Rights Watch, which found that a popular dataset of images scrapped from online sources used to train image models, made by German nonprofit LAION, contained identifiable images of Brazilian children, which the report says places them at risk of deep fakes or other forms of exploitation. Human Rights Watch says they found 170 photos of children from at least 10 Brazilian states by reviewing less than 0.0001 percent of the images in the dataset.

Brazil is one of Metas biggest markets, with over 112 million Facebook users alone. In June at a conference in the South American country, Meta unveiled new AI tools for businesses on its WhatsApp platform.

The Brazilian authority said users were not sufficiently warned about the changes, and that the process for opting out was not very intuitive. Meta says their approach complies with local privacy laws, and that it will continue to address the Brazilian authoritys questions.

Brazils decision to stop Meta feeding users data into its AI models follows similar pushback in Europe. Last month, Meta delayed the launch of its AI services and paused plans to train its models on EU and U.K. data after receiving a complaint from the Irish privacy regulator. Meta is expected to push ahead with training in the U.S., which lacks federal online privacy protections.

Read more: Meta Faces Norwegian Complaint Over Plans to Train AI on User Images and Posts

This is not the first time Meta has found itself at odds with Brazilian authorities. In February, the company was barred from using its name in Brazil due to confusion with another company. Meta successfully overturned the decision in March.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  The New Mexico Department of Justice issued cease-and-desist notices to several hotels after receiving complaints about potential price gouging due to the South Fork and Salt Fires.

The Department of Justice says they received almost a dozen complaints after last weeks press conference regarding potential hotel price gouging and encourages the community to continue submitting complaints.

The Department of Justice says cease-and-desist notices have been sent to several Roswell hotels, The Baymont by Windham, The Clarion Inn, Days Inn, Holiday Inn, and Home2 Suites by Hilton. In addition, the La Quinta in Artesia has also received a cease-and-desist letter.

Several complaints have reported that hotel bookings are being canceled with little to no explanation and are then rebooked at a higher price. Other complaints include alleged upcharging of hotel rooms due to the wildfires, according to the Department of Justice.

The notices request the hotels to stop engaging in business practices that violate the New Mexico Unfair Practices Act which prohibits unconscionable business practices, such as exploiting consumers during an emergency.

Individuals can report potential price gouging or fraudulent behavior by visiting the Department of Justices website at www.nmdoj.gov/get-help and completing the online complaint form. You can also call their office at 505-490-4060, and press option 3.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
MIAMI, Okla.  Miami Mayor Bless Parker is celebrating a recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission order that strengthens the City of Miamis claims in its decades-long battle with the Grand River Dam Authority over flooding issues facing Miami residents.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, affirmed in their June 27 order, that the GRDA has violated its current license, and that those violations must be remedied before GRDA receives a new license.

The commission also denied GRDAs request for a rehearing.

Justin Alberty, GRDA spokesman sent an email declining to comment on the ruling.

Federal Ruling: GRDAs Pensacola project has increased flooding around Miami

Parker also called out GRDA for its use of scare tactics in the fight.

GRDA has made claims and used scare tactics of taking property, raising electric rates before they have ever been ordered to buy any easements, Parker said, Its flat-out propaganda and threats that this would have to be passed on to ratepayers, but this also seems to be GRDAs acknowledgment of their fear of FERC holding them accountable.

Miami has always been willing to sit down at the table and negotiate a great solution for all parties involved, but GRDA has always resisted a fair compromise and maybe this decision will bring them to the table and solve this issue once and for all, Parker said.

Miamis ready, is GRDA? Parker said.

The FERC Ruling

Our argument is GRDA failed to acquire necessary flowage rights on lands exceeding the limits of its existing flowage easements by 13,000 acres in or around Miami, Parker said.

In the new order, FERC concludes the Mead & Hunt Model study did not include the scenario necessary to quantify the backwater effects caused by the existence of the project. FERC concluded that flooding has increased since the construction of the project and that the backwater effects exceed the limits of the existing flowage easements.

In simplest terms, the role of the Corps is to direct flood operations at the project and GRDAs responsibility is to acquire adequate property rights to accomplish all project purposes, including flood control. Miami Mayor Bless Parker

In the Commissions judgment, the evidence of record is sufficient to determine that flooding is caused by the existence and operation of the (Pensacola) project, the June 27 order states.

FERC rejected GRDAs attempt to blame the US Corps of Army Engineers throughout the licensing process, Parker says referring to the ruling.

Political influence should not factor into these important decisions, and were glad FERC is looking at data, science, real information and facts to make their determinations, Parker said, This is real progress and were looking forward to a comprehensive solution to the flooding in Miami caused by the Pensacola Project.

The Commission has directed GRDA only to prepare a report that will identify specific parcels of land that have been affected by flooding upstream of the project and describe the extent of the impacts, Parker said, referring to the order.

Whether GRDA must acquire additional lands is a question for a later time, he said.

Former Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofes 2019 amendment, the Pensacola Act, specifically attempted to tilt the rules in favor of GRDA and limit FERCs authority to regulate water levels and set project boundaries for the Pensacola Dam. The amendment also attempts to suppress tribal authority over federal land relevant to the dam.

FERC reaffirmed in its Order the Federal Power Act precludes the application of the Pensacola Act to the existing license.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Former music writer for the Austin American-Statesman Michael Corcoran died July 1. His book on the Austin music scene comes out in the fall from TCU Press.

What a week.

Within days, Texas lost humorist, musician and political candidate Richard "Kinky" Friedman and journalist, historian and cultural contrarian Michael Corcoran.

The two adopted Texans, one from Chicago, the other from Hawaii, were sharp and funny, although not everyone savored their tastes in humor. Both led highly visible lives, but relished the quiet and serenity of private time away from the spotlight.

Invariably, memorials devoted to these two nonconformists emphasized their complicated personalities. They could be provocative, even derogatory in their chosen roles as public jesters and critics. At the same time, they became known for their unselfishness and social awareness, which for many who knew them crowded out the darker memories.

'He is completely irreplaceable': 'Lonesome Dove' screenwriter Bill Wittliff

Although we tussled in the newsroom for years, I counted Michael as a friend. When he praised a story, it felt earned.

I regret that we did not spend more time together outside the workplace. My heart is with his son, Jack, along with his former wife and dear friend, Victoria.

I was able to return Michael's tough praise when his books, "Ghost Notes: Pioneering Spirits of Texas Music" and "All Over the Map: "True Heroes of Texas Music" came out.

These efforts represent truly remarkable and deep cultural history. They will be read for decades to come. You should read them now. And we should make a pact that they never fall out of print.

For some balm in Gilead, I can confirm some gratifying news: TCU Press will publish his book, "Austin Music Is a Scene, Not a Sound: An Illustrated History of the First 100 Years," already in the making.

"Our plan currently is to go ahead with the book", says James Lehr, marketing director for TCU Press, "targeting sometime this fall for its release."

For some people, a hurried news obituary is not enough. I've gathered, therefore, some memories of "Corky" from coworkers and others. While writing about Corcoran, these folks are also writing about our life's calling, our culture and ourselves.

"All Over the Map: True Heroes of Texas Music" by Michael Corcoran established the music journalist as a serious historian.

'He saw stories everywhere'

Kathy Blackwell, former Statesman features editor, now executive editor for Texas Monthly: One thing I always admired about Michael and why I loved working with him was that he saw stories everywhere. And when it came to music, which was his beat for so long, he was never satisfied by the easy reach. He wanted to dig deep into everything, and was especially passionate about making sure overlooked musicians, especially those of color, got their due.

And the main thing about him  and this is the highest compliment I know to pay anyone  was that he was generous. Its a trait shared by the best writers, and the best people. Even when we were disagreeing on something, which we did often, he would turn around and compliment me on a project I oversaw, or share music with me, or just try to make me laugh. He made himself available to everyone.

'Absolute pinnacle of American letters': Texas writers talk about the late Cormac McCarthy

I was a paid subscriber to "Overserved," his Substack (newsletter), and so looked forward to seeing his name in my inbox. When it came to telling stories about legends past, there was no one like him. I hope other writers do the same for him.

'Arguably the greatest'

Deborah Sengupta Stith, former Statesman music beat reporter, now Austin360 editor: Michael Corcoran, arguably the greatest chronicler of the Austin music scene, has died.

Corky was a gleeful provocateur. The original troll. He made a name for himself shooting down Austins stars, and throughout his career, he never shied away from a hot take. But his opinions were malleable. Once dubious of the band Blue October, late in his career at the Statesman, he became the greatest champion of San Marcos favorite sons.

Sometimes he operated in ethical gray areas. Each year, he accepted a ludicrously expensive backstage pass to the Austin City Limits Music Festival for his son, Jack, the light of his life. But no one rode fest promoter C3 Presents harder than the man who once did a deep analysis on the difference in park fees the company pays to use Chicagos Grant Park for Lollapalooza and Austins Zilker for ACL. (Hint: the Chicago fees were much higher.)

'Pastures of the Empty Page': Top Texas writers lionize Larry McMurtry in absorbing new book

Over time, I earned his respect and we developed a solid working relationship. When I applied for the music writer position  I was writing about music while working on the digital desk  he met with the papers top editors to insist I should be hired.

When we ran into each other at the South by Southwest Music Festival a few years later (after an online confrontation about comments Corcoran posted in stunningly bad taste), we had a warm exchange. And whenever he took the time to say something nice about a story I wrote, it felt like the greatest badge of honor.

I never subscribed to his Substack newsletter, "Overserved," despite our shared love of music history. But Im remedying that now. For $60, I get full access to the archives and I look forward to listening to the voice of my old colleague and onetime friend telling lascivious stories of the seedy side of the Austin music scene in a way that only he can.

"Ghost Notes" confirmed Michael Corcoran's status as a first-rate Texas historian.

'The GOAT of Austin music journalism'

Andy Langer, journalist and radio host: End of an era. He was his own man. He was singular talent, equal parts frustrating and brilliant. He was the GOAT of Austin music journalism. Those are all cliches, but with the added advantage of being true.

I met Corky in the early '90s and, while we were never traditional friends, we were definitely friendly, and a for a while, I guess what you might consider frenemies.

We argued, in person and on Facebook, about music, music journalism, ethics, and the state of Austin and you couldnt help but love his devotion to contrariness  he was the truest, bluest contrarian Ive ever met and while sometimes hed lay out an insane assessment that you knew he genuinely believed, he also did the contrarian for contrarians sake better than anyone.

More: A generation of Black and Hispanic civil rights pioneers left Austin a better place

He did it to get a rise of out of us. Later, he did it for clicks, likes, newsletter views and book sales. Im glad the first version of his Statesman obit has historian in the headline. He earned that the hard, lonely, not so financially rewarding way, but damn, his knowledge  and number of incredible stories hed tucked away and would rattle off with delight  was so deep, so wide.

The part Im not ready to fully write about, but cant stop thinking about, is that in some ways his pioneer status  someone who came along at the middle of the first real wave of music journalism  put him a tough spot once music journalism shifted from long-form and columns to quick hits and clicks. The OG were too often casualties left behind writing words for pennies that used to be dollars. Ugh.

He was a one-man Statler and Waldorf, had a lot of heart, a lot of wisdom and offered all of us a lot of laughs. He left millions of words behind  so much future generations will hopefully find and use to frame their own opinions  but its also heartbreaking to think about how much he knew about Austin, about Austin music, about music history that dies with him. May his memory be a blessing.

'The most thankless job there is'

Chris Riemenschneider, former Statesman music writer, now music writer for the Star Tribune: Corcoran used to tell me being a newspaper music critic was "the most thankless job there is." He said it many times.

In the two decades since I worked with him in Texas  starting as the summer intern at the Dallas Morning News the year his son was born, and then 5 to 6 more years at the American-Statesman, where he still sometimes called me his intern, but I didn't mind  I've unfortunately grown to learn what he meant. It wasn't a whiny or self-pitying statement. It was a get-over-it kind of comment.

You often work for newsroom editors who only want you covering whatever they get a press release for, and who more than anything don't want you writing anything to piss anyone off. Lord forbid. You work with egocentric musicians who only want you writing praise for them, and even when you do praise them, you either don't give them enough, or don't write it exactly how they want to hear it.

You work with a lot of other people in the music business who think you're there to serve them; or shouldn't be there at all. And of course the real people you work for, the readers and music lovers, only email or  in those days  phone you when they disagree with you, or you get some stupid Fall Out Boy song title wrong or whatever.

I believe Michael's point was: "Do the job for yourself." Find your own rewards. Write the story you find interesting. Write the barbed line that makes you laugh. Write that much-maligned "25 albums that killed rock 'n' roll" list because pissing off humorless Beatles fans sounds fun. He took this approach better than anyone, and thus I truly believe he was as good at the job as anyone. I actually think his upcoming books deep-diving into Austin's music history will go down as his crowning achievement.

With this devastating news of his sudden passing, though, I'm seeing so many people around Austin and beyond expressing their admiration for him personally and  wait for it  thanks to him for his work. I'd like to thank everyone for proving him wrong in the end on at least that one count.

I, of course, want to thank him myself, too. He was good to me, and  with a few minor exceptions  good for me.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Friends recall Michael Corcoran, as Austin music book heads to press
Michelle Obama is the only Democratic candidate who would beat Trump in a hypothetical 2024 election matchup, a new poll suggests.

The best-selling author and wife of former President Barack Obama would beat Trump by over 10 points, with 50% of voters saying they would vote for Obama and 39% saying they would vote for Trump, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The poll also finds President Joe Biden tied with Trump, each receiving 40% in a two-way race. In this matchup, 8% of voters said they would vote for somebody else and 8% of voters said they would not vote.

All other hypothetical Democratic candidates trail behind the former president and presumptive GOP candidate. Vice President Kamala Harris sits just one point behind Trump at 42% to Trumps 43%, within the poll's margin of error, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom sits at 39% against Trumps 42%.

Obama also topped the charts in favorability scores, with 55% of voters having a favorable opinion of the former first lady. Thats 10 points higher than either Trump or Biden.

Following Thursdays presidential debate, more than half of voters said Biden should drop out of the race and just under half said the same of Trump.

Despite her popularity among American voters, Obama has said many times that she has no desire to run for office.

As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president. Mrs. Obama supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris re-election campaign, Obamas communication director said in a statement to MSNBC earlier this year.
Getty Images

The vast majority of students who qualified to repeat third grade under a controversial 2016 childhood literacy bill did not actually get held back, according to a new report from Michigan State Universitys Education Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC).

The Read by Grade Three bill, aimed at improving childhood literacy, which was signed by GOP former Gov. Rick Snyder, required that elementary school students who scored poorly on a standardized test on reading repeat third grade. Students could move on to fourth grade for exemptions including a parent request, being new to the school district or demonstrating proficiency in other subjects.

State Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth), chair of the House Education Committee, told the Advance this indicates that families and communities dont want their kids held back, and policymakers need to find new solutions.

It definitely shows that parents and communities do not want their children held back, Koleszar said. Especially when its based on an arbitrary test score. Theres so much more that factors into that. At the end of the day  kids are people, not products.

The new standards kicked in after COVID-19 shut down schools and halted testing in the 2021-22 school year, but it was ultimately short-lived. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation amending the bill in 2023, axing the requirement that poor readers had to repeat third grade. Many saw the retention policy as punitive.

But the study shows that 92% of third-graders who qualified for a second year of third grade during the three school years the program ran did not get held back. Tara Kilbride, the interim associate director of EPIC, said retention policies varied by school, with charter schools holding back 4.5% of all their third-graders in 2023, and public schools only holding back 1.2% of third-graders.

Kilbride said this can explain why more Black students and economically disadvantaged students are held back another year, as students from those demographics are more likely to attend charter schools.

We found that a lot of this seems to be driven by particular schools approach to retention, Kilbride said. A lot of charter schools retain students at higher rates, and educators in charter schools on our surveys also expressed more positive views of retention than what we saw in traditional public schools.

The bill also required additional support for students who qualified for another year of third grade, regardless of if they received an exemption or not. Kilbride said teachers and administrators surveyed for the study tended to prefer other learning supports over retention. Supports include one-on-one time or small group instruction or early monitoring for reading capabilities.

Current legislation

Lawmakers have continued to tackle gaps in proficient childhood literacy.

In March, the Senate passed SB 567 and SB 568, which mandate screening for dyslexia and phonics-based reading.

The goal would be to catch signs of dyslexia early in a students education, so that they can receive additional support to catch up. Koleszar said the bill would help kids who might not have dyslexia but still struggle with reading, as the bills wouldnt provide resources for diagnosing just identifying symptoms.

The package would have teachers embrace decoding and word recognition education, as students who struggled with reading did not have those skills generally, said Kimberly St. Martin, the director of the Multi-tiered System of Supports, a technical assistance center for teachers.

The bills also support early readers before and after third grade.

We know that it is good that these bills go beyond third grade, because we have more reading difficulties than just up to third grade that were needing to address, St. Martin said.

The bills are currently in the House Education Committee. Koleszar said he hopes to get the bills to the House floor in the fall.

While I object to the retention piece, Im glad that we got rid of it, I am incredibly happy that there still are a lot of supports there, Koleszar said. Its just up to us now as a state to continue to support kids who may be struggling readers and do everything we can to help them be as successful as they can be.

The post Michigan lawmakers continue to grapple with best way to improve childhood literacy appeared first on Michigan Advance.
A charter school that was set to open in Irmo this fall has postponed classes for a full year because of a dispute with the town over permitting for its temporary home.

Ascent Classical Academy was scheduled to open for classes this fall but announced this week that it would have to delay opening until the 2025-26 school year, disrupting the lives of hundreds of students and staff who had expected to begin school within weeks.

Ascent had planned to hold classes in St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, holding kindergarten through eighth grade classes in the churchs education building until the school could move into a more permanent location. But the academys board voted Tuesday to delay its planned opening in August for a full school year.

The academy said in a news release that the town had approved a change of use for the building in early May and the school was working through minor upgrades to ensure Ascent could start classes in the fall. But last week, Irmos building inspection contractor CC&I informed the school that the project exceeded its contract with the town and withdrew from the process, according to the schools news release.

Ascent is part of a Colorado-based network of public charter schools that focus on a traditional liberal arts curriculum. Its planned South Carolina campuses, including in Irmo, are sponsored by the Charter Institute at Erskine College, which sponsors other charter schools around the state.

Derec Shuler, the executive director of Ascent Classical Academies, told The State his organization had been working with the town and CC&I for almost two months to get the school open, and he was left scrambling by the last minute decision to withdraw. He noted Ascent had paid to submit its plans through a web portal provided to them by the town.

Irmo has an obligation to review anything in their community. Its an obligation to accept it, in our view, Shuler said. This letter isnt in the best interests of the community, and we were surprised the town hasnt picked this up so hundreds of families can go to school.

Shuler said about 300 students were ready to go to school next month. Their families had already withdrawn them from other schools and have now missed the deadline to register them for the fall semester elsewhere. In addition, around 25 staff were hired to begin work this fall, some of whom moved to South Carolina for their job.

In a news release Tuesday, the town said it only found out in May that Irmo had been designated as the agency with permitting authority over the school by the S.C. Department of Education.

The Town of Irmo did not formally request or accept this designation, the news release said. The town does not permit other public schools within its boundaries, and the towns attorney strongly advised against accepting the designation.

When Irmo reviewed Ascents plans for retrofitting the church property for classrooms, the town identified several issues requiring discussion, including traffic concerns related to three nearby schools, as well as fire code and ADA accessibility compliance, according to the towns news release.

Irmo Mayor Bill Danielson told The State any permitting for a school property should be the responsibility of the state Department of Education.

Normally, public schools are overseen by their building management, Danielson said. To do permitting and upkeep, it all goes through them. But he said Ascent apparently went to the secretary of education and asked to make us the authority, and that was not at our request or even our knowledge until we got the letter.

Town Administrator Courtney Dennis said he never had a direct conversation with Ascent or the department about the town permitting the school and only found out about it when his assistant was copied on a letter to Shuler from state Superintendent Ellen Weaver.

He said the towns zoning process would not normally cover the kinds of improvements he said are needed for Ascent to be able to open in the church building, and a longer review period would likely be needed for any changes to be completed and signed off on.

These conversations are being held in May with a goal of opening August, Dennis said. That seems like a pretty tight opportunity to get the school open.

Danielson noted that CC&I has done inspection work with the state department in the past, and the contractor has indicated they would be willing to do similar work on Ascent Classical Academy. But the mayor said that would need to be worked out in a contract between CC&I and the Education Department separate from the towns responsibility for the property.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said in an email that the department continues to have extensive conversations with all parties involved, and is hopeful a resolution can be reached to best serve students and families.

Shuler said the school plans to open next year in a permanent location on Koon Road between Broad River Road and Interstate 26. While Ascent has yet to close on the property, Shuler said the academy already has the permitting to build a larger school on the site. But that doesnt do anything for the families that expected to start school this year.

Editors note: this story has been updated with comments from Ascent Classical Academy.
McConnellsburg, Fulton County (WHTM)  Just southeast of McConnellsburg along Route 16, or the Mercersburg Turnpike as it was called in the 1800s, is a Pennsylvania historical marker that reminds us the Confederate invasion of the state in 1863 spread much farther than most people realize.

It marks the place where, on June 29, the first two Confederate soldiers were killed on Pennsylvania soil.

June 29 wasnt the first time the Army of Northern Virginia entered the town. The 16th Virginia Cavalry occupied McConnellsburg on June 19, and a force of some 2,500 infantry, cavalry, and artillery marched in on June 24. Both times the goal was to requisition supplies. Anything that might be useful to the troops was carried away.

Get daily news, weather, breaking news and alerts straight to your inbox! Sign up for the abc27 newsletters here

So it was a great relief to the citizens when Company A, 1st New York Cavalry, under the command of Captain Abram Jones, arrived early on June 29. They were even more relieved when a militia cavalry company from Huntingdon County under Captain H.M. Morrow arrived later that day. Morrows men were a welcome addition, but lacked something to make them really effective  weapons. The company was completely unarmed.

Morrow and Jones had barely started to discuss the situation when one of the pickets Jones had stationed east of the town arrived with news Confederate cavalry was on its way. (It was Company G, 18th Virginia Cavalry, Captain W.D. Ervin commanding.)

Jones had Morrow move his troops to the courthouse square, which is on a hill overlooking Route 16. (The courthouse, built in 1851, is still there.) Joness company proceeded westward along the turnpike, giving the impression they were retreating.

160 things you may not know about the Gettysburg Campaign

Captain Ervin took the bait. He ordered a charge. But as his company thundered towards the Union Cavalry, Morrows men started down the hill. At the same time Jones ordered his troops to turn around, and with sabers drawn charged the Confederates. Convinced theyd been caught in a flank attack, Ervin ordered a retreat.

The New York Cavalry caught up with the Southerners, and a brief skirmish ensued. When it was done the Union company had captured 32 Confederates (including Ervin), and wounded several others. Two men, William B. Moore and Thomas Shelton, were the first Confederate soldiers to die on Pennsylvania soil during the campaign.

Midstate Markers-J.E.B. Stuart raids Dillsburg

Joness company left with their prisoners; Morrows militia also left, having done their part. The citizens of McConnellsburg buried the two soldiers by the side of the road where theyd died. The funeral was interrupted by the arrival of another group of Confederates, this time an entire brigade led by General John Imboden. They took their turn looking for stuff, then headed back to the Cumberland Valley.

The Pennsylvania historical marker is not the only memorial at the site. In fact, its not even the first. In 1929 the Daughters of the Confederacy placed a granite monument to the two men. The two markers stand side by side to this day.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Mike Pompeo is right about need for national abortion debate | Opinion

Today, I agree with Mike Pompeo.

Its a phrase I dont write often about the former secretary of state, CIA director and Kansas congressman, so enjoy it while it lasts.

The occasion for bringing this up is a move by the campaign of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to take control of the party platform and streamline it to match Trumps vision of what America should be.

Trump is facing pushback from Christian conservatives, the beating heart of the Republican Party, who worry their views, especially on abortion, will be pushed aside.

Theyre right to be worried.

For decades, America lived under Roe v. Wade, a compromise between the total ban favored by extremists on the right and the unrestricted access favored by extremists on the left.

Those guardrails are gone, courtesy of Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices.

So were left with Republicans painting Democrats as supporting abortion up until the time of birth, or even after.

And we have Democrats painting Republicans as wanting mothers to bleed to death in an emergency room, rather than terminate a pregnancy that has gone disastrously wrong.

Both those pictures are ridiculous caricatures. Have you ever actually met a Democrat whos for infanticide, or a Republican who wants to kill moms?

Me neither.

Pompeo took this up in Saturdays episode of This Week on the Hill on the Salem News Network.

At this point you may be asking, Whats the Salem News Network?

You may also be asking, Why would anyone call their network that, when the first thing anybody thinks of when they hear the word Salem is witch hunts, and the second is menthol cigarettes for white people?

I cant answer the second question, but the answer to the first is that Salem News is a three-year-old TV network thats part of Salem Communications, which also owns 117 Christian conservative radio stations across the country and a stable of other right-leaning properties, including the websites townhall.com and pjmedia.com, which you probably have heard of.

Anyway, I found myself nodding in agreement while listening to Pompeo talk about the need for Republicans to come to consensus on abortion, and then present their case to the American people.

I think its a mistake for Republicans to avoid such an important and critical issue, Pompeo said. And I know its controversial, people have a wide range of views, but I think it is so central to who we are as Americans to understand the value of every human life.

As a political matter, President Trump has said he has exceptions for rape and incest and life of the mother. We can have that debate, but I think its fundamentally the case that we as a nation have a responsibility to protect the unborn in every way that we can. It will be difficult to get federal legislative limits, I would encourage Congress to work on that. There has to be an outer limit at the very least at the federal level. This would be the deep, proper, moral thing to do.

Though we may have differences on where to draw the line, I agree with Pompeo that its a discussion and decision that has to happen at the national level via the political process.

I dont think anybody feels well-served by the status quo, where abortion is legal in Kansas, but a serious crime just across the state line in Missouri.

Absent judicial or congressional guidelines, its incumbent on both political parties to step up and provide clear leadership, to say exactly where they stand and why they stand there.

Parties exist to discuss, debate, and ultimately hammer out a platform that a large and diverse group of people can agree on.

Then, theyre supposed to take that platform before voters and convince them that theirs is the best way, or at least better than the other sides way.

If they cant even do that, what reason do they have for existing at all?
A cat has miraculously survived a fatal 12-story fall from an apartment balcony in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Reportedly, someone might have thrown the feline out of the balcony. Several witnesses reported seeing an individual toss the one-year-old kitty out. However, it is unclear if authorities are looking into the incident. CBS News reported Minneapolis Animal Care and Control noted that they had no reason to believe it was a criminal act.

Cat reportedly thrown from balcony in Minneapolis, miraculously survives 12-story fall

On June 24, a one-year-old tabby cat, Rue, had a near-fatal 12-story fall from an apartment building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and somehow survived it. She fell from the balcony all the way to the pavement below. Unfortunately, the feline broke her front legs and fractured her lower jaw. She is getting treatment for the same at Home for Life Animal Sanctuary.

A human dentists help was needed to fix Rues jaw. They will bond her upper and lower canine teeth to help hold her jaw in place while it heals. However, the cat has proven resilient, as the animal sanctuary noted that she still tries to eat canned food even after barely surviving her 12-story fall.

The cause behind Rues predicament is still in debate. Minneapolis Animal Care and Control believes it isnt necessarily a criminal act. However, witnesses have reported seeing the feline being tossed out by someone.

The founder and executive director of Home for Life Animal Sanctuary, Lisa LaVerdiere, told MPR News that intentional injury to an animal can be prosecuted as a felony in the state. However, the police have closed the case already, with no suspects identified in the report, per Star Tribune.

Rue would have been put down if the animal sanctuary hadnt taken her in. Furthermore, she was only a few hours away from euthanization. The Minneapolis Animal Care and Control cared for her on the day of the rescue and handed her over to Home for Life the next day.

The post Minnesota Cat Survives 12-Story Fall From Apartment Balcony appeared first on CatTime.
FILE - A police vehicle with what appears to be bullet pockmarks is towed near the scene where two police officers and a first responder were shot and killed, Feb. 18, 2024, in Burnsville, Minn. Police investigating a potential sexual abuse case in the Minneapolis suburb found themselves in a gun battle against a well-armed resident in a darkened home while trying to protect seven children inside, a prosecutor said Tuesday, July 2, in a report on the shootings that left two officers and a paramedic dead. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Police investigating a potential sexual abuse case in a Minneapolis suburb found themselves in a gunbattle against a well-armed resident in a darkened home while trying to protect seven children inside, a prosecutor said Tuesday in a report on the shootings that left two officers and a paramedic dead.

Dakota County Attorney Kathryn Keena made the revelation in a memo, based on an investigation by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, in which she concluded that the Burnsville officers who went to the home of Shannon Gooden on Feb. 18 were justified in using deadly force after he opened fire. While Gooden was struck in the leg by one officer's bullet, he died by suicide a few hours later. Seven children ages 5 to 15 were inside.

Keena's memo provided the most detailed explanation authorities have released so far about the confrontation. She wrote that Gooden's girlfriend, Ashley Dyrdahl, called 911 around 1:50 a.m. and screamed, Help me! before Gooden disconnected the call. The county attorney also detailed the hours of negotiations that ended in the gunfire that mortally wounded Burnsville Police Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and firefighter-paramedic Adam Finseth, and left Sgt. Adam Medlicott injured. Medlicott survived to speak at the memorial service for his three fallen comrades.

The county prosecutor concluded that actions by Medlicott and two other officers was warranted to protect their own lives, the lives of their fellow other officers and members of the public.

Accordingly, all three were legally justified in using deadly force in this extremely harrowing incident, Keena wrote.

Ruge took the lead in the negotiations around 2 a.m., the prosecutor wrote. Officers spotted that there were children upstairs with Gooden, so they decided to negotiate rather than rush up to arrest him. Gooden denied that he was armed but repeatedly told them that children were nearby and not to shoot because of the risk to them. Gooden expressed concern that he would be imprisoned and prevented from seeing them. He did not comply with repeated orders to come downstairs and surrender.

Gooden opened fire with multiple guns from the upstairs hallway shortly before 5:30 am., based on body camera video, Keena wrote. Debris from the building filled the air.

Medlicott was struck in the arm. He looked back and saw Elmstrand had been wounded in the head. Medlicott provided cover fire to protect other officers as they evacuated Elmstrand to an armored vehicle in the driveway. Ruge was struck in his armored vest.

Another officer could see Goodens legs at the top of the stairs and could hear him reloading. The officer fired several shots, one of which struck Gooden in the thigh. The officer heard him grunting in pain.

As the paramedic was attending to Elmstrand at the armored vehicle, Gooden opened fire again from an upstairs window at 5:31 a.m., striking both Ruge and Finseth, who by that time were outside by the armored vehicle. Gunfire from both sides continued for about 13 minutes as an ambulance took the four injured to a hospital, As Gooden leaned out a window firing at officers who were taking cover behind the armored vehicle, a police sniper fired one round at Gooden, who retreated inside and stopped shooting. At least 41 shots struck the vehicle.

Around 6:50 a.m. officers heard a single gunshot from inside. One of the children inside then called 911 to report that Gooden had killed himself. The children were told to get dressed, and they safely exited at 7 a.m.

Dyrdahl told one of the officers dispatched to the home, which she shared with Gooden and the children, about possible sexual abuse. She also told them that Gooden was heavily armed and had previously threatened to take everybody out with him.

Gooden was a convicted felon who wasn't allowed to have firearms. Dyrdahl was later charged in federal court with buying the high-powered firearms that Gooden used in the shootings despite knowing that he couldn't possess them.
FILE - Swedish police arrive at the site where a construction elevator crashed to the ground on a building site seriously injuring several people in Sundbyberg, north of Stockholm, Sweden, Monday Dec. 11, 2023. Missing screw and nut assemblies was the cause of a fatal accident last year when five people were killed inside a construction site elevator that crashed to the ground in Stockholm, authorities said Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (Claudio Bresciani/TT News Agency via AP, File)

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  A construction elevator that killed five people when it collapsed last year in Stockholm was missing the bolts that were supposed to hold its mast together, authorities said Wednesday.

The deadly crash was caused by failure to perform relevant safety inspections of the hoist assembly, the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority said.

In the December 2023 accident, the elevator plummeted 20 meters (66 feet) with five people inside, during work on a 14-story building the Stockholm suburb of Sundbyberg.

The agency said its probe had showed that five of the nut and bolt assemblies required to hold sections of the elevator's mast together were missing, leaving the shaft standing only because of friction between its sections.

Before the accident, the mast was extended to the ninth floor. The assemblies likely were already missing, the report said.

The accident occurred when the load on the mast ... became greater than the structure could hold, leading to the mast sections separating and the hoist car falling to the ground, the authority wrote.

It has not yet been decided whether to press any criminal charges and it was not known when a decision could be made. The public prosecutors office is still investigating the incident for possible work environment violations.
Oleksandr Lapshyn, a Kharkiv-based journalist and volunteer who disappeared in late May, was found dead on June 29, the head of the investigative department of the police of the Kharkiv Oblast, Serhii Bolvinov told Suspilne on July 3.

A passerby told the police that he had found a man who had appeared to have hanged himself on the outskirts of Kharkiv, according to Bolvinov. It was impossible to identify the deceased visually, he said.

The police found a note in the man's pocket, but could not read it, Bolvinov said, suggesting that it was a suicide note.

Lapshyn was reportedly identified by a DNA test. His family has already been informed of his death, the police said.

"We have reasons to believe that the person whose body was found in the landing committed suicide," Bolvinov said.

The cause of death will be determined by forensic examination.

Oleksandr Lapshyn, 43, started working in the media at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. He reportedly was a fixer for the Reuters news agency. Lapshyn's texts and photos were published by Ukrainska Pravda and Suspilne.

Read also: Russian authorities confirm detainment of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Missing Wisconsin mother and son found dead, hidden on their property being investigated as homicides

STRONGS PRAIRIE, Wis. (WFRV)  The deaths of a mother and son in central Wisconsin are being investigated as homicides after the body of one of the victims was found concealed at her home in late June.

According to the Adams County Sheriffs Office, deputies found the body of Sharon K. Miller, also known as Sharon Miller-Robinson, during a welfare check at her residence on June 27 after Miller-Robinson hadnt been heard from in days.

Overnight homicide in Oshkosh, police say a person of interest apprehended

Deputies say that Miller-Robinsons body was found to be concealed shortly after law enforcement found evidence of a recent ground disturbance consistent with digging or the burying of something on the property.

In an initial release, Adams County deputies also asked the public for help locating Miller-Robinsons son, Jami L. Lumby, 37. However, in a follow-up release on Sunday, June 30, deputies provided the information that Lumbys body had also been discovered at their residence.

Jami L. Lumby (Adams County Sheriffs Office)

After autopsies of both Miller-Robinson and Lumby were performed on July 1, deputies stated that both deaths are being investigated as homicides and no suspect or suspects have been identified.

We have not identified any suspect(s) at this time. As part of this investigation, we have already submitted evidentiary items to the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory to help aid in this investigation. If a specific threat is identified to the community we will immediately notify the public. Sheriff Brent York, Adams County Sheriffs Office

Deputies are still asking anyone who may have had recent contact with Miller-Robinson or Lumby, or saw anything suspicious in the area of the 1600 block of Czech Drive in Friendship to contact the Sheriffs Office at 1-877-885-7786, or through an anonymous tip.

Six family members dead following house fire in Wisconsin, investigation ongoing

Anyone with exterior cameras in the area pictured below is also asked to contact Adams County deputies.

Adams County Sheriffs Office

No additional information was provided. Local 5 will continue to update this story as more details are 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 WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
The Mississippi Legislature has been ordered to create more Black-majority House and Senate Districts by a federal three-judge panel.

The court rightly held that the Mississippi Legislature used the redistricting process to dilute the power of Black voters. Those legislative districts denied Black Mississippians an equal voice in state government, said Jarvis Dortch, executive director of the ACLU of Mississippi.

The judges ruled in a lawsuit filed on behalf of the Mississippi Conference of the NAACP and Black voters from across the state that the districts that were drawn in 2022 by the state Legislature diluted Black voting strength. Legislative redistricting occurs every 10 yeas after the federal census.

In the ruling, released late Tuesday, the federal panel said it would give the Legislature the opportunity to redraw the districts, but added, It is the desire of this court to have new legislators elected before the 2025 legislative session convenes, but the parties can make whatever arguments about timing they conclude are valid.

The state, which opposed the lawsuit, can argue for more time to redraw the districts. Or the state could appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

MaryAsa Lee, a spokesperson for Republican Attorney General Lynn Fitchs office, said the agency is currently reviewing the courts opinion. She did not say whether Fitch wanted to appeal the order.

The federal panel did not accept all of the arguments of the NAACP and other plaintiffs. But the panel ruled that Black-majority Senate districts should be drawn at least in the DeSoto County area in north Mississippi and in the Hattiesburg area in south Mississippi. In addition, a new Black majority House district should be drawn in the Chickasaw County area in northeast Mississippi.

The state has a Black population of about 38%. Currently there are 42-Black majority districts in the 122-member House and 15 Black majority districts in the 52-seat Senate.

Multiple groups represented the NAACP and other plaintiffs in the case.

The three judges serving on the panel were all appointed by Republican President George W. Bush.

Charles Taylor, executive director of the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP, said he was pleased with the decision although we wish the court had gone further.

The NAACP and others argued the totality of the 2022 redistricting by the Legislature diluted Black voting strength. Groups argued by packing a large percentage of Black voters in a concentrated number of districts it deprived them from having an impact in other districts. The three judge panel did not accept the total argument of the plaintiffs.

But still, the people who brought the lawsuit maintained the decision of the federal panel was a victory for Black Mississippians.

This ruling brings us much closer to the goal of ensuring that Mississippi has a fair number of majority-Black legislative districts to go along with the majority-white ones, said Rob McDuff, an attorney with the Mississippi Center for Justice.

The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Mississippi, the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Mississippi Center for Justice and civil rights attorney Carroll Rhodes all participated in the case.

This ruling affirms that the voices of Black Mississippians matter and should be reflected in the state Legislature, said Jennifer Nwachukwu, of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Voting Rights Project.

The next step will be for either the state to appeal or present arguments to the federal panel on why the new districts should not be drawn and filled via election before the 2025 legislative session.

If the federal panel rejects potential arguments from the state about why the new districts should not be drawn before 2025, state lawmakers will likely have to convene for a special legislative session.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, who has the sole power to call lawmakers into a special session, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, the presiding officer of the Senate, also did not respond to a request for comment.

Taylor Spillman, a spokesperson for House Speaker Jason White, a Republican from West, said the speakers office was reviewing the opinion, but had not further comment on the ruling.
ELBA, Minn.  Jeff Brobergs well sits inside a wooden shed not too far from a field he rented about a decade ago to a local farmer.

One day, Broberg discovered the farmer was fertilizing with hog manure. Combined with the commercial fertilizer he was already using, the farmer was almost doubling the amount of nitrogen on the field in hopes of producing a better corn yield.

Not all of that nitrogen went to the corn. Some of it seeped into the groundwater and was pumped through the well in the form of nitrate, which is made when nitrogen and oxygen combine.

Retired geologist Jeff Broberg stands in the doorway to his well house on April 11, 2024, at his home outside of St. Charles, Minnesota. The water from his 400-foot-deep well exceeds guidelines for nitrate contamination. The region, like many in Wisconsin, is perched upon karst geology, which consists of porous, cracked rock through which water easily travels. That means when fertilizer or manure is applied in large quantities, it can more easily make its way into the groundwater and impact the wells that draw from it. The area, which is having issues with high nitrate levels in drinking water, is part of the Mississippi River Valley near Winona, Minnesota.

That well supplied the water Broberg drank.

It was an alarming personal example of a massive problem far downstream as nitrates and other nutrients from agriculture runoff flow down the Mississippi River, eventually ending up in the Gulf of Mexico, adding to a low-oxygen dead zone that chokes off plant and aquatic life

In Minnesota, Brobergs well water tested at 22 parts per million nitrate  more than double what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists as a safe limit for the contaminant.

Broberg, a retired geologist whos now a clean water advocate, had his well tested when he first bought the house in 1986. For the first decade he lived there, it hovered at close to 10 parts per million nitrate, the EPAs limit. When it started to test above that, he began to haul water from a friends house in a nearby town.

Finally, after learning about the situation with the rented farming, he installed a system that reduced nitrate levels in the water he drank to protect himself. But he has questions about his exposure during the years he was drinking water straight out of the tap.

Last year, he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Drinking water with elevated nitrate has been linked in some research to kidney dysfunction. Though its nearly impossible to determine the exact cause of such ailments because other lifestyle factors can play a part, he cant help but wonder what role the water played.

Brobergs home in rural Winona County, Minnesota, is about a dozen miles as the crow flies from the Mississippi River. The nitrate polluting his well water links him directly to the other end of the river, and the dead zone that blooms there every summer.

This year officials have forecast that the area will be about 5,827 square miles  larger than average, roughly the size of Connecticut and more than twice the target size that a task force of scientists and government officials aims to see by 2035.

Progress on decreasing it has been slow-going, despite billions of dollars in investment.

Still, a 2023 public opinion survey conducted by the University of Missouri  in partnership with the Ag & Water Desk, the journalism collaborative that reported this series  showed only about 25% of Mississippi basin residents understood the causes of the dead zone.

Upstream communities recognize costs closer to home

Broberg and hydrologist Paul Wotzka are both board members of the Minnesota Well Owners Organization, which last April was among several groups to ask the EPA to intervene in their regions nitrate contamination problem. In a response last fall, the EPA said further actions were needed to protect human health and directed Minnesota state agencies to develop a plan to test drinking water and give residents alternative water sources as soon as possible.

Anything that cuts nutrient pollution upstream will eventually help the Gulf, Wotzka said. And issues like these are personal enough to make people pay attention.

Thats why we focus on the kitchen tap. Everybodys got one, everybody should be concerned, Wotzka said. Youve got to get people to focus on improving the water resource that is closest to them.

Jeff Broberg examines water from a spring near Altura, Minnesota. The retired geologist says, I wouldnt drink this water, because of the nitrates and pesticides in it.

The spotlight was on southeast Minnesota when residents approached the EPA for help with their nitrate-contaminated wells. But its a much more widespread  and costly  problem.

Other Midwest states with economies driven by agriculture, such as Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska, have pockets of nitrate pollution where soils are sensitive and porous, allowing the contaminant to easily seep into groundwater. Iowa environmental groups filed a similar petition to the EPA in April.

Private well owners are particularly vulnerable because they are responsible for testing and treating their own water. But it can be burdensome for public water utilities, too.

In Iowa, Des Moines Water Works has spent millions of dollars on a nitrate removal facility to keep nitrates from nearby rivers out of the citys water supply  a cost thats ultimately passed on to ratepayers. The small town of Utica, Minnesota is also spending $2 million to drill a deeper well in hopes of keeping contamination out.

Then theres the cost to human health. The most well-known health problem linked to consuming nitrate in water is blue baby syndrome, which occurs when a lack of oxygen in the blood turns infants skin blue. The link was first reported in 1945, and hundreds of cases were reported in babies drinking formula prepared with well water.

A few decades later, the EPA set the maximum contaminant level for nitrate at 10 mg/L  lower than what made the babies sick  and thanks to the public health campaign that communicated that limit, the condition is now relatively rare.

But theres growing attention to the health impacts that consuming water high in nitrate can have on older children and adults, including colorectal cancer, thyroid disease and birth defects. A 2018 review of studies of such impacts found that risk of some of those illnesses increased even when the nitrate in peoples drinking water was below the maximum contaminant level.

In Nebraska, where the pediatric cancer rate is among the highest in the nation, University of Nebraska Medical Center research found that areas of the state with higher rates of pediatric cancer also have higher nitrate levels.

Researchers urge that more studies are needed to firmly draw a line between drinking water nitrate and these conditions. Broberg and Wotzka said they limit their discussions about health impacts when speaking with others because theyre not doctors. But in areas like theirs with high nitrate levels, people do wonder if theres a connection.

The health issues associated with nitrate are common in his community, Broberg said. His neighbors ask, Arent there clusters of this going on?

Going to the EPA turned up the volume on Minnesotas nitrate issue, said Carly Griffith, water program director for the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, the group that filed Minnesotas petition to the EPA.

My hope is that its not always necessary to reach a crisis level to see this kind of coordinated action, Griffith said.

In addition to health concerns, excess nutrients cause toxic blooms

Its not just drinking water thats in jeopardy. Surface water filled with too much nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers can kill fish  a common problem in southeast Minnesota streams  and create conditions ripe for toxic algae blooms.

These blooms, which typically occur in warm, nutrient-rich water, contain toxins that can sicken people and animals that come into contact with them. In 2021, federal health officials reported 117 human illnesses and more than 2,700 animal illnesses linked to the blooms.

Algae covers a large portion of Round Lake, a spring-fed lake in western Trempealeau, Wisconsin. A community group called Friends of Trempealeau Lakes has formed to try to restore the algae-filled lakes.

Even people who dont get sick may find themselves affected. Toxic blooms, as well as bacteria like E. coli that can get into the water by way of manure or sewage, close beaches across the country each year.

Its an annoyance for would-be swimmers, but also a detriment to local tourism economies.

In Madison, Wisconsin, the states capital city and its flagship university sit on a chain of five lakes surrounded by farmland. The lakes have historically struggled with excess phosphorus from farms, yielding an unpleasant, soupy green sight some summer days.

If its a gorgeous day, theres nothing else like it in the entire world, James Tye, founder and executive director of the Clean Lakes Alliance, said of visiting the universitys lakeside terrace.

But on days when algae blooms proliferate, he said, conditions can be downright dangerous if those blooms are releasing toxins into the water that people are recreating in.

Tye said once water exits the Madison lakes, it takes only 40 days to travel the length of the Mississippi River and end up in the Gulf.

But his organization doesnt spend a ton of time talking about that. He knows people can only pay attention to so much.

Phosphorus is the thing that the community has decided we can make the quickest and biggest change to, he said.

Efforts to clean up the lakes have been moderately successful, but they now face new climate threats. A shorter winter season means theres more time for algae blooms to form, and more severe rains make it easier for excess phosphorus to wash downstream.

Local issues could be the key to upstream solutions

There have been some efforts over the years to directly connect people at the upper end of the Mississippi River with people near the Gulf.

Wotzka participated in a conference that hosted prominent Gulf of Mexico dead zone researcher Nancy Rabalais in the mid-1990s. She spoke to Minnesotans about how the nutrient pollution coming from Midwest farms was destroying coastal shrimpers and fishers livelihoods.

Still, to draw that connection to the Gulf is just extremely hard to do, Wotzka said. But when youre talking about contaminated drinking water, its a different story.

Joe Ailts, an agronomist in northwest Wisconsin, understands that all too well. His own water has to be treated for high nitrate levels, something thats on his mind while he works with farmers who are adopting practices that will slow runoff.

For people who are generally concerned about water quality, the Gulfs dead zone might be a motivator, Ailts said.

But for others, its the hyperlocal issues that will resonate.

The mindset thatll take someone from no action to action is seeing it personally, he said.

This story is part of the series Farm to Trouble from the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an independent reporting collaborative.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mississippi River farm runoff impacts health, recreation upstream
ST. LOUIS  Your utility bills could look a little higher come next year. Two St. Louis-area utility providers, Missouri American Water and Ameren Missouri, have formally filed requests to increase their base rates.

The requests come as both companies aim to fund infrastructure upgrades and enhance long-term services.

If approved, the rate hikes would increase average bills for both providers by nearly $20 each month, according to news releases from Missouri American Water and Ameren Missouri.

Both requests were filed through the Missouri Public Service Commission, which has 11 months from the date the requests were submitted to make a decision. This process usually involves extensive reviews, public hearings, and stakeholder consultations.

Missouri American Water

According to Missouri American Water, if the proposed rates are approved as filed, the water bill for the average residential customer using 5,475 gallons per month would increase around $18 per month.

The proposed rate hikes come in an effort to support ongoing water and wastewater system investments, particularly projects that are expected to total $1.5 billion through May 2026.

Missouri American Water projects in the works include the replacement of the intake pump station at the South Water Treatment Plant in St. Louis County and the construction of a new transmission main to add a second source of water supply in St. Charles County.

These prudent, ongoing investments show our commitment to protecting public health and safety in the communities we serve, said Rich Svindland, president of Missouri American Water. The company looks to replace 250 miles of aging water and wastewater pipe.

For customers in need of help with their bills, with or without the proposed rate hikes, Missouri American Water offers assistance through its H2O Help to Others program, payment plans and budget billing.

Ameren Missouri

According to Ameren Missouri, if the proposed rate hikes are approved as filed, the electric bill for the average residential customer with 1,011 kilowatt-hours of usage would increase around $17 a month.

Ameren says the proposed rate hikes are necessary to ensure cleaner electricity, strengthen grids and recover costs of major electric system upgrades.

Some key components of the rate adjustments include power line upgrades, new substations with smart technology, and improvements to utility poles to better withstand severe weather.

We are committed to ensuring the system is reliable for all our customers while keeping costs as low as possible. As a result of the investments we have made, our customers are seeing fewer outages with shorter durations, delivering up to a 40% improvement in reliability on circuits with innovative technology and associated grid upgrades, said Warren Wood, vice president of regulatory and legislative affairs at Ameren Missouri.

For customers in need of help with their bills, with or without the proposed rate hikes, Ameren offers assistance through flexible payment options and connections to LIHEAP, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, July 3. An aquaculture center is planned to be established in Kyrgyzstan, Trend reports.

According to Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry, an agreement on the principles of a public-private partnership has been signed between Aqua Service Kyrgyzstan, King Salmon (an international investment company from South Korea), and the Department of Fisheries of the Kyrgyz Ministry.

The project's cost is 50 million soms ($580,521) and will also receive financing from South Korean investors. The aim of the project is to enhance the export potential of the fishing industry in Kyrgyzstan.

The center will include a conference hall, fish farming equipment, a laboratory for the primary diagnosis of commercial fish, and offices for center staff and the fisheries department. It will also conduct practical, educational, research, and aquaculture programs in the waters of the Kurpsai reservoir.

The gross output of agricultural products in Kyrgyzstan amounted to 73.244 billion soms ($850.394 million) from January through May 2024, according to the State Statistical Committee of the country.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a lawsuit Wednesday against New York state alleging that the gag orders placed on Donald Trump during his hush-money trial constituted election interference.

The lawsuit alleged that Trumps gag orders and impending sentencing, which was recently postponed to September, illegally interfered with elections in other states, violated the Purcell principle, and violated the First Amendment rights of the citizens of Missouri to listen to the campaign speech of a specific individual on specific topics.

In the filing, lawyers for Missouri argued that the gag orders placed on Trump should be removed, so Missourians can participate in the election free from New Yorks exercise of coercive power limiting the ability of the Trump campaign. Bailey has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on the dispute, and remove Trumps gag order once and for all.

It seems the specific topic the suit refers to is Trumps opinions about New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, his staff, and his family members, whom Trump was barred from speaking about during his trial. He repeatedly railed against them online, stirring up a frenzy of right-wing hysteria over the supposedly rigged trial. Ultimately, the jury found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts for falsifying business documents.

Ahead of his debate against President Joe Biden, the gag order on Trump was partially lifted, allowing him to make comments about witnesses and jurors who deliberated over the case. Merchan kept intact the part of the order that prevents him from publicly speaking about the lawyers and staff of the Manhattan District Attorneys Office and their families. Trump is allowed to speak about District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Trump supporters remain enraged at the limitations. New York is waging war on American Democracyand Missouri will not let it stand, Bailey wrote on X. I will not sit idly by while Soros-backed prosecutors in New York hold Missouri voters hostage in this presidential election.

The Purcell principle is a uniquely open-ended doctrine that comes from the 2006 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Purcell v. Gonzalez, which found that courts could not change election rules in the short period of time just before an election takes place, because it creates confusion among the electorate. Trumps criminal trial for his hush-money scheme took place in May, six months before the polls open in Novemberso its not exactly clear how the gag order could constitute the kind of last-minute change to election rules prevented by Purcell.

While the math on this strategy might not quite work out, its on par with Baileys original plan to oppose Trumps conviction on the basis that prosecutors had missed the statute of limitationswhich of course, wasnt the case at all.

Baileys suit seeks a stay on Trumps gag orders so the presumptive Republican nominee can continue to spew whatever attacks he sees fit against anyone he decides is an enemy. This lawfare is poisonous to American democracy, Bailey said in a statement. The American people ought to be able to participate in a presidential election free from New Yorks interference. Any gag order and sentence should be stayed until after the election.

Its not clear yet whether the highest court in the land will hear Baileys case.
Missouri looks to sell two STL office buildings; hundreds of workers could leave city

Missouri looks to sell two STL office buildings; hundreds of workers could leave city

ST. LOUIS  The state of Missouri is looking to sell two prominent office buildings in downtown St. Louis, a move that could lead to hundreds of state employees moving from the city to St. Louis County.

The Missouri Board of Public Buildings approved resolutions Tuesday to potentially sell the Wainwright Office Building (111 North Seventh Street) and the Mill Creek Office Building (220 South Jefferson Avenue).

LIST: These St. Louis-area Fourth of July events are postponed due to weather

The board consists of Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and Attorney General Andrew Bailey, among others.

A spokesperson from the governors office tells FOX 2 that resolution could pave the way to consolidate unused or underutilized state office space, reducing overhead costs and promoting efficiency. The spokesperson says there are fewer state workers in the buildings now compared to previous years.

If the sales move forward, the proceeds could be used to purchase a new state office building in Chesterfield, Missouri. The state would also consider moving some office workers to another office building in the City of St. Louis. Plans could affect as many as 600 workers.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Daily News

The proposed project now goes to the Joint Committee on Legislative Research for review and approval. If the committee approves the project, the last step would be reporting the final transaction details back to the Board of Public Buildings for final consideration.

Conner Kerrigan, a spokesperson for the St. Louis Mayors office, shared the following statement with FOX 2 on Tuesdays resolution:

There was no prior communication from the Governor or any member of the Board about the sale of these buildings. We are certainly sorry for the state employees who will be displaced, and are working to learn more about the impact, if any, this could have on the City of St. Louis.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
University of Missouri President Mun Y. Choi gave his State of the University Address in March 2022 (photo courtesy of the University of Missouri).

The last time faculty of the University of Missouri-Columbia weighed in on their campus leader, they said he fostered a general culture of helplessness and submission and that morale had been irreparably damaged.

Only 26% of those surveyed in 2022 supported retaining Mun Choi as chancellor of the university, a position he took over in addition to his role as president of the entire University of Missouri System.

This years survey shows Choi is getting much higher marks, with 64% of faculty now saying they want to keep him in his position.

Choi chalks up his improved scores to his visits across departments and conversations with university leaders.

I took to heart the faculty concerns that were shared in (the 2022) survey about listening to faculty voices and ensuring that faculty input helps form my decisions, Chois said in an interview with The Independent. I took the message about the perception of a lack of shared governance to heart and also to be more effective in communicating my priorities and also seeking input from the faculty during the many visits that Ive made to colleges since that survey.

Choi has been the president of the University of Missouri system since 2017 and became chancellor of the flagship campus in 2020. The faculty survey is focused on his work with Mizzou.

Low morale continued between the 2022 and 2024 surveys, with arts and humanities faculty more likely to feel a lack of support in the latest review, authors wrote.

The results indicate concrete improvements since 2022 and suggest logical starting points for further enhancing the relationship between the Chancellors office and the faculty, the MU Faculty Council on University Policy wrote in its report.

Facultys average scores improved across all survey categories. The survey prompted participants to rank Choi 1 to 5 in the categories, and most answers were a 5, or outstanding, in all but four of 19 areas.

The lowest scores were for Chois ability to display leadership policies rooted in shared decision-making principles, solicit faculty input and demonstrate commitment to shared governance. These three categories were the biggest problems reported in 2022, though they have now improved by one point on the five-point scale.

There is still more work to do, so it is my responsibility to continue to seek input from the faculty in decision making and to communicate very clearly about the rationale behind my decisions, Choi said.

His overall performance has improved, according to faculty, from a 2.26 to a 3.45 on a five-point scale.

The 2022 report included harsh critiques like, He is stunningly opposed to true shared governance and any efforts are lip service at best. The rating most frequently given to Choi in 14 of 18 categories was a 1, including in overall performance.

Respondents had more negative comments than positive in 2022. This year, the opposite is true.

Carolyn Orbann, vice-chair of the faculty council and leader of the review process, told The Independent the increase could be impacted by a few factors. The survey response rate increased from nearly 25% of faculty answering to 32.8%.

COVID-19 also had a larger impact on responses in 2022.

Chancellor performance surveys were on pause prior to Chois appointment, so Orbann doesnt know if the jump in positive responses is typical. But she said there is more unity in comments about what hes excelling in. Chois top-performing area is as an advocate for the MU campus, with faculty praising his positive relationship with legislators and the community.

Choi said efforts to be more visible and engaged likely helped. He visited each of the departments last year to share (his) vision and solicit feedback, which he plans to continue. His role is significant, he said, because of Mizzous potential to impact people nationwide.

This is such an important institution for not only the state of Missouri, but the country as a whole, because of the important work that we do, he said.

Choi pointed to work the research reactor does in the development of radiopharmaceuticals used in cancer treatments nationwide, developments in crop research out of the agriculture program and an advancement in civil discourse through the humanities.

Choi said hed like to retain his current office for at least another four years.

We are on a really good path to achieving the objectives of becoming that stronger research university and continuing with the vision MizzouForward to improve our research, he said. As well as ensuring that our students get a high quality education at an affordable rate and for us to continue to make investments to create economic development in this region.

The post Mizzou faculty opinion of Mun Choi vastly improves 2 years after scathing report appeared first on Missouri Independent.
Mobile County Health Department to host series of low-cost rabies clinics (List)

Mobile County Health Department to host series of low-cost rabies clinics (List)

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG)  The Mobile County Health Department is preparing to host a series of events to help pet owners get their animals vaccinated against rabies.

According to a news release, MCHD hosts low-cost rabies clinics each month to vaccinate dogs, cats, and ferrets.

Orange Beach mother looks to help addicts after losing daughter to fentanyl overdose

The schedule for Julys rabies clinics is listed below:

July 6, 10 a.m. to noon, City of Mobile Animal Shelter, 855 Owens Street in Mobile

July 13, 10 a.m. to noon, Mobile County Animal Shelter, 7665 Howells Ferry Road in Mobile

July 13, 1 to 3 p.m., Pet Supplies Plus, 803 Hillcrest Road in Mobile

July 20, 10 a.m. to noon, Kuddles-N-Kisses Connection, 13268 Wintzell Avenue in Bayou La Batre

July 27, 1 to 3 p.m., B&B Pet Stop, 5035 Cottage Hill Road in Mobile

For more information on the rabies clinics, visit the Mobile County Health Departments 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.
Mark Lee Dickson (far right), director of Right to Life East Texas, prays in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on April 21, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Mark Lee Dickson says hes been home maybe once in the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court vanished federal abortion rights in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization.

The 38-year-old director of Right to Life of East Texas in Longview has been on an endless road trip trying to set legal traps for people who are driving someone out of state to get an abortion. The native Texan said he drives from town to town attending pregnancy-center banquets, mens prayer breakfasts, Republican womens club meetings, Catholic fish fries and the rodeo, trying to convince local lawmakers and potential citizen petitioners to make their cities and counties so-called sanctuaries for the unborn, stretching local law to restrict abortion in as many ways as possible  such as restricting travel and medical waste disposal  to potentially provoke an eventual lawsuit.

I find myself in a variety of different places, wherever the Lord takes me, Dickson told States Newsroom.

Many of the pregnant residents in the rural areas Dickson goes to struggle with lack of access to maternal care, but Dickson likens himself to Batman on a vigilante quest to save embryos and fetuses from abortion. Reproductive justice organizers and attorneys whove spent the last two years fighting to restore reproductive health care access throughout the U.S. liken Dickson to a reincarnated version of 19th century anti-vice crusader Anthony Comstock, whose eponymous anti-obscenity law Dickson has been wielding as one of many tools to fast-track a national abortion ban.

Two years since Roe v. Wade was overturned and four months away from a presidential election, one of the biggest threats to abortion rights is a federal administration willing to enforce and reinterpret the dormant Comstock Act to criminalize the mailing of abortion-related drugs, medical equipment and information. But abortion providers and advocates say that even without Comstock, monitoring and policing of pregnant women and information is already here, thanks to activists like Dickson, whose proposed city ordinances allow residents to sue anyone suspected of helping someone get an abortion.

I have a whole lot of friends that spend time on the sidewalks of abortion facilities throughout America, Dickson said. And Ive told these friends, if you ever meet someone from Abilene, Texas, that is seeking out an abortion in New Mexico, use the sanctuary city ordinance as a deterrent as much as you can.

Rising Comstocks

Dicksons partner in the endeavor to broadly criminalize abortion in every state, one city at a time, is Jonathan F. Mitchell, the onetime solicitor general of Texas, who is also counsel for former President Donald Trump. Along with these sanctuary cities ordinances, together they helped draft Senate Bill 8, a blueprint for largely banning abortion in Texas in 2021 by authorizing citizens to sue those suspected of providing or assisting with an abortion.

And since Roe fell, they have been pushing a version of the Comstock Act that historians and legal scholars say never existed.

Legal scholars Reva Siegel and Mary Ziegler in their forthcoming article about the old law write that Anthony Comstock was focused on preventing illicit sex and pornography, not on preserving fetal life. The religious zealot was known for bringing dildos, contraceptives, and pornography to testify before state and local lawmakers about the need for anti-obscenity laws.

The statute is a ban on obscenity, not criminalization of health care, Siegel, a professor at Yale Law School, told States Newsroom. And when you listen to the revivalists, they just talk about Comstock as an absolute ban as if it has no exceptions. Thats just not true  in light of the text or the history.

But that doesnt really matter to Dickson and Mitchell.

Through their Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn project, Dickson and Mitchell have helped pass approximately 80 ordinances in cities and counties in seven states, mostly in Texas, but also in strategically located cities in abortion-access states, like New Mexico, where a challenge to ordinances that cite the Comstock Act currently awaits a ruling from the state supreme court and could eventually make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Where Anthony Comstock had the financial backing of the YMCA and was elevated to power as a special agent of the U.S. Post Office, the influential conservative think tank Heritage Foundation is pushing Mitchell and Dicksons version of Comstock in its plan for a potential future Trump administration to go after providers and distributors of abortion pills. Mitchell has received some financial support in 2023 and 2022 from the Christian right law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, which brought the recent abortion pill case before the Supreme Court.

Dickson said he wants these ordinances to go even further, such as opening up lawsuits to rideshare companies. But immediately on the agenda, he said, is to try to use Comstock to challenge state abortion-rights ballot initiatives.

There are many ways the Comstock Act can be used to help inoculate pro-abortion ballot initiatives in states like Arizona and Nebraska, Dickson said. A lot is planned between now and November, I can say that.

Mitchell, who did not respond to an interview request, is currently defending the right of Texas professors to penalize students who miss class to obtain an abortion. That new lawsuit will be heard by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, whose opinion last year advanced a challenge to an abortion pill and cited Comstock as a valid argument. Though the U.S. Supreme Court recently rejected the mifepristone case, new challenges to the abortion pill continue, as does increased support for anti-abortion Comstock arguments from federal judges like 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge James Ho and Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas.

Meanwhile, longtime anti-abortion groups like Operation Rescue, which led clinic blockades in the 1980s and 1990s, continue to apply old-school surveillance and monitoring tactics. Based in Wichita, Kansas, president Troy Newman said his group maintains a sidewalk presence at abortion clinics in Wichita, and regularly files public records requests for 911 calls, which they post online. They also publish detailed reports on thousands of abortion providers in the U.S., referring to them as the abortion cartel.

Newman told States Newsroom that the goal is not to target women getting abortions, but to report potential abortion-clinic violations in order to shut down clinics that since Dobbs have relocated to states without abortion bans.

I dont think we can keep track of them all, but we have people feeding us information on a daily basis, Newman said.

Siegel and Ziegler argue comstockery is a threat to democracy, as it depends on suppressing freedom and promoting government censorship. Comstock famously helped imprison women who disseminated information about birth control and abortion, some who later died by suicide.

Revivalists hope to chill the exercise of rights already recognized in positive law, including state constitutional protections and the right to travel, Siegel and Ziegler write. Further, by disparaging reproductive rights and intimidating those who seek to exercise them, Comstock revivalists seek to short circuit an ongoing process of popular constitutional meaning-making that has unfolded in state ballot initiatives, state courts, and grassroots movements.

Resisting Comstocks

Many legal experts argue that Comstock would be a difficult law to defend even with a partially willing U.S. Supreme Court; however, the effects of even temporary enforcement could rock reproductive health care throughout the U.S. even more than it has since Dobbs. After initial discouragement from national reproductive rights groups, Democrats in Congress this month finally introduced a bill to repeal Comstock, though it is unlikely to advance before the election.

New Republic staff writer Melissa Gira Grant and Harvard Law lecturer Kendra Albert last month coalesced historians, attorneys, organizers, and journalists at a one-day summit at Harvard Law School called ComstockCon to unite against modern-day Comstocks from further constricting abortion rights. Grant said the criminalization of sex and pregnancy has long been borne by more marginalized groups, including people of color, sex workers and people who are trans or living in poverty. She said that the reproductive justice movement now more than ever needs solidarity.

We know that those eager rising modern-day Comstocks, the Jonathan Mitchells of the world and others, theyre in this fight for the long term, Grant said. We know that they regard so many of us as obscene for who we are, how we are, and how we want to be.  If they see the suppression of all of us as one fight, then that should be a point of solidarity for us.

And many called for resistance to the dead letter and legally dubious anti-abortion deterrent laws.

You have to keep pushing now, said one of the panelists, Renee Bracey Sherman, founder of We Testify, which lifts up peoples abortion stories. There will always be another ban. Its not going to stop us from talking, from sending pills.

Ban by deterrence

To date, no civil lawsuit has been filed under SB 8 or a sanctuary city ordinance, Dickson said. But, as the Texas Tribune has reported, Mitchell has filed petitions (under a little-known state rule) to depose abortion funds, providers, researchers and  despite assurances that these laws wont punish women having abortions  women who left the state to get an abortion.

These past few months, Dickson has been in Amarillo mobilizing anti-abortion activists to make their high-trafficked roads illegal for the purposes of interstate abortion-related travel. Embedded in the Amarillo ordinance is a reference to the Comstock Act. Petitioners gathered enough signatures to force the city council to vote on the measure, but abortion-rights advocates fiercely campaigned against the ordinance. After the council rejected the proposal earlier this month, Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley said the city doesnt have the authority to enforce the ordinance  a point with which Dickson vehemently agrees and said he spent hours explaining to the mayor.

The whole point of these ordinances, Dickson said, is that they allow for citizen lawsuits, not government enforcement. He admits that they function largely as deterrents, to chill abortion-related activity even in states where its legal. And its working, he said, noting that in the year before Dobbs, most doctors stopped providing abortions in Texas after the 2021 so-called vigilante law. One who didnt was Dr. Alan Braid, and though he was sued, those lawsuits were dismissed.

After Dobbs, however, Braid relocated his abortion practice to New Mexico and told NPR earlier this year that his Albuquerque clinic had higher no-show rates, which he partially attributed to people scared to drive through Lubbock because of its abortion-travel ban.

These ordinances are doing exactly what theyre intended to do, Dickson said. I liken it to an armed security officer at the bank who serves as a deterrent. He doesnt have to fire his gun in order for him to be viewed as an effective method of protecting the interest of the bank.

But theres another purpose to these ordinances, too, particularly Amarillos, which anti-abortion petitioners are still trying to get on the November ballot.

Amarillo is the home of Kacsmaryks court, where anti-abortion attorneys have been filing their strategic lawsuits since Dobbs. Dickson said he and Mitchell are eager to make it a so-called sanctuary city as a way of arguing for legal standing in the cases to come.

Lindsay London, a nurse who co-founded the Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance, which has been fighting the ordinance, said she resents having her native city used as a strategic chess piece. She said her coalition includes Amarillo Republicans skeptical of government overreach and is confident that, if given the opportunity, her fellow residents will vote down this law, which she said would be harmful to the community.

It creates a culture of fear and mistrust, London said. The last thing that people need to be concerned about when theyre moving through a difficult situation is, is someone that they trust or a neighbor or anything like that going to use that vulnerable situation to try and sue them? Positing neighbor upon neighbor is not how we create healthy communities.

Elisha Brown contributed to this report.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Modern-day Comstocks look to police travel, information as another strategy to end abortion appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Modesto-area shelters offering homeless relief during heat wave. Heres how you can help

People who are homeless can find relief from the relentless heat wave at three Modesto-area homeless shelters, where they can get a cold drink, have a snack, charge their phones and watch a movie.

The Turlock Gospel Mission had about 30 people  including women with children  show up Monday, the first day it opened its cooling center. The center is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day through July 10.

Executive Director Christian Curby said the mission could keep the center open longer if the heat wave continues past July 10. The National Weather Services seven-day forecast has daytime highs of 107 to 111 degrees through Tuesday in Modesto, with morning lows in the lower to mid-70s.

The weather service has issued an excessive heat warning through 11 p.m. Tuesday for inland Northern California, including the Northern San Joaquin Valley.

Curby said a third of the roughly 30 people who used the missions cooling center Monday were children with their mothers.

The Salvation Army Berberian Center near downtown Modesto and the Modesto Gospel Mission are using existing programs to double as cooling centers.

The Berberian Center has been using its day center as a cooling center for the last couple of weeks. The center is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and until 8:30 p.m. on Mondays.

The center averages 30 to 50 people per day but has drawn as many as 75 to 80 during the hot weather.

The Modesto Gospel Mission is using its day program in its chapel as a cooling center. The hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, but the mission lets people stay later during especially hot days until the start of chapel service at 7 p.m.

Typically when it gets really hot we do so people trickle in, Gospel Mission Chief Operating Officer John Villines said.

People using the cooling centers can avail themselves of the other services offered by the three shelters. For instance, Kirby said the Turlock Gospel Mission offers a telemedicine clinic in which someone can meet with a doctor over Zoom. And people using the cooling center at the Modesto Gospel Mission can stay for chapel service and then dinner.

The three cooling centers are in addition to the more than the 20 cooling zones, including public libraries and community centers open this week to anyone in Modesto and throughout Stanislaus County.

Donations of food, toiletries and more help those in need

While the Berberian and the two missions are meeting the demand of the people they serve, they can use donations, including bottled water and individual servings of crackers, trail mix, nuts, chips and other snacks.

The Modesto Gospel Mission also can use toothbrushes and toothpaste, skin lotion, socks, towels and mens and womens underwear. The Berberian Center also can use refillable plastic water bottles, and the Turlock Gospel Mission also can use plastic cups for cold drinks and lemonade and other powdered drink mixes.

The Modesto Gospel Mission is at 1400 Yosemite Blvd. and can be reached at 209-529-8259. The Berberian Center is at 320 Ninth St. The phone number is 209-525-3750. The Turlock Gospel Mission is at 437 S. Broadway and can be reached at 209-656-1033.
FILE - Vehicles pass the Pathside Building, in Jersey City, NJ, on June 4, 2021. New Jersey officials say financial concerns spurred state lawmakers to rescind $24 million in funding for a planned outpost of Paris acclaimed Pompidou Center in Jersey City, but the city's mayor believes his deteriorating relationship with Gov. Phil Murphy led to the decision. (AP Photo/P. Solomon Banda, FILE)

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP)  New Jersey officials say financial concerns spurred state lawmakers to rescind $24 million in funding for a planned outpost of Paris acclaimed Pompidou Center in Jersey City. But the city's mayor said he believes his deteriorating relationship with Gov. Phil Murphy led to the decision.

Centre Pompidou x Jersey City was to be built on the site of a gutted industrial building, not far from where the Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor. At the time, it was seen as a way to attract tourists and New Yorkers into Jersey City's rapidly developing Journal Square neighborhood  an area that historically hasn't been widely visited but is an easy train ride from Lower Manhattan.

The satellite museum would have been the French museums first venture in North America.

While both the city and state agreed $176 million in construction costs would be fully funded by public money, they disagreed about the annual operating budget. The city said $19 million in annual expenses would be covered by ticketing, venue rentals, donations and a proposed tax on new buildings in the area. But the state viewed that amount as a regular deficit.

Due to the ongoing impact of Covid and multiple global conflicts on the supply chain, rising costs, an irreconcilable operating gap and the corresponding financial burdens it will create for New Jerseys taxpayers, the Legislature has rescinded financial support, leaving us to determine that this project is unfortunately no longer feasible," Tim Sullivan, chief executive of the state's Economic Development Authority, said in a recent letter to museum officials.

Mayor Steve Fulop disputed those claims and told The New York Times that while Murphy initially supported the museum when the plans were announced in 2021, the situation changed after he rescinded his support for Murphy's wife, Tammy, in her bid to be the Democratic nominee in this year's U.S. Senate race. Fulop instead backed Rep. Andy Kim.

Tammy Murphy bowed out of the contest in March, saying she did not want to engage in a negative campaign against a fellow Democrat. Kim, who won the primary last month, is now seeking the seat that is currently held by Bob Menendez, who is on trial for federal bribery charges.

There is no question in my mind that this (funding decision) is directly related to my support of Andy Kim, Fulop told the newspaper.

Natalie Hamilton, a Murphy spokeswoman, noted that the governor had voiced concerns in April about the museum's potential operating deficit, stressing at the time that it had literally zero to do" with politics.

"We cant marry ourselves to a $19 million deficit forever and always, Murphy said at the time.

In a statement issued to the newspaper, a spokesman for the Pompidou Center said the museum remains committed to ongoing discussions with the mayor of Jersey City to jointly determine the projects future direction.
MANALAPAN - In mid-June, the author of "Fatal Sunday," Mark Lender, checked an email address that he had left unmonitored and saw an email from a historian with the Monmouth County Historical Society.

Lender was surprised to learn that an attorney had appeared before the Manalapan planning board in March and claimed that he had spoken with a Rutgers professor who wrote "Fatal Sunday," a history of the 1778 Revolutionary War military campaign that led to the Battle of Monmouth.

The attorney, John Giunco, told the planning board that the author did not find evidence that troops came from the south onto the battlefield. Lender, who lives in Virginia and has not worked at Rutgers since 1982, had never heard of or spoken to Giunco. Neither has his coauthor Garry Stone, who lives in Pennsylvania.

The March exchange was in regard to a proposal to build four industrial buildings across from the Route 33 entrance to the Monmouth Battlefield State Park, just to the south of the park.

Not the only building: Manalapan strikes deal after lawsuit, OKs 'flex-space' building near Monmouth Battlefield

The Continental Army fires on the British during a reenactment of the Battle of Monmouth in at Monmouth Battlefield State Park in Manalapan on June 27, 2004.

Giunco, a land use attorney, owns the property across from the state park with John Ploskonka, an engineer. The Giunco family also owns Wemrock Orchards at the corner of Wemrock Road and Route 33.

At the March meeting, Giunco said, Theres a recognized history of the battle. Its called the 'Fatal Sunday,' and it was written by a Rutgers professor, who studied it. I had the opportunity to actually tour the battlefield with him. He does not, did not ever, nor could I actually find anything that showed  the American colonials or the British came onto the battlefield from the south. All of the confrontations came east  west and east.

Lender and Stone, who have both retired and have not been to the state park in years, disagreed with that assessment.

The Battle of Monmouth that took place on June 28, 1778, was a turning point in George Washingtons military career and a pivotal moment in the Revolutionary War. As the British Army evacuated from Philadelphia, it moved across New Jersey toward Sandy Hook. Along the way, the British were met with skirmishes and then a full-on battle at what is now the state park.

Upper Freehold fight: Radar, shovels needed to study Revolutionary War camp at proposed Monmouth warehouse

Morgan Evans Patrick of Washington Township is a member of Captain John Doughty-s Artillery Company. The Battle of Monmouth is brought to life during the commemoration the 236th anniversary of the legendary battle at Monmouth Battlefield State Park in Manalapan on June 21, 2014.

Historians view the battle as a draw  the Americans held the field, while the British continued their retreat toward Sandy Hook and their base in New York City anyway  but the battle was notable because the Americans held their own in a full-on fight, rallied by Washington when they began to falter.

One thing I need to emphasize is that its very, very difficult to say specifically 'this' was the battlefield, Lender said. Troops were coming and going, particularly militia were all over the place during this campaign, which was, as far as New Jersey was concerned, this was one of the most intensive areas of active military operations over the entire war.

He said Giuncos description was oversimplified and troop movement was not exclusively east and west.

Stone, a retired archaeologist who worked for Monmouth Battlefield State Park, said the archaeology team was able to pinpoint areas of battle by using metal detectors. Due to the farm on site, the property in question could have attracted soldiers for plunder, food or rest, he said. Lender said farmlands could be used as roads by military operations.

'My heart lifts': Battle of Monmouth painting saved from sale, new exhibits coming

Site plans for a set of flex-space buildings across the entrance of Monmouth Battlefield State Park in Manalapan.

You had farm lanes all over the place, Lender said.

In an email, Stone wrote that the property should be plowed, disked roughly, surface collected and metal detected.

After residents and the Friends of Monmouth Battlefield spoke in opposition to the development in March, the planning board voted 5-3 to grant the site preliminary approval. As a condition for final approval, it required a Phase 1A archaeological survey, which is a literary review of relevant documents. Giunco said he is in the process of hiring the firm PS&S to perform that work.

When asked about his statement to the board, Giunco said, I have never spoken directly with the authors.

He said he heard one of the authors speak at the state park on one occasion and had toured the battlefield with a young fellow who was very knowledgeable on another occasion.

Giunco said the property he owns is not part of the state park and it is not listed in historical registries.

Monmouth campaign: Freehold barn, with beams burned by British and now sitting next to Walmart, may be saved

Site plans for flex space buildings by Monmouth Battlefield Flex Co., LLC

The applications met all of the standards of the township, he said. There was no record of historical activity on the site. That application was without variance. I dont understand what the issue is.

Lender balks at his reputation being used in a land-use application. He said he supports efforts to preserve the land.

Olivia Liu is a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be reached at oliu@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth Battlefield: Historians say building developer distorts views
Montebello man convicted for his role in smuggling fentanyl into rehab center, leading to OD death

A man from Los Angeles County could spend between 20 years and life in prison for his role in distributing fentanyl into a rehabilitation center that resulted in one mans overdose death.

Juan Carlos Gutierrez, 33, of Montebello was found guilty Wednesday of supplying fentanyl to a woman who then helped smuggle the dangerous narcotic into a Long Beach rehab clinic for a patient who later died from a drug overdose in December 2021.

Gutierrez provided the powerful synthetic opioid to his co-defendant, Jayleen Feusier, 36, of South Gate.

According to the United States Department of Justice, a 34-year-old man who was receiving treatment at the addiction center paid Feusier $60 to provide him with fentanyl.

Feusier allegedly broke off approximately one gram of the fentanyl provided to her by Gutierrez and then packaged it in a small plastic bag with a lighter and other drug paraphernalia. She then put all the contents into a small package which she then wrapped in a t-shirt and placed into a larger bag.

The DOJ says Feusier then used a ride-hailing service to unwittingly transport the package in the backseat of the vehicle to the rehab clinic and provided tracking to the patient.

When the vehicle arrived, the patient jumped a fence at the facility and retrieved the package from the backseat of the car and then returned inside.

Hours later, the mans body was found inside the facilitys living room. The items provided to him by Feusier were found nearby.

The mans death was ruled a fentanyl overdose following an autopsy by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiners Office.

Gutierrez was arrested on May 2, 2023 and has remained in federal custody since. He is expected in court for sentencing in October.

Feusier has been in custody since February and pleaded guilty on March 5 to one count of distribution of fentanyl. She is expected to face sentencing in the coming months, the DOJ said.

She could also face a maximum sentence of 20 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 KTLA.
Victoria Hinckley said she was an assignment away from graduation. Joseph Charry said he may now face visa struggles.

The two organizers who participated in April protests at the University of South Florida were not arrested. But they are being accused of breaking university policies and face suspension and expulsion.

Theyre among a handful of students at the University of South Florida who are continuing to oppose the universitys response to pro-Palestinian protests on campus this spring.

Of the 13 people arrested at protests at USF, four have seen misdemeanor charges diverted into community service. Two have seen felony charges dropped to misdemeanors. One of the five students arrested was taken to jail shortly before a court appearance last week after additional charges were added based on video evidence, according to the State Attorneys Office.

While all five students who were arrested during protests will face academic disciplinary hearings, others, including Hinckley and Charry, are still facing punishment.

Hinckley, a member of Students for a Democratic Society, said she was one assignment away from finishing her degree, but was expelled.

Charry, who would have started his third year at USF as a sociology major, has been suspended until May 2025. Charry, who is from Colombia, said his student visa status hangs in the balance. He said his visa is not set to expire immediately, but he has not received any guidance from USF.

The students said the university tried to blame them for the escalation of the second day of protests that resulted in police tear-gassing protesters. USF spokesperson Althea Johnson said the school could not provide additional information about individual students cases due to student privacy laws, but said in an email that there are consequences for violating the law or university policies. USF has been clear that violence, threats, harassment and disruptions will not be tolerated.

Johnson also said the university values free speech and protecting the constitutional right for individuals and groups on campus to gather and express themselves.

Both students tried to appeal their cases, but their appeals were denied.

In a previous interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Charry called the process a kangaroo court, saying he felt like decisions had already been made.

They dont care if they deport a student, he said. Theyre not invested in the welfare of students. And its crazy that the one starting all these code of conduct charges is the dean of students, who we are supposed to talk to, and whos supposed to manage things with us.

Charry said he felt as though the administrators had a preconceived notion of protesters trying to start trouble.

I like USF, and thats why, going to all these protests, Im active in the community, he said. Because I like it. Because I like the people here, the professors here, the community, the students. USF administration seems very intent on denying me the education.

Hinckley, a Tampa native, said she too felt devastated. She said she enjoyed her time at USF and the people she met.

I found what I wanted to do with my life, she said. And I was really excited to be graduating and to be done with school and to move on to the next part of my life, which is going to consist of community organizing and serving the community and using what Ive learned at college in helping hold up that effort of serving a community. USF has shown that they dont want to recognize that.

The university has taken action against at least one student organization affiliated with pro-Palestine rallies.

In early June, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society was suspended from campus for reasons pre-dating the protest. The university determined the group was responsible for two counts of disruptive conduct and a failure to comply when, a week prior to the protests, they had marched to the dean for Students office, chanting to demand a meeting. The university said they had also blocked a staircase in the process and continued chanting on their way down when the dean told them they must stop.

At the University of Florida, seven students arrested during protests have been trespassed from campus for three years. At the University of North Florida, disciplinary hearings are underway for nine students and the universitys Students for a Democratic Society chapter. The University of Central Floridas Board of Trustees recently passed a policy curtailing hours that protests are allowed and that they cannot continue more than five days in a row.
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, July 3. The development of the Kyrgyzstan-Switzerland Cooperation Program for 20252028 is currently underway, Swiss Federal Councillor for Foreign Affairs Ignazio Cassis said, Trend reports.

He made the remark during a meeting with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev in Cholpon-Ata, as per the Kyrgyz ministry.

Kulubaev noted that the current Kyrgyzstan-Switzerland Cooperation Program for 2022-2025 covers projects worth 80 million Swiss francs (about $88.5 million) and focuses on inclusive and sustainable economic development, human rights, public governance, and service delivery, as well as climate change and water resources.

Moreover, Kulubaev mentioned that in 2023, the trade turnover between the two countries reached $1.1 billion, and both sides need to maintain this figure and take measures to further increase mutual trade.

To enhance economic cooperation, the parties agreed to hold the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation as well as a business forum in Switzerland.

Regarding investment cooperation, Kulubaev invited Swiss companies to Kyrgyzstan. The Swiss side was also encouraged to strengthen cooperation in the banking sector, particularly by establishing correspondent accounts between the countries' banking institutions.

The parties also discussed the energy sector, tourism development, and cooperation in the creative economy. Kulubaev raised issues related to the "mountain" agenda, proposing that Switzerland co-organize the Bishkek Mountain Summit, scheduled for 2027.
Mooresville woman, 82, gets 2nd chance for 107 homes on her former farmland

Mooresville commissioners unanimously denied a Charlotte developers request Monday night to revive its plan for hundreds of homes the board previously rejected.

But, an 82-year-old woman fared better at the same meeting: The Board of Commissioners gave a second chance to build 107 luxury homes for older adults on her 58 rural acres.

Per town ordinance, a developer must wait a year to bring a rejected request back for consideration. However, commissioners may approve a waiver if the developer cuts the number of proposed homes and offers other ways to make the plan more agreeable to neighbors and town officials.

Commissioners voted 4-1 Monday night to grant a waiver for homes planned on June Staton Goodmans former farmland at Oakridge Farm Highway (N.C. 150) and Wiggins Road, in east Mooresville about 6 1/2 miles east of Lake Norman.

The board denied a similar waiver request by Cambridge Properties for its proposed 64-acre Witherspoon Woods development at Kistler Farm and Rocky River roads in east Mooresville. The board previously denied a rezoning for the development in March.

Developer adds 2nd road for fire trucks

Goodmans proposed Courtyards at Brumley Farms development would include 107 single-story homes geared to adults 55 and older, according to plans by Mooresville-based Realco Development Corp., which has an option to buy Goodmans land.

A Mooresville woman and a Lake Norman developer got a second chance on Monday, July 2, 2024, to put luxury homes for older adults on her 58 rural acres.

Goodman and Realco sued the town in Iredell County Civil Superior Court after the commissioners rejected a rezoning for the development in August 2023, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.. Commissioners cited traffic safety, emergency response and environmental concerns, namely, the impact on streams.

Goodman and Realco have since come up with a second proposed access road for emergency vehicles through the development, and no homes will be built on a stream on the property, Kevin Donaldson, a Mooresville lawyer representing Goodman and Realco, told commissioners Monday night.

With the 4-1 vote in favor, Goodman can now hold another neighborhood meeting on her plans, seek another rezoning recommendation from the Mooresville Planning Board this summer and then another vote by the town board.

Commissioner Gary West voted no to the waiver because of a lack of left turns with the access roads, he said.

No one opposed Goodmans plan at her original neighborhood meeting, and the Planning Board voted 6-to-1 last year to recommend the rezoning be approved, the Observer reported.

Opponents pack meeting

In denying the Cambridge Properties waiver, commissioners and Mayor Chris Carney urged the developer to hold more meetings with concerned neighbors.

The Mooresville Board of Commissioners unanimously denied a request by Charlotte developer Cambridge Properties on Monday, July 1, 2024, to revive plans for hundreds of homes at Kistler Farm and Rocky River roads in east Mooresville.

I do feel like youre pressing this, commissioner Lisa Qualls said, referring to the developer having already scheduled the required neighborhood meeting for Tuesday, July 2.

As a neighbor, I would be very upset if you scheduled it during a holiday week, Qualls said.

It also was presumptuous of the developer to schedule the neighborhood meeting before the town board voted on the waiver, Qualls and commissioner Eddie Karriker said.

Neighbors packed town hall to oppose Cambridges revised request for Witherspoon Woods.

Since its previous rejection by the board, Cambridge trimmed the number of proposed homes from 299 to 235 and the housing density from 4.7 units per acre to 3.7, Cambridge development director Nate Buhler said at the meeting.

That included 63 town homes cut from the original plan, he said. And the developer changed the height of the town homes from three stories to two stories, he said.

Buhler also cited other Cambridge developments in the Charlotte area, including the Publix-anchored, 700-home Harris Farms community underway at Kistler Farm Road and Coddle Creek Highway (N.C. 3) in east Mooresville. The Publix is scheduled to open this fall, he said.

Dr. Heather Linen, a local veterinarian, said she was speaking for many in the crowd in opposing the Witherspoon Woods plan.

Her family moved to the neighborhood in 2019, believing it aligned with our vision to raise our son, she said. Main attractions: Community, small-town feeling, with less housing and traffic density, and a good school system for our son (Mooresville Graded School District).

Please do not approve the waiver, Linen said, drawing audience applause.

This embedded content is not available in your region.
A general view of the Dortmund stadium. A man who climbed under the roof of the Dortmund stadium during Germany's European Championship round of 16 match on Saturday was masked and carrying a large rucksack, according to video footage. Marcus Brandt/dpa

The man who climbed under the roof of the Dortmund stadium during Germany's last-16 win over Denmark on Saturday was not the first one as police confirmed a similar incident four days earlier at the same venue.

Dortmund police spokesman Peter Bandermann told dpa on Wednesday that a Polish fan was caught under the roof as well during his team's group match against France on June 25.

"The man was brought to the stadium police office by stewards. Criminal proceedings for trespassing were initiated," Bandermann said.

A internet video shows the man walking down the catwalk under the roof which is reserved for technicians. It is unclear how he got there.

In Saturday's incident, a man was spotted climbing on the beams under the roof. Police kept him under surveillance until the end of the match, when a special task force removed and arrested the 21-year-old. He said he wanted to take photos. Police said he may have to pay for the police operation he triggered.

The ruling body UEFA said after that incident it was reviewing security measures.

UEFA said on Wednesday it is also has knowledge of a another security incident in which stewards allegedly turned violent against fans during Monday's last 16 match between Portugal and Slovenia in Frankfurt.

UEFA said it would not comment further as a police investigation has been launched. Frankfurt police said they were probing on suspicion of bodily harm.

A video shared on platform X by Portuguese paper Record, said to taken from the stands, showed several stewards repeatedly beating and kicking a man lying on the ground near the pitch. Another man was fixed to the ground by stewards.

Citing eye-witnesses, the Correio da Manha paper said one of them had attempted to run onto the pitch. Police said they did not know in what health condition the beaten man was.

France's Kylian Mbappe (C), Poland's Pawel Dawidowicz (L) and Sebastian Szymanski (R) fight for the ball during the UEFA Euro 2024 Group D soccer match between France and Poland at Dortmund stadium. Friso Gentsch/dpa
Morning Russian attack on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast: Ukraine's Air Force shoots down Iskander missile and 10 other targets

Russian forces launched seven missiles and five loitering munitions to attack Ukraine on the morning of 3 July.

Source: Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of Ukraine's Air Force

Quote: "The enemy launched three Iskander-K surface-to-surface cruise missiles, four Kh-59 guided missiles and five Shahed attack UAVs on the morning of 3 July 2024. They mainly targeted Dnipropetrovsk Oblast."

Details: Oleshchuk added that Ukrainian air defence units had shot down 11 aerial targets: 1 Iskander-K cruise missile, 4 Kh-59 guided missiles, 5 Shahed-131/136 loitering munitions and 1 Orlan-10 UAV.

Background:

Russian forces attacked the city of Dnipro: explosions were heard, and a shopping centre was damaged.

Later, it was reported that at least 4 people had been killed and at least 27 injured

Support UP or become our patron!
Honestly. Why on earth did Rishi Sunak do this to us? The past six weeks have been a complete waste of our time. As anyone with half a brain could have told him, the voters made up their minds a good 18 months ago. They wanted the Tories out, and nothing Mr Sunak could say was going to change that. The entire election campaign, therefore, has been utterly futile. He would have saved himself a lot of grief, and his party a lot of money, if hed simply allowed us to vote the day after he called the election. The outcome would have been exactly the same.

Even so, I do think its worth making one point in this campaigns defence. We constantly hear people moan that its been the most boring campaign ever. And yes, all right, its certainly felt that way  but only because the result was always a foregone conclusion. If you forget the polls, and look objectively at the events of the campaign, youve got to admit that, in many ways, its actually been very entertaining.

And, if you still insist that its been the most boring ever, youve clearly forgotten about Theresa May.

But, before we come to that dementor-like extinguisher of all human joy, lets think about the many dramatic, bizarre and downright stupid things that have happened over the past month and a half.

Most obviously, youve got the sudden spectacular comeback of Nigel Farage, erupting on to the scene like a stripogram out of the worlds most terrifying birthday cake. On top of that, youve got the tireless efforts of his candidates to provide the press with a lavish supply of scandal and outrage  in particular via old social media posts about why Britain should have taken Hitler up on his offer of neutrality, or why women deserve to be deprived of healthcare. Given all that these lunatics have done to help us fill our pages, it seems appallingly ungrateful of journalists to complain of boredom.

Then weve got Sir Ed Davey, and his adorably desperate attempts to get the Lib Dems on TV by forcing himself to perform endless humiliating stunts on paddle boards and bungee cords. You think that was boring? What more do you want the poor man to do? Ride a unicycle across a tightrope above a tank of starving piranhas while juggling six lit fireworks blindfolded? Fair enough, maybe you do want him to do that, especially if you support Brexit. But it would have been very hard to arrange the insurance.

Sir Ed Davey's stunts have included a waterslide, a fashion show on This Morning, and drumming in care home - PA

Inevitably, given that hes about as exciting as a patch of damp on a B&B ceiling, Sir Keir Starmer has offered little in the way of interest, beyond his perpetual anguished grappling with the ancient mystery of whether or not women have testicles.

Mr Sunak, however, has done his level best to make a splash. He may be hopelessly bland (asked to name his favourite meal, he replied: Sandwiches). And he may have a voice that makes him sound like Will from The Inbetweeners reading out the timetable of the 74B to Melton Mowbray. But, by sacking off the D-Day commemorations to do a totally pointless 20-minute sit-down with ITV, he scored the single most staggering own goal in election history. Disastrous, yes. Dull, no.

Now: compare all of the above with Theresa Mays campaign of 2017, in which literally nothing happened, other than a brief rumpus about the supposed dementia tax. That, and Mrs Mays sensational revelation that the naughtiest thing shed ever done was to run through a field of wheat. Next to that, how can anyone say that 2024 has been the most boring campaign ever?

Theres only one explanation. Mrs Mays campaign was so traumatically soul-destroying, weve all blocked it out.

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.
Most Europeans support increasing military support for Ukraine, although the opposite opinion prevails in some countries.

Source: the results of a survey commissioned by the European Council on Foreign Relations and conducted in 15 countries, including Ukraine, as reported by European Pravda

Details: In most countries, over 50% of respondents, or a higher proportion compared to other options, support increasing arms and ammunition supplies to Ukraine, which, therefore, forms the basis for relevant decisions by the leaders of these nations.

The opposite opinion prevails only in three EU countries  Greece, Bulgaria and Italy. These countries also have the highest proportion of those who believe that Western partners should push Ukraine to engage in peace talks.

At the same time, the vast majority of respondents in all countries oppose the potential sending of their troops to Ukraine to take part in hostilities.

In most of the countries surveyed, the prevailing belief is that the war will conclude with peace agreements. The belief in Ukraine's victory is predominant in only one country, apart from Ukraine itself.

A recent poll in the United States showed an increase in the number of people who support more military assistance to Ukraine.

Support UP or become our patron!
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  More than 10 years after a man died in the Salt Lake County Jail, a jury awarded his mother $2 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit Tuesday.

According to a Spence Law Firm news release and court documents, Jeremy Aus died in the Salt Lake County Jail on Nov. 16, 2013, while awaiting trial for misdemeanor charges. The lawsuit claimed he died after a contracted nurse refused to give him his prescribed medication.

READ NEXT: Unified Police and Salt Lake County Sheriffs Office set to separate after 14 years of joint service

The nurse was working for Wellcon, Inc., which was contracted by the jail to provide medical services to inmates. In 2021, Jeremy Aus mother, Janis Aus, filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Wellcon, Inc.

On Tuesday, July 2, the jury awarded Janis Aus $2 million for the pain and suffering her son felt before his death, however, they did not feel that there was enough evidence to prove his death was caused by a breach of standards.

Jeremy Aus death

According to the lawsuit, Jeremy Aus had been taking Clonazepam, a benzodiazepine, for more than 10 years for anxiety. The jails medical professionals were aware of his prescription, but they reportedly refused to give him the drug as Wellcon had a policy against dispensing benzodiazepines.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), recommends tapering inmates off the medication rather than withholding it entirely to prevent dangerous withdrawal symptoms. The lawsuit claimed it was not unusual for the nurse, and Wellcon in general, to refuse inmates benzodiazepines without tapering them off the medication despite BOP guidelines.

Prosecutors claimed Jeremy Aus asked several times for his medication but the nurse refused. More than a week after he was booked in jail, nurses were called to Jeremy Aus cell around 8 p.m. on reports of a possible seizure.

The nurses allegedly found Jeremy Aus lying on his back and used ammonia to wake him, but prosecutors claim they did nothing else to assist him. His cellmate claims Jeremy Aus had between four and six seizures that night.

At around 10 p.m., the cellmate alerted staff that he was non-responsive and was not breathing. Jeremy Aus was declared dead that night, with a time of death of 10:05 p.m.

By abruptly discontinuing Jeremys Clonazepam prescription, Wellcon caused Jeremys death from benzodiazepine withdrawal, the lawsuit claimed.

Jurys verdict

The jury concluded that the nurse breached the standard of care by not monitoring Jeremy Aus for signs of withdrawal which led to injury, pain, and/or suffering. However, they did not conclude that the nurses breach caused his death.

The lawsuit claimed he died due to the nurses decision to abruptly discontinue his medication, however, the jury ultimately decided there was not enough evidence to prove that the nurse breached the standard of care by not easing him of the benzodiazepine.

After finding the defendant responsible for not properly monitoring Jeremy Aus, the jury awarded Janis Aus $2 million.

Jeremy needlessly suffered from benzodiazepine withdrawal, Co-lead Counsel Emily S. Madden said. The prescription wasnt given simply because [he] was accused of a crime. We hope this verdict reminds correctional care providers of their obligations to provide appropriate care, even for the incarcerated.

In addition to this recent lawsuit, Janis Aus has also settled federal claims against the Salt Lake County Jail, according to the 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 ABC4 Utah.
Mary Helen Peak Patterson, a "tireless crusader" in the effort to preserve the history of the Memphis-based Church of God in Christ and the widow of J.O. Patterson Sr., the church's longtime leader, died June 24 in Memphis, church officials said.

Known as "Mother," an honorific designating "saintly women who provide leadership and guidance," according to COGIC tenets, Patterson had been under hospice care since being diagnosed with cancer. She was 83.

"Mother Patterson was a tireless crusader for preserving the Church Of God In Christ Heritage and that of Pentecostal-Holiness around the world," stated a post on the COGIC Facebook page, announcing Patterson's June 24 death. "Our History is much richer because of her life's work."

Mary Patterson holds a framed photo of her late husband, Bishop J.O. Patterson, at her Whitehaven home on July 17, 2012.

As founder of the Memphis-based Pentecostal Heritage Connection, Patterson worked to "educate and share the history of the Church of God in Christ," in the words of the organization's mission statement. As a 2012 story in The Commercial Appeal stated, Patterson's mission represented an intensive "campaign" to get Memphis and the world "to celebrate and remember the life and legacy" of her late husband, specifically, and to respect his church, in general.

Under Mary Patterson's guidance, historical markers and other memorials to COGIC leaders were erected in various Southern states, including a lifesized bronze statue of church founder Charles H. Mason, erected in 2022 outside Mason Temple, the "world headquarters" sanctuary where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech the night before his assassination on April 4, 1968.

In addition, she donated her husband's papers, records and memorabilia to the Memphis Pink Palace Museum (now the Museum of Science & History) and to the Assemblies of God-operated Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center in Springfield, Missouri, which describes itself as "the largest Pentecostal archives in the world," and "an important hub for Pentecostal history and research, preserving and promoting Pentecostal testimonies and identity."

In 2021, Patterson told the Religious New Service that her focus on heritage enabled her to serve the denomination without being ordained as a minister. It shows other young women that you dont have to be behind the pulpit in order to do a work for the Lord," she said. The Church of God in Christ does not permit women to serve as ordained ministers.

One of the world's largest Holiness or Pentecostal denominations, with a predominantly Black membership estimated at close to 6.5 million, the Church of God in Christ was organized in 1897 in Lexington, Mississippi, and chartered as a Pentecostal church in 1907 in Memphis, the city that remains COGIC world headquarters.

Mary Patterson, widow of the late J.O. Patterson Sr., is greeted by Bishop Joel Lyles of Baltimore, Md., during a bust unveiling ceremony on April 11, 2012, for the late Bishop C.H. Mason, founder of COGIC.

For most of its first 60 years, the church was led by Bishop Mason, who died in 1961.

In 1968, J.O. Patterson Sr., who had married Mason's daughter, Deborah Indiana Mason, in 1934, was elected the denomination's first Presiding Bishop, as the rapidly growing church reorganized with more centralized leadership. Patterson was re-elected presiding bishop every year until his death in 1989.

Partly due to Bishop Patterson's influence, the Church of God in Christ throughout most of its history held its annual "Holy Convocation" of "saints" in Memphis, bringing thousands of church members to town for the city's largest annual event. (In 2010, the convocation moved to St. Louis, where it remained until returning to Memphis in 2021. This year's 116th convocation is set for Nov. 5-12 at the Renasant Center.)

Meanwhile, the family's fame increased, as the couple's son, J.O. Patterson Jr., became a well-known politician as well as a member of the clergy, serving for 20 days as Memphis' first Black mayor in 1982 after the resignation of Mayor Wyeth Chandler. (As chair of the City Council, Patterson served as "acting mayor," in Chandler's wake; in 1991, Willie W. Herenton became Memphis' first elected Black mayor.)

The first Mrs. Patterson died in 1985. Bishop Patterson married Mary Patterson in 1989, about eight months before his death at 77.

Against this backdrop of denominational and family influence, Mary Patterson, a Realtor and travel agent, made an impact by preserving and memorializing the church history in which she was immersed. According to the Pentecostal Heritage Connection website, her "passion" was "helping to preserve the history of the Church of God In Christ."

In a 2012 interview in The Commercial Appeal, Patterson said she and her late husband were both basically modest people, despite their church status and spiritual concerns.

"He was a country boy at heart," she said. "He loved to fish and he loved country music." Meanwhile, she cited "fishing" as one of her interests on her Pentecostal Heritage website, and named as her favorite movies "The Passion of the Christ" and "Mrs. Doubtfire."

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Mary Patterson, Church of God in Christ 'tireless crusader,' has died
(BCN)  An Independence Day parade and celebration is set to take place Thursday in Mountain House, which this week became the 483rd incorporated city in California. Beginning at 9 a.m., the parade will start at the Central Community Park located at 25 Main St. and will go from Central Parkway and Main Street south down Central Parkway to Heritage Drive, where it will turn around and head back to the park.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. there will be a celebration that follows at the park with live music, a kids fun zone, food trucks, and local artesian vendors. The city encouraged attendees to wear red, white, and blue to the event.

Photo of fake sign in downtown SF appearing to mock CA retail theft law goes viral

During the primary elections in March, Measure D was added to the ballot asking voters in the area if they were in support of creating the city of Mountain House effective July 1 and an overwhelming majority of voters said yes.

On Monday, Mountain House held their first City Council meeting consisting of Mayor Andy Su and the council members  Matt Disko, Ronna Green, Daniel Harrison, and Bernice King Tingle. Among city business was the appointment of the mayor pro tempore, appointing Steven Pinkerton as city manager, and adopting a resolution that designated John Bakker as city attorney and Camilla Getz as assistant city attorney.

Copyright  2024 Bay City News, Inc.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
I moved from the US to Ireland 5 years ago. I've never felt safer, but adjusting to the culture hasn't always been easy.

After growing up in the US, I decided to move to Dublin, Ireland after graduating from college.

I've experienced affordable healthcare, better work-life balance, and a greater sense of safety.

Traveling to nearby cities is cheap and easy, but the cost of living in Ireland isn't super low.

I first fell in love with the idea of moving abroad five years ago after spending a semester in England.

I met incredible people, tried new things, and focused on what I wanted most out of life while temporarily letting go of everything stressing me out at home. But after I returned to the US, the stress came back, and I realized I'd do anything to make my dream of living abroad a reality.

Picking up and moving to Ireland rather spontaneously a few years later has presented many challenges, but I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Here are some of the things that surprised me when I first got to Ireland.

It took me a minute to train my ear to the sounds of the Irish language

From the Irish names that no one outside of Ireland can ever seem to pronounce to the varied accents that I need live subtitles to understand, it's been a real personal journey getting where I am today with Irishisms.

I thought a lot of the phrases in Ireland would be similar to what I heard in the UK. But the Irish have their own national language, and it tends to bleed into everyday conversational English.

For instance, the national police force is called An Garda Siochana, which translates to "Guardians of the Peace," and officers are referred to as the Gardai.

To better explain the complexities of Irish slang, here's an actual conversation that occurred in my group chat when I first moved:

Person 1: "Are you coming out with us tonight or not?"

Person 2: "Sure look, put me down, I'll pop along. And I better not get the vid of anyone. Scooops! Also shurrup, Person 1, ya bleedin' tick."

They had me in the first sentence. After that, I was frantically and unsuccessfully searching through Irish pages on Urban Dictionary.

But I knew I finally adapted to the language when I found the words "thanks a million" (or "thanks a mil") and "bye bye bye  bye bye bye bye" after any phone call slipping off my tongue.

Day trips and weekend getaways are abundant and encouraged here

a scenic landscape by the sea in ireland

The whole country is absolutely beautiful.Alexis McSparren

Ireland is home to RyanAir, meaning we have cheap flights to nearly any European destination at our fingertips. This results in the urge to take a weekend abroad as often as possible.

Ireland itself is also packed to the brim with stunning natural landscapes.

Although the Republic of Ireland is pretty small  it's a little smaller than the state of Indiana  its 26 counties all vary greatly from each other, leaving many wonders to explore.

Trek the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher in County Clare; explore the Neolithic monument, Newgrange, in County Meath; and spend a week (or a lifetime) in my favorite part of the country, County Kerry, while driving through the spectacular Dingle Peninsula.

The slower pace of life in Ireland means nothing ever runs on time

The Irish pride themselves on being "great craic" (fun), but, unfortunately, this way of life often leads to losing track of time.



If you find yourself perpetually late to everything, you'll feel right at home in Ireland. If not, prepare to spend long stretches of time staring at your phone while waiting for your mates.

Although it's been an adjustment, unpredictability is what makes Ireland feel like things are still run by people, not by algorithms and advancement.

It's precisely what makes a tremendous difference in the overall work-life balance here compared to the US, where my life constantly revolved around work schedules, promotions, and little time off.

Alcohol is a big part of the culture

exterior shot of the dwelling house pub in ireland

There are plenty of shops, cafes, and pubs in every town.Alexis McSparren

In Ireland, pubs are more than just places to have a pint of Guinness. They're more like a community center where people go to meet and catch up with old friends, have a hearty meal, sing along to live traditional music, and catch an Irish jig.

At a pub, friends are also usually more likely to rotate buying rounds for each other instead of opening up individual tabs. Sharing is caring here in Ireland.

I've never considered myself much of a drinker. In the US, I would go out maybe once or twice a month. But my alcohol consumption has definitely increased since living in Ireland because socializing here often happens exclusively at the pub.

Although Dublin is the capital city, it has more of a small-town feel

Despite being the capital city of Ireland and housing a lot of the country's population, Dublin has a small-town atmosphere.

I'll never forget the first day I moved into my house. I was waiting outside in the rain with my luggage for my landlady, and my next-door neighbors ushered me in and carried my luggage into their house. After offering me several cups of tea (which I naively declined), we chatted in their sitting room until my landlady arrived.

With the charming small-town feel also comes the harsh reality that shops don't stay open as late.

Most businesses close at 6 p.m., with some, like post offices, often closing for lunch as well. On Sundays, most businesses close even earlier  if they're open at all.

Coming from the US, where one-stop supermarkets stay open 24 hours, it was a huge adjustment. But now I find the giant stores and selections a bit overwhelming during visits home.

I finally understand that tea is the elixir of life

a formal afternoon tea set up in ireland

Everyone will offer you a cup of tea, or a cuppa, here.Alexis McSparren

I'll never forget my first few weeks in Ireland when I was constantly offered tea by my coworkers and housemates. After politely declining and declaring that I'm not much of a tea drinker, they'd exclaim, "But then what do you drink?"

I soon realized that they were right about how incredible tea is.

Once you accept your cuppa in Ireland, there's an even more important question: "Barry's or Lyons?"

Everyone has their opinions about which of the two major brands is best.

I've never felt safer than I do living in Dublin

Crime doesn't typically permeate the nightly news here.

Ireland has pretty strict gun laws, so the rates of gun violence, and violent crime in general, are low.

My Irish friends are always shocked when I explain past crime or violence I've been through in the US because it's something they've only experienced through Hollywood films.

If you visit or move here, get ready to talk about the weather all the time

reflection of the umbrella street art in a puddle on the streets of dublin ireland

It really does rain a lot in Ireland.Alexis McSparren

Small talk with strangers is the norm in Ireland, and crowd-favorite topics include the traffic, how one is keeping, how one's brother is keeping, and, the favorite of all favorites, the weather.

The country is well-known for being windy, dreary, and rainy almost year-round. Although the summers are much milder, it's commonly overcast, and rain can start pouring out of a perfectly blue sky at any time.

The unpredictable weather prompted the age-old Irish saying, "You can see every season in a day."

Although housing and other costs of living are pricier, affordable healthcare is a plus

Dublin is one of the most expensive cities in Europe, with most one-bedroom apartments going for close to $2,000 a month. There's also a lack of housing throughout the country that's forced rent prices to skyrocket.

Because of the high cost of living and low wages, it's the cultural norm for many young people to live with their families until their 30s.

Although housing is cheaper if you move outside of Dublin, public transportation throughout the country is also one of the most expensive in Europe.

But I'm grateful for affordable healthcare. Since moving, I've found myself prioritizing my health in ways I never could've afforded to in the US. I used to go years without scheduling appointments, but now I'm able to easily and cheaply see a doctor, dentist, therapist, massage therapist, or chiropractor  even without health insurance.

There are so many unique traditions to discover in Ireland

a fairy tree in ireland

There are a lot of superstitions baked into the culture.Alexis McSparren

Leprechauns may not exist, but Irish superstitions do.

Whatever you do, don't cut down a lone tree standing in the middle of a field  especially if there are ribbons tied to the branches or a formation of rocks around the base. In Celtic folklore, those are fairy trees, which serve as the gateway between our world and that of the wee fellas.

Alas, these Irish creatures are closer to the spiteful pixies in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" than Tinker Bell. Damaging the tree is said to result in a lifetime of bad luck.

The Irish take this cultural tradition very seriously, even today. An entire motorway was once built around an existing fairy tree in County Clare.

Ireland also celebrates several unique rituals.

For example, for more than 400 years in Killorglin, County Kerry, locals have held the Puck Fair where a wild goat is captured in the mountains, brought back to the town square, and crowned King Puck by a local schoolgirl (chosen as Queen Puck).

King Puck's subjects celebrate this coronation during a festival that spans three days before he's released back into the mountains.

I was glad I was living in Ireland during the pandemic lockdown

alexis sitting on a beach in ireland

I was able to escape to the beach and explore different parts of the country during the pandemic.Alexis McSparren

Ireland takes public health very seriously, so the country remained under strict lockdown restrictions for nearly two whole years of the coronavirus pandemic.

One of these restrictions meant that, for a period of time, I couldn't travel 2 kilometers, then 5 kilometers, then 20 kilometers from my home.

But Dublin is sandwiched right between the sea and the mountains, meaning I was never short on beautiful scenery to explore. And because Ireland is a country steeped in ancient history, there's something to discover around every corner.

This story was originally published in February 2022 and most recently updated on July 3, 2024.

Read the original article on Business Insider
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, July 3. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov has arrived on a working visit in Kazakhstan, Trend reports via the Kyrgyz president's official website.

Zhaparov's plane landed at the international airport of N. Nazarbayev in Astana, where he was met by the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Oljas Bektenov, and other officials.

During the visit, the Kyrgyz president will take part in the meeting of the Council of the Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

At the meeting, which will be held on July 4, the heads of state will consider a wide range of issues to further strengthen multifaceted SCO cooperation and its prospects and address pressing international and regional problems.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Moving Arts Espanola looking for new location after lease wont be renewed

Moving Arts Espanola looking for new location after lease wont be renewed

ESPANOLA, N.M. (KRQE)  One of the most influential programs in northern New Mexico is looking for a new place to call home and they only have a few months left to do so.

Story continues below

This program was highlighted on CNN Heroes back in 2019. For those in the Espanola Valley, its a special place. Ive been coming here since I was at least three, said Peyton Maestas, a student at Moving Arts.

Moving Arts in Espanola been a staple for the last 17 years, with hundreds of kids and teens coming through their doors. Ive been here for 8 years since I graduated high school, said Aaron Martinez, who works as a gymnastics instructor.

Many of the students come from different backgrounds. Theres such a large population of youth that dont have parents or theyre living with their grandparents. We dont talk about that that often, but our youth are just needing mentors, said Marcella Maestas, one of the many parents whose kids attend the program.

I would just like to say Moving Arts has changed my life for the better, both of my parents were on drugs, said Martinez.

The lease of the building that the program uses is not being renewed, with the owners hoping to bring more economic development to the area.

Moving Arts is so grateful to the tribal community and SEI Corporation for the ten years to be able to build this program to where it is. We owe a debt of gratitude, said Co-Founder, Roger Montoya.

The news has been hard for the programs community. They need a place to really be there, to really find out who they are, said Marcella.

This building has so much life. I mean, the colors around us just show theres, theres 300 kids in this building. And to see this leave is really heartbreaking, said Peyton, Marcellas daughter.

The organization is looking to find a new place to set up shop, all before December. Weve also looked into some local owners of real estate commercial real estate thats for lease with the option to purchase there are a couple of opportunities were navigating through, said Montoya.

Those who love this program are trying to fight to keep it going.

We have a lot of wonderful people that are here to help them do whatever it takes to find a place for us to be for these kids to be, said Martinez.

We need this in our community. And this is a big, big deal, said Peyton.

If you would like more information on moving arts Espanola or how you can help, click the link 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.
MPD looking for suspect, vehicle connected to Southeast DC robbery

WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said it needs the communitys help in finding a suspect and a vehicle connected to a Southeast D.C. robbery that happened on June 5.

Police said that at about 12:05 p.m., the victim and the suspect were involved in an accident in the 3300 block of Alabama Ave.

The suspect got out of his car, approached the victim and demanded money.

DC heat emergency activated on July 4

He then took items from the victims pockets and car.

The suspect left the scene in a car.

The suspect and his vehicle can be seen in the video below:

Anyone with information should call police at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Departments TEXT TIP LINE at 50411.

MPD currently offers a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible for a violent crime committed in the District of Columbia.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
BYHALIA, Miss.  Byhalia had its first town hall meeting since Alderwoman Delainer Richmond was arrested and charged after police allegedly found illegal drugs and guns inside her home.

Tuesdays town hall meeting was Richmonds first since the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and Byhalia Police seized marijuana plants, methamphetamine, guns and a large amount of ammunition in her residence.

During the meeting, none of Richmonds allegations were addressed to the public as an executive session ended the meeting.

WREG spoke with Byhalias mayor who declined to go on the record, but he said he still supports the alderwoman and repeated a previous statement saying she is good at her job.

Two charged after pot, meth found at Byhalia, MS town officials home

On the other hand, others outside the meeting spoke off-camera about their criticisms of Richmond and her charges.

However, the overall consensus of the meeting was that support overshadowed the critics.

I dont think resigning should be in her vocabulary, NAACP of Marshall Countys Vice President Antoine Lester said. She does good, she did nothing wrong.

Lester and another man told WREG there is too much hearsay surrounding Richmonds case and that people need to hold opinions until all facts are presented.

Drugs found at Byhalia city officials home, police chief says

We dont think that she dont have really anything to do with it, Lester said. Just the way the business was handled, we disagree with that. We in the state of Mississippi and we are faced with tremendous amounts of racism here.

Both men also said that Richmonds track record in the community speaks for itself.

I have known her all her life and she is a good person, Fitzgerald Richmond said. She is a good worker here in the town, she stands for whats right.

Agents may pursue federal charges against Curtis Richmond. The state said additional arrests are expected.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
MILTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD)  An Indiana man was taken to the hospital after a crash with a pickup in Cass County Monday evening, police say.

It happened around 6:30 p.m. on US 12 Highway near Gumwood Road in Milton Township, according to Michigan State Police.

The 27-year-old driver of a Ford F-150 that was towing a Bobcat excavator was headed west on US 12 when he lost control and crossed over the center line. He hit an eastbound vehicle head on.

That vehicle was driven by a 49-year-old man from Granger, Indiana, who was severely injured in the crash. He was taken to the hospital, police say, and was expected to survive.

The pickup driver, who was from Berrien, was not injured, MSP said.

Police do not believe drugs and alcohol were factors in the crash. Both drivers were using seatbelts, MSP said.

(Courtesy Michigan State Police)

(Courtesy Michigan State Police)

(Courtesy Michigan State Police)

US-12 Highway was shut down for hours after the crash for cleanup and 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 WOODTV.com.
Footage captured the ludicrous moment two tourist couples brawled with each other over a viewing spot near Mount Everest.

This is peak stupidity.

Dont call it a peace summit: Footage captured the ludicrous moment two tourist couples brawled with each other over a viewing spot near Mount Everest.

The kerfuffle reportedly occurred on June 25 after two groups of tourists, who were believed to be Chinese, simultaneously converged on the 8848 Viewing Platform, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, the Independent reported.

A tour guide had reportedly asked the parties to pose together for a photo beside the Everest Elevation Monument.

The brawl began with the couples jockeying for position. Newsflare

The couples duke it out. Newsflare

However, their photo-op went south after the couples began bickering over optimal viewing positions, which eventually escalated into said slugfest, Newsflare reported.

Footage shows the two men punching at each other as they roll around on the platform.

A tour guide had reportedly tried to get the quartet to pose together. Newsflare

At one point, one of the women tries to pull them apart while the other joins in and starts kicking one of them.

Eventually, authorities with the Everest Border Police Camp intervene and separate the couples.

All four brawlers were taken into custody for further investigation.

Authorities have pledged to update the public on the proceedings in due course.

In April, China reportedly reopened the Tibetan side of Mount Everest to climbers, marking the first time the wonders been accessible to alpinists since the pandemic.

Unfortunately, overcrowding has been a mounting issue atop the worlds tallest mountain, which measures 29,032 feet high.

This problem was thrust back into the spotlight last month when two Everest climbers went missing and were presumed dead due to a ridge collapse.
MTA in dark over Gov. Hochuls talks to revive congestion pricing with lower tolls: I dont know anything

The MTAs top honcho on Tuesday said hes in the dark about talks between Gov. Kathy Hochul and lawmakers to potentially revive congestion pricing with a toll lower than $15.

I dont know anything about whats being talked about, if anything is being talked about, Janno Lieber, the agencys chair and CEO, said Tuesday at an unrelated press conference.

Liebers declaration came after The New York Times reported some state lawmakers had been pushing Hochul to tweak the controversial program she put on pause just weeks before it was slated to begin.

MTA boss Janno Lieber said hes in the dark about talks rescue congestion pricing by potentially lowering tolls. Gabriella Bass

Lowering the toll to drive into Manhattan below 60th Street would reap less money for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, but still salvage the first-in-the-nation program, the Times reported that lawmakers hoped.

Hochul didnt confirm or deny the reported discussions when asked about them Tuesday.

I said Ill be continuing to have conversations with the leaders of the legislature and members of key committees. Ive already started those conversations, Hochul told reporters during an event announcing that pools at New York state parks will be free this summer.

As I said, every project that is important, and they all are important, will be funded, she added, referring to the MTAs warnings that some planned system upgrades will need to be deferred due to Hochul indefinitely delaying the congestion pricing plan.

The governor, who has said that scrapping the $15 toll, at least temporarily, made sense as New Yorkers face a cost-of-living crisis, maintained that argument.

Its just not the right time, she said. We will find the financing and these conversations are very much underway.

Gov. Kathy Hochul promised, without details, to find funding for the MTA. Robert Miller

Hochus decision to pause congestion pricing put the MTA in a $15 billion bind.

But Liebers reveal that those conversations have so far bypassed him underscored how the MTA is effectively in the political wilderness when it comes to efforts to save congestion pricing, or at least replace the $15 billion it would have raised for high-profile transit projects.

On top of that uncertainty, any timeline is potentially further imperiled by the upcoming presidential election. Former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has promised to scrap the toll.

Sources told The Post that, despite the governor calling around to lawmakers, legislative leaders havent been presented with a tangible proposal surrounding congestion pricing.

State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-Manhattan), who said he has received more calls and comments to his office on this issue than any other, expressed support for making the toll less expensive over not implementing it entirely  especially given the likelihood Trump will unravel it if he takes office again.

Hoylman-Sigal said he spoke with the governor, but didnt want to get into specifics on their talks.

The goal should be mend it dont end it, he said.



I think we need to have our program in place and running to ensure we have a fighting chance to save our mass transit system from collapse.

State Sen. Liz Krueger said she spoke with Hochul about reversing congestion pricings pause. Hans Pennink

State Sen. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan), chair of the Senates powerful finance committee and a vocal supporter of congestion pricing, said she also has spoken with Hochul about reversing the pause on the program.

Krueger told Hochul that she would consider tweaking specifics of the scheme, including lowering the toll, as long as the program still met its objectives of decreasing congestion and helping cut down on pollution.

But she said thats not enough to take the extraordinary step of calling back the Legislature to vote on changes.

Unless theres an actual proposal from the governor to negotiate with the legislature, there would be no reason to come back, Krueger said.

Ill come back when theres a reason or an agreement to come back, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) told reporters Friday.

In a lengthy statement released after the MTA made a largely-symbolic vote to go along with the pause last week, Hochul even insinuated that a resolution to the debate may be punted until next years state budget talks.

I will continue to work in partnership with the State Legislature to implement comprehensive solutions and ensure appropriate funding sources in next years budget, Hochuls statement said in part.

Krueger and others questioned the feasibility of altering specifics of the scheme, such as the toll amount, in the short term, given the numerous hoops involved in getting approval for the program.

One lawmaker told The Post he hopes congestion pricing stays underwater and drowns to death. Robert Miller

Some believe that adjusting the toll amount would mean revising the existing agreement with the feds, which could take months to work through the bureaucracy again.

Tinkering with the toll levels may require additional federal review, Rachael Fauss, Senior Policy Advisor at Reinvent Albany, a group pushing for congestion pricing, told The Post.

Until the Governor puts forward a real proposal that has all the benefits of congestion pricing, there can be no real, public discussion about alternatives. The law as written remains the only viable option to fund the MTA and reduce congestion, Fauss said.

But some lawmakers such as Assemblyman Gary Pretlow, a Democrat from Mount Vernon with Metro-North stops in his district, arent in a rush to revive tolls.

Id be perfectly happy if congestion pricing stays underwater and drowns to death, he quipped.

 Additional reporting by Desheania Andrews
The Muftiate of Dagestan announced on July 3 that it would introduce a temporary ban on the wearing of niqabs following a terrorist attack in the Russian republic in June that killed 22 people.

The ban will be instituted until "the identified threats are eliminated and a new theological conclusion is issued," said a spokesperson for the Muftiate, a religious organization that represents Dagestani Muslisms.

The announcement follows a statement after the attack by Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia's Investigative Committee, who said it was the work of "Islamist terrorists" and urged Russia to ban the niqab, which covers the wearer's entire face, excluding the eyes.

Many Muslim-majority countries in Central Asia have various kinds of bans on the wearing of hijabs or niqabs, and Bastrykin urged Russia to follow suit.

Bastrykin's suggestion prompted a reaction from Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, who said that the official should be "extremely careful" in blaming the attack on Islam.

Muslims "have not committed and do not commit" terrorist attacks, Kadyrov said, urging Bastrykin not to compare Islam with terrorism in the future.

Sign up for our newsletter

WTF is wrong with Russia?

Sign up

Dagestan is a multi-ethnic, majority-Muslim republic located in Russia's North Caucasus region. It is also home to an ancient Jewish community whose numbers have dwindled in recent decades. Neighboring Chechnya is also around 95% Muslim, according to statistics.

As part of the spillover from the wars in Chechnya, Dagestan saw repeated acts of terrorism in the early 2000s. A violent but low-intensity insurgency against the government also went on for several years in the area.

Following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, a massive antisemitic riot occurred in Makhachkala in late October.

A group of over 1,000 people came to Makhachkala Airport as a flight from Tel Aviv was set to land, reportedly looking for Jews.

Read also: Update: At least 15 police officers, 4 civilians reportedly killed in terrorist attack in Russias Dagestan Republic

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
DELAWARE, Ohio (WCMH)  A vehicle chase that crossed multiple central Ohio counties resulted in a Florida man being arrested Tuesday.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP), the chase began when an alert was issued for a reportedly stolen 2024 Toyota RAV4 last seen driving on State Route 95 in Richland County. OSHP said the car was involved in other pursuits in other jurisdictions.

Ohio fireworks law: Is it legal to set off fireworks at home?

Just after the alert was sent, a trooper with the OSHP Mt. Gilead post saw the RAV4 driving south on SR-95 in Knox County. The trooper tried to perform a traffic stop, but the RAV4 continued driving, the OSHP said. The trooper called off the pursuit because of reckless driving and risk to the public when the RAV4 headed toward Mt. Vernon.

An OSHP helicopter picked up the pursuit, finding the RAV4 driving on Interstate 71 from Morrow County into Delaware and Franklin counties. With the helicopter keeping tabs on the car, troopers followed behind but did not have their sirens activated.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

OSHP said the RAV4 then exited I-71 onto Interstate 270 westbound then onto State Route 315, where troopers tried to use stop sticks near the Ackerman Road exit. However, the RAV4 continued driving south on SR-315 before exiting onto Interstate 670 West. OSHP said the RAV4 then continued south back to I-71 South.

The OSHP helicopter tracked the RAV4 on I-71 into Greene County with the troopers still following the car at a distance. The RAV4 then swerved off the left side of the road while trying to avoid another set of stop sticks and lost control, swerving back into the southbound lanes before hitting the back of a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado. The RAV4 then drove off the right side of the road before stopping.

Last-minute action speeds up Ohios bathroom bill

Tevin Marion, 29, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, was taken into custody. He is charged in Clinton County with failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony, as well as driving without a license, not wearing a seatbelt, and failure to control the vehicle, all misdemeanors. Marion was also charged in Knox County with felony failure to comply. He is being held in Clinton County Jail.

Marion is also facing other charges from other jurisdictions involved in Tuesdays pursuit as well; he is also wanted on a felony warrant.

His passenger, a 38-year-old Ft. Lauderdale man, was also apprehended. No charges for the man are listed.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  As the Portland area stares down the prospect of entering triple digits this weekend, local government officials said they are putting plans in place to prepare for the worst.

KOIN 6 News spoke with Multnomah County Health officials on Monday, who at that time said they didnt anticipate opening cooling centers this week. However, with an updated forecast and an excessive heat warning in effect beginning Thursday from the National Weather Service for this weekend, county officials have now changed their tune.

In the past 24-hours, forecasted temperature and heat index levels have risen to the point that the countys Office of Emergency Management is now saying they are planning to potentially open cooling centers Friday. However, the decision wont be made officially until the day before.

Oregon Zoo releasing 100 endangered frogs back into the wild

Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Richard Bruno told KOIN 6 News the upcoming heatwave could be particularly dangerous.

When we have a bunch of heat happening all at the same time, like you know, getting into the 90s and hundreds, our bodies are not quite able to thermoregulate or be able to cool off in an efficient way. So, people are more at risk of heat-related illness when the weather heats up like this, he said.

KOIN 6 also spoke with some community members who said they were worried theyd be left out in the heat. One woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said she signed up for the City of Portlands Cooling Portland Program, which is designed to connect low-income residents to air conditioning.

It would be a great opportunity for people if they could actually hire more people, actually get the assistance out to everyone so people dont have to suffer, she said.

MAX platform murder suspect surrenders to ClackCo deputy

However, she said she was shocked by the information she received from calling 3-11 after not hearing back on the status of her unit.

They said the reality is its gonna be 3-60 days before you receive a unit. Because of the backlog she said there were about 4,000 plus people that were on the waitlist.

KOIN 6 News spoke with program representatives who said the year-round program is not an emergency response. They admitted thousands are waiting for a unit following a recent spike in demand and that theyve been prioritizing seniors and people with medical conditions.

The city aims to install 15,000 cooling units to residents in need by 2027. Numbers show theyve reached 61% of that goal, having installed more than 9,200 units so far. This year alone, they installed more than 2,000 units.

Union very surprised at jobs affected in OHSU layoffs

The woman KOIN 6 spoke with waiting for her unit, who is unemployed, said living without A.C. has become a major stressor.

Its very disruptive, and I do feel for everyone else whos in the same thing and then the citys just like maybe get to a cooling shelter that might be up and part of the time,' she said.

Multnomah County officials said they will be closely monitoring the number of heat-related emergency calls and visits over the next week. Should the county decide to open the cooling centers, they will have medical vans onsite for the first time in its history to help treat people for heat-related illnesses, officials 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 KOIN.com.
Photo: Press-service of the president of Tajikistan

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, July 3. President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif signed a strategic partnership agreement during the official visit of the Pakistani PM to Tajikistan, Trend reports.

According to the press service of the Tajik president, in total, nine new cooperation documents were signed following high-level meetings and negotiations in Dushanbe.

These include:

Joint statement between Tajikistan and Pakistan following the official visit of the Prime Minister of Pakistan to Tajikistan

Program of Cooperation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan and Pakistan for 20252026.

Protocol of Intentions for Cooperation between the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of Tajikistan and the Federal Ministry of Maritime Affairs of Pakistan on expanding cooperation in the export and import of industrial goods and products.

Agreement on Scientific Cooperation between the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan and the Pakistan Academy of Sciences.

Roadmap for Tourism Development between the Committee for Tourism Development under the Government of Tajikistan and the Tourism Development Corporation of Pakistan.

Additional Memorandum on Air Services between the Civil Aviation Agency under the Government of Tajikistan and the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan.

Memorandum of Understanding between Tajik National University and the University of the Punjab.

Memorandum of Cooperation between the Cricket Federation of Tajikistan and the Pakistan Cricket Board.

To note, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, arrived in Tajikistan for an official visit on July 2, 2024.
The Department of Public Works (DPW) installed Flood Gate 1 (at Mulberry and East Mississippi Drive) Tuesday morning as the Mississippi River continued to rise, a news release said. Flood Gate 2 (East 2nd Street at Mad Creek) was closed this afternoon due to high water in Mad Creek and the prediction of up to five inches of rainfall this evening and overnight according to city officials.

The city crews planned to set up barricades at the Cedar Street and Iowa Avenue railroad crossings to close off access to Riverside Park once vehicles parked inside Riverside Park were moved. Access to the Gas Dock and to the Boat Harbor and Marina already have been closed off as flood waters have begun to cover Harbor Drive.

The Running River Trail through the park will also be closed to the public.

As high as the water is today in Mad Creek and the potential for heavy rain later today, we have decided to close Flood Gate 2 this afternoon to prevent the possibility of a flash flood down 2nd Street, said Brian Stineman, public works director.

As late as Monday afternoon, the City had anticipated closing Flood Gate 2 on Friday. However, the forecasted rainfall along with the continuing rise of Mad Creek and the Mississippi River moved that schedule up.

Public Works staff set up signage for the detour Tuesday morning. The northbound detour will not change from previous notices according to Stineman. (See MONDAY release) Vehicles will be diverted at Main Street and directed over 8th Street to Cypress and then out Isett or Washington Street to Park Avenue.

Coming off the Norbert F. Beckey Bridge vehicles will be detoured to 2nd Street and Park Avenue. At that point they can proceed downtown by taking 5th Street or use the bypass to continue around town.

Mississippi Drive will be closed from Chestnut to Mulberry and 2nd Street will be closed from Oak Street to Iowa Highway 92. The west closure of Mississippi Drive will be moved from Chestnut to Iowa on Friday once cleanup of the Fourth of July event has been completed and the stage removed from Iowa Avenue. Once the closure has been relocated, the northbound detour will be moved from Main Street to Iowa Avenue.

Also Tuesday, River Road was closed from Canon to Sherman as the river level rose above 18.6 feet. Access to Spillway Lane and to the Running River Trail system in this area was also affected by the floodwaters.

On Wednesday (July 3) Public Works staff will begin staging Muscle Wall on Sycamore Street between #1 Alley and Mississippi Drive, while leaving access to the Sycamore Street parking lot. The Muscle Wall will be installed on Friday between Cedar and Iowa.

Once the detour is moved to Iowa and the wall is in place our downtown flood prep will be completed and we will begin constant monitoring, Stineman said.

The Fourth of July events previously scheduled for Riverside Park will be held on the closed section of Mississippi Drive. Spectators can set up to view the firework display on the closed streets with free parking throughout the downtown district. Spectators are cautioned that there may be some water near the catch basins on Mississippi Drive at Walnut Street, so please be careful and stay away from flood waters. However, based on current projections Walnut Street should be dry through the Fourth of July.

The current forecast indicates that the river will reach major flood stage (20-feet) Thursday evening with a current projection that the river will level out at 21.5 feet Sunday. However, additional rain in the upper Mississippi River watershed has the potential to raise the predicted river levels and delay the crests.

Flood preparations are subject to change based on the river forecast. Residents are urged to be alert to changing conditions especially if they live in low-lying areas or along the riverfront.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)  Myrtle Beach officials are re-evaluating vehicle policies on city beaches after 66-year-old Sandra Schultz-Peters was hit and killed by a police truck in Horry County last month.

Schultz-Peters was killed by Lance Cpl. Julian Duke Brown after he pulled onto the Nash Street Public Beach Access at about 1 p.m. on June 13 in a full-sized 2020 Ford Ranger beach patrol truck.

The city of Myrtle Beach, in response to the incident, is evaluating options for safety equipment additions to the beach pickup trucks. This includes adding exterior cameras and object detection sensors to the front of the trucks. They are already installed in the back ends of the trucks.

Inside Myrtle Beach city limits, officials said that the beaches will remain having UTVs, four-wheelers and compacted pick up trucks (Ford Rangers, Chevrolet Colorados and Nissan Frontiers) during the daytime and congested hours.

Officials said beach pickup trucks are an important and lifesaving asset to beach public safety crews with having lifesaving equipment required by the United States Lifesaving Association that can only fit on trucks. They cited the following reasons for why its important:

Floatation devices

Rescue boards

Spinal stabilization equipment (spineboard, head and neck immobilization and fastening devices)

Mask, snorkel and fin sets for ocean rescues

Marker buoys for search and rescue

Medical Aid Kit

Radios

Along with additional items not mentioned. The beach patrol and rescue teams already practice the following:

The person riding in a vehicles passenger seat serves as a spotter.

Beach truck operators must pass specified training per fire/police department.

May not drive faster than five miles per hour on the beach.

May only make left turns.

Can exit the beach and use roads to get as close to the emergency as possible before re-entering the beach.

* * *

Gabby Jonas joined the News13 team as a multimedia journalist in April 2024. She is from Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Kent State University in May 2023. Follow Gabby on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and 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.
Aliens, we have a problem: The Colorado monolith is no more.

The shine of the Bellvue monolith has worn off and the private landowner removed the popular pillar Wednesday morning from the hilltop where it sat since it mysteriously appeared June 23.

The Coloradoan was the first to report the monolith's appearance.

"The final decision to remove it was the overwhelming influx of people who came to see it,'' Lori Graves, who owns the property with husband Rob Graves, told the Coloradoan on Wednesday morning. "If the creator would like to have it back, they can email the cafe. We will keep it but are not sure what we are going to do with it.''

A worker cuts the bolts that attached a monolith to a concrete slab in Bellvue, northwest of Fort Collins, Colo., on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The monolith was mysteriously erected June 23 and attracted large crowds.

Lori Graves said the monolith has been good for business at the Howling Cow Cafe, which the Graveses own and is adjacent to the hill on which the monolith was erected. But she said the popularity of the reflective monolith has caused damage to the hill on which it sits by trespassers who have left trash.

She has said she does not know who placed the monolith on the hill.

She said a trail had been worn to the top of the knob by people hiking to get a close-up view of the 9-foot-tall, 4-foot-wide, 8-inch-deep reflective structure.

So Wednesday morning, a worker took a grinder to cut the bolts that attached the monolith to a concrete slab and used a front end loader with forks to haul the structure away.

She said the decision to remove the monolith Wednesday was done before the expected hordes of people came to see it over the long Fourth of July holiday weekend.

She estimated 800 to 1,500 people came to view the monolith last week.

The crowd got so out of hand that she had people stationed at a gate near the monolith to open it so vehicles could park and see the structure and not block the narrow paved county road.

Since then, she said the gate has been locked and no trespassing signs have been placed along the fence line.

"I completely understand why other monoliths have been removed,'' she said. "Everyone wants to look but not everyone wants to do it respectfully.''

Mysterious monoliths have been popping up in strange places around the world in recent years, including Utah's red rock country, California, the Nevada desert and in Las Vegas as well as Wales and Romania.

She said having the monolith was fun while it lasted but a return to normalcy in the quiet foothills northwest of Fort Collins will be welcomed.

"As much as I liked it, it really is kind of a relief, especially going into the holiday weekend and knowing how many people would show up,'' she said. "We can have our little peaceful spot back.''

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado monolith removed before July 4th weekend
Credit - Illustration by Ricardo Tomas for Time

In January 2021, in the turbulent wake of the last presidential contest, a former professor named Todd Rose asked some 2,000 people a question. The survey was, at least on the surface, designed to deduce what kind of country Americans would like future generations to inherit.

Each person was presented with 55 separate goal statements for the nationPeople have individual rights was one; People have high-quality health care was anotherand asked to rank them in order of importance. Each person was also asked how each goal would be ranked by other people.

When the results were tallied, the surprise was not that People have individual rights came in first, or that People have high-quality health care finished second. The surprise was the third highest priority: Successfully address climate change. We know thats a surprise because, on the list of what other people considered important, climate came in 33rd. In other words, no one thought their fellow Americans saw climate as the high-priority item nearly everyone actually considered it to be.

That gapbetween what we ourselves think and what we reckon others must be thinkingmay hold the power to upend a great deal of what we believe we know about American civic life.

People are lousy at figuring out what the group thinks, Rose says. This collective blind spot is a quirk he would underline to students when he was teaching the neuroscience of learning at Harvard. At Populace, the think tank he co-founded to put such knowledge to practical use, the foible plays a prominent role in efforts to undo what Rose calls the shared illusion that Americans are hopelessly divided.

And divided we certainly think we are. The only thing Americans seem to agree on is that Americans cannot agree on anything. Its hardly worth summarizing the headlines about doom and radicalization. In the prelude to a November ballot featuring the candidate synonymous with polarization, all the dapple and nuance of life is once again being reduced to a binary. Choose a side: red or blue.

Yet in the wintry interval between Jan. 6 and Inauguration Day 2021, that Populace survey, dubbed the American Aspirations Index, found stunning agreement on national goals across every segment of the U.S. population, including, to a significant extent, among those who voted for Donald Trump and those who voted for Joe Biden. On the few points where the survey registered disagreement (notably, on immigration and borders), the dissent was intense. But intense disagreement was the exception, not the rule.

Much of what news reports, politicians, and pollsters call polarization, Rose understands as learned divisivenessdivision propagated by the assumption that it exists even where it does not.

Its a bold, and boldly optimistic, notion, but a notion supported by more than just one survey. At universities across the U.S., researchers have been looking hard at the mechanics of polarization. Picture them under the hood, bent over the engine thats supposed to be driving us, possibly over a cliff. Every now and then, one reaches back with something theyve managed to pry loose, sets it on the fender. These studies, hiding under titles like Reducing Explicit Blatant Dehumanization by Correcting Exaggerated Meta-Perceptions, together make up a growing body of evidence that challenges the received wisdom about this political moment.

Maybe, they suggest, America has the wrong idea about polarization. It may not be nearly the engine we thought. Its possible that what it produces, as much as anything, is noise.

Consider: Ordinary people in both parties turn out to like ordinary people in the other party well enough. In a 2021 study in the Journal of Politics, researchers found that when a person in one political party was asked what they think of someone in the other party, their answer was pretty negative. That certainly sounds like polarization. But it turns out the someones respondents had in mind were partisans holding forth on cable news.

If told the truththat a typical member of the opposite party actually holds moderate views and talks about politics only occasionallythe animus dissolved into indifference. And if told that the same moderate person only rarely discusses politics, the sentiment edged into the positive zone. These folks might actually get along.

There are people who are certainly polarized, says Yanna Krupnikov, a study co-author now at the University of Michigan. They are 100% polarized. They deeply hate the other side. They are extraordinarily loud. They are extraordinarily important in American politics. But those people, she adds, are not typical Americans. They are people who live and breathe politicsthe partisans and activists whom academics refer to in this context as elites.

Elite politics is quite polarized, Krupnikov says. So the question is, does that mean everyone else is?

Why not ask everyone else whether America is really that divided? Pollsters do, all the time. But theres a problem. Ordinary folks think Americans are much more partisan than they are. In the same study, people grossly overestimated (by 78%) the size of the most polarized group within each partythat is, Democrats who call themselves liberal and Republicans who call themselves conservative. At the same time, ordinary Americans grossly underestimated (by 77%) the share of the other party who are moderate. That share is, in fact, at least half of either party. People probably are exactly right about how polarized their leaders are, says Robb Willer, a sociologist at Stanford. They get it very wrong for the general public.

It gets worse: the more involved in politics a person is, the more distorted their view of the other side, a 2019 YouGov survey found. In other words, engagement in civic life actually serves to narrow ones perspective on the world.

That hardly recommends todays politics, and goes a long way toward explaining why many people avoid partisans. They dislike people who are really ideologically extreme, who are very politically invested, who want to come and talk to them about politics, says Matthew Levendusky, a University of Pennsylvania professor of political science. And its not as if theyre trying to avoid confrontation, he adds: Its also the case that people arent really that fond of people from their own side who want to talk to them about politics.

So people who do like to talk about politics talk to each other instead, and a striking social dynamic plays out: political enthusiasts will pretend to be even more polarized than they are. For a 2023 study published in Public Opinion Quarterly, people who described themselves as heavily invested in politics admitted that they would dial up their anger to impress fellow partisans. According to Elizabeth C. Connors, the University of South Carolina professor who conducted the study, the falseness partisans described about their own behavior reached levels rarely seen in social sciences.

Her takeaway: If youre a partisan and youre going to say youre a Republican or youre going to say youre a Democrat, you need to be a polarized one. Or else youre not a good one.

Such performative behavior of course complicates efforts to gauge how divided Americans have become. If you ask a true racist their views, theyre going to lower the temperature, and report that theyre less racist than they actually are, says Sean J. Westwood, who studies polarization at Dartmouth. If you ask someone about partisanship and partisan hatred, they tend to do the reverse.

Standing for the national anthem in Portland, Maine, on July 4, 2017 Brianna SoukupPortland Press Herald/Getty Images

So, yes, American politics has grown more dividedbut largely among people who live and breathe politics. And these people exaggerate their own polarity to win the approval of other people who also live and breathe politics. Its also true that the number of these people has grown over the past 40 years, as more Republicans identified as conservative and more Democrats as liberal.

That growth is a big reason that, for example, the U.S. House of Representatives is no longer actually representative. Most House seatsoften by designare for districts dominated by one party, so the decisive election is the primary, a low-turnout affair in which the enthusiasm of activists has outsize impact. And, once in Washington, studies show, the Congressperson routinely cast votes more ideological than their typical constituents. But, still, in neither party do the ideologues make up the majority, even if it sure can feel that way. In truth, most Americans agree on most things.

Thats kind of surprising to a lot of people, says James Druckman, a political scientist at the University of Rochester. But its pretty well documented that the typical voter of each party is not that far from the typical voter of the other party on most issues. If you look at other countries, the distance is a lot greater.

Read more: Americans Say They Feel Pretty Goodat Least Compared to the Country as a Whole

Yet that relatively modest distance seems like a chasm, in no small part because of whats called conformity bias. Researchers have long known that when asked a question by a pollster, people tend to color their reply by what they think theyre expected to say. This idea can make it easier to understand why, when the national narrative is about extremes, as it is now, moderate people self-report as being less moderate than they really are.

This tug toward the fringes, as Populaces Rose calls it, threatens to empty out the middle ground where many Americans might prefer to stay, but fear theyll be alone there. Their isolation may be an illusionlike the idea that no one but you cares about climate changebut it can feel real enough.

Remember how bad humans are at figuring out what other people are thinking, at least as a group? Its reinforced by another bug in our mental software. Our brains mistake repetition for majority opinion.

As the delightful subtitle on a 2007 study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology put it: A repetitive voice can sound like a chorus. The study gathered people in a group to discuss something, then asked individuals to state the majority opinion of the group. What people offered up was the opinion they had heard several timeseven when it had been voiced by just one person, saying the same thing over and over. Other studies have documented the same phenomenon.

Your brain has this stupid shortcut for how it estimates the majority, says Rose. The shortcut sheds light on why people frequently mistake the views of political activists, such as those on Fox News Channel and MSNBC, for the views of most Americans. Regular viewers do appear to be genuinely polarized. But in a 2022 study, Fox News viewers who were paid to watch CNN registered a significant moderation in their views after just a few weeks. You change their media environment and their attitudes change pretty meaningfully, says University of California, Berkeley, political scientist David Broockman.

But for those who dont embrace an ideology, the tug toward the fringes can be a source of stress. Populace figured out a way to measure this unease in another of its surveysone that helps explain how we know moderates are inhibited about revealing their views to pollsters.

This survey, in 2022, aimed to avoid the distortions of conformity bias by masking both the respondents identity and, more subtly, the question being asked, by hiding the target among a series of multiple-choice questions. Because this method requires several rounds of polling to see which results are significant, its expensive and time-consumingbut its thought to reliably reveal information people might not consciously choose to share. (The IRS uses this, Rose says.)

Among the revelations of Private Opinion in America is that men are less supportive of abortion being a matter between a woman and her doctor than public surveys suggest, but also that people are less concerned than other polls suggest about the amount of time public schools spend talking about race.

On many topics, the gap was fairly smalla few percentage pointsbetween the opinion someone held privately and the one publicly expressed. And the results varied by demographic and political party. Yet every group polled registered double-digit gaps on at least one issue.

Read more: The Split in How Americans Think About Our Collective Past Is RealBut Theres a Way Out of the History Wars

One group in particular was revealed to have struggled mightily to be candid with ordinary pollsters. For political independents, people without a party, the gap between private thought and public expression ran to double digits on more than half the issuesa striking amount of dissonance. This discrepancy ought to seem odd. After all, political moderates still constitute the majority in the U.S. electorate. But in a public sphere dominated by extremes, independents are made to feel that they have no place.

A more striking measure of that distress popped up in Gallups annual poll asking Americans, What one country anywhere in the world do you consider to be the United States worst enemy today? One of the options is the United States itself. This year, that was the choice of 2% of Democrats and 1% of Republicans. But 11% of independents judged the U.S. as its own worst enemymore than selected either North Korea or Iran.

The Fourth of July, Long Beach, Wash., 2018 Matt BlackMagnum Photos

People do, of course, disagree. If they didnt, there wouldnt be much need for democracy. There are real differences in opinion on topics that are, to many Americans, a matter of life and death. It matters that you vote. And theres a reason the past decade or so has been a time in which friendships, families, and civic life have been riven by politics. Which is to say, no discussion of polarization can ignore Donald Trump. Division is kind of his brand. Whether or not Trump deliberately exploited the national tug toward the extremes to get elected in 2016, the trend accelerated during his time in office.

When it comes to measuring perceived polarization, political scientists regard the quadrennial surveys by American National Election Studies as the gold standard. Every four years, it asks members of one party how warmly or coolly they feel toward the other party. During Trumps term, the temperature dropped a record amount. Studies of presidential rhetoric note that he stood out among modern Presidents for seldom using language intended to unite the country.

And yet, at the end of those four years, moderates remained the majority, even as politics grew nastier. National unity actually turns out to be of scant interest to most people, finishing 50th in the American Aspirations survey. Treating one another with respect, however, ranked 14th. In a country where most people agree on most things, the acid tone of public debate amounts to a paradox that Lilliana Mason, a political psychologist at Johns Hopkins, captured in the title of a 2014 paper, I Disrespectfully Agree.

Mason says insult politics masks the underlying congruity on most issues by stirring emotions attached to differences in sensibility or social identitythe culture war topics that animate activists on both sides. Americans are, on average, moderate on most policy preferences, she says. But one of the things that our current politics does is it makes us think the most about the policies that we get the most mad about.

Fortunately, when people learn the truth about the other side, they feel better.

Polarization appears to be largely driven by misperceptions, Rachel Kleinfeld concluded in a sweeping survey of the topic for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Even the worst reports going aroundthat, for instance, significant numbers of Americans supposedly favor armed revoltturn out to be misleading. Those polls reflect a perception that the other side is already planning violence. Informed of the actual situation, the reaction recedes. Stanfords Willer says the propensity for political violence is overreported by 300% to 400%.

Mason agrees. In so many studies, people register surprise that their assumptions about their rivals are wrong. Theyre like, Oh, I didnt know that, and then they feel better about the other side, she says. And then they go out into the real world and everything around them is like no, no, no, theyre demons. And so the effect doesnt last, right? It has to be everywhere.

What looks like a gulf may be more like a flooded sidewalkshared space thats still there, just really hard to see. In American Aspirations, more respondents said politicians should focus on finding common ground than said politicians should be fighting for them. Butsure enoughthey also thought other people felt the opposite.

And of course November looms, with its promise of cleaving the nation down the middle with a this-or-that choice. Yet face to face, most people still get along, especially if theyre polite enough not to talk only about politics all the time.

But even if they do, look: In 2022, a Berkeley study followed what scholars have determined are the most insular partisans of allliberal Democratsas they knocked on doors in conservative neighborhoods, canvassing for votes. The activists didnt change many minds. But afterward, many reported a new respect for people who saw things differently. With reporting by Julia Zorthian

Contact us at letters@time.com.
NASA astronaut Andre Douglas poses for a portrait at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston. Photo by Josh Valcarcel/NASA

July 3 (UPI) -- NASA on Wednesday named Andre Douglas as a backup crewmember for its Artemis II test flight.

Douglas, a recent graduate of NASA astronaut training school, holds four post-graduate degrees. He had worked as a staff member at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory where he worked on maritime robotics, planetary defense and space exploration missions for NASA.

"Andre's educational background and extensive operational experience in his various jobs prior to joining NASA are clear evidence of his readiness to support this mission," Joe Acaba, NASA's chief astronaut at Houston's Johnson Space Center, said in a statement.

"He excelled in his astronaut candidate training and technical assignments and we are confident he will continue to do so as NASA's backup crew member for Artemis II."

In the Artemis mission, NASA will be establishing its foundation for long-term scientific exploration on the moon with its international partners.

In April 2023, NASA announced Christina Hammock Koch, Reid Wiseman, Victor J. Glover Jr, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen as part of the Artemis II mission.

Last November, the Canadian Space Agency named Jenni Gibbons as its backup astronaut for the Artemis II mission.

"The selection of Douglas and Gibbons as backup crewmembers for Artemis II is independent of the selection of crew members for Artemis III," NASA said. "NASA has not yet selected crew members for Artemis flights beyond Artemis II. All active NASA astronauts are eligible for assignment to any human spaceflight mission."
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Amid multiple arrests within the past week, the Metro Nashville Police Department is continuing to search for a number of wanted fugitives who have remained at large.

The police departments Top 10 Most Wanted list is updated every Wednesday on the Criminal Warrants Divisions Facebook page. According to police, those featured on the list are often considered to be some of the most violent offenders in the city.

Most Wanted fugitive arrested after chase on Belmont University campus

Of the suspects on this weeks list, all but two are wanted for either homicide or charges related to alleged sex crimes. The rest of Nashvilles Most Wanted suspects are accused of crimes such as aggravated burglary and facilitating aggravated kidnapping.

Many have reportedly been on the run for nearly a year now, including two rape suspects who were recently added back to the list. But while the search for these suspects continues, the list has aided police in several arrests.

Four of Nashvilles Most Wanted fugitives were taken into custody just within the past week. In two of the cases, police had been searching for the suspects for nearly three years. William Tribue, 43, was wanted for vehicular homicide in connection with a deadly June 3, 2021, crash.

Darius Witherspoon, 37, was also being sought by police for a string of alleged shootings that began in October 2021. Another fugitive, 23-year-old Elijah Maitland, was arrested on Monday, July 1 after officials said he ran onto the Belmont University campus while trying to flee from police.

Shirtless man arrested nearly 1 year after deadly fight outside Nashville store

The fourth person taken into custody was 22-year-old Jaylen Bender, who authorities said was involved in a fight outside a Nashville liquor store that left a good Samaritan dead. In total, at least 120 Most Wanted suspects have been arrested since the program was launched in October 2022.

Investigators have largely attributed the programs success to tips theyve received from the public. Below is a list of the suspects who made the police departments Top 10 Most Wanted list the week of July 3, 2024.

1. Adrian L. Cameron

Adrian Cameron (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

At number one, Adrian Cameron, 19, is considered this weeks Top Most Wanted fugitive, according to the MNPD. This is the eighth week in a row Cameron has appeared on the list. However, police have been looking for him since mid-April.

Investigators said Cameron is one of three suspects in the death of 32-year-old rapper Chris King, who was shot and killed just before 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 20. King and his friends were reportedly hanging out in an alleyway between Hayes Street and Church Street that night.

RELATED: 1 killed, 1 injured in shooting along Hayes Street

Eventually, three other men began interacting with the group. Kings friends told police it started out cordial, but after some time, the three suspects allegedly tried to rob them. Thats when gunfire ran out, injuring King and his 29-year-old friend.

Both of them were brought to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, but King did not survive. Cameron, who was out on bond for the 2021 murder of 50-year-old Josh Evans at the time, was identified as a suspect in the shooting only days later.

Officials believe Cameron cut his ankle monitor shortly after the shooting. Cameron had just turned 17 years old when police said he turned himself in for Evans murder. Evans was found shot and wrapped in trash bags in the Cumberland River in Sept. 2021.

Unbelievable: Mourning Lebanon family outraged teen murder suspect was out on bond, accused of killing again

Cameron was arrested again for gun charges in Rutherford County less than four months after turning himself in for the 2021 murder. Hes now charged with criminal homicide in connection with Kings death, as well as failure to appear.

However, efforts to locate him have been unsuccessful. Anyone with information on Camerons whereabouts is asked to contact the MNPD at 615-862-8600 or Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.

2. Lagarrion L. Blacksmith

Lagarrion Blacksmith (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Lagarrion Blacksmith, 35, has been at the top of Nashvilles Most Wanted list for several months as police continue to try to track him down.

He was initially added to the list on Nov. 29, 2023, after investigators said they were able to connect him to a deadly shooting that took place outside a Dickerson Pike bar last year.

Officers found 35-year-old Chancellor Eddins lying on the ground just outside of Trvth Lounge on Feb. 18, 2023. He had been shot and later died at the scene. Another man who had also been hit by the gunfire was able to give officers an account of what happened.

RELATED: Man wanted for homicide, other charges following fatal February shooting on Dickerson Pike

According to police, the injured man told them he and Eddins had gotten into an argument with the suspect inside of the bar. Then, shots were fired as they left the location. At the time, the identity of the alleged shooter was unclear.

Months later, investigators announced Blacksmith had been identified as a suspect. On Nov. 22, 2023, officials said arrest warrants had been issued against Blacksmith for criminal homicide, attempted homicide, and felon in possession of a handgun.

However, efforts to locate him have reportedly been unsuccessful.

3. Raceme Crutcher

Raceme Crutcher (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Police have been looking for Raceme Crutcher, 22, since July 2023, when he was named as one of two suspects in a deadly Fourth of July shooting.

Officials said the shooting happened at the Fallbrook Apartments on Dellway Villa Road. Etabo Malanda, 16, was reportedly standing on the porch of an apartment when two armed individuals came from around the corner and confronted him.

RELATED: Teen killed in shooting at East Nashville apartment complex

Malanda allegedly tried to pull out a pistol that was inside his hoodie, but he was shot. Police said he died shortly after he was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

According to investigators, four guns were recovered from the apartment, including one that was reported stolen. Crutcher and 17-year-old Jaylin Brown were reportedly connected to the crime through witness accounts.

Investigators also obtained surveillance footage and additional information from community members that they said pointed to Crutcher and Brown as suspects in the case. Officials believe the motive may have been an ongoing dispute between the suspects and Malanda.

SEE ALSO: Teen wanted in connection with deadly Fourth of July shooting arrested

Brown was taken into custody on Aug. 31, 2023, after police said they caught him driving a stolen car. However, Crutcher is still on the run. He was added to the Most Wanted list on Nov. 15, 2023. His last location is unknown.

4. Michael A. Yarlett

Michael A. Yarlett (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Michael Yarlett, 29, is wanted on three counts of aided and abetted rape, according to authorities. Court documents indicate he is one of two suspects in the incident, which happened in September 2022.

Yarlett was added to the Most Wanted list on Nov. 22, 2023. Officials said his last location is unknown.

5. Ladonte J. Groves

Ladonte Groves (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Ladonte Groves, 23, was added back to the list on April 3 after first being featured among Nashvilles Most Wanted on Aug. 16, 2023. Police said Groves has since been indicted by a grand jury on multiple charges related to alleged sex crimes.

Suspect in multiple Nashville shootings arrested after high-speed chase

The charges against him include two counts of rape, two counts of sexual battery and one count of domestic assault. Authorities said Groves was last seen in the East Nashville area. However, efforts to locate him have been unsuccessful.

6. Diego Camaja-Santiago

Diego Camaja-Santiago (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Police are continuing to search for Diego Camaja-Santiago, 24, after he initially appeared on the Most Wanted list nearly a year ago on Aug. 16. He was added back to the list on June 12 after being indicted by a grand jury on several charges related to alleged sex crimes.

According to authorities, Camaja-Santiago has outstanding warrants for two counts of aggravated rape with bodily injury, two counts of statutory rape and probation violation. His last location is unknown.

7. Edgar Monje-Alfaro

Edgar Monje-Alfaro (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Edgar Monje-Alfaro, 23, is wanted by the MNPD after recently being indicted by a grand jury on two counts of statutory rape. Monje-Alfaro was added to the Most Wanted list last week. Officials said his last location is unknown.

8. Adrian Abernathy

Adrian Abernathy (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Adrian Abernathy, 30, is believed to have been behind the wheel of a stolen car in a deadly October 2022 crash on the Rosa L. Parks Boulevard exit ramp from I-65 North.

Abernathy has outstanding warrants for vehicular homicide, three counts of aggravated assault, felon in possession of a weapon, theft of a motor vehicle, theft of a firearm, reckless endangerment and making a false report.

SEE ALSO: Man wanted after allegedly lying about driving stolen car involved in deadly crash

According to police, Abernathy initially said he was a backseat passenger in the stolen Lincoln Navigator SUV. However, over the course of the investigation, detectives determined the seating positions were reversed and Abernathy was the one driving the car.

Authorities said he was traveling over 100 mph shortly before the crash, which killed 29-year-old Todd Bryant of Antioch.

Abernathy has been featured on the Most Wanted list several times since early February 2023. He was added back to the list on May 1 after last being featured in November. Officials said he was last seen in Hermitage.

9. Marisah D. White

Marisah D. White (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Marisah White, 21, is wanted on outstanding warrants for robbery, two counts of facilitating aggravated kidnapping and theft of property, according to police.

Court records show she is one of two people involved in the alleged crimes, which took place more than two years ago on April 4, 2022. White was added to the list on June 19. Officials said her last location is unknown.

10. Joshua R. Starkey

Joshua R. Starkey (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Joshua Starkey, 19, is a new addition to this weeks list and among some of the youngest suspects to appear among Nashvilles Most Wanted. Police said Starkey is wanted for one count of aggravated robbery with a weapon or object. He was last seen in Hermitage.

CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime news from Middle Tennessee

Anyone with information on any of the suspects listed is asked to contact the MNPD at 615-862-8600 or Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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's ruling that presidents have immunity for "official acts" goes against all of the principles the nation's founders pushed for as they drew up the Constitution, historians and legal experts argued.

Fifteen constitutional historians, represented by the liberal non-profit policy institute the Brennan Center for Justice, filed a friend-of-the-court brief to the Supreme Court In April, challenging former President Donald Trump's claims that current and former presidents enjoyed "absolute immunity" from criminal prosecution.

PHOTO: Signing of the Constitution of the USA. 1787. (MPI via Getty Images)

"Advocates for the new Constitution sought to assure state ratifying conventions that the new President would not be an elected king," the brief said.

Holly Brewer, the Burke Professor of American History at the University of Maryland and the brief's main author, told ABC News that historical writings from key figures, including Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and others as well as the records from the states as they ratified the Constitution explicitly show they were against "another runaway monarchy" after suffering under Great Britain's King George III.

MORE: What constitutes an 'official act' by a president?

"It was remarkable. There were so many issues where the founders disagreed, but this was not one of them," she said.

Brewer said the founders all looked at history in order to not repeat the same mistakes they thought had led to the absolute rule by king they opposed, holding to the concept that "no man is above the law."

"The Framers came to the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 determined not to replicate the British monarchy they had defeated. They argued among themselves about the appropriate balance of power between the executive and legislative branches, and the specific powers attached to each. But at no point did they seek to endow the President with prerogatives that would make him an 'elective King,'" the brief said, citing James Madison's "Notes on the Constitutional Convention."

Thomas Wolf, director of democracy initiatives at the Brennan Center who co-authored the brief, told ABC News that the anti-monarchal spirit among the founders was so strong that even those who pushed for a stronger executive branch, such as Hamilton, argued that a president could be prosecuted.

PHOTO: The signing of the Constitution of the United States in 1787. (Bettmann Archive via Getty Images)

For example, during the convention, Hamilton argued for an elective executive to serve for a lifetime but only "during good behaviour" and be subject to prosecution and removal.

While the founders were debating the immunities for Congress, James Madison suggested a similar discussion for the president, however, no one else wanted to take up the discussion, Wolf said.

"He brought it to the floor and everyone decided they should go home instead," he said.

Wolf and Brewer said the Constitution's ratification among the states hung on the idea that the president could be held accountable for abuses and crimes.

"In advocating for ratification, the Founders sought to reassure the ratifying conventions that Our President is not a King, nor is our Senate a house of Lords." the brief said citing speeches in state conventions during the ratification process.

MORE: Supreme Court's liberal justices warn of 'law-free zone' stemming from Trump immunity ruling

"At every state ratification convention, this was an issue and the states were reassured [the Constitution] would not result in another runaway monarchy," Brewer said.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor also invoked this idea in her dissent arguing that under the conservative majority's ruling the president "is now a king above the law."

"The Court effectively creates a law-free zone around the President, upsetting the status quo that has existed since the Founding," she wrote.

Wolf said that the Supreme Court's majority ignored fundamental and well-documented facts from the nation's history in its ruling.

"The framers already considered granting criminal immunity and rejected it which means they concluded an energetic executive could still be considered for criminal prosecution," he said.

Nation's founders pushed against 'elected king' when framing presidential powers: Historians originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
NATO agreed to commit 40 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine next year, source tells Reuters

NATO members have agreed to provide Ukraine with military aid worth 40 billion euros ($43 billion) next year, Reuters reported on July 3, citing an undisclosed Western diplomat.

Allied leaders are expected to sign off on the commitment during the NATO summit in Washington on July 9-11, the news agency said.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has pushed for the allies to provide a minimum of 40 billion euros in defense aid to Ukraine in the years to come to ensure long-term funding.

This would match the average annual commitment provided to Ukraine since the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022, Stoltenberg explained.

It is unclear whether the new agreement also concerns years past 2025.

Kyiv previously said it hopes to obtain guarantees for future military aid during the Washington summit, as well as a clear signal of its membership aspirations.

NATO officials indicated that Ukraine is unlikely to receive an invitation during the summit, but the meeting would contain "new language" on Ukraine's NATO prospects and focus on a roadmap toward its eventual membership.

The alliance also reportedly plans to station a senior representative in Kyiv and create a new command in Germany to coordinate assistance for Ukraine, primarily to safeguard it if Donald Trump returns to the White House after the presidential election later this year.

Ex-President Trump, the Republican Party's presumptive nominee, has repeatedly criticized NATO and assistance for Kyiv, raising concerns about the future stability of the pro-Ukraine alliance.

The fears are underscored by growing far-right and populist parties in Europe, which have also voiced skepticism regarding the aid for Ukraine.

Read also: NATO plans to establish new post in Kyiv, Trump-proof Ukraine aid, WSJ reports

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Korea Importers Associations (KOIMA) journal recently published an article by Ramin Hasanov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, titled "Economic Potential and Business Opportunities in Azerbaijan," Azernews reports.

In the article, Ambassador Hasanov highlighted Azerbaijan's strategic economic goals outlined in "Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development," emphasizing priorities such as economic diversification, renewable energy potential, and extensive reconstruction and construction efforts in recently liberated territories. He also discussed investment opportunities in the Garabagh and Eastern Zangazur economic regions.

The article noted Azerbaijan's declaration of 2024 as the "Green World Solidarity Year" and highlighted the upcoming COP29, which Azerbaijan will host this year.

Ambassador Hasanov further explored Azerbaijan-South Korea economic cooperation, emphasizing the impact of reciprocal business visits and economic events on bilateral relations. He underscored promising areas for economic collaboration, the role of the intergovernmental commission, the bilateral legal framework, and the collaboration between KOIMA and other economic associations in Korea.
Photo: Press-service of the President of Tajikistan

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, July 3. President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev have discussed bilateral cooperation between the countries on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, Trend reports via the press service of the President of Tajikistan.

The meeting focused on developing cooperation in trade and economy, agriculture, energy, air transportation, and security.

The sides expressed their readiness to continue consultations on international and regional issues.

Another topic of discussion was the upcoming meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation in Dushanbe.

They also reviewed progress in digitalization and the allocation of grants for training Tajik specialists in information technologies.

The heads of state discussed the agenda for the next SCO summit and other relevant topics.

It is worth mentioning that the SCO summit, to which Tajikistan has belonged since its inception in 2001, is set to be held in Kazakhstan on July 34.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
(Bloomberg) -- NATO allies agreed Wednesday they should aim to provide at least 40 billion ($43 billion) in military aid for Ukraine per year, but refrained from explicit pledges for the years ahead, according to alliance diplomats.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The outcome undercuts their aim of providing Kyiv with more predictability over expected aid. Despite initial enthusiasm for a multi-year funding proposal by outgoing NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, several allies found it politically and legally challenging to commit to the precise figure for future years.

Instead, the North Atlantic Treaty Organizations 32 members committed to the 40 billion target for aid, with the caveat that it be reviewed every year, according to the diplomats, who were granted anonymity to discuss closed-door negotiations. The target in the future could decrease or increase, depending on the situation on the battlefield, they said.

Funding for this year is already significantly above that threshold, with the US alone already committing around $60 billion. Under the plan, allies donation targets will be based on their gross national income in order to ensure greater burden sharing, one of the people familiar said.

The funding pledge, which still needs to be endorsed by heads of state, will form part of a broader package to be presented to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a summit of NATO leaders in Washington next week. The commitments are meant to underscore NATOs support for Kyiv over the long term and pave the way for Ukraines future membership to the military alliance.

Stoltenberg had initially proposed that allies commit to $100 billion over five years, before pivoting to a plan they agree to 40 billion in aid every year, in line with average annual contributions since Russias invasion in 2022. Reuters reported earlier that the allies reached an agreement on the funding pledge.

In addition to the aid, NATO will take on a greater role alongside the US-led Ramstein group to identify what military equipment Ukraine needs. The organization will now also coordinate weapons deliveries to allies hubs, as well as training for Ukrainian soldiers outside of the country.

NATO allies are still negotiating wording for the leaders statement to describe Ukraines path toward joining the alliance.

Allies are anxious to avoid the difficult discussions that marred last years summit in Vilnius, when Ukraine was pushing for an invitation. NATO ended up deciding Ukraine would join once allies agree and conditions are met.

While an invitation is again unlikely this year, the US and Germany have pushed back against describing Ukraines membership path to NATO as irreversible, and instead want to portray the entire package as a bridge to membership, according to people familiar with the matter. The concern has been that the use of the word irreversible could suggest that previous commitments would be reversible.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (R) meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the two-day NATO Defense Ministers Council at the Alliance headquarters. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg fails to get allies to commit to a multi-year financial pledge to support Ukraine, according to information obtained by dpa. -/NATO/dpa

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has failed to get allies to commit to a multi-year financial pledge to support Ukraine, according to information obtained by dpa on Wednesday.

Ahead of a NATO leaders' summit in Washington, allies would only commit to support for Ukraine worth 40 billion ($43 billion) within the next year, dpa learnt from delegations to the alliance.

Allies also did not reach an agreement on sharing the financial costs of supporting Ukraine, with NATO members vaguely stating that the gross domestic product (GDP) of a country's economy should play a role.

At a meeting of NATO defence ministers in June, Stoltenberg called on allies to agree a plan to maintain over the long term their current level of support to Ukraine, which he put at 40 billion per year.

The burden would be divided up according to NATO countries' GDP, with the United States contributing 50%.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (R) meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the two-day NATO Defense Ministers Council at the Alliance headquarters. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg fails to get allies to commit to a multi-year financial pledge to support Ukraine, according to information obtained by dpa. -/NATO/dpa

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg failed to get allies to commit to a multi-year financial pledge to support Ukraine, according to information obtained by dpa on Wednesday.

Ahead of a NATO leaders' summit in Washington, allies would only commit to support for Ukraine worth 40 billion ($43 billion) within the next year, dpa learnt from delegations to the alliance.

The multi-year financial pledge was part of the secretary general's attempt to shore up the alliance's support for Ukraine in the event that Donald Trump returns to the US presidency in January 2025.

NATO commitments of future support for Ukraine were also meant to signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that he could not succeed in his invasion of Ukraine.

At a meeting of NATO defence ministers in June, Stoltenberg called on allies to agree a plan to maintain for the long term their current level of support to Ukraine, which he put at 40 billion per year.

The burden would be divided up according to NATO countries' GDP, with the United States contributing 50%, Stoltenberg said.

The 40 billion sum nearly corresponds to the annual support provided to Ukraine by NATO allies since the beginning of the Russian invasion.

Allies however did not reach an agreement on sharing the financial costs of supporting Ukraine, with NATO members vaguely stating that the gross domestic product (GDP) of a country's economy should play a role.

The failed move to get the alliance's financial support for Ukraine on a firmer basis is part of NATO's wider project to shift coordinating military aid for Ukraine away from the United States.

So far NATO allies have endorsed a plan for the alliance to coordinate military aid to Ukraine.

Previously, NATO countries have been coordinating support to Ukraine through an informal, US-led group called the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.

The new plan would shift that responsibility to a formal mission under the alliance called NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU).

NSATU would see NATO oversee training of the Ukrainian armed forces and officially coordinate military aid to Ukraine for the first time.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends the second day of the 2023 NATO Summit on July 12, 2023 in Vilnius - Sean Gallup/Getty Images Europe

Today, we bring you news from the front lines as Russia seems to make gains in the Donbas. And we speak to our Brussels Correspondent about the intense diplomacy between Ukraine and Nato.

Listen to Ukraine: the Latest, The Telegraphs daily podcast, using the audio player at the top of this article or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app.

War in Ukraine is reshaping our world. Every weekday The Telegraphs top journalists analyse the invasion from all angles - military, humanitarian, political, economic, historical - and tell you what you need to know to stay updated.

With over 70 million listens, our Ukraine: The Latest podcast is your go-to source for all the latest analysis, live reaction and correspondents reporting on the ground. We have been broadcasting ever since the full-scale invasion began.

Ukraine: The Latests regular contributors are:

David Knowles

David is Head of Audio Development at The Telegraph, where he has worked for over three years. He has reported from across Ukraine during the full-scale invasion.

Dominic Nicholls

Dom is Associate Editor (Defence) at The Telegraph, having joined in 2018. He previously served for 23 years in the British Army, in tank and helicopter units. He had operational deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland.

Francis Dearnley

Francis is Assistant Comment Editor at The Telegraph. Prior to working as a journalist, he was chief of staff to the Chair of the Prime Ministers Policy Board at the Houses of Parliament in London. He studied History at Cambridge University and on the podcast explores how the past shines a light on the latest diplomatic, political, and strategic developments.

They are also regularly joined by Telegraph reporters and correspondents around the world, including Joe Barnes (Brussels Correspondent), James Kilner, (Foreign Correspondent and Editor of the Central Asia & the South Caucasus Bulletin), Sophia Yan (Senior Foreign Correspondent), Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Correspondent), Colin Freeman (Foreign Correspondent), Danielle Sheridan (Defence Editor), and Tony Diver (US Editor).

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.
NATO allies have reached an agreement regarding funding for military assistance to Ukraine next year in the amount of 40 billion.

Source: Reuters, citing a European diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The source said on Wednesday, 3 July that the member states of the North Atlantic Alliance had agreed to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's proposal to provide 40 billion in military support for Ukraine next year.

The decision is to be officially approved at the NATO summit in Washington next week.

The source elaborated that although member states have not supported Stoltenberg's initial request to make this a multi-year commitment, the agreement contains provisions for reassessing Allied contributions at future NATO summits.

The diplomat said that the Allies have also agreed to draft two reports within the next year to determine which countries will provide Ukraine with which types of support with the aim of improving transparency in burden-sharing within the Alliance.

Background:

Earlier, the press unofficially obtained details regarding discussions on the 40 billion for Ukraine and the challenges encountered in the process.

Recent media reports have also indicated that the creation of a new body to coordinate all types of long-term assistance to Ukraine, to be named NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), will be announced at the 75th NATO Summit in Washington.

There are also ongoing discussions about the introduction of a special representative in Kyiv to oversee the international coordination of arms supplies and training for the Ukrainian Armed Forces under the auspices of NATO.

Support UP or become our patron!
Naval drones attacked the Russian port city of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea coast overnight on July 3, claimed the city's mayor, Andrey Kravchenko.

Russian Telegram channels said that residents heard sounds of explosions at around 3 a.m. local time. Ukraine has not commented on the claims, which could not be independently verified.

Novorossiysk has become a key port for the Russian Black Sea Fleet after successful Ukrainian strikes on occupied Crimea forced Moscow to pull out much of its naval forces from the peninsula.

Sign up for our newsletter

WTF is wrong with Russia?

Sign up

Kyiv also carried out several successful attacks against the Novorossiysk port throughout the full-scale war, most notably in August 2023, when the Olenegorskiy Gornyak warship suffered heavy damage.

Kravchenko announced the end of the attack at 4:20 a.m. local time, saying that there was no danger for Novorossiysk inhabitants but without elaborating on possible damage.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces destroyed two Ukrainian naval drones heading in Novorossiysk's direction.

Read also: Russia struggles to control finances as Ukraine invasion spending soars

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
President Joe Biden met with several Democratic governors Wednesday evening, including North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

Cooper said in a statement after the meeting that he would continue to support Biden, and called former President Donald Trump a threat to our democracy.

We had a good meeting with the President talking about whats needed to win. Donald Trump is an existential threat to our democracy, and everyone in the room agreed that defeating him is imperative, Cooper said.

President Biden told us he is definitely running for reelection, he is our nominee and well continue doing everything we can to deliver North Carolina for him, Cooper added.

The meeting began at 6:30 p.m., according to the White House. It ended about 7:45. The meeting comes as Biden may have been weighing whether to say in the race for reelection this fall in a rematch against Trump.

Other Democratic governors attending the meeting included California Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose name is near the top of speculative lists about who, if anyone, would replace Biden if he leaves the race. Newsom went to the meeting in person, the Sacramento Bee reported.

Democrats have criticized media for pushing the idea that Biden may not stay in the race. The meeting with Democratic governors is also because they are champions of Biden.

Gov. Roy Cooper speaks at a campaign event for President Joe Biden at the Jim Graham building at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh on Friday June 28, 2024.

Just before the meeting, the Democratic National Committee sent a fundraising email out to Democrats, saying that Biden is staying in.

A short while ago, President Biden and Vice President Harris got on a campaign all-staff call and ended any speculation by the pundits about his future. Hes staying in. He is the leader of the Democratic Party. If were with him, not only is he going to win, but we are going to elect Democrats up and down the ballot this fall.

This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for Democrats. The outcome of the elections this November is something we all have a role in shaping, the email stated before asking for donations.

After Biden and Harris met with the governors, Newsom shared his continuing support of Biden on social media.

I heard three words from the President tonight  hes all in. And so am I, Newsom wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding that Biden has had our back. Now its time to have his.

The Biden-Harris campaign also sent a fundraising email out to supporters Wednesday evening, writing that Biden knows the past few days have been tough. Im sure youre getting a lot of questions. Im sure many of you have questions as well. So, let me say this as clearly and simply as I can: Im running.

Im the Democratic Partys nominee. No one is pushing me out. Im not leaving, Im in this race to the end, and we are going to win this election, the email, signed simply Joe, says.

If Biden were to step aside and have Harris lead the ticket, Cooper is among the several names floated on various national media lists as a vice presidential candidate.

He has also previously led the Democratic Governors Association and is a longtime Biden surrogate. He amplified his Biden campaigning this year. He has also known Harris for many years, as they were both previously state attorneys general. Every time Harris or Biden visits North Carolina, Cooper is there, taking the stage ahead of them to welcome them, be a hype man and promote their accomplishments.

Names of governors at the meeting with Biden, Harris

The White House pool report shared the list of governors who attended the meeting with Biden and Harris.

 Governors there in person:

Gov. Tim Walz, Minnesota, chair of the Democratic Governors Association;

Newsom;

Gov. John Carney, Delaware;

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Illinois;

Gov. Andy Beshear, Kentucky;

Gov. Wes Moore, Maryland;

Gov. Maura Healey, Massachusetts;

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan;

Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York;

Gov. Dan McKee, Rhode Island.

 Governors who called in remotely:

Gov. Laura Kelly, Kansas, vice chair of the Democratic Governors Association;

Gov. Katie Hobbs, Arizona;

Gov. Jared Polis, Colorado;

Gov. Ned Lamont, Connecticut;

Gov. Josh Green, Hawaii;

Gov. Janet Mills, Maine;

Cooper;

Gov. Phil Murphy, New Jersey;

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico;

Gov. Tina Kotek, Oregon;

Gov. Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania;

Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, Puerto Rico;

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., U.S. Virgin Islands;

Gov. Jay Inslee, Washington.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also attended.

On Wednesday evening, former presidential candidate and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean said on CNN that if Harris was the nominee, hed like to see either Shapiro or Cooper as vice president on the ticket.

Coopers future in public service

Cooper has told reporters several times for the past months  and even years  that he wants to continue working in public service after his second term ends Dec. 31. North Carolinas governors are limited to two consecutive terms.

Its an open secret that Cooper will likely seek a Cabinet appointment in the Biden-Harris administration, should they win in November, and/or run for U.S. Senate in 2026. Biden even quipped at his rally in Raleigh the day after the debate that he might steal Cooper away.

Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden and Gov. Roy Cooper join each other on stage after speeches on health care during a campaign stop at the Chavis Community Center in Raleigh on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.

Cooper deferred reporters questions about Bidens future on Monday when he was joined by U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at an infrastructure event in Raleigh. Both men answered questions about stepping into the race if Biden leaves by praising Bidens work. And Biden used his more lively post-debate speech in Raleigh in a new campaign ad out this week.

CNN reported on Tuesday that Democratic governors were on a call together talking about Biden and wanting to hear from him directly about the debate. Also on Tuesday, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed during a press briefing the meeting with Democratic governors, in person and virtual, was planned for Wednesday.

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton said the party stands behind Biden.

We stand behind the person that is there right now, Clayton told The N&O on Wednesday. We stand against fascism right now.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks while visiting Durhams historic Black Wall Street district on Friday March 1, 2024. Vice President Harris is joined by Gov. Roy Cooper.
North Carolina's Gov. Roy Cooper participated virtually in a White House meeting Wednesday with other Democratic governors across the country and President Joe Biden, according to the governor's office.

The meeting, confirmed by the White House, comes after a group of Democratic governors talked on Monday about concerns over the current president's run this November without the president, USA TODAY reported. Much of the concern surrounds Biden's debate performance last week where he was seen freezing and stumbling over his words. Biden, 81, has even told reporters it was not his best performance.

Governor call: Biden to meet with Democratic governors in wake of debate debacle, calls to leave '24 race

Cooper said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the meeting that he supports Biden as the nominee.

The post says: "We had a good meeting with the president talking about what's needed to win. Donald Trump is an existential threat to our democracy, and everyone in the room agreed that defeating him is imperative. President Biden told us he is definitely running for re-election, he is our nominee and we'll continue doing everything we can to deliver North Carolina for him."

Despite public calls for Biden to step down from the race and a flurry of potential replacements thrown out, Biden has not indicated he would do so. In fact, during a rally in Raleigh the day after the debate Biden told visitors "I know how to do this job." And most recently, he told his campaign team that "No one's pushing me out," a source familiar with the campaign's conversation told USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: NC Gov. Roy Cooper supports Biden after White House governor meeting
NC woman was dating Carrboro man before shooting. Shes now charged with his murder.

Carrboro police have charged a woman with murder after a late-night shooting that killed her boyfriend on May 29 at the Estes Park Apartments.

Karla Maria Machuca, 28, of Burlington, is charged with first-degree murder, felony conspiracy and felony attempted kidnapping in the killing of Juan Maldonado Espinoza, 41, who lived in Carrboro, police said in a news release.

Espinoza was shot around 11:40 p.m. outside Building C in the apartment complex parking lot at 306 Estes Drive Extension.

Neighbors tried to help Espinoza, according to 911 calls obtained by The News & Observer, but he was dead by the time police arrived.

One witness told the 911 operator they had seen a silver car with two or three people inside drive away from the complex after the shooting. At least two callers said they heard five or six gunshots but did not see what happened.

Machuca was arrested in Los Angeles on June 12 and is being extradited back to North Carolina to face the charges, police said.

Court records show Carrboro police also charged Machuca on May 13 with a misdemeanor domestic violence crime against Mendoza.

The arrest warrant notes that Machuca was dating Mendoza and is alleged to have used physical force against him. She was released on a written promise to appear and ordered to appear in court June 13, but did not show up. That case has been continued.

It was the second shooting with an injury, fatal or non-fatal, in Carrboro this year, according to police. There were no shootings with injuries in the town last year.

The investigation is continuing, and police ask anyone with information to call Carrboro Police Investigator R. Trombley at 919-918-7415, or Crime Stoppers at 919-942-7515. Crime Stoppers lets tipsters remain anonymous if they wish.
TOPEKA (KSNT)  The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued severe thunderstorm warnings for several northeast Kansas counties Tuesday, July 2.

According to the NWS, the watch will be in effect until 12 a.m. Wednesday, July 3. The following counties are in the warning:

Lyon County

Morris County

These thunderstorm warnings will be in effect until 7:30 p.m.

Flood advisories are in place for the following counties until 9:45 p.m. Tuesday night:

Lyon County

Osage County

Wabaunsee County

For more weather 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.
Nearly 20 million people who owe student loans not making payments as government tries to claw back $1.6tn

Nearly 20 million people who owe student loans are not making payments, according to the latest Department of Education data.

Following a three-year timeout on payments that began in 2020 during the pandemic, the government has restarted collecting the $1.6 trillion it is owed.

At the end of March, six months after the hiatus ended, nearly 20 million borrowers were making payments as scheduled. However, almost 19 million were not, leaving their accounts delinquent, in default, or still on pause.

Seven million people were at least 30 days overdue on payments at the end of 2023 - marking the highest delinquency rate since 2016.

Millions more had their accounts frozen through deferment or forbearance - meaning they did not have to pay their loans or they did not acquire interest - while nearly six million student loans were still in default from before the pandemic. For most federal student loans, you default if you have not made a payment in more than 270 days.

The nonpayment rate really is emblematic of a system thats not doing its job, Persis Yu, managing counsel for the Student Borrower Protection Center, told the New York Times.

Throughout his presidency, Biden has sought to eliminate student debt, putting forward a major proposal to cancel as much as $400bn in loans. That proposal was struck down by the Supreme Court, which ruled that the move was unconstitutional.

President Biden also created the SAVE plan last year, which includes the cancellation of up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers earning less than $125,000 annually.

President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt at Madison College, April 8, 2024, in Madison, Wis. Nearly 20 million people who owe student loans are not making payments, according to the education department (AP)

The plan includes reforms to income-driven repayment plans, reducing the percentage of discretionary income that borrowers must pay each month from 10 percent to 5 percent. Additionally, the proposal aims to protect more income from being considered in repayment calculations, and to forgive loan balances after 10 years of payments for those with loan balances of $12,000 or less.

Two coalitions of Republicans filed lawsuits against SAVE, accusing the president of unilaterally trying to impose an extraordinarily expensive and controversial policy that he could not get through Congress.

Last week, federal judges in Kansas and Missouri temporarily blocked elements of the SAVE program, ruling in favor of states that contested the presidents authority to impose such generous terms without congressional approval.

In the Kansas suit, the states called the presidents debt relief maneuvers a rushed product to evasively do what the Supreme Court already told defendants they cannot do.

But on Sunday, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily reversed the Kansas decision, paving the way for the Department of Education to proceed with planned payment reductions this month for millions of borrowers.

Following the ruling, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said the court sided with student loan borrowers across the country who stand to benefit from the SAVE Plan  the most affordable repayment plan in history.

The White House has said that more than 20 million borrowers could benefit from the SAVE Plan. The administration in May said 8 million are already enrolled, including 4.6 million whose monthly payments have been reduced to $0.

More than one in 10 Americans hold federal student debt.
LINCOLN - On a warm Monday evening, volunteers in a church parking lot passed large clipboards to drivers of minivans and pickup trucks, all part of a petition drive. Their objective: block a new measure that would introduce private school vouchers in the state. However, this campaign stirred a sense of deja vu among Nebraskans. It marked the second ballot initiative within a year by the group Support Our Schools, a public school advocacy organization, following the state Legislatures recent override of their initial effort.

As the national debate around school vouchers plays out across the country, the Cornhusker State is in a heated tug-of-war between school choice supporters and public school advocates over the passage of the Opportunity Scholarship Act in 2023. The Act allocates $25 million from state coffers to tax credits for private school scholarship donations.

If it gets on the ballot, you can vote whatever way you want. Its just signing it to give the people a voice that belongs in public schools, Nebraska State Educators Association President and Support Our Schools sponsor Jenni Benson said. If you get public funds, you have to be accountable just the same way any other public entity would be if youre giving them to a private school.

Deb Dulgar holds up a sign on a busy road in Lincoln, urging passing cars to stop and sign the Support Our Schools' petition. The group has until July 17th to collect enough signatures to get an initiative on the ballot for a second time.

If the current referendum is successful, it will end both the tax credit and the state appropriation of private school scholarship funds.

While some argue the law was a workaround for the initiative, state Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, a sponsor of both bills, said this years law was crafted with the publics response to the initial tax credit in mind.

Nebraska state Sen. Lou Ann Linehan

They said it was too much money, so we addressed both those things, Linehan said. We took it from 25 million to 10 with no escalator, and its no longer a tax credit. Thats what they said the problem was. ... we listened, and we adjusted to what they said was problematic.

She added that the state is already adequately funding public schools, pointing to a $1 billion funding boost for public education approved by Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen last year, raising special education funding to 80%.

The debate plays out in Nebraska

Currently, 29 states and DC operate some form of school voucher system. While some states have more expansive programs than others, Nebraskas is one of the newest. It was previously one of two states, including North Dakota, that didnt offer some form of public funding for private school tuition.

In the days leading up to the Opportunity Scholarship application deadline for the next academic year, approximately 2,000 students had submitted applications, according to Lauren Gage, the Director of Marketing and Outreach at Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska. The program gives priority to students from low-income families, those who have experienced bullying, children of military personnel, foster care students, and those with an Individualized Education Program.

The core of this program is to help give more kids a chance who are struggling to get their needs met in the school that theyre zoned for, Gage said. A lot of families in Nebraska do have school choice because theyre able to afford it. But for those families that are more disadvantaged, more low-income, thats who this program is really targeting to help.

While supporters argue that private school voucher programs help underprivileged kids access better resources and educational opportunities, opponents say they deprive public schools of funding.

Between collecting signatures in the church parking lot, June Pederson, a volunteer and League of Women Voters member, brought up a point that many against private school vouchers highlight. She finds putting public funding towards private school scholarships troubling because these are less accountable for discriminating against LGBTQ+ students and staff.

If you want your child to have education other than a public school, wonderful, but dont ask me to pay for it, Pederson said. Particularly if they have the option to say, as a teacher, we heard youre gay, and we dont want you here, or you have to follow our rules regarding abortion. We dont do that in public schools.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nebraska public school supporters try to take down school vouchers
Two families living at an Oregon apartment complex were relentlessly terrorized by a neighbor accused of showing up at their doors with a knife, threatening to kill them last summer, a new lawsuit says.

The harassment was captured on both families Ring doorbell camera footage and went on because management at The Landings at Morrison in Gresham and police wouldnt intervene, despite receiving several reports, according to a complaint filed June 27.

Now the families are suing and seeking $6 million in damages.

In a statement to McClatchy News on July 3, the families attorney Greg Kafoury said that for nearly three months, corporate landlords and Gresham police dismissed their pleas for help.

Sarah Cagann, a city spokeswoman, declined a request for comment from McClatchy News on July 3 due to the active litigation. The Gresham Police Department and The Landings at Morrison didnt immediately respond to requests for comment.

It began June 29, 2023, when Dominic Austin, the families 19-year-old neighbor, arrived outside an apartment where a mother and daughter lived and threw an air punch at their door and used a racial slur, the complaint says.

This incident was captured on their Ring camera, and they provided the footage to the apartment complex, according to the complaint.

The next day, Austin returned to their door with a knife, saying, Why dont you stop being a (expletive), according to the complaint, which says one of the women called 911 to make a police report.

Austin tried to break into another apartment, where a pregnant woman lived with her husband and their 2-year-old son, that same day  causing the family to buy and install a Ring camera, the complaint says.

He was recorded visiting their door and the other familys door for the next few months, making threats and coming by with a knife, according to the complaint, which says he used multiple racial slurs against the families.

No actions were taken

The evening of July 28, Austin paced outside of the apartment of the woman, who was seven months pregnant, holding a knife, the complaint says. In a Ring video provided to McClatchy News by the families legal counsel, Austin is seen with the weapon, walking up to her door and throwing a punch.

Then, hes heard saying: Do you want to get paralyzed (expletive)?  Youre lucky to be alive.

The woman emailed the apartment complex about the threats, shared the Ring video footage and made police reports  but no actions were taken, the complaint says.

Both families lived in fear as the apartment complex failed to evict Austin, according to the complaint.

After both families said he threatened to kill them and repeatedly showed up at their doors with a knife, the apartment complex sent a notice to Austin and his father, whom he lived with, and demanded that they vacate their residence by Sept. 13, the complaint says.

However, Austin was still there Sept. 15, when he showed up at the mother and daughters apartment and tried to break in, according to the complaint.

When he found the door locked he slashed and stabbed the knife at the door, threatened to rape the daughter and said you are about to get murdered, the complaint says.

Austin was arrested Sept. 19, according to the complaint, which names the city of Gresham and The Landings at Morrison as defendants.

The defendants ignored our clients phone calls, emails, and videos showing their deranged fellow tenant repeatedly wielding a knife, threatening them, and trying to break into their homes, Kafoury said. Fortunately, the clients live in a society that has civil jury trials. It is only before a jury that these powerful defendants will be held to account.

Austin was indicted on 33 charges in connection with the harassment, the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office announced Oct. 2.

Since then, he was assessed as unfit to go to trial by mental health professionals, causing the case to be delayed, OregonLive reported.

An attorney representing Austin in the criminal case didnt immediately respond to McClatchy News request for comment on July 3.

A hearing on Austins fitness to proceed is scheduled for July 16, court records show.

24-year-old was left to die on jail cell floor, lawsuit says. Now family is owed $15M

Patient who needed oxygen was removed from ambulance, collapsed and died, suit says

Surgeons left heart surgeries to perform other operations in Texas, officials say
The post Neil Gaiman Accused of Sexual Assault by Two Women appeared first on Consequence.

British author Neil Gaiman has been accused of sexual assault by two separate women.

As detailed in an extensive investigation conducted by Tortoise Media, the alleged incidents took place nearly 20 years apart from each other and involve two women who had been in consensual relationships with the author. The first woman to come forward, identified as a 23-year-old named Scarlett, was a nanny to Gaimans child at his New Zealand home when the incident took place in 2022.

Scarlett claims Gaiman assaulted her in a bathtub within hours of their initial meeting at his residence. They carried out a three-week relationship, which both maintain was consensual. However, Scarlett alleges that Gaiman engaged in rough and degrading penetrative sexual acts with her, some of which were non-consensual. Tortoise reports that her allegations were corroborated by contemporaneous messages, notes, and  friends who talked to Scarlett at the time.

The second incident happened years prior, assumedly in the mid-2000s. The victim, identified as K, was 18 years old when she met Neil Gaiman at a book signing in Florida in 2003  they began a consensual relationship when K turned 20 and Gaiman was in his mid-40s. K alleges that throughout their relationship, Gaiman engaged in rough and painful penetrative sex that she neither wanted nor enjoyed. Tortoise reports that, at one point, K was suffering from a painful infection and refused sex with Gaiman, but he ignored her and continued to penetrate her.

Neil Gaiman denies the allegations of non-consensual sex with the two women. The incident with Scarlett was first reported to the New Zealand police, who have in turn opened an investigation into Gaiman. The author claims that he offered to assist the New Zealand police with Scarletts complaint, but they refused, stating that their investigative efforts are ongoing.

Regarding Scarletts complaint, Gaiman told Tortoise that the bathtub incident involved only cuddling and making out, and that their relationship only culminated in consensual digital penetration. He also claimed that Scarletts allegations were a result of a medical condition associated with false memories, which Tortoise says is not supported by her medical records and history. Regarding Ks allegations, Gaiman alleged theyre motivated by her regret over the relationship and denies any unlawful behavior with her.

Gaiman, 63, is a best-selling author known for novels, comic books, and film and television projects such as The Sandman, Good Omens, Coraline, Stardust, and more. He most recently executive produced the Netflix Sandman spinoff Dead Boy Detectives.

If you or someone you know has been impacted by sexual misconduct, you can reach out for support:

RAINN Hotline

1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

http://www.rainn.org

Crisis Text Line

SMS: Text HERE to 741-741

http://www.facebook.com/crisistextline (chat support)

Neil Gaiman Accused of Sexual Assault by Two Women

Paolo Ragusa

Popular Posts

Subscribe to Consequences email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.
Neil Gaiman at the 2024 Writers Guild Awards New York Ceremony on April 14, 2024. - Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Writers Guild of America East

Neil Gaiman  the bestselling author whose work includes the comic book series The Sandman and the novels Good Omens and American Gods  has denied sexual assault allegations made against him by two women with whom he had relationships with at the time, Tortoise Media reports.

The allegations were made during Tortoises four-part podcast Master: the Allegations Against Neil Gaiman, which was released Wednesday. In it, the women allege rough and degrading sex with the author, which the women claim was not always consensual.

More from Rolling Stone

One of the women, a 23-year-old named Scarlett, worked as a nanny to his child. She claimed Gaiman assaulted her in February 2022, just hours after they had first met, while in a bath at his New Zealand home. Gaiman told the outlet that he and Scarlett cuddled and made out in the bath and that it was consensual; he added that in the three-week sexual relationship they were in, they only engaged in digital penetration.

Scarlett claims that while they were in a consensual relationship, Gaiman also sexually assaulted her with nonconsensual rough and degrading penetrative sexual acts per the outlets description in its investigation. In one incident, the pain was so painful and so violent that she lost consciousness. The pain was celestial, she said. When she asked him to stop, he laughed and said I needed to be punished and used his belt on me, she said on the podcast, via The Telegraph. Gaiman denied the allegation to Tortoise.

The second woman, who went by K, was 18 when she first met him in 2003 at a book-signing event in Florida. She claims they began a romantic relationship when she was 20 and he was in his mid-forties. While they were in a relationship, she alleges she was subjected to rough and painful sex she neither wanted or enjoyed. At one point, she alleged that he penetrated her despite her objecting because she was in the midst of a urinary tract infection; the incident left her screaming in pain. Gaiman denied Ks allegations and told Tortoise he was disturbed by the accusations. (Reps for Gaiman did not immediately return Rolling Stones requests for comment.)

According to Tortoises investigation, K did not file a police report. Scarlett filed a complaint to New Zealand police in October 2022.

Gaiman told Tortoise that the police did not pursue his offer to assist the investigation regarding the complaint, claiming that this showed the lack of substance of the complaint. But New Zealand police told the outlet it made a number of attempts to speak to key people as part of this investigation and those efforts remain ongoing, adding that there are a number of factors to take into consideration with this case, including location of all parties.

Best of Rolling Stone
With nests on telephone poles, once-endangered osprey are flying high in Cook County

Wildlife biologist Chuck Rizzo climbs into what looks like an enormous white bucket and slowly begins to rise.

The metal arm of an aerial lift truck propels him higher and higher, above thick underbrush and then even some treetops, toward a striking sight in an otherwise ordinary Cook County forest preserve: a sturdy, stick-strewn platform built on top of a 50-foot telephone pole.

How is it? the lift operator yells as he maneuvers the bucket carrying the wildlife biologist. Want it over?

Yeah, get it closer, Rizzo says.

Then he reaches toward the sticks and lifts out two pudgy osprey chicks with bulging chocolate-brown eyes and bellies covered in fluff.

The chicks, which will be examined by a vet and returned to their high-rise home, are a sign of success for a Forest Preserves of Cook County program that aims to increase the number of once-endangered ospreys in the Chicago area by constructing towering nesting platforms.

The Forest Preserves program now bands up to 30 chicks a year, all raised by wild osprey  also known as sea hawks  that choose to build their massive nests on human-built platforms standing 50 to 80 feet above the ground.

Thats up from a handful of chicks in the first year of banding in the 1990s, according to Forest Preserves wildlife biologist Chris Anchor, who started the osprey nesting program after spotting nesting platforms in northern Wisconsin.

What weve done is weve greatly increased the speed at which ospreys have populated Cook County, Anchor said.

Studies of similar programs have found that the platforms attract ospreys and produce successful nests, and the platforms are widely used in many areas of the United States.

Still a threatened species in Illinois, ospreys  fish-eating raptors with 5-foot wing spans  were once endangered in the state, due to the widespread use of the pesticide DDT, which weakened the shells of their eggs.

But with a ban on DDT in 1972, the white-bellied birds with dark wings and facial markings are on the rise in Illinois.

Theyve increased dramatically and theyve also spread, said Field Museum senior conservation ecologist Doug Stotz. Theyre most common in the northern part of the state, but there are multiple osprey nests downstate.

The Illinois Natural History Surveys 2023 spring bird count reported a record number of osprey sightings (181) in a record number of counties (43). In 2022, the bird count reported 22 osprey sightings in Cook County in the course of one day.

The Chicago area may seem like an odd place for ospreys, but the imposing birds  about 1 times the size of a red-tailed hawk  are relatively tolerant of people if they have a good nest site, Stotz said.

He also noted the presence of the nesting platforms, and the abundance of lakes in the county, both natural and artificial.

Almost every (Cook County) forest preserve has a lake, and thats the main thing theyre looking for, he said.

Anchor used to climb the telephone poles that support the nesting platforms and retrieve the chicks himself, with just a harness and spiked shoes.

But on a recent visit to Lake Avenue Woods forest preserve near Mount Prospect, he was accompanied by Rizzo, the wildlife biologist, as well as a veterinarian, a wildlife technician, two representatives from a county thats starting its own osprey platform breeding program, and eight other observers and helpers.

Anchor, who is a few years from retirement, wants to give his staff hands-on experience, so today it would be Rizzo who would retrieve the osprey chicks.

After an early morning visit to a nesting platform that rose above a restored prairie, the group, minus Anchor, headed 35 miles south to Sag Quarries nature preserve near Lemont.

It was a good site for osprey, with dense forest and wide lakes formed from old limestone quarries, but humans driving on unpaved paths had to watch out for low branches, steep inclines and deep, skid-inducing ruts.

By the time the nest appeared in sight, the sun was blazing and the team set up an umbrella above a makeshift examining table formed by the back panel of a forest preserve pickup truck.

The big bucket truck that lifted Rizzo into a cloudless blue sky rumbled loudly, and the parents of the chicks circled above, screaming Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!

When Rizzo finally ascended to the nest platform, he found two chicks that were about 3 or 4 weeks old, and in the sweet spot for examination and banding.

If theyre bigger sometimes theyll try to go to the other side (of the nest), Rizzo said when he came down. But these chicks were definitely chill, and stayed put, making his job easier.

The chicks were already large  about a foot long  with stern stares, handsome head feathers and well-formed black beaks. But below the neck, they were still awkward and unformed, with stubby feathers and soft baby fluff.

Once a member of the team held a chicks legs  disabling its already formidable black talons  the bird would sit quietly in his or her arms.

On the ground, forest preserves wildlife field technician Melina Frezados weighed and measured the birds and gently affixed lightweight aluminum bands with unique numbers to their right legs, using a wrench and pliers.

John Winter, a veterinarian and the zoological and wildlife health management resident at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, gave each bird a thorough exam, including their eyes, ears and feet. He also took mouth swabs and blood samples.

The chicks protested occasionally, letting out an indignant Chuh! Chuh! but they mostly lay back on the examining table, their pale fuzz-covered chests rising and falling.

Their parents were less accepting. One sat in a dead tree, glaring down at the proceedings, while the other returned repeatedly to scream at the interlopers.

The team left quickly once Rizzo had placed the chicks back in their nest, so the parents could return to their young as soon as possible.

Banding allows the birds to enter the 7 million-band database at the U.S. Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

Banding tracks where birds eat, nest and migrate, and allows researchers to see population trends over time, according to Suzy Peurach, a biologist at the Bird Banding Laboratory.

Ospreys migrate as far as Central and South America, and Peurach said that a Cook County osprey was recently spotted in Colombia  more than 2,000 miles from Chicago.

Reports are made using the identifying numbers on the birds leg bands.

One of the secrets of the osprey programs success, Anchor said, is to put nests where ospreys are already spending time, not where you want them to be.

Every pair of osprey has their own behavior patterns: Some are very tolerant of people and some are completely ill-tolerant, he said.

We have pairs of ospreys where if you come within a half mile of the nest, theyll be up in the air screaming for the next 30 minutes or an hour. So theyre not taking care of their babies. Weve got other pairs that are in fishing areas, near lakes, and people are fishing literally, right underneath the nest, and the ospreys could care less, he said.

When the birds fledge, they fly south, where the females will stay for two years, becoming sexually mature, before they return to the area where they were born, with their mates in tow, he said.

Ospreys generally mate for life, and birds will often return year after year to the same nest site.

This year the Forest Preserves program lost at least four nests to storms, but they still have 13 nests on 21 platforms, and about 25 to 30 chicks, Anchor said.

The fact that we have an apex predator now living amongst us, in the third-largest metropolitan area in North America  thats significant, he said. Thats a real testament that things are headed in the right direction.

nschoenberg@chicagotribune.com
Netflix co-founder and executive chairman Reed Hastings has joined the growing number of Democrats publicly urging Joe Biden to step down as the partys 2024 nominee for president. Biden is seeking re-election, but his disastrous performance at the first presidential debate against Donald Trump has led some Democrats to insist he step down as they believe thats the only way the party can beat Trump.

Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous, Hastings said in an email to The New York Times.

More from Variety

Variety has reached out to Netflix for additional comment.

As reported by The Times, Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, have long been one of the Democratic partys biggest donors. The couple has donated more than $20 million to the party in recent years, including as much as $1.5 million Bidens 2020 campaign against Trump. The two put forth $100,000 last summer to support Bidens 2024 campaign.

Bidens lackluster performance at the first 2024 presidential divide has seemingly divided Democrats. The View co-host Sara Haines proclaimed the morning after the debate that Biden needed to get out of the way if the Democrats are to block Trump from becoming president again.

I think President Biden needs to step down and be replaced, Haines told her co-hosts on air. If we want to defeat Donald Trump in November then I absolutely think that theyve got to act fast, and I would implore those closest with the President to have the very hard conversations theyre going to need to have and not just for political ramifications, but for humanity, his integrity and his legacy. Thats all on the line right now.

Haines The View co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin agreed, saying, Donald Trump is a threat to our democracy. We need someone who can beat him[Joe] needs to put country before his own ambition and he needs to step aside and pass the baton. Mark my words, if its Trump vs. Biden, its going to be Trump.

While reports have surfaced that Biden is now considering dropping out as the Democratic nominee amid blowback to his debate performance, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has assured the press that is not the case.

Absolutely not, Jean-Pierre said. And you heard that, I believe, directly from the campaign as well.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Netherlands to maintain support for Ukraine, new Dutch defense minister says

Ruben Brekelmans, the newly appointed Dutch defense minister, pledged on July 2 that his country's support for Ukraine would continue "for as long as needed."

"The Netherlands remains committed to supporting Ukraine as much as we can, for as long as needed. We and our allies stand united in our resolve to return peace and security to Ukraine," Brekelmans wrote on X.

Brekelmans also thanked Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov for congratulations on his appointment to the new position. He expressed hope to see his Ukrainian counterpart "soon."

The defense minister represents the center-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) in the Netherlands' new coalition government. The VVD was previously led by Mark Rutte, who had until recently served as the country's prime minister.

Under Rutte, who has held the top office for 14 years, the Netherlands has taken a proactive role in supporting Ukraine.

The Netherlands has allocated 4.4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) to support Ukraine until 2026. The Dutch government has also spearheaded the fighter jet coalition and pledged to deliver 24 F-16 jets to Ukraine

The new coalition government was sworn in on July 2. The former head of the Dutch intelligence service, Dick Schoof, became the new prime minister, replacing Rutte who was officially appointed to be the next NATO secretary general.

The coalition was formed by the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) led by Geert Wilders, the VVD, the recently founded centrist New Social Contract (NSC), and the populist Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB).

Read also: How Mark Rutte became NATO Secretary General and what it means for Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
In a wild turn of events, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers backed away Tuesday from plans to put an anti-crime measure on the ballot, a day after they announced the proposal that had been the subject of protracted negotiations at the Capitol.

The abrupt cancellation capped half a year of political maneuvering on criminal justice policy, with Democrats zigging and zagging as they responded to a tough-on-crime initiative backed by Republicans, district attorneys and major retail stores. That initiative is still heading to the November ballot, asking voters to repeal parts of Proposition 47, the decade-old law that turned some nonviolent felonies into misdemeanors.

Newsom had hoped to offer voters an alternative measure , something that would address concerns about theft and fentanyl without being as punitive as the prosecutors measure. Democrats spent days haggling over the alternative measure, and it was formalized in legislation Sunday night  in the final hours before the cutoff for lawmakers to draft a measure for the November ballot.

Read more: Newsom and Democratic lawmakers announce ballot measure to rival more conservative crime reform

The measure backed by the governor and legislative leaders addressed repeat shoplifting by making the third petty-theft-related offense over a three-year period eligible for a three-year jail sentence. In cases involving multiple thefts, the offenses could be prosecuted as a felony if the total value of stolen goods exceeded $950. It also would have stiffened penalties for drug dealers who sold fentanyl without the buyers knowledge.

Newsom touted the plan as targeted reforms to Prop. 47 that reflected a balanced approach.

He said it would put public safety first without reverting to outdated and ineffective policies of decades past.

But it fundamentally sought to do something that Newsom and legislative leaders had said for months that they did not want to do  ask voters to change Proposition 47 , a pillar of the states progressive criminal justice reforms thats meant to reduce incarceration.

Lawmakers were scheduled to vote on Newsoms measure Wednesday night, a plan that was already chaotic with members leaving Sacramento for the Fourth of July holiday and a one-month summer recess  and a deadline for Newsom to sign the legislation before midnight Wednesday to make the ballot. Then Newsom decided to fly to Washington on Wednesday to stand with the President, his campaign spokesman said, as Biden meets with Democratic governors in an attempt to shore up support for his reelection campaign.

Newsom blamed the tight timeline in a statement explaining his decision to pull the measure.

We are unable to meet the ballot deadline to secure necessary amendments to ensure this measures success and we will be withdrawing it from consideration, Newsom said in a statement. I'd like to thank the Legislature and countless stakeholders who came to the table to work on meaningful reforms and I look forward to our work ahead.

Although Newsom said his measure had the necessary votes to pass, three Democratic lawmakers said it lacked support  an astonishing political miscalculation in a body where Democrats hold a sizable supermajority.

Its collapse marked a rare case of Democratic lawmakers standing up to the governor on one of his priorities  but also evinced a wobbly strategy by two inexperienced legislative leaders. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas took the helm last year in the lower chamber, and Senate leader Mike McGuire was sworn in to lead the upper chamber earlier this year. Both men made high-profile efforts to address theft through legislation and  like Newsom  said numerous times this year that they did not want to ask voters to reform Proposition 47.

Read more: Can California curb retail theft without changing Prop. 47? Assembly Democrats unveil their plan

Instead they advanced a package of anti-crime bills and used them to try to persuade the prosecutors to withdraw their measure from the ballot. Democrats tried to strong-arm negotiations by adding provisions to revoke their own anti-crime bills if voters passed the prosecutors measure  a tactic that backfired after drawing broad condemnation from sheriffs and district attorneys who convinced enough lawmakers to withdraw their support. It also caused uproar among Republicans, who yanked their support for what had been a bipartisan package of anti-crime bills. Democrats ended up repealing the controversial provisions just weeks after proposing them.

For months, attempts were made to engage the California District Attorneys Association in this effort. They refused, opting to instead push a ballot measure that would revive policies from the era of mass incarceration and the failed War on Drugs, Newsom said in the statement.

After talks collapsed, Newsom and Democratic leaders came up with the plan to draft their own alternative measure. But it struggled to gain support  felled by opposition from progressive Democrats who oppose stiffer criminal penalties and want to avoid filling jails, as well as from moderate Democrats who value support from sheriffs and district attorneys backing the more conservative measure. Newsom's measure didn't have any support from law enforcement groups.

The Legislatures Black caucus opposed the measure, Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) said during a hearing Tuesday morning, with concerns that it could disproportionately affect Black Californians. The bill passed a procedural vote on the Assembly floor on Monday but didnt garner a majority of the full chamber, a rare occurrence for a bill backed by leadership. Republicans blasted the legislation for including the phrase "Alexandra's Law" without an OK from the family of a 20-year-old from Riverside County whose parents have been advocating for stiffer punishment for drug dealers since their daughter died after taking a fentanyl pill that she bought from a dealer on Snapchat.

The whole saga marked a huge win for the California District Attorneys Assn., which has opposed Proposition 47 for many years and now will see its measure on the November ballot without any competing proposals.

We are pleased the Governor and Legislature have dropped their countermeasure and welcome them to join our campaign to responsibly amend Prop 47 to deal with retail theft, the fentanyl crisis and homelessness, said a statement from Greg Totten, CEO of the California District Attorneys Assn.

Daniel Conway, a vice president of the California Grocers Assn., which supported both ballot measures, said, I think with just one measure on the ballot, it's a much more clear choice for voters.

Newsom said he planned to "soon" sign the package of anti-crime bills, calling them "the most significant reform in decades."

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.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, July 3. Turkmenistan discussed the development of inter-parliamentary cooperation with Nicaragua, Trend reports.

According to the Turkmen Parliament, this was discussed during a meeting between Speaker of the Parliament of Turkmenistan, Dunyagozel Gulmanova, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Nicaragua in Ashgabat, Tatiana Daniela Garcia Silva.

During the meeting, the Ambassador became familiar with the priorities of Turkmenistan's domestic and foreign policy, the composition of the national parliament, and the ongoing work on legislative support for reforms implemented in various sectors.

In this regard, in the future, the parties expressed their readiness to intensify parliamentary relations within the framework of international parliamentary structures.

Furthermore, speaking about the future of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the Republic of Nicaragua, the Ambassador noted that her country is very interested in strengthening bilateral relations in all spheres.

Meanwhile, the Parliament of Turkmenistan is actively developing cooperation with parliaments of other countries, seeking to strengthen inter-parliamentary ties and exchange experience in the legislative field.

Such interaction contributes to the strengthening of bilateral relations, the development of political dialogue, and joint work on global and regional challenges.
(Bloomberg) -- California Governor Gavin Newsom abruptly abandoned a carefully negotiated ballot measure designed to tackle property crime and the fentanyl crisis, stunning the states political establishment a day after his office trumpeted the proposal.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The last-minute reversal dashed Newsoms effort to forge a compromise among Democratic factions in the legislature, where his party has a supermajority, to revamp Proposition 47. The decade-old law reclassified some nonviolent drug and property crimes as misdemeanors rather than felonies, and has drawn fire from critics who say it has exacerbated drug abuse and retail theft.

The governor sided with pro-business moderates who advocated for tightening penalties for crimes including repeat shoplifting, while pitting him against progressives who raised concerns about racial disparities in arrests and prosecutions. The failure of the Democratic compromise means that only a tougher crackdown backed by the California District Attorneys Association will appear before voters on the November ballot.

The Democrats were unable to meet the ballot deadline to secure necessary amendments to ensure this measures success, Newsom said in a statement late Tuesday. Conceding to political realities, he said the initiative would be withdrawn.

Party leaders had hashed out the initiative over the weekend after trying unsuccessfully to block the district attorneys measure. Still, Newsom said he would soon sign a robust public safety package that expands criminal penalties, bolsters police and prosecutor tools, and cracks down on retail theft.

He faulted the district attorneys association for backing a measure that would revive policies from the era of mass incarceration and the failed War on Drugs.

Greg Totten, the head of the district attorneys group, took a victory lap after Newsoms decision to withdraw the proposal negotiated by Democrats.

We are pleased the governor and legislature have dropped their countermeasure and welcome them to join our campaign to responsibly amend Proposition 47 to deal with retail theft, the fentanyl crisis and homelessness, Totten said.

Biden Meeting

Newsom abandoned the ballot initiative as he prepared to join a meeting of Democratic governors with President Joe Biden, whos reeling from his disastrous performance in last weeks debate with former President Donald Trump. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Michigans Gretchen Whitmer and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz are also heading to Washington, with Pritzker urging Biden to communicate with Americans as he slides in the polls.

As the top elected official in the nations most populous state, Newsom has long been spoken of as a presidential candidate. But the governor, a prominent Biden surrogate, continues to back the president following the rocky debate.

All this other talk... its unhelpful and unnecessary, Newsom wrote in a fundraising email the day after the debate. We arent going to turn our backs because of one performance. What kind of party does that?

Newsoms abrupt departure for Washington comes as California is facing a deadly heat wave and wildfires. A fire burning near the town of Oroville, California, has forced the evacuation of about 13,000 residents, according to a spokesperson for the Butte County Sheriffs Office. The fire forced power lines in the area to be shut down and forced the closure of a hydroelectric power plant at Oroville Dam.

In addition, theres a midnight deadline Wednesday for bills passed in the legislature to be included on the November ballot. California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, who normally acts in Newsoms absence, is also out of the state on for a previously scheduled trip. That leaves state Senate leader Mike McGuire as acting governor, a spokesperson for Newsom confirmed.

The Governors been in around the clock conversations with the legislature, briefings, emergency management with wildfires and heat, reviewing paroles, reviewing memos, on calls, and in regular meetings his spokesman said Wednesday before Newsom left for the Democratic governors meeting with Biden.

--With assistance from Mark Chediak.

(Updates with context in second paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
(Photo via Getty Images)

By Robin Kundis Craig, University of Kansas

Federal Chevron deference is dead. On June 28, 2024, in a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court overturned the 40-year-old legal tenet that when a federal statute is silent or ambiguous about a particular regulatory issue, courts should defer to the implementing agencys reasonable interpretation of the law.

The reversal came in a ruling on two fishery regulation cases, Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce.

This decision means that federal courts will have the final say on what an ambiguous federal statute means. Whats not clear is whether most courts will still listen to expert federal agencies in determining which interpretations make the most sense.

While courts and judges will vary, as a scholar in environmental law, I expect that the demise of Chevron deference will make it easier for federal judges to focus on the exact meaning of Congress individual words, rather than on Congress goals or the real-life workability of federal laws.

Who decides what the law means?

Chevron deference emerged from a 1984 case that addressed the Environmental Protection Agencys interpretation of the term stationary source in the Clean Air Act. The EPA asserted that a source could be a facility that contained many individual sources of air pollutant emissions. This meant, for example, that a factory with several smokestacks could be treated as a single source for regulatory purposes, as if it were enclosed in an imaginary bubble.

In upholding the EPAs decision, the Supreme Court created a two-step test for deciding whether to defer to a federal agencys interpretation of a statute that it administers.

In Step 1, the court asks whether Congress directly addressed the issue in the statute. If so, then both the court and the agency have to do what Congress directs.

In Step 2, however, if Congress is silent or unclear, then the court should defer to the agencys interpretation if it is reasonable because agency staff is presumed to be experts on the issue. Justice John Paul Stevens reportedly told his colleagues, When I am so confused, I go with the agency.

The central question in both the Loper Bright and Relentless cases was whether the U.S. secretary of commerce could require commercial fishers to pay for onboard observers they were required to bring on some fishing voyages to collect catch data. Lower courts in these cases deferred to the agencys interpretation that, under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, it could require fishers to pay.

However, in an opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts, the Supreme Court majority concluded that Chevron deference contradicts the Administrative Procedure Act. This broad law governs both the procedures that federal agencies must follow and, more importantly, the standards that federal courts must use to review agency actions.

As the majority pointed out, under the Administrative Procedure Act, courts must decide all relevant questions of law  explicitly including interpreting statutes.

Curbing the administrative state

Since 1984, Chevron deference has become pervasive in federal administrative law. By the Supreme Courts count, 70 of its own decisions in that time have turned on Chevron deference.

More importantly, thousands of lower federal court decisions  more than 400 a year on average  have deployed Chevron deference on issues ranging from Social Security benefits to workplace safety standards, immigration eligibility and environmental protection requirements.

Chevron deference gave many federal agencies broad flexibility to use laws to address new and emerging problems that Congress did not anticipate. But some members of the current Supreme Court  as well as some federal appellate judges  criticized this doctrine, for two key reasons.

First, it authorized executive branch agencies to interpret federal law and forced courts to accept agencies reasonable interpretations. However, since the Supreme Courts 1803 decision in Marbury v. Madison, it has been the duty of courts  not federal agencies  to say what the law is.

Second, Chevron deference arguably allowed federal agencies to grab more regulatory authority than Congress intended them to have, usurping the legislative branchs responsibility to make law and delegate authority.

EPA infographic outlining the regulatory process.

How much does Loper Bright undo?

The court majority emphasized that prior court decisions upholding agency interpretations based on Chevron deference cannot be challenged solely because of that fact. As Roberts wrote, these holdings are still subject to statutory stare decisis.

Stare decisis, or the thing is decided, is legalese for why courts will respect prior decisions. In other words, no challenger can go back to a court that relied on Chevron deference and ask the court to change its original decision that the agencys interpretation was OK.

Thats good so far as it goes. However, many agency interpretations of statutes can be challenged multiple times.

For example, the Clean Water Act protects waters of the United States. In 2023, the Biden administration issued new regulations interpreting which bodies of water the law covers. Challengers who disagree with that interpretation can attack the regulations directly and argue that the agencies reading of the law is wrong, as the fishing companies did in the Loper Bright cases.

However, under many laws, businesses and individuals can also challenge an agency interpretation at the moment when the agency decides that a general regulation applies specifically to them. These are called as applied challenges. After Loper Bright, any time an agency that benefited from Chevron deference goes to apply its interpretation to a new regulated entity, that regulated entity can challenge the agency interpretation  and this time the agency wont get Chevron deference.

Will federal courts still listen to regulators?

Eliminating Chevron deference will likely worsen an existing division among judges, and justices, about how to go about interpreting statutes. It centers on how much a statutes purpose and context should matter  or, instead, how much the judge should focus on the plain meaning of the particular words that Congress chose to use.

Suppose, for example, that a federal court faced the issue of how to define a vegetable for purposes of determining whether import taxes apply to imported tomato sauce. A plain meaning approach would emphasize that Congress decided to tax vegetables and that tomatoes are fruits; hence, tomato sauce is not subject to the import tax.

An approach focused on Congress purpose, in contrast, would emphasize that Congress wanted to tax all imports of savory foods that the public generally considers to be vegetables. Using this approach, the Supreme Court in 1893, in fact, decided that tomatoes were vegetables subject to import taxes.

Federal agencies typically take Congress purpose and the context in which regulators act very much into account when they decide what laws mean. For example, when the Food and Drug Administration had to distinguish proteins, which qualify as biologics for regulatory purposes, from chains of amino acids, which qualify as drugs, it focused on Congress reasons for creating the two categories. Ultimately, the agency decided that a molecule made up of amino acids had to have a certain level of complexity to qualify as a protein, and hence a biologic.

In contrast, ever since the late Justice Antonin Scalia joined the Supreme Court in 1986, federal judges  and especially Supreme Court justices  have taken an increasingly plain meaning, or textualist approach, to statutory interpretation. The current Supreme Court, for example, would almost certainly never have allowed a tomato to be a vegetable.

Dissenting Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown-Jackson, along with many other legal experts, foresee serious problems for future cases that turn on highly technical issues. What will happen when a statutes nonexpert plain meaning makes no practical sense in a highly technical or scientifically nuanced regulatory regime, such as the FDA classifying biologics and drugs?

How long will the APA matter?

This ruling also may signal that the court plans to pay greater attention to the 1946 Administrative Procedure Acts primacy in federal administrative law. This statute had been in place for almost 40 years when the Supreme Court decided Chevron in 1984, and the Chevron majority did not see it as a problem at the time.

Now, however, it has become a reason to overturn Chevron deference. Other court-created glosses on administrative law may also be dead doctrines walking.

Congress can and has created different standards of review in other statutes, including the Clean Air Act that led to the Chevron decision. What if a future Congress specifically directs that the implementing agency should take the lead in interpreting a particular statute?

I expect that the Supreme Court would reach for the Constitution and declare any such delegation unconstitutional. In other words, it is probably only a matter of time before Loper Brights overruling of Chevron deference becomes a matter of federal constitutional law.

Robin Kundis Craig, Professor of Law, University of Kansas

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Whats next after Supreme Court curbs regulatory power? appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
CONCORD  When the Republican-led New Hampshire legislature passed a bill changing the election of the three Strafford County commissioners from at-large seats to one commissioner in each of three newly created districts, they neglected to include a requirement each commissioner live in the district they represent.

In a hearing Tuesday morning, the New Hampshire Ballot Law Commission upheld the right of two Strafford County Commissioner candidates to file for election in a district where they do not reside.

Secretary of State head David Scanlan said, "The Ballot Law Commission ruled that the current statutory language permits a candidate for Strafford County commissioner who resides within the county to run in any one of the three commissioner districts.

Strafford County Commission Chair George Maglaras said the decision was a 4-1 vote of the commission. He said the current law does not require incumbent Deanna Rollo, D-Rollinsford, and candidate Sean Leavitt, R-Dover, to live in one of the three newly created districts to file their candidacy there.

"Republicans at the meeting testified that it was their intent for the new law creating the districts to include a residency requirement," said Maglaras. "Well, the law is the law, as written and that requirement is not there. So there is nothing to keep candidates from running in any of the three districts."

The Strafford County Commisioners met Aug. 21, 2023 to talk about what to do about Sheriff Mark Brave. Commissioner Deanna Rollo listens to questions of citizens during the meeting.

State Rep. Cliff Newton, R-Rochester, raised the challenge. He is running for the seat in District 3, as are Rollo and Leavitt.

The primary on Sept. 10 will decide whether Newton or Leavitt will be the Republican candidate facing off against Rollo, said Maglaras.

"Well, it was an interesting day," said Newton, reached by phone. "My constituents were asking how Deanna Rollo could be on the ballot in District 3 since she doesn't live there. Well, the commission said that when we passed the law, we did not include the residency clause. We may need some housekeeping there for the future, as our intent was to have that included as it is with the other counties."

Newton said there is an option to take the case to Superior Court.

"We have not made a decision on that," he said. "We will think it over. At least now I can explain to the people asking me what actually happened."

State Representative Cliff Newton, R-Rochester is seeking a seat on the Strafford County Commission.

Rollinsford, where Rollo lives, and Dover, where Leavitt lives, are both part of District 2 in the newly created district formed after House Bill 75 was signed into law. The law, signed in 2023, created the three districts to elect the three Strafford County dommissioners. In the past, voting was done at large, with the top three vote getters from the entire county becoming commissioners.

Last week, Newton said he filed the challenge because Rollo and Leavitt had initially filed in District 2, where Maglaras is now running unopposed. That assumption was an error, said Rollo.

"I never filed in District 2," Rollo said last week. "I filed in District 3. What happened was that Assistant Secretary of State Kaley Dion called me and said I made a mistake and that they were changing me to District 2, where I live."

Rollo challenged that, believing there is no statute requiring her to live in the district where she is running.

"I already represent these people in District 3, because of the way we were previously elected, as at-large members, representing the entire county," she said. "Secretary of State David Scanlan sought legal advice from the (Secretary of State) attorney, and from the attorney general. The result was, we were right and so they had to change me back to District 3."

"Secretary Scanlan did not make any changes to Commissioner Rollos candidacy," said Anna Sventek, a spokesperson for the secretary of state's office. "He just accepted her declaration to run in a district she does not reside in based on input from the attorney general's office."

Robert Watson, D-Rochester, is the third incumbent commissioner and he is not seeking reelection. Rochester resident and City Councilor Tim Fontneau, a Democrat, has filed in District 1 to fill that seat. On the Republican side, Joe Pitre of Farmington is facing Fontneau.

Maglaras is now running unopposed.

Election change is also subject of lawsuit filed by commissioners

The current Strafford County Commissioners filed a court challenge to HB 75 after it was signed into law, arguing the law is unconstitutional. The suit contends the state Legislature had no authority to redistrict Strafford County in House Bill 75 because it wasn't done as part of the decennial census redistricting of election maps in New Hampshire and across the country.

"(The case) was heard in Merrimack Superior Court on May 17," said Maglaras. "We are waiting for a ruling."

More: Strafford County leaders sue NH over election change. Why case has major implications.

Since 1865, Strafford County commissioners have been elected at-large, meaning all the people can vote for all the commission candidates, according to the lawsuit. Under the Republican-passed law, three county commissioner districts in Strafford County were created for the 2024 election.

The lawsuit was filed against Scanlan and New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella.

In 2022, during the decennial census redistricting, the state Legislature passed HB 54, retaining a single district where the three Strafford County commissioners are elected at large. In the 2022 election that followed, Commissioners George Maglaras, Robert Watson, and Deanna Rollo were elected. All three commissioners are Democrats.

Democrats have dominated Strafford County commissioner elections for many years. The last Republican commissioner was in office in 2011-12, according to county records.

HB 75 amended the way county commissioners in Strafford County are elected by creating three districts. District 1 included the towns of Farmington, Middletown, New Durham, Wards 1, 5, and 6 of Rochester and Wards 1-5 of Somersworth. District 2 includes Wards 1-4 in Dover, and the towns of Durham, Lee and Rollinsford. District 3 includes Barrington, Wards 5 and 6 of Dover, Madbury and Wards 2-4 of Rochester and Strafford.

The suit contends the Legislature can draw new districts only after the census every 10 years. Redistricting of voting maps happens nationally every 10 years, following the once-a-decade census. Numerous election districts were changed in the state during this process, but no changes were made to the Strafford County commissioner election at that time.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: NH rules Strafford County Commission candidates not bound by residence
Nippon Steel's Mori to visit US again next week for talks on US Steel takeover

Takahiro Mori, executive vice president of Japan's Nippon Steel Corp speaks to Reuters in an interview in its headquarters in Tokyo

TOKYO (Reuters) - Nippon Steel's vice chairman plans to return to the United States next week again to discuss its proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel, a company spokesperson said on Wednesday.

The planned visit by Takahiro Mori, the Japanese firm's key negotiator for the deal, follows trips to the U.S. in May and June, highlighting the importance of the $15 billion takeover offer to the world's No. 4 steelmaker.

U.S. Steel's management has backed the bid but the deal faces resistance from the White House and the powerful United Steelworkers (USW) union.

Nippon Steel declined to provide further details of Mori's next visit. According to a source familiar with his travel plans who declined to be identified, Mori will travel to several states where U.S. Steel has operations and meet with local officials, community leaders and workers.

On his last trip, Mori met with U.S. Steel employees and community leaders to gain a better understanding of their views and saw a positive reaction, the company said.

(Reporting by Yuka Obayashi and John Geddie; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
Will NJ be ready to show off its Revolutionary history for the nation's 250th anniversary?

When it comes to the American Revolution, New Jersey was the epicenter.

The Garden State saw more action during the war than any other state.

Members of the New Jersey Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, including John D. Alden and D. Stanton Hammond, documented more than 600 battles and skirmishes in the state, starting with the often overlooked tea party at Greenwich on Dec. 22, 1774, and ending with Major William Crane's delivery of a captured enemy ship to Elizabethtown on March 3, 1783.

The state saw the 10 Crucial Days of the war. George Washington spent one-quarter of his time as general in New Jersey. And among the more than 150 historic sites related to the war is America's first national historic park: Morristown National Historical Park.

The battles and skirmishes of the American Revolution in New Jersey were mapped ahead of the bicentennial.

"Massachusetts started the Revolution. Pennsylvania did the paperwork, but it was New Jersey that launched the nation," said Roger Williams, the historian for the New Jersey Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. "George Washington is on the $1 bill because of what happened in New Jersey."

As 2026 approaches, New Jersey should be at the head of the table, according to state historians and state government officials. New Jersey is a Revolutionary War mecca for historians and an open classroom for the general public to learn about a complicated history of American independence, Williams said. Historic sites telling snippets of the United States of America's origin story are scattered between the Hudson and Delaware rivers.

State investments in those sites ahead of the anniversary have been coupled with vows from officials to see New Jersey recognized as a must-see historical destination.

The nations 250th anniversary is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for New Jersey to be widely recognized and visited for its significance during the American Revolution and how the events, challenges and ideas of that time continue to shape our nation and can help us form a more perfect union," Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way said in late June.

A reenactor wears a 3rd regiment New Jersey satchel during a Revolutionary War reenactment during Retreat to Victory, Events of November of 1776, at Historic New Bridge Landing in River Edge on Sunday, November 19, 2023. Hosted by the Bergen County Historical Society, participants recreate a battle where General Washington and his army retreat from the British army at New Bridge Landing on November 20, 1776.

Will NJ's Revolutionary War sites be ready for the nation's 250th anniversary?

In the fall of 2022, Gov. Phil Murphy announced the state would spend $25 million in American Rescue Plan funds to improve 10 Revolutionary War sites ahead of 2026. The money was earmarked for repairs to help revitalize Trentons Old Barracks, Washington Crossing State Park and other key sites, ready them for increased visitation and bring them into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Murphy said heritage tourism was important, not only to the states economy, but to tell the story of what the United States of America is as a nation  especially amid so much political division.

The money was set aside for RevolutionNJ, a partnership between the New Jersey Historical Commission and the nonprofit Crossroads of the American Revolution Association charged with planning and promoting New Jersey's commemorations. The money has since been distributed to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, which oversees the parks service, said Alicia D'Alessandro, a spokesperson for the Department of State.

As of July 1, almost all of the work remains in the planning and design stages, according to information provided by the state Department of Environmental Protection press office. On-site work is expected to begin this summer on Washington Crossing State Park's new visitors' center, records show. However, most projects will not start the construction phase until this fall at the earliest.

So far, Virginia, Massachusetts and South Carolina are all doing a better job of planning and touting their efforts to commemorate America's birth, according to Williams. While the Jersey Shore features year after year in prominent ad campaigns, the Crossroads of the American Revolution heritage sites have been an afterthought, he said.

"I'm frustrated as a resident," Williams said. "There's a huge opportunity for New Jersey counties to leverage America 250 and take our rightful place in its celebrations, but we haven't really geared up yet."

Visitors gather at Princeton Battlefield State Park's Thomas Clarke House.

D'Alessandro said a lot remains in the "planning and not public stages right now" with the July 4, 1776 anniversary still two years away. Carrie Fellows, executive director of Crossroads of the American Revolution and a leader of RevolutionNJ, said New Jersey is nonetheless "out in front of everybody."

Sara Cureton, the executive director of the New Jersey Historical Commission, said RevolutionNJ has been working behind the scenes with an association of history groups and museums to develop a variety of programs and events to make America 250 "a whole state experience." It recently published a manual to give communities, nonprofits and counties a blueprint for how to plan their own events, she said.

Cureton and Fellows said planned RevolutionNJ initiatives include a traveling exhibit, a public art initiative, history-themed talks at microbreweries and more to explore the history of the American Revolution, its context and its legacy. There are also plans involving local schools and the exploration of community stories that celebrate history, nationhood and revolutionary ideals.

The lack of a public tourism push this summer, Fellows said, is strategic. New Jersey's prominent anniversaries are set to begin around the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Trenton on Dec. 26, 2026, she said. Most programs are set for a major launch in the fall of 2025, Cureton said.

"We didn't want to have a big splash and then nothing," Fellows said.

Rendering of a potential visitor center at Princeton Battlefield.

NJ's 2025 budget includes funds for Princeton Battlefield State Park

The preparations for America 250 nonetheless started back in 2017, Fellows said. Readiness surveys were conducted to see what New Jersey's historic sites needed to be ready for increased visitation.

"Many of those sites since then have used that study and its findings to leverage funding," Fellows said.

While private and corporate sponsors have played a part and will be critical in the years ahead, Fellows said the state's commemorations are also benefiting from a steady financial commitment from New Jersey legislators. More investment came at the end of June via the state's 2025 fiscal year budget.

More: It's time to head outside, New Jersey! These are the most visited state parks

The state budget included $1.3 million for a marquee project at Princeton Battlefield State Park, one of the state's two primary American Revolution battlefield preservations. Announced ahead of America 250, "Washington's Legacy" has the potential to be a game changer for the state park, said Mary Koik, the communications director for the American Battlefield Trust.

Revealed in October 2023 by officials from the Trust, New Jersey State Park Service and the Princeton Battlefield Society, the project has been pitched as an effort to transport visitors to the 1777 wartime landscape at Princeton Battlefield by 2027. With $1.3 million secured, Trust officials said the project can now be completed in time for the 250th anniversary of the battle in January 2027. "We can do some work privately, and we are moving ahead in some aspects, but state investment really levels up what one charity, even with all its partners locally, can do," Koik said.

Map of the envisioned relocated and expanded visitor services at Princeton Battlefield State Park.

The project as proposed involves the restoration of historic tree lines and an orchard near the William Clarke House site, the creation of a new walking path and the removal of 20th-century intrusions. Officials also said digital tools and signage should come from funding collected from donors, the state and grants.

Visitors will get to walk the same pathways that Washington and his men took 250 years ago, Will Krakower, resource interpretive specialist at Princeton Battlefield State Park, said of the project. They'll get to survey the grounds and see in their minds eye what it would have been like to witness hundreds of British troops on the hill opposite them. They'll march over the same ground, stand on battle lines, charge through the recreated apple orchard  it's going to be an amazing experience.

More: Passaic event was another step to gain recognition for forgotten 'Hello Girls' of WWI

State officials established Princeton Battlefield State Park in 1946 on the back of a donation from Princeton landowners. The park has since doubled to about 80 acres on and around where General George Washington notched a pivotal victory during the 10 Crucial Days campaign.

HISTORY: The Battle of Princeton, the culmination of the campaign, began unexpectedly. Washington and his men, having cleverly evaded British forces at Assunpink Creek the previous night, spotted British troops near William Clarke's farm. --- Washington first dispatched Hugh Mercers brigade. They were routed and Mercer was wounded. Washington then sent in John Cadwaladers Philadelphia Associators. They too were cut through, leading Washington himself to lead fresh troops onto the field. Under cover from an artillery unit led by Joseph Moulder, Washington's counterattack shattered the British line and forced a retreat.

"The story of Princeton and the 10 Crucial Days is one that changed America," Koik said. "There would be no America if things had gone differently."

The project pending in Princeton involves what is expected to be the last great growth the battlefield will ever experience, said David Duncan, Trust president. The project seeks to integrate 15 acres at Maxwells Field, where the Institute for Advanced Study proposed a housing development last decade. The Trust announced the purchase of the site and a separate 1.12-acre tract to the north for $4 million in late 2016.

Rendering of the Princeton Battlefield State Park with relocated visitor services.

Saving New Jersey's Revolutionary War history

The preservation effort was one of few still possible at New Jersey's most prominent battlefields. Development has overrun many. Strip malls, commercial parks and housing developments cover dozens of locations where the war once shook the landscape.

There are so many sites that held skirmishes and meetings, it is almost impossible to save everything. Apathy sets in. Williams said the numbers present a challenge for explicit preservation, but great opportunity for practical preservation, like the multi-purpose park slated for the site of the historic Zabriskie-Schedler House in Ridgewood.

In Upper Freehold, the threat of development has been looming over a New Jersey farm believed to have been a British troop encampment during the Revolutionary War. Sitting near Monmouth Battlefield State Park, the 61-acre site off Old York Road has been proposed as the home for a pair of warehouses to the ire of residents opposed to noise, truck traffic and pollution. Adding to the clamor against development some may see as a welcome ratable, there are also historical records from British officer John Andre's journal indicating British troops camped on the site in June 1778 ahead of the Battle of Monmouth.

HISTORY: The largest and hottest battle of the war, the Battle of Monmouth started poorly for the Continental Army. Hesitancy in the early goings of the battle near Monmouth Court House by General Charles Lee stifled an attack on the British rearguard and allowed British General Charles Lord Cornwallis to counterattack. --- As soldiers retreated, Washington relieved Lee of command, rallied his troops and waited for backup. With General Nathanael Greenes division on the right and General William Alexanders on the left, Washington placed Lees troops in reserve under the Marquis de Lafayette and commanded General Anthony Wayne to position artillery on both flanks. --- A counterattack forced the British back, but they returned with an attack on Greenes division. The battle waned until 6 p.m. when the exhausted British withdrew. Washington resisted a possible pursuit, allowing his men to rest and the British to make their way back toward New York City.

To potentially save the British encampment, the Monmouth County Board of Commissioners entered negotiations with Active Acquisitions LLC, the current owner, for a potential acquisition. The state's 2025 budget set aside $100,000 for services associated with a land acquisition project at Monmouth Battlefield State Park, in what was another win for historic preservationists.

The budget did not, however, include a proposed budget resolution allocating $250,000 for the development of a master plan for a new visitors' center at Princeton Battlefield State Park. That project would not have been completed by 2027 but could have seen a groundbreaking during commemorations, Koik said. The Trust has already funded a feasibility study for the visitors' center project. The $25 million in state funding from 2022 includes $2.25 million for the park. Some of that money will be used for public restrooms, parking and pathways into and around the Thomas Clarke House, NJDEP records show.

While the investment into New Jersey's battlefields is not restricted to anniversaries, the timing around America 250 makes sense for a state with a track record of caring about its history, Koik said. Princeton Battlefield could be a showpiece for the state and its Revolution-era history, but that requires a buy-in from Trenton that goes beyond 2026, she said.

"More investment now will pay dividends," Koik said. "Heritage tourism can be big business."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: A Revolutionary War mecca, NJ gears up to celebrate America's 250th
From the Dispatch Politics on The Dispatch

Happy Wednesday! A programming note: For the Independence Day holiday, well be taking Friday off, barring some earth-shattering news. Otherwise, we hope you have a terrific Fourth of July and well see you again on Monday. To tide you over until then, you get three items in todays newsletter. Happy birthday, America!

Up to Speed

The No Labels Moment Has Passed

Stage at the official launch of No Labels on December 13, 2010, at Columbia University in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Ryan Clancy wont say I told you so.

But the chief strategist for the political organization No Labels told Dispatch Politics in an interview Tuesday that, after the Democratic presidents poor performance in last weeks debate, he and those involved with the group feel angry and frustrated by the new calls for an alternative candidate to Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

All the work that we put in over the last couple of years was for exactly this moment, Clancy said. It was an insurance policy. You hope not to use it, but you do if something happens, right?

No Labels had sought an alternative, centrist presidential candidate to meet the demand from voters for someone other than Biden and Trump. The group had secured a ballot line in 25 states and was on track to add several more when it announced in April it was ending the effort. Without a qualified candidate willing to take the risk of an independent White House bid, No Labels could go nowhere else.

Americans remain more open to an independent presidential run, and hungrier for unifying national leadership, than ever before, said No Labels in a press release announcing it would not field a candidate.

But since Thursdays debate in Atlanta, Clancy said members of the No Labels community have been emailing its leaders desperate to see if there was any chance of reversing course and fielding a candidate.

We checked into this. We thought we owed it to ourselves and our community, Clancy said. We talked to our lawyers, and we talked to our ballot teams. We were like, Guys, you know, is there anything that could be done here? And unfortunately, there really isnt.

The windows to obtain a line on the ballot have closed in too many states, but there remains the nagging problem that plagued No Labels from the beginning: no candidate. No Labels did brief multiple potential candidates to lead a ticket, none of whom agreed to take the plunge. Clancy placed much of the blame on Democratic Party-aligned activistsincluding groups like the Lincoln Projectwhom he says sabotaged No Labels efforts in order to protect Biden by poisoning the well about the organization.

So wed go to a candidate, and we would brief them and their advisers, and then it would get out that we had talked to that person, Clancy said. And then these people that had allied against us would get back to them, and they would give their own argument for why, you know, No Labels is selling a fantasy, and you shouldnt do that.

Jeff Timmer, the campaign director for the Lincoln Project, defended his groups campaign to prevent a No Labels candidacy.

Were proud we stopped this absolutely stupid, disingenuous, and self-serving exercise in political idiocy. And wed do it again, Timmer said in a statement to Dispatch Politics.

While Clancy defended No Labels strategy of seeking ballot access first and a presidential ticket second, he admitted that No Labels experience suggests that plan may not work in the future.

I do think that if somebody were to try this in the future, somehow, some way, you probably do have to start with the candidate, Clancy said.

Trump Poised to Rip 40-Year-Old Pro-Life Plank Out of GOP Platform

In every presidential election since 1984, the pro-life plank in the Republican partys platform has declared: We endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendments protections apply to unborn children.

But all signs are pointing toward Donald Trump ripping that Reagan-era plank out of the platform and replacing it with something to his own liking that removes any reference to the 14th Amendment and federal legislation.

During his successful 2016 campaign, Trump campaigned on signing a federal limit on abortion at 20 weeks after conception with exceptions. But since the 2022 Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, he has changed course. Trump blamed the abortion issue for the GOPs underwhelming 2022 midterm performance. During the GOP primary against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump attacked Floridas Heartbeat Protection Act, which generally bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, as terrible. He formally announced in April of this year that he opposes any new federal limits on abortion.

While the precise text of Trumps 2024 pro-life plank is not clear, pro-life leaders now expect it to be released this Sunday and approved by the Republican National Conventions platform committee in closed-door meetings on Monday or Tuesdaybefore the convention officially begins. On Tuesday, Politico reported that two anti-abortion activists had been blocked by the Trump campaign from serving on the platform committee. One pro-life leader told Dispatch Politics that the committee has been overwhelmingly stacked with people who will ensure the pro-life plank is changed to reflect Donald Trump and his thinking.

Pro-life leaders are sounding the alarm. In a July 1 letter to RNC Chairman Michael Whatley obtained by Dispatch Politics, Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, made his concerns clear.

Based on the limited communications delegates have received, it appears that neither guests nor the press will be allowed to observe the platform committee or subcommittee discussions of the Partys principles and policy priorities, Perkins wrote. The Partys platforms have provided guidance not just to presidents and Congresses but also to state legislatures, school boards, county commissioners, and, just as importantly  voters.

Perkins, who was elected by the Louisiana GOP to serve as a delegate on the RNC Platform Committee, described the closed-off nature of the meeting as an RNC Gag Rule that heightens speculation that the GOP platform will be watered down to a few pages of meaningless, poll-tested talking points.

For weeks, pro-life activists have soughtand not receivedprivate reassurances from the Trump campaign that core elements of the pro-life plank would not be changed. A memo signed by Trump advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, reported by the New York Times on June 29, called for a condensed 2024 GOP platform to ensure our policy commitments to the American people are clear, concise and easily digestible. The memo defended closing off the platform committee process for the first time in decades to protect the process from any special interest influence that seeks to make public policy stray from our clear and straightforward objectives.

The private fight between the Trump campaign and pro-life leaders burst into public view in the past week. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement on Tuesday: If the Trump campaign decides to remove national protections for the unborn in the GOP platform, it would be a miscalculation that would hurt party unity and destroy pro-life enthusiasm between now and the election.

What Does Turning Point Action Look for in a Candidate?

Do you love to win or hate to lose? Why?

So asks Turning Point Action, the political arm of one of the leading conservative youth organizations, of Republican candidates seeking their endorsements. Its the fifth of 20 questions on the groups candidate questionnaire obtained by Dispatch Politics, which Turning Point claims provides crucial criteria in determining whether a candidate deserves its backing.

The groups parent organization is Turning Point USA, whose founder Charlie Kirk has become an influential player in the GOPs turn toward conservative populism and embrace of the MAGA movement. Kirk was among the chief antagonists to Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel and was among the loudest voices encouraging former President Donald Trump to oust her earlier this year. Now, Turning Point USA is helping the RNC with voter turnout efforts in battleground states to boost Trumps presidential campaign.

The Turning Point questionnaire provides a look at how the group is seeking to shape the partys standard bearers down-ballot. Its questions reflect a standard, conservative litmus test for a would-be Republican officeholder and may indicate what the group is prioritizing in its endorsees.

Candidates seeking the endorsement are also asked to answer whether they are in favor of a socialist economic system.

Do you agree with an economic system in which the means of production, distribution, and exchange are owned or regulated by the government and resources are distributed based on need? reads one question.

Turning Point Action did not respond to an email that included a request to confirm the documents authenticity; queries about how many candidates have asked for the groups endorsement; and how many the organization has rejected based on their answers.

In addition to general character questionssuch as whether a candidate has ever had a felony or misdemeanor conviction or filed for bankruptcy in the past 10 yearsthe form also asks why a candidate chose to jump into the race.

If you were running and could only put Republican or Conservative on your yard sign, not both, which would you choose and why? Explain why you are running? What are your key values? reads a question.

Also on the form is a direct question asking whether the candidate has taken money from corporate PACs amid some open-ended ones regarding how to reduce the deficit, ensure a secure border, and navigate the issue of abortion.

What is your position on abortion, and how would you address the current debate surrounding abortion post-Roe V. Wade?

One question asks a candidate when an immigrant should have the right to vote.

Under what circumstances do you believe that immigrants should attain voting privileges in the United States? Do you believe that voting privileges should be different for federal elections from state and local elections?

Notable and Quotable

TOTAL EXONERATION! It is clear that the Supreme Courts Brilliantly Written and Historic Decision ENDS all of Crooked Joe Bidens Witch Hunts against me, including the WHITE HOUSE AND DOJ INSPIRED CIVIL HOAXES in New York. All of these Unfair Charges represent the WORST level of Election Interference ever seen in our Countrys long and storied History. It must be understood, that I was Totally and Completely Innocent from the beginning of this Giant and Highly Illegal Scam, long before the Supreme Courts Decision was released. The impact of the Immunity Ruling is a loud and clear signal for Justice in the United States. I AM PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN! Former President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post about the Supreme Courts presidential immunity ruling, July 2, 2024

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.
No new leads. Did a second killer get away in former York County mayors murder?

The story never added up.

If an assailant dragged Julia Phillips through wet, muddy grass on a dreary night before zip-tying her boyfriends neck and beating him to death, why were her clothes clean? Why was the tape around her head and hands neatly cut?

And if she spouted a bogus alibi to police, how did the 5-foot-tall, 100-pound woman single-handedly kill her boyfriend, a well-known former mayor, councilman and businessman, who was nearly double her size?

Ronnie Roberts, son of Melvin Roberts, stands on his fathers front porch in June. Ronnie Roberts believes there was an accomplice who helped murder his father in February, 2004

The questions still haunt Ronnie Roberts 14 years later as he stands outside his fathers largely unchanged home on Roberts Avenue in York. In the driveway on Feb. 4, 2010, someone cracked Melvin Roberts, then 79, over the head with a pipe or something similar, shot at him and then choked him to death with a plastic cable tie, according to police and prosecutors. An autopsy determined he choked to death.

Somebody did this to Dad, and whoever helped is a murderer, Ronnie Roberts said. If they would kill Dad, they will kill just about anybody... They need to be put away, forever.

The murder shook the small city of several thousand, drew national attention and so enamored true crime buffs that there were three TV documentaries about the case. The motive was a simple one for Phillips, according to police and prosecutors: Greed.

Courts convicted Phillips of the murder in 2013, and she died in prison three years later at 72. A police investigator with fresh eyes has ended up with the same conclusion as all those years ago: I cant rule out there was a second suspect, says York police officer Lt. Kevin Hoffman.

Melvin Roberts: An icon in York

Melvin Roberts listens in court during the murder trial of Antonio Mobley at the Moss Justice Center in York. ANDY BURRISS - aburriss@heraldonline.com

Roberts was a lawyer, landlord, car dealer and a tough guy who never backed down from disagreements in courtrooms and boardrooms, say the people who knew him. He was mayor of York for a term in the early 1970s, served on the city council and ran cable TV businesses and gas stations. At age 79 he had a pacemaker, but was still physically active and strong.

And in the courtroom, he was still a force at an age when many are retired. In 2009, Roberts and legendary South Carolina defense lawyer Jack Swerling represented Antonio Mobley, a York man charged with murder. After a grueling jury trial, the man was found not guilty.

His personal life was not so public.

Roberts was long-divorced, and for many years had a relationship with Phillips. She lived with him for years. He took her on trips and bought her a building in Gaffney for her clothing business.

But that was coming to an end in early 2010.

Roberts was going to cut off Phillips money, take her out of his will and kick her out of the house where she had lived with him for years, police said.

Roberts death on a cold night in 2010





Phillips called 911 the cold, rainy February night Roberts died. She used a racist trope that a dark-skinned man with a foreign-type accent grabbed her as she came home from her clothing store in Gaffney, about 25 miles west. She claimed the assailant kept demanding money.

When the police showed up, she was sitting inside her SUV with her head and wrists tied with duct tape.

She described the alleged robbery to police and asked repeatedly: Wheres Melvin?

He was dead in the driveway.

Phillips told police the purported villain threatened and dragged her away from what would become a murder scene through wet grass behind a 6-foot wall. Then she told police she heard a gunshot.

She told officers she waited until she thought she was safe then went back to her SUV parked in the driveway.

Police found Roberts dead with the plastic tie around his neck and a wound from the beating on his head.

Officers whisked Phillips off to the York Police Department station downtown. They videotaped her statement with duct tape still around her blond hair. Police said they needed to take pictures of her for the investigation, and she wondered aloud: would the pictures be in Playboy?

Police found two large footprints near the house and a wet track where it looked like a person slid down. But a K-9 couldnt track a scent from the scene.

It didnt add up from the beginning, say York police officers.

The wet, cold weather defied the relatively clean clothes Phillips was wearing. The duct tape wasnt tight, and it looked cut, not torn.

Roberts wallet also wasnt stolen and money wasnt missing. The money bag Phillips brought home from her Gaffney store wasnt missing money either.

Even that night, police believed the crime scene, the duct tape and the claim of robbery was staged.

Still, Phillips was allowed the night of the murder to return home to Gaffney, where she had a house from a previous marriage. The Roberts Avenue house and driveway remained a crime scene.

Police had only her statements. There was no security video at the house.

Last time I saw him alive

David Roberts stands in his fathers office in York.

David Roberts during an interview last month with The Herald sat in his fathers office building conference room on Liberty Street in York. Its an old-fashioned, wood-paneled law office with rows of legal books that date back decades. He sat in the same chair where his father sat Feb 4, 2010.

The 2010 visit was a normal one, with David Roberts stopping to see Melvin Roberts after his dad returned from a car auction in Darlington. David Roberts told his father he loved him.

Thats the last time I saw him alive, David Roberts said last month. I told him I would see him the next day and I went home.

David Roberts continues to use his fathers law and real estate office. He ran the property rental business after his father died.

And he believes Julia Phillips did not act alone. It almost certainly was someone who knew his dad, David Roberts said.

Ive always felt theres at least one more person involved, he said.

Just as David Roberts frequently thinks about the killing, the supposed accomplice must do the same, he said. Whoever that person is, David Roberts has a message: You are carrying a burden.

David Roberts is asking that person to turn themselves into police  to un-shoulder the burden of murder.

Im hopeful you will decide to help both of us, David Roberts said.

In the 14 years since the killing, Roberts death investigation has been the most extensive in the history of the York Police Department, said Police Chief Brian Trail. The department has spent thousands of hours on the case, Trail said.

The crime that stunned York  and America

For former York Mayor Eddie Lee, Roberts death was not just another case. Roberts was an institution, and among the citys most prominent people.

Lee knew Roberts for decades. So news of the 2010 killing sent Lee to the house himself. Police were still there. So were Roberts two grown sons, who were at the end of the driveway.

I remember walking up that long driveway from the road and thinking Is this real? Lee said.

Immediately, Lee wondered who could have done it. Roberts was a landlord. There were plenty of court cases where people didnt like the outcome.

He had friends and he had enemies  everybody knew that, Lee said.

But Lee and many others didnt believe Julia Phillips robbery story from day one  especially that a Black or Hispanic man with an accent robbed her.

For so long in the South, that has been a convenient excuse, said Lee, a professor of Southern history at Winthrop University, about race-blaming.

The public asked Lee about the case from the day after the murder because he also was mayor.

The public, the media, everyone wanted to know what happened and who did it, Lee said.

Lee also knew Phillips, Roberts girlfriend, and had spoken to her many times over the years.

She was such a small and slender person, Lee said. If she did it, how could she do it by herself?

Police cast a wide net

While the police and public cast suspicions on Phillips story from the start, she started out as a victim.

York Police Department Lt. Billy Mumaw, now retired, was the lead investigator from the first night and spoke to the Herald in May.

Police and Phillips did a re-enactment at the 2010 murder scene days after the crime. She again claimed to have been dragged behind the wall by an assailant. She showed the spot behind the wall. But her clothes were not muddy despite the rainy, cold weather, Mumaw said.

Investigators took more than 80 DNA swabs of people to find a match on the plastic tie tightened around Roberts neck, but no match was ever found, Mumaw said.

Mumaw said in 2010 he was assigned no other cases for six months. He worked with a State Law Enforcement Division agent, two county detectives and others from his own department. Federal law enforcement also helped, York police said.

Police received massive cell tower data dumps from the area but never found any link from phone calls made nearby to the killing, Mumaw said.

Mumaw interviewed people with potential grudges against Roberts through his legal, car and property businesses. Police interviewed Roberts and Phillips family members.

The alibis for everybody came up clean, Mumaw said.

None of those people were suspects after the investigation, Mumaw said.

Except Julia Phillips.

Suspect emerges

Melvin Roberts ex-girlfriend, Julia Phillips, is led into court after being accused in his killing.

Mumaw said police had the question: If it was just a robbery, why did an assailant use a plastic cable tie and a gun, but not take any money? Why would they kill Roberts without robbing him?

Mumaw said Phillips other actions and statements seemed peculiar  they were more about her own well-being, rather than her boyfriend lying dead on the ground nearby. She talked only about being a robbery victim and never asked about her boyfriend lying dead in the driveway while talking with police.

Her boyfriend is laying dead 15 feet away and shes concerned about herself, not Melvin being dead, Mumaw said. It just stands out as not how a normal person would react.

Roberts had a hole in his jacket collar where a bullet shot through and missed him, Mumaw said. That bullet was destroyed when it hit the concrete driveway. So it did not yield DNA or fingerprints.

No gun was ever found.

The duct tape around Phillips wrists and head, meanwhile, was too loose for Phillips alibi that her assailant bound and dragged her behind a wall many feet away, Mumaw said. Police took her clothes seized the night of the crime for testing for DNA and gunshot residue. They tested positive for gunshot residue despite her claim she had never fired a gun and was feet away behind a wall when the gun was fired.

And they found something else: Phillips was broke. And she had been spending money on drugs.

Police said they discovered Roberts was going to kick Phillips out of the house and take her out of his will after the couple had been together for 10 years. Investigators found Roberts told Phillips creditors he was no longer going to pay her bills, police said. Phillips had found out that, if she was cut out of the will, she would lose her store Roberts owned, police and prosecutors said. They said the will change would have been catastrophic for Phillips and left her destitute.

Phillips stole money from Roberts rental business in Gaffney, and she had an opioid problem where she bought pills on the street, according to Mumaw, police records, and court testimony.

Murder charge and trial

On May 18, 2010, police charged Phillips in the murder as she stood outside the Gaffney store Roberts bought for her. She pleaded not guilty and refused to ever give police another statement.

Phillips was released on house arrest bail in June 2010.

She pleaded guilty in a separate July 2010 case to stealing $2,000 from Roberts realty company in Gaffney.

The murder trial finally began in late August of 2013. Media and spectators packed the Moss Justice Center for the case.

Greenville prosecutors, who took over the case to avoid conflicts of interest, showed Phillips videotaped statements claiming to be dragged through mud. They showed the gunshot residue on her clothes. They talked about her drug problems and how Phillips was destitute without Roberts money.

Prosecutors brought in a witness from Gaffney who testified Phillips tried to hire him to kill Melvin Roberts many years earlier. He refused to help Phillips in that purported earlier plot.

Yet during the trial, police and prosecutors told jurors Phillips either killed Roberts and had help or helped somebody else pull the plastic cable tie that took away Roberts last breaths.

Phillips lawyer, Bobby Frederick, claimed she was too small and too frail to have had any role  that she was a victim. She was attention-starved, used prescription narcotics and could not keep her story straight, but that did not prove she was a killer, Frederick said.

Frederick argued in court the police charged Phillips because of public and media pressure, but a jury needed only a few hours to find her guilty. Judge Derham Cole sentenced Phillips to life in prison.

David Roberts hugged his wife that day but immediately said the next morning to The Herald the case was not over.

Melvin Roberts son David Roberts gets a hug from his wife Patty after Julia Phillips was found guilty of Melvin Roberts murder, at the Moss Justice Center in York. Prosecutor Kris Hodge is at right in background.

The probe goes on

The night of the murder, Trail, now the York Police chief, was the patrol lieutenant on duty and one of the first officers on scene. He had suspicions that Phillips story was phony.

We were pleased with the arrest and conviction (but ) we knew there was another suspect and there was still work to be done, Trail said in a statement to The Herald.

When Trail was promoted to captain in 2010, he and Lt. Rich Caddell, then the supervisor for investigations, started from the beginning with interviews, phone calls and computer records.

Detectives completed other interviews, lie detector tests and re-submitted DNA samples. Investigators went through computer records and more phone calls, Trail said.

Police followed every lead but the case grew cold, Trail said.

We interviewed every person we could think of, Trail said. We could develop no new leads.

Phillips dies in prison

Julia Phillips pictured in prison and in court before her conviction.

Phillips died silently. She never confessed to having a co-conspirator or any role in Roberts death, investigators say.

What she knew  or didnt  died with her on July 6, 2016, at age 72.

Ronnie and David Roberts held a news conference with York police that day announcing her death. Police said the investigation was still ongoing.

Police searched her prison cell and her personal effects, police said. Again, they found nothing, not even a mention of Roberts, said former York Police Chief Andy Robinson and Trail.

Fresh eyes on a cold case

When Mumaw and Caddell retired, Trail assigned detective Hoffman to look at the case again in the late 2010s.

Hoffman, now a lieutenant, was not living in York in 2010. He never met Roberts  unlike other officers involved in the case.

He came into the investigation with fresh eyes and re-interviewed people from the original case. He pored over the trial transcript. He looked through the case evidence. He re-submitted DNA materials to use the latest technology.

His findings: people with potential grudges offered legitimate alibis and DNA evidence collected in 2010 didnt turn up any matches.

The case theory, even with Hoffmans fresh eyes, remains the same: If Phillips killed Roberts, she likely had help orchestrating it, Hoffman said.

That person could have killed Roberts and helped stage the crime scene with the phony duct tape before Julia Phillips called 911 with the false claim about being robbed, Hoffman said.

But Hoffman also said evidence against Phillips was strong and damning. She had motive, means and opportunity.

A private investigative firm, paid by Ronnie Roberts, went through the case from beginning to end a few years ago to review if anything could lead to another suspect. It too came up empty.

A case turns cold ... for good?

Lee left the mayors office in 2020 after 18 years. He still lives in York.

He said in an interview with The Herald detectives fully investigated the crime. He was briefed by police often from 2010 through 2020.

York police under three different chiefs threw all they had at the case. The police force of 35 doesnt consider the case closed  just an investigation half-solved.

The public theory that there was a co-conspirator, it still percolates, Lee said. People still ask me about it to this day.... This was an emotional case, a bloody murder, and it remains for many to have a cloud over it.

The sons fight for justice

Roberts two sons, Ronnie and David, have lived with their fathers death for 14 years. In some ways, it consumes their lives.

Before Roberts died, both sons saw him almost every day. They trusted Phillips as a member of the family for a decade until the investigation found she was stealing from their father and that her claims about the night were phony.

Both sons praised the York police for their tenacity and 14 years of work on the case.

Ronnie, now 65 years old, said his father was loyal, courageous and honest. He has left the house intact for 14 years so police can check and re-check the house and the grounds.

Ronnie Roberts has spent thousands of dollars of his own money on private investigations and a $10,000 reward for information remains on the table.

Hes happy to pay if the information is verifiable and leads to Julia Phillips accomplice.

The sons and police also gave in-depth interviews for three TV documentaries made about the case. Re-runs of those shows from Dateline on NBC, Snapped on the Oxygen Network and Investigation Discoverys Southern Fried Homicide still air every now and then  providing hope someone will see them and provide something, anything, to move the case forward.

David Roberts always had questions about the timeline on Feb. 4, 2010. He wonders about his fathers whereabouts between leaving the office sometime after 5 p.m. and getting home after 7 p.m. He said his father likely didnt stay at the office from 5 p.m until 7 p.m. Perhaps someone who saw him during those two hours can still provide a clue, David Roberts said.

In small York, David and Ronnie Roberts keep checking with police on the case. They go to the post office, to lunch, walk down Liberty Street where their fathers law office sits. They walk down the main business district of Congress Street.

People ask them if the case will be solved.

People ask them if a second person has been caught.

They all wonder if a killer walks among them in York.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden defiantly vowed on Wednesday to keep running for reelection, rejecting growing pressure from within his Democratic Party to withdraw after a disastrous debate performance raised questions about his readiness. He said he would not be forced from the race.

I am running. I am the leader of the Democratic Party. No one is pushing me out, Biden said, according to a top aide who posted his comment on the X social media platform.

Michelle Obama only Democrat to beat Trump in new poll

Biden and Harris made a surprise appearance on a Democratic National Committee call, according to three people familiar with the matter who were given anonymity to discuss the private conversation. The people said it was a pep talk, stressing the stakes of the election and returning to Bidens previous post-debate comments that he would get back up after being knocked down.

It was one of several efforts by the president and his top aides to try to calm increasing anxiety among his allies on Capitol Hill and at top levels of his party.

Democrats are unsatisfied with the explanations of Bidens debate performance, from both White House staff and Biden himself. And there is a deeper frustration among some Democrats who feel Biden should have handled questions about his stumbling debate performance much sooner and that he has put them in a difficult position by staying in the race.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA  MAY 29: U.S. President Joe Biden and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris take the stage at a campaign rally at Girard College on May 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Biden and Harris are using todays rally to launch a nationwide campaign to court black voters, a group that has traditionally come out in favor of Biden, but their support is projected lower than it was in 2020. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

President Joe Biden hugs Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign event at Girard College, Wednesday, May 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients urged people during an earlier all-staff meeting Wednesday to tune out the noise and focus on the task of governing.

Even as Zients acknowledged that the days since the Atlanta matchup between Biden and Republican Donald Trump have been challenging, the chief of staff stressed to more than 500 White House aides on the call the accomplishments and the track record of the Democratic administration and said governing will only become more crucial once the campaign season heats up, particularly after the Fourth of July holiday, according to a White House official.

Biden himself began making personal outreach on his own, speaking privately with senior Democratic lawmakers such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Delaware Sen. Chris Coons and South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, according to a second White House official and others with knowledge of the conversations. Zients also spoke personally with Schumer and Clyburn earlier Wednesday.

White House refutes report Biden told ally hes weighing whether to stay in the race

On Capitol Hill, there is increasing anxiety with each day as Biden had been slow to reach out to top Democrats and rank-and-file members, according to people familiar with ongoing conversations.

Zients tried to rally the staffs confidence in Bidens reelection apparatus, noting that the president has a strong campaign team in place and that the White Houses job was to focus on continuing to implement Bidens agenda. He also told staff that Biden has always made it through tough times, despite being counted out over his decades in public office.

The chief of staff also encouraged aides to continue being a team and, while acknowledging the increasing political chatter, to tune it out and stay disciplined, according to the official, who was granted anonymity to relay Zients private remarks. Zients also urged White House staff to ask questions and offer feedback.

Staff-wide White House calls arent unusual, but Wednesdays 15-minute check-in came as Biden and senior White House officials were working to assuage rattled lawmakers, donors and other allies within the party amid sharpening questions about whether the 81-year-old president had the competency to run for a second term in office.

A memo sent Wednesday by campaign chair Jen OMalley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez insists the election between Biden and Trump will still be close, seeking to downplay the lasting effects of the debate.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were also scheduled to hold one of their sporadic lunches on Wednesday, and the president was planning on hosting an assortment of Democratic governors at the White House in the evening.

Among the Democratic governors who were planning to attend in person were Tim Walz of Minnesota, who leads the Democratic Governors Association, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Daniel McKee of Rhode Island, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Gavin Newsom of California, according to their aides. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy were planning on attending virtually.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
North Andover man busted with arsenal of weapons after damaging cars with explosive, DA says

A North Andover man is facing criminal charges after authorities say a search of his home yielded an arsenal of more than 30 weapons, large-capacity ammunition feeders, and homemade explosives.

Daniel Medina, 64, was arraigned Wednesday in Lawrence District Court on charges including five felony counts tied to being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing and improperly storing an automatic rifle, and vandalizing property, according to Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker.

Authorities on Tuesday executed a search warrant at Medinas home at 59 Village Green Drive after he allegedly set off an explosive device and damaged two vehicles. He later returned to the scene of the blast and apparently tried to conceal the damage with spray paint.

Many of the guns seized in the raid didnt contain a serial number and Medinas license to carry weapons expired in the year 2000, according to the DAs office.

Multiple local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies worked together on the raid and arrest of Medina.

We are thankful for the hard work of the officers and assisting agencies involved in this case, North Andover Police Chief Charles Gray said in a statement. We also appreciate the citizens of North Andover who, despite inconveniences, allowed this investigation to take place without interruption.

District Attorney Tucker added, Anyone who is under the impression that they will not face consequences for illegally stockpiling weapons without a license is absolutely wrong. We will continue to prosecute in such cases in order to keep our communities safe.

Medina pled not guilty to the charges against him and was ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing on July 12.

An investigation is ongoing.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, July 3. Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, will take part in the SCO+ format meeting, Trend reports.

According to the official source, the meeting will take place on July 4 within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The leaders of Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Qatar, Mongolia, the UAE, and representatives of a number of international organizations are also invited to this meeting, which will be held in this format for the first time.

The issues on the agenda of the SCO+ meeting will be related to multilateral negotiations, strengthening the desire for sustainable peace and development, and cooperation between the SCO and other participating countries on international and regional issues.

Meanwhile, the heads of state will consider a wide range of issues to further strengthen multifaceted SCO cooperation and its prospects and address pressing international and regional problems.
North Texas woman, convicted of $3.7 million fraud scheme, gets over 4 years in prison

A North Texas woman on Monday was sentenced to over four years in prison following her conviction in a $3.7 million wire fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton announced in a news release.

Tanisha Adderley, 51, was charged in September, 2023. In November, she pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Sam Lindsay to 51 months in federal prison.

Adderley, who is from Mansfield, Texas, was also ordered to pay $3,769,401.90 in restitution.

According to court documents, Adderley worked for a health and human services technology company that recovered fees paid by their clients and remitted funds to them by wire from the companys bank accounts.

Adderley had access to those funds recovery bank account and was responsible for obtaining approvals and responsible for processing refunds, according to the release.

From 2019 to 2023, Adderley created fake approvals and processed wire payments to business bank accounts she had control of, the release says.

As a result, she obtained more than $3.7 million in company funds.

The United States Secret Service Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation.
The commander of the ill-fated flight of space shuttle Challenger is being remembered 40 years after his first spaceflight with a commercial spacecraft bearing his name.



NASA astronaut Francis R. "Dick" Scobee, who flew twice on Challenger  first as its pilot in 1984 and then as commander two years later  is the namesake for Northrop Grumman's 21st cargo vehicle.



"For every commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station, we name our Cygnus spacecraft after a pioneer in human spaceflight. Today, it is my honor to announce the naming of the Cygnus cargo spacecraft that will be used in the upcoming NG-21 mission to the International Space Station for Francis Richard Scobee, former astronaut, pilot and engineer," said Brandon White, vice president and general manager of tactical space systems at Northrop Grumman, in a video statement released by the company on Monday (July 1).

a man in a blue flight suit stands in front of an american flag

"We are privileged to honor Dick Scobee's legacy and recognize his achievements as a pioneer who contributed so much to human spaceflight and our collective reach to explore space," said White.

Selected to be an astronaut in 1978 with NASA's first group of shuttle trainees, Scobee logged nearly seven days as the pilot of STS-41C, a mission that featured the first repair of a satellite in Earth orbit. Scobee came to NASA from the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a combat aviator in the Vietnam War and a test pilot for the Boeing 747 jetliner, the X-24B lifting body and C-5 Galaxy cargo plane.

Related: Space shuttle Challenger and the disaster that changed NASA forever

On Jan. 28, 1986, Scobee and his six STS-51L crewmates were killed when Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its 10th mission, the result of a failed seal in one of the spacecraft's two solid rocket boosters. (In 2018, Northrop Grumman acquired the company that produced Challenger's boosters, as well as all of the solid rocket motors that were used throughout the 30-year space shuttle program.)

Scobee was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2004. His memory is further kept alive by the Challenger Center, an educational organization established by the families of the STS-51L crew. Scobee's widow, June Scobee Rodgers, served as the center's founding chair.



"Dick's legacy continues to inspire generations of aspiring pilots, engineers and students, who are driven to test the boundaries of human spaceflight technology and space exploration," said Quinn Duffy, an engineer at Northrop Grumman.



The "S.S. Francis R. 'Dick' Scobee" is is targeted to launch to the space station in early August. It will be the second Cygnus to fly on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as Northrop Grumman transitions its Antares rocket from using Russian-built engines to U.S.-based hardware developed with Firefly Aerospace.



The NG-21 Cygnus will carry food, supplies and equipment to the space station, including a bioreactor to demonstrate the production of blood and immune stem cells and an investigation into vascularized liver tissue. The mission will also fly several test articles to observe water flow in microgravity as part of a new NASA "STEMonstration" educational outreach payload.

two space mission patches, one of them purple and hexagonal and the other oval and blue, featuring the number 21

RELATED STORIES:

 The Cygnus spacecraft: Northrop Grumman's cargo ship

 NASA's fatal Challenger launch still echoes through the agency today

 International Space Station: Everything you need to know about the orbital laboratory

The S.S. Francis R. "Dick" Scobee is the second Cygnus spacecraft that Northrop Grumman has named for a member of the fallen STS-51L crew. Mission specialist Ellison Onizuka, who became the first Asian American to launch into space on his first flight in 1985, was similarly honored with the naming of the NG-16 spacecraft.



Other Cygnus namesakes have included company executive J.R. Thompson, Air Force Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) candidate Robert Lawrence, NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson and astronauts David Low, Gordon Fullerton, Janice Voss, Deke Slayton, Rick Husband, Alan Poindexter, John Glenn, Gene Cernan, John Young, Roger Chaffee, Alan Bean, Kalpana Chawla, Piers Sellers, Sally Ride and Laurel Clark.



The most recent Cygnus, the S.S. Patricia "Patty" Hilliard Robertson, named for an astronaut who was the victim of a plane crash before she could launch into space, has been at the station since January. It is scheduled to be released from the orbiting complex on July 12 to proceed to a destructive re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2024 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.
ATWOOD, Kan. (KSNW)  Excavators are ripping the Rawlins County Junior/Senior High School to pieces a year after an intentionally set fire caused extensive damage.

On June 5, 2023, a fire was set at the Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School. The fire took hours to bring under control and injured 10 firefighters.

Two juveniles were arrested and found guilty of aggravated arson and attempted arson.

After working with their insurance company, an evaluation showed that the building could not be saved.

Rawlins County Junior and Senior High School fire (Courtesy: Sara Schmidt)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School after arson damage, June 2023. (Courtesy Rawlins County USD 105)

The engineer who looked at it, reviewed it, was afraid if the main building collapsed, then they could kind of cascade into the rest of the building, so it really wasnt safe to have anybody in it, said Rawlins County School District Superintendent Eric Stoddard.

Demolition began June 10, and heavy demolition began last week.

The top two, the main level and the second floor, are probably 85-90% complete. Theyll still be on site. Theres a lot of sorting through, at least through; I would plan on the middle of August before theyre done with that, and they have to take out the basement as well, said Stoddard.

The students have been learning in classrooms in multiple buildings throughout the year, but insurance is only paying for them through August 2025.

We started the school year off really until February at the Methodist Church, which is across the street from the elementary school, so we kind of had a hybrid campus where we had a couple classrooms in the elementary school, the majority in the church. We have an agricultural shop and woodshop up on the high school campus, so they were there as well, said Stoddard.

Kansas State Fire Marshal investigating arson in Garden City

The district says students have adapted well.

The way we handled it is we had to do what we had to do, and our staff was great, our kids were great, said Stoddard. Theyve really stepped up. Teachers, students, our community, and I cant be prouder of the way weve handled it, and well just have to keep doing that.

Next month, voters are deciding whether to approve a $29.9 million bond to replace the school.

They are also voting on a 1% sales tax to offset the property tax increase that comes with the bond. The vote will be held on Aug. 6.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
'Not worth it': Parents struggle to get state money to help kids' education after pandemic

"It was extremely difficult to get ahold of anyone," Laichas said. She said the government workers she did end up reaching "were of no help" in explaining why her claims were rejected seven times.

When the pandemic hit and threw a wrench into Ohio kids' education, the state launched a savings account program to reimburse parents for after-school activities  up to $500 at first and then up to $1,000 a year per qualifying child.

For many families, that's a huge help. That's a summer camp, or a few months of math tutoring, or maybe some music lessons. Thousands of Ohio families applied, more than 123,000 kids between the ages of 6 and 18 qualified, and the Ohio General Assembly appropriated $125 million to the Afterschool Child Enrichment program, or ACE.

But tens of millions of dollars still sit unused because the firm hired to run the program hasn't released the money to thousands of families for their children's activities.

Sam Laichas' 7-year-old daughter was one of those kids. But when Laichas filed a claim to get reimbursed for her daughter's after-school program, Champions, she was declined the funds the state had promised her.

She reworked her form and applied again. And again. And again. She was rejected every time.

"I got rejected seven times," Laichas said.

Laichas isn't alone. The state recently extended the deadline to use these funds until fall 2025 because families have spent less than one-third of the government-allocated money over the last two years. The funds were originally set to expire this month.

Families across the region say they ran into frustrations with the reimbursement process, enduring numerous rejections and months of delays before getting the reimbursements the state said they were qualified to get. Some just gave up.

Waiting months on end for several hundred dollars to come through isn't an option for most of the families the program targeted, because many are poor and need good after-school options for their children.

To qualify, kids had to be 6 or older and either in a district with a high chronic absenteeism rate, a district that qualifies for EdChoice vouchers, or live in a household earning at or below 400% of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that's $120,000 or less.

The program was a great idea in theory, Laichas said, but poorly executed.

Now, about $86 million  68% of the available child enrichment funds  remain unused. If families don't spend them by fall 2025, the money will be returned to the federal government. Ohio isn't renewing the program after this cycle.

Laichas eventually moved on and used the funds to cover her daughter's zoo and art camps instead. There's still some money left in her account, but she's not sure she'll use it. The reimbursement process is too tedious, she said  especially for someone with three kids and a full-time job.

Sam Laichas' daughter Reese Overmyer, 7, presents her artwork at the end of a camp at Queen City Clay in Norwood.

Claim delays result of fraud surveillance

The government hired Merit International, Inc. to run the reimbursement program, and Merit officials say they've taken steps to improve the process.

Mike Murphy, vice president of customer and delivery marketing at Merit, told The Enquirer the company is averaging 21 days or less to review claims so far this year, and that rate is getting faster over the summer months. But he said going too fast would create other risks.

"We acknowledge that we have rigid invoice and review requirements for reimbursement, but we have those in place for a critical reason: to prevent fraud," Murphy wrote in an email. "In any program of this size, there is a risk that funds may be deliberately, or even inadvertently, used for unintended purposes. It is an unfortunate reality that we need strict processes in place to minimize the risk of fraud."

Not all families ran into issues with the program. Andi Curry, a mother on Cincinnati's East Side, said she applied and submitted claims for her daughters' piano and guitar lessons at Musicologie in one fell swoop. The two hours of paperwork for $2,000 in music lessons for her girls was absolutely worth her time, she said. Though, Curry did say Merit took two months to reimburse her money.

Morgan Curry, 10, takes lessons at Musicologie with teacher Jeremy Singer.

And Lacey Dallas, of Covedale, used the state's program to order homeschooling curriculum and other materials  book study packages, science experiment kits and Rosetta Stone subscriptions for foreign language learning  for her four children. She was skeptical at first, thinking "this just sounds too good to be true." But aside from a two-month wait on her approval, Dallas said the program was easy to use and "a huge blessing."

Parents, like Dallas and Curry, who didn't have trouble with reimbursements had something in common: They submitted claims for programs on Merit's approved list of vendors. Parents like Laichas, who submitted claims for programs outside of this list, "should understand the process will take longer," Murphy said.

But depending on where you live, there may be limited options on the state's prequalified list. In Anderson, for example, there's only one approved vendor: U.S. Moo Do Academy, a martial arts school. Camp Chabad, a Jewish children's camp, is the only prequalified vendor in Reading. There are no preapproved options in Wyoming, according to the state's searchable database of prequalified vendors.

Parents who tried using the program for organizations outside of that list said the process took time and patience, and even then, sometimes their claims didn't get approved at all.

'Kind of sloppy': Parents still waiting on reimbursements

Ohio extended the program deadline to try to give families more time to spend their funds. Like many pandemic-fueled grant programs, these savings accounts are on a use-it-or-lose-it basis.

"We encourage families who have been accepted into the program, but who haven't fully utilized their funds, to use them during the extended program window," the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce said in a statement. Because Merit's duties include recruiting and vetting service providers and administering the payment process, the state would not comment on delays or frustrations with the process.

Vikki Jones, a Silverton resident, has another idea about what to do with the unspent dollars. If it were up to her, she'd redistribute them back to families who are already active in the program.

That's not to say Jones has been totally pleased with the state's process. Like Laichas, she was denied reimbursement for her son's before school program. Jones said the state actually approved her claim at first, but six weeks later she got a notice that her claim was audited and rejected.

"It is kind of sloppy," Jones said.

Her son, an incoming sixth-grader, was behind in math following the COVID-19 pandemic. Jones said she had previously looked into Mathnasium, a math tutoring center but was hesitant to try it because of the cost. After her son was approved for the state's $1,000 enrichment funds, she signed him up in October.

Caden Moman, Vikki Jones' son, gets math tutoring at Mathnasium in Blue Ash. Patrick Quinn is the tutoring program director.

Jones said her son went from being significantly behind in math to being placed in his school's gifted program. His teachers are now recommending he skip a grade in math, she said. She's thrilled with the outcomes from Mathnasium  but she's still waiting on the state's reimbursement. It could take four to eight weeks for those funds to land in her account after being approved, she said.

The money matters to families like Jones' family because, without it, they pay out of pocket for programs they say their kids need to make up ground they lost during the pandemic.

Rycca Thacker, of Mount Washington, said she was approved into the program quickly but waited through long delays for reimbursements. Her daughter has autism and she knows that other state programs work seamlessly. She's used Ohio Learning Aid grants, for children with learning challenges and disabilities, and said those funds go directly to tutors without reimbursement.

When her Learning Aid grant money ran out, Thacker tried to pay for her daughter's tutoring with the Afterschool Child Enrichment program. But Thacker said Merit rejected her claim through the new program. She reapplied and it was approved two months later.

For 11 tutoring visits at $75 per week, she had spent $825 of her own money. Thacker said she doesn't expect to get her reimbursement until at least October. That's on top of other expenses required for a child with serious needs, such as weekly speech therapy.

Thacker said if she'd known the issues she'd experience with the afterschool funds, she'd never have applied. She would have looked for other opportunities, or even reapplied for Learning Aid.

"It's not worth it to me," Thacker said.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Red tape, delays behind $86 million in unspent post-pandemic funds
Labour's plans for a VAT on private school fees has been condemned by many - PA

Oh wow, that means parents are going to be taxed twice over, says Paige MacPherson, the associate director of education policy at the Fraser Institute in Canada, when she hears about the Labour Partys plan to add VAT to private school fees in the UK. That would be a pretty unique set up based on my understanding of the different education systems around the world.

Not totally unique. In the middle of Greeces sovereign debt crisis in 2015, Alexis Tsipras radical-leftist government slapped a 23 per cent VAT charge on independent school fees. It didnt work out so well. Already rocked by turmoil in the Greek economy, schools closed, teachers were laid off and the state sector was overwhelmed.

Interestingly, Tsiprass ideology had limits. Despite giving one of his two sons the middle name Ernesto in honour of the Marxist revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara, he enrolled his children in a well-known Athenian private school. The tax, like Tsiprass principles, failed to survive contact with reality and has long since been rescinded.

But there remains another parallel between Greek and British private schools: they operate in the tiny  and shrinking  handful of developed economies around the world where private schools receive no government subsidies.

Different countries have different education and tax systems so direct comparisons are difficult. Debates about private education are also freighted with different kinds of cultural baggage.

In the UK, private schools are widely seen as a bastions and perpetuators of privilege. In many other countries, by contrast, they are considered a viable means of reducing the gap in educational attainment between those children from either end of the socioeconomic scale.

The UK is one of the only countries to provide no subsidies at all to independent schools - PA

This is why, in the vast majority of countries in the rich world, private schools are at least partly financed by the state. There are, broadly speaking, five strands to the philosophy behind this approach, according to education experts.

One, an educated population is a common good and the state should encourage a variety of approaches to achieve it. Two, parents should have a choice as to where and how their children are educated. Three, parents pay taxes and are therefore entitled to some government funding towards the education of their children irrespective of what kind of school they pick.

Four, subsidising private education enables families on a broader range of incomes to make that choice thereby taking pressure off the state sector and saving the government money. And, five, enabling a broader range of families to access private education makes the option less elitist.

OECD (the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) research shows that those countries that dont subsidise private education exhibit the widest gap between the socio-economic profiles of privately and publicly managed schools. Theres a risk Labours plan to add VAT to school fees will, according to education experts, make private schools more expensive and therefore even more elitist.

The US

Until recently, the US belonged to the small group of countries, which also included the UK and Greece, where private schools received no state funding. That is beginning to change  and fast.

One of the main obstacles to government subsidies for private schools was the US Constitution. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment is designed to draw a very clear line between church and state and makes it illegal for the government to promote a specific religion with taxes.

As some independent schools in the US were religious in nature they were constitutionally barred from receiving government money. A work-around was created in 2011 when Arizona established education savings accounts.

These are public funded savings accounts that can be used for a wide range of educational purposes, including school tuition. This allowed the government to give money to parents who then chose how to spend it. If that is on fees for a school with a religious curriculum, so be it.

In 2022, Arizona became the first state to make every student, regardless of their parents wealth, eligible for a school voucher  on average worth about $7,200 per student a year. This can be spent on a wide variety of options including private schools or home-schooling. The move was controversial but very popular.

The system pretty closely matches an idea put forward by the economist Milton Friedman in the 1950s. The Nobel prize-winning economist argued that a voucher system would encourage competition between schools and thus incentivise them to improve their offering. He also believed it would give parents more power to hold schools to account.

In his essay The Role of Government in Education, Friedman concluded that a widening in the educational opportunities open to our childrengovernment would serve its proper function of improving the operation of the invisible hand without substituting the dead hand of bureaucracy.

Many other states have since followed Arizonas suit, giving rise to a broader movement called School Choice. Critics say the new system may result in state-run schools missing out on funding, although there is little evidence for this yet. Fans say parents are best placed to decide what kind of education suits the needs of their child.

Over the past 50 years, the US has failed to close the attainment gap between children from either end of the socioeconomic scale despite a variety of efforts, says Jonathan Butcher, an education policy researcher at the Washington-based Heritage Foundation. Thats partly because our education system means kids are assigned to schools by where they live and not by what they need. Something had to change.

Its early days, but the signs are positive. There have been 17 studies into School Choice measuring student achievement using random assignment  a particularly robust statistical method. Eleven found positive effects, four found no effect, and three found negative effects (and, according to Butcher, these were related to one poorly designed programme in Louisiana).

Texas is one state that has tried to establish this system for years but failed. According to Butcher this is mostly the result of teachers in rural areas arguing that greater choice will undermine a sense of community in sparsely populated areas.

The greatest opposition to the new system comes from teachers unions. Whenever a state introduces school choice, the teacher unions file lawsuits almost automatically, says Butcher. They say greater choice will bankrupt public schools. But this money belongs to taxpayers and children, not the schools.

Canada

As with its southern neighbour, Canadian education policy is decided far from the capital. Five of Canadas ten provinces  British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec - offer government funding for private schools.

Ontario, easily Canadas most populous province, debated a proposal to introduce public funding for private schools in the lead up to the 2007 election but it ultimately floundered on arguments about funding for religious schools.

In those five provinces a portion of parents tax dollars follow their child to their chosen independent or homeschool, outside of their local government public school. The government provides a percentage of the operation cost of what it would cost to educate that student at a state school.

The level of student funding independent schools receive is on a sliding scale that is contingent on the level of provincial regulations they follow. The government wants to ensure there is accountability with regards to how taxpayer dollars are spent so, its a trade off, says the Fraser Institutes MacPherson.

Schools can choose: tick all the boxes and get more government money or be more innovative and get less, says MacPherson. For example, if a school comes up with a more creative curriculum or seeks to hire teachers who dont have the traditional training then they will receive a lower proportion of state funding.

As in the US, the main opponents to this system are the teachers unions who argue that it results in resources being diverted from the state-sector. Actually theres clear evidence that it saves the government money, says MacPherson.

Her research into the education sector of British Columbia shows that between 2012/13 and 2022/23, the share of students enrolled in independent schools increased by 13.1 per cent, while the share of students attending government public schools decreased by 1.7 per cent.

In 2020/21, the average per-student cost of a student attending government public school was $14,601 while the average cost to the provincial government of a student attending independent school was $8,685. The province therefore saves an average of $5,916 on every student who attends independent school rather than government public school.

MacPherson has calculated that if independent school funding was eliminated and 10 per cent of independent school students moved to government public schools, it would cost the provincial government $51.6m a year. If half of students made the switch, it would cost $258.2m a year.

How might Canadians react if the government  national or provincial  introduced a sales tax on private school fees? If the government imposed additional onerous costs on families currently sending their children to independent schools it could pose a considerable challenge for those families, says MacPherson.

Many middle-income families are sending their children to independent schools and making considerable sacrifices to be able to do so. With an already-high tax burden across Canada, imposing additional costs on those families would likely be perceived as discriminatory and unfair.

Australia

The funding that each non-government school in Australia receives is dependent on a wide variety of factors, including: how wealthy the parents of students at the school are; where it is located; how big it is; and how many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students it educates.

On average, independent schools in Australia receive $12,160 in government funding per student, according to Independent Schools Australia. This compares to $22,510 for students in government schools.

Under an agreement struck in 2019, the central government contributes 80 per cent of the schooling resource standard (an estimate of how much total public funding a school needs to meet its students educational needs) for private schools, while state and territory governments are responsible for the remaining 20 per cent. The split is reversed for public schools.

Approximately one third of students attend non-government schools in Australia. There is a commitment by both major political parties in Australia to support parental choice in education, says a spokesperson for Independent Schools Australia.

There is, however, also lively debate in Australia about whether the schooling resource standard system has resulted in some independent schools being over-funded.

Victoria, which is run by the Australian Labour party, recently revoked a payroll tax exemption for private schools. It has since been calculated that private schools will end up paying more in tax to the state than they receive in funding because of the changes (although this is only a fifth of their overall government funding).

Dozens of schools are now having to pay the [Jacinta] Allan government millions of dollars just to continue their much-needed work providing education to Victorian children, says Jess Wilson, the opposition Liberal partys education spokesperson.

Non-government schools are an essential part of our education system  they take significant pressure off the government system  and shouldnt be made to pay for the privilege of providing educational choice to parents and students across the state.

Denmark

Denmarks history of private education is not quite as venerable as the UKs but its getting there  the first was established in 1852 to cater for children in rural areas. The Danes also match the Brits for confusing terminology. In the UK, the public schools are private; in Denmark, the free schools charge fees.

However, the fees are supplemented with government funding through a voucher system. All schools are eligible regardless of their ideological, religious, political or ethnic approach. Roughly 14 per cent of all children in Denmark attend private schools.

According to the Danish Ministry of Children and Education, all parties in the Danish Parliament back financial support for private schools in the belief that the municipal [state] schools also will benefit from the experience and competition offered by the private schools.

The grants awarded depend on the size of the school, its location and the age profile of the pupils. But, on average, the government funds private schools at about 75 per cent of the rate of fully-funded government schools.

Perhaps the most notable feature of Denmarks independent school landscape is that it is incredibly diverse, affording students a wide range of pedagogical and organisational options, says MacPherson who has studied the different educational funding models around the world.

Danish independent schools attract students from all socioeconomic backgrounds and academic abilities. Government funding for independent schools has historically carried the explicit aim of increasing diversity among schools.

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.
NEW YORK  Mayor Adams said Tuesday he had no knowledge that Robin Mui, the executive of a Chinese-owned media company, was a registered foreign agent when he met with top members of Adams staff in 2022.

I had no idea, Adams said. When people register under that, it doesnt mean you cant speak with them. It doesnt mean you cant do interviews with their paper.

Mui is the CEO of Sing Tao, a Chinese-owned media organization with offices in the city. In 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice forced the paper to register as a foreign agent. Records show that Mui registered as a foreign agent the same year.

People and entities registered as foreign agents must follow strict disclosure requirements under federal law, including the formal disclosure of meetings with public officials. But Mui recently admitted to the New York Daily News that he didnt inform the federal government that he met in April 2022 with Adams advisers Ingrid Lewis-Martin and Winnie Greco, whose Bronx residences were raided by the FBI in February as part of a federal probe.

The investigation is scrutinizing Grecos role in a possible straw donor scheme and trips Greco and Adams took to China that were partially paid by Chinas Communist government, according to sources and reports.

Adams, Greco and Lewis-Martin have not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with the probe  or as part of a separate investigation examining Adams ties to the Turkish government.

The news in 2021 that Sing Tao would have to register as a foreign agent was covered in multiple news outlets.

I know Robin Mui. I know him from the days of Borough Hall, the mayor said, referring to his previous job as Brooklyn borough president. I had no knowledge that he registered.

Adams declined to say whether others in his administration had knowledge of Muis registration, and his press team did not immediately respond to a follow-up inquiry about that point.

Muis meeting with top Adams aides isnt his only connection to the mayor.

Between 2015 and 2016, Mui gave $1,250 to Adams Brooklyn borough president campaign and another $3,000 to his nascent mayoral bid in 2019  $1,000 of which was returned due to contribution limits  city records show.

_____
NYTs Friedman: Biden needs to ask himself if Trump wants him to stay in race

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman urged President Biden to give serious consideration to leaving the presidential race in a column Wednesday, noting that former President Trump appears to be salivating at the idea of Biden staying in.

What does your worst enemy, Donald Trump, want you to do now? Then do the opposite, Friedman wrote.

Trump is salivating at the prospect of Biden staying in the presidential race so he can pummel him from now until Election Day with 15-second television and radio ads  not to mention memes on social media  of Bidens incoherent responses in last weeks debate, he continued. That is a campaign the Trump G.O.P. cult is surely confident it can win.

Bidens first debate performance last week raised alarms among some Democrats and supporters, with the president struggling to string ideas together or rebut Trumps many false statements. Biden has fended off growing pressure to step out of the race, with even his allies saying he needs to show hes capable of taking on Trump and running the country for four more years.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) became the first sitting member of Congress to call on Biden to leave the race Tuesday, suggesting Vice President Harris take the mantle. Other members, including close Biden ally Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), have said they would back Harris if Biden steps down, though have not called on him to do so.

Friedman predicted that what Trump is worried about is Biden choosing to leave the race.

He fears that Biden will demonstrate the difference between a leader and a party who put the country first and a leader and a party who put themselves first, namely Trump and the Republicans who enable him despite knowing how many of Trumps former advisers say he is unfit for office, despite knowing that Trump tried to overturn the last election, despite knowing that Trump has articulated no real plan for the countrys future other than retribution against all who crossed him and his followers, he wrote.

Friedman urged Biden to use the bully pulpit of the presidency to attack Trump over his lies and record, instead of using it to defend himself.

These kinds of rebuttals of Trump would be the best parting gift Biden could give to his party and to all Americans, Friedman wrote.

A CNN poll Tuesday showed Trump now beating Biden nationwide by 6 points, 49 percent support to 43 percent. The same poll showed Trump leading Harris by a narrower margin, 47 percent support to 45 percent.

The poll also showed that 56 percent of Democratic voters and Democratic-leaning independents think their party would have a better chance of winning the White House with someone other than Biden. Only 43 percent of these voters said they think Biden is their best option.

Trump leads Biden by 0.6 percent nationally in The Hill/Decision Desk HQ average of polls.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Nominated for its innovative and extensive efforts in fire safety throughout 2023, the OFallon Fire Department has been honored with the Illinois State Fire Marshals Fire Prevention and Life Safety Award.

Fire Chief Brad White said the award recognizes the departments exceptional dedication to fire prevention and education. Thirty departments were considered for the award, he said.

We highlighted what we do as a volunteer department, which I thought was quite remarkable, White said.

Mayor Herb Roach said its the first time the award has been presented to a fire department south of Springfield.

Its quite an honor. I know youre very proud of your departments hard work and efforts, he said to White at the council meeting Monday.

White cited the departments digital outreach on social media platforms, disseminating fire safety and disaster information, and the its fire safety presentations to local organizations and other groups.

The department organized fire drills at all 15 school campuses in OFallon. At eight elementary schools, it conducted fire safety assemblies for kindergarten through third-grade students.

The nomination pointed out the departments commitment to community engagement, participating in 64 events, and hosting a three-day Open House during Fire Prevention Week.

Collaborating with the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance, the department installed 187 smoke detectors and replaced 160 detector batteries for residents in need. White said his department averages 150 to 200 installations per year. New is helping visually and hearing impaired with special detectors.

Its latest initiative, One Home, One Extinguisher, which launched in December 2023 and aims to install fire extinguishers in all homes that dont already have one.

Its great to be alerted to fires, but if people can put out a small fire themselves, that could be the difference in losing a home, he said.

White also noted that the initiatives were carried out by volunteers, showing a level of dedication by his team.

White said the addition of Fire Educator Sara Stockstrom has been helpful in its commitment to providing information at public events.

The award was presented by state officials on June 27 in OFallon. Those in attendance included Illinois State Fire Marshal James A. Rivera, OSFM Deputy Director Allen Reyne, Illinois State Senators Christopher Belt and Erica Harriss, and Illinois State Representative Kevin Schmidt.

Stormwater Assistance Program

Private property owners can now be assisted with drainage projects for a 50/50 reimbursement for up to $15,000, if approved to participate in the program that was adopted by the city council July 1.

The funding will be established during the FY26 Budget approval.

With any residential storm water issue, the difference between the responsibility of a private landowner and a problem large enough for the city to become involved in is not always clear.

Therefore, the citys stormwater policy will have multiple priority levels. This program is approved for residential properties within the city limits, and not agricultural, industrial, commercial, mobile home parks, and apartment complexes.

This program is designed to aid property owners experiencing creek bank erosion or similar storm water related concerns as a means of reducing soil erosion and its effects on water quality and the storm system throughout the city.

This program also benefits the public by improving water quality and by preventing smaller problems from growing into larger concerns, which could affect adjacent properties or others throughout the watershed. These projects are more private in nature,

City staff will assist property owners with the application process through construction.

Upcoming

A Town Hall meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 17, at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Mayor Herb Roach said they will discuss the studies on Pierce Boulevard, the new rates under electric aggregation, and the Community Development Department will present the final report on the Forward 50 plans on U.S. 50.

The OFallon Police Department plans stepped-up traffic enforcement through July 8, to keep impaired drivers off the road and ticketing unbuckled motorists. The OFallon Police Department is collaborating with the Illinois State Police and over 200 local police and sheriffs departments in this unified effort to enhance statewide enforcement during this period.

The OFallon Public Works Department will be closing Central Park Drive to thru traffic between Hartman Lane and Marcus Theatres beginning on Monday, July 8. The road will be closed to perform storm sewer and intersection improvements along Central Park Drive and Hartman Lane. A marked local detour route will be in place along Hartman Lane to Park Plaza Drive to Central Park Drive. This work is expected to be completed by November 27, weather permitting.
(KRON)  Oakland police officers Tuan Le and Donald McKinney were inseparable, all the way up until the day Le was slain, family members said.

They graduated from the police academy together in 2020, patrolled the city together as partners in fighting crime, and relied on their strong friendship, according to McKinneys wife. Le and McKinney were like brothers, she said.

On December 29th, 2023, Donald and Tuan partnered together to begin their shift as they did countless times before. Unknowingly, this would be the last time they would work together, the last time theyd sit beside one another. When responding to a burglary call that night, Donald and Tuan were ambushed as they were in their vehicle. Several shots were fired at the two officers, the surviving officers wife, Anna, wrote.

Oakland police officers Tuan Le and Donald McKinney (Image courtesy GoFundMe)

Officers Le and McKinney never returned fire during the ambush. The group of thieves who fired at them fled from a burglarized business near Jack London Square.

Le, 36, was slain in the line of duty. McKinney, who was sitting next to Le in their Oakland Police Department vehicle, survived. The traumatized father of six has been unable to return to work at OPD, she said.

I couldnt begin to put into words the immense anguish Donald has felt since losing his brother. There is also an incredible sense of fear that is constantly present after experiencing such a traumatic event as this. The husband and father the kids and I dropped off for work that night was, in so many ways, not the same person that came home, Anna wrote.

Oakland police officers Tuan Le and Donald McKinney (Image courtesy GoFundMe)

McKinneys wife created the GoFundMe page to raise funding for his ongoing mental health care expenses, as well as his family of eight. At this time, there is no return to work date set for Donald, the wife wrote.

Four East Bay men are charged in the killing of Officer Le. Detectives worked around-the-clock to identify who was in the group of burglars and who pulled the trigger.

Mark Demetrious Sanders, 27, is charged with first-degree murder and burglary. Prosecutors believe he was the gunman who fatally shot Le, and he knew that Le was an undercover police officer. Allen Starr Brown, 28, and Marquise Cooper, 34, are also charged with murder. Sebron Ray Russell, 28, is charged with burglary. The four co-defendants are awaiting trial.

A photo of OPD Officer Le is displayed at his memorial service. (KRON4 Photo)

Le is remembered by his fellow OPD officers as a hero. He will be remembered for his kindness, his smile, and the positive change he brought to the lives of those around him, the Oakland Police Department wrote. He is a true hero who dedicated his life to making our community safer.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. As renewable energy sources are intermittent, developing efficient energy storage solutions will be key to ensuring a stable power supply in Uzbekistan, the International Finance Corporation (IFC, a member of the World Bank Group) Regional Manager for Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, Neil McKain, told Trend in an exclusive interview.

Uzbekistan, like many countries, confronts numerous obstacles in its efforts to switch to renewable energy. The country has substantial natural gas reserves, and the economy is heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Transitioning away from these energy sources can be economically and politically challenging. It requires building public support and raising awareness of the many benefits of renewable energy, he said.

Neil McKain noted that building the necessary infrastructure, such as solar farms, wind turbines, and an updated electrical grid, requires significant investment, time, and technical expertise. Also, securing the required capital can be difficult, as it often involves large upfront costs and long-term investment before seeing returns. Addressing these multifaceted challenges will require coordinated efforts from the government, private sector, and international partners.

The country is well equipped to fulfill its growing energy needs and transition to a clean energy economy. Renewable energy can help diversify the energy mix and reduce its heavy reliance on natural gas. The government is focused on increasing the share of renewables in power production by up to 25 GW, or 40 percent of the countrys overall electricity consumption, by 2030. These efforts support the country's clean energy transition and address the increasing demand for energy in Uzbekistans economy and among its citizens. In this context, the World Bank Group is helping Uzbekistan develop 1,000 MW of solar and 500 MW of wind energy by attracting private sector investments, he emphasized.

According to him, the IFC is deeply committed to supporting renewable energy in emerging markets, and Uzbekistan is a key country in this regard. The corporation has been involved in several initiatives, including advising on and financing solar power projects. One of the first projects is a solar plant in Uzbekistans Navoi region, which provides electricity to 31,000 homes. This project was established through a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Uzbek government and Emirati Masdar. As a transaction adviser, IFC assisted the government in designing and tendering the PPP under its Scaling Solar Program. It is now a major milestone in the country's renewable energy journey.

The representative of IFC noted that, in collaboration with other lenders, the corporation also provided a financing package to support the construction of a 500-megawatt wind farm in the Navoi region, which is also being built by Masdar. Capable of powering 500,000 homes, it will be the largest facility of its kind in Central Asia  and, incidentally, the largest wind farm IFC has ever sponsored.

Together with our state and private sector partners, we are currently exploring the use of shallow geothermal energy for heating and cooling buildings. 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. Additionally, we are exploring regulatory and incentive policies to encourage investments, promote the expansion of surface geothermal solutions, and implement surface geothermal projects in the country, Neil McKain emphasized.

He stressed that at this point, IFCs portfolio in PPP Transaction Advisory in Uzbekistan includes projects at various stages of development and covers the energy, healthcare, and education sectors, with an overall expected mobilization of approximately $700 million. In addition, the IFC has closed several projects in the energy and healthcare sectors, with an overall expected mobilization of approximately $1.8 billion.

But there is still more that can be done. While most current PPP projects are in the energy generation, utilities, and health sectors, the government is now starting to turn its attention to other important sectors such as education, irrigation, transport, water supply, and wastewater treatment. These sectors have been strained by years of underinvestment and suboptimal operation and maintenance, as well as rapid rates of urbanization, but we believe PPPs can attract much-needed investment and private sector expertise to these sectors. We stand ready to support this, including through developing, structuring, and implementing PPP projects, the representative of the IFC emphasized.

He added that another key innovation in the solar energy sector is the integration of battery energy storage systems. These systems are crucial for addressing the intermittent nature of solar power, as they store excess energy produced during peak sunlight hours and make it available during periods of low solar generation or high demand. This not only ensures a stable energy supply but also enhances the efficiency of solar plants. The battery energy storage market is at a critical juncture in its evolution, with prices and technologies expected to become even more favorable over time.

In Uzbekistan, the use of innovative battery storage with solar plants is still new, but the potential benefits are significant. Battery storage can help stabilize the national grid, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and provide a more reliable power supply to remote areas. It can also support the country's goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to a more sustainable energy system, he said.

According to Neil McKain, for these reasons, supporting energy storage technology is a strategic focus for Uzbekistan, as it will extend the reach and uses of renewable energy. By helping to introduce technologies in the energy sector, IFC supports Uzbekistans efforts to ramp up its use of renewables, improve energy security, increase grid stability, and expand access to electricity.

The government of Uzbekistan is highly supportive and responsive, having implemented reforms to attract foreign investment and liberalize the energy market. This creates a favorable environment for investment in renewable energy in the country, and with the government's proven commitment and implementation of ongoing projects, Uzbekistan is on track to become a regional leader in renewable energy. Moreover, the country's strategic location and rich natural resources provide a unique opportunity not only to meet its own energy needs but also potentially to export clean energy in the future. IFC remains strongly committed to facilitating sustainable energy projects. We also encourage other investors to explore these opportunities and contribute to the country's renewable energy future, he added.
Barack Obama has privately raised concerns about Joe Bidens path to re-election after his shaky debate performance, a sharp deviation from his public comments.

The former president has told allies that he is worried about Democrats ability to defeat Donald Trump in November and has warned Biden in recent months about the challenges ahead, according toThe Washington Post.

Before the first presidential debate last week, Obama reminded his friend and former vice president about the stakes of the campaign. This echos his long-held concerns about Trumps political strength going into the 2024 election, the report says.

But Biden failed to live up to, or exceed, expectations during the CNN debate, mumbling and at times appearing to lose his train of thought. After the debate, Obama called Biden to offer advice,The Post reported. It is unclear what Obama said or how he addressed Bidens performance.

Joe Biden and Barack Obama pictured on November 5, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Obama has privately raised concerns about Bidens path to re-election after his shaky debate performance, according to a new report (Getty Images)

The Independent has contacted the Biden campaign, and the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama, for comment.

Publicly, Obama has been a strong supporter of Biden but acknowledged his poor performance last week. Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know, Obama wrote on X on Thursday night.

But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself. Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight  and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit. Last night didnt change that, and its why so much is at stake in November.

Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself. Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the  Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 28, 2024

Obamas sentiment echoed similar statements made by leaders in the Democratic Party, like former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senator John Fetterman.

Their efforts are an attempt to cool concerns from voters and other Democrats that Biden is not well enough to run a successful campaign or defeat Trump in November.

Post-debate polls show voters confidence in the president has dramatically decreased. Some surveys from swing states like New Hampshire and Michigan show Bidens lost whatever lead he had over Trump.

But those surveys, and public support, may change in the coming months as Biden continues to campaign.
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11)  An off-duty New York City employee was arrested in Manhattan on Tuesday, according to the NYPD.

Nyemah Fuzzell, a school crossing guard, was taken into custody around 7 p.m.

More Local News

The 19-year-old was charged with assault.

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.
Officials issue warning after discovering hundreds of pieces of tar along coastal states: 'Right now, it is an unknown source'

Hundreds of pieces of tar have recently appeared along the West Coast, washing ashore in Oregon and southern Washington. Federal and state officials aren't sure of the source, though experts believe an oil spill is to blame.

What's happening?

Sand dollar-sized globs of tar  often called tar balls  have recently been spotted along beaches in Oregon and Washington, according to a news release by the U.S. Coast Guard. Along with these tar balls, wildlife rescuers have also discovered at least 10 local birds covered in crude oil  some of them dead.

The Coast Guard reported that the source of the tar is currently a mystery.

"Right now, it is an unknown source," Kevin Chan, an emergency response coordinator for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, recently told local news station KGW8. "It is a slightly gooey texture that may be petroleum-related."

Why are these mysterious tar balls concerning?

Tar balls are often telltale signs of a nearby oil spill. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, tar balls develop from the "remnants of oil spills, but can also be produced from natural seeps, or places where oil slowly escapes from the earth surface above some petroleum reservoirs."

In 2023, around 600,000 gallons of oil spilled into our oceans, rivers, and lakes, according to the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation. And the impact is sorely felt.

Oil spills, both big and small, are notorious for causing environmental harm, disrupting natural ecosystems on land and sea. Oil spills can contaminate drinking water, causing adverse health impacts in humans and animals. Crude oil can also contaminate fish and other aquatic life, bringing harmful toxins into the global food supply.

According to the NOAA, exposure to toxic compounds found in crude oil can cause severe health problems, including heart damage, stunted growth, immune system effects, and even death.

What's being done about the recent discovery of tar on the West Coast?

Federal and state officials are working to pinpoint the cause of the oil spill. Investigative flights, beach surveys, and shoreline assessments are underway to find evidence of an oil spill. Samples of the tar balls have been sent to a lab for analysis, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The U.S. Coast Guard cautioned that the public should not touch tar balls or attempt to assist any oiled wildlife. Instead, report any findings to officials by calling 1-800-222-4737.

Even if a hands-on approach is ill-advised, there are still ways to address crude oil contamination  and consumption  in your own life. Join community clean-up efforts led by official organizations, track your state's policies and plans for the oil industry, and consider switching to alternative energy sources like solar or wind power where possible.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
Buc-ees superfans were left heartbroken after the original location of the iconic chain was destroyed in a massive Monday fire.

Emergency services from multiple agencies responded to the blaze around 10.30am at the store in Luling, Texas, and blocked off the area as fire crews fought to control the blaze.

Photos shared online by the Luling Fire Department showed enormous plumes of smoke, contrasting with the chains happy, smiling beaver mascot.

Caldwell County Office of Emergency Management later said that the fire had been extinguished and that clean-up operations were underway, though advised the public to avoid the area if possible. No further information has been released as to the cause of the blaze.

The original Buc-ees building opened more than two decades ago in 2003, but was replaced by a brand new center, directly across the road, which opened on June 10.

The original Buc-ees building opened more than two decades ago in 2003, but was replaced by a brand new center, directly across the road, which opened on June 10 (Getty Images)

At 75,000-square-foot with 120 gas pumps, the new Buc-ees is the largest convenience store in the world. Over 200 people will be employed there, providing thousands of snack, meal and drink options for travelers on the go, the company told USA Today.

The American chain of enormous gas stations and general stores has become known for roadside snacks  featuring BBQ brisket sandwiches and its signature Beaver Nuggets  as well as the worlds cleanest bathrooms and the friendliest beaver mascot. Over the years it has attracted a cult following across the states.

"The new Buc-ees Luling will be the largest Buc-ees location in the country, bringing the largest Buc-ees back where the legend began," the company said in a press release last month, prior to the fire.

The previous record-holding Buc-ees in Sevierville, Tennessee, which also has 120 pumps, 22 electric vehicle charging stations, and a 250-foot-long car wash within its 74,707 square foot location.

A new location is scheduled to break ground along Interstate 75 near Ocala, Florida, next year.

While it was initially reported that the Florida chain was set to break Lulings record at a staggering 80,000 square feet, the company maintained that the largest convenience store will remain in its home state of Texas.

"Buc-ees is currently in the design and permitting phase for a 74,000 square foot-store in Ocala, FL, which is our largest store model outside the state of Texas, Stan Beard, Buc-ees director of real estate and development, told the Daytona Beach News-Journal on June 7.

"Regarding square footage, the largest store outside of Texas will not exceed 74,000 square feet.

Buc-ees travel center was founded in 1982 in Texas, and began its expansion across the US in 2018 with the opening of a location in Alabama.

The company has since opened 14 other locations in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri and Colorado. Earlier this year, Buc-ees announced the opening of its first location in North Carolina.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Duncan Zevetski believes OHSU is putting profits over people.

Zevetski, a nurse at OHSU who is also the vice president of the Oregon Nurses Association bargaining unit, said hospital officials are focusing primarily on things that drive their profits and drive the money in their bank accounts  and not in the things that actually take care of Oregonians.

Multnomah County may open cooling shelters Friday amid excess heat warning

His comments come during a wave of layoffs that could affect as many as 500 members.

We were told by upper management that there would be no patient-facing layoffs at all. And that has turned out not to be true, he said. Last year they gave out $13.8 million in executive bonuses that werent merit based. Back-of-the-napkin math that saves a lot of jobs at OHSU.

Nearly 300 OHSU employees  some of them front line workers  were notified Monday they were getting laid off, including 151 union workers.

New Oregon law to provide gold standard for data protection

Zevetski said so far 21 nurses have been laid off, most of them from the daily phone triage department. But even specialty nurses  like lactation consultants  no longer have a job.

These are people who take care of patients every single day of their careers, he told KOIN 6 News.

The hospital is still open and operating, but he said patients may experience delays.

There is less resources to provide the top quality care that were used to, he said.

Patients are also already noticing changes in care. One OHSU patient just received a notice their annual appointment changed to a shorter visit. Patients are restricted to only talking to their doctor about a handful of topics.

Nurses at OHSU care for COVID-19 patients, 2020 (File)

And if patients want to ask about other health concerns, the OHSU message said, Due to scheduling changes this is not possible and you will need to schedule a separate visit.

Again, its their attempts to capitalize on the most return they can get for per patient, Zevetski said. They want them for the specialty services only that are high reimbursement and are less interested in those things that arent going to make them a lot of money.

KOIN 6 News reached out to OHSU for comment  and received the exact same statement they sent Monday:

Despite our efforts to increase our revenue, our financial position requires difficult choices about internal structures, workforce and programs to ensure that we achieve our state-mandated missions and regain our footing over the long term.

Zevetski said the Oregon Nurses Association encourages people to reach out to Gov. Kotek to let her know about their feelings to the changes in hospital care. Kotek is responsible for appointing board members who make these financial decisions.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Oklahoma-based church named one of the largest in the US, others ranked as fastest-growing

Life.Church at NW 178 and Pennsylvania Avenue in Oklahoma City is pictured in this photo. BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN

Is the largest church in America based in Oklahoma?

Yes, Edmond-based Life.Church, with an average attendance of 85,000, topped the Outreach 100 list of the largest congregations in the U.S. for 2023, the second year in a row it has done so.

Internationally known for creating the popular, free YouVersion Bible App, Life.Church, led by founder and Senior Pastor Craig Groeschel, has also become one of the preeminent churches in America because it is a multi-site congregation, with offices and a church at Interstate 35 and Second Street in Edmond, plus a whopping 44 satellites across the country.

Outreach Magazine has compiled listings of the country's largest churches and fastest-growing churches for several decades, collaborating with Lifeway Research, the official research arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, while also drawing numbers from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, as well. The 2024 listings are expected in the fall.

Life.Church at NW 178 and Pennsylvania Avenue in Oklahoma City is pictured on Friday, June 21, 2024.

According to its website, the magazine contacts thousands of churches each year, inviting them to participate in a survey. The result is the annual Outreach 100 list of largest churches, which tracks numerical gains in attendance, and the Outreach 100 list of fastest-growing churches, which tracks percentage growth. They solicited participation from more than 13,000 churches. Outreach said churches were contacted multiple times by email and fax to be part of the self-reported survey that is based on attendance averages, not membership. According to the Outreach website, participating churches answered questions about their 2023 in-person, weekend attendance averages for February and March as compared to their 2022 numbers.

Other Oklahoma congregations on the 2023 list of the largest churches was Church on the Move in Tulsa, which came in at No. 88, with 7,000 members. BattleCreek Church, a Southern Baptist church in Broken Arrow, also made the list at No. 94, with 6,560 members.

BattleCreek Church in Broken Arrow also was included in the 2023 Outreach 100 list of fastest-growing churches as No. 54, along with another Southern Baptist congregation, Together We Church in Yukon, formerly known as Trinity Baptist.

Life at the top

Groeschel founded Life.Church in 1996. Life Covenant Church, as it was originally called, began with about 45 people and has grown to include 18 satellites in Oklahoma and 26 satellites outside the state: two in Arkansas, three in Colorado, two in Florida, one in Iowa, five in Kansas, three in Missouri, one in Nebraska, one in New Mexico, one in New York, one in Tennessee and six in Texas.

For context, Life.Church is larger than a Houston, Texas, church that many people have long known as one of the largest churches in the country. That congregation, Lakewood Church led by prominent televangelist Joel Osteen, took the No. 3 spot on the 2023 largest church list, with average attendance of 45,000. Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama, came in at No. 2, with average attendance of 60,000.

Leaders with Life.Church declined requests for an interview, but shared a statement instead.

More: This Bible passage has been the YouVersion Bible App Verse of the Year three years in a row

"As people have examined their lives over the last few years, were seeing a renewed sense of passion and hunger for God throughout our ministries," Bobby Gruenewald, Life.Church pastor and innovation leader known as the creator of the YouVersion Bible App, said in a statement.

"People from all walks of life and across generations are facing very real struggles and thankfully they're turning to the local Church for support. And in seeking God, they're finding healing, community, and a true sense of purpose for their lives.

Fast-growing church in Yukon

Together We Church Executive Pastor Jonathan Hinkle, left, and Senior Pastor Brian Mills are pictured June 27. Together We Church (formerly Trinity Baptist) has been named to Outreach 100's list of fastest growing churches in the U.S.

Together We Church is No. 48 on the 2023 Outreach 100 list of the fastest-growing churches in the U.S., and the Yukon church was No. 94 on the 2022 fastest-growing list.

The Rev. Brian Mills, the church's senior pastor, said the growth began after he started his first sermon series after arriving at the church from Arkansas with his wife, Jennifer, and their two children in June 2019. He said the church, originally founded as Trinity Baptist, was founded in 1979 and had a weekly attendance of about 800 people. By the time he and his family arrived, about 300 were attending weekend services.

Mills, 45, said the congregation took to heart his first sermon series entitled "Together We," so much so that they began inviting other people to the church at 620 N Cemetery Road, and became involved in mission efforts, and the congregation began to experience "crazy growth."

Eventually, the "Together We" series became the foundation for the church's seven core values that members have leaned into, including a commitment to telling others of the live-changing Gospel of Christ, serving and praying together.

Together We Church (formerly Trinity Baptist), pictured June 27, has been named to Outreach 100's list of fastest-growing churches in the U.S.

The minister said the church grew 34% in 2019 and then the COVID-19 pandemic happened. But church members rallied behind a dream to build a food pantry and the church's Together We Center, built on church property without incurring debt, includes the Manna Pantry which other area churches contribute to, Faith Clinic and a boutique that helps fund the ministry and also meet various needs of community residents..

Mills said the church had eight staff members when he arrived and leaders were compelled to add more as attendance grew. He said the church currently has 32 full-time staff members.

In 2022, the church's first time on the fastest-growing churches list, Together We had an average attendance of 1,397 members, and in 2023, the average attendance was 1,879.

Together We Church (formerly Trinity Baptist) has been named to Outreach 100's list of fastest-growing churches in the U.S.

The church's name was officially changed from Trinity Baptist to Together We in February 2024 to reflect the congregation's mission.

"God kind of gifted our church with that," Mills said. "That mission is who our church is and we've had explosive growth."

He said the church baptized more than 900 people in the last four years, marriages have been healed and each week, "people who have never been inside a church" walk through the doors.

"There is so much of our story that is just God-sized," Mills said.

The pastor fully expects that Together We will be on the 2024 list of fastest-growing churches, but the church is not going to "chase after a number."

"If the Lord keeps growing us, we're just going to be faithful with what God sends us," he said.

"We just want to take care of people and we want to shepherd the flock that God sends to us. Every number has a name, every name has a story and every story has a destiny, and we want to be a part of that story. We want to be a part of that individual's life."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Edmond-based Life.Church topped list of largest U.S. congregations
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday set a Sept. 26 execution date for Oklahoma County killer Emmanuel Littlejohn. (Getty Images) (This image cannot be republished unless you have a Getty subscription.)

OKLAHOMA CITY  The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday set a Sept. 26 execution date for Oklahoma County killer Emmanuel Littlejohn.

In 1992, Littlejohn and Glenn Bethany robbed an Oklahoma City convenience store.

During the robbery, convenience store owner Kenneth Meers was shot in the face and killed.

Bethany is serving a life without parole sentence.

A clemency hearing before the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board is set for 9 a.m. Aug. 7 at 4345 N. Lincoln Blvd., in Oklahoma City.

If the panel recommends clemency, Gov. Kevin Stitt will make a final determination.

Littlejohns attorney, Callie Heller, said Littlejohn, 52, suffers from extensive brain damage, which affects his functioning.

She said his death sentence was unfair and excessive.

Littlejohn has said he didnt kill Meers, according to the McAlester News-Capital.

I would tell them (Meers family) I am sorry for the loss of their son, Littlejohn told the paper in a story published in 2023. Im sorry for the part I played in it.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummonds office did not respond to a request for comment before publication of this article.

The last Oklahoma inmate put to death was Richard N. Rojem, Jr., by lethal injection on Friday at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.

Rojem was executed for the 1984 murder of Layla Dawn Cummings, 7, his former stepdaughter, who was stabbed.

He was denied clemency.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
Considering Oklahomas nationally low standing in public education, we do not have a minute of publicly funded instruction time to lend to sectarian studies, a guest columnist writes.

The desire to have the state help Oklahoma families make the best choices for their children is a noble cause. As a parent who has had children in both public and independent Oklahoma schools, I realize that choosing schools for our children is a privilege not available to every family. I also believe that keeping state-funded education secular in nature provides extensive positive outcomes for our society.

I appreciate the Oklahoma Supreme Courts decision stating that it is unconstitutional for public funds to support a sectarian school because I believe such funding sets up the state to be endorsing one religion over others. I also appreciate the distinction the court made that individual families have opportunities to make choices for their children, including sending them to independent sectarian schools, through the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities (LNH) and the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit.

A different take: Denying Catholic virtual charter school violates principles of equal treatment | Opinion

From kindergarten through my bachelors degree, I attended publicly funded schools, including three years in Department of Defense Dependents Schools overseas. I believe school is where we learn a social contract for how to operate in our society. Most children spend more waking hours in school than in any other place of influence. With the highest enrollment of children in our state in publicly funded schools, schools are where we collectively shape our future. Ideally, through their publicly funded education, our children come to understand the U.S. Constitution, confidently explain the democratic process, clearly assert their opinions based on critical and inquisitive thinking, and earnestly listen to differing opinions with a goal of understanding and finding points of agreement and compromise. Considering Oklahomas nationally low standing in public education, we do not have a minute of publicly funded instruction time to lend to sectarian studies.

As a rabbi and professional educator, I often bemoan the lack of time children in my synagogue have for deep religious education. We have Sunday school for two hours a week, with an additional one hour for learning Hebrew. Balanced with our students' weekly school schedules, extracurricular activities and family time, I understand that Jewish children in Oklahoma City do not have the same depth of learning as children in more heavily populated communities who attend independent Jewish schools. I also understand that it is not the states responsibility to provide this learning. We work in partnership with parents and grandparents to teach their children that our private religious values intend to make us good neighbors and citizens in a diverse community. Is it a sacrifice to give up weekend time for religious education? Maybe. But values-based living is itself a sacrifice. Sometimes we humble ourselves and our personal desires for a greater good.

It is a privilege to live in a nation and a state that gives people of all religious backgrounds equal access to publicly funded education. I pray our secular education, prioritizing shared American values, leads us toward a more cohesive and respectfully diverse society.

Rabbi Vered Harris

Rabbi Vered Harris was ordained in 2000 and holds a masters degree in Jewish education and a masters degree in Hebrew letters. She served for 12 years as a congregational educator in Overland Park, Kansas, before moving to Oklahoma City in 2012 to serve as the spiritual leader of Temple Bnai Israel.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma does not have a minute of publicly funded instruction time to lend
Chancellor Allison Garrett speaks at a meeting of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education in Oklahoma City on June 27, 2024. The regents approved tuition hikes at 12 public colleges and universities on Friday. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY  The chief of Oklahomas higher education system announced on Tuesday she will retire from the position after three years in office.

Higher Education Chancellor Allison Garrett said her retirement will be effective in January. She was hired to the role in November 2021, succeeding 14-year Chancellor Glen Johnson.

In the months ahead, she said she looks forward to more time with family and a career capstone opportunity to complete an international project in late fall.

Serving the people of Oklahoma and working collaboratively with our State Regents, elected officials, campus personnel, and business and community partners to help move this great state forward has been an honor, Garrett said in a news release.

The chancellor is the chief executive officer of Oklahomas higher education system, made up of 25 public colleges and universities and their local governing boards. The role also acts as a statewide leader in higher education policy, funding, tuition and fee levels, and courses and programs of study.

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education has not yet described its plan to find Garretts successor. The nine-member board is the states highest authority over public colleges and universities, and each of its members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate.

The regents chairperson, Dennis Casey, listed multiple key accomplishments reached under Garretts tenure, including an increase in the number of college graduates, development of the systems Blueprint 2030 strategic plan and updated policies to empower institutions to quickly meet business needs, among others.

We thank Chancellor Garrett for her tireless service and advocacy on behalf of Oklahomas higher education system, Casey said in a statement.  We respect her decision and the time she is providing that will allow us to develop and execute a succession plan.

Garrett, originally from Neosho, Missouri, was the president of Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, and held senior leadership roles at other universities before accepting the Oklahoma chancellor position. Before that, she spent more than a decade in the Walmart corporate offices as a vice president and general counsel.

She graduated from Oklahoma Christian University with a bachelors degree in English, completed law school at the University of Tulsa and earned a master of laws degree in securities regulation from Georgetown University.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Oklahoma higher education chief announces retirement appeared first on Oklahoma Voice.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 3. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have discussed further strengthening of bilateral relations between the countries on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, Trend reports via the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan.

The meeting highlighted a significant breakthrough in all areas of bilateral interaction between the two countries in recent years.

The heads of Uzbekistan and China also exchanged views on current regional and international issues.

Another topic of the meeting was the continuation of close cooperation within the framework of the UN, the SCO, the Central Asia-China format, and other international and regional structures.

Besides, the parties expressed the need to increase partnerships in the fields of tourism, science, education, workforce training, and Chinese language studies.

Additionally, the heads of state discussed the agenda of the upcoming SCO summit and other topics.

At the meeting of the SCO Council, which will be held on July 4, the heads of state will consider a wide range of issues to further strengthen multifaceted SCO cooperation and address pressing international and regional problems.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Oklahomas ties to white supremacy are older than the state itself. Is it on the rise again?

Judd Blevins saw America changing in ways he wanted to stop, and Donald Trumps election spurred him to act.

The Oklahoma military veteran believed the issues he cared about  immigration, border security and rampant anti-white hatred  were the same concerns that had landed Trump in the White House in 2016.

Months later, Blevins decided to join Identity Evropa, a new white supremacist group recruiting millennial men like him. He applied online and made it through a virtual interview.

His final test came at a truck stop off Interstate 35. There, he met up with a Texas man who grilled him about his views. One question he recalled was, Do you feel that white people are under any sort of threat today?

Blevins thought his ties to Identity Evropa and his writings in its forums would remain mostly hidden from widespread view. That wasnt what happened.

His online posts, which became a focal point after he won a seat on Enid's city council, have thrust him into the center of a public controversy that has underscored Oklahomas part in the rise of white nationalism across the country.

A police officer arrests a student after a disturbance broke out on school grounds over a federal plan to integrate two Oklahoma City high schools in August 1972.

What has spurred the spread of white nationalism? The internet played a role

In a state with a deeply racist history  from its early embrace of Jim Crow laws to the Tulsa Race Massacre  Blevins story also raises questions of just how prevalent such sentiments are across Oklahoma at a time when many policymakers are trying to reshape how students learn about the past.

When were talking about whats going on in Oklahoma, we cant talk about that in isolation from the conversations that are happening all across the country, said Rosemary Avance, a media historian who teaches at Oklahoma State University and studies white nationalism.

The internet enables this spaceless and timeless community of people who are like-minded, who can interact with each other in real time, any time, and who can formulate very detailed plans and playbooks for how theyre going to enforce their propaganda in communities, she said.

Many experts trace the latest resurgence of white nationalism to 2008, when voters elected the nations first Black president, Barack Obama. His election overlapped with the start of the Great Recession. Fears about the nations future fomented, and new social media platforms brought people together. The fervor grew under Trump, whom Blevins and others viewed as a champion.

White supremacy in the United States ebbs and flows around social change, said Christine Reyna, a psychology professor at DePaul University in Chicago who researches extremist movements.

More: Timeline: Tracking Oklahoma's white supremacist roots over more than a century

A man surveys the damage of the Tulsa Race Massacre on June 1, 1921.

When you think about who is going to be the most impacted by radical social change, it tends to be people who benefit the most from the status quo, she said. And in America, that would be white people, especially white men. Thats the No. 1 group thats being attracted to these ideologies right now.

White nationalist groups have become extremely successful at reaching new and younger audiences with their messaging, she said. Ideas once considered fringe  such as limiting how children learn about racism in America  are now part of mainstream GOP politics.

Quraysh Ali Lansana, a visiting professor at the University of Tulsa, disputed the idea that childrens minds are threatened by learning about other cultures. In fact, he said, those teachings can curb xenophobia, and without them, white supremacy can spread.

Its very, very calculated, he said, and its very, very dangerous.

Experts who track white nationalism and historians who are versed in Oklahomas past are not surprised the movement has taken hold in the state. Its history is marked by times when public officials and civic leaders worked to advance white residents at the expense of people of color.

Photograph used for a newspaper owned by the Oklahoma Publishing Company. Caption: "Gathered around a blazing cross, Ku Klux Klansmen in full regalia posed for a photographer shortly before their district rally six miles northwest of Oklahoma City Thursday night when 350 new members were inducted into the organization."

Group has documented rise in incidents of hate in Oklahoma

The links between the past and present are tangible. In June, Oklahomas highest court dismissed a lawsuit filed by the two remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. As many as 300 Black people were killed by white Tulsans. Black families homes and businesses in thriving Greenwood were looted and burned. An untold number of people fled the city.

Many Oklahomans have never dealt with the states torrid racial past, which can complicate efforts to stop white nationalism from spreading, Avance said. These increasingly frantic, fear-based narratives about the future for white people really feed into the kind of precarious place we already find ourselves, she said.

The Anti-Defamation League, which tracks the spread of hate, has recorded more than 550 incidents of hate, extremism, antisemitism or terrorism in Oklahoma since 2020, four times more than the previous five years. A separate group, the Southern Poverty Law Center, has identified at least 17 hate or anti-government groups operating across the state, including some in churches.

More: Dodging bullets and coming home to nothing left: An illustrated history of the Tulsa Race Massacre.

The Christian nationalism and white nationalism movements are increasingly indistinguishable, researchers say. Using religion to spread rhetoric is so effective because people are taught not to question church authority figures, Reyna said.

The more you can package them in a way that discourages people from questioning it or makes it seem as though it is standing on some moral absolutist platform  thats when it becomes especially insidious and especially intractable, she said.

Headlines about racist incidents and extremist events have brought national attention to Oklahoma. In one case from April 2023, a white McCurtain County official elected to represent hundreds of Black residents was recorded talking about lynching Black people.

Oklahoma leaders could curb the spread of racism. They've embraced it instead, expert says

For Oklahomans of color, it can be a struggle to navigate life while also trying to dismantle the racism so deeply rooted in the state, Lansana said.

Public figures could use their voices to begin addressing historic wrongs, he said. But instead, lawmakers and other top officials have embraced new laws such as House Bill 1775, which limits how educators can teach about race. Ryan Walters, the elected official who oversees public schools, has been the biggest supporter of the curriculum changes.

One of the things thats most egregious about Ryan Walters work and about House Bill 1775 is to suggest that Black history is just Black peoples history, said Lansana, who is also an author and journalist. When in fact, Black folks didnt burn down Greenwood. Its a part of white folks history, too.

A woman holds a Confederate flag during a 1972 rally to protest a federally-ordered busing plan to integrate Oklahoma City schools.

Lansanas hometown is Enid, a mid-size city nicknamed the Wheat Capital of Oklahoma. Blevins is from the same community.

Months after he joined Identity Evropa, Blevins traveled to a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The event drew hundreds of people and ended in the death of a counter-demonstrator. A photo published by several anti-hate groups shows Blevins carrying Oklahomas original state flag as he marched in the crowd.

An Identity Evropa member who went by Conway - OK wrote online about bringing the flag to the rally. The red banner features a white star with the number 46 in the center, denoting the states entry into the United States. It was changed in 1925 to one that incorporates the significance of tribal nations in Oklahoma.

Conway - OK lamented about the change in a July 2017 message, which was posted in a private forum but later leaked. Such a shame OK lawmakers (expletive) to the Indians in 1925 and adopted the current flag, wrote Conway - OK, who also wrote about being from Enid.

More: White Christian nationalism is a danger to democracy, critics say. Oklahoma is no stranger to the ideology

In other leaked messages, the person insulted Jewish, Indigenous and transgender people, praised future governor, Kevin Stitt, for featuring only white people in a campaign ad and boasted about blanketing Oklahoma City and several college campuses with propaganda. The writer described the work as American identity activism.

Days before the 2017 Charlottesville rally, Conway - OK wrote in capital letters: I just cant feel safe if Im not packing an AR with a 100 round drum and sporting my swastika armband.

The digital traces came to light as Blevins campaigned for a spot on the Enid city commission last year. He won the race but faced an organized recall effort this spring that attracted widespread attention.

Enid Mayor David Mason said he met with Blevins in November and asked him if the evidence was true. He said Blevins admitted to being in Charlottesville and posting under the name Conway.

I asked, 'Are you still involved in those hate groups?' Mason said. And Ill never forget, he said, I dont have to answer you. I said, I think you just did.

In an interview with The Oklahoman, Blevins confirmed the discussion but said he responded out of frustration to the mayor, not out of denial. He said he hasnt been tied to Identity Evropa or any group like it since 2019, when the organization rebranded.

He denied that he was a racist and disputed that Identity Evropa was a hate group, though experts consider it one. Blevins said the groups members, including a handful of other Oklahomans, worked to protect American history and talked about issues that affected white people.

Blevins was ultimately recalled in April but still won 561 votes  more than he had when he had been elected the prior year. He analyzed turnout numbers from the recall race and figured that most Republicans voted for him.

More: Two OKC churches tackle Christian nationalism, condemn the ideology

Reflecting on his loss and the focus placed on his past, Blevins said he thought comments posted in private chat rooms were only reflective of a specific person at a specific time in their life. But people do change, he said.

Yet, seven years after he was quizzed at a truck stop about the threats white people face, Blevins still sees warning signs on the horizon for his race. He said demographic trends suggest white Americans will become a racial minority within 25 years.

If that continues, then frankly, I dont see a good outcome for white Americans, he said. I think that we would probably be kind of at the bottom in hiring, in government assistance, things of that nature. But as far as, do I have any hatred for any person because theyre racially different? No.

A man holds a sign to protest the federally-ordered integration of Oklahoma City schools in 1972.

Reyna has found white nationalists share two attributes. First, they need to believe in the inherent greatness of white people and white culture. Second, those people need to have a grievance. That can boil down to a perception that less deserving groups are unfairly taking power and resources from white people.

Avance said many white nationalists see an inherent connection between being white and being American. The model is a white Christian person, often with European ancestry, she said.

Of course, America is a place of all types of ethnicities and identities, she said. So when you get the idea that to be an American, you should be a white Christian, it kind of contradicts the history of our country and the history of everything that led to our country.

Reyna pointed to surveys that show many white Americans, and particularly white nationalists, express nostalgia for the past. The scene that typically emerges is a 1940s and '50s-era Leave it to Beaver motif where one income supported a family, a home and a car.

But that time also came before the Civil Rights Movement and before many anti-immigration laws were dismantled, Reyna said. So it really was a time period of unquestioned and solidified white supremacy in America, and male dominance in America, she said.

Chickasaw Freedmen and their families talk to federal officials in charge of allotting land on the Chickasaw Nation's reservation in central Oklahoma. The undated photograph was likely taken in the early 1900s.

White nationalism in 'every part of what the future Oklahoma would be'

Oklahomas ties to white supremacy are older than the state itself.

Most of the region was promised to tribal nations for ceding their homelands across the United States. Five Southeastern tribes, including the Cherokee Nation, brought enslaved African Americans with them when they moved west. Slavery did not end until after the Civil War, when treaties stopped the practice in 1866.

White settlers soon pressured federal officials to open up the tribal lands for themselves. Congress decided to break up the land into individual pieces assigned to tribal citizens. Whatever was left was usually opened up to settlers.

Former Oklahoma Gov. William H. "Alfalfa Bill" Murray, shown here in a 1940 portrait, is known as one of the politicians who helped shape the state. He was also a known bigot and wrote a book advocating for segregation in 1948, more than a decade after he left the Oklahoma's top office.

The era carved the path to statehood. In a 1906 speech to begin Oklahomas constitutional convention, future governor, William H. Alfalfa Bill Murray, noted that African Americans and Native Americans were unequal to whites, said Bob Burke, an Oklahoma City lawyer and historian.

You had white nationalism in every part of what the future Oklahoma would be, he said.

The states first law prohibited Black people from riding on the same streetcars and trains as white people. By the 1920s, most members of the Legislature belonged to the Ku Klux Klan, Burke said.

About that same time, a wave of violence toward Black people was erupting across the nation. Veterans of World War I pressed for the equal treatment they had witnessed overseas, said Eric Miller, a law professor at Loyola Marymount Universitys law school in Los Angeles.

Survivors search through the rubble left in the once-thriving Greenwood neighborhood of African American-owned businesses and homes that was destroyed on June 1, 1921. The Tulsa Race Massacre is regarded as one of the deadliest incidents of racist violence in the nation's history.

The Tulsa Race Massacre was one of the eras most deadly incidents, said Miller, who has helped file lawsuits on behalf of survivors and their descendants. The killings erupted after rumors spread about a Black man accused of harming a white woman.

Lansana has researched what happened and found evidence that public officials were complicit. As one example, he said, the sheriff deputized as many as 200 white Tulsans ahead of the massacre in the name of protecting the southern part of the city.

It wasnt a white mob as folks like to use that phrase  a white mob suggesting that this was sort of a rag-tag assembly of mostly white males who didnt know what they were doing, Lansana said. This was a planned invasion of Greenwood.

For decades afterward, Oklahoma enforced racial segregation in nearly every facet of life. That didnt start to change until the 1950s and early '60s in response to activism on the state and national levels. Oklahoma City civil rights leader Clara Luper helped organize a series of sit-ins that led to end of segregation in public spaces.

Oklahoma civil rights leader Clara Luper, right, is credited with helping end segregation in public places in Oklahoma. She is shown here at a 1964 rally.

I knew I was right, because somewhere I read in the 14th Amendment, that I was a citizen and I had rights, and I had the right to eat, Luper said in a 1998 interview. Within that hamburger was the whole essence of democracy. If you could deny me the right to eat, you could deny me the right to live or work where I want.

Segregation remained engrained in some parts of Oklahoma long after it was banned. McCurtain County in the southeast corner of the state was one of those places. Railroad tracks divide the county seat of Idabel into white and Black parts of the city. Separate high schools operated on both sides of town for at least a decade after schools were ordered to desegregate.

In 1980, the killing of a Black teenager in Idabel ignited unrest that drew national headlines. The imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan seized on the attention and traveled to the region to recruit more members, according to the countys historical society.

Leaders of the Ku Klux Klan hold a January 1980 press conference on the steps of the Oklahoma Capitol and discuss their plans to travel to southern Oklahoma and hold a cross burning. The men hoped to seize on the national attention fixed on the state after a black teenager was killed in Idabel. His death set off a period of unrest in the city.

Another controversy unfolded there in 2023, more than four decades later. The local newspaper published a recording that captured County Commissioner Mark Jennings talking about returning to a time when Black people were hanged.

The three other officials who were part of the conversation, including the sheriff, did not object. Jennings quickly resigned, but Sheriff Kevin Clardy ignored calls to step down. Clardy had been recorded on the same tape boasting about threatening the local prosecutor.

A handful of residents formed the McCurtain County Movement to advocate for sweeping changes. The group focused on ousting Clardy from office in June, when he faced two challengers in the Republican primary. He placed a distant third.

Lonnie Watson, one of the groups leaders, believed the sheriff was to blame for his defeat. He never came out and made any amends for it, or said anything about it or held himself accountable for it, Watson said.

Public officials across Oklahoma have been slow to acknowledge the lasting impacts of racism or the threats posed by white nationalism today. In fact, they have sometimes done the opposite, Avance said.

As an example, she pointed to Gov. Kevin Stitts frequent criticisms of the tribal reservations that have regained legal recognition since 2020. Stitt has described the reservations as unsafe and their justice systems as unfair, and hes placed blame for those issues on tribal nations.

Such narratives from the states top official give ammunition to people who are already biased and justifies their beliefs about being treated unfairly, Avance said.

That definitely complicates fighting white nationalism in the state, she said. That supports the narrative of the movement.

The most effective way to stop white nationalism would be to revisit what is taught in schools, because that is where ideology gets rooted, Reyna said.

Yet in Oklahoma and dozens of other red states, lawmakers have moved to eliminate discussions about race from classrooms. In a state like Oklahoma, where so much of the states history is shaped by racist incidents, whole chapters of time could be wiped away because learning about them might make white children uncomfortable, Burke said.

I want my grandchildren to be uncomfortable with these chapters of Oklahoma history, he said. I want them to be uncomfortable to the point that they see it as a mistake. Because if they dont know about the mistakes in our history, then they wont have enough information to be able to rectify those and not make the mistake again.

Lansana acknowledged that working to stop white supremacy in Oklahoma is an uphill battle. But he said he believes collective change remains possible.

Weve got to continue  from folks who are elected officials to folks who work in the grocery store  everybodys got to use their platforms, and realize they have their voices, their money, their votes to create the world that they want to see, he said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Fears growing about a rise in white nationalism in Oklahoma
Retired Rear Admiral James Bynum will be the new Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs executive director, starting Aug. 1. (Photo provided by Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs)

OKLAHOMA CITY  The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs has a new executive director.

Retired Rear Admiral James Bynum was announced Monday as the agencys new executive director. He begins Aug. 1.

Brett Martin, Veterans Commission chairman, said Bynum is a qualified candidate.

Hes dealt with Capitol Hill in D.C.,  working with our legislation at our capitol should be a cakewalk, Martin said. The idea that he can run and be responsible for multi-billion dollar assets, I think he can handle seven homes and 1,500 employees at ODVA.

Bynum has held executive positions as president of Bynum & Bynum Consultants, LLC, a lead consultant for mid-sized defense engineering and manufacturing companies, and a Senior Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.

His legislative experience includes being a military legislative assistant for the late U.S. Sen. John McCain and holding a position with the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in Washington, D.C.

Bynum is a graduate of the University of Oklahomas ROTC program, where he also earned a bachelors in management of information systems.

His education also includes the Harvard Kennedy School, the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina and the Naval Post Graduate School.

Bynum was also a Capitol Hill Fellow at Georgetown University.

He was deployed as part of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Bynum was also deployed as part of the U.S. Air Forces 94th Fighter Squadron and commanded VFA-27, as part of the deployed forces in Japan.

Bynum will succeed former Executive Director Greg Slavonic, who served 15 months after Gov. Kevin Stitt removed the previous director.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  An Olathe, Kansas man has pleaded guilty for his role of illegally exporting aviation-related technology to Russia after the country invaded Ukraine.

Douglas Edward Robertson, 56, the former vice president of KanRus Trading Company Inc., pleaded guilty Tuesday for his role in a years-long conspiracy to circumvent U.S. export laws by filing false export forms with the U.S. government and, after Russias unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, continuing to sell and export sophisticated and controlled avionics equipment to customers in Russia without the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Kansas City-area fireworks shows postponed due to possible severe weather

According to court documents, as part of his guilty plea, Robertson admitted that between 2020 and when he was arrested in March 2023, he conspired with others  including Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky of Lawrence, Kansas, and Oleg Chistyakov, aka Olegs Citsjakovs, of Riga, Latvia,  to smuggle U.S.-origin avionics equipment to end users in Russia, as well as Russian end users in other foreign countries by, among other actions, knowingly filing false export forms and failing to file required export forms with the U.S. government.

In these forms, Robertson and his conspirators lied about the exports value, end users, and end destinations.

Robertson further admitted that on at least one occasion in 2021, he, Buyanovsky, and Chistyakov smuggled a repaired Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) to the FSB by removing the FSB sticker from the device before sending the device to a U.S. company to be repaired and then exporting the TCAS back to the FSB in Russia.

At the time, the FSB was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control for its interference in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election.

Robertson further admitted that after Russia invaded Ukraine and the U.S. government tightened export controls concerning Russia, he, Buyanovsky and Chistyakov, and other conspirators continued to purchase and export U.S.-origin avionics equipment to customers in Russia and took numerous steps to hide their illegal activity from law enforcement.

In December 2023, Buyanovsky pleaded guilty to conspiracy and money laundering and consented to the forfeiture of over $450,000 worth of avionics equipment and accessories, and a $50,000 personal forfeiture judgment.

See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri

In March, Chistyakov was arrested in Riga, Latvia, for his role in the illegal smuggling scheme. Chistyakov remains detained in Latvia pending extradition proceedings.

A sentencing hearing for Robertson is scheduled for Oct. 3.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
What to do with an old or tattered American flag? St. Johns program makes it respectful

For Christopher Benjamin, it all began with a couple of discarded American flags, tossed into a container at a landfill in St. Johns County. He knew that was no way for the flags to end their useful lives.

I was disturbed that they were there," he said. "My thought was, this happens because people dont have an opportunity to bring a flag to an area thats safe.

So in 2019 he began the American Flag Rescue Program with the aim of giving St. Johns County residents a respectful  and correct  way of retiring old flags, those that had become faded or tattered, or simply not wanted anymore.

In the beginning, Benjamin went to friends to help. Collection boxes were donated by radio station WSOS. A company named Signs Now made signs for those boxes. He put a few collection boxes out in public and soon found them full of old flags.

The effort quickly became a huge success, bigger than he could have expected: There are now 35 drop boxes in county government buildings, libraries, thrift stores and, he says, every Ace Hardware store in the county.

By last week he and his team of seven volunteers had collected 11,834 American flags.

Among the items in Chris Benjamin's office are meticulously folded small American flags given to him as gifts from veterans. Benjamin, the outreach coordinator of the St. Johns County Solid Waste Division, is founder of the county's American Flag Rescue Program.

It seems there were a lot of people out there who had old flags, but were unsure what to do with them, so they just saved them. Now they know.

"It's just mushroomed to the point where we're getting a reaction we never anticipated," Benjamin said. "I quote 'Field of Dreams:' If you build it, they will come."

Some of the flags, those in good condition, are donated to veterans, clubs and those who would like one.

The others are burned, as prescribed in the American Flag Code, in a monthly ceremony at VFW Post 2391.

Benjamin, who's approaching 81 years old and is still working, is outreach coordinator of the St. Johns County Solid Waste Division (the county sponsors the American Flag Rescue Program). He's had a varied career involving government service, travel, zookeeping and writing seven books, and he and his wife run a dog and cat rescue program for animals with medical programs that make them hard to adopt.

U.S. Army veteran Rick McAllister pulls American flags from a bin as he feeds them into the burn barrels at St. Augustine's VFW Post 2391 during a flag retirement ceremony.

He said part of his motivation for the flag rescue program is his father, George Benjamin Jr., a radio operator in the U.S. Army. He was awarded a posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions in the Philippines during World War II.

He was 26 when he was killed in December 1944. He had already been sent overseas by the time his son was born in July that year.

"He never saw me, and I never saw him, Benjamin said.

'I take my flag very seriously'

Duck Milne, 66, an Army veteran and retired mail carrier of 37 years, volunteers to pick up flags from various collection points in St. Johns County, making a regular circuit in his old Lexus SUV. It's gotten busy lately, he said.

Its amazing how many flags you do pick up, especially this time of year, with Memorial Day and Flag Day and D-Day and, coming up, the Fourth of July," Milne said. Its great that people do the right thing and put them in the drop boxes."

Duck Milne pulls a tattered American flag from the American Flag Rescue Program bin inside the Cronin Ace Hardware store off County Road 210. Milne, an Army veteran and a retired mail carrier of 37 years makes regular rounds to drop boxes in Northwest St. Johns County.

The flags collected in the American Flag Rescue Program are sorted out; the ones still in good condition are saved, as are a few older 48-star flags that show up.

The torn, worn or tattered flags are taken to VFW Post 2391 on U.S. 1. And on the third Saturday of each month, Dan Weir, commander of the post's honor guard, and his team burn hundreds of flags during what's called a retirement ceremony, feeding them carefully into fires lit in several sturdy barrels.

On a summer day, such as at the most recent ceremony, the heat can be almost overwhelming. But it's a solemn duty that must be carried out, Weir said.

At each ceremony, one flag is selected to represent all the others. It's then raised on a flagpole and saluted.

Christopher Benjamin said that people who leave flags to be disposed of properly sometimes leave notes with them, such as this one.

"The others will be retired with dignity and respect, and that flag becomes the last one at the ceremony, lowered down and placed in a barrel," Weir said.

He's 64, a Navy veteran. Asked what the flag represents for him, he doesn't hesitate: "Our freedom, this country that we live in, that we have the right and the freedom to express our opinions and to live the way our forefathers intended, to live free in this country. I take my flag very seriously.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: St. Johns County effort collects American flags for dignified disposal
One arrested after fatal shooting in NW Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  One person has been arrested following a deadly shooting on June 13.

According to the Oklahoma City Police Department, officers responded to an apartment complex near the 7500 block of Knight Lake Drive around 10:09 p.m.

ORIGINAL STORY: Police investigating fatal shooting in NW Oklahoma City

Upon arrival, police say they found one man who had been shot while leaving his apartment. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he passed away.

Samara Kenoly

Officials say it appeared the victim was involved in an armed confrontation when the shooting happened.

According to OKCPD, 18-year-old Samara Kenoly has been arrested for First Degree Murder in connection to the shooting.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
'One Bad Mother' is one example of some huge fireworks on sale in Florida

If you are planning on shooting off fireworks this July 4, you can stick with boring old sparklers and firecrackers, sure, but how about cutting loose with "One Bad Mother?" a 16-shot, multi-blooming display of crackling flowers with a three-shot finale, each blasting as high as 200 feet in the air and breaking up to 150 feet wide?

If you want to stay closer to the ground, there's "Fiery Frogs" which shoots off a fountain of sparks. Or you can go with "Raging Rottweilers" which shoots off multi-colored stars followed by "awesome spinning silver tourbillons with a strobing red and green finale," according to the description.

These and other similarly named products can be found on the explosives-laden shelves at area Florida fireworks stores.

"The Boom Boom Stick is anything that goes 'boom boom,' which is just about every item we sell here," said Haley Ritter, sales clerk at Nick's Boom Boom Sticks in Flagler Beach.

Consider yourself forewarned, however. Some of these products are just a smidge below professional grade. And a mishandled firework can kill or maim you. The Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that in 2023, it received reports of eight deaths and an estimated 9,700 injuries involving fireworks.

A combo package awaits purchase at the Daytona Beach Phantom Fireworks on Saturday

And these products are not cheap. For example, "Biggen" is a fireworks assortment priced at $1,499. It boasts, among other things, a "Fire and Fury" finale-level firework with packaging that features a King Kong-style creature firing off a machine gun.

This 16,000-strip firecracker packet is for sale at the Daytona Beach Phantom Fireworks

"We have anything in here from lots of mortars to some smaller cakes, larger cakes," Ritter said about the Biggen assortment. "We have a finale cake in here as well."

A "cake" is a cluster of tubes linked by a fuse that fires off a series of sequential aerial explosions. These tubes can be up to 3 inches in diameter and a single cake can sometimes launch more than 1,000 shots.

The variety of effects within individual cakes is often such that they defy descriptive titles and are instead given cryptic names such as "Bermuda Triangle," "Pyro Glyphics," "Cosmic Carnival," "Emerald City," and "Molotov Cocktail," to name a few.

Big Nick's Boom Boom Sticks in Flagler County features a colorful assortment of fireworks packages.

An example of a small cake at Nick's is the "Trash Panda," which shoots flaming balls. Its packaging features a raccoon flashing peace signs, amid a mound of trash.

There's also the hyper-masculine, scary and darkly dramatic packaging  one item at Big Nick's is called "Alpha Male" with a wolf on the front.

"These give off nine very large shots," Ritter said.

Haley Ritter, sales clerk at Big Nick's Boom Boom Sticks in Flagler County, describes the "Alpha Male" fireworks display on Saturday.

At Phantom Fireworks in Daytona Beach, patrons can nab a 16,000-strip firecracker package decked with three snarling wolves. The packaging touts its performance as "super loud" with "maximum power."

But the most powerful fireworks in the building are on another aisle. Those are nine-shot rounds loaded with the maximum amount of powder allowed for consumer sales, Phantom Fireworks Daytona Beach Manager Andrew Schroeder said. Those include "Da Bomb!"

"All of these fireworks right here, this is the closest that you can get to the professional-grade fireworks," he said.

As for products with fun names that also pack power, Schroeder and Assistant Manager Zamari Davis showed off a stack of Whacky Tobacky packages. This product shoots "nine huge hanging gold brocades with a red strobing core," according to Phantom Fireworks. It costs about $330 in Daytona Beach.

"Da Bomb" is one of Phantom Fireworks' 500-gram repeaters. It has the maximum of powder allowed below professional grade, store Manager Andrew Schroeder said.

"It goes about 250 feet into the sky and the breaks are massive," Schroeder said.

One tip from both businesses is to come in after July 4 for good deals. Nick's is open through July 5.

Schroeder urged people to read the instructions before lighting off the fireworks.

"Be safe," Davis said.

Domestic tranquility is also a factor. Phantom's biggest assortment sells for $1,499, and includes "24 hard-hitting Quest 60-gram canister artillery shells."

The name? "Grounds for Divorce."

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Some Fourth of July fireworks are absolutely huge
Two dead after Clay County crash involving school bus, 3 cars. No serious injuries on bus

Update: Two occupants of the car struck by the bus have been reported deceased Wednesday night, with a third in critical condition.

One person has been reported dead after the car they were traveling in was involved in a 4-vehicle crash with a school bus in Clay County.

The crash involved three cars traveling westbound at Route 92 and Highway A, between Smithville and Kearney, said Corporal Justin Ewing, a spokesperson for the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The crash, reported around 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, was a chain reaction that started when a car driving westbound stopped in the middle of highway traffic to make a left turn, Ewing told The Star.

In order to avoid a collision with the left-turning car, a black passenger sedan swerved into the path of a school bus driving westbound, Ewing said. The black sedan clipped another car while swerving, and was thrown back into a third car after being struck by the bus, Ewing said.

One of the people traveling in the black sedan was declared dead, Ewing said. The highway patrol is currently investigating a potential second fatality.

The school bus came from the Gallatin R-V School District in Gallatin, Missouri, according to Ewing and superintendent Justin Collins.

The bus had been carrying Gallatin High School students back from back from a Future Business Leaders of America conference, Collins wrote in a social media post from the district. Gallatin students attended the FBLAs national competition in Orlando, Florida from June 29 to July 2.

At the time of the crash, the bus was carrying 17 passengers, according to Ewing. Two have been transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

We are relieved to report that all students and staff members on the bus have been accounted for and are safe, Collins wrote Wednesday. We would like to thank our staff members for their very swift response and attention to our students during this time.

Collins and the Gallatin R-V School District were not immediately available for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Troop A of the Missouri State Highway Patrol is still actively investigating the crash, Ewing said. The makes and models of the three cars involved in the accident, as well as the identities of all passengers involved, are not yet publicly known.

Since the beginning of the year, 332 people have been involved in 123 traffic accidents involving buses in Missouri, according to state data. As a result of these crashes, one person has been killed and 123 people have been injured.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 4. During a working visit to Astana, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif, the press service of the President of Uzbekistan says, Trend reports.

According to the information, current issues of development of the Uzbek-Pakistan strategic partnership were discussed at the meeting, with a special emphasis on trade, economic, investment and transport and communication areas.

An intensification of contacts at various levels, an increase in the volume of mutual trade and cargo transportation, as well as an increase in the number of joint ventures were noted.

The President of Uzbekistan emphasized the importance of creating favorable conditions for increasing trade turnover within the framework of the Preferential Trade Agreement.

The need to develop a joint Industrial Cooperation Program for 2025-2026, including projects in agriculture, textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and other industries, was also discussed.

It is reported that the parties agreed to hold a regular meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission, a business forum and an industrial exhibition this year.

The importance of joint efforts to implement the Trans-Afghan Railway construction project was emphasized.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Two people are dead following a multi-vehicle crash involving a school bus Wednesday afternoon in Clay County, Missouri.

The crash was reported around 3:08 p.m. in the area of 92 Highway and A Highway, between Kearney and Smithville.

View the latest Weather Alerts in the Kansas City region on FOX4

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, three vehicles were traveling westbound on 92 Highway when the first vehicle went to make a turn and the second vehicle swerved to avoid crashing into it and went into the eastbound lanes, into the path of a school bus. That vehicle then hit a fourth vehicle that was traveling westbound.

The Clay County Sheriffs Office said two people in the passenger vehicle that struck the school bus died at the scene.

There were 17 students and four adults on the school bus with two students taken to the hospital for minor injuries. Other students were taken to Kearney to be reunited with families.

The students are with the Gallatin School District and were heading home from Kansas City International Airport after a conference in Florida.

MSHP is leading the investigation into the crash.

Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android

This is a developing story. FOX4 will continue to update as more 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 FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
One phone call from President Xi would end Russia's war, Finnish president says

Russia's reliance on China has developed to the point where Beijing could end a war with one phone call, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in an interview with Bloomberg published on July 3.

"Russia is so dependent on China right now," Stubb told Bloomberg.

"One phone call from President Xi Jinping would solve this crisis."

Although China officially maintains a neutral stance on Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine and denies providing lethal aid, Beijing and Moscow continue to strengthen their ties. This was underscored by Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China in May.

Various countries, including the United States, have accused China of continuously aiding Russia's war machine in Ukraine by providing machine tools, weapons technology, satellite imagery, semiconductors, and other dual-use technologies.

China accounted for about 28% of Russia's total trade last year, up from 19% in 2021. The European Union's share of trade with Russia fell from 36% to 17% during this period, according to Bloomberg.

"If he (Xi) were to say, 'Time to start negotiating peace,' Russia would be forced to do that," Stubb said.

"They would have no other choice."

Xi and Putin are expected to hold talks at the 24th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which will be held from July 3 to 4 in Astana.

Stubb said Beijing could also benefit from ending Russia's "aggressive and colonial war" in Ukraine.

"It needs to protect the international rules which are linked to territorial integrity and sovereignty," Stubb said, adding that it would "show leadership from China."

Stubb also said it is "out of the question now" to push for a ceasefire.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, while visiting Kyiv on July 2, urged President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a ceasefire to "speed up peace talks." While praising Ukraine's peace initiatives, Orban said that they take "too long."

"There needs to be a genuine peace negotiation," Stubb said.

"The only thing that Russia understands is power. And therefore, the more we can help Ukraine now, the faster we'll get the war to end."

Read also: Opinion: The new EU leadership must unite on China

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
FILE - People watch distant fireworks from a park on July 4, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. Warehouse membership club Costco said it would be closed on July 4th, 2024, but the vast majority of major national retailers will be open, with some offering promotional sales to lure customers. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

NEW YORK (AP)  The Fourth of July holiday, also known as Independence Day, celebrates the Second Continental Congress unanimous adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, a document announcing the colonies separation from Great Britain.

One year later, according to the Library of Congress, a spontaneous celebration in Philadelphia marked the anniversary of American independence.

But observations weren't commonplace until after the War of 1812, when they quickly took off. Congress was late to the party, finally passing a law making Independence Day a federal holiday on June 28, 1870.

Heres what is open and closed this year on the Fourth of July:

Government Buildings

Government offices, post offices, courts and schools are closed.

Banks and the stock market

U.S. stock markets and banks are closed Thursday.

Most FedEx and UPS pickup and delivery services will also not be available on Independence Day.

Retailers

Warehouse membership club Costco said it would be closed on July 4th, but the vast majority of major national retailers will be open, with some offering promotional sales to lure customers. Hours may vary by location, so check your local store.

Travel

With the Fourth of July holiday falling on a Thursday, many Americans plan to take Friday off too, enabling them to travel for a long weekend.

Auto club AAA projects that 70.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the holiday week from Saturday, June 29 to Sunday, July 7. The projected number of travelers for that period is 5% more than last year and 8% more than in 2019.

AAA projects a record 60.6 million people will travel by car during the holiday week, 2.8 million more travelers than last year. AAA is forecasting that a record 5.74 million people will fly to their July Fourth destinations, an increase of nearly 7% over last year and a 12% jump over 2019.
Will he stand, or will he stand down? Thats the question Joe Biden is facing as the July 4 holiday weekend begins.

Biden reportedly told a key ally that he is considering whether he should continue his run for reelection or not. In Wednesdays New York Times article, Biden allies said the president recognizes that his challenge in the days ahead is to convince voters, donors and the political class that his debate performance was an anomaly.

In response, White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary and Deputy Assistant to the President Andrew Bates posted on X: That claim is absolutely false. If the New York Times had provided us with more than 7 minutes to comment we would have told them so.

Michael Ian Black: This Is a Biden EmergencyHe Needs to Exit the Race

At a White House press briefing Wednesday afternoon, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre fielded sustained questioning about Bidens health, claiming his dreadful debate performance last week was down to jet lag and a cold. This was not an excuse, she said, but rather an explanation. Jean-Pierre claimed the White House had been transparent, but she refused to say if the White House would release more of Bidens medical information. The president, she said, was strong, resolute and as sharp as ever.

Despite the pushback from the White House regarding the swirling rumors, the hard questions remain. As Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi framed Bidens challenge, following his disastrous debate appearance last week: Is this an episode, or is this a condition?

The problem is that it is virtually impossible to do what the president apparently believes can be achieved through a series of TV interviews, phone calls with leaders, and public appearances over the next few days. He can go a long way to making it appear for the moment that his appalling debate performance was a one-off, but he cannot wipe from the minds of voters or supporters the prospect of a scenario that has terrified many Democrats for months.

It is a plausible sequence of events that has been frequently discussed behind the scenes as the effects of Bidens very natural and predictable aging has become increasingly apparent.

One of the Democratic Partys biggest donors put it this way to me in January, I love Biden. Ive supported him for years. But the stakes are too high for us to get this wrong. The country cant endure another Trump presidency.

Thats why, he said, what haunts me at night is the prospect that Biden does fine throughout the campaign, then, in October, days or weeks before the election, he gets sick. Or he stumbles and falls. Or he freezes up like Mitch McConnell did. There will be no coming back from that.

The fear is that not only would the media and the Trump campaign make a massive deal out of the storyremember Hillarys emails?but that it would be the late-in-the-campaign blow from which neither Biden nor the Democrats could recover. It could have a major effect on voters who are sitting on the fence and on turn outremember the Comey letter. It could easily decide the election in favor of Trump and the MAGA GOP.

Joe Biden delivers remarks on extreme weather at the D.C. Emergency Operations Center in Washington, DC on July 2, 2024. Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

The issue is not loyalty to Biden, as one Democratic strategist put it to me, It is about loyalty to the country and also to the party. If you see Trump as an existential threat to our democracy then the number one, two and three questions are how do you maximize your odds for beating him. Starting out with a candidate who is clearly not the man he used to be and who may blow up at any minute is a big risk.

Should the same questions be asked about Donald Trump? Definitely. Pelosi also addressed that when she pointedly concluded the statement quoted above by saying that questions about fitness were reasonable to ask about both candidates. Trump has shown many symptoms of mental decline and of instability that have had doctors and commentators buzzing. People have been saying it for years. And earlier this year, after Trump confused Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi, Haley went so far as to say When youre dealing with the pressures of the presidency, we cantquestion whether theyre mentally fit to do thiswe cant.

Of course, Haley subsequently said she would support Trump which no doubt raises some questions about her own mental facilities. But that also brings us to a crucial factor for Democrats to consider. Republicans are not going to step away from Trump. Calling for him to step down because of his manifold flaws is a waste of breath. It will never happen. Condemning well-reported New York Times articles detailing both sides of the argument about Bidens mental acuity for not spending more time doing the same about Trumpas many Biden defenders have done on social mediais just not fruitful.

So, by all means, Trumps fitness must become an election issue. But the only way Democrats can make it one is by ensuring there is not a counter argument that targets their candidate. Indeed, because Trumps porridge-for-brains lunacy should be such a central argument of the Democrats Fall campaign, it is critical that from the standard bearer on down, Democrats are seen as credible critics of our once and potentially future malignant narcissist, pathological liar, cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs nutjob-in-chief.

It is fascinating and telling that almost every article written or statement made about this issue by Democrats and even by independent commentators begins with a statement noting Bidens success during his first term as president and often, the admiration or fondness the writer has for Biden himself. This is another key to understanding this story. The concerns about Bidens seeming decline and the perils of continuing with him as the candidate are coming from active Biden supporters. They are not about a lack of appreciation for him. They are about the nuts and bolts issue of winning in November.

It is similarly revealing that one eventthe debatecould have triggered such an uproar and an increasingly deadly serious discussion about whether Biden is the right candidate to lead the Democrats to victory in November. That is, of course, because it is not one event that is triggering it. Rather, the debate, has brought the discussion that even the presidents most enthusiastic supporters were having behind closed doors for many months now into the open.

I personally have countless times, almost daily, heard questions about whether or not Biden should seek a second term since before his first term beganinside the Beltway and far from it, across the U.S. and around the world, from political insiders and from regular people who dont much get involved in politics. And increasingly, given the risks associated with a Trump victory in November, the questions raised have less to do with whether Biden could be expected to be an effective president in four years when he was 86 years old and more to do with whether or not Biden could become his own worst October surprise.

Is it fair to judge a man of demonstrated strengths and massive achievements by a few off moments that all people who are aging encounter? Perhaps not. But it is a political reality with which Joe Biden, the White House, the Democratic Party and the country are desperately and appropriately grappling right now.

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.
Despite losing by an unsurpassable margin, Utah gubernatorial candidate Phil Lyman has yet to concede the Republican primary election. This failure undermines the precepts upon which our Constitution was built. Acknowledging the results of elections sends an important signal about the legitimacy of the process and demonstrates commitment to country before self, politics and party.

On Sept. 17, 1787, as the Constitutional Convention wrapped up, the delegates signed their names to the Constitution. On that same day, George Washington attached a letter to the Constitution and sent it to Congress. As copies of the Constitution were sent to the various states for ratification, they were accompanied by Washingtons letter.

In that letter, Washington explained how delegates had come together to create our Constitution, which has now lasted for 236 years. The Constitution, he wrote, is the result of a spirit of amity, and of that mutual deference and concession which the peculiarity of our political situation rendered indispensable.

Amity. Deference. Concession.

Looking at Websters 1828 dictionary can give us a sense of how these terms were viewed closer to the time of the Convention. Amity refers to friendship, harmony and understanding between individuals, societies and even nations. The delegates viewed one another as friends; they were united in the support of, as the letter explains, the consolidation of our Union, in which is involved our prosperity, felicity, safety, perhaps our national existence. Today, many of us admire the friendships  such as those between Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia or Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Amy Coney Barrett  similarly built across partisan and ideological lines.

The other two terms are still familiar to modern ears. Mutual deference and concession were indispensable to the creation of the Constitution  and they are still indispensable to its health today. Deference refers to a yielding in opinion; submission of judgment to the opinion or judgment of another. Hence, regard; respect. Concession similarly refers to the act of granting or yielding.

The delegates at the Constitutional Convention succeeded because they were willing to defer and concede to the opinions of others. They were willing to listen to one another. For example, they were not to talk, read or even write as others spoke. They were open to persuasion. Secret proceedings and the use of a committee of the whole allowed delegates to change their votes and reassess their opinions regularly. Democracy is successful when citizens defer and concede to better ideas, new knowledge and bridge-building opportunities.

But deference and concession are vital to democracy in other ways. Democracy is weakened when, instead of upholding and building trust in our institutions, candidates refuse to accept the results of valid, fair and well-managed elections. Gubernatorial candidate Phil Lyman is currently doing this.

By refusing to respect the legitimate outcome of the primary election in Utah, he is sowing unnecessary resistance among his supporters, wasting taxpayer dollars and resources with threats of frivolous lawsuits and stoking distrust in Utahs election process. As Lyman refuses to concede the election, he debases the very nature of democracy and subverts the constitutional powers granted to the voters of Utah.

Until recently, it was commonplace for candidates to concede their races in a timely manner. Since the beginning of the formal concession in 1896 until our most recent presidential election in 2020, all presidential nominees from the major political parties have conceded. And yielding to the election process is powerful. The late Sen. John McCains concession speech after losing the presidential election to former President Barack Obama in 2008 is widely recognized for having brought the country together. He said, I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.

In the rare event that irregularities in the election process arise, candidates can in good faith seek redress through the legal process. Still, during the 2000 presidential election, then-Vice President Al Gore conceded once the Supreme Court ruled to stop the vote count in Florida. At the time, he said, Let there be no doubt. While I strongly disagree with the courts decision, I accept it. I accept the finality of this outcome. He went on to quote Stephen Douglas, who lost to Abraham Lincoln, stating: Partisan feeling must yield to patriotism. Im with you Mr. President, and God bless you. Such a concession helped the country move forward during a time of conflict and crisis.

It is imperative for candidates like Lyman to demonstrate respect for our electoral system. Conceding graciously, accompanied by a statement affirming the elections legitimacy, would not only uphold democratic norms but also strengthen trust in the robust security of our Utah electoral processes. It is a crucial step toward fostering unity and acceptance of election outcomes, regardless of individual preferences or party affiliations.

Melarie Wheat is co-coordinator for the Utah chapter of Mormon Women for Ethical Government. A graduate of BYU, she is a former homeless services caseworker turned mostly stay-at-home mom to five young children.

Lisa R. Halverson is the director of advocacy research for Mormon Women for Ethical Government. She works at Utah Valley Universitys Center for Constitutional Studies as a civics education research fellow.
Come Thursday, millennials status as the unluckiest generation could finally turn in the U.K. For the first time in history, 28- to 43-year-olds in Britain will make up the largest group of eligible voters  the kind of muscle that could decide the result. Too bad generational apathy could torpedo that chance completely.

Since 1974, the turnout of 25- to 45-year-old voters in England and Wales has fallen from approximately 72% to 58%. A majority of millennials who voted between 2010 and 2019 saw their candidate lose in four elections and lost their bid against the Brexit referendum to leave the European Union. (A typical boomer voter born in 1955, meanwhile, will have backed every winner in the past 50 years.)

Read more: Britain goes to the polls, and a wipeout is in the works. What to know about the election

Consistent failure has inspired not action but lethargy. The prospect of an election win has become an elusive target for many in this generation, much like getting a job with a decent wage, buying a home or starting a family  nonnegotiable markers of adulthood for previous generations but not for this one. Yes, apathy risks a fifth consecutive election loss and potentially the most catastrophic results yet for this cohort should the ruling Conservative Party, which has shunted younger voters to the bottom of the pile for 14 years, succeed.

But, as is the case for millennials in rich nations globally, electoral detachment appears to supersede fear of the consequences.

An October 2020 report based on data from almost 5 million respondents in more than 160 countries showed that young peoples faith in democratic politics is lower than any other age group, and millennials across the world are more disillusioned with democracy than Generation X or Baby Boomers were at the same age. A few weeks later, that was evident at the polls in the U.S. , where only 55% of 25- to 44-year-olds could muster the enthusiasm to vote in an election with the highest overall turnout since 1900 . In 1964, 69% of the age group turned out.

These numbers appear at odds with the volume at which this generation broadcasts its opinions. There are marches in the streets and T-shirts and infinite hashtags for climate change, Ukraine and the Middle East; for Black Lives Matter and Pride. Politically engaged? No doubt about it. Electorally disengaged? Ditto.

Read more: Opinion: The gig economy sucked in millennials like me. Will we ever get out?

There is an obvious disconnect at play. People vote for one of two reasons: to change things for the better or to keep them as they are. Neither applies to millennials, whose trust in the system has been eroding since they entered adulthood in a recession and has followed a steep descent from there.

There is no job security for this famously job-hopping generation, whose members have moved roles at a rate three times higher than other age groups to retain stagnant paychecks . From 1981 to last year, the average age of buying a home in the U.S. went from 29 to 35 (the average price went from $80,900 to $521,900 over the same period); the average college debt is $38,787 .

Across the U.S. and the broader West , slim finances mean having children later . The likelihood of retiring with enough good years to spare  and affording them , along with the extra years of ill health that await ... yeah, good luck with that.

And so members of this lost generation" (millennials have at least racked up many nicknames)  the first in U.S. history to be downwardly mobile  have yet to see a world in which the system is on their side, or how it could be, given the obstacles ahead.

Read more: Our family of four shared a cramped studio for 25 years. L.A. housing costs nearly kept us there forever

Its a perverse truism that societys youngest, who have the most to gain from voting, have always turned out the least. There have been efforts to address that, such as the "Rock the Vote" campaign  but in a twist, Gen Z might prove more plugged in than the generation that precedes them. Though often dismissed as being too hooked on TikTok and marinating in social anxiety to engage, in the U.S., these youngest adults voted in near-identical numbers in 2020 as they did 60 years earlier (though their attendance has fluctuated more widely over that period).

Gen Z turnout at the 2022 midterms was higher than that of both millennials and Gen Xers when they were the same age, per Census Bureau data. And in November, 40.8 million 18- to 27-year-olds will be eligible to cast their vote. Its entirely possible that, as with socks above the ankle and laminated eyebrows, Gen Z will set a new trend among younger voters.

Young cohorts turning out is important: Polls currently put Donald Trump and Joe Biden close together, making a few percentage points meaningful. Meanwhile, in the U.K., if young voters were to mark their ballots in force along the expected lines, they would cement the first win for the Labour Party since 2010  picking Keir Starmer over the Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. (Plus theyd enjoy the benefit of learning what winning an election feels like.)

Will it happen and bring about a new era of change? To use a millennialism: Meh. Just as politics have failed to make under-44s a priority, in Britain this week, thats likely to cut both ways.

Charlotte Lytton is a journalist based in London.

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.
This article was originally published in The Conversation.

When Nadia was in high school, her teachers and administrators portrayed college as the only realistic pathway to a respectable career.

College, they make it seem like the end-all, be-all, she said. If its not college, Ill visit you at the drive-thru once a week, that type of thing. Theres kind of like this dark hole. Anything outside of it, youre not a part of moving up in society in a way.

Faculty at Aprils school across town, meanwhile, presented college as one of several possible routes to economic opportunity.

Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter

The teachers let us know that they want us to do better with our lives, she said. Go to college, even start your own business. Mostly everybody has a career and technical education class and can get a license for (an industry). So even if you dont go to college, you can start your own thing.

The reason why Nadia and April had such different experiences is directly related to the type of schools they attended.

Nadia, like 41% of Philly public high school students, went to a school where students need to meet certain GPA, attendance and test score requirements in order to be admitted. These are known as criteria-based schools.

But April attended what I call an open-access school  an umbrella term for the different types of schools that dont have competitive admission standards. These schools serve students who are from the surrounding neighborhood or interested in a particular vocational program  such as culinary arts, digital media or health-related technology  and 59% of Philly students attend those kinds of schools.

Between February 2022 and May 2023, I conducted 73 in-depth interviews with 12th graders, counselors and principals at two criteria-based and two open-access high schools in Philadelphia. The names Nadia and April are pseudonyms, as are all the names used in this article, to protect the research participants identities.

In my peer-reviewed study published in the journal Social Problems in June 2024, I find that criteria-based and open-access schools have very different structures in place  specifically around curricula and counseling  designed to position their students for success after graduation.

Different routes to social mobility

The admission processes that determine which side of the divide students end up on has been the subject of heated controversy because the stakes can be momentous. The high school a student attends is strongly related to their longer-term outcomes, including whether they go to college.

For example, in criteria-based schools, just over 75% of the class of 2023 went to college in the fall after graduation, according to my calculations using district data. At open-access schools, only 38% did.

When it comes to classroom instruction, Phillys public high schools face a trade-off between emphasizing academic and technical skills.

Criteria-based schools focus almost exclusively on academics and, in the process, send students strong messages about the necessity of four-year college. Students at these schools often doubt the viability of other routes to economic stability and prosperity.

When I was a freshman, they did an assembly for all the ninth graders, recalled Laurence. And the principal said on the microphone that if you dont want to go to college, you should transfer.

Open-access schools, by contrast, often integrate career and technical education, or CTE programs, into the curriculum. Students learn specialized skills and earn credentials that translate directly to the labor market.

This approach expands opportunities for students for whom college is not a realistic option, whether for financial, academic or personal reasons, such as caregiving responsibilities. Still, school leaders acknowledge that vocational training can come at the expense of academic rigor.

How do I transition someone whos been working for the past 10 years on diesel trucks in a shop and get them to teach and manage three classrooms full of kids for 100 minutes, 160 minutes and 100 minutes a day? asked Mr. Clark, the principal of an open-access school. Then you want me to pile on top of that, Oh, yeah, and I need you to get them to analyze an authors purpose in a text and be able to solve quadratic equations. I would love to be there. But just being honest with you, thats pie in the sky.

Related

Big Districts Like Philadelphia Gamble on Higher Spending as Enrollment Falls

Counselors stretched thin

In my interviews, I also found that open-access schools have far less energy and resources to expend on college advising than their criteria-based counterparts.

Guidance counselors have historically been vulnerable to budget cuts, particularly at open-access schools. Between 2010 and 2014, fiscal crises caused the district to slash the number of counselors working in neighborhood high schools  a category of open-access schools  from 91 to 35.

The levels of economic disadvantage that characterize open-access schools compounds the issue of high student-to-counselor ratios. Social-emotional issues stemming from students trauma and material hardship can crowd out the individual attention that counselors would otherwise grant college-bound seniors.

I have to address these needs, said Ms. Allen, principal of the other open-access high school in my study. I have two social workers in here. I have a behavioral health counselor. I have (a nonprofit partner) in here that helps with homelessness. Thats basically what Im worried about right now. Most of my money goes to special education, behavioral health needs. So thats what (open-access) schools are turning into. Thats what we became  a super high-needs school.

A mismatch with students ambitions

Poverty and its related challenges are an important reason why open-access high schools are oriented to students immediate needs. They often accommodate students work schedules with early release policies that allow seniors to take as few as two academic classes per day.

We have different scenarios that can help (students) in the short term, explained Mr. West, a guidance counselor at an open-access school. We try to provide them opportunities to get money now because I know its important to a lot of these kids.

In spite of their financial constraints, students at open-access schools still commonly aspire to college. Fully two-thirds of the students I interviewed in these schools intended to enroll in either a four-year or a community college directly after graduation.

Their schools short-term outlook, then, creates a mismatch between students college ambitions and the limited institutional support available to them. As a result, many students from first-generation families that I interviewed were left to wade through complex financial aid forms and juggle application deadlines largely on their own.

Meanwhile, criteria-based schools are able to prioritize college counseling because their student bodies are more socioeconomically diverse. The ones I observed during the study used discretionary funds to hire more counselors than are allotted to them by the district and devoted instructional time to guide students through the college process.

The districts criteria-based and open-access schools are united by a shared mission to help their students achieve economic and career stability. At criteria-based schools, getting ahead in life is synonymous with college. While open-access schools also encourage college attendance, they spread themselves thin to support students with a wide range of short-term challenges and long-term goals.

The Conversation

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Opinion: What these states get wrong about the Bible and the Ten Commandments

Editors Note: Amanda Tyler is the executive director of BJC (Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty), lead organizer of Christians Against Christian Nationalism, co-host of the Respecting Religion podcast and author of the book How to End Christian Nationalism. The views expressed in this commentary are her own. View more opinion on CNN.

It has been an especially active few weeks for news about religion in public schools. The Texas Education Agency proposed a new curriculum that would incorporate teaching Biblical stories into reading lessons in grades as young as kindergarten. On June 19, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed a law requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms in the state. One week later, Oklahomas State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters abruptly issued a memorandum requiring all schools in his state to incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support into the curriculum in grades five through 12, underlining immediate and strict compliance.

Amanda Tyler - Courtesy BJC

What exactly is going on here? Public schools are not Sunday schools, and families should feel free to send their children to school without worrying about state officials interfering in their choices about religious instruction.

These politically conservative state officials are seemingly making a show of testing the limits of government-sponsored religious instruction and exercise in public schools, emboldened by the US Supreme Courts recent decisions.

In its 2022 opinion in Kennedy v. Bremerton, the court abandoned prior standards for determining if government action violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment, and it did so without providing clear guidance for lower courts in future cases.

But the court conspicuously did not overturn prior precedents from the 1960s that held compulsory Bible readings and government-led prayer in schools to be unconstitutional or a 1980 case that struck down a Kentucky law that mandated the posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools.

These officials in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma are going too far. They threaten the careful balance worked out over more than half a century by the courts, presidential administrations from both parties and a diverse set of interest groups about how best to recognize the religious freedom rights of students, teachers and administrators in our pluralistic public schools.

These recent developments are also just the latest examples of a concerted strategy to inject the political ideology of Christian nationalism into public education.

Christian nationalism, which merges Christian and American identities, relies on a false narrative of the US as a Christian nation  a country founded by Christians and for Christians. Such mythology betrays our history and constitutional framework, which created a separation between the institutions of religion and government so that all religions could flourish without the states control.

In his memo, Walters wrote that the Bible must be studied by Oklahoma students beginning in fifth grade as an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like, as well as for their substantial influence on our nations founders and the foundational principles of our Constitution. But his reasoning is faulty, and his understanding of civics is profoundly misguided. The Constitution makes no mention of God or Christianity, and its sole reference to religion is Article VIs prohibition against religious tests for public office.

Walters is right to note that the Bible can be used in certain courses and in age-appropriate ways to provide additional context to understand subjects like art history, literature and world religions. But the problem comes when he claims that studying the Bible is a crucial step in ensuring our students grasp the core values and historical context of our country. Bible study is neither helpful nor necessary for students to understand constitutional law or civics because our laws are secular and not based on the Ten Commandments (or any other religious text).

Still, encouraging news came from Oklahoma last week, with the states Supreme Court striking down a plan to establish the first public religious charter school, based on its application of a provision in the Oklahoma state constitution and Oklahoma statutory law, as well as the First Amendment.

Like religious instruction in public schools, the public funding of religion undermines fundamental principles of religious freedom for all. By merging religious and political authority, taxpayer funding of religious schools threatens the rights of people of all faiths  and those of no faith.

Using taxpayer money to fund religion makes religion beholden to the state. The majority of the Oklahoma Supreme Court recognized that enforcing the contract with the religious charter school would create a slippery slope and what the framers warned against  the destruction of Oklahomans freedom to practice religion without fear of governmental intervention.

Walters was predictably incensed by the courts ruling, vowing to fight it. But Americans concerned about preserving religious freedom in public schools should take some encouragement from last weeks developments in Oklahoma: As long as the rule of law is maintained, there are still federal and state constitutional guardrails in place to keep this push for theocracy from taking hold.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. The Israeli side received a response through intermediaries from representatives of the Palestinian Hamas movement, a joint statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Mossad intelligence service says, Trend reports.

"The mediators on the hostage deal conveyed Hamas's comments on the parameters of the hostage deal to the negotiating team. Israel is assessing these comments and will convey its response to the mediators," the statement said.

A combined attack was carried out on Israel on October 7,2023. From the beginning, a massive rocket attack began from the territory of the Gaza Strip, followed by the penetration of militants by land, water, and air.

Israel declared a state of war after a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. Moreover, Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a mass gathering of reservists.
Editors Note: Philip Collins is a British journalist, former chief speech writer to Tony Blair, founder of writing consultancy The Draft and author of Start Again: How We Can Fix Our Broken Politics. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more CNN Opinion.

Britains Labour Party is not an especially successful electoral venture. In its 118 years of existence, the Labour Party has been in power for only 33 years. Since the Second World War, Labour has had only three election winners  Clement Attlee, Harold Wilson and Tony Blair.

To their number it may soon be right to add Sir Keir Starmer. There is too little time left for the Conservative Party to recover, and the Labour poll lead remains stubbornly too high.

Indeed, a landslide victory appears to be at hand, and here is where we encounter the first notable difference with Tony Blairs first electoral victory in 1997.

The metaphor of the landslide suggests a rockfall, a spectacular collapse as erosion defeats the land mass. It sounds exciting and it tempts us to think that there must be a great deal of enthusiasm for the new formation.

But there is no law of politics that says a party cannot win handsomely while giving away little of what it will do and without inspiring any great affection. All it takes is for the public to want to draw the curtain on 14 years of Conservative government that has descended from tragedy into farce.

This election will be a rare event, to be sure. At previous elections, when one party has fallen apart (1979 and 2019 for Labour against Margaret Thatcher and Boris Johnson respectively, and in the Blair years 1997 until 2005 for the Conservatives), the other party has appeared ready for office.

Newly elected British Prime Minister Tony Blair is greeted by a sea of well-wishers in Downing Street, on May 2, 1997. Blair's Labour Party won a landslide victory, ending 18 years of Conservative rule. - Adam Butler/AP

In 1997, the Blair government came to power with a following wind of enthusiasm which seems absent in the case of the putative Starmer government. Why might this be? Of course it is impossible to avoid a comparison of the characters of the two leaders.

Blair embodied a changed Labour Party. He looked and sounded different from his predecessors, and his appeal to voters who had never before come to the Labour Party was effortless. Starmer is a much less natural politician of the center - ground. He comes from the soft left part of the Labour Party and there is a learned quality to his recent political shifts.

But there are always reasons why parties end up with the leaders they do. In a sense, a leader is a summary of the sort of party that Labour is in 2024, and that is a very different time and place from 1997.

Then-British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, greets Oasis singer-songwriter Noel Gallagher during a Downing Street reception in July, 1997. The economic and cultural optimism around New Labour in the second-half of the 1990s became known as 'Cool Britannia.' - Rebecca Naden/PA/AP

In 1997 Tony Blair had been leader of the Labour Party for three years and had never been behind in the opinion polls. The reputation of the Conservative government for economic competence collapsed on Black Wednesday, 16 September, 1992 and never recovered.

However, by the time of the general election in May 1997, the British economy had recovered. Growth was back and there were projections of buoyant tax revenues, which did indeed make the early days of the Blair government a good deal easier.

Blair also benefited from the work done by his predecessors as Labour leader, Neil Kinnock and John Smith, in purging the party of its left-wing elements and beginning the process of reviewing policy.

Starmer enjoys none of these advantages. He is, as he often says, trying to do alone in one term what it took Kinnock, Smith and Blair four terms to achieve.

His tenure as Labour leader has been remarkable, by any standards. Starmer took on the leadership in 2020 after predecessor Jeremy Corbyn led Labour to its worst electoral defeat since 1935. On the day of his appointment Labour trailed Boris Johnsons Conservative Party by more than 20 points.

Not long afterwards, the nation went into pandemic lockdown and Starmer was leading from a sealed room. It has been a difficult time, and it has only recently become the conventional wisdom that Starmer is going to be the next prime minister.

Blair had years to work out a policy program, which was always taken seriously because he was widely expected to be in power. Starmer struggled for a while to attract the funding and the staff needed to create a viable program for government.

Britain's current Labour leader, Keir Starmer with former Labour leaders and prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown during a reception for King Charles III, in September 2022. Labour has only had three elected prime ministers in its history (Brown took over the Labour leadership after Blair's 2007 resignation). - Kirsty O'Connor/AFP/Getty Images

I recall, during the 2005 general election campaign, in which Labour won a third consecutive victory, albeit with a much reduced majority, Tony Blair asking me how I thought Bury was going. The town of Bury in northwest England  where my family lived  was a political weathervane. It was the sort of place that settled the election. The demographic composition of the town  once industrial but slowly emerging as a service economy  meant that Bury almost always voted for the party that won the election.

I said that Bury looked solid for Labour but that it would not be easy. More campaigners were sent to the town and Labour held on.

In 2024, the two seats in Bury look set to go from Conservative to Labour in a landslide in each. The nation is clearly not frightened by the prospect of a Starmer government, even if there is no evidence of great affection.

Yet politics in Britain is a two-horse race, and if one horse is lame, the other one wins, perhaps by a long stretch. Its a novel situation and Starmer, with his lukewarm landslide, will be a pioneer.

It may be that he has the momentum to win well but lacks the goodwill on which governments rely, especially when times are hard as, sadly, they will be.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Editors Note: Norman Eisen is a CNN legal analyst and editor of Trying Trump: A Guide to His First Election Interference Criminal Trial. He served as counsel to the House Judiciary Committee for the first impeachment and trial of Trump. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion at CNN.

Before the ink was dry on the US Supreme Courts extreme presidential immunity opinion on Monday holding that former presidents are immune from criminal prosecution for certain official acts, former President Donald Trump launched a Hail Mary to once again try to delay accountability for his crimes in New York.

Norm Eisen - Courtesy Norm Eisen

Trumps attorneys wrote to Justice Juan Merchan to delay the previously scheduled July 11 sentencing for his conviction on falsifying business records while Trump petitions the court to overturn that conviction based on the Supreme Courts decision. We can expect to see something similar in Georgia soon, with Trump using the opinion to update his initial motion to dismiss that case on immunity grounds filed earlier this year. Trump has pleaded not guilty in Fulton County to charges alleging election interference.

Merchan has postponed Trumps sentencing in Manhattan to September 18 to allow time to rule on the motion, stating that he will do so by September 6. When that happens, the convictions should not and almost certainly will not be disturbed. The Supreme Court opinion does not affect Trumps 34 felony convictions stemming from the 2016 election conspiracy and cover-up.

Nor will the ruling save Trump from facing accountability for conspiring to change the outcome of Georgias 2020 presidential election. In both instances, the alleged actions related to his campaign were purely personal and political and are clearly unofficial conduct not within the core of his official duties as president. And as Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority, There is no immunity for unofficial acts.

Lets begin with the Manhattan case. Conspiring to unlawfully interfere in the presidential election as a private citizen by paying hush money to an adult film actress and then falsifying business records to cover it up is not even within the outer perimeter of a presidents official responsibilities, as Trumps team argued. Trump was not yet president in 2016 when he tried to influence the election by keeping Stormy Daniels quiet about her allegations of a liaison with him (which Trump denies). And although he was president in 2017 when he reimbursed his private attorney for fronting the money to Daniels, his falsification of Trump Organization business records was certainly not part of his presidential duties.

These private acts have no resemblance to those the Supreme Court indicated are official, such as Trump considering replacing the attorney general or allegedly pressuring Justice Department employees to make false voter fraud claims to state officials.

Trump knows that, of course. So out of desperation, he is complaining that stray pieces of evidence introduced at his trial constitute official acts for which he is immune from prosecution, and thus that evidence should not have been admitted before the jury under the recent Supreme Court opinion. But Trump already tried to block his New York felonies on the basis of presidential immunity, and both federal and New York courts rejected his arguments.

First, he claimed presidential immunity when he tried to remove his case from state court to federal court. The federal court found Trump was not immune because the alleged campaign corruption and cover-up were purely personal and political, not official: Hush money paid to an adult film star is not related to a Presidents official acts. It does not reflect in any way the color of the Presidents official duties, wrote US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein. Regardless, the court explained that Trump had expressly waived any argument premised on a theory of absolute presidential immunity. Trump abandoned his appeal of that decision, so as a matter of law he is barred from wasting more time raising this claim again.

Despite his loss in federal court, Trump next argued unsuccessfully in state court that presidential immunity protected him from prosecution. Like the federal court, Merchan swiftly rejected this claim, explaining that Trump, who waited until after the state courts deadline for such motions, had plenty of opportunity to raise it sooner.

Trumps Monday letter to Merchan also fails on the merits. His argument that some evidence was related to official conduct flops if you look at the specifics.

First, Trumps 2018 Office of Government Ethics financial filing disclosing the payment to his former attorney Michael Cohen was properly admitted because, even if completing it was an official act for which Trump cannot be prosecuted, it is a public record  and as the Supreme Court explained, Of course the prosecutor may point to the public record to show the fact that the President performed the official act. Introducing this type of routine publicly available filing poses absolutely no dangers of intrusion on the authority and functions of the Executive Branch that the opinion is concerned with.

Second, the prosecution introduced at trial some of Trumps tweets, likely all of which reflect private, not official, conduct and thus were properly admitted in evidence. Many of the tweets from Trumps time in office involved Trumps private, personal attorney, Cohen  such as discussing Cohens retainer, the reimbursements to him and the non-disclosure agreement between Cohen and Daniels. These kinds of tweets clearly concern Trumps personal affairs, which makes them admissible as unofficial, private conduct.

Finally, Trump may seek to challenge testimony from two prosecution witnesses who worked in the White House: Trumps former executive assistant Madeleine Westerhout and communications director Hope Hicks. But again, their testimony focused on their knowledge of Trumps personal, not official, conduct  including the process by which Trump reimbursed Cohen and what Trump thought of Cohens purely non-governmental activities relating to the hush money. There is no credible argument that any of that constitutes official conduct that would be off-limits to the jury.

What of Trumps other election inference case  the Fulton County prosecution in Georgia? Here, too, the official acts exclusion in the immunity ruling is his bane.

Just as a mini-trial in DC on the 2020 election interference federal charges would indicate substantial unofficial conduct including his contacts with state authorities and private parties, so too would an evidentiary hearing in Georgia. As Justice Amy Coney Barrett observed in her opinion concurring in part with the majority, The President has no authority over state legislatures or their leadership, so it is hard to see how prosecuting him for crimes committed when dealing with the Arizona House Speaker (whom the federal indictment alleges that Trump pressured on election fraud claims) would be off-limits. The Georgia indictment similarly focuses on Trump pressuring state officials, including the infamous call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which Trump said he had to find 12,000 votes.

Although Trump will argue that he was merely ensuring the integrity of a federal election, the close analysis of the federal indictments extensive and interrelated allegations that the Supreme Court requires will show this was personal and political, not official, conduct. Indeed, the federal courts have already held that the conduct at issue in the Georgia indictment is political, not official, in the context of a failed effort by former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to remove the case from state court (albeit on other legal grounds).

Trump is not immune in his 34 felony convictions in Manhattan or the Georgia prosecution, and his current and coming efforts to invoke the Supreme Courts recent opinion in both places will surely fail.

As for those who are frustrated that Merchan is holding things over until September in New York City  dont be. The judge taking his usual methodical approach has the incidental effect of eating up the runway Trump needs to get this issue to the only court dishonest enough to say immunity may apply here: the Supreme Court. After the trial court rules, there will be two layers of time-consuming state appellate review before the deeply conflicted justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and their colleagues gets their bite at the apple. That almost certainly wont come until 2025.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Orban confirms to pro-Putin journalist that Zelenskyy did not back his "peace plan"

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has indicated that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy turned down his proposed "truce" between Ukraine and Russia, which would have involved freezing the current front line.

Source: an article by European Pravda about the Hungarian leader's visit to Ukraine and its goals

Details: Following their bilateral talks, Orban stated in his remarks to the press that he had suggested that Zelenskyy accept an immediate ceasefire along the line of contact with Russian forces, believing it could expedite peace negotiations.

Orban added that he did not insist on his initiative and accepted Ukraines reasoning.

Later, in an interview with a pro-Putin journalist who arrived in Kyiv with the Hungarian delegation and conducted an interview with Orban after the meetings, the Hungarian leader confirmed that Zelenskyy had turned down his proposal of an "immediate truce".

According to Orban, the Ukrainian president doubted the logic of Orban's plan and did not support it, as Ukraine has a history of unsuccessful truce attempts with Russia.

Such truces "were not good for Ukraine", Orban quoted Zelenskyy as saying.

The said journalist, whom the Hungarian side included in the delegation, is Roger Koppel, editor-in-chief, publisher and key author of the Swiss website and weekly Die Weltwoche. This is not a widely popular website, but Orban has already had interviews with it several times. Koppel says that Orban personally invited him to come to Kyiv.

Koppel had previously been a guest of the German-language edition of the Russian propaganda broadcaster RT until it was closed. In 2023, he travelled to Russia to interview the local propagandist Vladimir Solovyov and the children's ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova, who, along with Putin, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes. In his publication, he systematically defends Putin.

Background: After the leaders' meeting in Kyiv, the Hungarian foreign minister called his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

Support UP or become our patron!
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  As of July 1, Oregonians have new consumer privacy protections, the Oregon Attorney Generals Office announced.

The Oregon Consumer Privacy Act, which was signed into law in 2023, took effect on Monday and outlines consumer data rights while aiming to hold companies that have access to consumer data to high standards.

The law stems from Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblums Consumer Privacy Task Force  a group of more than 150 experts and stakeholders who met every month for four years to study best-practice models from around the United States.

Union very surprised at jobs affected in OHSU layoffs

As technology advances, our consumer protection laws must keep pace. The OCPA does just that providing the gold standard in consumer privacy protections nationwide, said Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. I am most grateful to all who participated on the Consumer Privacy Task Force, to the Oregon legislature for passing this law, and to the Governor for signing it. I strongly urge all Oregonians to familiarize themselves with their new rights and protections.

The OCPA sets data protection rules for businesses, including nonprofits.

Under the bill, consumers can get a list of specific entities that received their personal data and have a right to correction  meaning consumers can edit any inaccuracies in data about them.

HGTV names town in Oregon among the most charming small towns in the US

Additionally, consumers have a right to delete the data a business has about them, and the right to opt out of businesses selling, profiling, or using their data for targeted advertising under the bill.

Even though some businesses already had these protections in place, the OCPA now makes them a legal requirement, Rosenblums office said.

Under the law, businesses are required to limit their collection of personal data, be transparent about how they use and secure consumer data and must obtain consent before collecting data. Additionally, businesses are required to protect the personal data of children and teens.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  An Oregon man was arrested and charged with indecent exposure Wednesday after he allegedly urinated in the aisle during an American Airlines flight, the U.S. District Attorneys Office announced.

On July 3, a flight from Oregon to New Hampshire was diverted to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport following a call to the NFTA Police. 25-year-old Neil McCarthy had allegedly exposed himself and urinated in the aisle while the plane was in flight.

When the flight landed at Gate 2, an officer boarded the airplane and spoke to a flight attendant who confirmed the incident. McCarthy was taken into custody and escorted off the plane.

He faces a maximum of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine, if convicted.

McCarthy made an initial appearance in court Wednesday afternoon and was released on his own recognizance.

Latest Local News

Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  The Oregon Zoo release 100 northern leopard frogs into the wild in August to bolster the endangered species dwindling populations.

The zoo already released more than 50 tadpoles into Washingtons Columbia National Wildlife Refuge earlier this year. The tadpoles were brought to the zoo as eggs by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in the spring. The zoo is waiting for the remaining tadpoles to complete their transformation before setting them free.

The northern leopard frog. (Oregon Zoo)

Excessive heat warning issued as heat dome expected to hit Portland metro

Northern leopard frogs were once commonly found throughout North America. However, the animals are rapidly disappearing from their native ranges in Washington, Oregon and Western Canada, according to the Oregon Zoo. Zoologist Jen Osburn Eliot, who oversees the Oregon Zoos Great Northwest area, said that caring for the frogs during their most vulnerable stages can increase their chance of reaching adult size in the wild.

Each tadpole is important, Osburn Eliot said. Theres only one known population of northern leopard frogs left in Washington state, and we want to do everything we can to help bring them back.

Bon Appetit features Division-Clinton neighborhood spot among best new bars to visit

Experts are unsure why the northern leopard frog is disappearing from the Pacific Northwest. However, habitat loss, disease, pollution, climate change and competition from invasive species are some contributing causes.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
MAMI, Okla.  An Ottawa County woman implicated in the death of her husbands girlfriend failed to appear in court on Wednesday for a sentencing hearing.

Jimmy Kelly and Charlana Kelly/OSBI/Ottawa County Jail

Charlana Nichelle Kelly, 54, of Miami, pleaded guilty in February to accessory to felony murder in the death of Toni Moran by providing a false alibi to investigators about her husband.

Tragic and violent lives intersect ending in Oklahoma womans death, mans prison sentence

Kelly was set to appear before District Judge Jennifer McAffrey where she faces up to 22  years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

When she failed to appear, McAffrey issued a no-bond warrant.

There was some discussion Kelly was hospitalized but McAffrey did not receive any hospital documentation during the hearing confirming Kelly was hospitalized.

Kellys husband, Jimmy Kelly Jr., and Moran, 47, also known as Tony Elizabeth Torres, of North Miami and Quapaw, were involved in an extramarital affair.

Moran died from multiple gunshot wounds to her head and body on Nov. 1, 2021. Her autopsy report said Morans body had 12 abrasions, including a laceration to the victims tongue and a contusion to the left side of her head. A toxicology report showed Moran had methamphetamine in her system and a trace of amphetamine. Antidepressants were also detected in Morans system, but not confirmed.

Jimmy Kelly was sentenced in June 2023 in US District Court in Tulsa to 303 months, or more than 25 years, for second-degree murder in Indian Country and 120 months, or 10 years, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, for Morans brutal slaying.

Kellys new sentences will run concurrently but wont begin until he serves 57 months for violating the terms of his release on a 1991 murder conviction.

Charlanas husband of over five years, Jimmy Kelly Jr., told federal investigators he was having a relationship with Moran. Charlana became jealous and arranged a confrontation between both women, according to federal court records.

Moran met Jimmy Kelly on an Ottawa County rural county road on Oct. 31 for the purpose of using methamphetamine, according to federal court documents.

Prison Time

Jimmy Kelly and Moran had met while both in prison.

In 1991 Jimmy Kelly was convicted of murder for the beating death of Vernon C. Moyer, of Picher. Testimony showed Kelly beat Moyer with a tire jack and nearly decapitated the man decimating his neck, larynx and voice box. Kelly then disposed of the body in a nearby pond.

Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison and was released on April 30, 2018, where he began serving five years of supervised release, according to court records.

Moran was being held in the Oklahoma Forensic Center in Vinita in connection with the drowning death of her 17-month-old son, Alex. In October 2004, she was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the death of her son and was committed to a mental hospital. She was released from the mental hospital seven years later because it was ruled, she was no longer a danger.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El (left), Rep. Lindsay Powell (at podium) and House Speaker Joanna McClinton (right) speak out against the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling on homelessness. (House Democrats photo)

Pennsylvania state Rep. Lindsay Powell (D-Allegheny) and Democrats from the state House and Senate on Tuesday pushed back against a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that sided with a ban on homeless people sleeping outside.

The Supreme Courts ruling criminalizes poverty, compounding a deplorable public policy, Powell said during a press conference in the Capitol rotunda. And now our neighbors are confronted with a harsh reality: Remain awake or face arrest.

In a 6-3 decision, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the opinion that the enforcement of local laws that regulate camping on public property does not violate the Eighth Amendments prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.

The case originated in Grants Pass, Oregon, which argued its ordinance was a solution to the citys homelessness crisis. The ordinance includes fines and potential jail time for repeat offenders who camp or sleep outdoors.

This is not only a fundamental injustice, it is not only completely wrong, but in study after study, the data shows that criminalizing homelessness, sweeping encampments without care or concern has the opposite effect, that it worsens the crisis that it claims to address, Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El (D-Lancaster) said.

If indeed the goal is to reduce homelessness, especially amongst our most vulnerable populations, then what we must do is provide those people with homes now, he continued. If the goal is to punish people who fall on hard times and drive additional revenue to the carceral state, then the Supreme Court is doing a fantastic job.

Smith-Wade-El and Powell are among a group of Democrats who plan to introduce legislation in the House to combat the criminalization of homelessness in this commonwealth, he added.

The co-sponsorship memo said the legislation would seek to guarantee the right to be outside and the right to share in public spaces, while ensuring that local governments secure adequate low-barrier housing to accommodate the houseless population.

Sen. Amanda Cappelletti (D-Montgomery) is among the Democrats planning to introduce a companion bill in the Senate.

To say that arresting individuals sleeping in public places does not qualify as cruel and unusual punishment under our Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution is simply unconscionable, Cappelletti said Tuesday. The stunning lack of empathy and compassion demonstrated by the majority of the justices on the Supreme Court is what is cruel and unusual.

In addition, Powell has introduced legislation to establish an Affordable Homeownership Program under the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. House Bill 2454 would allow the program to award grants for homeownership-related projects.

She pointed to other bills in the House that would help to address Pennsylvanias homelessness problem, including a bill from Smith-Wade-El that would seal some eviction records, and Rep. Napoleon Nelsons (D-Montgomery) bill aimed at combating homelessness.

The House and the Senate are committed to doing everything in our power, as youve heard today, to provide actual solutions, actual solutions and actual housing units, Powell said. These solutions do not include locking people up for sleeping.

The post Pa. House and Senate Democrats decry U.S. Supreme Court ruling on homelessness appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Turkiye

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President of Russia Vladimir Putin have met in Astana, Kazakhstan, Trend reports.

During the meeting, President Erdogan noted that significant steps would be taken with Russia regarding nuclear power plants.

"Our ministers are in constant contact, and we will take significant steps on nuclear power plants. We are discussing the Sinop Nuclear Power Plant and believe we can make substantial progress in this area.

Our Minister of Energy and Natural Resources is continuing talks with his Russian counterpart. Additionally, ties between Turkiye's BOTAS and Russia's Gazprom remain friendly. Turkish-Russian trade turnover amounted to $55 billion, but our goal is to reach $100 billion," the president said.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
DENVER (KDVR)  After about an 11-hour rescue mission from the Four Pass Loop in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, rescue workers reported that two stranded hikers are now safe.

According to the Pitkin County Sheriffs Office, dispatchers received an SOS call at about 9:27 p.m. on Sunday from a Garmin InReach, a satellite phone with SOS capability.

The pair of hikers had lost their gear and had no shelter, and they were cold, wet and stranded near Snowmass Lake, the sheriffs office said.

At 9:48 p.m., Mountain Rescue Aspen was contacted.

Denver weather: Storm chances dry up just in time for the 4th of July

Rescue workers determined that a helicopter rescue mission was not possible because of weather conditions, so a team of four went into the field on foot at about 11:20 p.m.

The pair of hikers was contacted at about 5:04 a.m. on Monday. Rescue workers were able to escort the uninjured hikers down the Snowmass Creek trail, reaching the trailhead at about 10:17 a.m.

According to the Pitkin County Sheriffs Office, Four Pass Loop is a challenging trail near Aspen thats over 25 miles long. The route is named for the four 12,000-foot passes it covers, namely Buckskin, Trail Rider, Frigid Air and West Maroon. The hike often is completed in 3-4 days and can be extended with side trips to Geneva Lake and Willow Pass.

Pitkin County Sheriffs Office and Mountain Rescue Aspen are taking this opportunity to encourage hikers entering backcountry areas, especially in the early season, to prepare for various trail conditions from lingering snow and high water, estimate longer hiking times and dress for the ever-changing mountain climate.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Palestinians are streaming out of eastern Khan Younis, the second-largest city in Gaza, as an Israeli evacuation order affects roughly 250,000 people, the United Nations said Tuesday.

Israels military estimated that around 1.9 million people  more than 80% of all Palestinians in the Gaza Strip  are now clustered into the territorys central region.

Although the exact number of people fleeing Khan Younis was not immediately known, Sigrid Kaag, the top U.N. humanitarian official for Gaza, said there are around 1.9 million displaced people in Gaza. She said civilians in the besieged territory have been pushed into an abyss of suffering.

Evacuees have been told by Israel to seek refuge in an overcrowded coastal area where there are few basic services and which is filled with sprawling tent camps. The war has largely cut off the flow of food, medicine and goods to Gaza, and people are totally dependent on humanitarian aid. The top U.N. court has concluded there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza  a charge Israel strongly denies.

On Monday, Israels military instructed Palestinians to evacuate a wide swath of Khan Younis and nearby areas, and go to the Israeli-declared safe zone. This suggests Israel will launch a new ground assault into the city.

However, an Israeli strike inside the safe zone Tuesday killed at least 12 people, including nine members of the same family. Some of the dead had just fled Khan Younis hours earlier, said Asmaa Salim, a relative who lived in the targeted house in Deir al-Balah. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike.

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, some of whom are still being held.

Since then, Israeli ground offensives and bombardments have killed more than 37,900 people in Gaza, according to the territorys Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.




Plans for how to use an anonymous donation to spruce up two small Palm Beach parks will wait to be finalized  again.

The Town Council voted unanimously at its June 12 Development Review Committee meeting to give residents, staff and consultants until the Aug. 12 meeting to communicate about the designs for the pair of parks roughly across the street from each other at 240 and 247 Park Ave.

The designs for the parks drawn up by the Nievera Williams landscape architecture firm were commissioned by the anonymous donor, and the total cost of the project  again, to be covered by the donor  is expected to be upwards of $400,000, records show.

The park on the north side of the street at 247 Park Ave. is about 0.12 acres. The park on the south side of the street at 240 Park Ave. is about 0.16 acres.

This is the second delay for the parks after the council initially approved accepting the donation and approving the parks' designs in March. The next month, the council rescinded that approval after receiving concerns from neighbors who worried the freshly landscaped parks could draw more visitors and possibly attract crime, with new hedges and walls that would potentially obstruct currently clear lines of sight.

This rendering by Neivera Williams Design shows the planned upgrades to Palm Beach's pocket park on 240 Park Ave. Money for the project was donated to the town by an anonymous person.

The proposed wall would be 18 inches of stucco on the bottom and an 18-inch tall metal railing on the top with a clear line of sight through it, proposed plans show.

Some neighbors also said they had not had ample opportunity to share their thoughts about the potential designs, while questioning the motives behind the donation. Those concerns were raised anew at the June 12 meeting  which was met with some frustration from the mayor and some council members.

"Just hearing the discussion, just turn down the donation," a frustrated Mayor Danielle Moore said. "Leave the ... park looking the way it looks: crappy."

Exasperated, she told the council to turn down the donation and say, "Thanks but no thanks. Take your 400 grand and go somewhere else," she said.

The donation provides the opportunity for major improvements to the pair of parks, Council President Pro-Tem Lew Crampton said. But, he said, the town should have involved neighbors in the planning process earlier.

The questions asked by residents at the June 12 meeting should have been answered weeks or months ago, Crampton said. Now the town is faced with a situation where officials should be able to accept someone's generosity, but "here we are, discussing a bunch of  unfortunately, and not your fault  silly sorts of things," he said.

Michelle Cohen, a resident of the Palm Beach Hotel Condominium that neighbors the south park, cautioned the council to be wary of any anonymous donation that might come with strings attached. She also said she's concerned about the potential for people to sleep or hide in the parks or have events there once the new landscaping is completed.

"We just want to make sure we're just cognizant of the issues and to make sure that these renovations are not going to be a nuisance to the neighborhood," Cohen said.

There are other parks in Palm Beach that do not allow events, and the Park Avenue parks will continue to be passive, Council President Bobbie Lindsay said, while Moore confirmed there are no strings attached to the donation.

Crampton said the town seemed stuck in a "do-loop of silly questions, that if anyone had trust in the process and trust in the town, they would know that all of this would be taken care of.

"Nobody is going to allow this to become a slum," he added.

Council Member Julie Araskog agreed with Crampton that the process was flawed, but disagreed that the questions were silly. When a park is made prettier, more people will come, and that could lead to potential security issues, she said.

The two parks "almost look like a vacant parcel, so we're trying to help improve aesthetics a little," said Cory Meyer of Nievera Williams. The updated layouts will have landscaping that is Florida native or Florida-friendly, with little upkeep and no pesticides required, Meyer has said.

The parks also would provide a place for Florida Power & Light Co. transformers that are necessary to build above ground as the town prepares to move power lines underground in that area, Town Engineer Patricia Strayer said.

"Our goal was to kind of create spaces that could be enjoyed by everyone," Meyer said.

The dog fountain at the south park will remain, and benches will be added for people to sit, proposed plans show. The project also would create paths around each park for walkers.

Residents Ann Heap and Dr. Rhonda Nasser, both neighbors of the parks, said they like the improvements, but have concerns about elements such as the wall and some of the landscaping.

"I think we have had problems along the way with communication," Heap said, adding, "We would be enormously grateful in having a nicer park than we have."

Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach council delays decision on donation and Park Ave. parks
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.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson last week vetoed from the state budget millions of dollars that would have gone to the Kansas City area.

Parson, a Republican, signed a $50.5 billion budget for the next fiscal year on Friday but vetoed roughly $1 billion in funding approved by state lawmakers.

The Star identified at least 12 Kansas City area organizations or entities that received cuts, totaling nearly $19 million. Several major projects also lost funding, totaling at least $41 million. Those figures are based on a review of Parsons budget veto notes and could be higher.

The cuts ranged from smaller requests for organizations such as $100,000 for The Educator Academy, an organization that recruits and trains teachers to teach in Kansas City area schools, to large infrastructure projects such as $23 million for a highway project in Kansas City.

Charles King, The Educator Academys president and CEO, said in an interview he was stunned when he learned that Parson had vetoed the money for his organization.

I definitely was disappointed in the governors decision, King said. The money would have gone to help recruit and support teachers at a time when its increasingly difficult to enter the profession, he said.

We wont be able to have the extensive offerings that we once were able to provide without the support from another  like going to private philanthropy or having the funding come from somewhere else, he said. It will have us, you know, put our organization in just a tough bind.

Parson on Friday was critical of some of the items lawmakers had inserted into the budget, saying he cut them to avoid future budgetary pains tomorrow.

In letters explaining several of his vetoes, including the money for Kings organization, he also pointed to a sweeping new education law that will cost the state an estimated $400 million more annually for public schools.

Sen. Barbara Washington, a Kansas City Democrat, said that she understands the states rosy financial situation wont last forever. However, the state was in a position to help its vulnerable populations, she said.

I feel like Kansas City did pretty okay, but there are still a lot of organizations that could have been helped without being vetoed, she said. Were not talking about multi-millions, you know, sometimes $75,000, $100,000 helps an organization stay alive and to their mission.

While Parsons vetoes affected projects and organizations across the Kansas City area, lawmakers of both parties argue that the metro still received a large amount of funding for the next fiscal year, which started on Monday.

The budget Parson signed includes $25 million to build a medical and behavioral health care inpatient unit for Childrens Mercy, $5 million to improve the riverfront near the Kansas City Current stadium and additional money for the South Loop project on Interstate 670.

Although cuts to budget items were seen across the budget, I was glad to see many of Kansas Citys priorities - including $25M (million) for a new mental health facility at Childrens Mercy - were preserved, House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson, a Lees Summit Republican, said in a statement.

But several major projects and organizations still felt the brunt of Parsons cuts, including the Lucile H. Bluford Branch of the Kansas City Public Library. Parson slashed $3 million intended to help revitalize the library.

Anna Bernard, a spokesperson for the library, said in an email that the veto meant the library would have to rely more heavily on foundations and the community for funding.

Library leadership is grateful to the state legislators who supported the project and confident that the governor and state legislators will reevaluate and support the project at a future date, Bernard said, adding that expanding the branch was a vital project for the library.

Some of the other cuts to organizations included $2 million intended for Community Builders of Kansas City; $2 million for ArtsTech, a Kansas City nonprofit that focuses on art and technical training for underserved youth; $250,000 for WeCode KC, a group that teaches youth about technology; $50,000 for Green Acres Urban Farm and Research Project; and $50,000 for BoysGrow, an agricultural entrepreneurship for Kansas City urban youth.

John Gordon Jr., the executive director of BoysGrow, said that the money would have allowed his organization to serve more kids in the Kansas City area.

I believe that youth services and education should be at the top of what were spending our money on, he said. I realize theres a lot of different things that got cut, from infrastructure to national security to a lot of things. But I believe, you know, the state of Missouri, the more were investing in our youth, the more were investing in our state.

Parsons decision to cut funding for WeCode KC was a huge loss, said Sharmelle Winsett, the organizations vice president of development and strategic partnerships.

The organization provides free and low-cost coding classes to kids and young adults as well as a workforce program that pays students while they learn, she said. Those programs provide a space for individuals so theyre not out on the streets participating in negative and violent behavior, she said.

We are now in a position where we may not be able to continue the cybersecurity program through the fall. We are going to have to really buckle down and find other avenues and other sources of income, she said. While were looking for those other sources of income, there are young people that are going to hurt behind this.

Cuts to hospital, infrastructure projects

Parsons overhaul of the spending plan came after one of the most fraught budget processes in recent history as the Senate grappled with infighting among GOP senators.

A roughly 41-hour filibuster from a group of hard-right senators delayed lawmakers from taking action on the budget until just before the constitutionally mandated deadline in May.

The delay required the budget chairs in the House and Senate to negotiate the plan behind closed doors, a process that faced sharp criticism from lawmakers of both parties who argued it was one of the least transparent budget cycles in recent memory.

For example, in one of the letters explaining Parsons veto of $502,000 for a historical society, his administration wrote that there wasnt enough information about the project.

The demographic language is not specific enough to identify where this project is located, the letter said.

One of the cuts from the Northland that received criticism was $5 million from the $15 million that lawmakers had approved to build a behavioral health facility on the campus of North Kansas City Hospital.

Rep. Eric Woods, a Kansas City Democrat, told The Star that Parsons decision to reduce funding for the hospital was unfortunate.

Thats a significant decrease, but at least theyre still going to get something, Woods said. Mental health care access is so important, and in such short supply. We had an opportunity to really expand that here in the Northland.

Parson, a former sheriff and staunch defender of police, also issued a $1 million cut to the Police Foundation of Kansas City. However, the group still received $5 million in the budget Parson signed.

Tye Grant, the president and CEO of the foundation, said in an email that the foundation was fortunate to receive the money. A nonprofit, the foundation helps raise money to support the Kansas City Police Department.

We understand resources are limited and their trust in us as wise stewards of these tax dollars to make Kansas City safer is appreciated, he said. We will continue to collaborate with the Kansas City Missouri Police Department to prioritize needs for our community to allow everyone to feel safe.

Several major infrastructure projects also received large cuts, including $23 million of the $53 million lawmakers approved for a highway project in Kansas City, $3.4 million to study the impacts of the Interstate-70 expansion in the Kansas City metro and $15 million of the $30 million lawmakers approved for the South Loop project on top of I-670.

Despite the cut to the South Loop project, Melissa Kozakiewicz, Kansas Citys deputy city manager, touted the $43.6 million the state has contributed in total.

We are thankful for our partners at the state of Missouri for supporting development in Kansas City and the region, she said.

King, with The Educator Academy, said that his organization hopes to regain the funding that was cut in the future. Organizations like his are providing avenues for people who did not go through traditional routes to become teachers, he said.

Teacher preparation and retention efforts should remain a priority for the state anda future governor should make this a priority, he said, adding that hes hopeful that the state wont leave us behind.
(Getty Images)

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Monday passed a bill that would protect same-sex marriage in the commonwealth, by repealing an invalid section of state law that defines marriage as between one man and one woman.

The U.S. Supreme Court outlawed bans on same-sex marriage a decade ago, but House Bill 2269 would remove the outdated language that remains in Pennsylvanias statute.

For me, Madam Speaker, I dont rise today to ask anybody to vote any way other than what their heart dictates, Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia), the bills author, said on the House floor, adding he didnt necessarily seek anyones acceptance or respect for his marriage.

What I want and what this bill is about is Pennsylvania, and our law reflecting settled jurisprudence, which said: Im able to go home to the man that I love and call him my husband because he is. If you still want to fight a cultural war, if youre still mad about my marriage, that is for you, for your God, for your diary, for your whatever.

Rep. Stephanie Borowicz (R-Clinton) spoke in opposition to the bill, saying marriage is not a civil contract between two individuals, but rather a sacred covenant institution created by God between a man and a woman.

This is not hate, though the news media portray it as that. Borowicz continued. This is the Judeo-Christian values and principles this nation is founded on, and marriage and family are one of those bedrocks.

Rep. Jessica Benham (D-Allegheny), said as a proud queer woman and pastors daughter, she was urging support for the bill. She noted that laws around religious freedom already protect religious institutions that dont want to conduct same-sex weddings and besides, who wants to get married in an environment that doesnt support and celebrate you?

Throughout this commonwealth, there are loving couples raising families together who dont deserve to ever have their family torn apart because court decisions have been overturned, Benham added.

Im asking my colleagues to vote yes on this legislation, because there are young people watching our world today who are afraid, afraid they will never fit in, that theyll never be accepted, never be loved for who they are, Benham continued, and those young people deserve to know that there are people who look like them, love like them, and live like them, who are fighting for their fundamental freedoms here in their state capital.

The language defining marriage in Section 1704 of Pennsylvanias Domestic Relations Act was declared invalid following the U.S. Supreme Courts 2013 decision striking down the federal Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional. Under that ruling, the federal government cant discriminate against married same-sex couples when determining federal benefits and protections.

President Joe Biden signed a marriage equality law in 2022, to ensure same-sex and interracial couples would continue to hold many of their existing rights if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the cases that established those constitutional protections.

House Bill 2269 passed by a vote of 133-68. It now heads to the GOP-controlled Senate for consideration.

The post Pennsylvania House advances same-sex marriage equality bill appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
(WHTM)  A Reading man will serve up to 46 years in prison amid the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals investigation into alleged sexual abuse of Jehovahs Witnesses congregation members.

Luis Manuel Ayala-Velasquez, 56, was arrested last year after a grand jury investigation where sexual assault charges were recommended against more than a dozen members of the Jehovahs Witnesses faith.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

WHTM Morning Weather

Ayala-Velasquez was sentenced to 14 to 46 years in prison and, should he be released, must register as a sex offender for life for repeated sexual assaults of a girl that started more than 20 years ago. He pled guilty to five felonies including rape of an unconscious person.

The Attorney Generals office last year said the investigation included testimony from the victim stating that Ayala-Velasquez would sneak into (the victims) bedroom while she was sleeping and sexually assault her. Years later, when his victim was an adult, he allegedly raped her in his home.

The courageous victims who came forward and told the grand jurors their horrific stories of abuse led to charges against predatory defendants, Attorney General Henry said on Wednesday. The abuse in this case began decades ago, but the brave victim and the diligent efforts of OAG agents and attorneys ensured that justice was served and, at long last, the defendant was held accountable.

Pennsylvania lawmakers withhold funding from UPenns Veterinary school

The AGs investigation began back in February 2023 with five men tied to Jehovahs Witnesses being charged. Five more men were charged as part of the investigation in July 2023 and more than a dozen suspects have been identified.

In June, former Jehovahs Witness elder Norman Aviles-Garriga was found guilty on 12 charges that included aggravated indecent assault as part of the AGs investigation.

This is a developing story. Stay with abc27 News as more 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 ABC27.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM)  The Pennsylvania State Senate passed legislation today that would limit the use of smartphones in schools.

According to Sen. Ryan Auments office, Senate Bill 1207 (which he sponsors) would establish the Cellphone Lockable Bag Pilot Program to award grants to participating schools to purchase lockable smartphone bags.

The idea is that students would deposit their phones into the lockable bags until the end of the school day. S.B. 1207 would also require participating schools to track certain metrics such as academic performance, mental health, and instances of bullying and other behavioral issues.

This will allow there to be studies on the impact of smartphone-free schools on students.

Kids spend so much time on social media and using their smartphones that its taking a toll on them mentally, emotionally, and academically. Smartphone restrictions have proved successful in reversing these trends, Sen. Aument said. Students deserve to learn without a constant distraction in their pockets, and my legislation would give them that.

Sen. Auments office says that since the early 2010s, there has been a decline in mental health for children, and their academic performance is suffering. He says that this decline directly correlates to the rise of smartphones and social media apps.

Last year alone, the commonwealth provided $100 million in new funding to schools to care for their students mental health. While we continue to provide resources to help students in need of mental health services, we must also target one of the root causes of our childrens mental distress: widespread access to smartphones and social media apps, Aument added.

Included in S.B. 1207 are exceptions for students who have documented medical conditions that require the use of a smartphone, such as Diabetes.

The bill now moves to the PA House of Representatives for consideration.

abc27 news will keep you updated as more 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 ABC27.
Pentagon to procure US$2.2bn worth of Patriot and NASAMS interceptors for Ukraine

The US Department of Defense has announced the procurement of interceptors for the Patriot and NASAMS air defence systems worth US$2.2 billion.

Source: European Pravda with reference to the statement by the Pentagon

Details: The Pentagon announced the procurement of a significant package of interceptors for air defence systems using about US$2.2 billion within the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).

"These funds will be used for the procurement of interceptors for the Patriot and NASAMS air defence systems for Ukraine," the statement says.

The Pentagon noted that Bidens administration plans to accelerate the supply of these weapons by changing the order of future deliveries to Ukraine under the Foreign Military Sales programme.

"As a result, Ukraine will receive the interceptors it urgently needs to defend its population and critical infrastructure from Russian aerial attacks," the statement says.

Background: The White House announced a new US$225 million military aid package for Ukraine.

On 7 June, during talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Biden announced a new US$225 million aid package for Ukraine.

Support UP or become our patron!
A new age in displaying the moon

"20 years after having acquired my first lunar meteorites, I felt like giving our nightly celestial companion a majestic vision. Rather than place her in an aperture, we preferred creating a large central disc with two meteorites cut from special rocks and representing the full moon and the new moon.

The Black Moon is a new concept for an astronomical moon. Thanks to a very particular mechanism featuring a gear wheel with 135 teeth, it boasts great precision  with a deviation of one day every 122 years.

Would this have pleased Louis Moinet, the man who invented a chronograph to track his astronomical observations? I really think it would have."

Jean-Marie Schaller, Owner and Creative Director

Reinventing a lunar indication  a major technical challenge

The BLACK MOON, which comes in a limited edition of 60 pieces, features a novel display of the lunar cycle. The full moon and the new moon are represented by two lunar meteorites placed on a domed central disc: a first in watchmaking! An index at 3 o'clock, framed in red, points to the current phase. The timepiece announces the full moon when the fragment circled in red is aligned with the indicator.

The sober look of this timepiece belies the mechanism driving this astronomical moon complication, which is the product of cutting-edge engineering and technology. This complex device, made up of a gear train including a 135-tooth wheel, provides excellent precision. Unlike conventional moon phase displays, the BLACK MOONs is especially precise, with a deviation of just one day in 122 years.

The exclusive, self-winding calibre inside was designed by LOUIS MOINET, independent watchmaker, and developed in collaboration with Concepto, a partner of many years.

Black Moon  Louis Moinet

Two meteorites, two separate moon rocks

To represent the full moon and the new moon, two lunar meteorites have been placed on the central disc. These rarest fragments from the universe come from two completely different rocks, confirming the geological diversity of our natural satellite. One is marbled grey, while the other is deep black, creating a striking contrast, just like the celestial body that arouses so much fascination in human beings. On the BLACK MOON, however, even when the moon fades into the night sky, it remains visible.

After being ejected from the Moon, these meteorites embarked on a long journey, before finding a permanent home on this emblematic timepiece, the BLACK MOON.

Dhofar 457  an intensely black rock from a lunar crater

Luc Labenne, a famous meteorite hunter and friend of Jean-Marie Schaller, still remembers the day in 2001 before he discovered his first lunar meteorite. He had just landed in Muscat, Oman. That evening, the full moon shone with a particularly mysterious light. It seemed like a celestial omen leading him to his amazing find the next day!

Dhofar 457 owes its intense black hue to its origin: a lunar crater. Following an initial impact on the Moon, a subsequent event dislodged a portion of the crater and propelled it into space, where it journeyed until it reached Earth, landing in the Dhofar desert, hence the name: Dhofar 457.

On the BLACK MOON, the Dhofar 457 lunar meteorite indicates the full moon. The fragment is ringed in red and shines elegantly against the black, sanded background of the domed lunar disc. Its a powerful tribute to the dazzling full moon night that preceded its extraordinary discovery ...

Black Moon  Louis Moinet

Gadamis 005  the most beautiful lunar meteorite

Gadamis 005, considered by experts to be the most beautiful lunar meteorite of all, comes from a region explored by the crew of the Apollo 16 mission. It has an extraordinary structure and a mottled grey-white texture that suggests the enigmatic beauty of the moon when it reaches its most luminous phase.

Boldly modern, quietly technical

The dial surrounding the central lunar disc was conceived three-dimensionally and offers stunning interplay among the different planes. It rests on an aventurine base that evokes the immensity of the starry night skies. Hovering over it is a very modern structure that is in fact a fascinatingly complex element. The indexes are held in place by a central ring and a flange and seem to float mysteriously above the celestial background. Optimal visibility in the dark is ensured by a generous application of luminescent mass in the centre of each index. The index at 3 o'clock, framed in red, indicates the moon's position. The sobriety of the flange also contributes to the neat, modern look.

Another ingenious detail is the subdial at 9 oclock housing sector seconds. In this unusual display, the hand, modelled after a compass pointer, uses its longer end to count off the first 30 seconds on the upper track. The shorter hand then comes around to tick off the next 30 seconds on the lower track.

An openworked zone between 8 and 10 oclock reveals the balance wheel, escapement, and bridges. Its a detail that further highlights the play with depth and the very technical character of this contemporary timepiece.

The oscillating weight has been redesigned and is revealed on the movement side of the BLACK MOON. It is modern and sophisticated, with an elaborate construction that features assertive lines. It, too, has been openworked to show the fascinating beauty of the mechanism.

Black Moon  Louis Moinet

The titanium case, precision engineering

The BLACK MOON is assembled in a grade 5 polished and satin-finished titanium case with sleek, modern lines. It is an extremely light timepiece, weighing in at only 18 grammes. The domed sapphire crystal is a high-tech feat in itself that enables one to appreciate the depth and detail of the dial. The openworked lugs perfectly underline the integration of the strap. The crown is adorned with the emblem of Les Ateliers Louis Moinet, a beautiful Fleur de lys.
KENT CITY, Mich. (WOOD)  Depending on the day, many people in Kent City say their internet isnt good.

It gets so bad its hard for some to do their jobs. Another internet provider says its coming to Kent City, but its not clear when.

It sucks. Can I say that on camera? It sucks, said Mandy Richardson, a preschool teacher.

Thats how Richardson describes the internet in the area, which is only 20 minutes north of Grand Rapids, the second-largest city in Michigan. Shes a teacher at Telemon Kent City Migrant Head Start.

Its kind of hard to do a job if you are depending on the internet, she said.

Richardson said some days are better than others.

Its hit or miss with the weather, depending on if its super sunny its great, but you got the clouds its downhill, said Richardson.

Veronica Escamilla-Rodriguez, the program director at the Head Start said its been an on-and-off problem for years.

One comment a teacher made today is that it kicks her off a lot, she said.

The librarian at the Kent District Library said service is good in town. But farther away from the city limit, there are areas that are bad and that sends people to the library.

This week, Spectrum announced its expanding broadband in Kent County to more than 440 homes and small businesses in portions of Ada, Algoma, Cannon, Grattan, Sparta and Vergennes townships. Its part of the companys $5 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund in underserved rural communities.

Construction to expand service is already underway in parts of Tyrone Township, where Kent City is, though there is not yet a completion date.

Richardson wants to know when shell see relief.

If they can give us a date, Id much rather see that, she said.

Spectrum has more information about expansion efforts on its 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 WOODTV.com.
(The Hill)  People transitioning out of prison in five states will be gaining access to Medicaid, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Tuesday.

Adults and youth often find delays in getting access to Medicaid, so the department announced that incarcerated people transitioning out of imprisonment would receive coverage before their release.

The coverage applies to Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, Utah and Vermont.

California, Massachusetts, Montana and Washington had already been approved for the change, the departments release said.

This is an essential step for advancing health equity in our nation, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. For people involved in the justice system, ensuring a successful transition back into the community includes having the health care supports and services they need.

The new opportunity allows a state to cover the services not otherwise coverage under Medicaid or the Childrens Health Insurance Programs. Coverage can start up to 90 days before the persons expected release from prison.

FDA approves Lillys new Alzheimers drug after delay

The coverage includes substance use disorder treatment. The department said incarcerated people often have a higher rate of substance use disorders, chronic health conditions and other health concerns that can impact public safety.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said it continues to work with other jurisdictions on reentry requests, including 14 other states and the District of Columbia.

Access to health care can mean the difference between life and death as people return to communities, Vikki Wachino, the executive director of the Health and Reentry Project said. Evidence suggests that access to health care during the critical reentry period can improve health, save lives, reduce recidivism rates, and contribute to public 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 Queen City News.
The company connected to the Ross Perot family says it will continue to pursue plans to build a huge industrial park in rural Wilson County despite a June denial from the planning commission and a tractor protest from area farmers.

Texas-based Hillwood has appealed the planning commissions decision to deny rezone and land use plan amendment requests needed to develop the industrial park and now seeks approval from the Wilson County Commission.

But Hillwood doesn't plan to go before commissioners until Dec. 16, still more than five months away, because the company said it still wants to partner with the community.

A tractor parade was organized in June to protest a plan to build a large industrial park in rural Wilson County.

We plan to keep it at the forefront, area landowner Perry Neal said about the wait between meetings. This will either be a win or lose deal. From our point of view, there is not a compromise.

Theyve gone to the trouble and expense to go this far we didnt expect they would pack up and go home. I am a little disappointed its not until December.

Conceptual plans have shown 10.35 million square feet of industrial style office, warehousing and light manufacturing space to an approximate 1,380-acre location is near Linwood and Bluebird Roads just off Interstate 40 in eastern Wilson County.

Hillwood representatives said the project could bring 3,400 direct jobs over 15 years and a combination of more than 6,400 direct and indirect jobs in all with projections of more than $138 million in local taxes.

Hillwood sent the following statement after reaching its decision to appeal:

Hillwood is fully committed to bringing thousands of jobs, developing agricultural education opportunities, and preserving hundreds of acres in Wilson County. We look forward to continuing to engage with the community and partnering with them on this project.

Hillwood had 10 days to appeal in writing the planning commissions negative recommendations on June 21. The planning commission denied the land use plan amendment by a vote of 8-2 and the rezone was unanimously voted down.

The long wait time Hillwood requested to bring its rezone and land use plan amendment requests back to the county commission isnt typical for appeal cases, Wilson County Planner Christopher Lawless said.

A tractor parade in June was organized to protest a plan to build a large industrial park in rural Wilson County.

The appeal that goes before the county commission for review will have to be the same essential concept to what the planning commission reviewed and voted on, Lawless said.

There may be some minor revisions to the plan based on more input, but the overall plan will have to remain similar to what was presented at planning commission, Lawless said in an email.

Wilson County is also in the process of updating its land use plan, which Lawless said could be approved late this year or by early 2025. The impact to the Hillwood proposal if the land use plan is changed by the county commission meeting in December was uncertain.

Right now the land use plan for the area Hillwood is looking to develop is considered high density residential, Lawless said.

A rendering of a plan that would include a large-scale industrial park proposed in Wilson County.

The countys land use plan survey is still accepting data.

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: Texas' Hillwood to appeal denial of Tennessee industrial park plan
LIVERPOOL, Pa. (WHTM)  The U.S. Department of Labor says a Perry County roofing company has been fined for having children work in unsafe conditions.

The Department of Labor says S&L Roofing, Gutters and Siding LLC. was cited for five safety violations and assessed $64,759 in proposed penalties after two boys ages 12 and 14 were found doing roofing work.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Breaking News

The department says an investigation found the children were exposed to fall hazards and were exposed to injuries while using an incorrectly set extension ladder and pneumatic nail guns in violation of federal regulations.

The company is currently in litigation with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for similar violations in 2023. OSHA also cited the company for three serious violations for failing to use fall protective systems in two inspections in 2015.

Perry County company accused of child labor law violations

Allowing children to perform roofing work is illegal and permitting them to do so without fall protection makes this case even more disturbing, said OSHA Area Director Kevin T. Chambers in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Falls from heights kill hundreds of workers each year and leave many more with permanent and often disabling injuries. Once again, S&L Roofing, Gutters and Siding is ignoring mandatory federal regulations and putting people  this time his own children  in danger.

This is a developing story. Stay with abc27 News as more 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 ABC27.
A yellow placard pokes out of the privet hedge of Peter Snows south-west London home, declaring he will be voting Liberal Democrats in the election. He spent the years between 1969 and 2005 scrupulously maintaining his professional objectivity as televisions most enthusiastic analyst of general election data (first for ITN and then for the BBC). He now chuckles that its totally and utterly a relief to nail his colours to the hedge. Although, he notes, Im voting this way because our local Lib Dem candidate is very good. I might have voted differently in a different constituency.

At 86, Snow  who also presented Newsnight from 1980-1997  beckons me into his kitchen with the vigorous sweep of the arm. The same sweep he once used as King of the Swingometer, where he waved over a map of the UK to show regions turning red or blue. On Thursday, he predicts that a Labour landslide will give us by far the biggest swing since 1945  even bigger than Tony Blairs in 1997.

With scant stoop in his 6ft 5in frame, and a rattling, good-humoured laugh, he bustles about making coffee like an avuncular crane. With his wife  journalist Ann MacMillan  away in Canada visiting their daughter, hes clearly happy to have another newshound with whom to discuss the upcoming election.

Itll be a landslide for Labour, surely? he says. Although he concedes he has found the whole campaign thus far a bit depressing. Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer are both very clever, but hes not convinced that either of them are quite up to it. I dont think it matters that neither of them has a generous dose of charisma, he says. What I dont get from them is any sense of vision. They lack the ability of past leaders like Attlee and Heath, who were low on charisma, and Thatcher and Blair, who had plenty of it, to give us a clear view of the kind of country they want to see and how they are going to achieve it.

Snow has also been irritated to see both Conservative and Labour politicians trying to bribe us with the rhapsodies to come after they are elected when we all know the NHS, education and defence have major problems. Everybody is talking about major reform. He sighs. Im not expert enough to know the answer but saying you can make it disappear without taxing more is nonsense.

Snow concedes he has found the campaign thus far 'a bit depressing' - Clara Molden

We sit in the cosy conservatory, which Snow added to the house shortly after buying it in 1980. Its shelves jostle with tools, rusting cans of WD40 and sculptures he brought back from reporting assignments for ITN in Africa.

Theres a lovely old barograph inherited from his gentle, stable father  a captain in the Somerset Light Infantry whose postings saw Snow born in Dublin and raised partly in Libya and Gibraltar, where his dad became Deputy Fortress Commander in 1956.

Snow has spoken in the past of his terror at being sent away to an all-boys boarding school in Eastbourne, aged just seven. Although he credits the experience with helping him develop independence, it left him a little detached from his younger brother Richard (born 10 years after him) and his parents, who both died in their 60s (his mother of liver cancer and his father of a brain haemorrhage) in the early 1970s.

Candles and a few souvenir wine bottles suggest the room has also hosted many of the great big family gatherings, with lots of lively debate that Snow enjoys. Hes close to his younger cousin  incredibly brave and brilliant former Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow  and has six children from three relationships, including Dan Snow (TV history presenter and ambassador for the Electoral Reform Society) and 14 grandchildren. As Dan is married to Lady Edwina Snow, sister of Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster (whose net worth is estimated at around 9 billion), I ask if Snow worries if his grandchildren will be affected by their extreme wealth. Worried? he says. Not remotely! The fact that Dan is part of a very wealthy family is neither here nor there. Its a wonderful family. Very friendly.

I scour the surfaces to see if I can spot a chunk of the Berlin Wall. Snow was broadcasting live from East Berlin when it came down in 1989. I was in the middle of interviewing a very brave civil rights campaigner who opposed the Russian occupation when suddenly [co-presenter] Olenka Frenkiel appeared at the back of the studio carrying a great bundle  like a baby  and dumped it on the table between us. It was rubble from the wall that was being bulldozed outside.

He remembers the thrill of running out into the street to see East Germans bashing away at the wall with hammers. He got on the wall to dance and came home with five chunks of the structure. But whenever I was asked to open fetes I would take along a piece and auction it. They all raised quite a bit of money but now I dont have any left. He shakes his head and grins. Like a bloody fool, I never kept a bit and it has irked me ever since!

'What matters to me less than opinion, is fact' - Clara Molden

A copy of Private Eyes Election Special lies on the coffee table. Nigel Farages face gurns from the cover and I ask my host how the Reform party will affect the vote. He says it reminds him of the threat from the Right to John Majors Conservative Party in the general election of 1997. Then it was the Right-wing Eurosceptic challenge from James Goldsmiths Referendum party. It made a small dent in the Conservative vote and gave only a gentle boost to Labours huge landslide victory but I suspect Farages Reform party will do a lot more damage this time. Goldsmith was a faint sideshow, Farages cocky profile will make Reform severely damage the Tory vote. Ill be surprised if they [Reform] get even a handful of MPs but itll make that election night programme all the more exciting! I wish I could be there!

As a presenter, Snow had a compelling gift for brisk visual communication. He almost formed a double act with the Swingometer  the graphics device used by the BBC since 1955 to estimate the number of seats that will be won by different parties, given a particular national swing (in percentage points) in the vote towards or away from a given party. Today he tells me that while he misses the excitement of being in a live TV studio, his energetic approach was too physically demanding to continue.

He shakes his head: In 2001 I invented a staircase to show what poor old William Hague had to climb. I was running up and down it and I realised  about half way through the night  that I really ought to stop doing this. In the old days presenters just sat at a desk  you could have done it forever. After the 2005 election, I decided Id done enough. I was 70 at the time.

Snow with the famous Swingometer, a graphics device used by the BBC to estimate the number of seats that will be won by different parties

Snow was also starting to worry about his memory. He says its still not a serious problem but I do forget names very quickly terrible! He suspects that sharing enthusiasms with his grandchildren helps keep his mind limber. I just took one of my little grandsons to see the Roman exhibition at the British Museum and we were surprised to find a Roman shield with a swastika on it  the Romans had planted it there long before Hitler was born. It was fascinating to explain to my grandson what the symbol later came to mean.

He was delighted to see the museum absolutely swarming with visitors because he worries about younger generations not being properly informed about history. Although he and his son Dan have co-presented documentaries on battles from these eras, he suspects teaching on the Tudors and the Second World War are a bit overdone in schools. Snow believes our children should be taught more about the British Empire, what we did in the colonies. And teaching them about the slave trade is terribly important to get right.

Still committed to hearing both sides of every story, Snow tells me hes about to read Nigel Biggars Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning and that though Biggar has been lambasted for being too sympathetic to the British Empire, what matters to me less than opinion is fact, and Im keen to see what factual evidence he relies on to take his more favourable view.

He believes younger people should do the same. If people want to pull down statues then theyre perfectly welcome to do it. But before youre driven to an extreme like that, just make very sure you know what actually happened. He smiles. So if my grandchildren start talking about the slave trade being a terrible thing I will tell them: It was DREADFUL. But lets also find out what we did to stop it. Because the Brits were quite good stopping it too.

When it comes to the tearing down of living people, Snow is not one to worry about the private lives of people in public life. My wife is the great-granddaughter of David Lloyd George. Whatever his personal failings, he was the prime minister who did much to win the First World War.

For these reasons hes very sad that Huw Edwards is no longer on air. He says that: Whatever Huw Edwards got up to  and Im not entirely clear or concerned about what it was  he was a very fine television journalist, and I will seriously miss that. Im sorry the BBC didnt pay more tribute to that.

He expresses warm admiration for many other former colleagues. He misses Jeremy Paxmans tough interviews and admits to feeling envious of the retired broadcasters interrogation techniques at times. The way he pursued Michael Howard, with the chutzpah to ask the same question twelve times. I dont think Id have had the guts to do that. By contrast, he notes that David Frosts brilliance lay in his ability to charm people into revealing their inner thoughts. He suspects his own style fell somewhere in between the two.

With former colleagues David Dimbleby and Jeremy Paxman

Though Snow is an absolute junkie for all the mainstream news channels  BBC, ITV, C4 and Sky he believes that at a time when there is so much misinformation on social media, the BBCs decision to cut Newsnights air time by a third is a disaster. Horrific. He accepts viewing figures were down but doesnt attribute this to a public loss of faith in Auntie, but to rivalry between so many competing sources and young people not watching live news anymore, which is a great shame.

Snow clearly relished the jeopardy of live broadcasting. Even the times when things went wrong, even the embarrassments were part of the excitement, he grins. He delights in describing how the Swingometer blew up while he was covering a by-election in 1994. And becomes animated when talking about being in a plane crash on an island off Seattle on his way to film the San Andreas Fault for Tomorrows World in 1999, noting that as we slowly sank down into the trees I wasnt thinking about my family. I was thinking: Dash it! Were going to lose this story! It wasnt until later I thought: Ive escaped from being killed.

Before I leave hes keen to talk about the current debate around compulsory national service. Despite his military heritage  his grandfather served as a General in the First World War  Snow admits that he was very bad at obeying orders without question during his own national service. It made me get up in the morning, I felt I was contributing, he reflects. But I think Rishi Sunak just threw out this policy, rather irresponsibly I think, in the middle of a campaign. Snow prefers the idea of community service to national service. Hed like to see young people volunteering with old people. Social care is so starved of funds and staff. Maybe it could help with that.

As he shows me to the door  out past his old Spitting Image puppet  Snow tells me that he remains an optimist. Ive been an immensely lucky guy with a rewarding career, a wonderful family and I live in the best country in the world. Though he worries that our current leaders might not have the ability to cope with whats happening in Russia and America, he feels confident that we will be able one day soon to put Putin and Trump behind us.

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.
Governor Imee Marcos flashes the peace sign as she joins other supporters during a rally in front of the Supreme Court in Manila

By Mikhail Flores and Karen Lema

MANILA (Reuters) - A prominent Philippine senator has created a stir by saying on social media she has knowledge of a Chinese plan to target her country with hypersonic missiles, though the national security council said it was unaware of any such security threat.

Senator Imee Marcos, the sister of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and head of the senate foreign relations committee, made her claim in a short video that has so far had over 900,000 views on Tiktok and over 100,000 on Facebook.

China's defence and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the video, which Imee Marcos posted on Tuesday as the Philippines and China held talks on their South China Sea territorial dispute.

In her video, Marcos said China had set 25 targets around the Philippine archipelago that it would attack with hypersonic missiles, and the northern islands of Batanes, close to Taiwan, would be among the first targets.

Marcos provided no evidence to support her claim, which she made as part of an argument that her brother's closer ties with the United States has made China see the Philippines as a threat. Reuters could not verify her claim.

"Let's admit the problem: that China thinks we have sided with their enemy," she said in her video.

"As tensions escalate in the West Philippine Sea, I saw a Chinese plan that they will use a hypersonic missile," she said, without saying where she got the information. West Philippine Sea refers to waters within Manila's exclusive economic zone.

Marcos opposes some of her brother's policies regarding China, including his decision to grant the United States expanded access to Philippine military facilities it can use, including those facing Taiwan and the South China Sea.

The Philippines national security council said it would ask Marcos for more information about her statement, with spokesman Jonathan Malaya saying in a message "... we are not aware of any of the security threats she mentioned".

NO 'IMMINENT ATTACK' SEEN

"The Philippines and PRC (People's Republic of China) maintain cordial relations and are committed to managing whatever differences there may be, thus we see no threat of any imminent attack from the PRC," Malaya added.

Neither the Chinese embassy in Manila nor Imee Marcos' office responded immediately to a Reuters request for comment on the video. The U.S. Embassy said it had no comment at present.

A spokesperson at the Philippine defence department said it "has no basis for a comment or reaction to Senator Marcos' video because we have not seen or read the plans she referred to".

President Marcos' office did not respond to a request for comment.

China accused the Philippines of "stoking the fire" of regional tensions with its military agreement with the U.S.

Beijing also condemned the deployment of the United States' Typhon missile in the Philippines during the allies' joint military exercises.

The U.S. is treaty-bound to help the Philippines against an armed attack on its soldiers and vessels, and President Joe Biden has reaffirmed Washington's "ironclad commitment" to defend its oldest ally in Asia.

The U.S. maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan and remains the democratically-governed island's most important backer and arms supplier. China considers Taiwan its own territory and has vowed to claim it by force, if necessary.

(Additional reporting by Beijing Bureau. Editing by Kay Johnson and Gareth Jones)
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON)  A sign was posted a few days ago outside of the Louis Vuitton store in downtown San Francisco. Photos of the sign began to circulate on social media and have since gone viral  one X post having more than 7.7 million views.

The sign, which reads stolen goods must remain under $950, appears to mock retail theft law in California. In the state, retail thefts are prosecuted as a felony only if the value of the stolen items exceeds $950. Retail theft valued less than that is charged as a misdemeanor.

A San Francisco Department of Public Works spokesperson told KRON4 the sign was not put up by the city. The spokesperson added that a city worker was sent on Sunday to check out the sign.

However, by the time the worker was there, there was no sign located.

SFDPW did not confirm whether the sign was ever actually posted. A possibility was mentioned that the photo of the sign was either photoshopped or AI-generated.

Trader Joes in Marin County closes for structural repair work

Police officers and emergency crews park outside the Louis Vuitton store in San Francisco on Nov. 21, 2021, after looters ransacked businesses. (Danielle Echeverria/San Francisco Chronicle via AP, File)

Two Costco stores set to open in the Bay Area this fall

Another photo of the same sign was also seen outside of the Dior store nearby, which was victim to a smash-and-grab last fall. Around $150,000 worth of items were taken from the luxury designer store.

The Dior store theft is one of many incidents of retail theft that have occurred in the Union Square area throughout the years. In 2021, the Louis Vuitton store was burglarized and looted.

KRON4 also reached out to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) for more information. We are waiting for a response.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
A night-flying helicopter drops water on the Thompson fire in Oroville. (Ethan Swope / Associated Press)

Firefighters are battling a growing wildfire in Northern California that has forced at least 13,000 people to evacuate with another day of extreme heat expected.

The Thompson fire sent up a huge plume of smoke and grew to nearly 5 square miles by Wednesday morning.

It broke out Tuesday about 70 miles north of Sacramento, in and around Oroville.

(Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images)

Flames engulf a home Tuesday in Oroville.

(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)

A woman runs while cars evacuate near Oroville.

(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)

A firefighting crew sprays water.

Read more: California burns as heat wave spreads across western U.S.

(Noah Berger / Associated Press)

An air tanker drops retardant.

(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)

The Thompson fire sends a plume of smoke over Oroville.

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.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter of congratulation to President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko on the occasion of the countrys national holiday, Independence Day, Azernews reports.

The letter reads:

"Dear Aleksandr Grigoryevich,

Please, accept my sincere congratulations and best wishes on the occasion of your national holiday  the Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus.

Based on strong bonds of friendship, trust and mutual support, our fraternal countries have established multifaceted relations of strategic partnership over the past decades. Your recent state visit to Azerbaijan, the negotiations held and the documents signed once again testified that the historically good traditions of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Belarus are successfully developing today, being enriched with a new content.

I am confident that our joint efforts will be directed towards the implementation of the prospective initiatives and projects, which promote the further development and strengthening of the mutually beneficial cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Belarus for the benefit of our friendly peoples and countries.

On this holiday, I wish you, dear Aleksandr Grigoryevich, robust health, happiness and success in your state activities, and the Republic of Belarus  well-being and prosperity.

Sincerely

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan"
The famous American screenwriter Robert Towne has died at the age of 89. The most prominent projects created by the Oscar winner were the films Chinatown, Shampoo, and The Last Detail.

ADVERTISIMENT

The star passed away at his home in Los Angeles, surrounded by his family, the New York Post reports. During the 1960s and 1970s, the screenwriter reached a level of fame that most celebrities achieve throughout their careers.

Robert Towne was born on November 23, 1934. He began his career by creating the television shows The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Lloyd Bridges Show. After writing the screenplay for the popular movie Bonnie and Clyde, he became one of the most sought-after screenwriters in Hollywood.

"His life, like the characters he created, was insightful, iconoclastic, and completely original," actor Lee Grant described the screenwriter.

ADVERTISIMENT

The thriller Chinatown, for which he won an Oscar, brought him the greatest fame.

"Robert Towne once said that Chinatown is a state of mind. Not just a place on a map in Los Angeles but a state of full consciousness that is almost indistinguishable from blindness. To dream that you're in paradise and wake up in the dark is Chinatown. To think you've figured it all out and realize you're dead is Chinatown," said writer Sam Wasson about the screenwriter's attitude to his film.

ADVERTISIMENT

Robert Towne's last film was the romantic drama Ask the Dust, which he created based on John Fonte's novel about Los Angeles.

The screenwriter was married several times. His second wife, with whom he lived until the end of his life, was Luisa Gaule. Robert Towne is survived by two children.

Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
A Pittsburgh man has been federally sentenced for his role in distributing large amounts of cocaine in the area.

The Department of Justice says a judge sentenced Kevin Rucker, 53, to 15 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.

Rucker pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine back in March. In connection with the guilty plea, the court was told that Rucker distributed between 15 and 50 kilograms of the drug between July 2022 and June 2023.

>>> Pittsburgh man pleads guilty to large-scale cocaine distribution charge

Before sentencing Rucker, the DOJ says the judge described him as a recidivist drug trafficker and a ringleader in the conspiracy.

Previously in 2015, Rucker was convicted in federal court in Pittsburgh for conspiring to distribute heroin.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

Suspect dead after weapons, notes prompt search in Cranberry Township, sources say Director of McCandless daycare accused of abusing toddlers Hard work just ripped to pieces: Pittsburgh-area cheer gym targeted by vandals VIDEO: Man accused of using racial slurs, threatening to kill driver in South Greensburg road rage incident DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas  Plans to tear down a small Texas church where a gunman in 2017 killed more than two dozen worshippers drew visitors Tuesday as a last-minute push was made to stop the demolition.

Leaders of First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs have not publicly announced when it plans to demolish the sanctuary, where authorities put the number of dead from the shooting at 26 people, including a pregnant woman and her unborn baby, in what remains the deadliest church shooting in American history.

On Tuesday, a Texas judge approved a temporary restraining order sought by some families to delay the demolition. The order signed by Judge Jennifer Dillingham instructs the church to not to begin demolition and to appear before the court later this month.

But Sam Fugate II, an attorney for the families that sought the restraining order, said the church had still not been served the order as of Tuesday afternoon and expressed concern that the demolition could still proceed.

Christine Earnhardt, a secretary for the church, said Tuesday that she could not confirm whether a demolition was scheduled and that the church had no plans to comment or make a statement.

Following the shooting, the sanctuary was turned into a memorial. The interior was painted white and chairs with the names of those who were killed were placed there, the lawsuit said.

The church then voted in 2021 to tear down the building, which opponents have contended was against the wishes of many surviving family members. A new church was completed for the congregation about a year and a half after the shooting.

Were not after money. Were after whats fair, Fugate said. We want our clients to say their peace about whether the church should stand and take another vote.



Amber Holder, a church member who is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said she wanted to make sure survivors of the shooting and the victims families have a vote. So many victims families were told: Youre not allowed to vote because youre no longer a member here, Holder said.

Holder said she wasnt at the service the day of the shooting but got there shortly after. As a teen she was taken in by the family of the pastor at the time, whose 14-year-old daughter, Annabelle Pomeroy, was among those killed.

Terrie Smith, president of the Sutherland Springs Community Association, said that as news of the upcoming demolition spread in the community of less than 1,000 people, those she had spoken with were devastated. Smith said that a woman who was like a daughter to her  Joann Ward  and her two daughters, ages 7 and 5, were among those killed in the shooting.

Smith, who is not a member of the church, said she often visits the memorial sanctuary. Its just a beautiful, beautiful memorial the way it is now, she said.

You feel the comfort of everybody that was lost there, Smith said.

Communities across the U.S. have grappled with what should happen to the sites of mass shootings. Last month, demolition began on the three-story building where 17 people died in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. After the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, it was torn down and replaced.

Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo, New York, and the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where racist mass shootings happened, both reopened. In Colorado, Columbine High School still stands  though its library, where most of the victims were killed, was replaced.

In Texas, officials closed Robb Elementary in Uvalde after the 2022 shooting there and plan to demolish it.


PROVO, Utah (ABC4)  For years, theres been an ongoing battle on Utah Lake, with crews spraying, mowing and hacking away phragmites, an invasive reed that has grown thick on the lakes shoreline for decades.

Phragmites is a beast to handle, said Sam Braegger, deputy director of Utah Lake Authority.

Harmful dust from Great Salt Lake disproportionately affects minority populatoins, study finds

The water-sapping, gold-colored reeds crowd out all other plants, growing in such dense matts that they effectively wall off the shoreline from both people and animals. Not even small fish can find refuge in the reeds.

But in recent years, Utah Forestry, Fire & State Lands have reduced the invasive plants hold on Utah Lake by up to 70%, Braegger said. Now, the Utah Lake Authority is tapping volunteers to help in a pilot project to restore native habitat to the cleared-out areas.

These volunteer efforts are called planting parties.

Already this year, hundreds of people  from church groups to local conservation clubs  have stepped up to help plant thousands of cattails, bulrushes, and wildflowers along specific patches of shoreline.

The goal this year is to plant 10,000 seedling plugs along areas in Saratoga Springs, Provo, Vineyard, and Lakeshore. The Utah Lake Authority paid for these plugs through a grant and some of the agencys own funds, Braegger said.

Most of this years plants are already in the ground, but there are still a couple thousand plugs left for planting parties in the coming months.

Teri Harman, the director of public outreach for Conserve Utah Valley, participated in the first of the planting parties on Earth Day near her home in Saratoga Springs. Her group of around 50 volunteers planted roughly 700 seedlings.

It went really fast, and everyone had a ton of fun, she said.

Just a few days ago, Harman went to check on the plants and found they were doing well, as theyre now submerged following the spring runoff. Utah Lake is currently more than 100% full.

Reflecting on the spring planting party outing, Harman said that she loves getting people to the shore to see what years of restoration efforts have done for the lake, which has historically been plagued by water quality issues and toxic algal blooms, not to mention phragmites.

There are a lot of rumors about Utah Lake that are really outdated, Harman said. The truth of the matter is that the lake is very clean  its beautiful, and its fun to go and be at the lake.

While one of the goals of the planting parties is to foster community, another is to identify what kinds of native plants are going to grow best in a long-term effort to revegetate Utah Lakes entire shoreline.



According to Braegger, the Utah Lake Authority will collect data from the various test sites to determine best practices moving forward. For next year, the goal is to plant 40,000 seedlings. In the meantime, the fight against the phragmites wont stop.

Its kind of like dandelions in your lawn, Braegger said. Were never going to fully get rid of phragmites.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
The chicken is headed home to a new coop on Forest Drive.

Chick-fil-A, the wildly popular chicken sandwich chain, is set to reopen its restaurant at 5440 Forest Drive near Forest Acres. The restaurant, which has been closed since November of 2023 for a demolition and complete renovation, will reopen at 6:30 a.m. July 11, according to a post from the restaurant on Instagram.

Coming soon, just a few blocks down the road from the City of Forest Acres, is Chick-fil-A Forest Drive, the restaurant posted on social media. The restaurants complete rebuild includes a brand new building and equipment, a larger kitchen and drive-thru, and additional parking.

The Forest Drive Chick-fil-A is just west of Fort Jackson and Interstate 77.

There are more than a dozen Chick-fil-A locations in the Midlands, and many of them have gone through improvements, moves, remodels and other upgrades to stores in the last few years.

For example, the Chick-fil-A at 2299 Augusta Road in West Columbia reopened in May 2023 after being closed for three months for a remodeling. And the Chick-fil-A at 294 Harbison Blvd., which was torn down in 2022, was rebuilt and reopened in March 2023.

The Chick-fil-A on Dutch Fork Road was closed for remodeling and reopened in late June 2023.

Also, the Chick-fil-A at 10136 Two Notch Road was demolished in 2023 and a new version of the restaurant was built back on the site.

In 2022 the Chick-fil-A at 2600 Decker Blvd. closed and moved to 7515 Two Notch Road, near Interstate 20. And a new Chick-fil-A opened in March 2022 at 5465 Platt Springs Road near Red Bank.
Kelly Paduchowski, 45, was reported missing Sunday. Police on Tuesday said they believe that she was killed and named her husband as a suspect. Photo courtesy of Flagstaff Police Department/Release

July 3 (UPI) -- The husband of an Arizona woman who has been missing since Sunday has been arrested, according to authorities who say they now believe they are investigating a homicide.

Kelly Paduchowski, 45, was reported missing shortly before 8 p.m. Sunday by her husband, Daniel Paduchowski, in the area of Lake Mary, the Flagstaff Police Department said in a statement.

A search for the woman has been launched but authorities on Tuesday said they now believe they are looking to recover her body.

"That is what we believe at this point," Flagstaff Police Sgt. Jerry Rintala told reporters during a press conference.

Rintala said Daniel Paduchowski has been arrested for aggravated assault and was booked into the Coconino County Jail where he is being held on bond.

He said witness statements and evidence located at their Coconino Estates residence indicate that "something occurred" there, resulting in the charges being laid.

He did not elaborate on the assault, but stated Kelly Paduchowski was the victim.

"This investigation is ongoing and the number one priority is to locate Kelly," he said, reading a written statement. "However, based on current evidence and information, it is believed that Kelly may be the victim of a homicide."

A timeline of events released Tuesday by the police department states that data from Kelly Paduchowski's cell phone places her in the area os Schultz Creek Trail at around 10:20 a.m. Sunday.

About an hour later, Daniel Paduchowski was observed in the same area.

Shortly before 12:15 p.m., Kelly Paduchowski's cellphone returns to their residence. But her car, identified as a white 2018 Mazda CX-5, was seen at Campbell Mesa Trail Head at around 1:30 p.m., as was Daniel Paduchowski.

Daniel Paduchowski then reported his wife missing at 7:39 p.m.

Police are asking the public for assistance with the investigation, requesting anyone who has had contact with the two people or has seen either of their vehicles to contact them immediately.

Police identified Daniel Paduchowski's car as a 2001 Toyota Sequoia.
Police fatally shot a New York teen holding a pellet gun. Heres what we know about imitation firearms

Before an officer fatally shot Nyah Mway last week as he ran from law enforcement in upstate New York, the 13-year-old had pulled out what police said appeared to be a handgun.

But it wasnt a real gun, authorities later discovered, theyve said  only one capable of firing pellets.

Still, the firearm  which is entirely black, photos released by the Utica Police Department show  carried the same Glock markings, signatures, detachable magazine and serial numbers as a Glock 17 Gen 5 handgun, Utica Police spokesperson Lt. Michael Curley told The Associated Press.

This weapon in every facet resembles a real GLOCK handgun, in functionality, appearance, and design, he told CNN, adding it fires .177 pellets.

Nyah Mway apparently pointed the handgun at three officers while he ran away from them after dark, body camera footage released by Utica Police shows. The officers yelled gun, and one officer tackled and punched the teenager.

As they wrestled on the ground, another officer fired a single shot, the video shows. The teen was taken to a local hospital where he died, police said.

Imitation guns have led to unintended fatal consequences over the years, posing challenges for law enforcement who interpret them as real in a nation with more guns than people.

Heres what we know about such items and some other cases:

What imitation firearms are  and arent

Toy, look-alike and imitation firearms are devices that have the appearance, shape, and/or configuration of a firearm, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the agency that enforces federal rules governing them.

The term look-alike firearm includes:

 Toy guns

 Water guns

 Replica nonguns

 Airsoft guns firing nonmetallic projectiles

Some other guns that dont fire live bullets, however, are not considered look-alike firearms. The term does not include:

 Non-firing collector replica antique firearms

 Traditional BB, paintball or pellet-firing air guns

 Decorative, ornamental and miniature objects that have the appearance of a firearm and measure no more than 38 mm by 70 mm (excluding any gun stock length)

In Utica, police initially said Nyah Mway was holding a replica GLOCK pellet gun. It appears a firearm with that description would not be considered a look-alike under the federal rule  although at night, it may have been virtually impossible for a police officer to know that.

What regulations require of look-alikes

While federal law does not govern the transfer, use or possession of imitation guns, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, the way such items look when theyre manufactured and entered into commerce is regulated  to a degree  by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Every look-alike firearm  that is: toy guns, water guns, replica nonguns and airsoft guns that fire nonmetallic projectiles  must either:

 have a permanently affixed blaze orange plug inserted in the firearms barrel

 have a similar marking on the exterior of the barrel

 be constructed entirely of transparent or translucent materials

 or be covered in certain bright colors

The rules  in place since 1989  dont apply to non-firing replicas; BB, paintball or pellet guns; or decorative or mini firearms. They also do not cover how consumers use or enjoy their products, according to the commission.

Under those rules, it appears the Consumer Product Safety Commission would not require the gun Nyah Mway was carrying to bear look-alike firearm markings, such as an orange plug or transparent or bright coverings, either because of its pellet projectiles or as a replica.

Being able to buy a look-alike or imitation gun also can depend on the law. For example, while Amazon sells a variety of imitation firearms, the online marketplace wont ship airsoft guns, non-powdered weapons like BB guns, pellet guns, paintball guns and air rifles or toy guns to places with sales restrictions, its policy states.

Amazon, Walmart and three other retailers announced a deal in 2015 with the then-attorney general of New York  where Nyah Mway was fatally shot  to stop selling realistic toy guns there. And Pennsylvania, Florida, Delaware and other states impose age restrictions on the possession, use or transfer of some non-powder guns, according to the Giffords Law Center.

No one could reasonably tell the difference

Police across the United States shot 305 people brandishing non-powder and toy firearms between 2015 and 2023, according to a Giffords Law Center analysis of the Washington Posts Fatal Force database, which tracks fatal shootings of civilians by police.

While police in Utica initially said Nyah Mway was holding a replica GLOCK pellet gun, they later clarified the term replica was used to describe its physical condition because of its resemblance to a Glock handgun, the department told CNN on Tuesday.

In the future we will ensure that we utilize proper terminology so that there is no mistake in what we are trying to portray, Curley said.

Imitation handguns in the hands of anyone  especially juveniles  pose many challenges for police departments across the country, Curley added.

As we see in this tragic incident, split second decisions have to be made when individuals are in possession of realistic looking weapons that are indistinguishable from their real counterparts, he said.

No one could reasonably tell the difference between the two, much less in high stress situations where the item is being displayed.

Imitation guns have led to other fatalities

In New York  where Nyah Mway was shot and killed  at least 63 shootings, eight of them fatal, unfolded as a result of people mistaking imitation weapons for real ones, according to 2015 data from the state Office of the Attorney General. Beyond that, hundreds of crimes have been committed in New York City with imitation weapons, the office said.

No new data was available on the issue, it told CNN this week.

Just last month, a teenager with an airsoft gun was fatally shot by an armed man who took it upon himself to conduct surveillance outside a sporting goods store in Washington state, according to court documents. The armed man assumed the teen and two others were about to commit a violent robbery, the prosecutor wrote. The man has been charged with murder. His attorneys say he was acting in self-defense, protecting himself and others.

Several years before that, Antonio Arce, 14, was fatally shot by police in Tempe, Arizona, while holding what later was determined to be a replica 1911 airsoft gun hed just stolen from a truck reported to police as suspicious. The officer who fired was not criminally charged in Arces death.

And in 2014, Tamir Rice, 12, was shot and killed outside an Ohio recreation center when an officer opened fire after authorities mistook a black, toy airsoft pistol Tamir had for a real firearm. The US Justice Department in 2020 found insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges against the former officer who fired his weapon at Rice.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  Police are investigating after a shooting left one person injured Wednesday morning.

According to police, one person was found with a gunshot wound in a Walmart parking lot near I-40 and Sooner Rd. around 11 a.m.

LOCAL NEWS: One arrested after fatal shooting in NW Oklahoma City

Officials say an argument between several people led to the shooting near the 5200 block of Brookdale Dr.

The victim attempted to take themselves to a hospital but could only make it to the Walmart parking lot where they called 911. They were taken to a nearby hospital shortly after.

No other injuries have been reported.

No arrests have been made 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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
RICHFIELD, Utah (ABC4)  Police detained a suspect Wednesday morning after shots were fired during a dispute at a Maverick gas station in Richfield.

According to Richfield City Police, officers responded to reports of a dispute where shots were fired near 290 South Main around 2:30 a.m. Upon their arrival, officers say the suspect fled the scene on a red 4-wheeler which led to a police chase.

Police stopped the official pursuit, however, they continued searching for the suspect and the 4-wheeler. Later that morning, police located the 4-wheeler at a local residence and called in backup to assist in evacuating the area and safely detaining the suspect. The suspect was taken into custody without incident.

Richfield police were assisted by several other agencies including Sevier County Sheriffs Office, Utah Highway Patrol, and the Department of Corrections. The investigation is ongoing and potential charges have yet to be announced.

The identity of the suspect has yet to be released as charges are pending.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Police looking for info after neglected dog found abandoned tied to pole in Maywood

Police are searching for answers after a dog was left abandoned tied to a street pole in Maywood on Monday evening, said Maywood police Chief Terence Kenny.

Officers responded to a report of a stranded dog at the intersection of Golf Avenue and Steward Street at about 7:20 p.m. on Monday, officials said.

Image of suspect and suspect's vehicle who allegedly left a pit bull abandoned and tied to a street sign in Maywood.

Witnesses say they saw the suspect tying the pit bull to the street sign and then leaving the area in a black Acura sedan, according to the Maywood Police Department.

Officers found the neglected dog with a large tumor protruding from its mouth. Bergen County Animal Control took custody of the pit bull and the dog was taken to the Bergen County Animal Shelter.

Police chief Kenny said the dog has a chip that is 10 years old, but officials are unsure if it traces back to the most recent owner. The chip in the dog came back out of New York City, said Kenny.

Image of suspect and suspect's vehicle who allegedly left a pit bull abandoned and tied to a street sign in Maywood.

Police are actively investigating the incident and have video footage as evidence. Authorities are asking if anyone has information of the suspect to please contact 201-845-8800.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Maywood NJ police search for info after dog found abandoned
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo.  A man is accused of gunning down another man outside a Riverview convenience store for allegedly trying to attack his friends mother days prior.

According to the St. Louis County Police Departments probable cause statement, the shooting happened around 7 p.m. on February 15 in the 200 block of Chambers Road.

Police said Brandyn Hargrove, 20, was a passenger in a car that pulled into the parking lot of Go Go Mini Mart. The drivers mother was in the backseat.

As the vehicle pulled into the parking lot, the drivers mother pointed to another car belonging to James Teague Jr., who allegedly attempted to assault the mother. Police said Hargrove responded by saying, Ill take care of this.

LIST: These St. Louis-area Fourth of July events are postponed due to weather

As Teague left the store, Hargrove walked up to him, took out a gun, and opened fire. Teague was rushed to the hospital, where he later died of his injuries. He was 34.

Police said the driver and the drivers mother both identified Hargrove as the shooter.

The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorneys Office charged Hargrove with first-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action. Hargrove was arrested on July 2 and is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband, actor Ben Affleck, and his childhood friend Matt Damon will star together in the Netflix crime thriller "RIP". The film will be produced by Artists Equity, a studio the two actors founded in November 2022.

ADVERTISIMENT

They previously starred together in the films "Dogma" (1999), "Good Will Hunting" (1997), "The Last Duel" (2021), and "Air Jordan" (2023), so this new collaboration is a reunion of the actors in a joint work, which will be their fifth. Netflix, the streaming service involved in the production, has not yet announced even an approximate release date.

"RIP" will be directed by Joe Carnahan, who has worked on such films as "Smokin' Aces", "Death Wish", "Bad Boys", and "Copshop". Almost nothing is known about the plot of the upcoming film, except that it is a crime thriller. Accordingly, there is no trailer yet.

"All information about the plot of RIP is currently classified," Netflix said. Even the year of the movie's release is unknown.

ADVERTISIMENT

It is known that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck met in high school. They were neighbors in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Their friendship began after Affleck stood up for his future friend during a fight in front of the school.

"I remember it was a defining moment. He put himself in a very bad position. He's a good friend," Damon admitted in an interview with TV host Conan O'Brien in 2019.

ADVERTISIMENT

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department issued a news release early Wednesday morning updating information about a crash that occurred Tuesday evening that sent a police officer and bystander to the hospital.

Las Vegas officer, citizen hospitalized after suspected DUI driver crashes into them, police say

According to Metro, the driver of a van was originally suspected of DUI and arrested but police said it is now believed the crash may have been the result of a mechanical defect that caused it to leave the roadway and enter a parking lot where it crashed into a parked motorcycle. The motorcycle hit the 32-year-old officer causing moderate injuries and the front of the van struck a pedestrian causing the 63-year-old man moderate injuries.

The van was traveling southbound on Lamb Boulevard, approaching Boulder Highway, when the crash occurred just before 6:30 p.m. The injured officer was taken to University Medical Center for treatment and the citizen who had serious injuries was tasked to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center.

Police said the vans driver stayed at the crash scene and showed no signs of impairment. Police said she is cooperating with the 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.
Police do not know how dead baby ended up in Fresno backyard

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  Investigators with Fresno Police are working to find out the identity of the baby found dead in a Fresno backyard on Tuesday.

A resident on the 300 block of South Backer Avenue heard her dog barking outside, when she went to go look she found a dead baby lying there.

Baby found dead in Fresno backyard, police say

This is not something we like to see and so we definitely want to bring justice to the baby, whatever that may be, said Fresno Police Sgt. Felipe Uribe.

Uribe said the infant does not belong to anyone inside the household. The identity and whereabouts of the parents are unknown.

We dont know the cause of the babys death, we cant classify this as a murder yet, said Sgt. Uribe.

Police closed off several blocks surrounding the crime scene for investigation Tuesday morning.

We have not tied the baby to any home in the vicinity, so we dont know if somebody, unfortunately, transported the body from one place to another, so we have to go wide and we have to start kind of working backward, Uribe explained.

YourCentralValley.com spoke to a resident who has lived in the neighborhood for four decades. In the last couple of years, he says he has seen an increase in gang activity, prompting him and his neighbors to install surveillance cameras.

Were talking to neighbors, we know that somebody out there in that neighborhood saw or knows someone who knows something, Sgt. Uribe said.

Anyone who has information about the incident is asked to contact the Fresno Police 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 YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  Police are asking for help to identify two people suspected of breaking into multiple vehicles near California Avenue in southwest Bakersfield last month.

The Bakersfield Police Department released images Wednesday of two suspects. Officials said the two are involved in multiple vehicle burglaries in June in the 4800 block of California Avenue, near Marella Way and Easton Way.

Alleged sergeant of arms of Vagos biker gang arrested

California Avenue vehicle burglary suspect / Photo: Bakersfield Police Department

California Avenue vehicle burglary suspect / Photo: Bakersfield Police Department

The first suspect is described as a male in his 20s, with a slim build, a short afro and short beard. The second suspect was described as being a Hispanic male in his late teens or early-20s, with a slim build and short dark-colored hair.

Anyone with information on the investigation is asked to call Det. Raymond Hackleman at 661-326-3876 or the Bakersfield Police Department at 661-327-7111.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Police searching for Falmouth man whose been missing for months

Authorities are asking for the publics help locating a missing man who was last seen in April.

53-year-old Michale Bolina (aka Michael Boling) of both Falmouth and North Carolina was reported missing in late May, according to Falmouth Police.

Bolina is described as a 511, 135lb white man with blue eyes and brown hair.

Efforts to locate him have been unsuccessful.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts are asked to call Detective Ron Carpenter at 774-255-4527 ext. 4620.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Biden Has Some Thoughts About Y'all Asking Him to Step Down

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris introduces U.S. President Joe Biden during a campaign rally at Girard College on May 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Image: ROBERTO SCHMIDT (Getty Images)

At his most recent rally in Wisconsin, President Joe Biden shut down rumors concerning his presidency.

Theres been a lot of speculation: Whats Joe going to do? Is he going to stay in the race? Is he going to drop out, whats he going to do? Well, heres my answer. I am running and gonna win again, Biden told to the Madison, Wisconsin crowd.

Even though Biden has no plans to drop out of the presidential race, that doesnt mean the American people arent thinking of alternative candidates.

In a CNN poll released July 2, 75 percent of American voters who were polled think the Democratic Party has a better chance of winning in November if Biden is not on the ticket. This comes after Bidens disastrous debate performance last week where the he repeatedly froze on stage and stumbled over his words.

Biden, 81, is the oldest US president in history, and voters are concerned about his abilities to handle the oval office come November. Former President Donald Trump, 78, is only three years younger than Biden, and if elected, Trump will become the second oldest US president.

Let me say this as clearly as I can:



Im the sitting President of the United States.



Im the nominee of the Democratic party.



Im staying in the race.  Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 5, 2024

Some Americans are looking for someone younger to fill Bidens shoes, and there are a few names that keep popping up.

Voters like the idea of Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, going up against Trump for the presidency. This hypothetical matchup saw 47 percent approval for Trump with the vice president only trailing behind by 2 percent, according to the same CNN poll.

In a Newsweek column, former Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan said After deep reflection over these past few days, I strongly believe that our best path forward is Kamala Harris. Ryan isnt the first Democrat to share this opinion. He believes Harris is ready for the job.



Two more post debate polls from Puck News and Data for Progress show Harris as the most popular alternative to Biden. As his running mate, Harris has urged voters to choose Biden as she stands behind him in full support. Harris ran for president back in 2020 against Biden, but was chosen as his VP after the Democratic Convention.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, 42, also ran against Biden and Harris in 2020, and even though he has since become part of Bidens cabinet, some say Buttigieg could make a comeback as an alternative to the incumbent.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg testifies before the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of House Appropriations Committee - Image: Kent Nishimura (Getty Images)

The CNN poll puts the former Indiana mayor at 43 percent of the voter support to Trumps 47 percent, suggesting that more people are thinking seriously about Buttigieg as an option.

Another name that keeps popping up in the presidential replacement debate is California Governor Gavin Newsom, 56. Like Buttigieg, Newsom also has a 43 percent rating in the CNN poll against Trump. Although Newsom said he will never turn my back on President Biden, experts say the California governor might be looking for a national stage.

California Governor Gavin Newsom backed Biden after his debate with Donald Trump, despite Biden's shaky performance that has rattled his fellow Democrats pic.twitter.com/rVCBI6JFH1  Reuters (@Reuters) June 28, 2024

Newson has been allegedly running a shadow campaign for president. With high-profile visits to China and Israel, the governor is putting himself in a position to be part of the presidential conversation. Fox News also held a debate between Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis and Newson, suggesting these two could lead in future presidential campaigns.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, 52, says she isnt interested in replacing Biden, but a recent Draft Gretch movement has put her as a top choice against Trump. The CNN poll gives her a 42 percent approval rate, just right below Bidens 43 percent.

Joe Biden speaks as Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer looks on at an event at Cherry Health in Grand Rapids, MI on March 9, 2020 - Image: Carolyn Van Houten (Getty Images)

Whitmer said in a statement I am proud to support Joe Biden as our nominee and I am behind him 100 percent in the fight to defeat Donald Trump. Not only do I believe Joe can win Michigan, I know he can because hes got the receipts.

With nearly every elected Democrat, including Whitmer, backing Biden as the presidential nominee, its hard to imagine if any of these potential names will come to fruition by November. Democrats are sticking and staying by Biden, despite his overall approval rate declining since he was first elected.

It seems the main objective for Democrats is to keep Trump out of office, and experts say Biden is the best candidate for that job.

For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
People who take Ozempic or Wegovy may have a higher risk of developing a rare form of blindness, a new study suggests. Still, doctors say it shouldnt deter patients from using the medicines to treat diabetes or obesity.

Last summer, doctors at Mass Eye and Ear noticed an unusually high number of patients with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, a type of eye stroke that causes sudden, painless vision loss in one eye.

The condition is relatively rare  up to 10 out of 100,000 people in the general population may experience it  but the doctors noted three cases in one week, and each of those patients was taking semaglutide medications.

A look back at six years of medical records showed that people with diabetes were more than four times more likely to be diagnosed NAION if they were taking a prescription semaglutide, and those who were overweight or obese were more than seven times more likely to experience the condition if they were taking the medication. The risk was found to be greatest within the first year of receiving a prescription for semaglutide.

The study, published Wednesday in the medical journal JAMA Ophthalmology, cannot prove that semaglutide medications cause NAION. And the small number of patients  an average of about 100 cases were identified each year  from one specialized medical center may not apply to a broader population.

Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of the only semaglutide medications in the US, emphasized that the data in the new study is not sufficient to establish a causal association between the use of semaglutide medications and NAION.

Patient safety is a top priority for Novo Nordisk, and we take all reports about adverse events from the use of our medicines very seriously, a company spokesperson wrote in an email to CNN.

Semaglutide prescriptions have soared in the US, which could raise the number of people at risk for a potential side effect. And NAION is the second-leading cause of optic nerve blindness after glaucoma.

But even with an increased risk, the condition remains relatively uncommon.

The use of these drugs has exploded throughout industrialized countries and they have provided very significant benefits in many ways, but future discussions between a patient and their physician should include NAION as a potential risk, lead researcher Dr. Joseph Rizzo, director of the neuro-ophthalmology at Mass Eye and Ear and a professor at Harvard Medical School, said in a news release. Our findings should be viewed as being significant but tentative, as future studies are needed to examine these questions in a much larger and more diverse population.

Experts agree that the potential risk of NAION should not deter the use of semaglutide medications to treat diabetes or obesity.

In the ever-changing landscape of systemic therapies, being vigilant for potential new disease associations is a duty we all share on behalf of patients, Susan Mollan, an ophthalmologist with the University Hospitals Birmingham in the UK wrote in a related commentary. But the large number of people who are taking semaglutide should raise confidence that the absolute risk of developing NAION as a result is rare.

The ways that semaglutides interact with the eyes are not entirely understood. And the exact cause of NAION is not known either. The condition causes damage to the optic nerve, but there is often no warning before vision loss.

Changes in blood sugar levels can affect the shape of an eyes lens and may affect vision, said Dr. Disha Narang, an endocrinologist and director of obesity medicine at Endeavor Health in Chicago. She was not involved in the new study.

And the use of semaglutides, which prompt the body to create more insulin to reduce blood sugar, has been previously linked to temporary vision changes  new or worsening cases of diabetic retinopathy, or damage to blood vessels at the back of the eye  likely related to the rapid improvement of blood sugars.

The US Food and Drug Administration-approved labels for both Ozempic and Wegovy include vision changes among potential side effects, and Novo Nordisk is exploring the link between semaglutide use and diabetic retinopathy in a trial which they expect to complete 2027.

Patient safety is paramount at the FDA and we continuously review available sources of data and new information on potential risks of drugs, including GLP-1 receptor agonists, and update labeling as needed to communicate new information on potential risks to healthcare providers and to patients as soon as possible, Chanapa Tantibanchachai, a press officer with the FDA, told CNN over email.

While there is a biologically plausible mechanism for a potential interaction, association is not causation and diabetes mellitus is a known risk factor for NAION, Dr. Andrew Lee, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and neuro-ophthalmologist at Houston Methodist Hospital, told CNN in an email. He was not involved in the new study.

For now, patients who are taking semaglutide or considering treatment should discuss the risks and benefits with their doctors, especially those who have other known optic nerve problems such as glaucoma or preexisting visual loss, experts say

It is important to consult with ophthalmology if patients experience visual changes, Narang said. It is important to make sure patients are consulting with physicians who are also comfortable prescribing semaglutide and talking through what may be clinically relevant versus irrelevant, and discussing benefits versus risks of long-term therapy.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The porn industry dropped its opposition to a California age-verification bill. Heres why

Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

BILL TO KEEP MINORS OFF PORN WEBSITES ADVANCES, ALBEIT IN WATERED DOWN FORM

A bill to push pornographic websites to implement age-verification software appears to still be on a glide path through the Legislature, after a hearing Tuesday in the Senate Judiciary Committee saw bipartisan support for it.

AB 3080 has been amended so that the required reasonable steps such websites must take to prevent minors from accessing them now includes metadata or response headers identifying the product as sexually explicit to parental control software, embedded hardware applications, and other similar services designed to block, filter, monitor or otherwise prevent a minors access to inappropriate online content, or that blocks users designated as minors by the operating system of the device used to access the website, according to the committee analysis of the bill.

The amendments also make it so only the California Attorney General can prosecute violations, and delays implementation til 2027.

Those amendments satisfied the porn industry-backed Free Speech Coalition, which withdrew its opposition from the bill. And it left dissatisfied the conservative California Family Council, which pointed out that most porn websites already voluntarily take such steps.

Still, bill author Assemblyman Juan Alanis, R-Modesto, called it a win.

Not so fast, though, argued representatives from the free speech group FIRE and the digital civil rights advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Greg Gonzalez, of FIRE, said that even the watered down version of the bill would violate the First Amendment, and he mentioned that a federal judge has already put a similar law in Indiana on pause over just such an issue.

Chao Jun Liu, of the EFF, said that this would lead to porn websites collecting users data  and the more data they collect, the greater the chance it falls into the hands of bad actors.

Those arguments did not sway the lawmakers on the committee, though. While the final vote tally was not available at deadline, all four lawmakers at the dais on Tuesday afternoon were an aye vote.

JUDGE COMBINES TIK TOK LAWSUITS, OPENING LEGAL BRIEF FILED

The conservative Liberty Justice Center this week fired its opening salvo in the legal battle to save the social media platform Tik Tok, which Congress voted to ban unless the Chinese-owned app is sold.

The Liberty Justice Center on Tuesday filed its opening brief in the case, arguing that the act does not make sense as an effort to protect data security (because) there are more effective means the government could use that would do more to protect Americans data while infringing much less on their First Amendment rights.

On the other hand, the act makes total sense as a means of accomplishing what many of its sponsors said they wanted: preventing the communication of certain ideas to its large audience, it added.

The Liberty Justice Center lawsuit is one of three such suits challenging the law. Tik Tok has also sued to block it from going into effect, as has a group of Tik Tok content creators.

A U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia judge has combined all three lawsuits into one case, which will be heard on Sept. 16.

According to the Liberty Justice Center, Tik Tok has requested a ruling by Dec. 6, in order to allow time for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case before the ban goes into effect.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Democrats know their constituents want an opportunity to vote on the initiative without interference. Direct democracy scares them  and so theyre going to try their best to thwart voters and preserve the status quo.

- Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, responding to legislative Democrats proposed measure to counter the ballot initiative to roll back Proposition 47.

Best of The Bee:

California Democrats got dragged into changing Prop. 47  even though many still oppose it, via Lindsey Holden .

Sacramento County stops delivering water to homeless as heat wave starts. Heres why, via Theresa Clift .

Why California GOP Senate nominee Steve Garvey wont be going to the Republican convention, via David Lightman .

California Attorney General warned police about license plate data law. Departments ignored him, via Stephen Hobbs and Tyler Dukes.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Severe storms moved through the Metro and most of the viewing area Tuesday night, packing heavy rain and a very significant amount of wind. In fact, we had observed wind gusts of 70-90 mph as storms ripped through Unity Village and Lees Summit. There were plenty of other problem areas around the Metro as well.

High wind created problems and outages in the Liberty area, as multiple damage reports came in around 7:50-8:15 PM Tuesday.

Previous reports came in farther west along I-635 near Riverside of overturned semi trucks, thanks to high wind accompanying storms.

These very localized high winds associated with thunderstorms are called microbursts.

Microbursts are very small areas in a thunderstorm where a strong push of rain-cooled air crashes into the ground and spreads out in all directions. When that cooler air crashes to the ground, the wind speeds can spike up for a few moments.

We can see evidence of these microbursts and downbursts on our Velocity pictures close to the radar.

Outside of the scattered microbursts Tuesday evening, additional widespread damaging wind was reported for a large section of our northeastern viewing area.

The storm threat for the rest of the night will go down, but rounds of non-severe heavy rain could cause flash flooding into very early Wednesday. A Flash Flood Warning has been posted until 2:30 AM for areas along 65 Highway northeast of KC.

More storms are expected Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday night, with another round of severe storms during portions of Thursday that could add to the water-logged soils around the Metro and pose another flooding threat.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Several top Democrats whose names have been floated as possible replacements for President Biden if he ends his reelection campaign are treading carefully and considering their own political futures as speculation over Bidens future ramps up.

Democratic figures including Vice President Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear have been rumored as possible replacements in recent days after Bidens poor debate performance last week.

However, all of them have been quick to declare their support for the incumbent even as some Democrats call for him to withdraw, reflecting the complex political reality they face as they look to potentially lead the party in 2028.

You can easily come across very poorly if you seem overanxious, said TJ Rooney, former chair of Pennsylvanias Democratic Party. Or youre sitting at the dining room table looking at the turkey but youre drooling from the mouth. Thats never a good look.

Many Democrats say the partys rising stars are handling themselves well so far.

Theyre handling this appropriately, said Jamal Simmons, Vice President Harriss former communications director. Everyone is for the president until the president makes another decision.

Harris is the obvious heir apparent to Biden should he ultimately choose to step down. Critics argue her low approval ratings could hurt Democrats chances, but a CNN poll released Tuesday found that Harris does better in a head-to-head match-up with Trump than Biden.

Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), a major Biden ally, said that while he is still standing behind the president, he would support Harris in the case that Biden stepped down.

This party should not in any way do anything to work around Ms. Harris. We should do everything we can to bolster her, whether its second place or at the top of the ticket, Clyburn told MSNBC on Tuesday.

Newsom, meanwhile, has been among the most prominent Democrats in the past few years, having gained a reputation as a fierce defender of Biden and for a willingness to spar with top Republicans throughout the country. His increasingly high profile raised some speculation early on in the 2024 cycle that he was interested in running for president if Biden stood down.

He has repeatedly denied any interest in running this year, regularly pointing to Biden as the Democrats nominee. He was one of the first Democrats to defend Biden in the spin room following the debate and has remained behind him since then.

Newsom said in a fundraising pitch Friday that all this other talk  an apparent reference to discussions of replacing Biden  is unhelpful and unnecessary.

You dont turn your back because of one performance. What kind of party does that? Newsom said in an interview on MSNBC after the debate.

Whitmer, another top rising star, has also been the source of speculation in recent days. In a statement in response to a Politico story reporting she called the Biden campaign to voice her support for the president but warned he could lose Michigan, the governor said she was fully behind the president.

I am proud to support Joe Biden as our nominee and I am behind him 100 percent in the fight to defeat Donald Trump, she said. Not only do I believe Joe can win Michigan, I know he can because hes got the receipts.

Whitmer, who was elected to her post in 2018, was among the women considered to serve as Bidens running mate in 2020. She has since shown her political strength, leading Michigans Democratic candidates to victory in what was supposed to be a tough year for the party in 2022. Additionally, Whitmer has launched her Fight Like Hell PAC, which supports Democrats running for federal office.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), also considered one of the partys most prominent rising stars, spent the weekend campaigning for Biden in the critical swing state of Wisconsin.

One of the sentiments that we got while we were in Wisconsin was kind of refreshing, one Maryland Democratic operative told The Hill. People in that state are still fired up.

Every room we went into was packed and, you know, honestly, really the only time we heard about the debate was from the reporters who were there, the operative said. The guy on the ground were just talking about how much Trump lies.

When asked by reporters in Wisconsin why he was supporting Biden following the debate, Moore noted that Biden had a tough debate, but no one can argue that Donald Trump had a good presidency.

This is a decision right now; this is a binary choice, Moore said, referring to the Biden-Trump match-up.

Some Democrats have also pointed to Josh Shapiro, another rising star and governor of the critical swing state of Pennsylvania, as a potential replacement.

While Shapiro acknowledged Biden had a bad debate, he is also staying in line and supporting the president.

However, the efforts come as Democrats and voters in general continue to voice concerns about Bidens mental acuity and ability to serve as president for another four years.

On Tuesday, Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first House Democrat to call on Biden to step down from the ticket. And postdebate polling has not been particularly promising for the incumbent.

Only a few polls have come out in the days following the debate, but the handful have shown Trump either maintaining his lead or gaining a few points over Biden

The same CNN poll released Tuesday showed 75 percent of registered voters said Democrats had a better chance of beating Trump with someone else as their candidate.

Also notable, a Saint Anselm College poll of New Hampshire showed Trump leading Biden by 2 points after its last poll of the state had Biden up by 10. The state has leaned Democratic in the most recent national elections, not voting for a Republican presidential candidate since 2004.

A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll showed no change in Trumps lead before and after the debate, but hes still ahead of Biden by 6 points in a match-up including the third-party and independent candidates.

The aftermath of Bidens performance coupled with some of the polling numbers that have come out havent done much to quell talks of other possible replacements for Biden.

And for the first time this cycle, many Democrats seem to be publicly acknowledge the possibility of a contested convention.

I expect President Biden will still be the nominee of the Democratic Party, Simmons said. If for some reason he is not the nominee of the Democratic Party, we should think very seriously about having a contested convention.

Simmons argued that a contested convention would allow Democrats to see the candidates, who have not consistently been on the campaign trail this cycle, in action.

If there are negatives about these candidates, it would be much more helpful to learn those negatives before the candidates are chosen than to leave it up to Donald Trump to reveal negatives about candidates later, he said.

When asked whether there was risk in having a competitive, contested convention, Simmons responded, everything is a risk.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
After the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many of our compatriots were forced to flee the war to the territory of the Russian Federation. Now they are being actively "hunted" by Russian special services.

ADVERTISIMENT

People are being "persuaded" to shoot videos in support of the "SMO" under pressure. The details were reported by the National Resistance Center.

"The Russian FSB is hunting Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homeland for Russia under various pretexts. During interrogations, Ukrainians are forced to record videos in support of the 'SMO' as part of an information campaign against our country to avoid problems," the statement said.

The NRC emphasized that the special services of the aggressor state are actually using Ukrainians as hostages.

"Such actions are another cynical crime of the Kremlin, which for the sake of its insane anti-human policy uses the grief of people who have been deprived of their homes and homeland by the Russian Federation," the Center added.

The Center also urged to report the FSB representatives involved in such interrogations so that they could be identified and brought to justice in the future.

ADVERTISIMENT

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden on Tuesday blamed jet lag from his recent travels overseas for his disastrous debate performance last week, even though he returned to the United States 12 days before taking the stage with former President Donald Trump.

Biden, facing immense pressure from Democrats following his poor debate showing, made the excuse while addressing donors at a campaign fundraiser in McLean, Virginia outside Washington.

"I didn't have my best night," Biden told supporters. "I wasn't very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple of times, going through I don't how many times zones.

"I didn't listen to my staff. And then I came back and I nearly fell asleep on stage," Biden said, prompting laughs from some of the donors. Its not an excuse but an explanation."

Biden then apologized to supporters, saying he was sorry for his June 27 debate performance, but stressed it was critical to win the election against Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.

Biden's remarks could invite even more scrutiny over whether the 81-year-old president is up to the rigorous traveling, packed schedules and other demands of a second term in the White House.

President Joe Biden gestures during a visit of the DC Emergency Operations Center in Washington, DC, July 2, 2024.

Leading up to the debate, Biden spent six days at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland preparing with White House aides. He arrived there on the night of June 20 and left the morning of June 27 for Atlanta, the site of the debate.

Biden was in Italy from June 12 to 14 to attend the Group of Seven nations summit, returned back to the U.S. early in the morning June 15, and immediately took Air Force One to Los Angeles to attend a glitzy Hollywood fundraiser. Biden returned to the White House on June 16, made a quick stop at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware home on June 18, and then went on to Camp David.

Biden was in France from June 5 to 9 to celebrate the 80th anniversary of D-day with allies and meet with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Biden has vowed he's not bowing out of the race despite growing concerns from Democrats, including on Tuesday from the first Democrat in Congress to call for him to withdraw, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas.

Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden blames overseas travel for poor debate: 'I nearly fell asleep'
On Tuesday night, President Joe Biden once again talked about his debate performance last week and how it wasnt very smart for him to travel heavily before the event. At a campaign fundraiser in McLean, Virginia, Biden attempted to explain his lackluster presence on the debate stage in Atlanta.

I decided to travel around the world a couple of times  shortly before the debate, Biden stated per NBC News. I didnt listen to my staff  and then I almost fell asleep onstage. Its not an excuse but an explanation. It is unclear if Biden was joking, as cameras are not allowed into his fundraisers.

A few of his aides had previously said that Biden had a cold during the debate. Bidens performance last Thursday received backlash as viewers questioned his ability to serve out another presidential term because of his age and mental sharpness (Biden is the oldest president in U.S. history at 81 years of age).

The First Lady, Jill Biden, has been encouraged and expected to critique her husband but has done the exact opposite. Last week, she praised Joes performance and reiterated that he answered every question and knew all the facts. Jill also reminded the audience that all Trump did was lie on stage.

On Friday (June 28), Biden first addressed concerns voters had over the debate. I know Im not a young man, Biden, 81, told his supporters in Raleigh, North Carolina. I dont walk as easy as I used to. I dont speak as smoothly as I used to. I dont debate as well as I used to, but I know what I do know  I know how to tell the truth!

The next presidential debate is expected to take place in September after both candidates formally accept their partys nomination.

For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Shes served more than three years as first lady, but after President Bidens stunningly shaky debate performance and subsequent calls for him to step down, Jill Biden  and her potential power  are suddenly being thrust into the spotlight like never before.

It seems to be a make-or-break moment for the president, and I would say that Jill Biden will be there at every turn, said Katherine Jellison, an expert on first ladies and professor of U.S. womens and gender history at Ohio University.

Bidens role in her husbands campaign and decisionmaking process came into sharper focus last week, following what even allies described as his disastrous debate against former President Trump in Atlanta.

The showing at the CNN debate, with the 81-year-old Biden stumbling over some answers and staring blankly at times, ignited a firestorm of renewed questions about his age and fitness for office. Prominent figures on both sides of the aisle and multiple newspaper editorial boards called for Biden to drop out of the race rather than face Trump, his 78-year-old opponent.

ATLANTA  JUNE 27: President Biden and first lady Jill Biden speak to supporters at a watch party for the presidential debate in Atlanta. President Biden and former President Trump faced off in the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Tasos Katopodis)

But Jill Biden, a Northern Virginia Community College professor who also sometimes doubles as her husbands defender in chief, made her support clear at an event held two days after the debate debacle.

Joe isnt just the right person for the job. Hes the only person for the job, she said at a New York campaign fundraiser.

She doubled down the next day in a phone interview with Vogue from Camp David, where the presidents family had reportedly gathered for a photo shoot and discussion.

We will continue to fight, Jill Biden said of the commander in chiefs political future in a cover story this week for the fashion magazines August issue.

President Biden, she said, will not let those 90 minutes define the four years hes been president and will always do whats best for the country.

GOP critics seized on the glossy spread  typically planned months in advance  which featured the first lady posing in a $5,000 Ralph Lauren Collection dress. The New York Post parodied the Vogue piece with its own cover that featured an unflattering photo of the president and the headline Vague.

Top Stories from The Hill

Since the debate, a chorus of conservative voices have targeted Jill Biden, saying the burden lies with her for the president staying in the race.

I no longer blame @POTUS Biden for not stepping aside. He no longer has the mental acuity to make important judgments about himself, billionaire investor Bill Ackman wrote on the social platform X.

It is becoming increasingly clear however that the fault lies with @FLOTUS Jill Biden, Ackman said.

The first lady, he argued, becomes irrelevant the moment her husband is no longer president, accusing Jill Biden of prioritizing what is best for herself over her husbands health and the safety and security of the country at large.

The Drudge Report splashed an all-caps headline across its front page in the aftermath of the debate, declaring Cruel Jill clings to power.

But Michael LaRosa, her former press secretary, pushed back at the first ladys critics, saying Its really unfair to put the burden on her. Shes his spouse. Shes not a politician.

Its not up to her to save the Democratic Party, said LaRosa, who is now with the lobbying firm Ballard Partners.

If the party is nervous about their prospects, they need to talk to the president and his political advisers, but not his spouse, LaRosa said.

Jellison, the Ohio University historian, said most of the criticism against presidential spouses is still based in a lot of sexist notions about women being the power behind the throne.'

If political opponents dont like a situation, they can portray a first lady as sort of a Lady Macbeth character, the author said.

On the other hand, if people like what a first lady is doing, they can always say, Oh, look, shes standing by her man  the dutiful spouse. So I think a lot of commentary regarding first ladies, pro and con, is based in a lot of old-fashioned thinking about the role of a female spouse, Jellison said.

Elizabeth Alexander, the first ladys communications director, told ITK that theres an inherent tension for all first ladies  one that might be familiar to many women in their lives  you are supportive, but cant be so supportive that your motives are questioned.

Women constantly deal with the delicate balance of speaking up, but not too loudly; do your job well, but do it silently, otherwise youre too ambitious or power-hungry. Society has put all first ladies, including Dr. Biden, in an impossible situation  with Twitter/X magnifying this on steroids in todays world, Alexander said.

Asked this week if the first lady is the only person who could convince President Biden to drop out, one Democratic lobbyist and donor told ITK, Its my view, yes. Maybe his sister [Valerie Biden].

I dont think it gets beyond that, added the source, who asked to remain anonymous. Somebody in the next circle out. The inner circle is fully the family. The next circle out of Ron Klain, Steve Ricchetti, Bruce Reed, Mike Donilon  those people would be influential in organizing whatever the next step is.

The president has plenty of political and policy advisers  thats never been her role, Alexander, who also works as the deputy assistant to the president, said of Jill Biden.

At her core, said Alexander, she sees being first lady as an act of service. She wants to be the best first lady she can be, for the American people.

Navigating the political world is hardly uncharted territory for Jill Biden, who tied the knot with her husband, then a Delaware senator, in 1977. Over the years, shes crisscrossed the country as a surrogate for her other half, supporting his agenda, campaigns and career while continuing her work as an educator.

Jill Biden has noted shes sometimes taken matters  and Sharpies  into her own hands when trying to get her message across to her husband.

In her 2019 memoir, Where the Light Enters, she recalled how a group of Democratic Party leaders arrived at her doorstep in 2003 to try to persuade her spouse to launch a White House bid.

They sat themselves down in our living room and spoke to Joe for hours about how he was the only one who could take on President [George W.] Bush. Meanwhile, I was sitting at the pool in my swimsuit, fuming, she wrote.

We had already decided that we werent running, but people kept insisting on having these meetings with him. So, as party advisors gamed out their strategy for a theoretical run for president, my temper got the best of me, Biden said.

I decided I needed to contribute to this conversation. As I walked through the kitchen, a Sharpie caught my eye. I drew NO on my stomach in big letters, and marched through the room in my bikini. Needless to say, they got the message, she wrote.

Going back to Dolley Madison in the 1810s, first ladies have traditionally played the role of close presidential adviser, Jellison said.

Whats unique is to have a president this old, and his age being a major issue, and having the first lady advise a president perhaps beyond the political, but advise on health concerns and concerns about historical reputation, she said.

Yet the position Jill Biden may find herself in isnt unprecedented. Eleanor Roosevelt had to have known how ill her husband [President Franklin D. Roosevelt] was, and still apparently advised him to go on for that fourth campaign, according to Jellison.

When Woodrow Wilson was in his second term and suffered a debilitating stroke in 1919, Jellison said, wife, Edith Wilson, worked to advise him to keep going in office, not to, for instance, resign and let the vice president take over.

After more than four decades together, the Bidens operate as a unit in championing each other, say those whove worked closely with them.

First and foremost, shes his wife  of 47 years. Shes been with him through rebuilding a family, two aneurysms, three presidential campaigns, six Senate campaigns, the loss of their son, the heartbreak and grief of family addiction, the brutal 2019 campaign, and running against Donald Trump during COVID in 2020, Alexander said. To say theyve been in foxholes together doesnt even begin to explain their bond.

As much as any husband and wife team make decisions together that impact their lives, they absolutely do, but as shes said more times than I can count  politics is his lane. She supports his career, and he supports hers, Alexander said.

Shes supportive when he makes decisions or when they make decisions together that impact her and the family, LaRosa said. Once they make the decisions, they support each other through them.

Theyre clearly deciding to continue [in the race], and shes going to be a relentless supporter and backer of his, LaRosa said.

When President Biden was weighing whether to run for reelection in February 2023, Jill Biden  who made history as the first presidents spouse to hold a full-time job outside the White House  described taking her cues from him and endorsing whichever path he took.

Its Joes decision, she said in an interview with CNN. And we support whatever he wants to do. If hes in, were there. If he wants to do something else, were there too.

That same month, President Biden was asked if hed be seeking another term.

Let me ask you the question everyone is asking: Are you running? ABC Newss David Muir asked the president.

Well apparently someone interviewed my wife today, he replied.

I gotta call her and find out, he quipped.

Alex Gangitano 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.
TORONTO (Reuters) - Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters cleared out tents and tarps on Wednesday from a fenced-off grassy area on the campus of Canada's largest university, where for two months they had held an encampment, ahead of an evening deadline.

In a ruling on Tuesday, an Ontario judge ordered the protesters to leave by 6 p.m. on Wednesday (2200 GMT), granting an injunction requested by the University of Toronto. The judge said in this case free expression was no defence to trespass.

"We are leaving on our terms to protect our community," said Mohammad Yassin, a recent University of Toronto graduate, a Palestinian and a spokesman for the protesters, to a crowd of supporters and reporters outside the former encampment site.

He added the occupation through the school's convocation period was "a massive victory."

The protesters had been calling on the University of Toronto to disclose its investments, divest from investments associated with the Israeli occupation and cut ties with some Israeli-affiliated institutions.

"Negotiations have been frozen for a little while now," Yassin said.

University of Toronto President Meric Gertler said in a statement Wednesday he was pleased the encampment had ended peacefully.

"Members of our community continue to be free to exercise their right to free speech and lawful protest," he said.

(Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; Editing by Sonali Paul)
(NewsNation)  If former Republican President Donald Trump wins the presidency in November, conservative groups aim to implement a wide-ranging plan to dismantle federal government agencies.

A nearly 1,000-page handbook from conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, and what they say is a broad coalition of other organizations, offers details on how to implement Project 2025.

Authors of Project 2025 say its a guide on what the next president needs to do so they can undo the damage to America they claim has been caused by liberal politicians. Critics, though, say Project 2025 is extremist, authoritarian and even dystopian.

Supreme Court grants Trump immunity for official acts

What is Project 2025?

Essentially, the Project 2025 handbook acts as a manual for the next Republican president, detailing ways to reshape and give the executive branch more power.

Spencer Chretien, right, talks to a young fairgoer at the Project 2025 tent at the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 14, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

We need to flood the zone with conservatives, Paul Dans, director of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project and a former Trump administration official, said, according to the Associated Press.

Building off four pillars  a policy agenda, personnel, training, and a 180-day playbook  Project 2025 organizers plan to pave the way for an effective conservative administration.

The plan hinges on the election of a Republican president and uses Trumps Schedule F policy, which was ended by Biden, to reclassify tens of thousands of federal workers as political appointees to try and enable mass dismissals. However, Trumps campaign has previously said he sets his own priorities and that outside groups dont speak for him.

Who could be Democratic nominee if Biden drops out?

A main component is the firing of as many as 50,000 federal workers who conservative groups say will get in the way of his agenda. Under Project 2025, agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education would be eliminated, and others, like the Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission, and Justice Department, would be put under the presidents control.

A so-called top-to-bottom overhaul of the Department of Justice would end FBI efforts to stop misinformation. The Pentagon would abolish diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives if Project 2025 is adopted, and service members discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine would be reinstated.

When it comes to social issues such as abortion, Project 2025 calls for restricting the procedure through a limit on mail-order pills and penalizing providers; other health care services and social services like Medicare and Social Security would be scaled back and privatized as well. Many of the Biden administrations climate change policies would be reversed through Project 2025, and more focus would be placed on the fossil fuel industry.

What have people said about Project 2025?

Experts the Associated Press spoke to warned of dire consequences should Project 2025 come to fruition. Bringing back Schedule F could create chaos in the civil service, Mary Guy, a professor of public administration at the University of Colorado Denver, said. Doreen Greenwald, the national president of the National Treasury Employees Union, expressed fears that federal employees would be seen as the enemy.

It frightens me, Guys said. We have a democracy that is at risk of suicide. Schedule F is just one more bullet in the gun.

U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., warned that Americans dont understand just how far down the road to a dystopic, right-wing theocracy we are right now.

In a June news release, he characterized Project 2025 as a far-right roadmap for Donald Trump to seize supreme powers and radically undermine reproductive rights, LGBTQ equality, racial justice, free speech, and other democratic institutions and freedoms.

Space car pulled over on Missouri highway comes in peace

A Project 2025 spokesperson rejected these criticisms in a statement to NewsNation partner The Hill, saying they are simply projection and that it is Biden who is abusing his executive power.

Even some former Trump supporters, however, echoed criticisms about government overreach brought up by Democrats.

Hed continually be trying to exceed his authority, but the sycophants would go along with it, John F. Kelly, Trumps second White House chief of staff, said in the New York Times. He, like Guy, characterized the idea as chaotic.

It would be a nonstop gunfight with the Congress and the courts, Kelly said.

What are Democrats doing to counter Project 2025?

Democrats like Huffman are now making moves to try and combat some of the measures listed in Project 2025.

Huffman, The Hill wrote, is spearheading an effort called the Stop Project 2025 Task Force made up of prominent Democrats with various policy focuses. Groups such as Accountable US and the Center for American Progress will coordinate with the task force to get their messaging together ahead of Novembers elections. Their strategy, Huffman said in June, will likely consist of a series of public forums.

Politico last week reported on Third Way, which says its launching a talent bank to stock a Biden administration, or another Democratic government, with political hires that fit its brand. It will also create a venture fund to seed politically simpatico groups, per Politico. The centrist Democratic think tank calls this the Moderate Power Project.

Were ensuring that center-left Democrats have a seat at the table, said Destine Hicks-Lundy, a former Biden White House staffer who recently joined Third Way.

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.
Sarasota City Commissioner Kyle Battie called criticism of him a public lynching as his fellow board members boosted his legal defense another $10,000 in city funds at a Monday meeting.

Battie thanked each commissioner by name for their support after Sarasota Circuit Judge Stephen Walker agreed last month to dismiss the defamation lawsuit against him by local activist Kelly Franklin. Battie publicly accused Franklin of referring to him earlier this year with a racial epithet in a Facebook post.

Walker ruled that since Battie made his accusation against Franklin during a City Commission meeting, his comments were protected by absolute immunity for a public official.

Franklin maintains that the commissioners accusation was a hoax aimed to destroy her credibility. The nexus of the legal dispute was not to litigate whether the post was real, but if Batties comments were protected by his role in an elected capacity.

City Attorney Robert Fournier told the commission that because the judge concluded Battie acted in his official scope, they had a legal obligation to cover his fees. The city has now agreed to pay his legal costs up to $25,000.

Batties defense firm  Bentley Goodrich Kison  has so far billed him over $26,000. The city will now cover the first $25,000 and its insurer will cover the rest, for now. Future payments of public funds to Batties defense will be up to the commission.

City Commissioner Battie calls actions "shameful"

Battie agreed to reimburse the city if he can recoup attorneys fees in court. The commissioner criticized Franklin for her lawsuit, characterized himself as a victim and claimed that he and his family have been attacked over it.

But thats neither here nor there, Battie said at the meeting. This is what comes with the territory and its shameful whats going on as she continues to pursue this. This is on her. Its not on us, its not on me, its not on my character.

Sarasota City Commissioner Kyle Battie speaks at a Juneteenth event last month.

Although the commissioner did not mention Franklin by name, her name was clear on the alleged post he raised at a commission meeting.

The original post, Franklin's attorney Richard Harrison said in an earlier statement, was about a safari trip his client had taken and posted about last December. Harrison obtained text messages through a public records request that he presented at a commission meeting early this year. One texted showed that Battie texted himself a screenshot of Franklins original post on Dec. 20, 2023  less than a month before the commissioner made his accusations.

In his closing remarks Monday, Battie said accusations by Harrison that he knew about Franklins original post were false.

To sit here and lie and say I knew this, and I knew that  you dont know what I knew, Battie said.

Ron Kashden, Franklins husband and a candidate for the City Commission challenging Mayor Liz Alpert, spoke at the meetings public comment. He urged the commissioners to institute a effective, pragmatic code of conduct for commissioners to prevent what he said were Batties knowingly false comments about his wife.

City Commissioner Erik Arroyo defended Battie and his immunity as a public official during his closing statement at the meeting. He said no amount of regulation by of the commission of their behavior can trump the absolute immunity Florida law afford them.

Its not our job to be arbiters of this, its our job to honor what has been given by the state of Florida, which is absolute immunity for taking the daggers that we take here as elected officials.

Harrison told the Herald-Tribune that he will file an amended complaint to Walker on Tuesday but is looking ahead toward the appeals process. The attorney said there are two basic facts of the case he cannot change: That Battie is an elected official and that his statements came during a public meeting.

If those two facts alone are enough to get the immunity, theres nothing I can do about that. Harrison said. Well have to go up to a higher court and try to change the law.

Christian Casale covers local government for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Contact him at ccasale@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @vanityhack

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Lawsuit against Kyle Battie likely headed toward appeal
Members of the New Hanover Community Endowment, from left to right, Bill Cameron, Shannon Winslow and Lakesha McDay, answered questions from the public at the endowment's public information session on June 26 at GLOW Academy.

Affordable housing and education were two of the main issues the New Hanover Community Endowment's board members addressed during a public information session in June.

New Hanover County community members as well as local government officials gathered at GLOW Academy, a girl's leadership academy in Wilmington, to hear an update from the organization that was created after the sale of the county-owned New Hanover Regional Medical Center to Novant Health in 2020.

The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners invested nearly $1.3 billion to form the endowment, which funds organizations that strengthen the county through education, equity, community safety and community development.

Here's a look at the endowment's current priorities, the search for a new chief executive officer and concerns from the public.

Affordable housing

The endowment, which is about two years into its work, has created an affordable housing plan that will focus on investing in three different areas -- stabilization, production and capital.

For stabilization, the endowment will focus on funding based on core operating support and capacity building that will reduce resident displacement. The second area focuses funding based on production and rehabbing existing units to produce rental and homeownership units. The third area -- capital -- focuses on forming a cohort of housing experts and building impact investment fund recommendation.

About 35% of New Hanover County residents are choosing between housing and other basic needs, according to Terri Burhans, an endowment network officer leading the strategy.

Burhans said the goal is to relieve the burden on county residents.

"What you'll see from the endowment is you'll see investments being made in ways to increase income through workforce development and ways to reduce expenses," Burhans said.

Burhans said this is just the first step and that the endowment aims to make affordable housing a long-term priority as the need is unprecedented, not just in the county and the state, but in the country.

Support for New Hanover County Schools

New Hanover County Schools, which has been struggling with a $20 million budget shortfall going into the 2024-25 school year, will be receiving a grant from the endowment for a total of $8.7 million, which is $2.9 million each year for three years.

The funding will go toward providing 26 literacy facilitators, with one in each elementary school. The funding will also include two Pre-K teachers and teacher assistants.

Lakesha McDay, executive vice president of programs and operations, said the grant is an innovative approach that directly aligns with the endowment's education pillar and 2023-25 strategic plan.

About the endowment

The endowment board is made up of 13 members. The endowment is responsible for appointing two, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners is responsible for appointing five and the hospital board is responsible for appointing six.

Bill Cameron is the board chair, while Shannon Winslow is the vice chair. Other board members include Jack Barto, Chris Boney, Spence H. Broadhurst, Cedric Dickerson, Patrick Maguire, Khadijia Tribie Reid, Mary Lyons Rouse, Edelmira Segovia, David Harriss Sprunt, Stedman Stevens and Woody White.

There are nine staff members who facilitate the day-to-day operations of the endowment currently.

Search for a new CEO

The endowment kicked off its search for a new CEO in May after its original CEO, William Buster, resigned in February. The board appointed McDay to handle the day-to-day roles and responsibilities of the CEO in the meantime.

Board Vice Chair Shannon Winslow said the endowment has been using Moss + Ross, an executive search firm, and that it is the board's intent to have a new CEO in place by late summer.

Public's concerns

Board chair Bill Cameron, Winslow and McDay took questions from the audience and answered a number of concerns that community members had, one of those being transparency.

Healing Our People's Endowment, an organization led by former mayor and state senator Harper Peterson, was present at the information session and has been outspoken about the endowment's lack of transparency and community inclusion as well as the privatization of public funds.

Here are some of the questions the public had:

Why did New Hanover Community Endowment invest so much money in the nursing talent pipeline? Cameron said the endowment invested because the nursing shortage is a nationwide and worldwide problem and it affects the ability to offer health equity throughout the community. He said the efforts the endowment made to increase the number of healthcare workers is to be able to help provide for the health of the local community through partnerships with Cape Fear Community College, the University of North Carolina Wilmington and New Hanover County Schools.

What steps is New Hanover Community Endowment taking to increase transparency? Cameron said the endowment has two of the public information sessions per year and the endowment's Community Advisory Council works in the community with members in the nonprofit sector. He said the endowment has heard the public about transparency concerns, and the board has been discussing ways to improve.

What steps will New Hanover Community Endowment board take to insist on diversity of its members and staff? Winslow said the board and staff members have diversity of experience -- that being professional experience and lived experience -- as well as racial diversity. She said the board believes that diversity brings value.

The New Hanover Community Endowment has been without a CEO for five-and-a-half months. How does the staff of a $1.3 billion endowment perform without essential leadership? Cameron said that McDay, who has led the day-to-day operations while the board looks for a new CEO, is a well-trained, well-experienced and extremely talented leader and that the organization's mission, vision and values haven't wavered. McDay said that every day endowment staff members come to work for the people of New Hanover County, and because of that, they couldn't afford to stop because they didn't have a CEO.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: New Hanover Community Endowment priorities and CEO search
Publisher sentenced for sex crimes weeks before historic Mississippi newspapers went under

The publisher of two historic newspapers that went out of business last week was sentenced to prison just weeks before for receiving convictions for sex crimes involving a minor.

Zachary Wes Buckley, the son of the owners of the newspaper company, was arrested in November of 2023.

What was publisher sentenced for?

In April, Buckley, 49, was sentenced in federal court for luring a 16-year-old victim in Missouri to meet him at a hotel for illicit sexual activity. Buckley pleaded guilty to one count of enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

Buckley and the child victim began communicating in an online chat room in January 2023 then moved their conversations to GoogleChat, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. The chats, which included sexually explicit conversations, photos and videocams, led to plans to meet in person. Buckley traveled to Columbia (Mo.) on Jan. 30, 2023, and met the child victim at a local park. He then drove to a Columbia hotel, where he engaged in sexual intercourse with the child, the U.S. Attorney's Office stated.

Buckley had been the publisher of two century-old weekly newspapers in Mississippi that closed their doors last week.

Historic Mississippi newspapers shut down

The Jasper County News and the Smith County Reformer, owned by Buckley Newspapers Inc., closed for financial reasons. The company also owned a publication called Impact, which was also shuttered.

The Jasper County News and the Smith County Reformer, owned by Buckley Newspapers Inc., closed last week. The company also owned a publication called Impact, which was also shuttered.

The company also was forced to lay off 11 full-time employees.

"I'm just kind of taking it day by day," Kevan Lindsey, former general manager for Buckley Newspapers, told the Clarion Ledger on Monday. "I got a call from our H.R. that we weren't projected to make payroll. I went and talked to our company lawyer and he advised that we close immediately."

According the Lindsey, the Smith County paper was originally established in 1897 while Jasper County paper dated as far back as 1891 under a couple of different titles.

Were the sentencing and closings related?

When contacted Tuesday, Lindsey said by text the arrest and sentencing had nothing to do with the closing of the newspapers.

"He had stepped down months before," Lindsey said. "It was not this issue."

More details

Buckley Newspapers Inc., was formed in 1967 by Frank Buckley and his son, Ronnie. Frank Buckley, an attorney and college professor, was inducted into the Mississippi Press Association Hall of Fame for his contributions to journalism in Mississippi prior to his death in 1998. Ronnie Buckley passed away in December 2022, and his wife, Carolyn Buckley was acting president.

New businesses slated for Madison: New businesses announced for Village at Madison. See what they are

Sold: Mississippi Business Journal sold. See who bought it

However, Zachary Wes Buckley had been acting as publisher as his mother had been suffering from cancer.

Zachary Wes Buckley was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 16 years in federal prison without parole.

According to records, Buckley pleaded guilty on Nov. 7, 2023, to one count of enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

"Buckley admitted that he traveled to Columbia and rented a room at a local hotel, where he had sex with the child victim," a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office announced.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriffs Department, and the Jasper County, Mississippi, Sheriffs Department.

Lindsey said when he came on board in 2020, the newspaper group was already as much as $700,000 in debt.

He also said two of the three publications were profitable in 2022 and 2023, but it wasn't enough to close the financial gap.

Ross Reily can be reached by email at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter @GreenOkra1.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi newspaper publisher sentenced for sex crimes before Jasper County News, Smith County Reformer closed
By Pavel Mikheyev

ASTANA (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping hailed their Eurasian security club on Wednesday as a force for global stability at a summit of the regional body, which is seen by Moscow and Beijing as a tool to counter Western influence.

Putin and the Chinese president have expanded the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a club founded in 2001 with Russia, China and Central Asian nations, to include India, Iran and Pakistan as a counterweight to the West.

"The organisation has firmly established itself as one of the key pillars of a fair, multipolar world order," Putin said, adding that bilateral ties between Moscow and Beijing were at their best in history.

"Our cooperation is not aimed against anyone, we are not creating any blocs or alliances, we are just acting in the interests of our peoples," Putin said.

In his opening remarks, Xi told Putin that China and Russia should "uphold the original aspiration of friendship for generations" in response to an "ever-changing international situation".

Calling Putin an "old friend", Xi alluded to the progress the two countries had made in putting in place "plans and arrangements for the next development of bilateral relations".

The Kremlin said Putin had held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the SCO summit, which is taking place in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, and ends on Thursday.

The SCO promotes common approaches to external security threats such as drug trafficking and also focuses on countering any domestic instability.

Ahead of his meeting with Xi, Putin met Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the presidents of Azerbaijan and Mongolia, Ilham Aliyev and Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh.

India said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is expected in Moscow later this month, would not attend the Astana gathering, sending Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar instead.

'NO LIMITS' PARTNERSHIP

China and Russia declared a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing, days before he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. Since then, Xi and Putin have deepened relations.

Xi and Putin believe the U.S-dominated post-Cold War era is crumbling. The U.S. casts China as its biggest competitor and Russia as its biggest nation-state threat. U.S. President Joe Biden says this century will be defined by an existential contest between democracies and autocracies.

At last year's virtual summit, the group criticised what it called the negative impact of "unilateral and unlimited expansion of global missile defence systems by certain countries or groups of countries", without directly referring to NATO expansion or Western military assistance to Ukraine.

In a move that highlighted Beijing's pragmatic economy- driven approach, Xi presided over a ceremony on Wednesday with his Kazakh counterpart just hours before meeting Putin, to mark the departure of a fresh batch of cargo along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.

The route, also known as the Middle Corridor, starts in southeast Asia and China, runs through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and further to Europe. It has been heavily promoted by the West as an alternative to Asia-Europe land transit via Russia.

Belarus will attend the Astana summit for the first time as a full member of the SCO, the Kremlin said. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also expected to attend the Astana gathering.

(Writing by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne and Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow; Additional reporting by Joe Cash in Beijing; Editing by Himani Sarkar, Lincoln Feast, Timothy Heritage, Sharon Singleton and Gareth Jones)
Hollywood actor Tom Cruise, best known for producing and starring in the Mission: Impossible series of films, has been a staple in the acting community for 43 years. He was first seen on the screens back in 1981 in the little-known movie Endless Love, and now fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the eighth installment of the world-famous action-adventure franchise.

ADVERTISIMENT

Tom Cruise has had such a lightning-fast career that he even received recognition from Prince William of Wales. In particular, Forbes named him one of the highest paid Hollywood actors. The 62-year-old star celebrates his birthday on July 3, so OBOZ.UA decided to recall the most memorable films with his participation.

Rain Man (1988)

Tom Cruise plays the role of Charlie Babbitt, a young and selfish businessman who learns that his father, with whom he was in a quarrel, has died and left his entire fortune to his second son Raymond, whom Charlie had never even known existed. Raymond is autistic with extraordinary math skills but limited social skills, so the protagonist initially sees him as a means to get the inheritance. But gradually, Charlie begins to understand and appreciate his brother, which changes his attitude to life and the people around him.

ADVERTISIMENT

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

The film is based on the story "A Dream Novel" by Austrian writer Arthur Schnitzler. The film stars Tom Cruise (Dr. Bill Hartford) and Nicole Kidman (his wife Alice), who were real-life spouses at the time.

The plot of the movie revolves around a shocking discovery of deeply held desires and secrets. After his wife Alice confesses to having erotic fantasies about another man, Bill is plunged into a world of secret sexual rituals and begins to rethink his own ideas about fidelity.

ADVERTISIMENT

The Last Samurai (2003)

The plot revolves around an American military officer Nathan Algren, who fought in the American Civil War and was drawn into the conflict in Japan. His task is to help the Japanese government suppress the uprising of samurai who oppose modernization and Western influence. It is then that the protagonist, played by Tom Cruise, begins to understand and respect the culture and code of honor of the samurai, changing his views and finding a new meaning in life.

ADVERTISIMENT

War of the Worlds (2005)

In the movie War of the Worlds, Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning play the role of father Ray Ferrier and his daughter Rachel, who are trying to escape from aliens who have come to Earth to destroy humans.

When the alien machines start destroying everything in their path, Ray takes on the responsibility of saving his children. Throughout the movie, he does his best to protect them and find a safe place.

Oblivion (2013)

The film tells the story of a distant future in which the Earth has become uninhabitable and people have moved beyond the clouds. The film stars Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, Morgan Freeman and Andrea Riseborough.

ADVERTISIMENT

Tom Cruise plays the role of Jack Harper, one of the last people left on Earth after the planet was destroyed by a war with aliens. The movie takes place in 2077 when most of humanity has been evacuated to Titan. Jack works as a technician who maintains the drones that protect the huge resource-gathering machines on the devastated Earth. Then he begins to have dreams about a woman he has never seen before in his life.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Kyiv has been told that, before it can join Nato, it must fix its problems with corruption. These are very real: the latest Corruption Perceptions Index ranks Ukraine below Belarus and Kazakhstan. But that is not the true reason why there will be no good news on accession for Zelensky at Natos 75th anniversary summit in Washington next week.

The simple reality is that very few in Nato wants to let Ukraine in, despite endless platitudes including a declaration by the North Atlantic Council at Vilnius last year that Ukraines future is in Nato. There has been discussion about taking that further at the July summit, but Joe Biden vehemently opposes anything more than the meaningless formulation of a well-lit bridge to Nato membership. The best he is willing to do is sweeten the pill with a 10-year bilateral defence pact that changes very little and, tellingly, is cancellable with six months notice.

We have seen Sweden and Finland become Nato members in the blink of an eye and with no need for any kind of a bridge. That wont happen for Ukraine. With Putins battles raging, all of the member states know that they would effectively be at war with Russia from the moment of Ukrainian accession.

Zelensky has been pressing for a solid guarantee of Nato membership after the war. But when will that be? Putin is not going to withdraw his forces, and without a surge of Western military support at a scale not so far contemplated by the West, Ukraine will not be able to push them out. That leaves an endless war or a frozen conflict at best. Whether the latter results from a negotiated settlement or battlefield paralysis, it will certainly re-ignite while Putin or anyone like him occupies the Kremlin. Well aware of that harsh reality, which Nato leader is going to sign up his countrys young men and women to fight against Russia at an unknown point in the future and potentially within his own electoral cycle?

Putin has drawn us into a trap which damns Nato if it accepts Ukraine and damns it if it doesnt. According to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Nato is the most powerful and successful alliance in history. But its overriding purpose is deterrence and despite all of its economic and military power, far greater than Moscows, it failed to deter Russia. Putin understood that application of strength is entirely dependent on moral and political will. His perception of the Wests weakness in those areas was amplified by Bidens ignominious withdrawal from Afghanistan just months before he invaded, not to mention appeasement of Iranian aggression since the start of his presidency.

Putins war compelled the West to respond by providing unprecedented military, economic and diplomatic support as well as undertakings by Nato and its members to stand beside Ukraine for as long as it takes. That created the appearance of a cast iron bond with Kyiv, effectively an alliance. But at the same time Putins calculated threats of escalation deterred the US and the rest of Nato from going far enough to enable their allys victory.

There will be celebrations at the Nato summit about how the war has strengthened Nato, with its two new members and supposed increases in defence spending, but they will fall flat because the opposite is true. If Ukraine does not achieve victory because the alliance has failed to supply what is needed to defend a friendly neighbouring democracy then it will be another defeat for NATO. And if it is unwilling to have Ukraine as a member for fear of being drawn into direct conflict with Russia, then how likely is it that American, French, German or British leaders will be willing to send their sons and daughters to fight and die for the sovereignty of Poland or the Baltic States, even though they are Nato members?

Putin is not going to curb his imperialist ambitions in Europe, and nor will Xi Jinping in Asia or Ali Khamanei in the Middle East. To deter and, if necessary, confront these despots we need an alliance of democracies who dont just have military power but also the real and perceived will to use it. Nato leaders would be well advised to take time at their summit to contemplate that dilemma and how their refusal to have Ukraine as a member impacts on the alliances credibility.

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.
Then-U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a joint press conference after their summit on July 16, 2018 in Helsinki, Finland. The two leaders met one-on-one and discussed a range of issues including Russia's 2016 U.S Election interference. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images.)

Few westerners know what a bad guy Vladimir Putin is better than Bill Browder  or what its like to get on the Russian autocrats bad side. And Browder says that Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vances positions regarding Russia sound eerily like Putins own.

Browder is the co-founder of Hermitage Capital Management, and was declared a threat to Russian national security after taking on large Russian companies and exposing fraud and abuse.

Browders is an accusation that Vance  who is one of former President Donald Trumps most likely choices as running mate  is reluctant to directly address.

Among his heartless acts, Putin banned Americans from adopting sick and disabled Russian orphans as revenge for legislation Browder championed allowing travel bans and asset seizures of Russian oligarchs who commit human rights abuses.

Browder pushed for the legislation after Putins government imprisoned his lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, on trumped-up charges, tortured him, and beat him to death. The two had uncovered $230 million worth of tax fraud in Russia.

Putins bad acts are hardly limited to stealing from the Russian people, laundering the money around the world, and killing whistleblowers.

Russia also jailed prominent Americans on questionable grounds. They include WNBA star Brittney Griner and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was hauled into the dock last week for a secret trial on allegations that he had engaged in espionage  charges the U.S. government strenuously disputes.

And Putins Russian opponents have a funny way of showing up dead.

Earlier this year, Alexei Navalny, Putins top political rival, died in priosn under suspicious circumstances. Last year, a plane carrying Yvegeny Pregozhin mysteriously crashed after he led a brief mutiny over the war in Ukraine. They were two in a long line of poisonings, beatings and incarcerations of those who dare challenge Putin or simply criticize him in the public square.

Putin also has cultivated ties with Iran, a state sponsor of terror, provided military support to Syria, whose dictator gassed his own people, and hes cozied up to China, which scores abysmally on measures of individual freedom.

Putin helped Hungarian authoritarian Victor Orban rise to power, and hes supported other anti-democratic leaders as hes flooded disinformation into the politics of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and other nations.

And he invaded Ukraine on outlandish claims that the Russian army is fighting Nazis there.

Then in late June, Putin signed a mutual-defense pact with North Korea, creating an opening for Russia to give dictator Kim Jung Un technology that would enable him to land a nuclear weapon on the United States. Thats disturbing, especially when you consider that ours is a country Kim has suggested he would thoroughly annihilate.

Defining differences

Putin and his allies have something in common, Browder said. They all want to undermine democracy because it threatens their power.

Its absolutely what Vladimir Putin wants to do, he said in an interview this spring. But its not just Vladimir Putin. The Chinese want to do it, too. The Iranians want to do it. The North Koreans want to do it. Basically, we have this huge, open flank because we have free speech, liberal democracy, and opportunities to present opposing views.

For his part, Vance concedes that Putin is a bad guy. But hes adamantly opposed to U.S. support for Ukraine as it tries to resist Putins 2022 invasion. In February he said, Im much more interested in some of the problems in East Asia right now than I am in Europe.

Vance also opposes the REPO Act, which would allow the United States to seize Russian government assets here and use them to support Ukraine. When Vance said it could have dire consequences for the West, Browder accused Vance of parroting Putins line.

When I worked on the Magnitsky Act in 2012, it passed the Senate 92-4, Browder posted on X in April. I joked afterwards that there was no pro Putin torture-and-murder lobby in Washington. Im afraid to say that times have changed. Senator JD Vance is now parroting Putins exact words claiming that seizing Russian frozen assets would lead to catastrophe. Not only is he plain wrong, but we have to question his motivations. I sincerely hope that no one gives him any currency in advance of the vote on the REPO Act on Saturday.

Asked repeatedly to comment on the accusation, Vances office declined to respond on the record.

The junior senator from Ohios commitment to democracy raises questions of its own.

Vance has said that if he was in Mike Pences position on Jan. 6, 2020, he would have delayed certifying the election  an act that would have thrown the nation into chaos and cast our democracy into doubt.

You cant have a democracy unless both sides say theyll accept the result of an election. But all Vance will say about the coming November election is that hell respect the result only if we have a free and fair election.

Just as in 2020, if Trump loses again, he and his allies seem certain to flood the zone with false claims of election fraud.

Bitter history

Browders conflicts with Putin stretch back to the 2000s, when Browders hedge fund was embarrassing the power in Russia by identifying massive corruption and the undervalued assets it created. In 2008, he, Magnitsky and the rest of his team at Hermitage Capital Management identified $230 million that had been stolen from the Russian treasury by government officials.

Their earlier work had already angered Putin, and Browder had worked to get his people out of Russia. Magnitsky refused, believing that Russia was changing for the better and he wanted to stay and help it along, Browder says in his book Red Notice.

A little more than a month after exposing the $230 million theft, Magnitsky was arrested on charges that he supposedly evaded paying taxes in the same amount as the stolen money. Through 11 months in pre-trial detention, Magnitsky was denied medical care, tortured and then beaten to death, Browder writes.

Browder was later tried in absentia  and Magnitsky after death. A Russian court convicted them of tax evasion. It was the first posthumous trial in memory, and the irregularity of the proceeding says something about Russias commitment to the rule of law.

The experience converted Browder from hedge fund manager to human rights activist.

Through the following years he fought for  and Congress in 2012 passed  the Magnitsky Act. It gave the U.S. government the power to place travel bans on Russian oligarchs who commit human rights abuses and to freeze assets they have here.

Not satisfied with that, Browder and others worked to extend the U.S. law to cover bad actors in other countries, and it became the Global Magnitsky Sanctions Program. They also got Canada, the UK, Australia and the European Union to pass Magnitsky laws of their own. The idea was that monsters would no longer be free to ruin their own countries and keep and enjoy the spoils in places that werent spoiled because they had democracy and the actual rule of law.

For that work, Browder last month was knighted by King Charles.

Rage

Putin hated the Magnitsky laws and his motives werent hard to guess. Browders group and others who investigated international money laundering discerned that Putin himself had plundered Russia, ordered underlings to move vast amounts through innumerable shell companies and park it in places outside Russia where they thought it would be safe.

Putins net worth is unknown, but its been estimated to be as high as $200 billion, which would make him one of the richest men in the world. Control of such wealth would cement a leaders power in a country like Russia, which is ranked among the most corrupt in the world.

Russia is a kleptocracy, in which President Vladimir Putins regime allows elites and oligarchs to skim from Russias private and public companies, benefit from reduced competition, and siphon funds from the state as part of elite patronage, the U.S. Treasury Department said last year. It added that estimates of Russian wealth hidden abroad run as high as $1 trillion, and that a quarter of it is controlled by Putin and his close associates.

So its not surprising that Putin was furious at a law that threatened to take much of that money away. Perversely, he reacted by banning adoptions of Russian children by American families.

It was truly evil because orphans being adopted were the sick ones, the ones with Down Syndrome and HIV and so on, Browder said. He was effectively sentencing his own orphans to death in Russian orphanages, as opposed to allowing them to be adopted by Americans who could give them a proper chance at life.

However that may be, it became a convenient talking point when Trump and his family discussed undermining the Magnitsky Act with Putin and Russian agents .

In 2016 emails and at a Trump Tower meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and Russian operatives, a deal was discussed: dirt on Hillary Clinton from the Russians in exchange for a U.S. repeal of the law, or at least its non-enforcement. But the misleading cover story dictated by Trump was that the parties were there to discuss adoption.

Whose side?

Putins hostility reached a peak in 2018 when he shared a Helsinki stage with then-President Trump. Trump shocked the world by agreeing with Putin and rejecting his own governments conclusion that Russia meddled in the 2016 election on Trumps behalf.

For his part, Putin proposed that Trump hand over Browder in exchange for a dozen Russians charged in Special Counsel Robert Mullers investigation into 2016 election interference. Trump further shocked the world by calling it an incredible offer.

It took five days and a unanimous resolution by the U.S. Senate to convince Trump that the offer wasnt so incredible, after all, and back down. For Browder, who had by then become a British citizen but was vacationing in the United States, they were five days of worrying that hed be delivered into the not-so-merciful clutches of Vladimir Putin.

It wasnt unexpected for Putin to ask for me, because hes done that before, Browder said. Ive been on Putins hit list ever since the Magnitsky Act was passed. Hes used Interpol eight times to have me arrested, he chased me around with death threats, kidnapping threats, hes mentioned my name publicly on a number of occasions. So that was expected. Not pleasant, but expected. It was totally unexpected for Trump to agree to it.

REPO

Now, as Vance is trying to persuade Trump to pick him as his vice presidential nominee, he is vocally opposing a successor to the Magnitsky law. Its known as the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians (or REPO) Act.

Introduced by Republicans in the House and Senate, it would allow the U.S. government to seize some part of $300 billion in frozen Russian government assets in the United States and send it to Ukraine to support the country in its fight against Putins invasion. That might seem only fair, given that Russia has imposed the expense of the war on others through Putins decision to invade.

President Joe Biden signed the bill alongside an award $61 billion in American support for Ukraines defense.

But just as he opposes using U.S. money to support beleaguered Ukraine, Vance is against using this mechanism to provide Russian money to the country Russia is attacking.

He warned colleagues of dire consequences and noted that this is the first time the United States has taken an action against a country with which it is not at war.

Some observers say the law carries risks if its not used judiciously and through a well-planned international framework. And it appears money wont flow from it to Ukraine any time soon.

For his part, Vance argued that such action might steer many players to park their assets in places such as China and Russia, which seek to replace the United States as banker to the world.

However, there are real questions about whether authoritarian governments  especially highly corrupt ones  will bow to international standards required for people and businesses to trust those countries with their money.

Vance said the consequences of the REPO Act threatened to upend the global financial order. Speaking about it in such hyperbolic terms sounds a bit like Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who said it was nothing less than the demolition of all the foundations of the economic system.

Its use of such of language that prompted Browder to accuse Vance of parroting Russian propaganda.

I cant get into why (Vance is) doing it or where it comes from, Browder said. All I can do is comment on what hes doing. What hes doing is totally consistent with what the Kremlin is doing. The Kremlin wants the U.S. to cut off funding for Ukraine. And the Kremlin wants to keep (assets from being seized) and not have it go to Ukraine. For whatever reason (Vance) has it, it seems to be a totally pro-Putin, pro-Kremlin position. And its against the interests of the United States of America.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Putin foe: Ohios Vance is repeating Kremlin talking points on sanctions appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
(COLORADO SPRINGS)  A homeowner was able to extinguish a fire that was started by a curious pup accidentally switching on a stove burner in the early morning hours and igniting items left on the stove.

According to the Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD), it all started around 4:45 a.m. on Wednesday, June 26, on the southeast side of Colorado Springs. Fire crews with CSFD responded to a possible structure fire in the 1600 block of Rushmore Drive, in a neighborhood southeast of South Circle Drive and the MLK Bypass.

When crews arrived, they found no active smoke or fire, but found evidence of a fire. The man who owned the home was able to extinguish the flames before crews arrived, though he was taken to the hospital to be checked out for smoke inhalation.

After chatting with the homeowners and combing through home security footage, CSFD determined that the familys dog had jumped up on the oven and accidentally flipped on a stove burner, where boxes had been left. The burner ignited the boxes, causing a fire that tripped a High Heat alert on the familys Apple HomePod.

Watch the home security footage below:

CSFD used the opportunity to remind the community of the importance of working smoke detectors, keeping the stove clear of anything combustible, and having at least two ways to escape any room in your home.

As for the mischievous pup and its owners, thankfully no two-legged or four-legged members of the family were 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 FOX21 News Colorado.
Jessica Calarco, center, poses with her daughter, Layla Calarco, and mother, Anne McCrory, in this undated photo provided by Jessica Calarco. Calarco is holding a copy of her book, "Holding It Together: How Women Became America's Safety Net." (Jessica Calarco via AP)

CHICAGO (AP)  Compared with its economic peers, the United States lacks social safety net programs like sick time, vacation time and health care. For decades, American women have filled the gaps, to the detriment of themselves and their families, according to sociologist Jessica Calarco.

Calarco, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studies inequalities in family life and education. She is also the author of Holding It Together: How Women Became Americas Safety Net, published last month.

More than two-thirds of Americans unpaid caregiving work -- valued at $1 trillion annually -- is done by women, according to an analysis by the National Partnership for Women & Families based on 2023 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Calarco discusses her book and explains why women in the U.S. bear the brunt of prohibitively expensive high-quality daycare, limited government assistance and inaccessible paid maternal leave in the wake of the pandemic and beyond. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: Can you discuss what your book is about?

A: The gist of the book is that other countries have invested in social safety nets as a way to help people manage risk.

In the U.S., weve instead tried to DIY society. We left it up to individual people to manage risk on their own, as opposed to allowing them to rely on a social safety net. And in practice, that means keeping taxes low, especially on wealthy people and corporations, cutting regulations and really underinvesting in the kinds of time and resources that people would need to be able to participate more actively in care. But the problem is that we cant actually DIY society. Thats too much risk for individuals and families to manage on their own. What I show in the book is that families and communities have been able to weather this shift in American policy primarily by relying on women to be the ones to hold it together.

Q: In what ways are women holding it together?

A: Being the default caregivers for kids and for the elderly, and for people who are sick, or destitute in our society. And then on the other side of the equation, also filling in gaps in our economy. Women hold 70% of the lowest wage jobs in our economy. And theyre also the ones who disproportionately hold underpaid jobs at every sort of level of education that they might have. Things like child care, things like home health care, things like even K-12 teaching. We structure our economy and we structure our society in ways that push women into doing that work and then underpay them for that labor in ways that trap them in that system of exploitation, in similar ways to what we do at home. And this is deeply damaging for women and for families in terms of the cost that it has for their well-being, for their stress levels, for their economic parity.

Q: How have women historically filled the gaps?

A: During World War II, while we had millions of men fighting in battle, we realized all of a sudden in the country that we needed women in the workforce in a way that we never had before.

And so at the time, Congress actually, with some pushes from a couple of women who had high profile positions in government, set up a universal child care program, set up national child care centers across the U.S., used defense spending through the Lanham Act to do so.

We saw this massive increase in womens employment during the war. At the end of the war, those women almost universally wanted to keep their jobs  they wanted to stay in the paid workforce. But the easiest short term thing to do for the economy, once men were coming back and wanted their jobs back, was to push women back home. And this is not what many of our peer countries did. Other countries, like France, used this as a moment to completely restructure their economies, to build national permanent child care programs that allowed women to stay in the economy.

Q: How did the pandemic play into this problem today?

A: It became very apparent very quickly how much of an impact Covid was having, particularly on families with young children and especially the moms within those families who were often pushed into these kinds of default caregiver roles.

During the pandemic, I talked to so many moms who described things like hiding in the bathroom, eating sleeves of Oreos to cope with the stress of having to work from home while also caring for their kids full time.

It's a double edged sword in the sense that on the one hand, having access to remote work can be tremendously beneficial for moms in that it allows them to be in the workforce and to have an income in ways that if theyre dealing with a child care crisis and the only option that they have is to work for pay in-person or on site, that could push them out of the workforce very easily. But the challenge is that remote work is not a great substitute for child care.

And then the other kind of unfortunate piece of the data ... is that women actually face a higher penalty for using things like remote work options than men do, because theyre assumed to be using it for child care or other types of caregiving reasons. They are discounted by their employers and penalized for taking these kinds of remote work options, passed over for opportunities for promotion, for example, and seen as less committed, even when men are taking the exact same opportunities.

___

The Associated Press women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. 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.
A Quad Cities man was sentenced on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, to 10 1/2 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute less than 50 kilograms of marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, according to a news release.

(Getty Images)

According to public court documents, Trevon Demon Horne, 23, was arrested by Davenport Police after a search warrant executed at his Davenport residence. During the search of Hornes residence, officers located about a pound of marijuana, digital scales, currency, and a Glock .45 caliber gun with an auto-sear switch that made the firearm a machine gun. Horne admitted to selling marijuana and possessing the Glock in furtherance of his drug trafficking.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Horne will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U. S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make neighborhoods safer for everyone.

On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent-crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit Justice.gov/PSN.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Raleigh County Commission appoints new members to serve on county boards

Raleigh County Commission appoints new members to serve on county boards

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS)  Raleigh County Commission approved the appointments of 15 new board members to county boards during the regular commission meeting on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.

The New River Gorge Regional Development Authority and Coalfield Expressway Board were two of the board appointments.

Raleigh County Commission president Greg Duckworth said the new board members had expressed interest in serving.

Five of the best superpowers to have

Its just a big step in the direction of new excitement, new people wanting to be involved, said President Duckworth. All of our eyes are better than any one of our eyes.

What are the Top 10 police dog breeds?

Duckworth added that, sadly, around half of the appointments were made to boards which were left with a vacant seat when the late David Tolliver died on June 3, 2024.

Tolliver was president of the commission when he died unexpectedly.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
Editor's note: Last month, The Daytona Beach News-Journal published Weve gone to the bottom: Does Daytonas party-central image scare off investors? The package of stories asked whether the area's party-hearty reputation drives away tourism and development. Some readers seem to think so.

'A lot to overcome'

Editor:

Daytona has established itself as a special events destination but few of the major annual special events are family-oriented, especially for families with small children. And beach driving is driving families away in droves. Spring break has been replaced by more frequent loud, raucous, alcohol-soaked, raunchy activities. (There is) a lot to overcome in terms of image.

Thom Connors

New Smyrna Beach

Taking on new development on Daytona's beachside comes with extra challenges, such as limited available land, existing structures that have to be torn down, and older infrastructure. Pictured is a condemned house on Grandview Avenue a short distance south of Main Street.

Change in culture needed

Editor:

Thanks for the opportunity to share some thoughts about Daytona Beach and its core beachside area.

I have visited and stayed in a very high percentage of Florida Atlantic and Gulf Coast communities as well as several along the Alabama shore. I can say without any reservation that Daytona Beach is by far the worst. It's not even close. Just in our own local area, compare Daytona Beach to New Smyrna Beach or Flagler Beach. Spend an afternoon and early evening in both of those places and then compare them to Daytona. I live in Palm Coast now and I would never make a special trip to go to Daytona, but I do go to New Smyrna and Flagler quite a bit. And it's the same as you go up or down the Atlantic Coast from here or the Gulf Coast. One nice, charming fun, beachside community after another until you hit Daytona.

So what do we do to make it better? The first step is to upgrade and clean up the housing stock all along the beachside in Daytona. It's a disaster. In most places, the beachside is the most desirable, highest-priced property. In Daytona they are decrepit. There needs to be a massive effort to buy up these properties and to renovate them or tear them down and replace them with modern, up-to-date, desirable housing. Until you have a stable, more upscale beachside community you will not get the kinds of shops and restaurants that attract tourists and capture their imagination.

But to make this really work, Daytona needs to change its culture. It has to get rid of the Bike Weeks and Jeep Weeks and other nonsense. Who wants to live in a community that is overtaken by bikers and jeeps multiple weeks every year? Nobody. That's one of the reasons the beachside is so decrepit. Daytona is like an addict with these events. You get a short-term high, but the aftermath is a disaster. They have to be gradually scaled back and then eventually curtailed.

And the same with the beach driving obsession. Who wants to be on a beach with cars? Sure there are those that love it, but it destroys the atmosphere of a beautiful beach. Did you ever wonder why condos and houses on non-driving parts of the beach command higher prices and tout this as a benefit? I know there are a lot of fanatics on this issue, but what needs to be done is to gradually reduce these areas, preserving a short stretch of beach for driving for historical purposes.

Daytona does not have to be hopeless, but it needs major changes and they won't be easy because there will be resistance. But the beachside area can be saved and restored into something desirable for those who live here and importantly for tourists who like to spend a week at the beach. Please keep pushing and working on this issue. Change can happen if the right people get behind it.

Terry Overbey

Palm Coast

Beach needs a 'local champion'

Editor:

My thought on the prospects of the beachside is as follows: it will need a local champion(s) who is (are) willing to help fund and sustain the operations of a restored "Boardwalk" center of high-quality family-friendly attractions, ala Myrtle Beach etc. Take for example the model so generously offered by Hyatt Brown in the renaissance on Beach Street and the Park, via a non-profit foundation in partnership with the city, and apply it to the Boardwalk. Easier said than done, I know, but the city manager and mayor could take the leadership in exploring the possibilities and how to develop such a following.

William Ward

Port Orange

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Readers sound off about Daytona Beach's dilapidated condition
Donald Trump's controversial peace plan and reported deal with Russia to block Ukraine's accession to NATO are just "rhetoric" for the U.S. presidential election, and "reality will be very different," a senior Ukrainian lawmaker told the Kyiv Independent on July 3.

Oleksandr Merezhko, the chair of the parliament's foreign affairs policy, said if Trump becomes the next U.S. president, his fear of being seen as a "failure" means he will be forced to change his stance on Russia's full-scale invasion.

Trump's position is largely viewed as leaning towards the Kremlin's views and goals.

The former president has promised to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine within 24 hours if elected but has declined to publicly elaborate on how he plans to do so, though any such plan would likely involve ceding territory to Russia.

With Kyiv refusing to compromise on territorial integrity to end the war and Moscow's 2022 illegal annexation of four Ukrainian oblasts, Merezhko says any sweeping plans announced by Trump before he is president are unlikely to go anywhere if he takes office.

"(Vladimir) Putin cannot backtrack on annexations," he said.

"When Trump realizes this, when Putin is not eager to make compromises, he will be very disappointed because there is no possibility of reaching a peaceful compromise.

"(Trump) doesn't want to be a failure; he wants to be a success, and if he wants success, he has to get Ukraine to agree, and Ukraine will never agree to territory concessions."

Two top Trump advisors also recently proposed a plan that would cease military aid to Ukraine unless it agrees to cease fire and hold peace negotiations with Russia. Kyiv has previously rejected similar proposals, saying it would only provide a window of opportunity for Moscow to regroup its forces.

Merezhko highlighted the catastrophic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which Trump has repeatedly used to criticize President Joe Biden, saying he is "haunted" by the idea of being held responsible for a similar geopolitical disaster.

"He doesn't want to be a failure," he said. "He is haunted by Afghanistan, and he doesn't want to be the person responsible for losing Ukraine.

"Democrats will be criticizing him heavily, and saying 'look, it was fine under Biden, but you have failed.'"

Trump is also reportedly considering the possibility of making a deal with Russia to block the future NATO accession of certain countries, namely Ukraine and Georgia, Politico reported on July 2.

Merezhko said that while still important, Trump's NATO plans are "secondary" to discussions about a peace plan, though now is not the right time to be having them.

"Those statements made right now are made in the heat of the presidential campaign and are not made seriously," he says.

"So we can only talk about the plan after the election when he has a team and when we know who will be the experts leading the team.

"Whatever peace plan ideas he has now, they are very vague to me, but the reality will be very different."

Read also: Ukraine not ready to compromise with Russia on territory or values, Yermak comments on Trumps statement

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Russian missile ship "Serpukhov" in Baltiysk, Kaliningrad region, was set on fire by a former Russian sailor who defected to Ukraine. He is now a recruit of the Russian Freedom Legion with the call sign "Goga".

ADVERTISIMENT

This was reported by the representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Andrii Yusov and "Goga" himself at a press conference, an OBOZ.UA correspondent reports. According to Yusov, the destruction of the Serpukhov was part of Operation "Rybalka", which has been ongoing since 2023.

As a result of this operation, a large amount of important information was obtained and the "Serpukhov" ship was put out of commission for at least six months.

A sailor of the Russian Baltic Fleet, who had served in the Russian Federation for 11 years in 2022 questioned the adequacy of the Russian authorities when the aggressor country attacked Ukraine, and helped to carry out the operation.

ADVERTISIMENT

At first, he tried to find like-minded people on his ship, but a case was opened against him and the sailor had to communicate with the Russian prosecutor's office.

In 2023, "Goga" turned to the "I Want to Live" project, which coordinated him with the Legion. That's how the man became a saboteur and collaborated with Ukrainian intelligence.

He supplied classified information to the intelligence community until April 2024. That month, the Russian command decided to involve the crews of the Baltic Fleet in the war in Ukraine.

ADVERTISIMENT

To avoid the Goga's participation in the war on the side of the Russian Federation, it was decided to transfer it to the territory of Ukraine. Before doing so, he sabotaged and set fire to the "Serpukhov" ship on which he was serving.

In addition, "Goga" passed classified information about the Baltic Fleet and the Russian military-industrial complex to the DIU.

It is known that the man is an ethnic Ukrainian and comes from a military family.

ADVERTISIMENT

As a reminder, the Freedom of Russia Legion is a Russian legion within the International Legion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, formed in March 2022 to defend Ukraine from Russian aggression. It consists of former military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces and other Russians, as well as Belarusians who sided with Ukraine.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, the "Serpukhov" missile ship was on fire in the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation on April 7, 2024. The ship was stationed at the occupiers' Baltiysk naval base. The "Serpukhov" was seriously damaged and sent for repair.

ADVERTISIMENT

OBOZ.UA's sources reported that the incident with the Russian ship was a special operation of the DIU.

It should be noted that on the same day, the Russian "Catherine the Great", the world's only ice-class supply ship, was on fire in Vladivostok, Russia. Moscow reported one dead and three injured.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Media headlines are full of bad news about LGBTQ+ people across the African continent these days. They are insulted by public officials, attacked and killed by police and vigilantes, and denied access to justice and dignity. Often, these negative words and actions are justified as being part and parcel of African values.

However, the concept of pan-Africanism should, in fact, embrace African people in all their diversityeven love them.

As a political philosophy and project rooted in the belief in the unity, common history, and shared purpose of the peoples of Africa, pan-Africanism stands for self-determination and total liberation. It is also a commitment to bring African people within and beyond the continent into a deeper connection. The level of connection required to achieve these goals is only possible with love and solidarity. Acknowledging the existence of queer and transgender Africans, and their rights for fair treatment and safety, are actually essential for African liberation.

Anti-LGBTQ+ policies and actions are on the rise in the continent. Uganda and Ghana have toughened their laws to persecute not only LGBTQ+ people but anyone advocating for their human rights. There is concern that Kenya, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, and others could also toughen their laws. What is common across these radical changes is the assertion by public figures that homosexuality or anything outside of the gender binary is un-African.

In the name of preserving African values, some African policymakers and leaders are legitimizing violence and abuses against sexual and gender minorities . In the name of safeguarding African values, African leaders are building a cultural heritage of hatred, exclusion, and hostility against fellow Africans. In the name of maintaining African Values, children are being kicked out of their families and communities ; women are raped because of their perceived sexual orientation ; security forces arrest and torture LGBT people in detention ; people are being brutally murdered with impunity simply because they love differently; voices are being silenced by shutting down civil society organizations.

But this is not a way to preserve African valuesquite the opposite.

Love is a pan-African issue. Some politicians and other influential people are projecting a warped version of pan-Africanism when they claim that being LGBTQ+ is un-African. These claims fuel fear and violence, inspiring legal changes that amount to state-sanctioned homophobia and transphobia. But when influential figures claim that being queer is un-African, they are denying historical and anthropological evidence of sexual diversity and practices in African societies .

In fact, people who claim to be representing pan-Africanism, a movement born as a rejection of Western imperialism, reflect an inherited view of queerness from colonial legacies , with anti-LGBTQ+ policies rooted in the European imperial project. In fact, many of the contemporary representations of gender and sexuality have been introduced to the continent by colonialists. It is this Eurocentric vision that is now reproduced by people claiming pan-Africanist values with their slurs and attacks on queer and trans Africans.

There are Africans who love people of the same sex. They all fear for their lives in a continent where they entirely belong. Their existence is valid, just like any other human being. Love is a pan-African issue. The idea of a homophobic continent can and should be challenged by reimagining pan-Africanism from the perspective of love for future generations.

African queer people or queer people who are Black or of African descent are no less deserving of liberation from persecution and of self-determination. In that regard, they need equal protection under the law, not new or specific rights. Instead of teaching a stereotype-driven image of Africa as unable to acknowledge gender and sexual diversity, pan-Africanist proponents and institutions should affirm diverse identities and speak up when African LGBTQ+ people are denied their fundamental human rights to freedom of expression, privacy, and safety.

Larissa Kojoue is a researcher at Human Rights Watch.

Voices is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from the LGBTQ+ and Allied community. Visit Advocate.com/submit to learn more about submission guidelines. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on any of our stories. Email us at voices@equalpride.com. Views expressed in Voices stories are those of the guest writers, columnists and editors, and do not directly represent the views of The Advocate or our parent company, equalpride.




TOPEKA (KSNT)  Motorists may see lower gas prices on this Independence Day than in years past.

According to a news release from GasBuddy, the expected national average price of gas on the Fourth of July is $3.49 per gallon. This estimated price is the lowest holiday price since 2021.

GasBuddy said in the release the projected Fourth of July gas price this year is one penny lower than the price of gas on July 4, 2023.

Extreme flooding puts raw sewage in Osage Co. waterways

For those hitting the road to celebrate Independence Day, gas prices have seen modest recent fluctuations, but most states are seeing prices near or even well below where they were a year ago, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy said. While the first half of the summer has been relatively smooth sailing, the road ahead may be bumpy. Activity in the tropics has increased, and projections remain for a very busy hurricane season. Even after the holiday fireworks are over, well be watching for any potential fireworks at the pump that could be brought on by hurricanes disrupting refineries.

With this projected gas price, comes expected record-setting travel volume in the Sunflower State and across the United States.

AAA average gas prices in Kansas as of July 2, 2024. Courtesy of AAA gas prices

As of June 27, Kansas gas prices are ranked the sixth lowest average gas prices in the nation. According to the AAA gas prices chart, Kansas average gas price is $3.11 per gallon, while the national average per gallon is $3.50.

According to a AAA spokesman, almost 690,000 Kansans will travel 50 miles or more for the Fourth of July holiday between July 29 through July 7.

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.
Years before slain NYPD cop Rafael Ramos joined the Police Department, he was a safety officer at a Staten Island middle school trying to keep young kids out of trouble.

One of those students was Mohammed Ghafari, who developed a friendship with Ramos and was inspired by his dreams of becoming a city cop.

Ramos dream became Ghafaris, and nearly 10 years after Ramos was killed in the line of duty, Ghafari followed in his footsteps. Ramos widow was there to pin Ghafaris shiny new badge to his chest.

I always wanted to be a cop, Ghafari said Tuesday at the NYPD Police Academy graduation ceremony in Queens.

When I was in middle school in Staten Island, my mother would always be in school, so I had to stay late after school. School Safety Agent Ramos would stay with me and wait outside with me.

We just would hang out and talk for hours, Ghafari continued. He told me a lot about how he wanted to join the NYPD. A lot of things kept going wrong, but he finally got in. Thats when I told myself no matter what happens, Im going to be here.

Ghafari thought he could get through the day without becoming overwhelmed. Then, Ramos widow, Maritza Ramos, showed up, and Ghafari got a little emotional.

I have no idea what to feel, how to feel, Ghafari said. The fact that she was here to pin my shield, that was a blessing and Ill never forget that.

Ghafari will also never forget that the school where he and Ramos met, Police Officer Rocco Laurie Intermediate School, was named after a cop who was also killed in the line of duty.

The school honors a Staten Island officer who was killed with his partner, Officer Gregory Foster, while on foot patrol on the Lower East Side in February 1972.

Authorities said Laurie, a 23-year-old rookie, and his partner were killed by members of the Black Liberation Army, an underground faction of the Black Panthers that allegedly targeted police officers.

In similar fashion, Ramos and his partner Wenjian Liu were in a police car near Myrtle and Tompkins Aves. in Brooklyns Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood when a gunman walked up to the passenger-side window and shot them both to death on Dec. 20, 2014.

Police said the murders were motivated by hatred for police after the police-involved deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown.

Maritza Ramos, who met Ghafari for the first time at the ceremony, said she was glad to see that her husband was still inspiring people years after his death.

Even though hes not here, he touched someones life like that, she said. He would have been honored to know. What a beautiful thing.
GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (WOOD)  As crowds from across the country flock to the lakeshore, experts are reminding people that Fourth of July weekend is one of the most dangerous times of the year on Lake Michigan.

Eight-year-olds Cyrus and Ezra Latimer and their 10-year-old brother Everett came all the way from Pennsylvania to spend part of the holiday at Grand Haven State Park. Cyrus said his favorite part of the beach is getting in the water.

(Its) freezing cold right now, Cyrus said.

Beachgoers in Grand Haven. (July 2024)

Everett said his goal is to have a lot of fun and see the area.

To get to tour Michigan, Everett said. Were from Pennsylvania and I want to see all the sights, you know?

Beach and Boating forecast: Fourth of July 2024

While families enjoy Michigans wonderful beaches, experts want people to be careful.

In many ways, the Great Lakes can be more dangerous than the ocean, Bob Pratt, the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Projects co-founder and director of education, said.

You may be a great swimmer at the YMCA or grandmas condo pool, but when you get to Lake Michigan, you need a completely different skillset, Pratt added. If youre a parent, understand your children need a completely different set of skills.

Pratt and his team have been studying drownings on the Great Lakes since 2010. He says Fourth of July weekend has historically been deadly.

Take a look at the weather before you go, take something with you that floats, keep a close eye on your children and hopefully everybody comes back from a safe enjoyable weekend at the beach, Pratt said.

The good news is the forecast doesnt look bad for the holiday weekend. The National Weather Service says the Fourth of July will bring waves of less than a foot on Lake Michigan. Waves are expected to be between 1 and 2 feet on Friday. Saturday could be a yellow flag day with waves between 2 and 4 feet.

While Wednesday was a red flag day in Grand Haven, Pratt said sometimes green or yellow flag days are a bigger concern.

Most of our drownings happen on green and yellow flag days because people think the conditions are safe, when the lake is really never safe, Pratt said. You should never turn your back on the Great Lakes. Understand they are very powerful bodies of water.

What do the flags at Great Lakes beaches mean?

The GLSRP says there have been 36 drownings across the five Great Lakes so far this year, including 16 on Lake Michigan. Pratt said more drownings tend to happen on Lake Michigan because there is higher population around it, especially on the south end.

Drownings were down last year, with 85 across the Great Lakes, according to the GLSRP. The last decade has averaged 98 each year.

We think theres more water safety education, new rules and legislation targeting people for going into water on red flag days, Pratt said.

Of more than 1,200 drownings on the Great Lakes since 2010, Pratt said only a few happened when people were wearing life jackets.

Life jackets available at Grand Haven State Park on July 3, 2024.

If you wanna almost guarantee your survivability, wear a life jacket, Pratt said. There are more and more life jacket loaner stations around. When you go to the beach, designate a water watcher, designate somebody whose only function is to watch the kids in the water and has the ability to rescue the kids and knows what drowning looks like.

Safety first: How to find the right life jacket for you

Pratt says if youre ever caught in a current, dont fight it. Instead, remember to flip, float and follow.

Flip over onto your back: that allows you to breathe whenever you want, Pratt said. Float to calm yourself down and conserve your energy. Float to know if youre being pulled one way or another in a current and then follow a path back to safety where youre not fighting against the current.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Reform activist who used racial slur did not commit any offence, police say

Reform UK activists who were secretly recorded saying that migrants crossing the English Channel should be shot did not commit any criminal offences, the police have said.

Canvasser Andrew Parker was filmed by Channel 4 using a racial slur against Rishi Sunak and saying that the army should use migrants arriving from France on small boats as target practice.

The broadcaster has denied accusations made by Reform that the film was staged, saying it stands by its reporting.

On Wednesday, Essex Police said no criminal offences had been committed by those who were filmed in the report.

Having assessed the comments made during a Channel 4 news programme, and all other information available to us, we have concluded that no criminal offences have taken place, it said in a statement.

Reform was widely condemned in the wake of the programme, with Mr Sunak suggesting the party had a problem with racism.

With regards to Farage, I wont put labels on people, but I will call out blatant racism when I see it, and there are clearly deep, deep problems in the party he leads, he said last week.

Reform UK made an official complaint against Channel 4 to the election watchdog and Essex Police.

In the letter, Adam Richardson, the partys secretary, said it was entirely evident that Mr Parker was a plant within the Channel 4 News piece.

It is wholly unbelievable that by complete coincidence Channel 4 were performing an undercover investigation and by chance were paired up to go canvassing with a man who was pretending to be someone else, using a false voice and saying almost exclusively racist and bigoted remarks, the letter read.

Channel 4 has denied that any payment was made to Mr Parker, who is a part-time actor who lists secret filming among his skills.

Mr Parker has previously declined to say whether a payment was made.

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.
Reform UK are on track to cost the Conservatives a significant proportion of votes in today's election

Founded in 2021 as a relaunch of the Brexit Party, Reform UK stands almost neck and neck with the Conservatives in the wake of Nigel Farage shock announcement that he will stand as an MP and the partys leader.

They are on track to cost the Conservatives a significant proportion of voters from the political Right in todays general election, edging one point ahead of the Prime Ministers party for the first time in the latest figures from YouGov.

Already, the party has faced pivotal change throughout their campaign with co-founder Mr Farage returning to front-line politics to lead a political revolt aimed at toppling the Tories after replacing Richard Tice, a former businessman and MEP who has led the party since 2021.

His pledge came as a surprise to most given Mr Farage had previously ruled out standing in the general election in his first campaign speech on May 23, promising to support Mr Tice from the sidelines instead.

Reform gained its first MP in March after Lee Anderson, a former deputy chairman of the Tory Party, defected following his suspension over a row about Sadiq Khan.

Mr Tice and Mr Farage announced the Brexit Party would become Reform on Nov 1 2020 in an article for The Telegraph published at the start of the second Covid lockdown.

They used the joint article to declare lockdowns dont work and instead advocated a policy of focused protection for the most vulnerable. They also called for sweeping reform of major institutions beyond the pandemic.

Reform stood candidates at the London Assembly, Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections in 2021. Though failing to pick up any seats, the party gathered just over 42,500 supporters across all three elections.

The same year it won two council seats in the local elections, both in Derby.

Reform UK polls

The partys backing in the polls remained largely static throughout 2021, averaging around three percentage points, although it had risen to an average of 6 per cent by the end of 2022 amid growing public frustration with the Conservative Party in the wake of the deposition of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.

The partys fortunes improved vastly during 2023 and the early months of 2024, with average support for Reform almost doubling from 6 per cent in January 2023 to 10.1 per cent at the start of March.

The rise of Reform can be attributed to a combination of the partys policy offer and fortuitous circumstances.

Reform UK policies

On the economic front, it has promised sweeping cuts to levies including corporation tax and inheritance tax at a time when Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt are overseeing the countrys highest tax burden since the Second World War, with a further peak projected later this decade.

Despite successive Conservative governments promising to cut immigration, net migration reached record levels in 2022 and former leader Mr Tice has cited this betrayal by the Tory government of its past manifesto pledges as a driving force behind his partys success.

Research from the More in Common think tank in February 2022 found that immigration was the main reason 2019 Tory voters were defecting to Reform, with around one in five of those who backed Boris Johnson and his party at the last election expected to support Mr Farage.

Reforms promises on border control include net zero immigration, leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)  a demand made by many Tory backbenchers, and a popular idea among the partys grassroots  and declaring illegal immigration as a national security threat.

The party wants to introduce an immigration tax that would force employers to pay a higher National Insurance (NI) rate on foreign workers.

Reform have also pledged a 20 per cent National Insurance rate for every foreign worker in comparison to the current 13.8 per cent for domestic British workers.

Claiming that the green push is doing more damage to the British economy than anything else, the party would also abolish the Governments flagship net zero targets.

There was a further bounce in support for Reform following Mr Sunaks November reshuffle, in which Suella Braverman was sacked as Home Secretary over her criticism of pro-Palestinian protests, which she dubbed hate marches.

The same reshuffle took Westminster by surprise with the return of Lord Cameron as the new Foreign Secretary, a move that angered many on the Tory Right as the former prime minister is widely perceived to be on the liberal wing of the party.

Mr Tice told GB News at the time: The truth is our server has almost exploded with fury at whats happened today with the return of David Cameron. Lets remember this is the gentleman who campaigned against Brexit, and almost everything he did on foreign policy was wrong.

As a result of its outflanking of the Conservatives on the Right in many policy areas and channelling the disillusionment of traditional Tories with its rhetoric, the party may well have an even greater impact at todays general election than in 2019, when it stood aside from seats held by Mr Johnsons Tory candidates.

Now commanding the support of around one in ten voters, the party could block Mr Sunak from winning in dozens of seats he may otherwise retain.

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.
Rendering of Molly Pitcher at the Battle of Monmouth. The Daughters of Liberty used the power of the purse to oppose British taxation | Wikimedia Commons

The Boston Tea Party was a day of significance students of American history know well. Demonstrators disguised themselves and boarded ships to cast chests of British tea into the Boston Harbor  no taxation without representation. This protest was the result of a growing ideology that eventually spurred a war for independence and led to some of the most consequential documents in history  the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

There were other protests, other tea parties even, that drew inspiration from the Sons of Libertys destruction of tea.

The Edenton Tea Party was one such protest in response to the tax levied by the British government on the American colonies. At the home of Elizabeth King, women gathered on Oct. 25, 1774, to sip tea made from herbs and signed a resolution. To give memorable proof of their patriotism, the ladies said they wouldnt drink any more British tea or wear British clothing.

It was published in postscript to the Virginia Gazette on Nov. 3, 1774.

The resolution sparked mockery from those loyal to the rulers who lived across the pond. Arthur Iredell quipped to his brother James Iredell, Is there a Female Congress at Edenton, too? Iredell snidely remarked that the loyalists were secure because only a handful of places have as much female artillery as Edenton. A satirical cartoon running in London newspapers mocked the women.

But the women were undeterred.

The Edenton Tea Party was one of many instances where women participated in the American Revolution and advanced the ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Newspaper clips, state archives and documents from the Library of Congress help tell the stories of these women.

Daughters of Liberty

The American colonies were burdened by taxes the British Parliament levied in 1765. The Stamp Act taxed printed materials  from newspapers to legal documents to play cards.

Receiving opposition from people living in the colonies, the Stamp Act was repealed, but it was replaced by a more expansive law: the Townshend Act, which led to the taxation of tea, lead, glass, paper and other imported goods.

Amid the taxation, the Daughters of Liberty formed  a group of women who used the power of the purse to oppose actions by the British Parliament.

Boycotting British goods like cloths and silks, these women took to spinning their own fabric; they even did so in public spinning bees. But they were scarcely referred to as Daughters of Liberty in the papers, as historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich wrote in The Age of Homespun. Instead, newspapers called them young women or Daughters of Industry or noble-hearted Nymphs.

The Boston Gazette printed an account of such a bee on April 7, 1766  the gathering itself took place in March.

Eighteen Daughters of Liberty, young Ladies of good Reputation, assembled at the House of Doctor Ephraim Bowen, in this Town, in Consequence of an Invitation of that Gentleman, who hath discovered a laudable Zeal for introducing Home Manufactures, read the report.

The report said the Daughters of Liberty spun from sunrise until nightfall and noted the women cheerfully skipped drinking tea  described as an act of patriotism.

The women reportedly unanimously called the Stamp Act unconstitutional and said they would boycott British goods until it was repealed. They even resolved to not admit the Addresses of any Gentleman, should they have Opportunity if they were not of similar mind.

All across the Northeast, women gathered informally and formally to oppose British taxation through their spinning bees. Just like not drinking tea became a symbol of which side a woman was on (women boycotting tea mixed herbs and berries), so was attire.

The gowns the Daughters of Liberty donned  homespun without frills or ribbons  became a recognizable symbol.

The Virginia Gazette in December 1767 called this outfitting an example of public virtue and private economy.

The Daughters of Liberty joined the Sons of Liberty in issuing notice of public boycott, like the one signed against William Jackson sometime around 1768, and they rallied others to their cause.

Women, including the Daughters of Liberty turned their energy toward fundraising for the army when the war got underway. But they continued to raise their voices  Esther Reed is an example.

Fundraising, advising and fighting during the war

Reed was integral in launching the Ladies Association of Philadelphia, a group that raised money for the Continental Army.

When announcing the formation of the group on Jan. 10, 1780, Reed wrote, On the commencement of actual war, the Women of America manifested a firm resolution to contribute as much as could depend on them, to the deliverance of their country. Animated by the purest patriotism, they are sensible of sorrow at this day, in not offering more than barren wishes for the success of so glorious a Revolution.

Reed also referenced the sacrifices women had made in the years leading up to the revolution and said women were inspired by ancient heroines to fight for the cause of liberty.

Women like Abigail Adams became key advisers.

While her husband John Adams was off at war, Abigail Adams corresponded with her husband via letters. The two would energetically trade political and philosophical ideas. Her influence became one of her defining characteristics, especially when John Adams later became president.

Abigail Adams was a staunch advocate of American independence. In a letter dated Nov. 12, 1775, she wrote that she couldnt join a petition to reconcile the colonies and Britain.

Let us separate, they are unworthy to be our Brethern, wrote Adams. Let us renounce them and instead of suplications formorly for their prosperity and happiness, Let us beseach the almighty to blast their counsels and bring to Nought all their devices.

As the American Revolution stretched on, women continued to contribute to the defense of liberty.

Deborah Sampson disguised herself as a man and went to the frontlines to fight. Sarah Bache, part of the Ladies Association of Philadelphia, fundraised for the army. Another woman named Sarah Osborn cooked food for men in the trenches.

Margaret Corbin and Mary Ludwig Hays aided soldiers on the canon crews. Nancy Hart spied on British soldiers. Clementine Reid and Mary Crouch published and edited publications in support of the revolution. Martha Washington helped make soldiers clothing and visited the sick and injured.

Then, of course, there are the women whose names are lost to history, but whose contributions to the fight for liberty live on in the newspapers, in the material items from the time period and in the result of the war  freedom.
Renowned Nazi hunter in France advises Jews to choose far right over far left in elections

Serge Klarsfeld sits in his office, Tuesday, July 2, 2024 in Paris. France's renowned Nazi hunter Serge Klarsfeld advised voters faced with a duel between a candidate from Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and a far-left competitor to choose the far right in Sunday's parliamentary elections runoff. Klarsfeld, a 88 year-old historian who with his wife Beate dedicated his life to bring fugitive Nazis to justice, told the Associated Press "it's very simple. Marine Le Pen is the head of a party which supports Israel and supports the Jews." (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

PARIS (AP)  Days ahead of France's crucial parliamentary elections, renowned Nazi hunter Serge Klarsfeld is sticking to his advice that if voters are faced with a duel between Marine Le Pens far-right National Rally and a far-left competitor, they should choose the far right.

The advice from Klarsfeld, an 88-year-old Jewish historian who has dedicated his life to bringing fugitive Nazis to justice, goes against many other Jewish leaders and intellectuals in France who see fighting the National Rally as a top priority in Sunday's runoff vote.

But Klarsfeld told The Associated Press in an interview at his Paris apartment that the far-left France Unbowed party has militant pro-Palestinian supporters and antisemitic overtones," while Le Pen's party supports Israel and Jewish people.

Marine Le Pen is the head of a party which supports Israel and supports the Jews, Klarsfeld said in the interview Tuesday. So we gave this advice to those who will be faced with this runoff between the far left and what used to be the far right, which for us is now a populist party, to vote for the right, he said.

Klarsfeld shocked many people in France, including those in the Jewish community, when he first stated this position on French television earlier this month.

Klarsfeld said he himself will vote for President Emmanuel Macrons centrist alliance, but not all of the voters in the 577 French districts will have that option in Sunday's run-off elections, where many will be able to choose only between a National Rally or a France Unbowed candidate.

The top three blocs are the anti-immigration, nationalist National Rally, Macron's alliance and a broad leftist coalition that includes the Socialists, the greens and France Unbowed.

The National Rally fared the best in the first round, propelling the party and its allies closer than ever to the government. But Sundays outcome remains uncertain as other political parties are trying to block National Rally's path. An unprecedented number of candidates who qualified for the runoff have stepped aside to favor the competitor they believe is most likely to win against a National Rally opponent.

"I fear the far left. The far left has a deep-seated hatred of Israel and has ... militants who are pro-Palestinians, Klarsfeld said, describing France Unbowed as a violently anti-Israeli party with certain anti-Semitic overtones.

France's roughly half-million people of Jewish faith make up only a small portion of the country's 66 million inhabitants, but they have been thrust into the electoral fray by the countrys bitter divisions over the Hamas-Israel war. Opposing camps in the legislative elections have hurled accusations of antisemitism at each other.

France Unbowed leaders have staunchly condemned the conduct of Israels war against Hamas and accused it of pursuing genocide against Palestinians. But they have strongly denied accusations of antisemitism.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founder of the National Rallys forerunner, the National Front, has multiple convictions for racism and antisemitism, including for repeatedly saying that Nazi gas chambers were a detail of WWII history. Pierre Bousquet, another founder, was a member of the French division of Nazi Germanys Waffen-SS.

Jean-Marie Le Pen was expelled from the party in 2015 as part of a makeover by his daughter and successor, Marine Le Pen, to make it palatable to mainstream voters.

Klarsfeld said he believes Marine Le Pen has transformed the party after expelling her father, embracing a French law that prohibits Holocaust denial and making pro-Jewish statements.

We sincerely believe shes sincere, he said. People change. We met Marine Le Pen and we got her to say and make statements that are totally pro-Jewish, that she accepts the Gayssot law, which is a law that protects Jews.

Klarsfeld managed to escape the Gestapo in Nice as a child in 1943. His father was captured and deported to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. He never returned.

Together with his wife, Beate, we have always fought for the defense of Jewish memory, for the prosecution of Nazi criminals, against the antisemitic extreme right and for persecuted Jews around the world, Klarsfeld said.

The Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France, known as CRIF, has called on French voters to mobilize to prevent the National Rally from coming to power by voting massively for candidates from democratic and republican parties, and to categorically refuse any compromise with France Unbowed.

French intellectual Bernard-Henri Levy expressed his respect for Klarsfeld and sadness at seeing his position. Defeatism? Ill-advised? In any case, a political error. And, for those tempted to listen, a trap, Levy wrote on X.

Klarsfeld said if the National Rally dont go in the direction I foresee, Ill fight the National Rally and admit I was wrong.

But for now. I may be right, I may be wrong, but no one can prove me wrong, he concluded.
Leonard Peltier (Photo/File)

WASHINGTON  House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) on Tuesday issued the following statement on the U.S. Parole Commissions decision to deny parole for renowned Native American activist Leonard Peltier on humanitarian grounds:

The Commission had the opportunity to take a small step toward rectifying a decades-long injustice against Mr. Peltier, but incomprehensibly, they have opted against it. I extend my deepest condolences to him, his family, and his loved ones who are all being denied the peace and time together they deserve. As his health continues to wane, he should be in the care of his community, not the cruelty of confinement.

Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning.

Mr. Peltiers story is not unlike that of so many of his Indigenous brothers and sisters, whose lives have been silenced, stolen, and suppressed throughout this countrys long history of atrocities against Native American people. I continue to stand with the many other global peace and civil rights leaders, justice advocates, and Native voices who urge President Biden to reject our countrys dark legacy and grant Mr. Peltier both clemency and a peaceful return home.

About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. "

Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net
Currently, more than a dozen Ukrainian pilots are training on F-16s in the United States and Denmark. It is expected that the first fighter jets will arrive in Ukraine according to the schedule, i.e. this summer.

ADVERTISIMENT

This was stated by Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder. He was quoted by the Voice of America.

According to the spokesman, some Ukrainian pilots have already completed training in the United States and moved on to the next phase of training in Europe.

Pat Ryder emphasized that the duration of pilot training is individual and depends on their experience and skills.

As a reminder, the first Western F-16 fighter jets, which Kyiv has been asking for for at least two years, are due to arrive in Ukraine in July this year. They are unlikely to change the situation on the frontline quickly, but they will strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities, experts say.

Ukraine is putting pressure on the United States and other countries to intensify training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. The current programs cannot train enough pilots to fly the aircraft that our country will soon receive.

ADVERTISIMENT

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
How would replacing Biden actually work? The answer is as murky as the presidents stance on his future

President Joe Biden, pictured on July 1. There were mixed signals about the future of his 2024 campaign following a disastrous debate performance last week (Getty Images)

Joe Biden seemed to give mixed signals about the future of his presidential campaign after his poor performance at last Thursdays debate. While the Biden campaign on Wednesday jumped to announce that it had outraised Donald Trump in June, pulling in $127m to his $118m, rumors were swirling about whether the president could effectively continue in the race.

Insiders told The Independent that they believe there is no question Vice President Kamala Harris would receive the baton if Biden chose not to run in November.

But a Biden campaign spokesperson, Seth Schuster, told The Independent that the president is absolutely not dropping out.

Harris would never openly knife her boss. But the possibility is clearly being discussed among some Democrats.

If Biden makes the decision to step aside, thats only the first question answered. Democrats will then have to pick a new presidential nominee. And the logistics surrounding that are not simple.

The modern primary campaigning and nominating process began in earnest during John F Kennedys 1960 run for president. Prior to that, nominating a candidate bore more resemblance to proverbial smoke-filled rooms where party elders select the nominee away from the eyes and ears of the public.

Thats infeasible in this moment, particularly for a party that bills itself as a defender of democracy.

Insiders told The Independent that they believe there is no question Vice President Kamala Harris would receive the baton if Biden chose not to run in November. But a Biden campaign spokesperson, Seth Schuster, said that the president is absolutely not dropping out (Getty Images)

At the same time, Democrats would risk a battle royale if too many candidates emerge. Should Biden stand down, the process would have to be carefully handled to make sure this didnt scupper the partys chances against Donald Trump in November.

Enter James Zogby, a member of the Democratic National Committee who worked on Jesse Jacksons campaigns and whom Bernie Sanders nominated to serve on the party platform committee in 2016. This week Zogby sent a memo, seen by The Independent, to DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison laying out how to replace Biden in the event that he does step down.

The central idea is to create a process that is open, transparent, and energizing, while, at the same time, legitimate and democratic, the memo reads. And it is one that is deeply respectful of the president and his accomplishments.

The plan would require that any prospective candidate secure the endorsement of 40 committee members  since most members are elected officials  and that they must include four members from each region.

After the deadline, candidates would appear during televised events to make their case to voters. That would culminate in a nominating process at the Democratic National Convention in August.

It is not a coronation, the memo says. ...For at least one month, national media will be focused on our candidates and our exciting process, drawing sharp contrast with the antics of GOP nominee. Given that we can likely predict the pool of potential candidates (Vice President Harris, Governors, Senators, Members of Congress)  the debate they will have will no doubt be respectful and substantive.

Zogbys proposal is an audacious one. It would require TV networks to comply and broadcast the debate. And despite his optimism, there is no guarantee that the contest for delegates would be a clean fight.

Indeed, the old ways were rife with kickbacks, corruption and back-scratching. And Republicans would make hay about the disarray that Democrats face.

But it might be one of the few options the party has. In 2020, Democratic primary voters chose Biden almost as soon as he won in South Carolina and then, as a way to prohibit a challenger, the party moved the state up the calendar in 2024. Democrats ostracized heretics like Representative Dean Phillips who suggested something different, even if he was an admittedly imperfect messenger for his cause.

As of now, it is unclear whether the president would actually step aside. But if Biden does exit the stage, many Democrats might want to take a look at Zogbys proposal  especially considering a recent post-debate poll showed Biden losing to Trump in November.

The president has tried to explain away his debate performance with a variety of excuses. On Tuesday, he suggested that he was exhausted at the debate due to jet lag. He told donors that I decided to travel around the world a couple of times, before taking the stage, adding: I didnt listen to my staff and I almost fell asleep onstage. He then apologized for the faltering performance that sent Democrats into crisis.

But this excuse seems to be  to borrow a favorite word of the president  malarkey. Biden spent the better part of a week preparing for the debate. He went to Camp David to workshop his responses. Indeed, Republicans complained that Biden had spent his time cloistered to prepare instead of holding rallies like Trump did.
Replacing Biden with anyone but Harris would be a real headache for Democrats

Replacing Biden with anyone but Harris would be a real headache for Democrats

President Joe Biden vowed again on Wednesday that he is not dropping out of the race.

If he does, Vice President Kamala Harris would start out as his best-positioned replacement.

Harris has both practical and political benefits in her favor.

Democrats would have a practical and political nightmare on their hands if President Joe Biden drops out and they decide to push Vice President Kamala Harris to the sidelines instead of the top of the ticket.

On Wednesday, Biden and Harris jointly proclaimed to campaign aides that they would press on in the face of growing criticism following Biden's disastrous debate, according to the Associated Press.

"I am running. I am the leader of the Democratic Party. No one is pushing me out," he said, according to the AP.

No one, least of all Biden's running mate, can be seen publicly pressuring Biden to give up now.

Harris gets the money  probably.

In the event that Biden does call it quits, the focus will quickly turn to Harris. She is by far the best-positioned of Biden's potential successors to take over. Most importantly, according to campaign finance experts, she would have the easiest path to accessing the Biden campaign's $240 million war chest.

While nobody is quite sure what would happen to the millions should Biden step aside, Harris would probably control the cash  but only if she became the nominee.

"If Harris succeeded Biden as the presidential nominee, she would maintain access to all the funds in the campaign committee and could use them to advance her presidential candidacy," Saurav Ghosh, the director for federal campaign finance reform at the Campaign Legal Center, told Business Insider in an email.

That's because she shares a campaign committee with Biden, Ghosh said. Given her initial involvement with the Biden money  and the presence of her name on FEC filings related to his candidacy  she is likely the only one who could use the money without much issue.

Yet the same rules wouldn't apply if Harris remained the vice presidential candidate or dropped off the ticket altogether.

According to Ghosh, federal contribution limits stipulate that candidate-to-candidate transfers don't exceed $2,000 per election. While the Biden camp could convert the money into a political action committee if someone else was the nominee, there's a catch  PACs can only donate a maximum of $3,300 per election to a different candidate.

"So in either case, there's no legal way for Biden to transfer to a new candidate the $90 million dollars that his campaign currently has on hand," Ghosh told Business Insider.

In a massive return-to-sender effort, the Biden campaign could also refund donations and donors could redirect their money toward the new candidate, campaign finance experts told NBC. Or, in yet another version of the future, the Biden campaign could transfer the funds to the national party.

All things considered, Harris soaring to the top of the ticket if Biden steps aside seems like the simplest solution with regards to the cold hard cash.

But money, of course, is not the only question  though many heads are turning in Harris' direction, longstanding questions about her viability as a candidate remain.

Harris has major support among the Democratic Party's core.

Pushing Harris aside could risk a firestorm. The vice president has repeatedly declared that she's standing behind Biden, but already, influential voices in the party are lining up behind her. Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, whose backing helped Biden win the state's 2020 primary, has said he would want Harris if Biden drops out.

"We should do everything we can to bolster her, whether it's in second place or the top of the ticket," Clyburn said on MSNBC on Tuesday.

In Washington, where the optics are never far out of sight, it would be impossible to ignore passing over the first female vice president for a man, or the first Black vice president for a white candidate.

Black voters remain the core of the modern Democratic Party. No single group is a monolith, but none of the major Biden challengers come close to Harris' support in the Black community. According to a recent Economist-YouGov poll, 66% of Black voters view Harris favorably. In comparison, only 47% of Black voters view California Gov. Gavin Newsom favorably; slightly fewer view Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the same light.

The same survey found that voters still don't know enough about Whitmer to have an opinion about her, underlining another potential headache. Harris is one of the most-known politicians in the country. Any potential replacement will likely need to introduce themselves to the American people and on the national stage.

This doesn't mean Harris has every advantage. Her notoriety comes with the White House's baggage. Republicans would likely tag her with the same attacks on the economy and immigration that they've used against Biden. Unlike a potential replacement outside the beltway, Harris would struggle to show any major daylight with the president.

Already, Republicans are preparing for a potential Harris bid should she get the nomination and, with it, the campaign money. On Wednesday, the Republican National Committee released a digital ad calling her the "enabler in chief" and blaming her for chaos at the border.

Against ominous music, the ad asks, "Is this who we want to be president?" It seems the Democratic Party, and its donors, have to answer that question, too.

Read the original article on Business Insider
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg came to Holloway Street in Durham on Tuesday to see where the federal government plans to spend $12 million to help build new sidewalks, crosswalks and bus shelters.

Buttigieg walked with Gov. Roy Cooper and Mayor Leonardo Williams on a well-worn gravel path where a sidewalk should be. He visited a church, a barbershop and a food truck and spoke with a few residents along the way.

Along with praise for the federal help, Buttigieg heard concerns that it was not enough to help a low-income Black community that also needs help with jobs and affordable housing. Nishani Frazier, an N.C. State University history professor who lives in the neighborhood, told Buttigieg and Williams that improving the street alone could simply speed a process of gentrification that will displace long-time residents as property values rise and homes are replaced.

So Im not going to jump for joy until I see, along with breaking that concrete, affordable housing going up at the same time, said Frazier, motioning toward the street from inside Cox Barber Shop.

Holloway Street, which stretches east from downtown past Interstate 885, is the citys busiest bus route, a reflection of how much residents depend on GoDurham. The buses on Holloway average 3,291 passengers each weekday, or nearly 19% of GoDurhams total ridership, according to the city.

Despite that, most of the bus stops are no more than street signs, and city officials acknowledge the network of crosswalks and sidewalks leading to those stops is incomplete. In five years ending in 2021, there were 46 crashes involving pedestrians along Holloway, resulting in three deaths and four serious injuries.

The $12 million federal grant will help the city provide shelters, benches, lights and bike racks at all 32 bus stops in a two-mile stretch of Holloway Street. The city also plans new, more visible crosswalks and upgrades to 33 intersections between Elizabeth Street and Junction Road.

The city will also fill in more than a mile of missing sidewalks, including the gravel path where Buttitieg, Cooper and Williams walked Tuesday.

A lot of them are very short, less than one block, Sean Egan, the citys transportation director, said of the missing sections. But its critical to have a fully connected, accessible network, so were going to be addressing every gap along the corridor.

A historically neglected community

The sidewalk gaps are a symbol of under-investment in the community over the decades. Improving the street and the bus stops is overdue, said Camryn Smith, cofounder and executive director of Communities in Partnership, a nonprofit community development group.

You need to do the work, because Black and brown communities deserve to have nice livable neighborhoods, Smith said outside the church where Buttigieg, Cooper and Williams began their tour. But theres more to it.

Like Frazier, Smith worries that improvements to Holloway Street will be enjoyed by new, wealthier residents who will displace those living in the East Durham and Albright neighborhoods now. Smith, who lives a block from the church, said that process has already begun.

Its a tale of two cities. While Im standing here, Im smelling urine, because where were at right now is where people who are chemically addicted and have mental health issues, this is where they hang out, she said.

But at the same time, you can walk two to three blocks and find a house thats being built for half a million dollars. And if you go another two to three blocks, youll find theyre almost a million dollars.

Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, said he understood the concerns about gentrification. He said the federal support includes money for community outreach and that his department seeks to work with local governments that are intentional about how housing, transit and transportation all interact so that this supports the residents who are already here, rather than push them out.

Im not here to say that its easy or anybodys got it all figured out, he told Frazier. But I want you to know its on our mind.





Williams also acknowledged that residents could be leery about new sidewalks and bus stops just as the area appears to be changing. He said the city needs to do more to help residents remain in the neighborhood.

Instead of displacement, or what some folks call gentrification, this is revitalization, he said. And this investment that we have here is only part of the puzzle.

The city expects to finish designing the changes to Holloway Street next year, begin acquiring right-of-way in 2026 and complete construction by the end of 2027, Egan said. In addition to the $12 million federal grant, the city will kick in $3 million.
Restricted parking signs on Narragansett's Ocean Road went up. Why they're already down

NARRAGANSETT  Residents and long-time visitors in Narragansett may have done a double-take this past week when driving along scenic Ocean Road: one moment, signs advertising that parking was restricted to three hours were posted along the road  the next, they were gone.

The reversal happened between Thursday and Friday last week. A now-archived post on the Town of Narragansetts website published Friday, June 28, advised that the town had begun installing signage on Narragansett Avenue and Ocean Road, with work scheduled to be completed on or about Wednesday, July 3.

The sudden appearance of parking signs prompted concerned calls and emails from residents to Rhode Islands Department of Transportation, according to social media posts and comments at the most recent Town Council meeting. For months, Narragansett and RIDOT have been locked in a wrestling match over whether the coastal town has a right to restrict parking  currently unlimited  on Ocean Road, which is state-owned.

Cars parked along the Narragansett sea wall on Sunday, June 16, 2024. Kris Craig/The Providence Journal

Shortly after Narragansett announced on Friday it was posting signs, the DOT sent a cease-and-desist letter to Town Solicitor Mark Davis advising the town to stop installing parking signs on Ocean Road.

Please be advised that the Town of Narragansett  is not authorized to install any parking restriction signs on Ocean Road in Narragansett because that is a State owned road, and Narragansetts request for the 3 hr. parking limit has not been granted by the State Traffic Commission, said the letter, which The Journal obtained through a public records request.

The letter also stated that the DOT would remove any signs installed on Ocean Road, but Charles St. Martin, DOTs spokesperson, said Narragansett appeared to be complying and signs were being taken down.

The ordinance to post signs on Ocean Road  as well as other roads in Narragansett  passed last June with four council members voting for it and one abstaining. The town has argued that rotating spaces would benefit businesses in the area, but residents and business owners in the community have opposed the idea.

Businesses voted against it  only one business supported it  and yet for whatever reason this Town Council, town manager, town solicitor are putting it up, even prior to getting approval. Doesnt make sense to me, said Al Alba, a resident of Narragansett, at Mondays council meeting.

Susan Cicilline-Buonanno, a Town Council member and former president, said she was embarrassed and baffled by the decision to post the signs, especially ahead of Fourth of July.

I cannot believe that the town of Narragansett  the town I love and so have enjoyed  that when the state hadn't rendered a decision  that we went and put them up anyway, Cicilline-Buonanno said.

Making a unilateral decision to post the signs without approval from the State Traffic Commission sent the wrong message, she added.

The message should be we work together because we all care about the state, we care about the town, and you can't just do your own thing without being partners with the other, Cicilline-Buonanno said.

Town Council president defends decision to post signs

In an email to The Journal, Town Council President Ewa Dzwierzynski defended the decision to post parking signs on Ocean Road.

The Town of Narragansett passed this ordinance through appropriate vetting and procedures and it is a valid and enforceable ordinance intended for more access to our beautiful community. I find it odd that no other community that has signage for parking on state roads has ever had to go through this process, Dzwierzynski said.

Is Narragansett Town Beach overcrowded?: Not according to a town-commissioned study

She added that Narragansetts Town Manager James Tierney consulted with town managers from Westerly, South Kingstown and Jamestown, and they said that parking restrictions on state roads in their towns did not have to go through approval by the DOTs State Traffic Commission.

According to Dzwierzynski, the State Traffic Commission told the town last year that the commission only gets involved when there are requests for No Parking based on a safety concern, thus the parking limitations on Ocean Road would not require approval.

There is no safety concern with timed parking as per the ordinance, and per STC parking limits can be handled at the municipal [level] through local ordinance as many municipalities have done and have never had to get permission from STC/DOT.

The DOT, however, maintains that Narragansett needs permission first from the State Traffic Commission before moving forward. The matter will be discussed at the commissions next meeting on July 10, according to St. Martin, though a meeting agenda has not yet been posted online as of Tuesday afternoon.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Narragansett installs then removes parking signs on Ocean Road
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A reward has been increased for information on a 7-year-olds shooting death on the Fourth of July last year along the Courtney Campbell Causeway.

The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives each added $5,000 to the previous reward, bringing the total up to $25,000, according to the Tampa Police Department.

Boy killed in Tampa shooting memorialized with official sign, but no closer to justice

Yitzian Torres Garcia was shot and killed July 4, 2023, along the Courtney Campbell Causeway after an argument between two groups on jet skis escalated over where the jet skis could go.

Police said someone started shooting and a stray bullet hit Garcia in the head. His grandfather lost a finger trying to protect the boy.

The childs family was not involved in the argument. The child was only in Florida visiting his grandparents from New Jersey.

On Thursday morning, July 4, Garcias family plans to set off white fireworks and release pigeons in honor of him. His grandmother said she printed out 100 pictures of him and will put together an altar for him as well.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Tampa Police 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 WFLA.
The News

Sen. Rick Scott hasnt asked Donald Trump to back his Senate leadership bid even though they frequently talk, including late-night phone calls from the ex-president that wake Scott up.

Still, hes hoping he will get the support of the Republican presidential contender, who has been strengthened by Joe Bidens bad debate performance. After all, Scott was the first lawmaker to make a public stop at Trumps trial over hush money payments.

He said he was excited that I was getting into the race, Scott told Semafor, referring to Trump. I hope Ill get his support. I think Id be a good Republican and, hopefully, majority leader to help him get his agenda done.

Scotts last bid to replace Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in November 2022 fell flat with only a quarter of the conferences support. Now, instead of dethroning the longtime GOP leader, hell face the Johns, Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota, in what is expected to be a highly competitive election race.

The Florida senator said hes already making inroads with the current House leadership in hopes of delivering an expansive reconciliation package Speaker Mike Johnson previewed weeks ago. Those conversations, including with Johnson, are taking place more casually at weekly Wednesday night dinners he hosts for House members at his Capitol Hill townhouse.

It takes both the House and the Senate to get anything done, and so I think its important that we build a relationship, he said. Thats why I put a lot of time into building my relationship with Speaker Johnson and Steve Scalise and Tom Emmer and other Republican House members.

Kadias view

Theres no guarantee Trumps nod will ensure Scotts victory. Senators vote on their leader by secret ballot and as one former aide put it, The Senate doesnt like to be told how to Senate. But the relationship between the two would prove valuable either way should Trump take the White House.

Scott is part of a cohort of senators already laying the ground for a more conservative Senate with term limits, committee revamps, and holding the line against Democrats, according to Politico.

is pitch to his fellow lawmakers centers on drawing everyone into the conversation and reversing the top-down approach that has dominated congressional decision-making, saying the Senate Republican leader is not a dictatorship.

Are we going to have a leader who is going to dictate our policies? Or are we going to have a leader that is going to help us do the things we all campaign on? Scott said.

Among the policy changes, he would consider doing away with the power a party leader has to truncate the Senates amendments process, a debate that has stalled the upper chamber, nearly causing a government shutdown.

I think each one of us needs to have the opportunity to have amendment votes on the Senate floor, he said.
Are you at risk for dengue? Are Miami mosquitoes a danger? Here are the warning signs

No one likes mosquito season. And some of these bloodsuckers can be more than just a nuisance. Mosquitoes can transmit disease.

Health officials are now focusing on dengue fever, with reports on the rise and new cases confirmed in the Florida Keys. Over 250 cases have been reported in the state so far this year, more than double this time last year.

Its concerning, said Dr. Paola Lichtenberger, a tropical disease expert and professor of medicine at the University of Miami. It will not turn on all the red alerts yet, but it definitely raised a huge red flag.

Lichtenberger isnt the only one raising red flags. The CDC issued an alert for increased risk of dengue virus infections in the United States on June 25. The Florida Department of Health declared a Mosquito Borne Illness Alert for dengue in the Florida Keys. And Miami-Dade County has been under the alert since last year .

Heres what to know about dengue fever in South Florida:

What is dengue fever?

 Dengue fever is a viral, mosquito-borne, infection found in tropical and subtropical regions across the world. Each year, dengue is responsible for an estimated 100 million to 400 million infections, according to the World Health Organization.

 Dengue infections often come without symptoms. Only about 1 in 4 people infected with dengue will become sick, according to the CDC. But dengue can lead to a severe infection, and can even kill you.

What are the symptoms of dengue fever?

 The most common initial symptom of dengue is fever, sometimes with vomiting, muscle pain, joint pain behind the eyes, and a rash.

 Symptoms usually appear 7 to 10 days after an infection and typically last two to seven days.

 More serious symptoms of dengue can appear 24 to 48 hours after the fever ends. Only about 1 in 20 people who experience symptoms will develop a serious infection.

MORE: Dengue fever confirmed in Florida Keys as U.S. on watch for rise in mosquito illness

Symptoms of severe dengue infection include abdominal pain, repeat vomiting, bleeding from the nose or gums, bloody vomit or stool, and extreme fatigue or restlessness, according to the CDC.

People previously infected with dengue are at higher risk of developing a severe case, Lichtenberger said. This is because there are actually four types of dengue.

If you get [one type of] dengue, you will never get [that same type] again, she explained. However, if you get a different type of dengue, your immune system will have an extra huge over-response to that dengue, without killing it properly. Thats when the severe dengue happens.

Is there a treatment for dengue fever?

There is no specific treatment for dengue fever.

If you develop dengue symptoms, rest and drink water. You can take acetaminophen (Tylenol) to help manage the pain, but dont take ibuprofen (Advil) or aspirin because they may cause bleeding in more severe cases.

If your dengue symptoms become more severe, seek emergency medical attention.

There is a vaccine to prevent severe dengue, but its only available for kids ages 9 through 16 who have a documented previous case of dengue and live in an area where the disease is common.

How does dengue spread?

 Dengue is spread by the bite of the female aedes mosquito, usually the aedes aegypti, according to the CDC. Unlike COVID or the common cold, it cannot be spread through saliva or skin contact. You need the blood contact, said Lichtenberger, an expert in tropical diseases.

 The aedes mosquito has adapted to human schedules, often feeding during the day, unlike other mosquito species. In addition, Lichtenberger called it a city kid because it often lives near human-populated areas.

 Aedes aegypti can also bite multiple people during one feeding. While most other mosquitoes prefer to bite a single person or animal per feeding, the aedes move from person to person, biting and spreading diseases like zika, chikungunya and dengue.

How do I avoid dengue fever?

The best way to avoid dengue is to avoid getting mosquito bites.

Miami-Dade Mosquito Control is monitoring its network of more than 320 mosquito traps to track the aedes. The division also offers several suggestions for avoiding mosquito bites.

Mosquitoes breed in standing water, so Mosquito Control recommends limiting standing water around your home. This means emptying garbage cans, buckets, pots, gutters, even plants with water-holding leaves such as bromeliads. It also means emptying pools when theyre not being used.

The division also highly recommends residents to use a mosquito repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR-3535 when venturing outdoors.

Make sure that whenever [youre] applying repellent it has to be more than 20% DEET, warned Lichtenberger, adding that bug-spray should always be applied after sunscreen, otherwise the sunscreen might disable the repellent.

How did dengue get to the U.S.?

Dengue is endemic to many countries, especially in Central and South America, meaning that the disease is constantly present. In the U.S., types of dengue cases can be broken down into two categories:

 The first is called travel associated cases.

Its not that the mosquito travels in the airplane, said Lichtenberger. Instead, travel-associated cases involve people who develop symptoms after having recently traveled to a place where dengue fever is common and were infected there.

 The second is called local associated cases.

In these cases, the person testing positive for dengue has not traveled abroad recently, and was likely infected in the U.S. It is these local cases that are most worrying to doctors. Most mosquitoes can only fly about one to three miles, according to the American Mosquito Control Association, so local cases mean that there are infected mosquitoes transmitting the disease in the U.S.

Dengue in Florida and abroad

Though dengue and other mosquito-borne illnesses are often present in Florida, the level of urgency varies.

Some counties, including Hillsborough, Nassau, Holmes and Pasco, are under a mosquito borne illness advisory from the Florida Health Department. This is the third highest warning level offered by the state Health Department, and corresponds with a single locally acquired case in the county. The advisory in Hillsborough County is for dengue fever. The advisories in Pasco, Nassau and Holmes counties are for eastern equine encephalitis, a different mosquito-borne illness.

Miami-Dade and Monroe are under a mosquito borne illness alert, the second highest warning level, declared when more than one locally acquired case is confirmed. There have been six confirmed locally acquired cases in Miami-Dade this year, constituting the majority of the local cases in Florida, and two in Monroe.

As of June 29, there have been 244 travel associated cases reported in Florida this year, including 104 in Miami-Dade and 39 in Broward, according to the Florida Department of Health. This number is much higher than this time in 2023 or 2022, and it likely reflects the dengue activity in Latin America, Lichtenberger said.

Brazil is in the midst of a historic dengue outbreak, with over six million suspected cases, according to the World Health Organization, and 57 of Floridas travel-associated cases have been connected to that outbreak. Argentina, Peru and Paraguay also all have suspected cases in the hundreds of thousands.

As of June 29, Florida has recorded 10 reports of locally acquired cases in 2024. Six of those cases have been in Miami-Dade, two in Monroe, and one each in Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

Ten cases is a lot for us, said Lichtenberger, especially because its just the beginning of the summer.

Is dengue in Florida normal?

Dengue cases in Florida arent rare, especially given Floridas climate and connections to Latin America. Cases have been trending upward since 2017, and although the number dipped during COVID, it rose again in 2022 and has stayed lofty since.

In fact, for this time of year, dengue fever numbers are at the highest they have been in the last decade, for both travel and locally associated cases.

Lichtenberger suggests that this may be the beginning of the new normal for Florida.

This is one of the implications of global warming, she said.

As average temperatures rise, mosquitoes are becoming more and more present throughout parts of the U.S., bringing with them new illnesses.

These diseases were not present for more than 100 years, and now we are seeing them again, said Lichtenberger, pointing to last years malaria alert in western Florida as another example.

We have to start thinking about what our responsibility is, she said Its not just a matter of temperatures and water  it has to do with health.
EXETER  RiverWoods is moving forward with a revised plan to construct a new state-of-the-art health center along Jolly Rand and Kingston Drive.

The continuing care retirement community went before the towns Planning Board on Thursday, June 27, for a preliminary conceptual consultation on the proposed three-story building.

The proposed 158,000-square-foot building will replace three existing ones at The Woods, The Ridge and The Boulder campuses. The new centralized location for care, they said, will promote efficiency due to staffing issues.

RiverWoods is planning to move forward with its application to build a three-story, 158,000-square-foot "state-of-the-art" health center along Jolly Rand and Kingston Drive.

The new plan can be built without any zoning relief.

In May, RiverWoods' request for two variances was rejected by the Zoning Board. One would have allowed the project to exceed the 35-foot height limit for a gabled-roof design, and the other would have allowed 11 out of 116 parking spaces within the 100-foot landscape buffer of the building.

The board rejected both requests, stating the massive structure would alter the essential character of the residential neighborhood and suggested a scaled-down project would better suit the area.

The new plan by RiverWoods calls for 113 parking spaces  49 on the front portion of the building, 64 underground, and none within the 100-foot buffer. It also calls for a flat roof design with a dormer to keep its height within the 35-foot limit.

Robbi Woodburn of Woodburn & Company Landscape Architecture said the revised building and parking plan will be wrapped around trees to soften the impact on the neighborhood.

RiverWoods went before the Planning Board Thursday, June 27, for a preliminary conceptual consultation to construct a new health center.

Eric Harrmann of AG Architecture said the building will offer 126 rooms  split between assisted living, memory support and skilled nursing. There will also be two courtyards in the middle for secured access to outdoors and sun-filled areas to units.

Erik Saari of Altus Engineering said once the new building is complete, RiverWoods long-term plan includes turning the three existing health centers into independent living facilities.

'Hurry up and get it done': Exeter downtown businesses irked by ongoing Ioka construction

Neighbors still not happy over 'gigantic' project

The plan before the Planning Board was only a preliminary conceptual consultation, and therefore, abutters were not notified.

Still, many residents of the area attended to voice their serious concerns.

Pickpocket Road resident Karen Prior said the project has been on an irregular path.

This project is at the Planning Board stage after being rejected outright by the Zoning Board of Adjustment The reason this proposal is going forward is that RiverWoods has more money to spend on attorneys than the abutters do, she said. We are a neighborhood, this is not how our town government is supposed to work.

Laura Davies, a Pickpocket Road resident, said shes astonished by the size of the building RiverWoods is trying to put into her neighborhood.

Just to give you an idea of the scale of this: The YMCA on 56 Linden Street is 30,935 square feet. This proposal will be between 155,000 and 207,000 square feet. So thats six YMCAs in our low-density residential neighborhood, she said. "  The former high school at 30 Linden Street is 205,936-square-feet so this proposed building will be on a scale of the former high school."

Davies, a real estate and valuation professional, is also a member of the Zoning Board.

This would make this property the largest building between the railroad tracks and (Route) 125, she said.

RiverWoods has already been denied two variance requests by the Zoning Board that would allow it to build over the 35-foot limit and place parking spaces within the 100-foot landscape buffer. The newly updated, scaled down site plan does not require any variance.

Fred Burt, who spoke against this project at the Zoning Board level, also voiced his opposition to the gigantic project.

This is a neighborhood, that thing is massive, he said. Its just too large. It doesnt fit the neighborhood, and I prefer RiverWoods not become the villages of Exeter, like the giant retirement community in Florida.

Additionally, he said noises emitted by the building, such as generators, trucks carrying daily shipments, and an increase in overall traffic would disturb the neighborhoods peace and quiet.

When they drop a dumpster over by RiverWoods at eight oclock in the morning, we hear it, he said. I would like to ask the Planning Board to ensure that the buffer is heavily, heavily buffered.

More: Exeter Select Board calls for Pickpocket Dam removal despite pleas to save it

Abutters: RiverWoods hasn't been a good neighbor

Paul Roberge, who also lives on Pickpocket Road, questioned RiverWoods' credibility, citing they had planted trees as a buffer around its existing buildings before but immediately ignored and abandoned it after. He said he could see dead trees on the RiverWoods property from his house.

Right now, if you go and stand on Pickpocket Road you will see to the right a horrible mess of invasives that have killed most of the trees they planted, he said. So when they promise to have a beautiful view that would shield this monstrosity of a building, I really dont have any faith that they will keep that screen, they will ignore it.

Prior agreed with Roberge, stating that over and over RiverWoods have promised to become good neighbors and they have not.

Kingston Road resident Ruth Hooten, who lives adjacent to the proposed location, said her major concern is that the building will be on top of a slope, which would affect her property.

Their land is above my land, and it slopes down into my pond, she explained.  Youre going to get (water) runoff into my pond, youre going to have more water going down.

With the difference in the inclination, Hooten also raised the concern with lighting.

There would be light coming into my house, she said. I dont care how much trees you put up and bushes, I live right surrounded by RiverWoods, I see lights all year round.

The Planning Board did not decide as it was only a preliminary conceptual consultation.

RiverWoods said they plan to return for a design review with the board before filing an official application for the project.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: RiverWoods returns with revised 'gigantic' health center plan
US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This was stated by two former Trump national security officials who are likely to serve during his second term.

ADVERTISIMENT

This was reported by Politico. According to the article, Trump is considering an agreement under which NATO pledges not to expand eastward, particularly to Ukraine and Georgia, and is negotiating with Putin over "how much of Ukraine's territory Moscow can keep."

"According to one national security expert familiar with Trump's thinking, who asked to remain anonymous, Trump would be open to something that would exclude NATO expansion and not go back to 1991 borders for Ukraine. That would be on the table. But that doesn't mean ruling out any other possibility, including supplying large quantities of weapons to Ukraine," the newspaper writes.

In April, The Washington Post reported that Trump's preliminary plan also includes pressure on Ukraine to hand over Crimea and the Donbas border area to Russia.

ADVERTISIMENT

"I would expect a very quick deal to end the conflict," said Kevin Roberts, president of The Heritage Foundation, an influential think tank affiliated with Trump.

Trump himself has not publicly disclosed his plans for Ukraine. However, during the campaign, he repeatedly promised to end the war as one of his first priorities, saying he would do so "before he even get to the Oval Office, shortly after winning the presidency," during a June 22 rally in Philadelphia. When asked in a June 21 podcast about his readiness to withdraw the question of Ukraine's accession to NATO, Trump replied that the promise of NATO membership was a "mistake" and the reason "why this war started."

In addition, Trump plans that when he becomes president, European countries will not only dramatically increase their spending on NATO but will also create a "radical reorientation" in the alliance. Trump is unlikely to abruptly withdraw from NATO. However, even if he does not officially withdraw from the organization, this does not mean that NATO will not undergo changes during his second term.

ADVERTISIMENT

Earlier, it was reported that NATO is preparing a number of measures to strengthen long-term support for Ukraine in case former President Donald Trump wins the US election. The plans include sending a high-ranking civilian official to Kyiv and establishing a new command in Germany.

As a reminder, US President Joe Biden and former leader Donald Trump met in the first round of election debates. The politicians exchanged mutual accusations, spoke about the state of the country's economy, touched on abortion, the situation at the border, the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, and the wars in Ukraine and Israel.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a campaign event on December 19, 2023 in Waterloo, Iowa. Iowa Republicans will be the first to select their party's nomination for the 2024 presidential race, when they go to caucus on January 15, 2024. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Regrettably, but not surprisingly, the Supreme Court has now unleashed SEAL Team Six to murder anyone the president directs it to kill.

By focusing only on whether the presidents actions fall within his official constitutional duties, rather than the nature of the underlying conduct itself, the majority decision written by Chief Justice John Roberts in the presidential immunity case, Trump v. United States, gives carte blanche to the ex-president, the current one and future commanders-in-chief.

Its not only political rivals who can be killed at the whim of the president regardless of motivation and without recourse. That indulgence also would extend to anyone he or she wants eliminated.

It looks like ex-President Trump was correct when he famously said he could shoot somebody in the middle of Fifth Avenue and not lose any voters.

It not only would be devoid of deleterious impact on his supporters, but it would bar any legal consequences as long as its done by the military at his behest  even if the militia considers it to be unlawful.

Indeed, if a president, now or in the future, is upset by a ruling of the Supreme Court, he or she could order the Seal Team or other SWAT commandos under his authority to charge into the Supreme Courts chambers  across the street from the site of the Jan. 6 insurrection, by the way  and slay the justices. Its all within his official duties as Commander-in-Chief.

The Chief Justice wove together his six-member majority with two gimmes: Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. The former was indisputably in the bag and flying his flag high in favor of even broader full-scale immunity based upon his remark at oral arguments in April that a president needs to be free of legal constraints to assure that he (or she) will follow the law without fear of being prosecuted by later administrations.

Thats probably one of the grossest non-sequiturs issued from that once-exalted body since it declared, before the Civil War, that a Black person is not a person in the eyes of the law. Or, nearly 40 years later, that segregation of people of color constitutes separate but equal treatment.

As for Thomas, he joined the majority opinion despite it not engaging in the three-pronged analysis that he deems talismanic to constitutional adjudication: text, history, and tradition.

Criminal immunity for a president lacks all three: nothing that says so in the Constitution, although it does refer to potential criminal prosecution in connection with impeachment offenses; there is no historical analog for immunity ever since King George IIIs statute was toppled 248 years ago this week following adoption of the Declaration of Independence; and no tradition exists of any president seeking or obtaining immunity for criminality, even the venal Richard Nixon, who didnt need one after his pardon by his successor, Gerald Ford.

Yet, the absence of all three of those features didnt deter Thomas from subscribing to the decision by the Chief Justice  perhaps before taking off for another all-expense paid luxury vacation provided by a right-wing billionaire friend or a jaunt around the country with his MAGA wife, Ginny, in the ultra RV furnished to him by his wealthy pal.

But the logical extension of Roberts rationale has broad tentacles in addition to permitting outright murder. Since the presidents constitutional authority includes providing pardons, nothing would prevent  or penalize  him from taking bribes for granting them.

By the same reasoning, the chief executives constitutional authority to appoint ambassadors and other officials and employees of the federal government could be used to solicit pay-offs to the president, the Presidents party, family members, friends, or anyone else for that matter, auctioning the positions off them to the highest bidders. That could make for an engaging reality television show: Were Making a Deal or Americas Got Graft.

There are a myriad of other illegalities that could occur within the official presidential duties enumerated in Article II of the Constitution or implied from them that are given free passes by the deplorable ruling that might go down in infamy as Roberts Rules of Disorder.

One of the justices, Neil Gorsuch, remarked at oral arguments that the Courts ruling would be one for the ages.

This one is not going to age well.

Minnesota Reformer is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Minnesota Reformer maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor J. Patrick Coolican for questions: info@minnesotareformer.com. Follow Minnesota Reformer on Facebook and X.

The post Roberts Rules: Presidents can kill like despots appeared first on Michigan Advance.
Rock Island Bridge opening delayed, again. When will you be able to hang out above the Kaw?

Ready to drink and dine atop a rusty locomotive bridge turned entertainment hotspot? Itll be a little longer.

The Rock Island Bridge, spanning the Kansas River to reconnect the West Bottoms with Kansas City, Kansas, will welcome guests later than expected after construction delays. The target open is September, though the launch could be pushed further out to early fall.

Its taking more time to work around the infrastructure, and then working with both Missouri and Kansas on such a big project, said Sami Cintron, director of marketing for the Rock Island Bridge.

Development of the bridge  part park, part entertainment venue, part event space  is the result of collaboration between local government leaders and private investors. The bridge is owned by the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, and will be privately managed.

Once finished, the Rock Island Bridge will host two stories of seating, restrooms, bars and businesses over the river.

A rendering shows what developers plan for the new Rock Island Bridge development project spanning the Kansas River. The bridge is expected to open to the public in the summer of 2024.

The latest delay comes as developer Michael Zeller of Flying Truss, LLC, had hoped to begin a soft rollout welcoming the public in late June or early July. Construction began in 2023, with the initial aim of having the bridge open in March.

Cintron told The Star that the open date has always been a moving target. As of Tuesday, construction was still underway on the bars and restaurant seating areas.

Built in 1905, the 702-foot Rock Island Bridge once carried livestock over the river as part of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway. It was decommissioned in the early 1970s.

As the plans expanded, estimated costs to revamp the bridge rose from an initial projection of $5 million to roughly $15 million this year. Roughly $1.5 million has come through state grants, and another $2.5 million came from a Unified Government grant to be repaid by property and sales taxes.

Platforms have been added to the Rock Island Bridge, which is being turned into an entertainment district 60 feet above the Kansas River, just west of the HyVee Arena in Kansas City. The bridge will also be used for a public crossing into Kansas City, Kansas, feature shops, music and entertainment, as well as a community center, a trailhead. Flying Truss, LLC, is the developer and the website for the project says it should open in Summer of 2024.

Much of the restoration has been cosmetic, though developers ran into some unforeseen costs.

In May, a revised development plan with the Unified Government passed that allows Flying Truss to regain nearly $500,000 invested to strengthen the bridge.

And on Friday, commissioners approved the creation of a special taxing district that will add a 2% sales tax there for up to 22 years.

Todd LaSala, an attorney representing the Unified Government, told commissioners early Friday morning that the public investment made by the local government is expected to be repaid sooner.

The Stars Natalie Wallington contributed to this report.
Rockland's feud with Hochul leaves seat on MTA board vacant for more than a year

Rockland Countys feud with Gov. Kathy Hochul over mass transit policy has left county taxpayers without a representative on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board for more than a year.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day and his preferred candidate for the seat, Neil Cosgrove, say the governor has shown disrespect for the county by not filling the vacant Rockland seat on the panel.

We were very clear that Neil Cosgrove was an ideal pick, said Day, a Republican. What Im hearing is that they are not supportive of Neil because he is too vocal. Theyd rather have someone calm and quiet. Hes professional, well-known, well-respected, and a regular rider of the rails. The biggest problem is that he may say the truth.

Neil Cosgrove, of New City, who was recommended by County Executive Ed Day to serve on the MTA board, has yet to be selected by Gov. Kathy Hochul to be confirmed by the state Senate.

The governors office, however, says its obeying state law, which requires that county executives submit three nominees for a county's seat on the board. Then the governor selects one to send to the state Senate for confirmation.

The choice is up to the governor. And it appears clear that Hochul, a Buffalo Democrat, does not want Cosgrove to sit at the MTA board table.

Governor Hochul is committed to the future of the MTA and supporting commuters in Rockland County, said Hochul spokesman Avi Small. State law grants the governor the power to select any of a county executives three nominees to the MTA board, and we will continue fully complying with the law.

Day sees MTA not meeting Rockland's needs

The MTA has long come under fire from Day. He has criticized what he sees as under-investment by the authority in Rockland's mass-transit needs, while county consumers and employers pay millions in MTA taxes each year. The county also filed a lawsuit against the MTA over its congestion pricing plan for drivers entering Manhattan south of 60th Street, which Hochul unexpectedly put on hold in June.

More: Day threatens to pull Rockland out of MTA over canceled trains

Under state law, representatives from Suffolk, Nassau and Westchester counties each have one vote on the MTA's 23-member board, while the members from Putnam, Rockland, Orange and Dutchess share a single vote.

State taxation in Rockland helps pay for the MTA through a payroll tax, portions of the state sales tax and mortgage tax, and taxes on motor fuel and franchises. Rockland motorists also pay tolls on MTA bridges and tunnels linking the suburbs to the city.

Metro-North partners with NJ Transit to operate the Pascack Valley line at Spring Valley, Nanuet and Pearl River, and the Port Jervis line, with stops in Suffern and Sloatsburg. The MTA has exempted riders on these lines for systemwide rates increases since 2017.

The MTA also partners with NY Waterway on a ferry from Haverstraw to Ossining.

MTA subsidies to Rockland, Orange and Dutchess counties for local transportation needs are expected to grow by 25% from $11.6 million in 2023 to $14.5 million in 2025.

Cosgrove anxious to serve and speak out

Cosgrove, who is active in the Ancient Order of Hibernians and was grand marshal of this years Rockland County St. Patricks Day parade, works as a software engineer for a company with offices in Manhattan. For 25 years, he has taken the NJ Transit commuter rail from Nanuet or Pearl River to Secaucus, New Jersey, where he then transfers to a train to Penn Station.

He walks 15 blocks to his office  completing a commute that he says takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes on a good day.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul talks about her time leading New York while in her office at the state capitol in Albany Oct. 25, 2021.

Cosgrove, who has spoken out at MTA fare-hike hearings, said hes not happy with the MTAs lack of investment in Rockland. While the MTA provides subsidies for the NJ Transit trains that serve Rockland, he said he knows of no major improvements in the pipeline.

Theres nothing in the foreseeable future, said Cosgrove, a member of the Rockland County Planning Board. Rockland is the elephants graveyard for old equipment. Rockland MTA commuters are stuck with that.

More: Rockland urges a federal court to block a NYS tax on drivers entering Manhattan

He said its wrong for Hochul to withhold his nomination.

Its really undemocratic, said Cosgrove.

Hochul chose a different Rockland nominee

County Executive Day submitted three names to Hochul on June 27, 2023, almost a month after the June 1 resignation of former Rockland MTA representative Frank Borelli, said Day spokeswoman Beth Cefalu.

At the time, Day stressed that Cosgrove was his top pick for the post. Unlike the Suffolk County executive, who made public his three recommendations for an open seat in 2024, Day has kept secret the other two names he submitted to Hochul.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day recommended three nominees for the MTA board. He'll only disclose one of the names: Neil Cosgrove of New City.

After one of Day's nominees died in January, Hochul asked for another recommendation so she had three name from which to choose, said Cefalu. Day made the new recommendation. Hochul chose that yet-to-be-identified replacement in early May, in time for the nominee to be confirmed by the end of the 2024 legislative session.

But that didn't resolve Rockland County's lack of representation. The governors office could not reach Day's nominee with the good news. When aides to the governor sought help from Days office to contact his nominee, they were told that Cosgrove was Days first choice, Cefalu said.

At that time, the CE immediately directed his staff to advise the governor's staff that he wanted his first choice Mr. Cosgrove  reconsidered," she said. That was in early May and there has been no response from the governor's staff since that time.

Day said the county's relationship with Hochul has deteriorated to the point that he cant get a callback from Brandon Lloyd, the governors regional representative in the Lower Hudson Valley.

What rankles Cosgrove and Day was state Senate confirmation in March of three new MTA board members and two holdovers from New York City. But Day's preferred candidate was not forwarded to the state Senate.

They are looking to avoid us, said Day. Neil speaks his mind and they dont want to hear it.

Cosgrove said the countys lack of representation troubles him, noting that New York City Mayor Eric Adams recommendations sailed through the state Senate in March.

The mayor proposed names in March, they were selected, and put on the board, said Cosgrove. Meanwhile, Rockland hears nothing. Thats typical of the MTAs attitude toward Rockland County.

Sign up for Wilson's weekly newsletter for insights into his Tax Watch columns.

David McKay Wilson writes about tax issues and government accountability. Follow him on Twitter @davidmckay415 or email him at dwilson3@lohud.com.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Hochul shuns Rockland NY nominee for MTA board, leading to impasse
AUSTIN (KXAN)  The U.S. Supreme Court denied on Tuesday a petition by death-row defendant Rodney Reed seeking a review of his case. Reed argued his constitutional rights were violated by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals wrongfully high bar for his innocence claim, and, separately, a trial courts rubberstamping of state findings that discounted numerous new and favorable witnesses for Reed who testified at a nine-day hearing in 2021.

Reed filed the petition for writ of certiorari in November 2023, hoping the high court would intervene in the case. He was convicted of murdering 19-year-old Stacey Stites in Bastrop in 1996.

Rodney Reed has been fighting to prove his innocence for a quarter of a century. He has litigation pending in several courts and his legal team is continuing to pursue all available avenues to secure his relief, said Parker Rider-Longmaid, an attorney for Reed with the firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Mr. Reeds legal fight to test key DNA evidence and prove his innocence is far from over.

READ: Comprehensive coverage of the Rodney Reed murder case

Reed asked the Supreme Court to decide if the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals violated his due process rights by requiring affirmative evidence showing more likely than not his theory of innocence is true.

Reed argued that level of proof is higher than whats required in every other state except Missouri. Reeds evidence, he said, met the correct threshold already: that his new reliable evidence would have made it more likely than not that a reasonable juror would have reasonable doubt, according to the petition.

Reeds lawyers also asked the high court to review whether his due process rights were violated when a trial court, following an evidentiary hearing in 2021, decided to adopt verbatim the states error-riddled findings of fact rather than conducting its own independent analysis of the evidence, according to the petition.

Last June, the Court of Criminal Appeals deferred to those trial courts findings and rejected Reeds applications claiming his innocence.

In response to Reeds petition filed in U.S. Supreme Court, the state argued his due process rights werent violated because the constitution doesnt require the state to adopt certain procedures for his type of innocence claim, according to a state response.

Reeds failure to demonstrate a constitutional violation creates another reason to deny the petition, said state attorneys.

Reed has worked for decades  through all manner of petitions and appeals at every level of the criminal justice system  to get his case retried and prevent his execution.

Throughout the case, Reed has maintained his innocence. His attorneys with The Innocence Project have steadily presented new witnesses and experts who, they say, chip away at the states original case against Reed.

Reed has already seen two execution dates be set for him and paused. It is not clear when the state may set another one. He continues to pursue DNA testing of crime scene evidence.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
From Roe to Dobbs and Beyond: The last clinic in Mississippi

The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health is seen on June 24, 2022, in Washington, D.C. The courts decision, which ended federal abortion rights protections, also ended a years-long legal battle between the state of Mississippi and the clinic in Jackson Mississippi, owned by Diane Derzis. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

This is the third in a four-part series

Not a single employee of the New Woman All Women Clinic in Birmingham quit after it was bombed in 1998.

It would always be the abortion clinic that got bombed  the place where security guard and police officer Robert Sanderson died, and head nurse Emily Lyons was severely injured.

Those facts werent ever going to change.

But owner Diane Derzis kept the clinic functioning, and a new normal quickly developed, she said.

Photos were hung up inside the clinic that showed what it looked like following the attack. The images served as a reminder for everyone  patients and employees alike  of the lengths that someone in the anti-abortion community went to in order to try to stop women from having access to a safe abortion.

Still, the doors were open. Patients came in. Abortions were done. It would stay like this for years.

Then, in early 2012, the state of Alabama came for the clinics license.

From Roe to Dobbs and Beyond

Diane Derzis Lifetime in Abortion Care

June 24 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 third in 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.

In a news release dated April 30 of that year, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) proposed to revoke the license of New Woman All Women Health Care in Birmingham due to multiple and serious violations of State Board of Health rules.

Derzis denied that claim. She said the issue was documentation-related and that no one was hurt. Still, she agreed to turn in the clinics operating license.

ADPH said in the same release that a consent agreement allowed the opportunity for another entity or individual being independent from and not affiliated with New Woman or its officers and directors to seek a license to operate the center.

When New Woman All Women Health Care Clinic closed, Derzis owned three other clinics. One of them was in Columbus, Georgia. Another was in Richmond, Virginia. And the third was in Jackson, Mississippi.

At one point, Jackson had five abortion clinics. But by 2010, Jackson Womens Health Organization was the last one in the entire state.

The clinic didnt have an owner after its previous owner  a friend of Derzis  died of breast cancer.

Originally, the area Jackson Womens Health Organization called home was blighted and impoverished. But by the time Derzis toured the clinic in 2010 to check it out, the neighborhood had gentrified and transformed into the Fondren District, a place where people came to shop and eat.

The clinic had potential, she thought. It just needed a little love and care. The building needed work. As Derzis made her way through the clinic, a trashcan sat underneath a leak in the roof in the lab. Anti-abortion brochures floated in the pooling water.

What really stood out to her when she visited was who was there.

She started talking with patients as they waited for their appointments. Some were older and already had kids. They didnt want more. Others were barely teenagers and there with their mothers, who were determined that their daughters would have a better future and chance of success.

To this day, I love Jackson, Mississippi, Derzis said.

Owning Jackson Womens Health Organization created a new kind of responsibility. Up until then, she had never been part of an abortion clinic that was the only one in an entire state.

Access to abortion services varied widely by region, even before the recent radical shift, according to a 2022 study by The University of California San Francisco Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Healths Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health program.

According to the study, in 2021 there was roughly one abortion clinic for every 94,000 women in the United States. But in the South, the ratio was roughly one facility for roughly every 158,000 women. Mississippi  with its sole clinic  had a ratio of one facility for roughly 675,000 women of reproductive age.

Derzis was cognizant of that. But it didnt faze her. She bought the clinic with two business partners. The three of them also bought the clinics building. Not long after, she got to work putting her stamp on both the clinic and building.

And it wasnt just fixing the roof. Derzis wanted to make sure Jackson Womens Health Organization felt like a private clinic where patients would be taken care of. And she wanted employees to be happy working there.

She forked over the money to repair the roof and overhaul the interior aesthetic. Stuff got painted. Orange. Yellow. Fuchsia. Women-related artwork from a local artist got installed. Red leather furniture showed up.

She wasnt done. When Derzis first visited, Jackson Womens Health Organization was known locally as The Pink House. A couple years after buying the clinic, Derzis thought to herself that the exterior of the building kind of looked pinkish in color. In no time at all, she decided to act. The outside of the clinics art deco home was given a Pepto-Bismol pink paint job. The building blended in with others there in the Fondren District, which had buildings painted in purple or yellow.

In time, the clinics nickname would be known nationally. Internationally, too.

  

On March 19, 2018, a 15-week abortion ban became law in Mississippi. It was the strictest ban in the country. Named the Gestational Age Act, it only had two exceptions: medical emergency and severe fetal abnormality.

At the signing ceremony for that piece of legislation that day, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, dressed in a dark suit with a patterned blue tie and a white dress shirt, sat behind a large brown desk. He was flanked by well-dressed men and women.

You know, I love when Mississippi leads the nation saving the unborn, protecting religious freedoms, Bryant said, a pen in his right hand, according to a video posted to his Twitter account. And they always go around and go, Yeah, but yall are in last, like, in eating enough apples or something, he quipped.

The crowd chuckled.

But we are saving more of the unborn than any state in America, and what better thing we could do?

Putting pen to paper moments later, Bryant signed the bill.

And well probably be sued here in about half-hour, he said.

Heartier laughs filled the room.

That will be fine with me, he said. It is worth fighting over.

It wasnt half an hour. But Bryant wasnt far off. Before the end of the day, the international human-rights organization Center for Reproductive Rights  composed of lawyers and advocates  filed a legal complaint. It also asked the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippis Northern Division to issue a temporary restraining order that would block the new abortion ban.

Derzis had talked to the center about working together when the Gestational Age Act was working its way through Mississippis state Legislature. The two had worked together in the past. She didnt see any option other than suing in regard to the Gestational Age Act.

The temporary restraining order was granted the next day. Eight months later, a federal judge permanently blocked the Mississippi law.

The courts frustration, in part, is that other states have already unsuccessfully litigated the same sort of ban that is before this court and the state is aware that this type of litigation costs the taxpayers a tremendous amount of money, U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves wrote in his Nov. 20, 2018, opinion. No, the real reason we are here is simple. The state chose to pass a law it knew was unconstitutional to endorse a decades-long campaign, fueled by national interest groups, to ask the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Mississippi officials appealed to the conservative U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The Fifth Circuit shot it down on Dec. 13, 2019.

That ruling made Derzis think the case, Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, was done for good.

To have a win there was unheard of, she said. Thats why we were so encouraged, because this is one of the worst courts in the land.

But a small part of her wasnt dancing for joy just yet. Shes cynical, she said. And Mississippi wasnt finished.

In June of the following year, the state petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review Dobbs.

Three months after that, on Sept. 18, 2020, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died from complications of metastatic pancreas cancer at age 87.

Then I knew we were up s*** creek, Derzis said.

Eight days after Ginsburgs death, then-President Donald Trump named his pick to replace Ginsburg: Amy Coney Barrett. She was confirmed to a lifetime appointment on Oct. 26, 2020.

The Supreme Court announced the following year it was going to hear Mississippis appeal of Dobbs. Oral arguments took place on Dec. 1, 2021.

Out in Pecos, New Mexico, Derzis listened live. She felt she could hear contempt in some of the justices voices. Questions she heard from justices made her think abortion rights were in big trouble  questions about fetuses and babies, instead of women.

Derzis was livid after she stopped listening. People had thought she was an alarmist, that her belief that the Dobbs Supreme Court case would result in Roe getting overturned was silly.

Fueled by that fury, Derzis kept fighting to provide abortion care. She needed to find a new home for Mississippis only abortion clinic.

Six months came and went. Derzis and Shannon Brewer  Jackson Womens Health Organizations administrator and her long-time right-hand woman  were walking through the airport in Atlanta. It was the evening of May 2, 2022. After attending a national abortion conference in Florida, the two were headed home.

The conference disappointed Derzis. It was lackluster and didnt address the immediate issue at hand: Dobbs and what might happen to reproductive rights.

As they made their way through the airport, she caught wind that a copy of the Supreme Courts draft decision for Dobbs had been leaked to Politico. If unchanged and finalized, the draft decision would indeed knock out the rights ensured by the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

We just left an abortion conference, Derzis said. We knew it was happening, and no one else wants to talk about it.

Day-to-day operations at Jackson Womens Health Organization were business as usual after the leak of the Supreme Courts draft decision. The only change was an increase in interest in the clinic from journalists.

The Supreme Courts final ruling came on June 24, 2022. Roe was overturned.

Derzis had expected this to happen eventually. The hoops women had to jump through to get an abortion, and less-than-helpful experiences she had with law enforcement in dealing with out-of-hand protesters  those experiences convinced her.

But she hadnt thought the Dobbs case would be the nail in Roes coffin. When the Center for Reproductive Rights filed its complaint against the Gestational Age Act in 2018, Derzis didnt even think that the case would even make it to the Supreme Court.

Or maybe I didnt want to think this was the case, she said.

  

The Supreme Courts final ruling threw Jackson Womens Health Organization into chaos the day it came out.

Patients packed the clinic. Staff tried to squeeze in as many people as possible.

Private security guards were there, an extreme rarity for the clinic. They were hired for the day because Jackson Womens Health Organization thought there was a high probability that protesters would try to come into the clinic or take it over.

Hatred hung in the air there that day like a dense fog. You couldve cut it with a knife. Some of it came from anti-abortion protesters. Jubilant, they basked in the win the Supreme Court just gave them that morning. They wanted Derzis clinic closed immediately. Abortion rights supporters expressed their anger at clinics protesters.

If one person had crossed the line  I mean, even a little bit  it would have been Johnny bar the door, Derzis explained.

She wore sunglasses to shield her a bit from the anti-abortion protesters. Plus, Derzis didnt want to hold her hand up over her eyes to block the sun when she was dealing with journalists. Despite all the public speaking she had done over the years, addressing crowds still made her nervous.

She started the day in Birmingham. When the Supreme Court announced the Dobbs ruling, Derzis sprang into action. She hopped in her car and drove four hours to Jackson to hold a news conference at her clinic.

As she drove, she was on the phone. She talked with someone in Jackson about finalizing details for the news conference. She talked with Brewer. She talked with journalists. These conversations helped Derzis avoid dwelling on Roe being wiped out.

Now, here she was, standing in front of a collection of microphones, talking to reporters outside The Pink House. Her Pink House. It was mid-afternoon.

She and others who provided abortion care werent going to give up, werent going to stop, she told them. Derzis seemed calm and cool on the surface, but anger lurked underneath. Her tone and cadence gave it away.

Jackson Womens Health Organization wasnt going to close right away, she said during her remarks. She told the crowd there was paperwork that the state attorney general in Mississippi had to certify first for a 2007 state law that would ban all abortions in Mississippi without Roe.

After that, the clinic would have 10 days to remain open.

Now, I would bet money that that certification was awaiting her office today when she got there, Derzis said. So that means we will be open for the next 10 days, and well be seeing patients for the next 10 days, even if they have to do what theyve done so often, and thats come through this kind of terrorism.

She was referencing the anti-abortion protesters there that day. During the news conference, Derzis didnt see a police car in sight.

Afterward, she hugged patient escorts at the clinic.

Three days later, Lynn Fitch, the first woman to ever hold the post of Mississippi attorney general, certified the 2007 abortion ban. The only exceptions carved out in the law were for saving the life of the person who is pregnant, and if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest. In the latter cases, the assault has to be reported to law enforcement.

Jackson Womens Health Organization challenged that law in court. It was just a formality. The challenge didnt really stand a chance.

On July 6, 2022, Jackson Womens Health Organization closed.

Next: The resurrection of the Jackson clinic  in New Mexico.
DENVER (KDVR)  The Regional Transportation Districts 90-day pilot program to keep elevator doors open while they are not in use has concluded, and officials say it resulted in fewer criminal activity reports at those stations.

The program began on March 17 and included elevators at the Nine Mile, Colorado and Southmoor stations. All elevators were programmed for the doors to remain open unless in motion.

Traffic alert: Ramp from Broadway to southbound I-25 closes for replacement

RTD is extremely pleased the pilot program correlates with effectively reducing overall incidents and calls for service at the pilot locations, said RTD Police Department Deputy Chief Steven Martingano in a release. An overarching initiative is to create a transit environment that is a personally safe and secure, welcoming, convenient and enjoyable experience for all customers. The recommendation by our police department to extend the program instills a greater sense of security for RTDs employees and customers.

The open doors were intended to discourage illegal activities like drug use or assaults. It also discourages petty crime, like dirtying the environment through littering or bodily waste, vandalism and damage to the elevators.

RTD said Tuesday that there was an overall reduction in calls for service or incident reporting, which it said is a strong indicator of program effectiveness; leaving the elevators at default open status has helped the agency improve employee and community concerns related to personal safety and security.

The program will be extended from the Colorado, Nine Mile and Southmoor stations to Colfax, Lakewood and Wadsworth, and Sheridan stations. RTD said it has 79 public-facing elevators and RTD plans to extend this program beyond the six light rail stations.

The program is also being used as inspiration for the LA Metro, which plans to start an identical program, according to RTD.

Did the RTD pilot program help curb crime?

The elevators for the pilot were considered high-usage elevators with a history of garnering many customer complaints, security-related incidents and operation disruptions because of illegal or unwanted activities. RTD said Tuesday that the Southmoor and Colorado stations saw a 121% combined reduction in total calls for service and a noteworthy decrease in narcotics activity inside the elevators.

RTD temporarily re-assigns staff to help riders navigate light rail delays, detours

The cost of reprogramming the elevators? Negligible, according to the transportation agency. RTD said it costs only around $700 to contract an elevator technician for three hours to modify the programming, so the total cost of expanding the program to all 79 elevators was estimated to be about $61,350.

The agency also provided a breakdown of how many calls for service were received for each station included in the pilot:

Colorado station 2023: 279 2024: 102

Nine Mile station 2023: 32 2024: 136

Southmoor station 2023: 147 2024: 74



The Colorado station had a 64% decrease in total calls, and Southmoor reported an almost 50% reduction in total calls for service.

RTD noted that Nine Miles calls increased from March through May of this year over last year. However, that stations elevators were also intermittently out of service during that time in 2023. Nine Mile reported a 325% increase, mostly due to medical calls, graffiti, welfare checks and narcotics activity.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Ruidoso wildfires to be turned over to local agencies this Sunday

Ruidoso wildfires to be turned over to local agencies this Sunday

UPDATE: The Southwest Area Incident Management Team 5 will be turning over the wildfires to local agencies, BIA, Mescalero Apache Tribe, Lincoln National Forest and New Mexico State Forestry Division at 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 7, the Forestry Division said on Thursday morning, July 4.

Capable resources are in place to continue to support the ongoing efforts to reach 100% containment, the Forestry Division said.

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  With the Fourth of July holiday coming up, the New Mexico Forestry Division is asking the community to refrain from using fireworks as they can cause new fires.

The Forestry Division says fireworks are always prohibited at the Lincoln National Forest and fireworks are only allowed as part of an organized event on the Mescalero Apache Tribal lands.

The Mescalero Apache Tribe says the only event that was scheduled for the holiday has been canceled and also issued an updated Class V/Stage II  Extreme Fire Restriction Notice on Monday, July 1.

The Lincoln National Forest reduced the fire danger rating to moderate and all fire restrictions were lifted on Wednesday, July 3. The Village of Ruidoso says its also under Level 1 Fire Restrictions.

The South Fork Fire and the Salt Fire have reached a total of 25,000 acres. The South Fork Fire reached 87 percent containment and the Salt Fire reached 84 percent containment as of Wednesday morning, July 3.

Suppression repair crews will work across the South Fork and Salt fire area today. If conditions permit, crews will focus on repair of bulldozer roads and hand lines as well as chipping operations, the Forestry Division said on Wednesday.

The Forestry Division says crews supported flood mitigation this week, filling a total of 46,000 sandbags for the community.

Residents in the Upper Canyon area and near the Rio Ruidoso were forced to evacuate this past weekend due to major flooding, according to the Village of Ruidosos Facebook page.

A village spokesperson said 26 swift water rescues were conducted on Saturday, June 29, and 51 water rescues were conducted on Sunday, June 30. However, there were no fatalities.

The El Paso Fire Water Rescue Team was also deployed to Ruidoso on Sunday to assist with the flooding.

For more information on road closures or community resources, click here: Daily update | Village of Ruidoso.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
The now-teenager who became known for honoring fallen first responders by running a mile in their memory will hang up his sneakers at the end of the year.

Zechariah Cartledge began running the laps in 2019 and founded a nonprofit he runs with his father, Running 4 Heroes, Inc.

The Winter Springs teen has since traveled the country and run more than 1,500 miles while holding a flag in the first responders honor.

Read: Trooper search for man involved in I-4 road rage shooting on Monday night

Cartledges retirement will take place on Dec. 30 in Sanford.

If you are a survivor or an agency who has had a hero honored by Zechariah, we invite you to join us as Zechariah gives your hero one final farewell before retiring as a Youth Runner, the organization posted on Facebook.

Read: Brevard man prepares to fly into storm to help bring clean water to storm victims

The page clarified the nonprofit would continue to operate with the teens involvement.

Our Youth Runners age out at the end of the calendar year in which they turn 16. Zechariah turns 16 in October, the post said. Though he wont be a runner anymore after this year, he will still be involved in many aspects of the mission as its Founder He is handing the mission over to the other amazing kids who run.

In 2022, Running 4 Heroes raised more than $764,000 and paid more than $415,000 in grants, IRS filings show. Contributions fund injured first responder and K9 grant programs, beneficiary funds, a tribute hall and scholarships.

Read: Floridians with disabilities applaud new law protecting their rights

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
A network of Russia-based websites posing as U.S. newspapers are behind a campaign of AI-assisted fake news stories aimed at the upcoming American presidential election, the BBC reported on July 3.

One recent high-profile example was a fake story claiming that Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska had purchased a $4.8 million Bugatti luxury car with U.S. taxpayer money. The story was filled with errors and used an apparently AI-generated video of an alleged Bugatti salesman who purportedly confirmed that Zelenska had bought the vehicle.

While the story was quickly debunked by the BBC and others, and denied by Bugatti, which threatened legal action against those who spread it, the story reached at least 12 million users on X.

The BBC said that it was just one of many similar stories spread on fake "news" websites designed to look like legitimate U.S. newspapers. Some of the fake news websites in question even used the names of defunct U.S. newspapers, such as the Chicago Chronicle, which ceased publication in 1907.

Sign up for our newsletter

WTF is wrong with Russia?

Sign up

The websites often used real stories written by credible media outlets, which were then reportedly rewritten using AI to reframe the narrative in a different stance. Some of the AI instructions remained visible on one of the fake websites. Other stories used AI-generated videos to create false "sources" or "whistleblowers" who were cited to back up the allegations.

Despite the obvious falsehoods, some of the stories, such as a fake investigation that allegedly revealed yachts were purchased by Ukrainian officials with U.S. money, were then reshared by prominent officials, including U.S. Senator J.D. Vance.

One of the individuals the BBC linked to the network is John Dougan, a U.S. citizen and former marine who fled to Russia after the FBI raided his apartment in 2016.

Dougan, who has regularly appeared in Russian media, denied to the BBC that he had any involvement in the websites, but also "implied that his activities are a form of revenge against American authorities."

"For me it's a game," he said. "And a little payback."

While many of the stories only get a few views, some can have an "outsize impact" and lead to false narratives "taking hold" in the leadup to important elections, experts told the BBC.

Read also: Russia expected to meddle in UK election, US Senator Warner warns

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Actresses Judi Dench, 89, and Sian Philips, 91, have been approved as the first female members of Londons historic Garrick Club, according to The Guardian. Their admission was announced during the clubs annual general meeting on Monday evening, July 1. Until now, no woman had been allowed to enter the Garrick, founded in 1831, unless accompanied by a man.

The vote to include women was taken in May. Sixty percent of the clubs members voted in favor of changing a rule that had been maintained despite multiple controversies. In a previous vote held in November 2023, 51% of the membership voted in favor of admitting women, while 44% voted against, defeating the proposal: according to the Garricks strict set of regulations, a two-thirds majority is required to trigger any change in the rules.

In February 2024, Colin Brough, a retired theatrical producer and club member for more than 40 years, was expelled after sending a series of emails to other members in which he disagreed with the November 2023 vote. In the email, he expressed the view that women should be admitted immediately and complained about a Putin-like leadership regime, calling some of its members misogynists. On March 18, 2024, The Guardian published the list of the club members for the first time in its history, which included dozens of prominent lawyers, directors of cultural institutions, politicians, lords, actors such as Brian Cox, Stephen Fry, Hugh Bonneville and Benedict Cumberbatch, and even King Charles III. The publication of the list provoked a wave of indignation in the UK at the large number of influential and powerful figures belonging to a club still determined to exclude women.

The clubs position on women does not seem to have made it any less attractive to a string of the most senior figures in the government, Whitehall, the arts and the law, wrote Guardian journalist Amelia Gentleman in March 2024. Simon Case, the head of the civil service, joined the Garrick in 2019, the same year that Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, became a member. Richard Moore, the head of MI6, joined in 2016.

The Garrick is often viewed as a harmless, benign curiosity, a final, lonely slice of an England that forgot to modernise, its never-ending squabbles over female members offering an amusing peepshow into Britains declining patriarchal elite as it utters its final gasps, Gentleman observed, adding, This characterisation is not reflected in the powerful names drawn from the clubs membership list revealed by The Guardian.

The entrance to the Garrick Club. Peter Dazeley (Getty Images)

Judi Dench and Sian Philips have not been the only female candidates to join the club. Since the new rule was passed in May, several women in leadership positions in British society were nominated as potential members. Prominent among them were Cambridge professor and popular historian Mary Beard, former UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd, and news anchor Cathy Newman. However, the complex admission process can take between two and five years, which, as revealed by The Guardian, generated concern among several members as it would mean that the membership of the first woman in the club would not become effective until 2026. To include the two actresses, the Garrick has pulled an old article from its strict rule book which deems that the general committee may, in its discretion, elect four members each year in consideration of their eminence or public distinction. This means that, by the end of the year, the clubs 1,500-member roster could include four women.

Located in the very heart of the West End, where the majority of the citys most prestigious theaters can be found, the Garrick Club was created in the early 19th century by a group of literary gentlemen under the patronage of King William IVs brother, Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, with the intention of becoming a place where actors and men of refinement and education could meet on equal terms. Actors, playwrights, theater directors and even patrons began to meet and share artistic and cultural interests, but also influential personalities from other fields: The Club was named after the great 18th-century actor David Garrick. Attracted by the combination of the traditions of the 18th-century literary society with the advantages of a well-run dining and social club, the first members of the Garrick were a sophisticated and cosmopolitan group that included 24 peers of the realm as well as writers, actors, musicians and publishers, as they explain on their website.

The Garrick Club dining room in 1897, a drawing by Edward Walford. Print Collector

All new candidates must be proposed by an existing member for election on a secret ballot. One of the clubs maxims is that dull characters be avoided: It would be better that 10 unobjectionable men should be excluded than one terrible bore should be admitted. Membership costs 1,600 a year. Inside, the building is divided into billiard rooms, reading rooms, private and communal dining rooms and a bar, where alcoholic beverages are served between 7 am and 1 am, but between 7 am and 10 am only in combination with food, according to the bylaws.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
Ukrainian infantrymen are seen training with a T-80 tank in the Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine - Anadolu/Getty Images

Russia claims it has captured a district in the key hilltop city of Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine, where Moscows troops have been slowly, but steadily advancing for months.

Seizing the whole of the crumbling Donbas city, close to Bakhmut, would allow Russia to threaten crucial Ukrainian supply lines and mount further offensives throughout the region.

Moscows claim was repeated by Ukrainians DeepState Telegram channel, which has links to Kyivs army.

It said that the Novy neighbourhood in the citys east had been flattened by Russias relentless bombardments and that withdrawing was a logical, albeit difficult decision.

Meanwhile, a major Russian missile and drone attack on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro killed at least five and wounded 47 more, including a child.

The barrage damaged kindergartens, schools and hospitals and caused fires throughout the city on Wednesday morning.

The aerial onslaught sparked a fresh appeal from Volodymyr Zelensky for the West to supply more air defence systems and long-range weapons.

Overnight, Ukraine launched a drone attack targeting Russias Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, where Moscows once-revered Black Sea Fleet is hiding after it was forced to abandon its Crimean base in Sevastopol.

Russian officials were forced to restrict access to the beach as they attempted to repel Kyivs sea drones.

Satellites detected large fires surrounding the port, which is one of Russias largest and a major oil export and transit hub.

As Russian officials claimed to have brought the situation in Novorossiysk under control, Vladimir Putin arrived in Kazakhstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit where he prioritised talks with Chinese and Turkish leaders.

03:43 PM BST

Thank you for following todays live coverage of the war in Ukraine

Well be back soon with more updates and analysis from the conflict.

03:25 PM BST

UN: Russias air-dropped bombs to blame for high Ukrainian civilian deaths

Russias use of air-dropped munitions, such as glide bombs, are responsible for the high civilian casualties in Ukraine between March and May.

The bombs also caused massive destruction of civilian infrastructure in frontline communities, the UN said.

It found that the Russian offensive in Ukraines northeast Kharkiv region alone killed 78 civilians and wounded 305 others between May 10 to May 31.

Between March and May, at least 436 Ukrainian civilians were killed and 1,760 injured.

Police officers and paramedics carry an injured man at a site of a Russian air strike, in Kharkiv, Ukraine June 30 - Reuters

03:16 PM BST

Zelensky pleads for air defence systems after Dnipro attack

Volodymyr Zelensky has issued a fresh appeal for more air defence systems and permission to use Western weapons to strike Russian targets after Moscow launched a wave of missiles and drones at the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

As of now, five people have been killed, and thirty-four injured, including a child, he said.

Only two things can stop this Russian terror  modern air defense systems and the long-range capabilities of our weapons.

Dnipro. Russian terrorists have struck our city again. As of now, five people have been killed, and thirty-four injured, including a child. All necessary services are on site, and rescuers are helping all the victims.



Only two things can stop this Russian terror  modern air pic.twitter.com/nqhPYmlbxR  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) July 3, 2024

02:58 PM BST

Erdogan tells Putin he can end war

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told Vladimir Putin that Turkey can play peacemaker between Russia and Ukraine to end the war.

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan, Mr Erdogan said that a just peace that suits both sides is possible.

It follows Volodymyr Zelenskys statements on Tuesday that his war-torn country needed a just peace after Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban pushed him to accept a quick ceasefire with Russia in order to accelerate peace talks.

Putin last month said Moscow would not negotiate with Kyiv unless it withdrew its forces from the Ukrainian regions claimed by Russia. Kyiv said Russias terms amount to a demand for its surrender.

Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan during a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan, July 3 - Reuters

02:45 PM BST

Watch: Belarus shows off nuclear missiles at military day parade

02:29 PM BST

Nato pledges 40bn for Ukraine

Nato officials have agreed to provide Kyiv with 40billion (33.9bn) worth of military aid next year, a Western diplomat has confirmed.

Leaders will sign off on the pledge at the annual Nato summit which will take place in Washington next week, where Ukraine is set to top the agenda.

Natos outgoing secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg had asked allies to make a multi-year commitment to keep military aid for Kyiv at the same level since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which amounted to 40 billion per year.

02:17 PM BST

China developing Shahed-like attack drone for Russia

Chinese and Russian companies are reportedly developing and testing a new attack drone modelled on Irans Shahed drones to supply to Moscows military.

The unnamed companies began working on the project in 2023 but the drones have not yet been used in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported, citing European officials briefed on the matter.

There are reports the unmanned aerial vehicle will be called Sunflower 200.

Last month, Volodymyr Zelensky said Xi Jinping promised not to provide Russia with weapons, however Ukraine has previously accused the country of helping Moscow to procure them.

UK defence minister Grant Shapps claimed in May that China was preparing to send lethal aid to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine.

An Iranian-made Shahed-136 is displayed at Freedom Square in western Tehran - NurPhoto

01:53 PM BST

Zelensky tired of Ukraines PM

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is said to be tired of his prime minister Denys Shmyhal and likely to fire him in a major possible shakeup to his cabinet.

Officials close to Mr Zelensky said the president is looking for more creative leadership and is finding Mr Shmyhal, who has been in the posting since 2020, slow to change, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

The president is tired of Shmyhal; its obvious from his attitude at meetings. He doesnt even listen to him much anymore. Its more of an emotional thing than a miscalculation, one source said.

A second source said it was the second attempt to dismiss Mr Shmyhal in two months and that he is likely to be replaced with the first deputy prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko.

Volodymyr Zelensky is said to be considering sacking his right-hand man Denys Shmyhal (pictured right) - Ukrainian Presidential Press Office

01:35 PM BST

Trump could do deal with Putin to stop Ukraine joining Nato

Donald Trump is reportedly considering whether to do a deal with Vladimir Putin that would block Ukraine from joining Nato to end the war.

The plan would reportedly stop Nato expanding eastwards, blocking the possible future accession of Ukraine as well as Georgia, according to Politico, citing official sources familiar with discussions in Trumps inner circle.



As part of the alleged deal, the former president, who has repeatedly threatened to leave the alliance, would negotiate how much Ukrainian territory Moscow can keep.



The Republic candidate has previously declared he could swiftly settle the two-and-a-half year conflict if he wins the November election.



In the wake of his comments, Volodymyr Zelenskys top aide on Tuesday said Ukraine was not ready to negotiate with Russia and that the country was only interested in securing a just peace.

Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin shake hands in Helsinki, Finland in July 2018 - AP

01:23 PM BST

Man jailed for Russian warship, go f--- yourself tattoo

An anti-Kremlin protester has been jailed in Russia for getting a tattoo of the famous Ukrainian words: Russian warship, go f--- yourself, state media reported.

Stepan Zimin was detained for violating Vladimir Putins wartime censorship laws after a video was published online showing the phrase - which has become a rallying cry of Ukrainian resistance - inked on his skin.

He was charged with petty hooliganism and discrediting the Russian military.

The phrase was made famous when a Ukrainian border guard on Snake Island refused to stand down to a Russian warship as it threatened to bomb the Black Sea outpost.

01:11 PM BST

Russia suspends participation in OSCE parliamentary assembly

Russian politicians have voted to suspend Moscows participation in the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europes (OSCE) parliamentary assembly, branding it anti-Russian and discriminatory.

Both chambers of Russias rubber-stamp parliament - the State Duma and Federation Council - voted unanimously to cease participation in the body during sessions on Wednesday.

The Federation Council, the upper chamber of parliament, accused the assembly of biased, discriminatory approaches, double standards, total Russophobia, unpreparedness for meaningful discussions, including on relevant issues of ensuring equal and indivisible security.

The OSCEs parliamentary assembly is not a decision-making body, but is intended to facilitate dialogue between its members.

The OSCE has 57 members, including both Moscow and Kyiv. Ukraine has called for Russia to be expelled.

12:44 PM BST

Pictured: Aftermath of deadly Russian attack on Dnipro

An elderly injured man waits for medical treatment after Russia's missile attack on Dnipro - Dnipro Regional Administration

Rescuers work on the scene of a building damaged by the missile and drone onslaught - Dnipro Regional Administration

A woman cries near to the scene of the deadly attack that killed at least four - Dnipro Regional Administration

A view of the damage to a multi-storey building in Dnipro's city centre - Dnipro Regional Administration

12:20 PM BST

Ukrainian spies and Russian saboteurs behind blaze on Russian warship

A Ukrainian military spy official said on Wednesday that a fire on a Russian warship in the Baltic Sea in April was caused by a joint operation conducted by his forces and a pro-Kyiv Russian military group.

On April 7, footage showed a major fire onboard the Serpukhov missile cruiser stationed in the Kaliningrad region that reportedly caused extensive damage to the warship.

Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraines military intelligence agency (GUR), said the operation was conducted in tandem with the Freedom of Russia Legion.

Ukrainian infantry secure the area for the 3rd Assault Brigade at sunset on July 1 in the Kharkiv Region - Getty Images Europe

12:04 PM BST

Ukraine launches drone attack on Putins Black Sea naval base

Ukraine launched an overnight drone attack targeting the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, where Moscows once-revered Black Sea Fleet is hiding after it was forced to abandon its Crimean base in Sevastopol.

Russian officials restricted beach access on Wednesday morning after reporting its defence forces were engaged in repelling two naval drones, which it claimed to have destroyed.

We kindly request you to refrain from visiting beach areas, embankments and recreational areas along the waters edge during operational activities, Mayor Andrei Kravchenko said on Telegram.

Russias ministry of defence claimed to have destroyed 12 drones launched at Russian territory overnight.

Satellites detected large fires in the area of the Novorossiysk port, which is one of Russias largest and serves as a major outlet for crude oil and oil products exports and transit in Russias south.

11:36 AM BST

Russia condemns US approval for long-range strikes on Crimea

Russias deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov has condemned the Pentagon after it said Ukraine was permitted to strike Russian-occupied Crimea with long-range US weapons.

Major General Pat Ryder, the Pentagons spokesperson, told a briefing on Tuesday that Washington regarded Crimea as part of Ukraine and that Kyiv was allowed to use US-made long-range missiles to strike targets on the Black Sea peninsula.

Russia annexed Crimea, the headquarters of its Black Sea Fleet, in 2014.

11:01 AM BST

Russian sentences teen to 12 years for sending cash to Ukraine

Russia on Tuesday sentenced a 19-year-old man to 12 years in prison on charges of treason for allegedly donating money to Kyivs forces.

The FSB security service said the teen sent money to help Kyivs army buy drones and food for troops.

The defendant was arrested at an airport as he tried to leave Russia.

Moscow has for more than two years led an unprecedented crackdown on dissent, comparable to Soviet levels of repression.

It comes as Russia doubled the sentence of activist and documentary filmmaker Vsevolod Korolev to over seven years for denouncing the Ukraine offensive on social media.

10:32 AM BST

Russia reports Ukrainian counterattack in Kherson

Ukraine launched a counterattack inside Russian-occupied southern Kherson on Wednesday, a Kremlin-allied official said.

Vladimir Saldo, the Moscow-installed governor of Kherson, said Ukrainian forces used FPV drones to lead two separate attacks in the town of Oleshky.

Two were killed and another injured, he said.

Mr Saldo also warned of a possible second attack, which he called the favourite tactic of Kyivs forces.

09:58 AM BST

Ukraine says it downed massive Russian aerial onslaught

Ukraines air force said it had shot down five missiles and six drones launched by Russia on Wednesday morning.

Ukrainian forces claimed to have downed one Iskander-K cruise missile, four Kh-59 guided missiles, five Shahed-type drones and one Orlan-10 reconnaissance drone in the attack that largely targeted Ukraines Dnipropetrovsk region.

Dnipropetrovsks regional head Mykola Lukashuk described the barrage as massive and posted images showing buildings ripped open by the attack and shattered glass strewn across the ground.

This is what one of the citys shopping centres looks like now. Cars and windows were smashed, and a petrol station was hit. All the consequences are still being investigated, Mr Lukashuk said.

The aftermath of an earlier Russian missile attack on Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on June 28 - Anadolu

09:28 AM BST

US unveils $2.3bn military aid package for Ukraine

Washington has announced a new military aid package for Ukraine worth more than $2.3 billion (1.8bn).

US Defence secretary Lloyd Austin said the package will include anti-tank weapons and air defence interceptors and allow the procurement of the highly sought-after Patriot and Nasams anti-missile systems.

Make no mistake, Ukraine is not alone, Mr Austin wrote on X.

The package is intended to shore up Kyivs frontline and bolster its depleted air defence systems to protect Ukrainian cities and civilians from Russian aerial attacks.

 @DeptofDefense announced a new military aid package for Ukraine valued at more than $2,3 billion.



Our warriors will be strengthened with additional air defense interceptors, anti-tank weapons as well as ammunition for the Patriot, and other air defense systems.



Thank you for pic.twitter.com/AkicrApMdp  Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) July 2, 2024

09:12 AM BST

Russian missile and drone attack on Dnipro kills five and wounds dozens

A Russian drone and missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro has killed at least five and wounded 47 more, regional officials said.

The morning has not been good for us. The enemy has launched a combined attack on our city, said Serhiy Lysak, governor of the surrounding Dnipropetrovsk region. The enemy is continuing its insidious attacks.

The barrage damaged kindergartens, schools and hospitals and caused fires throughout the city on Wednesday morning and sparked an urgent appeal from Volodymyr Zelensky for the West to supply more air defences and long-range weapons.

Russian forces have relentlessly targeted the industrial city and surrounding region since the war began.

08:35 AM BST

Phone call from Xi to Putin could end war, says Finnish president

A single phone call between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin could end the war in Ukraine, Finlands president Alexander Stubb said.

Russia is so dependent on China right now, Mr Stubb, said in an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday. One phone call from President Xi Jinping would solve this crisis.

Mr Xi has attempted to portray China as a neutral actor over the war, yet Kyiv has accused Beijing of providing Moscow with technology and parts for weapons in order to circumvent international trade restrictions.

If he were to say: Time to start negotiating peace, Russia would be forced to do that... They would have no other choice, Mr Stubb said.

08:15 AM BST

Ukraine not ready to negotiate with Russia

Ukraine is not ready to compromise with Russia and give up any territory to end the war, according to a senior Ukrainian official.

Volodymyr Zelenskys chief of staff Andriy Yermak was responding to a question regarding US presidential hopeful Donald Trumps declaration that he could settle the war quickly if he wins the November election.

Mr Yermak said that Kyiv would listen to any advice on how to achieve a just peace in the war.

But we [are] not ready to go to the compromise for the very important things and values.... independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty, he explained on a visit to Washington on Tuesday ahead of next weeks Nato summit in the capital.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a speech during the National Prayer Breakfast in Kyiv on June 29 - AFP

07:51 AM BST

Putin arrives in Kazakhstan ahead of talks with Xi and Erdogan

Russias President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kazakhstan on Wednesday for regional security and defence talks, the Kremlin said, as well as a talks with Chinese and Turkish leaders.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a forum established by China and Russia in 2001 as a guardian of security in the Eurasia region, will meet for their summit on July 3-4 in Kazakhstans capital city of Astana.

The leaders of the SCO member countries will discuss the current state and prospects for further deepening multifaceted cooperation within the organization and improving its activities, the Kremlin said.

While the meeting is likely to be dominated by Russia and China, leaders or representatives of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, China, Mongolia, the UAE, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, are also expected to attend.

07:42 AM BST

Hello and welcome to our live coverage

Were bringing you the latest updates from the Ukraine war.

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: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Russian forces have lost 1,180 soldiers killed and wounded over the past 24 hours, bringing Russian army losses in the war to 546,270 military personnel.

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 3 July 2024 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses  ed.]:

approximately 546,270 (+1,180) military personnel;

8,123 (+16) tanks;

15,583 (+17) armoured combat vehicles;

14,712 (+57) artillery systems;

1,115 (+1) multiple-launch rocket systems;

876 (+2) air defence systems;

360 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft;

326 (+0) helicopters;

11,668 (+27) strategic and tactical UAVs;

2,336 (+1) cruise missiles;

28 (+0) ships and boats;

1 (+0) submarines;

19,850 (+63) vehicles and tankers;

2,464 (+12) special vehicles and other equipment.

Support UP or become our patron!
IAEA experts arrive at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. Eight employees of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant have been injured in a drone attack on a substation in the southern Ukrainian city of Enerhodar, Russian forces said on Wednesday. D. Candano Laris/IAEA/dpa

Eight employees of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant have been injured in a drone attack on a substation in the southern Ukrainian city of Enerhodar, Russian forces said on Wednesday.

The men were engaged in repair work to restore the power supply when they were deliberately targeted, said Alexey Likhachev, head of the Russian nuclear authority Rosatom.

He added that the Ukrainian attack was an "ostentatious violation" of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations on nuclear safety.

The substation is part of the infrastructure of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and supplies electricity to the city of Enerhodar, according to Likhachev. He stated that there had been three drone attacks on the facility within an hour and called for the IAEA to respond.

Russia occupied Europe's largest nuclear power plant shortly after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has held it ever since. Both sides of the conflict have repeatedly blamed each other for attacks on the plant and sabotage, with Russian complaints about Ukrainian drone attacks increasing in recent weeks.

Due to safety concerns, the reactors were shut down in 2022, but they still require cooling. IAEA observers are stationed on the site.
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed seven people and injured 44 over the past day, regional authorities said on July 3.

Russia targeted a total of nine Ukrainian oblasts  Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Luhansk, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk. Casualties were reported in the latter five regions.

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, four people were killed and 11 injured in Russian attacks, according to Governor Serhii Lysak.

Two women, aged 61 and 86, were killed, while 10 other people, including a 9-year-old and a 17-year-old boys, were injured in the Russian strike against the city of Nikopol, Lysak reported.

Nikopol, situated on the banks of the dried-up Kakhovka Reservoir, just across from Russian-occupied Enerhodar and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, is a regular target of Russian attacks.

In the Nikopol district, a man and a woman were killed due to artillery shelling, while a 75-year-old woman was hospitalized in a condition of moderate severity after a missile attack.

In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces carried out attacks against 27 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson. One person was killed, and 15 were injured in the attacks, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

In Kharkiv Oblast, one person was killed, and 11 were injured over the past day, local authorities reported.

The Russian military shelled the Borova community at around 5 a.m. local time on July 3, killing a man. Another man was hospitalized, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.

In another morning attack on Borova, a woman and a man suffered injuries as well.

Four people, including a 15-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl, were injured in the attack against the regional center of Kharkiv. Russian forces carried out the strike using FAB-500 gliding bombs.

A woman and a man were injured in the village of Ruska Lozova, while the other two people suffered injuries in the villages of Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi and Mali Prokhody, respectively, according to Syniehubov.

In Donetsk Oblast, one person was killed, and three people were injured in the city of Selydove. Another person suffered injuries in the town of Hirnyk, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.

Both settlements are located in the embattled Pokrovsk district.

In the town of Siversk in the Bakhmut district, two people were injured.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, one man was injured in the Russian attack on the Polohy district, local military administration reported.

Russian forces struck the oblast 386 times, targeting eight settlements in total over the past day.

Read also: Russia struggles to control finances as Ukraine invasion spending soars

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A sabotage of a Russian vessel in Kaliningrad Oblast in April was part of a joint operation of the Freedom of Russia Legion and Ukraine's military intelligence project "I Want to Live," the agency revealed at a press conference on July 3 attended by a Kyiv Independent reporter.

The Russian missile ship Serpukhov was set on fire on April 8 while docked off the Kaliningrad exclave. The sabotage completely destroyed its communication and automation systems, necessitating lengthy repairs, military intelligence said.

"Certain Russian citizens carried out this brave and risky operation, which caused serious damage to the Russian fleet and revealed the current state of the Russian army," military intelligence said.

A then-active service member of the Russian Baltic Fleet provided information crucial for carrying out the Rybalka ("Fishing") operation, according to the statement.

Once the person's continued stay on the vessel became too risky, the sabotage was carried out. The Russian service member also seized confidential materials and was subsequently evacuated from Russia through the "I Want to Live" project.

Sign up for our newsletter

WTF is wrong with Russia?

Sign up

According to the website of the Russian Navy, the Serpukhov is a Buyan-M missile corvette, is 74 meters long (242 feet), and contains a variety of different weapons systems.

While Ukrainian attacks have reportedly disabled roughly one-third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, this was the first attack targeting a ship of the Baltic Fleet, whose bases lie hundreds of kilometers from Ukraine.

The defector, introduced under the code name "Goga," was present at the press conference. He said he had joined the Freedom of Russia Legion as a recruit and is undergoing training.

"Now I am in Ukraine. I will train and start fighting against (Vladimir) Putin's regime with weapons in my hands," "Goga" said.

The defector, introduced by the military intelligence agency under the code name "Goga," is now on Ukrainian territory as a recruit of the Freedom of Russia Legion and undergoing training, the agency said.

The Legion is one of the several anti-Kremlin Russian militias who fight on Ukraine's side and have carried out several cross-border raids into Russian territory.

Ukraine's military intelligence launched the "I Want to Live" project in 2022 to help Russian soldiers desert or defect to the Ukrainian side.

One of the most high-profile defections took place in August 2023, when a Russian pilot named Maksim Kuzminov surrendered along with his Mi-8 helicopter. Kuzminov was found dead in Spain in February 2024, with the circumstances of his death resembling previous Moscow-contracted killings.

Read also: Opinion: Whats left of Russias Black Sea Fleet?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Russian guided bomb attack on Kharkiv injures at least 14, including children

Russian troops attacked the city of Kharkiv with guided aerial bombs on July 3, injuring at least 14 people, including children, Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported.

A residential area in the Kyivskyi district of the city came under attack. At least three guided aerial bombs destroyed two houses, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

A woman and two men, aged 74, 75 and 38, suffered injuries, as well as an eight-year-old boy who was rescued from the rubble and a two-week-old child, the authorities said.

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.

Russia's attack on a postal depot in Kharkiv with a guided aerial bomb on June 30 killed one person and injured nine others, the authorities reported.

Read also: Russian attack on Dnipro kills 5, injures 47, shopping center hit

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Two Russian naval ships docked in Venezuela's La Guaira port on July 2 after exercises in the North Atlantic supposedly intended to "show the flag" in the region.

The frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the replenishment tanker Akademik Pashin were part of a small group of vessels from the Northern Fleet that arrived in Cuba last month, along with a tugboat and a nuclear-powered submarine.

The voyage, which has been closely tracked by the U.S., was broadly seen as a demonstration by Russia that it can still project naval power, even after the losses Ukraine inflicted on its Black Sea Fleet.

The visit to the two Latin American countries underscores their close relations with Moscow, bolstered by the shared animosity toward Washington.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has denounced Western sanctions imposed against Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and called Caracas and Moscow "loyal allies."

At the same time, Maduro seeks talks with the U.S. on easing sanctions on his own country ahead of the presidential election, which could secure him a third term in office.

The July 28 vote has been dubbed the "greatest challenge" to Maduro's United Socialist Party, which has held a tight grip on the country for 25 years but is facing increasingly dire social and economic crises.

Read also: Venezuelan opposition leader: Ukraine will never convince Latin, African autocrats

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Two Russian ships have docked at a port in Venezuela after conducting military exercises over several days in the Atlantic, Moscows ministry of defense said on Tuesday.

The two vessels  Russias Admiral Gorshkov, the most advanced frigate in the Russian fleet, and an oil tanker  are expected to remain docked for several days in the Port of La Guaira, a neighboring city to Caracas where the countrys main airport also operates.

The ships had been part of a fleet of four Russian vessels that made a close pass of the Florida coast late last month, before docking in Havana. One of those vessels was the Kazan, a nuclear-powered submarine among the most advanced in Russias arsenal.

Several powerful U.S. warships closely tracked the movements of the Russian fleet as it moved near U.S. waters. Three U.S. Navy destroyers followed the Kazan as it traveled into the north Atlantic and back up the Florida coast, as the other ships moved south, U.S. officials told McClatchy and the Miami Herald.

Russias movements in the region are the first extensive military exercises in the Western Hemisphere in five years, and their first deployment of a nuclear submarine so close to U.S. shores since the end of the Cold War.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the objective of the mission was to show the flag and guarantee a naval presence in important operational areas. After their visit to Venezuela, the Gorshkov and the oil tanker, called the Pashin, will continue their work in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, their statement said.

Associated Press and AFP journalists sighted two Russian-flagged vessels docked in the port city. The Venezuelan government has not yet publicly confirmed the visit, although the crew received the keys to La Guaira and took a tour of the historic center.

We receive (...) these sister ships of the Federative Republic of Russia that, on their passage through the Caribbean, are stopping in our state of La Guaira to rest, share, and express, together with the crews of these ships, their friendship, their solidarity and of course their support for Venezuela, Vice Admiral Edward Centeno Mass, second commander and chief of the General Staff of the Venezuelan Navy, explained to AFP.

Venezuela is one of Russias main allies in the region and its president, Nicolas Maduro, has expressed his support for Moscow during its invasion of Ukraine, although he has also advocated for peace negotiations.

Maduro described his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as his big brother, after celebrating the Russian leaders latest re-election that he described as a good omen for the world.
Number of casualties from Russian strike on Kharkiv rises to 14, including baby  photos, videos

The number of people who were wounded as a result of the Russian strike on Kharkiv's residential sector has risen to 14, including a two-week-old baby.

Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration; Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov; Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutors Office on Telegram; Ukraines State Emergency Service on Telegram

Quote from Syniehubov: "Preliminary report: at least three strikes by aerial bombs have been recorded in the Kyivskyi district of Kharkiv. Details of the aftermath are being established."

Details: Earlier Kharkiv's mayor issued a statement reporting explosions and urging local residents to exercise caution. Syniehubov stated that the Russians were targeting Kharkiv.

PHOTO: KHARKIV OBLAST MILITARY ADMINISTRATION

Update: Syniehubov later reported that the Russian forces had destroyed two houses, a child had been rescued.

Quote from Syniehubov: "Units from the State Emergency Service have rescued a child. There was a grass fire at another location. At the moment, there are no casualties."

PHOTO: STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE OF UKRAINE IN KHARKIV

Updated at 16.37: The mayor of Kharkiv said that another child is still trapped under the rubble.

Syniehubov later reported that there are currently four known casualties.

"A child of eight, a woman of 74, and a man of 75. Everyone has been hospitalised. Another 38-year-old man was given medical attention at the scene," he said.

PHOTO: KHARKIV OBLAST MILITARY ADMINISTRATION

Later, Terekhov reported that the information concerning one more child under the debris had not been confirmed.

PHOTO: STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE OF UKRAINE IN KHARKIV

Update: At 17:09 Syniehubov reported that the number of casualties had risen to six. Two more women were provided with medical assistance at the scene.

Oleksandr Filchakov, Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutors Office, later reported that the Russians had struck the city with several UMPB D-30 glide bombs. So far eight people are known to have been injured.

Updated: At 19:43, Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported that the number of people who were wounded in the attack had risen to 14, including a two-week-old baby. The Russians also damaged private residential houses, apartment buildings, cars, a post office, a service station, and a gym.

Support UP or become our patron!
The Russians dropped four aerial bombs on the village of Slatyne in Derhachi hromada, Kharkiv Oblast [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories  ed.].

Source: Viacheslav Zadorenko, Head of Derhachi City Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "The occupiers dropped four aerial bombs on Slatyne. The bomb type is being specified.

As a result of the strikes, at least 10 houses, in particular residential buildings, were damaged in different districts of the village, as well as several civilian infrastructure facilities. There was no information about the casualties.

A fire broke out at a farm, and it is being contained by the fire and rescue units of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine."

Support UP or become our patron!
A drawing of humanoid figures hunting a wild pig is the oldest work of art reported to date: it was painted 51,200 years ago in a cave on the island of Sulawesi, in Indonesia. The discovery, made by an international team of scientists and published on Wednesday in the journal Nature, suggests that scenes of people and animals in art date back even earlier than previously thought.

Prehistoric rock art extends our understanding of early human cultures, but reliably dating it is a difficult task. In 2018, archaeologist Maxime Aubert and his colleagues found the oldest figurative painting in a corner of the island of Borneo in Indonesia. The painting  of an animal being skewered by a spear  dated back 40,000 years. Months later, in 2019, an even older painting was discovered: a depiction of two wild boars, four dwarf buffaloes and eight humanoid figures was discovered on the island of Sulawesi. It was estimated to be 4,000 years older.

Today, the team has achieved a much more precise date using laser-ablation U-series imaging. Thanks to this technique, the researchers have discovered that the paintings are even older. According to the study, the painting on the island of Sulawesi, which was discovered in 2019, is at least 48,000 years old, meaning figurative art appeared at least 5,700 years earlier than first thought. And the one from 2018 is even older. For the first time, we have rock art reliably dated beyond 50,000 years, says Aubert.

Humans ability to tell stories

Regardless of whether the art depicts a hunt or another event, it is probably the oldest story told in pictures. Scientists believe the artists were Homo sapiens, our own species, who arrived on these Southeast Asian islands. The art is not simple, but rather quite advanced, according to Aubert, and demonstrates the mental ability of the people of that time.

The ability to tell stories is a characteristic that has been considered fundamental to humans cultural evolution. The oldest evidence of it is engraved ocher nodules found in South Africa, which date back 100,000 years. The next evidence is the latest discovery: the cave painting from 50,000 years ago. There is nothing more in the middle than what we are currently aware of, says Aubert, although he is confident of making future discoveries. We will probably find older rock art.

With the first discoveries in Indonesia, it was proven that figurative art did not originate in Europe. But cave art later developed and evolved in more or less the same way in other places around the world. In Europe, the oldest depictions of animals are found in the Chauvet cave in France, and date back more than 30,000 years. Diego Garate, a professor of prehistory at the University of Cantabria in Spain, who did not participate in the study, finds it curious that hunting scenes have been represented for millennia, with similar imagery used throughout the world. Questions remain as to whether the inhabitants of Asia and Europe invented symbolic art on their own, or whether the humans who conquered the world from Africa were already artists who told stories with images.

Aerial photo of Karampuang Hill, where the cave containing cave paintings is located, on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Google Arts & Culture Entrance to Karampuang Hill, the area where the paintings were discovered, on the island of Sulawesi. Google Arts & Culture Inside the cave in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Dominic Julian A wall inside the cave on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Dominic Julian

It is a paradigm shift, we move from Eurocentrism to thinking about other possibilities, says Garate, regarding the Indonesian works found in recent years. But he points out: It is not a competition of which is the oldest. The next goal is to know who the people who did these works were, since we dont know much about them.

The new technique for determining the age of works, called laser-ablation U-series imaging, uses a laser to analyze samples in minute detail and obtain better calculations. In short, it is more precise and more efficient, explains Aubert. This is a significant advance in rock art dating, which can be used in the future, as it requires much smaller samples and reduces damage to the works. The method can be applied to other paintings and possibly in other geological contexts such as sandstone.

The more knowledge advances, the more mysterious the origins of humans and their artistic manifestations become, since at any moment a new discovery can dismantle all previous theories. For this reason, Aubert highlights the importance of continuing to explore and preserve prehistoric treasures: Humans have probably been telling stories for much more than 51,200 years.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition




Russians drop bombs on Ruska Lozova, Kharkiv Oblast: two civilians injured, more may be trapped under rubble

The aftermath of the Russian attack on the village of Ruska Lozova (Kharkiv Oblast). Photo: Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutors Office

Russian forces have attacked the village of Ruska Lozova (Kharkiv Oblast) for the second time since the beginning of 3 July, and two people are known to have been injured.

Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "The enemy has struck the village of Ruska Lozova with a guided aerial bomb at 09:52. A house is ablaze, and there may be people under the rubble."

Details: The official noted that two civilian men had been injured, one of them is in a serious condition.

Background: At about 02:05 on 3 July, Russian forces launched missile strikes on the village of Ruska Lozova, Derhachi hromada, leaving a woman, 65, and a man, 80, injured and damaging at least 10 houses. Early reports indicate that the Russians have targeted the village with two S-400 missiles. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories]

Support UP or become our patron!
The Russian forces have attacked on 11 fronts over the past day, with the biggest number of battles on the Toretsk and Pokrovsk fronts. A total of 158 combat clashes have occurred.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 08:00 on 3 July

Quote: "During the past day, the aggressor had launched 2 missile strikes (using 2 missiles) and 45 airstrikes (using 67 guided bombs). The enemy also fired over 3,000 times, including 81 attacks from multiple-launch rocket systems.

Sadly, civilians have been killed and injured as a result of the Russian terrorist attacks."

Details: The Russians conducted airstrikes near the settlements of Mali Prokhody, Lyptsi, Vesele, Neskuchne, Tykhe, Vovchanski Khutory, Starytsia, Sotnytskyi Kozachok and Synkivka (Kharkiv Oblast); Raihorodok, Spirne, New-York, Velyka Novosilka, Katerynivka and Odradne (Donetsk Oblast); Marfopil (Zaporizhzhia Oblast); and Inhulets, Mykolaivka and Tokarivka (Kherson Oblast).

On the Kharkiv front, the Russians, supported by aircraft, continued their offensive actions. A total of eight combat clashes occurred near the settlements of Vovchansk and Hlyboke.

On the Kupiansk front, 13 combat clashes occurred during the day. The General Staff reported that Ukraines defence forces had repelled Russian attacks near the village of Synkivka (Kharkiv Oblast) and Stelmakhivka (Luhansk Oblast). The Russians concentrated their main efforts around Synkivka, where approximately 80% of all confrontations on this front occurred.

On the Lyman front, Ukrainian forces repelled 18 Russian attacks near the settlements of Hrekivka, Makiivka and Nevske (Luhansk Oblast) and Terny (Donetsk Oblast).

On the Siversk front, Ukraines defence forces repelled five Russian attacks near the settlements of Ivano-Darivka, Spirne and Vyimka (Donetsk Oblast).

On the Kramatorsk front, Ukrainian defenders stopped 14 Russian attempts to break through near the settlements of Klishchiivka, Kalynivka, Ivanivske and Chasiv Yar (Donetsk Oblast).

The Russians significantly increased their activity on the Toretsk front, conducting 32 attacks, including those near the settlements of Toretsk, Pivnichne, Pivdenne, Zalizne and New-York (Donetsk Oblast).

On the Pokrovsk front, Ukrainian defenders repelled 51 Russian attacks near the settlements of Novooleksandrivka, Vozdvyzhenka, Yevhenivka, Novoselivka Persha, Lozuvatske, Yasnobrodivka, Makarivka, Kalynove, Panteleimonivka and Umanske (Donetsk Oblast). The Russians concentrated their main efforts near the village of Novooleksandrivka, where they conducted over half of these attacks.

On the Kurakhove front, Ukraines defence forces continue to hold back the Russians near the settlements of Heorhiivka, Krasnohorivka and Paraskoviivka, where the Russians attempted to break through the defences 10 times.

On the Vremivka front, the Russians conducted three assaults on Ukrainian positions near the settlements of Vodiane and Kostiantynivka (Donetsk Oblast).

On the Orikhiv front, one combat clash occurred near the village of Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia Oblast).

On the Prydniprovske front, the Russians persisted in their attempt to push Ukrainian units out of positions on their bridgeheads. All four Russian attacks were unsuccessful.

On the Volyn and Polissia fronts, the operational situation has not changed significantly. There is no evidence of the formation of offensive Russian groups.

"On the border with Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts, the enemy is maintaining a military presence, conducting sabotage and reconnaissance activities, attacking settlements from the territory of the Russian Federation. Khrinivka, Riasne, Myropillia, Baranivka and Dehtiarne were affected," the General Staff noted.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Air Force and Rocket Forces and Artillery struck an ammunition storage point, two air defence systems, an artillery system, a command post and six clusters of Russian personnel and military equipment over the past day.

"In total, the Russians lost 1,180 personnel killed and injured. In addition, 16 tanks, 17 armoured combat vehicles, 57 artillery systems, a multiple-launch rocket system, 2 air defence systems, 27 tactical UAVs, a missile, 63 vehicles and 12 units of special equipment were destroyed or damaged," the General Staff concluded.

Support UP or become our patron!
The occupation authorities of Berdiansk are planning a secret burial of the murdered Ukrainian teenagers Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov. The bodies of the boys have not been returned to their families for a year.

Source: Media Initiative for Human Rights

Details: Hryhorii Ohannisian, Tihran's father, informed the Media Initiative for Human Rights about Russias plan.

The occupation authorities are trying to pass off the teenagers killed by Russian security forces as "terrorists". A year after the murder, they urgently decided to bury them in an unmarked grave.

They will do this in secret, without informing their relatives about the time or place of burial.

The teenagers bodies have not been returned to their relatives since their death more than a year ago.

Read more: They were waiting for Ukraine's return: the story of the murder of two teenagers in Russian-occupied Berdiansk and the trumped-up case against them.

During this time, Russian investigators have repeatedly told the families that they will be allowed to take back the bodies and bury the teenagers. However, for various reasons, the occupation authorities refuse each time.

Background:

16-year-olds Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov were active members of anti-Russian communities.

On 30 September 2022, the Russian military abducted Tihran Ohannisian, who lived with his grandmother in temporarily occupied Berdiansk. During interrogations, the Russians tortured the teenager but released him on 5 October. Since then, the Russians have regularly interrogated and searched the homes of Tihran Ohannisian and his classmate Mykyta Khanhanov.

In January 2023, the Russian military prevented Tihran's parents from taking him out of the temporarily occupied territory, and the teenager was returned from Taganrog.

On 7 April, the Russian military took Ohannisian and Khanhanov to Rostov-on-Don (Russia) for a "psychological and psychiatric examination".

On 24 May, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation charged Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov with allegedly preparing a railway sabotage. The case was being prepared for trial, and the Russian Federation planned to sentence the boys to 20 years in prison.

On 15 June, the European Parliament adopted a resolution demanding Russia stop persecuting Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov and release them to Ukraine's territory.

On 24 June, Russian propagandists reported the murder of "two pro-Ukrainian terrorists", who turned out to be Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov. Before his death, Tihran recorded a video that ended with the words "Glory to Ukraine!". Russians accused the teenagers of murdering a military serviceman and a police collaborator.

Support UP or become our patron!
On the Kharkiv front, Russian forces are trying to increase the pace of offensive operations and they have also redeployed units from the Kupiansk front.

Source: Colonel Vitalii Sarantsev, representative of the communications department of the Kharkiv Operational Strategic Group of Forces, writes Interfax-Ukraine

Quote: "On our front, the enemy is attempting to intensify offensive activities. Attempting to infiltrate our forces' defences or reclaim lost positions.

Setting an objective of breaking through our defence, the enemy replaced the assault units that lost all combat capabilities. They continue to attack [Ukraines] defence forces."

Details: Sarantsev reported that six Russian assaults had been thwarted in the vicinity of Vovchansk and Liptsy since the start of the day on 3 July.

The official emphasised that the Russians are forced to deploy reserves or shift soldiers from other sectors of the front. Sarantsev also recalled that the Russian forces relocated three assault groups from the 138th Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade of the 6th Combined Arms Army of the Russian armed forces to Vovchansk.

The Russians transferred units from the First Motorised Rifle Battalion towards the area around Hlyboke. Sarantsev explained that these units were transferred from another front, specifically from Kupiansk.

Support UP or become our patron!
Representatives of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) and the Freedom of Russia Legion during a joint briefing. Photo: FRL

A Russian military serviceman who was collaborating with the Freedom of Russia Legion (FRL) since 2023, set fire to the Serpukhov, a Russian missile ship, in April 2024. (FRL is a paramilitary unit consisting of Russian military volunteers fighting on Ukraine's side against the regime of Russian ruler Vladimir Putin)

Source: a briefing by representatives of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) and the FRL, as reported by Ukrinform news agency

Details: Andrii Yusov, a representative of DIU, explained that the special operation, codenamed Fisherman, had started in 2023.

Yuson noted that a former Russian serviceman, a sailor with the alias Goga who joined the FRL, had provided assistance in the operation. He is now in Ukraine.

Quote from FRL: "Finally, we can reveal the details of the special operation against the Serpukhov small missile ship, which was carried out by the patriots of free Russia from the Freedom of Russia Legion and a volunteer with the alias Goga.

Goga contacted the Legion in 2023 as an active member of [Russia's] Baltic Fleet with a security clearance. For a long time, at the risk of his own life, he provided the Legion with important information. When his stay on the ship and further work for the resistance forces became life-threatening, active actions were planned and carried out inside the ship. The sabotage resulted in the destruction of the ship's premises from the inside and the complete destruction of communications and automation equipment."

Details: The Serpukhov, Project 21631 Buyan-M missile ship, which was commissioned in 2015, is one of the cutting-edge missile warships in the Russian Navy. It is capable of launching Kalibr and Onyx missiles.

Background: On 8 April, DIU reported that a fire broke out on the Serpukhov missile ship in the Russian city of Baltiysk on 7 April.

Support UP or become our patron!
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) thanked California for helping to get closer to solidifying protections against artificial intelligence after voting to unanimously pass the states Digital Replica Bill.

Thank you to members of the California Senate Judiciary for unanimously passing AB 1836, the union wrote on X on Wednesday. The post was coupled with a photo of the members of the California State Judiciary. Another step closer to ensuring AI protections for Californias deceased performers. #ProtectArtists.

In response to the vote, SAG-AFTRA vice president and L.A. Local president Jodi Long wrote: We should be free to live and die without the feat of becoming someone elses unpaid digital puppet.

Their praises come after California legislators progressed the revision of the state law AB 1836, also known as the California Digital Replica Bill. If set into law, it would block the unauthorized use of a deceased artists likeness or image in film, television or music. Per its definition, the bill outlines AI use as a digital replica of a deceased personality, including a persons voice, or being used in any manner related to the work performed by the deceased personality while living.

Ultimately, the wins SAG-AFTRA took home in its fight for AI protections would be broadened through the bill. Elsewhere, Californias AB 2602 covers consent for digital replicas as it relates to performance contracts for video games, audiobooks and more.

We should be free to live and die without the fear of becoming someone elses unpaid digital puppet.  SAG-AFTRA Vice President, Los Angeles and L.A. Local President @xoJodiLong  SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) July 3, 2024

This past June, New York passed its own similar bill for performers, titled the Digital Replica Contracts Act, which was previously approved unanimously in the New York State Senate.

The bill demands that performers have informed consent and proper representation, by a lawyer or a union, before a company can obtain rights to digitally replicate their voice or likeness in place of physical work, the Screen Actors Guild previously said in a statement to TheWrap. SAG-AFTRA noted that sometimes these rights are buried within the fine print of contracts or terms of service, which may lead performers to unknowingly sign away their rights.

The next step for Californias Digital Replica Bill for is for it to move to the second chamber before its officially, potentially enacted.

The post SAG-AFTRA Thanks California for Getting One Step Closer to Protecting Dead Actors From AI Replication appeared first on TheWrap.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A third suspect has been arrested as part of an investigation into an armed robbery of a Salem convenience store last month, authorities said.

According to the Salem Police Department, a 15-year-old boy was arrested Wednesday and accused of being involved with an armed robbery at the US Market on 12th Street SE on June 24. Police had responded around 10 p.m. that evening on reports of an armed robbery.

Energy companies urge conservation as heat dome arrives in PNW

Last month, police said they had arrested 23-year-old Barry Johnson and a 16-year-old boy in connection to the robbery. Police said surveillance footage showed two people inside the store, wielding guns, demanding cash and merchandise.

The car that the suspects fled the scene in was reportedly stolen.

During the arrest at an apartment near 1200 Peace Street SE, authorities seized two semi-automatic rifles, ammunition and some of the merchandise allegedly stolen in the robbery.

North Portland public pool remains closed amid heat wave

The third suspect was arrested early Wednesday morning after a Salem Police SWAT team responded to his residence near 4300 Burlington Loop NE. He was lodged in the Marion County Juvenile Department and charged with first-degree robbery, unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful firearm possession, menacing and unlawful use of a car.

With this latest arrest, police said all the suspects in connection to the robbery have been arrested.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
LITTLE DELL RESERVOIR, Utah (ABC4)  Salt Lake County Sherriffs Search and Rescue crews responded to a possible drowning in Little Dell Reservoir on Tuesday.

According to a press release, search and rescue teams are investigating a possible drowning after bystanders contacted authorities on Tuesday, July 2.

UPDATE: Body recovered out of Little Dell Reservoir after hours-long search

The Wasatch County Sheriffs Office Search and Rescue and Utah State Park rangers are assisting the Salt Lake County Sheriffs Office (SLCSO) with the investigation. The Utah State Park rangers brought specialized equipment to the reservoir to assist in the investigation.

Sheriff Rosie Rivera told ABC4.com that the search efforts were likely going to transition to recovery efforts. As of about 10 p.m. Tuesday night, the kayaker had still not been found.

Officials said the victim is male, and crews are searching the area where the victim was last seen. Witnesses saw him in the water, and the victim was seen kayaking, but officials are not sure where the victim may have ended up.

Authorities were first called around 2 p.m., and the caller said a kayaker fell into the water and that the caller lost sight of the kayaker.

The sheriff is warning Utahns to be prepared and to let other people know where theyre going, especially because there have been several search and rescue operations over the past few days.

Just in the last couple of days, theyve been out multiple times, Rivera said of the search and rescue volunteers.

Officials said they found some evidence, including a kayak, but did not share what else they had found. The Little Dell Reservoir is approximately 18 miles from Salt Lake City and can be reached in about 20 minutes in a car.

There is no further information 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 ABC4 Utah.
BOONE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Disaster response specialists from North Carolina-based Samaritans Purse arrived in Grenada Tuesday to help victims of Hurricane Beryl.

The team of 13 volunteers brought 24 tons of supplies with them on a cargo plane.

Courtesy of Samaritans Purse

Courtesy of Samaritans Purse

Courtesy of Samaritans Purse

Kaitlyn Josten, assistant director of marketing and media with Samaritans Purse, is one of the team members. She said they were watching the storm develop well before it made landfall.

As the storm was hitting the area, we began to prepare the cargo load, get the supplies down to Greensboro, where our cargo plane is loaded, so that we were able to take off with that cargo and 13 disaster responders less than 24 hours after the storm hit, she said.

Josten said time is of the essence when people have lost their access to shelter, water and medical care.

Speed is so critical after a disaster. If you dont have clean water, then getting that weeks later does it doesnt provide that much relief, she said. The faster we can get here, the more people we can help.

Josten said the team spent the hours after landing unloading the pallets of supplies.

The cargo includes 600 rolls of shelter tarp, 3,000 solar-powered lights and a large water desalinator with 300 collapsable water cans.

(Courtesy of Samaritans Purse)

Local partners and church leaders in the Caribbean will help distribute the items to some of the hardest-hit locations.

Its incredible to work with the local partners, Josten said. They know the area, they have connections, they know the ferry schedule to get from one island to another. They have all of those local connections. So we really rely on the local church wherever we go to be able to respond and respond well within that cultural context.

There is no set return date for the team, but Josten said they will stay in the region to offer as much relief as possible.

Courtesy of Samaritans Purse

Josten said the best way North Carolinians can support their efforts is to donate to Samaritans Purse and keep the team in their prayers.

Samaritans Purse works with local partners in more than 100 countries.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Samuel Woodward, right, talks to Assistant Public Defender Ken Morrison, after a jury convicted Woodward first-degree murder for the stabbing death of his former classmate, Blaze Bernstein. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Samuel Woodward was motivated by hate and intent on murder when he stabbed a gay former schoolmate 28 times in a dark park in 2018, an Orange County jury concluded Wednesday.

The jury deliberated for about a day before finding Woodward, 26, guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Blaze Bernstein, a 19-year-old University of Pennsylvania student.

The jury rejected the defense's claim that Woodward committed the stabbing only because Bernstein provoked him.

"We are thrilled with the verdict, which holds Samuel Woodward accountable," Bernstein's mother, Jeanne Pepper, said at a news conference. "This is a great relief that justice is served, and this despicable human who murdered our son will no longer be a threat to the public."

The jury also convicted Woodward of a hate-crime enhancement, which applied only to Bernstein's sexual orientation, though he was both Jewish and gay.

Woodward's computer teemed with anti-gay and anti-Jewish propaganda from the Atomwaffen Division, an extremist group, and he kept a "hate diary" in which he boasted of pranking and scaring gay men.

Woodward faces a sentence of life without the possibility of parole when Judge Kimberly Menninger sentences him on Oct. 25.

It is technically within the judge's discretion to depart from that sentence, but it is "politically impossible," said Woodward's lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Ken Morrison.

"It will not happen in this case, with this judge, especially with the prosecution and media narrative over the last six years," Morrison said.

Morrison has criticized that narrative as "Nazi kills gay Jew," and he spent much of the three-month trial trying to dismantle it, with limited success. He said Woodward would appeal, adding there was "a very strong record of appellate issues" involving evidence the jury wasn't allowed to see. He did not elaborate on that evidence.

Both sides portrayed Woodward as a young man who struggled with his sexuality growing up in a conservative Newport Beach family, with a particularly disapproving father.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Jennifer Walker told the jury that when Woodward decided to kill Bernstein in January 2018, he chose a weapon with symbolic significance: a knife with his father's name etched on it.

"Who better to prove to that you're not gay than this homophobic father?" Walker said during closing arguments. "'I'm not gay, look what I just did.'"

Morrison acknowledged that his client was guilty of killing Bernstein, which he called a "hideous crime," but said it was voluntary manslaughter, not murder.

"There's no premeditation or deliberation," he told jurors, arguing that the killing had no connection to his client's interest in the Atomwaffen Division.

On the night of the killing, Bernstein and Woodward exchanged flirtatious text messages. They had known each other casually years earlier at the Orange County School of the Arts, where Woodward had a reputation based on his far-right, anti-gay views.

Woodward had dropped out of college and was living with his parents. Bernstein, an out gay student, was staying with his parents over winter break in Lake Forest.

Woodward suggested he was bi-curious. Bernstein texted his address. Woodward picked him up, and they went to a nearby park.

"Unfortunately for Blaze, curiosity killed him," Walker said.

Read more: As trial begins, O.C. prosecutors will try to prove Blaze Bernstein's killing was a hate crime

Taking the stand in his own defense, Woodward seemed nearly catatonic, his words halting and slow, his eyes cast downward, his face covered by a curtain of unkempt hair. His attorney had to keep reminding him to look up.

Woodward testified that he took two puffs on a strong marijuana joint, went into a haze and came out of it to find Bernstein touching his genitals.

By Woodward's account, Bernstein told him he had been outed, called him a hypocrite and said something like, "I got you." Woodward said he feared that Bernstein had taken a photo of his genitals and was texting it to someone.

Asked for details about the stabbing, Woodward repeatedly said he couldn't remember.

Bernstein's blood was found on the knife bearing Woodward's father's name, leading prosecutors to conclude it was the murder weapon. But Woodward insisted he had used a different knife.

No evidence surfaced that Bernstein took explicit photos of Woodward, and Walker, the prosecutor, called the defendant's account "ridiculous" and "revisionist history."

Deriding the notion that Woodward flew into a rage for fear of being outed, she said he had posted his own photo on a Tinder profile saying he was seeking other men and had sent out photos of his penis more than once.

She said that "taking a weapon with your dad's name is very symbolic," particularly since Woodward, an Eagle Scout, had multiple knives. The prosecutor said that by killing Bernstein, Woodward was hoping to raise his profile with the Atomwaffen Division.

"It will prove to Atomwaffen he's not gay," Walker said. "It will prove to his dad he's not gay. It will prove to himself he's not gay."

When police searched Woodward's belongings, they found a death's-head mask  an emblem of the Atomwaffen  spattered with Bernstein's blood, indicating Woodward had it with him during the stabbing.

"Why are you bringing a skull mask?" Walker said. "This is a ceremonial killing for him that is going to get him prestige and admiration, which it did. We heard Atomwaffen was proud of him for this."

Woodward buried Bernstein in a shallow grave in the park, and, to divert investigators, sent texts to Bernstein's phone asking where he was. Woodward's initial account to police was that he had accompanied Bernstein to the park but that Bernstein had inexplicably wandered off.

After a weeklong search, Bernstein's body was found when the rain washed away dirt concealing his body. No shovel was found. Dirt was discovered under Woodward's fingernails, however, and he had dug the makeshift grave with his hands, according to Morrison  an argument that it was not a premeditated crime.

Morrison portrayed his client as a socially awkward young man who suffered for years with undiagnosed autism.

He said there was no evidence that Woodward had actually pranked and terrorized gay men beyond the account in his "hate diary," which Morrison characterized as empty boasting.

Morrison denied that Bernstein's fatal stabbing was "a hate-fueled crime inspired by the likes of Hitler and [Charles] Manson."

He attributed his client's attachment to the Atomwaffen Division to "his lifelong struggle to fit in, to make and maintain meaningful friendships," which left him vulnerable to a group that offered fellowship and preyed on people like him. He said his client had a "starvation for human connection."

The Santa Ana courtroom was packed Wednesday afternoon. After the jury filed in, the verdict form was passed to the judge and then to court clerk Anthony Villa, an 18-year courthouse veteran who has read more than 100 verdicts aloud without betraying emotion.

This time, his voice broke as he said "guilty," and he struggled for a moment to continue.

The emotion was echoed among Bernstein's friends and family as they sat together. "Thank God," someone sobbed.

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.
It was a bad night and he had a cold. That is the official version offered by the White House about what happened on Thursday at the debate that pitted President Joe Biden against his predecessor, Donald Trump. The White House spokesperson, Karine Jean-Pierre, said at a press briefing on Tuesday that we really want to turn the page on this. But it is not going to be that simple. In a first, a Democratic congressman has openly called for Biden to step aside from the race after the disastrous debate. Democratic governors are worried and the White House on Tuesday said that the president would meet with top congressional leaders, and on Wednesday would host a meeting with Democratic governors to try to ease their concerns about his physical and mental capacity.

Biden kept up his damage control tour on Tuesday, adding a new excuse to his arguments: fatigue from international travel in the weeks prior to the debate. It sounds unconvincing, taking into account that he spent almost a week locked up at Camp David, in Maryland, preparing for the debate. At a fundraiser in Virginia on Tuesday, he said that I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple of times before the face-off. He said he didnt listen to my staff and joked that he fell asleep on stage during the debate.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who showed support for the president, admitted on Tuesday in an interview on MSNBC that it is a legitimate question whether Bidens performance on Thursday was just an episode or is this a condition. Whether Biden had, as Jean-Pierre claims, a bad night, or whether the problem is much deeper, as the White House keeps denying. But people are becoming increasingly suspicious. Pelosi recommended that the president grant interviews to serious journalists. As part of the campaign to restore his public image, Biden will give an interview to ABC on Friday, where he hopes to demonstrate that he is fit to serve.

Many members of Congress have admitted, even in public, that the president performed poorly in the debate. But what none of them had done until this Tuesday is to openly ask their leader to step down. Texas Representative Lloyd Doggett, who is serving his 15th term and who is running for re-election again in November, said Biden should make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw, citing the presidents inability to effectively defend his many accomplishments in the debate.

Doggett even use a historical comparison that Democrats have been avoiding like the plague. I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw. President Biden should do the same. Lyndon Johnson is one of the few presidents who did not run for re-election. He gave up the race in 1968, and the Democratic convention held in August of that year produced a candidate, Hubert Humphrey, who later failed against Richard Nixon.

A difficult decision

My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly nor does it in any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved, Doggett said. Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Bidens first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so.

A bad result in the presidential elections is usually also reflected in the results of the legislative elections. On November 5, the 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 34 of the 100 senators are being renewed. There is a good chance that the Democrats, who control the upper house by a majority of 51 to 49, counting the independents, will lose their control. Among the senators whose seats are up for renewal in November there are 24 Democrats and 10 Republicans.

While Republicans are competing in favorable constituencies, Democrats are defending seats they won in areas that are now conservative. They risk losing their seats in West Virginia, Ohio and Montana, and to a lesser extent also in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. A hypothetical bad Democratic result weighed down by Biden would also help the Republicans to renew their majority in the House of Representatives.

Gubernatorial elections are also being held in 11 states, although in this case eight Republicans and only three Democrats positions are at stake. Among the latter, those from the State of Washington and Delaware are almost guaranteed their re-election, but the governor of North Carolina is in danger. On the other hand, of the eight Republican states, the Democrats have aspirations of reconquering New Hampshire.

Democratic governors are concerned about what they saw in the debate. On Monday they met by videoconference and agreed to make an appointment with the president, with whom they will have a partly in-person and partly virtual meeting on Wednesday. It is part of the display of activity with which the president wants to counteract the bad impression left by last weeks debate.

Biden will have the meeting with the governors, then give an interview to ABC, travel to Wisconsin on Friday and to Philadelphia on Sunday for campaign events. He will also hold a press conference during next weeks NATO summit in Washington.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre at the press conference this Tuesday. Elizabeth Frantz (REUTERS)

Karine Jean-Pierres press briefing on Tuesday, the first one held at the White House since the debate, had almost one single theme. The spokesperson faced a barrage of questions about the presidents mental acuity, including some direct questions about whether he suffers from dementia or some type of degenerative disease. No. And I hope youre asking the other guy the same exact question, Jean-Pierre replied.

The spokesperson admitted that the media and the American people have the right to wonder about the presidents mental and physical fitness, but rejected that he must undergo cognitive tests or that he must provide additional information about his health beyond the medical report that he makes public every year. Were going to get out there, across the country. Americans are going to see him for themselves, said Jean-Pierre.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition




A Sylmar man is accused of using Instagram to advertise explicit photos of high school students. (Didem Mente / Getty Images)

A San Fernando Valley man was indicted Tuesday for allegedly using Instagram to post and sell sexually explicit photos of high school girls without their consent  and threatening to post more images in a sextortion scheme.

A federal grand jury charged Sylmar resident Alejandro Garcia Aranda, 23, with advertising child pornography, distributing child pornography and transmitting threatening communications with intent to extort, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Central District of California.

The June 27 indictment alleges that Aranda advertised explicit photos on an Instagram account with the handle valleyhoezzz818, whose stated goal was to shame females in the Valley. He allegedly targeted girls who attended San Fernando Valley schools and used Cash App, Venmo, PayPal and Zelle to sell his sexually explicit wares.

Authorities said Aranda sent customers the images through direct messages on Instagram after receiving payments. When the girls discovered the photos were being advertised and distributed, Aranda allegedly tried to get more photos from them by threatening to post more images online.

If convicted, Aranda faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for advertising child porn, five to 20 years for distributing child porn, and up to two years for the extortion count.





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.
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  A chase for a wanted San Angelo man involving multiple law enforcement agencies saw a civilian-driven vehicle collide with a constables car at a Chadbourne Street intersection during the midday hours of July 3.

According to SAPD Officer John Bouligny, members of the Texas Department of Public Safety were attempting to apprehend 39-year-old Bryan Espinoza at Home Motors Inc. on an outstanding warrant when he began to flee. Espinozas attempted escape prompted a multi-agency response, causing law enforcement to pursue him through the surrounding area.

Man dies in San Angelo after incident involving drunk golf cart driver

Another SAPD officer at the scene told reporters that the collision occurred at the intersection of South Chadbourne Street and Christoval Road after a constable attempting to assist with the ongoing chase drove through the crossroads with his emergency lights on. A civilian motorist traveling south on Chadbourne Street failed to yield the right-of-way to the constable, resulting in the crash.

The civilian told first responders that she had a green light. The officer stated that drivers are still expected to yield the right-of-way to emergency vehicles if they have their lights on.

An image of the crash that occurred between a civilian and a San Angelo constable on July 3, 2024.

The officer stated that the civilian was transported to Shannon Medical Center to be evaluated for what is believed to be non-life-threatening injuries. The constable was unharmed.

Bouligny said that the chase concluded with Espinoza being apprehended at the rear parking lot of Rafter C Construction. He was taken to Shannon Medical Center to be evaluated, after which he was transported to the county jail.

According to jail records, Espinoza is now charged with evading arrest with a previous conviction. The arrest comes just one day after he was released from custody following a separate arrest on July 1 for driving with an invalid license, having an expired vehicle registration and failing to appear in 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 ConchoValleyHomepage.com.
Scholz gives 'guarantee' Germany won't be party to war in Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, takes part in the government questioning during a plenary session in the German Bundestag. Michael Kappeler/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has tried to reassure citizens that Germany will not become a party to the war in Ukraine by continuing to support Kiev in the fight against Russian forces.

"Yes, I give this guarantee," he said in response to a question in the Bundestag parliament on Wednesday, echoing comments he had made before. "That's what I stand for as chancellor."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has however long regarded Germany and the Western military alliance NATO as a party to the war.

Scholz rejected the idea that there should be a ceasefire in Ukraine on Russian terms. "In my view, a ceasefire that involves Ukraine surrendering is something that we as Germany should never support."

The chancellor said that this was not an abstract question, "as you can see from this strange peace offer from Mr Putin."

"He has said that he is prepared to agree to a ceasefire if Ukraine also gives him more annexations for free, so to speak."

This shows that Putin has no intention of ending the war, Scholz said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, takes part in the government questioning during a plenary session in the German Bundestag. Michael Kappeler/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, takes part in the government questioning during a plenary session in the German Bundestag. Michael Kappeler/dpa
Scholz reassures lawmakers 2025 budget to be agreed by end of July

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, takes part in the government questioning during a plenary session in the German Bundestag. Michael Kappeler/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has once again assured the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, that his Cabinet will adopt the national budget for 2025 by the end of July.

Scholz did not commit to an exact date when questioned by lawmakers in parliament. "We will adopt the budget this month in the federal Cabinet as planned," he said.

The Bundestag typically discusses the budget after the summer break until the end of the year. "There will be no disruption to this schedule," Scholz added.

Scholz, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck of the Greens and Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) originally planned to reach a Cabinet-level decision by July 3.

But delays in reaching a political agreement on the outlines of the budget mean that date can no longer be met, since civil servants at the Finance Ministry will need time to translate any deal into a draft budget document.

The Cabinet is now aiming to present a budget at its meeting on July 17, dpa has learned.

Negotiators must find ways to plug a gap that runs into the tens of billions of euros, and solve intense disagreements about whether to allow deficit spending despite tight rules on government borrowing.

In order to achieve the new target, however, an agreement in principle is necessary in the next few days, because the drafting of the budget law then usually takes another 10 days or so.

Scholz's Social Democrats are pushing for Germany's strict rules on borrowing, known as the debt brake, to be suspended. For Lindner of the FDP, this is out of the question.

The decision ultimately lies with the Bundestag, which will then deal with the draft budget from September onwards - if the Cabinet reaches an agreement.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, takes part in the government questioning during a plenary session in the German Bundestag. Michael Kappeler/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, takes part in the government questioning during a plenary session in the German Bundestag. Michael Kappeler/dpa
LAWRENCE (KSNT)  Scientists are searching for potential drilling sites in northeast Kansas which could reveal new sources of rare Earth minerals.

The Kansas Geological Service (KGS) announced in a recent publication that KGS scientists are working to identify new sources of critically important resources in Lyon County. Successfully locating new sources of these special minerals would go towards improving the nations economic vitality and security.

KGS scientists partnered with the independent oil and gas company Mull Companies to drill out a well in Lyon County to evaluate whether subterranean layers of rock contain minerals which can be used for electronics and other advanced technologies. Most often these materials are provided by overseas trading with countries like India and China which can be at risk of disruption as shown during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Were in the early stages of trying to identify where to find the different minerals and elements that are essential to energy transition, such as the minerals used in batteries to store energy produced by wind and solar farms, said Brendan Bream, KGS associate director and senior scientist. This project is the first step in thinking about reopening domestic sources for those critical minerals.

Kansas gov. ceremonially signs off on tax plan

Workers on site used a wellbore to retrieve rock core samples from deep beneath the Earth to study what materials lie below. They also lowered other equipment into the well to study the characteristics of the rock using a method called wireline logging.

Wireline logging gives us a relatively coarse analysis of the rock layers, compared to studies of the core itself, which allow more detailed analysis, Bream said. Were evaluating whether we can use wireline logging tools to explore the subsurface without having to drill new wells and conduct high-end geochemical analyses.

Lyon County was chosen as the location for this study due to its location in the geologic area known as the Cherokee-Forest City basin. This area contains deposits of limestone, sandstone, shale and coal.

We can see these coals and black shales in the wireline data, said Stephan Oborny, KGS assistant scientist. By combining these data from multiple wells, we can then correlate the rocks through the subsurface and into the outcrop belt and hopefully identify sweet spots, either at depth or at the surface, for critical mineral enrichment. Concentrations of certain critical minerals are quite high in these rocks and could be economically viable if we can determine how to best extract them from the subsurface.

This KGS investigation into Lyon Countys underground is part of larger efforts taking place across the U.S. to identify abundances of critical minerals. Information taken from the Lyon County site will go towards helping scientists understand how to find more deposits of minerals in the future.

Were thinking about it in terms of finding new, local sources for industrial raw materials, Bream said. Theres security in having a domestic source. And there are economic advantages to keeping it local.

KDWP creates one-stop-shop to answer questions on alligator snapping turtles in Kansas

Samples obtained from Lyon County are being sent off to a storage facility managed by the KGS which currently holds 70,000 boxes worth of rock samples retrieved from all over the nation.

For more Kansas 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.
We know Earths rotation on a cosmic scale, but seeing it close up requires quantum mechanics.

Interferometry is the use of light waves, sound, etc., to identify changes in matter or motion.

New research uses entangled photons and fiber optics to measure Earths nanorotations.

In a paper recently published in the journal Science Advances, scientists from the Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology described how they used a path-entangled quantum interferometer to measure how fast the Earth rotates. Its a step forward in securing a measurement thats been surprisingly hard to pin down, and shows the potential of quantum-enabled technologies to help us better understand the world around us.

Interferometry is a technique involving displaced and refracted lightthe patterns created reveal what interfered in the first place. It was originally conceived of to help prove or disprove the idea that all the air around us was filled with a wild proposed material called luminiferous ether, but now its used in a lot of different scientific disciplines. Most interferometers use mirrors, curved lenses, and more to bend and recapture light waves, but some may be acoustic, using a crystal to resonate through a cloud of liquid or gas.

These setups predate the study of quantum mechanics, but the researchers from the Vienna Center explain in their paper how quantum interferometry improves on previous forms. [T]he enhanced sensitivity of quantum interferometers, they wrote, opens up opportunities for precision measurements that can explore new frontiers in physics.

Focusing on quantum phenomena like superposition instead of qualities based in the world of classical physics means we need even tinier readings than usual. Thats where quantum interferometry comes in, and its definitely more precise, but its also a work in progress. Over time, scientists are working to develop better and better ways to reduce noise (a quantum side effect) and other downsides to these methods.

In this research, scientists use an established paradigm called N00Nshort for a complex mathematical expressionwhere a cloud of n photons are all in the same state of superposition, and no non-superpositioned photons are allowed. A number of N00N states with two photons each are put into a prepared interferometer thats dozens of meters long on one side, using long fiber optic strands. Then, Earths rotation itself causes a measurable change within the photons.

It may seem silly to spend so much time and so many resources on clocking the speed of Earths rotationsomething we surely must know all about by now. A day is a certain length, and we know because we end up in the same place in about 24 hours... right?

Mostly. But those facts reinforce what the problem is underneath. Earth is so enormous and steady that detecting tiny changes in its rotational state is actually very difficult.

To help, these researchers implemented helpful tools like a toggle that switches off how Earths rotation affected their interferometric setup, and they built their model to involve mapping the idea of rotation into a measurement that does not rotate like a calculus-based magic trick.

The results demonstrate not only the precision of their best-yet quantum interferometer, the researchers conclude, but also a milestone in our collective quest to marry general relativity and quantum mechanics into one unified theory. Indeed, being able to check the general, classical motion of the Earth against quantum phenomena could help move physics forward24 hours at a time.

You Might Also Like
Last January, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit held that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had acted "arbitrarily and capriciously," in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, when it refused to allow the marketing of flavored nicotine e-liquids made by two companies. On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review that decision. The case highlights the maddeningly unfair process by which the FDA enforced its judgment that vaping products in flavors other than tobacco and menthol are ipso facto intolerable, even though former smokers prefer those options.

"Over several years," 5th Circuit Judge Andrew Oldham wrote for the majority in Wages and White Lion Investments v. FDA, the agency "sent manufacturers of flavored e-cigarette products on a wild goose chase." The agency initially said "manufacturers' marketing plans would be 'critical' to the success of their applications." It "promulgated hundreds of pages of guidance documents, hosted public meetings, and posted formal presentations to its websiteall with the (false) promise that a flavored-product manufacturer could, at least in theory, satisfy FDA's instructions." Manufacturers "dutifully spent untold millions conforming their behavior and their applications to FDA's say-so."

All that effort was for naught. "Months after receiving hundreds of thousands of applications predicated on its instructions," Oldham noted, the FDA "turned around, pretended it never gave anyone any instructions about anything, imposed new testing requirements without any notice, and denied all one million flavored e-cigarette applications for failing to predict the agency's volte face. Worse, after telling manufacturers that their marketing plans were 'critical' to their applications, the FDA candidly admitted that it did not read a single word of the one million plans. Then the FDA denied that its voluminous guidance documents and years-long instructional processes meant anything."

Under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, the FDA is charged with determining whether approval of a nicotine product is "appropriate for the protection of the public health." The agency is supposed to take into account "the risks and benefits to the population as a whole, including users and nonusers." That, in turn, entails considering "the increased or decreased likelihood that existing users of tobacco products will stop using such products," as well as "the increased or decreased likelihood that those who do not use tobacco products will start using such products."

That collectivist calculus, which requires debatable predictions and consideration of risks and benefits with no instructions about how to measure or weigh them, gives the FDA a great deal of discretion in deciding what sort of evidence manufacturers must present. The FDA not only took full advantage of that discretion; it said it was exercising it in a particular way, then changed its mind after manufacturers did what it told them to do. At that point, it was too late for them to comply with the FDA's newly revealed requirements.

In applying the Tobacco Control Act's "public health" standard to vaping products, the FDA sees one major benefit and one major risk. It concedes that smokers can dramatically reduce their health risks by switching to vaping. But it worries that certain flavors could encourage underage use because they are especially appealing to minors. In practice, that has meant rejecting nearly every "premarket" application from vaping companies. So far the FDA has approved just 27 products, and the only flavors to pass muster are tobacco and menthol.

To enforce its de facto ban on other flavors, Oldham noted, the FDA resorted to "regulatory switcheroos," contradicting its own guidance to the industry. Although it initially emphasized the importance of marketing plans aimed at preventing underage use, it ended up ignoring the detailed information that companies submitted. Although it initially indicated that product-specific clinical studies and long-term research would not be necessary, it later cited the lack of such evidence as a flaw that automatically doomed applications. And although it initially said it was mainly concerned about readily concealable, cartridge-based products favored by teenagers, it also rejected every application for the e-liquids used in refillable devices.

The e-liquid manufacturers Triton Distribution and Vapetasia thought the FDA's "regulatory switcheroos" were manifestly arbitrary and capricious, and the 5th Circuit agreed. The appeals court ruled that the agency had violated four venerable principles of administrative law.

First, "an agency cannot invent post hoc justifications for its decision in court and outside the administrative record." Second, "an agency must provide fair notice before it deprives a citizen of property." Third, "when an agency changes its position, it must display awareness of the change and explain it." And fourth, "even when an agency acknowledges and explains a change in its position, it cannot fault a regulated entity for relying in good faith on the previous one."

The FDA's rejection of the Triton and Vapetasia applications "were arbitrary and capricious," Oldham concluded. "The agency did not give manufacturers fair notice of the rules; the agency did not acknowledge or explain its change in position; the agency ignored reasonable and serious reliance interests that manufacturers had in the [pre-denial] guidance; and the agency tried to cover up its mistakes with post hoc justifications at oral argument. The contrary views expressed by some of our sister circuits do not address our principal concerns with FDA's decisionmaking. We therefore hold the agency acted unlawfully."

As Oldham indicated, several appeals courts have taken a contrary position, although in 2022 the 11th Circuit agreed that the FDA's refusal to consider the marketing plans it had asked manufacturers to submit was arbitrary and capricious. Depending on how the Supreme Court resolves this circuit split, it could force the FDA to reconsider applications from companies like Triton and Vapetasia. But the ultimate result could be the same.

The FDA "argues that its capriciousness should be forgiven as harmless because the agency promises to deny petitioners' applications even if we remand to make the agency follow the law," Oldham noted. He said the appeals court nevertheless expected that the FDA "will give petitioners the benefit of a full and fair regulatory proceeding on remand, notwithstanding its prior promises to reject their applications no matter what." That expectation of fairness seems unrealistic, given the wide authority granted by the Tobacco Control Act, the vague standard it prescribes, and the FDA's determination to stop adults from buying the vaping products they prefer.

The post SCOTUS Will Decide Whether the FDA's 'Regulatory Switcheroos' on Vaping Were 'Arbitrary and Capricious' appeared first on Reason.com.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. instituted a second set of public safety power shutoffs Tuesday evening into Wednesday, severing electricity for more than 2,000 customers in six counties  some of whom were without power for a second day  amid hot, dry conditions that could lead to more wildfires.

PG&E officials said in a Wednesday morning update that it had made the move as winds picked back up in the Sacramento Valley and foothills. Some affected customers had their power turned off on Tuesday morning but were briefly restored due to a break in the weather.

PG&E officials gave an all-clear, the utility said in a 1:30 p.m. update.

Crews are now patrolling circuits, assessing our equipment for possible damage, making any needed repairs and making preparations to restore power safely and as quickly as possible, the utility said.

The so-called PSPS began at 11:56 p.m. in Corning and Flournoy in Tehama County, according to data provided to the Governors Office of Emergency Services by the utility. By 8 a.m., the following areas were part of the engineered blackout affecting 2,200 customers:

Butte, 314 customers





Colusa, 25

Lake, 179

Napa, 10

Solano, 210

Sonoma, 25

Tehama, 1,179

Yolo, 230

The utility said it did not expect the number of homes and businesses under the second day of PSPS outages to grow.

PG&E said it opened several community resource centers in areas that lost power or were threatened by the PSPS, enabling customers to cool off in the air conditioning, get free bottled water and snacks and charge their phones. Those centers are open through 10 p.m. Wednesday, the utility said.

Those centers would be open 8 a.m.-10 p.m. at the following locations:

For the 10,000 customers who received notices their PSPS was delayed, their power still has not been shut off, PG&E officials said in the morning update. PG&E expects to have a weather all clear by noon today, at which point we will begin patrols, assess for any damage, make repairs and restore service for impacted customers. All customers impacted by this PSPS are expected to have service restored this evening.

Extremely hot and windy weather prompted the first deliberate outage of the year Monday night into Tuesday. But by the afternoon, crews were deployed to the field to restore power to many of those customers. In its last update before the second round of outages, PG&E had reconnected roughly 1,400 homes and businesses, even while warning of another set of blackouts.

PG&E officials stressed the need to inspect lines and replace equipment as crews methodically worked the areas affected by the PSPS. Restoring power to affected customers can take 12 daylight hours or more, depending on conditions.

While forecasters expect sweltering temperatures to persist across Northern California through the weekend, PG&E meteorologists have indicated the worst of the weather  northerly winds gust between 35 and 50 mph in some locations  would subside before the Fourth of July on Thursday.

Utility blamed equipment sparking wildfires

PG&E in recent years has imposed planned power shutoffs in the face of dire wildfire weather. The utility companys equipment has been blamed for sparking some of the worst fires in state history, including the 2018 Camp Fire that devastated Paradise, and PG&E Corp. has been found liable for billions of dollars worth of destruction.

The utility since 2017 has been blamed for starting more than 30 wildfires, blazes that destroyed more than 23,000 homes and businesses and has killed more than 100 people.

Last year, the company engineered two PSPS events out of four possible scenarios it identified, according to filings with the California Public Utilities Commission. The late August and mid-September events took roughly 5,200 customers off the grid.

Downtown Sacramento reached 106 degrees Tuesday, three degrees shy of the all-time record for the day set a year ago. Some spots, such as Redding, were 108 degrees or hotter on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Hotter temperatures were expected Wednesday during the heat wave thats predicted to last through Sunday.

More information on the PSPS and how to get alerts is available on PG&E website.
See the Destructive Impact of Hurricane Beryl in Photos

Fishermen watch their damaged fishing boats after the passage of Hurricane Beryl at the Bridgetown Fish Market, Bridgetown, Barbados, July 1, 2024. Credit - Randy BrooksAFP/Getty Images

Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 season in the Atlantic, has already broken storm records as it ravages through the Caribbean. Power lines have been brought down, homes flattened, and streets flooded across multiple southeastern Caribbean Islands. The death toll has risen to at least seven people, according to CNN.

Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Grenada are among the countries affected. In many of these places, the devastation is widespread: on Union Island, 90% of the houses have been severely damaged or destroyed, according to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.

Read More: How to Help Hurricane Beryl Victims

The storm is not done yet, as it continues its path through the Caribbean. In preparation, a hurricane warning is currently in effect in Jamaica and officials have activated natural disaster response protocols. The Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness imposed a curfew for July 3, advising people to stay inside between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. local time.

According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, the storm is then set to arrive at the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico on Friday.

Late Monday, Beryl became the earliest storm in history to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, peaking with winds of 165 m.p.h. Tuesday before weakening to a Category 4, now with 145 m.p.h. winds.

Here are photographs showcasing the destruction caused by Hurricane Beryl.

A boat ended up in a tree after the passage of Hurricane Beryl in Oistins gardens, Christ Church, Barbados on July 1, 2024. Randy BrooksAFP/Getty Images

Members of Barbados National Armed Forces clear a street of sand as it gets flooded by sea water after the passage of Hurricane Beryl in Oistins, Barbados on July 1, 2024. Chandan KhannaAFP/Getty Images

Strong winds blow as Hurricane Beryl approaches Bridgetown, Barbados on July 1, 2024. Chandan KhannaAFP/Getty Images

A woman runs as water from the sea floods a street after the passage of Hurricane Beryl in the parish of Saint James, Barbados, near Bridgetown on July 1, 2024. Chandan KhannaAFP/Getty Images

Residents clear boat from the street as it gets flooded after the hurricane Beryl passes in the parish of Saint James, Barbados, near to Bridgetown, Barbados on July 1, 2024. Chandan KhannaAFP/Getty Images

A man walks near damaged vehicles after devastating floods swept through the town after Hurricane Beryl passed off the Venezuelan coast, in Cumanacoa, Venezuela, on July 2, 2024. Samir AponteReuters

Residents fix the roof of their flooded house after a river swelled due to heavy rains following the passage of Hurricane Beryl on the road from Cumana to Cumanacoa, Sucre State, Venezuela, on July 2, 2024. Victor GonzalezAFP/Getty Images

Essential supplies are being loaded onto a vessel at Grenada Yacht Club, destined for the island of Carriacou which was hit hard by Hurricane Beryl, in St. Georges, Grenada, on July 2, 2024. Curlan Chrissey CampbellReuters

Neighbors look out at beach erosion and a fallen tree the day after Hurricane Beryl hit St. James, Barbados, on July 2, 2024. Ricardo MazalanAP

Boats damaged by Hurricane Beryl wade in the water at the Bridgetown Fisheries, Barbados, on July 2, 2024. Ricardo MazalanAP

Ingrie Sewell (L) and Gary Williams wait for the arrival of Hurricane Beryl in Kingston, Jamaica, on July 3, 2024. Joe RaedleGetty Images

People stand in front of waves crashing against the shore as Hurricane Beryl moves south of the island, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on July 2, 2024. Erika SantelicesReuters

Palm trees wilt after being uprooted by Hurricane Beryl in St. Patrick, Grenada, on July 2, 2024. Haron ForteauAP

Contact us at letters@time.com.
By Leila Tariverdieva, Day.az

While receiving the newly appointed Ambassador of Canada to Azerbaijan on Monday, President Ilham Aliyev made a number of important statements. Including regarding the peace treaty with Armenia. The head of state stressed that the most important condition of the peace agreement is the amendment of the Constitution of Armenia, since it contains territorial claims against Azerbaijan, and until this happens, peace will not be signed.

Armenian experts and Western officials call these demands maximalist and slowing down the peace process. Recently, there has been clear pressure on Baku from the West to speed up the peace process without guarantees of its long-term nature. Such pressure has not been observed before. It is noticeable that Yerevan's new patrons, in particular the United States, have certain plans for the region that cannot be realized without peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Judging by the rhetoric of State Department representatives, this concerns communications and logistics.

This topic has never sounded so obsessively and persistently in the statements of the American side. However, it should be clear to everyone that without removing territorial claims to Azerbaijan from Armenian legislation, the peace document will be ambiguous, and any communications will be unreliable. The roads can open and function only until the moment when Armenia, having straightened its feathers, again turns its gaze to the Azerbaijani lands. Unfortunately, such a probability is very high. Let us say even more - we have no doubt that in the event of a change of power in Armenia, they will remember after some time that the peace treaty does not comply with the Constitution, and everything will start anew. If someone is trying to secure Armenia in such a case, counting on the fact that international logistics routes will make the aggressor untouchable, this is a big mistake. Transport corridors will not give Armenia any guarantees of security if it decides to talk about "miatsum" again.

While the US is lobbying for Armenian transit via the East-West route, another newly-minted ally of Yerevan, India, is concerned about the North-South corridor via Armenia. On the eve, Armenian media published an interview with the director of the Indian think tank Abhino Pandya, who stated that the best option for India is the North-South via Armenia, not via Azerbaijan. The reason is Baku's good relations with Pakistan, which, Pandya believes, could cause problems. Moreover, Pakistan intends to join the North-South via Azerbaijan. In June of this year, cargo was delivered from Pakistan to Dagestan via this route for the first time.

Initially, Armenia was not included in the North-South project. It appeared there only after the 44-day war. I remember that the Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia Vahan Kerobyan promised at the beginning of this year that by May the transport route linking India and Armenia via Iran would be operational. That is, in just five months all the problems with Armenia's lack of proper infrastructure should have been resolved and all other issues should have been settled. The issue of creating road and transport infrastructure had not been resolved for thirty years, but someone thought it possible to dot all the i's in just a few months. In January, Kerobyan expressed hope that in May Armenia would receive "the infrastructure we need." It is already July, and what was promised has not happened.
The U.S. siege on the Sinaloa Cartel continues. In Washingtons ongoing war on fentanyl, which, by 2022, had driven overdose deaths up to more than 107,000, measures are increasingly aimed at choking off production and distribution beyond Americas borders. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)s pressure on one of the cartels four factions known as Los Chapitos, the sons of now jailed Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, initially indicated that they were preparing to launch a major operation against Sinaloa. Since then, there have been sanctions and arrests. While the cartel is fighting for turf in Mexico, resulting in the massacre of 19 people in Chiapas this week, it is being bombarded by attacks from the courts and the U.S. government. The crusade against Mexican drug traffickers intensified after a report from the DEA revealed the declining health of one of its infamous capos, Ismael El Mayo Zambada.

Forensics work at the site of the massacre in La Concordia, Chiapas State, Mexico, July 1. Chiapas State Prosecutor Office (REUTERS)

The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on July 1 against three people, one in Mexico and two in China, accusing them of money laundering and ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. It was said that Mexico-based Diego Acosta Ovalle helped the criminals from Mexico by concealing and collecting drug trafficking proceeds before turning them over to cartel associates, according to the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Meanwhile, Tong Peiji and He Jiaxuan worked out of China, laundering the proceeds through a U.S.-based organization. This latest judicial onslaught is part of a complex scenario that has now been underway for the last year and a half.

Activity against the cartel became clear in January last year with the arrest, and subsequent extradition, of Ovidio Guzman, one of Los Chapitos who was accused of fentanyl production and trafficking. In April 2023, while Washington was processing Guzmans extradition, the Justice Department filed charges against 28 members of the Sinaloa Cartel, including El Chapos three sons: Ivan Archivaldo and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar and Ovidio.

As part of the DEAs investigation into fentanyl trafficking, the 28 were accused of setting up operations to flood the U.S. with fentanyl, resulting in streets full of drug addicts. In September last year, following his extradition, it was revealed that Ovidio, alias El Raton, was facing charges of drug possession with intent to distribute, conspiracy to import, manufacture and distribute drugs, conspiracy to launder money, possession of arms and membership of a criminal enterprise.

The war on Los Chapitos did not end there. In November last year, Mexican authorities arrested Nestor Isidro Perez Salas, alias El Nini, the cartels security chief. A few months later, in the final leg of the Mexican elections, Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors government extradited El Nini to the U.S., where he was accused not only of drug trafficking but also of murdering Alexander Meza Leon, a DEA informant who had infiltrated the Sinaloa Cartel and was found dead in October 2023 along with eight other people in the state of Durango. Seven cartel members, two Mexicans and five Americans, were also sentenced at the time for smuggling thousands of fentanyl pills and several kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine across the border into the U.S.

A DEA report released in early May describes the Sinaloa Cartel not as an organization operating under the command of one leader, as is the case with the Jalisco Cartel-New Generation, but as four criminal groups. The report identified one faction as led by El Mayo Zambada, another by Los Chapitos, a third by Aureliano Guzman Loera, El Chapos brother, alias El Guano, and a final one created by Rafael Caro Quintero, known as the Caborca Cartel. The report stated that Zambadas physical health had deteriorated, suggesting he may no longer be fit to head his faction.

Ismael El Mayo Zambada, in a file image.

The possibility that Zambadas reign may be over has done little to dampen activity. The Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels have caused the worst drug crisis in U.S. history, reads the DEAs May report. U.S. authorities claimed at the time that both organizations maintained a presence in all 50 American states and insisted that the production network began in China, where the DEA is trying for leverage. Fentanyl trafficking, it says, involves a vast network of chemical exporters and producers, international shipping companies, transporters on both sides of the border, corrupt officials, tunnel builders, front companies and individuals who launder the money.

At the beginning of May, Anne Milgram, director of the DEA, complained in Congress that cooperation with the Lopez Obrador government had been inconsistent, though this was denied by Mexico. The accusation indicates that the fight against Mexicos cartels can become cannon fodder for political wrangling.

But the pressure is also increasing on China. Combating the threat posed by Money Laundering Organizations in China is a key priority of the Treasury Department, and today we are taking action to cut off the financial flows of major money launderers who are powering the trafficking of fentanyl and other illicit drugs to the United States, said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo, as he announced the new sanctions.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
SELMA  An independent investigation has cleared Selma Assistant Police Chief Natasha Fowlkes of any criminal wrongdoing, but she has resigned from the force, Mayor James Perkins said.

Perkins place Fowlkes on administrative leave with pay in mid-June, pending an internal investigation. Perkins did not state the reason for the leave at that time.

Fowlkes declined to comment when reached by phone Tuesday night.

Tuesday, Perkins said he was made aware of alleged illegal activity Fowlkes was involved in within the department and he informed SPDs internal affairs bureau. It was determined an investigation was needed and thats when she was placed on leave, Perkins said. The Dallas County Sheriffs Office conducted the investigation as an outside agency.

Selma Assistant Police Chief Natasha Fowlkes before a news conference in Selma, Ala., on Wednesday May 1, 2024.

After completing the investigation, the sheriffs office conferred with District Attorney Robert Turner and it was decided that this was not a criminal offense, Perkins said.

Further, after being informed about the outcome of the sheriff departments investigation of Assistant Chief Fowlkes, she and I engaged in some very candid discussions about her history within the Selma Police Department and about the impact the investigation had on her and her family, Perkins said. Even though  Fowlkes was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing and is entitled to resume her position as assistant chief, after considering all factors  Fowlkes has decided that it is in the best interest of the City of Selma, and her and her family, that she steps down as assistant chief of police and tenders her resignation from the Selma Police Department.

More: Selma police chief returns to duty after six-hour council hearing

I agree with her decision. Therefore, effective immediately, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, I accept Natasha Fowlkes resignation as an employee of the City of Selma. I want to thank her for services rendered throughout her law enforcement career with the Selma Police Department and hope for her a successful future. As far as I am concerned, this matter is closed and we now continue moving forward.

Perkins also placed Police Chief Kenta Fulford on administrative leave with pay April 30. Perkins said the chief did not place officers at two city schools after threats of violence. The Selma City Council on June 24 reinstated Fulford after a personnel hearing that stretched about six hours in executive, or closed, session. The council has the power to appoint the police chief.

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Selma assistant police chief cleared of criminal wrongdoing; resigns from force
Sen. Bob Menendezs defense team rested its case Wednesday without calling the New Jersey Democrat to the stand in his federal corruption trial.

Menendezs lawyers called five witnesses over two days of testimony, including his sister, sister-in-law and the attorney for a friend of Jose Uribe, the New Jersey businessman who allegedly bribed the senator in exchange for legal favors and pleaded guilty before the trial began.

The legal team for co-defendant Fred Daibes also rested Wednesday without presenting a defense.

Lawyers for Menendezs other co-defendant, Wael Hana, called a witness Wednesday and indicated that their next and last witness will be called Monday  if that witness is able to fly in  when the trial resumes after the July 4 holiday. Federal prosecutors said they will decide in the next days if they are presenting a rebuttal case.

Closing arguments are also expected to begin Monday.

The prosecution rested its case Friday after seven weeks of testimony from at least 30 witnesses. Over that time period, federal prosecutors attempted to untangle the multiple corruption schemes that they say resulted in the senator and his wife, Nadine Menendez, garnishing gold bars, nearly half a million dollars in cash, a Mercedes-Benz and thousands of dollars in mortgage payments. Nadine Menendez is also charged with participating in the bribery scheme but will be tried separately later this summer. She has pleaded not guilty.

On Monday, the senators sister, Caridad Gonzalez, testified that her familys cash storing practices were normal  FBI agents recovered nearly half a million dollars in cash from Bob and Nadine Menendezs residence during a raid in June 2022. Defense attorneys have argued that the senator stored the cash at his home because of familial trauma caused by the Cuban communist regime. (Menendez was born in New York City, and Fidel Castro had not yet come to power at the time the Menendez family left Cuba.)

Its a Cuban thing, Gonzalez, 80, said on the stand. Every Cuban who came to the States in the early 50s, 60s, 70s stored cash in their home and in boxes because they were afraid of losing what they worked so hard for because in Cuba they took everything away from you.

Gonzalez also said she didnt know if her brother had stored any money in his home.

Lawyers for the senator also called his wifes sister, Katia Tabourian, to testify about her Lebanese family and their practices of commonly gifting gold and keeping jewelry, gold coins, gold bars and cash. Prosecutors have alleged throughout the case that Nadine Menendez accepted cash, gold bars and other bribes such as an exercise machine, in exchange for offering her husbands power and influence to the co-conspirators.

Tabourian testified that her sister got their grandmothers gold bars as a gift because she was the favorite out of five grandchildren. Tabourian said that it was very common to have gold coins and bars at home, noting that everybody had a safe in Lebanon.

A forensic accountant, Russell Richardson, testified for the defense about his review of Menendezs financial records to show that the senator had a general pattern of withdrawing cash.

Richardson conceded under cross-examination, however, that were Menendez given cash, it wouldnt show up on a bank statement unless he deposited it.

Michael Critchley, the attorney for Elvis Parra, a friend of Uribes, testified that Menendez called him in March 2019 and that they had a roughly two-minute conversation about Parras case.

I got the impression, the understanding, that he felt the same way that I did about the prosecution of Elvis Parra, that it was an abuse of prosecution, Critchley said. He said he didnt recall Menendez asking him to take any specific action, and he did not believe anything to be improper.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Senseless loss of life: Theres been nearly a death a day on Idaho roads since May 24

There were 31 people killed in traffic accidents in 39 days starting May 24, according to the Idaho Transportation Department, preliminary numbers that show an alarming spike and a potentially deadly summer.

That number grew Wednesday morning when Boise police reported that one person died in a fiery crash on the Bench.

The traffic fatality total so far in 2024 is now 106, exceeding the 94 deaths as of this time last year. And 2023 was the deadliest year on Idaho roads in two decades, the Idaho Transportation Department said in a news release Tuesday.

A total of 277 people were killed last year; there were 293 deaths in 2003.

With the busy Fourth of July weekend coming, as well as many more summertime travel weeks, ITD said in the release that its shaping up to be a deadly summer.

Theres no better place to be than Idahos great outdoors in the summer, but we want everyone to make it home safely, too, Idaho Office of Highway Safety Manager Josephine Middleton said in the release. Our actions behind the wheel are the only way we can prevent this senseless loss of life on our roads. Plan a sober ride, like a designated driver, especially if you are celebrating the holiday far from home.

Over half of the people who died in Idaho last year in cars werent wearing a seat belt, and only 87% of Idahoans wear their seat belt, according to a 2023 Idaho Office of Highway Safety observational survey.

The Gem State lags behind the nationwide seat belt use rate of just under 92%, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In Idaho, crash data show impairment from alcohol or drugs, distraction, speeding and failing to wear a seat belt as common factors in traffic fatalities, ITD Public Information Officer Ellen Mattila said in an email.

In the past week, the Ada County Coroners Office identified two victims of deadly crashes in the Treasure Valley, according to Idaho Statesman reporting.

Boisean Charles Gentry, 21, died when his motorcycle struck a vehicle near Boise Towne Square mall. Gentry was not wearing a helmet, authorities said. Kirsten Olsen, 20, of Meridian, died in a motorcycle crash near Lucky Peak Dam after failing to negotiate a curve. She was wearing a helmet, police said.

This week prosecutors secured a $1 million bond for a man believed to be responsible for egregious hit-and-run crashes on Saturday in downtown Boise that left two women with life-threatening injuries.

ITD does not yet have solid data on traffic injuries for 2024, Mattila said.

Vehicle deaths have fallen recently in most countries, but not in the United States, according to The New York Times. Experts have blamed a variety of factors, including a car-first culture that leaves behind cyclists and pedestrians, and bigger and heavier vehicles, The Times reported.

The stretch from Memorial Day in late May to Labor Day in early September is referred to as the 100 Deadliest Days, but officials will try to limit that by keeping impaired drivers off the roads. From now through July 10, Idaho State Police and local law enforcement will increase patrols in safety efforts, according to an ISP release.

Impaired driving doesnt just risk the drivers life; it endangers everyone in our community  our children, neighbors and friends, ISP Col. Kedrick Wills said in the release. This Fourth of July, everyone should prioritize safety and responsibility.
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON)  San Franciscos police chief and district attorney said a driver who allegedly killed an entire family at a West Portal bus stop will be charged with vehicular manslaughter.

A family of four was waiting at the bus stop to go to the zoo when an SUV plowed into them March 16. Investigators said the driver, 78-year-old Mary Fong Lau, was speeding and driving the wrong-way into oncoming traffic when her white Mercedes SUV jumped a sidewalk curb and crashed into the Muni Metro West Portal Station.

Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, 40, his wife Matilde Moncado Ramos Pinto, 38, and their two children, 1-year-old Joaquin Ramos Pinto de Oliveira, and 2-month-old Caue Ramos Pinto de Oliveira were killed.

Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, Matilde Ramos Pinto, and their young children pose for a family photo. (Photo courtesy the Pinto and Oliveira family)

After the crash, Lau was hospitalized, arrested, and released from custody. On Tuesday, SF District Attorney Brooke Jenkins explained to reporters why it took three months for any charges to be filed.

I want to thank the public and the (victims) family for their patience in allowing the police department to conduct a very thorough investigation. Of course everybody wants to know the outcome. A part of the investigative process was to flush out alternative causes for why this happened. We wanted to make sure that there was not some type of medical issue, or a (mechanical) issue with the vehicle  to make sure they were not factors in causing this collision, Jenkins said.

Matilde Ramos Pinto, left, and Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, right, are seen in a photograph left at a bus stop memorial. (KRON4 image)

Jenkins said her office will file four felony counts of vehicular manslaughter against Lau  one count for each family members death. The collision was caused by gross negligence committed by the driver and excessive speed, Jenkins said.

We looked at every aspect of the collision, SFPD Chief Bill Scott said. The driver was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Scott said. Mechanical failures were also ruled out as factors.

An SUV crashed into Munis West Portal Station, killing three family members on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Benjamin Fanjoy /San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Lau was re-booked into jail on Tuesday evening, jail records show. She is being held in lieu of $150,000 bail.

Scott said the deaths of an infant, a baby, and their parents were horrific, and the incident impacted the entire city of San Francisco. He added, A lot of people were traumatized by this incident. Four lives were lost. Thats what is (weighing) on everybodys heart.

Woman who died after being pushed into SF BART train identified

The victims family wrote in a previous statement to KRON4, Diego and Matilde were warm and loving parents who had a deep love for their beautiful children and enjoyed nothing more than spending time with their two little boys. They were also what one would call real life enhancers  the kind of people everyone loved to be around.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
FORT LIBERTY  Maj. Gen. Sidney Shachnow will forever be remembered by his beloved special operations forces at Fort Liberty.

The John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School hosted a ceremony Friday to officially designate Shachnow Lane after the schools former commander and Holocaust survivor.

Formerly Mosby Street, the road in front of the schools campus is one of nine roads identified by officials to be renamed after the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act mandate to rename Department of Defense assets commemorating the confederacy.

SWC commander Brig Gen. Jason Slider said that future special operators and hundreds of Army special operations forces soldiers pass along the route daily.

Shachnow Lane is named after Maj. Gen. Sidney Shachnow, a Holocaust survivor and former commander of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, where the road runs alongside.

It is appropriate that the path they travel bears the name of Maj. Gen. Shachnow, as his legacy of SOF guides them as they become the next generation of special operations professionals, Slider said.

Shachnow, who died Sept. 28, 2018, at the age of 83, was the only general officer in the Army to have survived the Holocaust.

He was born in Kaunas, Lithuania in 1934, and when he was 6, he was imprisoned for three years during World War II at the Nazi Kovno concentration camp before it was liberated by the Soviet army.

Shachnow lived in Europe until he immigrated to the United States in 1950 followed by enlisting in the Army in 1955 and spending 32 in the Special Forces community.

Legacy

Shachnows grandson Maj. Alexander Smith spoke on behalf of the family at Fridays dedication ceremony.

Smith serves under the 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Moore Georgia, which falls under the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. He said his grandfather made a great impact on his life.

Smith said that while signs and plaques about his grandfather are an honor, they do not capture his grandfathers humor and fun spirit.

He gave an example of a lesson he learned when he was about 7 or 8 years old from the man he called Pops.

Arlene Shachnow and Maj. Alexander Smith, far right, widow and grandson of Maj. Gen. Sidney Shachnow, are presented with a replica of the Shachnow Lane sign, which was designated Friday, June 28, 2024, at Fort Liberty.

Smith was at his grandfathers Southern Pines horse farm when his grandfather told him there was a problem  a wasp nest was above the barn and posed a risk for Smiths mother and grandmother who would be riding horses the next day.

After careful consideration and gathering some key equipment, I got my assignment and an overview of our three-step plan, Smith said.

Step one involved Shachnow spraying the wasp nest with bug killer, though they risked running out of spray. Smith would be involved in the second step of whacking the nest with a broom handle.

Sounded a bit risky though, but I trusted Pops implicitly, so I steeled myself for the awesome responsibility at hand, Smith said. Step three, he assured me, was the most important part, and I quote, Then we are going to run like hell.

Smith said they accomplished the mission unstung, and it taught him a well-briefed plan, violently executed will do in a pinch.

Smith said his grandfather also taught him more serious life lessons.

Maj. Gen. Sidney Shachnow , a Holocaust survivor, served in the U.S. Army for nearly 40 years to include more than 30 years with Special Forces.

He said that when he hears the Special Forces motto of de oppressor liber, which means to free the oppressed, he thinks of his grandfather.

He went from prisoner to refugee, to immigrant, to soldier, to citizen From special operations leader to commander of the Berlin brigade to general officer and SOF visionaire, Smith said. None of it was easy.

Smith said he hopes Shachnow Lane and the nearby plaque with his grandfathers biography inspires the next generation of special operation forces who may be called upon one day to liberate a nation.

I hope especially that those walking this area just starting a career in special operations consider the man and what his broader life represents, truly the ultimate American dream, built on grit, love and for those lucky enough to know him like I did  a great sense of humor. A man who started with less than nothing, he said.

More on Maj. Gen. Shachnow: Special Forces legend, Holocaust survivor has died

Military career

Roxanne Merritt, director of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Museum, recounted Shachnows military career during Fridays ceremony.

Shachnow enlisted in the Army shortly after immigrating to the U.S, in order to become an American citizen and first reported for duty at Fort Dix, New Jersey, when Smoke Bomb Hill and the first Psychological Warfare Center and School at then-Fort Bragg was an island of scrub rush, oak and pine trees, near a smelly meat rendering plant and the railroad roundhouse, Merritt said.

Little does he know that this will lead to a 35-year commitment to the U.S. Army and to his country, she said.

In 1962, he graduated with distinguished honors from Officer Candidate School, just a decade after being able to barely speak English, Merritt said.

A plaque along the newly designated Shachnow Lane at Fort Liberty tells the brief history of the storied Holocaust survivor and Special Forces leader.

While the Psychological Warfare Center and School was renamed and under the command of Brig. Gen. William P. Yarborough, then-Maj. Shachnow returned from his tour in Vietnam as commander of a 5th Special Forces Group detachment.

Over the next decade, Merritt said, Shachnow reported for assignments in Germany and attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

Merritt said that although Schachnow was cautioned against returning to Special Forces, he accepted command of the then-clandestine covert organization known as the 39 Special Forces detachment.

Merritt said she met then-Col. Shachnow and his wife Arlene in 1983 when they were walking his dogs and when he was chief of staff for SWC before becoming its commander.

She recalled when Shachnow was under the U.S. Special Operations Command and sent to Washington D.C. as a liaison to try to explain what special warfare special ops was to Congress, which she said he was able to summarize in four sentences.

In 1990, Maj. Gen. Shachnow was the commander of all American forces in Berlin when the Berlin Wall was toppled near the end of the Soviet Union.

Friends, family and military representatives gather around a plaque that honors Maj. Gen. Sidney Shachnow during a dedication ceremony, Friday, June 28, 2024, at Fort Liberty.

He told The Fayetteville Observer in 1994 it was the same area where Nazis were goose-stepping and heil-Hitlering the very system that put me in the camp and killed many people.

Here we are 40 some-odd years later, and I come back to be commander of American forces in that city and a Jew on top of that  It sort of adds insult to injury, doesn't it, Shachnow said in 1994.

In 1992, Merritt said, Shachnow became commander of SWC.

He felt very strongly that we had wandered from our roots, and he was determined that we would be reoriented, Merritt said.

Shachnow told his superiors that language and culture, force multiplication and the unconventional warfare exercise known as Robin Sage were important and he advocated for keeping the special operation forces noncommissioned officer school, civil affairs proponents and the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape school under SWC, she said.

Many a general officer felt his steely gaze as he would not back down, Merritt said.

Merritt said that when Shachnow retired in 1994, his legacy was and is still evident.

I want to believe that the young man once known as Schaja Shachnowski is looking from above and is exclaiming youve got to be kidding me upon realizing that his legacy will be perpetuated on a daily basis, Merritt said through tears. Every time somebody looks at a map, reads GPS and asks for directions or goes anywhere on this campus, they have to go by him first. I think he would appreciate that.

Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fort Liberty road named for Holocaust survivor, Special Forces leader
She was accused of murder for Tacoma house fire, plus 16 more arsons. Heres the verdict

A jury found a woman guilty Wednesday of murder, 13 counts of arson and other felonies for lighting fires at about a dozen homes in Tacoma, one of which killed an 83-year-old man.

The 17 fires Sarah Ramey was accused of starting in Tacoma and Ruston put residents on edge in late January 2022 until investigators identified and arrested her with the help of a casino card she left at one blaze. At the height of the fires, as many as 11 were set in one night.

None were more serious than the fire Ramey started weeks before that series of arsons, a New Years Eve house fire in the citys North End that left James Elliott dead of smoke inhalation. It was first thought to have been caused by a malfunctioning electrical wire, but further investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined it was set intentionally.

Jurors convicted Ramey, 45, of two counts of first-degree murder for killing Elliott, finding she caused his death in the course of committing arson or by engaging in conduct that created a grave risk of death and under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life.

Ramey was acquitted of the third murder count for Elliotts death, which accused her of causing his death in the course of committing residential burglary.

She was also found guilty of two counts of attempted first-degree arson, two counts of first-degree identity theft, second-degree identity theft, second-degree burglary, residential burglary and theft of a motor vehicle.

The verdict comes after a trial that stretched over three months in Pierce County Superior Court. The jury of six men and six women deliberated for about 3 days before delivering their decision to Judge Angelica Williams.

With guilty verdicts on 23 criminal counts, its unclear how much prison time Ramey may get when shes sentenced July 25. According to the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorneys Office, defendants found guilty of first-degree murder with criminal convictions similar to Ramey face a standard sentencing range of about 34 to 45 years in prison. But the judge will have the option to give her a lengthier sentence.

The fire at 2 Rosemount Way on Dec. 31, 2021, killed an 83-year-old man inside and practically destroyed the house, which was built in 1909. The house is pictured here on Sept. 26, 2022.

Elliotts son, Dan, and his wife, Lucia, hugged in the courtroom gallery after the verdicts were read. They and Elliotts daughter, Elizabeth Keating, attended the trial for weeks while jurors heard testimony about the arson that burned their childhood home and killed their father.

Were very happy that justice was served, Dan Elliott told The News Tribune after court adjourned.

Elliott said nothing could bring his father back, but he was grateful that the state had done its job and achieved justice. The case brought him a lot of sleepless nights, and he said he was happy to finally get some closure.

Keating said no matter what Ramey was found guilty of, she just hoped that the defendant got enough prison time to keep her from hurting anyone else.

A lot of those homes had people in them at the time she set them on fire, she said.

Jurors returned a number of special verdicts in the case, finding that 11 of the arsons or attempted arsons Ramey was convicted of involved multiple victims, such as the Jan. 26, 2022 fire at Park Terrace Apartments on North Pearl Street, which Ramey set in the doorway of the building, trapping residents and forcing them to escape through windows.

Keating later told the newspaper she and her family were eternally grateful for the jury taking time out of their lives to serve on the case.

Jurors also found that in three of the arsons, including 2 Rosemount Way, Ramey attempted to, or actually did cause monetary loss that was substantially greater than is typical for first-degree arson. Dan Elliott said the house is still standing, and now that the case is over he will have it surveyed. Whats next for the home remains to be seen. Keating said its beyond repair and will need to be torn down.

Prosecutors sought to prove that Ramey set fire to 16 homes, a garage and a vehicle between Dec. 30, 2021 and Jan. 26, 2022. She also was accused of stealing a Metro Parks pickup and using the stolen credit card of Elliotts late wife to make $6,293 worth of purchases, about $4,000 of which was spent at Lowes.

Jurors acquitted Ramey of three arsons that occurred in Central Tacoma the evening before she set fire to 2 Rosemount Way. Deputy prosecuting attorney Claire Vitikainen declined to make a comment to The News Tribune after she and other attorneys met with the jury panel.

Rameys defense attorney from the Department of Assigned Counsel, Mary K. High, wasnt in court for the verdict Wednesday morning. Attorney Ryan Hogaboam filled in for her, and he declined to give a statement after court adjourned.

Near the end of closing arguments, which began the afternoon of June 26 and continued into the following morning, Vitikainen hammered home some of the states strongest evidence against Ramey while asking the jury to convict her of all 27 charges.

Cell-phone location data placed her at the location of a number of the arsons, and surveillance cameras captured her walking to and from some of the fires while wearing a Metro Parks Tacoma jacket that was found when police searched her residence.

Other evidence presented included the defendants panicked-sounding phone call to her mother following her arrest, in which Ramey pleaded for someone to go to her home that night to remove her clothing and keys before investigators could serve a search warrant.

Vitikainen asked jurors if Ramey sounded desperate and told them that the woman knew police would find the keys to the Metro Parks truck she stole and the high-visibility jacket she wore while setting some of the fires.

Cell-phone data, surveillance video and the phone call only took prosecutors so far. Location data did not place Ramey at 2 Rosemount Way on the evening of the fatal fire, something her defense attorney seized upon in her closing arguments.

Mary K. High, a veteran defense attorney in the Department of Assigned Counsel, asked jurors to consider the gaps in the states case and questioned how reliable the cell-phone location data was.

She also reminded jurors that a number of the victims neighbors testified about the fire during trial. They lived in a good neighborhood, she said. Elliotts house, a 3,311 square-foot home built in 1909 was situated at the end of a winding residential road flanked by other century-old houses.

When it burned, according to court records, the smoke and flames drew one woman to the house shortly after 5:30 p.m. to see if Elliott had gotten out, but the whole front porch was already on fire and she got no reply when she yelled for the man.

Prosecutors said everyone came outside to see what was happening.

Not a single one saw a stranger in the area, High said.

The defense attorney told jurors her closing arguments would not address every charge leveled against her client and that she would largely focus on the murder and arson counts related to Elliotts death.

At least four experts rendered three different opinions about the cause of the deadly fire, according to High, and prosecutors later conceded that when it comes to determining cause, theres a fine line between it being found to be undetermined or that it was started intentionally.

High also tried to dispel the idea that Ramey was guilty of setting the fire just because the victims checkbook was found in the glove box of the Metro Parks truck she was accused of stealing.

The defense attorney reiterated that she was not talking about her clients identity theft charges when she questioned how Ramey possessing the item meant she was at the house at the time of the fire. High told the jury in opening statements that multiple people went in and out of the burned home to loot before the fire investigation was reopened.

In prosecutors rebuttal, Vitikainen returned to some of Rameys suspicious internet searches, which included queries such as my money got burned in a house fire, how to cash a stolen check without getting caught, and searches for specific fires. One, according to Vitikainen, was particularly damning.

By Jan. 12, 2022, the Tacoma Fire Department had already determined that the fire that killed Elliott was accidental, and no murder and arson investigation was ongoing. That day, Vitikainen said Ramey made a search for an arson investigation happening between North 20th and 26th Streets, which 2 Rosemount Way sits between.

There was only one person in the world who could have known at the time that the fire was arson, the prosecutor said. The statement drew an objection from the defense. It was overruled.

And who is doing that search? Sarah Ramey is doing that search, Vitikainen said.

A fire burns at a single-family home in the 4600 block of North Gove Street in Tacoma on Jan. 26, 2022, one of several arson fires Sarah Ramey was accused of setting that night.

Earlier in her closing arguments, Vitikainen tried to give jurors some idea of why Ramey might have started the fires, while also telling them that her motive wouldnt matter so far as it related to their verdict. The deputy prosecutor told the panel that Ramey, who had worked as a landscaper, was in need of money at the time, and there werent a lot of jobs for landscapers in the middle of winter in Western Washington.

Vitikainen suggested that starting fires at houses allowed Ramey easy access to burglarize them. She said starting a fire near an electrical panel, as Ramey allegedly did at times, led the fire department to shut off the homes power, often driving its residents to stay elsewhere and leaving the home unprotected.

So its right there, ready to be plundered, Vitikainen said.
A Mansfield resident was among the recipients of an Ohio 4-H Achievement Award presented in June at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center in Columbus.

Carson Secriskey received the Woodworking Achievement Award. Secriskey, 16, has been active in 4-H for nine years. He has taken market and special interest projects to the Richland County and Ohio State fairs. Secriskey is active as a club officer and 4-H Committee liason, serves on the Junior Fair Board and was the first runner-up Fair King 2023. He is enrolled at Shelby High School and is the son of Jeff and Janice Secriskey.

Carson Secriskey of Shelby is the recipient of a 2024 Ohio 4-H Achievement Award for woodworking.

Ohio 4-H Achievement Awards are presented annually to individuals for outstanding work in their project area. The evening was hosted by the Ohio 4-H Foundation, with 29 participants receiving 2024 honors.

Ohio 4-H is the youth development program of Ohio State University Extension, the outreach arm of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. In 2023, more than 156,000 Ohio youth participated in clubs, groups and special interest programs.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Carson Secriskey receives Ohio 4-H Woodworking Achievement Award
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY - Medicine to combat drug overdoses carried by first responders and law enforcement's crackdown on dealers of deadly opioids including fentanyl, have led to fewer overdose deaths, dozens of arrests, and the seizure of pounds of narcotics, a sheriff's official said.

Nasal sprays carried by deputies and provided to those in jail at the end of their sentences, plus ongoing drug operations were part of an all-around effort to tackle the use of fentanyl and its distribution in the county outlined in an Indian River County Sheriffs Office news conference Tuesday afternoon.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid used for pain relief, is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, according to DEA.gov.

Theres very few counties that are following up and actually making arrests on the deaths, said Sheriff Eric Flowers. Every time we have a fatal (overdose) were working it backwards. Were going to find who sold these drugs and if were able to make a case  were going to hold them accountable for that persons death  were making arrests and were putting these people in federal prison

Sheriff Eric Flowers holds a news conference at the Indian River County Sheriffs Office, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, regarding the investigations' teams fight against organized crime and drug trafficking in the county.

Results of two narcotics operations dating back to 2021 were presented to media gathered in Flowers office Tuesday afternoon.

Of 13 people swept up in Operation Ghostbuster dating back to 2021, so far, four are under federal indictments and two federal charges, and detectives seized nearly 3 pounds of fentanyl, 14 pounds of cocaine, 9 pounds of methamphetamine and just over a pound of MDPV (bath salts sold as recreational drugs), guns and over $25,000.

Operation Knockdown, began in 2023, has, so far, led to 12 arrests and the seizure of 1 pound of fentanyl, nearly 5.5 pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine.

Sheriff Eric Flowers holds a news conference at the Indian River County Sheriffs Office, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, regarding the investigations' teams fight against organized crime and drug trafficking in the county.

Among those, five were sentenced to federal prison for between five and 13 years; the others to state prison or jail time.

A number of these folks have recently been brought in for federal, for state charges, and were finally at a point where were ready to disclose all of this information, Flowers said.

At least one person was connected to Operation Weeping Willow, which focused on narcotic activity near Fellsmere in 2022, while several drug sales were conducted in and around a former adult arcade off U.S. 1 at Oslo Road, according to the agency.

We have had rolling operations since I took office as sheriff, Flowers said. We dont just stop when we have an operation like this. Were constantly rolling on these.

According to figures provided by the agency, there were 11 fatal overdoses in 2021; 24 in 2022; 22 in 2023, and 7, so far, in 2024. Of the seven, at least three were narcotic-related. The numbers include all overdose deaths, including possible accidental medical overdoses, a sheriff's official said.

Flowers said seven people were arrested in connection to fatal overdoses in 2021; nine in 2022; three in 2023 and one so far this year.

Each one of these cases is a full operation in and of itself, but pulling this together and getting these people off the streets is a really, really big deal for our team, he said.

Overall, Flowers said fentanyl-related fatal overdoses are down compared to previous years and he attributed that to naloxone nasal spray, known under the brand name Narcan.

Sheriff Eric Flowers holds a news conference at the Indian River County Sheriffs Office, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, regarding the investigations' teams fight against organized crime and drug trafficking in the county.

Deputies are equipped with two doses, and every person in jail is instructed how to use the medication before being given two doses upon the end of their jail sentence, he said.

The decline in deaths, he said does not reflect a decline in the overall number of overdoses.

We bring people back to life every single day, he said.

The U.S.-Mexico border was a topic in Flowers presentation, following what he said was his recent DEA-funded law enforcement trip to the Texas and New Mexico southern borders.

He said his detectives had traced at least some of the narcotics in the county to trafficking across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Every bit of this fentanyl that we get is coming across the Mexican border, he said.

More: Stuart police pursuit that resulted in man's death 'was within department policy'

More: Cosmetic surgery, spa business searched in Port St. Lucie

More: State releases FAST test scores; see how students fared in math, reading, writing in 2024

Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers. Follow @coreyarwood on X, email corey.arwood@tcpalm.com or call 772-978-2246.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: IRC sheriff outlines fentanyl crackdown, arrests of opioid dealers
Sheriffs Office in Northern Wisconsin asking for help in cabin break-in incidents, varying items stolen

CLARK COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV)  Authorities in the Clark County Sheriffs Office (CCSO) are asking for help identifying suspect(s) in a string of burglaries over the past several weeks.

There have been numerous residential/cabin burglaries in the southeastern portion of the county, specifically in the townships of Sherwood, Lynn as well as Chili.

Oconto County deputies looking for man charged with child sexual assault who absconded from bond

Among the various items reported stolen are:

Firearms

Furniture

Hunting Gear

Hunting Apparel

The CCSO is requesting the publics help to identify the suspect(s) and recover any of the stolen property.

Anybody with information is asked to call the Sheriffs Office at 715-743-3157, or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers of Clark County at 1-877-341-2416.

Wisconsin drug dealer sentenced for turning ghost gun into a machine gun

Tips can be submitted online as well. The post added that tips leading to an arrest may have a potential monetary reward to the providing individual.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Sheryl Lee Ralph is preparing to ride out Hurricane Beryl in Jamaica, where her son will get married on Saturday. (Jordan Strauss / Invision / Associated Press)

Sheryl Lee Ralph has one request for her fans: "Pray for us you pray for others."

The "Abbott Elementary" star asked her social media fans for their support Tuesday as she prepares to ride out Hurricane Beryl, the dangerous and extremely powerful storm that has been battering the Caribbean islands since making landfall Monday in Grenada. The Emmy winner shared her perspective on the calm before the storm in a minute-long video shared to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday evening. Anticipating an earlier landfall than forecast, Ralph said, "it's very calm here in Jamaica."

Read more: Beryl heads toward Jamaica as a major hurricane after ripping through southeast Caribbean

"The sky is so beautifully clear, and they said the sea looked like glass today," she said. "Anyway, I'm looking southeast and we have to take in all of the outside furniture because you know those things take flight."

The "Moesha" and "Sister Act 2" actor is in Kingston, Jamaica, for her son Etienne Maurice's marriage to ABC News producer Stephanie Wash. In an Instagram story shared Tuesday, Etienne (whom Ralph shares with ex-husband Eric Maurice) said he was optimistic that Hurricane Beryl would not be "as bad as people are thinking." He also noted that some invitees opted to cancel their trips to his Saturday wedding.

"#HappilyMauriced is still in full effect," Etienne said in his story before adding, "I'm leaving it in God's hands."

Hurricane Beryl has killed at least six people and was forecast to start losing intensity Tuesday but still be near major hurricane strength when it passes near or over Jamaica on Wednesday, near the Cayman Islands on Thursday and into Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula on Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center. As of midmorning Wednesday, Hurricane Beryl was still headed for Jamaica.

Read more: For 'Abbott Elementary's' will-they-or-won't-they couple, the fun is in the messiness

"We are very concerned about a wide variety of life threatening impacts in Jamaica, including storm surge, high winds and flash flooding, said Jon Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather, calling Beryl the strongest and most dangerous hurricane threat that Jamaica has faced, probably, in decades.

In a public address late Monday, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged people on the island to "take the hurricane as a serious threat," but he also told them it is "not a time to panic."

Ralph urged folks to "please say inside" before adding that Jamaica would be under a curfew starting at 6 a.m. on Wednesday. She also encouraged people on the island to "stay off the road in Kingston" and ensure that they prepare resources to wait out the storm.

"So to everybody that's here on island, we remember that Gilbert was a [Category] 3 and Beryl is a 4  wow. God bless you, good night. Power up," she ended her video.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Sign up for Screen Gab, a free newsletter about the TV and movies everyones talking about from the L.A. Times.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre expressed her desire on Tuesday to turn the page on doubts about Joe Bidens physical and mental capacity to run for re-election. But her claim that last Thursdays disastrous debate on CNN was just a bad night due to a cold is not convincing even Bidens people, and there is increasing pressure on the president to reconsider whether to continue in the presidential race. The New York Times reported that Biden had told a close ally that he is weighing whether to continue in the race  according to the papers headline on Wednesday. The White House has flatly denied the allegation. That claim is absolutely false. If The New York Times had provided us with more than seven minutes to comment, we would have told them so, said senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates.

In reality, the headline appears to have gone beyond what was stated in the article. In the report, the ally  who speaks on the condition of anonymity  says is that if Biden continues to stumble, as he did during the debate against Donald Trump, where he faltered and left sentences unfinished, his candidacy may be untenable. He knows if he has two more events like that, were in a different place, the ally told The New York Times. Sources quoted by AP also note that the president has acknowledged that the next few days are decisive.

Biden has performed better in his public appearances after the debate, but he has not passed the teleprompter test. At a rally in Raleigh, in his brief speech about the ruling that grants broad immunity to Donald Trump and in other recent events, he has depended on it. On Friday, Biden will be interviewed by ABCs George Stephanopoulos, and next week, he will give a press conference for the NATO summit in Washington. These appearances will serve to show whether he is able of speaking coherently and remain focused without a teleprompter. The president has also stepped up the campaign, adding events in Madison (Wisconsin) and Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), two swing states.

If he goes blank in Fridays interview, or is unable to finish his sentences at the rallies or the press conference, there will be overwhelming pressure on him to drop out of the race. That is what Bidens anonymous ally communicated to The New York Times. Its no secret that these events will be decisive to the future of Bidens campaign. His performance will serve to clarify the doubts over whether his stumbles at the debate were an episode or a condition, as expressed by former House speaker, Nancy Pelosi.

At Tuesdays press conference, the first at the White House since the debate, Karine Jean-Pierre fielded direct questions about whether Biden suffers from Alzheimers, dementia or some other neurodegenerative disease. Its a no. And I hope youre asking the other guy the same exact question, she replied. The New York Times, meanwhile, reported that according to sources close to Biden, the presidents lapses seem to be becoming increasingly frequent, more pronounced and more worrying. Such episodes are not predictable, but they seem more likely when he is in a large crowd or tired after a particularly grueling program, the sources added.

The Democrats have been plunged into crisis. While few Democrats have openly questioned Biden, doubts are being expressed privately. On Wednesday, the president will meet at the White House with Democratic governors behind closed doors to try to clear up those concerns.

Doubts about Biden are eating away at Democrats. On the one hand, it is obvious to them that he is not in top shape. On the other hand, there is no clear alternative. In defending his decision to stay in the race, Biden has pointed to three data points: his voting intention did not drop significantly after the debate, most Democratic voters want him to continue, and viable alternatives would not have a better result against Donald Trump.

At an event with donors of a political action committee, a prominent Democratic election consultant, Dmitri Mehlhorn, stressed that the most obvious alternative  Vice President Kamala Harris  may not be very effective. Kamala Harris is more threatening to those swing voters than a dead Joe Biden or a comatose Joe Biden, he said, according to a recording that Semafor to which has had access. So if Joe has to go, its going to be Kamala and if its Kamala, its going to be harder.

Seventy-two percent of people want something different. Why not give it to them? asked the former Bill Clinton aide James Carville, on a conference call for dozens of donors to the Democratic SuperPAC American Bridge, a major source of opposition research and paid campaigns against Donald Trump, according to Semafor. Theyre just asking for a different choice.

Michelle Obama

The majority of voters believe that Biden should withdraw from the re-election race, but most Democrats still support him. One in three voters in the party believe he should drop out of the race, but no prominent elected Democrat fares better than Biden in a hypothetical showdown against former president Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 election, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll on Tuesday.

Among the names of prominent Democrats presented to respondents, only Michelle Obama  the wife of former Democratic president Barack Obama  surpassed Biden and led Trump by 50% to 39% in a hypothetical showdown. Michelle Obama has repeatedly said that she has no intention of running for president. Her husband has publicly supported Biden, although privately he has expressed concern about the campaign.

Harris, for example, led Trump by one percentage point, 42% to 43%, a difference that was within the polls 3.5 percentage point margin of error, making her result statistically similar to Bidens. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a rising star of the Democratic Party who many observers predict could run for president in future elections, fared slightly worse, with 39% to Trumps 42%.

About 70% of Democrats in the survey said they had never heard of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, whom some Democratic donors consider a good candidate following his win in the traditionally Republican state. The fact that Beshear, a relative unknown, trailed only Trump by a narrow margin in the Reuters/Ipsos poll (36% to 40%) illustrates the extent to which Democrats oppose the former president and are willing to vote for any of the partys candidate.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer trailed Trump 36% to 41%, while Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker had 34% support to Trumps 40% in a poll conducted online among 1,070 voters across the country.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
Hurricane Beryl ripped through the Caribbean and devastated communities in Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines on Monday - with shocking aerial photos showing the widespread damage.

Beryl, now a Category 3 storm, is currently tracking towards the Cayman Islands and Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday, having caused mass destruction to Jamaica, and islands in southeastern Caribbean earlier in the week.

The deadly storms core is due to pass over the Yucatan Peninsula early Friday, before emerging over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico Friday night, with southern Texas also told to monitor Beryls path.

Follow latest updates on Hurricane Beryl

Life-threatening winds and rain knocked out power to areas of Jamaica. There are more than 900 shelters across the island and an evacuation process was put in place for those in flood-prone and low-lying areas, Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon said as Beryl approached the island earlier in the week.

Jamaica has since discontinued its Hurricane Warning after the hurricane started to move away from the island.

As for the Cayman Islands, weather conditions were already deteriorating Thursday morning as Beryl nears, with more than 1,000 people evacuated ahead of the impact, George Town officials said, the New York Times reports.

Beryl has already left a deadly path in its wake, destroying buildings and killing at least eight, including one in Jamaica and three in Venezuela where outer rings of the hurricane caused heavy rainfall.

A person stands among debris in Union Island, Saint Vincent and the Grenadine after Hurricane Beryl (via REUTERS)

Almost total damage or destruction of all buildings, whether they be public buildings, homes or other private facilities, Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said, according to CBS News. Complete devastation and destruction of agriculture. Complete and total destruction of the natural environment. There is literally no vegetation left anywhere on the island of Carriacou.

While the storms path over the weekend is still uncertain, it has the potential to hit southern Texas and Louisiana overnight Sunday into Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

Before and after: Hurricane Beryl devastates the eastern Caribbean

Grenadas Petite Martinique island as it looked when pictured in May 2023 (Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies)

Grenadas Petite Martinique island pictured on July 2 after Hurricane Beryl caused destruction (Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies)

Grenadas Petite Martinique island, pictured in May 2023 and on July 2, 2024, just one day after Hurricane Beryl swept through the eastern Caribbean. Grenada suffered unimaginable destruction after the storm passed through, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said.

Officials have identified at least three people in Grenada who were killed by the hurricane, including a relative of a government official who died in St Georges after a tree collapsed on them.

This hits home, Mitchell said. The deceased person is in fact the relative of one of the persons who spent the last 36 hours with us here at the National Emergency Operating Center.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Petit St Vincent island as it looked when pictured in 2023 (Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies)

The state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Petit St Vincent island after Hurricane Beryl ripped through on July 2 2024 (Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies)

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Petit St Vincent island, pictured in May 2023 and on July 2, 2024. At least one person died in the nation after Hurricane Beryl slammed into the eastern Caribbean. Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said there may be more fatalities reported in the coming days as an islandwide blackout affects the nation.

There are a few communities which do not have water because of the system having been blocked, Gonsalves said.

The faces of our men and women are strained and anxious, he continued. But tomorrow, we get up with the conviction to rebuild our individual lives and our familys lives. To rebuild our country, to recover.

Grenadas Carriacou Island pictured in 2023 (Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies)

Grenadas Carriacou Island pictured on July 2 2024 after it was flattened by Hurricane Beryl (Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies)

Grenadas Carriacou Island pictured in May 2023 and on July 2, 2024. The small island was flattened within half an hour by Hurricane Beryl on Monday, according to Mitchell.

The storm tore off 95 percent of roofs on Carriacou and Petit Martinique. Carriacou Island also saw an almost complete destruction of the electrical grid, according to the prime minister.

The entire communication system is completely destroyed...many people have lost their entire homes, Mitchell said.

The community of Argyle on Carriacou Island pictured in 2023 (Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies)

The extent of the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Beryl pictured on July 2 2024 (Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies)

Argyle, Carriacou, pictured in May 2023 and on July 2, 2024. Mitchell described Carriacou as armageddon-like in the wake of Hurricane Beryl with scenes of almost total destruction.

Complete devastation and destruction of agriculture, complete and total destruction of the natural environment, Mitchell said. There is literally no vegetation left anywhere on the island of Carriacou.

United Nations officials in Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are working closely with local leaders to help with recovery efforts.

Secretary General Antonio Guterres has asked for the international community to show solidarity with all the Caribbean countries in Hurricane Beryls path, a UN spokesperson said.
(PAGOSA SPRINGS, Colo.)  An open line 911 call in Archuleta County led deputies to the discovery of a womans body in the early morning hours of Tuesday, July 2.

According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), deputies with the Archuleta County Sheriffs Office (ACSO) responded to a 911 call in which the line was left open around 2:20 a.m. on Tuesday. The call originated form the 1000 block of County Road 700, about eight miles west of Pagosa Springs.

When deputies arrived on scene, they found the body of a 39-year-old woman. The victim had suffered a gunshot wound in an apparent homicide, the CBI said.

The scene was immediately secured, though no suspect has been caught. ACSO requested the help of the CBI, which will be the lead investigative agency on this case. No suspect information was available as of Tuesday afternoon.

The coroner will determine the womans official cause and manner of 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 FOX21 News Colorado.
Hurricane Beryl is shown approaching Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula in a satellite image taken at 11:26 p.m. EDT on Thursday. After leaving 10 dead across the Caribbean, the storm strengthened to a Category 3 hurricane as it zeroed in on the Mexican state of Quintana Roo with landfall expected early Friday morning. Image courtesy National Hurricane Center/NOAA

July 2 (UPI) -- Hurricane Beryl strengthened to a Category 3 storm late Thursday as it took aim at Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, packing 115 mph winds and torrential rains as it headed for an early morning landfall.

Beryl was located 135 miles southeast of Tulum, Mexico, and was moving west at 26 mph as of 11 p.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Center said in an update.

An uptick in wind velocity as it approached the Mexican coast bumped Beryl up from Category 2 storm and deepened the threat to the tourism-related business and residences in the state of Quintana Roo.

At its current rate, it is expected to make landfall on the Yucatan during the early morning hours on Friday, then carve a path across the peninsula before emerging into the southwestern Gulf of Mexico Friday night.

Hurricane trackers say Beryl will then move northwestward toward northeastern Mexico and southern Texas late in the weekend.

Intense waves as Hurricane Beryl advances in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Tuesday. The Dominican Republic began to feel the indirect effects of Hurricane Beryl, keeping the country's emergency services on alert. Hurricane Beryl caused severe damage in several Caribbean countries and killed at least six people. Photo by Orlando Barria/EPA-EFE

The storm sideswiped the southern Jamaica coast as a Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday before being downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane late Thursday morning. But later in the day over the warm, open waters of the Caribbean, Beryl picked up steam again with winds topping 115 mph accompanied by a powerful storm surge that could raise floodwater levels to 5 feet.

The storm has already claimed at least 10 lives across the Caribbean, according the United Nations, which has released $4 million from its emergency response fund to kickstart relief efforts in Grenada, Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Members of the Office of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) load Direct Relief Emergency Medical Backpacks and a Hurricane Preparedness Pack into a helicopter in St. Lucia, in preparation for transport to St. Vincent and the Grenadines as Hurricane Beryl approached. On Tuesday, the hurricane had killed at least six people. Photo courtesy of OECS

A hurricane warning is in effect for the Yucatan Peninsula, including the Mexican resort towns of Cancun and Cozumel, which lay directly in the path of Beryl's fury. That has prompted owners of hotels, nightclubs, bars and restaurants in the tourism-dependent state of Quintana Roo to board up their doors and windows.

The Red Cross of Cancun and Playa del Carmen have been put on high alert to respond to Beryl's arrival, officials said, adding they expected the biggest impacts to be felt in the cities of Tulum and Felipe Carrillo Puerto,

A hurricane watch along the Yucatan Peninsula coast south of Puerto Costa Maya to Chetumal, as well as north of Cancun to Campeche.

A tropical storm watch is in effect for the coast of Belize from south of Chetumal to Belize City.

Powerful hurricane-force winds extend 30 miles from the eye of the storm with tropical storm-force winds extending up to 160 miles.

Additional weakening should occur while the center is over land, NHC said. "Over the Gulf of Mexico, the guidance does not forecast a lot of strengthening, but conditions appear generally favorable and the intensity forecast continues to show Beryl at hurricane strength before landfall on the western Gulf coast," NHC forecaster Jack Beven said.

Hurricane Beryl was the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic. It has been blamed for six deaths and caused severe damage after slamming the Caribbean. Forecasters said water could rise to 12 feet on the islands.

Numerous Americans rode out Hurricane Beryl in Jamaica on Wednesday, including Emmy Award-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph. The actress, who plays Barbara Howard on Abbott Elementary, shared a brief video from Kingston on Wednesday, praying for everyone's safety.

Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the country is now assessing what the storm left behind, which appears to have caused damaged coastal infrastructure. He said the examination is still early because the potential of flooding and landslides remained high.

Holness said road damage and debris caused by the high winds and winds will take investigators some time to give a preliminary estimate of damage.

At least one death has been blamed on the storm in Jamaica when a woman died after a tree fell on her home.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's satellites captured the first four days of Beryl, as the storm grew from a "tropical cyclone in the western Atlantic Ocean to a Category 5 hurricane in the Caribbean Sea."

Since Monday, the hurricane has torn through the island of Cariacou in Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as Venezuela. Cariacou was "flattened" in half an hour, according to Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell.

Mitchell reported three people were killed in Cariacou on Monday, with another death reported in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Two people were killed in northern Venezuela, according to officials.

At least five other people are missing in Venezuela, according to Remigio Ceballos Ichaso, the Venezuelan minister of Interior Relations.

In addition to the deaths, Beryl's heavy rains and winds have caused landslides, leveled buildings and taken out power systems, as scientists have warned of a more active and extreme hurricane season this year.

Cruise lines in the Caribbean were rerouting their ships Tuesday night.

"The safety of our guests and crew is paramount," Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement, "and we are continuing to monitor forecasts and factor in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, U.S. Coast Guard and local port authorities to provide timely updates to our guests as more information becomes available."

Norwegian Cruise Line also changed stops.

President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that the United States is ready to provide assistance.

"People, impacted islands and communities are in our prayers, and we stand by to provide assistance to them," Biden said during an event on extreme weather.

"Ignoring climate change is deadly and dangerous and irresponsible," Biden added. "These climate-fueled extreme weather events don't just affect people's lives. They also cost money."
This week in their East Del Paso Heights home, Maria and Pedro Magana havent been able to fall asleep before 2 a.m. The house simply stays too hot into the evenings, because central air conditioning is beyond their budget.

Instead theyre using window cooling units, one in their bedroom and another in their 13-year-old sons. Late into the night, theyve turned each one on and off each hour or so, to conserve energy and save costs.

Its difficult to sleep, said Maria Magana on the couch in her living room, a ceiling fan spinning above her.

July 4th is her birthday, an occasion typically celebrated by cooking and gathering with family and friends at home. But with temperatures forecast to hit 108 degrees Thursday, she worries that may not be possible.

This is something we have to cope with, said her husband, who works as a custodian at Twin Rivers Unified School District, about the heats burden on their day to day. Its not that we like this situation, but were used to it.

The Maganas struggle to stay cool is a glaring reminder that extreme heat is not shared equally in Sacramento and cities like it. Instead, its often suffered in silence by people with the least resources to handle it and most at risk of accompanying health threats.

Maria Magana uses a fan Tuesday as her husband Pedro talks about the stress theyve endured from the debilitating heat because they could not afford air conditioning for their East Del Paso Heights home. Pedro said he hopes state and local agencies respond more aggressively to climate change and helping the working poor through it.

Low-income families, the elderly and homeless adults are the most vulnerable to extreme heat, considered deadliest symptom of climate change. Efforts to fight this crisis are revving up, but advocates warn that theyre insufficient to meet the need.

Herman Barahona, lead community organizer and founder of the Sacramento Environmental Justice Coalition (SacEJC), said the dire circumstances hes seeing on the ground are in no way reflected in government responses to the problem.

Very low income communities of this state are not being included in these temperature standards or climate action plans. If they did wed have an emergency response program for the calamity these people are experiencing, he said. Its a survival game out here.

Sacramentos heat islands

The entrance of Nikki Buckles tent near Del Paso Park reached 147 degrees, a thermometer showed Tuesday.

Temperatures in Buckles part of the city are hitting well above 100 degrees for a multiple day stretch, with nearly 70 degree nighttime low temperatures offering little relief from daytime heat.

The Sacramento native fell into homelessness after a house fire and fell into a financial hole during the pandemic, but he hopes housing is around the corner. A former carpenter, he mounted an AC unit to his tent so one part stays below 90 degrees.

Nikki Buckles, a former carpenter, sits with his dog Opium on Tuesday near an air conditioner he hooked up to a generator to stay cool in a tent and wooden makeshift shelter. He was worried about leaving his possessions to go to a cooling center but said he might go if he felt the dog is in danger from the heat.

For all his handiness, the unit in his tent isnt cutting it this week. When the lethargy and nausea of heat exhaustion hits, he said, he lays still as possible in the cooler part of his tent to fend off heat stroke. He said he sometimes passes out for hours at a time.

Buckles said that on Wednesday, hell probably do something hes never done before: abandon his possessions and go to a cooling center. Its a decision hes mainly making for the safety of his dog.

If it werent for the motivation to keep his pet safe and healthy, he said the stressors of surviving through brutal heat waves like this one would make him want to give up. He cant remember a summer this hot.

I find myself wanting to give up on a daily basis, said Buckles. I grew up here and summers were always hot but they were tolerable. I never remember temperatures being this high.

Heat waves are a natural part of Sacramentos climate. But scientists agree that atmospheric warming caused mainly by burning fossil fuels has already increased the frequency, intensity and duration of heat spells in the American West.

Sacramento now sees an average of 47 days per year of above-normal summer temperatures, compared to 35 in the 1970s. Thats according to data crunched by Climate Central, a national climate research and communications organization.

Sacramento now sees an average of 47 days per year of above-normal summer temperatures compared to 35 in 1970, according to research organization Climate Central.

Climate Central reported that this weeks local temperatures were made five times more likely by climate change, based on an estimate that compared current temperatures to a hypothetical atmosphere without fossil fuels.

Over the next three decades, the number of extremely hot days in the city could triple, according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, increasing the potential number of deaths from heat-related illnesses.

All that means extreme heat is here to stay, but it is not felt evenly across the city.

More than half of Sacramentos population lives in areas that feel roughly 9 degrees warmer than neighboring areas, researchers have found. The phenomenon is called urban heat island effect.

Some Sacramento neighborhoods are as much as 9 degrees hotter than more tree-lined or rural areas, according to a 2023 analysis by Climate Central.

Especially hot areas include downtown, West Sacramento, North Natomas and neighborhoods of South Sacramento. Not surprisingly, these hot areas are lacking in tree cover. Like many cities, the disparity tracks with income.

Peter Girard, a spokesperson for Climate Central, said heat map in Sacramento and cities across the nation tends to reflects the legacy of systematic racism. There are people whose lives are unaffected by brutal heat, and those whose lives are threatened by it.

When you look across cities, it is frequently aligned with redlining maps where you saw neighborhoods suffering from a lack of investment, Girard said. The extreme heat that you see more frequently with climate change is remarkably inequitable.

Responding to extreme heat

Climate scientists say extreme heat is the most deadly symptom of climate change and governments are slowly beginning to treat heat like a public health crisis. But actually connecting vulnerable populations to helpful services has proven slow.

In 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom released an Extreme Heat Action Plan that pledged $300 million towards adapting to the states warmer reality. Extreme heat is also likely to be on the ballot this November in the form of a climate bond.

Last month, California regulators passed rules to protect workers from rising indoor temperatures, a measure that applies to all employers except state prisons and local jails, and will particularly protect workers in warehouses and restaurant kitchens.

But residential protections to set maximum indoor temperature rules for landlords and home sellers remain in flux, undergoing study by University of California researchers after years of opposition by rental housing industry associations in the state legislature.

Locally, Sacramento County opened a total of nine cooling centers, including one at the North A homeless shelter. Public libraries across the county also act as a de-facto cooling centers, but can be closed on holidays and weekends.

Nikki Buckles, who fell into homelessness after a house fire, lives in a tented area inside a wooden structure he built near Del Paso Park on Tuesday. He said his dog Opium has motivated him to stay safe and healthy, otherwise he would have difficulty surviving the heat.

The county is still working on a final version of its climate action plan, which will include its overarching policy goals to address extreme heat. The draft plan highlighted by a county spokesperson mentions inequitable access to adequate cooling several times.

Pedro Magana, the homeowner in East Del Paso Heights, said he hopes state and local agencies respond faster to climate change and help the working poor access cooling  so Sacramentos privileged residents arent the only ones comfortable during a heat wave.

The government should do more, he said. Working people are the ones that are out there in the fields or doing everyday jobs that sustain society. They deserved to be valued for building infrastructure that helps everyone else survive.
What are SLO County agencies doing about illegal fireworks? Its own version of warfare

Sue Robinson has been at her wits end.

For weeks, someone had been setting off fireworks  which are largely illegal in San Luis Obispo County  by her pine-tree-surrounded house in Cambria, waking her up in the middle of the night multiple times.

But it wasnt just her rest that Robinson was concerned about. She told The Tribune that the risk of a fire weighed heavily on her mind.

Aside from the annoyance of being woken from a dead sleep, I am extremely concerned about the elevated risk of fire, Robinson said. Lower Burton Drive has tons of fallen trees and dried brush that has not been cleared for years and likely will not be cleared anytime soon. It would not take much for a spark to ignite a huge fire that could quickly spread to town or the neighboring homes.

Robinson was not the only one concerned about the disturbance or fire risk from illegal fireworks in SLO County.

In a meeting June 19, Cambria resident Brynn Albanese had a friend read a letter to the North Coast Advisory Council detailing her concerns with illegal fireworks in the area.

In it, she described the impact of illegal fireworks as its own version of warfare, noting a specific instance on Fathers Day when she was woken up by the explosions.

We were awakened at 3:41 a.m. by the loudest pops we have ever heard that physically blew in our blinds, the letter said. We thought that someone was trying to get into the house through our bedroom sliding glass door.

It continued:

We the homeowners of this neighborhood are not going to stop until this is taken care of and I am very afraid that someone will not take the legal route as I do, and will take matters into their own hands. That is how much anger there is about this subject.

As Independence Day celebrations near, the concerns of others like Robinson and Albanese mounted.

They questioned what was being done to control the use of illegal fireworks in San Luis Obispo County and how law enforcement and other emergency responders regulate these incidents locally.

The Tribune set out to try to answer these questions as part of its Reality Check series.

Fireworks stands opened across San Luis Obispo County at noon Friday, June 28, 2024.

Where are fireworks permitted in SLO County? What types are banned?

Regulations vary across San Luis Obispo County, though in general most types of fireworks are prohibited, with only a few exceptions.

Across the county, the use of sky lanterns or fireworks are illegal with exceptions for Safe and Sane fireworks in some areas and generally only on specific days.

In a post on Facebook, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office said Safe and Sane fireworks, which do not leave the ground, are legal in Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach, as well as the Oceano, Templeton and San Miguel fire districts.

The office reminded residents that in most locations, fireworks were only allowed to be used on certain dates and at limited hours.

In Oceano, there was no time limit, but in Templeton their use was restricted from June 18 at noon to midnight on the Fourth of July. San Miguels were allowed from July 1 to midnight on July 4.

Rocket-style fireworks that leave the ground were always prohibited, except in licensed permitted pyrotechnic fireworks displays. Those approved displays were expected to take place in Cayucos, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo this year.

In the post, the office also warned residents that unless fireworks bear the seal of the California Fire Marshal, they could be dangerous and illegal.

In Oceano near Highway 1 a sign advises that only safe and sane fireworks are allowed and only on July 4 between the hours of 10 am and 10 pm, seen on July 1, 2024.

Law enforcement ramps up patrols, adds drones to catch people with illegal fireworks

As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, law enforcement agencies across the county were adding extra patrols and warning the public about the use of illegal fireworks.

In a statement to The Tribune, SLO County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Tony Cipolla said agencies across the county had been working with Cal Fire arson investigators to respond to reports of illegal fireworks leading up to the holiday.

Cipolla noted that sworn peace officers within Cal Fire also have the ability to issue citations for the use of illegal fireworks.

In a news release June 26, the Paso Robles Fire Department said it was stepping up its enforcement this year and planned to use aerial device technology with GPS and video capabilities to help us pinpoint the location where fireworks are being used.

The department said people caught setting off illegal fireworks would face citations of up to $1,000.

Paso Robles Police Department Cmdr. Ricky Lehr told The Tribune that the department had received 54 calls for service involving fireworks as of Wednesday, but it had issued zero citations.

Lehr said that it can be difficult for officers to find the evidence needed to issue a citation.

Illegal fireworks may have sparked a vegetation fire in Paso Robles on June 30, 2024.

In Grover Beach  often a hotspot for fireworks leading up to the holiday  the Police Department urged anyone who spotted or suspected the use of illegal fireworks in their neighborhood to report it to their local law enforcement.

In a Facebook post June 28, the Grover Beach Police Department said it would be deploying additional personnel who will be looking for and enforcing the use of illegal fireworks.

Those included increased patrols and air support, the department said.

To handle increased calls on the actual holiday on Thursday, Cipolla said the Sheriffs Office added extra patrols and that it would collaborate with local police and fire departments to respond to those and other emergencies on Independence Day.

Cipolla also said that the county would employ the use of drones to spot illegal firework use on the holiday.

People found with illegal fireworks face a potential penalty of a misdemeanor citation and a $2,000 fine, according to a San Luis Obispo County news release in 2023. Incorrect use of Safe and Sane fireworks could result in a nearly $400 penalty.

A light up road sign along Highway 1 at the Pismo Beach city limits announces that fireworks are prohibited and that fines are $2,000 for failure to comply seen on July 1, 2024.

Current fireworks protocols not working, residents say

Numerous people told The Tribune they felt that the enforcement of illegal firework use has been lackluster and that they were being persistently disturbed by the illegal explosives.

The distress was especially poignant from unincorporated areas of SLO County, where many residents said the use of illegal fireworks was on the rise.

A friend in Oceano has to keep her windows closed at night because fireworks are going off constantly after dark, San Luis Obispo resident Louie Baker said in a Tribune post on Nextdoor. And there is a cloud of smoke just hanging around that she doesnt want to breathe. Thats in addition to the aggravation of having to hear it all.

One Baywood resident questioned whether there was any enforcement on the use of illegal fireworks in the area, saying there was none, as best as I can tell.

In the Baywood Park area it sounds like a war zone, Ron Stotz told The Tribune in an email. Between the heavy fire at the vacant lots to the east of the Merrimaker, on First Street near the Bay, and at the Pasadena Street access area. These are not firecrackers, these are heavy duty mortar rounds.

Cipolla told The Tribune that law enforcement does sometimes struggle to respond to incidents of illegal firework use because often by the time officers are able to get to a scene, the perpetrators have fled.

Cipolla said keeping up with the need for officers to respond to other emergency calls during the holiday also means that resources are spread thinner.

We make every attempt to respond to calls regarding illegal fireworks, he said. The difficulty is that by the time law enforcement agencies or Cal Fire arrive on scene, in many of those cases, the perpetrators have already left the area. Additionally, we still have to respond to priority calls for service for other criminal acts and emergencies.

How to report illegal fireworks

So how do you report it if someone is shooting off fireworks in your neighborhood?

In a news release Tuesday, the Arroyo Grande Police Department urged residents to call the non-emergency line to their local police department if they suspect the use of illegal fireworks and to report any emergencies or fires caused by explosives to 911.

The non-emergency lines for San Luis Obispo County agencies are:

Arroyo Grande Police Department: 805-473-5100

Atascadero Police Department: 805-461-5051

Grover Beach Police Department: 805-473-4511

Morro Bay Police Department: 805-772-6225

Paso Robles Police Department: 805-237-6464

Pismo Beach Police Department: 805-773-2208

San Luis Obispo City Police Department: 805-781-7312

San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Department: 805-781-4540
One of Americas best-known  and most beloved  bears, after teddy, that is, is set to appear at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City this week as the marshal of the Cherry Royale Parade on Saturday, and before that, in the sky, as a huge, hot air balloon.

The Smokey Bear balloon, something that the states Department of Natural Resources is sponsoring, travels around the United States. It is aimed at promoting fire safety, which, is top of mind now, and just about everyone knows, is what Smokey is all about.

Smokey, who turned 80 this year, has long been a symbol of fire prevention, especially in forests. His famous line  "Only you can prevent wildfires"  seems appropriate for an Independence Day festival, given the number of blazes that fireworks start.

In addition, Michigan, which has something like 20 million acres of woodlands, historically has had its share of terrible forest fires, including one in 1881, which swept across Michigans Thumb, burned for days and killed an estimated 125 to several times that many.

"Smokey is a fire prevention icon," Paul Rogers, a DNR fire prevention specialist, said, adding the department also will have a fire prevention booth during the event. "The balloon brings attention to Smokeys very important cause."

The Smokey Bear hot air balloon, based in New Mexico, at the Upper Peninsula State Fair in Escanaba in 2021. It expected to be at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City.

For Smokey to be a parade marshal also is somewhat rare, state natural resource officials said. He is, after all, a bear. Many kids these days often dont recognize him, the said. But their parents and grandparents, who grew up with Smokey, sure do.

Smokey fills them with nostalgic feelings of camping and their own childhoods.

More: Proposed fees for Huron, Mainistee national forests could bring in much-needed funds

Whats more, Traverse City is within 30 miles of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which American Indian legend has it, was formed when giant bears tried to swim across Lake Michigan to escape  what else?  an inferno.

'Smokey Bear effect'

Smokey was created to prevent fires, and yet, in a twist, the bear and his campaign has increasingly come under scrutiny with his critics charging the message that many received, that fires are bad, may have resulted even worse blazes.

One forest ecosystem professor has even called the phenomenon the "Smokey Bear effect."

Thomas Swetnam, the University of Arizona professor who is often credited with the term, has suggested that setting aside large, wooded areas and stomping out fires altogether has caused fires that do start to burn bigger and hotter because forests are now overgrown.

The forest service also has tried to give Smokey a new look and voice, or voices to be more precise, to appeal to younger audiences, and also may help explain why Smokey is set to be the festivals parade marshal.

For his 75th birthday, the burly, shirtless, and upright Smokey in a ranger hat got a digital makeover. He became an animated emoji that celebrities, including, Steven Colbert, Jeff Foxworthy and Al Roker, voiced. This version, as you might expect from the comedians, is more dad-jokey.

The new ad campaign came just as the public wrestled with raging West Coast wildfires, and the question of how to address the consequences of climate change and how to conserve public land, which, some, like Swetnam, had suggested needed and upgrade.

An advertising campaign

Initially, Smokey was an artist's drawing and a spokesbear, if you will, for fire safety in the 1940s.

Bears, in general, already were beloved animals in America, and a symbol to children of comfort and protection because in the early 1900s, toymaker Morris Michtom made a stuffed one, soon known as the teddy bear, after President Theodore Roosevelt.

The connection: Roosevelt, a fierce big game hunter and conservationist, was depicted in a famous political cartoon that became popular, or, you might say now, "went viral." In the cartoon, Roosevelt is refusing to shoot a cute, cuddly black bear cub.

And by the late 1940s, Smokey Bears personal responsibility message that "only you" can do something to protect the nation's natural resources was something that resonated with Americans, and especially Michiganders, who have long sought to be good environmental stewards.

Smokey Bear poster

In the 1950s through the mid-70s, in addition to the fictional Smokey, there was also a real bear, named Smokey, that lived at the National Zoo. A cub was rescued from a New Mexico fire. It's little paws were scorched.

The bear got so much mail from fans  mostly children  that the post office gave it its own ZIP code.

In the 70s and 80s, Smokey got a fictional friend, Woodsy Owl, a character with rhyming catchphrases of his own. He urged kids  and adults too  to: "Lend a hand. Care for the land!" And there was this phrase that many Gen Xers still remember: "Give a hoot, dont pollute!"

But in the last 20 years, Smokeys celebrity  and credibility  has taken a hit with some scientists suggesting the bears anti-forest fire message has caused ecological change and, perhaps, is even to blame for the some of the intense forest fires now.

Last year, Michiganders saw  and smelled  the dangerous smoke from wildfires burning hundreds of miles away in Canada. The ash was so dense it triggered warnings to stay indoors. In other places, like New York, it turned the sky orange.

Friends of Smokey

Smokey's critics have even included a couple of U.S. Forest Service researchers who published a paper, "Be careful what you wish for: The legacy of Smokey Bear," in 2007. They concluded "a century of wildfire suppression" has led to "increased fuel loading and large-scale ecological change" in forests.

And while some state forest officials have acknowledged that Smokey doesnt seem have the same appeal to younger generations, perhaps because they live in a TikTok age, there are still a lot of reasons, they said, to keep Smokey, whose image is federally protected, around.

One reason is public sentiment; another, is Americans still should be careful with fire.

More: River Rouge twins' firework mishap highlights safety risks; experts urge caution

Every year, on average, human-caused wildfires account for approximately half of all wildfires in the United States, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Idaho. The percentage is even higher  80%  for wildland fires on Bureau of Land Management public lands.

So, leading up to the Cherry Festival parade and after  from Wednesday to Saturday  a 97-foot tall and 72-foot diameter ripstop nylon balloon  Smokeys head and ranger hat  is set to be inflated in the late afternoon at the Village at Grand Travers Commons.

The balloon  which is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where one of the largest hot air balloon festivals in the world is held each year  goes to festivals around the country. Volunteers, "Friends of Smokey Bear," operate the balloon. In 2021, it was at the Upper Peninsula State Fair in Escanaba.

But a highlight of the Cherry Festival: Smokey will be honored in the festivals 11:15 a.m. parade.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources uses Smokey Bear suits to discuss fire prevention throughout the state.

A state forest fire fighter will put on the bear suit and become Smokey, a responsibility that the DNR's Traverse City fire fighter supervisor Josh Gray said whoever is going to do it  he would not identify the firefighter, because, like Santa, he'll have to be completely in character  will take very seriously.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Smokey Bear set as marshal of Cherry Royale Parade in Traverse City
Researchers at the Southern Nevada Public Health Laboratory test mosquitoes for virus. (Photo courtesy of Southern Nevada Health District)

The Southern Nevada Health District has confirmed five new cases of West Nile virus, bringing the total to seven, amid a major increase in mosquito activity.

Three patients  a female over the age of 60, and two males under the age of 50  were diagnosed with a more serious form of the illness, a neuroinvasive form that can cause inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, leading to paralysis or a coma. All three patients were hospitalized and are still recovering, according to local health officials.

Two more patients  a male and female, both under the age of 50  developed a milder form of the illness that often presents with symptoms similar to the common flu, including fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. Health officials report both patients have recovered.

Last week, two patients were diagnosed with West Nile virus in Southern Nevada. One of the patients, a male over the age of 70, was also diagnosed with the neuroinvasive form.

The additional confirmed cases this week come after health officials in Clark County reported the highest level of mosquito activity in the agencys 20-year history of monitoring this month.

As of June 27, about 8,600 mosquitoes from 36 zip codes tested positive for West Nile virus. That is a significant increase from the 7,500 mosquitoes from 30 zip codes that tested positive for West Nile virus a week ago.

Mosquitoes in another six zip codes tested positive for the virus that causes St. Louis encephalitis, a vector borne virus that can result in flu-like symptoms or, in more severe cases, a neuroinvasive form of the disease that can cause paralysis or a coma.

Local health officials warn that the increase in mosquitoes positive for West Nile virus could lead to a major spike in cases. Mosquito season in southern Nevada typically lasts from June to October, meaning there is potential for cases to rise in the coming months.

There is precedent in Nevada for a spike in locally-transmitted West Nile virus. In 2019, the health district confirmed 43 cases of the illness in patients after mosquitoes tested positive for the virus across 43 zip codes.

Clark County does not fund a dedicated mosquito control program to oversee the treatment and elimination of mosquito breeding by removing mosquito habitats, and deploying pesticides to eliminate adult mosquitoes and mosquitoes at the larval stage.

However, the county announced the purchase of a $68,000 drone last week, capable of spraying pesticides in large areas of standing water, flood channels, and detention basins across the county. The county plans to use the drone  which can carry up to 50 pounds of pesticide and fly for about 30 minutes at a time  to deploy a larva-killing bacterial pesticide.

Mosquito abatement programs in the U.S. have proven effective at reducing mosquito populations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that the only way to reduce mosquitoes and the dangers they pose is a comprehensive hands-on approach, including monitoring, targeted pesticide use, and systemic interventions by local governments.

Public health officials are encouraging everyone to take steps to protect themselves. The risk of mosquito-borne illnesses can be reduced by eliminating standing water around homes, and installing protective screens on doors, windows, and doggy doors.
It will soon be more expensive to park in Columbia. Heres what to know

The days of only having to pay $8 for an overdue parking meter in Columbia are soon to be over.

Columbia residents and visitors can expect to see an increase in the price of parking as soon as January 2025, according to city spokesperson Justin Stevens.

As far as how much the rates and citations will increase and exactly when the increase will be implemented is unclear. Parking services director Tori Salavant said the department is still waiting on guidance from city leadership but confirmed that cost increases are coming.

Theres more to it than just wanting to charge everybody a bunch of money, City Councilman Peter Brown said. A lot of it is market driven.

The increase in the price of parking services is a result of a rate study conducted last year that showed Columbias prices are among the lowest in the state compared to other cities of its size.

For instance, in Columbia it costs $0.75 to park in a metered space for one hour, and an $8 ticket if you overstay the time paid for. The maximum daily rate for public parking garages and lots is $10, according to the city of Columbia website.

By comparison, in Charleston, theres a standard rate of $2 per hour for metered spots and a maximum daily rate of $18 for parking garages, according to the the city of Charleston website.

Overdue meter tickets are $14, according to Charleston parking permits clerk Shaquan Brown.

However, in Greenville on-street parking is free  meters were done away with in the 1980s  and garages only charge $7 to park all day, according to the city of Greenville website.

Though there arent meters in Greenville, parking spaces still have time limits, and overstaying the time limit for a parking space will get you a $15 ticket.

It is safe to say that our pricing model is significantly undervalued, Brown said.

The city operates and maintains 11 parking decks, 14 surface lots, more than 3,600 on-street metered spots and more than 1,400 on-street pay-by-app spaces.

Rates havent been adjusted in a very long time, at least since 2006, Assistant City Manager Missy Caughman said in a City Council budget workshop in May.

Revenue from parking services is largely used to pay for ongoing maintenance of the parking facilities.

Our garages are paid for with parking bonds, so the city must maintain a certain amount of revenue from parking to pay those and retain a healthy bond rating, city planning administrator Lucinda Statler said.
FLORENCE, S.C (WBTW)  South Carolinas top prosecutor on Tuesday weighed in on the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling that former presidents have immunity for their official actions.

Republican Alan Wilson told News13 the high courts decision is not about a person, but protecting the office of a presidency.

His comments came a day after the landmark conclusion that protects ex-presidents from being prosecuted for official acts in office, no matter their politics, policy, or party, but says that protection doesnt cover everything.

As for a presidents unofficial acts, the ruling states there is no immunity. They are basically saying there are some things you have immunity for, there are some things you dont have immunity for, and there are some things that you might have immunity for, but it depends on the facts, he said.

Wilson said he believes the Supreme Court did their best to thread the needle.

You want to be able to allow the President to exercise their discretion without the fear of being persecuted and prosecuted by administrations that follow them that may not agree with them, he said.

Wilson said the Supreme Court recognizes there may be a time when a president does something that they dont have the authority to do at the same time as well.

Donald Trumps legal team has since asked for his recent conviction to be overturned.

* * *

Tomika Jackson joined News13 in April 2024 as a multimedia journalist. She started her journalism career in 2000 with previous stops at WALB TV10, CBS47 & WTOC11 in Savannah, Georgia. Tomika is a Georgia native and Valdosta State University graduate. Follow Tomika on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram. You can 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.
ROME  Germanys Rheinmetall has signed a deal with Italys Leonardo to discuss the development and building of hundreds of new tanks and tracked fighting vehicles for Italy, weeks after European giant KNDS walked away from a similar deal with Leonardo.

Rheinmetall and Leonardo signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday to create a new 50:50 joint venture which will act as design authority and prime contractor for new platforms, the firms said in a statement.

Rheinmetall will offer its prototype Panther KF51 tank as the baseline for a replacement for Italys aging Ariete tanks, and its Lynx tracked fighting vehicle as a baseline for a replacement for Italys Dardo vehicles.

On both the tank and tracked fighting vehicle programs, mission systems, electronics suites and weapons integration will be developed and produced by Leonardo according to the requirements of the Italian client, the statement said.

Final assembly lines, homologation testing, delivering activities and the logistic support will be done in Italy with an Italian workshare of 60 percent, it added.

The team-up will also be used as a springboard to bring Italy into the pan-European Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) tank program.

The technologies will be the basis for the development of the future European Main Battle Tank (MGCS), the statement said.

The deal follows the scrapping last month of a deal between KNDS and Leonardo for Italy to acquire 270 Leopard tanks and to discuss joint work on a new tracked fighting vehicle to meet Italys requirement for around 1,000 vehicles.

Italy had forecast the Leopard acquisition programs would be worth 8 billion ($8.6 billion) and the fighting vehicle program worth a total of 15 billion.

German-Italian tank kerfuffle dings vision of Europeanized arms

Italys parliament last year approved the Leopard purchase, which was seen as a fast response to NATO requirements as the Ukraine war puts land warfare back on the map.

KNDS broke off talks after Leonardo sought to add its own systems to the Leopard, with Frank Haun, KNDS CEO, arguing that it would upset the firms track record of selling a standardized version of the tank to 18 customers.

KNDS is a consortium of Germanys Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Frances Nexter.

The new deal with Rheinmetall will instead see the firm discuss with Leonardo an Italianized version of the Panther KF51, which is at an early stage of development and therefore more open to Italian input.

An industry source told Defense News that the scope for integrating Italian systems into the Panther would however slow final procurement.

The Italian tank program was meant to give the Italian army a tank quickly as a gap filler before the arrival of the MGCS. But if Italy switches to the Panther it could need ten years to conclude the program, and by that time the MGCS might be arriving, said the source, who declined to be named because he did not have permission to speak on the record.

A second source however predicted the Panther will be a baseline for the MGCS. So that gives Italy a headstart on MGCS, said the source, who also declined to be named because he did not have permission to speak on the record.

The discussions with Rheinmetall on adopting its Lynx as the baseline for Italys tracked fighting vehicle program will put an end to ongoing studies by Leonardo and its Italian partner Iveco Defense Vehicles to pick a European partner for the program. KNDS and BAE Systems had been other candidates.

Italys aim is to produce 20 prototypes of a new tracked fighting vehicle by 2027 or 2028, with deliveries to follow between 2029 and 2041.

Currently Hungary has signed to buy the Lynx and last year became a development partner with Rheinmetall on the Panther.
ST. LOUIS  Webster Universitys Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Tim Keane as the new Chancellor, as announced in a press release from the University. Dr. Keane currently serves as the dean of the Knauss School of Business at the University of San Diego.

Dr. Keane, 65, is from St. Louis and has experience in both the private and higher education. He has success in fundraising, growing enrollment, and entrepreneurial achievements. He will start on August 1.

How to spot the newest ATM skimmers uncovered by St. Louis police

I am looking forward to returning to St. Louis and working with the outstanding faculty and staff at Webster as we continue to strengthen Websters financial well-being, growing our domestic and international enrollment, and finding new ways to meet the needs of the students, Keane said, in the press release. I am so impressed by what is in place at Webster now and the highest priority for me is to learn more from all of those in the global Webster community. Im excited to hear their ideas on how we build on the wonderful foundation at Webster and accelerate the current trajectory of enrollment growth the Webster team has recently achieved.

Dr. Keanes academic journey began in 2003 at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, where he launched a Center for Leadership and Ethics and contributed to the business schools initial AACSB accreditation.

LIST: These St. Louis-area Fourth of July events are postponed due to weather

In 2006, he joined Saint Louis University (SLU) as director of the Emerson Ethics Center. He later founded the Center for Sustainability and was instrumental in developing a Master of Sustainability program. He secured over $10 million for sustainability projects and a $3 million donation to establish a leadership institute.

In 2015, Dr. Keane became the founding dean of the business school at Regis University in Denver. He initiated the Anderson College of Business, securing a $10 million naming rights giftthe largest in Regis historyand an additional $1 million for an entrepreneurship incubator and innovation center.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Daily News

Websters Board of Trustees conducted a comprehensive search for the new chancellor, gathering feedback from the Webster community and conducting numerous interviews with candidates. Vice Chair Gay Burns said, Tim really stood out with his extensive success in private enterprise and academia.

Since 2020, Dr. Keane has been the dean of the Knauss School of Business at the University of San Diego. During his tenure, he helped raise over $40 million in donations and oversaw the design and construction of an $80 million, 120,000-square-foot facility for the business school.

The Knauss Business School was recognized as one of the top business schools in the country, and Dr. Keane was named one of the most influential businesspeople in the San Diego area multiple times by the San Diego Business Journal.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 Modesto Chamber of Commerce has received funding from the California Employment Training Panel (ETP) that will go toward reimbursing businesses for the cost of training new employees.

This $408,000 multiple-employer contract (MEC) will reimburse employers for up to 200 hours per employee per year and at a rate that is contingent on the type of training conducted. The types of training include in a classroom, on a computer or on the job, said Modesto Chamber of Commerce business support coordinator Stephen Shaw.

Through the funded training, which enables employers to bridge the skill gap of new and incumbent workers, there also is an opportunity for increased wages for employees over time.

With the companies having this opportunity for reimbursement through our MEC-ETP fund, the hope is they will be able to afford to grow their business and their employee base, Shaw said.

Who qualifies for ETP funding

This round of ETP funding targets the manufacturing industry. Manufacturing is defined by companies that self-identified with the North American Industry Classification System.

We chose to focus on just manufacturing with our first application of the MEC, Shaw said. We looked at others and found that not all were considered priority industries in our area, which is what we were wanting to focus on.

Within the region, there is a tremendous need for technical training such as maintenance mechanics, information technology and robotics, the chamber said in a news release. New technology and automation require extensive training due to the complexity of the systems.

Damian Suarez, left, and Dino Brochini install a pump at the VOLT Institute in Modesto, Calif., on Thursday, March. 5, 2020. Both men are students in the industrial maintenance mechanic program.

One example of how the chamber plans to use the funds is with the VOLT institute, a trade school on I Street in Modesto.

For employers who send employees to VOLT for various trainings they offer, they can submit for reimbursement to us, Shaw said.

Other companies that could take advantage of the chambers MEC include Repsco, a plastic fabrication company in Riverbank, and Stanislaus Foods Products, a cannery in Modesto.

Under the MEC for the manufacturing industry, the chamber has two years to fully utilize the funds, though it doesnt expect to take that long.

The chamber can submit for another contract once the current funds are disbursed.

This is another tool we sought out to support our business community, this one just happens to be for a specific industry, Shaw said.

How business owners can apply for training reimbursement

Employers will need to be onboarded into the chambers fund portal, which can be found on its website, www.modchamber.org.

Shaw said that employers will be required to track training time spent on the clock. They will then submit their tracking to the chamber, and the chamber submits for funds for various employers simultaneously, on their behalf.

We disseminate their portion back to the individual employers as the bulk reimbursements arrive to us, Shaw said.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  A Michigan Democratic Party Committee Member owes the Ingham County Clerk $13,575 in overdue campaign finance fees and fines.

Robin Smith, a former Lansing Community College Board of Trustee member, has owed the fines and fees since at least 2014, 6 News first reported in October. At the time, she assured 6 News she would address the debt when she returned from a trip to Dubai.

But Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum says her office did not hear from Smith until the beginning of May when 6 News began asking county and state party leaders about the debt and her continued service in leadership positions at both the Ingham County Democratic Party and the Michigan Democratic Party. At that point, Smith owed $13,775 in overdue fines and fees.

Screen capture of a text message from Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum regarding Robin Smiths campaign fines and fees. This text was sent at 10:45 a.m. Tuesday before Smith stopped at the Clerks office and paid another $100 towards her debt. (WLNS)

Tuesday, Byrum told 6 News Smith made contact with her officer in early May seeking to have a reduction in her fees. That request was denied, and Byrum offered Smith a payment plan of $230 a month to pay off the debt within five years.

Byrum says Smith paid her office $100 on May 31 and nothing else until late Tuesday afternoon when Smith showed up at the Clerks office and paid another $100 on her debt. Byrum says Smith was aware of the agreement to pay $230 per month to pay off the debt in its entirety.

That came just hours after 6 News sent an email inquiry to Smith about the debt. Smith did not respond to the email inquiry.

Smith serves on both the State Partys Executive Committee as well as First Vice Chair of the county party. It is unclear how long she has held these posts. Smith said neither the state nor county parties review or consider campaign finance debts when selecting leadership. She declined to opine whether either should.

Ingham County Democratic Party Vice Chair and former Lansing Community College Trustee Robin Smith (FILE/WLNS)

Smith was first elected to the Lansing Community College Board of Trustees in 2007. She was re-elected in 2012 and did not seek re-election in 2018. Her last quarterly report, filed in July 2014, showed she had no money on hand.

Ingham County Democratic Party Chair Brian P. Jackson says Smiths fines and fees are not a concern at this point for his organization.

It is nothing that our membership has requested to be reviewed, he wrote in an email on May 1. No action is expected. We are a democratic organization and no one in our membership has brought this up as a concern that requires action in removal from office that would require a vote to be removed.

Jackson says the county organization uses campaign fines and fees as teachable moments.

We certainly used examples of candidates fines as lessons to our candidates to make sure they are very diligent to the election filing deadlines and requirements, he wrote on May 1. We are also preparing training sessions to teach potential campaign treasurers who can assist our candidates stay on top of these filing requirements. Ingham County Democrats are looking at other ways that we can support our candidates because it is not an easy thing to do is to put yourself out to the public to offer to serve the community.

Multiple phone calls and emails to the media team for the Michigan Democratic Party went without response for the last month.

However, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer highlighted Smith in a video Monday on an X post.

A screen capture of a video posted by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on X on July 1, 2024, featuring Robin Smith. The text has been edited to blur the profanity in the post. (WLNS)

6 News reached out to Whitmers political team which was responsible for posting the video on X. Theres been no response from the team.

Byrum, meanwhile, is still waiting for Smith to settle her debt with her office.

Being an elected official comes with many responsibilities and obligations, she wrote by text Tuesday. I look forward to Robin Smith fulfilling those obligations.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has launched a new program to assure children in the state have access to food this summer.

Starting July 19, low-income families will be eligible for $120 per child in additional food benefits through MDHHS. The funding was made available through an approved program from the United States Department of Agriculture. The state had to get approved by the federal government for the additional programs, and that has occurred, MDHHS officials announced in a news release Wednesday.

Heres how the program will work, state officials report.

A woman checks prices as she shops at a grocery store in Wheeling, Ill., Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

A child is eligible for Summer EBT if they are: MDHHS news release, July 3, 2024

The funds are expected to be credited to existing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. Pre-loaded cards for new benefit beneficiaries will be sent by mail. Nearly 900,000 children are expected to benefit from the program, state officials report.

Many Michigan children rely on breakfast and lunch provided at their school during the school year and we want to make sure they do not go hungry this summer while schools are on break, Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director, said in a news release. The Summer EBT program increases familys grocery-buying budgets and we are thrilled to get this funding out earlier than planned. We plan to get these benefits out even earlier next year.

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow also praised the program in the same news release.

Summer should be a time when children can learn, grow and play without worrying about where their next meal will come from, Stabenow said in the news release. Im so proud that the Governor and the State Legislature have acted to make sure every Michigan child has access to healthy meals during the school year. My legislative victory is focused on making sure children have the same access to healthy meals in the summer regardless of where they live in Michigan. This is bringing us one step closer to ending childhood hunger.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
Contractors do not have to be licensed in New Hampshire, so the Consumer Protection Bureau recommends asking a contractor for references and scouring online reviews. (Getty Images)

In late June, the Attorney Generals Office announced it had indicted a contractor in Hillsborough County Superior Court for allegedly stealing $27,000 from two clients and convicted a Warner man of faking asbestos lab results and then posing as an abatement contractor.

Two months earlier, the agency announced it had sued an Epping construction company for allegedly taking over $500,000 from clients, doing little to no work on their projects, and using the money for other expenses.

This week, the Attorney Generals Office turned its attention to contractors again  this time with a guide to avoiding the dubious ones.

In its first NH Consumer Insight newsletter, the agencys Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau identified risks and tips for avoiding them when it comes to payments, dealing with subpar work, and planning for unexpected changes.

Outreach and education are some of the most powerful and effective tools that my office utilizes to prevent consumer harm, said Attorney General John Formella, in a release.

Heres what to avoid  and what to do  when hiring a contractor.

Do your research and demand an itemized list of expenses.

Contractors do not have to be licensed in New Hampshire, so the Consumer Protection Bureau recommends asking a contractor for references and scouring online reviews. Call the bureau at 603-271-3641 to see if any complaints have been filed.

Request a detailed contract and ask prospective contractors how they will use your deposit.

Make sure your contractor is insured. If a contractor fails to complete a job, does subpar work, or damages your property, you can sue their insurance company  if they are insured.

The Consumer Protection Bureau cautioned against hiring anyone who will not show proof of an active insurance policy that protects against losses resulting from mistakes and negligence. Even then, call the insurance company to verify the coverage before hiring them.

Prepare for the unexpected. Its not uncommon for changes to the scope of a project or the discovery of hidden defects to increase costs. Make sure your contract states how changes or delays to the contract will be handled, and require your contract to document all changes.

Make sure you understand the terms of the contact. If you dont, dont be afraid to ask for clarity or more specific terms.
RICHMOND  Service for the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry will be reduced next week while state transportation officials deal with trying to find additional personnel to work the ships.

Starting Monday, no more than two ferries will be transporting motorists across the James River between 2-8:30 p.m. daily. The rest of the time, including overnight and mornings, only one ferry will be sailing.

Previously, as many as four ferries would be in service depending upon the traffic volume.

The corridor, which carries state Route 31 between Scotland Wharf in Surry County and the Jamestown area in James City County, is mostly rural but remains very popular among travelers and motorists trying to avoid Interstate 64 and U.S. Routes 60 and 460. It also is a centerpiece of the "5 & Dime" trail, an economic collaborative project launched last year by localities along state Routes 5 and 10 that link Route 31 on either side of the James.

The ferry system is the only James River crossing between the Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge in Prince George County and the Monitor-Merrimac Bridge-Tunnel in Newport News  a distance of almost 70 miles.

The Virginia Department of Transportation, which oversees operations at the three-mile crossing between James City and Surry counties, said the new schedule was necessary due to current staffing levels among an industry-wide shortage of critical, certified maritime positions.

This map shows how the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry system carries state Route 31 across the James River between Surry and James City counties. The three-mile trek usually takes 15-20 minutes, and is the only James crossing between Prince George County and Newport News.

Despite these temporary challenges, VDOT is committed to maintaining a continuous 24-hour service for the public for as long as possible during this time, the department said in a statement.

The change in schedule caught state Sen. Lashrecse Aird and Del. Kim Taylor  the two legislators whose districts include Surry County  by surprise. Both cited their concerns about access for residents in largely rural Surry.

Aird, D-Petersburg, said she was shocked to learn that VDOT planned the reduction without much advance notice to regular ferry users.

The ferry has been the lifeline for access to Surry County. As a driver for workers, economic development, and tourism in the heart of travel season is unreasonable, Aird said. Furthermore, this change can significantly compromise accessibility to critical healthcare resources.

Taylor, R-Dinwiddie County, said she had significant concerns about the timing of VDOTs announcement.

The Jamestown-Scotland Ferry is a critical transportation link for residents of James City County and Surry County, providing essential connectivity across the James River, Taylor said. The reduction in service hours will inevitably impact our community in several profound ways.

Click here to see the updated schedule.

Incentives

Aird, who was in Richmond Monday for a special Senate session, said she met with VDOT officials to discuss the schedule changes. She said the department told her it annually goes through a shortfall in ferry operators because their jobs require special Coast Guard certification, but this year, the hirings were more difficult.

VDOT is analyzing its compensation packages and will try to lure more candidates with a $10,000 signing bonus. Aird said she has asked VDOT for regular updates on the hiring process, as well as staffing ratios and how the shortage will affect wait times at either end of the route.

The commitment was made to me that this temporary reduction will end as soon as the vacancies are fulfilled, Aird said.

In the interim, VDOT is pointing motorists to the 511 Virginia website or Waze-driven 511 app to gauge wait times. Cameras on the 511 Virginia website capture images of waiting lines a half-mile out from the ferry landings.

Alternate routes suggested are the Monitor-Merrimac Bridge-Tunnel and the James River Bridge in Tidewater, and the Benjamin Harrison and Varina-Enon bridges in the Tri-City area.

Crossing the James for a century

The Jamestown-Scotland Ferry system has been in place since 1925, according to the VDOT website. It started as a private-business venture before being taken over by the state in 1945.

The fleet consists of four vessels  the Pocahontas, the Powhatan, the Williamsburg and the Surry. The Pocahontas and the Powhatan are the newest and largest of the fleet and can carry 70 cars each on the 15-20 minute ride across the James River.

In 1972, it was the subject of a country song, The Jamestown Ferry, recorded by Tanya Tucker.

VDOT estimates the annual cost to run the system at $12 million.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Va. reduces schedule for legendary Jamestown ferry service
I stayed at a North Korean summer camp. We polished statues and played a game where we destroyed the White House.

Some Russian kids will attend North Korea's Songdowon International Children's Camp this summer.

The camp features propaganda activities, such as cleaning leaders' statues and singing Korean songs.

Yuri Frolov, a Russian who twice stayed at the camp, told Business Insider about his experiences.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Yuri Frolov, 25, who in 2015 and 2016 attended North Korea's Songdowon International Children's Camp, where some Russian children will be sent this summer. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

When I was a kid, I remember watching a TV documentary about North Korea. Although I was very young, my perception of the country was that it was under siege by its capitalist neighbors.

I knew little; I wanted to see it with my own eyes.

I tried to find more information, so I subscribed to a group called "Solidarity with North Korea" on VKontakte  Russia's equivalent to Facebook.

In it, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation offered a chance to go to a North Korean children's summer camp for about $300.

That included food, accommodation, all the facilities, plane tickets, and everything else  really cheap for a 15-day trip.

I saw it as an opportunity to see North Korea for myself, so I asked my parents, who agreed to send me to Songdowon.

I traveled alone from St. Petersburg, where I grew up, to Vladivostok, in the far east of Russia, where I joined a group of other children and some Communist Party officials. At 15, I was one of the oldest; the others were 9, 10, and 11.

I was probably the only one traveling to North Korea to see this dystopia. The others seemed to see it as a chance to go to the beach or play in the playground inexpensively.

Yuri Frolov's view of Pyongyang from his hotel. Courtesy of Yuri Frolov

First, we spent two days in Pyongyang, where we were constantly supervised.

We visited many places, including Kim Il Sung Square and the war museum where they displayed captured American vehicles as well as the USS Pueblo, the American ship that was seized by the North Koreans in the 1960s.

They kept pushing us into supermarkets so that we'd spend some money.

What was funny was that it was really easy to buy vodka and cigarettes.

Some kids in our group, as young as 12, bought North Korean rice vodka, brought it back to the camp, and got extremely drunk on the first couple of nights.

The main building of the Songdowon International Children's Camp. Courtesy of Yuri Frolov

Upon arriving at Songdowon, the staff was very welcoming, cheering us on while they stood in a long line.

About five buses of children arrived. Though most of us were Russian, there were also groups of children from Laos, Nigeria, Tanzania, and China.

However, the North Korean children in the camp were quite segregated from us, and we only met them once on our last day.

I think that was deliberate, preventing them from talking with us about their experiences.

The summer camp had many activities, such as beach outings, sandcastle-building competitions, and swimming. However, it also had some really weird rituals.

We had to clean statues of North Korea's former leaders. One morning, we woke up at 6 a.m. to clean the monuments of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

We didn't have sponges or anything  we were just brushing off the dust, even though the monuments were cleaned professionally every week. It was strange.

We also had to participate in concerts, singing propaganda songs in Korean about North Korea's Supreme Leaders, using lyric sheets translated into Russian.

The concert hall at Songdowon International Children's Camp. Courtesy of Yuri Frolov

They tried to brainwash us in many ways. We played a computer game where your character, a hamster in a tank, had to destroy the White House.

One kid became so indoctrinated afterward that he joined the Communist Party in Russia and was always posting about North Korea.

For me, it didn't work  the propaganda was too straightforward.

Also, I was too frustrated with the strict schedule to be brainwashed. For example, when I was sick, they wouldn't let me skip early-morning exercise.

The food was also really bad. The only things I could eat were rice, wedges, and bread.

I lost about 11 pounds in 15 days, even though I was already skinny.

After leaving, I craved capitalist food so badly that I bought three Burger King burgers, two large fries, and a cola. It was impossible to eat all that, but I just wanted it so bad.

Despite the boring, miserable and overly controlled experience, I returned the next year. I don't like confrontation, and the Communist Party officials had already signed me up, so I went again.

It was a stupid decision to return, and I don't know why my parents let me go, but I'd totally do it again.

I can easily make friends just by talking about my experiences  people just want to hear about North Korea.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Steve Lawson's charges will not be dismissed in Crystal Rogers' murder trial, judge rules

Steve Lawson was part of pretrial conferences for the murder of Crystal Rogers in Nelson Circuit Court Thursday. Feb. 8, 2024

Steve Lawson's charges will not be dropped in the murder case of Bardstown mother Crystal Rogers, according to a court ruling released Wednesday.

The defendant had filed a motion for the dismissal after an immunity deal between his defense team and prosecutors fell through.

In the ruling, Nelson Circuit Judge Charles Simms wrote that while some of Steve Lawson's comments in police interviews during immunity negotiations can be prohibited at trial if he wishes, his testimonies in front of a grand jury will be admissible.

Rogers, a 35-year-old mother of five children, went missing around July 3, 2015, from Bardstown, Kentucky. Her car was soon found abandoned on the Bluegrass Parkway with her keys, phone and purse inside. While her body has never been found, she is presumed dead by investigators.

Rogers' case finally received a break in recent months, when her then-boyfriend, Brooks Houck, and a father and son pair, Steve and Joseph Lawson, were separately arrested.

According to recently filed court documents, Steve Lawson allegedly told investigators he was asked by Houck to move Rogers' car around the time of her disappearance. Lawson also allegedly told investigators Houck wanted Rogers "gone."

Steve Lawson has been charged with tampering with physical evidence and conspiracy to commit murder.

After a March 21 hearing, Steve Lawson's defense attorney Theodore Lavit said his client was verbally promised immunity if he told the truth to investigators. However, a plea agreement was not formally sent to Lawson, and Lavit filed a motion to strike Steve Lawson's grand jury testimony and comments to police.

Lavit further argued for Steve Lawson's charges to be dropped based on the verbal deal at a June pretrial hearing.

Prosecutor Shane Young, however, argued the potential immunity deal fell through after Steve Lawson continually changed key parts of his testimony and minimized his role in Rogers' disappearance.

The deal, Young argued, was only valid if Steve Lawson was entirely truthful to police.

At the June hearing, Lavit said all of his client's statements were either truthful or that Lawson did not deliberately tell a lie. But Young provided excerpts from police interviews and a recorded phone call from the Nelson County Detention Center, where Lawson seemingly admitted he was not totally truthful to police.

Simms pointed to the excerpts to support his ruling denying the dismissal.

Simms also ruled that some of Steve Lawson's comments to police while the immunity deal was being discussed can be waived as inadmissible at the defendant's request.

However, Steve Lawson's grand jury testimonies in June and September 2023 are admissible because there were no discussions of plea negotiations or immunity during these proceedings. Therefore, Steve Lawson did not have clear or reasonable belief to think he was negotiating a plea at that point, Simms ruled.

Simms has not yet ruled on whether the three defendants charged in connection to Rogers' murder will stand trial together or separately.

Reach reporter Rachel Smith at rksmith@courierjournal.com or @RachelSmithNews on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Steve Lawson's charges won't be dropped in Crystal Rogers murder trial
After a stop in Cuba, 2 Russian ships dock in Venezuelan port as part of 'show the flag' exercises

Russian crew members toast with a traditional Venezuelan drink during a welcoming tour by official authorities in La Guaira, Venezuela, after the Almirante Gorshkov frigate and Akademik Pashin oil tanker of the Russian Navy docked there, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP)  Two Russian naval ships docked Tuesday in the Venezuelan port of La Guaira after exercises in the Atlantic Ocean that Moscow said were to show the flag in remote, important regions, and an initial stopover in Cuba.

The frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the oil tanker Akademik Pashin are part of Russias Northern Fleet, which since May 17 has been carrying out tasks that include guaranteeing the Russian naval presence in remote areas of the oceans, Russian news agency Tass cited Russias Ministry of Defense as saying.

The stopover was to last several days and highlight the close ties between Moscow and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduros government.

Like his predecessor, the late President Hugo Chavez, Maduro has forged a close relationship with Russia. The visit comes before Maduro seeks reelection in July 28 elections.

Venezuelan authorities have not reported the arrival of the Russian vessels, which could barely be seen from afar docked at La Guaira, but Associated Press journalists saw their crewmembers in the citys historic center.

In mid-June, the Admiral Gosrhkov and the tanker were among the Russian vessels that docked in Havana, Cuba.

The other vessels present at that stop included a nuclear-powered submarine, and they stayed docked there for five days following drills in the Atlantic Ocean. The exercise was seen by some as a show of strength by Moscow against the backdrop of tensions as U.S. and other Western nations support Kyiv in Russias war on Ukraine.
Stormy Daniels had her first interview since testifying in Donald Trumps criminal fraud trial with Rachel Maddow on Tuesday, and during their discussion, the former adult actress explained the obvious reason why her testimony is so credible.

If he could have proved she was lying about their encounter, Daniels said, Hed have whipped his junk out a long time ago, in order to counter her description of his genitals. You can watch the clip below right now:

Daniels was, of course, a key witness in Trumps criminal fraud trial, in which he was found guilty by a jury of 34 felonies  a verdict that came weeks before the Supreme Courts shocking ruling that U.S. presidents have monarchical authority, a decision that runs contrary to the literal founding ideals of the United States. During her testimony, she had to re-tell the story of her 2006 encounter with the disgraced former president, when he essentially pressured her into having sex with him.

The trial, of course, concerned his illegal efforts to conceal that from voters in the weeks before the 2016 election.

Keep in mind, I did nothing but answer the questions, Daniels told Maddow at one point. I didnt go up there and present an essay or a spoken word theater. You know, it was  I answered questions. And if you dont want to hear the answer, dont ask me the questions.

And for those people who said it was uncomfortable to witness or to hear, I lived it, and it was my very PG-rated version on the stand, Daniels continued. I had to relive it. I had to say it in court in front of all these people, knowing that it would be public record, that my daughter is going to read this. I was going to read this and preparing for the case, remember, I had to go back and think about all these details and make sure that I had everything absolutely accurate.

Daniels said that what she considered most important about her testimony is that it proves that I was telling the truth. Maybe this is too far for our conversation right now, but for all those people who like to drag me about talking about what his genitals look like, dont you think for a second that I wish there was something else I could prove? I wish he had a birthmark that looked like the state of Texas on his shoulder, you know, or funny looking mole. Thats the only thing that proves that he did take his clothes off in front of me.

And, you know as well as I do that, if he hadnt, that it was not, that I was lying, hed have whipped his junk out a long time ago and proved that I was a liar. And its the only thing I have, and he knows Im telling the truth, which is why he wanted to shut me up, she concluded.

The post Stormy Daniels Notes if Trump Could Prove She Lied, Hed Have Whipped His Junk Out a Long Time Ago | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Stormy Daniels Reveals Just How Scary Things Have Gotten For Her Since Trump Conviction

Stormy Daniels on Tuesday detailed how vitriol leveled at her by Donald Trump supporters has significantly ramped up following the former presidents hush money case conviction.

The death threats are so much more graphic and detailed and brazen, porn actor Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, told MSNBCs Rachel Maddow in a lengthy interview.

People dont care. Its scary, she said.

There have been threats on Facebook from people in my own community and chilling warnings about the rape and murder of her family members  including her young daughter  she revealed.

Daniels recalled being doxxed while giving evidence as a witness during the trial. Her mailbox was destroyed, she said; her animals have been injured, and she is now terrified to venture outside over a fear of being followed.

Thinking there was an end in sight to the nightmare had kept her going amid the trial, Daniels told Maddow. But for every person whod celebrated Trumps conviction, there was another very upset, she noted.

It just poured gasoline on some of the stuff that I had been going through the entire time, she said of Trumps conviction.

When Daniels was asked if she feared Trump returning to the White House, she envisioned him trying to make an example of her. She suggested his followers may be more bold in the future because they could perhaps obtain a presidential pardon from him for any illegal acts.

Trump was in May found guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment that was made to Daniels ahead of the 2016 election that intended to silence her over their earlier sexual encounter.

The presumptive GOP presidential nominee was due to be sentenced on July 11, but that has now been pushed back to September.

Thats because Trumps legal team filed a motion asking his conviction be thrown out following the Supreme Courts ruling that he had total immunity for official acts, even though the hush money scheme happened before the 2016 vote.

Watch Daniels interview here:

And watch the other parts of Daniels interview with Maddow below:

Related...
Stormy Daniels on second Trump term: Shouldnt we all be worried about that?

Porn actor Stormy Daniels posed a question in a Tuesday interview about how widespread the concern for a second term for President Trump in the White House should be.

Shouldnt we all be worried about that? Daniels responded when MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow asked if she was concerned about Trump getting elected to the presidency again.

Maddow then asked Daniels if she was worried about another Trump term, particularly for herself, to which Daniels responded in the affirmative. Maddow then questioned Daniels about the reasoning behind that concern.

I think that he will make  try to make even more of an example out of me, you know? said Daniels, who was at the center of Trumps recent hush money trial in New York that resulted in him being the first former president convicted on felony charges.

Daniels also added Trumps followers will possibly be more, even more bold, thinking if they do something, hell pardon them.

The interview with Maddow was Danielss first since Trump was found guilty on all counts of falsifying business records to conceal alleged affairs during his 2016 campaign.

A lawyer for Daniels said more than a month ago that Trumps conviction in the hush money case hit her hard.

I got a pretty instant report from the courthouse, Attorney Clark Brewster said in an interview on Elizabeth Vargas Reports on NewsNation. And so, it hadnt hit the news yet when I told her, really. And, she was really kind of taken aback.

I think it was the culmination of a lot of things  the finality of it and, you know, the worry and nervousness that she had throughout leading up to this, he added.

The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign.

NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Spiked drinks at Austin bars? We check in on a program aimed at preventing that

AUSTIN (KXAN)  The Sip Safely program has now been active in Austin for about two months.

Participating bars have a stock of alcohol test strips that can detect date rape drugs. The businesses can also display signs letting patrons know the strips are available.

Sip Safely pilot gives Austin bars drink-spiking test strips

At the launch of the initiative, the City said 50 bars were on board, and that number has since grown to 67.

Spiked drink test strip.

To the right is a photo of a test strip and instructions on how to use it.

Weve had a few guests ask about it, but we havent had any guests request one or use one, said Tasha Miller, the owner of Pelons Tex Mex downtown. We asked her if she still thinks having the strips is worth it.

Absolutely, she answered. The initiative thats doing it and providing this for free  of course its worth it. We dont pay anything. And even if we did, its still worth it to know your guests can still have that great experience and not be scared.

This is all part of a $100,000 pilot program. Council Member Zo Qadri got the idea from West Hollywood, Calif., which ran a similar initiative in 2022.

The feedback weve received so far has been positive, the citys Development Services Department said in a statement. Bars, clubs, and venues have continued to reach out to us to sign up for the program. We plan to run a formal survey of all participating establishments towards the end of the pilot period in September to gather more detailed feedback.

You can find the full list of participating bars here.

Miller said she doesnt believe theres ever been a drugging incident at her establishment, but she said staff have taken some of the test strips to other bars for their own comfort.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Students who enrolled at a fake university set up by federal immigration agents have the right to sue the U.S. government, a federal court has ruled.

A decision last week by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit means that the hundreds of students who paid tuition at the University of Farmington in Farmington Hills  created by undercover agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement  have a legal basis to continue pursuing their claims in court.

In 2020, a lawsuit was filed against the U.S. government in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims by attorneys on behalf of Teja Ravi and other students enrolled at the University of Farmington, which no longer exists after ICE shut it down in 2019 and arrested at least 250 of its students. The suit said the U.S. breached their contract with the students by essentially stealing their tuition money, about $11,000 a year for each student. They are asking for their money back and other punitive damages. But the legal claim was dismissed on technical grounds in 2022 by the Claims Court, which said the case lacked jurisdiction. Three judges with the appeals court overturned that decision on June 25 and remanded the case back to the Claims Court.

The building that was used by ICE agents as the fake University of Farmington campus set up by the Department of Homeland Security, seen on Thursday, February 7, 2019, in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Students allege they were tricked into enrolling at the fake university and paying tuition.

"This decision is not just a legal win, but a moral one," Prudhivi Raj, a student at the university, said Friday in a statement. "It underscores that no one, not even the government, is above the fundamental principles of fairness and honesty. ... We are grateful for this outcome and remain steadfast in our commitment to justice."

The Department of Homeland Security, of which ICE is a part, did not return an email this week from the Free Press seeking comment on the court's ruling. ICE has previously said it was trying to combat visa fraud. Attorneys with the Department of Justice are representing it in the case.

ICE started its undercover operation in 2015, creating a fake office on Northwestern Highway near 13 Mile with a website and an admissions process like a regular university. The University of Farmington was even listed on the website of ICE as a school approved by the U.S. government for students. It seemed real to its 600-plus students, a majority of them immigrants from India interested in studying technology and science. Many students are able to live and work legally in the U.S. through university programs such as the one the University of Farmington touted. The students had arrived legally in the U.S. and were on F-1 student visa programs when they enrolled. But it was all an elaborate operation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations to trick foreign-born students they allege were trying to "pay to stay" in the U.S., a claim the students deny. ICE arrested hundreds of students, deported many of them and others left the U.S. on their own.

University of Farmington office in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Photo taken in 2017.

"The U.S. government (is) refusing to take accountability for the parents separated from their children over this, the couples separated over this, and the financial burden on families," said attorney Anna Nathanson, who represents the students and argued the case in court. "The need for justice is urgent.

Records reveal the Department of Homeland Security went to great lengths to deceive the students, said their attorneys. The fake university was incorporated in the state of Michigan in January 2016, records with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs show. The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, which was working with the U.S. on its sting operation, also listed the university as legitimate.

The Free Press previously obtained emails and undercover recordings by ICE that revealed in part how the operation was conducted.

Website of the University of Farmington in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The U.S. said it is a fake university set up by the Department of Homeland Security.

Ravi said he had paid $12,500 in tuition to the University of Farmington when he enrolled in March 2018. He and other students became suspicious when classes didn't start and contacted the university to find out what was happening, but were not helped.

Ravi was "informed that he would have a regular class schedule and have regular class," the lawsuit said. "But he was never enrolled in classes or given assignments. As soon as the semester commenced, and he still was not enrolled in classes, he contacted officials at the University to ask about classes and assignment. A university official advised him not worry about it as that was not an issue."

University of Michigan: Feds slam U-M for not investigating hate on campus against Jews, Arabs

After hearing a rumor the university may be fake, Ravi "was told by a University official that the rumor was not true," the lawsuit said.

In their decision, the three judges noted that Ravi never got his money back, saying, "The allegations of fact we accept as true for purposes of this appeal are straightforward."

The judges said Ravi "paid thousands of dollars to the 'University of Farmington' to enroll as a student, expecting to take classes. At the time of his enrollment, Mr. Ravi was unaware that the University was not a university at all but had been formed and advertised to offer educational services for money  though not actually provide them  as an undercover operation of ... (DHS) to target fraud involving student visas. The governments operation eventually came to light, but the government neither provided the paid-for education nor gave Mr. Ravi his money back."

The entrance sign at 30500 Northwestern Hwy. in Farmington Hills, Michigan references the University of Farmington.

Students said they were entrapped, but ICE officials defended their actions.

Vance Callender, the former special agent in charge of the Detroit office of ICE's HSI at the time who was later placed on leave after agents raided his home in 2022, told the Free Press in 2019 that HSI special agents, as part of this undercover operation, made it abundantly clear in their interactions with potential University of Farmington enrollees that the school did not offer academic or vocational programs of any kind. The individuals who enrolled in the University of Farmington did so intentionally."

A Free Press report in November 2019 about additional arrests of students sparked outrage from several elected officials against ICE, including then-U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris; U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Michigan's U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, among others.

This is the logo of the fake University of Farmington, created by ICE to lure students into enrolling and paying tuition. Students alleges they were entrapped and some are asking the U.S. government to pay back the tuition they paid.

"This is cruel and appalling," Warren wrote on Twitter, now X, linking to the Free Press story. "These students simply dreamed of getting the high-quality higher education America can offer. ICE deceived and entrapped them, just to deport them."

In 2022, 40 civil rights and social justice groups signed a letter calling upon the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to investigate how the department operated the University of Farmington and asked for redress of the students.

Nathanson said the students were "unjustly targeted by this fake ICE university."

She added that the court's ruling last week has implications that go beyond this particular case and could set a legal precedent when the government overreaches in contracts with private parties.

Contact Niraj Warikoo:nwarikoo@freepress.com or X @nwarikoo

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Court: Students at fake Michigan university set up by ICE can sue
From right, Amora Mota-Hays, Angela Sansone, and Anna and Alyssa Mota-Hays eat their free lunch under a canopy. All are going into the Fourth grade except for Amora, who will be a kindergartner.

Jasmine Hazard, who is going into the first grade, checks out the food offerings while going through the line with her siblings during the Summer Eats Kickoff party at North High School on Friday.

WORCESTER  Worcester Public Schools is again hosting a free program sponsored by the state Department of Education that provides free meals to children and teens at various locations throughout the city this summer.

There are currently nine meal service sites available: the Burncoat Street Playground, East Park, El Buen Samaritano Food Program, Greenwood Park, Logan Field, South Worcester Playground, TLK Sports, the YMCA Central Community Branch and the YMCA Greendale.

Meals are available to eat onsite. The WPS mobile nutrition vehicles will also make stops at various locations throughout the city, offering meals Monday through Friday.

Summer Eats is a free program across Massachusetts during the summer months.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester launches Summer Eats program.
Sun, fun, and  fecal bacteria? How to practice Healthy Swimming this summer.

Cyanobacteria  sometimes called blue-green algae, though they arent algae  are often toxic. (Getty Images)

For many, summer means time to hit the beach. But maybe not any beach, if you dont want to swim in harmful bacteria.

From late May to early September, New Hampshires Beach Inspection Program monitors public beaches for fecal bacteria. And with reports from residents, the state also tracks cyanobacteria blooms, growths that can be dangerous to humans and pets.

Active notices for both types of hazards can be found online through the Healthy Swimming Mapper. As of Tuesday afternoon, the following places were flagged:

Lake Kanasatka in Moultonborough has had a cyanobacteria alert since June 26; and

Mill Pond in Alton has had a cyanobacteria warning since June 14.

Its important to note that just because a body of water doesnt have a notice listed doesnt mean its in the clear. Beaches arent tested every day, and the state relies on residents reporting potential cyanobacteria blooms, which can be done through an online form.

Cyanobacteria alerts mean residents should be on the watch for a potential bloom, according to the Department of Environmental Services. Warnings mean that cyanobacteria have been found at a concentration where harmful toxins could be present and threaten public health.

An advisory for fecal bacteria is issued when a water sample contains levels that exceed the state standard, indicating unhealthy swimming conditions, according to DES.

The summer months can pose the greatest risks in waters because of the volume of swimmers and the warmer temperatures that can fuel bacteria growth. Heres what to know heading into a busy swimming holiday.

Fecal bacteria

If the heebie-jeebies arent enough to avoid fecally contaminated waters, these bacteria can bring on nausea, vomiting, respiratory illness, and infection, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

New Hampshire has monitored oceanside beaches since 2003, sampling them regularly from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Only a subset of freshwater beaches are sampled  typically on a monthly basis  since there are so many of them, according to DES. State parks are prioritized and sometimes sampled more often than that.

This pollution is a nationwide problem. About half of the U.S. beaches surveyed by Environment America, an environmental nonprofit, experienced at least a day of potentially unsafe levels of fecal contamination in 2022.

In 2023, five of 16 coastal beaches in New Hampshire had fecal advisories issued, said Michele Condon, the Beach Inspection Program coordinator. There were 11 total advisories, with some beaches having more than one through the summer.

By comparison, there were 14 total coastal advisories in 2022, 18 in 2021, 10 in 2020, and three in 2019, she said.

Theres always some risk pathogens are in the water, but that risk is greater after heavy rainfall, Condon said. Those significant storm events, which were seen in the 2023 swim season, can bring in potential stormwater and elevate bacteria levels, she said.

Outside rainwater, Condon pointed to a number of other sources of fecal contamination: waterfowl (especially geese), domestic animals, failing septic systems or improperly functioning toilet facilities, or a high density of recreators.

Cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria  sometimes called blue-green algae, though they arent algae  are often toxic.

They feed on sunlight, warmth, and nutrients, making the summer months an ideal feeding ground. With climate change driving temperatures higher, beachgoers can expect to be greeted by these unpleasant visitors more often.

DES recorded its most blooms ever in 2023, affecting 47 lakes. This reflects a global trend of more frequent blooms, but also greater public awareness leading to more reports.

Cyanobacteria blooms can be blue, green, yellow, white, or brown and look like spilled paint, scum, or blotches.

They often produce toxins that can cause a host of nasty health problems. These include rashes, fevers, headaches, mouth blisters, vomiting, acute liver damage, and more, according to the Department of Environmental Services. They can also sometimes lead to neurological problems like numbness and seizures.

If the water looks suspicious, DES encourages residents to stay out and submit the details to the state so others can be alerted.

You can sign up for waterbody-specific notices and statewide updates online.
Support for NATO across 13 member states surveyed remains high, with a median of 63% of respondents saying they had a "a positive opinion" of the alliance, according to a poll released by the Pew Research Center on July 2.

The poll also found that confidence in President Volodymyr Zelensky throughout a mix of 35 NATO members and other countries surveyed had dropped in many places, including a 22-point decline in Poland since 2023 (from 70% to 48%).

The highest number of respondents among European countries polled who said that they did not have confidence in Zelensky was in Hungary (83%).

In general, confidence in Zelensky remained at 40% among the countries surveyed. In many countries, it remained high, such as Sweden, at 80%. The decline was relatively moderate in some states  the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and France all show a drop of seven points.

Of the countries surveyed, Poland also had the highest number of respondents saying they had a positive opinion toward NATO (91%), while the lowest was Greece, at 37%.

Generally, the survey found a decline in support for NATO since 2023 across the 13 countries, besides Hungary and Canada, which saw an 8% and 1% increase, respectively.

Consensus on aid for Ukraine was largely split, especially in the case of Poland, where 44% of respondents said the country was giving too much aid, 45% said the right amount and 6% said it was not enough.

In the U.S., 31% of those polled said that the level of support for Ukraine was too high, while 24% said it was not enough.

The consensus on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia in general across the 35 countries remained negative, with 65% of respondents across the board saying they had an unfavorable opinion toward Russia and 73% saying they had "no confidence" in Putin to "do the right thing in global affairs."

Read also: Ukrainian optimism about war clashes with European skepticism in new poll

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
In light of the Supreme Courts June 28 decision, which ruled that state and local governments could enforce ordinances that ban homeless people from camping and occupying public land, municipalities in Californias Central Valley are reviewing court cases and policies shaping their own approach to encampments and outdoor sleeping.

The Grants Pass v. Johnson ruling overturns precedent set by the Martin v. Boise case decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, which decides cases from several Western states including California. The Martin decision held that governments could not enforce anti-camping legislation when there are not enough shelter beds available for every homeless person under their jurisdiction.

In a statement, Chione Flegal and Chris Martin, who respectively serve as the executive director and policy director of the advocacy organization Housing California, expressed frustration with the decision and claimed it will criminalize being homeless in the state.

The devastating ruling opens the door for local governments to make it illegal for our unhoused neighbors to rest in public areas, even when there is no other place for them to go, they wrote. At a time when Californians put solving homelessness at the top of their priorities, we should not enact policies that exacerbate the crisis.

The ruling holds that state and local governments may enact total bans on encampments or outside sleeping, but they are not compelled to do so if lawmakers do not approve such policies. It is currently unlikely that the state Legislature would approve an outright prohibition on camping or sleeping outside. In April, the California Senates Public Safety Committee voted to reject a bill that would allow law enforcement to impose penalties on people who camp within 500 feet of school grounds, transit stops, and other open public spaces. Such legislation would have still complied with the Martin ruling, which prohibited outright camping bans without shelter space but did not bar partial restrictions on where people could sleep outdoors.

Sacramento

After the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Grants Pass, the mayor of Sacramento stated that the city would not change its balanced, compassionate approach to homelessness, even though the city of Sacramento approved legislation in 2022 that allowed the removal of encampments that block sidewalks regardless of shelter bed availability. District Attorney Thien Ho filed a lawsuit in September 2023 against the city for not adequately enforcing the ordinance blocking encampments from obstructing sidewalks.

Hos lawsuit alleged that the city created a public nuisance and violated the states Fish and Game code on clean water by allowing encampment residents to pollute water bodies. A federal judge ruled in May that Ho needed to remove the public nuisance complaint from his lawsuit; the following month, Ho filed an amended version of the lawsuit that still included the previously rejected public nuisance complaint. The judge will determine whether this lawsuit can move forward in the next month.

The District Attorneys office said it could not comment on whether the Supreme Courts decision may impact the pending litigation, but Ho affirmed that he supports the Grants Pass ruling

This decision underscores the importance of finding compassionate and effective solutions that balance the needs of all residents, Ho wrote in a statement. The Martin v. Boise experiment can no longer be used as an excuse to do nothing. We must now redouble our efforts to provide comprehensive services and compassionate enforcement with an approach guided by empathy, respect, and a commitment to creating a healthier and safer Sacramento for everyone.

Chico

In 2022, the city of Chico settled Warren v. Chico, a lawsuit filed by local homeless people who complained that the city government violated the Martin decision by enforcing ordinances that banned sleeping, sitting, lying, resting and simply existing in the City of Chico without adequate shelter space. At the time, there were only 120 shelter beds in Chico, a far fewer number than the 500 people experiencing homelessness in the city. Chico agreed to build a new non-congregate homeless shelter and add anywhere from 50 to 177 individual Pallet shelters, often known as tiny homes.

Chico City Manager Mark Sorensen said in a statement that the Grants Pass ruling may impact Chicos approach to addressing homelessness in the city, but the order signed by a federal judge in the Warren case will remain in place unless a court changes or overrules it.

The federal court order in place (AKA: Warren Settlement Agreement) severely restricts and delays the City of Chicos ability to enforce a variety of historically normal, reasonable and common laws to achieve public safety and public health objectives, and to properly maintain public spaces, Sorenson wrote.

The Chico City Council will meet on July 9 to discuss next steps given the Supreme Court decision. In 2023, the Butte County Continuum of Care reported that there were 925 people experiencing homelessness in Chico.

The Legal Services of Northern California organization, whose attorneys represented the plaintiffs in the Warren case, wrote in a June 28 statement that the firm is confident that the city will continue to abide by the Warren ruling by increasing access to shelter space and allowing unsheltered homeless people to keep their property safe when beds are unavailable. The organization is still wary about the rulings implications for the treatment of homeless people in the state.

While the lawsuit that spurred the settlement agreement was based in part on the holding of Martin v. Boise, the Supreme Courts holding today in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson neither negates the Chico settlement agreement, nor does it disturb the rights of unhoused people, or any people, to be lawfully present in public spaces, read the statement. LSNC is concerned that the decision will result in some localities overreaching with anti-homeless ordinances seeking to degrade the rights of unhoused Californians and further criminalize homelessness.

Stockton

In 2022, the Stockton City Council approved an ordinance prohibiting camping on or near critical infrastructure areas, including waterways, properties deemed functionally vital to to the city, hospitals, bridges, government buildings, roads, train tracks, parks, natural gas pipes, and electrical wires. Though the areas covered by the ordinance were broad-sweeping, the law was still permissible under Martin since Stockton did not ban all camping. The ordinance also bans camping paraphernalia  which often constitutes the property of homeless people, such as beds, sleeping bags, hammocks, and cooking facilities  from these areas.

The city of Stockton is currently reviewing its approach to homelessness and encampments with an eye towards aligning city policies and procedures with the courts decision, City Manager Harry Black said. The review will involve collaboration between staff representing different municipal departments, and the City Council expects an update on their findings on July 9.

Four hundred thirty beds for homeless residents are currently under construction, and according to City Manager Communications Support specialist Rosie Calderon. A report released this year by the San Joaquin Continuum of Care estimated that about 900 homeless people live in Stockton.

Folsom

The city of Folsoms anti-camping ordinances state that all camping, whether on public or private property, is unlawful unless it occurs on designated public campsites, sites approved by the city during special events, rear or side yards of homes when permitted by the homeowner, or for short periods of time in vehicles or motor homes in select spaces. The ordinance also states that leaving unattended property on unauthorized camp sites is illegal.

It was previously difficult for the city to enforce parts of its anti-camping ordinance due to the Martin ruling. But now that the Grants Pass case has overturned that decision, the city will resume enforcing the anti-camping laws, Folsom Communications Director Christine Brainerd confirmed. The city police department formed a Homeless Outreach Team on July 1 to ensure people comply with the anti-camping ordinances and engage with those who violate them.

Brainerd said in a statement that though the ruling permits the city to enforce these anti-camping policies, Folsom will continue to focus on alleviating burdens and barriers to housing that homeless people face. She added that anti-camping ordinances apply to everyone regardless of whether or not they are homeless, and that enforcing such legislation ensures clean parks, trails, and shopping areas for the community.

The Supreme Court decision allows the City to resume enforcing its anti-camping ordinance which, similar to many other cities ordinances, is focused on conduct and behavior and not homelessness, Brainerd wrote. Additionally, the Supreme Courts decision has no impact on the Citys ongoing efforts to provide assistance and resources to homeless individuals seeking temporary or permanent shelter.

As the Grants Pass ruling allows local law enforcement agencies to pursue fines against homeless people sleeping outside or remove them from encampments regardless of shelter space, it is unclear how the cities will address individuals who do not have access to open shelter beds.
The Supreme Court ended this term with a bonanza of terrible, antidemocratic decisions. On Monday, the justices tossed aside the fundamental principle that no one is above the law, declaring that presidents have between presumptive and total immunity from prosecution for official acts. This decision may make it impossible to hold former President Donald Trump accountable for trying to overturn the 2020 election, and will embolden him to abuse his power even more flagrantly if he is elected again.

The courts right-wing supermajority also decreed that courts can ignore federal agencies reasonable interpretations of the laws theyre charged with administering, substituting judges own views instead, and that businesses can challenge regulations years or decades after they went into effect. Together, these decisions will destabilize the government, leaving rules on everything from clean water and air to safe food and drugs and to climate change subject to second-guessing by judges.

All of this comes on top of the courts many other decisions in recent years that have chipped away at our rights and undermined our democracy: allowing states to ban abortion, weakening public-sector unions, invalidating a student debt forgiveness plan, gutting the Voting Rights Act and flooding our politics with dark money, preventing Congress from expanding Medicaid nationwide, banning affirmative action in higher education, constricting the Environmental Protection Agencys ability to address climate change, and striking down gun safety laws.

It does not require a crystal ball to know that if nothing changes, the court will continue to take away the rights of workers and other non-powerful people, strike down progressive laws, and protect the interests of the wealthy, corporations, and the Republican Party. And even when Supreme Court decisions arent in the headlines, they chill Congress from even attempting to pass laws because of the risk that courts might strike them down, and limit what we can imagine for our future.

Right now, we have a Supreme Court that acts as a power-hungry, partisan policymaker. It is fundamentally antidemocratic for unelected judges to constantly overturn laws passed by the peoples elected representatives in Congress. But things do not have to be this wayCongress can reshape the court and change how it works.

As we argue in a new Peoples Parity Project report called Protecting Workers Rights and Democracy from the Courts: A Practical Guide to Court Reform, court reform is an urgently needed solution to the many problems of the federal courts. It could correct the Supreme Courts current far-right warp and shift the power to make policy and determine our future back to the people and their elected representatives. It could also address other related problems, including the justices unethical behavior and refusal to recuse themselves in the face of obvious conflicts of interest, the disconnect between election outcomes and the courts membership, and the justices increasing habit of deciding vital questions through the shadow docket without explanation.

The current Supreme Court is unusually extreme in many ways. Its right-wing supermajority is the result of right-wing court packing, including Senate Republicans refusal to consider President Barack Obamas nominee after Justice Antonin Scalia died in 2016, effectively shrinking the court for more than a year until they confirmed Neil Gorsuch in 2017; their confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 despite credible allegations of sexual assault against him; and their rushed confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett just a week before the end of the 2020 election.

That supermajority is also unusually antimajoritarian, in that three of its members were appointed by a president who lost the popular vote, and four were confirmed by senators who represented a minority of the population. And it is particularly brash in its willingness to issue decisions without explanation, disregard ethical norms, and overturn decades-old precedents and the decisions of democratically accountable officials to benefit the political party that nominated most of its members.

But the current court is not an aberration in terms of the antidemocratic role it plays. Throughout American history, the Supreme Court has struck down democracy- and equality-enhancing laws passed by Congress while leaving in place policies that benefit the wealthy and powerful. In the late 1800s and through the 1930s, the court backed employers and the government as they violently suppressed a burgeoning labor movement, upholding injunctions against strikes, imprisoning labor leaders, and invalidating hundreds of worker-protective laws. In perhaps its most infamous decision, Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857), the court held that enslaved Black people were not citizens entitled to the protections of the Constitutiona decision that helped spark the Civil War.

During the Reconstruction period after the war, Congress amended the Constitution and passed numerous laws to safeguard the rights of formerly enslaved people. But the court quashed these attempts to guarantee equality and justice by interpreting the Reconstruction amendments to the Constitution narrowly, and striking down or narrowing many of those laws. This permitted decades of racist disenfranchisement, segregation, and racial terror against Black people. The court held that Congress could disregard treaties with Native American tribes, and upheld the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Beginning in the 1970s, it invalidated campaign finance legislation. It handed the presidency to George W. Bush in 2000.

This long history of antidemocratic and unjust court decisions is sometimes overshadowed by the towering role in the public imagination occupied by progressive decisions like Brown v. Board of Education (1954), striking down school segregation, Roe v. Wade (1973), striking down state laws banning abortion, and Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), striking down state laws banning gay marriage. But none of those decisions struck down laws passed by Congress; rather, they enforced a Reconstruction-era law Congress passed to allow courts to strike down unconstitutional state laws.

These famous decisions also generally followed the sweep of public opinion, rather than going against it. Congress has acted more often to protect minority rights than have the courts. And as the courts recent reversal of Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health shows, relying on the courts to consistently protect minority rights is not a good bet.

Reforming the federal courts would increase democratic legitimacy. It could make it harder for unelected judges to strike down legislation passed by living voters elected representatives on the basis of judges interpretations of a Constitution that is very old, short, vague, and difficult to amend. Many court reform tools would shift the power to decide which policies the Constitution permits from courts to the public, social movements, and democratically accountable officials.

This shift would allow a more progressive vision of the Constitution to prevail. According to the current Supreme Court, the Constitution is a collection of rules that help corporations and property owners and keep existing hierarchies in place. But workers and their labor movement understand the Constitution differentlyas requiring the expansion of democracy to the workplace, recognizing workers rights to livable wages and benefits, including historically excluded workers like farmworkers and gig workers, and necessitating a more democratic government. Court reform would allow this more democratic, egalitarian vision to carry the day, and would broaden the futures people can plausibly demand beyond the restrictive boundaries drawn by the federal courts.

Our report does not prescribe one perfect or best court reform strategy, because there is no one fix for all the problems of the federal courts. Instead, it explains a number of court reform tools, each of which could address some of the problems. These tools include:

 Court expansion to balance out the current justices partisan skew;

 Stripping courts of jurisdiction to hear challenges to specific, or all, federal laws or regulations;

 Channeling jurisdiction to a specific court or other body;

 Supermajority or unanimity requirements, meaning courts can only strike down a law or regulation if a supermajority, or all, of its members agree; and

 An efficient way for Congress to correct court decisions misinterpreting federal law or regulations.

 The report also discusses other reforms which would complement these: ethics reform, shadow docket reform, lower court expansion, term limits, and laws to correct antidemocratic judicial doctrines like qualified immunity for civil rights claims and the major questions doctrine.

Congress could enact any of these through regular legislation, and many of them have been used multiple times before. For instance, Congress has changed the number of seats on the court seven times, and has passed hundreds of laws stripping courts of jurisdiction to hear challenges to specific laws or regulations. Nearly every U.S. state has term limits and/or mandatory retirement ages for high-court justices, as does every other constitutional democracy in the world.

Progressives should take some steps right away. They should support the Judiciary Act of 2023, which would add four seats to the Supreme Court. They should add jurisdiction-stripping, channeling, or supermajority language to every progressive bill to protect it from the courts. And they should work with Congress to write and build support for broader court reform legislation, including some or all of the tools described in the report, so that it is ready to go when its politically possible to enact it.

Some court watchers object to court reform on the grounds that it would harm the publics respect for the judiciary. But the courts low public approval rating is earned; Americans are correct to think that it acts as a partisan political body. Trying to prop up public support for the courts by ignoring glaring problems with them is not a solid basis for a system of government.

Some critics also object to shifting power from the courts to Congress. Its true that Congress is currently ineffectual and populated by alarming extremists. But the problems with Congress are in part due to the courts own rulings in areas like voting rights, campaign finance, partisan gerrymandering, and weakening the labor movement. Even with a highly imperfect Congress, it is healthier in a democracy for the public to be able to make policy demands of elected officials and democratically accountable agencies, rather than being limited to pleading their cases to unelected judges.

Progressives must not accept learned helplessness by deciding it is pointless to consider court reform because it is unlikely to be enacted in the short term, or because courts might strike it down. Progressives must build consensus on court reform now so that elements of it can be enacted when political conditions make that possible. Court reform has the potential to strengthen democracy and increase equality and justice. Enacting it will be difficult, but we must try. The ability of the American people to shape our future depends on it.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, left, testifies during a House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure oversight hearing of the Department of Transportation's policies and programs and fiscal year 2025 budget request, Thursday, June 27, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington. | Mariam Zuhaib

Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg came across as a little arrogant as a member of the executive branch addressing the legislative branch when he was responding to questions about federal government spending.

When responding to a question from Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark, during a congressional hearing last week, Buttigieg responded in a way Maloy told the Deseret News was inappropriate, adding she wanted to follow up with the transportation secretary on areas where his agency isnt being as careful as it could be.

Crawford pressed Buttigieg about how much the Transportation Department was spending to appeal court decisions blocking an agency rule on lowering greenhouse gas emissions. The rule was challenged by 22 states in federal court.

You really think its a good allocation of taxpayer resources to challenge a legal decision for which you have no authority to make a rule? Crawford asked.

Buttigiegs response? Yes, anything we do, we think its a good allocation of taxpayer resources. Otherwise, we wouldnt.

Maloy: After Chevron doctrine overturned, Congress is back in charge

On the same day Maloy spoke to the Deseret News about the hearing, the Supreme Court disrupted the balance of power in Washington with its decision to overturn the Chevron doctrine.

The Chevron doctrine meant judges had to defer to federal agencies interpretation of the laws passed by Congress, but Fridays court ruling puts the responsibility of passing clear, specific laws on Congress, as the Deseret News reported.

Maloy said the hearing with Buttigieg is an example of the flaws in the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches.

We have the Department of Transportation clearly not afraid of Congress, she said. He was there to account to Congress, and he talked over a lot of the people who were asking him questions, and he was kind of dismissive.

She said elected officials are held accountable by voters, but someone like Secretary Buttigieg is not accountable directly to constituents, even indirectly  and the Supreme Court decision changes that.

Rep. Celeste Maloy asks DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg to support the Free Act

At the hearing, Maloy also asked Buttigieg for his cooperation regarding the Free Act, which would direct federal agencies to spot areas where the permitting process could be streamlined. The transportation secretary said hed be happy to.

When a county is trying to maintain a road that goes across federal lands, taxpayers are paying for both sides of that permitting process. Theyre paying local taxes to the county and federal taxes to the agency, Maloy explained.

Agencies take years to make decisions. This includes costly and time-consuming environmental studies to assess the project that everyone already knows is a good idea, she said. Theyd still have to meet all the standards that exist but it wouldnt take as much time and taxpayer money.

For example, a constituent hoping to pick up trash on Forest Service land should be automatically issued a permit, another area in this wide-ranging bill, Maloy said.

Will federal government invest in Utahs double-track rail?

Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, who was also at the hearing, said he appreciated the collaboration between federal and state transportation departments, especially as Utah prepares to potentially host the 2034 Olympic Winter Games.

As one of the fastest-growing states, more than 48% of Utahs population lives along a 100-mile stretch of I-15 between the Wasatch Mountain range and the Great Salt Lake. Utah will put around $400 million toward developing the FrontRunners tracking in order to double the frequency of trains and promote ridership.

The state is seeking a collaborative federal partnership to complete this critical, critically important regional project, said Owens. He added the project is in the beginning stage with the Federal Transit Administrations capital investment grant and is listed on President Joe Bidens recent budget request.

He asked if Buttigieg could affirm the Biden administrations commitment to work with Utah. Buttigieg said the FTA has, to date, allocated $494 million in capital investment grants and applauded the Utah Department of Transportations attention to its growing transit needs.

Rep. Burgess Owens human rights concerns over EVs

Aside from providing praise, Owens presented his concerns about government interference with the economy. Its the same mistake the country made with cotton gin back in the day, the Utah congressman said.

Slavery was just not a profitable venture. It was too labor-intensive, it could not scale. The cotton gin allowed it to scale unlimited as long as those pickers were slaves. It took 72 years and over 600,000 lives to change that trajectory, Owens said, before pointing out that the production of electric vehicles depends on mining in foreign countries with lax child labor laws.

Owens, too, posed a similar question as Crawford, about how the administration justifies subsidizing electric vehicles despite the human rights violations. Buttigieg stated the transportation agency doesnt tolerate forced labor of any kind and that EVs will save American lives.

Technological developments have also adjusted the need for mining. We believe that 80% less cobalt is now going into todays EV batteries.

Future of climate policy and legal challenges

The Biden administration has championed a national climate policy. But its proposed rules, like cutting emissions from power plants or heavy-duty trucks, have been unsuccessfully challenged in court.

Now that the Chevron doctrine has been overturned, many of the White Houses rules are under threat, say experts.

In the short run, we expect a significant increase in regulatory litigation, including challenges to existing regulations, ongoing rulemakings and existing precedents, said Gordon Todd, who co-chairs the regulatory litigation practice group at the firm Sidley Austin.

Utah and 25 other states are suing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for requiring auto manufacturers to abide by new standards for EV production, and that may just be the beginning.

Owens told the Deseret News the country would be served better if the federal agency allowed the free market to make decisions, including with electric cars.

We have a government right now that has decided what is best for the American people, and therefore theyre subsidizing an industry that the American people would not buy on their own, he said.
(The Hill)  The Supreme Court said Tuesday it will hear a case involving the Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) marketing denial of two companies that sell flavored tobacco vaping products.

The court took up the appeal from FDA after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled at the beginning of this year that the agencys actions in rejecting the applications from the companies was arbitrary and capricious.

The firms, Triton and Vapetasia LLC sell flavored e-liquids, and in 2020 applied for marketing permission for flavors including sour grape, pink lemonade and creme brulee, and names including Jimmy The Juice Man Strawberry Astronaut and Suicide Bunny Bunny Season.

FDA denied the authorizations, finding that the companies failed to offer reliable and robust evidence to overcome the risks of youth addiction and show a benefit to adult smokers.

The FDA has authorized the sale of only 27 e-cigarette products, and all except one have been tobacco flavored, which is not widely used by young people. It has denied millions of others. Companies seeking the agencys approval must clear a high legal bar since such products pose a known and substantial risk to youth, the FDA said.

The companies sued, and the Fifth Circuit, viewed as the most conservative panel in the country, heard the case. In January, a full panel of 5th Circuit judges ruled 10-6 that the FDA violated Administrative Procedure Act by denying the applications without considering plans by the companies to prevent underage access and use.

The court said FDA asked the companies for detailed plans about how they would market their products to prevent abuse by youth, but then denied their applications without looking at them.

In court documents, FDA countered that the companies merely called for their products to be only sold in age-gated vape and specialty tobacco shops and through age-gated online sales, which the agency has previously said dont work. The marketing plans were not any different from plans the agency had rejected from other companies.

FDA said other federal appellate courts have ruled in their favor, creating a split and promoting the agencys appeal to the Supreme Court.

The agency argued that if the decision from the lower court were allowed to stand, it would seriously impair FDAs efforts to protect young people from the harmful effects of e-cigarettes.

The case will be heard when the Supreme Court begins its next term in October.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts majority opinion in the Trump case is the "ultimate clapback for Watergate," wrote Stephen Griffin, a Tulane University law professor, saying, President Richard Nixon "need never have feared prosecution" under the ruling.

In a landmark ruling with a potentially major impact on the 2024 presidential campaign, a U.S. Supreme Court majority ruled that presidents  including former President Donald Trump  have immunity from prosecution when carrying out "official acts."

"Under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power entitles a former President to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority," the court wrote. "And he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts. There is no immunity for unofficial acts."

The July 1 decision in Trump v. United States fell along partisan lines, with the six conservative justices voting in the majority and the three liberal justices dissenting.

The ruling follows the June 27 presidential debate and comes amid a campaign in which both political parties have cried foul over perceived abuses of presidential power. This issue is sure to become an issue on the campaign trail.

Here are some key facts to keep in mind from the ruling:

Ruling almost certainly helps Trump avoid further trials before election

In the short term, the ruling will almost certainly delay past this Novembers general election Trumps federal prosecution on charges that he interfered with the 2020 election. Thats because the justices sent the case back to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to determine which elements of the indictment would count as official and unofficial acts, a process that legal experts said cannot be sorted out before Election Day, especially because any trial court decisions could be appealed.

"Todays ruling ensures that no criminal prosecution of Trump may proceed before the election," Michael Gerhardt, a University of North Carolina law professor, said in an email. "Trump will raise this opinion as a defense."

The campaigns have highlighted perceived presidential power abuses

Donald Trump

Trump replied on Truth Social, "BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!" In a fundraising email, the Trump campaign wrote "Crooked Joe Biden KNEW this case would fall apart, but he STILL had his out-of-control DOJ try to TAKE ME DOWN!"

Biden is not responsible for decisions by prosecutors to present cases to grand juries.

Trump has called the New York case a "Biden trial," which we rated false. The Manhattan district attorneys investigation into Trumps business records began before Biden was president, but Biden was president by the time Trump was charged in 2023. While District Attorney Alvin Bragg hired a former Justice Department lawyer, that doesnt prove that Biden directed the prosecution.

In brief remarks that evening, Biden said the Supreme Court's ruling means, "For all practical purposes, todays decision almost certainly means that there are virtually no limits on what the president can do." Biden vowed to continue to "respect the limits of the presidential powers" and expressed concern over preserving democracy.

The Biden campaign said in a statement, "Todays ruling doesnt change the facts, so lets be very clear about what happened on January 6th: Donald Trump snapped after he lost the 2020 election and encouraged a mob to overthrow the results of a free and fair election." On that day, Trump held a "Save America" rally at which he repeatedly said there was a need to "fight" and invited his supporters to go to the Capitol. Trump often highlights that he used the word "peacefully" during his remarks.

The Biden campaign also highlighted past Trump statements, including that he is "promising to be a dictator on Day 1"  a reference to Trumps December interview with Fox News Sean Hannity, when Trump said during the interview that he would be a dictator only on "Day 1" adding, "We are closing the border and we are drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I am not a dictator, OK?"

Trump has made other comments that sound authoritarian. The Biden campaign also said Trump had promised "a bloodbath if he loses."

Trump was discussing the auto industry and electric vehicles in March when he made the "bloodbath" comment.

Bidens campaign also highlighted Trumps remark about terminating the Constitution. In 2022, Trump said on Truth Social that election fraud could be the basis for the "termination" of rules found in the Constitution, although days later he sought to walk back his words, writing in a new post, "The Fake News is actually trying to convince the American People that I said I wanted to terminate the Constitution," and called it "disinformation and lies."

We fact-checked Trumps statement that election fraud allows the termination of rules, including in the Constitution, and rated it Pants on Fire.

The ruling significantly limits checks on presidential power

The rulings longer-term implications could be just as important as its impact on Trumps legal cases.

Chief Justice John Roberts majority opinion is the "ultimate clapback for Watergate," Stephen Griffin, a Tulane University law professor, said in an email. In the 1970s, President Richard Nixon "need never have feared prosecution, and President Gerald Fords pardon would have been completely unnecessary."

Justice Sonia Sotomayor made this argument in her sharply worded dissent, which Mark Osler, a University of St. Thomas law professor, called "the most chilling part" of the opinions released today.

Sotomayor wrote that the decision "effectively creates a law-free zone around the president, upsetting the status quo that has existed since the founding.  Orders the Navys Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune.  In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law."

The majority offered phrases in its opinion that suggest limits to presidential immunity.

Roberts argued that "the president is not above the law," writing that "the president enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the president does is official."

However, Roberts added that a president "may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers, and he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for his official acts."

The ruling "effectively makes criminal prosecutions of former presidents all but impossible, whatever Roberts may have said," said Frank Bowman, a University of Missouri emeritus law professor. "Virtually any awful thing a president can do in office can arguably be placed in either the core power or official conduct box, thus affording the president's crimes either absolute or presumptive immunity."

Our sources

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: What Supreme Courts immunity ruling means for future presidents
How the Supreme Courts immunity ruling opened the door for a shocking question: Can presidents kill their rivals?

Donald Trump greets supporters at a rally in Virginia on June 28, three days before the Supreme Court granted him partial immunity in his election interference case. (AP)

Can a president order a rivals assassination and get away with it?

It was an absurd hypothetical raised by an appeals court judge to point out the literally unbelievable and dangerous consequences of the legal argument from Donald Trumps attorneys.

But it landed as a shocking warning from a Supreme Court justice in an earthquaking decision this week that shields Trump from accountability for crimes committed in office.

There has never been any legal precedent that would give a president such authority. But according to legal scholars, attorneys and the Supreme Courts liberal justices, the decision has seemingly opened the door to question whether the commander in chief can commit legal murder.

The whole assassination thing sounds far-fetched if you dont view that hypothetical in light of what we just went through on January 6, according to Donald Sherman, executive vice president and chief counsel with Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a nonpartisan nonprofit government watchdog group.

This is not an academic exercise. This is no longer theoretical. This is no longer the providence of academics in ivory towers. We know what Trump has said. We know what this court has said. We know what Trump has done. We know that on January 6, Trump incited a mob to violently storm the Capitol, threatening the lives of members of Congress and the sitting vice president, Sherman told The Independent.

How much farther do you think we need to go to get to the scenario that the Supreme Court just said falls under this blanket immunity?

The ruling from the courts Republican-appointed majority grants the president absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions under their official duties. If a president relies on those core constitutional powers  say, activating the military to respond to a crisis  the president could ostensibly be shielded from prosecution for the killing of a political opponent.

The courts decision does not make the underlying act legal. The military would not be immune from prosecution for carrying out a crime, and the military is not going to obey illegal orders. But a lawless president would be restrained only by their own administration and will power to test those constraints, according to legal experts.

In a dissent joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned that the court had created a law-free zone around the president, upsetting the status quo that has existed since the founding.

Orders the Navys SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune, she wrote. Organizes a military exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune. Even if these nightmare scenarios never play out, and I pray they never do, the damage has been done. The relationship between the president and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably.

She didnt invent that assassination plot scenario, of course.

It first came out of an appeals court hearing in January, when Judge Florence Pan pressed Trumps attorney whether he believed that a president could order SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival without being criminally prosecuted.

The fact that the Supreme Courts majority did not specifically carve out such radical exemptions from that absolute immunity  and instead only mentioned actions that Trump himself is immune from  has alarmed legal analysts.

If theres ever a threat to democracy, Joe Biden can say hes confronted by it, according to John Dean, former White House counsel to Richard Nixon and a key witness in the Watergate scandal. Its an unclear guideline and it will be until some jurisprudence develops on it.

If elected, Trump would return to the White House with an ideologically tested staff of loyalists and be armed with an authoritative blueprint for his regime. Two massive Supreme Court rulings that demolished the so-called administrative state this term have paved the way for him to centralize power, and a decision granting him legal immunity will undoubtedly empower him to act with impunity and grind his criminal cases to a halt.

The majoritys decision says flatly that unofficial acts can still be prosecuted. But it might end up being impossible for prosecutors to dig up evidence that proves a president was acting unofficially because the Supreme Court has largely made any communications or other materials inadmissible as evidence under its new threshold for immunity.

How can prosecutors even present a case if they cant even use what a president says or does while in office as evidence against them?

Donald Trump addresses supporters in Washington DC on January 6, 2021, before a mob stormed the Capitol to block the certification of Joe Bidens election. (REUTERS)

The presidents conversations with the secretary of defense, with the attorney general, cant even come into evidence, Sherman said. This effectively means that whether we have a democracy is based solely on the whims and temperament of the person that holds the presidency.

The ruling in Trump v United States fails to distinguish whether an official act clearly within the presidents power becomes unofficial if they commit a crime to do it, leaving a gaping hole in understanding the courts new formula for reining in abuse.

While the President may have the authority to decide to remove the Attorney General, for example, Justice Jackson wrote, the question here is whether the President has the option to remove the Attorney General by, say, poisoning him to death.

The frighteningly absurd legal arguments surrounding Trumps actions  where analysts are now debating whether a president can legally kill someone  reflects something more sinister about the state of politics and the Supreme Court, according to legal experts.

As preposterous as some of these possibilities seem to us right now, that we would be having this conversation right now seemed completely unthinkable a decade ago, according to Georgia attorney Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, speaking to reporters on Monday.

Whether its actually not illegal, or it is illegal but you just cant be prosecuted for it, we used to live in a country where there was more respect for the law than contemplating realistic hypotheticals of the president assassinating his political opponents, said Matthew Seligman, a fellow at the Center for Constitutional Law at Stanford Law School.

Like, what are you talking about? Sherman told The Independent. The court doesnt issue advisory opinions. It takes real cases and controversies.  God help us if the court ever has to deal with this issue, because the only way that happens is if there was an attempt.
U.S. environmental law is a relatively young discipline. The Environmental Protection Agency is a little over 50 years old, and the Clean Air and Clean Water actslegislation we today see as bedrocks of public health and environmental safeguardswere passed in 1963 and 1973, respectively. When the case that would become Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council was filed in the early 1980s, the EPA was just beginning to pump out rules that would have major economic consequences for business and industry.

In its decision last week overturning Chevron deferencea crucial legal precedent that gives federal agencies the ability to interpret laws that are otherwise vague or ambiguousthe Supreme Court has taken the future of an incalculable number of regulations on public health, clean water, and clean air out of the hands of scientists for organizations like the EPA and passed it along to nonexpert judges who will hear challenges to these regulations in court.

Anybody who doesnt like a federal-agency regulation can now bring it before a court, said Jillian Blanchard, a director at Lawyers for Good Government. Its scary.

Overturning Chevron is just a cog in the larger plan to dismantle the administrative state and environmental law as we know itand the ultraconservative forces and fossil fuel defenders, like the Koch brothers, behind it are only getting started.

Ironically, the Chevron decision was initially seen as a win for polluting industries. The Clean Air Act mandates that new stationary sources of pollution go through an agency review, but it fails to define what exactly a source is. In the early 1980s, Reagans EPAheaded by Anne Gorsuch, the mother of current Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuchexpanded the definition of source to mean an entire factory or complex. This significantly cut down on red tape for polluting industries, which previously had to go through government approval processes to add individual smokestacks to larger facilities. The National Resources Defense Council sued the EPA and won; Chevron interfered and took the case to the Supreme Court, where the justices ruled 80 to reverse the lower courts decision and handed a victory to the oil giantand the EPA.

The doctrine established by the case was also seen as a good tool for corporate life. Industries rely on consistent federal guidelines to build their business models. Taking the specifics of regulations out of the courts and putting them into the hands of agencies provided stability for companies that needed to plan ahead.

As the deference doctrine became known law, everybody just came to rely on it, Blanchard said. They may not like an agencys decision on something, but they were able to rely on the fact, like, OK, at least we can trust the process.

Subsequent administrations passed much stronger environmental regulations using the Chevron doctrine as a basis. The EPA, especially under Democratic presidents, increasingly came to be seen as an onerous, antibusiness body by industrial interests and ultraconservative figureheads alike. Even Antonin Scalia, who for most of his career was a champion of Chevron, showed signs of tiring of the doctrine in his later years.

In 1989 climate scientist James Hansen sounded the alarm about climate change in front of Congress. In the years that immediately followed, climate science was accepted by both Democratic and Republican politicians, and George H.W. Bush expressed support for climate change policies. The fossil fuel industry panicked and began organizing to combat what it saw as an oncoming wave of regulation. In the decades since, the industry and its allies have invested in politicians, scientists, and cultural figures to publicly sow doubt about climate science, transforming what should have been a straightforward policy problem into a cultural and political war that is still playing out today. Charles and David Koch, who had built up a massive chemical, industrial, and fossil fuel empire, were some of the most important funders of this campaign, almost single-handedly ensuring that climate action stalled for decades in the U.S. (Its no accident that it took until 2022 for the country to pass any sort of climate change legislation.)

Those interested in casting doubt on science and clearing out the administrative bedrocks of environmental law had a valuable ally in Leonard Leo, the head of the Federalist Society and one of the most influential figures in stacking the Supreme Court with ultraconservative judges. Although much of Leos massive funding to remake the courts comes from dark money, the Kochs have played a public and private role in supporting his efforts. In 2016 Leo coordinated a $10 million donation from the Kochs to George Mason Universitys Antonin Scalia Law School, for which Justices Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh have all served as faculty; Thomas long-standing appearances at Koch donor events was also facilitated by Leo, as ProPublica reported last year.

This whole thing has been funded by the Koch brothers, Blanchard said.

The Koch-funded, Leo-facilitated assault on the administrative state hasnt been isolated to Chevron. On Monday, the court ruled along familiar 63 party lines in Corner Post Inc. v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, in a decision that creates new opportunities for companies to attack federal regulations years after theyre put in place.

After today, even the most well-settled agency regulations can be placed on the chopping block, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in her dissent. Any established government regulation about any issuesay, workplace safety, toxic waste, or consumer protectioncan now be attacked by any new regulated entity within six years of the entitys formation.

A day before the Loper Bright decision last week, the court ruled, again 63, in a decision against the Securities and Exchange Commission that could potentially force federal agencies to hold jury trials as a regular part of enforcement. Last year, the EPA issued more than 950 compliance orders, fining a wide variety of companies, industrial plants, and other entities for not being in line with federal standards. Pat Parenteau, an emeritus professor at Vermont Law School who served as regional counsel in the EPAs New England office, said that administrative orders are the agencys bread and butter.

If you have to go to the DOJ to file a lawsuit [for the 900-plus administrative orders], the enforcement program is going to collapse, he said.

The elimination of Chevron and other guardrails for administrative law doesnt mean that all environmental rules will disappear tomorrow. The Supreme Court hasnt used Chevron in a decision in years. Last year, in Sackett v. EPA, the majority justices sidestepped the doctrine altogether in their decision, which effectively wiped out federal protections for as many as half the nations wetlandsa preview of the type of decisions that can now be made without Chevron in play.

Lower courts have still consistently relied on Chevron and made decisions using the doctrine that, one analysis found, overwhelmingly favored federal agencies. Now, facing incapacitated enforcement mechanisms and a wide-open field to challenge federal regulations, with a host of conservative judges across the country ready to hear lawsuits, deep-pocketed polluters have little in the way of taking swings at the remaining laws holding them back.

There are a dizzying amount of opportunities ahead of themand untold effects on the American public when environmental protections are dismantled. Agencies could begin to act more cautiously for fear of lawsuits, a trend that, as Blanchards organization points out, could have devastating effects during a crisis like the current avian flu epidemic, when entities like the Department of Agriculture and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention need to work together. The Supreme Court has already agreed to hear a case next year reconsidering denied approvals for a crude oil railway, and its decision could do away with how the government calculates potential fossil fuel emissions associated with infrastructure projects.

We have by no means seen the end of the assault on the administrative statewhich is environmental law, said Parenteau. Environmental law is the administrative state.

Parenteau said that although the Clean Air and Clean Water acts are likely to be the first targets of proponents of Chevrons demise, conservative towns and cities could eventually decide to take new federal regulations intended to protect the public from forever chemicals, or PFAS, to court. The costs of monitoring and testing for those PFAS chemicals in the parts per trillion is going to be exorbitant, he said. My guess is theres going to be a real pushback as these rules start to take effect.

For Leos part, he has already signaled where he intends to turn next. In recent months, his network has launched public and private campaigns to persuade the Supreme Court to take up a case involving the city and county of Honolulus suit against a handful of fossil fuel companies, one of dozens of such climate suits being launched across the country. If the conservative court decides to hear the case, its likely to deal a blow to one of the newest strategies to hold Big Oil accountableand one of the last remaining lines of defense for a nation thats rapidly losing its ability to make polluters pay to clean up their messes.
The U.S. Supreme Court. (Getty Images)

A landmark Supreme Court decision that reins in federal agencies authority is expected to hold dramatic consequences for the nations health care system, calling into question government rules on anything from consumer protections for patients to drug safety to nursing home care.

The June 28 decision overturns a 1984 precedent that said courts should give deference to federal agencies in legal challenges over their regulatory or scientific decisions. Instead of giving priority to agencies, courts will now exercise their own independent judgment about what Congress intended when drafting a particular law.

The ruling will likely have seismic ramifications for health policy. A flood of litigation  with plaintiffs like small businesses, drugmakers, and hospitals challenging regulations they say arent specified in the law  could leave the country with a patchwork of disparate health regulations varying by location.

Agencies such as the FDA are likely to be far more cautious in drafting regulations, Congress is expected to take more time fleshing out legislation to avoid legal challenges, and judges will be more apt to overrule current and future regulations.

Health policy leaders say patients, providers, and health systems should brace for more uncertainty and less stability in the health care system. Even routine government functions such as deciding the rate to pay doctors for treating Medicare beneficiaries could become embroiled in long legal battles that disrupt patient care or strain providers to adapt.

Groups that oppose a regulation could search for and secure partisan judges to roll back agency decision-making, said Andrew Twinamatsiko, director of the Health Policy and the Law Initiative at Georgetown Universitys ONeill Institute. One example could be challenges to the FDAs approval of a medication used in abortions, which survived a Supreme Court challenge this term on a technicality.

Judges will be more emboldened to second-guess agencies, he said. Its going to open agencies up to attacks.

Regulations are effectively the technical instructions for laws written by Congress. Federal agency staffers with knowledge related to a law  say, in drugs that treat rare diseases or health care for seniors  decide how to translate Congress words into action with input from industry, advocates, and the public.

Up until now, when agencies issued a regulation, a single rule typically applied nationwide. Following the high court ruling, however, lawsuits filed in more than one jurisdiction could result in contradictory rulings and regulatory requirements  meaning health care policies for patients, providers, or insurers could differ greatly from one area to another.

One circuit may uphold a regulation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for example, while other circuits may take different views.

You could have eight or nine of 11 different views of the courts, said William Buzbee, a professor at Georgetown Law.

A court in one circuit could issue a nationwide injunction to enforce its interpretation while another circuit disagrees, said Maura Monaghan, a partner at Debevoise & Plimpton. Few cases are taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court, which could leave clashing directives in place for many years.

In the immediate future, health policy leaders say agencies should brace for more litigation over controversial initiatives. A requirement that most Affordable Care Act health plans cover preventive services, for example, is already being litigated. Multiple challenges to the mandate could mean different coverage requirements for preventive care depending on where a consumer lives.

Drugmakers have sued to try to stop the Biden administration from implementing a federal law that forces makers of the most expensive drugs to negotiate prices with Medicare  a key cog in President Joe Bidens effort to lower drug prices and control health care costs.

Parts of the health care industry may take on reimbursement rates for doctors that are set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services because those specific rates arent written into law. The agency issues rules updating payment rates in Medicare, a health insurance program for people 65 or older and younger people with disabilities. Groups representing doctors and hospitals regularly flock to Washington, D.C., to lobby against trims to their payment rates.

And providers, including those backed by deep-pocketed investors, have sued to block federal surprise-billing legislation. The No Surprises Act, which passed in 2020 and took effect for most people in 2022, aims to protect patients from unexpected, out-of-network medical bills, especially in emergencies. The high courts ruling is expected to spur more litigation over its implementation.

This really is going to create a tectonic change in the administrative regulatory landscape, Twinamatsiko said. The approach since 1984 has created stability. When the FDA or CDC adopt regulations, they know those regulations will be respected. That has been taken back.

Industry groups, including the American Hospital Association and AHIP, an insurers trade group, declined to comment.

Agencies such as the FDA that take advantage of their regulatory authority to make specific decisions, such as the granting of exclusive marketing rights upon approval of a drug, will be vulnerable. The reason: Many of their decisions require discretion as opposed to being explicitly defined by federal law, said Joseph Ross, a professor of medicine and public health at Yale School of Medicine.

The legislation that guides much of the work in the health space, such as FDA and CMS, is not prescriptive, he said.

In fact, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in an episode of the Healthcare Unfiltered podcast last year that he was very worried about the disruption from judges overruling his agencys scientific decisions.

The high courts ruling will be especially significant for the nations federal health agencies because their regulations are often complex, creating the opportunity for more pitched legal battles.

Challenges that may not have succeeded in courts because of the deference to agencies could now find more favorable outcomes.

A whole host of existing regulations could be vulnerable, said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF.

Other consequences are possible. Congress may attempt to flesh out more details when drafting legislation to avoid challenges  an approach that may increase partisan standoffs and slow down an already glacial pace in passing legislation, Levitt said.

Agencies are expected to be far more cautious in writing regulations to be sure they dont go beyond the contours of the law.

The Supreme Courts 6-3 decision overturned Chevron U.S.A. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which held that courts should generally back a federal agencys statutory interpretation as long as it was reasonable. Republicans have largely praised the new ruling as necessary for ensuring agencies dont overstep their authority, while Democrats said in the aftermath of the decision that it amounts to a judicial power grab.

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.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 3, 2024 - 20:20 | All, Japan

The Okinawa governor protested Wednesday to the central government for not sharing information about cases of U.S. military personnel accused of committing sexual crimes in the southern Japan island prefecture.

During a meeting with Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in Tokyo, Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki called it an "extremely big problem" that her ministry failed to inform the prefecture of the cases successively revealed by media reports since last week.

Kamikawa told Tamaki that the central government is asking the United States to thoroughly implement countermeasures to prevent a recurrence, saying that she is "filled with an intolerable sense of gravity."

The cases include a U.S. Air Force serviceman indicted in March for allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting a minor in December and a U.S. Marine arrested in May on suspicion of attempted rape resulting in injury.

Local police did not disclose the two incidents, citing the need to protect the victims' privacy. The Foreign Ministry was aware of them but refrained from providing the information to the Okinawa prefectural government, taking the police's decision into account.

The alleged crimes themselves and such government handlings have rekindled anti-base anger among residents in Okinawa, home to around 70 percent of the land exclusively used by the U.S. military in Japan even after its reversion from U.S. control in 1972 following the end of World War II in August 1945.

In addition to the two cases, the Okinawa police have admitted they did not disclose three more sex-related incidents involving U.S. military personnel to the press, investigative sources said Tuesday.

Related coverage:

Austin keeping close eye on U.S. troops' sex crime cases in Okinawa

U.S. Marine in Okinawa arrested over female injured in attempted rape
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday March 20, 2024 ahead of oral arguments in a case over how Rio Grande water is managed between New Mexico, Texas and the federal government. (Photo by Danielle Prokop / Source NM)

This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grists weekly newsletter here.

The Supreme Court last week threw into question the future of climate and environmental regulation in the United States, scrapping a decades-old legal precedent that gave federal agencies leeway to interpret laws according to their expertise and scientific evidence.

The impact of the decision to scrap the so-called Chevron deference will take years to become clear, but it could allow for far more legal challenges against regulations by agencies like the EPA and the Department of the Interior that have a huge role in the climate fight.

Federal courts have long deferred to federal agencies to interpret laws that are unclear and need further clarification. In 1984, a shorthanded Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous decision that federal agencies have the final say on ambiguous policies, which allowed those agencies broad authority to make decisions without fear of judicial override.

In Supreme Court filings, the Biden administration said that overruling the Chevron deference would be a convulsive shock to the legal system.

Environmental organizations also condemned the decision.

Todays ruling sidelines the role of agency expertise, and instead shifts power to judges who do not have the expertise of agency staff who live and breathe the science, financial principles, and safety concerns that federal agencies specialize in, Kym Meyer, the litigation director for the Southern Environmental Law Center, said in a statement.

Vickie Patton, general counsel for the Environmental Defense Fund, said the decision undermines vital protections for the American people at the behest of powerful polluters.

Writing for a 6-3 majority, Chief Justice John Roberts argued that courts must exercise their independent judgment in deciding whether an agency has acted within its statutory authority. He called the Chevron decision a fundamental disruption of our separation of powers, one that improperly strips courts of judicial power by simultaneously increasing the power of executive agencies.

The current conservative Supreme Court no longer relies much on Chevron to decide big cases involving the executive branch; Roberts noted during the oral arguments for the Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo case, also on the docket this session, that the court has gone 14 or 16 years since issuing a decision citing the Chevron precedent. Instead, the court in several recent decisions has outlined its own standard for evaluating regulations. This standard, which the courts conservative justices call the major questions doctrine, prohibits agencies from making rules on issues of economic and political magnitude without clear directives from Congress. The court has never outlined what constitutes an issue of such magnitude, but it cited the major questions test in a landmark 2022 case that limited the EPAs authority to regulate greenhouse gases.

Lower courts, however, still cite the Chevron deference in many cases, and federal agencies win most of them: An analysis of more than 1,500 circuit court decisions between 2003 and 2013 found that courts applied Chevron in 77 percent of regulatory disputes, and that agencies won many more of cases than they did cases where courts did not use Chevron. The Department of the Interior, which handles many issues related to climate change, oil leasing, endangered species, and Indigenous affairs, was one of the agencies that relied on Chevron the most.

The Biden administration and numerous legal scholars had urged the court to keep the precedent in place, arguing that overturning it would create regulatory chaos as hundreds of plaintiffs sued to challenge past rules. In his decision, Roberts rebuffed the idea that the courts move to throw out Chevron would cause a deluge of lawsuits against past regulation, saying the decision shouldnt call into question the numerous past cases that relied on the precedent.

The holdings of those cases that specific agency actions are lawful  including the Clean Air Act holding of Chevron itself  are still subject to statutory stare decisis despite our change in interpretive methodology, he wrote, referring to a legal principle that argues judges should leave intact most past decisions.

In her dissent, Justice Elena Kagan expressed skepticism of that claim, saying she found the majority too sanguine about the impact of tossing Chevron, arguing the precedent helped keep air and water clean, food and drugs safe, and financial markets honest. She accused the conservative bloc of trying to turn the Supreme Court into the countrys administrative czar.

Whats at stake [in the decision] is whether courts are going to defer to agencies interpreting statutes, said Michael Burger, the director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, or whether courts are going to stop doing that, and with more regularity take it on themselves to interpret the statutes even when theyre ambiguous, which means they may be in the position of making more policy choices.

The main case in question this year, Loper Bright, concerned a National Marine Fisheries Service regulation that requires herring fishers to pay for monitors on their boats. The underlying law in question provides for monitors to ride on boats and make sure fishermen arent overfishing, but it doesnt say whether the government can require fishing boat companies to pay for them. A commercial fishing company represented by lawyers who have ties to conservative energy billionaire Charles Kochs political organization is suing to overturn the monitor rule  and also asking the court to throw out the Chevron standard altogether.

The original Chevron decision upheld an attempt to weaken environmental regulations, rather than strengthen them. The Environmental Protection Agency under Ronald Reagan sought to loosen the standard for calculating air pollution emissions from industrial facilities, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, or NRDC, sued to argue that the EPA didnt have the authority to offer a new interpretation of the Clean Air Act. NRDC won at first, but Chevron appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which sided with Reagans EPA.

But over the past decade, many conservatives have come to believe that the precedent allows the executive branch to overreach its authority, and overturning it has become a rallying cry for many right-wing activists and legal scholars.

Theres a feeling that Chevron favors regulation, said Burger. And if you take away the deference and you give power to courts, then the increasing number of conservative judges in the federal court system have more authority, and thats going to have the effect of chilling agencies.

This article originally appeared in Grist at https://grist.org/regulation/the-supreme-court-overturns-chevron-doctrine-gutting-federal-environmental-protections/.

Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Learn more at Grist.org

The post The Supreme Court overturns Chevron doctrine, gutting federal environmental protections appeared first on Source New Mexico.
The Supreme Court is restoring our democracy. Trump's immunity verdict is the right move.

New Albany resident Philip Derrow is a retired business owner. He was a two-term member of the New Albany-Plain Local Board of Education. He is a frequent Columbus Dispatch contributor.

The U.S. Supreme Court continues to take important steps toward restoring our democracy. With partisans, pundits, and even a Supreme Court Justice ringing democracys death knell, I am more hopeful.

The day after the most embarrassing  if not frightening  presidential debate in my lifetime, the Supreme Court released its decision in a landmark case that began as a rather mundane dispute over who should pay for government inspectors on fishing boats.

The constitutional question at hand was the standard by which the judiciary interprets federal law.

For the past 40 years, that question has too often been answered under a doctrine known as Chevron Deference, requiring courts to defer to the judgment of federal administrative agencies, which are part of the Executive Branch. The court overruled Chevron.

Interestingly, the high court was two years behind the Ohio Supreme Court, which reached a similar decision about judicial deference in 2022.

Our democracy has survived.

The proper order is being restored

A person holds a placard outside the Supreme Court, after justices rule on former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's bid for immunity from federal prosecution for 2020 election subversion in Washington, on July 1, 2024.

Three days after Chevron Deference was vanquished, the court released its much-anticipated decision in Trump v. United States, regarding the limits of presidential immunity.

Partisans immediately jumped in to once again pronounce the death of our democracy, as did Justice Sonia Sotomayor in her hyperbolic dissent.

After landmark Chevron ruling, could workplace safety agency OSHA be the next Supreme Court target?

Most of the attorneys with whom Ive discussed this case view the majority decision to be a limited and rather straight-forward application of constitutional text and precedent.

The decision held that former, current, and future presidents have immunity for official acts similar to that enjoyed by judges, members of Congress, and other elected officials. Even I had immunity for official acts as an elected member of my local school board.

For a brief civics refresher, Article I of the U.S. Constitution vests all power to make the law in the legislature, Article II vests the power to enforce the law in the executive, and Article III vests the power to interpret the law in the judiciary.

This separation of powers is central to our constitutional order and these two most recent decisions  as well as the Dobbs abortion rights decision of 2022  share a common feature of restoring that proper order.

Presidents shouldn't be hobbled

For roughly the past 90 years, Congress has delegated more and more of its law-making power to Executive branch agencies, theoretically under the control of the President. In reality, those agencies and their unelected staffers all too often operate as shadow legislatures, writing and enforcing their own laws.

By striking Chevron Deference, the court effectively returned some of that lawmaking responsibility  and accountability  to Congress.

Trump's 'Black jobs' rhetoric trades on racial stereotypes and fear of immigrants

Similarly, with the Trump decision, presidents are protected from partisan lawfare attacks that seek to hobble or harass a president they dont like, while Congress retains the power to impeach, convict, and remove a lawless president from power.

When the courts thwarted parts of FDRs New Deal, the President threatened to pack the Supreme Court with justices he believed would be more amenable. While FDR failed in his court-packing battle, he handily won the war for the balance of power as the Judiciary  cowed by the threat  mostly remained either silent or complicit as Congress shirked its responsibility and Presidents happily gobbled it up.

Democrats push to pack the Court today seeks strikingly similar  and profoundly anti-democratic  goals.

While it might seem counterintuitive for legislators to willingly cede power to alphabet agencies and the courts, the reason is simple  self preservation. The more they can offload the messy business of proper legislating to unaccountable bureaucrats and judges, the easier it is for them to avoid the electoral defeat theyd suffer for passing bad or unpopular laws.

Roe poisoned our politics for 50 year

The Dobbs decision, which overturned the 50 year-old Roe v. Wade, provided an object lesson in the benefits of returning power to where it rightly belongs.

Regardless of your views on abortion, Roe never had sound Constitutional underpinnings. Even the venerated Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg recognized its shaky foundation, which was laid by the previous case of Griswold v. Connecticut. There, the Court found its basis in the penumbras, formed by emanations of the Constitution, rather than its actual words.

Divining auras is the purview of astrologers and mediums, not judges.

As bad as that was, Roes greatest flaw was the courts usurping the proper role of citizens or their elected representatives in making new law.

Trump vs. Biden debate: 10 cartoons about first presidential debate

Roe poisoned our politics for 50 years and gave legislators a pass on writing laws they knew would never withstand scrutiny under Roes precedent. With Roe gone, some of those laws took effect and the people had their chance to weigh in, which they did around the country just as they had in the years before the Roe court decided to legislate from the bench.

Ohioans got their chance to show the power of actual democracy in action after Ohio legislators in 2023 passed and Gov. Mike DeWine signed a strict heartbeat anti-abortion law. Just a few months later, Ohio voters overwhelmingly passed Issue 1, effectively nullifying that law and guaranteeing abortion rights.

The Loper decision isnt about who pays for government inspectors any more than Dobbs was about abortion rights. Both cases were about who decides the laws under which we live together as a society.

And, no, the Trump decision doesnt portend a dictator in our midst either.

New Albany resident Philip Derrow is a retired business owner. He was a two-term member of the New Albany-Plain Local Board of Education.

We are right to worry about our obviously feeble incumbent president on full display in the June 27 debate just as many worry about the character of his opponent.

The answer is not to arbitrarily diminish or enhance the power of any of our three branches of government but to restore the proper constitutional order that balances that power.

This Supreme Court is returning to us the gift of our democratic, constitutional republic.

Are we wise enough to keep it?

New Albany resident Philip Derrow is a retired business owner. He was a two-term member of the New Albany-Plain Local Board of Education. He is a frequent Columbus Dispatch contributor.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: US Supreme Court is restoring democracy with Trump's immunity ruling
"What actions can be taken to address climate change?" Justice Elena Kagan, seen in February, wrote in dissent. "...Expect courts from now on to play a commanding role." (Jess Rapfogel / Associated Press)

A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling will probably pave the way for more legal challenges  and potential setbacks  for California's groundbreaking clean air rules and myriad other federal environmental protections.

In a 6-3 decision last week, the Supreme Court overturned the so-called Chevron doctrine, a long-standing legal precedent that instructed U.S. courts to rely on federal agencies to interpret ambiguous laws. By invalidating the legal doctrine, the nation's highest court has effectively stripped power from federal administrative agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and handed more authority to U.S. courts to independently decide whether newly enacted rules are consistent with federal law.

The six justices voting to overturn the deference rule were appointed by Republican presidents, including Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who wrote the majority opinion. The decision was repudiated by Justice Elena Kagan, who dissented along with Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor  all of whom were appointed by Democratic presidents.

"What actions can be taken to address climate change or other environmental challenges?" Kagan asked. "What will the nations health-care system look like in the coming decades? Or the financial or transportation systems? What rules are going to constrain the development of A.I.?

"In every sphere of current or future federal regulation, expect courts from now on to play a commanding role."

After years of political divisiveness and congressional gridlock, the U.S. EPA has been forced to use decades-old environmental laws to craft modern regulations to slow climate change and crack down on pollution from new industries. Legal experts say the ruling could have a chilling effect on ambitious federal rulemaking, which will now be subject to a federal judiciary filled with Trump appointees.

Read more: California voted to ban new diesel trucks at ports. Why did L.A. and Long Beach just add 1,000 more?

This may also spell trouble for California's ambitious rules for vehicle emissions, which have relied on Obama- and Biden-era interpretations of the Clean Air Act  a law last amended in 1990 that doesn't even mention greenhouse gases.

With at least nine of California's clean air rules awaiting EPA approval, the Supreme Court decision raises the stakes on the numerous court battles over the state's zero-emission vehicle mandates and other emissions standards.

"While the courts are entitled to hear what the agency thinks, they don't have to respect it," said Julia Stein, deputy director for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law. "They're open to adopt their own interpretation."

The Supreme Court ruling could also have implications for the Clean Water Act, which regulates pollution into bodies of water.

The law applies to "navigable waters," which has left uncertainty over whether habitats like wetlands and creeks are covered.

The potential for federal courts to alter environmental rules underscores the importance of states having their own laws on the books, Stein said.

"We have our own statutory scheme in California applied very robustly by state agencies here at home," Stein said about water regulation. "So even if something were to happen at the federal level, we have a very robust backup at the state level to manage that."

Read more: Own a pool in Southern California? New air-quality rule requires electric water heaters

Sign up for Boiling Point, our twice-weekly newsletter on energy, the environment and climate across the American West.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
As the dust settles from Trump v. United States, those paying attention look out over the wreckage, contemplating an unbounded future President Trump, a system of checks and balances toppled, a super-executive free to commit crimes with impunity.

Trump v. United States is one of the most, if not the most, authoritarian court opinions I have ever read in U.S. law, Blake Emerson, professor of law and political science at UCLA, told TPM. It has a theory that in order for presidents to be able to exercise their responsibilities, they must have absolute power within this certain sphere that cant be held to criminal account  thats an unprecedented conclusion.

The landmark Supreme Court ruling granted former presidents wide swaths of criminal immunity. For core constitutional powers that immunity is absolute; for foggily defined other official acts, there is presumptive immunity  a standard the Court did not bother to define or explain how to overcome.

Two days after the decision landed, experts are still reeling at the ramifications of this novel legal structure and the nefarious uses to which the wrong President could put these powers. The magnitude of the earthquake in the structure of our government is immediately clear, even if the specific ways in which it will play out are not.

This is one of the most important Supreme Court cases of the past 100 years, Emerson said. Id put it up there with cases like Shelby County v. Holder, Plessy v. Ferguson, Dred Scott.

David Super, a Georgetown Law School professor, ranked it alongside Bush v. Gore and another case from this Supreme Court term, the 14th Amendment disqualification case, in which the justices effectively read the insurrection clause right out of the Constitution, he said.

Sweeping Immunity

Both buckets of immunity the Court established worry experts, but for different reasons. For the core constitutional powers  which already have no checks and balances, Super said, pointing to powers like the Presidents role as Commander in Chief  the lack of limit on what the President can do appears breathtaking.

If a president says, were going to have an auction and Im gonna veto or sign a bill based on who pays me more  thats not prosecutable, Super said. Want to be a Supreme Court justice for the low, low sum of x? Not prosecutable, since appointing the highest offices is the preclusive power of the President.

The total immunity will also incentivize presidents to try to shoehorn any potentially questionable behavior into those powers. Some of the justices are clearly already worried about that reality; Justice Sonia Sotomayor in her dissent specifically singled out the Constitutions Take Care provision as one that the majority was already reading so broadly that it, for example, covered much of Trumps 2020 attempt to overturn the election. Such an expansive view of core power will effectively insulate all sorts of noncore conduct from criminal prosecution, Sotomayor wrote. Even Justice Amy Coney Barrett expressed some anxiety, writing in her concurrence that some exercises of the Take Care provision do not fall into core constitutional powers.

On their face, the other, non-core official acts might seem less threatening  the Court only assigned them presumptive immunity, a threshold that can, in theory, be overcome by prosecutors during a trial. These official acts, per the ruling, are also presidential powers that have more overlap with other branches, in a realm where Congress (again, in theory) could legislate some guardrails.

But this aspect of the ruling, too, runs up against a grim reality. A strong legislature as a check on the Executive Branch is an idea this Supreme Court loves: see the right-wing majoritys jurisprudence on federal agencies, in which the justices strike down regulations as overly broad, the kind of things only Congress can legislate into existence. They profess to be shifting power from the big bad bureaucrats to the peoples house. In reality, theyre shifting power to themselves, as Congress  through a combination of divided governance, a Republican lack of interest in legislating and structural impediments like the filibuster  struggles to even pass basic funding bills each year. As Congress remains silent, the judiciary is left to interpret and reinterpret old laws, shaping American life.

In this case, the all-powerful executive created by Mondays ruling is very unlikely to be meaningfully hemmed in by Congress, despite what the justices may claim. Because the Republican political world has been working towards strengthening the presidency for decades and is much more comfortable trampling the norms that once accompanied the office, implementing checks would likely require a Democratic trifecta in the numbers sufficient to overcome the filibuster (or with senators willing to get rid of it).

The Court is assuming that the only appropriate check is Congress without understanding how compromised Congress has become, Rebecca Roiphe, a professor at New York Law School, told TPM. Congress is a casualty of originalism.

The Supreme Court also left what constitutes an official act bafflingly undefined in its ruling  leaving it to the lower courts to fill in the details and malicious presidents to see what they can get away with.

The Agenda of Trumpism

All of this adds up to the creation of a new form of executive, a super president who, depending on his level of creativity, could stretch this newly invented immunity to cover huge amounts of criminal behavior.

This case at a categorical new level puts the President far and above other branches, Emerson said. Well see power struggles over elections  to the extent that we continue to have real elections  get that much greater because the President holds the keys to the kingdom. We could see diminished congressional power and diminished responsibility of members of Congress who increasingly rely on the Presidents unilateral authority to get things done.

Such a threat takes on a flesh and blood dimension in the form of Donald Trump, whose conduct prompted the indictment that led to the decision, who cheered the decision and who is sure to test its bounds if given the chance. The wide latitude the Court has sketched out already seems to rubber-stamp some of the plans hes telegraphed for a hypothetical second term.

A particularly grim set of scenarios leaps from Trumps attempt, in 2020 and early 2021, to bully and leverage his Justice Department into pressuring states to swap in his fake electors. That egregious conduct gave rise to the only charges in Special Prosecutor Jack Smiths indictment that the majority declared covered by absolute immunity.

Along with being a massive threat to the DOJs prosecutorial independence, that finding also seems to clear the way for a future President Trump to make many of his lingering legal problems vanish, and then go further.

If he wins the election, they have precleared him to drop two of the cases against him, Super said, referring to the federal prosecutions centered on the Jan. 6 insurrection and the classified documents he hid at Mar-a-Lago.

Trumps plans to purge federal employees seem similarly unlikely to raise an eyebrow at the Supreme Court under the new regime.

Once you say that the President gets absolute immunity for a certain subset of crimes, its hard not to say that the President has untrammeled authority within the bounds of the law to do whatever he likes in the Executive Branch, Emerson said.

Within a day of the decision, Trump was already using the immunity ruling as a cudgel in what had been the most successful legal case against him. He secured a delay in sentencing in the New York hush money case, his lawyers arguing that the prosecutors used evidence related to official acts to win their conviction  evidence which is now barred by the Supreme Court from being used by prosecutors, even when proving a case based on the unprotected, unofficial acts.

Sentencing has now been pushed from July to September.

It seems like a relatively straightforward application of the ruling, Michael Dorf, a professor of constitutional law at Cornell Law School, told TPM, calling the Courts new evidentiary rule ridiculous.

Every expert TPM spoke to for this story also brought up another element of this Supreme Court term: the unprecedented attack on federal agencies from a Court already historically hostile to them.

Those cases crescendoed with Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, in which the Court overturned a 40-year-old precedent that had been a key pillar of agency power.

That leaching of power from the administrative state contrasts starkly with the massive accrual of power that the Court just gifted the presidency.

Its the culmination of Steve Bannons vision  it neuters what he would call the deep state and what I would call effective regulation in favor of the imperial presidency, Dorf said. It concentrates and elevates the power of the political portion of the White House while hamstringing orderly regulation of the world from agencies.

Its exactly the agenda of Trumpism.
On Tuesday the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a long-overdue draft standard protecting indoor and outdoor workers from exposure to excessive heat. Forty workers on average die every year from heat exposure. The proposed rule (click here to read the text) requires certain employers to provide workers with 15-minute rest breaks every two hours, to provide drinking water, and to take other commonsense measures.

It will definitely be challenged in court if theres a second Biden administration, Jordan Barab, former deputy assistant labor secretary for OSHA, told me. (If Trump wins, hell probably kill the heat standard before its issued in final form.) Barab can be certain of that because every OSHA standard for the past 50 years has been challenged by business interests. The heat standard will be the first one to be decided in the post-Chevron era.

We cant know, after the Supreme Courts decision last week in in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, whether the courts will uphold OSHAs heat standard. But we do know it will be much easier for some conservative judge to kill it than it used to be. Loper Bright eliminated Chevron deference, a doctrine dating to 1984s Chevron v. NRDC, which required judges to grant some degree of deference to regulatory agencies in resolving statutory ambiguity. The Loper Bright decision takes that deference away and invites judges who deplore the administrative state to lay waste to regulations they dont like.

Since Congress never ordered OSHA, when it created the agency in 1970, specifically to write a standard protecting workers from extreme heatthe word heat appears nowhere in the statutebusiness groups will argue that the standard flunks the Loper Bright test. The standards defenders will answer in court that OSHAs founding statute requires it to set mandatory occupational safety and health standards and that these should be reasonably necessary or appropriate. But who decides whats necessary or appropriate? Before last week, OSHA (mostly) did. Under Loper Bright, a regulation-hating judge can. Let the states decide this, the judge may say, and strike down the standard. Spoiler alert: Red states are already barring local governments from protecting workers from excessive heat.

The heat-injury standard illustrates how Loper Bright may strengthen businesss hand in defeating rules it deems economically harmful (i.e., pretty much all of them). But in weakening the administrative state, Loper Bright will cause much greater economic harm because an economy cant be strong if it operates without sufficient regulatory guardrails. If, for example, there are no rules to prevent employers from killing workers by exposing them to excessive heat, those employers who address the problem responsibly will be placed at a competitive disadvantage. An economy that requires 40 workers per year to die from heat exposure is not (at least in that respect) strong. It is recognizably backward and weak.

The economic damage Loper Bright causes may prove greatest in a realm thats much less emotionally fraught: banking. On June 28, Fortune ran a piece by Michael Del Castillo under the headline, Supreme Court Overturning Chevron Decision Could Change Banking Regulation Forever. Banking, wrote Del Castillo, is certainly to be among the hardest hit, with agencies including the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau all likely scrambling to see how it will impact them. A headline in American Banker announced: Banking Law Is About to Get Weird.

If you believe bank regulators are too strong and need to be taken down a peg, you are likely a bank executive. If you believe bank regulators are too weak, and really cant afford to be rendered much weaker, then give yourself a gold star for paying attention to the past four decades. Deregulation ushered in the last two banking crises: the Savings and Loan crisis of the 1980s and the financial crisis that ushered in the Great Recession of 20072009. Actually, the latter was caused less by deregulation than by the federal governments refusal to regulate over-the-counter derivatives, but that amounts to the same thing. More recently, the failures of Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank followed congressional passage of a 2018 law that weakened oversight of midsize banks and the Feds implementation of a 2019 regulation that weakened oversight still further. Im not aware of a single bank crisis in human history brought on by overly aggressive regulation.

The political scientists Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson coined a useful term to describe situations like the Clinton administrations decision to ignore the urgent advice of Commodities Future Trading Commission Chair Brooksley Born and, instead, to let the go-go derivatives market run wild and unregulated. Hacker and Pierson call this drift. Drift occurs, Hacker has written,

when the effects of public policies change substantially due to shifts in the surrounding economic or social context and then, despite the recognition of alternatives, policymakers fail to update policies due to pressure from intense minority interests or political actors.

Loper Bright is, among other things, very pro-drift. The more the economyindeed, all of contemporary lifemigrates away from the regulatory mechanisms that govern it, the more the high court likes to shrug and say, Our hands are tied. But in the case of Loper it does the opposite, arrogating to judges the power to decide whether new regulations live or die. Now its the regulators whose hands are tied.

The biggest bank regulation under consideration right now is a rule proposed jointly by the Fed, the FDIC, and the Comptroller to bring U.S. banks in compliance with an international agreement struck after the financial crisis. The agreement, called Basel III, required banks to build up more capital reserves against a downturn, take on less debt, and respond more quickly to market conditions. The nations largest banks would have to increase capital reserves by 19 percent. The banking industry is dead set against the new requirements because they would cut into profits, and its managed to get Fed Chair Jerome Powell to promise broad and material changes before the rule is issued in final form. Even so, the bank lobby will almost certainly challenge the final rule in court.

How will Loper Bright affect such litigation? The law firm Venable is advising its banking clients that it will strengthen legal challenges based on the 1946 Administrative Procedures Act (which Chevron deference violated, according to Loper Bright) and the major questions and nondelegation doctrines, which also curb regulatory authority. Loper Bright will also empower banks legal challenges to anti-laundering regulations, Venable said, and might help thwart regulating cryptocurrency by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Daniel Tarullo, a professor of law at Harvard and former Fed governor who led the Feds implementation of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, advised me not to overlook two other Supreme Court decisions from the past week, Corner Post v. Board of Governors and SEC v. Jarkesy. The one that concerns me the most from a pure banking regulatory point of view is Corner Post, Tarullo said. Corner Post, which was issued three days after Loper Bright, effectively eliminates the statute of limitations on filing lawsuits against regulations so that companies formed long after they were enacted can challenge them in court. SEC v. Jarkesy, which was handed down the day before Loper Bright, ruled unconstitutional the Securities and Exchange Commissions use of in-house hearings to impose financial penalties on fraudsters.

Loper Bright, Tarullo told me, worries him least because the statutory provisions that govern financial agencies dont require much interpretation. Its very clear that Congress has told the banking agencies to regulate capital, regulate liquidity, and so on, he said. Its not like interpreting what a single source is under the Clean Air Act, which was at issue in the 1984 Chevron decision.

But Tarullo also said that, in combination, Corner Post and Loper Bright could encourage litigants to challenge older bank regulations on the grounds that they overstepped statutory boundarieseven though the high court said in Loper Bright that the decision would not apply retroactively. Noting that the more conservative federal judges are already fairly aggressive in their interpretations of Supreme Court rulings, Tarullo said, You might get some newly chartered bank that brings a challenge to a 20-year old regulation and lucks out with a justice willing to strike it down on the basis that it was written under the presumption of Chevron deference.

Even if Tarullo is right that economic stability is imperiled less by Loper Bright than by the other two decisions, I hardly call that comforting. Conservatives may tell you that the economy performs better when there are fewer regulations, but the history of banking tells a different story. The Supreme Court just made the U.S. economy less stable, and it achieved this by gumming up the administrative state. See you at the next bank bailout.
(Bloomberg) -- The conservative revolution at the US Supreme Court gained steam with another transformational term, as the Republican-appointed supermajority slashed the power of regulators, lifted legal clouds from Donald Trumps presidential bid and laid groundwork for future blockbusters.

Most Read from Bloomberg

In a polarizing session that was low on numbers but high on impact, the courts conservative wing used its muscle to both push through long-sought legal priorities and resolve novel issues in a way that buoyed Trump and his fellow Republicans.

And even where they rejected conservative-backed arguments  as they did in cases over abortion and taxes  the justices often did so on narrow grounds that left avenues for future legal showdowns.

This has been a wonderful term, said Carrie Severino, president of the JCN, which has helped push for more conservative judges on the bench. The court made some incredibly important decisions that will help preserve our constitutional separation of powers and balance of power.

The court capped its term by giving Trump partial immunity from criminal charges over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. The decision means Trump wont face trial before his Nov. 5 presidential election rematch with Joe Biden.

That ruling came days after big-government foes and business groups claimed a long-sought prize: The court overturned the 1984 Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council decision, which had given agencies broad latitude to define the reach of their authority by interpreting ambiguous statutes.

It was the third straight term to finish with watershed rulings, including overturning precedents. In the two previous terms, the court eliminated constitutional abortion protections, declared a right to carry handguns, expanded religious freedoms and outlawed race-conscious college admissions.

Liberal Fears

The latest session left the courts outnumbered liberals to dissent in increasingly dire terms. On the last opinion day alone, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the courts regulatory decisions could devastate the functioning of the federal government, while Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the Trump immunity ruling left her with fear for our democracy.

The courts six-justice conservative majority includes three appointed by Trump  Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett  along with veterans John Roberts and Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

That group formed the majority in 6-3 cases 11 times, according to Empirical Scotus, a website that tracks the courts work. The court issued only 59 rulings, well below its modern average, according to its website.

The 6-3 rulings include three major regulatory decisions. The court said that people or companies sued for damages by the Securities and Exchange Commission have a right to a jury trial in federal court, letting them bypass the agencys in-house judges.

And the court amplified the Chevron decision with a last-day ruling giving some opponents more time to sue over years-old regulations.

That ruling was the cherry on top of the sundae, said John Malcolm, vice president of the Institute for Constitutional Government at the conservative Heritage Foundation. Its now going to give all sorts of people whose livelihoods are dramatically affected by regulations an opportunity to have their day in court.

All three decisions are likely to reverberate across the federal government, affecting a plethora of other agencies.

In another decision, this time with Barrett joining the liberals in dissent, the court blocked the Biden administration from imposing stringent new emissions requirements on power plants and pipelines in parts of the country.

The court is on a mission here, said Sam Sankar, senior vice president of programs at Earthjustice. Its just a full-on assault against the power of the federal government to regulate in the public interest.

Trump Wins

Trump may have been the terms biggest winner. The court ruled unanimously he can appear on presidential ballots, even though a Colorado court found that he was an insurrectionist who incited the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Trump also could benefit from a 6-3 ruling that limited the Justice Departments use in Jan. 6 prosecutions of a 2002 law that makes it a crime to obstruct an official proceeding. Trump is expected to invoke the ruling to try to pare back his federal election-interference prosecution.

All that was a lead-up to the immunity ruling, the first time the court has ever said that former presidents are shielded from prosecution for some things they do in office.

The court showed its colors  formally granting Donald Trump an expansive immunity after effectively giving him pre-election immunity by dragging out his case, said Leah Litman, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Michigan.

Conservatives were also victorious in decisions that backed the power of cities to ban homeless people from sleeping outside in public places, made it harder to challenge voting maps as racial gerrymanders, and struck down a federal ban on rapid-fire devices known as bump stocks.

Conservative losses often came with consolation prizes. When the court upheld a 2017 tax on US-owned businesses foreign profits, the majority made clear it wasnt also approving Democratic proposals for a wealth tax  an issue that lurked in the background. Four justices indicated they would strike down a wealth tax.

And when the court twice declined to put new restrictions on abortion, it didnt conclusively resolve the core issues in either case. The court said anti-abortion doctors and groups lacked legal standing to seek restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone, but left open the possibility that other opponents could sue.

Similarly, a decision letting abortions take place in medical emergencies in Idaho was only a stopgap that didnt resolve whether a federal hospital law protects patients in states with near-total bans on the procedure.

Todays decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is delay, Jackson wrote in the case. The decision came with an usual twist when Bloomberg obtained an advance copy after the court inadvertently posted the decision briefly online a day early.

A setback for gun rights was similarly narrow as the court upheld a federal ban on firearms possession by people under domestic violence orders. The 8-1 ruling, which said governments have long disarmed dangerous people, stopped short of approving other federal restrictions, including a prohibition that applies to convicted felons.

Liberals won a rare victory when the court cleared the Biden administration to communicate freely with social media companies. The ruling rejected a conservative-backed lawsuit alleging the government had bullied platforms into taking down posts about the pandemic and the 2020 election.

And the Biden administration secured a decision upholding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus funding system. But even that came with the twist of the ruling being written by the arch-conservative Thomas, who said the funding mechanism had historical roots.

I was disappointed to see the result, said Malcolm of the Heritage Foundation. But I cant say in my own mind that I think its dead wrong.

--With assistance from Jennifer A. Dlouhy.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
This week in their East Del Paso Heights home, Maria and Pedro Magana have had trouble falling asleep before 2 a.m. The house is too hot in the evenings, because central air conditioning to cool the house during the day is simply beyond their budget.

Theyre making do with window cooling units, one in their bedroom and another in that of their 13-year-old son. From the early evening until the late into the night, they alternate turning one on each hour or so to conserve energy and save costs.

Its difficult to sleep, said Maria Magana on the couch in her living room, a ceiling fan spinning above her.

July 4th is her birthday, an occasion typically celebrated by cooking and gathering with family and friends at home. But with temperatures forecast to hit 108 degrees Thursday, she worries that may not be possible.

This is something we have to cope with, said her husband, who works as a custodian at Twin Rivers Unified School District, about the heats burden on their day to day lives. Its not that we like this situation, but were used to it.

The Maganas struggle to stay cool is a glaring reminder that extreme heat is not shared equally in Sacramento and cities like it. Instead, its often suffered in silence by people with the least resources to handle it and most at risk of accompanying health threats.

Maria Magana gently uses her fan as her husband Pedro talks about the stress theyve endured from the debilitating heat because they could not afford air-conditioning inside their living room in East Del Paso Heights on Tuesday. Pedro said he hopes state and local agencies respond more aggressively to climate change and helping the working poor through it.

Low-income families, the elderly and homeless adults are the most vulnerable to heat, the deadliest symptom of climate change. While plans, funding and programs to fight this crisis are revving up, advocates warn the response continues to be insufficient.

Herman Barahona, lead community organizer and founder of the Sacramento Environmental Justice Coalition (SacEJC), said the dire circumstances hes seeing on the ground are in no way reflected in government responses to the problem.

Very low income communities of this state are not being included in these temperature standards or climate action plans. If they did wed have an emergency response program for the calamity these people are experiencing, he said.

Its a survival game out here.

Sacramentos heat islands

The entrance of Nikki Buckles tent near Del Paso Park reached 147 degrees, a thermometer showed Tuesday. Thats not a typo  147 degrees Fahrenheit.

Temperatures in Buckles part of the city are hitting well above 100 degrees for a multiple day stretch, with nearly 70 degree nighttime low temperatures offering little relief from daytime heat.

The Sacramento native fell into homelessness after a house fire and fell into a financial hole during the pandemic, but he hopes housing is around the corner. A former carpenter, he mounted an AC unit to his tent so one part stays below 90 degrees.

Nikki Buckles, a former carpenter, sits with his beloved dog Opium near a small air conditioner he hooked up to a generator to stay cool in a small room inside a tent and wooden makeshift shelter on Tuesday. He was worried about leaving his possessions to go to a cooling center but admitted, if he felt the dog is in danger of the heat, he might go.

For all his handiness, the unit in his tent isnt cutting it this week. When the lethargy and nausea of heat exhaustion hits, he said, he lays still as possible in the cooler part of his tent to fend off heat stroke. He said he sometimes passes out for hours at a time.

Buckles said that on Wednesday, hell probably do something hes never done before: abandon his possessions and go to a cooling center. Its a decision hes mainly making for the safety of his dog.

If it werent for the motivation to keep his pet safe and healthy, he said the stressors of surviving through brutal heat waves like this one would make him want to give up. He cant remember a summer this hot.

I find myself wanting to give up on a daily basis, said Buckles. I grew up here and summers were always hot but they were tolerable. I never remember temperatures being this high.

Heat waves are a natural part of Sacramentos climate. But scientists agree that atmospheric warming caused mainly by burning fossil fuels has already increased the frequency, intensity and duration of heat spells in the American West.

Sacramento now sees an average of 47 days per year of above-normal summer temperatures, compared to 35 in the 1970s. Thats according to data crunched by Climate Central, a national climate research and communications organization.

Sacramento now sees an average of 47 days per year of above-normal summer temperatures compared to 35 in 1970, according to research organization Climate Central.

Climate Central reported that this weeks local temperatures were made five times more likely by climate change, based on an estimate that compared current temperatures to a hypothetical atmosphere without fossil fuels.

Over the next three decades, the number of extremely hot days in the city could triple, according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, increasing the potential number of deaths from heat-related illnesses.

All that means extreme heat is here to stay, but it is not felt evenly across the city.

More than half of Sacramentos population lives in areas that feel roughly 9 degrees warmer than neighboring areas, researchers have found. The phenomenon is called urban heat island effect.

Some Sacramento neighborhoods are as much as 9 degrees hotter than more tree-lined or rural areas, according to a 2023 analysis by Climate Central.

Especially hot areas include downtown, West Sacramento, North Natomas and neighborhoods of South Sacramento. Not surprisingly, these hot areas are lacking in tree cover. Like many cities, the disparity tracks with income.

Peter Girard, a spokesperson for Climate Central, said heat map in Sacramento and cities across the nation tends to reflects the legacy of systematic racism. There are people whose lives are unaffected by brutal heat, and those whose lives are threatened by it.

When you look across cities, it is frequently aligned with redlining maps where you saw neighborhoods suffering from a lack of investment, Girard said. The extreme heat that you see more frequently with climate change is remarkably inequitable.

Responding to extreme heat

Climate scientists say extreme heat is the most deadly symptom of climate change and governments are slowly beginning to treat heat like a public health crisis. But actually connecting vulnerable populations to helpful services has proven slow.

In 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom released an Extreme Heat Action Plan that pledged $300 million towards adapting to the states warmer reality. Extreme heat is also likely to be on the ballot this November in the form of a climate bond.

Last month, California regulators passed rules to protect workers from rising indoor temperatures, a measure that applies to all employers except state prisons and local jails, and will particularly protect workers in warehouses and restaurant kitchens.

But residential protections to set maximum indoor temperature rules for landlords and home sellers remain in flux, undergoing study by University of California researchers after years of opposition by rental housing industry associations in the state legislature.

Locally, Sacramento County opened a total of nine cooling centers, including one at the North A homeless shelter. Public libraries across the county also act as a de-facto cooling centers, but can be closed on holidays and weekends.

Nikki Buckles, who fell into homelessness after a house fire, lives in a tented area inside a wooden structure he built near Del Paso Park on Tuesday. He said his dog Opium has motivated him to stay safe and healthy, otherwise he would have difficulty surviving the heat.

The county is still working on a final version of its climate action plan, which will include its overarching policy goals to address extreme heat. The draft plan highlighted by a county spokesperson mentions inequitable access to adequate cooling several times.

Pedro Magana, the homeowner in East Del Paso Heights, said he hopes state and local agencies respond faster to climate change and help the working poor access cooling  so Sacramentos privileged residents arent the only ones comfortable during a heat wave.

The government should do more, he said. Working people are the ones that are out there in the fields or doing everyday jobs that sustain society. They deserved to be valued for building infrastructure that helps everyone else survive.
Orange County deputies say theyve tracked down the suspect in a stabbing that happened at a local park over the weekend.

 WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

The investigation started Saturday evening when staff at Shadow Bay Park on Turkey Lake Road say the victim ran up to them, covered in blood, saying he had been stabbed.

Responding deputies spoke to the victim, who said he had been fishing on a pier at the park shortly before 8 p.m.

READ: Deputy-involved shooting being investigated in Brevard County, sheriff says

When he started to head back towards his car, the victim said he noticed another man who had been there following him closely.

According to the sheriffs office, the victim said he turned around and asked the other man if the park closed at 8 p.m. When the victim said he turned again to continue to his car, he felt a punch in his back that was later determined to be a stab in the back.

Deputies say the victim fell to the ground and attempted to fight off his attacker, but the suspect continued trying to stab him.

The victim was eventually able to fight back, causing the suspects knife to fall to the ground, at which point deputies say the suspect was able to run away for help.

According to the sheriffs office, the victim said there had been no prior contact and no argument with the suspect before the attack.

The victim described the suspect as a younger white man with curly hair, armed with a black knife similar to a Swiss knife.

READ: Man on vacation drowns at Daytona Beach

Park staff also reported making contact with the suspect before the stabbing as they were making their rounds closing the park. Deputies say the staffers recalled warning both the victim and the suspect that the park would be closing soon shortly before the victim ran up to them covered in blood.

The next day, deputies say they received a call from a man who saw a report about the stabbing on the news, who said he believed the attacker, in that case, was the same person who tried to stab him earlier that same day.

In the earlier case, the victim said hed met up with the suspect at approximately noon Saturday and had a normal conversation, after which the suspect asked him to fight. When the victim refused, he said the suspect pulled out a black knife and chased him with it.

That victim said he was able to run back to his house, and the suspect fled the area in a black BMW.

Deputies identified the suspect in that case as 20-year-old Michael Zaccardo and issued a warrant charging him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Michael Zaccardo, 20, charged with attempted second-degree murder for the June 29 stabbing at Shadow Bay Park.

The victim in the park attack was then able to identify Zaccardo from a photograph as the person who stabbed him.

READ: Central Florida grandmother accused of leaving toddler alone in hot car at Publix

The staffers at the park also identified Zaccardo as the other man who was at the park Saturday evening.

Investigators secured another warrant charging Zaccardo with attempted second-degree murder with a deadly weapon.

On Tuesday, deputies with the Kings County Sheriffs Office arrested Zaccardo in Seattle. Hes being held at the King County jail until he can be extradited back to Orange County.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
TOPEKA (KSNT)  Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach said he won a preliminary injunction by pushing pause on the implementation of President Bidens Title IX transgender regulations Tuesday.

The Title IX regulations from the Biden administration would have required public schools across the United States to allow biological males who identify as females to use the same locker room facilities as biological girls, according to a news release from the attorney generals office. Kobachs office said it would also require public schools and universities to let biological males who identify as females to compete in girls sports.

Record-setting travel volume: Fourth of July travel with lowest gas prices in years

Kansas federal judge John Broomes ruled in favor of Kansas as well as attorneys general from Alaska, Utah and Wyoming. Broomes also ruled in favor of three private organizations: Moms for Liberty, Young Americas Foundation and Female Athletes United.

Given the evidence before the court, it is not hard to imagine that, under the Final Rule, an industrious older teenage boy may simply claim to identify as a female to gain access to the girls showers, dressing rooms, or locker rooms so that he can observe his female peers disrobe and shower, Broomes wrote in the order.

On July 20, 2024, Kobach personally argued this case, according to the news release.

We have had many wins in court, but to me, this is the biggest one yet, it protects girls and women across the country from having their privacy rights and safety violated in bathrooms and locker rooms and from having their freedom of speech violated if they say there are only two sexes. Statement from Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach

Extreme flooding puts raw sewage in Osage Co. waterways

According to Kobach, this injunction will have a sweeping effect, prohibiting Bidens implementation of the transgender regulations in four plaintiff states. This coverage extends to all 50 states through plaintiff organizations.

The Department of Educations reinterpretation of Title IX to place gender identity on equal footing with (or in some instances arguably stronger footing than) biological sex would subvert Congress goals of protecting biological women in education, Broomes wrote in the order. The Final Rule would, among other things, require schools to subordinate the fears, concerns, and privacy interests of biological women to the desires of transgender biological men to shower, dress, and share restroom facilities with their female peers.

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.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A 42-year-old Sweet Home man is accused of sexually corrupting a child following months of online conversations with a 15-year-old girl, authorities said.

According to the Linn County Sheriffs Office, an investigation began in December 2023 when the parents of the 15-year-old victim alerted police to the conversations she was having over social media and through texts.

Investigators discovered that the victim, who lives in Albany, had been talking with Christopher Michael Douglass, from Sweet Home, although he used a fake name on social media, authorities said.

1996 Oregon cold case: Aliases, brothers, human remains

Farther into the investigation, officials said they learned that the victim had sent explicit photos to Douglass and that he had even offered to buy her a bus ticket so they could meet up in person. Douglass also said he would buy marijuana and nicotine products for her.

On July 2, a search warrant was served at Douglass home where investigators said they seized evidence related to the case.

Douglass was taken to jail and faces charges including second-degree online sexual corruption of a child and luring a minor.

Authorities said they believe there could be more victims and they are asking anyone with information to contact 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 KOIN.com.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 3, 2024 - 23:11 | All, Japan

Plaintiffs expressed hope for wider justice for victims of the now-defunct eugenics protection law, after Japan's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday the government must pay damages to plaintiffs made to undergo sterilization surgery under the law in the 1950s to 1970s.

"I want everyone who endured the surgery to come forward and receive apologies and compensation," said a woman in her 70s from Miyagi Prefecture who lost her legal battle at a district and high court. "I want this to become a society where people with disabilities are not discriminated against," she said.

Plaintiffs in the top court case had filed lawsuits at five district courts in Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe.

Kikuo Kojima, an 83-year-old plaintiff in the Sapporo case, gave thanks to those who had supported him. "It's been six years with my wife and I helping each other, and she came with me to Tokyo today. I'm truly happy we won."

An 81-year-old who filed his case from Tokyo said he was happy with the ruling and left with determination. "There are 25,000 victims. It's important to keep fighting until everything has been resolved," he said.

The top court's ruling deemed the law unconstitutional, and that the 20-year statute of limitations for an unlawful act is not applicable to cases involving the law. Yoko Matsubara, professor of bioethics at Ritsumeikan University Graduate School, said it was a "landmark ruling that cuts to the heart of the matter."

"By fundamentally rejecting the government's argument that applying the statute of limitations means compensation is not possible, relief for a wide range of victims has become possible," she said.

The law allowed people with intellectual disabilities, mental illnesses or hereditary disorders to be sterilized without their consent in order to prevent the birth of "inferior" offspring.

"This is the result of the court's urgent consideration of the reason to assist all victims. I wish to pay my respects to (the court)," said Naoto Sekiya, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs. He added with emotion that "the tide has turned."

Four of the five high courts that ruled on the case ordered the government to pay between 11 million yen ($68,000) and 16.5 million yen to each victim, and 2.2 million to the spouses of victims who have died.

Related coverage:

Japan top court orders government to pay damages over forced sterilization
A committee established to reform the county and state criminal courts in Tarrant County has unanimously decided on measures to hold judges and court employees accountable, improve the efficiency of the courts and reduce the Tarrant County Jail population.

The group was formed after an April 2 commissioners court meeting where a reorganization of the courts was proposed and County Judge Tim OHare suggested there was abuse in the court systems, saying, We dont want to see people get paid for 40 hours of work when theyre really working 10 hours ... We dont want to see mismanagement of dollars where somebody is being paid more than their salary is supposed to be.

The meeting led the commissioners to delay the proposed reorganization of the courts and form the committee to discuss how to best make changes in the criminal courts, which are made up of 21 Republican judges and their staffs. The committee was made up of judges, county leaders and attorneys.

The Star-Telegram obtained a copy of the committees report, which calls for substantial changes. The report recommends a measure that would publicly track the number of inmates in the Tarrant County Jail waiting for their day in court and how many cases judges hear. It also calls for a review on the efficiency of the courts to be presented in January 2025.

The report calls for a public criminal justice dashboard that would include a minimum number of cases to be dealt with by each court, as well as the number of in-custody inmates seen per court.

We spearheaded the effort to get trial data published to the public, so they can see which judges are holding which cases and which judges have trial more often, County Commissioner Manny Ramirez told the Star-Telegram in an interview Tuesday. So I think that this report illuminated that fact that we need our judges to see which prisoners are held on which charges etc.

Ramirez was not on the committee but was briefed on its report.

A spokesperson for OHare did not respond to a request for comment and Commissioner Roy Brooks declined to comment on the report. Brooks and OHare are the two commissioners court members on the committee.

Tracking jail population

The report creates a color-coded jail population benchmark, which states that contingency plans will be activated when the jail population transitions from green (the least severe, when there are less than 4,060 inmates) to yellow to red to black (the most severe, when there are more than 4,800 inmates).

It concerns me when I looked at our jail report and saw that the average length of stay was over 100 days, Ramirez said. But yet, the average sentence was about 70 days, which means people were being held prior to trial, and then just let out after trial due to time served.

As of Wednesday morning, 4,190 inmates were in the Tarrant County jail. The average stay was listed at 133 days.

The jail population was an issue both Commissioner Alisa Simmons and OHare mentioned during the April 2 meeting that led to formation of the committee to study reform.

The committee took a very innovative approach when looking at how the County could enhance efficiencies within the entire criminal justice system and really ensuring all stakeholders are focused on improving operations at all steps in the process, Tarrant County administrator Chandler Merritt said in an email Wednesday.

Merritt also mentioned the improvements to the public dashboard.

Some of these metrics will include case disposition rates by Court and number of in-custody inmates per court, Merritt said. While many of the mandatory reporting requirements of the state are based on cases, stakeholders also discussed adding metrics that shift the paradigm to focus more on individuals within the system versus just looking at case information.

Merritt also said the county was hoping to secure a $400,000 grant from the State of Texas to create a temporary felony court to assist in the backlog of in-custody cases with greater expediency.

The report said the courts should prioritize in-custody cases to effectively expedite criminal-case disposal when the jail population reaches the outlined concerning thresholds.

Training for judges, court employees

A section of the committees report titled prevent fraud, waste and abuse includes four steps Approvals, Training, curriculum development and discipline  criminal judges can take to prevent the issues that led to the creation of the committee on April 2.

The section calls for new training for all criminal court employees and the development of a curriculum created by the Courts Auditors office, Budget and Risk management, and Human Resources to be reviewed by all criminal court employees and elected judges.

There is also a section of the report titled discipline, which states that all criminal court employees and elected judges must work in accordance with state and county guidelines, as well as civil service rules, to ensure elected judges core duties are fulfilled.

The three judges on the committee  Ryan Hill, David Cook and Charles Vanover  did not respond to requests for comment on why the fraud, waste and abuse section was necessary to include in the report or on what examples of abuse were found.

I think that anytime that you dont have a clear chain of command, and clear oversight, then it becomes muddy and employees, and employers dont know what to expect, Ramirez said.

With the system that placed a courts administrator, who was appointed by a panel of judges, and then that courts administrator, supervised nearly 100 employees, it was not very clear on who reported to who, where the chain of command was, Ramirez said.

At the April 2 commissioners court meeting, multiple judges spoke in opposition to the proposed restructure and asked the commissioners to leave the current structure in place.

Court administrator eliminated

The report recommends that the position of criminal courts administrator  previously held by Gregory Shugart, who resigned from his position on June 17  not be continued and requests it be cut from the 2025 fiscal year budget. Merritt said a three-member elected judge panel will oversee the Criminal Courts instead.

The report also states that appropriate staff will work with the judges to finalize an organizational chart by July 15 for the upcoming fiscal year budget and recommends reclassifying an open magistrate position.

Merritt acknowledged these changes were part of the initial reorganization commissioners were presented with on April 2 but said the charge from the Commissioners Court narrowed the focus to only criminal courts. The initial structure is still being finalized and will be submitted as part of the FY25 budget process for the Commissioners Court consideration.

Many who came to speak at the April 2 meeting criticized the reorganization of the courts as executive overreach.

I dont think its particularly fruitful to complain, Ramirez said. My charge from the county is to find solutions. And I think that through this process and thoroughly formulating this working group and putting the task on them to find the best practices, and then make sure that were operating as efficiently as we can  I think were on the absolute right track.

The final section of the report is an efficiency review, which states there are opportunities to create more efficiency in the criminal courts by reducing unnecessary and redundant positions. and calls for leaving vacated positions open.

It seems like everybodys been working in silos, to accomplish individual missions, but theres not been one singular vision, Ramirez said. Now through this working group, and through this report, its my hope that theres greater collaboration among everybody.
Taco truck scores 90 red points. Here are Thurston food safety inspections for July 3

Comments are taken directly from the latest Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) inspection reports, which are available for each food establishment, at the Thurston County Environmental Health Office and their website. For questions concerning these reports, contact the health office at 360-867-2667.

Report restaurant, grocery store, deli or bakery complaints online via the complaint form here: https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/phss/Pages/eh-problem.aspx.

Reading inspection scores:

Attention should be given to the type of violation (red versus blue) and whether the establishment has a history of red violations or repeat violations.

Red violations are those most likely to cause food-borne illness and must be corrected immediately if feasible or according to a compliance schedule established by the health officer. Example: not keeping food at the right temperature.

Blue violations relate to the overall cleanliness and condition of operation and must be corrected according to a compliance schedule established by the health officer. Example: a worn floor that needs replacing.

If red points exceed 45, the county will require a reinspection within 10 business days. A reinspection also is required if total red and blue points exceed 65.

If red points exceed 100 and theres a lack of managerial control, the county will shut down the establishment for at least 72 hours. The establishment may reopen after management and employees complete retraining and demonstrate corrective action during a reinspection.

Some common abbreviations: PHF/TCS is potentially hazardous food/time control for safety; RTE is ready to eat; PIC is person in charge; FWC is food worker card; CDI is corrected during inspection.

Tacos California Downtown #3

1302 Tracey St. SE, Lacey (Commissary)

Mobile Food Unit

June 24: 90 red points; 0 blue points.

Comments:

The person-in-charge was not actively managing for risk factors and reported not taking daily temperatures.

A food worker handled and cracked raw whole-shell eggs and did not remove their gloves and wash their hands prior to returning to food preparation. Corrected during inspection.

A bag of raw meat was placed on a food contact surface that was not properly washed, rinsed or sanitized prior to use.

Cooked onions and peppers were hot held at 90 degrees. TCS foods must be hot held at or above 135 degrees, cold held at or below 41 degrees or stored with a written time as a control plan. CDI.

Cooked beans and meat in a two-door reach-in cold hold were at 45-47 degrees. Cold held TCS foods must held at or below 41 degrees. CDI.

Wastewater was being disposed of by an unapproved method that did not comply with their permit.

Charro Azteca 2

3802 S. Cedar St., Tacoma (Commissary)

Mobile Food Unit

June 17: 40 red points; 0 blue points.

Comments:

Multiple TCS food items were kept at room temperature.

Reach-in cold hold products were 43-45 degrees rather than at or below 41 degrees.

Mulitas, quesabirria, and tamales were all being offered without approval.

Franks Burgers

1175 Center Drive, DuPont (Commissary)

Mobile Food Unit

June 24: 25 red points; 0 blue points.

Comments:

Chicken was hot held between 120-125 degrees rather than at or above 135 degrees.

Garcon de Donburi

120 Fifth Ave. SW, Olympia

Food Service Establishment

June 20: 5 red points; 8 blue points.

Comments:

Food worker cards were expired.

Frozen raw fish was observed thawing in ambient air temperature.

Ice scoops were stored on top of ice in the ice machine rather than in its designated rack or in a clean container.

The Boss Chargrill

4520 Intelco Loop SE, Bldg. 4, Lacey

Mobile Food Unit

June 21: 10 red points; 0 blue points.

Comments:

The inspector observed unattended cooking and noted the units wastewater disposal location had changed without approval.

Scott Lake Grocery

11315 Scott Creek Drive SW, Olympia

Food Service Establishment

June 20: 0 red points; 10 blue points.

Comments:

An ice machine had evidence of biofilm and mold build up.

An ice machine scoop was stored on top of a dusty countertop.

Taqueria La Esquinita II

430 Legion Way SE, Olympia (Commissary)

Mobile Food Unit

June 21: 5 red points; 0 blue points.

Comments:

Food worker cards were not available during the inspection.

No violations

Mexican Food El Itacate , Mobile Food Unit. 9018 Martin Way E., Lacey (Commissary)

Olympia Campground, Grocery Stores and Confectioneries. 1441 83rd Ave. SW, Olympia.
Taiwanese officials said Wednesday that China seized one of their fishing boats this week under a new protocol that allows the Chinese coast guard to take vessels that operate under its maritime borders.

Taiwans Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said China has stepped up its patrols since a regulation went into effect in June authorizing it to seize vessels for up to 60 days in waters considered by Beijing to be under its domain.

In response, CGA Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-Chin told a news conference Wednesday that he would step up patrols to safeguard vessels, according to Taiwans state-run Central News Agency.

Hsieh also called for the release of the detained fishing boat, the Da Jin Man No. 88.

Chinese coast guard personnel seized the fishing boat near Taiwans Kinmen Islands on Tuesday night, detaining two Taiwanese citizens and three Indonesians.

The Taiwanese CGA says it sent ships to rescue the fishing vessel but was forced to pull back when China sent reinforcements.

The fishing boat had been operating in Chinas territorial waters near Jinjiang City, but Taiwans Fisheries Agency said it was a common ground for fishing and there was a general agreement that it was jointly used, according to Central News Agency.

Tensions have been soaring between Taiwan and China following the inauguration of Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing has branded as a separatist.

After Lais inauguration, China launched major military drills around the self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing considers its own territory.

Chinese aircraft routinely threaten Taiwans airspace and force the island nation to scramble its own jets. Chinese boats also continue to harass Taipei around its maritime borders.

China claims much of the South China Sea as its own despite an international arbitration order that rejected those lines.

The dispute in the South China Sea has led to escalating tensions in recent years with nearby nations, including the Philippines, which fended off a Chinese attack last month. Chinese personnel armed with machetes boarded a Philippines ship and attacked the Filipino sailors.

The clash came as the Philippines has sought to bolster a beached ship at Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed reef in the South China Sea.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Convenience led to Lance Davis voting by mail. Now, in light of persistent delivery issues plaguing Tallahassee, he's unsure if he can trust the U.S. post office.

Davis, an incoming teacher at Montford Middle School, isn't alone. He and others took to Facebook to share his concerns over how to make sure his vote counts this election.

In an interview with the Tallahassee Democrat, Davis said that trusting his ballot to the mail is something he's "not really comfortable with."

Here's why: A late mail-in ballot, as in received after the state's deadline, can mean one's vote not counting.

Since 2018, mail delivery has been a point of contention for many residents, with some letters and packages arriving days or weeks late, if at all. Complaints also include intercepted checks, stolen gift cards and more.

One personal experience with late mail has led Davis to worry: "Last year when we sent out Christmas cards ... we had people that were getting (our) Christmas cards in April."

Leon County Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley.

What does this mean for upcoming elections?

Leon County Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley told the Democrat that, while rare in the past, they have experienced issues of "exceptionally late ballots" that look like they have "been around the world."

"We get ballots come in for an election that are weeks or months late," Earley said. "I've certainly seen (ballots) go across the country when they shouldn't ... (it's) like they got sorted wrong ... maybe it was going to Indiana or Oregon instead of to Jacksonville or Orlando."

Earley's hypothesis of improper sorting lines up with the results of recent audits, finding major problems across each of the area's facilities: Delayed mail, improper package scanning, problems with carriers filling out time cards, and dilapidated properties, to name a few.

As for mail-in-ballot requests, Earley said the number has gone down but pinned it on COVID, which led many in recent years to vote by mail. This year, Earley says his office will be sending out 33,000 requested ballots on July 11.

His advice to those who will be choosing the mail-in option this election is to send it as early as possible.

If they want to avoid the mail system altogether, voters can drop off ballots at early-voting drop boxes. That cuts out the USPS as the middle man  and that's how Davis will vote this year.

"It's not just me, it's not just my imagination, it's not an isolated case," Davis said. "It's something that a lot of people are experiencing legitimate concerns about."

Kaedretis Keaton, a Leon County Supervisor of Elections Office canvassing worker, opens and sorts mail-in ballots before they are counted Monday, August 17, 2020.

Late and lost mail has become a Tallahassee saga

Concerns reached new heights last November when the United States Postal Service said they would conduct facility reviews as part of a 10-year plan for mail service improvement.

The four audit reports of different facilities, which serve several areas across Leon County and parts of the Big Bend, include the Tallahassee Processing and Distribution Facility (PD&F), Westside Station, Lake Jackson Station and Leon Station.

Davis said he saw the audit report for his local post office in Bradfordville. While he doesn't know what the future holds for the station, he said the results were validating.

"It's at least an acknowledgement that there is a problem," Davis said.

Arianna Otero is the City Solutions Reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com or on Twitter/X: @ari_v_otero.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee voters have concerns over vote-by-mail locally
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Want to tour the ancient Aztec city of Teotihuacan? Want to make a pilgrimage to the shrine of the Lady of Guadalupe? Want to eat Mexican cuisine right in the heart of Mexico?

Air travelers will now be able to travel Mexico City from Tampa International Airport thanks to a new service from Aeromexico.

WATCH: Sneaky alligator caught hiding underneath Publix shopping carts

The airline will now be offering daily nonstop flights between Mexico City International Airport and Tampa after debuting its first flight Monday.

Tampa International Airport celebrates a major milestone in connecting our region to the world today by welcoming our new airline partner Aeromexico and this daily, nonstop service to Mexico City, TPA CEO Joe Lopano said. Id like to thank our community partners across Tampa Bay for working tirelessly to help make this relationship possible and for strengthening ties to encourage the continued success of our thriving region.

The new route will be flown on the Embraer E190 aircraft, which seats 99 people in total. This also includes the premium cabin, which contains 11 seats.

Previously, the Tampa Bay area was one of the largest unserved markets, but the Tampa International Airport said this new partnership will generate $70 million in yearly revenue for the regional economy.

At Aeromexico, we are committed to strengthening our connectivity network between Mexico and the United States, working with our partner Delta Air Lines, said Jose Zapata, Vice President of Sales for the United States, Canada and Latin America.

To book a flight, go to Aeromexicos 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.
Taylor Caseys Loved Ones Say Bahamas Police Arent Doing Enough to Find Woman Who Vanished on Yoga Trip

Taylor Casey was last seen on June 19 in the Bahamas

Facebook Taylor Casey

The family and friends of a Chicago woman who vanished while on a yoga retreat in the Bahamas are not satisfied with authorities effort to locate her.

Speaking to NBCs Today, the mother of Taylor Casey expressed her frustration with Bahamian police conducting the investigation.

I need them on the island to act like its their child thats missing, Colette Seymore told Today.

Casey, 41, was last seen on June 19 in the area of Paradise Island, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a June 21 statement. Casey was attending a certification retreat, run by Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas. The organization told PEOPLE that it first reported Caseys disappearance to authorities.

Related: A Chicago Woman Traveled to the Bahamas for a Yoga Retreat. Now She's Missing and Mom Says She's 'in Danger'

On July 2, the police force said it had found Caseys cell phone and other belongings from nearby waters, but had not located her passport.

Let me make this clear to the U.S. media, the public, and our government officials: We are not satisfied with how this investigation has been handled thus far, Caseys friend Emily Williams, who traveled to the Bahamas with Seymore in the wake of the disappearance, said in a statement. And what we learned and observed during our time meeting with the authorities and Ashram leaders is disturbing and infuriating.

Casey's family has claimed following her disappearance, police left the tent where Casey had been staying open to the public, instead of immediately treating it as a potential crime scene, per NBC.

Facebook Taylor Casey

NBC reported that Caseys family believes she could have been targeted, but officials have not commented on that possibility.

Chrislyn Skippings, superintendent of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, touted the investigative efforts in a televised statement, footage of which was run by NBC.

We used our drone technology, we used our canine, weve used our divers, Skippings said.

Skippings did not respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.

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 January, the U.S. Department of State issued a Level 2 travel advisory for the Bahamas, urging visitors to exercise increased caution, due to increasing crime in the island country.

The Chicago Police Department also issued a missing persons alert for Casey on July 1.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Royal Bahamas Police Force 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.
Editors note: Video above aired shortly after Caseys disappearance

(NewsNation)  Nearly two weeks after Chicago resident Taylor Casey went missing from a Bahamas yoga retreat, her family says investigators have not shared any new information about her case.

No news, no information about, you know, where Taylor is or where Taylor could have could have been. Nothing, Caseys mother, Colette Seymore, said on an appearance on NewsNation Now.

Casey has not been seen since the evening of June 19, when she disappeared from a yoga retreat at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, where she was taking classes to become a yoga instructor.

Taylor Caseys family: No missing person posters seen at retreat

Caseys family, including her mother, returned to Chicago after traveling to the Bahamas following Caseys disappearance, but Seymore says there have been no updates since then.

Since Ive been back here in the States, nothing. I havent heard from any of them. Im not sure the FBI is involved. You know, I heard somebody say it, but I dont think its happening, Seymore said. It was very hard for me to get back on a plane and come back without my child. Very hard and no answers.

I think the investigating team, the Royal Bahamas Police, theyre doing the bare minimum, Seymore added.

Missing woman Taylor Caseys last phone ping was in water: Family

Efforts to locate Casey intensified Thursday, with K-9s joining the search. Authorities hope to locate the yoga enthusiasts scent.

Owing to the retreats vast, remote nature, local police began using drone technology to search for signs on the western end of Paradise Island.

The 41-year-old was visiting Paradise Island as part of her interest in yoga. Casey had taken the trip to acquire additional certification.

In an emotional interview, Seymore spoke directly to her daughter, saying, I believe in my heart that youre alive. Get in contact with us please. We love you and we miss you and we need you home with 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 Queen City News.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 3, 2024 - 17:28 | All, World

A Taiwanese fishing boat was seized Tuesday night by China's coast guard in waters near Taiwan-controlled Kinmen, located off the coast of the mainland, according to Taipei and Beijing, which claimed the vessel was suspected of engaging in illegal fishing.

The seizure is expected to further escalate tensions between the two sides with China putting increased pressure on the island since the May inauguration of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing condemns as a separatist.

Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration urged China to avoid any "political maneuvering" that would damage cross-strait relations and release the vessel's crew members in accordance with proper procedures.

The boat, named the Dajinman No. 88, was intercepted by two Chinese vessels within Beijing's waters near Kinmen, an island group that sits only about 10 kilometers away from the Fujian Province city of Xiamen, the administration said.

It added that the Taiwanese vessel was taken to the nearby Chinese port of Weitou. Five crew members -- two Taiwanese, including the captain, and three Indonesians -- were aboard the squid-fishing boat.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary, and has been intensifying pressure on the self-ruled democratic island, including by expanding its coast guard patrols around Kinmen.

The Fujian coast guard boarded and seized the Taiwan vessel as it violated regulations on the fishing moratorium and carried out illegal trawling operations, the China Coast Guard said in a statement Wednesday.

Hsieh Ching-chin, deputy director general of Taiwan's coast guard, told a press conference Wednesday the boat owner had been notified of the Chinese fishing ban in the sea area between May 1 and Aug. 15.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council and Fisheries Agency will continue to negotiate with the mainland on the matter, the island's coast guard said.

According to the Taiwanese administration, the owner of the fishing boat, which is registered in the Penghu archipelago, reported at 8:14 p.m. Tuesday that the vessel was being forcibly inspected by Chinese authorities.

The administration said it dispatched ships to the scene following the report, but attempts to ask the Chinese patrol vessels to release the Dajinman No. 88 were not successful after they were intercepted by other Chinese vessels.

"To avoid escalating the conflict, the pursuit was ceased," it added in a statement.

The area, located about 20 km off the coast of Jinjiang, Fujian Province, is a traditional fishing ground for Penghu fishing boats, according to the media reports.

In February, a Chinese fishing boat capsized near Kinmen while trying to flee Taiwan's coast guard, leaving two people dead after they fell into the sea. The incident prompted China to announce that regular patrols around the area would be strengthened.

China has been attempting to change the status quo around Kinmen by sending its coast guard vessels more frequently into prohibited and restricted zones set by Taiwan.

Related coverage:

U.S. Marine commandant says littoral regiment to be set up on Guam

China's new rule allowing maritime trespasser detention takes effect

G7 ups pressure on China, condemns Russia-North Korea military ties
Teen who died while fishing with others had passion for angling, bicycles

PORT ST. LUCIE  JaQuon Madaris, 16, enjoyed fishing and bicycles, and ever since he was very young had applied for jobs.

He enrolled at St. Lucie Acceleration Academies, an alternative school, in December 2022, and graduated in May.

Hes so funny; he kids around a lot, his mother, Lela Madaris, 64, of Port St. Lucie, said Wednesday. He wants to tinker with everything.

Ja'Quon Madaris

Those who knew JaQuon shared these and other memories after his Tuesday death after an incident in the St. Lucie River.

JaQuon and two other youths were fishing near an area known as the Twin Bridges on Southeast Port St. Lucie Boulevard just east of Southeast Floresta Drive, said Sgt. Dominick Mesiti, police spokesperson.

They were trying to get to a different location and the water got too deep. JaQuon, who police said could not swim, went under and didnt resurface. His body later was found submerged under the bridge.

Port St. Lucie Police Acting Chief Richard Del Toro urged awareness around water, which he said can be dangerous.

If you don't know how to swim, or you're unsure how deep something is, you should always really take caution, Del Toro said. If you don't know how to swim, make sure you have a life vest on when you're near water.

Madaris said JaQuon was born in Alabama, and that he and two sisters were adopted. He had five stepsisters.

From the time he was 5 years hes applying for jobs, Madaris said. Hes tried his hands at everything.

She said JaQuon got involved in making TikTok videos and then YouTube videos.

An older sister of JaQuon is 19-year-old Shania Madaris, of Titusville. She remarked about JaQuons passion for bicycles.

He would just buy five bikes in a row and take the parts and just put them together just to do it because he loved it, Shania Madaris said. He loved to ride bikes.

Shania Madaris said her father loved to fish when they were younger and took them on fishing trips.

As (JaQuon) got older, he loved to fish more and more and more, Shania Madaris said.

Shania Madaris said JaQuon was involved in paid promotions.

He would fish and make YouTube videos and he would get paid from it, she said.

She said he had his own YouTube fishing channel.

He wanted to grow up and be famous to fish, fish and bike, fish and bike, fish and bike, Shania Madaris said. That's all he wanted to do.

Paige Latham, district director of St. Lucie Acceleration Academies, said when he was at school, he was focused on school work and was particularly diligent. JaQuon was well liked by students and staff, she said.

He was always willing to step in to help whenever there was something going on ... or if staff needed help, if other students needed help, Latham said. He was always willing to aid in any way that he could.

Ja'Quon Madaris during May 2024 graduation from St. Lucie Acceleration Academies

JaQuon also liked attention, she said.

He had a very bright future ahead of him, and it is incredibly tragic that it was cut so short, Latham said.

Cosmetica Plastic surgery fallout?: Cosmetic surgery, spa business searched in Port St. Lucie

Deadly Martin County crash: Accused DUI driver in fatal cyclist crash dragged bicycle on her BMW, records state

Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: JaQuon Madaris, 16, remembered for his passion for fishing, bicycles
The percentage of Tennessee public high school graduates heading directly to college just marked its largest year-over-year increase in nearly a decade, according to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

The class of 2023 has a 56.7% college-going rate, which is a 2.4 percentage point bump from the previous year. That gain is the largest since the state implemented its tuition-free Tennessee Promise scholarship in 2015, the commission announced in a report released Tuesday. The state has steadily recovered from lows driven by disruptions during the coronavirus pandemic. The college-going rate dipped to a low of 52.8% in 2021.

Here are the yearly rates from 2014-2023, according to the report:

2014: 58.6%

2015: 64.4%

2016: 63.3%

2017: 63.7%

2018: 62.5%

2019: 61.7%

2020: 56.8%

2021: 52.8%

2022: 54.3%

2023: 56.7%

While that falls short of the state's goal to increase the college-going rate to 60% for the class of 2023, it's still something to celebrate, according to commission director Steven Gentile. He hailed it as a "momentum year" and said it reflects a statewide partnership to coordinate education and workforce training. Gentile also praised the work of the Tennessee Reconnect program, which provides scholarships for adults who want to pursue an associate degree, technical degree or technical diploma at a Tennessee community college or technical college.

"It is gratifying to see those efforts pay off in helping even more Tennessee students and adult learners pursue their dreams and careers with college degrees and workforce credentials beyond high school," Gentile said in the release.

Graduates celebrate after the James Lawson High School graduation ceremony at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, May 21, 2024.

Delays and glitches have plagued the rollout of a revamped Free Application for Federal Student Aid this year. It's not yet clear how that will affect college-going rates for the class of 2024. Colleges and universities statewide said they will have a clearer picture once the fall semester gets underway.

"We know there is still so much more work to do to help ensure every Tennessean has the opportunity for college access and success, which is why we are doubling down on FAFSA completion with the class of 2024 this summer to help more students maximize free financial aid," Gentile said.

Here are a few other key takeaways from the commission's report on the class of 2023 and their college plans.

FAFSA delays: Tennessee colleges uncertain of impact on enrollment, finances

Disparities in race, gender continue

While the college-going rate increased across all races and genders, increases were greatest for white females, Hispanic and Latino males, and females categorized as "other" for race and ethnicity. This suggests that gains were concentrated among populations who have historically enrolled in college, the report said.

"While this is a positive outcome, more opportunities remain to focus college access efforts on those student groups that are less likely to enroll in college," the report stated.

Here's a look at the rates across gender, race and ethnicity ranked from highest to lowest.

Gender

Female: 63.6%

Male: 49.9%

Race/ethnicity

White: 62%

Other: 61.6%

Black or African American: 48.5%

Hispanic/Latino: 39.4%

Race/ethnicity and gender

White females: 69.5%

Other race/ethnicity females: 67.4%

Other race/ethnicity males: 55.1%

Black or African American females: 54.8%

White males: 54.7%

Hispanic/Latino females: 45.1%

Black or African American males: 41.8%

Hispanic/Latino males: 33.6%

New data on economically disadvantaged students

This year's report included socioeconomic data for the first time. By definition, the term "economically disadvantaged" includes K-12 students who are in foster care, homeless, migrants or runaways, along with students who participate in federal or state income and nutrition programs.

Economically disadvantaged students had a 39.3% college-going rate for the class of 2023, marking a slight increase from 36.3% the year before. Those who are not economically disadvantaged saw a rate of 65.3%, up from 63.6%.

Here's a look at the college-going rates for those two groups from 2019-2023.

Economically disadvantaged

2019: 45.5%

2020: 38.8%

2021: 34.5%

2022: 36.3%

2023: 39.3%

Not economically disadvantaged

2019: 71.1%

2020: 67%

2021: 62.7%

2022: 63.6%

2023: 65.3%

See the report for yourself

The full report on the class of 2023, along with other reports and data, can be found at tn.gov/thec/research/college-going-reports.

Reach children's reporter Rachel Wegner at RAwegner@tennessean.com or follow her on Twitter, Threads and Bluesky @RachelAnnWegner.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee sees boost in college-going rates for class of 2023
Texas Hiker, 69, Dies on Grand Canyon Hike with Niece: There Are No Words

"The most beautiful places are unforgiving. Be prepared. Dont underestimate nature," late hiker Scott Sims' niece Jessica Ryan wrote on Facebook

Courtesy NPS River Trail along the Colorado River near Phantom Ranch

A man died after he collapsed on a Grand Canyon hiking trail on Saturday, June 29, per a National Park Service (NPS) July 1 statement.

Scott Sims, 69, of Austin, Texas, was found semi-conscious while hiking the canyon's River Trail via the South Kaibab Trail en route to his overnight stay at Phantom Ranch.

Around 7 p.m., Sims became unresponsive and bystanders initiated CPR as three NPS paramedics came from Phantom Ranch to assist. However, all attempts by bystanders and NPS personnel to resuscitate the individual were unsuccessful, per the NPS statement.

The NPS announced Sims death on Monday, but no cause of death has been declared. The NPS and the Coconino County Medical Examiner are investigating the incident.

Although the NPS did not announce the cause of death, the government agency said in its statement that shaded parts of trails can reach over 120F (49 C). It advises hikers not to hike in the inner canyon between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. during the heat of the day.

Additionally, per the NPS, people should "be aware that efforts to assist hikers may be delayed during the summer months due to limited staff, the number of rescue calls, employee safety requirements, and limited helicopter flying capability during periods of extreme heat or inclement weather."

Getty Colorful sunset overlooking the Colorado River deep in the Grand Canyon

Related: Man Dies After Collapsing Outside Restroom in Death Valley National Park amid 121-Degree Heat

Sims niece, Jessica Ryan, also announced his death on Facebook Monday, sharing that she was with Sims on the hike.



June 29, 2024, Greg, my uncle and I started a hike down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon via South Kaibab trail," she wrote alongside a photo of them posing together at a sign for the trail.

Ryan continued, "June 29, 2024 my uncle lost his life on the trail. There are no words for the events that transpired and the emotions we are feeling right now. Its not only what you see in movies. The most beautiful places are unforgiving. Be prepared. Dont underestimate nature. Hike smart. RIP Scott Sims 04/18/1955 - 06/29/2024.

Courtesy NPS River Trail along the Colorado River near Phantom Ranch

Related: Man Found Dead in Car with 2 Flat Tires and Broken AC at Death Valley National Park amid Extreme Heat

According to Arizona Central, an average of 12 people die each year at Grand Canyon National Park, with a leading cause of death being related to environmental factors  i.e. dehydration and starvation. Airplane and helicopter crashes as well as falling are also common causes of death.

The NPS notes that extreme heat can cause heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion can cause a pale face, nausea, vomiting, cool and moist skin, headache and cramps; if not treated, can become heat stroke.

Heat stroke is a life-threatening emergency that can cause a weak and rapid pulse, high core body temperature, confusion, poor judgment or inability to cope, unconsciousness and seizures. Per the NPS, the Grand Canyon park has two to three cases of heatstroke a year.

To avoid heat-related illnesses, the NPS recommends hikers bring water, food (such as pretzels, crackers, and chips), a first aid kit, a map, a flashlight, spare batteries, a spray bottle, a hat, sunscreen, a whistle and waterproof clothing.

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.

A representative for Grand Canyon National Park did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for more information on Tuesday.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the White House on May 31, 2024. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Texas U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett called for President Joe Biden to withdraw as the Democratic nominee Tuesday, becoming the first congressional Democrat to do so after Bidens poor performance in last weeks presidential debate that has sent the party reeling four months before the November presidential election.

Biden has acknowledged a shaky debate performance but has maintained he is still fit for the job and remains a better alternative than his GOP rival, former President Donald Trump.

Doggett praised Bidens record, but said the stakes of an election that could hand power back to Trump  newly empowered by a Supreme Court ruling Monday granting broad presidential immunity  meant Biden should step aside.

Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Bidens first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw, Doggett said in a statement.

Doggett said that during the 90-minute debate, Biden failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trumps many lies.

After the debate on CNN, Democrats have raised concerns about Bidens performance, which included a raspy, low voice and confusing answers that often began one way before veering into a completely separate topic.

Biden, 81, addressed his performance at the debate during a campaign event the next day in North Carolina, where he acknowledged that hes not a young man, but that hes still up for four more years on the job because Trump, 78, is a genuine threat to this nation.

Leading Democrats have largely remained supportive of Biden in public.

Im with Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said at a press conference in Syracuse, New York, on Tuesday, according to a local report.

Speculation

But the discontent with the presidents debate performance has prompted speculation that Biden could withdraw before he is officially nominated next month.

Democratic Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Andy Beshear of Kentucky have each sought to distance themselves from speculation they could be on a short list of replacements.

A co-chair of the Biden-Harris Campaign, Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, said Tuesday he would support Vice President Kamala Harris should Biden decide to step down.

I will support her, if he were to step aside, he said during a Tuesday interview with MSNBC.

Clyburn, a close ally of Bidens who was instrumental in helping him secure the Democratic nomination in 2020, reiterated that he still supported Biden at the top of the ticket.

We should do everything we can to bolster her, whether shes in second place or at the top of the ticket, he said of Harris.

A bad night

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that its a legitimate question on whether Biden is mentally fit for another four years.

I think its a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition? Pelosi said during a Tuesday interview with MSNBC. She called on Biden to agree to interviews with serious journalists.

Biden is scheduled to be interviewed by ABC News George Stephanopoulos on Friday and will participate in a press conference during a NATO conference next week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at Tuesdays press briefing.

Jean-Pierre said Pelosi asked a fair question and that we understand the concerns.

It was a bad night, she said repeatedly over the course of the roughly hour-long briefing where virtually every question related to Bidens fitness for office, debate performance or Doggetts statement.

Jean-Pierre added that Biden had a cold, which is why his voice was hoarse during the debate.

She said Biden is scheduled to meet with Democratic congressional leaders and governors this week, but declined to give details about what would be discussed during those meetings.

More voices

Former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio wrote an op-ed Tuesday, calling for Biden to withdraw and Harris to pick up the mantle.

Ryan ran against Biden and Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

Moderate Maine Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden also published an op-ed Tuesday, writing that Bidens performance at the debate wasnt unexpected and that hes fine with a second Trump presidency.

Unlike Biden and many others, I refuse to participate in a campaign to scare voters with the idea that Trump will end our democratic system, Golden said.

Moving forward

Despite the concerns, Democrats are still moving forward with plans to nominate Biden as their official presidential candidate before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in late August.

Because of the deadline for candidates to get on Ohios ballot, the all-virtual roll call vote is supposed to take place before Aug. 7. The state requires candidates to be officially nominated at least 90 days before the November election.

Any final decisions about Bidens candidacy would likely need to take place in July.

Business as usual

As the debate about Bidens future continued Tuesday, the president stuck to his regular schedule.

Biden delivered remarks at the District of Columbias Emergency Operations Center on his administrations efforts to address extreme weather.

The president noted the Department of Labors new rule aimed to protect workers from heat-related illnesses, as well as $1 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency funding for projects to mitigate effects of flooding and other extreme weather.

Biden announced that he will hold the first ever White House Summit on Extreme Heat to bring together state, local and tribal leaders to develop solutions and protections, as well as the launch of a new government website showing in real-time the communities that face dangerous heat conditions.

We want the American people to know help is here and how to get that help, Biden said.

He didnt answer a reporters question about Doggetts statement calling for him to withdraw, according to White House pool reports.

Lia Chien contributed to this report.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the White House on May 31, 2024. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the White House on May 31, 2024. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Texas U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett called for President Joe Biden to withdraw as the Democratic nominee Tuesday, becoming the first congressional Democrat to do so after Bidens poor performance in last weeks presidential debate that has sent the party reeling four months before the November presidential election.

Biden has acknowledged a shaky debate performance but has maintained he is still fit for the job and remains a better alternative than his GOP rival, former President Donald Trump.

Doggett praised Bidens record, but said the stakes of an election that could hand power back to Trump  newly empowered by a Supreme Court ruling Monday granting broad presidential immunity  meant Biden should step aside.

Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Bidens first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw, Doggett said in a statement.

Doggett said that during the 90-minute debate, Biden failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trumps many lies.

After the debate on CNN, Democrats have raised concerns about Bidens performance, which included a raspy, low voice and confusing answers that often began one way before veering into a completely separate topic.

Biden, 81, addressed his performance at the debate during a campaign event the next day in North Carolina, where he acknowledged that hes not a young man, but that hes still up for four more years on the job because Trump, 78, is a genuine threat to this nation.

Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Bidens first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw.

 U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas

Leading Democrats have largely remained supportive of Biden in public.

Im with Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said at a press conference in Syracuse, New York, on Tuesday, according to a local report.

Speculation

But the discontent with the presidents debate performance has prompted speculation that Biden could withdraw before he is officially nominated next month.

Democratic Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Andy Beshear of Kentucky have each sought to distance themselves from speculation they could be on a short list of replacements.

A co-chair of the Biden-Harris Campaign, Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, said Tuesday he would support Vice President Kamala Harris should Biden decide to step down.

I will support her, if he were to step aside, he said during a Tuesday interview with MSNBC.

Clyburn, a close ally of Bidens who was instrumental in helping him secure the Democratic nomination in 2020, reiterated that he still supported Biden at the top of the ticket.

We should do everything we can to bolster her, whether shes in second place or at the top of the ticket, he said of Harris.

A bad night

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that its a legitimate question on whether Biden is mentally fit for another four years.

I think its a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition? Pelosi said during a Tuesday interview with MSNBC. She called on Biden to agree to interviews with serious journalists.

Biden is scheduled to be interviewed by ABC News George Stephanopoulos on Friday and will participate in a press conference during a NATO conference next week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at Tuesdays press briefing.

Jean-Pierre said Pelosi asked a fair question and that we understand the concerns.

It was a bad night, she said repeatedly over the course of the roughly hour-long briefing where virtually every question related to Bidens fitness for office, debate performance or Doggetts statement.

Jean-Pierre added that Biden had a cold, which is why his voice was hoarse during the debate.

She said Biden is scheduled to meet with Democratic congressional leaders and governors this week, but declined to give details about what would be discussed during those meetings.

More voices

Former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio wrote an op-ed Tuesday, calling for Biden to withdraw and Harris to pick up the mantle.

Ryan ran against Biden and Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

Moderate Maine Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden also published an op-ed Tuesday, writing that Bidens performance at the debate wasnt unexpected and that hes fine with a second Trump presidency.

Unlike Biden and many others, I refuse to participate in a campaign to scare voters with the idea that Trump will end our democratic system, Golden said.

Moving forward

Despite the concerns, Democrats are still moving forward with plans to nominate Biden as their official presidential candidate before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in late August.

Because of the deadline for candidates to get on Ohios ballot, the all-virtual roll call vote is supposed to take place before Aug. 7. The state requires candidates to be officially nominated at least 90 days before the November election.

Any final decisions about Bidens candidacy would likely need to take place in July.

Business as usual

As the debate about Bidens future continued Tuesday, the president stuck to his regular schedule.

Biden delivered remarks at the District of Columbias Emergency Operations Center on his administrations efforts to address extreme weather.

The president noted the Department of Labors new rule aimed to protect workers from heat-related illnesses, as well as $1 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency funding for projects to mitigate effects of flooding and other extreme weather.

Biden announced that he will hold the first ever White House Summit on Extreme Heat to bring together state, local and tribal leaders to develop solutions and protections, as well as the launch of a new government website showing in real-time the communities that face dangerous heat conditions.

We want the American people to know help is here and how to get that help, Biden said.

He didnt answer a reporters question about Doggetts statement calling for him to withdraw, according to White House pool reports.

Lia Chien contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 31: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on former U.S. President Donald Trumps guilty verdict in his hush-money trial before speaking on the Middle East at the White House on May 31, 2024 in Washington, DC. Biden said Trump had a fair trial and an impartial jury found him guilty on all 34 counts and added it is dangerous for anyone to say the trial was rigged. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Texas U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett called for President Joe Biden to withdraw as the Democratic nominee Tuesday, becoming the first congressional Democrat to do so after Bidens poor performance in last weeks presidential debate that has sent the party reeling four months before the November presidential election.

Biden has acknowledged a shaky debate performance but has maintained he is still fit for the job and remains a better alternative than his GOP rival, former President Donald Trump.

Doggett praised Bidens record, but said the stakes of an election that could hand power back to Trump  newly empowered by a Supreme Court ruling Monday granting broad presidential immunity  meant Biden should step aside.

Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Bidens first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw, Doggett said in a statement.

Doggett said that during the 90-minute debate, Biden failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trumps many lies.

After the debate on CNN, Democrats have raised concerns about Bidens performance, which included a raspy, low voice and confusing answers that often began one way before veering into a completely separate topic.

Biden, 81, addressed his performance at the debate during a campaign event the next day in North Carolina, where he acknowledged that hes not a young man, but that hes still up for four more years on the job because Trump, 78, is a genuine threat to this nation.

Leading Democrats have largely remained supportive of Biden in public.

Im with Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said at a press conference in Syracuse, New York, on Tuesday, according to a local report.

Speculation

But the discontent with the presidents debate performance has prompted speculation that Biden could withdraw before he is officially nominated next month.

Democratic Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Andy Beshear of Kentucky have each sought to distance themselves from speculation they could be on a short list of replacements.

A co-chair of the Biden-Harris Campaign, Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, said Tuesday he would support Vice President Kamala Harris should Biden decide to step down.

I will support her, if he were to step aside, he said during a Tuesday interview with MSNBC.

Clyburn, a close ally of Bidens who was instrumental in helping him secure the Democratic nomination in 2020, reiterated that he still supported Biden at the top of the ticket.

We should do everything we can to bolster her, whether shes in second place or at the top of the ticket, he said of Harris.

A bad night

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that its a legitimate question on whether Biden is mentally fit for another four years.

I think its a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition? Pelosi said during a Tuesday interview with MSNBC. She called on Biden to agree to interviews with serious journalists.

Biden is scheduled to be interviewed by ABC News George Stephanopoulos on Friday and will participate in a press conference during a NATO conference next week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at Tuesdays press briefing.

Jean-Pierre said Pelosi asked a fair question and that we understand the concerns.

It was a bad night, she said repeatedly over the course of the roughly hour-long briefing where virtually every question related to Bidens fitness for office, debate performance or Doggetts statement.

Jean-Pierre added that Biden had a cold, which is why his voice was hoarse during the debate.

She said Biden is scheduled to meet with Democratic congressional leaders and governors this week, but declined to give details about what would be discussed during those meetings.

More voices

Former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio wrote an op-ed Tuesday, calling for Biden to withdraw and Harris to pick up the mantle.

Ryan ran against Biden and Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

Moderate Maine Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden also published an op-ed Tuesday, writing that Bidens performance at the debate wasnt unexpected and that hes fine with a second Trump presidency.

Unlike Biden and many others, I refuse to participate in a campaign to scare voters with the idea that Trump will end our democratic system, Golden said.

Moving forward

Despite the concerns, Democrats are still moving forward with plans to nominate Biden as their official presidential candidate before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in late August.

Because of the deadline for candidates to get on Ohios ballot, the all-virtual roll call vote is supposed to take place before Aug. 7. The state requires candidates to be officially nominated at least 90 days before the November election.

Any final decisions about Bidens candidacy would likely need to take place in July.

Business as usual

As the debate about Bidens future continued Tuesday, the president stuck to his regular schedule.

Biden delivered remarks at the District of Columbias Emergency Operations Center on his administrations efforts to address extreme weather.

The president noted the Department of Labors new rule aimed to protect workers from heat-related illnesses, as well as $1 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency funding for projects to mitigate effects of flooding and other extreme weather.

Biden announced that he will hold the first ever White House Summit on Extreme Heat to bring together state, local and tribal leaders to develop solutions and protections, as well as the launch of a new government website showing in real-time the communities that face dangerous heat conditions.

We want the American people to know help is here and how to get that help, Biden said.

He didnt answer a reporters question about Doggetts statement calling for him to withdraw, according to White House pool reports.

Lia Chien contributed to this report.

The post Texas U.S. House member calls for Biden to withdraw amid debate fallout appeared first on Michigan Advance.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the White House on May 31, 2024. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Texas U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett called for President Joe Biden to withdraw as the Democratic nominee Tuesday, becoming the first congressional Democrat to do so after Bidens poor performance in last weeks presidential debate that has sent the party reeling four months before the November presidential election.

Biden has acknowledged a shaky debate performance but has maintained he is still fit for the job and remains a better alternative than his GOP rival, former President Donald Trump.

Doggett praised Bidens record, but said the stakes of an election that could hand power back to Trump  newly empowered by a Supreme Court ruling Monday granting broad presidential immunity  meant Biden should step aside.

Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Bidens first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw, Doggett said in a statement.

Doggett said that during the 90-minute debate, Biden failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trumps many lies.

After the debate on CNN, Democrats have raised concerns about Bidens performance, which included a raspy, low voice and confusing answers that often began one way before veering into a completely separate topic.

Biden, 81, addressed his performance at the debate during a campaign event the next day in North Carolina, where he acknowledged that hes not a young man, but that hes still up for four more years on the job because Trump, 78, is a genuine threat to this nation.

Leading Democrats have largely remained supportive of Biden in public.

Im with Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said at a press conference in Syracuse, New York, on Tuesday, according to a local report.

Speculation

But the discontent with the presidents debate performance has prompted speculation that Biden could withdraw before he is officially nominated next month.

Democratic Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Andy Beshear of Kentucky have each sought to distance themselves from speculation they could be on a short list of replacements.

A co-chair of the Biden-Harris Campaign, Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, said Tuesday he would support Vice President Kamala Harris should Biden decide to step down.

I will support her, if he were to step aside, he said during a Tuesday interview with MSNBC.

Clyburn, a close ally of Bidens who was instrumental in helping him secure the Democratic nomination in 2020, reiterated that he still supported Biden at the top of the ticket.

We should do everything we can to bolster her, whether shes in second place or at the top of the ticket, he said of Harris.

A bad night

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that its a legitimate question on whether Biden is mentally fit for another four years.

I think its a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition? Pelosi said during a Tuesday interview with MSNBC. She called on Biden to agree to interviews with serious journalists.

Biden is scheduled to be interviewed by ABC News George Stephanopoulos on Friday and will participate in a press conference during a NATO conference next week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at Tuesdays press briefing.

Jean-Pierre said Pelosi asked a fair question and that we understand the concerns.

It was a bad night, she said repeatedly over the course of the roughly hour-long briefing where virtually every question related to Bidens fitness for office, debate performance or Doggetts statement.

Jean-Pierre added that Biden had a cold, which is why his voice was hoarse during the debate.

She said Biden is scheduled to meet with Democratic congressional leaders and governors this week, but declined to give details about what would be discussed during those meetings.

More voices

Former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio wrote an op-ed Tuesday, calling for Biden to withdraw and Harris to pick up the mantle.

Ryan ran against Biden and Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

Moderate Maine Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden also published an op-ed Tuesday, writing that Bidens performance at the debate wasnt unexpected and that hes fine with a second Trump presidency.

Unlike Biden and many others, I refuse to participate in a campaign to scare voters with the idea that Trump will end our democratic system, Golden said.

Moving forward

Despite the concerns, Democrats are still moving forward with plans to nominate Biden as their official presidential candidate before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in late August.

Because of the deadline for candidates to get on Ohios ballot, the all-virtual roll call vote is supposed to take place before Aug. 7. The state requires candidates to be officially nominated at least 90 days before the November election.

Any final decisions about Bidens candidacy would likely need to take place in July.

Business as usual

As the debate about Bidens future continued Tuesday, the president stuck to his regular schedule.

Biden delivered remarks at the District of Columbias Emergency Operations Center on his administrations efforts to address extreme weather.

The president noted the Department of Labors new rule aimed to protect workers from heat-related illnesses, as well as $1 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency funding for projects to mitigate effects of flooding and other extreme weather.

Biden announced that he will hold the first ever White House Summit on Extreme Heat to bring together state, local and tribal leaders to develop solutions and protections, as well as the launch of a new government website showing in real-time the communities that face dangerous heat conditions.

We want the American people to know help is here and how to get that help, Biden said.

He didnt answer a reporters question about Doggetts statement calling for him to withdraw, according to White House pool reports.

Lia Chien contributed to this report.
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  Two new deputies have been sworn into the Tom Green County Sheriffs Office, joining four other recent hires and filling out the agencys ranks for the first time in years.

According to TGSO, the new deputies were inducted into the sheriffs office during a ceremony held in the Tom Green County Commissioners Courtroom at 9 a.m. on July 3. There, Tom Green County Justice of the Peace Stacye Speck swore in Deputies Ryan DeLa Cruz and Ida Rodriguez.

SAPD releases info regarding murder-suicide investigation

DeLa Cruz and Rodriguez join four other deputies sworn in on June 24: Andrea Macias, Ty Wall, Kevin Wojtek and Hayden Pipken. TGSO stated that, with all six deputies now fully-fledged members of the agency, it is fully staffed for the first time in many years.

The deputies are now slated to undergo a 14-week field officer training program. Following the completion of this program, they will begin serving in their respective shifts.

The Tom Green County Sheriffs Office remains committed to aggressively enforcing the laws of Texas to maintain the safety and security of all residents, TGSO said. The addition of these new deputies reflects our ongoing efforts to strengthen our team and enhance our ability to serve the community.

Despite being fully staffed, the sheriffs office is still currently accepting applications from those interested in serving as a corrections officer. Applications may be submitted by individuals by applying online at www.tomgreencountytx.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 ConchoValleyHomepage.com.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 3, 2024 - 20:31 | All, Japan

New 10,000 yen ($62), 5,000 yen and 1,000 yen banknotes featuring cutting-edge anti-counterfeit technology went into circulation in Japan on Wednesday, in the first design change in two decades just as the cash-loving nation slowly goes cashless.

The first batches of the new bills, featuring three-dimensional holograms of historical figures, were transported from the Bank of Japan's head office by truck to financial institutions and some consumers may be able to obtain them Wednesday at banks and automated teller machines. The previous banknotes will remain valid.

A total of 280 million new bills, worth 1.6 trillion yen, were circulated on Wednesday, the BOJ said, with its chief Kazuo Ueda underscoring the importance of banknotes as a "critical settlement method" even in the age of increasing cashless payments.

In Fukaya in Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, a countdown event began late Tuesday to celebrate the debut of the new 10,000 yen bill that features Eiichi Shibusawa (1840-1931), known as "the father of Japanese capitalism," who was born in the city.

"I want to be a great person like him," said 12-year-old Takayuki Ogawa. Others at the event expressed hope that the selection of Shibusawa would help rejuvenate the local economy.

At a branch of a commercial bank in the city, many people lined up to exchange their old 10,000 yen bills for new ones.

A university student in his 20s arrived at the branch at around 7:30 a.m. and was at the front of the queue to exchange his bills.

"Eiichi Shibusawa is moving his head," he said, referring to the new holograms, adding he was happy to see Japan's cutting-edge technology against counterfeit notes.

Educator Umeko Tsuda (1864-1929), who strove to raise the status of women in society, appears on the 5,000 yen bill, while the 1,000 yen note bears microbiologist Shibasaburo Kitasato (1853-1931), dubbed "the father of modern Japanese medicine."

The bills use larger face value numbers than the previous notes to aid recognition and tactile marks for the visually impaired.

The red-brick building of Tokyo Station is depicted on the reverse side of the 10,000 yen note. Wisteria flowers, cherished in Japan since ancient times, appear on the 5,000 yen bill, and "The Great Wave off Kanagawa," a work by ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai depicting big waves and Mt. Fuji, appears on the 1,000 yen note.

"It's a well-known picture and it's very nice. I want to have it and take it home as a souvenir," Julia Karssen, a tourist from the Netherlands, said after visiting the Sumida Hokusai Museum in Tokyo.

The 25-year-old student says she "never" uses cash back home. During her stay in Japan, however, she did pay by cash in rural areas.

Another visitor, Catherine Long from China, said she hopes to see the new banknotes before her weeklong trip ends. The 29-year-old said she rarely uses cash in her country but prepared cash as a "backup" for her visit to Japan with her mother.

Japan is behind countries like China, South Korea, Singapore, Britain and the United States when it comes to the spread of cashless payments, according to industry data.

Despite some increases in recent years, partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, such payments still accounted for less than half of the total in value terms as of 2023. Some analysts say the new bills could become the last widely-circulated bills if the cashless trend strengthens and Japan decides to issue a digital yen.

The government announced its plan to redesign the banknotes in 2019, allowing time for financial institutions and businesses to prepare.

Most ATMs and ticketing machines for public transport are ready to process the new bills, though many vending machines are not. Still, small businesses cite the difficulty of shouldering higher costs to update their equipment.

Related coverage:

Japan to launch new banknotes on July 3, 1st design change in 20 years
On Monday, a new law allowing volunteer chaplains in Florida public schools took effect. The Satanic Temple was ready.

"The Satanic Temple's chaplains can now serve in Floridas public schools, thanks to Governor Ron DeSantis!" the church posted Tuesday on its social media accounts.

DeSantis said that would not be happening.

"We're not playing those games in Florida," DeSantis said when he signed the bill in April. "That is not a religion."

The Satanic Temple's chaplains can now serve in Floridas public schools, thanks to @GovRonDeSantis!



Are you a Florida parent interested in learning more about The Satanic Temple's chaplains serving in public schools? Sign up for more information: https://t.co/zZ1sqihsHm pic.twitter.com/hCAuiSs0E9  The Satanic Temple (@satanic_temple_) July 2, 2024

The new law was one of nearly 180 new Florida laws that took effect Monday, July 1, 2024.

Under HB 931, volunteer school chaplains may "provide support, services, and programs to students as assigned by the district school board or charter school governing board." Parents must consent and may choose from a publicly available list of chaplains and their religious affiliations, if any.

However, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits the establishment or promotion of any specific religion. That's where The Satanic Temple comes in.

Any opportunity that exists for ministers or chaplains in the public sector must not discriminate based on religious affiliation, The Satanic Temples director of ministry, who goes by Penemue Grigori, said in an email to the USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida while the bill was being deliberated. Our ministers look forward to participating in opportunities to do good in the community, including the opportunities created by this bill, right alongside the clergy of other religions.

The church  which is recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt religious organization  regularly fights for religious freedom and the First Amendment by inserting itself into any rules or laws that allow religion into the government or public sector.

"Are you a Florida parent interested in learning more about The Satanic Temple's chaplains serving in public schools?" the church's social media posts asked. "Sign up for more information: http://tinyurl.com/thanksron"

A similar bill in Utah, HB 514, failed this year. Georgia's SB 379, which also failed, would have allowed volunteer chaplains to work alongside or replace school counselors but specifically defined "chaplain" as not a person "who is a satanist."

What if 'someone was a Satanist'? Florida lawmakers pass contentious bill allowing for chaplains in public schools

What is the Satanic Temple?

Founded in 2013 in Salem, Massachusetts by Lucien Greaves and Malcolm Jerry, The Satanic Temple gained national attention after holding a rally in Tallahassee praising then-Gov. Rick Scott for signing a bill the previous year allowing public school students to initiate prayer and read inspirational messages at assemblies and sporting events.

The Satanic Temple counters faith-based school programs in public schools nationwide with its After School Satan Clubs, which offer science projects, community service projects, arts and crafts, puzzles and games with what the organization calls a focus on rationalism.

"The After School Satan Club does not believe in introducing religion into public schools and will only open a club if other religious groups are operating on campus," the church's website says. And they sue to stay there.

The Satanic Temple also has taken stands against hate groups, corporal punishment in schools, abortion limits and other issues it feels are based on evangelical Christianity, often using images and references that seem to mock religious beliefs. The church uses a cartoonish version of the Christian devil in its logo as a symbol of rebellion and intellectual questioning, although it specifically rejects the concept of Satan as a supernatural being.

The Temple promotes seven tenets focusing on compassion, empathy, personal freedom, bodily autonomy, scientific facts, and the struggle for justice. The organization also offers support groups for recovery from addiction without including religion; exposes malpractice and pseudoscience; runs an anti-corporal punishment in schools campaign; and provides telehealth support for reproductive information nationwide and telehealth abortion services to New Mexico.

The Satanic Temple: After School Satan Clubs and pagan statues have popped up across US. What's going on?

What is Florida HB 931 / SB 7044, School Chaplains bill?

HB 931/SB 7044 authorizes school districts and charter schools to allow volunteer school chaplains "to provide support, services, and programs to students as assigned by the district school board or charter school governing board." It also requires districts to screen volunteers and requires parental consent before a student may utilize their services. Parents may choose from the list, which must be posted by each district with the volunteer names and religious affiliations.

Assorted amendments to ban school districts from preferring specific religious affiliations, require sexual harassment and assault prevention training, require chaplains to be from faiths recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense and hold a Master's or Bachelor's degree or higher in a theological field, or to require an oversight committee and establish a complaint and termination process all failed or were withdrawn in the House.

The Satanic Temple in Florida

The display proposed by the Satanic Temple was denied access to the Florida Capitol rotunda after Department of Management Services deemed it grossly offensive.

The Satanic Temple has had a presence in the Sunshine State after the Tallahassee rally. The Satanic Temple's petition in 2013 to put up a display in the Florida Capitol Rotunda  which already featured Christmas displays, a menorah, and a Festivus pole made out of empty Pabst Blue Ribbon cans  was denied. Their second attempt the next year was approved and they mounted their own: a diorama of an angel falling from the sky into the flames of hell, underneath the words "Happy Holidays from the Satanic Temple."

Within a day it was vandalized.

Other measures have met outraged resistance. In 2015, the Orange County School Board voted to ban all distribution of religious or political material in schools after the Temple distributed Satanic coloring books emphasizing reason and anti-bullying messages along with cartoon children seemingly performing Satanic rituals.

In 2019, the West Florida Chapter of the Satanic Temple "adopted" Hitzman-Optimist Park in Pensacola but within a week their sign and areas of the park were vandalized.

DeSantis weighed in on more vandalism in Iowa last December, when he was running for the Republican nomination for president.

Satan has no place in our society and should not be recognized as a "religion" by the federal government. I'll chip in to contribute to this veteran's legal defense fund.



Good prevails over evil -- that's the American spirit. https://t.co/p1vmTcl8c9  Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) December 15, 2023

A Satanic Temple altar with a statue of the pagan idol Baphomet that was permitted at the Iowa State Capitol next to the nativity scene last December brought widespread outrage, criticism and debates over free speech before Michael Cassidy, a former GOP Mississippi House candidate, destroyed it. He was later charged with a hate crime.

DeSantis appeared on CNN to say it would not be allowed in the Florida Capitol and that it was former president and current GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump's fault.

The Trump administration gave them approval to be under the IRS as a religion, so that gave them the legal ability to potentially do it, he said. The Satanic Temple received its tax-exempt status in 2019.

Cassidy pleaded guilty in a deal that allowed him to avoid a felony charge. He received two years probation and was ordered to pay an $855 civil penalty and restitution to the Satanic Temple.

Contributing: Douglas Soule, USA TODAY Network-Florida

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Satanic Temple thanks Ron DeSantis for Florida school chaplains law
In the aftermath of President Bidens unsteady debate performance last week, Democrats, including Biden himself, were faced with a stark choice: Should they continue to place their support behind the 81-year-old presumptive party nominee, or should they advocate for finding someone to replace him?

Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first Democrat in Congress to publicly come out in favor of replacing Biden on the ticket.

"President Biden saved our democracy by delivering us from Trump in 2020. He must not deliver us to Trump in 2024," Doggett said in a statement released Tuesday.

Following Doggetts lead, dozens of House Democrats are said to be considering signing a letter demanding that Biden withdraw from the presidential race, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

Mixed messages

Biden, meanwhile, reportedly had a conversation with key allies about whether his debate performance was too damaging for him to continue as the partys presidential nominee for 2024, according to the New York Times.

White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said the Times reporting was absolutely false, however, and the Biden campaign sent out a memo Wednesday arguing that Biden remained competitive with Trump in most polls, Politico reported. That same memo sought to portray Wednesdays New York Times/Sienna College poll, which shows Trump now leading Biden by six points, as an outlier. A Yahoo News/YouGov poll released Tuesday showed Trump with a two-point lead over Biden.

By Wednesday afternoon, Biden was seeking to reassure his staffers. I am running, he reportedly said on a campaign call, adding, no ones pushing me out. Im not leaving. Im in this race to the end and were going to win.

So far, high profile Democrats have offered their public support of Biden, though there are signs that could change. On Tuesday, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told MSNBC that it is essential for Biden to sit for interviews with serious journalists to prove to doubters that he is still up for the job of being president. After that interview aired, a spokesperson for Pelosi seemed to try to soften its impact.

Speaker Pelosi has full confidence in President Biden and looks forward to attending his inauguration on January 20, 2025, the statement read.

Still, Biden is planning to follow Pelosis advice, and will be interviewed on Friday by ABC Newss George Stephanopoulos.

Former President Barack Obama, meanwhile, called Biden following the debate to reiterate his support. But he has also privately told allies that Bidens performance has made his chances of being elected worse, the Washington Post reported.

In such a fluid environment, the risks of continuing to support Biden as the Democratic nominee continue to evolve.

Risks of standing by Biden

With Biden signaling his intention to remain in the race, and top surrogates like Vice President Kamala Harris and California Gov. Gavin Newsom rallying by his side, insisting that he is fit for another four-year term, some Democrats risk having their own judgment called into question.

Following the presidential debate, for instance, Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison and Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez held a call with DNC members that, according to the Associated Press, brushed aside concerns about Bidens health.

I was hoping for more of a substantive conversation instead of, Hey, lets go out there and just be cheerleaders, without actually addressing a very serious issue that unfolded on American television for millions of people to see," Joe Salazar, an elected DNC member from Colorado, who was on the call, told the AP. There were a number of things that could have been said in addressing the situation. But we didnt get that. We were being gaslit.

Countering White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierres assertion on Tuesday that Bidens debate performance was just a bad night, the New York Times ran a story that same day citing several current and former officials, who described the president as increasingly confused or listless.

Thanks to Thursdays debate and the media scrutiny that has followed, every Biden appearance will now receive heightened scrutiny. Should he hold steady or exceed expectations, Democrats who continue to support his candidacy will breathe easier. But if he stumbles again, many voters will likely question their motivation in doing so.

In a fundraising email to Biden supporters and donors sent following the first debate, deputy campaign manager Rob Flaherty made the case that Biden stepping aside was the surest way to ensure victory for Trump.

If Biden were to drop out, it would lead to weeks of chaos, internal foodfighting, and a bunch of candidates who limp into a brutal floor fight at the convention, all while Donald Trump has time to speak to American voters uncontested, he wrote, adding, "All of that would be in service of a nominee who would go into a general election in the weakest possible position with zero dollars in their bank account. You want a highway to losing? It's that."

Allan Lichtman, a historian who has correctly predicted who would win 9 of the last 10 presidential elections, also decried those who have used Bidens debate performance as proof that he is not physically able to hold the highest office in the land.

Its a huge mistake. They're not doctors. They don't know whether Biden is physically capable of carrying out a second term or not, Lichtman said during an interview with CNN. This is all foolhardy nonsense.

One thing, however, is clear about the current debate over whether to stick with Biden: its time that is not being spent critiquing his opponent.
Third arrest made in connection to deadly May shooting at Glendale afterparty

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  A third arrest has been made in connection to the deadly May shooting that took the life of Nico Christopher Patino, 30, in the Glendale neighborhood.

Nhial Buk, 19, was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, just over a month since the shooting. He faces one count of first-degree felony murder, 13 counts of first-degree felony discharge of a firearm, one count of second-degree felony obstruction of justice, and misdemeanor failure to stop at the command of an officer.

Detectives with the Salt Lake City Police Department said they identified Buk through their investigation as one of the gunmen who shot and killed Patino on May 26, 2024.

Patinos body was found in the parking lot of an industrial business in the 1800 block of West Fortune Road in the Glendale neighborhood shortly after 4 a.m. Officers called the alleged murder a coordinated effort with several shooters both on foot and in a car.

Body recovered out of Little Dell Reservoir after hours-long search

Officers were able to learn the location of Buk and safely brought him into custody after a brief foot chase.

Buk is the third suspect to be arrested in connection to Patinos murder. Earlier this month, SWAT detectives arrested Abdihakim Mohamed, 19, and reportedly recovered a loaded gun. Days later, SLCPD Airport officers arrested Nay Blusoe, 21, in connection to the murder as he returned to Salt Lake City from Detroit, Mich.

The motive for the shooting is still under investigation. No further information about the case has been publicly released.

Anyone with information about the fatal May shooting, including any related photos or video, is asked to call the Salt Lake City Police Department at 801-799-3000 or submit an anonymous tip using the City Protect App and reference case number 24-113488.

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.
Third defendant in Wirecard fraud case to testify for first time

A view of the courtroom during the Wirecard trial. A third defendant in Germany's sprawling fraud trial involving disgraced payments group Wirecard plans to testify for the first time. Angelika Warmuth/dpa

A third defendant in Germany's sprawling fraud trial involving disgraced payments group Wirecard plans to testify for the first time.

The defendant identified only as E, the former chief accountant of the group, is to break his year and a half-long silence on July 17, presiding judge Markus Fodisch of the Munich court said on Wednesday.

In mid-2020, the former DAX-listed group collapsed because 1.9 billion ($2 billion) in alleged revenues could not be found. The trial began in December 2022.

E confirmed his personal details at the start of the trial, but otherwise has not given any statements.

The Munich Regional Court under Fodisch's leadership has promised E a prison sentence of between six and eight years in return for a confession.

It is not yet clear whether the former chief accountant will admit or deny the charges in his statement.

"Our client has decided to contribute to the clarification of the facts," said defence lawyer Sabine Stetter. E will describe "his view of things" and is prepared to answer questions from the court and the other parties involved in the proceedings, she added.

At the heart of the criminal charges is the allegation that E, ex-chief executive Markus Braun and ex-manager Oliver Bellenhaus invented supposed transactions and fabricated phony sales worth billions of euros in order to keep the firm afloat and trick lenders into giving further loans.

In its indictment, the Munich public prosecutor's office puts the financial damages at some 3 billion.

So far, the trial has been testimony against testimony: Braun, who has been in custody for four years as the main defendant, denies all accusations. Bellenhaus, on the other hand, has admitted to the majority of the charges.
Thompson fire flares up along Canyon Road in Oroville, California on Tuesday. Photo by Peter DaSilva/UPI

July 3 (UPI) -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday morning as the Thompson fire forced another 15,000 residents to evacuate, raising the total of evacuees to 28,000.

"We are using every available tool to tackle this fire and will continue to work closely with our local and federal partners to support impacted communities," Newsom said in a prepared statement Wednesday morning.

The northern California blaze has burned 3,002 acres and was at 0% containment as of Wednesday morning, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.

"Butte County Fire Department is at [the] scene of a vegetation fire outside of Oroville," Cal Fire said. "Multiple evacuations are in place and an augmentation of ground and air resources have been ordered."

The Butte County Sheriff's Department issued evacuation orders for parts of the communities of Oroville, Cherokee, Oroville Northeast, Kelly Ridge and Hurleton.

The Thompson fire flares up along Canyon Road in Oroville, California on Tuesday. Photo by Peter DaSilva/UPI

The Hyatt Powerplant, the Oroville Field Office, Lake Oroville Visitor Center and the Thermalito Pumping-Generating Plant all fell under the evacuation order, personnel at the Oroville Dam were not at risk, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

Oroville declared a local emergency as the blaze threatened critical infrastructure, including the water supply.

Firefighters knock down hot spots after the Thompson fire jumped Canyon Road in Oroville, California on Tuesday. Photo by Peter DaSilva/UPI

Newsom announced the state had secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help suppress the fire and provide vital resources, while the California Office of Emergency Services also deployed fire and law enforcement resources.

Cal Fire said 1,438 total personnel have been dedicated to the fire, including 199 fire engines, 46 dozers, 49 water tenders and eight helicopters.
A boat crosses Lake Oroville with a smoldering hillside beyond it Wednesday as the Thompson fire burns in Oroville. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)

When authorities ordered Brian Wong and his neighbors to evacuate as the Thompson fire bore down on the city of Oroville this week, the restaurant owner knew he couldn't leave.

He had learned from the 2018 Camp fire how things can go wrong for people who can't defend their property, he said.

Oroville is about 20 miles south of Paradise, where the deadliest wildfire in California history killed 85 people and destroyed the Butte County town.

"In the past I wouldnt hesitate to leave, but I'm hearing a lot of stories about fire victims that were not taken care of in Paradise," the 53-year-old said. "Im afraid of leaving my house, leaving my property, and next thing it burns and we get into a complicated mess.

"Im choosing to stay behind and defend my property if I need to," he added.

Read more: Photos: Thompson fire north of Sacramento forces thousands to evacuate

As of Wednesday, more than 28,000 Butte County residents were under evacuation orders. The Thompson fire had grown to more than 3,500 acres with 0% containment. Four homes had been destroyed and thousands of structures were under threat, according to Rick Carhart, a public information officer with Cal Fire's Butte County station.

Carhart said a number of evacuees who lost their homes in the Camp fire were being forced to evacuate once more.

Crews battled the blaze  one of several that broke out across the state this week  under excessive heat and red flag warnings. Temperatures were forecast to reach 108 degrees Wednesday, with wind gusts 15 to 20 mph.

Much of Northern California remains under a red flag warning, an alert for extreme fire weather. A combination of winds up to 30 mph, low humidity and hot temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior, according to the National Weather Service.

Eight new fires ignited across the state on Tuesday and nine on Wednesday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Thompson fire was the largest, followed by the Airline fire in San Benito County, which was 1,200 acres and 55% contained Wednesday morning.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a state of emergency for the Thompson fire, which he said was threatening structures, homes, critical infrastructure, and health and congregate care facilities.

The fire broke out just before 11 a.m. Tuesday and is under investigation, with no cause yet determined.

Read more: California fire: What started as a tiny brush fire became the states deadliest wildfire. Heres how

The conditions out there that are in our county this summer are much different than weve experienced the last two summers," Garrett Sjolund, Cal Fire unit chief in Butte County, said at a news conference Tuesday evening. "The fuels are very dense, the brush is dry, and, as you can see, any wind will move a fire out very quickly.

Butte County Sheriff Kory L. Honea said during the news conference that there have been four fires within the last couple of weeks, calling this "a bad fire season."

I understand that people stay," Honea said. "If you stay, you need to make sure that youre paying attention to where the fire is going so that you can get out if necessary."

A helicopter drops water on the Thompson fire Tuesday as it burns above Lake Oroville in Oroville. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)

The sky was blue in many areas of Oroville on Wednesday, with a limited smell of smoke downtown. Businesses largely remained open, including the Wagon Wheel Market, located along Olive Highway.

Patrick Butler, 56, who runs the market with his brother Tom, said residents have "been through this numerous times." He used a hose to wet down the store, he said, although there were no visible flames in the area Wednesday morning.

Outside, the air was a little smoky, and the roads were blocked east and west.

"I would imagine we're under mandatory evacuation, if had to guess," he said in a brief phone interview. "We have a ton of defensible space. We have a generator, a ton of water here. We will just be here taking care of business."

The market has been in the Butler family since 1981. Most of those working Wednesday were immediate family members, including his brother, wife, daughter, son-in-law and grandkids, because his employees couldn't make it through the roadblocks.

Read more: California burns as heat wave spreads across western U.S.

That morning, they'd sold more sandwich makings than usual, along with breakfast burritos and water bottles.

"There's a lot of people within this evacuation zone that we're open to serve," he said. "We've got a lot of first responders running around who need things."

Members of the Oroville Chamber of Commerce spent Wednesday morning contacting vendors to let them know that the Fourth of July fireworks celebration had been canceled.

Thats just been kind of a hometown tradition in our community. But with, obviously, the fire burning right into the city limits, everyones just focused on addressing the safety emergency situation," said Eric Smith, president of the Oroville Chamber of Commerce. "It just wouldn't be responsible at this point."

Don and Linda Pederson were determined Wednesday not to be pushed around by the latest fire to encroach on their property.

"It's not the first time this has happened," said Don, 81.

But it is the closest a fire has come to their home of 50 years, which sits near Oroville Dam on an acre lot that has been in Linda's family since 1945. Don said he thinks the fire, at its closest, was about a mile away. But he said they don't plan to evacuate unless it crosses Highway 162, which serves as something of a firebreak.

The Pedersons' home is in an evacuation warning area, although he said the fire map puts his garage squarely in the mandatory evacuation zone.

"Even if our whole house was in the evacuation zone, we would not leave unless I knew it was on our side of the road and coming down the hill," he said, adding that they have power and, as a backup, a whole-house generator.

The day before, he said, "I could actually see flames in the distance."

He said he is monitoring the fire with Linda, 79, from inside their home, with a few essential papers set aside in case they need to leave quickly. Their lot has been mowed to create a defensive space and protect against traveling embers. Their two vehicles are parked away from the house in case it caught fire. There are two fire hydrants next to their property.

"The breeze is not real strong, but it is picking up right now," he said. "And I have seen quite a bit of smoke."

He added that first responders have been working diligently since the fire broke out.

"Everybody really turned out for this," he said.

Mike Shorrock, a retired Cal Fire battalion chief in Butte County, has been closely monitoring the flames from his home east of Oroville, just a couple of miles south of the blaze. He speaks in fire language, talking about containment lines, drainage and fire conditions as he feels the familiar tug to return to the job he held for 45 years.

Shorrocks home is in a mandatory evacuation area, but  at least for now  he said he's staying put.

You get sort of in denial when you work in the business, like, Oh, that wont happen to me, but I have lots of friends who lost houses in the Paradise fire, he said. I feel comfortable staying because of my experience and sheltering in place to stay and defend. Thats a personal choice everybody has to make.

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.
Thousands pay their respects to renowned Albanian writer Ismail Kadare at his state funeral

FILE - Albanian novelist Ismail Kadare arrives at the Elysee Palace to receive the France's Legion d'Honneur medal by French President Francois Hollande, in Paris, on May 30, 2016. Renowned Albanian novelist Kadare has died after being rushed to a hospital in the Albanian capital, his publishing editor said on Monday. He was 88. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

TIRANA, Albania (AP)  Thousands of people paid their last respects to Ismail Kadare in a state funeral held in Tirana Wednesday, with a minute's silence held nationwide in memory of the renowned Albanian novelist and poet who died earlier this week.

Kadare's coffin, surrounded by National Guard officers, lay in state in the entrance hall of the Opera and Ballet Theater in the capital's central Skanderbeg Square as his poems were recited in the background.

He came, wrote and left, Prime Minister Edi Rama said during the ceremony, adding that Kadare had put Albanian literature into the pantheon of world letters.

As his coffin left the hall, the crowd outside in Skanderbeg Square clapped and threw flowers.

Two days of mourning have been declared in Albania, where flags flew at half-staff across the country. Neighboring Kosovo, with a predominantly ethnic Albanian population, also declared Wednesday a day of mourning. Officials from Kosovo and neighboring North Macedonia, which has a sizable ethnic Albanian minority, attended the funeral ceremony.

Ismail Kadare will always be remembered as a promoter of national pride, like no one else, said Kosovo President Bajram Begaj.

Kadare was buried in a private service attended by his family members following the funeral ceremony.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has issued an amnesty for thousands of prisoners, on the anniversary of the liberation of the capital Minsk from Nazi occupation.

The World War II anniversary was also celebrated with a military parade on Wednesday.

Deputy Interior Minister Gennady Kazakevich said earlier that 7,850 convicts would be covered by the amnesty, according to the Belarusian media.

Independent Belarusian media in exile reported however that the text of the amnesty means it is unlikely to cover political opponents of Lukashenko, who is sometimes referred to as Europe's last dictator.

Lukashenko announced on Tuesday that political prisoners suffering from cancer, for example, could be released from prison on humanitarian grounds.

Following the violently suppressed protests against the results of the 2020 presidential election, hundreds of Lukashenko's opponents were sentenced to long prison terms.

Lukashenko, who is celebrating his 30th year in office this year, had himself declared president again after the vote, which was overshadowed by wide-scale fraud.

Many members of the opposition fled abroad.

The human rights centre Viasna recently reported that there were 90 seriously ill prisoners; there are also around 65 political prisoners over the age of 60 behind bars who have serious health problems.

As of Tuesday, 1,409 political prisoners were officially registered in Belarus. According to Viasna, dissidents are still being detained in the country, and there are allegations of torture taking place in the country's prisons.

According to the amnesty document, pregnant women and minors, single parents with children and prisoners who have reached retirement age are to be released.
Three indicted fake electors are among the Arizonas RNC delegates

Nancy Cottle, Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern are all facing felony charges for their participation in the fake elector scheme to undermine and overturn the 2020 election. All three are members of the Arizona Republican Party's delegation to the 2024 RNC convention, despite their felony charges. Mugshots courtesy Maricopa County Sheriff's Office

WASHINGTON  Three of the Arizona Republicans indicted as fake electors for their roles in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election will serve as delegates at the Republican National Convention in July. And they are defiant.

Arizona Republicans who picked them for the honor were well aware of the charges.

The voters of America, whether they be Republican or Democrat, are not stupid. And they see whats happening to President (Donald) Trump, they see whats happening to Anthony Kern here in Arizona, state Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, said by phone.

Three days after a Maricopa County grand jury indicted him and 17 others on felony charges, delegates to the state GOP convention gave Kern the most votes of any candidate for at-large delegate to the national convention at which Trump will accept the presidential nomination.

That kinda tells you something, Kern said. People know who I am, they know Im a fighter. Im a member of the Arizona Freedom Caucus, said Kern, elected to the Legislature in 2014. But they know the indictment is nothing but a sham.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

State Sen. Jake Hoffman of Queen Creek and Nancy Cottle, who chaired the slate of electors for Trump in 2020, will be in Milwaukee next month with Kern and 40 other Arizona delegates to cast votes for the GOPs 2024 nominee.

Kern, Hoffman and Cottle and other Trump electors signed documents that claimed that hed won the states 11 electoral votes, even though President Joe Biden had carried the state by more than 10,000 votes.

Each of the 11 Trump electors was charged with nine felonies related to trying to subvert the election, including conspiracy, fraud and forgery. All of the defendants pleaded not guilty.

Democrats have castigated Republicans for letting anyone serve as a convention delegate after allegedly committing such crimes.

MAGA Republicans, including three RNC delegates, used our state as a testing ground for election denialism and conspiracy theories last cycle because they cared more about Donald Trump than the will of Arizona voters, Arizona Democratic Party Chair Yolanda Bejarano told Cronkite News by email.

Trump won Arizonas primary with 79% of the vote in March, so hell get all of the states GOP delegates in Milwaukee.

Despite multiple allegations by the former president and many of his allies, and a prolonged recount in Maricopa County, fewer than 200 cases of potential voter fraud were identified out of 3 million ballots  not nearly enough to change the outcome in Arizona.

Hoffman and Cottle did not respond to multiple requests for comment about their roles as RNC delegates.

Let me be unequivocal, I am innocent of any crime, I will vigorously defend myself, and I look forward to the day when I am vindicated of this naked political persecution by the judicial process, Hoffman said in a statement the day after his indictment.

The Arizona GOP called the charges a blatant and unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial power.

Defenders say the accused were fulfilling their constitutional duties, preparing an alternative slate of electors in case pending court challenges could overturn the outcome.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Peoria, said in a brief interview at the Capitol that the electors were Republican volunteers who, from what she was told, were advised to follow this strategy.

Kern, seeking the nomination to replace Lesko in Congress in a district that includes Peoria, Sun City and other parts of the northwest Valley, said the indictment has only propelled his campaign.

Trump is going to win the presidency, and Anthony Kern is going to win Congress, Kern said, shrugging aside polls that show him with low single-digit support in a crowded primary.

Trump himself was convicted on 34 felony counts related to hush money payments made to an adult film actress ahead of Election Day in 2016. His sentencing in a New York court is set for July 11, four days before the four-day Republican convention begins.

Trumps conviction, along with three pending criminal cases against him in federal court and the fake electors cases in Arizona and other states, have fueled Republican complaints that biased prosecutors have engaged in partisan lawfare.

The people see through it, said Josh Barnett, a Republican running for Arizona Senate, pointing to Trumps slight lead in Arizona polls and a donation surge after his conviction.

Republicans see a double standard by prosecutors and Democrats in the fake electors case.

Kern and others point to the 1960 election as precedent for what Trumps allies did in Arizona.

In Hawaii, tallies from a close race initially showed a win for former Vice President Richard Nixon. Democrats sent unofficial elector ballots to Congress alongside the certified Republican slate, pending a recount that showed that Democrat John Kennedy had won. The governor then certified the Democratic slate.

Kern also noted that some House Democrats objected, unsuccessfully, to Trumps victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016. No senators joined the objections. Biden, presiding as vice president, rejected the challenges and Congress certified Trumps election as president.

Nothing in the Republican rules, or law, precludes someone under indictment  or convicted of a felony  from serving as a convention delegate.

If anyone thinks otherwise, Kern said, they need to read the Constitution.

They cant just mimic what CNN says or Cronkite News says, he added. They need to know the law and know whats really at stake here.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
KYODO NEWS - Jul 3, 2024 - 08:09 | All, Podcast

The visit to Britain by the Japanese imperial couple is their second goodwill overseas trip.

Two Kyodo News journalists  Horiuchi-san and Donican  and copyeditor Tom, talk about the recent trip made by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to Britain as state guests. Listen as they discuss the similarities and differences between the two systems, as well as how their respective countries engage with them.

Article mentioned in the podcast:

Japan's emperor, empress express thanks for state visit to Britain

Kyodo News presents a bilingual podcast for English learners about the ins and outs of news writing and how to translate tricky Japanese phrases into English. Have fun listening to journalists discuss recent articles as they occasionally go off on unrelated tangents.

Related coverage:

Podcast [English World] Episode 51: Blocking Mt. Fuji

Podcast [English World] Episode 50: Trilateral summit

Podcast [English World] Episode 49: Customer abuse
Survivors search through the rubble of the Tulsa Race Massacre on June 1, 1921. As many as 300 Black Tulsans were killed and their homes and businesses were destroyed by white residents, in what is considered one of the most devastating acts of race-based violence in the U.S.

Historians and scholars say white supremacy is a bedrock of Oklahomas founding. Its intrinsic, said Quraysh Ali Lansana, a visiting professor at the University of Tulsa. Its in the water.

Most of what became Oklahoma was promised by U.S. officials to tribal nations in exchange for ceding their homelands. Some Southeastern tribes brought enslaved African Americans with them on their move west. White settlers flooded into the territory and pressured federal officials to make more land available.

1866: Treaties signed between U.S. officials and leaders of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee and Seminole nations formally end slavery in Indian Territory, which would later become part of Oklahoma. The treaties also granted formerly enslaved people and their descendants certain citizenship rights in the Five Tribes, but only the Cherokee Nation fully extends that recognition today.

1887: Congress starts it 20-year effort to break up tribal reservations into individual pieces of land allotted to tribal citizens, opening lands for white settlement and paving the way to Oklahoma statehood.

1907: Oklahoma is admitted into the United States. The first law passed by the new state legislature barred Black people from riding on the same streetcars and trains as white people. The state becomes known for enacting some of the most discriminatory laws outside of the Deep South.

More: Oklahomas ties to white supremacy are older than the state itself. Can it be overcome?

1920s: A series of murders known as the Osage Reign of Terror occurs in northern Oklahoma. White people kill an unknown number of Osage Nation citizens to gain tribal members lucrative mineral and land rights. The 2023 major motion picture Killers of the Flower Moon portrays one high-profile case.

1920s: Membership in the Ku Klux Kan surges, with members at every level of Oklahoma government. Anti-Black sentiment grows around the country after World War I.

1921: The Tulsa Race Massacre, regarded as one of the worst acts of racial violence in the U.S., occurs after rumors start of a Black man harming a white woman. White Tulsans destroy the citys thriving Greenwood neighborhood, killing as many as 300 African American residents. An untold number of more Black families fled the city after their homes and businesses are burned and looted.

1948: The U.S. Supreme Court rules Oklahoma must provide a Black law student the same educational opportunities as white students at the University of Oklahoma. Instead of allowing Ada Sipuel to enroll in classes after the ruling, state officials set up a separate law school for her in the Capitol. They eventually relented after she planned to appeal again to the Supreme Court.

1950s to `60s: The push to end segregation takes hold in Oklahoma and across the U.S. In Oklahoma City, civil rights leader Clara Luper helped organize a series of lunch counter sit-ins that led to the end of legal segregation in public spaces.

Clara Luper, Oklahoma educator and civil rights activist, appears in a 1988 photo. Jim Argo, The Oklahoman File

1972: A federal judge rules Oklahoma City schools continued to segregate students by race, leading to a busing plan that generated huge backlash among white parents and residents. Police break up fights outside some schools. The white flight from Oklahoma City schools continued for decades.

1995: Timothy McVeigh, an anti-government extremist, detonates a bomb outside of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. The bombing leaves 168 people dead and becomes the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in the U.S. The incident becomes a source of inspiration for people who plan or commit racially motivated violence, according to a 2020 ABC News investigation.

2001: Oklahoma lawmakers formally recognize the destruction of the Tulsa Race Massacre and acknowledge the state benefited from a conspiracy of silence that existed around what happened for decades. The law recognizes the moral responsibility on behalf of the state of Oklahoma and its citizens that no race of citizens in Oklahoma has the right or power to subordinate another race today or ever again.

2020: The Supreme Court rules the Muscogee Nation Reservation still exists in eastern Oklahoma, meaning the state does not have the power to prosecute tribal citizens on those lands. The ruling is later applied to eight other tribal reservations. Gov. Kevin Stitt criticizes the ruling as unfair because it divides the state by race. It is based on citizenship, not race.

2022: Lawmakers pass House Bill 1775, a controversial law that limits how schools teach certain concepts about race. Critics say the law could lead entire chapters of Oklahoma history to be erased from textbooks.

2024: The New York-based Anti-Defamation League, which tracks the spread of hate, has records of more than 550 incidents of hate, extremism, antisemitism or terrorism in Oklahoma over the past five years.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Tracking Oklahoma's white supremacist roots over 100 years
A twice-stolen painting by Italian Renaissance master Titian, which was once found in a plastic bag at a bus stop in London, sold for $22.3 million at auction on Tuesday.

The Rest on the Flight into Egypt went under the hammer at Christies in London with an estimate of 15 million-25 million ($19 million-$32 million) and ultimately fetched 17.5 million ($22.3 million)  the highest price ever achieved at auction for a work by the artist, Christies said in a statement on its website.

The painting depicts Jesus, Mary and Joseph resting on their way to Egypt after learning that Herod, King of Judea, wanted to kill the young Christ.

Titian, whose real name was Tiziano Vecellio, made the work in the first decade of the 16th century, at the beginning of his career.

Measuring just 18.25 inches by 24.75 inches (46.2 centimeters x 62.9 centimeters), the painting is tiny compared with some of the massive works for which Titian became known later in his life.

The oil-on-canvas work has a remarkable history.

After changing hands among various European aristocrats, the painting was looted by Napoleonic troops during the French occupation of Vienna in 1809 and taken to Paris.

It was returned to Vienna in 1815 and again moved through private collections before ending up with John Alexander Thynne, 4th Marquess of Bath, in Wiltshire, England.

In 1995, it was stolen from Longleat, the home of Thynnes descendants, and disappeared for seven years, before it was found at a bus stop in London by art detective Charles Hill.

The auction result is a tribute to the impeccable provenance and quiet beauty of this sublime early masterpiece by Titian, which is one of the most poetic products of the artists youth, Orlando Rock, chairman of Christies UK, said in the statement.

This picture has captured the imaginations of audiences for more than half a millennia and will no doubt continue to do so, he added.

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."



For years, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have been melting faster than predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

A new study published by scientists at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) says that insidious ground-based ice melt, caused by warm water seeping between the land and ice sheet, could be the explanation we've been looking for.

Understanding how quickly these ice sheets are melting is vital for preparing coastal communities threatened by sea level rise.

The Earth is a dynamic natural system, and understanding all the physics of how a warming world is impacting that system is complicated. Thats why, for nearly 40 years, hundreds of scientists have worked together as part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to give sciences best estimates for what the future has in store.

But every once in a while, a new piece of the climate change puzzle is discovered that alters those estimates, and scientists at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) believe theyve found a new one. Beneath areas known as grounding zones, where ground-based ice meets the sea, warm water (at least in comparison to the chilly arctic) is seeping between the land and ice layers, increasing the amount of melting ice and leaving growing cavities in the ice sheet.

In a new study published in the journal Nature Geoscience , the scientists say this previously unaccounted-for piece of the ice melt puzzle could point toward why weve seen an acceleration of ice melt in both the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.

Ice sheets are very sensitive to melting in their grounding zones, BAS Alex Bradley, an ice dynamics researcher and lead author, said in a press statement . We find that grounding zone melting displays a tipping point like behavior, where 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.

Its vitally important that scientists get a nuanced and accurate understanding of the rate of ice melt, as coastal communities around the world will be devastated by the subsequent sea level rise. Previous research into this type of wedge-like melting estimated that it could double the rate of ice melt in some areas of the Antarctic Ice Shelf, and Bradley says, in an interview with The Guardian , that this could be the missing piece that explains the unexpected rise in ice melt.

We dont really have many other good ideas, he says. And theres a lot of evidence that when you do include it, the amount of sea level rise the models predict could be much, much higher.

While this is certainly bad news for those living on planet Earth, there is one positive aspect: its within our power to actually slow down or even avoid this newly-discovered tipping point altogether. By cutting emissions to net zero by 2050 (the IPCCs recommendation), humans could avoid this worst-case scenario while also evading other climate disasters, such as the collapse of the Greenland ice cap or the disappearance of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (a kind of global HVAC that makes places like northern Europe habitable).

With every tenth of a degree of ocean warming, we get closer and closer to passing this tipping point, Bradley tells The Guardian, and each tenth of a degree is linked to the amount of climate change that takes place. So we need very dramatic action to restrict the amount of warming that takes place and prevent this tipping point from being passed.

Bad news is brewing under the North Atlantic, but how drastically that news impacts our habitability on this planet is entirely up to us.

You Might Also Like
TOMPKINS COUNTY, N.Y. (WETM)  A Tompkins County man is facing multiple charges after allegedly using his company to steal more than $1 million from Medicaid.

According to the New York State Attorney Generals Office, David Moore allegedly used his company ASAP 2 to steal from Medicaid through fake billing and an illegal kickback scheme. New York State paid ASAP 2 more than $1 million that the company wasnt entitled to because of false claims Moore filed between January 2019 and August 2023.

Medicaid recipients who dont have access to transportation can use approved transportation providers to go to covered medical services and back home. Medicaid reimburses medical transportation providers for the rides they give Medicaid recipients.

Candor mayor arrested, accused of stealing $23K from Village

Patients across the state depend on medical transportation providers to access the care they need, said Attorney General Letitia James. David Moore exploited his role to steal from New Yorks Medicaid program, putting vulnerable New Yorkers at risk and undermining honest businesses that provide essential transportation services.

Authorities say that Moore paid Medicaid recipients to use his transportation company and then overcharged Medicaid for the rides. He was said to have used Venmo and Cash App to make off-the-book payments to recipients, some of whom were suffering from substance use disorder, to get them to take rides with his service. Moore allegedly did this to overcharge Medicaid for the rides he provided.

Elmira man sentenced for forgery charge in Schuyler County

Moore also submitted claims for trips that didnt happen and inflated the mileage of trips that did happen, according to the attorney generals office. Authorities say that one example of Moore allegedly doing this was him billing trips with multiple passengers as if each passenger were in a separate vehicle to increase the fees for a single trip.

Moore was arrested on June 21 and charged with first-degree grand larceny, two counts of second-degree health care fraud, and three counts of medical assistance provider prohibited practices. The grand larceny charge has a maximum sentence of 25 years in state prison.

The Attorney Generals Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) Rochester Regional staff is investigating this criminal 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 WETM - MyTwinTiers.com.
When is it too late at night to let off fireworks?

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS)  With fireworks legal for use in the Mountain State, it is important to know when you are allowed to let them off.

Depending on where you live in West Virginia, there are certain ordinances you must follow when using fireworks.

From Appalachian history to modern importance, beekeeping is a timeless artform

Fireworks are a part of American culture and they are not just used on Independence Day.

59News traveled to Beckley to find out more about the citys rules when it comes to fireworks.

Chris Graham, Fire Marshal for the City of Beckley, explained that Beckley residents should only use fireworks on certain holidays.

Were only supposed to do fireworks from 6 in the evening to 11 at night on Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, and New Years Eve. People are doing it recreationally now and its legal in the state of West Virginia. We see a little more often  especially this time of year, said Graham.

A common problem that many face is hearing fireworks late at night and without notice.

Beckley officials are sworn into office

Graham said using fireworks without notice can lead to potential dangers.

I think there is [a danger] for fire. Someones roof could catch fire and they are asleep. They maybe could not realize it and not escape their home. There is more danger. You hear the loud pops and bangs. Sometimes people mistake that for gunshots. That may send law enforcement on false calls so we really need to watch and be mindful, said Graham to 59News.

Graham said that different cities may have different rules when it comes to using fireworks.

Remember: if you are setting off fireworks, be mindful of your citys rules and those who live around you.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
It took a messy school bus stabbing for China to finally do something about extreme nationalism on social media

The flag of the People's Republic of China is flying in front of the Chinese Embassy in Berlin on May 15, 2024. Emmanuele Contini/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The stabbing of a Japanese mother and her son went viral in China after a local woman died protecting them.

Her death ignited a clash between praise for the 55-year-old and a resurgence in anti-Japan posts.

Tech giants finally intervened in a rare rebuke, deciding that the nationalism had gone too far.

It's no secret that people on Chinese social media dislike Japan.

The list of perceived grievances keeps growing, from the Rape of Nanking in World War II to fears of seafood in the Pacific Ocean being tainted by radioactive water from the Fukushima disaster.

That rhetoric was stoked again on June 24 when a knife-wielding man in Suzhou attacked a Japanese woman and her son at a school bus stop, injuring the pair.

But it was the third victim who seized the country's attention. School bus attendant Hu Youping, a 55-year-old Chinese woman, rushed to protect the two foreigners, suffering stab wounds herself.

She died later while receiving medical care, police said. They identified the suspect as an unemployed 52-year-old man with the surname Zhou, saying he'd only recently arrived in the city.

A whirlwind of emotion and debate ensued on social media. Hu was lauded as a hero  with some clamoring for the bus stop to be named after her  while anti-Japan hate speech swelled in posts and comments implying the attack was warranted.

As the two narratives intertwined, Chinese social media companies intervened in lockstep. It was clear the extremism had gone too far.

Tech giant Tencent published a statement on Saturday condemning the hate speech and said it would crack down on posts related to the Suzhou stabbing that "provoke extreme nationalism." Tencent runs WeChat, a super app that performs functions similar to WhatsApp and Facebook.

NetEase, a major gaming company, published a similar announcement, saying it observed posts calling for "resisting Japan and exterminating traitors" and accusing Hu of being a Japanese spy.

Douyin and Weibo, China's versions of TikTok and Twitter, publicly slammed accounts that they said "promote extreme xenophobia" and "cheered for criminal behavior in the name of patriotism."

The platforms said they took down thousands of posts and removed several dozen accounts.

China's uneasy balance with Japan

It's a rare rebuke of nationalism on these platforms, a hotbed for inflammatory posts like the 2022 calls to shoot down then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's plane when she visited Taiwan.

Though China's social media is heavily moderated, anti-Japanese rhetoric has been one of several popular nationalistic sentiments allowed to flourish in recent years.

As of Wednesday, the main hashtag for posts about the Japanese victims of the June knife attack was censored. However, discussion of Hu's death and her posthumous recognition for bravery are still allowed.

In recognition of Hu's actions, Japan's embassy in China flew its national flag at half-mast.

It's unclear if China's central government was directly involved in the crackdown. But social media firms in the country react sensitively to what the state deems acceptable, often simultaneously issuing announcements about undesirable posts.

China's Cyberspace Administration tasks social media platforms with self-regulating content and, on June 14, published a set of rules detailing how internet providers should censor violent content.

The anti-Japanese rhetoric also comes at an inconvenient time for Chinese officials hoping to bring in more business from Tokyo as the local economy struggles.

Suzhou, in eastern China's Jiangsu province, is one of the country's largest hubs for Japanese investment, with thousands of Japanese firms in the city.

On Tuesday, Chinese state media reported that Vice Premier He Lifeng had met with a trade delegation from Japan, saying his country welcomed Japanese companies and hoped they would expand.

Hu's death hung over the meeting, with officials on both sides pausing for a moment to honor her passing, The South China Morning Post reported.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Two days after Steve Bannon went to prison for defying a congressional subpoena, a guest on his podcast War Room posited an interesting theory for the alt-right conspiracy theorists incarceration.

Last week, Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters mandated that all state public schools would be required to keep a Bible in the classroom and use it for daily instruction, all on the basis that the founders cited the Bible. And, according to Walters, a little more Bible-thumping could have spared Bannon from the clink too.

You know, when you look at an issue like this, what youve seen in our schools is the radical left, the teachers union have come in, and they pushed indoctrinating of our kids, Walters told War Room guest host Ben Harnwell. And one of the things that theyve done is theyve taken the Bible out of schools. They say, Listen, you cant talk about our rights coming from God.

I mean, you see whats happening to President Trump right now, where theyre arresting him, he continued. Theyre giving this banana republic nonsense in a courtroom. Look what theyre doing to Steve Bannon right now.

Walters has spent several interviews across different news outlets defending his decision to institute the Bibles teachings in Oklahoma classrooms. On CNN, Walters skirted questions about his decision and instead claimed that Thomas Jefferson advocated for freedom of religion, actually, not the establishment of a religion.

He further insisted on Bannons podcast that he was very proud that Oklahoma would be the first state in the nation to put the Bible back in.

The Bible is a necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of Western civilization, to have an understanding of the basis of our legal system, Walters said, during the state school board meeting when he unveiled the new rule. It is one of the most foundational documents used for the Constitution.

The Sooner State directive was basically inspired by a similar school policy in Louisiana, requiring public schools to display a copy of the Ten Commandments in every classroom. But that mandate has already faced its own legal troubles.

Days after it was signed into law by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landrywho told GOP donors that he couldnt wait to be sued over itthe ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, along with the parents of children enrolled in Louisiana public schools, filed a lawsuit against the state, claiming that such an obvious violation of religious freedoms was unconstitutional.
Israel has confirmed it killed a senior Hezbollah commander in an airstrike in south Lebanon, the second such assassination in recent weeks.

Hezbollah said that commander Mohammed Naameh Nasser, also known as Hajj Abu Naameh had been killed in a strike on a car in Tyre and also announced the death of a second fighter. The Israeli military confirmed it was responsible for the airstrike.

Iran-backed Hezbollah has traded near daily cross-border fire with the Israeli army since its Palestinian ally Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct 7, triggering war in Gaza, but an uptick in bellicose rhetoric from both sides in recent weeks has raised fears of an all-out war.

Hezbollah responded to the killing by firing 100 rockets at Israel.

Nasser is the third senior Hezbollah commander to be killed in almost nine months of hostilities.

Lebanons state-run National News Agency (NNA) said an enemy drone targeted a car in Tyre, a coastal city about 12 miles from the border.

The first source said Nasser had the same rank as Taleb Abdallah, a commander killed in an Israeli strike last month who was described by a Lebanese military source at the time as the most important Hezbollah commander killed to date.

That strike prompted Hezbollah to intensify its attacks on Israeli targets, firing barrages of rockets across the border in the days that followed.

In January, a security source said an Israeli strike killed Wissam Hassan Tawil, another top commander from the group.

Hezbollah announced a series of attacks on Israeli troops and positions near the border on Wednesday, while the NNA reported Israeli attacks in other parts of south Lebanon.

The commanders death followed a relative easing of cross-border exchanges over the past week, after threats on both sides had intensified.

Fears the violence, so far largely restricted to the border area, could turn into all-out war have sparked a flurry of diplomatic efforts to lower tensions.

BREAKING: Israeli airforce bombs a car in the vicinity of the Italian Hospital in Tyre, southern Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/0fGUACDMcG  Quds News Network (@QudsNen) July 3, 2024

On Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron, the French president, urged Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, to prevent a conflagration between Israel and Hezbollah.

Amos Hochstein, the US envoy who has made repeated visits to Lebanon in recent months, was due in Paris on Wednesday where he was expected to meet with Jean-Yves Le Drian, Mr Macrons Lebanon envoy.

On Saturday, Iran warned that all resistance fronts would confront Israel if it attacks Lebanon.

#BREAKING: An Israeli airstrike in Tyre, Lebanon, has killed senior Hezbollah commander Muhammad Nimah Nasser, head of the southern Lebanon Aziz unit.



Major elimination. pic.twitter.com/nhyHLYxrWD  Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) July 3, 2024

Last week, Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, said his country did not want war in Lebanon but could send it back to the Stone Age if diplomacy failed.

Hassan Nasrallah, the chief of Hezbollah, warned in June that no place in Israel would be spared in the event of all-out war, and threatened nearby Cyprus if it opened its airports to Israel.

The cross-border violence has killed at least 495 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters but also 95 civilians, according to AFP, while Israeli authorities have said at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed.

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.
Biden vows to keep running as signs point to rapidly eroding support for him on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON (AP)  A defiant President Joe Biden vowed Wednesday to keep running for reelection, rejecting growing pressure from Democrats to withdraw after a disastrous debate performance raised questions about his readiness to keep campaigning, much less win in November.

But increasingly ominous signs were mounting for the president. Two Democratic lawmakers have called on Biden to exit the race while a leading ally publicly suggested how the party might choose someone else. And senior aides said they believed he might only have a matter of days to show he was up to the challenge before anxiety in the party boils over.

Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running  no ones pushing me out," Biden said on a call with staffers from his reelection campaign. "Im not leaving. Im in this race to the end and were going to win.

In his private conversations, Biden was focused on efforts to course correct from his rocky debate and on the threat that, in his view, former President Donald Trump poses to the country, as he scoured for feedback on what went wrong last Thursday in Atlanta and took responsibility for his performance.

We had a direct, open, clear-eyed conversation about the debate, his thoughts on what happened and why it wasn't his best evening or best debate, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who spoke with Biden on Tuesday, said in an interview with the Associated Press. He wanted advice. He was asking earnestly for input and comment on what he should do to restore confidence and support, and what's the best path forward.

Coons, the president's closest ally on Capitol Hill, said Biden clearly understood the urgency, the difficulty and the importance of the election, as the senator advised that the president do more unscripted, open-ended events to restore confidence in his candidacy. The two also spoke about Biden's schedule and its impact on his political efforts, particularly as he balances that task with critical governing tasks such as the NATO summit in Washington next week.

Biden's efforts to pull multiple levers to salvage his faltering reelection include his impromptu appearance with campaign aides, private conversations with senior lawmakers, a weekend blitz of travel and a network television interview. But he was confronting serious indications that support for him was rapidly eroding on Capitol Hill and among other allies.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., told The New York Times that though he backs Biden as long as he is a candidate, this is an opportunity to look elsewhere and what Biden "needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat  and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.

Senior advisers say they believe the 81-year-old Biden may have mere days to mount a convincing display of his fitness for office before his partys panic over his debate performance and anger about his response boils over, according to two people with knowledge who insisted on anonymity to more freely discuss strategy. The president accepts the urgency of the task  having reviewed the polling and mountains of media coverage  but he is convinced he can do that in the coming days and insistent that he will not step out of the race, they said.

Biden met for more than hour at the White House on Wednesday night, in person and virtually, with more than 20 Democratic governors who afterward described the conversation as candid but said they were standing behind Biden despite being concerned about a Trump victory in November.

The president is our nominee. The president is our party leader, said Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland. He added that, in the meeting, Biden was very clear that hes in this to win."

Despite such reassuring sentiments, a major Democratic donor, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, also called on the president to exit the race, saying, Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous. The statement was first reported by The New York Times.

And all that followed Rep. Jim Clyburn, a longtime Biden friend and confidant, saying he'd back a mini-primary in the run-up to the Democratic National Convention next month if Biden were to leave the race. The South Carolina Democrat floated an idea that appeared to be laying the groundwork for alternative choices by delegates during the Democrats planned virtual roll call that is scheduled before the more formal party convention set to begin Aug. 19 in Chicago.

On CNN, Clyburn said Vice President Kamala Harris, governors and others could join the competition: It would be fair to everybody.

Clyburn, a senior lawmaker who is a former member of his party's House leadership team, said he has not personally seen the president act as he did on the debate stage last week and called it concerning.

And even as other Democratic allies have remained quiet since Thursdays debate, there is a growing private frustration about the Biden campaigns response to his disastrous debate performance at a crucial moment in the campaign  particularly in Biden waiting several days to do direct damage control with senior members of his own party.

One Democratic aide said the lacking response has been worse than the debate performance itself, saying lawmakers who support Biden want to see him directly combatting the concerns about his stamina in front of reporters and voters. The aide was granted anonymity to candidly discuss interparty dynamics.

Most Democratic lawmakers are taking a wait-and-see approach with Biden, though, holding out for a better idea of how the situation plays out through new polling and Bidens scheduled ABC News interview, according to Democratic lawmakers who requested anonymity to speak bluntly about the president.

When Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett, who called on Biden to leave the race this week, shopped around his move for support from other Democratic lawmakers, he had no takers and eventually issued a statement on his own, according to a person familiar with the effort granted anonymity to discuss it.

But there was also a sense that the waiting period will soon expire if Biden does not step up his outreach to Capitol Hill or prove otherwise that hes up to the job.

Some suggested Harris was emerging as the favorite to replace Biden if he were to withdraw, although those involved in private discussions acknowledge that Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan remain viable alternatives. But for some insiders, Harris is viewed as the best prospect to quickly unify the party and avoid a messy and divisive convention fight.

Even as pressure around Biden mounted, he and Harris made a surprise appearance on an all-staff reelection campaign call and offered a pep talk. They stressed how important it was to beat Trump, the presumptive nominee, in November and returned to Bidens previous post-debate vow that when he gets knocked down, he gets up again.

Just as we beat Donald Trump in 2020, were going to beat him again in 2024, said Biden, who told participants that he would not be dragged out of the race. Harris added: We will not back down. We will follow our presidents lead. We will fight, and we will win.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked during her briefing with reporters whether Biden would consider stepping down. Absolutely not, she said.

I cannot lay out something that would change the presidents mind," Jean-Pierre said about Biden continuing to seek a second term.

Still, Democrats are unsatisfied with the explanations of Bidens debate performance, from both White House staff and the president himself. And there is a deeper frustration among some in the party who feel that Biden should have handled questions about his stumbling debate performance much sooner and that he has put them in a difficult position by staying in the race.

The Leadership Now Project, a group of business executives, academics and thought leaders, said in a letter that the threat of a second Trump term is great enough that Biden should pass the torch of this years presidential nomination to the next generation of highly capable Democrats.

Trumps campaign issued a statement noting that every Democrat now calling on the president to quit was once a supporter of Biden.

Trump had a slight lead over Biden in two polls of voters conducted after last week's debate. One poll, conducted by SSRS for CNN, found that three-quarters of voters  including more than half of Democratic voters  said the party has a better chance of winning the presidency in November with a candidate other than Biden.

About 7 in 10 voters, and 45% of Democrats, said Bidens physical and mental ability is a reason to vote against him, according to the CNN/SSRS poll.

And about 6 in 10 voters, including about one-quarter of Democrats, said reelecting Biden would be a risky choice for the country rather than a safe one, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll. That poll found that Democrats were split on whether Biden should remain the nominee.

Biden campaign pollster Molly Murphy said "todays polling doesnt fundamentally change the course of the race."

In a further effort to boost morale, Biden chief of staff Jeff Zients urged White House aides during an all-staff meeting to tune out the noise and focus on the task of governing.

Biden himself began making personal outreach on his own, speaking privately with senior Democratic lawmakers such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Coons and Clyburn.

___

Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Zeke Miller, Colleen Long, Josh Boak and Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux in Washington and Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report.
The World Bank has approved a grant of $207.6 million to mitigate the effects of drought in Zambia.

Azernews reports, citing foreign media that this funding will support approximately 1.6 million families in the framework of the social assistance program in 84 regions affected by drought.

Zambia's finance and national planning minister Situmbeko Musokovane thanked the World Bank for the funding, saying the support would complement the government's drought response plan. He said that the approval of the second additional financing by the World Bank will strengthen the existing social protection programs and mitigate the negative effects of the drought faced by the country against the background of limited domestic resources.

It should be noted that the drought during the 2023-2024 farming season caused great damage to Zambia.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 3, 2024 - 20:09 | All, Japan

Japan's Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the government to pay damages to plaintiffs who were forced to undergo sterilization surgery in the 1950s to 1970s under a now-defunct eugenics protection law, ruling for the first time that the law was unconstitutional.

In its ruling on five lawsuits in which plaintiffs sought compensation, the court judged the statute of limitations of 20 years for an unlawful act does not apply to cases involving the eugenics law, which was in effect between 1948 and 1996.

The judgment paves the way for victims of the law, which allowed the sterilization of people with intellectual disabilities, mental illnesses, or hereditary disorders without their consent to prevent the birth of "inferior" offspring, to be compensated under the scope of the unified decision.

The plaintiffs, who filed the lawsuits at five district courts in Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe, were among a total of 39 people who have sought damages in similar lawsuits at 11 district courts and a branch court since 2018.

"It is extremely unfair and unjust" to exempt the government from liability by applying the statute of limitations, the top court said, calling its application by the state "intolerable" as it "goes against the duty of good faith" and is "an abuse of power."

All 15 judges unanimously found the eugenics law to be unconstitutional, saying it violated Article 13 of the Constitution that guarantees the freedom of people not to undergo physically invasive procedures against their will and Article 14 which stipulates the right to equality.

It was the 13th case in which the Supreme Court ruled a law unconstitutional.

"I was deeply touched (by the top court decision) and cried," said a woman from Miyagi Prefecture in her 70s, who had lost her legal battle at a district and high court.

"I really struggled until this moment. Today is the best day (of my life)," she said after the ruling.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the same day instructed Ayuko Kato, minister in charge of child policy, to set up a meeting between him and the plaintiffs this month, Kato told reporters after she met with Kishida at the prime minister's office.

"The government sincerely regrets it and deeply apologizes (to the plaintiffs) for going through the immense pain of receiving sterilization operations," Kishida separately told reporters.

"I want to directly convey my words of apology" when I meet with the victims of forced sterilization, he said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference that the government will swiftly compensate and respond appropriately after examining the ruling.

The latest ruling focused on whether the top court would apply the statute of limitations after, in four of the five cases, high courts awarded damages to the plaintiffs, saying invoking it would be "grossly unjust."

The high courts ordered the government to pay 11 million yen ($68,000) to 16.5 million to each victim and 2.2 million yen to a spouse of a victim, who has died.

The amounts were far larger than the one-off state compensation of 3.2 million yen given to each person who underwent forced sterilization under a law enacted in April 2019. Around 1,100 were certified to receive the money.

In Sendai, the high court applied the statute of limitations in ruling against the plaintiffs. All high courts said the law was unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court sent the Sendai case back to the high court to determine the amount of compensation.

Under the law, about 25,000 people were sterilized, 16,000 of them without consent, according to government data.

Related coverage:

Japanese court approves nonsterilized trans man's gender change
TOPEKA (KSNT)  A Topeka woman is in jail after a false bomb threat was made at Stormont Vail Events Center.

Just before 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, July 2, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a call about a bomb threat at Southwest Topeka Boulevard and Southwest 19th Street, Stormont Vail Events Center, according to a news release from the Shawnee County Sheriffs Office (SCSO).

This embedded content is not available in your region.

According to the sheriffs office, multiple officers arrived to the scene and evacuated the building. A SCSO K-9 unit swept the property and did not discover any explosive devices. While investigating, it was discovered that an individual told people that she put a bomb inside the arena.

Sweeping victory: Kobach claims victory against Bidens Title IX transgender regulation

A 28-year-old Topeka woman was found nearby and arrested. She was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a charge of aggravated criminal threat. An investigation is still underway.

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.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, has all but conceded the general election to Labour, as he forecast that Sir Keir Starmer could secure the biggest parliamentary majority in history.

The cabinet minister said that Thursday could see the largest majority that his country has ever seen as he warned that this would raise serious questions over the kind of opposition that the country would have.

He suggested that Sir Keir could have a majority much bigger than Sir Tony Blairs 179 seats in 1997 and even that of the national government of 1931, which had a majority of 492.

Asked whether he had accepted that the Tories had lost the election, Mr Stride told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I have accepted that where the polls are at the moment  and it seems highly unlikely that they are very, very wrong, because theyve been consistently in the same place for some time  that we are therefore tomorrow highly likely to be in a situation where we have the largest majority that any party has ever achieved.

The cabinet minister also said Labour is heading for an extraordinary landslide.

Sir Keir Starmer could have a majority 'much bigger' than Sir Tony Blair's 179 seats in 1997, Mel Stride claimed - STEFAN ROUSSEAU/PA

The Work and Pensions Secretary told GB News that the vote could affect how Parliament would operate and whether the UK has an effective opposition.

If you look at the polls, it is pretty clear that Labour at this stage are heading for an extraordinary landslide on a scale that has probably never, ever been seen in this country before, he said.

Mr Stride said he believed voters would regret an untrammelled Labour Party in power. He noted that if about 130,000 people in 100 seats who might be considering voting Reform or Liberal Democrat instead gave their vote to the Tories, it would help to give parliament a more robust opposition.

Im really worried about an untrammelled Labour Party in power and that really needs to be checked, and people will regret it if we dont have that, I think, Mr Stride told LBC.

Mr Stride made the comments as the election campaign entered its final day, with party leaders making one last push to win support.

His comments came after Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, declared the election battle over and said the fight to save the Conservative Party from extinction must now begin.

Mrs Braverman said the party needed to rediscover its soul and move back to the Right if it was to reconnect with voters.

Writing for The Telegraph, she claimed failure to change course would allow Keir Starmer a clear run at destroying our country for good.

She also highlighted the threat of Reform UK, saying the Tories were haemorrhaging votes to Nigel Farages party after moving too close to the centre.

Rishi Sunak later attempted to play down Mel Strides comments.

Speaking to This Morning, the Prime Minister said: He wasnt quite saying that. Actually, you know, what Mel was doing was warning of what a very large Labour majority, unchecked, would mean for people.

He added: Im fighting hard for every vote. Heres what Id say, actually, heres what Id say.

We just saw some analysis which showed that just 130,000 people can make the difference in this election. So, everyone watching who thinks, oh, this is all a foregone conclusion, its not.

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.
Total Wine & More, denied a permit, appeals the decision; will it open an OKC-area store?

A Total Wine & More store. The national chain plans a location in Moore. PROVIDED BY TOTAL WINE & MORE

Total Wine & More  technically, one of its owners and his wife  has appealed its denial of a state retail liquor license in a quest to expand its Maryland-based liquor store chain to Oklahoma.

Robert L. Trone and Anna Marie Parisi-Trone, partners in Sooner Fine Wine & Spirit RLLP, sought the license to open a big store at 2135 S Interstate 35 Service Road in Moore, at the Shops at Moore shopping center, according to the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission, commonly called the ABLE Commission.

An ABLE Commission hearing officer will hear Total Wine's appeal of the denial at 10 a.m. July 10 at the commission office at 50 NE 23. Oklahoma has strict limitations on who can own and operate liquor stores. If the denial is upheld, Total Wine can take the commission to court, said Lori Carter, assistant director and general counsel for the agency.

Total Wine & More apparently aims to challenge Oklahoma liquor law

The interior of a Total Wine & More store. The national chain plans a location in Moore. PROVIDED BY TOTAL WINE & MORE

Robert Trone and his brother, David Trone, started Total Wine in 1991 with a single store in Delaware, and have grown it to a $2.4 billion chain of 227 superstores in 28 states, challenging state laws when necessary. Total Wine bills itself as "America's Wine Superstore" and "the countrys largest independent retailer of fine wine."

Total Wine challenged Tennessee's two-year residency requirement for anyone seeking an initial license to operate a liquor store, and the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the chain in a 2019 decision, calling it unconstitutional as a violation of the interstate Commerce Clause. Oklahoma is among 34 other states with similar laws.

In 2020, Total Wine succeeded in knocking down a similar law in Indiana. The Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission denied its application for a liquor permit, citing a state law prohibiting it from issuing one to any business unless people living in Indiana for at least five years owned 60% or more of the companys common stock.

Total Wine sued in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, saying the permit denial violated the U.S. Constitutions commerce clause, and a judge agreed. Total Wine has grown in Indiana since.

RELATED: Total Wine & More, a liquor store chain, wants to open in Oklahoma. Will the state let it?

Oklahoma: 'No retail spirits license shall be issued to a ... business entity'

The interior of a Total Wine & More store. The national chain plans a location in Moore. PROVIDED BY TOTAL WINE & MORE

For the Trones, operating as Sooner Fine Wine & Spirits RLLP, and Total Wine & More to open a store in Oklahoma, state law would similarly have to be declared unconstitutional. It spells out that only people, not businesses, can hold a license:

"No retail spirits license shall be issued to a corporation, limited liability company or similar business entity."

Further, state law says, "No person may own any interest in more than two package stores; provided, a spouse of a retail spirits license holder may hold a separate interest in up to two (2) package stores." That could explain why Robert Trone, with 95% ownership in Sooner Fine Wine & Spirits, and his wife, with 5% ownership, applied together.

Neither Total Wine nor its local attorney, responded to inquiries from The Oklahoman.

RELATED: Why mom-and-pop liquor stores say they're doomed if Total Wine & More comes to Oklahoma

Total Wine & Moore wants to open in former Bed Bath & Beyond space

The inside of a Total Wine & More store. PROVIDED BY TOTAL WINE & MORE

ABLE Commission records show that Total Wine aims to open a store in Moore in a 23,400-square-foot former Bed Bath & Beyond store under a 10-year lease signed in November with KRG Shops at Moore LLC, a business entity of Indianapolis-based Kite Realty Group.

Kite Realty owns the 260,625-square-foot Shops at Moore center at the southeast corner of SW 19 and I-35. Total Wine & More would probably be considered a junior anchor, which usually have 15,000 to 30,000 square feet of space and specialize in a specific kind of product, such as wine and spirits.

At some Kite Realty shopping centers, Total Wine is considered an anchor, along with Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Homesense, and PGA Superstore.

Sign Up: Weekly newsletter Real Estate with Richard Mize

Senior Business Writer Richard Mize has covered housing, construction, commercial real estate and related topics for the newspaper and Oklahoman.com since 1999. Contact him at rmize@oklahoman.com. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, Real Estate with Richard Mize. You can support Richard's work, and that of his colleagues, by purchasing a digital subscription to The Oklahoman. Right now, you can get 6 months of subscriber-only access for $1.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Total Wine & More retail liquor chain appeals Oklahoma permit denial
Tourist fatally struck by suspects' vehicle during robbery at outdoor mall in California: Police

Tourist fatally struck by suspects' vehicle during robbery at outdoor mall in California: Police

A New Zealand tourist was killed during a robbery at a California mall after the suspects struck her with their vehicle as they fled the scene, police said.

The incident unfolded Tuesday afternoon at Fashion Island, an outdoor shopping mall in Newport Beach, police said.

The woman and her husband were walking in the area when two suspects, one armed with a handgun, approached and robbed them, according to the Newport Beach Police Department.

MORE: Husband of missing Arizona woman arrested for assault as search continues

"There was a struggle, and at this point we believe the suspects dragged her into the street," Newport Beach Police spokesperson Sgt. Steve Oberon said during a presser Tuesday.

The two suspects then attempted to get into a white Toyota Camry sedan driven by a third suspect to flee the scene, police said.

"One of the suspects ran, while the vehicle fled and actually struck the female victim," Oberon said.

PHOTO: Police respond to the scene after a woman was fatally struck by a fleeing vehicle following a robbery at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, California, July 2, 2024. (KABC)

The woman -- identified by police Wednesday as 68-year-old Patricia McKay -- was pronounced dead at the scene. Her husband is believed to have been uninjured, Oberon said.

The suspect who fled on foot fired three rounds before also getting in the vehicle, police said. No one was struck by the gunfire, police said.

Officers responded to reports of a robbery and a pursuit of the suspect vehicle ensued. One of the suspects was arrested after fleeing on foot after the vehicle stopped in Cypress, police said.

MORE: Person of interest taken into custody for attempted rape of Central Park sunbather: Sources

The two other suspects were also arrested in Los Angeles County after abandoning the vehicle and fleeing on foot, police said.

The suspects were transported to the Newport Beach Police Department's jail and booked for homicide, robbery with a firearm and conspiracy, police said.

They were identified by police Wednesday as Leroyernest Joseph McCrary, 26, of Compton; Jaden Cunningham, 18, of Lancaster; and Malachi Eddward Darnell, 18, of Los Angeles. It is unclear if they have an attorney who can speak on their behalf.

PHOTO: Police respond to the scene after a woman was fatally struck by a fleeing vehicle following a robbery at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, California, July 2, 2024. (KABC)

There are no outstanding suspects, police said. The incident remains under investigation.

Newport Beach Mayor Will O'Neill decried the "stunning, staggering act."

"Newport Beach is a safe community and we're mourning the loss of someone today, a loss that never should have happened,'' he said during Tuesday's press briefing. "Frankly, to hell with these guys. They came into our city, knowing that they were going to commit a crime, and a woman is dead today because of it. It's heartbreaking, it's a tragedy."

Tourist fatally struck by suspects' vehicle during robbery at outdoor mall in California: Police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Authorities have released the identity of the tourist who was killed during a robbery attempt at Newport Beachs upscale Fashion Island shopping mall on Tuesday.

Patricia McKay, 68, was walking with her husband when two thieves accosted them with a handgun outside the malls Barnes and Noble bookstore at about 3:30 p.m., according to the Newport Beach Police Department.

A struggle ensued at which point a third person driving the getaway vehicle, a white Toyota Camry, pulled up to the scene. One of the robbers fired several shots, and all three fled in the sedan, running over McKay as they drove off, police said.

The crime scene at Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach, California after a tourist was killed in a robbery attempt on July 2, 2024. (KTLA)

A canopy covers the body of a deceased woman after an attempted armed robbery in Newport Beach on July 1, 2024. (KTLA)

McKay, who was visiting from New Zealand, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her husband was not injured, and no one was struck by the gunfire.

Police located the Camry a short time later, but the driver sped away, NBPD said. Officers pursued the car northbound on the 405 Freeway and eventually to Cypress, where the suspects ditched the car and tried to run away but did not get far.

Leroyernest Joseph McCrary, 28, of Compton; Jaden Cunningham, 18, of Lancaster; and Malachi Darnell, 18, of Los Angeles, were arrested and booked on charges of homicide, robbery with a firearm and conspiracy.

At a news conference Tuesday evening, Newport Beach Mayor Will ONeill praised police for quickly apprehending the suspects. He also expressed sadness and anger at the brazen nature of the crime.

You know, frankly, to hell with these guys, ONeill told reporters. They knew exactly what they were doing when they decided to come into our city to commit a crime, and a woman is dead because of it.

Anyone with additional information is urged to contact NBPD Detective K Markwald at kmarkwald@nbpd.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 toxic political environment has made the United States more vulnerable to acts of violence that threaten the countrys social fabric, a Department of Homeland Security official warned last week.

Nicholas Rasmussen, the DHS counterterrorism coordinator, blamed prominent voices in the political arena that frame politics as zero-sum, encouraging the belief that one political partys gain is the others loss.

That type of framing leads to extreme political views, some of which gain footing among military and veteran communities, and increases the chance that people will be prompted to commit violence, Rasmussen said. The DHS labels that type of threat as domestic violent extremism.

The toxic political environment in which we live as Americans right now, and the existentialist ways in which voices in our public square frame our politics  not only zero sum terms, but the worst kind of zero sum terms  all of that leaves us far more vulnerable than ever to targeted violence here, Rasmussen said.

The FBI and DHS categorize extremism into four subtypes: racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism, anti-government or anti-authority violent extremism, animal rights or environmental violent extremism and abortion-related violent extremism.

Of those, Rasmussen said he is most concerned about racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism, which continues to grow in scope and scale.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip exacerbated those risks, putting both Jewish and Muslim communities in the U.S. at greater risk of being targeted in attacks, he explained.

While other types of threats are currently more pressing, domestic violent extremism has the potential to be more undermining of our social fabric than any other form of terrorism threat we face, he added.

Data shows that the involvement of veterans and service members with extremist ideologies is furthering this type of violence.

Domestic extremists who plot or commit mass killings often share characteristics, such as histories of mental health and criminal issues. But the most common thread is a record of military service, according to research by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, or START, which analyzed three decades of attacks in the U.S.

The findings illustrate a small numbers, high impact problem, said Ellen Gustafson, co-founder of We the Veterans, a non-partisan nonprofit that focuses on preserving and strengthening democracy.

Seeing that theres a potentially deadly outcome of more involvement by veterans in these extremist groups, it is imperative for us as a group of concerned citizens and also members of the veteran and military family community to try to do something about it, Gustafson said when the research was released last year.

Mauricio Garcia, a man with longstanding neo-Nazi views, killed eight people in a mass shooting at a mall in Allen, Texas, in 2023. (Tony Gutierrez/AP)

Rasmussen outlined the threats facing the U.S. during a speech in Omaha, Nebraska, where counterterrorism experts gathered for a conference hosted by the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center.

Threats of violence are more challenging, more complex and more complicated than ever because of increasing risks of domestic violent extremism, combined with concerns of terrorist networks gaining entry to the country through the U.S.-Mexico border, he told the crowd.

Ive often been called upon to articulate the details of the threat environment and to try to make sense of what we should be most worried about, Rasmussen said. Its harder now, today, here in this moment, than its ever been before. We face more challenges, harder challenges.

Highest on Rasmussens list of priorities are vulnerabilities at the southern border, where the U.S. has struggled to manage a record number of migrants over the past year. Tensions between state and federal authorities peaked in January amid record levels of unauthorized border crossings, during which the Texas National Guard and state troopers blocked U.S. Border Patrol agents from a 2.5-mile stretch of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas.

During the feud, the Texas Military Department posted a photo to its official X account, showing a flag from the Texas Revolution flying above its headquarters in Austin.

Renae Eze, a spokesperson for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, said at the time that the state was using multiple tactics to deter people from crossing and blamed President Joe Bidens immigration policies.

Texas will continue to deploy Texas National Guard soldiers, [Texas Department of Public Safety] troopers, and more barriers, utilizing every tool and strategy to respond to President Bidens ongoing border crisis, Eze said at the time.

A DHS official warned Thursday that terrorist networks could exploit vulnerabilities at the U.S.-Mexico border. (AP Photo/Christian Chavez)

Migrants continue to travel from all over the world to seek asylum, and while DHS tries to vet them for ties to terrorist networks, the agency isnt always successful, Rasmussen said.

Earlier this month, the FBI arrested eight Tajik men with ties to the Islamic State who entered the country through the southern border, the New York Times reported. Its unclear whether the men were planning a terror attack.

Rasmussen argued against the notion that terrorists are streaming across the border. However, the immigration crisis does increase the countrys vulnerability to attacks, he said.

DHS employs rigorous screening and vetting of those arriving migrants to try to identify any individual who may present a terrorism-related threat to the homeland, Rasmussen said. Even in the midst of all of that work, we find ourselves facing a situation in which individual migrants or travelers do arrive here ... and we subsequently learn that they in fact have some form of potential threat. When that happens, we work ... closely with the FBI and local law enforcement around the country to deal with and mitigate that threat.

In addition to border issues and threats of domestic violent extremism, homegrown violent extremists present another challenge for DHS, Rasmussen said.

Such threats, which come from longterm U.S. residents inspired by foreign terror organizations to reject Western culture and commit violence, comprise a significant share of the U.S. threat profile, he added.

According to data from START, approximately 15% of individuals with military backgrounds who were charged with plotting or committing mass killings during the past three decades were inspired by or linked to foreign Islamist extremist groups, including al-Qaida and the Islamic State.

Rasmussen speaks during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing in November 2017. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

DHS needs more resources to address these threats, Rasmussen said. The agency warned earlier this year that it faced a budget shortfall, and it urged Congress to approve a bipartisan immigration deal that would provide more than $15 billion to DHS to bolster security at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Senate Republicans blocked the deal for a second time in May after former President Donald Trump described the measure as a gift for Democrats and Bidens reelection chances.

Because of the funding shortfall, DHS is relying on the intelligence community, as well as academic and private-sector counterterrorism researchers, to help it prioritize threats, Rasmussen said.

We are today a counterterrorism community of finite resources. Not something I ever thought I would say in the post-9/11 environment, but its true, Rasmussen said. We must make choices and deal most urgently with the most threatening things on our worry list. We cant treat every problem as a top priority.

This story was produced in partnership with Military Veterans in Journalism. Please send tips to MVJ-Tips@militarytimes.com.
BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL)  Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee received a $30,000 grant from Toyota of Bristol and Toyota North America on Wednesday.

Second Harvest said the donation will help the food banks efforts to provide nutritious food to those in need.

Its incredibly fulfilling to know that 96% of every dollar Toyota of Bristol and Toyota North America donates goes directly back into the community, Toyota of Bristol manager Bunky Gandy said in a news release. Its not just a donation; its an investment in the health and well-being of our neighbors and the future of our community.

J. Crew Factory appears set to come to JC Mall

The donation is part of Toyota of Bristols commitment to community engagement and social responsibility, the release said.

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 WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
Had you told Gordon Brown in 2010 that before the next Labour Prime Minister could assume office he would have to answer questions on the campaign trail about whether a woman can have a penis, he would have no doubt have thought you stark, staring bonkers.

And had you told him that his aspiring successor would say that only 99.9 per cent of women havent got a penis, hed no doubt have been even more surprised.

And yet, if the polls are correct, this is precisely how Sir Keir Starmer will enter Downing Street. After a series of courageous interventions from figures such as JK Rowling vaulted transgender issues to the forefront of peoples minds, all parties have had to answer repeated questions about what a woman is, whether womens single-sex spaces should be protected, and what should be taught to children in schools. Their answers have been less than clear  and sometimes contradictory.

In the last 14 years, the Conservatives have allowed the tide of radical gender ideology to sweep over across the public sector. The introduction of mandatory Relationship and Sex Education in schools, which told schools to teach the facts about gender identity (what facts, we might ask?) proved a boon for activist charities who foisted their take on radical gender ideology upon confused well-meaning teachers. In 2022, Policy Exchange published research revealing that only 28 per cent of secondary schools would reliably inform a parent if their child was considering transitioning, and that a quarter were teaching children they could be born in the wrong body.

The grotesque failure to repeal the Public Sector Equality Duty  identity politics in one clause, to coin a phrase  has resulted in radical gender ideology embedding itself in almost every government department and public body, including in local government, healthcare, universities, museums, sport, prisons and even the military. We have become so accustomed to seeing male-born athletes winning female races, or male-born rapists in womens prisons, that we are beginning to forget how shocking this is.

Radical gender ideology is deeply embedded, and the next Government will have a number of questions to address. Will they defend the ban on giving puberty blockers to children, currently being challenged in the courts? Will they protect single-sex intimate care in the NHS and protect womens spaces in prisons and in refuge centres? Will they continue funding sporting bodies that allow biological males to compete in the female category? Will they endorse the two critical pieces of schools guidance currently out to consultation? These would, among other things, guarantee parents right to see teaching materials and ensure they are informed if their child questioned their gender, and clarify that schools should not teach the contested concept of gender identity.

Keir Starmer knows that radical gender ideology is not popular; otherwise he would not have said the things that he has. The proportion of people who agree that a transgender person should be able to change the sex on their birth certificate has dropped from a high of 59 per cent in 2016 to 26 per cent today. Simultaneously, 47 per cent believe attempts to give equal opportunities to transgender people have gone too far, compared to only 22 per cent who think they have not gone far enough. It is perhaps for this reason that he has recently clarified that he thinks women have a vagina and men have a penis, and moved quickly to suggest he believes that gender ideology should not be taught in schools, after his Shadow Education Secretary repeatedly refused to endorse the Governments draft guidance.

In Government, though, actions as well as words are needed. Labours recent tack to the centre puts it sharply at odds with many of its activists  and no small number of the parliamentary party  for whom trans rights are a sacred value. Difficult choices will have to be made. How, for example, could they simultaneously implement the expert recommendations of the Cass Review and introduce a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices  both commitments in their manifesto?

If Starmer wants to control the narrative on this agenda, one of the most important steps he could take is end the tide of activism within the public sector. Many of the more egregious policies of recent years were never commanded by ministers  but rather were introduced by stealth by public bodies, with staff networks and external training agencies advocating for the erasure of womens rights and promoting Stonewall law as fact. More than one Minister has found themselves in hot water as a result.

Starmer has shown himself to be ruthless at clearing out the Corbynite Left from within the Labour Party. He understands that no organisation can function well when certain factions push their own agenda and refuse to accept the authority of the leader. If he becomes Prime Minister, is he willing to be similarly ruthless in restoring impartiality to the public sector?

Iain Mansfield is director of research at Policy Exchange. Its new report, Biology Matters, can be found here.

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.
Sekeyna Walkers body was racked with sobs. Her voice shook and she looked upwards, offering an apology to anyone who might be listening.

I thought my son was exaggerating, but then I hear all these stories and now I know hes actually telling the truth, Walker said.

Her son is in jail in Richland Countys Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. The survivor of a St. Patricks Day shooting, he navigates the jail with a walker.

As Walker spoke, her son was still in lockup, lacking regular access to food and medicine, she said. He often isnt fed until 3 p.m., leading to flare-ups of his Crohns disease. His toilet had overflowed with feces, he suffered from nightmares and complained of rats in the cells. A portion of the ceiling had fallen on him, Walker said.

But her sons story was familiar to any one of the eight family members who spoke to the media before a Richland County Council meeting Tuesday night. Those who spoke were mothers, friends, wives, brothers and sisters of inmates at Alvin S. Glenn, many who have been there for months if not years. All have been diagnosed with mental illness.

The family members were gathered by Disability Rights South Carolina, a nonprofit that provides advocacy and legal assistance for people with disabilities in South Carolina. The group has filed a federal lawsuit against Richland County alleging it has violated the civil rights of inmates with mental illnesses. On Tuesday, attorneys and two family members of inmates addressed Richland County Council with their concerns about the situation at the jail.

The last time I saw my son, he was walking, said Marie King, the gold crucifix on her chest rising and falling as she held back tears. Hes not walking right now. Im still asking them the questions, what happened to my son? Why is a mental health patient in a jail with an aggressive person?

Angela Brannons son Dashan King had been placed on an anti-seizure medicine that had caused him to drop dangerous amounts of weight. He told his mom that he rarely got to bathe, and sometimes jail officers demanded he send them money through CashApp, a mobile payment app, in order to get his meals.

Joshua Steven McGraw, an inmate speaking through a phone held by his wife, said he went days without water while on suicide watch. Water often didnt run from the taps, and when it did, it was brown while toilets overflowed with waste, McGraw said.

Theyre treated like dogs, said McGraws wife, Tamara.

Tamara McGraw holds the phone while her husband, Joshua Steven McGraw, speaks during a press conference. The McGraws joined others who spoke about the conditions at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

One of Sharon Williams loved ones, an inmate at Alvin S. Glenn, found a bloody Band-Aid inside of a piece of cornbread, she said Justice Gibson said his brother had been attacked by corrections officers.

Our men and women are coming home mentally destroyed from sitting in there years at a time, Walker said.

Roughly two thirds of the Alvin S. Glenn diagnosed with mental illness, said attorney Stuart Andrews, one of the lawyers for Disability Rights SC.

You have a constitutional obligation, Andrews, of the Burnette Schutt McDaniels law firm, told the Richland County Council. When you take someones freedom you have to provide all of the health care, all of the medical care that they need. And the over 600 people at the county jail that are in need of mental health care are not getting an opportunity to have that full range of care.

The Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center has drawn criticism for years because of deaths, violence, poor conditions and understaffing. In November, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it was opening an investigation into whether conditions at the jail violated inmates civil rights.

Over the last 15 months, Ive held the hands of family members who had to bury their loved ones, Adair Buroughs, U.S. Attorney for South Carolina, said at the time. Ive spoken to law enforcement officers that do not feel safe entering these spaces, and Ive met with community advocates who are deeply concerned about what appear to be consistent constitutional failures in these facilities.

Sharon Williams speaks about the conditions at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center during a press conference outside the Richland County Administration building.

For their part, the Richland County administrators maintain that they are continuing to make progress on improving conditions at the jail.

I would like to vehemently disagree with with how he (Andrews) has presented Alvin S. Glenn, County Attorney Patrick Wright told the media Tuesday night. There were some concerns. Theyve been addressed and theyre being addressed.

The state Department of Corrections, which inspects the jail, has recognized that significant improvements have been made, Wright said. Eleven staff members at the jail were arrested earlier this year in a crackdown in contraband.

Significant upgrades have been made to the kitchen as well as several housing units, but Wright admitted there were delays because of supply chain and vendor issues as well as the logistical challenges of fabricating and retrofitting an operational jail.

Wright emphasized that the countys responsibility was to maintain the jail as a short term facility. While there were people who had been there for as long as five years, that shouldnt be happening, Wright said. Many inmates are awaiting placement at state mental health facilities or their cases have remained stuck in the backlogged court system, Wright said.

We are not the Department of Mental Health, we do not have a facility to house mentally ill people. We have staff that is trained to deal with short term detention, thats what it is a short term facility.
By Risako Nakanishi, KYODO NEWS - Jul 3, 2024 - 20:26 | All, Japan

Japan needs to revise its retrial system, which leads to prolonged proceedings that could last for decades, a sister of Iwao Hakamata, an aging former inmate on retrial for a 1966 quadruple murder in central Japan, said Wednesday.

"We have been fighting for 58 years, and finally we are in a retrial. This is ridiculously long," Hideko Hakamata, 91, told a press conference in Tokyo, ahead of a ruling slated for Sept. 26 for her 88-year-old brother, who is still facing a death sentence.

The start of the retrial in October last year at the Shizuoka District Court raised hopes that Iwao Hakamata would be acquitted, even though prosecutors again demanded the death penalty in the hearing, which concluded in late May.

Hideko appeared at the retrial in place of her brother, who was exempted from attending due to his deteriorating mental state. He spent nearly half a century behind bars on death row before new evidence led to his release in 2014, leading to his being recognized that year as the world's longest-serving death row prisoner.

She said during the press conference that she was "unfazed" about the prosecutors sticking to their demand of capital punishment, indicating they probably had no other way to respond.

While expecting the legal battle to "come to a close" with the retrial, she called for an amendment in the legal provisions for retrials for the sake of the many potentially wrongly convicted victims.

"I don't think Iwao should be the only one who should be saved," she said at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan.

Legal experts say the current retrial provisions, which are included in the criminal procedure law, make it increasingly difficult to swiftly start a new trial to re-examine matters from a concluded trial.

The criminal procedure law stipulates that a retrial will be opened if there is "clear evidence to find the accused not guilty." But it lacks provisions on the disclosure of information that is in possession of prosecutors and investigators for retrials, preventing easy access to evidence that could favor the convicted, experts say.

Prosecutors can also file an objection against a court decision to grant a retrial that may result in a higher court overturning the decision to reopen the case.

"We need the retrial law to be amended so that evidence favorable for the wrongly convicted will come out," Hideko said.

In Hakamata's case, it was only in 2010 that prosecutors, at the insistence of the court, disclosed evidence that helped fuel doubt on the death sentence finalized by the Supreme Court in 1980. This evidence included color photos of the five pieces of blood-stained clothing that he allegedly wore during the murder.

The Tokyo High Court, which was ordered by the top court in 2020 to re-examine its 2018 decision not to reopen the case, reversed course and ordered the retrial in March 2023, citing the unreliability of the main evidence -- the five pieces of clothing -- used.

Hakamata, a former professional boxer, was arrested in 1966 for allegedly murdering the senior managing director of the miso paste maker where he worked, his wife, as well as two of their children. They were found stabbed to death at their burned-down Shizuoka Prefecture home.

Though Hakamata initially confessed to the killings during intense interrogation, he pleaded not guilty at his trial, where he was indicted for murder, robbery and arson.

Hideko, who lives with her brother in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, said he "eats a lot," enjoying grilled eel rice bowl every night over the past year.

"I hope he spends time eating what he likes," she said.

The sister also said she came to oppose the death penalty due to her brother's case, and called for the public to work to abolish the system.

Related coverage:

Retrial of 1966 Japan murders closes, ruling set for Sept. 26

Japan to appoint first female prosecutor general in July
After more than a century, a Native American tribe in northern Washington can finally fish for coho salmon in the same rivers as its ancestors, the Seattle Times reported  and it's all thanks to the removal of two ecosystem-disrupting dams.

The removal of the dams comes after years of hard-fought environmental advocacy by members of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe to restore the tribe's historic lands. As detailed by the Times, since 1911, two dams blocked nearly 90 miles of river and tributary habitat on the Elwha River in Olympic National Park. The dams obstructed more than 90% of the river's natural flow, depleting salmon populations in the area and preventing the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe from fishing the tribal waters.

Thanks to years of tribal advocacy, the removal of the dams began in August 2014 with the goal of replenishing the river's waters and returning salmon to the Elwha River. However, it took nearly a decade for salmon populations to be healthy enough to fish.

"It's been a long time coming," Russell Hepfer, vice chairman of the tribe, told a crowd of more than 100 community members during the tribe's first fishery in October 2023, per the Times. "The laughs, the joy we all feel in our hearts, is just tremendous. It's historic."

The tribe worked with a hatchery over the past several years to reintroduce salmon to the area, but the fish are now beginning to support their own populations. According to the tribe, more than 6,800 coho salmon returned to the river in 2022. Of those, about 36% spawned on their own and were not born in the hatchery.

A strong salmon population in the area is an exciting marker of the overall health of the natural environment after the dam's removal, as salmon require a complex ecosystem to breed and thrive.

Yet, there's still a lot of work to be done before the salmon population is as robust as it once was. A broad fishing moratorium on the river remains in place, preventing the public from fishing for salmon in the Elwha River. The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, however, is able to fish the waters for tribal use in an agreement with Olympic National Park and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Tribe member Vanessa Castle told the Times that she felt tribal ancestors were standing with current members during October's inaugural fishery.

"This completely filled my spirit to be back on the water again, to be able to exercise my treaty rights just as my ancestors did and fought for," Castle said. "It means everything to have that food security  to know that I can catch a fish to feed my family."

Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  Police in Prince Georges County were at the scene of a fatal triple shooting late Tuesday night in District Heights.

Officers with the Prince Georges County Police Department (PGPD) responded to the 3100 block of Lakehurst Avenue at about 10 p.m. There, they found three men who had been shot inside a home.

Prince Georges County police officer injured after getting into car crash

One of the men was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified as 20-year-old Diontre Mackall of Washington, D.C.

A second man was taken to the hospital to be treated for his injuries, which were not considered to be life-threatening. The third man was checked at the scene for a graze wound.

PGPD said they were still working to establish possible suspects and a motive for the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to contact Prince Georges County Crime Solvers or submit a tip using 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.
GILLETT, Pa. (WETM)  A Troy man is facing multiple charges after allegedly breaking into a Gillett home and stealing alcohol.

Tyler Brown, 19, turned himself in after a burglary investigation. According to the Pennsylvania State Police Department, Brown broke into a South Creek Township house and stole four bottles of Crown Royal and three bottles of alcohol mixers on June 17.

Mansfield man arrested on five felony charges relating to a Mansfield fire

Brown was charged with burglary of overnight accommodations with a person present (a first-degree felony), criminal trespass (a second-degree felony), and seven counts of theft by unlawful taking (a first-degree misdemeanor).

After Brown turned himself in, he was arraigned and taken to the Bradford County Prison. Brown is currently being held at the jail on $70,000 bail.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
SOUTH BRUNSWICK - A South Jersey tractor-trailer driver who was charged in an April 12 crash in which three people in a van died on Route 1, was arrested Wednesday in Georgia by U.S. Marshals.

Joseph Vega, 43, of Bridgeton, was arrested Wednesday by the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force in Georgia and will be housed in Georgia pending extradition, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone announced.

Vega has been charged with three counts of first-degree aggravated manslaughter and three counts of second-degree vehicular homicide.

Three people have died following a multi-vehicle crash Friday morning in the area of Route 1 and Ridge Road in South Brunswick

First-degree crimes carry a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Around 9:36 a.m. April 12 police responded to Route 1 and Ridge Road for a vehicle crash.

When officers arrived they located a tractor-trailer that had struck a passenger van at the intersection. The van then collided with two other vehicles and both the tractor-trailer and van caught fire.

Three people in the van were pronounced dead at the scene  the driver, Charisse Nelson-Bailey, 24, of Princeton Junction; and passengers, Daniel Vida, 28, of Princeton Junction, and Maria Passalarlis, 25, of the Skillman section of Montgomery.

The three were riding in the van to an adult day program in Princeton. Vida and Passalaris attended a program for those with disabilities at the Red Ribbon Academy, while Nelson-Bailey was a staff member.

An investigation by South Brunswick Officer Bryan Sites and Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Sgt. Jonathan Berman determined the tractor-trailer driven by Vega was transporting an oversized concrete load that failed to stop for a red traffic light at the intersection, the prosecutor's office said.

Vega, who suffered minor injuries in the crash, was charged with aggravated manslaughter and vehicular homicide on May 29, according to the prosecutor's office.

Following the crash, authorities attempted to contact Vega, and were unsuccessful and then discovered he had left New Jersey, the prosecutor's office said.

The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call South Brunswick Officer Sites at 732-329-4646 or Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Sgt. Berman at 732-745-4328.

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: NJ truck driver arrested in fiery South Brunswick crash killing three
Donald Trump (left) greets rallygoers in Virginia while Joe Biden (right) steps off Air Force One while meeting donors in New York over the weekend (Getty Images / Reuters)

A new poll from CBS News shows that Donald Trump has taken a slight lead over President Joe Biden. The former president slightly trailed Biden last month.

The poll comes after Bidens lackluster debate performance against Trump in Atlanta, which sent Democrats into a panic. Some Democrats have even speculated that Biden might need to be replaced.

CBS News surveyed 2,826 registered voters between in the days after the debate between June 28 and July 2, with a margin of error of 2.3 points.

The poll showed that 51 per cent of voters would pick Trump compared to 48 percent of voters who would pick Biden. The numbers are a reversal from last month, when 50 percent of voters said that they would pick Biden and 49 percent said they would pick Trump. That poll came days after a jury in New York found the former president guilty on 34 criminal charges of falsifying business records as part of a conspiracy to corruptly influence the 2016 election results.

Trump led Biden 51 to 48 percent in battleground states in the latest poll, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Bidens hoarse voice, nonsensical statements and his constantly interrupting himself raised questions about his mental acuity, though the White House denied that Biden had dementia at a tense press conference this week.

But the recent survey showed voters had serious concerns about Bidens age and capacity to serve as president, as 69 percent of voters said that Bidens age is a factor in their vote. Meanwhile, only 48 percent of registered voters said that Trumps age is a factor for them.

In addition, 69 percent of voters said Biden should not be running and 53 percent of voters said that the debate made them think worse of Biden. By comparison, 27 percent of voters said that the debate made them think worse of Trump but 48 percent said it did not make change their opinion of Trump at all.

The poll is just the latest hurdle that Biden faces as he and his campaign team attempt to convince not only voters but other Democrats that he has the capacity to run for a second term for president. If he did win a second term, he would be 82 years old on Inauguration Day.
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 on May 30, 2024, in New York City. Trumps attorney has asked the court to set aside the guilty verdicts, the first for a former U.S. president, after a Monday U.S. Supreme Court ruling that granted broad presidential immunity. (Photo by Seth Wenig-Pool / Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  A New York judge agreed Tuesday to delay the criminal sentencing of former President Donald Trump in the state hush money case after Trump claimed the U.S. Supreme Courts presidential immunity decision absolves him.

New York Justice Juan Merchan, who oversaw the case, ordered the delay until Sept. 18 so the court could hear arguments on how the Supreme Courts immunity decision on Monday impacts Trumps state-level convictions, according to court filings.

Trump claims his 34 New York felony guilty verdicts violate Mondays high court ruling and should be thrown out, according to a letter to Merchan from Trump attorney Todd Blanche.

The verdicts in this case violate the presidential immunity doctrine and create grave risks of an Executive Branch that cannibalizes itself, Blanche wrote, adding that after further review, it will be manifest that the trial result cannot stand.

A Manhattan jury on May 30 found the former president guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment made to a porn star in the weeks prior to the 2016 presidential election.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg agreed in a letter to Merchan to a two-week delay in Trumps sentencing, according to the court filings.

Trumps team has until July 10 to file its argument. Bragg agreed to a July 24 deadline for his reply.

Although we believe (the) defendants arguments to be without merit, we do not oppose his request for leave to file and his putative request to adjourn sentencing pending determination of his motion, Bragg wrote Tuesday.

Merchan scheduled the sentencing for July 11, just days before Trump is scheduled to be officially nominated as his partys 2024 presidential candidate at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The new date pushes the sentencing less than two months before Election Day.

Presidential immunity opinion

The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that former U.S. presidents enjoy absolute criminal immunity for core Constitutional powers and are entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts, but are not immune from criminal prosecution for unofficial acts.

Trump escalated the question of presidential immunity to the Supreme Court after two lower courts denied his requests for immunity from federal criminal charges alleging he attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results during his last months in the Oval Office.

The justices majority opinion ordered the 2020 election interference case back to the lower district court to decide whether Trumps actions were official or unofficial acts. Those actions include Trumps conversations with state officials about overturning election results and his social media posts claiming election fraud.

NY verdict

Blanche asked Merchan to set aside Trumps guilty verdict based on Mondays Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. United States, according to the July 1 letter.

Blanche claimed that evidence presented by the prosecution against Trump during the New York case were likely official acts.

The New York state case centered on actions Trump took during his first year in office, including an Oval Office meeting to discuss financial transactions with his former personal attorney and checks that he personally signed.

Under (Trump v. U.S.), this official-acts evidence should never have been put before the jury, Blanche wrote.

Moreover, as we argued previously, (Trump v. U.S.) forbids the [u]se of evidence about such [official] conduct, even when an indictment alleges only unofficial conduct. This includes President Trumps Tweets and public address[es], Blanche wrote, quoting directly from the Supreme Court opinion.

New York prosecutors presented mounds of evidence, including business records and witness testimony, during the seven-week trial illustrating that Trump repaid his former lawyer Michael Cohen for giving $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election. Trump later recorded the payments as legal expenses and increased the amount to Cohen to account for taxes and a bonus.

Testimony also revealed an Oval Office meeting Trump held with Cohen to discuss the repayment scheme, and evidence included nine checks bearing Trumps personal signature.

The post Trump NY sentencing delayed after U.S. Supreme Court presidential immunity ruling appeared first on Source New Mexico.
The law firm representing Boris Epshteyn received two payments from Trump's PAC in May. Epshteyn is preparing to go on trial in Arizona over his alleged role in lining up fake electors after the 2020 election

Cheney Orr/Bloomberg via Getty Boris Epshteyn speaks to Trump supporters at a 'Stop the Steal' rally after Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election

Donald Trump's leadership PAC recently gave $50,000 in donations to the law firm representing former campaign adviser Boris Epshteyn, according to new campaign finance records.

Epshteyn, 41, is under indictment in Arizona over his role in rejecting the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Filings with the Federal Election Commission reveal that the Save America PAC  Trump's primary campaign fundraising arm  disbursed two payments to Phoenix-based law firm Tully Bailey LLP on May 14 for "legal consulting." The first payment amounted to $40,000, and the second payment equaled $10,000.

As NBC News first reported, the disbursements were made shortly after attorney Michael Bailey, a partner at the law firm, began representing Epshteyn.

Related: Trump PAC Pushing Baseless Voter Fraud Claims Reportedly Paid $60K to Designer Known for Styling First Ladies

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Boris Epshteyn, right, attends a press conference hosted by Donald Trump's legal team after the 2020 presidential election

Epshteyn  one of Trump's few remaining allies from his time in the White House  was indicted by an Arizona grand jury in April on nine felony charges related to his alleged role in coordinating the fake electors scheme after the 2020 election.

After Trump lost to Biden, GOP allies lined up "alternate electors" in seven states that Biden won to sign fraudulent paperwork that claimed Trump earned their Electoral College votes. The desperate attempt to overturn the states' election results proved unsuccessful.

Epshteyn, who was not indicted in any previous criminal cases involving election subversion, faces one count of conspiracy, one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of fraudulent schemes and practices, and six counts of forgery. He pleaded not guilty to all charges in June.

Andrew Kelly-Pool/Getty Boris Epshteyn, far right, sits in on Donald Trump's New York arraignment on April 3, 2023

Epshteyn is a Republican political strategist and lawyer who joined Trump's 2016 presidential campaign as a senior adviser. He briefly worked in Trump's administration, doing communications for the Presidential Inaugural Committee and the White House's surrogate operations team.

After resigning from his White House role only a couple of months into Trump's term, he became a political commentator for Sinclair Broadcast Group, ultimately returning to Trump's side as a strategic adviser for his 2020 reelection campaign, leading Jewish outreach for the Republican ticket.

Epshteyn was then part of the controversial legal team that challenged the 2020 election results in a number of ways, both inside and outside of the courtroom.

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.

While many of Trump's White House staffers and past attorneys have turned on the former president since he left office, Epshteyn has remained a loyal supporter of Trump who continued to advise him in recent years. The Washington Post previously reported that Epshteyn was influential in crafting Trump's aggressive approach toward Justice Department investigators in the midst of criminal probes.

In April 2023, Epshteyn appeared at Trump's side during the first-ever arraignment of a U.S. president in New York.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 30: 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 on May 30, 2024 in New York City. The former president was found guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. Trump has now become the first former U.S. president to be convicted of felony crimes. (Photo by Seth Wenig-Pool/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  A New York judge agreed Tuesday to delay the criminal sentencing of former President Donald Trump in the state hush money case after Trump claimed the U.S. Supreme Courts presidential immunity decision absolves him.

New York Justice Juan Merchan, who oversaw the case, ordered the delay until Sept. 18 so the court could hear arguments on how the Supreme Courts immunity decision on Monday impacts Trumps state-level convictions, according to court filings.

Trump claims his 34 New York felony guilty verdicts violate Mondays high court ruling and should be thrown out, according to a letter to Merchan from Trump attorney Todd Blanche.

The verdicts in this case violate the presidential immunity doctrine and create grave risks of an Executive Branch that cannibalizes itself, Blanche wrote, adding that after further review, it will be manifest that the trial result cannot stand.

A Manhattan jury on May 30 found the former president guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment made to a porn star in the weeks prior to the 2016 presidential election.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg agreed in a letter to Merchan to a two-week delay in Trumps sentencing, according to the court filings.

Trumps team has until July 10 to file its argument. Bragg agreed to a July 24 deadline for his reply.

Although we believe (the) defendants arguments to be without merit, we do not oppose his request for leave to file and his putative request to adjourn sentencing pending determination of his motion, Bragg wrote Tuesday.

Merchan scheduled the sentencing for July 11, just days before Trump is scheduled to be officially nominated as his partys 2024 presidential candidate at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The new date pushes the sentencing less than two months before Election Day.

Presidential immunity opinion

The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that former U.S. presidents enjoy absolute criminal immunity for core Constitutional powers and are entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts, but are not immune from criminal prosecution for unofficial acts.

Trump escalated the question of presidential immunity to the Supreme Court after two lower courts denied his requests for immunity from federal criminal charges alleging he attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results during his last months in the Oval Office.

The justices majority opinion ordered the 2020 election interference case back to the lower district court to decide whether Trumps actions were official or unofficial acts. Those actions include Trumps conversations with state officials about overturning election results and his social media posts claiming election fraud.

NY verdict

Blanche asked Merchan to set aside Trumps guilty verdict based on Mondays Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. United States, according to the July 1 letter.

Blanche claimed that evidence presented by the prosecution against Trump during the New York case were likely official acts.

The New York state case centered on actions Trump took during his first year in office, including an Oval Office meeting to discuss financial transactions with his former personal attorney and checks that he personally signed.

Under (Trump v. U.S.), this official-acts evidence should never have been put before the jury, Blanche wrote.

Moreover, as we argued previously, (Trump v. U.S.) forbids the [u]se of evidence about such [official] conduct, even when an indictment alleges only unofficial conduct. This includes President Trumps Tweets and public address[es], Blanche wrote, quoting directly from the Supreme Court opinion.

New York prosecutors presented mounds of evidence, including business records and witness testimony, during the seven-week trial illustrating that Trump repaid his former lawyer Michael Cohen for giving $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election. Trump later recorded the payments as legal expenses and increased the amount to Cohen to account for taxes and a bonus.

Testimony also revealed an Oval Office meeting Trump held with Cohen to discuss the repayment scheme, and evidence included nine checks bearing Trumps personal signature.

The post Trump questions NY guilty verdicts after U.S. Supreme Court presidential immunity ruling appeared first on Michigan Advance.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 3, 2024 - 10:13 | All, Japan, World

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is closely tracking the cases of U.S. military personnel accused of committing sexual crimes in the southern Japan island prefecture of Okinawa, a Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday, amid renewed anti-base sentiment among local residents.

Defense Department spokesman Pat Ryder said the United States regrets such incidents and is working closely with Japanese communities to deal with their concerns over the cases, in one of which a U.S. Air Force serviceman has been charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 16 in the prefecture.

"The alleged behavior of those members does not reflect the core values of the U.S. military, nor does it represent the conduct of the overwhelming majority of Japan-based personnel that we have forward deployed," Ryder said at a press briefing, when asked if Austin had spoken to his Japanese counterpart and how the cases might affect Washington's alliance with Tokyo.

Without answering whether Austin had reached out to the Japanese government, the spokesman said, "We are deeply troubled by the severity of the allegations and we regret the anxiety this has caused. Japan is one of our closest allies."

He added that U.S. military units are cooperating with local authorities to investigate the allegations thoroughly, based on "applicable laws and agreements."

Ryder's remarks followed last week's revelation that a U.S. Marine in his 20s was arrested in late May on suspicion of attempted rape resulting in the injury of a woman, which came just days after news broke about the airman's indictment in March.

The two cases were kept secret by U.S. and Japanese authorities until Okinawa media uncovered them, fueling anger among local residents.

The Marine was indicted in mid-June and the Okinawa prefectural police said the two cases were not publicly disclosed to protect the privacy of the victims.

Japan's Foreign Ministry knew of the cases but did not notify the Okinawa prefectural government and the Defense Ministry.

Okinawa, which was returned to Japan from U.S. control more than half a century ago, has become more strategically important for the two allies in the face of China's military buildup and because of the prefecture's proximity to Taiwan.

It is home to the majority of U.S. military facilities in Japan, and accidents and crimes involving U.S. servicemen continue to occur.

In addition to the two cases, Okinawa police officers admitted Tuesday they had not disclosed to the press three more sex-related incidents involving U.S. military personnel.

But they said the cases, none of which have proceeded to trial, were already reported to a special panel of the Okinawa prefectural assembly.

"We have no intention of hiding an incident involving the U.S. military from prefectural authorities," a senior police officer said.

Related coverage:

U.S. Marine in Okinawa arrested over female injured in attempted rape

U.S. serviceman in Okinawa indicted over sexual assault of minor

Okinawa marks 79th anniversary of end of WWII ground battle
Former President Donald Trump is reportedly considering the possibility of making a deal with Russia to block the future NATO accession of certain countries, namely Ukraine and Georgia, Politico reported on July 2, citing unnamed officials "familiar with the thinking inside Trump's inner circle."

The potential plan was the latest signal that Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, intends to dramatically shift the position of the U.S. in regard to Ukraine and its larger commitments to NATO.

Trump has promised to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine within 24 hours if elected but has declined to publicly elaborate on how he plans to do so. Two top Trump advisors also recently proposed a plan that would cease military aid to Ukraine unless it agrees to hold peace negotiations with Russia.

One of the sources told Politico that Trump "would be open to something foreclosing NATO expansion and not going back to the 1991 borders for Ukraine."

The comments echo reporting by the Washington Post, which wrote in April, citing unnamed sources, that Trump privately said he could end Russia's war by pressuring Ukraine to cede Crimea and Donbas to Moscow.

At the same time, Trump said at the first presidential debate in June that he rejected the terms that Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed for a potential ceasefire, which entailed Ukraine giving up on its quest to join NATO and the complete withdrawal from the four regions of Ukraine, plus Crimea, that Russia has illegally annexed.

Read also: Reality will be very different  Ukrainian MP dismisses Trumps NATO, peace plan rhetoric

Russia does not currently occupy all of the territory in the four regions in question.

In line with previous suggestions, Trump is also reportedly considering adjusting U.S. participation in NATO.

One of the main tenets of the proposed shift would be the creation of a "two-tier NATO" system, in which only countries that met the 2% of GDP spending threshold would get to "enjoy the defense largess and security guarantee of the U.S."

On paper, the proposal appears to violate NATO's Article 5, which requires all members to come to the aid of any single member that is attacked, but officials from Trump's circle said that "the language in Article 5 is flexible and does not require any member to respond with military force."

Trump drew international outrage after saying in February that he would encourage Russia to do "whatever the hell they want" to NATO member countries failing to meet the 2% defense spending pledge.

Officials said the former president's views on Ukraine and NATO are largely based on self-interest.

Republican Congressman Don Bacon told reporters that Trump had reportedly said, "If Ukraine wins, what will be the benefit?"

Read also: Ukraine not ready to compromise with Russia on territory or values, Yermak comments on Trumps statement

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Trump talks to Putin about how much Ukrainian territory Russia can keep  Politico

Two national security experts with ties to likely US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump have said that Trump is in talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin about how much Ukrainian territory Moscow can keep.

Source: Politico

Details: It is stated in the article that Trump is mulling over a deal under which NATO would not expand eastward, particularly into Ukraine and Georgia, and is in talks with Putin about "how much Ukrainian territory Moscow can keep".

In addition, the article states that Trump not only expects European countries to dramatically increase their spending on NATO when he becomes president (a major claim of his when he was president), but also to undertake what Dan Caldwell, a defence expert familiar with the thinking among Trump's national security advisers, describes as a "radical reorientation" of NATO.

Quote: "In truth, Trump would be unlikely to quit NATO outright, according to interviews with former Trump national security officials and defence experts who are likely to serve in a second Trump term. But even if he doesnt formally leave the organisation, that doesnt mean NATO would survive a second Trump term intact."

Background:

Earlier, there was information that Trump had said in private conversations that he could end Russia's war against Ukraine by forcing Ukraine to give up occupied Crimea and Donbas.

Support UP or become our patron!
While Joe Biden has been entrenched in a week from hell with deafening calls for him to bow out of the 2024 election, his opponent, the infamously foul-mouthed and unfiltered Donald Trump, has kept a shockingly low profile.

Its a significant step back from the norm for Trump, whos known to unleash relentless attacks on his political rivals, including Biden, at any given opportunity.

Yet, while Biden, 81, is battling the lowest moment of his presidency, Trump has resorted to nothing more than a few critical statements on Truth Socialposts that were, for the most part, tame by the ex-presidents standards.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Trump, 78, hadnt spoken on camera since debate night last Thursday, and hadnt called in to right-wing cable networks to weigh in on whether he thought Biden should be his opponent or not. Trumps campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, did not respond to a question asking who Trump would prefer to face in November.

Instead, Trump appears content to watch Bidens team scramble and top Dems bicker about what Bidens future should beplaying on the old adage, Never interfere with an enemy while hes in the process of destroying himself.

Biden Told Key Ally Hes Considering Dropping Out of Race: NYT

While Trump has let the media attention swirl almost exclusively around Biden, he hasnt gone without taking a few muted shots at Bidens disastrous debate performance.

Most notably, he posted to Truth Social on Monday that Bidens mind and memory were completely shot.

Bidens Debate performance was rated poor, with an arrow pointing left. That means it was Less than Poor, he wrote. Mine was rated, the best in the history of Presidential Debates. In other words, there is a BIG GAP for Crooked Joe to make up, and with his mind and memory completely shot, and marbles in his mouth, its not going to happen!

In a separate post about the debate, he added Monday morning that Biden choked like a dog and was a cognitive mess. Those were Trumps harshest words for Biden, though.

By Wednesday afternoon, he had shifted his focus on Truth Social to bashing the special prosecutor Jack Smith, sharing campaign ads, and posting graphics that apparently showed him out-polling and out-fundraising Biden. Hes made no mention of Biden bowing out or the slew of lies he rattled off at the debate.

Meanwhile, in the White House, things took a chaotic turn on Tuesday after top Democrats began questioning if Biden could realistically last another four years in the Oval Office.

Intervention Time? VP and Dem Guvs Meet Biden Face-to-Face

That included Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who said both Biden and Trumps mental fitness were now a legitimate question, and Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), who outright called for Biden to drop out of the presidential race.

Democratic governors from across the country were flown to Washington to meet with Biden on Wednesday. An all-staff meeting was also called by Bidens chief of staff, Jeff Zients, and a report from The New York Times claimed that Biden told a key ally he was considering dropping outa report that the White House vehemently denied.

All the while, Trump has remained uncharacteristically mum in the backgroundperhaps by design.

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.
People watch former US President Donald Trump participating in the first 2024 presidential election debate with US President Joe Biden at CNN Atlanta studios. Sue Dorfman/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Following a landmark ruling by the US Supreme Court on the immunity of US presidents, a New York judge on Tuesday delayed the sentencing of Donald Trump in a criminal case concerning hush money payments.

If sentencing is necessary, judge Juan Merchan wrote in a letter to the parties to the trial, it would take place on September 18.

The sentencing had previously been set for July 11.

The background to this is that Trump is challenging the judgement against him following a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court on Monday. The judgement states that US presidents enjoy extensive protection from prosecution for official actions in office.

The move by Trump's lawyers was expected and is likely to be futile because the New York case centres to a significant extent on actions that took place before his presidency.

In May, a jury in New York found the ex-president guilty on 34 charges. The trial centred on the illegal concealment of hush money payments to a porn actress.

It was the first time in the history of the United States that a former president was convicted of a criminal offence. In the worst case scenario, Trump could face several years in prison.

US President Joe Biden criticized the Supreme Court's ruling, calling it a "dangerous precedent."

He warned that every president, including his predecessor and potential successor Trump, would now be free to ignore the law.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said more than 32 million will use airlines to travel over the Independence Day holiday and will enjoy improved security checks and safer airports thanks to the 2023 infrastructure law. File Photo by Michael Reynolds/UPI

July 2 (UPI) -- Transportation Security Administration officials expect to screen more than 32 million airline passengers from Thursday last week through Monday, which would be a record amount.

"This year's record-breaking air travel is another good sign for our economy as more Americans take to the skies than ever before," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a news release Tuesday.

The demand for airline tickets is up by 5.4% compared to last year, while airfares are 6% lower, Buttigieg said.

He said the 2023 bipartisan infrastructure law invested $25 billion to improve the nation's airports through 2028.

The law is adding more gates, increasing flight capacity and modernizing baggage systems, Buttigieg said.

He said the Federal Aviation Administration this week approved $289 million in airport infrastructure grants in 40 states and $1 billion to improve airport efficiency and safety.

The TSA screened nearly 3 million airline passengers on June 23, which is the largest number of screenings in one day.

"We expect this summer to be our busiest ever and summer travel usually peaks over the Independence Day holiday," TSA administrator David Pekoske said.

"The traveling public is on the move," he added. "We are ready, along with our airline and airport partners, to handle this boost in passenger volumes."

Although more people than ever are expected to travel this summer, the TSA is minimizing the time needed to go through security checks.

The TSA is screening passengers in 30 minutes or less in standard lanes and 10 minutes or less in TSA PreCheck lanes, according to the TSA.
FILE - Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, May 31, 2024. Tunisia presidency says the North African country will hold its next presidential elections on Oct. 6. Its increasingly authoritarian President Kais Saied has yet to announce if he will seek a second term after five tumultuous years of leading Tunisia, once seen as a model of democracy for the Arab world. (Tingshu Wang/Pool Photo via AP, File)

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP)  Tunisia's increasingly authoritarian leader has scheduled the next presidential election for October without saying whether he will seek a second term after five tumultuous years at the head of the North African nation once seen as a model of democracy for the Arab world.

President Kais Saied set Oct. 6 for the election in a decree issued late Tuesday, according to a statement from the presidency. Saied's first term ends on Oct. 23.

The election will be voters first chance to evaluate Saieds tenure amid an economic crisis and the drift into authoritarianism.

Saied ran in 2019 on a populist, anti-corruption platform that energized Tunisians disillusioned with party politics and economic stagnation following the Arab Spring pro-democracy protests that in 2011 toppled the country's longtime dictator.

However, Saied reversed some of Tunisias democratic gains, rewriting the constitution to consolidate his power and jailing critics, including from the largest political parties. Analysts expect he will run for a second, five-year term given that the new constitution grants him full powers.

He also dissolved the parliament two years ago after lawmakers of the Ennahda opposition Islamist party held a virtual session seeking to annul his actions in 2021 to assume sweeping powers.

Saied argued at the time that the country was facing imminent peril because of protests and economic vows. He has governed the country by decree ever since.

More than 40 of Saied's critics and political opponents have been jailed in the past year on various charges of conspiring against the country's security, including the leader of Ennahda, the largest opposition party.

Earlier this year, its leader, Rached Ghannouchi, was sentenced to three years in prison on allegations that his party relied on foreign financing to bankroll its political campaigns in 2019. The sentence was added to Ghannouchi's 15-month prison term that a different court handed down last year after he was found guilty of supporting terrorism and inciting hatred.

Tunisias main opposition coalition has said it wont take part in the presidential election unless Saieds political opponents are freed and judicial independence is restored. The National Salvation Front, a coalition of the main opposition parties that includes Ennahdha, has expressed concern that the election wouldnt be fair

Several other political leaders have announced their candidacy, including the leader of the right-wing Free Destourian Party, Abir Moussi, who is in custody on suspicion of disturbing public order. Lotfi Mraihi of the Republican Popular Union party, who unsuccessfully ran for the presidency in 2019, is also running, although authorities have issued a warrant against for alleged money laundering.

___

Surk contributed from Nice, France.
TUNIS (Reuters) -Tunisian President Kais Saied on Monday set the presidential election date for Oct. 6 and is widely expected to seek a second term, with at least one potential candidate in jail and others facing prosecution.

Elected president in 2019, Saied has not officially announced his candidacy but said last year he will not hand power to what he called non-patriots.

The opposition says fair and credible elections cannot be held unless imprisoned politicians are released and the media is allowed to do its job without pressure from the government.

Opposition parties including the Ennahda Islamist party and Free Constitutional Party say they see attempts by the government to exclude Saied's main rivals from the election.

Saied earlier this year criticized what he described as "politicians' jostling for office", saying those who previously boycotted parliamentary elections now wanted his job.

Abir Moussi, the leader of the Free Constitutional Party and a prominent candidate according to opinion polls, has been in prison since last year on charges of harming public security.

Moussi's party says she was imprisoned in an effort to remove her from the election race and avoid a very strong candidate. The authorities deny this.

Other candidates including Safi Saeed, Lotfi Maraihi, Nizar Chaari and Abd Ellatif Mekki are facing prosecution for alleged crimes such as fraud and money laundering.

Mondher Znaidi, a prominent potential condidate who is living in France, is also facing prosecution on suspicion of financial corruption.

Saied seized almost all powers in 2021, dissolved parliament, and began ruling by decree in a move that the opposition described as a coup. Saied said that his steps were legal and necessary to end years of rampant corruption among the political elite.

Prominent opponents of the president have been detained since last year on charges of conspiring against state security, in a crakdown that included businessmen, media figures and politicians.

(Reporting by Tunis newsroom; Editing by Stephen Coates)
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An Israeli soldier was killed and a second person was wounded in a stabbing in an Israeli mall on Wednesday that police said was a suspected terror attack.

Israel's Ynet news site named the accused assailant, who was killed in the attack, as Joud Rabia from Nahaf, a town where members of Israel's Arab minority live.

There was no claim of responsibility from any group, though militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad in a post on the Telegram site described the attack as a "heroic operation."

Closed circuit television images from inside the mall, in Karmiel in northern Israel, showed two men in Israeli military uniform, with their guns slung at their sides, walking casually through the mall.

In the CCTV images, broadcast by Israel's Channel 12 TV station, a man in a blue T-shirt could be seen rushing up from behind the two men, stabbing one of them in the neck area, and then stabbing the second person.

As the attacker ran off, the person who was stabbed first aimed his automatic weapon at the fleeing man, the images showed, then held his hand to a wound on his neck.

The Israeli defence ministry, in a statement, identified the stabbing fatality as Aleksandr Iakiminskyi, a 19-year-old sergeant in the Israeli military. He was pronounced dead in hospital, medics said. They said the other victim was being treated for his wounds.

Israel is conducting a military offensive in Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7.

Violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, already on the rise before the war in Gaza, has escalated further, with stepped-up Israeli military raids, settler violence and Palestinian street attacks.

In January, a Palestinian vehicle ramming attack in central Israel killed one woman and injured 12 others.

(Reporting by Emily Rose and Christian Lowe; editing by)
MOSCOW, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry has declared a diplomat working at the Romanian Embassy in Moscow persona non grata, according to a ministry statement Wednesday.

Romanian Ambassador to Russia Cristian Istrate was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday and "handed a note declaring a staff member of the Romanian Embassy persona non grata," according to the statement.

It added that the move was taken in response to Romania's recent decision to declare a Russian embassy worker persona non grata.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry declared a diplomat working at the Russian Embassy in Bucharest persona non grata on May 24 for "actions that contradict the provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations." 
Two new polls taken after President Joe Bidens disastrous debate with Donald Trump offer discouraging news for Democrats.

A Suffolk University/USA TODAY poll published Tuesday found Trump beating Biden by 3 percent in a six-candidate presidential ballot  a post-debate shift from a survey a month earlier that had the two candidates tied.

Another poll conducted for CNN by SSRS similarly found Trump holding a 6 percentage point lead over the president, unchanged from an earlier survey, but also this: Fifty-six percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning registered voters said their party has a better shot at winning with a candidate other than Biden.

The new polls come as questions mount about Bidens ability to take on Trump, with an increasing number of Democrats publicly calling for him to step aside following a debate in which he seemed at times to struggle to respond to his opponents barrage of verbal attacks.

The Biden campaign said in an email that other polls, including internal ones, found the president tied or ahead of Trump after the debate. It also noted that media coverage of President Barack Obama's 2012 debate drove "a large, but temporary, drop in his polling."

Just over three-quarters of voters in the new CNN poll think Trump performed better at the presidential debate, compared to 23 percent for Biden.



Voters in the USA TODAY poll also saw Trump as the clear victor of the debate with 50 percent indicating the former president won compared to 11 percent for Biden. Twenty-eight percent say neither candidate.

Yet, 44 percent of those who watched the presidential debate say the debate didnt influence their decision about who to vote for, according to the USA TODAY poll. Roughly a third say it made them more likely to vote for Trump while 10 percent say it tipped them toward Biden.

An overwhelming portion of voters overall  75 percent  say the Democrats have a better chance at winning the presidency in 2024 with someone other than Biden as the partys nominee, per CNNs poll.

Amid speculation about who might replace Biden should he decide to step aside, CNNs poll tested how well a series of Democratic Party alternatives would fare against Trump. Only Vice President Kamala Harris performed better than Biden at 45 percent, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg performed the same as Biden at 43 percent.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has dismissed POLITICOs reporting that she said her state was no longer winnable for Biden, fared worse against Trump than Biden with 42 percent.

The CNN poll was conducted June 28-30, surveying 1,045 registered voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. The USA TODAY poll was conducted June 28-30, surveying 1,000 registered voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
After the U.S. Supreme Court curtailed the powers of federal agencies in two cases last week, progressive critics predictably complained that the decisions favored "big business," "corporate interests," and "the wealthy and powerful." That gloss overlooked the reality that people with little wealth or power frequently are forced to contend with overweening bureaucrats who invent their own authority and play by their own rules.

In the more consequential case, the Court repudiated the Chevron doctrine, which required that judges defer to a federal agency's "permissible" interpretation of an "ambiguous" statute. The majority said that rule, which the Court established in 1984, was unworkable, creating "an eternal fog of uncertainty" about what the law allows or requires, and fundamentally misguided, allowing the executive branch to usurp a judicial function.

Although People for the American Way perceived a win for "the corporate interests that have been itching to gut the power of federal agencies to protect our health and welfare," the dispute at the center of the case complicates that picture. Two family-owned fishing operations objected to onerous regulatory fees they said had never been authorized by Congress.

In a concurring opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch noted other examples of vulnerable supplicants who suffer when agencies are free to rewrite the laws under which they operate. He cited cases involving a veteran seeking disability benefits and an immigrant fighting to remain in the country.

Because of an arbitrary rule that the Department of Veterans Affairs invented for its own convenience, Thomas Buffington lost three years of disability benefits that the government owed him. Alfonzo De Niz Robles faced deportation and separation from his American wife and children after the Board of Immigration Appeals overturned a judicial precedent on which he and many other immigrants had relied for relief.

"Sophisticated entities and their lawyers may be able to keep pace with rule changes affecting their rights and responsibilities," Gorsuch noted. They can lobby for "reasonable" agency interpretations and "even capture the agencies that issue them."

By contrast, Gorsuch added, "ordinary people can do none of those things." They are "the ones who suffer the worst kind of regulatory whiplash" when the law changes according to bureaucratic whims.

In another case, the Court ruled that the Seventh Amendment requires jury trials for people accused of securities fraud. The majority said the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had violated that right by imposing civil penalties via internal proceedings in which the agency itself served as investigator, prosecutor, and judge, with only minimal independent review after the fact.

The petitioner in that case was a hedge fund manager who was accused of lying to clients and inflating his fees. The progressive outlet Common Dreams decried a "victory for the wealthy and powerful." But the SEC's rigged process, in which the agency almost always prevailed, also affected people of modest means facing more dubious allegations.

Consider accountant Michelle Cochran, a single mother of two who was hit with a $22,500 fine and a five-year ban on practicing before the SEC after in-house proceedings in which she represented herself. When the agency investigated her former employer, it concluded that she had "failed to complete auditing checklists," leaving some sections blank, although there was "no evidence" that the incomplete paperwork had caused "monetary harm to clients or investors."

The SEC, Gorsuch noted, sought to "penalize citizens without a jury, without an independent judge, and under procedures foreign to our courts." That approach, he said, violated constitutional constraints that "ensure even the least popular among us has an independent judge and a jury of his peers resolve his case under procedures designed to ensure a fair trial in a fair forum."

Defenders of the administrative state seem to assume that federal agencies inerrantly target greedy villains who bilk the unwary, undermine public safety, or threaten the environment. But "while incursions on old rights may begin in cases against the unpopular," Gorsuch observed, "they rarely end there."

 Copyright 2024 by Creators Syndicate Inc.

The post Two SCOTUS Cases Show How an Unaccountable Administrative State Hurts 'Ordinary People' appeared first on Reason.com.
Two wanted for alleged burglary on Sans Souci Parkway

HANOVER TWP., LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)  Police are searching for two suspects allegedly involved in a burglary on the Sans Souci Parkway.

The Hanover Township Police Department states they are looking for two suspects involved in a burglary on July 1 around 3:20 a.m. at a business along the Sans Souci Parkway.

Hanover Township Police

Hanover Township Police

Man wanted for alleged theft in Scranton

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hanover Township Police Criminal Investigation Division at 570-825-1250.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
UC Santa Cruz student missing, last seen in Eureka

(KRON)  Authorities are searching for a University of California Santa Cruz student who has not been seen in weeks.

Caitlin Sutton, 31, was last seen in the City of Eureka on June 10, the Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office said.

Sutton was described as 5-foot-5 with brown hair, green eyes and a small tattoo on the inside of her left wrist. She is believed to be driving a black 2000 Toyota 4Runner with license plate 9GQE614.

Image from the Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office

Image from the Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office

Image from the Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office

Anyone who sees Sutton is asked to call the sheriffs office at (831) 471-1121.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
(Bloomberg) -- The UK votes Thursday to decide whether Labour Party leader Keir Starmer can end 14 years of opposition and win the keys to 10 Downing Street, or whether  somehow  Prime Minister Rishi Sunak can buck the polls and claim what would be an extraordinary turnaround victory.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Pollsters say the question is less about a Labour win than the scale of it. Starmers party has led the Conservatives by more than 20 points through the 6-week election campaign, according to Bloombergs poll of polls.

Every so-called MRP survey of the campaign  seen as the gold standard analysis technique  has pointed to a huge Labour majority in the House of Commons, ranging from 162 to 382 seats. All bar the lowest would see Labour win more seats under Starmer than in Tony Blairs 1997 landslide.

The Tories appear on course for a wipeout. One poll projects them winning just 53 seats, down from 365 in 2019; another sees the Liberal Democrats vaulting above the Tories into second and becoming the official opposition. Nigel Farages decision to stand for his Reform UK party has hurt the Conservatives.

British general elections are decided by separate votes in 650 districts, each with a seat in the House of Commons. A party needs 326 for a majority, though about 320 typically suffices because the speaker and three deputies dont vote, and Northern Irelands Sinn Fein chooses not to sit in Westminster.

Typically, most constituencies dont change parties in a general election: in 2019, 2017, 2015 and 2010, the number of seats changing hands were 81, 70, 111 and 117. If a Labour landslide materializes, its likely to be bigger this time: in 1997, 184 constituencies flipped.

Key to interpreting the results is the concept of swing  the vote shift from one party to another compared with the previous election. In special elections since 2019, Labour and the Liberal Democrats have secured a series of historic swings from the Conservatives. This election is complicated by boundary changes, meaning some seats dont map exactly onto the result five years ago.

But the polling points to a seismic moment in which some of the biggest figures in British politics could lose their seats  one survey even has Sunak becoming the first prime minister to suffer that fate.

Below is a list of some key results to watch for and when, using timings on Thursday night and Friday morning provided by the Press Association, and based on seat projections from YouGovs June 11-18 MRP poll.

10 p.m. Thursday

Voting ends and the BBC, Sky and ITV release the official Ipsos exit poll. Last time, it predicted 368 seats for the Conservatives and 191 for Labour  close to the final result of 365 to 203.

11 p.m.

Constituencies in North East England race to be first to complete their counts. Blyth and Ashington expects to announce results at 11:30 p.m., with Houghton and Sunderland South doing so 15 minutes later.

Theyre both safe Labour seats and shouldnt provide surprises. Bridget Phillipson, who will hope to be education secretary, is standing in Sunderland and should be the first of Labours current shadow cabinet to be elected.

Midnight

The first Tory loss could be Chairman Richard Holden, who was parachuted in to stand in Basildon and Billericay, where Labour and Reform UK are challenging. Also just after midnight, Labours first gain from the Tories could be in Broxbourne. Another possible gain, Swindon South, is due at 12:30 a.m.

Labour could then begin to rebuild its so-called red wall  the Brexit-backing traditional Labour seats that switched to the Boris Johnson-led Tories in 2019. Cramlington and Killingworth  a new seat formed largely from the old constituency of Blyth Valley  expects to announce at 12:45 a.m.

1 a.m. Friday

The bulk of early seats should be Labour holds, but the partys first gain from the Scottish National Party (measured against the 2019 election) is possible in redrawn Rutherglen. Labour took the old seat in a by-election in 2023. Labour once dominated in Scotland, winning 41 of its 59 seats in 2010. In 2019, it won just one  and is banking on gains this time, capitalizing on SNP turmoil.

Labour gains from the Conservatives are possible in Leigh and Atherton and Swindon North. At 1:45 a.m., theres the potential for the Liberal Democrats to make their first gain from the Tories, in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

2 a.m.

If the polls are correct, its possible the Tories will get to 2 a.m. with no seats. But Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch  also a favorite to succeed Sunak as party leader  should hold hers in North West Essex. The Tories should also defend Castle Point and may retain Havant.

Still, Tory losses to Labour are likely to stack up, with defeats possible in former cabinet minister and right-winger Simon Clarkes Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland. He was the original red-wall Tory, taking his seat in 2017.

Labour will also be looking at Glenrothes and Mid Fife, West Dunbartonshire and Paisley and Renfrewshire South for more gains from the SNP.

2:30 a.m.

House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyles seat of Chorley is due to announce, but hes unlikely to face any problems, because hell be largely unopposed.

Labour will be looking to regain the red wall seats of Heywood and Middleton North, Burnley and Bolsover from the Conservatives. Other Labour gains could include Aldershot, the home of the British Army which has always voted Tory.

The Liberal Democrats will hope to wrest Stratford-on-Avon from the Tories, and are also fighting for victory in North East Hampshire  the first so-called blue wall seat likely to declare. YouGovs Patrick English defines the blue wall as Conservative-held areas in the south or east of England that voted Remain in the Brexit referendum and have a higher than average proportion of graduates.

Another seat of interest is Rochdale, a northern town with a large Muslim population where left-winger George Galloway of the Workers Party of Britain won a fractious by-election in February dominated by the Israel-Hamas war.

3 a.m.

More than 100 seats are due to call results at about 3 a.m.

Starmers party will hope to win back red wall seats Bolton North East, Dudley, Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, Tipton and Wednesbury and West Bromwich. Another, Blackpool South, voted Tory in 2019 but switched back to Labour in a by-election in May on the third-biggest Tory-to-Labour swing ever.

An announcement is also expected in Islington North, where former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn  ejected from the party by Starmer  is standing as an independent to try to extend his 41-year stint in Parliament.

The Tories could see their first cabinet minister fall. The Liberal Democrats look likely to take Justice Secretary Alex Chalks blue wall Cheltenham seat, while Transport Secretary Mark Harper may lose to Labour in the Forest of Dean.

Other potential blue wall losses include Romsey and Southampton North to the Liberal Democrats and the wealthy London district of Chelsea and Fulham to Labour. In Newark, former cabinet minister Robert Jenrick  whos been touted as a potential Tory leader  may lose to Labour.

3:15 a.m.

The Greens hope to win their second-ever seat in the House of Commons. Co-leader Carla Denyer mounted a strong campaign in Bristol Central, where would-be culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire could suffer a rare Labour loss.

The blue wall seats of Stroud and Witney  the latter was once held by ex-premier David Cameron  may fall to Labour and the Liberal Democrats respectively. Tory Chief Whip Simon Hart could be defeated by the Welsh nationalist Plaid Cymru party in Caerfyrddin, while Labour are hoping to regain the red wall seat of Scunthorpe, and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Daveys constituency of Kingston and Surbiton is also due to announce.

3:30 a.m.

Another 100-odd seats are due to announce, with several Conservatives big beasts at risk of defeat. Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt could become the most senior minister ever to lose their seat, with Godalming and Ash potentially falling to the Liberal Democrats. Daveys party could also take Education Secretary Gillian Keegans Chichester seat, while Health Secretary Victoria Atkins is under threat from Reform UK in Louth and Horncastle.

Tory leadership hopefuls Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt could be defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield and Portsmouth North. Starmers party is also looking to win back red wall seats including Gedling, Hyndburn, Rother Valley and Wolverhampton North East. Blue wall losses for the Tories could include Esher and Walton to the Liberal Democrats and Harrow East to Labour.

Theres interest in Dover and Deal, a seat on the front line of UK immigration pressure where right-winger Natalie Elphicke was elected as a Conservative in 2019. She defected to Labour in May and isnt standing this time. Rachel Reeves, in line to be the first female chancellor, should win Leeds West and Pudsey, a new seat combining her former constituency and a Tory-held one.

In Scotland, more gains from the SNP are possible for Labour in Glasgow East, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West, and Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch.

3:45 a.m.

Tamworth  which Labour won in an October by-election on what was at the time the second-biggest-ever swing from the Tories  may be a rare loss for the opposition party, going back to the Conservatives. But Labour will hope to take Redditch and Ribble Valley from the Tories, while the Liberal Democrats are gunning for the blue wall seat of Wimbledon as well as Tory-held Carshalton and Wallington, both in south London.

4 a.m.

The halfway mark in terms of number of seats to declare, with more than 120 constituencies expecting to announce.

Some MRP polls see Sunak losing Richmond and Northallerton to Labour, a result that would define the Tory collapse. Expect some words from him reflecting on how the election is panning out  and possibly even a concession. In Braintree, Home Secretary James Cleverly faces a Labour threat, though a more likely loser is Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride in Central Devon.

One of the biggest questions of the night should be answered in Clacton, where Brexit architect Nigel Farage looks set to win a seat in the House of Commons at his eighth attempt. His Reform UK could also win Boston and Skegness, where the man Farage replaced as leader, Richard Tice, is standing.

The Tories also face losing the blue wall seats of Beckenham and Penge and Hertford and Stortford to Labour, and East Hampshire, Guildford, Harpenden and Berkhamsted, South Cotswolds and Woking to the Liberal Democrats.

Labour is seeking to win back red wall seats from the Tories including Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor, which includes the bulk of Tony Blairs old constituency, as well as Penistone and Stocksbridge, Birmingham Northfield, and Bishop Auckland. Another seat to watch is Birmingham Ladywood, where Labour insiders see would-be justice secretary Shabana Mahmood coming under pressure from an independent candidate.

4:15 a.m.

Starmer should win easily in Holborn and St. Pancras in north London, and if the polling is correct, Labour will be also close to securing its overall majority. Hes likely to give a speech pointing to the challenges ahead for the country.

Boris Johnsons old seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, which the Tories narrowly held in a by-election last year, is expected to fall to Labour.

4:30 a.m.

If the MRP projections by YouGov, which pioneered the technique in the 2017 election, are correct, then Labour is expected to reach the magic number of 326 amid a flurry of 60 or so seat announcements at about 4:30 a.m.

Potential Tory losses to Labour include former Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Moggs North East Somerset and Hanham seat, and Worthing West, where Peter Bottomley, the longest-standing MP and so-called father of the House of Commons, is seeking to extend a tenure that began in 1975.

Cabinet minister David Davies may lose out to Labour in Monmouthshire, with Starmers party also hoping to pick up the blue wall Tory seats of Kensington and Bayswater and Milton Keynes North.

Retiring Tory grandee Michael Goves old seat of Surrey Heath looks set to go to the Liberal Democrats, as is the archetypal middle England seat of Tunbridge Wells.

In Ashfield, former Tory and Labour politician Lee Anderson is a potential winner for Reform UK. Another minor party success looks nailed-on in Brighton Pavilion, where the Greens are standing a new candidate  former London mayor candidate Sian Berry  to replace the partys first ever MP, former leader Caroline Lucas, whos held the constituency since 2010.

5 a.m.

By now the overall result should be clear  unless the polls were wrong.

Cabinet casualties are possible in Banbury, which Conservative Attorney General Victoria Prentis may lose to Labour, and in Ely and East Cambridgeshire, where Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer is under pressure from the Liberal Democrats. Veterans minister Johnny Mercer, who attends cabinet, faces defeat to Labour in Plymouth Moor View.

Labour wants Tory blue wall seats including Earley and Woodley, Filton and Bradley Stoke, Truro and Falmouth and North Somerset and Hitchin, where City Minister Bim Afolami is standing. Red wall seats theyre looking to win back include Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Ossett and Denby Dale and Stoke-on-Trents three constituencies.

The Liberal Democrats are eying up the blue wall seats of Lewes, Newbury, Winchester and Maidenhead, which was vacated after 27 years by retiring former Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May.

5:30 a.m.

Blink-and-you-miss-her ex-premier Liz Truss is expected to hold South West Norfolk, though it may be close. Security minister Tom Tugendhat could be one of the few Tory leadership contenders to keep his seat in Tonbridge.

Labour hopes to win the blue wall seats of Chipping Barnet and Hendon, while the Liberal Democrats are targeting Didcot and Wantage. Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayners safe seat of Ashton-under-Lyne is also due to declare.

6 a.m.

The last few results dribble in. The Liberal Democrats look set to hold Chesham and Amersham, which they won in a by-election in 2021 on a huge swing from the Tories in what was Boris Johnsons first major electoral setback as prime minister. They could also take Wokingham, and Henley and Thame  Johnsons old constituency from the days before he was London mayor.

Labour will hope to cap off their expected victory by taking the blue wall seats of Croydon South and Wycombe from ministers Chris Philp and Steve Baker.

6:30 a.m.

The final declarations are expected to include Ilford North, the seat held by Labours prospective health secretary Wes Streeting.

Once all the results are in, the focus will switch to the change of government  if the expected Labour win has materialized. Sunak is likely to head to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation to King Charles III. Then its Starmers turn, and the King will invite him to form a new government.

--With assistance from Jacob Reid, Isabella Ward and Eamon Akil Farhat.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
UK high court issues landmark ruling regarding dirty energy project approval: 'This is hugely significant, not just in the UK but in the world'

Britain's highest court has "fuelled" debate with a landmark ruling requiring thorough environmental checks on new oil projects, sparking global interest in its implications.

As reported by The New York Times, the court ruled that local councils and planning groups must now consider the full environmental impact of projects involving "dirty energy" before approving them. This ruling is seen as a major step in addressing environmental and human health concerns regarding polluting fuels, and it has been praised by activists.

The ruling will particularly affect plans to develop large offshore oil fields in the North Sea, including Rosebank, which NYT names one of Britain's largest undeveloped oil fields. Located off Scotland's coast, Rosebank is estimated to hold around 300 million barrels of oil.

Experts say this decision is important for global efforts to protect the environment.

"This is hugely significant, not just in the U.K. but in the world," Annalisa Savaresi, a climate change law professor at the University of Stirling in Scotland, told the Times. "It's not the end of oil, but it's definitely an important procedural step that has been long overdue."

Previously, local councils in Britain only had to think about their own pollution. Now, they must also estimate and disclose pollution from suppliers and consumers throughout the entire process, from extraction to final use. This change ensures a more thorough consideration of the project's impact on the environment.

Similar efforts are underway in the United States, where more than 30 lawsuits against the oil industry have been filed  one lawsuit against ExxonMobil is expected to go to trial in 2025. Some experts believe oil companies should even be charged with "climate homicide" for deceiving the public and contributing to millions of deaths.

While some in the oil and gas industry have expressed concerns about the U.K. high court's decision, others see it as a necessary step to address environmental impacts more comprehensively.

The decision comes as climate-related disasters, such as heat waves, wildfires, and floods, are becoming more frequent globally. These events highlight the urgent need to reduce reliance on polluting fuels and mitigate their environmental impact.

This ruling represents a pivotal step in addressing climate issues by mandating councils to fully assess the environmental impact of oil and gas projects, potentially setting a global precedent and highlighting the importance of sustainable planning and decision-making.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
The possibility of Ukraines future NATO membership is being hotly debated ahead of the alliances upcoming summit in Washington.

Dozens of foreign policy experts on Wednesday called on NATO members to avoid advancing toward Ukrainian membership at the summit, warning that it would endanger the U.S. and allies and rupture the coalition. If Ukraine is admitted, the group argues, Russia attacking Ukraine in the future would trigger NATOs Article 5, which calls on allies to defend the member attacked.

The Article 5 argument is common among those opposing Ukraines membership, but such a public stance from more than 60 analysts provides a sneak peek at the arguments likely to be levied at the three-day event starting on Tuesday.

The closer NATO comes to promising that Ukraine will join the alliance once the war ends, the greater the incentive for Russia to keep fighting the war, reads the letter, obtained by POLITICO. The challenges Russia poses can be managed without bringing Ukraine into NATO.

Moving Ukraine toward membership could backfire, the letter continues, turning Ukraine into the site of a prolonged showdown between the worlds two leading nuclear powers and play into Russian leader Vladimir Putins narrative that its Moscow versus the West. The letter was organized by William Ruger, president of the American Institute for Economic Research, and Stephen Wertheim, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Other analysts arent in agreement. Last week, RAND Corp. researchers wrote that allies would benefit from offering Ukraine clarity about conditions for its future membership at the summit. The Atlantic Council has also been pushing for NATO membership for Ukraine, arguing that it would prove to Kyiv that Western support wont waver.

Think-tankers and college professors arent the ones making NATO policy decisions, but they often contribute to the foreign policy debate by writing opinion pieces and hosting panels  especially in the lead-up to and during major events like the upcoming summit.

The Biden administration has refrained from supporting Kyivs immediate membership, but multiple top officials recently said a bridge into the alliance would be offered to Ukraine during the summit. Officials say NATO will also offer Ukraine a new headquarters to manage its military assistance  a gesture of good faith that the West will have the countrys back for the long term, even if its not afforded membership right now.

Writing in Foreign Affairs today, outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg didnt explicitly mention Ukraine membership but alluded to Kyivs future alongside the alliance and concerns about the matter: We want to make it clear that we are in this for the long haul.  Stepping up our support does not make NATO a party to this conflict.

Ukraine isnt expecting much movement on its membership at the summit. Rather, security guarantees are what theyre looking for.

An official invitation aside, we also expect specific decisions regarding Ukraine's membership in NATO, in a package with other guarantees of continuity of military aid and increased interoperability, Olga Stefanishyna, Ukrainian deputy prime minister on EU and Euro-Atlantic integration, told POLITICO last month.

There are already hopeful signs for Kyiv: NATO members agreed to Stoltenbergs request to keep military funding for the country at $43 billion in 2025, the same level of funding the alliance has provided since Russias invasion, Reuters reports. On Tuesday, the U.S. announced a new $2.3 billion security package for Ukraine.

Ukrainians say they need the West to provide additional weapons and ammunition more than they need accession into NATO, according to a European Council on Foreign Relations poll released on Wednesday. Only 22 percent of Ukrainians are in favor of accepting NATO membership in exchange for giving up territory occupied by Russia, while 71 percent are against such a deal.

Ukraine is still pursuing its maximalist objectives against Russia to recapture all of the territory it has lost in the war, Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskyys top adviser, told a small group of reporters Tuesday night. Ukraine was not ready to compromise, even as some U.S. and European allies quietly whispered to officials in Kyiv that talks with Russia should begin.

Kyiv is willing to negotiate only based on its 10-point peace formula which, Yermak said, would lead to a just peace for his country.

Alexander Ward contributed to this report.

Like this content? Consider signing up for POLITICOs National Security Daily newsletter.


Ukraine imports more electricity in June than in all of 2023

Ukraine imported over 858,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity in June 2024, which is 91% more than the volume imported in May and more than what was imported in the whole of 2023, ExPro Electricity monitoring data showed on July 3.

Russia renewed its attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure in the spring, pushing the country's energy grid to breaking point.

Ukrainians have faced lengthy, daily interruptions in electricity since May 15, when scheduled blackouts were implemented amid serious power shortages.

Ukraine's largest private energy company, DTEK, said at the end of June that it had lost nearly 90% of its energy generating capacity due to Russian attacks.

Most of Ukraine's energy imports in June came from Hungary, at 42%, while Slovakia and Romania provided 17% each, Poland provided 16%, and Moldova provided 8%, according to ExPro data.

Slovakia, Romania, and Poland provided emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine for five days in June. On average, Ukraine imported 28,600 MWh from its neighbors each day in June.

Read also: The Counteroffensive: Meet the energy workers keeping Kyiv from darkness

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine is expecting to import a record amount of electricity from five European countries on 3 July.

Source: a statement from Ukrenergos press service

Details: The statement says imports from Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Moldova are expected to total 34,263 MWh with a maximum capacity of up to 1,694 MW in some hours.

This is a record figure.

Background:

Following a meeting with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian government is currently in the process of obtaining approval from the European Union to increase electricity imports to Ukraine.

Support UP or become our patron!
by Pankaj Yadav

NEW DELHI, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The government of India's northern state Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday ordered a probe into the stampede that claimed at least 116 human lives in the Hathras area during the day.

The stampede occurred at around 3:00 p.m. local time. According to official sources, nearly 18 injured people were admitted to a local hospital where they were being given medical treatment.

Ordering the probe, State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said a team had been set up under the chairmanship of a top cop which had been tasked to give a detailed report at the earliest about the situation that led to the stampede.

The chief minister was expected to reach Hathras later tonight or early Wednesday morning, said an official source.

"In view of the incident, the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police of the state are camping there. Three ministers of the state government Chaudhary Laxmi Narayan, Sandeep Singh, Asim Arun, are too at the spot," said the chief minister.

Asim Arun told media persons that more than the permitted number of people were present at the event. A local cop was quoted as saying that overcrowding had led to the tragedy.

"The stampede occurred when people rushed to seek blessings of the saint who presided over the event. An investigation committee has been formed by the chief minister which will submit the report after due investigation. It is a matter of investigation into what went wrong. The accused will be punished, and we will ensure no such incident happens again," Asim Arun reportedly told journalists.

Another minister of the state government Sandeep Singh, who was too present at the spot, told media persons that the state government was working to provide the best possible treatment to all the injured as soon as possible.

According to him, a monetary compensation of 200,000 Indian rupees (around 2396 U.S. dollars) had been announced for the families of each of the dead, and 50,000 Indian rupees (around 599 dollars) for each of the injured.

"We have alerted all the administrations and doctors of the surrounding 34 districts," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was said to be in regular touch with the state chief minister to take stock of the situation.

Taking to X (erstwhile Twitter), Modi said, "Spoke to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath regarding the tragic incident in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. The UP government is engaged in providing all possible help to all the victims. My condolences are with those who have lost their loved ones in this. Along with this, I wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured." 
Ukraine is operating US-made HAWK air-defense systems from the 1960s.

Though the US retired these tools decades ago, Kyiv is now using them to kill Russian missiles.

One Ukrainian operator recently praised the effectiveness of the antiquated system.

The Ukrainians are using an American-made air-defense system that the US retired from service more than two decades ago to successfully shoot down Russian cruise missiles.

The MIM-23 HAWK is a medium-range surface-to-air system that was first fielded in the 1960s and has long been considered obsolete, with militaries favoring more-portable systems. But the hand-me-down weapons have found new life in Ukraine, proving they're still useful tools after all these years.

A Ukrainian soldier who operates the HAWK system, which stands for "Homing All the Way Killer," said that although it wasn't a new weapon, it was "effective in skilled hands." He has more than two dozen kills to his name, including Russia's Kh-59 cruise missiles and Iranian-made Shahed one-way attack drones.

The soldier, Oleksandr, was featured by the Ukrainian air force on Wednesday. In an interview, which was published to the force's Telegram messaging app, he said Shahed drones were the most annoying to engage because they fly very slowly, so it was tiring to battle them over long periods of time.

An MIM-23 HAWK air-defense system. Ukrainian Air Force

"'Working with missiles is much easier, even when they are aimed at you," Oleksandr said. "It was a little uncomfortable when three Kh-59 missiles, constantly changing altitude, flew right at us. But all the targets were captured and destroyed one by one."

"The main secret is not even in the weapon we work on, but in the synchronous and coordinated work of the unit," he said, according to a translation of his remarks. "We perfectly understand the risks and consequences if we do not hear or ignore each other."

The HAWK system was deployed all around the world during its four decades in service with the US military, and it saw combat in the Middle East. By the 1990s, though, with the Cold War over, the aerial threat to American forces had changed, and the HAWK was retired and replaced with lower-altitude systems such as the FIM-92 Stinger and the Avenger. The MIM-104 Patriot was also available to meet other US air-defense needs.

Apparent kill marks on an MIM-23 Hawk air-defense system showing Russian drones and missiles it's taken down. Ukrainian Air Force

Though the US no longer uses them, several countries still operate the HAWK and its multiple variants, including Spain, which first sent Ukraine a handful of launchers in October 2022. The Biden administration has since donated an unspecified number of HAWK systems and munitions to Kyiv and has committed to procuring more for the country over the long term.

Ukrainian officials have routinely pressed the US and its NATO allies for more air-defense capabilities to battle the Russian threat. While the HAWK is an antiquated capability, it still helps plug crucial gaps in the sky.

The HAWK isn't the only 1960s-era  and seemingly outdated  weapon to find success in Ukraine. German-made Gepard cannons have also proven to be very effective at shooting down low-altitude Russian drones and cruise missiles.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Simon Lewis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ukraine is not ready to compromise with Russia and give up any territory to end the war, a senior Ukrainian official said on Tuesday when asked about U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump's declaration that he could quickly end the conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, told reporters during a visit to Washington that Kyiv would listen to any advice on how to achieve a "just peace" in the war. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

"But we (are) not ready to go to the compromise for the very important things and values ... independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty," he said.

Yermak's visit came ahead of next week's NATO summit in the U.S. capital, where Ukraine is expected to be the main topic of discussion.

Trump, the Republican nominee challenging President Joe Biden, said during a debate between the pair last week that if he is re-elected in November he would quickly solve the war in Ukraine before taking office in January.

He has not offered details of how he would do that, but Reuters reported last week that two key advisers to Trump had presented him with a plan that would involve threatening to cut U.S. assistance if Kyiv did not enter negotiations with Moscow.

Trump said during the debate, however, that he does not accept Russian President Vladimir Putin's terms. Putin has said Russia would end the war if Kyiv agreed to hand over the four regions in the east and south of the country claimed by Moscow.

Asked how Ukraine assesses that Trump would handle the war, Yermak said: "Honest answer: I don't know. Let's see."

Ukraine would lobby a new U.S. administration to continue providing it support, he said, adding that Ukraine had received bipartisan support in Washington and polling showed most Americans still support Ukraine after two years of war.

"It will be ... a decision of the American people. We will respect this choice," Yermak said of the Nov. 5 presidential election.

The United States has provided Ukraine with more than $50 billion worth of military aid since 2022. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday the U.S. will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine.

(Reporting by Simon Lewis; Edited by Michelle Nichols and Stephen Coates)
Ukraine not ready to compromise with Russia on territory or values, Yermak comments on Trump's statement

Ukraine will not compromise its values or territorial integrity to end the war with Russia, Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak told reporters on July 3, commenting on statements by U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Trump has promised to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine within 24 hours if elected but has declined to publicly elaborate on how he plans to do so.

Two top Trump advisors also recently proposed a plan that would cease military aid to Ukraine unless it agrees to hold peace negotiations with Russia.

"But we (are) not ready to go to the compromise for the very important things and values... independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty," Yermak said while visiting Washington, according to Reuters.

Trump is also reportedly considering the possibility of making a deal with Russia to block the future NATO accession of certain countries, namely Ukraine and Georgia, Politico reported, citing unnamed officials.

One of the sources told Politico that Trump "would be open to something foreclosing NATO expansion and not going back to the 1991 borders for Ukraine."

Speaking about Ukraine's attitude to Trump's ability to end the war, Yermak said: "Honest answer: I don't know. Let's see."

Ukraine would lobby with a new U.S. administration to continue providing its support, he said.

Yermak also added that Ukraine had achieved bipartisan support in Washington, and Americans still support Ukraine after two years of war, according to polls.

"It will be... a decision of the American people. We will respect this choice," he said.

A Ukrainian delegation, along with Yermak, is visiting Washington on the eve of the NATO summit, which will be held on July 9-11.

Yermak said Kyiv would listen to any advice on achieving a "just peace" in the war.

Read also: US to announce $2.3 billion military aid package to Ukraine soon

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Through an agreement with the European Commission, Ukraine has received 5,876 solar panels to help power hospitals across the country, Ukraine's Energy Ministry announced to social media on July 2.

As Russia's attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure have increased, Ukrainians continue to face lengthy, daily interruptions in access to electricity.

The panels, which were produced by Italian manufacturer Enel, will produce a total capacity of approximately 2 megawatts of electricity for hospitals in Zhytomyr, Volyn, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, and Odesa oblasts, the Energy Ministry said.

"In the conditions of constant attacks by Russia on Ukraine's energy system, the medical infrastructure becomes very vulnerable. Power outages affect the operation of hospitals," Ukraine's Health Minister Viktor Liashko said in a statement.

"To enable medical institutions to provide uninterrupted medical care to patients, we are working on equipping them with alternative energy sources, including solar panels. This is an important step towards energy independence and the stable operation of medical institutions."

In its statement, the Energy Ministry noted that equipment used to install solar panels will be funded through the international Ukraine Energy Support Fund, and that number of hospitals receiving solar panels is expected to grow.

The agreement, dubbed "Ray of Hope," was spearheaded by Ukraine's health and energy ministries alongside the European Commission.

As a result of the attacks on energy infrastructure, Ukraine began implementing rolling blackouts on May 15.

Read also: Life in wartime Kyiv with blackouts





Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Kyiv is planning to submit to the U.N. General Assembly a draft resolution on nuclear safety and the security of Ukraine's nuclear facilities, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X on July 3.

The document will be mainly focused on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear power station in Europe which has been under Russian occupation since March 2022, Zelensky said.

Russia's occupation of the plant has led to heightened nuclear safety risks and Ukraine has repeatedly accused Moscow of using the plant as a launching site for drone attacks, presenting a serious security hazard.

Monitoring teams from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been based at the facility on rotation since September 2022, but Russian authorities still deny IAEA inspectors full access to the plant.

Zelensky met Dennis Francis, the President of the 78th session of the U.N. General Assembly. The visit in Kyiv marked the first visit to Ukraine by the head of the General Assembly in nearly 30 years.

"I thanked him for supporting the first peace summit and its final communique. One of the practical outcomes of the summit could be a new resolution on nuclear safety and the security of Ukraine's nuclear facilities, particularly the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant," Zelensky said.

Throughout its occupation, the plant has been repeatedly disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid due to Russian attacks on the country's energy infrastructure.

Energoatom said that the plant has experienced eight complete blackouts and one partial shutdown since the beginning of the full-scale war.

Read also: Shelling destroys radiation monitoring station at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, IAEA reports

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
(Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that Kyiv planned to submit a resolution on nuclear safety, in particular at the Russia-occupied Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, for consideration at the United Nations General Assembly.

The Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest in Europe, was captured by Russian forces shortly after they launched a full-scale invasion in 2022. It is shut down but needs external power to keep its nuclear material cool and prevent a meltdown.

"Ukraine will submit the draft resolution to the General Assembly for consideration shortly," Zelenskiy said on X, following a meeting in Kyiv with the Assembly's President Dennis Francis.

In the course of the 28-month war, Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of shelling the plant and putting down power lines. Ukraine has dismissed Russian accusations saying it was not attacking nuclear facilities.

Francis, whose trip to Kyiv marks the first visit to Ukraine by the Assembly's president in nearly 30 years, said the document passed several rounds of consultations and was registered.

In a video shared by Zelenskiy's office, he said he expected the resolution to be successful.

Ukraine considers nuclear safety as a key issue on the path to peace, and included the topic for discussions at its first international summit in Switzerland.

Zelenskiy said the resolution could be "one of the practical outcomes of the summit".

(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Alex Richardson and Tomasz Janowski)
Key developments on July 3:

Shopping center hit in Russian attack on Dnipro, killing 5, injuring 53

Russian defector involved in Russia's Baltic Fleet vessel sabotage, military intelligence says

Zelensky says Trump should reveal plan on ending Russia's war

US announces new defense aid package for Ukraine worth $150 million

Ukrainian drone attack damaged Russia's only full-cycle metallurgical enterprise, source says

Russian guided bomb attack on Kharkiv injures at least 14, including children

At least five people were killed and 53 injured after Russia launched drones and missiles against Dnipro on July 3, officials said.

A shopping center was hit, as well as multiple cars and a gas station, said Mykola Lukashuk, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast regional council.

A fire reportedly broke out near a medical facility. Debris flew into an intensive care unit of a children's hospital, but no casualties were reported there, Mayor Borys Filatov said.

Windows were broken in two schools and three kindergartens, the mayor added.

The injured victims included a 14-year-old girl, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. Around a dozen of the injured have been hospitalized, two of whom are in serious condition, the governor noted.

"(Russia) attacked Dnipro with missiles and attack drones," the governor said.

"Several fires broke out, there is damage."

The Air Force said that Russia launched a large-scale attack against Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, during which Ukrainian defenses downed an Iskander-K cruise missile, four Kh-59 guided aerial missiles, five Shahed-type drones, and one Orlan reconnaissance drone.

"Only two things can stop Russian terror  modern air defenses and long-range weapons," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in the wake of the attack.

Dnipro, Ukraine's fourth-largest city, has served as a key logistics and humanitarian hub during the full-scale war.

Russian forces have carried out a number of deadly attacks against the city and the surrounding region since 2022.

Three people were killed and at least 12 injured after a Russian missile attack hit a nine-story building in Dnipro on June 28.

Read also: One phone call from President Xi would end Russias war, Finnish president says

Russian defector involved in Russia's Baltic Fleet vessel sabotage, military intelligence says

The sabotage of a Russian vessel in Kaliningrad Oblast in April was part of a joint operation of the Freedom of Russia Legion and Ukraine's military intelligence project "I Want to Live," the agency revealed at a press conference on July 3 attended by a Kyiv Independent reporter.

The Russian missile ship Serpukhov was set on fire on April 8 while docked off the Kaliningrad exclave. The sabotage completely destroyed its communication and automation systems, necessitating lengthy repairs, military intelligence said.

"Certain Russian citizens carried out this brave and risky operation, which caused serious damage to the Russian fleet and revealed the current state of the Russian army," military intelligence said.

A then-active service member of the Russian Baltic Fleet provided information crucial for carrying out the Rybalka ("Fishing") operation, according to the statement.

Once the person's continued stay on the vessel became too risky, the sabotage was carried out. The Russian service member also seized confidential materials and was subsequently evacuated from Russia through the "I Want to Live" project.

According to the website of the Russian Navy, the Serpukhov is a Buyan-M missile corvette, is 74 meters long (242 feet), and contains a variety of different weapons systems.

While Ukrainian attacks have reportedly disabled roughly one-third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, this was the first attack targeting a ship of the Baltic Fleet, whose bases lie hundreds of kilometers from Ukraine.

The defector, introduced under the code name "Goga," was present at the press conference. He said he had joined the Freedom of Russia Legion as a recruit and is undergoing training.

"Now I am in Ukraine. I will train and start fighting against (Vladimir) Putin's regime with weapons in my hands," "Goga" said.

The defector, introduced by the military intelligence agency under the code name "Goga," is now on Ukrainian territory as a recruit of the Freedom of Russia Legion and undergoing training, the agency said.

The Legion is one of the several anti-Kremlin Russian militias who fight on Ukraine's side and have carried out several cross-border raids into Russian territory.

Ukraine's military intelligence launched the "I Want to Live" project in 2022 to help Russian soldiers desert or defect to the Ukrainian side.

One of the most high-profile defections took place in August 2023, when a Russian pilot named Maksim Kuzminov surrendered along with his Mi-8 helicopter.

Kuzminov was found dead in Spain in February 2024, with the circumstances of his death resembling previous Moscow-contracted killings.

Read also: Naval drones attacked Russias Novorossiysk, local authorities claim

Zelensky says Trump should reveal plan on ending Russia's war

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Donald Trump should reveal his plan for ending Russia's war against Ukraine so Kyiv can be prepared for any risks such a plan might entail.

The former president has promised to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine within 24 hours if elected but has not publicly elaborated on how he plans to do so. One plan reportedly involves ceding territory to Russia.

"If Trump knows how to finish this war, he should tell us today," Zelensky told Bloomberg Television in an interview published on July 3.

"If there are risks to Ukrainian independence, if we lose statehood  we want to be ready for this, we want to know... We want to understand whether in November we will have the powerful support of the US, or will be all alone."

Zelensky also said he is "potentially ready" to meet with Trump to listen to his team's proposals.

Trump is also reportedly considering the possibility of making a deal with Russia to block the future NATO accession of certain countries, namely Ukraine and Georgia, Politico reported on July 2, citing unnamed officials.

One of the sources told Politico that Trump "would be open to something foreclosing NATO expansion and not going back to the 1991 borders for Ukraine."

Andriy Yermak, the Presidential Office head, said Ukraine will not compromise its values or territorial integrity to end the war with Russia.

Russia illegally annexed Crimea and invaded Donbas in 2014. In September 2022, Putin illegally declared the annexation of four partially occupied Ukrainian oblasts: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.

Moscow does not currently occupy all of the territory in the four regions.

Read also: Trump reportedly considering making deal with Putin to block Ukraines NATO accession, officials tell Politico

US announces new defense aid package for Ukraine worth $150 million

The U.S. Defense Department announced on July 3 a new package of military aid worth $150 million to provide Ukraine with capabilities including air defense interceptors.

The package also includes ammunition for high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS), artillery rounds, and other critical capabilities drawn from U.S. stocks, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Military aid provided by the U.S. in the "last few months has been critical in helping Ukrainians defend their territory against Russian advances," Jean-Pierre said.

The new military package comes from Presidential Drawdown Authority, a mechanism that allows the president to deliver weaponry to allies from current U.S. stockpiles.

According to the Defense Department, the package also includes missiles for HAWK air defense systems, 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, 81mm mortar rounds, tactical vehicles, and Javelin systems.

In addition, the U.S. will use approximately $2.2 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds to purchase interceptors for Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems, the Defense Department said.

"As previously announced, the Biden Administration plans to accelerate delivery of these munitions by resequencing upcoming Foreign Military Sales deliveries for Ukraine," the Defense Department said.

"As a result, Ukraine will be provided with the interceptors it urgently needs to protect its people and critical infrastructure against Russia's aerial attacks."

Read also: NATO agreed to commit 40 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine next year, source tells Reuters

Ukrainian drone attack damaged Russia's only full-cycle metallurgical enterprise, source says

A Ukrainian drone attack on July 1 seriously damaged the Oskol Electrometallurgical Plant in Belgorod Oblast, a military intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent on July 3.

Ukrainian forces regularly conduct drone strikes and sabotage acts on Russian territory, targeting military assets, oil refineries, and industrial facilities.

The plant is located in the area of the Stariy Oskol city, nearly 115 km (72 miles) from the Ukraine-Russia border. It is the only full-cycle metallurgical enterprise in Russia, according to the source.

The facility is vital for the Russian military-industrial complex, the source noted.

The operation was reportedly carried out jointly by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) and the Foreign Intelligence Service. The source described the scale of damage from the Ukrainian attack as "serious."

Work at the plant was suspended after Ukrainian "kamikaze" drones hit two major power substations near the villages of Neznamovo and Volokonovskoye in Belgorod Oblast.

The Metallurgicheskaya substation near the Volokonovskoye village is one of the largest power substations in Europe, the source said.

The strikes resulted in a complete blackout at the plant, shutting down all electric arc furnaces with frozen metal inside. The furnaces need to be completely cleaned and the arc elements to be replaced to restart. It could take several months, the source told the Kyiv Independent.

"Some of the plant's employees believe that the furnaces will have to be replaced with new ones. Considering that the plant was built by German specialists using German technology, it will likely be difficult to restart the plant's operations without their participation," the source added.

The facility produces high-quality steel, including alloyed specialty steels (SBQ), for the automotive and mechanical engineering industries. It uses the blast-free direct reduction technology MIDREX and electric arc melting.

The plant's products are used by GAZ, UAZ, and KamAZ, among other Russian military-industrial enterprises.

The Oskol Electrometallurgical Plant, as well as its owner, Metalloinvest company, were included in the sanctions lists of the U.S. and U.K. in April 2023 in light of Russia's aggression in Ukraine.

Read also: Kyiv refuses to release first Russian soldier convicted of war crimes in POW exchange

Russian guided bomb attack on Kharkiv injures at least 14, including children

Russian troops attacked the city of Kharkiv with guided aerial bombs on July 3, injuring at least 14 people, including children, Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported.

A residential area in the Kyivskyi district of the city came under attack. At least three guided aerial bombs destroyed two houses, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

A woman and two men, aged 74, 75 and 38, suffered injuries, as well as an eight-year-old boy who was rescued from the rubble and a two-week-old child, the authorities said.

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.

Russia's attack on a postal depot in Kharkiv with a guided aerial bomb on June 30 killed one person and injured nine others, the authorities reported.

Read also: 1 killed, 3 injured after Russian attack near Poltava

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine won't make territorial concessions to Russia, though it is receptive to advice on peace

Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, has said on a visit to Washington before the NATO summit that Ukraine is not ready to compromise with Russia on territorial concessions to end the war, although it is receptive to advice on how to achieve a "just peace".

Source: Reuters with reference to Yermak who is in Washington ahead of the NATO summit

Quote from Yermak: "But we (are) not ready to go to the compromise for the very important things and values ... independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty."

Details: When asked how Ukraine assesses US presidential candidate Donald Trump's statements on ending the war, Yermak said, "Honest answer: I don't know. Let's see."

He said that Ukraine would lobby the new US administration for continued support. Yermak added that Ukraine has received bipartisan support in Washington and that polls show that most Americans still support Ukraine after two years of the full-scale war.

"It will be ... a decision of the American people. We will respect this choice," Yermak said of the US presidential election.

Background:

On 14 June, Russian leader Vladimir Putin made up new "conditions for the start of peace talks": Ukrainian troops must withdraw from four Ukrainian oblasts, and Kyiv must declare that it has no plans to join NATO.

It is also worth noting that Trump's advisers presented him with their plan to end the war in Ukraine. It stipulates that Trump may cut off military aid to Ukraine if it refuses to hold peace talks, while Moscow will be warned that any refusal to negotiate will lead to increased support for Kyiv.

During a debate with current US President Joe Biden, Trump said that the proposals put forward by Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin, supposedly as conditions for ending the war against Ukraine waged by Russia, were "not acceptable".

However, Politico noted that as two national security experts associated with Trump said, he is considering how much Ukrainian territory Moscow could keep.

Support UP or become our patron!
Ukraine's Foreign Minister discusses air defence and NATO summit with US Secretary of State

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the strengthening of Ukrainian air defence, the recovery of the energy system and the NATO summit in Washington.

Source: Kuleba on Twitter (X), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Kuleba specifically discussed with Blinken the ongoing efforts to enhance Ukraine's air defence, as well as the recovery of the country's energy grid.

Officials also discussed the expected outcomes of the NATO summit in Washington.

"Over the past few years, America has strengthened its role as a power of alliances, and the summit will undoubtedly demonstrate this," Kuleba wrote.

Read also: A bridge instead of an invitation: What Ukraine can expect at the NATO Summit in Washington

The US State Department said that it would not discuss any wording from the upcoming communique of the NATO summit in Washington against the background of reports spread in the press about disputes over how the clause on Ukraine's membership will be formulated.

Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, said she hoped that the Washington NATO summit decision would be worded to include a statement on the irreversibility of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic course.

Support UP or become our patron!
A Ukrainian drone attack on July 1 seriously damaged the Oskol Electrometallurgical Plant in Belgorod Oblast, a military intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent on July 3.

Ukrainian forces regularly conduct drone strikes and sabotage acts on Russian territory, targeting military assets, oil refineries, and industrial facilities.

The plant is located in the area of the Stariy Oskol city, nearly 115 km (72 miles) from the Ukraine-Russia border. It is the only full-cycle metallurgical enterprise in Russia, according to the source.

The facility is vital for the Russian military-industrial complex, the source noted.

The operation was reportedly carried out jointly by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) and the Foreign Intelligence Service. The source described the scale of damage from the Ukrainian attack as "serious."

Work at the plant was suspended after Ukrainian "kamikaze" drones hit two major power substations near the villages of Neznamovo and Volokonovskoye in Belgorod Oblast.

Sign up for our newsletter

WTF is wrong with Russia?

Sign up

The Metallurgicheskaya substation near the Volokonovskoye village is one of the largest power substations in Europe, the source said.

The strikes resulted in a complete blackout at the plant, shutting down all electric arc furnaces with frozen metal inside. The furnaces need to be completely cleaned and the arc elements to be replaced to restart. It could take several months, the source told the Kyiv Independent.

"Some of the plant's employees believe that the furnaces will have to be replaced with new ones. Considering that the plant was built by German specialists using German technology, it will likely be difficult to restart the plant's operations without their participation," the source added.

The facility produces high-quality steel, including alloyed specialty steels (SBQ), for the automotive and mechanical engineering industries. It uses the blast-free direct reduction technology MIDREX and electric arc melting.

The plant's products are used by GAZ, UAZ, and KamAZ, among other Russian military-industrial enterprises.

The Oskol Electrometallurgical Plant, as well as its owner, Metalloinvest company, were included in the sanctions lists of the U.S. and U.K. in April 2023 in light of Russia's aggression in Ukraine.

Read also: Russia struggles to control finances as Ukraine invasion spending soars

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
LOS ANGELES, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Authorities have ordered more than 13,000 people to evacuate amid a fast-moving wildfire that broke out Tuesday in Northern California.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Thompson Fire, which erupted near the City of Oroville in Butte County, has already consumed over 2,100 acres (about 8.5 square km) of land as of Tuesday evening, with no containment achieved yet.

Mandatory evacuations and evacuation warnings have been issued in part of Butte County due to the wildfire. Meanwhile, Oroville declared a local emergency Tuesday evening, noting the fire is expected to continue to affect substantial geographic areas within the city for an unknown duration due to extremely high temperatures and high winds.

The fire has caused and is substantially likely to cause extreme conditions, such as power outages, damage to infrastructure, burned trees, slope failures, and structural damage, said Oroville authorities.

California governor Gavin Newsom announced that the western U.S. state has secured federal assistance to support the response to the Thompson Fire. 
View shows Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from the bank of Kakhovka Reservoir in Nikopol

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Ukrainian drone attack injured eight workers from the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and left a nearby town largely without power and water, Russian-backed officials said on Wednesday.

In a statement on Telegram, the plant's management said that eight staff had been injured during an attack by three Ukrainian kamikaze drones on an electricity substation near the plant in south-eastern Ukraine.

It said all of the injured workers were receiving medical treatment.

Reuters was not able to independently confirm what had happened and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

Eduard Senovoz, the Russian-installed mayor of the nearby city of Enerhodar where the plant's workers live, said in a statement that the attack had left most of the city without power and water.

The attack was the third of its kind within two weeks, he said, adding that work was underway to repair the damage to the substation.

Alexei Likhachev, director general of Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation, said the attack was the first time that the power plant's workers had been deliberately put in danger.

In comments to Russian state TV channels, Likhachev called on the Vienna-based U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to assess what had happened.

"IAEA head Rafael Grossi has repeatedly said that the activities of nuclear cities, the lives of people, and especially the lives of nuclear power plant workers are 'sacred' elements of nuclear safety. Today they have been defiantly violated," Likhachev said.

The IAEA last month called for a halt to attacks on Enerhodar after earlier attacks on electricity substations in the area.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
Vasyl Palamarchuk, a Ukrainian writer and lawyer, has been killed while performing a combat mission in Donetsk Oblast.

Source: Oleshky hromada [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories  ed.]

Details: Vasyl Palamarchuk, who went under the alias Lawyer, is the author of the book Viiskovyi Nepotrib (Military Trash), in which he describes his experience of serving in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) in the east of Ukraine in 2014-2015.

Vasyl revealed in an interview for Ukrinform that after the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he tried to join the 79th Air Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine but ended up pushing the Russian occupiers back from Kyiv Oblast in 2022 in the Territorial Defence Forces.

Lately, Vasyl has been serving in the east of Ukraine.

On 23 January 2024, he celebrated his 43rd birthday. Then he shared his thoughts on his birthday and achievements.

"One of my achievements is that Im still alive despite all the circumstances. This is the third time I've celebrated my birthday during wartime. The downside is that I dont have my beloved wife and children by my side. But my colleagues from this dangerous business are together with me, and its an advantage," Vasyl stated, posting the details of the fundraiser for those willing to donate to purchase spare parts for a vehicle for military purposes.

Earlier, we reported about the death of Peter Fouche, a volunteer from the UK who had saved over 200 Ukrainian defenders.

Support UP or become our patron!
UK's landmark postwar elections: When Boris Johnson sought and got a mandate to 'Get Brexit Done'

FILE - London Mayor Boris Johnson makes a statement outside his home in London, Feb. 21, 2016, announcing his support for the Leave campaign. The U.K. election in December 2019 was basically about one issue: Brexit. General elections in the U.K. are typically held in the spring or early summer. But in the fall of 2019, the recently-appointed Prime Minister Boris Johnson gambled on holding one on December 12, when most people just want to get ready for Christmas and would rather think of anything but politics. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland, File)

LONDON (AP)  Britains upcoming general election is widely expected to lead to a change of government for the first time in 14 years. Many analysts believe it will be one of the countrys most consequential elections since the end of World War II.

Ahead of the July 4 vote, The Associated Press takes a look back at other landmark U.K. elections since the war.

___

When former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called an election in December 2019, it was essentially about one issue: Brexit.

General elections in the U.K. are typically held in the spring or early summer. But in the fall of 2019, the recently-appointed Johnson gambled on holding one on December 12, when most people just want to get ready for Christmas and would rather think of anything but politics.

For Johnson, desperate times called for desperate measures. The June 23, 2016 Brexit referendum, won narrowly by those backing an exit from the European Union, triggered a chaotic period in politics.

Former Prime Minister David Cameron, who had campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU, had resigned immediately after his side lost the referendum.

His successor, Theresa May, tried but failed to find a Brexit formula that a majority in Parliament would back. Everyone seemingly had a different idea as to what post-Brexit deal the U.K. should have with the EU, and the original day of departure  March 2019  was delayed.

Parliament was in chaos, and Johnson, who succeeded May, pledged that he would get Get Brexit Done.

With Labours Brexit policy unclear and its left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn deeply unpopular, Johnsons Conservatives won their biggest majority since 1987 under Margaret Thatcher. Labour suffered its worst election result in terms of seats since the 1930s.

Johnson prevailed largely because his message was clear, especially in parts of the country that voted Brexit but had for decades voted Labour. The U.K. left the European Union on Jan. 31, 2020.

Any celebrations were short-lived, however, with a deadly coronavirus pandemic soon spreading around the world.

Johnson was forced to resign in the summer of 2022 after he was found to have lied to Parliament over lockdown-breaching parties at his offices in Downing Street. The 49-day tenure of his successor, Liz Truss, was even more chaotic after she unveiled unfunded tax cuts that roiled financial markets and sent borrowing costs for homeowners surging.

It's a dual legacy that their successor Rishi Sunak has had to contend with ahead of Thursday's election.
Nevada Democratic Reps. Steven Horsford, Susie Lee and Dina Titus on stage at a rally featuring Barack Obama in North Las Vegas Nov. 1, 2022. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

U.S. Rep. Susie Lee says Democrats need to discuss their future as some in the party call for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race because of concerns about his mental acuity. But Lees colleagues in the Nevada delegation who responded to the Current are standing with Biden.

On Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden called a news report that he is evaluating the possibility of abandoning the campaign absolutely false. Biden has attributed his poor debate performance last week against Republican rival former President Donald Trump to exhaustion from travel and a cold.

Bidens assertion that hes not quitting the race comes as at least one Democrat in Congress publicly calls for him to withdraw.

Lee, whose congressional district is considered the most competitive in the state, told the Wall Street Journal the debate was awful. According to the WSJ, she didnt know whether another Democrat would be better positioned to beat Trump in November. But she said Democrats absolutely need to talk about how to move forward after the debate.

Her campaign declined to say whether Lee has since engaged in any discussions.

The fact that we are even having this discussion means that Democrats are a lot less afraid of Biden retaliating than Republicans are of Trump retaliating, says Dr. Rebecca Gill, associate professor of political science at UNLV. But at the same time, these folks need to get reelected. A big source of money for their campaigns comes from staying loyal to the team.

Annette Magnus, owner of AM Consulting, says Democrats routinely distance themselves from the incumbent during a presidential election, and I dont necessarily think it is a symptom of the debate, but rather a tough race. I think Jacky Rosen is going to have a hard race. I think Susie Lee is going to have a tough race. Moderating their positions is normal.

Nevadas U.S. Senators, both Democrats, are standing by the Biden ticket.

There is a clear choice for voters this November between an administration focused on lowering costs, growing the middle class, and restoring reproductive freedom and Trumps MAGA agenda that would ban abortion and devastate hardworking Nevada families, a spokesperson for Sen. Jacky Rosen said in a statement that didnt mention Bidens name. Senator Rosen is focused on her own reelection campaign and continuing her track record as one of the most bipartisan, independent, and effective Senators.

Rosen is facing a competitive race with Republican Sam Brown. In her campaign ads, she has emphasized her independence and bi-partisan accomplishments.

Gill of UNLV said senators in high-profile races are engaged in a balancing act, noting some are running ahead of Biden right now, so theyre not worried about the coattails. They might be worried that having him on the ticket could suppress voter turnout, because its going to suppress enthusiasm.

Rosen, she added, has to be concerned about all the implications, even though she has a lead in recent polls.

Rosens campaign did not address inquiries about the potential for an enthusiasm gap among Democrat voters disheartened by Bidens candidacy.

We should all be worried about the enthusiasm gap, specifically with nonpartisan voters and young people, says Magnus. But that was the case before the debate. And its not just with Joe Biden, but down the ticket, too.

Lauren Wodarski, spokesperson for Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, said Biden and his administration have a proven track record of fighting for hardworking Nevada families, and Senator Cortez Masto is confident they will continue to do so. From reproductive freedom to the future of our democracy, Nevadans understand the stakes of this election.

Rep. Dina Titus said in a statement shes known and worked with Biden for a long time, adding his debate performance was not his best. Titus praised Bidens work on protecting abortion, recovering from the pandemic, and creating jobs via federal investment. All of that will stop if Donald Trump is back in the White House.

Rep. Steven Horsford, the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, did not respond to the Currents request for comment.

Biden is scheduled to engage in several high stakes, unscripted interviews in the coming days, in an effort to restore public confidence in his competence.

If hes not looking spry, and on top of it for that, then I think I would say that would up the chances that he would step aside, Gill said.

Magnus is admonishing Democrats to be patient.

They really need to be careful, she said. Theres too much at stake.
Just as the Supreme Court was heading into its final arguments of what would become a dramatic and historic term, Justice Amy Coney Barrett issued a plea to her warring colleagues.

This is not the time to amplify disagreement, Barrett, a conservative and the second-most-junior justice, scolded the courts liberal wing in a decision allowing former President Donald Trump to appear on presidential ballots despite his actions on January 6, 2021. Writings on the court should turn the national temperature down, not up.

Four months later, it seems no one took her advice.

In a decision Monday granting sweeping immunity to Trump, Chief Justice John Roberts accused the liberal dissenters of fear mongering and ignoring fundamental constitutional principles. In an unusually hostile dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor dispensed with the traditional nod to respectfully disagreeing and instead noted her fear for our democracy.

As the early-in-the-term bonhomie smashed up against politically fraught legal questions, the six conservative justices lined up against the three liberals in significant cases overturning a Trump-era ban on bump stocks, severely reducing the power of federal agencies to approve regulations, and giving cities and states more power to punish people who are homeless from sleeping outside.

Even when they agreed on the bottom line, such as in a June decision that upheld a federal law aimed at disarming domestic abusers, they split sharply in a series of concurrences over the reasoning of their decisions.

Here are some key takeaways from the term:

Trump got the term Biden wanted

For years, Trump had an at-best spotty record on a high court that he largely helped to build, with the courts conservatives breaking with him on the 2020 election and his tax records.

This term, the former president got the Supreme Court he always wanted.

A 6-3 majority ruled that Trump had broad immunity from prosecution for official actions he took in office, making it unlikely he would face trial in special counsel Jack Smiths election subversion case until after the November election  if at all.

Trump named three justices to the court during his four years in office  Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Barrett. In the majority immunity decision on Monday, all three sided with the courts underlying conclusion.

That wasnt the only win for Trump this term. In March, the court ruled that he could appear on presidential primary ballots despite a claim that he violated the insurrectionist clause in the 14th Amendment for his actions on January 6, 2021. And late last month, the court limited the power of prosecutors to pursue obstruction charges against those who rioted at the US Capitol that day, narrowing the scope of a law that could have tacked years onto sentences.

Trump claimed victory in that outcome, with his campaign seizing on the political message it helps him make about the Justice Department.

Biden, on the other hand, had an especially difficult term. The court blocked his proposal to reduce smog and air pollution, overturned a bump stock ban that Trump had implemented and Biden defended, and severely limited the ability of the federal government to approve regulations.

The administration did post some wins, notably in two abortion cases and a major gun rights appeal.

Justices dodge abortion fights after unwinding Roe

The justices dodged major legal questions posed by two bombshell abortion cases, with the court sweeping away one of its biggest controversies in an election year through technicalities.

In one case  a challenge to the availability of a drug used for medication abortion, which makes up two-thirds of all abortions in the country  a unanimous court ruled that the anti-abortion doctors and medical associations that filed the lawsuit did not clear a procedural threshold known as standing. That means that the doctors and groups werent harmed by the Food and Drug Administrations expanded access to mifepristone in a way that permitted them to challenge it.

We recognize that many citizens, including the plaintiff doctors here, have sincere concerns about and objections to others using mifepristone and obtaining abortions, Kavanaugh wrote for a unanimous court. But citizens and doctors do not have standing to sue simply because others are allowed to engage in certain activities  at least without the plaintiffs demonstrating how they would be injured by the governments alleged under-regulation of others.

A second case dealt with abortion access in medical emergencies, and a bare majority of justices determined that the court had taken up the dispute over Idahos abortion ban prematurely. Four justices  three stalwart conservatives and one liberal  dissented from the punt and accused the majority of depriving the country of much-needed resolution to the question of whether a federal emergency care law trumps strict state abortion bans.

In one sense, the decisions represented another political win for Trump. Democrats have been able to organize, raise money and move votes based on the courts decision two years ago to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that established a constitutional right to abortion. By backing away from the abortion decisions this term, it may make it harder for progressives to keep that issue front and center in an election year.

Boomerang term sets up repeat battles on guns, abortion

The Supreme Court, in many ways, is stuck in 2022.

Thats the year the conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade and vastly expanded gun rights. Echoes of those rulings featured prominently on the courts docket this year, and the latest decisions will almost certainly bring back both issues again  eventually.

An 8-1 majority upheld a federal law that bans people who are the subject of domestic violence restraining orders from possessing guns. While that was a significant win for the Biden administration, the court made exceedingly clear that a series of related gun control measures will be vulnerable to challenge in short order.

On Tuesday, the court declined to hear oral arguments next term on cases dealing with gun ownership for nonviolent felons and people addicted to drugs as well as bans on assault-style weapons in Illinois. But the justices sent many of those matters back to lower courts, meaning those same issues will almost certainly return.

A punt in two First Amendment cases challenging state laws that attempted to regulate social media will likely return to the high court. And the decision about Trumps immunity may also wind up thrusting procedural questions about Smiths election subversion charges back on the courts plate.

Abortion, too, seems destined to return because the court declined to resolve the central questions in each dispute.

In the medication abortion case, three conservative states have intervened to push forward with the legal attack on the drug, vowing to take the case back up to the high court. The emergency abortion case will play out in lower courts.

If Trump wins another term, however, both abortion cases could be moot. Trump, for instance, could withdraw regulatory moves that made abortion drugs easier to obtain. His Justice Department could also rescind government guidance to hospitals that interprets federal law as obligating emergency abortion in states that ban the procedure.

Justice Barrett strikes out on her own

It often takes several terms for a Supreme Court justice to find their voice. Barrett, who took the bench in October 2020, showed a streak of independence in her fourth term that some of her critics may have found surprising.

That was particularly notable in the immunity decision, in which Barrett departed from her colleagues on a technical but potentially significant question of whether a jury can even consider evidence of Trumps official actions in a potential trial. Barrett raised concerns that decision could hamstring the prosecution.

The Constitution does not require blinding juries to the circumstances surrounding conduct for which presidents can be held liable, she wrote.

In the Idaho abortion case, it was Barrett who wrote a concurring opinion for the courts more centrist conservatives, including Roberts and Kavanaugh, that offered the clearest explanation for the unsettled outcome. More to the point, it was the position she had raised during oral arguments in that case in April that the court ultimately appeared to embrace.

Her argument was that Idahos abortion law no longer appeared to conflict with the Biden administrations federal guidance on emergency abortions.

Whats the conflict? Barrett demanded from the attorney representing Idaho. Why are you here?

While the court sometimes resolved cases with lopsided majorities, there was considerable disagreement about the reasoning of some of those decisions. Supreme Court-style scraps repeatedly broke out in concurrences over how to think about history when deciding cases and over the plain meaning of the text of the laws involved. Barrett was at the center of many of those disputes.

In perhaps the most notable example, the former law professor and appeals court judge sided with two liberal justices in a dissent from the courts decision to narrow a felony obstruction charge federal prosecutors filed against hundreds of people involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. At the center of that case was a former Pennsylvania police officer, Joseph Fischer, who briefly pushed his way into the Capitol.

Writing for a six-justice majority, Roberts ran through a text-heavy analysis of the law, parsing meaning from the word otherwise and relying on common sense intuition to glean that Congress couldnt have possibly meant to tuck so broad a prohibition into a law enacted in response to evidence tampering after the 2001 Enron scandal.

But Barrett quickly waved aside that analysis, breaking with her conservative colleagues on what it means to read the plain meaning of a law. Fischers case, she asserted, should have been an open and shut matter.

So why does the Court hold otherwise? she asked. Because it simply cannot believe that Congress meant what it said.

Dogged by ethics controversies

Last year, the Supreme Court adopted a code of conduct in a response to a barrage of criticism about the off-bench activities of some justices, namely Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

If the hope was that the document would take ethics out of the limelight, it failed.

For a second year in a row, the final months of the courts session were dominated by the ethics controversies that plagued some members of the bench almost as much as its caseload.

Congressional Democrats repeatedly called on Thomas to recuse himself from the cases concerning Trump because of efforts by the conservative justices wife to reverse the 2020 election in Trumps favor. Thomas, the courts longest-serving member, rebuffed those appeals.

Alito, too, was shrouded in controversy again this year, with the conservative justice also rejecting calls for his recusal in the cases concerning the 2020 election and Capitol attack that came after media reports documenting two provocative flags raised at his properties: an upside-down US flag hoisted at his home in Virginia in early 2021 and an Appeal to Heaven flag at his New Jersey home last summer.

Both flags became symbols for Trumps supporters and were carried by January 6 rioters, though Alito said that was not the message the flags were intended to convey.

Alito pinned responsibility on his wife, Martha-Ann Alito, and later told Democratic lawmakers who urged him to recuse himself that the flag controversies do not meet the conditions for recusal put forth by the newly adopted ethics code.

Weeks later, Alito and his wife were in the spotlight again after an activist critical of the court released secret recordings of conversations she had with the two during an event this spring. The woman, who represented herself as a religious conservative, goaded them into speaking candidly about a range of politically sensitive topics, with the justice at one point endorsing the idea that the country should be returned to a place of Godliness.

Some ethics experts say the courts issues in that space undermine their decisions, particularly in hot-button cases.

You would assume that ethics and jurisprudence go hand-in-hand in that so long as the first one is buttoned up, the majority of the country will not be questioning as much the second part of that equation. But thats not where were at, said Gabe Roth, executive director of Fix the Court, which has pushed for more transparency from the federal judiciary.

Ethics is continuing to be a major issue. And its continuing to erode the legitimacy of the court and the trust in the court, Roth added. Until these issues are put to rest, theyre going to continue to dog the nine of them.

Shrinking regulatory agency power

Several major rulings from the courts conservative bloc will make it harder for agencies to defend regulations in court, shifting power away from the executive branch and into the judiciary.

For the conservative legal movement, the rulings were milestone victories in the war against the so-called administrative state. In scorching dissents, the liberal justices accused the majority of a power grab that kneecaps Congress ability to address evolving and complicated problems.

The Supreme Courts ruling in a pair of cases dealing with a fishing regulation were arguably the most consequential this term for determining how the federal government functions. Roberts, writing for an ideologically divided 6-3 court, overruled a decades-old precedent that instructed courts, in disputes over regulations, to defer to the agency interpretation of a statute if the law was unclear. That practice was known as Chevron deference, based on the 1984 decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council.

The deeply entrenched precedent in Chevron touched on all areas of regulatory law, meaning its reversal will invite litigation against scores of agency rules, and gives judges a more central role in deciding the nuances of a regulatory statute.

The court also ruled that the Securities and Exchange Commission must handle fraud claims in court rather than with in-house tribunals, saying it was unconstitutional for the SEC to use an internal administrative process to enforce security fraud law.

Finally, in a 6-3 decision issued Monday, the court also essentially extended the statute of limitations for when lawsuits against government regulations can be filed. Tied with the Chevron decision, critics say that could open the floodgates of litigation over federal regulations.

At the end of a momentous term, this much is clear, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in dissent. The tsunami of lawsuits against agencies that the courts holdings  have authorized has the potential to devastate the functioning of the federal government.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
After Joe Bidens poor debate performance and calls by some prominent Democrats to replace him, the hundreds of thousands of anti-war voters and the delegates who represent them have taken on new significance in the US presidential race.

More than 700,000 voters cast ballots in the Democratic primaries for uncommitted options after a movement started in Michigan to pressure Biden to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and stop US funding and arms to the Israeli government.

These voters won 29 uncommitted delegates to the Democratic national convention, a small but vocal group that will use their position at the nominating convention to call for an end to the war. The uncommitted vote consists of likely Democratic voters who have consistently said they are anti-Trump and who used the primary process to send a message to Biden.

Their message has not changed, though uncommitted delegates said they have been hearing from more people about the role they could play in the convention since last weeks debate. Their sole platform remains a permanent ceasefire and an arms embargo, and their focus is still on Biden  who is still the president.

People are like, you guys have 10 times the power you did before, said Asma Mohammed, an uncommitted delegate to the DNC from Minnesota and one of the organizers behind the uncommitted push there.

The way I was looking at it is, we always have had power. Our story has consistently been powerful, and we have over 700,000 voters that we have been engaged with, who were previously just not going to show up or didnt know how to engage in this election.

The uncommitted movement spread quickly across some states, gaining steam from voters who wanted to make their disapproval of the US involvement in the war known and who were otherwise not ready to commit to Biden, though they do not support Trump and do not want to see him win. After Michigan, it saw strong showings in Minnesota, Hawaii and Washington.

Throughout the campaign, uncommitteds leaders have consistently said they would back Biden if he got on board with their anti-war demands - and they have reiterated this offer now, at a time when Biden needs all the support he can get.

Were not hinging our advocacy on whether or not President Biden decides to remain the candidate, said Abbas Alawieh, a spokesperson for Uncommitted National Movement and an uncommitted delegate to the DNC from Michigan. Regardless of whether or not he decides to remain the candidate, he remains the president through January 2025, and we need him to stop supplying weapons long before that.

Since the movement began, Biden has called for a ceasefire in Gaza. But, Alawieh said: If the president is serious about delivering a ceasefire, he needs to stop supplying the weapons that are preventing a ceasefire.

The uncommitted movement has heard from delegates committed to Biden from around the country who sympathize with the anti-war platform, and the uncommitted delegates hope to work with them at the DNC to show the president  or any other potential nominee that the partys base does not support US funding of the war, Alawieh said.

The Uncommitted National Movement is open to the idea of an open convention if that becomes a viable option, but it is not aligning behind any particular candidate, and any candidate seeking its support would need to agree with an arms embargo.

They have offered to Biden, via contacts on his campaign, at the DNC and at the White House, that they will mobilize voters for him if he delivers an arms embargo. It would be an opportunity for us to unite in both saving lives now and in preventing Donald Trump from getting into the White House again, Alawieh said.

They havent heard back from Bidens camp yet, but are hoping to.

Mohammed said she and other Democrats fear they will lose voters in November, that people are just not going to show up. Biden can become the candidate the uncommitted voters want by using his power to push for an end to the war, which could change his prospects.

A new candidate brings different challenges, like name recognition. Theres no easy path forward. Mohammed believes Biden will remain the nominee, making the case for continuing to pressure him on the war stronger. And she thinks he can still win if he brings in uncommitted voters.

I think we still need to push him to be better. Because right now, half the nation is disappointed.
United Way of Northeast Florida announced on Wed., July 3, that $180,000 in grants have been awarded to grassroots organizations for local youth.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Thirty organizations received funding thanks to Miller Electric Companys $1 million pledge to racial equity given to the United Way in 2020.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Funding ranged from $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the size and capacity of the organization.

United Way said the programs that benefit from the grants are designed to enhance the development, skills, and well-being of young people. This includes character education and mentoring, career exploration and skill development, personal development, leadership development, community service and volunteering, and arts and culture opportunities.

This new grant initiative reflects a pivotal moment in our organizations journey to address needs identified in our recent equity needs assessment and support the impactful work of neighborhood organizations, Melanie Patz, president and CEO of United Way said.

READ: U.S. Congress gets warning that aid program falling short for severely injured veterans

To qualify for a grant, applicants need to operate in Northeast Florida, be an established nonprofit or community-based organization for at least two years in underserved communities, serve a population that is 50% or more racial minorities, have a track record of addressing racial equity issues, and not currently be funded by United Way.

We at Miller Electric Company are deeply proud to support United Way of Northeast Floridas thoughtful and impactful approach to advancing racial equity in Jacksonville, Patty Keenan, chief talent officer at Miller Electric Company and United Way board member said. Investing in youth enrichment programs is investing in the future of our community, ensuring that every young person has the opportunity to thrive and contribute their unique talents.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Children work on tablets during a preschool class in Cincinnati in 2023. Many states are expanding pre-K, but there are barriers to attendance for many families. Carolyn Kaster/The Associated Press

When Tanya Gillespie-Lambert goes to an event in a local park in Camden, New Jersey, she takes a handful of brochures about free preschool with her. She has no hesitation about approaching strangers  moms with kids especially  to plug the service in the local public school district, where shes director of community and parent involvement.

Gillespie-Lambert and her team also hold door-knocking events several times a year to put the word out on free pre-K, dressing up in matching blue T-shirts and hats. Thats in addition to billboards, public service announcements and posters all over town.

I still get a little shocked when they dont know about it, she said in an interview. They always say, I didnt know they could start when they were 3 years old, and they dont have to be potty trained. And its free?

Forty-four states offer some free preschool, and states from Colorado to Mississippi are expanding their programs. But even when states claim to have universal pre-K for 4-year-olds and sometimes 3-year-olds, some of the most comprehensive programs only serve a slice of the kids who are eligible.

Theres a host of reasons for that, beyond a lack of awareness. Some states only provide funding for 10 or 15 hours of preschool per week. Some parents cant afford the cost of before- and after-care, or have transportation problems if theres no bus. In some states, private pre-K providers, who often get state money for their pre-K programs, oppose shifting more state funds to public schools. And many states have a shortage of early education teachers and assistants, limiting the number of slots they can provide.

Studies show preschool is highly beneficial for young children, giving them a jump on reading and math skills and the socialization that are key to later school success. Preschool differs from child care, which has less emphasis on academics and often doesnt employ certified teachers. But private preschool is costly, making it difficult for parents with lower incomes to afford pre-K unless its state-funded.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Everybody doesnt define universal the same way, said Steven Barnett, senior co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University. You cant just wave a magic wand.

Barnett said a state pre-K program should not be considered universal if theres a cap on funding or a waitlist for slots. He advocates for states to treat pre-K like first grade  automatically available. But providing universal preschool is expensive for states.

Participation varies

More than 1.6 million 3- and 4-year-olds attended state-funded preschools in the 2022-2023 school year, with states serving 7% of 3-year-olds and 35% of 4-year-olds, according to Barnetts institute.

But participation varies widely from state to state. The number of 4-year-olds enrolled in state-funded pre-K programs in the 2022-2023 school year ranged from a high of 67% in Florida, Iowa, Oklahoma and West Virginia to single digits in Alaska, Missouri, Nevada, Delaware, North Dakota, Arizona, Hawaii and Utah, according to the institute.

Six states have no state-funded preschool: Idaho, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Some states are starting pre-K programs or expanding them. Mississippi doubled the number of kids in preschool in 2022-23 from the previous year to more than 5,300, added another 3,000 seats in 2023-24 and committed to future expansion, according to the state.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, signed a universal preschool bill in April 2022, and classes started in the 2023-24 school year. But Colorados program provides only 15 hours of free preschool per week in the year before kindergarten.

Similarly, Vermonts universal pre-K program, enacted in 2014, provides only 10 hours a week of free school.

In addition to being problematic for parents who work 40 hours a week, 10 hours a week of preschool is not enough to provide quality learning, Barnett said. It has to be a big enough dosage  of truly high-quality education.

Everybody doesnt define universal the same way. You cant just wave a magic wand.

 Steven Barnett, senior co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University

Vermont state Sen. Ruth Hardy, a Democrat, called the program technically universal because all 4-year-olds are allowed to participate but acknowledged there are gaps. She filed a bill last year that would have expanded the pre-K program to include full school days but it died, amid other expansions to child care and educational priorities.

Hardy, a former educator and school board member, said in an interview that the legislature did enact a measure to study expanding pre-K to all 3- and 4-year-olds and report back by July 2026.

It was part of a larger law that focused on providing more child care subsidies, including for families with incomes up to middle-class or close to upper-middle-class levels, she said. To pay for it, the state instituted a new payroll tax of 0.44%. Employers may choose to pay all of it or deduct up to 0.11% of it from employees' wages.

Concerns about access

Hardy said that in Vermont, as well as other states, a roadblock to expanding public pre-K programs is the tension between public and private schools. Many states take a mixed delivery approach to public preschool, under which pre-K is offered in settings ranging from public schools to community-based centers to private schools. But private providers sometimes see expanding the public preschools as competition.

Aly Richards, CEO of Lets Grow Kids, a Vermont child care advocacy organization, said the groups concern is equitable access to pre-K programs, especially when parents need kids in all-day instruction and public programs only operate on school-day hours, while private programs often last all workday.

Working-class families cant leave their job in the middle of the day if they have to move their kid, she said.

She also said there is often not enough room in nearby public schools to accommodate all the children who want pre-K programs.

Similar tension is roiling efforts to expand public pre-K in Michigan. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Democratic lawmakers want to make more children eligible, but private schools worry that legislative proposals would eliminate requirements that a percentage of slots go to private providers and thereby cut their state funding.

In Hawaii  which has one of the highest-quality public preschool programs, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research  the problem is getting enough educators into the classrooms.

Hawaii plans to open 44 more classrooms for 3- and 4-year-olds in the fall, bringing the states total to about 90, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, a Democrat, said in a statement. But more staffing is needed if the state is going to reach its goal of getting all 3- and 4-year-olds in preschool by 2032, The Associated Press reported.

California is in the third year of a four-year phase-in of a universal pre-K program launched in the 2021-22 state budget. A draft report from the Learning Policy Institute, a California educational research group, found that while most school districts in the state are on track toward getting all 4-year-olds and income-eligible 3-year-olds in pre-K, staffing is a problem and is expected to get worse as new teacher requirements go into effect.

Hanna Melnick, a senior policy adviser at the Learning Policy Institute and one of the co-authors of the report, said its unclear how many of the eligible kids are actually taking advantage of the pre-K program.

Some families cant afford before- and after-care, she said. Extended care is a really critical barrier. And some families want more of a familylike environment [for their preschoolers]. They might not feel comfortable using out-of-home care or care in a school setting.

Back in New Jersey, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy announced in March that an additional $11 million in state funding had been secured to bring preschool to 16 more school districts in the state.

But despite the effort, workers such as Gillespie-Lambert need to keep walking neighborhoods.

People dont read, she said. We found canvassing  not just flyers, but having a conversation with them  seems to work a lot better.

SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Children work on tablets during a preschool class at the Life Learning Center - Head Start, in Cincinnati, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. A new plan from the Biden administration could significantly increase salaries for hundreds of low-paid early childhood teachers caring for the country's poorest children but might also force some centers to cut enrollment. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

When Tanya Gillespie-Lambert goes to an event in a local park in Camden, New Jersey, she takes a handful of brochures about free preschool with her. She has no hesitation about approaching strangers  moms with kids especially  to plug the service in the local public school district, where shes director of community and parent involvement.

Gillespie-Lambert and her team also hold door-knocking events several times a year to put the word out on free pre-K, dressing up in matching blue T-shirts and hats. Thats in addition to billboards, public service announcements and posters all over town.

I still get a little shocked when they dont know about it, she said in an interview. They always say, I didnt know they could start when they were 3 years old, and they dont have to be potty trained. And its free?

Forty-four states offer some free preschool, and states from Colorado to Mississippi are expanding their programs. But even when states claim to have universal pre-K for 4-year-olds and sometimes 3-year-olds, some of the most comprehensive programs only serve a slice of the kids who are eligible.

Theres a host of reasons for that, beyond a lack of awareness. Some states only provide funding for 10 or 15 hours of preschool per week. Some parents cant afford the cost of before- and after-care, or have transportation problems if theres no bus. In some states, private pre-K providers, who often get state money for their pre-K programs, oppose shifting more state funds to public schools. And many states have a shortage of early education teachers and assistants, limiting the number of slots they can provide.

Studies show preschool is highly beneficial for young children, giving them a jump on reading and math skills and the socialization that are key to later school success. Preschool differs from child care, which has less emphasis on academics and often doesnt employ certified teachers. But private preschool is costly, making it difficult for parents with lower incomes to afford pre-K unless its state-funded

Everybody doesnt define universal the same way, said Steven Barnett, senior co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University. You cant just wave a magic wand.

Barnett said a state pre-K program should not be considered universal if theres a cap on funding or a waitlist for slots. He advocates for states to treat pre-K like first grade  automatically available. But providing universal preschool is expensive for states.

Participation varies

More than 1.6 million 3- and 4-year-olds attended state-funded preschools in the 2022-2023 school year, with states serving 7% of 3-year-olds and 35% of 4-year-olds, according to Barnetts institute.

But participation varies widely from state to state. The number of 4-year-olds enrolled in state-funded pre-K programs in the 2022-2023 school year ranged from a high of 67% in Florida, Iowa, Oklahoma and West Virginia to single digits in Alaska, Missouri, Nevada, Delaware, North Dakota, Arizona, Hawaii and Utah, according to the institute.

Six states have no state-funded preschool: Idaho, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Some states are starting pre-K programs or expanding them. Mississippi doubled the number of kids in preschool in 2022-23 from the previous year to more than 5,300, added another 3,000 seats in 2023-24 and committed to future expansion, according to the state.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, signed a universal preschool bill in April 2022, and classes started in the 2023-24 school year. But Colorados program provides only 15 hours of free preschool per week in the year before kindergarten.

Similarly, Vermonts universal pre-K program, enacted in 2014, provides only 10 hours a week of free school.

In addition to being problematic for parents who work 40 hours a week, 10 hours a week of preschool is not enough to provide quality learning, Barnett said. It has to be a big enough dosage  of truly high-quality education.

Vermont state Sen. Ruth Hardy, a Democrat, called the program technically universal because all 4-year-olds are allowed to participate but acknowledged there are gaps. She filed a bill last year that would have expanded the pre-K program to include full school days but it died, amid other expansions to child care and educational priorities.

Hardy, a former educator and school board member, said in an interview that the legislature did enact a measure to study expanding pre-K to all 3- and 4-year-olds and report back by July 2026.

It was part of a larger law that focused on providing more child care subsidies, including for families with incomes up to middle-class or close to upper-middle-class levels, she said. To pay for it, the state instituted a new payroll tax of 0.44%. Employers may choose to pay all of it or deduct up to 0.11% of it from employees wages.

Concerns about access

Hardy said that in Vermont, as well as other states, a roadblock to expanding public pre-K programs is the tension between public and private schools. Many states take a mixed delivery approach to public preschool, under which pre-K is offered in settings ranging from public schools to community-based centers to private schools. But private providers sometimes see expanding the public preschools as competition.

Aly Richards, CEO of Lets Grow Kids, a Vermont child care advocacy organization, said the groups concern is equitable access to pre-K programs, especially when parents need kids in all-day instruction and public programs only operate on school-day hours, while private programs often last all workday.

Working-class families cant leave their job in the middle of the day if they have to move their kid, she said.

She also said there is often not enough room in nearby public schools to accommodate all the children who want pre-K programs.

Similar tension is roiling efforts to expand public pre-K in Michigan. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Democratic lawmakers want to make more children eligible, but private schools worry that legislative proposals would eliminate requirements that a percentage of slots go to private providers and thereby cut their state funding.

In Hawaii  which has one of the highest-quality public preschool programs, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research  the problem is getting enough educators into the classrooms.

Hawaii plans to open 44 more classrooms for 3- and 4-year-olds in the fall, bringing the states total to about 90, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, a Democrat, said in a statement. But more staffing is needed if the state is going to reach its goal of getting all 3- and 4-year-olds in preschool by 2032, The Associated Press reported.

California is in the third year of a four-year phase-in of a universal pre-K program launched in the 2021-22 state budget. A draft report from the Learning Policy Institute, a California educational research group, found that while most school districts in the state are on track toward getting all 4-year-olds and income-eligible 3-year-olds in pre-K, staffing is a problem and is expected to get worse as new teacher requirements go into effect.

Hanna Melnick, a senior policy adviser at the Learning Policy Institute and one of the co-authors of the report, said its unclear how many of the eligible kids are actually taking advantage of the pre-K program.

Some families cant afford before- and after-care, she said. Extended care is a really critical barrier. And some families want more of a familylike environment [for their preschoolers]. They might not feel comfortable using out-of-home care or care in a school setting.

Back in New Jersey, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy announced in March that an additional $11 million in state funding had been secured to bring preschool to 16 more school districts in the state.

But despite the effort, workers such as Gillespie-Lambert need to keep walking neighborhoods.

People dont read, she said. We found canvassing  not just flyers, but having a conversation with them  seems to work a lot better.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post When universal pre-K really isnt: Barriers to participating abound appeared first on Oklahoma Voice.
"Xian and my father always sat together. My father played the dombra (a Kazakh two-stringed plucked musical instrument), and Xian took notes for the melody. Then Xian played the violin and my father checked whether Xian was right or not. That's how they learned the Kazakh national folklore and culture together," the daughter said.

ASTANA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- In Almaty, the largest city of Kazakhstan, a street bears the name of the renowned Chinese musician Xian Xinghai. Nearby, another parallel street honors the Kazakh musician Bakhytzhan Baikadamov.

Among the many heartwarming tales of friendship between the people of China and Kazakhstan, the story of these two musicians, who met and forged a bond during the turbulent time of war, stands out.

It was often quoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visits to Kazakhstan as epitomizing the profound friendship between the two countries.

At the outset of the Great Patriotic War, Xian, a renowned Chinese composer, arrived in Almaty after experiencing much hardship.

By then, Xian was worn down by poverty and illness and had no one to turn to. Fortunately, the Kazakh composer Baikadamov took care of Xian and provided him with the comfort of a home, Xi said in a speech delivered at Kazakhstan's Nazarbayev University in 2013.

"It was some time in the middle of November 1942. When my father was passing by a fence, he saw a thin man sitting on his suitcase, wearing a light sweater and holding a violin," Baldyrgan Baikadamova, Baikadamov's daughter, said about the fateful encounter.

"My father spoke Kazakh and Russian, the composer responded in English and French. But it was obvious that the Chinese musician really needed help and had nowhere to go. So my father just took his hand and led him to us," she said.

Baikadamov, well-versed in Kazakh folk music, was instantly captivated by Xian's compositions.

They soon became bosom friends and devoted brothers despite their different nationalities, Xi noted in a signed article in the Kazakh media on Tuesday as he began his state visit to the Central Asian country.

"Xian and my father always sat together. My father played the dombra (a Kazakh two-stringed plucked musical instrument), and Xian took notes for the melody. Then Xian played the violin and my father checked whether Xian was right or not. That's how they learned the Kazakh national folklore and culture together," the daughter said.

Their collaboration led to several joint musical projects that blended Chinese and Kazakh musical traditions, and it was in Almaty that Xian composed his famous works Liberation of the Nation, Sacred War and Red All over the River.

He also wrote the symphony Amangeldy based on the exploits of the Kazakh national hero. These pieces served as a rallying call to fight Fascists and proved immensely popular with the local people.

Xian was finally overcome by homesickness and suffered from lung disease. He died in a hospital in Moscow at the age of 40 in October 1945. Xian did not have the chance to return to China.

The news of Xian's death devastated her father, said the daughter.

Photo taken on May 22, 2021 shows a monument that has been erected to commemorate Chinese composer Xian Xinghai in Almaty, Kazakhstan. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)

The friendship between Xian and his Kazakh friend became the subject of a movie named "The Composer," the first film co-produced by China and Kazakhstan and screened in 2019.

In the same year, a special joint movie screening event was held in Astana, Beijing, and Macau, Xian's birthplace. Students from universities including Kazakhstan's Astana International University, China's Tsinghua University, and the University of Macau watched the film together via video link.

Irsaliyev Nurali, one organizer of the joint screening event, told Xinhua that he and his friends were moved by the friendship between Xian and Baikadamov.

"If more people (in our two countries) can cultivate this kind of friendship and relationship, the future will indeed be a golden one," he said.
University of New Mexico invests in funds with shares in Israeli companies

UNM students, alumni and community members protest in support of Palestine during the final Board of Regents meeting of the spring semester on May 16. (Photo by Leila Chapa / The Daily Lobo)

The University of New Mexico invests in at least two mutual funds that own shares in Israeli companies, according to a list of investments within the funds obtained by the Daily Lobo through a public records request. UNM also holds bonds in a weapons manufacturer that supplies the Israel Defense Forces  the national military of Israel.

This information comes amidst calls by pro-Palestine activists for UNM to divest from companies based in Israel or companies that indirectly aid the Israeli military.

The Daily Lobo first published this story it is republished here with permission.

The mutual funds  Axiom International Small Cap Equity Fund and BlackRock ACWI ex USA Index  together own shares in 15 companies based in Israel, including defense company Elbit Systems Ltd.

UNM holds bonds in Honeywell International, according to an April 2024 Asset Summary Statement obtained by the Daily Lobo through a public records request. Though based in the United States, Honeywell produces missile parts used by the IDF, according to Al Jazeera .IPRA 24-254_responsive documents_Redacted (1)

In total, Axiom and BlackRock have about $18.1 million in shares in Israeli companies. It is unclear how much money from UNM goes to each fund  and how much goes directly to Israeli companies  from the documents obtained.

On June 12, a United Nations commission declared Israeli authorities responsible for war crimes in Gaza, including crimes of starvation as a method of warfare, murder or wilful killing, intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects, forcible transfer, sexual violence, torture and inhuman or cruel treatment, arbitrary detention and outrages upon personal dignity.

Mutual funds

Mutual funds consolidate the assets of investors, including the University, and pool the assets into a fund.

Mutual funds are directed by fund managers who, for actively-managed funds, make changes to the fund on behalf of its investors, according to Investopedia . Investors, like the University, have no control over the investments a mutual fund has. But investors can withdraw from mutual funds by selling their assets within them.

BlackRock owns shares in 14 Israeli companies, including Elbit Systems Ltd.

Elbit is a defense company that develops and supplies technology such as military aircraft and helicopter systems, according to its website . Elbit manufactures and supplies about 85% of the Israeli militarys drones, according to the Database of Israeli Military and Security Export .

In May, Elbit wrote that since Oct. 7, 2023, the company has experienced a material increased demand for (its) products and solutions from the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) and heightened its support for the IMOD, according to an earnings release .

BlackRock and Axiom both own shares in Israeli technology company Nice Ltd . Axiom also owns shares in Camtek Ltd., an Israel-based company that develops and manufactures equipment for the semiconductor industry, according to its website .

Bonds

Bonds are a type of investment in which the investor lends money to a corporation in exchange for regular interest payments and a return of the investors money once the bond reaches maturity, according to Forbes .

The University has over $400 million in assets managed by the UNM Foundation, according to its website . This includes about $195 million in taxable bonds, according to the April 2024 Asset Summary Statement.

Honeywell manufactures HG1930  a measurement unit used in missiles, according to Honeywells website . On June 6, fragments of HG1930 were recovered from a missile that targeted a UN-run school in Gaza, killing 40 Palestinians, according to Al Jazeera .

The UNM Foundation has direct control over the bonds it chooses to invest in, unlike the investments within mutual funds.

In April, UNM held 88 bonds in corporations mostly headquartered in the United States, according to the Asset Summary Statement.

None of the corporations UNM held bonds in are headquartered in Israel, but many of these corporations, like Honda, operate in Israel.

In the Asset Summary Statement, the UNM Office of the Custodian of Public Records redacted UNMs shares in each bond and their associated market values. The office cited  trade secrets  within the documents as the reason for the redactions  making them exempt from public disclosure per the Inspection of Public Records Act .

Because of this, it is unclear how much money UNM invests in each bond.

Melanie Majors, executive director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, said she was uncertain why UNM redacted the shares in the bonds and their market values.

I dont know in what universe these are trade secrets, Majors said.

The UNM investment policy

As delegated by the Board of Regents, UNMs investments are overseen by the UNM Foundation Investment Committee , housed by the UNM Foundation  a nonprofit separate from the University that aims to provide it with financial support.

The UNM Foundation Investment Committee manages UNMs investments in accordance with its Consolidated Investment Fund Investment Policy , according to its website. The policy is approved by the UNM Foundation Board of Trustees and the Board of Regents, both of which review it annually. The policy was last updated in February 2023.

The policy reads that the UNM Investment Committee must factor in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations when making investment decisions. The committee must consider how an entity they invest in manages relationships with employees, vendors, stakeholders and locales in which they operate, according to the policy. This includes considerations about ethics and human rights, the policy reads.

When ESG considerations were initially added to the investment policy, several of UNMs investments were sold and replaced, according to Gabe Gomez, the managing director for marketing and communications at the UNM Foundation. UNM and its investment advisors regularly review the Universitys investments  including mutual funds  to ensure they align with the investment policy and performance goals, Gomez wrote.

Investment changes are made as often as necessary to ensure this alignment, Gomez wrote.

In a campus-wide email on May 14, University President Garnett Stokes announced UNMs commitment to publicly disclosing the results of research into its investment portfolio by this August. UNM declined to comment on its investments until then, Cinnamon Blair, chief marketing and communications officer, said.

Individuals from the UNM Foundation, Health Sciences Finance & Administration, the Office of the President and Financial Services will contribute to this research, according to Blair.

In the May 14 email, Stokes wrote that a public university should not serve as a political tool to express opinions on complex social and geopolitical matters.

In the face of such distressing global challenges, we can all agree that violence and resulting human suffering are antithetical to our values and mission, Stokes wrote in the email.

The Investment Committee considers UNM investments to be an economic resource in advancing UNMs mission, according to its policy.

The post University of New Mexico invests in funds with shares in Israeli companies appeared first on Source New Mexico.
Unmanned boats attacked the Russian city of Novorossiysk at about 03:00 local time on the night of 2-3 July.

Source: Russian Telegram channels Mash, Shot and Baza

Details: Local authorities asked residents to stay away from windows and hide in a room that did not face the sea or in rooms without windows and with solid walls.

Earlier, Andrei Kravchenko, the mayor of Novorossiysk, warned the locals of the danger of an attack by unscrewed surface vessels. Streets near the embankment were blocked, and an air-raid warning was issued in the city.

Local residents reported hearing explosions.

Novorossiysk is home to a naval base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

Background:

As a result of joint activities of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine, Ukrainian drones hit a number of Russian military facilities in Novorossiysk and temporarily occupied Sevastopol on the night of 16-17 May.

Support UP or become our patron!
UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh to receive over $22K from Ollies Bargain Outlet fundraiser

Ollies Bargain Outlet raised more than $625,000 for Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals through an in-store fundraising campaign that ran from May 19 through June 15.

Donations were collected by 517 Ollies locations in 30 states and will benefit 94 local member hospitals in communities Ollies serves. UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh will receive over $22,000.

We believe every child deserves a chance for a happy and healthy life, which is why were proud to continue our partnership with Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals, said Ollies CEO John Swygert. Thanks to the generosity of our customers and dedication of the Ollies Team we have raised more than $4.6 million over 14 years and made a real impact in the lives of kids and families in our communities.

Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals raises funds for 170 childrens hospitals across the U.S. and Canada.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

Suspect dead after weapons, notes prompt search in Cranberry Township, sources say Director of McCandless daycare accused of abusing toddlers Pittsburgh police searching for missing mother, her baby boy VIDEO: Former Pittsburgh medic charged in head-on East Carson Street crash that killed grandmother DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Howard Nielsen, owner of the Sticky Lips BBQ Juke Joint, will ease into retirement when he closes the restaurant.

Now that he's closed his restaurant, Sticky Lips BBQ Juke Joint, Howard Nielsen is looking to sell its huge collection of Americana, which he accumulated over several years at auctions in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo.

He'll hold a sale from noon to 6 p.m. July 8 at the restaurant at 830 Jefferson Road in Henrietta, New York. Prospective buyers will be able to walk through the space, select things hanging on the walls and take them home, with some exceptions depending on size and location of the item. The sale is cash only; no credit cards or checks will be accepted.

"We're going to let the public get their first dib at it," he said. "I wanted people to come in, see it, touch it  the old way we used to buy and sell things. We'll haggle for a price right there."

When he started amassing his collection years ago, prices were low, he said, but shows like "American Pickers" have made vintage items more popular and therefore more valuable, he said.

"If I made any good investments in my life, these are one of them right here," he said.

What you can find at Sticky Lips memorabilia sale

An undated file photo of the dining area at the Sticky Lips Pit BBQ location on Culver Road shows some of the memorabilia owner Howard Nielsen has amassed over the years.

 Framed historic newspapers

 Framed vintage magazines

 Framed posters and pictures

 Beer trays

 Neon beer signs

 Taxidermy moose head

 A taxidermy "flying bear" with skis and ski poles

 International flags that once hung in Midtown Plaza

 Coca-Cola signs dating back to the 1930s and 1940s

Tracy Schuhmacher covers Rochester's food and drink scene. Notice something open or close in your neighborhood? Send tips to tracys@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Sticky Lips restaurant owner to sell massive memorabilia collection
The White House has announced the allocation of a new military aid package for Ukraine worth US$150 million.

Source: Karine Jean-Pierre, spokesperson for the White House, during a briefing, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "Bidens administration is announcing a new significant security assistance package for Ukraine as the United States continues to support Ukraines defence against Russias invasion."

Jean-Pierre states that this is the seventh military aid package authorised by Biden after the Congress adopted the law on assistance for Ukraine in April.

"It includes missiles for Ukraines air defence systems, ammunition for high-mobility artillery, artillery rounds and other critical capabilities that are being drawn down from US stocks," she specified.

The package includes funding that will be used by the US Department of Defence for the procurement of interceptors to help Ukraine protect its troops on the frontline and its cities from Russian aerial attacks.

Jean-Pierre noted that US assistance over the last few months has been critical and thanks to the bravery of the Ukrainian forces and weapons delivered by the US and its partners, "it is increasingly clear the Russian offensive around Kharkiv has been a failure".

The Pentagon specified that the new package would include:

Missiles for HAWK air defence systems; Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS); 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds; 81mm mortar rounds; Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles; Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems; Small arms ammunition and grenades; Demolitions equipment and munitions; Tactical vehicles to tow and haul equipment; Tactical air navigation systems and aircraft support equipment; Spare parts, maintenance, and other field and ancillary equipment.

Background:

A previous military aid package for Ukraine worth US$225 million was announced on 7 June.

Moreover, the US decided to prioritise the delivery of anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine before other states that have placed orders. This is mainly about the missiles for Patriot and NASAMS.

Support UP or become our patron!
The US Department of State has commented on the proposal from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban during his visit to Ukraine, which called for an immediate ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, an idea that is common to all pro-Russian "peace plans".

Source: Vedant Patel, a spokesperson for the US State Department, at a briefing in Washington, DC, as reported by European Pravda.

Details: The State Department spokesman was asked whether his agency was concerned that the Hungarian prime minister's proposal might indicate a split within NATO.

"We [the US] and the NATO Alliance have been clear that there really is only one solution here, and that is the Russian Federation simply leaving Ukrainian territory," Patel said.

Answering a follow-up question about whether the State Department is concerned that this shows a disagreement with Hungary since it is a different stance from the one Orban has taken, he said that he leaves it to "the respective countries to speak to their own policies".

"But we have been clear with partners and allies across the board that any country that has influence or has a role to play should play every effort in ensuring that Russia withdraws from Ukraine totally," Patel said.

Background:

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban confirmed that Zelenskyy had rejected his proposed "truce" between Ukraine and Russia that envisaged a freeze on the current line of contact between Ukrainian and Russian forces.

During his visit to Kyiv, the Hungarian leader said that he had promoted the idea of an immediate truce, an idea that is present in all pro-Russian "peace plans," but did not insist on it.

According to Orban, the Ukrainian president doubted the logic of the Hungarian leaders plan and did not support it, as Ukraine has a history of unsuccessful truce attempts with Russia.

Such truces "were not good for Ukraine", Orban quoted Zelenskyy as saying.

After the leaders' meeting in Kyiv, the Hungarian foreign minister called his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

Support UP or become our patron!
US ends legal fight against Titanic expedition. Battles over future dives are still possible

FILE - The Titanic leaves Southampton, England, April 10, 1912, on her maiden voyage. On Thursday, June 27, 2024, the U.S. government officially ended its legal fight against an upcoming expedition to the Titanic shipwreck after the company that owns the ship's salvage rights scaled back its dive plans. (AP Photo, File)

NORFOLK, Va. (AP)  The U.S. government has officially ended its legal fight against an upcoming expedition to the Titanic shipwreck after the company that owns the ship's salvage rights scaled back its dive plans.

But the U.S. said in court filings last week that it may wage court battles over future expeditions if they break a federal law and an agreement with Great Britain to treat the wreck as a gravesite.

The litigation began last year after RMS Titanic Inc. announced the expedition, which is now scheduled for mid-July. The Georgia-based company originally planned to take images inside the ocean liners severed hull and to retrieve artifacts from the debris field.

RMST also said it would possibly recover free-standing objects inside the Titanic, including from the room where the sinking ship broadcast its distress signals.

The U.S. filed its legal challenge in August, arguing that entering the Titanic  or physically altering or disturbing the wreck  is regulated by the 2017 federal law and pact with Britain.

Both regard the site as a memorial to the more than 1,500 people who died when the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in 1912. Among the governments concerns is the possible disturbance of artifacts and any human remains that may still exist on the North Atlantic seabed.

In October, RMST said it had significantly pared down its dive plans. Thats because its director of underwater research, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, died in the implosion of the Titan submersible near the Titanic shipwreck in June.

The Titan was operated by a separate company, OceanGate, to which Nargeolet was lending expertise. Nargeolet was supposed to lead this years RMST expedition.

RMST stated in a February court filing that it will send an uncrewed submersible to the site and only take external images.

The company will not come into contact with the wreck, RMST stated, adding that it will not attempt any artifact recovery or penetration imaging.

The U.S. government stated in a June 27 court filing that it's ending its legal efforts against the expedition because of the company's revised dive plans.

But the government said future expeditions could be illegal. It noted that the firm's longer-term objectives still involve the possible retrieval of objects from inside the wreck and surrounding debris field. For that reason, the U.S. said it wants to leave the door open for future legal battles. Specifically, the government said it may still pursue last year's motion to intervene as a party in RMST's salvage case with a federal admiralty court.

RMST has been the court-recognized steward of the Titanics artifacts since 1994. Its last expedition was in 2010, before the federal law and international agreement took effect.

The company has recovered and conserved thousands of Titanic artifacts, from silverware to a piece of the ship's hull, which millions of people have seen through its exhibits.

U. S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith is the maritime jurist who presides over Titanic salvage matters in Norfolk, Virginia. She said during a March court hearing that the U.S. governments case against RMST would raise serious legal questions if it continues, while the consequences could be wide-ranging.

Congress is allowed to modify maritime law, Smith said in reference to the U.S. regulating entry into the sunken Titanic. But the judge questioned whether Congress can strip courts of their own admiralty jurisdiction over a shipwreck, something that has centuries of legal precedent.

In 2020, Smith gave RMST permission to retrieve and exhibit the radio that had broadcast the Titanics distress calls. The U.S. government responded by filing an official legal challenge against the expedition.

The court battle never played out. RMST indefinitely delayed those plans because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Smith noted in March that time may be running out for expeditions inside the Titanic. The ship is rapidly deteriorating.
US hijab assassin wanted over botched UK hit arrested in Armenia after five-year hunt

Aimee Betro has been wanted in connection with the attempted murder of Sikander Ali since 2019

An American woman allegedly hired to take part in the assassination of a Birmingham businessman has been arrested by police in Armenia.

Aimee Betro went on the run within days of an attempt on the life of Sikander Ali, a clothing store owner in September 2019.

She was detained in a dawn raid after being tracked down to a rented one-bedroom flat on the outskirts of Yerevan, the Armenian capital.

Armenian police said the 44-year-old, allegedly recruited by Mohammed Nazir, 30, and his father Mohammed Aslam, 56, to shoot Mr Ali, will be extradited to face criminal proceedings.

A police spokesman said: Of course, she will be extradited to the UK as Armenia is a member of Interpol and is obligated to do so.

Nazir and Islam were both found guilty of conspiracy to murder at Birmingham Crown Court last month. They will be sentenced next month.

Mohammed Nazir will be sentenced next month over his part in the assassination plot - Enterprise/West Midlands Police

The hearing was told Nazir and Aslam had held a grudge against Mr Alis family following a violent dispute at his boutique clothing store in Birmingham on July 21 2018. It resulted in the two men sustaining injuries and the shop windows being smashed.

Seeking revenge, the pair flew Betro from the United States to kill Mr Ali and his family, the court was told. She wore a hijab to disguise herself and stayed at a number of hotels in Birmingham, Derby, Brighton and London while she was in the UK.

On the morning of Sept 7 2019, she allegedly tried to shoot Mr Ali outside a house in Acocks Green, Birmingham, but the gun jammed, the court heard.

She later returned to the house by taxi and fired three shots at the property before ordering the driver to take her to a McDonalds in Bordesley Green. No one was injured.

Jurors were told that Betro fled back to her native Wisconsin two days later before going to ground.

Her mother, Jeanne Johnson, 62, appealed in The Telegraph for her daughter to hand herself in, saying: She has nowhere else to go. Shes got to stop running.

Plain clothes Armenian police officers lead Aimee Betro away from her flat - Mailonline

It is understood a combination of background details in Betros Instagram selfies and sunset photos taken from her living room window helped trace her to a gated housing complex on the northern outskirts of Yerevan.

It is thought that Armenian officers arrested her after acting on an extradition request submitted through Home Office channels by West Midlands Police.

Armenia is understood to be keen to make a good impression on the British authorities as it shifts its diplomatic focus away from the Kremlin and towards the West.

It has bought weapons from France, opened a new embassy in London overlooking Pall Mall and signalled that it wants to join the EU.

Betro is understood to have been staying in a flat with views of the snow-capped Caucasus mountains when she was arrested.

She is believed to have been working remotely from her flat, venturing outside for shopping trips but turning down invitations to socialise from her neighbours.

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.
US has 'undeniable complicity' in Gaza war killings, say former US officials

People walk at the remains of a market after an Israeli strike, in Khan Younis

People walk at the remains of a market after an Israeli strike, in Khan Younis

By Kanishka Singh and Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A dozen former U.S. government officials who quit over U.S. support for Israel's war in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday accused President Joe Biden's administration of "undeniable complicity" in the killing of Palestinians in the enclave.

In a joint statement, the 12 former government officials said the administration was violating U.S. laws through its support for Israel and finding loopholes to continue shipping weapons to its ally.

Both the White House and the State Department had no immediate comment on the statement.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT

There has been mounting international criticism of Israel's conduct in Gaza and of U.S. military and diplomatic support for its ally in a war that has so far killed nearly 38,000 people and created a humanitarian crisis.

The resignations of the 12 U.S. officials reflects some dissent within the government over its support for Israel. Washington has pushed for the protection of civilians in Gaza and has called on Israel to improve aid access.

Among the people who signed the joint statement were former members of the State Department, Education Department, Interior Department, White House and the military.

KEY QUOTES

"America's diplomatic cover for, and continuous flow of arms to, Israel has ensured our undeniable complicity in the killings and forced starvation of a besieged Palestinian population in Gaza," the former officials said in the statement.

They urged the U.S. government to use its "necessary and available leverage" to bring the war to an end and to ensure the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israel. They also demanded that the U.S. government support Palestinian self-determination and fund an "immediate expansion of humanitarian assistance" in Gaza.

CONTEXT

Nearly 38,000 people have been killed during the war in Gaza, the local health ministry says, with many more feared buried in rubble as nearly the entire enclave has been flattened and most of its 2.3 million population displaced. There is also widespread hunger in Gaza. The war has led to genocide allegations that Israel denies.

Israel's assault on Gaza began after Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250 hostages to the Hamas-governed enclave, according to Israeli tallies.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; editing by Michelle Nichols and Leslie Adler)
BEIRUT, July 3 (Xinhua) -- A Hezbollah military leader was killed on Wednesday in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a civilian car in the Al-Hosh area, east of Lebanon's southwestern city Tyre, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua.

The sources, who spoke anonymously, said that an Israeli drone fired two air-to-surface missiles at the car, burning the vehicle, and killing its driver and his companion.

The sources said that the driver was identified as a commander of a military unit in Hezbollah whose nickname was Hajj Abu Ni'mah. He came from the village of Haddatha in southern Lebanon and worked at the borderline in the western and central sectors of the southern border area.

Hezbollah has not yet commented on the incident.

The military sources said that Israel also launched three airstrikes on villages and towns in southern Lebanon and fired about 30 shells at five border villages and towns.

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.

The level of tension between Hezbollah and the Israeli army has escalated recently, as the Israeli military announced "its approval of operational plans for an attack on Lebanon."

Meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned that no place in Israel "will be safe" from his party's missiles in the event of an outbreak of war. 
The US is upgrading its fighter fleets in Japan, boosting its Pacific airpower with the newest jets

The US is revamping the aircraft at its bases in Japan, the Pentagon announced.

Dozens of F-35s will replace older aircraft, marking a significant upgrade.

The boost comes as the US reassesses how its airpower would fare in a conflict with China.

US airpower in the Pacific is about to get a major upgrade, as the Pentagon announced it will be replacing aircraft at some bases in Japan with dozens of F-35 stealth fighters.

The move comes as the US looks at the lethality and survivability of its Pacific aircraft and airfields in a potential conflict with China.

The US Department of Defense released information on its new modernization plan for aircraft based in Japan on Wednesday, noting that the effort will take several years and reflect "over $10 billion of capability investments to enhance the US-Japan alliance, bolster regional deterrence, and strengthen peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region."

As part of the plan, the Air Force will replace almost 50 F-15Cs and F-15Ds at Kadena Air Base with 36 F-15EX Eagle II strike fighters. And at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, the number of F-35Bs jump jets  capable of takeoffs from short runways and amphibious assault ships  will be "modified" to further support the US' modernization plan, the press release said.

Perhaps most notably, the US Air Force's presence at Misawa Air Base is getting revamped with 48 F-35A stealth fighters replacing the current 36 F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole fighters, "leading to greater tactical aircraft capacity and capability," the release added.

A US Air Force fighter aircraft F-35 performs aerobatic maneuvers on the second day of the Aero India 2023 at Yelahanka air base in Bengaluru, India. AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi, File

Such a move would be a jump forward for the US' airpower in Japan, bringing fifth-generation fighter jets to bases directly in the line of potential conflict with China, adding to the capabilities of the F-22 Raptor fleet at Kadena.

It also signals, as the Pentagon's release said, "The Department's plan to station the Joint Force's most advanced tactical aircraft in Japan demonstrates the ironclad US commitment to the defense of Japan and both countries' shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region."

It's the most recent sign of how the US and Japan are working together to deter a clash with China.

Back in May, DoD announced the two were jointly developing a defense system to counter hypersonic missiles, which are thought to be nearly impossible for current missile-defense systems to defeat. China, as well as Russia, boast hypersonic missiles in their arsenals; the US is currently working on one of its own.

A Norwegian F-35 Lightning II receives fuel from a Maine Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker over the Arctic Circle. Air Force Master Sgt. Andrew Sinclair

The US is also working on shoring up its bases in the Pacific against a potential Chinese missile strike, which could feature a massive bombardment that renders US and Japanese aircraft, airfields, and command and control centers useless.

A recent Congressional letter to the Air Force and Navy's top leaders said the US isn't doing enough to protect its Pacific forces from such an attack. Back in May, 13 members of Congress pointed out glaring vulnerabilities in the Pacific, demanding immediate changes.

"With its current strike capabilities," the lawmakers wrote, "China can attack all US bases in the region, targeting US service members from Okinawa to those on US territories of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands."

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge, currently 6,440 acres, would expand by up to 700,000 acres under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plan.

As President Joe Biden's administration seeks to increase protections for natural lands and waters across the United States, some critics are wary of a new plan to expand one wildlife refuge in Texas.

The U.S. Department of the Interior announced earlier this year its plans to expand four national wildlife refuges, including three in Texas, to conserve habitat and protect native species.

But the finalized plan for the expansion of the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge, in the Panhandle approximately 30 miles east of the New Mexico border, has received some pushback.

More: Texas changes mountain lion hunting rules after 50 years. What it means for the wild cat

What is the proposal for the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a final plan in April that would increase the protection of up to 700,000 acres of wildlife habitat as part of the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge  about 110 times its current size of 6,440 acres.

The effort would support populations of sandhill cranes, pronghorn and lesser prairie-chicken, which Congress voted to delist last year to allow for increased drilling in their habitats, a decision upended by a Biden veto.

The initiative would preserve playa wetlands, saline lakes and large patches of grasslands  among the most imperiled ecosystems in the U.S. Data indicates that in the past century more than 60% of native grasslands, totaling 360 million acres, have vanished due to agriculture and energy development.

The initiative relies on the cooperation of private landowners who are interested in selling land or granting easements for conservation efforts. It does not impose mandatory regulations or expropriate land in proximity to the refuge. Landowners could participate through:

Fee title acquisitions : This is the outright sale of their land, and once purchased by the Fish and Wildlife Service, it would become part of the protected wildlife habitat managed by the refuge.

Easement acquisitions: This involves purchasing certain rights to the land, such as the right to restrict development, while the landowner retains ownership.

More: West Texas lizard listed as endangered after 42 years. Will it affect oil and gas?

Why are critics targeting the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge?

Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, and some stakeholders believe that the expansion of the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge will take cotton acres from farmers and producers.

In a news release, Arrington criticized the plan, stating that he doesn't "believe this is a good use of taxpayer dollars" and alleging that "there's no such thing as a 'voluntary government program. 

I have shared my serious concerns with the Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, am in close communication with U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and will fight to defend West Texas against even a hint of federal overreach," Arrington said in the release.

His statement followed criticism from American Stewards of Liberty, a property rights organization in Austin, which dedicated a page on its website to what it called the "Muleshoe Land Grab."

In an interview with Plains Cotton Growers, Jude Smith, who serves as manager of the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge and will oversee the expansion project, denied that the effort would take land from producers.

"Some of my best friends are cotton farmers," Smith told the organization. "We're just looking to expand our conservation endeavors for wildlife and wetlands, but we're not taking it by force."

While American Stewards of Liberty acknowledged that the program is voluntary, the executive director told Plains Cotton Growers that the group was "concerned that land will be taken under federal control through conservation easements or regulatory pressure from the government."

In response to these concerns, the Fish and Wildlife Service reaffirmed that this is not a circumstance of eminent domain, in which landowners are forced to sell their property. Rather, the effort is an opt-in, and the selling landowners would receive "fair compensation," although they are "under no obligation" to participate, nor should they feel pressured.

Arrington released a new statement last week that included a letter he wrote to the Fish and Wildlife Service, citing local residents' concerns about property values and taxes.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

What is the 'America the Beautiful' initiative?

The expansion is part of the Biden administration's $1 billion "America the Beautiful" initiative to accelerate conservation efforts across the U.S. using federal conservation and restoration investments in partnership with private and philanthropic contributions. The initiative aims to conserve and restore at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.

What other Texas wildlife refuges are included?

The America the Beautiful initiative seeks to conserve up to 850,000 acres of wildlife habitat in Texas, including the 700,000 acres for the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge.

The additional 150,000 acres sit among the Gulf Coast prairies and marshes on the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Austwell and Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge in Wadsworth.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Plans to expand Muleshoe wildlife refuge in Texas draws criticism
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone announced Wednesday that he will leave his post next spring and return to teaching at UWM's Lubar College of Business.

Mone will have served as chancellor for 11 years, the second longest in UWM history and twice as long as the average tenure of a college president. He said he decided to share his decision now to allow for a "smooth transition to a new leader."

UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone talks with visitors before delivering remarks at a press conference at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Milwaukee on Monday, March 11, 2024. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Waukesha campus will close at the end of the spring 2025 semester due to enrollment and financial pressures.

Mone, 65, also said he felt it was the right time for him to step down while the university has "momentum on many fronts" after facing the challenges of the pandemic, ongoing budget cuts and declining enrollment.

"We have accomplished so many remarkable things together while weathering the strongest of headwinds," Mone said in a statement Wednesday.

Mones resignation announcement came the day before the July 4 holiday, and a little over a month after facing backlash from a deal he brokered with pro-Palestinian protesters. The agreement drew the ire of UW System President Jay Rothman who, in a rare rebuke, issued a statement expressing disappointment in UW-Milwaukee.

In statements Wednesday, Rothman and UW Board of Regents President Amy Bogost praised Mones leadership. Rothman said Mone has deftly balanced UWMs commitments to top-tier research and equity initiatives.

For the past decade, Mark Mone has consistently elevated UW-Milwaukee with the goal of improving the lives of students and enriching the greater community," Rothman said in the statement.

Mone will have served as UWM chancellor for 11 years

A first-generation college student who grew up in central Washington state, Mone trained in French cuisine and worked as a chef and a food and beverage director at a number of hotels. He returned to college to pursue a career in academia and worked his way up to administrative positions.

"The best test of leadership is tough times," Mone said on the December day he was named chancellor in 2014.

Mone faced plenty of those. There was the $250 million budget cut across the UW System by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2015. There was the decadelonh drip of declining student enrollment, a problem also plaguing most other colleges in the Midwest.

UWM enrolled more than 23,000 students when Mone took the reins. That's fallen to about 18,000. The university's employee ranks have also shrunk from about 5,100 to roughly 4,400, including the loss of nearly 200 faculty members.

Mone's legacy includes his decision to close UWM at Washington County at the end of this school year and UWM at Waukesha after the spring 2025 semester. UWM absorbed both campuses in 2018. Their closures will lead to the layoffs of dozens of tenured faculty and other staff.

Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann said Mone was "faced with an impossible situation" because of demographic changes that result in fewer students to recruit and a "fiscally unsustainable model" for the branch campuses. Schoemann said Mone "continually listened and earnestly examined options to provide higher education opportunities."

Research activity, fundraising, student financial aid support among Mark Mone's accomplishments

Among Mone's achievements was achieving status as a level-one research university, an honor awarded to institutions with the highest levels of research activity and development in the country.

Mone helped the university launch its Connected Systems Institute, which will play a major role in Microsoft's development of data centers in Mount Pleasant. He was also involved in launching the Northwestern Mutual Data Sciences Institute and several partnerships aimed at reducing education inequities.

Mone extended a tuition promise program that makes college more affordable for low-income students. The Legislature declined to fund it, telling universities to fundraise for the program. Mone and the UWM Foundation raised enough money to continue the program through the 2024-25 school year.

UWM last summer received its largest gift in history, a $20 million donation from the Zilber Family Foundation to the Joseph J. Zilber College of Public Health. The gift will support faculty, provide student scholarships and expand research on health disparities in Milwaukee and across the state.

Mone will return to teaching after the coming school year. He joined UWM's faculty in 1989 as a professor of management.

Also looming over Mone's decision to step down is his diagnosis with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a type of cancer, in 2020. He said then that his outlook was positive because the cancer was caught early.

Mone's statement on Wednesday didnt mention his health and he declined to comment to the Journal Sentinel about it. He continued leading UWM through his treaments and chemotherapy, finding purpose and structure in the work during a time of uncertainty.

He also found a source of strength and support in Marquette University President Michael Lovell, who shared his own cancer diagnosis in 2021 and died last month.

Milwaukee's two largest universities will both be searching for their next leaders over the coming year.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UWM Chancellor Mark Mone will step down next spring
PINE GROVE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD)  A married couple who run an in-home day care near Gobles have been charged with child abuse, deputies say.

On June 29, the Van Buren County Sheriffs Office received information from the LaGrange County Sheriffs Office in Indiana about child sexual and physical abuse. The Van Buren County Sheriffs Office then drafted a search warrant for a home on M-40 near 1st Avenue in Pine Grove Township.

Jesse Stone, 46, and Stephanie Stone, 38, were arrested and charged with multiple counts of child abuse. Jesse Stone was also charged with counts of criminal sexual conduct. His bond was set at $750,000 and Stephanie Stone is being held on a $100,000 bond.

A booking photo released by the Van Buren County Sheriffs Office of Jesse Stone.

A booking photo released by the Van Buren County Sheriffs Office of Stephanie Stone.

The two have an in-home daycare at the residence, according to the Van Buren County Sheriffs Office, but deputies do not believe any children who attended the day care were being abused. The investigation is ongoing.

In a January 2022 report from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, the address was registered to Little Cubs Childcare. Stephanie Stone is the owner of the day care and Jesse Stone an employee.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
For Vance and Rubio to get Trumps VP nod, they may have to overcome their own governors

The two Republican senators on Donald Trumps shortlist for potential running mates may have to overcome some political baggage in the form of their home-state governors to get the nod.

If Trump picks either Marco Rubio of Florida or JD Vance of Ohio, the senators successor would be chosen by a Republican governor who has engaged in high-profile clashes with the former president. In Florida, that honor would go to Gov. Ron DeSantis, a onetime ally viewed more recently by Trump as disloyal for launching a rival presidential campaign. If Vance is picked, his Ohio replacement would be appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine, who has rarely seen eye to eye with the former president.

Its a fact that allies of Vance and Rubio are acutely aware of in the intensifying final days leading up to Trumps announcement  and one they are trying to mitigate against by insisting the other senator has it worse. Pro-Rubio forces have suggested to those who will listen that DeWine would likely replace Vance with someone unaligned with Trumps MAGA movement.

It would be a step backwards for the America First agenda, one such Rubio backer said in making the case against Vance.

Meanwhile, DeSantis deflection from Trump is a regular topic of conversation among those rooting for a running mate other than Rubio, including people urging the former president to consider Vance. A person with knowledge of the Trump-DeSantis relationship said the narrative may have captured the former presidents attention several months ago, but their ties have improved since their acrimonious race ended. In April, Trump and DeSantis met face-to-face and spoke for the first time since DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race some three months earlier.

They get along way better, the person said.

Usually, when presidential candidates are considering a senator as a running mate, concern about a replacement only arises if a governor from the opposing party is in charge of the appointment, especially in a closely divided chamber. That isnt the case here as Republicans would not be at risk of losing the seat. Another running mate contender, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, would also create an opening if selected for the role, but unlike Rubio and Vance, his home-state governor, Henry McMaster, is a Trump-aligned conservative. Scott, though, as CNN previously reported, is outside Trumps current top three of Vance, Rubio and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Trump is weighing a host of factors in his running mate search that reach far beyond the potential political dominos that may fall in Ohio or Florida. His team has repeatedly said that Trump is focused on finding someone who will make a great president for eight years after his next four-year term concludes. Meanwhile, the camps for the competing senators insist theyre not directly engaging in the shadow campaigns, with one Ohio Republican operative describing Vance and Rubio as friends.

Still, every consideration has been explored as Trump inches toward a decision  which could come anytime between now and the Republican National Convention later this month. Also, Trump is known to hold grudges and its hard to find two Republican governors who have landed on the former presidents bad side more than DeWine and DeSantis.

Eye on the Buckeye State

DeWine has not explicitly endorsed Trumps third White House bid and recently found himself on opposite sides of the former president in a key Republican Senate primary in the Buckeye State. Trump backed the eventual winner, businessman Bernie Moreno, while DeWine put his name behind state Sen. Matt Dolan.

Though DeWine is a former US senator himself, his allies believe it is incredibly unlikely he would appoint himself to the job if Vance is chosen. Though he has never been close to Trump, DeWine also wouldnt want a bad relationship with a Republican administration, they say.

I dont think Mike DeWine would make a decision based on what Trump would like or hate, said Ohio Republican strategist Mark Weaver, who has advised DeWine in the past. I think he does what he thinks is best for Ohio. He does not get caught up in the Trump clamor, much to the chagrin of those caught up in the Trump clamor.

For DeWine, the choice of successor is a potentially legacy-defining pick, and finding someone who could appease all party factions, from the establishment class to the MAGA wing, and survive a primary challenge in 2026 would be a top priority, Republicans close to the governor told CNN.

Among those in the mix are Dolan, former Ohio Republican Party chair Jane Timken, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Attorney General Dave Yost.

The Ohio GOP operative added that DeWine, who cannot run for a third term in 2026, is already jockeying for Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to succeed him and is cognizant that angering Trump now could create problems for that race down the line.

Another Ohio Republican familiar with DeWines operation noted that the governor has often elevated women into critical roles and would likely consider the opportunity to appoint the states first female senator.

Trump-DeSantis relationship in the spotlight

Trump and DeSantis have not discussed potential contenders to fill Rubios seat, according to two people close to the governors political team. Nor do they believe DeSantis would consider Trumps wishes when making a decision.

There are no deals, and hes not going to trade a Senate seat to help Marco, a fundraiser close to DeSantis political operation said. I dont know that he cares about getting back on Trumps good side that way.

The person with knowledge of the Trump-DeSantis relationship also confirmed that no such discussions have taken place, though the person added that the former president would be reticent to broach the topic until after he has selected a running mate. Trump is keeping the selection under wraps, and some of his closest aides are unaware which direction he is headed.

If Rubio is Trumps choice, DeSantis could face a decision on replacing his fellow Florida Republican sooner rather than later. To help avoid constitutional hurdles from sharing a home state with Trump, Rubio could resign his seat and establish residence elsewhere.

In an interview on CNN after last weeks debate, Rubio said it would be presumptuous to discuss such a scenario.

The job has not been offered to me, he said. I am not the vice presidential choice. No one is right now. And well cross bridges when we get to them.

Several people close to DeSantis political team believe his chief of staff, James Uthmeier, is at or near the top of the list of people he would consider to succeed Rubio.

Uthmeier, widely considered the Florida governors most trusted aide, also took over DeSantis embattled presidential campaign down the stretch. As campaign manager, he oversaw DeSantis pivot to a far more aggressive posture against Trump as he tried to gain traction with Republican voters.

I dont think thats a factor, the person apprised of the Trump-DeSantis relationship said.  And I do think DeSantis would check in with Trump before making a pick.

CNNs Alayna Treene and Kit Maher contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Cedar Hills Harvey Park to be closed all summer after vandals set blaze with fireworks

CEDAR HILLS, Utah (ABC4)  Vandals set off fireworks at Harvey Park in Cedar Hills, causing a significant fire that resulted in extensive damage, officials said.

The City of Cedar Hills said the incident happened on the night of July 2 when vandals set off fireworks in the playground area.

Images showing damage following an incident with fireworks at Harvey Park. (City of Cedar Hills)

Images showing damage following an incident with fireworks at Harvey Park. (City of Cedar Hills)

Due to the severity of the incident, a significant portion of the playground will be closed for the remainder of the summer for repairs, a press release from the city said.

The release went on to report that this event is part of a troubling trend of increased vandalism in the city. City officials said they are working with law enforcement to address these issues and ensure the safety of public spaces.

The city said they are committed to restoring Harvey Park as quickly as possible and appreciate the communitys understanding and cooperation during this time.

READ NEXT: Safety tips, reminders for lighting your Fourth of July fireworks at home

I am extremely upset by the wanton destruction of our much-loved Harvey Park. We take these acts of vandalism and destruction very seriously and will work diligently to restore the playground, Mayor Denise Andersen said.

Residents are being asked to report any suspicious activity to the American Fork Police Department. Updates on repairs and reopening will be posted on the citys official channels.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY)  City Council unanimously voted in favor of a resolution to support the U.S. Navy assigning new aircraft to Naval Air Station Oceana.

Rep. Kiggans, Virginia Beach leaders want Navy to send F-35s to NAS Oceana

While Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson said ahead of the vote that they havent been specific as to what kind of aircraft it wants to see come to NAS Oceana, 10 On Your Side previously reported that both Wilson and Mayor Bobby Dyer were putting forth the resolution to formalize city support for having the Navy locate new F-35C Lightning II joint strike-fighter aircraft to the East Coast Master Jet Base.

Rep. Jen Kiggans, speaking before Virginia Beach City Council after it voted unanimously in favor of a resolution supporting the U.S. Navy adding new aircraft to NAS Oceana.

Rep. Jen Kiggans, a former Navy pilot who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, addressed council and thanked it for its support.

We know that we have two master jet bases, Kiggans said. We have one on the East Coast here at Oceana. We have another one on the West Coast at Lemoore (Naval Air Station Lemoore in San Diego). We know that right now that Lemoore is slated to receive some of the next generation strike fighters. We want Oceana to be in that discussion as well.

So this resolution is very important in sending that message to our leadership in the Navy and for the military that Virginia Beach is a welcoming city, that we want our Navy to stay here.

Members of the Virginia Beach City Council, along with Rep. Jen Kiggans, Ret. Navy Capt. Janet Lomax, military outreach coordinator for Sen. Tim Kaine, and Command Master Chief Petty Officer Gene Garland, who works as the military liaison/outreach coordinator for Sen. Mark Warner, stand together after council voted unanimously in favor of a resolution supporting the U.S. Navy adding new aircraft to NAS Oceana.

Currently, the jets, described as the most lethal, survivable and connected fighter aircraft in the world, are all headed mostly to the West Coast.

The resolution did not specific a type of aircraft the city council was supporting to come to the base, but it did note in the resolution that in addition to its pledged ongoing support through its AICUZ Program (Air Installations Compatible Use Zones), the city wishes to invite the Department of Defense to count on Virginia Beachs support as it considers the assignment of any present and future generations of defense aircraft needed to keep NAS Oceana fully equipped for its important mission.

The thought is, if Navy leadership sees the citys support, they may not only consider basing the F-35s at NAS Oceana, but they will likely also spend the money to make improvements the base desperately needs.

Kiggans, in a statement made last month, said it was time for NAS Oceana to receive long-overdue funding support to upgrade and revitalize the base.

I believe that it is time to look to the future of NAS Oceanas strategic mission and start the conversation about bringing the militarys newest aircraft to Hampton Roads, Kiggans said in a statement. Starting the process early allows for the numerous studies and regulatory tasks to be completed by the time additional F-35 are assigned to a home base.

According to the Navy, NAS Oceana, which spans more than 5,000 acres in the heart of Virginias largest city, is home to 330 aircraft, including the F/A-18F Super Hornet, and provides an estimated $1.5 billion yearly in economic impact.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs is expected to open its new veterans home in Sallisaw by the end of the year. (Photo by Kennedy Thomason/Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY  A new veterans home is on its way in Sallisaw.

The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs is expected to open the 175-bed home in late fall. It will replace the home in Talihina, which closed in October.

Sallisaws opening will take the state to seven operational veterans homes. The others are in Ardmore, Claremore, Clinton, Lawton, Norman and Sulphur.

Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs Executive Director Greg Slavonic oversaw progress on the Sallisaw home and the closure of Talihinas home during his 15-month employment with the agency.

He said the projected opening date is late November or early December, if everything stays on track. The Sallisaw home is about 80% complete, he said, and IT installation has begun.

Ive been very happy with how everyone has worked together, the Flintco team, our team, in pulling together and making sure that weve got a good relationship, and were all pulling on the same end of the rope with the objective of getting that home opened as soon as possible.

Furniture will be moved in during August, Construction Programs Administrator Nisha Young said during a June 10 Oklahoma Veterans Commission meeting.

To open, Slavonic said 20 veterans will move into the home to prove competence of staff and efficiency of the facility to the federal VA. It would then evaluate the home on a pass/fail standard.

If the home does not pass inspection, Slavonic said it would likely be a quick fix.

If we fail, its not going to be a life threatening [situation] the way Im told by my deputy, who has been in constant communication with other homes [that] have gone through this process, Slavonic said. So its not going to be a life threatening situation. Its probably going to be something technical or some procedural thing that were not doing that needs to be corrected.

Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs Director of Homes Rob Arrington said he estimates admission will be open to all veterans at the end of the year or beginning of 2025.

Originally, Slavonic said the plan was to have the Talihina homes closure coincide with the Sallisaw homes opening. However, because of engineering and design changes, he said that timeline was not achieved.

Talihinas closure left 36 veterans displaced. They were given the choice to move to any of the other six operational homes, and will have right of first refusal at the Sallisaw home, Slavonic said.

A few months after he began serving as executive director, Slavonic learned it would cost $500,000 per month to keep the 600-acre homes doors open.

That wasnt a cost Slavonic was willing to pay.

 I just didnt feel [it] was the best use of taxpayers dollars, Slavonic said. So [it] just made sense to close it early and try to save some of that money, given that we were having some challenges with, our budget to begin with.

Samantha Shoecrast, director and event coordinator for the Talihina Chamber of Commerce, said she hopes the property could bring jobs to help with Talihinas lack of employment.

It would be awesome if we could get, like, some more jobs available for Talihina, like anything that might host some jobs for the Talihina, you know, locals.

Talihina has a population of 2,215 residents and a 39.5% employment rate, according to 2020 census data.

Shoecrast has not heard about any plans for the property.

When the Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations learned the land was no longer being used, they requested it be reverted back. The nations donated the land to the state to become a tuberculosis sanatorium, which opened in 1921. It later became a veterans home.

The nations did not respond to requests for comment.

Now, the state is looking into selling the property. Slavonic said it is valued at $5.6 million.

The Talihina home property is on the market, Slavonic said, but there are not any formal bids. He said the hope is to have the property sold by winter to avoid extra operating costs, such as heat and water.

Christina Helfrey, spokeswoman for the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, said in a statement that the agency is working with the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs on what the propertys future will be.

We are looking into the tribes rights and exploring ways to work together for the betterment of all Oklahomans, Helfrey said.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post New veterans home on track to open late fall appeared first on Oklahoma Voice.
ASTANA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- In a joint statement signed with China here Wednesday, Azerbaijan said it supports the China-proposed Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative.

Azerbaijan is willing to actively participate in the cooperation under these initiatives, accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, and jointly safeguard international and regional security and stability, said the statement. 
Retail theft is increasingly a concern for some major chains and elected officials in different parts of the country. And the varying degrees of penalties for shoplifting in different states continue to be a contentious issue.

A recent social media post of a phony sign that appeared to be outside of the Louis Vuitton store in downtown San Francisco has further stoked that debate. Designed to resemble a municipal-issued street sign, it read, NOTICE: Stolen goods must remain under $950. The sign appeared to mock Californias retail theft law, which is considered a misdemeanor if the value of the stolen goods is less than $950.

More from WWD

A few years ago the Louis Vuitton store in San Francisco was the site of a smash-and-grab robbery. Video footage of that incident, which was among several that had taken place in the Union Square area at that time, went viral on social media and was widely featured in the mainstream media. In November of 2021, nine individuals were arrested by law enforcement officials and faced felony charges for those crimes.

Rachel Gordon, director of policy and communications at the San Francisco Department of Public Works, said Wednesday, These were not city signs. I dont know who put them up. Gordon declined to elaborate.

While speculation that the sign was Photoshopped or AI-generated was floated by some social media sleuths, that was not the case. San Francisco Police Department information officer Eve Laokwansathitaya said Wednesday, We can confirm that the unauthorized sign was posted and was immediately removed upon discovery. We are not releasing any further information. California does not have a law that allows for theft. Please refer to Prop 47 [a law enacted in the state in 2014 that classified shoplifting as a misdemeanor] for further specifics that detail the legislation.

Pursuant to Penal Code section 459.5, Prop 47 defines shoplifting as entering a commercial establishment while the establishment is open during regular business hours with the intent to commit larceny where the value of the property taken does not exceed $950. Any act of shoplifting must be charged as shoplifting and may not be charged as burglary or theft.

The phony signs message was delivered at a pivotal time. A ballot measure that would make reforms to Prop 47 with new penalties for repeat shoplifters and penalties for fentanyl dealers was announced by Gov. Gavin Newsoms office Monday. The plan was crafted with Senate president pro tempore Mike McGuire and Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas. It was reportedly put together behind closed doors last weekend as an alternative to a more punitive initiative that was created by a coalition of retailers and law enforcement officials that would result in jail time for repeat shoplifting offenders.

Under both proposals, repeat shoplifting offenders would face felony charges. However, the retailers initiative would result in a three-strike policy and increased sentences regardless of when the convictions occurred. The legislators proposal would lead to tougher punishment if the repeat offenders struck within a three-year span, allowing police to aggregate the value of the stolen goods.

Touting the proposed measure to Proposition 47, a press release issued Monday by Newsoms office notes that California has the 10th toughest threshold nationally for prosecutors to charge suspects with a felony, $950. Forty other states  including Texas ($2,500), Alabama ($1,500), and Mississippi ($1,000)  require higher dollar amounts for suspects to be charged with a felony.

Florida has a much lower threshold of $300 to discourage shoplifters and protect businesses.

Media requests to McGuire and Rivera were not acknowledged Wednesday, nor were ones to the Union Square Alliance or the San Francisco Council of District Merchants Association. A spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation deferred comment to Rachel Michelin, president of the California Retailers Association, who had not responded immediately to a media request.

A report released by the Council on Criminal Justice last fall said that the average shoplifting rate across a group of 24 cities had fallen over the past few years, declining from around 45 to 40 offenses per 100,000 people in the period between January 2019 and June 2023. However, the councils data also showed significant spikes in some cities such as New York City where reported shoplifting incidents rose by 64 percent and Los Angeles, which saw a 61 percent increase. Contrary to some media coverage, reported incidents declined over the same period in San Francisco by 5 percent.

Best of WWD
VIRGINIA (WFXR)  As the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force recently issued a Drought Advisory Declaration, including a drought warning and drought watch, farmers across the Commonwealth are feeling the continued effects of hot and dry weather.

According to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the declaration is intended to advise residents in the affected areas to prepare for a potential drought. As conditions are tracked and followed, a drought or severe drought designation is initiated by local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices and approved by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack.

This designation allows farmers in the affected areas to become eligible for assistance from the FSA. Farmers also located in counties and cities near areas where primary drought is declaration is made are also eligible to apply for emergency assistance.

Virginia cattle farmers pivot to deal with hot, dry weather

If eligibility requirements are met, the FSA will assess each emergency loan application and consider specific circumstances and needs. Farmers in eligible localities will have eight months from the date of the disaster declaration to apply for the loans.

Droughts can severely impact agriculture by reducing crop and forage yields, and lead to additional cost for feed, watering, and destocking livestock. Droughts also increase mortality and reduce growth in our forest and increase the risks of forest fires, said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr. We can all take steps to help our farmers by conserving water and buying local. We can also help protect our forests by adhering to burn bans, putting out campfires, and taking precautions when using fireworks.

For more information, visit the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 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.
FILE - Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore, Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, recognizes a visitor in the gallery as she presides over the Senate, Jan 27, 2020, at the state Capitol in Richmond, Va. Lucas and House Appropriations Chairman Luke Torian announced late Tuesday, July 2, 2024, that they plan to introduce identical legislation to repeal changes to the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program in the two-year budget that took effect on Monday, July 1. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  After weeks of disagreement, Virginia lawmakers have reached a deal to repeal new restrictions on a program that offers free college tuition at state schools for families of military veterans who were killed or seriously disabled while on active duty.

Senate Finance Chair Louise Lucas and House Appropriations Chairman Luke Torian announced late Tuesday that they plan to introduce identical legislation to repeal changes to the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program in the two-year budget that took effect on Monday. Members of the Senate and the House of Delegates will return to Richmond on July 18 to vote on the agreement.

The new legislation will propose an additional $90 million in taxpayer funds to pay for the program, in addition to the $40 million already included in the budget. The programs costs have risen from $12 million to $65 million in five years. Previously, state colleges and universities have covered the costs with state funds and tuition from other students.

Lucas said the new proposal would set aside $65 million each year for the program, while the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission studies it, along with a task force appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and a Senate work group.

This study and the allocation of what now will be $65 million per year for the program provides me with the comfort that we will not place the burden of the escalating cost of the program on other students through their tuition charges, Lucas said in a statement.

To rein in the program's rising costs, the budget deal passed by the General Assembly in May restricted eligibility to associate and undergraduate degrees, required participants to apply for other forms of financial aid and tightened residency requirements.

After vehement protests from military families, the House of Delegates voted last week to repeal the new restrictions, but the Senate took no action after meeting twice in two weeks to work on the issue.

Youngkin praised the agreement.

A full, clean repeal with additional financial support for the VMSDEP program, unencumbered by any other provisions, is great news for our military heroes, first responders, and their families, Youngkin posted on the social platform X.
Insights from The Washington Post, NBC News, and The Atlantic

The News

Since Bidens diminished debate performance last week, more polls have emerged that show Donald Trumps lead over Biden has expanded.

In two polls released Wednesday, one by The New York Times/Sienna and the other by The Wall Street Journal, Trump is firmly ahead by several points.

The polls also show that voters believe Biden is too old. As his support has become increasingly perilous, Vice President Kamala Harris has emerged as perhaps the most likely candidate to replace him if he were to drop out of the presidential race.

Harris has strongly defended Biden, but several senior Democratic sources told Reuters that she was the number one alternative. Donors, meanwhile, are exchanging text messages and phone calls about what her campaign would look like should Biden bow out, CNBC reported.

House Democrat Summer Lee described Harris as the obvious choice, a sentiment longtime Biden ally Rep. James E. Clyburn has echoed  if Biden drops out.

In a CNN poll conducted after the debate, Harris performed better than Biden in a match-up against Trump.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Harris loudly defends Biden, even as momentum behind her grows

Source: Los Angeles Times

Harris has been among Bidens most vocal supporters, appearing on CNN within minutes of the debates end to voice her support for the President and his reelection campaign. A former Harris aide told Semafors Morgan Chalfant that she is laser-focused on defending Biden amid the debate drama. But while Harris is publicly staying the course and backing Biden, if the ground keeps shifting inevitably shes going to be put in a position of potentially having to make a decision or maybe a decision being made for her over her next moves, a former advisor told the Los Angeles Times.

As VP, Harris is already on the ticket, a key advantage

Sources: NBC News, The Washington Post, The Hill

As Bidens VP, Harris has an advantage over any other potential nominees. Most of the Biden campaigns war chest would go directly to Harris if he steps down, NBC News reported  money that would otherwise be difficult to transfer if the party coalesced around a candidate not already on the ticket. Harris supporters also contend that she is the only potential replacement who has been tested on the national stage. Everybody is familiar with the vice presidents flaws. Theyre not as familiar with the flaws of the other candidates, Harriss former communications director told The Hill.

Harris has faced the lowest approval ratings of any VP on record

Sources: NBC News, The Atlantic, Politico

Even so, Harris has a spotty record, and has, at a time, had the lowest approval ratings of any vice president in the history of NBC News polling. Her first year on the job was defined by rhetorical blunders, staff turnover, political missteps, and a poor sense of what, exactly constitutes her portfolio, as a profile in The Atlantic put it. Harris allies have pushed back on this narrative, arguing she was handed a poisoned chalice when she became the administrations point person on immigration and the migrant crisis. But since then, Harris has gradually taken on a more prominent role in the reelection campaign and policy making, taking the lead on abortion rights and making major speeches on the Gaza war. Ultimately, Democrats believe she has found her footing.
CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY)  Virginia State Police is investigating a vehicle crash on I-464 Wednesday morning.

According to officials, officers were dispatched to I-464 southbound at Freeman Avenue around 7 a.m. in reference to a vehicle crash.

Police told 10 On Your Side that two people have been detained as a result of the crash. No additional information has been released at this time.

Freeman Ave. off-ramp closed (Courtesy: VDOT)

The Freeman Avenue off-ramp was closed as crews worked to clear the road. The ramp has since reopened.

WAVY 10 has reached out for more information on the incident.

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.
VSPs Operation C.A.R.E to help protect and keep drivers safe during 4th of July travel

RICHMOND, Va. (WFXR)Virginia State Police will once again be conducting Operation C.A.R.E across the Commonwealths roadways over the Fourth of July weekend.

As part of its efforts to increase safety and reduce traffic fatalities during the holiday weekend, VSP will be increasing patrols with a specific focus on July 3 and July 7, which are expected to be busier travel days. As a part of the Operation C.A.R.E. national program, deputies intended to reduce crashes, fatalities, and injuries due to impaired driving, speeding, and failing to wear a seatbelt.

This program is a part of VSPs efforts to increase safety and reduce traffic fatalities.

Roanoke Sheriffs Office helping residents Keep it Cool this summer

We want to be able to say that this was one of the safest July 4 holidays ever on Virginias roads, said Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police. In order to do that, we are going to need all Virginians to drive sober, avoid distractions, comply with posted speed limits, and buckle up.

VSP reports troopers cited 2,051 people for speeding and 980 people for reckless driving and arrested 36 people for driving under the influence during the two-day operation in 2023.

If you are planning on drinking at a Fourth of July party, VSP asks you to plan ahead and arrange for a designated driver, rideshare service, or taxi handy. Party hosts are encouraged to serve non-alcoholic drink options and ensure guests are not drinking and driving after the event.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
WAMEGO (KSNT)  A local development company is celebrating the ribbon-cutting of a new apartment complex in Wamego next month.

Frontier Development Group (FDG) announced in a press release the ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. on Aug. 7 at 512 Spruce Street. Attendees will be able to see inside the renovated space which used to make up the Wamego hospital.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

The apartments contain 10 fully renovated living spaces to help fill the need for housing in the community. Funds for the project were made possible due to contributions from Kansas Housing Investor Tax Credits, a moderate-income housing grant, state historic tax credits, commerce SHOVL funds and developer equity.

FDG said remarks will be made at the ribbon-cutting ceremony by representatives from the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation and the Kansas Department of Commerce.

Scientists drill for rare minerals in northeast Kansas

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.
NANJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The population of milu, commonly known as Pere David's deer, has exceeded 8,000 for the first time in a national reserve in China dedicated to protecting this endangered species.

The Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve in eastern Jiangsu Province welcomed 825 newborns this year after the calving season ended in June, according to the provincial forestry authorities.

The species endemic to China was believed to be extinct in the early 20th century. The deer gets its English name from a French missionary and naturalist who came to China in the 1800s and spread the news of this species to Europe.

The population of this endangered deer species has maintained healthy and steady growth in the reserve, increasing from 7,840 last year to 8,216 now.

The deer population in the reserve began to revive after 39 milu deer were gifted by the British government in 1986.

According to Xu Anhong, of the reserve administration, when the reserve was first established, there were no water facilities, roads, or power supply in the area. However, 38 years later, the coastal tidal zone has been transformed into a lush oasis.

"We didn't know what the deer liked to eat, so we tried different grass varieties and observed their behavior," Xu said.

At present, the population of milu deer in China has exceeded 12,000, accounting for more than 80 percent of the global total. 
The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) awarded $1.5 million to strengthen the states local food system.

Announced on Tuesday, the $1.5 million grant will support the infrastructure, supply chains and market access connected to the food supply system.

A total of 337 applications were submitted by farmers, food processors, distributors, small businesses and organizations part of the supply chain in the state.

We continue to be inspired by how these grant projects are developing the capacity of our regional food economy, Laura Raymond, manager of the WSDA Regional Markets Program said. We really wish we could fund many more of these worthwhile activities; each proposal represented an opportunity to build a more vibrant and resilient local food system.

Grants range from $7,000 to 75,000 and cover the cost of post-harvest infrastructure.

Small farms, ranches, and food business entrepreneurs play an important role in maintaining Washingtons vibrant regional food economy, Washington State Department of Agriculture Director Derek Sandison said. The high level of interest in WSDA programs demonstrates the clear need for continued business supports, including technical assistance, publications, market access development and grant awards.

The grant contributes to the WSDAs Focus on Food Initiative.




As families and residents gather to enjoy Wauwatosa's Fourth of July Parade Thursday, people who are sensitive to loud noises, flashing lights and other effects that might cause sensory overloads can attend from a new space hoping to cater to their needs.

Organizers of this year's Fourth of July parade are trying out a Sensory Zone, a dedicated block toward the end of the parade where floats and marchers will be asked to refrain from using flashing lights, loud music or sirens. Here's what to know.

What's a sensory zone for a parade?

While the space is open to anyone, the initiative is especially geared towards individuals who are sensitive to sensory overload, including those with autism, PTSD, or other conditions that might make a parade environment challenging, according to a city news release.

That includes veterans, according to organizer Mary Callen. Callen said her late husband Paul, a U.S. Army veteran who died about six years ago, would have been proud to be in the sensory zone with her.

"This zone is a space for those who might be isolated from community events," said Callen, who has been a member of Wauwatosa's Commission for Persons with Disabilities. "This doesn't mean just people with disabilities or just our veterans."

Callen and fellow organizer Deb Falk-Palec believe Wauwatosa's sensory zone is the first in Southeastern Wisconsin.

Deb Falk-Palec (left) and Mary Callen helped bring Wauwatosa's Fourth of July Parade a sensory zone for people who are sensitive to loud noises and flashing lights.

How will the sensory zone work at the Wauwatosa parade?

Look for the Sensory Zone signs near the final block of the parade (around 80th and 81st Streets on North Avenue). In that area, groups in the parade will be notified with flyers to stop all lights, sirens, loud music and sounds that could be startling as they approach 81st Street.

The zone isn't meant to be the end to celebrations, but a quieter area people can opt to experience the parade from, the organizers agree.

Waving, passing out candy, dancing, smiling and saying hi are all highly encouraged, Falk-Palec said.

"It's not like we want everyone silent," said Falk-Palec, who chairs the Milwaukee County Commission for Persons with Disabilities.

"We're not there to enforce or patrol the noise," Callen added.

Since it's the first year for the sensory zone, Callen and Falk-Palec are eager to see how it goes. They hope having an added area considerate of people's sensory needs just becomes a normal part of Wauwatosa events.

Callen said she and other commission members already passed out flyers to businesses along the parade route notifying folks of the sensory area.

Wauwatosa's idea for a sensory zone came from a news story

Falk-Palec was watching the news about two years ago when she saw a segment on communities around the country including sensory zones in their parade celebrations. A quick Google search showed that a few Wisconsin communities had used sensory zones, but she couldn't find one near Wauwatosa.

She reached out to the City of Manitowoc to see how they'd got their community on board with the sensory zone, and then brought the idea to the Wauwatosa Commission for Persons with Disabilities.

Then, Falk-Palec and Callen worked with Ald. Joseph Makhlouf to present the idea to the Civic Celebration Commission, which is in charge of Wauwatosa's Fourth of July festivities.

Brit Swisher, head of fundraising and public relations for the Wauwatosa Civic Celebrations Commission, said the organizers helped educate the commission on the need for the zone and how they would bring it to Tosa, he said.

"You figure people just don't go to a parade because of fireworks or loud noises," he said, adding that the commission welcomed the idea of trying out a sensory zone to see if that helps include those who might otherwise opt to stay home.

If parade-goers find it helpful, organizers will continue it next year, Swisher said.

Extended accessible parking at the corner of Swan Boulevard and North Avenue

In addition to the sensory zone, this year's parade will include a parking lot dedicated to accessible parking at the Bell Tower Office Building at the corner of Swan Boulevard and North Avenue, behind the bank building.

"These spots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, providing easy access to the parade route for those with mobility issues," according to the city's website.

Where else have sensory zones been used?

Wauwatosa has joined a growing list of communities in Wisconsin  and the world  bringing sensory accommodations to their parades.

This year's St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland, included a "Relaxed Parade Space" sponsored by Dublin City Council catered towards neurodivergent families and individuals.

Bridget Fogarty is a reporter for the Brookfield, Wauwatosa and Elm Grove communities. She can be contacted at bfogarty@gannett.com

Editor's note 7/3/2024: This story was updated to include the correct address for the Wauwatosa extended accessible parking lot.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New 'sensory zone' to be part of Wauwatosa Fourth of July Parade
The Emmy Award-winning "CBS News Sunday Morning" is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. "Sunday Morning" also streams on the CBS News app beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET. (Download it here.)

Guest host: Lee Cowan.

WATCH THE FULL JULY 7 BROADCAST!

COVER STORY: Is Boeing recovering the public's trust? | Watch Video

Founded in 1916, Boeing built a reputation as the gold standard in aviation design. But the storied company has been under scrutiny from regulators and the public alike after the 2018 and 2019 crashes of its 737 MAX, resulting in 346 deaths, and another incident with a 737 MAX this January involving a door panel blowing out mid-flight. Correspondent Kris Van Cleave talks with investigative reporter Peter Robison (author of "Flying Blind"), and with a 737 pilot who says change at Boeing is desperately needed now.

For more info:

The Boeing Company"Flying Blind: The 737 MAX Tragedy and the Fall of Boeing" by Peter Robison (Doubleday), in Hardcover, Trade Paperback, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.orgCaptain Dennis Tajer, Foundation for Aviation SafetySpecial thanks to chief instructor Michael Haynes at Simulation Flight LLC, Mukilteo, Wash.

What do you call an outdoor grill that's big and green and shaped like an egg? A Big Green Egg, of course! / Credit: CBS News

FOOD: The Big Green Egg - The thrill of the grill (Video)

The large egg-shaped cooking device, known as the Big Green Egg, takes its inspiration from ancient ovens. But for nearly 50 years the gastronomic gadget has been winning over fans who use it for everything from steaks to pies. Correspondent Serena Altschul looks at the magic of cooking with the egg. (Originally broadcast on November 19, 2023.)

RECIPE: Rack of Lamb (from Big Green Egg)

RECIPE: Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin (from Big Green Egg)

RECIPE: Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie (from Big Green Egg)

For more info:

Big Green EggEGGtoberfest, Atlanta



POLITICS: Determined Biden dismisses calls to drop out of race (Video)

As Democratic faithful in deep-blue Madison, Wis., rallied this past week behind President Joe Biden, who said he's continuing his bid for a second term, some Democratic lawmakers  still grim about fallout from the 81-year-old's debate against former President Donald Trump  haven't been as upbeat. CBS News chief election & campaign correspondent Robert Costa talks with historian Doris Kearns Goodwin about what the experience of two past incumbent presidents, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, may teach us about Biden's campaign for reelection.

HISTORY: Doris Kearns Goodwin on what history may tell Joe Biden

The historian describes what the experience of two past incumbent presidents, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson, may teach us about Biden's campaign for reelection.

For more info:

Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin



MUSIC: Recording a tribute album to Henry Mancini (Video)

In honor of the composer's centenary next year, the family of Henry Mancini has been recording a tribute album featuring some of the Oscar- and Grammy-winner's most beloved music, performed by some of the most celebrated artists today. Correspondent Tracy Smith talks with flutists James Galway and Lizzo, who are putting their paws on the "Pink Panther" theme; and Michael Buble, recording the song that Audrey Hepburn made famous, "Moon River." (Originally broadcast on October 22, 2023.)

Watch part one of Tracy Smith's report on the Henry Mancini tribute album (YouTube Video)

You can stream the album "The Henry Mancini 100th Sessions: Henry Has Company" by clicking on the embed below (Free Spotify registration required to hear the tracks in full):



This embedded content is not available in your region.

For more info:

henrymancini.comAbbey Road Studios, LondonPower Station Recording Studios, New York CityWarehouse Studio, Vancouver



WORLD: How Russia, Ukraine deploy new technologies, tactics on the battlefield | Watch Video

Russia has taken 430 square miles of Ukraine over the past nine months, while thousands of bombs and millions of artillery shells have turned the battlefield into a moonscape of craters. But it comes at a very high cost for the Kremlin  by some estimates, Russia is losing between 25,000 to 30,000 troops per month. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports on how support from Ukraine's allies will determine whether Russia's latest offensive succeeds or fails.

For more info:

George Barros, Institute for the Study of War



PASSAGE: In memoriam (Video)

"Sunday Morning" remembers some of the notable figures who left us this week, including famed screenwriter Robert Towne, who won an Oscar for his noir thriller "Chinatown." [Music: Jerry Goldsmith's love theme from "Chinatown," with trumpet solo by Uan Rasey.]

A participant in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at Polignano a Mare, Italy. / Credit: CBS News

SPORTS: The heights of professional cliff diving (Video)

Professional cliff divers plunge from platforms as high as nine stories tall, all while being judged for their artistry as they twist and flip at 65 miles per hour. They compete on a six-country tour as part of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Correspondent Seth Doane watches a competition in the Italian coastal town of Polignano a Mare, and speaks with athletes Molly Carlson, Aidan Heslop and Ellie Smart about what it takes to compete in this jaw-dropping sport. (Originally broadcast January 14, 2024.)

For more info:

Red Bull Cliff Diving World SeriesMolly CarlsonAidan Heslop (Instagram)Ellie Smart (Instagram)Maya Kelly (Instagram)



HARTMAN: Raccoon rescue (Video)

In Burton, Michigan, friends Tyler Whalen, John Ptaszenski and Bill Messenger were just wrapping up their weekly backyard cookout when a raccoon appeared, in distress. Messenger leapt to action to render aid. As Whalen told it, "We were pumped for that little dude." Steve Hartman reports.

Absorbent and yellow and porous is he! SpongeBob SquarePants! / Credit: Nickelodeon

TV: Hoppin' clams! "SpongeBob SquarePants" turns 25 (Video)

In the 25 years since his debut on Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants, the animated character who lives in a pineapple under the sea, has also appeared in video games, three feature films, and even a Broadway musical. For the voice actors behind SpongeBob and other denizens of Bikini Bottom, the show  a gentle, silly reminder about the value of optimism and friendship  also reminds us of the kid inside us all. Lee Cowan reports.

For more info:

"SpongeBob SquarePants" on Nickelodeon and Paramount+

The exhibit

ARTS: Afrofuturism: Turning pain into possibility (Video)

Correspondent Nancy Giles visits art exhibitions, in Washington, D.C., and New York City, that explore the possibilities of a future as distilled through the pain and promise of the African diaspora.

For more info:

Exhibition: "Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures," at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History & Culture, Washington, D.C. (though August 18)Catalogue: "Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures," edited by Kevin M. Strait and Kinshasha Holman Conwill (Smithsonian), in Hardcover and Trade Paperback formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.orgJohn Jennings, professor, media & cultural studies, University of California, RiversideExhibition: "Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room," at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City (ongoing)



WORLD: Touring a wasteland in Gaza | Watch Video

After the Israel-Hamas war broke out nine months ago, more than a million people sought shelter in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. In May, Israel launched a ground offensive in Rafah and says it has since killed more than 900 Hamas fighters there. But the cost has been a shattered, unlivable city. Correspondent Holly Williams reports.



COMMENTARY: Chip Reid on addressing the long-term mental health of U.S. service members | Watch Video

The former CBS News journalist and author of "Battle Scars" talks about the ever-present stresses that American military personnel face serving overseas, and how PTSD need not be permanent.

READ AN EXCERPT: Marines look back on Iraq War 20 years later in "Battle Scars"

For more info:

"Battle Scars: Twenty Years Later: 3d Battalion 5th Marines Looks Back at the Iraq War and How it Changed Their Lives" by Chip Reid (Casemate), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org

NATURE: Acadia National Park (Extended Video)

"Sunday Morning" leaves you this holiday weekend with a new day dawning at Maine's Acadia National Park. Videographer: Scot Miller.

WEB EXCLUSIVES:

ALMANAC: July 7 (Video)

"Sunday Morning" looks back at historical events on this date.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Eva Marie Saint on why she never went Hollywood (YouTube Video)

Eva Marie Saint, who turns 100 years old on July 4, 2024, won an Oscar for her debut opposite Marlon Brando in "On the Waterfront," and made indelible impressions in such classics as "A Hatful of Rain," "North by Northwest" and "Exodus." But even more impressive than her resume is the fact that she was able to balance career and family. Correspondent Mo Rocca talked with the remarkable Saint in this "Sunday Morning" profile originally broadcast on March 2, 2014.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: The bikini, from top to bottom (YouTube Video)

The skimpy swimwear made its debut on July 5, 1946, after a race by rival fashion designers Louis Reard and Jacques Heim to produce the world's smallest swimsuit. Named after an A-bomb test in the Pacific's Bikini Atoll, and popularized by French actress Brigitte Bardot, the bikini would conquer beaches, fashion shoots, pin-ups and movies. Correspondent Serena Altschul talks with model Kelly Killoren Bensimon, author of "The Bikini Book," and with designer Malia Mills, about the revealing history of the two-piece. (Originally broadcast July 2, 2006.)

FROM THE ARCHIVES: The Joey Chestnut Story (Video)

Construction engineer Joey Chestnut found his true calling when he became a competitive eater; he would go on to win the Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island 16 times since 2007. In this profile that originally aired on "CBS Sunday Morning" on July 4, 2010, correspondent Bill Geist talks with Chestnut about what he would (or would not) eat; with Joey's mother, Alicia, about his childhood love of hot dogs and macaroni & cheese; and with George Shea, chairman of Major League Eating, who calls Chestnut "the greatest eater in history."

EVENTS:

LIVE TALKS: Mo Rocca in Conversation with Candice Bergen

The "CBS Sunday Morning" correspondent talks with Emmy Award-winning actress Candice Bergen about her career, and also discuss Rocca's new book, "Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs," at the 92nd Street Y in New York City on July 15.

For more info:

Ticket info: Mo Rocca in Conversation with Candice Bergen

The Emmy Award-winning "CBS News Sunday Morning" is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. Executive producer is Rand Morrison.

DVR Alert! Find out when "Sunday Morning" airs in your city

"Sunday Morning" also streams on the CBS News app beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET. (Download it here.)

Full episodes of "Sunday Morning" are now available to watch on demand on CBSNews.com, CBS.com and Paramount+, including via Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Chromecast, Amazon FireTV/FireTV stick and Xbox.

Follow us on Twitter; Facebook; Instagram; YouTube; TikTok; and at cbssundaymorning.com.

You can also download the free "Sunday Morning" audio podcast at iTunes and at Play.it. Now you'll never miss the trumpet!

Biden campaign enters critical phase as Capitol Hill returns: "Fear is contagious"

Democratic strategist says party needs to "take a deep breath" after Biden debate debacle

Sen. Lindsey Graham says if Biden steps aside, it's "a dramatically different race" for Trump
Mick Antoniw said law would disqualify Members of the Senedd if found guilty of deliberate deception - Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans/Shutterstock

The Welsh Government has committed to introduce a law which will make it illegal for politicians to lie.

Mick Antoniw, the Labour-led Governments counsel general, said it would disqualify Members of the Senedd and candidates from the house if they were found guilty of deliberate deception.

During the debate, Alun Davies, a Labour member, accused Andrew RT Davies, the leader of the Welsh Tories, of tweeting a lie on Tuesday after he claimed Sir Keirs party wanted to pay illegal immigrants 1,600 a month.

He said: This takes our politics into the gutter and stops us engaging with each other in real political debate.

The law would be introduced ahead of the Senedd elections in 2026.

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Tories, has been accused of lying in a tweet about Labour - Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

Mr Antoniw said: The Welsh Government will bring forward legislation before 2026 for the disqualification of members and candidates found guilty of deliberate deception, through an independent judicial process.

He said that the details of how the law would work needed to be ironed out and called for cross-party cooperation.

Adam Price, the former Plaid Cymru leader who has led calls for such a law to be introduced, said the announcement was globally pioneering.

He said: What has been announced is truly historic, globally pioneering. We have a commitment from our Government that our democracy will be the first in the world to introduce a general prohibition on deception by politicians.

We are at the beginning of a global movement. We are going to outlaw political lying.

Existential threat

Mr Price said truth was essential to democracy, but noted there had been a collapse in trust in politicians, adding: That is an existential threat. A democracy starts to break down if the electors cant trust what the elected say.

We have to innovate, we have to try different things. Its a small minority of politicians, populist demagogues, that deliberately distort the truth for their own political gain, but they poison the well for everyone. It is never acceptable for politicians to deliberately deceive.

Lee Waters, the Labour former minister, accused Boris Johnson of becoming prime minister on the back of a campaign of lies.

He said: Boris Johnson lied his way to Downing Street and lied his way out again. Politics in this country has become darker. The public needs to know they can trust what is being said. Lying cannot become the norm.

On Tuesday, the Welsh Government committed to the legislation as part of a deal with Plaid Cymru and Mr Waters.

It passed the legislation with 26 votes for, 13 against and with 13 abstentions.

Mr Davies was contacted 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 recent violence at the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles was rooted in a decades-long international battle over the expansion of Jewish settlements on land Israel seized and occupied during its 1967 Six Day War with Arab states.

The latest skirmish in that battle  which has been at the center of Israeli-Palestinian animosities  broke out June 23 when pro-Palestinian demonstrators, protesting against a real estate promotional event in which at least one company was offering properties for sale in the occupied West Bank, clashed with pro-Israel counterprotesters.

Building settlements in the West Bank is considered by many countries to be a violation of international law and threatens the prospects that Palestinians will one day have an independent country as part of a two-state solution. But the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently resisted U.S. and international pressure to stop settlement building. The government is reportedly considering legalizing five more settlements in the West Bank.

The conflict over the fate of the occupied territory intensified in October when Hamas militants attacked Israel, leading to the ongoing war in Gaza. The future of the West Bank, where Jews have purchased property for decades, was quickly drawn into the conflict as leading figures in Israels right-wing government called for protecting Israel by expanding settlements on biblical territory Jews refer to as Judea and Samaria.

Palestinians inspect destruction after an Israeli operation in the Nur Shams refugee camp, near the West Bank town of Tulkarm on June 30. (Majdi Mohammed / Associated Press)

Netanyahus strategy, which has been embraced with fervor by nationalists and ultraconservative Jews, is to create a patchwork of Israeli settlements to block the forming of a contiguous Palestinian state.

In late June, a real estate venture called My Home In Israel advertised homes for sale at the event at Adas Torah. An archive of the website for My Home In Israel showed properties listed for as much as $4.1 million in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and in the West Bank settlements of Ariel and Efrat, which was established in the 1980s and has stone homes and the air of a Southern California neighborhood.

My Home In Israel could not be reached for comment. Other companies, including the similarly named Home In Israel, which is run by Julian Shapiro, do not sell properties in the West Bank, Shapiro said. Since Hamas attacked Israel there's been a "big, big rise" in interest by American Jews to invest in the country, he said. Much of that, according to real estate developers, is driven by Jews wanting to show solidarity with Israelis, growing antisemitism, and opportunities for those seeking long-term investments.

"America is our biggest market right now," said Shapiro, who has been brokering Israel properties from his base outside Tel Aviv to clients around the world for 24 years. "We would never sell a property in the West Bank. We don't think it's the right thing to do." He said he follows the protests and political sensitivity in the U.S. around the occupied territories, suggesting that he doesn't want to be unfairly targeted by protesters: "We don't want to advertise because it causes all kinds of havoc."

Marketing programs in Canada and the U.S. by the Israeli Real Estate Event have elicited protests this year by pro-Palestinian demonstrators. A promotion at a New York synagogue was canceled over fears of unrest. The majority of properties offered at the promotions, which connected potential buyers with mortgage brokers, lawyers and builders, were within Israel's legal borders. The West Bank settlements of Efrat, Neve Daniel and Maale Adumim were also advertised, according to a flier cited by the Times of Israel.

An ad for the event, which was organized by Gidon Katz, a global promoter of Israel real estate, read: "In a world where uncertainty looms and anti-Semitism shows its face more boldly than ever, the decision to invest in a home in Israel is not just wise  it's exhilarating!"

Tensions around West Bank lands are unlikely to ease. Politicians and Jewish community groups condemned the violence at Adas Torah as an act of antisemitism. There was criticism of police tactics from both groups, and U.S. Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland said his office would investigate.

Read more: What really happened when protesters, counterprotesters and police converged at an L.A. synagogue

The West Bank  about the size of Delaware was seized from Jordan in the Six Day War. An estimated 500,000 Israelis  up from 300,000 in 2010  live in enclaves among about 2.7 million Palestinians. About 40% of the West Bank is run by the semiautonomous Palestinian Authority, which receives much of its funding from Israel.

The territory has become increasingly violent, and international officials worry that further expansion of Israeli settlements will open a second front in the Gaza war.

"Settler violence and settlement-related violations have reached shocking new levels, and risk eliminating any practical possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian state," United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement in March. At least 500 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces  and some by settlers  since October, according to the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry.

Israelis march on Al-Shuhada Street, known as King David Street by Israeli settlers, in a parade on the Jewish holiday of Purim in the West Bank city of Hebron on March 24. (Marcus Yam/Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

The Hamas-led attack on Israel, which killed some 1,200 people, shook Israels sense of security. Israel retaliated with a war in Gaza that has killed at least 37,900 Palestinians, according to the territorys Health Ministry, and devastated the enclave.



That has emboldened right-wing nationalists to push for a more aggressive occupation of the West Bank, including ragtag outposts that fly tattered flags and dot hilltops around Palestinian orchards and grazing lands.

The Israeli human rights group BTselem has said: In order to expand and consolidate control over the lands it occupied, Israel has applied myriad military, civilian, legal and administrative measures through which it has torn apart Palestinian space, divided the Palestinian population into dozens of disconnected enclaves and unraveled its social, cultural and economic fabric."

Read more: Palestinians face beatings, fires and drones from Israeli settlers in West Bank

More than 250,000 Palestinians were displaced from Gaza and the West Bank in 1967. Despite years of global condemnation, Israel disputes that the West Bank settlements are illegal. It has taken a harder stance that threatens to incite wider Middle East conflict.

Ultraconservatives in the Netanyahu government claim that the Palestinian Authority can no longer be trusted to administer its part of the West Bank: The Palestinian Authority has joined Hamas in trying to harm Israel in Israel and the world, and we will fight it, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a statement published in the Jerusalem Post. For those who needed proof, we got it on October 7. A Palestinian state in the heart of Israel is an existential danger; I will not allow such a disaster to be brought upon the State of Israel.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to '"Palestinian lands" in the West Bank. The land in question is disputed territory seized from Jordan in 1967 and occupied by Israel. Palestinians want it for a future state.

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.
First lady Jill Biden talks to camp-goers at YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville on July 3, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

In the woods of western Michigan Wednesday morning, first lady Jill Biden visited YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville to promote federal programs piloted by Democratic leaders and the Biden administration.

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) joined the first lady, whos married to President Joe Biden, to discuss food access for school children in the summer and a program connecting kids who have parents in the military.

Joe believes that parents shouldnt have to worry about how theyll feed their children, Jill Biden said. And we know that while grocery chains are making record profits, theyre still raising their prices. Thats why the Biden-Harris administration is fighting to lower grocery bills for families.

The first ladys visit comes less than a week after the first presidential debate between Biden and former President Donald Trump, a show characterized by a slow Biden and a lying Trump. Pundits and other Democratic politicians questioned whether Biden is up for another term following the debate. But Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other leaders, including Stabenow, have publicly reaffirmed their support for the campaign. Whitmer is slated to be at the White House Wednesday evening along with other Democratic governors to meet with President Biden.

Stabenow said the current president should not be judged on one debate, but his actions in the White House.

This is a president whos taken action, and I dont think weve had a better president in a lifetime for Michigan, Stabenow said of Biden.

Its also two days following a Supreme Court decision granting presidential immunity to actions done in an official capacity, which most likely includes protections for Trumps scheme to overturn election results in 2021. President Biden slammed the decision Monday and asked voters to reject Trump at the ballot box to preserve democracy in the U.S.

Its a big moment for the 2024 presidential campaign, as both Trump and Biden scramble to pick up Michigans 15 electoral votes in November. Biden beat Trump in Michigan in 2020, but Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton lost to Trump in 2016.

I can tell you that the first family, the second family, has been in Michigan more than any other presidential family in my life, Stabenow said. Ive worked with five presidents, and I can tell you that weve seen the President, the first lady, the vice president [Kamala Harris], the second gentleman [Doug Emhoff], more than any other leadership from the White House coming to Michigan, so they dont take Michigan for granted.

It wasnt Jill Bidens first visit to Michigan this year. The first lady previously visited Grand Rapids in April and toured the state with second gentleman Doug Emhoff in May for the Biden-Harris re-election campaign.

During one of her first stops at the YMCA camp, Biden promoted a food assistance program that could help some families deal with rising grocery store prices.

Summer should be a time of joy and freedom and growing and learning outside the classroom, but for too many children, their summers are stolen by hunger, Biden said. And during the school year, many kids count on getting a meal from their school, but parents paychecks dont get bigger just because its summer break.

Stabenow led an initiative to pour federal funds into expanding food access during the summer for children. The program will make summer meals permanent.

We want them to have, as said before, a hunger for learning, not a hunger for food, Stabenow said. And so Im excited about that and excited so much to have the first lady here lifting this up.

Other states are also implementing their share of federal funds, but several Republican governors rejected the aid.

First lady Jill Biden talks to camp-goers at YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville on July 3, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

First lady Jill Biden talks to camp-goers at YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville on July 3, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

First lady Jill Biden walks with camp-goers and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow on the deck of YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville on July 3, 2024. | Lucy ValeskiJuly 3, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

First lady Jill Biden talks about the presidential administration's efforts to make grocery bills more affordable for families at YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville on July 3, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

First lady Jill Biden arrives at YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville on July 3, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) greets first lady Jill Biden at YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville on July 3, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

First lady Jill Biden high fives camp-goers at YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville on July 3, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) discusses permenant funding for free summer meals in Michigan at YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville on July 3, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

First lady Jill Biden asks children about their favorite part of YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville on July 3, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

Camp attendees dance to "Party in the USA" while first lady Jill Biden talks to other children at YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville on July 3, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

First lady Jill Biden walks with camp-goers and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow on the deck of YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville on July 3, 2024. | Lucy ValeskiJuly 3, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

First lady Jill Biden talks to camp-goers at YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville on July 3, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) introduces first lady Jill Biden to camp-goers at YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville on July 3, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

First lady Jill Biden and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) learn about the food served at YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville on July 3, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

First lady Jill Biden talks to camp-goers at YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin in Middleville on July 3, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

Stabenow predicted the program will feed 900,000 children in Michigan this summer. The new, permanent funding breaks up into three different categories, so families in different situations have flexibility to get food.

Diandra Jones, a parent of a YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin attendee, talked about how the meal provided at camp, funded by the program, helped her save money because she did not have to shop for lunch food for the week.

You dont know how much stress it takes off of me, she said. Not having to worry about buying extra groceries to make a lunch every single day.

Biden also spoke with camp-goers in the mess hall about her work with children who are connected to military veterans.

You kids are really ordinary kids doing extraordinary things, Biden said. And I think its great that you have a chance to come up here to camp and you meet other kids who are in the same situation that youre in.

She asked kids about their favorite parts of camp and took photos with them while songs like Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus and Firework by Katie Perry blasted through the room.

Later on Wednesday, Biden is slated to head up to Traverse City for another campaign event. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is scheduled to headline a President Biden campaign event Thursday in South Haven.

The post In West Michigan, first lady promotes the Biden administrations family support policies appeared first on Michigan Advance.
From West Point to Vernal, when will the 419th Fighter Wings jets fly over your July 4th parade?

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  From the Hill Air Force Base, the 419th Fighter Wing will be flying across the Beehive State to be a part of July 4th celebrations from West Point in Weber County to Vernal near the Colorado border and as far down as Leeds in southern Utah.

Here are the times they will be flying over a celebration in your area, listed in order of times:

LIST: Where to watch fireworks and drone shows in Utah for July 4th

Millcreek  8:54 a.m. East Mill Creek Lions Clubs July 4th Community Celebration

Murray  8:55 a.m. Murray Fun Days

Kaysville  8:58 a.m. Kaysville 4th of July Parade

West Point  8:59 a.m. Party at the Point Celebration

Morgan  9:02 a.m. Morgans 4th of July Celebration

Henefer  9:03 a.m. Henefer 4th of July Celebration

Huntsville  9:06 a.m. Huntsville Independence Day Celebration

Lewiston  9:12 a.m. Lewiston City 4th of July Celebration and Parade

Riverdale  9:19 a.m, Old Glory Days

Clearfield  9:19 a.m. Clearfield City 4th of July

Salt Lake City  9:22 a.m. Stars and Stripes Parade

Leeds  9:53 a.m. Leedss Fourth of July Parade

Fillmore  10:05 a.m. Fillmore 4th of July Parade and Celebration

Vernal  10:32 a.m. Vernals Independence Day Parade

Park City  10:45 a.m. 4th of July Parade and Celebration

Riverton  10:48 a.m. Riverton Town Days

West Jordan  10:50 a.m. West Jordan Grande Parade



The 419th Fighter Wing notes that all times are estimated and subject to change due to weather and operational requirements.

Flyovers by the 419th during the Fourth of July have been a tradition for about 35 years. The fighter wing is made up of 1,200 personnel who serve as citizen airmen working part-time for the military. Most of those in the wing are residents of Northern Utah and regularly volunteer to deploy in support of contingency operations and humanitarian efforts around the world, according to Hill Air Force Base.

This year, the Independence Day flyovers will be conducted by Maj. Tyler McBride, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Harding, Maj. Dylan Nelson, and Capt. Andrew Martin. Combined, they have over 10,000 flying hours throughout their military careers.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
WETMORE (KSNT)  The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) has arrested a Wetmore man for multiple child sex crimes.

Just after 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 2, KBI agents arrested a 51-year-old Wetmore man. The man was arrested on the following counts:

Four counts of aggravated incident liberties with a child rape

Two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy

Topekan arrested after false bomb threat at Stormont Vail Events Center

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Earlier this year, The Nemaha County Sheriffs Office started investigating the case after a child disclosed sexual abuse. After that incident, the Nemaha County Sheriffs Office requested the help of the KBI to investigate the incident. As the investigation progressed, additional allegations of sex crimes were discovered.

The man arrested was booked into the Nemaha County jail, with a bond of $500,000.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar.

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.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. President Joe Biden (R) and Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump participate in the CNN Presidential Debate at the CNN Studios on June 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

A call among some Democrats for President Joe Biden to drop his reelection campaign after an alarming debate performance last week continued to swell Wednesday.

Texas U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett on Tuesday became the first congressional Democrat to say Biden should withdraw as the Democratic presidential nominee. Many top Biden supporters, such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, expressed support for Biden, but other influential Democrats signaled doubts. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said during an interview on MSNBC that its a legitimate question whether Biden is mentally fit for another four years.

Biden himself has acknowledged that he performed poorly in the debate with the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump. He spoke in a soft, raspy voice, and often seemed to lose his train of thought. But he has vowed to remain in the race.

Newsline reporters on Wednesday asked influential Democrats in Colorado where they stand on the matter.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

A spokesperson for Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said he will virtually attend a meeting with fellow Democratic governors and the White House to discuss Bidens candidacy.

On Friday, immediately following the debate, a Newsline reporter asked Polis  who is sometimes mentioned as a potential presidential candidate  if Biden should withdraw from the race, and he did not answer directly. Instead he highlighted why he opposed Trump.

I focus on the issues, and I think (Trumps) tariff plan would be devastating, he said. The fact that he still openly talks about retribution is scary and un-American. So I think that thats an important contrast that we need to drive home to the people of our country.

Later Friday, Polis sent Newsline a written statement. Last night was not a good night, and I hope that President Biden delivers his optimistic message about his vision for our future better throughout the campaign. To beat back Trump we need a clear message and fortitude, the statement said in part.

Adam Frisch, the Colorado Democrat running for the 3rd Congressional District seat, released a video Tuesday calling for Biden to step aside, and he elaborated on this position in an opinion piece published by The Washington Post.

U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, who represents Colorados competitive 8th Congressional District, in an interview with Colorado Politics published Wednesday said it was up to voters to decide whether Biden can win in November.

Heres what other Colorado Democrats said.

Shad Murib

For the sake of Colorado families and our country, Donald Trump cannot win in November. Last week, Donald Trump lied continuously to voters and refused to commit to accepting the results of the 2024 election, Shad Murib, chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, said in a statement Wednesday. Meanwhile, President Biden showed that he and Vice President Harris are the only candidates in this race with a proven track record of improving the lives of Coloradans by lowering costs, creating jobs, and fighting for our freedoms.

Diana DeGette

The President acknowledged himself that he didnt perform well at last Thursdays debate. However, the Joe Biden I saw at Fridays rally in North Carolina, where he surely demonstrated the grasp of the issues and the vigor it will take for another term, is the President I have worked with for the past four years, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, who represents Colorados 1st Congressional District, said in a statement Wednesday. In the coming days, President Biden needs to intensify his efforts to reassure voters that he can continue to lead the nation as effectively as he has during his first term.

Brittany Pettersen

The number one priority for this election is ensuring that Donald Trump never comes near the White House again. We must not lose sight of that. President Biden has been an incredible president who pulled our country out of an economic tailspin brought by Trumps mishandling of a global pandemic and the fallout that followed, U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, who represents Colorados 7th Congressional District, said in a statement Wednesday. Whether President Biden decides to continue running for president is a decision only he and his family can make, but the stakes in this election couldnt be higher.

John Hickenlooper

A spokesman for U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper on Wednesday referred a reporter to a statement he sent to Newsline on Friday. The statement said, President Biden had a bad debate performance, but that doesnt cancel out a remarkable record for a presidents first term. Trump may have been louder, but he said so many things that disqualify him from office. President Biden has my full confidence as president and if he chooses to remain in the race, hell have my full support.

Joe Salazar

Former state Rep. Joe Salazar, a Colorado member of the Democratic National Committee, said Biden should step aside.

Since the debate on Thursday, Ive been extremely concerned about his ability to move forward, so Ive been one of the few DNC delegates willing to publicly express concerns about his ability to move forward, Salazar said Wednesday. He added, Im just going to shoot it straight to you  This is going to plague him throughout the entire campaign. And the way that 50 million Americans viewed that debate performance on Thursday has reverberated not just across the nation but across the world. So, yes, I am actively saying he should drop out.

Salazar said the elected DNC members from Colorado have yet to talk as a group about the matter.

It is a conversation we need to have, he said.

Trisha Calvarese

It definitely wasnt President Bidens best debate, he stumbled a bit at the beginning; but voters arent paying attention to it, Trisha Calvarese, who is running against U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert for Colorados 4th Congressional District seat, said in a statement Wednesday. I havent met a voter yet who watched the full presidential debate. Theyre more interested in their local representative. They want to know what we offer.

Michael Bennet

Newsline contacted U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet for a comment but had not received a reply by the time of publication. A spokesman on Friday sent Newsline a statement from Bennet.

Voters have a clear choice: President Biden and Democrats who are fighting every day on behalf of working American families  or a return to Donald Trumps trickledown economics and a country of haves and have nots, Bennet of Colorado said in the statement. I am committed to doing whatever it takes to defeat Donald Trump, hold the Senate, and flip the House in November.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
By Alimat Aliyeva

The French energy group Total Energies intends to withdraw from projects to develop deep-sea gas fields on the southern shelf of South Africa and concentrate its work on the western shelf of the African country. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing its own sources, Azernews reports.

Deep-sea southern deposits off the coast of South Africa have been recognized as commercially unprofitable, it notes.

In 2019, the French group discovered the Brulpadda gas condensate field, the largest in this part of Africa, with reserves of 1 billion barrels, on the southern shelf of South Africa. A year later, its specialists discovered another deep-sea gas condensate field near it. Total exploration costs cost TotalEnergies $400 million.

The possible withdrawal of the French group from projects south of South Africa is caused, among other things, by the desire to participate in the search for oil and gas in the Orange Basin area. The latter is located in the economic zones of South Africa and Namibia and is located west of the confluence of the Orange River into the Atlantic Ocean.

In recent years, significant deep-sea oil and gas deposits have been found in the Namibian sector of the Orange Basin. Last spring, TotalEnergies acquired licenses to search for oil and gas 200 km off the west coast of South Africa and south of a large oil and natural gas field that was discovered last year offshore neighboring Namibia.
ISLAMABAD, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal Khan on Tuesday called for an early conclusion of a preferential trade agreement and bilateral transit trade agreement with Azerbaijan.

"Pakistan attaches great importance to its relationship with Azerbaijan, and we must continue to advance our cooperation in various sectors, including tourism, transport, energy security, and defense, though this requires additional efforts," he said in his meeting here with Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister Samir Sharifov.

He pointed out that the Chinese and Saudi investments in Pakistan are encouraging Azerbaijani investors to seize the opportunities available in Pakistan.

During the meeting, Sharifov highlighted the ease of travel between the two countries, noting that Azerbaijan received 55,000 Pakistani visitors last year due to its favorable visa policy.

Azerbaijan is the first Central Asian country to initiate direct flights to Pakistan, facilitating greater connectivity, the deputy foreign minister was quoted as saying in a statement. 
President Joe Bidens busy schedule and jet lag  alongside a cold  affected his debate performance, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday.

At a campaign event in McLean, Virginia, Tuesday night, Biden told Democratic donors, I didnt have my best night but the fact is that you know, I wasnt very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones. For real, I think it was about 15 time zones.

In June, Biden visited France on the 80th anniversary of D-Day before heading to Italy for the Group of Seven leaders summit. The president then went to Los Angeles for a fundraiser before spending over a week at his vacation home in Delaware ahead of the debate against former President Donald Trump on June 27, according to Bloomberg.

Following the debate, the White House explained that Biden had a cold. But Bidens comments Tuesday provided more explanation about his performance that has been widely criticized across the aisle.

During a press briefing Wednesday, Jean-Pierre described the presidents busy schedule as rigorous. She also stated that Biden got a cold after traveling  all of those factors contributing to a bad night.

It was not his best night. He had a cold. He was jet-lagged, Jean-Pierre said. You heard directly from the president about this ... when he gets knocked down, he gets right back up.

Karine Jean-Pierre: Hes going to continue

When asked Wednesday if Biden was considering stepping down, Jean-Pierre responded, Absolutely not.

... He has been very clear, and hes going to continue to build on the unprecedented record that hes been able to lay out for the American people. Thats his focus right now.

Jean-Pierre emphasized that Biden was not considering bowing out of the race, denying a report from earlier Wednesday that claimed the president told advisers that he is weighing whether or not he should continue his campaign for president, calling it absolutely false.

The press secretary also acknowledged the concern people expressed about Bidens fitness for another run following the debate, but stated that the campaign is going to continue to look forward.

He understands what people saw, and thats why hes spoken to it multiple times. And hes spoken about his age, for example, multiple times, not just this past Friday, and he gets it, we get it, Jean-Pierre stated.

And so what were going to do is continue to look forward, continue to work on behalf of the American people. ... There is a record here that matters to majority of Americans. We were able to turn some things around, whether its the pandemic, the economy, expanding health care, all of those things matter to the American people, and so thats going to be certainly our focus.

White House calls Kamala Harris the future of the party

When asked if Biden still views himself a transition candidate, referencing a remark the president made in 2020, Jeanne-Pierre answered in the affirmative.

One of the reasons why he picked Vice President President Kamala Harris is because she is indeed the future of the party, and hes very proud to have partnered with her and continues to partner with her and delivering an unprecedented record for the American people, Jeanne-Pierre said.

And I think hes going to continue, certainly to do that. Theyre going to do that as partners like I said.
Its been nearly a week since Joe Bidens disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump. As public pressure mounts for the president to reconsider his run for office, the White House and Biden campaign are struggling to reassure the public that he remains fit for the demands of elected office. Biden may need some reassuring himself.

The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the president is weighing whether to continue in the race, and that he has confided in a close ally that he feels his candidacy now rests on his ability to convince voters that Thursdays disastrous debate was just a fluke. He knows if he has two more events like that, were in a different place, the ally told the Times under a blanket of anonymity.

The White House immediately denied the Times story, with spokesperson Andrew Bates writing on X that it is absolutely false.

That claim is absolutely false. If the New York Times had provided us with more than 7 minutes to comment we would have told them so. https://t.co/SRTYIVTy7v  Andrew Bates (@AndrewJBates46) July 3, 2024

Despite the White Houses denial, CNN reported something similar later on Wednesday. He sees the moment. Hes clear-eyed, an ally told the network.

The reports came after the Biden campaign sent out an all-staff memo touting positive polling for the president. According to a copy of the document obtained by Politico, Campaign Chair Jen OMalley Dillon and Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez wrote that polls are a snapshot in time and we should all expect them to continue to fluctuate  it will take a few weeks, not a few days, to get a full picture of the race.

The memo was just one instance in a wider effort to make direct contact with lawmakers, donors, and staff in the hopes of convincing them that everything is absolutely fine.

As previously reported by Rolling Stone, a similar memo sent to journalists and supporters on Saturday claimed that polling showed that this election was incredibly close before Thursday, and by every metric weve seen since, it remains just as close.

Biden is expected to meet with Democratic governors both virtually and in person on Wednesday. According to one source who spoke to CBS News, state heads want to hear from him directly before going and sticking out their necks for him again.

Also on Wednesday, Biden Chief of Staff Jeff Zients held an all-hands call with White House staffers, in part to address internal concerns about both the presidents debate performance and the growing calls for an upheaval in the campaign ticket. The vibes are really bad. People feel demoralized, one administration official told Politico last week.

Both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly joined the call to reassure staffers that they will continue to fight for reelection. Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running  no ones pushing me out, the president said, per Politico. Im not leaving. Im in this race to the end and were going to win.

President Biden on campaign call that just wrapped, per person on the call:



"Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can as simply and straightforward as I can: I am runningno ones pushing me out. Im not leaving. Im in this race to the end and were going to win.  Elena Schneider (@ec_schneider) July 3, 2024

The campaign is projecting optimism, but surveys and polls it has referenced show that most voters see the president as too old to serve another term, and would prefer a different candidate. Thursdays debate was not an outlier. According to a Tuesday report from the Times, Bidens prep team ahead of the debate described a man whose cognitive issues are becoming more pronounced, more frequent, and more concerning.

The Biden campaigns strategy so far has seemingly been to insist that Thursdays debate was fluke for an aging, but otherwise healthy, president. Everyone just needs to breathe through the nose for a minute, Democratic National Committee finance chair Chris Korge told donors during a call on Monday.

But deep breaths, memos, and meetings wont make the very real concerns about Bidens age and fitness disappear, especially for voters already disillusioned with their two choices on Novembers ballot.

More from Rolling Stone

Best of Rolling Stone
The White House and President Bidens reelection campaign on Wednesday quickly refuted a report by The New York Times that indicated the president told an ally he is unsure whether he can salvage his candidacy following his poor debate performance.

That claim is absolutely false. If the New York Times had provided us with more than 7 minutes to comment we would have told them so, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told The Hill.

In its report, The New York Times cited a key Biden ally who told the publication the president knows he may not be able to salvage his candidacy if he cannot convince the public in the coming days that he is up for the job. The report stated the president understands that his next few appearances, which involve an interview with ABC News and campaign stops in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, are essential to convincing the public he can stay in the race.

Bidens campaign, meanwhile called the report false.

Deputy principal campaign manager Quentin Fulks told CNN, The president is in this race to win it. He is the Democratic nominee.

When asked if Biden has had zero conversations with anyone saying he may not be able to continue, Fulks responded, That is correct.

Fulks added that Biden has been having conversations with Democrats to reassure them that he is in this race, that he knows that he needs to reassure the American people and that our campaign is going to build and scale to win in November.

The New York Times did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.

The Biden campaign has been in a free fall over the last few days after last weeks performance at the debate with former President Trump, in which Biden often appeared halting and meandering, prompting a panic ripping through the Democratic Party over whether Biden should drop out of the 2024 race.

The campaign has been trying to calm supporters and donors since, sending several memos, including one Wednesday that highlighted tight polling against Trump.

Biden has been trailing Trump in key states for several months and in overall national surveys.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
US President Joe Biden speaks during the first 2024 presidential election debate with former US President Donald Trump at CNN Atlanta studios. Will Lanzoni/CNN via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

The White House has rejected a New York Times report that President Joe Biden is considering dropping out of the election following a disastrous debate performance against Republican rival Donald Trump last week.

"That claim is absolutely false. If the New York Times had provided us with more than seven minutes to comment we would have told them so," White House spokesman Andrew Bates said on Wednesday.

The newspaper said that Biden has spoken to a "key ally" about this.

The unnamed ally told the New York Times that the 81-year-old president knew he might not be able to save his candidacy if he could not convince the public of his suitability as a presidential candidate in the coming days, according to the report.

While pressure on Biden is growing from within his own ranks, the best-known faces of his Democratic party have so far held back with harsh criticism and are publicly backing him.

During the TV debate, a raspy-voiced Biden fumbled his sentences, seemed to lose his train of thought, and struggled to get his words out.

The White House has faced a barrage of questions about the president's health, even as it tries to move beyond the botched performance.

Biden aims to meet with Democratic governors on Wednesday to secure their support. He plans to give a television interview to ABC News on Friday. In addition, campaign appearances are planned in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in the coming days.

Next week, Biden plans to give a press conference at the NATO summit in Washington.

Shortly after the New York Times report appeared, the broadcaster CNN also published a report with similar content, citing an ally. It was unclear whether the person was the same source. When asked what statement the White House wanted to make on the matter, the spokesman gave a short answer: "The same."
White House correspondents told The Daily Beast they have lost faith in the White House press teams credibility, with one reporter claiming the saga over a lack of transparency around President Bidens health shows how much trust theyve [the White House] lost with the American people.

Wednesdays White House press briefing blew the sensitive issue wide open, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre fielding sustained questioning about Bidens health, his jet lag, and his cold that all allegedly affected Bidens debate performance. It did not matter how old a person was, suffering a confluence of such things, Jean-Pierre said. It takes a toll. However, she added, her words should not be seen as an excuse, but rather an explanation.

Jean-Pierre claimed the White House had been transparent, but she refused to say if the White House would release more of Bidens medical information.

As the White House reckons with the very-real story of Bidens waning stamina at 81, correspondents are frustrated with the West Wing press teams years-long insistence that the president has maintained the vigor of the man who joined the U.S. Senate at 31.

Michael Ian Black: This Is a Biden EmergencyHe Needs to Exit the Race

It doesnt come across as credible to say that there hasnt been a change, said Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times whose July 2022 story on the presidents age helped crack the dam for coverage of the issue.

The reality was further demonstrated by a Times report on Tuesday that detailed recent and more frequent examples of Bidens cognitive lapses. They have told us repeatedly over the last few years, Hes really sharp, hes as sharp as he ever was, Baker said. However, there are moments where he was not always at his sharpest.

The Times and CNN reported on Wednesday that Biden told a close ally he would consider dropping out of the race if he couldnt salvage public support following his dire debate performance last week. The White House and the Biden campaign denied the claim. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reaffirmed Wednesday he would not be standing down from the election.

Reporting on anyones old age requires extreme sensitivityparticularly when the subject is the leader of the free world. Its a fact most of the multiple White House reporters who spoke to The Daily Beast acknowledged. Still, even as Biden has claimed questions about his age are fair, the White House has long derided stories on Bidens age as hit pieces, particularly in light of a Wall Street Journal story last month that reported on his lapses in private meetings. (That story was criticized for its use of Republican sources, though Democrats were also named throughout.)

Theyve even gone as far as to call editors to complain about them, Baker said.

But after the presidents debate performance last week that spurred multiple Democrats to call for him to withdraw from the presidential race, its been forced to admit the validity of a story it long tried to put to bed. The fact that the communications team was so insistent on presenting the president as fully acute despite reporting to the contrary, too, has damaged its already-strained credibility to the reporters, potentially beyond repair.

U.S. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds the daily press briefing in a newly refurbished briefing room at the White House in Washington, U.S. July 24, 2023. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

This is not the first major thing they have not been forthright about, another White House reporter told The Daily Beast, citing the White Houses about-face on debt ceiling negotiations last year. That credibility has been eroding, but this has kind of been a bit of an iceberg falloff. Its been sorta happening for a while.

A third reporter was more blunt, texting that he found the press teams credibility in already pretty low regard.

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates highlighted Bidens interviews this year with outlets such as ABC and Univision and his gaggles with reporters throughout his term.

Joe Biden has always stood up for the critical role of the free press in our society and said that its legitimate and reasonable for reporters to cover his age, Bates told The Daily Beast in a statement. And we have highlighted that, as he has proven by earning the strongest record of any modern President, Joe Biden is unflinchingly capable and fighting for American families, with sharpness and resolve, every moment of every day.

The reporters acknowledged the communications team's basic role: to present the president in the best possible light and push back on narratives that dont accomplish that goal. In terms of a comms team, theyve done a helluva job, the second reporter said.

But even that team, too, has acknowledged in recent days the reality of the presidents current condition, though theyve tried to use it as an opportunity to praise the presidents policy wins.

A fourth reporter joked, Im getting a lot fewer texts from Andrew Bates, referring to the White House spokesperson.

Never good to be too available, Bates said in a statement.

We get what Americans are feeling, Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday. Thats why hes acknowledging hes not a young man. Thats why hes acknowledging hes a little slower than he used to be inin walking and not as smooth at speaking.

That doesnt explain to reporters, however, why the press team has worked to keep the president so sheltered. The president has stopped for the occasional question as hes traveled, but his press conferences are far and few between. He took no questions on Monday after he finished his teleprompter-aided speech condemning the Supreme Courts ruling on presidential immunity. (Though, according to a March report by the University of California-Santa Barbaras American Presidency Project, former presidents Donald Trump and George H.W. Bush held fewer solo press conferences.)

The composite image presented by the press team of Biden has therefore appeared removed from the reality of a man whose memory and cognition occasionally drift.

Theyre in [between] a rock and a hard place, a fourth reporter told The Daily Beast. Either theyve been misleading us the whole time, or theyre not in the room to see these things.

Still, the debate and subsequent fallout have spurred resilience among a press corps that largely, as most journalists tend to do, never took the communications teams word as gospel.

What it was was a message that we need to do some more reporting, that we need to get a better picture of where things stand, Baker said. The issue that has been raised repeatedly over the last couple of years has not been put to bed.

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.
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  A Texas congressman became the first Democrat to publicly call on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race Tuesday.

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, (D-Texas.), said the presidents debate performance against former president Donald Trump failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments.

Doggett continued, President Biden saved our democracy by delivering us from Trump in 2020. He must not deliver us to Trump in 2024.

In the first press briefing since the debate, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday President Biden is still battling a cold, and his reelection campaign is not going anywhere.

He knows how to do the job, Jean-Pierre said.

Other Democrats have publicly criticized President Biden since the debate but stopped short of calling on him to withdraw.

U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, (D-R.I.), said he was horrified by the presidents frail appearance.

People want to make sure that this is a campaign thats ready to go and win, that the president and his team are being candid with us about his condition, said Whitehouse.

But the Senates top Democrat, Leader Chuck Schumer, (D-N.Y.), said President Biden remains fit to serve.

Weve worked hard together for four years and delivered a lot for America and for central New York, Schumer said. Im for Biden.

The Democratic National Committee could formally nominate President Biden as its candidate as early as mid-July ahead of the August convention in Chicago.

President Biden plans to speak with Democratic governors Wednesday, along with calls to other Democratic leaders and members of Congress this 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 Queen City News.
Why Alaskas elite firefighters are being deployed to protect its permafrost

America has deployed firefighters by parachute to tackle distant blazes for more than 70 years, but now their mission has changed.

After decades of saving lives, they will now target Alaskas precious permafrost, working to prevent melting that could be catastrophic for the environment.

The elite firefighters  known as smokejumpers  are being deployed along the frontlines in the remote Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge.

The regions permafrost, a layer of permanently frozen ground, plays a crucial role in climate stability  but it is being threatened by wildfires, which are growing ever more frequent and ferocious as the world warms.

Alaskas new program marks a radical shift in wildfire management, moving beyond the traditional focus on fires that threaten human life or population centres.

Elite firefighters  known as smokejumpers  are being deployed in the remote Yukon Flats - National Park Service

In a groundbreaking move not seen before in the United States and Canada, the Alaska Fire Service will now combat fires that, while not directly threatening lives, could trigger the thawing of the regions ancient, carbon-rich permafrost and further exacerbate climate change.

The big revolution here is that carbon and permafrost is now being thought of and considered a priority said Dr Brendan Rogers, a scientist at the Massachusetts-based Woodwell Climate Research Center who was involved in research behind the Alaska programme.

The strategy has made a staggering 1.6 million acres a priority for firefighting  anytime flames break out in this area, the smokejumpers will swing into action.

Smokejumping was first proposed in 1934, and in 1939 the programme began as an experiment in the Pacific Northwest Region.

For over 84 years, more than 6,200 individuals have served, among them conscientious objectors, ex-military paratroopers, adventurous college students, firefighting professionals, and even one Apollo astronaut.

Today, around 400 smokejumpers are currently in action across the country. Their jobs can be dangerous and deadly.

In 1949, 12 of a team of 15 smokejumpers lost their lives after the Mann Gulch fire in Montana grew by 3,000 acres in just ten minutes. Other casualties were recorded in Colorados 1994 South Canyon Fire.

But this time the firefighters routes have been meticulously planned.

We asked whether wed be able to get the jumpers out and to an airport without refuelling the helicopter. Basically, can it be a quick extraction of that firefighter? Yukon Flats Refuge manager Jimmy Fox told the Telegraph.

You can only become a smokejumper if you are able to carry 50 kg of equipment and run three miles within 90 minutes or less.

New recruits must already know how to use wildfire-fighting tools, maintain peak physical fitness, and be able to remain composed under extreme stress.

They have 72 hours to encircle the fires they are dropped into and put out the flames.

Water Scoopers  amphibious aircraft that skim the surface of a water body and scoop water into an onboard tank and then drop it on a fire  are deployed to support the firefighters on the ground.

All the resources are just waiting to go, said Mr Fox. Firefighting today is nothing like the past.

The new experiment was Mr Foxs brainchild.

In 2019, my first year as manager, we had the fifth largest fire year for the refuge on record since 1980, he said. We were learning: okay, we have larger fires. We have more fires. The fire season is lengthening. The average annual temperature is increasing. Soon the permafrost will not be able to recover. We needed to do something.

Alaska receives significantly less wildfire funding than needed to control carbon emissions effectively - Paul Ollig/Paul Ollig

Alaska is warming twice as fast as the global average, while the Yukon Flats refuge has warmed by almost 3c since 1950, with winter warming at almost 5c, according to Mr Fox.

Researchers from Woodwell Climate Research Center reported that the burned area has nearly doubled in boreal North America in the past 60 years, and the number of large fires  defined as those bigger than 1000km2  is rising in Alaska.

In the summer of 2019, more than 750,000 acres of the area burned, releasing an estimated 13 million tons of carbon dioxide and 31,000 tons of methane. This emission is equivalent to the annual output of nearly four coal-fired power plants, according to calculations by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Yukon Flats sit atop of an ancient ground rich in ice, known as Yedoma permafrost, which developed during the last ice age.

The fires and warming temperatures threaten this permafrost, a major carbon reservoir with nearly twice as much carbon as the atmosphere. Thawing permafrost allows microbes to break down stored organic matter, releasing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.

Historically, fires have caused the uppermost layer closest to the surface to thaw, but cool temperatures have typically allowed for recovery as the trees regrow and provide shade once more.

Now, due to increased fire frequency and higher temperatures, this natural recovery process is being disrupted.

Yedoma permafrost is high in both carbon and ice content, explained Dr Rogers. With more fires, more severe fires, and warming, Yedoma is vulnerable to subsidence and collapse. That amplifies carbon emissions, and were not getting that permafrost back on any meaningful timescale.

Canada's recent record-breaking wildfire seasons have put Alaska's fire fighters on edge - REUTERS

The loss has the potential to significantly accelerate climate change.

We know that theres twice as much carbon in the ground than exists in the atmosphere today. We know that theres an estimated amount of carbon in Yedoma on Yukon flats that rivals the annual carbon emissions of the United States. So we really have a problem, said Mr Fox.

He added that the recent historic fire season in Canada has put him and his team on edge. Fire ravaged the country in 2023 like no other year. A record 45.7m acres went up in flames, an area about twice the size of Portugal. The smoke affected air quality as far away as New York City.

Canadas fire season last year was just a reminder that were in a new normal, and things are becoming more unpredictable, Mr Fox said.

There are significant challenges to the programme, including scepticism about its effectiveness and questions surrounding its economic viability.

Currently, Alaska receives significantly less wildfire funding than needed to control carbon emissions effectively.

Maintaining carbon emissions from Alaska wildfires at historical levels could require nearly $700 million annually over the next decade, according to the Woodwell Climate Research Center.

Within the US, Alaska receives less than 4 per cent of federal resources for fire management.

The fire management budgets have not been going up in accordance with needs, said Dr Rogers. Im worried about the future. This is only the first step in a long, long process.

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.
People gather in front of the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to protest against the Japanese government for concealing the alleged sexual assault cases involving U.S. military personnel in Japan from the public in Tokyo, Japan, July 2, 2024. Over 350 protesters gathered in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the heart of Tokyo to express their outrage over the silence of the government on Tuesday evening, wielding placards and banners that read "Silenced Cries of Okinawan Girls," "Restore Dignity to Okinawan Women," and "No More Gov't Cover-Ups of U.S. Troop Crimes."

According to local media reports, a 21-year-old U.S. Marine in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa has been indicted on charges of nonconsensual sexual intercourse resulting in injury in May, following the indictment of a U.S. Air Force member for the alleged kidnap and sexual assault of a girl under 16 in December.

The Japanese government, however, did not disclose the cases until local media exposed them at the end of June, sparking widespread anger across the nation. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

TOKYO, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Japanese citizens have gathered here in Tokyo to strongly protest against the Japanese government for concealing the alleged sexual assault cases involving U.S. military personnel in Japan from the public.

Over 350 protesters gathered in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the heart of Tokyo to express their outrage over the silence of the government on Tuesday evening, wielding placards and banners that read "Silenced Cries of Okinawan Girls," "Restore Dignity to Okinawan Women," and "No More Gov't Cover-Ups of U.S. Troop Crimes."

According to local media reports, a 21-year-old U.S. Marine in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa has been indicted on charges of nonconsensual sexual intercourse resulting in injury in May, following the indictment of a U.S. Air Force member for the alleged kidnap and sexual assault of a girl under 16 in December.

The Japanese government, however, did not disclose the cases until local media exposed them at the end of June, sparking widespread anger across the nation.

"The Japanese government, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, knew it but chose to remain silent. This is undemocratic. They are ignoring the people of Japan, the women of Japan, and the people of Okinawa," condemned Mizuho Fukushima, head of the opposition Social Democratic Party, during her speech at the protest.

"While claiming to protect the victims, the government is in fact sheltering the offenders," criticized Suzuyo Takazato, leader of an Okinawan civic group.

Hatsuko Aoki, a 76-year-old protester from the Okinawan city of Nago, could barely hold back her anger when recalling witnessing her elders being threatened by U.S. military men during her childhood.

"As long as U.S. military bases remain in Japan, such incidents will continue to take place," bellowed the elderly citizen.

"I can't forgive the government for concealing the U.S. military sexual assault cases," Aoki told Xinhua, condemning the Japanese government for colluding with the U.S. military to conceal these crimes, not only to manipulate the election results but also to suppress protests against the construction of U.S. military's new Henoko base in Japan.

In the mid-June Okinawa Prefectural Assembly elections, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, Komeito, who support the relocation plan of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, gained a majority for the first time in 16 years.

Representatives from multiple civil groups at Tuesday's protest stressed that if the assault cases had been disclosed before the elections, the LDP would have struggled to secure a majority, indicating ulterior motives of the government.

Amid overcast skies and drizzly rain, many female citizens brought bouquets to the site to show solidarity with the victims of the assaults. Among them was Rei Saito, who came to express her empathy as a young woman.

"What's even more unforgivable is that the Okinawa police didn't report the cases to the prefectural government. They seem to believe they can act with impunity, a trend of which is becoming more blatant," she told Xinhua.

Okinawa hosts 70 percent of all U.S. military bases in Japan while accounting for only 0.6 percent of the country's total land area. Crimes committed by U.S. service members and nonmilitary personnel have been a constant source of grievance for locals.

Tragedies continue to occur decades after massive protests in Japan when in 1995 a 12-year-old girl was raped by three U.S. servicemen. "Okinawans do not know how much similar harm they have to endure for the Japanese government," a protester lamented. 

People gather in front of the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to protest against the Japanese government for concealing the alleged sexual assault cases involving U.S. military personnel in Japan from the public in Tokyo, Japan, July 2, 2024. Over 350 protesters gathered in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the heart of Tokyo to express their outrage over the silence of the government on Tuesday evening, wielding placards and banners that read "Silenced Cries of Okinawan Girls," "Restore Dignity to Okinawan Women," and "No More Gov't Cover-Ups of U.S. Troop Crimes."

According to local media reports, a 21-year-old U.S. Marine in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa has been indicted on charges of nonconsensual sexual intercourse resulting in injury in May, following the indictment of a U.S. Air Force member for the alleged kidnap and sexual assault of a girl under 16 in December.

The Japanese government, however, did not disclose the cases until local media exposed them at the end of June, sparking widespread anger across the nation. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

People gather in front of the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to protest against the Japanese government for concealing the alleged sexual assault cases involving U.S. military personnel in Japan from the public in Tokyo, Japan, July 2, 2024. Over 350 protesters gathered in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the heart of Tokyo to express their outrage over the silence of the government on Tuesday evening, wielding placards and banners that read "Silenced Cries of Okinawan Girls," "Restore Dignity to Okinawan Women," and "No More Gov't Cover-Ups of U.S. Troop Crimes."

According to local media reports, a 21-year-old U.S. Marine in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa has been indicted on charges of nonconsensual sexual intercourse resulting in injury in May, following the indictment of a U.S. Air Force member for the alleged kidnap and sexual assault of a girl under 16 in December.

The Japanese government, however, did not disclose the cases until local media exposed them at the end of June, sparking widespread anger across the nation. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

People gather in front of the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to protest against the Japanese government for concealing the alleged sexual assault cases involving U.S. military personnel in Japan from the public in Tokyo, Japan, July 2, 2024. Over 350 protesters gathered in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the heart of Tokyo to express their outrage over the silence of the government on Tuesday evening, wielding placards and banners that read "Silenced Cries of Okinawan Girls," "Restore Dignity to Okinawan Women," and "No More Gov't Cover-Ups of U.S. Troop Crimes."

According to local media reports, a 21-year-old U.S. Marine in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa has been indicted on charges of nonconsensual sexual intercourse resulting in injury in May, following the indictment of a U.S. Air Force member for the alleged kidnap and sexual assault of a girl under 16 in December.

The Japanese government, however, did not disclose the cases until local media exposed them at the end of June, sparking widespread anger across the nation. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

People gather in front of the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to protest against the Japanese government for concealing the alleged sexual assault cases involving U.S. military personnel in Japan from the public in Tokyo, Japan, July 2, 2024. Over 350 protesters gathered in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the heart of Tokyo to express their outrage over the silence of the government on Tuesday evening, wielding placards and banners that read "Silenced Cries of Okinawan Girls," "Restore Dignity to Okinawan Women," and "No More Gov't Cover-Ups of U.S. Troop Crimes."

According to local media reports, a 21-year-old U.S. Marine in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa has been indicted on charges of nonconsensual sexual intercourse resulting in injury in May, following the indictment of a U.S. Air Force member for the alleged kidnap and sexual assault of a girl under 16 in December.

The Japanese government, however, did not disclose the cases until local media exposed them at the end of June, sparking widespread anger across the nation. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

People gather in front of the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to protest against the Japanese government for concealing the alleged sexual assault cases involving U.S. military personnel in Japan from the public in Tokyo, Japan, July 2, 2024. Over 350 protesters gathered in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the heart of Tokyo to express their outrage over the silence of the government on Tuesday evening, wielding placards and banners that read "Silenced Cries of Okinawan Girls," "Restore Dignity to Okinawan Women," and "No More Gov't Cover-Ups of U.S. Troop Crimes."

According to local media reports, a 21-year-old U.S. Marine in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa has been indicted on charges of nonconsensual sexual intercourse resulting in injury in May, following the indictment of a U.S. Air Force member for the alleged kidnap and sexual assault of a girl under 16 in December.

The Japanese government, however, did not disclose the cases until local media exposed them at the end of June, sparking widespread anger across the nation. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

People gather in front of the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to protest against the Japanese government for concealing the alleged sexual assault cases involving U.S. military personnel in Japan from the public in Tokyo, Japan, July 2, 2024. Over 350 protesters gathered in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the heart of Tokyo to express their outrage over the silence of the government on Tuesday evening, wielding placards and banners that read "Silenced Cries of Okinawan Girls," "Restore Dignity to Okinawan Women," and "No More Gov't Cover-Ups of U.S. Troop Crimes."

According to local media reports, a 21-year-old U.S. Marine in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa has been indicted on charges of nonconsensual sexual intercourse resulting in injury in May, following the indictment of a U.S. Air Force member for the alleged kidnap and sexual assault of a girl under 16 in December.

The Japanese government, however, did not disclose the cases until local media exposed them at the end of June, sparking widespread anger across the nation. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)
There has been no shortage in recent days of California political refugees who arrive in the Gem State to wake up native Idahoans to a variety of political calamities. One day it is waking us up to the supposed danger that evil librarians pose to the morals of our kids. The next thing you know, they warn us to wake up to the mortal danger of critical race theory, which they have never been able to define or find anywhere in Idaho.

Now, California transplant Morgan MaGill, who works for the extreme-right Idaho Family Policy Center, is awaking us with the claim that the Open Primaries Initiative (OPI) is an evil plot to turn Idaho into California. MaGill says California Gov.Gavin Newsome brought the idea for the initiative to Idaho last year. It is passing strange that he would support ranked choice voting in Idaho when he has vetoed the idea in his own state.

The truth is that Idahos former GOP House Speaker, Bruce Newcomb, was the earliest proponent of the Open Primaries Initiative in Idaho. He saw it as the only way to break the stranglehold that extremists have on the Idaho Republican Party. Bruce and many traditional Idaho Republicans grew up with a primary system where voters of every political stripe could vote any party ballot they pleased in the primary election. That produced governments where officials worked together for the common good. GOP culture warriors now employ fear and outrage to scare up votes for their own benefit.

Former Gov. Butch Otter and many other traditional conservatives support the OPI because they know it is the best hope for restoring civility and reason to the Republican Party. That means ousting Dorothy Moon and her cronies who use the low-turnout primary election to put extremists on the general election ballot. Almost 90% of the general election winners are actually chosen in the GOP primary in this red state.

The Open Primaries Coalition modeled the OPI after the system that worked so well in Alaska in 2022. All candidates, regardless of party, compete on the same primary ticket. The top four vote-getters move to the general election ticket. In that election, voters select their first choice for each office, but they may also rank the other candidates in order of preference. The candidate receiving a majority in the first vote count wins. If there is no winner, the candidate getting the fewest votes is eliminated from the running. The selections on ballots where that candidate was first choice shift upward a notch (choices 2, 3 and 4, become 1, 2 and 3) and a second count is made. If that count does not produce a winner, a third count will do it. A bonus of the system is that if your favorite does not win, your second choice might.

Alaska voters found the system to be simple. It caused candidates to conduct more civilized campaigns, those elected were more reasonable and pragmatic, extremists with a narrow culture war agenda had a hard time winning and all voters had an actual say in selecting their leaders. GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski said the system worked very well. Similar voting systems have been used in Ireland and Australia for decades.

MaGill contends that primaries are not elections. Actually, they are elections because Idaho law says they are. They are paid for by all Idaho taxpayers, regardless of party, and everyone should have the right to vote in any of them. The Idaho Constitution enshrines the right of all citizens to vote. It conveys no rights to political parties.

MaGill says a close friend heard of registered Democrats asking for Republican ballots in the May primary. If there is one instance where a registered Democrat voted the Republican ballot, it should be reported to election officials because it is a violation of the law. The contention is obviously unreliable hearsay.

It is a given that the OPI will weaken the hold of MaGills employer, the Idaho Family Policy Center, over public policy in Idaho. That is precisely the aim of the OPI  to reduce the influence of culture warriors in Idahos government. It will hit the Moon branch of the GOP hard. The Idaho Freedom Foundation and its dark-money supporters hate the initiative.

On the other hand, the OPI will allow Idahos 264,000 unaffiliated voters to finally have a say in who represents them in important public offices. Idahos 160,000 veterans will have the opportunity to vote in any election they choose. None of this is a California agenda. It is an Idaho agenda that many Idaho voters want to restore.

Jim Jones is a Vietnam combat veteran who served 8 years as Idaho Attorney General (1983-1991) and 12 years as a Justice on the Idaho Supreme Court (2005-2017). His columns are collected at JJCommonTater.com.
Insights from The Wall Street Journal and BBC

The News

Satellite images have revealed the expansion of suspected Chinese spy bases in Cuba, The Wall Street Journal reported, as the two countries eye closer defense and intelligence ties.

A new study conducted by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies found that new electronic eavesdropping stations  believed to belong to China  have been constructed in the Caribbean island nation, including a previously unreported site about 70 miles from the US Naval base Guantanamo Bay.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Concern mounts that China is trying to spy on US

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Experts fear that Beijing is constructing new spy bases in Cuba due to its proximity to the US, with concerns growing that China could be surveilling American citizens. Four sites analyzed by CSIS  that had previously been identified as likely belonging to China  were found to have expanded their technology, The Wall Street Journal noted. These are active locations with an evolving mission set, Matthew Funaiole, a senior fellow at CSIS, told the Journal. The bases could bolster Chinese telecommunication networks, an analyst told the Journal, and could scoop up sensitive electronic communications from American facilities, the outlet noted.

Chinese spy capabilities surpass the Wests

Source: BBC

Estimates by the intelligence community suggest that China has employed 600,000 people as spies, the BBC reported in May. The resources Beijing puts into espionage surpasses any other state in the world  and its possible that Western allies have been slow to understand the threat that Chinese spying poses, one expert told the British broadcaster. Western countries are also spying on China, but struggle to collect intelligence to the same level: The pervasive nature of surveillance inside the country, thanks to facial recognition and digital tracking, makes the traditional model of human intelligence near-impossible, the BBCs security correspondent Gordon Corera wrote.
The separation of powers is a defining characteristic of our democracy. The branches are co-equal, with checks and balances but without encroachment  when unelected bureaucrats exceed their authority, a fourth branch of government emerges and freedoms are put at risk. No matter the challenge or the divisiveness of an issue, Congress makes the law. Allowing otherwise threatens the constitutional balance.

The House of Representatives was designed, among other things, to check executive branch overreach. This includes holding large and influential federal agencies accountable. Commonsense regulations and federal agencies to implement them are necessary, but agencies must only exercise powers granted by elected lawmakers and not appropriate powers unto themselves.

A recent lawsuit on appeal to the Federal Circuit, Apple Inc. v. Vidal, hinges on a textbook example of the administrative state exceeding constitutional boundaries. This case questions whether the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office overstepped its authority when changing patent quality review practices. The outcome will either establish much-needed limits on agency power or signal that unelected officials can indeed rewrite laws with impunity.

In 2011, Congress passed the America Invents Act to modernize the U.S. patent system and create a new review process for previously granted patents. Inter partes review is necessary because, despite U.S. Patent and Trademark Office examiners best efforts, they sometimes issue patents for inventions which are not new or issue overly broad patents, which could apply to whole technology categories.

Low-quality patents in circulation cause confusion and inefficiencies. Most often this materializes in wasteful patent infringement lawsuits. Inter partes review allows the public to challenge patents so U.S. Patent and Trademark Office experts can efficiently correct the agencys own mistakes, instead of forcing patent conflicts into the courts.

Apple Inc. v. Vidal stems from the former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director issuing a precedential rule in 2020 stating the office would deny inter partes review if there was a related lawsuit. This conflicts with Congress creating inter partes review as a better alternative to lawsuits. I know; I was there and voted for the America Invents Act. Instead of sticking to the law, the former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director funneled disputes away from the agency and into the courts.

When you specialize in government oversight, vague terms like precedential rule catch your attention. They sound harmless, but in fights over the separation of powers, they are Trojan horses. Here, precedential rule meant bureaucrats rewriting the law.

Agency officials should use their expertise to best implement laws, but only within the confines of the statute with the letter and spirit intact. When Congress gives a little leeway, agencies tend to take a mile. Such is the essence of power, which is why our framers placed checks on it. Congress also passed laws requiring agencies to follow steps when making their own rules. Agencies must comply with a formal process, which mandates advance notice and allows the public to comment before any new regulation takes effect.

Advanced manufacturing, health-care, software and semiconductor companies filed this appeal because the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director did not follow the congressionally-mandated rulemaking process. The former director changed the law and did so unilaterally, without notice or the opportunity for stakeholder and public input.

If the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offices rule stands, it will signal that if Congress gives agencies any discretion in implementing laws, agencies have permission to change the law entirely. Agency power would continue expanding unchecked, and if Congress wants to limit it, lawmakers would be forced to specify agencies have no discretion whatsoever, leading to less effective governance.

We should all closely watch Apple Inc. v. Vidal. It may offer necessary precedent to protect against future administrative state abuses and government overreach.

Gowdy represented South Carolinas 4th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019 and served as chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform during the 115th Congress.
Why this Delaware nonprofit is under investigation for fraud, misuse of government funds

Delaware state attorneys are investigating a Dover nonprofit for potential fraud and misuse of government funds after the state auditor encountered significant challenges with auditing Code Purple Kent County earlier this year.

State Auditor of Accounts Lydia York on June 12 alerted Attorney General Kathy Jennings to the urgent concern about Code Purple  a nonprofit in Kent County that provides housing, education and other resources to vulnerable populations like the unhoused and those struggling with addiction.

Yorks office was asked to conduct a performance audit to ensure the funds Code Purple receives from the states Opioid Abatement and Remediation Grant Program  administered by the Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission  were being used appropriately.

Despite our best efforts, we have encountered significant challenges in establishing trust regarding the accuracy and authenticity of the documents provided by (Code Purple), York wrote. Our preliminary analysis suggests potential waste, fraud, and abuse of state resources, including indications of fraudulent grant submissions.

The allegations against Code Purple have been referred to the Department of Justices white collar crime unit. State officials declined to provide a copy of the auditors full report citing an exemption from Delawares Freedom of Information Act due to it being used as an investigatory file.

Code Purple received $290,000 in opioid settlement grants, which is part of the states probe into misuse of government funds, and more than $100,000 from legislative and other elected offices last year. The nonprofit also received a $550,000 American Rescue Plan Act grant in Fiscal Year 2024 (which in Delaware runs from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024), according to Delawares online checkbook.

Commission Executive Director Susan Holloway said it was commission staff who first noticed data inconsistencies with Code Purple in December 2023, froze funding to the nonprofit and alerted the Department of Justice. State attorneys then referred the matter to the state auditor.

We should stress that it was (the commissions) monthly reviews that uncovered the potential issues at Code Purple, investigated further and took immediate action to freeze funds and notify the proper state agencies for future investigation, Holloway said in an emailed statement to Delaware Online/The News Journal. The commission was glad to see this issue elevated through the DOJ and Auditors Office. The (commission) works with the DOJ and Auditors Office on compliance and is supportive of additional oversight.

What measures should be taken by the commission to ensure nonprofits do not misuse future funds varies among members and leaves questions of whether the oversight processes currently in place are adequate.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FRAUD: Delaware promises full report to General Assembly in July on embezzlement

For Delawares top attorney, and co-chair of the commission, the latest issues with Code Purple were enough for Jennings to call on the public body to freeze all grant awards until outside consultants complete their report on a strategic plan for the grant program.

This project is rife with potential for fraud, waste, and abuse  and correspondence with the state auditor has left me gravely concerned that at least one grantee appears to have engaged in wrongdoing with significant state and/or federal funds, including its Commission grant, Jennings wrote in a June 28 letter to commission members. While that grantee is entitled to a presumption of innocence, this severely exacerbates my already serious misgivings that our Commission has woefully inadequate guardrails in place to protect the publics best interests.

Code Purple representatives did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

Where Code Purple gets its money

The Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission discussed Code Purple in an executive session during a full commission meeting on June 28. While the executive session was not open to the public, Jennings said afterward that the DOJ intend(s) to be very transparent with the public.

She introduced a motion to begin efforts to claw back either all or some portion of the $290,000 grant awarded to Code Purple while the criminal investigation continues. This motion was approved by the commission.

Code Purple Kent County is a religious-affiliated nonprofit located at 1207 E. Division St., Dover, next door to Maranatha Life Changing Church.

The nonprofit provides housing and other services for Delawareans suffering from homelessness, abuse, financial struggles, drug addiction and the overall ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to its website.

It was formed in 2015 with Ennio Zarazoga listed as the registered agent, according to the Department of States Division of Corporations online database. Zarazoga is also named as Ennio Emmanuel, the principal officer or CFO, on tax forms and Code Purples website. However, the only 990 tax forms available on ProPublica's online database are from 2021 and 2022.

The tax forms that would encompass the government grants Code Purple received last year (which are now in question) are not available, but Delawares online checkbook shows the nonprofit has received $1.34 million in grants and other government funding since 2017, with the largest amounts coming in state Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024.

The nonprofit is staffed by volunteers including a doctor and pastor, community advocates and business members.

According to 990s for the 2021 reporting year, the nonprofit gave $60,000 to People Church and $260,000 to Maranatha Life Changing Church, both in Dover, for upgrades and expansions at these facilities. Code Purple reported receiving $278,531 in contributions and grants that year.

But in its 2022 tax filing, the nonprofit reported receiving $468,253 in contributions and grants in 2021 and $559,687 in 2022.

The latest tax filing available is from 2022 and shows that Code Purple received $156,840 in government grants along with $259,328 from related organizations and $143,519 in other contributions, gifts and grants. It also shows that the nonprofits largest expense is occupancy at $152,744.

Code Purple and other nonprofits doing similar work often tap into government grants, ranging from the General Assemblys annual Grants-In-Aid bill to opioid settlement grants and federal pass-through money.

Delaware provides grants through the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health for addressing the opioid epidemic, but a DSAMH spokesperson said Code Purple has not received any grants from the division.

What is the Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission?

The Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission was established by the Delaware General Assembly in October 2021 as a statutory subcommittee of the Behavioral Health Consortium. The commission has 13 members in addition to co-chairs Hall-Long and Jennings, ranging from state elected officials to local organization leaders to private citizens passionate about addressing the opioid epidemic.

The charter assigned the commission with two main goals: establishing a coordinated and consensus driven effort to repair harm caused by the opioid crisis and making recommendations to the Behavioral Health Consortium about where to distribute prescription opioid impact and settlement funds.

OVERDOSE DEATHS: For the first time in 10 years, Delaware sees a drop in fatal overdoses. Six reasons why

Delaware has one of the highest fatal overdose rates in the nation, with the Division of Forensic Science reporting 527 overdose deaths in 2023 alone. The crisis, which has skyrocketed in recent years, has been attributed to the misleading marketing and overprescription of opioids by a slew of developers, manufacturers and distributors nationwide.

Many of these companies  such as Purdue Pharma, Walgreens and Johnson & Johnson  entered settlements worth billions of dollars to be distributed nationwide, though a recent Supreme Court decision has impacted that cash flow.

Delawares portion of these funds is given to the Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission to divvy up at their discretion, including by awarding grants to local organizations. Two phases of grants have been given out by the Opioid Abatement and Remediation Grant Program so far, totaling nearly $12.5 million.

A lot of money, but 'inadequate guardrails

Since the opioid settlement grant programs inception in November 2022, Jennings said shes asked for a thoughtful plan of action  including a plan for auditing and accountability before doling out grants.

In the letter to commission members on June 28, Jennings outlined how she and other members have asked about oversight, auditing and assessing grant effectiveness since early 2023.

Attorney General Kathy Jennings speaks at a press conference on Monday, Oct. 11, in front of the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center.

In October, commission members met with Wilmington business management firm, Social Contract, to help the public body create a strategic plan for an agile grant disbursement process that will facilitate the solicitation, review, and allocation of funds to organizations and groups committed to combating the opioid crisis, Jennings detailed in the letter.

The attorney general and commission co-chair said Social Contract doesnt expect to have those recommendations finalized until September, which is why Jennings recommended freezing all new grants until that plan is produced.

The commission ultimately did not heed Jennings advice, instead approving $1.9 million bridge grants to dozens of nonprofits at the commission's meeting June 28. Code Purple was not among those recipients.

The Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission defended its current processes and oversight approach.

Holloway said the entire process is conducted during public meetings and is rather lengthy, but ensures the oversight necessary on organizations seeking funding.

That process requires each grant recipient to submit monthly compliance data informed by the Johns Hopkins Principles for the Use of Funds from the Opioid Litigation. This approach has also been adopted by other states, Holloway said.

The grantees must demonstrate data and financial compliance before funds are released. For instance, grantees, some of which have very small staffs, must have working budgets and secure all expenditure-related documentation, she said. Funds may be released once per quarter following substantiated and documented compliance.

The monthly data is reported to the commissions administrative staff through Salesforce, which is then aggregated and shared on the commissions website. Holloway said that information has been posted monthly on the commissions website since December.

She added that all grantees are assigned a monitor from the commissions staff who regularly communicates with grantees, conducts site visits, and assesses compliance.

When discrepancies are flagged and validated with a recipient, Holloway said funds are frozen.

ELECTION 2024: Delaware Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long files candidacy for governor, the 3rd Democrat to file

Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission member David Humes said he is unaware of any other potential fraud by grantees. He pointed instead to the decrease in fatal overdoses in Delaware last year, the first decline in over a decade.

I would like to think that these grants have played a part in the reduction of overdose deaths, Humes said. We need to continue to fund grants so that 2023 is not an anomaly. The primary concern must be saving lives.

Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long speaks at a press conference where the Pew Charitable Trusts gave a recommendation to the state's Behavioral Health Consortium in 2019.

Jennings stressed that she shares other members' sense of urgency in getting these funds where they are needed, but its unclear what those targets are.

I have repeatedly stressed that even this seemingly large pot of money is finite and that not all spending is created equal, she said. I continue to urge restraint; it has been 20 months since the Commission began awarding grants, and we still do not know where these funds will be most useful, how we will measure their impact, or even whether our grantees are compliant.

Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, who co-chairs the commission with Jennings, said in an emailed statement Tuesday there are no plans for new grant funding to be awarded at this time.

As discussed at last Fridays commission meeting, there is no date set to execute the next open grant cycle, which means there is a pause in new funding," the lieutenant governor said. I agree with my co-chair that we need to carefully consider the next grant cycle launch date. We will continue to take input from the commission members, our consultants, and the public as we move forward.

Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com, or by calling or texting 302-598-5507. Follow her on X at @mandy_fries. Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on X at @h_edelman.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware nonprofit Code Purple under investigation for potential fraud
Addressing questions from reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre once again attributed President Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance to jet lag following travel and a cold.

"He had a schedule that was rigorous, the travel he had to do, going from Italy all the way to the west coast," said Jean-Pierre. "I think, that can have a toll on anyone, whether you're 20 or 80."

Most people don't get to travel in as much relative comfort as the president of the United Statesthere's a bed on Air Force One, after allbut yes, it's true that travel can be exhausting. To be clear, however, the debate took place a full 12 days after Biden had returned from his trip. Moreover, the fact that the President of the United States is such a demanding job is precisely why voters are so worried about Biden's advanced age.

The reporters in the room, to their credit, were unimpressed by Jean-Pierre's attempt to spin the situation and pressed her to address the public's mounting concerns about Biden's fitness for office. Several elected Democrats and prominent spokespersons for the party, including Julian Castro and Tim Ryan, have called on Biden to drop out. The Atlantic, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, and several of its columnists think he should exit the race. And most importantly, support for Biden is cratering: 74 percent of overall voters now say he is too old to be president, and former President Donald Trump has widened his lead substantially. Vice President Kamala Harris now polls two points better against Trump than Biden does, though Trump is still ahead of her.

But why did it take so long for the mainstream media to pursue this line of inquiry, even as evidence of Biden's cognitive decline became increasingly obvious? Well before the debate, the American people have consistently expressed a high degree of concern about the president's ability to serve a second term. Polls dating back to February found that a majority of Democrats and three-quarters of overall voters had serious qualms.

The White House treated this as a non-issue. Team Biden lashed out at anyone who managed to inspire doubts about Biden's fitness, including special counsel Robert Hur, whose description of Biden as an "elderly man with a poor memory" caused apoplexy among the president's defenders. Jean-Pierre repeatedly claimed that uncomfortable videos of Biden wandering off awkwardly were misleading but "manipulated." While the phrase "cheap fake" became the go-to term for the videos in question, Jean-Pierre went much furthershe said they were "deep fakes," i.e. that they were significantly altered on a digital level.

"And instead of talking about the President's performance in officeand what I mean by that is his legislative wins, what he's been able to do for the American people across the countrywe're seeing these deep fakes, these manipulated videos," she said on June 17. "And it is, again, done in bad faith."

The bad-faith actor here was Jean-Pierre, though given her role, maybe that's to be expected. The bigger question is why the mainstream media fell for the spinand aided it.

Seeing Is Believing?

Multiple mainstream news organizations wholly adopted the White House's talking points with respect to cheap fakes. The Washington Post reported that Republicans were weaponizing "deceptively edited videos" of Biden. The Poynter Institute said the same. So did the Associated Press, CNN, and of course, The New York Times. It was Republicans pounce, and then some.

Former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson suspects that the media's collective loathing of Trump caused the White House press corps to shirk its duty in this regard.

"I do think if enough reporters had pushed, the story was reportable," she told Semafor. "I worry that too many journalists didn't try to get the story because they did not want to be accused of helping elect Donald Trump."

If that's the motivationor even subtle bias affecting the reportingit's proven to be tremendously counterproductive, even from the standpoint of helping Biden. The American people learned very suddenly, all at once, that the president is compromised by his age. At this point, there are questions about whether Biden should be the president right now, let alone whether he could possibly serve another four years.

Undoubtedly, the White House wanted to keep this fact under wraps until Biden was safely over the finish line in November. But media organizations that participated, even unwittingly, in this farce have not only made a subsequent Democratic administration far less likelythey have profoundly undermined their own integrity.

This Week on Free Media

I'm joined by Amber Duke to discuss Biden's abysmal debate performance and the media's reaction, Tulsi Gabbard's take on drafting women, and the Supreme Court's decision in the Trump immunity case.

Worth Watching

I'm currently rewatching It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and catching up on the most recent two seasons, which I had missed. The most recent finale, "Dennis Takes a Mental Health Day," proves that the show has not declined in quality whatsoever, even after an impressive two decades on the air. Dennis Reynolds is all of us.

The post Why Didn't the Media Notice Joe Biden's 'Jet Lag' Sooner? appeared first on Reason.com.
King Charles might appoint a new prime minister this week, but he won't have a formal vote on the matter

Chris Jackson/Getty From left: Queen Camilla, King Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton on Dec. 5, 2023

Citizens of the United Kingdom are heading to the polls on July 4, but there won't be any ballots cast by the British royal family.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on May 22 that a general election would be held. U.K. citizens will choose all 650 members of the House of Commons, and the party that commands a majority will form the next government with its leader as the prime minister. While Sunak, who has been prime minister since October 2022, will remain in office if the Conservatives win, Keir Starmer will become the new premier if the Labour Party comes out on top.

While King Charles appoints new prime ministers (and British monarchs historically had the power to dismiss people from the position), he and other working members of the royal family don't have a vote in the race.

That's because the royals stay politically neutral on all matters. Regardless of the political party in charge, the British monarchy and Parliament must work together to keep things running smoothly. The monarch and other royals also must interact with leaders of foreign countries regardless of their political affiliations. Therefore, the royal family does not vote or publicly express their political views.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images King Charles and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attend the World Climate Action Summit during COP28 on December 1, 2023

Related: Why the British Royal Family Postponed Outings as Surprise General Election Announced

However, it's not illegal for the royals to vote.

Robert Blackburn, a professor of constitutional law at Kings College London, recently explained toTime, "The King and active members of the royal family can legally cast a vote at general elections on the same basis as other eligible citizens, but in practice do not do so for obvious reasons, especially because it would cause a furor of media speculation and violate the constitutional requirement today that they maintain a strict party political impartiality."

While working members of the royal family  including Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton  don't vote, those without a formal role can. However, it's unclear if many do.

HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty The British royal family attend Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024

Not all royal families approach politics in the same way. The four children of Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde (including Crown Princess Elisabeth, who is set to be the next sovereign after her father) recently voted in the country's June election. However, the monarch and queen consort abstained.

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!

Meghan Markle became the first person in the modern British royal family to vote in a U.S. presidential election in 2020. She and Prince Harry moved back to her home state of California earlier that year after stepping back as working royals, and Meghan has spoken out on several occasions about the importance of voting, including in a video with Gloria Steinem.

Archwell

The Duchess of Sussex discussed voting rights at the "The 19th Represents" virtual summit in August 2020, noting that her husband has never been able to publicly express his political opinions.

"When I have these conversations about encouraging people to go out and vote, I think it's often challenging for men and women alike and certainly for people to remember just how hard it was to get the right to vote. And to be really aware and not taking that for granted," she said. "My husband for example  he's never been able to vote."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also appeared on primetime TV in Sept. 2020 to celebrate TIME magazine's annual list of the worlds most influential people, using their segment to speak about the importance of voting. As a U.K. citizen, Prince Harry noted that he couldn't vote in the upcoming election, adding, "Many of you may not know that I haven't been able to vote in the U.K. my entire life."

"As we approach this November, its vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity," he said.

Buckingham Palace told The Times, "The Duke is not a working member of the royal family, and any comments he makes are made in a personal capacity."

In a photo shared on the Archewell Foundation site on Election Day in November 2022, the Duchess of Sussex flashed a smile as she sported an "I Voted" sticker. The post encouraged Americans to "get out and vote" in the midterm elections, sharing a number to text to find polling locations.

Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Images King Charles and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Oct. 25, 2022

Related: King Charles Kicks Off Abbreviated Royal Week in Scotland with Ancient Tradition Before Major U.K. Election

If Starmer becomes the new prime minister after the July 4 election, it will mark the third person to hold the position since King Charles acceded to the throne less than two years ago upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth.

Queen Elizabeth's final royal duty was appointing Liz Truss as the new prime minister on Sept 6, 2022, just two days before the history-making monarch died. However, Truss became the shortest-serving prime minister in U.K. history when she resigned 45 days into her premiership. Sunak was selected as her replacement by the Conservative Party and welcomed into the position by King Charles during an audience at Buckingham Palace on October 25, 2022.

The King holds a private weekly audience with the prime minister "to discuss government matters."

"Though the King remains politically neutral on all matters, he is able to 'advise and warn' his ministers  including his prime minister  when necessary," according to the royal family's website.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Why Nepal had a religious monarchy  and why some people want it back

Gyanendra Shah, former king of Nepal, will celebrate his 77th birthday on July 7, 2024. Twenty years ago, his birthday would have been a Nepalese national holiday. Indeed, when I first traveled to Nepal in 2001, the nation prided itself on being the worlds last Hindu kingdom. Every rupee note showed the kings face. The national anthem sang his praise.

But between 2006 and 2008, Nepal transitioned from a Hindu monarchy to a secular democracy. It dissolved its monarchy completely, and Shah left the palace in June 2008. He has been living ever since as a private citizen.

In 2012, when I submitted my doctoral dissertation on the transition, it seemed that Nepal had decisively eliminated its monarchy and that Nepalis were gladly anticipating their secular future. But today many Nepalis are disillusioned with their multiparty democratic system. Following a major pro-monarchy rally in November 2023, Nepals capital has witnessed a series of modest but vocal follow-up demonstrations advocating a return to Hindu monarchy.

What had religious kingship looked like in Nepal? Why was it ended  and why do some people want it back?

Hindu monarchy

Unlike European monarchies, which were deeply connected to Christianity, Nepals monarchy was rooted in Hinduism. This meant the king of Nepal needed to be born into a Hindu family, and he needed to marry a Hindu woman. He needed to uphold family lineage rituals and worship in his ancestral shrine room. He also needed to have close relationships with Brahmin priests.

The modern palace hired a priestly Brahmin staff  salaried employees who reported daily to a palace office to do rituals. The king needed to honor major Hindu holidays by making public appearances and performing rituals. He surveyed the army on Shiva Ratri, a festival that honors Lord Shiva, and blessed government leaders during the Hindu festival of Vijaya Dasami. He received a blessing from his patron goddess Kumari, a young girl believed to be the manifestation of the Hindu goddess Taleju, during the festival of Indra Jatra.

These roles made the king the patriarch, protector and archetype of the nation. Even though for most of Nepals history the king was not directly running the government, in a common royalist phrase, the king was Nepals ekata ka prateek: the symbol of unity.

Consolidation of monarchy

Modern Nepal has existed for only about 250 years. For centuries, what is now Nepal was divided among many small principalities. In the 1760s, though, a minor local king conquered all his neighbors, relocated his capital to Kathmandu and set his dynasty on the throne. But after this ambitious and effective king, the descendants who followed were mostly weak and ineffective rulers. By 1800, the country was being governed in the kings name by regents and self-appointed prime ministers.

In 1950, however, King Tribhuvan Shah, who had been serving a purely ceremonial role since 1922, formed an alliance with a budding democracy movement in order to step into more direct political power. From King Tribhuvan onward, Nepals kings would actively lead the government.

The modern monarchy was further centralized and consolidated by Tribhuvans son, King Mahendra, who ruled from 1955 to 1972. Urbane and cosmopolitan, he worked to modernize the country and his role as king. Meanwhile, he greatly expanded the idea of Hindu kingship. He also dissolved the countrys first democratically elected government in order to put himself in charge of the panchayat, an ostensibly grassroots democratic system that in reality was tightly controlled by the palace.

He also enacted a nationalistic program that would reshape a diverse Nepal into a single identity, around himself as the symbol of national unity. This program was summed up by the slogan ek raja, ek bhesh, ek bhasa: One king, one country, one national-dress.

Nepals dozens of minority languages and ethnic identities were suppressed in favor of a national culture around the kings own religious, ethnic and language background. When children went to school, they would learn a carefully constructed curriculum, taught only in Nepali language, from books that praised Hinduism and the centrality of the royal family, from teachers dressed in the newly codified Nepali national outfit for men, the daura suruwal.

Modern nationalism thus meant a unified Nepal that erased ethnic, regional and religious differences in favor of the unity of the monarchy.

The monarchy crumbles

King Mahendra passed the throne to his eldest son, Birendra. But in June 2001, King Birendra was murdered in the palace, allegedly by his own son, along with his wife and children and half a dozen other members of the royal family. This event dealt a catastrophic blow to the monarchy.

In the tumultuous aftermath of the royal murders, Gyanendra Shah  Mahendras second son, brother to the murdered king  succeeded to the throne.

The nation was grieving and traumatized, and people found the new King Gyanendra to be an uncharismatic monarch. An armed Maoist insurgency was threatening rural Nepal and working to capitalize on the tragedy, while the multiparty Parliament bickered in the capital. In an attempt to gain control of the situation, King Gyanendra declared a state of emergency and took direct control of the government in 2005.

The country united against him.

In spring 2006, people took to the streets for three weeks, grinding Nepal to a standstill. King Gyanendra capitulated to the insurgency.

At the time, he was so unpopular that the interim government decided to dissolve the monarchy completely. They stripped the king of all ceremonial roles and all religious activities. They wrote the king out of the national anthem and took his portrait off the national currency. They legally declared the country a secular democracy and turned the palace into a museum. The king moved out of the palace in June 2008.

The transition away from monarchy attempted to free Nepal from its history of enforced unity. The first post-monarchy Parliament featured representatives wearing all forms of clothing, taking their oaths in many different languages, tasked with writing a new, inclusive constitution. A pluralist national anthem proclaimed, We are one Nepali garland, made of hundreds of different flowers.

Challenges today

Monarchy supporters are blocked by the police in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 2011. AP Photo/Binod Joshi

Unfortunately, Nepals post-monarchy government has struggled to live up to the hopes that swept it to power. The new constitution ran years late, while major leaders have been accused of corruption. The political parties struggle to hold coalitions together, and the constantly overturning government has seen 12 administrations in 16 years.

This instability has led some Nepalis to become nostalgic for the idea of unity through monarchy.

Today, when some people take to the streets to demand a return to Hindu kingship, many of them are not expressing love for Gyanendra Shah. The former king was not beloved; he ruled under clouds of grief and was fired before many got accustomed to his presence.

The ex-king has been living quietly in Nepal for the past 16 years. He rarely makes public appearances, though he occasionally attends religious events, and he once showed up at a nightclub. He periodically makes public statements calling for political peace and unity. While he seems to support recent rallies, he has not explicitly expressed any intention to return to power.

But as the current administration bickers, and Nepalis become ever more disillusioned with their government, I argue that the former king makes a useful tool for protest.

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: Anne Mocko, Concordia College

Read more:



Anne Mocko has received research funding from the US Government through the FLAS and Fulbright Hays programs.
Why was it a surprise? Biden's debate problems leave some wondering if the press missed the story

NEW YORK (AP)  President Joe Biden's fitness to serve a second term in office has been a top story since his halting performance in last week's debate against Donald Trump, where the president at times appeared unable to complete or articulate some thoughts in the pressure of the moment.

To some press critics who are now reading these stories, there's another question: What took you so long?

It is simply astounding for the entire country, including its most seasoned reporters, to be as shocked as everyone was by the ugly and painful reality of Biden's debate performance, Jill Abramson, former executive editor of The New York Times, told the website Semafor this week.

While it was a super hard story to report, she said it could have been done. Instead, Abramson said, the American press failed in its duty to hold those in power accountable.

Certainly, there's no shortage of I told you so sentiment coming from Biden opponents. Conservatives have noticed that for a very long time, said Fox & Friends host Ainsley Earhardt.

It's a complicated story that has bubbled for months  and, it can be argued, the American people were onto it first.

Big pushback from Biden aides all along

Throughout the campaign, Biden aides have pushed back aggressively on the notion that he had become diminished, and some supporters are angered by any attention the issue gets in comparison to stories about whether or not Trump tells the truth.

Nearly a year ago, in August 2023, the Associated Press-NORC poll found that three-quarters of U.S. adults said that the 81-year-old Biden was too old to effectively serve another four-year term as president. AP-NORC found this February that six in 10 adults were not very or not at all confident that Biden had the mental capability to serve as president, although the sentiment was roughly the same for his 78-year-old Republican opponent, Donald Trump.

Media standards for covering a president's health have changed markedly through the years. It was little known at the time, but after President Woodrow Wilson suffered a severe stroke in 1919, his wife effectively ran the government for the remainder of his term. And, in the pre-television days, the press stayed largely quiet about the disability that largely kept Franklin D. Roosevelt in a wheelchair much of the time.

Four reporters from the Times collaborated on a story, published Tuesday, that said several people who had encountered Biden behind closed doors noticed he increasingly appeared confused or listless, or would lose the thread of conversations.

Not many uncontrolled public appearances

Biden's lack of public visibility in situations that aren't tightly controlled has been evident throughout his presidency.

The 36 news conferences he had given through June 30 were fewer than any president in the same time frame since Ronald Reagan, according to Martha Joynt Kumar, director of the White House Transition Project. Biden gave a total of 128 interviews, compared to Donald Trump's 369 at the same stage of his presidency and 497 by Biden's former boss, she said.

It was noticed in February when Biden passed up an interview in the Super Bowl pregame show, a relatively new presidential tradition that offers an audience of tens of millions of people.

Under pressure following the debate, Biden has agreed to an interview on Friday with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News, and his team said he would do a news conference next week.

Biden's staff may have done him a disservice by shielding him from such situations, said Karl Pillemer, a Cornell University gerontologist. In general, it's good for a politician and for an older person to exercise and manage stressful situations, he said. In other words: practice helps.

If there were signs beyond public speaking that he was impaired in his ability to do the job, Biden should have been investigated, said Pillemer, professor of gerontology in medicine at Weill Cornell. But he said he was unaware of such evidence, unlike what there was for California Sen. Dianne Feinstein before she died.

I don't think there's a lot more the media could have done, Pillemer said.

The situation shows how media pressure for greater access is more than just whining, said Ben Smith, co-founder of the news website Semafor and a former media columnist. Even off-the-record time with a president is valuable to get a sense of what he's like, and Biden did not do that to the extent of his predecessors, Smith said.

If there had been some crisis situation before the debate where Biden's problems were evident, the press might have jumped on the story earlier. But a lot of Americans believed that the president was in really bad shape, and the media kind of waved that off, Smith said.

We should have all gone after it harder, he said.

A story challenging to tell for journalists

Abramson told Semafor that she was worried that many journalists didn't try to get the story because they did not want to be accused of helping elect Trump.

The Wall Street Journal, in a June 4 piece by Annie Linskey and Siobhan Hughes, said that some people who had worked with Biden described a president who appears to be slower now, someone who has both good moments and bad moments.

The Journal reporters interviewed more than 45 people, both Republicans and Democrats, for the piece. Yet because the story, in a newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch, prominently quoted Republican House speakers Kevin McCarthy and Mike Johnson, it was dismissed by many at the time as being inspired by partisanship.

Similarly illustrating the challenges in telling the story, the Biden campaign has sharply criticized the Times during instances when they wrote about concerns over Biden's age. Even before the campaign, the Times cites stories that indicate the newspaper did not ignore the issue.

Politico suggested in April, quoting an unnamed Times staff member, that the newspaper's attention to the issue was quietly encouraged by publisher A.G. Sulzberger because he was upset that Biden had not agreed to an interview with Times reporters.

The newspaper sharply denied that, and issued a statement saying that it was troubling that Biden had so actively and effectively avoided questions from independent journalists during his term. On Wednesday, Times Executive Editor Joe Kahn sent a message to the paper's newsroom about the issue, acknowledging ample speculation about what the media did and didn't do.

"What Ive seen and what our readers have experienced from our team is steadfast, fact-based reporting on the subject that began a couple of years ago as we documented Bidens age-related challenges in multiple, industry-leading articles," Kahn wrote. "We have stayed on that story at every turn, always with nuance and context, through todays outstanding report.

___

Linley Sanders of The Associated Press' polling team contributed. David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder.
While Democratic donors and lawmakers peel away from President Joe Biden, at least one person desperately wants the incumbent to stay in the race: Donald Trump.

We need to make sure Biden stays on the ballot and theres no bait and switch, a 2020 Trump staffer told Vanity Fair.

Trump was, himself, taken aback by Bidens frailty during last weeks debate. One source that was briefed on Trumps conversations after the event told the publication that the former president was sad for America and then upset by Bidens mindless performance.

After spending months attempting to chop Biden down for his fragile health, a new, younger candidate opposing him at the top of the ticket would be the worst-case scenario for Trump. And some close to the presumptive GOP presidential nominee now believe that Trump walked straight into a trap by agreeing to partake in the earliest presidential debate in televised history, offering ample time for Democrats to find another option in case voters turned on Biden.

Several centrist governors are circulating in the conservative ecosphere as alternatives to Biden, including Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. Vice President Kamala Harris is also being viewed as a credible option, with the 2020 staffer telling Vanity Fair that the Democratic Party wouldnt be able to sidestep her.

But other Trump aides werent so sure that the Democratic effort to replace Biden on the ticket would prevail.

Theyre stuck with Biden, a senior Trump campaign staffer told Vanity Fair.
JERUSALEM, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Two Israeli men were wounded in a stabbing attack in a mall in northern Israel on Wednesday, including one in critical condition, the Israeli police said in a statement.

The police said that the stabber was shot dead at the shopping mall in the city of Karmiel in the Galilee region.

Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said in a statement that two men in their 20s were injured and rushed to the hospital. One of them was in critical condition and receiving emergency Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, while the other was in serious condition.

Northern District Police Chief Shuki Tahauko told reporters at the scene that the assailant acted alone and arrived at the mall by foot. One of the men he stabbed managed to shoot at him and killed him, said Tahauko.

Tahauko said the stabber was still not identified, but the state-owned Kan TV news reported that he is an Israeli citizen and resident of an Arab village near Karmiel. Most of the Arab-Israelis are descendants of Palestinians who stayed put during Israel's Independence War in 1948, known by Palestinians as "the Nakba."

Large police forces were canvassing the area, and the level of alertness was raised in Karmiel and the surrounding region, Tahauko said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack came amid spiraling violence in the region, with Israel carrying out an offensive in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against Hamas' October attack on southern Israel, and Israeli and Hezbollah forces exchanging fire along the Israeli-Lebanese border. 
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  A Wichita father was sentenced on Wednesday for the murder of his daughter.

According to the Office of the District Attorney, 52-year-old Thomas Gatewood of Wichita was sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for parole after 70 years and three months.

On March 7, Gatewood pled no contest to first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated battery, two counts of kidnapping, two counts of aggravated endangering a child and aggravated intimidation of a witness or victim.

Wichita man sentenced to 32 years after 2 die in crash

The victim, 8-year-old Jeanetta Gatewood, died after being found unresponsive in the family home in the 600 block of N. Oliver on May 8, 2023. After an investigation, police arrested Thomas in late June 2023.

They alleged that he killed Jeanetta and injured and tortured another one of his children.

Before Thomas entered his plea in March, the judge asked prosecutors to share their evidence against the father.

Alice Osburn, one of the prosecuting attorneys, said the autopsy showed that Jeanetta had been repeatedly hit and stomped on, causing her heart to give out. The autopsy revealed other injuries that were in the process of healing, including a broken leg, broken ribs, and head wounds. Prosecutors said Jeanetta was underweight, had multiple bruises and scars, and there was evidence that she had been whipped.

Osburn said the other child was taken to the hospital, and an X-ray showed a broken pelvis, broken spine, and broken ribs that were in the process of healing.

She said Thomas did not take the children to get medical care for any of those injuries. Instead, they said he kept them confined to the home with threats and beatings. Neighbors never saw children at the house. The prosecution said Thomas kept them confined to hide the evidence of abuse.

Osburn said Thomas tried to get the surviving child to confess to the murder and threatened the child not to tell police what really happened, saying, If you ever tell, I will beat you up.

Judge Jeffrey Goering asked Thomas if he understood he would be found guilty if he entered a plea of no contest. Thomas said yes.

DOJ: Wichita Public Schools discriminated against students based on race and disability

This was not Thomas first run-in with the law. The Associated Press said Gatewood and his wife were investigated in the June 2006 death of an infant in Minneapolis. A court affidavit said a detective investigated the couple after a child who died of meningitis was found to have bruises, skull fractures and rib injuries. A spokesman for the county attorneys office said no charges were filed because of insufficient evidence.

The Associated Press said that in 2009, officials took a newborn baby and a toddler from the familys home in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. A court affidavit said the toddler was unable to walk and talk and had bruises all over her body.

Court records show that Thomas was sentenced to a year in jail, probation and court costs in the Bartlesville case. Records show that his wife was sentenced to 180 days in jail after being convicted of enabling child abuse by injury.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
After a Queens Criminal Court trial that spanned over two months, the widow of Duck Sauce Killer Glenn Hirsch was found not guilty Wednesday of 18 charges of gun possession.

Dorothy Hirsch, 64, walked out of Queens Supreme Criminal Court a free woman over two years after being charged with possession of eight guns in a closet of her home, some of them loaded.

I am validated. I feel vindicated because I think everybody knew except the DAs office that I was innocent, Dorothy Hirsch said in a shaking voice after she was acquitted of all charges.

I even lost a job because of this case. I am a person who helps people, I am a nurse. I help my patients, my family and friends. I agonize over my family and friends having to disrupt their lives for them to be here.

The mood was celebratory after the bench trial verdict, with family members and friends embracing in the hallway of the courthouse.

The defendants sister, Maria Teresa Melendez, said that the family went through many sleepless nights thinking about the accusations against her sister.

It hurts so much because I know her very well and she will not do such a thing. The way they accuse my sister and how they say all those things to her is so disgusting. I was so disgusted, Melendez told the Daily News.

Mark Bederow, Dorothy Hirschs lawyer, said that the prosecutors attempted to humiliate her for being a survivor of domestic violence, and were especially harsh during their summation.

I have been doing this for 25 years and I have never seen anything in a courtroom more disgraceful and inappropriate than the end of that summation where out of left field they implied on top of a case that already made no sense that she somehow was complicit or knew something about Glenns alleged crimes, said Bederow.

Towards the end of the trial, the 911 call that Dorothy Hirsch made after she received an email from her husband saying he was about to commit suicide was submitted as evidence. On the call, she told the operator that Glenn was not and had never been violent. The prosecutors pointed to that recording as evidence that her testimony of domestic abuse was unreliable.

I was absolutely retraumatized. It was like I was there again, that day, said Dorothy Hirsch. I was in a state of hysteria and could not even think about or really hear what the questions were. And this supposedly was their evidence that I am not a reliable person.

I thought every time they did something low, I didnt think they could go any lower. But I guess this pit of excrement that theyre willing to go into is just bottomless, she said.

Prosecutors had argued that Dorothy Hirsch was guilty of the charges because she had USPS postal packages, Ziplock bags and Amazon boxes in her apartment similar to the ones used to pack the firearms.

Its disgusting. Everybody has Ziplock bags, this and that in their homes, Dorothy Hirsch said.

Bringing a woman to trial, subjecting her potentially to a prison sentence by arguing that because there were Ziplock bags in the apartment, that somehow is proof of her guilt, thats pathetic. All of this was pathetic, Bederow said.

The eight weapons were found during a search of Dorothy Hirschs Briarwood apartment in June 2022 after Glenn Hirsch was arrested for murdering beloved Chinese food delivery man Zhiwen Yan, 45. The NYPD found a cluttered closet containing the guns stored in boxes, trash bags, Ziplock bags and tin foil, including .38s, magnums, Lugers and 9-mm. pistols.

Glenn Hirsch was accused of murdering Yan in a months-long feud with Great Wall Restaurant in Forest Hills over whether enough duck sauce was included with his delivery orders.

It was never claimed that any of the weapons found in Dorothy Hirschs home were used to kill Yan.

Dorothy Hirsch maintained everything in that closet belonged to her husband, saying it was filled with only his belongings.

The defendant testified that after years of living with abuse, she moved out of the apartment she shared with her husband and into a nearby co-op in 2019. About a month later, Glenn Hirsch started taking things kept at a storage unit in West Hempstead and putting them into his wifes new home.

At first he placed them in her bedroom but later moved them into the closet where the illegal firearms were discovered, she said during the trial.

While out on $500,000 bail, Glenn Hirsch shot himself to death on Aug. 5, 2022, with a gun that had not been discovered during a police search of his home. In a six-page suicide note he railed against the press and swore his wife was innocent of any charges.

We are disappointed with the outcome but respect the courts verdict, said Queens District Attorney spokesperson Brendan Brosh.

For Dorothy Hirsch, Wednesday marked the end of a period in which her husband had been charged with murder, killed himself and she had been facing charges for years and on trial for months.

Ill go to my cats and feed them their favorite croissants and Shake Shack burger, she said of her plans to celebrate her victory.
NEW YORK  After a Queens Criminal Court trial that spanned over two months, the widow of Duck Sauce Killer Glenn Hirsch was found not guilty Wednesday of 18 charges of gun possession.

Dorothy Hirsch, 64, walked out of the Queens Supreme Criminal Court a free woman over two years after being charged with possession of eight guns in a closet of her home, some of them loaded.

The weapons were found during a search of her Briarwood apartment in June 2022 after Glenn Hirsch was arrested for murdering beloved Chinese food delivery man Zhiwen Yan, 45.

Glenn Hirsch was accused of killing Yan in a months-long feud with Great Wall Restaurant in Forest Hills over whether enough duck sauce was included with his delivery orders.

Dorothy Hirsch maintained everything in that closet belonged to her husband, saying it was filled with only his belongings.

It was never claimed that any of the weapons found in Dorothy Hirschs home were used to kill Yan.

While out on $500,000 bail, Glenn Hirsch shot and killed himself on Aug. 5, 2022, with a gun that had not been discovered during a police search of his home. In a six-page suicide note, he railed against the press and swore his wife was innocent of any charges.
NEW YORK  After a Queens Criminal Court trial that spanned over two months, the widow of Duck Sauce Killer Glenn Hirsch was found not guilty Wednesday of 18 charges of gun possession.

Dorothy Hirsch, 64, walked out of Queens Supreme Criminal Court a free woman over two years after being charged with possession of eight guns in a closet of her home, some of them loaded.

I am validated. I feel vindicated because I think everybody knew except the DAs office that I was innocent, Dorothy Hirsch said in a shaking voice after she was acquitted of all charges.

I even lost a job because of this case. I am a person who helps people, I am a nurse. I help my patients, my family and friends. I agonize over my family and friends having to disrupt their lives for them to be here.

The mood was celebratory after the bench trial verdict, with family members and friends embracing in the hallway of the courthouse.

The defendants sister, Maria Teresa Melendez, said that the family went through many sleepless nights thinking about the accusations against her sister.

It hurts so much because I know her very well and she will not do such a thing. The way they accuse my sister and how they say all those things to her is so disgusting. I was so disgusted, Melendez told the Daily News.

Mark Bederow, Dorothy Hirschs lawyer, said that the prosecutors attempted to humiliate her for being a survivor of domestic violence, and were especially harsh during their summation.

I have been doing this for 25 years and I have never seen anything in a courtroom more disgraceful and inappropriate than the end of that summation where out of left field they implied on top of a case that already made no sense that she somehow was complicit or knew something about Glenns alleged crimes, said Bederow.

Towards the end of the trial, the 911 call that Dorothy Hirsch made after she received an email from her husband saying he was about to commit suicide was submitted as evidence. On the call, she told the operator that Glenn was not and had never been violent. The prosecutors pointed to that recording as evidence that her testimony of domestic abuse was unreliable.

I was absolutely retraumatized. It was like I was there again, that day, said Dorothy Hirsch. I was in a state of hysteria and could not even think about or really hear what the questions were. And this supposedly was their evidence that I am not a reliable person.

I thought every time they did something low, I didnt think they could go any lower. But I guess this pit of excrement that theyre willing to go into is just bottomless, she said.

Prosecutors had argued that Dorothy Hirsch was guilty of the charges because she had USPS postal packages, Ziplock bags and Amazon boxes in her apartment similar to the ones used to pack the firearms.

Its disgusting. Everybody has Ziplock bags, this and that in their homes, Dorothy Hirsch said.

Bringing a woman to trial, subjecting her potentially to a prison sentence by arguing that because there were Ziplock bags in the apartment, that somehow is proof of her guilt, thats pathetic. All of this was pathetic, Bederow said.

The eight weapons were found during a search of Dorothy Hirschs Briarwood apartment in June 2022 after Glenn Hirsch was arrested for murdering beloved Chinese food delivery man Zhiwen Yan, 45. The NYPD found a cluttered closet containing the guns stored in boxes, trash bags, Ziplock bags and tin foil, including .38s, magnums, Lugers and 9-mm. pistols.

Glenn Hirsch was accused of murdering Yan in a months-long feud with Great Wall Restaurant in Forest Hills over whether enough duck sauce was included with his delivery orders.

It was never claimed that any of the weapons found in Dorothy Hirschs home were used to kill Yan.

Dorothy Hirsch maintained everything in that closet belonged to her husband, saying it was filled with only his belongings.

The defendant testified that after years of living with abuse, she moved out of the apartment she shared with her husband and into a nearby co-op in 2019. About a month later, Glenn Hirsch started taking things kept at a storage unit in West Hempstead and putting them into his wifes new home.

At first he placed them in her bedroom but later moved them into the closet where the illegal firearms were discovered, she said during the trial.

While out on $500,000 bail, Glenn Hirsch shot himself to death on Aug. 5, 2022, with a gun that had not been discovered during a police search of his home. In a six-page suicide note he railed against the press and swore his wife was innocent of any charges.

We are disappointed with the outcome but respect the courts verdict, said Queens District Attorney spokesperson Brendan Brosh.

For Dorothy Hirsch, Wednesday marked the end of a period in which her husband had been charged with murder, killed himself and she had been facing charges for years and on trial for months.

Ill go to my cats and feed them their favorite croissants and Shake Shack burger, she said of her plans to celebrate her victory.
YORK, Maine  Wiggly Bridge Distillery returned to the towns Planning Board with a proposed expansion, this time promising not to store aging whiskey barrels in any new structure.

The family-owned distillery on Route 1 has grown in the last decade to become an award-winning spirit maker. Father and son owners David Woods and David Woods II say they need more space to keep growing.

David Woods, longtime York business owner, launched Wiggly Bridge Distillery with his son David Woods II 10 years ago. They are planning an expansion that will double their production.

Concerns about a black fungus that grows near distilleries halted their attempt to build a new barrel house last year. The Planning Board rejected their application after residents said they did not want more of the "whiskey fungus," or Baudoinia, to grow on the buildings in their neighborhood.

The Woods family is now making a new attempt at getting approval for their expansion  a new storage facility next to their existing barrel house and an expansion to the distillery to make room for a new kitchen for their tasting room. Their application went before the Planning Board on June 27 and states the distillery will not use the new space to store any aging spirits unless they get future approval from the town.

Residents who spoke during public comment said they were suspicious the distillery would not eventually return to the Planning Board to request the addition be used for storing aging barrels down the line. The Woods family said their application speaks for itself and that their expansion for storage alone is necessary.

"We're not asking for additional whiskey barrel storage," said Amanda Woods, who is married to David Woods II. "I don't see how this application can be denied."

Wiggly Bridge pitches expansion for storage, kitchen

The Woods family has been trying to get an expansion approved since 2022, when they first applied to construct a new barrel house for aging whiskey barrels. The father-and-son team started at York Beach and have since moved into a historic barn where they make whiskey, rum and other spirits and serve customers in their tasting room.

Residents mounted a campaign against the project when it first went before the Planning Board, alleging the expansion would result in the spread of whiskey fungus, which has been known to coat buildings and vehicles in communities near large distilleries. The Woods family said their distillery would never reach the size of the large companies in Kentucky.

The Wiggly Bridge Distillery in York wants to expand but some residents are opposed due to possible whiskey fungus.

Residents argued the fungus could impact their home values as well, though. They pointed to a study commissioned by the town conducted through the University of Maine that concluded Wiggly Bridge Distillery was the likely source of Baudoinia found in town.

The Woods family disputed the study, but the Planning Board rejected their proposal last October by a vote of 4-1. Chair Wayne Boardman said they may not be able to prove the distillery is the source of the fungus but that "there still may be a strong enough likelihood, that were reluctant to approve it.

Last week, the Planning Board began the new approval process for the application and continued it to rule on the project following a site walk. The addition to the distillery building would be 1,685 square feet. The new storage building would be 2,736 square feet to accommodate the storage of items like bottles and grain.

Attorney Matt Altieri, representing Wiggly Bridge, told the Planning Board that deliberations could not include consideration of ethanol emissions since the amendment proposed did not include the aging of any alcohol in barrels. That did not stop board members from emphasizing its significance. Board member Brian Trafton said he wanted the town's attorney to provide an opinion on that.

"You didn't sit through what we went through last year, OK? Respectfully, you didn't sit through it," Trafton said to Altieri.

Town Planner DeCarlo Brown said attorney Mary Costigan could be present at future meetings to give the board guidance.

Residents who spoke in public comment said they believed Wiggly Bridge still intended to use the new storage building for aging barrels. Adam Flaherty said he was concerned about the enforcement of the no-aging rule and hoped the town would inspect the distillery's new storage.

"The applicant has been telling you for a year and a half they are out of space for their whiskey barrels  and now they're applying to construct this building but not put whiskey in it?" Adam Flaherty said. "Who are they trying to fool here?"

Residents said they were not against local business but believed the new storage structure should be built off-site and away from the neighborhood so there is no chance barrels would be stored there.

"We are not against a Wiggly Bridge expansion in the correct place," Mark Cartier said.

Planning Board to consider Wiggly Bridge expansion

Board members said they would consider the application fairly but said they would require the plan to explicitly state that the addition will not be used for storing aging barrels. Board member Peter Smith said he intended to focus on the scope of the project, which only involves storage. He said residents should not take his reluctance to focus on the fungus as an indifference to their concern.

"I will remind everyone I was the one who moved to deny the previous application," Smith said. "So, if you think I'm in favor somehow of alcohol or ethanol in that building, not so."

Amanda Woods said her family hopes to get approval for the project or else make difficult decisions about the future of the distillery. She said the family may need to sell the property if they can't expand.

"And who knows what could go there," Woods said. "A lot more than just storage."

The Woods family has owned other businesses in town for years, including York Oil. Amanda Woods said they have no intention of a "bait and switch" with their application and their facility is regularly inspected. She said the backlash from residents has been challenging.

"We're not terrible people like we've been portrayed in the past," Amanda Woods said. "We're trying to do good."

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Wiggly Bridge pitches new expansion plan amid whiskey fungus concerns
Wildfire prompts evacuation order for thousands in Northern California as exceptionally dangerous heat builds in the West

Thousands have been ordered to evacuate in Northern California due to a wildfire burning in Butte County, as an exceptionally dangerous and lethal heat wave in the West ramps up.

Soaring temperatures  which will continue into next week  have dried out already-parched vegetation, increasing the wildfire risk across the region.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for the area of the fire, clearing the path for additional resources, including the possibility of mobilizing the California National Guard to assist.

The governors proclamation cites continued high temperatures throughout the day and night, dry conditions, and strong winds that have increased the intensity and spread of the fire.

A local emergency was also declared, and evacuations were ordered on Tuesday evening for some residents in the city of Oroville, as the Thompson Fire continues to burn in Butte County, according to local officials.

Cal Fire said the blaze has grown to more than 3,500 acres and was zero percent contained in an update around noon local time on Wednesday.

One of the people who evacuated Tuesday was Arielle Penick, 24, who also left her home from Paradise during the deadly 2018 Camp Fire.

The Thompson Fire is zero percent contained as of Wednesday morning, according to CalFire. - Ethan Swope/AP

On Tuesday afternoon, Penick, who is pregnant, packed up her things in Oroville with her 5-year-old son, her fiance and her fiances two kids.

We just see a pummel of smoke in the sky. And the PSTD from the Camp Fire kicked in instantly, especially with how big the cloud of smoke was, Penick said.

We gathered as much stuff as we could. Our three dogs, our dog crates, all the dog food, my kids favorite toys, all their diapers and wipes, their favorite bedding, their chairs, she said.

Penick is now staying at the home of a friend  who is also a Camp Fire survivor.

4 firefighters hurt as more than 1,000 battle blaze

Four firefighters battling the blaze have been injured, Cal Fire said. More than 1,400 firefighters are working to suppress the flames, along with eight helicopters and numerous air tankers, the agency said.

About 13,000 people in Butte County, including northeastern parts of Oroville, were ordered to evacuate, according to the sheriffs office.

Oroville is about 65 miles north of Sacramento with a population of around 15,000. The town sits about 20 miles south of Paradise, where the Camp Fire killed more than 70 people in 2018. Some of the residents impacted by that fire ended up relocating to Oroville.

The city of Orovilles July 4 fireworks celebration was canceled by California State Parks on Wednesday as firefighters continue to battle the fire, the department said in a news release.

Due to the large evacuations and damages caused by the Thompson Fire, State Parks and partner agencies  have a large number of resources responding to protect the community and get everyone back home as quickly as possible, State Parks said. These agencies also have employees with families displaced by these evacuations who are tirelessly assisting the community of Lake Oroville.

Red flag warnings are in effect across the West, including in the fire zone, because of extreme heat, gusty winds and low humidity. Already high temperatures will only ramp up Wednesday as an exceptional, long-lasting heat wave begins.

Oroville will see record temperatures of 110 or more each of the next five days  Saturday may reach an all-time record high of 113  making it that much harder for fire crews to fight the blaze.

Several high temperature records have been broken in California, with more expected this week. - Ethan Swope/AP

The Basin Fire in Fresno County has burned more than 13,000 acres and is currently only 26% contained.

Outdoor burning and especially fireworks are not recommended, the weather service in San Francisco warned ahead of the Independence Day holiday.

Triple-digit temperatures across parts of US

Nationwide, more than 150 million people across at least 22 states in parts of the Mid-South and West are under heat alerts.

The heat wave is exceptionally dangerous and lethal, the weather service in San Francisco said, warning an event of this scale, magnitude, and longevity will likely rival anything weve seen in the last 18 years for inland areas.

The heat began Tuesday across parts of the West, where numerous daily high temperature records were tied or broken:

Ukiah, California: 110 degrees (tied record set in 1924 and 2013)

Concord Airport, California: 107 degrees (old record 104 degrees, set in 2001)

Santa Rosa Airport, California: 106 degrees (old record 101 degrees, set in 2001)

Napa Airport, California: 102 degrees (old record 101, set in 2001)

San Jose, California: 102 degrees (tied record, set in 1970)

The National Weather Service in San Francisco warned people not to use fireworks in the dangerous weather conditions. - Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

Some cities could swelter through multiple days of temperatures well above 100 degrees with some, including Sacramento, potentially seeing a full week of highs over 105 degrees.

Most of California outside of the immediate coastline is under excessive heat warnings. High temperatures from the upper 90s to as high as 115 degrees are possible.

Las Vegas could see high temperatures all week over 110 degrees. The current record is 10 consecutive days set last year. Death Valley could see high temperatures at or above 120 degrees all week.

Heat is expected to spread to the Northwest and to parts of Arizona including Phoenix by the weekend, where triple-digit temperatures are expected, with parts of Arizona seeing highs above 110 degrees.

A 10-year-old died Tuesday in Arizona after experiencing a heat-related emergency while hiking with family in South Mountain Park and Preserve, authorities said. First responders performed an active mountain rescue and airlifted the child to the hospital, where he later died, the Phoenix Police Department said.

On Saturday, a 69-year-old hiker from Austin, Texas, died at the Grand Canyon, according to the National Park Service. Scott Sims became unconscious on the trail and attempts by bystanders and paramedics to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

Park rangers warn that summertime temperatures on the trail can reach over 120 degrees in the shade and advise not hiking during the day, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Efforts to assist hikers can be delayed during the summer due to increased need and limited resources, the park service said.

CNNs Taylor Galgano, Amanda Musa, Lauren Mascarenhas, Cheri Mossburg, Cindy Von Quednow and Christina Zdanowicz contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The case against a man alleged to be complicit in the murder and disappearance of Bardstown mother Crystal Rogers will continue, a judge ordered Wednesday, denying the defendants motion to dismiss the indictment.

Stephen Lawson appeared in court June 13 with his attorney, Ted Lavit, in attempt to have his case dismissed. Lavit and Lawson claim he was originally promised immunity by prosecutors in exchange for cooperation.

Nelson County Circuit Judge Charles Simms III, disagreed, saying Lawson breached the verbal immunity contract.

Rogers, a 35-year-old mother from Bardstown, went missing in July 2015. Her body has never been found.

Late last year, Stephen and Joseph Lawson, a father and son, were indicted on charges of criminal conspiracy to commit murder and complicity to tampering with physical evidence.

Brooks Houck, Rogers former boyfriend, was indicted on charges of murder and evidence tampering.

All three have pleaded not guilty.

Judge: Defendants statements wildly inconsistent

In a 13-page order, Simms affirmed an immunity deal had been verbally extended by prosecutors, but it was based on the assertion that Stephen Lawson would be 100% honest.

Lavit said in the previous hearing his client was honest. And if he wasnt  it was not done deliberately.

Simms based the decision on multiple interviews and transcripts where both Kentucky State Police detectives and special prosecutor Shane Young alluded to the agreement.

We are offering you the opportunity of a lifetime.You can say whatever you want, as long as it is 100% the truth, KSP Detective Steve Hardin said. Regardless of the incriminating nature of what you say and you can walk out of here today.

Young argued at the June hearing that Stephen Lawson had lied to investigators consistently.

Simms said recordings clearly establish Lawson provided wildly inconsistent information about matters material to the states investigation and prosecution.

The judge referenced several instances of dishonesty by Lawson, including:

The relationship between Houck and Lawson

Why he was on the Bluegrass Parkway near where Rogers car was later found

The identities of those involved in parking the vehicle

Whether Lawson knew about a missing skid-steer

Why Lawson spoke with Houck in an early morning call on July 4, 2015.

Simms also referenced a jail telephone call placed by Lawson where he admitted to lying, and therefore nullifying his deal with prosecutors.

This led him to rule that Lawson breached his immunity agreement by lying, beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Williamson County commissioners have approved $1.25 million to settle a federal lawsuit that claimed a jail inmate's suicide was preventable. The settlement on Tuesday involved the death of 37-year-old Joshua McNatt in 2021.

McNatt was booked into the Williamson County Jail on April 9, 2021, on a charge of assault involving a family member, according to jail records. A Texas Commission on Jail Standards form completed when he was booked indicating he was suicidal, according to the lawsuit filed by McNatt's mother against the county and three jailers.

An information sheet from the Williamson County magistrate's office listed McNatt's known mental health problems, including paranoid schizophrenia, anxiety and depression, the lawsuit said. A mental health official also did a court-ordered assessment on McNatt while he was in jail that said he was suicidal, according to the document. McNatt had been prescribed medications for his mental health illnesses but was not given those medications while he was in custody, the lawsuit said.

More: Williamson County pays $1.6 million to settle lawsuit involving death of jail inmate

Joshua McNatt died of his injuries in 2021 after trying to kill himself in the Williamson County Jail, officials said.

He was on suicide watch at the jail on April 12, 2021, when an officer dropped off a bag of towels, a sheet and a blanket to him, according to the lawsuit.

It said that about 18 minutes after the jailer dropped off the supplies, officers did their next suicide watch check of McNatt's cell. He was found hanging, the lawsuit said. "Leaving Josh, who was undisputedly suicidal, in a cell with tie-off points and items with which he could form a ligature, was a violation of every known jail standard as well as clearly established law," the lawsuit said.

More: Williamson County pays $500,000 to settle lawsuit over jail inmate's death

McNatt was taken to a hospital for treatment, according to a news release from the Williamson County sheriff's office at the time. The sheriff's office released him from custody two days after he was taken to the hospital so his family could decide on his future care, the release said.

"However, upon information and belief, the true motive was to avoid the County's liability for Josh's medical expenses," the lawsuit said. It said McNatt died at the hospital on April 22, 2021.

The county filed a custodial death report with the Texas attorney general that said McNatt's cause of death was suicide by hanging, according to the lawsuit.

Williamson County will pay $355,320 of the $1.25 million settlement with the rest paid by the county's insurance carriers, said Connie Odom, a county spokeswoman.

The county has settled at least two other lawsuits involving jail inmate deaths in the past few years. Williamson County commissioners agreed to pay $500,000 in October 2022 to settle a federal lawsuit involving the death of jail inmate Patrick Dupre. He was on suicide watch when he was put in a cell with a bed sheet that he used to try to kill himself on May 12, 2019, according to the lawsuit. He died of his injuries the next month, it said.

In April 2021, the commissioners approved a $1.6 million settlement involving the 2018 death of mentally ill inmate Daniel McCoy. The lawsuit claimed that McCoy, 24, died after being denied medical help when he became violently sick at the Williamson County Jail.

Williamson County Sheriff Mike Gleason declined to comment on Wednesday on whether jail practices had changed, saying he had not yet received a brief on the settlement from the Commissioners Court or the county's legal counsel.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Williamson County approves $1.25M to settle inmate death lawsuit
Right-wing leader warns of second American Revolution that will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be

The president of the right-wing Heritage Foundation made a cryptic threat to the radical left while warning of a second revolution sweeping the country.

We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts told Real Americas Voice on Tuesday.

The conservative think tank Roberts helms is behind Project 2025, a right-wing roadmap for a potential second Trump administration that would grant the president unprecedented control over federal agencies and empower Trump loyalists. Its stated aim is to start undoing the damage the Left has wrought and build a better country for all Americans in 2025.

Roberts comments come on the heels of Mondays Supreme Court ruling that gives presidents broad immunity privileges, which could prove favorable to Donald Trump as he faces multiple criminal cases. Roberts praised the ruling: Were in the process of taking this country back.

No one in the audience should be despairing ... We ought to be really encouraged by what happened yesterday, Roberts continued. And in spite of all of the injustice ... we are going to prevail.

The reason that they are apoplectic right now, the reason that so many anchors on MSNBC, for example, are losing their minds daily is because our side is winning, he added.

We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts told Real Americas Voice on Tuesday. (Reuters)

Roberts then called the Supreme Court immunity ruling vital.

With its historic decision, the Supreme Court on Monday granted the president immunity from prosecution while carrying out official acts. In her dissent, liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned: When he uses his official powers in any way, under the majoritys reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution.

She then outlined an unnerving hypothetical scenario: Orders the Navys Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune.

While Trump called political violence totally unacceptable at last weeks CNN debate, he did not dismiss the possibility that there will be more of it if he does not return to power, tellingTime magazine earlier this year: If we dont win, you know, it dependsIt always depends on the fairness of the election.

The US House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol ultimately determined that Trump was the central cause of the riot.
Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, is talking up revolution and the prospect of bloodshed in the wake of the Supreme Courts decision placing the president outside the reach of criminal law.

The Heritage Foundation is the once-staid think tank that, since Roberts arrival in 2021, has leaned into the culture wars with gusto. The group has organized the infamous Project 2025, mapping out an extremist agenda for a prospective second Trump term.

Roberts spoke Tuesday on the show Real Americas Voice with guest host and former Tea Party congressman Dave Brat, and uncorked comments that made him sound like a member of the Oath Keepers militia.

Let me speak about the radical left, Roberts said, insisting it has taken over our institutions. He said that the reason progressive are apoplectic right now  in the wake of the Supreme Court decision granting the president immunity from criminal prosecution  is because our side is winning.

Roberts then declared himself an insurrectionist who is open to violence: We are in the process of the second American Revolution, he said, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.

Heritage Foundation president celebrates Supreme Court presidential immunity ruling: "We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be" https://t.co/ndMJlNlUKH  Media Matters (@mmfa) July 3, 2024

Roberts comments underscore the threat of authoritarianism that is looming over the 2024 election, and immediately caught the attention of experts on fascist movements. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a history professor at NYU, called out Roberts in a pair of posts on X, describing him as a fascist who was celebrating the newfound power of the president to kill people and pay no penalty while feeling empowered by the ruling to threaten the American people. Ben-Ghiat decoded the left as applying to everyone who is not MAGA.

The NYU professor, whose expertise is in Italian fascism, added that Heritage does not have an in-house paramilitary and that by using we, Roberts is suggesting that Heritage is aligned with armed entities that could be activated if there is resistance to their coup. She called this a classic intimidation tactic: submit or else.

The Biden campaign denounced Roberts comments in a statement: 248 years ago tomorrow America declared independence from a tyrannical king, and now Donald Trump and his allies want to make him on at our expense. The statement described Roberts as dreaming of a violent revolution to destroy the very idea of America.

Later in the broadcast, Roberts predicted that his second revolution would be complete by 2050, and that would it would coincide with a new great awakening that would bring America to God  underscoring the extent to which Heritage and its Project 2025 is entwined with Christian nationalism. Roberts insisted that Gods law can, in fact, be a huge influence on the civil laws. And he offered a constrained vision of American liberty: Our definition of freedom is not the freedom to do whatever the heck we want, but the freedom to do what we ought.

Roberts, who previously ran the Texas Public Policy Foundation, is an ally of Trump megadonor Tim Dunn, who has long served on the board of TPPF. With millions in political donations, Dunn has steered Texas far to the religious right, and, as Rolling Stone has reported, is now pushing the MAGA movement to embrace his vision of a government whose function is to execute Gods wrath on evil.

More from Rolling Stone

Best of Rolling Stone
ISLAMABAD, July 3 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said on Wednesday.

According to police officials in the area, the blast occurred in Bajaur district of the province, killing the three people on the spot, including a former member of the Senate.

The police said that scores of people gathered for the campaign of the upcoming by-polls in the district when the roadside-planted bomb exploded.

An investigation has been launched to find the motives behind the incident.

After the explosion, police and security forces rushed to the site immediately. The police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.

No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. 
MADISON, Wis. (WFRV)  A 28-year-old Wisconsin man was sentenced to federal prison on Tuesday for turning a ghost gun into a fully functional machine gun.

According to a release, Byron Ellison, 28, from Windsor, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years behind bars for possessing heroin and fentanyl intended for distribution and possessing a machine gun.

Overnight homicide in Oshkosh, police say a person of interest apprehended

Court records show between September 9, 2023, and October 9, 2023, Ellison sold a heroin and fentanyl mixture to an undercover officer on four separate occasions.

On October 17, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ellisons residence, and in a safe, they found a loaded Polymer 80 9mm handgun with a Glock Switch attached to it. In the same safe, authorities found a Mini Draco AK47 Pistol and 13 grams of heroin and fentanyl mixture.

In a backpack in Ellisons room, investigators found a loaded .40 caliber Polymer 80 handgun.

According to a release, a Glock Switch is an illegal after-market device that converts a Glock semi-automatic handgun into a fully functioning machine gun. The release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Wisconsin goes on to say that a Polymer 80 is a privately made firearm, also known as a ghost gun, that does not have a serial number. Ghost guns are assembled using components purchased as a kit or as separate pieces.

Missing Wisconsin mother and son found dead, hidden on their property being investigated as homicides

At Ellisons sentencing on Tuesday, the judge recognized Ellisons lack of criminal history, as this would be his first time being sent to jail. The judge also noted that this was a serious case because Ellison was a drug dealer who had a ghost gun with a switch, allowing him to spray bullets in an indiscriminate manner.

The charges against Ellison were the result of an investigation conducted by the Dane County Narcotics Task Force and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
NECEDAH, Wis. (WFRV)  Authorities in central Wisconsin released the names of three victims who died in a June 30 house fire.

Three of the victims were juveniles.

Steven Lance Witte  66 years old

Charis Anne Kuehl  38 years old

Lydia Marie Witte  35 years old

Three Juveniles Two years old Five years old Eight years old



At the time of the release, the fire seemed to be accidental.

Wisconsin woman arrested after altercation leads to stabbing with pruning saw

The investigation is ongoing. Any more information that arises will be provided in a new press 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 WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
Woke and broke under the Conservatives or woker and broker under Labour: Telegraph readers on the General Election 2024

And theyre off

On May 22, Rishi Sunak surprised many, including most of his own ministers, by calling a snap general election for July 4. Since then, Telegraph readers have been having their say on the campaign, reflecting on the highs and lows of an eventful run-up to what could be an era-defining poll.

Lows came thick and fast for the Prime Minister, beginning with his address to the nation outside No 10 on the day the election was called, so thats where well begin.

SIR  Where was the Minister for Common Sense yesterday? Who in their right mind would make such an important announcement in the pouring rain with the idiots at the gates to Downing Street blaring out their music?

Lisa Dumbavand

London SW18

SIR  Its difficult to believe that the Conservatives have decided to lose an election six months earlier than they need to.

Paul Webster

Dyserth, Denbighshire

SIR  We are thinking of how much were going to save on electricity over the next six weeks because of not having the television or radio on.

Jane Oldroyd

Kelsall, Cheshire

SIR  Woke and broke under the Conservatives or woker and broker under Labour is not much of a choice.

Dr David Slawson

Nairn



National Service bump

Hardly a promising start, but four days later the PM fared a little better with his announcement that, if re-elected, hed bring back mandatory National Service for 18-year-olds.

SIR  Rishi Sunak is absolutely right to bring back National Service  and is the only politician with the courage to promote it. The young will find discipline, a purpose in life and self-respect, as well as travel and the chance to learn a skill to support them for the rest of their lives. And we will all be safer as a consequence.

N B Bentley

London SW3

SIR  Many of my friends and I (all in our early 20s) have had experience with the Army or Navy Cadets, and found the skills we gained to be incredibly useful.



There is much talk about the cost of implementing National Service, but such a scheme could in fact save a lot of taxpayers money, as many 18-year-olds would feel better equipped to start their lives rather than doing pointless degrees.



Bobby Angelov

London SW1

SIR  The Armed Forces are dangerously low on numbers. Where will they find the manpower to train and lead Rishi Sunaks National Servicemen and women?

Julian Tope

Portishead, Somerset



The politics of envy

Young peoples prospects have featured prominently in this contest, not least because of Labours plan to charge VAT on private school fees  a move that drew almost universal condemnation from Telegraph readers.

SIR  Why is it that when the VAT raid on private education is mentioned by Labour, schools such as Eton, Harrow and Winchester are used as examples?

Most private schools are filled by the children of hard-working parents who choose them for the smaller classes, better discipline and special-needs support  and in doing so make significant financial sacrifices.



Labours policy means that overstretched state schools will be further challenged. Lets be honest and call this what it is: the politics of envy.



Elizabeth Booth

Huddersfield, West Yorkshire

SIR  Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, suggests that independent schools faced with closure will simply have to make efficiencies. I find this incredible. If she were to refer to almost any independent schools Charity Commission entry, she would find that the single largest cost is staff. I would be interested to sit with her and discuss how a school like mine could achieve cost savings without making members of staff unemployed or reducing the educational provision available.

My school educates more than 600 children and employs over 200 staff in a rural area where there are few other opportunities. I wonder whether Ms Reeves has considered the probable human cost of her partys policy.

John Paget-Tomlinson

Headmaster, Leweston School

Sherborne, Dorset

SIR  Labour wishes to recruit an additional 6,500 new expert teachers, paid for by levying VAT on private school fees.



For context, in 2023 there were 468,693 full-time-equivalent teachers working in 29,616 state schools in the UK, according to the Department for Education.



So, Labour wishes to put in jeopardy the education of thousands of private school pupils in order to increase the number of teachers by 1.39 per cent, adding 0.22 teachers per school.



Andrew Gardiner

Wantage, Oxfordshire

SIR  Before people vote they should remember that, historically, Labour has always levelled society down and the Conservatives have always levelled society up. I know which I prefer. Labours proposal to charge VAT on school fees is just the start.



Howard Lay

Wokingham, Berkshire



Abbott turn

Attention then turned to the future of Diane Abbott. There had been rumours that Labour HQ was encouraging the former shadow cabinet minister, 70, to retire in return for getting the whip back, but pressure from the partys Left  including Angela Rayner  was applied, forcing Sir Keir Starmer into a U-turn.



SIR  It is entirely possible that, in the near future, Prime Minister Keir Starmer will be woken up at 4am and informed that Russian land forces have invaded Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania or Finland, then asked: What is your response?



Having seen him dither and obfuscate over whether Diane Abbott can or cant be a Labour candidate, I dont hold up much hope for a speedy or meaningful reaction to more important matters.



David Logan

Spilsby, Lincolnshire

SIR  Sir Keir Starmer waved the white flag and restored the whip to Diane Abbott  one half of the Left-wing dream team. So we may well get change after the election: vote Starmer, get Corbyn.

Gordon MacKenzie

Whitehaven, Cumbria



The Farage factor

On June 3, Nigel Farage stole the limelight by announcing that he would take over the leadership of Reform UK from Richard Tice, and stand for Parliament in Clacton. A major question in this election has been whether disaffected Tory voters would change allegiance and support Reform. Mr Farages re-emergence as a political leader turbo-charged this debate.

SIR  That the decision of one man to stand for Parliament has created such a storm is a sad reflection of the fact that all the mainstream parties have failed to understand the deep resentment and despair felt by the electorate.

Andrew Beevers

East Bergholt, Suffolk

SIR  The Tories are wide of the mark in complaining that Reform is splitting the Conservative vote. To many people, Reform is the Conservative vote.

The fact that they seem unable to appreciate this helps to explain the dire situation they find themselves in.

Andy Tuke

Bristol

SIR  It is not surprising that lifelong Conservatives are moving to Reform en masse. After decades of party membership, I resigned four years ago. By then the One Nation clique had already subverted the entire party.



Now there is nothing left to save.



Dr Tony Parker

Ringmer, East Sussex

SIR  Like it or not (and I do not relish it) we are in for some years of Labour government.

What the country now needs is a strong and watchful opposition, and the only party capable of providing this is the Conservative Party.

Chris Rome

Thruxton, Hampshire

SIR  As a disillusioned Conservative voter, I had decided that this time I would support Reform UK. Then I read about Nigel Farages suggestion that the West is responsible for the war in Ukraine. This brought me back down to Earth.

Patricia Essex

Hedge End, Hampshire

SIR  Nigel Farage, having severely damaged the country by engineering Brexit, now seeks to demolish the Conservative Party in the general election.

A supporter of Donald Trump and an apologist for Vladimir Putin, he is the most destructive force in politics today. I hope voters do not fall for his false promises this time round.

Sir Christopher Gent

Newbury, Berkshire

SIR  With regard to the question of who to vote for, Nigel Farage appears to have two policies: zero net migration and scrapping net zero. His aim is to destroy the Conservatives.

Voting for Reform UK will hand Labour a mandate to go soft on immigration, hurtle towards net zero and put the brakes on any further progress towards Brexit freedoms  the opposite of what Conservatives want.

Carol Rispin

Hessle, East Yorkshire

SIR  As this election has now become a farce for the Tories, is it not time for a joining of forces? Conservative Reform could be their salvation. It might also encourage some serious Conservatives back into the fold.

Janet Warwick

Shipton-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire

SIR  Like many others, Im not sure where to put my cross on the ballot paper on July 4. But if nothing else, may we hope that the popularity of Reform UK might at least bring about an increase in the use of the name Nigel, and save it from extinction?



Penny Scott

Neston, Cheshire



D-Day dishonour

Not content with haemorrhaging support to Nigel Farages Reform UK, Rishi Sunak then set about committing one of the great election faux-pas of modern times. By choosing to attend a television interview in favour of a major international ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the PM invited scorn from all quarters.



SIR  Rishi Sunak showed both arrogance and a lack of respect by leaving the D-Day commemorations early.

Once again he has demonstrated that he lives in a bubble, totally out of touch with reality. The sooner the Conservative Party rids itself of him and his band of sycophants, the sooner it will become electable again.



Tony Ellis

Northwood, Middlesex

SIR  Like many Conservative voters, I was preparing to support the party while holding my nose.

However, seeing the Prime Minister putting politics before those brave young men who fought and died for our freedom has changed my mind.

Rishi Sunak disrespected Britain in front of the world. On a political level, he also allowed Sir Keir Starmer to take the spotlight and be seen as someone who understood the gravity and solemnity of this special occasion.

Michael Edwards

Haslemere, Surrey

SIR  What would the Conservatives be saying if a Labour leader had bunked off from the D-Day commemoration to record an interview?

Christopher Clayton

Waverton, Cheshire



Promises of change

Yet for all the criticism of the PM and his gaffe-prone campaign, a consensus on Labour began to emerge: that no one knew exactly what it stood for or how it would govern if it won.

SIR  The best Sir Keir Starmer appears to be able to say about his policies is: Time for change. Change to what?

J L Greenwood

London SW18

SIR  Sir Keir Starmer plans to be in No 10 for 10 years. Its comforting to know that he has at least one plan.

Geoff Millward

Sandside, Cumbria

SIR  It is worth looking back to when Sir Keir Starmer laid out his 10 pledges during the Labour leadership election, and comparing them with his recent six.

Four years go he pledged, for example, to increase income tax for the top 5 per cent of earners and reverse corporation tax cuts. He pledged to abolish Universal Credit and tuition fees. He pledged to introduce the Green New Deal.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a pledge as a solemn promise. It is now clear that those solemn promises have simply been abandoned in favour of the vacuous nonsense of the new pledges.

I suspect that, once Sir Keir starts having to discuss the detail of Labours manifesto, people will think long and hard before putting an x in the Labour box on election day.

Richard Allison

Edinburgh

SIR  So Sir Keir Starmer backed the hard-Left, socialist manifesto of Jeremy Corbyn because he thought Labour would lose the 2019 general election. He has now moved, and the 2024 manifesto is what one might expect from Tony Blair, who was effectively disowned by the Labour Left.

Perhaps he is a typical lawyer who simply changes his argument to win the case. But this is hardly reassuring.

Eric Morgan

Ponteland, Northumberland

SIR  Sir Keir Starmer has promised that there will be no tax rises for working people. As a working person, I would be affected by a hike in fuel duty, council tax or even capital gains tax. Do I not count?

Jonathan Mann

Gunnislake, Cornwall

SIR  Sir Keir Starmer has insisted that there will be no tax surprises in the forthcoming Labour manifesto.

Hes correct: taxes will rise, and no one will be surprised.

Adrian Mugridge

Ellesmere Port, Cheshire

SIR  If Sir Keir Starmer loses the election, will he demand another one? He has already proved himself incapable, during Brexit, of accepting the results of a democratic vote.

William McWilliams

Ashford, Kent



Humourless hustings

As election fatigue set in, all the major parties sought to motivate a weary electorate. Rishi Sunak proposed tax cuts. Sir Keir Starmer promised an end to Tory chaos. Sir Ed Davey fell off a paddle board. But Telegraph readers craved more.

SIR  This election has been sadly lacking in humour  from candidates and hecklers.

I well remember Harold Wilson speaking at Watford Technical College in the campaign of autumn 1964. Wed had a long spell of hot sunny weather, and Mr Wilson remarked: The Tories think they can get re-elected because we have had eight weeks of sunshine. Then, sotto voce: And 13 years of moonshine.

Come on, candidates  lets have some spark.

Robin Platt

Wokingham, Berkshire

SIR  A week ago, as I was finding the general election campaign dull and predictable, I decided to make it more interesting by allowing myself an alcoholic drink each time I heard or saw the following: Liz Trusss mini-Budget; Fully funded, fully costed: Toolmaker; We have a plan; or Sir Ed Davey in a life jacket and/or safety helmet.

I havent got a lot done since, but it has made watching political interviews much more enjoyable.

James Sneath

Eastbourne, East Sussex



Fate of the nation

In the final days of the race, amid talk of a Labour supermajority and a possible Tory wipeout, thoughts have turned to life after July 4  and to why life in Britain might not be quite as bad as a general election can make it seem.

SIR  The day after the last Labour landslide, I was so depressed that I asked my then girlfriend to marry me.

Many years of happy marriage and two children later, I can say unequivocally that it was the best decision I have ever made.

Now, I must decide what to do on July 5. Any suggestions?

Philip Usherwood

Elvetham, Hampshire

SIR  Philip Usherwood, who proposed to his girlfriend after the 1997 Labour landslide and is now happily married with children, asks what big decision he should make on July

My suggestion: start the emigration process.

Janet Haines

Reading, Berkshire

SIR  Theres something reassuring about Emmanuel Macrons panicked declaration of his own snap election.

Here in Britain, catastrophising is fashionable. Exceptionalism is often assumed to be an arrogant state of mind, but it can be the opposite: we do like to wear hair shirts and tell ourselves that our country is unique in its state of political and cultural decline. This attitude is particularly common among Remainers, who fret about what the neighbours must think.

Developments in France give us a sense of perspective. The grass may seem greener on the other side, but other countries have problems too.

Robert Frazer

Salford, Lancashire



Get in touch

So there you have it  things could be worse. Just ask President Macron.

Thank you to all the brilliant readers who contributed to the election conversation, and do please write to us with your reaction to the result at dtletters@telegraph.co.uk.



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.
HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11)  A woman is accused of beating a man to death after he refused to pay her for performing a sex act on him on a Manhattan street Tuesday, according to the NYPD and sources.

Sabrina Charles, 39, allegedly beat the unidentified man with a piece of wooden furniture in front of 19 Hancock Place near 125th Street in Harlem at 4:25 p.m., police and sources said.

More Local News

Charles allegedly hit the victim over the head repeatedly after she performed a sex act on him between two parked cars, sources said. Charles claimed the victim raped her before the fatal attack, sources said. She was taken to the hospital for examination.

Police said the woman and the victim, who knew each other, were allegedly doing drugs together at the time of the incident.

Charles, a Manhattan resident, was arrested and charged with murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of stolen property, authorities said. Charles has prior arrests for drug possession and prostitution, police said.

Her arraignment was pending on Wednesday.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Woman arrested on murder in case of body found in plastic storage container in Fort Worth

A 52-year-old man was killed at a Las Vegas Trail apartment and his body was dumped from a Ford Taurus onto a road in northwest Fort Worth that leads to a shale gas pad, according to police.

The body of Dwight Hood was discovered on June 5 inside of a plastic storage container on the remote road, according to police.

Police on Monday night arrested Tisha Hulsey, 51, on suspicion of murder in connection with the killing that has been under investigation by the Fort Worth Police Departments Homicide Unit.

The Tarrant County Medial Examiners Office has not released the cause of Hoods death.

Hood was killed at Hulseys apartment in the 3200 block of Las Vegas Trail, according to police. His body was found in the 3300 block of Mc Candless Street.

A Fort Worth police spokesman on Tuesday said the case was under active investigation and declined to release the affidavit supporting Hulseys arrest warrant.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A man was arrested after he sexually assaulted a woman in the bathroom of a Memphis Public Library, according to Memphis Police.

Kevin Standberry, 35, is charged with Sexual Battery and Attempted Rape. His bond was set at $100,000.

Monday, the victim went to the bathroom at 33 South Front Street at the Cossitt Library. Police say Standberry went in behind her and started kissing her and touching her breasts.

Love me enough to turn yourself in: Family pleas for homicide suspect to go to cops

The victim got away and went to another part of the library.

However, she went back to the bathroom to get her belongings. Standberry followed her back in and allegedly exposed himself.

According to Memphis Police, Standbery grabbed the victim and attempted to pull her pants down to initiate sex. The victim broke free and fled.

A security officer on the scene detained Standberry and called the police.

In a statement, the library director says,

We are grateful for the response of the security officer who detained the suspect and the Memphis Police Department for their quick action. Memphis Public Libraries currently utilizes security guards at all our branches and have a plan to enhance security at all locations.

Woman charged with kidnapping teen from Porter-Leath

Jennifer Brobst, a law professor at the University of Memphis School of Law, says she is a regular at the library and is concerned.

Very sad, obviously for the victim. It makes everybody nervous when we hear these things, she said.

Brobst is also a former prosecutor and says public places put everyone at risk.

If its a public place, were all a little vulnerable in those spaces, she said. Also, the fact that the library is a very public place. Sometimes people are concerned if homeless people are using the facility and theres no greater risk of sexual violence than from that group of people. Its concerning, but also a reminder that we all have to be very aware of our surroundings.

Kevin Standberry is set to appear in court Wednesday morning. Standberry has prior felony convictions including burglary, according to reports.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Working outdoors during this California heat wave? Here are your rights and protections

Californians working outdoors during this weeks triple-digit temperatures are protected by nearly two-decade-old heat illness prevention standards.

The rules, established in 2006, are enforced by Cal-OSHA and designed to ensure safe working conditions in hot environments for employees in agriculture, construction, landscaping, oil and gas extraction and transportation industries.

Last month, the state approved heat regulations for indoor workers, but the rules must still undergo a legal review. They are likely to take effect later this year.

Until then, heres what to know about heat protection rights if youre in an outdoor industry.

Access to water

Employers must provide their workers with a continued supply of water that is fresh, pure and suitably cool. The water must be offered an area as close as practicable to where employees are working.

If water is not continuously supplied, workers must be given at least one quart of drinking water per hour for the entire shift. Employers should encourage their workers to drink water frequently.

When does shade become mandated?

Shade is required for employees when the temperature reaches 80 degrees.

The shaded areas must be open to air, ventilated or cooled and large enough for employees to rest comfortably without being in the sun or touching one another. Workers should be encouraged to rest in the shade for at least five minutes when they feel the need to do so.

Employers are exempt from the shade rules if they can prove it is unsafe or unfeasible to have a shaded work area or create alternative access. Misting machines are an option of alternative access, except for those working in the agricultural industry.

Shade can also be requested when outdoor work area temperatures dont exceed 80 degrees.

High-heat procedures

When temperatures reach 95 degrees, employers must implement additional procedures to ensure safe working conditions. These include observing employees for signs and symptoms of heat illness, regular communication with workers and pre-shift meetings to review procedures.

Employers must also designate one worker at each worksite to call for emergency medical services.

For employees in the agricultural industry, 10-minute breaks every two hours are mandated in 95-degree or higher weather.

How to file a complaint?

It is illegal for California employers to discharge or discriminate against a worker for exercising their heat rights.

To file a complaint, workers can contact their Cal-OSHA office by calling 1-866-924-9757. Information needed to file complaints includes employee information, name, address and phone number of worksite and description and location of the hazard.

More information on heat standards is available on the California Department of Industrial Relations website.
Cuthbert Mfangavo, the head teacher of Kawe A Primary School, receives humanitarian donations from China Communications Construction Company during a ceremony at the primary school, in Tanzania's port city of Dar es Salaam, July 2, 2024. (Photo by Emmanuel Herman/Xinhua)

DAR ES SALAAM, July 3 (Xinhua) -- More than 50 pupils with disabilities at Kawe A Primary School, in Tanzania's port city of Dar es Salaam, on Tuesday received humanitarian donations from China Construction Communication Company (CCCC) Tanzania branch.

The pupils and their parents also received free medical consultations from the 27th Chinese medical team in Tanzania mainland.

The donations included school supplies, food, medical supplies, and wheelchairs.

The pupils with disabilities were also treated to singing by CCCC Tanzania staff members, a talent show, and a lion dance performance by the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam.

Cuthbert Mfangavo, the head teacher of Kawe A Primary School, thanked CCCC Tanzania and the 27th Chinese medical team in Tanzania for the donations that supported pupils with special needs.

"The donations we have received today and medical care from the 27th Chinese medical team will play a huge role in improving the health of the pupils, and the wheelchairs will help to ease their movement within the school compound and at their homes as well," Mfangavo said.

Sofia Salum, a parent, said she was grateful for the donation, which will go a long way toward improving the learning environment of pupils with disabilities. 

A pupil receives free medical consultations by the 27th Chinese medical team in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, July 2, 2024. (Photo by Emmanuel Herman/Xinhua)
West Virginia University police issued a campus warning after two burglaries on Tuesday morning.

One burglary happened at 633 North Spruce Street, a university-owned building, while the other happened off-campus.

The university said a cleaning crew arrived at the building on North Spruce Street and found three people, two men and a woman, who were not authorized to be there.

The three suspects ran away.

One person was arrested in the off-campus burglary.

The university said the incidents are not connected.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

Moon Township neighbors growing frustrated with megachurch hosting large event this weekend Armed security guard charged in deadly mass shooting at Penn Hills bar Car pulled from Allegheny River belonged to man who went missing in 2013, sources say VIDEO: Shuman Juvenile Detention Center to reopen Tuesday DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
How a WWII ace became the unlikely honoree of a submarine combat award

The United States Navy produced scores of fighter aces during World War II in the Pacific, but arguably most unique among them was one airman who, after his flying career was interrupted by enemy ground fire, owed his return to a submarine.

Born in Burlington, Iowa, on April 21, 1920, John Roderick Galvin enlisted in the Navy in 1942, qualifying the following year as a naval aviator before being assigned to fighter squadron VF-8 aboard the aircraft carrier Bunker Hill.

The Bunker Hills cruise began with a March 30-31, 1944, raid on Peleliu in the Palau Islands, during which its pilots claimed 11 enemy aircraft shot down.

Marines make first landing on renovated WWII airfield in the Pacific

The following day, however, Galvins luck ran out. Flying his fifth combat sortie in his Grumman F6F Hellcat, Galvin managed to strafe a Mitsubishi Betty bomber on the airfield at Woleai Atoll  before being greeted with a barrage of anti-aircraft gunfire.

Badly shot-up, wounded and judging his plane unable to make it back to the carrier, Galvin bailed out of the aircraft five miles north of Taugalap Island, while his squadron mates reported his position.

After swimming for hours in rough waters, Galvin finally drifted over a coral reef fringing Taugalap and made his way to the beach. There, a Grumman Avenger buzzed him and dropped an inflatable life raft with a note instructing him to Swim out to sea. But Galvin was too badly wounded and exhausted to comply.

Thankfully, the submarine USS Harder (SS-257), commanded by Lt. Cmdr. Samuel David Dealey, was performing lifeguard duty around the atoll when it was notified of Galvins plight.

The sub soon took up a position 1,500 yards from the shore while carrier planes continued strafing Woleai, hoping to divert enemy attention from Taugalap.

With Galvin unable to reach it at sea, Harders crew positioned the sub with the bow pointed shoreward and the propellers slowly spinning astern to prevent its drifting aground. At noon three volunteers, Lt. Samuel M. Logan, cook J.W. Thomason and Master Machinists Mate 1st Class Francis X. Ryan, went ashore with a life raft and a tow line.

But just as they reached the shore and were tying the raft so all four men would be hauled aboard Harder, a Curtiss Seagull floatplane, confusing Galvin with another downed VF-8 pilot it was seeking  Ensign Warner W. Delesdernier, who ended up missing in action  landed nearby to lend a hand. That hand only succeeded in severing the tow rope.

While Thomason swam out to inform the Seagull pilot of the situation another Harder volunteer, Gunners Mate 1st Class Freeman Paquet Jr., swam to the beach with a replacement line.

By this time Japanese snipers had spotted activity on the beachhead and began firing at Paquet from the trees. Strafing Hellcats attempted to quiet the enemy, allowing Galvin and the rescue team to haul off the beach and back to the sub. Harder reversed screws full speed and backed its way safely to sea  the daring rescue garnering the praise from the likes of Adm. Chester W. Nimitz.

Galvin remained a guest aboard Harder for an unprecedented 33 days, witnessing the start of a brief, distinguished career for the most aggressively handled submarine in the U.S. Navy.

When Dealey told Galvin of his standard tactic of engaging Japanese destroyers with a down the throat shot, the latter thought him too much of a risk taker, but witnessed the subs success in action on a number of occasions.

On April 13, Dealey encountered the destroyer Ikazuchi escorting the Japanese transport Sanyo Maru 200 miles south-southwest of Guam. Turning on his would-be tormentor at 900 yards Dealey loosed a spread and tersely reported, Expended four torpedoes and one [Japanese] destroyer.

On May 3, Harder finally returned to its base at Fremantle, Western Australia, and released its passenger to return to Bunker Hill  wearing the Purple Heart and the submarine combat pin, which became Galvins prized possession.

Galvin returned to VF-8 to discover himself nicknamed Dumbo, a common moniker for downed pilots who had been rescued at sea.

By September of that year, Galvin finally got his second chance to fly and fight, encountering Nakajima Ki-43s (codenamed Oscar by Allied Intelligence) over the Marcelino airfield on Luzon.

Galvin claimed two Oscars, which were logged with a total of 22 credited to VF-8 in the course of a days dogfighting.

VF-8 later outdid that performance during raids on the isle of Formosa (Taiwan)  in preparation for the landing at Leyte in the Philippines  claiming 50 enemy aircraft on Oct. 12.

Galvin was credited with three Nakajima Ki-44 Tojos destroyed and two Mitsubishi A6M Zekes damaged around Matsuyama airfield, giving him the coveted fighter ace status.

Galvins last successes, comparatively, were almost an anticlimax. On Oct. 16, he was credited with shooting down two obsolescent Mitsubishi Nell bombers, bringing his total to nine planes shot down or damaged.

By the time Galvin retired from the Navy as a lieutenant, he had flown 97 combat missions, was awarded multiple Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Purple Heart, the Navy Aviator Award and, perhaps most importantly, his beloved Submarine Combat Patrol Insignia.

Convinced God had a personal hand in his survival against heavy odds, Galvin became highly religious for the rest of his life, which he expressed in a memoir he cowrote with Frank Allnutt, Salvation for the Doomed Zoomie, published in 1983.

John R. Galvin passed away on March 9, 1994, near Scottsdale, Arizona.
Insights from The Wall Street Journal, The Diplomat, CNN, and The Guardian

The News

Chinas Xi Jinping meets with Russias Vladimir Putin on Wednesday for the second time in as many months during a visit to Astana, Kazakhstan. The pair are in town to attend a two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

The SCO, formed by Russia and China in 2001, is a security and economic alliance designed to counter Western organizations, like NATO.

The leaders will discuss further deepening multifaceted cooperation within the organization, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Belarus is also expected to join the SCO, which would bring its number of member states to 10.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

The SCO is a global stage for Beijing

Source: Radio Free Europe

The SCO has expanded from its origins as a Central Asia-focused alliance to a Eurasia-wide organization with ever-growing ambitions, from counterterrorism to economic development, to regional security, a correspondent noted for Radio Free Europe. Symbolism is as important as policy, if not more, and for Beijing, it is particularly so: China has sought to use the SCO to contest the US on the world stage and portray itself as the natural leader of the Global South. But Beijing would need to do a lot to shed the SCOs reputation as a talk shop for authoritarians for China or Russia-skeptical Global South countries to join.

Russia and China are carefully jockeying for influence in Central Asia

Sources: The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The New York Times

Beneath Russia and Chinas no limits partnership, there lurks a spirit of competition. As Moscows influence in Central Asia slips, Beijing is upping its efforts to deepen trade links with countries like Uzbekistan, The Wall Street Journal reported. Part of the reason for the changing balance of power may be Russias invasion in Ukraine; that could be ample impetus for other former Soviet republics to de-Russify, making the process of replacing Russia [with China] happen more quickly, a researcher at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center told The Guardian. Russia, meanwhile, seems keen on forging its own diplomatic path:Putins recent trips to North Korea and Vietnam may be signaling to China and Central Asia that [hes] got other options, an expert told The New York Times.

Belarus membership could shift the alliance in subtle ways

Sources: The Diplomat, CNN

The likely addition of staunchly pro-Russian Belarus into SCO could dilute its focus, and damage what little credibility it had with democratic countries elsewhere, a columnist argued in The Diplomat. But since Chinas relations with the US have deteriorated, it may be less concerned about presiding over a bloc branded as anti-Western, an expert told CNN. Nevertheless, the SCOs past embrace of Iran, and now Belarus, could fuel unease among other members that do want to maintain good relations with the West, fostering a kind of multi-trajectory diplomacy, another expert added.
While I have great respect for former Gov. Jim Martin and the years of service he gave our state, his June 25 opinion piece regarding the pardon process and why it takes so long needs clarification.

He wrote, Clemency advocates want North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper to move faster to pardon those they feel are innocent. But for the cases currently receiving public attention, they dont just feel they are innocent, they are innocent.

At the time Martin left office in 1993, it was not as well established that sometimes innocent people are convicted of crimes they did not commit because of misidentification, false confessions, jailhouse informants, forensic practices that have since been proven to be unreliable, or any of the host of other reasons our human system doesnt always get it right.

Chris Mumma

For cases like Glen Chapman, Michael Parker, Johnny Small, Mark Carver, Kevin Johnson and Timothy Evans, their last day in court was the day they were exonerated. Their convictions have been overturned, charges have been dismissed, and although they have their freedom, they deserve to have their names back through pardons of innocence. Further delay compounds their injury.

Additionally, many of the petitions pending with Coopers Clemency Office are cases recommended by the N.C. Juvenile Sentence Review Board, the very board established by Cooper to conduct a thorough and individualized review of claims by inmates who were juveniles when they committed crimes, have already served lengthy sentences, and have taken significant steps to reform and rehabilitate themselves.

In these cases, the unilateral burden upon the governor with minimal guidance that former Gov. Martin referenced has been lifted by the board Gov. Cooper established and the appointment of people he trusted to that board.

Admittedly, some petitions are more difficult. There are mercy petitions for elderly and unhealthy people who have been behind bars for decades, are not a threat to society, are a burden on our prison system, have someone who can care for them, and, in some cases, even the victims and their families are unopposed to their release.

There are also petitions for those who feel they are innocent and the evidence supports their innocence, but there are no legal avenues that allow for correction just because law enforcement, prosecution and the justice system overall do a better job now.

And, there are petitions from those who have served long sentences and believe they are worthy of forgiveness. Whether because their crimes were committed soon after parole was eliminated and they have seen others convicted of the same crimes go home after shorter sentences, or they werent juveniles, but were very young when their crimes were committed, or they played a minimal role in the crime but received the same or longer sentences than major participants. Those decisions are hard, but clemency advocates get that.

In my experience, as head of the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence, bad decisions on petitions are impacted by politics. There is also an impact from having governors consider pardons for cases they fought against overturning as former attorney generals. And decisions on pending petitions are impacted by the fact that our current attorney general is running for governor.

I wish that were not true but there is a way for Gov. Cooper to prove Im wrong and serve justice. Pardon the innocent and rely on your board.

Chris Mumma is Executive Director of the N.C. Center on Actual Innocence in Durham.
As Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson runs for governor, questions are being raised about his past bankruptcies and his failures to pay taxes.

But theres another problematic part of Robinsons history that hasnt received attention  how he and his wife were cited for numerous violations at the child care center they operated from 2000 to 2007, including a charge that the center presented falsified certification documents to state inspectors.

Robinsons wife, Yolanda Hill, was the owner of Precious Beginnings Child Development Center in Greensboro. Robinson himself took over management of the center after his wife began a job elsewhere.

State inspectors made several unannounced visits to the center and cited it for dozens of violations. Some were minor and corrected. The violations included sanitary, safety and nutrition issues, but the most significant ones involved falsified documents.

According to state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) records, the Robinsons presented documents attesting to their training certifications and the completion of criminal background checks that the state had no record of issuing.

A June 21, 2007, inspection report says Files for the owner and the husband of the owner contain North Carolina Early Childhood Credential Certificates when the Work Force Unit of the Division of Child Development does not have a record of having issued credentials. Additionally, Criminal Records Qualifying letters are on file for the owner and the husband of the owner. The Criminal Records Unit of the Division does not have a record of having ever received criminal records forms nor issuing qualifying letters to you or your husband.

The report added that an administrative action against the centers license was underway because of attempts to falsify information regarding Credential Certificates.

DHHS has not retained records on the center beyond the inspection reports, a DHHS spokesperson said. The Robinsons sold the center in the midst of the investigation and the agency indicated at the time that it would not pursue the matter once the center changed hands.

Mike Lonergan, communications director for Robinsons campaign, said reporting on these past violations is just another attempt by liberals to dig up old news  some of it even by decades  to smear Mark Robinson. Lonergan said reporting on the inspection records amounts to cherry-picking a few minor violations and clerical errors to grind a political ax while ignoring visits that include superior ratings.

In his book recounting his upbringing and entrance into politics, We are the Majority: The Life and Passions of a Patriot, Robinson recalled his wifes purchase of the child care center and his work there. He said caring for children was a fantastic experience, but government regulations made it difficult.

It was hard at times to operate effectively because there were so many regulations and red tape, he wrote.

Among the issues the inspectors reports noted were: failure to put sleeping infants on their backs, a lack of proper refrigeration of infant formula, improper storage of medications, exposed electrical outlets, staff members talking on cell phones while supervising children and the absence of a certified administrator on site.

Robinson said the citations and record keeping demands moved his wife to get out of the business. He wrote, She no longer wanted to deal with the frustrations of running the daycare under so much red tape.

Exiting a business that had come under government scrutiny echoes Yolanda Hills recent response when a nonprofit she owned, Balanced Nutrition Inc., recently came under state review.

Balanced Nutrition administered a free lunch program for North Carolina children. The Associated Press reported that The nonprofit received $7 million in government funding since 2017, while paying out at least $830,000 in salaries to Hill, Robinson and other members of their family.

As DHHS, which oversees the state-federal food program, began a compliance review of Balanced Nutrition, Hill announced in April that she was closing the operation. She cited the demands of her husbands gubernatorial campaign. She did not respond to a DHHS request that she meet with state officials by June 30.

Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have embraced Robinson despite his inflammatory statements on race, civil rights and LGBTQ people. But along with his MAGA swagger, Robinson brings a troubling personal history into the race that should have been disqualifying.

Instead, we dont know what will turn up next about Robinsons past, or what will emerge from his involvement in Balanced Nutrition.

Associate opinion editor Ned Barnett can be reached at 919-404-7583, or nbarnett@news observer.com
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump enters at a campaign event, June 18, 2024, in Racine, Wis. via Associated Press

The first New York Times/Siena College poll since President Joe Bidens alarming debate performance shows former President Donald Trump leading Biden and up three points in just a week, as concerns mount about Bidens age and his ability to win a second term.

The poll, released Wednesday, was one of the first major surveys of the race since last Thursdays debate. It has Trump beating Biden 49% to 43% among likely voters nationally, the largest lead that Trump has registered in a Times poll since 2015. Trumps margin increased among both likely and registered voters by three points since the debate; he now leads registered voters 49% to 41%.

The president, 81, has doubled down on staying in the race amid criticism that Thursdays debate exposed him as too old and frail to serve another four years, let alone win the election. Biden told allies on a call Wednesday that he intends to stay in the race no matter what, even as Democrats have continued to sound alarms about his candidacy.

Bidens campaign pollster pushed back on the idea that a bad showing in the Times poll four months from the election means Biden cant still win. The Times own chief political analyst, Nate Cohn, also argued the results do no reveal a fundamental shift in the race.

Both internal and outside polling confirm that the race remains incredibly tight and I agree with the Times that todays polling doesnt fundamentally change the course of the race, Biden campaign pollster Molly Murphy said in a statement. Murphy also emphasized a bright spot for Biden in the poll: that he continues to chip away at Trumps support among independents.

The Times poll isnt the only bad news for the presidents campaign since the debate, during which he appeared confused at times and struggled to answer questions clearly. A CBS News poll released Wednesday showed Trump leading Biden by two points nationally and three points across battleground states.

Both polls pointed to widespread and growing concern about Bidens age. The Times poll found the percentage of voters who view Biden as too old to be president was up five points since the debate, to 74% of voters. Meanwhile, 42% of voters view Trump, 78, as too old.

Another poll from CNN released this week found that most voters feel Democrats have a better shot at winning the presidency if the party selects another nominee. The same poll also found Vice President Kamala Harris doing slightly better than Biden in a head-to-head against Trump, though both matchups were within the polls margin of error.

The Times/Siena College polled 1,532 registered voters, from June 28, the day after the debate, through July 2, via telephone.

Even as a pair of congressional Democrats have called on Biden to step down, and others openly speculated he would lose to Trump if he stayed in, Biden was defiant during a call with staff on Wednesday.

Im the nominee of the Democratic Party, Biden reportedly said. No ones pushing me out. Im not leaving.

Related...
Palestinian child Tareq Qamar, who was injured in an Israeli strike that killed his mother, is carried by his aunt as his brother Mohammed who was wounded along with him reacts on a bed, at Nasser hospital, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip

Palestinian child Tareq Qamar, who was injured in an Israeli strike that killed his mother, is carried by his aunt as his brother Mohammed who was wounded along with him reacts on a bed, at Nasser hospital, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip

By Mohammed Salem

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian boy Mohammed Qamar lies wounded in a Gaza hospital after an Israeli airstrike that killed his mother and two other relatives, and injured his five siblings.

The 12-year-old, who suffered wounds to his face, eyes and feet in Monday's attack, cries out for his mother in a scene that is all too familiar after nine months of war.

"I was very sad about it, and I felt angry, I started to cry 'How could you go and leave us, mama? Who did you leave us for?'," he said at the Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. "Mama, can you hear me? Mama, answer me."

Recalling how he used to help his mother about the house, he said: "I loved her a lot and would help her by sweeping and washing the dishes, so she could rest."

"I would tidy up the living room and the rooms, I would sweep, and do the dishes for her," he said.

A woman sat beside his hospital bed, cradling his baby brother. His father, Ahmed Qamar, and another brother also lay in hospital beds following the airstrike, which shattered windows and filled the living room with dust.

"I lost the soul of the house," said the father, Ahmed Qamar.

"I have children who are one month old, three years old, five years old, and 10 years old," he said. "They need a mother, and I cannot do it on my own."

The family's plight has become common in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli military began its offensive in response to the deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israeli communities led by the Gaza-based Islamist militant group Hamas.

About 1,200 people were killed in the Oct. 7 attack, and around 250 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's offensive has killed nearly 38,000 people, according to the Gaza health ministry, and has left much of the heavily built-up coastal enclave in ruins.

Israel, which is trying to eliminate Hamas, says it goes out of its way to avoid civilian casualties. It did not comment on the incident in which the Qasam family home was hit.

The Gaza health ministry does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants, but officials say most of the dead are civilians. Israel says at least a third of the Palestinian dead are fighters.

(This story has been refiled to correct the day of the attack to Monday, not Sunday, in paragraph 2)

(Writing by Michael Georgy, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
(Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Donald Trump should come forward with his plan to quickly end the war with Russia, warning that any proposal must avoid violating the nations sovereignty.

Most Read from Bloomberg

If Trump knows how to finish this war, he should tell us today, Zelenskiy said in a Bloomberg Television interview in Kyiv on Wednesday. If there are risks to Ukrainian independence, if we lose statehood  we want to be ready for this, we want to know.

The former US president, who leads in polls over President Joe Biden ahead of the November election, has boasted that hell end the war by the time hes inaugurated in January. In the televised debate last week, Trump decried the billions of dollars spent on Ukraines defense, saying that Kyiv is not winning the war.

In a nearly hour-long interview, the Ukrainian leader lamented the delays in weapons deliveries from Western allies and said he was potentially ready to meet with Trump to hear his teams proposals.

Our Life

They cant plan my life and life of our people and our children, he said. We want to understand whether in November we will have the powerful support of the US, or will be all alone.

The Ukrainian leader has had a fraught relationship with Trump, who during his presidency consistently accused Zelenskiy of corruption and soon after the former comedians 2019 election leaned on him to investigate allegations against Biden  a move that triggered his first impeachment.

Responding to questions from Bloomberg on Wednesday, Steven Cheung, the Trump campaigns communications director, said the prospective Republican presidential candidate will do what is necessary to restore peace and rebuild American strength and deterrence on the world stage.

Zelenskiy also challenged the notion that Kyiv is losing, refuting the term deadlock to describe the conflict. He said Kyivs forces are better positioned in terms of manpower than they were months ago and a new counteroffensive is a matter of arming its brigades.

Its not a deadlock, its a problematic situation, he said. A deadlock means theres no way out. But a problem can be solved if one has the will and has the tools. We do have the will, and the tools  they havent arrived yet.

As the Kremlins full-scale invasion goes well into its third year, dwindling stockpiles of weapons and ammunition among Ukrainian forces have been exploited by Russias military, which has made incremental gains since the beginning of the year.

While Zelenskiy lauded the $61 billion assistance package approved by the US Congress this year  after a six-month long delay  he said the equipment was taking too long to make its way to the front.

This is the biggest tragedy of this war, that between the decision and real fact, we have a real long, long, long wait, Zelenskiy said.

NATO allies agreed Wednesday they should aim to provide at least 40 billion ($43 billion) in military aid for Ukraine per year, but refrained from explicit pledges for the years ahead, according to alliance diplomats.

NATO Welcome

Zelenskiy will lobby for more Patriot air defense systems at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Washington next week, and will seek more security deals, like those Ukraine has already clinched with 20 partners, including the EU, the UK, Germany and the US. Ukraine also wants an invitation to join the defense alliance, but we know we wont get it, Zelenskiy said.

If not that, we would like to see something similar to an invitation, Zelenskiy said. That would serve as a sign that nobody is afraid of Putin and that everyone is sure in the US leadership, he said.

The Ukrainian leader also said China could play a tremendous role in resolving the conflict, since Moscow is so dependent on its market for exports. He suggested that the US and China, should they put aside differences, could act together to end the war.

But a day after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban  on his first trip to Kyiv during the war  urged Zelenskiy to consider a cease-fire, the Ukrainian leader rejected the notion. He said that those pitching for such a scenario have failed to articulate how a cease-fire would work.

Nobody has an answer, Zelenskiy said. Im not accusing, Im just explaining.

Zelenskiy declined to weigh in on Bidens disastrous performance in last weeks debate, which he said he watched. Instead of domestic politics, he gauged each candidates position on Ukraine.

Still, he said that as a former television personality, the medium can influence how the public perceives a leader. Beyond optics, the US leader will convince if he shows strong, decisive steps, Zelenskiy said.

--With assistance from Volodymyr Verbianyi, Olesia Safronova, Greg Sullivan, Stephanie Lai and Oliver Crook.

(Updates with comments about NATO summit in 14-15th paragraphs.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- Ukraine is in talks to send natural gas from Azerbaijan to the European Union as it seeks to maintain its role as a transit country and help western neighbors ensure energy security, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.

Most Read from Bloomberg

A deal to replace Russian gas with Azeri supplies is one of the proposals currently being discussed, Zelenskiy said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Kyiv Wednesday. Its the cabinet officials who are dealing with this now.

Europe has tried to wean itself off Russian gas since Moscows invasion, but some European states continue to receive it through a pipeline that crosses Ukraine. The agreement that covers this transit arrangement expires at the end of 2024, and with war still raging, many market watchers expect gas flows will come to a halt.

Alternative steps are being considered now on how we can use the pipeline with another gas supplier, another country. Negotiations are under way, Zelenskiy said. We dont want to extend the gas contract with the Russian Federation. We dont want them making money here.

European benchmark gas prices nudged lower after the the presidents remarks, extending the days losses below 33 a megawatt-hour.

The current deal between Ukrainian state-run energy company Naftogaz JSC and Russias Gazprom PJSC was signed in 2019. Bloomberg News first reported that European officials were in talks to keep gas flowing through Ukraine last month.

Making use of Ukraines extensive pipelines would help provide crucial funding for the war-torn economy, where transit revenue amounted to about $1 billion in 2021. There are also concerns that unused pipelines could become targets of military attacks or fall into disrepair thats expensive to reverse. Moscow already tried to damage some of Ukraines gas storage infrastructure in strikes earlier this year.

If this is a normal supply contract of non-Russian gas to European countries which are appealing to us, then we as future members of the EU, we would have to support our friends, Zelenskiy said.

Ukraine was once a main conduit for Russian natural gas to Europe, meeting about a quarter of the EUs needs. Transit shrank after Russia launched alternative routes bypassing the country, and when Moscow curbed most flows to big importers in Europe at the height of the energy crisis in 2022. It still ships around 15 billion cubic meters of gas to the region a year via Ukraine, mainly to Slovakia and Austria.

Azerbaijan has said it wants to boost its gas exports to Europe, but hasnt secured enough long-term deals yet in order to invest in further production. Until its able to boost capacity, it could swap cargoes with Russia, which is not unusual in oil and gas markets when its not possible to physically deliver fuel from one location to another.

While that could in theory benefit Russia if it allows Moscow to send its gas elsewhere, such a solution would likely be temporary.

--With assistance from Mark Sweetman, Volodymyr Verbianyi, Greg Sullivan, Patrick Donahue, Priscila Azevedo Rocha, Rachel Morison, Annmarie Hordern, Aliaksandr Kudrytski, Piotr Skolimowski and Olesia Safronova.

(Updates with gas market reaction in fifth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is challenging former President Trump to release a plan for ending the ongoing war with Russia.

If Trump knows how to finish this war, he should tell us today, Zelensky said in a Bloomberg Television interview on Wednesday. If there are risks to Ukrainian independence, if we lose statehood  we want to be ready for this, we want to know.

Zelensky said in the interview that he was potentially ready to meet with Trump to hear his proposal, according to Bloomberg.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that he could end Russias war in Ukraine in just 24 hours if he were the president. Zelensky has responded to that promise and has extended an invitation to Trump numerous times for him to visit war-torn Ukraine.

The former president has also praised Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past, calling him a genius shortly after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. During the presidential debate last week, Trump criticized the amount of funding the U.S. has sent to Ukraine, adding that the country is not winning the war.

Im only saying, the money that were spending on this war, and we shouldnt be spending, it should have never happened. I will have that war settled between Putin and Zelensky as president-elect before I take office on January 20th. Ill have that war settled, Trump said.

Zelensky also pushed back on the idea that the war is in a deadlock and suggested that Ukraine needs more resources to help them in the war, Bloomberg reported.

Its not a deadlock, its a problematic situation, he said, according to Bloomberg. A deadlock means theres no way out. But a problem can be solved if one has the will and has the tools. We do have the will, and the tools  they havent arrived yet.

The Hill has reached out to Trumps 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.
The land force unit arrives at Phonhong Railway Station in Phonhong of central Laos' Vientiane Province, July 1, 2024. Based on the annual plan and the agreement of both sides, the armed forces of China and Laos will hold the Friendship Shield-2024 joint military exercise in Laos this July, China's Ministry of National Defense announced on Wednesday. (Photo by Yi Ding/Xinhua)

BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Based on the annual plan and the agreement of both sides, the armed forces of China and Laos will hold the Friendship Shield-2024 joint military exercise in Laos this July, China's Ministry of National Defense announced on Wednesday.

The exercise, which is the second of its kind, seeks to strengthen strategic mutual trust and practical cooperation between the two militaries, with the aim of promoting regional peace and stability.

The Friendship Shield-2023 joint military exercise was held in May last year in Laos. 

Soldiers unload military vehicles at Phonhong Railway Station in Phonhong of central Laos' Vientiane Province, July 1, 2024. Based on the annual plan and the agreement of both sides, the armed forces of China and Laos will hold the Friendship Shield-2024 joint military exercise in Laos this July, China's Ministry of National Defense announced on Wednesday. (Photo by Yi Ding/Xinhua)

This photo taken on July 1, 2024 shows military vehicles at Phonhong Railway Station in Phonhong of central Laos' Vientiane Province. Based on the annual plan and the agreement of both sides, the armed forces of China and Laos will hold the Friendship Shield-2024 joint military exercise in Laos this July, China's Ministry of National Defense announced on Wednesday. (Photo by Meng Chuiyun/Xinhua)

Soldiers unload military vehicles at Phonhong Railway Station in Phonhong of central Laos' Vientiane Province, July 2, 2024. Based on the annual plan and the agreement of both sides, the armed forces of China and Laos will hold the Friendship Shield-2024 joint military exercise in Laos this July, China's Ministry of National Defense announced on Wednesday. (Photo by Yi Ding/Xinhua)

The air force unit arrives at the assembly area at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Laos, June 30, 2024. Based on the annual plan and the agreement of both sides, the armed forces of China and Laos will hold the Friendship Shield-2024 joint military exercise in Laos this July, China's Ministry of National Defense announced on Wednesday. (Photo by Meng Chuiyun/Xinhua)
President Volodymyr Zelensky is considering dismissing Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Ukrainska Pravda reported on July 3, citing sources in the presidential team.

Shmyhal has been prime minister of Ukraine since 2020 but Zelensky "probably" plans to dismiss him in the near future, Ukrainska Pravda said.

A source in the presidential team told Ukrainska Pravda that Zelensky "is tired of Shmyhal, it can be seen from his attitude at the meetings."

"Zelensky constantly wants some creative solutions and proposals," which Shmyhal is not providing, the source said.

According to Ukrainska Pravda's sources, potential replacements include Yulia Svyridenko, the first deputy prime minister and economic development minister, or Oleksiy Chernyshov, CEO of Ukraine's oil and gas giant Naftogaz.

Zelensky said in March that Ukrainians can expect more government reshuffles in the future, following a shake-up of his inner circle.

Infrastructure Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction Oleksandr Kubrakov and Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi were then dismissed in May.

Read also: EXPLAINER: Does Ukraine have political opposition?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Donald Trump should reveal his plan for ending Russia's war against Ukraine so Kyiv can be prepared for any risks such a plan might entail.

The former president has promised to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine within 24 hours if elected but has not publicly elaborated on how he plans to do so. One plan reportedly involves ceding territory to Russia.

"If Trump knows how to finish this war, he should tell us today," Zelensky told Bloomberg Television in an interview published on July 3.

"If there are risks to Ukrainian independence, if we lose statehood  we want to be ready for this, we want to know... We want to understand whether in November we will have the powerful support of the US, or will be all alone."

Read also: Trump reportedly considering making deal with Putin to block Ukraines NATO accession, officials tell Politico

Zelensky also said he is "potentially ready" to meet with Trump to listen to his team's proposals.

Trump is also reportedly considering the possibility of making a deal with Russia to block the future NATO accession of certain countries, namely Ukraine and Georgia, Politico reported on July 2, citing unnamed officials.

One of the sources told Politico that Trump "would be open to something foreclosing NATO expansion and not going back to the 1991 borders for Ukraine."

Andriy Yermak, the Presidential Office head, said Ukraine will not compromise its values or territorial integrity to end the war with Russia.

Russia illegally annexed Crimea and invaded Donbas in 2014. In September 2022, Putin illegally declared the annexation of four partially occupied Ukrainian oblasts: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.

Moscow does not currently occupy all of the territory in the four regions.

Read also: Ukraine not ready to compromise with Russia on territory or values, Yermak comments on Trumps statement

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Zelensky wants to know how Trump can end the war 'within 24 hours'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he would like clarity from US presidential hopeful Donald Trump on how he intends to end Russia's war in Ukraine in just 24 hours.

"If Trump knows how to end this war, he should tell us today," Zelensky said on Wednesday in an interview for Bloomberg Television which lasted almost an hour.

"If there are risks to Ukrainian independence, if we lose statehood  we want to be ready for this, we want to know," said Zelensky, according to Bloomberg's English translation.

The former US president and Republican candidate for the upcoming presidential election has repeatedly claimed that he could end the war in Ukraine "within 24 hours," without ever revealing any details of this claim.

In the Bloomberg interview Zelensky declared his willingness to meet Trump and his team and listen to their proposals. "We want to understand whether in November we will have the powerful support of the US, or will be all alone."
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Donald Trump should reveal his strategy for a rapid conclusion to the war with Russia today, assuming he has one.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Kyiv on Wednesday, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Zelenskyy warned that any peace proposal must avoid violating Ukraine's sovereignty.

Quote: "If Trump knows how to finish this war, he should tell us today. If there are risks to Ukrainian independence, if we lose statehood  we want to be ready for this, we want to know."

Zelenskyy, who complained about delays in arms shipments from Western allies, said he was "potentially ready" to meet with Trump to listen to his team's suggestions.

"They cant plan my life and the lives of our people and our children. We want to understand whether in November we will have the powerful support of the US, or will be all alone," he added.

Zelenskyy denied that Ukrainian and Russian troops have reached a stalemate on the battlefield. He observed that in terms of personnel, the Ukrainian military is in a stronger position than it was a few months ago, and that a new operation will require its brigades to be armed.

While Zelenskyy praised the US$61 billion aid package passed by the US Congress this year after a six-month delay, he said military equipment is taking too long to reach the front lines.

"This is the biggest tragedy of this war: that between the decision and the real fact, we have a real long, long, long wait," Zelenskyy said.

Former US president Donald Trump, who leads President Joe Biden in the polls ahead of the November election, has bragged that he could stop the war in Ukraine before his inauguration in January.

During a televised debate last week, Trump criticised the billions of dollars being spent on Ukraine's defence, claiming that Kyiv "will not win the war".

Politico has reported that the Trump administration is seriously considering making a "deal with the Kremlin" to end the Russian-Ukrainian war, which would entail denying Ukraine and Georgia NATO membership and Ukraine making territorial concessions.

Support UP or become our patron!
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.

Intel vs AMD

If you're looking for the best CPUs for gaming or the best workstation CPU, or just one of the best budget CPUs, there are only two choices: AMD and Intel. That fact has spawned an almost religious following for both camps, and the resulting AMD vs Intel flamewars make it tricky to get unbiased advice about the best choice for your next processor. But in many cases, the answer is actually very clear: Intel's chips win for most users looking for the best balance of performance in both gaming and productivity at a more accessible price point. However, AMD's lineup of specialized X3D CPUs wins for PCs focused on gaming, and recent memory and motherboard price drops have helped the Ryzen processors become more attractive.



This article covers the never-ending argument of AMD vs Intel desktop CPUs (we're not covering laptop or server chips). We judge the chips on seven criteria based on what you plan to do with your PC: pricing, performance, driver support, power consumption, and security, giving us a clear view of the state of the competition. We'll also discuss the process nodes and architectures influencing the moving goalposts. However, each brand has its strengths and weaknesses, so which CPU brand you should buy depends mostly on what blend of features, price, and performance are important to you.

Edit: Intel has an ongoing stability issue that it plans to fix with a microcode update in mid-August. This bug doesn't impact all processorsit appears to surface on some of the shipping models but not others. It impacts an unknown number of processors, and Intel says it is confident that its patch will rectify the issue. The company says the issue impacts all 65W and above models. You can read more about the issue here. Intel has also now extended the warranty for its impacted CPU families by two extra years.



The potent 14th-Gen Raptor Lake Refresh series builds on Intel's hybrid architecture formula, which combines high-performance and efficiency cores into one package, to deliver a winning blend of performance in both gaming and productivity workloads for its highest-end Core i9 and i7 processors, but that comes at the cost of higher power consumption than AMD's competing chips. The company also has a nagging instability issue, ultimately ceding the lead to AMD until it issues a working microcode patch (the patch is slated for release this month).



AMD's answer is its Zen 4 Ryzen 7000 series. AMD has recently reduced the pricing of its chips and rolled out newer non-X models that reduce the price of entry, and recent price declines in AM5 motherboards and DDR5 memory have improved the brand's value proposition for its Ryzen 5 series.



AMD's powerful Ryzen 7000 "X3D" models utilize a breakthrough 3D chip-stacking tech to take the lead in gaming performance, as you can see in our Ryzen 7 7800X3D review that finds the 7800X3D to be the fastest gaming CPU on the planet, bar none. AMD has also leveraged this X3D tech with its older architectures to make incredibly value-centric gaming chips, like the new Ryzen 5 5600X3D. This tech does result in significant performance reductions in productivity applications, so you'll need to be aware of the tradeoffs, but the gains in gaming performance are phenomenal.

We are on the cusp of two big chip launches for desktop PCs: AMD's potent Zen 5-powered Ryzen 9000 and Intel's Arrow Lake. If you're a bit flexible on the timing of your new build, it might be best to wait to see how those pan out.



For a more detailed look at the situation as of now, below you can see how the entire Ryzen 7000 family stacks up against Raptor Lake in a series of categories that also includes benchmarks and pricing.

AMD vs Intel: Which CPU is Best?

Intel currently offers the best blend of performance and overall value at an affordable price, but troubling instability issues plague its 13th- and 14th-Gen processors with 65W or higher ratings, thus ceding the lead to AMD until the issue is fully addressed. Intel has a microcode update coming this month that should address the issue, and we'll update this article further once we learn if it corrects the impacted products.

AMD's relentless onslaught with its Zen-based processors has redefined our expectations for both the mainstream desktop and the HEDT markets, originally catching Intel flatfooted as it remained mired on the 14nm process and Skylake architectures. The past several years have seen AMD CPUs go from value-focused and power hungry chips to designs that deliver more cores, more performance, and lower power requirements.



Intel fought back by slowly adding features and cores across its product stack, resulting in negative side effects, like more power consumption and heat. That only highlighted the company's struggles on the design and fabrication side of its operation.



The AMD vs Intel CPU conversation has changed recently, as Intel has taken the overall performance crown while undercutting AMD's price-to-performance ratio with the high-end Raptor Lake Refresh chips. Raptor Lake comes with the most disruptive change to Intel's CPU overall chip design methodology, not to mention core architectures, that we've seen in a decade. They also come with the 'Intel 7' process that has proven exceptionally competitive, particularly against AMD's superior 5nm process node from TSMC. That shifted our rankings from a 7-to-4 advantage for AMD to a 7-to-5 advantage in Intel's favor.



AMD isn't taking the challenge lying down, though, as its new lineup of 5nm Ryzen 7000 X3D chips use the company's new second-gen 3D V-Cache tech to impart tremendous gains in gaming performance, giving AMD the lead in terms of sheer gaming performance. That comes with a tradeoff of higher pricing and lower performance in productivity applications, but AMD also has its standard Ryzen 7000 lineup for those looking for a more balanced blend of performance. However, the standard models can't match Raptor Lake Refresh's performance and value for higher-end chips, though they are more competitive against the Core i5 models.



Intel moved forward to PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 technologies first, but AMD also now supports both with its Ryzen 7000 processors. AMD only supports pricey DDR5, which used to be a significant disadvantage due to higher pricing, especially since it doesn't confer meaningful performance advantages. However, those pricing concerns have eased over time. Intel still hasn't eased its draconian segmentation policies that limit features, like overclockability, to pricey chips and motherboards.



Intel's chips also hold the crown on overclockability for both core and memory frequencies, and not by a small margin. If you spend the cash on a Z-series motherboard, you'll attain far more overclocking headroom than you'll get with the Ryzen 7000 chips. You can see an example in our How to Overclock a CPU feature.



Intel's nagging stability problems with its 13th- and 14th-gen processors could be a concern if the proposed microcode update doesn't fully address them. That's a consideration you should take into account when purchasing a processor. You can read more about the issue here.

An AMD processor is the better choice depending on your needs, like if you prize stability, the lowest power consumption, or forward compatibility with your motherboard for a few more chip generations. AMD also has amazing gaming performance on tap with its X3D chips, but they aren't as strong in standard workloads. For now, if you want the best blend of gaming and application performance, overclocking, or software support, Team Red deserves your hard-earned dollars.

The following sections are in need of an update  we'll refresh these sections in the coming weeks.

AMD vs Intel CPU Pricing and Value

Pricing is the most important consideration for almost everyone, and AMD has generally been hard to beat in the value department. However, that has changed. Intel is fully committed to winning back market share, so Raptor Lake finds the company continuing its bare-knuckle price war with AMD. That's particularly painful for AMD now that Intel's Raptor Lake chips have the performance crown paired with brutally competitive pricing.



The arrival of Intel's Raptor Lake-S models has found the company adding more cores, threads, and features to its mainstream lineup, but without increased gen-on-gen pricing for most models. The Core i5 and under models do carry a gen-on-gen markup, but that comes with increased performance that justifies the extra cost. Overall, Raptor Lake represents a substantial reduction in price-per-core and price-per-thread metrics, allowing the company to steal the value crown from AMD in the Core i5, i7, and i9 ranges. Meanwhile, Intel's previous-gen Alder Lake continues to dominate the Core i3 and below segments.



AMD used to offer a plethora of advantages, like bundled coolers and full overclockability on most models, not to mention complimentary software that includes the innovative Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) auto-overclocking feature. Paired with aggressive pricing for Ryzen processors, AMD held the value crown for several generations. However, that calculus began to change after AMD hiked pricing significantly and stopped including bundled coolers with its chips, especially now that it has more stringent cooling requirements than in the past.

However, AMD still freely allows overclocking on all chip models and all but its A-Series motherboards (see our article on CPU overclocking), which is a boon for enthusiasts. Meanwhile, Intel still charges a premium for its overclockable K-Series chips, but you'll also need to shell out for a pricey Z-Series motherboard for the privilege of overclocking your processor  Intel doesn't allow full overclocking on B- or H-series motherboards, but has enabled memory overclocking on its B560 and H570 chipsets, though.



AMD generally has better coolers than Intel  most of AMD's bundled coolers are suitable for at least moderate overclocking  but the company no longer includes them with any of the 'X' models. Intel also doesn't throw in a cooler for its pricey overclockable K-series SKUs. So be sure to budget for a cooler (and a beefy one, at that) if you plan on overclocking an Intel processor.

Both Intel and AMD include a bundled cooler with their downstream SKUs (non-K for Intel, non-X for AMD), but Intel's coolers are flimsy and 'good enough' at best. We've even seen cases where Intel's stock coolers don't provide full performance at stock settings. AMD, in contrast, has solid coolers that often even provide a bit of headroom for overclocking. Intel did slightly bulk up its coolers, but the aesthetic and slight thermal improvements aren't enough to match AMD's competent coolers, and they aren't available on all models.



Pricing isn't entirely dictated by what you pay for the chip, though  we also have to factor in platform pricing. Intel's Raptor Lake chips drop into the same LGA 1700 interface as the previous-gen Alder Lake chips, and Intel has one more generation coming to market for this platform. Raptor Lake is backward compatible with previous-gen 600-series boards after a firmware update, which can save you some serious cash (pay attention to the caveats, though).



AMD supported its AM4 socket for five generations of chips, and while that platform will live on for some time with the Ryzen 5000 chips slotting in as value alternatives, the company's new AM5 socket houses its newest Ryzen 7000 chips. AMD says it will support this socket until 2025+, so it is possible that it could enjoy similar longevity to AM4, thus giving enthusiasts a long upgrade path.



Intel moved forward to PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 technologies first, but AMD also now supports both with its Ryzen 7000 processors. DDR5 does add significant cost to motherboards, but Intel gives you the choice of selecting either DDR4 or DDR5 memory, while AMD only supports pricey DDR5  a significant disadvantage given that it doesn't confer meaningful performance advantages. In the end, high memory and motherboard pricing for AMD's AM5 has given Intel a big platform pricing advantage.



Finally, AMD followed Intel in exiting the high end desktop (HEDT) segment entirely, marking the end of an era. Now you'll have to step up to workstation-class processors from both companies to attain more cores and connectivity, as seen in our Threadripper Pro 5995WX and 5975WX reviews. In either case, AMD owns the performance tier for the best CPUs for workstations, so it can charge eye-watering premiums as a result  and it does. The company even excluded its lowest-priced Threadripper models from retail, creating a $2,399 bar for entry.



Winner: Intel. When comparing Intel vs AMD CPUs, Team Red still has a strong performance story across the full breadth of its product stack, but Intel's Raptor Lake currently offers the best overall performance and value across the full spectrum of price ranges.



However, not only does that apply when we take chip pricing into account, the difference in pricing turns into a chasm when we factor in the other costs associated with building a PC. Both Intel and AMD support PCIe 5.0 and DDR5, which results in a gen-on-gen increase in motherboard pricing. However, Intel's platform also supports DDR4, so you can avoid both the DDR5 memory and motherboard tax.



AMD also has spec'd new requirements into its motherboards that create high pricing relative to Intel's 600- and 700-series motherboards, which increases AMD's platform pricing significantly. That does result in more robust lower-tier motherboards, but it gives Intel a lead in the pricing department. AMD has recently rolled out its A620 motherboards to help address its pricing issues, but Intel also has a robust lineup of value-focused H-series motherboards.

Intel vs AMD CPU Gaming Performance

In the AMD vs Intel CPU gaming performance battle, Intel holds the lead in all critical price bands. Below we have a wide selection of collective gaming performance measurements for the existing chips in the different price bands. In addition, we have two series of test results below that encapsulate performance in both Windows 10 and Windows 11 because Intel's Raptor and Alder Lake offer more performance in Windows 10 than 11. Regardless, the Blue Team holds the lead in both operating systems. You can see a much more holistic view in our CPU Benchmarks Hierarchy.

Our first four slides encapsulate Windows 11 gaming performance with the new Raptor Lake and Ryzen 7000 processors included, while the Windows 10 slides show a larger selection of processors.

Image 1 of 6

CPU Benchmarks

Image 2 of 6

CPU Benchmarks

Image 3 of 6

CPU Benchmarks

Image 4 of 6

CPU Benchmarks

Image 5 of 6

AMD vs Intel Gaming Performance Benchmarks

Image 6 of 6

AMD vs Intel Gaming Performance Benchmarks

As you can see, Intel's Raptor Lake chips are faster than AMD's standard Zen 4-powered Ryzen 7000 processors in all areas. However, AMD's new Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Ryzen 9 7950X3D, and Ryzen 9 7900X3D take the overall lead, though that does come with performance tradeoffs in many productivity applications.

The Core i9-13900K and Core i9-13900KS slot in as Intel's fastest gaming chips, price be damned, but the Core i7-13700K delivers basically the same gaming performance for far less cash, making it the go-to choice for performance addicts. For mainstream gamers, the Core i5-13600K offers a great option, but the Core i5-13400 is the chip to beat at around $200, while the Core i3-12100 is the chip to beat in the ~$110 price class.



The Ryzen 9 7900X slots in as AMD's fastest standard gaming chip, but not by much  the Ryzen 9 7950X and Ryzen 7 7700X offer nearly the same gaming performance. The Ryzen 5 7600X offers less performance at a friendlier $300 price point. However, these chips are significantly slower than Intel's chips, especially if we factor in pricing. AMD also has the lower-priced AMD Ryzen 9 7900, Ryzen 7 7700, and Ryzen 5 7600 on offer, and these chips rival their X-series counterparts after overclocking, thus improving AMD's value proposition.



Kicking your resolution up to 1440p and beyond typically pushes the bottleneck back to the GPU, so you won't gain as much from your CPU's gaming prowess. However, a bit of extra CPU gaming performance could pay off if you plan on updating your graphics card (see our best graphics cards) with a newer generation while keeping the rest of your system intact. We expect most builds in the mid-range to come with lesser GPUs, which generally serve as an equalizer in terms of CPU performance.



In terms of integrated graphics performance, there's no beating AMD. The company's current-gen Cezanne APUs offer the best performance available from integrated graphics with the Ryzen 7 5700G and Ryzen 5 5600G. Hit those reviews for a dedicated breakdown, or head to our CPU Benchmark hierarchy for even more detail.



Winner: Tie. Intel's Raptor Lake chips have wrested the gaming crown from AMD's standard Ryzen 7000 models in the critical price bands, but AMD's new 3D V-Cache models take the lead if you're willing to pay a premium.



AMD's new X3D chips are undoubtedly the fastest on the market, but they do come with tradeoffs in productivity applications. AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D is an incredible processor, offering the highest level of gaming performance available on the market and thus earning a spot on our list of best CPUs. However, its $449 price tag places it outside of the traditional $250 to $300 sweet spot for mainstream gamers.



If you're looking for the best blend of performance in both gaming and productivity, Intel's Core i9-13900K is the answer on the high-end. If you're looking for a lower-priced chip that offers the same gaming performance but exchanges some heft in productivity applications for a lower price tag, the Core i7-13700K is your chip. For the vast majority, the Core i5-13400F offers the best blend of price and performance, making it the uncontested best CPU for gaming at its price point.

AMD vs Intel Productivity and Content Creation Performance

Image 1 of 4

CPU Benchmarks

Image 2 of 4

CPU Benchmarks

Image 3 of 4

Alder Lake Application Benchmarks

Image 4 of 4

Alder Lake Application Benchmarks

In the non-gaming performance battle of AMD vs Intel CPUs, Intel's Raptor Lake chips have also made great strides against AMD's finest and offer a superior price-to-performance ratio in a broad swath of workloads. That said, AMD's highest-end chip takes the outright win in terms of the ultimate performance in threaded productivity and content creation applications in a few workloads. That comes courtesy of its copious slathering of cores, threads, and cache on its flagship Ryzen 9 7950X. However, those wins come at the expense of a much higher price point, and it isn't enough to justify the premium.

Raptor Lake marks the continuation of using a mixture of two types of cores for the mainstream desktop PC. The big performance cores (P-cores) are best for latency-sensitive work, giving Intel the uncontested lead in single-threaded applications. The efficiency cores (E-cores) step in to add some additional heft in threaded and background applications, which pays big dividends in heavily-threaded content creation and productivity applications. The E-cores have proven to be the unsung hero for Raptor Lake in creativity and productivity workloads, allowing Intel to take the lead from AMD in the most important pricing bands.



Solid performance in single-threaded work equates to faster performance in all manner of workloads, particularly day-to-day applications that rely on snappy responsiveness from the processor. The Raptor Lake Core i9-13900K has taken the uncontested lead in single-threaded performance across the full spate of our benchmarks, but that's Intel's most expensive mainstream CPU. If you're on the hunt for snappy single-threaded performance, the other Raptor Lake processors also take comparatively large leads over competing AMD processors. Overall, Intel's Raptor Lake family holds the single-threaded performance crown.

Winner: Intel. For professionals on the hunt for performance in content creation and productivity applications, the winner of AMD vs Intel CPUs goes to Intel on the strength of its x86 hybrid architecture. This new design blends two types of cores to create a single powerhouse processor architecture that's just as agile in single-threaded work as it is powerful in threaded applications.

AMD vs Intel Processor Specifications and Features

AMD has its Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, Ryzen 9, and Threadripper lines, while Intel breaks up its offerings into Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Core i9, and Cascade Lake-X families. For the sake of brevity, we'll focus on the top chips in the respective families to compare Intel vs AMD CPUs based on specs and features. Be aware that both companies have value options within each tier, but we can get a general sense of the landscape with these (relatively) smaller lists. We're using both vendors' recommended pricing and street pricing.



The high end desktop (HEDT) used to be the land of creative prosumers with fire-breathing multi-core monsters for just about every need. Intel had long enjoyed the uncontested lead in this segment, but AMD's Threadripper lineup eventually pushed Intel out of the segment. AMD literally muscled Intel out of the HEDT market Intel hasn't released a new HEDT chip since the Cascade Lake-X processors in 2019  and AMD's decision to abandon the market marks the end of the HEDT era, at least for now (signs have emerged that AMD will make a return to HEDT with its Threadripper 7000 chips).



Intel's new lineup of HEDT-class chips drops into expensive platforms that require expensive DDR5 ECC memory, so while these chips are overclockable and Intel positions them as HEDT-capable, they are far out of reach of most casual enthusiasts.

Here we can see that when it comes to AMD vs Intel HEDT/workstation CPUs, AMD's final HEDT-only lineup holds the uncontested lead with 64 cores and 128 threads in its flagship Threadripper 3990X, and the 32- and 24-core Threadripper 3970X and 3960X models cemented the overwhelming lead over Intel's chips. AMD's 64-core AMD Threadripper Pro 5995WX, 32-core Threadripper Pro 5975WX, and 24-core Threadripper Pro 5965WX slot in for the workstation market.

Intel splits its highest-end lineup into two classes, with the Xeon W9-3945X dropping into exotic LGA4677 motherboards that carry eye-watering price tags to match the chips' high pricing.



You'll get more cores and cache with AMD's Threadripper lineup, but they do come with higher price tags befitting such monstrous processors. However, when we boil it down to per-core pricing, or how much you pay for each CPU core, AMD offers a compelling value story.

In the battle of high-end AMD vs Intel CPUs, AMD's Ryzen 9 and Ryzen 7 families square off against Intel's Core i9 and Core i7 lineup.

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the uncontested fastest gaming chip on the market, and the Ryzen 9 7900X3D isn't far behind. As mentioned, these chips do carry a premium, though. The Core i9-13900K holds the throne as the best all-around processor for gaming, single- and multi-threaded work, while the Ryzen 9 7950X takes a few scant leads in some types of multi-threaded work. However, that comes at a big tradeoff in performance in the other categories.



A similar story plays out in the decidedly more mainstream Ryzen 7 and Core i7 markets. Honestly, these are the chips the majority of gamers should buy if they have enough cash, though the Core i5 and Ryzen 5 models in the next category are even better for that task. Here Intel's Core i7-13700K offers nearly the same gaming performance as the Core i9-13900K, albeit at the expense of some threaded horsepower in productivity applications, but at a far lower price point. It also beats the price-comparable Ryzen 9 7900X. However, AMD has its Ryzen 7 7800X3D coming soon, so gamers should keep their eye out for this disruptive new chip.

When it comes to AMD vs Intel mid-range and budget CPUs, the Core i5 and i3 families do battle with AMD's Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 3 processors. This market segment comprises the most substantial portion of AMD and Intel's sales, so pricing and value here are paramount. Both Intel and AMD have recently launched the first salvos of their newest architectures, Raptor Lake and Ryzen 7000, and as per usual, those only included the high-end models for each category. As such, some of the lower-end models in the Ryzen 5 and Core i5 tiers, along with all Core i3 and Ryzen 3, are previous-gen models.

The Core i5-13600K provides class-leading performance in gaming, single- and multi-threaded applications at the $300 price range, while Intel's Core i5-13400 leads the ~$200 price range.

If you're looking for pure gaming performance, though, AMD's Ryzen 5 5600X3D is the king of the value hill at $229. The 5600X3D delivers 95% of the 5800X3Ds gaming performance for 20% less cash, and is also faster in gaming than the entire standard Ryzen 7000 lineup  including the $599 Ryzen 9 7950X. Thats because even though the Ryzen 5 5600X3D comes with two fewer cores and slightly lower clock speeds than its pricier 5800X3D counterpart, it still wields the same 96MB of game-boosting L3 cache. Unfortunately, this limited-edition CPU is only available in-store for a limited time at Micro Center, but its the best value hands-down in gaming.

AMD leans on its prior-gen Zen 2 APUs, like the Ryzen 5 4600G, to fend off Intel's lower-end chips. However, if you're looking for a sub-$200 chip for gaming, Intel wins by a vast margin. That said, AMD's APUs come with potent Vega graphics units that enable low-end gaming across a broad spate of titles. Intel's chips can't hold a candle thereyou'll need a discrete GPU if you plan to do any meaningful gaming with the Intel contenders.



Intel's chips have an integrated GPU (iGPU) available for all of its SKUs, but it also sells its graphics-less F-Series chips for a discount. AMD finally added an RDNA 2 iGPU to its Ryzen 7000 chips, marking a first for its mainstream Ryzen models. Like the iGPU present on Intel's chips, these graphics units aren't suitable for gaming  you'll need to select an APU If you want gaming from a desktop CPU.

Winner: Intel. When you compare AMD vs Intel CPU specifications, you can see that Intel offers options with lower pricing and more performance. Intel's chips also provide support for DDR4, an important consideration in these early days of DDR5 adoption.

AMD vs Intel CPU Power Consumption and Heat

When comparing AMD vs Intel CPU power and heat, the former's 7nm process node makes a big difference. Power consumption comes as a byproduct of design choices, like lithography and architecture, which we'll discuss below. However, higher power consumption often correlates to more heat generation, so you'll need beefier coolers to offset the heat output of greedier chips.

Image 1 of 11

Ryzen

Image 2 of 11

Ryzen

Image 3 of 11

Ryzen

Image 4 of 11

Ryzen

Image 5 of 11

Ryzen

Image 6 of 11

Ryzen

Image 7 of 11

Ryzen

Image 8 of 11

Ryzen

Image 9 of 11

Ryzen

Image 10 of 11

Ryzen

Image 11 of 11

Ryzen

Overall, Intel has reduced its power consumption from meme-worthy to an acceptable level, but it still consumes more power than Ryzen. However, Raptor Lake is much faster than other chips, earning it some forgiveness.



Intel became known as a notorious power guzzler as it struggled with its 14nm process, but that has improved with its last two gens. Paired with the x86 hybrid architecture, the debut of the 'Intel 7' process has brought big improvements to Intel's power consumption and efficiency metrics.



Yes, the Intel Raptor Lake chips still suck more power than AMD's Ryzen 7000 series chips, but pairing the Intel 7 process with the hybrid architecture brings big improvements, particularly in threaded work.



Still, in aggregate, AMD's 5nm chips either consume less power or provide much better power-to-performance efficiency. As a result, you'll get more work done per watt of energy consumed, which is a win-win, and AMD's cooling requirements aren't nearly as overbearing.



Winner: AMD. In judging AMD vs Intel CPU performance per watt, It's impossible to overstate the importance of having the densest process node paired with an efficient microarchitecture, and TSMC's 5nm and AMD's Zen 4 are the winning combination. The latest Ryzen processors consume less power than Intel on a power-vs-performance basis.

Intel vs AMD CPU Overclocking

Image 1 of 4

Intel Alder Lake vs AMD Ryzen 5000 Gaming Benchmarks

Image 2 of 4

Intel Alder Lake vs AMD Ryzen 5000 Gaming Benchmarks

Image 3 of 4

Intel Alder Lake vs AMD Ryzen 5000 Gaming Benchmarks

Image 4 of 4

Intel Alder Lake vs AMD Ryzen 5000 Gaming Benchmarks

There's no debate when you compare Intel vs AMD CPU overclocking. Intel offers the most overclocking headroom, meaning you can gain more performance over the baseline speed with Intel chips than you can with AMD's Ryzen processors. To learn more about overclocking, head to our How to Overclock a CPU guide.



Above you can see that in chart form, and here's that same data in table form, showing that Intel's Alder Lake offers far more overclocking headroom than Ryzen 5000:

As mentioned, you'll have to pay a premium for Intel's K-Series chips and purchase a pricey Z-Series motherboard, not to mention splurge on a capable aftermarket cooler (preferably liquid), to unlock the best of Intel's overclocking prowess. However, Intel's chips are relatively easy to push to their max, which peaks at 6.0 to 6.2 GHz with the 13th-Gen Raptor Lake processors.

Intel doesn't allow full overclocking on B- or H-series motherboards, but it has infused memory overclocking into its B560 and H570 chipsets, and that works with any chip that is compatible with the platform. That can provide a big boost to locked chips, like the Core i5-13400 we recently reviewed.



AMD doesn't have as much room for manual tuning. In fact, the maximum achievable all-core overclocks often fall a few hundred MHz beneath the chips' maximum single-core boost. That means all-core overclocking can actually result in losing performance in lightly-threaded applications, albeit a minor amount.

Part of this disparity stems from AMD's tactic of binning its chips to allow some cores to boost much higher than others. In tandem with AMD's Precision Boost and innovative thread-targeting technique that pegs lightly-threaded workloads to the fastest cores, AMD exposes near-overlocked performance right out of the box. That results in less overclocking headroom.

However, AMD offers its Precision Boost Overdrive, a one-click auto-overclocking feature that will wring some extra performance out of your chip based on its capabilities, your motherboard's power delivery subsystem, and your CPU cooling. AMD's approach provides the best performance possible with your choice of components and is generally hassle-free. In either case, you still won't achieve the high frequencies you'll see with Intel processors, but you do get a free performance boost. AMD has also vastly improved its memory overclocking capabilities with the Ryzen 7000 series.

Winner: Intel. When it comes to AMD vs Intel CPU overclocking, Team Blue has far more headroom and much higher attainable frequencies. Just be prepared to pay for the privilege  you'll have to buy a K-series processor. Intel has added memory overclocking to the newest B- and H-series motherboards, which is an improvement.



AMD's approach is friendlier to entry-level users, rewarding them with hassle-free overclocking based on their system's capabilities, but you don't gain as much performance.

AMD vs Intel CPU Lithography

There are a few major underlying technologies that dictate the potency of any chip. The most fundamental rule of processors still holds true: The densest process nodes, provided they have decent power, performance, and area (PPA) characteristics, will often win the battle if paired with a solid microarchitecture. When you judge AMD vs Intel CPUs based on these criteria, AMD has the lead in lithography.

But whether or not AMD actually owns the process lead is a topic of debate: Unlike Intel, AMD doesn't produce its processors. Instead, the company designs its processors and then contracts with outside fabs that actually produce the chips. In the case of AMD's current-gen Ryzen processors, the company uses a combination of TSMC's 6nm and 5nm nodes for its chips, with the latter being the most important.

TSMC's 5nm node is used by the likes of Apple and Nvidia, among many others, so it benefits from industry-wide funding and collaborative engineering. In contrast, Intel itself says its process tech won't retake the leadership crown until it releases its 'Intel 20A' node (2024 time frame).

The benefits of TSMC's 5nm node mean AMD can build denser chips with more performance cores, all within a relatively low power consumption envelope. However, the economics of semiconductor manufacturing dictate that the cost-per-transistor is increasing as we move to smaller nodes, so the 5nm chips are more expensive to produce than their forbearers.

Intel has seen a bit of a resurgence with its new Alder and Raptor Lake lineups. Intel etches those cores on its 'Intel 7' process, finally ending the misery of the 14nm node after six long years that ultimately cost the company its performance lead over AMD in desktop PCs. We previously knew this 'Intel 7' manufacturing tech as 10nm Enhanced SuperFin, but Intel recently renamed its process nodes to match industry nomenclature.

AMD

The new 'Intel 7' node brings the company into much closer competition with AMD on the process node front. Yes, Raptor Lake still sucks more power than AMD's Ryzen 7000 series chips, but the Intel 7 process is a big improvement. Overall, Raptor Lake has vastly improved power efficiency metrics.



Winner: AMD (TSMC). The 'Intel 7' process does bring Team Blue back into closer competition with AMD than it has been over the last several years, but AMD still holds the overall power efficiency and transistor density crown due to the virtues of TSMC's 5nm process.

Intel vs AMD CPU Architecture

When comparing AMD vs Intel CPUs, we must consider that two design decisions have a big impact on performance, scalability, and performance-per-dollar: Interconnects and microarchitecture.

AMD's Infinity Fabric allows the company to tie together multiple dies into one cohesive processor. Think of this as numerous pieces of a puzzle that come together to form one larger picture. The approach allows the company to use many small dies instead of one large die, and this technique improves yields and reduces cost. It also grants a level of scalability that Intel might not be able to match with its new mesh interconnect inside its HEDT chips, and it undoubtedly takes the lead over Intel's aging ring bus in its desktop processors.

AMD first paired that advantage with its Zen microarchitecture, designed from the ground up for scalability, yielding an explosive 52% increase in instructions per clock (IPC) throughput over AMD's previous-gen 'Bulldozer' chips. The Zen 2 microarchitecture added another 15% improvement to IPC. Paired with the 7nm process, AMD lunged forward another (up to) 31% in per-core performance (a mixture of frequency and IPC). Zen 3 brings another 19% jump in IPC, giving AMD its largest single step forward in the post-Bulldozer era. Zen 4 and its 5nm node matched that with another 14% jump.

Image 1 of 1

Intel 10nm Wafer

Intel's 13th-gen Alder Lake and 13th-Gen Raptor Lake chips bring the company's hybrid x86 architecture, which combines a mix of larger high-performance cores paired with smaller high-efficiency cores, to desktop x86 PCs for the first time. The Golden Cove architecture powers Alder and Raptor Lake's 'big' high-performance cores, while the 'little' Atom efficiency cores come with the Gracemont architecture. Intel etches the cores on its 'Intel 7' process, marking the company's first truly new node for the desktop since 14nm debuted six long years ago.

Intel's new Thread Director is the sleeper tech that enables the huge performance gains we've seen with Alder Lake. However, due to the use of both faster and slower cores that are optimized for different voltage/frequency profiles, unlocking the maximum performance and efficiency requires the operating system and applications to have an awareness of the chip topology to ensure workloads (threads) land in the correct core based on the type of application.

Overall, the x86 hybrid architecture has proven to be a big win for Intel, with class-leading performance in gaming, not to mention in both single- and multi-threaded workloads in standard applications. However, while the hybrid x86 architecture hails from a similar ethos as the big.LITTLE designs pioneered by Arm, it doesn't have the same tuning for power efficiency. Instead, Intel unabashedly tunes its design for performance at any cost, so AMD still holds the power efficiency crown in most types of workloads.

AMD has also now told us that it will embrace a hybrid CPU design with a mixture of high-performance and efficiency cores. However, AMD CTO Mark Papermaster was coy when he told us about the company's shift, so we don't know when those chips are slated to come to market. As such, for now, Intel is the only company with an x86 hybrid architecture for PCs.

Winner: Tie. In judging AMD vs Intel CPU architecture, it's clear that the competition is now far closer than it has been over the last few years. AMD's Zen 4 architecture is a marvel that allows for enhanced scalability, and due to the efficiency-minded design paired with the TSMC 5 node, it delivers superior power consumption metrics.



On the other hand, Intel's Raptor Lake architecture is also a marvel in its own right, bringing the first pairing of small efficient cores with large performance cores to x86 desktop PCs for the first time. That lends it the performance advantage, but it still trails in power efficiency metrics, resulting in a tie in this category.

Intel vs AMD CPU Drivers and Software

When we look at AMD vs Intel CPU software support, Team Blue has a stronger reputation. AMD has suffered plenty of issues with its CPU and chipset drivers, a natural byproduct of its limited resources compared to its much-larger rivals. Intel isn't without its missteps on the driver front, but its reputation for stability helped earn it the top spot in the processor market, particularly with OEMs.

You might be a little more cautious when approaching Intel's more exotic solutions, though. In the past, the company has developed innovative new products that have been relegated to the dustbin of history due to pricing and market forces, and long-term support for those products might not always be clear-cut.

AMD still has its work cut out for it. The company has had several issues with BIOS releases that failed to expose its chips' full performance, though AMD has mostly solved those issues after a long string of updates. As a side effect of being the smaller challenger, AMD also faces a daunting challenge in offsetting the industry's incessant optimization for Intel's architectures above all others.

Upsetting the semiconductor industry is hard, particularly when you're fighting an entrenched and much-larger rival, and sometimes things get broken when you're redefining an industry. In AMD's case, those broken things consist of operating systems and applications that weren't tuned to extract the full performance of its fledgling first-gen Zen architecture, let alone the core-heavy designs of Zen 3. We still see vestiges of those challenges on multi-CCD Zen 4 models in gaming, but most of the disparities have been ironed out over the years.

Intel also continues to face challenges, though. The company's Alder Lake architecture is the first hybrid x86 design and uses large performance cores (P-cores) and small efficiency cores (E-cores) for different types of tasks. Placing the correct workloads on the correct cores requires a new Intel Thread Director technology, but that's only supported in Windows 11. That means some programs might need extra handholding to extract the best performance in Windows 10.

Winner: Intel wins the battle of AMD vs Intel CPU drivers and software. Over the last year, Intel has addressed its laggardly driver updates for its integrated graphics, and the company has an army of software developers at its disposal that help ensure its products get relatively timely support with the latest software. AMD has made amazing progress convincing the developer ecosystem to optimize for its new Zen architectures. However, there's still plenty of work to be done as the company moves forward.

AMD vs Intel CPU Security

The last few years have found security researchers poking and prodding at the speculative execution engine that's one of the key performance-boosting features behind all modern chips. The resulting research has spawned an almost never-ending onslaught of new vulnerabilities that threaten the safety of your system and private data. Unfortunately, these types of vulnerabilities are incredibly dangerous because they are undetectablethese tactics steal data by using the processor exactly as it was designed; thus, they are undetectable by any known anti-virus program.

The rash of fixes required to plug these holes also continues to grow, and many of them result in reduced performance. That's particularly painful for Intel because it suffers from more of these vulnerabilities than other vendors. The company has developed in-silicon mitigations with newer processors that can reduce or eliminate the performance overhead, but some older processors are subject to drastic reductions in performance.

Intel has now suffered a new round of Spectre v2-variant attacks, too, that has reduced its performance further. These new Spectre Branch History Injection (BHI) vulnerabilities can result in substantial performance losses that vary by workload.

AMD isn't immune to vulnerabilities, though. It's hard to ascertain if the initially limited discoveries in AMD processors were due to a security-first approach to hardened processor design, or if researchers and attackers merely focused on Intel's processors due to their commanding market share: Attackers almost always focus on the broadest cross-section possible. We see a similar trend with malware being designed for Windows systems, by far the predominant desktop OS, much more frequently than MacOS, though that does appear to be changing.

In the course of the research into the new class of Spectre vulnerabilities, Intel actually discovered that AMD's existing Spectre mitigation is broken, which has resulted in AMD using a different, slower approach to addressing the issue.

However, AMD has also had several other new vulnerability disclosures in the recent past, including a Meltdown-esque variant that requires software re-coding. Like Intel, AMD has made a few targeted in-silicon fixes for its newer Ryzen processors, thus lowering its exposure to vulnerabilities.

However, newer vulnerabilities and hacks continue to present issues for chipmakers. For instance, computer motherboard maker MSI was recently hacked, leading to its OEM private keys, used for verifying firmware to a computer's secure boot mechanisms, being released to the public. This puts an untold number of PCs at risk from fake drivers and firmwares. Additionally, it was recently revealed that AMD's TPM implementation can be hacked, thus giving nefarious actors the cryptographic keys to a system if they can get physical control of the system.

Winner: AMD. The AMD vs Intel CPU security debate continues to evolve as researchers and nefarious actors alike turn more of an eye towards AMD's newer architectures. As things stand, Intel still suffers from more known vulnerabilities than AMD, and the impact of the Spectre mitigations on previous-gen Intel processors leads to larger performance losses (at times equivalent to a few generational gains worth of improvement) than the fixes we've seen from AMD, granting Team Red the win.
When selecting colors for their upcoming smartphones, companies like Google, Samsung, and Apple put a lot of effort into finding the perfect shades to appeal to the widest range of people. However, there are times when they surprise us by introducing a striking color that may not be for everyone  but certainly gets people talking.

Case in point: A new leak allegedly shows an upcoming Google Pixel 9 in a vibrant pink color. If true, this color would undoubtedly turn heads, resembling something out of the Barbie movie from last year. A video showing the possible color choice was posted on X (formerly Twitter) along with the text, Pixel 9 is already out in Algeria.

This wouldnt be the first time Google elected to release a Pixel phone in a really bright color. It did so with the Pixel 4 in 2019, released in a super vibrant orange color. However, we havent seen such an intense color since then.

Pixel 9 is already out in Algeria.

Storage: 256GB

Color : Pink

I'll keep you updated tomorrow morning. pic.twitter.com/0mE1QlCbEg  Hani Mohamed Bioud (@hanibioud) July 1, 2024

Weve never seen a pink color like this on a Google Pixel phone. Well know soon enough as Google has scheduled its next Made by Google event for Tuesday, August 13.

Along with a regular Pixel 9, the company is expected to reveal a Pixel 9 Pro and perhaps a Pixel 9 Pro XL at the event. An all-new Pixel Fold could also be shown.

Although a few items have leaked, little else is known about these smartphones. Yesterday, we heard the entire Pixel 9 lineup could feature M14 OLED panels by Samsung. These panels are brighter than previous ones and have an improved lifespan. In addition to the Pixel 9, the new panels could launch on Apples iPhone 16 Pro later this year.

A leaked photo of a Pixel 9 in a pink color.

A leaked photo of a Pixel 9 in a pink color.

Meanwhile, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is expected to feature a 6.5-inch display. Its introduction would mark the first time Google launched an XL phone since the Pixel 4 XL in 2019. This contrasts the 6.03-inch display of the Pixel 9 and the 6.1-inch display of the Pixel 9 Pro.

Finally, the potential Pixel Fold 2 (or Pixel 9 Pro Fold) will likely come with a cover display measuring 6.4 inches and an inner display of 7.9 inches  both significantly larger than the displays found on the first Pixel Fold.
SpaceX Dragon Capsule debris as big as a car hood crash-landed in North Carolina. It's part of a major space trash problem.

In May, a huge chunk of space debris crash landed in the mountains of North Carolina.

After reviewing the incident, NASA confirmed that it came from a SpaceX Dragon Capsule.

This, and other accidents, highlight how difficult it will be to reduce the risk of falling debris reaching Earth.

NASA has confirmed that a hunk of space junk as big as a car hood found in North Carolina belonged to a SpaceX Dragon Capsule, according to an agency statement shared on X.

The Dragon Capsule is a reusable spacecraft that carries astronauts and cargo to-and-from the International Space Station. But a part of it, called the trunk, isn't reusable and is discarded just before the capsule returns to Earth.

That trunk is what ended up crash-landing on a trail at a mountaintop resort just outside Asheville in May. "It was just wild. It was crazy-looking," groundskeeper Justin Clontz who stumbled on the large debris, told Space.com.

No one was injured from the impact. But the space junk shouldn't have been there in the first place. NASA said in its statement that evaluations of Dragon's initial design showed that it should fully break up in Earth's atmosphere. That's not what happens every time though.

Debris from the Dragon Capsule landed in the middle of a train at the Glamping Collective, a mountaintop resort in North Carolina. Photos by Brett Tingley, courtesy of the Glamping Collective

A similar chunk of Dragon trunk was found in Franklin, North Carolina in June. And another landed in a farmer's field in Saskatchewan, Canada in April.

It's not just SpaceX junk falling to Earth. A two-pound piece of debris slightly smaller than a soda can fell from the International Space Station in March, crashing through a family's roof in Florida. The family is now suing NASA over the incident.

These series of recent accidents underscore how difficult it can be to predict and model when space debris will, and will not, burn up in Earth's atmosphere. Improving these models is more important than ever.

Humans are launching more into space than ever before

The number of objects launched into space annually has increased dramatically in the last decade, and the US is the biggest contributor. United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, Our World in Data

Space junk has been falling out of the sky since the 1960s, but humans are launching more stuff into space than ever before. According to the site "Our World in Data", in 2023, a record-breaking 2,664 objects, including satellites, spacecraft, landers, and more, were sent to, or beyond, Earth's orbit.

"Once those things die, then they're just abandoned. It's just like orbiting trash. And then it's up to mother nature to figure out how the thing re-enters," Moriba Jah, associate professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin, told BI.

Jah is referring to uncontrolled re-entries. It's when space debris free-falls toward Earth with no one controlling its course.

Modeling uncontrolled re-entires involves a lot of uncertainty and is, therefore, more complex than modeling controlled re-entries, which usually involve rockets that guide the debris' trajectory, ensuring it lands in a safe area, like the ocean.

An illustration shows satellites around the Earth in 2019. Each dot represents one satellite, and is not scaled to size. NASA

"For uncontrolled stuff, all bets are off, because you don't necessarily know what the orientation of the object is as it hits the atmosphere, or how it's tumbling," said Jah, who partners with ServicePlan Innovation on Space Trash Signs to study and visualize the consequences of space pollution.

Uncontrolled re-entry typically happens to smaller chunks of space debris that are expected to break up in the atmosphere before ever reaching the ground  like the Dragon Capsule's trunk.

Even though this space debris is relatively small compared to, say, car-sized satellites, it's not harmless. They're moving at thousands of miles per hour before impact.

If the piece of debris that crash landed outside Asheville, North Carolina in May had landed on a person, it would have certainly killed them, Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and leading space debris expert, told BI.

NASA plans to use information gathered from the debris recovery to improve their space debris models, according to the agency's statement. Photos by Brett Tingley, courtesy of the Glamping Collective

While the chances of space debris hitting a person are astronomically low, a 2022 study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature, estimated there's about a 10% chance one or more people will be struck within a 10-year period.

How to reduce the risk of falling space debris

NASA wrote in its statement that it'll use the debris recovered from the mountaintop resort in North Carolina to improve debris modeling.

Another option that NASA should consider, McDowell said, was to reduce the number of uncontrolled re-entries and use controlled de-orbit even for small space objects.

"Then you know exactly when and where it's gonna come down," McDowell said.

Right now, controlled re-entries are relatively uncommon. Roughly 200 to 400 objects big enough to be tracked re-enter Earth's atmosphere each year, and only a handful of them are controlled re-entries, according to The Aerospace Corporation.

Making controlled re-entry the status quo would require new laws, and federal funding to help NASA and companies like SpaceX clean up their junk, Jah said.

The Federal Government is responsible for approving space launches but doesn't hold launching entities like NASA or SpaceX responsible for disposing of objects safely. That needs to change, Jah added.

"Working in space always carries some uncertainty, but NASA works to ensure its operations are safe for the public, and it strives to continuously improve processes," NASA wrote in a statement to BI.

SpaceX did not respond to BI's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Shelly Lou Haycock walks into a courtroom in the Yakima County jail Monday, July 1, 2024. She pleaded guilty to third-degree assault and vehicular assault, both classified as domestic violence. She is accused of stabbing and hitting her boyfriend with a car.
HONG KONG, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Wednesday welcomed the passage of the Deposit Protection Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2024 by the Legislative Council of the HKSAR to implement various measures aimed at improving the Deposit Protection Scheme.

The measures include raising the protection limit from 500,000 to 800,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 64,000 to 102,400 U.S. dollars), as well as providing enhanced coverage to affected depositors upon a bank merger or acquisition.

The Deposit Protection Scheme (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 can help strengthen depositors' confidence, the resilience of the banking sector as well as the overall stability of the financial system, thereby reinforcing Hong Kong's position as an international financial center, said Christopher Hui, secretary for financial services and the treasury of the HKSAR government.

The ordinance will be gazetted on July 12 and will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will come into effect on Oct. 1, 2024 when the protection limit will stand at 800,000 Hong Kong dollars, and the second phase will start on Jan. 1, 2025. 
Temperatures over 100 degrees are expected in the Yakima area starting Friday and continuing into next week.

Larry Nierenberg, a lead forecaster with the National Weather Service in Pendleton, Ore., said the high temperatures are expected to persist through at least Monday. Temperatures are expected to average 10 to 20 degrees warmer than climatological normal for this time of the summer.

The high is forecast to be 101 on Friday and 104 Saturday in Yakima.

Nierenberg added that the high temperatures will bring lower humidity and a greater risk of wildfire. Relatively light winds that will accompany the heat may create better conditions. Still, he urged people to be cognizant of the heat and prepare accordingly.

An excessive heat warning is in effect from noon Friday through 10 p.m. Tuesday evening in the region.

Washington Department of Health officials urge people to track weather conditions and monitor people with health conditions, the elderly and infants to prevent heat exhaustion, heat stroke or other heat-related illnesses.

Here are some other recommendations coming from the Department of Health:

 Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids, but dont wait until youre thirsty to drink.

 Take frequent breaks when working outdoors. Wear wide-brimmed hats and light-colored, loose-fitting clothing, and protect your skin from sunburn.

 If you notice symptoms of heat illness (dizziness, nausea, headaches, muscle cramps), act immediately. Move to a cooler location to rest for a few minutes and seek medical attention right away if you do not feel better.

 Keep your home cool by closing windows and shades during daylight hours. Use your stove and oven less to keep temperatures cooler inside.

 Check on your friends, family and neighbors regularly, and especially before bedtime. Assist those who are vulnerable or at higher risk, as well as neighbors who are elderly, ill, or may need help.

 Keep outdoor pets safe and make sure they have protection from heat. Have pets walk on grass instead of asphalt, which can burn paws. Never leave people or pets in an unattended vehicle. Car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.

 Warm temperatures do not necessarily mean warm water. Rivers and lakes are still cold this time of year, and jumping into cold open water can cause involuntary gasping, rapid breathing, or hyperventilating because of the shock our bodies can experience. This can result in drowning.

 Prevent wildfires. Know the current wildfire risk in your county, follow burn bans, and practice campfire and firework safety.
Mount Rainier seen from over the Crown Hill neighborhood during a warm and sunny afternoon in Seattle in March. A new program offers homebuying assistance to Washingtonians who faced housing discrimination in the early 20th century and their descendants. (Karen Ducey / The Seattle Times)
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev jointly meet with the press following their talks at the presidential palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

ASTANA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- China and Kazakhstan are companions on the path to modernization, said Chinese President Xi Jinping here Wednesday when jointly meeting the press with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Noting his talks with Tokayev were amicable, friendly and fruitful, Xi said he and Tokayev signed a joint statement between the two countries.

Xi said he and Tokayev agree that both China and Kazakhstan are at a critical stage of development and revitalization.

The two sides will continue to carry forward the fine tradition of mutual support, deepen political mutual trust, promote the synergy of development strategies, and be solid supporters that can be relied on and trusted by each other, Xi said.

Xi said China and Kazakhstan have set a new goal of doubling two-way trade at an early date.

The two sides agreed to continuously deepen cooperation in such traditional areas as economy, trade, investment, production capacity, interconnectivity and energy, Xi said.

The two sides will also jointly foster new growth points for cooperation in critical minerals, new energy, scientific and technological innovation, aerospace, digital economy and other fields, Xi said.

Xi said the Chinese side will hold China tourism year in Kazakhstan in 2025.

The Chinese side has also decided to open the second Luban Workshop in the Central Asian country, he said, adding that the two sides will expand cooperation in such fields as media, think tanks, as well as films and television, and encourage more sistership among provinces and cities of the two countries.

The two sides have pledged to continue working closely in international affairs and strengthen coordination and cooperation within the framework of the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the China-Central Asia mechanism as well as other multilateral frameworks, he said.

Xi said that China and Kazakhstan have agreed to jointly implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, three key initiatives proposed by China.

China supports Kazakhstan in joining BRICS cooperation mechanism, playing the role of a "middle power" on the international stage and making its due contribution to global governance, Xi said.

For his part, Tokayev said that Xi's visit has special historical significance and will be a new starting point to promote the Kazakhstan-China relations to a higher level.

China is a friendly neighbor and a permanent comprehensive strategic partner of Kazakhstan, Tokayev said, adding that the Kazakhstan-China relations have always been based on mutual respect and trust and there are no unresolved issues between the two countries.

In history, China has never harmed Kazakhstan's interests, and the friendship between the two peoples is unbreakable and has been passed down from generation to generation, Tokayev said.

China is Kazakhstan's largest trading partner and the most important foreign investor country, and the investment and cooperation of Chinese enterprises have effectively promoted the national development of Kazakhstan, Tokayev said.

Stressing Kazakhstan's commitment to continuously strengthening all-round friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation with China, Tokayev said the country welcomes more Chinese companies to invest in Kazakhstan and will provide all necessary and favorable conditions for them.

Upholding the principles of peaceful diplomacy, Kazakhstan and China share similar positions on many international and regional issues, said Tokayev, adding that Kazakhstan is ready to enhance communication and collaboration with China within multilateral frameworks like the China-Central Asia mechanism, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the United Nations, among others.

Friendship is the common asset of Kazakhstan and China, which is more precious than gold, Tokayev said. Kazakhstan looks forward to making joint efforts with China to achieve greater accomplishments in Kazakhstan-China relations in a new "golden 30 years." 
In an article published in the Financial Times on Tuesday on the occasion of Hungarys assuming the European Unions rotating presidency, Prime Minister Viktor Orban elaborated on the topic of restoring the EUs competitiveness. He noted that Hungary was now serving its second EU presidency 13 years after its first one.

During my time as prime minister, a role I held between our two presidencies, I have had a unique vantage point from which to witness the erosion of Europes competitiveness, Orban said.



He said he had been fortunate enough to know the great architects of the European integration of the 1990s, making special mention of Helmut Kohl. Quoting the former German chancellor, Orban said that Kohl once remarked: We all need Europe in order to remain competitive on the world markets, adding that his words have never been as relevant as they are today.



The loss of the EUs competitiveness has been a growing tendency in recent decades, the prime minister said. This decline can be attributed primarily to misguided Brussels decisions that go against the realities of the world economy.



He said that Europe has become a far less attractive investment destination, even prompting European companies to consider relocating to other markets, and noted Hungarys experience, which he said shows that economic success requires competition and a business-friendly environment.



We aim to negotiate a new competitiveness deal to relaunch European economic expansion, while promoting an open economy and international co-operation, he said.



Orban concluded the article by underlining Hungarys belief that a competitive Europe serves the interests of all member states. Hungary is gearing up for an exceptionally active EU presidency. Its time to set aside ideological disputes and kick-start Europes engine. Lets make Europe competitive again.



Orban Asks Zelensky to Consider Ceasefire

Prime Minister Viktor Orban, visiting Kyiv on Tuesday, asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a ceasefire tied to a deadline.



At a joint press conference with the Ukrainian president, Orban thanked his host for the invitation, noting that they had agreed to todays talks in Brussels last Thursday.



He said it was his first foreign trip after Hungary assumed the European Unions presidency, adding: Peace is important not only for Ukraine but for the whole of Europe. Orban said he appreciated Zelenskys initiatives aimed at creating peace, but added that those initiatives would take a long time to come to fruition.



The ways of international diplomacy are slow and complicated  I put it to the president that we should consider whether the order may be reversed by speeding up peace talks with a quick ceasefire, he said.



A ceasefire tied to a deadline, which could offer the opportunity to accelerate peace talks; I have assessed the options for that scenario, he added.



Orban said he had cleared those issues up with Zelensky, adding he was grateful for the honest talks and answers.



He said he would prepare a report for the European Council that could be a baseline for the necessary European decisions.



Orban: Hungary 'at Ukraines Disposal' During EU Presidency

Hungary is at Ukraines disposal during its six-month presidency of the European Union and will help the country wherever it can, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Tuesday,

wishing Ukraine success.



Orban said he had come to Kyiv to achieve progress in bilateral ties. He called the talks constructive, adding a meeting had been long overdue in view of the many issues needing resolution, over which we have negotiated and debated a lot in the past years. We are trying to put the debates of the past behind us and concentrate on the period ahead of us, he said.



Orban said he wished that ties between Hungary and Ukraine were much better, and Hungary wanted to sign a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Ukraine, similarly to many of its other neighbours. Hungary is also willing to take part in the modernisation of the Ukrainian economy, he said, adding that the process required a regulated framework.



Regarding the situation of the ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine, Orban said he saw a chance for progress. He welcomed Zelenskys proposal to set up a Ukrainian school in Hungary. Hungary will fund the schools, and set up as many as necessary.



If theres need for one, then one, and if theres need for ten, then ten, he said. Ukrainians have always been present in Hungary, which also has a Ukrainian minority self-government, he said.



At the same time, there are many more now with the influx of refugees, he added. Those families need care, work, a livelihood and security, and the children need adequate schools and good teachers, he said, adding it was important that Ukrainians in Hungary felt at home there.



Orban: Talks Aimed to Gauge Zelenskys Stance

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that during his recent visit to Kyiv he had not aimed to convince President Volodymyr Zelensky but "gauge the limits of Kyiv's stance regarding the peace process".



Orban said in a video interview to conservative Swiss daily Weltwoche on Wednesday that during the talks, he had aimed to leave behind the not too flourishing ties of recent times between the two countries, and concentrate on the future.



He said he had talked about the large Hungarian community in Ukraine, and suggested that Ukraine put forward an action plan that would be beneficial for Ukraines negotiations in the EU accession process as well as for the Hungarian minority.



Orban said he had not tried to convince Zelensky, nor had he made proposals. He said he had aimed to clarify Zelenskys position and limits when we speak about peace.



Orban said that as the head of the country holding the European presidency, he was planning to prepare a report on the possibility of peace for the European Council.



He therefore asked Zelensky to first start a ceasefire to speed up negotiations, he said. Orban said Zelensky was not very happy with the idea  but he understood Hungarys position.



Orban: Meeting with Zelensky About Gauging How Far He Could Go for Sake of Peace



Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in an interview with public radio, said he had asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at their meeting in Kyiv this week several questions to gauge where his red lines were and how far he could go for the sake of peace.



Orban said his job was to make the facts clear by going to the places where there was a threat of war that may have an impact on Europe and Hungary.



The prime minister said Hungary could be useful for those who strove for peace. The positions are far apart, but Hungary can get the parties off to a start along the long road ahead, with a ceasefire and peace negotiations at the end. Zelensky, he said, was unhappy about the idea of peace talks or a ceasefire as the other side may take advantage of the latter by redeploying forces.



But it would be possible to overcome such a standoff with some perspective and knowing that peace negotiations are only a few weeks or months off, he added.



The prime minister said there were all sorts of surveys after Europe had decided to get involved in the war on Ukraines side.



Discussions and surveys about the war, he added, were also part of the war, meaning that they were manipulated or hard to believe.



Orban mentioned his recent visits to Berlin, Rome and Paris in preparation for Hungarys presidency of the Council of the European Union, along with his visit to Kyiv, where he said he had spoken to not just politicians and decision-makers but also the average people.



During his trips, he said he saw a kind of moral pressure for Europe to do more to ease the tension of war when conflict broke out in its neighbourhood that should not have.



There was also a feeling, he added, expectations were too weighted towards waiting for America to act instead of taking more pro-active steps today. Also, people were worried about the impact of the war on Europes economy, he said, citing cost-of-living worries in Western Europe and war inflation everywhere.



*********************************

You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page:

Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary



You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters



Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here!
Naim-Ul-Karim

DHAKA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Devastating floods have left large swaths of land in Bangladesh's northeastern Sylhet division underwater, marking the third wave of flooding in less than a month in the region.

More than 1 million people in the northeastern Bangladesh districts including Sylhet and nearby Sunamganj and Moulvibazar were stranded due to extensive flooding after days of heavy rains.

Sheikh Russel Hasan, deputy commissioner and district magistrate in Sylhet, told Xinhua Wednesday that the fresh spell of flood triggered by heavy rainfall submerged low-lying areas in parts of Sylhet region.

"Some 800,000 people in Sylhet district are currently grappling with the third wave of flooding," he said, adding that tens of thousands of people were left homeless in the low-lying northeastern parts of the country.

According to the official, prolonged torrential rains and runoff from upstream hilly regions on the Indian border caused the main rivers in the region to swell beyond their danger levels.

Water levels at 90 river stations monitored by the South Asian country's Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC) have reportedly marked a rise while 19 stations recorded a fall.

FFWC executive engineer Sardar Udoy Raihan forecast the flood situation in Sylhet region will be prolonged as almost the entire country experienced heavy rainfall triggered by active monsoon.

Sylhet reportedly recorded 294 mm of rainfall from 6:00 a.m. Monday through 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday. "If the rainfall increases, the flooding will worsen in Sylhet. It is already raining in Sylhet. The rivers are flowing over their warning levels," Deepak Ranjan Das, executive engineer of the Sylhet Water Development Board, was quoted as saying in a report on bdnews24.com Tuesday.

Officials said there are so far no known injuries or deaths to have occurred in the districts as a result of the ongoing floods.

Sylhet additional deputy commissioner Mohammad Mubarak Hossain said people are coming to the shelters. They are distributing relief and aid to those affected.

Millions of people in Bangladesh, criss-crossed by hundreds of rivers, suffer from flooding as the low-lying country experiences seasonal floods every year during the June-September monsoon when rivers that feed into the Bay of Bengal burst their banks.

Last month, flash floods displaced more than 2 million people during two rounds of flooding in the region, affecting hundreds of areas and causing untold suffering to the dwellers. 
In 1930, a Hungarian inventor named Laszlo Jozsef Biro observed children playing with marbles in a puddle. He noticed that the marbles left a trail of water as they rolled, sparking an innovative idea: why not use a ball-shaped metal nib for writing? This observation led to the conceptualization of the now world famous ballpoint pen.

Biro shared his idea with his brother, Gyorgy, a chemist, and together they embarked on research and experimentation. Their goal was to create a new type of pen that utilized a ball-bearing mechanism.



After numerous trials, they discovered the ideal combination: a viscous ink paired with a tip featuring a small, freely rotating ball. This design allowed the ink to flow smoothly while preventing it from drying out.



In 1931, the Biro brothers presented their revolutionary invention at the Budapest International Fair. They patented their creation in 1938, but it was not immediately brought to market.



The outbreak of World War II prompted the brothers to emigrate to Argentina, where they set up a company in a garage. Initially, their product struggled due to high costs, but a significant breakthrough came when they secured a contract with the British Air Force. The military required a reliable writing instrument for high-altitude operations, and the Biro pen met this need perfectly.



In 1943, the brothers licensed their invention to Eversharp Faber in the United States for $2 million. This marked the beginning of the ballpoint pen's commercial success. By 1950, Marcel Bich had acquired the rights to the pen.



On the advice of an advertising expert, he simplified his surname, founding the now-famous BIC Group. That same year, the first BIC Cristal was launched. This pen, with its simple yet efficient design, became an instant hit. Today, over 20 million BIC Cristal pens are sold every day worldwide.



Since its introduction in 1950, more than 100 billion BIC Cristal pens have been manufactured, cementing its status as the best-selling pen of all time.



The ballpoint pen, a simple yet transformative invention, owes its existence to the ingenuity and persistence of the Hungarian Biro brothers, whose legacy continues to impact the world of writing.



*********************************

You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page:

Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary



You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters



Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here!
Wizz Air launched its Budapest-Brasov flight to Romania on Tuesday, flying three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, spokeswoman Zsuzsa Trubek announced at the airport.

The speed and comfort of transport creates new opportunities for tourism, business relations and culture, said Ferenc Antal, Economy Ministry undersecretary and board member of Budapest Airport.



The Hungarian airline also opened two more new routes, flying daily to Bucharest and twice a week to Yerevan, Armenia.



Wizz Air has already offered three new destinations in its summer timetable, flying to Brussels (Zaventem), Stuttgart and Valencia, Trubek added.



Sales director Balazs Bogats of Budapest Airport said passengers can directly fly from Liszt Ferenc Airport to more than 130 destinations around the world this summer.



He estimated that passenger traffic will exceed the pre-pandemic record of 16.2 million this year.



*********************************

You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page:

Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary



You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters



Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here!
Founded in 2022, Utopia Cakes India is a Raipur-based startup that has swiftly expanded to 37 outlets across Raipur, Bhilai-Durg, and Bilaspur. The brainchild of Vivek Anand Sahu, Utopia Cakes stands out in the competitive market with its unique selling proposition (USP): offering a wide variety of cakes and flavors at the best rates.

Despite its current success, Utopia Cakes India faced several initial challenges. The startup landscape in the food industry, particularly in bakery products, is fiercely competitive. Establishing a brand identity and building a loyal customer base required significant effort and innovative strategies. Traditional bakeries often suffer from being less equipped and unhygienic, leading to customer dissatisfaction. Utopia Cakes aimed to overturn this narrative by ensuring hygienic, high-quality production using excellent raw materials, which required significant initial investments.

Securing funding was another major hurdle. Vivek Anand Sahu's vision was grand, aiming for 500+ outlets across central India by 2025, including cities like Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Nagpur, and Ranchi. Achieving this required a solid financial foundation. The company managed to secure Series A funding of Rs. 3.2 Cr., complemented by a debt of 60 lakh, leading to a valuation of 50 Cr. This financial boost was crucial for scaling operations and expanding their reach.

In addition to financial and operational challenges, maintaining product quality and consistency across multiple outlets posed a significant challenge. Utopia Cakes prides itself on offering 100% palm oil-free products with no preservatives, and ensuring this standard across all locations demanded rigorous quality control measures.

Furthermore, Utopia Cakes India innovated with attractive offers such as the "Buy One Get One" deal on cakes priced between Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000, which helped in attracting customers. Their commitment to environmental sustainability through the use of bio-degradable packaging also resonated well with environmentally conscious consumers.

The companys total production has now reached an impressive 3000 pounds per day. Their vision to achieve an 18 Cr. turnover by March 2025 seems well within reach, especially with accolades such as being awarded by Aman Gupta for their unique startup ideas, adding credibility and prestige to their brand.

With a clear vision, a dedicated team, and an unwavering commitment to quality, Utopia Cakes India is set to make "Ab Celebration Hoga Double" a reality for many more customers across central India.
New Delhi:The highly anticipated social drama, 'Kubera', directed by the acclaimed national award-winning filmmaker Sekhar Kammula, is being hailed as one of the most awaited upcoming pan-Indian films.

The Glimpse of Rashmika Mandannas Official First Look From the Film, Unveiled Tonight, Has Taken the Internet by Storm, Further Heightening Anticipation for This Magnum Opus.

While the official look will be unveiled on 5th July 2024, the poster that has been released by the makers shows Rashmika's character dressed in a pink suit and dragging a suitcase behind her, in what seems to be a deserted location. The release of the new poster has built up a lot of excitement among the audience to see the complete look.

Check Out Her First Look Here:

Earlier, the first looks of actors Dhanush and Nagarjuna Akkineni from 'Kubera' were also revealed, garnering enthusiastic responses from audiences nationwide.

'Kubera' features a star-studded cast including Dhanush, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Rashmika Mandanna, and Jim Sarbh.

The film is jointly produced by Suniel Narang and Puskur Ram Mohan Rao under the Sri Venkateswara Cinemas LLP and Amigos Creations Pvt Ltd banner.

Sekhar Kammula's 'Kubera' is a pan-India multilingual film, being shot simultaneously in Tamil and Telugu.
Mumbai: The trailer of the upcoming film 'Kakuda', starring the newly-wed actress Sonakshi Sinha, Riteish Deshmukh and Saqib Saleem has been unveiled. As seen in the trailer, the film follows the story of Sunny, played by Saqib Saleem, who is less-educated. He is in love with Indira, portrayed by Sonakshi Sinha.

The two get married, and move to the village of Ratodi only to be cursed by 'Kakuda'. On their wedding night, Sunny fails to open the smaller door for Kakuda at 7:15 p.m. sharp, inviting Kakuda, a wicked ghost who punishes the man of the house by inflicting a hump on their back that grows until their demise on the 13th day. To save her husband, Indira seeks help from Victor, an eccentric ghost hunter played by Riteish Deshmukh.

Shedding light on her role, Sonakshi Sinha said, "In 'Kakuda', I play the role of a girl who believes in science and not in superstitions.

However, when she encounters the peculiar ritual, she decides to dig deeper and find out the truth behind it. I must admit, balancing horror with comedy is a challenging task -- it's not easy to make people laugh while simultaneously sending chills down their spines." For her, the film was an absolute blast to shoot, especially because of her co-actors Ritesh, Saqib and Aasif who, she said, are so funny in real life as well.

The film is helmed by Aditya Sarpotdar, who is known for 'Mauli', 'Zombivli' and the recent hit 'Munjya'. Riteish Deshmukh said, "I'm thrilled to be a part of the quirky and eccentric world of 'Kakuda'. Playing the role of Victor, an unconventional ghost hunter, allowed me to tap into a side of my acting abilities that I hadn't fully explored before.

This character is unlike any other I've portrayed, and that's what makes it so exciting." "Blending horror and comedy is a delicate balance, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside such talented co-stars like Sonakshi Sinha and Saqib Saleem. 'Kakuda' takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, leaving you both laughing and scared," he added.

Produced by RSVP, 'Kakuda' will drop on July 12 on ZEE5.
Amarnath Yatra: In a heartwarming display of compassion and dedication, the Anantnag Police have been providing unparalleled support to Amarnath Yatra pilgrims at various destinations along the route. At Pishu Top, Sheshnag, Panjtarni, Poshpathri, the Holy Cave, and other locations, police teams have been assisting pilgrims in need, carrying their luggage on their shoulders to ensure a hassle-free journey to the Holy Cave.

This selfless act has been a beacon of hope for many tired and suffocated pilgrims, who are grateful for the police's unwavering commitment to their well-being. The Jammu and Kashmir Police's tireless efforts have also included providing medical emergency care, relieving suffocation and tiredness, and offering a helping hand to those in need. Their dedication to the pilgrim community is a shining example of service and compassion, which they perform with open hearts and smiling faces.

A police team from the Police Post Chandanwari came to the aid of elderly, differently-abled pilgrims who were on their way to the Holy Cave on a skateboard. The police team, with utmost care and concern, pushed the pilgrims' skateboard, facilitating their smooth passage to the Holy Cave.

This selfless act has earned widespread appreciation from the pilgrims. Rajan Prasad said, "I suddenly had suffocation and was not able to climb. I raised my voice for help, and suddenly a few policemen who were on duty came to me and helped me, gave me first-aid, and carried my belongings until I reached a tent. Amrita from Gujarat said, I was at Pishu Top when my legs were not moving forward. The nearby policemen helped me and took my luggage until I reached a plain area.

Tens of pilgrims on their way to Lord Shiva's Holy Cave praised the help of the police and other security forces who, en route, have helped pilgrims and made it possible for them to reach the Holy Cave.
The Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, made his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir since assuming the role of COAS. His visit to the Poonch district, near the Line of Control, was aimed at gaining firsthand information of the security situation and boosting the morale of troops stationed in the region. During his visit, General Dwivedi engaged with field commanders at the Brigade headquarters, discussing the latest developments on the Line of Control and in the hinterland.

The focus was on ongoing anti-terrorist operations in Poonch, Rajouri, and adjacent districts, following a recent rise in terror incidents in the area. The COAS also visited forward posts along the LOC, where he personally assessed the security situation. His visit served as a reaffirmation of the Indian Army's commitment to safeguarding the nation's borders and maintaining peace in the region.

For General Upendra Dwivedi, this visit held a special significance as he previously served as the Army commander of the Udhampur headquartered Northern Command, overseeing all three Army corps in J&K and the Ladakh region. His return to the region was a testament to his enduring connection with the area and his unwavering support for the troops serving there.

General Dwivedi's visit underscored the Indian Army's dedication to ensuring the safety and security of Jammu and Kashmir, reflecting a strong resolve to counter terrorism and maintain peace in the region. Before flying back to Delhi later in the day, Army Chief is scheduled to head a comprehensive security review meeting related to ongoing Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir.
India is the land of multiple religions with the majority following the Hindu way of life. However, in the past decades, the northern belt, mostly the Hindi-speaking region, has seen a rise of 'Babas' due to prevalent superstitions among the people. These 'Babas' are not new to controversies (vivads). There is a long list of alleged 'godmen' who have acquired properties/ assets worth crores of rupees and are facing serious allegations but no action is taken against them as the government fears religious backlash. Since the administration fears taking action, these godmen thrive until a serious incident happens just like yesterday's Hathras stampede at the religious congregation organised by Suraj Pal alias Sakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba.

In many cases, these alleged godmen have political backing and even many political leaders became their disciples. The Hathras stampede is just another incident that shows human lives are valued in India only after they are lost. Many criminals disguise themselves as godmen to avoid law and Baba Sakar Vishwahari is one such example.

There is a long list of godmen facing criminal cases and this includes Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Rampal Maharaj, Sant Asharam Bapu, and Nirmal Baba. In all these cases, the police and the state governments did not wake up until crimes like rape, murder and stampedes claimed multiple lives. Most of the victims are illiterate and hail from poor rural families. While they and their families struggle to make ends meet, these Baba enjoy a lavish lifestyle using the donation money.

While the poor remain at risk, the administration's deep slumber ends only when casualty strikes. These religious congregations often take place without crowd management, proper entry-exit arrangements and healthcare facilities. As per local residents, police and administration work in connivance with these godmen allowing these religious congregations. Support of local political leaders also makes these godmen untouchable by the law. However, even after these godmen get arrested, their followers keep their business going and carry out activities in their names.

However, these godmen, even after getting arrested, enjoy political patronage, easily get bail/parole and enjoy a healthy lifestyle in prison. While it will take decades to educate people to end their superstitions, the question remains - when will the governments become pro-active? When will they start monitoring the frauds being carried out by these alleged godmen? Till then, India will keep counting the dead bodies of victims, time and again.
Assam Floods: The opposition Congress criticized PM Modi on Wednesday for not visiting the state of Assam amid the flood crisis. Jitendra Singh, the All India Congress Committee general secretary, appealed to all party members to assist those suffering from the catastrophic flood in Assam.

Singh also condemned the BJP-led state government for 'failing' to meet its commitments on flood control. "During the Congress government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came and visited the flood-affected areas and extended all possible help from the Central government. But unfortunately, no central leader of the NDA government has come to visit Assam as yet. "It is extremely condemnable that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who can travel multiple times to Assam for election campaigns, cannot take time out to visit during this time of devastating floods in Assam," said Singh, who also oversees Assam Congress.

In a letter to all Congress workers and leaders in Assam, he emphasized that the state is suffering from unprecedented floods affecting almost all districts, causing significant distress to the people and damage to property."We have observed that the Government of Assam has not been able to rise to the occasion as expected. Promises made by the government to the people of Assam for flood control have all failed," Singh said.

During this critical time, the Congress party must support the people of the state and provide all possible help and support in the affected areas, he added. "I urge our Pradesh Congress Committee president, Congress Legislature Party leader, MPs, MLAs, and senior leaders to visit and extend financial or material support in their respective flood-affected areas.

"The All India Congress Committee stands with the people of Assam at this hour of need. Please let us know how AICC can help in providing relief," Singh said. The flood situation in Assam worsened on Tuesday, with three more people losing their lives and over 1.13 million people affected across 23 districts.

The total number of casualties from this year's flood, landslide, and storm has risen to 48. The administration has been operating 489 relief camps and relief distribution centers in 21 districts, where 286,776 people have currently taken shelter.
Bhole Baba: Surajpal, who later became known as Narayan Sakar Hari, has a history marked by a mix of spirituality and controversy. From his early days as a UP police constable, his journey took a dramatic turn when he ventured into the world of spiritual leadership, only to be plagued by serious criminal allegations. He has been accused of sexual harassment, land encroachment, and promoting superstition. Sakar Hari's story is one of a law enforcer turned spiritual figure, whose actions have repeatedly drawn the attention of law enforcement and the public. This narrative explores the multifaceted persona of Sakar Hari, highlighting the stark contrast between his spiritual claims and the criminal charges that have shadowed his life. In today's DNA, Anant Tyagi analyses the criminal part of Sakar Hari's spiritual journey.

Surajpal, also known as Narayan Sakar Hari, has 5 cases against him. Out of these, 4 are registered in Agra, Etawah, Kasganj, and Farrukhabad in UP. One case is registered in Dausa, Rajasthan. These cases are related to sexual harassment, hypocrisy, and land encroachment.

The first page of Baba Narayan Sakar Hari's crime diary was written when he was just Surajpal. In 1997, Surajpal was posted in Etawah while working for the LIU. Here, he was accused of molesting a girl. In this case, Surajpal was suspended from his job and had to stay in Etawah jail for several months.

After being released from jail, Surajpal went to court and got his job reinstated. Later, he took VRS himself. After returning to his village, Surajpal faced a second case after becoming a baba, conducting satsangs, and showing miracles.

The second case was registered in 2000 in Shahganj, Agra. He claimed to have revived a dead girl, which turned out to be a false claim. Bhole Baba had to go to jail for the second time on charges of superstition and hypocrisy. However, later, all 7 accused, including him, were released.

Sakar Hari has two cases of illegal land encroachment in Kasganj and Kanpur. He constructed ashrams on several bighas of these lands. Sakar Hari also has a case of endangering the lives of common people. During the COVID wave, Sakar Hari conducted a satsang in Farrukhabad, UP, gathering a crowd of 50,000 people.

This means that this incarnation of superstition and hypocrisy has had its fair share of controversies. This time, the matter is serious because more than a hundred people lost their lives in the superstitious satsang.
KATHMANDU, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The main opposition Nepali Congress party on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to step down, one day after the largest ruling partner initiated the move.

"It would be natural for the prime minister to clear the way as the two largest parties decide to form a new government. Our party urges him to resign," said Prakash Saran Mahat, spokesperson for the Nepali Congress, the largest in the House of Representatives.

A day earlier, the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) (CPN-UML), the second largest in the lower house, asked Dahal to resign by Wednesday evening to clear the way for the formation of a "national consensus government," threatening to quit the coalition government and withdraw its support if the prime minister refuses to do so.

At a meeting on Wednesday, the Nepali Congress also endorsed the agreement reached on Monday night with the CPN-UML about the formation of a new coalition government.

Under the deal, CPN-UML's Chairman and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli shall assume the premiership first and then hand it over to Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba until the general election in 2027.

"The Oli-led government will be formed first. Our party president will lead the next government," Mahat told Xinhua.

As chairman of the CPN (Maoist Center), Dahal became the head of a coalition government in December 2022 as the general election in November produced no majority party in the lower house, and he has formed alliances with both the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML ever since.

The CPN (Maoist Center) announced on Tuesday that Dahal would not resign from his post but rather seek a vote of confidence in the lower house. 
New Delhi: Samajwadi party and Kannauj MP Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday accused the BJP government of the satsang stampede incident that took place in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh. SP leader said that this is not the first incident where negligence was seen.

On Hathras stampede, the SP leader said that it incident was very painful and that loss of life in this incident was due to the negligence of the Uttar Pradesh government

"It is a very painful incident. We are saddened by this incident. The Uttar Pradesh government and administration are fully responsible for this incident. The loss of lives in this incident is due to the negligence of the government. Some injured persons died due to lack of proper treatment. " Yadav said.

#WATCH | On Hathras stampede, Samajwadi Party chief & MP Akhilesh Yadav says, " It is a very painful incident. We are saddened by this incident. The Uttar Pradesh government and administration are fully responsible for this incident. The loss of lives in this incident is due to pic.twitter.com/k1u88pmzS8 July 3, 2024

Samajwadi party leader accused BJP and said the saffron party was responsible for this tragic incident. He added that this is not the first time negligence was seen.

"The BJP govt is responsible for this incident...This is not the first incident where negligence was seen. SOPs for large gatherings should be made to ensure that such incidents do not occur again," he added.

On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath arrived at the incident spot in Hathras on Wednesday. CM Yogi also chaired a meeting with officials regarding the Hathras Accident.
A day after the stampede in Hathras where at least 121 people were killed, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced on Wednesday a judicial investigation into the incident as he met with those injured in the incident. He said that six of those killed were from other states, including four from Haryana and one each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. CM Yogi added that retired administration and police officials will be part of the judicial investigation into the stampede. The committee will determine who was responsible for the tragedy and whether it was a conspiracy, according to the chief minister.

Adityanath did not rule out a conspiracy in the stampede. He also stated that the "sevadars" (volunteers working for the'satsang' organisers) should have transported the victims to the hospital. People were dying, and the "sevadars" had fled, he claimed. The chief minister added that the government will take steps to prevent such incidents from occurring again, and that a standard operating procedure for religious congregations may be implemented.

Here are ten latest developments in the Hathras satsang stampede incident:
New Delhi: Passing the UPSC exam and becoming an IAS officer is the dream of millions of Indians. We often hear stories of candidates who overcome immense hardships to pass the UPSC exam and achieve their goal of becoming an IAS officer. Here, we will talk about one such officer who overcame all odds to clear the UPSC exam.

We are talking about IAS officer M. Sivaguru Prabhakaran. Born into a farming family, Sivaguru's family members all had to work in the fields. Additionally, his father was an alcoholic. His mother and sister worked in the fields during the day and made baskets at night. Watching his mother and sister toil day and night, Sivaguru decided to drop out of school and start working at a sawmill.

"I worked at a sawmill for two years and did a bit of farming. Whatever money I could save, I spent some on my family and saved some for my education. I was not ready to give up on my dreams," Sivaguru said in an interview.

Despite working in a factory, Sivaguru never forgot his dream. After his sister's marriage, he resumed his studies and helped his brother get an education. In 2008, Sivaguru enrolled in civil engineering at Thanthai Periyar Government Institute of Technology in Vellore.

On weekends, IAS officer Sivaguru would study and stay on the platform of St. Thomas Mount Railway Station. During the week, he would return to his college in Vellore and work on his studies in his free time.

Despite the numerous hardships, IAS Sivaguru Prabhakaran remained focused on his goal. He successfully passed the IIT-M admission test and completed his M.Tech in 2014. After finishing his M.Tech, IAS Sivaguru Prabhakaran focused on his dream of cracking the UPSC exam. In his fourth attempt, he passed the UPSC exam and secured an All India Rank of 101.

Sivaguru's story is a testament to perseverance and determination, showing that with hard work and dedication, one can overcome any obstacle to achieve their dreams.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today presented the vision of his government for the next five years while criticising the opposition for carrying out a misleading campaign against the ruling alliance. While the opposition staged a walkout, PM Modi also delved into critical issues like Manipur, employment and cooperative federalism. He also slammed the opposition for having a double standard regarding investigation by the probe agencies.

Modi On Manipur Issue

Speaking on Manipur in Rajya Sabha during the motion of thanks to the President's address, PM Modi said that the Union government is continuously making efforts to normalise the situation in Manipur. "More than 11,000 FIRs have been registered and over 500 people arrested. Incidents of violence are continuously reducing in Manipur. Today, schools, colleges, offices and other institutions are open in the state. Central & State governments are talking to all stakeholders to restore peace. The Union Home Minister stayed there for many weeks," said Modi.

The Prime Minister further said that the Central government is extending all cooperation to Manipur to tackle the flood situation as well. "Today, 2 teams of NDRF have reached Manipur. I warn those who are trying to add the fuel to fire will be rejected by Manipur....Congress had imposed Presidents rule in Manipur 10 times," said Modi. He said that the government are trying its best to bring peace in Manipur and urged everyone to cooperate.

PM Modi On Misuse Of Probe Agencies

Reacting to the allegations of the opposition leaders that the central probe agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate, PM Modi said that it was during the Congress-led UPA regime that the Supreme Court had termed CBI 'caged parrot'. "I would like to say without hesitation that I have given a free hand to agencies to take stringent action against corruption and the corrupt. Government will not interfere anywhere. They should work honestly for honesty...I would like to tell the citizens that no corrupt will be safe from the law. Ye Modi ki guarantee hai," said PM Modi. The Prime Minister also said that while the Congress claims misuse of probe agencies when corrupt leaders are arrested, the same party wants the Central government to arrest the Chief Minister of Kerala that shows their double standards.

"They are people who have double standards. I would like to remind the country again and again of the double standards. In Delhi, they share the stage and level allegations against investigation agencies, they conduct rallies to protect the corrupt. In Kerala, their 'shehzada' appeals to send a CM - who is an ally in their alliance - to jail. He tells the Government of India to send him to jail. In Delhi, they raise an alarm over ED-CBI and the same people tell the same agencies to send the Kerala CM to jail...In Chhattisgarh, CM of the Congress government was linked to liquor scam. AAP used to say that the ED should put this CM behind bars. ED was dear to them at that time," said PM Modi.

Modi On Unemployment

Reacting to unemployment, Prime Minister Modi said that there should be a competition among the states to adopt policies that create employment. PM Modi also said that if a policy is working for one state, other states should adopt the policy with desired changes to create jobs for their people.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today delivered his speech in the Rajya Sabha to the motion of thanks to the President's address. While the opposition kept chanting slogans during PM Modi's speech, he continued his speech. Since Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar did not allow Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to intervene during PM Modi's speech, the opposition MPs staged a walkout. While the first half of Modi's speech was focused on development, in the second half, the Prime Minister led a scathing attack on the opposition.

* Targeting opposition in the Rajya Sabha, PM Modi said people have defeated their agenda. PM Modi said that the Constitution works as a lighthouse and gives directions to the country.

* "Our economy has moved from 10th position in the world to fifth; we have got a mandate to make India the third largest economy...There will be a decisive fight against poverty in the coming five years...When India becomes the third largest economy, it will have a positive impact not only domestically but also at the global level," said PM Modi.

* "There will be a rapid transformation in public transportation in the country; technology footprints will be seen in many sectors...Government has strengthened agriculture sector with micro planning ranging from farm to market," said PM Modi.

* PM Modi said that only 3 crore farmers were beneficiaries of UPA's loan waiver, but NDA's PM-Kisan scheme benefited over 10 crore.

* "Benefits of women empowerment are visible across all sectors...One crore women in self-help groups have become 'lakhpati didis', number will increase to 3 crore in coming years," said PM Modi.

* "The country is watching that those spreading lies don't dare to listen to the truth....Opposition has been defeated; now they are shouting and running away," said PM Modi.

* "Opposition is not able to digest mandate given by 140 crore people to the NDA," said PM Modi after opposition stages walkout from the Rajya Sabha.

* "It is my duty to give a detailed account of works done by the government to people...We focus on development and not on vote-bank politics," said PM Modi.

* PM Modi deplores the selective approach of opposition towards atrocities against women. He slammed the opposition for not talking about the public flogging of a woman in West Bengal and the Sandeshkhali incidents.

* "Congress always fields Dalit candidates when defeat is certain," said PM Modi while referring to the INDIA bloc candidate for Lok Sabha Speaker's election.

* The Prime Minister also slammed the Congress over the issue of protecting the constitution. Reacting to the opposition's poll campaign that the BJP will change the Constitution, PM Modi said, "People voted for us as they know only we can safeguard the Constitution...Word 'Constitution' does not suit you (Congress)," said PM Modi while referring to constitutional amendments made during Emergency.

* "I say with all seriousness that Congress is the biggest opponent of the Constitution," said PM Modi in the RS. PM Modi said Congress is trying to hide its black deeds by displaying a copy of the Constitution.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday is all set to address the Rajya Sabha at around 12 noon. In Parliament, PM Modi is going to take part in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address.

Earlier, PM Modi responded to the Motion of Thanks on the President's address in the Lok Sabha and said that the people have given his government a mandate for stability and continuity for the third consecutive term after testing it on every criterion.

Here are the live updates on the Lok Sabha:

01:35 PM Prime Minister said that his mission and conviction is to fight against corruption and ensure that corruption is one such termite that has hollowed out the nation.

01: 25 PM While addressing in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi said, "If this election was to save the Constitution, then the people of the nation chose us for it...1977 election saved the Constitution..."

01: 15 PM PM Modi said that the opposition's selective attitude on atrocities against women is very worrying. "I have seen a video from Bengal on social media where a woman was being beaten...The incident which happened in Sandeshkhali....But even the senior leaders (of the opposition) have not said a word about it...," says PM Modi in Rajya Sabha.

01: 00 PM After Opposition MPs walked out of Rajya Sabha during PM Modi's Motion of Thanks speech, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar criticised their conduct as disrespectful to the Constitution and urged introspection. "...I urged them the LoP was given adequate time to speak without any interruptions. Today, they did not leave the House behind, they have left behind dignity. Today, they did not show me their back, they showed it to the Constitution of India," Dhankhar.

12:50 PM While speaking in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi said, "India has taken decisive steps towards women-led development and today we are its results. We have also worked in the areas of women's health, sanitation and wellness."

12: 45 PM Opposition MPs protested in Rajya Sabha today raised slogans and walked out as PM Modi spoke on Motion of Thanks to President's Address.

#WATCH | In Rajya Sabha, Opposition MPs protest, raise slogans and walk out as PM Modi speaks on Motion of Thanks to President's Address. The Opposition MPs say that the LoP was not allowed to speak and that he should be allowed for the same.



As they walk out, PM Modi says, pic.twitter.com/rmPZpoNugY  ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024



12: 35 PM Opposition MPs raised slogans of 'LoP ko bolne do' at the time when PM Narendra Modi was speaking in Rajya Sabha on Motion of Thanks to President's Address. Modi alleged that the LoP was not allowed to speak, While Chairman said "showed their back to constitution."

#WATCH | Opposition MPs raise slogans of 'LoP ko bolne do' as PM Narendra Modi speaks in Rajya Sabha on Motion of Thanks to President's Address; allege that the LoP was not allowed to speak. pic.twitter.com/NKuhfhPiW2  ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

12: 30 PM Addressing the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi said, "The next five years are to ensure saturation of basic facilities and for the fight against poverty. This country will emerge victorious against poverty in the next five years."

12:20 PM While addressing Rajya Sabha, the Prime Minister said that the next five years to ensure the saturation of basic facilities and for the fight against poverty. Based on the past 10 years of experience, Modi said, "This country will emerge victorious against poverty in the next five years."

12:15 PM: In Parliament, PM Modi said, "In the last two-two and a half days, around 70 MPs participated in this discussion. I express gratitude to all of you MPs in enriching this discussion on the President's Address."
Conditions such as thyroid imbalances, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, unexplained infertility, and low sperm count have become increasingly common. Amidst these challenges, fertility yoga has emerged as a powerful, natural approach to improving reproductive health. Yoga India Foundation, a premier institution offering yoga teacher training in India, explains the science behind fertility yoga and its benefits.

What is Fertility Yoga?

Fertility yoga is a specialised practice designed to support reproductive health and increase the chances of conception. It includes specific yoga poses, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques that help balance hormones, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being. By focusing on the mind-body connection, fertility yoga creates a conducive environment for conception.

How Fertility Yoga Works

Fertility yoga works on several levels to enhance reproductive health. Firstly, it helps reduce stress, which is a significant factor in infertility. Chronic stress can lead to hormonal imbalances and affect the menstrual cycle, making conception more difficult. Fertility yoga incorporates breathing exercises and meditation, which activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and reducing stress levels.

Secondly, fertility yoga improves blood flow to the reproductive organs. Specific poses, such as Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose) and Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose), increase circulation to the pelvic region, supporting the ovaries and uterus. Improved blood flow ensures that these organs receive adequate oxygen and nutrients, enhancing their function.

Thirdly, fertility yoga helps balance hormones. Poses like Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) and Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) stimulate the endocrine glands, promoting hormonal balance. Balanced hormones are crucial for regular menstrual cycles and ovulation, both essential for conception.

The Benefits of Fertility Yoga

Fertility yoga offers numerous benefits beyond enhancing reproductive health. It promotes overall physical and mental well-being, which is crucial during the often stressful journey of trying to conceive. Here are some of the key benefits:

Stress Reduction: Fertility yoga helps lower cortisol levels, reducing stress and anxiety. This creates a calm and positive mindset, which is beneficial for conception.

Hormonal Balance: The practice stimulates the endocrine system, helping to regulate hormones and support reproductive health.

Improved Blood Circulation: Increased blood flow to the reproductive organs ensures they function optimally.

Enhanced Flexibility and Strength: Yoga improves physical fitness, preparing the body for pregnancy and childbirth.

Emotional Support: Group classes and workshops provide a supportive community, reducing feelings of isolation and providing emotional support.

Yoga Teacher Training in India

For those interested in teaching fertility yoga or deepening their practice, the Yoga India Foundation offers comprehensive yoga teacher training in India. These programs provide in-depth knowledge and practical skills, equipping students to become effective yoga instructors.

200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in India

The 200-hour yoga teacher training in India at Yoga India Foundation is an ideal starting point. This course covers the basics of yoga, including asanas, pranayama, meditation, and yoga philosophy. It also includes modules on fertility yoga, teaching students how to design and lead classes that support reproductive health. Graduates of the 200-hour yoga teacher training in India are well-prepared to teach yoga and help others on their fertility journey.

Advanced Training: 300 and 500 Hour Yoga Teacher Training

For those who wish to continue their education, Yoga India Foundation offers advanced courses. The 300-hour yoga teacher training builds on the foundational 200-hour course, introducing more advanced techniques and a deeper understanding of yoga. The 500-hour yoga teacher training combines both the 200 and 300-hour courses, providing a comprehensive education in all aspects of yoga. These advanced programs include specialized training in fertility yoga in India, allowing graduates to offer more targeted and effective support to their students.

Online Yoga Teacher Training

Recognising the need for flexible learning options, Yoga India Foundation also offers online yoga teacher training. These courses provide the same high-quality education as in-person programs but allow students to learn from the comfort of their homes. Online yoga teacher training is particularly beneficial for those with busy schedules or those who cannot travel to India. The courses cover all essential aspects of yoga, including fertility yoga, and provide ample opportunities for interaction and feedback from experienced instructors.

The Impact of Fertility Yoga

The positive impact of fertility yoga on reproductive health is supported by scientific research. A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that women who practiced yoga had higher pregnancy rates compared to those who did not. This is attributed to the stress-reducing and hormone-balancing effects of yoga. By incorporating fertility yoga into their routine, individuals can improve their chances of conception naturally and holistically.

Fertility yoga offers a natural and effective way to enhance reproductive health and increase the chances of conception. By reducing stress, improving blood flow, and balancing hormones, fertility yoga creates a supportive environment for conception. Yoga India Foundation, a leader in yoga teacher training in India, provides comprehensive courses that cover all aspects of yoga, including fertility yoga. Whether you choose the 200-hour yoga teacher training in India or advanced courses, Yoga India Foundation offers the knowledge and skills needed to support reproductive health through yoga. For those who need flexibility, online yoga teacher training is also available, providing the same high-quality education from the comfort of your home. Embrace the power of fertility yoga and take a step towards enhancing your reproductive health naturally.

(This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Ltds Consumer Connect Initiative, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility, liability or claims for any errors or omissions in the content of the article. The IDPL Editorial team is not responsible for this content.)
New Delhi: The market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms hit a record high of Rs 445.43 lakh crore on Wednesday, driven by a sharp rally in equities, where the benchmark Sensex breached the historic 80,000 mark for the first time ever.

The 30-share Sensex hit the historic 80,000-mark for the first time earlier in the day. It surged 632.85 points, or 0.79 per cent, to hit a record intra-day high of 80,074.30. The benchmark later ended near the 80,000-level at 79,986.80, up 545.35 points, or 0.69 per cent. The market capitalisation (mcap) of BSE-listed firms hit a record peak of Rs 4,45,43,642.29 crore (USD 5.33 trillion).

The BSE Sensex breached the 78,000 level on June 25 and 79,000 for the first time on June 27. "Markets continued their ongoing streak of making new highs supported by firm global trends. Nifty crossed the 24,300 mark while Sensex breached the historic 80,000 mark amid buying in banking stocks," said Siddhartha Khemka, Head - Retail Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.

Among the Sensex pack, Adani Ports, Kotak Mahindra Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, IndusInd Bank, State Bank of India, Power Grid, JSW Steel, Bajaj Finance and Tata Steel were the biggest gainers.

Tata Consultancy Services, Titan, Reliance Industries, Tata Motors and Larsen & Toubro were the laggards.

"While the record-breaking spree continued on the bourses, benchmark Sensex breached the 80K-mark for the first time in intra-day trade, primarily fuelled by an upsurge in banking stocks. Optimism in global equities weighed positively on Indian markets, which also propelled gains in other sectoral stocks, including the telecom counters," Prashanth Tapse, Senior VP (Research), Mehta Equities Ltd, said.

In the broader market, the BSE midcap gauge jumped 0.86 per cent and the smallcap index climbed 0.86 per cent. Among the indices, bankex rallied 1.75 per cent, financial services jumped 1.55 per cent.

Telecommunication (1.44 per cent), services (1.18 per cent), industrials (1.09 per cent), and FMCG (0.81 per cent) were also among gainers. A total of 2,355 stocks advanced while 1,566 declined and 100 remained unchanged.
Rishi Sunak has covered thousands of miles in the past few weeks, but he hasn't outrun the expectation that his time as Britain's prime minister is in its final hours. United Kingdom voters will cast ballots in a national election Thursday, passing judgment on Sunak's 20 months in office, and on the four Conservative prime ministers before him. They are widely expected to do something they have not done since 2005: Elect a Labour Party government.

During a hectic final two days of campaigning that saw him visit a food distribution warehouse, a supermarket, a farm and more, Sunak insisted the outcome of this election is not a foregone conclusion. People can see that we have turned a corner, said the Conservative leader, who has been in office since October 2022. It has been a difficult few years, but undeniably things are in a better place now than they were. Labour also is warning against taking the election result for granted, imploring supporters not to grow complacent about polls that have given the party a solid double-digit lead since before the campaign began.

Labour leader Keir Starmer has spent the six-week campaign urging voters to take a chance on his centre-left party and vote for change. Most people, including analysts and politicians, expect they will. Labour has not set pulses racing with its pledges to get the sluggish economy growing, invest in infrastructure and make Britain a clean energy superpower. But nothing has really gone wrong, either. The party has won the support of large chunks of the business community and endorsements from traditionally conservative newspapers including the Rupert Murdoch-owned Sunday Times.

Former Labour candidate Douglas Beattie, author of the book How Labour Wins (and Why it Loses), said Starmer's quiet stability probably chimes with the mood of the country right now. The country is looking for fresh ideas, moving away from government that's exhausted and divided, Beattie said. So Labour are pushing at an open door. The Conservatives, meanwhile, have been plagued by gaffes. The campaign got off to an inauspicious start when rain drenched Sunak as he made the announcement outside 10 Downing St. On May 22. Then on June 6, Sunak went home early from commemorations in France marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, missing a ceremony alongside United States President Joe Biden and France's Emmanuel Macron.

Several Conservatives close to Sunak are being investigated by the gambling regulator over suspicions they used inside information to place bets on the date of the election before it was announced. It has all made it harder for Sunak to shake off the taint of political chaos and mismanagement that's gathered around the Conservatives since former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his staff held lockdown-breaching parties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Johnson's successor, Liz Truss, rocked the COVID-weakened economy with a package of drastic tax cuts, making a cost-of-living crisis worse, and lasted just 49 days in office. There is widespread dissatisfaction over a host of issues, from a dysfunctional public health care system to crumbling infrastructure.

But for many voters, the lack of trust applies not just to Conservatives, but to politicians in general. Veteran rouser of the right, Nigel Farage, has leapt into that breach with his Reform UK party and grabbed headlines, and voters' attention, with his anti-immigration rhetoric. The centrist Liberal Democrats and environmentalist Green Party also want to sweep up disaffected voters from the bigger parties.

Across the country, voters say they want change but aren't optimistic it will come. I don't know who's for me as a working person, said Michelle Bird, a port worker in Southampton on England's south coast who was undecided about whether to vote Labour or Conservative. I don't know whether it's the devil you know or the devil you don't. Conner Filsell, a young office worker in the London suburbs, would like a roof of his own. I still live at home. I would love to be able to have my own place, but the way things are going it's just not on the cards, he said.

Lise Butler, senior lecturer in modern history at City University of London, said that signs point to this being a change election in which the Conservatives are punished. But she said that if Starmer wins, the years to come  may be challenging. He'll probably be facing constant attacks on various grounds from left and right, she said. So I think that while the outcome of this election is pretty clear, I think all bets are off in terms of what, what Labor's support is going to look like over the next few years. Starmer has agreed that his biggest challenge is the mindset in some voters that everything's broken, nothing can be fixed. And secondly, a sense of mistrust in politics because of so many promises having been made over the last 14 years which weren't carried through, he told broadcaster ITV on Tuesday. We have to reach in and turn that around.

Many election experts expect a low turnout, below the 67 per cent recorded in 2019. Yet this election may bring a scale of change Britain has not seen for decades if it delivers a big Labour majority and a diminished Conservative Party. In Moreton-in-Marsh, a pretty town of honey-coloured stone buildings in western England's Cotswold hills, 25-year-old Evie Smith-Lomas was relishing the chance to eject the area's longstanding Conservative lawmaker.

This has been a Tory seat forever, for 32 years, longer than I've been alive, she said. I'm excited at the prospect of someone new. I mean I think 32 years in any job is too long.
The alarming incident of loot took place at Huener Jewelry shop on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, USA between June 17 and 18. The thieves, four in number, broke into a familys jewelry store, stole all the accounts, and flew away. Robberers win celebration after the loot has pissed people off and they suggested to them Get a job. The shocking video was recorded on the installed CCTV camera in the store.

The videos of the loot were posted by @officialrobbieg (son of the jewelry store owner)on his Instagram account showing in detail the scene of the robbery and later situation.

The first video was posted with the caption, Our family jewelry store of over 40 years in West Hollywood has been robbed. All gone. All our inventory has been stolen. Both safes have been looted. The video showed the after-scene of the store. Everything in the store was thrown here and there. The lockers were broken down and all the inventories in it were stolen including other precious items. The video showed that the thieves must have come with proper planning and tools for the robbery.

Watch:

Goukasian posted the second video with the caption, Part 2 of the Jewelry heist at our store in West Hollywood. The surveillance. The CCTV recorded video showed the thieves and their entire looting process. The robbers looked happy and were captured celebrating the loot with hugs and high-fives.

Watch:

He further informed with another comment, The alarm system never triggered despite the fact that many sensors were installed. The thieves spent the entire day inside our store on the day we were closed. These thieves are highly sophisticated. They used high-powered blow torches. They hit our store 2* in one day, one early morning. Then came back at night for the second safe.

The posted videos went viral on the internet and had combined received over 19,000 likes and more than 5000 comments. Netizens are angry about the incident and are demanding justice for the family.

Here are some reactions from the users:

Hey man this is heartbreaking, I cant even imagine.

So sorry to see this Robbie, this state, and the dems that allow for these types of things to happen!
By Alimat Aliyeva

South Korean companies Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solutions have opened the first factory in Indonesia for the production of batteries for electric vehicles worth $ 1.1 billion, Azernews reports.

The factory will produce batteries with a total capacity of 10 GW per hour. Construction of the factory, located in the city of Karawang near Jakarta, began in 2021. Indonesia is the largest producer of nickel used in batteries.

"We have a lot of natural resources. So far, we have exported them as raw materials. Thanks to the battery factory, we will become an important global player in the electric vehicle industry," President Joko Widodo said during his speech at the plant's opening ceremony.

South Korean companies are also investing $2 billion in the construction of a second battery production line with a total capacity of 20 GWh per year. In total, Hyundai and LG Energy plan to invest $9.8 billion in the development of infrastructure for the production of electric vehicles in Indonesia.

It is worth noting that Hyundai operates an electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Indonesia with a production capacity of 250,000 units per year.
YAOUNDE, July 3 (Xinhua) -- At least five soldiers and six civilians were killed on Tuesday after armed rebels raided two army bases in the Central African Republic (CAR), military sources and officials said.

The attack took place in Ngoutere and Bocaranga localities in the Ouham-Pende region in the northwestern part of the country where CAR armed forces have bases, said Fidele Pandjekane, mayor of Bocaranga council.

CAR Defense Minister Claude Rameaux Bireau confirmed the attack while speaking to a local radio station, saying that the situation was under control.

Military sources said the attack was carried out by rebels of the Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation (3R) faction, one of the region's most powerful armed groups which presents itself as a Fulani self-defense militia.

It was still unclear if the rebels recorded casualties.

The CAR has been ravaged by an armed conflict following a violent takeover of power by the armed group called Seleka in 2013. The CAR army and United Nations (UN) peacekeepers have since been battling ragtag rebel groups in the country. 
The United States will soon announce more than USD 2.3 billion in military aid for Ukraine, US Defence Secretary Llyod Austin said on Tuesday, reported CNN.

The defence secretary said that this new package will provide new air defence interceptors and other critical munitions from US inventories.

"This package under presidential drawdown authority will provide new air defence interceptors, anti-tank weapons, and other critical munitions from US inventories," Austin said in a meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

"It will also enable the United States to procure more Patriot and NASAMs air defence interceptors, which will be provided on an accelerated timeline by the resequencing of deliveries for some foreign military sales," Austin added, according to CNN.

However, it is unclear how much of the total USD 2.3 billion would be under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which pulls equipment from US stocks, or under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), allowing the US to purchase equipment and systems from the US defence industry.

Notably, the US has been announcing regular packages for Ukraine since Congress passed legislation that approved nearly USD 61 billion in Ukraine aid earlier this year, reported CNN.

The US recently moved Ukraine to the top of the list to receive air defence capabilities, putting it ahead of other countries that may have already been in line to receive them.

During that time, a White House official told CNN in private discussions, "many of these countries have understood and appreciated the necessity of this decision."

"If any of our partners were in an existential situation like the one that Ukraine is in right now, we would move heaven and earth to help them and it just so happens that right now that country is Ukraine," the official added.

This announcement comes weeks after the US and Ukraine signed a long-term bilateral security pact that commits the US to 10 years of training Ukraine's armed forces, providing military assistance and increasing intelligence sharing, CNN reported.

Additionally, it also comes one week before the NATO summit scheduled to be held in Washington, DC.

Austin further said that they would "take steps to build a bridge to NATO membership for Ukraine."

Following the announcement, Umerov thanked Austin for his support and said Ukraine has used it to stop Russia, "stop the aggression towards people, towards our values, national interests."

He further said he looked forward to discussing the possibility of Ukraine becoming a future NATO member, according to CNN.

"Hopefully soon, Ukraine will receive its invitation," Umerov said of NATO.
A UN Security Council briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, is held at the UN headquarters in New York, on July 2, 2024.

China on Tuesday called on Israel to fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law and heed the international community's call to ensure the rapid and safe entry of humanitarian supplies into Gaza. (Xinhua/Xie E)

UNITED NATIONS, July 2 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday called on Israel to fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law and heed the international community's call to ensure the rapid and safe entry of humanitarian supplies into Gaza.

In remarks at the UN Security Council briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, China's permanent representative to the United Nations Fu Cong highlighted the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, exacerbated by extreme shortages of essential supplies and dire health conditions.

He noted that "millions of people are struggling with hunger, disease, pain, and despair," describing the situation as a man-made humanitarian disaster and a serious breach of international law.

Fu pointed out that Gaza has been under blockade for nine months, with over 2 million people living in an "open-air prison" without adequate access to water, electricity, food, medication, and fuel.

He criticized the closure of the Rafah crossing due to Israeli military operations, which has left thousands of trucks loaded with humanitarian supplies waiting in long lines.

"The existing crossing points are far from being able to meet the demand for humanitarian aid," Fu said, emphasizing that land transport routes are key to expanding humanitarian access.

Fu also addressed the obstruction of humanitarian supplies and the challenges faced by humanitarian workers, who encounter unreasonable difficulties and accusations.

He condemned the repeated attacks on facilities of humanitarian agencies and noted that over 200 humanitarian workers have died in the conflict, calling this "unprecedented in history and shocking."

Reiterating that "hunger cannot be weaponized, humanitarian issues cannot be politicized," Fu said the man-made exacerbation of the humanitarian disaster is "unacceptable."

Fu urged Israel to ensure the "rapid and safe entry of humanitarian supplies at scale into Gaza," and to cooperate fully with the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations.

The council's adoption of resolution 2720 aimed to expand humanitarian access, but its implementation has fallen short.

Fu called for an examination of the reasons behind this and urged the concerned parties to work harder to remove obstacles to the large-scale entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Fu concluded by emphasizing that the fundamental way to alleviate the humanitarian disaster is through a lasting ceasefire and the early relaunch of the two-state solution.

He called on the international community to continue efforts toward this end and supported the council in taking further necessary action. 
Dou Lingyun (2nd L), a bio-engineering graduate from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, poses for a group photo with classmates at a Starbucks cafe in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, June 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

WUHAN, July 3 (Xinhua) -- "May I have a cup of vanilla latte please? Large." As the customer speaks, the sentence is converted by a voice-recognition system and appears on an electronic screen in the cafe. Receiving the message, barista Chen Yuanyuan soon produces a cup of coffee, which she hands over with a smile.

At first glance, this Starbucks in central China's Hubei Province could be any modern cafe anywhere in China. However, the receptionists and baristas here are hearing-impaired people, and the methods of communication have been adapted accordingly.

Last month, the 18th "silent" Starbucks cafe opened in Wuhan, capital of Hubei, five years after the first one of its kind went operational in Guangzhou, in the southern Guangdong Province. A total of three hearing-impaired baristas were recruited in Wuhan, including Chen.

"I always wanted to work in such a cafe in my hometown. Now my dream has come true," Chen, 42, told Xinhua in sign language.

She has always wanted to become a barista, but she was encouraged in her ambition by the arrival of the first "silent" Starbucks. "I realized that I could still be a barista even if I couldn't hear," she explained.

Chen started out as an apprentice in a Starbucks cafe, where she learned how to make coffee. It was a challenging job for someone with impaired hearing. For instance, a barista normally judges when the milk has been fully foamed by the sound made by the steam wand. However, Chen can only judge by sight and feeling the temperature with her hands.

"All the difficulties can be overcome so long as you love this career," she said.

The new "silent" Starbucks in Wuhan is located opposite the Wuhan Disabled Persons' Federation building. The cafe has wheelchair access, voice-recognition equipment, handwriting tablets and sign-language diagrams for various types of drink, all of which illustrate the venue's accommodating atmosphere.

"We want to make this cafe a window for society to understand 'special groups,' and a comfortable space for the hearing-impaired," said 26-year-old Guo Chenxi, owner of the cafe.

She noted that they also plan to have public sign-language lessons regularly, in order to build a bridge facilitating communication between hearing-impaired people and others.

After it opened, the cafe soon became popular. On the first day, the Xinhua reporter saw more than 10 customers in front of the cafe chatting with sign language, having arrived from different parts of the city.

"Many of us have had public coffee-making lessons organized by the Wuhan Disabled Persons' Federation," Liu Hua, a 48-year-old hearing-impaired customer told Xinhua by typing the words on his phone. "We also want to become baristas. So we came to have a look and learn."

Hu Huidong took some leave from his company to come with his younger brother, who is hearing-impaired. "This is the first 'silent cafe' in Wuhan, which is a platform for hearing-impaired baristas to show their talent. We would like to express our appreciation to them through our actions," he said.

Dou Lingyun, a bio-engineering graduate from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, spent more than an hour getting to the cafe. "I used to be the chairman of the sign-language society at our university, and have been involved in several activities for disabled people," he said. "Now that I am leaving this city, I want to support friends who have hearing and speech impairments. I hope that they will get more understanding and help."

In China, there are about 85 million people with disabilities. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), more than 50,000 students with disabilities got into institutions of higher learning, while an additional 1.81 million disabled people found jobs, according to official data.

In 2022, a three-year action plan for promoting the employment of disabled people was issued by the State Council, setting the goal of creating 1 million new jobs for the disabled by the end of 2024.

According to the China Disabled Persons' Federation, by the end of 2023, more than nine million people with disability certificates were employed, with about 544,000 people finding jobs last year. New industries and new models based on technological innovation have allowed them to work in more sectors.

"They are not only able to do such behind-the-scenes work as designers and customer-service agents, but are also getting more opportunities out front as baristas, roasters, delivery persons, among others," said Zhang Yong, who is head of the education and employment department of the Hubei Disabled Persons' Federation.

Chen Yuanyuan hopes that more stores and restaurants will appear that encourage the use of sign language. "In this way, people's understanding of the hearing-impaired can be boosted. With more job opportunities, we can realize our self-worth," she said. 

A hearing-impaired barista communicates with a customer at a Starbucks cafe in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, June 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

Chen Yuanyuan (C) communicates with a hearing-impaired customer at a Starbucks cafe in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, June 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

Chen Yuanyuan (1st R) communicates with hearing-impaired customers at a Starbucks cafe in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, June 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

Chen Yuanyuan makes coffee at a Starbucks cafe in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, June 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)
KABUL, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan caretaker government's spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Wednesday that Kabul wants to have positive engagement with all countries around the world.

"The Islamic Emirate wants positive and trustable engagements with all the countries of the world," Mujahid told reporters here after returning home from the third Doha conference on Afghanistan.

The two-day UN-convened conference on Afghanistan opened on June 30 and ended on July 1 in Qatar's capital Doha, during which delegates from more than 25 countries including Afghanistan's neighboring nations and international organizations discussed Afghanistan's situation and issues including engagement with the administration in Kabul, combating drugs, supporting the private sector, removing sanctions on the Afghan banking system and providing humanitarian aid.

Mujahid, who led the Afghan caretaker government's delegation at the conference, expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the conference, saying the forum facilitated an opportunity for the Islamic Emirate to brief international community on the realities in Afghanistan.

"We won't allow anyone to use Afghanistan soil against any country," Mujahid said. 
This undated photo shows a late 10th-early 11th century bronze Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, which was repatriated to Cambodia from the United States. Fourteen looted Cambodian artifacts have been repatriated from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the MET) in New York, the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts said in a press statement on Wednesday. (Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts/Handout via Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Fourteen looted Cambodian artifacts have been repatriated from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the MET) in New York, the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts said in a press statement on Wednesday.

The cultural treasures arrived at the National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, the statement said, adding that this historic homecoming of these national treasures came after several years of negotiations.

The repatriation includes the extraordinary stone sculpture of a 10th century sandstone-made female goddess Uma from the ancient royal capital of Koh Ker. In 2021, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts successfully located her foot at Koh Ker temple complex, and based on testimony from former looters, determined that the body of the sculpture was stolen in 1997.

"At last, the Uma can be reunified to achieve its full magnificence as one complete statue," the statement said.

Another exceptionally rare and expertly crafted statue is a late 10th-early 11th century bronze Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, designated by the MET as "Seated in Royal Ease", the statement said, adding that the sculpture was sold to the MET by Douglas A.J. Latchford in 1992, whom the MET itself described as a nefarious dealer.

Moreover, a significant returned artifact is a 10th century bronze head of the deity Avalokiteshvara, which the ministry highly anticipates finally being reunited with its matching torso, currently on display at the National Museum of Cambodia, the statement said.

Cambodian Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona said the return of these national treasures, held by the MET, was of utmost importance not only for Cambodia, but for all of humankind.

"We have many more treasures at the MET which we also hope will be returned to Cambodia," she said. "We are thrilled that a number of private collectors and museums have reached out to us in recent months, and we expect many more significant returns in the future."

Sackona said this repatriation showed once again Cambodia's continuing commitment to finding and bringing back national cultural treasures lost during past decades of civil war.

"These returns contribute to the reconciliation and healing of the Cambodian people, who endured decades of civil war," she said. 

This undated photo shows a 10th century sandstone-made female goddess Uma, which was repatriated to Cambodia from the United States. Fourteen looted Cambodian artifacts have been repatriated from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the MET) in New York, the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts said in a press statement on Wednesday. (Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts/Handout via Xinhua)
An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows China's icebreaker Xuelong 2 berthing at the pier of Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. China's icebreaker Xuelong 2 and icebreaker research vessel Jidi were open to public here on Wednesday. This is also the first time for Jidi, China's independently designed and built icebreaker research vessel, to allow for public visit since its official delivery on June 24 this year.(Photo by Zhang Jingang/Xinhua)

QINGDAO, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Two made-in-China polar icebreakers, Xuelong 2 and Jidi, opened for public viewing on Wednesday in Qingdao, a port city in east China's Shandong Province.

Docked at the Qingdao International Sailing Center, the two ships will be open for public visits until Thursday noon, with an expected attendance of around 3,600 visitors.

The name "Jidi" means "polar region" in Chinese. Jidi is a domestically designed and manufactured new-generation research icebreaker, which was delivered on June 24.

Measuring 89.95 meters in length and 17.8 meters in width, the vessel has a total tonnage of 4,600 tonnes and can break through ice up to 1 meter thick.

Equipped with a wide range of marine survey equipment, Jidi is designed to perform comprehensive observation tasks, including analyzing sea ice, conducting 3D water body studies, carrying out geophysical surveys and atmosphere monitoring.

The Xuelong 2, or "Snow Dragon," is China's first self-developed polar research icebreaker. It is also the world's first ship to use two-way ice-breaking technology, enabling it to break through ice while moving both forward and backward with the assistance of its bow and stern.

The ship participated in China's polar expedition for the first time in 2019 and completed the country's 40th Antarctic expedition in April this year. 

An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows China's icebreaker research vessel Jidi berthing at the pier of Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. China's icebreaker Xuelong 2 and icebreaker research vessel Jidi were open to public here on Wednesday.

This is also the first time for Jidi, China's independently designed and built icebreaker research vessel, to allow for public visit since its official delivery on June 24 this year.(Photo by Zhang Jingang/Xinhua)

This photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows China's icebreaker Xuelong 2 berthing at the pier of Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. China's icebreaker Xuelong 2 and icebreaker research vessel Jidi were open to public here on Wednesday.

This is also the first time for Jidi, China's independently designed and built icebreaker research vessel, to allow for public visit since its official delivery on June 24 this year.(Photo by Zhang Jingang/Xinhua)

Visitors are pictured on China's icebreaker Xuelong 2 at the pier of Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province on July 3, 2024. China's icebreaker Xuelong 2 and icebreaker research vessel Jidi were open to public here on Wednesday.

This is also the first time for Jidi, China's independently designed and built icebreaker research vessel, to allow for public visit since its official delivery on June 24 this year.(Photo by Zhang Jingang/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows China's icebreaker research vessel Jidi berthing at the pier of Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. China's icebreaker Xuelong 2 and icebreaker research vessel Jidi were open to public here on Wednesday.

This is also the first time for Jidi, China's independently designed and built icebreaker research vessel, to allow for public visit since its official delivery on June 24 this year.(Photo by Zhang Jingang/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows China's icebreaker Xuelong 2 (back) and icebreaker research vessel Jidi (front) berthing at the pier of Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. China's icebreaker Xuelong 2 and icebreaker research vessel Jidi were open to public here on Wednesday.

This is also the first time for Jidi, China's independently designed and built icebreaker research vessel, to allow for public visit since its official delivery on June 24 this year.(Photo by Zhang Jingang/Xinhua)

Visitors are pictured aboard China's icebreaker Xuelong 2 at the pier of Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province on July 3, 2024. China's icebreaker Xuelong 2 and icebreaker research vessel Jidi were open to public here on Wednesday.

This is also the first time for Jidi, China's independently designed and built icebreaker research vessel, to allow for public visit since its official delivery on June 24 this year.(Xinhua/Cao Jiayue)
BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Chen Yuxiang, a former anti-graft official in north China's Hebei Province, has been arrested on suspicion of bribery, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said on Wednesday.

Upon the designation of the SPP, the Jiangsu Provincial People's Procuratorate ordered the arrest of Chen, who formerly served as a deputy head of Hebei's discipline inspection commission and provincial commission of supervision.

The case was handed over to the prosecutors for examination and prosecution following the conclusion of an investigation carried out by the National Commission of Supervision, the SPP said.

Chen has been expelled from the Party and removed from public office, according to an official statement released last month. 
BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin called for efforts to improve social services and guarantees during an investigation and research tour in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

During the three-day tour, which ended on Tuesday, Shen visited the regional capital of Lhasa, as well as Nyingchi. She stressed the need to promote the social security system and strengthen basic livelihood protection for people living in poverty.

She underscored the importance of refining the elderly care system and social assistance for children in need to ensure the well-being of all generations.

Shen also emphasized the importance of enhancing digitalized government services at the grassroots level to improve the effectiveness of services for people in Xizang.

It is essential to prioritize the improvement of people's livelihoods and rally public support for the region's civil affairs work, thereby creating a strong sense of community in the Chinese nation, she said. 
BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesman on Wednesday said a Taiwan fishing boat has been seized by the coast guard of Fujian Province for suspected illegal operations.

Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said the boat, caught recently in waters near the city of Quanzhou, violated the summer fishing ban and engaged in prohibited trawling operations.

He said the seizure was a routine law enforcement aimed at maintaining the fishing order, preserving marine fishery resources and protecting the environment.

Relevant authorities will deal with the case in accordance with the law, the spokesperson said. 
BAMAKO, July 3 (Xinhua) -- More than 20 people were killed Monday in a village in Bandiagara region, in central Mali, residents and local officials confirmed Wednesday.

"On Monday, July 1, around 5 p.m., dozens of terrorists from Katiba Macina attacked the village of Djiguibombo. The provisional toll is 22 civilians killed, including dozo hunters (traditional hunters), and many missing," said an official based in Doucoumbo, also in Bandiagara region.

The attackers surrounded the village while a wedding was going on, according to witness reports and local officials.

"The attack took place during the celebration of a wedding and the bridegroom also lost his life," said another local official. "The village was pillaged and burned. The damage is very significant."

One survivor said that before the arrival of defense and security forces, the attackers killed men, ransacked goods in the shops and cereals from homes, and took women away.

Since 2012, Mali has been plagued by terrorist attacks amid political, economic and humanitarian crises. 
By Alimat Aliyeva

The Bank of Japan starts issuing new banknotes on July 3, Azernews reports.

The new banknotes have received additional protection in the form of holograms and other distinctive features, which will make their forgery almost impossible. The design of the banknotes uses calm shades of gray, green, blue and brown.

The banknotes currently in circulation in denominations of 10, 5 and 1 thousand yen (62, 31 and 6.1 dollars at the current exchange rate, respectively) will fully retain their solvency.

It should be noted that Japan, which is traditionally considered a country where the population prefers cash, has been actively fighting for the promotion of non-cash payments in recent years. However, their volume still falls short of the target of 40% of the total number of settlements in the country.
NANJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang has urged efforts to promote the digital transformation of the manufacturing sector and boost the development of enterprises that use specialized and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products in a bid to modernize the industrial system.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a research trip to the city of Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, from Tuesday to Wednesday. 
NANNING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday kicked off the application process for global exhibitors looking to participate in the eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE), set to be held in November 2025.

Twenty-six firms headquartered in countries such as the United States, Japan and Germany signed up to participate on-site at the exhibition recruitment launch ceremony in Nanning, the capital city of southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Their exhibition area would total approximately 15,000 square meters.

Several foreign-invested companies attending the ceremony, including U.S. firm 3M and French firm L'Oreal, have been full-time CIIE participants since the expo's inception.

The CIIE, first held in 2018, is the world's first national-level expo to focus on promoting imports. The first six expos have seen more than 10,000 overseas enterprise registrations and the release of over 2,400 new products, technologies and services.

An exhibition area of over 350,000 square meters has been allocated for the seventh CIIE, which will be held in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to Nov. 10 this year. 
TAIPEI, July 3 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition featuring 3D-printed replicas of Terra Cotta Warriors recently opened at a science and technology museum in Kaohsiung, offering visitors in Taiwan a glimpse into the grandeur of the world-class cultural relics.

The replicas featured in this exhibition were printed in accordance with detailed data gathered by the Emperor Qinshihuang Mausoleum Site Museum based in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province.

In addition to showcasing the Terra Cotta Warriors in various postures, the exhibition also features the latest achievements in the study and restoration of the warriors' original color.

The exhibition also consists of multiple interactive activities, such as an archaeological excavation simulation and a Terra Cotta Warriors restoration workshop.

Since opening on June 28, the exhibition has been well received by visitors, particularly students and teachers from local schools.

The exhibition was co-organized by multiple organizations on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, including the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and the Emperor Qinshihuang Mausoleum Site Museum. The exhibition in Kaohsiung will end on July 21 and will be followed by another one in Taoyuan from July 30 to Sept. 1. 
BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Jiang Ruxue, a doctoral student at the School of Marxism at Peking University, aspires to become a teacher of Marxism in the future. She joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2020, driven by her deep-rooted admiration for the Party's commitment to serving the people.

Born and raised in the countryside in Hengshui, Hebei Province, Jiang recalls her formative years under her grandmother's care. She witnessed first-hand the Party members' efforts to help improve local living conditions through initiatives like renovating houses for elderly villagers free of charge.

"My grandmother was deeply grateful to the Party, which influenced me greatly. I grew up believing that the CPC helps ordinary folks," Jiang said.

Her career plan is to cultivate new Marxist believers while effectively disseminating the Party's ideological principles, thereby contributing to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Jiang's story resonates with many others who have similarly been inspired by the CPC's dedication to the nation's development and the well-being of its people. As the nation continues its journey towards modernization, young people from different walks of life see their membership in the Party as an opportunity to actively participate in the drive.

When studying and working overseas, Xu Yaoxian followed the motherland's development closely. Witnessing the rapid changes and advancements, he developed a strong desire to join the Party.

"Upon my return at the end of 2022, I promptly submitted my Party membership application," said Xu, R&D director of Bestchrom (Zhejiang) Biosciences Ltd. in east China's Zhejiang Province.

Xu is now a probationary CPC member. "In the process of building a modern nation, I've chosen not to be a bystander but an active participant. That's why I returned and joined the CPC," Xu said.

The CPC marked its 103rd founding anniversary on July 1. Figures highlight the strong appeal of the century-old party among young people. Among its nearly 100 million members by the end of 2023, more than one third are aged 40 and below. In 2023, the number of new Party members aged 35 and below reached 1.98 million, accounting for 82.4 percent of the increase in CPC members that year.

Liu Yin, 38, a community worker in Xicheng District, Beijing, believes that the CPC fosters a proactive working atmosphere: to press forward in the face of difficulties, and to lead by example without concern for personal gain or loss. "This embodies positive energy and is a valuable quality. I aspire to embody these traits," he said.

Liu submitted a CPC membership application last year. "I want to realize my personal value through grassroots efforts, leveraging my abilities to address the concerns of the community residents and make them live more comfortably."

In rural areas, many young people also aspire to join the CPC to better play their roles in rural revitalization.

"Following the Party, I have a clear direction in both work and life," said Kong Xiangfeng, a 35-year-old farmer in Kongdaogou Village, Qufu City in east China's Shandong Province. The public-minded woman became a probationary Party member in May.

Guo Jianbin, a postgraduate at Wuhan University, joined the CPC in 2020. "For me, joining the CPC represents a belief that only through its leadership can China achieve national rejuvenation, and only through becoming a Party member can I fulfill my personal value and make my own contribution to the national rejuvenation in a better way," he said. Enditem

(Intern Dai Xiang contributed to the story.)
NANNING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday kicked off the application process for global exhibitors looking to participate in the eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE), set to be held in November 2025.

Twenty-six firms headquartered in countries such as the United States, Japan and Germany signed up to participate on-site at the exhibition recruitment launch ceremony in Nanning, the capital city of southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Their exhibition area would total approximately 15,000 square meters.

Several foreign-invested companies attending the ceremony, including U.S. firm 3M and French firm L'Oreal, have been full-time CIIE participants since the expo's inception.

"The CIIE is an excellent platform that greatly facilitates our brand-building, customer interaction and attraction of more business partners, and fosters cooperation with a wider range of ecosystem partners," said Andrew Wu, managing director of Dun & Bradstreet China. The U.S.-based commercial data and analytics firm has been attending the CIIE since 2020.

The CIIE, first held in 2018, is the world's first national-level expo to focus on promoting imports. The first six expos have seen the registration of more than 10,000 overseas enterprises and the release of over 2,400 new products, technologies and services.

An exhibition area of over 350,000 square meters has been booked for the seventh CIIE, which will be held in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to Nov. 10 this year.

"These figures show that the CIIE is a platform full of opportunities, and its appeal to global businesses is growing steadily," said Tang Wenhong, China's assistant minister of commerce. "The CIIE is becoming increasingly popular, which is a vote of confidence from the global business community in China's economic development."

The recruitment launch is part of a campaign that the CIIE Bureau, the main organizer of the CIIE, is conducting to introduce foreign investment into Guangxi in a targeted manner.

Nearly 120 foreign-invested firms and investment promotion institutions are participating in the campaign, which also includes an investment promotional event, a business match-making session, and field trips to several cities in the autonomous region.

To convert exhibitors into investors, the CIIE Bureau has been organizing tours of China for foreign-invested firms to seek trade and investment opportunities as part of similar campaigns since 2021.

The ongoing cooperation campaign is the first to be conducted in an ethnic-minority autonomous region. Previous iterations have seen nearly 1,000 potential foreign investors tour provincial-level regions such as northeast China's Jilin and southwest China's Yunnan.

China has bolstered it efforts to attract more foreign investment to share in the growth dividends of the country's high-quality development.

In late June, a State Council executive meeting said that China will expand its opening-up of key areas, optimize policy implementation, facilitate foreign investment further, and renew its catalog of industries where foreign investment is encouraged.

"China's business environment will continue improving," Tang said. "We welcome everyone to seize the opportunities to achieve greater success in China, and to keep expanding the scope of win-win cooperation." 
CARACAS, July 2 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were dead, five missing and 25,000 affected as Hurricane Beryl ripped through northeast Venezuela's Sucre state, Interior and Justice Minister Remigio Ceballos said Tuesday.

"To date we can say that, unfortunately, two people have died, five are missing, and we are in a permanent, direct search (for survivors and victims)," Ceballos told state-run Venezolana de Television.

"We are talking about 25,000 people affected by the rains," he added.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said via social media X that a commission made up of ministers is on its way to Sucre to address the situation.

Since early Tuesday, the city of Cumanacoa, Sucre, was flooded by rain dumped by Beryl, which also led the area's Manzanares River to overflow.

The category 5 hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 270 km per hour as it moved at 35 km per hour across the Venezuelan Caribbean, according to an early morning report issued by the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology. 
by Xinhua writers Chen Chen, Geng Pengyu

BEIJING/DUSHANBE, July 3 (Xinhua) -- "I am filled with joy and expectations to visit the home of a good neighbor and good brother during this crisp fall season," Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his signed article published in Tajik media ahead of his first state visit to the country in 2014.

In this midsummer, Xi's third state visit to Tajikistan will surely write a new chapter for the friendship of the two countries.

ROBE AND ORDER

During his 2014 state visit, Xi was invited to Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's residence for a family feast. To welcome his distinguished guest, Rahmon rolled out a silk carpet at the entrance of his presidential mansion -- a Tajik etiquette of the highest honor reserved for esteemed guests.

Rahmon, accompanied by his family in their traditional attire, greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan.

The two leaders walked and talked inside the courtyard, where the trees were lush and the fruits fragrant. Rahmon picked one fruit from a tree and handed it to Xi.

Inside the room, Rahmon personally dressed Xi in a chapan -- a traditional Tajik robe -- and tied a belt around his waist.

"I have seen Dushanbe full of vitality and rapid development, and I have felt the simplicity, friendliness and hospitality of the Tajik people," Xi told Rahmon.

When Xi revisited Dushanbe in June 2019, he received the Order of the Crown from Rahmon. In the Tajik language, the word "Taj" means "crown."

During the ceremony, Rahmon draped the sash over Xi's shoulder and placed his nation's highest decoration on him. Noting that the Order of the Crown embodies the profound friendship the people of Tajikistan have kept with the people of China, Xi said he highly valued the decoration.

Since China and Tajikistan established diplomatic ties, bilateral relations have made significant progress, evolving from strategic partners to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Today, the two sides are jointly building a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future featuring everlasting friendship, solidarity and mutual benefit.

"The friendship between the leaders has led to positive development in bilateral relations," Qanoatullo Saifulloev, deputy director of the state-run Khovar News Agency, told Xinhua in an interview.

LANDMARKS OF COOPERATION

In downtown Dushanbe, two striking white buildings stand tall along Rudaki Avenue. The new government and parliament halls are nearing completion. They are considered landmarks of practical cooperation between China and Tajikistan.

The two sides decided on the project during Rahmon's visit to China in 2017. When Xi visited Tajikistan two years later, Xi and Rahmon attended a ceremony to unveil the construction models of the China-assisted office buildings. The two presidents were also briefed on the design plans and details of the projects.

These edifices are characterized by a blend of classical European architecture, Islamic culture and modern designs.

Yusuf Rakhmatbekzoda, deputy director of the construction project, said the completion of the two buildings will not only provide the government with a comfortable and modern office environment but also significantly improve the capital's urban landscape. "These unique structures will serve as symbols of China-Tajikistan friendship," Rakhmatbekzoda said.

In 2014, the two countries signed a memorandum to build the Silk Road Economic Belt, making Tajikistan the first country to do so under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Xi's signature proposal.

China's BRI partnership with Tajikistan has resulted in several vital projects with mutual benefits.

Take the Dushanbe No.2 power plant, a bilateral flagship Belt and Road cooperation program, for example. During the 2014 visit, the two presidents attended a ceremony marking the completion of the first phase of the project and the groundbreaking of the second phase.

Since the plant's completion by the end of 2016, more than 700,000 local citizens in Dushanbe have no longer worried about power shortages throughout the year, especially during the cold winter months.

The BRI has in recent years also given a boost to trade between the two countries. Last year, two-way trade reached 3.9 billion U.S. dollars, a 53.5 percent year-on-year increase.

"Tajikistan welcomes and supports this very wise initiative, which responds to the needs of Tajikistan," Rahmon once said in an interview.

TWO PRESIDENTS' BOOKS

People-to-people exchanges between the Chinese and the Tajiks enjoy a long history. Through the ancient Silk Road, the forebears of the two nations exchanged goods and ideas and learned a great deal from each other.

Xuan Zang, an eminent 7th century monk, and Chen Cheng, a Chinese diplomat in the Ming Dynasty, traveled to Central Asia as Chinese envoys of friendship, Xi wrote in a signed article published in Tajik media prior to his 2019 visit to the country. "The life stories of your historical and literary figures, such as Emir Ismail Samani and the famous poet Rudaki, are widely known in China."

"The wise pursue kindness and peace; only the fool is bent on strife and war," Xi once quoted Rudaki's poem when addressing the fifth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia.

The publication of the two presidents' works in each other's countries has also promoted the exchange of ideas.

In 2019, the Tajik edition of the first volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China was released. Rahmon said the book could "help the Tajik people better understand China, President Xi's philosophy of governing the country and China's development path."

Also, in that year, the Chinese version of Rahmon's book -- The Tajiks in the Mirror of History -- was published in China. Xi mentioned the book in his signed article and said the book gives "the Chinese people new insights into Tajikistan."

The Chinese leader has long advocated for exchanges and mutual learning among various cultures. In his eyes, mutual learning transcends clashes, and coexistence transcends feelings of superiority. He also called on building the BRI into "a road connecting different civilizations."

Under the BRI framework, programs such as the Confucius Institutes, Luban Workshops and the China-Tajikistan Center for Traditional Medicine have bolstered cultural encounters between the two peoples.

When biding farewell to Xi at the airport after the Chinese leader wrapped up his visit to Tajikistan in 2014, Rahmon said one of the key outcomes of the visit was that he and Xi became even closer brothers. "Good brothers walk hand in hand," he said. 
YANGON, July 3 (Xinhua) -- A total of 53 people were killed and 186 others injured in 99 road accidents on Myanmar's Yangon-Mandalay highway in the first half of this year, a highway police officer said on Wednesday.

The figures were compared to 53 deaths and 162 injuries reported from 83 road accidents in the same period last year, the officer told Xinhua.

The main causes of car accidents in Myanmar include vehicle defects, human faults, and road and weather conditions. Most of the road accidents reported in the Southeast Asian country are due to reckless driving, he added.

The 587 km Yangon-Mandalay expressway, the busiest highway in Myanmar, connects the country's commercial city Yangon with its second largest city Mandalay. 
As Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev hosts a welcoming ceremony for visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kazakh fighter jets paint the sky with colored smoke trails of red and yellow, colors of Chinese national flag.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
ADDIS ABABA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Experts and decision-makers attending the inaugural African Union (AU) Pan-African Conference on Girls and Women's Education have called for equitable access to quality education and skills development for girls and women in Africa.

The July 2-5 continental gathering at the AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, is held under the theme "Prioritizing Girls and Women's Education: A strategy for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa."

The high-level conference gathered senior officials of the AU and African countries, representatives of various United Nations agencies and other development partners, as well as heads of different civil society organizations, representatives of African girls and women, and academia, organizers said.

Addressing the conference, Monique Nsanzabaganwa, deputy chairperson of the AU Commission, underscored the importance of ensuring equitable access to quality education in Africa and the urgent need to enhance African girls and women's access to quality education.

She said ensuring better access to education and skills development for African girls and women will help create an inclusive continent while boosting women's role in socioeconomic and governance fields.

"Education, as resource, is a game changer in our daily lives, particularly for women's empowerment. Education helps to eliminate gender inequality, closing the gaps in social, economic and political spheres," Nsanzabaganwa said.

The inaugural edition of the pan-African conference on girls and women's education is held in recognition of the AU theme of the year 2024: "Educate an African fit for the 21st century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa."

Mohamed Belhocine, AU commissioner for education, science, technology and innovation, called on African countries and concerned actors to redouble efforts toward ensuring improved access to quality education and skills development, with due emphasis given to girls and women.

Noting education's crucial role for the sustainable development of Africa, Belhocine reiterated the need to strengthen continental commitments to harness the potential of education as a critical enabler in addressing Africa's development bottlenecks and to realize major development aspirations.

In the coming days, conference participants are expected to deliberate on strategic methods in promoting equitable access to quality education for girls and women, and particularly in humanitarian situations, according to the AU.

They are also expected to identify challenges, recommendations, and key solutions for the advancement of girls and women's education and skills development in Africa, while galvanizing sustainable financing to girls and women's education.

The conference is also expected to disseminate continental advocacy toward the adoption of gender transformative and inclusive policies and frameworks.

Various side events and discussions will also be held on the margins of the conference to deliberate on issues such as gender-responsive policies and planning, education financing, tackling gender-based violence and harmful socio-cultural practices, and access and completion of girls' education. 
KAMPALA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Uganda said Wednesday that its first shipment of oil has docked at the Kenyan seaport of Mombasa as Kampala moves away from importing the critical commodity through third parties.

Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), a state-run oil agency, said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the vessel carrying 58,000 metric tonnes of petrol is now stationed at Mombasa.

"It is the maiden vessel as UNOC implements the sole importation of fuel products mandate," the agency said. "The fuel will get into the Kenyan pipeline infrastructure and later to Uganda via trucks."

This symbolizes the beginning of a new era of energy independence for the landlocked country, which has been importing its oil products through private enterprises, UNOC said.

UNOC signed deals with the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) in May, allowing Uganda to import oil through the Kenyan port of Mombasa, and to store oil with the KPC.

Uganda said that UNOC, as a sole importer, will fortify the government's ability to ensure a consistent supply of petroleum products.

Uganda has been involved in back-and-forth negotiations with neighboring Kenya, including a court battle, where private oil marketing companies that have supplied Uganda for decades protested the state-run UNOC for importing the oil directly.

Almost 90 percent of Uganda's petroleum imports currently traverse Kenya, accounting for approximately 2.5 billion liters, valued at about 2 billion U.S. dollars, annually, according to UNOC. 
SYDNEY, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Authorities issued an urgent health alert on Wednesday after a new case of measles was reported in the Australian state of Victoria.

The Victorian Department of Health confirmed that the case was identified in a returned overseas traveler, who appeared at multiple public sites in the state whilst infectious.

The infected patient arrived at Melbourne International Airport on June 25 from Singapore before visiting Colac, Warrnambool, and Port Campbell.

Locations listed in the statement included a fast-food restaurant, a hotel and several shops.

"There have now been 11 cases of measles reported in Victoria since Jan. 1, 2024," said the health department.

Local communities were warned of the potential exposure to measles due to any overseas travel.

The authority noted that measles outbreaks have been recently reported in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the United States.

"There should be an especially high level of suspicion if they have traveled overseas or visited any of the sites listed above and are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated for measles," the department added, urging anyone who presents with measles-related symptoms to get tested.

Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can lead to severe complications, such as pneumonia and brain inflammation, and even death.

In November last year, the World Health Organisation rang the alarm of a rising measles threat worldwide. 
QUITO, July 2 (Xinhua) -- A former mayoral candidate for the Ecuadorian city of Portoviejo, in western Manabi province, was murdered in the north of the city on Tuesday, police said.

A motorcycle with two people on board opened fire on the victim inside a vehicle which was parked in front of a security company, and the victim was identified as 41-year-old Jose Mendoza, Manabi police chief Fabary Montalvo said.

Mendoza, an expert lawyer in procedural law, was a leading figure in the "Gente Nueva" ("New People") political movement of the 2023 local elections in Manabi, in which he came in second place.

The crime comes two months after two suspects were arrested for planning an attack against the mayor of Portoviejo, Javier Pincay.

Manabi province is one of the country's most violent and the one with the largest military presence due to a rise in crime, according to local media reports. 
CANBERRA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Australia's largest business group has warned that the government's plan to cap international student numbers at universities will damage the economy.

The Business Council of Australia (BCA), which comprises the chief executives of more than 100 of Australia's biggest corporations, on Wednesday said cutting Australia's international student intake will hurt the economy without fixing the country's housing supply shortage.

The governing Labor Party in May revealed plans to cap the number of new international students allowed to enroll at universities as part of a broader strategy to cut Australia's record-high intake of migrants.

In a submission to the government on the proposed cap, the BCA said it could damage Australia's reputation as an international education provider and the overall quality of the higher education sector.

"Our economy is grinding to a halt, and we are concerned the government is about to make the wrong short-term decision by cutting international students, which will have a lasting long-term negative hit to the economy, impacting all Australians," BCA chief executive Bran Black said in a statement on Wednesday.

He said international students mask the real discussion about addressing bottlenecks in the construction of new homes.

According to government figures, international education was worth 47.8 billion Australian dollars (31.9 billion U.S. dollars) to the Australian economy in 2023, making it Australia's fourth-largest export behind iron ore, coal and natural gas.

The government on Monday announced that, effective immediately, the visa application fee for international students applying to study in Australia has been more than doubled from 710 AUD (474.1 U.S. dollars) to 1600 AUD (1068.5 U.S. dollars). 
LHASA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Nyima Tsering, 46, worked with his neighbors to level a piece of land next to their village of Carag under the city of Quxu, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, for a tourist picnic place.

The villagers saw a business opportunity after a high-grade highway officially opened to traffic on Sunday.

The highway, linking the regional capital Lhasa and Xigaze, the region's second-largest city, stretches 245 km and reduces travel time between the two cities by half to about three hours.

"In the past, the dirt road was very troublesome for villagers to go to Lhasa. Seeing a doctor or doing business was often delayed due to uncertainties on the journey," Nyima Tsering said.

Their village is only one hour away from Lhasa, thanks to the new highway. "It is easier for farm produce and livestock products to be transported to Lhasa, and villagers are planning to strike gold in rural tourism."

"The flow of people, vehicles and logistics passing by and arriving in our township will increase. We plan to develop farming experience tours and family restaurants," said Wang Shengkui, head of a township under Xigaze along the new highway.

The high-grade highway marks another significant development in the region's transport after the 251-km railway line that links Lhasa and Xigaze opened in 2014.

The 435-km railway line that links Lhasa and Nyingchi opened in 2021. Last December, the second runway of Lhasa's international airport began operation.

So far, the length of roads in Xizang has exceeded 120,000 km, and all counties, townships and administrative villages have access to asphalt or hardened roads.

Xizang attracted 55.17 million domestic and foreign tourists in 2023, thanks to the rapid development of highways, railways and civil aviation. Tens of thousands of farmers and herders have found new tourism-related jobs.

"With the opening of railways and highways, more and more tourists visited places such as Xigaze and Nyingchi other than just staying in Lhasa," said Zhang Tao, a tour guide based in Lhasa. 
A performance is staged prior to the opening ceremony of the cross-Strait youth summit in Beijing, capital of China, July 3, 2024. A cross-Strait youth summit kicked off in Beijing on Wednesday, attended by about 600 people, including young people, from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

The summit was jointly organized by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Education, the All-China Youth Federation, and the Beijing Municipal People's Government.

It consists of forums, an internship and job fair for youth from Taiwan, a lifestyle festival, and a night concert among other activities. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- A cross-Strait youth summit kicked off in Beijing on Wednesday, attended by about 600 people, including young people, from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

At the opening ceremony, Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, called on the younger generations on both sides to become more proud, confident, and assured in their identity as Chinese.

Song urged them to firmly oppose "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, safeguard the common homeland of the Chinese nation, and actively participate in cross-Strait exchanges, cooperation, and integration.

Young people should be fully aware of the opportunities brought to them by Chinese modernization and contribute their wisdom and strength to cross-Strait integration, said Xu Xiao, president of the All-China Youth Federation, at the same ceremony.

In a speech delivered via video link, Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT), urged young people across the Strait to engage in in-depth exchanges, learn from each other, and work together to create a bright future for the Chinese nation.

Young people, from Taiwan or the mainland, are all Chinese and should encourage and help each other in areas such as business and sci-tech development, working together for rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, said Sean Lien, vice chairman of the KMT, at the ceremony.

The summit was jointly organized by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Education, the All-China Youth Federation, and the Beijing Municipal People's Government.

It consists of forums, an internship and job fair for youth from Taiwan, a lifestyle festival, and a night concert among other activities. 

This photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows a scene at the opening ceremony of the cross-Strait youth summit in Beijing, capital of China. A cross-Strait youth summit kicked off in Beijing on Wednesday, attended by about 600 people, including young people, from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

The summit was jointly organized by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Education, the All-China Youth Federation, and the Beijing Municipal People's Government.

It consists of forums, an internship and job fair for youth from Taiwan, a lifestyle festival, and a night concert among other activities. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

This photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows a scene during the main forum of the cross-Strait youth summit in Beijing, capital of China. A cross-Strait youth summit kicked off in Beijing on Wednesday, attended by about 600 people, including young people, from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

The summit was jointly organized by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Education, the All-China Youth Federation, and the Beijing Municipal People's Government.

It consists of forums, an internship and job fair for youth from Taiwan, a lifestyle festival, and a night concert among other activities. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

Guests jointly inaugurate a lifestyle festival during the main forum of the cross-Strait youth summit in Beijing, capital of China, July 3, 2024. A cross-Strait youth summit kicked off in Beijing on Wednesday, attended by about 600 people, including young people, from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

The summit was jointly organized by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Education, the All-China Youth Federation, and the Beijing Municipal People's Government.

It consists of forums, an internship and job fair for youth from Taiwan, a lifestyle festival, and a night concert among other activities. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

A performance is staged prior to the opening ceremony of the cross-Strait youth summit in Beijing, capital of China, July 3, 2024. A cross-Strait youth summit kicked off in Beijing on Wednesday, attended by about 600 people, including young people, from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

The summit was jointly organized by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Education, the All-China Youth Federation, and the Beijing Municipal People's Government.

It consists of forums, an internship and job fair for youth from Taiwan, a lifestyle festival, and a night concert among other activities. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)
Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) holds talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan, Sept. 13, 2014.(Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

China and Tajikistan are jointly building a community with a shared future featuring everlasting friendship, solidarity and mutual benefit.

by Xinhua writers Chen Chen, Geng Pengyu

BEIJING/DUSHANBE, July 3 (Xinhua) -- "I am filled with joy and expectations to visit the home of a good neighbor and good brother during this crisp fall season," Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his signed article published in Tajik media ahead of his first state visit to the country in 2014.

In this midsummer, Xi's third state visit to Tajikistan will surely write a new chapter for the friendship of the two countries.





ROBE AND ORDER

During his 2014 state visit, Xi was invited to Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's residence for a family feast. To welcome his distinguished guest, Rahmon rolled out a silk carpet at the entrance of his presidential mansion -- a Tajik etiquette of the highest honor reserved for esteemed guests.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan visit the residence of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon (1st L) in Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan, Sept. 12, 2014. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

Rahmon, accompanied by his family in their traditional attire, greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan.

The two leaders walked and talked inside the courtyard, where the trees were lush and the fruits fragrant. Rahmon picked one fruit from a tree and handed it to Xi.

Inside the room, Rahmon personally dressed Xi in a chapan -- a traditional Tajik robe -- and tied a belt around his waist.

"I have seen Dushanbe full of vitality and rapid development, and I have felt the simplicity, friendliness and hospitality of the Tajik people," Xi told Rahmon.

When Xi revisited Dushanbe in June 2019, he received the Order of the Crown from Rahmon. In the Tajik language, the word "Taj" means "crown."

During the ceremony, Rahmon draped the sash over Xi's shoulder and placed his nation's highest decoration on him. Noting that the Order of the Crown embodies the profound friendship the people of Tajikistan have kept with the people of China, Xi said he highly valued the decoration.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) receives the Order of the Crown, Tajikistan's highest decoration, from Tajik President Emomali Rahmon during a ceremony in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, June 15, 2019. (Xinhua/Sadat)

Since China and Tajikistan established diplomatic ties, bilateral relations have made significant progress, evolving from strategic partners to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Today, the two sides are jointly building a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future featuring everlasting friendship, solidarity and mutual benefit.

"The friendship between the leaders has led to positive development in bilateral relations," Qanoatullo Saifulloev, deputy director of the state-run Khovar News Agency, told Xinhua in an interview.





LANDMARKS OF COOPERATION

In downtown Dushanbe, two striking white buildings stand tall along Rudaki Avenue. The new government and parliament halls are nearing completion. They are considered landmarks of practical cooperation between China and Tajikistan.

Photo taken on June 28, 2024 shows Parliament Hall on Rudaki Avenue in downtown Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan. (Xinhua/Shi Xiaomeng)

The two sides decided on the project during Rahmon's visit to China in 2017. When Xi visited Tajikistan two years later, Xi and Rahmon attended a ceremony to unveil the construction models of the China-assisted office buildings. The two presidents were also briefed on the design plans and details of the projects.

These edifices are characterized by a blend of classical European architecture, Islamic culture and modern designs.

Yusuf Rakhmatbekzoda, deputy director of the construction project, said the completion of the two buildings will not only provide the government with a comfortable and modern office environment but also significantly improve the capital's urban landscape. "These unique structures will serve as symbols of China-Tajikistan friendship," Rakhmatbekzoda said.

This is an aerial photo of the Dushanbe No.2 power plant in Tajikistan taken on Oct. 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Zhang Ruoxuan)

In 2014, the two countries signed a memorandum to build the Silk Road Economic Belt, making Tajikistan the first country to do so under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Xi's signature proposal.

China's BRI partnership with Tajikistan has resulted in several vital projects with mutual benefits.

Take the Dushanbe No.2 power plant, a bilateral flagship Belt and Road cooperation program, for example. During the 2014 visit, the two presidents attended a ceremony marking the completion of the first phase of the project and the groundbreaking of the second phase.

Since the plant's completion by the end of 2016, more than 700,000 local citizens in Dushanbe have no longer worried about power shortages throughout the year, especially during the cold winter months.

The BRI has in recent years also given a boost to trade between the two countries. Last year, two-way trade reached 3.9 billion U.S. dollars, a 53.5 percent year-on-year increase.

"Tajikistan welcomes and supports this very wise initiative, which responds to the needs of Tajikistan," Rahmon once said in an interview.





TWO PRESIDENTS' BOOKS

People-to-people exchanges between the Chinese and the Tajiks enjoy a long history. Through the ancient Silk Road, the forebears of the two nations exchanged goods and ideas and learned a great deal from each other.

Xuan Zang, an eminent 7th century monk, and Chen Cheng, a Chinese diplomat in the Ming Dynasty, traveled to Central Asia as Chinese envoys of friendship, Xi wrote in a signed article published in Tajik media prior to his 2019 visit to the country. "The life stories of your historical and literary figures, such as Emir Ismail Samani and the famous poet Rudaki, are widely known in China."

"The wise pursue kindness and peace; only the fool is bent on strife and war," Xi once quoted Rudaki's poem when addressing the fifth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia.

First Deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan Davlatali Said reads the letter from Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to congratulate on the publication of the Tajik edition of the first volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" in Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan, June 11, 2019. (Xinhua/Sadat)

The publication of the two presidents' works in each other's countries has also promoted the exchange of ideas.

In 2019, the Tajik edition of the first volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China was released. Rahmon said the book could "help the Tajik people better understand China, President Xi's philosophy of governing the country and China's development path."

Also, in that year, the Chinese version of Rahmon's book -- The Tajiks in the Mirror of History -- was published in China. Xi mentioned the book in his signed article and said the book gives "the Chinese people new insights into Tajikistan."

The Chinese leader has long advocated for exchanges and mutual learning among various cultures. In his eyes, mutual learning transcends clashes, and coexistence transcends feelings of superiority. He also called on building the BRI into "a road connecting different civilizations."

Under the BRI framework, programs such as the Confucius Institutes, Luban Workshops and the China-Tajikistan Center for Traditional Medicine have bolstered cultural encounters between the two peoples.

Students learn skills at the Luban Workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, April 12, 2023. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)

When biding farewell to Xi at the airport after the Chinese leader wrapped up his visit to Tajikistan in 2014, Rahmon said one of the key outcomes of the visit was that he and Xi became even closer brothers. "Good brothers walk hand in hand," he said. 
GAZA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said Wednesday that it has consulted with the Qatari and Egyptian mediators to end the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip.

"We exchanged some ideas with the mediator brothers to stop the aggression against our Palestinian people," Hamas said in a press statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that Israel received Hamas's response from the mediators.

He confirmed that Israel will study the Hamas's response and will respond to it.

Israeli media reported that the new Hamas response was the best one given so far, saying it constitutes a basis for moving forward.

However, the outlets said that "some issues still need clarification, such as the (Israeli) presence in the Philadelphia axis (in Gaza) and the issue of prisoners."

A few days ago, Hamas said that it received a new offer from the United States to resume the indirect negotiation with Israel to reach a ceasefire deal. 
This photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows smoke from Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system to intercept Hezbollah missiles fired from Lebanon towards Israeli military sites, as seen from the Lebanese side in Marjeyoun, Lebanon. Hezbollah launched a barrage of around 100 Katyusha rockets toward two Israeli military positions on Wednesday evening, retaliating against Israel's targeted killing of a senior Hezbollah military leader. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua)

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah launched a barrage of around 100 Katyusha rockets toward two Israeli military positions on Wednesday evening, retaliating against Israel's targeted killing of a senior Hezbollah military leader.

Earlier in the day, Israel fired two air-to-surface missiles at a car in the Al-Hosh area east of Tyre city in southwestern Lebanon, killing Hezbollah military leader Mohammad Naameh Nasser.

As a regional commander of the Shiite militant group, Nasser was one of the most senior Hezbollah commanders killed by Israeli forces to date since the tension along the Israel-Lebanon border escalated last October.

In the statement, Hezbollah said the Israeli targets struck by the rockets included the headquarters of Golan Division 210 at Nafah barracks and the air and missile defense headquarters at Keila barracks, both in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported in a statement that at least 100 rockets were fired from Lebanon toward Kiryat Shmona and Galilee Panhandle in northern Israel and the northern Golan Heights, adding its aerial defense systems intercepted some of the rockets, with no injuries reported.

Earlier in a separate statement, the IDF also confirmed the killing of Nasser, who the IDF claimed was commander of Hezbollah's Aziz Unit, one of the group's three regional divisions in southern Lebanon, and in charge of "firing from southwestern Lebanon at Israeli territory."

The killing of Nasser and the Hezbollah rocket attacks marked a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. In response to Hezbollah's rocket barrage, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned of a potential ground offensive deep into Lebanon if the attacks persisted.

The tanks "coming out of the battle in Rafah can reach as far as the Litani," Gallant remarked during a visit near the Gaza Strip border. The Litani is Lebanon's longest river that stretches from the country's center to its south.

Despite expressing a preference for a ceasefire, Gallant emphasized Israel's readiness for military action. Hezbollah, for its part, previously said it would stop its attacks once Israel agrees to a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. 

Smoke rises from rockets fired by Hezbollah at Israeli sites in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, as seen from Marjeyoun, Lebanon, on July 3, 2024. Hezbollah launched a barrage of around 100 Katyusha rockets toward two Israeli military positions on Wednesday evening, retaliating against Israel's targeted killing of a senior Hezbollah military leader. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua)
In this combo photo, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev jointly attend an opening ceremony of the Trans-Caspian international transportation route via video link at the presidential palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu, Zhai Jianlan)

ASTANA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- In a major step aimed at bolstering connectivity and cooperation, visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Wednesday attended the opening ceremonies of one transportation project and several cultural exchange facilities.

These projects, poised to enhance both bilateral and regional connectivity, highlight the two countries' commitment to strengthening ties, and evoke the region's illustrious history as a crossroads of trade and culture.

NEW ROAD TRANSPORT ROUTE FOR ENHANCED CONNECTIVITY

According to an estimation by the World Economic Forum, 90 percent of global traded goods are shipped by ocean. Land-locked countries, however, do not have the opportunities for this cheaper form of trade.

As the largest land-locked country in the world, Kazakhstan has transcended its geographical limitation through extensive development of its transportation network. A crucial aspect of this transformation into a "land-linked" country is its Belt and Road cooperation with China.

On Wednesday, the two heads of state presided over the opening ceremony of a road transport route to a Caspian Sea port via video link, bolstering Kazakhstan's efforts to improve its connectivity.

Though named "sea," the Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, surrounded by Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan. Over the past few years, Kazakhstan has been modernizing its ports, crucial components of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR).

The TITR begins at China's port of Lianyungang and runs through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and on to European countries. Gaidar Abdikerimov, secretary-general of the TITR International Association, noted that the route has become a vital artery for transporting goods from Southeast Asia and China to Europe.

Before the debut of Chinese trucks utilizing a road transport route to reach the Caspian Sea on Wednesday, China-Europe freight trains originating from China and crossing the Caspian Sea had already maintained seamless operations for two years.

Now, a comprehensive, multi-dimensional network integrating road, rail, air, and pipeline transportation has been established.

Noting that it was in Kazakhstan in September 2013 that Xi first proposed the initiative of the Silk Road Economic Belt, an essential component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Abdikerimov said that "this strongly inspired us and we are a significant part of the BRI."

After more than a decade of development, the BRI has proven its feasibility and significantly impacted the development of the TITR, he said.

INCREASED CULTURAL EXCHANGE FACILITIES FOR BETTER TIES

In parallel with infrastructure developments, China and Kazakhstan on Wednesday enhanced "soft connectivity" through new cultural and educational projects.

Apart from attending the opening ceremony of the Chinese Culture Center in Astana and the Kazakh Culture Center in Beijing, the two heads of state also unveiled here the Kazakhstan Branch of Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU).

Noting that Tokayev studied Chinese at BLCU from 1983 to 1984, BLCU's President Duan Peng called the Kazakh leader "a brand ambassador for Chinese language and culture education at BLCU."

Last October, when Tokayev visited his Chinese alma mater, he once again expressed his "sincere love for the Chinese people," said Duan, adding that it was during that visit, Tokayev endorsed the proposal to establish a branch of the university in Kazakhstan.

According to Duan, the Kazakhstan branch will welcome its first cohort of 100 students this September, and the new branch plans to expand to a capacity of 800 students over the next five years, serving the entire Central Asia region.

Interest in the new school has been high, with numerous inquiries pouring in. For these new students, who will be Tokayev's "new alumni," Duan had this message: "We look forward to your successful studies here, making good friends, learning the Chinese language and culture well, and becoming bridges for the exchange and mutual learning between civilizations."

Given the extensive shared border and the deepening partnership between China and Kazakhstan, particularly in transportation and logistics, there is a rapidly increasing demand in Kazakhstan for professionals proficient in Chinese, said Irsaliev Serik Aztaevich, president of Astana International University, where the BLCU Kazakhstan branch is located.

The new branch will focus on training high-level Kazakh-Chinese interpreters, with plans to expand its scope to train multilingual translators for the entire Central Asian region, he said, adding that Kazakhstan's demand for highly skilled professionals fluent in Chinese is growing swiftly.

Emphasizing that young people are the inheritors of China-Kazakhstan friendship from generation to generation, Xi, in his meeting with Tokayev on Wednesday, called for the two countries to give full play to the role of the culture centers and the Kazakhstan Branch of BLCU.

He urged these institutions to strengthen cultural exchanges, enhance mutual understanding between the two peoples, especially the young generation, and strengthen public support for all-round cooperation between the two countries.

CHINA'S COMMITMENT TO REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY

Xi arrived in Kazakhstan on Tuesday for a state visit and to attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

"President Xi's visit to Astana for the SCO summit is of significant importance and influence, because it underscores China's commitment to regional cooperation," said Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of Kazakhstan's China Studies Center.

"It (The visit) enhances diplomatic ties, promotes economic cooperation, and strengthens the unity and effectiveness of the SCO," she said.

"President Xi's presence at the summit highlights China's vision for a more interconnected and prosperous region," Shaimergenova concluded.

China's commitment to enhancing connectivity extends beyond its bilateral relations with Kazakhstan. Under the BRI, China is spearheading numerous infrastructure projects across Central Asia for win-win cooperation and common prosperity across the region.

A prime example is the agreement on constructing the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, reached in early June. Once completed, this railway will significantly shorten the time required to transport Central Asian products to major global markets. It will also facilitate the integration of Central Asia into global industrial and supply chains, thereby boosting regional development. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev jointly unveil the nameplates of Astana China culture center, Beijing Kazakhstan culture center, and the Kazakhstan Branch of Beijing Language and Culture University, at the presidential palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)
JERUSALEM, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Israeli authorities have approved the appropriation of 12.7 square km of land in the occupied West Bank, marking the largest single appropriation in about three decades, an Israeli settlement monitor group said Wednesday.

Peace Now, an Israeli-based settlement watchdog, said in a statement that the Custodian of the State's Property in the Civil Administration, an Israeli body that approves construction in the West Bank, recently declared the seizure of this large land in the Jordan Valley.

According to the group, this is the largest area designated for appropriation since the Oslo Accords, a set of peace agreements signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1993.

In 2024 alone, about 23.7 square km of the West Bank lands have been declared "State Lands" by Israel, reported Peace Now.

The declaration of "State Land" in the West Bank is a bureaucratic procedure used by the Israeli government to revoke Palestinian ownership rights to the declared lands, which would be leased exclusively to Israelis, for reshaping land use and building settlements.

Israel seized the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war and expanded settlements there ever since. The international community widely considers the Israeli settlements in the West Bank, where the Palestinians wish to establish their future state, an obstacle to achieving peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The move is likely to stoke further tensions in the region, which is already experiencing increasing violence following Israel's onslaught in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for Hamas' attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 last year. 
AMMAN, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Wednesday warned of the threats posed by the persistent smuggling of weapons and drugs from Syria into Jordan.

The minister made the remarks at a meeting with Alexander Lavrentiev, Russia's special envoy for Syrian settlement, in the Jordanian capital of Amman, according to a statement released by the Jordanian Foreign Ministry.

Safadi stressed that Jordan will take decisive measures to eradicate these threats and safeguard its national interests and the well-being of its citizens.

The two sides also discussed the latest developments regarding the Syrian issue, underscoring their shared commitment to achieving a political solution that respects Syria's unity, sovereignty, and security and provides conditions for the voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

They also looked into efforts to stop the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip and the humanitarian disaster it causes. 
CARACAS, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan representatives in talks with the United States said on Wednesday they have agreed to work together with Washington and maintain respectful communications.

"After this first meeting we agreed on: 1. The willingness of both governments to work together to gain trust and improve relations. 2. Maintain communications in a respectful and constructive manner," the representatives, Jorge Rodriguez and Hector Rodriguez, posted on social media site X.

Their message followed an online meeting between the two sides, in which Venezuela said that "to continue recovering mutual trust and relations between the governments, the principles of self-determination, sovereignty and reciprocity must be respected."

On Monday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced the start of direct dialogues between Caracas and Washington, and the appointment of the president of parliament, Jorge Rodriguez, and the governor of central Miranda state, Hector Rodriguez, as government representatives.

"I have accepted the proposal of the United States government to resume direct dialogues; they will resume next Wednesday," he said.

"We are going to debate, to look for new agreements so that what was signed in Qatar is fulfilled. I want dialogue, I want understanding, I want a future for our relations, I want changes," Maduro said. 
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on a residential house in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on July 3, 2024. Dozens of Palestinians were injured on Wednesday when an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential house in Khan Younis, Palestinian sources said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

GAZA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Palestinians were injured on Wednesday when an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential house in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Palestinian sources said.

Palestinian security sources informed Xinhua that Israeli warplanes attacked a residential house near Naser Hospital and a school belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East without prior warning.

The attacked area was previously declared a safe zone by the Israeli forces, the sources added.

Medical sources at Naser Hospital told Xinhua that the "injured individuals arriving at the hospital have sustained moderate to severe wounds."

There was no immediate response from the Israeli army regarding this incident.

In a press statement on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said its operational activities continue throughout the Gaza Strip.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.

Over the past 24 hours, the Israeli military has killed 28 Palestinians and wounded 125 others, raising the total death toll to 37,953 and the number of injured to 87,266 since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict erupted in early October 2023, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Wednesday. 

Injured people are seen after an Israeli airstrike on a residential house in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on July 3, 2024. Dozens of Palestinians were injured on Wednesday when an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential house in Khan Younis, Palestinian sources said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

People inspect a destroyed building after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on July 3, 2024. Dozens of Palestinians were injured on Wednesday when an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential house in Khan Younis, Palestinian sources said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

People inspect a destroyed building after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on July 3, 2024. Dozens of Palestinians were injured on Wednesday when an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential house in Khan Younis, Palestinian sources said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on a residential house in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on July 3, 2024. Dozens of Palestinians were injured on Wednesday when an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential house in Khan Younis, Palestinian sources said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

People inspect a destroyed building after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on July 3, 2024. Dozens of Palestinians were injured on Wednesday when an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential house in Khan Younis, Palestinian sources said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on a residential house in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on July 3, 2024. Dozens of Palestinians were injured on Wednesday when an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential house in Khan Younis, Palestinian sources said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

People inspect a destroyed building after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on July 3, 2024. Dozens of Palestinians were injured on Wednesday when an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential house in Khan Younis, Palestinian sources said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

People inspect a destroyed building after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on July 3, 2024. Dozens of Palestinians were injured on Wednesday when an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential house in Khan Younis, Palestinian sources said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

ASTANA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- China and Kyrgyzstan should explore new ways of thinking to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to make it continue to deepen and more effective, said Chinese President Xi Jinping here on Wednesday.

Xi said the two sides should expand economic, trade and investment cooperation, enhance connectivity and expand cooperation on new quality productive forces.

Xi made the remarks in his talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana.

Xi said that the two leaders held fruitful talks in Xi'an last May and reached many consensuses on China-Kyrgyzstan relations and bilateral cooperation in various fields. Over the past year or so, these consensuses have been effectively implemented, and good news on China-Kyrgyzstan cooperation has been reported frequently.

Good neighbors wish each other well, Xi said, adding that China is happy to see a stable and developing Kyrgyzstan and will, as always, firmly support Kyrgyzstan in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and in finding a development path suited to its national conditions.

China is willing to deepen the synergy of development strategies with Kyrgyzstan, expand the sharing of experience in governance, promote all-round mutually beneficial cooperation and advance the building of a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future, Xi noted.

The Chinese president said that China is willing to import more high-quality green agricultural products from Kyrgyzstan, support Chinese enterprises in investing and doing business in the Central Asian country, strengthen cooperation in areas such as new energy vehicles and cross-border e-commerce, and accelerate the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project.

Xi said that the two sides should give full play to the platforms such as the Chinese traditional medicine center in Kyrgyzstan, the Chinese Cultural Center and the Luban Workshop to nurture more successors of China-Kyrgyzstan friendly cooperation.

China is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Kyrgyzstan, continue to strengthen the China-Central Asia mechanism, and ensure that the SCO develops in the right direction that serves the common interests of all parties, he added.

For his part, Japarov said he still vividly remembers his visit to China in May last year, which opened up a new era in bilateral relations. At present, the political relations between Kyrgyzstan and China are developing at a high level, various departments of the two countries maintain close communication, sub-national exchanges and cooperation are booming, and bilateral trade and investment are growing steadily.

He said that in the face of global changes unseen in a century, Kyrgyzstan-China relations have always been rock-solid, and there are no political differences or cooperation obstacles between the two countries.

Japarov said Kyrgyzstan firmly adheres to the one-China principle, adding that Kyrgyzstan welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest in the country, and will provide good business environment for Chinese enterprises. It is hoped that the two sides will work together to promote the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project and close multilateral communication and collaboration in the SCO and other platforms. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

ASTANA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday urged China and Russia to continue to strengthen the alignment of development strategies and international strategic coordination.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana.

He noted that President Putin paid a successful state visit to China this May, saying that the two sides are working together to make plans and arrangements for the future development of bilateral relations at the important historical juncture of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Russia.

Facing an international situation fraught with turbulence and changes, the two countries should keep upholding the original aspiration of lasting friendship, and sticking to the determination of benefiting the people, Xi said.

He urged China and Russia to continuously conserve the unique value in China-Russia relations, and explore the internal driving force of bilateral cooperation, saying that the two countries should also make new efforts to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests and safeguard the basic norms governing international relations.

China supports Russia in fulfilling its responsibilities as BRICS chair, uniting the "Global South," preventing a "new Cold War" and opposing illegal unilateral sanctions and hegemonism, he said.

Noting that the SCO Astana summit will be held on Thursday, Xi said the Chinese side looks forward to working with Russia and other member states to promote the steady and long-term development of the SCO and build an even closer SCO community with a shared future.

China and Russia, Xi said, should continue to strengthen comprehensive strategic coordination, oppose external interference and jointly safeguard regional tranquility and stability.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

For his part, Putin thanked Xi for warmly receiving him on his state visit to China in May, recalling that they celebrated the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Russia and China and made plans for the future development of Russia-China relations.

At present, Russia-China relations are at the highest level in history, Putin said, adding that the two sides respect each other, and treat each other with equality and mutual benefit.

He also said that Russia-China relations feature non-alignment and do not target at any third party, which conforms to the well-being of the two peoples.

Russia, he said, supports China in safeguarding its core interests and legitimate rights and interests, and opposes external interference in China's internal affairs and the South China Sea issue.

Noting that China will soon take over the rotating presidency of the SCO, he said Russia will fully support China's work and work with other member states to continuously enhance the international influence of the organization, safeguard regional peace and security, and promote the development of the international system in a more just and equitable direction.

As the rotating chair of BRICS this year, Russia looks forward to strengthening communication and coordination with China on BRICS cooperation, he added.

The two heads of state also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.

Xi stressed that China always stands on the right side of history, adheres to promoting peace talks, and is willing to continue to make positive efforts for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and other regional hotspot issues.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

ASTANA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- China is ready to work with Uzbekistan to promote the high-quality development of China-Uzbekistan relations with the future of the country and the well-being of its people in mind, said Chinese President Xi Jinping here on Wednesday.

Xi made the remarks during a meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana.

During Mirziyoyev's successful state visit to China in January, China and Uzbekistan agreed to elevate their ties to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era, and promote the construction of a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future from a higher starting point, Xi said, noting the development of bilateral relations have ushered in a new stage.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xi said, adding China is speeding up Chinese modernization, and Uzbekistan is also comprehensively advancing the "Uzbekistan-2030" strategy.

The goal of both sides is very grand but also simple, which is to deliver a better life for their people, Xi said.

Noting that China firmly supports Uzbekistan in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty and security, Xi said China is always a trustworthy friend and partner of Uzbekistan.

He urged the two sides to further advance the Belt and Road cooperation, well implement the medium- and long-term cooperation plan on economy, trade and investment, speed up the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, as well as cooperation in fields of photovoltaic, wind power and new energy vehicles, and continue to strengthen cooperation in poverty reduction and social governance.

China supports the expansion of exchanges between the two countries at the sub-national level, as well as exchanges in tourism, education and other fields, he said, noting China welcomes Uzbekistan's participation in the seventh China International Import Expo as the guest country of honor.

China is ready to work with Uzbekistan to speed up the implementation of the outcomes of the China-Central Asia Summit held in the city of Xi'an, strengthen coordination and cooperation, and ensure that the SCO always develops in a direction that serves the common interests of all parties, Xi said.

For his part, Mirziyoyev said the two sides jointly announced in Beijing to elevate their ties to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era in January, which opened a new era of China-Uzbekistan relations.

Under the wise leadership of President Xi, China has successfully coped with various risks and challenges and made world-leading achievements in the fields of economy, science and technology, he said.

Mirziyoyev expressed his congratulations and wished the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee a complete success.

Uzbekistan firmly abides by the one-China principle and resolutely combats the "three evil forces" of terrorism, extremism and separatism, he said.

Uzbekistan is willing to work with China to be each other's reliable friend and partner, continue to respect, understand and support each other, and promote pragmatic cooperation in various fields to achieve more fruitful results, Mirziyoyev said.

He said Uzbekistan is willing to closely coordinate and cooperate with China within the China-Central Asia mechanism, the SCO, as well as other multilateral frameworks.

Uzbekistan is ready to promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, which were proposed by Xi, Mirziyoyev said.
Workers install a solar-powered street light donated by the Chinese Embassy in Syria by a street east of Damascus, Syria, on July 3, 2024. The Chinese Embassy in Syria on Wednesday donated a series of solar-powered lighting devices to the Damascus Province as part of a broader effort to improve infrastructure in the Syrian capital. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)

DAMASCUS, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Syria on Wednesday donated a series of solar-powered lighting devices to the Damascus Province as part of a broader effort to improve infrastructure in the Syrian capital.

A ceremony was held Wednesday evening in Abbasiyin Square, east of Damascus, where the donated lights were installed and turned on.

Chinese Ambassador to Syria Shi Hongwei, Mohammad Tarek Krishati, governor of Damascus, and Fadi Salti Khalil, president of the Syrian Planning and International Cooperation Commission, attended the ceremony.

During the event, Shi said China, as a friend and partner of Syria, "always works side by side with Syria to provide more batches of lighting devices and other assistance that benefit the people and improve their living conditions."

"Together, let's light the way, light up Damascus, and light up a better-shared future," said the ambassador.

For his part, Krishati thanked the embassy for the donation to the province, adding that it will be followed by other initiatives within the framework of cooperation between the two sides.

Local residents told reporters that the project will have positive impacts on their daily lives.

"We hope these aids will continue to illuminate more streets. We appreciate the efforts," said Naif Naddour, a local resident.

The donation is part of China's ongoing efforts to support Syria's infrastructure rehabilitation.

In recent years, China has provided various supplies to Syria, including vaccines, food, buses, and communication devices, as well as assistance in repairing schools, improving medical conditions, and enhancing other public services. 

Solar-powered street lights donated by the Chinese Embassy in Syria illuminate a street east of Damascus, Syria, on July 3, 2024. The Chinese Embassy in Syria on Wednesday donated a series of solar-powered lighting devices to the Damascus Province as part of a broader effort to improve infrastructure in the Syrian capital. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)

Solar-powered street lights donated by the Chinese Embassy in Syria illuminate a street east of Damascus, Syria, on July 3, 2024. The Chinese Embassy in Syria on Wednesday donated a series of solar-powered lighting devices to the Damascus Province as part of a broader effort to improve infrastructure in the Syrian capital. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)

Chinese Ambassador to Syria Shi Hongwei speaks at a ceremony in Abbasiyin Square, east of Damascus, Syria, where the Chinese Embassy in Syria donated solar-powered street lights to the Damascus Province, on July 3, 2024. The Chinese Embassy in Syria on Wednesday donated a series of solar-powered lighting devices to the Damascus Province as part of a broader effort to improve infrastructure in the Syrian capital. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

ASTANA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- China and Azerbaijan have upgraded bilateral relations to strategic partnership, which is a new positioning and a new starting point, Chinese President Xi Jinping said here on Wednesday when meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Xi noted that the two sides should continue supporting each other in a bid to bring more benefits to the two peoples.

China and Azerbaijan are good friends with sincerity and mutual trust, as well as good partners with equality and mutual benefit, and bilateral relations have been developing healthily and steadily, with fruitful cooperation and richer strategic connotations, he said.

China firmly supports Azerbaijan in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions, Xi stressed.

The two sides should promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deepen cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, oil and gas, and photovoltaics, strengthen connectivity, advance the construction of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, and ensure the healthy and stable operation of China-Europe freight trains, he said.

The two sides should also carry out more exchanges in such areas as education, culture and tourism, as well as between the youths of the two nations and at the sub-national level, and consolidate the public foundation of China-Azerbaijan friendship, he said.

China supports Azerbaijan in hosting the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Xi said.

China stands ready to work with Azerbaijan to advocate an equal and orderly world multipolarity, and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and promote world peace, stability and development, he said.

For his part, Aliyev said that Azerbaijan and China are good partners.

The two countries have maintained close exchanges at various departments and levels, witnessed increasing bilateral trade volume, and firmly supported each other in safeguarding independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity in international organizations, he said.

The two sides jointly announced the establishment of the Azerbaijan-China strategic partnership in a joint statement, which is of great significance to the development of bilateral relations, he said.

Azerbaijan firmly abides by the one-China principle and firmly supports China's great cause of national reunification, which is the trend of history and no force can stop it, he said.

Azerbaijan is willing to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with China, tap the potential, enhance cooperation in such areas as economy, trade, investment, new energy and culture within the framework of Belt and Road cooperation, closely collaborate within the SCO and other frameworks, oppose external interference and safeguard regional security and stability, said Aliyev.

The two sides issued the joint statement on establishing the strategic partnership.

Relevant departments of the two sides signed cooperation documents in such areas as Belt and Road cooperation and connectivity. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)
LUSAKA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank has approved a 207.6-million-U.S.-dollar grant to support Zambia's response to drought, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

The money was the second additional funding for enhancing shock-responsive social protection in Zambia and will support about 1.6 million households under the social cash transfer program in 84 districts affected by drought.

Situmbeko Musokotwane, Zambian minister of finance and national planning, thanked the World Bank for the funding, saying it will complement the government's drought response plan by scaling up the social cash transfer program to help meet the shortfalls and ensure regular cash transfers.

According to the minister, the World Bank's approval of the second additional funding will fortify existing social protection programs and mitigate the adverse effects of the drought the country has faced amid constrained domestic resources.

Following poor rains in the 2023/2024 farming season, Zambia has been hit by a drought that has impacted 84 out of the country's 116 districts. 
Series of exhibitions held at Shenyang Palace Museum

Xinhua) 09:08, July 03, 2024

People view a painting exhibition at the Shenyang Palace Museum in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 2, 2024. A series of exhibitions were held at Shenyang Palace Museum to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List. (Photo by Jia Yicheng/Xinhua)

A journalist views a painting exhibition at the Shenyang Palace Museum in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 2, 2024. A series of exhibitions were held at Shenyang Palace Museum to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

A journalist views a painting exhibition at the Shenyang Palace Museum in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 2, 2024. A series of exhibitions were held at Shenyang Palace Museum to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

Tourists visit an exhibition featuring restored relics at the Shenyang Palace Museum in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 2, 2024. A series of exhibitions were held at Shenyang Palace Museum to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

Tourists visit an exhibition featuring restored relics at the Shenyang Palace Museum in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 2, 2024. A series of exhibitions were held at Shenyang Palace Museum to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

People view a painting exhibition at the Shenyang Palace Museum in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 2, 2024. A series of exhibitions were held at Shenyang Palace Museum to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List. (Photo by Jia Yicheng/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
CAIRO, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's new cabinet has been sworn in before Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi at the Al-Ittihadiya Palace in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Wednesday, the state-run Nile TV reported.

Before the swearing-in ceremony, Sisi promoted Abdel-Maguid Sakr to the rank of lieutenant general and appointed him as the minister of defense and military production, succeeding Mohamed Zaki.

The new cabinet is headed by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, who has been in the post since 2018.

Comprising 30 ministers, the new government saw the merging of some ministries and the introduction of new ones, especially the economic portfolios.

On Sunday, the Egyptian president said the new government's top priority is to mitigate the impact of rising prices and create more job opportunities. 
KHARTOUM, July 3 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 people were killed and 32 others injured on Wednesday in an artillery attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a market in El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State in western Sudan.

"All the dead and injured were civilians. They were targetted at the Al-Mawashi (livestock) market in El Fasher," Ibrahim Khatir, director-general of North Darfur State's health ministry, told Xinhua.

Since May 10, fierce clashes have been raging in El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State.

It is the latest escalation of the broader conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF across the country since April 15, 2023.

The deadly conflict has so far claimed at least 16,650 lives, according to the latest update by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs last month. 
NAIROBI, July 3, (Xinhua) - Two UN agencies Wednesday called on eastern and southern Africa countries to put in place laws and policies to protect pregnant girl's right to education.

Etleva Kadilli, regional director for UNICEF in eastern and southern Africa and Alexandros Makarigakis, regional director for UNESCO in east Africa, said that it is unfortunate that only half of African countries have put in place measures to ensure pregnant girls complete school.

"Adolescent mothers need supportive governments that implement laws to protect their rights to education and health," the two UN officials said in a joint statement that was released in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

The officials observed that education is one of the most protective and powerful tools that an adolescent girl can utilize to be healthy and do better in life.

They attributed school drop out of adolescent girls to unsafe school environments that are full of discrimination and stigma hence forcing them to hide their pregnancy.

In addition, the UN agencies said that among the girls who drop out of school because of pregnancy, less than five per cent return, implying early pregnancy marks the end of their education.

They observed that in many countries, including those with favorable laws and policies, adolescent mothers are often forced to leave school until after childbirth or denied the right to return, either by poor school culture, harmful cultural norms, unsupportive families or for more practical reasons like low incomes and childcare burdens.

They noted that in sub-Saharan Africa, more than six million pregnant and parenting girls (aged 10-19) are out of school.

The UN agencies however said that it is unfortunate that dropping out of school increases the chances of girls engaging in risky sexual behavior, acquiring HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and quickly becoming pregnant again.

They revealed that girls who complete secondary education tend to be healthier, earn more, marry later, have fewer children and provide better health care and education for the next generation. 
NEW DELHI, July 3 (Xinhua) -- India's western state of Maharashtra has recorded eight cases of Zika virus infection, officials said Wednesday.

According to health officials, six people have tested positive for Zika virus infection in Pune while one each has been identified from Ahmednagar and Kolhapur districts.

Officials at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) said they received 106 samples from across the country and so far eight people have tested positive for Zika virus infection.

On Tuesday evening, a 55-year-old woman was detected with Zika virus infection in Pune, which took the number of cases to seven. However, one case that was earlier said to be positive was later found negative.

On June 26, the first case of Zika virus infection was reported at Erandwane, where a 46-year-old doctor's report came positive. His 15-year-old daughter also tested positive.

Later on, two pregnant women were also found to be infected.

The increase in cases has set off concern among health officials. However, officials at NIV said there was no need to panic over the Zika cases in Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, Pune Municipal Corporation has intensified surveillance and so far surveyed a population of 14,314 in Kothrud, an upmarket residential neighborhood in Pune city.

Officials said mosquito breeding sites were detected across 200 homes. It has undertaken fogging and fumigation to curb the breeding of mosquitoes as a precautionary measure.

The civic body officials have appealed to residents to empty water containers that have not been properly covered.

Zika is a mosquito-borne virus. The disease is a mild, self-limiting illness that presents with fever, rash and joint pain.

Zika virus infection has been linked to severe birth defects in almost 30 countries. These include microcephaly, where babies are born with abnormally small heads and restricted brain development.

Although the virus is mostly spread by mosquitoes, it can also be sexually transmitted. 
NEW DELHI, July 3 (Xinhua) -- At least five Naxals were killed Tuesday in a fierce gunfight with government forces in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, police said.

The gunfight between Naxals and joint contingents of the paramilitary and police broke out in Abujhmad forest area of Narayanpur district, about 200 km south of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh.

"Today a gunfight triggered between Naxals and joint contingents of security forces, including police and Border Security Force, in Abujhmad forest area under Kohkameta police station. In the stand-off five Naxals were gunned down," a police official said.

According to the official, the operation was underway in the area.

Police said the government forces have not suffered any damage in the gunbattle.

Reports said since the beginning of this year, 138 Naxals have been killed in separate gunfights with government forces in the state.

Currently, Naxals are active across the central and eastern parts of India.

India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh once termed the Naxalite movement as India's "greatest internal security challenge".

New Delhi has deployed several companies of its paramilitary forces to take on Naxals in their strongholds.

The insurgency reportedly has claimed hundreds of lives besides rendering thousands of poor inhabitants homeless. 
MANILA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- A Philippine senator on Wednesday urged the Philippine government to make good its promise to grant "just and meaningful reparations" for Filipino women forced to work in Japanese wartime brothels.

Senator Risa Hontiveros said there are only 18 surviving Filipino "comfort women" in the Philippines today, and it is about time to compensate them and their families.

"Time is running out for the Philippine government to seek redress for and recognize the remaining women," she said.

Hontiveros reiterated her appeal following her meeting with the non-profit organization Malaya Lolas (Free Grandmothers), which is composed of Filipino survivors of sex slavery.

"These Lolas (grandmothers) cannot wait any longer," Hontiveros said, adding that President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos' administration "must make good on their promise to extend aid and assistance" to the victims.

Hontiveros also visited Bahay na Pula, which was used by the Japanese army to perpetrate sexual violence. She said she hopes the government will rebuild the house and make it a memorial site for all the victims and survivors of wartime sexual violence.

Hontiveros also urged the Philippine government to find the missing "comfort women" statue erected on a boulevard fronting Manila Bay in December 2017. Japan protested the statue's erection and demanded that it be taken down. The seven-foot bronze sculpture, which depicts a blindfolded, grieving woman in a traditional Filipiniana gown, was removed in April 2018.

Hontiveros, who has authored laws against sexual violence, abuse, and exploitation, has filed a resolution that urges the government to ensure just and meaningful reparations are given to Filipino "comfort women" and their families after a UN committee called out the Philippines on the elimination of discrimination against Women.

The UN panel said the Philippines failed to fulfill its treaty obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women by not seeking redress for "comfort women". 
KATHMANDU, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Eight ministers from the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) (CPN-UML) resigned on Wednesday evening from the coalition government headed by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, as the key ruling partner has joined hands with the main opposition for a new coalition.

"We have submitted our resignations to the prime minister. We have also informed him that our party has withdrawn its support to the government," Padam Giri, the outgoing minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs, told Xinhua.

As the CPN-UML has withdrawn its support, Dahal now needs to take a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives within 30 days.

The CPN-UML sealed an agreement with the main opposition Nepali Congress party on Monday night to form a new coalition government.

As the largest parties in the lower house, the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML had called on Dahal to step down but he chose to take a vote of trust in the lower house.

Dahal is the chairman of the CPN (Maoist Center), and he came to power again as the head of a coalition government in December 2022 as the general election in November produced no majority party in the lower house.

During his tenure, Dahal has formed alliances with both the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML. 
VALLETTA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- China's efforts in artificial intelligence (AI) development and governance have been substantial and impactful, Alexiei Dingli, an AI expert and professor at the University of Malta, said in an interview with Xinhua on Tuesday.

He said China has made significant investments in AI research and development, and "China's AI strategy is comprehensive, encompassing aspects from academic research to industrial application, as well as governance frameworks."

Commenting on the unanimous adoption of an AI resolution at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Monday, Dingli said it is a testament to China's commitment to not only advancing its AI capabilities but also shaping global norms and standards.

The resolution on "Enhancing International Cooperation on Capacity-building of Artificial Intelligence," proposed by China and co-sponsored by over 140 countries, emphasizes that the development of artificial intelligence should adhere to "the principles of being human-centered," promoting beneficial intelligence, and benefiting humanity.

"This leadership role is crucial as it demonstrates China's willingness to engage constructively with the international community, promoting a collaborative approach to AI governance that balances innovation with ethical considerations," he said.

According to Dingli, who has received numerous awards from organizations such as the European Space Agency, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the United Nations, the unanimous adoption of this resolution signifies a remarkable convergence of international will.

"It is heartening to see member states rallying around the imperative of collaborative AI governance. This consensus underscores the global community's recognition that AI, with its vast potential and inherent risks, requires a coordinated approach to ensure it serves the greater good," he said.

"China's proactive stance in promoting dialogue and cooperation is commendable, as it sets a precedent for other countries to follow," he noted.

China launched the Global AI Governance Initiative in October 2023, setting the course for global AI development and governance.

With over 20 years of experience in AI research, Dingli highlighted the critical importance of cooperation in AI governance. He explained that AI's impact transcends national borders, and issues such as data privacy, ethical use of AI, and mitigating biases in AI systems necessitate a unified approach to create comprehensive frameworks that can be universally applied.

Cooperative governance helps bridge the technological divide between developed and developing countries, ensuring equitable access to AI advancements and preventing further digital inequality, he said.

Moreover, global collaboration fosters an environment of shared learning and innovation, allowing countries to pool resources, expertise, and best practices to tackle common challenges effectively, he said.

"As we move forward, sustained international dialogue and cooperation will be essential to harness AI's potential for the benefit of all humanity," Dingli concluded. 
BERLIN, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The planned tariffs against China-made electric vehicles (EVs) would be counterproductive for Europe's climate goals and harmful to its industry and consumers, the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) said on Wednesday.

The association warned in a statement that Western car manufacturers in China would also be affected by the tariffs initiated by the European Union (EU), in some cases even worse than Chinese companies.

The cooperation and production of European carmakers in China were "an important building block for the transformation and competitiveness in Europe," the VDA stated, emphasizing that the EU has historically benefited from its openness in international trade.

Germany, in particular, maintains a significant surplus in the automotive trade with China. Last year, Europe's largest economy exported passenger cars and parts valued at 26.3 billion euros (28.4 billion U.S. dollars) to China, meanwhile, imports from China amounted to 6.8 billion euros, according to the VDA.

The tariffs, set to take effect soon if no other political agreement is reached, would also "make it more difficult to successfully ramp up electric drive and thus decarbonize and achieve the climate targets," the VDA emphasized.

The association urged the European Commission to refrain from imposing the announced tariffs and instead find a negotiated solution with China. It welcomed the fact that talks have now started between the two parties.

"Competitiveness is fostered through competition," the association said. It proposed promoting this through free trade agreements, targeted and efficient funding for research and innovation, and a coherent policy framework that embraces technological advancements.

The German government rejects punitive tariffs on Chinese EVs. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has made a compromise offer in the customs dispute, proposing equally high tariffs on car imports from both sides, according to local media reports last week.

Due to the risk of trade conflicts, a third of over 160 German economic experts have opposed tariffs, while some others also expressed their hope to reduce the duties, according to a survey published Wednesday by the Munich-based ifo Institute for Economic Research.

The institute stressed that the tariffs would not weaken the position of China's electric cars, whereas "European manufacturers would not become more efficient as a result of tariffs." 
NEW YORK, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The sentencing date for former U.S. President Donald Trump in the hush money case was postponed on Tuesday to Sept. 18 from July 11, following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on presidential immunity.

Trump's attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove on Monday sought leave to file a motion to set aside a jury's verdict reached on May 30, based on the Supreme Court's latest decision.

Trump's attorneys in a letter to Juan M. Merchan, a judge from New York County Supreme Court, said the verdicts in the hush money case violate the presidential immunity doctrine and create grave risks of "an Executive Branch that cannibalizes itself."

Prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney's Office said on Tuesday that they don't oppose the defendant's request for leave to file and his putative request to adjourn sentencing though they believe the defendant's arguments have no merits.

The prosecutors request a deadline of July 24 to file, which is two weeks after the defendant's requested deadline of July 10.

In a letter to the prosecutors and defedant's attorneys, Judge Merchan said he would rule on Trump's motion to set aside a jury's verdict on Sept. 6 and he would deliver a sentencing on Sept. 18 if a sentence is still necessary.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled that Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, has some immunity from criminal charges for trying to reverse the 2020 election results.

Trump praised the Supreme Court's ruling, claiming it a "big win for our constitution and democracy."

A jury in New York in late May found Trump guilty of all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a bid to hide hush money payment to a porn star in 2016. 
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 Wednesday, July 3 for a yoga class led by Eddie Stern, yoga teacher, author, and researcher based in New York City. Eddie has a multi-disciplinary approach to yoga, combining the study of traditional texts with practical applications to healthcare, scientific research, technology, and collaboration and he has published several scientific papers on yoga. His teaching practice focuses on simple, accessible yoga, encompassing postures, breathing, meditation, and examining the crossovers between modern science and classical yoga for a holistic, contemporary approach to living a holistic life.



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-wednesday-evening-classes-2024-tickets-890585775027?aff=oddtdtcreator
2 REITs Yielding Up To 6% With Over 25 Years Of Dividend Growth

Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.

As the real estate landscape continues to evolve, investors seek stable returns and diversification through Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Among the myriad of options available, two REITs stand out for their exceptional performance and strategic positioning in the market. Let's take a look at each.

Realty Income

Realty Income (NYSE:O) is one of the world's largest global REITs with a portfolio of 15,485 commercial real estate properties totaling approximately 334 million square feet, which are leased to more than 1,550 clients.

Realty Income currently pays a monthly dividend of $0.263, equating to an annualized dividend of $3.156 per share, which gives its stock a yield of about 6% at the time of this writing.

In addition to offering investors a high yield, Realty Income is a dividend aristocrat. It has raised its annual dividend for 29 consecutive years, and its recent hikes have it on track for 2024 to mark the 30th consecutive year with an increase.

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?

Federal Realty Investment Trust

Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT) owns and manages a portfolio of 102 mixed-use properties and open and shopping centers containing 26 million square feet. Its properties are located in top suburban markets, including Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C., and contain approximately 3,300 commercial tenants and approximately 3,100 residential units.

Federal Realty currently pays a quarterly dividend of $1.09 per share, equating to an annualized dividend of $4.36 per share, which gives its stock a yield of about 4.3% at the time of this writing.

In addition to offering a high yield, Federal Realty has raised its annual dividend payment for an incredible 56 consecutive years, giving it the longest consecutive record in the REIT industry.

Dont Miss: Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are bullish on one city that could dethrone New York. Investing in its booming real estate market has never been more accessible.

Are You Missing Out On Even Higher Yields?

The current high-interest-rate environment has created an incredible opportunity for income-seeking investors to earn massive yields, but not through dividend stocks... Certain private market real estate investments are giving retail investors the opportunity to capitalize on these high-yield opportunities and Benzinga has identified some of the most attractive options for you to consider.

Story continues

For example, the Jeff Bezos-backed investment platform just launched its Private Credit Fund, which provides access to a pool of short-term loans backed by residential real estate with a target 7% to 9% net annual yield paid to investors monthly. The best part? Unlike other private credit funds, this one has a minimum investment of only $100.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to take advantage of high-yield investments while rates are high. Check out Benzinga's favorite high-yield offerings.

 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

This article 2 REITs Yielding Up To 6% With Over 25 Years Of Dividend Growth originally appeared on Benzinga.com
SAN DIEGO, California  One of the first journalists to drive the 2024 Acura ZDX A-Spec electric vehicle, I realized the sleek SUV is simultaneously all-Acura, and a fine separated-at-birth sibling to the Cadillac Lyriq that GM builds alongside the ZDX in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

The ZDX is the latest in a string of successful and low-profile collaborations by GM and Honda, which owns the Acura brand.

The 2024 Acura ZDX electric luxury SUV is on sale now. Prices start at $64,500.

The vehicles share their platform, batteries, electric motors and many other crucial systems, but youd never mistake one for the other. In fact, its unlikely that more than a handful of shoppers will even consider both. Their designs and brand characters are entirely different, despite the fact that the two midsize SUVs are within an inch in most physical dimensions.

The Lyriqs been on sale for nearly two years. It started slow due to a variety of startup issues, but sales hit a healthy 13,094 in the first half of 2024. Acura just began selling the ZDX  GMs building Honda's first SUV because Hondas a bit behind the curve on EV production; it aims to catch up over the next couple of years. Acura has sold 338 ZDXs in its first two months on the market

The 2024 Acura ZDX electric luxury SUV has a traditional gauge and instrument layout, unlike the Cadillac Lyriq

2024 Acura ZDX trim levels and prices

ZDX A-Spec single motor (rear-wheel drive): $64,500

ZDX A-Spec dual motor (all-wheel drive): $68,500

ZDX Type S (dual motors, AWD): $73,500

ZDX Type S with performance tires and wheels (dual motors, AWD): $74,500

Source: Acura and Edmunds. Prices exclude $1,350 destination charge.

2024 Acura ZDX front seat.

Acura ZDX selling points

Qualifies for $7,500 federal tax credit

Google built-in connected navigation, apps, etc.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Bang & Olufsen audio

Hands-free driving system for limited access highways and many major surface roads, including automatic lane changes

Up to 313-mile range

How big? Hows charging?

The ZDX seats five. Front and rear passenger space are good. Cargo room is typical of five-seat SUVs.

The dash includes a traditional gauge cluster in front of the driver and a separate touch screen rising above the center stacks climate controls and vents.

Thats one of the most obvious differences from the Lyriq, which has a 33-inch glass panel stretching from the drivers door to the middle of the dash board. It incorporates everything from gauges to a touch screen and controls for nearly all functions.

The interior of my deep red ZDX was trimmed in black and white leather. The seats were comfortable and supportive.

The ZDX measures 197.7 inches long, 77.0 inches wide and 64.4 inches tall. It has 7 inches of ground clearance, enough to make it look like an SUV without needing running boards for easy access.

Story continues

Like the Lyriq, the ZDX comes with a 102 kWh battery. It delivers an EPA-rated 313 miles in rear-drive models, 304 in the A-Spec and 278 in the more powerful Type S.

The first two are comparable Lyriq drivetrains. The Lyriq doesnt yet offer a high-performance setup like the Type S. Id be surprised if ones not scheduled for the 25 or 26 model year, though.

The ZDX can charge at up to 190 kW, again matching the Lyriq. That allows the battery to add up to 81 miles range in 10 minutes or charge from 20% to 80% in 42 minutes in DC fast charging.The ZDXs range and charging ratings are comparable to most competitive vehicles.

Rear seat of 2024 Acura ZDX electric luxury SUV.

Selected competitors:

Audi Q8 E-tron

BMW iX

Cadillac Lyriq

Genesis GV60

Kia EV6

Mercedes

Polestar 3

Tesla X

The 2024 Acura ZDX electric luxury SUV has Appe CarPlay and Android Auto.

Driving impressions

My impressions are based on a short drive on surface streets in suburbs and near the beaches just north of San Diego. I drove a well-equipped all-wheel drive ZDX A-Spec with dual motors  one on each axle  producing 490 hp and 427 pound-feet of torque.

Shortly before driving the ZDX, I had a well-equipped rear-wheel-drive Lyriq for a week in Michigan that included highways, city and country driving.

Despite similar dimensions, theres no resemblance between the two. The Cadillacs interior was also markedly different, thanks to different screens, controls, colors and materials.

Both accelerated confidently. The steering is direct and responsive. Theres very little road or wind noise. The rear-drive ZDX is about 130 pounds lighter than the Lyriq. The situation reverses, with the AWD Cadillac claiming to be about 120 pounds lighter.

Both have effective one-pedal driving settings that are easy to modulate in sporty driving.

Theyre easy and enjoyable to drive. I look forward to longer drives when I can compare comfort, range and audio systems  Bang & Olufsen for ZDX; AKG in the Lyriq  at greater length.

The 2024 Acura ZDX electric luxury SUV is on sale now

Why get a ZDX?

Acuras overdue to offer an electric SUV, but the ZDX remedies that. Its range, charging performance and driving manners are fully competitive, while its styling and materials suit Hondas luxury brand to a T.

2024 Acura ZDX at a glance

Midsize electric luxury SUV

Rear- or all-wheel drive

Model tested: All-wheel drive A-Spec

Estimated price as tested: $68,500 (excluding $1,350 destination charge)

Powertrain: Dual front and rear electric motors

Output: 490 hp; 436 pound-feet of torque

Transmission: Direct-drive single speed

EPA estimated range: 304 miles

Charging time: 10 hours at 240v; DC fast charging: 81 miles in 10; 20%-80% in 42 minutes. Max 190 kW.

Wheelbase: 121.8 inches

Length: 197.7 inches

Width: 77 inches (without mirrors)

Height: 64.4 inches

Ground clearance: 7 inches

Cargo room: 29.7 cubic feet behind rear seat; 63 behind front seat.

Curb weight: 5,904 pounds

Towing capacity: 3,500 pounds

Assembled in Spring Hill, Tennessee

Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2024 Acura ZDX EV built by Cadillac is best of both brands
Feverpitched / Getty Images/iStockphoto

When you buy a home, your monthly expenses can run much higher than your mortgage payment.

Home insurance, maintenance costs, home association dues, and property taxes can spike your monthly outlay by hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Thats why its important to keep all of these costs in mind when searching for a home.

Explore More: Housing Market 2024  Home Prices Are Plummeting in 10 Formerly Overpriced Housing Markets

Find Out: How to Get Rich in Real Estate Starting with Just $1,000

To help direct you towards places that can keep your total cost low, GOBankingRates compiled data from The Tax Foundation and the U.S. Census Bureau to locate states where both home prices and property taxes are low.

If youre looking for a home in one of these seven states, your dollar can stretch a lot farther and bring your dream of homeownership closer.

Lets dig a little deeper into some bargain markets for smart buyers.

Earning passive income doesn't need to be difficult. You can start this week.

Alabama

Tax rate: 0.4%

Median home value: $200,900

Average annual property tax: $803.59

Alabama has one of the lowest property tax rates in the country, along with average home prices that are roughly 45% below the national average.

Put the two together and youll find one of the few states where the average annual property tax payment is roughly $800 per month, or less than $67 per month.

According to U.S. News and World Report, Alabama also has the 3rd-lowest overall cost of living in the country, making it extremely affordable.

Trending Now: In Less Than a Year, Youll Regret Not Having Bought Property in These 20 Housing Markets

Louisiana

Tax rate: 0.56%

Median home value: $196,300

Average annual property tax: $1,095.89

Looking for a monthly property tax bill of roughly $91? Consider buying your home in Louisiana.

With property tax rates about half the national average and median home values below $200,000, Louisianas housing market is extremely affordable.

According to U.S. News and World Report, however, Louisiana ranks No. 48 in average household income. This can make it hard for Louisiana residents to search for a home in all but the most affordable states.

Wyoming

Tax rate: 0.56%

Median home value: $252,800

Average annual property tax: $1,404.42

Those enjoying the wide expanses of the great outdoors might fancy buying a home in Wyoming, and it wont cost a pretty penny.

Property tax rates run about 50% of the national average, and home prices are more than $100,000 below the median price across the country.

Add it all up and youre looking at a monthly property tax bill of about $117.

Story continues

Kentucky

Tax rate: 0.83%

Median home value: $206,600

Average annual property tax: $1,710.91

Kentucky property tax rates are relatively high compared with others on this list, although still significantly below the national average. Low median home values in the state help bring down the average annual property tax rate close to $1,700, or roughly $142 per month.

The state does rank No. 46 in terms of annual household income, however, part of the reason why housing values remain depressed on a national basis.

Nevada

Tax rate: 0.59%

Median home value: $232,400

Average annual property tax: $1,369.6

In addition to low property tax rates and home valuations, Nevada residents dont have to pay any state income tax. This can free up more of their monthly budgets for housing payments.

The median income for Nevada residents is relatively high, ranking No. 23 in the country according to U.S. News and World Report. This makes housing even more affordable in the state.

Arkansas

Tax rate: 0.64%

Median home value: $179,800

Average annual property tax: $1,154.52

Homes in Arkansas are among the most affordable in the country, coming in at an average below $180,000. While property tax rates are a bit higher than some states, they are still a far cry from the national average of 1.10%, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

U.S. News and World Report dubs Arkansas the most affordable state in the country on an overall basis, so affordable housing and property tax rates shouldnt come as a surprise.

Utah

Tax rate: 0.57%

Median home value: $275,400

Average annual property tax: $1,570.69

Utah property tax rates run about half of the 1.10% national average, and home prices are still far below the median in America. As a result, youd only have to save about $131 per month if you want to pay your annual property tax bill.

As Utah ranks No. 9 in the country in median household income, according to U.S. News and World Report, housing can be extremely affordable for state residents.

As a side note, USNWR also ranks Utah No. 1 in terms of best states overall, meaning it boasts a very high quality of life.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 States With Cheap Housing Markets and Low Property Taxes
Members of ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) can now apply to become registered auditors in a move that will help alleviate talent shortages and widen diversity in the audit sector

Following accreditation last year by South Africas Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors, members of ACCA are now able to apply to become registered auditors in the country.

The development will help to alleviate the audit talent shortage. It will also further strengthen ACCAs contribution to South Africas economy and society, including increasing inclusion and diversity in the audit sector.

Commenting on this, ACCA Southern Africa cluster head, Portia Mkhabela, said: "Were delighted that the pathway for ACCA members and future members to gain registered auditor status in South Africa is now available.

"This is good news for our current members and students, and it will also increase the appeal of accountancy as a potential career for those just starting out.

"Were also very much looking forward to working with employers of auditors on the opportunities this offers them in terms of strengthening the talent and skills of their teams."

ACCA director for Africa, Jamil Ampomah, said: "This recognition is a positive reflection of the quality of the ACCA Qualification, the professional standards of our members, and our well-established presence in South Africa.

"It will bring new opportunities for our members and future members. It will also help employers in the audit sector by increasing the size and diversity of their talent pool."

ACCA as an addtional professional body in South Africa has been awarded accreditation by the IRBA. ACCA was required to demonstrate how it met a rigorous set of criteria and have the application reviewed by an independent panel.

ACCA members applying to become registered auditors will need to meet audit experience requirements and have undertaken relevant exam options within the ACCA Qualification. They can then apply for ACCAs South Africa Audit Qualification, which allows them to register for the IRBAs Audit Development Programme, an up to 18-month process which leads to registered auditor status.

The skills of ACCA members in audit are also recognised through audit regulatory recognition in other countries such as the UK, Ireland and Zimbabwe. ACCAs qualification model has been welcomed in South Africa throughout its long history in the country, providing a route to becoming an accountancy professional that is both inclusive and innovative.

"ACCA: New pathway to registered auditor status opens up in South Africa" was originally created and published by The Accountant, 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.
(Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. is seeking to get a Chinese court to alter its written ruling in a lawsuit the iPhone maker won, an unusual move that underscores the sensitivity of the US companys position in the worlds largest smartphone arena.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Apple has filed a petition asking the Supreme Peoples Court to make tweaks to select sentences in a ruling that ended a dispute over the cut of app revenue it takes from most developers, according to an excerpt of the filing seen by Bloomberg News. The iPhone maker wants the nations highest court to strike references to Apples dominant position from a decision written by a lower court, which in May tossed out the lawsuit due to a lack of evidence. Its also objecting to a phrase suggesting unfair pricing may hurt consumers.

Apple appears to be trying to play down its market position in China, where its often neck-and-neck with Huawei Technologies Co. and other high-end smartphone makers at the top of quarterly shipment rankings. The characterization of Apples dominance  in an official court decision  may get cited in future filings or cases at a time when regulators globally are closely scrutinizing tech giants. At issue is the fee that Apple and its rivals charge developers for hosting their apps on the store  as high as 50% in the case of popular Android mobile games in China, versus a general 30% in much of the rest of the world.

Apples unusual move to try and alter the language of a decision already in its favor reflects its delicate position in China  both its largest international market and biggest production base. The company is grappling with resurgent rival Huawei and the uncertainty of a ban on the use of foreign devices in many state firms and agencies. Globally, Apple and Google  which runs the Android app store  have been forced to defend app store policies to regulators in Europe and the US.

Apple is defending its fees on multiple fronts, including a lawsuit at home in the US and via challenges in Europe, South Korea and Japan. It has consistently argued its commissions are justified by the security and peace of mind that the app store provides users, while giving developers a global showcase.

In May, a Shanghai court dismissed a lawsuit over that practice, after ruling there was insufficient evidence to show Apple had abused its status. The plaintiff in that case accused Apple of abusing its market position, both with a 30% commission on in-app purchases and by restricting payment methods.

Story continues

An Apple representative didnt respond to requests for comment. The plaintiff  surnamed Jin  submitted a separate appeal in which she argued Apple is charging a fee in China that is higher than in Europe and the US, and that the iPhone maker was suppressing transactions through its policies.

The ruling coincides with moves by major Chinese developers and store operators to try and change the dynamics of the domestic app ecosystem.

In June, Tencent Holdings Ltd. made a surprise move to pull hit game DnF Mobile off Android app stores operated by Chinese smartphone makers including Huawei and Oppo, citing unspecified adjustments in their collaborations. Tencent executives have long expressed frustration over the up-to-50% cut those app platforms take from in-game purchases.

At the same time, Huawei is considering taking a cut of in-app purchases on its own Harmony mobile operating system, levying a fee for the first time as its smartphones grab market share from Apple.

--With assistance from Jessica Sui.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Dividend stocks can be an appealing choice for investors seeking regular income, particularly in the United Kingdom where the average yield hovers around 3.9%. However, it's crucial to examine the sustainability of these dividends. Companies with excessively high payout ratios may struggle to maintain their dividend payments, which could pose a risk to investors' capital. In this discussion, we will explore why certain stocks like Dowlais Group might not be ideal for your dividend portfolio due to such financial strains.

Top 10 Dividend Stocks In The United Kingdom

Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating James Latham (AIM:LTHM) 6.38%  Impax Asset Management Group (AIM:IPX) 7.10%  Keller Group (LSE:KLR) 3.56%  DCC (LSE:DCC) 3.53%  Plus500 (LSE:PLUS) 5.82%  Grafton Group (LSE:GFTU) 3.90%  Big Yellow Group (LSE:BYG) 3.87%  Rio Tinto Group (LSE:RIO) 6.43%  NWF Group (AIM:NWF) 4.39%  Hargreaves Services (AIM:HSP) 6.67% 

Click here to see the full list of 56 stocks from our Top Dividend Stocks screener.

We'll examine a selection from our screener results and one of the companies to potentially avoid.

Top Pick

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: London Security plc is an investment holding company that operates in the fire protection sector, manufacturing, selling, and renting equipment across several European countries, with a market capitalization of approximately 386.19 million.

Operations: The company generates revenue primarily through the provision and maintenance of fire protection and security equipment, totaling 219.71 million.

Dividend Yield: 3.7%

London Security's dividend yield of 3.7% is lower than the top UK dividend payers, and its history shows volatility in payments over the last decade, reflecting some instability. However, it maintains a healthier payout scenario with a 65.3% earnings coverage and 79.8% cash flow coverage, ensuring dividends are sustainably funded by both profits and cash reserves. Recent board affirmations to maintain the 0.42 per share dividend further reflect a commitment to steady shareholder returns despite past fluctuations.

AIM:LSC Dividend History as at Jul 2024

One To Reconsider

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Dowlais Group plc is a manufacturer and seller of automotive parts operating across the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Africa, with a market capitalization of approximately 0.96 billion.

Story continues

Operations: The company's revenue is primarily generated from three segments: automotive parts contributing 3.84 billion, powder metallurgy at 1.02 billion, and hydrogen with 5 million.

Dividend Yield: 8.1%

Dowlais Group plc offers a high dividend yield of 8.12%, ranking in the top 25% of UK dividend payers. However, this attractive yield is undermined by significant sustainability issues; the dividends are not well-covered by either earnings or cash flows, and the company is currently unprofitable. Additionally, recent executive changes with the termination of two directors could signal internal instability. The initiation of a share buyback program for 50 million might suggest an attempt to stabilize share price rather than a focus on maintaining dividend payouts.

LSE:DWL Dividend History as at Jul 2024

Where To Now?

Dive into all 56 of the Top Dividend Stocks we have identified here.

Have you diversified into one of these companies? Leverage the power of Simply Wall St's portfolio to keep a close eye on market movements affecting your investments.

Take control of your financial future using Simply Wall St, offering free, in-depth knowledge of international markets to every investor.

Curious About Other Options?

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 AIM:LSCLSE:DWL and

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
TOKYO (AP)  Japan issued its first new banknotes in two decades Wednesday, yen packed with 3D hologram technology to fight counterfeiting.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida praised as historic the state-of-the-art anti-counterfeit traits of the new 10,000 yen, 5,000 yen and 1,000 yen bills.

I hope the people will like the new bills, and they will help energize the Japanese economy, he told reporters at the Bank of Japan.

While the new bills were released with fanfare, currency already in use will remain valid. In fact, people will still need older bills to use most vending machines and to pay bus fares, local media reported.

Kishida noted the people featured on the bills celebrate Japanese capitalism, womens equality and scientific innovation.

The 10,000 yen bill, worth about $62 at the current exchange rate, has the face of Eiichi Shibusawa, known as the father of Japanese capitalism, a key figure in building Japans modern economy. He is credited with founding hundreds of companies.

The 5,000 yen bill, worth about $30, features Umeko Tsuda, a pioneer feminist and educator who founded a college. The 1,000 yen note, worth about $6.20, portrays physician and bacteriologist Shibasaburo Kitasato, who was instrumental in the research of tetanus and the bubonic plague.

The backs of each of the bills feature Tokyo Station, wisteria flowers and ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusais Mount Fuji, respectively.

The new bills also feature larger printing so theyre easier to read, especially for the nations aging population.

By the end of March next year, nearly 7.5 billion new banknotes will have been printed, according to the government. The amount of money in the new bills going out in a single day is estimated at 1.6 trillion yen ($10 billion).

It may take some time for ordinary people to get hold of the new bills. They first are going to banks and other financial organizations. Then, they'll be distributed to automatic teller machines and stores, according to the Bank of Japan.

A majority of transactions in Japan still are done in cash and cashless payments have been slower to catch on than in many other countries.

Although the world is moving toward cashless interactions, we believe cash remains important as a way for safely settling payments anywhere and anytime, said Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda.

___

AP videographer Mayuko Ono contributed to this report.

Yuri Kageyama is on X: https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
China's largest artificial intelligence (AI) conference will kick off in Shanghai this Thursday, with mainland enterprises expected to present innovations that could help the country narrow the gap with the United States in the technology's development.

Premier Li Qiang will deliver the opening speech at the 2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), which concludes on Saturday, as the event's main theme of "Governing AI for Good and for All" highlights the country's efforts to lead the creation of vital AI standards amid stifling US sanctions and rising tensions between Beijing and Washington.

The seventh edition of WAIC, where more than 1,500 AI-related products and systems are expected to be exhibited, will be held just days after Beijing scored a diplomatic win in the United Nations.

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.

On Monday, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a China-led resolution that calls on the international community to create a "free, open, inclusive and non-discriminatory" business environment among wealthy and developing nations for AI development.

Elon Musk speaks at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on August 29, 2019. Photo: Reuters alt=Elon Musk speaks at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on August 29, 2019. Photo: Reuters>

More than 500 enterprises are expected to take part in this year's conference, with the leaders of major tech companies expected to speak at the event.

A prominent invited speaker is billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk - the chief executive of Tesla and Space Exploration Technologies, as well as executive chairman of X, formerly Twitter - who last year extolled China in a live-streamed speech at WAIC as "being great at anything it puts its mind into", including AI.

Other speakers expected at WAIC include Baidu co-founder, chairman and chief executive Robin Li Yanhong; Ant Group executive chairman and chief executive Eric Jing; and Wang Jian, founder of Alibaba Group Holding's cloud computing unit. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.

Chinese AI champion SenseTime, headquartered at the Hong Kong Science Park, has said it will release at the event its large language model (LLM) upgrade SenseNova 5.5. LLMs underpin generative AI services like ChatGPT.

Story continues

SenseTime's Hong Kong-listed shares on Wednesday closed 17.39 per cent higher to HK$1.62.

Attendees are seen at the MetaX booth during last year's edition of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. Photo: Bloomberg alt=Attendees are seen at the MetaX booth during last year's edition of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. Photo: Bloomberg>

While LLMs are expected to remain a hot topic at this year's conference, a number of Chinese semiconductor developers could potentially steal the thunder from other WAIC exhibitors.

Shanghai-based graphics processing unit (GPU) developer Iluvatar Corex, Moore Threads, Sophgo, and Tencent Holdings-backed start-up Enflame Technology will showcase AI chips designed to fill the void left by Nvidia in the domestic market because of US tech restrictions. Another domestic GPU developer, Biren Technology, is expected to take part in industry discussions at the conference.

Huawei Technologies' AI chip unit, Ascend, will host a closed-door forum during the conference, focusing on the computing power needed in this era of big AI models. The US government has threatened to impose more sanctions on Shenzhen-based Huawei after developing an advanced 7-nanometre smartphone processor.

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.
China is far ahead of other countries in generative AI inventions like chatbots, filing six times more patents than its closest rival the United States, U.N. data showed on Wednesday.

Generative AI, which produces text, images, computer code and even music from existing information, is exploding with more than 50,000 patent applications filed in the past decade, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which oversees a system for countries to share recognition of patents.

A quarter of them were filed in 2023 alone, it said.

"This is a booming area this is an area that is growing at increasing speed. And it's somewhere that we expect to grow even more," Christopher Harrison, WIPO Patent Analytics Manager, told reporters.

More than 38,000 GenAI inventions were filed by China between 2014-2023 versus 6,276 filed by the United States over the same period, WIPO said.

Harrison said the Chinese patent applications covered a broad area of sectors from autonomous driving to publishing to document management.

South Korea, Japan and India were ranked third, fourth and fifth respectively, with India growing at the fastest rate, the data showed.

Among the top applicants were China's ByteDance - which owns video app TikTok - Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, (BABA) and Microsoft (MSFT), a backer of startup OpenAI which created ChatGPT.

While chatbots with the ability to mimic human discourse are already being widely used by retailers and others to improve customer service, GenAI has the potential to transform many other economic sectors like science, publishing, transportation or security, WIPO's Harrison said.

"The patent data suggests this is an area that is going to have a profound impact across many different industrial sectors going forward," said WIPO's Harrison, highlighting the scientific sector where GenAI-created molecules have the potential to expedite drug development.

WIPO said it expects a further wave of patents to be filed soon and plans to release a future update of the data, possibly using GenAI to illustrate the trend.

(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
(Reuters) -The European Union is drawing up plans to impose customs duties on cheap goods bought from Chinese online retailers including Temu, Shein, and AliExpress, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing three people briefed on the matter.

The European Commission later this month will suggest scrapping a current 150 euros ($161) threshold under which items can be bought duty free, the report said.

Under current EU regulations, packages purchased online from a non-EU country are not subject to customs duties if their value is under 150 euros.

Two billion parcels with a declared value of less than 150 euros arrived in the EU from outside countries in 2023, according to the Commission, which says "the sheer volumes of e-commerce are testing customs' limits".

The EU has been discussing abolishing the limit as part of a customs reform project proposed by the Commission in May 2023, but it could now seek to speed up its adoption to counter the surge of cheap imports, the FT report said.

"We are fully supportive of efforts by lawmakers to reform the de minimis provision," a spokesperson for Shein said, while AliExpress parent Alibaba, Temu, and the European Union did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Critics of Shein and Temu in the United States have already complained that they use import tax exemption there to undercut rivals and avoid customs inspections of their products.

The practice helps the two companies offer dresses for as little as $8 and smart watches for $25 to shoppers around the world.

($1 = 0.9309 euros)

(Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala and Rashmi Aich)
Some stocks are best avoided. It hits us in the gut when we see fellow investors suffer a loss. Spare a thought for those who held Everyman Media Group plc (LON:EMAN) for five whole years - as the share price tanked 71%. Furthermore, it's down 13% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. This could be related to the recent financial results - you can catch up on the most recent data by reading our company report.

Since shareholders are down over the longer term, lets look at the underlying fundamentals over the that time and see if they've been consistent with returns.

See our latest analysis for Everyman Media Group

Everyman Media Group wasn't profitable in the last twelve months, it is unlikely we'll see a strong correlation between its share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Arguably revenue is our next best option. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually desire strong revenue growth. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size.

In the last half decade, Everyman Media Group saw its revenue increase by 13% per year. That's a pretty good rate for a long time period. So the stock price fall of 11% per year seems pretty steep. The market can be a harsh master when your company is losing money and revenue growth disappoints.

You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

Balance sheet strength is crucial. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time.

A Different Perspective

Everyman Media Group shareholders are down 18% for the year, but the market itself is up 11%. 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, longer term shareholders are suffering worse, given the loss of 11% doled out over the last five years. We'd need to see some sustained improvements in the key metrics before we could muster much enthusiasm. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Everyman Media Group better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Everyman Media Group (including 1 which is a bit concerning) .

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).

Story continues

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on British exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
(Bloomberg) -- A decade ago, Renesas Electronics Corp. was under government control and bleeding cash. Now worth $35 billion, the Japanese chipmaker is targeting a market value of around $100 billion by 2030, thanks to a string of overseas acquisitions.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Behind those deals is former Merrill Lynch banker Hidetoshi Shibata. Five years into his tenure as chief executive officer, the 51-year-old sees new business in India and in AI-enabling microcontrollers helping the company double annual revenue to a record $20 billion by the end of the decade. His ambition to triple the companys valuation to 16 trillion to 17 trillion comes as a fresh surge in AI enthusiasm lifts shares of the chipmaker behind Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. to their highest since the global financial crisis.

Shares rose 5.1% Wednesday, their biggest rise since May 23, after the news.

Formed out of the chip arms that originated from NEC Corp., Hitachi Ltd. and Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Renesas in 2009 was the worlds No. 3 chipmaker in sales after Intel Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. But its fortunes faded alongside its Japanese clients. In addition, damage to a key factory in the March 2011 Japan quake prompted automakers to cut their exposure to any single supplier, and Renesas soon ceded ground to rival NXP Semiconductors NV.

Since joining the company as chief financial officer in 2013, Shibatas orchestrated a string of acquisitions. This year, Renesas announced a $6 billion deal to buy Australia-listed software firm Altium Ltd. to move upstream in product development and electronics design.

Shibata is also aiming higher with embedded semiconductors, or chips designed to work with other processors within systems such as cars and robots, where the company had previously said it aims to be No. 3 in the world.

We need to be a real global player, Shibata said in an interview last month. Its meaningless to be a major player in Japan. We have to be the top, globally. I want to make that happen.

In 2021, the company acquired UK-based Dialog Semiconductor Plc for $6 billion and earlier bought San Jose-based Integrated Device Technology Inc. and Milpitas, California-based Intersil Corp., in part to expand beyond the automotive sector into data centers and consumer devices. Shibatas also expressed interest in compound semiconductors, which remain popular among electric vehicle makers.

Story continues

Shibatas buying spree has helped reduce Renesas reliance at home and expand abroad. Japan accounted for 26% of total sales last year, down from 44% in 2016. Sales to other Asian countries and Europe and North America have all increased during the same period.

India, which currently accounts for only a fraction of Renesas sales, will be important to future growth, according to Shibata. The company aims to earn at least 10% of revenue from the South Asian nation by the end of this decade, betting on that markets fast-growing need for electronics. Renesas plans to increase headcount in India 20-fold to 1,000 employees by 2025.

Renesas was effectively nationalized during a 2013 bailout led by state-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan. When Shibata decided to join Renesas, he said he felt like he was picking chestnuts out of a fire. Shibata slashed headcount, withdrew from non-core operations such as 4G smartphone chips and accelerated acquisitions.

For about ten years, Renesas kept on losing market share, said Masaya Yamasaki, a senior analyst at Nomura Securities Co. Now they look ready to take things forward more aggressively - theyve got quite a good balance in their product portfolio.

Renesas push coincides with an aggressive campaign by Japan to turn the worlds fourth-largest economy into a chip powerhouse. In less than three years, Tokyo has committed to investing 4 trillion ($25 billion) in semiconductors and other advanced tech, including as much as 15.9 billion to cover a third of the cost to expand capacity at three Renesas plants. The Tokyo government has also encouraged publicly-traded companies to take steps to improve shareholder value, with Shibatas comments marking a rare example of a Japanese CEO setting out plans to boost the share price.

As of 2023, Renesas was the second-largest maker of automotive processors after NXP, followed by Infineon Technologies AG, according to TechInsights analyst Asif Anwar.

Renesas is incorporating chiplets into its semiconductors, reducing costs while allowing for more customization, he said. The strategy is geared to help Renesas meet growing demand for chip architectures suited for EVs and self-driving and connected vehicles.

Renesas will say they want to be number one and so will NXP and so will Infineon and so will Qualcomm, Anwar said. Well see over the next maybe three to four years how that shifts over time and who comes out on top.

(Updates with share reaction and background from third paragraph. A previous version corrected the number of Renesas plants benefiting from government investment.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
The Indian stock market has shown robust growth, rising by 1.7% in the last week and an impressive 45% over the past year, with expectations of earnings growing by 16% annually in the coming years. In this climate, identifying undervalued stocks can offer investors potential opportunities for significant value, especially when market performance indicates strong underlying economic momentum.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks Based On Cash Flows In India

Name Current Price Fair Value (Est) Discount (Est) Updater Services (NSEI:UDS) 303.25 540.89 43.9% IOL Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals (BSE:524164) 427.35 636.71 32.9% Rajesh Exports (NSEI:RAJESHEXPO) 284.25 496.46 42.7% Strides Pharma Science (NSEI:STAR) 941.85 1664.05 43.4% Vedanta (NSEI:VEDL) 457.85 733.98 37.6% Mahindra Logistics (NSEI:MAHLOG) 545.20 906.63 39.9% Delhivery (NSEI:DELHIVERY) 398.05 741.73 46.3% PVR INOX (NSEI:PVRINOX) 1470.25 2549.99 42.3% TV18 Broadcast (NSEI:TV18BRDCST) 45.55 71.69 36.5% Godrej Properties (NSEI:GODREJPROP) 3301.10 5737.83 42.5%

Click here to see the full list of 16 stocks from our Undervalued Indian Stocks Based On Cash Flows screener.

We'll examine a selection from our screener results

Overview: Delhivery Limited offers supply chain solutions across various sectors including e-commerce, FMCG, and manufacturing in India, with a market capitalization of approximately 294 billion.

Operations: The company generates 81.42 billion from logistics services tailored to diverse industries such as e-commerce, FMCG, and manufacturing.

Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 46.3%

Delhivery, currently priced at 398.05, is significantly undervalued based on DCF models with an estimated fair value of 741.73, indicating a potential undervaluation of over 20%. Despite a recent executive departure and net losses reducing year-over-year in Q4 2024, Delhivery is expected to turn profitable within three years. The company's revenue growth outpaces the Indian market average at 14.4% annually compared to 9.6%, supported by strategic expansions like its new subsidiary for drone technology and enhanced B2B operations for SUGAR Cosmetics.

NSEI:DELHIVERY Discounted Cash Flow as at Jul 2024

Overview: Godrej Properties Limited focuses on real estate construction and development in India, with a market capitalization of approximately 91.79 billion.

Operations: The company generates its revenue primarily from real estate, contributing 29.95 billion, and a smaller segment in hospitality, which adds 0.41 billion.

Story continues

Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 42.5%

Godrej Properties, with a current price of 3301.1, appears undervalued compared to the DCF-derived fair value of 5737.83. Despite trading 42.5% below this estimate, its financial performance shows promise with significant revenue growth at 31.7% annuallysurpassing the Indian market's 9.6%. However, concerns linger as its debt is poorly covered by operating cash flow and its Return on Equity is expected to remain low at 14.1% in three years' time, despite robust earnings growth forecasts of 35.72% annually.

NSEI:GODREJPROP Discounted Cash Flow as at Jul 2024

Overview: RITES Limited offers consultancy, engineering, and project management services across various sectors including railways, highways, and renewable energy, with a market cap of approximately 168.30 billion.

Operations: RITES Limited generates revenue through several segments, including domestic consultancy at 11.94 billion, domestic turnkey construction projects at 9.03 billion, domestic leasing at 1.38 billion, export sales at 1.03 billion, and consultancy abroad at 0.95 billion.

Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 25.5%

RITES, priced at 700.35, trades significantly below its estimated fair value of 939.54, indicating potential undervaluation based on discounted cash flows. Despite a modest dividend yield of 2.57% that is not well-covered by earnings or cash flows, the company's revenue and earnings growth are projected to outpace the broader Indian market with forecasts of 13.4% and 18.5% respectively per year. Recent strategic MoUs with entities like DMRC and DVC highlight expanding operational scope which could support future financial performance.

NSEI:RITES Discounted Cash Flow as at Jul 2024

Key Takeaways

Click through to start exploring the rest of the 13 Undervalued Indian Stocks Based On Cash Flows now.

Invested in any of these stocks? Simplify your portfolio management with Simply Wall St and stay ahead with our alerts for any critical updates on your stocks.

Simply Wall St is your key to unlocking global market trends, a free user-friendly app for forward-thinking investors.

Contemplating Other Strategies?

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 NSEI:DELHIVERY NSEI:GODREJPROP and NSEI:RITES.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
The Rheinmetall AG logo can be seen on the facade of the company headquarters. Henning Kaiser/dpa

The German armaments group Rheinmetall is positioning itself for a major order worth billions of euros from Italy for the delivery of hundreds of tanks and other armoured vehicles.

The Dusseldorf-based company intends to set up a joint venture with the Italian armaments giant Leonardo. Both companies have now signed a letter of intent.

Rheinmetall and Leonardo are two of the largest defence companies in Europe, with order books filled by the war in Ukraine and conflicts in other regions.

The two companies will each hold a 50% stake in the joint venture, which will develop a main battle tank and an infantry fighting vehicle. The latter is said to be a version of Rheinmetall's Lynx infantry fighting vehicle, while the main battle tank is likely to be the Panther, which is not yet ready for series production.

The new joint venture is expected to land an order from Italy, which according to media reports, could have a volume of 20 billion ($21.5 billion) and a term of more than ten years.

"Together, we want to open the door to a new generation of state-of-the-art combat vehicles in and for Europe," explained Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger.

"We see this agreement as a fundamental contribution to the creation of a common European defence area," said Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingaloni.

Rheinmetall did not provide any information on the potential number of units that the planned joint venture will be targeting, but the German newspaper Handelsblatt has reported that more than 550 tanks are involved, including more than 200 Panthers and at least 350 Lynx.

Rheinmetall already has three subsidiaries with around 1,400 employees at five locations in Italy. The letter of intent for the joint venture must still be approved by the relevant regulatory authorities before it can be implemented.
Google announced its plans to invest $1 billion into its Iowa facilities. It also announced it will contribute $1.3 million towards water quality projects in the Hawkeye state.

Google made the announcement at its Council Bluffs data center campus on Tuesday.

"Todays announcement underscores our commitment to Council Bluffs and the state of Iowa, Joe Kava, Google vice president of global data centers, said in a news release. For more than 15 years, the collaborative community here in Council Bluffs has been our partner in delivering the latest digital technology to the world. We look forward to continuing our work together to keep Iowa a digital leader for years to come.

Joe Kava, Google vice president of global data centers, speaks at an event announcing a $1 billion investment in Googles Council Bluffs data centers on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.

Google's Council Bluffs data center complex was built in 2007 and opened in 2009. A second was opened in 2013. Since the Council Bluffs centers were established, Google has invested more than $5.5 billion into the facilities.

"Whether its supporting our schools, local nonprofits, or the entire community through building out the BLink network, Google has worked to bring economic opportunity to all who live here," Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh said. "Todays continued and monumental investment announcement underscores its dedication to Council Bluffs is as strong as ever, and I look forward to continued collaboration.

The $1 billion investment will go toward the Council Bluffs facility. In 2022, Google announced its plans to spend $600 million towards expansion.

I applaud Googles planned investment of more than $1 billion in its data center campus in Council Bluffs. This decision will create jobs, grow our economy, and support our communities, said U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra. I appreciate Googles long-time commitment to the families of Council Bluffs. I look forward to continue working with Google to promote economic growth, strengthen our workforce, and keep Iowa a leader in digital technology and infrastructure.

Google boasts of generating $1.8 billion worth of economic activity for small businesses in the state just in 2023. Read Google's Iowa 2023 report here.

Today, were seeing once again just how attractive advantages like low taxes, affordable cost of doing business, and a population known for its strong work ethic are to one of the worlds most prominent companies, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds speaks at an event announcing Googles $1 billion investment in its Council Bluffs data centers on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.

Google isn't just investing in the data center, however. According to the release, Google is committed to improving local watershed health where its office campuses and data centers are located and aims to replenish around 120% of the water it consumes.

Story continues

The company also plans to contribute $1.3 million towards a Missouri River Basin stabilization project in collaboration with the Great Outdoors Foundation and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

"This will have a tremendous impact on the watersheds in the immediate footprint of the initiative, but more than that, it will impact the quality of water flowing into the Missouri River, the Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico, all critical to vibrant communities across our nation," said Great Outdoors Foundation CEO Hannah Inman.

The project aims to reduce surface runoff and erosion and improve flood protection, groundwater quality and Iowa's aquatic habitats.

The project will be implemented at 47 different sites in partnership with the Iowa Department of Agriculture, local soil and water conservation districts and Drake University.

"Iowa has the potential to lead the way in protecting our natural resources now, and for generations to come, Inman said.

Kyle Werner is a reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@dmreg.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Google announces $1 billion investment in Council Bluffs data centers
By Fransiska Nangoy and Stefanno Sulaiman

JAKARTA (Reuters) -South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution (LGES) on Wednesday inaugurated Indonesia's first battery cell production plant for electric vehicles with an annual capacity of 10 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of battery cells.

The plant is part of a commitment by Hyundai Motor and LGES to invest up to $9.8 billion in Southeast Asia's largest economy to develop an EV supply chain, the Indonesian government said, to benefit from rich resources of nickel and copper.

"Mineral resources of this nation, such as iron and nickel are important components in batteries that will mobilise millions of EVs globally," Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, said at the factory's opening ceremony.

The plant is integrated with Hyundai's auto factory where the company is set to start producing 50,000 units per year of Kona Electric, an SUV that would use Indonesian-made batteries.

Hyundai and LGES are also preparing to start developing the second phase of the battery plant, which involves an investment of $2 billion to add 20 GWh capacity to the plant.

The companies announced in 2021 that they were investing $1.1 billion in the battery cell plant in West Java province. It has enough annual capacity to produce batteries that can power more than 150,000 battery-based electric vehicles.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said the plant would cement Indonesia's key position in the EV global supply chain as it establishes a domestic processing industry.

"This is the first and largest EV battery cell plant in Southeast Asia, and I am sure we will be able to win this competition with other countries because the nickel, bauxite and copper are here," Jokowi said at the same event.

Indonesia, the world's top producer of nickel, banned exports of raw nickel in 2020 to encourage investment into domestic processing of the metal.

Indonesia's Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia and South Korea's Minister for Trade Cheong Inkyo also met on Wednesday to discuss cooperation in electric vehicles, petrochemicals and the clean energy technologies such as carbon dioxide capture and storage, South Korea's trade ministry said in a statement.

(Reporting by Fransiska Nangoy, Stefanno Sulaiman in Jakarta; Additional reporting by Joyce Lee in Seoul; Editing by Devjyot Ghoshal and Miral Fahmy)
Key Insights

The projected fair value for HSS Engineers Berhad is RM1.75 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of RM1.06 suggests HSS Engineers Berhad is potentially 39% undervalued

The average premium for HSS Engineers Berhad's competitorsis currently 24,729%

Does the July share price for HSS Engineers Berhad (KLSE:HSSEB) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. This will be done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow.

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.

See our latest analysis for HSS Engineers Berhad

Step By Step Through The Calculation

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To 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, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM47.3m RM61.2m RM73.8m RM72.4m RM72.3m RM73.0m RM74.2m RM75.9m RM77.9m RM80.2m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ -0.17% Est @ 0.95% Est @ 1.73% Est @ 2.28% Est @ 2.66% Est @ 2.93% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 10% RM42.9 RM50.4 RM55.1 RM49.1 RM44.4 RM40.7 RM37.6 RM34.9 RM32.5 RM30.3

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM418m

Story continues

We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 3.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 10%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2034  (1 + g)  (r  g) = RM80m (1 + 3.6%)  (10% 3.6%) = RM1.2b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM1.2b ( 1 + 10%)10= RM470m

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is RM888m. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of RM1.1, the company appears quite good value at a 39% 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

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at HSS Engineers 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 1.051. 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 HSS Engineers Berhad

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Weakness

Earnings growth over the past year is below its 5-year average.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Construction market.

Shareholders have been diluted in the past year.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Malaysian market.

Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

No apparent threats visible for HSSEB.

Moving On:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For 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 HSS Engineers Berhad, there are three pertinent aspects you should further research:

Risks: As an example, we've found 1 warning sign for HSS Engineers Berhad that you need to consider before investing here. Future Earnings: How does HSSEB'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 High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every 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
When we invest, we're generally looking for stocks that outperform the market average. Buying under-rated businesses is one path to excess returns. For example, long term Meta Wolf AG (FRA:WOLF) shareholders have enjoyed a 57% share price rise over the last half decade, well in excess of the market return of around 0.7% (not including dividends).

Now it's worth having a look at the company's fundamentals too, because that will help us determine if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business.

Check out our latest analysis for Meta Wolf

Given that Meta Wolf didn't make a profit in the last twelve months, we'll focus on revenue growth to form a quick view of its business development. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally hope to see good revenue growth. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size.

The company's revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

Take a more thorough look at Meta Wolf's financial health with this free report on its balance sheet.

What About The Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

We'd be remiss not to mention the difference between Meta Wolf's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price return. The TSR attempts to capture the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested) as well as any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings offered to shareholders. We note that Meta Wolf's TSR, at 199% is higher than its share price return of 57%. When you consider it hasn't been paying a dividend, this data suggests shareholders have benefitted from a spin-off, or had the opportunity to acquire attractively priced shares in a discounted capital raising.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market gained around 4.7% in the last year, Meta Wolf shareholders lost 2.2%. 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. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 24%, each year, over five years. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. 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. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Meta Wolf , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

Story continues

Of course Meta Wolf may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on 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
When New Yorks J.P. Morgan Chase announced in January 2004 that it was buying Bank One, formerly the First National Bank of Chicago, there was much civic hand-wringing over the loss of the citys last hometown banking giant.

This week, employees at Chase Tower celebrated the 20th anniversary of the deals closing with a commemorative brochure and free donuts.

While the $58 billion Bank One acquisition moved the headquarters to New York, it also saved potentially thousands of jobs and put Chicago at the center of what would become the nations largest bank.

We ended up being a great bank, said Jamie Dimon, 68, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, and the architect of the merger. We delivered to Chicago what we said we would deliver, and we did a good job.

Without the merger, Dimon said, the struggling Chicago-based bank might not have thrived, or even survived, the post-millennium financial crises to come.

Founded in 1863, the First National Bank of Chicago was the citys legacy financial institution for more than a century, marking its turf with the eponymous 850-foot Loop skyscraper built in 1969. The tower would go through a number of name changes during a flurry of millennium-era mergers.

The banks parent company, First Chicago, merged with NBD Bancorp of Detroit in 1995, with Chicago winning out as the headquarters. In 1998, Columbus, Ohio-based Banc One acquired First Chicago NBD, relocating to Chicago and changing the name to Bank One.

But the newly merged Bank One failed to meet expectations, with earnings disappointments, a falling stock price, factional in-fighting and the departure of top executives. In 2000, Bank One landed Dimon, a star New York banker and consummate dealmaker, to right the ship.

The son of a stockbroker, Dimon earned his MBA from Harvard in 1982 and began his financial career at American Express. He then moved on to Commercial Credit, which through a series of acquisitions over more than a decade, Dimon helped build into banking behemoth Citigroup.

The April 1998 megamerger of Citicorp and Travelers Group created what was then the largest financial services company in the world. But within months of the merger, Dimon was forced out as president by Sanford Weill, his longtime mentor and chairman of the company.

I had a falling out with Sandy Weill, who fired me, Dimon said. And that started me on the path of looking for what else to do.

A free agent, Dimon considered a number of options including an offer to become CEO of Home Depot. But when Bank One came calling, Dimon jumped at the challenge of building, or in this case, rebuilding a major bank.

Story continues

Named chairman and CEO of Bank One in March 2000, Dimon and his family moved to Chicago and immediately made a splash. He bought a Gold Coast mansion, fittingly on Banks Street, schmoozed with then-Mayor Richard M. Daley and joined civic organizations, where he found leaders receptive to his ideas on fixing the bank.

Dimon tackled a long list of challenges, from the mismatched cultures of previous mergers to banking systems, marketing and the credit card company, which he said was the worst part of the problem.

While he made great strides by cutting costs, cleaning up the credit card business and getting Bank Ones stock to rise sharply, another idea percolated throughout his tenure: finding a potential merger partner.

I actually, even back then, thought if there would ever be a natural merger, it might be with a J.P. Morgan-type, Dimon said.

Formed by the December 2000 merger of J.P. Morgan and Chase Manhattan, the New York-based bank was then the third largest in the U.S. behind Citigroup and Bank of America.

As Dimon settled into his role at Bank One, he met regularly with William Harrison, chairman and CEO of J.P. Morgan Chase, where the merger topic often came up.

Whenever I came to town, I would go visit Harrison, and he and I started talking about the business logic and the fit, Dimon said. But the conversations taking place at one point, they got very serious.

In 2004, J.P. Morgan Chase announced it was buying Bank One for $58 billion. Dimon was named president of the combined bank, which kept the newly stylized JPMorgan Chase name and New York address. He was elevated to CEO in 2006 and chairman the following year.

While the headquarters shifted to New York, Dimon lived in Chicago until 2007 so his two daughters could finish high school. Then the native New Yorker moved back east  just in time to meet the banking challenges and opportunities of the new millennium.

During the Great Recession in 2008, an opportunistic JPMorgan Chase surpassed Citibank as the largest U.S. bank, helped by its acquisition of failed savings and loan giant Washington Mutual, which included a $307 billion loan portfolio.

In March 2023, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapsed amid bank runs and allegations of lax oversight. The following month, First Republic Bank failed under similar circumstances. On May 1, JPMorgan Chase acquired the majority of First Republics assets, including a $173 billion loan portfolio and $30 billion of securities. It also assumed $92 billion in deposits.

JPMorgan Chase remains the largest U.S. bank with $4.1 trillion in assets.

Despite a career spent building enormous banks, Dimon doesnt believe that bigger is always better.

Big is not better, Dimon said. Better is better.

Since the 2004 merger, the Chicago operations of Chase have flourished, with a current count of 15,500 area employees, including about 7,200 who regularly work out of Chase Tower, where Dimon once occupied an office on the ninth floor.

In February, the bank announced that the sloping 60-story skyscraper at 10 S. Dearborn St. will be transformed into a modern collaborative environment. Work has begun on improvements that include a new fitness center, an updated food hall, a refreshed outdoor plaza and enhanced conference centers.

After exploring other locations, Chase decided to double down on the tower, which represents a commitment to both the struggling Loop and the distinctive building itself.

Itll take several years and hundreds of millions of dollars, Dimon said. Its a beautiful building.

Chicago office buildings are still at 56% of pre-pandemic occupancy levels, according to the latest weekly report by Kastle Systems. But Dimon has been bucking the remote and hybrid work trend since the height of the pandemic, pushing for a return to the office as early as September 2020.

In April 2023, he issued a mandate that the banks managing directors return to the office five days a week. Other employees need to be in the office at least three days a week, Dimon said.

Getting younger employees into the office, he said, is a priority.

Young people need it, and we already see evidence young people who are doing too much work from home are being left behind in terms of promotion, pay and relationships, Dimon said.

Dimon, who not only rebuilt the bank but his own career in Chicago, remembers his years in the city fondly, starting with the Bank One turnaround.

But winning over a skeptical city, he said, was hard work.

We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to right the ship, Dimon said. I remember traveling around Chicago, wherever I went, I was being yelled at because our customer service sucked, which I acknowledged.

The merger with Chase also generated significant backlash, with some Chicagoans concerned the takeover would diminish the citys standing as a financial center. Dimon promised the bank would be stronger and more civic-minded as part of something larger.

Now 20 years later, the New York bankers connections to Chicago remain strong, with his older brother, retired physicist Peter Dimon, calling the city home. Beyond the family ties, there is also a thriving national bank where a legacy Chicago bank once stood.

The corporate address is New York and the Chicago moniker is history, but the bank is still integral to the city, a point of pride for Dimon.

While its not the headquarters, its one of the most important companies in Chicago, Dimon said.
Banks across Japan began stocking their ATMs on Wednesday with shiny new yen notes sourced from an unlikely location  vibrant yellow flowering paperbush shrubs that grow on craggy Himalayan mountains in Nepal.

Before entering the wallets of Japanese consumers, the yen notes had a long, complex journey involving months of labor and transport by land and air across thousands of kilometers.

And this process has offered a potential new source of income to communities in one of the worlds poorest countries, by providing cash for one of its richest.

Though Japan has pushed for more digital payments in recent years, cash still reigns king, and it trails behind other Asian countries like China that have gone almost completely cashless.

I really think that Nepal contributed to Japans economy, as cash is fundamental to the Japanese economy, said Tadashi Matsubara, president of Kanpou, the company that produces paper for the Japanese government.

Without Nepal, Japan would not function.

The yellow flowers of the paperbush shrub seen in Dolakha, Nepal, in December 2023. - Tadashi Matsubara

The long journey

The path from shrub to bill begins at the foot of the Himalayas in Nepal, near towns that have long been famous not for their agriculture but as gateways to Mount Everest.

Here, every spring, hillsides erupt in yellow  the flowers of the mitsumata plant, also known as argeli or paperbush, native to the Himalayan range. Its bark has long, strong fibers that are perfect for making thin yet durable paper, according to the Kantou website.

It used to be grown domestically in Japan, but production has been slowly dwindling for years, said Matsubara. Its hard work tied to the countryside, and people are increasingly moving from rural areas to big cities like Tokyo in search of jobs  leaving shrinking villages and dying industries.

The current reality is that the number of farmers who produce paperbush is becoming smaller and smaller, Matsubara said.

The diminishing rural population, worsened by Japans demographic crisis as birth rates plummet, also mean there are no heirs, there are no inheritors to paperbush farms, he added.

Thats where the Nepali supply chain came in.

Farmers processing the paperbush bark in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 2023. - Tadashi Matsubara

Kanpou first went to Nepal through a charity program in the 1990s to help farmers dig wells  and once there, discovered paperbush growing on mountains as far as the eye could see. They began teaching farmers to cultivate the crop, initially only produced and exported in small quantities.

But as the shortage of Japanese paperbush became evident in the following years, Kanpou and the Nepali farmers ramped up production until they became the main source of the yen bill.

Story continues

Its a protracted process, said Matsubara: farmers plant seedlings in early summer, harvest their branches in the fall, then spend several months processing the bark through steaming, peeling, washing and drying.

Once the raw paper is ready in the winter, its sent to the Nepali capital Kathmandu and driven to the western Indian city Kolkata, where its brought by ship to Yokohama, Japan.

After inspection, the paper is further processed, printed, and cut into cash by the National Printing Bureau in nearby Odawara city.

A holographic image of Japanese industrialist Eiichi Shibusawa on a new 10,000-yen banknote, seen at the National Printing Bureau plant in Tokyo, Japan, on June 19, 2024. - Kyodo News/Getty Images

And the new bills being distributed this week boast a number of new features, according to the Bank of Japan  including hologram portraits depicting a number of prominent historical figures to prevent counterfeiting, with the portrait heads appearing to turn from side to side as you move the bill.

While other countries have previously used holograms on currency, this is the first such use of hologram portraits, according to the central bank. Other features include parts of the bill printed in pearl and luminescent ink, and tactile marks for the visually impaired.

Benefit to communities

As the new bills begin circulating, demand for paperbush is rising, with Matsubara saying the new notes appear to use more raw material than the old ones.

In 2022, paper articles and paper scraps  including other products besides the paperbush used for currency  made up more than 9% of Nepals exports to Japan, worth $1.2 million, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), which visualizes and distributes international trade data.

As of last year, more than 60% of transactions in Japan were done with cash, with the remainder by digital payments and other methods, according to the national Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

The profits from the paperbush sales have provided a new revenue stream to Nepali communities, said Matsubara. He claimed the growing industry has helped build new facilities and infrastructure in Kanpous partner villages, and provided newfound financial stability to vulnerable families.

Since 2016, Kanpou has also received aid funding from the governments Japan International Cooperation Agency, allowing them to expand operations, Matsubara said.

Tadashi Matsubara, the president of Kanpou, training farmers on processing paperbush bark in Ilam, Nepal in 2020. - Tadashi Matsubara

Kanpou does not have data on the average incomes for their partner villages, Matsubara said  but he estimated that each household earns less than 10,000 yen (about $62), given the lack of other dominant agricultural products at that altitude.

In 2015, rural Nepali households had an average monthly income of 27,511 Nepalese rupees (about $205), according to global economic database CEIC.

Meanwhile, the latest crop of paperbush from Nepals Ilam district was sold to Japan for more than 180,000 yen (about $1,114)  meaning a revenue of about 30,000 yen ($185) for each of the six farmer groups that participated within the district, Matsubara said.

CNN was unable to independently verify Matsubaras claims.

Initially, this activity was about Japanese aid to Nepal. Now, I think it is different  the Nepalese people are working hard (to help) Japan, he said

Without mitsumata, Nepals (paperbush), we would not have been able to produce the new bill.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The development of drugs and gene therapies for rare diseases is costly. It requires significant investments in advanced technology, clinical trials, and regulatory approvals. But what happens when the development of such gene therapies is paused once they are no longer commercially viable?

A few weeks ago, Swiss biopharma Basilea announced it will sell and transfer all rights for the companys glioblastoma candidate lisavanbulin (BAL101553) to the Glioblastoma Foundation for an undisclosed initial purchase cost. The charitable organisation plans to take over lisavanbuilins post-access trial programme, allowing patients from previous clinical studies to continue receiving the drug.

Similarly, in April 2024, Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in the UK announced that it is attempting to obtain the licence for gene therapy simoladagene autotemcel to treat the rare disease adenosine deaminase-deficient severe combined immunodeficiency (ADA-SCiD) on a non-profit basis. This came after the University College London-spinout Orchard Therapeutics, which planned to bring it to market, dropped out of its development plans. If successful, this will be the first time that an NHS trust has the authorisation to market a drug for this kind of treatment.

ADA-SCiD is a rare genetic disorder marked by a severely deficient immune system due to mutations in the ADA gene, which is crucial for producing the enzyme adenosine deaminase. It causes a severely compromised immune system, leading to recurrent, severe infections, and developmental delays.

Across three clinical trials conducted in the US and UK, 50 patients with ADA-SCiD were treated with simoladagene autotemcel, which was co-developed by labs at UCL and University of California Los Angeles. The overall survival with the gene therapy was 100% in all studies up to 36 months. Event-free survival, defined as no need for enzyme-replacement therapy or rescue allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation, reached 97% and 95% at 24 months, respectively, in the two US studies (NCT01852071 and NCT02999984) and 95% in the UK study (NCT01380990).

The gene therapy is currently available to patients in clinical trials, but it is important for these therapies to be approved. Dr. Claire Booth, who leads the ADA-SCiD clinical trial at GOSH, says We want to ensure that these proven treatments can be offered to patients and families quickly and simply, without the need to look at compassionate use approaches.

Why are gene therapy programmes for rare diseases dropped?

One of the main challenges associated with developing gene therapies is funding. It is difficult to get funding from venture capital or private investors due to small patient populations and uncertain returns. Grants can fund early clinical trials, but not the full development and approval process, which requires more funding, explains Dr. Donald Kohn, lead investigator of the ADA-SCiD programme at UCLA, and Distinguished Professor, Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics.

Another huge challenge is the expensive commercial-grade manufacturing costs. Commercial feasibility plays a big role in pharma companies progressing drug development and this may be challenging in ultra-rare diseases with small patient populations. Advanced therapies like gene therapy are costly and complex to produce.

Simoladagene autotemcel is composed of autologous CD34+ haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) transduced ex vivo with a self-inactivating lentiviral vector encoding human ADA. Lentiviral vector production represents a large portion of the high costs associated with such therapies.

The cost of reagents needed to make a gene therapy product is high, but we hope that this may come down in the future, says Booth.

One company that is trying to tackle high manufacturing costs is Ori Biotech. The biotech, which is headquartered in London, UK and Woodcliff, New Jersey, has developed an automated platform that streamlines the cell therapy manufacturing process.

[Oris] IRO platform takes the most labour-intensive and time-consuming parts: activation, transduction, expansion, and harvest, and automates them into one integrated system without any manual interventions or tubing, said Ori Biotechs CEO Jason Foster.

In doing so, the platform aims to increase throughput, lower cost, and improve reliability by reducing failure rates. Ori has worked with companies like North Carolina-based Inceptor Bio to scale up manufacturing of their chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-M, CAR-T and CAR-NK programmes. One of its candidates IB-T101 is set to enter clinical trials in Q4 2024.

In addition to funding challenges and manufacturing costs, there might also be differences based on locations in how gene therapies are made accessible to patients, says Kohn. He explained that national healthcare systems, like those in Europe, may have some advantage in funding rare disease gene therapies compared to the US healthcare system that includes multiple private payers. With a single national payer, developers only need to negotiate reimbursement with one entity rather than many private insurers. Additionally, Kohn said national systems can recognise that an initially high-cost therapy might save money over many years if it treats a fatal or chronic rare disease.

Can gene therapies be developed not-for-profit?

Just as a nonprofit hospital like GOSH is attempting to license EFS-ADA, there are other cases of individuals taking matters into their own hands, via an untraditional route. Terry Pirovolakis started Elpida Therapeutics, a not-for-profit biotech, after his son Michael was diagnosed with a rare disease called spastic paraplegia type 50 (SPG50) at five months old.

After Michael received his diagnosis, Pirovolakis said: We were told, Go home, love him. There's not much we can do. He'll be paralysed from the waist down by the age of 10, quadriplegic by the age of 20. I just couldn't accept that fate for my child.

Elpida, which is set up as a company but operates as a nonprofit, was initially funded with money from philanthropists. Pirovolakis explained that the model works through partnerships with companies, institutions, and hospitals. When the organisation partners with a hospital, the latter agrees to treat a certain number of patients for free, or at a very low cost. In exchange, Elpida gives the hospital a promissory note.

He explains that funds through incentives from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) like priority review vouchers (PRV) for a gene therapy product will be used to pay the hospitals, and to hopefully fund more programmes.

They're [the hospital] taking on a mutual risk with us knowing that we're trying to do good, not just trying to make money, said Pirovolakis.

Elpida aims to use any money it makes after paying the promissory notes to fund more programmes. Earlier this month, Pirovolakis mentioned that the FDA greenlit Elpidas plans to initiate a Phase III study of its lead candidate Melpida for patients with the rare disorder SPG50. Eight children will be dosed in the trial that is set to begin in August 2024. This is off the back of an ongoing Phase I/II (NCT05518188) trial.

Pirovolakis says there can be a socially acceptable way of dealing with the therapies once theyre deemed commercially unviable. Pharma companies want to help find therapies for rare diseases but also need to consider their best interests. So, when they drop it [a therapy], [giving it] to another company, or back to the university.that's an ethical way of doing things.

When they hold it for five or 10 years, looking for a financial partner to recoup their lost assets, that is not the right way of doing things.

Despite the promise of these alternate models, Pirovolakis delivers a stark reminder: Our model isnt ideal; it is out of necessity.

"Left in limbo: When pharma halts rare disease research" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, 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.
Microsoft (MSFT) has reached a $14.4 million settlement with Californias Civil Rights Department over claims the company discriminated against employees who were on parental and disability leave.

The department announced today that the settlement, which is subject to court approval, means Microsoft has pledged to take numerous steps to prevent future employment abuses.

By allegedly penalizing employees for taking protected forms of leave, Microsoft failed to support workers when they needed to care for themselves or their families, Kevin Kish, director of Californias Civil Rights Department, said in a statement. The settlement announced today will provide direct relief to impacted workers and safeguard against future discrimination at the company.

The complaint said most of those affected have been women and disabled employees. It alleges that employees who used protected leave were given lower bonuses and unfavorable performance reviews.

The agency said that Microsoft failed to take sufficient action to prevent discrimination from occurring, altering the career trajectory of women, people with disabilities and other employees who worked at the company, ultimately leaving them behind.

According to legal filings, a three-year investigation by the agency found managers have commented negatively on employees use of protected leave and Microsofts workplace culture discourages employees from using protected leave.

In an emailed statement to Yahoo Finance, a Microsoft spokesperson said the company "is committed to an environment that empowers our employees to take leave when needed and provides the flexibility and support necessary for them to thrive professionally and personally. While we believe the agencys allegations are inaccurate, we will continue to listen, learn, and support our employees.

Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella speaks at the company's annual developer conference in Seattle, Washington, U.S., May 21, 2024. REUTERS/Max Cherney (REUTERS / Reuters)

The complaint said impacted employees have suffered economic injuries such as lost earnings, lost future employment opportunities, plus other non-economic damages.

Impacted Microsoft workers employed between May 2017 to when the court enters the judgment will be eligible for compensation from a $14.2 million settlement fund. The remainder of the settlement will go toward the agencys enforcement efforts.

The software giant, headquartered in Redmond, Wash., employs 6,700 workers in California and approximately 221,000 worldwide. As a leader in the artificial intelligence boom, its stock has jumped roughly 35% in the past year.

Under the proposed settlement, Microsoft will retain an independent consultant to make recommendations about the companys practices for workers' annual rewards and promotions. It'll also ensure its employees know how to raise complaints about discrimination. The company will be required to report its findings to the department.

Story continues

Californias civil rights agency is cracking down on Big Tech. Last month it settled a $15 million sex-based discrimination lawsuit against Snap (SNAP). The social media company denied the allegations in the suit but said it agreed to settle to avoid a legal battle.

Last December, a historic $54 million settlement was announced in a years-long discrimination lawsuit against video gaming firm Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft that October.

At the time, Activision said in a statement: "We appreciate the importance of the issues addressed in this agreement and we are dedicated to fully implementing all the new obligations we have assumed as part of it."

Microsoft is facing legal challenges on other fronts. Last week, the company and OpenAI were sued in Manhattans federal court by the Center for Investigative Reporting over alleged copyright infringement. The nonprofit newsroom raised concerns over Microsofts significant investment in the ChatGPT maker.

Microsoft is also facing a steep fine after the European Commission, the European Union's antitrust authority, announced last month that the company breached antitrust laws by bundling Teams with its other applications for businesses. The company could be fined up to 10% of its global revenue, which totaled $211 billion in 2023.

Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a statement, "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."

Yasmin Khorram is a Senior Reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow Yasmin on Twitter/X @YasminKhorram and on LinkedIn. Send newsworthy tips to Yasmin: yasmin.khorram@yahooinc.com

Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
Property values in Collier County didn't skyrocket.

Nor did they drop.

They stabilized after the huge spikes seen in 2022 and 2023.

In the Know: Redevelopment after Hurricane Ian and new construction in 2024 like this off Vanderbilt Drive has led to massive growth in Collier County employment for the industry,

While the preliminary data for this year suggested they might have fallen by 1.2%, the final roll shows a 1.58% increase in market values to more than $223 billion countywide.

Jennifer Blaje Plock, director of tax roll compliance/data management at the Collier County Property Appraiser's office, expected an increase, once all the data got crunched, so it didn't come as a surprise to her.

The preliminary roll is just that  and the final roll usually looks different. Especially this year in Collier County, with the later arrival of sales data from the state, Plock said.

Her office submitted the preliminary roll June 1, and the final one July 1 to the Florida Department of Revenue, as required by state law.

"It didnt really change in a month, we just werent finished with our data entry," she shared in an email.

She added: "I knew we were a little light on the market (just) values in each taxing district."

In part, the change reflects the input of more information on sales and new construction.

Local governments, including the county, cities and the school district, use the preliminary tax roll data as a starting point to plan their budgets for the next year.

The Florida Department of Revenue must approve the roll before it becomes certified. Annual property tax notices are mailed by Nov. 1 each year.

In the Know: A crane operates off Vanderbilt Drive in Naples in June 2024. New construction, redevelopment and other endeavors after Hurricane Ian are boosting the industry's workforce in Collier County.

Return of a 'true market"

In the county, property values increased by 41.2% in 2022, following a buying frenzy, and then by another 18.5% in 2023 after Hurricane Ian. Now, it's a different story, in a more stable market.

Ian did some heavy damage in September 2022, especially near the coastline, as it barreled by  before making landfall a county over, as a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane. That led to some significant "land-only sales" that drove up values in the aftermath of the storm, along with other factors, contributing to the spike last year in Collier County.

"We saw a lot of demos," Plock noted, in sharing the preliminary roll for the county a month ago.

Now, Collier's property values are "increasing at a declining rate," reflecting a "true market," she commented.

Despite the shifting market, the county still saw a double-digit increase in taxable values from 2023 to 2024. They rose by more than 10.6%, topping $152.25 billion. That included nearly $3.2 billion in new construction, up in value by almost 7.2% from 2023.

In a more stable market, assessed values, or taxable values, can begin to catch up with market values through the allowable annual tax increases under state law, after any exemptions, Plock emphasized.

Story continues

Construction continues at the site of Bear Creek Elementary School in Naples on Tuesday, June 18, 2024.

The assessed value of a property takes into account any limits or caps on taxes. From there, the taxable value is determined by subtracting out any exemptions, and that's used as the basis for the property tax bill.

In case you missed it: Market values stabilize in Collier County after two years of big spikes

Taxable values rise

In each of the cities and for each fire district, taxable values rose. In part, it reflects the loss of tax caps after properties changed hands.

"Id say on average most taxing authorities are up about 10% in taxable value over last year," Plock said.

The city of Naples saw the largest increase  at 11.45%.

In the Know: Spot the robotic dog under the care of Suffolk Construction.

With taxable values up, the county and cities can generate more money at the same millage, or property tax rate, or choose to raise or lower their rates, with decisions to be made by their leaders over the coming months, Plock explained.

Here's a look at market value changes in the three cities:

In Naples, they rose 1.54% to more than $54.75 billion.

On Marco Island, they increased 0.4% to about $23.82 billion.

In Everglades City, they grew 6.42% to more than $191.72 million.

Outside of the cities, the unincorporated area's values are estimated at nearly $144.32 billion, up by 1.78% over last year.

New construction added more than $785.5 million of market value in Naples, roughly $263 million on Marco, and about $1.27 million in Everglades City.

Slammed by Ian, Naples saw the biggest jump of nearly 82.5% over 2023, in part due to the rebuilding and redevelopment driven by the storm damage.

Outside of the cities, the county gained more than $2.55 billion in value from new construction, up only slightly over last year.

More like this: Despite damage from Hurricane Ian, property values up more than 18.5% in Collier County

What's next?

Now, the property appraiser's office awaits the decisions by the taxing authorities, including the county and cities, as well as the fire districts, on whether they expect to cut, keep or raise their millage rates.

Truth in Millage, or TRIM, notices will be mailed out on Aug. 19, with proposed taxes for next year.

"The TRIM period is an important time for our office as property owners have the opportunity to review their assessments and contact our office to ask questions," Plock said.

The notice provides public hearing dates, as well as contact information for each taxing authority, in case property owners want to provide input before a final vote is taken on the proposed rates.

It also gives property owners time to contest their valuations, if they seem them as unfair.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Taxable property values rise by more than 10.6% in Collier
A mansion completely rebuilt by Jeanne S. Siegel and her late husband, investor and businessman Herbert J. Siegel, has sold on Palm Beachs lakefront for a recorded $51.632 million, the price recorded with the deed.

The condition of the Estate Section house at 200 Via Palma before the renovation was the subject of a protracted water-damage civil lawsuit in which a West Palm Beach jury early last year awarded the Siegels millions of dollars in damages.

The suit claimed the company that sold them the house, furniture and some artwork for $33 million in 2015 failed to disclose knowledge about mold and other problems caused by water intrusion, interior flooding and leaks. The selling entity in the 2015 deal is associated in public records with billionaire and Palm Beach resident Jane Goldman.

Facing 140 feet of frontage on the Intracoastal Waterway, the house was originally built in 1952. It has nine bedroom, six fireplaces and 12,441 square feet of living space, inside and out.

The deed identifies the new owner as Geats LLC, a Delaware-registered limited liability company. The document lists the entity with a mailing address in care of West Palm Beach attorney Paul Kraskers law office. Because of Delawares strict corporate privacy rules, no other information about anyone else connected to the buyer was immediately available in public records.

The Palm Beach Daily News was the first media outlet to report the sale in a July 3 story.

Just sold for a recorded $51.63 million, an estate at 200 Via Palma in Palm Beach overlooks 140 feet of frontage on the Intracoastal Waterway.

The sale closed July 1, the MLS shows.

During their 29-month renovation, the Siegels took the interiors down to the studs and replaced the cabana building near the pool, which looks out to the lake and the dock.

Herbert Siegel died in August 2023 at 95. After investing in a variety of businesses, he built most of his fortune through the ownership of television stations and other media companies after buying the small-boat company Chris-Craft in 1968. He later sold the boat company.

The lot measures nine-tenths of an acre at the west end of Via Palma, four streets north of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club. The house and cabana offer sweeping lake views, according to the sales listing.

The former Siegel house's original architecture was designed by the late noted architect Marion Sims Wyeth. When the Siegels carried out their renovation, they changed the architectural style from the original Palm Beach Regency style to Mediterranean.

Siegel signed the deed to sell the house. Broker Lawrence Moens of Lawrence A. Moens Associates acted for her in the sale, according to the multiple listing service. Moens and his client couldnt be reached for comment.

Story continues

Corcoran Group agent Suzanne Frisbie, who represented the buyer, declined to comment about the transaction.

The main house at the left and the cabana at the right face the lakeside pool and whirlpool spa at 200 Via Palma in Palm Beach. A renovation of a 1950-era house changed the architectural style from Palm Beach Regency to Mediterranean. The estate just sold for a recorded $51.63 million.

Moens priced the estate at $57.85 when he acquired the listing in October 2023. He landed the estate under contract at the tail end of April, the MLS shows.

In the 2015 sale, the buyers were represented by Corcoran Group agents Colleen Hanson and John Campbell. Moens handled the buyer's side.

Moens sales listing described the property as a sensational lakefront compound and said it was in absolutely pristine move-in condition.

The property had been previously listed by another agency.

Interior details include parquet wood floors and a staircase with an elaborate metal-and-wood banister. Photographs show rooms that feature high ceilings and crown moldings.

With a nearby butlers pantry, the contemporary-style kitchen is open to a breakfast area. The layout also includes a formal dining room near the living room.

The main house has two outdoor loggias facing the lake. One has a coffered ceiling and a series of arches that frame views of the water. On the south side of the house, the other loggia has an outdoor fireplace.

The front door at 200 Via Palma in Palm Beach faces Via Palma, an Estate Section street near former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club. The estate just sold for $51.63 million, the price recorded with the deed.

Lawsuit dealt with water problems 'not readily observable' before sale

In February 2023, a six-person jury awarded the Siegels damages of about $7.57 million in the breach-of-contract lawsuit they had filed in 2016 against a YSC Florida LLC, a limited liability company controlled by Goldman, who occupied the house before the sale to the Siegels.

As previously reported by the Palm Beach Daily News, the jury unanimously agreed that the Siegels should have been told about water-related problems not readily observable before the sale closed.

In addition to the damages, the court awarded the Siegels an additional $2.85 million in prejudgment interest along with attorney fees as part of the lawsuit in the 15th Circuit Court.

An appeal is pending, court records show.

A dock stretches into the Intracoastal Waterway from the seawall at 200 Via Palma in Palm Beach. The estate just sold for a recorded $51.63 million.

Jane Goldman is the managing member of YSC Florida LLC, according to court records. She and a fellow member her sister Diane Kemper  signed the sales contract for YSC Florida LLC, according to the lawsuit complaint presented in court.

The two women share ownership of an oceanfront mansion at 1744 S. Ocean Blvd., which was purchased for $51.42 million in 2020, property records show.

Goldman is a principal of Solil Management, a family company that manages assets related to the fortune amassed by her late father, New York City real estate developer Sol Goldman.

Shortly after the Goldman-linked limited liability company sold the house to the Siegels, another entity controlled by Goldman paid a recorded $31 million for the former Kennedy family estate at 1095 N. Ocean Blvd., which she remodeled. In 2020, Goldman-linked companies sold the North Ocean Boulevard estate for $70 million.

*

To see more photos of the estate at 200 Via Palma in Palm Beach, click on the photo gallery at the top of this page.

*

Originally published July 3, this story was updated July 9  the date the deed was recorded by the Palm Beach County Clerk's office  to add information about the buyers side of the sale of 200 Via Palma.

Darrell Hofheinz is a USA TODAY Network of Florida journalist who writes about Palm Beach real estate in his weekly Beyond the Hedges column. He welcomes tips about real estate news on the island. Email dhofheinz@pbdailynews.com, call 561-820-3831 or tweet @PBDN_Hofheinz.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Rebuilt Palm Beach home involved in lawsuit sells for $51.63 million
Over a Century of Assyrian and Lebanese History

This photograph, taken in February 1904, shows an Assyrian father and his children and is part of a collection in the Otago Witness that documented the "Assyrian Quarters, Walker Street." ( Otago Witness) The challenges of Lebanese settlers coming to Dunedin was discussed at a recent historical talk.

Toitu Otago Settlers Museum curator Sean Brosnahan explained how these people, referred to as Assyrians or Syrians at the time, became a unique presence in the city in the late 1890s.

Maori had been in the region for centuries with settlements at the harbour, and European settlers, especially Scottish and English, arrived in the 1840s.

The 1860s gold rush brought many from around the world to the region.

Chinese were the first significant non-European group to arrive in the 1860s and by the late 19th century, Lebanese immigrants began to arrive.

Despite limited English proficiency and capital, Lebanese people proved "remarkably able" to adapt to this foreign environment.

Lebanon, part of the fertile crescent of the Middle East, is believed to be where agriculture started some 11,000 years ago.

Many Dunedin Lebanese immigrants traced their roots to the mountain village of Bsharri in the Kadisha Valley, Mr Brosnahan said.

Founded in the 7th century by Maronite Christians fleeing persecution, they coexisted with Druze communities, until a brutal Maronite-Druze civil war in 1860 led to massacres of Maronites, prompting mass immigration.

Competition from Chinese and Japanese silk after the Suez Canal opened in 1869 also contributed to economic decline.

"Migration offered young people, initially the sons, then the young women too, a chance to go abroad, work, and send profits home to support their families."

Many Lebanese immigrants settled in Walker St, now Carroll St, a poor neighbourhood in Dunedin.

They often used their experience as traders to work as itinerant peddlers, or hawkers, buying goods in cities and travelling great distances to sell items.

Men, and a few women, would go off into the countryside on hawking rounds for weeks, leaving families in Dunedin.

On Walker St, striking-looking women in bold colours and jewellery could be seen, surrounded by children speaking Arabic.

Not everyone welcomed this addition to Dunedin's population.

In 1897, a "Dunedin matron" objected to their presence in a letter to the newspaper, complaining about "disagreeable stenches" and "filthy and repulsive foreigners".

Mr Brosnahan said while the Lebanese housewives lived in poor cottages, they were "ferocious cleaners".

City council health inspectors, responding to such criticisms, found the houses occupied by the Assyrians to be exceptionally clean and tidy.

Compared to earlier settlers, Lebanese and Chinese immigrants faced increasing xenophobia and hostility in the 1890s, Mr Brosnahan said.

"The discrimination they suffered hardened into legislative barriers to further immigration in the early 20th century."

Mr Brosnahan's lecture was part of a series on migration to Otago, organised by the University of Otago's Centre for Global Migrations and hosted at Toitu Otago Settlers Museum.
The Singapore stock market has shown resilience amidst global economic uncertainties, maintaining a steady trajectory that captures the attention of investors looking for stability. As the market navigates through these conditions, identifying undervalued stocks becomes crucial for those aiming to capitalize on potential opportunities for growth and value.

Top 5 Undervalued Stocks Based On Cash Flows In Singapore

Name Current Price Fair Value (Est) Discount (Est) Singapore Technologies Engineering (SGX:S63) SGD4.26 SGD8.12 47.5% LHN (SGX:41O) SGD0.335 SGD0.37 10.4% Hongkong Land Holdings (SGX:H78) US$3.19 US$5.78 44.8% Seatrium (SGX:5E2) SGD1.40 SGD2.57 45.6% Frasers Logistics & Commercial Trust (SGX:BUOU) SGD0.955 SGD1.66 42.5% Digital Core REIT (SGX:DCRU) US$0.58 US$1.11 47.9% Nanofilm Technologies International (SGX:MZH) SGD0.79 SGD1.44 45.2%

Click here to see the full list of 7 stocks from our Undervalued SGX Stocks Based On Cash Flows screener.

Let's take a closer look at a couple of our picks from the screened companies

Overview: Seatrium Limited specializes in engineering solutions for the offshore, marine, and energy sectors with a market capitalization of SGD 4.77 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue primarily through its Rigs & Floaters, Repairs & Upgrades, Offshore Platforms, and Specialised Shipbuilding segments which together total SGD 7.26 billion, alongside a smaller contribution from Ship Chartering at SGD 31.63 million.

Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 45.6%

Seatrium Limited, trading at SGD 1.4, is currently valued below its estimated fair value of SGD 2.57, suggesting significant undervaluation based on discounted cash flow analysis. Despite a highly volatile share price recently, Seatrium's revenue growth at 8.7% annually is expected to outpace the Singapore market average of 3.6%. The company is also forecasted to become profitable within the next three years with earnings projected to grow substantially by 72.23% annually, aligning with expectations for above-market profit growth during this period.

SGX:5E2 Discounted Cash Flow as at Jul 2024

Overview: Nanofilm Technologies International Limited operates in the field of nanotechnology solutions across Singapore, China, Japan, and Vietnam, with a market capitalization of approximately SGD 514.30 million.

Operations: The company generates revenue from four main segments: Sydrogen (SGD 1.05 million), Nanofabrication (SGD 16.05 million), Advanced Materials (SGD 141.54 million), and Industrial Equipment (SGd 37.17 million).

Story continues

Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 45.2%

Nanofilm Technologies International, priced at SGD0.79, is significantly undervalued against a fair value estimate of SGD1.44, reflecting a promising investment based on cash flow metrics. Despite lower profit margins year-over-year and a modest return on equity projection, the company's revenue growth at 15.1% annually surpasses the Singapore market's 3.6%, with earnings expected to increase by 50.66% annually over the next three years, indicating robust potential for financial improvement and growth in shareholder value.

SGX:MZH Discounted Cash Flow as at Jul 2024

Overview: Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd is a global technology, defence, and engineering firm with a market capitalization of approximately SGD 13.29 billion.

Operations: The company's revenue is derived from three primary segments: Commercial Aerospace (SGD 3.97 billion), Urban Solutions & Satcom (SGD 1.98 billion), and Defence & Public Security (SGD 4.29 billion).

Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 47.5%

Singapore Technologies Engineering, trading at S$4.26, is positioned below its estimated fair value of S$8.12, suggesting a substantial undervaluation based on discounted cash flows. Despite a modest annual earnings growth of 1.1% over the past five years, projections indicate an uptick in revenue and earnings growth at 6.9% and 11.62% respectively per year, outpacing the broader Singapore market's averages. However, concerns include a high debt level and an unstable dividend track record which could affect future financial flexibility and shareholder returns.

SGX:S63 Discounted Cash Flow as at Jul 2024

Key Takeaways

Take a closer look at our Undervalued SGX Stocks Based On Cash Flows list of 7 companies by clicking here.

Have you diversified into these companies? Leverage the power of Simply Wall St's portfolio to keep a close eye on market movements affecting your investments.

Invest smarter with the free Simply Wall St app providing detailed insights into every stock market around the globe.

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 SGX:5E2SGX:MZH SGX:S63 and

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Passive investing in an index fund is a good way to ensure your own returns roughly match the overall market. While individual stocks can be big winners, plenty more fail to generate satisfactory returns. For example, the Salzgitter AG (ETR:SZG) share price is down 46% in the last year. That's disappointing when you consider the market returned 4.7%. At least the damage isn't so bad if you look at the last three years, since the stock is down 29% in that time. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 26% in the last 90 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 Salzgitter

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.

Unfortunately Salzgitter reported an EPS drop of 91% for the last year. The share price fall of 46% isn't as bad as the reduction in earnings per share. So despite the weak per-share profits, some investors are probably relieved the situation wasn't more difficult.

You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Salzgitter's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market gained around 4.7% in the last year, Salzgitter shareholders lost 45% (even including dividends). However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 2% 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. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Salzgitter better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Salzgitter that you should be aware of.

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of undervalued companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Story continues

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
During a visit to a local farm while working with development agency USAID, Ugandan entrepreneur Juliet Tumusiime realized that a huge amount of banana stems are left over from banana cultivation and simply discarded. Looking for a way to use the waste, she struck upon an innovative business idea.

Almost a decade later, now aged 42, Tumusiime is the chief executive and co-founder of Cheveux Organique, which manufactures hair made from banana fibers as an alternative to synthetic extensions.

Fashion trends among the younger population and growing purchasing power have boosted the market for hair extensions and wigs in the Africa and the Middle East, which could be worth $710 million by 2028, according to Research and Markets.

Extensions are typically made from human hair, or synthetic materials such as nylon, polyester, acrylic and PVC. Synthetics are popular in Uganda because theyre much cheaper, but theyre not biodegradable or easy to recycle. Some people complain that synthetic hair can irritate their scalp and a study of synthetic hair in Nigeria found the presence of potentially harmful heavy metals and chemicals.

Ive spoken to friends, colleagues, both men and women and asked them how they dispose of their hair when they take it out, Tumusiime says. A lot of the time it is just thrown in the trash. The level of awareness is really low - most people dont realize that they are wearing plastic on their head which can irritate the skin and cause pollution.

Our mission is to transform the beauty industry by providing alternatives that benefit their health and the environment. We want to empower women to make informed decisions about what hair they use and whats best for them.

Tumusiime says that, unlike synthetic hair, her product is biodegradable, durable and can be easily styled, treated and colored. It can also be rewashed with warm water and conditioned with detangling cream. When dry, the hypoallergenic hair can be oiled and can withstand dryers and heat up to 400 degrees, lasting weeks longer than synthetic alternatives, according to Tumusiime.

Since its made from discarded banana stems, she adds, its also a way to help curb that waste.

unknown content item

-

Uganda is Africas largest producer and consumer of bananas, producing about 10 million metric tons of bananas per day. Ugandans consume almost one kilogram of the fruit per person, per day, with more than 75% of the population relying on bananas as a staple food, according to the World Economic Forum.

Cheveux Organique works closely with local banana farmers, buying stems that would otherwise be discarded. The stems are split and the fibers extracted by machine. The extracted fibers are then dried and treated, before being combed out, resulting in the hair-like texture.

Story continues

The hair is dyed into three shades: Cheveux Black, Cheveux Brown and Cheveux Blonde. Tumusiime says it has a natural sheen, is soft to the touch and can be used for braiding and styling. Its also suitable for warm and humid climates, she notes.

Made from banana fibers, the hair extensions are dyed into three shades, including Cheveux Blonde. - Credit: Kakwerre Juliet

The company isnt unique in creating plant-based hair. In the US, St.Louis-based Rebundle also sells hair extensions made from banana fibers, while Nourie Hair offers a hair alternative for braiding made from Ginseng root extract and rosemary.

However, turning banana waste into a premium product does not come without challenges for Cheveux Organique. The labor-intensive process, from picking the stems, transporting them to the facility, extracting the stems, treating them and the power needed to use this  it causes the product to become pricey, Tumusiime says.

Cheveux Organique sells its plant-based hair in Uganda, and as fair afield as the US, France and the UK. It retails for $50 for 150 grams (5.3 ounces), which Tumusiime says is cheaper than a typical $185 for a similar amount of human hair. But synthetic hair can be bought for as little as $1 for a bundle.

This is something that we are hugely concerned about, and we are trying to find ways to mechanize the business and produce volumes of hair whilst continuing to break even, Tumusiime says. The people paying these prices are getting a premium product at the end of it  and its about the long-term benefits that this product brings.

Tumusiime says her startup, which currently employs 25 permanent staff members and 100 part-time workers for waste gathering, is in the process of creating regional hubs, which will function as extraction centers, as well as an education point for young people. The hubs will train future generations on the positive impacts of waste management, as well as giving young people skillsets  such as extraction and machine operation  that will equip them for future careers.

We want to make sure that this brand is a household name, Tumusiime says. We want to become leaders in this industry despite challenges. But Im passionate about what Im doing. Im not about to give up. I do everything possible to make sure that I achieve my objectives and achieve the vision for which I started this organization.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
When Steve Ballmer joined Microsoft he didnt get a single company share. But now, his skyrocketing Microsoft holdings have made him richer than the companys founder.

The 68-year-old former Microsoft CEO squeaked by his onetime boss Bill Gates to become the sixth richest person in the world on Monday with a net worth of $157 billion. He is now richer than many well-known tech entrepreneurs including Google cofounder Sergey Brin, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell.

Its also the first time that Ballmers net worth has surpassed that of Gates, and one of the few times in history an employee has come to be richer than a companys founder. Ballmer is the only person with a net worth of $100 billion or more who made their money as an employee rather than a founder, as Fortune previously reported.

Ballmers net worth was boosted by a rally in Microsofts shares, which closed at an all-time high on Tuesday and have surged 22% since January. Shares of the company represent about 90% of his net worth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and Microsoft has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the AI boom fueling markets, thanks to its $10 billion investment in OpenAI.

In 2014, Ballmer left Microsoft with about a 4% stake worth $22.5 billion, according to Forbes. At the time, he said that he was holding on to his shares for the long term, Forbes reported.

Id like to own Microsoft shares until I either give something to charity or I die, he told the outlet.

Meanwhile, Gates has diversified his portfolio over the years away from the company he founded, with half of his holdings now managed through private investment firm Cascade Investment. He has a $21 billion stake in waste management company Republic Services through Cascade, Bloomberg reported.

Giving away money

Gates major philanthropic donations also factor in. As of 2023, Gates and his ex-wife Melinda French Gates had donated $59.5 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, turning it into the one of the worlds largest charitable foundations. In 2010, Gates also cocreated the Giving Pledge with French Gates and investor Warren Buffett, and has promised to give away most of his wealth during his lifetime.

Although Steve Ballmers holdings have made him one of the richest men in the world, when he joined as the companys 30th employee in 1980, he didnt get a single share. After dropping out of Stanford Business School, he served as a quasipersonal assistant to Bill Gates with the unimpressive title business manager, Forbes reported.

Story continues

Yet, because Microsoft was looking to grow rapidly at the time, Gates and his cofounder, Paul Allen, agreed to give Ballmer 10% of the profit growth he generated on top of his $50,000 yearly salary.

That deal turned out to be key to Ballmers future wealth. Soon, Microsoft was growing so fast that Ballmers 10% cut no longer made sense financially for the company. When Microsoft reorganized as a corporation, Ballmer negotiated an 8% slice for himself in exchange for giving up his profit-sharing deal, while Gates and Allen kept 84% and another 8% was designated for other employees, Forbes reported. Although Allen was opposed to giving Ballmer such a large stake, Gates stepped in and said Ballmers 8% cut could be funded by a drawdown of his own holdings, according to Forbes.

While at the time Gates put his own money on the line for Ballmer, the two have since drifted apart.

Microsoft was kind of the thing that really bound us, Ballmer told Bloomberg Television in 2016. We started off as friends, but then really got quite enmeshed around Microsoft. Since Ive gone, we really have drifted a little bit.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
Amidst a generally weak performance in the Swiss market, with concerns about future interest rate decisions impacting investor sentiment, there remains a keen interest in identifying robust investment opportunities. Companies with high insider ownership often attract attention as they can signal strong confidence from those closest to the business, potentially offering stability in uncertain times.

Top 10 Growth Companies With High Insider Ownership In Switzerland

Name Insider Ownership Earnings Growth Stadler Rail (SWX:SRAIL) 14.5% 23.1% VAT Group (SWX:VACN) 10.2% 21.2% Straumann Holding (SWX:STMN) 32.7% 20.9% Swissquote Group Holding (SWX:SQN) 11.4% 14.0% COLTENE Holding (SWX:CLTN) 22.2% 20.9% Temenos (SWX:TEMN) 17.4% 14.7% Sonova Holding (SWX:SOON) 17.7% 9.9% Sensirion Holding (SWX:SENS) 20.7% 79.9% SHL Telemedicine (SWX:SHLTN) 17.9% 96.2% Arbonia (SWX:ARBN) 28.8% 100.1%

Click here to see the full list of 16 stocks from our Fast Growing SIX Swiss Exchange Companies With High Insider Ownership screener.

Here we highlight a subset of our preferred stocks from the screener.

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Partners Group Holding AG is a global private equity firm engaged in direct, secondary, and primary investments across various sectors including equity, real estate, infrastructure, and debt, with a market capitalization of CHF 29.81 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue from several segments: private equity (CHF 1.17 billion), infrastructure (CHF 379.20 million), private credit (CHF 211.30 million), and real estate (CHF 186.90 million).

Insider Ownership: 17.1%

Return On Equity Forecast: 52% (2026 estimate)

Partners Group Holding AG, a Swiss private equity firm, is navigating mixed financial waters with its revenue forecast to grow at 14% annually, outpacing the Swiss market's 4.4%. However, its earnings growth of 13.6% per year, though above the market average of 8.4%, isn't considered significantly high. The firm recently completed a CHF 300 million fixed-income offering and is exploring strategic options for Formosa Solar Renewable Power Co., potentially valuing the business up to US$400 million.

SWX:PGHN Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jul 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Sonova Holding AG is a company that specializes in producing and distributing hearing care solutions across various global regions, with a market capitalization of CHF 16.71 billion.

Story continues

Operations: Sonova's revenue is primarily generated from two segments: Hearing Instruments, which brought in CHF 3.36 billion, and Cochlear Implants, contributing CHF 282.40 million.

Insider Ownership: 17.7%

Return On Equity Forecast: 26% (2027 estimate)

Sonova Holding AG, a Swiss company specializing in hearing care solutions, is positioned for steady growth with its revenue forecasted to increase by 7.1% annually, surpassing the Swiss market's 4.4% growth rate. Although its annual earnings growth of 9.9% exceeds the market's 8.4%, it remains below significant levels. The firm reported a robust net income of CHF 609.5 million on sales of CHF 3,626.9 million for FY2024 and maintains high insider ownership without recent substantial trading activity, despite carrying a high level of debt and trading at 39.8% below estimated fair value.

SWX:SOON Ownership Breakdown as at Jul 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Straumann Holding AG specializes in providing tooth replacement and orthodontic solutions globally, with a market capitalization of approximately CHF 17.97 billion.

Operations: The company's revenue is primarily generated from its operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa (CHF 1.17 billion), followed by North America (CHF 793.05 million), Asia Pacific (CHF 451.27 million), and Latin America (CHF 265.82 million).

Insider Ownership: 32.7%

Return On Equity Forecast: 24% (2026 estimate)

Straumann Holding AG, a Swiss dental implant manufacturer, demonstrates potential with its earnings forecast to grow by 20.9% annually, outpacing the Swiss market's 8.4%. Despite this promising growth and trading at 7.4% below estimated fair value, its profit margins have declined from last year's 18.7% to 10.2%. The company has maintained high insider ownership and has been active in global conferences, suggesting strong market engagement and leadership visibility.

SWX:STMN Ownership Breakdown as at Jul 2024

Key Takeaways

Unlock our comprehensive list of 16 Fast Growing SIX Swiss Exchange Companies With High Insider Ownership by clicking 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.

Maximize your investment potential with Simply Wall St, the comprehensive app that offers global market insights for free.

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 SWX:PGHN SWX:SOON and SWX:STMN.

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 Billionaire Phillipe Laffonts Top 10 Mostly AI Stock Picks. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) stands against Philippe Laffont's other stock picks.

Billionaire Philippe Laffont is a Founder & Portfolio Manager at Coatue Management, L.L.C. His funds top 10 holdings comprise of mostly tech stocks which depicts his love for technology. His thirst for technology was such that after graduating from MIT with a computer science degree he applied for a job at Apple multiple times but was rejected every time. This pushed him towards another calling, which was to manage a hedge fund and its holdings.

Philippe Laffonts journey towards investing started when he moved to Spain where he started working at McKinsey. It was at this time when he learned about the boom of the PC and about the three pioneers of PC industry namely IBM, Dell and Microsoft. He decided to invest in these stocks which churned out more money than he was earning at that time. This led to his endeavors as an investor. In order to learn more about being an investor he got a chance to work at a mutual fund without pay where he learned about different terminologies related to the industry to get his foot in the door.

After his employment ended in Julian Robertsons organization, he moved on to gather funds to start investing from his friends and family but most of his funds came from professional brokers and people who admired his entrepreneurial spirit. This led to the launch of his company on January 1, 2000, with $50 million at its disposal and the fund's AUM now stands at $50 billion. His investment philosophy is to provide longevity and good returns for the investors; and to have investors that would bet on him for the long term. Philippe Laffonts philosophy of helping out people is visible in his efforts to advise people on investing and he believes in helping any new tech kid that could become the next Tiktok.

In his interview at the Bloomberg Invest Philippe Laffont said that he is conflicted about whether small or big companies will be the AI winners. According to him the history of technology indicates that the big gets bigger but new companies have also made it through like Facebook or TikTok. He thinks that AI isn't overhyped and the valuations aren't out of whack right now. Here is what he said:

"It's true that the mentions of AI in every TV and and written form is very high. And so one could say, Wow, if everybody talks about it, it must be priced in. And the only reason why more positive is I remember when I invested in Apple in 2009 when the iPhone first came out and for years people told me, Why are you invested in Apple? Everybody talks about Apple. And obviously it had an incredible run. So I actually think that sometimes because someone speaks a lot about something, it might be actually a good sign versus an overhyped sign."

Philippe Laffont thinks the next phase of AI will be real estate with data centers and especially utilities with power. Another phase of AI, according to Philippe Laffont would be robots with artificial brains called humanoids. The technology hedge fund manager also made the following prediction which has a huge implication for the semiconductor stocks:

"I've made a lot of mistakes, You know, betting on these new technologies like AR/VR turns out to be not so big. 3D printing turns out to be not so big. My estimate is $100 trillion was invested in today's dollar in the PC, CPU based infrastructure. All this is going to get ripped out to put $100 trillion or more in our GPU based infrastructure."

Our Methodology

Stocks mentioned in this article were picked from the investment portfolio of Coatue Management at the end of the first quarter of 2024. In order to provide readers with a more comprehensive overview of the companies, the analyst ratings for each firm are mentioned alongside other details. A database of around 900 elite hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey in the first quarter of 2024 was used to quantify the popularity of each stock in the hedge fund universe.

Is TSM Stock a Good Long Term Buy?

A close-up of a complex network of integrated circuits used in logic semiconductors.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) as the biggest foundry enjoys over 50% market share with some of the worlds most advanced chips in its arsenal, including 2nm and 3nm nodes. It supplies chips to major players like Apple (AAPL), Qualcomm (QCOM), and Nvidia (NVDA). However, analysts have lowered its valuation on the premise that its business could be affected by any future possible conflict between China and Taiwan as it relies heavily on international supply chains. Philippe Laffont cited this geopolitical risk in his interview saying "That Capex of TSM is in Taiwan, and so at the leading edge a lot of capacity is in one very small area. Forget that it's just in China, it's in a very small area. I think that's very risky." Nevertheless, Bank of America Brad Lin increased the earnings and price target estimate since he believes that TSMC is the key beneficiary and enabler of AI prosperity.

Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Fisher Asset Management is a leading shareholder in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) with 29 million shares worth more than $3 billion. Philippe Laffont's fund holds 10 million shares worth $1.4 billion.

Baron Emerging Markets Fund stated the following regarding Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) in its first quarter 2024 investor letter:

Semiconductor giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) contributed in the first quarter due to investor expectations for a continued strong cyclical recovery in semiconductors and significant incremental demand for AI chips. We retain conviction that Taiwan Semiconductors technological leadership, pricing power, and exposure to secular growth markets, including high-performance computing, automotive, 5G, and IoT, will allow the company to sustain strong double-digit earnings growth over the next several years.

Overall TSM ranks 5th on our list of billionaire Phillipe Laffont's top stock picks. You can visit Billionaire Phillipe Laffonts Top 10 Mostly AI Stock Picks to see the other stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of TSM 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 TSM 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.
Amid a backdrop of modest declines in Chinese stock indices and ongoing economic concerns, investors are increasingly attentive to opportunities that might defy broader market trends. Companies with high insider ownership and robust revenue growth, such as the three highlighted in this article, can offer a compelling narrative of commitment and confidence in their future prospects within such challenging environments.

Top 10 Growth Companies With High Insider Ownership In China

Name Insider Ownership Earnings Growth Zhejiang Jolly PharmaceuticalLTD (SZSE:300181) 24% 22.3% KEBODA TECHNOLOGY (SHSE:603786) 12.8% 25.1% Sineng ElectricLtd (SZSE:300827) 36.5% 39.8% Cubic Sensor and InstrumentLtd (SHSE:688665) 10.1% 34.3% Arctech Solar Holding (SHSE:688408) 38.6% 25.8% Suzhou Sunmun Technology (SZSE:300522) 36.5% 63.4% Anhui Huaheng Biotechnology (SHSE:688639) 31.5% 28.4% Fujian Wanchen Biotechnology Group (SZSE:300972) 14.9% 75.9% UTour Group (SZSE:002707) 23% 33.1% Xi'an Sinofuse Electric (SZSE:301031) 36.8% 43.1%

Click here to see the full list of 368 stocks from our Fast Growing Chinese Companies With High Insider Ownership screener.

Here we highlight a subset of our preferred stocks from the screener.

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Inner Mongolia Furui Medical Science Co., Ltd. operates in the healthcare sector and has a market capitalization of approximately CN14.20 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue through its operations in the healthcare sector.

Insider Ownership: 18.2%

Revenue Growth Forecast: 28.9% p.a.

Inner Mongolia Furui Medical Science has shown robust growth, with a 28.4% increase in earnings over the past year and significant future potential indicated by forecasts of 40.5% annual profit growth and 28.9% revenue growth, both outpacing market averages. Recent changes to company bylaws and approval of a revised restricted stock incentive plan signal proactive governance adjustments aligning with its aggressive growth strategy. However, its Return on Equity is expected to remain low at 17.5%, highlighting some efficiency challenges despite strong top-line metrics.

SZSE:300049 Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jul 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Hubei Dinglong Co., Ltd. operates in the field of integrated circuit chip design, semiconductor process materials, advanced semiconductor packaging materials, semiconductor display materials, and printing and copying consumables, with a market capitalization of CN20.96 billion.

Story continues

Operations: The company's revenue is primarily generated from the photoelectric imaging display and semiconductor process materials industry, totaling CN2.80 billion.

Insider Ownership: 29.8%

Revenue Growth Forecast: 16.8% p.a.

Hubei Dinglong CO.,Ltd. is trading at 11.6% below its estimated fair value, signaling potential underpricing. The company's revenue growth is projected at 16.8% annually, surpassing the Chinese market average of 13.7%. Furthermore, earnings are expected to increase by a significant 36.4% per year over the next three years, outperforming the market forecast of 22.2%. However, its Return on Equity is anticipated to be modest at 11.9%. Recent amendments to corporate bylaws and strong quarterly results underscore proactive management and solid financial performance.

SZSE:300054 Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jul 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Zhejiang Jolly Pharmaceutical Co., LTD focuses on researching, producing, and marketing Chinese medicinal products both domestically in the People's Republic of China and internationally, with a market capitalization of approximately CN11.07 billion.

Operations: The company primarily generates revenue from the research, production, and marketing of Chinese medicinal products.

Insider Ownership: 24%

Revenue Growth Forecast: 23.1% p.a.

Zhejiang Jolly Pharmaceutical Co.,LTD has demonstrated robust financial growth, with a significant increase in quarterly sales and net income. The company's revenue and earnings are expected to grow by 23.1% and 22.31% per year respectively, outpacing the Chinese market forecasts. Despite this, its dividend coverage is weak, raising concerns about sustainability. Recent corporate activities include a sizeable private placement and amendments to bylaws, indicating active management engagement and strategic planning for future growth.

SZSE:300181 Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jul 2024

Key Takeaways

Explore the 368 names from our Fast Growing Chinese Companies With High Insider Ownership screener here.

Invested in any of these stocks? Simplify your portfolio management with Simply Wall St and stay ahead with our alerts for any critical updates on your stocks.

Unlock the power of informed investing with Simply Wall St, your free guide to navigating stock markets worldwide.

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.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 SZSE:300049 SZSE:300054 and SZSE:300181.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Amid a backdrop of a strengthening Japanese stock market, bolstered by gains in the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indices, investors continue to seek opportunities in growth-oriented companies. High insider ownership coupled with robust earnings growth can be compelling indicators of potential resilience and commitment to company success in such vibrant market conditions.

Top 10 Growth Companies With High Insider Ownership In Japan

Name Insider Ownership Earnings Growth SHIFT (TSE:3697) 35.4% 27% Kanamic NetworkLTD (TSE:3939) 25% 28.9% Hottolink (TSE:3680) 27% 57.4% Medley (TSE:4480) 34% 28.7% Micronics Japan (TSE:6871) 15.3% 39.8% Kasumigaseki CapitalLtd (TSE:3498) 34.8% 44.6% ExaWizards (TSE:4259) 21.9% 91.1% Soiken Holdings (TSE:2385) 19.8% 118.4% AeroEdge (TSE:7409) 10.7% 28.5% freee K.K (TSE:4478) 23.9% 72.9%

Click here to see the full list of 98 stocks from our Fast Growing Japanese Companies With High Insider Ownership screener.

Let's take a closer look at a couple of our picks from the screened companies.

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Mercari, Inc. operates a marketplace application in Japan and the United States, focusing on the buying and selling of goods, with a market capitalization of approximately 364.95 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue primarily from its marketplace applications active in Japan and the United States.

Insider Ownership: 36%

Earnings Growth Forecast: 18.9% p.a.

Mercari, a Japanese e-commerce platform, has shown robust growth with earnings increasing by 222.8% over the past year. The company anticipates revenue of JPY 190 billion and an operating profit of JPY 16.5 billion for the fiscal year ending June 2024. Despite its highly volatile share price, Mercari's earnings are expected to grow by 18.88% annually, outpacing the Japanese market's average. Additionally, its forecasted Return on Equity is impressively high at 22.9%, indicating efficient management and profitability potential.

TSE:4385 Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jul 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Rakuten Group, Inc. operates in e-commerce, fintech, digital content, and communications sectors serving users globally with a market capitalization of approximately 1.86 trillion.

Operations: The company generates revenue through four primary sectors: e-commerce, fintech, digital content, and communications.

Insider Ownership: 17.3%

Earnings Growth Forecast: 83.1% p.a.

Rakuten Group is poised for significant growth, with revenue expected to expand by 7.8% annually, outstripping the Japanese market's average of 4.2%. The company is on track to become profitable within three years, a testament to its robust operational strategy and market positioning. Despite trading at 79.6% below its estimated fair value and a modest forecasted Return on Equity of 8.9%, Rakuten demonstrates potential through its substantial insider ownership and absence of recent insider selling, underscoring confidence from those closest to the company.

Story continues

TSE:4755 Ownership Breakdown as at Jul 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: BayCurrent Consulting, Inc. offers consulting services across various sectors in Japan and has a market capitalization of approximately 526.47 billion.

Operations: The firm generates revenue through consulting services across diverse sectors in Japan.

Insider Ownership: 13.9%

Earnings Growth Forecast: 18.4% p.a.

BayCurrent Consulting's recent share buyback, completing the repurchase of shares for 3.60 billion, underscores its commitment to shareholder value and capital efficiency. Despite a highly volatile share price over the past three months, BayCurrent has demonstrated solid growth with earnings increasing by 17.2% last year and forecasted to grow at 18.36% annually. The company's revenue growth is also expected to outpace the Japanese market substantially at 18.3% per year, reflecting strong operational performance and market positioning.

TSE:6532 Ownership Breakdown as at Jul 2024

Seize The Opportunity

Dive into all 98 of the Fast Growing Japanese Companies With High Insider Ownership we have identified here.

Invested in any of these stocks? Simplify your portfolio management with Simply Wall St and stay ahead with our alerts for any critical updates on your stocks.

Enhance your investing ability with the Simply Wall St app and enjoy free access to essential market intelligence spanning every continent.

Ready For A Different Approach?

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 TSE:4385TSE:4755 and TSE:6532

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Honestly, we're not surprised.

Food & Wine / McDonald's/ Getty Images

For nearly 70 years, McDonalds, arguably the worlds biggest fast food chain, has performed a careful balancing act, maintaining a core menu of reliable staples while also sprinkling in more inventive limited-time offerings to keep the public engaged with the brand. Throughout the decades, the top sellers have largely remained the same  burgers, fries, Coca-Cola products  but in recent years, our tastes have shifted slightly away from that perennial combo order.

Joe Erlinger, president of McDonalds USA, spoke with The Wall Street Journals Kate Linebaugh last week at the WSJ Global Food Forum on a range of topics, including McDonalds commitment to sustainability and the future of fast food. Answering a question from the audience about vegetarian options, Erlinger touched upon the failure of the McPlant sandwich to catch on in the U.S. market, despite customers growing awareness of plant-based meat alternatives. Still, McDonalds is a company that will never say never.

Related: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Are Coming to a McDonalds Near You

Its a trend that well continue to monitor, Erlinger said. Obviously, the bigger trend around protein consumption is really around chicken.

And if thats not obvious to you, reader, then you have probably been living under a rock with no Wi-Fi for the last five years. But a quick recap for the rock-dwellers: Although Chick-fil-A has reliably been serving up chicken sandwiches for decades, and although various chains have provided poultry entrees throughout the years, it was in 2019 that the Southern-style chicken sandwich  fried chicken breast filet, pickles, and mayo on a brioche bun  debuted at Popeyes, quickly breaking both the internet and Popeyes supply chain. It even kicked off the Chicken Sandwich Wars, a phenomenon where every fast food chain in America chased the same trend and developed their own interpretation of the sandwich to varying degrees of success.

Food & Wine / McDonald's McDonald's McCrispy sandwiches, which come in several iterations, is on track to outpace the chain's burgers.

McDonalds wasnt the first out of the gate with its Popeyes chicken sandwich competitor  its Crispy Chicken Sandwich trio debuted in February 2021, a whole 18 months later  but the marketing push around it turned the hype dial up to 11. Prior to the sandwichs release, McDonalds debuted exclusive chicken-sandwich-themed merch in a designer capsule collection, as well as a 7-inch vinyl record with original music from producer Tay Keith. Purchasing these capsules also entitled the customer to taste test the chicken sandwich a day before its national rollout. The capsules, naturally, sold out in minutes.

Upon its debut, the McDonalds sandwich earned largely favorable reviews, and the lineup has since undergone a rebrand. These days, its simply the McCrispy, and it comes in four varieties: Regular, Spicy, Deluxe (with lettuce and tomato), and Spicy Deluxe. For customers reluctant to let go of the poultry of the past, McDonalds still offers the McChicken sandwich, whose pressed chicken patty is topped with shredded lettuce and mayo.

Related: How to Make McDonald's Big Mac Sauce at Home, According to an Ex McDonald's Chef

Erlinger noted that consumers are demonstrating a sustained love of chicken sandwiches. Were poised to serve that trend well, he said. Thats what were making investments in.

Indeed, chicken is so top of mind for McDonalds that when Linebaugh asked about the biggest long-term trend in the fast food industry, Erlinger didnt hesitate. Some of this protein consumption change is something that we really will have to watch, he said. Weve seen that shift. We didnt have a chicken sandwich when we launched our brand in 1955. We sell more chicken today as a brand than we sell beef.

This shift, though relatively recent, is one that Erlinger believes will continue. Some of it may be driven by climate some of it will be driven by health decisions. Ultimately, its going to be the consumers choice, but they seem to be leaning more towards chicken.

So were going, burgers go down, chicken goes up? Linebaugh asked.

People change what they eat very slowly over time, Erlinger said. So yes, we are seeing those slow changes over time. I think some of its driven by affordability we know that chicken is less expensive to produce, and so for a consumer thats looking for more affordable food, chicken is a great option right now.

If youre still a beef booster, though, dont worry  McDonalds doesnt want you breaking the bank, either. The chain just released a $5 meal deal that comes with your choice of a McChicken sandwich or a McDouble burger, small fries, a four-piece Chicken McNugget, and a small soft drink.

For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Food & Wine.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal speaks at the International Expert Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine. Christophe Gateau/Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH/dpa

Ukraine has received more than 2 billion ($2.2 billion) in funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Wednesday on the messaging platform Telegram.

The tranche is part of an ongoing loan programme amounting to some 15 billion, Shmyhal said. It will be used to fund vital government expenditure such as welfare spending and salaries for state employees, including doctors and teachers, he said.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kiev has received more than 80 billion in aid from foreign partners for its government expenditure, Ukrainian figures show.

British magazine The Economist on Sunday reported that the country faces a possible default in August, when a number of private lenders are expected to demand a resumption of debt repayments that were suspended at the beginning of the conflict.

The Ukrainian government says it is in no position to begin repaying loans and is aiming to freeze future payments or restructure its debt. Kiev's international allies have already frozen repayments of government loans until at least 2027.

According to The Economist's calculations, Ukraine's debt burden is expected to rise to an estimated 94% of gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of the year. In the eurozone, any figure beyond 60% is considered unstable.
UNIDO, WTO and partners ITC, Afreximbank, along with financial institutions Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) signed a Joint Declaration for the $12bn West Africa cotton investment during the WTO's 9th Global Review of Aid for Trade in Geneva.

The initiative is part of the Partenariat pour le Coton and focuses on the Cotton Four countries Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Cote d'Ivoire.

The key goals of the initiative include improving access to energy, enhancing skills, creating sustainable jobs, particularly for women and youth and supporting infrastructure projects to develop the cotton-to-textile/apparel value chain in the region. The involvement of financial institutions is expected to play a crucial role in unlocking investment opportunities and facilitating trade.

WTO director general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala described the initiative as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" for West Africa's cotton and textile industry. She added: "I am happy with Gerd Muller of UNIDO and ITC and others as we are working to try and help them [Cotton Four] develop the cotton value chain in the countries.

UNIDO director general Gerd Muller said: Our shared goal is fair and sustainable local cotton processing to create decent jobs and economic growth in the region. What we need is to also work towards establishing a blue button seal to promote sustainable and fairly produced textiles around the world. We must fundamentally rethink how our economies and our global supply chains work and create a fairer globalisation that benefits all.

The event featured a high-level panel discussion with representatives from the private sector, development finance institutions, and development partners. Participants included Chad's minister of trade and industry Guibolo Fanga Mathieu, president of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) Samaila Zubairu as well as a presentation on the 'Baseline Study of Cotton-to Textile/Apparel Value Chain Development in the C4 and Cote dIvoire' by Gherzi Textil Organisation Switzerland CEO Navdeep Sodhi.

Indorama Ventures and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), an international financial institution joined forces last year to establish Thailand's first sustainability-linked Trade Finance facility amounting to $50m.

"UNIDO, WTO spearhead $12bn West Africa cotton industry initiative" was originally created and published by Just Style, 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 worst result, after buying shares in a company (assuming no leverage), would be if you lose all the money you put in. But on a lighter note, a good company can see its share price rise well over 100%. One great example is Unisem (M) Berhad (KLSE:UNISEM) which saw its share price drive 249% higher over five years. Meanwhile the share price is 2.0% higher than it was a week ago.

Now it's worth having a look at the company's fundamentals too, because that will help us determine if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business.

View our latest analysis for Unisem (M) Berhad

In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

During five years of share price growth, Unisem (M) Berhad actually saw its EPS drop 6.6% per year.

This means it's unlikely the market is judging the company based on earnings growth. Because earnings per share don't seem to match up with the share price, we'll take a look at other metrics instead.

We doubt the modest 1.9% dividend yield is attracting many buyers to the stock. In contrast revenue growth of 7.5% per year is probably viewed as evidence that Unisem (M) Berhad is growing, a real positive. It's quite possible that management are prioritizing revenue growth over EPS growth at the moment.

The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic.

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Unisem (M) Berhad, it has a TSR of 288% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that Unisem (M) Berhad shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 38% over one year. Of course, that includes the dividend. That's better than the annualised return of 31% over half a decade, implying that the company is doing better recently. Someone with an optimistic perspective could view the recent improvement in TSR as indicating that the business itself is getting better with time. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Unisem (M) Berhad better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Unisem (M) Berhad (1 is concerning) that 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 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
As global markets navigate through varying economic signals, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index has experienced a 1.5% decline amidst concerns over slowing economic growth and foreign selling pressures. In this context, identifying growth companies with high insider ownership in Hong Kong can offer investors potential resilience and alignment of interests between shareholders and management.

Top 10 Growth Companies With High Insider Ownership In Hong Kong

Name Insider Ownership Earnings Growth iDreamSky Technology Holdings (SEHK:1119) 20.2% 104.1% Fenbi (SEHK:2469) 32.6% 43% Adicon Holdings (SEHK:9860) 22.4% 28.3% Tian Tu Capital (SEHK:1973) 34% 70.5% DPC Dash (SEHK:1405) 38.2% 90.2% Zylox-Tonbridge Medical Technology (SEHK:2190) 18.7% 79.3% Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) (SEHK:2315) 13.9% 100.1% Ocumension Therapeutics (SEHK:1477) 23.1% 93.7% Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology (SEHK:9863) 15% 76.5% Beijing Airdoc Technology (SEHK:2251) 28.7% 83.9%

Click here to see the full list of 54 stocks from our Fast Growing SEHK Companies With High Insider Ownership screener.

Underneath we present a selection of stocks filtered out by our screen.

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Xiamen Yan Palace Bird's Nest Industry Co., Ltd. operates in the Peoples Republic of China, focusing on the research, development, production, and marketing of edible birds nest products with a market capitalization of HK$4.52 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue through various channels, including CN824.40 million from direct online customer sales, CN509.04 million from offline distributors, CN351.17 million from direct offline customer sales, and CN262.89 million from sales to e-commerce platforms.

Insider Ownership: 26.7%

Xiamen Yan Palace Bird's Nest Industry, a growth-oriented company in Hong Kong, demonstrates a robust insider ownership structure that aligns with its strategic interests. Recently affirming a dividend of RMB 2.15 per 10 shares, the company shows commitment to shareholder returns amidst modest revenue and earnings growth forecasts of 12.6% and 15.58% per year respectively. Despite not reaching high growth thresholds, its forecasted Return on Equity of 27.3% suggests efficient capital management compared to market benchmarks.

Story continues

SEHK:1497 Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jul 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Beijing Fourth Paradigm Technology Co., Ltd. is an investment holding company that offers AI solutions in China, with a market capitalization of approximately HK$24.84 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue primarily through its Sage AI Platform, which contributes CN2.51 billion, followed by Shift Intelligent Solutions at CN1.28 billion, and SageGPT AiGS Services at CN0.42 billion.

Insider Ownership: 22.8%

Beijing Fourth Paradigm Technology, a company with significant insider ownership, is navigating strategic shifts with recent executive changes. The firm has seen a 36.4% revenue growth over the past year and anticipates becoming profitable within three years, outpacing average market expectations. Despite slower revenue growth projections of 19.3% annually compared to higher benchmarks, its earnings are expected to surge by 95.97% per year. However, its forecasted Return on Equity remains low at 6%.

SEHK:6682 Ownership Breakdown as at Jul 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Angelalign Technology Inc. is an investment holding company that focuses on researching, developing, designing, manufacturing, and marketing clear aligner treatment solutions in the Peoples Republic of China, with a market capitalization of approximately HK$10.41 billion.

Operations: The company generates its revenue primarily from the dental equipment and supplies segment, amounting to CN1.48 billion.

Insider Ownership: 18.5%

Angelalign Technology, a growth-oriented firm with substantial insider ownership, recently announced a special dividend and its expansion into Canada with innovative product features. While the company's profit margins have decreased to 3.6% from last year's 16.8%, it is set to experience significant earnings growth at an annual rate of 50.9%, outpacing the Hong Kong market average of 11.3%. However, its forecasted Return on Equity in three years is low at 7.4%, reflecting some challenges ahead despite positive revenue and profit trajectories.

SEHK:6699 Ownership Breakdown as at Jul 2024

Seize The Opportunity

Take a closer look at our Fast Growing SEHK Companies With High Insider Ownership list of 54 companies by clicking here.

Are these companies part of your investment strategy? Use Simply Wall St to consolidate your holdings into a portfolio and gain insights with our comprehensive analysis tools.

Simply Wall St is a revolutionary app designed for long-term stock investors, it's free and covers every market in the world.

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.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 SEHK:1497 SEHK:6682 and SEHK:6699.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
By Daniel Wiessner

(Reuters) -A federal judge in Texas on Wednesday partially blocked a U.S. Federal Trade Commission rule from taking effect that would ban agreements commonly signed by workers not to join their employers' rivals or launch competing businesses.

U.S. District Judge Ada Brown in Dallas said in a written decision the FTC, which enforces federal antitrust laws, lacked the power to adopt broad rules prohibiting practices that it deems unfair methods of competition.

About 30 million people, or 20% of U.S. workers, have signed noncompetes, according to the FTC.

Brown, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump, blocked the FTC from enforcing the rule against a coalition of business groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the country's largest business lobby, and tax service firm Ryan, pending the outcome of their consolidated lawsuits.

The judge denied their request to block the rule nationwide, saying it was not clear whether such an order was appropriate. Brown said she would issue a final ruling by Aug. 30, a few days before the rule is set to take effect.

FTC spokesman Douglas Farrar said the agency stands by its "clear authority" to issue the rule.

"We will keep fighting to free hardworking Americans from unlawful noncompetes, which reduce innovation, inhibit economic growth, trap workers, and undermine Americans economic liberty," Farrar said in a statement.

Daryl Joseffer, chief counsel of the Chamber's litigation arm, called the ruling "a big win in the Chambers fight against government micromanagement of business decisions."

"The FTCs blanket ban on noncompetes is an unlawful power grab that defies the agencys constitutional and statutory authority," he said.

The Democratic-controlled FTC approved the ban on noncompete agreements in a 3-2 vote in May. The commission and supporters of the rule say the agreements are an unfair restraint on competition that violate U.S. antitrust law and suppress workers' wages and mobility.

California, Minnesota, Oklahoma and North Dakota have already banned noncompete agreements, and at least a dozen other states have passed laws limiting their use. The FTC's rule would be the first nationwide prohibition of noncompetes.

Business groups and many Republicans say that noncompetes are a crucial tool for businesses to protect trade secrets, confidential information and their investments in recruiting and training workers.

Ryan and the Chamber claim in their lawsuits that the FTC did not have the authority to adopt the ban and that Congress granted the agency only limited rulemaking powers.

Story continues

The FTC has argued that noncompetes inherently violate antitrust laws by curbing competition between businesses to recruit workers, and banning them falls within the agency's broad powers to police anti-competitive conduct.

Brown on Wednesday said the rule was likely invalid because the FTC had not justified the sweeping, near-total ban.

"It imposes a one-size-fits-all approach with no end date, which fails to establish a rational connection between the facts found and the choice made," the judge wrote.

The FTC is also facing a challenge to its rule in Philadelphia federal court by a Pennsylvania-based tree trimming company. A judge has scheduled a July 10 hearing on the company's motion to temporarily block the rule.

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York, Editing by Rod Nickel, Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill Berkrot)
I suspect it would be hard for dividend investors not to salivate at the potential offered by British American Tobacco's (NYSE: BTI) 9.5% dividend yield. But dividend investors also know that yields that high usually come with material risks, which is exactly the case here.

If you are looking for a reliable dividend stock with a high (though not quite this high) yield, you might be better off switching gears and examining Realty Income (NYSE: O) and its roughly 6% yield. Here's why.

I don't like British American Tobacco's business

British American Tobacco has a massive dividend yield, and it's a dividend that is likely to hold up over the near term. But I invest in stocks with the idea that I'll own them for decades. Given that mindset, I prefer to buy companies that I think have long-term growth potential. Right now, British American Tobacco does not.

Image source: Getty Images.

The company's core product is cigarettes. Smoking cigarettes has been falling out of favor for years, leading the company's cigarette volume to decline by roughly 21% over the past five years or so. It should trouble any long-term investors that a consumer staples company witnessed that kind of decline in its most important business.

Management is working to build up new business segments to compensate, but right now the only way to deal with the declining cigarette business is to raise prices. That's not a long-term solution, and only the most aggressive investors should even consider British American Tobacco until the company's transition away from cigarettes starts to gain more traction.

Boring Realty Income is a better dividend stock

A better option for dividend investors would be Realty Income, the largest net lease real estate investment trust (REIT). Net leases require tenants to pay most property-level operating expenses. The REIT offers a very attractive dividend yield of nearly 6%, backed by a dividend that has been increased for a huge 30 years and counting. What you lose in yield relative to British American Tobacco, you make up for in the quality of the underlying business.

For example, Realty Income, with a market cap of $45 billion, is over three times larger than its next closest competitor. The REIT's balance sheet is investment grade rated, and it has a portfolio that spans across North America and, increasingly, Europe.

There are a number of positive takeaways here. First, Realty Income's size and financial strength allow it advantaged access to capital markets. So it can afford to bid aggressively on acquisitions and still make a profit. Second, its size allows it to take on deals that smaller peers couldn't even consider. That includes simply buying other REITs as Realty Income consolidates the industry. Third, with exposure to Europe, Realty Income is helping to develop a large market that is only just beginning to use the net lease model. Thus, it has multiple levers for growth versus domestic-focused peers.

But the real takeaway from the comparison between Realty Income and British American Tobacco is that the REIT is building from a position of strength. The cigarette company is just trying to find a new business to be in, bleeding its cash cow for the money it needs to support its oversized dividend and capital investment needs. If you are hoping to live off your dividends for decades, Realty Income should sound like an easy winner in this match-up.

Dial down the risk  a 6% yield is still pretty darn good

The S&P 500 index is offering a scant 1.3% dividend yield. You can reach for yield by taking on huge risks via an investment like British American Tobacco. If you do, you'll need to watch the company's fading cigarette business like a hawk and pray it can find a way to offset the ongoing decay. Or you can just buy a good company with a growing business like Realty Income that has a still generous, but totally supportable, yield of 6%. The risk/reward balance makes Realty Income the easy choice for me.

Should you invest $1,000 in Realty Income right now?

Before you buy stock in Realty Income, 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 Realty Income 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 $761,658!*

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 July 2, 2024

Reuben Gregg Brewer has positions in Realty Income. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Realty Income. The Motley Fool recommends British American Tobacco P.l.c. 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.

I Wouldn't Touch This Stock With a 10-Foot Pole -- Here's the High-Yield Stock I'd Buy Instead was originally published by The Motley Fool
As the Ukrainian sisters prepared to journey from Canada back to their war-torn homeland for the first time since 2022, the young women first had to make an important stop in Virginia.

They wanted to spend time in King George County with Jill and Drew Wine, who had become their American family seven years earlier during a student-exchange program.

When the war started, they were the first people who wrote us and supported us and wanted (to make sure we were) safe, said Sofiia Bokovnia, whos 17 and has grown up knowing she has people on this continent she can go to for help.

The sisters hoped that, with the Wine family, including their daughters Jenna and Andrea, they could rest and recover from the upheavals of recent times. They also wanted to prepare themselves for the bombed-out devastation they might face at home.

I just wanted to have the break and spend time with people that I love before going to Ukraine, said Mariia Bokovnia, whos 24 and attended King George High School in 2017. I also know that even though Im going to see my parents and my brothers, I need to have the (emotional) resources to go through the travel itself.

Perilous paths

The last two years have been fraught with emotions for the sisters and their loved ones on two continents. Mariia was 22 when she took an internship in Canada, a few months after Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022. She almost didnt go because of everything happening, but her Ukrainian and American parents convinced her shed be safer there.

Mariia ended up staying in Ottawa, where she navigated, on her own, the process of resettlement. Within six months, as the war escalated and reports came out about Ukrainian women and young girls being brutalized by invaders, Mariia started making arrangements to get her 15-year-old sister, Sofiia, out of the Cherkasy region of Ukraine.

Their mother could travel with Sofiia as far as Poland, but the family didnt know how the teen would get the rest of the way. Sofiia had studied English in class, but Mariia knew that was different than trying to explain her situation to customs officers in foreign countries. She also worried about her younger sister flying for the first time.

Jill heard about their plight and volunteered to escort Sofiia from Poland to Canada. A Free LanceStar story in December 2022 chronicled her journey of more than 9,000 miles, and missing Thanksgiving with her own family, to help the teen she had never met in person.

It was quite an adventure to say the least, but I would do it 10 times over to get her to safety, she said at the time.

On Monday, Mariia and Sofiia sat at the Wines kitchen table in Potomac Landing, reminiscing about the perilous paths the sisters had taken. Jill pulled out a bottle of cognac that the sisters father had sent to Poland with Sofiia. It came with the promise that the two families would drink it, together, when Ukraine achieved victory in the war.

The Wines and their guests were getting ready to head to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The whole family will be there, including the Wine daughters boyfriends and the family dogs Sofiia also has heard about all her life during regular Facetime calls between Ukraine and King George.

Eight of us are going to be in a small beach house, Jill said. Its going to look like clowns coming out of a car.

The image sounded perfect to Mariia, who was more interested in spending precious time with her American family than being a tourist.

Thats exactly what I was looking forward to, she said.

Voices for Ukraine

The sisters have made a life for themselves in what Sofiia said is a different world in Canada. Mariia found a host family for Sofiia, about an hours bus ride from Ottawa, and the two usually see each other several times a month. Either Sofiia will come to the city to view skyscrapers and visit Starbucks or Mariia will join the host family, where she loves playing games with Sofiias host sisters, 4 and 7.

What the two young women have navigated on their own is almost mind-boggling. Mariia recalled her first weeks in a foreign country, where she initially trusted everyone who said they were Ukrainian or wanted to help. Jill pointed out that Mariia went to the right resources, to local churches and organizations, to find the needed services.

While others who have been through resettlement probably try to put their pasts behind them, to a degree, Mariia lives with whats happening in Ukraine constantly, Jill said.

Mariia works on national initiatives with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, a nonprofit umbrella organization of political, cultural and religious groups. It was founded in 1940, long before Canada offered special visas for Ukrainians who need a place of safety, and of work, during the war.

Many of her colleagues are second- and third-generation UkrainianCanadians who dont have her insight on what its like to travel across the world, alone, with few possessions. Or to leave behind parents and brothers while war rages.

I work a lot to be Ukrainian voice outside of Ukraine and to look out for Ukraine here in Canada, but (there have been) a lot of moments when I wanted to move back, just be home and help Ukraine from Ukraine, she said.

Her sister voiced a similar agony. In February, Mariia helped organize a Stand With Ukraine day on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canadas capital, and called upon her sister to speak.

Even though shed never made a speech before, much less in English, the teenager stood in front of hundreds of members of parliament and the Ukrainian ambassador, with the blue-and-yellow striped flag of her nation wrapped around her.

She said she knows how lucky she is to be alive, with a host family, but she feels guilty for being safe while my classmates in Ukraine are hiding in bomb shelters.

She cried as she described not knowing what to say to friends whose fathers have died in the war or whose brothers are fighting on the frontlines. At that point, she had no idea when she would see her own Ukrainian family again.

The sisters said this week they dont know where their journey will take them or on which continent theyll be living in the months that come. Both want to return when their homeland is victorious.

Until then, I will try my best to have a good education, go to school and get the biggest amount of knowledge I can have, Sofiia said, so when I go back to Ukraine, I can help rebuild.
Dodge County Sheriff Dustin Weitzel announced in a press release on Tuesday that searchers have not located the body of a missing 17-year-old male who disappeared in the Platte River Sunday night, June 30.

The weather has been a major factor in boats being on the water. The Platte River is currently at 8.97 feet which is higher than usual and expected to rise. The conditions on the river are dangerous for boats and personnel for water search operations, Weitzel said in the posting to the sheriffs office Facebook page.

According to earlier reports, the 17-year-old waded into the Platte River west of the U.S. Highway 77 bridge that crosses the river.

After an unsuccessful search on Sunday, Weitzel said that officials on Monday, July 1, used boats equipped with sonar, drones, cadaver K-9s and personnel in the river.

That search went from Hormel Park to the middle of Doves cove area. Over 40 trained personnel were conducting the search with specialized equipment on Monday, he stated in the posting. (Tuesday), drone and land operations have been conducted as weather allows. Search operations are continuing, and the river is expected to lower Wednesday around noon. The search on Wednesday will have boats with sonar, drones, and the Nebraska State Patrol will support with their helicopter.

The identity of the missing teenager has not released.

Weitzel said that recovery efforts will continue through the week until the persons body is located.

We will coordinate additional airboats and personnel from the public to be used. This will take place after we have exhausted efforts with specialized equipment, he said.
The standoff between Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams and some of the Republicans seeking his removal from office took an unexpected turn on Monday night when members of the El Paso County GOP's governing body convened on lawn chairs in a church parking lot in Colorado Springs to demand that Williams resign.
While former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden trade jabs on Thursday, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was not invited, will be debating them in his own way: virtually. In front of a cardboard cutout of his father, RFK Jr.s son Bobby Kennedy III said the Kennedy campaign would hold its []
The standoff between Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams and some of the Republicans seeking his removal from office took an unexpected turn on Monday night when members of the El Paso County GOP's governing body convened on lawn chairs in a church parking lot in Colorado Springs to demand that Williams resign.

In addition to approving a resolution calling for Williams to step down or face removal, the county party's executive committee voted to censure county Republican chair Vickie Tonkins and demand that she resign. Tonkins, however, immediately denounced the gathering as a "fake meeting" and declared its proceedings invalid.

A fake meeting of disgruntled agitators who met in a parking lot does not mean actual business occurred and its not worthy of your reporting," Tonkins told Colorado Politics in an email late Monday. "The El Paso County Republicans support Dave Williams and will continue to do so.

Not so fast, said county GOP vice chair Todd Watkins, Tonkins' second in command. He maintained that it was Tonkins who had called an illegal meeting of the executive committee  set to take place Wednesday at party headquarters  and declared that the confab he oversaw late Monday was the one that counts.

"We had a quorum," Watkins told Colorado Politics on Monday. "She did not cancel todays meeting, (which) was held in accordance with the proper call."

In recent weeks, Watkins has spearheaded an attempt by Colorado Republicans to force Williams from office. Last week he submitted a petition he says requires the state GOP to convene a meeting to consider whether to remove Williams. His fellow state party officers have told Colorado Politics that the move is destined to fail.

The long-festering dispute between factions of the county party exploded over the weekend when Tonkins sent out a notice changing the date and location of a previously scheduled meeting of the party's executive committee, made up of county Republican officers and elected officials.

Watkins told Colorado Politics that he determined Tonkins' move violated party bylaws, which require 15 days' notice for certain meetings, including the executive committee's bimonthly huddles.

Watkins said he decided to hold the originally scheduled meeting on Monday at the address listed, which belongs to a church on North Academy Boulevard. But since the church was no longer booked for the meeting, Watkins and other Republicans brought their own lawn chairs and picnic blankets to hold it in the parking lot.

Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters.

That's where they approved resolutions calling for the resignations of Tonkins and Williams, the former state lawmaker from Colorado Springs who lost a congressional primary last week.

The resolutions included a laundry list of complaints leveled at the two  from accusing Williams of improperly using party resources to boost his congressional campaign to alleging that Tonkins diverted party funds to support her husband Rex Tonkins' unsuccessful candidacy for a state Senate seat.

The resolutions adopted by the county party also charged Williams and Tonkins with violating the GOP's longstanding policy of maintaining neutrality in contested primaries by "erroneously and fallaciously" championing a bylaws change, in Williams' case, and by outright ignoring the county party's rules in Tonkins' case.

Williams didn't respond to a request for comment, but his ally, state GOP vice chair Hope Scheppelman, told Colorado Politics late Monday that the county party meeting run by Watkins "clearly usurps Tonkins' authority." She predicted it wouldn't withstand an inevitable challenge.

"(The) duly elected Chairwoman of El Paso County cancelled a previously scheduled meeting, which is within her right to do so and their fake meeting in a parking lot wont survive a challenge as its not legitimate," Scheppelman said in a text message. "Their complaint about the July 3rd meeting is a separate matter and again doesnt justify their fake meeting in a parking lot that clearly usurps Tonkins authority."

Watkins said that contrary to Scheppelman's contention, Tonkins failed to cancel the July 1 meeting, citing a ruling by a parliamentarian on hand for Monday's meeting.

"If shes canceling the July 3 meeting, I am pleased that she is acknowledging that," Watkins said in a text message. "It makes our meeting the official one."

Tonkins censure resolution

Williams removal resolution
President Joe Biden speaks during a presidential debate hosted by CNN with Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta.
The owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home have been offered a plea deal in their state-level case, according to an email sent to affected family members and acquired by The Gazette.

Jon and Carie Hallford face 286 criminal charges stemming from the discovery in October of 189 bodies improperly stored at the funeral home in Penrose.

According to the email sent out to family members, a plea deal has been offered to Jon and Carie Hallford. The offer  according to the email  would see both Hallfords plead guilty to 190 counts of abuse of a corpse. If accepted, Jon Hallford would serve a mandatory sentence of 20 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections while Carie Hallford would serve a sentence of 15 to 20 years.

Tanya Wilson said she was more than surprised to learn that the couple accused of lying about her late mothers cremation, and allegedly presenting the family with fake ashes, had been offered a deal in the numerous state charges against them.

Victim families, she said, had been promised they would be notified if a plea deal was on the horizon. They were not.

To find out one had already been extended was a shock, said Wilson, whose 76-year-old mothers remains were positively identified in late October. It feels almost disrespectful to the families to not have included us in this discussion.

Wilson said Tuesday that she also felt disheartened by the justice system that failed to reflect the gravity and vile nature of the crimes, or the harm to victim families  in the charges, and subsequent attempt at swift resolution, of the state charges against the Hallfords.

It goes way beyond counts 71-261 Abuse of a Corpse, Wilson said. Despite having all of this evidence, they chose to offer a plea deal.

If the Hallfords accept the plea deal, there wont be a trial on the state charges.

Wilson said she had planned to travel from her Georgia home to Colorado Springs to see the justice process through, for her mom, Yong Anderson, and families such as hers whose loved ones were identified  and the many hundreds of families still waiting for answers that probably will never come.

I feel like we deserve the chance to hear the truth and see justice served in court, so its very distressing, to say the least, that the DAs Office has stripped that from us, Wilson said. This deal also eliminates the opportunity for us to get some answers, or even some sense of closure, through a trial. Now Im finding out that there is a possibility they could accept the plea deal on [July 11] at the arraignment.

Crystina Page, a victim whose son David was found among the bodies at the Penrose funeral home, expressed significant displeasure with the plea deal offered by the 4th Judicial District Attorneys Office, based in Colorado Springs.

I havent slept yet; most of us got the news when we were on the Zoom call last night. Were p----d. I dont know how were going to get through this, Page said when speaking with The Gazette.

I know for myself that Im represented; my son is represented. I know one of those charges will represent him. If they decided to take the plea deals, we have over 1,000 families who wont have representation.

To be honest with you, I dont care if hes in jail or not. That doesnt do anything for me, knowing where he is geographically, that doesnt help me. What does have an effect on me is these families not having answers  Heather (DeWolf) needs to know what happened to her son.

According to previous Gazette reporting, hundreds of families who are not listed as victims in the case remain without answers about what happened to their loved ones after they worked with Return to Nature.

Featured Local Savings

Heather DeWolf, who used Return to Nature to cremate her son Zach, is one of the hundreds who are unsure if they actually have the correct remains. DeWolf also was unhappy with the plea deal offer.

That was quite a bit of a shock to see that, and I think thats the case for most folks. It came out of the blue, DeWolf said. It was a bit of a gut punch ... Every time there is something that comes up like this it just starts everything all over again. The whole thing is ridiculous. At this point, I dont feel like we have anyone on our side. I feel like our voice is being slowly taken away.

The email sent to families notes that the plea offer could be accepted at the Hallfords upcoming arraignment hearing July 11. At the Hallfords previous hearing in June, where an El Paso County judge ruled that they could not be tried together, attorneys for Jon and Carie Hallford each informed the court their clients intended to plead not guilty at the next hearing and be scheduled for trial.

The offer will expire on Oct. 4, according to the email.

The maximum sentence faced by the Hallfords if their case were to go to trial remains unclear, due in part to the number of charges they face.

The Hallfords top charge in their state-level case is money laundering, a Class 3 felony, which carries a maximum sentence of 12 years. Jon and Carie Hallford each faces four counts of money laundering.

The Hallfords also face 86 counts of Class 5 forgery, which carries with it a maximum sentence of six years in prison.

Abuse of corpse, a Class 6 felony, carries a maximum sentence of 18 months. Abuse of a corpse makes up the bulk of the charges against the Hallfords, each facing 190 counts.

If the Hallfords were to be convicted at trial, its unclear how much of the sentence would run consecutively as opposed to concurrently.

Michael Stuzynski, an attorney representing Carie Hallford, said he was unable to comment on any potential plea negotiations.

Court order prohibits us from making comments on this case as well as the rules of professional conduct, Stuzynski said.

Kate Singh, a spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office, also declined to comment, citing ethical rules.

The funeral home about 35 miles southwest of Colorado Springs came under a multiagency investigation in October after reports of a complaint about a foul odor in the area. Investigators said they found more than 180 bodies in various states of decomposition there that were not properly stored. The Hallfords were arrested in Oklahoma in November.

In addition to their state case, the Hallfords face charges at the federal level. In April, the Hallfords appeared in federal court in Denver and pleaded not guilty to 15 counts of wire fraud.

Tim Neff, the attorney prosecuting the Hallfords at the federal level, said that the Hallfords are facing about seven years in prison if convicted on the 15 wire fraud charges. The Hallfords attorneys said they believe a sentence on federal charges wouldnt be as severe as the states.

At the Hallfords previous state-level hearing, prosecutor Rachael Powell told the court that the trial in the federal case is set for Oct. 22.

Jon Hallford is being held on a no-bond hold pending the outcome of his federal case, despite being released on a $100,000 bond in his state-level case.

Carie Hallford remains out on a $100,000 bond.
With the holiday quickly approaching, residents of Colorado Springs and surrounding towns are looking forward to the bright light shows that coincide with Fourth of July celebrations.

In general, the state of Colorado has outlawed for private use any fireworks that explode or leave the ground.

Depending on where one lives or is planning to celebrate the holiday in El Paso County, certain types of fireworks may be allowed. Permissible fireworks cannot contain more than 50 milligrams of explosive composition.

The types of fireworks that are permissible in Colorado are:

Fountains

Ground Spinners

Illuminating Torches

Dipped Sticks and Sparklers

Toy Propellants

Trick Noise Makers

Tube Devices

The types of fireworks that are always illegal to use in Colorado are:

Firecrackers

Rockets (including bottle rockets)

Roman Candles

Cherry Bombs

Mortars and similar items, such as M-80s

Only in public and professional displays are the above types of fireworks permissible.

Here are the rules and regulations for the following areas:

Colorado Springs

Within the Colorado Springs city limits, all fireworks  including sparklers that need to be ignited with a flame are illegal to purchase and possess. If caught with fireworks, citizens can face a fine of up to $2,500 or up to 189 days in jail.

According to Colorado Springs Fire Department media spokesperson Ashley Franco, there are more fires reported in the U.S. on the Fourth of July than on any other day.

Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters.

"We live in a very fire-prone area and are no stranger to devastating wildland fires in Colorado Springs," Franco stated in an email to the Gazette. "We hear the frustrations people have regarding the law and get a lot of negative feedback for it, but at the end of the day we would rather you be here alive to argue with us than you suffer a serious medical emergency or fire as a result of a firework."

Within Colorado Springs, there are nine approved firework shows. Each show must undergo an extensive approval process with the fire department and is required to follow specific rules day of.

Fountain

At this time, fireworks are legal inside the city limits of Fountain as long as they comply with state law, according to ordinance No. 1788.

The sale and use of any fireworks is approved only from May 31 to July 6. Legal fireworks are the ones sold in El Paso County fireworks booths and citizens must be 16 years of age or older to purchase, transport or sell.

The office of Fire Prevention Division recommends discharging all legal fireworks in a safe location. Safe locations are typically outside of homes and businesses, away from dry and/or combustible vegetation and combustible structures.

Manitou Springs

Similar to Colorado Springs, all types of fireworks are banned within Manitou Springs city limits, according to the local police department. Only public and professional displays of fireworks are allowed.

Woodland Park

The use and sale of all fireworks within Woodland Park is prohibited per Chapter 9.80 of the town's code of ordinances. If convicted of unlawful use or sale of fireworks, citizens can face a penalty of up to a year in the county jail and/or a fine of up of $1,000

Monument

All fireworks, permissible and illegal, are unlawful within the town in accordance with Ordinance No. 15-2017. Any person caught selling or igniting fireworks is subject to a fine up to $500 for each violation.
El Paso County Public Health is preparing for a heavy season of West Nile virus cases caused by mosquito bites, despite decreased rainfall for the year.

Last year, more Coloradans died from West Nile than any other state. Fifty-one people succumbed to the virus in Colorado in the 2023 season, which stretches from June until around the end of September. Thats when low temperatures usually kill off the mosquitoes for the winter.

Last year in Colorado, a total 634 people reported the West Nile virus. The state with the second-most reported cases, California, had 473 total, but it also has a much larger population.

In El Paso County specifically, the area saw 51 cases reported to the public health department.

While abnormal amounts of rain in 2023 presented the perfect breeding ground for the mosquitoes, El Pasos 2024 season also could see a heavy load of cases.

Every year is a little different, but I would say theres no reason for us to expect that this year would be any less than last year, said Haley Zachary, El Pasos communicable disease program manager. We are continuing to prepare for a heavy season, although we hope for less cases.

Statewide, the first person hospitalized with neurological symptoms for the 2024 season was infected in Arapahoe County, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Scientists have been identifying the Culex mosquito in their traps for weeks.

About 80% of humans who are bitten by a Culex mosquito carrying the West Nile virus will not suffer symptoms. Typically, the symptoms are mild and similar to the flu; people may experience headaches, malaise and joint pain.

Its really only fewer than 1% of people that get a really serious illness that can lead to hospitalization and death, and that is typically characterized by really severe headaches and confusion, Zachary said.

Other complications of a severe infection include swollen lymph nodes, disorientation, muscle weakness and coma.

Featured Local Savings

It is important to seek medical assistance if one starts to experience more severe symptoms.

There is no cure, vaccine or antibiotic for West Nile virus in humans, but there is a vaccine for horses, which are hit particularly hard by the disease.

Its people over the age of 50 that tend to develop those more severe side effects and the severe illness, Zachary said. Its really just heavily dependent on who you are, what your what your lifestyle looks like, what your health looks like, and then how quickly youre seeking care.

Four Ds

West Nile can be avoided, said Rachel Reichardt, Jefferson County Public health environmental health specialist Rachel Reichardt, if partiers, fireworks-watchers and parade-goers follow the four Ds:

 Dawn and Dusk  Use caution at these times that the Culex feed.

 Defense  Use mosquito repellent you are comfortable with. Reichardt said that if Deet is not for you, lemon eucalyptus oil has been found to be protective.

 Drain  Mosquitoes can breed in the smallest puddle. Said Reichardt, They love stagnant water to breed in. When rain comes, dump out the planters and buckets around your home.

 Dress  To prevent bites, wear long sleeves and pants, which can be loose-fitting for relief on hot days.

The more time you spend outside without any kind of mosquito protection, the more likely you are to be bit by an infected mosquito, Zachary said.

When we see people or communities that spend a lot of time outside, if they are not protecting themselves, then the likelihood that theyre going to be exposed to West Nile virus increases.
Olivia Hammond resides in Denver and campaigns for Pro-Animal Future, a local group that seeks to turn public support for animals into law.
A new survey released after President Joe Bidens catastrophic debate performance last week shows the nations leader polling behind other Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris, in a hypothetical matchup against former President Donald Trump. In a one-on-one matchup among registered voters, Trump leads Biden by six percentage points, 49% to 43%, according to a []
A 28-year-old Greensboro man is charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend, police and the Guilford County District Attorney's Office say.

Zachary Small allegedly stabbed 47-year-old Chancy Beck to death on Monday at a home the two shared at 5520 Forest Road, then called police to report the crime, police and the Guilford County District Attorney's Office said.

Small is charged with first-degree murder, according to the Guilford County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies were called to the residence at about 9:33 a.m. where they discovered Beck dead from multiple stab wounds, the release said.

Investigators subsequently arrested and charged Small.

Small, who faces life in prison without parole or the death penalty if convicted, is currently being held at the Guilford County Detention Center in Greensboro without bond, the release said.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities did not disclose information about the weapon used.

Small is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 7.

Anyone with information related to the investigation is encouraged to contact Det. D. Duncan at 336-641-5968 or Guilford County Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000.
My mom and I loved our trip to Guam in 1996. Photos by Aiko Setoguchi (Photo by Aiko Setoguchi)

In the summer of 1996, my mother took me to Guam, a tiny island sitting on the southern left edge of the Pacific Ocean. The island is known for its military bases among Americans, but for us Japanese, it was known for shining beaches.

Mom booked a late-night flight from Narita, and we arrived on the island in early morning. When we landed at the airport, the island was still asleep, wrapped in dim blue, steamy air. Trees with deep green leaves that stood around the runway were the first ones to greet us.

We soon headed to a hotel that sat just by a quiet beach. Once in the hotel room, Mom opened the window and we soaked ourselves in the morning breeze of the South Pacific.

Even as a 10-year-old kid, I was thrilled to be so far away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. For me, it was the first taste of the United States, and it was paradise: blue sky, shining beach, and a breeze that brought the quiet sound of waves.

Mom ordered room service, and 30 minutes later our breakfast arrived. Placed in front of me was a white box that looked like it could hold a whole cake in it. I didnt know what was in the box since I didnt understand English back then and had no idea what she ordered.

As soon as the waiter left our room, I asked Mom if I could open it. Seeing my excitement, she smiled and said, Sure. When I opened, my excitement grew stronger. Inside the box were ham sandwiches with white bread beautifully cut into rectangular shapes and a small plastic bag in bright yellow. At the time, I had never seen anyone put a bag of food in a sandwich box, and it awoke my curiosity. When I opened the bag, a bunch of potato chips popped out!

The presentation and the occasion  a bag of potato chips in a box for breakfast  appeared very special to me. Since that day, Lays potato chips has been my favorite snack.

During our stay on Guam, I encountered so many never-seens and never-dones  finding lizards climbing walls of the balcony; swimming with fish and taking a nap on the beach; eating purple-taro ice cream, brown breakfast sausages, and a Burger King cheeseburger. They were all so rare, so American, and so paradise for the city girl from Japan.

When I was eating my first bag of Lays potato chips on Guam, I was years old, I never imagined I would attend a college in New York. But less than a decade later, I was picking up my second bag of Lays, this time in a large size, at a supermarket on Broadway.

In college, I got to learn a bit more about Guam from Andy Nathan, an expert on military affairs in the Pacific region. I also got to hang out with Phil, an amazing friend who is a son of a U.S. Navy sailor.

I thank Mom and Guam for giving me such great first memories of the United States and my future in the country. Guam will always be my piece of paradise.

All smiles after graduating from college in New York. I love New York.

Speakin' Chamorro

Good morning: Buenos dias

Good afternoon: Buenos tatdes

Good evening: Buenos noches

Good luck: Suette
Over the last three decades, the average U.S. temperature has climbed 1.2F to 1.8F. During an Iowa State University Extension webinar, Nesli Akdeniz explained why that  and other changes in our weather  are important to recognize when dairy farmers are evaluating how to ventilate their barns and cool cows.

Akdeniz, an assistant professor and extension specialist in biological systems engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, noted that the average temperature in the Midwest was 1.3F to 1.7F higher in 2020 than 1991. That climb means dairy farmers must work harder to mitigate the effects of heat stress on their animals.

Making that even more difficult is the fact that in addition to higher ambient temperatures, Akdeniz said that the greater precipitation that we have also experienced leads to more humidity in the environment and warmer nights. This latter concern prevents cows from being able to cool down overnight even if the daytime temperature initiated heat stress.



Further, Akdeniz said that changing temperatures can lead to changing wind patterns. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts a 10% decline in wind speed by 2100, depending on temperatures and land uses, she explained. There are also some research studies that suggest wind speeds will rise in the Midwest, which would be advantageous for farmers operating with naturally ventilated barns. Though wind change is not an immediate concern for Akdeniz, she encouraged farmers to recognize the potential for shifts in our environment as we think about how to effectively cool cows.

Cooling options

Dairy farmers typically utilize one of three types of barns that have different approaches to cooling cows: naturally ventilated, tunnel ventilated, and cross-ventilated.

Natural ventilation will work very well when the barn is placed on a hill, away from other buildings, and oriented east to west, Akdeniz said. She noted that adjacent buildings can have downwind effects blocking wind of up to 10 times their height.

The engineer also described how a roof with a lower pitch will trap warm and moist air and lead to slower air movement. A higher pitch will be more expensive, but it will improve total airflow.



Of course, the limitation with these barns is that you can be at the mercy of Mother Nature. If there is no wind moving through, it is difficult to ventilate these barns, Akdeniz said. Thats where circulation fans and sprinklers are needed to help cool cows in very hot weather.

Tunnel ventilation is an option that can sometimes be paired with natural ventilation, she continued. Because tunnel ventilation moves air from one end of a barn to the other, it can provide additional airflow during hot weather for barns that are naturally ventilated during the winter but have lower roofs preventing good air movement in the summer.

Of course, tunnel ventilation can also be a year-round approach. Akdeniz advised having circulation fans over the cow pens to move air through the entire barn. She noted that ridge vents can provide further airflow in these environments.

Finally, cross-ventilated barns are typically more square than the rectangular naturally and mechanically ventilated barns and rely on exhaust fans to generate airflow. While these barns generally dont have circulation fans, Akdeniz highlighted the value of baffles to push the flowing air down into the cow lying space. They are a genius idea. They dont consume any energy, but they work very well, she said.

In these barns, Akdeniz advised farmers to consider ventilation efficiency ratio before purchasing fans. That relates how much air is pulled through the barn to the electricity the system uses.

To summarize, Akdeniz noted that we are moving toward precision ventilation  not just cooling the whole barn but focusing efforts on where the cows are. This will be critical to keeping cows productive and energy costs reasonable as farmers work harder to offset heat stress.





To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2024

July 1, 2024
Wednesday, July 3

The Cabarrus Senior Center Photo Club is alive and clicking away. If you like taking photos, come join the members on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Cabarrus Senior Center, 331 Corban Ave. SE, Concord, and share your photographic creativity. Whether you are a seasoned photographer or strictly amateur, all are welcome.

The weekly bible study group meets at 11:30 a.m. in the Parlor at Calvary Lutheran Church 950 Bradley St., Concord, NC 28025

Thursday, July 4

The Kannapolis Farmers Market is held from 4-7 p.m. in the Oak Avenue mall parking lot at the corner of Vance Street and Dale Earnhardt Boulevard. Vendors offer a wide variety of fresh, local produce, as well as meat, eggs, baked goods, crafts, and prepared foods.

Friday, July 5

The Concord Duplicate Bridge Club hosts face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at the Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. The cost is $5 per game. Details at www.bridgewebs.com/concord. During June and July, all games are hosted at the Concord Fire Station No. 12, 3300 Roberta Road. If you dont have a partner, the website has some information on Find a Partner.

Saturday, July 6

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St. S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dine in and takeout. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

The Country Breakfast at Cold Springs Global Methodist will be from 7 to 10.p.m. Proceeds helps those in our community.

Monday, July 8

The Concord Duplicate Bridge Club hosts face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at the Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. The cost is $5 per game. Details at www.bridgewebs.com/concord. During June and July, all games are hosted at the Concord Fire Station No. 12, 3300 Roberta Road. If you dont have a partner, the website has some information on Find a Partner.

Tuesday, July 9

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St., Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

Wednesday, July 10

The weekly bible study group meets at 11:30 a.m. in the Parlor at Calvary Lutheran Church 950 Bradley St., Concord, NC 28025

Thursday, July 11

The Kannapolis Farmers Market is held from 4-7 p.m. in the Oak Avenue mall parking lot at the corner of Vance Street and Dale Earnhardt Boulevard. Vendors offer a wide variety of fresh, local produce, as well as meat, eggs, baked goods, crafts, and prepared foods.

Friday, July 12

The Concord Duplicate Bridge Club hosts face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at the Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. The cost is $5 per game. Details at www.bridgewebs.com/concord. During June and July, all games are hosted at the Concord Fire Station No. 12, 3300 Roberta Road. If you dont have a partner, the website has some information on Find a Partner.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, July 13

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St. S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dine in and takeout. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

Monday, July 15

The Concord Duplicate Bridge Club hosts face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at the Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. The cost is $5 per game. Details at www.bridgewebs.com/concord. During June and July, all games are hosted at the Concord Fire Station No. 12, 3300 Roberta Road. If you dont have a partner, the website has some information on Find a Partner.

Tuesday, July 16

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St., Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

Wednesday, July 17

The Cabarrus Senior Center Photo Club is alive and clicking away. If you like taking photos, come join the members on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Cabarrus Senior Center, 331 Corban Ave. SE, Concord, and share your photographic creativity. Whether you are a seasoned photographer or strictly amateur, all are welcome.

The weekly bible study group meets at 11:30 a.m. in the Parlor at Calvary Lutheran Church 950 Bradley St., Concord, NC 28025

Thursday, July 18

The Kannapolis Farmers Market is held from 4-7 p.m. in the Oak Avenue mall parking lot at the corner of Vance Street and Dale Earnhardt Boulevard. Vendors offer a wide variety of fresh, local produce, as well as meat, eggs, baked goods, crafts, and prepared foods.

Friday, July 19

The Concord Duplicate Bridge Club hosts face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at the Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. The cost is $5 per game. Details at www.bridgewebs.com/concord. During June and July, all games are hosted at the Concord Fire Station No. 12, 3300 Roberta Road. If you dont have a partner, the website has some information on Find a Partner.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, July 20

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St. S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dine in and takeout. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

A special Pub Connections with Calvary Lutheran Church event at Southern Strain Brewery, Concord, will be from 6 to 9 p.m. We'll gather for good food, drinks, conversation, and music from Avery Creek.

Sunday, July 21

Harmony Church Concord, 101 White St. NW, Concord, will be hosting a Bluegrass Gospel Praise Event from 5 to 6 p.m. It features Harmony, a four-piece Bluegrass Gospel Group made up of members from Cabarrus and Anson Counties, will be leading the Praise Event. Refreshments will be served immediately following in the Church Fellowship Hall. For additional information please call 704-293-6071.

Monday, July 22

The Concord Duplicate Bridge Club hosts face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at the Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. The cost is $5 per game. Details at www.bridgewebs.com/concord. During June and July, all games are hosted at the Concord Fire Station No. 12, 3300 Roberta Road. If you dont have a partner, the website has some information on Find a Partner.

Tuesday, July 23

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St., Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

Wednesday, July 24

The weekly bible study group meets at 11:30 a.m. in the Parlor at Calvary Lutheran Church 950 Bradley St., Concord, NC 28025

Mt. Mitchell Global Methodist Church will be holding a hot dog sale from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The church is located at 6001 Old Salisbury Concord Road, Kannapolis. For more information, call 704-933-0155.

Thursday, July 25

The Kannapolis Farmers Market is held from 4-7 p.m. in the Oak Avenue mall parking lot at the corner of Vance Street and Dale Earnhardt Boulevard. Vendors offer a wide variety of fresh, local produce, as well as meat, eggs, baked goods, crafts, and prepared foods.

Friday, July 26

The Concord Duplicate Bridge Club hosts face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at the Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. The cost is $5 per game. Details at www.bridgewebs.com/concord. During June and July, all games are hosted at the Concord Fire Station No. 12, 3300 Roberta Road. If you dont have a partner, the website has some information on Find a Partner.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, July 27

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St. S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dine in and takeout. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

Monday, July 29

The Concord Duplicate Bridge Club hosts face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at the Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. The cost is $5 per game. Details at www.bridgewebs.com/concord. During June and July, all games are hosted at the Concord Fire Station No. 12, 3300 Roberta Road. If you dont have a partner, the website has some information on Find a Partner.

Are you a caregiver that would like to connect with other caregivers? A monthly caregivers' support group is open to everyone and conveniently held over Zoom so that you can attend from the comfort of your home.The next session will be at 7:30 p.m. For the Zoom link please contact the church office at 704-782-6923 or through our website http://www.clconcord.org. Calvary Lutheran Church, 950 Bradley St., Concord, NC 28025.

Tuesday, July 30

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St., Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

Wednesday, July 31

The weekly bible study group meets at 11:30 a.m. in the Parlor at Calvary Lutheran Church 950 Bradley St., Concord, NC 28025

Mt. Mitchell Global Methodist Church will be holding a hot dog sale from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The church is located at 6001 Old Salisbury Concord Road, Kannapolis. For more information, call 704-933-0155.

Thursday, August 1

The Kannapolis Farmers Market is held from 4-7 p.m. in the Oak Avenue mall parking lot at the corner of Vance Street and Dale Earnhardt Boulevard. Vendors offer a wide variety of fresh, local produce, as well as meat, eggs, baked goods, crafts, and prepared foods.

Friday, August 2

The Concord Duplicate Bridge Club hosts face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at the Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. The cost is $5 per game. Details at www.bridgewebs.com/concord. During June and July, all games are hosted at the Concord Fire Station No. 12, 3300 Roberta Road. If you dont have a partner, the website has some information on Find a Partner.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, August 3

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St. S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dine in and takeout. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

Does your community group or nonprofit agency have an upcoming event that would be of interest to the public? Email it to mplemmons@independenttribune.com.
When it comes to customer experience, NICE says "almost" isn't good enough. That's why it's pivoted to make a platform that solidly puts customers at the heart of all it does.

NICE MD ANZ Rod Lester says customer experience ought to be frictionless, and that this is the NICE way. While iTWire hates a cliche we do love a good pun and what can we say but the attitude behind CXOne sure is pretty nice!

NICE has a long 36-year heritage, starting as a call recording company, pivoting in 2014 with a Kodak moment seeing it become the leading CX business with over $US 2.6b in revenue, accelerating each year over the last six years. Lester spoke with iTWire to tell the story behind the company's transformation, as well as what it's bringing in this new age of artificial intelligence.

While NICE started life as a call recording company, it's now far more, Lester explained.

In fact, it was ahead of the curve from the start. While NICE began life nearly four decades ago, the call recording industry only truly exploded in the early 2000's when call recording for compliance became a serious necessity for regulated organisations. "Everyone needed it," Lester said.

This began a period of new vendors popping up, vendors consolidating, and related technologies emerged such as workforce management, quality, gamification - "these became a category we define as workforce optimisation," Lester said.

By 2012 the industry settled down with two major vendors dominating the global market, one being Verint, and the other, of course, NICE. "80% of the workforce optimisation business was supported by these two companies," Lester explained. Both started in Israel, both had about the same amount of people, and both had relatively similar product offerings. "Every six months one or the other would come up with a new capability or feature and was then leapfrogged by the other."

Until 2014. 10 years ago, NICE appointed Barak Eilam as CEO. Eilam had already served with NICE for more than a decade and was no newcomer, but he did bring new ideas to the helm. It was time, Eilam said, to drive a new strategy - to transform and pivot to something new. This was the "Kodak moment" for the business which saw it become the CX powerhouse it is today.

This transformation began simply; NICE acquired an IVR business in North America - a $US 1b purchase, so no small change - and embedded this new intellectual property into a brand-new platform it launched. This was none other than CXone.

Suddenly, NICE was no longer a call recording company; it was competing against the big contact centre players like Genesys. NICE CXone grew in popularity and strength.

Today, "analysts say we have the number one platform," Lester said.

Today, NICE CXone handles over a million contact centre agents across the world. It onboards 150 new customers each quarter. And it brings in more than $US 2.6b, growing year on year.

Rod Lester is the head of the CX division for NICE in the ANZ region. NICE isn't only CX - "we also have public safety and emergency services, and financial crime and compliance divisions," Lester said. These have specific reliability requirements and are very specific platforms. However, CX is by and away the largest, making 80% of the NICE revenue stream.

Australia is a high-cost first-world country and with that "our customers have incredibly high expectations of CX," he said. "Their cost to serve is incredibly high compared to other parts of the world."

As a result, "we tend to focus on embracing new technology more so than elsewhere in the world, if it can increase overall CX and take cost out of the equation."

Within the region Lester's team is onboarding two customers on average every three weeks, and has grown from six customers prior to the pandemic and its lockdowns, to more than 280 now. "We're excited about the milestone of 300 customers coming up in the next few months."

This customer base covers everything from small contact centres of four agents, to a "huge amount of local councils and lots of state Government." CXone

State governments particularly find NICE CXone attractive because it can set agencies up in parent/child scenarios - "one agency may provide a shared service to lots of other agencies. We can provide solutions to allow organisations like this deliver a consistent platform across the entire organisation."

Further, "sometimes we find different agencies have different imperatives. They don't get locked in because our platform is flexible," Lester explained. "We can make differentiated environments specific to them, while still part of the platform."

Customers also find CXone very attractive, he said, because they can make changes themselves - "customers can do as little or as much as they wish", while supported by a large base of engineers and consultants when desired.

However, what really stands NICE apart is its continual re-investment and refocus into its product. "We re-invest 17% of revenue back into the platform and creating new value," Lester said, explaining the company makes four major releases each year, with each driven by the end customer. "We see where demand is, and put our investment in that."

"The platform is continually coming out with amazing new tech," he said, noting analyst firm Forrester has lauded NICE CXOne for the breadth of capabilities in its offering.

One example is bursting; "for utilities especially, and organisations that have to deal with catastrophic events, it can burst up to a high number of users, and when the event is completed drop back down to its usual steady state," Lester said. "In an on-premises world an organisation would need to provision to its absolute peak load, with perpetual licenses, hardware, compute ... it would build to 'here' but only use to 'there'."

By contrast, the NICE CXone SaaS platform brings a significantly lower TCO for the end customer and, because it is a shared platform, even the smallest of organisations can take advantage of features, functions, and capabilities which would previously have only been available to large telcos, government departments, and health insurers.

One example Lester gives is 'callback in queue' - where a caller can drop out from waiting on hold, and the system will phone them when an agent is ready.

"Callback in queue became a thing in around 2010," he said. "We sold it to BUPA, who were one of the first adopters. They were delighted because, during their rate review period, it helped serve the customer."

However, it wasn't cheap back in the day. "It cost them $850K in professional services, $1m in licenses, and 20% in maintenance," Lester said. However, "now it is in the base functionality and a tiny operation with four agents can toggle a radio button to turn it on and use it right away."

It'd be easy to say SaaS makes everything easier for everyone, everywhere, from any vendor, but the reality is not so simple. "Typically, contact centres were laggards for cloud. Cloud has been around for ages, but it took the industry a long time to be able to do it."

"While cloud is nice and fluffy, interaction management is really complex," Lester said. "To create a cloud service that has stability, broad feature capability, depth, is manageable, and usable by end customers is no mean feat."

However, it's available now. And with NICE re-investing continually, it's an always advancing, always improving product.

"In the old world, an organisation would start with a business problem. Then, to solve it, they needed to create some functional and non-functional requirements. This was turned into an RFP/RFT/RFI and sent to market. Vendors were chosen, a waterfall-style grinding out took place, downselection to two vendors, then one, contract negotiations for three to four months before a signed contract. This became a signed project. Equipment was ordered ... it took a minimum of two years to get through before your solution was delivered. It took a year to go live. Everything was signed off, the customer threw a party, but what they got was a solution to the problem they had three years ago."

And, with such investment, "that solution needs to get a return on capital, a return on investment. It stays static for at least three years. There's no agility, no flexibility, and no provision for peak," Lester said.

Cloud changed all this, "the onus is on the platform manufacturer to keep innovating and keep coming out with new features and functions."

What really drives innovation for NICE, and core to its DNA, is the concept of customer success.

"Part of our job is to go back to customers and say let's understand how you're using the platform at the moment as it may not be optimal," Lester said. "We look at what they are doing and it all becomes more collaborative than it was in the old world. Back then, companies would sell something, say bye, and come back in three years."

"Today, we need to ensure the customer gets continuous value or they turn a system off and go to someone else's cloud. The onus to drive continuous value is now incumbent on the vendor. It's squarely on us to bring constant innovation, and ensure value is being extracted, or we will find ourselves with the customer moving away."

NICE isn't doing this in a vacuum; "yes, we have a great platform, but the thing that is the real secret to our success is our partner community. It's the depth of their consulting capability to extract value, and the people we've managed to attract and retain in our business in the ANZ region."

Speaking of new features, AI is a hot topic everywhere, and NICE is no exception.

"We've been in AI for a long time," Lester said, "but generative AI has been a real inflexion point. While we've had AI, we diverted investment funding specifically to AI and automation."

An example is auto-summarisation. "We're doing this natively within our platform," Lester said, "and the capability is available to any CXone customer. A huge amount of customers have taken it up. Auto summarisation ensures consistent summarisation across every agent, as opposed to some doing a spotty summary of what the call was about. It's consistent across the entire agent population and the data can be used to create new and interesting insights."

Another is CXone's Copilot capability. "Everyone has a Copilot," Lester said humorously, "but ours is specific to contact centres. It sits across voice and digital and will provide the agent with some suggested responses. They can click on one they like best and curate and edit it."

The benchmark in digital messaging is the agent may take three to four digital messages; we've more than doubled this with our agents now able to take nine interactions via the use of AI.

And another is autopilot-capability within the platform. "The customer can have a human-like experience without the need to fail out to a live agent," Lester said.

In fact, you can have all these experiences combined within the platform. "The customer can start a journey within web," for example, "then talk to a digital autopilot function. If needed, this can elevate to a human agent, who then augments via Copilot."

It's all very exciting days as NICE continues to re-invest and push the boundaries of what customer experience really means and is capable of. And, all capabilities, all functions become available within the one platform.

It will only continue to accelerate from here, Lester said.

This is true CX, driven by a business that puts the customer first, and lets customer feedback drive the product. What can we say, but .... nice !

Take a look for yourself here ...
Miao embroidery works reach more people through livestreams

People's Daily Online) 09:50, July 03, 2024

In a small shop in Shidong township, Taijiang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Liu Xiufa and her family gathered to adjust their equipment and prepare for a livestream.

Liu Xiufa and her family member prepare for a livestream on June 22, 2024. (People's Daily Online/Weng Qiyu)

Liu Xiufa, 63, is a representative inheritor of the Miao embroidery, which is an intangible cultural heritage.

"I started learning Miao embroidery from my grandmother at a young age. Miao girls learn embroidery and use needles and threads to embroider the tales and history of the ethnic group onto clothes we wear," Liu said.

"When I was 25, during the Miao Sisters Festival, a French tourist was impressed by the clothes I embroidered and followed me home, eventually buying them for 60,000 yuan ($8,255)," Liu said. The Miao Sisters Festival is regarded as the folk Valentine's Day of the Miao ethnic group.

This made Liu realize that Miao embroidery could become an industry.

With this in mind, Liu dedicated herself to perfecting her craft and expanding her market. She established a workshop. With the rapid development of the cultural and tourism industry across the country, the workshop's business flourished and became the family's main source of income.

Liu Xiufa makes a piece of embroidery work at home on June 22, 2024. (People's Daily Online/Weng Qiyu)

In the past few years, Guizhou has been providing free e-commerce training in rural areas. Thanks to the younger generation in Liu's family who took part in the training, Liu's embroidery works have gained widespread recognition after being showcased on social media and short-video platforms.

"We can now sell our products online from our homes. Online sales have rapidly become the primary channel, accounting for nearly 60 percent of our total sales," Liu said.

With sales steadily growing, the workshop and 80 rural embroiderers have established a cooperative mechanism, working together to fulfill orders and collectively increase their income.

In 2022, Liu's family decided to jump on the bandwagon of livestreams. With help from Liu's daughter and daughter-in-law, Liu turned into a livestream host.

Liu Xiufa introduces the stories behind her Miao embroidery works on camera on June 22, 2024. (People's Daily Online/Weng Qiyu)

During Liu's livestreams, she doesn't enthusiastically promote or sell. She simply focuses on her embroidery while casually chatting, talking about the origins of the patterns and the characteristics of the clothing.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
COMPANY NEWS: Hotel revenue management software and services company IDeaS announced today that BYD Lofts Boutique Hotel & Serviced Apartments had grown its property revenues by 15% with IDeaS G3 Revenue Management System (RMS) after adopting the system to automate daily pricing activity and enhance its commercial strategies.

IDeaS, a SAS company, notes that BYD Lofts is situated 200 meters from Patong Beach in Thailand, offering a range of upscale rooms, suites and fully furnished serviced apartments.



In a highly competitive resort and holiday market, BYD Lofts needed to move beyond manual based revenue management processes, which were inefficient and open to errors that could impact profitability, said IDeaS.

In the past, BYD Lofts faced challenges in setting optimal room prices that maximised occupancy without undervaluing our services. Our manual pricing strategies often resulted in missed revenue opportunities, either by setting prices too low during high demand periods or too high during low demand periods, which affected our overall profitability, commented Alex Bressers, managing director, BYD Lofts Boutique Hotel & Serviced Apartments.



To enhance its approach to revenue management and evolve its commercial operations, BYD Lofts turned to IDeaS G3 RMS for real-time data analysis, forecasting, and decision-making.

IDeaS G3 RMS continuously analyses market data, demand patterns, and competitive pricing. This allows us to dynamically adjust, ensuring we capture the maximum possible revenue for every room, every night. The system's predictive analytics help us stay ahead of market trends and capitalise on commercial opportunities.

IDeaS G3 RMS enables BYD Lofts to automatically evaluate demand fluctuations and competitive changes to assist the property in setting optimal pricing and inventory control decisions - and predictive analytics within G3 RMS forecasts future demand accurately and detailed performance reports help property management understand the impact of pricing decisions and refine its strategies accordingly.

Since adopting IDeaS G3 RMS, BYD Lofts has experienced significant overall revenue gains of 15% and strong growth in key areas including Average Daily Rate (ADR) and room type occupancy, along with a surge in Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR).

IDeaS is excited to be working with BYD Lofts to enhance the propertys approach to revenue management and improve commercial outcomes. Through automating daily revenue management processes, BYD Lofts is benefiting from a more efficient and accurate approach to pricing that is continually informed by market trends and competitor activity, said Jurgen Ortelee, managing director of APAC, IDeaS.

About IDeaS

IDeaS, a SAS company, is the worlds leading revenue management software and services provider. Combining industry knowledge with innovative data analytics technology, IDeaS creates sophisticated yet simple ways to empower revenue leaders with precise, automated decisions they can trust. With 35 years of expertise serving hospitality, including hotel, event, and parking clients, IDeaS delivers revenue science to more than 30,000 properties in 158 countries around the world. Results delivered. Revenue transformed. Discover greater profitability at IDeaS.com.
(Photo courtesy of Suo-Oshima Tourism Association)

Often called the Hawaii of Setouchi, Suo-Oshima (aka Yashima Island) has an Hawaiian vibe to it, including crystal-clear water, white sand beaches with rows of palm trees.

Apparently, the island has had strong ties with the 50th state ever since 4,000 residents left the island for Hawaii 130 years ago. As children and grandchildren returned to Suo-Oshima, they introduced Hawaiian culture and customs that have been there ever since. Suo-Oshima signed a sister island contract with Kauai Island, Hawaii, in 1963, and the two have maintained a friendly relationship setting up student-exchange program, hosting various cultural events among other things.

You will find palm trees planted here and there on the island, along with many shops and restaurants with a Hawaiian-style facade. From late June through the end of August, the island carries out a unique Aloha Biz campaign that allows staffers of town hall, banks, post offices and hotels to wear an aloha shirt as official attire.

Plus, they offer Saturday Hula - live hula dancing at various restaurants and hotel facilities throughout the island!

This year, the hula events are scheduled from July 13 to Aug. 31 at four sites - Road Station Southern Seto Towa, Ryuzaki Onsen, Greenstay Nagaura and Marissa Resort Sazanseto Suo-Oshima.

(Photo courtesy of Suo-Oshima Tourism Association) (Photo courtesy of Suo-Oshima Tourism Association) (Photo courtesy of Suo-Oshima Tourism Association) (Photo courtesy of Suo-Oshima Tourism Association)

The Saturday Hula is divided into two stages: Day Stage (1  6 p.m.) at Road Station Southern Seto Towa and Ryuzaki Onsen, and Night Stage (5-8 p.m.) at Greenstay Nagaura and Marissa Resort Sazantowa Suo-Oshima. Hundreds of hula dancers from Japan and Hawaii perform (each show is 20 minutes), one after another at each day and night venue. Visitors can enjoy the live hula dancing for free.

No reservation is necessary, and there are food vendors at each facility, so check the performing schedule and plan to visit this fun hula event this summer!

A 3,346-feet long, Oshima Ohashi bridge connects the island to the mainland, so you can reach the island via a short 60-minute drive from MCAS Iwakuni.

SUO-OSHIMA SATURDAY HULA 2024

Event Schedule and Performers

Sites of Day Stage (1  6 p.m.)

Roadside Station Sazan Seto Towa

Location: 1958-77 Nishikata, Suo-Oshima Town, Oshima-gun, Yamaguchi Prefecture

URL

Tel: 0820-78-0033

Ryuzaki Onsen Spa

Location: 685-2 Higashi-agenosho, Suo-Oshima Town, Oshima-gun, Yamamaguchi Prefecture

URL

Tel: 0820-77-1234

Sites of Night Stage (5 - 8 p.m.)

Greenstay Nagaura

Location: 1144-1 Mukuno, Suo-Oshima Town, Oshima-gun, Yamaguchi Prefecture

URL

Tel: 0820-79-0021

Marissa Resort Sazanseto Suo-Oshima

Location: 1347-1 Hirano, Suo-Oshima Town, Oshima-gun, Yamaguchi Prefecture

URL

Tel: 0820-78-2121
Cape Shiriyazaki (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

Japans Umi-no-hi, or Ocean Day, will be observed July 15 this year. This national holiday is the unofficial start of the summer season for students, but there are not official celebrations.

The holiday is observed on the third Monday of July each year.

This interesting holiday was officially recognized in 1995 to commemorate the Meiji Emperors 50-day excursion from Aomori to Yokohama on July 20, 1876. Today, Japans Maritime Self-Defense Force fully dress their ships with flags and banners to mark the occasion.

Cape Shiriyazaki (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) Cape Shiriyazaki (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

Japans National Holiday Act defines Ocean Day as a holiday to give thanks for the blessings of the ocean, to reflect upon the importance of the ocean, and to hope and pray for the nations maritime success.

Happy Ocean Day!
CHARLESTON  A new Veterans Walkway has been installed at the Liberty Bell replica in Morton Park in time for the Red, White & Blue Days bell ringing ceremony at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 4.

The stone walkway created by Charleston American Legion Post 93 is comprised of panels that community members can have inscribed in memory of veterans. More than 80 panels already have been utilized.

Community members interested in adding a veteran to the walkway can contact the Morton Park office or call Post 93 at 217-208-2317. Four panel sizes are available. The walkway is located between the two war memorials at the Liberty Bell replica.

A crew from Adams Memorials installed the walkway on Tuesday, July 2 in advance of the annual bell ringing ceremony. This year's ceremony will feature representatives of the Charleston Fire Department, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary.

Photos: Service for Pearl Harbor sailor Charles Brown
President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea recently visited the Central Asian republics of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Prior to his tour, he introduced the K-Silk Road initiative, highlighting his role in guiding Koreas future interactions with the region. While this initiative builds upon Koreas longstanding policies, it signifies a desire to forge a new chapter in Central Asian relations. Despite its shortcomings and some neglected areas, this initiative is a significant step forward in the context of regional relations.

BACKGROUND: The K-Silk Road strategy represents a continuation of Koreas longstanding policies toward Central Asia, building on a foundation laid over several decades. Koreas interest in establishing ties with the region began with the Trade Transaction Act of 1972, which facilitated trade with communist countries despite their ideological differences. This economic pragmatism eventually extended into Koreas foreign policy. A significant shift occurred in 1983 when Lee Bum Suk, the Foreign Minister under President Chun Doo-hwan, introduced Nordpolitik. This policy aimed to foster closer ties with communist countries, particularly the Soviet Union and China, and was implemented during Roh Tae-woo's presidency in 1988. An indirect objective of Nordpolitik was to engage with North Korea through the broader communist bloc.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Korea seized the opportunity to establish direct relations with the newly independent Central Asian republics. Special attention was given to Uzbekistan, reflecting historical connections. In early 1992, Korea began to strengthen these ties by dispatching its first Korean language teachers to Tashkent, marking a significant step in cultural and diplomatic outreach.



In the early 1990s, the Korean conglomerate Daewoo significantly increased its investments in Uzbekistan, to the extent that the country earned the nickname Daewoobekistan. Korea then expanded its engagement with other Central Asian nations  Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan  adopting strategies centered predominantly on energy and economic development. In the late 2000s, Korea further bolstered its engagement with Central Asia through several key foreign policy initiatives, including the New Asia Initiative, the Eurasia Initiative, and the New Northern Policy. These frameworks underscored the importance of deepening ties within the region. Successive Korean presidents played crucial roles in solidifying these relationships: Roh Moo-hyun, Lee Myung-bak, Park Geun-hye, and Moon Jae-in each cultivated direct and personal connections with the leaders of Central Asian republics. This sustained diplomatic effort significantly enhanced Koreas presence and influence in Central Asia.



Multilateral relations between Korea and the Central Asian republics are maintained through the Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum, where the parties convene regularly. Since 2019, these interactions have gained significant momentum. President Yoons recent announcement of the K-Silk Road initiative signifies a concerted effort to elevate these relationships to a new dimension, focusing on deeper economic, cultural, and political integration mostly with Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

IMPLICATIONS: President Yoon began his regional tour with a visit to Turkmenistan, where he met with President Serdar Berdimuhamedov. Yoon advocated stronger energy ties between Turkmenistan, which holds the fourth largest natural gas reserves globally, and Korea, the worlds fourth largest natural gas buyer. The leaders emphasized the potential for enhanced cooperation in the energy sector. This sentiment was echoed at the Korea-Turkmenistan Business Forum, which brought together 250 participants from both nations. Business leaders at the forum agreed to pursue collaborative ventures to bolster their energy partnership.

Daewoo Engineering announced the intention to work on two fertilizer plant projects. Hyundai Engineering, in partnership with Turkmenistan State Gas Corporation, signed an agreement to build a fourth desulfurization facility in the Galkynysh gas field. In addition, a new decision was taken on the polymer plant, which was first initiated in 2013 for the Kiyanli region.



Korea has focused on the development of 5G technology in Turkmenistan in previous years and has begun work on deploying the smart city concept in the country. Daewoo Engineering aims to realize the second phase of the Arkadag smart city project, expected to function as a pilot application for the smart city concept housing 64,000 people.



In Kazakhstan, President Yoon and his counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev underscored the robust bilateral relations. These ties owe much to Kazakhstans former president Nursultan Nazarbayevs keen interest in Korea. Following Kazakhstans independence, Nazarbayev appointed Korean economist Chan Young Bang as his special advisor, tasked with implementing privatization policies and creating a free market economy. This tie has fostered enduring high-level contacts between Korean and Kazakh leaders, ensuring the continuity of strong diplomatic relations.



During the meetings, companies like Kia, Daewoo, and Hyundai, active in Kazakhstans automotive sector since the 1990s, discussed plans to introduce new technologies and enhance personnel training initiatives in the country. In the energy sector, President Tokayev expressed interest in the US$ 882 million combined cycle power plant to be constructed in Turkistan by Doosan Enerbility in 2023. This project underscores Kazakhstans commitment to expanding its energy infrastructure with advanced technologies and international partnerships.

In the banking sector, the parties agreed to broaden the scope of BNK Finance Kazakhstan, owned by BNK Financial Group, particularly in microfinance. This initiative is designed to support Korean companies investments in the energy sector across the country. Korean banking operations first began in Kazakhstan in 2008 through initiatives by Kookmin Bank and Shinhan Bank. These developments underscore Koreas commitment to strengthening economic ties and enhancing financial services in Kazakhstan.



The discussions also addressed a significant academic initiative, resulting in an agreement between the National Seoul University of Science and Technology and Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University to collaborate on joint studies in Artificial Intelligence. Additionally, plans were finalized to establish campuses for Woosong University and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). These initiatives show Koreas commitment to advancing educational partnerships and supporting expertise in emerging technologies like AI.



Kazakhstans cultural relations with Korea are poised to deepen, supported by a significant ethnic Korean population of approximately 150,000 within the country. Historical ties between the two nations were further solidified by the repatriation of the remains of Gye Bong-woo, Hwang Woon-jeong and Hong Beom-do in 2019 and 2021. These individuals played pivotal roles in Koreas struggle for independence from Japanese occupation between 1910 and 1945. These cultural and historical bonds continue to strengthen the bilateral relationship between Kazakhstan and Korea.



In Uzbekistan, Presidents Yoon and Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a fruitful meeting. Uzbekistan is Koreas most important partner in the region due to historical and cultural ties. Diplomatic relations between the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo and the ancient Turks in this region date back to the 6th-7th centuries. Moreover, Uzbekistan is home to the largest ethnic Korean population in the region, numbering over 200,000. Since the early 1990s, Korea has engaged extensively in various sectors, a trend that received notable encouragement from Uzbekistans former President Islam Karimov. Under Mirziyoyevs leadership, Uzbekistan continues to prioritize Korean investments. President Yoons K-Silk Road perspective lends significant weight to Uzbekistans strategic location along the historical Silk Road, emphasizing the nations pivotal role in fostering enhanced economic and cultural exchanges throughout the region.



During the meetings, Uzbekistan Railways and Hyundai Rotem signed an agreement for the purchase of electric trains named Jalaluddin Manguberdi, which will serve the Tashkent-Urgench-Khiva route. Under the terms of the agreement, Korea will deliver six high-speed trains comprising a total of 42 cars, valued at US$ 195.7 million, to Uzbekistan.



It was further disclosed that discussions with Lotte Group focused on increasing industrial capacity, building upon their prior involvement in the Ustyurt Gas Chemical Complex. Additionally, cooperation is set to expand into critical minerals, an area highlighted during President Yoons visit. Uzbekistans abundant reserves of tungsten, lithium, and molybdenum make it a strategic partner in this regard, aligning with the resource diplomacy approach initiated during Lee Myung-Baks presidency.

CONCLUSIONS: President Yoon refers to K-Silk Road, Koreas new Central Asia concept, as the continuation of 30 years of experience. This strategic framework offers numerous advantages for both Korea and the countries in the region. Korea pursues bilateral and multilateral relations with a win-win approach, circumventing regional tensions. This stance shows Koreas commitment to supporting mutually beneficial partnerships in Central Asia through the K-Silk Road initiative.

While the K-Silk Road concept aligns with Koreas established regional policies, it also necessitates innovative approaches. Talks at the leadership level are ongoing at a continual basis, reflecting strong confidence in further consolidating bilateral and multilateral relations. However, President Yoon should also address historical gaps where previous administrations have fallen short. Specifically, there is a need to integrate Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan more comprehensively into the regional framework, including making high-level visits to these republics. Until now, relations with these countries have been relatively limited, highlighting an opportunity for enhanced engagement under the new Central Asia strategy.



The geographical positions of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as the influence of other regional actors in these countries, have relegated Korea to the background. However, to formulate a comprehensive regional policy, it is imperative for Korea to increase investments across various sectors, particularly in the economy and energy. Given that the essence of the K-Silk Road concept aims to link Korea with the historical Silk Road, it becomes crucial to prioritize engagement with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Without establishing a significant presence in these two pivotal countries, Korea cannot claim to have a holistic Central Asia policy that fully embodies the spirit of the Silk Road initiative.

AUTHOR'S BIO: Dr. Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu is a Visiting Professor at Joongbu University and Senior Researcher at the Institute of EU Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He studied and worked in Baku, Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Seoul as academic and journalist. He is the author of numerous articles and books on South Caucasus and Central Asian affairs.



The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Gov. Roy Cooper and local officials on Tuesday for the groundbreaking on the multi-use path now under construction beside Salem Parkway in downtown Winston-Salem.

Buttigieg also visited sections of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway under construction during his tour of North Carolina projects getting money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021.

These kinds of improvements are not ornamental, they are fundamental to our agenda to move toward a vision of zero roadway and traffic deaths in our country, Buttigieg said during the groundbreaking ceremony. This is important work.

The Salem Parkway Multi-Use Path will run between the Strollway Pedestrian Bridge near the Liberty Street crossing of Salem Parkway to Fourth Street to the west. A second phase of work will later extend the biking and walking path to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.

When Business 40 was closed for a major reconstruction, work carried out from those designs included space for the multi-use path. One of the most notable features was a tunnel built under Peters Creek Parkway near Truist Stadium to take future path users underneath the crossing.

The bulk of the money for the $4.8 million paths first phase of work is coming from state and federal sources. The work is being carried out by Smith-Rowe LLC of Mount Airy under management by the city. The section from the Strollway to Fourth Street is expected to be open by the summer of 2025.

Buttigieg was in North Carolina to promote infrastructure projects getting federal support, including a $1.09 billion investment on work to build a more direct rail connection between Raleigh and Richmond, Va., the Forsyth County beltway and pathway work, and $12 million to improve 33 intersections in downtown Durham.

Buttigiegs visit, though not classed as a political trip, did focus a lot on Biden initiatives and took place in Winston-Salem before a large blue backdrop bearing the Presidents name and the slogan Investing in America for various presidential spending initiatives.

The transportation secretarys visit also came days after a debate performance by Biden that has many, even within his own party, questioning the 81-year-old presidents mental acuity. Buttigieg, who took questions from the media after the Winston-Salem visit, said Bidens accomplishments are the best definition of performance that I care about in a president.

Well, you cant argue with results, Buttigieg said. And everything that we are focused on here are the results of President Bidens leadership. Any job Ive ever had, I wanted to be judged based on what I could deliver.

Buttigieg went on to say that jobs returning to the U.S., comprehensive climate action, infrastructure spending and job growth are among Biden achievements that make him proud to be a part of that team. He said former President Donald Trump had failed to deliver on promises of infrastructure spending.

Members of the Twin City Track Club came to the groundbreaking and set up a station under an awning to show support for the new pathway under construction.

We are absolutely delighted, said Er Ralston, who sits on the club board. I think our track club philosophy (is) the more people we have out walking or running, the better it is for the community overall. He went on to say that walking paths give people a chance to mingle more in addition to doing something healthy.

Jake Easter, a biking advocate who turned out for the groundbreaking, said the multi-use path is different from a lot of other bike trails that are set up more for recreational use. By contrast, he said, people will be using the multi-use path to commute  especially once the second phase is completed to the hospital.

Anyone who lives downtown and works at Baptist would be crazy not to use it, Easter said.

PHOTOS: U.S. Transportation Secretary Buttigieg, Gov. Cooper break ground on Salem Parkway Multi-Use Path
A Winston-Salem man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a shooting Sunday on Indiana Avenue that left another man wounded, authorities said.

Jalean Jamal Hoskins, 30, of West 12th Street, is charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury, Winston-Salem police said.

Hoskins is being held in the Forsyth County Jail with no bond allowed, police said.

Winston-Salem police responded at 12:44 p.m. Sunday to the parking lot of 10 Federal Self Storage at 4955 Indiana Ave. on a reported shooting, police said.

When officers arrived, they found a man with a minor gunshot wound, police said. The victim was treated at the scene by Forsyth County emergency medical technicians.

Police didnt identify the man.

The man told officers that he was in his vehicle when he argued with the driver of another vehicle, police said. That driver then shot him and left the scene in a small white SUV.

The victim didnt know the shooter, police said.
On June 23, a series of coordinated attacks were carried out in Dagestans two largest cities Makhachkala and Derbent, targeting Orthodox churches, synagogues, and a traffic police post. The attacks left 26 people dead (including five attackers) and dozens injured. This attack signaled the apparent revival of the jihadist scene in Russias largest and demographically most populous North Caucasus republic, fuelled in part by increasing antisemitic tension and militarism due to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and Russias invasion of Ukraine. This new upsurge of violence can also be attributed to the worsening socio-economic conditions in the republic, the over-engagement of the law enforcement and security services with the war in Ukraine, and the accumulation of general discontent among Dagestani youth with limited channels for peaceful expression.

BACKGROUND: With the exception of the October 2023 storming of Makhachkala airport, incidents of antisemitism in Dagestan are historically exceptional. Until recently, this republic on the western shores of the Caspian Sea has been characterized by religious tolerance. For centuries, the community of Mountain Jews have lived here without tension with other ethnic groups. Likewise, Russophobia has never been widespread in Dagestan and the republics Orthodox minority has enjoyed peaceful relations the muslim majority. The attacks on June 23 can be attributed to the rhetoric and practice of the Islamic State, which about a decade ago captivated part of the revolutionary-oriented Dagestan youth and introduced the idea of communal enemies of Islam. The attacks on Jewish temples were likely the response of local jihadists to the situation in the Gaza Strip, which has resonated heavily among Dagestanis and prompted the idea of Islamic solidarity with the suffering of Palestinian Arabs.

While many Dagestanis openly express their willingness to travel to Palestine and join the local resistance, this is not an option due to Israels tight control over the borders of Palestines administrative territories. Unlike the Middle Eastern conflict, the war in Ukraine appears to be rather unpopular and the motivation among Dagestanis to join the Ukrainian troops fighting against the Russian invasion is not very strong. Dagestani soldiers in the Russian army who went to war in Ukraine in 2022 or did not oppose recruitment have exhausted their potential  just like many other Russian veterans, they are disgusted by mistreatment, the lack of proper financial compensation and insufficient medical care.

IMPLICATIONS: Provided that the war continues and thousands of Dagestanis and members of other  especially North Caucasian  minorities are forcibly mobilized to the frontlines in Ukraine, it can be expected that opposition to the war will grow. This will go hand in hand with opposition to the unpopular regime in Moscow. It should be recalled that in 2022, the most significant protest actions in Russia against the mobilization of soldiers to be deployed in Ukraine took place in Dagestan. Reportedly, these public protests contributed to Moscows reluctance to order a second round of forced mobilization, instead deciding to focus on providing financial motivation for potential recruits. With some exceptions, for example forcible recruitment of of guest workers from Central Asian countries who have recently obtained Russian citizenship, or pressure towards generally discriminated groups to enlist in the Ukrainian front, the Kremlin is carefully seeking to reduce the pool of mobilized people to those who go to war more or less on their own initiative.

So far, there are no signs that the attacks, considered to be a singular incident, will politically undermine Putin or the Kremlin. Yet a series of similar incidents could undermine Russian authorities (in the region rather than across the country), as they would point to the systemic inability of the security agencies to ensure the safety of citizens at this critical time. Simultaneously, Moscow is seeking to get the most out of the bloody attackes, for example by suggesting that it was organized from Kyiv and NATO countries as was claimed by Dagestani MP Abdulkhakim Gadzhiyev.



However, associating the Makhachkala attackers with Ukraine or the West has proven difficult even for Kremlin officials. A far more credible link has been revealed between the attackers and local officials, three of which were related to the head of Sergokalinsky district in eastern Dagestan, Magomed Omarov. Despite a series of official statements about the detention of Omarov and his expulsion from the United Russia ruling party, as well as several recorded video apologies from members of his family, the links between the disgraced regional official and the attackers remain unclear. Pro-Jihadist sympathies among Dagestani officials and the participation of their family members in the republics Islamist insurgency were previously recorded during the peak of the insurgency in the 2010s. However, the June 23 attacks demonstrate an unprecedented development as the attackers were not known for their involvement with the Jihadist underground. The absence of an official claim of responsibility for the attack from the local Islamic State Group branch Vilayat Kavkaz makes it even more difficult to establish the attackers affiliation to existing Jihadist groups in the region. Conversely, one of the attackers was a member of the pro-Kremlin Just Russia political party, another associated with the famous MMA wrestling club owned by Khabib Nurmagomedov, indicating that the suspected militants were associated with Dagestani elites.



While the Jihadist attack on Moscows Crocus centre in March was a first indication of Russias inadequate preparedness to counter terrorism, and demonstrated a mediocre performance by its security services, the Makhachkala attacks in June further confirm that Moscow lacks effective rapid response mechanisms to counter a rising Islamist threat. Efforts to delegate the blame for Jihadist attacks on Ukraine and the West not only increase the complacency of Russias security services (such as the FSB), but also reduce their capacity to prevent similar attacks in future.

CONCLUSIONS: There is a real prospect that a worsening situation on the Ukraine front necessitating a new round of mobilization in Russia and/or a further deterioration of the socio-economic situation in the country could trigger a revival of the resistance, which has deep roots in the North Caucasus. Moscow would then face a partisan movement, whether Islamist or ethno-separatist, for which there are clear precedents in the republic and in the region.

The Makhachkala attacks therefore demonstrated that  in a situation of more limited control by the security forces  Dagestan remains a potentially explosive republic, where individuals equipped with firearms and lacking connections to any established armed groups are able to carry out simultaneous armed operations. Thousands of Dagestanis who in the 2000s and early 2010s first fought in the local resistance and then reoriented themselves to the Syrian civil war, currently lack a battlefield where they can deploy.



Dissatisfaction with systemic corruption, lack of political freedoms, and the worsening economic situation in the republic has not disappeared. Yet the options for channeling this dissatisfaction wihtin the republic have so far been very limited. Simultaneously, the weakening of Dagestans security services have resulted in reduced control over the republics Islamist environment. Thus, the attacks should serve as a wake up call. Russia is neglecting the socio-economic and security situation in this key North Caucasian republic at its own peril.

AUTHOR'S BIO: Emil A. Souleimanov is a professor at Charles University. Huseyn Aliyev is a Lecturer at Central & East European Studies, University of Glasgow.



The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own.
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
KEARNEY  Gilberto Mancilla Rodriguez opened his cell phone and listed the family members in one of his photos: wife Gisela and daughters Samantha and Yamileth.

Rodriguez wore a proud smile, but like other migrant workers gathered Saturday night at Kearneys Dryden Park, the separation from family and friends can be hard to bear, so it helps knowing his earnings from rouging and detasseling will help back home in Mexico.

The men were hired by Gulf Citrus Harvesting Corp. of Florida to clear volunteer plants from cornfields. Later they will detassel seed corn.

The 71 workers who gathered at Dryden Park are the first in several waves of Mexican field workers that Gulf Citrus is sending to the Kearney area. The past two years Gulf Citrus workers labored in the Grand Island and Hastings areas, according to Juan Tamayo, a supervisor with Gulf Citrus.

In addition to the workers who have already arrived, another group of 100 will be in Kearney in mid-July. Tamayo said every room in Kearneys Western Inn is booked to accommodate the temporary workers who are H-2A visa holders.

Tamayo has arranged for food trucks to feed his crews.

The H-2A visa program allows American farmers to legally hire seasonal laborers. Gulf Citrus crews will be in the Kearney area until October and will be earning $18.32 per hour.

Saturday evening, the men were invited by a number of service organizations and businesses to a picnic at Dryden Park to learn about services they might need during the few months theyll be working in the Kearney area.

Educational Service Unit 9 of Hastings organized the event, which included an appearance by Gabriel Razo of the Mexico Consulate in Omaha.

It is very important for us to meet with our constituents, Razo said.

Among others who greeted the workers were bankers from FNBO, Kearneys eFree Church, ESU 9, Two Rivers Public Health and mental health representatives from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Ita Mendoza grew up in Mexico City. Today she works with ESU 9s Migrant Education Program, which organized Saturdays gathering.

Among other things, the ESU Migrant Education Program helps families keep up on their childrens dental and physical health and stay active in school. Getting an education can be a challenge because kids often disconnect from school when their parents move to follow harvests.

Mendoza said Americans might confuse what migrant workers are doing in the United States.

People associate migrant with immigration, Mendoza said. We know these workers presence is a positive effect in the community.

Saturdays gathering was an opportunity for eFree bilingual Pastor Pablo Domingues to introduce himself. He said he spoke with four workers who are interested in attending Sunday services.

Rosemary Lopez and Edgar Boteo of FNBO said they wanted to help migrants with their banking.

Were here to educate the workers, Lopez said. You dont need a Social Security number to open an account.

Boteo said the migrants might be paying fees unnecessarily when they cash paper checks, so he wants to show them how to avoid the fees.

More than 30 migrants signed up with UNMCs Bienvenido or Welcome mental health program.

The plan is to do five sessions, said Natalia Trinidad from UNMCs College of Public Health.

Bienvenido will inform participants about various mental health topics, including how to manage anger and deal with emotions.

UNMC offered Bienvenido in Hastings and Grand Island last year.

We ask them how theyre doing. This is our sixth group, Trinidad said.

Tamayo said his workers appreciated the hospitality and learning about services they might need.

It was very good, Tamayo said. Everybody appreciated the information that was shared. It was good.
The sun-sparkled waters of scenic Geneva Lake will be the focal point for summer fun for area residents and visitors alike on this years extended Fourth of July weekend.

On July 2 at 4:22 p.m., the Williams Bay-based Geneva Lake Environmental Agency (GLEA) issued its latest weekly water quality sampling report for the 2024 beach season around Geneva Lake.

The water quality sampling for E. coli (Escherichia coli) at public beach locations around Geneva Lake, taken July 1, showed good results around the lake according to Lake Manager Intern Henry Huss.

The beaches of Geneva Lake are all safe, Huss said. Happy holidays!

The July 1 sampling test results around Geneva Lake, reported in colonies per 100mL, showed bacteria counts as follows:

Linn Pier Beach: 2

Fontana BeachNorth End: 7

Fontana BeachSwim Piers: 5

Fontana BeachSouth End: 15

Fontana  Village South Beach: 36

Williams Bay BeachWest End: 33

Williams Bay BeachSwim Piers: 15

Williams Bay BeachCreek/Lake Mixing Zone: 38

Williams Bay BeachEast End: 21

Hillside Road Beach: 3

Lake Geneva BeachWest End: 82

Lake Geneva BeachSwim Piers: 13

Lake Geneva BeachEast End: 80

Big Foot State ParkBig Foot Beach: 2

An advisory occurs at a count exceeding 235 colonies per 100mL, with a closure occuring at counts exceeding 999.

Huss reported that the average water temperature of Geneva Lake is 74 degrees.

About GLEA

The Geneva Lake Environmental Agency has a mission to maintain Geneva Lakes resources by protecting, preserving and enhancing a desirable lake and watershed quality through monitoring, protection and education.

For more information about GLEA, including public beach water testing, visit https://www.gleawi.org.

IN 42 PHOTOS: 2023 Independence Day parade in Sharon Sharon Parade 4-H.JPG Sharon Parade 1923 Pircsch.JPG Sharon Parade 1947 IH McCormick Farmall MD Walt Getka Burlington.JPG Sharon Parade 1948 IH.JPG Sharon Parade 1952 IH McCormick Farmall Super C Roberts Family Walworth.JPG Sharon Parade 1953 Case DC Michael G. Damak Sharon.JPG Sharon Parade 1953 IH Farmall Super 8 Vince Getka Sharon.JPG Sharon Parade Allis Chalmers 2.JPG Sharon Parade Allis Chalmers.JPG Sharon Parade Camp Timber-lee.JPG Sharon Parade Capron Lions Chicken BBQ.JPG Sharon Parade Case Tractor.JPG Sharon Parade Coffee Cup Business of the Year.JPG Sharon Parade cow.JPG Sharon Parade Dodge Brothers.JPG Sharon Parade Dragon 2.JPG Sharon Parade Dragon.JPG Sharon Parade Evergreen Septic.JPG SHaron Parade FD Water Spray 2.JPG Sharon Parade FD Water Spray.JPG Sharon Parade Fire Apparatus.JPG Sharon Parade Girl Waving 2.JPG Sharon Parade Girl Waving.JPG SHaron Parade Hannah & Cayden White.JPG Sharon Parade Harvard Milk Days Float.JPG Sharon Parade IH Dick Stoxen Harvard.JPG Sharon Parade IH McCormick W9 Vince & Jean Getka of Sharon.JPG Sharon Parade Legion Better.JPG Sharon Parade McCormick-Deering F20 Harvard.JPG Sharon Parade Myrt's Ice Cream Shoppe.JPG Sharon Parade Officer Matt Diderich.JPG Sharon Parade patriotic 1776 wagon.JPG Sharon Parade Rock-Ford Model A Club.JPG Sharon Parade Rockford Speedway.JPG Sharon Parade Sharon FD.JPG Sharon Parade Sharon Lions Club float.JPG SHaron Parade Tractors on Parade.JPG Sharon Parade Tyler August.JPG Sharon Parade veterans march.JPG Sharon Parade veterans.JPG Sharon Parade vintage John Deere.JPG FAIREST OF THE FAIR
The "Cheng'an Baohuo" silver coin of Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) is displayed at the Jin Shangjing History Museum in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Xuan)

At the Jin Shangjing History Museum in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, a gleaming thumb-sized silver coin attracts curious visitors. With unique curved edges unlike other Chinese and Western coins, the silver money in the shape of a double-bit ax tells its remarkable history.



The silver money minted by the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) government was the first official currency made of silver in Chinese history, said Hu Zhiyuan, director of the interpretation department of the museum.

The engraved traditional Chinese characters on the silver indicated its information, with "Cheng'an" representing the name of the era (1196-1200) and "Baohuo" meaning currency, said Hu.

The institutions in charge of forging money and its central government management agency were also inscribed on the silver.

Hu said the piece's unique appearance and its Chinese inscription reflected the influence of traditional Chinese culture in the Jin Dynasty, showcasing the integration of different ethnic cultures during its century-long reign.

The Jin Dynasty, founded by the Jurchen people, ruled over northern and northeastern China, coexisting with the Song, Liao, Yuan, and Western Xia regimes that controlled parts of the country during the historical period.

Hu explained that the Jurchens initially lived by fishing and hunting and bartered within their tribes for a long time. However, as trade between the three peoples grew, they soon began using bronze coins from the Liao and Song dynasties ruled by the Khitan and Han people.

In 1125, after the Jin regime overthrew the Liao regime and advanced southward into the Song territory, a significant influx of currency and craftsmen from the southern part of China reached Jin's heartland, leaving profound impacts on its own monetary system, according to Hu, adding that the shape and the layout of the Chinese inscriptions of some coins from the Song and the Jin dynasties are similar -- another sign of ethnic integration.

Hu said that during the century-long interactions between the Song and Jin dynasties, peace prevailed for over 60 years, with the trade of fur, ginseng, tea, and textiles flourishing through designated border markets. Peculiar silver coins and ingots of the Jin Dynasty were used and then carried across China.

"Through such ingots discovered in what is Lintong District now in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, researchers can see close economic and trade exchanges between the Jurchen and other ethnic groups in different regions of China," said Hu.

As the ice and snow resources have brought more and more tourists to Harbin, an increasing number of visitors are flocking to the museum, delving into the lesser-known stories of the Jurchen and other northern Chinese ethnic groups through these relics.

Mu Changqing, deputy director of the museum's cultural relics preservation department, said the museum welcomed nearly 180,000 visitors from January to June this year, with a maximum of 15,023 visitors in a single day.

The museum plans to provide multimedia displays, replicate historical scenes, and organize educational lectures so visitors can better learn about the history of the Jin Dynasty and the cultures of different ethnic groups.

Various coins and cultural relics exhibits of Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) are displayed at the Jin Shangjing History Museum in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Tang Tiefu)
Graduating from Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in 2008 and gaining work experience elsewhere, Hao Xiwen has never lost his passion for ceramics.

Upon returning to Jingdezhen, known as China's "porcelain capital", in Jiangxi province, he has wholeheartedly immersed himself in the ceramics sector through continued studies and entrepreneurial pursuits. "While my arrival in Jingdezhen may have been somewhat accidental, I have come to deeply appreciate the immense charm of ceramics throughout this experience," said Hao, who has founded a workshop called Jixiashe.

"Now, I want to go a step further and help more people appreciate the beauty of ceramics."

While pursuing his master's degree and doctoral studies, Hao established the workshop to focus on educational tourism.

In recent years, ceramics-themed educational tours have grown in popularity, which has made it increasingly challenging for him to leave the city. With a ceramics history spanning over 2,000 years, including more than 1,000 years of official kiln history and over 600 years of imperial kiln tradition, Jingdezhen boasts a distinctive charm and artistic ambience bestowed by its rich traditional ceramic culture.

In recent years, more than 60,000 non-locals like Hao have moved to Jingdezhen. Among them, over 5,000 are from other countries, including the United States, France, Singapore and the Republic of Korea. They have established studios and organized pottery activities in the city, according to the local government.

Camille Kami from France recalled her initial astonishment upon arriving in Jingdezhen. "How is it possible for a city to specialize in a single industry for a millennium?" she asked. With a background in ceramics education spanning France, Britain, Switzerland and the Netherlands, she discovered an unexpected reluctance to depart Jingdezhen, ultimately choosing to make it her home.

In contrast to cities primarily exporting labor, Jingdezhen has witnessed a reversed population flow in recent years.

This phenomenon of "cultural immigration" not only highlights Jingdezhen's openness and inclusiveness but also reflects the local government's efforts to make non-locals in Jingdezhen feel at home by establishing specialized service agencies and optimizing policies to create a supportive environment.

"In the past, foreigners came to Jingdezhen sporadically, but it has become a trend over the past decade," said Chen You, deputy director of the service center for ceramics talent in Jingdezhen. "To ensure that non-locals pursue innovation and start businesses with peace of mind, we provide comprehensive services in areas such as housing, healthcare, children's education and loans."

The Taoxichuan International Art Center in Jingdezhen hosts a three-month residency program each year, inviting overseas artists to reside in the city and explore their creativity, with all expenses covered. In exchange, participants are asked to leave behind one-third of their artworks.

"Through exhibitions or sales of artworks, we can cover most of the costs. The important thing is to establish stronger ties between foreigners and China," said Wu Hao, head of the art center.

"This year, we've already received a record number of over 1,000 applications from foreign artists eager to work on-site here."

In today's era, the collision between traditional ceramic-making techniques and modern design concepts in this city is a constant catalyst for innovation in ceramic products. A myriad of inventive creations has captured the interest of young consumers, injecting fresh vigor into this 1,000-year-old porcelain capital.

The openness and inclusiveness of Jingdezhen have endowed this small city with a strong cultural vibrancy. Even young people with little money can come to Jingdezhen, buy some clay and use public kilns to create their works, pursuing their dreams at a low cost.

"The entrepreneurial investment in Jingdezhen is low. I can set up a free stall at the night market and live in a youth hostel for 500 yuan ($69) a month," said Ai Fuling, 36, who quit her job at an advertising company in Beijing 9 years ago and moved to Jingdezhen to start her own business.

Ai now has her own shop, with monthly sales of nearly 150,000 yuan. Taoxichuan has incubated over 20,000 entrepreneurs like her, resulting in 2,902 business entities.

Currently, about 150,000 people in Jingdezhen are engaged in ceramics and related industries, nearly a quarter of the city's population.
On 2 July Panamas new Presidentspoke with his Argentine counterparton the telephone.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 404 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options
On 2 July the prosecution began setting out its case in the second day of the money laundering trial of Perus, a three-time presidential candidate and leader of the right-wing Fuerza Popular (FP).

End of preview - This article contains approximately 609 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options
A 17-year-old vocational school student from rural China is being celebrated on social media after reaching the final round of a math competition. She defeated many other students from top universities around the country.

Jiang Ping, who is studying fashion design, finished 12th in the Alibaba Global Math Competition. She is one of 802 competitors who made it to the final round  an eight-hour test that took place recently.

Damo Academy, the organizer of the competition, posted a video that included an interview with Jiang on social media. It received more than 800,000 likes and 90,000 comments shortly after it was posted.

Jiang says in the video that she did not think she deserved to join the competition. She also says she enjoys working on high-level math as it brings out my desire to explore.

Congratulations poured in. People visited her parents home in a village of the Jiangsu area on Chinas east coast. They brought alcohol and money to show support. Her pictures were shown on the walls of shopping centers in her hometown, Lianshui. Zhejiang University and Jiangsu University praised her on their Weibo social media accounts.

It is unclear how Jiang ended up in vocational school. However, her story reminded some people in China of the inequality between rural and urban areas. Some believe the divide can make it harder for even the best students to climb the economic ladder.

While Jiang Ping is openly celebrated, many Chinese feel deep down inside that her story highlights the hopelessness of Chinese education, said Jiang Xueqin, a China-based education researcher. He said that citizens without power, wealth or guanxi - the Chinese term for connections  have little chance of success.

In recent years, inequality in education appears to have worsened.

China spent 17 percent less on education in rural areas than in cities in 2019 for the required nine years of education. That does not include high school. In 2013, spending was only two percent lower in rural areas. The findings are based on data from a Peking University report on the urban-rural divide in spending per capita.

Ministry of Education data show that 70 percent of students in Chinas vocational schools are from rural areas. The high percentage suggests that the education system works like a caste system, Jiang, the researcher said. A caste system divides and groups people into a leveled social order.

Jiang, the rural student, is the only vocational school student among all the finalists. The others, who are mostly Chinese, mainly come from top universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and California Institute of Technology (Caltech), as well as Chinas top two schools, Tsinghua University and Peking University. Winners will be awarded $2,000 to $30,000 in prize money.

The large Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba established the competition six years ago. The companys leader at the time, Jack Ma, said the goal was to find students who enjoy math and then encourage and support them.

Jiang did well enough on the entrance exam to go to high school, an official with the vocational school told state broadcaster CCTV.

The official said Jiang applied to the vocational school instead of a high school because her older sister and good friends were students there. Other Chinese media said it was because she came from a poor family, and the vocational school gave her a scholarship.

Jiang says in the video that she plans to get into a good university.

The Associated Press was not able to reach the student for comment.

Im Caty Weaver.

Fu Ting reported this story for The Associated Press. Hai Do adapted the story for VOA Learning English.

Quiz - Rural Student Bests University Competitors in Chinas Math Contest Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

________________________________________________

Words in This Story

vocational - adj. relating to skills and training for specific jobs

interview - n. a meeting between a reporter and another person to get information

deserve - v. used to say someone should not have or be given something

highlight - v. to make people notice

per capita - adv. by or for each person

encourage - v. to make someone more likely to do something

apply - v. to ask formally for something

scholarship - n. an amount of money to help pay for student's education
South Sudan is home to what some wildlife experts say is the worlds largest land animal migration, or seasonal movement of animals. But government officials fear illegal hunting threatens the animals and may hurt the development of a sustainable tourism industry.

Migration

An estimated 6 million antelope participated in a migration last year, the countrys first major aerial wildlife study says.

The estimate from the nonprofit African Parks, which did the work along with the government, is far greater than estimates of other large animal movements around the world.

The recently released study used data collected over a two-week period in two national parks and nearby areas, covering a continuous area of 122,774 square kilometers.

But the group warned that the animals face a rising threat from illegal hunting. The country is filled with weapons but does not have strong law enforcement.

Mike Fay is a scientist who led the study.

Fay said, Saving the last great migration of wildlife on the planet is an incredibly important thing. He added, Theres so much evidence that the worlds ecosystems are collapsing...

Conflict and problems

The east African nation is still emerging from five years of fighting that started in 2013 and killed nearly 400,000 people. Elections scheduled for last year were delayed 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 percent of the population  depending on humanitarian aid, the United Nations says.

The migration is already being talked about as a point of national pride by a country trying to move beyond its past. Large advertisements of the migration recently went up in the capital city of Juba. And the government hopes the animals will bring many visitors to the country.

South Sudan has six national parks and over ten game reserves covering more than 13 percent of the land.

The migration stretches from east of the Nile River in Badingilo and Boma parks into neighboring Ethiopia. It includes four main antelope, the white-eared kob  of which there are some 5 million  the tiang, the Mongalla gazelle and the bohor reedbuck.

The study said some numbers of 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 reporters flying over the migration of antelope in early June saw few giraffes and no elephants, lions or cheetahs.

Trying to protect the animals over such a large area is difficult.

In recent years, new roads have increased peoples access to markets, leading to more illegal hunting. Years of flooding have meant crop failures that have left some people with little choice but to hunt for food. African Parks estimated some 30,000 animals were being killed each month between March and May this year.

Villagers near the parks told AP they mostly hunted to feed their families or to exchange the animals for goods.

The government has not made protecting wildlife a main concern. Less than 1 percent of its budget is spent on the wildlife ministry, which said it has few cars to move rangers around to protect animals. Those rangers say they have not been paid since October. In addition, the rangers say that illegal hunters have more weapons than they do.

But South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit said the country is committed to turning its wealth of wildlife into sustainable tourism. He said he wanted the Ministry of Wildlife to increase training and equip rangers to fight illegal hunting.

Im John Russell.

Sam Mednick reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English.

______________________________________________

Words in This Story

sustainable  adj. involving methods that do not completely use up natural resources

tourism  n. the activity of traveling to a place for fun or pleasure

antelope  n. an animal that looks like a deer and runs very fast

ecosystem  n. everything that exists in an environment or area

pride  n. a feeling of self-respect or happiness

catastrophic  adj. of or relating to disaster; describes great damage or a disaster

species  n. a group of animals or plants that can produce young animals or plants

access  n. a way of getting at, near, or to something

ranger  n. a person who protects part of a public forest
The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District Board approved the purchase of a new transformer for the Jeffrey Hydroplant during the July board meeting.

The approved bid was awarded to OTC Services of Louisville, Ohio, for the price of $1.4 million, according to the press release.

The 69kV transformer is a replacement for the current Jeffrey Transformer 3 that was installed around 1950.

Currently the subtransmission transformer operates at 34.5kV. Dawson Public Power District will be upgrading its system to operate at 69KV which connects to this transformer and provides electrical service to many Dawson PPD customers in the area.

Hydroelectric Operations Supervisor Anton Hassebrook discussed additional work that will be required to put the new transformer into service, including underground power cables and conduit from the powerplant as well as a new foundation and structure for the transformer and high voltage lines.

Jeffrey Hydroplant was not designed in the 1930s with a hydraulic bypass and having two different paths to transmit power should one of those paths be unavailable since no water could bypass the hydroplant without it.

Hassebrook reminded the board that 100% of Centrals irrigation water passes through the Jeffrey Hydroplant, so having that plant down would keep water from reaching the irrigation area for customers during the irrigation season.

Once the agreement is signed, pending legal review, it is anticipated the new transformer would be delivered for installation around Fall 2026.

Also at Mondays meeting:

The directors approved the payment of $72,500 for crushed concrete to Paulson, Inc., for the base and surfacing of the new road to the Phillips Canyon Boat ramp that is currently under construction.

Directors approved the proposal of hiring additional services to support the Kingsley Dam resurfacing project. RJH Consultants, Inc., the lead consultant of the project, has engaged a Coastal Engineering Force analyst to determine what energy forces the dam will need to withstand. In addition, a site-specific wind analysis will be completed to determine probable maximum wind speeds, directions and durations for use in the engineering design at Kingsley Dam.

The board approved entering a seven-year lease with 1000 Plus, LLC allowing Central property to be used for a shooting range southeast of Lexington. There will be no annual lease payment to help accommodate accumulation of future relocation costs by 1000 Plus over the term of the lease.

The board also approved a 30-year lease term with Johnson Lake Emergency Medical Service, Inc. The current 30-year term lease will expire at the end of February 2025.

The board voted to extend the Wildlife Management Area lease with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for two years.

Civil Engineer Tyler Thulin reported that Lake McConaughys elevation was at 3237.9 feet on Monday (59.9% capacity). Inflows are around 800 cubic feet per second and outflows are about 2,220 cfs which is down 500 cfs from last week with the Environmental Account release ending on June 30.

The board approved the promotion of two employees at the Gothenburg location to supervisory positions. Jeremy Hendricks was named the supply canal operations supervisor and Chad Kolbo was named supply canal maintenance superintendent.
"Traveling isn't just about relaxation for me," said 25-year-old actress Zhao Zhaoyi. "It's about stepping out of my comfort zone and rediscovering myself through encountering diverse landscapes, people, and cultures."

Zhao is part of a group of Chinese celebrities featured in the popular reality travel show, Divas Hit the Road. In the fifth season, which concluded earlier this year, the group went on a 23-day journey across Saudi Arabia, Croatia, and Iceland  countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

In a special season currently airing on Mango TV, the group visits more of China's friends  countries that have signed visa-free or visa-on-arrival arrangements with China  including Singapore, Indonesia, and France.

The show aims to provide the audience with travel tips and itineraries by assigning each group member the role of a "tour guide".However, the fifth season introduced a small twist by adding short lessons and quizzes about the countries they visited.

"It was a different style of travel from what I'm used to, but it was a meaningful experience," Zhao said. "I'll always remember the things I learned, like the length of the Peljesac Bridge in Croatia, which is 2,440 meters."

The group had the opportunity to personally witness the Peljesac Bridge, which spans the Bay of Mali Ston in the Adriatic Sea, connecting Croatia's mainland with the Peljesac Peninsula. The bridge opened to traffic in July 2022, and most importantly, it was built by a Chinese consortium.

According to Zhao, it is this sense of pride as a Chinese citizen that strengthens and motivates them to do their best as cultural ambassadors. "We're not just traveling and filming a reality show; we're also representing China as we visit these 'friends' of China," she said.

During their time in Croatia, the group also had the chance to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with staff from the Cultural Exchange Office of the Chinese Embassy.

As they chatted under the moonlight, they were surprised to learn that one of the staff members, who seemed to have the most local friends, didn't speak Croatian at all, and his English wasn't very good either. They simply communicated using body language.

Despite the language barrier, some of his local friends joined the group for dinner. Even though they didn't speak Chinese, they had learned it was a special holiday for the Chinese people and wanted to send their best regards.

"It made the night even more memorable, filled with love and warmth," Zhao recalled.

The trip to Saudi Arabia also left Zhao in awe. "In Saudi Arabia, you can immerse yourself in nature and history, appreciating its beauty while realizing how small we humans are in the world," she said.

Among the cities the group visited, Zhao particularly recommends AlUla over more modernized cities like Jeddah.

Situated in the desert, AlUla is an ancient oasis city renowned for its 7,000-year-old tombs and breathtaking rock formations. AlUla is also home to Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

"AlUla represents more of a microcosm of the country," Zhao said.

However, she acknowledged that personal preferences vary and she understands that some tourists may prefer more urban destinations.

During their trip, the group experienced firsthand the local culture and customs.

"We learned that using one's left hand is considered impolite in Saudi Arabia and, in many cases, taboo," Zhao said. "Even though locals understand you're a foreigner, it's respectful to use your right hand at all times."

Zhao and her fellow celebrities also introduced Chinese culinary delights to the local people. While Zhao mentioned that it was impossible to list them all, she enthusiastically recommended one particular dish  or rather, genre: hotpot.

"There are so many types of distinctive hotpot across China: from the spicy Sichuan style to the traditional Beijing copper pot, and the Cantonese Dabianlu hotpot," said Zhao.

"Hotpot is deeply embedded in Chinese culture. It's a dish that offers both physical and emotional warmth, bringing people together. It often fosters genuine and open conversations around the dining table."

Since 2019, Saudi Arabia has been issuing tourist visas to visitors from 49 countries and regions worldwide, and Zhao highly recommends it as a tourist destination.

Personal growth

The trips have also helped Zhao grow as a person. Being one of the youngest members of the group, it was her first experience traveling with senior colleagues in the same profession, and she learned a lot from them.

"One of the most valuable lessons for me is to prioritize the bigger picture instead of getting caught up in minor differences among group members," she said.

"Each person is unique with their own perspectives, so it's natural for opinions to vary."

Reflecting on her current experience filming the ongoing special season, Zhao said she can see how much she has changed. "I've become more outspoken about my opinions and feelings," she said. "I've also been taking on more responsibilities and have been more proactive in helping others."

Some audience members believe that in this season, Zhao was able to address some regrets from the previous one. For example, she missed out on snorkeling in Iceland due to her fear of water but had a great time in the sea in Thailand.

"I wasn't obsessed with completing what I hadn't done last season. It simply felt effortless and natural for me this time in Thailand," Zhao said.

Zhao also emphasized that there is no single way to experience a place.

"As part of Generation Z, I think we're open to new experiences and self-expression, eager to explore the world in our own unique ways."

She added that sometimes leaving something unfinished on a trip can be beneficial.

"Regret is a beautiful thing; it brings you a sense of longing and enhances the joy and fulfillment when you eventually revisit it," she said.
The current revenue of the local advertising industry is estimated to have recovered to about 80% of 2019 levels, said Eric Ho, chairman of the Association of Advertising Agents. However, the association remains wary of the sectors recovery as European and American brands switch to the Singapore market. Currently, the sector relies on the SAR governments increasing overseas promotion efforts in the second half of the year, as the city will hold a number of large-scale events and competitions that require advertising investment.

Related
In a move to address the ongoing taxi shortage in Macau, the citys Transport Bureau (DSAT) has announced plans to launch a comprehensive study this year, focusing on the fleets capacity and service levels provided by both regular and special taxis. However, one key passenger concern, the alleged rudeness of many taxi drivers, will not be part of the evaluation.

According to a written response from the bureaus director, Lam Hin San, to queries from lawmaker Ngan Iek Hang, service standards remain the responsibility of the taxi companies themselves. Taxi operators are legally required to provide training to drivers and monitor their behavior.

The DSAT has expressed support for the idea of taxi companies developing an online booking platform, either independently or through collaboration. However, Lam emphasized that the authorities would not accept passengers being charged excessive fees.

Macaus current taxi fleet of 1,518 vehicles for a population of 700,000 is widely recognized as insufficient, leading to a drastic shortage of cabs and an inability to meet demand from both residents and the large numbers of tourists who swell the citys population on weekends. To alleviate the problem, officials launched a public tender late last year, which is expected to put 500 new taxis on the streets in the coming months, although they acknowledge this may not be enough.

The lack of ride-hailing services such as Uber, which terminated operations in Macau in 2017 after a protracted legal battle with local authorities, has further exacerbated the citys taxi shortage. Victoria Chan
North Korea said yesterday it had test-fired a new tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying a super-large warhead, a claim quickly disputed by South Korean officials and experts who speculate the North likely fabricated a successful test to conceal a botched launch.

Its the second time that South Korea has questioned North Koreas claim on the development of new weapons in recent days, as the rivals are locked in heightened animosities over the Norths testing activities.

The Norths official Korean Central News Agency said that Mondays test involved the Hwasongpho-11 Da-4.5 missile, which can carry a 4.5 ton-class warhead. It said the test was meant to verify the weapons flight stability and hit accuracy at the maximum range of 500 kilometers and the minimum range of 90 kilometers.

The test apparently refers to the two ballistic missile launches that South Korea said North Korea performed Monday.

Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung Joon said at a briefing later Tuesday that the second North Korean missile was found to have fallen on an uninhabited area near Pyongyang, the Norths capital. He said he could find few previous test-launches by North Korea that have aimed at ground target sites.

Regarding the North Korean assessment, were weighing a possibility of deception, Lee said.

The South Korean military has said the second North Korean missile possibly traveled abnormally during the initial stage of its flight. It said if the missile exploded, its debris would likely have scattered on the ground.

The KCNA dispatch didnt say from where it launched the new missile and where it landed. Unlike previous weapons tests, North Korea also didnt publicize any photos of Mondays test. The fact that it tested both the missiles maximum and minimum ranges suggested North Korea performed two launches.

KCNA, citing North Koreas Missile Administration, reported that North Korea will test-fire the missile again later in July to verify the performances of its simulated warhead at the medium range of 250 kilometers.

Some experts say test-firing missiles at ground targets could be related to efforts to test how powerful warheads are to destroy underground bunkers and structures.

But Shin Jongwoo, a Seoul-based military expert, said the lack of any photos on the launches means its highly likely the North is trying to deceive the outsiders to cover up Mondays failed launches. He said North Korea likely launched an existing missile on Monday, not the new missile at it claimed.

Yang Uk, an analyst at Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said that Mondays tests reflected North Koreas push to acquire a variety of conventional weapons. But he also said if North Korea truly succeeded in hitting a ground target, it probably would have already published related images to brag about its achievements as its done in the past.

Since 2022, North Korea has sharply accelerated weapons testing activities to enlarge its nuclear arsenal. The North Korea-claimed ranges of the newly tested missile imply it targets South Korea. Experts say North Korea would ultimately want to use an expanded weapons arsenal to increase its leverage in future diplomacy with the U.S. HYUNG-JIN KIM, SEOUL, MDT/AP
The Judiciary Police (PJ) is again urging the public to be cautious of phishing SMS messages that purport to be from local telecommunications companies. The messages said that rewards points must be redeemed as soon as possible and asked that the recipient to log into a fake website to provide personal and credit card information. The police said that a number of similar fraud cases have occurred in Macau recently, and that the fake websites appear very similar to official websites.

Related
A 14-year-old boy dressed in military clothing was arrested after police alleged he stabbed a 22-year-old student in the neck yesterday at the University of Sydney.

The student was taken to hospital in a stable condition. The suspect was treated in hospital for cuts and was kept for a mental health assessment, said Mark Walton, acting assistant commissioner for the New South Wales Police.

A motive or ideology importantly has not been determined at this time, Walton told reporters. The New South Wales Joint Counterterrorism Committee was investigating the matter, but there was no ongoing threat to the community, Walton said.

The ideology that may be related to this young persons activity is unknown, but I would say its likely to be categorized as mixed and unclear ideology. Its certainly not a religiously related ideology, Walton added.

Walton said the boy had worn a camouflage defense force uniform and left a kitchen knife at the scene.

The boy caught a bus from the university to a nearby hospital for treatment before he was arrested, police said.

Investigators found no link between the university attack and a 16-year-old boy charged with performing a terrorist act in the stabbing of a Sydney bishop on April 15 while a church service was being streamed online. Several of his teen associates have been charged with various offences including conspiring to engage in or planning as terrorist act.

Police shot dead a 16-year-old boy who had stabbed a stranger in a parking lot in the Australian city of Perth on May 4. That boy had been involved in a deradicalization program for two years before his death, but authorities did not classify the knifing as a terrorist attack, partly because there was no continuing threat that required an elevated law enforcement response.

Walton said the boy accused of the university attack had previously come to the attention of police and other government agencies, but would not elaborate.

No decision had yet been made on what charges would be laid.

The internet is toxic and its very easy for young people, especially, to self-radicalize, to move towards violence, Walton said.

The stabbing yesterday triggered a major police operation and a lockdown of buildings at Australias oldest university.

The police operation has since ended and all areas of the campus were now accessible, a university statement said.

The safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and members of the community are our priority and we continue to work with authorities, the statement said. ROD McGUIRK, MELBOURNE, MDT/AP
At a rural penal colony in southeast Ukraine, several convicts stand assembled under barbed wire to hear an army recruiter offer them a shot at parole. In return, they must join the grueling fight against Russia.

You can put an end to this and start a new life, said the recruiter, a member of a volunteer assault battalion. The main thing is your will, because you are going to defend the motherland. You wont succeed at 50%, you have to give 100% of yourself, even 150%.

Ukraine is expanding the draft to cope with acute battlefield shortages more than two years into fighting against Russias full-scale invasion. And its recruiting efforts have turned, for the first time, to the countrys prison population.

Although Ukraine does not announce any details of troop deployment numbers or casualties, frontline commanders openly acknowledge that they are facing serious manpower problems as Russian continues to build up forces in eastern Ukraine and make incremental gains westward.

More than 3,000 prisoners already have been released on parole and assigned to military units after such recruitment was approved by parliament in a controversial mobilization bill last month, Ukrainian Deputy Justice Minister Olena Vysotska told The Associated Press.

About 27,000 inmates could potentially be eligible for the new program, according to Justice Ministry estimates.

A lot of the motivation comes from (inmates) wanting to return home a hero, and not to return home from prison, Vysotska said.

Ernest Volvach, 27, wants to take up the offer. Hes serving a two-year sentence for robbery, at the penal colony in Ukraines Dnipropetrovsk region. He works in the kitchen, ladling dollops of food into tin bowls.

Its stupid to sit here doing nothing, Volvach said, adding that since the start of the war hes wanted to do something for Ukraine and have the opportunity to enlist. Now its appeared.

Ukrainian soldiers on active duty are typically identified only by their first name, or a call sign, for security reasons. Many of the inmates at the Dnipropetrovsk penal colony also asked to be identified only by their first names to avoid difficulties if they enlist.

Another inmate, 30, who gave his name only as Volodymyr, makes rivets at a penal colony workshop. He said he plans to volunteer after his sentence ends in one year, but wouldnt do so now because theres effectively no home leave under the parole program.

Prisoners can get the conditional release after an interview, medical exam, and a review of their conviction. Those convicted of rape, sexual assault, murdering two or more people or crimes against Ukraines national security arent eligible.

Ukrainian officials are keen to draw a distinction between their program and recruitment in Russia of convicts to serve in the notorious Wagner mercenary group. Those fighters typically have been funneled to the deadliest battles, the officials say, but the Ukrainian program aims to integrate the inmates into regular Ukrainian frontline units.

The country has a prison population of some 42,000, according to figures forwarded by the government to the European Union.

While recent reforms have reduced the number of prisoners and are credited with improving conditions at some facilities, the U.S. State Department noted credible reports of degrading treatment or punishment by prison authorities in its annual report on human rights last year.

After screening, paroled inmates are rushed to basic training at camps where they learn how to handle weapons and other combat fundamentals. Training is completed later once they join the individual units.

Paroled inmate Mykhailo joined an assault course and said it was hard to keep up with the physical demands after months of relative inactivity in prison  clambering in and out of armed personnel carriers and running through obstacle courses.

I decided to sign up for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army because I have a family at home, children, parents, the 29-year-old said, speaking over the noise of gunfire at a shooting range. I will be more useful in the war.

Vysotska, the deputy justice minister, said interest in the military parole program has exceeded early expectations, and that it could provide as many as 5,000 new recruits. That would definitely help, she said. VASILISA STEPANENKO, EVGENIY MALOLETKA & DEREK GATOPOULOS, DNIPROPETROVSK REGION, MDT/AP
The United Nations General Assembly adopted a Chinese-sponsored resolution with U.S. support urging wealthy developed nations to close the widening gap with poorer developing countries and ensure that they have equal opportunities to use and benefit from artificial intelligence.

The resolution approved Monday follows the March 21 adoption of the first U.N. resolution on artificial intelligence spearheaded by the United States and co-sponsored by 123 countries including China. It gave global support to the international effort to ensure that AI is safe, secure and trustworthy and that all nations can take advantage of it.

Adoption of the two non-binding resolutions shows that the United States and China, rivals in many areas, are both determined to be key players in shaping the future of this powerful new technology  and have been cooperating on these first important international steps.

The adoption of both resolutions by consensus by the 193-member General Assembly shows widespread global support for their leadership on the issue.

Chinas U.N. Ambassador Fu Cong told reporters Monday that the two resolutions are complementary, with the U.S. measure being more general and the just-adopted one focusing on capacity building.

He called the Chinese resolution, which had over 140 sponsors, great and far-reaching, and said, Were very appreciative of the positive role that the U.S. has played in this whole process.

Fu said AI technology is advancing extremely fast and the issue has been discussed at very senior levels, including by the U.S. and Chinese leaders.

We do look forward to intensifying our cooperation with the United States and for that matter with all countries in the world on this issue, which  will have far-reaching implications in all dimensions, he said.

The Chinese ambassador, however, strongly criticized the U.S. Treasury Departments proposed rule, announced on June 21, that would restrict and monitor U.S. investments in China for artificial intelligence, computer chips and quantum computing.

We are firmly opposed to these sanctions, Fu said. China doesnt believe the rule will be helpful to the healthy development of the AI technology per se, and will, by extension, divide the world in terms of the standards, and in terms of the rules governing AI. He called on the U.S. to lift the sanctions.

The Chinese resolution calls on the international community to provide and promote a fair, open, inclusive and non-discriminatory business environment, from AIs design and development to its use. Fu said China doesnt think the U.S. actions foster an inclusive business environment.

Both the U.S. and Chinese resolutions focus on the civilian applications of AI, but Fu told reporters the military dimension of artificial intelligence is also very important.

We do believe that it is necessary for the international community to take measures to reduce the dangers and the risks posed by the development of AI, he said.

China is actively participating in negotiations in Geneva on controlling lethal autonomous weapons, Fu said, adding that some countries are considering proposing a General Assembly resolution this year on the military dimension of AI  and we are in broad support of that initiative.

Both the U.S. and Chinese resolutions warned of the dangers of AI while also touting its potential benefits in promoting economic development and the lives of people everywhere.

The U.S. resolution recognizes that the governance of artificial intelligence systems is an evolving area that needs further discussions on possible governance approaches. It calls on countries to ensure that personal data is protected, human rights are safeguarded, and AI is monitored for potential risks.

Ambassador Fu, who headed the Foreign Ministrys arms control department from 2018 to 2022, said China put forward the resolution because of the widening gap in AI technology between the developed North and developing South.

He said China also wanted to highlight the central role the United Nations should play in AI governance as the most representative and most inclusive international forum.

The Chinese resolution resolves to bridge the artificial intelligence and other digital divides between and within countries, and promote international cooperation, including sharing knowledge and transferring technology to developing countries. EDITH M. LEDERER, UNITED NATIONS, MDT/AP
Police have arrested a man accused of brutally assaulting his wife in a disturbing case of domestic violence that occurred on the night of June 28.

According to the Judiciary Police (PJ) report, the victim, a woman who had been married to the suspect for over 20 years, alleged that the suspect had a history of assaulting her, with incidents dating back to 2022. Though the victim had filed a police report in 2023, she eventually withdrew her complaint. It is thought that she may have done so out of fear of further repercussions, the PJ stated.

On the night in question, the suspect was engaged in drunken behavior, when the suspect accused the victim of having an affair. This triggered a violent outburst, during which the suspect subjected the victim to a horrific ordeal. He allegedly stripped her clothes, beat her, forced her to kneel and pray, tied her up with a telephone wire, and covered her mouth with a cloth. The abuse lasted for over two hours, leaving the victims head and body injured in multiple places.

The suspect was arrested Monday at his workplace In the Northern District. Authorities found evidence on the suspects mobile phone, including images of the victim begging for mercy, which corroborated the allegations.

The suspect has been charged with violating Article 6 of the Criminal Code and the Penal Code, which carry increased penalties for domestic violence.

This case is particularly brutal and will have serious physical and emotional consequences for the victim, said a police spokesperson, who declined to identify either the victim or the suspect to protect their privacy within their close-knit community.

The victim sought medical attention at Hospital Centre S. Januario following the incident. While the extent of her injuries was described as normal, the police noted that her head and multiple other body parts were harmed during the prolonged assault that lasted over two hours.

Last year, only 8% of all cases opened by the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) regarding suspicions of crimes related to the law on preventing and combating domestic violence have resulted in charges.

The number of suspected cases of domestic violence in Macau in 2023 totaled 40, including 26 cases in which the victims were the marriage partner, 11 where the victims were children, leaving the other three to be related to other family members.

In 2023, the government has investigated a total of 1,781 notifications for suspected cases of domestic violence, which resulted in only 40 confirmed cases.

Experts urge victims to seek help and not hesitate to report abuse as the consequences can be severe and long-lasting.

Resident who are at risk of suffering from domestic violence are encouraged to call the Social Welfare Bureaus (IAS) hotline at 2823 3030. The hotline is available 24 hours a day and assisted by social service professionals.

Victoria Chan
Chinas largest commercial property developer, Dalian Wanda Commercial Management Group (Wanda Commercial), is set to move its office to the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. Employees will relocate from Beijing to the Hengqin office by mid-July.

Wanda Commercial, a key subsidiary of Dalian Wanda Group, operates a vast portfolio of 125 Wanda Plazas, 81 hotels (68 five-star), 6,600 cinema screens, and 99 department stores nationwide. The company aims to become a leading multinational with 1 trillion yuan in assets, 600 billion yuan in annual revenue, and 60 billion yuan in net income by 2020.

While previous reports indicated Wanda Groups Beijing headquarters would move to Zhuhai, the relocation currently only involves the commercial property management division. A Wanda employee said to Chinese digital news outlet, The Paper, As far as I know, the office in Zhuhai is located in the ICC Hengqin International Business Center. The decision to move to the Hengqin International Business Centre is motivated by a desire to reduce operational costs.

Earlier in April, Wanda sold its Beijing headquarters to alleviate liquidity pressure. Since 2023, the company has sold 14 malls, its Sunseeker yacht business, and flagship Beijing Wanda Plaza. Fitch Ratings recently reaffirmed Wanda Commercials cc Issuer Default Rating, constrained by tight liquidity. However, Zhuhai Wanda Commercials new financing plan and asset disposals are expected to help address short-term maturities, though execution risks remain. NS
The Adams County Sheriffs Office said Tuesday that the deaths of two people found at a home outside of the village of Friendship were homicides.

Authorities found the body of Sharon K. Miller, known by family and friends as Sharon Miller-Robinson, 62, buried at her town of Strongs Prairie property late last week, according to a news release posted on the Sheriffs Office Facebook page. The body of her son, Jami L. Lumby, 37, was also found at the property a short time after, although the Sheriffs Office did not say exactly when or where.

Autopsies on both were performed Monday, the Sheriffs Office said, and based on the preliminary autopsy findings, their deaths are being investigated as homicides.

Investigators have not identified any suspects in the crime and are asking anyone who had recent contact with Miller-Robinson or Lumby to contact the Sheriffs Office. They are also looking for anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area of the 1600 block of Czech Drive, northwest of Friendship, and for anyone who has surveillance cameras installed in the area.

The Sheriffs Office said it went to Miller-Robinsons home after getting a call from a person on Thursday morning saying the person had not been able to contact Miller-Robinson for three days.

States are required to background check child care workers, but many are falling short States are required to background check child care workers, but many are falling short
In a vast 1,000-seat theater in Shanghai, the core creative trio for the new superhero movie "Deadpool & Wolverine," the next chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), appeared amid cheers. Director Shawn Levy, alongside megastar actors Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, shared behind-the-scenes stories about how this unconventional project came together, eliciting constant laughter and applause from the Shanghai audience.

Actor Hugh Jackman, director Shawn Levy and actor Ryan Reynolds pose for a group photo with the audience at a special event held in Shanghai to promote their new film "Deadpool & Wolverine," July 2, 2024. [Photo courtesy of The Walt Disney Company]

Shanghai is the first stop on their global promotional tour, with the movie set to be released simultaneously in both China and North America on July 26. The trio all expressed their excitement on stage about being back in the "beautiful" Chinese city, as they called it, for press and fan events.

"I was shocked and incredibly excited that China welcomes Deadpool particularly like this. This is my favorite Deadpool movie that I've ever been a part of," Reynolds said. Meanwhile, Jackman noted, "The movie has been such a labor of love. And it has been such a privilege for me to be on screen with Ryan but also to work with two of my best friends on a movie that is ultimately about friendship and really about joy."

Before the trio stepped on stage, the audience was treated to a 35-minute clip of the film, getting a first taste of the action-packed dark comedy that features the dynamics between Deadpool and Wolverine, frenemies that are also fan-favorite Marvel characters. What triggered the loudest laughter during the screening was the intense cynical irony and self-mockery bluntly expressed by Deadpool in the movie, including jokes about Disney and 20th Century Fox.

In 2019, The Walt Disney Company completed its acquisition of 20th Century Fox, now known as 20th Century Studios, and this paved the way to integrate Deadpool, and possibly more X-Men, into the MCU. Ryan Reynolds, also a producer of the film, recalled how he and Levy for years pitched ideas about developing a Deadpool film to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and were continuously turned down. But just before they made one last attempt, Hugh Jackman made a destiny-altering call to Reynolds.

Jackman revealed that he was on a 2.5-hour drive to Long Island, New York with his children, thinking about how to encourage them to dream big. He then asked himself what he would want to do if he could do anything and the idea of a Wolverine and Deadpool movie came to mind. He pulled over, called Reynolds to ask about progress and then simply said: "I'm in."

After learning this, Kevin Feige immediately agreed, but with one condition: Wolverine must wear yellow, the suit loyal to the original comic books.

Actors Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and director Shawn Levy checking a playback on set in a behind-the-scene photo taken during the making of "Deadpool & Wolverine." [Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios]

Thus, when Reynolds and Jackman walked onto the set in their full suits, red and yellow respectively, at Pinewood Studios on June 1, 2023 for the first day of filming, they watched as all of the crew turned into excited fans  a moment that had been anticipated for more than two decades, Reynolds told China.org.cn.

In the critically acclaimed "Logan" (2017), Wolverine seemingly meets his end, serving as a perfect farewell to the role. However, Jackman elaborated on why he decided to return, explaining that "Deadpool & Wolverine," uncovered new dimensions of Wolverine that he hadn't explored before and aspects of the character that audiences hadn't yet seen.

"As someone who has been playing the character for 25 years, there was something that I had read in the comic books that I connected with. I've been scratching around trying to uncover it and it wasn't until this movie, and these guys wrote this script, that I realized this is the thing I've been trying to get out," Jackman explained.

Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds worked together in writing the script for "Deadpool & Wolverine," integrating the mythology of the MCU and elements of the multiverse. This is Levy's first MCU movie and their second film collaborating following the action comedy "Free Guy." Levy believes the biggest distinguishing trait of "Deadpool & Wolverine" lies in the duo of the title characters. "There is a different chemistry when you put them together, and it is a recipe for comedy. Eventually, when you see the whole movie, it's a recipe for friendship."

According to the director, Marvel this time gave them total freedom to write and create the movie. "It is a MCU movie, so it is filled with action, adventure and big themes, but it remains very faithful to the Deadpool tone, which is audacious, irreverent and always surprising. However, at the end of the day, this movie is as warm-hearted as any movie I've ever made."

Looking at Jackman, the director added: "We spent the most time writing the Logan scenes because we wanted to honor this 25-year-old legacy, and this actor."

Director Shawn Levy, actors Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman hugging on set during the first day of filming "Deadpool & Wolverine." [Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios]

Jackman emotionally recalled on the first day the creative trio turned up on set a photographer captured a moment when they hugged and put their heads together. "It was so beautiful. Because we are genuinely best friends in life, so we are making a movie together and embarking on this journey together. It felt like a dream come true."
A Madison man will spend 20 years in the Wisconsin correctional system for his role in a 2022 shooting that left two teens seriously injured, one of whom remains paralyzed from the neck down.

Jamari Mondie, 21, will serve 12 years in prison followed by eight years on extended supervision for two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide as a party to a crime, stemming from a shooting inside an SUV in June 2022.

His co-defendant, Avion S. Vaccaro, is slated for a jury trial in September.

Judge Nicholas McNamara commended Mondie for pleading guilty but said a significant sentence was appropriate for the June 29, 2022, shooting outside the McDonalds at 2901 Dryden Drive on Madisons North Side.

During Tuesdays sentencing hearing, Assistant District Attorney Annie Jay laid out a series of text messages between Mondie and Vaccaro that day, discussing plans to rob a group of teens of their guns.

This was not a misunderstanding, she said. This was not an impulsive act.

The driver of the SUV told police that after Vaccaro announced a robbery Mondie also brandished a gun, which he pointed at the front-seat passenger, according to a criminal complaint.

Several of Mondies friends and family members sat behind him in the courtroom, offering quiet words of encouragement when he was brought in. His mother and significant other addressed the court with written statements, detailing his mental health struggles and other factors that led him to the crime scene.

When Mondie himself spoke, he expressed remorse to the victims and their families, as well as his desire to turn back time and undo the shooting so that he could support his sister through her battle with a brain tumor and be around for his daughters childhood.

My love goes out to the people that got hurt that night, he said. Im not a monster. Im not a gangbanger. Im a smart young man with potential.

The front-seat passenger, a 16-year-old boy, was shot seven times in the shoulder, back and leg, according to court documents, and a bullet lodged in his spinal cord in his neck. Neurosurgeons told the boys family that he will likely remain paralyzed from the neck down and struggle to breathe on his own for the rest of his life, according to the criminal complaint.

The family of the paralyzed victim occupied the bench seats behind the prosecution. The victims mother and brother spoke. Their voices did not carry vitriol, just profound grief and exhaustion over what their lives have become in the two years since the shooting.

My child was far from perfect, the victims mother, Keishia Wesley, said. He made mistakes as well, not perfect. But he didnt deserve what happened to him at all. I just want to see and make sure that this never happens to another child.

In delivering his sentence, McNamara balanced the victims suffering with Mondies remorse and addressed Mondie directly.

Part of growing up, part of being a person who respects lives and the property of other people in a civilized community is recognizing that there are no take-backs, McNamara said. Your decisions have consequences  its a one way path in terms of time.

New research finds young gun violence survivors experience lasting physical and mental trauma New research finds young gun violence survivors experience lasting physical and mental trauma Firearms are the leading cause of death among children
UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone is stepping down from the chancellorship of the Universities of Wisconsins second-largest school at the end of the upcoming academic year, continuing a years-long string of turnover in top leadership across the UW system.

Mone announced his decision to step down and return to his faculty position in UW-Milwaukees business school Wednesday. Mone has spent 35 years at UW-Milwaukee and spent the last 10 of those as its chancellor.

He is the longest-tenured chancellor in UW-Milwaukees history, following of UW-Milwaukees founding chancellor, Martin Klotsche.

Mone is one of one of four chancellors in the UW system who have been in their roles for a decade or more.

This was not an easy decision and its a deeply personal one, but its the right decision for me, Mone said in a video message published Wednesday. Being chancellor requires round-the-clock attention; this move allows me to explore new ways to impact the lives of students and our community.

UW system President Jay Rothman said in a statement Wednesday that Mone has consistently elevated the university, lauding his commitment to research and student access.

I am pleased that Mark will continue as Chancellor for the current academic year and then return to the faculty, Rothman said. We owe (Mone) a debt of gratitude for his service and look forward to his future of ongoing service at (UW-Milwaukee).

UW-Milwaukee has seen successes and challenges during Mones tenure. In 2016, the university met the requirements to become the states second R1 research university, which signifies a university has very high levels of research activity and opens it up to higher rates of outside funding. Mone also oversaw the opening of the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center and the Kenwood Interdisciplinary Research Complex and secured a new $118 million chemistry building for the campus.

Enrollment has fallen in the past decade, though, a trend seen all across the state in higher education. Enrollment at Milwaukees main campus has dropped by 22.5% to just more than 21,700 students. Branch campus enrollments at Washington and Waukesha counties have dropped by 60% to just less than 1,000 students during the past academic year.

The UW system closed the Washington County branch campus this summer and has ordered the Waukesha campus to close next summer, citing decreased enrollment.

UW-Milwaukee also has had to dig itself out of significant budget shortfalls, as the UW system mandated all of its campuses be free of budget shortfalls by 2028. UW-Milwaukee wiped its budget gap, which at one point was expected to be $18.8 million by 2024 if no corrections were made.

UW-Milwaukee will become the ninth of the 13 UW system schools to see new leadership in recent years.

Two UW system universities, UW-La Crosse and UW-Parkside, have had new chancellors start within the past six months, and four others have welcomed new leadership within the past 18 months.
Over the last 14 years, Neil Christensen has shot thousands of fireworks shells over the Magic Valley.

But he doesnt get to enjoy the brightly colored blasts.

Christensen, who puts on the firework displays for Twin Falls and Jerome, is too focused on his control board, pushing the buttons that send those shells hundreds of feet into the air. He will again be blasting away Thursday when fireworks shoot over the College of Southern Idahos Twin Falls campus, starting at about 10 p.m.

I dont get to see my own show, he said. I only get to feel and hear it.

Thats right  as he sits right below the fireworks explosions, he can feel the concussion as the shells explode. He also gets to hear the oohs and ahhs of an appreciative crowd.

Christensen and two workers were at Jerome High School on Saturday morning preparing for that nights show as part of Jeromes Freedom Fest celebration.

Shells, ranging from 3 to 6 inches in diameter, were taken (albeit carefully) out of boxes, wired, and put into tubes.

Most of the shells come from China.

After all, thats where they were invented, Christensen explained.

Once the fireworks are set up and nightfall comes, Christensen sits at his control board, ready to put on a crowd-pleasing display.

For my part of it, I control how quickly they go, how fast the whole show goes and how slow it is, he said. Being able to be under it and feeling it, is pretty cool.

His fireworks gig, working for Utah-based Lantis Fireworks & Lasers, lasts only a few days each year. Christensen imagines Lantis has had an exceptionally busy week, frantically shipping firework orders from its Utah warehouse to various areas around the Intermountain West. A company employee drove a rental van to southern Idaho and dropped off the fireworks for the Jerome and Twin Falls shows.

The budget for the Twin Falls show is about $20,000, good for an almost half-hour show including a spectacular finale.

People  most of them, anyway  love their fireworks. Its the tradition. Its all the bright colors and the booms, sometimes coupled with a patriotic song.

Its something you dont get to see every day and you are there at night with all the senses involved, Christensen said.

Ace Ehrmantraut on Saturday purchased a few smaller fireworks for his young daughter, who had never experienced the wow factor of fireworks.

Besides shooting off the few fireworks he purchased, Ehrmantraut also plans to view the Twin Falls fireworks display from his home near CSI.

Firework displays are so important that, in 2022, Burleys fireworks didnt arrive in time, even though they were ordered six months earlier. An announcement went out that the show would be canceled. Businesses rallied, however, scrounging enough fireworks to put on what City Administrator Mark Mitton said was a normal show.

Following the rules

Some people, citing PTSD, frightened animals, and early workdays, say they wouldnt mind going without fireworks.

Others posting on social media say they wouldnt complain if it was a single night of celebration but get annoyed when fireworks are set off in the late-night hours for weeks before and after Independence Day.

Twin Falls City Code allows fireworks  the safe and sane ones  to be shot off from 8 a.m. to midnight from June 23 through July 5.

Safe and sane fireworks is the term given to fireworks that dont leave the ground, including fountains, wheels and whistles. Those are the most likely to be found in the Magic Valley.

For the last couple of weeks, Bron Nelson has been selling fireworks at the Outlet Fireworks stand in the parking lot at Addison Avenue and Blue Lakes Boulevard.

Business appeared slow on Thursday afternoon, but Nelson said it will pick up. He expects his stand to be bustling on Thursday.

We probably wont sit down for most of the Fourth of July, and the third is pretty busy, he said. It also depends on the day of week that it lands.

The most popular seller might be a bit of a surprise. Nelson said the $70 Amazing fountain, adorned with a picture of a dragon, does a little bit of everything and burns for more than three minutes. Its the go-to firework when people look for a grand finale to their personal shows.

But it doesnt leave the ground.

The Twin Falls Police Department warns residents to abide by city codes and light only safe and sane fireworks. Not doing so could result in a $156.50 fine, and fireworks could be confiscated. Police officers, according to Lt. Craig Stotts, put those illegal rockets, mortars and other illegal fare into a safe container, to be destroyed at a later date by the bomb squad team.

PHOTOS: Jerome sets up for July 4th fireworks
Despite the challenging and highly complex nature of China-European Union negotiations on the latter's anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles, such talks remain the most effective way to prevent the escalation of bilateral economic and trade tensions, said market watchers and business leaders.

To navigate the intensifying economic and trade competition, they said China and the EU should closely bind their industrial chains, enhance market integration and achieve mutual benefits.

As the Ministry of Commerce said in late June that China and the EU have expedited consultations on this issue, Lyu Yue, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies, part of the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said that through negotiations with the EU and discussions with relevant member states, China aims to reduce current tariff levels as much as possible.

By avoiding cutthroat competition and unilateral suppression, both sides should instead foster shared interests and prosperity, paving the way for a stronger, more collaborative economic future, Lyu said.

Even though Chinese EVs account for just a small share of the EU's EV imports, the European Commission, which represents the interests of the EU as a whole, in mid-June unveiled additional provisional tariffs ranging from 17.4 percent to 38.1 percent for Chinese EV manufacturers.

The additional provisional EU duties on imported Chinese-made EVs are due to apply from Thursday, with the tariffs expected to be finalized on Nov 2.

According to its rules, the EU will implement "provisional tariffs" for four months before making a final decision. This means that from Thursday, when the EU starts imposing provisional tariffs  until the final tariff rates are determined  China has about four months to engage in talks with the EU and relevant member states.

Noting that there are different voices within the EU, Hu Zinan, a researcher at the German Studies Center of Tongji University in Shanghai, believes that such talks will be challenging, as the discussions will encompass more than just tariff levels on Chinese EVs exported to Europe.

Sharing similar views, Ding Rijia, a professor specializing in industrial economy at the China University of Mining and Technology in Beijing, said that if China retaliates with reciprocal tariffs, such as higher duties on large-displacement gasoline vehicle imports from Europe or restricted exports of critical materials like rare earths and lithium, it would severely drive up costs.

China-EU trade declined 1.3 percent year-on-year to 2.23 trillion yuan ($307 billion) in the first five months, statistics from the General Administration of Customs showed.

Matthias Loebich, partner and leader for international business at BearingPoint, a European management and technology consultancy with more than 10,000 employees across 70 countries and regions, said that China's fast-growing EV sector will continue to lead the world's green transition and create enormous growth opportunities for upstream and downstream industries in both domestic and global markets in the years ahead.

"This is evident in our doubling of Chinese automotive clients seeking consulting support over the past two years," said Loebich, noting that Chinese automakers are enhancing their internal capabilities in management, digital transformation and overseas strategies, learning from advanced markets to elevate their global presence.

That sentiment is in line with the latest trend. China's new energy vehicles are becoming popular in overseas markets thanks to their quality, driving range as well as multiple functionality.

A total of 519,000 EVs and plugin hybrids were shipped overseas from China between January and May, up 13.7 percent year-on-year, said the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
Women in southern Idaho are becoming increasingly vocal about their thoughts on abortion  many of them divided  as Idaho continues to have one of the strictest bans on abortion in the country.

With the general election less than five months away, most agree that abortion law is a key voting issue.

Two years ago, Laura, a mother of two boys, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which causes her daily pain and necessitates medication that complicates a healthy pregnancy.

When she found out she was pregnant nine weeks ago, Laura  who asked that her identity not be revealed for her own safety  immediately knew she couldnt have the baby. She went to the doctors hoping they would acknowledge her underlying medical condition to terminate the pregnancy.

That, however, wasnt the case.

Basically, doctors told me that I would literally have to be bleeding out and dying in order for them to treat me before the baby, the fetus, Laura said.

My body is not in any position really to carry a pregnancy... Laura said. I was on birth control, but I still got pregnant, and was unable to seek abortion care here in Idaho, regardless of what that looked like for my medical state.

This led her to order abortion pills discreetly to terminate her pregnancy and she lied to doctors about it.

I was very afraid because of the laws  the doctors in our valley and in our state arent able to guide you through any of that, Laura said. Youre basically on your own.

Her experience has heightened her awareness on a national level.

At this point, Im still doing a lot of research on that. I havent made a decision, but I will always vote for the lesser of two evils, Laura said. And you know, I think that womens rights are one of the top reasons I vote.

For the past few years, Idaho has been a hot topic nationwide through its strict abortion laws which include jail time for doctors if they are found guilty.

On March 2020, Idaho passed a trigger bill  banning nearly all abortions except in cases of incest, rape, or to save the mothers life. This bill went into effect within 30 days of the overturn of Roe v. Wade and became law on August 25, 2022.

Not long after, Idaho passed House Bill 262, an abortion trafficking bill that makes it illegal for anyone to take a minor out of the state for an abortion without a parents consent.

The bill is on hold after a lawsuit was filed by two advocacy groups and an attorney who works with sexual assault victims.

Medical emergencies and sexual assault arguments, however, havent swayed women from being against the abortion bans.

Christy, a resident of Hagerman, grew up in a religious, Latino Catholic home with her six siblings. When she was in high school, her mother would talk about abortion. Even then, she felt like getting an abortion didnt make sense.

What are Latinos' thoughts on abortion? A 2022 report through Pew Research Centers shows that 57% of Latinos say abortions should be legal in most or all cases while 40% believe abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. The report also breaks down the numbers by political affiliation, saying that 84% of Latino Democrats believe abortions should be legal in most or all cases while 69% of Latino Republicans believe it should be illegal in most or all cases.

Christy asked to keep her last name private.

When I was a little bit older, I kind of learned about some of the medical procedures, like how its done, and that I was like, OK, how is this not ending the life of another? she said. It just doesnt make sense to me.

While some argue medical emergencies occur during pregnancy that may risk a womans life, she feels there could be a more efficient way of handling it.

Ive heard some medical professionals talk about it in that way where, technically, its not really an abortion because theyll go in and remove that part of the fallopian tubes or part of the uterus where the baby wasnt planted outside, but they remove the whole of it, she said. So yeah, some people will say, like, oh, its because its, like, medically necessary. Well, there are very few cases and theres a better way to go at it.

She also said she believes an abortion will only cause more trauma to that individual  even in cases of rape and incest.

Even in those extreme cases, some people might argue it might be better for this person to not be born, because theyre gonna be put in the foster home, or have to be adopted and all of that well, like, I could never look at somebody in the eye and be like, I wish you were not born, because thats just saying that theres no hope for them, and theres always hope, she said.

Theres always hope for anybody, even if theyre living in not ideal situations. As a society, we should focus more on that. We should be focusing more on foster care and having that be an option.

In an interview with the Times-News, Tania Lopez, currently pregnant and a mom of two, agrees with Christys views on abortion. Lopez is also a rape victim.

Quote I know there's always the talk about incest, or there's talk about rape. I've been a rape victim and maybe that's just how I always try to be empathetic of everyone, but I just think that at the end of the day that abortion is going to cause that person more trauma, Lopez said.

I know theres always the talk about incest, or theres talk about rape. Ive been a rape victim and maybe thats just how I always try to be empathetic of everyone, but I just think that at the end of the day that abortion is going to cause that person more trauma, Lopez said.

Then you know, its going to be the rape, and then the abortion is just  its going to be nonstop trauma for that woman. And thats where I think it hurts, and I wouldnt want anyone to ever be in that position.

Lopez is the president of the Blaine County Republican Women, a political organization in Wood River that promotes conservative values and helps elect Republicans at local, state and national levels.

She said she considers herself a Constitutionalist. But before that, she had no political affiliation  she thought of herself more as an independent.

Lopez has found herself being vocal on several issues, including abortion. She believes that abortion laws are a step in the right direction, based on her previous experiences, and argues her issues lie mainly with the resources and advice medical professionals give women.

At 15, she found out she was pregnant and was advised by medical professionals to get an abortion.

The nurses were like, Youre going to ruin your life. This is the worst decision. Like, they were really emotional. They cried, Lopez told the Times-News.

And I was like, Ive never seen that from professionals.

And then when I said no, that my mom was in the waiting room, they went out and they said, You need to force her to terminate.

And my mom, shes like, No, shes keeping the baby.

If abortion were to become legal again, Lopez said she would hope those who are pro-choice would advocate for resources that come with the guilt that women endure after terminating a pregnancy.

If this is a route they choose, where its legal, then I want the pro-choice movement to stand up for them and be like, all right, well, were gonna get you physical therapist, were gonna get to get your counselor, like, were gonna ride or die for you, because this is truly what we believe, Lopez said. But I dont see that, and thats my problem.

Both Christy and Lopez have said, however, that at the end of the day, they understand the trauma that can come with both decisions.

Im not here to judge the mothers either. Im sure theyre already going through a hard time, Christy said.

C.G, who also comes from a Latino background, recently gave birth to her first child.

She asked the Times-News to use her initials.

C.G. said that although she decided to keep her baby, living far from the city and concerned about postpartum depression made her consider an abortion at the beginning of her pregnancy.

But coming from a religious background, she said she can see arguments from both sides.

I can understand where they are coming from because of religious reasons, she said. So Im like, OK, I can understand, because I also grew up in that situation and its really hard to switch back from it.

I feel like theres a misconception about abortion. Like, oh, pro-choice means abortion. Like, no, they can choose adoption, they can choose to abort it. It doesnt affect me.

A few days before speaking to the Times-News, C.G. started having contractions and was rushed to the hospital.

On June 26, just a week after the Times-News interviewed C.G., the Supreme Court inadvertently posted a draft opinion that would allow hospitals in Idaho to receive federal funds and allow emergency abortion care to stabilize patients even though the state strictly bans the procedure.

They officially reinstated a temporary lower-court ruling June 27.

Through this notice, the Idaho Hospital Association and Idaho Medical Association held a Zoom meeting that same day to talk about their concerns and how this still leaves confusion for doctors on what they can provide for patients. The meeting included Susie Keller, CEO of Idaho Medical Association; Peg Dougherty, deputy general counsel of St. Lukes Health System; and Dr. Duncan Harmon of St. Lukes Health System.

Weve had our OBGYN colleagues leave the state based on the current climate and the remaining uncertainty, and Im unsure as to what this decision today or the news around the likely decision from yesterday has an impact on whether theyll stay or go in the future, Harmon said.

But I think its quite clear, based on the exodus in the last two years since the Dobbs decision, that this plays a big role in whether clinicians choose to continue practice, and the potential impact of young clinicians finishing their training and choosing to move to our state to provide medical care to Idahoans.

Harmon added that even through this temporary window that would allow emergency abortions in the state, there is still that fear of criminal prosecution or losing their medical license.

They also said theyve transferred six patients out of the emergency rooms or the labor triage to other states for services that were not available in Idaho. The last transfer was April 24.

I think that at this point its better than what we have currently, however, it doesnt fix the long-term concerns for women in need of safe abortion care, Laura told the Times-News in a phone call.

I do not believe that it will last and I also believe it will still cause long-term insufficiency for women. I also think it is a way to appease doctors and women for the short term during the election and fear that it will not last.

Idaho abortion laws still have narrowing exceptions for rape and incest cases for women, which would require women to have a police report. The temporary lower-court ruling also does not resolve the case and only pauses the abortion ban in emergency rooms. This will only send it back to federal appeals for further litigation.

No medical professionals in the state have been charged or prosecuted for violating Idahos abortion laws.
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, recently announced that while he was firm about voting to impeach Donald Trump, he just doesnt believe in convicting him. He says Biden should have and he, himself, would have immediately undone all the diligent work of federal and state prosecutors and given Trump a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Romneys stated reasoning is somewhat impenetrable: (1) a political leader must show himself to be the big guy and the criminal the little guy because apparently once a criminal is made to feel small by a forgiving big guy, good things will happen; (2) a jury vote on the big issues wont be rendered before the popular vote, so why waste time on those trials; and (3) all this criminal justice stuff applied to a former President is distasteful to folks. (MSNBC, The 11th Hour, 5-15-24)

Wow. This is some tiny and specious reasoning to be sure. Romney is essentially saying life on planet Earth is all about demonstrating ones soft and vulnerable side, letting the people have any rogue they want at election time, and avoiding the difficult and unpleasant things of life. Where did Romney get such a philosophy of life?

I think this is all about religion. A cursory reading of New Testament scripture leaves many Christians with views like Romneys: people should avoid judging others and just let nature take its course until the final Judgment Day; people should give misbehaving folks time to change because in due time everyone will come to Jesus; more important than correcting misbehavior is correcting how we view misbehaving peoplethey are all children of God; receiving forgiveness turns an evil persons heart straight, makes a new person, fixes every bad habit; and so on.

But should government just butt out of everything to do with secular tough love and let Jesus representatives solve everything with soft love? Will simply shaming a criminal solve high crimes and misdemeanors? Shame on you bad man, now dont do that again. Is there really no danger of any further misdeeds by the former President, either while in office once again, or as a private citizen? Trump has already laid the groundwork for crying stop the steal again a few months from now.

In fact, Jesus strongly implied that judgment is the most important of the three great virtues of judgment, mercy, and faith, because he placed judgment first in his list of these three weightier matters of the law. He taught that actual social forgiveness should take place only after one forsakes evil ways. He said society must be delivered from evil, not wallow in it forever. It appears Romney is promoting some kind of Christianity Lite here, something Jesus would not condone.

Romney may be exercising some of his own political partys self-protective ways here as well. Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon to save the Republican party back in the 1970s, so why not try the same strategy to save an even further deteriorating party today? Unfortunately, this approach supports the idea that some special people like former Presidents are above the law.

In sum, Romney has structured the constitutional criminal justice debate around a church approach to law, which leaves civic law enforcement out in the cold. It says that comfort offered to penitent sinners is more beneficial than correction. Unfortunately, Trump is not penitent like Nixon was to a degree, and many who say they are penitent are falsely penitent.

Will God love a superficially forgiving person better than he will love a public prosecutor when it comes time for judgment day? Is civic life just a perpetual exercise of putting moral distance between good guys and bad guys? Or is life also about working to prevent the bad guys from taking over the world like they are doing today?
Electric carmaker Tesla saw its shares surge on Tuesday after reporting auto deliveries that beat analyst estimates, while General Motors logged slower second-quarter US sales.

Tesla said it delivered around 444,000 vehicles worldwide in the April-June period, exceeding consensus estimates compiled by FactSet and sending its share price up around 9.0 percent.

- Advertisement -

But deliveries were still 4.7 percent down from a year ago.

Of the total figure, 422,405 involved Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. Tesla gave no detailed breakdown of the other autos delivered.

During the same period it produced 410,831 vehicles, including 386,576 Model 3 and Model Y autos.

This was a huge comeback performance from Tesla and (Elon) Musk with the Street expecting a clear miss this quarter with EV demand still choppy globally, said Wedbush analysts in a note.

They expect the worst is in the rear-view mirror for Tesla, helped by a mini rebound in China along with price stabilization.

Teslas robotaxi, to be unveiled on August 8, should also launch a new chapter for the automaker, the analysts noted.

But Jessica Caldwell, head of insights at Edmunds, cautioned that the decline in Teslas second quarter deliveries is not a big shock.

Weve seen the automaker exhaust its bag of tricks by lowering prices and increasing incentives to spur demand without much success in the US market, she said.

She added that times are tough for Tesla, noting that its sales techniques could have long-term negative consequences.

In a separate statement, GM said Tuesday that it delivered 696,086 units in the United States, up 0.6 percent on-year.

But this was a markedly slower pace than last years 19 percent jump.

GM reported a 17 percent rise in retail EV registrations, above the industrys 10 percent gain.

On the start-up front, Rivian said Tuesday it produced 9,612 vehicles and delivered 13,790 in the second quarter  levels in line with its forecasts.

The company saw a stock market boom after German automaker Volkswagen said in June that it was investing $5 billion  including $1 billion directly in Rivian  to create a joint venture specializing in automotive software.

Nikola, a start-up manufacturer of hydrogen-powered and electric trucks, said it sold 72 hydrogen-powered vehicles in the quarter, exceeding its target of 60.
Not all the solutions involve rocket science. Some relate to simple water management systems and irrigation techniques.

Agriculture is one sector that has plenty of promises in the Philippines. Yet, it has failed to live up to expectations decades after decades and even with changes in leadership.

- Advertisement -

Those who had been at the helm of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the current one knew what ails the sector and the practical solutions to it. But the farm sector remains a conundrum to this day.

There is nothing earthshaking in the recent policy statement of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who considers technology as the key to revitalizing Philippine agriculture to unlock its full potential.

Modernizing agriculture is critical to increased productivity and empowerment of the rural sector. It employs a significant portion of the workforce, but contributes less than 10 percent to the gross domestic product.

The big challenge we face is making farming profitable. The solution lies in embracing technology-based farming methods, says Tiu Laurel in a recent forum with business owners.

Not all the solutions involve rocket science. Some relate to simple water management systems and irrigation techniques. Others require technology, like South Koreas extensive use of greenhouses

Mr. Tiu Laurel nailed it when he bared a long-term plan about a shift in agricultural education. The goal seeks to move from traditional methods to comprehensive training in modern techniques, empowering landowners and tenants for success.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s vision of a modern farm sector and better lives for farmers and fishermen is actually doable and not an impossible task.

We can look at the Vietnam model and learn from it. The Philippines and Vietnam basically share the same topography and tropical climate. Both countries are also one of the most vulnerable to climate change.

Vietnam model

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in a recent report noted the strides of Vietnam(s farm sector.

The value of its agriculture, forestry, and fishery exports has increased in recent years from $22.8 billion in 2012 to $33.8 billion in 2019.

Rice, according to the ADB report, dominates Vietnams agricultural exports with over 6.3 million tons shipped out in 2019. It is among the largest exporters of rice in the world, in addition to coffee, pepper, cashew nuts and green tea.

Marine captured species together with fish and shrimp produced in manufactured ponds are an important domestic food source as well as generator of foreign exchange on export markets. Viet Nam has a diverse array of agro-ecosystems ranging from upland plateaus and mountainous areas to a relatively narrow coastal strip where the majority of rice is grown, says the ADB report.

Vietnam, however, is paying the price for its agricultural successan experience that the Philippines can learn from.

Considerable environmental damage, notes the ADB, has resulted from the removal of protective coastal mangrove forests to make way for shrimp farming ponds and salt production. In the upland areas, the poorer soils, uphill land, and widespread erosion resulting from extensive deforestation add additional development challenges.

The Philippines shares the same development problems of Vietnam. Excessive use of groundwater in Vietnam, especially for coffee and fruit tree crops, has resulted in unsustainable extraction rates and a lowering of the water table.

The ADB report says competition for water resources from downstream users, including urban areas and industry, has compounded the challenge in the agriculture and the natural resources sector. The constraints to the sector growth include climate change impacts, low productivity, underdeveloped rural infrastructure, low rates of agriculture land consolidation, weak market linkages, low access to credit and increased competition for water resource.

The Philippines may copy the agriculture model of Vietnam but must improve on it by making the farm sector sustainable to address the needs of the current and future generations. Agriculture sustainability is a practice that preserves soil fertility, prevents water pollution and protects biodiversity.

The ADB is aware of the uneven development in Vietnams agricultural sector. Similar to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the bank is now seeking to maintain a sustainable and inclusive growth of Vietnams farm sector by improving efficiency and competitiveness, and enhancing rural living standards and resilience to climate change and disasters.

The Philippines has a long way to go in modernizing its agriculture sector and achieving food security. But it must do so with sustainability at the core of the development goal.

E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com or extrastory2000@gmail.com
In the Philippines, its commonplace to see scam masterminds enjoy luxurious freedom while small fry become sacrificial lambs when authorities swoop in. Doesnt it make your blood boil to see such selective justice?

This is not the case in Citizen of a Kind, a Korean film that centers on how an ordinary person goes to great lengths to take down the big fish.

- Advertisement -

Duk-hee, a bubbly commoner, faces a sudden setback when a fire engulfs her laundry business. In her quest to find a solution through loans, she receives a proposal from a bank clerk, offering a seemingly perfect loan package. But first, she is required to pay various fees. Its already too late when she realizes that the whole process is an elaborate voice phishing scam. Duk-hee has made several fee payments, leaving her penniless and homeless overnight. She reports it to the police, but they are unable to address her case.

The film explores Duk-hees struggles as she finds herself in the middle of a voice phishing scam

Days later, Duk-hee receives another call from Jae-min, the scammer, who audaciously asks for her help in retrieving information about voice phishing, promising to reveal everything he knows in return. With nothing left to lose, Duk-hee flies to China, where the phishing organization is based. Accompanied by friends, she is determined to save the young man and reclaim what she lost.

Citizen of a Kind is based on a true story about the prevalent issue of voice phishing

Based on a true story, Citizen of a Kind addresses the pervasive issue of voice phishing, resonating with audiences in Korea and the Philippines alike. Duk-hee, portrayed by Ra Mi-ran (Miss and Mrs. Cops, Come Back Home, The Last Princess), is a relatable character. The award-winning actress hopes that victims wont blame themselves for falling prey to such scams.

Award-winning actress Ra Mi-ran stars as Duk-hee in Citizen of a Kind

Jae-min, played by Gong Myoung (Hansan: Rising Dragon, Killing Romance), is a college student who, seeking a high-paying job, finds himself kidnapped by a voice phishing ring in China. Despite his actions, he believes Duk-hee can save him. Gong Myoung appreciated the role, stating, The script felt fresh and enjoyable, unlike typical crime dramas. Its unique charm drew me to the film.

Gong Myoung portrays college student Jae-min who gets kidnapped by a voice phishing ring in China

Director Park Young-ju and the production team also highlight the psychological pain victims of voice phishing endure.

The director explained, Many victims felt guilty, thinking they were foolish for falling for the scam. I wanted to portray Duk-hee as a relatable citizen hero.

Actress Ahn Eun-jin (The Good Bad Mother) returns to the screen as Ae-lim, a taxi driver in Qingdao, China, whose knowledge of the area is crucial in locating the phishing organization.

Citizen of a Kind promises empathy, comfort, and a refreshing sense of satisfaction for many viewers. The movie is now showing in cinemas nationwide.
Sierra Leone has taken a significant stride in protecting its youth by officially outlawing child marriage. President Julius Maada Bio signed groundbreaking legislation aimed at ending a practice that has long plagued the nation, with approximately one-third of girls married before their 18th birthday.

The new law imposes severe penalties on offenders, including potential prison sentences of at least 15 years and substantial fines for men who marry underage girls. Parents and ceremony attendees could also face financial penalties, underscoring the governments commitment to eradicating this harmful tradition.

This legislative move is particularly crucial in West and Central Africa, a region with the worlds highest prevalence of child marriage. The ban is expected to have far-reaching implications, potentially reducing maternal mortality rates and improving girls overall well-being and prospects.

Human rights advocates have lauded the bill as a landmark decision that could inspire similar actions in neighboring countries. The law not only protects young girls but also provides a pathway for those previously forced into marriages to seek annulments.

As Sierra Leone implements this transformative legislation, it sets an example for other African nations grappling with similar issues, potentially catalyzing a broader regional shift towards protecting childrens rights and promoting gender equality.
Angolas thriving banana industry took center stage at the recently concluded 10th annual banana fair, showcasing the countrys growing prominence in global fruit production. The four-day event brought together local farmers, associations, and industry representatives from various municipalities to discuss market expansion strategies and highlight their production strengths.

Bengo province governor Maria Antonia Nelumba emphasized the governments commitment to continued investment in banana processing, aiming to capitalize on the entire production chain. This aligns with President Joao Lourencos vision of diversifying the Angolan economy through agriculture, with bananas emerging as the countrys green diamond.

Industry leaders shared ambitious goals, with major producer Novagrolider aiming to allocate 70% of output for the domestic market and 30% for export. Angola currently exports bananas to various countries, including European nations, South Africa, Namibia, DR Congo, and Russia, with plans to conquer new markets.

The fair underscored Angolas position as Africas largest banana producer and the worlds seventh-largest, boasting an annual output exceeding four million tonnes. This achievement marks significant progress in the countrys agricultural sector.

Visitors praised the affordability and quality of Angolan bananas, with exhibitors noting strong competition among producers. First-time exhibitors like Celma from Nambuangongo municipality highlighted the high quality of their produce, contributing to the fairs success.

As Angola continues to invest in its banana industry, the sector appears poised for further growth and international recognition. The success of this 10th edition, exceeding organizers expectations in both attendance and revenue, signals a bright future for Angolas banana production and its role in diversifying the national economy.
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: Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen and the CASS Food Research Centre at Deakin University, Australia.

If you feel like your six-year-old has suddenly gotten extra fussy about the texture of their dinner, don't worry. It will pass. A new study from the University of Copenhagen's Department of Food Science demonstrates that at the age of six, children prefer to avoid crunch in their peanut butter, berries in jam and pieces of fruit in yogurt.

The study is published in the Journal of Texture Studies.

In the study, the researchers asked 485 children between the ages of 5 and 12 to choose between six different foods with and without lumps, seeds and pieces of fruit in them. The foods were bread, orange juice, peanut butter, strawberry jam, yogurt and tomato soup. The researchers showed children drawings of these foods both with and without lumps, and then asked them to choose between them.

In 76% of the instances, 6-year-olds opted for foods without lumps, the highest preference rate observed across the age groups.

"The fact that children in general are not happy with too many lumps in food is probably something many people can recognize, but this is the first time that a scientific study has linked a specific age group, namely 6-year-olds, so clearly to this food preference," says Dr. Ching Yue Chow, first author of the study.

To get answers that were as precise as possible, the researchers have used real foods to test how consistent children were in answering these questions in other studies.

Protection against dangerous foods

According to Ching Yue Chow, there may be an explanation for why children's fear of complex texture in food peaks around the age of six.

"Food neophobia is often described as the reluctance to eat new or unfamiliar foods. It is thought to be a protective function to prevent children from eating potentially poisonous foods or other dangerous things when they start to become more independent. Studies have reported that food neophobia starts from a low baseline at weaning. It increases sharply as a child becomes more mobile and independent, reaching a peak at around 6 or 7 years old.

"As such, it makes sense that this particular group in our study does not like too many lumps in food, as it is at this age that they are most cautious when it comes to food," explains Chow.

The researchers also examined whether chunk size in food has anything to say. But here, they found no unequivocal answer.

"It seemed that the children generally had no problem in distinguishing different sizes of chunks when foods were in their mouths. For them, it's mostly about the presence or absence of chunks," says Chow.

However, despite there being a low point in the desire to eat food with chunks at the age of six, it gradually goes the other way in 712-year-olds, the study shows. And this is supported by our previous knowledge in advance of how children's food preferences mature with age.

"As children reach school age, they may become more influenced by classmates and others within their circle to try new types of food and have more of a desire to expand their horizons. We can also see that the proportion that would like to have food with chunks in food grows in concert with their age in the study," says Chow.

New dishes may need to be introduced 815 times

And according to the researcher, the "anti-chunk phase" that 6-year-olds have, you have to accept as a parent, although it can be frustrating when the kids don't want to eat the food they're served. But that can easily change once they're past the critical age of six. You just have to keep tryingoften up to 15 times.

"A lot of research on children and foods shows that repeated exposures to new dishes have a positive effect on whether they'll bother eating them. Specifically, it is about giving children the opportunity to taste new food while there is something on the plate that they already know. Often they need to be presented with the new dish 815 times before they develop preference for it, but persistence pays off," Chow recommends.

Furthermore, it's a good idea to avoid compulsions and rewards for children to eat their vegetables.

"Rewarding a child with an ice cream if they eat their broccoli, is a very short-term strategy. Because the moment you remove the ice cream, they don't want to eat the healthy foods. At the same time, you shouldn't pressure a child or try to force them to eat certain things, because you risk that they will eat the new food even less than before because they associate it with something negative," says Chow.

The new research results shed more light on the food preferences of children between the ages of five and twelve, which the researcher hopes can make parents and the food industry wiser about our relationships with food.

"It is important to understand the underlying psychology of children when you, as a parent, serve them food and when you as a company develop new products to avoid children becoming unnecessarily picky. Here, I hope that our study can serve as an inspiration to parents and those who develop new food products," concludes Chow.

More information: Ching Yue Chow et al, Oral size perception and texture preferences for particlecontaining foods in children aged 512, Journal of Texture Studies (2024). DOI: 10.1111/jtxs.12848
The new consortium set up by the government to search for ultra-deep oil and gas reserves and tackle harder-to-extract non-conventional resources will further ensure domestic energy security, said industry experts.

On Monday, China set up an entity  the Innovation Consortium for Deep and Ultra-deep Oil and Gas Exploration and Development  whose aim is to gather wisdom and build strength to jointly build an industry chain spanning ultra-deep oil and gas exploration to engineering.

The consortium's formation is in response to the government's call to the energy industry to boost new quality productive forces and contribute to the country's energy security, said China National Petroleum Corp.

New quality productive forces refer to technological innovations, data, smart or intelligent technologies and the like, that can drive overall increases in productivity and enhance new dynamics for economic growth.

The consortium is made up of two national oil producers  CNPC and China Petroleum and Chemical Corp (Sinopec)  and other State firms, including China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, a major State-owned space contractor, China National Machinery Industry Corp, China Baowu Steel Group Corp, Dongfang Electric Group and China Minmetals Corp.

Chen Lin, a senior analyst who covers upstream research for global consultancy Rystad Energy, said the consortium will ensure the overall supply of petroleum remain on an upward trajectory in the near future.

In recent years, the development of onshore conventional oil and gas in China has been confronted with multiple challenges like insufficient resource replacement, matured oil and gas fields, and rapid production decline, making replacement resources in new areas crucial for adequate oil and gas supplies in the future, Chen said.

"China has significant potential in deep reservoirs and it is important that replacement zones for future reserve growth and production increase," she said.

While CNPC has drilled two exploration wells this year, numerous technical difficulties remain. The formation of this consortium will help leverage the technical strengths of each unit to overcome the challenges of deep and ultra-deep resource exploration, ensuring the security of the country's energy supply, she said.

In recent years, China has been stepping up efforts in ultra-deep oil well drilling to ensure domestic energy self-sufficiency. The country's first scientific exploration well with a depth of over 10,000 meters  it is in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region  broke through the 10,000-meter depth mark in March, making it the second-deepest onshore well globally and the deepest in Asia, said its operator CNPC.

Located in the Taklimakan Desert in the Tarim Basin, the Shenditake 1 well, a milestone in deep-earth scientific research and ultra-deep oil and gas exploration, is expected to reach a designed depth of 11,100 meters upon completion, it said.

It is the first time that China has drilled a vertical borehole over 10,000 meters deep, with drilling facing more severe challenges such as temperatures of over 200 C and prohibitive pressures.

China's energy self-sufficiency rate continued to rise last year, increasing to 85.6 percent, up 7.2 percentage points compared to the 2016 levels, said Wu Mouyuan, vice-president of the China National Petroleum Corp Economics and Technology Research Institute in Beijing.

The robust support of energy supply additions has contributed significantly to economic recovery. The implementation of economic stimulus policies and the rapid market recovery last year have driven consumption demand for energy like petroleum and natural gas, he said.

Figures released by the institute revealed that oil and gas production in China has continued to grow for several consecutive years, with annual crude oil production last year reaching about 209 million metric tons, up 2 percent year-on-year.

This growth trend has been sustained over six consecutive years since 2018, and it is anticipated to continue with a slight increase this year, it said.

According to CNPC, the consortium will step up drilling conventional resources at ultra-deep wells that extend as much as 10,000 meters below the surface in places like Xinjiang, where CNPC and Sinopec are major players. It will also seek to tap deep shale oil and coal-seam gas resources, it said.
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:

Amanita muscaria (fly agaric). Credit: Onderwijsgek/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Psilocybin, a compound found in many types of mushrooms, is an antidepressant with potential use in treating anxiety. Unfortunately, unscrupulous vendors have used these clinical results to sell products made from an unrelated and somewhat toxic mushroom: Amanita muscaria.

In a recent study, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, found a significant increase in interest in this mushroomnoting a 114% rise in Google searches from 2022 to 2023.

So what is this mushroom and why is there cause for concern?

A muscaria or "fly agaric" is found in temperate and sub-Arctic zones across the northern hemisphere. For millennia, shamans from various regionsfrom Lapland to Siberiahave used the mushroom in their rituals, helping them achieve a mental state similar to that achieved with other psychedelics.

The active ingredients in these mushrooms are muscimol and ibotenic acid, which are entirely different compounds to psilocybin. Today, products containing muscimol, such as gummies, tinctures and capsules, are being sold with vague promises of better health.

The brain contains chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, and muscimol acts on one of these transmitter "receptors" (Gaba-A) to dampen brain activity. Gaba is the brain's brakesor in the jargon "inhibitory neurotransmitter." Consequently, drugs that act on Gaba-A receptors have been used for anxiety, epilepsy and painconditions associated with an over-stimulated brain.

Muscimol can be considered to have a similar effect as anti-anxiety drugs known as benzodiazepines (Valium, being an example).

There have been relatively few reported cases of muscimol poisoning from fly agaric mushrooms. Most cases report gastrointestinal upset, but not death.

The other compound found in fly agaric, ibotenic acid, is structurally similar to the neurotransmitter glutamate. If Gaba is the brain's brakes, you can think of glutamate as its accelerator.

Like glutamate, ibotenic acid can be toxic in high concentrations. In fact, ibotenic acid is used to kill brain cells in rodent experiments where small parts of the brain are destroyed in an attempt to understand what that brain area does.

It is highly unlikely that ibotenic acid has any health benefits. However, it is doubtful whether eating these mushrooms will kill brain cells because, within about an hour of ingestion, most of the ibotenic acid is excreted in the urine.

Muscimol and ibotenic acid have been found to have a relatively low lethal dose. Testing in mice found the LD50 ("lethal dose, 50%"), where half the mice are dead when given these substances orally, to be 22mg and 38mg per kilogram of body weight, respectively. The LD50 is much lower than for many other commonly taken substances: cocaine (99mg/kg), morphine (524mg/kg) and ethanol (alcohol, 3,450mg/kg).

While few deaths from fly agaric have been reported, a recent case described the death of a 44-year-old man after eating these mushrooms. The man had a heart attack about 10 hours after eating four to five mushroom caps. Although he was resuscitated, he remained unresponsive and died nine days later.

Comparison with psilocybin

Psilocybin is a compound found in a large variety of "magic mushrooms," but not in fly agaric. After consumption, the body converts psilocybin to psilocin. Psilocin activates the neurotransmitter serotonin's 5-HT2A receptors in a similar way to LSD. Meta-analyses, where the data from multiple clinical trials are combined and re-analyzed, find psilocybin to be an effective antidepressant.

Harms of therapeutic doses of psilocybin have been reviewed and the most common are headache, nausea, anxiety, dizziness and high blood pressure. They tend to be well-tolerated and resolve within a couple of days.

Taken together then, we can see that fly agaric is not at all similar to psilocybin-containing mushrooms.

While psilocybin has now been shown to have good clinical use, there is no such evidence for fly agaric. Although muscimol has been shown to have some positive effects in animal studies of stroke and some other neurological illnesses, these findings have not yet been replicated in humans.

In most countries, fly agaric, muscimol and ibotenic acid are not controlled substances and people are allowed to grow, pick, buy, sell and consume them. Although consumption is rarely fatal, there are dangers associated with eating them. The practice of selling these products to unwitting consumers, who anticipate health benefits similar to psilocybin, needs to be addressed.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: ROCKETMANN TEAM from Pexels

Australians are unable to recognize malignant melanomas on their own skin, calling into question the effectiveness of national self-detection guidelines, according to new Southern Cross University research.

Only a small percentage of participants were able to self-identify either in situ (on the surface) or invasive (below the skin) malignant melanomas (MM) as a lesion of concern. Unfortunately, only the more advanced, thicker MMs tended to be identified.

The findings are contained in the paper "Patients poorly recognize lesions of concern that are malignant melanomas: is self-screening the correct advice?" published today (July 3) in PeerJ.

Of the 260 participants whose suspected MM lesions were biopsied, only 83 (31.9%) were found to be melanomas. Of the malignant melanomas, only a small percentage of participants (21.7%) correctly had concerns about the suspect lesion being a MM. These MMs were located primarily on the back (44.4%), shoulder (11.1%) and upper leg (11.1%).

In a "sunburnt" country which embraces outdoor and coastal lifestyles, the research team is calling for the current melanoma screening practices by Australian doctors, as per the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) "Red Book," be revisited to improve patient outcomes.

In addition, the researchers say national prevention campaigns should include images and primary risk factors for malignant melanomas.

"Early detection of melanoma is crucial to improve outcomes, minimize treatment complexity, and enhance the quality of life for patients," said project leader Associate Professor Mike Climstein.

"We recommend regular outdoor userswalkers and runners, swimmers and surferswho are at a much higher risk of melanoma, should undergo screening once a year regardless.

"For everyone else, if you either work or exercise out in the sun, particularly during peak ultraviolet radiation (10am to 2pm) or you have a higher risk of skin cancer such as history of melanoma or skin cancer, family history of skin cancer, have fair or freckled skin, have red or fair hair or lots of moles on your body, you should be getting screened every six months by your skin cancer doctor."

Over the past 40 years, there has been a significant rise in skin cancer rates in Australia, with two out of three Australians expected to develop some form of skin cancer by age 70. Currently, skin cancer examinations are not endorsed in asymptomatic or low-risk individuals in Australia, with only high-risk individuals recommended to undergo regular skin examinations.

Notably, the Melanoma Institute Australia suggests that one-half of patients identify MMs themselves, although this claim appears to be based on limited Australian data which may not reflect contemporary practice.

Yet the consequences of not detecting melanoma early include increased mortality, more aggressive treatment, higher medical costs, lower survival rates, and reduced quality of life.

The study sought to determine the percentage of patients who were able to self-identify MMs as lesions of concern when presenting for a skin cancer examination.

Co-author Associate Professor Jeremy Hudson is a member of an expert group with the Melanoma Institute of Australia that recently submitted a key paper to the federal health department asking to fund a review of skin cancer screening guidelines.

"This study not only demonstrates that GPs in Australia have the ability to diagnose melanomas similar to any expert level internationally, but reinforces the message that the government needs to review its melanoma screening guidelines," said Associate Professor Hudson, who is also a skin cancer doctor at the North Queensland Skin Center in Townsville.

Associate Professor Michael Stapelberg, a skin cancer doctor at the John Flynn Hospital Specialist Center on the Gold Coast, said the findings were sobering.

"Based on my experience with patients contributing to this data here on the Gold Coast, many were unaware they had skin cancer. Interestingly, most of these patients had few risk factors for melanoma, yet still had a melanoma that they were completely unaware of detected during their skin check. The detected melanomas were generally small in size, which could make self-detection even more challenging for these individuals."

The research team is calling for Australia to seriously consider implementing a national melanoma screening program, similar to screening for bowel and breast cancer.

"Alarmingly, what would happen to these individuals if they were guided to not opportunistically present for a skin check, because they should be able to detect their own melanoma? Our findings should hopefully help guide decisions on eligibility for future melanoma screening programs," said Associate Professor Stapelberg.

Previous studies by the research team found outdoor enthusiasts face increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), leading to a higher risk of skin cancer, including MM.

More information: Mike Climstein et al, Patients poorly recognize lesions of concern that are malignant melanomas: is self-screening the correct advice?, PeerJ (2024). DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17674 Journal information: PeerJ
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

Mayo Clinic is looking to take its at-home care model to new heights with the assistance of autonomous drones capable of making same-day prescription deliveries.

The Rochester-based hospital system recently signed an agreement with Zipline, the world's largest commercial drone delivery company, with the goal that medications could be delivered directly to patients' doorsteps beginning in 2025.

"Anyone who has driven to a pharmacy while sick and contagious has wished for a better way to do things," said Jeff Williams, head of U.S. operations for Zipline. "It's a far more convenient experience, and it makes care more accessible for everyone: from people without reliable transportation to folks who are just too busy to take on another errand."

Mayo is among a growing number of health care providers, pharmacies, and retailers that have signed similar agreements with Zipline, which has been handling medical deliveries in Rwanda and other African countries since 2016. Among them is Mayo health care rival Cleveland Clinic, which announced a deal in the fall and also plans to begin using drones to deliver medications by 2025.

The deals follow the rollout of Zipline's latest aircraft, the Platform 2 (P2) delivery drone, which is capable of reaching speeds up to 60 mph while carrying 6 to 8 pounds of weight. For a patient living within a 10-mile radius of the provider, that could mean a delivery landing on their doorstep in 10 minutes or less.

"Drone delivery is one example of our Bold. Forward. strategy at work," Jim Francis, chair of Supply Chain Management at Mayo Clinic, said in a statement, referring to Mayo's planned multibillion-dollar buildout of its Rochester campus. "It helps 'complete the sentence' in a telehealth or virtual care setting, creating a seamless and convenient means to deliver products directly to a patient without requiring the patient to leave their home."

While there are a number of details left up in the airMayo declined to make a representative available for an interviewthe hospital system plans to use Jacksonville, Fla., as the initial testing grounds, before integrating the drones into its operations in Rochester. In addition to the delivery of prescriptions, Francis said the drones will likely be used for the transportation of samples and tests across its campuses.

Zipline began medical deliveries in the U.S. in 2020 amid the pandemic and purports to have now made more than 1 million commercial deliveries worldwide. While its previous technology relied on the Zipas the drone is calledfloating deliveries down via a parachute, its P2 model is much more precise, the company says. Using GPS and multiple sensors, the Zip is able to reach a zone as small as a patio table before dropping down a droid and releasing the package. The droid then zooms up and flies back to its docking station.

While instances of drones running into cable lines or landing in restricted areas have drawn headlines, officials from Zipline said there have been no reported instances of their technology going haywire. They point out that despite the drones flying autonomously, the flights are monitored in real time for weather and air traffic. Patients, they added, will also be able to schedule deliveries down to the second to ensure they are home, reducing the chances that medicines are stolen.

At the Cleveland Clinic, officials are already in conversations with local and federal entities regarding its drone program. While there are sporting events and critical infrastructure they will have to plan around, they are confident the drones will be able to navigate the dense urban landscape around its pharmacies in northeast Ohio.

Like Mayo, Cleveland Clinic plans to slowly roll out its medicine-by-drone capabilities before widespread implementation. Geoff Gates, senior director of technology for Supply Chain and Support Services at Cleveland Clinic, said in an interview he expects it could take a year or two to get the whole network up and running, which would mean the potential to reach up to 2.5 million patients.

"It's about the timeliness and the accuracy around deliveries, and becoming more predictive," said Gates. "I also think timing-wise it's ripe because there's not necessarily a model in place as everyone tries to figure out how best to serve patients at homewhich is where I think [the drones] could fit in very nicely."

2024 StarTribune. Visit at startribune.com. 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:

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

In March 2024, dairy cows in Texas were found to be infected with highly pathogenic avian flu, or H5N1 bird flu, in the first known case of the virus spreading to cattle. Since then, H5N1 has been found in about 200 animalsand three peopleacross 12 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus was soon detected in raw milk, leading researchers to investigate whether dairy products pose a risk to consumers.

"How far is the virus getting through?" asked Erica Spackman, Ph.D., a virologist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Athens, Ga. To find out, she and her collaborators tested nearly 300 milk products from 132 processors.

The researchers found no infectious virus in the samples, Spackman and her collaborators report this in the Journal of Virology,. "Milk is safe," she said. "Just like bacterial pathogens that occur in milk, or other viruses that could occur in milk, the sanitation processes that are in place are getting rid of the pathogens."

The milk processing pipeline includes multiple layers of protection, Spackman said. Microbiological surveillance of milk products can identify pathogens, and milk from cows with mastitis or other disease conditions does not enter the food supply. Finally, heating during the pasteurization process can destroy H5N1 and other, more common bacterial pathogens.

Bird flu primarily infects and spreads among migratory birds and can be transmitted to domestic poultry, but the virus has been detected in other animals as well. Recently, those have included cats, dogs and juvenile goats, as well as a polar bear in Alaska and elephant and fur seals in the Antarctic. However, the discovery of H5N1 on dairy farms in March was a surprisethe virus had never been found in dairy cattle before.

Soon after the discovery, diagnostic testing revealed that an infectious form of the virus was present in raw milk, suggesting the virus passes from cow to milk.

That finding led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the USDA to investigate whether pasteurization effectively eliminated risks posed to consumers. Between April 18 and April 22, 2024, researchers used real-time PCR to analyze 297 samples of pasteurized retail milk products, including 23 types of products, collected from 17 states.

"We did a viability assay to detect live virus and went as sensitive as we could to get even the least little bit of virus, but couldn't detect anything," Spackman said. Using PCR, the researchers did identify viral genetic material in 20% of samples. "It looks like the virus is just totally inactivated," she said.

Spackman said the new findings "give us reassurance that what we have been doing pasteurizationis keeping us safe from what we don't know about."
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:

Proportion of TB-affected households faced catastrophe by indirect cost calculation approach and at various thresholds, using household income as denominator. Note: HCA1: Human capital approach where hours spent was calculated using minimum wage rate for all; HCA2: Human capital approach where hours spent was calculated using combination of patient wage and minimum wage; OA: Output approach. Credit: PLOS Global Public Health (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003078

Researchers from The George Institute for Global Health India in collaboration with researchers from Indira Gandhi Government Medical College (Nagpur), and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK) have conducted a survey shedding light on the staggering financial burden faced by tuberculosis (TB) patients in India. The results are published in PLOS Global Public Health.

Their findings underscore the urgent need for both policy and public interventions to alleviate this burden on patients and the nation. The study was led by Dr. Susmita Chatterjee along with Palash Das, Gayatri Bhambure, Radha Munje, and Anna Vassall.

The study conducted against the backdrop of the World Health Organization's End TB strategy, which serves as a blueprint for countries to achieve zero catastrophic costs for TB-affected households, reveals concerning statistics about the economic toll of the disease in India. With the nation bearing the highest TB burden globally, the reported incidence reached 2.42 million cases in 2022.

The George Institute researchers followed a cohort of 1,482 drug-susceptible TB patients across four states in India: Assam, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Employing World Health Organization guidelines, the study calculated treatment costs, incorporating both direct (i.e., actual money spent) and indirect costs such as time, productivity, and income loss.

Speaking about the research, Dr. Susmita Chatterjee, The George Institute for Global Health India, said, "Following the largest cohort of drug-susceptible TB patients till date, our study concluded that a significant proportion of study participants faced catastrophic cost and the proportion was much higher when income loss because of TB treatment was considered in total cost calculation method. Therefore, ensuring uninterrupted livelihood during TB treatment is an absolute necessity."

She also added, "Our study showed significant delay from symptom onset to diagnosis and our study participants spent more than half of total treatment cost even before starting the treatment. Further, during this period they also propagated the disease. Therefore, reducing the pre-diagnosis delay should be the policy priority."

Shockingly, depending on the method of indirect cost calculation, between 30% to 61% of study participants faced catastrophic costs. Defined as out-of-pocket expenses exceeding 20% of pre-TB annual household income, catastrophic costs pose a significant threat to the financial stability of millions of TB-affected households in the country.

Of particular concern was the fact that for over half of the participants who faced catastrophic cost, costs became catastrophic even before commencing TB treatment due to delays in diagnosis. The average delay of 79 weeks from symptom onset to treatment initiation, twice the accepted delay period, resulted in substantial financial burdens from repeated consultations, tests, and travel expenses.

The study's implications are profound, calling for immediate action at both policy and community levels. Supply-side interventions such as intensifying private sector engagement and rapid diagnosis are crucial, alongside demand-side initiatives like community awareness campaigns. Addressing the delay in diagnosis through early case detection and active community engagement is paramount to reducing economic burdens.

The study also advocates for the reimbursement of pre-treatment expenses through health insurance, emphasizing the need for improved coverage and utilization. Policies safeguarding TB patients from unemployment and income loss are also imperative to mitigate financial hardships associated with the disease.

The findings of this study serve as a clarion call for concerted efforts from policymakers, health care providers, and communities to alleviate the economic burden of TB treatment in India. By implementing comprehensive strategies, we can not only reduce financial hardships on patients but also move closer to achieving the ambitious targets set forth by the End TB strategy.

More information: Susmita Chatterjee et al, Catastrophic costs for tuberculosis patients in India: Impact of methodological choices, PLOS Global Public Health (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003078 Journal information: PLOS Global Public Health
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

Attention sunscreen skeptics: The sun's UV rays are coming for you, and you're just making their job easier.

Summer is now upon us, which means more time in the sunand more exposure to the ultraviolet radiation it emits. Longer-wavelength ultraviolet A rays can reach beneath the skin's surface, causing it to age prematurely. Shorter-wavelength ultraviolet B rays affect the outermost layers of skin, causing sunburns and tans. (A third type of rays, ultraviolet C, is intercepted by Earth's protective ozone layer.)

Both UVA and UVB damage the DNA in skin cells, causing mutations. These mutations can accumulate over time and cause tumors to grow. The more UV exposure you have, the greater the risk, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer in the United States, followed by squamous cell carcinoma. About 5.4 million of these cancers combined are diagnosed each year, and they cause between 2,000 and 8,000 deaths, the American Cancer Society says.

Melanoma of the skin is both more rare and more deadly, affecting an estimated 100,640 Americans this year and resulting in 8,290 deaths, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Sunscreens can protect you from these malignancies in one of two ways. Chemical sunscreens contain ingredients such as avobenzone that absorb UV rays. Mineral sunscreens rely on zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to block or reflect the rays. Either way, the solar radiation is unable to penetrate the skin and corrupt your DNA.

Here are 10 sunscreen myths you can't afford to fall for:

Myth 1: As long as you don't get a sunburn, you're safe.

The reality: You don't need to get a sunburn to put your skin at risk. UV exposure will compromise the DNA of unprotected skineven if your skin looks normal to the naked eyeand the effects are cumulative, said Dr. Henry Lim, a photodermatologist at Henry Ford Health in Detroit who studies the effect of sunlight on skin.

"Each time the skin is damaged by the sun, with or without sunburn reaction, there is some damage that the skin would have to repair," Lim said. "If that subclinical damage goes on often enough for a long enough period of time, the skin's ability to be able to completely repair all that DNA damage will be compromised."

Myth 2: Your body needs vitamin D, and sunscreen will keep you from getting it.

The reality: It only takes a small amount of sun exposure to produce all the vitamin D your body needs. One study of white people in the Boston area determined that 5 to 10 minutes of sun on the face, arms and legs two or three times a week during the summer months was enough to produce sufficient amounts of vitamin D.

Even if you apply sunscreen, you'll still get that minimum amount of sun exposure, Lim said. "When we use sunscreen, we don't apply enough," he said. "It's just human nature."

Dr. Anne Chapas, a dermatologist in Manhattan and clinical instructor at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, advises patients who are concerned about their vitamin D levels to protect their skin and seek out the nutrient in foods or take supplements.

"You do need vitamin D to be healthy, but there are multiple ways to get it," she said.

Myth 3: The chemicals in sunscreen can cause cancer.

The reality: The active ingredients in sunscreens sold in the U.S. are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, which has determined that they are safe and effective. The National Academies add that "sunscreen use is not linked to higher rates of any type of cancer."

In fact, it's the reverse that's true, Chapas said, "If you're trying not to get cancer, then wear sunscreen."

Myth 4: You don't need to wear sunscreen when the UV index is low.

The reality: The UV index primarily measures UVB, which Lim calls "the sunburn spectrum." Even if UVB is low, you still need to protect yourself from UVA.

"As long as there is light out there, there's enough UVA" to induce tanning, cause wrinkles, and contribute to skin cancer risk, Lim said.

Chapas concurred. "Even on cloudy days, about 80% of the sun's rays come through and you can can still get sun damage," she said.

Myth 5: You don't need sunscreen if you have dark skin.

The reality: People of every complexion can get sun damage and skin cancer. In fact, "skin cancer in patients with darker skin tones is often diagnosed in later stages, when it's more difficult to treat," said Dr. Seemal Desai, president of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Chapas added that since darker skin is apt to produce melanin in response to sun exposure, it may become discolored more readily than lighter skin.

Myth 6: Mineral-based sunscreens are safer than chemical sunscreens.

The reality: Both types are safe to use, but there are fewer unknowns with mineral sunscreens since they are not absorbed into the skin, Lim said.

Chapas said that's one reason why she prefers mineral sunscreens. She also appreciates their versatility, since they can be applied on top of makeup or moisturizer. "The challenge is that some of these formulations have a whitish cast to them, so you have to find one that works with your complexion," she said.

Myth 7: You can protect yourself from the sun by building up a "base tan."

The reality: A tan can provide a small bit of protection, but it's less than the equivalent of SPF 5, Lim said. That's not nearly enough to make sunscreen unnecessary.

Besides, a tan itself is a sign of sun damage. "When our skin is exposed to UV light, it stimulates the production of melanin to prevent more UV from entering the skin and damaging the underlying skin cells," Chapas said. "A tan isn't healthy. A tan is actually your body trying to protect itself."

Myth 8: The antioxidant astaxanthin will protect you from UV and act as an "internal sunscreen."

The reality: There are two ways that antioxidants reduce the biological damage that comes with sun exposure, Lim said. When UVA rays harm DNA, they do so by causing oxidative damage to DNA, and antioxidants can help minimize it. In addition, when visible light interacts with the skin, it can cause cells to produce a type of destructive molecule called reactive oxygen species. Antioxidants can help counteract this process as well.

Including antioxidants in a sun protection regime makes sense, but they can't do the job by themselves. "There are no pills that act as effectively as a sunscreen," Chapas said.

If you do want to take an antioxidant to reduce sun damage, astaxanthin isn't necessarily the best choice, Lim and Chapas agreed. The product Chapas recommends is from Heliocare.

Myth 9: The chemicals in sunscreen get into your bloodstream and build up over time.

The reality: There are no long-term studies of the blood of people who use sunscreen regularly, so there is no data to say whether this is true or false. However, the chemicals are excreted in urine, which is a sign that they don't linger in the body, Lim said.

People who are wary of chemical sunscreens can opt for mineral sunscreens instead, he said.

Myth 10: You can keep sun damage at bay by wearing a good hat.

The reality: A wide-brimmed hat will definitely help protect you from the sun. This is particularly true for people who are bald or have thinning hair, since "we don't have great sunscreens for hair-bearing areas," Chapas said.

However, a hat will only block UV rays coming from above. Without sunscreen, you'll still be vulnerable to rays that reflect off the water, sand, or urban surfaces like a sidewalk and come at your skin from below. (This is also why you need sunscreen even if you're in the shade.)

"There are multiple actions we need to take," Lim said. "Each one of them is helpful, but it's not as good as when you put everything together."

2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. 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:

Dr. Danh-Tai Hoang. Credit: The Australian National University (ANU).

A new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can help physicians to select the most suitable treatment for cancer patients has been developed by researchers at The Australian National University (ANU).

DeepPT, developed in collaboration with scientists at the National Cancer Institute in America and pharmaceutical company Pangea Biomed, works by predicting a patient's messenger RNA (mRNA) profile. This mRNAessential for protein productionis also the key molecular information for personalized cancer medicine.

The work appears in Nature Cancer.

According to lead author Dr. Danh-Tai Hoang from ANU, when combined with a second tool called ENLIGHT, DeepPT was found to successfully predict a patient's response to cancer therapies across multiple types of cancer.

"We know that selecting a suitable treatment for cancer patients can be integral to patient outcomes," Dr. Hoang said. "DeepPT was trained on over 5,500 patients across 16 prevalent cancer types, including breast, lung, head and neck, cervical and pancreatic cancers. We saw an improvement in patient response rate from 33.3% without using our model to 46.5% with using our model."

DeepPT builds on previous work by the same ANU researchers to develop a tool to help classify brain tumors.

Both AI tools draw on microscopic pictures of patient tissue called histopathology images, also providing another key benefit for patients.

"This cuts down on delays in processing complex molecular data, which can take weeks," Dr. Hoang said. "Any kind of delay obviously poses a real challenge when dealing with patients with high-grade tumors who might require immediate treatment. In contrast, histopathology images are routinely available, cost-effective and timely."

More information: A deep-learning framework to predict cancer treatment response from histopathology images through imputed transcriptomics, Nature Cancer (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s43018-024-00793-2 Journal information: Nature Cancer
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:

These models can be created in the lab and mimic aspects of early human embryo development, which raises various ethical considerations. Credit: Irene Zorzan and Teresa Rayon, Babraham Institute

Stem cell-based embryo models (SCBEMs) are three-dimensional biological structures that mimic aspects of early human embryo development. They can be created in the lab from stem cells, and can provide new insights into critical stages of early human development that are normally inaccessible to researchers.

Embryo model work is expected to lead to new interventions for a range of conditions, including revolutionizing treatments for recurrent miscarriage, understanding developmental disorders and improving the success rate of IVF.

Although embryo models are not the same as human embryos, they mimic aspects of early human developmentand this has raised ethical concerns.

The previous lack of a regulatory framework for the use of SCBEMs in research has left scientists and research organizations uncertain about the acceptable boundaries of their work, both legally and ethically, and unsupported in their decision-making. Signing up to the SCBEM Code of Practice will remove these obstacles.

The guidelines, released today, provide the first code of practice for the use of stem cell-based embryo models in the UK.

"The new Code of Practice provides processes for decision-making in research using stem cell-based embryo models so that scientists can proceed confidently, while maintaining public trust in this vital area of research," said Kathy Niakan, Chair of Cambridge Reproduction and Professor of Reproductive Physiology at the University of Cambridge, and member of the SCBEM Code of Practice Working Group.

"We are confident that the Code will enable the UK to continue to lead the world in research into early human development, while ensuring that this research is ethically robust," said Professor Roger Sturmey, Professor of Reproductive Medicine at Hull York Medical School and Chair of the SCBEM Code of Practice Working Group.

Key points of the Code

The new SCBEM Code of Practice sets out standards to make sure that research using SCBEMs is rigorous, upholds ethical principles and maximizes the potential benefits. Key to this will be a dedicated oversight committee that will review each proposed research project.

The Code recognizes that there must be a limit to how long embryo models can be grown in the lab. However, many different types of embryo model are being developed, representing distinct developmental stages and developing at different rates, making it impossible to impose a single fixed limit. Instead, researchers are asked to provide clear justification of the length of their experiments on a case-by-case basis.

The Code prohibits any human SCBEM from being transferred into the womb of a human or animal, or being allowed to develop into a viable organism in the lab.

"Embryo models have huge potential and we want to realize this, while also limiting the risks. The new Code of Practice will allow stem cell-based embryo models to be grown in the lab long enough to gain meaningful biological understanding, but the Code asks researchers to fully justify what they're doing in scientific and ethical terms," said Niakan.

Research using embryo models can advance understanding of early human development and possible causes of infertility. Credit: Naomi Moris/University of Cambridge

How are embryo models useful to research?

Research using embryo models can improve knowledge of human development, including early pregnancy loss and pregnancy disorders, congenital defects and the precursor events that affect adult human health and disease.

The models could also be used for some investigations that are not permitted using human embryos. For example, there are currently significant limitations to clinical trials and the use of many medicines during pregnancy. Models of early development could be helpful to improve options for drug treatments during pregnancy in the future.

Stem cell-based embryo models open new research avenues that can complementbut not replacethe limited studies possible with actual human embryos. The SCBEM Code of Practice states that neither of these areas of research can or should replace the other for the foreseeable future.

How was the Code produced?

The SCBEM Code of Practice Working Group was made up of researchers and practitioners at institutions across the UK, including experts in science, law, ethics and regulation. In drawing up the Code, the team consulted widely with researchers, practitioners, and major funders and regulators of embryo model research, both within the UK and internationally.

The SCBEM Code of Practice Working Group included researchers and practitioners from the Babraham Institute, Biolawgy, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, the Centre of Medical Law and Ethics at King's College London, the Francis Crick Institute, Hull York Medical School, the Medical Research Council, Newcastle University, University College London, the University of Cambridge, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Exeter and the University of Manchester.

The work was also informed by a public dialogue, held earlier this year, to explore public attitudes towards research involving embryo models.

"Throughout the process of developing the Code of Practice, we've been keen to engage with as wide a range of stakeholders as possible, including researchers, experts in law and bioethics, regulators and funders," said Christina Rozeik, Programme Manager of Cambridge Reproduction and member of the SCBEM Code of Practice Project Team.

She added, "A public dialogue enabled us to include public voices during the development of the Code, taking account of their hopes, concerns and sensitivities around research involving stem cell-based embryo models. Participants were excited by the potential of embryo model research, but also strongly supportive of oversight."

"Research involving stem cell-based embryo models has enormous potential to improve human knowledge and health, but clearer governance is needed to help researchers work responsibly and maintain public trust. Our Code of Practice addresses this need. It takes into account an extensive range of expert and lay perspectives we've gathered over the past year," said Sandy Starr, Deputy Director of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) and member of the SCBEM Code of Practice Project Team.

How will the Code be enforced?

The Code is not legislative, but the team proposes that it should be adopted by UK researchers, funders, research organizations, professional societies and publishers.

Widespread use is expected to set a new precedent for reporting research utilizing stem cell-based embryo models and deter the funding and publication of research that fails to meet the standards set out in the Code. As a result, adherence to the Code will become an essential part of credible science, providing increased transparency and accountability for embryo model research.

Given the rapid pace of research using embryo models, the Code will be reviewed regularly.

"Research using stem cell-based embryo models is very new, and our understanding of the science is rapidly evolving. We've taken the opportunity to respond to the current situation, and we'll continue to update the Code of Practice as the science continues to develop," said Niakan.

"Establishing this guidance takes stem cell-based embryo models out of the gray zone and onto more stable footing so we can fully explore their usefulness, while providing the essential reassurance that this research is being conducted carefully and with appropriate scrutiny," said Dr. Peter Rugg-Gunn, Group Leader and Head of Public Engagement at the Babraham Institute, and member of the SCBEM Code of Practice Working Group.

More information: A copy of the SCBEM Code of Practice and images can be downloaded here.
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 study was conducted using stem-cell-derived islets. Credit: Hazem Ibrahim

A recent study by the University of Helsinki has uncovered that a mutation in the RFX6 gene significantly impairs insulin secretion, thereby elevating the risk of type 2 and gestational diabetes among carriers. Notably, this gene mutation is more prevalent in Finland than in other parts of the world.

The regulatory factor RFX6 is crucial for the development of pancreatic beta cells, which are responsible for insulin production. Timo Otonkoski's research group employed genetically engineered stem cell models to explore, for the first time, how the RFX6 gene mutation influences the development and function of these essential beta cells.

Their findings revealed that while the gene mutation does not alter the number of beta cells, it does impair insulin secretion, predisposing carriers to diabetes.

"Carriers of the RFX6 gene mutation face about double the risk of developing type 2 and gestational diabetes," explains Hazem Ibrahim, the lead researcher of the study. This discovery is particularly significant, as the gene mutation is enriched in the Finnish population, occurring in approximately one in every 250 individuals.

"This discovery enhances our understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying diabetes and highlights the critical role of genetic factors in the disease's onset. Understanding these connections could pave the way for improved prevention and treatment strategies for diabetes in the future," Ibrahim adds.

The findings are published in the journal Diabetologia.

More information: Hazem Ibrahim et al, RFX6 haploinsufficiency predisposes to diabetes through impaired beta cell function, Diabetologia (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s00125-024-06163-y Journal information: Diabetologia
In books and the media, I frequently satirize right-wing Christianity. My reason for doing so is because that version of Christianity is the only religion Americans use like a club to impose itself on those who believe differently. Examples of this include overturning Roe v. Wade, book bans, forcing itself on public schools, bigotry toward the LGTBQ community, and the damage inflicted to the environment, human rights, and democracy by right-wing Christian champion and convicted felon, Donald Trump.

On social media, I post a daily series called Gods B Sides. I started the series to point out how misleading it is for politicians and clergy to preach Gods Greatest Hits while ignoring the huge number of violent, sexually explicit, and misogynistic verses contained within the Bible.

Comments on the series, posted by Christians, have been eye-opening. Many mentioned they didnt know such verses existed, and most admitted to only reading a small portion of the Bible. That corresponds with polls that indicate only about 20 percent of Christians have read the entire Bible.

Both the Old and New Testaments are equally disrespectful to women. If Montanas far-right ever gets their way and we follow the southern states by forcing Christianity into our public schools, perhaps students can study these historical verses:

A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.  1 Timothy 2:11-12

Blessed is the one who grabs your little children and smashes them against a rock.  Psalm 137:9

When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not satisfy her owner, he must allow her to be bought back again.  Exodus 21: 7-8

There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.  Ezekiel 23:20

If men get into a fight with one another, and the wife of one intervenes to rescue her husband from the grip of his opponent by reaching out and seizing his genitals, you shall cut off her hand; show no pity.  Deuteronomy 25:11-12

Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.  Numbers 31:17-18

When politicians claim they will legislate on behalf of their Christian beliefs, they should be asked, Have you read the entire Bible? Those who havent done so are not only demonstrating extreme laziness for failing to read the only book their religion is based on, but theyre also admitting that less than 5 percent of the Bible, Gods Greatest Hits, are all that matter.

Republican politicians from Tim Sheehy to Ryan Zinke to Donald Trump provide a harrowing example of forcing right-wing Christianity on the public without full knowledge of the Bible. As part of their alleged Christian values, they endeavor to steal a womans right to control her own body. The same goes for greedy clergy, who know that opposing abortion is a moneymaker. None of those power-hungry people will admit that the Bible  though it states it in its usual misogynistic way  actually approves of abortion by providing instructions on how to force an unfaithful wife to miscarry (the word abortion didnt exist back then).

The section is too long to share here, but I encourage people to read Numbers 5:11-31. Since there are roughly 450 English translations of the Bible, not all use the word miscarry. The New International Version is a good version to check, as it bypasses the King James Version and was developed by more than 100 scholars working from the best available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts.

Freedom of religion is a cherished value in America, but like all freedoms, it ends when its used to cause harm or infringe on the rights of others. Americas founding fathers got it right when they unanimously passed the still-valid Treaty of Tripoli, which states: As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.
China leads global AI cooperation as 140 nations co-sponsor UN resolution

Xinhua) 10:02, July 03, 2024

UNITED NATIONS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The 78th UN General Assembly on Monday reached a historic consensus by adopting a resolution spearheaded by China on enhancing international cooperation for artificial intelligence (AI) capacity building, with over 140 countries saying yes.

This milestone decision not only underscores the global consensus on AI governance but also highlights China's pivotal role in driving international AI collaboration.

In an address to the UN General Assembly, Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said: "At present, the rapid advancement of AI technologies worldwide is having a profound impact on the socioeconomic development of all countries and the progress of human civilization. However, people in most countries, especially those in developing countries, have not yet been able to truly access, use and benefit from AI, as the global digital divide is still widening."

The resolution underlines that AI development should adhere to principles that are people-centered, promote the greater good and benefit humanity as a whole.

"China looks forward to taking the adoption of this resolution as an opportunity to work with member states toward active follow-up and implementation of the resolution by prioritizing development and following a people-centered approach based on equality, mutual benefit, integrity and innovation," Fu stressed.

It calls for international cooperation and concrete actions to help all countries, especially developing nations, to enhance their AI capabilities.

This includes strengthening their representation and voices in global AI governance, advocating for an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment, and supporting the United Nations' vital role in facilitating international cooperation.

The aim is to achieve inclusive, equitable and sustainable AI development, contributing to the fulfillment of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

"The draft resolution reaffirms the UN Charter, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, and the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society and a number of other important political consensus. It also recognizes that the rapid advancement of AI not only brings new opportunities for the obtainment of Sustainable Development Goals, but might also pose potential risks and challenges," Fu elaborated.

The unanimous adoption of this resolution reflects a widespread agreement among UN member states on the necessity of enhancing global AI governance through dialogue and cooperation. It also demonstrates China's responsible approach and significant leadership in AI development and governance.

From four rounds of member-state consultations to bilateral exchanges, from the proposal of the draft resolution to the co-sponsorship by over 140 countries, every step of this process has showcased China's openness, inclusiveness and proactive participation.

"China has fully listened to and actively taken on board the reasonable views and suggestions of the broad membership," said Fu.

In October 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping introduced the Global AI Governance Initiative, which set the course for global AI development and governance.

This resolution, as the United Nations' first on international cooperation for AI capacity building, fully embodies the core principles of the Global AI Governance Initiative and the Global Development Initiative.

It aligns with the high expectations of numerous UN member states, particularly developing countries, and represents broad and robust support for multilateralism and the United Nations. It is a significant step in practicing the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind on the UN platform.

By prioritizing development, being people-centered, fostering equality and mutual benefit, and adhering to integrity and innovation, China aims to take practical actions to help developing countries strengthen their AI capabilities, further bridge the digital gap, and empower sustainable development through AI for the benefit of all humanity.

"It is the shared expectation of the UN membership to enhance international cooperation on AI capacity building, develop and utilize AI on an equal footing, and share the fruits of AI knowledge," said Fu.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
This aerial photo shows a cargo ship at a smart container terminal of Tianjin Port in north China's Tianjin, July 7, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

China and Switzerland on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding and agreed to officially start negotiations for the upgrade of the Sino-Swiss free trade agreement (FTA) as soon as possible, according to Chinese Ministry of Commerce.



Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao held talks with Swiss Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin, also head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research on Monday, discussing the robust development of Sino-Swiss economic and trade relations.

Wang highlighted the close economic ties and strong complementarity between the two nations, and the positive impact of the bilateral FTA over the past decade on trade and investment growth.

The Chinese side expressed its willingness to work with Switzerland to implement the important economic and trade consensus reached by the leaders of both countries.

Wang called for the swift initiation of negotiations to upgrade the Sino-Swiss FTA, aiming to enhance the quality of bilateral economic cooperation.

He also urged the Swiss side to maintain free trade principles, oppose protectionism and unilateralism, and continue to provide a fair and open investment environment for Chinese enterprises.

Parmelin, acknowledging China as one of Switzerland's most important trading partners, praised the positive role of the Swiss-Sino FTA and expressed the Swiss business community's anticipation for its upgrade.

He said, as an open economy, Switzerland had consistently opposed protectionism and restrictions on trade cooperation, and expressed Switzerland's willingness to strengthen cooperation with China in regulatory policies and intellectual property protection to create a fair and non-discriminatory business environment.

The meeting was attended by nearly 30 representatives from Swiss business associations such as the Swiss Business Federation, Swissmem, and the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, as well as companies including Nestle, Novartis, and Glencore.

Switzerland is China's sixth largest trading partner in Europe, and China is Switzerland's largest trading partner in Asia. In 2023, the trade volume between China and Switzerland was 59.5 billion U.S. dollars, of which exports to Switzerland were 5.74 billion U.S. dollars, and imports from Switzerland were 53.76 billion U.S. dollars.

Trade between the two countries reached 16.76 billion U.S. dollars during the first two months this year, up 90.3 percent year on year, official data showed.
The Food and Drug Administrations first-ever authorization of menthol-flavored electronic cigarette devices may be a game-changer for public health for smokers trying to quit traditional cigarettes, anti-smoking advocates say.

The FDA disclosed June 21 that following an extensive scientific review, it has authorized the marketing of four NJoy e-cigarette products through the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) pathway. NJoy began the application process in March 2020.

The authorized NJoy devices are Ace Pod Menthol 2.4% (nicotine percentage concentration), Ace Pod Menthol 5%, Daily Menthol 4.5%, and Daily Extra Menthol 6%.

Brian King, director of the FDAs Center for Tobacco Products, said it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the necessary evidence to obtain marketing authorization, and the FDA has made clear whats needed to successfully achieve that outcome.

This action is further reinforcement that authorization of an e-cigarette product is possible when sufficient scientific evidence has been submitted to the agency to justify it.

The FDA authorizations represent a great day for public health, said David Sweanor, an adjunct law professor at the University of Ottawa and the author of several e-cigarette and health studies.

But, the regulatory barriers and delays for any approvals deprive people who will otherwise smoke cigarettes of more choices and the most innovative new technologies.

Meanwhile, anti-tobacco advocates worry the FDA is losing some of its tobacco-regulatory will amid hopes the agency will fulfill its pledge to ban menthol traditional cigarettes.

The FDAs decision to authorize the sale of four menthol-flavored e-cigarettes made by NJoy ... 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, said Yolonda Richardson, president and chief executive for Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

The FDAs premarket tobacco application process is designed to protect public health in the FDAs evaluation of nicotine and tobacco products, particularly when it comes to their attractiveness to those under age 21.

Current regulations include limiting any marketing that could spill over to those underage.

The NJoy authorizations  though eye-opening and unexpected  hardly represent an opening of the door change in approach.

With the four NJoy devices, the FDA has authorized 27 e-cigarette styles and delivery devices out of 26 million product applications.

Its a good step forward, but far from enough, said Scott Ballin, past chairman of the anti-smoking alliance Coalition of Science or Health.

Jeffrey Smith, resident senior fellow of the conservative think tank R Street Institutes integrated harm reduction program, said that the FDA approval represents what we hope will be the first of many products that menthol smokers might be able to choose from on their smoking cessation journey.

The FDA needs to step up its efforts in approving products and flavors that would be acceptable to adults, but not be marketed to adolescents. Good comparison is to flavored nicotine-replacement therapy products on the market.

This is especially important in light of ongoing regulatory efforts to ban menthol combustible products, Smith said.

Menthol controversies

Menthol flavorings have been controversial because the cool nature of menthol makes it an easier product to smoke or consume compared with a harsher tobacco flavoring.

The FDA approval of any menthol-flavored e-cigarette is long overdue in my view, Ballin said.

I think that a menthol flavored e-cigarette could or would be appealing as an alternative to those smoking menthol cigarettes.

Menthol cigarettes have been the clear favorite of Black smokers in particular.

That popularity also could make the ban a potential third rail to President Joe Bidens re-election campaign if it upsets Black voters who smoke menthol traditional cigarettes.

The Associated Press has reported that Biden administration officials have been conducting dozens of meetings with groups opposing the rule, including civil rights advocates, business owners and law enforcement officials.

Those conversations have delayed, perhaps until after the November election, any decision on banning menthol traditional cigarettes.

Richardson claims the potential menthol ban is overwhelmingly supported by Black civil rights, faith, public health, medical and other organizations  leading organizations like the NAACP, the National Council of Negro Women Inc., the National Medical Association, the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council. It is also supported by a majority of the Congressional Black Caucus.

What was approved

The two Ace products are sealed, pre-filled, non-refillable pods that are used with the previously authorized Ace device.

The two authorized Daily products are disposable e-cigarettes with a prefilled, non-refillable e-liquid reservoir.

After reviewing the companys applications, the FDA determined there was sufficient evidence to demonstrate that permitting marketing of the products would be appropriate for the protection of the public health, which is the standard legally required by the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the FDA said.

Specifically, evidence submitted by the applicant showed that these menthol-flavored products provided a benefit for adults who smoke cigarettes relative to that of the applicants previously authorized tobacco-flavored products  in terms of complete switching  that is sufficient to outweigh the risks of the product, including youth appeal.

The FDA made clear in its news release that importantly, each application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and todays actions are specific to these four products only  the authorizations do not apply to any other menthol-flavored e-cigarette products.

FDA stressed that while this action permits these specific tobacco products to be legally marketed in the U.S., it does not mean these tobacco products are safe nor are they FDA approved.

The four NJoy devices will be under the same restrictions as authorized tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes, including that the authorization could be withdrawn if the products prove too attractive to those under age 21.

All tobacco products are harmful and potentially addictive. Those who do not use tobacco products shouldnt start, the FDA said.

NJoy response

NJoy said the FDA authorization will give a boost to its national marketing and distribution goals and Altrias Moving Beyond Smoking initiative to transition millions of adult smokers to potentially less harmful alternatives.

In the first quarter, NJoy expanded to more than 80,000 stores through the Altria and Philip Morris USA distribution channels. It projects reaching 100,000 stores by year-end. That includes the roll-out of its first retail trade program that is designed to help achieve optimal retail visibility and product fixture space.

With the addition of NJOY menthol e-vapor products, we are now uniquely positioned with an FDA-authorized portfolio to support adult smokers in their transition to smoke-free alternatives, said Shannon Leistra, president and chief executive of NJoy.

We believe these marketing orders are a testament to the quality of the NJOY products and the strength of evidence supporting the authorizations of the NJOY menthol e-vapor products, said Shannon Leistra, President and CEO of NJoy.

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, said Paige Magness, senior vice president of regulatory affairs for Altria Client Services LLC.

The FDA menthol e-cigarette authorization carries an additional $250 million cash benefit to the former owners of NJoy as part of the transaction.

In May, NJoy re-submitted applications for Blueberry and Watermelon pod products that work exclusively with the NJoy Ace 2.0 device. Another additional $250 million payment would be required if the FDA authorizes those flavors.

Lots of questions

Among the questions stirred by the FDAs NJoy menthol e-cigarette decision include:

* Has the FDA reached a determination that menthol e-cigarettes, along with potentially menthol consumable nicotine products, provide an appropriate reduced-risk option to smokers trying to quit?

This decision was at least partially due to extraordinary efforts by NJoy over the years to meet the very high regulatory hurdles set by the FDA, Sweanor said.

* Is the FDA showing more deference to the applications from NJoy, which is a distance No. 3, but now owned by Altria Group Inc.?

In June 2023, Altria paid $2.75 billion for full ownership of No. 3 U.S. e-cigarette NJoy. Altria cleared the way for the NJoy purchase in March 2023 by exiting its minority stake in Juul while acquiring global licensing rights.

In the latest Nielsen analysis of convenience store e-cigarette sales, Vuse has a 41.1% market share, followed by Juul at 24% and NJoy at 3.4%.

Of the major U.S. e-cigarette manufacturers, NJoy was the only one with a positive volume gain  at 8%  for the four-week period ending June 1.

* Whether the FDA has opened the door to other menthol e-cigarette products, such as top-selling Vuse of R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. and No. 2 Juul?

Reynolds American Inc. responded to the FDAs NJoy decision by saying we believe appropriately regulated flavored vaping products  including menthol  are critical in supporting adult smokers to migrate from combustible cigarettes.

In October, the FDA rejected the premarket tobacco applications of six flavored Vuse Alto e-cigarette products by Reynolds Vapor.

As a result, Reynolds Vuse is not allowed to market or distribute in the United States its three mixed-berry and three menthol flavored styles. Each flavor was being offered in three different nicotine strengths.

Reynolds Vapor and parent company British American Tobacco Plc quickly announced plans to appeal the ruling, saying it will serve to deny U.S. adult smokers access to reduced-risk products.

The FDA said Reynolds can submit new applications for each style. Applications for six Vuse Alto Rich Tobacco and Golden Tobacco products remain under FDA review.

* Does the authorization of menthol flavoring for e-cigarettes signal a change of course from the FDAs multi-year and ongoing attempt to ban the sale of traditional menthol cigarettes?

It is especially concerning that the authorized products are made by a subsidiary of tobacco giant Altria, a company with a long history of marketing to kids and that today sells the most popular cigarette brand among kids (Marlboro), Richardson said.

Marlboro is the top-selling traditional cigarette with about a 46% market share, according to Nielsen analyses of convenience-store chain sales.

There is nothing in Altrias history that indicates it will behave responsibly in marketing the products authorized today, Richardson said.

The FDA itself has found, in denying marketing applications for other menthol-flavored e-cigarettes, that non-tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes, including menthol flavored e-cigarettes, have a known and substantial risk with regard to youth appeal, uptake and use. 

Richardson ended her comments by saying that to end this youth (nicotine) addiction crisis, the FDA should deny all remaining marketing applications for flavored e-cigarettes, including menthol-flavored products, and the FDA and other agencies must step up their enforcement efforts to clear the market of unauthorized products.
Complexities bedevil Superfund cleanup of the Clark Fork River.

In some ways, as the work has progressed, the challenges have become thicker than a thriving stand of riparian willows.

Money is tight, for one thing. That means more of the contaminated soils and tailings from historic mining and smelting upstream will be left in place.

The primary state agencies leading the cleanup  the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the Natural Resource Damage Program  have learned from the sections remediated to date that wholesale removal of soils and vegetation isnt always the best course.

One wag called that method the Walmart parking lot approach. It removed undercut banks, willows, water birch and other habitat important to brown trout and other wildlife. The population of brown trout in the upper, remediated reaches of the Clark Fork River has plummeted, even as water quality has improved.

Now, to preserve habitat for fish and other wildlife and provide a source of seeds for ongoing revegetation, the agencies strive to preserve healthy stands of metals-tolerant riparian vegetation whenever possible.

But that adjustment carries its own complexities. If you opt to leave vegetation rooted in contaminated tailings and the river channel shifts, as river channels do, the pollution could be re-entrained.

It definitely is a cost-benefits analysis, said Jessica Banaszak, a project manager for DEQ.

This dilemma and others were discussed June 25 as representatives from DEQ, NRDP and EPA led a tour of the latest stretch of the Clark Fork River set for cleanup. Phase 7 work is slated to begin this fall in the vicinity of Racetrack Pond east of Deer Lodge. EPA is considered a support agency.

The tour was co-sponsored by the Clark Fork Coalition, a nonprofit based in Missoula, and the Clark Fork River Technical Assistance Committee, a volunteer citizens group that helps watchdog cleanup design and remediation and translate opaque Superfund jargon for residents.

Brian Bartkowiak, an environmental scientist with NRDP, helped lead the tour, which began in an area of slickens  which are sickly-looking moonscapes along the river where historic contamination precludes vegetation.

Please dont eat the dirt, please dont roll in the dirt, Bartkowiak said.

Most people in the crowd of about 45 tour participants laughed.

Contaminants include environmentally toxic heavy metals and arsenic, with the latter being more of a human health risk.

DEQ estimates Phase 7 work will require removal of about 135,800 cubic yards of contaminated materials. (One formula suggests about 2.22 cubic yards would fit in a pickup with an 8-foot bed.) The wastes will be trucked to a repository in the Opportunity Ponds between Warm Springs and Anaconda.

A catastrophic flood in 1908 carried contaminated mine, milling and smelting wastes downstream from Butte and Anaconda and spread them across the Clark Fork Rivers floodplain.

Atlantic Richfield is responsible for remediation because it purchased the original polluter, the Anaconda Company, in 1977. A 2008 settlement with Atlantic Richfield yielded about $94 million for remediation and about $27 million for restoration of natural resources.

Cleanup of the Clark Fork River main stem began about 11 years ago at Phase 1. DEQ hopes to complete cleanup of Reach A, between Warm Springs and Garrison, by 2038. To date, 7.5 of 22 phases have been remediated.

With years of work ahead and funds waning, along with the recognition that the rivers floodplain is much more polluted than first thought, DEQ and NRDP drafted a new strategic plan last year to guide remediation. It leaves more wastes in place and calls for DEQs cleanup and NRDPs restoration to be tackled together to avoid duplication of efforts and unnecessary costs.

The state measured movements of the Clark Fork River from 1955 to 2019 to calculate how and where the river might move during the next 100 years. That analysis yielded a Channel Migration Zone, or CMZ, an area wherein all contaminated sediments will be removed.

Highly-contaminated areas outside the CMZ might also be remediated but some wastes will remain untouched.

Excavation of floodplain tailings will be followed by backfill with clean material to an elevation that will allow river waters to top riverbanks to interact with the floodplain during periods of high water  a seasonal circumstance necessary for nurturing healthy riparian vegetation.

Where do things stand with Phase 7?

The preliminary design is complete and were working on the draft bid package and draft remedial action work plan, said Nolan Lister, a spokesman for DEQ.

We are currently preparing the draft bid package and coordinating with the landowners to finalize details, he said. Under the terms of the Consent Decree, EPA will review and comment on the draft bid package, then we will prepare the final bid package, which is subject to EPA approval.

A Consent Decree is a judicial agreement between the federal government and parties deemed responsible for pollution that fully or partially settles a claim under federal Superfund law.

During the June 25 tour, Kathy Hadley, a longtime river cleanup watchdog and past president of the Clark Fork River Technical Assistance Committee, asked about the status of caddisflies and other macroinvertebrates in the upper river.

Twenty years ago, caddisfly hatches in the stretch below the Clark Forks headwaters at Warm Springs resembled small blizzards. The vigorous hatches stirred the brown trout then residing in the upper river and provided happy evenings for dry fly anglers.

Banaszak told Hadley that the U.S. Geological Survey has been studying the population of macroinvertebrates in the upper river.

Hans Lampert, a rancher whose property along the upper river has been impacted by remediation work, joined the second half of the tour. He said the work has had pros and cons but should yield long-term benefits. Monitoring the contractor and the remediations effects on his ranch required vigilance, he said.

You need to be here every day to see what theyre doing, Lampert said. If there is something you dont like, they will work with you.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang has stressed remaining alert to risks, strengthening preparedness and working unswervingly on flood control, disaster relief and rescue work to ensure the safety of people's lives and property, as well as overall social stability.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, communicates with local emergency-response staff at a dike in Jiujiang, east China's Jiangxi Province, July 1, 2024. Li inspected flood-prevention and control work in the city of Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, from Monday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when inspecting flood-prevention and control work in the city of Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, from Monday to Tuesday.

When visiting a hydrologic station at the confluence of the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake, Li highlighted the important role of forecasting and early warning in disaster prevention, urging efforts to strengthen interdepartmental joint consultation and improve the accuracy of forecasting.

Li was also briefed on the work on Yangtze River levee reinforcement and checked the storage of flood-control materials. When communicating with local emergency-response staff, he underlined the need to enhance the inspection and protection of embankments during harsh weather conditions and stockpile adequate materials.

At a geological disaster site in Bailu Town, in the city of Lushan, Li urged prioritizing disaster prevention in a period when landslides and debris flows occur frequently, and evacuating residents in areas prone to disasters promptly once dangers have been detected.

Li also presided over a meeting on flood control in the town of Bailu. Noting the frequent occurrence of extreme weather conditions this year, Li called for efforts to strictly prevent secondary disasters caused by heavy rainfall, investigate weak links in urban flood-control and drainage systems, and strengthen flood prevention on farmland.

He also urged giving full play to the role of water-conservancy projects in flood-control work, preparing adequate precautionary measures for extreme situations, and carrying out rescue work immediately in the event of disasters.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua claimed his sons did not initially support William Rutos bid for the presidency.

Riggy G shared this revelation during a church service at Kaplong Deliverance Church in Sotik, Bomet County, on Sunday. He stated that the issue was so significant that when he suggested his family vote together, the decision was split, with two votes against two in their family of four.

While his sons, Keith and Kevin, were hesitant to oppose the former government led by Uhuru Kenyatta, Gachagua believed Ruto was the right candidate for the presidency. He added that, as the head of the family, he made the final decision, which led to his children eventually supporting Ruto.

At times, we would cross each other and we would ask their mother to solve the matter. Let me tell you, the days we were supporting President William Ruto, we faced a lot of problems because we were going against the governments directions and we really had it tough, he said.

Gachagua also revealed that the previous regime urged him to withdraw his support for Ruto.

He claimed President Uhuru Kenyattas administration even threatened to jail him, filing numerous court cases against him.

Nonetheless, I decided to stay with President Ruto because I believed in the destination he had for us. My wife, Pastor Dorcas, supported me. We were now two people against two, and as the chairman of the meeting, I cast the final vote, and we all agreed to support Ruto, he said.
The Ministry of Agriculture has refuted recent reports claiming that a shipment of fertilizer donated by the Russian Government to Kenya cannot be located.

On Tuesday, reports surfaced that 564 tonnes of fertilizer donated by Russia went missing in transit.

In response, the Ministry, through the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), clarified that the consignment was received and managed by NCPB, responsible for its distribution.

NCPB has confirmed that the entire received quantity has been accounted for and transported for blending and granulation purposes, the Ministrys statement assured.

The expected amount of the donated consignment was 34,400MT. However, upon arrival and clearance, NCPB received 33,835MT, representing 98.36% of the manifest quantity.

The resulting shortfall was 1.64%. In the shipping industry, a tolerable loss of up to 5% is considered acceptable. Therefore, the reported loss on the consignment (1.64%) falls within acceptable limits, clarified the board.

The Ministry reiterated that the fertilizer donation was stipulated for delivery to the port, hence no shipping costs were incurred by the government.
Rebecca Miano, Kenyas Cabinet Secretary for Investment, Trade, and Industry, announced the enforcement of the EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) on Monday.

The EPA ensures that all of Kenyas exports enjoy duty-free and quota-free access to the EUs substantial USD 18 trillion market, with the exception of arms. The EU is a crucial trading partner for Kenya, serving as a major destination for its exports.

Describing the EPA as one of the most ambitious agreements between the EU and an African country, Ms. Miano highlighted its potential as a blueprint for other nations in Eastern Africa.

The agreement covers a wide array of areas including trade, economic cooperation, and development, with specific provisions for labor rights, gender equality, forestry, environmental protection, and climate action.

Under the terms of the EPA, Kenya will gradually phase out import duties on European goods over a span of 25 years. This move aims to facilitate duty-free entry for items such as machinery, minerals, and chemical products, thereby encouraging increased investments from the EU.

Despite these benefits, the agreement includes safeguards to protect Kenyas agricultural sector. It restricts the EU from providing extensive subsidies to its agricultural exports to Kenya without engaging in detailed policy discussions with Nairobi. This measure is designed to shield Kenyas agriculture and food security from unfair competition.

In 2023 alone, EU exports to Kenya amounted to Kes.223.12 billion, underscoring the robust nature of their bilateral trade relationship. Conversely, Kenya exported goods worth Kes.150.08 billion to the EU during the same period.

The EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement was finalized in June 2023 and officially signed by both parties on December 18, 2023, cementing a new era of economic cooperation and mutual benefit.

The EPA enforcement follows the European Parliaments approval on February 29, clearing the path for heads of State and government to finalize the ratification process.

A total of 366 EU lawmakers supported the deal, while 86 members opposed it, and 56 members abstained from voting.

Similarly, Kenyan lawmakers endorsed the document, ensuring its enforceability.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has taken a decisive step towards recalling six Members of Parliament elected on the party ticket. Identified for potential recall are Elisha Odhiambo (Gem), Gideon Ochanda (Bondo), Emmanuel Wangwe (Navakholo), Elijah Kanchory (Kajiado Central), Bernard Shinali (Ikolomani), and Caroli Omondi (Suba South).

Following a Central Committee meeting in Nairobi on Tuesday, ODM Secretary General and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna addressed journalists, emphasizing that these MPs had ignored their constituents wishes regarding the Finance Bill, 2024, which has since been withdrawn amidst protests.

Sifuna cited their breach of oath and disregard for voter interests as grounds for initiating the recall.

ODM shall initiate and lead recall processes in the following constituencies due to the current office holders repeated violation of their sacred oath and the constituents wishes. They include Gem, Bondo, Navakholo, Kajiado Central, Ikolomani, and Suba South, stated Sifuna.

Simultaneously, Sifuna criticized the Kenya Kwanza administration, interpreting the recent storming of Parliament by protesters as a vote of no confidence. He urged President William Rutos government to acknowledge the public sentiment, asserting, In our view, the events of June 25, 2024, constituted a vote of no confidence in the Ruto regime. It is evident that Ruto fails to grasp this reality, as evidenced by his contentious proposals on economic management following the rejection of the tax bill.

The Senator rebuked Rutos response, accusing him of deflecting blame onto Kenyan citizens instead of addressing systemic issues such as wastage, opulence, and corruption within his administration.

Instead of focusing on combating wasteful spending and corruption, Ruto retaliates against the people by threatening to slash funding for the Judiciary and county governments, remarked Sifuna.

Additionally, Sifuna criticized President Ruto for minimizing the gravity of the protests, urging the Kenya Kwanza administration to take responsibility for the fatalities, injuries, and property destruction sustained during the demonstrations.
On Tuesday, authorities charged three individuals at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court in Nairobi for allegedly stealing powdered milk confiscated by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).

The accused, Florance Muiruri, Moses Odhiambo, and Daniel Ngugi, faced charges related to the theft of 1,511 25-kilogram bags of condemned milk. The incident took place at Sambot Ships Contractors in Mombasa on May 3, 2023.

In addition to theft, prosecutors charged the trio with tampering with goods under customs control.

The powdered milk in question had been seized by the KRA and was marked for destruction due to its condemned status.

During their court appearance before Chief Magistrate Victor Wakhumile, all three individuals pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court granted them a bond of Kes.200,000 each, with an alternative option of cash bail set at Kes.100,000.

The next hearing is scheduled for July 15, during which further proceedings will take place.
Kenyans residing in Washington DC, USA, have presented a series of demands to President William Ruto, highlighting significant concerns and calling for immediate action on several fronts.

Their demands include the urgent release of individuals detained during the nationwide protests against the contentious Finance Bill 2024, which saw demonstrations in 35 of Kenyas 47 counties.

The Kenyan diaspora in the US, led by spokesperson Fan Murianki, has openly rejected President Rutos plan to engage the public through the newly announced National Multi-Sectoral Forum. Instead, they urged the President to directly address the Gen Z population in Kenya. They believe this demographic, which played a crucial role in the protests, deserves direct communication from the Head of State.

In a strongly worded letter to the Kenyan government, the diaspora accused President Ruto of branding Gen Z protesters as criminals. They argue that this was an attempt to justify the excessive use of police force, which tragically resulted in numerous deaths.

The letter stated, Despite withdrawing the Finance Bill on June 26, 2024, President Ruto has avoided accountability for his shoot-to-kill orders. His deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, distanced himself from the Black Tuesday killings, blaming security agents for the extrajudicial killings.

Furthermore, the group demanded the release of the remains of those killed in the Githurai shootout on the night of June 25, alleging that the state had taken possession of them. They also called for the immediate recall of the US ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman, accusing her of acting as the Ruto regimes official fixer and working to legitimize his administration.

The diaspora expressed alarm over the involvement of several US Congress members, including Rep Vern Buchanan, Rep Gwen Moore, Rep Dan Kildee, Rep Neal Dunn, Rep Jodey Arrington, and Rep Drew Ferguson, who visited the Kenyan Parliament on June 19.

They urged these legislators to retract their public support for the Ruto regime, which they believe lends undue legitimacy to the controversial Kenya Kwanza government.

Addressing the broader economic context, the Kenyan diaspora criticized the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for its role in the Finance Bill 2024. They noted that the bill was drafted to comply with the IMFs Structural Adjustment Programme, aimed at securing concessional financing under the Extended Credit Facility.

The diaspora demands that IMF Mission Chief to Kenya, Haimanot Teferra, take responsibility for the economic conditions that have spurred widespread civil unrest in Kenya. They highlighted their direct impact, stating, As a diaspora, we are directly affected by over-taxation as we send Sh671 billion in remittances, targeted by the Ruto regime and IMF fiscal policies that fuel corruption.

The group also commended the Kenya Red Cross and health workers who risked their lives to provide emergency care to injured protesters. To support these crucial efforts, the Kenyan diaspora in the US is planning a fundraising campaign, demonstrating their continued commitment to aiding their compatriots back home during these turbulent times.
Rescuers transfer stranded residents in Pingjiang county, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese authorities on Tuesday upgraded the emergency response to disasters triggered by recent severe rainfall and flooding in central China's Hunan province to Level III.

The China National Commission for Disaster Reduction has dispatched a team to guide and assist local governments with disaster relief work and rescue efforts, aiming to ensure the basic needs of affected residents.

In response to disasters in Hunan's Miluo city and Pingjiang county, China's Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) has dispatched two unmanned aerial vehicles to enhance emergency communication support. More than 560 rescue workers have participated in related flood control and relief efforts.

On Tuesday night, MEM dispatched a further 200 rescue workers and 38 flood drainage equipment sets to support work to combat the floods in Hunan. These additional rescue workers are expected to arrive in impacted areas at 7 a.m. on Wednesday.

Chinese authorities have also arranged for the provision of more than 100,000 pieces of disaster relief materials, including instant food, drinking water and family emergency kits. The first batch of supplies arrived in affected areas of Pingjiang on Tuesday night.

An aerial drone photo shows firefighters transferring stranded residents in Pingjiang county, central China's Hunan province, July 2, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Since mid-June, heavy rains have persisted in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, leading to the continuous rise of water levels and flooding.

Water levels have exceeded warning marks in sections of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River located below an estuary of Dongting Lake, according to the Ministry of Water Resources on Tuesday.

MEM has urged increased attention to geological disasters, the advance relocation of residents of hazardous areas, the prompt restoration of affected flood-prevention facilities and telecommunication infrastructure, and accelerated reconstruction work.
To better integrate the culture and tourism industry into the nation's digital economy, the Chinese government recently unveiled its Action Plan for the Innovative Development of Smart Tourism, calling for more immersive and personalized experiences for tourists by using new technologies.

In May, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Data Bureau jointly issued the plan, which outlines eight specific tasks to facilitate smart tourism, a buzzword in China's culture and tourism industry fueled by new technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality.

It says that by 2027, the scale of the smart tourism economy will have further expanded; smart tourism infrastructure will be more sophisticated; the supply of high-quality smart tourism products will be more abundant; and smart tourism services and experiences will be more convenient and comfortable.

Wang Heyun, a high-ranking official at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said at a news conference in Beijing on June 27 that the action plan is the first guideline to focus on smart tourism, and it is expected to inject fresh impetus into the high-quality development of the culture and tourism industry.

"On the one hand, digital technology has innovated the combination of culture and tourism, enriching the content of tourism products. On the other, smart tourism makes traveling easier and enhances visitors' experiences, catering to the diversified needs of tourists," Wang said.

At a recently opened digital exhibition at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, Hunan province, technologies such as 3D and holographic projections that can be viewed with the naked eye offer immersive experiences and visual feasts inspired by popular artifacts from the museum's collection. The exhibition, which doesn't display any actual relics, is the museum's first innovative and digital endeavor to showcase its archaeological findings, said Duan Xiaoming, the museum's director.

"We tried to offer an interesting and immersive experience by employing new technologies. I believe it's a new trend for archaeological shows," Duan added.

Although tickets for the show are priced at 108 yuan ($15)  about the cost of a good lunch for locals  many visitors were still willing to wait in a long line for the experience.

Other sites have also embraced the technologies.

The Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Gansu province, home to one of China's finest Buddhist art displays, opened its VR experience center in September to provide an immersive and interactive experience. Priced at 40 yuan per person, the VR experience has drawn large crowds and garnered a great deal of praise in posts shared by tourists on their social media platforms.

The experience allows visitors to explore a cave that is seldom open to the public for preservation reasons. Using VR, they can closely examine the murals within the cave, and even interact with the figures depicted in the murals by using VR and AR technology.

At the Deji Art Museum in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, visitors can travel back 1,000 years to experience a day in ancient China by "walking" into a 110-meter-long painting inspired by An Era in Jinling, an ancient piece of painting depicting prosperous street scenes in Nanjing, which was called Jinling during the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Wearing electronic bracelets, visitors can "create" their own "digital avatars" that can interact with characters in the painting, talk to street vendors, pet cats and dogs and even set off fireworks.

The digital exhibition has attracted hordes of tourists. It was also taken to France in May and received a positive response from the French people, said Ai Lin, the museum's director.

"Going digital with high technology is inevitable. We must actively embrace the trend," Ai said.

It's a trend that is certainly being embraced by travelers.

According to the National Smart Tourism Development Report 2023 released by the China Tourism Research Institute in November, more than 80 percent of visitors surveyed said they were willing to spend more money to experience travel blended with technology. Furthermore, more than half of the people polled said they hoped to experience better tourism services with smart tech.

Dai Bin, director of the China Tourism Research Institute, said that big data, artificial intelligence and other technologies have helped reduce the amount of time tourists spend planning their travels. After reaching their destinations, tourists should get assistance to help them delve deeper into the nature, culture and development of the local area, which should be the direction of smart tourism development.

"Technological services have not yet fully met the rising demands for high-quality travel experiences. Therefore, intelligence has become a new trend in the tourism industry," Dai added.

Tourist destinations have taken action and invested a lot in immersive experiences for visitors by using high-quality technology. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism revealed its first batch of 30 smart tourism immersive experience venues in November.

The number of such pilot programs has increased to 42 this year. They have been implemented in museums, libraries, scenic areas, historical districts and other traditional cultural and tourist sites.

Some of these venues have set up special exhibition spaces to enable tourists to have experiences they could never have had otherwise. For example, the Sanxingdui Museum in Sichuan province's Guanghan allows visitors to virtually travel to a prehistoric civilization thousands of years ago and play the role of an archaeologist.

Some scenic areas stage shows to let tourists better immerse themselves into local cultures.

"Using technology to create immersive experiences is a good way to meet the diverse needs of tourists. Blending digital technology into new products at tourist sites is a big factor in driving spending," said Deng Ning, a professor of culture and tourism at Beijing International Studies University.

She mentioned that in addition to embracing digital advancements, it's important to maintain or improve certain offline services to cater to the needs of older adults.

The action plan also stresses the importance of improving the level of senior-friendly services in the digital era. It calls for the proper preservation of offline services for special groups like the elderly and supports smart online service platforms tailored to their travel habits.

Maintaining manual service counters that offer offline ticketing and other services for domestic and international tourists is also critical, the plan says.
Two national telephone hotlines are operational from July 1 to Sept. 15 to provide assistance to newly admitted college students regarding tuition and other financial concerns.

Operated by the Ministry of Education, these hotlines are dedicated to addressing inquiries about scholarships and other financial assistance policies available to impoverished students at the state level, according to the China National Center for Student Financial Aid, under the ministry.

Meanwhile, provincial and regional education departments have launched their own similar hotlines, providing information about localized policies, the center stated in a press release.

Universities under the ministry's supervision have also opened such hotlines to offer first-hand information about college scholarships and financial aid policies.

This is the second year that the ministry has adopted such a measure to assist students and their parents in understanding student aid policies.

The ministry has cautioned new college students about the risks of student loan fraud and encouraged them to seek guidance from parents, teachers and college administrations when facing financial difficulties.

The number of newly admitted students in higher education institutions across China reached approximately 10.42 million in 2023. The figure for 2024 is not available as of now.

Education departments and colleges have introduced various measures to ensure that no student drops out because of financial difficulties.

A staff member from Hefei University of Technology, located in central China's Anhui Province, told Xinhua that every newly admitted student will be assigned a staff member who will register the student's information, including whether they require financial aid, and offer appropriate solutions.

The education department in northwest China's Qinghai Province has instructed all colleges in the province to send an introduction about student aid policies with every admission notice.

In the aftermath of recent heavy floods, colleges in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China have initiated surveys among students from flood-affected regions and launched temporary aid schemes.
(Top) A Galaxy Bursting with Stars is one of the many astrophotography images captured by Kevin Morefield (below), who uses a large telescope to acquire many of his beauty shots of space phenomena. (Photos provided by Kevin Morefield)

All are welcome at SIU event featuring beautiful astrophotography July 15

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill.  Southern Illinois University Carbondale alumnus Kevin Morefield, who has garnered national acclaim for capturing amazing astrophotography images, will share his work during a public presentation at his alma mater on July 15.

The public is welcome to attend The Blurring of Art and Science from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Centers Art Atrium, 1740 Innovation Drive in Carbondale. There is no cost.

The evening will begin with a reception for Morefield, a native of Murphysboro who earned a bachelors degree in photography at SIU and went on to a successful career in business and marketing. The owner and operator of Morefield Consulting in Portland, Oregon, has traveled the world  from Norway to Chile to Australia and beyond  chasing total solar eclipses and capturing beautiful images in the sky with telescopes and cameras. He has a large telescope that is permanently affixed in the Sierra Mountains, enabling him to grab some of the special beauty shots and others from locales far and wide.

Following the reception, Morefield, who has established the Morefield Opportunities Scholarship at SIU to pay forward opportunities he was given, will discuss how he became interested in astronomy and how he sets up his equipment and captures the imagery of stars, planets and other space phenomena. He will also discuss the processing of images and share some of his favorites.

For planning purposes, organizers would appreciate people planning to attend the event RSVP to innovation@siu.edu. The evening is sponsored by SIUs Office of Innovation and Economic Development.
SIU engineering students make it easier for people with disabilities to enjoy nature

by Tim Crosby

CARBONDALE, Ill.  A team of engineering students from Southern Illinois University Carbondale recently came together to assist people with mobility difficulties who struggle with getting out into nature, where hiking trails and off-road paths can present challenges.

For their required senior capstone project, the mechanical engineering students designed and built a custom adaptive mobility device. Essentially a hiking cart, the device will allow people with disabilities to use the trails at Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center with the assistance of a hiking partner. The item is now being used for TON programs and soon will be available to the public for use there.

Senior capstone project

As a requirement for their undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, students must complete a senior capstone project. The project allows them to solve a real-world engineering problem from concept through design and fabrication, thus preparing for the challenges of their professional careers.

Anna Carter, student team leader, said as the students reached their senior year at SIU, they decided they wanted to build something that would give back to the community.

We were all discussing the kind of project we wanted to pursue, said Carter, a native of Du Quoin. Many senior projects from the past were done for competitions for student organizations, and theyre on display at the Engineering Building on campus. They are excellent examples of what our program is all about  innovation and application of the concepts we've learned  and it was inspiring to see them as we began our own project. But we decided that we wanted to build something practical and useful that would help someone else.

Opening up nature

Enter staff at SIUs Touch of Nature, an outdoor learning laboratory and activity hub for SIU students, scientists and the public located near Giant City State Park, south of Carbondale.

Last year, staff members put out the call for a machine that would make it possible for people with disabilities to enjoy the trails winding through the preserve, connecting camping areas and providing views of Little Grassy Lake the popular Rocky Ledges site.

Such hiking carts are hard to find, however, as they are not mass-produced. That also means they are often unaffordable.

Our mission is to enhance lives through outdoor experiences, said Brian Croft, TON director. To do this, we address access issues, including acquiring specialized equipment. Such equipment is often very expensive, however, so partnering with students helped us bring it to SIU and Touch of Nature.

Getting together to solve a problem

TON staff outlined the challenges for the seniors, looking at specifications such as the maximum width and slopes of various trails and other requirements. The team then began designing the machine using computer-aided design during fall semester of that year, eventually submitting the frame design to a company that fabricates computer-aided drawings. The team received those parts in April and began welding them together.

While this was going on, the team also began ordering other needed off-the-shelf components and parts. Supply chain issues would inadvertently teach the upcoming engineers to deal with such real-world problems that sometimes arise.

We had a few parts that were delayed multiple times, which hindered our progress overall, Carter said. For instance, the shocks were ordered months before our final project was due to be completed for our final presentations, but they didn't get to us in time. So, we manufactured the cart around the shocks and installed them once they came in. But this also delayed our testing.

Another challenge faced by the team was learning design on the fly, Carter said. While large companies have the luxury of building and testing prototypes before delivering them to the public, the team had one shot.

There aren't many versions of this adaptive device that have been built, so we had very little to compare our work to, Carter said. There were many aspects of the cart that we realized we had missed as we began manufacturing and assembling, so we were quick to come up with solutions, which usually required more manufacturing of parts and more time to spend.

Actual assembly of the device took several months, but final testing was completed on May 3. Touch of Nature took delivery May 9.

The overall cost was around $2,400, which is a fraction of the cost that others are selling them for, Carter said. It was a whirlwind of long days and long nights, and testing to get out as many kinks as possible, but we designed a great adaptive device that I have full confidence in, Carter said.

Croft said the device is being used for all Touch of Nature programs, including outdoor education and inclusive recreation, campus and community-based programs. The center also is working on a plan to provide community members with access to the equipment.

We believe that outdoor experiences are a right for everyone, Croft said. By providing specialized equipment like this, we can open up the outdoors to people who might not otherwise have the means or ability to experience the beauty of Southern Illinois so they can enjoy and benefit from our natural surroundings.

Lessons learned

Carter said honing communication skills was one of the biggest challenges and lessons the team mastered along the bumpy road to success.

My team and I had to communicate so much with each other, our advisers and our suppliers, and it didn't always go smoothly, she said. We all had ideas of how to design and build this adaptive device, so discussion of final design was sometimes very stimulating because we all had great ideas to add. Sometimes the ideas clashed, and we had to figure out which was best for the cart and the rider, not just what made one of us happy.

Personally, I felt like my communication skills and ability to work with others became much better by the end of the year. I feel confident about my ability to communicate with my co-workers in this new job that I just began. And I would say that my friends would agree as theyre beginning their careers or grad school.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed reaffirmed the UAE''s support for the United States'' efforts, in collaboration with key international partners, to achieve a sustainable ceasefire that ensures the protection of all civilians.

He stressed that the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip necessitates urgent, coordinated, and sustained efforts to address the immediate needs of civilians and deliver essential humanitarian aid.

Sheikh Abdullah underscored the importance of reducing tensions, countering extremism, and halting escalating violence in the region, highlighting the need for a serious political pathway to resume negotiations aimed at achieving comprehensive peace, grounded in the two-state solution.

He also touched on developments in the situation in Sudan and their humanitarian repercussions. (ANI/WAM)
Criticising the budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 rolled out by the Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government, the former governor of Sindh, Muhammad Zubair has said that both direct and indirect taxes have affected the salaried class majorly, pointing to unequal tax imposition, reported ARY News. During an interview on ARY News'' "11th hour," the former Sindh governor expressed disapproval of the federal government''s uneven taxation policies, pointing out that salaried persons have been impacted by both direct and indirect taxes. "If everyone was taxed equally, no one would object," Zubair said. He emphasised that in addition to a tax, the new budget also imposes an extra fee on the salaried class. In response to a query, he stated that the middle class and salaried classes, who have historically had distaste for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples'' Party (PPP), are not fond of the current administration, ARY News reported. In response to the concern over growing electricity costs, Zubair predicted a 20 per cent increase in electricity bill prices. "If a consumer has to pay a bill of PKR 100 today, it will be PKR 120 soon. People do not understand the reason behind the constant increase in bills," he said, according to ARY News. Zubair expressed opposition to the type of taxes levied, arguing that they are inefficient because, even with increased taxes, revenue stays the same. This is the third budget for the current administration, which Zubair claims has failed to cut spending while raising taxes. "Where are the tax reforms, where are the energy reforms, where are the issues of privatisation of institutions?" he questioned about the lack of reforms. Zubair also took issue with how the government was managing the distribution businesses'' boards of directors, pointing out that the people chosen two years ago resulted in higher losses and that the government is now planning to replace those boards. "Two years ago, they boasted about the merits of their appointments. Now, they''re [the current government] reversing those actions. Who is responsible for this?" he questioned. The former governor characterised the government''s conduct as though they had stumbled onto governance by accident and accused them of making damaging judgements driven by political motivations. In reviewing past budgets, Zubair pointed out that the public was burdened in the budget for 2022 with the assurance that things would improve within a year, a pledge that was repeated in the budget for 2023. In a deep economic crisis, Pakistan''s parliament on Friday passed a tax-heavy finance bill for the upcoming fiscal year amid ongoing negotiations for a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout. (ANI)
VMPL New Delhi [India], July 3: In the dynamic and volatile realm of digital assets, meme coins are capturing the imagination of the entire crypto market, reminding us of how memecoins soared to billion-dollar valuations almost overnight following their presales. In this thriving scene emerges Pandiana, a panda-themed meme coin uniquely positioned within the Solana ecosystem, poised to capture both hearts and markets. What sets Pandiana apart is its blend of engaging meme culture with substantial utility, centering around an innovative move-to-earn gaming platform. This combination is designed not only to entertain but also to reward its community, making Pandiana a standout project likely to attract significant attention and investment. Launching the $PNDA Token Presale Having raised $500,000 in a pre-seed round, Pandiana is launching its highly anticipated $PNDA token presale, which will offer 40% of its tokens to the public and lasting for 60 days or until the tokens are sold out. This presale is structured to ensure fair access, with purchase limits set at a minimum of 1 SOL and a maximum of 100 SOL, promoting an equitable distribution among potential presale investors. With a presale pricing of 400 $PNDA tokens for 1 SOL, this is a perfect entry opportunity for early birds. Unlike most presales who increase the price each week, Pandiana will maintain a static price throughout the duration of the presale to make it open and fair to all. Scheduled to begin on July 4th, 2024, by 4pm UTC, the Pandiana presale is your opportunity to get in at the earliest stage of what could be Solana's next viral meme coin. Following the presale, $PNDA will make its debut on Raydium, Solana's premier decentralized exchange (DEX), listing at a price of 1 SOL = 200 $PNDA which is 50% higher than the presale price. Moreover, engaging with the Pandiana community through its Telegram and Discord channels provides investors and enthusiasts with updates, insights, and a platform to influence the project's development. This strategic pricing promises immediate returns for early investors, with the potential for substantial gains as the platform develops and expands. Why Pandiana Stands Out Pandiana distinguishes itself by leveraging Solana's advanced blockchain technology known for its speed and low transaction costs. This technical backbone is perfect for supporting Pandiana's play-to-earn ecosystem, ensuring a seamless and engaging user experience. The project is not just about creating another meme coin; it's about establishing a sustainable ecosystem where the token has intrinsic value, empowering users to earn through gameplay. Investment Opportunity and Community Engagement The Pandiana presale offers a unique investment opportunity in a project with a clear vision for growth and utility. By participating early, investors can secure a stake in a project with a structured roadmap and strong potential for high returns. This community-driven approach not only enhances the project's appeal but also ensures it remains responsive and attuned to user feedback and market trends. As Pandiana gears up for its presale and subsequent launch on Raydium, the excitement is palpable. This is more than just another crypto launch; it's a chance to be part of a movement set to redefine what meme coins can achieve on the Solana blockchain. Don't miss out on the opportunity to be part of Pandiana's journey. Join the community, participate in the presale, and be ready to ride the wave of one of Solana's most promising new projects. Stay connected with Pandiana: Website: https://pandiana.io X: https://x.com/pandianaonsol Telegram: https://t.me/pandianaonsol Discord: https://discord.com/invite/pandiana (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)
Rajya Sabha member from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam P Wilson on Wednesday met Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu in New Delhi and sought the latter's intervention to expedite the pending site clearance for the new greenfield airport proposed for Chennai in Parandur in Kancheepuram district. In a letter to the central minister, the parliamentarian from Tamil Nadu said that the state government under MK Stalin is committed to establishing a new greenfield airport in Parandur on a land mass of 4,970 acres. The Tamil Nadu government decided in 2022 to establish a greenfield airport at Parandur. Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO), acting as the nodal agency for this project, submitted the site clearance application to the Ministry of Civil Aviation on August 19, 2022. This proposed project, as per the letter of the parliamentarian, is designed to handle up to 100 million passengers annually and is crucial for the economic development of Chennai and the entire state. The DMK parliamentarian asserted that if site clearance is granted, Phase - I, with an annual capacity of 20 million passengers, is expected to be commissioned by January 2029. The currently operation airport -- Chennai International Airport -- at Meenambakkam is operating near its capacity limits and with no modern infrastructure is struggling to accommodate the increasing passenger and cargo traffic, underscoring the urgency of developing this new airport, Wilson said. "In addition, the present airport is not equipped to handle large planes with a capacity of more than 400 passengers and double-decker planes. Many long-haul, wide-body international flights don't prefer Chennai Meenambakkam airport as the "preferred point of call" for foreign carriers due to the lack of infrastructure and modern updated facilities. Furthermore, Chennai Airport is not classified as a code F Airport to land an A380 aircraft and neighbouring airports like Bengaluru and Hyderabad can handle these sophisticated carriers," said the parliamentarian. Also, the currently operational airport lacks a sufficient number of aerobridges that can be used to dock large planes, meaning that passengers cannot be disembarked in remote parking bays. Wilson reasoned that moving so many people by shuttle buses would be inefficient for the airlines. "This situation has forced international operators seeking to expand their flight operations in Chennai to opt for alternative airports such as Bangalore and Hyderabad over Chennai. As a consequence, flight frequencies to Asian, African, European and other foreign destinations have decreased, despite the increasing demand from the public," he further asserted. To make matters worse, he claimed that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) replaced Chennai airport with Hyderabad and Bangalore airports as Points of Collateral (POC) for several countries. This, he said, makes it unlikely that Chennai will get flights to such countries in the near future. "Chennai Airport is losing much aerospace-related business to its neighbouring airports in different states, which is detrimental to the economic growth of Tamil Nadu and future generation growth, including employment and investment in to this state will be heavily impeded," he added. "Necessary clarifications and studies have also been submitted. However, the project is pending site clearance before the "steering committee" constituted under the Green Field Airport Policy. Despite the significance of the project, the site clearance has been pending for more than 500 days, stalling the project's progress. The Parandur airport complies with all the requirements and guidelines for setting up green field airports set out by the Ministry of Civil Aviation Govt of India," he noted, as he reiterated the need for an expedition of the site clearance process. The DMK parliamentarian has also acknowledged that the Minister has assured him that he will look into this immediately. (ANI)
Noida-based One97 Communications (OCL) owned fintech Paytm has launched 'Paytm Health Saathi', a health and income protection plan for its merchant partners, according to the company's stock filing on June 3. The fintech said the new plan will be available on the 'Paytm for Business' app. "The launch of 'Paytm Health Saathi' aims to safeguard the wellbeing of its merchants, ensuring their health and business continuity. With this service, Paytm continues to empower its merchant partners, bolstering their resilience, while democratising access to affordable coverage," the company said in the filing. Explaining the details of the plan, the company said it starts at just Rs 35 per month on a monthly subscription. Paytm Health Saathi offers a range of services that includes unlimited doctor teleconsultation, and in-person doctor visits (OPD) within its partner network. It also includes income protection cover in the event of business interruptions due to accidents, natural calamities such as floods and fires, or strikes, as per the details in the filing. The company has partnered with MediBuddy providing additional benefits including discounts at leading pharmacies and on diagnostic tests. Paytm spokesperson said, "This initiative is part of our mission to equip them with comprehensive and affordable coverage that supports their continued operations. By offering tailored solutions, aligned to their needs, we aim to strengthen the robust the support system we provide to our community of business owners." As per the company, since its launch in May, more than 3000 merchant partners have taken benefit of the 'Paytm Health Saathi' pilot programme. The business launched this tool for all of its merchants earlier this month after seeing early success. Paytm is India's leading mobile payments and financial services distribution company. (ANI)
VMPL New Delhi [India], July 3: Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH), a leading B-School in India, is proud to announce the commencement of new academic session (2024-26), opening its doors to over 480 young and talented minds. The students are enrolled in BIMTECH's four two-year full-time programs, PGDM, PGDM (International Business), PGDM (Insurance Business Management), and PGDM (Retail Management). The 37th "Deeksharambh" ceremony was graced by Chief Guest Dr. Abhishek Tiwary, Senior Vice President & Global Head - HR (BPS), Tech Mahindra Ltd. & Global HR Head (designate) KPMG Delivery Network (KDN), Guest of Honour, Maj. Gen. Rajesh Kumar Jha, AVSM (Retd.), Director (Personnel), NEEPCO Ltd., Dr. Prabina Rajib, Director, BIMTECH, and Dr. Pankaj Priya, Dy. Director and Dean-Academics, BIMTECH. Dr. Prabina Rajib, Director, BIMTECH, while introducing the new batch of PGDMs with the institute's rich history said, "It is a proud moment for us today to witness this ambitious group of diverse students embark on a transformative journey with us. Looking ahead, the futuristic jobs/positions will require business leaders who are handy with technology, and demonstrate adaptability & creativity. Therefore, we are investing in both hard and soft infrastructure. It has been our endeavor to provide our students with every opportunity that a management student can dream of. Recently, we have revised our curriculum in a significant manner with a large component of experiential learning. We have signed a MoU with Singapore University, we are in a discussion with a US-based company to start a center of excellence in block chain, and we are also in discussion with Bloomberg to set up a Finance Lab." Imparting wisdom to the in-coming batch of 2024-2026, Dr. Abhishek Tiwary advised the students, "The road ahead is exhilarating and demanding. Focus on the core skills, befriend data and technology and most importantly ask quality questions. Get out of your comfort zones and build networks. My message to you is just enjoy the process and before you solve the world's problems, indulge in some self-care. Be bold, be curious, and be the change-makers the world needs. " Addressing the newcomers during his commencement speech, Maj. Gen. Rajesh Kumar Jha said, "I'm humbled to be amongst the future leaders. Everything is a workplace and each one of you is a leader. Learn to work in pressure and be adaptable. I believe leaders should be authentic and have a strong character, for authenticity is the cornerstone of a good leader. Success will not come to your doorstep. Do not despair if there is a failure. Embrace humility with grace and do not forget the sacrifices and contributions of your parents. " This year's boost in the enrollment number showcased, a relatively balanced gender distribution displaying the unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse academic environment. The new batch includes students from domicile regions, highlighting BIMTECH's national appeal. The institute witnessed students joining from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi NCR, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, and Punjab, as well as significant representation from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Assam. The new student body reflects a rich diversity of academic backgrounds with strong representation from different graduation streams. The programs offered by the institute attract aspiring candidates from Commerce, Engineering, Science, Humanities, Management and other fields underscoring the interdisciplinary nature of the institute's offerings. Inspired by its founder late Basant Kumar Birla, BIMTECH pioneered innovative programs like PGDM, PGDM-International Business (IB), PGDM-Retail Management (RM), and PGDM-Insurance Business Management (IBM), nurturing individuals into global leaders. BIMTECH proudly holds the 48th position in the Management Category in NIRF-National Institutional Ranking Framework 2023 and secures the 17th rank among the top private B-Schools in India, as per Business Today-MDRA Best B-Schools Ranking 2023. Also, BIMTECH is now AACSB accredited, joining the Ivy League of Top Globally Recognized B-Schools. Fostering a symbiotic relationship, the institute excels in management education, supported by its globally placed robust alumni network of over 7000 individuals. For More Information: https://www.bimtech.ac.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)
This photo taken on Sept. 13, 2023 shows the Milky Way at the Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese scientists recently proposed that the current dark matter halo of the Milky Way is "slightly oblate."

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), in collaboration with several domestic and international research institutions, was published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Astronomy.

Scientists believe that the shape of the dark matter halo is key to understanding the hierarchical formation of the Milky Way. Despite extensive efforts in recent decades, its shape remains a matter of debate, with suggestions ranging from strongly oblate to prolate.

Based on observational data from the European Space Agency's Gaia satellite and China's Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST), the researchers analyzed about 2,600 Cepheid variable stars of different ages. They applied a new method called "motion picture" to construct a three-dimensional structure of the Milky Way's disk at different ages over a period of 250 million years.

In the nearby universe, nearly one-third of disk galaxies are not perfect disks but exhibit a warped shape resembling a potato chip. Astronomers refer to this phenomenon as a disk warp. The Milky Way, as a typical disk galaxy, also has this warp feature.

By "seeing" how the disk warp evolves with age, the researchers found that the warp precesses in a retrograde direction at a rate of 0.12 degrees per million years.

"Previously, there was a lack of precise measurement on how the disk warp swings," said Huang Yang, the co-first author of the study, and an associate professor with UCAS.

Based on their measurements, the research team found that the current dark matter halo enveloping the warp exhibits a slightly oblate ellipsoidal shape.

"Only this shape can explain the precession rate of the warp," Huang said.

"This measurement provides a crucial anchor point for studying the evolution of the Milky Way's dark matter halo and the assembly history of the Galaxy," Huang added.
BusinessWire India New Delhi [India], July 3: Anticipating a boost in the manufacturing sector, signing of the FTAs, the recent growth in the textile exports, bundled with the Indian government's focus on making India a 'global manufacturing hub' has set up encouraging prospects for the stakeholders of the Indian textile value chain. This optimistic industry outlook is also evident in the spirit of the textile technology and apparel manufacturing players participating in the upcoming Gartex Texprocess India which is scheduled from 1 - 3 August 2024 at Yashobhoomi (IICC), Dwarka, New Delhi. Regardless of the global economic and political landscape, the recent surge reported in textile exports and apparel at 9.59% and 9.70% respectively, in May 2024 as cited by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), marks a positive sign uplifting the spirits of the Indian textile players. As per IBEF, the market for Indian textiles and apparel is projected to grow at a 10% CAGR to reach USD 350 billion by 2030 with the exports expected to reach USD 100 billion. The Indian textile sector is further expected to be strengthened by the innovations from the manufacturers of fabrics, garments and apparel, textile machinery companies, allied industries and future plans and policies from the Indian government. As India's leading expo covering garment and textile manufacturing, denim, accessories, textile printing technologies and more, Gartex Texprocess India is slated to showcase 600+ brands, spread over an area of 15,000 sqm at Yashobhoomi (IICC), Dwarka, New Delhi. Besides India, the upcoming edition will demonstrate the global excellence in textile solutions from countries like China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and the USA. The show floor is sold out with leading Indian brands like AT Inks, Aura Technologies, BABA Textile Machinery, Benz Embroidery, Britomatics India, Chetna Fashions, DCC Print Vision, Jaysynth Dyestuff India and True Colors amongst others. International brands like Baoyou, Brother, Datatex, Dupont, Jack, Kansai, SinSim, Siruba, Yumei and more will also add a global touch to the show. New Product Launches: The three-show days are lined up with more than a dozen of new product launches and the exhibitors showcasing their latest offerings. Some of the unmissable product launches will be from brands like: Amtex Dye Chem Industries, Behariji Enterprises, Codeverse Technologies, Creative Industries, LNJ Denims, Panchsheel Enterprises, Pro-Pioneer Eco Technologies, Rainbow Denim, Ranjan Fabrics, R&B DENIMS, SBT Textiles, Sitaram Spinners, Stas Biochem, Studio Next Technology, True Colors, The Tenth House, Venus Denims, Vertex Edge Tech, Vinod Denim and more. Show Highlights: * The first edition to be organised at the state-of-the-art expo centre - Yashobhoomi, IICC, Dwarka, New Delhi* 200+ exhibitors presenting 600+ brands from 7 countries* Featuring curated - zones for product categories like 'Knitting, Sewing Machinery, Digital Printing, Embroidery, Fabrics & Trims'* Expansion of the Trims segment with new exhibiting companies* International brands directly participating in the show* Curated knowledge - sessions with a panel consisting of Government officials from the concerned Ministries, industry experts and innovators from the textile associations and businesses Exhibitors Perspective on Government Schemes: As India shines in its glory of being the world's 3rd largest producer of textiles raw materials like cotton, jute, silk and wool, it also embodies the strength of manpower, infrastructure, low production costs and innovations needed to push the contours of the Indian textile landscape. In an attempt to gather the view of the participating companies on the government schemes and initiatives - many of them shared that schemes and initiatives like PLI, ATUFs, RoDTEP & RoSCTL, NTTP, NHDP, PM MITRA Parks, Handloom Weavers' Comprehensive Welfare Scheme, Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS), schemes for MSMEs and amongst others, have served to be beneficial for not only growing their businesses but also the expand the technical skillsets resulting in a healthy business atmosphere. As the preparations for the event gear up, Mr Raj Manek, Executive Director and Board Member of Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd shared: "I think India is evolving as a beacon of innovations and economic resilience. With the upcoming edition of Gartex Texprocess India 2024, the momentum has been set to present the transformations in textiles right from the textile manufacturing machinery, garment, fabric and denims to trims and accessories and lots more. Sustainability and Innovations in textiles are at the heart of the show and I am pleased to share that the participating Indian and international companies will display an unparalleled quality of products and finesse." Gaurav Juneja, Director of MEX Exhibitions Pvt Ltd, added: "With the recent growth recorded in the textile exports and focus on boosting the manufacturing sector in India - it will take textile under its stride creating more business and job opportunities. Gartex Texprocess India has been known for presenting an exceptional showcase of innovations from the textile industry, primarily in textile manufacturing machinery, garments, fabrics, denim, screen printing solutions and accessories. In the upcoming edition in August, we are excited to share that our esteemed exhibitors are ready to display their latest innovations and many of them are also launching their new products which makes it a must-attend industry event for the textile enthusiasts and professionals." Organised by Messe Frankfurt Trade Fair India Pvt Ltd and MEX Exhibitions Pvt Ltd, Gartex Texprocess India is a leading exhibition in the textile industry. Press information and photographic material:www.gartexindia.com Links to websites:www.facebook.com/GartexTexprocessIndia/www.instagram.com/gartexindia/ https://in.linkedin.com/company/gartexindia https://twitter.com/gartex_india Background information on MEX Exhibitions Pvt Ltdhttps://www.mexexhibits.com/ Background information on Messe Frankfurtwww.messefrankfurt.com/background-information Sustainability at Messe Frankfurtwww.messefrankfurt.com/sustainability-information (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)
NewsVoir Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 3: HDFC Capital Advisors Limited has acquired 8.5% in Truboard Technologies Pvt. Ltd. TruBoard has developed a technology platform called TruGenie for real estate asset management which aims to address investors, asset owners as well as the developer needs. TruGenie is currently being used by some of the top private banks and real estate funds. Vipul Roongta, Managing Director & CEO, at HDFC Capital, said, "We believe that technology solutions will play a critical role in the real estate development and asset management. Our investment in TruBoard is part of the H@ART initiative which has been set up to invest and partner in technology companies that bring efficiencies in the real estate ecosystem." Vipul Thakore, Co-founder of TruBoard, expressed, "We are immensely proud of the progress we have made and the dedication of our incredible team. This strategic investment by HDFC Capital is a testament to our vision and the value we bring to our industry. We are poised to accelerate our growth, innovate at a faster pace, and make a greater impact and will continue to strive for excellence and innovation." Nilesh Shah, Managing Director of Kotak Mutual Fund, in his capacity as an early-stage investor in TruBoard stated, "TruBoard's TruGenie advanced tech-led monitoring platform is revolutionizing real estate management. By leveraging AI, IoT, and big data analytics, it provides capital providers, developers, and customers with real-time insights and improved decision-making. HDFC Capital's investment will speed up TruGenie's innovation, improving asset performance and increasing market value." TruGenie is poised for a strong expansion and will target international markets, focusing on residential, commercial real estate, warehouse and data centers. This strategic investment will help in accelerating technology enhancements, expand market reach, and ensure robust infrastructure and customer support for future growth. TruBoard Technologies is a Proptech company which has developed TruGenie, a premier real estate technology platform with advanced monitoring tools. TruGenie has swiftly grown to manage large residential developments in India. It provides insights for asset management of under-construction and operational projects, enabling greater transparency and efficiency to various stakeholders. HDFC Capital, a subsidiary of HDFC Bank Ltd., is the real estate private equity arm of HDFC Group. HDFC Capital is aligned with the Government of India's 'Housing for All' initiative and is focused on financing the development of affordable and mid-income homes in a sustainable manner. HDFC Capital also seeks to promote innovation and the adoption of new technologies within the real estate sector by investing in and partnering with technology companies. HDFC Capital is the investment manager to four SEBI-registered Category II Alternative Investment Funds. These funds combine to create a US$ 3 billion + platform targeting the development of affordable and mid-income housing in India. (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)
Towne died at his Los Angeles home, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Throughout his career, Towne garnered acclaim with Academy Award nominations for his scripts of 'The Last Detail' (1973) and 'Shampoo' (1975), which showcased his distinctive portrayal of Los Angeles, blending beauty with melancholy. His scripts often featured iconic collaborations with actors like Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty, capturing the essence of Southern California as both seductive and disillusioning.

Apart from his famous screenplays, Towne made major contributions as a script doctor, notably crafting pivotal scenes for films like 'The Godfather' and offering crucial insights into projects such as 'Bonnie and Clyde.'

Towne's magnum opus, 'Chinatown,' remains a pinnacle of noir cinema, influenced by Raymond Chandler and directed by Roman Polanski, starring Faye Dunaway and John Huston. The film's profound narrative and Towne's screenplay earned widespread critical acclaim, cementing its place in cinematic history.

While Towne's subsequent efforts, including 'The Two Jakes' (1990), received mixed reviews, his influence extended beyond traditional screenwriting to blockbuster hits like 'Mission: Impossible' and 'The Firm.'

In recent years, Towne collaborated on various projects and adaptations, demonstrating his enduring impact on Hollywood.

Survived by his wife Luisa, daughters Kathleen and Chiara, and other family members, details for a memorial service honouring his legacy will be announced soon, as per The Hollywood Reporter (ANI)
As Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal's debut production 'Girls Will Be Girls' bagged the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles 2024, Richa's close friend and Hrithik Roshan's beau Saba Azad gave a shoutout to the couple for achieving this milestone. Taking to her Instagram Stories Saba reshared Richa's post and wrote a caption that read, "Hell to the yeahhhh!!! GO GO GO!!!" She also tagged Richa and Ali in her story to congratulate them. Earlier on Tuesday, Richa shared a poster of the film along with a lengthy note. The note read, "Before the day ends, wanna express my gratitude to the team of 'Girls Will Be Girls' - this film is a gift that keeps on giving! We will always be proud of it! After a great run at Transylvania International Film Festival @transilvaniafilm where we won the Grand Jury Prize and Biarrtiz Film Festival in France, our humble film won the Grand Jury prize at @indianfilmfestival ! I wish we could travel but the reason as you know is that @alifazal9 and I are bringing in a little home production." https://www.instagram.com/p/C840EiMtOgo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== She added, "At @pushingbuttonsstudios , we want to tell stories that move, that take India to the world and talk about the human experience! I love my friend Shuchi Talati, she's stuff of legend, you will see I love @preetiwooman , a breakthrough performance that won a special award for performance at @sundanceorg and she has before her an illustrious future! And now speaking of another actor that I am envious of @kantari_kanmani , star of not just our film but of the Grand Prix winning #ALLWeImagineAsLight! What a great year you're having my beautiful, glorious friend! You'll see the very special @kesav.b , @jitin0804 and @devikashahani and they will win your heart. Thank you @dilipkhussro for finding these gems, we are grateful!" She also shared that they are planning to release the film in India soon. "Very soon , we hope to bring this lovely film to India, it is an Indian film after all and we want our people to see it, and hear the amazing track genius @snekhanwalkar has made," Richa continued. 'Girls Will Be Girls' is produced by Chadha and Fazal's joint venture Pushing Buttons Studios, in collaboration with Blink Digital and Dolce Vita Films. Directed by Shuchi Talati, the film is a compelling story set in a boarding school in a small Himalayan hill town in northern India. It follows the journey of Mira, a 16-year-old girl whose rebellious awakening is intertwined with her mother's unfulfilled coming-of-age experiences. Recently, Girls Will Be Girls' was screened at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. (ANI)
The much-awaited wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, is set to take place on July 12 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai. A highlight of the Ambani family's wedding plans includes a chaat stall from the famous Kashi Chaat Bhandaar in Varanasi. As part of the pre-wedding festivities, Reliance Foundation founder and chairman Nita Ambani visited Varanasi last month to seek blessings at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple where she personally invited the shop owner, Rakesh Keshari, after sampling various chaats at his establishment. Keshari's team has been commissioned to set up a chaat stall at the wedding, featuring tikki, tomato chaat, palak chaat, chana kachori, and kulfi. "Nita Ambani came to our chaat bhandaar on June 24, where she tasted tikki chaat, tomato chaat, palak chaat, and kulfi falooda. She was very happy and said that the chaat of Banaras is very famous. It was a pleasure to serve her," Keshari told ANI. Since Nita Ambani's visit, Kashi Chaat Bhandaar has seen a significant increase in customers, both local and international. Tourists from across the globe have flocked to the shop to experience the chaat that impressed Nita Ambani. Anika, a South African resident, told ANI, "I heard that Nita Ambani came here and ate Kashi chaat. My husband and I came to this shop to taste it. It's very good chaat, and all the guests at Anant Ambani's wedding will enjoy it." Sakshi, from Surat, Gujarat told ANI, "I came here after hearing about Nita Ambani's visit. I saw it on TV and Instagram reels. We tasted all types of chaat here. It was a great experience, especially knowing this is the same shop Nita Ambani visited." The chaat shop has become a sensation on social media, leading to long queues of tourists eager to taste its offerings. The grand wedding festivities are meticulously planned, adhering to traditional Hindu Vedic customs. The main ceremonies will commence on Friday, July 12, with the auspicious Shubh Vivah, or wedding function and according to sources, guests are encouraged to embrace the spirit of the occasion by dressing in traditional Indian attire. The celebrations will continue on Saturday, July 13, with Shubh Aashirwad. The final event, Mangal Utsav or the wedding reception, is scheduled for Sunday, July 14. For this grand occasion, guests have been asked to dress in 'Indian chic.' Radhika Merchant, daughter of Encore Healthcare CEO Viren Merchant and entrepreneur Shaila Merchant, is set to join the Ambani family, marking a union of two prominent industrialist families. (ANI)
Aarti Bagdi has come on board to direct the project, which will be shot entirely in the UK.

"Fawad Khan has a massive international pull given his popularity amongst South Asians worldwide. He has also been a part of the Marvel cinematic universe. Details of this project are being kept under wraps and everyone is tight-lipped about it. The producers will announce this project just before it starts its filming schedule in the UK," a trade source was quoted as saying.

The rom-com will tell the story of how two broken people come together by a stroke of luck and end up helping each other and ultimately falling in love.

The yet-to-be-titled film is Eastwood Studios' first international collaboration.

This update has left Fawad Khan's in India extremely excited. Fawad last starred in a Hindi-language film eight years ago. He has acted in Indian films such as 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil', 'Kapoor and Sons' and 'Khoobsurat'. (ANI)
Vinod, who lost his wife, mother and 16-year-old daughter in the Hathras stampede, expressed his grief over the incident, saying that he lost everything. Speaking to ANI, Vinod said, "I did not even know that all three had gone to the Satsang because he had gone somewhere outside. Someone told him that there was a stampede in the satsang after which I reached the spot and found out that my 16-year-old daughter, mother and wife had died. I could not even find my mother''s body." "I am left with nothing... everything is gone," Vinod added. Kamla, the mother of another 16-year-old victim of the Hathras tragedy, expressed grief over the death of her daughter Roshni. She said, "I have been coming to Baba''s satsang for 20 years. Today, I went to attend satsang with my 16-year-old daughter and a stampede broke out around 2 in the afternoon. I and my daughter were slightly injured. She was fine but as soon as she reached the hospital, she fell unconscious, later the doctors declared her dead." Kunwar Pal, uncle of the deceased 3.5-year-old child, said, "The child had come here with his mother...His mother is still missing...We are a resident of Aligarh..." Meanwhile, the husband of the deceased Gudiya Devi, Mehtab said, "I tried to stop her from attending the Baba''s Satsang many times but she did not listen. She had come for the Satsang with our daughter & two neighbouring women. The two neighbouring women and my wife died in the incident...My daughter is safe..." Heera Lal from Aligarh, a family member of a victim, said, "My entire family travelled in a bus to attend Satsang. All his family members are fine except his sister-in-law who got injured in the stampede." The stampede occurred at a religious event in Hathras on Tuesday, in which 116 people were killed and 18 people were injured, officials said. Earlier, police conducted a search operation at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district in search of ''Bhole Baba'', who conducted a Satsang in Hathras where a stampede took place on Tuesday. "We did not find Baba ji inside the campus...He is not here..." said Deputy SP Sunil Kumar. The Uttar Pradesh government has announced Rs 2 lakh compensation to the kin of those who died in the incident. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also ordered a thorough investigation into the incident. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the loss of lives in the stampede in Hathras and wished speedy recovery to the injured.PM Modi also spoke with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath following the tragic incident. "The Uttar Pradesh government is engaged in providing all possible help to the victims. My condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I wish for the speedy recovery of the injured," PM Modi said in a post on X. (ANI)
In an unfortunate incident, five people from Telangana tragically lost their lives on Tuesday in a car accident after the driver lost control on the Pune-Solapur Highway in Maharashtra, police said. The tragic accident happened near Dalaj village in the Bhigwan police jurisdiction. Giving details of the accident, police said, "Six persons were travelling in the car from Mumbai to Telangana when the incident occurred in Pune. Five people died on the spot after the driver lost control and the car turned turtle." More details are awaited. (ANI)
Lashing out at the Bharatiya Janata Party, Himachal Pradesh Minister Jagat Singh Negi said the maiden speech of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi as historic. "The speech made by the Leader of the Oppositon in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, was historic. He said that the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi were not the sole custodians of Hinduism," Negi told ANI on Tuesday. "We all are Hindus. A Hindu lives his life on the principles of truth and non-violence and wants the country united from Kashmir to Kanyakumari," the Himachal minister said. In his speech in Lok Sabha on Monday afternoon, during the debate on the Motion of Thanks on President Draupadi Murmu's address, Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP and RSS of preaching and spreading violence and hatred. His remarks drew protests from the Treasury benches. Responding to Rahul Gandhi's remarks on the Hindu Community, PM Modi on Tuesday said that there is a conspiracy to falsely accuse Hindus of being violent and this country will not forget it for centuries. Replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the Prime Minister targeted Rahul Gandhi and said that "Jiske darshan hote hai uske pradarshan nahi hote hai" (the deity who is worshipped and sought, their depiction is not used to gain publicity). "Today, there is a conspiracy to falsely accuse Hindus, a serious conspiracy is unfolding. It has been said that Hindus are violent. This is your culture, this is your character, this is your thinking, this is your hatred. These are the actions against Hindus in this country. This country will not forget it for centuries," PM Modi said. After Rahul Gandhi's maiden speech created political heat, several portions of his address targeting the central government were expunged from the records of Parliament on Monday. However, Gandhi backed his remarks, stating that the entire BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) do not represent the entire Hindu community. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday and participate in a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. https://x.com/PMOIndia/status/1808374642077585709 "Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi will speak in the Rajya Sabha at around 12 noon. He will take part in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address," PMO said in a post on X. As proceedings of Rajya Sabha began this morning, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhhar offered condolences on the loss of lives in the stampede in Hathras in Uttar Pradesh. Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge called on the government to enact legislation aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future. The Chairman asked leader of the House to work together with LoP so that such events can be avoided. Prime Minister addressed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday following which the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die. Speaker Om Birla said it recorded a productivity of 103 per cent. Birla said that a total of 7 sittings were conducted during the session for about 34 hours. During the Session, 539 newly elected members took Oath. The first session also saw the re-election of Om Birla as Speaker and the President's speech. Birla also informed that 68 members participated in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on President's Address. "Referring to the election of Lok Sabha Speaker held on June 26, Birla expressed gratitude for electing him as Speaker for the second time through voice vote," the release said. On June 26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the Council of Ministers to the House, informed Birla. Lok Sabha Speaker informed the House that the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address on June 27, lasted for more than 18 hours and 68 Members participated in the discussion. In addition, 50 Members laid out their speeches. The discussion concluded with the reply of the Prime Minister on July 2. Rahul Gandhi's appointment as Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha was announced in the House on June 27, he further informed. While a total of 41 matters were taken up under Rule 377, 3 Statements were made under Direction 73A. This apart, 338 papers were laid during the Session, informed Birla. The release added that Birla expressed his gratitude to Bhartruhari Mahtab, Pro-tem Speaker for the smooth conduct of proceedings during the Oath of the Members and election of the Speaker. He also thanked the Prime Minister, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Leaders of Parties, and Members of the House for their contributions to running the House smoothly. This was the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha after the results of the Lok Sabha polls earlier this month. The session began on June 24 with oath-taking by the new members.The BJP-led NDA formed its third successive government following the Lok Sabha polls. While the NDA won 293 seats, the opposition INDIA bloc won 243 seats. (ANI)
 Flash

Palestinian people flee from the eastern areas of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip, on July 2, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

UN humanitarians on Tuesday expressed deep concern over the impact of Israel's order for tens of thousands of Gazans to evacuate 117 square kilometers in Khan Younis and Rafah governorates.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that over the last nine months, many of the Gazans affected by the latest evacuation order have repeatedly been displaced. Monday's order, covering about one-third of the Gaza Strip, is the most significant since the October order to evacuate northern Gaza.

OCHA said an evacuation of such a massive scale only heightens civilians' suffering and drives humanitarian needs even higher.

"People are left with the impossible choice of having to relocate, some most likely for the second or third time, to areas that have barely any spaces or services, or staying in areas where they know heavy fighting will take place," the humanitarians said.

Initial estimates by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, known as UNRWA, indicate that nearly 250,000 people may have resided in the areas subject to evacuation at the time of the order. The new evacuation order affects more than 90 schools, many of which host displaced people, as well as four medical points and the European Gaza Hospital area.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that on Monday, 70 patients and medical staff reportedly self-evacuated, and more patients evacuated on Tuesday. WHO's representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Rik Peeperkorn, said only three patients remained at the European Gaza hospital and three at the International Committee of the Red Cross field hospital.

Peeperkorn reported that the WHO supported the transfer of valuable medical equipment and supplies out of the hospital, one of the few remaining critical referral hospitals in the south of Gaza, OCHA said. However, on Tuesday, Israeli authorities said the order does not apply to patients or staff at the hospital.

The humanitarian office reiterated that all parties must always respect international humanitarian law. "This means that civilians must be protected, and their essential needs -- including food, shelter, water and health -- must be met, wherever they are in Gaza."
Coming down heavily upon the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over the stampede incident in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras which has claimed 121 lives so far, Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the BJP-led state government is "responsible" for the tragic incident. He said that this was a very painful incident. "It is a very painful incident. We are saddened by this incident. The Uttar Pradesh government and administration are fully responsible for this incident. The loss of lives in this incident is due to the negligence of the government", Yadav said while speaking to reporters in Delhi. The SP Chief also claimed that some injured died due to the unavailability of proper treatment. "Some injured persons died due to lack of proper treatment. The BJP govt is responsible for this incident...This is not the first incident where negligence was seen. SOPs for large gatherings should be made to ensure that such incidents do not occur again", he stated. As many as 121 people have died while 35 have sustained injuries in the stampede incident which took place during a 'Satsang' in the Hathras district. Sandip Kumar Singh Lodhi, Minister of State for Education (Independent Charge) in the Government of Uttar Pradesh confirmed that a total of 35 people sustained injuries. "It is a very unfortunate incident and we have been following up on every update from Hathras all night. It is really sad that the death toll has reached 121. About 35 people are injured," he said. The Rajya Sabha also condoled the loss of lives in the Hathras stampede incident and expressed its deep sympathy to the families of the victims. Earlier today, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath arrived in Hathras to meet the victims and their families. He also held an interaction with the officials at the Hathras police line to take stock of the status quo. An FIR, meanwhile, has been registered against Devprakash Madhukar, referred to as 'Mukhya Sewadar' and other organisers of the 'Satsang' where the stampede occurred. Uttar Pradesh police have also launched a search operation at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district in search of Narayan Saakar Hari also known as Bhole Baba, the preacher of the 'Satsang' in Hathras. The preacher however remains untraceable. "We did not find Baba ji inside the campus. He is not here," Deputy SP Sunil Kumar said earlier. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Minister Sandeep Singh has affirmed that strict actions would be taken against those responsible for the tragedy. "Till now 121 people have died in the incident...The injured are being treated. Strict action will be taken against those found responsible for the incident. This is not a small incident", he said. (ANI)
Reiterating its stand against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, DMK has said that the BJP-led government at the Centre is incompetent to conduct an examination in the magnitude of NEET. "The entire country has now woken up to the evil called NEET. Some of them were sceptical when DMK, from its inception of NEET, opposed it," DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai told ANI. "They said, why oppose an examination that will bring out the merits of the students? So many people got carried away by it. But DMK, we knew how it would affect social justice and how it would be disadvantageous to the oppressed class of society. The entire country has now understood that the BJP government is incapable and incompetent to conduct an examination in the magnitude of NEET," he added. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured students across the country that his government is "very serious" about the NEET issue and is working on a "war footing" to prevent such incidents. He also emphasized that those who play with the future of youth will not be spared at all. "I want to tell every student of the country and every youth of the country that the government is very serious about preventing such incidents and we are taking one step after another to fulfil our responsibilities on a war footing," PM Modi said while speaking on the NEET issue in Parliament on Tuesday. The Bharatiya Janata Party government is under fire from the Opposition for allegations of paper leaks pertaining to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). Earlier on Monday, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Monday referred to the medical entrance exam as a "commercial exam" and said that students appearing for NEET alleged that the exam is designed for "rich students and not meritorious students." Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address to a joint sitting of Parliament, Rahul Gandhi targeted the BJP-led government over the paper leak issue and said that there is fear among everyone in the nation. "NEET students spend years and years preparing for their exams. Their family supports them financially, and emotionally and the truth is that NEET students today do not believe in the exam because they are convinced that the exam is designed for rich people, not meritorious people. I have met several NEET students. Every single one of them tells me that the exam is designed to create a quota for rich people and to create a passage for them into the system and is designed not to help poor students. The students prepare for months and months," Rahul Gandhi said. This year's NEET UG examination has been marred by allegations of irregularities and paper leaks. The NEET UG examination was conducted by the National Testing Agency on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities in the country and 14 cities abroad, with 23 lakh candidates appearing for the examination. The results were declared on June 4, which immediately caused a hue and cry with aspirants raising multiple issues. An unprecedented 67 candidates achieved a perfect score of 720 marks out of 720, leading to widespread protests in the country. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday appreciated people of the country for rejecting the politics of deceit, defeating propaganda and putting a stamp of victory on the politics of trust in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. Addressing the Rajya Sabha, the prime minister said that the National Democratic Government (NDA) will fight against poverty over the next five years. During his reply to the Motion of Thanks on President's Address in the Upper House, PM Modi said, "We feel proud of the wisdom and intelligence of the people of this country, in these elections. They defeated propaganda. They prioritised performance. They rejected the politics of deceit and put a stamp of victory on the politics of trust." PM Modi said, "This opportunity given to us for the third time by the people of the country is to realise 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India)". The opposition MPs shouted slogans in the House during the Prime Minister's speech, alleging that the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, was not allowed to speak. "The next five years are to ensure saturation of basic facilities and for the fight against poverty. This country will emerge victorious against poverty in the next five years, and I am saying this based on the experience of the past 10 years. When India will become the third largest economy in the world, its impact will be on every sphere of life," PM Modi said. Lashing out at the Congress, PM Modi said, "...During Congress's tenure, there was a scheme for Rs 60,000 crore farmers' loan waiver but names of the needy small farmers were not even included in the list of beneficiaries." The BJP-led NDA formed its third successive government following the Lok Sabha polls. While the NDA won 293 seats, the opposition INDIA bloc won 243 seats. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday stressed that it was not an ordinary thing that the party which was in power for ten years was voted back to power for the third consecutive term and said it happened after many decades in the history of independent India and parliamentary journey. Opposition benches protested as PM Narendra Modi attributed the NDA's victory to people's trust. PM Modi also took a veiled attack on the opposition alliance INDIA bloc for trying to black out this decision given by the public. During his reply to the Motion of Thanks on President's Address, PM Modi said, "In the history of independent India and parliamentary journey, it has happened after many decades that the public has given the mandate to a government for the third consecutive time. After 60 years, it has happened that the government has returned after being in power for 10 years. I realise this is not an ordinary thing. Some people deliberately tried to black out this decision given by the public..." "In the last two and a half days, around 70 MPs participated in this discussion. I express gratitude to all of you MPs for enriching this discussion on the President's Address," PM Modi said. When Leader of the Oppostion in the House Mallikarjun Kharge attempted to intervene he was not given an opportunity by the Chair to speak leading to protests from the Opposition benches. Meanwhile, as proceedings of Rajya Sabha began this morning, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhhar offered condolences on the loss of lives in the stampede in Hathras in Uttar Pradesh. Kharge called on the government to enact legislation aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future. Prime Minister addressed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday following which the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die. Speaker Om Birla said it recorded a productivity of 103 per cent. (ANI)
The opposition MPs of the INDIA bloc staged a walkout as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was replying to the debate on the 'Motion of Thanks' on the President's address in the Rajya Sabha today. The opposition MPs said that the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, was not allowed to speak. Protesting against this, they engaged in sloganeering against the Prime Minister and staged a walkout. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar criticised the INDIA bloc MPs and said that they "challenged the Constitution". The opposition members have challenged the Constitution, outraged the spirit of the Constitution, and disregarded the oath they took", Dhankhar said. He added that LoP Kharge "insulted" oath to the office by walking out of the Upper House. "Khargeji insulted oath of the office through the walkout. They (opposition MPs) have made a mockery of the Constitution. I hope they introspect", said the RS Chairman. Jagdeep Dhankar also asserted that the LoP was provided with adequate time to speak without any interruptions. "I urged them the LoP was given adequate time to speak without any interruptions. Today, they did not leave the House behind, they have left behind dignity. Today, they did not show me their back, they showed it to the Constitution of India. They did not insult me or you, they insulted the oath of the Constitution that they took", he said. He further condemned the walkout by the opposition MPs and said that there can be no "bigger insult" to the Constitution of India. "There can be no bigger insult to the Constitution of India than this...I condemn their conduct...It is an occasion where they have challenged the Indian Constitution. They outraged the spirit of the Indian Constitution, they disregarded the oath they had undertaken...Indian Constitution is not something to hold in your hands, it is the book to way of life. I hope that they will self-introspect and walk that path of duty", he said. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also attacked the opposition MPs stating that they do not dare to hear the "truth". "The country is watching that those who spread lies do not have the strength to hear the truth. Those who do not dare to face the truth, do not dare to listen to the answers to questions that were raised in these discussions. They are insulting the Upper House, the glorious tradition of the Upper House", said the Prime Minister. Earlier today, as the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha began, the House condoled the loss of lives in the stampede incident which occurred at a 'Satsang' in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh. RS LoP Kharge called on the government to enact legislation aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future. (ANI)
In a significant order, the Tripura High Court single bench headed by Justice Arindam Lodh on Tuesday directed two drug peddlers to lead an anti-drug campaign in their villages for at least one month. The Court put the bail application moved by the accused persons on hold for a month and directed them to discharge their services in raising awareness on the harmful sides of the drug menace. The order came close on the heels of the enactment of new criminal laws that incorporated community services as a form of punishment. While hearing a bail application moved by two drug peddlers identified as Jibanjoy Tripura and While hearing a bail application moved by two drug peddlers identified as Jibanjoy Tripura and Selenjoy Tripura, the High Court asked both of them to get involved in anti-drug campaigns in their respective villages. The Court had also asked the families of the accused persons to play an active role in their campaign. "In my opinion, at this stage, it is not a fit case for granting bail to the accused persons. Both the accused persons are very young and at this age, they have involved themselves in drug peddling, which will not only spoil their lives and careers but also will have a tremendous adverse effect on the generations to come as it is a curse to the entire society," the court order reads. Putting the bail application on hold for one month, the Court directed the accused persons to carry out anti-drug campaigns in their areas. The families of the accused persons had also been asked to be a part of the campaign. "The entire young generation is going to be affected due to such kind of illegal drug-peddling. It is witnessed that every day there are so many instances of seizure of illicit and contraband drugs and arrests thereof. Tripura has become a gateway and a safe corridor for trading such kinds of illicit drugs. In this situation, in my opinion, the instant bail application may be kept pending for a month. In the meantime, I direct the parents and other family members of the accused persons, namely, Jibanjoy Tripura and Selenjoy Tripura to start a campaign against the trading and use of drugs in their areas/villages and the place where they hail against the use, consumption and trading of illicit and contraband goods. The family members may hold meetings with both the elderly and young people of the villages and their family members to prevent the use of drugs and trading of the same within their villages. They are to undertake the campaign at least for a month." The Court also directed the local police and administration to assist the families in discharging the assigned tasks and keep a record of their activities in the form of videos and photographs. "The Officer-In-Charge of Gondatwisa Police Station, the Block Development Officer and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Gondatwisa Sub-division are directed to assist the family members of the accused persons in conducting such campaigns and prepare a report regarding reactions of the villagers and family members of the accused persons. The Officer-In-Charge of Gondatwisa Police Station is also directed to videograph and photograph the campaign. He may also take the assistance from the local administration. The Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs) of the Legal Services Authority of the State working under the Gondatwisa Sub-Division are also directed to supervise and extend their help to organize the conduct of the meetings. The Officer-In-Charge of Gondatwisa Police Station, the Block Development Officers of -Gondatwisa Sub-Division, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Gandatwisa Sub-Division and the District Magistrate & Collector of Dhalai District are directed to send their report about such campaign along with photographs of holding of such meetings in the villages of the accused persons to be undertaken by their family members, as ordered in the preceding paragraphs." The next date of the bail application hearing has been fixed on August 5. It should be mentioned here that charges were framed under section 21(b)/29 of the NDPS Act 1985. They were arrested by a police team of Birganj under the Gomati District of Tripura. (ANI)
Karnataka Medical Education and Skill Development Minister Sharan Prakash Patil wrote a letter to the centre on Tuesday seeking NRI quotas in the government medical colleges. He said, "I had written to the government of India and even the National Medical College. (NMC). We are requesting an increase of 15 percent in seats in the common medical colleges for the NRI quota for the self-sustainability of the colleges." He further said that the increase in seats in government medical colleges would help improve the quality of education and generate more money. "In the long run, if you want to improve the quality of education and have better teaching facilities in the teaching hospitals, we need to generate more money." "The government is giving sufficient money but in the long run, I believe additional funds are required because now private medical colleges are making huge investments and I don't want the government medical colleges to fall behind. "Hence, I gave the government of India the proposal for the enhancement of the seats. It will be helpful for the government medical colleges," he added. Earlier, on June 13, he issued tough instructions to the officials of his department to conduct an inspection and seal nursing colleges that had failed to provide basic infrastructure to the students after availing all the facilities from the government. In his chair meeting with the members of the nursing college management and medical education department officials at the Vikasa Soudha, he received numerous complaints over the lack of infrastructure facilities in several nursing colleges. He had then instructed the Director of Medical Education, Dr Sujatha Rathore, who was present in the meeting, to inspect and seal the colleges. (ANI)
The flood situation in Assam's Nagaon district is still grim, as nearly 30,000 people have been affected. The flood situation turned critical in the Kaliabor area in the central Assam district after the flood waters of the River Brahmaputra breached a large portion of the Hatimura embankment. More than 25 villages have been affected by the deluge in the Kaliabor Sub-Division area and the flood waters submerged 1099.5 hectares of crop area. Many people have been forced to leave their homes and are now taking shelter on roads and higher land following the flood waters that inundated their houses. According to the local villagers, they are facing lots of problems due to flood and many flood-affected people are also facing food and drinking water problems. The flood waters also entered the Jhakhalabandha police station and submerged the police quarters. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inspected flood-affected areas in the State including an assessment of flood preparedness at Kaziranga National Park. Later taking to his social media platform X, Sarma said in a post in Hindi, "We are actively engaged in relief and rescue operations. Arrangements have been made for shelter, health checkups and adequate food etc. Honorable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji has also assured me that if any need arises, the central government will provide immediate help." "See, we are trying to help those who are currently affected. Medical health camps, later assistance for the reconstruction of the houses, making embankments, building roads, all this will be done but now we think that we can't. The Prime Minister has said that if there is any help from him, we will immediately ask for help," Sarma told reporters on Tuesday evening.Sarma also made an assessment of flood preparedness at Kaziranga National Park. "Just concluded a late evening assessment of flood preparedness at Kaziranga National Park. I have instructed the deployment of additional NDRF battalions to augment ongoing relief ops and asked for additional mobile veterinary clinics to assist stray wild animals," Sarma said in a separate post. The Assam chief minister visited Hatimura where the current flood breached a point of an embankment and assured that repair work will be completed at the earliest. (ANI)
AIADMK leader Sellur Raju has slammed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin for not visiting Kallakurichi hooch tragedy victims and reiterated his party's demand for a CBI investigation into the incident. Raju also accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of a double standard in asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit violence-hit Manipur while not asking Stalin to visit Kallakurichi victims. "Last year, more than 20 people died after consuming illicit liquor in Villupuram and more than 60 people died in Kallakurichi recently. In this regard, when the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Edappadi Palaniswami, tried to speak, he was not allowed to do so," Raju told ANI. "Till now, MK Stalin has not met the victims of the Kallakurichi tragedy but Rahul Gandhi asks why Modi has not gone to Manipur yet. Rahul Gandhi didn't ask Stalin why he did not go to Kallakurichi. We demand the CBI investigate the Kallakurichi case." According to the latest figure from the administration, the death toll in the tragedy is 65. Currently, two people are undergoing treatment at Kallakurichi Government Medical and Hospital. Six people are undergoing treatment in Puducherry, eight in Salem government hospitals. Presently, 16 people are undergoing treatment in total. The NCW had earlier taken suo motto cognizance of a media report on the deaths of people in the incident and constituted a three-member inquiry committee, led by NCW Member Khushbu Sundar, to look into the matter. A three-member delegation of the National Commission for Women, led by Khushbu Sundar, visited the families of victims who lost their lives by consuming spurious liquor in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. Earlier on June 28, the NDA delegation comprising BJP leaders Anil Antony, Arvind Menon, and MP GK Vasan today met with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman, Kishore Makwana, to submit a memorandum regarding the Kallakurichi (Tamil Nadu) illicit liquor tragedy. They appealed to the Chairman to ensure that the families of the Kallakurichi spurious liquor tragedy victims receive adequate compensation and justice. The memorandum called for urgent intervention to secure justice for the scheduled caste victims of the Kallakurichi spurious liquor consumption tragedy. AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, along with party workers, sat on hunger strike, demanding a CBI inquiry into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy and the resignation of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin over the "inefficiency of the DMK government".(ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched an attack on the opposition over the Lok Sabha poll 2024 results and said that if this election was to save the Constitution, the country chose the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for it. "If this election was to save the Constitution, then the people of the nation chose us for it", PM Modi said. Recalling the Lok Sabha polls in 1977 which were held after the 21-month-long period of emergency, PM Modi said that the people of the country voted to re-establish the Constitution in 1977. "It was said during the Lok Sabha polls that this was the first election in the history of the country to save the Constitution. I want to remind them (the opposition) of the Lok Sabha polls in 1977 when there was a ban on newspapers and radio. The entire country voted to re-establish the Constitution. Are you (the opposition) misleading the country?" said the Prime Minister. In the Lok Sabha polls in 1977, the Janata Party (now Bharatiya Janata Party) achieved a landslide victory, bagging 295 seats. The Congress, which faced the brunt of imposing emergency, dipped to 154 seats. In the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, the BJP-led NDA bagged 293 seats with the BJP securing 234 seats. The INDIA bloc, on the other hand, gained 234 seats with the Congress taking its tally to 99. Meanwhile, earlier today, as the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha began, the House condoled the loss of lives in the stampede incident which occurred at a 'Satsang' in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh. Rajya Sabha LoP Kharge called on the government to enact legislation aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future. (ANI)
 Flash

Yury Borisov, head of Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos, has approved the schedule for the creation of a Russian orbital station by 2033, the corporation said in a press release Tuesday.

The schedule includes the design and construction of the space modules, flight tests of a new-generation manned spaceship, the creation of launch vehicles and space infrastructure on Earth, and a timetable for the work of scientific institutes supporting the project, the statement said.

The document was also signed by the general directors of 19 enterprises which are involved in the construction of the new orbital station.

The scientific and energy module will be launched first in 2027, and three other core modules, namely the universal nodal, gateway and base modules, will be launched by 2030. Two other target modules are scheduled to be launched by 2033.

A total of 608.9 billion rubles (around 6.9 billion U.S. dollars) has been allocated to finance the project, Roscosmos said.

The corporation further said the creation of the Russian orbital station would ensure the continuity of Russia's space program and address issues of national security and scientific and technological development. The station would also serve as a platform for testing space technologies, it noted.
Deputy Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and Finance Minister Jagdish Devda on Wednesday presented the state budget for the financial year 2024-25 in which a provision of Rs 26,560 crore is proposed for the Department of Women and Child Development, including Rs 18,984 cr for Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana. State Finance Minister Devda said that the budget for Women and Child Development for the current fiscal year was 81 per cent more than that of the budget estimate of the last FY 2023-24. While presenting the budget for the Department of Women and Child Development in the state assembly, minister Devda said, "Our government is committed to providing a dignified life to women in the state. With the Ladli Laxmi Yojana and Ladli Behna Yojana, women in the state have not only been able to fulfil their small needs, but also by getting the opportunity to connect with the banking system, they are gaining financial awareness." Making women financially strong, self-reliant, their strong role in family decisions and increasing social respect - are making the efforts of the government fruitful. The result of the successful implementation of these schemes is that child marriage is continuously decreasing in the state and the sex ratio at birth has increased from 927 to 956, the minister said. Of the total budget for the Department of Women and Child Development, there is a provision of Rs 18984 crore for Mukya Mantri Ladli Behna Yojana, Rs 3469 crore for Anganwadi Services (Saksham Anganwadi and Nutrition 2.0) and Rs 1231 crore for Ladli Laxmi Yojana. Similarly, there is a provision of Rs 1167 crore for Poshan Ahar Yojana, Rs 423 crore for Directorate of Women and Child Welfare, Rs 350 crore for Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMMVY) (Mission Shakti Samarthya) and Rs 200 crore for Poshan Abhiyaan (NNM) (Saksham Anganwadi and Nutrition 2.0). Furthermore, the budget for Women and Child Development includes Rs 150 crore for construction of Anganwadi centers, Rs 130 crore for Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) (Mission Vatsalya) and Rs 110 crore for Non Institutional Care Sponsorship, Foster Care. (ANI)
The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday held a protest in New Delhi against the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his alleged remarks on Hinduism. The remarks were made during a speech in the Lok Sabha on Monday. In his speech in Lok Sabha on Monday afternoon, during the debate on the motion of thanks on President Droupadi Murmu's address, Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP and RSS of preaching and spreading violence and hatred. The protests were led by Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva. BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj, BJP leader Arvind Singh Lovely and BJP MP from Bengaluru SoutH Tejasvi Surya were also present. Delhi BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj termed Rahul Gandhi's statement as irresponsible and accused him of appeasement and vote-bank politics. "Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi deliberately made an irresponsible statement. He should apologise for his statement. He made the statement to encourage appeasement politics. and for this political gain. When he sees vote bank politics, he goes on a temple run. But when he gives a speech in Parliament, his anti-Hindu and anti-Sanatan (Sanatan Dharma) mentality becomes visible," Swaraj told ANI. Tejasvi Surva who is also Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) President, termed Rahul Gandhi as a habitual offender. "The way Rahul Gandhi disrespected the entire Hindu community and called them violent. Rahul Gandhi is a habitual offender because time and again he disrespects the Hindu community by his statements," Surya told ANI. He also attacked the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha for his remarks on "Saffron terror" after the 26/11 terror attacks. "After the 26/11 terrorist attacks, Rahul Gandhi while talking with foreign diplomats, said things about 'saffron terror', and blamed the Hindu community for 'Hindu terrorism'. Rahul Gandhi speaks in parliament like a part of the toolkit of those foreign powers who want to malign India and the Hindu community," He alleged. The BJP MP alleged that the majority of the communal riots happened under the Congress government after Independence. "When you see the history of the country, it can be seen that Congress is the most violent. Post-independence, 80 per cent of all communal riots happened when the Congress was in power. Congress and Nehru-Gandhi family are the most violent...," He further alleged. Responding to Rahul Gandhi's remarks on the Hindu Community, PM Modi on Tuesday said that today there is a conspiracy to falsely accuse Hindus of being violent and this country will not forget it for centuries. "Today, there is a conspiracy to falsely accuse Hindus, a serious conspiracy is unfolding. It has been said that Hindus are violent. This is your culture, this is your character, this is your thinking, this is your hatred. These are the actions against Hindus in this country. This country will not forget it for centuries," PM Modi said in the Lok Sabha After Rahul Gandhi's maiden speech triggered political outrage, several portions of his address targeting the central government were expunged from the records of Parliament on Monday. However, Gandhi backed his remarks, stating that the entire BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) do not represent the entire Hindu community. (ANI)
The 16th edition of India-Mongolia Joint Military Exercise Nomadic Elephant commenced today, at the Foreign Training Node in Meghalay's Umroi. The Exercise is scheduled to be conducted from July 3 to July 16, 2024. Indian contingent comprising 45 personnel is being represented by a Battalion of Sikkim scouts along with personnel from other arms and services. The Mongolian contingent is being represented by personnel from the 150 Quick Reaction Force Battalion of the Mongolian Army. Exercise Nomadic Elephant is an annual training event conducted alternatively in India and Mongolia. The last edition was conducted in Mongolia in July 2023. The Opening Ceremony of the Exercise Nomadic Elephant was attended by His Excellency Dambajavyn Ganbold, Ambassador of Mongolia to India and Major General Prasanna Joshi, General Officer Commanding 51 Sub Area of the Indian Army. The aim of the Exercise is to enhance the joint military capability of both sides to undertake counter-insurgency operations in a sub-conventional scenario under Chapter VII of the United Nations Mandate. The exercise will focus on operations in the semi-urban and mountainous terrain. Tactical drills during the Exercise include response to a terrorist action, establishment of a joint command post, establishment of an intelligence & surveillance centre, securing of a helipad/ landing site, small team insertion and extraction, special heliborne operations, cordon & search operations besides employment of drones and counter drone systems amongst others. Major General Gyanbyamba Sunrev, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Mongolia is scheduled to attend the closing ceremony on 16th July 2024 along with Lieutenant General Zubin A Minwalla, General Officer Commanding 33 Corps of the Indian Army. Exercise Nomadic elephant will enable both sides to share their best practices in tactics, techniques and procedures for conducting joint operations. The exercise will also facilitate developing of inter-operability, bonhomie and camaraderie between the two armies. This will also enhance the level of defence cooperation, further augmenting bilateral relations between the two friendly nations. (ANI)
Tripura BJP president Rajib Bhattacharjee has slammed Congress for "attacking Hindus again and again" and demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi. "He (Rahul Gandhi) should learn something from the senior leaders of the party and then speak in the Parliament. A discussion was being held (in Lok Sabha) over the President's address. Congress is attacking the Hindus again and again. This is Congress' old-style and we condemn it. Rahul Gandhi should apologise," Bhattacharjee told ANI. Rahul Gandhi's maiden speech in the Lok Sabha as a Leader of Opposition in the House drew scathing attack from the ruling BJP. Targeting the BJP, the Congress leader said "those who call themselves Hindus indulge in hate and violence round the clock". This remark on Monday, during the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, drew an immediate response from the Treasury bench led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The issue is a serious one; to call the entire Hindu community violent is serious," PM Modi interjected. Responding to this, Rahul Gandhi said, "Narendra Modiji is not the entire Hindu community, the BJP is not the entire Hindu community, the RSS is not the entire Hindu community." However, in his speech in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, PM Modi continued his attack against Rahul Gandhi for his remarks and for displaying an image of Lord Shiva in the House and alleged that there is a conspiracy to falsely accuse Hindus of being violent. "Jiske darshan hote hai uske pradarshan nahi hote hai" (the deity who is worshipped and sought, their depiction is not used to gain publicity). Today, there is a conspiracy to falsely accuse Hindus, a serious conspiracy is unfolding. It has been said that Hindus are violent. This is your culture, this is your character, this is your thinking, this is your hatred. These are the actions against Hindus in this country. This country will not forget it for centuries," he said. "They had announced the destruction of the concept of 'Shakti' in Hindus. Which power you are talking about that you want to destroy? This country has been a devotee of 'Shakti' for centuries. Bengal worships Mother Durga. Are you speaking against this power? These are the people who tried to coin the term 'Hindu terrorism'. Their associates compared Hinduism to diseases like dengue and malaria. This country will never forgive them. Under a well-thought-out conspiracy, their entire ecosystem has made it fashionable to degrade, insult, and mock Hindu traditions... "We have been taught since childhood that every form is a manifestation of God. No form of God exists for personal gain. The insult of our gods and goddesses is hurting 1.4 billion people in this country. The country cannot forgive the mockery of the forms of God for personal political gain. Watching the scenes of yesterday's assembly, now Hindu society will have to think whether this is a preparation for some experiment," he added. (ANI)
Border Security Force (BSF) seized two pistols, four magazines and 40 rounds of bullets filled in the magazine from a recovered drone in Nissoke village of Punjab's Amritsar district on Wednesday, said a press statement. According to the BSF, the seizure was made during an extensive search operation in the suspected area which was initiated after information regarding drone presence in the area was received. The marking on ammunition proves it to be made in Pakistan. "On 3rd July' 2024, based on information received by BSF about the presence of a drone near border area, the BSF troops immediately launched an extensive search operation in the suspected area," the BSF release stated. The recovered drone has been identified as a China-made DJI Matrice 300 RTK. The search operation was conducted at around 7.30 am in the morning after which the BSF troops successfully recovered a drone from which two pistols, four magazines and 40 rounds of bullets filled in the magazine were seized. According to the press statement by BSF, "During the search operation, at around 7.30 am, the BSF troops successfully recovered a drone along with one suspected packet. Upon opening of the recovered packet, two pistols, four magazines and 40 rounds filled with magazines were found. The marking on ammunition proves it to be made in Pakistan. The packet was wrapped with yellow adhesive tape and four illuminating sticks were also attached to the packet, which was found tied to the drone. This recovery occurred in a farming field adjacent to Nissoke village in Amritsar district." This successful operation is a result of reliable information and prompt action of BSF troops, thus underscoring their commitment to decimate the menace of illicit drones from across the border. Earlier, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Punjab police in a joint search operation on Sunday recovered a drone China-made drone in the border area of Punjab's Tarn Taran district, the official stated. "On 30th June 2024, based on information provided by the BSF intelligence wing regarding the presence of a drone in the border area of Tarn Taran district, a joint search operation by BSF troops in collaboration with Punjab Police was planned and conducted in the suspected area," the Border Security Force release stated. The recovered drone was identified as a China-made DJI Mavic- 3 Classic, the force said. (ANI)
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday slammed the Opposition for disrupting the proceedings of Rajya Sabha and urged them to go through what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said about the violence-hit state in the Upper House today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to the debate on the 'Motion of Thanks' in the President's address in the Rajya Sabha, affirming that the central government is making efforts to normalise the situation in the north-eastern state of Manipur, which has been witnessing ethnic violence since last year. "I would request everyone to go through what PM Modi has said in the Rajya Sabha. In the opening of PM Modi's address to the nation on the morning of Independence Day in 2023, he started with an appeal to the people of Manipur that the whole country is with them. PM Modi also spoke in detail in the 17th Lok Sabha as well. So please go through what PM Modi has said about Manipur," Rijiju said addressing a press conference. Notably, PM Modi today spoke on the Manipur issue in the Upper House of the Paeliament amid the Opposition's allegation that he had "turned his back" to the violence-hit state. His remarks come a day after the Lok Sabha saw disruptions and protests by Opposition leaders during his address. "The government is continuously making efforts to normalise the situation in Manipur. More than 11,000 FIRs have been registered and over 500 people arrested. Incidents of violence are continuously reducing in Manipur", PM Modi said. PM Modi further said that the central and the state governments are establishing interactions with all stakeholders to restore peace. "Today, schools, colleges, offices and other institutions are open in the state. The Central and the State govt are talking to all stakeholders to restore peace", he said. Giving a strong response to the opposition on the Manipur issue, PM Narendra Modi further attacked the Congress party stating that it had imposed President's rule in Manipur 10 times. "The Union Home Minister stayed there for many weeks...Central govt is extending all cooperation to Manipur to tackle the ongoing flood situation in the state. Today, two teams of NDRF have reached Manipur. I warn those who are trying to add the fuel to fire will be rejected by Manipur...Congress had imposed President's rule in Manipur 10 times..." he said. Notably, PM Modi clashed with Congress over Manipur issues in Parliament, sparking disruptions and accusations amid heated debates on regional unrest. 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. (ANI)
In a rare surgery doctors at Sri Sundarlal Hospital in Banaras Hindu University (SSH, BHU) removed a 25 paise coin that was stuck in the trachea (windpipe) of a 40-year-old man for the last eight years. A team of doctors led by cardio-thoracic surgeon Prof Siddharth Lakhotia and Prof SK Mathur removed the coin from the trachea in a procedure that lasted for 20 minutes on Tuesday. Dr. Lakhotia said, "It is very unusual for objects to enter the trachea of adults due to the presence of a strong cough reflex in adults. It is common in children. A case where a foreign body has been lodged in the trachea for the past 8 years is very rarely reported, especially in adults." "Such foreign bodies are life-threatening and patients may suffocate, develop pneumonia, and damage the lungs. Patients can also die due to difficulty breathing or other complications. The entire procedure took 20 minutes and the patient is now fine and will be discharged from the hospital within a day of the procedure," he said. Dr. Amrita Rath of the Department of Anesthesiology, who played a key role in removing the coin, said, "Such procedures require a very high level of precision and even the slightest error can pose a threat to life. In this case, an advanced rigid bronchoscope was used to remove the coin that had been in the windpipe for 8 years." Dr. Ratnesh Kumar, a cardiothoracic surgeon in the team, said, "This facility of removing objects from the trachea of adults is available only in the Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, among government hospitals in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Dr. Kumar also said that in the case of adults, if a person sleeps with anything in their mouth or is in a semi-conscious state under the influence of alcohol and drugs, then the chances of foreign bodies entering the windpipe increase. The support staff of Trivendra Tyagi, Anand Kumar, Om Prakash, Baijnath Pal, Vikas, and Sanjay also played an important role in the entire process of the surgery. Recently, the BHU doctors also successfully removed the key of an almirah from the trachea of a patient which was stuck in his windpipe for 10 years. (ANI)
Amid speculation of JMM leader Hemant Soren again taking over as Chief Minister of Jharkhand, state CM Champai Soren is expected to meet Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Wednesday evening to tender his resignation. Hemant Soren was released from the Birsa Munda Jail on June 28 after nearly five months following bail from Jharkhand High Court in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He had resigned as Chief Minister before his arrest on January 31. Sources said a meeting of parties in the ruling alliance in Jharkhand was held at the official residence of Champai Soren and it was decided that Hemant Soren should become the Chief Minister as he is the face of the INDIA bloc in the state. The sources said that Champai Soren sought time from Raj Bhavan and is expected to meet the Governor at 7:30 pm. After being released on bail, Hemant Soren said on Saturday that the state is a land of courageous people and there is no need to be scared of anyone. Earlier in the day, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey took a dig at Jharkhand Mukti Morcha over the expected leadership change in the state. "The Champai Soren era is over in Jharkhand. In the family-oriented party, people outside the family have no political future. I wish the chief minister drew inspiration from Bhagwan Birsa Munda and stood up against the corrupt Hemant Soren ji," he posted on X. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also reacted to the expected change of leadership in Jharkhand and alleged that a senior tribal leader was being removed. "The removal of a senior tribal leader from the post of Chief Minister in Jharkhand by the JMM and Congress party is deeply distressing. I am certain that the people of Jharkhand will strongly condemn this action and firmly reject it. Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January on charges related to an alleged land scam and money laundering. The investigation concerns the purported generation of substantial proceeds through the alleged forgery of official records, involving "fake sellers and buyers" to acquire large parcels of land. (ANI)
Jairam Ramesh, MP and Congress general secretary, on Wednesday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on Manipur made in Rajya Sabha and said that the north-eastern state has been burning and the PM has still not visited the state and the not met CM, the state leaders. Speaking to ANI, Ramesh spoke on the Manipur issue and said, "Whatever our non-biological PM has said in the Rajya Sabha regarding Manipur, is completely contrary to reality. Since May 3, 2023, Manipur has been burning, and there is tension between different communities. There has been violence. Hundreds have been killed, and thousands have been displaced." He added further, "And when the Supreme Court says that constitutional machinery has finished, the PM is silent. Till date, the PM has not gone to Manipur. Before today, he didn't say a word regarding Manipur and today too, he was forced to say. It's been 16 months but the PM hasn't visited Manipur, he hasn't met Manipur's CM, he hasn't talked to Manipur's political parties and the leaders... What is this hypocrisy?" Further coming down heavily on PM, Ramesh said that the Prime Minister said only two to three words regarding Manipur and the words he spoke were completely contrary to the reality. "The people of Manipur are asking why the PM is not coming," he added. "He keeps on visiting so many countries. He has declared himself 'Vishwaguru' but he does not go to Manipur. During the election campaign, he went to Tripura, Assam. Manipur is between them and he could have gone for some time but he didn't go," he asserted. Notably, Narendra Modi on Wednesday affirmed that the central government is making efforts to normalise the situation in the north-eastern state of Manipur, which has been witnessing ethnic violence since last year. The Prime Minister was replying to the debate on 'Motion of Thanks' on the President's address in the Rajya Sabha. "The government is continuously making efforts to normalise the situation in Manipur. More than 11,000 FIRs have been registered and over 500 people arrested. Incidents of violence are continuously reducing in Manipur", PM Modi said. He further said that the central and the state governments are establishing interactions with all stakeholders to restore peace. "Today, schools, colleges, offices and other institutions are open in the state. The Central and the State govt are talking to all stakeholders to restore peace", he said. Giving a strong response to the opposition on the Manipur issue, PM Modi further attacked the Congress party stating that it had imposed President's rule in Manipur 10 times. 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. Talking about the 2024 general election results, the Congress general secretary targeted PM Modi and said, "If the Congress has not got a majority, the PM should remember that even he has not got the majority. The 2024 elections are his personal defeat, political defeat, and moral defeat. He did not get the mandate.... Without two 'N'--Nitish (JDU chief Nitish Kumar) and Naidu (TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu), he would not have become PM. They stopped at 240. It is true that he has become PM for the third time but he has not gotten the mandate. Jawarhal Nehru had gotten a 2/3rd mandate for three consecutive times." Speaking about Congress's performance, Ramesh said that this election is like booster dose for them. "Our government was not formed. In some states, our performance was disappointing. But overall, the results of these elections are a booster dose for us. The biggest thing is that the person who gave the slogan of 400 paar, the person who asked for the mandate, today that same non-biological person has suffered a political, moral, and personal defeat..." In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured a total of 240 seats. Despite this being fewer than anticipated, the BJP maintained a decisive lead over the opposition Congress, which garnered 99 seats. (ANI)
Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma on Wednesday planted a sapling as part of the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" special campaign, initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on World Environment Day. Minister of State stated, "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign is a call for all of us to take care of our environment. This small act can help fight climate change, reduce pollution, and make the surroundings greener." The Minister urged everyone to join the campaign and make it into a big movement by sharing their tree-planting stories on social media. He concluded by thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his great leadership and the Ministry of Steel and Heavy Industries for organizing the event. Earlier, in June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign on World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5. Prime Minister Modi also planted a peepal tree sapling at Buddha Jayanti Park in Delhi. While addressing the nation in his 111th episode of the 'Mann Ki Baat' programme on Sunday PM Modi said that with the thought of doing something for our Mother, the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign was launched across the country on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5 which is progressing rapidly. "If I ask you which is the most precious relationship in the world, you will definitely say - 'Mother'. In all our lives, the status of 'mother' is the highest. A mother nurtures her child despite facing every pain. Every mother shows affection for her child. This love of the mother who gave birth to us is like a debt on all of us which no one can repay. We cannot give anything to Mother, but can we do anything else? With this thought in mind, a special campaign has been started on World Environment Day this year, the name of this campaign is - 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam'. I have also planted a tree in the name of my mother," he said. "I have appealed to all my countrymen, people of all the countries of the world to plant a tree along with their mother or in her name. I am very happy to see that the campaign of planting trees in the memory or honour of Mother is progressing rapidly," the Prime Minister added. (ANI)
 Flash

China urges the United States to end its illegal troop deployment in Syria and stop plundering the country's resources, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked about a report alleging that the U.S. military in Syria is involved in illegal wheat transportation, using over ten trucks daily to smuggle Syria's grains out of the country.

Mao said Syria was once a wheat exporter, but now approximately 55 percent of its people are facing food insecurity, for which the United States bears unshirkable responsibility.

Facts have proven that the United States, under the guise of anti-terrorism, has been exploiting resources, the spokesperson added.

The United States keeps talking about protecting human rights but violates people's rights to subsistence and life in other countries. While it claims to defend democracy, freedom and prosperity, in reality it is constantly creating humanitarian crises, Mao noted.

The United States must earnestly respect Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, immediately cease the deployment of its military troops in Syria, stop plundering Syria's national resources, and take concrete actions to make up for the damage caused to the Syrian people, Mao said.
The wreath was laid on behalf of General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff to honour the War Hero.

Several Retired and Serving officers including Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh, Director General of Operational Logistics amd Strategic Movement and Colonel of the Parachute Regiment attended the function.

Late Brigadier Mohammad Usman, is known as the saviour of Naushera.

He spectacularly led his brigade to recapture Jhangar and Naushera (Jammu and Kashmir) during the 1947 - 48 war with Pakistan.

The gallant officer made a supreme sacrifice on 03 July 1948 at Naushera. Brigadier Mohammad Usman, MVC was given a State Funeral, which was attended by the then Governor General, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Union Minister Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad and Sheikh Abdullah.

He was laid to rest at Jamia Millia University Cemetery in Delhi.

Brigadier Mohammad Usman set an example of personal courage, exceptional qualities of leadership and devotion to duty in the highest traditions of the Indian Army.

He was honoured with the award of Mahavir Chakra for his stupendous leadership role in the Indo-Pak War of 1947-48. (ANI)
Delhi Minister Atishi on Wednesday inspected the Centralized Monsoon Control Room of the Public Works Department (PWD) to assess the waterlogging situation in the city. "Amidst the rain in Delhi, inspected the Centralized Monsoon Control Room located at PWD Headquarters today," Atishi posted on X. Atishi further said that the control room has kept a strict vigil on all the places with severe waterlogging across the city through CCTV. "The ground staff is also constantly inspecting the places with possible waterlogging. Immediate steps are being taken to remove waterlogging from the places where complaints are coming in. Along with this, the entire process is also being monitored from the control room while following up on the complaint," she added. People of Delhi can lodge complaints regarding waterlogging on Toll Free No. 1800110093 or Whatsapp Chatbot No. 8130188222," she stated. Earlier today, the evening in Delhi turned pleasant as the national capital saw rains bringing with it relief from humidity and heat. The IMD further advised people to avoid going to areas that face water logging problem often. It also added, "Check for traffic congestion on your route and be updated with weather warnings." Atishi on June 30, announced a Rs 10 lakh compensation amount to the kin of people who lost their lives due to drowning amid waterlogging due to heavy rainfall in the national capital. In an order to the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Revenue, Atishi said, "It has been reported that there have been several deaths due to drowning on June 28, after the extreme rainfall of 228mm. It is hereby directed that the families of all those who lost their lives shall be provided a compensation of Rs 10 Lakhs." Also, several other parts of the nation, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh have recorded heavy rainfall. (ANI)
The Civil Aviation Minister said that the Ministry is serious about the airport, and officials have been directed to prepare a DPR at the earliest, NOC and other formalities to be completed soon.

The goal is to make the airport operational within two years of the beginning of the construction.

Earlier today, Rajya Sabha member from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam P Wilson met Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu in New Delhi and sought the latter's intervention to expedite the pending site clearance for the new greenfield airport proposed for Chennai in Parandur in Kancheepuram district.

In a letter to the central minister, the parliamentarian from Tamil Nadu said that the state government under MK Stalin is committed to establishing a new greenfield airport in Parandur on a land mass of 4,970 acres.

At 36, three-time Lok Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam is the youngest minister in the Modi 3.0 cabinet.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Naidu defeated YSRCP's Tilak Perada by a margin of 3,27,901 votes.

Naidu entered politics in 2012 following the tragic demise of his father in an accident. He won the Srikakulam Lok Sabha seat in 2014. He retained the seat in the 2019 elections too. (ANI)
While inspecting the Uppada coastal area, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pavan Kalyan on Wednesday directed officials to provide a permanent solution to Uppada Sea Erosion Problem and asserted that the government is committed to fulfilling its promises. Kalyan on Wednesday visited the area affected by sea erosion along the Uppada coast. Officials from the Maritime Board, the Central Ministry of Earth Sciences, and revenue officials discussed the causes and remedies for sea erosion. They were asked about the reasons why the sea is advancing on the Uppada coast and ways to prevent further erosion. Kalyan assured full assistance from the government and suggested conducting a scientific survey to start the work. Appropriate instructions have been given to the authorities to find a permanent solution to this issue. Meanwhile, the people of Uppada village and other coastal villages warmly welcomed Pawan Kalyan, who came to study with the officials to find a solution to the erosion problem of Uppada's coastal area. Deputy CM stated, "I am committed to the welfare of the public. I am not greedy for money, and I am not a corrupt politician. I will not indulge in any corruption. I will be with you and strive for the welfare of the state. As I said before the election, I will fulfil my promises." He added further, "Today, I visited Uppada and its surroundings. Soon, we will come up with an action plan. Recently, a resident of Bhimavaram approached me and expressed her sorrow that her child had been missing for the past nine months. I ordered the Vijayawada Police Commissioner to investigate, and they found her within nine days. During this time, I eagerly awaited updates from the police. She was found in Jammu and Kashmir. I felt happy after the police traced her." Praising Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Kalyan said, "We need a leader like Chandrababu Naidu owing to his experience. We distributed pensions on July 1st, and 90% of the pensions were distributed on the same day through government staff instead of volunteers." He added, "The Jagan Mohan Reddy government spent Rs 600 crores on the construction of the Rushikonda palace. Why does he need a bathtub worth Rs 30 lakhs? Even I wouldn't spend money on such a tub for bathing. Panchayat funds were redirected for other uses by the previous government." The deputy CM further said that the government will soon fulfil all its promises. "I have started looking into government audits, even though I didn't previously look at my auditing reports. Soon, we will fulfil our promises. The overbridge at Kottagumam railway gate will be discussed with the top brass of the union government. A review meeting was held with research centres on Uppada coastal region. Within 18 months, we will develop the coastline between Uppada and Kakinada and turn it into a tourism hotspot." Speaking about the job opportunities, Kalyan said, "Employment opportunities will be provided by the tourism sector. Uppada and Kakinada, which are 14 km apart, will be developed as a tourism hub. Soon, we will release the master plan for the Uppada-Kakinada beach road." The deputy CM added further, "Pithapuram should be a role model for India. Soon, we will make it so. I have purchased three acres of land in Pithapuram for the construction of a central office. The doors will always be open for the needy. I have appointed five members to receive petitions from the public. The top three priorities of these petitions are missing cases, health, and unemployment. We will promote sericulture. We are committed for the welfare of state." (ANI)
Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) Abhinav Kumar on Wednesday instructed all district in-charges that women's safety is one of the top priorities of Uttarakhand Police. The DGP said that if police personnel misbehave with women or the involvement of the police force in immoral activities is reflected, then such incidents not only tarnish the image of the entire police department but an adverse message is also spread among the general public/women, which also affects the functioning of the police department. The Director General of Police said that hence in future, if police personnel misbehave with women/girls or involvement in immoral activities is reflected, legal action will be taken by registering a case under relevant sections immediately. Meanwhile, an inter-state and inter-unit coordination meeting on the Kanwar Yatra was organized on Monday in the auditorium of Police Headquarters under the chairmanship of Abhinav Kumar, Director General of Police (DIG) of Uttarakhand. Officials from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, CRPF, Railway Protection Force, and the Intelligence Bureau participated directly and online. During the meeting, the Director General of Police stated that the upcoming Kanwar Yatra will take place from July 22 to August 2. He highlighted that Kanwar is a significant religious event, affecting not only Haridwar but also neighbouring districts and states, posing challenges such as law and order, crowd management, and traffic management. He noted that while the yatra used to primarily impact Uttarakhand, it now also affects other North Indian states. The objective of the meeting was to ensure the Kanwar Yatra was completed safely and peacefully with the cooperation of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, and other agencies. After discussing various perspectives, it was concluded that the sensitivity of the Kanwar Yatra has increased. The DGP emphasized the need for increased social media monitoring to keep a close watch on posts related to the Kanwar Yatra. He stressed the importance of keeping the Kanwariyas on the designated route to prevent traffic disruptions on the highway. He assured collective efforts to maintain the sacred form of the Kanwar Yatra, stating that disturbances in the name of the yatra would not be tolerated. (ANI)
A day after 121 people lost their lives in the Hathras stampede, the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders expressed their condolences on the loss of lives in the tragic incident. Reacting to the incident, BJP MP from Haridwar and former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat said, "The incident that occurred was very sad. I had expressed grief over it in Parliament yesterday and the state government has also ordered an inquiry into it. I think that everything will be cleared after the investigation report, whether the incident was deliberate or occurred due to some mistakes." "Such events take place in our country in the name of religion, but the arrangements should be checked for it as we need to learn from such accidents what precautions should be taken in such events. Criticizing the opposition for politicising the issue, Rawat stated, "The job of the opposition is only to make allegations. Those who are making allegations are the ones who opened fire on people in Muzaffarnagar on Gandhi Jayanti on 2 October 1994. In Mussoorie, our Uttarakhand agitators were shot dead and killed. Our mothers and sisters were raped. Those who are making such allegations should first wake up and think about what happened in their own times." Meanwhile, the BJP MP Laxmikant Bajpai said, "This is an unfortunate incident. My condolences to the deceased. The government should provide free medical treatment to the injured. Who gave the permission, on what conditions, where those conditions followed, and if the conditions were not followed, then what were the local police and administration officials doing, this should be investigated..." The tragic stampede incident that occurred on Tuesday in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras claimed the lives of 121 people and as many as 35 people are injured. The prime facie report submitted by the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of the Sikandra Rao division of the district suggests that the stampede occurred as devotees rushed to seek blessing from 'Bhole Baba', the preacher at the religious congregation Satsang, as he was about to leave the venue after the prayer. The preacher 'Bhole Baba' identified as Suraj Pal is also known by the names of Narayan Sakar Hari and Jagat Guru Vishwahari. As per prima facie report, the devotees rushed to seek blessings and collect soil from around the preacher's feet, but were stopped by the security personnel of 'Bhole Baba'. Later, they started pushing one another due to which several people fell to the ground, leading to chaos at the site. Some people ran towards the adjoining field filled with mud, due to which they fell down and were crushed by other devotees, the report stated. "The injured were taken to the hospital by the police and security personnel present at the site", it further said. Meanwhile, an FIR has been lodged against Devprakash Madhukar, referred to as 'Mukhya Sewadar' and other organizers of the 'Satsang'. The preacher 'Bhole Baba', who is currently untraceable, has not been named in the FIR. Uttar Pradesh police have launched a search operation at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district. FIR has been filed under Sections 105, 110, 126(2), 223, and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. (ANI)
Two labourers were trapped under mud following a landslide during building construction near Balmatta Road in Mangaluru on Wednesday. The landslide occurred while construction work was underway. Rescue efforts are currently underway to evacuate the stranded workers. One person has been rescued and shifted to a hospital. Operation is on to rescue the second person. "At around 12:30 pm, an incident took place where two labourers got buried because of a mudslide. We have been able to successfully retrieve one of them and he is healthy. The fire team, SDRF and NDRF teams are carrying out a rescue operation. For the second person, a rescue operation is going on. We are trying from both angles of forecutting as well as removing the topsoil to retrieve the person," Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner, Mullai Muhilan told ANI. Further information is awaited. (ANI)
The G20 Global Land Initiative (G20 GLI) at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in collaboration with the Heartfulness Institute, successfully concluded the 'Youth Acts - Planting for a Sustainable Future' event at Kanha Shanti Vanam, the global headquarters of the Heartfulness Institute in Hyderabad. The event brought together 2,500 enthusiastic students from across the region for an enriching day dedicated to environmental conservation and land restoration. The event provided young participants with a hands-on experience in environmental conservation, focusing on the vital role of land restoration in combating climate change and enhancing biodiversity. In the face of escalating environmental challenges, educating and empowering the next generation is crucial. 'Youth Acts - Planting for a Sustainable Future' was more than just a tree-planting initiative; it was a comprehensive program that included interactive sessions, expert talks, and engaging activities designed to instill a deep sense of environmental stewardship in participants. By fostering a connection to nature and providing practical knowledge, the event aimed to cultivate a generation of environmentally conscious individuals dedicated to making a positive impact on the planet. This event represented a significant stride towards global land restoration efforts. By involving youth in meaningful environmental activities, we not only restored degraded land but also sowed the seeds of a sustainable future. Each sapling planted and each lesson learned during this event contributed to the broader goal of combating desertification and promoting ecological balance. Muralee Thummarukudy, Director, G20 Global Land Initiative, UNCCD, while speaking to the media said, "We have a global mandate to achieve 50 percent reduction in degraded land by 2040. We are talking about the equivalent land mass of China, one billion hectares. We have to work in all type of landscape to achieve this. In agriculture landscape, in arid land, in marsh lands, in lakes and rivers. One another thing which is important is to capture the imagination of the new generation. We call that regeneration restoration". "The experience here in heartfullness centre was very good. The ambience here was very beautiful and I found that it was a very good experience in moving from the pollution city and noise and moving to such a good place," said a student Khushal Ghosh. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed strong displeasure as it noted that an undertrial at the Manipur Central Jail was not taken to the hospital for medical examination "because he is from the Kuki community." A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan made scathing remarks against the Manipur government, saying it does not "trust the State". "We do not trust the State (Manipur)... The accused was not taken to hospital because he is from the Kuki community. So sad. We direct him to be examined now. If the medical report reveals something serious, we will take you to task. Remember that," said the bench. Strong observations of the top court came while hearing a plea filed by Lunkhongam Haokip that he was suffering from piles and tuberculosis and was not taken to hospital by jail officials despite having severe backache. Haokip's counsel claimed the jail officials did not pay heed to his persistent requests for medical help. Perusing an order of the Manipur High Court, the bench found that the undertrial prisoner was not taken to hospital since he was from Kuki community and "shifting him to a hospital will be hazardous, taking into account the law and order situation." In its order, the bench stated, "We direct the jail superintendent as well as the responsible authority of the State of Manipur to make necessary arrangements for his transportation to Gauhati Medical College and get him examined therein. The medical exam shall be as regards piles, TB, tonsillitis, abdominal pain, as well as problems in the lower lumbar spine." The apex court further directed the officials concerned to obtain a detailed medical report in this regard and place the same before it on or before July 15. "All expenses to be borne by the state," added the bench. The violence in Manipur between the Meiteis and the tribal Kuki, erupted after a rally by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3, 2023. Violence had gripped the entire state, and the central government had to deploy paramilitary forces to bring the situation under control. (ANI)
The Indian Army has said that it salutes the supreme sacrifice made by Agniveer Ajay Kumar who lost his life in the line of duty and his family has already been paid Rs 98.39 lakhs. Ex-gratia and other benefits amounting to approximately 67 lakhs will be paid on final account settlement shortly post-due police verification. Indian Army's Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) posted a 'clarification on emoluments to Agniveer Ajay Kumar' on Wednesday and said certain posts on social media have brought out that compensation hasn't been paid to the next of kin of the Agniveer. "It is emphasised that the Indian Army salutes the supreme sacrifice made by Agniveer Ajay Kumar. The last rites were carried out with full Military Honours. Of the total amount due, family of Agniveer Ajay has already been paid Rs 98.39 lakhs," ADGPI said in a post on X. "Ex - Gratia and other benefits amounting to approximately 67 lakhs, as applicable according to the provisions of the Agniveer Scheme, will be paid on Final Account Settlement shortly post-due police verification. The total amount will be Rs 1.65 Cr approximately. It is re-emphasised that emoluments due to a fallen hero are paid expeditiously to the Next of Kin of departed soldiers, including Agniveers," it added. Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Defence Minister Rajnath Singh of "lying" on the floor of the Lok Sabha over the Agniveer scheme and demanded an apology. In a video posted on X, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the minister had lied in Parliament about the issue of compensation to families of killed Agniveers. "The importance of truth in every religion. Rajnath Singh lied before Lord Shiva's photo about the compensation to the country, its armed forces, and Agniveers. I have said in my speech that don't listen to me or his (Rajnath Singh) speech, but listen to the family of Agniveer family," the Leader of the Opposition said in a video message. He shared the video of the father of Agniveer Ajay Singh who lost his life in Jammu and Kashmir and said that despite Singh's claims, his family had not received the promised compensation. Ajay Singh's father said, "Rajnath Singh made the statement that families of killed soldiers have been given Rs 1 crore compensation but no such assistance had been received by his family. Rahul Gandhi is raising our voice in Parliament that families of martyrs must get all necessary help. Agniveer recruitment must stop and regular recruitment should be reinstated." The Congress leader demanded an apology from the Defence Minister. "The Defence minister had lied to the family of killed Ajay Singh ji, the armed forces and the youth of the country, and must apologise to them. Daro mat, Darao mat," he added. Earlier on June 1 in Parliament, Rajnath Singh objected to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks in Lok Sabha on the Agniveer scheme and said financial assistance of one crore rupees is given to the family of the Agniveer who sacrifices his life while protecting the country's borders or during a war. Rajnath Singh accused Rahul Gandhi of trying to mislead the Lok Sabha by making wrong statements. "Rahul Gandhi should not try to mislead the House by making wrong statements. Financial assistance of Rs one crore is given to the family of the Agniveer who sacrifices his life while protecting our borders or during war," the Defence Minister said. (ANI)
Reacting to the clarification issued by the Indian Army on the emoluments to Agniveer Ajay Kumar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the "Indian Army is committed to the welfare of Agniveers." Taking to X, the defence minister wrote, "Indian Army is committed to the welfare of Agniveers!" Indian Army's Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) posted a 'clarification on emoluments to Agniveer Ajay Kumar' on Wednesday and said certain posts on social media have brought out that compensation hasn't been paid to the next of kin of the Agniveer. "Certain posts on Social Media have brought out that compensation hasn't been paid to the next of Kin of Agniveer Ajay Kumar who lost his life in the line of duty. "It is emphasised that the Indian Army salutes the supreme sacrifice made by Agniveer Ajay Kumar. The last rites were carried out with full Military Honours. Of the total amount due, family of Agniveer Ajay has already been paid Rs 98.39 lakhs," ADGPI said in a post on X. "Ex - Gratia and other benefits amounting to approximately 67 lakhs, as applicable according to the provisions of the Agniveer Scheme, will be paid on Final Account Settlement shortly post-due police verification. The total amount will be Rs 1.65 Cr approximately. It is re-emphasised that emoluments due to a fallen hero are paid expeditiously to the Next of Kin of departed soldiers, including Agniveers," it added. Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Defence Minister Rajnath Singh of "lying" on the floor of the Lok Sabha over the Agniveer scheme and demanded an apology. In his video message on X, Rahul Gandhi said that Singh had lied in Parliament about the issue of compensation to families of killed Agniveers. "The importance of truth in every religion. Rajnath Singh lied before Lord Shiva's photo about the compensation to the country, its armed forces, and Agniveers. I have said in my speech that don't listen to me or his (Rajnath Singh) speech, but listen to the family of Agniveer family," the Leader of the Opposition said in a video message. He shared the video of the father of Agniveer Ajay Singh who died in Jammu and Kashmir and said that despite Singh's claims, his family had not received the promised compensation. Ajay Singh's father said, "Rajnath Singh made the statement that families of killed soldiers have been given Rs 1 crore compensation but no such assistance had been received by his family. Rahul Gandhi is raising our voice in Parliament that families of martyrs must get all necessary help. Agniveer recruitment must stop and regular recruitment should be reinstated," the father of Agniveer Ajay Singh said. The Congress leader demanded an apology from the Defence Minister. "The Defence minister had lied to the family of killed Ajay Singh ji, the armed forces and the youth of the country, and must apologise to them. Daro mat, Darao mat," he added. (ANI)
Hours after police force deployed outside Bhole Baba's ashram, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mainpuri Sunil Kumar on Thursday said that "Baba has not been found inside the ashram." "There are 40-50 sevadars inside the ashram. He ('Bhole Baba') is not inside, neither he was yesterday nor he is today..." said DSP Mainpuri Sunil Kumar. SP City Rahul Mithas said, "I had come to check the security of the ashram. Nobody was found here." Meanwhile, Aligarh BJP MP Satish Gautam Bagla met the victims of the Hathras stampede incident at the Combined District Hospital. "CM Yogi Adityanath has ordered action on the incident. The Deputy Chief Minister had also come. Strict action will be taken to prevent such incidents from happening again. Arrests are being made. If they are found guilty, action will be taken against them as well..." the Aligarh MP told ANI. Reacting to the Hathras stampede incident, Advocate AP Singh said, "The incident is very sad and heart-wrenching...There have been more than 100 deaths and several people have been injured...I thank PM Modi who, during the reply to the President's address, expressed his condolences in Lok Sabha. I also thank CM Yogi Adityanath who visited today and has instructed all senior officials..." In view of the tragic Hathras stampede that claimed 121 lives, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Wednesday constituted a three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission under the chairmanship of Justice (retd) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava to ensure comprehensiveness of the subject matter and transparency in the inquiry. The three members of the Commission are Brijesh Kumar Srivastava, Hon'ble Justice (Retd.), Allahabad High Court (chairman), Hemant Rao (Retd., IAS) Member and Bhavesh Kumar Singh (Retd., IPS) Member. The Judicial Commission will investigate the various aspects of the Hathras stampede in the next two months and after the investigation, a report will be submitted to the State Government. The preacher 'Bhole Baba' identified as Suraj Pal is also known by the names of Narayan Sakar Hari and Jagat Guru Vishwahari. As per the prima facie report, the devotees rushed to seek blessings and collect soil from around the preacher's feet, but were stopped by the security personnel of 'Bhole Baba'. Later, they started pushing one another due to which several people fell to the ground, leading to chaos at the site. Some people ran towards the adjoining field filled with mud, due to which they fell and were crushed by other devotees, the report stated."The injured were taken to the hospital by the police and security personnel present at the site", it further said. Meanwhile, an FIR has been lodged against Devprakash Madhukar, referred to as 'Mukhya Sewadar' and other organizers of the 'Satsang'. The preacher 'Bhole Baba', who is currently untraceable, has not been named in the FIR. Uttar Pradesh police have launched a search operation at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district.FIR has been filed under Sections 105, 110, 126(2), 223, and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. (ANI)
The United States will soon announce more than USD 2.3 billion in military aid for Ukraine, US Defence Secretary Llyod Austin said on Tuesday, reported CNN. The defence secretary said that this new package will provide new air defence interceptors and other critical munitions from US inventories. "This package under presidential drawdown authority will provide new air defence interceptors, anti-tank weapons, and other critical munitions from US inventories," Austin said in a meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. "It will also enable the United States to procure more Patriot and NASAMs air defence interceptors, which will be provided on an accelerated timeline by the resequencing of deliveries for some foreign military sales," Austin added, according to CNN. However, it is unclear how much of the total USD 2.3 billion would be under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which pulls equipment from US stocks, or under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), allowing the US to purchase equipment and systems from the US defence industry. Notably, the US has been announcing regular packages for Ukraine since Congress passed legislation that approved nearly USD 61 billion in Ukraine aid earlier this year, reported CNN. The US recently moved Ukraine to the top of the list to receive air defence capabilities, putting it ahead of other countries that may have already been in line to receive them. During that time, a White House official told CNN in private discussions, "many of these countries have understood and appreciated the necessity of this decision." "If any of our partners were in an existential situation like the one that Ukraine is in right now, we would move heaven and earth to help them and it just so happens that right now that country is Ukraine," the official added. This announcement comes weeks after the US and Ukraine signed a long-term bilateral security pact that commits the US to 10 years of training Ukraine's armed forces, providing military assistance and increasing intelligence sharing, CNN reported. Additionally, it also comes one week before the NATO summit scheduled to be held in Washington, DC. Austin further said that they would "take steps to build a bridge to NATO membership for Ukraine." Following the announcement, Umerov thanked Austin for his support and said Ukraine has used it to stop Russia, "stop the aggression towards people, towards our values, national interests." He further said he looked forward to discussing the possibility of Ukraine becoming a future NATO member, according to CNN. "Hopefully soon, Ukraine will receive its invitation," Umerov said of NATO. (ANI)
During the discussions that took place on July 2, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh appreciated India's contribution to Bangladesh's War of Liberation in 1971.

"Adm Dinesh K Tripathi CNS, on an official visit to Bangladesh, called on HE Sheikh Hasina, Hon'ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh on #02Jul 24. During discussions, the PM of Bangladesh recalled & appreciated India's contribution to Bangladesh's War of Liberation in 1971," the Indian Navy said in a post on X, following the meeting between the Indian Navy Chief, and Sheikh Hasina.

"CNS apprised the PM regarding the progress of ongoing bilateral maritime engagements b/n the Indian navy & the Bangladesh Navy," the post read further.

https://x.com/indiannavy/status/1808317528374141418

Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi is on an official visit to Bangladesh for four days from July 1-4.

The visit is aimed at consolidating bilateral defence relations between India and Bangladesh and exploring new avenues for Naval cooperation, a Navy press release said.

The Navy Chief is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with his counterpart Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, Chief of the Naval Staff, Bangladesh Navy in Dhaka, and also review the Passing Out Parade scheduled at Bangladesh Naval Academy (BNA) at Chittagong on July 4, the release added.

India and Bangladesh share bonds of history, language, culture, and a multitude of other commonalities. The excellent bilateral ties reflect an all-encompassing partnership based on sovereignty, equality, trust, and understanding that goes far beyond a strategic partnership.

The partnership has strengthened, matured and evolved as a model for bilateral relations for the entire region and beyond.

In the defence sector, significant bilateral exchanges took place in 2023 with incoming and outgoing visits of the Chiefs of the Indian and Bangladesh Armed Forces.

Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff visited New Delhi from April 27-29, 2023 and on his invitation, the Chief of Staff, Indian Army paid a visit to Bangladesh in June 2023 as presiding officer for the Passing Out Parade at Bangladesh Military Academy. (ANI)
Several social media accounts used to launch a malicious campaign against Justice Babar Satar of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and his family, have been identified by Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), according to ARY News. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has received a 10-page detailed report from the investigating agency on the social media campaign against Justice Babar Satar and his family. A copy of the study is accessible with ARY News. It states that 39 Twitter accounts were used, of which 29 were discovered to be fraudulent. According to ARY News, ten accounts with false names were forwarded by the agency to NADRA for verification. In the interim, the NADRA has made available information about four of the ten accounts. The report went on to say that the majority of the accounts were used to repeat the original content, and it mentioned that three hashtags, the first of which was created on April 22, 2024, were primarily used in opposition to Justice Babar Sattar. The report also showed that 155 accounts--of which 124 could not be identified--were used to promote second hashtags against Justice Babar Satar. The FIA has asked social networking company X for details regarding the accounts that were used to carry out the campaign, as per ARY News. 18 accounts that were used to trend hashtags on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube have been discovered by the agency, and six people have received notices in relation to the case. These people are Saeed Akhtar, Fahmida Yousufzai, Khawaja Yaseen, Ismail Qasim, and Ahsan, the ARY News report added. It is important to note that once Justice Sattar and his family's personal information, including their US residency permits, were revealed online, a bigger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) opened contempt proceedings regarding the case, according to ARY News. Judge Sattar brought up the fact that his family members' identity cards and permanent residency documents were leaked to social media, invading their privacy. (ANI)
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan, has said that several former ministers, including Fawad Chaudhry, Imran Ismail, and Ali Zaidi were officially expelled on the orders of party founder Imran Khan, according to ARY News. Raoof Hasan said during a discussion on ARY News' "11th hour" that the PTI core committee passed a resolution declaring that these people would never again be allowed to join the party. "The rhetoric initiated by these individuals was responded by us, but the founder of PTI has now instructed us not to respond to any statement," Rauf Hassan stated. He asserted that the three-party expelled members had received VIP treatment and had not experienced any violence while in custody. He further stated that he is concerned about the release of the ministers, disclosing that it was an attempt to weaken PTI. He insisted that the party would overcome these obstacles to become stronger. "The party will not be weakened by people like them; on the contrary, we will become stronger," he said. In response to a query about the AML leader, Raoof made it clear that Sheikh Rasheed is not a PTI member and that talking about him in this situation is improper. Rauf Hassan emphasised the weekly meetings in which the party founder and six chosen PTI members debate critical choices and guest lists, according to ARY News. "I am unaware about the individuals held the meeting with PTI founder over court orders," he added. Regarding other devoted members, Rauf Hassan highlighted Shehryar Afridi's commitment and selflessness on behalf of the party. Shahryar Afridi is a party loyalist. He has made many sacrifices and is still an essential part of PTI, he stated, according to ARY News. Usman Dar and his family were also mentioned by Raoof Hassan, who acknowledged their important achievements and sacrifices on behalf of PTI. Rauf Hassan pointed out that while everyone has an opinion, the majority makes the decisions when it comes to internal party dynamics. He mentioned the attempts to connect with Maulana Fazlur Rehman in order to boost the movement, as well as Sahibzada Hamid Raza, who modified his position for the benefit of the party. (ANI)
Members of Rajya Sabha, Kalpana Saini and Sangeeta Yadav, attended the first P-20 Meeting of Women Parliamentarians in Maceio, Brazil, from June 30 to July 2. The P-20 Meeting of Women Parliamentarians, with the theme "Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet", was dedicated to debates and exchanges between Brazilian and foreign leaders on three core themes of the G20 summit these include climate change and sustainable development, social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty and reform of global institutions, according to the official statement Speaking at the First Working Session on Promoting Climate Justice and Sustainable Development for Women and Girls, Dr Kalpana Saini emphasised how climate change affects all countries irrespective of boundaries though this impact is felt differently across social classes requiring urgent need for climate justice and implementation of global mitigation measures. "A core theme in her speech was the need and requirement for women-led development to create more inclusive climate solutions. She went on to focus on several key initiatives undertaken by India to promote sustainability and harmony with nature. These included a specific focus on India-led Mission LiFE that embraces the people-planet-prosperity philosophy," the statement added.Further, a special mention was also made to key gender-responsive policies of the Indian government such as the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojna, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna and the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiative. Several National action plans such as the National Mission for Empowerment of Women, the National Action Plan on Climate Change, and the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change were highlighted to prove India's commitment to ecological sustainability coupled with gender inclusivity.Dr Kalpana, mentioning the pioneering schemes of Jal Jeevan Mission and the MGNREGA, stated that gender-related inequalities exist globally and it is the need of the hour that global problems such as climate change do not exacerbate the existing marginalisation."She concluded her speech by stating that climate policy which seeks to promote sustainable development must be inclusive in nature. India, for its part, maintains that climate justice can only be ensured if women are part of formulating global policies. Women's empowerment and inclusion in climate action is the need of the hour," as per the official statementFollowing the sessions of the P20, the Indian Delegation, upon invitation, held a bilateral meeting with the delegation from the United States of America. The delegation consisted of Congresswoman Young Kim and Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove. The bilateral discussion focused on the strong India-US bilateral ties and significant areas of cooperation such as women, children and education. The USA delegation shifted the discussions to financial inclusivity and literacy to which the Indian delegation responded by mentioning several key schemes of the government in this regard. A special mention was made by the USA delegation on the ethnic origins of their Vice President and how she has brought to light the vibrancy of the Indian Culture in their country.The Indian delegation carried forward the discussion by mentioning the core areas of India's sustainable agenda such as Rain Water Harvesting, Solar Energy, Sustainable farming and the need for climate justice and gender inclusivity in areas of environment and climate.The Members of Parliament affirmed that they would continue to work towards creating a just and equitable society for all women. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Council meeting in Astana on Wednesday. Jaishankar, in his meeting with Lavrov, raised "strong concern about Indian nationals" currently in the war zone in Russia. "Good to meet Russian FM Sergey Lavrov in Astana today. Wide-ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership and contemporary issues. Noted the progress in many areas since our last meeting in December 2023," Jaishankar wrote in a post on X. "Raised our strong concern on Indian nationals who are currently in the war zone. Pressed for their safe and expeditious return," he underlined. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1808401584079999150 Both the leaders also discussed the "global strategic landscape" and exchanged assessments and views. It is pertinent to note that the Ministry of External Affairs in June said two Indian nationals who had been recruited by the Russian Army were killed in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. As per the release, MEA has taken up the matter of early release and return of all Indian nationals who are with the Russian Army. "The Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Moscow have strongly taken up the matter with the Russian Ambassador in New Delhi and with Russian authorities in Moscow, respectively, for early release and return of all Indian nationals who are with the Russian Army," the MEA had said. The MEA, in its release, has urged Indian nationals to exercise caution while seeking employment opportunities in Russia. In March this year, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India is constantly in touch with Russian authorities to have Indian nationals released and discharged from the Russian army as early as possible. On being asked for an update on Indians who were duped by agents and sent to Russia to join the military, Randhir Jaiswal had said, "Regarding Russia, as I told you earlier also, we are constantly in touch with Russian authorities. We have taken it up strongly for them to have our nationals released and discharged as early as possible." (ANI)
Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration is calling on China to explain why it seized a Taiwanese fishing vessel, the Da Jin Man No 88, demanding to immediately release the vessel and its six crew members, Taiwan News reported on Wednesday. A vessel registered in Penghu named Da Jin Man No 88 was boarded and seized by the Chinese coast guard on July 2. The ship was reportedly boarded about 20 km from a port in Fujian Province's Jinjiang County in response to a summer fishing ban. The CGA said two Taiwanese and three Indonesians were on board. According to CGA, the fishing vessel was about 10 km away from the province's shores at the time of interception. CGA Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin stated that the agency received a report on Tuesday from the owner of a Taiwanese fishing boat that it had been intercepted by two Chinese coast guard vessels 43.89 km (23.7 NM) northeast of Liaoluo Port in Kinmen, as per Taiwan News. The CGA dispatched the PP-10081 and PP-3505 patrol boats to aid the Da Jin Man No 88. The CGA also sent the PP-10039 for assistance. The PP-10081 was intercepted by three Chinese coast guard ships at 9:14 pm (local time) CGA demanded that China release a seized Taiwanese fishing boat, the Da Jin Man No 88. but the Chinese coast guard responded by urging them not to interfere Further, the CGA detected four more Chinese coast guard ships converging on the scene. The Coast Guard was unable to get the fishing boat released and to avoid escalation decided to pull back. According to Taiwan News, Hsieh said by 10:30 pm Tuesday, (local time) the Taiwanese fishing boat had been taken to Fujian's Port of Weitou by the Chinese coast guard. The boarding location was 20.74 km from Fujian's town of Shenhu within Chinese territorial waters. Hsieh pointed out that it is currently the fishing moratorium period in China. He said follow-up negotiations with the Chinese side will be handled through the Mainland Affairs Council and the Fisheries Agency. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said it will handle any future developments with the Fisheries Agency. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Pushkin Park in Astana on Wednesday, where he paid tribute to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi accompanied by members of the Indian community following his arrival to represent India at the SCO Summit on July 4. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1808410142427197818/photo/2 Jaishanark shared the pictures on X, of him and the Indian delegations paying tribute to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. "Paid homage at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Pushkin Park in Astana today. Joined by members of the Indian community and friends of India," EAM wrote on X. Earlier in the day, Jaishankar met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Council meeting. Jaishankar, in his meeting with Lavrov, raised "strong concern about Indian nationals" currently in the war zone in Russia. "Good to meet Russian FM Sergey Lavrov in Astana today. Wide-ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership and contemporary issues. Noted the progress in many areas since our last meeting in December 2023," Jaishankar wrote in a post on X."Raised our strong concern on Indian nationals who are currently in the war zone. Pressed for their safe and expeditious return," he underlined. On Tuesday, Jaishankar arrived in Astana to represent India at the SCO Summit, which is being held under Kazakhstan's chairmanship. The EAM was welcomed by Kazakhstan Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakayev at the airport. https://x.com/indembastana/status/1808164788507173147 "EAM @DrSJaishankar reached Astana to represent PM @narendramodi at the SCO Summit from July 3-4, 2024. On arrival, EAM was welcomed by Kazakhstan's Deputy Foreign Minister @AlibekBakayev," the Indian Embassy in Kazakhstan posted on X. Jaishankar also met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu in Astana on Tuesday and discussed expanding strategic partnership and India's increasing engagement with Central Asia. Jaishankar thanked the deputy prime minister for the hospitality and arrangements for the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit. The two ministers further exchanged views on regional and global issues. "Delighted to meet DPM & FM Murat Nurtleu of Kazakhstan in Astana today. Thanked him for the hospitality and arrangements for the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit. Discussed our expanding Strategic Partnership and India's increasing engagement with Central Asia in various formats. Also exchanged views on regional and global issues," EAM Jaishankar said in a post on X. Jaishankar is leading the Indian delegation at the summit. The SCO Summit will be held on July 3-4. The 24th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State (SCO Summit) will be held under the presidency of Kazakhstan on July 4. (ANI)